2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 64 House Purchase
When Tan Jincheng returned home in November, he installed broadband internet at home and connected the telephone line to an external ADSL modem so that internet access and phone calls would not interfere with each other.

I was originally planning to buy a computer, but since no one in my family knows how to use it, I decided against it.

Broadband fees aren't that expensive, but for individual families, getting one isn't so easy. It seems that in Yicheng these days, everything requires connections.

As for the speed of the internet, to be honest, Tan Jincheng didn't feel much difference.

Internet speeds in any era are adapted to the present. Using today's internet speed to play games from the future or watch short videos is obviously not feasible, but it is sufficient for gaming, social networking, and work in the present day.

Tan Jincheng said he still had work to do that night, and Zhang Suzhi then understood why he had refused to sleep in the same bed with Old Tan before—he was afraid of disturbing his father's rest.

"Don't work so hard. Take a good rest during the New Year. Our family isn't in such a situation that we can't survive without your income," Zhang Suzhi said with concern.

"It's okay, I'll just check my email and reply to some messages. It won't take long. Mom, you should get some rest. We're going to look at houses tomorrow."

Nothing happened that night. The next day was the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, the Little New Year.

The festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year is getting stronger every day. Many small shops on the streets have already closed. The high school classmates' group chat is also getting more and more lively. College students who have nowhere to release their energy during the winter vacation are chatting and joking in the group chat.

Some who didn't get into university also said in the group that they would go home on a certain day and made arrangements for a get-together.

It's been a year and a half since we graduated from high school, and the class group has become somewhat divided. Those who are studying hang out with those who are studying, and those who are working chat with those who are working. Tan Jincheng is the only exception; he has never spoken in the class group, not even when someone mentions him.

"Xiao Tan, why aren't you chatting in the class group?" Zhang Xupeng asked curiously.

This guy, he had nothing to do today, so he insisted on coming with Tan Jincheng to look at houses.

"I don't know what to talk about. I feel a bit out of touch with everyone," Tan Jincheng said with a smile.

"You're right, sometimes I run out of things to say while we're chatting," Zhang Xupeng sighed, realizing that it seemed difficult to recapture those memories.

Xiao Tan is right. Ever since we parted ways in high school, as time went by and we all started new lives, all that's left are memories.

Sitting in the back row, Zhang Suzhi looked at the two of them. Despite their youthful appearances, they spoke with a maturity beyond their years, which made her chuckle.

Perhaps it was a shared understanding between mothers, but today Zhang Suzhi and Liu Huiru both asked Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng to change into brighter clothes so that they would look more like their actual age.

Back in Beicang, Tan Jincheng often hung out with middle-aged men, and his clothing style leaned towards a mature look, which influenced Zhang Xupeng to some extent.

It's a painful thing to have to work when the Chinese New Year is approaching, but it's a very happy thing to take clients to see a house, especially those who have already visited and have some intention to buy.

Li Mengjie feels this way right now. These days, it's really hard to sell apartments in small cities, especially larger ones.

"Aunt Zhang, you're here! Come in and have a glass of water." Li Mengjie warmly greeted Zhang Suzhi and her group.

"Let's skip the water for now. I'm taking my son to look at houses over there today. If he likes one, we'll finalize it today." Zhang Suzhi clearly lacked experience and revealed her hand right away.

"Yes, yes, please have a seat for a while. It's so cold, you should have a glass of water to warm up."

As Li Mengjie spoke, she looked at Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng. The two didn't look like brothers; their appearances were too different.

Judging from appearance, the handsome young man with fair skin next to Aunt Zhang should be more like Aunt Zhang's son.

I must say, she's dressed quite stylishly.

Today, Tan Jincheng was wearing an orange down jacket, zipped up, over a cream-colored sweatshirt, paired with jeans and sneakers, looking very energetic. However, Li Mengjie didn't dare to make a hasty judgment; it would be quite embarrassing if she called him by the wrong name.

"I wonder which of you young men is Aunt Zhang's son?" Li Mengjie asked with a smile as she handed each of the three men a water glass.

"Yes, that's me." Tan Jincheng nodded.

"And who is this?" Li Mengjie asked Zhang Xupeng.

"Oh, I'm his friend, just here for the fun. Don't worry about me," Zhang Xupeng said casually.

Li Mengjie: "Young man, would you like to take another look at the floor plan? The one that Aunt Zhang and Uncle Tan looked at last time, or any other ones, we can provide viewing services."

"No need, sister, you get ready and take us to see the house directly," Tan Jincheng said with a smile.

Besides preventing my uncle from going to Northeast China this year, the main purpose of this house is to improve my parents' living conditions. I live in Beicang most of the year and don't stay here often, so as long as my parents are satisfied, there's no need to look at other house types.

"Alright, Aunt Zhang and the two young men, please wait a moment. I'll go get the keys and take you there right away."

Soon, Li Mengjie returned and smiled at Zhang Suzhi, saying, "Aunt Zhang, let's go now. How about the four of us take two taxis?"

The sales office is a distance from the residential complex, about a 15-minute walk away. If you take the bus, you don't know how long you'll have to wait in the cold wind.

In order to secure the order, Li Mengjie gritted her teeth and made this decision.

"No need, my son is driving over, let's go," Zhang Suzhi said with a smile.

Li Mengjie looked at Tan Jincheng with some surprise, but then realized, "Oh? Is that so? Young man Tan is really promising. Aunt Zhang, you are so lucky."

"The kids are just fooling around, let's go." Zhang Suzhi said this, but she was secretly pleased with herself.

If a parent's son buys a car on his own at the age of 19, wouldn't they be proud?
"A Passat, that costs close to 300,000 yuan, and it has an out-of-town license plate. What kind of business does Aunt Zhang's son run? He doesn't look like it at his age."

Li Mengjie then cheered up again: "Who cares what he does? Having money is a good thing. It looks like there's a high chance of closing the deal today."

There's not much to see in the house. It has a three-bedroom, two-living-room layout and a good orientation. As for the quality, although there were still instances of shoddy workmanship at that time, the developers were much more conscientious than those in later generations, and the sound insulation was much better.

In later generations, the soundproofing in ordinary residential communities or apartments was simply appalling.

Standing by the window, Tan Jincheng smiled at Zhang Xupeng and said, "How about it? This outfit is alright, isn't it? It's just a short walk to Linghu Park."

"It's pretty good. The lighting is great, and the sound insulation is excellent," Zhang Xupeng nodded.

"How about you buy one in the second half of the year? When we're old, we can come back and be neighbors. Then we can go to the park together to sing Huangmei Opera and flirt with the old ladies."

"It's not impossible, haha."

Standing not far behind the two, Li Mengjie was dumbfounded, and Zhang Suzhi was also at a loss for words.

What surprised Li Mengjie was Tan Jincheng's tone. His nonchalant tone and expression, based on her experience as a real estate agent, did not seem fake. The young man next to him also looked as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

(End of this chapter)