Chapter 343: Reporting In
Chapter 343: Chapter 343: Reporting In
Li Huan was still on Yan Dongjun’s mind as he drove away. He’d clearly seen the funny face she made at Liu Jiajia at Beijing University, and he’d found it utterly adorable.
Yan Dongjun kept one hand on the steering wheel and placed the other over his heart. A smile unwittingly crept onto his lips.
Meanwhile, after Yan Dongjun left, Su Qing and the other two found a state-run restaurant for lunch before heading back to the Li family’s home.
Seeing that the three had returned so soon, Mr. Li and Mrs. Li both asked, "How did house-hunting go?"
Li Huan immediately chirped, "Grandpa, Grandma, we bought the courtyard! It’s beautiful. Guess where it is?"
Mrs. Li chuckled. "You must have picked a place near Beijing University."
Li Huan laughed. "Haha, it’s *really* close. It’s inside the Beijing University campus!"
"It’s actually on the Beijing University campus?" Now, both Mr. Li and Mrs. Li were genuinely surprised.
Li Wan smiled. "Mom, Dad, it’s on campus. It’ll be so convenient for Qingqing and Huanhuan. They won’t even have to leave the school grounds; they’ll just need to head back to their dorm to sleep at night."
"Oh, that’s wonderful," Mrs. Li said with a smile upon hearing this. "That’s even more convenient."
As she spoke, Mrs. Li handed Su Qing a red envelope. "Qingqing, this is from your grandpa and me."
Su Qing quickly tried to decline. "Grandma, I told you, I have money. You don’t need to give me any."
"Take it," Mr. Li said. "It’s not just for you. From now on, whenever any of the children in our family buy a house, we’ll give them a one-thousand-yuan subsidy. It has nothing to do with whether you have your own money. It’s just a small gesture from us elders."
"That’s right." Mrs. Li pressed the money into Su Qing’s hand. "You’re not going to treat your grandpa and me like strangers, are you?"
Li Huan chimed in with a smile, "Qingqing, just take it. It’s a gift from Grandma and Grandpa’s heart."
Hearing this, Su Qing could only accept it. "Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa."
Mrs. Li laughed and pulled Su Qing into an affectionate hug. "There’s no need to be so formal with us."
Li Huan then laughed and said, "Grandpa, Grandma, I’m telling you, the courtyard is gorgeous! It’s a double-courtyard residence. Guess how much it was!"
"How much?" The old couple wasn’t familiar with current housing prices, but they were curious. Mr. Li ventured a guess, "Three thousand?"
Su Qing struggled to suppress a laugh. ’Wow, like grandfather, like granddaughter. They guessed the exact same number.’
"Three thousand!" Li Huan gestured dramatically. "You’ve only guessed a tenth of the price!"
"Thirty thousand!" This time, both Mr. Li and Mrs. Li were stunned. Good heavens, what kind of courtyard could possibly cost thirty thousand yuan?
You have to understand, in those days, an ordinary person’s monthly salary was only a few dozen yuan. It was common to make just thirty or forty a month. Most people would likely go their entire lives without ever seeing what thirty thousand yuan even looked like. It was only because Mr. and Mrs. Li were high-ranking officials and founding heroes of the nation that their combined monthly salary reached three to four hundred yuan. But even so, they didn’t have that much cash on hand.
Although they had already witnessed their granddaughter’s "little treasury," the old couple was still completely astonished.
"Yes, thirty thousand," Li Huan confirmed with a nod. She then described the courtyard to her grandparents all over again. The long and short of it was that it was ridiculously beautiful.
Li Wan, who had been quiet until now, chimed in with a smile, "Mom, Dad, how about we all go see the courtyard tomorrow?"
"Yes, yes," Mrs. Li said with a laugh. "We can bring the bedding for Qingqing and Huanhuan at the same time. They’ll each need two sets: one for the courtyard and one for their dorm. Oh, and we should prepare two extra sets. That way, if any of you go to stay with the girls for a couple of days, you’ll have blankets."
Truth be told, the family wasn’t entirely comfortable with Su Qing and Li Huan living on their own, so they would definitely be visiting often.
That evening, the entire Li family gathered at Mr. Li’s home. Everyone was delighted to hear that Su Qing had purchased the courtyard. The next day, Mr. and Mrs. Li, along with the women of the family, all went to the house on the Beijing University campus. The courtyard was large, so having more hands would make cleaning up much faster.
Even though they were mentally prepared, they were still stunned when they saw the courtyard. Shang Yuqi, who knew about wood, examined the furniture and couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. "All of this furniture is top-notch, Qingqing. You have to take good care of it. It could become even more valuable in the future."
Su Qing was surprised by Shang Yuqi’s discerning eye. ’She was right. This Huanghuali furniture would be worth a fortune in a few decades. The canopy bed alone would probably sell for at least ten million at auction. After all, judging by its age, it was an antique from the Qing Dynasty.’
After cleaning up the courtyard, the rest of the Li family stayed for a short while before leaving. Su Qing and Li Huan, however, decided to stay the night, since it would be more convenient for their registration the next day.
The next day, Su Qing and Li Huan woke up early. The kitchen already had a built-in stove, and the Li family had brought them a new pot the day before. The kitchen was also stocked with bowls, chopsticks, rice, flour, and vegetables. The two of them made a simple breakfast. After eating, they grabbed their bedding and acceptance letters and headed to the registration office for the Department of Economics.
They arrived early, and there weren’t many people at the registration desk yet. Two male students were handling the check-ins. The registration process itself was simple. After finishing the paperwork, Su Qing and Li Huan picked up their dorm keys and headed to the women’s dormitory.
After the two left, one of the male students remarked, "Oh my god, the top scorer in our department is gorgeous."
"Heh, falling for her already?" the other guy asked in a low, teasing voice.
"No way. She’s on another level. A goddess like that can only be admired from a distance." The student quickly shook his head. "I wonder who’ll ever be good enough to win her over."
"Eh, who knows? I think Yu Tao might have a chance. He’s a top student, too."
"We’ll see. I bet there’s going to be a good show to watch."
Su Qing was completely oblivious to the conversation between the two male students at the registration desk. She and Li Huan were rather fortunate; they had been assigned to the same dorm room.
There were several women’s dormitory buildings, each three stories tall. Su Qing and Li Huan were assigned to Room 206 on the second floor of Building Three. Since they had arrived early, they were the first ones there.
The moment she saw the room, even though Li Huan had tried to prepare herself, she still cried out in shock, "My goodness, it’s so tiny!"