Chapter 421: The 90s Contrast System (24)

Seeing that the three aunts-in-law seemed to truly intend to buy property in the city, Xie Yang put down her luggage, left the third uncle at home to tinker with the iron pot stewed goose he insisted on showing off, and since her grandparents looked rather exhausted from rushing for the train early in the morning, she let them rest at the hotel while she took the two uncles and three aunts-in-law out to look at houses.

The first stop was the river-view property she had her eye on.

"Uncles, aunts-in-law, I heard about this residential complex from a patient's family member when I went to the hospital for a follow-up. They said this area will develop extremely well in the next two years, so I plan to buy a unit here."

The two uncles didn't understand municipal planning, but they fell in love with the Mingxi River in front of them at first sight.

"Can you just fish in this river?"

"I think so! Look, isn't there an angler on the bank over there?"

"Being able to fish is great! You won't be bored to death, and you can add a dish to the dinner table."

Both uncles were fishing enthusiasts.

The river channels in the village were so shallow you could see the silt at the bottom, and the varieties of fish and shrimp were limited.

In recent years, as every household's situation improved, more and more people went fishing by the river when they were idle; sometimes they would sit for half a day without a single bite, which was quite dull.

The river was different; for one, it was wide and deep, so fishing was like a lottery—you had to guess what kind of fish you might pull up.

The key was the scenery! Sitting on a platform paved with cement, fishing leisurely while occasionally smoking a filtered cigarette, the mood was better than an immortal's.

Plus, it was so open that there wouldn't be any mosquitoes or snakes and insects in the summer.

The two uncles exchanged a look, understood each other perfectly, and turned to look longingly at their respective wives.

"Wife..."

"How about..."

The first aunt-in-law and second aunt-in-law looked at each other; well, that was that! They had taken a liking to the houses here!

"How much is the price per square meter here? If it's too expensive, we aren't buying!"

Xie Yang said with a smile: "It's not expensive right now, only 1,800 per square meter. But come next year, once the planning for this area is released, it's bound to skyrocket."

Having been mentally prepared by the previous 5,000 per square meter for the school district housing, everyone's first reaction upon hearing the unit price of 1,800 was that it was actually cheap.

"Then should we sell two more units of relocation housing? And buy one here?"

"Since Yang Yang says this place is good, it definitely won't be bad!"

"Then let's buy one for ourselves to live in, just right to keep Yang Yang company, and use the school district unit for the children's schooling?"

"I think that works!"

At the first stop of house hunting, these "second-generation demolition" heirs each decided on a river-view unit, and even looked at one for the old couple to ask for their opinion later.

Of course, if the old couple didn't want to buy, it would be the same to take turns living at the three houses later.

They all chose large layouts with four south-facing rooms.

This speed of placing orders was even faster than Xie Yang, who had the original owner's memories.

Xie Yang was even a bit envious of their lavish spending.

But one shouldn't be too greedy.

If Zhou Ru hadn't moved her household registration out, she wouldn't have been able to enjoy this demolition compensation alone.

Speaking of which, had Zhou Ru not heard any rumors about the demolition of Zhou Family Village by now? Had she really not come to cause a scene?

"How could she not have? She came to cause a scene once right after you came to the city for medical treatment. She only behaved after your father slapped her twice," the first aunt-in-law said.

The first uncle scratched his head: "Right! Your mother came to make a scene, but since it wasn't a good thing, I didn't tell you, so as not to affect your treatment."

Second uncle: "Ignore her. Anyway, He Wan Village is also going to be demolished, why keep staring at her maiden family's little plot of land?"

Xie Yang: "..."

It was true that a portion of the homesteads in He Wan Village were to be relocated, but it definitely wouldn't be the Zhu Family's turn.

He Wan Village.

