The woman was truly formidable, shopping and shopping without tiring until the Binhai Plaza closed. Only then were the two young ladies reluctantly pulled by Li Haochen towards the parking garage.
They arrived home at eleven o'clock at night. Today, Murong Yanran and the others took their showers with incredible speed, emerging in less than half an hour.
Their objective was clear: to quickly have Li Haochen massage away the lingering effects of a day of shopping.
Although accompanying them on their shopping spree had been tiring, the massage was a duty that had to be fulfilled; it was a mandatory course.
Xie Baolian couldn't keep her eyes open after less than ten minutes of massage, returning directly to her room to sleep, it remained unclear whether she was genuinely tired or feigning it.
Murong Yanran was as usual, lying prone on the sofa. Her shorts had become progressively shorter, almost reaching her buttocks, and her fair thighs swayed, making Li Haochen's heart flutter.
Whether it was due to fatigue from shopping or Li Haochen's exceptionally comfortable massage techniques, as soon as his hands finished massaging her back, he heard Murong Yanran's gentle snores.
"This girl, she's so sleepy yet she still wants a massage."
He carefully picked up Murong Yanran and placed her on the bed. Her pouting and murmuring in her sleep was incredibly endearing. Li Haochen couldn't resist reaching out to pinch her nose. Of course, he couldn't resist indulging in a few stolen kisses on her soft lips before happily tucking her in and returning to his own room to sleep.
In his bed, Li Haochen glanced at Captain Donkey for a while longer. He had become addicted to it recently, following the story with great anticipation. After over three hundred chapters, the much-awaited climax still hadn't arrived. Resigned, he turned off the lights and burrowed under the covers to sleep.
The next day, Li Haochen woke up with a numb arm again. He had no idea why, but it had even prompted him to visit the hospital for a check-up. Looking at his recent physical data, he became quite dejected. "It's strange. The physical examination results show I'm in excellent health, so why has my arm been going numb like this lately when I wake up?"
"Could it be..." Li Haochen shivered, not daring to dwell on the thought. As soon as he left the hospital, he hurried to an open space to bask in the midday sun.
He had learned this from watching films by Old Man Lin. Midday sunlight could kill all sorts of impure things. Unfortunately, he would never see Old Man Lin again. A true founder, always imitated but never surpassed.
To be honest, basking in the sun did make him feel a bit better. He wondered if it was just a psychological effect.
Li Haochen couldn't endure the sun for more than a few minutes. It wasn't the heat, but the strange looks from passersby. He didn't want to be perceived as a fool constantly, so he left rather sheepishly.
He found a bank and transferred the remaining payment for the plot of land. Shortly after, he received a call from the village chief, Huang Haiyuan. "Haochen, I've received the money. Find some time in the next couple of days to come over to my place and fill out the necessary documents."
"Alright, Uncle Yuan. I'll trouble you."
With the matter of building a house being a major priority, Li Haochen had no other thoughts. He bought a pack of cigarettes, hopped on his electric scooter, and headed straight to the village chief's home.
Half an hour later, he arrived at the village chief's house. After some casual chat, they got down to business. The procedures were quite simple, though tedious, involving endless signing. He didn't know how many signatures he had made, and it took over an hour to complete all the documentation.
Just as all the procedures were finalized, a well-dressed old man walked in. "Ah, Xinsu, I've thought it over and decided to buy that plot of land after all. I didn't expect China's development to be so rapid these past few years. Buying a house in the city is almost two million yuan now. It's better to build my own house; at least it will be several times larger."
"Ah, Xinsu, what bad timing. That plot of land has already been sold. The village currently has no available plots. However, the government is planning to allocate a piece of land in the eastern district for our village as a new site. Perhaps you could wait?"
"Didn't I tell you I needed to consider it before returning? Why did you sell it? No, quickly tell me who bought it in the village, and I'll buy it back from them."
"I'm sorry, Xinsu. This involves personal privacy, and it's inconvenient to disclose. Besides, the buyer paid in cash. How could I, as the village chief, refuse them? You should really wait for the new plot."
"You... Humph!"
Seeing Huang Liaoxin leave, Huang Haiyuan spat on the ground. "Pah! After being abroad for so many years, he brags in the group chats whenever he makes money. He never offered any help during the village's difficult times. Returning home, he spews pretentious foreign phrases and complains about everything when buying a piece of land."
Li Haochen didn't know what to say about the internal affairs of Dalong Village, so he just smiled. After chatting with Huang Haiyuan for a while, he left.
Seeing that it was still early, Li Haochen decided to strike while the iron was hot. He gathered all the necessary documents and headed straight to the comprehensive administrative building. He had already called Xie Baolian beforehand.
Xie Baolian found it inconvenient to handle the matter in person, so when Li Haochen arrived, someone was already there to receive him. With all the documents in order, the permits were quickly processed. He expressed his gratitude to the helpful staff and happily headed home.
As soon as Li Haochen returned home, Xie Baolian also came back, eagerly approaching him. "Son, have they all been processed?"
In fact, she already knew, but she just wanted to hear it directly from Li Haochen.
"Mom, it's all done. Soon, we'll have our own real home, hehe!"
"Good, that's really good!"
Xie Baolian couldn't suppress her smile and then produced a bank card. "Son, this house needs to be built beautifully, and the decoration can't be subpar. Here's three hundred and fifty thousand. Take it to use for now. If it's not enough, we'll find a way later."
"Mom, I still have one million two hundred thousand here. The money for the house and the road is enough. With only two months left until Chinese New Year, it won't be suitable for renovation after the new year. We'll have to wait until around the Qingming Festival. In a few months, maybe your son will find a couple more pieces of ambergris, and that will be enough, hehe."
"Just take it when I tell you to, why so much chatter? And find a couple more? Do you think sperm whales are your livestock? Finding even one piece is like smoke from your ancestors' graves bringing immense luck."
Li Haochen took the bank card without much thought. If he didn't take it, he would probably suffer from her nagging. In any case, he would be the one to decide whether to use the money or not.
"Mom, do you know any good designers? I'm completely clueless about this, and I have no idea where to start."
"Don't worry, I've already contacted someone for you. I've sent her contact information to your WeChat. You can get in touch with her later. She's a top designer from the Municipal Design Institute. If it weren't for your mother's face, she wouldn't have taken on your small project. Make sure you don't skimp on her payment."
"Alright, alright."
Feeling happy today, Xie Baolian personally cooked. As soon as the food was ready, Murong Yanran returned. Smelling the aroma of the food, her stomach rumbled.
"Why didn't you eat at the hotel? Being too hungry is bad for your stomach," Li Haochen said with a hint of blame as he washed the dishes.
Murong Yanran smiled and walked over, taking the bowl and chopsticks from Li Haochen's hands. "The taste of home is different."
Li Haochen looked at Murong Yanran's retreating back, his heart filled with concern.
After dinner, Li Haochen took the initiative to do the dishes. Murong Yanran brewed a pot of Yunwu black tea, which Li Haochen favored, and waited for him.
Ten minutes later, Li Haochen wiped his hands and came out.
The three of them gathered around the coffee table, drinking tea and watching television, occasionally commenting on the programs, sometimes silent, sometimes laughing. This was the feeling of home; it was very warm.