130 It is just a house, and yet the mother and daughter are at each other's throats again!

"Sister, Cheng, this house of yours is even bigger than Old Mr. Qian's place!"

"From now on, I want a room all to myself!"

The whole family came over to inspect the house. Feng's parents and his brother-in-law all agreed it was excellent. His sister-in-law, Feng Jiamo, even went as far as to claim the west wing room in the back courtyard, declaring she would take it for herself.

Though she spoke without thinking, others took it to heart. Feng Jiayou and Cheng Xuemin exchanged a glance, and then he voiced what they had previously discussed: "Dad, Mom! We hadn't originally planned on buying such a large courtyard, but we just happened to come across this one and it was quite good!"

"Now that the courtyard is so big, the front yard will surely be empty after we move in! So, Xuemin and I were thinking: since it's just sitting there empty, why don't you, Mom, Dad, and your brother and sister-in-law all move in with us? That way, Xuemin and I can keep getting fed without having to do the chores, hee hee!"

They had indeed discussed this. If they had bought a small courtyard, the young couple could have just lived there on their own.

But this large, two-section quadrangle, or *siheyuan*, was even bigger than the one they were renting from Old Mr. Qian. The front yard alone had four or five rooms, and the back courtyard had three.

Cheng Xuemin and Feng Jiayou had their eyes on the master bedroom in the back. They planned to knock through the small storage room next to it to create an indoor bathroom, which would connect to a tributary not far behind the house, allowing bathwater to be drained directly.

With the sister-in-law, Feng Jiamo, taking the secondary west wing room, there would be many rooms left vacant in the front yard.

Since they would be empty anyway, it made sense to have her parents move in. They were just renting at Old Mr. Qian's place regardless. Living there while waiting for the government to assign housing was the same as living anywhere else.

Furthermore, housing assignments at Feng's father's workplace were notoriously tight; even if they were allocated a place, it might not be this large. With such a big family, they wouldn't fit, so they had to plan early.

Either the father and son would have to split up, with the brother-in-law moving out to apply for housing through his own unit, or they would have to wait for the second brother to return to the city. But jobs were hard to come by for returnees, let alone housing!

Ultimately, Feng Jiayou's decision to buy this large quadrangle was partly motivated by the desire to take care of her family.

Cheng Xuemin had no objections to this. Such a large courtyard truly needed some lively energy to make it feel like a home. He had no other family here besides his in-laws.

Moreover, Feng Jiayou had a compelling point: with her mother and sister-in-law living there, the young couple wouldn't have to worry about household trifles, allowing them to focus entirely on their creative work without distraction.

Most importantly, Feng Jiayou was due to give birth in May or June. When the baby arrived, they would need help, and her own family would be the best support.

Could they rely on Cheng Xuemin's parents to come and help? That seemed unrealistic. His parents wouldn't be comfortable living in Beijing, and if they were to help, they would likely insist on taking the child back to the countryside in Northern Shaanxi. Feng Jiayou would never agree to that.

So, Cheng Xuemin and she calculated that buying this large courtyard and having her parents move in was a win-win situation with more benefits than drawbacks.

"We'll talk about it when we get back," Feng's mother said after hearing her "debt-collecting" daughter's request. She glanced at Feng's father but didn't commit on the spot.

As for the brother-in-law, Feng Jiazhao, and his wife, Ke Yumei, or the second sister-in-law, Sun Juan, it didn't really matter to them. Living anywhere was fine; they weren't paying rent at Old Mr. Qian's, and their food and board were covered by the parents anyway. The younger generation was effectively living off their elders.

Before, Cheng Xuemin and Feng Jiayou had been the same—they didn't pay rent or living expenses there either. Therefore, where they lived was entirely up to Feng's parents.

After looking around, the whole family was very satisfied. Cheng Xuemin and the owner agreed to meet on Monday morning at the "Housing Exchange Station" to finalize the transfer and settle the payment, as it couldn't be done on a Sunday.

At noon, Cheng and Feng treated the entire family to a meal at the Long March Restaurant.

This made Feng's mother feel even better about the house. It was only a ten-minute walk from Yan University, making it even more convenient if they biked. Even as her pregnancy progressed, Jiayou wouldn't have to take a long leave or skip a semester. It wasn't much further from their own workplaces, just in a different direction.

If anyone was further away, it was the brother-in-law, Feng Jiazhao. The place at Old Mr. Qian's was near the Beijing Film Studio and the Beijing Film Academy, which had been the most convenient for him. Moving would make his commute less convenient.

After the meal, the family revisited Yan University. Feng's parents were surprised to find Old Mr. Tang at the West Gate guardhouse and stepped forward to greet him with mixed feelings.

This old mentor! He simply couldn't stay idle.

