Chapter 372: Rejected

Wu An and A Qing returned to the village, then split halfway.

Wu An had just entered the gate when his sister-in-law was feeding chickens and ducks; he went over to help and asked, "Did A Wu Ge leave?"

"He left after lunch, riding his bike so fast it seemed like it would fly; who knows how he'll show off when he gets home." Mei Yueqin replied, seeing Wu An come to help, she didn't stand on ceremony and asked, "A Wu went to the old house this morning, but the door was already closed."

"What are you doing running to town so early in the morning?"

Wu An gave a brief explanation.

Mei Yueqin stared in disbelief: "You've already spent all the money?"

Wu An smiled: "More or less."

"Money earned is meant to be spent."

The money in the homestay project account is actually no longer his; after subtracting the cost of buying the shop front, the liquid funds he can still use amount to just over one hundred thousand.

The money isn't much.

If you really count it, the money in his hands is already negative.

Because the trawler is being paid in installments, the money he has now is only enough for next month's payment.

He isn't the least bit anxious.

Once the weather improves, he'll be able to make money.

Mei Yueqin punched him lightly and said, "This is such a big matter, you didn't even think to call home and let Dad and me know."

Wu An took the hit and chuckled, "I'll know next time."

Mei Yueqin glared: "You still want there to be a next time?"

"Wait until Dad comes back and finds out, then see how he deals with you."

"But this is also a good thing, after all it's a property; that shop front in town is worth money, and who knows whether it will continue to develop in the future..."

The sister-in-law kept chattering on.

Wu An occasionally echoed a couple of words.

"By the way, you weren't supposed to build a big villa to bring An Ran into the family, so why hasn't there been any movement?" Mei Yueqin said suddenly, giving him a pat: "This needs to be hurried."

Wu An smiled: "Sister-in-law, don't worry, even if we don't build a big villa, she won't get away."

"I bought that shop front in town actually to give it to her."

Upon hearing that, Mei Yueqin was stunned.

That's really generous!

As her sister-in-law, she couldn't help feeling a bit jealous, saying, "By rights, some things a sister-in-law shouldn't say, but I'll butt in just this once: you treating An Ran well is right, but you also need to be careful… after all, she hasn't even moved in yet."

Wu An nodded seriously: "Sister-in-law, I understand."

Mei Yueqin then stopped adding more, after all these words weren't for her as sister-in-law to say, but at home, Wu Yingwei and Wu Ping couldn't say such things.

Only she could.

Wu An also didn't perfunctorily brush her off; he has always treated Mei Yueqin like a mother, as an elder sister-in-law should.

He knew Mei Yueqin said these things with no other motive, purely out of concern for him.

"You haven't looked for Wu Yingjin yet, have you?"

"No, I've been pretty busy lately and haven't run into him."

"How could that be? Recently I've been going out to gather seafood, and I often see Wu Yingjin loitering around the old residence, sometimes staying there for half a day."

"The old residence… isn't there just a few walls left over there?"

"That's right."

"Something's fishy."

"I also think it's a bit off; I went to check the old residence too, but couldn't see anything."

"What about now?"

"I guess he's there."

"Sister-in-law, then I won't help you; I'll go have a look and, by the way, ask whether he's selling his old residence." Wu An said, clapping his hands.

Mei Yueqin said, "Wash your hands."

Wu An went out toward the old house; not running into Wu Yingjin is normal—going out to sea takes a whole day, rising early and working late. If he could meet Wu Yingjin, that would be even more suspicious.

As he walked, he pondered, recalling that his sister-in-law had earlier mentioned Wu Yingjin suddenly returning to the village, seemingly to sell something.

He arrived at the old house.

Some stones were placed in the corner; I don't know what they're for, but anyway they've been there a while. Wu An stood on them, and from there he could just see Wu Yingjin's old residence not far away.

Between the old house and Wu Yingjin's old residence lies a plot of reserved land, which could actually be used to build a house.

The neighbor on the other side also bears the Wu surname, but his relation to Wu Yingjin is much more distant—already beyond the five degrees of mourning—and their relationship is ordinary, since his family no longer lives here, so it remains ordinary.

Wu An used to be a good-for-nothing; even when he came to the old house, he was looked down upon.

Later.

He learned his lesson.

He goes out to sea every day to fish, leaving early and returning late, and hasn't really run into anyone.

Around here, basically everyone is surnamed Wu.

In the village, the number of people surnamed Wu is neither many nor few; Wu Yingjin is his paternal uncle, and Wu Yingwei is his paternal cousin (they share the same grandfather), but they've fallen out.

Not long after, he saw Wu Yingjin walking twice around the "ruined walls and broken walls."

Wu An watched for a while, but still couldn't figure it out.

Wu Yingjin was knitting yarn at the old residence.

He simply walked over and greeted, "Uncle, busy?"

Having said that, he passed over a cigarette.

Wu Yingjin took the cigarette, lightly said: "Anything?"

Wu An nodded.

He simply got straight to the point, saying: "I plan to build a house, but Lao Wu's area isn't enough; I heard you want to sell the homestead plot, I can buy this plot."

Wu Yingjin widened his eyes, as if stimulated, somewhat excitedly shouted: "Who wants to sell the homestead plot? Who told you?"

"Buying my homestead plot, what exactly are you planning?"

"Let me tell you, I absolutely won't sell!"

Wu An stepped back half a step.

At this moment, Wu Yingjin was like a mad dog.

After Wu Yingjin shouted, he also realized his behavior was quite improper, lowered his head to light a cigarette, embarrassedly said: "A An, sorry, I haven't slept well lately, I'm a bit sensitive."

Wu An shook his head, saying: "That might be someone misheard the message."

"However, I am planning to sell the residential land..."

Before he could finish his words, Wu Yingjin waved his hand to interrupt him: "Impossible."

"I absolutely cannot sell."

"I... I also plan to come back here to retire when I'm old."

"This place is great, close to the sea, if we build the house a bit higher, from the balcony you can see the sea, how does that saying go? 'Facing the sea, spring warm and flowers bloom,' right?"

Wu An nodded with a smile.

He didn't say much more; since Wu Yingjin wasn't selling, it didn't matter to him.

Wu Yingjin had a lot to say, saying: "A An, I know you've recently made money, but don't be too showy; if you buy my homestead plot, together it would be one and a half mu of land."

"There's no need for that."

"You can build higher, three stories, four stories, five stories are also possible."

Wu An responded.

While Wu Yingjin smoked a cigarette, he then left.

After walking two steps, he turned back to see Wu Yingjin staring at the old house, his brows furrowed; Wu Yingjin was indeed acting odd—could this old house be hiding something?

Wu Yingjin's reaction was too intense; he even kept chattering away trying to persuade him, talking nonstop, just like someone trying to cover something up, grasping for words.

He suppressed his thoughts.

Anyway, building the villa isn't that urgent; we'll take it step by step.

He returned to Lao Wu.

He took out his phone to chat with Gu Anran, seeing Gu Anran's mood a bit low, taking advantage of tomorrow's no rain, he invited Gu Anran to go out and have fun in the county.

Gu Anran initially didn't agree, saying he wanted to look for a shopfront in town.

Upon hearing that, Wu An thought: "What the hell, looking for a shopfront?"

He had Gu Anran accompany him on a date, and when they returned, he accompanied him to look.

After a long back-and-forth, the two reached an agreement.