Tis International Phase Three, Building 20, Unit 1401.
The Lu family apartnt.
It was a five-bedroom, two-living-room, two-bathroom unit of over 140 square ters — a rather spacious layout for a small city like Xiaoping.
Back when it was still a bare-shell new apartnt, the price had been 520,000 yuan… which didn't seem cheap even now, but five years ago that sum had nearly wiped out every last bit of savings this ordinary family possessed.
A 100,000 yuan down paynt, with the mortgage taken out in his mother Lanhua's na over ten years.
During his junior year of university, Luke had contributed another 100,000 to complete the "hard decoration" — laying tiles, painting walls, installing plumbing and electrical wiring, and buying so cheap appliances and beds.
But the "soft decoration" had never been finished. The curtains were makeshift, the furniture consisted of only a cheap Pinduoduo dining table, and the walls were bare — not even a single painting.
After that, the whole family had begun their "painful" mortgage repaynt life.
Four thousand yuan per month was nothing for soone with a stable city job.
But for the Lu family — who fard in the countryside and went to Guangdong to work as migrants — it was a heavy burden.
They had bought the apartnt in Xiaoping, but the entire family continued renting in Guangdong to work.
The house had beco a symbol, a hope, a "ho" they could only return to for a few days each New Year.
A few months ago, everything had changed.
Luke had directly transferred 500,000 yuan and told his parents to co back and finish the "soft decoration" properly. The old couple had been frugal and spent only 300,000, leaving the remaining 200,000 untouched in the bank.
Now, Luke stood at the doorway.
The apartnt was brightly lit and beautifully decorated.
Warm-toned lighting, high-quality furniture, decorative paintings on the walls, and potted plants on the windowsills.
From the kitchen ca the sound of stir-frying and his parents bickering… his father saying it should be cooked this way, his mother saying that way, while his brother-in-law helped wash vegetables and occasionally threw in a "it's all delicious" to diate.
His sister Lu Fang was holding her one-year-old daughter Xie Xinyue in the living room, watching TV. The mont the little girl saw Luke, she waved her hands excitedly and called out "Uncle!"
Luke walked in and looked around.
This apartnt — he was finally seeing it in its "complete form."
Although he owned a hundred-million-yuan mansion in Los Angeles and several properties in Pengcheng and Yangcheng, this ordinary comrcial apartnt was his true obsession.
This was his ho.
His mother Lanhua poked her head out from the kitchen. Seeing her son, her eyes crinkled into smiles. "You're back? Co sit, co sit! Dinner will be ready soon!"
Then she ducked back in and continued arguing with his father.
Luke smiled, walked to the door of his own room.
The master bedroom.
This was his room.
He pushed open the door and stepped inside. The room wasn't large, but it was warmly decorated. The bed was new, the wardrobe was newly made, and on the desk was a photo of him from high school.
The window faced the complex's central garden, offering a view of the greenery below and the mountains in the distance.
His mother followed him in, took a red booklet from the cabinet, and handed it to him.
The property deed.
It was the first ti in his life that Luke had seen and touched a Longguo property deed.
He opened it, looked at his mother's na on it, the string of numbers, the red seal, and suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.
His mother patted his hand. "After we paid off the full mortgage, the bank soon asked us to collect the deed."
Luke nodded, closed the deed, and handed it back to her.
"Mom, don't be so frugal anymore. Our family isn't short of money."
His mother smiled without replying and went back to the kitchen to continue cooking.
That night, the whole family had a lively "reunion dinner."
The table was filled with dishes… braised pork, stead fish, white-cut chicken, stir-fried vegetables, pork rib soup… all ho-cooked, but every dish was made with his parents' love.
The three n — Luke, his father Lu Dashan, and his brother-in-law Xie Yingjun — drank a case of beer together and talked late into the night.
His father talked about village gossip: whose son got married, whose elder passed away.
His brother-in-law asked about Luke's business. Luke talked about his ventures… of course, a carefully edited version: jade and jewelry, international trade, overseas experiences — half truth, half fiction.
His mother and sister unusually did not stop the n from drinking. They simply sat nearby, smiling and listening, occasionally adding a few words.
His niece Xie Xinyue had already fallen asleep on the sofa, covered with a small blanket, a bit of drool at the corner of her mouth.
Luke looked at his family, at this warm scene, and a wave of warmth rose in his heart.
In Westeros, he was a lofty lord, a mysterious magic rchant, a Celestial Dragon soon to possess dragons.
