Lin Ting immediately sat up, curious, “Where is it?”

Huo Xiao took out a small notebook from his pocket and handed it to her.

Lin Ting opened the passbook, which showed their savings. She turned to the last page and was surprised by the amount.

There was 4,500 yuan!

“Is our mother really that good at making money?” Lin Ting thought. “So… the original body only took the cash?”

Huo Xiao laughed softly. “My dad was a great hunter. Before the accident in the mountains, he saved some money. My mom is a well-known midwife, and she earns well. Plus, the money I’ve sent home over the years was all saved by her. Oh, and the money from selling the house in our hometown is here too.”

Lin Ting had always known her mother-in-law wasn’t lacking in money, as seen from her willingness to spend on food and drink. But she didn’t expect Ms. Hu to be this wealthy.

Lin Ting sighed and pushed the passbook back. “You should take it back. This is what Mom saved her whole life for. She doesn’t have a job now, so she should keep some money for her peace of mind.”

Huo Xiao leaned forward, kissed her on the lips, and said softly, “I said that too, but Mom wasn’t happy. I was thinking, if she likes the house, we can give her the passbook after we buy it.”

Lin Ting thought for a moment and asked, “What’s the house like? How much does it cost?”

Huo Xiao thought for a second and answered, “It should cost several thousand yuan, a two-story house.”

“Is it more expensive than a siheyuan^[1]which is traditional courtyard house.?” Lin Ting asked, surprised.

In reality, it wasn’t much cheaper than living in a traditional courtyard house.

On Sunday, the whole family woke up early.

After checking in at the hospital and confirming that both Lin Ting and the baby were healthy, they headed to a department store for shopping.

Because of the presence of old classmates, Lin Ting inevitably bought a few “imperfect products.”

After returning home, she invited her old classmates to a meal at a state-owned restaurant.

Once they said goodbye, it was nearly time for them to view the house as planned.

Although her husband mentioned the house was an apartment with a small yard, Lin Ting had prepared herself.

However, when she saw the building, she was still surprised.

It resembled a small villa from the future, with cement exterior walls instead of tiles.

No, it should be called a small villa.

What delighted Lin Ting the most was a row of flourishing sycamore trees along the road next to the villa.

It was truly beautiful! She really wanted to buy it!

But… was the more than ten thousand yuan she had enough?

Someone with the same thought was Lin Ting’s sister.

She had never seen such a grand private house.

How much would it cost?

While the Housing Authority staff were unlocking the house, Lin Ting leaned toward her sister and whispered, “I have a few hundred yuan on me, I’ll lend it to you first.”

At first, Lin Ting wanted to refuse, but then she held back. Her sister meant well, so she whispered, “I may not buy it yet. Let me hear the price first.”

Lin Qing nodded, ready to speak again, but stopped when the Housing Authority staff called them over.

“Captain Huo, this house wasn’t originally for sale. If you don’t believe me, look at the neighbors when you leave. Most of their houses have been requisitioned by the government…”

The Housing Authority staff were friendly and showed the family around while chatting about the neighbors.

The staff member’s fixed salary meant that selling the house didn’t bring him extra benefits, but it was still polite to chat with the young team leader.

Huo Xiao nodded, spoke a little longer, and then turned to his mother and wife, asking, “Do you like it?”

Hu Xiu, his mother, looked at her daughter-in-law, then said hesitantly, “This… this place is too empty. Why is there nothing here?”

The Housing Authority staff laughed and explained, “Everyone knows what’s been happening outside these years. The place’s been emptied out.”

Lin Ting… the place was so empty that even the taps had been removed.

But the house was really nice.

From the outside, it looked like two floors, but inside there were actually two and a half.

The attic, with the lowest point at two meters, was tall enough to walk through.

Each floor was over 100 square meters, so even with the empty rooms, the house was still attractive.

Additionally, there was a yard of several dozen square meters.

Lin Ting couldn’t help but imagine growing flowers and trees and earning money by translating in such a peaceful environment. It seemed like a beautiful dream.

So… even though the house was empty for now, they weren’t in a hurry to move in. They could take their time with decoration.

Even if she took a step back and sold the house in the future or rented it out, it would still be a guaranteed success.

Thinking this, she looked at her husband and gave him an affirmative glance.

With just that one look, the thick bankbook was emptied.

Even the passbook, which was meant to be returned to Ms. Hu, was partially used.

Though Lin Ting felt a little embarrassed using her mother-in-law’s money, getting such a house was truly a huge win.

On the way back, Lin Ting thought about paying her mother-in-law back gradually while excitedly discussing house decoration with her husband.

By the time they were back to their senses, the bus had already taken them two miles from the military unit to the bus stop.

The only option now was to walk back.

However, Guoguo and Miaomiao were already tired and asleep, so Lin Ting could only carry them.

At less than three months pregnant, no one dared to ask Lin Ting to lend a hand.

In the end, Hu Xiu held Miaomiao, Huo Xiao carried Guoguo, and both of them held shopping bags from the department store.

Even Lin Shuang, who was pushing a cart, stepped in to help with a few bags.

However, after walking just a mile, Hu Xiu felt overwhelmed by the four-year-old Guoguo’s weight.

Huo Xiao, who had been paying attention to his mother, was not bothered. As he was about to put Miaomiao on his back, he heard the sound of someone running behind.

Huo Xiao instinctively turned around, and as the dim sun set behind him, he gradually saw someone approaching.

Cao Wenzhe also noticed his leader and, without waiting for anything to be said, reached out to Hu Xiu: “Aunt Xiu, let me hold the child.”

Hu Xiu knew this young man and had eaten at his house several times, so she wasn’t reluctant to accept his help.

However, Miaomiao, being sensitive, might cry if she woke up and saw a stranger, so Hu Xiu handed Guoguo over to him and placed Miaomiao in Huo Xiao’s arms instead.

Then, while taking some of the shopping bags from Huo Xiao, she smiled and said, “Thank you for helping out. Are you heading to the city too, Xiao Cao?”

Cao Wenzhe was a tall, muscular man, and the four-year-old Guoguo looked especially small in his arms.

Clearly, he was not used to holding children, adjusting his posture as he walked along: “No, I’m not going to the city. Some former comrades in the army sent me some things, so I came to pick up the package.”

Hu Xiu noticed the large bag Cao Wenzhe was holding in his other hand.

She suddenly felt a little embarrassed: “Why don’t you let me hold Guoguo?” She reached out to take the child.

Cao Wenzhe quickly dodged her hand, smiling: “No, this weight is nothing…”

Seeing this, Hu Xiu, noticing his strength, didn’t press further. Instead, she invited him warmly: “Come eat at my house tonight. I had the kitchen staff buy big bone sticks this morning. I remember you like them.”

Cao Wenzhe hadn’t been back home for four years. He missed his hometown food and swallowed with anticipation: “Sorry to trouble you.”

“Not a trouble at all! If you’re hungry, just come to my aunt’s house…” she thought, feeling a bit sorry for the young man. She had heard from Wen Lan that Political Commissar Liu couldn’t control Liu Wenyan, and Liu’s eldest daughter kept pestering Cao Wenzhe.

Speaking of which, the dynamics between people can be very strange.

Hu Xiu didn’t voice her thoughts, but when she reached the family compound, she encountered Liu Wenyan with a sour expression.

Liu Wenyan had been looking for Cao Wenzhe and, never expecting him to be with another woman, her anger flared.

Realizing this, her frustration grew, and she glared at Cao Wenzhe, as if he were a heartless man.

It took her a moment to even notice Lin Ting, who was more than two meters away from Cao Wenzhe…