Chapter 30 Chapter 30 House Viewing.
Not to mention Lin Sen, Lin Zhi and Song Jiaoniang were all stunned. When they'd inquired, they'd found that monthly rent for a residence in Bianjing was only three or five strings of cash, and annual rent at most sixty strings of cash. The family had assumed that two hundred strings of cash would be enough to buy a shop, a residence, and furnishings. But they hadn't expected the three storefronts in front of them to cost a whopping twelve hundred strings of cash.
"Big brother, you've just arrived in Bianjing, haven't you?" The shopkeeper said with a smile, "We're in Bianjing! Let me tell you, if my husband wasn't short on money, he wouldn't have offered this price just now. On a normal day, he'd have to add another two or three hundred strings of cash."
"One thousand two hundred strings of cash...isn't that expensive?" Lin Sen took a breath, remembering how he had patted his chest yesterday and said that two hundred strings of cash was more than enough. Now he felt his cheeks burning.
"You can rent it, too. The annual rent is eighty strings of cash, payable over three years, in one lump sum." The man added.
The rent of 240 strings of cash, plus the cost of decoration, kitchen utensils and purchases, all the family’s savings were gone in the blink of an eye.
Lin Sen did a quick calculation and felt a sharp pain in his teeth. The man, noticing his embarrassment, said, "If you don't believe me, just look over there. I just posted the price yesterday, and I was asked to stay here today because I thought it wouldn't take long to sell."
Before Lin Sen could even begin to speak, several brokers arrived, bringing clients with them. Within two cups of tea, a young couple had paid a deposit of 100 guan (approximately 100 guan) and booked the shop.
Lin Zhi was stunned. She walked over to the nearby drink stall and bought a cup of lychee sweet water. Then she took the opportunity to ask, "Sister, are all the shops here so expensive?"
Although she had easily earned two hundred strings of cash from Madam Feng last time, Lin Zhi could not imagine how long it would take her to earn it back through business and be able to afford a shop of this price.
"Yes, this house is indeed sold at a low price." The owner of the drinks stall nodded after hearing this.
She took the ladle in her hand, scooped out the lychee paste, and then ladled the iced water into it. She handed it to Lin Zhi with both hands and sighed, "The one in front is even smaller than this one, and it sold a full 1,800 strings of cash."
"Hiss——" Linzhi took a breath.
"Has your family just arrived in Bianjing? It's not easy to settle down in Bianjing."
The owner of the drink stall glanced at Lin Zhi and kindly advised, "You can talk to your parents later. Instead of spending all your savings and borrowing a large sum of money to buy a shop here like those two did, why not rent a stall like me? Mine is in a good location, and I have a thatched hut to shelter me from the rain. It only costs three strings of cash a month at most."
Linzhi nodded, took a sip of the lychee soup, and thought about what the stall owner said about borrowing money. After asking a few questions, he found out that now temples, pawnshops, and even government agencies provide loans, and the interest rate is very low, usually 4%, and no more than 6%, so many merchants here borrow money to buy shops.
After Linzhi understood what was going on, she thanked the stall owner and turned around to tell her parents.
Seeing how quickly the shop was selling out, Lin Sen's heart sank. Hearing his daughter's words, he shook his head repeatedly, "Loans and credits require collateral such as land, property, gold, or silver, or a guarantor's signature. We have no assets and no connections, so we shouldn't even consider this avenue."
"Right, right, right." Song Jiaoniang was afraid that her daughter was being fooled, so she quickly said, "This isn't suitable for us. We still have to be down-to-earth. If this doesn't work, forget it. Let's find something else."
For two consecutive days, the family of three walked around the Zhouqiao Night Market. The shops that met the requirements of "shop in front and residence in the back" were either too expensive or in a bad location. Until Lu San brought his wife Qi to look for the Linzhi family, they still had not found a suitable shop.
The couple took them to a dental clinic and found a dentist named Fan.
This Mr. Fan was indeed well-connected. After hearing the three people's requirements, he immediately brought out several shops that met their requirements. Two of them had been viewed by the Linzhi family before, and his offer was fifty strings of cash lower than the other party's.
