So later on, when the demolition finally happened, An’s younger uncle became one of the largest households in the entire Jiang Village.
Thinking of this, An Songyu couldn’t help but feel a stir in her heart.
But whether it was purely a coincidence, or truly as she had guessed, An Songyu couldn’t be completely certain.
However, she didn’t actually need to be.
An Jianping looked at everyone, whose emotions were still complicated, and said, “For now… just keep this matter in mind.”
“Those who have work should go to work later.”
“Songlin, there’s nothing going on in the finance office this afternoon. When you go back to the factory later, help me ask the factory director for some time off.”
An Songlin glanced at his mother, who looked like she wanted to say something but held back, then nodded.
Although An Jianping was usually steady in temperament, once he made a decision, he was full of decisiveness and action.
Seeing him already putting on his coat and heading out, Bi Lizhu couldn’t help asking, “Are you planning to head back to the village right now?”
An Jianping nodded slightly. After glancing at his three children, he explained softly, “We need to make a decision about the residential land as soon as possible.”
“The house for the eldest has already been picked out. If we wait any longer, there won’t be any good floors left.”
“But what Xiaoyu mentioned can’t be ignored either.”
“I need to go back to the village first… and ask what Jianmin really meant by that suggestion.”
When her husband mentioned the younger uncle, who had always been righteous and dependable toward their family, Bi Lizhu found herself unable to say what she had wanted to say.
As for selling the residential land back home, although her husband was the one making the final decision,
Bi Lizhu knew that it had been influenced, at least in part, by her attitude.
If it weren’t for what their second daughter had said, then selling the land would have simply meant selling it.
But now…
Bi Lizhu thought to herself:
It wouldn’t be a bad thing for Jianping to go back and take a look.
At worst, they would just not sell the land.
As for the shortfall in money for buying the house, she could think of a way to borrow some from her natal family.
It’s just that she had never borrowed money from anyone her entire adult life, so she didn’t even know how to broach the subject.
Full of worry, Bi Lizhu turned back, wanting to have a proper talk with the children.
But she saw that the eldest was already calling the second to head out.
Today was Saturday, but most of the management staff at the factory where An Songlin and An Jianping worked still followed the alternating single- and double-week rest schedule.
As for An Songyu, working as a hotel front desk clerk, she was on rotating shifts with make-up days off.
Seeing that she followed her brother out as soon as he spoke, Bi Lizhu quickly called out, “Xiaoyu, where’s your bag?”
An Songyu froze and subconsciously looked toward the doorway.
In the home she lived in later, there was an entire wall of cabinets in the entryway.
Bags, car keys, umbrellas, shoes—everything was kept there.
Seeing her sister’s blank reaction, An Songxiang shook her head helplessly, stood up, and hurried back to their room.
She quickly brought out a simple canvas bag.
Handing it to An Songyu, she asked, “Sis, why don’t I take you to work?”
“Looking at you, it’s like your mind has completely wandered off somewhere.”
As she spoke, she couldn’t help finding it strange. “Sis, you said you heard this news two days ago—why does it seem like you’re only reacting to it today?”
The hand holding the bag tightened slightly.
Of course, An Songyu hadn’t really run into such a guest, nor had she eavesdropped on such crucial information.
It was just that, in about half a year’s time, their village—and the neighboring unlucky one that was only two-thirds demolished— would indeed end up on the demolition list.
They would then become the well-known logistics distribution center of South City.
And even twenty years later, not just their village, but several villages beyond it would all be demolished completely.
“Songxiang, give your sister a ride to work then! I’m about to be late!” An Songlin said as he looked at his watch and spoke to his two sisters.
An Songyu snapped back to her senses. She didn’t answer her sister’s question, only urged, “Then hurry up!”
An Songxiang gave her sister a speechless look.
She had only offered out of politeness.
But since her sister had taken her up on it, An Songxiang resigned herself to going downstairs to the bike shed to wheel out her precious bike.
Her bicycle was a pink 24-inch model.
It was the first big-ticket item she had bought for herself after she started working.
She had only been riding it for less than half a year.
Normally, she cherished it dearly—let alone carrying someone; even lending it out for a ride was rare.
But considering that her sister really didn’t look well today, and had brought back such major news, An Songxiang made an exception.
As the sisters left the residential compound together, they occasionally greeted other neighbors who were also heading off to work.
The house the An family lived in now was from the second-to-last batch of housing allocated by Shuncheng’s First Silk Weaving Factory.
So not only was it fairly spacious, the layout was also quite modern for its time.
However, with multiple batches of housing built throughout the factory compound, the entire area covered was simply enormous.
By the time the sisters finally exited the compound, An Songxiang couldn’t wait to ask, “Sis, do you think our hometown will really be demolished?”
Sitting on the back seat, An Songyu was carefully observing the surroundings.
Hearing this, she nodded without hesitation.
Remembering that her sister couldn’t see her nodding while riding, she quickly added, “It definitely will!”
“Really?!” An Songxiang slammed on the brakes in disbelief.
An Songyu had no time to react—her face slammed hard into her sister’s back.
She rubbed her sore nose, her mind completely muddled.
After a while, she said irritably, “It really couldn’t be more true!”
“Why are you so certain?” An Songxiang asked suspiciously, wanting to turn around for confirmation.
An Songyu tugged helplessly at her clothes. “If you don’t keep riding, I’ll really be late!”
An Songxiang grumpily started pedaling again, still not forgetting to ask, “Sis, are you really that sure?”
“Just wait until Dad comes back with news,” An Songyu replied, somewhat helplessly.
She really was certain.
But as for explaining why she was certain—that was something she simply couldn’t say.
After thinking about it, An Songxiang felt that made sense.
After all, whether her sister’s news was real or not, the one who could truly make the decision in their family was still their dad.
So for the rest of the ride, An Songxiang didn’t say another word.
Soon, the sisters arrived at their destination.
An Songyu got off the bike and waved goodbye to her sister.
Turning around, she looked at this era’s truly imposing structure.
Xianquan Hotel was a garden-style hotel, with an artificial lake in front and landscaped scenery inside.
It backed onto Shuncheng Mountain, the highest peak in the city.
Covering more than thirty thousand square meters, it was first built in the 1980s.
It was a well-known hotel in Shuncheng, with an eleven-story main building, located at the heart of a tourist area.
It sat right next to the road leading to the provincial capital, and wasn’t far from the port either.
At its entrance stood two enormous bronze lions—the male with a brocade ball under its paw, and the female with a cute little cub beneath hers.
An Songyu glanced at the time and didn’t linger to look any further, quickly picking up her pace.
Just before entering, her steps paused slightly.
The sign at the entrance reading “Those improperly dressed will not be received” was still standing there at this time.
For a future city like Shuncheng, known for its relaxed atmosphere, this would probably become a rare sight.
Besides that, there were the floor-to-ceiling glass panels flanking the entrance.
This was one of the earliest buildings in Shuncheng to use floor-to-ceiling glass.
Her thoughts were swirling, but they didn’t slow her steps.
Soon, she emerged from the changing room, dressed in her staff uniform.
(End of this chapter)