So what is the point of having a son?
Sons are nowhere near as thoughtful as daughters.
A daughter like Wen Ying would buy a house for her mother, whereas a son like Wang Shuang would only spend his parents’ money to buy one for himself!
True, at this stage Wang Shuang had not yet earned his own money, so Mrs Wang could not hold him to Wen Ying’s standards.
Even if Wang Shuang earned money in the future, though, Mrs Wang doubted that any of what he made would go to her.
A son’s earnings would be spent by his girlfriend, his wife, leaving a pitiful remnant for his own mother. Only a daughter is truly thoughtful and endearing; even after marriage, upon tasting delicious fruit, she would remember to bring a couple of kilos back for her family!
Right then and there, Mrs Wang decided to pay a minimal down payment on the house, letting her son shoulder more of the mortgage!
“Auntie Dong, I know a property agent in Modu. Would you like me to put you in touch for some listings?”
“That would be splendid. Give me her contact details, and I shall reach out myself.”
With only ten minutes in the break, not much could be said. Mrs Wang hung up hastily. Xie Qian, overhearing that Wen Ying planned to buy a house for Chen Ru, smiled faintly: the little hamster had finally learned to be clever.
Lying was too exhausting; one lie required countless more to cover it, just as Xie Qian’s concealment of the Jiashin Film and Television company from Wen Ying had missed the best window for confession and now felt utterly awkward.
Buying a house was a good thing, nothing to hide. Wen Ying ought to tell her parents openly.
It was perfectly normal for Wen Ying to buy a flat in Modu and put it in Chen Ru’s name. With her harmonious family ties now and the financial means at hand, buy it she should!
“If you are short on funds for the house, shall I repay the money to you first?”
Wen Ying had nearly forgotten she was still Xie Qian’s creditor. Hearing his words, she waved her hands repeatedly. “No need, no need. Keep it for now. I can take out a loan for the house.”
Xie Qian asked when Wen Ying planned to tell her parents about buying in Modu. She rubbed her face. “Wait until Auntie Dong has viewed some properties. That gives me time to figure out how to broach it with Mum.”
Dealing with Manager Chen required tact, method, and the right moment.
Wen Ying thought to sound out Old Wen first!
…
The contact Wen Ying gave Mrs Wang was none other than agent Yao Xiaojia.
Back when Wen Ying had gone to help Xie Qian select a property, no agents would entertain her. The rookie agent Little Yao had stepped up.
Then Little Yao sold three flats in one go.
The commission from that deal had kept Little Yao in Modu.
Even after all this time, Yao Xiaojia was still in property sales. Having dealt with all manner of difficult clients, she held a special fondness for straightforward ones like Wen Ying.
As the saying goes, what one thinks of often echoes back. The wealthy Miss Wen had indeed sent her another new client!
Yao Xiaojia was overjoyed upon meeting Mrs Wang.
How to put it? Mrs Wang and President Wang shared the same prosperous air; they simply looked rich!
Thus, even though Mrs Wang stated upfront that it was just a mortgaged flat for her university son, with minimal down payment, Yao Xiaojia still received her with twelvefold enthusiasm.
Yao Xiaojia recommended numerous listings to Mrs Wang: old developments and new, ready-to-move-in and off-plan.
Mrs Wang did not mind off-plan.
Off-plan carried risks, though, prone to issues, so Mrs Wang preferred ready properties.
For two straight days, Yao Xiaojia ferried Mrs Wang about viewing houses. Her pickiness drew mockery from colleagues for being too naive.
“You fool. The more a client sees, the harder the choice. Show her two fewer, and she would have far less to nitpick!”
Yao Xiaojia merely smiled without retort, ignoring the colleagues’ chatter, and continued serving Mrs Wang diligently.
At long last, a flat was selected for son Wang Shuang. As expected, Mrs Wang paid the barest down payment. Once the contract was signed, Mrs Wang, as if only just recalling, smiled sweetly at Yao Xiaojia. “Little Yao, that neighbourhood you showed me earlier, could you take me back for another look? If it suits, I should like to buy a few more. You mentioned mortgages were possible, yes? Also, keep an eye out for office rentals. Our company needs a branch space!”
Yao Xiaojia was unsurprised, even feeling a “just as expected” satisfaction. Friends of Miss Wen ought to be this lavish!
Lavish Mrs Wang did not disappoint agent Yao, though Yao’s colleagues were sorely let down.
How was Yao Xiaojia’s luck so good? She kept landing these plump sheep!
Plump sheep Mrs Wang remained utterly composed. She had said it was a mortgaged flat for her son, but never that she would not buy for herself.
The agent Wen Ying recommended had true professionalism, and Mrs Wang liked leaving opportunities to those prepared.
What was there to fear without a thoughtful daughter? Mrs Wang could rely on herself!
With the houses settled, Mrs Wang urged Wen Ying to clarify things with her family soon.
“I can help you view properties, but I cannot sign or transfer on your behalf!”
It was time to tell Manager Chen.
Wen Ying promised a prompt reply to Mrs Wang and seized the chance that very day to mention it to Old Wen.
Wen Dongrong eyed Wen Ying from head to toe. “You have a driver ferrying you to and from school now, and you want to buy a house for your mum. Does writing novels truly pay that well?”
“The company driver mainly takes Li Mengjiao, just dropping me off incidentally! Whether novels pay well is beside the point. The point is how to raise it with Mum. What do you think of just coming out with it?”
Hu Man had long finished her activities in Rong City.
Word was Yu Tianlin had successfully extracted another sum from her.
Hu Man’s event fees had barely warmed her pocket before Yu Tianlin took them. The diva had become his personal ATM. Now, Hu Man faced two paths: endless extortion from Yu Tianlin, or finding a way to settle him once and for all.
Hu Man clearly had no solution yet and had fled Rong City after the events.
With Hu Man gone, Yu Tianlin had not followed, seemingly lingering in Rong City. Thus, Yuan Fenghui had kept sending drivers for Wen Ying and Li Mengjiao’s school runs.
Wen Ying glossed over the matter lightly. Wen Dongrong huffed. “If you dare not say it, you could put the house in my name. Remember to pay me a wee monthly retainer. I would be taking a great risk for you!”
It was no wonder Wen Dongrong was irked.
Chen Ru was the birth mother, so was he not the birth father?
Wen Ying had racked her brains to make Chen Ru accept the Modu house yet never considered registering it in his name. This clearly showed distrust. That black-hearted cotton was leaky everywhere!
Wen Ying chuckled. “That will not do. I cannot drag you down. No secrets from Mum, then neither of us risks anything. Forget it, I shall tell her straight. I think she will agree!”
Father and daughter stared wide-eyed. Wen Dongrong suddenly sighed.
“Your grandmother told me a few days ago, about your cousin, I mean Shu Lu. She did not register for school this term.”
Wen Ying was truly taken aback this time. “What does that mean? Shu Lu dropped out?”
After Shu Guobing went to prison for false accusation, Shu Lu had followed Wen Hongyan back to the rural family home.
Wen Ying had vaguely heard the mother and daughter lived in dire straits. Wen Hongyan had repeatedly asked Grandmother Wen to mediate, but Chen Ru exploded at the mere mention. Wen Dongrong wanted nothing more to do with his ungrateful sister and had never relented.
Without Wen Dongrong’s subsidies, Wen Ying knew Shu Lu’s life would not be as cushioned as in her previous one.
Dropping out so early, though, Wen Ying had not anticipated.
For a moment, Wen Ying’s mood grew complicated. “… So what do you mean? You want to help them?”
