Back to 1979: Sending the Educated Youth’s Wife Back to the City

Chapter 227 Astonishing Housing Prices
Lin Yan went back and told Fang Mingche, who had stood up to stretch his legs while reading, "Most of the people who went today are either rich or powerful. I saw a lot of people recharging their accounts, all in thousands of yuan. I didn't realize there were so many rich people these days."

She paused, then squatted down. "But, is there something fishy going on here?"

Fang Mingche said, "It's not that serious. That's a high-end place. We top up our accounts to spend money there. As for your concerns about bribery and corruption, they certainly won't do it openly. We're just spending money to consume; we won't get involved in anything else."

Lin Yan nodded, feeling slightly relieved.

"That place is really great for eating, drinking and having fun! The only downside is that it's a bit expensive."

Outside, Yan Yan and Chang Chang were also having a great time talking. They really liked the swans in the lake at the club, both black and white swans.

The two siblings and Kang Kang stood by the lake for a long time.

Fang Jian and Fang Fang muttered from the side, "What's the difference between this and a waterbird? It's just bigger. Is it worth watching for so long?"

There's a river in their village, and lots of egrets live there. But the village secretary gave the order: no one is allowed to hunt them for food. Otherwise, they would have been gone long ago!
Therefore, I don't quite understand why the three little ones are watching so enthusiastically.

After listening to her children's words, Lin Yan whispered to Fang Mingche, "I wonder if swan meat is actually good or not?"

Fang Mingche looked at her, both amused and annoyed, and said, "Do you think all educated youth have wild tongues? Tell me, how many chickens in our village did you ruin back then?"

Lin Yan waved her hand, "I was so young back then, I wouldn't dare. I just remembered that people always say a toad wants to eat swan meat."

She was only 16 when she went to the countryside, she really didn't dare. The farmers were fierce, especially those women who would jump up and down and curse. They could curse for ten minutes straight without repeating themselves.

Fang Mingche said, "Where there is demand, there will be a market. In the future, we will have everything we need to eat."

In his past life, he had seen the menu of a wild game restaurant in South China, where peacock meat was 500 yuan per catty.

This is definitely not something you can eat indiscriminately. Wild animals carry many viruses.

The food we eat today is the result of thousands of years of careful selection by our ancestors, perhaps even at the cost of their lives. Therefore, no matter how rich he becomes, he will never eat wild animals indiscriminately.

Lin Yan said, "Their club must be very profitable. I saw long queues for shooting and horseback riding."

The siblings' conversation outside had shifted to the buffet.

Changchang rubbed her belly and said with a regretful look, "There's so much food, but my belly is so small."

Yan Yan said, "We can go again later."

Changchang nodded vigorously, "Mmm."

This was also the first time Fang Jian and his two siblings had ever eaten at a buffet. After being driven back to the courtyard house by their aunt, they couldn't help but keep talking about it to their grandparents and parents.

Fang Minghua had never heard of such a banquet format before. "It's fine to serve food like this for the opening today. But if they keep serving food like this after they officially open for business, they'll probably lose a lot of money."

Fang Fang shook her head, "No, most people actually have eyes bigger than their stomachs. We usually sell buffets, but they're so expensive! 15 yuan a serving, you can't get your money's worth."

Fang Jian said, "I think I can get my money's worth by eating the expensive things. But I can't eat like this every day. Besides, the training room isn't a buffet."

The practice room provides meals, mainly because I get really hungry after practice. I go home for dinner when I'm too full to eat anymore.

The food was actually quite good, but it couldn't compare to the variety of a buffet. Besides, the money all came from my uncle.

Fang Mingche sent all four of them there, saying it was to support Wang Dexian's business. So he paid for everything.

Mrs. Fang nodded, "People who can afford to go in and spend money are all respectable people. They wouldn't just eat themselves into a stupor!"

Mr. Fang said, "That's not the reason. It's because if the merchants calculate it, then the customers won't. If they don't make money, what's the point of them doing it?"

Yuan Shufen glanced at her father-in-law, smiled, and didn't dare to say anything. "You're a merchant now, and you're quite shrewd indeed."

Kang Kang smacked his lips. "Ice cream."

The ice cream I had at the buffet today was much better than the popsicles, ice cream, and mung bean cakes sold outside.

Fang Fang said to her parents, "Grandpa and Grandma, Uncle and Aunt will definitely take you in to play later. Aunt has already recharged her account."

