Zhou You continued looking at a few more apartments with the agent—one was 110 square meters, another 160. The 160 wasn’t necessary for now since it was just a transitional place, and on top of that, it was on the top floor.
Generally, when buying a house, you avoid the first and top floors: the first is damp, and the top leaks. But as more first-floor units come with small yards and top-floor ones with private terraces, people are gradually leaning toward these layouts. After all, a pastoral life is ingrained in the Chinese soul—look at how Beijing’s siheyuan have surpassed a hundred million yuan. Those who moved out of siheyuan back then, yearning for high-rises, many can never go back.
After the tour, Zhou You felt a bit tired.
He said to the agent, “Ask the owner of unit 301 what the lowest price is. I’ll pay in full—see how much they can discount. If it’s reasonable, we’ll transfer the ownership in the next couple of days.”
“Bro, unit 301 is 133 square meters. The owner’s asking 5,300 per square meter, totaling 704,900 yuan. I’ll contact the owner and get back to you as soon as possible.”
“Get back to me soon—preferably before tomorrow. Otherwise, I’ll look with another agent,” Zhou You applied a little pressure. In truth, he wouldn’t bother looking elsewhere. There were no good listings nearby, and few satisfied him. After searching, this was the only complex, and it was pretty desolate now.
The main point was that buying a house now, regardless of price, would be a gain later. He just wanted the agent to speed things up.
Before the next day arrived, the agent called in the afternoon, saying they’d contacted the owner and could round it to an even 700,000 yuan.
Zhou You didn’t haggle. The next day, he went to the agency, and the owner was there too. The owner, surnamed Wang, was a former teacher at Luzhou University—since this complex was essentially faculty housing. He taught chemistry and had just retired last year, with no plans to return to work. He intended to travel around.
Zhou You was polite when they met. Though Wang had never taught him, he was still a school teacher. After a brief chat, they settled the deal. Everything inside the house was unwanted—Zhou You could keep it or throw it away.
They agreed on the terms, leaving the rest to the agent. Zhou You didn’t want to bother. He paid a partial deposit first, with the balance due after the transfer. He briefly explained his situation, saying he wanted the keys to buy some things and move in, since the school was nearly empty.
Teacher Wang was easygoing: “Teacher Zhou, no problem. I know your advisor well—I can check with him. Since you’re a school teacher, I’m at ease. I won’t go to the house. I’ll push the agent to process the paperwork quickly. Here are the keys for now—the house is practically yours.”
“Thanks, Teacher Wang. The money will hit your account in a few days. You should buy your kid a house soon too—don’t delay. Shanghai’s prices are only climbing. Go as big as you can, so you’ll have a place to stay when you visit later.” Zhou You offered the advice kindly, though whether they’d take it was up to them—it was real money for a house.
July’s heat wasn’t ideal for going out, but there was no choice. He had to get his own place ready quickly so he could enjoy air conditioning. The dorm was unbearable—too hot, with the fan blowing warm air. If Zhou You weren’t used to it, he’d have checked into a hotel.
Many people, after a sudden windfall, go on a spending spree—revenge spending—only to return to ordinary life a few years later, working to get by.
If you can’t control your desires, no amount of money is enough, and it can even bring disaster. Some people change completely when they get rich, becoming arrogant and overbearing, which might offend many or attract unwanted attention. Wealth without the means to protect it is like a child carrying gold through a busy market—it won’t last.
Many dream of financial freedom to quit working, but the standard varies.
In a small county, 5 million is enough for a lifetime.
In a city, you need at least two houses and 10 million in savings to feel secure.
In Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou, 10 million only buys one apartment.
Ultimately, after meeting basic needs, it comes down to one’s desires.
Zhou You believed he could control his. As long as he didn’t start a business, he’d be fine.
That afternoon, the sun blazed. The road ahead shimmered with heat haze, and the asphalt seemed to evaporate.
He hailed a taxi at the entrance and headed straight to Sanxiaokou Guogou Plaza. Places like Zhixin City or Wanda didn’t exist yet—if you wanted to shop, you had to go downtown.
His main goal was to buy bedding: sheets, covers, quilts. Zhou You planned to replace everything. From the dorm, he’d only keep sentimental items and toss the rest.
Even though he’d live alone, he bought several sets as backups—it’d save trouble when washing.
The Guogou of this era was really simple. The nearby Zhixin City was still under construction and wouldn’t open until around 2012.
At the mall, he picked a familiar brand and bought five sets of bedding, including spring and autumn styles, a few down comforters, and several pillows—down, latex, all kinds. He’d try them at home to see which felt best and rotate them. He arranged for delivery tomorrow morning; otherwise, carrying all that himself would be exhausting.
Zhou You took the chance to browse. Since his rebirth, he’d been busy making money with no time to shop. He didn’t have much cash on hand, so he hadn’t bothered—seeing things he liked but couldn’t buy would’ve been depressing.
Since he was here, he bought a few outfits: some sweatpants, some business-casual wear. He’d be starting work soon and couldn’t dress too casually. The perk of being a university professor was the freedom—no need for suits and ties, no uniforms, no mandatory office hours. Just get your work done.
With bags in hand, he didn’t feel like shopping anymore. He’d planned to carry them home himself. In his old days, he would have.
But now that he had money, his mind was sharper. He decided to leave the items at the home goods store and have them delivered tomorrow, saving himself the hassle. The owner was very courteous to a big spender—after all, Zhou You had dropped nearly 20,000 yuan on high-end products.
Strolling around the nearby eateries, he got a call from Datou: “You ge, where are you? Did you find a place to rent?”
“Yeah, it’s sorted. I’m at Guogou now, not far from your place. Want to come grab a bite?” Zhou You didn’t go into detail, planning to hint at things when Datou arrived.
They met up and found a barbecue joint. Eating grilled skewers and drinking beer in this heat was pure bliss.
This was Datou’s turf—he’d grown up here and knew it like the back of his hand.
“Boss, start with a plate of edamame and raw peanuts. Then twenty lamb skewers, a plate of chives, and garlic eggplant.”
Zhou You added, “Two grilled buns.” He never felt full from barbecue without them.
They ate and chatted.
“I’ve been watching the World Cup lately, right? I bought some sports lottery. Made a bit of money. So I bought a place near our school complex,” Zhou You said briefly.
“Holy shit, how much did you win to buy a house?” Datou was stunned.
Zhou You hesitated over how much to say.
After all, he planned to buy a car in a couple of days. What amount would be reasonable?
“Not much, just over a million total.”
Datou was dumbfounded.