Chapter 69 Chapter 69 The Eighth Day of the Lunar New Year

Seeing that the couple had almost digested the information, Lawyer Xu put down his teacup and continued speaking slowly.

What was said made Wang Nian's eyes widen in shock.

"When Mr. Luo passed away, he left all his savings and antiques, calligraphy and paintings to me for investment. That part was not written in the will. This is another investment situation."

That’s all. Here comes another document.

The document is a table that details the initial capital and investment content, and finally the investment return.

Among them, Lawyer Xu invested the most in real estate, including one property in Beijing and three in Anhuai.

The remaining antiques and privately collected ancient paintings have all been sold or auctioned, and the proceeds have been deposited in Huaguo Bank.

"If it's convenient for you, please go with me to the bank on the eighth day of the lunar month when the bank opens to change the name of the assets. Once all the items are in your hands, I will have completely completed Mr. Luo's entrustment."

How much Luo Chengqun must have trusted Lawyer Xu to entrust all his assets to this man without Shi Xiangming knowing anything about it.

Wang Nian was a little curious.

Lawyer Xu seemed to have seen Wang Nian's confusion a long time ago, and then smiled and explained it.

"My father and Uncle Luo were close friends. Xuemei and I grew up together, but later on, due to family changes, we had to leave our hometown and go to Southeast Asia. Xuemei passed away many years ago, so I was able to return to China... So you should call me Uncle Xu."

Lawyer Xu's full name is Xu Xingbang. He looks gentle and refined, but he is actually over 50 years old.

"Uncle Xu." Wang Nian called.

Xu Xingbang looked at...Shi Xiangming to be exact, with a smile.

"People say you are Xuemei's adopted son, but I think you look a bit like Uncle Luo when he was young."

When people live together for a long time, they tend to look more and more alike. Shi Xiangming has lived with his grandparents for many years, so naturally their speech and expressions are somewhat similar.

After looking at Shi Xiangming, he moved his gaze to Wang Nian's face: "The house is tidy and orderly. My niece-in-law is a very virtuous wife."

From the moment he entered the door, Xu Xingbang looked not at the house, but at the life of the couple.

You can get a glimpse of how your life is going by just looking at the brooms displayed at home or placed in the yard.

"Did Grandpa leave me any other words?"

On the day his grandfather passed away, Shi Xiangming was unable to see him for the last time, and this has been a great regret for him over the years.

"Xiang Ming is a child with great prospects. Don't deny yourself because of a failed marriage. Work hard and live a good life..." Lawyer Xu said slowly.

"I will." Shi Xiangming just answered in a low voice.

Compared to the home I visited today, grandpa and grandma were more like Shi Xiangming's elders, and they were wholeheartedly planning for their children.

Wang Nian put his hand into Shi Xiangming's palm, clasped the two hands, and even their breathing frequencies became the same.

After a while, Shi Xiangming calmed down, raised his head and smiled.

"Uncle Xu, let my wife go with you to the bank on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year! I have other things to deal with."

"I can wait..."

"No need." Shi Xiangming knew what Xu Xingbang meant, and smiled as he squeezed Wang Nian's palm: "When we got married, we agreed that my wife would have the final say in the family, so of course the things left by grandpa should be handed over to her."

Xu Xingbang smiled and said, "Then I will come to pick up my niece-in-law on the eighth day of the first lunar month."

Wang Nian: Does that mean I’m a rich woman now?

***

On the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, the weather was sunny.

The sunlight shone through the dense branches and leaves, leaving mottled shadows of varying sizes all over the ground.

Wang Nian stood under the tree at the bank entrance, staring at the lights and shadows for a long time before she finally confirmed that everything in the bag was under her name.

An Huai's three investment properties are all small Western-style buildings, and the rental contracts will later be handed over to Wang Nian for rent collection.

The name of the house at No. 15 Guanghua Street had also been changed at the Housing Management Office this morning.

The four house ownership certificates were all in the bag. If there weren't so many people coming and going, Wang Nian would have wanted to take them out and look at them carefully a few more times.

The house in Beijing needs to be changed locally, so it is currently still under Xu Xingbang's name.

Uncle Xu also transferred all the rent he received from the house and the money he earned from the sale of antiques in the past few years to Wang Nian's name.

She is not only a landlady now, but also a wealthy woman with more than three million in savings.

On the first working day after the Spring Festival in 1984, Wang Nian suddenly became a millionaire.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long! I'll take you home now."

