Yama Reborn-Chapter 396 - 393 【This Night】

Chapter 393: [This One Night]

Zhang Linsheng was a typical example of a child born in the eighties to a poor, working-class family.

This was evident in many small details.

For instance, before he turned eighteen, he rarely had the chance to ride in a car.

His primary modes of transport included his own two legs, a bicycle, and the bus.

He almost never had the opportunity to ride in a car; even taxis were a rarity. Only during holidays, when visiting relatives with his family, could he catch a few rides.

Living this way, he developed a habit: whenever he had the chance to ride in a car, he preferred the front, sitting in the passenger seat.

Another example was his disciplined eating habits. Growing up in a family that wasn’t well-off, he had learned not to waste food—a lesson often enforced by his father, Zhang Tiejun, with slaps.

He was the kind of child who, when visiting a shopping mall with his family, would gaze longingly at the toy counters, eyes gleaming, mouth-watering, and deliberately slow his pace, reluctant to leave—until his parents forcibly dragged him away.

If he dared to cry or make a fuss, he would receive a few slaps.

Zhang Linsheng’s parents were both laid-off workers. After losing their jobs in the 1990s, a difficult period, they had little education and could only find odd jobs. Zhang Tiejun was slightly better off; his decent car repair skills allowed him to find good work in a repair shop. Later, as the automotive market boomed, his solid skills helped him secure a decent position in a 4S dealership.

Zhang Linsheng’s mother was less fortunate. She had little education and no special skills. In her younger years, she worked in a state-owned factory. After the factory went bankrupt and was restructured, she, too, had to find temporary jobs.

She had worked as a nanny, a cleaner, a waitress, and even sold breakfast from a street stall.

Theirs was a generation that experienced the growing pains of an era.

But amidst all the hardships, they had, fortunately, one piece of good luck.

Most of them, from that generation, owned at least one house—however small or dilapidated.

Decades later, those born after ’95, or even ’90, would probably have never heard of the term: welfare housing allocation.

In the old days, state-owned enterprises had a system of distributing houses to their employees. Higher-ranking employees received larger houses, while lower-ranking ones got smaller ones.

Once a house was allocated to you, ownership belonged to the state, but you had the right to use it; you simply lived there.

During the housing reforms of the mid-to-late 1990s, these public housing units were sold outright to the employees.

The price? It might bring tears to the eyes of those, decades later, burdened with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, in mortgage debt.

Take Jinling, for example, the capital of an economically developed coastal province. A typical small, old two-bedroom apartment might have a small living room, a small kitchen, a small bathroom, and two bedrooms—one large and one small.

During the housing reform, employees could buy out the ownership rights from their work units.

How much did it cost?

A little over 10,000 yuan.

Not per square meter, but for the entire house! An entire house for just over 10,000 yuan!

Of course, you couldn’t buy more than one; only the unit assigned to you.

Back then, most people bought their units. A few felt it was too expensive and didn’t, only to cry with regret years later!

Why is it said that over a decade later, despite higher per capita income, economic development, and an abundance of cultural, entertainment, and various life resources, people’s sense of happiness has decreased?

Housing is a major reason.

Although Zhang Linsheng’s parents’ generation lived frugally, they at least had a house, a home.

Young people a decade later, even earning a monthly salary of tens of thousands, wake up each morning immediately reminded that they still owe the bank millions in loans. The thought of having to repay it over thirty years...

How could one not feel anxious?

Zhang Linsheng’s family home was a unit obtained through housing reform, allocated by Zhang Tiejun’s work unit back then.

It was one of those small two-bedroom flats, forty square meters, with one larger and one smaller bedroom, a small bathroom, and a small kitchen. There was no living room or dining room, just a slightly spacious hallway that could barely fit a small dining table.

Zhang Tiejun was assigned this apartment when he worked at a state-owned agricultural machinery factory. During the housing ownership reform, he gritted his teeth and spent 8,000 yuan to buy the property rights.

Tonight, at the Zhang residence, a small family meeting was underway, discussing a major family matter.

Zhang Linsheng’s mother was planning to resign and become a housewife.

Don’t underestimate this; in that era, for every family, this was a significant and rather complicated issue.

The main problem was social security.

Zhang Linsheng’s mother was still considered a laid-off worker: her employment relationship was still with her original work unit, but she had been laid off.

The old enterprise still existed, half-dead, or perhaps already dead, but its official dissolution had been delayed for years. It was in line, waiting for the Government to arrange its restructuring.

Social security contributions still needed to be paid.

Zhang Linsheng’s mother was not yet fifty.