But even so, the total price of the properties on these lists was more than 500 guan. Lin Zhi and the other two looked at the lists, their hearts sinking little by little.
Fan Yaren carefully observed the expressions of the three people and knew that they had probably just arrived in Bianjing and were short of money. He then smiled and said, "If you three are not in a hurry, you can also choose to buy land or rent a house."
There are many vacant lots or abandoned houses available for purchase in the city of Bianjing. These wastelands are cheap, but it will take several months to build houses.
"Not good," Lin Zhi shook her head. Even if the inn was cheap and good, she'd already grown tired of the same repetitive food after just a few days. Besides, building a house was laborious, and she'd been distracted for at least six months. Living off her savings wasn't an option.
Seeing this, Fan Yaren picked out a few remaining properties that were relatively cheap or available for rent or sale, and led the four people to check them out.
The first one: The frontage was open, but there was no backyard or well. The two rooms that could be used as residences had their light blocked by the surrounding houses, making them appear particularly cramped. They looked almost the same as their residence in Xi's mansion.
Without waiting for Lin Zhi to express her opinion, Lin Sen and his wife shook their heads repeatedly.
Then came the second, the third...
Seeing that the number of suitable deeds in the broker's hands was decreasing, the hearts of Linzhi and the other two began to sink.
Just as the three of them were frowning and wondering whether they should reduce their demands, they heard Lu San's exclamation: "Huh? Why are you here?"
Lin Zhi looked up and saw the words "Dali Temple." They had unknowingly arrived at the street where the Dali Temple stood. The bluestone slabs were clean and fresh, and the shops along the street were spacious and neatly arranged, from grocery stores to drink shops, cloth shops, and restaurants. The shop in the middle was especially bustling with customers.
Lin Zhi took a quick glance and saw that the plaque on the door clearly read "Furong Manor".
Song Jiaoniang also noticed it and immediately gasped. She looked around and quickly raised her hand to pat Lin Zhi: "Look over there!"
Linzhi looked in the direction her mother pointed, and immediately saw the oldest sign among a bunch of bright signs, with four big words written on it: Liurong Restaurant.
What Liang Ge had said that day flashed through Lin Zhi's mind. What surprised the family of three even more was that Fan Yaren actually led them all the way to Liurong Restaurant, as if this was also one of their goals for today.
As soon as Lu San stepped into the door, he couldn't help but raise his voice and ask, "Mrs. Rong, Mrs. Rong, you want to sell the shop... Eh? Chen Lang?"
When Lin Zhi heard the familiar name, she looked up and saw four people standing in the room, among whom was a familiar face - Chen Yan.
"Chen Lang? You are here too?" Lin Zhi was surprised.
"Mrs. Lin? And Lu San, Uncle Lin...are you here to look at the house?" Chen Yan was also surprised, and took the opportunity to explain to the others about the woman next to him: "This is the owner of the shop, Mrs. Rong."
"Mrs. Rong, are you moving away?"
"Yes..." Rong Xiaoniang, a short woman with a tan robe and slightly yellow skin, shuddered at Chen Yan's question. Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's hum, "Yes, I am, I am planning to sell the shop..."
"For sale? You're not planning to rent it out?"
"Hmm..." Rong Xiaoniang shuddered again and carefully replied to Fan Yaren's question: "I think it's better to sell it..."
Linzhi took a quick look at the shop and understood why Rong Xiaoniang planned to sell the shop: the business of Liurong Restaurant was too bad.
It was clearly dinner time, and the restaurant next door was bustling with people coming in and out, even though it wasn't as busy as Fu Rong Zhuang. But there was not even a single person coming into Liu Rong Restaurant to inquire about what was going on.
Linzhi did not listen carefully to the conversation between the few people, but after obtaining Rong Xiaoniang's consent, he looked around carefully.
The shop in front of me is one room wide and two rooms deep... no, three rooms.
Apart from a few tattered tables and chairs outside, there is a wall a few steps inside, separating the shop in front from the kitchen in the back.
After walking a few steps along the narrow corridor next to the kitchen, Linzhi's eyes suddenly opened up.
