The heavens set sail from the courtyard

After He Wenshi left, He Jiaxi spent a long time coaxing Liu Meixin, and it was only with great difficulty that he managed to appease her.

He Jiaxi promised to pick up He Wenshi in a couple of days, which put Liu Meixin at ease.

"Sixth Brother! You must bring Grandma back. If the neighbors find out, they'll think I drove her away," Liu Meixin said worriedly.

"Mom, don't worry! I'll go to my eldest sister's house tomorrow and personally bring Grandma back," He Jiaxi said with a smile.
"On the other hand, Grandma loves my eldest sister the most and also likes her two sons. It's a good thing for her to stay for a couple of days to relax."

Liu Meixin sighed and said, "It's all my fault. You should have discussed this with your grandmother before moving here. She must be upset that I made the decision on my own."

"Sigh, it's all my fault. If Hongyu and I had a house, we wouldn't have had so much trouble," He Jiaxi sighed.

"Sixth Brother, why don't you not buy such a nice house? There are plenty of houses in the city center that cost 1,000 yuan per square meter. I can just help you with the down payment," Liu Meixin said.

He Jiaxi's eyes darted around, and she smiled, "Mom, you haven't seen that newly opened residential complex. It's so beautiful. There's a reason why it's so expensive."

Liu Meixin said dismissively, "Houses aren't all for people to live in. If you ask me, our old house is pretty good too. Don't let its age fool you, it's very comfortable to live in, and it has such a big yard."

He Jiaxi suggested, "Mom, let me take you to see the new housing development, to see some really good houses."

Liu Meixin shook her head and said, "I'm not going to look at it. I'm not buying anything, so why would I go there?"

He Jiaxi said with a grin, "You can get a good deal when you look at houses now."

Liu Meixin's heart skipped a beat, and she asked in confusion, "What's the advantage of looking at houses?"

He Jiaxi linked arms with Liu Meixin and said with a smile, "Mom, let me tell you, there are many tricks to finding a house, and we can even get a free lunch."

"Really?!" Liu Meixin exclaimed in surprise, "You get to eat while looking at apartments!"

He Jiaxi laughed and said, "Just come with me, you won't lose out!"

As they were talking, He Jiaxi pulled Liu Meixin out the door and took a bus to look at houses.

The apartment complex that He Jiaxi had his eye on was located in the city center, and it was the most expensive residential area in Huainan City. It had only been open for a short time, and the newspapers were full of advertisements for it.

The development was built to the standards of the most luxurious residential communities in the capital, and it became an instant sensation upon its launch. At 3,000 yuan per square meter, it was destined to be unaffordable for many.

In fact, the average wage in Huainan is only a little over 100 yuan. A house costing 3,000 yuan per square meter is destined not to be aimed at the working class. Therefore, the community covers a large area, but there are not many buildings, and the distance between the buildings is large.

He Jiaxi has a classmate who sells houses at a sales center; he can help her get in to view some properties.

Liu Meixin had worked in a soy sauce factory her whole life and had never seen the world. When she arrived at the "mansion," she was stunned and found everything novel.

He Jiaxi specially took Liu Meixin to the sample room to broaden her horizons.

"Mom, this is the smallest apartment in the complex, about 60 square meters, with two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen." He Jiaxi likes to introduce the apartment to her mother like a real estate agent.

"Sixth brother! This house isn't very big!" Liu Meixin shook her head and said, "It feels smaller than our yard."

"Mom, there are naturally larger apartments in the complex, but those are more expensive in total," He Jiaxi said excitedly.
"Mom, look, this is an elevator. It will save you a lot of effort when climbing stairs in the future."

Liu Meixin had never ridden an elevator before, so she found it novel.

Seeing that the time was right, He Jiaxi said, "Mom, I've calculated it. If we sell the old house and add some money, we should be able to get this house."

Liu Meixin frowned and asked, "Where will I live after we sell the old house?"

He Jiaxi laughed and said, "Of course you'll move in with me! I'll take care of you in your old age."

