In early May, the sun was shining and the weather was getting warmer. Lin Zhixia brought good news to her family. She screened many houses and chose a second-hand house of more than 270 square meters. The house was built in 2014 and had complete supporting facilities. The owner had been decorating it for more than a year and was eager to sell it. The price was fair and Lin Zhixia had already paid the deposit.
After listening to Lin Zhixia's description, Lin Zeqiu frowned slightly: "Lin Zhixia, why didn't you discuss it with your family and just paid the deposit?"
Lin Zhixia said, "I talked to my mother, and she told me to make my own decision."
Today is a sunny Sunday. Lin Zeqiu doesn't have to go to work, and his parents temporarily closed the supermarket at home. Lin Zhixia stood in the middle of the living room and announced excitedly: "If everything goes well, we can move next month."
"Next month," Dad exclaimed. "So soon?"
Lin Zhixia's eyes sparkled: "Well, next month is June, we will move in June. When the rainy season comes in July every year..." She walked to the wall and patted it: "This house will be damp, and Mom's arthritis will flare up again, so I want to move in early."
In the early 1990s, Lin Zhixia's parents moved into Ancheng Community. In the blink of an eye, more than 20 years have passed. Dad felt a lot of emotion: "Oh, Dad feels like he is dreaming. Xia Xia bought a big house by herself."
Lin Zhixia said happily: "Come with me, I will show you around our new home today."
Lin Zeqiu immediately bent down, opened the coffee table drawer, and searched for his bus IC card. Lin Zhixia grabbed his sleeve and said, "Brother, Jiang Yubai will come to pick us up."
Lin Zeqiu paused.
Mom asked, "Will Xiao Jiang come to pick me up?"
"Yes," Lin Zhixia said, "His driver will drive a business car so that our whole family can sit."
Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia agreed to meet at nine o'clock this morning.
Jiang Yubai arrived at the gate of Ancheng Community ten minutes in advance. Through the car window, he saw Lin Zhixia and her family approaching. He opened the interior mirror and looked in the mirror for two seconds to make sure that his appearance was neat and his collar was neat before getting out of the car calmly.
As soon as Jiang Yubai showed up, Lin Zhixia ran towards him. A smile appeared unconsciously in his eyes. In public, he stretched out a hand to Lin Zhixia, she hugged his arm, and he took her to the car again.
Lin Zhixia sat obediently in the back seat, while Jiang Yubai was still standing outside the car to welcome guests.
In front of his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Jiang Yubai paid special attention to his image.
So far, Jiang Yubai has gotten along very well with his parents-in-law. He often likes their WeChat Moments, but he can't use the same strategy with Lin Zeqiuâbecause Lin Zeqiu blocked Jiang Yubai and kicked him out of their family group. But Jiang Yubai doesn't mind at all. Lin Zhixia knows that Jiang Yubai has not been fully recognized by her family yet, so she always comforts Jiang Yubai in a kind voice, kisses him and coaxes him, making him happy.
When Jiang Yubai met Lin Zeqiu when he was young, he always wanted to suppress him in momentum, drinking water faster than him, and peeling shrimp faster than him. But now, Jiang Yubai has changed a lot, and he took the initiative to open the car door for Lin Zeqiu.
Lin Zeqiu was a little confused. He had a hunch that Jiang Yubai was a cunning man with ulterior motives. He got on the bus without saying a word and accidentally sat in the middle row, while Jiang Yubai sat behind him, next to Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia whispered to Jiang Yubai, "Thank you for your hard work. Please take some time off on Sunday to accompany us to look at houses."
"It's okay," Jiang Yubai responded, "I'm not busy on Sunday."
Lin Zhixia kissed him secretly and said, "I will talk to my brother later and ask him to remove you from the WeChat blocking list. If he doesn't want to, I will argue with him."
Jiang Yubai said, "It's good like this now. Don't let me affect your relationship as siblings."
Lin Zhixia was somewhat touched: "You are really so gentle and sensible."
Lin Zeqiu heard their conversation vaguely. He suddenly became very angry and felt that he had become an unkind and ignorant person, but he did not lose his temper. He took out his mobile phone and changed the note of Jiang Yubai to "Be careful of this kid".
The car drove smoothly on the road, and in less than 20 minutes, it brought Lin Zhixia and her family to the gate of the new community. The greening of this community was well done, with lush trees along the street, swaying branches and leaves, interweaving into shade, and an artificial stream under the brick and stone bridge. The flowers and green leaves were reflected in the stream, blocking the shadows of the pedestrians on the bridge.
Children gathered in a spacious green space to play, a few elderly people sat around to chat, Lin Zhixia's parents walked around and stopped, and her mother asked: "How expensive is the housing price in this area?"
"More than 30,000, almost 40,000." Lin Zhixia said honestly.
Mom sighed, "Forty thousand is too expensive."
Lin Zhixia said quickly: "Jiang Yubai lives in the neighborhood next door, and the housing prices in that neighborhood are more expensive. I originally wanted to be Jiang Yubai's neighbor, but I really can't afford the house over there..." She took out a bunch of keys: "I can still afford this neighborhood."
She hung the key on her finger, swung it in a circle making a light sound, and walked briskly into an apartment building.
Lin Zeqiu followed closely behind. His palms felt slightly hot, as if a ball of heat had gathered in his heart and lungs and was slowly rising. He saw the neat hallway, the shiny elevator, and the marble steps. Lin Zhixia said, "We live on the fourth floor. We can take the elevator or the stairs."
"Let's take the elevator." Lin Zeqiu suggested.
Lin Zhixia agreed happily: "Okay, okay!"
Lin Zeqiu put his hands in his pockets and stood straight in the elevator. His father retreated to the corner, raised his hand to wipe his face, and wiped the sweat from his temples. Mom looked calmer than Dad, but she also brushed her hair from time to time and changed her standing posture several times.
With a "ding" sound, the elevator door opened.
Lin Zhixia led her family through the corridor. She stopped in front of a security door, inserted the key, pushed open the front door, and introduced: "This house faces south and has a total area of 270 square meters. It has four bedrooms, two living rooms, two kitchens, three bathrooms, and a terrace..."
Dad stepped into the hallway and asked in a daze, "Dad, do you want me to take off my shoes?"
Lin Zhixia looked back at him: "This is our home, it feels like home."
Lin Zeqiu walked into the house holding the wall. The wall was clean, tidy, and brand new, without any cracks or water seepage. He couldn't help but move his legs and continued to explore this new house.
A cool breeze blew in from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room. The white gauze curtains fluttered higher and higher. The polished wooden floor was tightly closed. Lin Zeqiu squatted on the ground and reached out to touch the floor.