September 1st was a Friday. In order to send his wife and children to school, He Dongchuan took a day off and arranged his rest on Saturday, making a total of two days of vacation.

But He Dongchuan was used to getting up early, so it was not yet completely light when he opened his eyes. However, looking at the sky outside, he estimated that it was past five o'clock. As he did not hear any movement outside, he picked up the watch under the pillow, lifted the quilt and walked out.

He Dongchuan went to the living room and turned on the light. He squinted his eyes. It was already five twenty-five. He opened the door of the second bedroom and walked in to call He Yan to get up.

He Yan was in a sweet dream at the time, and was a little confused when he was woken up. He put his hand on his forehead for a long time without moving. He Dongchuan waited for a long time and saw no one coming out. He pushed the door open again and reminded him: "You should go to school."

He Yan responded by sitting up from the bed, hunching his back and waist, raising his hands to rub his face, and waited until he was a little more awake before getting off the bed yawning.

After brushing my teeth and washing my face, it was almost five fifty.

He Dongchuan asked: "Do you still remember the way?"

"I have an impression." He Yan replied.

He Dongchuan was not reassured by his answer and said, "I'll take you to school."

"It's so close, there's no need to drive, right?" He Yan thought his father was going to drive him there. Although he said it was not necessary, he was very happy in his heart.

He Dongchuan just glanced at him and repeated, "I'll run to school with you."

Driving? Thinking of something nice?

He Yan's face suddenly fell: "Okay."

Besides He Yan, there were other junior high school students in the building, but the others had obviously left earlier than them. They didn't run into anyone when they went downstairs. The whole building was quiet.

He Dongchuan opened the door, supported He Yan and let him go out first, then he closed the door, and the father and son ran out.

When passing by the breakfast shop, He Yan touched his stomach and shouted, "Dad, I'm hungry."

It was not yet six o'clock, there were few people on the street, and no one was queuing in front of the breakfast shop. He Dongchuan walked over and let He Yan choose for himself. He unceremoniously asked for two fried dough sticks and two buns.

"Don't want to drink?" He Dongchuan asked.

He Yan said: "I don't want to wash the cups."

The soy milk in the breakfast shop is served in porcelain bowls. If you want to take it away, you have to get a cup yourself. He Yan's excuse for not wanting to drink soy milk is really odd.

He Dongchuan's lips twitched slightly. He took out the bill and handed it to the boss, letting him do whatever he wanted.

After buying breakfast, the father and son continued running. When they arrived at the school gate, He Dongchuan took out two yuan from his pocket and handed it to He Yan: "Eat well at school."

"I got it!" He Yan agreed immediately, took the money and ran into the school waving his hand.

After He Yan disappeared from his sight, He Dongchuan turned around and ran back. When he passed the breakfast shop again, he wanted to buy three breakfasts, but he left in such a hurry that he forgot to bring his lunch box and water cup, so he had to go back to get them.

When I went home to get my lunch box and came out again, the sun had already risen, and the orange morning glow dyed the sky. However, passers-by who were rushing to work had no time to appreciate it.

When they arrived at the breakfast shop, there was already a long line at the door. He Dongchuan walked to the end of the line and slowly moved forward.

When He Dongchuan returned home with breakfast, it was almost seven o'clock. The building was already bustling with the crying of children, the shouting of adults, and the sound of shovels hitting pots in the public kitchen, all intertwined together and woke up those who were still asleep.

Su Ting was the one who was woken up. Because she was still a little sleepy, she didn't want to brush her teeth or wash her face after getting up. She just lay on the sofa without moving.

Until there was a voice talking at the door, then the sound of the door opening, and He Dongchuan walked in carrying breakfast.

"Who were you talking to just now?" Su Ting asked.

"The neighbor next door asked me what breakfast I bought." He Dongchuan closed the door and went into the room. He put the breakfast on the coffee table and asked, "When did you wake up?"

Su Ting calculated in her mind: "About... ten minutes ago, what did you buy for breakfast?" Then she sat up, opened the lunch box and took a look. There were fried dough sticks, big cakes, steamed buns, and rice balls, which were also filled with fried dough sticks.

