Free Web NovelChapter 476: Chapter 476: Buying a House
Mrs. Shu really didn’t expect the Ding Family to have such plans, so she quickly pulled Huang Kaiying back to the main room, and the four of them began to discuss this matter.
Ding Xiaoding and Huang Kaiying had already discussed the bride price with Mr. Shu and Mrs. Shu. To be honest, the fact that they were willing to give six hundred was somewhat surprising to them, but it also made them happy, as it showed appreciation for their daughter. Moreover, the rent Huang Kaiying mentioned just now wasn’t included, which is also a considerable amount.
"Since you are also in agreement, let’s be frank with each other." Mrs. Shu was concerned about her daughter, but they also had a son and daughter-in-law to consider. They needed to treat both equally. Letting the young couple stay in the house temporarily was fine, but directly giving it to their daughter and son-in-law would likely cause resentment with their son and daughter-in-law.
However, if money was involved, it would be different.
"Our original plan was to let the young couple temporarily stay in my mother-in-law’s house. Once they graduate and get their assigned housing, they could move out. But to be honest, obtaining housing for employees is also a tight situation right now. Without working for several years, there’s little chance to acquire a house, so we’d better just buy the house directly," Mrs. Shu said.
"That house would later be divided amongst the younger ones anyway, and Yujie could only have a third of it, so I was thinking of buying out the other two-thirds to give to her two brothers, thus the house would wholly belong to Xingye and Yujie as their matrimonial home."
Shu Yujie’s eldest brother is already married with children, and her second brother isn’t married yet. They all live in the Shu Family courtyard, and once Shu Yujie gets married, visiting occasionally would be fine, but staying there with her husband could easily invite criticism, which wouldn’t be good for anyone.
Shu Yujie’s eldest brother is in the military, stationed in Jing City’s forces, so his wife and child didn’t follow him but lived with Mr. Shu and Mrs. Shu. Shu Yuxiang, who went to the same university as Ding Xingye, also didn’t live on campus but went home instead, just like Shu Yujie.
The Shu Family’s eldest son, Shu Yugang, has already been allocated a house in the military, and although it’s close to home, the strict military rules mean he can’t return home without a proper reason. The house was applied for mainly so his wife and child could stay when visiting; Shu Yujie’s sister-in-law, who is a doctor, is also provided with an employee house by her hospital, so they aren’t lacking in accommodation.
Mrs. Shu knew they would certainly agree to let Shu Yujie and the young couple live in her grandmother’s house.
"How much would that cost?" Huang Kaiying asked. If they could have a place for their son and future daughter-in-law in Jing City, they would also be happy, since they’d have a place to stay when visiting.
"It’s a courtyard with one entrance, not large, but spacious enough for the young couple to live in, and when you, in-laws, visit, there will be room for you too. Even if Xingye’s brother and sister-in-law come, there’s enough space. The main house and east and west wing rooms have several rooms each, which will be enough even when the young couple eventually have kids," Mrs. Shu said with a smile. "Compared to Hongying’s house, it’s smaller, but there are definitely enough rooms. How about we go take a look this afternoon?"
"As for the price, we will base it on the lowest price, and the location and everything are alright. It’s two thousand bucks, and part of it originally belongs to Yujie, so deduct seven hundred, leaving one thousand four hundred. You can give us the bride price and rent money, and the rest will count as Yujie’s dowry. We will provide that, and in the future, the property will belong to the young couple together," Mrs. Shu said.
If Huang Kaiying were hearing this for the first time, she might think two thousand is an astronomical figure. But she knows how much Li Hongying spent on their house, and even in Huaixi County, houses cost more than two thousand bucks, let alone in Jing City. "In-laws, this price isn’t reasonable. Where in Jing City can you find such a cheap house?"
Mr. and Mrs. Shu were initially stunned by Huang Kaiying’s comment, then they realized it and exchanged a glance with a smile. The Ding Family was indeed sincere.
"In-laws, let’s not talk in circles. What we can manage to afford is just this amount." Huang Kaiying raised one finger, indicating a thousand bucks, which was almost their entire savings. "We know our Xingye is marrying up this time, and we understand that."
"In the future, the young couple will stay in Jing City, and you, in-laws, will be the ones mostly looking after them, so I’ll be straightforward. We’re putting up this much money; the rest we can’t manage, so we’ll rely on your support. However, the house will be under Yujie’s name, and Xingye will still have to earn a place for their little family himself."
Ding Xiaoding nodded in agreement. He supported his wife’s words; otherwise, it would really be unfair to Shu’s daughter. The dowry they were providing was more than the bride price, and they weren’t even taking the bride price directly but turning it into a house. After that, the young couple would have to rely on the Shu Family. Just thinking about it made him feel guilty, but their limitations meant they could only do this much for their son.
Mr. and Mrs. Shu were extremely surprised, but to say they weren’t moved would be a lie. They also understood why they liked Ding Xingye so much, as he was well brought up by his parents.
"We’ll listen to the in-laws." Mr. and Mrs. Shu exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.
The lunch that followed was warm and lively, and after the meal, the group went to see the house. Yi Roujing was also brought along. According to Shu Yujie, it was for familiarizing themselves with the place, implying there would be frequent visits in the future.
The courtyard house, with one entrance, was in a prime location, equidistant from Jing University and the Power College, right in the center. Stepping out of the alley leads right to the Jing City Department Store. The location was perfect.
Though unoccupied, the house was very clean. Flowers were planted in the floral beds on one side; the wintersweet was in full bloom. Each room was neat and clean, without a hint of dust, and naturally, there were no everyday items present.
"My in-laws live with us, and this place was my mother-in-law’s dowry house. It was rented to others before through acquaintances, but after they moved away, it’s been empty, though we occasionally come to tidy up and keep it lively," Mrs. Shu explained.
The mother-in-law’s dowry was to be divided according to her wishes among the three children. She decided this because she knew about Ding Xingye’s circumstances, intending that the two children could settle comfortably in the future.
Of course, the price of the house was previously discussed under her mother-in-law’s guidance. She mentioned that if the Ding Family had good character and a certain economic foundation, then the house should be sold to the young couple as she wished.
"In-laws, make yourselves at home. We’re all doing this for the children." Mrs. Shu was already holding Huang Kaiying’s hand as they walked around, introduced the room arrangements in detail, and warmly invited them to come to the Shu Family for dinner that evening to finalize the date for the wedding.
Ding Xiaoding and Huang Kaiying were really taken aback by how easygoing the Shu Family was, with no hint of disdain in their eyes, which made them feel very comfortable.
Yi Roujing witnessed this happy union, and she also let out a sigh of relief inwardly, thinking perhaps this is fate. As the appointed matchmaker, she was also warmly invited to visit the Shu Family, along with Ding Weihuo and Li Hongying.
The Shu Family had thought it through; after all, Ding Weihuo and Li Hongying were from the same place as Ding Xiaoding and Huang Kaiying, so everyone would feel more at ease being together.
