Chapter 83 School District Housing
Song Xinran knew immediately that the house was no good. It was too old, and the cement plaster exterior walls were mottled from wind and rain erosion, revealing dark water stains. The rusty iron gate of the unit looked like a black hole. Upon closer inspection, the walls were covered with many small advertisements, and the stair railing was made of simple iron pipes that wobbled with the slightest force.
Song Yu held her hand, his small face tense, and walked silently in front of her, as if he were facing some great monster and had to protect her.
In fact, Song Yu felt that the house was like a monster; the dark unit door was like a gaping mouth, and nothing could be seen inside.
Noticing their expressions, the agent immediately said, "Houses are in high demand right now. This is the only house in our store that can get you into Shuangqiao Primary School. It's all for the children's future. A good primary school will change your social network!"
The real estate agent knew there wasn't much to boast about in this house, so he focused on describing how good Shuangqiao Primary School was. And the agent wasn't lying; Shuangqiao Primary School is indeed one of the top primary schools in the city, with a long history, strong teaching staff, and advanced teaching philosophy.
However, schools with a long history all face a problem: their teaching buildings are still built in the old way and are not as advanced as other newly built schools. But they were renovated two years ago, and the playground was paved with a new plastic track and many new sports facilities were built.
The real estate agent spoke of these things with great familiarity and enthusiasm. Song Xinran was getting tired of hearing it; it was as if the agent was saying she hadn't just bought the house, but had actually moved into the Shuangqiao Elementary School campus.
She glanced at the real estate agent, who looked to be in her thirties. When she smiled, there were fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, and her face looked very kind. She suddenly asked, "Sister, do you have children?"
The agent paused slightly, then smiled to build rapport, "Yes, there is. His is about the same age as yours. I went through a lot of trouble deciding which elementary school he should attend. As a mother myself, trust me this once; I definitely won't rip you off. A child's education needs a strong foundation from the start, and getting into a good elementary school makes all the difference!"
Song Xinran didn't continue the conversation, but instead asked, "Which primary school does your child attend?"
The agent said, "My family lives near Huilin Elementary School. There's nothing I can do about it. If I could get my child into Shuangqiao Elementary School, I would definitely stay here. I was unlucky back then; I looked for a long time but couldn't find a suitable school district property. Plus, my child was about to enroll, so I ended up going to the nearest elementary school. You're different, young lady. You just happened to be lucky this time. This house only came out a few days ago!"
Song Xinran was truly impressed by the real estate agent; he was extremely professional and every word he uttered was about selling houses.
"Then I'll go in and take a look," Song Xinran thought to herself, since she was already here.
The agent laughed and said, "Okay, okay!"
Take out the key and open the iron gate, and the interior of the house comes into view.
The apartment is narrow and poorly lit. The beige checkered floor tiles have lost their luster due to wear. The walls near the kitchen are bubbling and peeling. There is only one pull-out incandescent bulb on the ceiling. The kitchen and bathroom are separate, but they are small. The bathroom has no windows and looks dusty.
Song Yu frowned slightly, her nose twitching as if she had smelled something.
He immediately turned his head and pressed his face against Song Xinran's arm. His mother smelled of laundry detergent, a floral scented detergent, which smelled very fresh and masked the smell of the toilet.
The real estate agent looked embarrassed and gave an awkward laugh: "This house is already considered cheap compared to others in the area. After you buy it and renovate it yourself, it will definitely be a big difference! The money saved from buying the house can be used on renovations to make your living space more comfortable!"
Song Xinran said, "Sister, you really know how to talk."
The agent was silent for two seconds, unsure whether Song Xinran was being sarcastic. Just as he was about to say something, Song Xinran said, "Let's go out first."
She went outside first, and only felt more relaxed after breathing in the fresh air outside the house.
Song Yu also took a deep breath, clearly having been silently holding his breath inside.
Song Xinran looked at the agent again, her tone sincere: "Sister, I really think you are very good at speaking, very dedicated, and have strong work ability."
The real estate agent was caught off guard by the praise and was stunned. She had been in the business for two or three years and always flattered her customers. She had never heard such praise from a customer before. Moreover, she knew that the house was really ordinary inside and out, so it was normal for the customer not to like it.
But the agent never expected her to praise her. However, seeing Song Xinran's serious expression and clear eyes, the agent was speechless and could only smile and say, "Thank you."
She was so flustered she didn't know what to say.
