Chapter 5: Indemnification

There are various methods for demolition compensation. One can choose to receive all cash, which can be given as a lump sum or in installments. Alternatively, one can opt for a house, or even a combination of both cash and a house. Additionally, there are funds for household expenses, bonuses, renovation fees, rent transfer fees, compensation for items above ground, and many more, leading to a wide array of options. Since it was her first time encountering so many professional terms related to demolition, Chen Jin could only make a rough estimate.

In her family’s case, they held two land use certificates. One was obtained by her mother after returning from the divorce, applying for the land use in the village, which is the current home. The other was left to her mother by her grandparents and consists of an old, dilapidated house located a few dozen meters beyond the ancestral hall.

When Uncle Chen went to the special economic zone to work and earn money, Third Uncle and Third Aunt also followed. Third Aunt rented a shop in the city to sell clothes brought over from the special zone, while Second Uncle and Second Aunt worked in the city and didn’t live at home. At that time, the five kids from Eldest Uncle and Third Uncle stayed at home, and since Grandpa and Grandma were not in good health, it was all up to her mother to take care of everything. Grandpa and Grandma passed away under her mother’s care, so it was agreed among the uncles and aunts that Grandpa and Grandma’s old house would be left to her mother.

Both land use certificates had an area of three hundred square meters. If the compensation were calculated based on household registration, it would just be her alone, so she’d rather not. Her family also had a small grocery store, and she wasn’t sure if it would count as a business. When Aunt Zhou from next door asked, Director Jiang said that a fruit and vegetable store counted as a business. There were so many questions, and she was busy taking notes, so she didn’t have time to ask about her own situation.

However, the two buildings at her home were six stories high, and not every floor had the same compensation rate. It depended on whether it was compliant, which she couldn’t determine and would need the demolition office staff to assess.

Her family’s orchard and fields also had compensation, especially the orchard, where most of the lychee trees had been planted for over ten years. This would also depend on the evaluation, so she estimated on the lower end.

Adding everything up, she calculated that she could get several hundred square meters of housing and at least over a million in compensation.

The calculator clicked as she pressed the buttons. She managed to maintain a calm exterior, but inside, she couldn’t help but giggle with excitement.

Eldest Uncle’s family was large, so just the headcount fees alone could bring in quite a bit. Third Uncle’s family had contracted a lot of land, which was also a significant sum. Only Second Uncle’s family had relatively little; their household of three was not registered in Qiaodong Village, but they had a piece of land that Grandpa and Grandma had allocated to him when they were alive, right next to the old house, which only had two earthen brick rooms.

At that time, during the land division, Eldest Uncle, Third Uncle, and her mother applied for new land use certificates in the village. The three siblings received the plots on the edge of the village. If they had applied for the plots at the other end of the village, they could have gotten larger land use areas. After all, Qiaodong Village had fewer people; after the economic reforms, some residents moved to the major cities, while neighboring Qiaoxi Village and Mutang Village could be considered sparsely populated.

“Ah! What a loss!” Third Uncle suddenly clapped his hands, looking frustrated.

“What’s wrong?” Everyone turned to look at Third Uncle.

“The piece of land on the west side where I planted peach trees wasn’t included in the demolition range!” Third Uncle sighed a few times, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have bothered with all that effort.”

Third Aunt, who often rolled her eyes at him for his obsession with the peach trees, was now more generous and comforted him, saying, “If it’s not included, then it’s not. Just the fact that we can get compensation is a blessing from our ancestors; we shouldn’t be too greedy.”

Second Aunt, who was initially a bit unhappy, was also comforted by Third Aunt’s words. “Yeah, it’s already great to get compensation. We should be content.”

Though they said that, deep down, she still felt a bit gloomy.

Among the four families, only her family could take the least compared to the other three families, which was quite a significant difference.

“Having compensation for that piece of land is already a lot; it’s just right for us to buy Chen Jia a house,” Second Aunt said with a smile. Chen Jia was their only granddaughter, who had just gotten accepted into NTU last year. The family had saved up some money to buy a nearby house with a mortgage. Now, they decided to choose a good neighborhood in the city and buy two adjacent units to be close to their daughter. Or perhaps they wouldn’t take cash compensation; they could exchange it for a house…

When Second Aunt mentioned buying a house, the other elders in the family were also tempted.

Only the Eldest Uncle and Second Uncle had bought houses in the city. Second Uncle’s family purchased a unit apartment, which was small but suitable since there were fewer family members. Eldest Uncle only bought one large and one small apartment, and the smaller one was currently occupied by his eldest cousin and his wife. Eldest Uncle had used his money to rebuild the village houses; otherwise, Eldest Aunt had planned to buy another house this year. It was a fortunate twist of fate that turned out well.

Seeing the compensation amount for Chen Jin’s family, her cousin Chen Ting was so envious that she nearly turned green with jealousy. Everyone was initially happy about receiving money, but once Second Aunt mentioned buying a house for Chen Jia, Chen Ting began to think of other things.