Xu Xingbang and the bank manager were old acquaintances. After completing all the formalities, the two still had something to discuss, so Wang Nian spontaneously went outside to wait for a while.

"Uncle Xu, let's go to my house for dinner later."

Before getting off the car, Wang Nian invited him warmly.

"After I finish my work these few days, Uncle Xu hasn't had a good time with the children yet, so I will definitely come to your house again."

"Then we'll wait for you."

One can tell from his every move that Xu Xingbang is quite successful in his career. He knows how to behave in a measured way in dealing with people and always makes people feel at ease.

Wang Nian stood at the door of his house and watched the black sedan drive away, then he turned around happily and prepared to go into the house.

"Wang Nian!"

Hu Wenli suddenly leaned half of her body out of the door, waved mysteriously at Wang Nian, and then ran over at a flash.

"Your in-laws are coming to your house. There are four or five of them!"

"Is Shi Xiangming here?"

"Yes! He even smiled and invited me inside... He smiled so much that I almost thought I was seeing the wrong person."

The few people who had a good relationship with Shi Xiangming all knew that he had a bad relationship with his biological parents, so they found it strange to suddenly see Hu Wenli coming.

She also specifically mentioned that several people had unhappy expressions and came empty-handed, and they did not seem to be visiting but rather looking for trouble.

"Nothing, I'm probably just in a bad mood." Wang Nian smiled and showed concern for her: "Why do you look so pale?"

In fact, even without Hu Wenli saying it, Wang Nian had guessed that it was probably related to the fact that she did not take good care of herself during the postpartum period.

"It's all because of what to eat. I have to consider nutrition and Kangping's stomach problems. Just buying groceries every day gives me a headache."

"Come to my house for dinner tonight. My two roosters crow in the middle of the night every day, keeping the children awake. I plan to stew them."

"That's great. I have some beef at home. I'll send it to you later."

"Then I'll go back first."

"Go quickly! If a fight breaks out, just shout and I'll be there right away." Hu Wenli blinked.

In the yard.

Hu Xiumei was so angry that her throat seemed to be blocked and she couldn't breathe. She had just been feeling smug about getting those rooms in the morning, but now she just wanted to slap herself in the face.

At this moment she finally understood what Shi Xiangming was planning.

This is to prevent parents from getting involved with me in advance, and I don't want my brother and sister-in-law to find reasons to take advantage of me.

"Why didn't you ask your brother what he did for a living?"

If you have no place to vent your anger, you can only turn sideways and twist your arm forward with all your strength to vent your anger on the person who dares not talk back.

Don't recognize the agreement?

Didn’t the lawyer say that... Now it can be used as the main basis for the lawsuit. As long as Shi Xiangming does not acknowledge the contents of the agreement, he has the right to take back the three houses.

The agreement also clearly states the two brothers' obligation to support the elderly.

Shi Xiangming only needs to pay 30 yuan in maintenance fees to his parents every month until his parents pass away, and no additional expenses may be paid without reason during this period.

Hu Xiumei didn't understand much. When she heard the thirty yuan, she was already very happy and pressed her fingerprint without thinking.

If their daughter Shi Yuehua hadn't asked their uncle where he worked, they would never have thought that Shi Xiangming was an engineer in a national design institute.

Low-level employees are not qualified to live in this house.

"Dad, why did he just leave without saying a word? If it were me, I would definitely scold Shi Xiangmington."

According to Hu Xiumei, her father-in-law Shi Guoqiang was extremely weird.

Mother-in-law Luo Xiangyun was so angry that she scolded Shi Xiangming for being unfilial, but Shi Guoqiang just dragged her back home without saying a word, without even stepping into the house.

"Brother and sister-in-law are here!"

She was wearing a grey knitted cardigan with a red sweater underneath and black tweed pants. She looked like the same woman who was wearing a cotton jacket on New Year's Day.

"Mom!"

Wang Nian's voice was like pressing a switch in this quiet courtyard, and people appeared from all directions at once.

Shi Wan poked her head out of the room on the second floor and called for help. Shi Shuwen and Shi Xiangming both came out of the living room.

Shi Feiying rushed into Wang Nianhuai with two dogs.

"Mom, where have you been? Did you sneak out to eat something delicious without me again?"

When she woke up, her parents were not at home. Shi Feiying felt like the sky had fallen. She didn't even have breakfast and sat on the doorstep waiting.

