Chapter 419: Relocation (Part 1)

Chapter 419: Relocation (Part 1)

Hou Weidong’s heart skipped a beat. “Xiaojia must have mentioned the physical examination. It looks like we’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest.”

There was no way to avoid the issue now. He brewed himself a cup of tea, sat in the living room, and prepared to face the matter head-on.

Once Hou Weidong was settled in the living room, Chen Qingrong deliberately steered the conversation with her second cousin’s wife toward their childhood memories and deceased elders. The two women chatted and laughed, paying no attention to the two men in the room.

Zhang Yuanzeng did not feel that Xiaojia and Hou Weidong’s request was unreasonable deep down. However, since Chen Qingrong deemed it inappropriate, it must be so. He refused to speak to Hou Weidong, staring blankly at the television instead.

Knowing that his father-in-law was not a man of deep schemes, Hou Weidong watched TV for a while before initiating a conversation about the factory. Zhang Yuanzeng, struck by a point of interest, began discussing factory affairs with him.

Chen Qingrong glared at Zhang Yuanzeng several times but received no response. She had to take matters into her own hands and get straight to the point. “Hou Weidong, your father has returned to work at the factory. I am left to care for the baby alone. Between cooking, washing clothes, and looking after the child, I am overwhelmed. I have asked your second cousin’s wife to come help with the baby. She has raised four or five children before and has plenty of experience. With her here, you can focus on your work without worrying about household matters.”

The second cousin’s wife kept her head down, saying nothing.

The argument was reasonable, yet Hou Weidong felt conflicted. Should I insist on the physical examination? If I do, I might offend my mother-in-law. However, the child’s health was the top priority for the young couple. Hou Weidong resolved to insist on the examination.

Just as he was about to bring up the matter formally, Xiaojia appeared at the doorway. She beckoned to the second cousin’s wife. “Second Aunt, I need to tell you something.”

The second cousin’s wife hesitated for a moment but eventually followed Xiaojia into her room.

Xiaojia sat on the edge of the bed. “Second Aunt, I called a colleague. She will pick you up tomorrow to go to the hospital for the physical examination. It is standard practice for our friends to require health checks for nannies. It is not personal.”

The second cousin’s wife felt her face lose color. She wiped her hands on her clothes and said, “If your mother hadn’t called me, I wouldn’t have come. Since Xiaojia is not at ease, I will leave tomorrow.”

Xiaojia took a red envelope from her drawer and changed the subject. “I heard your cousin opened a restaurant. Please take this red envelope as a congratulatory gift for him.”

The second cousin’s wife was stunned. Seeing that the envelope was quite thick, she hesitated briefly before taking it. “Thank you.”

The second cousin’s wife had given birth to six children. Among all the relatives and friends, she had faced the most difficult living conditions, which had cultivated a habit of frugality—or perhaps, a bad habit of stinginess.

Xiaojia was well aware of this. She added, “Second Aunt, let me be clear. The physical examination is mandatory. It is the rule in Shazhou. Please understand.”

Having just accepted the red envelope, the second cousin’s wife found it difficult to argue further. However, her expression remained somewhat displeased. Xiaojia asked again, “How much did my mother offer you per month?”

The second cousin’s wife replied, “We are family. Why talk about money? Just give what you see fit.”

“Exactly how much?”

“Five hundred yuan a month.” Seeing the good financial condition of Xiaojia’s home, the second cousin’s wife had inflated the amount slightly.

Xiaojia said generously, “If you pass the physical examination, we will add two hundred yuan per month. Although we are relatives, it is better to settle matters clearly beforehand to avoid confusion later.”

In Shazhou, seven hundred yuan was already a high salary for a nanny. After much deliberation, the second cousin’s wife finally relented. “Alright, I will go for the examination tomorrow.”

“My friend will drive over to pick you up tomorrow. She has contacts at the hospital, so the examination should be quick.” Xiaojia insisted on accompanying the second cousin’s wife to the examination for another important reason: to ensure she went personally. Without supervision, if the second cousin’s wife found someone to take the test in her place, it would cause many troubles.

This subtle strategy stemmed from a mother’s deep concern for her daughter. Hou Weidong, having overheard the plan from the other room, had touched Xiaojia’s face and remarked, “Poor parents everywhere.” He sighed inwardly, To protect the baby’s interests, even someone as pure as Xiaojia has grown teeth.

While Xiaojia negotiated with the second cousin’s wife, Chen Qingrong was also trying to persuade Hou Weidong. “The second cousin’s wife will sleep on the living room sofa tonight, but that is not a long-term solution. Tomorrow, we will buy a large bed and place it in the study. You will have to make do temporarily.”

The apartment in Xinyue Building was a three-bedroom, two-living-room layout. After buying it, Xiaojia had gone to Shanghai for study, and Hou Weidong had felt the house was too empty and lacked warmth. Now that the baby was born, the space felt cramped. If the second cousin’s wife truly came to work as a nanny, the study would naturally have to be vacated.

“Fine, no problem. I will sort out my things tonight, and we can bring the bed in tomorrow.”

Chen Qingrong patiently continued her persuasion. “The second cousin’s wife raised six children and two grandchildren. Two of her sons joined the army, and the others are all strong and healthy. How could you suspect she has a disease? You aren’t thinking clearly.”