"Little Cheng, you've come at the right time. There are three letters for you here; I was just about to send them over today!"

Seeing the Feng family arrive, Old Mr. Tang was genuinely surprised, then turned to Cheng Xuemin: "One from 'Shanghai Literature', one from 'Harvest', and another from 'Yanhe Literature'!"

Old Mr. Tang glanced at the three letters before handing them to Cheng Xuemin.

"Thank you, Old Mr. Tang!"

Cheng was surprised. The letter from 'Shanghai Literature' was likely related to the script Xie Jin had mentioned yesterday. 'Harvest' was likely the proof copy and royalty statement; Li Xiaolin had mentioned sending them before she returned to Shanghai. But a letter from 'Yanhe Literature' was unexpected.

Was it a solicitation for a manuscript? Cheng didn't have the time for that; he was already behind on several other commitments.

"How about it, Little Cheng? Any masterpieces lately? I'm waiting to help you stick on the stamps and send them off to bring some luck to this 'geomantic treasure' of mine," Old Mr. Tang teased, squinting his eyes.

Ever since the boy stopped mailing his submissions through his guardhouse, the "literary energy" and popularity of his spot had dwindled. It had been nearly a month, and he hadn't seen a single acceptance letter! The current batch of Yan University students just wasn't cutting it. Their collective acceptance rate was lower than Cheng's alone, which was a real embarrassment to the university.

The popularity of Old Mr. Tang's "geomantic treasure" had plummeted. Of course, this was partly because it was exam week at Yan University; students were busy with finals and then headed straight home for the winter break. Even without the lack of acceptance letters, the buzz would have died down as everyone left for the holidays.

"Old Mr. Tang, you're joking... As for your 'geomantic treasure'... I might have a small script soon, and I'll trouble you to help me mail it then!"

Cheng originally wanted to say no, but seeing the expectation in the old man's eyes, he nodded.

As it happened, Cheng opened the letter from 'Shanghai Literature', and it was exactly as Xie Jin had said: *Female College Student Dormitory* was to be adapted into a film. They were asking for the author's thoughts on the script, noting they had the right of first refusal. Given Xie Jin's internal recommendation, Cheng writing the script was all but a certainty.

Since that was the case, he decided to reply to 'Shanghai Literature' first and write the script before the New Year, so he could send it from Old Mr. Tang's spot to boost its popularity. By the time the students returned after the New Year, Old Mr. Tang would have big news to share.

"Good, good, good! Little Cheng, I've always thought highly of you... Wait, you can write scripts too?" Old Mr. Tang beamed, then looked at Cheng with surprise.

"I know a little, just a little," Cheng said humbly.

"Is it *Female College Student Dormitory*?" Old Mr. Tang guessed after seeing which letter Cheng opened first. "Alright, you write it up. Although I don't know much about scripts, I can help you catch typos and polish the prose! When you're done, show it to me first!"

*This old man,* Cheng thought, *do you only look for typos? You’re still holding a grudge because you couldn't find any in my last manuscript for Li Xiaolin at 'Harvest', aren't you?*

"Alright, once I've written it, I'll definitely ask you to take a look and give me some advice!" Cheng twitched his mouth but kept nodding politely.

Afterward, Feng's father played a few games of Go with the old man and mentioned that Cheng had bought a house and the whole family might move in. The old man was pleasantly surprised and called it a wonderful thing.

Cheng and Feng happily continued opening their mail. Beyond the script request, 'Shanghai Literature' had included a royalty statement for the publication of *Female College Student Dormitory* as a standalone book. The rate was seven yuan per thousand words, the same as the People's Literature Publishing House in Beijing. It was an unexpected bonus, and Feng Jiayou was overjoyed.

Next was the letter from Li Xiaolin at 'Harvest'. As expected, it contained the sample issue and the royalty statement for *Chen Huansheng Enters the City*. Feng happily confiscated the royalty slip.

Finally, they opened the letter from 'Yanhe Literature'. Cheng wondered if it was truly a solicitation. Upon opening it, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

The content was similar to the letter from 'Shanghai Literature'. As *Loess Plateau* was a well-received piece with strong regional characteristics, the Xi'an Film Studio wanted to adapt it into a film. 'Yanhe Literature' was inviting Cheng to participate in the adaptation work after he returned home for the winter break. It also included a royalty statement; the local Shaanxi publisher was also releasing a standalone book, and the rate was even higher, at seven yuan per thousand words.

"Xuemin, *Loess Plateau* is also being adapted into a film?" After reading the letter, Feng Jiayou's eyes were practically sparkling with dollar signs.

If her husband were to write the adaptation, that would be another thousand-plus in royalties!

"When we go back in a while, we'll stop by and take a look," Cheng nodded. He hadn't expected such a windfall. The royalties would more than cover their travel expenses! As for whether to take on the whole project, he would decide after seeing the actual situation.

