Buy a house with 30,000 yuan and live in a small town

The fifth day that Gu Xuemei stayed in the hospital to take care of her baby was Saturday. In the evening, Gu Xuehui and Gu Xuelan both came back.

At that time, the country still implemented a single-day-off system, so the eldest and second child could only stay at home for one day and had to go back to school or work on Sunday afternoon. But at least they could replace Liu Wangxue's grandmother and Gu Xuemei, allowing the two of them to have a rest.

Gu Xuelan was very careful and noticed that Gu Xuemei was worried the first time she saw her. Her intuition told her that the lingering gloom between Gu Xuemei's brows was definitely not just related to her grandmother lying on the hospital bed.

The old man fell quite seriously and the medical expenses are not low.

Liu Wangxue's grandmother has always been a housewife, doing housework, taking care of children and the elderly, and managing farm work. The main income of the whole family is the salary of Liu Wangxue's grandfather. Grandpa and grandma took out all the savings books and cash in the family, counted them, and still lacked some, so they tried to borrow some from relatives and friends.

Gu Xuehui had just started working and had no money on hand. He needed help from his family when he had to deal with people. Not to mention Gu Xuelan, the money she earned from her part-time tutoring was only enough for her own living expenses. Moreover, she was dating Liu Nanshan at the time, so it would not be good for her to always let Liu Nanshan pay when they went out for dates, shopping and meals.

Gu Xuelan didn't tell Liu Nanshan about the old man's hospitalization, but Liu Nanshan still knew about it, so he took out all the money he had saved and gave it to Gu Xuelan, asking her to take it home for emergency use - Liu Nanshan had already decided to marry Gu Xuelan as his wife in the future, so he was completely financially generous to her. But Gu Xuelan didn't want it, because she knew better than anyone how hard it was for Liu Nanshan to save up the money.

In the end, Liu Wangxue's grandfather did not go out to borrow money, because the missing part was made up by Gu Xuemei. Although Gu Xuemei was the youngest in the family at that time, she was also the richest. However, her family never had any ideas about her. Seeing that her business was successful, they also changed from worrying at the beginning to being happy. Gu Xuemei was also a person who only reported good news but not bad news, but as parents, how could they not care about their children? After asking the aunt's family, they knew all the hardships and fatigue she had suffered in the past few years.

When Gu Xuemei took out the money, Liu Wangxue's grandparents still refused to take it. They said to Gu Xuemei, "If you don't want to follow the path your father has planned for you and want to go out and make your own way, we can't stop you. But our family's assets are here, and we're afraid that if you get into any trouble, we won't be able to cover you." They all knew that Gu Xuemei had opened a store in partnership with her friends, so they asked her to keep the money in case the store needed funds to turn over.

Liu Wangxue's grandfather had agreed with a relative about borrowing money, but at the last minute the relative said something happened at home, which sounded like an excuse. The hospital was also pressing for help, so in the end he had to use Gu Xuemei's money, saying, "Consider it a loan from you, and I'll pay you back later." He even wrote an IOU.

Gu Xuemei was very angry, thinking that Liu Wangxue's grandfather didn't treat her as his own daughter: "You raised me up, how did I owe you anything for food, clothing and daily necessities? Now that the family is in trouble, isn't it the rich who contribute money and the strong who contribute labor? What's wrong with me using the money to pay for my grandma's medical treatment? You still want to write me an IOU, Dad, are you slapping me in the face? Do you want to let everyone in the neighborhood know that I have no conscience and am unfilial, right?"

Liu Wangxue's grandmother quickly tried to smooth things over, and grandfather also realized that his actions and words were too inconsiderate. How could he mean that? He just felt sorry for his child because it was not easy for him to make money!

So when Gu Xuelan saw Gu Xuemei's look, the first thing she thought of was the money issue. She was worried that something had happened to her store and she was short of money, so she found an opportunity to pull her out and asked her quietly.

Gu Xuemei received a call from Meixia when she went home to get some clothes at noon the day before. Meixia was crying and said she couldn't think of any solution and didn't know what to do. Gu Xuemei then realized that the money that Meixia was cheated out of by Shaoqin included not only her personal savings, but also money she borrowed from others. The IOU she wrote said that she would pay back all the money after receiving the dividends. Now, she didn't have enough money on hand, and the other party came to collect the debt.

Gu Xuemei was completely unable to help Meixia now, and she no longer had the energy. All her efforts over the past few years had been in vain. Her grandmother, whom she had loved since she was a child, was still lying in the hospital, with no improvement from the treatment. The doctor had even issued a critical illness notice. She felt as if the sky was falling, and she could no longer hold on.

After being asked so directly by Gu Xuelan, Gu Xuemei couldn't hold back at all and told the whole story while crying.

