Chapter Two: Purchasing a House and Settling Down

"Grandma Liu, I remember Grandpa worked at the Housing Authority, right? I want to buy a second-hand apartment near the University of Science and Technology. Could you ask Grandpa Liu if, under these circumstances, he can help me and Zhang Zhang transfer our household registration there?"

They were still renting their current place, an old dormitory belonging to the Tax Bureau. Years ago, Chen Xin’s elder sister, Chen Ai, and her husband had rented this very place when they got married. They planned to save some money and hopefully purchase a welfare apartment from their workplace when the opportunity arose.

But fate was unkind to Chen Ai. Her husband died in the line of duty, and she herself, overcome with grief, suffered a fatal hemorrhage during childbirth and never made it out of the operating room. Chen Xin, freshly graduated from high school, was left to care for a baby on her own, with no choice but to stay in this rented apartment. Fortunately, they had signed a five-year lease with the landlord at the time. Rents were supposed to rise every two years, but Sister Wei, the landlord, took pity on them and kept the rent unchanged, never rushing them for payment—she collected it only when they had the money.

"Why do you want to buy a house?" Grandma Liu asked, frowning as she held Zhang Zhang. "It’s better to keep your money. What if you suddenly need it? Where would you borrow money then?"

"It’s not that, Grandma," Chen Xin explained. "Zhang Zhang is growing up, and he’ll need a household registration for kindergarten and school. If my sister and brother-in-law were still here, it wouldn’t matter—he could be registered with my sister. But my sister only had a collective household registration at her work unit, so when Zhang Zhang was registered, it had to be with me, back in my hometown. After the summer, I’ll be going to university and will have to transfer my household registration to the school. Then what about Zhang Zhang? Should he go back to the countryside? I’ve been thinking, maybe I could buy a small apartment near the University, nothing big—just enough for the two of us to register."

Chen Xin vaguely remembered that there used to be a policy allowing you to get a household registration by purchasing a property, but she didn’t know when it was implemented.

When Grandpa Liu returned from playing chess with his old friends that afternoon and heard about Chen Xin’s situation, he offered a suggestion.

"Right now, there’s no household registration policy for homebuyers—only for those joining relatives. You could still do it by buying a place, but you’ll have to wait until you graduate and use your graduate assignment certificate to complete the registration. By then, Zhang Zhang will be five, still a year or two before starting primary school, so there’s no rush. As for kindergarten, you could try approaching the Military Affairs Office and see if Zhang Zhang’s father’s status might qualify you for some preferential treatment. Your sister never asked them for help, but now, in your situation, the army ought to do something for you."

Chen Xin was proactive. The next day, she brought all the necessary documents and proofs to the Military Affairs Office.

After verifying the details about her brother-in-law, one of the staff members called his superior right in front of her—though he did so privately. He wanted to know where the limits were and what help could be offered within the rules.

The officer remembered Chen Xin’s brother-in-law and, upon learning of her difficulties, immediately ordered the Military Affairs Office to help secure the household registration for Zhang Zhang. The staff member also told Chen Xin that if she couldn’t find a suitable kindergarten, she could come back to him—he’d try to arrange a place for Zhang Zhang at the military district kindergarten, with full boarding, so long as Chen Xin picked him up on weekends. As for fees, they could apply for some discounts or exemptions. But for full boarding, Zhang Zhang would need to be able to use the bathroom by himself and communicate a little, so the earliest would be around age two.

"My wife works at the military district kindergarten," the officer added. "If nothing else works, you could send the child to my place."

Of course, it was more a gesture than a real offer. Whether Chen Xin would be willing, or whether the officer’s wife would be, was another matter entirely.

Chen Xin didn’t refuse outright. She just smiled and thanked him, saying she could manage for now but might need to trouble him for help in the future if things became difficult.

The officer was genuinely kind, and Chen Xin didn’t want to take undue advantage. Both were tactful, and after a pleasant chat, she took her leave.

With the household registration matter nearly settled, it was up to her to find and buy an apartment so they could be registered there.

In 1995, property prices were still low—a sixty-square-meter apartment cost just over thirty thousand yuan.

Grandpa Liu took Chen Xin around to look at places. The area around the University had once housed several factory and mine families. Some factories had gone bankrupt, others merged or relocated, leaving behind old residential complexes full of people from all walks of life. The apartments dated back to the seventies—small, with no dedicated living rooms. A so-called one-bedroom unit was just one main room with a small entry hall and kitchen and bathroom.

The entry hall was barely five or six square meters, the bedroom about fifteen square meters, plus a balcony—altogether, less than twenty. The kitchen and bathroom, connected, were another ten square meters or so, and there was a utility balcony of three or four square meters, good for a washing machine or for drying clothes.

All told, it was less than forty square meters. The owner asked for twenty-six thousand yuan. Grandpa Liu thought it was too much—he wouldn’t pay more than twenty-two thousand.

But the owners’ son had done well and wanted to take his parents to enjoy life elsewhere. They were leaving behind all the major furniture and home appliances for the buyer, worth about three thousand yuan.

They looked at other places nearby. The ones they liked were too expensive; the cheaper ones needed a complete overhaul before moving in.

In the end, they went back to negotiate with the first owner. After understanding Chen Xin’s situation, he reduced the price, offering everything together for twenty-three thousand six hundred yuan. This included all appliances and even unused bedding. With the payment and paperwork done, Chen Xin could move in with her child right away.

More importantly, they left her the bathroom heater and the bedroom’s warming fan, so the child wouldn’t be cold in winter. The owners’ son also had a child, and the elderly couple gave Chen Xin all the winter clothes and pants their grandson had outgrown, freshly washed and sun-dried—just right for little Zhang Zhang.

It took a week to settle the property rights. Before the New Year, Chen Xin and her child moved into their small apartment.

The University was only a street and a half from their old rental. Every few days, Chen Xin would take her child out for a walk and stop by Grandma Liu’s. On good days, the elderly Liu couple would stroll over to visit the mother and child as well.

There was another good thing, too. The previous landlord, knowing Chen Xin was looking for private work, introduced her to a relative in the neighboring city who worked in commerce, occasionally needing translation and help writing advertisements. Chen Xin did a couple of trial jobs, and the feedback was positive, so they struck up an informal long-term arrangement. The pay was prompt, and though the rate was a little below market, Chen Xin accepted—she didn’t want to sit idle and live off her savings.

As her reputation grew, Chen Xin was soon earning just enough each month to support herself and her child.

But she knew this income wasn’t enough. She had to save for her tuition before enrollment, as well as for the child’s kindergarten fees.