The 1970s: Married First, Fell in Love Later-Chapter 222 - 221: Consider It an Investment in You
"The most ironic part is, he married all those wives, and not a single one gave him a son." Meng Ye’s face was filled with blatant mockery.
Xue Yue looked at Meng Ye, and after a moment of surprise, she said, "Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I’ll just pretend I don’t know anything."
"Thank you." Meng Ye dreaded people talking about her family; it was an abnormal, dysfunctional situation.
Xue Yue had her stay for a while longer but didn’t bring up the dance lessons again.
It was obvious Meng Ye was a little out of it today.
That evening, Xue Yue brought the matter up with He Lang. She didn’t quite trust this Brother Hua, especially since his character was questionable.
He Lang was also a bit surprised. "He married five wives? And none of them gave him a son? Is this Brother Hua shooting blanks or something?"
Xue Yue shot him an annoyed look. "That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m saying this Brother Hua’s character seems bad. Maybe we should find someone else."
He Lang put his arm around Xue Yue’s shoulder. "I know it doesn’t sound great, but he really is rich, and he has the land. I’m just buying the plot from him, not partnering with him on a business venture, so his character doesn’t really matter. Besides, there are no other suitable places available right now. We can’t keep delaying this, or someone else might seize the opportunity before we do."
Xue Yue was still uneasy. "Then you have to be careful when you deal with him. That Brother Hua looks like an old fox."
He Lang chuckled. "Okay, I’m not an idiot. Don’t worry."
The next day, still feeling worried, Xue Yue went with He Lang to the place where they were supposed to meet Brother Hua.
When they arrived, the first thing they saw was a plot of land, probably several thousand square meters. The location was indeed excellent, right at a crossroads.
They waited for a while before Brother Hua arrived. He pulled up in a private car. In this era, the only people who drove cars were government officials or the extremely wealthy.
Brother Hua got out of the car, smiling. "Mr. He, and your wife is here too! You must have been waiting a while. Something came up at home and held me up."
"It’s fine, we just got here ourselves," He Lang replied.
Then Brother Hua pointed at the plot of land before them. "What do you think? Big enough for you, and the location’s great, right?" he said to He Lang.
He Lang nodded. "It’s very good. But do you have the title deed for this land?"
Brother Hua gestured to his driver, who then opened the car door and took out a piece of paper from inside.
Brother Hua took it and handed it to He Lang.
It was indeed the title deed for this plot of land. It listed the address, the size, and the owner’s name: Meng Guohua.
It also had an official government stamp.
After looking it over, He Lang handed it back to Brother Hua.
"I’m interested. How much is Brother Hua asking for it?"
Brother Hua smiled. "May I ask what you plan to do with this land?"
He Lang hesitated for a moment. "Sell things."
"Mr. He, using a plot this big just to sell things... don’t tell me you’re also planning to open a supermarket?"
"So Brother Hua knows about supermarkets. Yes, that’s my plan." Since the man had already guessed, He Lang didn’t hide it anymore.
Brother Hua said, "I was in Shanghai last month, and I know a supermarket opened there. Mr. He, you truly have great foresight."
He Lang asked about the price again.
"What if I were to partner with you? I’ll use this land as my investment. You handle the construction and renovations, and when we make a profit, we’ll do a sixty-forty split—you get sixty, I get forty. How about it?"
Hearing this, He Lang and Xue Yue exchanged a glance. Xue Yue frowned.
He Lang refused almost without hesitation.
"Brother Hua, you may not know me very well, but I like to do things my own way. I don’t like people meddling when I’m running a business. That would go against my principles."
Brother Hua raised his eyebrows, likely not expecting He Lang to refuse. "Mr. He, do you think my share is too large? How about seventy for you?"
He Lang shook his head. "I stand by what I just said. If Brother Hua really intends to sell this land, you can name a price."
Brother Hua paused for a moment. "Since you’re so insistent, Mr. He, and seeing as we’re acquainted, I’ll give you a solid price: one hundred eighty-eight thousand."
Xue Yue took a sharp breath. ’Okay, so I’m not as tough as I thought. That still gave me a shock.’
Before He Lang could speak, Brother Hua said, "If you wait another two years, this land won’t be this price. You should know the current land prices in Beijing City. For this location, this price is a bargain. If I wasn’t in a hurry for cash, I wouldn’t sell this plot. Even if you just let it sit here, it’s a sure bet." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
He Lang knew what Brother Hua said was probably true. Even if he wasn’t an expert on land values, he knew that property prices in Beijing City changed daily. It was always better to buy sooner rather than later.
"Alright," He Lang agreed.
Brother Hua smiled. "Doing business with a straightforward person is always a pleasure. Since you’re so decisive, Mr. He, I’ll let you in on something. I’ve built quite a few houses over at Binhe Bay, and construction is nearing completion. When they go on sale, if you’re looking to buy a house, I’ll give you a ten percent discount."
He Lang smiled. "Great, then it’s a deal."
He Lang said he would go back to gather the money, and then Brother Hua left.
On the way back, Xue Yue muttered, "One hundred eighty-eight thousand... If we pool all our assets, that’s just about what we have. But then there’d be barely any money left in the house. The clothing store needs to keep a portion for inventory, and this is just for the land. We still have to pay for construction. It just doesn’t feel right."
This one plot of land would wipe out everything they had worked for in the last two years.
"We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Besides, we still have a source of income. We won’t starve," He Lang comforted her.
"I’m just thinking out loud, not overthinking it. Come on, let’s go home."
They had several thousand in cash at home and a neat two hundred thousand saved in the bank. After paying Brother Hua, the remaining ten-thousand-plus would be used for the clothing store’s inventory.
The next day, He Lang and Brother Hua went to the bank. They did the transfer directly, and the land’s title deed was handed over after the ownership was officially changed.
"Alright then. Here’s to your bright and prosperous future, Mr. He. May you make a fortune," Brother Hua said with a smile.
"I’ll take that good omen from you, Brother Hua."
With the land secured, the clothing store opened for business on the eighth day of the first lunar month. He Lang was anxious to make money.
The clothing store’s business had been quite good last year, bringing in tens of thousands of yuan in revenue each month.
Shitou came back on the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, but Little Chen and the others didn’t return, as the house back in their hometown wasn’t finished yet.
With Shitou watching the store, He Lang planned to start organizing a construction team and contacting building material suppliers. He was running around so much every day that Xue Yue barely saw him.
He Lang also sent a telegram to their hometown, asking Mr. and Mrs. He to come back sooner. The store was busy, and once the kids’ school started, they wouldn’t be able to run over to help.
Fortunately, the house back home was almost done. The main beams were up, and only the interior work was left, which wasn’t as urgent.
Little Chen’s maternal uncle clapped him on the shoulder. "You go and take care of your business. Leave the rest to your uncles. We guarantee we’ll finish it just the way you want, to your satisfaction."
Little Chen nodded. It was the only way.
The next day, Little Chen, along with Mr. and Mrs. He, boarded the train to Beijing City. Traveling with them this time was also He Ziqing.