In the late afternoon, after the brother-in-law and his wife returned from their tour of the campus, the family bid farewell to Old Mr. Tang and headed home.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

Not long after they got home, Feng's mother entered their room with a bankbook showing 3,000 yuan and tried to press it into Feng Jiayou's hands. Feng was stunned and kept refusing.

"Your father and I discussed it. We can move in, but that courtyard should be considered bought by all of us!"

"The front yard can be our share; we can't take advantage of you two!" her mother explained.

"How can we do that!?" Feng said. "Dad is about to get a housing assignment anyway. Why spend this money? Mom, are you burning cash?!"

"No, no, no! Xuemin and I won't take it!"

Although Feng was naturally rebellious and a bit of a money-lover, she wouldn't take this 3,000 yuan from her parents. Finally, she grew anxious and said, "Mom, if you insist on this, then don't move in at all! If I take this money, how will my brother and sister-in-law look at us?"

Her mother became equally agitated. "Fine, if you won't take it, we won't move in!"

"Mom! Xuemin and I really can't accept this. When we bought the house, we already had the whole family in mind!" Cheng Xuemin chimed in. "And you're only staying temporarily until Dad gets his unit's housing assignment. There's no need to spend this money to help us out. Besides, we want you to move in so you can help look after Jiayou!"

Cheng nodded. He couldn't let his mother-in-law pay the bulk of the cost for a house he bought. Plus, she had two sons; if they took this money, it would lead to nothing but trouble.

"That's right, Mom! You know our situation. When the baby comes, we'll be relying on you!" Feng added, hugging her mother's arm and nuzzling her.

"Don't, don't, don't! Don't count on me to help you raise it! I'm already exhausted from raising you troublemakers!" Her mother had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Seeing her daughter's refusal, she could only grumble as she got up to leave, declaring that she wouldn't move in and whoever wanted to could.

Cheng and Feng exchanged looks. "If I'd known, I would have taken the money just to see her heart ache," Feng whispered. As her daughter, she knew how much it pained her mother to withdraw those 3,000 yuan. They didn't have an urgent need for housing, so spending 3,000 yuan for half a house was a painful prospect for her.

After dinner, Cheng continued teaching his wife to draw comics. She was surprisingly talented at drawing, much more so than writing. In just over a week, she had mastered the basics. With the tips Cheng taught her, her progress was rapid. At this rate, she would soon be able to conceptualize and draw her own work independently.

The next morning, Cheng and Feng went to the post office to cash in the royalty slips. They then went to a nearby bank to withdraw another 3,000 yuan, making a total of 5,000, and headed to the housing authority near Yan University.

Since the courtyard was an ancestral property, it wasn't a public housing transaction. The process was relatively simple, though it took three days to finalize the paperwork. Cheng had officially secured his first property since his rebirth.

The title was in Feng Jiayou's name, as Cheng's household registration wasn't local, making it impossible to add his name for now. But that didn't matter; he wouldn't stop at just one house. Refusing the 3,000 yuan from his mother-in-law had been a deliberate move to avoid future disputes over property rights.

Of course, Cheng wasn't just hoarding houses for the sake of appreciation. He knew that the area around Yan University would soon be developed into China's "Silicon Valley," leading to early demolition and renovation, so the value wouldn't increase as much as one might think.

The real investments were in the city center, but it was too early for that. In two or three years, when the trend of moving abroad took off, there would be many "prodigal sons" selling off ancestral homes at low prices just to leave the country. That would be the time to buy. For now, this was simply about meeting their immediate need for a home.

With the house secured, the whole family was delighted and discussed moving in before the New Year. Even the usually lazy brother-in-law became diligent, helping to clean whenever he was off work.

"Cheng bought a house near Yan University?" Old Mr. Qian was shocked when he heard the news.

Cheng had gone with Feng's father to inform him that they would be moving out before the New Year.

"Old Mr. Qian, we bought a courtyard so it's easier for Jiayou to get to school," Cheng explained.

"You kid... what am I supposed to say? Isn't your father-in-law getting a house soon? Are you just burning money?"

That was the prevailing mindset: housing was allocated by the state, so buying it yourself was seen as something only a fool would do. Even Old Mr. Qian, who owned several private properties himself, felt the same.

Cheng just smiled sheepishly, and Feng's father defended him, explaining that as a student and a future college applicant, they couldn't wait for housing assignments. Buying a house was a reasonable choice. Old Mr. Qian nodded, then grumbled that he wouldn't have anyone to share meals with anymore.

With the house settled, the family helped clean, and Cheng focused on his writing. His plans to return to his hometown in Northern Shaanxi were also set. Feng, enjoying her winter break, started buying gifts for Cheng to take back.