Shi Man always thought she was busy enough, juggling shopping for treasures and working part-time, but every time she checked online, Wang Qiqi seemed even busier. Sometimes Qiqi would be online but give no response, or after just a few sentences, she’d say she was tired and needed sleep. Once or twice was understandable, but Shi Man grew suspicious.

Wang Qiqi was just yawning, about to tell Shi Man she was heading to bed, when she saw the message Shi Man had sent. She was startled because Shi Man had written: Qiqi, you’re not pregnant, are you? That’s the only reason you’re always sleepy.

Reading that, Wang Qiqi spat out the grape she had in her mouth. “My goodness, do I look pregnant?”

Wang Qiqi furiously hammered the keys: You’re the one who’s pregnant! I’m just a bit tired lately.

Shi Man certainly knew someone was tired, but the real question was: What are you so busy with lately that you’re this exhausted? I’m not this tired. You’re not spending all your time doing housework and cooking for those two men, are you?

Shi Man considered that wasn't impossible, but she wondered if the two men, seeing Qiqi so busy, still had the nerve to ask her to deliver meals. Even though it wasn't far by bike to Han Tao’s workplace, preparing two meals a day plus cleaning up was absolutely exhausting. Your man is really something else, asking you to bring meals. Men can’t be spoiled too much, or they just get worse. Look at you now.

Shi Man’s concern warmed Wang Qiqi: Actually, I just prepare their lunch and dinner in the morning for them to take, and I just make do for myself at noon. If they are back for dinner, I’ll cook; if not, I just boil some noodles.

Wang Qiqi’s explanation left Shi Man truly baffled. If she wasn't delivering food, Dai Lijun was only going back to sleep; how messy could he make the room? Suddenly, Shi Man thought of something: Don't tell me you've been house-hunting.

The mention of houses gave Wang Qiqi a headache: I've bought so many houses, but this time is the most troublesome. I have to create a detailed guide, then show it to Han Tao, and then find a time when he’s free to look at houses together. One word: exhausting. Two words: very exhausting. Three words: extremely exhausting.

Wang Qiqi recalled the process of buying a house these past few days—it was truly disheartening. Sometimes she genuinely felt like why did such a major decision as buying a house fall to her, a tough woman. Of course, the matter wasn't inherently exhausting; the issue was that Wang Qiqi couldn't drive. If she had a car, it would actually be quite easy. Manman, I absolutely must learn to drive when I get back. It’s genuinely inconvenient not having a car here.

Back home, there were subways and buses; if all else failed, there were taxis. As long as you weren't stuck in a very remote area, transportation wasn't an issue. But here, not only were buses rare and mostly confined to the city center, but taxis didn't cruise the streets either. Even if she managed to flag one down, Wang Qiqi wouldn't dare ride—it was far too expensive. Plus, Wang Qiqi worried sick that she wouldn't be able to hail a ride when it was time to return; she’d have no one to pity her tears.

Regarding this complaint from Wang Qiqi, Shi Man didn't feel it as strongly because her range of activities wasn't as wide, and Feng Xuanxiang had a car. If they needed to go somewhere further, Shi Man would wait until Feng Xuanxiang was free.

After venting to Shi Man, Wang Qiqi immediately felt much better: Girl, my best friend is the best when it counts. I can’t really make Han Tao unhappy over such a small thing. But these days are about to end. I’ve spotted a few properties, but I’m just not sure if Han Tao will be satisfied because the drive from there to his workplace is forty minutes by bike. I’m worried he won't agree.

Such a far-off place. Although Shi Man knew that in the States, a forty-minute drive wasn't really that far, she had visited where Wang Qiqi and the others were staying—it was a satellite city, not very large. If calculated based on the time Wang Qiqi mentioned, it really was on the edge of the city. Weren't you planning to buy a place near the complex you’re currently renting? Why go so far? Is it because of money?

Wang Qiqi: If it were about money, that would be great. But the problem is that the people nearby aren't exactly short on cash, and they also work in this vicinity. There’s no reason for them to move their houses further away. The environment and facilities here are good, so there’s even less reason to switch. Sigh.

Shi Man suddenly had an idea: I wonder if your landlord has any intention of selling? When I stayed at your place last year, we chatted, and they seemed like they planned to move away. They mentioned the climate wasn't great for the old lady’s health.

Shi Man’s message startled Wang Qiqi. The landlord might be thinking of moving? This news initially made Wang Qiqi happy, but then her spirits sank. If the landlords intended to sell, there was no way Han Tao wouldn't know. JOHN was their son, and Han Tao had a good relationship with him; Han Tao had even asked JOHN for help in finding a place. If Mark and his wife were planning to sell, JOHN wouldn't have kept quiet about it.

