Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 223 Looking at the house

Seeing that there were no problems with the food, Jingyan was finally relieved. Actually, when traveling, the worst thing is not eating well. It is easy to get sick if you don't eat well. As long as you can eat well, drink well, and sleep well, your body will be in great shape.

Chen Ping hadn't traveled far from home for many years, so her stamina really couldn't keep up. After having lunch at the restaurant, she came back, washed up, and took a nap. Jing Yan only needed two hours of sleep, but Chen Ping managed to sleep for a full four hours.

Jingyan was a little worried about whether Chen Ping could sleep at night. Fortunately, she was smart this time and packed two sets of martial arts novels in her suitcase. If Chen Ping really couldn't sleep, she could read to pass the time. It was better than her having to ask her to keep her company, since Chen Ping could sleep through the night.

However, her worries were somewhat unnecessary. That evening, everyone went to the night market. Summer night markets are even more lively, with even more food. They strolled from one end of the street to the other, and everyone was stuffed. Chen Ping was still grumbling:

"The flat noodles looked delicious, and the fried noodles had a deep soy sauce color and smelled really good. Unfortunately, I couldn't eat any more; one serving was too much."

Jingyan smiled and comforted her, "We'll be staying for a while, but we'll get to eat these eventually. Let's take care of the kids first, and then we can explore on our own later."

The two children walking beside her said helplessly, "Mom, we can still hear you."

Jingyan chuckled and ruffled Zhizhi's hair: "You can come with Xiaoxiao in the future, I won't stop you. Tomorrow we'll take you two to a nearby bank to open an account and deposit your living expenses and tuition fees. I just don't know if you have to bring cash to pay school fees now."

Zhizhi looked at Jingyan: "Don't we pay tuition when we register for school?"

Jingyan scratched her head: "Really? I don't quite remember. When I sent your brother Ci'en to school before, your father took care of all the registration and tuition fees. I didn't pay much attention back then. Let's save the living expenses first. I'll keep the tuition fee for now. If it hasn't been collected by the start of the semester, I'll deposit it into your card."

Zhizhi nodded, and Jingyan turned to Chen Ping and complained, "The tuition at this school is really expensive. The other kids only pay four or five thousand yuan a year, but this one is more than double that."

“Maybe this school is too expensive. Should we increase the child’s allowance?” Chen Ping asked.

Jing Yan frowned: "An'an is going to university, and I gave her 500 yuan a month for living expenses. I originally planned to give Zhizhi 700 yuan, 200 yuan more than her brother. As for whether to increase it a bit..."

When we take them to register the day after tomorrow, we'll find out how much the other children's living expenses are. If they don't get as much as these two, we won't increase it; if they get more, we'll give them a little extra. It's not good for the children to suffer financially.

Chen Ping listened to her and nodded in agreement without any objection.

After returning, they were covered in sweat from their walk, so they took another shower before going to bed. Jingyan showered last. After drying her hair, she thought about asking Chen Ping if she wanted to read a novel for a while, but when she turned around, Chen Ping was already fast asleep.

Listening to her deep, even breathing, Jingyan softened her movements. After her hair dried, she turned off the bedside lamp and fell asleep soon after lying down.

The next morning, everyone got ready and took their room key to the restaurant for breakfast. Jingyan teased Chen Ping on the way: "You sleep so well. You slept for four hours during the day. I was worried that you wouldn't be able to sleep at night and would have nothing to do. I was thinking of asking you if you wanted to read a novel for a while, but I didn't expect you to sleep so soundly."

Chen Ping smiled a little embarrassedly: "When I was sick before, I couldn't sleep all night. But as I got better, I became a little sleepy."

Jingyan said enviously, "Being able to sleep is a good thing. When the brain rests, you can feel good. I'm most afraid of insomnia, but luckily I haven't had insomnia many times. Otherwise, I couldn't stand the feeling of being mentally exhausted."

When she arrived at the restaurant, Chen Ping was pleasantly surprised: "This is the first time I've ever had breakfast in a place like this. There are so many options. I'll take a look around first and then choose."

"Take your time looking around. We'll get ours first. Come find us when you're done. We'll save you seats. It seems like there are a lot of people this morning, so it's not good to be late and not get a seat. It's not nice to eat standing up." Jingyan patted her back and then took the child to get breakfast.

