Chen Lishu smiled and said, "Of course, there's something for you. Everyone could focus on selling at the trade fair these past few days, thanks to you watching the shop. Moreover, due to the fair, business in the store has also increased compared to usual. I see the effort and contribution of each of you."
Hearing her words, the young girl felt a warmth spread through her heart. With an excited expression, she said, "Sister Chen, I will definitely work harder and do a good job, and I will absolutely not let you down."
"Alright, everyone has been busy all day. Go home early and rest." After Chen Lishu finished speaking, Zhao Xingwang and the others began to get up and leave.
Wang Aixiang hesitated for a moment, then suddenly spoke, "Lishu, I have something to ask you. Why don't we walk together?"
Chen Lishu nodded and walked out of the shop with her.
"Sister Aixiang, please tell me what's on your mind."
"I remember your brother-in-law has a project called what Garden? How much are the houses there? Are there any left for sale?"
"Jiangpan Garden," Chen Lishu replied. "Are you thinking of buying a house?"
"The house we live in now belongs to the factory. Previously, the conditions were poor, and there was no other choice but to cling to it. Now that I have the means, and Xiao Peng is also growing up, he'll need his own place sooner or later. So, I thought I'd inquire about it first."
Over the past few years, following Chen Lishu, she had saved some money. Buying a more spacious house would certainly not be a problem.
"My younger uncle bought there before. It was around seventy per square meter. I'm not sure about the exact price this year, but I'll ask you when I get home."
Wang Aixiang said, "Originally, I thought about buying a bungalow since there are elderly and children at home, making it more convenient for coming and going. Then I thought, bungalows are mostly old houses, and they also require one to manage the stove, which involves a lot of work. With the elderly and the young at home, there isn't even anyone capable of helping. So, I decided to buy an apartment, preferably on a lower floor."
Hearing her words, Chen Lishu's thoughts stirred, and she probed, "Sister Aixiang, after all these years, haven't you thought about finding someone else?"
Wang Aixiang froze for a moment, then gave a wry smile, "Finding someone else, is it that easy to find a suitable one? Not to mention anything else, my mother-in-law only had one son, Xiao Peng's father. She has taken special care of me and Xiao Peng all these years. I definitely can't abandon her. With my situation, sigh, it's better not to burden anyone."
Chen Lishu could somewhat understand her feelings. If she had a child, it would be one thing, but with a mother-in-law who was not blood-related, it was likely that few people could truly accept it.
"Sister Aixiang, don't underestimate yourself. There will always be someone with discerning eyes who can recognize your worth. Besides, we are also excellent. Not only do we have a good figure, but we are also outstanding in appearance, not too old, and we are family-oriented and hardworking. Ordinary people wouldn't be worthy of you."
"Pfft!" Wang Aixiang couldn't help but laugh. "Are you talking about me?"
Chen Lishu suddenly changed the subject, "What do you think of Wang Dazhu?"
"Ah?" Wang Aixiang exclaimed, realizing what she was implying. Her face instantly turned red. "Sister, what do you mean?"
"I'm just asking casually. He was a soldier before, so his character is definitely fine. It's just that his temper is a bit blunt, and one of his arms cannot exert much force..."
Wang Aixiang quickly replied, "Wang Dazhu is a good person. There are too many people who are sly and lazy nowadays, while those who are truly down-to-earth are few. Being blunt isn't a fault. Although one arm cannot exert much force, he does as much work as anyone else. He's the one doing the heavy lifting, like loading and unloading."
Chen Lishu deliberately drew out her tone, "Oh~"
Meeting her smirking eyes, Wang Aixiang felt her face burn. She glared at her and said, "What 'oh oh'? It's not what you think at all. I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going home."
With that, she quickly walked towards the bus stop on the other side.
When Chen Lishu arrived home, the living room was a mess. Gu Xingdong stood in the middle of the floor, with a pile of things at his feet, holding a few wooden planks and joining them.
Xiao Chengzi and Xiao Bai, with their little hands supporting the back of the sofa chair, stood there, peeking out with their heads, calling out "Ah ah" towards their father from time to time. Li Xiulan and Rui Rui were by their side, protecting them to prevent them from falling.
The sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen. Zhao Qiuyue was preparing dinner.
"What are you doing?" Chen Lishu asked curiously.
"Didn't you say last time you wanted to make a guardrail so that the children could play inside after laying down cushions? I asked the carpenter to make a set of wooden boards and polished the edges so that the two little ones wouldn't bump themselves." Gu Xingdong continued his work without stopping. Before long, the guardrail on one side was assembled.
Xiao Chengzi and Xiao Bai were already very adept at crawling and could stand by holding onto things. If they weren't watched, they could easily bump into something. With a playpen, the two children could move around freely, and the adults wouldn't be too tired.
Li Xiulan said, "There are still some leftover fabric and cotton from making quilts at home. After dinner, I'll go and sew a mattress, and our Xiao Chengzi and Xiao Bai will be able to play in it tomorrow."
"I'll go to the market tomorrow to buy a mat. Laying it underneath will also help insulate from the cold," Chen Lishu said, walking to the sofa. Seeing their mother return, the two little ones immediately giggled and pounced towards her.
Before long, Zhao Qiuyue's dinner was ready. Gu Xingdong also stopped his work, washed his hands, and then the family sat down together to eat dinner.
Chen Lishu said, "How is your Jiangpan Garden project progressing?"
"The new equipment has shortened the progress considerably. Half of it has been completed. At the current pace, the entire project should be finished before the freeze."
Chen Lishu asked, "Is it still for sale? Do you know the price per square meter?"
Gu Xingdong thought for a moment and replied, "Prices have increased in all aspects this year, with significant increases in raw materials and labor. Coupled with good sales, I heard a while ago that it's around seventy-five."
Jiangpan Garden was the first commercial housing project in the provincial capital. Although the price was relatively high, the economic opening in the past two years had also brought about many wealthy individuals, so sales had been consistently good.
Hearing that the house prices had increased, Li Xiulan couldn't help but feel anxious. "Fourth child bought early last year, so they made a profit. It won't be cost-effective for your second brother and his wife to buy now."
Chen Lishu said, "House prices will definitely become more expensive in the future. If you have money, it's more cost-effective to buy early. It's actually a form of investment."
Chen Lishu had a friend in her past life whose relative was very forward-thinking. Before the housing prices started to rise, they took out loans to buy seven or eight apartments, using the rent to cover the loans. When the housing prices went up, they directly had millions more in their hands.
Li Xiulan paid close attention to Chen Lishu's words and thought that she should really mention it to her second brother and his wife when she had time. Since they had to buy eventually, it was better to buy earlier.