Admiring the exquisite antiques, Meng Tao and Gu Yingying marveled at the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient craftsmen. Xu Mingni didn't want to leave at all. She was busy looking for paper and pen. She also asked Gu Yingying if she had a camera to take a picture. She wished she could treat this place as her studio.

The banquet was about to start, and Aunt Ma came over to call them. Gu Yingying took out a large piece of silk cloth, and together with Meng Tao, they pulled it open to cover the entire table, then locked the door and went out.

Seeing that Xu Mingni was reluctant to leave, Meng Tao told her about the pile of antique fragments in her space.

When Xu Mingni heard that there might be pottery and porcelain from the Tang, Yuan, Ming, Song and even older periods, she got excited and grabbed Meng Tao and asked her where the broken porcelain pieces were. She had to go and protect them quickly, otherwise they would be too badly damaged and lose their archaeological value.

Meng Tao said, "It's near the capital of Province D. Shen Yu and I passed by there at the time, but I forgot the exact name of the place. Shen Yu should know it. You can go ask him."

Xu Mingni was an impatient person, so she immediately ran to find Shen Yu.

Gu Yingying and Meng Tao went to pick up Xu Zhen and baby Shen Yunhai, and then went to the front to eat together.

Halfway through the banquet, they suddenly heard noises of crying and shouting coming from the front yard. Everyone was surprised: Today is a good day and the whole family is here, who is causing trouble?

Grandma Xu asked what was going on. Aunt Ma finished talking to the staff from the front yard at the door, then hurried over and said softly:

"It was Gu Panpan, her mother, and her sister... They said that Heng Kai and Panpan were the destined couple, and Heng Kai couldn't marry Yingying, otherwise..."

Gu Yingying, who was sitting next to Grandma Xu, felt a buzzing in her head. Her face suddenly turned red and soon turned pale.

Sitting opposite, Mrs. Gu, Jian Rong, and Gu Yingying's two half sisters, Gu Fangfang and Gu Pingping, were surprisingly calm and didn't seem surprised. Gu Fangfang and Gu Pingping even rolled their eyes at Gu Yingying with contempt and disgust, as if to say: Look, this is the result of stealing someone else's marriage! Meng Tao felt angry when she watched, and subconsciously clenched her chopsticks: If this were my own sisters, I would beat them into pig heads and avoid them whenever I see them in the future.

Grandma Xu patted Gu Yingying's hand, said a few words to comfort her, and then invited everyone to eat, as if nothing had happened.

After the meal, the Gu family hurriedly said goodbye and went back.

Shen Yu later told Meng Tao: Gu Panpan and her mother and daughter were making a big fuss, using all sorts of tricks. The guards let them in at the behest of Grandpa Xu - the front door of their house was not a stage, and these three women were not unrelated strangers, and it was really inappropriate for them to cry and shout at the door.

So Grandpa Gu and Gu Guangming saw the farce of Gu Panpan and her daughter in the front yard. Although they were all relatives and friends, it was still humiliating. Gu Guangming was also questioned by Uncle Xu, "Didn't they say Gu Panpan was under house arrest? The rules in your family used to be quite strict."

The father and son really couldn't stay any longer, so they finally waited until the party was over and quickly packed up and went home.

Grandpa Xu had originally planned to have a private talk with Grandpa Gu after dinner, but that didn't happen.

As for what kind of internal turmoil there was after the people from the Gu family returned, no one knew. The Xu family could not control it, nor did they want to.

Two days later, Gu Yingying returned to Hai City to work. Her aunt advised her to transfer back to Beijing. Gu Yingying said that the students she was teaching now were very talented, and after two years, she would be able to have a child peacefully.

My aunt was delighted to hear this and naturally supported her.

In April, the weather was sunny and pleasant, so Meng Tao started taking her baby out shopping.