There were also two cups of soy milk, and because the cups were relatively large, they were enough for three people.

Su Ting stood up: "I'm going to brush my teeth."

"Well, I'll tell you to get up slowly." He Dongchuan said, and pushed the door into the master bedroom.

It was not easy to get Su Ting to wake up. She had just brushed her teeth in the bathroom when she heard her screaming in the room. He Dongchuan coaxed her for at least five minutes before stuffing her mouth with food.

When Su Ting came out after washing her face, she was seen holding a cake that was bigger than her face, chewing it and sobbing. When she finished applying the vanishing cream and combed her hair and came out of the master bedroom, her sobbing had not completely stopped.

Su Ting took a rice ball and said, "Little crybaby."

She pouted her lips slowly, turned her head away in annoyance, and continued to eat the cake.

While eating breakfast, He Dongchuan and Su Ting talked about today's arrangements: "Should we send Manman to school first, or go look at houses first?"

She raised her head slowly while sobbing and asked, "What house are you looking at?"

“Look at other people’s houses.”

"Why do I want to look at other people's houses?" Gradually, many questions came up.

"If we look at it carefully, maybe the house will become ours."

Slowly his eyes lit up: "I want to go too!"

Su Ting asked: "Aren't you going to school?"

"Ah?" Slowly, his eyes went blank, he forgot to chew, opened his mouth and thought for a long time before asking, "Can I go to school later?"

Su Ting glanced down and said, "Finish eating this cake, drink the soy milk in the cup, brush your teeth and wash your face. When you are ready, I will consider taking you there."

"I'll finish it quickly!" Manman said quickly and started chewing again.

Su Ting looked at He Dongchuan and asked, "When is a good time for us to go? Is the owner home?"

He Dongchuan said, "I asked yesterday, they have been living in the house recently. Let's go over early after dinner, maybe there will be someone at home."

"Okay." Su Ting nodded and quickened her eating pace.

After breakfast and washing up, Su Ting braided two pigtail braids for her, and then the family went out.

Because the house for sale was in the alley and only a few minutes' walk away, they did not drive but walked all the way there.

It was rush hour, and people would come out of the houses on both sides from time to time. When they saw them, they would nod as a greeting, and they would nod in return. Living in the same alley, even though Su Ting's personality was not very warm, after a long time, she became familiar to the neighbors.

After walking slowly for seven or eight minutes, we arrived at our destination.

This villa is not as big as Professor Zhou’s house. It has only two floors and a small yard, but the house is well maintained and there is a flower bed in the yard with many flowers.

Because the house looked so good from the outside, Su Ting was a little hesitant and asked uncertainly, "Is it here?"

"Number 67," He Dongchuan found the house number and nodded, "It's here, is anyone here?" He raised his voice for the second half of the sentence.

No one answered, so Su Ting raised her voice and called out, "Excuse me, is anyone home?"

This time, after about half a minute, someone came to open the door, but it was a half-grown child who was clinging to the door, looking at them warily and asking, "Who are you?"

Su Ting and He Dongchuan looked at each other, smiled and said, "My last name is Su, and I live in room 29 in front. I heard that your family is going to sell the house. May I ask if there are any adults at home?"

The child pursed his lips slightly, shook his head and said, "No, my dad went to the hospital."

"Then do you know when your father will be back?"

"It's about eleven o'clock, and Dad will come back and bring me some food."

"Okay, then we'll come back after 11 o'clock," Su Ting said, waving her hand. "Goodbye, kids."

Slowly followed suit and waved: "Goodbye, big brother!"

Noticed slowly, the child inside relaxed his expression and whispered, "Goodbye."

…

After leaving No. 67, Su Ting and He Dongchuan changed their plan and sent Man Man to a nursery.

Man Man was still thinking about looking at houses and was not very willing to go to school. She pouted and said, "But I haven't seen a house yet. I've already finished breakfast and brushed my teeth and washed my face."

"It's not that we don't want to take you to see the house, but the owner is not here. So, if this house becomes our new home in the future, I will take you to see it as soon as possible, okay?"

