Chapter 36
The two of them went to the real estate agency first, and under the guidance of the real estate agent, they looked at the three houses they had viewed last time again. Coincidentally, they ruled out the first two houses at once.
The doorway of the house behind Tanghua Street was crowded with people. Upon asking, we found out that two neighbors on the left and right had started a fight, using both hands and sticks. They were beaten so badly that even the government was alarmed.
The one on Qingyuan Street was booked, and a family of twelve squeezed in together. The gifts they brought piled up outside the door, and the yard was so empty that there was no room for anyone to stand.
"...Then why don't we go check out the one near the county government office?" Jiang Wanning said regretfully.
After they went around to the county government office, they passed by a bookstore on the way and handed in the two copies of calligraphy they had written. As expected, Boss Huang kept urging Jiang Wanning to write more every ten days, but she remembered Lu Shang's instructions and insisted on her persistence no matter how the other party tried to persuade her.
"I can't write anymore. Even two takes a lot of time. I have other things to do at home. If Mr. Huang thinks two is too few, then I can only give up providing you with manuscripts."
"No, no, no!" Thinking of the three hundred taels of silver he had exchanged the day before yesterday, how could Manager Huang let the God of Wealth get away, so he had to agree with regret.
After watching all this, the broker became even more enthusiastic towards the two of them.
"I didn't expect Madam to be literate, that's incredible! Actually, if you're looking for a quiet and peaceful atmosphere, the house on Qingyuan Street is the most suitable. It's just a little small, but it's not bad for you two. It's a shame you were a step too late, and someone else snatched it up..."
"But I remember there's a nice house in Fengshi Lane, not far from Qingyuan Street. If you two are interested, I can take you there to have a look."
"How big is the house?" Lu Shang asked.
"It has a bedroom and a storage room, no courtyard, but there is a public stove at the back of the house. The whole set only costs eighty taels!" The broker remembered his meals very clearly.
Before Lu Shang could refuse, Jiang Wanning shook her head. She grabbed Lu Shang's sleeves and looked at him eagerly: "Change to a bigger one..."
This is also what Lu Shang meant.
The brothel owner sighed and had to think about whether there was any other suitable place.
Even if they were there to look at the house, he didn't think from the bottom of his heart that Lu Shang and the others would buy it. After all, who would want to live in a haunted house that brings bad luck?
Unexpectedly, as soon as she walked into this famous haunted house, Jiang Wanning was really moved.
There are not many houses around the county government office, and even fewer that are as big as this one. If it weren't for the rumors in the past, this house would definitely be in great demand.
Last time, Lu Shang was in a hurry and only took a quick look, but this time he took a closer look.
The house has two rooms on each side, a utility room next to the east wing and a kitchen next to the west wing. There is a vegetable garden and an orchard in the yard, as well as a small hill and stone tables and chairs. There is also a well behind the hill. Although it has been abandoned for many years, water can still be seen flowing from the bottom of the well.
Wells are not common in the town. Except for some wealthy families, ordinary families share one well on the same street. It's okay if the well is close, but if it's far away, they have to carry water back bucket by bucket.
What moved Jiang Wanning the most was the grape vine in the orchard. If it could be taken care of in the future, it would be a great place for leisure or cooling off. It was absolutely rare to have such a place in such a crowded town.
Last time, a broker kept telling Lu Shang about the house's past, but he didn't pay much attention to it. This time, after accompanying Jiang Wanning to see it, he discovered its charm.
He had long wanted to sleep separately from Jiang Wanning, and was originally troubled about how to do it. Now there are two rooms in the east and west wings, so they can each have a room in the east wing, and use the west wing as a study and classroom.
Moreover, the side rooms are not small. Any one of them is bigger than the Lu family's house. In addition to the bed and wardrobe, the room may also be able to accommodate a desk, a dressing table, etc. Although it is small, it has everything.
When he turned around and looked at Jiang Wanning's expression, he knew that she liked him.
"Brother, would you mind discussing this with us?" Lu Shang asked.
The broker understood and retreated to the yard on his own initiative. He closed the door before leaving, leaving the space for the young couple in the house.
Inside the room, Lu Shang asked, "Do you like this set?"
Jiang Wanning did not hide her thoughts and nodded heavily, but she was concerned about the bad rumors and looked at Lu Shang with a little worry.
Lu Shang pondered for a moment and said, "I don't really care about the bad things the broker said. This house is suitable in every way, so it's not impossible to book it. It's just that I kept one thing from you before, and I'm afraid you might feel resentful after knowing it, so I told you in advance."
"What's wrong..." Jiang Wanning was at a loss.
