Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire
Chapter 365 - Chapter 365 Chapter 354 Comparison Brings Hurt

Chapter 365: Chapter 354: Comparison Brings Hurt Chapter 365: Chapter 354: Comparison Brings Hurt Lu An was reluctant, but Lu Hongjun was an elder, and it wouldn’t be good to stop him. Moreover, if he didn’t let her visit now, the woman would still come by after they moved in, and turning her away at the door would look bad to the neighbors.

When Tang Sufen entered Lu Jiaguang’s house, she was completely stunned; not only was the courtyard large, but there were also more rooms than in her house. She grabbed Lu Hongjun’s arm, asking anxiously, “Old Lu, what’s going on here?”

She had thought Lu Jiaguang’s house was similar to those around, never expecting it to be so much larger.

Lu An watched her expression and felt smug inside. He had wanted to see the house ever since it was bought, and Wang Xiaojie, unable to talk him out of it, gave him the address.

Yesterday afternoon, he brought his younger brother and sister to see the house. As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, the three siblings were overjoyed, but when they discovered there were two yards and both were nearly the same size, he was taken aback.

With trepidation, he returned home and asked Wang Xiaojie how much the house cost? With their family’s means, how could they afford such a nice, large house? It was only after learning that the house was a gift from Lu Jiaxin that he was relieved.

Lu Hongjun explained in a low voice, “Jiaguang has four kids, and my elder brother and sister-in-law will also come to retire here, so Jiaxin helped choose a larger house.”

Lu An was perceptive, noticing that he was sidestepping the details, so he deliberately interjected, “Third Grandpa, our house has two sections. The back yard is almost the same size as this one! Yesterday, Ah Zhang, Zhenzhen, and I counted–there are a total of twelve rooms, and every room is spacious and bright. Even when Grandpa and Grandma move in, there will still be many empty rooms! But if Second Uncle and Third Uncle stay with us during New Year’s, then it’ll be just right.”

Tang Sufen’s voice changed: “There’s another yard in the back?”

“Yeah, didn’t Third Grandpa tell you?”

Walking along the cloister to the back, Tang Sufen saw the second section also had six rooms, and her heart sank. If that house was this big, then not only now but even when Jianshe and Jianjun got married and had children, there’d be enough space for everyone to live comfortably. She could have lived with her children without ever having to be apart. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt.

Worried she might cause trouble, Lu An gave the master craftsman a couple of warnings and followed her.

Seeing her in a daze, Lu Hongjun called out with concern, “Sufen, Sufen…”

Snapping back to reality, Tang Sufen asked, “You said this house was bought by Jiaguang with Jiaxin’s help? How could Jiaguang and his wife afford such a big house with their salaries?”

She arrived earlier with a cheerful expression, but now her face was clouded with gloom, a reason which the sharp-witted Lu An could easily guess. He raised his voice, saying, “My parents’ salaries couldn’t afford this house, but my aunt has money! My aunt adores us, and she felt really bad seeing us siblings crammed into such a small room without even a proper place to do our homework, so she bought this house for us.”

Tang Sufen had guessed that the house was bought by Lu Jiaxin, and now Lu Ping confirmed her suspicion: “Old Lu, you’re her dad, so why is the house she bought for Lu Jiaguang larger than the one she got for you?”

Toward the end, her tone carried a note of accusation.

Lu An retorted unabashedly, “My mom said, the house for Third Grandpa to live in, the master bedroom is for him, the second largest is reserved for my aunt, and the other two are for the caretaker and guests.”

To provoke Tang Sufen further, he purposely said, “Grandma Tang, if you’re envious, just go back and have your son and daughter buy you a big house.”

Furious, Tang Sufen turned and walked away, with Lu Hongjun hastily following after her.

Watching them go, Lu An felt increasingly indignant on behalf of Lu Jiaxin. His aunt had put aside past grievances to buy Third Grandpa a house, yet he was still only concerned with that woman and her family; what a foolish old man.

