The next day, at eight o'clock.
Lin Yuan left without having breakfast.
His purpose for going out this time: buying a house!
In Lin Yuan's bank account, he had a manuscript fee from "Tennis Prince" last month, totaling 1.25 million after tax.
Adding to that, the download revenue from several songs had reached two million.
Among them, the song revenue mainly came from the release of "Inflammable and Explosive" last month.
Following that was the short story "The Gift of the Magi," which sold another two hundred thousand.
Originally, this money was supposed to arrive next month, but Lin Yuan wanted to make his wallet a bit fuller before buying the house, so he directly arranged for the advance payment of this fee from Silver Blue Library.
The cooperation between Silver Blue Library and Lin Yuan was going smoothly, so they readily agreed.
Currently, the two hundred thousand have already been transferred.
So, Lin Yuan now has around 2.2 million in hand, and his idea of buying a house cannot be restrained.
In fact, Lin Yuan wanted to buy a house as soon as he got home.
Because the conditions of their current home are a bit rudimentary, making life very inconvenient.
Take space, for example.
The two-bedroom, one-living-room house is quite limited in size.
It's fine usually, as it's enough for Mom alone.
But when everyone comes back for the New Year, the space for four people becomes very cramped.
What to do?
Lin Yuan can only have one room for himself because he is the only boy in the family.
Then forcefully divide the master bedroom where Mom is into two rooms.
Sisters sleep in the left compartment, sharing a bed.
Mom sleeps in the right compartment.
Poor soundproofing, small space, using the bathroom in the morning, bathing at night, all have to take turns. According to everyone's living habits, it's actually very uncomfortable, but no one complains.
Now that there is money, why squeeze the whole family into such a narrow space?
Moreover, the living conditions of the old house are not good, from the decoration and furniture conditions of the house itself to the surrounding facilities, and the overall backwardness in transportation. Even if Mom lives alone in such a place, it's quite hard.
Buying a house is imperative.
Before going out to buy a house, Lin Yuan specifically searched online. He found that two million is enough to buy a very good house in Cloud City.
After all, Cloud City is just a small city in Qin Prefecture.
He was worried before that the money on hand would not be enough, which turned out to be that he was overthinking.
Of course, Lin Yuan also considered bringing Mom to live in such a better house in Su City. However, when he brought it up subtly last night, Mom refused. She still couldn't bear to leave her hometown where she had lived for many years.
Since that's the case, Lin Yuan decided to think long-term.
Anyway, Lin Yuan can't afford a house in Su City for the time being.
It's better to let Mom live in a better house in Cloud City first.
With this in mind, Lin Yuan finally arrived at the real estate sales center by bus.
He had breakfast nearby first, filled his stomach, and then walked in.
"Hello, sir."
One of the young male salespersons greeted warmly, "I am a real estate salesperson. You can call me Xiao Mu. May I ask for your surname? Do you have the intention to buy a house?"
Lin Yuan nodded, "Yes, my surname is Lin."
Xiaomu nodded, "Hello, Mr. Lin. May I ask what price range of house you are looking for?"
Lin Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Two million, not much more than that."
Xiao Mu was stunned for a moment. Lin Yuan looked too young, seeming like a student. He actually asked for a two-million-dollar house as soon as he spoke?
Nevertheless, he dutifully introduced several housing options to Lin Yuan, with prices all within the range of two million.
"Can I go take a look at this set?"
Lin Yuan expressed interest in one of the sets. It was a house priced at 2.1 million, well within Lin Yuan's budget.
"Of course."
The other party nodded immediately, "We have the key to this house. I can take you to see it now. Please wait a moment, I'll get the key."
...
Xiao Mu swiftly entered the house to get the key.
A colleague whispered behind him, "Xiao Mu, you don't need to pay too much attention to this customer. Most likely, he's just looking and won't buy."
Xiao Mu was puzzled, "Why?"
The colleague, looking like an experienced person, smiled at Lin Yuan waiting outside, "In our line of work, you need to observe a lot. I observe every customer who comes in. Your client took the bus here, and everything he's wearing doesn't seem very expensive. Most importantly..."
"What?"
"I bumped into him at the breakfast shop. He was bargaining with the owner for a cheaper breakfast. Have you ever seen someone bargaining for breakfast?"
"But the breakfast shop next door is indeed expensive."
Xiao Mu seemed to empathize with Lin Yuan, "A bowl of noodles for twenty yuan is too much. In the breakfast shop next to our community, a bowl of noodles is at most eleven yuan, and it comes with a lot of beef. That's why I never eat breakfast near the company."
Colleague: "..."
After getting the key, Xiao Mu left.
Not long after, he brought Lin Yuan to one of the best communities in Cloud City, Longjiang Garden.
"Longjiang Garden is very famous in Cloud City!"
Xiao Mu smiled, "When I used to deliver takeout, I had to register at the entrance every time. The property is very responsible, and the environment inside the community is also very beautiful, very suitable for living."
After a brief introduction, the two arrived at Unit 28 on the ninth floor.
Upon entering the room, Lin Yuan found that the house was decorated with style—new Chinese style, elegant yet not losing its traditional touch. The furniture was both new and complete.
"Did you see it, sir?"
Xiao Mu said, "Although it's a second-hand house, I assure you that no one has actually lived in this house. The owner is a biology professor who originally planned to settle in this house. The decoration and furniture were all prepared, but due to a sudden job transfer to Chu Prefecture, he decided to sell this house and buy a new one there."
