My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]-Chapter 161

Commenting on housing allocation, the process moves pretty quickly indeed.

While the Fan family and Guan Guiling haven't sorted out their issues, Zhuang Zhiyuan has already started selecting a house. Just as they anticipated, Zhuang Zhiyuan is near the bottom of the list, leaving him with very few choices.

It was practically a given that his family would have to settle for a top-floor unit.

This time, there are six buildings in total, each featuring six homes per floor. The last remaining units are the ones nobody really wants near the top floor restrooms. Those at the end of the list have no choice but to pick by the restroom entrance. The corridor and restrooms aren't inside the apartments but at the end of the hallway, with a communal kitchen on one side and a communal restroom on the other. The apartments are about thirty-five square meters each. Given Zhuang Zhiyuan's position on the list, he had no choice but to take the spot by the restroom.

That means the last six people have no options; they're inevitably at the top floor by the restroom. In fact, it might be a stretch to say anyone from the last ten to twenty positions has a choice, since nobody wants to be by the restroom. Some would rather opt for the fifth floor even though they could choose the sixth, just to avoid being near the restroom.

The later you are, the fewer choices you have.

Everyone faces the same predicament.

Yet, even with the disadvantage of being by the restroom, those who get allocated a house are still thrilled, as there are far more people without housing. Who knows when the next allocation will be? Take Zhuang Zhiyuan, for instance. He graduated high school and started working on the railway as a proud conductor, and it's been close to a decade now. In all that time, they've only had three housing allocations—the first when he started, the second six years ago, and this one.

If the next allocation is another five or six years away, Zhuang Zhiyuan certainly hopes to be included. Others feel the same—even a place by the restroom is better than having no house at all. Who knows when the next opportunity will come?

These days, every household struggles with a lack of living space!

Zhuang Zhiyuan led the whole family to view the place, all of them huffing and puffing as they climbed to the sixth floor. This area consists entirely of six-story buildings. Given how busy everyone is, it's a good thing no tech enthusiasts were around, or they might have taken a break halfway up those steep staircases, which are much steeper than those built in the '90s.

As they climbed, they passed by various homes, each maintained by their respective residents, most of whom are railway workers. Ming Mei's brother also lives in this building; he's somewhere in the middle but didn't opt for the second or third floor, settling instead for the first.

However, Ming Mei's brother hasn't moved in yet; the door remains locked. Ming Mei followed the group upstairs as Zhuang Zhiyuan unlocked the door and announced, "This is thirty-five square meters."

He gestured, "Come in and take a look."

Hutou glanced back, pursing his little lips as he said, "Dad, our new home is right by the restroom, huh?"

Zhuang Zhiyuan: "……"

Xiao Yanzi frowned, her big eyes watery. "It smells."

Little Tuantuan and Little Yuanyuan, who are often with their older siblings, immediately chimed in with their own baby sounds upon hearing Hutou and Xiao Yanzi. The two little ones waved their hands, almost hitting their father Zhuang Zhixi, who was carrying them.

Zhuang Zhixi: "Oh boy~"

He clicked his tongue, saying, "You two sure are…"

Little Tuantuan and Little Yuanyuan continued their babbling, drooling all over the place.

Ming Mei pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the kids' mouths, cooing, "Be good, now."

Little Yuanyuan beamed at her mother, outstretched her little arms, asking to be picked up.

Ming Mei remained firm, refusing, "Let your dad hold you."

It seemed Little Yuanyuan understood, or maybe she was just frustrated that her mother didn't pick her up, as she flailed her little fists and babbled indignantly.

Ming Mei wasn't the least bit swayed by the little one's tantrum. She turned and walked inside, where the whole family had gathered. There were eight of them in total, no, ten, counting Little Tuantuan and Little Yuanyuan.

With everyone inside, the space felt incredibly cramped. The apartment wasn't new; it had been around for a while, previously rented out by the street office. Now, due to various reasons, it had been reclaimed and allocated to the railway. The turnover period was short, so although it was empty, some garbage was still on the floor, giving the place a funky smell after being sealed up during the hot summer.

This wasn't unique to this apartment; the entire building had a similar odor. Sister Liang Meifen quickly opened the windows, muttering, "I thought apartments were supposed to be nice."

They had always been a bit enamored with the idea of living in apartments, but the reality was a cold splash of water. Not only was the space insufficient for the whole family, but being right across from the restroom was quite the downside.

Winter might be manageable, but summer? That's another story.

She looked around, noting that with one room and a living room, they'd barely have space to step if they sectioned off a room for the kids and bought some winter storage vegetables. Thinking of this, Sister Liang Meifen just kept shaking her head.

She didn't say much else, stepping out into the corridor's end, where the communal kitchen was. There were six stoves, one for each family, but clearly, six couldn't cook simultaneously; even three would be a squeeze.

She shook her head again and returned to the apartment, saying, "I thought living in an apartment was supposed to be great."

Not only did she feel this way, but even Hutou and Xiao Yanzi didn't like it.

They murmured, "Mom, it's not as good as our old place."

When you think about it, they didn't have a thirty-five-square-meter room there, but their home had multiple rooms, each their own space. Here, it's just thirty-five square meters. After a brief look around, there wasn't much to see; the space was pretty limited.