Zhu Weiguo was returning from work when, passing the big locust tree at the village entrance, he heard several older villagers chatting excitedly about the news that a tunnel was to be opened and a highway built at Xiao Chai Shan:

"Those few households at the foot of the mountain have struck it rich! The demolition compensation is not low at all!"

"Isn't the old Yang family house right there? Just last year I heard Old Man Yang muttering about wanting to swap his homestead to the village entrance, complaining that the old house at the foot of the mountain was too far from town. Good thing he didn't swap it, otherwise they wouldn't have been included in this relocation."

"Put that way, the Yang family is really lucky!"

"Yeah, demolition depends on luck! Look at Zhou Family Village in the next brigade, how lucky they are, the whole village is being relocated, unlike us, only those few households at Xiao Chai Shan are being demolished, sigh."

Zhu Weiguo was stunned, his footsteps faltered, and he stopped to ask:

"Only Xiao Chai Shan is being relocated? Isn't it our entire He Wan Village?"

The old men chuckled: "It would be great if the whole village were being demolished! Too bad there's no such luck!"

"!!!"

What!

He Wan Village wasn't being relocated as a whole, only that area at Xiao Chai Shan?

How could that be!

Zhu Weiguo was bewildered.

For these past days, he had been hoping for demolition day and night.

For one, the family was truly short on money; the expenses for his daughter to attend high school were simply too high. And they said the expenses during university would be even higher than high school.

At this rate, unless there was a demolition, how could the family afford it!

Secondly, after the demolition, he wouldn't have to work himself to death at the construction site.

Just like the three brothers-in-law, ever since the Zhou Family Village demolition, he hadn't seen them work a day; they were either out fishing or cracking melon seeds and playing cards.

He envied such a life so much! He really hoped his own family would see a demolition too.

As it turned out, the facts told him: the demolition of He Wan Village was limited to the circle at the foot of Xiao Chai Shan.

"How is that possible!"

When Zhu Meijiao returned home for winter break and heard this news, her first reaction was also disbelief.

"Only demolish the foot of Xiao Chai Shan? Not our area? Why! On what grounds!"

She was unconvinced and ran to the demolition office to demand an explanation.

On what grounds were other villages being relocated in their entirety, while when it came to their He Wan Village, only a small portion was being demolished?

This was simply too unfair!

The staff at the demolition office were so amused by her that they laughed:

"Little girl, we don't just demolish wherever we want; there are official directives. You're still a student, right? Just go back and focus on your studies; these aren't things you should be worrying about!"

"..."

No demolition! No compensation! Nothing at all!

After hoping for demolition for over a year, did it turn out to be a joke in the end?

Without the prospect of demolition, the Zhu Family not only fell into mental confusion but their finances also repeatedly hit a slump.

It was once again the time of year to pay school fees.

Zhu Weiguo squatted on the threshold, smoking in silence.

Zhou Ru was slamming things around and cursing in the main room:

"How are we supposed to live like this! The family can't even scrape together a single cent, yet your daughter still wants to be like those classmates from wealthy families and keep renting a place outside.

She even complains that her living expenses are too low and demands an increase... Does she really think our money is blown in by the wind and doesn't need to be paid back? Does she think she's not the one carrying the debt? She hasn't even gotten into university yet, and once she does, there will be a whole pile of expenses."

Zhou Ru finally couldn't hold it in anymore and completely exploded.

Ever since the He Wan Village demolition didn't include their household, she had lost her former patience for this stepdaughter and even developed feelings of resentment.

If it weren't for her saying that He Wan Village would be demolished in its entirety, and if she hadn't made her move her household registration from Zhou Family Village, would she have missed out on the demolition opportunity for the Zhou Family Old House?

Every time she thought about how the compensation for the three old rooms had all gone to that wretched girl, Zhou Ru was filled with hatred.

But the wretched girl had run off to the city and never returned, and her maternal family was helping to hide the girl's whereabouts.

This hatred was then transferred onto the culprit who had caused this situation—Zhu Meijiao.