“I won’t beat around the bush,” Song Xinran said directly. “I don’t like this house, but I trust your expertise. Based on your knowledge of houses and Shuangqiao Primary School, I know you must have put in a lot of effort. I sincerely want to buy a house, and I found you very kind today and I like your style, so I want to buy from you. Sister, could you help me keep an eye out for suitable houses nearby? Two-bedroom or three-bedroom is fine, the most important thing is that it’s livable! Ordinary people like us can’t afford to buy a house like this just for our children’s schooling; we wouldn’t be comfortable living in it ourselves.”
After her earnest and sincere words, Song Xinran both flattered the intermediary and expressed her sincerity and requirements.
The agents couldn't help but nod in agreement, feeling as if their abilities were recognized by the client and that the client had entrusted them with important responsibilities—something they had never experienced in their previous jobs.
When showing properties to clients, if a client is satisfied with a property, they will definitely think the price is too high and then try to negotiate the price down. If they can't get it down, they will say that the agent is no good.
If the customer is not satisfied, they can simply turn around and leave, saying that the agent doesn't have any good listings and only introduces these subpar properties, implying the agent is incompetent.
Anyway, it's the agent's problem, and she also feels it's difficult. But today's client is so unusual and different. Even the agent herself doesn't think much of the house, but the client still affirms her professional ability and makes an appointment with her for another time.
A strange feeling welled up in the agent's heart, as if the value had finally been discovered. She nodded and said, "Girl, I won't lie to you. Don't be fooled by the ordinary appearance of this house. The price is really not expensive. The asking price is 4,000 per square meter, and you can still negotiate. A house in a better school district like Shuangqiao Elementary School would cost more than this."
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Sister, I understand. I told you I like your style and trust your professional skills. Please keep an eye out for me. I'll come over when I find something good. Price is not a problem."
The agent loved hearing that last sentence, and quickly nodded, "Okay, okay, what's your phone number, girl? I'll keep it and call you if there's a suitable match."
Song Xinran has now bought a mobile phone, a Motorola flip phone for 1,500 yuan, which can access the internet, but the internet speed is very slow.
After leaving her phone number, Song Xinran thanked the real estate agent again, saying that although the house she saw today was very ordinary, she trusted the agent's judgment and would wait for her call.
With just a few words, the agent was all smiles, even giving her a bottle of mineral water and escorting her to the street.
After walking some distance away and out of sight of the real estate agents, Song Yu asked softly, "Mom, are we going to buy that house?"
When he said this, his brows were slightly furrowed and his expression was a bit serious. He was thinking that if his mother wanted to buy that smelly house, he would bring all the flowers from home and buy some more to put in the toilet.
Wu Yaoxuan always manages to kill the flowers he grows, but his parents always buy him very fragrant flowers, like the jasmine they bought at the beginning.
After graduating from kindergarten, the children will take these flowers home. So he will bring back Wu Yaoxuan's flowers, since Wu Yaoxuan said he hates taking care of these delicate things.
If the house is full of flowers, it won't smell so bad, and it might even smell nice. Song Yu thought that would be a good idea.
Upon hearing this, Song Xinran laughed and touched Song Yu's face: "How could that be? That house is too old and dilapidated, and it smells very strong. When Xiao Yu went in, he covered his nose."
Song Yu blushed slightly, feeling a little embarrassed. He didn't cover his nose at the time, but quietly pressed it against his mother. Because the aunt who introduced the house was still there, Song Yu subconsciously associated the house with the aunt. He couldn't say bad things about other people's things in front of others, especially strangers.
“Let’s go check out some other real estate agencies,” Song Xinran said.
The city is much better developed than the town. Although real estate agencies are not as ubiquitous as they were in Song Xinran's previous life, they are already playing a significant role in the real estate market.
She walked for about twenty minutes before seeing another shop, and went in to ask the same question: did they have any houses that would be suitable for students attending Shuangqiao Primary School?
The agent immediately said they had it and would take them to see it.
When Song Xinran realized that the road she was walking on was familiar, and it was as if she was visiting the place for the first time, she said, "There are no other ones yet. We have already looked at this one, but we are not satisfied, so we will go to another store to continue looking."
The agent said, "There's one more unit!"
Song Xinran then looked at a new one, but she was not satisfied with it either. This one was only slightly better than the first one, but it was still difficult for people to live in.
At this moment, Song Yu was surprised to find that her mother was using the same words again, such as "I believe in your abilities, you can find something better," and so on. Song Yu couldn't help but widen her eyes slightly and look up at her mother and the real estate agent.