Zhuang Zhiyuan asked, "What do you guys think?"

Zhao Guihua retorted, "How can I see it? It's the house you got, and I'm just your mom—I can give advice, but I can't make the decision for you. I think you should trade it."

Zhuang Zhiyuan nodded, "I think so too."

He said, "Shall we head back then?"

Zhao Guihua: "Sure. Seeing it in person settles things. Let's go now."

As the door opened, the smell of the restroom hit them immediately. Even though they only got the keys yesterday evening, many are already preparing to move in. The constant coming and going, along with activities like fetching water and using the restroom, have made the hallway smell awful.

Zhuang Zhiyuan: "Let's head downstairs first."

"Alright."

Although they had already decided to trade the apartment, Zhuang Zhiyuan and Liang Meifen still harbored a tiny bit of hope, after all, this was an apartment, and they'd never lived in one before. But after seeing it in person…

The dream was shattered in an instant.

The apartment wasn't much to write home about. As they descended the stairs, they noticed how cramped every household seemed to be. Zhao Guihua said, "The space is inadequate, so inevitably, people will start placing things in the corridor. Then you've got issues of who's taking more space, and what if something goes missing?"

"Huh, Mom, you're right."

Zhao Guihua continued, "Everyone gets off work at the same time. You saw it too—everyone cooks at the end of the corridor, one stove per family, but six families can't cook together. There'll definitely be conflicts over who goes first."

Liang Meifen fully agreed. She had already thought of this when she saw the setup. This kind of thing always catches her attention. She added, "Morning bathroom visits will be the same—if everyone needs to go, there'll be competition."

Their old courtyard also had queues for the public restroom in the morning, but at least the public restrooms had multiple stalls and weren't right by their door.

Finally, the whole family made it downstairs. The two older kids ran ahead, making Little Tuantuan and Little Yuanyuan envious. Zhuang Zhixi didn't chase after them, frustrating the little ones, who babbled in protest.

Zhuang Zhixi: "You tiny ones who can't even walk yet—just behave!"

Seeing the kids run far ahead, Zhuang Zhiyuan said, "Zhuang Zhixi, do you think people would be willing to trade with us? This place really isn't great."

Zhuang Zhixi: "It's not necessarily good, but it depends on how you look at it. Under normal circumstances, apartments are generally better than houses. In many people's minds, no matter how good a house is, it still can't compare to an apartment. And our siheyuan, if we really wanted to nitpick, we could find quite a few flaws, though we've gotten used to them and don't see them. If you say the building is old, it's not new, but our siheyuan is even older, yet we've gotten used to it and don't notice."

"That's true."

"So, when should we approach Chen Yuan?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "We won't approach Chen Yuan. Chasing after something isn't a deal. We'll wait for his family to come to us. Sister-in-law, you've been looking glum at work lately, and if anyone asks, you should say..."

Zhuang Zhixi whispered some instructions, and Liang Meifen nodded, "Alright, I'll cooperate."

Zhuang Zhixi nodded and said, "That should do it."

After the family viewed the apartment, there was indeed no surprise, absolutely no surprise!

Zhuang Zhixi thought of something and turned to ask, "Ming Mei, is your brother moving in? He also got a 35-square-meter apartment, right? He has two kids too, right?"

Speaking of which, Zhuang Zhiyuan and Ming Cheng are quite similar. They both graduated from high school, both got jobs in the railway department, both have two children—an eldest son and a second daughter.

And of course, they both got apartments in the same year.

Ming Mei whispered, "My brother won't move in."

Zhuang Zhixi raised an eyebrow, and Ming Mei's voice grew even softer as she said, "My brother lent the apartment to someone else."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Huh?"

He immediately stopped asking, knowing it was not the place to discuss this with people around. Ming Mei didn't continue, and luckily, no one else paid much attention, as everyone was focused on their own apartments.

Zhuang Zhiyuan: "If we swap apartments, it would actually be great."

He had thought it through; it wouldn't be easy to live with the kids. If they didn't take the kids, they would have to live apart, and he wasn't willing to do that. He already spent little time with his children due to frequent business trips, and living separately would only make it worse. That simply wouldn't do.

He said, "Let's swap, let's swap. I hope everything goes smoothly."

Zhuang Zhixi glanced at his brother and thought, with me here, how could it not go smoothly?

Sure enough, the next day, Liang Meifen began work with a gloomy face, giving off an aura of "stranger danger." She had been working in the workshop for some time and had built good relationships with several female colleagues, one of whom, Wang Fang, was the closest to her. Wang Fang asked her, "What's wrong? Did you have a fight with your husband?"

Liang Meifen: "No, what would we fight about? Our relationship is great!"

"Then why the glum face? Did your mother-in-law give you trouble?" This in-law relationship is an evergreen topic.

Liang Meifen: "Not that either."

She sighed, putting on a troubled expression, "Actually, it's because my husband got an apartment."

"Ah?"

"That's great news! Why are you looking so down about it?" Not just Wang Fang, but others also gathered around, eager to know more. Getting an apartment is a huge deal.

