Chapter Seventy-Two: Awe

Although he had only overheard fragments of the conversation, Zhang Wei, drawing on his knowledge of real estate, could already piece together the situation. It was nothing more than his parents having borrowed some money from his second uncle’s family to buy a house for him. Originally, Zhang Wei’s parents planned to pay back the borrowed money by the end of the year, once the house was completed and the property certificate obtained, allowing them to mortgage it. The problem now was that the developer had delayed construction, making it impossible to finish the house by year’s end, so there was no way to secure a loan against it.

There are many similarities between new property sales and second-hand real estate agencies, but also key differences. For instance, in new developments, properties are divided into completed and pre-sold units. Completed properties are those that are ready for occupation, with all permits in order. Pre-sold units, on the other hand, are not yet built and cannot be handed over or occupied, meaning there’s no way to process a property certificate. The house Zhang Wei’s parents bought was one such pre-sold unit.

Pre-sold units have both advantages and disadvantages compared to completed ones. Their main benefit is a lower price and more options, but the drawback is that significant funds are tied up without the ability to move in right away.

In fact, the main reason for pre-sold units is that developers want to secure sufficient capital by selling houses before they are built. This not only provides ample funds for construction but also spreads the risk—a win-win for developers. The situation Zhang Jianguo, Zhang Wei’s father, described was a common tactic among developers. For example, if a planned community has twelve buildings, the developer might pre-sell Building One, which brings in less profit than selling a completed unit but provides an early influx of funds.

Once the developer has this capital, they begin construction—but never on the already pre-sold Building One. Instead, they focus on completing the other eleven buildings. Only after selling those as completed units and gaining enough profit will they return to finish Building One.

The reasoning is clear: since Building One has been pre-sold, finishing it sooner yields no extra gain, but consumes valuable capital. By completing and selling the other buildings first, they can maximize their funds.

This is exactly where the conflict between Zhang Jianguo and the developer arose. The contract stated that the first building would be finished by year’s end. Zhang Jianguo assumed it meant the one he had bought, but the developer, prioritizing capital, would always finish the other buildings first.

As a result, Zhang Jianguo’s house would not be completed by year’s end, so he couldn’t obtain a property certificate, nor use it as collateral for a loan. Failing to get a bank loan, he was left with no choice but to mortgage the house to his younger brother and sister-in-law as agreed.

In retrospect, the matter seemed simple, but it’s easy to see things clearly as a bystander; for those involved, it’s much harder. Otherwise, Zhang Wei’s cautious parents would never have fallen into such a predicament, to the point of being pressured and chased for repayment.

Liu Guihua’s words just now had considerable weight, and all four people in the room fell silent for a moment. After sorting out his thoughts, Zhang Jianguo said, “Sister-in-law, you’re right—I can’t repay you yet. But I hope we can stick to our agreement. I’ll try to pay you back by the end of the year, and only if I can’t, I’ll mortgage the house to you. How does that sound?”

“Big brother, since you’ll have to mortgage the house to us sooner or later, why not just do it now? Why wait until the end of the year?” Liu Guihua replied, clearly dissatisfied.

Though Zhang Jianguo and his wife were honest people, that did not mean they were foolish. Liu Guihua’s eagerness to collect the debt was not out of genuine need, but because she coveted the house Zhang Jianguo bought. Since the purchase, the price of the house had continued to rise in a short time.

Liu Guihua and her husband were pressing Zhang Jianguo’s family to mortgage the house to them because they saw its great potential. At the current rate, the house would appreciate by at least fifty thousand yuan by the end of the year. Shrewd and aggressive as she was, Liu Guihua naturally wanted to get her hands on it now.

“Sister-in-law, say no more. Before year’s end, I won’t mortgage this house to anyone,” Zhang Jianguo said stubbornly, his temper flaring.

“Guihua, since big brother has spoken, let’s just go,” Zhang Wei’s second uncle, who had been silent since entering the house, tugged gently at Liu Guihua’s sleeve, speaking cautiously.

“Shut up! This has nothing to do with you. You’re only ever in the way,” Liu Guihua scolded him mercilessly.

“Sigh... I’m going out for a smoke. You all talk it over,” Zhang Wei’s second uncle, face fallen after her rebuke, didn’t dare retort. He stood up and walked toward the door.

“Go wherever you want. You’re just a spare part,” Liu Guihua snapped.

Seeing her husband’s meekness made Liu Guihua even angrier. He sat in Zhang Jianguo’s house, saying nothing, and the one thing he did say was siding with outsiders. For someone as calculating as Liu Guihua, this was infuriating.

The couple were an odd pair: the husband overly honest, the wife much too shrewd. That they had managed to spend so many years together was a wonder in itself.

As Zhang Wei’s second uncle opened the door, he was surprised to see Zhang Wei and his younger brother Zhang Song standing outside. He paused and asked, “Zhang Wei, when did you get back? How come your parents didn’t mention it?”

“Uncle, I just got back from Beijing and haven’t had a chance to see them yet,” Zhang Wei replied, forcing a slight smile.

“Well, your timing is perfect. Your parents spent all their savings to buy a house for you, and as their son, you’re pretty heartless,” Liu Guihua called out from inside, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Sister-in-law, Zhang Wei didn’t even know we were buying a house for him. There’s no need to take it out on the child,” Zhang Jianguo retorted, frowning.

“Big brother, I don’t want to meddle in your family’s affairs, but you must pay me back today,” Liu Guihua pressed relentlessly.

“Sister-in-law, I promise I’ll pay you back by the end of the year, but I truly don’t have the money now,” Zhang Jianguo sighed.

“Big brother, that’s not fair. When we kindly lent you the money, you were happy to take it, but now I need it urgently and you refuse to return it. What’s that about?” Liu Guihua replied.

“Sister-in-law, your family’s doing well, and you haven’t had any big expenses these past two years. How could you possibly need the money so urgently?” Li Huilan asked.

“Sister-in-law, so you’re allowed to buy a house but I’m not?” Liu Guihua shot back. “With the property market like this, prices rising every day, it’s more profitable than any business. I want to buy a house myself and see it appreciate.”

“Aunt, after all this talk, it’s just that you’re jealous of my parents’ house going up in value. You want your money back to buy your own place, or for my parents to mortgage theirs to you, right?” Zhang Wei fixed his gaze on Liu Guihua, unerringly exposing her true intentions.

“So what if I am? Stop pretending to be so mysterious. If you’re so capable, pay off your parents’ debt yourself,” Liu Guihua shot back, stung by his words.

“You guessed right. I came back from Beijing specifically to do just that,” Zhang Wei replied with a cold laugh.

“Boasting like that—you’re not afraid of biting your own tongue? Your parents owe me a hundred thousand yuan! Can you really pay it back?” Liu Guihua sneered, not believing for a moment that Zhang Wei could settle such a large sum.

“Will this be enough?” Zhang Wei asked, taking a paper bag from Zhang Song and dumping twenty bundles of red banknotes onto the table before Liu Guihua.

Twenty bundles of ten-thousand-yuan notes—two thousand bills in all—presented a staggering sight to most people. As the money spilled across the table, the four elders in the room, apart from Zhang Wei and his brother, stared in disbelief, utterly dumbfounded by the pile of red bills before their eyes.