She hadn’t reached retirement age, so technically, she needed to continue paying social security until then to receive her pension.

However, in that era, there were also terms like "internal retirement" and "medical retirement."

The literal meanings are self-explanatory.

Zhang Tiejun explained his actions to Zhang Linsheng, "I spoke with HR at the company, and they said we could apply for medical retirement. Your mom already has a chronic illness and got a certificate from the hospital. However, we need to pay a lump sum of 3,800 yuan, plus back payments for social security. Once that’s paid, she can retire immediately and receive a pension every month."

"Hmm," Zhang Linsheng said little, habitually remaining silent.

"Actually, it’s a bit of a loss for your mom to retire now. Her years of service haven’t reached the threshold for the next pension bracket. If she held out for a few more years, her monthly pension could be over a hundred yuan more."

Zhang Tiejun said this, glanced at his silent son, and shook his head. "But we figured it’s better for her to retire now."

Young and not particularly attuned to these matters—or rather, not fully understanding them—Zhang Linsheng nodded somewhat bewilderedly. "That’s fine. If she’s retiring, then let her retire. Our family isn’t short of money now. Let Mom rest at home and not work so hard. I’ll support her!"

Zhang Tiejun chuckled and slapped his son on the head. "You? Support her?"

Thanks to his skills, Zhang Tiejun had become a team leader at the 4S dealership. His monthly salary, overtime pay, and various allowances added up to about 1,800 yuan take-home pay.

This was considered a high income at the time.

It could have been even higher. In that era, car mechanics had other shady ways to make extra money. But Zhang Tiejun was an honest man and disliked such dealings.

Still, hearing his son’s words filled Zhang Tiejun with a proud joy and deep gratification.

My son has made something of himself!

For the past year or so, Zhang Tiejun had walked with his back straight every time he left the house.

The electric scooter shop Zhang Linsheng ran with his friends was thriving and doing very well.

Within a year, the original shop on Daming Road had expanded to three locations across the city. Zhang Tiejun didn’t even know that Brother Lei’s shop on Tangzi Street was also part of their venture, making it actually four shops.

His son worked hard every day, leaving early and returning late—in fact, he rarely came home, spending most of his time at the apartment on Daming Road.

But life now had purpose! It was exciting!

His son was ambitious, had become respectable, and was no longer fooling around or causing trouble. He was earnestly running a business and earning money the right way!

Even though the Zhang family kept a low profile, during holidays and gatherings with relatives and friends, Zhang Tiejun couldn’t help but boast a little about his successful son.

For example, the new phone, new leather shoes, and new clothes his son had bought him.

Relatives and friends were also starting to hear that the Zhang family’s son had made it big, becoming a businessman and a small boss.

Then, soon after, matchmaking offers started pouring in. Relatives and friends began introducing potential girlfriends to Zhang Linsheng.

Their qualifications were quite good: elementary school teachers, hospital employees, junior civil servants, and the like.

All were considered prime catches in the matchmaking market of that era.

Among them, a girl introduced by Lin Sheng’s second aunt had particularly caught the interest of Zhang Tiejun and his wife for a while.

The girl was twenty, a year older than Lin Sheng, a graduate of a teacher’s college, and an elementary school music teacher.

Her salary wasn’t high, but it was a stable job!

Plus, she had two long vacations each year—winter and summer breaks!

Being a teacher meant her social circle was relatively simple and uncomplicated.

If they married and had children, it would be a great resource for the child’s education or tutoring. If the child wanted to learn an art, like music or an instrument, their own mother could teach them the basics.

Zhang Tiejun and his wife had seen photos. The girl was average-looking but passable. Besides, young girls always look pretty when they dress up.

Then, one day, when Lin Sheng was home for dinner, they casually mentioned her.

But Lin Sheng refused outright.

When pressed, he hemmed and hawed before finally admitting, "I already have a girlfriend."

Zhang Tiejun and his wife were immediately thrilled!

They asked where the girl was from, what she did, how old she was...

A barrage of questions followed.

Zhang Linsheng didn’t dare tell them!

If he dared to say his girlfriend used to be the Red Card Fairy of Jinling City’s biggest nightclub? His legs would be broken!

Luckily, Brother Lei had already given Lin Sheng advice on this matter.

Brother Lei was always reliable!

Brother Lei, a man of the world, was a seasoned veteran!

Lin Sheng remembered what Brother Lei had once told him over drinks, "Bro, you absolutely cannot tell your folks about your girlfriend’s previous job. If you spill the beans, it’ll be the death of the old man and old lady. You can’t just naively tell the truth! If you were just messing around with Xia Xia, I wouldn’t bother advising you. But you seem serious, and Xia Xia seems serious about you too, so here’s my idea."

