Chapter 123: Chapter 120: It’s Your Blessing to Have a Woman Who Shares Weal and Woe

Upon seeing Zhou Xiaohong and Lin Lan, Chen Dongming gave a good-natured smile. “I just got here, and you’re here already.” Then he introduced them to the homeowner. “Mingxuan, this is Lin Lan, a friend of Little Hong’s.”

Xu Mingxuan and Lin Lan exchanged polite greetings. He then said to Chen Dongming, “Let’s go inside and see the house first.”

“Okay!”

Zhou Xiaohong linked arms with Lin Lan and followed the two men through a small side gate. They walked down a narrow, partitioned alley for about a dozen paces before reaching another small gate, which Xu Mingxuan pushed open to lead them into a small courtyard.

The courtyard was a mess. Most of the flowers and plants were withered and dead. However, a few clusters of vibrant rosebushes peeked over the top of the wall. At the base of the wall, portulacas bloomed in red and purplish-pink, along with other drought-resistant plants like orchid cacti and chenille plants.

A small pond had been built off to the side, complete with a miniature rockery inside. The water in the pond had long since dried up.

Xu Mingxuan opened a heavy wooden door, flicked on the light, and said, “The upstairs is the same size as downstairs, but it has an extra hallway. For various reasons, my family’s house has been relatively well-preserved. If you go look at some of those confiscated properties, you’ll see they’ve been modified beyond recognition inside.”

Lin Lan saw that the storefront was a perfect square with two pillars in the middle. ’If we buy it, we could build a wall right there to divide the space perfectly,’ she thought.

Zhou Xiaohong smiled. “Your house is really nice. I’ve seen so many places that have been partitioned into a complete mess.”

“Mm,” Xu Mingxuan nodded. “There are also a few large round tables and some dining cabinets upstairs, all made of good wood. If you buy the place, I’ll throw them in for free. Let me take you upstairs to have a look.”

The three of them followed Xu Mingxuan upstairs. There was a hallway, over a meter wide, with a row of six rooms. The red-lacquered wooden doors still had old-fashioned brass handles.

He pushed open a door. The windows of each room were fitted with frosted, snowflake-patterned white glass. The afterglow of the setting sun shone in through the dust, making the room surprisingly bright.

Sure enough, there were several dust-covered large round tables, dining cabinets, and a dozen or so wooden chairs.

After coming downstairs, they looked at the living quarters in the back. To the left of the courtyard was a separate kitchen, draped in cobwebs. Outside stood a hand-pump well made of steel pipe.

In the living room was an old sofa set. The ceiling showed water stains from a leaky roof. The bedrooms contained canopy beds, desks, and chairs. Wiping away the thick dust revealed that while some of the rustic lacquer was peeling, the wood itself looked to be of good quality.

After they had looked around, Xu Mingxuan said, “The roof leaks a bit, so you’ll need to buy some new tiles and have it patched up. I can’t take this old furniture with me, so it’s all yours. If you’re satisfied, we can go handle the paperwork tomorrow.”

Zhou Xiaohong looked at Lin Lan. “Little Lin, what do you think?”

Lin Lan smiled. “I’m very satisfied with the house too. Sister Zhou and I are buying it together, fifty-fifty. Would you be able to help us register the property deed under two separate names?”

Zhou Xiaohong chimed in, “That’s right, I forgot about that.” She turned and said, “Mingxuan, could you please help us with that? We’ll just split the area evenly, one half for each family.”

Xu Mingxuan thought for a moment and nodded. “If you want to register it separately, you’ll need to decide on the division now. It has to be specified when we file the papers. Also, I’m in a hurry to get to the provincial capital, so it would be best if you could pay as soon as possible.”

“That’s no problem!” Zhou Xiaohong said with a smile. “We’ll go take a look, decide, and then let you know.”

Xu Mingxuan nodded, then went to stand in the courtyard with Chen Dongming.

Lin Lan and her went over the property again, upstairs and down. She thought about how one side had the hallway and stairs, while the other had the kitchen. ’Either side is fine with me,’ she mused.

