After returning from Beijing, Mingxia began to brew her second novel. This one leaned toward a realism genre, telling the story of the struggles of a rural woman who went to the city to work during the mid-1980s. She based it on herself, writing the outline for "The Cook."
Having a personal background, she found the writing relatively smooth. The outline took her a week to finalize, and the detailed outline took half a month. By the time Xiuying received both, it was already mid-May.
The book didn’t just contain Mingxia’s own experiences but even included those of Xiuying. She wrote it with stark realism. When they’d discussed buying houses earlier, they had talked about the specifics of the plot, so Xiuying had a rough idea of what to expect. After reading it, she was quite moved.
"If Sister Xiaoxia had gone to college, what would’ve become of me? With such a thought process, such logical ability, it’s truly admirable!" she mused.
In June of the same year, Mingxia received a royalty payment of 230,000. The royalties had decreased because her previous songs were considered old, given that each year, music charts constantly introduce new hits. However, the song she had written the previous year and released in the first half of the year had done well. Her ability to consistently produce hits had gradually been recognized by the record companies, so even if her initial royalties were less, by the end of the year, her new song’s royalties wouldn’t be insignificant.
As for this year’s new song, she had sent it over upon their insistent request. To ensure fairness, she alternated among the three record companies she had worked with before. Everyone understands the wisdom of not putting all your eggs in one basket, and so did she.
With the newly arrived twenty-three thousand, she bought two apartments in the residential complex across from hers—one a small two-bedroom of 60 square meters at 2,200 per square meter, amounting to 135,000 (including taxes), and the other a 50 square meter one-bedroom at 2,200 per square meter, which totaled 115,000 (including taxes). Together they cost 250,000, and she had to take out an additional twenty thousand from her savings to afford the full payment for both apartments.
The complex across the street was a bit newer than theirs, only a few years difference at most. Eventually, both would become old and depreciated, yet a redevelopment would make a significant difference.
Moreover, these second-hand apartments could be rented out. At present, the rent for a one-bedroom was four hundred a month, and a two-bedroom was six hundred. Thus, the combined monthly income from both apartments was one thousand yuan.
She didn’t need to worry about the Beijing house for now since it wouldn’t be handed over until two years later.
In the past six months, she had d a total of 15,000. Therefore, from the original sixty thousand in savings, there was 45,000 left. After taking out another twenty thousand, she was left with twenty-five thousand. She had earned fifteen thousand from her market stall in half a year (after daily expenses), so she had a total of 40,000 in hand.
After Children’s Day on June 1st, Xiao Xiao became increasingly anxious. It was unavoidable—after this summer, she would start elementary school, and elementary students need to fill in their details. Xiao Xiao didn’t want her classmates to say she came from a single-parent family (these were the insecurities Cao Yang had instilled in her), so the insecure Xiao Xiao kept urging Mingxia to marry her father sooner rather than later.
Mingxia, driven crazy by Xiao Xiao, finally decided it was indeed time to face the music. So, in early July, she accepted Cao Yuan’s marriage proposal. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn noveⅼfire.net
The whole family was elated, overjoyed by the news. But Mingxia had made her terms clear beforehand—to get the marriage certificate without any banquet, just giving some sugar and seeds to the familiar neighbors was enough. Their family would celebrate quietly; after all, it was a second marriage, and she didn’t want to make a big fuss.