He had a very good memory. He could guess the next sentence his mother said, and when she said it, he knew exactly what she meant. Song Yu was a little happy and felt that he and his mother were really in sync.
As they left, the real estate agent smiled broadly and said, "Okay, I'll definitely contact you if I find a suitable apartment!"
Song Yu blinked and said in a childish voice, "Thank you, Uncle! You're so amazing, you'll definitely find a good house!"
Song Xinran: ?
She paused for a moment, then looked down at Song Yu.
Song Yu's bright, large eyes curved into crescents, and her fair face radiated an adorable smile that even stirred the agent's enthusiasm: "Okay, little one, don't worry, I'll take a closer look!"
Song Xinran could only smile and leave with Song Yu.
The agent watched the two figures walk away, his heart still pounding with excitement. In all his years as a real estate agent, this was the first time he had encountered clients like this!
Especially that child, he's so well-behaved!
However, a doubt arose in the agent's mind: Could it be that the adults taught him this? But the adults were clearly shocked just now.
Could it be that his professional skills have tamed all the children?
The agent is now just trying to call his colleagues to see if they have any available properties so he can close the deal with this client.
Song Xinran was indeed shocked. She asked incredulously, "Xiao Yu, why would you say that?"
Song Yu blinked, her voice still soft: "Which sentence did Mom say?"
"It was that thing you said when you praised the real estate agent..." She was shocked when she heard it!
Song Yu said "Oh," and replied, "You learned it from your mother!"
Song Xinran: "But your mother didn't teach you that."
Song Yu tilted his head and thought for a moment: "I learned it as soon as my mother told me to."
Song Xinran understood what he meant; he would imitate on his own without adults having to teach him.
She was still shaken. She reached out and touched the baby's head. The fine, soft hair felt nice to the touch. She thought to herself, "This baby's learning ability is too strong."
However, Song Yu still didn't quite understand: "Why does Mom say the same things to Auntie and Uncle?"
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Because each real estate agent has different listings, only by expressing our trust will they put more effort into finding a more suitable house for us."
A strange, subtle light flickered in Song Yu's eyes, and he slowly uttered an "Oh".
After speaking, Song Xinran still felt a little uneasy. She glanced at Song Yu, thinking, "Won't I corrupt this good child? I don't think she's done anything wrong..."
Song Xinran didn't find a suitable house at the real estate agency, so she went to a newsstand and bought the latest newspaper to read and call to inquire about the housing information listed in it.
Although she didn't find anything suitable in the end, Song Xinran wasn't in a big hurry. She had given out her phone number and was just waiting for a call. She planned to go to the city to take a look in a few days.
After returning to town, Song Xinran threw herself back into her career. Although she now had over 800,000 yuan, the housing prices in the city were much higher than in the town.
However, Song Xinran knew that investing in urban properties was worthwhile. School district properties have always been highly sought after, and in a few years, the prices of these properties would at least double.
In addition to buying a house, Song Xinran plans to buy another shop. She has run a shop and set up a stall before. Compared with the two, running a shop is much easier and more profitable.
Furthermore, buying shops is also valuable; as long as the location is good, there's no worry about renting them out, which means a continuous stream of money.
However, Song Xinran doesn't have enough money to squander right now. Eight hundred thousand yuan seems like a lot in the town or village at this time. Many rural families don't save that much money in their entire lives. But if she wants to buy big items, she can easily spend it all, and she still has to be frugal.
Song Xinran thought to herself that making money was an urgent matter, and she was planning to buy a house in a bigger place in 2008.
In 2008, housing prices experienced a brief dip due to the global financial crisis, but by May of the following year, domestic housing prices had soared and continued to rise, making it impossible for many to afford a home.
In her past life, Song Xinran watched many videos online that talked about what she would do if she could go back in time. Most of these videos suggested that she should buy a house in 2008 and then wait to ascend to heaven and achieve financial freedom.
In addition, there are options like buying certain stocks, buying certain cryptocurrencies, and buying certain cups.
However, Song Xinran only watched these things for fun back then. The knowledge just flashed through her mind and she couldn't remember anything. She wasn't the type to speculate on stocks or buy World Cup tickets, so she knew nothing about these things. Besides, even lottery tickets have anti-time travel mechanisms.
However, Song Xinran has personally experienced the rise in housing prices. In 2008, Song Xinran had just graduated from elementary school. Her parents had money and hesitated about whether to buy a house in the provincial capital. At that time, they had enough money, but in the end, they thought that since they lived in the county town, what was the point of buying a house in the provincial capital? They might as well take the money back to their hometown and build a better house.
