That evening, the four Gu siblings gathered together. Gu Hai said to his younger brothers and sisters:
"I'm planning to go to the subdistrict office tomorrow and buy the courtyard we're currently living in. Do you have any objections?"
Gu Jiang and Gu Meng were stunned, while Gu Jun burst with joy. He jumped up and asked:
"Big Brother, really? You're going to buy this courtyard? Then this place will truly be our home!"
Gu Meng hesitated and asked, "Big Brother, do you have enough money?"
Gu Hai nodded.
"Yes. This time, after Gouzi and the others sold the goods, plus the money I made from selling the camera and television, each of us got 800 yuan. Adding my previous savings, it's more than enough."
Gu Jiang seemed as if he were dreaming. After the initial excitement, he suddenly became cautious and said:
"Big Brother, this must be kept a secret. We absolutely cannot let Mom know!"
As soon as he said this, the room fell silent.
Eight-year-old Gu Jun pouted, his eyes instantly reddening. He turned and threw himself into Gu Meng's arms.
Gu Hai comforted them:
"Don't worry. This is our home. No one can take it away."
---
Just as Gu Hai had finished dividing the money, Su Yun was also receiving income.
That night, Su Yun received the payment from Xia Ying—a total of 820 yuan.
In her room, Su Yun took out twenty yuan and handed it to Xia Ying. Xia Ying accepted it without hesitation and tucked it into her pocket.
This was the commission they had agreed on beforehand, and Xia Ying felt no guilt taking it.
"Su Yun, my uncle's colleagues were extremely satisfied with those two mechanical watches. They said if anyone else wants to buy one, they'll come to me again. I think this business can be done long-term—it's much better than working at the counter!"
Xia Ying's tone was filled with excitement.
Su Yun was just as happy.
She had made a profit of 300 yuan from just two watches—how could she not be pleased?
"Alright, Yingzi. If anyone else wants one, just let me know. I'll have someone deliver them to you."
Hearing this, Xia Ying paused slightly, a hint of guilt flashing across her face. She asked:
"The guy you sent yesterday to deliver the watches… is he okay?"
"Huh? What happened to him?"
Su Yun looked confused and asked in return.
Xia Ying cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Nothing… I was just asking. I think he's quite a nice person, hehe."
Hearing that, Su Yun misunderstood and thought Xia Ying might be interested in Gouzi. She immediately became anxious and warned her:
"Yingzi, you must not have any ideas about him! That guy… he is…"
Lowering her voice, she said:
"He's a street thug! I saw him with my own eyes beating someone at the school gate. Even though the person he beat wasn't a good guy, he was ruthless and used dirty tricks. You can tell at a glance he's not a good person!"
"Yingzi, if you run into him again, you'd better be polite. Don't offend him unintentionally—he might hold a grudge."
Xia Ying's heart skipped a beat. Her lips twitched as fear crept in.
"Really? He's actually a thug? Then I…"
Then she was in serious trouble!
Yesterday, she had definitely offended him badly!
With so many people beating him, she had even taken the chance to kick him several times!
At this moment, Xia Ying felt like crying.
Su Yun warned her again:
"Anyway, just listen to me. Even if he comes again to deliver watches, don't talk to him too much. Don't provoke him."
Xia Ying nodded repeatedly.
"Got it! I'll definitely do that!"
---
At that very moment, at the train station that night, Gouzi—carrying money—sat on a train heading back to his hometown.
He leaned back happily, crossing his legs and occupying two seats by himself.
He had no idea that his biggest benefactor was currently spreading stories about his "misdeeds" behind his back.
---
The next day, Gu Hai took the money and went to the subdistrict office.
Director Xu, wearing glasses, counted the money and immediately processed the property transfer for Gu Hai without hesitation.
An hour later, Gu Hai held the property certificate in his hands, feeling extremely excited.
Director Xu reminded him:
"Xiao Hai, keep this purchase low-key. Don't spread the news, or it may attract trouble."
"To be honest, there are rumors from above that those who were previously sent away might be allowed to return soon. Many houses under our subdistrict office can't actually be sold—they may have to be returned in the future."
"Lately, quite a few people have come to me wanting to buy houses. The only one that can truly be sold is the one you're living in now—it belongs to the subdistrict office. Many others already have original owners, so they can't be traded."
"If people find out you bought a house, they'll definitely come to me and cause trouble!"
Gu Hai immediately assured him:
"Uncle Xu, don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I'm also afraid that if my mother finds out, she'll come to take the house."
Director Xu nodded knowingly.
"Exactly. You do need to guard against your mother. That woman… sigh…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but Gu Hai understood.
---
After buying the house, Gu Hai returned home. He hid the property certificate in his secret spot, then dug up the ground where he had buried something before, digging deep until he uncovered a pitch-black box.
Holding the small box, he brushed off the dirt, a look of anticipation appearing on his face.
At that moment, eight-year-old Gu Jun was sweeping the courtyard energetically with a broom, his small body working hard to clear away fallen leaves and dust.
Gu Hai was surprised.
"Junzi, why are you suddenly cleaning the yard?"
Ever since childhood, Gu Jun had been influenced by Gu Hai and liked collecting scrap to sell. Half the courtyard was usually filled with junk, and Gu Hai was always the one cleaning.
Why the sudden enthusiasm?
Gu Jun looked up with a bright smile.
"Big Brother, before this, it was someone else's house, so I didn't care to clean it. But now it's different—this is our home! I want to clean it properly!"
So that was the reason.
Gu Hai chuckled and ruffled his hair before pushing his bicycle toward the door.
Just as he stepped out, Su Wenbing arrived carrying a sack of scrap.
"Brother Hai!"
Su Wenbing greeted him enthusiastically.
"Heading to the recycling station? Perfect timing—I've brought everything I collected these past few days."
He then sighed.
"I've almost covered all the nearby areas—there's hardly any good stuff left. I'm thinking of following Gouzi's example and going out of town in a couple of days to collect goods."
Gu Hai nodded in approval.
"Good. As long as you can make money, keep at it. When the time comes, buy a house and find a partner—then your parents won't say you're wasting your time anymore."
Su Wenbing paused, stunned.
"Brother Hai, why suddenly talk about finding a partner? I'm only eighteen—I haven't had enough fun yet!"
Then something occurred to him. His eyes widened in surprise.
"Brother Hai… you're not actually seeing someone, are you? Who is she? Do we know her?"
Hearing this, Gu Jun—who had been sweeping the yard—rolled his eyes, threw down the broom, and ran over, pretending to squat behind Gu Hai while tugging at his pant leg, clearly trying to eavesdrop.