Liang Meifen gave a wry smile, "Of course, getting an apartment is good, and I'm happy about it. But we have no room in our apartment. We have two kids—a boy and a girl—and they can't share a room, right? But the apartment I got is only 35 square meters..."

She helplessly said, "We don't have enough space, and the kids don't want to move either. They're throwing fits at home, crying and throwing tantrums because their friends are all in our courtyard, and they won't know anyone in the new place. The kids don't want to go. My mother-in-law suggested we let the kids stay with them, as they have enough space, but you know how it is—as a mother, I can't bear to live apart from my children..."

Hearing this, everyone understood Liang Meifen's predicament, but there was really no better solution for such a situation.

"That's really tricky. Maybe you can just let them stay with your in-laws for a while. My kids stay with their grandmother in the countryside. It's tough, but there's no other way since we're both working. We're planning to bring them back when they're old enough for school. Fortunately, your kids are still in Beijing, so it's not too bad."

Liang Meifen shook her head, "These two have never been away from me and their dad, how can we let them go? I'm just worried."

Her brows were tightly furrowed, and she even ran into Zhuang Zhixi in the canteen with a gloomy face. The people from the propaganda department joked, "Isn't that your sister-in-law? What's wrong with her?"

Zhuang Zhixi saw Chen Director sitting at a table eating and directly carried his tray over, sitting at the table next to him. Others followed, not realizing Zhuang Zhixi was aiming for Chen Director; usually, everyone just finds a spot randomly.

Zhuang Zhixi sat down without saying a word.

Sister Cui asked, "You haven't explained, what's wrong with your sister-in-law? Did you offend her?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "Me? How could I offend anyone? She's upset about the apartment. My brother got one, but it's too small to live in, and if they move, they'll have to live apart from the kids. Both of them are feeling miserable about it."

"Apartment? Which unit?"

"The railway department."

Zhuang Zhixi: "He got a 35-square-meter one-bedroom, not enough for a family with kids. How could she not be upset?"

"That's true." Sister Cui sympathized, being a woman herself. She said, "So what can you do? Everyone's in the same boat, just make do."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Actually, I told my brother that if he doesn't want to live apart from the kids, it's better not to move. We should ask around to see if anyone nearby wants to swap. But my brother is hesitant. After all, the new place is an apartment. Even though the location and floor I got for him are mediocre, it's still an apartment, and in terms of status, it's better than a house. Especially in the winter, using the toilet is a nightmare. So my brother is also hesitant, wanting to swap but feeling he'd be at a disadvantage."

"What you're saying makes sense."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Exactly."

Chen Director, sitting at the adjacent table, perked up at this conversation.

For a while now, he had been thinking about this, especially lately, it had become more urgent. Chen Yuan had already left the machinery factory to work at a food factory. This eased his mind a bit.

But they couldn't let Chen Yuan keep living in the courtyard. Facing Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou every day would make him uneasy. He had only one son, and he couldn't risk him being "ruined."

So he also agreed that Chen Yuan shouldn't return to the siheyuan.

However, living together as a big family, though possible, was not ideal. His wife, his mother, and his daughter-in-law—three women riding a stage, constantly arguing, and he was also stressed.

Even more, Chen Director wanted Chen Yuan and his wife to move out soon. He always felt that his daughter-in-law had some special feelings for him. It's not just women who have keen senses; men do too. He always felt that Tao Yuyue treated him better than Chen Yuan. Moreover, she would often come close to him, serving tea, rubbing shoulders, and pounding legs. Chen Director was quite uncomfortable with this, so he hoped Tao Yuyue would move out.

Although he was ambitious and good at making money, his interest in matters of the flesh was not strong. If he were more of a philanderer, with his position, he wouldn't have only one son. He genuinely didn't care much about such things when he was young.

What he enjoyed was power and money. Women were a distraction from this pursuit. He would never let such matters affect his reputation or hinder his ascent. So Chen Director did not want to continue sharing a roof with Tao Yuyue.

The best solution was to let Tao Yuyue and Chen Yuan move out soon.

But they couldn't return to the courtyard; if they did, their only son would be in danger. If they let Tao Yuyue live alone, he wouldn't be at ease. She could seduce him, and she could do the same to others. So Chen Director was quite troubled.

He spent sleepless nights, pondering how to get these two to move out.

His wife still couldn't understand what he was worrying about. She wanted the old couple to move into the big courtyard, so they wouldn't need to change houses, which would save a lot of trouble. However, Director Chen was adamant against this, insisting that Chen Yuan and his wife must move out instead. This made his wife very unhappy, and the couple wasn't on good terms with each other. But how could he say it directly? That his son's wife has taken a liking to him? So Director Chen had to endure this bitterness alone. He had recently asked friends to help him find someone to swap houses with.

But how to put it!

This big courtyard had a notorious reputation. Over the years, big and small incidents had occurred there countless times. So, generally, people wouldn't dare to swap houses with them. Even if they had the intention, they wouldn't act on it. After all, the courtyard was home to quite a few unique characters.

Zhou Qun was one of them. In his youth, he used to pull carts to secure his future. As he got older, he became fascinated with the behavior of elders, which was well-known. Although he seemed different now, he used to appear like a decent man. One shouldn't judge a person by their appearance. That's why no one dared to trust him!