Wang Qiqi thought that the old couple wasn’t short of money. Although the old man was retired, he was still active in the stock market and wasn't poor. Maybe they were keeping the house so they could return to stay whenever they wished.

Wang Qiqi had planned to drive around the nearby area that afternoon to look for houses for sale, but after hearing this news, she completely lost the motivation to wander around searching. She felt drained and simply stayed home, sleeping the entire afternoon until Han Tao returned.

Han Tao was surprised to find Wang Qiqi wasn't curled up asleep on the sofa when he came in. He felt something was odd, walked to the bedroom, pushed the door open, and saw the air conditioning was on, with Qiqi lying in bed. “Qiqi, have you eaten dinner?”

Wang Qiqi had actually woken up earlier, but she just felt too tired to get up. “No. I don't want to eat. I just want to sleep.”

“You can’t skip meals. I’ll go boil some noodles.” Han Tao knew his wife had been tired these past few days; he could tell from the thick stack of guides she’d prepared, especially knowing she’d cycled to check out every single location, which was more tiring than when she accompanied Bai Ge to rent the shop space—that time, his wife hadn't needed to cycle around looking for properties.

While eating the noodles Han Tao had cooked, Wang Qiqi shared the news about the landlords potentially moving out of town. “Do you think they might sell the house?”

“Impossible,” Han Tao stated firmly. “Mark seems to be a shareholder in a company, and he has to come back for meetings every year. Besides, he has some old friends here.”

“What’s more, rich people like them usually own a lot of properties,” Han Tao added, knowing Wang Qiqi wanted to buy a house nearby mainly for his convenience commuting to work. “And we can continue renting here. We can move into the house we buy once we have a car.”

Wang Qiqi realized he was right; she was being foolish. The rent here wasn't expensive. She only needed to spend money while staying here; if it was empty, she didn't need to pay anything extra. It seemed quite cost-effective. “Fine. Tomorrow I’ll look for a place that isn’t too far away and has a nice environment.” Having made up her mind, Wang Qiqi thought the newer developments looked pretty good too—the age of the buildings and the surrounding environment were better. Especially one complex that had a small artificial lake; in the future, they could buy a small inflatable boat to row on it. “Then let’s look at the complex I told you about last time. The environment is nice, about a fifty-minute drive, and they’ve started pre-selling units.”

Wang Qiqi made a quick decision. “When do you have time for us to go look at them together?” Since she had decided, she wanted to settle it quickly. She was rather worried about leaving money in the stock market; even if she made a little less, it was better than losing money.

Han Tao calculated in his head. “I have two days off this weekend. We can drag Dai Lijun along to look.” Didn't that kid keep boasting about wanting to see his new house? “I expect Daizi will be crashing at our place for a while, so we’ll need at least three bedrooms, right?” That way, his mother would have a place to stay too when she visited.

“Mmm, absolutely necessary.” Wang Qiqi actually thought three rooms might not be enough. “When Mom comes, my aunt and cousins also said they’d come to stay for a while to experience the atmosphere here. Especially Song Yao; she always says once we’ve settled here, she’ll buy a place and send Taotao over.” The couple would probably be earning money back home, and the kids would likely be left under our care.

“Your aunt and them coming to look after the child?” Han Tao immediately worried that Qiqi would be the one looking after Taotao, which was a huge responsibility. It wasn't just about providing food and drink; it was about preventing him from learning bad habits and ensuring he grew up well. How could that responsibility be light? If Taotao came, there was no reason Song Ziwen’s daughter wouldn't come too.

“If my aunt doesn’t come, who will watch the child? Living close by means there’s someone to keep an eye out.” Wang Qiqi was worried at first, but if Wang Damei came, she wouldn't have to worry. However, Wang Qiqi guessed that once they arrived, her leisurely days would be over. Wang Damei would surely lecture her about one thing and another.

The thought of Wang Damei’s arrival made Han Tao’s face furrow too. “Let’s hope they don’t buy a house too close to us.” But that was unlikely. Wang Damei and her husband didn’t speak English; if anything happened, they’d still end up relying on Wang Qiqi. Han Tao could only hope they wouldn't buy the house next door.

“What I’m worried about now is if my aunt comes, and your mom comes too, and they have some kind of conflict over a small matter…” This was Wang Qiqi’s biggest fear. Wang Damei didn't have a very good temper; if one day she clashed with Luo Hongjuan over something trivial, how would she handle it? Wang Qiqi shuddered just thinking about that scene.