Mr. and Mrs. Fang nodded in agreement. They felt the same way. Hearing their grandson and granddaughter describe it so beautifully, they were quite tempted.

Mr. Fang said, "We'll talk about everything after your uncle finishes his exams."

My youngest son wants to get into Peking University, so we absolutely can't delay his study time. If he can get into Peking University for graduate studies, that would be even more glorious for the family than getting into university.

Therefore, although he was full of questions about why his youngest son spent so much money to buy a house in Japan, he did not go to him for answers.

In the capital, houses like this nice courtyard house only cost one or two hundred yuan per square meter.

He already found 700 in Guangzhou quite alarming. After all, the average worker's wage these days is only 40 or 50 yuan. If you include farmers and the unemployed, it's even lower.

But in Japan, one square meter costs over 6000!

Mr. Fang said, "Alright, let's go home."

The three children came back from a buffet, which sounded like it was all big meals with lots of meat, shrimp, and crab. They can cook something lighter tonight.

The Fang family consists of five people, young and old. They eat lunch together at the courtyard house and cook dinner at home.

Fang Mingche and his family sometimes come over for meals. But most of the time, Fang Min cooks at home. The vegetables, meat, and eggs are delivered from their own vegetable stall.

Fang Min cooked a light meal that evening. While she was washing the dishes, the living room phone rang.

Lin Yan answered the phone nearby, "Oh, Xie Ping, the full moon banquet is being held at Boss Cui's place. Okay, okay, our whole family will definitely be there."

Xie Ping gave birth to a son almost two months ago. Gao Xiang is also busy preparing for his postgraduate entrance exam and working on the travel agency's finances, especially managing to squeeze out 60,000 yuan from the accounts.

He didn't have time to make arrangements; Xie Ping had finished her postpartum confinement and was busy with everything herself. That's why the event was postponed until now. Fortunately, it was on Sunday at Boss Cui's place, so all he had to do was pay and tell Sister-in-law Cui his requirements. Then he could treat everyone himself.

I guess she's making the call from Old Zhou's house right now.

Xie Ping hadn't started work yet. Lin Yan had visited her last month after the baby was born. Since then, she'd been busy writing her thesis, managing the travel agency, and handling family matters, so she hadn't paid much attention. Naturally, she readily agreed to the call.

Fang Mingche came out to get a drink of water and heard it.

"Oh, it's finally going to happen."

Neighbors and colleagues all gave monetary gifts. A banquet is definitely in order!
Lin Yan nodded, "Yes. Her sister seems to have been quite quiet this year."

Fang Mingche chuckled. "What can we do if she keeps causing trouble? The only reason she can stay in the capital is because she takes good care of the old lady. Especially now that her sister and brother-in-law have moved out, there's not much room for her to cause trouble anymore. But, I'm afraid Xie Ping won't be able to go to work for the time being, right?"

Qiu Yin returned to work as the deputy director of the Capital Travel Agency, and he no longer managed the day-to-day operations. Therefore, he doesn't know how long Xie Ping's leave was.

Lin Yan said, "Yes. She definitely can't move back and have her sister take care of the child too."

On Sunday, the family drove over and parked in the small courtyard. Fang Minghua and Yuan Shufen were still doing business with their door open that morning.

However, because we're having a banquet at noon, we'll close at 11:30. As for the elderly and children, they're all at home because of the banquet.

The two older children were doing their homework when Changchang called Kang Kang out to play soccer with him.

Kang Kang looked at Yan Yan, who had sneaked off to play in the neighboring courtyard, and dared not say a word of anger. He could only patiently play with his little cousin, who often missed his kicks.

Only then did Mr. Fang find an opportunity to ask his son, "With housing prices so high in Japan, why do you want to buy one?"

Now I'm almost a million in debt!

Originally, Fang's father was unaware of this expense. It was terrifying! Fang Mingche didn't want his father to keep asking him questions. But then, two people in the front office were using the restroom and talking about it while washing their hands. He happened to be squatting in there too, and that's when he overheard them!

He didn't usually go to the toilet in front of the building. He just happened to be walking nearby that day and went in to relieve himself when he needed to. Otherwise, no one would have told him.

When asked this question, Fang Mingche said, "If you rent it out year after year, the rent will be just as much. It's better to buy it. With a five-year mortgage, the pressure of paying it off after five years won't be so great."

