Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 171 New Currency Issued, Wedding Approaching (9k)

As everyone gradually dispersed and went home, Jia Dongxu followed them to Yi Zhonghai's house.

"Master, Li Hongbing is too arrogant now. No one could do anything to him before, but now he has received an award from the district and is favored by Director Wang and Director Yang. Isn't he going to turn the place upside down in the hospital from now on?"

As soon as he entered, Jia Dongxu began to complain in a very unpleasant manner.

"Don't say things like that again."

Hearing what his apprentice Jia Dongxu had just said, Yi Zhonghai sighed deeply and said helplessly, "Since you also know that Li Hongbing is not someone to be trifled with right now, you should be more restrained in the future and not cause trouble for yourself, lest you bring disaster upon yourself with your words."

With the two directors of the subdistrict office valuing him, and even the district commending Li Hongbing, Yi Zhonghai, who was already no match for him, had even less motivation to cause trouble for Li Hongbing.

Jia Dongxu had clearly suffered more than once at Li Hongbing's hands before, and seeing his still unconvinced attitude, it seemed he hadn't learned his lesson. Yi Zhonghai had no choice but to remind and warn him.

If the deaf old woman hadn't fallen this time, she might have even solidified her status as a national hero and a family member of a martyr, giving them the leverage to fight Li Hongbing again.

but now.

The deaf old woman has ended up in this situation; it's already a miracle that they weren't implicated.

"Master, I know, but I'm just feeling uncomfortable."

Jia Dongxu felt even more aggrieved after being warned by Yi Zhonghai for simply expressing his dissatisfaction.

Jia Dongxu knew that Li Hongbing was not someone to be trifled with, but deep down he just couldn't stand seeing Li Hongbing so smug.

"So what if I feel uncomfortable?"

Yi Zhonghai glanced at his apprentice and couldn't help but say, "Isn't it better than making trouble for ourselves and letting Li Hongbing cause us trouble?"

It's not like we're three-year-olds who are pampered and spoiled. There aren't that many things that go exactly as we wish.

If they really wanted to cause trouble, Li Hongbing wouldn't hold back.

"Master, Li Hongbing received a reward for reporting the old lady, and we also reported her, so why didn't we get one?"

Knowing that Yi Zhonghai had a point, Jia Dongxu didn't argue further. However, he was somewhat resentful and said with dissatisfaction, "The fact that the people from the street office and the police station were able to find so many large and small yellow croakers from the old lady is all thanks to us."

Jia Dongxu felt this was very unfair.

As for the other people, well, the police station and the neighborhood committee already had information about the reports made after the incident.

But without their reports and reminders, the deaf old woman's wealth might not have been discovered so quickly.

The thought of so many gold bars being confiscated by the neighborhood committee and police station filled Jia Dongxu with regret.

If he had known earlier that the deaf old woman had so many gold bars, he might have secretly taken them.

Three large yellow croakers and five small yellow croakers!

That's equivalent to how many years of his salary?
"Dongxu, given our situation, it's good enough that we haven't made any mistakes, how can we be thinking about anything else..."

Everyone wants credit and honor, but Yi Zhonghai was quite helpless and could only say such things.

Yi Zhonghai hadn't actually expected the deaf old woman to have those gold bars. He had only guessed that the old woman's background was unusual and that she had a lot of money to save for her funeral, but he never imagined there would be so many.

Their reporting of the deaf elderly woman and their public distancing from her were desperate measures taken to protect themselves.

Because of this incident, their reputation in the courtyard house has plummeted once again.

From a moral standpoint, no one would say anything if others reported the deaf old woman, but they are the ones who are easily criticized.

Over the years, who in the nursing home doesn't know about their relationship with the deaf old woman?
They're basically no different from a family now.

At this moment, stepping forward and stabbing the deaf old woman in the back can be described as putting the greater good before family, but to put it bluntly, it's a betrayal.

But Yi Zhonghai and his group still did it.

Given the deaf old woman's condition, no one would want to be related to her; whoever gets involved with her is doomed.

As for the deaf old woman's house being ransacked, even if Yi Zhonghai hadn't mentioned it, it was bound to happen sooner or later, and it wasn't really a great achievement.