Think slowly.

Su Ting continued, "Don't you want to get a red flower every month this semester? How can you not go to school all the time? Don't you want to go see the big cat during the holidays?"

Gradually, my attitude softened, but I still wanted to see the new house. After thinking for a while, I said, "Mom, will you really take me to see the new house as soon as possible?"

"Of course, but the premise is that the house will become our new home. If it doesn't belong to us, Mommy won't be able to take you in to see it."

"Okay then, it's a deal." He slowly stretched out his hand and asked for the hook.

Su Ting had no choice but to flirt with her.

After convincing Manman, the three of them went back home, took Manman's schoolbag and water cup, and drove to the nursery.

Because we have to go to school during the summer vacation, the atmosphere of the new semester in the nursery is not strong. Today, the formal classes have already started. The children are quite excited to see Man Man, after all, they haven't seen her for two months and they miss her very much.

Although I didn’t want to come to school when I was at home, I was happy to see my classmates whom I hadn’t seen for a long time. I quickly immersed myself in the games and forgot about my parents outside the classroom.

Seeing that she was having a great time, Su Ting and He Dongchuan did not waste any more time and went to find the director of the nursery to pay the fees.

After returning to the car with the order, Su Ting suddenly sighed: "I wonder how Xiaoyan is doing and whether he can adapt to school life."

"It shouldn't be a problem." He Dongchuan told what happened when he bought breakfast.

Su Ting laughed when she heard this: "Is this true? I've never seen him so lazy before."

He Dongchuan said: "He is alone, so he would rather be lazy than not."

Su Ting: "...Fortunately he is a day student." Otherwise, the hygiene conditions would be worrying.

…

After waiting at home until half past eleven, Su Ting and He Dongchuan went to No. 67 again.

This time they were lucky. When they reached No. 67 and were about to call for help, a middle-aged man in a grey T-shirt and white trousers came over from the other side of the street carrying a lunch box. He said he was the owner of the house and asked who they were looking for.

"Comrade Huang, right?" He Dongchuan extended his hand to the other party. "My name is He Dongchuan, and this is my wife, her last name is Su. We live in No. 29 in front. Yesterday I heard that your family wanted to sell the house, so I came to find you and want to know the situation."

The middle-aged man then stretched out his hand, shook hands with He Dongchuan and said, "I am planning to sell the house." After that, he took out the key, opened the door to the yard, and invited the two to come in and sit down.

Perhaps hearing the noise outside, the little boy I had seen in the morning opened the door and looked out. When he saw the middle-aged man, he ran out and shouted, "Dad!"

Comrade Huang reached out and touched the child's head, and asked, "Are you hungry?"

The child shook his head and said, "I had a full meal this morning, so I'm not hungry."

Comrade Huang nodded and asked him to call them uncle and aunt. The child obediently greeted Su Ting and He Dongchuan, and then said softly, "I saw them this morning."

Comrade Huang looked puzzled, and He Dongchuan explained: "We came here once this morning, but you were not at home."

"I should have gone to the hospital at that time." Comrade Huang explained and pushed the door to let Su Ting and He Dongchuan in.

There is a foyer as you enter the house. There is a cabinet against the wall on the left. The cabinet is not high and there is room for things on the top. There is a partition on the right hand side and the living room is behind it.

During the Great Movement, most of these houses were confiscated and distributed to workers in state-owned factories. Because there were often several households living in one building, the living room alone could be divided into several rooms, which was the case when Professor Zhou's house was taken back.

But when Su Ting turned around the partition, what she saw was not a narrow corridor, but an empty living room.

There were no partitions or furniture, it was just very empty. The wooden floor was wiped very clean, but there were traces of time everywhere on it.

"What is this in your house?" Su Ting asked puzzledly.

Comrade Huang explained, "This used to be an office for a government agency. After the house was returned to me, the former offices moved out. I didn't have money to buy furniture, so the house is pretty empty." At the end, he looked a little embarrassed.

However, Su Ting and He Dongchuan both understood that if he had money to buy furniture, he wouldn't have to sell the house.

