Reborn In 1983: Starting With Reclaiming My Birthright Chapter 258: The House - Novel Cool

Chapter 258: The House

Chapter 258: The House

When Lu Jiaguang returned home, he pulled Wang Xiaojie into their room and relayed Lu Jiaxin's message to her: "Tomorrow, go and tell Jiaxin that we don't want the house or the money. As for the shares in the antique shop, we only agreed to that to reassure her. Make it clear that we don't want those either."

Wang Xiaojie kept her head down, remaining silent.

Lu Jiaguang grew a bit anxious and said, "Xiaojie, your Third Aunt helped us so much back then. We're just doing her a small favor now. How can we take her money?"

Before he could finish, Wang Xiaojie lifted her head and said, "If her antique shop wasn't making money, I definitely wouldn't accept. But it is profitable now, and she's willing to give us a share of the profits. Why shouldn't we accept?"

Not waiting for him to respond, she continued, "I'll agree with you on everything else, but not this. I'm not being greedy. We can forgo the shares and I won't take any dividends either. I just want a house."

"Our daughter, Zhen Zhen, is already eleven years old, and she still has to share a room with Xiao Zhang. It's fine for now, but in a couple of years when she gets her period, you know how inconvenient that will be?"

Lu Jiaguang suggested, "When Lu Ping gets a job assignment, Lu Zhang can move in with Lu An."

Wang Xiaojie immediately objected, "Then when Ping Ping comes back from work, won't he have to return to his dormitory right after dinner? What if his job is far away? Would he have to stay in a guest house? And when he wants to find a partner in the future, what would the woman think when she sees that he doesn't even have a bed of his own at home?"

In the past, they had no choice but to make such arrangements, but now that they had an opportunity to change things for the better, why would they push it away? Moreover, they weren't taking Jiaxin's house for free. They had contributed to the success of the antique shop and owed her a debt of gratitude, which their son-in-law would have to repay in the future.

Lu Jiaguang couldn't refute her logic, but he still resisted the idea, only willing to let Jiaxin buy them a house, while completely rejecting the other offers.

Understanding his stubborn nature, Wang Xiaojie said, "I know you value your pride. Let me talk to Jiaxin about this. For the sake of the children, I'll set aside my own pride."

If it were just the two of them, they would definitely refuse the money and the house. But with their children growing up and eventually bringing partners home, not having a place of their own would be inconvenient and a constant worry for her.

Lu Jiaguang knew that she was a strong-willed person too, so he relented, "What are you talking about? This was Jiaxin's idea, not like we're begging her for anything. Fine, I'll talk to her tomorrow."

Wang Xiaojie didn't want to trouble him, "No need, I'll talk to Jiaxin myself. There are some other things I want to discuss with her as well."

"What other matters can't be shared with me?" Lu Jiaguang asked.

Wang Xiaojie didn't want to get into it with him, so she turned off the light and said, "Let's go to sleep. We need to get up early tomorrow."

The next morning, Wang Xiaojie headed to Guangming Hutong early, worried that she might miss Lu Jiaxin if she left for work. Her niece had a lot on her plate and wasn't an early riser.

"Is Jiaxin still sleeping? Why is she still in bed at this hour?"

Lu Ersao smiled and said, "Now that the exams are over, the kids should get some rest. Big Sister, you came so early. Is there something urgent?"

"Yes, there's something I want to discuss with Jiaxin," Wang Xiaojie replied.

Lu Ersao had a good relationship with Wang Xiaojie and was open with her. She lowered her voice and said, "Big Sister, yesterday, Jiaxin told us that if we have money, we should buy a storefront or a house. If we don't buy now, the prices will skyrocket in a few years, and we won't be able to afford it. I discussed it with my husband, and we plan to save up to buy a storefront first. Then, when we make more money, we'll buy a house. Big Sister, if you and Big Brother have the money, you should buy a house too, even if it's a small one."

Wang Xiaojie nodded and asked, "Younger Sister, why aren't you setting up your stall today?"

Lu Ersao replied with a smile, "It's rare for Jiaxin to be home, so I want to stay and cook for her. I've been busy every day, so this is a good chance to rest for a couple of days."

