NOVPUB
Chapter 610: Chapter 600: Peeled Tender Corn
"I have no objection, as long as your elder brother and sister-in-law agree, that’s fine," Shen Yunfang said with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. From what she knew of Wang Dan, she wouldn’t agree to such an arrangement so readily; there had to be some benefit in it for her. Yet, this time when Wang Dan and her husband visited, they didn’t bring up the matter at all.
Li Hongjun felt a bit embarrassed, "My elder brother didn’t mention it, but my sister-in-law said their family isn’t wealthy either, and they have many children. So, if they were to take care of Dad, she wanted me to give her all the money I set aside for Dad’s pension."
Shen Yunfang nodded upon hearing this, typical of Wang Dan’s style.
"But with Dad’s age, and my sister-in-law’s character, I’m worried if Dad doesn’t have any money at all, he won’t feel right. I mean, an old man like him won’t even be able to buy a pouch of tobacco without asking his daughter-in-law for money, right?"
"So, what do you suggest?" Shen Yunfang had a rough idea of what he meant, but she still asked.
"I was thinking, before my mother comes out, if we could give Dad an extra fifty yuan each year for his pension. That way he’d have some money in his pocket and feel more confident at my brother’s place, and stand a bit taller," Li Hongjun said, rubbing his hands and trying to sweet-talk his wife.
An annual pension of a hundred yuan was already not small, and now he wanted to give fifty more. He, as a son, could voice this, but as a husband and a father, he felt ashamed. He knew he could make this request because he was aware his wife earned more. If the family had to rely solely on his salary, this request would end with him; his wages were barely enough to support his own immediate family after giving a hundred yuan to his parents, and anything more was beyond what he could afford.
Shen Yunfang didn’t respond immediately and was considering what he had just said.
"Logically, given our current situation, Dad should be cared for by my brother and me in turns. But my father doesn’t want to come to the city and doesn’t want to leave our hometown. So, I thought it best to ask my brother and sister-in-law to keep an eye on Dad - otherwise it’s not right for an old man to not have warm meals and to wear shabby clothes every day."
How could Shen Yunfang not realize Li Hongjun was playing the pity card with her, counting on her sympathetic nature? However, she was actually happy with this arrangement. Through this incident, she realized that her father-in-law wasn’t as sensible as she had always thought. If the old man really lived with them, she would rather pay more.
"There you go, did you think I wouldn’t understand your little scheme? You’ve already made the arrangements, and telling me is pointless. Just manage it yourself since that’s all your salary can support," she said.
"Hehe, my wife is the one who really understands," he said gleefully.
"Don’t flatter me. I’ve come to see that the more reasonable a person is, the more they suffer."
"That’s not true; that’s not true. You have a heart of gold and a gentle spirit. None of the other military wives I know are as virtuous as you," he complimented her.
"Oh, give it a rest. Weren’t you just complaining that I’m getting old?" she retorted.
"When did I ever? You’re wronging me. With your youthful looks, I can never get enough of you. How could I complain that you’re old?" he flirted.
"Talk is talk—stop pawing at me... Don’t mess around; your daughter will be knocking on the door any minute."
"It’s okay, I locked the door. My wife, you really are tender, like an ear of corn just peeled..."
"You big oaf, you’re the corn cob, huhuhu..."
The family happily celebrated until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. Shen Yunfang packed all the things she had prepared and watched Li Hongjun leave in the military vehicle.
Then, on the eighth day, Li Xianglian, Dashuan, and their family packed up and went back home as well.
Shen Yunfang began to pack up the house, preparing to move after the 15th day of the lunar new year.
On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, Li Hongjun called to confirm that everything on his end was ready, now just waiting for Shen Yunfang to bring the children over.
On the evening of the 15th day of the first lunar month, Shen Yunfang took the children to Ma Liguo’s house for the celebration.
"Yunfang, I really don’t want to see you go," said Mu Huazhen, holding Shen Yunfang’s hand with a face full of reluctance.
The two families had gotten along very well these past two years, and Shen Yunfang’s sudden departure took Mu Huazhen by surprise.
"I don’t want to leave either, but Li Hongjun is in Z Province, and I can’t just stay here alone with the kids." To be honest, if they could stay in the Capital, who would volunteer to endure hardship in a remote place? Yet, now, if the family wanted to live together, someone had to compromise. Between the two of them, her taking a step back wouldn’t make much of a difference, so she chose to be the woman behind the man. And she was willing, of course.
"That’s true, it would have been better if your husband, Li Hongjun, could have stayed in the Capital," Mu Huazhen always felt a bit regretful.
"Let’s not talk about that, it’s pointless. Let’s talk about something serious instead," Ma Liguo was more rational, knowing that the decision was already made and it was useless to discuss it now.
"Hehe, right, I do have something important to discuss today." Shen Yunfang saw the couple both looking at her and smiled as she revealed her purpose for visiting, "I came to ask Brother Ma to help me buy a house."
"Why are you buying another house? Didn’t you just buy one recently?" Mu Huazhen asked in surprise. "Including the house you have now, don’t you already own three properties? Isn’t that enough, and yet you want to buy more?"
"Hehe, since I have money now, if there’s a suitable house, I might as well buy a few more," Shen Yunfang, of course, had her own plans.
Although she already had three properties in good locations, which would surely be worth a fortune in thirty years, the siheyuan they bought was too ordinary; it was not her ideal house type. Moreover, she was aware that many siheyuans in the Capital had been demolished due to urban planning, leaving only a few areas where siheyuans were preserved. So she thought, if possible, she would buy one or two more siheyuans in those areas to keep. After all, having money at hand and leaving it idle wasn’t as good as investing it in real estate.
"My, you really do throw your money around, but I like it," said Mu Huazhen, laughing to herself. She wasn’t the kind to cling to money; when she had it, she was bold with her spending, so Shen Yunfang’s willingness to spend big suited her just fine.
"Sister-in-law, it’s not about me splashing out, it’s just how much money do I have in my pocket? Compared to those truly wealthy, what I have is just a drop in the ocean," Shen Yunfang was well aware that there were many more affluent people out there, her wealth was nothing in comparison.
"Don’t be modest, what you’ve got is no mere sprinkle—it’s a downpour to me," said Mu Huazhen exaggeratedly.
"Yunfang, where do you want to buy the house?" As soon as Ma Liguo saw her passbook, he knew it wasn’t a case of buying any available house like last time.
Of course, Shen Yunfang wanted to buy in specific locations, and after she explained, Ma Liguo nodded in agreement.
"Okay, leave it to me. I’ll inquire about it when I’m free, and if I hear anything, I’ll call Hongjun, and you come over to see for yourself. If it’s suitable, you can buy it." Yunfang had entrusted him with no small amount of money, and he didn’t dare make decisions on his own.
"Okay, once I’ve settled down over there, and I expect I won’t be too busy, give me a call and I’ll come back to take a look." After arranging this, Shen Yunfang mentioned another matter, "Brother Ma, about our current siheyuan, I’m leaving you a set of keys. If you need it, feel free to use it, and by the way, you’d be helping me look after the property. But let’s agree first, keep all my furniture and other things in the courtyard safe."
"Alright, I was going to bring that up with you too, so Ma Ge won’t stand on ceremony with you," Ma Liguo said without any fuss and simply took the keys. In the last two years with his business thriving, he didn’t want to cut off this opportunity. Having a siheyuan here was also convenient for using it as a warehouse.