Then there was an old lady who schemed against her relatives and involved superstition, Zhou Qun's mother.

This family was already peculiar, but their neighbors weren't any better. Bai Fendou had a reputation that ranged from fighting in the bathroom to the hospital, to being a womanizer—he had even castrated men! His actions were on par with Zhou Qun's, making them the dragon and phoenix of the courtyard.

Besides them, there was the supposed widow Wang Xiangxiu, who had unclear relationships with men. Although she seemed reformed, who knew what was true? After all, her family included a mother-in-law sentenced to life imprisonment and a son who was a notorious thief in juvenile detention.

In short, this courtyard was a place people dared not enter.

Generally, people couldn't afford to mess with them.

Director Chen's plan to swap houses seemed increasingly distant.

However, an unexpected opportunity fell from the sky, leaving Director Chen elated. He had heard about the housing allocation in the railway department, but how could they willingly exchange their newly allocated apartments for his house?

But who would have thought, it was like finding a way out after being at a dead end!

His situation had taken a turn for the better.

Director Chen turned his head to look at Zhuang Zhixi, feeling that this man looked quite handsome and must be a good person! He thought, it must be the heavens giving him this chance. His eyes sparkled with joy as he saw Zhuang Zhixi finishing his meal and preparing to leave. He immediately called out, "Xiao Zhuang, wait!"

In fact, he didn't know Zhuang Zhixi's name but had heard someone call him Xiao Zhuang earlier.

However, he had an impression of Zhuang Zhixi, as the latter was someone from the propaganda department who could get articles published, which was rare.

Zhuang Zhixi turned back, "Director Chen, do you need something?"

Director Chen: "I have something to discuss with you. Come to my office."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Sure."

The others in the publicity department were curious about why Director Chen suddenly wanted to see Zhuang Zhixi, as they weren't particularly close.

Zhuang Zhixi gestured to the others and followed Director Chen upstairs to his office. Director Chen, rarely so, took out a cigarette. Zhuang Zhixi smiled and said, "Thanks, but I don't smoke."

Director Chen said meaningfully, "A man should know how to smoke; otherwise, he won't have the means for social interactions."

Zhuang Zhixi nodded as if having learned something but added, "My kids are still young, and I'm afraid the smoke would trouble them. What did you need from me?"

Director Chen sat down, saying, "I heard that your brother wants to swap houses?"

Zhuang Zhixi hesitated for a moment, saying, "I urged him to do it, but he's still uncertain."

Director Chen studied Zhuang Zhixi for a moment, then said, "Let's be straightforward. You know that Chen Yuan and his wife aren't very comfortable living in the big courtyard, and as a father, I'm worried about them. So, I want to find them a new place to live."

Zhuang Zhixi looked surprised at Director Chen, then said, "I understand, but you know, my brother has an apartment, so he's hesitant about swapping. Everyone wants to live in an apartment nowadays!"

Director Chen: "I get that, which is why I didn't approach your sister-in-law; I came to you."

He took out ten yuan and pushed it over, saying, "Help me persuade your brother."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "Maybe it would be more effective to talk to my sister-in-law?"

Director Chen: "I've heard rumors about your sister-in-law. She seems a bit muddled, and your brother probably wouldn't take her advice, would he? If I went through her and she messed it up, it would be harder to negotiate, wouldn't it?"

He wasn't unaware that Liang Meifen's actions weren't entirely clear, and her salary was even collected by her husband. Talk about a unique situation.

Zhuang Zhixi glanced at the ten yuan, hesitating slightly. Director Chen added, "If you successfully persuade your brother, I'll give you another ten yuan."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "Then I'll give it a try."

Director Chen: "Alright."

He said, "I look forward to your good news."

Zhuang Zhixi: "For twenty yuan, I'll have to try my best! Just wait and see."

After a pause, he added, "My brother's colleagues are moving recently, so he'll be anxious too. I'll push him to make a decision quickly."

Director Chen was pleased that Zhuang Zhixi was a smart man and nodded, "Then I'll wait for your news."

Zhuang Zhixi: "Sure."

Having made the arrangement with Director Chen, Zhuang Zhixi quickly returned. The people in the publicity department were curious about what had happened. He jokingly said, "He just asked about the situation in our courtyard, as their family’s Chen Yuan's house is also there."

"That makes sense."

Zhuang Zhixi left work with Liang Meifen, walking home together. Normally, their family members, who all worked in the machinery factory, would go their separate ways after work. But today, Zhuang Zhixi specifically waited for Liang Meifen.

Walking with Zhuang Zhixi, Liang Meifen felt a bit awkward. She asked, "Old Third, what did you need to tell me?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "You should go clean up the house you've been allocated in the next few days. Clear out the things inside, buy a bucket of paint, and polish the windows before applying the paint. Also, paint the walls inside white."

Liang Meifen was dumbfounded.

She stammered, "Wh-why? Some people just move in directly without doing all that."

Zhuang Zhixi: "They didn't clean up, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. They're moving into their own homes, but you're swapping for money. Are they the same?"

