Chapter 56:

Regarding their decision, Lin Duzhong was delighted, Lin Houpu was gratified, and Lin Guangbai simply said, “As long as you’ve thought it through.”

Lin Chuanbai had indeed made up his mind.

However, Li Yujiao, who was suddenly informed of this, felt as though a thunderbolt had struck her. Why had they made such a decision out of the blue?!

Old Lin hadn’t discussed it with her beforehand. If he were here, it would surely affect the relationship between her and her son. But in front of everyone, she managed to keep her expression composed.

She had no reason to oppose this matter.

Moreover, he had said they would buy the house with their own money. Li Yujiao didn’t believe they wouldn’t need Old Lin’s support, but framing it this way undoubtedly won them goodwill.

Alarm bells rang loudly in her heart.

Her perception of this stepson had drastically changed. She had once thought him an honest man, but now it seemed she had misjudged him.

After Lin Houpu’s health was out of danger, Lin Guangbai was almost ready to return. Both he and Yun Jing worked for the government and couldn’t be away for too long. This time, they had used up years of accumulated leave, which their superiors had only approved because things weren’t too busy. Otherwise, even if something serious had happened, the leave might not have been granted.

Work came first.

Of course, this also meant his position was indeed important.

Lin Houpu understood this, so when Lin Guangbai mentioned returning, he didn’t object. He had Chen Jinde prepare many things for them to take back, most of which were for his grandchildren.

This was the first time he, as a grandfather, had met his eldest grandson.

The bond between generations was undeniable. Though he already had a young son of his own, seeing his eldest grandson still softened his expression noticeably.

Lin Yunling and Fu Heqi were in a slightly better position, but they couldn’t stay long either. In a few days, they too would return.

Lin Chuanbai and Yu Xiang’an would go back with them to pack up and settle work-related matters.

Chen Jinde, the capable assistant Lin Houpu referred to as “Little Chen,” was no ordinary man. In just two days, he had found two houses for sale.

Lin Chuanbai and Yu Xiang’an went to see them. The first was a single-room bungalow, not very spacious, with a simple kitchen built outside. The neighbors were close, and the house was quite old. It would suffice for two adults and a child in the short term, but the lack of a proper bathroom was inconvenient.

The second had once been part of a wealthy family’s estate, later divided among those without homes. Now, one of the owners was moving elsewhere and wanted to sell. This room could also be registered separately. Though it was just one room, its advantage was the prime location. The downside was the crowded and noisy environment, with people living packed upstairs and downstairs.

Neither house satisfied them, so they continued looking. With such results in just two days, they were confident more options would appear given time. Their requirements were simple: the house could be old, but it should be as spacious as possible, with fewer neighbors to avoid noise.

A noisy environment wouldn’t work for either of them.

If they couldn’t find anything suitable, they could always buy a cheap place just to settle their household registration and then rent a better one nearby.

Since they wouldn’t be staying long, they didn’t plan to invest much effort into decorating. A temporary solution would suffice.

Of course, if a better option presented itself, that would be ideal.

They booked their return tickets—four adults and three children, still in sleeper berths.

Back in Baishi County, Yu Xiang’an dropped the bombshell, leaving the Yu family stunned.

Yu Xianghai’s jaw dropped comically wide, enough to fit an egg. “Why are you suddenly moving to Qincheng?!”

Yu Xiang’an gave the prepared reason: “It’s the provincial capital, with more resources and opportunities. His grandfather and father are there, and his grandfather decided we should settle there first.” She wanted to visit the university there and perhaps make a trip to the capital…

Yu Qingshan struggled but couldn’t bring himself to say no. Of course, he didn’t want his daughter so far away. If she were mistreated, they wouldn’t even know until it was too late.

But Lin Chuanbai’s father held a high position, and moving there meant family reunification. As the bride’s family, how could they stand in the way?

After a long silence, he finally asked hoarsely, “Do you want to go?”

“Dad, I do.” After staying in one place for so long, she wanted to see more of the world.

She had been cooped up for years, never venturing beyond the city. She longed to travel.

Ye Qijia was envious. She too wanted to explore—the provincial capital! “How different is it up north?”

“More factories, more people, and much colder winters. You’d need thick clothes to survive.”

