Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire-Chapter 118 - 112 Buying a House
Chapter 118: Chapter 112 Buying a House
Ma Lili actually really liked the house she saw today, but she hesitated because it was so much over her budget. She couldn’t bear to give it up, though; since August, over three months ago, she had seen so many houses, and each had its problems—only this one satisfied her in every aspect.
Seeing her indecisive expression, Lu Jiaxin went inside and brought out three thousand Yuan for her, “Fifth Sister-in-law, since you like it, go and handle the procedures tomorrow, lest someone else snatches it up.”
Ma Lili took the money and thanked Lu Jiaxin, then said, “The homeowner is a relative of my friend, who agreed to hold it for two days for me.”
Although the other party had promised to give her two days to think, Jiaxin was right, after all; if it was to be bought, it would be better to secure it sooner than later. She’d only truly have peace of mind once the transfer of ownership was completed.
Lu Jiaxin said, “Fifth Sister-in-law, let Xue Mao and Xiao Qiu accompany you tomorrow. You need to be careful carrying so much money around.”
Ma Lili wanted to take Qian Xiaoxiao with her because the girl knew martial arts and that would be safer.
Lu Jiaxin could not possibly agree, saying, “She’s stubborn, insisting that she must stay wherever I am.”
Qian Xiaoxiao also had a temper, and Ma Lili did not think much of them, grandmother and granddaughter, nor did Qian Xiaoxiao pay any attention to her. Lu Jiaxin did not interfere in this matter.
Ma Lili was also a resolute person; the next day, she first went to the convenience store to call her workplace and ask for leave, and then she took Xue Mao with her to buy the house. By noon, she had returned with the property ownership certificate and the land certificate.
Lu Jiaxin congratulated her.
Ma Lili dug out an envelope from her bag and handed it to Lu Jiaxin, smiling as she said, “Today, I negotiated the price with the seller, and they reduced it by two hundred Yuan. Here is one thousand Yuan, please count it. I will return the remaining two thousand before the Chinese New Year.”
She had taken the three thousand Yuan yesterday in case of any emergencies, carrying extra money just to be on the safe side, but now that everything was transferred, there was no need to worry.
After accepting the money, Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, “Don’t worry, pay me back when you can afford it.”
Ma Lili said, “That house is pretty good, it doesn’t need any further repairs or touching up. I’ll move with the kids once I’ve set it up properly.”
When Master Qian and his granddaughter arrived, the atmosphere wasn’t as harmonious anymore. Lu Jiaxin didn’t hold them back, but asked with a smile, “Fifth Sister-in-law, have you told Fifth Brother about this significant matter?”
Ma Lili chuckled and replied, “How could I not tell him about something this big? I called him right after talking to you yesterday, and he said as long as I was happy with it, it was fine.”
Mainly because Lu Jiajie’s requirements weren’t high; as long as the house was livable and close to the school, that was enough. On the other hand, Ma Lili had many requirements, thus the delay until today. It was also because Lu Jiaxin had given her three thousand Yuan as a reward and lent her money; otherwise, she couldn’t have afforded this house.
Buying a house was a major event, but also a happy one. Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, “Fifth Sister-in-law, let’s invite Big Brother and his wife over for a meal on Sunday to celebrate.”
Ma Lili thought about inviting the Lu Jiaguang family over for a housewarming party after moving in.
Seeing that she didn’t agree, Lu Jiaxin didn’t press the issue any further. She had suggested the meal because she felt that the bonds between siblings, or even friends, remained strong only with frequent visits. If they seldom met or communicated, their relationship would inevitably drift apart.
Two days later, Ma Lili, after getting off work, picked up Qiangqiang who was playing outside and took him into the house. Soon after, cries could be heard coming from inside.
Xiao Qiu, hearing Qiangqiang’s cries, couldn’t bear it, but she felt it wasn’t appropriate for her, the junior, to try and persuade her. So, she pleaded with Lu Jiaxin, “Little Aunt, please go persuade Fifth Sister-in-law to stop hitting him.”