Liang Meifen: "...Who wouldn't want the money?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "Exactly. You have a great house to swap with them, so they should compensate you a bit, shouldn't they?"

Liang Meifen: "Ah??? Ah!!!"

Zhuang Zhixi: "You clean up the house, spend a bit on the paint—it shouldn't cost more than twenty yuan, probably even less. It's just labor costs, but you're doing the work for your own benefit. Once everything's done, find some sandalwood incense—it might be scarce now, but you can probably get some in the black markets. Burn a little to make the house smell nice. Then we'll arrange for Chen's family to see the house. Your house is already bigger than Chen Yuan's by about five or six square meters. Plus, it'll look even better after cleaning. The Chen family will have to compensate us, won't they? As long as Chen Yuan and his wife like the place, you and your husband can set the price high. Swapping is swapping, but a worse house for a better one? You should get compensation!"

Liang Meifen: "Ah! That's right!"

Zhuang Zhixi: "Alright, I've explained everything to you. Go home and tell your husband. I have to go pick up my wife today."

Liang Meifen: "Got it."

She hurried home, planning to start cleaning after dinner.

Zhuang Zhixi strolled leisurely, heading straight to the bus station. It wasn't that he wasn't in a hurry, but Ming Mei had some statistics to finish at work, so she would leave a bit later. He arrived just in time, and Ming Mei saw him and came downstairs.

She smiled and said, "You timed it perfectly."

Zhuang Zhixi: "I was worried that coming too early would interrupt your work."

Although Ming Mei finished her overtime work without it being dark yet, Zhuang Zhixi still felt uneasy. Whenever she had to work overtime, he would come to pick her up. The couple rode their bikes together on their way home. Zhuang Zhixi was carrying Ming Mei, who hugged his waist and asked, "How did the house matter go today?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "No problem."

He continued, "By the way, I forgot to ask you yesterday. What's going on with your brother?"

Ming Mei said, "My brother actually sold the house, but it was nominally called borrowing."

Zhuang Zhixi was stunned, "Your brother-in-law is quite something, isn't he? What did he get out of it? Your brother must have gotten something, right? If it's just for money, that's not right."

It was currently not allowed to sell houses, and most people wouldn't dare to buy them, fearing the seller might back out. The buyer here, however, was quite bold to even consider buying a house.

Ming Mei chuckled and said, "My brother didn't take any money. He traded my sister-in-law's job. You know, she was a temporary ticket seller at the train station, and she hadn't been able to get a permanent position all these years. Now that the slots are so tight, it's even harder. But this time, my brother seized the opportunity. My sister-in-law can now get a permanent job. The cost was my brother giving up the house. Even though it was sold, my brother didn't receive a single penny, but my sister-in-law got a permanent position."

Zhuang Zhixi was silent for a moment before saying, "It's hard to say if your brother made the right decision. But it seems to make sense when you think about it."

"Of course it makes sense," Ming Mei continued. "Besides, what can you do? Nowadays, young people can't avoid going to the countryside unless they have formal jobs. Temporary jobs just won't do, and that's why the price of jobs has increased. Moreover, jobs can be passed down, so who would want to sell them? Because they are scarce, good departments like the railway are even harder to get into. My brother also has good connections, otherwise, this opportunity wouldn't have come to him."

Ming Mei still supported her brother's decision. Their parents had a three-bedroom apartment which was quite spacious and could accommodate everyone. If her brother moved in, he would face the same issue as Zhuang Zhiyuan, having to separate from his children.

This situation was quite favorable.

"Actually, a job is worth about five hundred yuan now. My brother's house isn't worth that much, so our family benefited. Of course, the buyer also benefited; they didn't spend a single penny and got the house. The buyer was my brother's leader, who had a placement quota for jobs. But his children already had jobs, so he wanted to trade the house for his children. His children had just started working and were far from qualifying for housing. He could have sold the quota and then bought a house, but that would involve too many people and risk things going wrong, so he preferred a simpler approach. He had made sure my brother couldn't back out before agreeing."

Zhuang Zhixi said, "I understand. Since their family is your brother's leader, they must be confident your brother won't go back on his word. That's why they dared to do this."

Ming Mei added, "Right, they signed an agreement, and since they all work in the same unit, it's unlikely they would tear things apart. They can't afford to lose face, especially since they are still in the railway department. They don't want to go back on their word, and neither does my brother. This deal benefits both parties."

Zhuang Zhixi nodded.

He said, "Your brother has quite a bit of strategy."

Ming Mei replied, "Of course, we have many military strategists in our family, so we know what's best."

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled, "Your brother is quite smart."

Ming Mei pouted and said, "My grandpa says that our family is getting worse with each generation. My uncle and my mom aren't as good as my grandpa, and we're even worse than my mom and my uncle. It's like each generation is worse than the last."

Zhuang Zhixi burst out laughing.

Ming Mei pinched Zhuang Zhixi, who exclaimed, "Hey, hey, hey, hey. Don't start hitting me. I'm laughing, isn't that okay?"

Ming Mei huffed, gripping Zhuang Zhixi tighter. As the bike swayed, Zhuang Zhixi steadied it, saying, "Your grandpa must really like me since he said I could turn out alright with some training."