If the annoying master and mistress hadn't arrived just now, he would still be sitting there.

"Second aunt."

Two more people came out of the living room. Shi Yuehua was very enthusiastic in calling people today, and she was completely different from her indifferent look that day.

The other young man...looks too much like Luo Xiangyun.

The triangular eyes on the teenage boy looked really weird, and with the light beard deliberately left at the corners of his mouth, Wang Nian guessed that this man must be the legendary eldest grandson of the Shi family - Shi Jun.

"Auntie." Shi Jun called out, with one hand in his jeans pocket without taking it out, and the other hand... holding an unlit cigarette.

The reason why it couldn't be lit was, of course, because Shi Xiangming said smoking was not allowed at home.

"You guys sit and play for a while, Xiang Ming, take my bag upstairs."

"Mom, I'll help you get it." Shi Feiying took the initiative to offer courtesy, but was ruthlessly rejected by Wang Nian and was ordered to do other things: "Go to the backyard and help Mom pick some vegetables."

He Liang's family has been busy moving these past two days. Every day they are either on their way to buy furniture or preparing wedding supplies.

He Liang's determination to marry Zhou Shanxiu is obvious, and Shi Xiangming's opinion is also not to mix their feelings.

This morning, the four of them went out to buy things, and they would probably not be back until the evening.

Without Shi Guizhi's help, the three children just helped in cooking.

"Then I'll go to the backyard to help." Shi Jun offered to help, and without waiting for Wang Nian to say anything, he followed Shi Feiying to the backyard.

Seeing this, Shi Yuehua also hurriedly said that she would go to help.

"Hey! You and your sister-in-law are using liquefied petroleum gas, unlike your parents who are still using firewood."

When Wang Nian went to the kitchen to cook, Hu Xiumei immediately followed him into the kitchen. She glanced around the room and spoke sourly.

"I don't dare to use it normally. I always use honeycomb coal." Wang Nian replied immediately.

"You have so many rooms in this house, why are they all empty? What a waste!"

"It's a public housing unit, and the unit's stuff is piled up inside. It can't be moved."

Even her few attempts to speak were rejected by the soft nail. Hu Xiumei couldn't continue what she wanted to say. She felt exhausted all of a sudden.

"I'll go to the backyard and help Feiying pick some vegetables."

"Then I'm sorry to trouble you, sister-in-law."

Turning around and walking out of the kitchen, Hu Xiumei rolled her eyes fiercely and muttered, "He's a nobody."

In the backyard, Shi Jun was immersed in the happiness brought by the incense, with a large cloud of smoke swirling above his head.

Crunch——

The slightest sound of the door opening startled him immediately. Without thinking, he threw the cigarette butt to the ground and stomped it out with his foot.

"Third uncle."

After so many years, the sense of oppression that Shi Xiangming left on Shi Jun was still so strong that he could tell who the person was just by listening to his breathing.

That year, my third uncle came back to Anhuai to pick up the children. He smashed the TV case into pieces with one punch, and no one in the family dared to say a word.

"Go help your sister pull the lettuce instead of just standing here."

Shi Jun nodded hurriedly. If he had just known that he was coming to his third uncle's house, he would rather go hungry at noon than come.

"Brother, Third Uncle's house is so nice!" Shi Yuehua's hands were covered in dirt, and her eyes were full of longing: "You haven't been to Shi Wan's room, it's big and beautiful..."

Uncle San's house is like the villas those rich people live in in TV dramas. There are all kinds of vegetables and fruits grown in the yard that you can pick whenever you want to eat them.

As soon as she entered the backyard, Shi Feiying ran to the corner of the wall and pulled down a few oranges, and the two dogs ate most of them.

Shi Yuehua was extremely jealous.

The fruits that they could not afford to buy could be picked at will in Uncle San's yard. With a casual sweep, one could see a lot of fruits hanging on the trees.

Shi Jun curled his lips: "What's good about it? I won't even come to stay here."

Just as they were thinking this, Shi Xiangming walked past the two of them and lifted the plastic sheet of a smaller greenhouse.

Shi Jun subconsciously lowered his head and pretended not to see it, while Shi Yuehua kept staring at the shed closely.

"Dad, I want to pick mushrooms, too."

When Shi Feiying heard the sound of the plastic sheet, she immediately came out from the bushes and excitedly wanted to rush into the shed.

“Please put on a mask before coming in.”