Because they were bored, the couple quickly finished looking at the first floor and followed Comrade Huang upstairs to look at the rooms.

After going up to the second floor, the first thing that caught my eye was a small living room, which could only accommodate a round coffee table and two chairs. On the left side of the living room was a small room, which was obviously empty.

Coming out of the small room, there is a corridor to the left, with a room on each side and at the end of the corridor. These rooms are also very empty, including the room where Comrade Huang sleeps. There is only a bed made of bricks and two shabby door panels, and all the luggage is piled on the floor.

Although it was empty inside and there was no furniture, Su Ting noticed that there was a shower head in the bathroom. She turned on the switch and tried it. The shower head was working, but because there was no gas, the water that came out was cold.

But if the gas problem could be solved after she moved in, she wouldn't have to rush home to light the coal stove after dinner every day.

In addition, this place used to be an office space. Except for the floor on the first floor which was severely damaged by the constant coming and going of people, other places were well maintained.

After looking around, Su Ting knew that this house was hard to come by.

But after going downstairs, Su Ting did not rush to ask about the price of the house, but asked: "Comrade Huang, I want to ask who owned this house ten years ago?"

"It's my dad's."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

The other party shook his head: "No."

"Where is your father? Does he have any brothers or sisters?" Su Ting asked and explained, "Don't think I'm annoying, I just want to confirm whether you are the only owner of this house."

The other party shook his head again and said, "I have an aunt who went abroad with her husband's family in the 1950s. But before she left, the family property was divided, and this house was left to my father."

"Can I ask you again, why do you want to sell your house?"

Comrade Huang lowered his head and said, "My wife is sick and needs a lot of money for treatment."

He was an educated youth who went to the countryside ten years ago. He met his wife in the second year of his stay in the countryside, and they got married the following year. They have always had a good relationship since their marriage. Although their life is not rich, they are very satisfied.

Until three years ago, his wife suddenly collapsed at work, and since then, she has been bedridden and taking medicine. In order to treat her, they spent all their family property and owed a lot of foreign debts.

A few years ago, his wife was seriously ill and needed a large sum of money for treatment, but relatives and friends were afraid of borrowing money from them and kept avoiding them. When he was at his wits' end, he heard from the educated youth in the team that an intellectual who was sent down to their place had his hat removed. Not only did he get his job back, but the higher authorities also returned his family's previously confiscated property.

He remembered that his family owned a Western-style house in Shanghai, so he borrowed money and moved to Shanghai. It took him half a year to get the certificate.

Because he knew that his family had a house in Shanghai, and his relatives and friends in his hometown had lent him a lot of money for medical expenses, and his wife's hospitalization still required a lot of money, so after the house was purchased, he quickly spread the news that he was selling the house.

Only half a month has passed, and although many people have come to see the house, not many are serious about buying it, so he is now a little hesitant as to whether to lower the price.

But he kept his thoughts to himself and did not speak them out.

Su Ting was somewhat moved after hearing his answer. There may be people in this world who are willing to sell their house to pay for their wife's medical treatment, but they are indeed rare.

She asked, "What is your target price?"

The other party considered for a moment and tentatively quoted a price.

Compared with the current house prices, this price is not cheap, but at the same time it is not easy to buy another house like this at this price.

During the Great Movement, the houses were distributed to state-owned factories as workers' workshops, with seven to eight or even ten households divided into one building. Over the years, the houses have been damaged beyond recognition, and if you want to live in them after buying them, it will cost a lot to remove the walls and repair them.

Why did Professor Zhou rent out the house? Isn't it because the cost of living in the house is too high and he doesn't want to spend the money? If this cost is included, the house will be very cheap.

Either the house is well maintained, but the ownership is unclear. For example, when the house is confiscated, the owner is already old and has children. After the movement is over, the original owner has passed away and did not leave any will related to the house.

The person who came back to claim the house is just one of the original owner's many descendants. Even if he gets relevant proof, the property rights cannot be considered his exclusive property. If someone else wants to take the house back in the future, even if they are the buyer, there will be a lot of trouble in the future.