Then, more than a decade later, housing prices in the provincial capital increased dozens of times, and the house in their hometown could not be rented out. Whenever my parents talked about this, they felt very regretful. If they had bought a house back then, their family would have several million yuan in assets, and they could have retired earlier and achieved financial freedom.
Song Xinran came from an ordinary family in a county town, and a few million yuan would be enough for them to live on for a lifetime.
However, through her own efforts, Song Xinran was able to move her parents to the provincial capital. When she passed away, the insurance company paid out a considerable amount of money, and with her savings, it was enough for her parents to enjoy their later years in peace.
Thinking back on the past always makes her feel a little melancholy, but one must always look forward. She is already extremely lucky to have been given a second life in this world.
Now Song Xinran has decided not to leave this regret behind and will buy a house in a big city in 2008! Although this is a world in a book, the author also referred to the period and mechanism of real-world housing price increases when writing the story, so the timing and opportunities are not too far off.
There are still three years left; there's plenty of time.
Not long after she got home, Ge Xia knocked on the door.
She has changed a lot in the past three years. First of all, her personality has changed. The girl who used to be a bit introverted has become much more cheerful, and her smile is bright and cheerful: "Sister Xinran, this is the pot-boiled chicken I made. Try it."
Song Xinran glanced at it; the color was bright red and enticing, the broth was clear, and the vegetables were cooked to a tender green. She smiled and said, "I can tell at a glance that it's no mistake."
After inviting Ge Xia to sit down, he took a bite and immediately gave her a thumbs up, praising, "Xia, your cooking skills are getting better and better. I would feel at ease even if I handed the entire snack shop over to you now."
Ge Xia's smile widened, but she lowered her head shyly: "Sister Xinran, don't say that. I only feel secure when you're here."
Seeing his mother eat, Song Yu also felt craving it. He climbed onto the stool and sat obediently, watching intently with his big eyes. Although he didn't speak or disturb the adults' conversation, his purpose was all too obvious.
Song Xinran curled her lips and handed him a pair of chopsticks. Song Yu happily started eating by himself, eating a slice of potato, a slice of lettuce, a slice of chicken gizzard, and a slice of fresh meat, his eyes squinting as he ate.
Xia's Bo Bo Chicken is so delicious!
Song Xinran said slowly, "Xiaoxia, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while now. It's about time. Xiaoyu is going to start elementary school, and I'm planning to send him to school in the city. I'll go with him then."
Upon hearing this, Ge Xia's eyes widened: "Sister Xinran, what about the business in town?"
"No rush, let me explain slowly."
Song Xinran had thought about these things before, so she taught Ge Xia how to make braised dishes, how to make pot-boiled chicken, and how to make oden. These are all foods that are easy to make and delicious as long as the soup base is cooked well and the ingredients are selected.
The snack shops and mala tang shops remained open as usual. Ge Xia had a bit more work to do, as she not only had to take care of the mala tang shops, but also regularly made the soup base for oden or bobo chicken.
Chen Jingfang has done a good job of cooking the ingredients. She is a conscientious person. Although she doesn't have much talent in cooking, she can cook each dish perfectly as long as she follows the cooking time and heat control.
"Xiaoxia, you'll need to work a bit harder here from now on, so I've decided to change how I pay you. Your monthly salary will remain the same, but in addition, we'll share the profits, with you receiving 15% of each store's revenue."
Ge Xia, being educated, knew what profit sharing meant, but she immediately shook her head: "No need, Sister Xinran, I'll just take my salary as before, it's already very high."
Ge Xia's salary was the highest among them. At first, Ge Xia was a little uneasy when she received it, thinking that her salary was higher than that of Sister Xinwen, who was a sister.
She was afraid that Sister Xinwen would have a problem with her, which would affect Sister Xinran. Ge Xia cherished this job because she could not only learn what she liked but also earn a salary. When she brought her first month's salary home, her mother was so happy that her eyes welled up with tears. She told her to remember Sister Xinran's kindness and to repay Sister Xinran well.
Even without her parents saying it, Ge Xia knew that she had been taught since childhood to repay kindness with even greater kindness, let alone this kindness, which was not just a drop of water, but a huge spring.
Ge Xia didn't know how to repay them, so she could only work hard. She was apprehensive about the high salary, but Sister Xinwen never objected and even encouraged her, saying that she deserved it. Sister Xu Sha said the same thing.
Gradually, Ge Xia accepted it, but she didn't think she was great just because she received a high salary. Instead, she wanted to do as much as possible and do it well in order to be worthy of the salary.
