Chapter 115: Surprise Assault on Da Yizi!

He reached out, grabbed Chen Yixue's wrist, and when Chen Yixue turned her head, he locked eyes with her.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Chen Yixue said angrily, but she didn't dare make a big commotion, fearing she'd alarm her sister outside.

Xu Yuexin gave a slight smile.

"Nothing, just a little emotional exchange."

"Who wants to exchange feelings with you? Sigh…"

"Slap!"

Xu Yuexin's palm struck Da Yizi's pert butt hard, eliciting her startled cry.

Chen Yixue, scared, covered her mouth, and, both embarrassed and angry, couldn't help flushing red.

"What's wrong, sis?"

The sisters were in sync; Chen Qiaoqiao had been connecting the TV outside, and after hearing her sister's gasp, she worriedly walked into the bedroom.

"Nothing, I just almost fell."

Chen Yixue explained with a tangled heart, fearing her sister would pick up on it.

"Ah? Are you okay?"

"Fine, let's watch TV together."

"Mm, and why is your face so red?"

"It's hot."

Chen Yixue hurriedly replied.

When she left the bedroom, she deliberately turned back to glance at Xu Yuexin.

Hmm… that look could cut a person.

Xu Yuexin shrugged nonchalantly, and together with Da Yizi and his daughter‑in‑law, walked into the living room and sat on the sofa.

After another adjustment by his daughter‑in‑law, a color picture appeared on the TV.

It was the February Spring Festival gala.

On the screen, a female singer sang passionately, her voice beautiful and moving.

However, Xu Yuexin had no intention of listening to her sing.

Because he clearly felt an unfriendly gaze fixed on him.

After watching TV for a while, Chen Qiaoqiao got up to cook in the kitchen.

Xu Yuexin hurriedly followed, offering to help her.

Otherwise he truly feared Da Yizi's retaliation later.

However, Chen Yixue also had her own tactics.

When Xu Yuexin passed in front of her, she said nothing and reached out, gripping his waist tightly.

At this moment, Chen Qiaoqiao urged from the kitchen, "Weren't you helping? Come over."

Now it was Xu Yuexin's turn to be at a loss for words.

But that didn't stump him.

"Let go."

Xu Yuexin stared at Da Yizi's tall, lofty peaks, whispering a warning.

Chen Yixue shook her head firmly, saying: that just now, Xu Yuexin crossed her line!

Seeing this, Xu Yuexin said nothing further and lunged his large hand straight at Da Yizi's body.

"Surround Wei to rescue Zhao!"

Caught off guard, Da Yizi quickly released her grip after the attack and slapped Xu Yuexin's misdeed‑laden hand hard.

It worked, indeed.

Xu Yuexin, still not satisfied, let go and headed to the kitchen.

Men still have to learn some military strategy!

Learning military tactics for fishing can make one a boss.

Learning military tactics as a brother‑in‑law lets one control Da Yizi! After dinner, Xu Yuexin and Chen Qiaoqiao kept watching TV, while Chen Yixue pretended to be sleepy and went to sleep.

Only Xu Yuexin understood that Da Yizi wasn't tired at all; she was just avoiding him after being manipulated so many times today.

The TV was broadcasting a news program that included coverage of Xiangjiang.

Xu Yuexin kept watching and recalled his 850,000 Hong Kong Dollars in the stock market.

It was a full six‑fold leverage.

He wanted to learn about Xiangjiang's stock market to figure out his current financial situation.

Ask Lin Qingxia.

Xu Yuexin decided.

After finishing the TV with his daughter‑in‑law, Xu Yuexin greeted her and left for Xin Qiao Hotel.

When setting up the phone, he specifically asked; currently residential landlines can't call Xiangjiang, so to call Xiangjiang one must go to the Dianxinju, or places like Xin Qiao Hotel that host Hong Kong merchants and overseas Chinese, paying with Foreign Exchange Coupons.

After arriving at Xin Qiao Hotel by motorcycle, Xu Yuexin asked the front desk to borrow a phone.

The front desk recognized him as a familiar face and, without even taking the Foreign Exchange Coupon, lent him the phone.

Xu Yuexin dialed Lin Qingxia's number, and the call connected immediately.

"Hello, is this Xu Sheng?"

"Yes, how did the heroine Lin know?"

"As soon as I saw it was a mainland number, I knew it was you."

"What do you need from me?"

On the handset, Lin Qingxia's voice was as bright and cheerful as always.

"Nothing in particular, I just wanted to ask if your business has been going smoothly lately."

"Thanks to you, everything's going smoothly."

"Are you also wondering what the Hang Seng Index is right now?"

"Ha, I can't hide it from you."

"I went to the trading department especially; the day you bought in it was 750 points, now it's 880 points, a considerable rise."

Hearing Lin Qingxia's words, Xu Yuexin quickly did the math.

From 750 to 880 points, the index rose 17%.