Yi Zhonghai was aware of this.

"Master, do we still have a chance with the old lady's house?"

Seeing that Yi Zhonghai was unwilling to claim credit, Jia Dongxu wisely refrained from further persuasion and instead asked the question that concerned him most.

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai's face darkened, and he said irritably, "Dongxu, what time is it? You're still thinking about the old lady's house? Don't you value your life?"

At this point, everyone who had been close to the deaf old woman was on edge and wanted to sever all ties with her. Jia Dongxu, however, actually took the initiative to get closer to her for the sake of a house.

“Master, I have no choice! We only have one room in our house. Originally, we had two rooms, one inside and one outside, which was enough to live in. But now that we have Bang Geng, the situation is a little better for now. But when Bang Geng gets a little bigger, we won’t have enough room in the house.”

Jia Dongxu complained with a worried face, and then said, "My mother and I discussed it. The old lady's house has been seized by the neighborhood committee and will be confiscated. It will have nothing to do with the old lady anymore. My mother's idea is to apply for it from the neighborhood committee."

"This one……"

Hearing Jia Dongxu say this, Yi Zhonghai calmed down instead.

Previously, Yi Zhonghai had not thought about these things.

The main issue is that he doesn't lack housing, and right now he's in a hurry to distance himself from the deaf old woman, so who has time to think about housing?

After pondering for a moment, Yi Zhonghai hesitated and said, "Logically speaking, the factory is responsible for allocating housing. I really don't know whether the street office will solve this problem."

Once things calm down, I'll help you look into it. Don't think about it for now. We can discuss the house issue more thoroughly later…

Given Jia Dongxu's current situation, it's clear that he has little chance of applying to the factory for a larger apartment.

The penalty of Jia Dongxu's salary reduction has not been lifted yet. Even if he applies for a reduction, the factory will not give it priority, or it will be rejected outright.

Moreover, the steel mill in this compound does not have any extra buildings, and the deaf old woman's room at the back does not belong to the steel mill.

If Jia Dongxu does indeed get a bigger house, he certainly won't be living in this courtyard house anymore, which is clearly an outcome that Yi Zhonghai would never want to see.

Compared to trust, Yi Zhonghai values ​​interests and control more. If Jia Dongxu and the others stop living in this courtyard, he definitely won't be able to feel at ease.

However, this subdistrict office has only been established for a short time. They don't know whether the confiscated houses will be rented out, redistributed, allocated to new residents, or open to eligible applicants. They also don't know what the eligibility criteria are.

“Master, you’d better hurry. We’re not the only ones in this courtyard with a housing shortage. We don’t want someone else to get there first.”

Faced with Yi Zhonghai's statement, Jia Dongxu couldn't help but urge him on.

Yi Zhonghai was somewhat depressed.

Jia Dongxu wanted the deaf old woman's house, but instead of being proactive and putting in any effort, he pushed everything onto his master, as if it were all his responsibility, which made him somewhat uncomfortable.

They are master and disciple, but we can't treat him like a donkey and dump all sorts of problems on him!
"Dongxu, you should also pay close attention to this matter. After the old lady's situation is resolved, find someone from the neighborhood committee to find out what happened..."

……

Three days later.

This day happened to be the weekend, a day of rest for most people.

Obvious.

Li Hongbing did not ask for leave to come back because of this.

The fate of the deaf old woman is sealed; how tragic her end may be, is no longer of any importance to Li Hongbing.

When Li Hongbing returned in the evening, he heard some information from Yan Bugui about the deaf old woman. What caught his attention were Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu, who had "contributed the most."

"Sigh, that Yi Zhonghai..."

Yan Bugui sighed, shook his head to himself, and said nothing more.

"It's just dogs fighting each other. This deaf old woman and Yi Zhonghai are not good people to begin with."

Yan Bugui was afraid of offending Yi Zhonghai, but Li Hongbing had no such scruples and started complaining directly.

If it weren't for the incident involving the deaf old woman, Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu would probably still be acting as her dutiful sons and grandsons!

The so-called feelings and relationship between them is a joke.