I never thought that this house, though plain in appearance, would reveal a whole new world behind it. The corridor led to a small courtyard with three brick and tile houses, a well, and a completely abandoned field.
The wall behind was very high. Lin Zhi turned around and asked and learned that the residence of the officials of the Dali Temple was behind it, so he thought there would be no problem with safety.
Lin Zhi was satisfied and wanted to ask the price. Before she could open her mouth, she saw Song Jiaoniang and Qi Niang whispering to each other. She leaned over to listen and learned that Rong Xiaoniang was in a hurry to sell the shop because she had already been engaged and wanted to take her brother to live with her husband's family after selling the shop.
"Since you are getting married, it would be nice to keep it and earn some income every year. Why do you have to sell it?" Linzhi wondered.
"Mrs. Renrong wants to take her younger brother with her. Since she has no savings, she wants to sell the shop to raise money for her dowry and her younger brother's living expenses so that she doesn't have to rely on her husband's family in the future."
Lin Zhi opened her mouth, about to speak, but hesitated for a moment before she whispered, "I don't think Miss Rong is brave enough. It would be better to rent it out and get a yearly rent."
To be frank, if the money in your hand is cheated away by your husband's family with sweet words, wouldn't your life be even more difficult?
Song Jiaoniang also understood the implication of her daughter's words and hesitated, "Isn't that true? I just heard Rong Xiaoniang say that her future husband is a scholar and once saved her. I think he must be a good man."
Lin Zhi heard this but remained silent. She didn't know Rong Xiaoniang at all, so she couldn't go around nagging her. Besides, if she did that, not only would she be praised, but people would probably think her words were unlucky and she couldn't stand seeing others doing well.
Madam Qi, on the other hand, felt that what Linzhi said made some sense. She had met Rong Xiaoniang several times, so she went up to her and persuaded Rong Xiaoniang not to sell the shop. If she didn't want to run the business herself, she could rent it out for three to five years and use the rent as a dowry. In the future, she could collect rent every year, which would be just enough to support her younger brother's studies or to supplement the family income.
Rong Xiaoniang was obviously a soft-hearted person. She was sure to sell it just now, but now she looked hesitant and said she wanted to go back and think about it.
Looking at her reaction, Linzhi thought that rather than saying she was going to think about it, it would be more accurate to say that she was undecided and wanted to find someone to discuss it with.
Lin Zhi didn't take it to heart, and happened to catch a glimpse of Chen Yan's gloomy expression from the corner of her eye.
A hint of curiosity flashed in her eyes, and she lowered her voice and asked, "Chen Lang, could it be that what Brother Liang said is true?"
Chen Yan nodded at her: "It is indeed a bit strange. I came back this time for these two things."
It turned out that after Chen Yan and Tao Yingce returned to the Dali Temple, they wanted to find the cases of the old man and Mrs. Rong from the Rong family to check and compare them.
However, although all three people died accidentally, no one reported the case to the government, and there was no record of officials going to verify the facts.
The "Re-Detailed Criminal Code" states: "If there is murder or injury, and if the prefectural governor has not reported it to the authorities, and the prefecture or county officials have not been dispatched to investigate, or if the family members have accepted bribes or engaged in private transactions, the people of the county are allowed to report it." This means that any murder or injury, unnatural death, or death without close relatives must be investigated. If the family members conceal the incident, they will be subject to legal action. [*1]
Besides, the Rong family was right next to the Dali Temple, and Rong Xiaoniang had just been involved in a lawsuit before her death, so contacting the government was a piece of cake.
Chen Yan and Tao Yingce felt that there were many problems, but since the three people had been buried, they could only look for their children to see if they were willing to open the coffins and perform an autopsy.
Lin Zhi looked up and said, "Judging from your expressions, I'm afraid the result is not good."
Chen Yan nodded. The whole thing was so bizarre that not only was there no record of official inspection, there was not even any record of reporting to the authorities. Moreover, Rong Xiaoniang and Rong Xiaolang both said in unison that their mother and grandparents died of natural causes. Instead, it was an outsider like Liang Ge who said that Rong Xiaoniang and her parents died accidentally.
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