If what Comrade Huang said is true, then the ownership of this house is very clear, and they don't have to have so many concerns if they buy it.

After thinking about it, Su Ting said, "Comrade Huang, I am very satisfied with this house and the price is acceptable. However, I would like to sign an agreement with you before paying the money and transferring the ownership. It may take a day to prepare. Do you have any problem with this?"

Huang originally thought that if they were not satisfied with the price, he would lower his psychological price. However, Su Ting did not bargain at all. She nodded and said, "No problem. When are you free tomorrow?"

"Are you in the hospital all day?" Su Ting asked back.

Speaking of the hospital, Comrade Huang's face became a little sad: "Yes, my wife is in the hospital."

"When will you be back?"

Comrade Huang said: "At lunch and dinner."

"Then let's have dinner tomorrow," Su Ting thought for a moment and decided to have dinner at a hotel outside. "You can take a look at the agreement then. If there is no problem, we will go to the Housing Authority the day after tomorrow morning to transfer the ownership and pay the money and sign the agreement at the same time."

Comrade Huang thought about it, nodded and said, "Okay."

…

"The price can probably be negotiated further." He Dongchuan reminded Su Ting as soon as they walked out of the house.

He Dongchuan had seen this when they were discussing the price, but he couldn't bring himself to say it in front of the landlord, so he had delayed it until now. However, the agreement had not yet been finalized, so there was still room for negotiation.

Su Ting shook her head and said, "That's it. It's not easy for him either."

In fact, when Comrade Huang mentioned the price, Su Ting also saw his hesitation, but on the one hand, the price they negotiated was not much more expensive than the market price, and it would be even cheaper if the renovation costs were not saved; secondly, the price of this house would continue to rise in the next fifty years. It was hard to say whether it could be sold for hundreds of millions, but it would definitely be worth tens of millions. A few thousand in exchange for tens of millions was definitely worth it.

And thinking that the landlord's wife was still in the hospital waiting for money for treatment, Su Ting really couldn't open her mouth to bargain for a price.

But the price could be relaxed, and the landlord's situation had to be thoroughly investigated, so after leaving No. 67, the couple went to the street office to find someone to verify whether what Comrade Huang said was true.

Although Comrade Huang never came back after going to the countryside, the people in the street office have worked there for more than ten or twenty years, and some of them live nearby. They know exactly what everyone in the alley is doing.

Su Ting and the others did not hide their intentions and said directly that they heard that the Huang family wanted to sell the house, but were afraid that there would be trouble after buying it, so they came to inquire about the Huang family's situation.

When several staff members in the street office heard this, they all started chatting with them enthusiastically.

This conversation lasted for more than an hour. Although it took a long time, it basically proved that what Comrade Huang said was true. Huang's family split up a long time ago, and he was indeed an only child.

After asking clearly, Su Ting went back and discussed with He Dongchuan to draft an agreement.

Neither of them studied law, so the agreement they drafted was relatively simple, but the terms were clear enough and should work.

Su Ting had no other choice. Fudan University had not yet re-established its law department at that time, and they had no relevant connections. They couldn't find Zhuang Ding at the moment, so they had to go on their own.

Anyway, as long as the property can be transferred, the agreement is signed, and the money is paid, the matter is over, and they are not afraid of being cheated.

However, He Dongchuan was a little worried that Su Ting could not handle it alone, so he drafted an agreement and said, "I will take another day off after I go back tomorrow and go with you to transfer the property."

"Can I get some time off?"

"It should be possible." He Dongchuan said. He hadn't had much vacation in the past two years, so it wouldn't be difficult for his superiors to disapprove his request for one or two days off.

Although Su Ting felt that it was troublesome for He Dongchuan to run around like this, buying a house and transferring ownership was not a trivial matter. What if she was alone at the Housing Authority and he suddenly changed his mind and wanted to take the money back? She might not be able to handle it alone.

After thinking about it, Su Ting said, "Okay."

…

Although the students in Su Ting's class completed the reporting work within two days, due to the enrollment of new students and the many things to do in the department, they still started classes on the fourth day of the new semester.

