Chapter 86 Which Elementary School Should I Attend?
Upon hearing the news, Song Xinran disregarded everything else and focused solely on buying a house. She found a car and went to the city. As soon as she met Shi Yan, the two of them went to find the landlord together.
The process went surprisingly smoothly. In just a few days, Shi Yan won over the landlord. The price of 500,000 yuan was acceptable to both parties. Hu Da Niang's son and daughter-in-law were quite understanding and didn't say anything unnecessary.
Song Xinran brought her bankbook with her. After viewing the house again, she signed the contract, paid the money, and applied for the property transfer. All of this was done within a day.
Shi Yan was a little dazed when she received the agency fee. Wasn't this too fast?
She has been a real estate agent for several years and has encountered some incredibly straightforward clients, especially when it comes to renting. Some clients even view a property in just one day and sign a contract immediately. However, when it comes to buying a house, everyone becomes more cautious. After all, it's not a small amount of money, and buying a house means living in that house for the rest of the year. Therefore, buyers are always extremely careful, viewing the property themselves, showing it to their family, and then showing it to their relatives.
Shi Yan could understand, because this matter was of great importance.
But today it went by too fast. She originally thought she would have to negotiate the price again. Although from Shi Yan's perspective as a middleman, the price should be no less than it was. The house was worth the price, even a little lower than the market price, because the landlord wanted full payment and was sincerely selling the house.
But Song Xinran didn't say anything, paying the money as if it weren't her own assets. Before signing the contract, Shi Yan even asked, "Sister, do you want to invite your elders and men to come and take a look?"
She had a good impression of Song Xinran. Song Xinran was sensible and articulate. When they first met, Song Xinran's child was also adorable and sweetly called her "Auntie," showing that she was well-mannered. Both times she called Song Xinran, the other party came immediately, demonstrating her seriousness about buying a house.
Shi Yangan, who works in the industry, has seen many family disputes caused by buying houses, and is worried that Song Xinran will encounter the same problem.
Song Xinran smiled at her and said, "Sister Shi, it's just me and my child at home, there's no one else."
Shi Yan's heart skipped a beat when she heard this. She immediately felt an urge to slap herself. What did she say?! She was a real estate agent, making a living off her job. She quickly forced a smile and said, "I'm so sorry."
Song Xinran said, "It's okay."
Although Shi Yan was annoyed, looking at Song Xinran's gentle and calm demeanor, she had other thoughts. This young girl had bought a house outright without any men or elders to help her.
People's first reaction is whether this money is clean, but Shi Yan has seen a lot of people in this line of work, and she can tell at a glance that Song Xinran is an upright person. She became even more curious and looked at Song Xinran with even higher regard.
Shi Yan knew a lot about property transfer and tax payment, and helped Song Xinran with some of the procedures. Finally, she said, "You bought this house for your child's schooling, right? Then you should pay more attention to school information. Generally, schools will release information in early June for new school year registration. You can then make your appointment."
Song Xinran said somewhat embarrassedly, "Thank you, Sister Shi, but I live in town now, and my child isn't on vacation yet, so I can't come to the city every day. Could you keep an eye out for me, Sister Shi?"
“Okay!” Shi Yan readily agreed. The real estate agency was close to Xinqiao Elementary School and had good connections within the real estate agency circle, so it was just a small favor for her. “I’ll call you as soon as I see it.”
After thanking her, Song Xinran went to the house again after completing all the formalities at the housing management office.
She gripped the key tightly in her hand, leaving a red mark, and felt an indescribable excitement welling up inside her. This was going to be her house.
Hu Da Niang's son and daughter-in-law were efficient people. When they moved out, they cleaned the house thoroughly. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, making every room bright and airy. Apart from some furniture that couldn't be moved, everything else was gone, making the house feel somewhat empty, but correspondingly, it was also quite large.
The houses built at this time were all large in area with no shared area, and the usable floor area ratio was extremely high. After walking around the house, Song Xinran decided on the use of the three rooms: one room for herself, one room for Song Yu, and one room as a study.
The study is located in a room facing out of the community, next to a side road, offering a good view and a relatively quiet environment.
After making a rough plan, Song Xinran couldn't wait to buy furniture and appliances for the renovation. She could just find a car to bring over the TV, refrigerator, and other appliances that she already had in town. So she only needed to buy some large items that were difficult to move, such as beds, desks, dining tables, and wardrobes.