Zhou Xiaohong looked at her. “Little Lin, which side do you want?”

Lin Lan smiled. “I don’t mind either way. You have a bigger family, so you should choose first.”

Zhou Xiaohong knew her personality and didn’t stand on ceremony. She chose the side with the kitchen.

The two of them told Xu Mingxuan their decision.

Xu Mingxuan nodded. “I’ll wait for you here at eight o’clock tomorrow morning.”

Chen Dongming nodded. “Okay, we’ll come by with the money first thing tomorrow.”

The next morning, Zhou Xiaohong and Lin Lan met in front of the department store. They went together to pay Xu Mingxuan’s family, then accompanied him to the housing authority office to handle the paperwork.

Xu Mingxuan had a connection, so an employee from the housing authority went with them to inspect the Shengli Street property. They returned to the office, and in less than an hour, the Property Ownership Certificates were issued.

When Zhou Xiaohong received the certificate, she was flooded with a mix of emotions, and tears immediately started to fall. She held the property deed up to Chen Dongming. “Dongming, we have our own house.”

Seeing her, Chen Dongming’s eyes reddened as well. He took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from her face, saying emotionally, “Honey, you’re the hero of this family.”

Zhou Xiaohong gave him a light, reproachful tap. “Little Lin and Mingxuan are right here!”

“It’s okay, Sister Zhou. We didn’t see a thing,” Lin Lan teased with a smile.

She was thrilled as well. She carefully examined the information recorded on the thin piece of paper, such as the building’s floor area, before folding it meticulously and placing it in her cloth bag.

Watching the couple, Xu Mingxuan was deeply moved. He patted Chen Dongming’s shoulder and said, “Dongming, your greatest blessing is marrying a wife who will stick with you through thick and thin.”

He thought of his own well-read and supposedly refined wife, who had drawn a clear line between them less than half a year after he ran into trouble. In contrast, when Chen Dongming fell ill, it was Zhou Xiaohong—a woman who could barely read—who earned all the money for his treatment and single-handedly supported their family.

’Loyalty is often found in the lowliest of men, while the educated are the most likely to be heartless.’ How true that saying is!

Chen Dongming nodded and consoled him, “Mingxuan, you’ll also find a woman who will share your hardships and joys one day.”

Xu Mingxuan gave a bitter smile. “I hope I’ll be as fortunate as you someday.”

“You will be. You’re a good person,” Chen Dongming said.

The four of them returned to Shengli Street together. Xu Mingxuan gave the keys to Zhou Xiaohong. “Alright, the rest is up to you two families to sort out. I’m going to go back and pack.”

“I’ll see you off.” Chen Dongming rode his bicycle to escort Xu Mingxuan home.

Lin Lan and Zhou Xiaohong divided the furniture in the house. It didn’t take long for them to amicably split the property and furnishings, moving their respective belongings into their own sections.

Standing in the courtyard, Zhou Xiaohong happily slung an arm around Lin Lan’s shoulder. “Little Lin, I’m so happy! The kids will finally have their own rooms now. They won’t have to be all crammed together anymore.”

Lin Lan looked at her and laughed. “Sister Zhou, let’s keep it up! We should strive to buy a property for each of the kids, and then keep one for our retirement.”

Zhou Xiaohong’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Lin Lan. “I hope you’re right! From now on, whatever you make, I’ll sell.”

Lin Lan nodded emphatically. “Anytime. I’d be happy to, as long as you’re willing.”

“I’m willing!” Zhou Xiaohong said with a laugh, handing Lin Lan a key to her side of the house. “Little Lin, I’m going to have Dongming go buy tiles, bricks, and cement. We’ll hire someone to partition the storefront and the courtyard, and then we’ll clean up and move in.”

Lin Lan nodded with a smile. “I’ll give you the money. We’ll split it fifty-fifty.”

“I’ll front the money for now. We can settle up after the work is done,” Zhou Xiaohong said with a laugh.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep