Going home for the Chinese New Year with a year-end bonus of 100 million

In the late September evening, the aroma of food wafted through Yang Fan's courtyard.

Lin's mother specially came back from the shop early today and cooked several of her signature dishes.

The family of ten sat around a stone table in the courtyard, with the sky gradually darkening and the stars just beginning to appear overhead, creating a warm and lively atmosphere.

"Mom, this pickled fish is so delicious." Xiaoya picked up a big piece of fish and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

Lin's mother beamed with joy: "Eat more if you like, there's more in the pot."

Yang Hao returned early from his car today and is currently telling his third uncle that he has finalized deals for two more convenience stores.

Yang Jianguo and Wang Xiuying listened from the side, their faces beaming with undisguised satisfaction.

Yang Fan felt a surge of warmth in his heart as he watched this scene.

Last year, the whole family was still busy with their own lives – the parents were farming in their hometown, the third uncle and aunt were doing odd jobs, Yang Hao was working on a construction site, Xiao Ya was studying in the county town, and Lin Xiaoyu's family was still worried about her father's leg injury.

Now, everyone is gathered together, has their own businesses, and life is getting better day by day.

But Yang Fan knew in his heart that there was still one thing that hadn't been resolved—the house.

The three-story building I live in now is rented. Although it is spacious, it is not my own.

The landlord is nice and the rent is reasonable, but long-term renting is not a long-term solution.

More importantly, there are some inconvenient aspects to this house.

For example, there is no elevator, and there are only three toilets, so you have to queue to wash up in the morning.

For example, although the kitchen is large enough, the layout is not very reasonable, and the three women sometimes "collide" when cooking together.

Yang Fan had long had the idea of ​​buying a house, but hadn't found a suitable opportunity to bring it up.

Tonight, he decided to speak out.

"Dad, Mom, Third Uncle and Third Aunt, Xiaoyu, Haozi, Xiaoya." Yang Fan put down his chopsticks, looked around, and said, "I have something I'd like to discuss with you all."

Everyone stopped eating and looked at him.

"I want to buy a house," Yang Fan said bluntly.

The courtyard was quiet for a few seconds.

"Buy a house?" Wang Xiuying was the first to react.

"Xiaofan, aren't we living comfortably in this house? The landlord hasn't said anything about raising the rent."

"It's not a matter of renting," Yang Fan explained.

"I want to buy my own house, like this one, a house where my whole family can live."

Yang Jianguo frowned: "Why buy a house? Aren't we doing fine as we are?"

"If you rent a house, you can move to another place if you don't want to live there anymore. But if you buy a house, you're settling down."

"Moreover," Uncle Yang Jianmin continued, "were also..."

"Xiao Fan, we'll have to go back to our hometown sooner or later."

"Your dad, your third aunt, and I will definitely go back to the village when we can no longer work."

"Isn't buying a house in the city a waste of money?"

"And what about us?" Xiaoya interjected. "Brother, after I graduate, I might go to work in another place. Sister Xiaoyu will get married, and Brother Haozi will start a family."

"Everyone will buy their own houses eventually. If we buy such a big building now, won't it be empty later?"

Lin Xiaoyu didn't speak, but looked at Yang Fan with concern in her eyes.

Yang Fan had long anticipated these concerns from his family.

He smiled, his tone calm:

"Everyone's points are valid. But here's what I think—"

He paused, then said seriously, "First, a house is an investment."

"Although the housing prices in the university town are not expensive, they will definitely rise in the future."

"If you buy it now, even if you don't live there in the future, you won't lose money when you sell it; you might even make a profit."

"Secondly, our large family needs a fixed place to gather."

"Even if Xiaoyu gets married, Xiaoya moves to another city, and Haozi starts a family, we still need a headquarters, right?"

"We can't stay in hotels every time."

"Third," he said, looking at his parents and his third uncle and aunt.

"I know you said you're going back to your hometown in the future."

"But when they actually go back, how many times a year will they see us?"

"If we had a house in the city, we could go back to see you on weekends. If you miss your grandchildren, it would be convenient for you to stay in the city."

Yang Jianguo fell silent.

He understood everything his son was saying.

But he was used to being frugal his whole life and always felt that spending millions to buy a house was a "luxury".

"But Xiaofan," Wang Xiuying was still worried.

How much does it cost to buy a house?

"Even though you've made some money now, you can't spend it like this. Wouldn't it be better to save it for getting married and raising children later?"

"Mom, you don't need to worry about the money," Yang Fan said sincerely.

"I have more than enough money to buy a house right now."

"And think about it, the rent for this house now is several thousand a month."

"That's tens of thousands a year, hundreds of thousands in ten years. Instead of giving that money to others, you might as well use it to buy your own house."

Lin Xiaoyu spoke softly, "Brother, do you feel that there are some inconveniences in this house right now?"

Yang Fan nodded: "A little."

"I want to buy a house that can be renovated, install an elevator, and make the layout more rational."

Yang Hao thought for a moment and said, "Brother Fan, I think you're right."

"Having our own house definitely feels different. But... how big do we need?"

"At least three floors, four floors would be even better," Yang Fan said.

"Each floor should have a separate bathroom, the living room should be spacious, and the kitchen should be large enough."

"Ideally, there would be a small courtyard, like it is now, where we can eat in the summer."

Looking at his son's serious expression, Yang Jianguo knew that his son had really thought about it for a long time.

He wasn't acting on impulse; he had made long-term plans for the family.

"Xiao Fan," Yang Jianguo finally spoke.

"Dad knows you mean well. But this is a big deal, we need to think about it carefully."

"Dad, I don't need to decide right away," Yang Fan said.

"I'm just discussing it with everyone first. If everyone thinks it's okay, I'll go take a look at the house."

"Looking at it doesn't necessarily mean I'll buy it; it's just to get a feel for the market first."

That was a well-chosen statement, giving everyone some breathing room.

Yang Jianmin nodded: "It's fine to go and take a look. It won't hurt to learn more."

Wang Xiuying also relented: "Well... let's take a look first. But Xiao Fan, don't buy it impulsively after just one look; you have to discuss it with us first."

"Definitely." Yang Fan smiled.

"Okay, I'll ask Zhou Yao tomorrow. She's familiar with this area and see if there are any suitable properties."

"Found it, let's go take a look."

"Okay," Yang Jianguo decided. "It's settled then."

……

The next morning, Yang Fan called Zhou Yao.

"Hey, Fan-ge!" Zhou Yao's voice was as energetic as ever. "What's up?"

"Zhou Yao, I need your help." Yang Fan got straight to the point.

"I'd like to look at apartments in the university town area. You're familiar with it, could you help me find one?"

"Looking at houses?" Zhou Yao asked, somewhat surprised. "Brother Fan, you want to buy a house?"

"Yes, I'd like to buy a house that can accommodate my whole family, three or four stories, preferably one that can be renovated."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Zhou Yao's excited voice came through:

"Brother Fan, you've come to the right person! I know this area like the back of my hand!"

"When are you free? I'll take you to see a few places!"

"This afternoon will do."

"Okay! I'll go contact them first. I'll wait for you at your door at 2 PM!"

After hanging up the phone, Yang Fan felt a little more at ease.

He trusted Zhou Yao to handle things.

At 2 p.m. sharp, Zhou Yao appeared at Yang Fan's door.

She wore a beige knit sweater with light blue jeans today, and her hair was tied in a high ponytail, making her look fresh and neat.

"Brother Fan, let's go!" She waved as soon as she saw him.

"I contacted three places, and they all meet your requirements. Let's look at them one by one."

The first one is located on the east side of the university town, in a newly built residential area with townhouses.

The house is new, four stories high, and has a small yard.

But Yang Fan shook his head after watching for less than ten minutes.

"It's too 'standardized'," he said to Zhou Yao.

"The rooms are all about the same size, with a fixed layout, making them difficult to renovate."

"Moreover, this community has strict management, so installing an elevator might be a lot of trouble."

Zhou Yao nodded: "I also think it's not quite right. Let's go check out the second place."

The second location is in the old town, a detached four-story building, about twenty years old.

The house is very large, with each floor being over 80 square meters, but the problems are also obvious—there is no elevator shaft, the structure is old, and renovation is difficult.

Moreover, the surrounding environment is rather messy, and parking is inconvenient.

"This..." Yang Fan stood on the rooftop, looking at the densely packed old houses around him.

"It would be too much trouble to renovate it. Besides, the environment is just so-so."

Zhou Yao frowned as well: "Indeed. Let's go to the third place then; I think that's the most promising."