Chapter 737 Planning a House 3
Yan Bugui was looking forward to the house allocation with great joy. He kept imagining the appearance of his new home in his mind. The spacious and bright room and the clean and tidy layout seemed to be right before his eyes, making him immersed in a state of excitement and anticipation. However, the straightforward and realistic words of the third aunt were like a basin of cold water, which poured directly on his head and instantly extinguished the burning flame in his heart.
The originally high spirits, like a kite with a broken string, suddenly fell from the clouds to the bottom of the valley, and instantly became extremely depressed. He was like a deflated ball, leaning limply on the back of the chair, unable to muster up any energy. His eyes became a little dull, staring straight at the ceiling, as if there was some puzzle hiding on the monotonous ceiling that puzzled him. He kept muttering in his mouth, although his voice was small, it was full of helplessness and worry: "Yeah, it's not that easy to allocate a house. There are so many people in this unit, and everyone is eagerly looking forward to getting a house. The competition must be very fierce. But if we really can't get one, our hopes will be completely dashed. We have to continue to squeeze in this broken house in the future. When will this life end?"
The third aunt sat aside, listening to Yan Bugui's words, with a sad face. She moved her lips, wanting to say something to comfort him, but swallowed the words back, and finally just sighed silently. The couple sat in silence, and no one spoke again. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became dull, as if shrouded by an invisible haze, which made people feel a little breathless.
The sun outside the window was still shining brightly, shining through the window onto the floor of the house, forming patches of bright light. But this warm sun did not dispel the haze in their hearts at all. They no longer had the joy and expectation they had before, and were left with endless worry and confusion.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment, and the room was so quiet that only the sound of each other's breathing could be heard. After a long while, Yan Bugui suddenly sat up straight as if he had suddenly woken up from a deep sleep.
A glimmer of hope rekindled in his eyes, a stubbornness that was unwilling to give up, a determination to fight for a better life for himself and his family. He gritted his teeth, as if he had made a great decision, and said, "No, we can't just sit there and wait. Didn't Lao Liu say that he participated in the early discussions? This must be an important clue. We have to find a chance to get close to him, treat him to a good meal, or give him a small gift or something, to see if we can get more useful information from him. And Lao Yi, he is usually well-informed and has a wide network of contacts in our courtyard. Maybe he can give us some advice and help us think of a solution. We have to take the initiative and can't just sit there and wait for death. If we just sit there and wait, we will definitely not get the house."
After hearing Yan Bugui's decisive words, Third Aunt's frown relaxed a little. She nodded slightly, a look of approval emerged on her face, and she said softly: "What you said makes sense. We really can't just rely on luck. The matter of dividing the house is like thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge. How can we rely entirely on God to give us food? But what can we use to get close to them? Lao Liu and Lao Yi are both well-known figures in the unit. There are usually many people around them, and they don't owe us anything. If we just go to them rashly, will it work?" As she spoke, Third Aunt's eyes revealed a trace of worry and hesitation, and her hands unconsciously twisted the corners of her clothes.
Yan Bugui frowned, paced back and forth in the small room, his hands behind his back, and kept muttering: "This is indeed a problem, I have to think about it carefully." His eyes scanned the room, as if looking for some inspiration. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if he had thought of a brilliant idea. He stopped and said excitedly: "Don't we still have a few bottles of treasured wine at home? I gritted my teeth and spent a lot of money to buy them from the supply and marketing cooperative. I have never been willing to drink them, so I thought of saving them for when something big happened. There are also some special products given by relatives last time. They are all rare things and are not easy to buy outside. Let's take these to Lao Liu and Lao Yi, just to go out and keep in touch. Maybe if they are happy, they will be willing to help us more and say a few good words for us when it comes to dividing the house. Then our chances will be much greater."
After hearing this, the expression on the third aunt's face was a little complicated, and a look of heartache suddenly surged up. She frowned and said with some heartache: "Those bottles of wine and specialties are all good things. We can't bear to eat or drink them. Every time there are guests at home, I can't bear to take them out, and I think that they may come in handy in the future. But in order to get a new house, this is the only way. If we can get this new house, our future life will be more spacious, and the children will have a better environment. This effort is worth it." As she said this, the third aunt sighed deeply, her eyes full of reluctance, but she still nodded firmly.
