Chapter 86: Trip to the Provincial Capital

Han Aiguo was shaken by her so much that the corners of his mouth curved upward. He held her waist and asked, “Tell me, what do you want?”

Since he saw through her at a glance, Su Yue chuckled and said directly, “Let’s buy a house in the provincial city so Aimin can study and live there, and our family can also use it in the future. The provincial capital here will become a first-tier city in the future, with a developed economy and frightening housing prices. Buying a house now would be a very good deal. If we don’t buy it now, it will be much harder later.”

Han Aiguo had always agreed to her requests and helped her implement them. At this moment, he thought for a moment before nodding and agreeing. “Then I’ll find out if there are any houses for sale in the provincial capital. If I hear of one, I’ll take you to see it.”

Su Yue rushed over and kissed him. Her eyes flickered with admiration, how could she have such a wonderful husband?

No man could bear being looked at like that by a woman, let alone his beloved woman. Han Aiguo couldn’t hold back anymore. A tingling sensation spread through his limbs. He stopped talking and quickly pressed her down. After peeling off their clothes, he collected his “errand fee” and “thank-you fee.”

Han Aiguo acted quickly. Within half a month, he found a nice house. It was in the center of the provincial capital, opposite a high school. The location was very good, convenient for school, and perfectly suited Su Yue’s requirements.

The owner was eager to sell because he was moving permanently to another province and would never return.

Su Yue was moved when she heard about the location. Being in the city center, it would not only be convenient for her children’s schooling but also perfect for her plan to open a private restaurant.

When buying the house, she not only considered its appreciation in value and her children’s education, but also her future career. She had opened a private restaurant in her previous life. It was her career and lifelong hobby, and she would not give it up in this life either. Although it wasn’t possible yet, when the reform and opening up arrived in a few years, she planned to open her own private restaurant in the house she bought.

But she hadn’t said this to anyone yet.

Taking advantage of Han Aiguo’s day off, the couple decided to take their two children to look at the house. Since they were going to the provincial capital, they decided to bring Old Lady Han along as well. After all, going to the provincial capital in this era was difficult and a rare occasion to be happy about.

Sure enough, when Old Lady Han learned that her son was taking her to visit the provincial capital, she was so happy she got up early in the morning, put on her best clothes, and neatly combed her hair. She looked full of energy.

Dabao and Xiaobao also knew their parents were taking them out to play. Although they didn’t understand what the provincial capital was, it didn’t dampen their excitement at all. Once dressed, they pulled on Su Yue’s pants, looked up at her eagerly, and kept urging, “Mom, walk quickly, walk quickly!”

Su Yue pinched the fat on their little cheeks and said, “Eat breakfast first before leaving.”

The two ran to the dining table obediently, climbed into their chairs, and sat down with their spoons; mouths open as if waiting to be fed.

Su Yue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but she understood. From birth until now, the two children had never gone out, not even to the commune. They had only ever grown up inside the family compound. Naturally, going out now made them excited.

After the family finished their meal quickly, they headed towards the gate. First, they had to take a shuttle bus to the commune, and from there, a bus to the provincial capital.

The two children had never ridden in a car before, so they were thrilled. Dabao was well-behaved, sitting on Su Yue’s lap without moving. He just looked curiously at the scenery outside with his dark eyes. Whenever he saw something interesting, he pointed out the window and called “Mom.” Su Yue only needed to bend down and kiss him, and he would be happy.

Xiaobao, however, was so naughty he couldn’t sit still. He stood on Han Aiguo’s lap, leaned against the window with his bottom sticking out, and exclaimed from time to time, “Wow, wow, ah, ah, ah!” just like a little country bumpkin.

The two little boys were chubby, white, and tender, their delicate features inherited from Su Yue. They looked identical and were extremely cute. Their antics quickly drew the attention of most passengers in the car, who smiled kindly at them. Some elderly people even praised them to Old Lady Han, which made her beam with pride and talk endlessly about her grandsons.

Two hours later, the family of five finally arrived in the provincial capital and found the house for sale according to the address.

It was a half-sized courtyard located at the entrance of an alley, and very easy to find. The area was neither too big nor too small. Although a bit shabby, the layout was excellent, and there was even a courtyard inside. Su Yue liked it very much. In the future, the children would have space to play, and it would be convenient to dry clothes and quilts.

The house was divided into two sections, front and back. The front had three rooms, the back another three. Next to the courtyard were the toilet, kitchen, and a well.

Although there weren’t many rooms, it could easily be expanded into a two-story building in the future, which would provide plenty of space. The front could be turned into her private restaurant, while the back could be used as a family residence.