Although Song Xinran had been to the city many times in the past three years, Yongyan was still a very large city, and she didn't know much about where to buy furniture. So she went to ask Shi Yan for advice. As a real estate agent, Shi Yan knew the area very well and told her in detail where to buy custom-made wooden furniture and where to buy appliances. She didn't mention any specific stores, and she was genuinely recommending the products without trying to get a kickback.
Song Xinran wrote it down in detail before returning to town. She had been running back and forth a lot these past few days, so she thought that now that she had bought the house, she might as well move to the city first and wait for the renovation. Anyway, the house was a second-hand house, and the original custom-made wardrobe in the bedroom could not be removed and moved. She only needed to buy the bed and put it in the room first.
At this moment, Song Xinran thought of Fang Jianmin again. If he agreed to her proposal, she could work while renovating, which would mean earning and spending money at the same time, thus reducing the pressure.
As soon as she got home, Song Xinwen came to greet her, his face filled with anxiety and anticipation, as if he had been waiting for her for a long time: "Xinran, how did it go?"
Today, Song Xinran left in a hurry, temporarily entrusting Song Yu to Song Xinwen before leaving.
Song Xinran met Song Yu's gaze, and Song Yu was also staring at her expectantly. However, compared to his aunt's impatience, he was relatively calm, though his eyes clearly revealed his current thoughts.
Song Xinran smiled and said to the two of them, "I bought it today."
"Really!" Song Xinwen's eyes widened with joy. He quickly went into the kitchen to get a glass of water for Song Xinran. "Sit down and tell me slowly. How did you buy it so quickly? Was the landlord easy to talk to? How much did it cost?"
Song Yu didn't speak, but she moved very quickly, running to Song Xinran, bringing her a small stool and placing it behind her, her eyes sparkling.
Song Xinran chuckled, but her bottom was sore from the long car ride, so she picked up a small stool and sat on the sofa. Song Yu quickly ran over and sat down next to her.
Song Xinwen sat on the other side.
Song Xinran took a sip of water: "I looked at this house a few days ago. Today, the agent and the landlord negotiated the price down, so I bought it. It's April now, and after all the formalities are completed, it should be May. Then I should go to register for elementary school."
Song Xinran was fortunate that at that time, Shuangqiao Primary School only required local household registration for enrollment, and there was no requirement to have lived in the area for several years.
"As for the price," Song Xinran held up a five.
Song Xinwen stared in shock, his eyes widening: "So expensive!"
Of course, she didn't think it was 50,000. Houses in town have gone up in price now, and those in good locations and larger in size cost 40,000 to 50,000.
But the city is ten times more expensive than the town. Even though Song Xinwen is making money now, she only wants to come to the town to buy a small house to live in, so that her children can go to school. Her idea is already much more advanced than that of the people in her village.
There are wealthy families in the village who can easily come up with 100,000 or so yuan, but they would definitely refuse to buy a house in the city. They would argue that there's no point in buying a house in the city, since their land is all in the village and they have to pay for a bottle of water in the city. Only a fool would buy a house in the city.
But Song Xinwen has now figured out a bit of the trick. There is farmland in the village, but no jobs. You can earn more money by doing any job in the city than by growing crops. However, she is reluctant to spend hundreds of thousands of yuan to buy a house in the city, even if she has the money.
Song Xinran said, "School district housing is bound to be a bit expensive."
In fact, the average house price in Yongyan City is only one or two thousand yuan. Song Xinran wanted to go straight to the best primary school so that Song Yu could avoid having to transfer schools later. Transferring schools can be quite harmful to children. They are young and it is difficult for them to join a new group and adapt to a new environment.
Song Xinwen was astonished. She had only just learned about the concept of school district housing from Song Xinran a few days ago. Before, she only wanted her child to attend a village school or a school in town, and she could just register directly. There were no complicated procedures involved.
His gaze lingered on Song Yu for a moment, then he shook his head, thinking that raising a child was really not easy, but why were the other families in the village so simple?
Couples who go to work in coastal cities leave their children with their parents in their hometown. They bring back three to five hundred yuan a month and raise their children without having to worry about anything.
Song Xinwen was deep in thought, and Song Yu felt a little flustered by her gaze, so he quietly leaned towards Song Xinran.
Song Xinran patted his head, a smile appearing in her eyes: "Xiao Yu will be a primary school student this September, aren't you happy?"
Song Yu is conflicted. Sometimes he wishes he could stay in kindergarten forever, because it's so much fun, with teachers, classmates, and lots of good friends. Other times, he wants to grow up quickly so he can travel to many places with his mother. He sometimes feels envious when he sees children in elementary school, thinking they can learn more and read more books.