However, it must be admitted that Yi Zhonghai finally made a smart move this time.

However, the deaf old lady's matter is too big. Even if Yi Zhonghai were no longer the manager of the hospital, he still couldn't cover it up.

Whenever he did that, Li Hongbing would readily help him get in, so that he could keep the deaf old woman company.

Even if I can't eat peanuts, my life is over.

Yan Bugui did not disagree with Li Hongbing's assessment, but since he had no personal grudge against Yi Zhonghai, he did not offer any words of agreement, even though he wanted to curry favor with Li Hongbing.

There was no further news about the deaf old woman in the entire courtyard, but everyone already knew the answer in their hearts.

When Director Wang and his team came last time, they announced the outcome of the case against the deaf old woman. Next, they'll just have to eat peanuts. Besides, the deaf old woman doesn't have any relatives or family members in the courtyard.

Even Yi Zhonghai and his wife, who had previously taken care of the deaf old woman, had long since reported her and severed ties with her, so they were clearly not in this category. Therefore, the execution results would not be sent here.

The year has passed in the blink of an eye.

In February, news spread that a new RMB banknote would be issued in March.

The second set of RMB banknotes is coming.

From then on, until before the reform and opening up, and even for a long time after the opening up, it was difficult to find items costing tens of thousands of yuan.

"Hongbing, have you heard that the government is going to issue new RMB banknotes?"

That day, Li Hongbing had just returned from outside when Yan Bugui said to him, "Before you came back, the people from the street office came to the courtyard for a meeting. They said that starting from the first of next month, new RMB will be issued. One yuan of the new RMB will be equivalent to 10,000 yuan of our current currency. We will have to go to the bank to exchange the old RMB for the new RMB. Otherwise, by May at the latest, the old RMB will no longer be valid and will all become worthless."

“Uncle Yan, I know about this. It was in the newspaper. I learned about it this morning at the restaurant.”

After Fengzeyuan became a joint public-private enterprise, another reform was implemented, which involved subscribing to many newspapers to encourage everyone to read and study. When he wasn't busy, Li Hongbing would flip through the newspapers to learn about current events and related policy announcements.

Even though Li Hongbing has the advantage of being prescient, his understanding of this era is still lacking.

Apart from some special sources, newspapers are clearly the most convenient and direct channel for obtaining all kinds of information.

By corroborating these facts with what Li Hongbing already knew, it was clear that he could make better judgments and responses.

The issuance of the second set of RMB banknotes had little impact on Li Hongbing personally, but for the country, it was clearly a crucial monetary system reform.

This signifies the first time the country has established a complete sovereign currency system, ending the chaos of inflation and reshaping the current economic order. It plays a crucial strategic role in stabilizing prices, restoring industry and agriculture, and managing fiscal revenue and expenditure.

This currency reform can be considered a milestone in China's monetary history.

"Sigh, if this 10,000 becomes 1, I don't know what will happen then. I always feel empty and uneasy."

Because Li Hongbing was absent from the academy-wide meeting tonight, Yan Bugui conveyed these contents to Li Hongbing separately, and at the same time, he couldn't help but worry: "We don't know whether this new RMB issuance is good or bad for us ordinary people."

"Uncle Yan, your worries are clearly unnecessary."

Seeing Yan Bugui's worried expression, Li Hongbing smiled and said directly, "I think the people from the street office who came to the meeting should have already explained it clearly. Next time, 10,000 will become 1 yuan. It seems like less money, but the prices will definitely be adjusted accordingly. Things will be cheaper then, but in reality, it's the same."

Take this 85 powder for example. Right now, it costs 1,840 yuan per jin (500g). But when the new currency is used, it will cost 18.4 yuan per jin.

The money spent is the same as before, only the unit of measurement has changed. Others may not understand this yet, but as a teacher, Uncle Yan, you surely understand, right?

"I understand that principle, but in my heart..."

As Yan Bugui spoke, he couldn't help but sigh.

Seeing that even Yan Bugui was like this, Li Hongbing had no choice but to give up.

The first currency change since the founding of the People's Republic of China will certainly have some impact.

