bookbashuk Chapter 227 Taking Over the Courtyard
Chapter 227 Taking Over the Courtyard
Lu Nan couldn't help but laugh out loud, patting Shen Qingnan's shoulder and teasing, "Second Brother Shen, are you surprised? My sister-in-law is very smart, she earned all of this herself! Besides, she's a member of our Lu family now, it's too late to be envious!" Her smug little look made everyone laugh.
Shen Qingnan deliberately put on a stern face and looked at Shen Li: "Little sister, how about we postpone the wedding? I'll keep you at home."
"Hey! Second Brother Shen, how can you go back on your word!" Lu Nan exclaimed anxiously. "My sister-in-law is already married to my brother! She's my sister-in-law."
"Even if she remarries, she'll still be my sister."
"She's my sister-in-law."
"She's my sister."
Shen Li shook his head helplessly—a nearly 23-year-old adult was still acting like a child.
In the end, it was Shen's mother and Lu's mother who each helped their own children, and this little farce finally came to an end.
Mr. Shen coughed lightly, bringing the topic back on track: "Since you have this budget, I'll go ask about it tomorrow. A larger courtyard house is definitely more worthwhile, and the family will be more comfortable living there in the future."
As a veteran cadre, he was very well-informed.
I know that my workplace has several large courtyard houses that were taken back during the turbulent period. They are all ownerless, but the houses are too big and no one can afford to buy them.
Mr. Shen acted swiftly and decisively, calling the very next evening to say that he had already contacted the person in charge and asked them to come and see the house when they had some free time.
On the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, although the weather was cold, the sky was cloudless.
The entire Lu family came, and Shen's mother also went along; the two families went to see the house in a grand procession.
The person in charge knew that Mr. Shen had made the arrangements, so he patiently explained everything to him throughout the process, showing exceptional attentiveness.
In two days, they looked at ten houses – three with two courtyards, four with three courtyards, and three that were actually large mansions built in the style of a royal palace, with pavilions, streams, and winding corridors, which could easily accommodate more than a dozen people.
The only drawback is that the small courtyard houses are mostly hidden in deep alleys, making them very convenient to drive in and out; while the large mansions are somewhat dilapidated because they have been uninhabited for many years, and renovation will take a lot of effort.
However, the mansion has the advantage of a good location, with at least one side facing the main road, making it convenient to open a garage door in the future.
That evening, the two families gathered at the Shen family home again to discuss the matter. Shen's father cut to the chase: "Have you made your selections? Is there anything you like?"
Shen Li pondered for a moment and said, "Two two-courtyard layouts are good, and two three-courtyard layouts are also quite nice. I think the largest one, the Prince's Mansion, is the most cost-effective—it has a good location, is convenient to enter and exit, and is perfect for our whole family."
Mr. Shen was stunned for a moment, then chuckled – as expected, he had the confidence to choose the biggest house.
Shen's mother quickly grabbed her hand: "How much will that cost? Don't be impulsive."
"Mom, now is the perfect opportunity," Shen Li said earnestly, grasping her hand in return. "Don't hold onto the money you and brother have. Money will only become less and less valuable in the future. Investing in real estate is the best way to preserve its value. In the future, every inch of land in Beijing will be incredibly valuable. If you don't have enough money, I have some here. Feel free to use it to buy."
Mrs. Shen quickly waved her hand: "That won't do, how can I take your money? Keep it for yourself."
The Shen family already lived in a military compound, which was safe and convenient, so they had no intention of buying another house.
Father Shen looked at Lu Cheng and Lu Sheng, wanting to hear the opinions of the men in the Lu family.
Lu Cheng replied without hesitation, "Lili has the final say, we'll all listen to her."
Lu Sheng smiled and chimed in, "From now on, Lili will be in charge of our family."
Still worried, Shen's mother pressed on, "Won't Asheng and Azhou have any objections after they get married? The Lu family has three sons, and there will probably be friction if they live together with their three wives."
"No, that won't happen," Lu Sheng shook his head firmly.
Mother Lu quickly chimed in, "From now on, the Lu family will listen to Xiao Li. We'll do whatever she tells us to do! She's a great contributor to our family. I'm not that foolish."