So, that day, when Zhang Tiejun and his wife asked, Zhang Linsheng used the story Brother Lei had concocted.

"She works in a hotel, a five-star one, as a restaurant waitress. The pay is decent."

The old couple was somewhat satisfied upon hearing this.

A waitress, of course, couldn’t compare to an elementary school teacher. But working in a five-star hotel sounded quite impressive.

In that era, five-star hotels held a certain mystique for ordinary people, especially for the older generation like Zhang Tiejun and his wife.

It sounded very stylish and high-class—much like being a flight attendant.

"How did you two meet?"

"I met her when I was out for dinner with Brother Lei and some clients," Zhang Linsheng continued with the coached story. "We go to that restaurant often. After many visits, I kept seeing her. I took a liking to her, so I proactively asked for her number. After some back and forth... we got together."

It was important for Zhang Linsheng to say that he had made the first move!

In his parents’ eyes, if a waitress had approached their son while he was dining with clients, that generation would have considered her frivolous.

Many wealthy people frequented five-star hotels; who knew if the girl was trying to latch onto someone rich?

Framing it this way avoided any problems.

Upon further questioning, they learned she was twenty-two, three years older than their son.

Hmm... that could work. As the saying goes, a woman three years older brings a golden brick.

But after some thought, the old couple identified the catch: her credentials weren’t great, and she was three years older.

But since their son was so set on her...

She must be very good-looking! Young men are often swayed by looks, after all!

So, the old couple declared, "Bring her home for us to see."

And that’s how Brother Haonan ended up bringing Xia Xia home to meet his parents.

The moment Zhang Tiejun and his wife laid eyes on Xia Xia...

They were astonished!

This was just ’good-looking’? She was stunning! She could pass for a TV star! Some female celebrities weren’t even as beautiful as her! Where did our son find such a devastatingly beautiful woman?!

What league was Xia Xia in?

She knew how to say the right thing to the right person! She charmed Zhang Tiejun and his wife until they were utterly content!

Don’t underestimate the discernment of the elderly.

Although Zhang Tiejun and his wife weren’t young, their life experience and social savvy were no match for a little demon like Xia Xia, who had navigated the complexities of the mortal world.

Xia Xia had once kept a group of wealthy bosses completely captivated!

Pretending to be from a good family? That was nothing to her!

She had arrived at the Zhang family home that day completely bare-faced, without a trace of makeup.

She didn’t wear any of her chic clothes and wore no jewelry on her ears, neck, or wrists.

She had even removed her nail polish the day before.

Her hair wasn’t styled; she simply tied it back in a ponytail with a hair tie, exuding a youthful vibe.

She wore a sporty hoodie matching Zhang Linsheng’s, jeans, and white sneakers.

Before the meal, she shyly helped Zhang Linsheng’s mother pick young green vegetable shoots and shell a bowl of edamame.

Her movements were quite adept.

She even volunteered to show off her cooking skills by stir-frying a dish.

Zhang Linsheng’s mother, while politely demurring, couldn’t refuse Xia Xia and let her take over. Watching from the side, however, she noticed that Xia Xia’s knife skills were average, indicating she didn’t cook often, but... she knew the basics.

This will do.

Later, during the meal, Zhang Tiejun asked about Xia Xia’s work. Both Xia Xia and Zhang Linsheng looked somewhat troubled. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Then, Zhang Linsheng spoke up, saying that Xia Xia had resigned from her job a few days ago.

Zhang Tiejun and his wife were a bit surprised. Resigned? This girl is so pretty. Could she be lazy and averse to hard work? Did she find a well-off boyfriend and now wants to quit working and enjoy life at home? That kind of attitude won’t do! The Zhang family comes from a background of hardship; we look down on that.

However, the conversation took a turn.

Xia Xia, with an expression that was three parts shy, three parts indignant, and three parts helpless, said, "A new manager started at work, a man... He was a bit... inappropriate. I couldn’t stand it, so I resigned."

The old couple: "Oh..."

Instantly, their opinion did a 360-degree turn!

Zhang Tiejun even slammed his hand on the table. "Damn! What kind of scoundrel is that? I’ll go over and beat him to death!"

He then nodded in approval. "Good! Good riddance!"

No need to ask, this excuse was definitely taught by Brother Lei...

There was another small incident during the meal.

As usual, they had a few drinks.

Zhang Tiejun specially opened a bottle of good liquor for himself and his son. Xia Xia said, "I’m not very good at drinking. I’ll just have cola."

Partway through, she took Zhang Linsheng’s glass and toasted the elderly couple.

