The supervisor listened to Tong An'an's earnest request and observed her attire and usual demeanor. Unable to fathom any other reason, he assumed her persistence stemmed from her family's poverty.
However, he had to temper her expectations.
"That place in South Africa isn't as good as you imagine, otherwise, not a single person in the entire department would be unwilling to go. Don't say anything more for now. Go back and do some research. It won't be too late to come back and ask me about the specific requirements once you truly understand South Africa."
Tong An'an left the office and continued her journey of understanding products.
She thought to herself that she must do more homework on South Africa when she got home that night.
Time flew by, and it was already time to get off work in the afternoon. They hadn't contacted each other all day, and Tong An'an was certainly unwilling to ride home with him. Jiang Jingyu sat behind his desk, contemplating how to devise a plan for them to commute together in the future.
As he was thinking, Zhang Yang entered to see him.
"The demolition work in Shuangqiao Town has officially commenced. This is the resettlement housing allocation plan. Please review and sign it."
Jiang Jingyu took the documents and flipped through them.
Shuangqiao Town, with its not-so-small population base, had its resettlement housing divided into a residential community. It housed over 140 households, including Tong An'an's family.
Tong An'an's family only had a two-story house on a small plot of land, and they were allocated only one 140-square-meter high-rise resettlement apartment.
For some reason, he recalled the words Tong's mother had spoken when he had dinner at their home. Thinking about the family of four squeezing into such a small apartment, and with her brother not yet married, he knew he would eventually need to marry and have children. He felt their circumstances were rather difficult.
Moreover, their house was a prominent property in the area. Although the location wasn't valuable, it at least allowed them to make a living.
After exchanging it for this new apartment, his parents lost their ability to earn money. How would they live in the future?
He suddenly missed the meals prepared by her mother. Jiang Jingyu closed the notebook after reviewing it and instructed Zhang Yang.
"We're working overtime tonight. Accompany me to Shuangqiao Town."
The two of them took the executive elevator directly to the underground parking lot and drove to Shuangqiao Town.
It was only about an hour's drive. They arrived a little past six o'clock.
Tong An'an's home was quietly closed, with no sign of life.
Jiang Jingyu couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
However, the demolition was a foregone conclusion. They were just a small part of the larger plan. He couldn't jeopardize the entire project due to leniency towards individuals or sentimental attachments.
Therefore, despite his guilt, he had to proceed with the project.
The car stopped in front of the house. Zhang Yang went ahead to greet them, and Tong An'an's mother, wearing an apron, came out.
He hadn't expected her to remember them after so long.
"It's you. Long time no see, are you here on another business trip?"
Jiang Jingyu thought to himself: Your eyesight and memory are much better than your daughter's. You see me at the company every day and interact with me, yet she doesn't even remember I've been to her house before.
After the three of them greeted each other, they ordered the same dishes as last time. While Tong's mother went to prepare the food, Jiang Jingyu wandered around the living room, observing her home.
Even though he wasn't with her, he felt happy just standing in the space where she lived.
Soon, the food was prepared and served.
Jiang Jingyu asked her if she had eaten. Tong's mother said she wasn't hungry.
"You eat your meal. I'll wait for my husband to come back before we eat together."
Jiang Jingyu chatted with her, asking what her husband was doing.
Tong's mother sighed and said, "What can he do? Just odd jobs. When there were more people in town, we both managed this shop, and we could barely afford to send the children to school. Now, it's getting harder and harder."
"My son is grown up, and he needs to get married. We have to save money to buy a car and a house, and for the betrothal gifts. What if he doesn't work?"
"What are the general requirements for houses, cars, and betrothal gifts in our town?"
Tong's mother said, "The most basic requirement is to buy a car worth over 150,000 yuan. Houses are usually bought in the city, and the cheapest ones cost at least 700,000 to 800,000 yuan. For betrothal gifts, there are 128,000, 158,000, and 168,000 yuan, depending on the negotiation with the other party. Overall, for a family to marry a daughter-in-law, they need to prepare at least 1.3 million yuan."
Zhang Yang grinned and asked Tong's mother in a joking tone.
"Then how much have you and Uncle prepared so far?"
Tong's mother didn't get angry at such a presumptuous question, only sighing.
"When the children were studying, all the money we earned was given to the school. Later... anyway, no matter how frugally we lived, we didn't save much."
"Moreover, we're both getting old. My health is still manageable, but her father is getting worse and worse. I don't know when we'll be able to hold our grandchild."
Her words cast a heavy atmosphere in the room, making Jiang Jingyu feel even more guilty.
He asked her, "The demolition is about to happen. After you move, Auntie, what do you plan to do?"
Tong's mother was quite optimistic. "I have an old friend in our village whose son went to work as a cleaner in the city after getting married. She said the salary is decent."
"No matter what, the demolition will solve the housing problem. At worst, I'll also go work as a cleaner. I can't earn a lot, but I can earn something. As long as I don't become a burden to the children."
After a lifetime of hard work, having to work as a cleaner in her old age made Jiang Jingyu feel unbearable.
He discussed it with her, saying, "Actually, I'm here to carry out the demolition work in our town. I know that two rows of shops have been designated outside the resettlement community. If you and Uncle dare to invest, why not use your savings to buy a shop?"
"Then you can sell breakfast or something similar. That way, you won't have to work and face others' moods. I can arrange an internal price for you."
Upon hearing that he had such capabilities, Tong's mother's spirits immediately lifted.
"Really? You are in charge of the demolition work? Oh my, I knew it. Looking at you, you're clearly a leader!"
"I thought about it before. Such a large residential area must have shops outside, but I assumed the prices would be high, so I didn't dare to think about it. Can you really make arrangements for me to get one?"
"Of course, it's true." Zhang Yang interjected. "He is our leader in charge of demolition."
"Oh, Leader, that's wonderful! How big are your shops? Are the prices very high? I'm just asking casually. If it's too high, even if I use all my savings, it won't be enough."
Jiang Jingyu didn't mention the housing prices but told her that the largest shop was over 70 square meters.
"I'll leave you my phone number. You can go and take a look when you have time. Once you've decided which one you like, we can discuss the price. However, you need to act fast. Many people in your town are inquiring about the shops. If they pay their money too late, even if I want to reserve one for you, it will be useless."
When Tong's mother heard this, she excitedly said to him.
"I'm free every day. Do you have time tomorrow? If I want to go see it tomorrow, will you be available?"
Zhang Yang thought to himself: We've made a special trip to Shuangqiao Town just for you. Of course, I'm available.
"Yes, Auntie. What time tomorrow would you like to go? I'll drive to pick you up."
That night, Tong's mother shared the news with her husband and son. Both of them thought she had encountered a scammer.
How could a pie fall from the sky? And land right on their heads.