Now that Song Xinran has brought up profit sharing again, Ge Xia really doesn't dare to ask for it anymore.
"Sister Xinran, you can go to the city if you want. I will do my best to manage things here. Don't worry, just do everything as before."
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Silly girl, this is what you deserve. You'll be even more tired doing two jobs in the future, and since I'm not here anymore, they'll ask you about everything. I was worried you'd run away halfway, so I used the profit sharing to keep you here. Don't worry, the profit sharing isn't just for you. My sister and Jingfang get it too, but you're the most important one, so you get the most."
Ge Xia wanted to say something more, but Song Xinran had no choice but to explain the situation to her and say that she had already made up her mind. She would tell Ge Xia first and then tell the others later.
Ge Xia finally nodded, but still hesitated a bit: "I understand, Sister Xinran, but my Bo Bo Chicken might not be as delicious as yours..."
Song Xinran smiled and asked Song Yu, who was engrossed in the food beside her, "Xiao Yu, is Sister Xiaoxia's Bo Bo Chicken delicious?"
Song Yu raised his head, his mouth glistening with oil, his eyes sparkling: "Delicious, especially delicious!"
"How does it compare to what Mom makes?"
Song Yu said, "They're all delicious!"
Song Xinran looked at Ge Xia and smiled, "Now you can rest assured."
It has to be said that because of Song Yu's words, Ge Xia felt a little more relaxed at this moment, and said earnestly, "I will try my best to do well."
Looking at her expression, Song Xinran smiled and said, "Don't be nervous. It's not like I'm going to the city and never coming back. I'll come back to see you when I have time."
Ge Xia agreed, then asked, "When will Sister Xinran tell them?"
Song Xinran said, "Wait a minute, I'm not leaving so soon. Keep this a secret for me."
Having already started the process of her departure, Song Xinran decided to gradually inform others while continuing to do her work as usual.
The braised meats on market days are still the same old ones, but Song Xinran later introduced new flavors, including spicy and fragrant braised meats. She also prepared a pot of inexpensive braised vegetables to attract customers.
Even the most delicious food can become tiresome after a few years, but you'll crave it again if you don't eat it for ten days or half a month. Song Xinran's braised dishes have become a staple on almost everyone's table in the town.
Although the long queues for purchases are no longer a common sight, the stalls still sell out every time they open on market day.
Song Xinran thought that this was the disadvantage of the small town: the population was relatively fixed and it was difficult for people to move around. If you could make a living by setting up a stall or opening a shop and gaining a reputation, you could make a steady stream of money, but it was impossible to get rich.
If the tourism industry develops in the future and people move around more freely, then we can look forward to it.
"Boss, you've prepared a lot of vegetarian dishes today!"
Song Xinran was clearly a regular customer. Having run a stall and shop for so long, she recognized everyone who came and went. She smiled and said, "I've prepared a bit more today. Some people didn't manage to buy anything at the last event."
"Okay, weigh out two jin for me. I just bought some a few days ago and I want to eat it again today."
Song Xinran handed the package to the customer, saying, "Take care."
In this business environment where most customers are acquaintances, a voice suddenly stood out: "Boss, is this all the vegetarian dishes you have?"
Song Xinran looked up and found that it was indeed a stranger. The man in front of her looked to be in his early forties, wearing a white shirt and suit pants, with a slightly protruding belly.
This man was clearly not a local. Nowadays, people in the town generally don't have much money, and they don't have much oil or fat in their lives. Plus, they do manual labor, so they are generally quite lean and don't have much of a belly. Moreover, this man had the air of a boss.
"Yes," Song Xinran said.
There were about two or three pounds of vegetables left in the bowl, and Song Xinran guessed that the man probably wanted to buy them all, which was why she asked.
The man clicked his tongue, looked around, and said, "I've walked around town, and your braised meat business is the best."
Song Xinran smiled faintly and said, "It's just everyone showing their support."
The man said, "There's a reason to support them, so I'll buy some to try too."
The man picked up a bag and tongs, selected one or two of each type of vegetable, and handed them to her: "Weigh them."
Song Xinran looked at the pitiful vegetarian dish that wasn't even full at the bottom of the box and fell silent for a moment. But since everyone was a guest, she quickly took the dish and weighed it: "Four cents."
The man smiled and said, "It's quite cheap."
He reached out and took it, then took out his wallet and rummaged through it. He pulled out a one-yuan note from among the many hundred-yuan bills and handed it to Song Xinran: "Give me six mao back."
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