The three of them had only been eating for a short while when Chen Ping came over with her tray. She pointed happily at her tray and said, "The breakfast here is really plentiful. This meal would cost three or four yuan outside."

Jingyan shook her head: "You probably don't know the prices here. Although stir-fried dishes are a bit expensive, breakfast and boxed meals are very cheap. A bowl of porridge and a fried dough stick are only one yuan. Look at all these things you have. They wouldn't cost much if you bought them outside. A boxed meal here, with one meat dish and one vegetable dish, is only two yuan."

However, given the hotel's class, the prices are likely to be significantly higher. If you order à la carte here, these items would cost around four or five yuan, but they would be much cheaper at the food street outside.

"But breakfast is included in the room rate, so why not take advantage of it? Eat as much as you can, and pick the expensive stuff." Jingyan said the last sentence in a deliberately soft voice.

Jing Yan didn't notice at all that there was a boy watching them curiously at the table behind them. Especially when she heard the phrase "choose the expensive one," the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up. She glanced at the plain porridge and side dishes on her plate, thought for a moment, and got up to get two tea eggs.

After breakfast, the group walked directly to the film academy. The gatekeepers outside didn't stop anyone from entering, seeming quite casual. Once inside, the sheer size of the campus shocked these four country bumpkins.

Although Jingyan had taken He Ci'en to university before, she had only walked part of the way to where He Ci'en lived. In addition, she had to take care of her grandmother's physical strength at that time, so she hadn't really toured the campus properly. This was the first time she could leisurely visit the campus.

After walking around the school, although classes hadn't started yet, many upperclassmen had already returned. When Jingyan and her group asked about the girls' dormitories and the cafeteria, quite a few people were happy to help them with directions.

Of course, no one was too reserved about living expenses. Some received as little as three hundred yuan, while others received over a thousand. After asking around, Jingyan had a general idea of ​​the situation.

Although 700 yuan a month for living expenses is not much, it is definitely not a small amount either. However, she still dotes on her child, so she hardened her heart and increased the living expenses to 850 yuan.

Chen Ping followed Jing Yan, so Lu Xiaoxiao was also caught up in the excitement. The two children couldn't hide their fascination as they looked at each other. Jing Yan, seeing the tension in their eyes, didn't even want to admit she'd seen it. She coughed lightly and instructed:

"This is your first time living independently away from home. People who are poor but suddenly become rich may spend without restraint. We've deposited your entire semester's living expenses into the bank all at once. We suggest you both withdraw 700 yuan and keep it on hand."

Let's see how much money we have left after a month. This will help you plan your finances for the following months. I don't want you to spend lavishly in the early stages and then not even be able to afford a decent meal by the end of the semester.

Zhizhi and Xiaoxiao nodded obediently in agreement. After leaving the school, the group opened an account for the two children at the China Construction Bank near the school and deposited four thousand yuan: "When you are going home for winter vacation, call home three or four days in advance. Your dad will buy your train tickets for you and tell you where to withdraw them. So we won't give you the money for the tickets."

When I handed them the bank card, I also gave them 300 yuan in cash. "Take this money first and see how long it lasts. That way you'll have a better idea of ​​how much to spend."

The two children carefully took the bank card and money and put them into their inner pockets. Seeing that the time was still okay, they strolled around the neighborhood together and happened to see two or three residential complexes not far from the school.

Knowing Jingyan's plan, Chen Ping followed along. The two children didn't care at all; they were just following behind their parents, gloating over the money in their pockets. Jingyan, having previous experience buying a house, habitually wanted to go to the neighborhood office.

However, the neighborhood office said that now that there is a dedicated housing management bureau, if they are not familiar with the area and want to buy a house, they can find a real estate agency. Although they will charge a small handling fee, it is safer and much more reliable than private negotiation. Moreover, real estate agencies have more listings and a wider range of choices.

After thanking the person, Jingyan followed the instructions of the street office staff and found the only real estate agency in the vicinity—I Love My Home, well, the name is quite down-to-earth.

As soon as they entered, someone came forward to greet them. Jingyan explained her requirements: the apartment should be near the Film Academy, in a clean and safe environment, around 100 square meters, and fully furnished with all necessary amenities.

Of course, it would be best if the house was furnished and ready to move in. Finally, there was the requirement for good lighting. After listing all her requirements, the real estate agent didn't think she had too many. On the contrary, he felt that this was the attitude of someone who really wanted to buy a house.

