Chapter 37 Greed knows no bounds. I do not do good to others, I do not treat others with kindness…
When Qin Xiangxiang wanted to leave with the army, some people, like Master Li, were unhappy, while others, like the Xu family's aunt next door, were overjoyed, because if Qin Xiangxiang left with the army, it would mean giving up one room in the house.
Originally, the Qin family only had two rooms where Zhou Aodong and his wife and Qin Xiangxiang lived. Later, Qin Xiangxiang got married and became pregnant and separated from her husband. The neighboring farm was sent down to the countryside, and a room was vacated and allocated to Qin Xiangxiang by the housing department. Now that Qin Xiangxiang has left, the house can no longer be kept.
Li Qingfeng's room will be taken back!
"Have you booked the boat tickets?"
"Xiao Qin, when are you going to move Xiao Pang's things out?"
"Should I move my things over first?" Housing is so scarce in Shanghai right now that Xu's mother is practically begging to move all her belongings into Li Qingfeng's house so that the housing department will award the house to them.
In the Xu family's mind, this was the house they rightfully deserved.
Qin Xiangxiang: "Mother Xu, you can move your things in in advance, but we need to write an agreement. This house is still mine. It's just temporarily lent to your family. If I return it in the future, the house must belong to me, Qin Xiangxiang."
This apartment is registered under Qin Xiangxiang's name; it's her own private property. She was originally entitled to a single-person apartment, which was part of her housing quota. Now, Shanghai is overcrowded, and there are countless couples waiting in line for housing. If this apartment is taken back, it will be very difficult to get another one, especially after 1976 when a large number of educated youth returned to the city, making housing extremely crowded. People waiting in line for new apartments would have to wait several years before it was their turn.
But if she keeps this house, she will have a house to exchange. She can apply for new worker housing, which is much easier than waiting in line for a new house again.
In addition, although Qin Xiangxiang disliked that the workers' housing did not have a private bathroom, it was also a great advantage because it was an old workers' housing from the 1950s and their family lived on the second floor.
What does the second floor mean? The second floor means that you can add more floors on top of it!
After the educated youth returned to the city, their children couldn't fit into the housing. Shanghai was overcrowded, and housing management became much lax. Everyone started using the surrounding open spaces to build houses. They built horizontally on the first floor and upwards on the second floor. As long as they had money and materials, they could even add three or four floors.
If they want to renovate to have a separate bathroom and add a kitchen, it's just a matter of spending some money. Installing a separate electricity meter costs thirty yuan, which is not something they can't afford.
If she could add three or four floors, having that many houses in Shanghai would be very impressive! No one would complain that the house is too small. But in her dream, her parents were sent to a farm, the house was taken back, and she lost her own house too. This time, Qin Xiangxiang must protect her house.
"This won't do, Qin Xiangxiang. You can't take so many advantages. The person is gone, why should the house be left for you?"
Qin Xiangxiang said, "I'm going there with the military, not being transferred. They didn't arrange a house for me there. The military gave the house to my husband. The house that Qingfeng lives in is my assigned one. If I don't go with the military in the future, when will I be able to get a house in Shanghai again?"
The Xu family originally wanted to intimidate Qin Xiangxiang, but they didn't expect Qin Xiangxiang to be so adamant. If the house was changed from being allocated to a "temporary loan", the Xu family would also be unhappy because the agreement had to be registered with the housing department, and the house would be registered in Qin Xiangxiang's name.
This means that their family can't take over the house. When Qin Xiangxiang comes back in the future, even if they are unwilling to return the house, Qin Xiangxiang can choose to "change houses" with the housing department. Qin Xiangxiang can change to a new house, and this house will belong to the housing department. It is impossible for them to take over the house.
As long as Qin Xiangxiang doesn't come back, the temporary rental can continue, which is a good deal for the Xu family, because if the housing department takes it back, the house might not be allocated to the Xu family.
The Xu family was truly unwilling to accept this! The thought of possibly being kicked out by Qin Xiangxiang in the future was like a fishbone stuck in their throat.
Qin Xiangxiang has already left, so why should we leave her a house?
"This is not fair!"
Aunt Ding on the first floor said, "What's unfair about it? If your family wants to go to a remote island, we'll reserve a housing quota for you."
Xu's mother dared not speak, because many people knew that Qin Xiangxiang had made a great sacrifice by going with the army. As long as she wanted to keep the house and chose to "temporarily lend" it to relatives and friends, the housing department would definitely side with Qin Xiangxiang.
