Chapter 212: The House Goes to the Brother

Chapter 212 Transferring the House to Brother

Wang Xiaocui was distracted all morning. It was almost lunchtime, and the kids hadn't returned yet. She didn't know how the interview went.

She knew Su Ping was a good kid, but his usual behavior often showed childishness, and she was afraid he might be treated unfairly.

After Ren San finished cooking, he kept the food warm on the stove. Seeing Wang Xiaocui pacing at the door, he couldn't help but comfort her, "Aunt, it's fine. Maybe they got held up chatting!"

"My brother is so capable and good-looking. The boss must have taken a liking to him when he saw him!"

"Even if the first impression wasn't great, they'll warm up to him eventually!"

Under Ren San's persuasion, Wang Xiaocui smiled, "That's right. No one can help but like my Ping Ping after spending time with him. He's strong, diligent, and honest!"

They waited at home until almost two o'clock when Su Ping finally showed up at the corner on his bicycle.

"Aunt, they're back! Brother Su Ping and Sister An An are back!" Ren San said joyfully.

As soon as Su Ping pushed the bicycle through the gate, Wang Xiaocui came out to greet him, "It's so late. You must be starving!"

"Come in quickly. Ren San, serve the food."

Su An walked in holding the dumplings, "What? It's already two o'clock, and you haven't had lunch yet? Brother and I already ate outside!"

"Good thing you haven't had lunch yet. Brother brought you some lamb dumplings. Keep the meal for dinner, so you don't have to cook tonight. Have the dumplings for lunch!"

Wang Xiaocui looked at the dumplings in Su An's hand, "You ate outside? Isn't that pricey? We cooked at home."

Su An chuckled, "Mom, Brother got the job! The boss asked him to start tomorrow. We were so happy, we took Mr. Luo and Mr. Cai out for lamb!"

Wang Xiaocui was thrilled, "Really? He got the job?"

Su Ping, a bit shy, nodded, "Yes, they want me to come in early tomorrow to help. There's a salary, and I can learn. The master said I have to work for him for three years after learning, but I'll be earning!"

Ren San clapped his hands, "That's great! Aunt, I told you my brother would pull it off!"

"Alright, alright, aren't you hungry? These dumplings are still raw. Let's cook them first and eat!" Su An interjected.

Wang Xiaocui held Su An back, "The food's still warm. Let's cook the dumplings tonight and eat them together!"

Ren San nodded, "Right, I'm really hungry. I can't wait for the dumplings!"

"Fine, we'll cook them tonight!"

"You eat first. Brother and I have to head out again. There are still some things to take care of."

Su An said goodbye to Wang Xiaocui and went inside to look for something.

Wang Xiaocui stood at the door with a bowl, "An An, what else is there to do?"

Su An rummaged through the cabinet while replying, "I'm looking for the property deeds. I want to transfer the house to Brother!"

Wang Xiaocui glanced at her silly son, puzzled, "Why transfer the house out of the blue?"

Su Ping quickly waved his hands, "An An, no, Brother doesn't want it. Don't transfer the house."

Su An pulled out a file folder from the bottom of the cabinet, "This house was bought during my marriage to Zhao Daxing. There's no issue now, but I'm afraid there might be some unforeseen issues in the future. While it's convenient to handle the paperwork now, I'll transfer it directly to Brother's name to avoid any hassle down the road!"

Wang Xiaocui didn't understand, "You bought it, and you're already divorced. That's ridiculous! If he dares to come, we'll deal with him!"

Su Ping also nodded seriously, "Yes, if he tries anything, we’ll take him down!"

Su An had to patiently explain to Wang Xiaocui and Su Ping, "I’m not entirely sure about the details, but in the 1950s, the state had a marriage property law that stated 'both husband and wife have equal ownership and disposal rights over family property!'"

"Now, there seems to be another regulation that says 'property earned during the marriage is shared, unless there’s a separate agreement.'"

"Previously, when I was at the civil affairs office, I asked Director Wang to add a clause to my divorce agreement with Zhao Daxing, stating that after he pays me 2000 yuan (about $280), the property under each of our names belongs to each of us. But he doesn’t know about this house I own. If he finds out later and claims I hid it from him, and since the registration information is from within our marriage, I'm afraid it might cause other troubles. So, it’s safer to transfer it to my brother!"

Wang Xiaocui seemed to understand but not fully, "Why does the state have rules like that? I've never heard of them!"

Su An smiled, "These laws have been around for a long time. It's just that in the 1950s, the focus was on shared resources and communal living. The 1960s were a period of hardship, and the 1970s saw the Cultural Revolution. People barely owned anything privately. When you got married, two quilts were all the family property you’d have. But now life is much better. People getting married now have sewing machines, radios, bicycles, motorcycles..."

"As conditions improve and living standards rise, there might be even more things. These state regulations are very important for married people and will become more refined and forward-looking in the future!"

"Right now, this house seems completely unrelated to him, but what if it becomes valuable and he tries to claim it later? That would be a hassle. And now that I'm divorced, I can't just hit him anymore; hitting someone is against the law!"

With a series of documents and certificates from home, Su An found a shop and bought a few packs of cigarettes. In the afternoon, she transferred the house to her brother.

After transferring the house to her brother, she didn’t plan on getting it back. Whether in this life or the last, her brother had always done everything to protect Su An. This house was her way of providing him with some security!

No matter what happens to everyone's fate in the future, once this area is developed, whether he uses it for business or rents it, it can provide him with the most basic necessities.

Su Ping didn't think that far ahead. The two most important principles in his life were taught to him by Wang Xiaocui.

First, listen to An An—she’s smart!

Second, look out for An An and don’t let anyone mess with her!

An An said that Zhao Daxing might come to take the house in the future, so putting it under his name, he would definitely take responsibility. He would help An An keep an eye on it, and no one would be able to take it!

When the family sat together for dinner in the evening, Wang Xiaocui shared her plans and asked Su An to analyze them.

It wasn't that she lacked initiative, but like Su Ping, she felt her daughter was smart and wanted to hear Su An's opinion.

"An An, during this time in the city, I've been looking around. There are many food vendors on the street, and I know how to make a lot of their dishes. I think they make quite a bit of money. Some small carts even have long lines in front of them, and the vendors are too busy to keep up."

"Like the pancake cart at the square entrance. With an egg, it's 20 cents, without an egg, it's 10 cents. How much does a pound of wheat flour cost? Add some water, shredded potatoes, and shredded radish, and you can make a small bucket of ingredients. Even after deducting the cost of oil and seasonings, the profit is quite substantial!"

Su An nodded, "Mom, are you thinking of setting up a stall?"

Wang Xiaocui smiled sheepishly, "I've been thinking about it for a while. I can't just stay at home and eat and drink for free. I don't know how to do anything else, but I can farm and make some food!"

Ren San suddenly felt a sense of crisis. If Auntie sets up a stall, and Brother goes to work as an apprentice at a restaurant, what about him?

Even though everyone is very kind to him, he always carries a sense of crisis!

"An An, I can start by helping Auntie out, and then when there's a suitable opportunity..."