sbdcsierra Chapter 1804 1994 years
Chapter 1804 1994 years
Chapter 1804 1994 years
"I mean what I say. Let me know in advance when you're getting married so I can prepare accordingly."
"Haha, it won't be that fast, I'm not in a hurry."
"You're not in a hurry, but their family is probably worried sick. Otherwise, they wouldn't say that as long as your partner likes it, it's fine. They're locals in Shanghai, and they have such good jobs. How could they not have some requirements and conditions? They probably frowned as soon as they heard that you're from out of town."
"Never mind that. If he wants to get married, he has to show sincerity. If someone wanted to marry me, I would marry them. I don't even know how many hundreds of times I've married myself off."
Lin Xiuqing nodded in agreement, "That's right, that's exactly it. He's eager to get married, so he has to show his sincerity. We shouldn't rush things either. We also need to see if his parents are easy to get along with. If they aren't, it will be difficult to live together in the future."
Ye Yaodong chimed in, "Yes, yes, that's why we keep saying we want to find a 'good in-laws.' Do you know what 'good in-laws' means? It means having a good mother-in-law!"
Lin Dongxue gave him a thumbs up, "Uncle, what you said makes sense. So this is what a good in-law family means. Indeed, if the mother-in-law is not good, there's no point in living together."
Lin Xiuqing further advised, "So you should learn more about people and get to know them better. Some people may appear warm and friendly to your face, but they may also slander you behind your back."
"Uh-huh."
Ye Yaodong said, "Anyway, you can get married whenever you want. Don't rush into marriage just for the sake of your dowry. There's no need to rush. Anyway, the dowry I promised you will be more than enough."
"Hehe, thank you, Aunt and Uncle. I want to work for you for the rest of my life. If you ever need more people, I'll go to Shanghai and continue working for you."
Lin Dongxue really didn't expect this good thing to happen!
She already earned a high salary every month, but unexpectedly, when it came time to get married, she was given a dowry!
My uncle is amazing!
Lin Xiuqing smiled and said, "That would be great. I also have a lot of accounts on my end, and sometimes I have to help check them. There are also various rents every month, and now there's a freight department. Although they have an accountant there, I still have to check the accounts from time to time. If you'd still like to work for me, that would be perfect."
"Why wouldn't I be willing? Of course I'd be! The benefits are great, and I'm practically royalty. I was worried that you guys in Shanghai already have enough people and you won't need me."
"How could that be? We need college students like you."
"If I really do marry someone from Shanghai, I'll shamelessly continue to work for you, hehe."
"Then it's settled."
Ye Yaodong was also satisfied; the blame had been shifted from his side to A Qing's side, which was just right.
Lin Xiuqing whispered to her, "Don't mention that we're buying you a car as part of your dowry now. Just tell your in-laws. Don't tell anyone in our own family. And don't mention it at the wedding if you can avoid it, so people won't say we're being biased. The most important thing is that the money actually goes into your hands."
"I understand, I get it. It's not scarcity that's the problem, but inequality. If I have something that others don't, I'll never feel at peace knowing that."
"Yes."
“I know, I will cover it up. This is for my in-laws to see, it doesn’t matter to my own family.”
"As long as you know."
"Then I'll go back to my seat."
The couple nodded.
Lin Xiuqing watched her sit down before whispering to Ye Yaodong, "Why do we need to buy her another car? We can just give her one of our rental apartments. She can collect rent every month. Wouldn't that be better?"
"That's not a good idea. We built our rental property and are waiting for it to be demolished. We don't know how long we'll be able to rent it out. If we only rent it out for three or five years and then it's demolished, how will we calculate the compensation? Wouldn't that be even more troublesome?"
While she was thinking, Ye Yaodong said again, "This is what I'm thinking. Although I own quite a few properties, apart from two villas, the others aren't very good. Of the two plots of land in Shanghai, one has been turned into a rental housing area, and the other has been used as a freight station. I don't have many other houses, just two shops. I definitely can't use the shops for delivery."
"What I'm thinking is that we'll go to Shanghai later and look around. If we find a suitable house, we'll buy a few and keep them on hand. That's what real estate looks like. We could buy a dozen or so."