"You still think that Xiao Qin got a good deal on this house. Her husband wasn't by her side when she gave birth. Do you think it was easy for the couple to be separated for four years? Her husband was on the front lines before. This house should be given to her by right and wrong."
"If it weren't for Xiao Qin having her parents' help, how would she manage raising a child alone?"
"Yes, Aunt Ding is right."
The families on the first floor supported Aunt Ding, saying that the housing was crowded, but whose house wasn't? Zhou Aodong's apartment was allocated to her because she was a model worker, and Qin Xiangxiang's apartment was allocated to her after she got married and was separated from her husband because she was pregnant. Both of them had their reasons.
Many people live in small, cramped houses, but at least the whole family can stay together. But what about four families living in five rooms on the first floor? Wouldn't it be even more cramped for a large family to share a tiny room of just over ten square meters?
"It's not like whoever has more family members gets more houses. If you think it's too crowded, just have fewer children in the first place. Go be a model worker, join the army, or become a military family member. Nobody's stopping you. If you want to be a model worker, just go for it."
"At least your Xu family has two rooms. What did we people on the first floor say?"
The Xu family coveted Qin Xiangxiang's house, and the people on the first floor also longed for it. It was too cramped. There were three families, and the whole family only lived in 15 square meters. The most cramped room had two one-meter bunk beds. After putting the two beds in, there was basically no room to move around.
Fortunately, the first floor is quite spacious, with plenty of open space outside the corridor. In addition, since it's a shared kitchen and toilet, people eat in the corridor on sunny days. The room is just a place to sleep at night. Having such a sheltered place is much better than sleeping in mud-brick and thatched huts.
After the Xu family made such a fuss, Qin Xiangxiang was reluctant to give the house to the Xu family next door. So she simply went to Aunt Ding on the first floor and explained her conditions: the house would belong to her, Qin Xiangxiang, but she would temporarily lend it to her neighbor, Aunt Ding.
Aunt Ding's family immediately agreed. For them, having an extra room was already a blessing; they dared not ask for anything more. For ordinary people, getting a new room was extremely difficult.
Young men and women can only apply for housing allocation after they get married. There is a waiting list for housing applications, and you have to wait until your child is several years old before you can get a house. How agonizing is that?
She has many children, all of whom are in their twenties or thirties like Qin Xiangxiang. Before marriage, it was alright; they could live in a dormitory. But after marriage, where will they settle down? Their home is too crowded, and it will be even more difficult after they have children.
Besides, Qin Xiangxiang might not return for several years after leaving. If she were to return with her husband, there would be military family housing available there, which they could continue to "temporarily borrow."
To avoid any unforeseen complications, Aunt Ding took Qin Xiangxiang directly to the housing department to complete the formalities. For people like Qin Xiangxiang who leave with the military, the house will be reclaimed, but they are also eligible to retain it by finding another relative or friend to "temporarily reside" in. The house will still belong to Qin Xiangxiang. During her absence, the rent and utilities will be paid by Aunt Ding's family, who will be the temporary residents. Qin Xiangxiang is not allowed to charge extra rent. If she does charge rent to the temporary residents, it will be considered a violation of the rules and will be severely punished if reported and verified.
Many people use this method, and some are even audacious enough to charge exorbitant extra rent, becoming "sub-landlords" outside of the housing management department. These people aren't afraid of being reported, either because they have connections at higher levels or because they have a stubborn, unmarried man in their family who would risk everything to ruin your family if you dared to report them.
The property management company charges extremely low rents, only one or two cents per square meter, while the sub-landlords rent out the houses and dare to charge ten or twenty yuan a month for a 15-square-meter house.
"Aunt Ding, I'd like to ask your family to look after the house for me from now on, as well as my parents. Please call me if anything happens."
Aunt Ding smiled and said, "Think about it, you've really grown up. From now on, you'll be in charge of the household and will need to learn how to kill fish."
Qin Xiangxiang: "..." Perhaps she really should learn from it?
No, she should date a woman who's good at cleaning fish; why should a lazy person do it herself?
"Think about it, you can go with your husband without worry. With me here, you don't need to be afraid of the Xu family next door. Anyway, I'm home all day, and I'll keep an eye on things upstairs." Aunt Ding's mouth was practically splitting into a grin. She thought the Xu family was just making a lot of trouble. Four households on the first floor shared a kitchen, so it was understandable that they would bicker with each other.
