Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

After Xu Bei found out the situation, he left the photo studio.

He went directly to the back of the row of houses facing the street and found the old Jiang family's house, which was located in the middle of the row of houses.

Xu Bei stood at the entrance of the gate, which was half-open, and looked into the courtyard.

They discovered that, from the outside, it was much better than the house they were currently renting, which belonged to Song Guodong's cousin.

It's not just the high ceilings of the house; you can see from the walls to the window frames and other details that it's well-preserved.

However, since it's not located in a mountainous area, the yard is smaller.

Perhaps the people inside the house saw what was happening in the courtyard, because before Xu Bei could even reach the center, the door, which was covered with cotton felt, was pushed open from the inside.

An elderly woman with gray hair, wearing a padded jacket and trousers and sporting a messy bun, leaned out and asked with squinted eyes, "Who are you looking for?"

"Auntie, I heard you're thinking of selling your house, so I came to take a look."

As soon as Xu Bei finished speaking, the old lady's attitude immediately became much warmer.

"Oh, young man, come inside quickly, it's warm inside."

Xu Bei immediately smiled and said, "No rush, Auntie, I plan to take a look outside the house first."

The old lady tucked her hands into the sleeves of her cotton-padded coat and said with a smile, "Look, look. Everyone who sees my house falls in love with it. The front and back yards are so tidy. The storage shed and the wooden plank house were all newly built a few years ago. If you buy it, you won't have to do anything."

"To be honest, if it weren't for my son's workplace providing an apartment and insisting that I, his mother, move upstairs with them because he was worried about me living alone, I really wouldn't want to sell it."

Xu Bei listened patiently to the old lady as he walked around the house.

After that, he went inside to take a look.

The layout of the house is such that the kitchen is right inside the entrance, with the east and west rooms on either side.

Unlike the kitchen, the floor inside the house was made of cement and was covered with a red-painted wooden floor.

Some details also show that this family lives a decent life and is well-off.

Xu Bei was increasingly satisfied with the house.

Even before he came to see it, he had made up his mind to buy the house regardless of its condition.

But after actually seeing it, it's naturally even better if everything is good.

That way, when they move in later, they won't need to do much tidying up and can move in directly.

Moreover, it's more comfortable and peaceful to live in.

The old lady handed him a freshly brewed cup of tea. "Young man, what do you think of it?"

Xu Bei thanked her and took the item, then smiled and said, "Auntie, I think it's alright, but your price of 850 is a bit expensive. If you're really serious about buying it, could you give me a discount...?"

The old lady said with a troubled expression, "Young man, we used to sell it for nine hundred, this is already fifty yuan cheaper, we definitely can't go any lower."

However, you can keep the kang (heated brick bed), the cabinets, some things in the kitchen, the firewood stacks outside the front and back gates, and the coal in the storeroom. It all adds up to some money.

Xu Bei was only making a symbolic attempt to negotiate the price; otherwise, it would have been easy for someone to raise the price on the spot and create unnecessary complications.

He pretended to be conflicted, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Alright then. But when can I go to the real estate department to change the name?"

The old lady immediately exclaimed with delight, "As long as you pay the full amount, you can go and get it done whenever you want. To be honest, we have a relative in the real estate department..."

Xu Bei couldn't help but chuckle.

It really is just like the old saying goes: having connections in government offices makes things easier, and having a powerful backer makes it easier to enjoy the shade.

"Then I'll go back and scrape together the money, and come back this afternoon."

The old lady was excited, but also a little apprehensive and worried.

After all, quite a few people came to look at the house, but none of them had ever said they wanted to buy it so readily. I was afraid that Xu Bei might never come back.

As they saw him off, they kept saying, "Young man, don't worry, this house will be very comfortable to live in. And if anything happens in the future, you can come to us..."

Xu Bei gave the old lady a perfunctory reply, then mounted his bicycle and left.

When he returned to the shop, he didn't tell his mother or sister anything about it.

After having lunch together, Xu Bei went to the Jiang family's house around 1 p.m.

This time, it wasn't just the old lady at home alone; there was also a middle-aged couple and two boys in their teens.

They all breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Xu Bei and were very enthusiastic.

After we let them into the house, they were busy making tea, pouring water, and washing apples.

Xu Bei knew perfectly well that behind such enthusiasm was a strong desire to make the house purchase happen, but since he was not short of money and sincerely wanted to buy, he naturally wouldn't do anything to offend people.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, we got straight to the point.

"Brother Jiang, Sister-in-law Jiang, I've brought the money. Let's write an agreement first, then I'll pay most of the house price. After the transfer of ownership is completed, I'll give you the rest. We'll see how long it takes."

The man surnamed Jiang pushed up his glasses with a happy expression. "Young man, to be honest, if it were anyone else, it wouldn't be easy to go through the proper procedures for this kind of name-alteration, but we have connections in the family."

I'll go find someone this afternoon, and within two days, I'll bring you to see for yourself that the name on the housing certificate has been changed to yours. That way, not only will you be relieved, but we'll also be at ease..."

His wife, children, and mother also looked excited and joyful.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law both agreed, "That's right, the sooner this is done, the less trouble it will be for both of us."

"Yes, that's just what we need to do to make the house available for you within a few days."

Xu Bei, of course, also hoped that this matter could be resolved as quickly as possible. "Okay. Let's write up the agreement first."

"Okay, then I'll start writing now."

The man surnamed Jiang immediately turned around and went to find manuscript paper and a fountain pen.

However, since this was the first time that a public housing unit had been transferred privately, I didn't know how to write anything after removing the pen cap.

Later, under Xu Bei's guidance, two simple transfer agreements were drafted.

Then, the two signed their names and dipped their hands in the red inkpad they had found, pressing their fingerprints into it.

After Xu Bei received his copy of the agreement and carefully reviewed it from top to bottom, he also handed over 500 yuan to them as agreed.

Fifty ten-yuan bills, half a stack of RMB, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law counted them again and again with trembling hands, their hearts filled with excitement.

After confirming that everything was correct, Xu Bei took the signed transfer agreement and the receipt for 500 yuan that the man had given him, and left without lingering.

The family saw Xu Bei off at the gate and watched him ride away on his bicycle before turning back into the yard.

As Xu Bei pedaled his bicycle against the cold wind, he was also somewhat excited and happy.

After all, this was the first property he purchased after his rebirth.

Perhaps Chinese people have an obsession with owning a house; everyone wants to have a house with their own name on it, as that would give them a great sense of security.

However, this important matter that needs to be kept quiet for the time being definitely not shared with family members, otherwise the source of the money will be inexplicable...