1970s: My childhood sweetheart ran away, and I turned around and married the wildest chief.

Grandma Qiao patted her granddaughter's hand and comforted her, "There's nothing we can do. That's just how their profession is. As long as they care about you when they come back, that's enough. Actually, men are just like that. As long as they earn money to support the family and don't cause trouble, it doesn't matter whether they come back or not. If they do come back, you still have to take care of them, which is very annoying."

Qiao Wanqing: "..."

Did her grandma find her grandpa annoying?

Seeing that her granddaughter remained silent, Grandma Qiao continued, "I'm serious, you young people, don't be skeptical. Old people have experience. You see, if your husband isn't home, he won't cause you any trouble, and he'll even let you spend the money he earns. You have children, a big house to live in, money to spend, and a housekeeper. Why do you care if he comes back or not?"

"It's fine if you come back occasionally to chat with me, but if you come back every day, it'll be really annoying."

Qiao Wanqing: "..."

She smiled and agreed with her grandmother, "That's true. Anyway, I'm going to work, not out messing around. It's good to work hard so I can become a general's wife sooner."

Grandma Qiao chuckled, laughing uncontrollably, "That's the right way to think."

The grandmother and grandson moved chairs next to the small flower bed, enjoying the fragrance of the flowers and chatting about everyday life.

"Grandma, my brother wants to get married, but his blind dates haven't been going well lately. Do you know any suitable girls you could introduce him to?"

Grandma Qiao took a sip of tea and smiled, "That boy called me a long time ago and asked me to look for someone for him. He said I should look for someone in Beijing, preferably someone from Beijing or someone who works here. The Qiao family is here, so it will be convenient for him to come over in the future. If he can be arranged to work in Beichuan, that would be fine too. Anyway, it's just two places, Beichuan and Beijing. Make sure to make it clear to the girl's family."

Once Qiao Yuanhe decided to get married, he treated it like a mission. He mobilized all his relatives and friends to introduce potential partners to him, and he went on blind dates almost every day off, hoping to find someone he was satisfied with as soon as possible and get married quickly.

Unfortunately, he hasn't found it after all this time.

"My brother's goal is quite clear."

Grandma Qiao snorted, "Soldiers, they can't even handle this little thing. They've wasted all those years of service."

Qiao Wanqing: "..."

The two chatted in the yard, and when it was time, they went to the kitchen to cook. Today, Qiao Wanqing was in charge of cooking. When the food was almost ready, Grandpa Qiao returned.

As soon as he entered, he called out, "Old woman, is dinner ready? I'm starving!"

Grandma Qiao rolled her eyes. "Eat, eat, all you ever think about is eating."

Grandpa Qiao: "..."

"What's wrong with you? Why are you acting like you've swallowed a bomb? What did I do to offend you?"

Qiao Wanqing quickly came out of the kitchen, "Grandpa."

Grandpa Qiao's eyes lit up when he saw his granddaughter. "Oh, Xiao Wan! Why didn't you tell Grandpa you were coming? Where's the child? Where's my little granddaughter?"

He was referring to Qiao Wanqing's eldest daughter, Qiao Anning.

The old man was overjoyed that his granddaughter's surname was Qiao. He never expected that his granddaughter's child would have the surname Qiao. He was ecstatic when he found out.

"Grandpa, the child is at home. I just came to see you today. I had arranged a dinner with my aunt this weekend, and I came to ask if you had time. If you do, why don't we all come over here? I haven't been to Beijing for several years. I've moved here now, so it's a good opportunity to get together with everyone."

Grandpa Qiao was delighted. "Yes, yes, yes, you've come at the perfect time. I've been resting these past few days. You all come over this weekend. By the way, where's Xiao Lu?"

"He went to the army. He's very busy and has a lot of tasks. We had no choice but to move to Beijing. He left before dawn the next day and hasn't come back for several days."

Old Master Qiao was already used to it. That's how special jobs are. He was like that, his eldest son was like that, and it's perfectly normal for Lu Mingzhou's position to be so busy.

"Oh, I see! He's busy with his own things. Let everyone know this weekend, and those who have time should come over. It's been a long time since our family got together."

Qiao Wanqing replied, "Okay, I'll tell my aunt when I get back."

The food was light and easy to prepare, which suited the tastes of the two elders. Her grandfather, in particular, was very health-conscious, so he ate three meals a day very regularly and ate very well.

So after playing outside all morning, Grandma didn't need to call her; she would automatically come home when it was time, and as soon as she walked in, she would ask if it was lunchtime.