This year, Wang Nian went to the market to buy some mushroom strains for the small greenhouse. The seller told him they were oyster mushrooms, but he didn't expect that the mushrooms grown would be of so many different kinds.

The mushroom seller specifically reminded us that mushrooms release spores at night, so it is best to cover your mouth and nose when entering the greenhouse.

Shi Feiying turned around and ran to the living room.

Soon he came back wearing a white mask that Zhou Yuying had brought back from the hospital, and flashed back into the shed.

Shi Yuehua stood up curiously, walked to the entrance of the shed and looked inside.

Shi Xiangming bent down and picked up Shi Feiying, holding a colander in one hand to catch the white mushrooms he had picked.

The smiles on their faces could be seen through their white masks. Every time Shi Feiying broke off a mushroom, her eyes narrowed into slits with laughter.

"Sister Yuehua."

Just as she was watching in a daze, Shi Yuehua suddenly heard a voice behind her and turned around. She saw Shi Wan wearing a mask and quickly moved aside to make way for the shed.

When I was young, I was ignorant and saw the children in the factory bullying Shi Wan. Not only did I not help them, I would sometimes join in the bullying.

Later, she learned from adults that her cousins ​​were taken to live with their stepmother. Shi Yuehua also heard neighbors lament that the two children had bad luck.

How many children with stepmothers can live well?

"Dad, Mom asked me to pick some mushrooms to make soup for lunch." Shi Wan's voice came through the mask with a deep smile.

Shi Xiangming nodded, put Shi Feiying down and picked up Shi Wan again.

Shi Feiying stood beside her holding a colander, reminding her sister to pick the big ones.

Isn’t he living a good life right now...better than many children who live with their biological parents.

This idea sprouted at the door of the greenhouse and reached its peak at the dining table.

Two more adults came during lunch. One of them was a burly man wearing a police uniform. Shi Jun was so scared that he never raised his head properly.

"Aunt Yuying."

As soon as Shi Wan saw the woman, he snuggled up to her. Shi Yuehua could see that Zhou Yuying was pregnant and it was difficult for her to sit down.

"Aren't you coming back after the Lantern Festival?"

Wang Nian brought the last dish of shredded pork with green pepper to the table and looked at Zhou Yuying, who looked tired, with a smile.

I went back to my parents' home on the second day of the Chinese New Year. It's only been six days and I already look a lot thinner.

"Don't mention it." Meng Cheng couldn't help but sigh when he mentioned it, and put his hat casually on the table beside him: "I was working well, and my mother-in-law called me and said that Yuying was crying at home. You don't know, I was scared to death..."

The mother-in-law didn't explain clearly on the phone, which frightened Meng Cheng so much that he immediately asked for leave from work and rushed to Zhou's house.

"Guess what happened... I just cried because I was hungry!"

Zhou Yuying touched the tip of her nose embarrassedly, and her eyes finally drifted to the table involuntarily. Wang Nian understood instantly.

"Are you not used to home-cooked meals?"

Zhou Yuying nodded: "My mother's stewed chicken smells so fishy that I can't eat a single bite."

It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality.

In just six days, Zhou Yuying gained a thorough understanding.

"Well... I rushed to your house for dinner right after picking someone up. I was so busy that I didn't even have time to change clothes."

Meng Cheng smiled helplessly, sat down and looked at the people at the table.

Meng Cheng knew countless people and had seen all kinds of bad people. He could tell at a glance that these two, one big and one small, were up to no good.

That girl seemed a little shallow, her mind completely focused on the food on the table.

Finally, his gaze stayed on Shi Jun's face for a few seconds before moving away.

"This is..."

"My eldest brother and his wife." Shi Xiangming introduced them briefly and to the point. After he finished speaking, Meng Cheng immediately said "Oh" meaningfully.

"Meng Cheng works in the Municipal Public Security Bureau and is in charge of the public security of our Quan'anhuai City." Shi Xiangming introduced him specifically.

"Hello, hello." Shi Xiangqian greeted with a smile on his face, and Hu Xiumei also said a few polite words.

With Meng Cheng's uniform around, both of them instantly became polite.

Before the meal, he hesitated for a long time and insisted that Meng Cheng and Zhou Yuying start eating first.

The five vegetarian dishes cater to the tastes of adults while also providing children with their favorite sweet and sour dishes.

Zhou Yuying was the first to pick up her chopsticks. She immediately stretched out her chopsticks to the clear-boiled mushroom chicken soup. The golden chicken soup with white mushrooms made her drool again and again.