"Then, we'll see how things go later before giving away the property. We won't give it away now, because the property prices in Shanghai aren't cheap right now; a house costs hundreds of thousands."
“I asked Director Zhang. An 89-square-meter apartment in Fengxian costs 12 yuan. That was for the old staff allocation. Now it costs more than 1000 yuan per square meter. In more expensive areas, it’s normal to pay two or three thousand, or even three or four thousand yuan per square meter.”
"Our little villa in Jing'an has increased in value many times over in the past 10 years."
"How much does it cost to give away a car? Let alone an Alto, even a Xiali would only cost a little over 7 yuan, which is already quite impressive. Of course, the house, which is the most important thing, can be given away later."
"Besides, I just thought she got married and wouldn't be working here anymore. Giving her a car would be more than enough, and it would be convenient for her to commute to get off work in the future. That's what I was thinking."
"Since we're going to keep going, we'll see how things go later. It wouldn't hurt to give a house to the meritorious people who have worked so hard. The main thing is for us to buy a few more and keep them in hand for now."
Lin Xiuqing hesitated, "Giving away a car first, and then a house later, isn't that too much?"
"Giving them houses now would be too much. Let's save the houses for later. We'll buy them now and keep them in our hands. As our company grows bigger and bigger, we'll definitely need to give these veterans some benefits. Giving them houses then would be the best approach."
By then, house prices will have skyrocketed, so if they were given away for free, that would be truly astonishing, and people would be even more devoted to them.
"When we go back to Shanghai after the New Year, we'll inquire about buying a few more houses. I heard there's a Sanlin Garden under construction in Pudong, which should be completed soon."
Most of the properties now are allocated to former employees after a certain number of years of service. They are commonly known as old, dilapidated, and small buildings, usually six or seven stories high with three or four rooms on each floor, and each room may be only thirty or fifty square meters.
There are genuine commercial housing units available, but they haven't been widely available yet, which is why Ye Yaodong hasn't bought one. Anyway, he roughly knows that housing prices won't skyrocket before 2000, so he's not in a hurry.
“After I go back after the New Year, I’ll finish up what I’m doing first and then come to Shanghai to see you. We can take a good look around then, or you can ask around beforehand.”
“Okay, I’ll inquire about it beforehand. Anyway, we have a lot of spare cash right now, so buying some houses to rent out is a good idea. It can keep bringing in money.”
She was thinking about buying a house to rent out for sustainable development, while he was thinking about buying a house to wait for the price to rise—different paths leading to the same goal.
The couple lowered their voices and whispered to each other, while Ye Xiaoxi listened quietly with her ears perked up.
After they finished talking, she spoke softly, "Dad, you gave my cousin a car as a dowry when she got married, and you're going to give her a house later. Will I get even more when I get married? I'm your own daughter!"
"Aren't you thinking too far ahead? How old are you to be thinking about getting married? Let's talk about it again in another 10 or 20 years."
Do I have one?
Ye Yaodong replied irritably, "Yes, yes, yes."
"That's good."
Ye Xiaoxi was happy, but her father felt a little sad.
Lin Xiuqing urged them to eat quickly, "Our table is full, you can start eating now."
I want crab!
"Why do you make things so complicated? You eat this kind of troublesome stuff every day, peeling it yourself."
"Hmph, you're already so impatient with just a few dowries? Fine, peel them yourself then."
Ye Yaodong shut her down, which made her even more upset.
"Oh, Mother, the two brides have arrived. They've sat down. When are they coming to visit us?"
"Not so fast, the firecrackers haven't gone off yet, and the hot dishes haven't been served. We need to eat something first."
"Oh."
As Ye Xiaoxi ate, her eyes were fixed on the bride's table.
Ye Yaodong tapped the table in front of her, "Why are you staring at the bride? She'll be here later, what's the rush? You'll have to give her a red envelope when she arrives."
She suddenly widened her eyes in disbelief, "Ah, I have to give a red envelope? Why? Isn't it the bride who gives me a red envelope?"
"If the bride comes over to serve tea to everyone later, you'll have to give her a red envelope after you finish your tea, and you'll have to give her two."
She waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, I won't drink."
"Haven't you been asking this the whole time? Aren't you really looking forward to them coming?"
She shook her head, "I'm not looking forward to it at all. Don't come over, I didn't bring any money."
The couple chuckled.
She started eating while keeping an eye on things. As soon as the bride stood up to toast everyone, she went to the next table to find Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang and asked if they had prepared red envelopes.
The two men pulled out red envelopes from their pockets to show her, and her eyes widened in surprise.
"When did you prepare these red envelopes? Why didn't I know?"
Ye Chenghu was surprised, "Huh? Didn't Mother give this to us so we could give it to the bride when we toast the guests later?"
"Ah, but Mother didn't give it to me. Why didn't I get it?"
Ye Chengyang said somewhat sarcasticly, "Maybe your mother thinks you have money and wants you to pay for it yourself."
She immediately returned to her seat and pulled Lin Xiuqing aside to ask, "Mother, my brother said the toasting red envelope in his pocket was from you? Why didn't I have one?"
"Because you are still young, the bride doesn't need to toast you; she'll skip you."
Ye Xiaoxi glared at Ye Yaodong, "Then why did you ask me to give you a red envelope?"
"The bride may or may not offer you a toast. Do you wish to drink the tea offered by the bride?"
"I didn't bring any money."
Seeing the bride approaching, Ye Xiaoxi, just in case, hid at another table.
After finishing her toasts, she returned to her table, patted her chest, and felt relieved that she had almost lost face by not being able to pay.
"Mom, you have to prepare a red envelope for me next time too."
"I already told you you don't need it."
"But I want to drink the bride's tea. It looks delicious. After they finished their tea, they put red envelopes in their cups. It seems like the bride was really enjoying receiving the red envelopes, just like when my sister-in-law and second sister-in-law got married."
As soon as she finished speaking, Sister-in-law Lin and Sister-in-law Lin came over with a dozen red envelopes and handed them out. She even received two of them and was overjoyed!
"Mom, do I really have a red envelope?"
"Yes, you're still young, so you still get red envelopes. Once you grow up, you won't get them anymore. Your two older brothers definitely won't get any."
She happily put it away.
"If only you had given it to me sooner, I would have used it to drink the bride's tea."
"Aren't you heartbroken?"
"It's really a waste, so I won't drink it. I'll just put it in a piggy bank."
After receiving the red envelope, she felt satisfied and full, so she went straight down from the table to play with the other children.
Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing naturally sat at the very end of the banquet.
After the guests left, Lin Xiuqing had to help clean up, but he didn't have to. As the son-in-law and a guest, he could just sit on the side and play cards with others while waiting for the evening banquet.
The evening banquet was the same grand affair, except that there was no need to give red envelopes anymore, and instead of toasting each person individually, the bride and groom went around toasting each table together.
Winter days are short and it gets dark easily, so towards the end they ate by lamplight, and the Lin family set off fireworks while they ate.
That night, they made do and stayed at the Lin family's house for the night. Ye Yaodong had been drinking and couldn't drive away.
The family of five had to squeeze onto one large bed, with two people at one end and three at the other, their feet touching their heads, sleeping in this staggered arrangement.
It's an old house after all, with limited rooms, and with the addition of two more newlywed couples, it's quite cramped.
The Lin family has now settled in the city, so they haven't done much renovation to their old house in recent years. Anyway, it'll just be Mr. and Mrs. Lin taking care of themselves in their old age.
They thought that when they came back to retire, they could just tidy it up a bit.
Because they hadn't slept well, they all got up early the next morning before dawn.
The Lin family also cooked a big pot of sweet potato porridge. They had eaten too much oily food yesterday, and they hadn't eaten porridge this morning yet. Just looking at it made him feel refreshed, especially with pickled vegetables.
We reheated all the leftover dishes from yesterday's banquet, but nobody ate them. Pickled mustard greens, pickled radishes, and salted duck eggs were more popular.
"Mother, let's go back early after we finish eating," Lin Xiuqing said to her mother.
"Why are you in such a hurry to go back? There's still a table full of food left to eat. Why don't you wait until after lunch before heading back?"