Ming Mei huffed again.

Zhuang Zhixi laughed, "Hehehe."

Ming Mei said, "What are you laughing about?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "I can't even laugh now, how bossy."

Ming Mei huffed again.

Zhuang Zhixi said, "You only know how to huff..." Seeing Ming Mei's little hand getting restless again, he quickly added, "Don't pinch me, I'm riding the bike."

Ming Mei pouted but then asked, "How is your brother's situation going?"

Zhuang Zhixi answered, "No problem!"

He continued, "I made sure it's all good. I think Director Chen is even more eager to trade houses than I thought. He seemed really anxious and even gave me ten yuan, saying he would give me another ten if I could convince my brother."

Ming Mei burst out laughing, completely surprised, "What... what...?"

Zhuang Zhixi said, "Didn't expect that, did you?"

"No, not at all."

Ming Mei felt there were all sorts of things happening in this world.

"Aren't you going to give the money to your brother?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "No, it's my earnings, why would I give it away? But I plan to treat everyone to a meal."

Ming Mei: "???"

Zhuang Zhixi continued, "I'll use this money to treat everyone."

Ming Mei said, "Alright, twenty yuan is a lot, we won't be able to finish it all."

Zhuang Zhixi added, "I'll take ten yuan to treat everyone, and the other ten will be given to them in front of both parties to be included in the price difference. This way, everything is clear, and they can't say I made money in between."

"That's good."

The couple chatted all the way home...

It turned out that Zhuang Zhiyuan and his wife were quite obedient. They quickly got to work, and in just two or three days, everything was neatly tidied up. Neither Zhuang Zhixi nor Director Chen had gone looking for each other.

It wasn't until Director Chen came to find him that Zhuang Zhixi, after a day's delay, took Director Chen to meet Zhuang Zhiyuan.

Director Chen and Zhuang Zhiyuan didn't know each other, but with Zhuang Zhixi in the middle, the introductions went smoothly. Of course, Director Chen wasn't alone; his wife and Chen Yuan and Tao Yuyue accompanied him.

Zhuang Zhixi said, "You don't need me to introduce your family's situation. We live in the same compound, so we know what it's like and have seen it. Let's go see my brother's house now. But there are some things we need to clarify upfront."

After a pause, he laughed and said, "Firstly, the apartment is better than a house. Secondly, my brother's place is a bit larger, so we can't directly exchange them. We should at least compensate for the price difference, right?"

Director Chen and his family had already considered this. After all, the Zhuang family wasn't stupid. Although they wanted to trade houses for their children, they wouldn't let themselves be at a disadvantage. Director Chen said, "I understand, let's go."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "Alright, let's go take a look. Since there's a price difference, let's check the actual situation. If you think the difference is too much and disagree, that's fine too. After all, we can still be friends even if the deal doesn't go through, right?"

Director Chen nodded.

The two Zhuang brothers led Director Chen's family to the residential building. The location here was indeed quite good. Even Director Chen and his wife couldn't find any fault. They went upstairs together, and Director Chen's wife covered her nose, saying, "There's a lot of dust here."

Zhuang Zhixi laughed and replied, "Yes, everyone's moving lately, so there's more dust. But once people move in officially and start cleaning up, it'll be much better. Even though there's a sanitation fee, where isn't there one? Our compound has one too."

"That's right," Tao Yuyue said, "There's also a sanitation fee in the siheyuan."

She would much rather live in an apartment and was eager to trade houses, especially since she wouldn't have to pay anything.

They went upstairs together, and Director Chen's wife started making snide remarks again, "Oh, this is the top floor, that's too high."

Zhuang Zhiyuan wasn't in the mood to respond, so he ignored her. Zhuang Zhixi smiled and said, "Yes, it's the top floor, but isn't an apartment still better than a house? Those who haven't lived in a house might not know, but I think Chen Yuan and Tao Yuyue can relate."

Speaking of this, Chen Yuan agreed. He couldn't stand going out to the toilet in the freezing cold, which was unbearable.

He said, "Indeed, living in a siheyuan is really inconvenient."

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled and said, "That's not quite it. Moreover, although we're on the top floor, it's actually quite quiet. Think about it, if you lived downstairs, the people above might move furniture or make noise by dragging chairs and tables around. You'd never be able to sleep in, right? If there are kids upstairs, it's even worse. They'd be running around every day, and you'd feel so annoyed that your head would be buzzing. But on the top floor, you don't have this problem. Everyone else is below you. There's no one above you jumping around. You're the ones making others uncomfortable, not the other way around."

When he said this, not only did Chen Yuan and his wife nod, but even the director, Chen, agreed.

Zhuang Zhixi took a deep breath, thinking to himself how fortunate it was that his mother was so shrewd. She had even thought of this point, which really showed that you couldn't judge a book by its cover. Obviously, she hadn't lived in a building before, yet she could still think of this. Indeed, an old ginger is still hotter.

Zhuang Zhixi: "Come, the room is this way."

At this moment, the director's highly picky wife spoke up again. She frowned even more disdainfully and said, "Why is it right next to the bathroom? It's so annoying, and the smell is overwhelming."

Zhuang Zhiyuan still remained silent, and Zhuang Zhixi really wanted to punch his older brother.