Moreover, this time, it's a change from ten thousand to one yuan, so it's hard to avoid the public having all sorts of thoughts and concerns, even though the street office has already carried out publicity work in advance to prepare for the upcoming issuance of the new RMB.

……

The next night.

Li Hongbing went directly to Chen Xueru's silk shop.

By this time, the shop assistants and master tailors of the silk shop had already gone home.

"Come on, let's go upstairs!"

As soon as Li Hongbing entered, Chen Xueru, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately closed the door and spoke to Li Hongbing impatiently.

Chen Xueru's sudden action stunned Li Hongbing.

They are less than a year away from getting their marriage certificate. Isn't Chen Xueru a bit too eager?
at the same time.

Seeing Li Hongbing standing there in a daze, Chen Xueru was also stunned for a moment. Then she realized that Li Hongbing must have misunderstood. She immediately stretched out her small hand, made a fist, and gently punched Li Hongbing.

"What are you thinking about that's so inappropriate? I have something important to tell you, so stop thinking about nonsense."

Chen Xueru blushed and gave Li Hongbing a coquettish look.

They've been dating for two years, how could she not know Li Hongbing, and how could she not see through his intentions?

"What nonsense! I didn't do that. You're the one being indecent!"

"Li Hongbing, you... ah~"

Just as Chen Xueru was about to argue with Li Hongbing, Li Hongbing smiled, grabbed Chen Xueru's soft little hand, and pulled her into his arms.

Li Hongbing's sudden action caught Chen Xueru off guard, and she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

But when Chen Xueru looked up at Li Hongbing and felt his strong and powerful chest, her heart suddenly raced and her legs went weak.

"No~, let's wait until we get our marriage certificate, then... then we can do that..."

Upon hearing Chen Xueru say this, Li Hongbing couldn't help but ask with a playful tone, "Which one?"

"That's it..."

Before Chen Xueru could finish speaking, Li Hongbing lowered his head and gently kissed her. When he looked up at Chen Xueru, she was already limp and collapsed against him.

"How are you? Can you stand up?"

Looking at Chen Xueru, who was lying on top of him with her face as red as a ripe apple, Li Hongbing couldn't help but tease her, "Chen Xueru, were you thinking something inappropriate just now?" As soon as Li Hongbing said this, Chen Xueru immediately realized that she had been teased by him.

Feeling extremely embarrassed and angry, Chen Xueru, after regaining some strength, secretly reached out to pinch the soft flesh on Li Hongbing's waist.

As it turned out, Li Hongbing was prepared and grabbed her hand as she was about to do something naughty.

"Stop fooling around, I really have important business to attend to today!"

Knowing she couldn't do anything to Li Hongbing, Chen Xueru could only change the subject, giving him a slightly coquettish glare.

Seeing this, Li Hongbing stopped teasing her.

Once they reached the room upstairs, Chen Xueru explained the reason why she had specifically invited Li Hongbing over that day.

"You want to exchange it for gold bars?"

Li Hongbing was somewhat surprised to learn that Chen Xueru had specifically sent a staff member to the restaurant during the day to ask him to come over after get off work that evening to discuss this matter.

With her gaze fixed on Li Hongbing, Chen Xueru took the initiative to explain, "The new currency is about to be issued, and many merchants on the street are feeling uneasy. They've all taken their money to exchange for gold bars. The black market price has risen quite a bit in the last two days. I'm a bit undecided, so I wanted to discuss this matter with you and hear your opinion."

"Don't overthink it. Issuing a new coin isn't a bad thing. Don't let outside influences affect you. You said that the price of gold has gone up now, so it's not worth exchanging it right now. Besides, the black market is risky. Even if there were a safer channel, I don't think it's necessary."

Gold has always been a hard currency, regardless of the era. Li Hongbing understands Chen Xueru's idea, but as Li Hongbing said, it is not a good choice right now.

Not long after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the government brought gold and silver under control, prohibiting their free buying, selling, and circulation.

Currently, the channels for purchasing gold bars are limited and non-market-based. The only legal channels are the People's Bank of China and state-owned commercial banks. Only government agencies and industrial enterprises can purchase them, and their use is limited to industrial raw materials or national strategic reserves. Personal investment is not permitted.

