novelonline Chapter 1467 Times have changed
Chapter 1467 Times have changed
While Yang's parents were busy negotiating with their neighbors in the courtyard house about exchanging apartments, Yang Shumo, feeling bored, left home. As soon as he pushed open the gate, a gust of cold wind, carrying fine snowflakes, hit him in the face. He hunched his shoulders and was about to head towards the alley entrance when he suddenly heard someone call his name:
"Brother Mao!"
The sound came from the neighboring courtyard gate. Yang Shumo turned his head and saw Ye Fei standing at his own gate, wearing a beige wool coat and a light gray scarf, her hair loose over her shoulders, looking both intellectual and elegant. She waved to Yang Shumo, signaling him to come over.
Ye Fei is three years older than Yang Shumao. She is one of the few college students in Jiudaowan Hutong. She is beautiful and has a good temperament, so she is very popular in the hutong.
"Sister Fei, what's up?" Yang Shumao walked over, his breath steaming in the air.
Ye Fei didn't answer. Instead, she grabbed his arm and pulled him into her yard before letting go and saying in a low voice:
"Brother Mao, is this deal of exchanging a courtyard house for an apartment building reliable or not? Give me a heads-up."
The courtyard was quiet, with only the soft sound of snowflakes falling. The Ye family's courtyard was not large, but it was very clean. A wintersweet tree grew in the corner, its pale yellow flowers looking particularly elegant in the snow.
Yang Shumo rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold:
"Sister Fei, are you also planning to move?"
"Just tell me if it's reliable or not." Ye Fei didn't answer his question, her eyes showing seriousness.
Yang Shuma blinked:
"It's definitely reliable. Old Qin even bought ten houses in advance, spending over a million yuan. How could it be fake?"
"So you're not joking?" Ye Fei's eyes lit up.
“Of course,” Yang Shumo said confidently. “Old Qin is always reliable. If he says he’ll change it, he definitely will.
After he finished speaking, he turned to leave, but Ye Fei called him back:
"Where are you going?"
"Let's go to Old Qin's house." Yang Shumo patted the snowflakes off his shoulder. "Anyway, we have nothing to do at home, so let's go to his house and watch some TV."
"I'll go with you," Ye Fei said, turning around to go back into the house to get an umbrella. She then said goodbye to her mother before following Yang Shumao out the door.
The two walked side by side through the alley. The snow was still falling, lightly, fine and dense, like salt being sprinkled. The bluestone path was covered with a series of footprints, and in some places it was icy, requiring extra caution to walk on.
"Sister Fei, isn't your yard nice enough? Why do you want to change it?" Yang Shumao asked as they walked.
Ye Fei sighed:
“What’s so good about it? The house is old, it leaks when it rains, and the paint is peeling off the walls. My mother has health problems, she has arthritis, and the pain is terrible in winter. The bungalow is cold and damp, which is even worse for her. If we could move to an apartment building with heating, she would suffer less.”
Yang Shumo nodded and said nothing more. He knew that Ye Fei's father, Ye Qingyuan, was a scientific researcher who was away from home most of the year and could only come home a few times a year. It was indeed not easy for Ye Fei and her mother at home.
After walking for about ten minutes, the two arrived at the courtyard house where Qin Hao lived. Before they even reached the gate, they could hear a great deal of noise coming from inside, like a bustling market.
The courtyard gate was crowded with people, three or four layers deep, completely blocking the road. There were elderly men and women in cotton-padded coats, middle-aged men in Zhongshan suits, and women holding children, all craning their necks to look into the courtyard and talking amongst themselves.
"My God, how come there are so many people?" Yang Shumo was startled.
Ye Fei frowned as well. She stood on tiptoe and looked around, and saw that the courtyard was full of people, a dark mass, at least several dozen.
It took the two of them a great deal of effort to squeeze through the crowd. The courtyard was even more crowded, with people gathered in small groups, whispering to each other, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation. Snowflakes fell on their heads and shoulders, but no one paid them any attention; they were all staring in the direction of the main house.
