booktalesy Chapter 45: Face Change
Chapter 45: Face Change
When the car arrived at the entrance of the residential area, Lin Bei paid the fare and carried the suitcase upstairs.
Upon entering the house, Su Ruolan was once again surprised by the clean and tidy living room and the neatly stacked bowls and chopsticks.
Lin Jianjun also walked around each room, and stood silently for a while at the kitchen door.
Lin Bei told you to pack up first, as he had some business to attend to that afternoon.
Su Ruolan told him to come back early for dinner, and Lin Bei responded, closed the door, and left.
Su Ruolan stood in the center of the living room, took off her sun hat and placed it on the shoe cabinet, then looked around.
The remote control on the coffee table was neatly placed next to the tissue box, the floor was gleaming from the mopping, and the curtains were drawn properly.
She walked into the kitchen, where the dish rack was spotless and the stove was so clean you could see your reflection in it.
Even inside the trash can, there was a newly replaced black trash bag.
"Old Lin," she called towards the living room, "come and take a look."
Lin Jianjun carried his suitcase into the kitchen, glanced at the stove and drain rack, and remained silent for two seconds.
"Did he wash the dishes?"
"Not only the bowls, but also the floor, coffee table, curtains, and even the trash can are all covered with bags." Su Ruolan leaned against the kitchen door frame, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Before, I had to call him three times just to get him to take out the trash, and the bowls would get moldy from soaking in it."
"I was only away on a business trip for a few days, but when I came back home, I was like a completely different person."
Lin Jianjun placed his suitcase against the wall, then walked to the door of Lin Bei's bedroom and peeked inside.
The blankets on the bed were folded, and the comic books and game discs that used to be scattered on the desk were gone.
Instead, there were several introductory economics books borrowed from the library.
He closed the bedroom door, walked to the sofa, sat down, picked up the water that Lin Bei had prepared in advance from the coffee table, and took a sip.
"I've changed my hairstyle and tidied up the house."
Lin Jianjun put the cup back on the coffee table. "Has this kid gotten into trouble at school again? He should at least try to behave himself."
"Can't you think of the bright side?" Su Ruolan sat down next to him.
But his own expression showed a hint of doubt.
Su Ruolan had given birth to this son eighteen years ago and knew his lifestyle and habits very well.
Previously, socks could be stuffed under the pillow for three days without being washed, and dishes left in the sink after meals would always be left for someone else to clean up.
The floor of the room is always covered with a layer of clothes and snack wrappers.
Now all of that is gone.
The two sat on the sofa, staring at the remote control on the coffee table, and remained silent for a while.
Lin Jianjun picked up his cup again and took a sip of water.
Su Ruolan reached out and straightened the tissue box on the coffee table, which was slightly tilted, then stood up and clapped her hands.
"Well, it's better for my son to be sensible than not."
"I'll make his favorite braised pork for dinner tonight."
Lin Jianjun put down the cup and grunted through his nose.
……
It was a little after 5 p.m.
Lin Bei returned home.
He had just inserted the key into the lock when the door was pulled open from the inside.
Su Ruolan, wearing an apron, stood at the door, pulled him in, and pressed him down to sit at the dining table.
The table was set with four dishes and a soup: braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and cucumber salad.
In the middle is a large bowl of tomato and egg drop soup.
"What day is it today?" Lin Bei asked, looking at the table full of dishes.
"To celebrate my son becoming handsome." Su Ruolan filled his bowl to the brim with rice, making it overflow.
He pushed the braised pork towards him again.
"Eat more, you've lost weight."
Lin Jianjun sat opposite him, silently shoveling down a few mouthfuls of rice, then suddenly asked, "Where did you get your hair cut?"
"That new barbershop on the street corner, a wash, cut and blow-dry costs ten yuan."
"Not bad for cutting something like this with ten pieces of pork." Lin Jianjun picked up a piece of braised pork, put it in his mouth, chewed it a few times, swallowed it, and then put his chopsticks down.
"What have you been doing at home lately? Just cleaning the house?"
"I'm practicing driving and taking my driver's license test," Lin Bei said, taking a bite of rice. "I've also been researching online stores; I'm thinking of selling clothes on Taobao."
Lin Jianjun and Su Ruolan exchanged a glance.
Their impression of their son is still that of the rebellious boy before the college entrance examination, when he dyed his hair yellow, played video games, and went to internet cafes every day.
Now the son is sitting across from me, wearing a clean white shirt, eating without making a smacking noise, speaking in a serious manner, and still discussing business.
"An online store?" Su Ruolan didn't quite understand what an online store was. "It's selling things online? Can you make money from it?"
"Let's give it a try," Lin Bei said. "Anyway, we're just killing time during summer vacation."
Lin Jianjun stared at his son for several seconds.
Then, he picked up his chopsticks again, took a piece of braised pork, and said, "Give it a try, just don't ask me for money."
Lin Bei smiled but didn't say anything.
I thought to myself, "Dad, don't worry, your son has more money in his hands now than you have in your savings account."
After dinner, Lin Bei took the initiative to clear the dishes and take them into the kitchen.
Su Ruolan stood at the kitchen doorway, watching Lin Bei wash the dishes, her expression a mix of relief and unfamiliarity.
Eighteen years.
This is her son, and it's the first time he's voluntarily washed the dishes after a meal.
Lin Jianjun picked up a few introductory economics books that Lin Bei had placed on the coffee table, flipped through a few pages, and then closed them.
He felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
It's like the little rascal he raised for eighteen years was switched with someone else after he returned from a business trip.
But this is indeed his son. His facial features are exactly the same, and he speaks in the same way. He looks much more pleasing to the eye now.
He put down the book, picked up the remote, and turned on the TV.
The theme song of the evening news broadcast blared from the speakers, filling the living room with its familiar melody.
……
The following week.
Lin Bei would typically visit one property every morning, then another in the afternoon, and return in the evening to organize contracts and transfer documents.
Buying a house is neither particularly difficult nor particularly easy.
Most landlords in older neighborhoods are middle-aged people with some spare cash who don't have much attachment to their old houses and are willing to sell as long as the price is right.
But I've also encountered some difficult ones.
One landlord suddenly raised the price by 20,000 yuan just ten minutes before the contract was to be signed.
Without saying a word, Lin Bei got up and left.
The landlord called again the next day, saying that the original price would apply.
Another landlord's wife suddenly changed her mind, saying that the house belonged to her family and couldn't be sold casually. The contract had already been signed, and she ran over and snatched the pen away.
Lin Bei wasn't in a hurry. He put the contract away and let the couple discuss it further.
By the seventh day.
Lin Bei had spent almost all the money in his hand.
They bought a total of seven apartments, located in six different old neighborhoods, each priced at around 200,000 to 300,000 yuan.
The cheapest apartment is located in the most remote corner of the urban village, and several of the roof tiles are broken.
After making the purchase, he locked all the contracts and transfer documents in the bedside table drawer, and carefully checked the balance of his bank card against the numbers in his ledger.
He kept the remaining tens of thousands of yuan as emergency funds, enough for daily expenses and the occasional meal for treating people.
After doing all this, he went to the driving school again and made up for the two driving lessons he missed last week.
Reversing into a parking space and navigating S-curves were both done in one go.
The instructor sat in the passenger seat, smoking and flipping through his notebook.
He looked at the student who had suddenly disappeared for several days last week and pondered to himself.
Anyway, they're sure they'll pass the exam, so if they don't come, so be it.