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Bai Jianing immediately shook her head upon hearing that Wang Qian was willing to pay for their house, “Weiguo, this isn’t right. Qianqian is still a child. How can we let a child pay for our house? It’s a lot of money, not just a few bucks. How can a child make such a big decision? Besides, taking advantage of a child doesn’t sit well with me. It sounds wrong no matter how you look at it. If we don’t have the money, we should just rent. We can’t be accused of swindling a child’s money. I can’t do such a thing.”
Bai Jianing truly felt uncomfortable about accepting the house Wang Qian wanted to buy for them. After all, she’s just a child, and they’re adults who are working, with their own allowances and salaries. It’s simply embarrassing for her to accept such a big gift from a child. She really couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Zhang Weiguo could understand how Bai Jianing felt. Renting a house was also an option, but his niece had already talked to him about it. She said that while renting long-term was possible, by the time they saved up enough money to buy a house, real estate prices would have already increased. He believed what the child had said. The allowances were lower in the past, but so were the prices of goods. Now, although the allowances have gone up, so have the prices, and he had no doubt that housing prices would continue to rise in the future.
“Jianing, hear me out, if you think of the money for buying the house as a loan from my sister and her family, would that be acceptable to you? When we have the money later on, we can pay them back. That way, you might feel more at ease. I just think, we finally have a chance to have our own home, I don’t want you to keep moving around in the future. It’s too exhausting and troublesome. Having a stable nest will also give me peace of mind. Besides, if the price of houses goes up later, it would be better to buy now, don’t you think?”
After pondering for a while, Bai Jianing said, “Weiguo, it’s not easy for your second sister’s family either. They’ve made some money from their small business, but they also have significant expenses. So, if we consider this money as a loan from them…”
Zhang Weiguo smiled and nodded. When the two returned home, they unexpectedly found Mingyuan and Zuo He had also come over.
“Uncle, you’re so slow. We came looking for you and you and auntie just got back. Hehe, but Zuo He and I are here to mooch a meal, is that okay with you, auntie?”
Mingyuan was familiar with Bai Jianing, so he spoke without much reservation. Bai Jianing patted her future nephew’s shoulder and said teasingly, “Mingyuan, do you need your auntie to welcome you with gongs and drums?”
Mingyuan rubbed his head and chuckled, “Hehe, auntie, I’m calling you that now, but who knows, in a little while, I might have to change how I address you. You better prepare yourself mentally. Do you want me to try calling you ‘aunt-in-law’ to see how it sounds?”
Bai Jianing was amused by Mingyuan’s wit, “You little rascal, always so full of tricks. We’ll talk about that when the time comes. Now go and help set the table.”
Today, Han Ying hadn’t called her son and daughter-in-law back home, planning to wait until tomorrow, so the meal at Zhang Weiguo’s visit was shared only among the few family members present. Old Wu and Bai Qingyuan drank heartily, delighted that the old lady had finally given her consent. Wu Changyong had successfully fulfilled his entrusted task; otherwise, he would have truly felt that he let down the expectations placed on him.
Bai Qingyuan was ecstatic. To gain such a son-in-law was a stroke of great fortune for their family. There were others who had their eyes on his daughter, but he did not approve of any of them.
Some were too arrogant because of their family’s good conditions, while others were ignorant and incompetent, relying on their family’s shadow to live aimlessly. He did not want his daughter to marry into a much higher social status. Despite the old saying that women should marry up and men should marry down, he was not inclined to agree. He was satisfied with the current situation and harbored no great ambitions. His children had their own jobs, and he did not expect to use his daughter’s connections to bring benefits to his own family. That was the last thing he wanted. His daughter’s happiness was his ultimate goal. Life in high-status families was not so easy after all. Having a son-in-law like Zhang Weiguo, he already felt very content. He left his descendants to forge their own paths; he desired nothing more.
“Come on, kids, eat up. It’s your first time at grandma’s house, and we don’t have much to offer. Tomorrow, grandma will prepare more, so make sure to come over then, Zuo He, you come too.”
Han Ying enthusiastically served the young guests at her home, and Bai Jianing was still unclear why her mother’s attitude had changed so swiftly. However, she was relieved that her mother agreed to her marriage with Zhang Weiguo. There wasn’t time to inquire further; that would have to wait until later in the evening.
Seeing the kids devour their food with great appetite, Han Ying felt quite honored. In truth, Zuo He and the others were genuinely hungry. The food they had eaten in the morning had long been digested after standing outside all morning. They wouldn’t have come to mooch if it weren’t for their hunger, but they also had their own little schemes. They were worried that if the old lady changed her mind again, they would be there to support Zhang Weiguo and speak on his behalf if necessary.
After eating and leaving the Bai residence, Zhang Weiguo practically walked with a spring in his step, prompting his siblings to chuckle to themselves, “Brother, look at our uncle now. He’s a totally different person from before. Joy really does boost one’s spirits. Look at him striding ahead; he doesn’t even wait for us. Probably he’s eager to go back and share the good news with our mom, right?”
