MGASC -Chapter 106 A Small Western-Style House for My Wife

Riding a bit further, the street widened noticeably. On both sides were rows of small two-story buildings, painted in alternating shades of gray and white.

Each building had its own courtyard, with neatly aligned black iron gates. Some gates were open, revealing fairly spacious yards—some with vegetables, some with flowers, and occasionally the bark of dogs could be heard, full of life and activity.

“These houses are not bad. I haven’t seen anything like this before. They could be considered proper western-style houses for your county, right?”

Zhang Qiao looked around curiously. At that moment, Lin Tianyue dismounted from the seat and gently guided her forward.

“Really? They’re just average. The apartment buildings in big cities look much more stylish.”

Tianyue traveled frequently for work and had seen many high-rises in large cities, which made his ambitions grow even wilder. Though he hadn’t told Zhang Qiao, he had long resolved to buy a proper apartment in a big city. He wanted to arrange everything for his family so that Zhang Qiao could live like the women in the city—dress up beautifully every day, do whatever she wanted, and enjoy life freely.

As for their three children, he planned to send them to school in the provincial capital if possible, since the education there far surpassed that in Xiangshui County.

Dropping out of high school had been his greatest regret. But as long as his children were willing to study, he could support them all the way—even to a PhD.

Recently, more and more plans and ideas had been forming in his mind. Especially after the recent fire, instead of weakening his resolve, it made him even more determined.

He knew all this motivation came from Zhang Qiao—having such a good wife gave him strength.

He paused, then explained, “This used to be a cadre’s house. My dad worked as a factory manager at the quarry, and he was given this house. But my dad didn’t have much luck—he died of a lung disease a few years later.”

Zhang Qiao’s eyes lit up.

Tianyue felt the seat behind him lighten. He turned and saw she had jumped off the bike.

Startled, he quickly held her: “Hey! What are you doing?!”

But Zhang Qiao excitedly grabbed his arm with both hands: “You mean… this old house is here? You actually have a small western-style house?”

Wow!

What a revelation!

Tianyue’s father had been a factory manager, a cadre, and even had a two-story small western-style house!

Damn it! Zhang Qiao felt she had been cheated all this time, living with him in that tiny mud house.

Seeing her excitement, Tianyue gently pried her hands away, holding them in his own.

Just holding hands, and yet his heartbeat quickened on its own.

He pushed the bicycle with one hand and held hers with the other: “Western-style house? This house is over ten years old. It’s spacious, that’s all. Don’t expect too much. Alright, we’re here. Let’s go inside and have a look.”

The bicycle stopped in front of the third small building on the street.

Although he was often away, the main gate should have been closed. Yet now, the black iron gate was open.

Tianyue’s brows tensed; something felt off.

He let go of Zhang Qiao’s hand and, without even pushing the bike forward, strode inside.

Zhang Qiao thought for a moment and followed him in.

Inside was even bigger and more spacious than she had imagined.

The courtyard stretched dozens of meters, with red tiles and white walls arranged neatly. On both sides were small flowerbeds. Though there were no flowers now, one could tell the yard had been beautifully maintained before.

Walking further, there was a spiral cement staircase leading straight to the second floor.

Next to the stairs were two storerooms. From one came the clucking of chickens.

Zhang Qiao tiptoed to peek inside—wow, the room was full of hens. It looked like a small chicken farm.

The other storeroom was empty except for some tools and bicycles. Its size was even larger than the house she had lost in the fire combined.

Climbing the cement stairs beside the main building, she noticed the handrails were also made of cement and carved with openwork patterns. The two-story building was gray and white, showing its age.

Yet the careful design, the layout, and the patterns on the stairs all suggested this was no ordinary home.

The staircase was long, with a landing halfway up. Standing there, she could see the surrounding scenery—there was an even larger yard behind the house.

At least four times the size of the front one!

Before even entering the house, Zhang Qiao thought to herself: Lin Tianyue really hides his true self. Such a big yard, so many buildings—his family must have been rich!

As Zhang Qiao admired the view, she heard voices from upstairs.

“Bro, why did you come back so suddenly?”

“Who’s your brother? Stop flattering yourself!”

“Mom is with Dad now, and you’re two years older than me—so you’re technically my brother.”

“You’re you, I’m me! I’m asking, Song Jiawen, why are you in my house? And what’s with all this furniture?”

Song Jiawen?

Zhang Qiao recalled and realized—oh, this must be the son of her stepmother’s second husband.

A dramatic scenario instantly formed in her mind: could Song Jiawen take over her and Tianyue’s new home?

As expected, this messy story was as ridiculous as she feared.

By now, Song Jiawen was descending the stairs with Lin Tianyue, smiling politely.

Seeing Zhang Qiao, he greeted her politely: “Sister-in-law, you’re here too.”

“Yes,” Zhang Qiao immediately got into character. “You’ve probably heard—we had a fire in our house. We came to sort out the place and plan to move back.”

Hearing her mention the house, Song Jiawen’s smile faltered: “Move back? Bro, sister-in-law, isn’t that… inappropriate?”

“This is our home. What’s inappropriate about that?”

“Well… you haven’t been back for years. You might not know, but this house has been decided by Mom—it’s to be given to me for my wedding. My wedding is next month. I even planned to give you an invitation in a few days. Your house burned down? Oh, what a shame! I’ve been so busy I haven’t asked… how bad was the damage?”

Lin Tianyue’s expression darkened. His black eyes fixed on the smiling man like a predator sizing up prey. He didn’t speak, but his tightly clenched fists betrayed his anger.

Give the house to Song Jiawen? Let him marry here?

And Song Jiawen actually dared to say it out loud!

Even if his father had passed away, the house still belonged to the Lin family, not the Song family! What ridiculous dreams was he having?

Feeling the icy deathly aura emanating from Lin Tianyue, Song Jiawen forced a smile and patted his shoulder: “Brother, I didn’t mean to take your place. Mom really promised me this house. She said you’ve started over, become a factory director, and would probably buy a proper villa eventually, right? I already got the furniture and set the wedding date. I can’t tell Xiao Mei now that the wedding’s off, can I? You know how hard it is to find someone nowadays. Bro, even for Mom’s sake, you wouldn’t embarrass me, right? We’re family. As your younger brother, I can’t just watch you and sister-in-law be homeless. How about this… you two stay at Dad’s house in the countryside for now. After I get married and have kids, I’ll work hard, make more money, and buy another house. If you and sister-in-law want to move then, I’ll give you the house.”