Yan Bugui was an impatient man who got up and started as soon as he heard that the third aunt agreed. He walked quickly to the cabinet, opened the cabinet door carefully with both hands, and carefully searched for the bottles of fine wine in the cabinet. His movements were very gentle, for fear of accidentally knocking over the wine. After finding the wine, he took out the specialties from the corner of the cabinet and put them on the table one by one. Then, he found some newspapers and carefully wrapped the wine and specialties. His movements were very skillful, as if he was wrapping a precious work of art. After wrapping, he patted it gently with his hands to ensure that it was tightly wrapped.
The third aunt was not idle either. She found a clean cloth bag from the house and carefully put the wrapped wine and local specialties into it. After everything was ready, Yan Bugui and the third aunt looked at each other, nodded to each other, and then went out together. They walked in the narrow alley, their steps were hurried, and they all hoped that this visit would have a good result and that the matter of being allocated a new house would be settled.
They first hurried to Liu Haizhong's house. The courtyard where Liu Haizhong's house was located was considered to be a relatively spacious one in the quadrangle courtyard. The red painted mottled door was half-closed, revealing a sense of oldness and a bit of life. Yan Bugui gently raised his hand and knocked on the door a few times. The sound was particularly crisp in the quiet courtyard.
After a while, there was a sound of dragging footsteps coming from inside, and then the door creaked open. The chubby figure in Liu Haizhong appeared at the door. He was wearing an old shirt that was washed a little white, with the collar slightly open, revealing the yellow skin inside. Seeing Yan Bugui and his wife carrying things to the door, his originally lazy eyes suddenly revealed a look of surprise, his eyes widened, and his mouth opened slightly, as if he didn't expect them to visit suddenly. However, this surprised expression only flashed by, and soon he regained his smug smile, and the fat on his face trembled. He greeted them enthusiastically: "Oh, it's Old Yan and Auntie San, come in, come in, why are you bringing things?" As he said that, he turned sideways and made way for them, and the action was a bit exaggerated and attentive.
Yan Bugui and the third aunt nodded with a smile and walked into the house. The house was simply decorated and old. A paint-chipped eight-immortal table was placed in the middle of the room, surrounded by several worn-out chairs. Yan Bugui carefully placed the things he brought on the table. The bottles of wine and local specialties wrapped in newspapers formed a small pile on the table. He smiled and said, "Old Liu, this is just a small gift. It's not a respectful gesture. I heard about the new residential area, and I've been thinking about it. I wanted to ask you for more information. You are knowledgeable and participated in the early discussions, so you must know a lot of inside information."
Liu Haizhong looked at the things on the table, a greedy light flashed in his eyes, the corners of his mouth were grinning almost to his ears, his heart was beaming with joy, but he said hypocritically: "Old Yan, what are you doing? You're too polite. We are neighbors, we see each other every day. I will definitely not hide any news from you. Come and sit down, don't stand." As he said that, he pointed to the chair next to him, motioning Yan Bugui and his wife to sit down.
After everyone was seated, Liu Haizhong cleared his throat and began to talk nonstop. He first repeated what he had said to Yan Bugui before, adding fuel to the fire, saying how reasonable the planning of the new residential area was, and how good the living environment would be in the future. He spoke in exaggerated terms. Then, he deliberately lowered his voice, pretending to be mysterious, and revealed some so-called "inside information." He said in all seriousness: "Let me tell you, this time when distributing houses, the leaders above may give priority to families with large populations. Think about it, with a large population, there is a great demand for housing. Also, families that have contributed to our courtyard house will definitely be given priority consideration. For example, actively cleaning the yard and maintaining public facilities are all plus points."