"These...these are all people here to exchange rooms?" Ye Fei asked softly.
Yang Shumo nodded:
"It seems so. News travels fast."
As they were talking, Old Xie turned and came out of the house, stood on the steps, and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Dear neighbors, grandpas and grandmas! If you don't have a land use certificate, or if the land use certificate doesn't match the homeowner's name, you can go home now! Don't waste your time here if you can't transfer the property; it's quite cold!"
His words immediately caused an uproar in the courtyard.
"What? We need a land use certificate too?"
"My family has lived in that house for decades, so what kind of certificate do we have?"
"Exactly, isn't this just messing with us men?"
Complaints rose and fell. A large portion of the crowd looked displeased, exchanging glances before turning away dejectedly.
"What's going on? Why didn't you tell us beforehand? We've been standing here in the snow for ages in the dead of winter!"
"Exactly, he's got a couple of bucks and he's just showing off. Just wait and see, he might get arrested one of these days!"
The cursing and swearing gradually faded away. The courtyard suddenly became much emptier, but there were still twenty or thirty people left who refused to leave, their eyes fixed longingly on the house.
Yang Shumao pulled Ye Fei through the crowd, finally managing to squeeze to the doorway.
The house was also quite lively. Li Yuxiang was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), surrounded by several old ladies, chatting and laughing. Qin Hao was sitting at a square table, opposite three families who were talking about something.
"Da Mao is here!" Li Yuxiang, with her sharp eyes, spotted Yang Shumao and greeted him with a smile. Then, seeing Ye Fei behind him, her eyes lit up: "Oh, Xiao Fei is here too! What a rare guest! Come and sit down, it's warm here."
Ye Fei obediently walked over and sat down next to Li Yuxiang:
Happy New Year, Auntie.
"Good, good, good." Li Yuxiang took Ye Fei's hand, looked her up and down, her eyes full of affection: "Xiao Fei is getting more and more beautiful. College students are different, she has such a good temperament."
Ye Fei felt a little embarrassed by the praise, her cheeks flushing slightly. Her eyes, however, remained fixed on Qin Hao, her gaze filled with concern.
Li Yuxiang noticed something amiss and lowered her voice to ask:
"Xiaofei, are you also planning to move?"
Ye Fei felt a little embarrassed, after all, this was clearly an attempt to take advantage. She pursed her lips and whispered:
“You know our little courtyard house is old and dilapidated. My mother’s health isn’t good either, so we were thinking that it would be more convenient if we could move to an apartment building.”
Li Yuxiang patted Ye Fei's hand and said earnestly:
"Although I don't know why Xiao Hao is doing this, that kid is very shrewd and never does anything that doesn't benefit him. You guys better think this through."
"Auntie, I've discussed it with my mom," Ye Fei said earnestly. "It would be great if we could exchange it, but it's okay if we can't. Maybe my workplace will allocate an apartment for me after I've been working for a while."
As the two were talking, Qin Hao had already finished his conversation. He stood up and said to the three households:
"Go back and discuss it again. My terms are already very generous. If you're not willing to change, I won't force you."
His tone was calm, but it conveyed an undeniable determination.
The three families looked at each other in bewilderment. A middle-aged man in blue overalls rubbed his hands together and said with a forced smile:
"No, brother, we didn't say we wouldn't exchange. We'll do it your way, one house per family, three houses in exchange for our courtyard house, no extra money needed. When will the transfer of ownership take place?"
Qin Hao's expression softened somewhat:
"I'll go and transfer the property when the housing authority opens in the spring."
"So this is settled? Will it change?" another old man asked, still worried.
"Don't worry," Qin Hao said confidently, "As long as you don't change your mind, I can rest assured."
"That's good, that's good!" The three families stood up happily, thanked each other profusely, and left.
No sooner had they left than several more families entered. Good heavens, the whole family came out, more than a dozen people including adults and children, and they immediately surrounded Qin Hao.