The two of them were standing in the emergency passage of the hospital. At first, Liu Wangxue's grandmother thought that the two sisters had gone out to whisper something and didn't pay much attention to it. But after a long time, the two sisters didn't come back, so she decided to come out to take a look and throw away the garbage, and then she heard the tail end of it.

The mother knew, and the father knew too. The hospital was not a place to talk, so they hired a temporary caregiver to take care of the elderly, and then went home together to discuss and think of ways to see if they could help their little daughter find a solution.

Gu Xuemei brought the contract back and showed it to everyone after returning home.

Liu Wangxue's grandfather would not pay much attention to what he said when he was angry. Compared with the ones he handled in the factory, this contract was simply child's play: "Look at you, can't you see such an obvious loophole? Don't you know that the meaning of those words will be completely different if the order is reversed? You can be so careless when signing a contract! I taught you to go to school and read more books since you were young. If you had brought your brain to the classroom, you wouldn't have been cheated like this now!"

He spoke like a machine gun, and even Liu Wangxue's grandmother couldn't stop him.

Gu Xuemei was like an eggplant hit by frost, without saying a word of rebuttal. She felt that her father was right. Meixia might not have read the contract carefully when she signed it, but that was out of trust in Shaoqin. But she was different. Her relationship with Shaoqin was not that close. She agreed to the partnership only because of Meixia. After getting the contract, she really read it carefully from beginning to end and signed it only after she felt that there was no problem. As a result...

Looking at her brother and sister again, she only told them about how she was cheated. After handing the contract to them, she did not tell them where the loophole was, but her brother and sister found it at a glance.

So Gu Xuemei felt that her father was right to scold her. She was just stupid and had no brains. She recalled the time when she and Meixia went to the law firm for consultation and couldn't understand what the lawyer said. To be honest, she felt a little regretful. She regretted that she didn't study hard when her father chased her to school with a broom. She thought, she couldn't understand math, but she had to study Chinese well. Reading a contract is just like doing reading comprehension...

This family meeting ended with Gu Xuemei in tears of regret.

Before her family could help Gu Xuemei figure out a solution, the hospital issued another critical illness notice. This time, she was really dying. Grief and busyness mixed together as she handled the old man's funeral. Gu Xuemei temporarily put her loss behind her. Unexpectedly, after the seventh day, Meixia called and said that the matter had been resolved and the money would be returned.

Gu Xuemei wasn't very happy either, and looked a little depressed.

Liu Wangxue's grandmother counselled her and told her to remember Meixia's kindness: "You are lucky enough. Don't be so depressed anymore. Why don't you cheer up and think about what to do next."

As a mother, she naturally didn't want her little daughter to go out and suffer hardships again. She was worried that if she encountered such a thing again, she might not be so lucky. So she advised Gu Xuemei that if she still wanted to do business, it would be good to stay at home. She could rent or buy a small shop in the town, which was close to home and they could help take care of it.

Liu Wangxue's grandfather disagreed, thinking that his little girl's fall - although not completely - was a loss due to lack of education. He said: "While she is still young, why not go back to school."

"Go to school?!" Gu Xuemei was shocked. "Dad, did I hear you right? I'm already 21 years old, and you want me to go to school? What school? Junior high school? With a bunch of ten-year-old brats? Where can I put my face?"

Gu Xuemei was unwilling to do so and had a big argument with her father. After the argument, she felt that her father was right and that she should learn something to improve her brain, but definitely not go to school and sit in the classroom with a bunch of little brats.

The textbooks that Gu Xuehui and Gu Xuelan used in junior high and high school were not lost. They were kept in the bookcase at home by Liu Wangxue's grandmother. Gu Xuemei stayed at home and used these textbooks to study by herself. But she would feel dizzy or have a headache when she saw the words on the textbooks. After so many years, her problem has not been cured. Instead, it has become more serious. She spends less time studying than taking naps with books.

Gu Xuemei felt that this was not a solution. It was just a waste of time. Forget it. She must have been born without the ability to study. She might as well go into business. Be cautious and do some small business. There would be no mistakes.

Gu Xuemei threw the book away and went to the town. A few days ago, when she was out for a stroll, she saw a shop in a good location. The owner seemed to be closing down, so she wanted to ask about the details.

After asking, it was indeed true. The owner just said that his son was going to settle down in the south, and they would move there with him. They planned to sell the house and store in the town.

Gu Xuemei was quite attracted by both the shop and the house. Moreover, at that time, the prices in inland small towns were much lower than those in coastal cities. The money she had was more than enough to buy both of them.

Gu Xuemei bought the house and the shop, renovated the shop, and started a small business again. She had a friend named Meixia in Fu City, and an aunt from the same village, so her shop sold all the fashionable things in the south. There were clothes and bags that young men and women liked, as well as some magazines, comics, DVDs, tapes, etc. Some things could not be found in the town, let alone in the city, so the business in the shop was not very good.