The second floor houses the Qin and Xu families. The Xu family is really petty, focusing on such trivial matters. Anyway, she'll be able to enter the "second-floor kitchen" later.
"I'll cook in the second-floor kitchen every day from now on!"
When the two returned and explained what had happened, the entire apartment building erupted in chaos.
"Qin Xiangxiang temporarily lent the house to Aunt Ding's family on the first floor."
"Did you give it to Aunt Ding's family?"
"This...this is fantastic news!"
"Aunt Ding, you should go upstairs to cook from now on."
Besides the Xu family, the other four households in their building were also happy. They counted Aunt Ding's family members on the second floor, since they used the kitchen on the second floor, which freed up a lot of space on the first floor.
This is fantastic news!
"The Xu family wants to take three rooms? They're dreaming!"
"If I had known, I would have gone to find Xiao Qin first. I would have been willing to borrow her temporarily!"
"Compared to the Xu family, the Qin family is more reasonable. This solution is the best, and everyone is satisfied!"
The Xu family was dumbfounded. They had been resentful that they couldn't take over Qin Xiangxiang's house, but now even their right to "temporarily reside" had been snatched up by someone else. They had only thought that Qin Xiangxiang would come back in a few years to take the house back, but they didn't expect that there were four other families eager to stay on the first floor. If their family didn't agree to temporary residence, there were plenty of people willing to stay on the first floor.
Greed knows no bounds; even a snake cannot swallow an elephant.
They've already registered with the housing department, which infuriated the Xu family so much they nearly broke their thighs in anger.
"Wife, you did a great job." Li Jianzhi didn't want to lend the house to the Xu family next door. "I'm really fed up with your awful neighbors."
"Perfect timing, let Aunt Ding come up and argue with Mrs. Xu."
Qin Xiangxiang: "?"
We're both amazing!
Li Jianzhi: "Think about it, if you want to keep the house here, you can't find a formal job over there."
Qin Xiangxiang's current situation is similar to that of the educated youth. Many educated youth got married and obtained formal jobs in the local area, so their household registration was transferred there. However, when the policy for returning to the city is introduced in the future, those educated youth who have transferred their household registration will not be able to go back.
Qin Xiangxiang is in a better position. She came with the army and can transfer her registration back to her original place of residence. However, since she has a formal job on the island, her household registration also needs to be transferred. Of course, she can also go back and work at the textile factory, because Director Zhao has agreed to accept Qin Xiangxiang.
You can go back to the textile factory, but once your household registration is transferred out, you'll lose the apartment allocated to you by the Shanghai Municipal Government.
According to Li Jianzhi, if this apartment is gone, it's gone. In the 1980s and 1990s, they can buy several commercial apartments in Shanghai. Why bother with this old apartment? Besides, if Qin Xiangxiang really transfers back to the textile factory, she will still be eligible to request an apartment again, and the apartment she is allocated will be better.
But he was afraid his wife would mind.
"Yes, I know."
Hehe, Qin Xiang never planned to look for a job in the past. She just stayed at home, eating, waiting to die, watching the drama unfold, and waiting for a year or two. She thought that if she divorced Li Jianzhi one day, or if his mother became a factory leader, she would return to the textile factory and switch to a long-day, easy job.
In addition, she would take any easy, high-paying job she could find. If this house is gone, it's gone. It's just one room. There are two other rooms. After 1976, she could gradually add to the house. By 1979, when she had money, she could ask her great-aunt to help her buy a foreign-owned house, or simply ask her great-aunt to give her a house.
She's not going to be taken advantage of; it's always good to be prepared.
We can't let the Xu family get too cocky!
So Qin Xiangxiang said in a particularly sarcastic tone, "I deliberately tripped up the Xu family, and I'm very unhappy about giving them the house for nothing."
It's better to give it to Aunt Ding's family than to the Xu family. Aunt Ding has given her a lot of good food over the years.
The original reviews say she's both stupid and vicious. So what if she's vicious? She just won't let her rivals be too smug.
Qin Xiangxiang raised an eyebrow at the man in front of her. Now you know how vicious your wife is, right? I don't treat people kindly; I make things difficult for them.
"Well done." Li Jianzhi whispered in her ear, "Our family is really smart. We can't let those bastards next door get too arrogant. Our parents are honest people. With Aunt Ding's family around, we won't let the Xu family bully your parents."
"This is the perfect solution!"
Qin Xiangxiang: "..."
Hey, hey, hey, we two are the real gems, okay?
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