Originally, they only planned to buy two courtyards, including renovating them, which would cost at most about 5,000 yuan. The Liu and Xu families could just pool their money together and there would be no need to borrow money from outside. However, with the addition of the two courtyards that Xu Yuting and Liu Jianli bought later, even if they only needed a simple renovation of more than a thousand yuan, they couldn't come up with the money, so they really had to borrow from Meng Tao.

At first, Han Shufang and Wang Cuixi disagreed to borrow money from Meng Tao. They thought that Meng Tao and Shen Yu had just gotten married and had a child, so they had a lot of things to spend money on and they didn't want to add pressure to the child.

Liu Yongsheng didn't think it was that serious. He asked Meng Tao about it and asked the two boys to write a promissory note to Meng Tao: to buy the yard and renovate the house, each of them borrowed 2,000 yuan, and it was stated that the money should be repaid within two years after graduation and work.

Liu Yongsheng had only known Xiao Huahua for the past two years, and he could see that Xiao Huahua was extremely smart. This girl had good ideas and was very successful.

Why was she willing to suffer so much in the Tian family? It can only be said that the girl was too young at the time and was blinded by love. Her infatuation and expectations for Tian Zhigao made her tolerate all kinds of abuse. It was the Tian family who were blind and did not have that blessing.

Later, she met Shen Yu and Meng Zhehan. These two people must have taught her a lot. She herself had experienced being deceived and having her engagement broken off, but she also grew up and became more intelligent, and her natural intelligence and talent were revealed.

Liu Yongsheng believed that even if she had not met Shen Yu and Meng Zhehan, as long as Xiao Huahua left the Tian family, saw the ways of the world and gained experience, she would be able to live a good life.

Xiao Huahua was not short of money. She sent them packages from time to time, which contained cigarettes, tea, candies and other food supplements. None of them was ordinary. In terms of money, ordinary people could not afford them! Liu Jianli and Xu Yuting also said last year: Xiao Huahua was bold enough to do black market business with Zhang Fu in Mengzhou. The money they earned was enough to buy a truck. Jianli and Yuting visited their warehouse with their own eyes and drove the new truck home.

Shen Yu and Meng Zhehan knew all about this, but said nothing. It might be that they were the ones who found the black market route.

Liu Yongsheng had a special talk with Shen Yu about this matter. He was relieved only after he was sure that Meng Tao and the others' "speculation and profiteering" would not be exposed. He didn't say much, but only reminded them to be careful. It's not a bad thing for young people to be enterprising, but they should know when to stop and do it for a year or two.

After completing all the formalities for the purchased courtyards, they were handed over to the craftsmen to slowly renovate.

Except for the two side-by-side courtyards, which the Liu and Xu families may move in next year, the other four are the "private properties" of Liu Jianli, Xu Yuting and Meng Tao, and can be rented out after they are renovated.

Meng Tao knew that next year, in 1977, the national college entrance examination would be resumed. From then on, a large number of college students would flock to the capital every year. Coupled with a large number of educated youth returning to the city, there would be many people who would need to rent houses.

After next year, house transactions in Beijing will become more frequent. Meng Tao is ready to buy a few more. Shen Yu had told her not to buy before, saying that she is a fool if she doesn't want to make money.

Anyway, it is very easy to own a property these days. As long as you have the property certificate, she can buy it without showing up.

Because of buying a house, Liu Yongsheng, Han Shufang and Wang Cuixi stayed in Beijing for more than half a month. Seeing Shen Yunhai growing up day by day, becoming more lively, cute and smart, Liu Yongsheng and his wife were happy, but they couldn't help but miss their eldest daughter-in-law who was about to give birth. So in early May, the couple took Xiao Mingming and set off for Pingjiang City, Province D.

Wang Cuixi also went to the train station, but she was heading north back to her hometown. Liu Yongsheng and Han Shufang invited her to go to Pingjiang City together, but Wang Cuixi declined. The couple were going there to take care of her during the confinement period, and they would have to stay for more than half a year, so she decided not to go. Even though she lived alone, there were still many things to take care of at home.

Several people left at once, and the home, which was used to being bustling, suddenly became particularly quiet. When Shen Yunhai couldn't see his brother little Mingming, he kept babbling. When he was sure that his brother little Mingming really didn't come out to respond, and only the barking of little Wangcai was heard instead, he stopped babbling and happily kicked his legs and waved his hands, or chewed his little fists, or practiced turning over. When he was tired of tossing and turning, he would go to sleep. The life of a baby is really simple and helpless.

Xu Zhen always stayed by the side, caring for her beloved grandson gently and meticulously. She looked more like a mother, while Meng Tao was more like a wet nurse. She would talk to the baby while feeding, and when she saw the baby fell asleep, she would hand the baby to Xu Zhen and walk away with peace of mind.

Shen Yu was very satisfied: it was a pleasant surprise that his biological mother liked to take care of the baby. This way, Meng Tao wouldn't have to be bothered by her son, and the couple could be free and arrange their leisure time as they pleased and play however they wanted.

He even suggested feeding Shen Yunhai milk. After all, he drank milk when he was a child, and he grew up just like him. This way, they don't have to sleep with the baby at night. If his parents like it, he can give it to them.

Meng Tao refused. She was still clear-headed. The doctor said that breast milk is much better than cow's milk, and it is healthiest and best for babies to drink breast milk.

So she won't go too far during breastfeeding. Even if she goes out, she will set a time and get home before the baby is hungry.

When Shen Heping is at home, he and Xu Zhen take care of their precious grandson, but he has to start working again. Shen Heping, a workaholic, now complains about leaving home early and coming back late every day.

After looking for Xu Zhen and finding her, Shen Heping took advantage of his job transfer to apply for sick leave and rested for several months. During these months, he married a new wife and had a fat grandson. His life was so happy that he didn't even want to go to work. He even dreamed of retiring early and not worrying about anything, just hugging his wife and chubby grandson to spend the rest of his life.

But in reality, it is impossible for all good things to fall on his lap. The new job was finally arranged, and although Director Shen was extremely unhappy, he still had to obediently carry his briefcase and go to work.

However, there was an obvious sense of slacking off. As a new official, he was always busy with his work. Director Shen was either late or left early every day, and Shen Yu couldn't stand it anymore.

Director Shen made an excuse about the driver, saying that the new driver was not from Beijing and was not familiar with the routes here. He came late in the morning to pick us up and left work early in the afternoon so that he could take a good look at the route.

Meng Tao couldn't help but laugh when she heard this.

It was Xu Zhen who understood Shen Heping. She didn't know what method she used, but Director Shen, who was not very active in going out at first, soon regained his workaholic spirit and went out early and came back late every day, happy and cheerful.

Meng Tao couldn't understand her mother-in-law's tricks and found them magical.

(End of this chapter)