"Actually, it happened a long time ago. A certain owner of this house was once an official in the imperial court, but he was falsely accused and thrown into prison. Later, his entire family was exiled."
"I didn't tell you last time because I was afraid you'd feel bad. Now that you've fallen in love with this house, I shouldn't hide this from you. Aning, think about it carefully. If you mind, we can look for another one."
Jiang Wanning was stunned when she heard him tell the whole story.
The room was covered in dust, and there was no place to sit. Lu Shang was thinking of using his sleeve to wipe out a stool when he heard Jiang Wanning whisper, "Will my husband care about this?"
Lu Shang straightened up: "I'm fine with either. It depends on what you think."
"Then let's order it. This is the set and we won't change it." Jiang Wanning forced a smile, but it was very shallow and disappeared quickly.
She lowered her eyes and fiddled with her fingers. "I don't really care about those Feng Shui things. As for what happened before... I guess it was just a coincidence."
"This place has a large courtyard, plenty of rooms, and a good location. The price is also very cheap. It should be a rare and suitable place for us right now. As long as my husband doesn't care about those rumors, I don't mind either. This place is still more affordable."
As she said, finding a house that is suitable in every way is indeed not an easy task.
A full-grown cow costs a hundred taels, but a house in the town costs only two hundred taels, and it has so many rooms and a big yard. It is really rare to come across such a thing.
Lu Shang had the same idea as her and couldn't help but chuckle when he heard it.
He thought for a moment and said, "The family that was exiled before had their case overturned. Although they were not reinstated, they were exiled to a wealthy place to serve as local officials. This is not a bad ending."
Outsiders are afraid of being infected with bad luck, so they try to get some good luck. Who knows, after three to five years, the Jiang family may be pardoned and return to the court.
Jiang Wanning was comforted and her expression relaxed a little.
Now that you have decided to buy this house, you should hurry up and complete the relevant procedures without delay.
When the broker learned that Lu Shang and the others had really decided to stay here, his jaw dropped. "Really, really, really want this? You're not going to change it?"
"Then let me make it clear in advance, once the contract with our real estate agency is signed, there is no going back on our word. If you don't want this place anymore, you'll have to put it up for sale again, and we won't refund your money."
"OK, thank you for your hard work, brother. Please help us get the house deed."
The title deed to this haunted house is in the hands of the real estate agent. When they bought it, they thought they would make a fortune, but they ended up losing money. Until now, they don't think about how much money they can make. They are thankful that they don't lose money and will not delay at all.
Lu Shang and his friends did not bring any banknotes with them, and only paid a deposit of three taels, which Jiang Wanning paid with the money she earned from the calligraphy. After that, they had to pay an additional 197 taels for the rent and two taels for the commission.
"Then we'll come and pay the money tomorrow, and then we'll go to the government office to transfer the ownership and get the title deed."
"Okay!" After all, the commission was earned, and the agent's attitude was good. He even introduced himself enthusiastically, "Do you need help moving? We help you move for free."
"Okay, after I finish packing up the new house, I'll come back to ask you to help me move things."
Everything was settled, the sun was setting outside, and a layer of morning glow filled the sky.
It was too late today and they couldn't go shopping. They had already spent two hundred taels of silver, so they had to be frugal in their daily lives.
As the two of them walked out of town, Lu Shang said thankfully, "Luckily I bought a few more boxes of cream last time. Now that I've bought a new house, I'm bound to be poor for a while."
"Let me take a look at your hand. Is it better than before?"
Lu Shang at least remembered that this was on the street, so he didn't touch it directly, but just tilted his head to take a look.
I saw that the yellowish color on Jiang Wanning's hands had almost faded, and her fingernails had turned pink again. When I turned my hand over, I saw that her five fingers were long and slender, with only the fingertips being round.
Eh?
Lu Shang blinked and seemed to see a few unclear red dots, but before he could see clearly, Jiang Wanning had already withdrawn her hand.
She asked, "When are we moving?"
"Just for a few days. I'll pack my things when I get back. When I come to exchange the deed tomorrow, I'll clean up a room as well. Once I'm settled in, I'll slowly clean up the rest of the place. When I'm almost done, I'll go out and figure out how to get the ducks to Guanhe Tower."
Guanhelou’s signature duck has been out of stock for more than half a month, so one or two days won’t make a difference.
It’s just that Lu Shang wants to make his name known for being punctual and fast. By the end of this month, not only will the new house be ready, but the cooperation with Guanhe Tower must also be concluded perfectly.
Jiang Wanning didn't know what he was thinking. She was really excited when she thought about moving tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. She thought it would be quick, but she didn't expect it to be so fast.