Seeing this, Ye Fei couldn't help but feel worried. She had just heard Yang Shumo say that Qin Hao had only bought ten houses in total, and three of them had already been sold. She wondered if it would be her turn.
Qin Hao followed his usual practice and asked for the land use certificate first. Two of the households couldn't produce it, and the other three started complaining.
"Old Li, didn't you say you had the certificate?"
"I...I must have misremembered. My husband probably put it away..."
"Collect my ass! There wasn't any at all!"
"Who are you talking about? You're the one with the problem!"
The two sides became increasingly agitated during their argument, almost coming to blows. Qin Hao watched coldly, offering no intervention. Only after their argument had subsided did he calmly say:
"Those without a certificate, please leave. Don't waste other people's time."
The two families left, their faces grim and grumbling. The remaining three families wanted to negotiate, but Qin Hao had already lost patience and refused outright.
Yang Shumo noticed Ye Fei's worry and waved to Qin Hao. Qin Hao took the opportunity to slip away, squeezing through the crowd and walking up to Ye Fei.
"Sister Fei, what brings you here today?" Qin Hao greeted her and sat down on a chair next to him.
Ye Fei was a little embarrassed, but she still gritted her teeth and explained her desire to change apartments.
After listening, Qin Hao nodded:
Did you bring the land use certificate?
"I brought it." Ye Fei quickly took out a brown paper envelope from her bag and took out a yellowed piece of paper from it.
Qin Hao took it and examined it carefully. The paper was printed with the words "Land Use Certificate" in large characters, followed by detailed information such as the address and area. He looked at the name on it:
"Ye Qingyuan is..."
“It’s my dad,” Ye Fei said.
Qin Hao nodded:
"Uncle Ye, can you come back soon? The homeowner has to come in person for the transfer of ownership."
Ye Fei looked troubled.
"Well... I need to call my dad. His unit is classified, so the timeframe is uncertain... it might take a while."
"Okay." Qin Hao handed the certificate back to her. "Then I'll wait for your news, Sister Fei."
He had barely finished speaking when he was pulled aside by several other families to discuss exchanging houses.
That morning, Qin Hao was incredibly busy. People came in droves to discuss exchanging houses; some were sincere, some were greedy, some had clear property rights, and some had numerous problems. Qin Hao spoke with each one, screening them carefully, his attitude resolute and his conditions clear.
They worked until noon, and only managed to reach agreements with three households, plus Ye Fei's. The rest either had issues with property rights or were greedy and wanted Qin Hao to pay extra. Qin Hao was too lazy to argue with them; he could take it or leave it.
If it weren't for the fact that Jiudaowan Hutong wasn't demolished in the original drama, he wouldn't have bothered arguing with these bastards.
"Xiao Hao, dinner's ready!" Li Yuxiang came out of the kitchen, carrying two steaming bowls of noodles.
Seeing this, everyone in the room tactfully took their leave. Qin Hao breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed his throbbing temples, and walked to the table to sit down.
The noodles were handmade, topped with fried sauce, and sprinkled with cucumber shreds and bean sprouts, emitting a wonderful aroma. Just as Qin Hao was about to pick up his chopsticks, a series of noisy footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.
Immediately afterwards, Mr. and Mrs. Yang led several other families from the courtyard in a large group. There were at least a dozen people in the group, filling the already cramped room to the brim.
"Director Yang is here." Li Yuxiang greeted him politely, "Would you like to sit down and have something to eat?"
Yang's mother glanced at the noodles and pickled vegetables on the table, then waved her hand dismissively:
"Let's skip the meal. We need to talk to Xiao Qin about something..."
Before she could finish speaking, Qin Hao slowly picked up a piece of noodles with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, chewed a few times, swallowed it, and then spoke:
"If you're not in a hurry, let's talk after we finish eating."
His tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.
