At noon in early July, under bright sunlight and gentle warmth, the Housing Acquisition Department of the Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau called Jiang Qin. They agreed to his proposed compensation terms and invited him to come sign the contract immediately, setting an example for the other property owners.
Why? Because there were simply too many greedy people, and they had even started banding together. Each one demanded more than the last.
The demolition team had worked for three days without managing to reach an agreement with a single household. Everyone believed that the longer they dragged things out, the more they would get, and whoever signed first would definitely suffer a huge loss.
By comparison, Jiang Qin's flat offer seemed quite reasonable.
The Acquisition Department held a meeting to discuss the matter. Since the property owners had banded together to demand higher prices, they decided it would be simpler to break them apart from within. In other words, as long as someone signed, others would certainly be unable to resist following suit.
Thus, Jiang Qin became the breakthrough point for encouraging everyone to sign early.
After signing the contract, Jiang Qin received a total of 4.79 million yuan in compensation, along with four resettlement apartments: two in Yu Shui Bay in the New City Area, and two in Jing Yuan across from Fuzi Lake.
From the perspective of 2008, neither neighborhood could really be considered well-located. The New City Area had only just been built, and the surrounding facilities were still incomplete. Simply put, it was desolate.
But in 2010, a high-speed railway station was built across from Yu Shui Bay, while the new No. 1 High School moved to the south side of Fuzi Lake. The municipal government also relocated northward as a whole, and housing prices changed by the day.
However, Jiang Qin didn't dare tell his parents about the house and demolition compensation. He had no idea how to explain it.
In any case, his parents now had no worries about food or drink and were healthy and safe. There was no harm in telling them later, so he decided to keep it hidden for the time being.
On July 13, in order to attract residents to sign their contracts, the Demolition Office transferred Jiang Qin's compensation to him in less than three working days.
On July 15, Jiang Qin successfully completed his application choices and applied for finance at Linchuan University.
On July 16, Jiang Qin went to the bank and transferred 2.73 million yuan, repaying the money he had borrowed from Feng Nanshu. To show his gratitude, he also took her to Hot Spring Town in the eastern suburbs for a day.
The private hot spring pools, steaming with heat, had been built atop a cliff facing a range of towering mountains. The scenery stretching before them was breathtaking.
Feng Nanshu soaked in the steaming hot spring in her swimsuit. Her pretty face had been flushed red by the steam. She held Happy Water in one hand and osmanthus cake in the other, her eyes constantly drifting toward the mountains across from them. She was so happy she could hardly contain herself.
The swimsuit Jiang Qin had bought for her wasn't a sexy bikini. It was a white two-piece outfit, with a camisole top and a skirt on the bottom.
When Jiang Qin bought it, he had thought the swimsuit was already very conservative. Yet he had still underestimated the allure of Feng Nanshu's figure.
Her long legs were as white as snow, her slender waist could easily be encircled with one hand, and her fair, delicate abdomen had distinct abdominal lines.
The naturally absent-minded girl had very few defenses against Jiang Qin. She stretched out her perfect curves in an extremely comfortable pose, unaware of how alluring the blend of purity and sensuality was—and even less aware that the man across from her could no longer look away.
"A big bird just flew past."
"Mm. It was big and white."
Feng Nanshu slowly turned her head, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes. "But the bird that just flew past was black."
Jiang Qin wiped the sweat from his face with a towel. "You know, you can't judge things by their appearance alone. Sometimes, you have to look through the surface and see the pure white interior."
"?"
Feng Nanshu lowered her head and glanced at her chest. "Were you looking at my breasts?"
Even after being exposed, Jiang Qin didn't panic at all. "You're overthinking it. I'm a straight-laced gentleman who never looks askance!"
"Then could you stop rubbing my foot? You've rubbed it until it hurts a little."
"That's because this hot spring pool is too small. I was afraid you'd kick me if you moved too much."
Jiang Qin was full of reasons befitting a straight-laced gentleman, but he still quietly let go of Feng Nanshu's soft, fair little foot and pretended to be nonchalantly admiring the distant mountains and beautiful scenery.
Splash—
Feng Nanshu stood up from the hot spring, leaned against the edge, and stuck out her little bottom as she reached for the bag of pepper-salt guoba in front of her. But she couldn't quite reach it.
Jiang Qin was sitting very close to her current position. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he could even feel the heat radiating from Feng Nanshu's skin. How could anyone withstand this? "I'm done soaking. I'll go shower first."
Jiang Qin climbed out of the hot spring, handed her the guoba along the way, and then slipped into the shower room.
Cold water streamed down his back, making him feel as if even his thirty-eight-year-old soul were trembling. Yet he couldn't help despising himself. You're a thirty-eight-year-old uncle, lusting after the body of an eighteen-year-old naturally absent-minded girl. Is that even polite? Men really are damn consistent—they always like young girls.
Listening to the rushing water from the shower room, Feng Nanshu lowered her head and glanced at her chest. Her delicate nose wrinkled slightly. Then she tore open the package, put a piece of guoba in her mouth, and chewed it with a loud crunch.
Hmph. This person really does like looking at breasts, and he also likes playing with feet.
After showering, the two of them left the hot spring hotel and took a sightseeing cart to Commercial Street in the town, planning to find something to eat.
But when they asked about the prices, a roast chicken cost 58 yuan, and Jiang Qin wondered if he had heard wrong.
This is 2008! A roast chicken costs 58 yuan? If I'd known, I would've bought half-price chickens from the zoo and brought them here to roast and sell. When it comes to making money, you tourist attractions are ruthless.
But...
Feng Nanshu was practically drooling as she stared at the roast chickens hanging in the oven.
Jiang Qin couldn't help laughing. It was truly his first time seeing someone crave roast chicken so badly, so he had no choice but to take out his wallet and spend 58 yuan on one.
The more than 1.7 million yuan he had earned had all come from Feng Nanshu. As his patron, the Little Rich Woman deserved whatever she wanted—even if she wanted the moon, he would have to pluck it down for her. That was called repaying kindness.
But was Feng Nanshu really the daughter of a wealthy family? Why did she want to eat everything she saw? She was so gluttonous she could barely walk.
"You've never eaten roast chicken?"
Feng Nanshu wiped away her drool, her gaze still cool and distant. "Mother said a true socialite would never be controlled by her appetite. That way, she wouldn't have any weaknesses."
Jiang Qin sighed inwardly. You're practically being controlled to death by your desires, aren't you? What kind of ruthless culture was this? "Eat. Have more. Just don't waste any."
"Jiang Qin, thank you for buying me roast chicken. You're my best friend."
"Young Miss, I'm your only friend. Aren't I obviously your best?"
Feng Nanshu thought about it for a long while and decided he had a point, so she changed her wording. "Then I think you're a good person."
Jiang Qin felt somewhat wounded by that. "If you're trying to praise me, just call me handsome. Don't hand me one of those empty 'good person' cards."
"Oh."
"By the way, I may get busy in a few days. I'll be learning to drive on one hand and trying out a small business on the other, so I probably won't have time to take you out. Do you have somewhere to go?"
"I can read in the library," Feng Nanshu replied decisively.
"Won't you feel lonely?"
"Not lonely. I used to be like that too, alone."
Feng Nanshu raised her head to look at him, her eyelashes trembling slightly, as if she truly had no idea what loneliness was.
Whatever her life had been like before, it would be fine in the future. Her life probably wouldn't change much whether someone was there or not.
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