"Uncle Liu, let me temporarily arrange a place for you to stay," Lin Chuan said urgently.

Uncle Liu glanced at Lin Chuan, then silently stood up.

Lin Chuan quickly helped Uncle Liu into his jeep, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, took him away from Changlin Factory.

The only place Lin Chuan could arrange was at Feixiang Transport Company. Zhou Rui learned about the situation and immediately arranged a room for Uncle Liu. Although the room was simple, at least it solved the basic needs for food, drink, and personal hygiene. Li Qiang and the others would bring Uncle Liu a meal when they ate, and would chat with him when they had free time. They all came from the same factory, how could they be short of topics?

"Lin Chuan, it's not appropriate to keep Uncle Liu here indefinitely," Zhou Rui said awkwardly.

"What else can we do?" Lin Chuan said with a wry smile, "We can't just let him be homeless, right?"

"Think of something!" Zhou Rui looked at Lin Chuan, "Look at Uncle Liu, even though his basic needs are met here, his worries aren't. This is really a tough situation."

"Isn't it just," Lin Chuan agreed helplessly, "I also want to send Uncle Liu back, but even if we force him back, Uncle Liu's life might be even worse than now."

"So what do we do?" Zhou Rui said, looking helpless.

"You're the top student from a U.S. university, you think of something," Lin Chuan pushed the responsibility onto Zhou Rui.

Zhou Rui blinked her eyes, thought for a while, then suddenly her eyes lit up, "Got it."

"What solution?" Lin Chuan asked curiously.

Zhou Rui leaned into Lin Chuan's ear and murmured for a while; Lin Chuan frowned after hearing it, "Can this really work?"

"Of course, it can," Zhou Rui nodded excitedly, "If you don't believe me, you can send someone to try."

"Alright, I'll give it a try," Lin Chuan agreed.

Two days later, a piece of news suddenly spread within Changlin Factory. Initially, it was only circulated among the younger generation. Until one day, Aunt Hong came back from the vegetable market and suddenly saw Zhou Kai and several young people from the factory apparently whispering secretly. At first listen, she seemed to hear something about a million-dollar property.

"Xiao Kai, what are you whispering about? What million-dollar property?" Aunt Hong walked over quickly.

Aunt Hong was the most gossip-loving woman in Changlin Factory. Once a piece of news passed through her ears, it was guaranteed to spread from her mouth all over, rapidly becoming a sensation.

"Shh..." Zhou Kai quickly shushed her.

"What secret things that can't be said does a kiddo like you have?" Aunt Hong frowned.

"Of course, it can't be said," Zhou Kai hurriedly said, "You don't know, if that spiteful daughter-in-law of the Liu family learns about this, it might cause big trouble later on."

"What's the matter?" Aunt Hong asked with curiosity.

"Didn't Mr. Liu get kicked out of his house by her?" Zhou Kai hurriedly explained, "Humph, you don't know, back when Mr. Liu was in the militia, he was awarded the title of Outstanding Militia Commander, and it's said that he was allocated an apartment in the city district. Now, that apartment is about to be demolished, and supposedly he can get a bigger one in return on the same site."

"Wow..."

Aunt Hong's eyes widened immediately, "Really? How is it possible that he was allocated an apartment?"

"Aunt Hong, you didn't know about this, did you?" Zhou Kai grinned, "Back then, housing was allocated as a government welfare perk, who cared about a house. Mr. Liu didn't care, after getting it he didn't use it, and it just sat empty. It was only after being driven out by his daughter-in-law a few days ago that he suddenly remembered he seems to have a big house near the City Committee."

"Really?" Aunt Hong became excited upon hearing this, "Oh my, that house can sell for at least a million."

"Exactly," Zhou Kai smiled, "So Mr. Liu does, after all, have a million-dollar property."

"Right, right!" Aunt Hong nodded eagerly.

"You mustn't tell anyone else about this," Zhou Kai instructed urgently.

"You brat, do I, Aunt Hong, seem like that kind of person?" Aunt Hong glared at Zhou Kai, not amused.

Zhou Kai chuckled.

Aunt Hong quickly picked up her basket of vegetables and headed home. Suddenly, she bumped into Aunt Zhou from the neighborhood committee on the road.

"Aunt Hong, have you heard?" Aunt Hong approached gossipingly, "Mr. Liu was assigned an apartment in the city area back when he was in the militia. They say it's worth millions now!"

"Really? No way!" Aunt Zhou was shocked.