Mingyuan nodded with a smile, “I bet he is. Tomorrow, both families are going to meet. Shouldn’t we also get ready? Doesn’t mom need to prepare some gifts for the meeting? We don’t want to come off as stingy…”
Zuo He also nodded in agreement, sharing Mingyuan’s sentiments. Thinking of someone like Han Ying, who valued traditions and propriety, they understood they couldn’t afford to make a mistake at such a critical moment.
Thus, the three of them quickened their pace, following closely behind Zhang Weiguo.
At home, Zhang Lan and her husband had not yet seen the four return, and thought perhaps Zuo He had taken them to visit Zuo Zhanshan’s place. But knowing that their son was with Zuo He, and their daughter with her younger brother, they were confident that no serious issues could arise, and thus they weren’t overly worried.
Wang Xuan and Yang Nuo had gone out to take care of business matters, and Wang Zhenhe was also busy with procuring goods. Nobody had anticipated that the three siblings would manage to accomplish a significant feat today, a task that had proven challenging for both Zhang Lan and Zhang Weiguo to resolve.
“Big sis, big sis, great news…”
Zhang Weiguo hadn’t yet laid eyes on Zhang Lan but started shouting excitedly in the courtyard, not caring whether the yard was too big or whether his sister could hear his cries.
He had held his excitement all the way home, not wanting to appear too exuberant in front of the children. But now that he was home, he couldn’t wait to share his joy and excitement with his sister.
Fortunately, Zhang Lan’s hearing was quite good, and she heard her brother’s shouting from afar and hurried out of the vegetable garden.
“Weiguo, what happened?”
It was rare to see her younger brother so excited and flustered, and Zhang Lan looked at him with a puzzled expression.
“Hehe, big sis, I’m just so happy. Guess what big event happened today?”
Zhang Lan shook her head, truly unable to guess, but then a possibility came to mind, “Did you see Jianing today?”
The smile on Zhang Weiguo’s handsome face grew even broader, “Sis, it’s not just as simple as seeing Jianing. Guess what, I also met Jianing’s mother today, and she has already agreed to our marriage. She wants you to go over tomorrow to talk with them.”
Zhang Weiguo blurted out everything that was on his mind in one go. Zhang Lan, somewhat bewildered, reached out and touched her brother’s forehead, “You don’t have a fever, so why are you talking nonsense? Weiguo, you’re not sleep talking, are you? Yesterday, the old lady was still adamantly against it, and today the sun hasn’t risen from the west…”
Her reaction showed a mix of disbelief and surprise at the sudden turn of events, reflecting the unexpected nature of the good news her brother brought.
Seeing that his sister Zhang Lan didn’t believe him, Zhang Weiguo quickly called over the siblings who had followed him home, “Qianqian, you tell your mom, am I speaking the truth?”
Zhang Lan still had doubts about what her brother was saying, fearing he might be delusional from missing his loved one too much. She looked over at her younger daughter for confirmation.
Wang Qian smiled and nodded affirmatively, “Mom, what uncle said is all true, you have to believe it. The old lady really agreed today. You’re surprised, right? We were too. But it’s a good thing she said yes. At least uncle and Jianing won’t have to suffer anymore. Right, they want us to go over tomorrow to discuss the wedding, so you’d better start preparing. Think about what we should bring over.”
Upon hearing the great news, Zhang Lan couldn’t contain her excitement and ran out saying, “I need to start preparing right away, I can’t forget anything. Weiguo, you need to help me think too…”
Zhang Lan dashed out like the wind, leaving the three siblings exchanging looks, “Mom’s moving so fast, doesn’t she? Does it have to be this urgent?”
Zuo He smiled slightly, “Of course, it’s urgent. Your mom can’t wait to get the uncle married off. Shouldn’t we also go and lend a hand? If there’s anything to buy, the two of us brothers can run errands, save them the trouble.”
Wang Qian suddenly remembered she had forgotten to tell Zhang Lan something and hurriedly ran after her, with Zuo He and Mingyuan following to see what the commotion was about.
“Mum, I need to tell you something. Tomorrow, when you discuss matters, you might also need to talk about their wedding date. I’ve already agreed to buy a house in the capital for uncle. Since he’s your only brother getting married, our family should gift them a house as a wedding present. Considering that the army probably won’t be able to allocate a house for him anytime soon, and we can’t keep delaying their affair. Uncle isn’t getting any younger. And it’s not ideal for him to live at his father-in-law’s place after getting married. The housing prices are quite reasonable now, so I’ve taken the initiative to let him choose a house.”
Zhang Lan looked at her daughter with amusement as she explained, “Girl, I thought it was something serious. It’s just a house. Let your uncle choose it, and you can give him the money when it’s time. We should already be in the south by then, so I’ll leave this matter to you. I only have this one brother, and I want to make sure he is well taken care of. It’ll also put your grandmother’s mind at ease. Plus, like you said, if housing prices go up later, it’s better to buy it now for them. It can also serve as their wedding house. Your uncle definitely wouldn’t want to live at his father-in-law’s place. If they can’t find a suitable house temporarily, they can live in our courtyard first, and then buy one when they find the right place.”