Then multiplied by six times leverage...

Hmm, it doubled!

After calculating the result, Xu Yuexin felt a wave of refreshment.

On the phone, Lin Qingxia kept talking.

"Xu Sheng, you really have good eyes; you helped me earn over fifty thousand Kuai, haha…"

The call was filled with Lin Qingxia's joyous laughter; her laugh was as crisp as a silver bell, highly contagious.

After receiving Lin Qingxia's sincere thanks, Xu Yuexin promised to keep in touch with her regularly, and then hung up to end the call.

On the way home, Xu Yuexin felt his heart soaring! He had earned a full 540,000 RMB!

When Xu Yuexin arrived home, Chen Qiaoqiao was already awake, learning to braid a hair bun with her sister.

From the mirror, she saw her husband's happy expression.

"What's making you so happy?"

"Made money from stock trading, earned 540,000."

"What?"

Chen Qiaoqiao turned her face in disbelief, unable to even braid her hair, "540,000?"

She clearly remembered that her husband's principal was only a little over 500,000.

Is the stock market really that magical? Doubling in less than half a year? "That's right, we're now bona fide millionaires."

Xu Yuexin walked behind his daughter-in-law, placed a hand on her soft shoulder and said, "Later we'll think together about whether to spend some money on something."

"You earned the money, you tell me first."

"I plan to buy a house."

Xu Yuexin said, having been prepared.

Previously, Xu Yanran had lived on campus for years, so he was already accustomed to the two-person world with his daughter-in-law.

Seeing Xu Yanran getting closer to the College Entrance Exam, whether she passes or not, she will inevitably return home to live.

Therefore he thought it was time to consider buying a house.

"Sounds good, what kind are you planning to buy?"

Chen Qiaoqiao asked.

"Buy a bigger one, so we can live closer to your sister."

Xu Yuexin decided, "The kind that's a single household, single entrance."

"Most bungalows lack running water, sewage, and heating."

Chen Qiaoqiao hesitated, "Maybe we should buy an apartment?"

"There are also renovated ones."

Xu Yuexin said, "There are still some people who enjoy them from earlier years."

After the founding of the nation, the government carried out a major overhaul of public infrastructure in Jingcheng; many wealthy households took the opportunity to equip their courtyards with running water, heating, and sewage, combining the advantages of bungalows and apartment buildings.

With the policies released in the past two years, many wealthy families have reclaimed their own courtyards.

Some of those with overseas connections would then flip the houses, going abroad to invest with relatives and friends.

Of course, such houses are not a large proportion overall; one must spend effort to investigate, and preferably have the right channels. Xu Yuexin had heard that the best batch of houses only ever circulates within a small circle, not easily sold on the public market.

House hunting! Xu Yuexin set a task for himself: to ensure he finds a suitable house before July.

It was a rather difficult task, because there are hardly any private houses left in Jingcheng right now.

Not to mention it has to be a single-household Four-Courtyard House.

In the days that followed, Xu Yuexin began roaming the streets and alleys, inquiring whether any house was for sale.

After a round of searching, he did obtain some information, but none met the requirements.

Through the passage of time, the Four-Courtyard Houses in Jingcheng have either become offices for Party and government agencies, or have been divided among many families, making whole-unit sales impossible.

Xu Yuexin firmly refused to share a courtyard with other families; such neighborly relations would be far too troublesome.

While gathering information, Xu Yuexin thought of someone.

Zhu Chen!

Her family are old Beijing natives, and Zhu's mother works at Xiehe Yiyuan; there are many well-off senior doctors there, perhaps they have housing sources.

Without a second thought, Xu Yuexin immediately went to visit Zhu Chen.

"Buying a house? Sure, I'll ask around for you."

After hearing his request, Zhu Chen readily replied, "How big do you plan to buy?"

"A courtyard of two rooms or more, requiring a single household, no other families, and must have running water, sewage, and heating."

"I'll ask around, but I can't guarantee finding one."

Zhu Chen said this honestly.

"Hmm, sorry to trouble you."

Xu Yuexin looked at Zhu Chen's eyes and said.

Zhu Chen lowered her head shyly; ever since last time, whenever she sees Xu Yuexin her heart pounds.

After finishing the commission with Zhu Chen, Xu Yuexin continued looking for a house himself, searching from within the Second Ring all the way to East Three Ring.

Outside the Three Ring he didn't need to look; even if there were houses, they were all post‑founding apartment blocks, which didn't meet his requirements.

One day after June, after a full day of house hunting, Xu Yuexin returned to his home in Keyuan Community and poured cold boiled water with a Shareholder Shareholder sound.

"It's scorching, let's take it easy first."

"Moving out a bit later isn't a big problem either."

Qiao Qiao took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead, gently urging.

"At least there was progress."

Xu Yuexin set down his water cup, lifted the corner of his mouth and said, "Found a place today."