Among the sisters, Chen Jia was the only daughter, and Chen Jin was the head of the household, meaning all the compensation would go to them. In contrast, Chen Jin had two older brothers, and she was unsure how much their parents would allocate for her.

Once some thoughts take root, they can spiral out of control in ways one cannot manage.

Those who were working outside rushed back home as soon as they received the news. Qiaodong Village was about to get a large windfall.

As the end of the workday approached, tenants gradually returned and learned of the demolition news. Although the specific relocation details had not yet been settled, it was estimated that it would happen within a month or two. The villagers were delighted, but the tenants felt uneasy; they saw others about to get rich while they faced the need to find new housing. They would have to rent in Qiaoxi Village or the outskirts, areas closer to their workplaces but with rents that were twice as high and inferior living conditions compared to Qiaodong Village.

While some could understand the landlords, the unreasonable ones began to probe the landlords’ limits, demanding compensation for their losses if they were not allowed to stay.

Aside from Eldest Uncle’s family, who had no rental properties, all other landlords encountered unscrupulous tenants trying to take advantage of the situation.

After finishing dinner at Third Uncle’s house, Chen Jin was blocked in the middle of the road by her family’s tenants.

“Hey, little boss! Suddenly telling us we have to move is tough; it’s hard to find rental properties now! We should be compensated, right?!” A fierce-looking man rushed toward her, appearing ready to fight. Behind him were about a dozen others who rented from her family; only three were making a commotion, while the rest remained silent but were clearly following along.

Chen Jin scoffed. What compensation? They had just issued the relocation notice; no moving date had been set. Moreover, there were no formal contracts for their rental agreements—renters simply paid two months’ deposit and then monthly rent.

Was it just because she was the only one left in her family that they thought she was easy to bully? They were dreaming! Just because she wasn’t often at home and the villagers praised her for being clever and obedient, these people had misjudged her. If they had just asked around in Qiaoxi Village, they would know that her nickname “Troublemaker Jin” wasn’t just for show.

Chen Jin put her hands on her hips. “First of all, I never said you had to move right now. Who told you that? Bring them out so I can see! Secondly, you can start looking for new rental places from now on. And finally! Your deposits will be fully refunded. If you move out this month, you’ll also get your rent back. If you don’t move out this month, there won’t be any refund, and starting next month, you’ll pay rent for however many days you stay.”

“A lot of you are long-time tenants of our family. When my mom was around, she took good care of you all. When you had trouble paying rent, she even gave you an extra month or two. We brought you plenty of fruits and vegetables. People should have some conscience! Don’t say I’m being unreasonable; if you move out this month, I’ll give you an additional twenty yuan for moving expenses. Think it over.”

The crowd murmured among themselves, and the man who had spoken up first felt deflated by her words. He wanted to argue further but was cut off by Chen Jin. “If you want to make trouble, you’d better think carefully. We Chen family members are not easy to mess with!”

Causing trouble in her territory? They’d be thrown out by tonight.

“What are you doing?” Tian Miao heard the commotion and, upon seeing Chen Jin surrounded, felt a jolt of alarm. She grabbed a broom leaning against the wall and rushed over, shouting, “Help! Someone’s trying to cause trouble!”

Her shout brought out a few nearby villagers, especially some uncles who were still at Third Uncle’s house.

Aunt Zhou was the fastest to arrive, carrying a long pole and shouting as she walked, “I see you’re just here to bully our villagers because you’re too full!”

Aunt Zhou’s reputation was well-known in the village; she was said to be unbeatable. Tenants who tried to haggle over prices in her store often left too scared to say a word.

“No, no, we didn’t do anything.”

“Right, right, we just came to see what was going on.”

“I wasn’t trying to make trouble; I just wanted to ask about the landlord’s demolition. Finding a new place to rent takes time, doesn’t it?” The previously aggressive man was now subdued, seeing more villagers running over with sticks.

He had come to find out about moving after hearing from a colleague who had just eaten with him. His colleague had complained that the landlord hadn’t given any clear answers and that they didn’t know if they could get their deposit back. It would be troublesome if they had to move suddenly. But the colleague rented from Aunt Zhou, so they only dared to ask tentatively.

He thought that his landlord was just a girl in her twenties still in college, and young people were typically easier to intimidate. He figured he could try to get some compensation. After all, the two buildings belonged to her alone, so getting some compensation wouldn’t cost much.

But he hadn’t expected the girl to speak so clearly and confidently, not at all intimidated by his threats. As the situation escalated, more villagers were drawn over. Naturally, the villagers would protect their own; he no longer dared to continue causing trouble.

As Eldest Uncle and four cousins arrived, Chen Jin found herself flanked by several men, and the group facing her suddenly looked weaker.