When Gu Xuemei talked about this with Song Jingyu later, Song Jingyu said, "Mom, it's okay to stop here. Although you don't have a super heroine script anymore, you have a career now. If you continue like this, your life may not be rich, but it will definitely be very comfortable."

"That's right," Gu Xuemei said, "The start-up capital for your uncle's business was all provided by your mother."

Song Jingyu sighed and said, "Mom, you are so confused! How could you fall headfirst on my dad?"

Gu Xuemei poked her on the forehead: "If I hadn't fallen for him, would I be here with you now?" Not long after Gu Xuemei started her business, the doorstep of her house was knocked down by matchmakers. Who wouldn't want such a beautiful, capable and money-making girl?

However, Liu Wangxue's grandmother thought that Gu Xuemei was too young and unsettled, and didn't want her to get married so early, so she politely rejected all the people who came to propose marriage. Gu Xuemei herself didn't have any idea about dating or getting married, mainly because she didn't like the ones introduced by the matchmakers, and she couldn't explain why, she just didn't like them.

Until she met Song Ningwei.

The first time Gu Xuemei and Song Ningwei met was not at a blind date dinner, but in Gu Xuemei's store. Song Ningwei went to buy a tape released by a Hong Kong singer, which he couldn't find in any audio-visual store in the city. After he came back, he heard about Gu Xuemei's store and came to try his luck.

Gu Xuemei had a pretty good first impression of Song Ningwei. He was tall and thin, wore a pair of rimless glasses, looked gentle and had the temperament of a scholar.

That night, the matchmaker came again and interrupted Liu Wangxue's grandmother as soon as he opened his mouth, asking her to listen to the other party's situation first and to ensure that she would not refuse.

The matchmaker said, "It's Xiaowei, Song Ningwei, the son of Song Yousheng, who runs a restaurant in town."

Liu Wangxue's grandmother really hesitated.

The matchmaker continued, "You know, the number of college graduates from our town over the years can be counted on one hand. There are only two in our village, and both of them are occupied by your Gu family, haha ​​...

After the matchmaker left, Liu Wangxue's grandmother thought for a moment, thinking about waiting for the child's father to come back to discuss it with him, and then asking someone to inquire. To be honest, she felt that the person introduced by the matchmaker this time was much better than the previous ones. The most important thing was that the other party was from the town. If Gu Xuemei married there in the future, it would be close to home. If anything happened, they would be able to take care of her at any time.

However, after inquiring, Liu Wangxue's grandma and grandpa immediately changed their minds. No, Song Ningwei is indeed a good kid, but he is a fool and not a good match. So they declined the matchmaker again, and the matter was forgotten without mentioning it to Gu Xuemei.

The matchmaker was angry. The Gu family had rejected her six times in total. She was angry even when she hung up the phone. She felt that her "career" had been severely challenged and insulted. "It's just a little money. What's so great about it? If I delay any longer, I'll be an old maid. Even if I pay money, no one will want me!"

More than a month later, Song Ningwei graduated from university and successfully started working in a textile factory. He often went to Gu Xuemei's store after get off work, picking and choosing things to buy while chatting with Gu Xuemei. The two became familiar with each other, and then Song Ningwei would go to Gu Xuemei's store on his days off and stay there for the whole day. Gu Xuemei placed a set of tables and chairs next to the bookshelf in the store, and Song Ningwei would sit there every time to read magazines or comics. Sometimes when Gu Xuemei was too busy, Song Ningwei would go out to buy her some food and drinks.

After a while, Song Ningwei and Gu Xuemei confessed their love.

After Gu Xuemei knew that Song Ningwei was a small leader in the textile factory workshop and had a college degree, she naturally looked at him with a filter. She already had a good impression of Song Ningwei, so how could she not agree to his confession? So, the two of them started dating.

After the conversation, Gu Xuemei felt that she had finally figured it out. She felt that she finally understood why she was not satisfied with any of the people introduced to her by the matchmaker before - those people were praised to the skies by the matchmaker but their academic qualifications were never mentioned. When asked, it turned out that they either graduated from elementary school or had not even finished junior high school like her.

Gu Xuemei thought, it turns out that she just likes people with high academic qualifications. The person she wants must first be a college student, like her brother and sister!
Gu Xuemei herself didn't realize that the contract issue had never been over in her mind. She had always envied and admired Gu Xuehui and Gu Xuelan, and when she met Song Ningwei, who had the same academic qualifications as her brothers and sisters, this envy and admiration shifted to them.

Therefore, Gu Xuemei naturally failed to see through the fundamental reason for the formation of her "mate selection standards". What she thought in her heart was that she was stupid and had no talent for learning, but she could find someone who was completely the opposite of her. As the saying goes, you make up for what you lack. In this way, the children she would have in the future might also inherit her partner's smart brain and would not be like her, unable to even see the trap in the contract.