Wang Xiaojie had taken half a day off from work and would have to go back to the office in the afternoon. She was not one to sit idle, so she picked up a broom and started cleaning while Lu Ersao was washing clothes.

Upon returning from grocery shopping, Lu Jizong grabbed an old duck to slaughter for a hearty stew.

Lu Jiaxin had actually woken up earlier, around six, unable to escape her body's natural rhythm. However, being at an age where sleep was crucial, she dozed off again, only to awaken to the time nearing nine o'clock.

Upon seeing her, Lu Ersao immediately wiped her hands and approached, asking, "Jiaxin, there's red date porridge, buns, and dumplings for breakfast. I also made lamb dumplings and three-fresh dumplings. What would you like to eat?"

Most families didn't have such a lavish spread for breakfast, and this was a special consideration for Jiaxin's preferences. Smiling, Jiaxin replied, "Just cook the lamb dumplings, and make some smashed cucumbers too. I've been craving them for a while now."

"Alright, I'll go prepare that for you now."

Jiaxin wasn't surprised to see Wang Xiaojie approaching. She knew that while Lu Jiaguang valued his pride and might refuse the house, a mother's love for her children knew no bounds, and pride would be the last thing on her mind.

"Big Sister-in-law, have you eaten breakfast yet? If not, please join us. Ask Second Sister-in-law to prepare more."

Xiaojie indicated that she had already eaten, saying, "Jiaxin, go ahead and freshen up. I'll talk about my matter later. I make better smashed cucumbers than your second aunt. I'll go help her."

"Alright," Jiaxin agreed.

After breakfast, Jiaxin led Xiaojie to the study and poured her a cup of water.

Xiaojie held the cup for a moment before speaking, "Jiaxin, your brother told me everything you discussed last night. He feels that helping you is something he should do without expecting anything in return. I think he's right, but... I'm being shameless this time, Jiaxin. I want the house."

She quickly added, "Don't worry, just this once. Your brother won't stand idly by if the antique shop needs help in the future, but let's not mention shares and dividends anymore."

Smiling, Jiaxin said, "Big Sister-in-law, why are you saying this? Xiao Qiu helps manage the clothing store, and I give her 30% of the shares. It's what she deserves. The same goes for Big Brother. If he hadn't stepped in to resolve the issues, we wouldn't have been able to keep the items, and the shop might have had to close. That would have been a huge loss."

"Just giving money, I'm afraid, might bring trouble to the antique shop. I'm not worried about myself, but I don't want to affect your brother's future. If I give you the house, others might gossip a little, but that's all."

There was also another drawback—the other brothers, unaware of the situation, might feel unbalanced. This was something the couple would have to address.

Xiaojie held Jiaxin's hand, her eyes reddening as she said, "What can I say about you? Your brother and I haven't done much for you over the years, yet you're always thinking of us."

Jiaxin disagreed, "That's not true. If it weren't for Big Brother and Fifth Brother protecting me, that wicked woman would have ruined me before I even had a chance to take the college entrance exam."

Wiping away her tears, Xiaojie took out a thick envelope from her bag. "Jiaxin, there's 3,600 yuan in here, saved by me and your brother. You don't need to buy a big house; five rooms will be enough."

Jiaxin pushed the money back to her, saying, "Big Sister-in-law, please keep this money. Elder Brother and Auntie's health is not the best, and they might need it at any time."

"Big Sister-in-law, the antique shop has acquired several valuable pieces this year. Those items could fetch a good price in Hong Kong City. You're giving up dividends for just a house; it seems like I'm taking advantage of you."

Old Sun had already collected several precious artifacts. Each one was worth hundreds of thousands, if not millions, in Hong Kong City. A 20% share of the dividends could amount to hundreds of thousands, more than enough to buy a house.

Xiaojie was no fool, and she acknowledged this, "Not everyone can sell items in Hong Kong City, and many get scammed. Jiaxin, please take it; otherwise, I won't be able to rest easy."

Unable to refuse further, Jiaxin accepted the money, intending to have Xiao Qiu return it to Xiaojie before leaving.

(End of Chapter)

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