After inspecting everything inside and out, Su Yue liked the yard very much, but she didn’t show it on her face. Instead, she asked the homeowner with a hint of hesitation, “How much do you want for this yard?”

The sellers were a middle-aged couple. The man said, “I won’t hide it from you. We’ve lived in this house for more than ten years, and we built every brick and tile ourselves. If it weren’t for the fact that our only son has settled in another province and wants us to move there for retirement, we wouldn’t bear to sell it. But we’re in a hurry to leave, so we’ll name a sincere price, its 5,500 yuan. If you can accept it, we’ll sell it to you.”

“Five thousand five hundred yuan?” Old Lady Han was startled at first, then immediately started bargaining. “That’s too expensive. Please lower it a bit. This house is very old. If we live here, many places need repairs, which will cost a lot of money. In the end, it’s not cost-effective.”

The hostess shook her head. “The price we’re asking is already low enough. Go look elsewhere still you won’t find such a big courtyard for 5,500 yuan.”

Old Lady Han argued, “But the house is too shabby. If it were new, then fine. But at this price, we’d still have to spend hundreds, maybe a thousand yuan, to repair it. Altogether, that adds up a lot. If we have to pay so much more, we might as well buy something newer. We only kept talking to you because you and your wife seem sincere. Since everyone is sincere, you should give in a little.”

Su Yue and Han Aiguo exchanged glances and silently admired Old Lady Han. When it came to bargaining, she was still the most skilled. They deliberately stepped back and let her take the lead.

Old Lady Han and the couple haggled for over half an hour. One wanted to sell, the other wanted to buy. Finally, they reached an agreement of 5,000 yuan.

Su Yue felt that buying such a yard for 5,000 yuan was truly worth it. From the perspective of future development, it was an incredible bargain. She immediately went with the owners to the relevant department, transferred the property rights into her own name, and handed over the money on the spot.

The sellers hadn’t expected the buyer to be so straightforward. They thought it would take months to sell, but it was completed so quickly. Although they lost 500 yuan compared to their asking price, they were still delighted. After politely bidding farewell to Su Yue’s family, they handed over the keys and left.

Holding the keys, Su Yue was overjoyed. Even though she had spent all their money and was practically penniless, looking at the large yard that now belonged to her made her heart bubble with excitement. She immediately waved to Dabao and Xiaobao and said, “Come on, let’s go see our new house!”

Dabao and Xiaobao immediately responded to their mother’s call and happily followed behind her to play.

Old Lady Han and Han Aiguo walked behind. Although she was happy, her heart ached as well. She sighed and said, “Aiguo, what are you doing? Yueyue had to buy such an expensive house. Five thousand yuan in one go! All her savings must have gone into this. What will you do in the future? You still have two children to raise.”

Han Aiguo patted her shoulder, his voice calm and steady.

“Mother, what’s there to worry about? When has your daughter-in-law ever done anything unreliable? If she wants to buy it, she must have her reasons, and she will never suffer a loss. Besides, even if the money is gone, I still have my subsidy. That’s enough to support our family.”

Hearing this, Old Lady Han waved her hand, muttering, “Forget it, forget it. Since it’s already bought, I won’t say more. In the future, we’ll just live a little more frugally.”

Han Aiguo smiled, then told Su Yue to wait while he went to the high school to talk with the principal about arranging for Han Aimin to study there.

Su Yue let him go and, together with Old Lady Han and the two children, walked around the new house, checking what repairs were needed and what things should be prepared before Han Aimin moved in.

By the time they finished discussing, Han Aiguo returned. He said to Su Yue with satisfaction, “It’s settled. The principal agreed. When the new semester starts, the fourth brother can come directly to school.”

Old Lady Han was overjoyed.

“That’s wonderful! When the fourth child comes over, I can take care of him. He’s at the age where he needs proper food to grow tall and strong. But at home, with those stingy sisters-in-law, how could they ever let him eat something good? No wonder the boy’s getting thinner year after year instead of growing properly.”

Su Yue knew the old lady’s heart was aching for her grandson. She patted her hand gently and comforted her, “Mother, don’t worry. When the fourth brother comes here to study, we’ll take care of him. We can come often to check on him, so he won’t suffer.”

Old Lady Han nodded repeatedly, finally relieved.

—-

After sorting out the house matters, Su Yue remembered another important reason for their trip.

“Let’s go for a walk on the streets. It’s a rare trip to the city so we should enjoy it properly.”

Although the current provincial capital still looked shabby in her eyes, it was much better compared to the villages and communes. The streets were at least neat and clean, and there were cars, both big and small, coming and going.

Dabao and Xiaobao, who had never been outside their family compound, were as excited as little country bumpkins entering the city. The two brothers held hands, running and looking around curiously at everything.

