bookrandom Chapter 151 Buying a House in the City
Chapter 151 Buying a House in the City
After leaving the old Party Secretary's house, Li's mother felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she felt much more relaxed.
"Mom, I think we should go to the Agricultural Bureau tomorrow to report for duty, get the paperwork done as soon as possible, and then look for a house," Li Xiangyang said with a smile.
"This...so fast?" Li's mother hesitated. "But the work at the production team..."
“Mom, don’t worry about that,” Li Xiangyang interrupted. “Didn’t the old Party Secretary say that it doesn’t matter who does this work? If you keep dragging your feet, you’ll just seem inconsiderate.”
Li's mother nodded, then sighed, "That's true. But our family has received a lot of help in the village over the years, and these neighbors... isn't it a bit inappropriate for them to leave so suddenly?"
Li Xiangyang sensed the concern in his mother's words and smiled, "Mom, it's not like we're all leaving. I'm still at home. Besides, it's not like you're not coming back..."
"That's true. Then let's get some rest and set off first thing tomorrow morning..."
The two talked as they went home.
When he got home, Li Xiangyang told Xiaohua the good news.
The family happily packed their things.
……
Before dawn, the family got up early.
Li's mother cooked a pot of porridge and stir-fried two dishes. The family had a simple breakfast and then set off.
Li Xiangyang rode his bicycle with his family to the county town just as dawn was breaking.
By eight o'clock, people were already coming and going from the main gate of the Agriculture Bureau.
"Mom, let's go in now. Don't be too reserved. We have a letter from Captain Zhou; we have connections."
Li Xiangyang gave his mother a few words of advice, then took Xiaohua's hand and went into the Agricultural Bureau with his mother.
Looking at the grand gates and mansions, Li's mother couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
After showing their recommendation letters and asking the security guard, the group headed straight for the personnel department.
"Comrade, is the deputy head of the personnel department here?"
After knocking and receiving permission, Li Xiangyang entered and asked a middle-aged man holding documents.
"You wanted to see me? What do you need?"
Section Chief Fu was not tall and wore reading glasses. He asked the question.
"My mother, Linzhi, wants to join your company. This is a letter of recommendation written by Comrade Zhou Yongnian."
As Li Xiangyang spoke, he handed over the letter of recommendation.
Upon hearing this, Section Chief Fu quickly took the letter from Li Xiangyang, glanced at it briefly, and smiled: "Since it was recommended by Zhou Yongnian, there's naturally no problem, but some formalities still need to be completed."
"One is the job application, another is a report on my thoughts, and the third is my family situation. Take these documents back, fill them out, and report back in three days. I will give Comrade Linzhi a temporary work permit then; the official work permit won't be issued until next month, since all of this needs to be reported to higher authorities."
After finishing speaking, Section Chief Fu took out a stack of documents.
"Okay, thank you for your help."
After accepting the documents, Li's mother said politely.
"Don't mention it. We'll be colleagues from now on, and Comrade Zhou Yongnian and I have known each other for a long time. If you encounter any difficulties at work or in life, just come to me."
……
As Li's mother left the Agricultural Bureau, she was still somewhat dazed.
The matter was handled too smoothly, so smoothly that it felt somewhat unreal to her.
"Son, how expensive are houses in the city? We don't know much about it, so don't get ripped off."
The thought of buying a house in the city made Li's mother worry.
After all, this is a big deal.
"Mother, you're right. We should be cautious. Let's go get something to eat first."
Li Xiangyang took his mother and sister to a small noodle shop.
It wasn't that he was reluctant to spend the money or didn't want to treat the two of them to something nice.
However, my mother probably won't be able to accept the prices in the city right now.
Stepping into the noodle shop, the wave of heat dispelled the chill of early spring.
"Three bowls of beef noodles," Li Xiangyang called out to the counter.
The shopkeeper, a man in his forties wearing a white hat, responded with a "Okay!"