Undeterred, Zhuang Zhixi continued with a smile, "This is indeed a disadvantage, but there's nothing we can do about it. You see, every building has six families that must be close to the bathroom, and with six buildings, that's thirty-six families in total. My brother was already near the end of the housing allocation list, so this really couldn't be helped. However, think about it this way: although being near the bathroom is a disadvantage, it also has its advantages. At least, when you need to use the bathroom, you'll be faster than others. During the morning rush when everyone is hurrying to work, you'll also be able to get in before others. In those chaotic moments, being closer to the bathroom means you'll be faster. So, while it's a disadvantage, there are hidden benefits."

After hearing this, the director's wife, though still disapproving, didn't say anything more.

At this point, Zhuang Zhiyuan opened the door, and the Chen family's eyes lit up. Undoubtedly, despite the flaws along the way, the house itself was quite impressive. No wonder Zhuang Zhiyuan had been so hesitant; the place was really quite good.

The room, though not large, was neat and clean, with a faint scent of sandalwood. There was no hint of the bathroom's odor across the hall, and the walls were pristine white. The director's wife walked to the window and found the frames were a refreshing lake blue, and the glass was spotless. She opened the window and gave a small nod.

Zhuang Zhixi: "You should know that the housing allocation wouldn't normally be this good. My brother originally wanted to live here himself, so he quickly tidied it up. If it weren't for me persuading him to swap houses, he would have continued to spruce it up."

The director, curious, asked, "Isn't it already very well-kept? How else could it be improved?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "You've noticed that the space isn't very big, so we need to make the most of the limited area by adding more cabinets. Initially, my brother planned to install a row of small cabinets here, near the ceiling, so they wouldn't be in the way when standing. Although reaching them would require a chair, they could store items that aren't used often. For example, during the summer, you could store winter quilts and clothes up there, and in the winter, you could put summer clothes up there. Households always accumulate things, so you need to leave enough space for storage. We could also put a small stove here. If it's too crowded outside, you could cook something simple at home. Or if you want to make something nice, you could cook in here without drawing a crowd. Don't you think that makes sense?"

The director: "That's a good idea."

They might have thought of it themselves, but Zhuang Zhixi's explanation made it seem more practical.

"And over here, you see, if we could install a..." Despite the small size of the room, Zhuang Zhixi's description made it seem incredibly versatile.

Tao Yuyue immediately fell in love with the place. Compared to the traditional courtyard house, she preferred this one, even though it had a few minor drawbacks. In her opinion, as long as they could swap houses, it would be worth spending some money.

Coincidentally, Chen Yuan felt the same way.

Chen Yuan absolutely despised courtyard houses, considering them places only poor people would live in.

Although this place wasn't as good as his current home, his current house had been lived in for many years and looked far less clean and tidy than this one. Initially, he knew his mother's plan: the house they were living in was meant for his grandparents.

However, even for a temporary transition, he didn't want to suffer.

Moreover, courtyard houses had perverts.

He, as a good-looking young man, was at high risk. But here, the place was well-kept, and he felt that living here for a few years would be entirely acceptable. Originally, he thought he'd stay outside for a year or two before moving back home, but now he wanted to stay longer.

After all, living at home meant constant arguing, which was just too annoying.

He and Tao Yuyue also fought, but their fights involved physical contact. His mother, grandmother, and wife didn't fight physically; they just bickered endlessly, like sparrows chirping, making his head ache. Why couldn't they just fight instead of argue?

Seriously!

He'd rather they fought than argued. His head hurt just listening to them.

So Chen Yuan preferred to move out, live freely, and not listen to others arguing. He'd much rather get into fights than listen to endless arguments. He was certain that even if his grandparents moved out, his mother and wife would still argue.

Therefore, he preferred to move out on his own.

He said, "I think this place is pretty good."

Tao Yuyue nodded, "I think so too."

The director: "What do you think about the price difference for the swap?"

Zhuang Zhixi looked at his brother, Zhuang Zhiyuan: "Eighty yuan."

"What? That's way too much! We're just swapping houses to make up the difference, not buying or selling. This isn't a situation where you can demand a sky-high price!"

Zhuang Zhiyuan: "If it were a sale, you wouldn't be able to buy this house for less than three hundred yuan."

He paused and added, "Even though buying and selling isn't allowed now, you should still be aware that a courtyard house could only sell for about two hundred and some odd yuan in the past. I'm only asking for an eighty yuan difference, which means you're still making a profit."

The director laughed and said, "That's true. Courtyard houses used to sell for around two hundred yuan. But your house wouldn't sell for three hundred, would it?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "Mr. Chen, this house could indeed fetch three hundred if it were on the market. Even if buying and selling weren't allowed, why would we sell? You see, if my brother didn't want his child to live at home and decided to rent this place out instead, it could fetch at least five yuan per month from the neighborhood committee. That's sixty yuan a year, and after five years, that's three hundred yuan. The same applies to you: if you live here for a couple of years and then need more space after having kids or if Tao Yuyue gets another housing assignment, you could swap houses again, paying the difference for a larger place. If you move out, you could also rent the house through the neighborhood committee. Would that not be nice? Sixty yuan a year is no small sum! And don't think courtyard houses could also be rented out through the committee. With our neighborhood's reputation, do you really think anyone would dare to rent there? But this place is different; it's filled with railway workers, and the atmosphere is much better. Think carefully: is asking for eighty yuan really too much? You previously told me you'd give me twenty yuan as a commission, and you've already given me ten. How about you add the remaining ten to my brother's difference? So you pay my brother ninety yuan in total, making it a hundred yuan overall. But really, it's not a bad deal, especially since you could rent it out in two years and make a profit. Isn't that reasonable?"