According to their request, the agent directly helped them locate the Tuanheyuan residential area, saying that the north gate of the area is directly opposite a side gate of the Film Academy, making it very convenient to enter and exit. In addition, the houses in this area were only built four years ago, so they are not old and the interior decoration is not outdated.

The only downside is the property management fee. In the past, no houses charged such a fee, but this one does. Of course, the sanitation and security are worth the price. Jingyan asked about the property management fee, which is 50 cents per square meter per month. That means a 100-square-meter house would cost 600 yuan a year just for the property management fee, which is really not cheap.

However, after being shown two nice apartments in the neighborhood, Jingyan and Chenping felt that the money was well spent. Putting aside everything else, the fact that they were carefully questioned by security guards in uniform, who were also retired soldiers, before being allowed to enter and exit made them feel particularly safe.

Based on this alone, the two of them felt they should buy the house. Their children would feel safe living here. Plus, the surrounding area has excellent amenities, including shopping malls, markets, shops, and schools, so even if they didn't want to cook, eating out would be very convenient.

Finally, after comparing various options and asking the child for their own wishes, we settled on a three-bedroom, one-living room, two-bathroom, one-kitchen apartment on the third floor. The apartment is 130 square meters and comes with two balconies as a bonus. It's a walk-up apartment, so the usable floor area is already high. With the two balconies included, you can tell just by looking at it that it's definitely no less than 150 square meters.

The apartment is well-ventilated from north to south and is an east-facing corner unit with large windows, providing excellent natural light. Jingyan and Chenping fell in love with it at first sight. The interior is simply and comfortably decorated, and all the furniture was kept. Of course, forget about the appliances; those are expensive and were already moved out.

However, the bed and wardrobe looked quite new, so the children didn't need to buy them separately. A few people walked around inside, but the two kids lost interest after a few glances and sat down on the living room sofa to rest.

Jingyan and Chen Ping looked around very carefully, discussing as they went. They decided they could clear out the study between the master bedroom and the second bedroom, install several built-in wardrobes there, and turn it into a walk-in closet for the two children.

After all, they're already preparing to enter the industry, and they'll definitely have a lot of clothes in the future. A normal family's wardrobe definitely won't be able to hold them all. If they have too many, they'll just throw them away or give them away. Anyway, they definitely can't bear to part with them now.

The real estate agent stood to the side, listening to the two of them immediately start planning and strategizing, and couldn't help but chuckle. He knew this deal was practically guaranteed; it was rare to encounter such a generous client. Naturally, he wasn't in a hurry, but as he listened, he felt like he might be able to close another deal.

So he quickly interjected, "Excuse me, but the apartment across from this one is also for sale. It's a two-unit building with doors facing each other. The one across the hall is about 20 square meters smaller than this one, and of course, the balcony it comes with isn't as big either. Would you like to take a look?"

Jingyan thought it was worth looking at more options, so the two adults followed the agent to the apartment across the street. The layout was mirrored; of course, this apartment wasn't on the edge, but rather had a north-south facing layout, and overall it looked quite nice.

Jingyan inquired about the price, "The current prices in this neighborhood are between 2,600 and 3,000 yuan per square meter. The two apartments you're looking at are 2,700 yuan per square meter. Well, that's a price we can't negotiate. I've brought several clients here before, but the sales didn't go through because the homeowners wouldn't budge on the price."

That one was around 351,000, and this one is 286,000. Our agency will handle all the brokerage fees and taxes in one go, so we'll charge 1% of the cost for each property. What do you think?

Jingyan pulled Chen Ping aside and whispered in her ear. The real estate agent saw that the two of them were talking and naturally wouldn't go over to disturb them. How could someone without some sense work in the service industry? So he said he was going downstairs for a smoke and then went out.

Jingyan felt that it was a good idea to buy both apartments. The two children didn't need such a big house right now, so she could rent one out to collect rent. Her apartment near the Aerospace University was already renting for 1,000 yuan a month, and that apartment wasn't even this big. This one should be able to rent for 1,200 or 1,300 yuan without any problem.

Once they graduate and want their own space, they can take back the other apartment and each live in their own. It would be great to be able to look after each other. As long as they can afford it, it would be the most cost-effective to buy it together. In the future, if they want to buy a house across the street from each other, it will either be a new house or they will have to rely on luck.