"Why would I lie to you!" Aunt Hong said hastily: "Houses near the City Committee, back in the eighties, were indeed unwanted, with that place being so outlying and surrounded by farmland. But not anymore, now that area has become the city center, and the houses are worth tens of thousands per square meter."

"My God, so old man Liu is actually a millionaire?" Aunt Zhou was shocked again.

The two chattered away, soon attracting the attention of others. Before long, more than a dozen women buying groceries surrounded them. This was blockbuster news. Everyone who heard it found it unbelievable, the once penniless old man who'd been swept out the door and paid off by the factory was now suddenly a millionaire because of an apartment.

In less than a day, the news spread like wildfire, stirring up a storm throughout the town.

The Liu family lived in a building in the middle of Changlin Factory, on the second floor, in a sixty-square-meter two-bedroom apartment.

Liu Neng's son, Liu Neng, was watching TV on the couch, and his seven or eight-year-old son was cooped up in his room doing homework. Mr. Liu had been driven out, largely because of this grandson. The grandson had grown up, and he had to sleep alone now, but the house was just a two-bedroom apartment. When the grandson was younger, he could sleep with Liu Neng and his wife, but now that he'd grown, he needed his own room. So Liu Neng's wife discussed it with her husband and they decided to drive Mr. Liu out and let him live in the vacant shack in West District.

Liu Neng himself was henpecked, and whatever his wife said was law.

Bang...

Suddenly, Liu Neng's wife, returning home from grocery shopping, burst in with a basket in hand, looking extremely excited and agitated. As she ran in, she yelled, "Liu Neng, Liu Neng, great news, great news..."

"What great news?" Liu Neng watched his wife, puzzled by her manic energy.

"Did you know?" Liu Neng's wife said excitedly: "I just heard people in the factory talking about your dad's situation."

"My dad?" Liu Neng was stunned, "My dad is in Western City District, what's happened? Anything to be happy about?"

"No, no, not my dad, your dad!" Liu Neng's wife was thrilled.

Liu Neng was shocked; his wife never called his father 'dad.' Usually, when she said 'our dad' or 'my dad,' she definitely meant her own father, and not Liu Neng's. It was understandable that Liu Neng would react this way.

"My dad? What about my dad? He hasn't had an accident, has he?" Liu Neng asked dubiously.

"Go on with you. What nonsense are you talking about." Liu Neng's wife glared at him, "Your dad is doing great, he's now a millionaire."

"What?!" Liu Neng was astounded, "When did this happen, how come I don't know about it?"

"How would you know?" His wife cast a disdainful look, "I heard someone dug up the factory's old ledgers, your dad was assigned a house near the City Committee back when he was a militia in the factory for his outstanding performance and excellence."

"Impossible!" Liu Neng shook his head, "If there was a house there, my dad would've moved in a long time ago."

"Listen to me," his wife hurriedly pressed down on Liu Neng's shoulder, then continued: "Back then that place was desolate, all surrounded by farmland, who would want to move there? Over time, your dad just forgot about it. After we made him move to the shack in Western City District, who knew he would remember he still had a house near the City Committee? Decades ago, the place was indeed terrible, but now it's different, it has become the city center, the central business district of Jiangbei City, such a valuable location, such valuable property, they say the house could sell for nearly a million now."

Upon hearing this, Liu Neng felt a sense of mockery inside, he gazed at his wife nonchalantly, and said, "So what?"

"It's your dad's house, isn't it?" His wife said excitedly, "Hasn't your dad always wanted to live in this apartment? Let's have him move back, and then we'll move to that one in the city center, what do you think?"

"It was you who kicked my dad out, and now you want him to move back?" Liu Neng looked at his wife scornfully.

"I know I was wrong," Liu Neng's wife sighed helplessly, then said coquettishly, "Husband, please forgive me. Besides, wasn't I doing it for our child's sake? He's grown so much and doesn't have his own room; what will we do in the future?"

Liu Neng chuckled, then said, "Never mind, I've lost all face and dignity now. I don't want to be humiliated again."

"You!" His wife was furious. She immediately stood up, grabbed the feather duster nearby, and shouted, "Liu Neng, are you trying to turn against me now? When did you start ignoring what I say?"

Slap...

She swung the feather duster in her hand and hit him hard, leaving a big lump on Liu Neng's head. Liu Neng immediately bolted, clutching his head, while his wife chased after him, beating him. Eventually, Liu Neng dashed out, and his wife stood by the door, cursing furiously, feather duster in hand.

The neighbors were already accustomed to such scenes, seemingly numb to such occurrences. Initially, each household would come out to mediate, but over time, they had become thoroughly indifferent and lost interest in these incidents.

................

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