Overall, Song Yu was still happy and nodded vigorously.
After buying the house, Song Xinran told Xu Sha and Chen Jingfang about her plans to leave the town and her future plans. She mainly entrusted the snack shop to Chen Jingfang, as she trusted her. However, once she left, Chen Jingfang would be the only one running the snack shop, so she would need to find another employee.
Chen Jingfang was somewhat surprised to hear the news, but she had already prepared herself mentally. She and Song Xinran spent the most time together, and she knew that Song Xinran would definitely not stay in the town forever.
This timing is understandable; Song Yu is about to start primary school.
When Song Xinran suggested hiring more staff, Chen Jingfang said, "Xinran, let's decide on this while you're still here. I'll put up a job posting, and we can take a look together when someone comes."
Song Xinran agreed.
Within two days of the job posting, four or five people had applied. Chen Jingfang conducted an initial screening and finally narrowed it down to two people. Song Xinran and Chen Jingfang met with them together.
It wasn't really an interview; Song Xinran mainly just checked the candidate's personal hygiene, whether they were clean, and whether they were efficient.
One of the girls even recognized Song Xinran; she had bought braised meat from her before.
Upon hearing the other person mention it, Song Xinran vaguely remembered that when she first started selling braised meat and was extorted, this girl had spoken up for her.
This confirmed her suspicions even further. Not only did the other party meet Song Xinran's requirements in appearance, but she was also of good character. Song Xinran then decided to settle on this young girl named Zheng Qin, and Chen Jingfang also thought it was a good idea.
Zheng Qin was naturally delighted. She used to work outside, but returned home to give birth. After giving birth, she planned to go back to work because the wages were higher and it was easier to find a job outside.
Now that there's a job like this in her hometown, and it pays just as much as it would outside, she'd definitely be willing to stay.
Song Xinran paid Chen Jingfang a fixed salary plus a 20% bonus. With everything arranged, she wanted to go to the city to start the renovation.
Before Song Yu could even discuss this matter, Fang Jianmin came to him first.
Fang Jianmin came with sincerity this time; otherwise, he could have just made a phone call and it would have been done without all this back and forth.
“Mr. Song, I’ve thought about your request carefully after I got back,” Fang Jianmin said.
Actually, after returning to the city, I searched everywhere for chefs who could make braised food. I even asked friends in other cities to inquire and send me some samples to try, but the taste was still lacking.
Fang Jianmin's ability to build such a large business is inseparable from his own capabilities. Although he is not good at cooking, he has a sharp tongue and some tricks up his sleeve. His restaurants have won over customers with their delicious food and have gained a foothold in the market.
Fang Jianmin thought it over and over, but couldn't find anyone who could make better braised food than Song Xinran, so he came to her and said, "I agree to your request, but I also have some additional conditions."
"First, I need to taste what you make at the braising shop, and the braised food made by the employees you train must be just as good as what you make."
Song Xinran nodded slightly: "That's natural."
"Secondly, you can come to the braising shop once a week, but you cannot refuse if there is any emergency at the braising shop."
Song Xinran nodded, then cautiously added, "I only handle things in the kitchen."
She herself ran a stall and shop, so she knew that the most troublesome thing in the world was dealing with people and everything related to that. In comparison, things in the kitchen were very simple.
She's a salaried employee and doesn't want to worry about so much for the boss.
Fang Jianmin agreed.
Finally, the two reached an amicable agreement, agreeing that Song Xinran would go to the city's braised food workshop to sign the contract on the weekend.
After seeing Fang Jianmin off, Song Xinran was filled with excitement. Everything was going in a good direction. She decided to tell Song Yu that she would be leaving home for a while and that her aunt would take care of him for two weeks.
That night, when Song Yu heard the news, it felt like the sky was falling. The little boy's round eyes filled with tears, his lips trembled, but he still managed to hold back his sobs and asked her, "Is Mommy leaving?"
Having lived with her mother for three years, Song Yu could no longer clearly remember what exactly happened at her aunt's house before. She only had vague emotional impressions that made her feel sad and lonely.
He will no longer ask his mother if she doesn't want him anymore, because he knows she definitely won't, but he still can't bear to let his mother go.
Tears just won't listen to him; he can hardly hold them back.
Song Xinran felt her heart soften and gently hugged him: "I'm leaving in a couple of days. I'm just going to the city for work and to renovate the new house. That way, Xiao Yu can move into the new house directly after graduating from kindergarten."
Song Yu wanted to say that he didn't need to live in the new house, but he also knew that his mother had worked very hard to buy the house.