Lu Jiaxin didn’t try to intervene, as it’s generally inappropriate for outsiders to get involved when parents are disciplining their children. For one, it undermines the parents’ authority, and for another, it might give the child the impression that they can act recklessly with someone to back them up.
After a while, Ma Lili came out of the room. Seeing her face full of displeasure and her eyes red, Lu Jiaxin immediately sensed that the issue with Qiangqiang was more than just mischievous behavior. “Fifth Sister-in-law, what happened?” she asked.
Ma Lili’s tears began to fall, but she still shook her head, insisting it was nothing.
Lu Jiaxin thought for a moment and then spoke, “Fifth Sister-in-law, two heads are better than one. If you’ve encountered a problem, let’s discuss and solve it together. If you feel I can’t help, we can seek out Big Brother and his wife to talk about it.”
Ma Lili’s eyes were brimming with tears, but she forcefully held them back.
Qiangqiang came out of the room, and upon seeing Ma Lili, he apologized with his head hung low, “Mom, I’m sorry, I won’t take toys to school anymore.”
Hearing this, Ma Lili could no longer hold back her tears. She knelt down to hug Qiangqiang and, crying, said, “It’s Mommy’s fault, I shouldn’t have hit you.”
Qiangqiang wiped her tears away and shook his head, “It’s my fault. Mom, don’t cry, I will be well-behaved from now on.”
The more he said this, the less Ma Lili could control her tears.
Lu Jiaxin helped her into the room, and then asked Xiao Qiu to take Qiangqiang and Xiao Feng to the main hall, so as not to scare the two kids. “Fifth Sister-in-law, if it’s necessary, I can call Fifth Brother to come back,” she said.
Ma Lili dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief before finally speaking, “Don’t tell him. It’s an issue with my natal family; if he knows, he will just get angry again.”
Lu Jiaxin was puzzled. How did Qiangqiang taking toys to school become related to the Ma family? She had bought that green, frog-themed car; it’s a pity for children to grow up without toys.
After composing herself, Ma Lili explained, “Qiangqiang had a conflict with another child at the kindergarten because he brought a toy there. Somehow, the conversation turned to the topic of our house, and that child ridiculed Qiangqiang, saying our family didn’t even have a house to have money for a toy car, insisting it must be stolen. Qiangqiang retorted that we had bought a house and would be moving in a few days.”
Knowing that many people from the Ma family were acquainted with those at Qiangqiang’s kindergarten, Lu Jiaxin instantly understood, “Your family found out, and they blamed you for not telling them?”
Ma Lili gave a bitter smile, “My eldest sister found out last night and called me this morning to go back home. When I got there, she scolded me harshly and even demanded that I sell the house and give the money back to my parents.”
Lu Jiaxin was full of question marks; as far as she was aware, the Ma family hadn’t lent a penny for the house. This issue had only driven a deeper wedge between Lu Jiajie and Father Ma and Mother Ma.
With her head hanging low and clearly distressed, Ma Lili said, “My parents claimed they gave me three thousand Yuan to buy the house.”
Lu Jiaxin was completely baffled. She remembered that Fifth Brother had said they had saved two thousand three hundred, and combined with the one thousand seven hundred borrowed from Lu Jiaguang and Lu Hongjun, that made four thousand in total. She had given Ma Lili three thousand the night she returned, and then they had borrowed another two thousand for the house purchase; the math all added up—there should have been enough money!
Thinking it over, she asked, “Fifth Sister-in-law, if your parents didn’t lend the money, why would they insist they lent you three thousand? What exactly is going on?”
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Ma Lili didn’t know either. With tearful eyes, she said, “I told them, I didn’t take a single penny. But my eldest sister wouldn’t believe it and kept shouting at me to return the money, threatening to change Jixiang’s surname back to Yan if I didn’t.”
Dealing with such a sister was a stroke of bad luck. Lu Jiaxin felt fortunate for the Lu family members; aside from Second Uncle Lu and Second Aunt who were involved in embezzlement, the rest were decent people. Even with Second Uncle Lu and his wife’s faults, Big Uncle Lu kept them in line, and they had never caused any scandals back at their hometown.