The next day, Su Ting had nothing to do during the day, so she went to the nursery to pick up Man Man at 5:30 pm and took her to the state-owned hotel for dinner. As He Yan had too little time for meals, he ate all three meals in the school cafeteria and came back after evening self-study.

We ordered the food at the state-owned hotel, but before it was ready, Comrade Huang came over with his children.

After they sat down, the two exchanged a few simple pleasantries. Su Ting then took out the draft agreement from her bag, handed it to the other party and said, "Take a look. If there is no problem, we will go to the Housing Authority to transfer the ownership tomorrow morning."

"Okay, let me take a look." Comrade Huang lowered his head and looked.

The agreement was only two pages long and the terms were very simple. He finished reading it in less than ten minutes. He said there was no problem, but then hesitantly asked when the money would be paid.

Su Ting replied: "Sign the agreement tomorrow morning, I will pay you half of the fee, and pay the other half after the transfer is completed."

"Okay, then I..." Comrade Huang looked at the dishes that the waiter brought to the table one after another, and was a little afraid to pick up his chopsticks. Seeing that he didn't move, his son also sat there obediently, just swallowing his saliva.

Seeing this, Su Ting gave the other child a piece of meat and said, "Eat it. Eat well today. I hope everything goes well tomorrow."

Comrade Huang responded, picked up his chopsticks and motioned for his son to start.

…

Thinking that after the property transfer is completed tomorrow, she will become a homeowner, and that the house is in Shanghai and is a Western-style building, Su Ting was so excited that she couldn't sleep all night.

Hearing her tossing and turning, He Dongchuan, who used to be calm, couldn't fall asleep anymore. He said in the darkness, "Tingting."

Su Ting, who had just turned over, paused, tilted her head towards him and asked, "You didn't sleep?"

"I just wanted to sleep, but now I can't."

Su Ting turned over again and lay on her side facing He Dongchuan. She opened her eyes and looked at the outline of his face in the dark light and said, "I can't sleep now either."

"Why?"

“Happy.”

“Because of buying a house?”

"Well, I've always wanted to have my own house."

After her father passed away in her previous life, Su Ting's life was very unstable for a long time. At the most, she moved three times in a year.

When she first moved into a new place, she was very happy and thought about how to decorate it to make it look more cozy. She was very poor at that time, but she would go online to buy those cheap little items that would create a good atmosphere at home.

But as she moved more and more often, she began to feel tired and no longer thought about decorating her house. Before she moved into the house she bought, she had not moved for three years. But when she moved out, she suddenly realized that she had not purchased any non-essential items in these three years. In the end, the only luggage she packed was two quilts and two suitcases of clothes.

It was also at that moment that she suddenly understood why she was so obsessed with the house.

People always cling to things they don't have.

He Dongchuan didn't quite understand Su Ting's insistence and asked, "Don't we have a house in the family compound?"

"That's a military house. We only have the right to live in it, which is different from buying it." Su Ting walked forward, hugged He Dongchuan, leaned against his chest and whispered, "After buying this house, no matter where I go in the future, as long as I don't sell it, it belongs to me. Do you understand?"

"I see." He Dongchuan said, tightening his arms and asking, "So you are so happy that you can't sleep now?"

"Um."

"Are you not feeling sleepy at all?"

"no."

"Then can I help you?"

"What..." Before Su Ting could finish her question, her lips and tongue were blocked.

OK, got it.

…

At three o'clock in the morning, Su Ting, who had just finished a fierce battle, completely forgot about the excitement of buying a house. She fell into a deep sleep as soon as she closed her eyes and was not awakened by He Dongchuan until nine o'clock in the morning.

I squinted my eyes and sat up from the bed, got dressed, washed, and had breakfast. Then I took a bus to the bank to withdraw money, took a bus to the Housing Authority, signed the agreement, paid the money, transferred the property, and paid again.

When they got back in the car, Su Ting came to her senses and turned her head to ask, "Is this house mine from now on?"

He Dongchuan smiled and said, "Yes, it's yours."