He raised his hand and gently rubbed his eyes, then lowered his head and said, "I understand."
Song Xinran was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say or do to comfort him. However, Song Yu was still studying, and the renovation was in a mess, so she couldn't take the child with her. If she went back and forth every day, most of her time would be spent on the road.
Instead, Song Yu looked up at her. Although her eyes were still a little red, she had wiped away her tears. Her voice still had a slight nasal tone: "Mom, go to work. I... I will listen to Auntie and study hard so I won't get sick."
When Song Yu heard the adults say goodbye, they all said to take good care of themselves. In his view, taking good care of himself was equivalent to not getting sick.
Song Xinran felt a pang of sadness and tenderness in her heart. She gently ruffled his hair and said, "Don't be afraid, Xiao Yu. Mom will be back in two weeks at most, and if she has time in between, she will come back as well."
Song Yu said, "I'll go see my mom when I have my vacation."
Song Xinran quickly shook her head: "Xiao Yu is too young. Mom is worried about her coming alone. Auntie is also very busy with the shop, so she can't bring Xiao Yu along."
Song Yu said disappointedly, "Fine."
Song Xinran said softly and gently, "Once the house in the city is renovated, Xiaoyu can go to school in the city. Do you remember that school? Xiaoyu chose the location herself. The house is also very beautiful. Xiaoyu will like it..."
Song Yu pursed her lips and quietly rubbed her eyes. At this moment, she was eagerly hoping that she would grow up soon so that she could go out on her own and her mother wouldn't worry.
The next day, Song Yu was a little listless when he went to kindergarten. He was usually a very energetic child. When he got to class, he would go to look at the flowers he had planted, greet the teacher, and chat with his good friends.
But today, once I got to the classroom, I didn't want to look at the flowers anymore. I just lay on the desk with only the back of my head showing.
Yuanyuan stared at him curiously for a long time, and finally quietly leaned over and reached out her little paw to touch Song Yu's head.
Song Yu doesn't like having his head touched. He feels that it will stunt his growth. Although he has been well-nourished for the past three years and is no longer the shortest in his class, he is still only considered average.
Therefore, Yuanyuan felt this was a good opportunity, but she was also afraid that Song Yu would get angry, so she only touched him lightly and then withdrew her hand. She started rummaging through her schoolbag, pretending that she was not the one who had done the bad thing. However, while rummaging through her schoolbag, she still saw Song Yu out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that he did not react, she became restless again and quickly reached out and touched him a second time.
After touching him, she pretended to be busy, but Song Yu didn't move and remained in that position, which made Yuan Yuan a little flustered.
What happened to Song Yu...?
Just as she was about to go over and ask, she saw Song Yu resting her head on her arm, looking in her direction, her eyes slightly red.
Yuan Yuan's eyes widened immediately. Oh no, Song Yu had been touched and cried!
In Yuanyuan's heart, Song Yu was a very strong person. She rarely saw Song Yu cry. Even when many children in the class cried when getting injections (vaccinations), Yuanyuan couldn't help but shed a couple of tears, but Song Yu's eyes didn't turn red and she said it didn't hurt at all.
She quickly moved closer: "I'm sorry, Song Yu, I'm sorry, I won't touch you anymore!"
Song Yu said in a muffled voice, "No."
Then he turned his head to the other side.
But he didn't want to say anything more. Since he came to live in town with his mother, this was the first time his mother had been away for so long. For the first time, Song Yuxiao felt the meaning of separation. Although his mother said it was only two weeks, two weeks felt like a very long time.
Yuanyuan was even more anxious and wanted to run to the other side to tell Song Yu to stop crying.
Just then, Wu Yaoxuan walked over with something in his hand. He had come specifically to find Song Yu. Upon seeing Song Yu like this and Yuanyuan's anxious appearance, he immediately said, "Yuanyuan, you made Song Yu cry!"
Yuanyuan was panicked and stood up abruptly, waving her hands repeatedly: "No, no, I didn't mean to."
Wu Yaoxuan felt like he had caught Yuanyuan in a compromising situation and immediately wanted to laugh. Although they were all friends, Yuanyuan and Song Yu were classmates and got along better. This gave him an opportunity, so he quickly said, "Song Yu, don't cry. Look what I brought you!"
"Clang, clang, clang!" Wu Yaoxuan even added his own voiceover as he handed the book to Song Yu, "It's '100,000 Whys'!"
"Don't be Yuanyuan's deskmate anymore, come with me instead, I won't make you cry."