From a tiny cup, she only took a small sip, less than half.

Then she covered her mouth, feigning a bitter taste, and quickly ate some food to chase the alcohol.

Zhang Linsheng, watching beside her, was stunned.

What kind of acting is this from this little demon! He had seen Xia Xia drink before. She could down a whole bottle of Rémy Martin XO without batting an eye!

Zhang Tiejun felt a bit awkward. "Child, don’t drink anymore. If you can’t handle alcohol, just have cola. Our family doesn’t bother with such empty formalities."

Can’t handle alcohol? Zhang Linsheng almost couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Dad! If she really let loose, with your tolerance, she could outdrink three of you by herself!

Thus, Xia Xia smoothly passed the test.

That year, the New Year’s Eve dinner was at the Zhang family’s home.

「·」

The discussion tonight about Zhang’s mother’s retirement was actually somewhat related to Zhang Linsheng.

Zhang Tiejun and his wife had discussed it. Their son had achieved something, becoming a small boss, no less.

Firstly, the family wasn’t short of money.

Secondly, for Zhang’s mother to continue working in a place like a nightclub or KTV, even as a cleaner, didn’t sound respectable. Now that their son was successful and a small boss, it was also bad for his image.

So, it was better for her to resign. She didn’t want to find another tiring job either. It would be better to cook at home and take care of the two men.

Zhang Tiejun and his wife had done the math. Both father and son worked on Daming Road, one at the scooter shop and the other at the 4S dealership. They ate out twice a day and were rarely home.

Together, their daily food expenses were over twenty yuan. Over a month, that amounted to an ordinary person’s monthly salary.

It would be better for Zhang’s mother to cook at home. She wasn’t too old, and her legs were still strong. She could prepare meals and deliver them to Daming Road. It would be her only task for the day and much easier than working outside.

It would save money, and she wouldn’t be as tired.

The old couple’s way of thinking and calculating expenses was typical of their generation.

But when Zhang Linsheng heard this, he thought for a moment and then spoke.

"Mom, it’s a bit far for you to deliver food from our house to Daming Road every day."

"It’s not far. I can cycle there quickly. I’m not old, and my legs are still strong."

"That’s when the weather is good. What about when it rains or snows?"

"I’ll take the bus. I’ll get a senior’s card; a round trip won’t even cost one yuan."

"It doesn’t have to be that troublesome."

Zhang Linsheng proposed his own idea, which stunned his parents.

"Let’s buy a house on Daming Road and move the family there."

"...Huh?"

After a moment of silence, Zhang Tiejun and his wife instinctively objected.

Buying a house? That would cost so much money! Even though our son is doing better now, we can’t just squander money like that.

Zhang Linsheng got up, went to his room, and returned shortly with a bankbook, which he tossed on the table.

The old couple picked it up and looked: the balance was 118,000 yuan.

"This is what I saved from the store’s profit sharing over the past year or so."

Actually, it could have been more, but a lot of the store’s profits were reinvested into opening new stores. Also, they had agreed that while Chen Nuo was away, the Chen Family’s share would go to Ou Xiuhua and her daughter.

So, Zhang Linsheng hadn’t actually received much cash in the past year. He didn’t spend much, which was how he had saved over 110,000 yuan.

"There’s a new property development not far from our shop that just started selling. I checked it out; it’s 2,400 yuan per square meter. There’s a small two-bedroom unit, just over sixty square meters, which I think is quite suitable."

Zhang Tiejun did the math. "That’s still not enough."

"We’ll make a down payment and pay off the rest with a loan slowly," Zhang Linsheng said casually.

"No way! Why get into debt with the bank when things are fine? What if something happens later and we can’t pay it back!"

Well, that was how most elderly people thought at the time.

Zhang Tiejun pondered for a moment. "We have some savings at home. Your mother and I can scrape together forty to fifty thousand, no problem."

"That’s still not enough," Zhang’s mother shook her head. "Besides, after buying the house, it will still need to be renovated."

"What if... we sell our current house?" Zhang Tiejun sighed.

"Don’t even think about it!" Zhang Linsheng panicked.

He vividly remembered Chen Nuo telling him that anyone who sold their house at this time would regret it. In twenty years, they would regret it so much they’d want to beat themselves to death!

"Just listen to me, let’s get a mortgage!" Zhang Linsheng insisted firmly.

"But that would mean borrowing... over a hundred thousand!" Zhang Tiejun calculated, shaking his head. "So much money, carrying all that debt..."

"Dad, you don’t understand," Zhang Linsheng smiled. "Brother Lei and Chen Nuo both explained the mortgage to me; it’s a good idea!"