Ye Qijia sighed. “I’ve never been that far. The city was my farthest trip, and only once.”

“There’ll be plenty of chances to travel later.” Once reforms opened up and transportation improved, they could go anywhere.

Yu Qingshan sighed. “Then go. But remember, no matter where you are, this is your home. You can always come back.”

“Thank you, Dad.”

Zhao Qiaoniang hesitated. If Yu Xiang’an left, what about her job?

Yu Xianghai raised the same question. “What will you do about your job?”

“Not everyone can do my work. I’ll talk to Deputy Director Wang and arrange for a smooth transition. If someone’s child needs it, they can buy it at a fair price.”

Their family all had jobs except for her second sister-in-law. But would she leave her husband and children to come here? She barely stepped out in town as it was. Yu Xiang’an doubted she’d make that choice.

Zhao Qiaoniang didn’t have a formal job, but give it to her?

Yu Xiang’an hadn’t forgotten how she’d come into this life—because the original owner had died. She owed her. Ding Minxiu and Zhou Boyang owed the original owner a life.

Though Zhao Qiaoniang hadn’t known beforehand, separating her from Ding Minxiu was impossible. Ding Minxiu was her daughter, Zhou Boyang her son-in-law. There was no way she’d give the job to her.

Her maternal relatives all had jobs, so selling it was the best option.

If Yu Xiangqing hadn’t married, she’d have been the perfect candidate. But she was married to an educated youth who worked in the commune. Yu Xiangqing herself had a job at the paper factory, close to the commune. Returning to town would mean separation.

After much thought, selling it for money made the most sense.

The job was hers to decide.

She informed everyone who needed to know. Yao Cuifen was reluctant but, seeing Yu Xiang’an’s determination, could only say, “Come back to visit when you can.”

At the factory, Yu Xiang’an reported to Deputy Director Wang, explaining the situation.

Wang tried to persuade her to stay but, seeing her resolve, wished her well. Her replacement would be the one currently covering for her—he’d done well during her leave.

After handing over her duties, she was done.

She then asked neighbor Director Chen for help selling her job at market price.

She also told Yan Yuzhen, promising to keep in touch even after moving.

She asked her to spread the word about selling her house—same price as she’d bought it, plus a bit for renovations.

Word spread quickly, and soon buyers came. Yu Xiang’an picked one with a fair offer and no bad reputation, swiftly packed her belongings, finalized the sale, and pocketed a few hundred yuan more.

She even found time to dig up some gold she’d hidden outside town. Some of the gold she’d received had been buried randomly, just in case.

She didn’t know how she’d gotten this farm, but she wasn’t one to rely solely on it. She had to prepare for the possibility it might disappear.

If that happened, her savings and hidden gold would tide her over. She could support herself even without the farm, though her standard of living would drop.

She didn’t dig up everything—just enough, leaving the rest as backup.

Luckily, the hiding spots had gone undisturbed.

After a quick trip, she brought the small treasures home.

Ahem. This was their safety net in Qincheng.

After Lin Chuanbai told his uncle’s family, only Lin Nanxing and Lin Chuanqiong expressed sadness. Lin Jiqing just said flatly, “Oh. Okay,” and that was it.

Xu Haili immediately eyed his job. “Since you’re leaving, what about your job? Your aunt could use one.”

Lin Chuanbai: “…”

He wouldn’t give it to her for free. If they wanted to buy it, that was another matter.

Did she think he’d forgotten her past criticisms?

Xu Haili tried every emotional appeal to get the job without paying, but Lin Chuanbai remained unmoved. Furious, she called him heartless, embarrassing Lin Chuanqiong, who dragged her away.

Lin Duzhong ignored it. He went to his grandfather’s room, packing what was needed, locking what wasn’t, preparing to ship things ahead.

With two adults and two children, they couldn’t carry much.

Most of his belongings had already been moved to their home. After packing here, he hurriedly prepared some ginseng for later use—fresh and aged, so even if Yu Xiang’an didn’t notice the difference, it wouldn’t be too obvious.

He also dug up some “savings,” packed his belongings, and settled his hospital job—whoever paid could take it.

Those with real skill could stay in the pharmacy; those without would be transferred.