There wasn’t much entertainment in the city at this time, except for the cinema. But cinemas were mostly visited by young couples, not families with children. Besides, the movies nowadays were neither suitable nor interesting. Su Yue quickly ruled it out.

However, in front of the cinema were vendors selling melon seeds, cold drinks, popsicles, and even ice cream. Since the weather was getting hotter, Su Yue bought two ice creams; one for Old Lady Han to try, and the other to share with the children.

The two boys’ eyes lit up instantly, especially snack-loving Xiaobao. His little tongue darted out to lick his lips, and he hugged Su Yue’s leg, pleading, “Mom, give me a bite!”

Dabao also swallowed hard, staring eagerly at the ice cream in Su Yue’s hand.

Su Yue laughed softly. She didn’t want them to eat too much cold food as it might upset their stomachs. So she said, “This is too expensive. We can’t eat too much. Let’s share. Dad and Mom will each take one bite first, and then it’s your turn, alright?”

Although Xiaobao was greedy, he was still willing to share. He nodded quickly and urged, “Mom, hurry up!”

Su Yue pretended to take a big bite, leaving only three-quarters of the ice cream. The boys instantly widened their eyes in dismay. Dabao pursed his lips but said nothing, while Xiaobao grew anxious and tugged at her pants, jumping.

“Mom! Mom!”

But Su Yue only handed the ice cream to Han Aiguo with a wink.

“Dad works the hardest to earn money. Of course he deserves a bite too.”

The boys were now truly nervous, staring at their father with desperate little eyes.

Han Aiguo, suppressing a smile, deliberately took half the ice cream in one big bite, leaving only a few small bites trembling on the stick.

Dabao’s eyes reddened, but he stubbornly held back his tears. Xiaobao, however, couldn’t endure it and he burst out crying on the spot.

“Waaah! Dad is bad! Mom is bad!”

Su Yue couldn’t help laughing, though she still asked, “So do you still want to eat it? If you don’t, Mom will finish it.”

Hearing that, Xiaobao stopped crying at once, snatched the ice cream, and stuffed it into his mouth with all his might, as if afraid it would be taken away again.

Still, he remembered his brother. After leaving one last bite, he reluctantly handed it to Dabao.

Dabao didn’t gulp it down like his brother. Instead, he licked slowly, savoring it carefully while Xiaobao stared, drooling all over again. The sight nearly made Su Yue laugh out loud.

Not far away, Su Yue spotted a bookstore. Thinking that the boys had reached the age of early learning, she brought them inside.

The two children had never seen so many books before. They looked around curiously, eyes wide in wonder. Su Yue let them wander while she checked the shelves. Most books were political works, outdated magazines, or school textbooks; nothing of much use for them.

Just then, Dabao tugged on her clothes and pointed at a corner.

“Mom, I want to buy that!”

Su Yue followed his gaze and found a shelf filled with children’s picture books. Several kids were already sitting there, absorbed in them. The illustrations were bright and lively, perfect even for those who couldn’t read yet. No wonder Dabao was drawn to them.

She picked out two books for the boys and one story collection to read to them, and then paid before leaving.

Since it was getting late, Su Yue also stopped at the supply and marketing cooperative; she bought Vaseline, balm for the old lady, and cream for herself for basic skincare, since this era had nothing more advanced.

Old Lady Han wasn’t interested in such things. Instead, she bought fabric and yarn, planning to sew clothes and knit sweaters for her grandsons.

Finally, their trip ended. Everyone was tired except Han Aiguo. The children even fell asleep on the return journey, not waking until they reached home.

—-

Two days later, Han Aimin arrived at the army compound, full of excitement. Knowing he no longer had to study in the village made him even happier. He had packed his clothes, books, and daily necessities carefully.

To Su Yue’s surprise, he even sold his old bicycle and brought her the money and ticket.

“Sister-in-law, this is yours now. I originally wanted to bring it here, but it couldn’t be taken on the train. Third sister-in-law came to me, demanding I leave it for her since I couldn’t use it anyway. She scolded me when I asked for money. I knew she just wanted to take advantage, so I sold it off instead. Though the price was thirty yuan lower, I still got a bicycle ticket so you can buy another one here.”

Su Yue was very satisfied with his decisiveness. Laughing, she asked, “Then, was third sister-in-law angry?”

Han Aimin grinned. “Of course. When she found out, her face went pale, and she was so mad she didn’t even cook for me. But I’m not afraid. I had money, so I just ate outside.”

Su Yue liked his sharpness very much and said with a smile, “Good job. Tomorrow I’ll buy another one.”