Naturally, the fact that two young people were in love could not be kept secret, and it was soon discovered by their families.

Both Liu Wangxue's grandma and grandpa were against it, especially her grandpa. Don't forget that Song Ningwei also worked in the textile factory. Although he was not under his command, he had heard about the brainless things Song Ningwei had done.

But the more her parents objected, the more Gu Xuemei felt that she and Song Ningwei were in true love. In the end, Liu Wangxue's grandmother had no choice but to let them talk first. Maybe after talking for a while, Gu Xuemei would be able to see Song Ningwei's shortcomings - as parents, they couldn't really use violence to separate the two children, so they could only hope that Gu Xuemei would see clearly herself.

How could Gu Xuemei see Song Ningwei clearly through the super thick filter of his 1.8-meter height?

After a while, the two still had no intention of breaking up, and Song Ningwei's parents even came to propose marriage with gifts, which made Liu Wangxue's grandmother very angry. However, in front of outsiders, she still had to be polite. She said that her daughter was still young and she didn't want her to get married so early. Besides, Gu Xuehui and Gu Xuelan were not married yet, so it didn't make sense for the youngest daughter to get married before her brothers and sisters. It was not good. After sending them away, she immediately hid the household registration book at home.

More than half a year passed like this, and Gu Xuehui brought his girlfriend back, and the wedding was on the agenda. Two or three months after his wedding, Gu Xuelan and Liu Nanshan also got married.

Gu Xuemei stretched out her hand towards Grandma Liu Wangxue and said, "Mom, it's my turn now!"

Still no one in the family nodded in agreement.

The first one is Liu Wangxue's grandfather. Song Ningwei works in the same factory as him, so he can hear everything about the kid's daily behavior without having to ask. However, due to the relationship between Song Ningwei and Gu Xuemei, the version he heard was slightly beautified compared to before.

Gu Xuehui also disagreed. He had been against it since he found out that his younger sister was dating Song Ningwei a year ago. There was only one middle school in their town, and Gu Xuehui was two years older than Song Ningwei. At that time, the distinction between boys and girls was basically clear. Gu Xuemei didn't know about Song Ningwei being beaten for being mean, but he heard about it every time. Add to that what his father heard at the factory about Song Ningwei ruining good things, and Gu Xuehui was even more convinced that he was good at judging people.

In addition, as a side note, Song Ningwei was a stepping stone for Liu Nanshan without knowing it. The Gu family did not approve of Liu Nanshan at the time, but the contrast was too tragic. Gu Xuehui felt that with Song Ningwei as a comparison, he could completely accept Liu Nanshan as his brother-in-law. Even if it was Gu Xuelan and Liu Nanshan who were discussing marriage a year ago, he, his father, and his mother might have agreed.

The remaining two opponents had similar reasons. They all thought that Song Ningwei was too unreliable in what he said and did, and that Gu Xuemei was blinded by the so-called love, so she thought Song Ningwei was good in every way. Especially Liu Wangxue's grandmother, who was an experienced person, told Gu Xuemei earnestly that marriage was different from dating, and there were too many things to consider after marriage. People with Song Ningwei's personality could not be a help to the family. On the contrary, they would most likely become a burden.

Gu Xuelan also tried to persuade her sister patiently, but Gu Xuemei was completely absorbed in the deeply filtered "love" and refused to listen.

When Liu Nanshan first learned that Gu Xuemei and Song Ningwei were dating, he also talked to Gu Xuelan privately. He was familiar with Song Ningwei, and he even asked Gu Xuelan if she remembered the barbecue restaurant where he worked when they first met.

Gu Xuelan asked: "Is that store owned by Song Ningwei's family?"

"No," Liu Nanshan said, "It's the one across the street that sells stir-fried dishes. So how could I not be familiar with it?"

Then he told Gu Xuelan how Song Ningwei "drove away" customers who came to eat in the restaurant with his seemingly mentally ill words and actions: "His parents would not easily ask him to help in the restaurant unless they were really busy. Those customers who were pissed off were still willing to eat in his restaurant, all thanks to his father's good cooking skills."

Of course, Liu Nanshan did not use the word "sick". He had always subconsciously restrained himself in front of Gu Xuelan. He would never use words like this one that were only slightly hurtful and insulting. He used the word he learned from Gu Xuelan, "unbelievable".

After knowing that Gu Xuemei was determined to marry Song Ningwei, Liu Nanshan found it even more incredible. He quietly asked Gu Xuelan: "Did Song Ningwei learn some unorthodox methods and cast a spell on your sister?"

Gu Xuelan snorted coldly: "What kind of black magic? I think she is stubborn. She will suffer in the future."

Gu Xuelan's words came true. (End of this chapter)