Mr. Fang frowned deeply. “Five years, nearly a million, plus interest. That’s at least 200,000 to pay back each year. What’s more, you’re planning to open another shop and a travel agency, right? I even heard you say that opening just one shop in New York isn’t enough, you can open one anywhere with a large Chinatown.”

Fang Mingche had no choice but to say, "Dad, Tokyo's housing prices are going up. They've been developing real estate heavily these past two years, building skyscrapers one after another. This means the real estate market is about to boom, and I'm just going to hitch a ride on it."

Not only housing, but once he has enough space, he also wants to buy office buildings.

Mr. Fang asked, "What is a detached house?"

"It's a detached villa. Like the one Nobita's family lives in in the anime, with an upstairs and downstairs house and a yard. Now that I've bought the house, you and Mom can get your passports and visas and fly over to take a look. It's only a three-hour flight from the capital to Tokyo. Give your household registration book to Han Mei and have her take care of it for you. When you need to sign anything, just go and sign it, and then you can go with a tour group to Tokyo. I trust our own tour guide."

He thought for a moment, "How about we arrange for my father-in-law and mother-in-law to go and have a look too? Anyway, once you've seen it, you probably won't think it's not worth spending money to buy a house in Tokyo right now."

It's not a good idea to take your parents-in-law on a trip during the Chinese New Year, but it's something you can arrange at other times. Try to treat them equally.

Mr. and Mrs. Fang were somewhat tempted. In the past, they had food and a place to stay; the main expense was airfare.

Fang's mother asked, "With so many of us coming, will there be enough room for everyone?"

"There are four rooms upstairs and downstairs, enough to accommodate everyone. The others can move to two rooms temporarily." It's one room for men and one room for women. The tour guide is leading the group to a hotel, not to stay there.

Mr. Fang said, "No, you owe so much debt, and you still arrange for the four of us old folks to travel abroad?"

"It's not a recent debt."

Gao Xiang's figure flashed past the door on his bicycle, while Xiao Xie sat on the back seat holding a baby in swaddling clothes.

Since they were hosting, they definitely had to arrive early. A little while later, they arrived and were led to Boss Cui's courtyard. Xie Ping had previously bought a lot of peanuts and melon seeds and had also ordered fruit from Zhu Dahai and Hu Yong.

Mrs. Gao was bedridden for many years, and there was always a musty smell in the house. It was really not a suitable place to entertain guests.

Frankly speaking, if Grandpa Gu had the autonomy to decide who to rent the house to, he probably wouldn't want to rent it to a patient like Mrs. Gao. There's always a faint smell of medicine in the courtyard.

The other neighbors didn't have a choice, and besides, they'd all lived together for so many years. That's why no one complained.

Mr. Fang said, "I heard that Xiao Gao and Xiao Xie are also looking at houses?"

"Yes, Gao Xiang's income is not bad. And renting a place long-term isn't a good idea."

As far as Lin Yan knew, the couple were discussing whether to buy a two-bedroom or a three-bedroom apartment. Xie Ping probably wanted to continue living separately as they were now, so a two-bedroom apartment would be fine.

Gao Xiang wanted to settle for a three-bedroom apartment right away.

Mr. Fang said, "But it's not something that can be paid for all at once, is it?"

“Dad, you forgot? The travel agency offers a loan program for buying a house, which can help you raise some money. Gao Xiang is a veteran who has been with us since the beginning, and he will be three years old next month.”

Otherwise, the couple wouldn't have put buying a house on their agenda.

Mr. Fang remembered this matter and made two "oh" sounds. He had originally wanted to say something to his youngest son, asking why he bought so many houses. But then he thought about it, and it seemed that none of them were actually idle. If the long-term rental income was about the same as buying them, he would indeed prefer to buy them.

He hadn't anticipated the surge in housing prices, as he'd never experienced it before. He was just struck by the sheer scale of price differences across regions!
Lin Yan was naturally delighted to hear that her parents could also get visas to go to Japan.

However, will my father be willing to take a long leave of absence if he has to work? How about going during the Lunar New Year? But it's so cold in Japan then. It wouldn't be good to keep my in-laws waiting, so maybe we could split into two groups?

She'll go over there this afternoon and talk to them. It's definitely reassuring to go with our own tour guide. Even if she doesn't speak Japanese, it's okay; the staff there can act as translators.

Seeing that it was almost time, the Fang family also headed towards Boss Cui's courtyard.

