Chapter 230: Officially Entering the City
September 22nd, Monday, Ding Weihuo and Li Hongying officially brought their belongings into the city. Once they arrived, Ding Ancheng led them to settle their residence registration, then transferred the house ownership, and added their names to the grain purchase book, officially making them city residents.
Li Hongying was responsible for managing the grain book. Besides bringing themselves, they also brought all the grain they gained from recent harvests. They wouldn’t need to worry about food for now, but they still needed to buy their monthly grain quotas, as having food stored at home was a security.
After Ding Ancheng finished handling Ding Weihuo and Li Hongying’s affairs, he went to the station, timing it precisely as his in-laws’ bus should have arrived. After waiting for a bit, he saw them.
Ding Ancheng took them directly to the house they had bought. The walls had some writings, faded marks likely left from before, and had some scattered gaps and cracks, showing signs of being struck with tools.
"The head of this household once worked at the Gomei Committee. After being held accountable, those previously persecuted quietly came to damage it, but now such things won’t happen as the government clarified and it was sold through proper procedures," Ding Ancheng explained.
"The inside condition is fair, the damage was also done by people from the Gomei Committee," Ding Ancheng said, unlocking the door.
"Wow, this house is big." Liu Huilan, who had visited the house in Bright Alley, found the layout similar. She initially thought it would be smaller due to its lesser cost but was surprised by its size.
"At this price, it’s really a bargain," Yi Shunyin said as he looked around and touched things, evidently fond of the place.
The house was nice, fixing it up would be a minor issue; the important thing was there was nothing inside. Word was that after being vandalized, everything was thrown out, so the task was to furnish it with furniture.
"Move the beds, cabinets, and boxes from home over when the time comes; it saves buying," Liu Huilan said.
"Then how about when we return to the team, we still need a place to stay," Yi Shunyin said.
"Buying new is expensive, and having them made isn’t cheap either," Liu Huilan said with distress.
"Go to the scrap station to pick some good ones, and if there are none, make new ones. What do you think?" Yi Shunyin suggested.
"Sure, absolutely," Liu Huilan smiled upon hearing this.
"My dad is going to work at the scrap station in a few days. I’ll ask him to keep an eye out at the time, insiders buying can surely find better ones," Ding Ancheng said with a laugh.
"Hey, that’s excellent," Liu Huilan chuckled.
"Dad, Mom, we’ll sort out the residence registration later, have lunch at Bright Alley, and in the afternoon I’ll take you for an interview at the place where you’ll work. See when you can start," Ding Ancheng suggested.
"We’ll follow your arrangements," Yi Shunyin said, increasingly satisfied with his son-in-law, "even though it’s a hassle, did you take the day off just for this? Roujing told me that even though the school had summer break, you were still teaching."
"No problem at all; today was a day’s leave anyway," Ding Ancheng replied nonchalantly.
Ding Ancheng truly ran around the whole day today, but things went smoothly, allowing Yi Shunyin and Liu Huilan to start working after National Day.
With the work sorted, both took a breath of relief, prepared to tidy up belongings, and bring the whole family to the city, embracing the life of city residents.
With Ancheng’s capability, he managed to bring both his adoptive parents and wife’s parents to the city, secured them homes, embarking on a future of blessings.
At the Lotus Production Team’s Li Family, Li Hongying’s original family, Mrs. Li had been pacing in the yard for a long time, her anger growing along with dizziness.
"Mom, you’re making me dizzy," Li Hongying’s younger brother, Li Hongguang, said irritably, as he sat under the tree shade holding his head.
"Your sister is so useless, giving all benefits to outsiders, not caring for family at all, what nonsense," Mrs. Li cursed fiercely, as if only that could vent her inward tension.
"Mom, don’t just complain here, say it to Li Hongying directly," Mrs. Li’s daughter-in-law, Pan Changmiao, said while sitting on a stool, munching sunflower seeds, her chubby face squeezing her eyes into slits.
"People say Ding Ancheng acknowledged his roots now, they say his father rode here on a private car, a prominent family from Jing City," Pan Changmiao tutted, "and now that people know what you did to Ding Ancheng before, acting like a wimpy turtle, and now that everything’s fine, they have so much to say."
"If you can say that to Ding Ancheng face to face," Pan Changmiao became furious with the Li Family upon knowing Ding Ancheng’s background. They were finished, their lives were set in this way.
Though Pan Changmiao was not a saint, lazy and gluttonous as she was, she wouldn’t go as far as to harm someone’s life.
She knew about the event with Ding Ancheng but was against it; however, they didn’t listen to her, and she’d rather keep quiet; it had no relation to her anyway.
Moreover, her son was still bedridden healing from injuries, her daughter was nowhere to be seen, what hope did she have? Pan Changmiao was living recklessly these days.
"Xijun has his bones almost healed, if he can work in the city in the future, what wife couldn’t he find?" Mrs. Li pointed angrily at Pan Changmiao, "You think it’s for myself? It’s all for the children."
Having witnessed Mrs. Li’s cold-bloodedness and indifference, Pan Changmiao knew better than to believe her. Despite Mrs. Li’s daughter being alienated, son being like this, granddaughter missing for ages without urgency, all she cared about was money and food; Pan Changmiao now saw clearly.
"The three brothers from the Yi Family are all city residents with jobs now; how about you try networking with the wife of Yi Family’s second son, since you both came from the same village. If not getting jobs from Ding Ancheng, think of a way at least," Mrs. Li said.
"If you can find Xipei for me, then I’ll inquire; otherwise, forget it," Pan Changmiao tossed away her sunflower seeds and marched into the house with a snort.
"Did I not inquire? I even asked that daughter of mine, Li Hongying, to have Ancheng help look; didn’t I ask to no avail? Your daughter wasn’t raised right, always mixing with miscreants; who’s to blame if she’s gone? Maybe she couldn’t resist and eloped with someone..." Mrs. Li’s curses continued relentlessly, though Pan Changmiao pretended not to care, but noted it down inwardly.
"I’ll go to the city tomorrow and visit Li Hongying. Others can ignore us, but she can’t," Li Hongguang said with a trace of ruthlessness in his eyes.
"Yes, go, find a way to have him arrange a job for you too," Mrs. Li said.
Li Dabing sat quietly smoking his pipe, not uttering a word, but his silence showed his agreement.
"Heard Ding Ancheng’s wife is pregnant," Li Dabing suddenly spoke.
"Dad, leave this be; truly anger them, and none of us will fare well. Yi Roujing is a daughter-in-law of a Jing family, not belonging to Li Hongying’s," Li Hongguang said.