Aunt Zhou’s pole was nearly poking the man’s face as she glared at him, scolding, “What do you mean, ‘not us’? You’re just a coward picking on the weak, thinking you can make trouble because Chen Jin is nice! To dare bully people on the Chen family’s turf, you don’t know who you’re messing with!”

Others from the village who heard Aunt Zhou’s voice also came to check it out. When Chen Guangman saw the situation as he ran over, he let out a sigh of relief and immediately turned to slap the back of his eldest grandson’s head. “You can’t even pass a message correctly!”

He was discussing matters with the old party secretary when his eldest grandson rushed back in a panic, saying that several families at the village entrance were about to fight with a group of tenants, brandishing sticks and clubs. The old party secretary was so scared that his hands trembled, and he hurried over.

As he ran, he kept muttering, “May the ancestors bless us; let there be no trouble!”

He was worried that once the village began demolishing buildings, things would get chaotic. If something went wrong and the higher-ups got angry, they wouldn’t come out well in the end.

As it turned out, nothing happened.

As long as they hadn’t fought, it was fine. Chen Guangman patted his chest to calm down, stepped forward to push Aunt Zhou’s pole aside, and after asking about the situation, he understood what had happened.

Normally, he would definitely side with Chen Jin; after all, she was one of their own and was in the right. It made no sense not to help her. But given the current situation, he didn’t want to get involved too much. He spoke gently to the tenants, urging them to consider the plan that Chen Jin had offered, and then turned to the other tenants renting from different landlords, saying, “We only received the demolition notice this afternoon; we haven’t had time to think about everyone’s rental situations. There won’t be any immediate demolition. Just negotiate with your landlords. However, I suggest that when you have time, you should start looking for houses and rent them early. You don’t need to worry about not getting your deposits back or extra rent being unrecoverable. If anything happens, feel free to come to my house to find me.”

“All right, everyone still has work tomorrow, so let’s head back and get some rest.”

“Let’s go, let’s go.”

Once the crowd dispersed, Chen Guangman glared at Aunt Zhou and called over the surrounding villagers, saying, “Don’t wait around trying to earn that extra bit of rent. It’s better to persuade the tenants to move out sooner so things can be quieter.”

He looked around, zeroing in on the notoriously stingy Chen Sanpo. “Learn from your sister. Be generous at this time; return the rent and deposit, and give a bit for moving expenses. It’s good for everyone.”

Chen Guangman had more to discuss with the old party secretary, so after saying a few words, he walked home while scolding his eldest grandson.

Chen Sanpo curled her lips and muttered, “Sister doesn’t understand how hard it is to make money. They’ve lived here for ten days this month, and she still wants to refund the rent. She’s even giving away twenty yuan! The rent is only a few dozen yuan, and now she’s spending money before the demolition compensation even arrives…”

Chen Sanpo’s son and daughter-in-law didn’t say anything; it wouldn’t make any difference since their parents’ names were on the land and house.

As the uncles sent Chen Jin back home, the second uncle said, “Third Sister is going to pack up; it’s not safe for you to stay home alone. You should move to your Third Uncle’s house for a few days.”

Third Uncle thought for a moment and suggested she stay with Tian Miao for a while. Both the elder and second uncles had jobs and might have to go to the city every day, so it would be safest for her to stay at Third Uncle’s house.

Chen Jin understood the situation. As a girl at home alone, it wasn’t safe; if someone had bad intentions, she wouldn’t be able to protect herself. She packed up her daily toiletries, brought all the cash, savings books, and various documents from home, and went to stay at Third Uncle’s house. The second uncle’s family of three went to stay at the elder uncle’s house.

The next morning, some tenants came to find Chen Jin, saying they were terminating their leases this month. Chen Jin readily agreed, “I’ll be home recently, so come to find me whenever you move out. I won’t shortchange you on your deposits, rent, or moving fees.”

With this assurance, the tenants felt relieved and said they would look for a place to stay during their day off tomorrow.

Chen Jin’s family had two buildings with a total of five floors for rent, with seven rooms on each floor. Each room had a small kitchen and bathroom. This design was suggested by her elder uncle, as it made management easier—each household would clean its own space, and utilities were billed by unit. This was much better than some rental houses in Qiaoxi Village, where bathrooms and kitchens were at either end of the hallway, making it difficult to manage the utilities and resulting in filthy public areas.

Currently, there were thirty-one renting households in the five floors. Chen Jin spent the morning at the small shop, and by noon, twenty-three households had come to inform her they would be moving out this month, including the man who had demanded compensation from her the night before. The remaining eight households hadn’t come to see her, but Chen Jin guessed they would definitely hurry to move out within the month. Even those who confirmed their departure would probably wait until the last few days of the month to leave, saving a month’s rent.

These were all minor matters, and Chen Jin didn’t mind. It was best if they all left amicably.

At ten in the morning, people from the demolition office came again, bringing measurement tools and taking photographs.

Chen Jin’s two aunts received the news and hurried back as well.