Looking at the steaming bowl of noodles being served, Li's mother whispered, "Son, things are expensive in the city. Look at this bowl of noodles..."
"Mom, don't worry about that," Li Xiangyang interrupted with a smile. "You'll be working in the city now, with a stable salary, you'll gradually accept it."
Li Xiaohua had already picked up her bowl and was enjoying her meal; the fragrant beef noodles had whetted her appetite.
After finishing their noodles, Li Xiangyang checked the time and saw that it was still early, so he took his mother and sister for a stroll around the city.
The county town is much more lively than the village.
The shops lining both sides of the street were filled with a dazzling array of goods that Li Xiaohua couldn't take her eyes off.
Pedestrians hurried along the road, and bicycle bells rang incessantly.
This was the first time Li's mother had looked at the city so closely.
In the past, when I came to the county town, I would just buy some necessities and leave; I never had time to wander around.
Now that she thought about living here, she couldn't help but take a closer look.
As the streets gradually filled up, they checked the time and realized it was almost time to get off work, so they headed towards Wang Jingyun's house.
When I arrived at Wang Jingyun's house, I happened to run into Wang Jingyun, who had just gotten off work.
"Uncle Wang!" Li Xiangyang greeted him quickly.
"Oh, Xiangyang's here," Wang Jingyun said with a smile. "Sister Lin and Xiaohua are here too. Come in and sit down. Have you eaten yet?"
"I've already eaten, I've already eaten," Li's mother quickly replied.
"That won't do," Wang Jingyun said with a smile. "We've come all this way, let's go to a restaurant, it's on me."
"Uncle Wang, we've already eaten, we had beef noodles, so please don't bother arranging anything else. We have to go to work this afternoon."
Seeing Wang Jingyun's insistence, Li Xiangyang said helplessly.
"Okay then." Wang Jingyun nodded and took a lunchbox out of his bag. "Xiaoying, Dad brought you lunch."
Wang Ying took the lunchbox and left with Li Xiaohua.
"Uncle Wang, it's like this, my mother found a job at the Agricultural Bureau and wants to buy a house in the city, but we don't know much about the market, so we'd like to ask you for your advice."
"That's great news! Sister Lin is going to work at the Agriculture Bureau? That's wonderful! It's quite a coincidence, actually, a family on the street ahead is moving out and selling their house."
"Really?" Li's mother's eyes lit up, but she quickly became a little nervous. "Then...the price..."
"Don't worry, Sister Lin," Wang Jingyun said with a smile. "The seller is in a hurry to sell; the house is just sitting vacant anyway, they're just waiting for a suitable buyer. Besides, they're all acquaintances, so the price is negotiable."
As Wang Jingyun spoke, he glanced at his watch: "Let's hurry and go take a look; I have to rush back to work soon."
"Then I'll trouble you." Li Xiangyang stood up.
"Don't be so polite with me." Wang Jingyun waved his hand with a smile, then turned to his daughter and said, "Xiaoying, you and Xiaohua play at home."
As they walked out the door, Wang Jingyun said, "This house has a great location, on the main street, quiet. It's not new, but well-maintained. It has two main rooms and one side room. The yard isn't big, but it's enough. Most importantly, houses in this location are hard to find."
We hadn't walked far when we arrived at that house.
Pushing open the gate and entering the courtyard, one is greeted by a small courtyard that is kept clean and tidy.
Although the house is quite old, the paint on the walls is still very fresh, and there are a few rose bushes planted in the corner.
Upon learning that it was a house purchase, the homeowner was overjoyed. With Wang Jingyun's help, the two parties finally agreed on a price of 1,500 yuan.
When paying, Li's mother's hands trembled slightly.
This was the largest sum of money she had ever handled in her life.
“This house will be ready to move into after a little tidying up.” Wang Jingyun glanced at her watch. “Sister Lin, I have to go to work. You and Xiaohua can stay at my place for the next couple of days; I’ll stay at my workplace. I’ll move in here once this place is settled.”