She knew perfectly well that the Lu family's good life today was all thanks to Shen Li's advice and strategies.
Only the third child in the family occasionally gets confused, so she just needs to keep an eye on him.
After reaching an agreement, Shen Li took Lu Cheng and Lu Sheng to complete the formalities the next day.
Lu Zhou and Lu Nan also insisted on joining in the fun, and in the end, the whole group went to the property registration office in a grand procession.
The person in charge was all smiles when he saw that five houses were going to be sold at once—the company was short of working capital, and this was fantastic news.
With Mr. Shen's intervention, all the houses were sold at the reserve price.
The largest princely mansion cost 80,000, two three-courtyard houses cost 60,000 each, two two-courtyard houses cost 40,000 each, and the five houses together cost only 180,000.
Shen Li took out 110,000 yuan from her own funds and only transferred 70,000 yuan from Lu Cheng's account—she knew that doing business required working capital and that she needed to leave enough room for her husband to manage his finances.
She also negotiated with the person in charge that the four courtyard houses that were not currently in use would continue to be rented out by them, and she would give them 20% of the rent as a reward each year, which they were naturally happy to accept.
When it came time to register the property rights, Shen Li looked at the registration form and clearly said, "The largest one and the two two-story houses should be registered in my name." After marriage, property is not divided between each other, so it doesn't matter whose name is on it.
She paused, then pointed to two three-courtyard houses: "One of these houses is registered under Lu Zhou's name, and the other under Lu Nan's name."
This is considered a reserve for her younger siblings in advance—Lu Nan will have more confidence if she has her own house when she gets married in the future.
If Lu Zhou wants to live alone after getting married, he has somewhere to go.
Moreover, these two courtyards are not far from the main house, making it convenient for them to look after each other.
Unexpectedly, Lu Nan immediately frowned and said in a tearful voice, "I don't want to! Sister-in-law, I'm not even married yet, and you want to kick me out? I don't agree! I want to live with you, and I can help you take care of your children in the future!"
Shen Li chuckled, playfully flicking her nose: "What are you thinking, girl? This is your dowry. After you get married, having your own house will give you more confidence in your in-laws' family. Isn't that better than anything else?"
Lu Nan shook her head again: "I don't want to! When a girl gets married, her husband's family is her home. Why should she need to prepare a house for herself? Sister-in-law, don't spend money on me."
Shen Li listened to Lu Nan's idea.
The little girl is still quite naive; it seems I'll have to teach her something else when we come to the capital.
Lu Zhou, standing to the side, also spoke up in a muffled voice: "I don't want to either. I'm not getting married. I'll just live with everyone. Don't even think about kicking me out."
Shen Li looked at the stubborn brother and sister, feeling both amused and exasperated: "Lu Zhou, you'll get married eventually, don't you want to have your own little space with your wife?"
Lu Zhou blushed and stubbornly said, "I'm not going out! I'll stay with you all."
"What if your wife wants to live alone?" Shen Li pressed.
"She won't!" Lu Zhou said with absolute certainty.
"Fine, if you don't want it, then don't." Shen Li reluctantly conceded, turning to look at Lu Nan, but her tone left no room for argument, "You absolutely must have it. A girl needs to have confidence in herself to live more freely, and there's no room for discussion about this."
Ultimately, four of the five properties were registered under Shen Li's name, while the three-courtyard house closest to the main residence was registered under Lu Nan's name.
Seeing her name on the property certificate, Lu Nan's tears streamed down her face. She choked out, "Sister-in-law, thank you..."
Shen Li gently wiped away her tears and teased her with a smile, "Why are you crying? This is a good thing! Don't say that in front of Mom, or she'll get jealous and beat you up."
Lu Nan stopped crying and smiled, clutching the property certificate as she whispered, "Let's talk quietly, we won't tell Mom."
The three Lu brothers stood aside, watching Shen Li tease Lu Nan. Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on her face, radiating a warm smile.
At that moment, the same thought welled up in their minds:
To be able to marry such a wife and have such a family is truly a blessing the Lu family has accumulated over eight lifetimes.
This happiness, woven into the fabric of everyday life, is more precious than any wealth.