Chapter 50

In the provincial capital, there were many new real estate developments.

He Cheng’an was busy running around the city, looking for business opportunities in decoration. He was well aware of the property prices and surrounding facilities.

After He Cheng’an shared what he knew with Lu Yun, she expressed her preference for buying a property in the city center. Living in the city center would be more convenient, especially since many areas in the suburbs of the provincial capital were still made up of narrow alleys and courtyards.

If Lu Yun lived in the city center, it would also be easier for He Cheng’an to conduct his business. Otherwise, traveling from the east of the city to the west would take quite a bit of time.

To be honest, Lu Yun still felt a bit envious about the upcoming redevelopment projects. After all, she once had a dream of being able to simply lie back and collect rent.

However, the property prices at the time were incredibly high. Even though Lu Yun was a food blogger with a decent income, she could only barely afford to buy a home for herself with cash. Thus, that dream remained just a dream.

Considering her recent store earnings, Lu Yun thought that there was no need to rush into redevelopment. It wasn’t like buying a place now would guarantee that it would be redeveloped right away.

It was better to first choose a good living environment and then, after earning more money, continue buying properties. With that thought, Lu Yun felt less conflicted.

—o—o—o—

On the weekend, Lu Yun went to the provincial capital with He Cheng’an to look at houses.

Zhang Meili watched as Lu Yun, dressed in a white shirt and jeans with long wavy hair, hurriedly urged her to put on a thin sweater jacket that was nearby. Lu Yun smiled in response.

Lu Yun said, “I’m not wearing just this shirt. It’s not even May Day yet. I’ll be cold if I go out like this.”

As Lu Yun and He Cheng’an left, Lu Dong remarked, “Our daughter looks like the best one in the provincial capital.”

He couldn’t help but smile, surprised that she was indeed his daughter.

When Lu Yun stepped outside, she felt the warm spring breeze and removed her thin jacket, draping it over He Cheng’an’s arm.

With a smile at He Cheng’an, she hooked her arm around his, and the two walked out of the alley together, heading forward.

Lu Yun asked, “He Cheng’an, what kind of house do you want to buy? I want a place with larger windows, preferably floor-to-ceiling ones. That way, when I’m tired from studying, I can relax on the sofa and soak up some sunlight. Also, I need a spot for a desk. I don’t want a desk with bookshelves; just something simple—a plain table where I can put my study materials and a desk lamp.”

As she spoke, Lu Yun began to think about what color the desk should be.

He Cheng’an, listening to Lu Yun, couldn’t help but smile. “Whatever you like, I like too.”

For He Cheng’an, buying a house wasn’t just about getting a property for Lu Yun or making an investment. It was about creating a home for him and his Ah Yun.

He envisioned himself bustling in the kitchen, preparing meals for her while she lazily lounged on the sofa, soaking up the sun or watching television, perhaps laughing at what was on the screen.

Lu Yun recalled something a young woman from her team had told her. This girl shared that a relative of hers had gotten into numerous arguments with her fiancé over the renovations of their new home, even experiencing a few cold wars in the process. Their differing tastes and aesthetics had led to conflicts. The girl had mentioned that renovating a new home could be a test for couples who were about to get married.

Besides that, there was also the adjustment period for cohabitation after marriage. Lu Yun agreed that being married was different from just dating, as married couples often faced many trivial matters in daily life—cooking meals, cleaning, and so on.

Lu Yun looked at He Cheng’an, wondering what their married life would be like.

—o—o—o—

Upon arriving in the provincial capital, He Cheng’an took Lu Yun to several nice neighborhoods. He knew that today’s buildings couldn’t compare to what they would be like in the future.

Many newly built complexes would eventually resemble the old, worn-out neighborhoods that had stood for decades.

However, there were benefits to the new complexes; they were constructed with great uniformity, which Lu Yun appreciated.

The neighborhoods that He Cheng’an selected were all quite nice, and Lu Yun felt unsure about how to make her choice.

On the bus, seeing that Lu Yun had run around to several neighborhoods, He Cheng’an handed her a bottle of mineral water, opening it for her. After she finished drinking, he took it back and tightened the cap for her.

He Cheng’an said, “We’re not in a hurry. We can look at the rest next time.”

As they passed by Seagull Garden, Lu Yun paused for a moment and then smiled. “He Cheng’an, let’s buy a house in Seagull Garden.”

Although looking at the current prices through a future lens made them seem low, people living in that time didn’t feel that way. For the Lu family, with four working members, even the combined monthly salaries were insufficient to afford a square meter of housing in the provincial capital.

After Lu Yun spoke, several people on the bus turned their attention to her and He Cheng’an, who was already quite eye-catching.

Lu Yun’s eyes sparkled at the sight of Seagull Garden. He Cheng’an was very familiar with this community—perhaps even more so than many of the homeowners. He took Lu Yun’s hand and, when the bus stopped, led her off.

He Cheng’an didn’t ask Lu Yun why she wanted to buy in Seagull Garden; he simply said, “Alright, we’ll buy a house in Seagull Garden.”

As Lu Yun gazed at the name “Seagull Garden,” memories flashed through her mind. She recalled the day Chen Zhiqiang had come to the provincial capital and how she had met He Cheng’an there, along with the rainy day when He Cheng’an had taken her home.

This place might also mark the beginning of He Cheng’an’s struggle in the provincial capital. For Lu Yun, buying a house in Seagull Garden felt like a significant milestone for both her and He Cheng’an.

He Cheng’an knew which buildings in Seagull Garden had available units and what types of apartments were there. Fortunately, a few units had not yet been renovated, so he led Lu Yun to view them.