They were swamped, so the kids stayed with their grandmother. By the time they finished packing, handing over work, and departing, a month had passed.

Both had lost weight from the hectic farewells, packing, and tying up loose ends. On the train, Yu Xiang’an collapsed into rest for days.

Now, the train didn’t seem so bad. Lying down, clearing her mind, was a relief.

She even wondered if she needed another job. Their savings could last them a while.

But that was just exhaustion talking. Once recovered, she’d start job hunting.

In Qincheng, they went straight to Lin Houpu’s factory-assigned apartment on the second floor. A room had been cleared for them—formerly his study, now fitted with a bed.

Until they bought a house, their household registration would stay here. Without an address, they couldn’t transfer it.

Once they found a place, they’d move it.

Both were determined to settle quickly. Unlike when they married, meticulously planning for years, now they knew this was temporary. They could even rent if needed, so they weren’t as picky.

If not for their secrets and desire to save for a future home in the capital, they wouldn’t have insisted on privacy and fewer neighbors.

Lin Houpu was still in the hospital at this time, but he was already handling a lot of his work. As long as he didn’t overdo it, there wouldn’t be much of an impact.

Now, the house was occupied by Lin Duzhong, Li Yujiao, Li Tiandong, Zhang Ying, and their family of four—eight people in total. Once Lin Houpu was discharged and returned, it would be nine.

The once-spacious house suddenly felt cramped.

Li Yujiao didn’t show anything on her face, but Li Tiandong, being young, made his displeasure obvious. To him, these were all strangers.

He wasn’t welcoming.

But children’s moods change quickly. Yu Xiang’an had experience dealing with temperamental kids. She went into the kitchen and made a plate of snacks, and the way Li Tiandong looked at her instantly changed.

Li Yujiao watched silently, thinking, “…”

Was her son really this easy to win over?

As for Zhang Ying, he was just staying here temporarily and knew his place, so he kept quiet the whole time.

Lin Chuanbai secretly gave Yu Xiang’an a thumbs-up, feeling that her cooking skills had improved again.

After settling in, Lin Chuanbai and Yu Xiang’an quickly got busy again, leaving Lin Yihong and Lin Yining in Lin Duzhong’s care.

They went house hunting.

Chen Jinde had prepared four new properties for them to choose from, in addition to the two they had seen earlier.

The first was an attic in a two-story Western-style house, with two rooms. The first and second floors were occupied by three households, while the attic was entirely owned by one person. Buying it would mean having the attic to themselves, but it was quite low and inconvenient to access. After checking it out, they rejected it because the lighting was too poor.

The second was a small storage room previously used by a supply and marketing cooperative to store miscellaneous items. It had originally been allocated to a cooperative leader and was once a storeroom for a wealthy family. Later, when the cooperative’s warehouse was damaged, it was temporarily repurposed as a small storage space. Now that the cooperative had built a new warehouse, this room was vacant. The storeroom was nearly forty square meters, with few neighbors around, but it was old and located in a low-lying area, requiring navigating narrow alleys to enter and exit.

The third was a mud-brick house with a large yard as its advantage, but the downside was its remote location and the fact that the house was old and leaky.

The last option was a single room in an apartment building, smaller at around ten square meters, but fully equipped with electricity and telephone access. It was also the most expensive.

Yu Xiang’an and Lin Chuanbai both favored the storeroom. It was detached from surrounding buildings, offering privacy. Though old, a fresh coat of paint would suffice.

After calculating the prices, this option was indeed the most cost-effective.

However, they didn’t buy it immediately. Since their household registration was already settled, they wanted to see if they could also secure jobs in one go.

The provincial capital had many factories and a high demand for workers, but the population was also large, making it difficult to land a formal position. Still, with connections, getting a fair opportunity was easier.

Yu Xiang’an explored the area and learned that a nearby bookstore was hiring. She was immediately intrigued.

The bookstore wasn’t far from the high school, the university, or their preferred storeroom.

She went in pretending to browse books while gathering information, then revealed her situation—she loved books, enjoyed reading, and was currently unemployed, hoping to find work. If it were at a bookstore, she’d be overjoyed. She also subtly hinted at Lin Houpu’s rank.