"No, I have to leave for Shanghai in a few days. I also have some things to take care of at home."
"Alright then, I'll pack you a few bowls of better food to take back with you."
"No need to bother..."
"It's no trouble at all," Lin's mother said, ignoring any objections, and started rummaging through the house for plastic bags.
In the past two years, plastic bags have also started to be used. This did not happen overnight, but gradually became popular. Although it is not completely widespread, you can still find a few at home.
Housewives, in particular, love to hide clean plastic bags for emergencies.
When they left, Ye Yaodong's hands were full of leftover food, all soupy and watery, which made his scalp tingle.
He handed all the bags in his hand to Lin Xiuqing, saying, "You carry them, I'll drive."
“We said we didn’t want it, but Mom insisted on giving it to us. We’ve been eating the leftovers from our New Year’s Eve dinner for days, and now we have to keep eating the leftovers.”
"I ate so much meat and fish, I feel like I've definitely gained 5 pounds this year."
"I'm the same way, with a roll of fat around my belly, and I still eat like this."
Ye Xiaoxi also pinched and pulled at her cheeks, saying, "I also feel like I've gained weight."
"I'm off, I need to go home and catch up on some sleep."
Ye Yaodong started the motorcycle, and after everyone got on one by one, he waved to the Lin family group who had been seeing him off, and drove away.
As usual, he had to leave for Zhoushan City early this year. Not to mention anything else, Ye Chenghu registered for his senior year of high school on the twelfth day of the first lunar month, because the twelfth day of the first lunar month is a Monday, and he went to school the next day after registering.
His mother helped him check the almanac, which said that the ninth and tenth days of the lunar month were auspicious for travel. They tentatively decided to go on the ninth day so as not to delay their child's schooling, since the senior year of high school is very important.
Anyway, there's nothing much to do after the New Year. Everything that needed to be done was done before the New Year, and now I have three days to pack up.
Ye Chenghu also locked himself in his room to catch up on his homework in the last few days, and he was the only one suffering.
The more fun I had during winter break, the more painful it was to catch up on my homework, especially listening to the loud banging of game consoles downstairs.
He could only plug his ears with two wads of cotton so that he could barely concentrate on doing his homework.
They set off on the ninth day of the first lunar month and didn't arrive until the eleventh. They then rested for one night and set off for Shanghai early on the twelfth day of the first lunar month.
The time was very tight; we had to rush to register on the afternoon of the 12th, as there was only one day for senior high school students to register.
After the older children finished reporting, it was the turn of the two younger children the next day, but the younger children could report for two more days.
Lin Xiuqing has been busy since the Lunar New Year, helping to organize meals and drinks for the family, taking the children to visit relatives, attend weddings, and then immediately getting ready to leave.
The most leisurely time should be the two days on the ship, after which there is a constant rush of activity.
She could only breathe a sigh of relief after sending all three children to school.
Ye Yaodong was much the same; after returning to the factory, he was constantly busy handling matters during the Spring Festival.
By the time he had free time, it was already the end of January, which was early March in the Gregorian calendar.
Time seems to fly by when you use the Gregorian calendar, but by Chinese New Year it's already February 9th.
A new year brings new beginnings, new developments, and a new future.
He was always thinking about going to Shanghai to see if there were any apartments available for purchase, and he was incredibly efficient at getting things done, delegating tasks to others whenever possible.
Before going to Shanghai, he called Director Zhang, whom he had met at the Jiangnan Shipyard. Seeing that Director Zhang had a wide network of connections and knew many people, he suggested that Director Zhang start a real estate agency. Director Zhang has made a lot of money over the years, and naturally, they have maintained a good relationship.
He called Director Zhang in advance to help him find a good property so that he could go directly to see it when he arrived, saving him time.
He also mentioned his requirements: he wanted new commercial housing; employee housing was not within his consideration, as the basic area was not large.
Although these employee housing units are located in good locations, the area is currently undergoing rapid development, and most houses are in good locations nowadays.
In the future, development will gradually extend to the outskirts, and houses will be built in increasingly remote areas, with more and more suburban wasteland and farmland being incorporated into homestead development.
(End of this chapter)