“Forget it. Let’s not talk about things so far off. We’ll look at houses this weekend and decide on one quickly.” She couldn't worry too much about the future. Besides, houses were selling so fast; it might be that by the time Song Yao and the others wanted to buy, there wouldn’t be any houses left near their place. Wang Qiqi genuinely felt she was overthinking things.

Dai Lijun panted, trailing behind Wang Qiqi. “Qiqi, how much further?” Heavens, why was the location of the house so far away? It was nearly half an hour by bike! He regretted not sleeping in or chatting with his girlfriend on such a nice day. Moreover, they might not even decide to buy this house today; what a miscalculation.

“We’re almost there,” Wang Qiqi glanced back at classmate Dai Lijun, shaking her head repeatedly. He was considered a man, but his stamina was truly lacking.

Almost there? Dai Lijun didn't want to complain, “Qiqi, you’ve said that countless times.” Dai Lijun had asked how much further after only twenty minutes of riding. Qiqi had said soon then, but now another twenty minutes had passed, and she still said soon. This was too much, considering he’d asked several times in between.

“We’re really here this time,” Wang Qiqi pointed to the residential area appearing ahead. “Besides, how far away do you think I’d buy a house?”

Hearing they were finally arriving, Dai Lijun let out a breath of relief. “Then we’ll rest for a bit before going in.” Dai Lijun looked at the empty road, with only an occasional car passing by. “It’s really desolate here.” It gave him the creeps. “The environment looks nice, though; it’s just a bit far.”

Wang Qiqi sipped some water while listening to Dai Lijun’s endless murmuring. She saw Dai Lijun had already downed most of his water. “Pace yourself. We still have to ride back.” If they ran out of water on the way, it would be disastrous, especially since they hadn't seen any convenience stores along the route.

Dai Lijun was speechless. He really wanted to ignore Wang Qiqi’s advice and finish all the water in his bottle, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. What if they really ran out halfway? Then crying wouldn't help.

Since he couldn’t drink the water, Dai Lijun didn't want to rest either. “Let’s go inside and look at the house.” The sooner they settled this, the sooner they could get back to air conditioning and fruit. Even without fruit, Dai Lijun felt better than he did right now.

Once inside the complex, Dai Lijun found the environment truly excellent, shaded by lush green trees. “It’s quite good, nice environment, and the yard is big too,” he kept nodding as they walked. “Ah! And there’s a lake!” Heavens, Dai Lijun found this incredible. Even if it wasn't large, it was still a lake—at least they could swim or row on it.

“In our country, this would absolutely be a high-end property in a top-tier complex,” Dai Lijun pointed at the houses lining the area, then pointed to the lakeside houses that had private swimming pools, and finally gestured toward the artificial lake. “Han Tao, I seriously suggest you buy a house with a pool.” Next year, he could bring Lu Qiaowei here for swimming and barbecues. The thought of it made Dai Lijun excited, and he kept trying to persuade him.

Han Tao was definitely tempted by this suggestion, and Wang Qiqi was too, but the problem was, “A house with a pool must be expensive, right?” Even without asking the price, Han Tao assumed that instinctively.

“You pay for it for us,” Wang Qiqi thought, realizing how difficult it was to manage finances. It was easy to suggest things when you weren't paying. “And houses with pools are super large units—the five-bedroom, three-living room, four-bathroom, three-toilet kind. Especially the master bedroom, which has a walk-in closet and a study. Do you know how much that would cost? Plus all the furniture you’d need to buy after purchasing it…” Wang Qiqi calculated that the subsequent expenses would be huge. “And the annual property taxes will be higher. Do the math…”

The more Wang Qiqi calculated, the more she realized that large homes, under their current circumstances, were money pits. “It’s just Han Tao and me living here, with you occasionally visiting. It’s not suitable for us.”

Dai Lijun hadn't expected there would be annual taxes. “Taxes?” Wasn't that paid once when the house was bought? Why did they have to pay taxes every year? He truly didn't understand.

“Yes. Land ownership abroad is private, so you have to fulfill certain obligations, like paying taxes.”

“The collection and use of US property tax belong to the local government. The government spends every penny on the citizens, education, and public safety, so they are willing to pay. Moreover, the property tax bill is transparent: how much is spent on the public school district, the library, the fire department… everything is clearly listed. The bulk goes to the school district, usually accounting for 70–80% of the total tax amount. I think that’s reasonable—it’s certainly better than in China, where you have no idea how the taxes are used. Of course, the government re-evaluates your property value every year, and you multiply that value by the tax rate, which here is about 1% to 2%.” Wang Qiqi had looked into the general situation of property tax before; honestly, she was quite satisfied. “When Han Tao and I have children, I’ll buy a house in a good school district—it’s an investment for the kids.”