"A two‑hall layout courtyard, covering one mu and two fen, within the Three Ring."

"One mu two fen?"

Qiao Qiao jumped in surprise, "How big would that be?"

"One mu is 666 square meters; one mu two fen is roughly 800 square meters."

"I've seen the courtyard, it's quite good; let's both go see it tomorrow."

"Have you asked about the price yet?"

"Not yet; asking would make me seem too eager."

Xu Yuexin said, "We'll ask tomorrow."

"I have an appointment with him in the morning."

"Alright, let's go together."

Qiao Qiao nodded, still picturing how large a house covering one mu two fen would be.

"Du du, may I ask if anyone's home?"

At that moment, Zhu Chen's voice came from outside the door.

"I'm here."

Xu Yuexin responded, stepped forward and opened the door.

Zhu Chen's face was flushed red, a faint fragrant sweat beaded on her nose tip; she clearly had just been rushing around.

"I have news about the house."

Zhu Chen's brows brimmed with joy as she began, "My mother's former colleague wants to sell a house to the United States; the house meets all your criteria."

"Hmm, let's discuss it inside."

Xu Yuexin invited, leading Zhu Chen inside.

After entering, Zhu Chen greeted Qiao Qiao, sat down, finished her water and began describing the house.

"Their home is a sole, single‑family Four-Courtyard House, located in East Second Ring."

"It's a courtyard with a Four Halls Layout, with water, electricity, sewage, and heating."

"If you're interested, shall we go see it tomorrow?"

"Four Halls Layout?"

Qiao Qiao exclaimed in surprise.

Courtyards with two halls each have 800 square meters; how big would a four‑hall one be?

"How about we go see it tomorrow afternoon?"

Xu Yuexin asked.

When Zhu Chen mentioned the house had a Four Halls Layout, his mind leaned toward that property.

With money in hand, the bigger the purchase, the better.

As for why the afternoon, it's because a morning visit would seem too hurried.

"No problem, I'll tell the owner tomorrow morning."

Zhu Chen agreed.

As soon as she left, Qiao Qiao immediately posed a question to Xu Yuexin.

"Isn't a Four Halls Layout too big? It must cost a lot, right?"

"Let's see first. If it's truly suitable, I'll buy it at whatever price."

Xu Yuexin said decisively.

Having earned a million, isn't it appropriate to enjoy it?

……

Early the next morning, Xu Yuexin and Qiao Qiao first went to see that two‑hall courtyard.

Come to think of it, this courtyard was introduced by his childhood friend Xiao Wang.

Just a few days ago, Xu Yuexin told Xiao Wang he wanted to buy a house, and Xiao Wang kept an eye out for him.

Later, Xiao Wang heard his restaurant's patrons discussing selling a house, so he gave them Xu Yuexin's contact information.

Thus the subsequent house viewing was arranged.

With the listing Zhu Chen provided, this house became Xu Yuexin's backup option.

He came today mainly to guard against finding flaws in Zhu Chen's listing, and also to use it as a benchmark for market insight and bargaining.

The owner of this courtyard is Lao Huaqiao, who left the country in the late 1950s.

Two years ago a policy was enacted, the house was returned to him, and he has come back this time to sell it.

After arriving at the place, Xu Yuexin led Chen Qiaoqiao, and surveyed the courtyard, the Guogong Mansion Main Hall, and the side rooms.

It was easy to see that the owner had tidied the house before putting it up for sale; it looked quite neat, and the front yard still had several potted flowers and plants.

"Sir, how do you intend to sell this house?"

After inspecting the house, Xu Yuexin asked about the price.

Lao Huaqiao smiled cheerfully and held up three fingers: "Small‑goods price, I see you're sincere; I'll sell it to you for 350 per square meter."

Xu Yuexin pretended to smile helplessly.

"Stop joking, this is a bungalow."

"A bungalow is still a bungalow; the water, sewage, and heating are all connected, and it even has a water heater."

"Young man, don't think that everyone now prefers apartments. I bet you, in another twenty or thirty years, the Four‑Courtyard House will still fetch a higher price."

Lao Huaqiao looked with bright, spirited eyes, his expression very confident.

"Got it, I've met someone with insight."

Xu Yuexin thought to himself.

"Can you go a bit cheaper?"

"Make an offer; don't just talk about cheap or not cheap."

"280, how about that?"

"No, 280 is absolutely unacceptable; that would be selling it cheap."

"Wait, the 350 per square meter you just mentioned, is that the price of the house?"

"Yes, why? I could even sell you the sky above your head."

Lao Huaqiao laughed.

Even after living abroad for many years, he still hadn't shaken the habit of a sharp‑tongued old Beijing person.

"Then we have a starting point."

Xu Yuexin said slowly, his gaze lingering on Lao Huaqiao.

Lao Huaqiao felt a chill inside from his stare: "This young man, what does he mean?"

(End of chapter)