After a brief glance from the store manager, she and two others were interviewed, and she got the job.

Yu Xiang’an: “???”

Was it really this easy?

She later found out that the bookstore had recently been targeted by troublemakers, and the current staff lacked the background to deter them. Yu Xiang’an, however, had connections.

Yu Xiang’an: “…”

Well, mutual benefit wasn’t a bad thing.

Just like that, her job was settled.

Meanwhile, Lin Chuanbai was also inquiring about opportunities nearby.

The high school wasn’t far from the city center, and there was a hospital nearby—not the provincial People’s Hospital, but one specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. Lin Chuanbai thought the location was good and went to ask if they were hiring.

When Lin Houpu found out: “???”

He had wanted to arrange for Lin Chuanbai to work at the machinery factory’s clinic, but he refused.

When asked if he wanted to be an office worker, he declined again. Instead, he wanted to work as a pharmacy assistant at the hospital. What was the point of coming all this way then?

His wife also refused to join the machinery factory and, somehow, managed to land a job as a bookstore clerk without his help.

What future did that job have?

It might be easygoing, but the pay was low, and there was no room for advancement. He felt like the two of them were deliberately trying to provoke him.

Lin Chuanbai sighed. “I’m not opposing you on purpose. We both just want jobs that give us more free time.”

Lin Houpu felt lucky he hadn’t been angered to death. “Why do you want free time? You’re young—if you don’t work hard now, when will you? When your peers have all succeeded and you’re still stuck in place, what will your children think?”

“It’s not that. We want to take the college entrance exam. Right now, it hasn’t been reinstated, and the only option is recommendation to worker-peasant-soldier universities. But you know the drawbacks of those. I considered it before but decided against it—I wouldn’t learn much and might just get tangled in unnecessary trouble. I’m not that shrewd. Given the country’s current shortage of talent, I don’t think it’ll be long before the exam is reinstated. With more free time, I can study. If the exam returns, I’ll be better prepared. A proper university education would open up more opportunities for me afterward.”

Lin Houpu hadn’t expected this response. His earlier anger faded. “Did you come up with this yourself?”

“Yes.”

Lin Houpu fell silent. He also believed the exam would eventually return, but when?

If it took five or ten years, his youth would be gone.

Without any hints from higher-ups, people could only guess. A correct guess would be fortunate, but if wrong, he’d waste years falling behind others, making it too late to catch up later.

After some thought, Lin Houpu still felt they should have a backup plan. But Lin Chuanbai refused—he also wanted to study medicine under Lin Duzhong while reviewing for exams. A person’s energy was limited.

Could he force him?

Lin Chuanbai was already an adult. Facing his son, Lin Houpu lacked the confidence to demand he follow his wishes. In the end, he could only watch as the two secured their jobs and bought the house. He hadn’t spent a single cent—his role was merely as a middleman. Even their jobs were obtained through their own efforts, rendering his connections useless.

And they had even prepared the money for the house themselves.

Lin Houpu: “…”

His feelings were complicated.

With the house purchased, they now needed to renovate. They couldn’t move in immediately after the work was done, and furniture had to be arranged. But their household registration could be transferred. Lin Duzhong thought it unnecessary, but Lin Chuanbai insisted.

Lin Duzhong reluctantly agreed. He knew his grandson held reservations toward his father—otherwise, they wouldn’t be so distant. This wasn’t how normal father-son relationships worked. But after years of separation, divorce, and step-parents, their situation was complicated. He had already said what he could; now, it was up to Lin Chuanbai to come to terms with it himself.

Li Yujiao, who had done nothing: “…”

Was this an unexpected blessing?

Without spending much, they were moving out!

With everything settled, their savings had dwindled significantly. After taking stock of their visible assets, the two began planning how to earn extra income.

Starting fresh here meant their salaries were at the lowest level. Relying solely on that would make a comfortable life difficult.

But this was the provincial capital.

The resources and opportunities here far surpassed those in a small county.

To the left of the bookstore was the high school, behind it was a middle school, and four kilometers to the right was a night school. Further right was Qin City University. Straight ahead, after a turn and another kilometer, was the department store. Two kilometers beyond that was the industrial district.

The bookstore might seem unremarkable, but its location was truly excellent.