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Chapter 582: Chapter 582: Buying a Car
Tong Yao blinked. She probably had some guess about what was going on but kept it to herself. Guo Jinnian seemed to be troubled, and considering what had happened throughout the day, it wasn’t hard to figure out her concerns.
They were all adults, and Tong Yao decided not to pry. If Guo Jinnian wanted to talk about it, she would definitely find an opportunity to do so.
Fu Yiheng left after a fulfilling meal, arranging a time with Si Chen for their overseas trip before he left.
Having been out all day, Tong Yao was exhausted. She washed up and then went to bed.
The next morning, Tong Yao noticed something interesting. Guo Jinnian, usually a deep sleeper, now had dark circles under her eyes. However, her appetite seemed to have returned during breakfast.
After breakfast, Tong Yao planned to apply for a driver’s license with Si Chen. Unexpectedly, before they could even leave the house, they received a notice for housing demolition. They had known about the demolition coming soon, but its arrival still caught Tong Yao a bit off guard.
Excited about becoming a displaced residential homeowner, Tong Yao quickly phoned her parents. This was the house they had lived in for many years, and it was difficult for them to part with it.
Luckily, the house on the outskirts had been renovated. Even though their house was about to be demolished, the family had a place to settle in. They were grateful for their foresightedness. If not, with their daughter being pregnant, things would’ve been difficult.
Tong Yaohui and Wen Yun discussed the situation and headed back to Kyoto by car the next day.
Seeing the word ’demolition’ on their house door stirred mixed feelings in Tong Yaohui and Wen Yun. The family decided to move to their house in the outskirts out of precaution, even though the demolition wouldn’t be immediate, they didn’t want to rush later.
As Si Chen hadn’t left for his trip abroad yet, they moved their belongings together over two days.
Looking at the now empty house, Tong Yaohui sighed, "It’s hard to say goodbye to the house we’ve lived in for so many years."
Wen Yun nodded in agreement, "I thought your father’s house would be demolished first. I didn’t expect ours to be the first one."
Tong Yao, with a smile on her face, held Wen Yun’s arm and said, "It’s better that way, Mum. We’ll make more money if my grandfather’s house is demolished later."
Wen Yun thought about it and chuckled, "It’s also the perfect time for you to buy a car. With the money from the demolition, you can get a van first."
Tong Yao giggled, "Mum, maybe the government will compensate with houses instead of money."
Upon hearing this, Wen Yun sighed, "We will accept whatever the government allocates. The government policies are improving, and they will not treat us common folks unfairly."
Tong Yao nodded, smiling. It pained her to think of the removal of the house they had lived in for years. But city development was inevitable, and old houses had to be demolished.
After Tong Yaohui and Wen Yun finished packing, they went to the breeding farm. Both Tong Yaohui and Wen Yun, having adjusted to the rural life, felt ill at ease without seeing chickens and ducks around for a day. Their daughter was in good health and didn’t need them to worry. So, they dedicated themselves to helping manage the breeding farm.
As Si Chen’s vacation was coming to an end, he was preparing to go abroad. As he left, Tong Yao, feeling reluctant, escorted him to the airport. She didn’t know if it was because of the pregnancy, but she had become more sentimental. Seeing Si Chen enter the airport, she could not help but tear up.
They didn’t know when the next reunion would be. But one thing Tong Yao was sure, she would not go abroad to see Si Chen.
She was pregnant now and couldn’t take risks. After having the baby, she should take care of two children and couldn’t be gallivanting abroad either. She could only hope that Si Chen would come back soon.
Guo Jinnian saw Tong Yao’s reluctance and worried that she would burst into tears. She quickly comforted her, "Yaoyao, Dr. Si will come back to see you soon. If you miss him, you can also call him. Don’t worry too much."
Gu Hongwei agreed, "The foreign New Year’s Day is coming soon, Dr. Si should come back for that."
Reminded by Gu Hongwei, Tong Yao chuckled, suddenly remembering New Year’s Day. Her mood lightened instantly, "Maybe it’s because of my pregnancy. I’ve become quite emotional recently. Don’t worry, I’m fine now."
Tong Yao suggested going to see cars, as men were generally interested in them. Gu Hongwei was no exception. Now that he had a driver’s license, hearing about buying a car stirred some excitement in him.
His eyes sparkled as he agreed, "Let’s have lunch before we go!"
Tong Yao was pregnant and couldn’t afford to be hungry.
Both Tong Yao and Guo Jinnian were a little hungry. Hearing that they would have lunch first, they had no complaints. After driving to the city, they selected a restaurant at random, had their meal before heading out to see cars.
The three of them were dressed modestly which to the salesperson’s eyes screamed wealth. In this era, most rich people kept a low profile, especially attractive ones like them. The car salesperson even suspected they might be popular celebrities.
Even after observing them for a long time, he couldn’t associate them with any particular film roles. However, their service towards the trio was courteous.
He pointed at a van and began his sales pitch enthusiastically, "This car just came into the market domestically. It performs well and is fuel-efficient. It can handle all roads, the engine is powerful enough for climbing hills. The interior is spacious, suited for people and cargo..."
Tong Yao, Gu Hongwei, and Guo Jinnian were captivated by the brand new vehicle. However, seeing its price tag almost choked Guo Jinnian. With widened eyes, she pulled Tong Yao and Gu Hongwei aside.
She extended her hand and exclaimed dramatically, "Fifty thousand... Yaoyao, this car costs more than fifty thousand..."
Guo Jinnian’s hard-earned savings only amounted to just over ten thousand, and here was a car costing five times as much. What scale was this?
This amount could buy ten houses in her small hometown.
Guo Jinnian was astonished by the price, she began to doubt if this car was worth it.
Tong Yao and Gu Hongwei had already known the price of the car, hence they didn’t find it surprising.
Tong Yao laughed softly, "It’s indeed a bit pricey, but the breeding farm currently needs a vehicle like this."
Guo Jinnian couldn’t understand, "Yaoyao, why don’t you use this money to buy a house or land instead? I think those things are of greater value than the car."
Tong Yao began to explain her rationale, "Cars depreciate, and the value decreases as soon as purchased, there’s no way around that. Houses and land, even though they usually appreciate in value, it’s harder to acquire. Even if you do, it may lead to a lot of disputes about legal documents. Smaller cities offer limited potential for property value increase. Therefore, purchasing it doesn’t add much worth, plus it’s hard to buy. Commercial buildings haven’t yet reached small cities and Kyoto’s commercial buildings are all booked up. Besides, we can’t afford to buy old houses with land. So, it’s more practical to buy a car for the time being."