Individuals, except for specific foreign exchange holders or those with marriage needs, can apply to purchase foreign exchange, but they must provide proof of the source of the foreign exchange or proof of their employer's involvement. They are also prohibited from secondary transactions and can only have their foreign exchange returned or exchanged by banks.

Of course.

This does not mean that gold has lost its value.

It is still recognized and circulated among the general public, but it has become an underground transaction.

Buying gold bars at this time is not just a matter of risk; according to Chen Xueru, it already constitutes buying at a high price.

The key issue is that domestic gold prices have long been controlled by the state, limiting actual market transactions. Furthermore, prices are fixed and not aligned with international standards, meaning there was little room for price increases until before the reform and opening up.

"Gold is valued in times of chaos, antiques in times of prosperity"—have you heard this saying before?

Li Hongbing looked at Chen Xueru and continued to explain: "The current domestic environment is quite stable. Moreover, in the past two years, the country has been increasingly strict in its control over the market. When have you ever seen a situation of soaring prices and chaos?"
Those people outside are just scaring themselves. Just keep going step by step and don't let anything affect you.

"How about we stock up on some antiques?"

Upon hearing Li Hongbing's words, Chen Xueru suddenly had a brilliant idea and immediately had another thought.

Upon hearing this, Li Hongbing retorted speechlessly, "Do you even know anything about antique collecting? This industry is incredibly complex, and I was just giving you an example. You'd better not try anything funny with your little brain."

In this day and age, collecting antiques is not as practical as hoarding gold.

Antiques are cheap now, and the authenticity rate is high, so they will definitely skyrocket in price in the future.

Li Hongbing has a system space, so even when the wind blows, he is not afraid that his collection of antiques will be damaged during this period.

But here's the thing.

By the time the antique market booms, many years will have passed.

It's better to wait patiently for the reform and opening up to arrive. At that time, there will be business opportunities everywhere. As long as you have capital and connections, how can you not worry about making money?
Even if he's not the richest man in the world, he'll definitely be wealthy for life.

And as Li Hongbing just said, this industry is fraught with difficulties.

If you don't know the ropes, you might fall headfirst into it and never be able to get out.

"Alright then, I'll do as you say!"

Although Chen Xueru is shrewd and opinionated in business, Li Hongbing's analysis and grasp of the current situation also impressed her, so she still values ​​Li Hongbing's opinions quite a bit.

Otherwise, Chen Xueru wouldn't have waited for Li Hongbing to help her make a decision.

With March 1st approaching.

On the day the new currency was issued, Li Hongbing took a day off.

It's not that he has a lot of money to exchange; in fact, he's penniless right now. He spent almost all his money to stockpile supplies, which saves him the trouble of exchanging them.

Throughout last year, apart from cotton cloth and cotton textiles, only oil was included in the unified sales and purchase system. Other items were still unrestricted, making it the best time for Li Hongbing to stockpile supplies.

In all things considered, Li Hongbing's salary, plus the cash rewards he received for unlocking skills through system upgrades, is actually quite substantial.

For ordinary people, this is a huge sum of money.

But after all, he had to prepare supplies for the next twenty or thirty years, and it wasn't just for himself, so the amount of money spent was not small.

I took the day off today mainly to accompany Chen Xueru to the bank to exchange for new currency.

Compared to Chen Xueru, Li Hongbing's achievements are nothing.

Although Chen Xueru is now just a small business owner, the silk shop's business and profits are quite good. Moreover, this is an ancestral business of the Chen family, and they have accumulated a lot of wealth in the past. Although it is not all in cash, the cash is obviously considerable.

This morning.

Li Hongbing then went to the Chen family home and picked up Chen Xueru.

To make things easier and avoid attracting attention, Chen Xueru specially changed to a larger handbag, which was filled to the brim with cash.

It has to be said that the Chen family is quite wealthy, which explains why Chen Xueru was thinking of exchanging her assets for gold bars.

If Li Hongbing were a bad person, given Chen Xueru's unconditional, love-struck trust in him, she probably wouldn't have been able to keep all that money.

