Chapter 268: Chapter 257: Considerate Second Sister-in-law Chapter 268: Chapter 257: Considerate Second Sister-in-law Lu Jiaguang originally wanted to discuss the matter of relocating the gravesite with Lu Jiaxin and even promised to visit the grave during festivals. However, Lu Jiaxin’s attitude let him know that she was merely informing them and had no intention of discussing it with them.
Once he realized this, Lu Jiaguang immediately changed the subject, “Jiaxin, last month your antique shop acquired a treasure, someone wanted to buy it, but the owner refused to sell, and after their forced purchase failed, they sent people to cause trouble in the shop.”
Lu Jiaxin was taken aback, “Master Qian didn’t call me about this.”
Lu Jiaguang said with a smile, “He called me, and I asked Old Li to resolve the matter. Now everyone knows the antique shop owner is backed by someone, so in the future, no one will bother us casually.”
“Big brother, what does this leader like?”
Lu Jiaguang spoke candidly among family, “He likes to drink Da Hong Pao tea from Wuyi Mountain; I got him half a jin. I’ll handle this, you don’t have to worry. But Jiaxin, are you sure this shop owner is really trustworthy? An antique shop should be buying and selling; the owner didn’t sell despite a high offer, which is why there was this dispute in the first place.”
Lu Jiaxin said with a smile, “I told him not to sell the rare items; keep them for me. The difference in price between the Mainland and Hong Kong is at least fivefold, it would be a big loss to sell them now. Big brother, the antique shop has been open for quite a while and we’ve acquired quite a few nice pieces. But I’m not short of money right now; I plan to keep these items for collection and not sell them yet.”
Lu Jiaguang had not expected such a plan from her, “That’s also fine, it’s good to keep the heirlooms passed down by our ancestors; otherwise, once they are taken abroad by buyers, they cannot be brought back.”
Lu Jiaxin asked, “Big brother, with Lu Ping now back and living with you, the house must be quite crowded, right?”
Lu Jiaguang didn’t deny it but said it was fine; they would manage until Lu Ping got a job and a dormitory, “Don’t worry about my matters. Madam Guh has been very kind to you, you should be dutiful to her.”
Lu Jiaxin did not share the news of Guh Xiuxiu’s dementia with him–saying so would only make him worry and unable to help, “Big brother, if the antique shop’s items are not sold, there’s no way to calculate the profits to share with you as dividends.”
Lu Jiaguang never intended to take a share of her business, saying, “What dividends? I didn’t invest any money or effort in your shop; if I really took your money, what would that make me?”
Lu Jiaxin knew he truly had no ulterior motives, but he wasn’t alone now; he had a family to think for, “Big brother, if I go back on what I’ve promised, what would that make me, and wouldn’t your wife have thoughts about it? If this affects our brother-sister relationship, that wouldn’t be worth it.”
“Your sister-in-law is not that kind of person.”
Lu Jiaxin replied, “I know she’s not, but we can’t go back on our word just because she is generous and easy to talk to. Big brother, I was originally thinking of giving you five thousand yuan a year, so after two years, you could afford a bigger house. But then I thought, since you and sister-in-law aren’t in business and only earn a fixed salary, suddenly having such a large sum to buy a house would definitely raise suspicions, and if there were any reports, the antique shop could be implicated, which could lead to your friends getting involved. Buying an estate and saying it was a gift for you would cause less suspicion.”
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Lu Jiaguang flatly refused, stating he could not accept a house she offered.
Lu Jiaxin suggested, “If you’re afraid of what people might say, then I can give you five thousand yuan as dividends every year, save for two or three years, and you can buy an estate. Big brother, this is a major family matter; you can’t decide on your own, go back and discuss it with sister-in-law.”
After sending the visitor off, Lu Jiaxin called Lu Jiazong and his wife into the room, “You should have heard from Xiao Qiu about the clothing store, right? Second brother, Second Sister-in-law, what do you think about this?”
She felt that Second Sister-in-law Lu had plans of her own and would probably not reject the proposition.
Second Sister-in-law Lu spoke earnestly, “Jiaxin, riches are found on the road. Everything costs money, and things in Hong Kong are so expensive. We can’t always rely on your Aunt. The clothing store can make thirty to forty thousand a year; it’s a little something to help out.”
After hesitating, she opened up further, “Your Aunt is getting on in years, and without cursing her, when people get old, it’s easy for unexpected things to happen. She also has step-sons and step-daughters, so certainly, your Aunt’s money won’t be yours. You also have four years of university to think about; education costs money there, and it’ll take a lot over four years. If you have saved money, you won’t have to worry about any emergencies.”
Her words were reassuring, and Lu Jiaxin, knowing they were tight-lipped, responded with a smile, “You don’t need to worry about me. Aunt bought houses for me and my cousin in Hong Kong and set up an education fund. This education fund ensures that, no matter what happens, we can complete our education. Also, I’ve made some investments of my own, and I’ve made quite a sum this past year. Second Sister-in-law, I know you have my interests at heart, but honestly, I’m not short of money right now.”
After hearing this, Second Sister-in-law Lu was no longer worried, “Jiaxin, your Aunt has taken such good care of you, you must be grateful and serve her well in the future!”
“Don’t worry, I will. Take over the clothing store; I’m not sure about the transfer fee, so check the market price, and we’ll go from there,” said Lu Jiaxin. She could have given it directly, but she knew Second Sister-in-law Lu and Xiao Qiu would not accept it that way.
Second Sister-in-law Lu, a straightforward person herself, didn’t hesitate and gave her approval, “Alright, since you don’t need the money, we’ll take over.”
Lu Jiaxin nodded and then added, “Second Sister-in-law, setting up a stall is not a long-term plan, especially with the wind, rain, and cold. It would be better to buy a small storefront, not too big, just over ten square meters or so.”
Lu Jiazong shook his head, “No, store fronts are too expensive. The one next to our stall is barely over twenty square meters and sold for thirty-six thousand–it’s like daylight robbery!”
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, “Second brother, thirty-six thousand may sound like much, but it’s a fixed asset that you can pass down to future generations. There’s an old saying, ‘A shop can sustain three generations,’ meaning a shop can Discover more novels on NovelHub - your gateway to endless stories. The value of store fronts and houses in the Forty-nine City will only get more expensive. Now that you have some money and can borrow more, you can afford it, but in ten or twenty years, even if you try to borrow, you won’t be able to afford it.”
Second Brother Lu was quite tempted by this.
Upon hearing that housing prices would only increase to a point beyond their reach, Second Sister-in-law Lu quickly agreed, “Jiaxin, we’ll take your advice. Once we’ve saved enough, we’ll buy a small storefront, and then we’ll save to buy a house.”
Lu Jiaxin nodded, “Don’t worry, investing in a storefront or house is a sure gain.”
That was the safest investment for them, as they lacked education and technical skills, only having the ability to run a stall and work hard. With the couple’s diligence and her guidance, and eventually with their son and daughter-in-law, they should have no problem in ten or so years acquiring a storefront and two or three houses.