Chapter 18: I Only Have 2200

Chapter 18: I Only Have 2200

Zhang Laotou sighed, looking dejected as he patted his wife's shoulder, "It's our fault as parents for letting this happen to Jianying."

"Who would have thought that a child we raised could turn out like this?" At this point, Li Hongmei's voice was tinged with sobs.

She controlled her emotions and continued, "After Jianying married into the Liu family, she had to take care of her in-laws above and serve her postpartum sister-in-law, newborn nephew, and unmarried younger sister-in-law below."

"We, as her maternal family, should have spoken up sooner. Jianying was afraid we would worry, so she didn't dare tell us about the mistreatment she endured from her in-laws!"

"It was only after she had been pregnant for three months and suffered a miscarriage, damaging her body, that we found out. Right under our noses, Jianying was suffering so much!"

"Though we're a small family, we're not easy to push around. We made a scene at their door. The Liu family, knowing they were in the wrong, kept quiet for a while. But later, Liu Guohua took advantage of Jianying's injury to act recklessly outside."

"With her husband disliking her and her mother-in-law dissatisfied, you can imagine how hard Jianying's life became. Coincidentally, during that time, Liu family's head, Liu Shuangxi, and Liu Guohua went out to attend a wedding feast. On the way back, an accident happened. Liu Shuangxi died, and Liu Guohua injured his leg."

"Instead of reflecting on their own problems, old lady Cui, along with her son and daughter-in-law, brutally beat my poor daughter, saying that Jianying brought misfortune to her husband and in-laws. The insults were so terrible that even I felt ashamed! My poor daughter couldn't bear such humiliation and jumped into a well that very day."

Li Hongmei wiped her tears and continued, "Fortunately, a newspaper delivery man saved her. The Liu family then used this incident to cause more trouble and spread rumors to defame my daughter."

"We went to the neighborhood committee, reported to the police, and I even reported them for superstition and Liu Guohua for hooliganism outside. No matter the cost, I wanted to bring my daughter back from that den of wolves. Luckily, we encountered a national crackdown. Despite the many uncles and brothers in the Liu family, we held firm and didn't back down. In the end, they had no choice but to agree to a divorce and let Jianying come back, but the grudge was firmly established."

Zhang Laotou also sighed, reluctant to look up at the ceiling beams, "The house is indeed excellent. But whether because of the Cui family or the ostracism our family faces, there are many rumors on this street. Although everyone knows what's really going on, outsiders are just waiting to watch the drama."

"We don't want our children to be pointed at and gossiped about!"

With a dim look, Li Hongmei glanced at Su An, "Little Su, I won't hide it from you. Our grudge with old lady Cui is significant. That old woman is unreasonable, and she has many sons, uncles, and nephews. If you buy this house, old lady Cui might cause you trouble!"

Li Hongmei was deeply conflicted. They really wanted to sell the house and buy a large three-bedroom apartment in Longxiang Mansion to start a new life in a new environment.

But they were also afraid that if Su An bought the house, she might get into trouble.

After listening to Li Hongmei and her husband, Su An already had an idea. As long as the house had no property or economic disputes or had been the site of a murder, she didn't mind other issues.

Old lady Cui might be unreasonable, but Su An wasn't very reasonable either. So what if the other woman had many sons? She knew how to cause trouble too!

If they really met, who would be more troublesome was uncertain.

After all, she had already died once. Now, she had one belief.

"Aunt Li, Uncle Zhang, I get what you're saying!"

"I'm not afraid of old lady Cui. Let's go see the house!"

Zhang Laotou and Li Hongmei exchanged glances, their faces filled with delight. They decided that if Xiao Su was satisfied, they would sell the house even at a lower price. Given their situation, finding another buyer might be tough.

"Come, come, let me show you around!" Li Hongmei enthusiastically guided Su An.

"You've seen the streets outside. Apart from the issue with old lady Cui's family, our location is excellent. It's close to the street entrance and the ancient city. When you enter the gate and turn left, you'll find a cozy little courtyard. We added this kitchen ourselves. There are three rooms inside. The hall is a bit small, but a small hall has its advantages. With a curtain hung, it's warm in winter. In summer, whether for cooling off or dining, it's pleasant in the courtyard!"

"Look, behind the kitchen, I've opened up a small plot and planted some scallions. The sunlight is perfect..."

Su An walked around. The house wasn't very large, about 85-86 square meters in total. The courtyard was about 15 square meters, divided into three rooms, each roughly ten square meters. The hall was even smaller, only about nine square meters.

However, there was an advantage. The house was rectangular. If the side wall was knocked down to make it a shop, the front could be about ten meters wide.

This was practically a king of shops, one that could still be lived in.

Even if there were three old ladies like Cui, Su An was determined to get this house.

"Auntie Li, I’ve looked at the house, and it’s passable. How much are you asking? I’ll let you know if the price is reasonable."

Li Hongmei, clearly excited by Su An’s interest, nervously rubbed her hands together as she and her husband walked aside to whisper for a moment, quickly uniting their stance.

Since Su An dared to make an offer, they needed to close the deal before the Liu family realized what was happening, to avoid any complications.

If the Liu family found out they were selling, they’d surely try to sabotage the deal.

The second issue was the price. New houses were selling for between 98 and 105 per square meter. Given the condition of this old, run-down place, the price should be cut in half. Considering the Liu family issue, your limited budget, and the fact that old houses don’t qualify for the 'three-three policy' (where buyers only pay one-third of the price), the price would probably need to drop even more.

They wanted to get the money quickly so they could lock in the large three-bedroom unit at Longxiang Mansion.

After discussing, Li Hongmei and her husband approached Su An. "Xiao Su, the price around this area is about 50 per square meter. But as you know, our situation is complicated. If you’re genuinely interested in buying, I can offer it to you for 40 per square meter. What do you think?"

Su An shook her head with a smile. "That’s not a great deal, Auntie Li. At Longxiang Mansion, the price is around 100 yuan per square meter, but with the subsidy, you’d only pay about 30-something yuan per square meter.

"30-something yuan per square meter at Longxiang Mansion, versus 40 yuan here on Fuqing Street—which would you choose? And don’t tell me you don’t have a purchase quota. With a little effort and some money, you can still find one!"

Su An thought about the 2400 yuan she had, realizing she needed to set aside 200 yuan for emergencies.

"To be honest, I only have 2200 yuan. If you’re willing, I can pay you right now."