As a merchant, Chen Xueru actually has a dedicated exchange channel, unlike ordinary people. After all, the amount is much larger, which would affect efficiency. It is also for privacy and protection reasons.

“Red Soldier, let’s go to the tavern first, and then to the bank.”

Just as Li Hongbing was about to take Chen Xueru directly to the bank to exchange for new currency, Chen Xueru suddenly spoke up: "I promised Huizhen yesterday that I would go to the bank to exchange for new currency today. I'll take her with me. Besides, I'm worried that something might happen to her on the way, since she's a woman going alone."

"Such an important matter, why isn't her husband going?"

Upon hearing this, Li Hongbing instinctively asked.

The Huizhen that Chen Xueru mentioned is naturally Xu Huizhen, another female protagonist in the tavern.

Now it has officially entered 1955, and Xu Huizhen has married He Yongqiang and entered the tavern, becoming Old Man He's daughter-in-law.

This happened before the Lunar New Year.

Li Hongbing hadn't paid much attention to these things before; he only learned about them recently when he saw Chen Xueru and Xu Huizhen chatting and laughing in the store.

Li Hongbing never considered the idea of ​​stealing her away, since he already had Chen Xueru.

In this era, the blessing of having multiple wives and concubines is not so easy to enjoy; for ordinary people, achieving this is not a simple matter.

Moreover, it would be quite difficult to get either the passionate and outspoken Chen Xueru or the stubborn Xu Huizhen to accept the idea of ​​two women sharing one husband.

Li Hongbing's relationship with Chen Xueru is progressing smoothly and stably. He is quite satisfied with the current situation and is unwilling to go through all the trouble and make a fuss over Xu Huizhen, whom he has never met.

As for how Chen Xueru and Xu Huizhen became friends, it's not surprising. After all, the silk shop and the tavern are on the same street and not far apart. Chen's father even had a past relationship with Old Man He from the tavern.

In the tavern, Chen Xueru and Xu Huizhen are rivals and friends who love and hate each other, and cherish each other.

However, Old Man He hasn't died yet, He Yongqiang hasn't run away, and Xu Huizhen hasn't taken over the tavern business. Chen Xueru and she have obviously become close friends.

"Don't mention that inhuman thing to me!"

"Old He has to take care of the tavern's business and can't leave, so he entrusted Huizhen with such an important matter as exchanging new currency."

"Originally, Old Man He's plan was for He Yongqiang to accompany Xu Huizhen."

"As a result, He Yongqiang felt that Old Man He didn't entrust this matter to him directly because Old Man He didn't trust him, so he acted like a child and threw a tantrum, refusing to go with him no matter what..."

"Huizhen, marrying such a husband is truly the worst luck imaginable. Fortunately, her father-in-law, Old Man He, treats her quite well."

"..."

Listening to Chen Xueru's complaints, Li Hongbing smiled helplessly but did not respond.

Speaking of He Yongqiang and Xu Huizhen, the situation isn't complicated, but it's a bit eccentric.

Old Man He had no sons. He Yongqiang was adopted by Old Man He from his younger brother. The relationship between the father and son was okay, but their affection was only so-so.

When Xu Huizhen went on a blind date with He Yongqiang, she twisted her ankle, so she asked her cousin Xu Huizhi to stand in for her. As a result, He Yongqiang took a liking to her at first sight, and Xu Huizhi also hit it off with He Yongqiang.

however.

Old Man He clearly had his eye on Xu Huizhen as his daughter-in-law. In order to get He Yongqiang to marry her, they conspired to make He Yongqiang believe that Xu Huizhi was dead, and thus facilitated their marriage.

That was a brilliant move; even in later generations, playing like that would be considered incredibly skillful.

What followed was truly absurd and dramatic.

Although He Yongqiang hasn't left yet, he has already laid the groundwork for future troubles. At the same time, he is not satisfied with his wife, Xu Huizhen, and the couple's relationship is not harmonious.

The exchange of new currency today is actually just one example of the many disharmonious events.

Not a moment later.

Li Hongbing rode his bicycle to the small tavern on Qianmen Street, and Xu Huizhen obviously noticed their arrival and came out of the tavern in advance.