Mr. and Mrs. Yang's expressions changed, and they were about to lash out when the other families, fearing they would ruin the house exchange, quickly pulled them aside.
"No rush, no rush," an elderly man with gray hair said with a smile. "Please take your time eating, we'll wait."
Yang's mother was so angry that her face turned green. She gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath:
"Outrageous! A petty person who's gotten his way! So many elders are sitting here, and he's just sitting there eating by himself..."
"My dear aunt, please say less," a neighbor whispered, advising, "Be careful not to offend someone and ruin the house swap."
"Hmph!" Mother Yang glared at Qin Hao angrily.
Qin Hao seemed oblivious, continuing to eat his noodles slowly and methodically. He ate very slowly, chewing each noodle more than a dozen times, occasionally adding some pickled vegetables and sipping the soup. It took him a full half hour to finish that bowl of noodles.
Yang's mother's face turned from green to red, then from red to white; she was trembling with anger, yet dared not retaliate. Yang's father also looked grim, but out of consideration for the neighbors, he could only endure it.
Finally, Qin Hao put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and then looked up at everyone:
"Did you bring the land use certificate?"
The other households cooperated readily, producing their land use certificates and respectfully handing them over. But when it came to Yang's mother, she snorted:
"No."
Qin Hao raised an eyebrow:
"Then there's nothing we can do. Please leave."
He spoke of it casually, as if it were something insignificant.
Yang's mother was furious. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up:
"What do you mean? Are you deliberately making things difficult for us?"
Her shout startled everyone in the room. Li Yuxiang's face darkened, and she was about to speak when Qin Hao raised his hand to stop her.
Qin Hao stood up and calmly looked at Yang's mother:
“I’m not making things difficult for anyone. I made the conditions for exchanging houses clear long ago: there must be a land use certificate and clear property rights. You don’t have the certificate, so the house cannot be exchanged. I don’t want to spend so much money and cause myself a lot of trouble.”
"You..." Yang's mother was so angry that she couldn't speak.
Seeing this, the other neighbors quickly said to Qin Hao:
"Xiao Qin, look, we still have our land use certificates. Why don't we exchange them for ours..."
When Yang's mother saw that her neighbors of over ten years were trying to abandon her, she pointed at them and began to hurl insults.
"Haven't you realized yet? He's just playing you! And you're still sucking up to him, how shameless!"
"Sister Yang, you're not right to say that." Li Yuxiang finally couldn't hold back anymore, stood up, and said in a cold tone, "My son was already at a disadvantage by exchanging an apartment for a courtyard house. Can't he even make some demands? You don't have a land use certificate, so don't take it out on us. If you have someone to blame, blame yourself for being too ruthless back then!"
These words were like a knife, piercing Yang's mother's heart. Her face instantly turned deathly pale, her lips trembled, and she pointed at Li Yuxiang, shouting:
"What nonsense are you spouting? Say it again if you dare!"
"If you haven't done anything wrong during the day, you won't be afraid of ghosts knocking at your door at night." Qin Hao stood in front of his mother, looking coldly at her: "Whoever has done something wrong knows it in their heart."
Yang's mother felt uneasy under his gaze, but more than anything, she was furious. She raised her hand and slapped Qin Hao across the face.
But before her hand could touch Qin Hao's face, Qin Hao grabbed her wrist.
Qin Hao's hand gripped Yang's mother's wrist like an iron clamp, causing her sharp pain. He stared into her eyes and said, word by word:
"I'm not like the six siblings of the Yang family, whom you can manipulate at will. If you want to act tough, go back to your own home!"
After saying that, he gave her a hard shove. Yang's mother staggered back a few steps, and if Yang's father hadn't caught her quickly, she would have fallen to the ground.
"Fine, very well!" Yang's mother steadied herself, pointed at Qin Hao, and trembled with anger: "I'd like to see how long you can be so smug!"
"I'll definitely outlive you all," Qin Hao said calmly.
