031 Buying a House Is an Investment

That high-tech basement, those cold machines.
The severed index finger, the dissected brain, limbs infused with nutrient solution.
The agony of being unable to live, unable to die.
Even recalling it now sent a shiver through Lin Xia, as she gazed at the faint bluish mark on her left index finger, resembling a beautiful tattoo.
With each return, the mark that had initially been hidden within her finger gradually became more visible.
Though it was light, a careful look could still reveal traces of it.
This secret must never be told, never to anyone.
Lin Xia resolved silently in her heart.
Thinking of her savings, Lin Xia felt a little frustrated. After writing short stories for so long, she’d only managed to save twenty thousand yuan, and that was at the publisher’s generous rate of one hundred twenty yuan per thousand characters.
If not for such a high price, her savings wouldn’t even reach ten thousand.
This realization brought a sense of crisis.
High school was demanding, her handwriting slow, and communicating with publishers inconvenient. She definitely needed a computer.
But with only this little money, what could she do?
Her parents had two million, but they’d been frugal their whole lives, surely saving to buy a house.
Buy a house—that’s it, use the money to buy a house!
Lin Xia suddenly saw it clearly, knocking herself on the head. How could she be so foolish as to forget such a simple solution?
True, her own savings were meager, but her parents had money. If she persuaded them to buy a house in W City, they could simply wait for its value to rise, and if she or Lin Hui attended university in W City, there would be a place to stay.
If there was extra money, they could buy a place in the county too—after all, property prices were still low, barely over one thousand per square meter.

Having made up her mind, Lin Xia decided to discuss it with her father at dinner.
She shuffled in slippers, pulled an outfit from the cupboard, and went into the bathroom.
After a leisurely bath in her private space, she changed clothes in the bathroom, then sat at her desk, picked up an English reading comprehension book, and started working.
At dinner, the family gathered around the table, and Lin Xia spoke up, “Dad, now that we have some assets, putting money in the bank hardly earns any interest. Why not buy a house? Look, ten years ago, this big plot of land was just over a thousand, and now it can sell for over a hundred thousand. If we buy a place in the city, imagine how much it’ll be worth in ten years. Right now, the best properties in W City will appreciate, and then a single apartment could sell for one or two million!”
She handed him a folder, “I asked Sister Miao to look up these materials online. Real estate speculation is hardly news anymore. We don’t have spare cash for speculation, but buying a house as backup is quite feasible.”
Indeed, property speculation began in 2002, with Wenzhou people being the most active; it was no longer news for a Wenzhou investor to buy dozens of apartments in Shanghai at once.
Now, it was 2003, speculation had only just begun, and people in remote towns had no idea about it.
In 2002, the average pre-sale price for Shanghai residential properties was 4,803 yuan per square meter; by the first quarter of 2003, that average had reached 5,158. At several real estate expos this July, the prices of new developments in the area rose another five hundred per square meter.
Seeing the bold “Wenzhou Groups Touring Shanghai for Properties,” Lin Jiagui was obviously tempted.
But after glancing at the prices, he frowned, “Look at how expensive Shanghai is—5,600 per square meter. A hundred-square-meter apartment runs 560,000, and with renovations, nearly a million! It’s too much.”
Lin Xia knew it wouldn’t be easy to get approval for buying a house, but she wasn’t discouraged, just urged, “Dad, look at the location, 560,000 is already cheap. With the way speculation is going, it’ll be impossible to buy a place like this for less than two million in the future.”
“A single apartment for two million? Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?” her mother said doubtfully.
“Mom, let’s put it this way: ten years ago, if I offered two thousand for your house, would you have sold it?”
“Of course I would!”
“And if I offered twenty thousand now, would you sell it? That’s a tenfold increase!”
“Certainly not, I wouldn’t even sell for a hundred thousand.”
“So you see, if we have a house like this, in ten years—when I’m twenty-three—it’ll definitely be worth two million. Think about it: two apartments, and even if Lin Hui doesn’t get into a good university or find a good job, just collecting rent would be enough to live on.”
This struck a chord with her father. He had worked tirelessly his whole life for his two children.

Now, his daughter, so young, was more capable than the two of them, with excellent grades—no worries for the future. His son, mischievous and inconsistent in his studies, was his concern.
Hearing his daughter’s reasoning, his mind stirred; buying property was not a bad idea, at least it wouldn’t depreciate.
But…
“Shanghai is so far from here, why buy property there? Better to buy in the county.” As he said this, it was as if a light had dawned, and he brightened, “You’ll be going to high school in a couple of years, so why not buy a house in the county? When you start high school, we can move there, and your brother can have access to better education too—it’s certainly better than the town’s school, and easier to get into university.”
Lin Xia nodded, “That’s what I was thinking too. Buy a place in the county, another in W City, so when Lin Hui or I go to university, we’ll have somewhere to stay. After I graduate, I definitely won’t stay in the county, and I suppose Lin Hui won’t either. You might as well buy him a hundred-square-meter apartment in the city; when we graduate and look for work, we’ll have a home.”
Her father considered it, and it made sense: buy a place in the city now, renovate it in a few years; buy in the county this year, and next year, after her brother finishes elementary school, he can attend middle school in the county. Lin Xia’s third year was crucial, perfect timing for a better school.
Thinking it over, Lin Jiagui agreed, “Alright, I’ll call your cousin soon to ask how much it costs to buy a place in W City, and what procedures are needed. As for the county, I’ll ask your second aunt to help.”
Her second aunt had married into the county and lived there for many years, knowing more than Lin Xia’s family did.
“Good, Dad, keep an eye on the news about property. Buying now is definitely worthwhile; prices will probably continue to rise, and we have the spare funds.” Lin Xia smiled.
“No matter what happens, I’ll buy a place in the county for both of you. Even if life doesn’t go well, at least you’ll have a home.” Lin Jiagui chuckled.
“Thank you, Dad. I’m going upstairs to read now.” Lin Xia felt a warmth in her heart and put down her chopsticks. “When Lin Hui finishes eating, tell him to come up—I’ll check his homework.”
“Alright, I’ll send him up when he’s back.”