There is a children's stroller in the space, which Shen Yu bought when he was shopping in Hong Kong City. Its style and functions are similar to those of later baby strollers. It can be used for lying or sitting, and has a canopy that can be folded and unfolded freely. It is not a problem to protect against rain and sun, and the wheels are also very shock-resistant.

This cart was a rare item in China in the 1970s. When you use it on the street, you will always attract attention. Whenever someone asks about it, Meng Tao will just say that she bought it at the Friendship Store.

These two courtyards are more dilapidated than the ones I saw before. Except for the walls which are still barely holding up, the tiles and brick walls of the houses inside have basically collapsed. However, they are in a good location, on the same street, with only an alley between the walls. Maybe they belonged to the same family before. The courtyards are almost the same size, which meets the requirements of the Liu and Xu families. They have had a deep and strong relationship for many years, like brothers, so they are willing to live close to each other and do not want to be too far apart.

Because the house was quite run-down, the price was not expensive. A symbolic fee of 300 yuan was charged for each yard. The relevant formalities were completed on the same day. Wang Cuixi received the property ownership certificate and laughed and cried excitedly. She said to Xu Yuting: "We now have a home in the capital. It's a pity that your father passed away too early. It would have been great if he were still alive. In the future, if you can marry a wife and give me a grandchild, I will be satisfied!"

Xu Yuting had come to comfort his mother when he saw her crying, but when he heard that he was asked to marry and have children, he quickly dodged away: "Go tell my brother about this. My brother hasn't even gotten married yet, so what does it have to do with me?"

Wang Cuixi was so angry that she chased him and beat him. Xu Zhen was holding Shen Yunhai beside them. Shen Yunhai thought they were playing a game and started giggling. When Wang Cuixi heard the laughter, she instantly became happy again.

Liu Yongsheng talked to the people from the street office, and someone also found the craftsmen who built the house to discuss how to deal with it.

Both courtyards are one-way courtyards. Although they are not half as wide as the Shen residence, they are not small either. Judging from the layout of the house and the way the floor tiles are laid, the previous owner should have been quite wealthy. It is said that he fled overseas during the war years. Later, it was taken over by the street office. It was rented for a short period of time, and then a small street factory was opened in it. Due to a snowstorm, the house collapsed and injured the workers. The old antique machines that had been supporting the factory broke down and could not be repaired. The factory could no longer operate, and the courtyard has been abandoned ever since.

The courtyard wall is no longer solid. To repair it thoroughly, the house has to be demolished and rebuilt, which will take at least a year.

Liu Yongsheng said it was okay and there was no rush to move in, so just take your time.

The price is cheap, and if he spends another thousand or two thousand yuan to rebuild it, he can get a brand new yard. It is totally worth it. Liu Yongsheng knows that he has benefited from the help of his relatives and friends, and he secretly remembers this kindness.

However, Meng Tao instructed Liu Jianli and Xu Yuting to tell the official who brought them to buy the house to buy four of the seven or eight courtyards they had previously viewed.

You should know that these houses are now "specially managed" and can only be bought at a cheap price if someone brings them here with you. If you want to buy them later, the price will definitely increase dozens of times and you may not even be able to buy them.

Meng Tao looked around. This land, wow, will skyrocket in the future! Xu Yuting asked stupidly, "What's the point of buying so many houses?"

"It's useful. You two can each have one, and I'll have two." When Brother Jinniu has a child coming to Beijing to study in the future, give him one.

"Don't we have a house?"

Meng Tao glanced at him and said, "Parents don't separate, but brothers can't live together forever, right? When Brother Yulin gets married and has children, his wife may not be willing to live with you. The wife you marry may also have her own ideas. In the future, you will also have children. With more and more people, will one yard be enough to live in?"

"This is such a far-away thing."

"Not far away, within three to five years."

“…”

"Okay, listen to Xiaohuahua."

Liu Jicheng took the money from Meng Tao and dragged Xu Yuting to do the work.

When Liu Yongsheng found out, he thought about it and nodded repeatedly: "Xiao Huahua is right. People should look further ahead."

(End of this chapter)