Yuanyuan became even more anxious and tried to push Wu Yaoxuan away with both hands: "Get away from me!"
She thought Wu Yaoxuan was awful and clenched her fists, wanting to punch him.
Wu Yaoxuan suddenly had a brilliant idea: "Yuanyuan, do you want to hit me?"
He immediately wanted Song Yu to see that Yuan Yuan was disrupting class unity.
Yuanyuan said, "I didn't!"
Wu Yaoxuan said, "You want to have it."
Yuanyuan: ...
Okay, she thought about it, but she didn't do it. Who said she couldn't even think about it?
Just as the two were about to start arguing, Song Yu sat up and said, "Stop arguing. I didn't cry. It has nothing to do with Yuanyuan."
He felt it was embarrassing to cry in class, so he lay on his desk so no one could see him.
Wu Yaoxuan: "You were clearly crying just now!"
Song Yu glared at him angrily, then stood up and ran out.
Yuanyuan and Wu Yaoxuan were both stunned for a moment.
Yuanyuan immediately said, "Well, you, Wu Yaoxuan, you've made Song Yu run away!"
She felt that victory was on her side again.
This time, Wu Yaoxuan was at a loss: "Me? Me? I didn't do anything, did I?"
Yuanyuan gave a soft hum: "I'm going to find Song Yu."
She couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to Wu Yaoxuan.
With about ten minutes left before class, Wu Yaoxuan saw Yuanyuan run away and quickly chased after her.
Song Yu sat sadly by the small flower bed in the kindergarten. Yuan Yuan and Wu Yaoxuan appeared one after the other. Yuan Yuan said, "Song Yu, what's wrong with you today? Did someone upset you? Tell me, and I'll help you get revenge!"
Yuanyuan waved her little fists; she's quite a fighter.
A sudden thought flashed through Wu Yaoxuan's mind: "Is it your brother?"
He remembered that Song Yu's little brother had bullied him before, but Wu Yaoxuan had beaten him up.
Yuanyuan said, "Yes, Wu Yaoxuan is the best fighter!"
Wu Yaoxuan wanted to say yes, but he felt that the description was not good. Teacher An had said not to fight, because fighting is bad for kids.
He frowned in thought.
Song Yu said softly, "No, it's my mother..."
"Ah!" Yuanyuan opened her mouth wide and quickly shook her head, "I wouldn't dare hit Aunt Song."
Wu Yaoxuan: ...He wouldn't dare, he really likes Aunt Song.
Song Yu raised her voice a little: "No! My mom would never bully me, she's the one leaving."
Song Yu felt that being interrupted by her friends lessened her sadness and made her less inclined to cry.
"Ah." Yuanyuan was still surprised. "Where is Aunt Song going?"
Wu Yaoxuan quickly asked, "Is she not coming back? Can we still buy Bo Bo Chicken if we want to eat it in the future?"
Song Yu sighed softly: "Mom went to the city to buy a house and is renovating it. She won't be back for another two weeks."
Yuanyuan asked, "Are you going to the city later?"
Wu Yaoxuan said, "Two weeks will go by quickly. Since your mother isn't here, you can come to my house and stay with me!"
Song Yu chose to ignore Wu Yaoxuan's words: "Yes, Mom said I'll be going to primary school in the city."
"Great!" they both exclaimed in unison. "Which elementary school are you going to?"
Yuanyuan had said before that she wanted to attend the same primary school as Songyu, but at that time Songyu didn't know where he was going. Today, when she mentioned it, Yuanyuan was very happy.
The same applies to Wu Yaoxuan.
Song Yu said, "It's Shuangqiao Primary School."
Wu Yaoxuan immediately said, "I'll go back and tell my grandparents that I want to go to Shuangqiao Primary School too!"
Yuanyuan exclaimed excitedly, "Me too!"
"Song Yu, don't be sad. Look, we can still go to school together and even be in the same class!"
This was good news, and Song Yu's mood improved somewhat.
The next day when they came to school, Yuanyuan and Wu Yaoxuan looked like wilted eggplants.
Yuanyuan was about to cry as soon as she saw Song Yu: "My mom said I'm not going to Shuangqiao Elementary School because it's too far from our home, boohoo."
Wu Yaoxuan lowered his head, too embarrassed to talk to Song Yu. He plopped down on the stool and then jumped up.
When Mr. Wu came home last night, Wu Yaoxuan told his father that he wanted to go to Shuangqiao Primary School, but his father rejected the idea. He was dissatisfied and made a fuss, so he ended up eating a meal of stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork.
It hurts so much.
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