Hou Weidong could only offer a bitter smile. “Mom, rest assured, we will handle this matter properly.” Since the examination results were not yet out, he dared not make any guarantees, so he used bureaucratic language.

That night, as they prepared for sleep, Hou Weidong and Xiaojia hid under the covers, whispering to each other.

Xiaojia nestled in Hou Weidong’s arms. “I glanced at your mother’s expression today. It seemed a bit off.”

When Xiaojia was pregnant, both Liu Guangfen and Chen Qingrong had expressed willingness to come and help care for the baby. The two women had secretly competed for the role. Hou Weidong had specifically gone home to persuade Liu Guangfen, who eventually gave up the idea, though she was inevitably somewhat displeased.

Hou Weidong had seen his parents off home that day, and Liu Guangfen had complained a little. Of course, he would not let Xiaojia know about this. “Don’t guess wildly. My mother is not angry.”

To distract Xiaojia, he asked, “I heard from your mother about the second cousin’s wife. She has two sons in the army. I think the physical examination should not be a problem.”

Xiaojia insisted stubbornly, “I hope so. I have made my position clear. If there are no issues with the examination, we are willing to pay more. If there are problems, the second cousin’s wife must go home. I will not compromise the baby’s health to save face for relatives.”

The next morning, Secretary Xiao Qin of the Municipal Government sensitively sensed that Liu Bing was in a bad mood.

Liu Bing’s face was tight. He ignored Section Chief Qin’s pleasantries and, upon reaching his office, immediately summoned Deputy Secretary-General Yang Senlin. He asked bluntly, “Did you watch the news yesterday?”

As Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal Government, Yang Senlin watched the Shazhou News whenever he had time. However, he had been entertaining guests the previous day and had missed it. “I did not watch it. I was dining with several comrades from the Provincial Government General Office.”

Liu Bing snorted. “The comrades at the TV station have sharp eyes. They know how to control the news direction.”

Yang Senlin returned to his office and immediately called the TV station, asking them to burn yesterday’s news onto a disc and send it over.

After carefully watching the news, Yang Senlin understood why Liu Bing was angry. “Zhou Changquan and Liu Bing inspected the affordable housing in the Southern New District at almost the same time. However, the images presented in the news differed. Zhou Changquan appeared pragmatic and approachable, going deep into the front lines. Liu Bing, on the other hand, was surrounded by entourage, merely skimming the surface. Placing these two news segments side by side naturally created a difference in impression.”

Of course, this was a matter of implication rather than explicit fault, and the Municipal Government could not pin any specific blame on the TV station.

Yang Senlin thought to himself, Given Liu Bing’s personality, he will definitely cause trouble for the TV station. I fear their request for land requisition in the Southern New District will not be approved.

At noon, Yang Senlin saw Mayor Liu Bing’s written instruction: “The TV station has many facilities and equipment, and relocation costs are high. Relocation is not considered for now. It will be discussed again next year when the fiscal situation improves.”

The TV station had submitted a relocation request at the beginning of the year. Unlike ordinary bureaus, the TV station’s relocation involved a batch of facilities, equipment, and underground pipelines, resulting in high costs. The Municipal Government had long debated this issue. Seeing the expensive costs, and despite some subsidies from the province, Liu Bing found it difficult to make a decision and had temporarily shelved the matter. After watching the news yesterday, he was simmering with anger. He casually killed this ambiguous request.

Thinking of the TV station head’s entrustment, Yang Senlin could only sigh inwardly.

In the Municipal Party Committee Office, Hou Weidong received a call from Liu Jielin of the Propaganda Department early in the morning. “Director Hou, did Secretary Zhou watch the news last night? Did he raise any criticisms?” Hearing that Zhou Changquan had no special reaction, Liu Jielin let out a long breath of relief. “Minister Chen has been asking about this matter since early morning. Fortunately, we managed to smooth things over. Director Hou, thank you. Are you free tonight? Let’s have a drink.”

After organizing his documents, Hou Weidong followed his old habit of reading People’s Daily, Lingxi Daily, and Shazhou Daily in order. On page four of Shazhou Daily was a full-page advertisement for the second phase of Xinyue Building.

The second phase of Xinyue Building was adjacent to the first phase. During construction, a high wall separated the two phases. The builders also paid close attention to construction times and methods, so the residents of the first phase were barely affected. Since Hou Weidong was often out early and back late, he had not paid much attention to the second phase. Seeing the advertisement now, he was moved and read it carefully.

Since Chen Qingrong and Zhang Yuanzeng had moved into Xinyue Building, Hou Weidong had found his previous housing noisy. The only quiet place had been the study. Now that the second cousin’s wife was coming, this peaceful sanctuary would also be given up.

Seeing the full-page advertisement, his desire to buy was aroused. He called the number on the ad, inquired about the basic situation of the second phase of Xinyue Building, and decided to buy two more apartments.

One for his parents, and the other for his parents-in-law. However, although the two families would live in the same residential community, they absolutely could not live in the same building, to avoid meeting every day upstairs and downstairs.

Meeting every day would only lead to more disputes.