CHAPTER 94: CHAPTER 94: NONSENSE

Chen Shouyi listened speechlessly to the Shell Lady’s weak and powerless threats.

Did she really think she could go back?

Childish!

He wasn’t subject to such threats and cruelly refused, "No!"

The Shell Lady pouted sadly, about to burst into tears.

"I only have this one big one, I’ve already given it to you, do you want the small ones?"

The Shell Lady’s face changed instantly, revealing a smile as she responded loudly, "Yes!"

Chen Shouyi took the backpack, opened a small pocket, and took out the smallest glass bead from inside.

The Shell Lady impatiently extended her hand, "Quick, quick!"

"Why the hurry, here you go!" Chen Shouyi placed the bead in her hand.

The Shell Lady stared in disbelief at the small gemstone in her palm. She had expected the giant would give her a medium-sized gem; she didn’t expect him to be so stingy, giving her the smallest one.

She stood up angrily, hands on her hips, and loudly threatened, "Damn giant, I’m going back!"

Ever since she got the crystal ball, such a small gemstone no longer caught her eye.

Seeing the Shell Lady puffing up like she’d been greatly wronged, Chen Shouyi sighed helplessly and swapped it out for a larger one.

He felt a little regret in his heart, knowing he probably shouldn’t have given her the crystal ball. Now she had developed expensive tastes, and he didn’t know what to tempt her with in the future.

...

Four days passed in a row, and during this time, there were quite a few property viewings.

However, much like the stock market’s chase-highs-and-kill-lows mentality, the more the housing prices dropped, the more people observed cautiously. Although the price was already very low, many intended to buy, yet no one decided on the spot.

In the afternoon, after Chen Shouyi accompanied his parents and dealt with a picky potential buyer, they suddenly heard a burst of gunfire reminiscent of roasted beans on their way home.

"Quickly, hide in the store!" Chen Dawei said anxiously.

The group quickly dashed into a clothing shop for temporary shelter, and the shop owner reacted swiftly, promptly pulling down the shutter.

Fortunately, the gunfire was far away, and half a minute later, it completely ceased.

The group waited for a few minutes until no more shots were heard, then they left the clothing store.

As they passed by an intersection, an army vehicle zoomed past, loaded with fully armed soldiers, each one with a solemn expression.

Clearly, the recent cult incident had already reached a significant breakthrough, and it was time for a confrontation.

"Stop looking, let’s head back!" Mrs. Chen urged anxiously.

Chen Shouyi nodded, and the three of them quickly returned to the hotel.

"Dongning is too chaotic; we’ll leave tomorrow. The house can be sold later, there’s no rush. The money we have now should be enough to buy a place." Chen Dawei said.

"You haven’t even accounted for my settlement allowance, which should be considerable too," Chen Shouyi added.

"Your money is your money, now that you’re a Martial Artist, you’re considered established in your career. These should be separate. You don’t need to spend your money on buying a house!" Chen Dawei replied.

"That’s right, brother!" Chen Xingyue chimed in.

Chen Shouyi was pretty indifferent, saying, "But, four million plus isn’t enough for a big place. I don’t want to end up sleeping in the living room."

"Three thousand per square meter, you could get a hundred-square-meter place, right?" Chen Dawei questioned, completely unaware that the property prices in Hedong City had surged, still thinking it was around three thousand.

"That’s old news; it’s at least five thousand now?"

"So expensive?" Mrs. Chen exclaimed in surprise.

Chen Dawei paused for a moment and said, "It’s not a big difference; we’ll just take out a loan then."

"Dad, why separate everything so clearly in a family? You’ll still want to open a restaurant, the upfront investment for that will be significant. Besides, this money is for settling down. Plus, I have a monthly Martial Artist allowance from the national government, and both the province and city government will provide subsidies. We’ll never be short of money." Chen Shouyi said resignedly.

At least, they wouldn’t be short of small amounts.

Chen Dawei glanced at Chen Shouyi, noting his genuine expression. After a brief hesitation, he sighed and said, "Well, okay then. You’ve really become sensible."

...

Early the next morning, the family took a vehicle and left Dongning.

On the way, the bus was stopped and checked multiple times, only near Pingqiu City did these checks finally disappear.

They returned to Changmen Town.

"Are you really leaving?" the landlady asked somewhat reluctantly, with Zhou Xue standing nearby.

"Yes, we’re leaving today, moving to Hedong City since the conditions there are better," Mrs. Chen replied.

"Well, Hedong is the provincial capital after all."

...

Not long after, the Chen family each picked up their luggage and left.

The landlady and Zhou Xue watched them leave the courtyard.

The landlady suddenly sighed, "I didn’t expect them to leave so soon, not sure when we’ll see each other again."

Zhou Xue didn’t say anything, watching the already vanished figure; her heart felt a bit empty.

She couldn’t help but think, maybe she should have said goodbye before he left, instead of showing him such a cold face; after all, he had helped her.

"Xiao Xue, Xiao Xue!"

"Uh, Mom, you called me." Zhou Xue snapped out of her thoughts and quickly said.

"I’ve called you three times now." The landlady said, then suspiciously asked, "You’re not secretly crushing on that Chen Shouyi, are you?"

Zhou Xue blushed and stamped her foot, scolding, "Mom, what nonsense are you talking about? I didn’t!"

"Then why are you blushing? Actually, liking someone is normal. He’s not only handsome but also young and has become a Martial Artist, and he doesn’t have an attitude. It’s a pity they’ve moved to Hedong. Otherwise, if you find someone like him, I’d wake up laughing even in my dreams!" the landlady teased.

Her daughter had always been sensible, but her personality was a bit too cold, especially cautious around the opposite sex, which frequently made the landlady worry about her future. Today obviously marked a positive change.

"Mom, if you keep talking nonsense, I won’t talk to you anymore!" Her face reddened as if steam was coming out, she said indignantly.

"Alright, alright! I’m off to cook." she laughed, feeling quite cheerful.

Zhou Xue returned to her room, covering her still warm face, and mused to herself: "What’s so special about a Martial Artist? I will definitely become one too!"

PS: The book goes live on May 1st, everyone please save some votes for me.