A hug between men, a thank you. Everything was understood without a word.

After negotiating the price, Yi Anguo no longer needed to worry about the specifics. Ding Jing would review the contract for any issues, and the developer was responsible for managing the procedures. When it was time to sign, Yi Anguo would have Ding Jing look it over first, and he would only sign if everything was in order.

The New Year's bells of 2005 finally rang, and the handover for the entire fourth phase of Blue Coast was complete. It was now officially open for public rental.

Since these were new properties for rent, the property management company handled the rentals directly, which included showing the apartments to prospective tenants. As an incentive, the commission, equivalent to half a month's rent, was waived.

Furthermore, since Blue Coast was a well-known residential community, the public listings attracted many prospective tenants.

Although housing prices had risen significantly this year, rents had not followed suit. At least for the Blue Coast properties under Yi Anguo's name, the rent remained at 30 RMB per square meter, with no increases.

Although the purchase price for units in Blue Coast Phase Four was higher than in Phases Two and Three, Yi Anguo still rented them out at the same 30 RMB per square meter. Combined with their smaller floor plans, the total rent appeared much cheaper. This made the apartments more attractive to tenants and easier to lease.

For example, a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment in Phase Three of Blue Coast generally ranged from 73 to 78 square meters, with the rent between 2,200 and 2,400 RMB. However, the same layout in Phase Four was only 61 to 68 square meters, so the rent was just 1,900 to 2,100 RMB, averaging about 300 RMB cheaper than in Phase Three.

Although the space was smaller, many renters didn't mind. They felt that the lower price made it a more affordable and practical choice.

However, some people felt differently, believing that paying an extra 300 RMB a month for a larger, more comfortable space was a better deal.

Everyone has different requirements and tastes for their living environment. It's like smoking—some people need a 20 RMB pack, while others are perfectly happy and satisfied with a 5 RMB pack. Drinking is the same. Some people drink daily but consume cheap, bulk white spirits costing a few RMB per half-liter, while others won't touch the cheap stuff, opting for bottles that cost tens or even hundreds of RMB.

Of course, personal taste is one thing, but one's financial situation is also a crucial factor. Only when finances permit can one consider the quality of their living environment and have the luxury of contemplating matters of taste.

If you don't have money and your finances are tight, all that is just empty talk. Forget about the living environment; some people cram more than a dozen individuals into a room of only a dozen or so square meters, sleeping on bunk beds, with single men, women, and even couples all mixed together. A curtain drawn in front of a bed becomes the only private space a couple has.

The lower bunk might be occupied by a couple while the upper bunk houses single men or women. Being awakened in the middle of the night by a shaking bed was not at all uncommon.

Perhaps some might think only uneducated migrant workers would put up with such conditions, but that's far from the truth. In the late '90s and early 2000s, many college graduates trying to make it in Shenzhen had low incomes when they first arrived. It wasn't unheard of for two couples to share a single room of a dozen square meters, separated by a curtain, just to get by. After all, living in the wilderness wasn't an option.

As for how they managed their intimate lives, each couple found their own solution. For instance, one couple might buy two movie tickets and invite the other couple to go see a late-night show. The next time, the other couple would return the favor. Everyone understood what it meant. You could say that the more educated people are, the more straightforward—or perhaps, more discreet—they are about these things. In any case, that's just how it was.

A couple can't abstain from physical intimacy forever; they might endure it for a while, but not for long.

Yi Anguo had left home to work at a young age and was no stranger to these struggles. People left home to earn money, not to enjoy a life of leisure.

This was unlike the post-'90s and post-'00s generations from over a decade later, who would be particular about this and that, refusing to work overtime and abiding by strict conditions. For the older generation, overtime didn't matter as long as they got paid. Many workers actually hoped for overtime. In the late '90s and early 2000s, many factories had workers on the clock until eleven or twelve at night, sometimes even until one or two in the morning. Yet, as long as the boss paid on time and didn't dock their wages, they considered it a good factory and a good boss.

Concepts like social security and housing funds hardly concerned most workers. If a boss were to implement a five-day, eight-hour workweek with weekends off, many workers would probably quit. On a minimum wage salary with no overtime, how could anyone have any money left at the end of the month?

Hu Jing's Anjing Convenience Store had already opened six chain stores within a year. On January 1, 2005, the seventh Anjing Convenience Store officially opened, with monthly revenue exceeding one million yuan.

Hu Jing planned to formally establish the Anjing Trade Company and develop a franchise of chain stores.

Yi Anguo was certainly very supportive. As it happened, Blue Coast Phase Four had plenty of space, so they could establish an Anjing flagship store there. They could set up the Anjing Trade Company headquarters on the floors above, which would also be convenient for future franchisees to visit and inspect. Yi Anguo also suggested that Hu Jing hire a professional manager to handle the company's daily operations. He advised that she only needed to oversee the big picture and guide the company's development. There was no need for her to be hands-on with everything; she had to learn to delegate.

Hu Jing smiled and said, "But isn't the company under your control? Aren't you the one guiding its development? Even if we hire a professional manager, we can't just ignore everything. What if the manager sells our company behind our backs and we don't even know?"

"I'm not saying you shouldn't be involved; I just don't want you to be so tired. Don't you want to have a child? If you don't learn to let go now and keep doing everything yourself, how will you manage when the baby comes?" Yi Anguo said affectionately, holding her hand.

"Speaking of children... I don't know what's wrong. We've been trying for so long, why hasn't it happened?" Hu Jing said worriedly.

"These things can't be rushed. Having a child is a matter of fate; you can't force it," Yi Anguo consoled her. "You've already been to the hospital for a check-up, and the doctors said you're fine. What's there to worry about? Besides, you're still young. What's the rush?"

"I went for a check-up, and the doctors said I was fine, but you haven't gone yet. Could the issue be with you? Why don't you find some time to get checked out too?" Hu Jing suddenly suggested. "The doctor told me the same thing. He said both partners should be examined."

Yi Anguo laughed. "I'm sure there's no problem with me. I already have Xin Yi, so how could there be anything wrong?"

"No, I'm not doubting that Xin Yi isn't your daughter. I mentioned that to the doctor," Hu Jing explained quickly. "He said that having a child in the past only proves you were healthy then. It doesn't mean you're still problem-free now. A person's health can change at any time. It won't hurt to get tested. If it's a minor issue, the doctor can prescribe some medicine and that should solve it."

Of course, Yi Anguo had no doubt that his daughter was his own. After all, ever since he and Xin Yi's mother, Wang Liping, had moved in together, they had never been apart for a single day. Their daughter was born full-term after a normal delivery; it was impossible she wasn't his. Still, seeing how much Hu Jing wanted a child, Yi Anguo couldn't bear to refuse her. He nodded in agreement.

"Alright, in the next couple of days, I'll make time to go to the hospital for a check-up. If there's a problem, I'll get it treated right away."

"I promise I'll make sure you can get pregnant as soon as possible and finally become a mother."

...

Just as Yi Anguo and Hu Jing were sharing an intimate moment, planning to try again for a child, Chen Ting suddenly called.

"Hello! What do you want now?" Yi Anguo answered the phone, clearly annoyed.

"What's wrong? Busy with another woman again? How dare you be unhappy with me? Get over to my house right now. I summon you," Chen Ting demanded over the phone.

"I'm busy. Not coming," Yi Anguo said and decisively hung up.

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