"Don't mention Yuying, I'd also like these dishes." Meng Cheng also unceremoniously picked up the cumin beef with chopsticks.

"Everyone, help yourself!"

After Wang Nian had finished greeting the children, he scooped some chicken soup for each of the three children in turn before he started eating.

"My mother's friend sent me some cloth. She will go to my place later to choose some to make two skirts for Shi Wan. The cloth is suitable for little girls."

After eating a few chopsticks of meat, Zhou Yuying finally felt something in her stomach, and she was in the mood to talk about other things.

"It's just right for when school starts in a few days." Wang Nian replied bluntly.

"There's no need to be polite between us."

The cumin beef has a cumin aroma when you take a bite. The beef is chewy but not sticky at all.

The aftertaste is spicy and fragrant, and the more you chew it, the more delicious it becomes.

If I could smoke a few cigarettes while working overtime, my spirits would instantly rise.

When Meng Cheng thought about going on a business trip in two days, he couldn't get his mind back to normal.

"Wang Nian, get me some beef jerky in a couple of days to eat on the road. I'll pay for it no matter how much it costs outside."

"You're going on a business trip?"

"That's right... It will probably take more than ten days to get there, and it will be hard to find a place to eat on the way."

"It's a small matter. Sister Yuying and I will go buy some vegetables tomorrow. If you want to cook, just make a few more kinds." Wang Nian agreed immediately and naturally did not mention anything about money.

Shi Xiangming moved his lips.

"Then I'd like to thank you first, sister." Meng Cheng smiled heartily and bowed like the characters in the costume TV series: "In the future, if you have any instructions, I will go through fire and water to fulfill them without hesitation."

"Eat your meal! Wang Nian is my sister, you are taking advantage of me, do you understand?" Zhou Yuying scolded with a smile.

"My lady is right."

With the couple present, the meal was quite lively.

Shi Xiangqian and Shi Jun didn't say a word at the dinner table. They just focused on eating. It was unclear whether they were afraid of Meng Cheng because the food was really delicious.

Hu Xiumei tried to find out in a roundabout way how high Meng Cheng's official position was. When she learned that he was a minister, her face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. She didn't dare to mention the matter of asking Shi Xiangming to help Shi Jun find a job.

Before leaving, Shi Yuehua asked Wang Nian expectantly if he could come to her house to visit Shi Wan more often in the future.

Wang Nian didn't even bother to be polite.

To be frank, Shi Wan has to study and probably won't have much time to play.

Shi Yuehua has not yet settled the score for bullying Shi Wan, so how could Wang Nian let her find an excuse to run home again?

Shi Yuehua finally left in disappointment.

Several people stood at the door and watched the family get on the bus. Meng Cheng turned around and his expression suddenly became gloomy.

Shi Xiangming asked: "Do you know Shi Jun?"

At the dinner table, his eyes stayed on Shi Jun's face for a long time before moving away, probably because he knew who he was.

"Last week, the police department was conducting a crackdown on gangsters in the area around Shangxunlu. This guy and his gang were collecting protection fees at the door of the video room... But because he was underage, he was brought back to the police station and only criticized and educated before being released."

"Eight years ago, this kid was caught searching a bag and I kicked him twice on the spot. It seems that he has become more and more courageous over the years." Shi Xiangming sneered.

He was caught stealing money without any sense of guilt, and instead got so angry that he turned around and scolded Shi Wan as a bastard born of a whore. If Luo Xiangyun hadn't protected him and only injured his leg, Shi Xiangming would have beaten him so hard that he wouldn't be able to get out of bed for days.

The shadow left at that time was big enough that Shi Jun did not dare to act rashly in front of Shi Xiangming.

"Let him be!" said Meng Cheng.

Shi Xiangming nodded, turned around and said to Wang Nian, "I'm going to Beijing on a business trip in two days, so let's take some dried meat with us."

Working overtime on business trips is a common occurrence for Shi Xiangming. Wang Nian is already used to it and just nodded after hearing it.

So we didn't hear clearly what Shi Xiangming said.

Afterwards, I realized that Shi Xiangming wanted to take Wang Nian to visit Dean Wu Bin, who happened to be on business in Beijing, during his business trip to Taipei.

It was Dean Wu who personally asked us to bring our whole family along.

The old man wanted to see what a "virtuous wife" looked like, allowing Shi Xiangming to devote himself wholeheartedly to research and development.