Chapter 976: The Grandfathers Arrive

The grandfathers were true to their word; they said they would arrive between four and five in the afternoon, and by three-thirty, they had already reached Yuncheng.

Secretary Xiao Zhu had no choice but to go and check the dormitory once more.

She had already prepared the dormitory beforehand, with the bedsheets and quilts all tidied up neatly. Although the countryside house was a bit cold, the rooms were equipped with air conditioning. Furthermore, the Song family had a large room with a stove, and the living room had heating; living there, Secretary Xiao Zhu felt it was actually quite comfortable.

Now, it was time to discuss the meal expenses.

The accommodation fee had been agreed upon at 1,000 per month, so Until Wu Lan said, "That's your grandfather, not an outsider. We already negotiated the accommodation fee, so we won't count the meal expenses if you eat in the canteen."

In the summer, she had received quite a lot of good wine and cigarettes sent by them.

"That won't do," Secretary Xiao Zhu disagreed. "One thing is one thing. My grandfather and the others are ten people! If we don't count the money, you'll be at a huge loss."

Doesn't the cooking in the mountain canteen cost money?

This made Until Wu Lan feel quite embarrassed. "Our village houses don't even rent for 1,000 a month."

Secretary Xiao Zhu laughed. "Auntie, don't worry so much about the house next year. Take Qiao Qiao and go on a trip. The homestays out there cost two or three hundred a night easily."

"Once you've seen more, you'll know that for people who travel often, this money really doesn't count for much."

"Besides, those who came fishing in the summer paid 3,000 a month for food and lodging, and they stayed in staff dormitories."

Even so, Until Wu Lan was embarrassed. "Those who fish eat so much... and you are all elderly... How about this, you stay first."

She calculated, "Isn't it five rooms for your grandfather, plus one room reserved for you? Anyway, you won't stay for a month, just these ten days or half a month, 1,000 per room is fine."

Secretary Xiao Zhu felt helpless—it was impossible to settle accounts clearly with Until Wu Lan, so she simply transferred the money directly to Song Tan:

【Meal expenses are 100 per person per day, and here is 5,000 for accommodation. Don't refund it, it's a hassle.】

Song Tan, who was talking to Seventh Cousin, was stunned...

She efficiently accepted the payment: 【Alright, I'll bring two jin of tobacco leaves for your grandfather. I've received the money, just tell my mom.】

Secretary Xiao Zhu was finally satisfied: there must be give and take for things to last!

As for Seventh Cousin, seeing her not speaking, he felt a bit embarrassed at this moment. "Tan Tan, what I promised your aunt, that you would provide for our old age and I would give you my house... Now that they want to buy the house, and my granddaughter is coming to study and needs a place to stay, you should go to the city later and look for another house."

He promised, "I have money."

Song Tan felt helpless. "I told you long ago, none of us covet that house—who would live there? If I wanted to buy one, I would have bought it long ago."

"Seventh Cousin, tomorrow you go to the city and get the agreement notarized. Brother Yanping and the others have a house as a foundation, and your son will have the homestead and the newly built house as a foundation. Either way, neither side will lose out."

If Seventh Cousin and the others were no longer around and his son went back on his word and wanted this house in the village, that would be fine too.

Song Tan had so many empty houses on and off the mountain, could there not be one for them?

She muttered while speaking, "I said long ago to allocate a single dormitory for each of them, and Teacher Xin asked for it himself. Why are they busy buying a house now..."

Seventh Cousin breathed a sigh of relief and laughed at her. "You don't understand. They live comfortably here with you, but it is your place after all. When they start dating, others won't feel at ease... It's more reassuring to have their own place."

"Besides, when we apply for a homestead, it's a private courtyard, which is different from your dormitory... Otherwise, why would they come to me? Wouldn't it be more secure to exchange directly with you?"

Song Tan sighed. She understood the logic, but this was the only way for now.

Looking at the whole village, there was no one more reassuring than Seventh Cousin's family.

Seventh Cousin was persistent about the retirement issue and mentioned it again. "You should still go look for a house..."

Song Tan frowned. "Stop worrying! I said back then that the house would be given only after I provided for your retirement. Now, Seventh Cousin, you are the one cooking and taking care of us, so why do you look like you've wronged me?"

"And don't worry about no one taking care of you in your old age. Qiao Qiao is being taught so well now, even if we are unreliable, he will take care of you!"

She coaxed the old couple. "Don't worry!"

Seventh Cousin and Seventh Grandmother sighed, then suddenly leaned in and lowered their voices. "Then take Qiao Qiao to town another day to open a bank card, and put 2,000 of my monthly salary into that card... This is money I saved for Qiao Qiao, don't you touch it!"

"We both have medical insurance, pension insurance, and savings, so we won't spend too much money when we are old."

Song Tan:...

Thinking is quite good, don't think about it next time!

Still afraid that she would neglect Qiao Qiao after getting married... Song Tan couldn't laugh or cry. "Alright! Let's do it!"

Watching the old couple happily go to the kitchen to fuss over dinner, Song Tan also let out a long sigh of relief: it's truly a hassle, and she never wants to deal with this matter again.

It's still better to rely on the omnipotent Secretary Xiao Zhu!

At this moment, Secretary Xiao Zhu also happened to look at her. "Song Tan, my grandfather and the others will be here in half an hour."

"Alright, my mom has prepared good tea... It's almost evening, will it be okay for them to drink tea?"

Secretary Xiao Zhu:... Maybe let's forget it.

With the tea leaves of the Song family, drinking the tea dregs wouldn't have much of an effect, but if it were really good tea, they would be tossing and turning all night.

"By the way," Secretary Xiao Zhu remembered another thing. "I see every household in the village is preparing radishes and cabbage. Are you sure about the acquisition from the people you contacted before?"

Song Tan nodded. "Don't worry, I can eat as much as there is—but it's best to sell them one by one, so there can be a time difference for retail in the market."

She took out her phone. "I'll call Old Zhao first. You have nothing to do right now, why don't you go to Aunt Li's house and ask if she's selling?"

Radishes and cabbage are heavy. Even though they didn't ask for many seedlings at the beginning, if they really grow them, there might be hundreds of jin in front of and behind the house.

There are also many people who plant them directly in the vegetable fields. Although not many families in the village plant them, the yield is actually quite significant.

On this side, Old Zhao's phone was connected. "Starting to sell radishes and cabbage? Alright, name a price, I'll collect 1,000 jin of each first."

"I'll continue to collect in two or three days."

Although Old Zhao is usually calculating and stingy, after working together for a long time, he has become incredibly straightforward.

Therefore, Song Tan said directly, "I haven't tasted them yet. I'll discuss the price with you tomorrow after tasting them, and then report it to you, but it shouldn't be lower than 5 yuan."

Five yuan is truly an astronomical price for the current market price of radishes and cabbage. But Old Zhao has been working with Song Tan for more than half a year, and now hearing this, he only felt the price was unbelievably friendly!

If Song Tan hadn't said before that the village's vegetables couldn't all be given to him, he would have really wanted to shout:

"I'll take them all!"