Liu Meixin shook her head and said, "Didn't we agree that Fifth Sister would take care of us in our old age?" He Jiaxi added, "Mom, look at how Fifth Sister just left like that today. Can you count on her in the future?"

Liu Meixin's heart trembled upon hearing this.

"I'm used to living in a bungalow, I can't live in an apartment building," Liu Meixin said reluctantly.

"Mom, living in an apartment building is so convenient! When the community gets gas, you won't have to cook with a stove anymore. Plus, there's a private bathroom, which is so clean and hygienic. You won't have to squeeze into a public toilet."

Liu Meixin glanced at the private bathroom, her eyes filled with longing.

He Jiaxi didn't press her, but said, "Mom, let's go home and think about it again. I think it's more convenient for Grandma to live near the hospital as she gets older. It's hard for an ambulance to get into our alley."

Liu Meixin recalled the time when He Changsheng collapsed. She called an ambulance, but because the alley was too narrow, the ambulance couldn't get in, so they had to carry him out.

“If your father had been taken to the hospital in time, maybe things wouldn’t have turned out this way…” Liu Meixin’s eyes reddened as she recalled painful memories.

He Jiaxi really understood Liu Meixin and hit her right where it hurt.

“This community is right next to the city hospital, and the roads between the buildings are wide enough for two ambulances to pass through. It’s really suitable for retirement,” He Jiaxi said.

“But the house prices are too high. The houses nearby cost at most 1,000 yuan per square meter, and many don’t even cost 1,000 yuan. Why is it three times more expensive?” Liu Meixin sighed.

"Mom, there's a reason why they're expensive. Look at the height of the buildings, the distance between them, and the greenery in the community. It's like a small park. Which community nearby can compare? Not to mention, they even have elevators. When Grandma gets old and can't walk anymore, it will be convenient to push her wheelchair."

Liu Meixin was finally moved by the last sentence!
"The elevator is very convenient!" Liu Meixin sighed, "but this 60-square-meter apartment only has two bedrooms, which won't be enough for us to live in later!"

He Jiaxi grinned and said, "Actually, there's another 70-square-meter three-bedroom apartment next door, but it's 30,000 yuan more expensive."

Liu Meixin gritted her teeth and said, "How much money can we sell our old house for? How much more money will we have to pay to upgrade to a 70-square-meter apartment?"

He Jiaxi said with a smile, "I asked my classmates. Our house has a big yard and is quite large. It should sell for around 70,000 or 80,000 yuan. That should be enough for the down payment."

"At worst, Hongyu and I will work harder and slowly pay off the mortgage."

Liu Meixin frowned and said, "Can't we bargain? You can bargain when buying groceries, so why can't you bargain when buying a house?"

He Jiaxi hurriedly said, "If we finalize the deal today, we should be able to get a 9.8% discount. My classmate will be in charge of selling the old house."

Liu Meixin said unwillingly, "Even a 9.8% discount isn't that much cheaper!"

He Jiaxi said, "A 70-square-meter apartment costs about 21 yuan in total, and with a 9.8% discount, you can save more than 4 yuan!"

Liu Meixin hesitated, saying, "We definitely need to discuss selling the house with your grandma. Let's decide later!"

He Jiaxi asked anxiously, "Mom, how much is four thousand yuan? How long would it take you to sell pickles to earn four thousand yuan?"

Liu Meixin sighed and said, "If your grandma knew that we sold the old house without telling her, she would be furious. We must get her consent to this."

Seeing Liu Meixin's insistence, He Jiaxi knew that pressing her further would be useless, so he could only say, "I'll bring Grandma to see the house in a couple of days. It's so beautiful here, she'll definitely like it."

The mother and daughter, each with their own thoughts, walked out of the model apartment, and before they even left the community, they encountered an unexpected person.

"Huh!? Isn't that the second son?" Liu Meixin said, pointing ahead.

He Jiaxi looked over and, sure enough, saw his second sister, He Jiawen, and her husband's family looking at houses! (End of Chapter)