But in this mont, he was simply Luke — his parents' son, his sister's brother, his niece's uncle.
It felt wonderful.
Late at night, the wine was finished, the talking done.
For once, Luke did not return to Westeros. He took a bath, lay down in his own bed, and slept soundly until morning.
No Three-Eyed Crow, no Others, no dragon eggs, no army, no ssy affairs.
Only moonlight outside the window.
The next day was Little New Year.
The family got up early and went out to buy groceries for the festival.
People in Mulan Province celebrated festivals simply… it was either killing a chicken, or killing a chicken.
Kill one today, kill another tomorrow, and another the day after. The chicken was the star; everything else was supporting cast.
The wet market was crowded, filled with shouting vendors, bargaining, and greetings between acquaintances.
His mother Lanhua charged ahead like a general, his father Lu Dashan followed carrying the bags, his sister Lu Fang carried the child, and his brother-in-law Xie Yingjun was in charge of scanning paynts with his phone.
And Luke?
He was the "useless one."
In the family hierarchy now, he held the highest position.
Highest position ant he didn't have to do anything — and whatever he did, no one minded.
He only needed to eat, to smile, and at the appropriate monts to say "Delicious," "Really good," "Mom, your cooking keeps getting better."
The family went from the wet market to the supermarket, from the supermarket to the mall, bought a mountain of things, and finally carried all the bags ho.
That evening, another grand al. Since they weren't short on money, they arranged a super luxurious seafood feast.
On the 24th of the twelfth lunar month — the 24th day.
It was his second cousin's "Dragon Settling Day."
This was a Mulan Province custom: after moving into a new ho, one chooses an auspicious day to "settle the dragon" — essentially inviting relatives and friends over for a al to celebrate and bring good luck.
His second cousin was his aunt's daughter, and among the many cousins, she had married relatively well.
She had also bought an apartnt in Xiaoping City, which was fully renovated, about a kiloter from Luke's family ho.
The whole Lu family went to attend the celebration.
The complex was called "Golden Bay Mansion" and looked a bit more upscale than Tis International.
It was indeed. Golden Bay Mansion was a newer developnt with not only high-rise apartnts but also thirty-nine villas.
The architectural style was more modern, the landscaping better — it looked much nicer than the older complex.
The mont his sister Lu Fang entered the complex, her eyes lit up.
She looked at her second cousin's new ho with open envy, then at the surroundings and facilities, and imdiately decided that the apartnt in "Tis International Phase Three" no longer felt as appealing.
"This complex is so nice…" she murmured.
Luke smiled but said nothing. The location here was actually better than their current one!
At the celebration banquet, he gave his second cousin a red envelope — 5,000 yuan.
When the cousin and her husband saw the thickness, their eyes widened.
"Xiao Ke, this… this is too much!"
Luke waved his hand casually. "Just a small token. Congratulations on your new ho."
His cousin tried to refuse, but Luke pressed her hand down. She looked at her cousin with complicated eyes.
In the past, this cousin had been the most disappointing one in the family. Graduated and imdiately unemployed, unstable jobs, didn't even dare co ho for New Year. Everyone had whispered that the boy was finished.
But now?
He drove a Range Rover, wore custom suits, and casually handed over a 5,000-yuan red envelope.
People really could change in unpredictable ways.
After the banquet, Luke took his sister, brother-in-law, and niece for a walk around Golden Bay Mansion.
As they walked, they reached the villa area.
Row after row of detached villas stood before them. Each had its own front and back yard, enclosed by low fences. Inside one could see flowers and plants.
They could only look from outside; there was separate access control so they couldn't enter.
His sister was full of envy. "These are real villas… with such big backyards, you could grow vegetables. Mom would love this kind."
His brother-in-law nodded in agreent. "Yeah, you could make a garden. It would be great."
The three of them talked about current housing prices.
His brother-in-law said, "Forget these villas — even the high-rise apartnts like second cousin and your place. In Yangcheng, you couldn't buy one for less than twenty million. Small county cities are nice and cheap."
His sister turned to her husband. "Xie Yingjun, housing in Yangcheng is too expensive. Let's buy an apartnt in Xiaoping City too so Yueyue can go to school here."
Her husband nodded. "Sure, I was thinking the sa."
Luke didn't speak. He simply took out a cigarette from his storage space — not a cheap one, but a Hua Zi.
He walked over to the guardhouse, handed the guard a cigarette, and chatted with him for a bit.
The guard looked at him — well-dressed, impressive bearing, clearly a wealthy man — and smiled as he opened the villa area's gate.
"Go on in, look around as you like. You can also talk to the property managent about viewing units."
Luke waved his sister's family over and they entered the villa area.
They strolled slowly inside, admiring the design and layout of each villa. Luke pointed at one and asked:
"Sister, brother-in-law, do you prefer villas or high-rise apartnts?"
The couple was stunned and exchanged a glance.
His sister asked uncertainly, "Xiao Ke… what do you an?"
Luke smiled. "Since you both think this place is nice, let's just buy two villas here. You take one, Mom and Dad take one. When I co back, I'll stay with Mom and Dad."
He paused and added, "Villas are the ultimate goal. You were right, sister — Mom likes gardening, so we'll buy her so land to plant in. Xiaoping City may not compare to the first-tier cities, but it's perfect for retirent."
His sister's breathing quickened.
"Xiao Ke, don't spend money recklessly!" she said anxiously. "You've only been in business for a few years. Your company needs money everywhere. You already bought that Range Rover and a Porsche for — we already feel it's too much. A villa must cost several million, right? Don't…"
Luke smiled and cut her off.
"The company is the company. My money is my money. I can afford to give you million-yuan cars, so I don't think these houses will cost that much either. Just two villas — it's nothing."
His sister and brother-in-law looked at each other, eyes full of shock and disbelief.
That night, when they got ho, Luke told his parents the news.
His father Lu Dashan had already planned to hold the "Dragon Settling" ceremony in three days… their ancestral hall was still in the old village ho, and he wanted to move it to the new house and have a lively celebration.
But Luke's "buying villas" plan completely upended his plans.
"You child…" his father frowned. "We just finished renovating that apartnt and spent so much money. Now you want to abandon it?"
"It's not abandoning it," Luke explained patiently. "We can keep the apartnt. We can live there while the villas are being renovated. It won't get in the way if I buy two more villas. Villas have space for gardening, no need to take elevators, and they have private parking."
His mother Lanhua also tried to persuade him. "Xiao Ke, don't act on impulse. Buying a house isn't like buying cabbage — it's millions of yuan. You're still building your business. You need to save money."
Luke replied calmly, "Mom, Dad, this is really no big deal. Without exaggerating, I'm basically the richest man in Xiaoping City right now. I could buy the entire complex if I wanted, let alone two villas."
Seeing his parents' shocked expressions, he continued, "Dad and sister should hurry up and get your driver's licenses. Then I'll buy Dad a Rolls-Royce. In your spare ti you can take Mom traveling wherever you want. You can even visit relatives in the countryside without taking the bus."
His father opened his mouth but couldn't speak.
His mother was stunned too.
They couldn't comprehend how much money their son actually had.
But they saw sincerity, determination, and the kind of confidence that said "this is nothing" in his eyes.
Luke acted decisively.
The next day, he went to the sales office of Golden Bay Mansion to inquire.
The sales lady was very enthusiastic, but the result disappointed him a little: the last villa had been sold the day before yesterday. There were no ready units available.
Luke wasn't discouraged. He went straight to a real estate agency.
When the agent heard he wanted to buy villas, his eyes lit up. He pulled out listings and started introducing them.
In the end, Luke bought two adjacent detached villas for 1.8 million yuan each.
This price was 300,000 yuan lower than the original opening price!
The villa complex only had about twenty households moved in, with more than ten units still unoccupied or even unrenovated.
So people had bought them for investnt… they were destined to lose money.
In the past three years housing prices had continued to decline. Even with a "fool" like Luke willing to pay a high price, they were still at a loss.
But that had nothing to do with Luke.
He only knew that he had bought two adjacent detached villas — one registered in his na, one in his sister's na.
The mont his sister received the property deed, her hands were shaking.
She no longer had the usual pre-New Year excitent. Her mind was now full of how to renovate her new ho, what style to choose, what furniture to buy, what flowers to plant in the yard.
Luke naturally covered the renovation costs as well.
It was just a few hundred thousand — nothing to him.
Once the renovation was complete, they would hold the moving-in and Dragon Settling ceremony and invite relatives and friends to celebrate.
As for moving the ancestral hall…
Luke thought about it and decided not to move it for now.
The roots should stay in Xiaoping City.
Xiaoping was nice. In the future they could buy mansions in big cities for vacations, but the roots should remain here.
In the place where he had grown up, with his parents, his sister, and his niece.
In the place called "ho."
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