However, Zhang Linsheng wasn’t good with words. He rambled for a long time, and even though he understood the reasoning clearly, he couldn’t explain it well.

After hesitating for a moment, he took out his phone and called Xia Xia. "I can’t explain the benefits of getting a bank loan for a house to my parents. Can you help me out?"

Saying this, he tossed the phone to Zhang Tiejun.

Zhang Tiejun took it...

Xia Xia’s method was simple. She didn’t try to explain any grand theories to the elderly couple; she just said a few simple things:

"Twenty years ago, one hundred yuan was enough for a family of three’s monthly living expenses. Now, one hundred yuan only lasts a family of three a week."

"Think about it, what about twenty years from now? One hundred yuan..."

"Money will only continue to lose its value."

After a few minutes, Zhang Tiejun was persuaded.

"Buy it! We’ll buy it with a mortgage!"

A thought even began to form in Zhang Tiejun’s mind:

Perhaps... if we have money in the future, we should use it all to buy houses!

「·」

The Zhang family’s meeting extended from Zhang’s mother’s resignation to the topic of buying a house.

Meanwhile, Brother Lei was lying down, gasping for breath.

He was exhausted!

All day, Brother Lei and his girlfriend, Zhu Xiaojuan, had been out doing something fashionable for that era:

Taking wedding photos.

Poor Brother Lei, a man of society, had never worn makeup in his life, except for some blush during a Children’s Day choir performance in elementary school.

Today, in that photography studio, he had been plonked in a chair and had makeup applied for over half an hour.

Now that Brother Lei had hair, he no longer looked bald and thuggish; he actually appeared quite handsome.

Dressed in a suit and formal wear, he looked rather dapper.

However, the package they bought at the studio included a set of traditional Chinese attire.

A Chinese-style magua jacket and a melon-skin cap, bright red, looked festive.

But when Brother Lei put it on, no matter how he looked at himself, he didn’t feel like a groom.

Damn it, I look like the idiot son of a landlord!

However, he let it go because when Zhu Xiaojuan changed into her traditional outfit, she truly had the bashful demeanor of a young bride, making Brother Lei’s eyes nearly glaze over.

He even got a little excited and secretly pulled the photographer aside, whispering, "Are these clothes for sale?"

The photographer was stunned, then quoted a price.

Brother Lei immediately dismissed the idea. Daylight robbery! I’ll just take a picture of these clothes and find a tailor to make a set! Yeah, after it’s made, I’ll bring it home and have Xiaojuan wear it at night... Then... HEH HEH HEH...

Harboring these inappropriate thoughts, he was tormented by the photographer in the studio all day.

Actually, their package had offered an outdoor photoshoot option, but Zhu Xiaojuan, being frugal, had opted out to save money.

But even a full day of indoor shooting had made Brother Lei’s back ache terribly, and his face was stiff from smiling so much.

The first thing he did when he got home was wash his face. He had to use cleanser twice to feel like all the makeup was gone.

Lying on the bed, he couldn’t help but sigh, "I tell you, women, doesn’t it feel uncomfortable smearing so much stuff on your faces every day?"

Zhu Xiaojuan came out of the bathroom, patting her face, and retorted dismissively, "What do you know."

She then went to the vanity to tidy her hair. Walking to the bedside, Zhu Xiaojuan suddenly straddled Brother Lei.

"What are you doing?"

"What’s the date today?"

"The 27th."

"My period is due in a couple of days. Time to ’pay up’ today!"

"..." Brother Lei was stunned for a moment.

Actually, after being together for several years, sex didn’t hold much excitement anymore.

But... remembering how Zhu Xiaojuan looked in those different outfits during the daytime, Brother Lei suddenly felt a warmth spread through him.

"’Pay up!’"

「·」

That night, some were buying houses, some were ’paying up.’

Others cried their eyes out until dawn.

Chen Nuo had actually been sitting downstairs in the hotel until late into the night.

Sun Keke was upstairs with Li Yingwan and Niveer.

Chen Nuo was reassured, yet also uneasy.

He knew Sun Keke must be suffering tonight. With her temperament, she would definitely have a long, hard cry.

Chen Nuo couldn’t bring himself to leave, nor could he go upstairs. At this moment, Sun Keke definitely wouldn’t want to face him.

He sat downstairs in the hotel lobby until late at night. Eventually, a staff member politely informed him that the lobby bar was closing. Chen Nuo figured there was no point in staying any longer and decided to leave.

Just as he was getting up, he suddenly saw two people walking through the hotel lobby doors.

At first glance, he was stunned.