CHAPTER 193: CHAPTER 193 CONFIRMATION

"Now, does my opinion still matter?"

"Hmm?"

Feng Ziyan was stunned. It took her a moment to realize she had misunderstood the situation; the son was paying for the house as a filial gift to his parents.

The four of them left and walked toward the next property. They had experienced the real estate agents’ routine before. This time, as soon as the saleswoman began her pitch, Luu Juan turned her head to Xia Liang.

"Nestled in the bustling heart of the city, with close-knit neighbors in a harmonious and cozy community."

"Sure. It’s right next to a noisy commercial district, and the buildings are packed tightly together."

"A private domain, warm in winter and cool in summer, offering an exclusive, auspiciously located waterfront property."

"Meaning it’s on low-lying land, possibly next to a stinky ditch."

...

It had to be said, Xia Liang’s commentary was a real mood-killer. His interpretations left everyone with no desire to buy.

After visiting four different developments, everyone was starting to feel disheartened. Even Luu Juan had to speak up.

"Son, how about you just keep quiet at the next property? The agent’s introductions always sound wonderful, but the moment you talk, I completely lose interest in buying."

Xia Liang didn’t seem to mind. "Mom, buying a house is a big deal. It has to be a place we can live comfortably. Otherwise, why don’t we just look at villas?"

"Villas?"

Luu Juan and Xia Weiguo exchanged a look before shaking their heads. "Forget it. It’s too extravagant for just the two of us."

"Oh, come on! Let’s at least go take a look! Dad, let’s go! We’ll head to Jiang Tianwan City first."

While saying this, Xia Liang continued trying to persuade Luu Juan. In the end, he had to play his trump card.

"Qingxue is an only child. If she marries into our family, her parents will definitely want to be near her. They’ll have to move here eventually, and we’d need to buy them a place anyway. It’s better to just get a villa now so you can all visit each other more often."

"That makes sense."

Hearing this, Luu Juan thought it over. It did seem to be true, so she immediately nodded. "Alright! Let’s go take a look then."

As the car drove into the villa district of Jiang Tianwan City, the atmosphere changed. It was already autumn, and the maple trees lining the road were laden with yellow leaves, creating a picturesque scene. Even at this time of year, the roads were clean and spacious.

The villa district was vast, with a huge fountain at its center. The large area and excellent landscaping made the surroundings exceptionally quiet, despite being only a few dozen minutes’ drive from the city center.

For a whole family with the financial means and a serious intent to buy, Jiang Tianwan City always assigned a manager to receive them. The manager was solicitous, leading them to a lounge area. Tea and pastries were brought out so generously you’d think they were free. As they relaxed, she continued to gush about the property’s advantages.

Seeing them nod from time to time while asking various questions, the manager felt certain she would close the deal today. She efficiently produced floor plans, information on discounts, and even some special offers.

Clearly, Luu Juan was tempted again. "What do you all think?"

"Yeah, not bad," Xia Liang nodded.

His simple "Not bad" made Luu Juan roll her eyes. This was arguably the most positive comment Xia Liang had made all day. In any case, he didn’t object this time.

Luu Juan looked at the others. "What do you think?"

"I think it’s pretty good, too."

"Okay!" Luu Juan nodded decisively. "Then let’s go see the house."

Hearing this, the manager’s face lit up with excitement once more. "Excellent! This way, please!"

They had just been looking at a 420-square-meter, three-story standalone villa. It was in a great location with good natural lighting. It was also fully furnished and move-in ready.

After touring it for a while, everyone nodded in satisfaction.

"Let’s go. We’ll make the payment," Luu Juan announced.

Upon hearing this, the manager was overjoyed. "Alright, everyone. I’ll go prepare the contract right now."

She led them back to the lounge at the sales center. "Please have a seat. I’ll get the contract ready immediately."

With that, she hurried off. In her entire real estate career, she had never encountered such decisive customers.

In contrast to everyone else’s excitement, Xia Liang let out a bored sigh. This made the other three intensely curious.

"Son? What are you sighing about now? Are you dissatisfied with the villa?"

"No!" Xia Liang shook his head. "It’s just... nothing interesting happened. I’m a little bored, that’s all."

"Nothing happened? What are you talking about?"

They were all completely baffled.

Xia Liang pointed toward the main hall. "I was expecting something more dramatic. Shouldn’t a nouveau riche show up to fight us for the house and mock me? Or maybe the manager should have looked down on us and ignored us completely, only for a rookie salesgirl to help us out. Then, after we buy the villa, the manager would be filled with regret. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to go?"

"What?"

Hearing Xia Liang’s melodramatic rant, everyone stared at each other, speechless.

Luu Qi rolled her eyes. "Bro, have you been watching too many soap operas? The staff here are professionally trained. Something like that would never happen."

"I know." Xia Liang sighed again. "But a guy can dream, can’t he?"

「Soon...」

The manager returned with a stack of contracts. Once again, Luu Juan and Xia Weiguo were the ones to sign, while Xia Liang and Luu Qi were happy to relax.

By two in the afternoon, after paying the full 6 million Yuan, the villa was finally theirs. Holding the keys, Luu Juan and Xia Weiguo felt like they were in a dream. They never imagined they would one day live in a villa.

The villa was fully decorated and even came with pots and pans. Even so, Luu Juan and Xia Weiguo still needed to go back to move some of their belongings and terminate the lease on their old place.

The family returned to their old home and began packing. Seeing them packing up bags and boxes of all sizes, the neighbors were all incredibly curious.

"What’s going on with the Xia family?"

"Moving, what else could it be?"

"They seemed perfectly happy here. Why are they moving?"

"I heard the Xia family came into some money and bought a new house."

When the family stepped out, they were met with familiar faces. To be honest, they felt a pang of sadness at leaving a place where they knew everyone.

Luu Juan greeted them all warmly. "Mrs. Zhang, we’re leaving now! Yes, yes... we’ll be sure to come back and visit often."

Xia Weiguo also passed around newly bought cigarettes. "Thank you all for taking care of us over the years..."

After more than ten minutes of goodbyes, they finally got into the car. The four of them were filled with emotion during the drive.

「Half an hour later, the family returned to the villa.」

It was already seven in the evening by the time Luu Juan started cooking in her new kitchen. She was using the ingredients they had brought over, as she felt it would be a waste to throw them away.

At the dinner table, Luu Juan suddenly put down her chopsticks and looked at the other three.