Chen Lan took the stamps wrapped in old newspapers and put them directly into her satchel without even looking at them again. Then she grabbed her daughter, Jiahui, and prepared to wait outside the post office for Xu Mingxuan, so as not to be stared at like a monster by the post office staff.
Chen Lan and Jiahui, mother and daughter, walked out of the post office. Chen Lan looked around and found no one. She reached into her satchel and instantly stored all the stamps, which had cost her nearly five hundred yuan, into the system's warehouse.
Jiahui hung the breakfast she had brought for Old Man Zhang and the others on the bicycle she was pushing, and then stood outside the post office with Chen Lan, waiting for Xu Mingxuan, who was mailing letters.
Jiahui cautiously glanced around and, seeing no one, quietly asked, "Mom, why did you buy so many stamps? There's nowhere to write letters when we get back to the valley! How long will it take to use all these stamps?"
Chen Lan smiled and joked, "Jiahui, Mom bought these stamps to keep for you brothers and sisters as dowries and betrothal gifts in the future."
As soon as Jiahui heard Chen Lan mention dowries, her face immediately turned red with embarrassment, and she didn't dare to ask any further questions.
Just then, Xu Mingxuan quickly walked out of the post office. Seeing his wife and daughter waiting for him outside the post office, he hurried to ask, "Lan'er, daughter, have you been waiting long? Let's go! We can talk as we walk."
With that, he took two quick steps to reach his wife and daughter, tugged on Chen Lan's arm, and then strode forward with long legs, explaining as he walked, "I was worried about Weidang's leg and feared they would delay too long, so I sent an urgent telegram to Baozi. That's why I was delayed."
Xu Mingxuan spoke while looking around. Seeing that there weren't many people outside the post office, he quietly asked, "Lan'er, are you buying so many stamps to leave for the children in the future? Will these things be really valuable in a few decades?"
Chen Lan nodded very affirmatively at Xu Mingxuan and said, "Yes, very valuable. Stamps worth eight fen now will likely be worth at least eighty yuan each in a few decades!"
Hearing Chen Lan say this, Xu Mingxuan and Jiahui, father and daughter, simultaneously gasped in surprise. Jiahui covered her mouth with her hand and whispered in amazement, "Mom, is that true? Stamps worth eight fen will be worth eighty yuan in a few decades? That's a thousand times more!"
Chen Lan nodded and replied, "That's right, it's absolutely true. Your grandfather said so."
Jiahui pushed the bicycle forward, calculating in her mind, and then suddenly asked in an exaggerated whisper, "Oh my goodness! Does that mean our five hundred yuan will become five hundred thousand yuan in a few decades?"
Chen Lan nodded and replied, "You could say that. It's likely to be around that amount, maybe even more than five hundred thousand! It depends on the specific quantity of these stamps in the stamp market decades from now. If there are fewer stamps on the market, they will naturally be more valuable. As the saying goes, rarity breeds value. Of course, the more you hoard, the less valuable they will be."
Jiahui couldn't help but exclaim, "Mom, isn't this like hitting the jackpot? If we hit it, it's a pile of gold ingots, and we'll be rich. If we don't, it's still just a pile of stamps."
Chen Lan smiled and said, "Jiahui, you're right, it's pretty much like that. This is called investment and financial management, betting on one's foresight and insight. Mom believes in her own judgment, and I believe that in ten or twenty years, these stamps will definitely turn into gold ingots."
With that, Chen Lan patted Jiahui's arm and said, "Of course, investments should also have a suitable limit. We can't let investments affect our normal lives, otherwise, the losses will outweigh the gains! Alright! Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's hurry back. The people working at home are waiting for breakfast!"
For the next few days, except for not having enough wood for making furniture, Chen Lan and Xu Mingxuan went to the scrap recycling station again and brought back a carload of old furniture and wood. The family, except for going out to eat and bathe, really didn't go anywhere. They were all busy working at home, partly because Xu Mingxuan would soon be starting school and wouldn't have time to help at home,
and partly because Baozi and the others should be arriving soon, so the house needed to be tidied up for them to stay.
Moreover, for Weidang to recover quickly from his treatment in Harbin, he would need to be given nourishing broths and soups at home.
Therefore, Chen Lan asked Jiyao and his brothers to help tidy up the kitchen first. Once the well outside the kitchen was dug and the kitchen was tidied up, they could start cooking at home.
With modern well-digging tools, digging a well was indeed very fast. Jiyao and his brothers finished digging the well outside the kitchen in less than a day. Just as Chen Lan had predicted, the water from the newly dug well was incredibly clear and very sweet.
After the Jiyao brothers finished digging the well, they moved to the rooftop to install the solar photovoltaic power generation equipment. Chen Lan and her husband were responsible for tidying up the kitchen and stocking it with pots, pans, cooking oil, salt, and vinegar. Su Dan Novel Network.
Every day, the couple carried two empty baskets out and returned with two full baskets. They continued this back and forth for three full days. After buying the coal and firewood needed for cooking, they could finally start cooking at home.
Finally, Old Man Zhang and his family finished making the doors, windows, and furniture. Before Baozi and his group arrived, Xu Mingxuan also reached the day he had to go to school.
Chen Lan decided to take advantage of Xu Mingxuan's remaining time before school to invite Sister Zhao's entire family, Old Man Zhang's entire family, and Second Brother Zhang's entire family for a housewarming meal in their new home.
Since it was a renovation of an old house, Chen Lan wasn't overly fussy, but there were still things she felt needed to be done properly. So, early in the morning, the family packed their belongings and checked out of the guesthouse.
Upon returning home, the family immediately got busy. Xu Mingxuan and his three sons went to the rooftop to check the power generation status of the rooftop photovoltaic equipment.
Chen Lan and Jiahui naturally went to the kitchen first. To start the stove, they first prepared to boil a pot of water, symbolizing a continuous flow of wealth and future prosperity.
Then, they opened all the windows and doors of the kitchen to let the outside breeze in, symbolizing that the family's days would be prosperous and flourishing.
At the same time, Chen Lan asked Jiahui to turn on the faucet and let the water slowly fill all the pots and pans in the kitchen, symbolizing abundance and overflowing wealth.
Chen Lan decided to make sweet glutinous rice balls in sweet fermented rice and sweet fermented eggs for breakfast. For the main course, she asked Jiahe to ride his bicycle to the state-run Gengxin Restaurant to buy baked flatbreads and donkey meat burgers.
Chen Lan felt that the first meal in their new home should be something sweet, signifying that the family's future days would surely be sweet.