Yan Bugui and his wife nodded repeatedly, their eyes full of expectation, just like two students eager for knowledge listening carefully to the teacher's lecture. Yan Bugui echoed Liu Haizhong's words from time to time, saying: "Old Liu, you are so right, the large population is indeed an important factor. Although our family is not particularly large, we usually contribute a lot to the affairs of the courtyard. Just like the last time we cleaned the yard, our whole family was mobilized and it was so clean." The three aunts also nodded repeatedly, saying: "Yes, yes, we have always regarded the courtyard as our own home, and we actively participate in everything." Their faces were full of longing, as if they had already seen the wonderful life after moving into their new house.
After leaving Liu Haizhong's house, the sky had gradually darkened. A light mist filled the alley. Warm lights shone through the windows of each household. The sound of pots and pans colliding and the sound of children laughing and playing could be heard faintly. But Yan Bugui and his wife had no time to appreciate this scene full of life. They rushed to Yi Zhonghai's house without stopping.
The yard where Yi Zhonghai lived was slightly smaller than Liu Haizhong's, but it was well organized. Several pots of flowers and plants in the yard swayed gently in the breeze, as if welcoming the arrival of the guests. Yan Bugui stood at the door, took a deep breath, then raised his hand and knocked on the door gently.
After a while, there was a steady sound of footsteps in the house, and then the door was opened. Yi Zhonghai was wearing a clean blue shirt, his hair was neatly combed, and he had a gentle smile on his face. Seeing Yan Bugui and his wife carrying things, he was slightly stunned, and there was some surprise in his eyes, but he quickly reacted, quickly turned sideways, and said enthusiastically: "Oh, it's Old Yan and Auntie Three, come in, come in, why are you still carrying things, it's so embarrassing." As he said, he reached out to take the things in Yan Bugui's hand and welcomed them into the house.
The room was simple and cozy. An old-fashioned wooden bed was placed in the corner, covered with clean bedding. A square table was placed in the middle of the room, with a thermos and several teacups on it. Yi Zhonghai asked them to sit on the chairs, and he turned around to make tea.
Yan Bugui put the things he brought on the ground aside, his face full of sincerity, and after Yi Zhonghai sat down, he couldn't wait to say: "Old Yi, we know that you are well-informed and have a wide network of contacts in this courtyard, and nothing can be hidden from you. We have no idea about this new residential area, it's like groping in the dark, without any direction. We wanted to ask you for advice, see if there is any way we can increase our chances of getting a house? Even if there is a little hope, we want to try it." As he spoke, Yan Bugui's eyes were full of expectation and anxiety, and his hands were unconsciously rubbing the corners of his clothes.
The third aunt also echoed, "Yes, Lao Yi, please help us. We have lived in this shabby house for so many years. It is as hot as a steamer in the summer and as cold as an ice cellar in the winter. The children have grown up and this house really can't accommodate them anymore. If we can get a new house, it would be a great joy for our family." There was a hint of sob in her voice and her eyes were slightly red.
Yi Zhonghai looked at them, his expression became serious, he said earnestly: "Old Yan, Third Aunt, I know you are looking forward to being allocated a new house, I can understand this feeling. I also hope to have a better living environment. But this matter is really not something I can control. The allocation of houses is arranged uniformly by the unit, and there are strict procedures and standards. The advice I can give you is that when the allocation plan comes out, you must actively cooperate and prepare the materials according to the requirements. Every link can not be sloppy, the forms that should be filled in should be filled in carefully, and the certificates that should be submitted should be submitted in full. In addition, usually get along well with the neighbors and have a good reputation in the courtyard. Everyone will see each other every day. If the neighbors can say a few good words for you when the allocation is made, maybe you can have some advantages in the allocation. After all, the allocation of houses also needs to consider comprehensive factors."
After hearing this, Yan Bugui and his wife nodded repeatedly, their faces showing a bit of disappointment, but also a glimmer of hope. Yan Bugui said, "Old Yi, you are right, we will definitely do as you say. We will definitely not be vague about the preparation of materials, and we will do it seriously. We have been working hard to build good relations with our neighbors, and we will pay more attention to it in the future." The third aunt also said, "Yes, Old Yi, thanks to you for showing us a clear way, we know what to do now."