After hearing Wang Qiqi’s description, Dai Lijun weighed the cost in his mind. “So, if the tax is high, the community environment is better?” He had initially thought that since they had to pay taxes anyway, he’d buy a house in a complex with a low tax rate, but now he realized that might not be advantageous. “Foreigners also choose schools? You mean they have preferences? I wouldn't have thought foreigners cared that much, unlike in our country, where everyone rushes to get into good schools through connections. I never see parents being called to school frequently because their kids have bad grades here, and there aren't many students taking tutoring or cram classes.”

“Why wouldn't they?” Wang Qiqi gave him a look. “Those with means buy houses near good schools; those without can rent.” Wang Qiqi thought this aspect was better than in China, where school admission was tied to household registration within the district, and the property owner had to be the child’s parent. Otherwise, even grandparents couldn't enroll the child. Wang Qiqi suspected this rule was invented so the schools could collect sponsorship fees—she’d seen parents queue up for days just to secure a spot in a prestigious kindergarten in later years.

“Renting a house also allows enrollment?” Dai Lijun hadn't expected foreigners would have such a policy; that was too much…

“A lot of foreigners rent. Do you think in China, you must buy a house? You should know that foreigners support their children until they graduate from university if they have the means. If they don’t, they stop once the child turns sixteen, let alone saving for a dowry or wedding fund,” Wang Qiqi thought about the heavy burden on Chinese parents, who start saving for education and marriage funds from the moment a child is born. If the child studies abroad, the cost is even higher. For boys, having a wedding house is a significant pressure, especially with the rapid rise in housing prices later on—it’s a heavy burden for many Chinese parents.

Hearing this, Dai Lijun’s mouth dropped wide open. “Then I must immigrate here! Then I can have ten or eight children without worrying! They can all attend public school, tuition-free, and I won't have to bleed money when they get married…” Dai Lijun mused that he could completely fulfill his ancestors' wish for many sons and blessings, though the main point was that the required spending wasn't that much. Besides, it wasn't like the US population was small—if he had many children, maybe the government would even offer subsidies? Calculating it this way, having more children might even earn him money.

“Ten or eight?” Han Tao exclaimed. He envied Dai Lijun’s thought, but he figured Qiqi would never agree to have that many children, especially since women can’t do many things during pregnancy. “I only need Qiqi to have four or five, that’s enough.”

“Heavens, do you think Weiwei is a sow?” Wang Qiqi was so shocked by Dai Lijun’s words her jaw almost unhinged. “I have to talk to Weiwei when I get back. Even one a year would take ten years! Have you considered the issue of caring for the baby after it’s born…”

Before Wang Qiqi could finish lecturing someone for being too excessive, Han Tao’s words almost made her choke. She glared at Han Tao, “Are you serious? Do you want to start a basketball team?” Damn it, so he only handles the sowing and nothing else afterward? “Who is going to take care of the children? Do you think I’m a robot who never gets tired?”

“And are you really planning to just father them and leave the education to others?”

“Your mom won’t tell you how irresponsible you are then?” Wang Qiqi agreed with the foreign approach to child-rearing, but would Luo Hongjuan be willing to do that? The affection grandparents have for grandchildren is a huge factor. If Han Tao was busy with work every day, wouldn't she be the one suffering in the end? Wang Qiqi worried she’d end up fighting two mountains, with Wang Damei being the third.

“And you, Dai Lijun, I’m going to report every single word you said today to Lu Qiaowei. Let’s see you smile then.” Wang Qiqi intended to lecture Han Tao a bit more, but seeing Dai Lijun covering his mouth and stifling a laugh nearby, she immediately turned her fire on the simpleton. Hmph, if he hadn't brought this up, would things have turned out like this? “Let’s see what you do then.”

Wang Qiqi’s words snapped Han Tao from the pleasant daydream of being called "Dad" by a gaggle of little sprouts. Right, children needed guidance to amount to anything. If he brought them into the world only to neglect them, like that brat Han Jun, Han Tao felt he might as well leap into the Great Lakes. "Exactly, exactly! On the subject of children, we must absolutely prioritize quality over quantity. They have to be successful. If we raise an ungrateful brat or a good-for-nothing spendthrift, it’s better they were never born." Han Tao swiftly aligned himself with the dominant side.

Dai Lijun chuckled softly from the side, thinking the domestic squabble would make them forget his earlier words. He knew precisely how much Lu Qiaowei cared about her figure; asking her to bear eight or ten children was a guaranteed path to refusal. But he hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to turn the tables on him so quickly, and his good buddy was now siding with her! "Hey, Han Tao, don't you forget how Qiqi disciplined you before..."