The old man tasted his granddaughter's cooking and nodded in approval, "Your cooking is not bad, but your grandma's is still the best to my taste. You young people have strong flavors and only focus on taste, which is not healthy at all."

Qiao Wanqing: "..."

She's already prepared it, but the flavor is still too strong?

Grandma Qiao rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. He's so hard to please. The food is almost tasteless, and he still complains that it's not bland enough. Eating with him is like undergoing asceticism. Just ignore him."

Grandpa Qiao: "..."

After finishing their meal, Qiao Wanqing went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, while Grandpa Qiao fiddled with his fish tank. Qiao Wanqing asked, "Grandpa and Grandma, do you know if there are any houses for sale recently? I'm thinking of buying a courtyard house in Beijing, in a good location, and a big one."

Grandma Qiao was eating fruit when she heard this and asked, "Your house is quite big, isn't it? Why did you buy a yard? Are Xiao Lu's family coming over?"

"No, I'm investing. There are only so many houses in Beijing. Now that the market has opened up and allowed private businesses, I think houses will definitely become more and more expensive in the future. Before the prices have fully risen, I want to buy a few houses with courtyards and keep them as an investment."

Grandpa Qiao laughed and said, "That's a good idea. The policy has changed now, and the population of Beijing will definitely increase in the future. There are too few houses at present, and many families are living in cramped conditions. In the future, as society develops and people have more money, they will definitely buy houses to improve their lives, and houses will definitely become more and more valuable."

"How big do you want to buy? I know two places. I'll go ask around for you. A lot of people are thinking of selling their houses and going abroad lately. There are quite a few people in my circle."

Her grandfather was a researcher who had come into contact with too many intellectuals throughout his life. Many people who want to sell their houses and go abroad now are those who have been exonerated and returned to the city, and whose properties have been returned. They are worried that they will be unlucky again in the future, so they are in a hurry to sell their houses and go abroad.

Qiao Wanqing immediately said, "Any size is fine, as long as the location is good. However, I want to buy the kind with a whole courtyard. I don't want the kind with only one or two rooms in a tenement. I don't usually have the time to manage it. If I don't go there for a long time, the house might be occupied by people in the tenement, which would be troublesome and I wouldn't make much money."

"As long as the property rights are clear and there are no disputes, it's fine. It has to be a complete yard, even if it's a little dilapidated, I can pay to repair it. A big house would be best, because overseas Chinese who come back to invest in China in the future will definitely be willing to spend money to buy it. If I buy it, it might double in value in a few years."

Grandpa Qiao smiled, "You have a good eye. Alright, Grandpa will inquire for you and make sure you can buy it."

"We know of two right now. Should I contact them?"

Qiao Wanqing's eyes lit up. "Really? Do you know where it is? What kind of house is it?"

"The locations are all very good, and they're all large courtyards, and they seem to be facing the street. Grandpa wasn't planning to buy them, so he didn't ask in detail. Since you want them, I'll ask him."

"Okay, let's ask quickly. If it's a good house, I'm worried that someone else will buy it. There are plenty of rich people in Beijing."

Grandpa Qiao immediately called to inquire about the situation, and Qiao Wanqing also made an appointment with the other party over the phone to go see the house.

Qiao Wanqing was delighted with what she found here, but she didn't stay long as she had children at home. After finalizing the weekend dinner arrangements, she went home.

She bought some vegetables and an old hen in a small alley by the roadside and went back. At this time, some alleys in the capital had already become vegetable markets. Some people from the countryside would bring their own vegetables to sell. They would usually gather in a small place. Qiao Wanqing had already seen several such places.

When she got home, she could hear the twins crying from afar. She handed her things to the housekeeper and went to comfort the children.

The two little ones were crying their eyes out, and Qi Ya was sweating profusely with worry.

"Sister-in-law, you're finally back! These two little ones were fine until I took them out for a walk. They saw someone with a toy gun and wanted it, but the other child teased them and wouldn't give it to them, so they started crying."

Qiao Wanqing: "..."

She found it hilarious. "Just for this? What kind of toy gun is it that's making you cry like this?"

Qi Ya has been with Qiao Wanqing for several years and has gained some experience, so she said, "It should be imported. I think it's quite pretty, and it even has lights on, flashing and sparkling. It's very beautiful. The two of them really wanted it when they saw it. I was thinking of waiting for you to come back before we talked about it, but they just stared at it longingly. The other kid even showed it off to them, and after showing it off, he wouldn't let them touch it, so they cried in anger."

