Chapter 89 Wandering in the Siheyuan

The professor was inspired to talk about the siheyuan he had lived in when he was a child. It was an old siheyuan that had not been renovated. Although it was not a slum, it was definitely not as comfortable as the current house, let alone a high-end living experience.

Although the siheyuan (quaiheyuan) houses of the past were built of blue brick and tile and had glass windows, they certainly didn't have modern bathrooms. Everyone used toilets or public restrooms at the entrance of the alley. There was no air conditioning, and few could even install ceiling fans on the beams. For water supply, pipes were run into the courtyard, and a cement pool was built. This sink was used for brushing teeth, washing face, cooking, washing clothes, and rinsing mops. Cooking was done with coal briquettes and a stove, creating a smoky atmosphere. Because the houses were one-story, mosquitoes were numerous in the summer and freezing in the winter, making the stove useless.

Lin Ruoyan's newly renovated courtyard house may look similar to a traditional one, but the interior features have undergone significant changes. It features a central air conditioning system with multiple units, concealed plumbing, water supply, and gas lines, and even underfloor heating. In winter, with its own heating system, it's definitely not cold. The windows, made of thermally-insulated aluminum alloy with a wood-like design and fitted with screens, retain their antique charm from a distance. However, the interior is more comfortable than typical new commercial housing, rivaling even the larger suburban villas.

As soon as you enter the main house, you will see that the east and west rooms are exquisitely decorated. Both are suites with their own bathrooms and antique furniture. Judging from the specifications, they are used to receive more high-end guests.

The back row is the servants' rooms, each with its own bathroom, and a guard room guarding the entrance to the yard. It is much more advanced than an ordinary message room and actually has a surveillance screen.

The east wing, just after entering the courtyard, was converted into a kitchen and banquet hall. The banquet hall could accommodate two large round tables for ten people, and the kitchen was equipped with all kinds of high-end equipment, both Chinese and Western, and was no less than a hotel kitchen.

The west wing houses an equipment room, a warehouse, and a garage with space for two cars and a repair area. The garage entrance opens from the south wall, allowing cars to drive directly into the courtyard.

Between the first and second courtyards lies a traditional hanging flower gate, the place where Lin Ruoyan lives. There's a veranda, seasonal flowers and trees, and a rockery pond with plump koi. Overall, the space is much more spacious than the first courtyard and full of life, like a villa with a large garden.

The main house in the second courtyard is higher than that in the first courtyard, and it also has a three-bright-two-dark layout.

The south wing has no back rooms, only a veranda and a half-waterside pavilion. The east wing has three rooms, housing a study, a small dining room, and a bedroom with an en suite bathroom. This is where Lin Mengxi is accommodated. The west wing has a similar layout, but without the small dining room. The study is larger and currently has no permanent occupant. It only has furniture, no daily necessities.

The main house and main hall are different from the first one. The house here is taller, with the highest point under the roof reaching 6.8 meters. It is decorated in a modern and simple style. When the door is closed, it looks more like a high-ceilinged living room in a large villa.

On the east side of the living room is Lin Ruoyan's bedroom. It makes full use of the height of the main room and is designed in a loft style. The comfortable double bed is placed in the attic. The large space under the attic is a large bathroom with good lighting. The dark room in the main room with poor lighting is made into a cloakroom. The rest of the space is filled with furniture for her home office. The overall function is equivalent to a modern small living room plus a study, but there are more leisure and entertainment items and fewer books.

The layout is the same on the west side of the living room, and it is a room prepared for my brother Lin.

The professor had been here before the courtyard was renovated and remembered that the antique furniture was moved out of the basement. Curious, he asked, "Ms. Lin, I remember there was a basement in this courtyard. I wonder if it's been renovated?"

Lin Ruoyan smiled slightly and led the professor to the ingenious design of Professor Qiao. She said, "Of course, you see, we have to go to the basement from here..."

Speaking of the design of entering the basement, Lin Ruoyan was also very surprised at the time.

She had toured the entire courtyard before moving in, and at first glance, she couldn't find the way to the basement. Later, she discovered the mechanism in the main hall of the second courtyard. This was a visual trick that made it impossible to notice that the main hall was shorter than the main rooms on its left and right.

Lin Ruoyan walked around her bedroom suite twice before realizing that the north wall of the main hall seemed to have shifted southward. She discovered the entrance to the "secret passage" in the antique display cases on either side of the mural.

Turning the vase revealed a secret passage. The staircase leading down to the basement was hidden within a 1.5-meter-wide wall. Furthermore, this wasn't a pitch-black space; it had high windows facing north. Between the north room of the second courtyard and the rear building of the third courtyard lay a small courtyard, filled with birdsong, flowers, and bamboo groves, all visible from the fully-lit steps leading down to the basement.

Lin Ruoyan led the professor into the basement. This space had been renovated from a former furniture storage space. It housed audiovisual entertainment, fitness, a wine cellar, and a collection room, housing delicate items requiring temperature and humidity control.

Lin Ruoyan was a little disappointed that, in order to move in quickly, they hadn't dug a deeper basement or added a swimming pool. However, Qiao Yizi had left room for further digging later. Lin Ruoyan figured that if she could live longer than eight months, then it wouldn't be too late to consider renovating the courtyard house.

After touring the first two courtyards, the professor spotted a small door. It was currently closed, but it would provide easy access to the two courtyards at the back. He couldn't help but ask, "Ms. Lin, I heard those two courtyards at the back are going to be a boutique hotel. When will they open?"

Lin Ruoyan explained, "That place can't be called a boutique hotel. It's much smaller than a hotel, with only about ten rooms. It's run like a B&B, with a cafe and restaurant. It's expected to open in a month or two. It will mainly accommodate foreign guests or tourists from other provinces and cities visiting Beijing, allowing them to experience the charm of Beijing's traditional houses."

The professor pleaded, "That's great! I happen to have a few foreign friends who used to come to Beijing frequently and stay in regular hotels. They've always wanted to experience living in a siheyuan. We've been unable to find a place that can properly accommodate them. Your place looks great. Be sure to let me know when it opens."

Lin Ruoyan was of course happy to agree. She said, "Of course. My assistant Hua Mengmeng is in charge of the B&B. I asked her to contact you in advance to see what kind of rooms and tourist reception you require. She's a professional in this."

This time the professor brought Hu Quan as a guest, and both hosts and guests had a great time. Lin Ruoyan also made an appointment with Hu Quan to visit his factory in Guangdong Province in the south the day after tomorrow.

At this time, Lin Ruoyan didn't know that she would gain more from her trip to the south.