On the way back, Tang Sufen asked, “Old Lu, can our two families swap houses? Four rooms just aren’t enough for us.”

Lu Hongjun was startled by the suggestion, thinking it was quite audacious of her to come up with the idea of swapping houses: “Sufen, although there are four rooms, the woodshed is empty. We could simply repaint the walls and it would be fit for living. Jianshe and his wife could stay in the original place. That way, our five rooms would be enough.”

He and Tang Sufen in one room, Huang Jianjun and his three siblings each getting their own room–it would be just perfect!

Tang Sufen was well aware that swapping houses was out of the question. She’d brought it up on purpose: “Jianjun needs to get married, and it would be inconvenient for him to live with us. Old Lu, I’ve already asked someone to introduce a girl to Jianjun. After he gets married, we can move to Chaoyang and let him and his wife live in the family building.”

Lu Hongjun initially disagreed, but he softened his stance when Tang Sufen cried until her eyes were red and swollen: “They can stay, but only for a while. Once the housing reform policy is implemented and the house is registered under Jiaxin’s name, they will have to move out.”

Tang Sufen agreed readily this time. She didn’t believe the housing reform could be completed in less than two or three years, and she was confident she could change Lu Hongjun’s mind within that time. As for agreements, they were nothing but scrap paper once Old Lu went back on his word.

Lu An was no fool and immediately telephoned Lu Jiaguang after getting home: “Dad, that woman is no pushover. I’m worried she’s eyeing our house.”

This house, which they hadn’t even moved into yet, absolutely couldn’t be snatched away.

Lu Jiaguang laughed and said, “Don’t worry, the house is under the names of you four siblings. Nobody can take it. Moreover, their house was bought by your aunt for your Third Uncle to live in, and it’s registered in her own name.”

Lu An stood with his mouth agape, as if he could stuff an egg inside: “Dad, what are you saying? The house is registered under our names?”

“Yes, that’s what your aunt wanted. Make sure to thank her properly next time you see her.”

“We should probably kowtow to show our gratitude to our aunt.”

When Wang Xiaojie learned of the matter after returning, she expressed her concern: “The house in Chaoyang is in Jiaxin’s name, so it’s out of her reach, but the family courtyard house is another story.”

Lu Jiaguang had also considered this issue and said, “The house is all set, just lacking some furniture. When the weather warms up next year, we’ll move, and I’ll take some time off to go back to our hometown and bring our parents over. With them here, Third Uncle wouldn’t dare to go back on his word.”

Wang Xiaojie nodded and added, “It’s also good for the parents to come. Next year, when Jiajie goes to Yangcheng City, they can help with picking up and dropping off the kids.”

Lu Jiaguang smiled and said, “If the parents knew, they would definitely come. It’s just that your uncle and his wife might also want to follow.”

Wang Xiaojie’s expression remained unchanged as she said, “If they want to come along, it’s a good thing, too. Having all three sons close by means the parents won’t have to worry. But now that we all have our own big families, it’s not suitable to live together anymore. They can come, but they’ll have to rent a place outside.”

Knowing the character of her brother-in-law and his wife, they would certainly not contribute to the food expenses if they stayed in her house. It was fine to have them over as guests for ten days or half a month, but living together permanently was out of the question. Their salaries weren’t particularly high, and it was only through her careful budgeting that they had managed to save a little money each year. Supporting their parents was their responsibility and duty, and she had no complaints about that, but she couldn’t indulge her brother-in-law. That was out of the question.

Lu Jiaguang said with a smile, “Of course, they can’t stay at our place indefinitely. If they come, we’ll have them go out and find work. Your second uncle and his wife had been here for just over a year before they bought a storefront. Although they’re not as hardworking, they should have no problem supporting themselves.”

Wang Xiaojie thought to herself with a sneer, the brother-in-law and his wife liked to take shortcuts and be sly, and wherever they went, they’d never hold down a job for long.