The director looked deeply at Zhuang Zhixi, thinking that this young man was quite a talent. His explanation was convincing, hitting all the right points. Even the director's picky wife felt that what he said made sense.

In the future, when their son moves back home and the old folks live here for a few years before passing away, they could still rent the house through the neighborhood committee? That's a solid sixty yuan a year!

"What do you think?" The director asked his son and daughter-in-law.

Chen Yuan declared firmly, "Dad, I think it's feasible."

Tao Yuyue also quickly nodded, "I quite like it here too."

In fact, she had her own little plans, so she was absolutely willing.

Director Chen said, "Since my son and daughter-in-law both think this place is good and have set their hearts on it, I won't continue to negotiate with you. Since you say so, I’ll add another ninety to my brother, and this matter is settled!"

Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "It's okay; he's family after all."

Director Chen, being shrewd, said, "We need to write a clear replacement agreement." He was afraid the Zhuang family might regret it later.

Zhuang Zhixi looked at his older brother. Zhuang Zhiyuan nodded, "That’s right."

"Then it's settled."

This house viewing went smoothly, and Zhuang Zhiyuan himself hadn't expected that exchanging houses could still net him ninety yuan. When they parted ways, he was still somewhat dazed, muttering, "I really didn’t expect...”

Zhuang Zhixi asked, "Don’t you feel like you’re at a loss? I just analyzed it so thoroughly."

At this moment, there were no outsiders left, only the two brothers. Zhuang Zhiyuan glanced at his younger brother and said, "Mother analyzed it all at home, and I heard her; I’m not deaf."

Although Zhao Guihua hadn’t come today, she had thoroughly analyzed many situations for them. Although it seems there’s a hundred-yuan difference between the two houses, the fact remains that houses are not allowed to be sold now!

You say these two houses differ by a hundred yuan, but can the houses even be sold?

No, they can’t!

And even if it’s done privately, no one would dare to buy. Who wouldn’t be afraid that the homeowner would take the money and then regret the deal? They can’t transfer ownership or change the names on the deeds, so no one would dare to buy. Moreover, this place could sell for three hundred, while a room in the courtyard could sell for about two hundred twenty to three, so the difference isn’t actually that big.

As for renting them out through the neighborhood committee, that’s even more out of the question. The Chen family might do it, but Zhuang Zhiyuan couldn’t. Since he’s a railway employee, if he did that, the boss would likely have a talk with him. The housing is provided for you to live in, not to make money.

If you do something like that, it reflects poorly on your integrity.

Reputation is very important these days.

But if it’s a swap, there’s no issue. Each family has its own difficulties, and swaps are a common way to handle these situations. Since the Chen family isn’t in the railway department, if they rent it out a few years later, no one can really say anything. And even if they did, it wouldn’t involve Zhuang Zhiyuan.

So the Chen family isn’t at a loss, and our family isn’t either.

No matter the situation, it’s all about practical analysis based on the current conditions.

Under the present circumstances, Zhuang Zhiyuan doing this is definitely the best option. He sighed, "Ninety yuan, that’s quite a lot."

Zhuang Zhixi asked, "How much did you spend on paint and varnish?"

"Fourteen."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "That’s pretty good; that leaves you with seventy-six."

Zhuang Zhiyuan said, "Yeah. But thankfully we tidied it up; otherwise, they might not have agreed so quickly."

Zhuang Zhixi nodded. While they did spend some money, you can’t just directly calculate the costs like that. The bottom line is, you can’t sell! Both are single rooms, so all that talk doesn’t matter. If they hadn’t cleaned up, the Chen family would have found a hundred and twenty issues to pick at. Even if they gave the difference, they definitely wouldn’t have given much. That’s just how it is.

Although it seemed like they had the upper hand in this matter, they didn’t actually have other choices. They could only choose the Chen family, so if they were forced to lower the price, they’d have to accept it.

But now it’s different.

This matter was handled smoothly, with everyone satisfied.

Zhuang Zhiyuan was really happy. He said, "I really didn’t expect this to turn a profit. That way, I can pay back all the money I borrowed from Mother last year."

Zhuang Zhixi said, "That’s certainly worth congratulating."

He added, "In celebration of your smooth move to the new place, let’s use the ten yuan Director Chen gave me to eat at Donglaishun."

He smiled, "We’ll celebrate the whole family."

Zhuang Zhiyuan said, "I think that’s a great idea!"

Zhuang Zhixi: Mission accomplished!

I almost forgot, Little Tuantuan and Little Yuanyuan still don’t have proper names. Please help us come up with some cute names for these baby twins.