As they passed by an apartment with a large terrace that overlooked the sea, He Cheng’an lowered his gaze, remaining silent while his mind raced with thoughts about recent business matters.

He had just signed a new contract for a project in the Capital Garden, but even so, the work wasn’t finished, and he certainly couldn’t free up much money at the moment.

Although his ear fungus business was still ongoing, the volume of purchases had decreased compared to before. Due to his busy schedule, he had mostly sold his stock at lower prices to vendors in the market. He expected to make a bit of profit on the next batch delivered, but it wouldn’t be much.

Xiao Chen, who was busy working, pushed the door open and exclaimed, “Brother He? You’re back!” After finishing his greeting, he quickly glanced at Lu Yun and called out, “Sister-in-law,” before hastily hiding the cigarette he had just taken out.

Who didn’t know that He Cheng’an treasured Lu Yun above all else? He couldn’t smoke in front of her.

Lu Yun tugged at He Cheng’an’s sleeve as she looked at the terrace inside. “He Cheng’an, this apartment has a terrace.”

Without a second thought, He Cheng’an replied, “Let’s go in and take a look.”

Worst-case scenario, he would find a way to make things work with the current owners.

The apartment Lu Yun was looking at was 101 square meters with three bedrooms. At that time, the concept of shared public space wasn’t yet a consideration; a 101-square-meter house was already quite spacious, and the terrace was an added bonus.

Lu Yun felt it was a perfect fit. Most importantly, she loved the view outside the window—it made her feel relaxed and at ease.

Xiao Chen smiled, saying, “This is the first job we did here, and this homeowner was the first to sign a contract with Brother He. It looks really nice.”

However, regarding the renovations… they had followed the homeowner’s requests. Fortunately, He Cheng’an had communicated with the homeowner multiple times; otherwise, the layout would have been even less appealing.

But despite that, Xiao Chen thought everything looked good. After all, he was still living in an alley back in the county; this was a building in the provincial capital!

Lu Yun chuckled, “It really is nice.”

Lu Yun wasn’t impulsive, but after seeing the other layouts in Seagull Garden, she still favored that 101-square-meter three-bedroom apartment with a terrace.

He Cheng’an could tell that Lu Yun was quite taken with it.

During dinner, He Cheng’an took Lu Yun to a small eatery near the state-owned shopping mall. Initially, he had planned to take her to McDonald’s or KFC, but Lu Yun opted for a nearby noodle shop instead. Once at the noodle shop, they ordered two bowls of noodles.

Lu Yun looked at He Cheng’an earnestly. “I really like that 101-square-meter apartment.”

He Cheng’an replied, “Then let’s buy this one.”

Lu Yun continued, “When we get back, I’ll calculate how much money I’ve made from the store during this time. I can also plan a promotion at the shop. Plus, with the money you gave me before, we should be able to afford it. However, we won’t have enough for renovations. We can earn money while renovating, and we can go for a minimalist style. This type of renovation is quite inexpensive, and once it’s done, our home will look comfortable and tidy.”

She looked at He Cheng’an with sparkling eyes. “What do you think?”

He Cheng’an gazed at Lu Yun in silence. Just then, the boss brought over two bowls of noodles, and He Cheng’an stood up. “Ah Yun, I’ll step outside for a moment.”

Lu Yun nodded. “Okay, but come back quickly. The noodles won’t taste as good if they get cold.”

Lu Yun felt that her thinking was sound. Buying a 60 or 70-square-meter apartment now would allow for enough budget for renovations, making things less tight. But she wanted to consider the future—if He Cheng’an was making money, they might want to upgrade later on, and she wished to stay in Seagull Garden for a while longer, ideally until they could afford a villa. Lu Yun was nostalgic by nature and didn’t want to move frequently, so a 101-square-meter apartment felt more suitable.

At that moment, she felt a tinge of regret for focusing solely on her studies. The business at the shop relied on novelty and good flavors, but she hadn’t thought of ways to earn more money.

While waiting for He Cheng’an, Lu Yun couldn’t help but smile at the thought of their future villa.

When He Cheng’an returned, he was carrying McDonald’s and KFC, looking like he had rushed to get them, with sweat on his cheeks. As he handed the food to Lu Yun, he spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, “Ah Yun, I have a home now.”

Lu Yun didn’t quite understand why He Cheng’an said that, but she smiled and replied, “Of course! My home is your home, and we have a home that belongs to us.”

He Cheng’an had long been accustomed to solving various problems on his own.

He never expected that one day, Lu Yun would sit across from him, discussing how they would tackle their future together.

Lu Yun didn’t choose to eat KFC or McDonald’s, not because she didn’t want them, but because she was in the mood for noodles, having already begun to plan and save for their future.

Now that He Cheng’an had bought the food, Lu Yun felt happy; after all, they could still enjoy KFC and McDonald’s: “He Cheng’an, sit down quickly!”

He Cheng’an called out to her, “Ah Yun, in the future, I will buy you a bigger house.”

Lu Yun looked at him and asked, “A villa? Can we buy a villa someday?”

He Cheng’an nodded, making a promise to Lu Yun in the humble noodle shop where a bowl of ordinary tomato and egg noodles cost only 70 cents: “Yes, in the future, we will buy a villa.”

After taking a bite of her noodles, Lu Yun found them delicious. Although the noodles from this shop were cheaper and more economical than KFC or McDonald’s, they tasted remarkably good.

After sitting down, He Cheng’an gave Lu Yun the egg from his bowl and then unwrapped the packaging from the KFC and McDonald’s he had brought, handing it to her before they both started eating.