Xie Ping put her son in the stroller until he fell asleep, and then she and Gao Xiang greeted the guests. This stroller had been used by Changchang, and Lin Yan had given it to little Gao Yu.

As for Lin Yi's child, she still kept one for him. Changchang has slept in more than one stroller.

"Uncle Fang, Aunt Fang, please have a seat!"

Xie Ting helped Gao's mother over. Gao's mother was probably in high spirits because of the happy occasion; she was in great energy and spirits today.

Xie Ting, on the other hand, looked somewhat tired. Taking care of an elderly patient who is bedridden for most of the year is no easy task.

Xie Ping used to live at home, and she could lend a hand with many things. Gao Xiang could also help a lot. Now, Gao's mother keeps saying, "You just need to take good care of my grandson."

The people in the courtyard gossiped behind her back, saying that Xie Ting had been brought back to her old ways. "After all, we brought you to the city to take care of the sick. If you hadn't caused all that trouble, your life would have been easier. And since you had no other choice, why offend your sister, who was like a benefactor to you?"
Old Zhou and his wife, however, felt a pang of sadness upon seeing Xie Ting. Yingzi was in a similar situation in America. If her great-uncle passed away, her cousins ​​wouldn't take her in. She would then have to rely on a travel agency for shelter. And Yingzi's great-uncle's health was failing.

Therefore, when Lao Zhou was threatened last time, Ming Che dared not speak out against it. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to refuse to accept Yingzi as a contract employee, even if he didn't fire Lingzi.

Parents would certainly worry about having a beautiful, eighteen-year-old daughter who becomes an unregistered resident. Especially since Lingzi's two-year overseas assignment only has a little over half a year left.

When her sister is no longer in the United States, her situation will be even more difficult. She'll really be relying entirely on Fang Mingche's help because of Lingzi.

After lunch, Fang Mingche took out the books he had brought and read them in the small courtyard. Lin Yan then drove back to her parents' home with her children.

"Go to Tokyo?" Lin's mother and father were stunned.

Lin Yan also didn't want to listen to the elders' nagging, so she didn't mention that her family had bought another house in Tokyo. She also told Han Mei and Lin Yi not to tell them when they got home.

Only then did she tell the whole story.

Mr. Lin immediately asked, "How much more do you owe this time? Houses in Tokyo must be very expensive, right?"

"60."

"What? 60?" Lin's father was so shocked that he stood up abruptly.

Lin Yi wasn't home today; he was working part-time as a driver leading a tour group. His attitude has improved a lot lately—he's just a little more smiling, speaks more politely, and is more patient. Normally, people don't bother the driver much; they mostly rely on the tour guide.

As for Han Mei, she went back to her parents' home in the morning. She's home now. She chimed in, "Dad, the main problem is that we have to rent a place. Rather than renting long-term, we might as well buy one."

Sigh, I never expected that my parents would be the ones to go abroad for vacation first. Since my brother-in-law suggested it, he must have covered all the expenses.

Mr. Lin said, "Do we have to buy so many things at once? We still have debts to pay off. Can't we be a little more cautious?"

"Tokyo property prices have risen quite well in the last two years, and they're really investing heavily in real estate. They're bound to keep rising. If you don't buy now, it'll only get more expensive later. Property prices are on an upward trend right now, and if things don't go well, you can always resell," Lin Yan said.

Han Mei had handled quite a few things and had a good grasp of the travel agency's profitability. This amount of money wasn't too much for her brother-in-law! He could pay back a million in two or three years.

However, she kept her mouth shut. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to stay in that position.

She said, "Yes, buy before the housing prices skyrocket. Dad, Mom, my eldest sister came back to ask if you want to go to Tokyo. If you are going, when are you going? Are you going to leave now with Uncle Fang and Aunt Fang, or wait until the New Year?"

Lin's mother thought for a moment, "Old man, would you be willing to take twelve days off? If so, then go with your in-laws. I saw on TV that winters in Japan are also very cold. Besides, if you go together, you can keep each other company, and Ayan and Mingche won't have to worry about you this once."

Now that the TV station has imported a few Japanese films for her to watch, she has some understanding of them, and that's why she's quite interested in going.

Besides, the factory doesn't really need her old man that much. He's just a level 5 technician. But she couldn't say that directly, or she'd get angry.

When Lin Yan mentioned it privately, she said, "Your dad is already 50. He could actually retire. He could sell his job; the regular salary in Beijing is now over a thousand."

(End of this chapter)