Supported by several neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Yang left, cursing and swearing. Mrs. Yang nearly tripped over the threshold at the door, looking utterly disheveled.
The room fell silent again. Li Yuxiang watched their retreating figures and said with some worry:
"These two aren't very magnanimous; I hope they won't cause you any trouble."
"Mom, don't worry." Qin Hao helped his mother sit down, his tone relaxed: "It's been four years since the reform and opening up, now is not the time for them to act recklessly."
He paused and continued:
"Besides, who in the alley doesn't know what they did back then? My dad, Ye Fei's dad, Shi Xiaona's parents, all suffered a lot at their hands. Now that times have changed, they still want to bully people like before? No way."
Li Yuxiang sighed and said nothing more. She knew her son had grown up and had his own ideas; all she could do was support him.
……
Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Yang returned home, their faces ashen with anger. As soon as they entered, Mrs. Yang swept the teacup off the table, shattering it into pieces.
"Rebellion! Rebellion! How dare a junior treat me like this!" she roared, her voice sharp and piercing.
Mr. Yang also looked grim, sitting in his chair and smoking one cigarette after another.
Not long after, all six children were summoned back. The eldest sister, Yang Shuzhi, the second sister, Yang Shuye, the third sister, Yang Shuying, and the three sons, Yang Shusen, Yang Shulin, and Yang Shumao, all gathered in the living room, looking at their furious parents, each one trembling with fear.
"Tell me what to do about this!" Mother Yang slammed her hand on the table, glaring at her six children.
The fourth brother, Yang Shusen, slammed his fist on the table and stood up:
"This is outrageous! Our mom is his elder, how dare he lay a hand on her! Let's grab our weapons and settle this score with him!"
He spoke with righteous indignation, as if he were about to stand up for his mother.
Mr. and Mrs. Yang were very satisfied, and Mrs. Yang nodded repeatedly:
"That's a bit of the style of the eldest son of the Yang family!"
However, Yang Shumao hesitated before speaking:
“Dad, Mom, I don’t think we can entirely blame Old Qin for this. He just wouldn’t let us move to a different house, you don’t need to yell at him…”
Before he could finish speaking, Yang's mother interrupted him.
Pointing at Yang Shumao, Yang's mother sobbed, tears streaming down her face:
"You idiot Mao! Your parents have been bullied like this, and you're still siding with outsiders! Are you even human? If we had known it would turn out like this, we should have just thrown you into Shichahai Lake to drown!"
The Yang brothers, Shusen and Shulin, also turned their anger towards Yang Shumao:
"Exactly! You silly Mao, why are you siding with outsiders?"
"Your parents have raised you for nothing!"
Yang Shumo was speechless, his head bowed, not daring to speak again. He felt aggrieved, but didn't know how to refute them. After all, they were his parents.
Just as the family was in complete chaos, the eldest sister, Yang Shuzhi, coughed lightly and spoke:
"Dad, Mom, have you forgotten that we still need to send Sha Mao to Guangzhou with them to earn money at the beginning of the year? You've made things so tense, aren't you afraid they won't take Sha Mao to Guangzhou?"
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Mr. and Mrs. Yang's heads.
The two were stunned. They looked at each other and saw panic in each other's eyes.
Yes, how could they forget about that? Their son is supposed to go to Guangzhou with Qin Hao to make his fortune. If they offend Qin Hao badly and their son can't go to Guangzhou, who will they rely on to earn money?
Immediately, Yang Shusen and Yang Shulin fell silent. They were still hoping that their younger brother would make a fortune and help them out. If they couldn't go to Guangzhou, all their efforts would be in vain.
Mr. and Mrs. Yang were speechless. Mrs. Yang wiped away her tears and said dejectedly:
"But... but we can't just let it go like this..."
"Mom, let it go," Yang Shuzhi advised. "It's not worth ruining Sha Mao's future over something like this."
Mr. Yang sighed and waved his hand:
"Alright, everyone, let's all go home. Don't bring this up again."