"Huizhen, that bastard really won't come with you?"

Chen Xueru, who clearly regarded Xu Huizhen as a close friend, couldn't help but feel angry when she saw Xu Huizhen standing alone outside.

"The shop is busy and needs help, but I can go by myself."

Xu Huizhen, clearly mindful of saving face for He Yongqiang and his father-in-law, explained directly.

"What could possibly be happening so early in the morning..."

The outspoken Chen Xueru clearly wanted to complain and expose him, but after Li Hongbing glanced at her and knew what he meant, she shut her mouth in frustration.

Even Xu Huizhen herself didn't say anything about this. No matter how good Chen Xueru's relationship with her was or how much she felt sorry for her, it was ultimately their own family matter.

Outsiders have no right to meddle in other people's family affairs.

Noticing their actions, Xu Huizhen couldn't help but show a hint of envy on her face.

Although Li Hongbing and Chen Xueru have not yet registered their marriage, their relationship is more harmonious and intimate than that of many married couples.

Despite Chen Xueru's usually bold and decisive personality, she becomes like a docile and obedient kitten in front of Li Hongbing.

Out of politeness, Li Hongbing greeted Xu Huizhen. Seeing that she didn't have a bicycle, he said, "I see that the currency exchange points around here aren't far. Why don't we walk there?"

Although his old bicycle could carry people in the front, it was obviously not suitable to carry both Chen Xueru and Xu Huizhen at the same time.

Chen Xueru is my girlfriend, so it doesn't matter what I do.

However, Xu Huizhen was a married woman after all. Even if Li Hongbing didn't care, he still had to consider her reputation to avoid gossip.

"Okay, then let's treat it as a walk."

Chen Xueru nodded and got off the bicycle.

at the same time.

Xu Huizhen clearly realized something as well, and couldn't help but feel more favorably toward Li Hongbing.

Xu Huizhen and Li Hongbing had only met a few times before, and they weren't very close. If it weren't for Chen Xueru, they wouldn't even know each other.

On the way to the bank, Chen Xueru and Xu Huizhen did most of the talking, while Li Hongbing rarely spoke and seemed rather taciturn.

Since it was inconvenient for Li Hongbing to join in the conversation between the two women, he simply remained silent.

Upon arrival, whether it was because we arrived early or for some other reason, there was a long queue for individuals exchanging new currency, while the area for merchants exchanging currency was noticeably quieter.

Because there were few people, the process went very smoothly.

After exchanging the new currency, Li Hongbing and Chen Xueru took Xu Huizhen back home before returning to the Chen family home.

At noon, Li Hongbing naturally stayed for lunch, but the person who cooked was not him, but Chen's mother.

Although Li Hongbing was a good cook, Chen's mother felt sorry for her future son-in-law and didn't want him to work there. However, under Li Hongbing's guidance over the past two years, she had also improved her cooking skills and the food she made was quite delicious.

Along with Chen Xueru, who had never lifted a finger in the kitchen before, she also learned some things and was no longer a complete novice in the kitchen.

This wasn't something Li Hongbing asked him to do; Chen Xueru volunteered to learn it herself.

"Hongbing, you'll be twenty after New Year's Day this year, right?"

During the meal, Chen's mother suddenly spoke up and asked this question.

"Yes!"

Li Hongbing nodded.

And this moment.

Both Li Hongbing and Chen Xueru clearly realized what Chen's mother wanted to express.

As Chen Xueru lowered her head shyly, Chen's mother looked at Li Hongbing seriously and said in a seemingly ordinary tone, "After that day, you and Xueru can go and get your marriage certificate. It will fulfill your Uncle Chen's last wish before he passed away."

Over the course of two years, Chen's mother had come to regard Li Hongbing as her son-in-law and family member. She was even more eager for them to get married than Chen Xueru was.

"Aunt Chen, I have no problem with it, it just depends on what Xue Ru thinks."

"What else could I be thinking? I've been longing to see you for ages."

"Mom~~"

"What's there to be shy about? You'll be a couple sooner or later."

"..."

(End of this chapter)