Qiao Wanqing laughed out loud, "Alright, alright, stop crying. You're so pathetic. You're already so envious of a toy gun. When Mommy comes back, I'll buy you one, okay? I'll go to the foreign exchange store tomorrow and see if they have any. I'll buy one for each of you, okay?"

Upon hearing this, the eldest daughter immediately stopped crying. "Mom, I want two! I'll make that guy furious!"

Qiao Wanqing: "..."

"Okay, there are many shops in Beijing. If they have it, Mommy will buy it for you. If not, I'll buy you other toys, okay? There are many fashionable toys, not just toy guns. There are all kinds of toy cars, toy airplanes, and toy trains!"

Both of them were very excited upon hearing this, exclaiming, "I want it! I want it! I want it all!"

Qiao Wanqing comforted the children for a while, and they stopped crying. She didn't spoil the two babies completely, but she certainly didn't deprive them of material things. The two little ones had been raised very well since they were little. It's normal for children to like to play, and they wouldn't throw a tantrum over a toy. Their mother always kept her promises, so after comforting them for a while, they went to play with other things.

The next day, Qiao Wanqing arranged with the homeowner to go see the house.

The houses recommended by Grandpa are naturally the best, and the previous owners of these houses were all extraordinary people.

The first one is a complete house in Nanluoguxiang.

Qiao Wanqing arrived at the location at nine o'clock in the morning. The landlord was already waiting. There were two people there, who looked like a father and son. They were both a little thin and had the same resentment on their faces.

Upon seeing Qiao Wanqing, he greeted her politely, and Qiao Wanqing requested to see the house first.

The father and son opened the courtyard gate. The old man looked at the house with reluctance in his eyes. The middle-aged man next to him also looked unhappy, but still introduced the house to Qiao Wanqing, saying, "This house is very well preserved and in a good location. It used to be a place where high-ranking officials and nobles lived. Ordinary people didn't even have the chance to enter this alley. Whoever buys it will be a symbol of status and will definitely be looked up to in the future."

Qiao Wanqing: "..."

She ignored the father and son and carefully examined the house. It was indeed a good house, with three courtyards. The rear building in the first courtyard was built very high, with enough space to build a nice attic. Moreover, the rear building alone had four rooms, which were all connected. If they wanted to be separated, they could make four quite large rooms.

The main house in the second courtyard has five rooms, plus side rooms, and is a two-story building. There are also four rooms each in the east and west wing rooms, also with side rooms, and also two-story buildings. So there are quite a lot of rooms. Qiao Wanqing went in and took a look. The space is quite large, and if needed, it can be divided into several rooms.

There's another row of rear buildings behind them, with thick, sturdy walls and well-preserved beams. The side of the main building and the backyard are quite spacious, which can be tidied up and planted with flowers and grass later.

This courtyard, as Grandpa described, is indeed different.

Qiao Wanqing glanced at the father and son, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes, and asked with some disdain, "Why is this house so dark? It's not as clean as an apartment building. I thought the houses where high-ranking officials and nobles used to live were much nicer. This is it? It looks so old."

In one sentence, he offended both the father and son.

The middle-aged man said angrily, "What do you know? That building is so cramped, and there are too many people living there. It's so noisy. How can it compare to living in a big house like this? This is a house that can be passed down through generations. It used to be where nobles lived. How can it be the same? If we didn't want to leave this awful place, we wouldn't have sold this house."

Qiao Wanqing's lips curled slightly. "You're leaving? Going abroad? It's not a good idea to go abroad when you're unfamiliar with the place and the people!"

A flash of resentment crossed the middle-aged man's eyes. "You've never been abroad, how do you know it's bad? There's true civilization there, there's respect for us scholars, and that's why we scholars aren't forced to do the work of peasants. This place is full of poverty, ignorance, and backwardness. Only by going to truly civilized countries can we, the educated, use our talents and live with dignity."

Qiao Wanqing: "..."

You idiot, you go to someone else's territory with all your wealth but no strength, and you expect to prosper?

In her previous life, Qiao Wanqing had lived for decades and had never heard of any Chinese family that had prospered in the Western world; most of them had ended up in dire straits.

Qiao Wanqing didn't ask any more questions. Everyone has their own destiny, and she wouldn't advise such a person to stay, lest he cause trouble later.

"How much do you want to sell this house for?"

"fifty thousand!"