Yang Shuma couldn't help but secretly give his older sister a thumbs up. Yang Shuzhi winked at him and gave him a knowing smile.
The incident was thus suppressed.
But the matter wasn't over yet. Although Mr. and Mrs. Yang had backed down, the neighbors were still unhappy. They could have lived comfortably in their apartment, but because of Mr. and Mrs. Yang, everything was ruined. From then on, the neighbors gave Mr. and Mrs. Yang a lot of attitude, refusing to greet them when they met and gossiping behind their backs.
Yang's mother was furious, but there was nothing she could do. After all, she was in the wrong.
……
Time flies, and spring arrived in the blink of an eye. After the housing management bureau officially reopened, Qin Hao took the ten households he had previously negotiated with to complete the transfer procedures.
There were three courtyards in total—two courtyards, one large and one small, plus the small courtyard belonging to Ye Fei's family. The procedures went smoothly; Qin Hao received the property certificate, and the ten households received the keys to their new apartments. Everyone was happy.
Ye Fei's father, Ye Qingyuan, also took a special leave to return home. After completing the formalities, he rushed back to his workplace. Before leaving, he held Qin Hao's hand and solemnly said:
"Xiao Qin, thank you. Our Ye family owes you a favor for this."
"Uncle Ye, you flatter me." Qin Hao said with a smile, "It's a mutually beneficial arrangement, there's no question of owing anyone anything."
Ye Qingyuan gave him a deep look, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
After completing all the formalities and arranging things at home, Qin Hao prepared to leave for Guangzhou.
The day before his departure, he packed his luggage at home. Li Yuxiang helped him tidy his clothes while giving him a long, rambling list of instructions:
"When you get there, take care of yourself and don't overwork yourself. Eat on time, don't skip meals. You can't earn enough money, your health is the most important thing..."
"Mom, I understand," Qin Hao replied with a smile. "Please take good care of yourself at home. Call me if you need anything."
"Don't worry, Mom's fine." Li Yuxiang said, her eyes reddening. "It's just... I just can't bear to see you go."
Qin Hao put down what he was holding and hugged his mother:
"Mom, once things are settled on my end, I'll bring you to live with me."
"No need, no need." Li Yuxiang quickly waved her hand: "I'm used to living here, I know all the neighbors, it's very nice. You go ahead with your business, don't worry about me."
The mother and son talked for a while longer when a car horn sounded outside the door; the taxi driver was getting impatient.
Qin Hao picked up his luggage, walked to the door, and glanced back at his mother:
"Mom, I'm leaving."
"Hey, be careful on the road." Li Yuxiang stood at the door and waved goodbye.
The car slowly drove out of the alley and disappeared around the corner.
Li Yuxiang stood at the door for a long time before turning around and going back inside. The house was empty.
She sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at her son's room, feeling a sense of emptiness. But soon, she rallied—it was a good thing that her son was doing well. She couldn't hold him back.
……
In the airport waiting hall, Qin Hao, Zhao Yajing, Xie Laozhuan, and Yang Shuma sat together, waiting to board the plane.
Yang Shumo excitedly looked around, muttering to himself:
"This is my first time on a plane! I heard it flies really fast, only a few hours to Guangzhou!"
Zhao Yajing couldn't help but laugh and scold:
"Look at you, so pathetic. It's just a plane ride, is it really that big of a deal?"
“Absolutely! Of course!” Yang Shumo said confidently, “This is the first time in my life I’ve ever been on an airplane. I can brag about it when I come back for Chinese New Year this year.”
Qin Hao patted Yang Shumo on the shoulder with a smile: "Work hard. When you go home for Chinese New Year this year, you'll find that flying is the least worth bragging about."
Yang Shumo scratched his head: "Is there anything more worth bragging about than flying?"
Qin Hao and Zhao Yajing exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.
"Silly Mao, silly Mao, can't you be a little more ambitious? From now on, work hard with us, and we won't treat you unfairly." (End of Chapter)