Taking Advantage Part 2

At this time, houses were still relatively cheap. Rongcheng City wasn’t a coastal metropolis or the capital, so housing prices were lower. One could buy a two-bedroom apartment with a kitchen and bathroom for a reasonable price.

Rongcheng City had many such houses, and a 50-60 square meter old house would cost around two to three thousand.

Lin Chengshan had over two thousand, primarily from selling his work and some savings he had hidden away. He had originally worried that Xiao Man might spend money too quickly, so he had hidden some away. Little did he know, this would turn out to be his lifeline.

“Our home?” Lin Qingqing asked, puzzled. “Are we going to Grandma’s new house?”

“…” Lin Chengshan hadn’t expected Qingqing to ask that.

Hearing Lin Chengshan’s conversations with Old Lady Lin about not being her biological child, Lin Qingqing thought they might be going to a new grandmother’s house.

“There’s no new grandmother, just us,” Lin Chengshan said, unsure of who lived in that house. It was merely a guess that he wasn’t Old Lady Lin’s biological child.

When Lin Chengshan mentioned he wasn’t her biological child, he sensed Old Lady Lin’s discomfort, but what could be done? He had no direct evidence proving he wasn’t Old Lady Lin’s child, and he was already in his thirties.

Even if he found that household and confirmed he wasn’t Old Lady Lin’s biological son but rather that family’s biological child, would they be willing to accept him?

It’s possible that Old Lady Lin’s biological son had developed well, with a formal job and sitting in an office…

His biological parents had raised that child for many years, believing him to be their own. How difficult would it be to withdraw their affection after so many years?

Rather than relying on others, it’s better to work hard yourself and perhaps achieve a better life.

If people didn’t recognize him or thought he wasn’t impressive…

Well, that would be an unpleasant situation.

“Do you want a new grandmother, Qingqing?” Lin Chengshan asked.

“If Daddy doesn’t want her, then neither do I,” Lin Qingqing replied. She had received little affection from Old Lady Lin and had no expectations for a new grandmother.

Lin Qingqing knew she was a girl, and as a girl, she couldn’t carry on the family line. She felt she was not important and chose not to think too much about it.

“Having Daddy is enough,” Lin Qingqing said, looking down and playing with her fingers.

After finishing her banana, Lin Qingqing wondered if she had said something wrong.

“Yes, having Daddy is enough,” Lin Chengshan said. “Those people are not your grandparents or uncles. You don’t need to care about them. Daddy will be with you and take care of things for you, understand?”

“Mm-hmm,” Lin Qingqing nodded vigorously.

Lin Chengshan had booked a room with a double bed, so he would sleep next to his daughter for safety. He also made sure the door was securely locked.

The Lin family knew that Lin Chengshan had taken Lin Qingqing and left, but they were unaware that he had sold the house. Lin Chengshan had not only sold the house and bicycle but also some appliances from the house. Although he had mentioned that some furniture didn’t cost extra and was packed in, those appliances were quite valuable.

The village head had to spend extra money to buy the electrical appliances. In another household, they might not have been able to come up with so much money at once. The village head’s family was frugal and had many members, which allowed them to save some money.

Last night, the village head had his wife take out their savings book, and today he went to the county seat and withdrew the money from the bank to give to Lin Chengshan. The village head thought it was worth spending the money. Lin Chengshan was a capable person, and acquiring those appliances as a rural resident was no easy feat. A television, electric fan, and sewing machine were all valuable items.

Lin Chengshan was draining himself dry for Xiao Man.

The village head couldn’t help but think how nice it would be if such a good man were his son-in-law. Alas, city people would never appreciate someone like Lin Chengshan. They would only see him as a country bumpkin, and they might think these items were standard in city homes.

After all, Xiao Man’s parents were once labeled as bourgeoisie, which showed they had some money. Xiao Man struggled with rural life and wasn’t suited for it—she was a pampered young lady.

It was indeed difficult for a rural man to support a pampered young lady for long.

“This is the key,” the village head said. He got home quite late, around six in the evening. After dinner, he privately handed the house key to his wife. “The transfer is complete, and all the paperwork is done.”

Lin Chengshan had acquaintances who helped expedite the process.

“His speed is really impressive,” the village head’s wife remarked, holding the key. “The house over there is quite nice. Did he really sell those appliances so cheaply?”

“Yes, he did,” the village head replied. “The key is in your hands now, and the transfer is complete. The appliances and furniture are locked up in the house. They belong to us now. You saw, he returned yesterday and left with his daughter today. He didn’t have time to deal with those things. He wouldn’t have stolen the appliances.”

“If he didn’t steal them, I’m not sure if the Lin family might,” the village head’s wife said, noting that the Lin family had never been very kind to Lin Chengshan.

“They wouldn’t dare in the short term,” the village head said. “Besides, we can go there tomorrow with the key and tell them that Lin Chengshan sold the house and those items to us. Those items used to require both tickets and money to buy. Even now, they are valuable.”

“This time we really took advantage,” the village head’s wife understood. “It’s good that we bought them. Our family is large and not afraid of the Lin family. If Lin Chengshan had sold to someone else, and the Lin family rushed over, it would have been difficult to handle.”

“What’s difficult about it? Cash on delivery,” the village head said. “The transfer is complete and registered with the relevant authorities. The items now belong to the buyer, not the Lin family.”

“I’m still a bit worried. I’ll go check it out,” the village head’s wife said.

“Tomorrow,” the village head said. “One more day won’t make a difference. They wouldn’t dare touch anything. They’re afraid of Lin Chengshan and will wait until they are sure he’s staying in the city and won’t come back before doing anything.”

Just as the village head had said, the Lin family knew Lin Chengshan had left and didn’t dare touch the items. The bicycle and other things were locked up in the house. Not daring to act now didn’t mean they had no intentions. Indeed, Old Lady Lin’s third son had gone to see his mother.

“Mom, what about the second brother’s bicycle? Is it just rusting away locked in the house?” Lin Chengjiang asked. “I still need to go to the town tomorrow. I can walk, but can your precious grandson always walk? It’s hard for such a young child to walk all the time.”