Lin Yuan went to the balcony to take a look.
The view was excellent, mostly greenery, and the air was fresh. Quite satisfied, he nodded, "It's good, just..."
Xiao Mu asked, "You said."
Having dealt with various clients, Xiao Mu knew that when a client said something like this, it usually meant the deal would be difficult to close.
Lin Yuan said, "Can I move in directly?"
Xiao Mu was surprised, "Are you planning to buy it?"
Lin Yuan nodded, "Yes, it feels good, I'll take this one."
Xiao Mu was somewhat surprised, then a bit embarrassed, "Bank loans need to go through the process. The owner probably will wait for the bank to disburse the loan..."
Lin Yuan said, "I'll pay in full."
Considering himself not business-savvy and unfamiliar with investment concepts, Lin Yuan, guided by his frugal mindset, believed that bank loan interest rates were very high and would result in significant losses. If he had the money, paying in full was the way to go.
"What?"
Xiao Mu's mouth dropped open.
But in the next moment, he restrained his excitement and said, "Wait for me, I'll make a call now, talk to the owner!"
The call was quickly connected.
After chatting with the owner, Xiao Mu smiled at Lin Yuan, "Initially, they were reluctant, but after hearing that you were planning to pay in full, they immediately agreed to your request to move in directly. Now, you need to come back to the company with me to sign a contract, and the owner will also come to coordinate."
"Okay."
Lin Yuan nodded.
With Lin Yuan, Xiao Mu returned to the company.
His colleague chuckled, "How about that? I was right, wasn't I?"
Xiao Mu gave his colleague a puzzled look, "The client wants to sign the deal now, and they might move in tonight. Since it's a full payment, the seller readily agreed."
"Ah?"
The colleague was instantly dumbfounded.
Purchased? And in full?
Is this the legendary low-key style that comes with wealth?
By now, Xiao Mu had already left, and Lin Yuan had also handed over the property to the homeowner, signed the purchase contract, and transferred the money on the same day.
"After purchasing the house, I recommend changing the door lock."
Xiao Mu smiled, "It's a common practice after buying a house. Additionally, there are a few more formalities to follow. You or your family might need to make a few trips, and I will take care of the entire process."
Lin Yuan nodded, "Alright, thank you."
Apart from buying the house, he also paid various taxes and agency fees, leaving him with less than a hundred thousand in his account. Nevertheless, he felt content and decided to call his sister directly.
Sister asked, "What's up? You disappeared early in the morning. Where did you go?"
Lin Yuan replied, "Can you bring Mom and sister over? I'm on the side of Longjiang Gardens."
He hadn't informed his family about buying the house.
Not that he wanted to surprise them—
More like he feared they would stop him from spending money and insist on saving it for medical treatment or the like.
"Why? Did something happen?"
"Just come over."
Lin Yuan left a suspenseful note.
Half an hour later, Mom and sister both appeared at Longjiang Gardens, and Lin Yuan was waiting for them at the door.
"Why did you call us here?"
Lin Xuan looked at Lin Yuan with suspicion, "I thought something happened."
"Yeah, you scared me."
Mom looked genuinely worried.
Lin Yao complained, "I'm still studying."
Lin Yuan smiled and said, "Then, continue studying here."
"What do you mean?"
"I bought a house here."
Lin Yuan didn't continue the suspense, leading his confused family into the new house. He followed the real estate agent's language for an introduction, "One hundred and forty square meters, four bedrooms, one living room, two bathrooms, two rooms facing south, a well-proportioned layout. There's also a quiet study here, a spacious balcony, and a good view..."
Lin Yuan noticed no one was paying attention.
He turned around and saw several family members standing in place, looking at him with complex expressions. The three family members in front of him didn't show the excitement he imagined.
Lin Yuan guessed the reason.
So he smiled, "I went to the hospital for another check-up recently. The doctor said there's nothing major with my health. As long as I take medicine regularly, I'll definitely recover!"
"What?"
"Really?"
After a moment of reflection, the family's eyes reddened. Mom, in particular, came forward, crying and laughing as she pulled Lin Yuan, "You're not lying to me, right?"
"No."
Lin Yuan smiled, "If you don't believe me, I'll accompany you to the hospital for a check-up."
"Now!"
Mom pulled Lin Yuan towards the door.
Lin Yuan couldn't help but laugh and had to accompany his mom to ensure the family's peace of mind. He had already asked the system; doctors couldn't detect any issues because his body was indeed recovering.
As expected.
After a thorough examination at the hospital, Lin Yuan's body, apart from being weaker than usual, was gradually recovering from the previous terminal illness.
"Great."
Mom hugged Lin Yuan and cried, and his sister and sister quietly wiped their tears. Although no one would mention it, Lin Yuan's health had been a painful struggle for the family.
Lin Yuan felt a bit bitter, "Let's go home."
"Which home?"
"Of course, the new one."
"What about our old home?" Mom asked this time.
"If you like it, leave it there as a memento. Occasionally, we can go and visit... But from now on, we'll live in the new house." Lin Yuan smiled.
"Okay."
Everyone agreed in unison. It was only now that they could let go of their burdens and fully enjoy the belated happiness of buying a house. This happiness was built on the foundation of Lin Yuan's recovery, not him settling the family while his remaining life dwindled.
A new house.
A new beginning.
A new life.