Lin Yong looked at Gu Wan’s still barely noticeable belly.
“Even though you’re pregnant now, there’s no need to transfer your job. You have to understand how difficult it is to find a job these days. Especially at an institution like ours. If it weren’t for your grandfather’s connections, you wouldn’t even have been able to get in.”
Seeing that Gu Wan was still hesitant, Lin Yong continued persuading her.
“Don’t worry about what Gossiping Wang and the others say. Even if you’re pregnant and give birth, even if you don’t come to work for a year or even longer, the institute won’t fire you. You won’t lose any of the benefits you’re entitled to either. Once you’ve given birth, you can simply come back to work.”
“Even after becoming a mother, you still can’t be without your own job. At the very least, think of it as securing a position for your child. Our jobs can be passed down to family members. Sigh, to tell you the truth, my son is graduating this year, but he can’t find a job. Given the current situation, if he can’t find one soon, he’ll have to be sent to the countryside. I’ve been thinking about whether I should retire early and let him take over my position. Sigh… I just can’t bear to give it up.”
Lin Yong was only forty-five, still far from retirement age. But for the sake of his child, he had no choice. In the end, he simply couldn’t bear to watch his son be sent to the countryside to suffer.
Gu Wan understood Lin Yong’s dilemma. He was still in the prime of his career and was working in a field he loved. How could he bear to leave and give it all up?
She looked at Lin Yong and said,
“Team Leader Lin, I don’t want to transfer my job solely because I’m pregnant. You know that my husband is a soldier stationed out of town. Living apart from each other isn’t a long-term solution. Now that I’m pregnant, I also need someone to take care of me. I’m planning to join him at his posting.”
“My stepmother and the others have their eyes on my job and want me to transfer it to them. But this job wasn’t easy to obtain in the first place, and I’ll also need to have some money with me when I join my husband. So… I want to transfer the job in exchange for some money.”
The moment Lin Yong heard this, his heart leaped with joy.
From what Gu Wan was saying, she didn’t want her stepmother to benefit from the situation and intended to sell the position instead.
If he could buy the job for his son, he wouldn’t have to retire early.
It was the perfect solution for both sides!
The only problem was… his family didn’t have much money, and he had no idea how much Gu Wan wanted for the job.
Lin Yong swallowed nervously and cautiously asked, “You… how much do you want for it?”
“If Team Leader Lin wants it, we can negotiate.”
Lin Yong knew that Gu Wan’s job paid a decent monthly salary. At the very least, she would probably expect five years’ worth of wages. By that calculation, the price would have to be at least 2,500 yuan.
But… the total of all the money his family had in fixed deposits, savings, and cash was less than 2,000 yuan.
He gritted his teeth and said,
“My family has less than 2,000 yuan altogether. Do you think you could…”
Lin Yong felt somewhat embarrassed. It did seem like he was taking advantage of her situation, which wasn’t exactly honorable. But he genuinely had no other choice. Although his income was fairly decent, neither his wife nor his child had jobs, and supporting the whole family still left him struggling financially.
“All right. Then 2,000 yuan it is. For whatever amount is short, you can make up the difference with more grain coupons, cloth coupons, and meat coupons. I’m going to join my husband at his posting, and I won’t have any of those coupons with me. Without them, I won’t be able to buy anything.”
Lin Yong excitedly nodded.
“Deal, deal! I’ll go home and get the money right away, and I’ll gather some more coupons as well. Come back tomorrow, and I’ll give you the money and coupons. Then we can complete the transfer paperwork directly.”
Gu Wan nodded.
“Okay. But… please don’t tell anyone about this for now. I’m worried my stepmother and the others will find out and come make trouble. At most, it’ll take half a month. Once I’ve left to join my husband, there’ll be nothing they can do even if they want to complain.”
Lin Yong hurriedly nodded.
“Of course, of course. I understand. We definitely can’t let this get out.”
How could he possibly announce such a good opportunity and risk someone else snatching it away?
“All right, I’ll be going now. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
Lin Yong enthusiastically escorted Gu Wan out before immediately asking for leave and hurrying home to get the money.
After leaving the Cultural Relics Management Office, Gu Wan saw that it was still early, so she decided to visit her grandfather’s house and see Butler Chen.
Gu Wan stood in front of the three-story Western-style villa belonging to the Gu family, feeling somewhat dazed.
For more than a decade, her grandfather, Gu Bingsheng, had been bedridden with illness. During his final years, he had spent most of his time in the hospital. With no one maintaining or repairing the villa, it had already begun to fall into disrepair.
After her grandfather passed away, Butler Chen had probably been too overwhelmed to manage the property properly either. Weeds had grown wildly in front of the building, and the grandeur and magnificence it once possessed were long gone.
Gu Wan walked up to the door and pressed the doorbell.
After quite a while, an elderly voice came from inside.
“Who is it?”
“Grandpa Chen, it’s me, Gu Wan.”
The main door immediately opened, revealing an elderly man with completely white hair and a stooped figure.
He carefully studied the young woman standing before him.
“Are you really… the young miss?”
Gu Wan smiled at him.
“Hello, Grandpa Chen!”
“Good, good! Come, come in…”
Chen Fu became visibly excited. He hurriedly stepped aside and ushered Gu Wan into the house.
Gu Wan sat on the sofa in the middle of the living room. Looking up, she saw a long crystal chandelier hanging from the high ceiling.
Chen Fu poured her a glass of water.
“Miss, have some water first. I’ll have some tea ready in a moment.”
“Grandpa Chen, don’t bother. I’m pregnant, so I can’t drink tea. Sit down first. I have a few things I’d like to talk to you about.”
“All right. Miss, please, go ahead.”
Chen Fu set down the teapot and sat beside Gu Wan on the sofa.
“Grandpa Chen, are you the only one left living in this house now?”
“To answer you, Miss, there weren’t many people here even when Master was alive. Later, when he was hospitalized for such a long time, everyone who worked here was dismissed. Now I’m the only one left to look after the house.”
“A few days ago, some people from the committee came and said that this house was going to be confiscated and that we needed to move out as soon as possible. But everything here was left by Master for you. I asked someone to contact you and bring you here, but your husband said that you were pregnant and it wasn’t convenient for you to move things, so the belongings could simply be sent to his place. I thought that since all these things were left to you by Master, it wouldn’t be appropriate to send them to your husband’s home, so I didn’t let anyone move anything.”
Gu Wan hadn’t expected this.
It seemed her scumbag father had deliberately kept this information from her, intending to quietly take control of the inheritance while she was unaware.
What a calculating man!
“Miss, are you really pregnant? Master would have been overjoyed to hear that. It’s just a pity he passed away too soon and never got to hear the good news.”
He definitely would have been happy.
“By the way, Grandpa Chen, what did my grandfather leave me? Is there a list?”
“Yes, yes. Miss, wait a moment. I’ll go get it.”
A short while later, Chen Fu returned carrying a red-lacquered, openwork carved treasure chest.
He carefully placed the box in front of Gu Wan, then sat down opposite her.
Gu Wan was immediately captivated by the red-lacquered, openwork carved box. It was obviously an antique.
The red lacquer, despite having endured for a hundred years, still radiated a brilliant luster. The openwork decorations were exquisitely crafted, and the carved flowers looked incredibly lifelike.
“This box is beautiful. The inner wood should be rosewood, right? It feels so substantial in my hands.”
Chen Fu looked at Gu Wan with satisfaction.
“Master knew you would definitely like it.”
Gu Wan looked at the lock on the box.
“There’s no key for this lock?”
Chen Fu nodded.
“Master said you would be able to open it.”