Chapter 236: Buying the House

"Hehe, let’s discuss this."

Before the old couple could figure out what was happening, Yun Linhe scooped up Yun Jiao, and the group walked off to one side.

Elder Wu: "The two of them have kept this house in excellent condition. We can buy it."

Mr. Mu added, "A lot of the furniture is made of huanghuali wood, and that canopy bed with intricate carvings is red sandalwood. The house itself is built with solid materials. Just the furniture and that bed alone are worth more than twenty thousand on the market."

Most importantly, the wood used for the furniture was very valuable.

Besides, given the craftsmanship and age, they could be considered antiques.

The final conclusion was that fifty thousand yuan was indeed a bargain.

But there was one thing Mr. Mu didn’t understand.

"If they just waited a bit longer and patiently looked for a buyer, they could sell the furniture alone for a good sum of money. Why are they in such a hurry?"

Old Wu said, "Why don’t we go ask?"

After a slight cough, they headed back.

Elder Wu didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly, "From what I understand, you two comrades are selling this house to go live with your son. But you could go over there first and have someone help you sell it. It would just take a little longer. This house and its furniture would surely fetch a good price. Why the rush? Are you sure there won’t be any trouble after we buy the house?"

Liu Lao said irritably, "Buy it if you want, or leave if you don’t."

With that foul temper, he didn’t seem like someone trying to sell a house at all.

However, the old woman beside him placed a hand on his to hold him back, her voice calm.

"My son and daughter-in-law are in urgent need of money over there."

She sat gracefully on a stone stool.

Her gaze towards the house was filled with reluctance and regret.

"This house is our family’s last remaining property. We have no other relatives here, so we don’t feel at ease leaving it to anyone. Our son is studying abroad. Although he hasn’t said anything, we can hear the exhaustion in his voice. He’s having a hard time over there."

"We old folks don’t know how much time we have left. He’s our last child. In the time we have remaining, we want to be with him. We’ll use the money from selling the house to ease his financial pressure."

The old woman looked into the distance, her voice flat yet tinged with sorrow. "My husband and I had two daughters and three sons, but none of them survived. But it’s also because of them, and because we spent our entire fortune helping the right people back then, that this property and everything inside it were able to be preserved intact through the ’special period’."

Although she didn’t say it explicitly, a moment’s thought was all it took for them to guess that her children might have been martyrs—at least one of them, if not all—and to figure out who they had spent their fortune to help.

At that moment, Elder Wu, Mr. Mu, and Grandpa Yun were all filled with deep respect for the couple.

"You..." Everyone was at a loss for words of comfort.

Four out of five children dead—it was too tragic.

Old Liu was sullen and silent, but the old woman offered them a gentle smile.

"I’ve said too much. Please don’t think this old woman is trying to win your sympathy. At this price, I only hope that whoever buys this house will treat it, and these old things, with care."

"We’ll buy this house."

Granny Yun made the final decision. "It’s well worth it."

The value of the house and its furniture already exceeded fifty thousand.

Yun Jiao nodded. "Mhm."

"Do you want cash?"

The two elders seemed a bit dazed, then nodded.

"Either is fine."

"Can you wait a few more days? We need some time to pack before we leave."

Granny Yun: "Of course. Take your time packing. We’re not in a hurry."

Transferring the property deed and handling the paperwork would also take some time.

Granny Yun had her two sons and Yun Jiao go together.

There were so many of them; it would be too conspicuous to go as one large group.

They didn’t haggle over the fifty-thousand-yuan price at all.

With this deal settled, they decided to hold off on visiting the other four-courtyard siheyuan for now. They would handle the paperwork for this one first.

When it was time to write down the owner’s name, Yun Jiao had her dad and mom write theirs.

At first, Yun Linhai and Shen Yunlian refused. After all, their daughter was the one buying the house, so what would it mean to register it under their names?

But when they refused, Yun Jiao didn’t say a word, just stared at them with wide, pleading eyes.

She looked so pitiful, as if she were about to cry.

"Jiaojiao, why do you insist on putting the house in our names? It would be the same if it were in yours."

Yun Jiao shook her head. "I don’t want to."

She then revealed her grand ambition.

"I’m going to buy a big island in the sea and build a super beautiful mansion on it."

Everyone gasped.

This wish was a bit too spectacular. The Yun family stared at her in shock.

’Wait, are you serious?’

Meeting their stunned gazes, Yun Jiao nodded affirmatively.

Everyone: ...

’Is this a wish a normal child should have?’

In the end, the house was registered under Yun Linhai and Shen Yunlian’s names anyway.

But her parents were now worried.

’A whole island? How much would that cost?’

’And build a mansion on it...’

’For our daughter’s magnificent dream, we’ll have to work harder from now on. We have to try and earn more money before she grows up.’

Although they had insisted they didn’t want it, when the property deed was actually in their hands, Yun Linhai and Shen Yunlian were so dazed and excited their eyes turned red.

Their hearts pounded uncontrollably.

’We... we have a house in the Capital.’

’And it’s such a big siheyuan.’

’Such a huge house, a house worth tens of thousands.’

’We’re actually going to live in a house worth tens of thousands...’

At that moment, these thoughts raced through their minds.

Finally, Yun Linhai couldn’t hold back any longer. He hugged Yun Jiao and planted several kisses on her chubby little cheeks.

"Oh, my daughter! Daddy is really... I really don’t know what to say. How did I get so lucky to be your father? In other families, the dad buys a house for his daughter, but in our family... our daughter is buying a house for her dad! And it’s such a big one, worth tens of thousands! It feels like I’m dreaming."

As he spoke, he pinched himself hard—really putting some force into it—and grimaced in pain.

"It’s not a dream!"

His silly antics made the rest of the family roar with laughter. Shen Yunlian shot him an exasperated glare.

She snatched Yun Jiao into her own arms. "What are you doing? Don’t you know Jiaojiao doesn’t like your slobber?"

"Hehe, hehe... I’m just so happy."

Yun Xiaowu was also excited. "Dad, will that big house be ours from now on?"

Yun Linhai: "To be precise, it belongs to me, your mother, and Jiaojiao. In the future, you boys can earn your own money to buy houses when you grow up."

’He was willing to support his daughter for a lifetime, but his sons? Forget it.’

’If they didn’t go out and work hard at a young age and dared to leech off their parents, he’d kick them right out of the house!’

Yun Xiaowu and Yun Xiao Liu weren’t disheartened by his words.

"But what’s yours is ours, isn’t it? We’re one family, so don’t talk like strangers. Dad, why are you being so distant?"

Yun Linhai: ...’You really don’t act like a stranger, do you!’