"Husband..." She grabbed Lu Shang's sleeve, but when Lu Shang looked over, she didn't know what to say. She could only pursed her lips, carefully moved her hand over, and held Lu Shang's little finger.
Lu Shang's heart skipped a beat, and when he came to his senses, he had already held the soft hand in his palm.
In order to avoid further trouble, they did not tell anyone that they had bought a house in town and were moving. It was not until after dinner when everyone had returned to their rooms that Lu Shang took two taels of silver, knocked on Grandma Lu's door, and slipped in.
Jiang Wanning knew the purpose of his trip, but she had no idea what the two grandfather and grandson were talking about.
Anyway, when Lu Shang came back, his expression was not relaxed. Under the dim candlelight, he shook his head: "Grandma doesn't want to go with us."
"Ah..." Jiang Wanning was surprised by the result.
She has been in the Lu family for so long, and the person Grandma Lu cares about the most is undoubtedly Lu Shang.
There are many houses in the town, so even if we bring Grandma Lu along, it will be easy for the family of three to settle in.
According to her, the old lady must be feeling depressed because her most beloved grandson was moving away. If she could take him with her, perhaps things would be better.
But Grandma Lu was not such a mean person. Even when she first got married, she did not suffer too much trouble from her parents. Now that Wang is no longer there to provide support, it will be much easier for the two generations to get along with each other.
With Lu Shang going there to lobby, Grandma Lu would most likely agree.
Lu Shang said, "Grandma said that as long as her son is still alive, there's no point in her living with her grandson. Although she doesn't want us to move away, if I insist on leaving, she can't stop me."
"She said that going would only be a burden, so it would be better not to go and cause trouble."
No matter how Lu Shang persuaded her, Grandma Lu refused to go with them. In the end, he had no choice but to give up and gave her two taels of silver to make up for the coffin book she had embezzled before, and left a guarantee -
"Whenever you miss us, you can come to town. If you ever want to move there, we'll always welcome you."
The old lady clutched the silver and wiped her tears silently. As long as Lu Shang and his family did not change their mind about moving, there would be no solution to this problem. No matter how much Lu Shang comforted her, she would not be able to avoid feeling uncomfortable.
After listening to Lu Shang's retelling, Jiang Wanning was silent for a long time.
In the end, it was Lu Shang who said first: "It's okay, it's not like she won't come back. If she wants to go to town in the future, I will take her there to stay for two days."
"Now let's think about what to pack for the move. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll leave the day after tomorrow."
The only person in this family that Lu Shang could barely miss was Grandma Lu. After telling her that he was going to move, it didn't matter whether the others told him or not. It would be fine if they knew on the same day as he was going to move.
The two discussed it and decided not to move too many things from home. Apart from some daily clothes and quilts, they would not bring any bedding or cabinets. They wanted to travel light and it would be convenient.
Lu Shang said, "I want to take the chickens, ducks, geese, and rabbits I brought back last time. This way, if we can't afford to eat one day, at least we have a few poultry to eat."
Of course, this is just a joke. It's not necessary to keep it and eat it, but it will definitely not be left to Wang Cuilian.
After agreeing, they found two sheets, spread them flat on the bed, and put things on top, such as clothes, bedding, pens, ink, paper and books. However, they didn't expect that after packing all the things they wanted to take away from the house, they could only pack a package.
Lu Shang shrugged: "Looks like we don't need to ask a dental clinic to help us move."
Of course, it’s just a small amount of stuff. Even if we add the poultry in the yard, Uncle Pang can take them all away in one trip.
Lu Shang walked to the bed and prepared to tie up the sheets.
Jiang Wanning suddenly stopped him: "Wait, there's one more thing..." She paused slightly, and her hands holding the clothes unconsciously tightened a little.
Lu Shang turned around and was a little confused after seeing the clothes clearly: "What is that? Why haven't I seen it before? It's new-" He stuttered.
He remembered that the first time he went to town after coming here, he bought a piece of cotton cloth of the same color.
But no matter how he looked at it, the ready-made clothes in Jiang Wanning's hand did not look like women's style. Instead, they were very similar to the short shirts he usually wore, even the straps on the cuffs were similar.
"I, I made a new dress for you. It has been a few days since I made it, but I forgot to give it to you. I don't know if the size is right. Why don't you try it on..." Jiang Wanning said in a low voice.
Lu Shang suddenly felt at a loss.
He watched Jiang Wanning walk up to him, spread out the newly made clothes, and personally help him put them on, carefully tying the belt.
Jiang Wanning has excellent craftsmanship, and the sizes she measures with her eyes are accurate to the mill. Both the collar and the hem fit perfectly, and the sleeves are a little long, but it's not a big deal.
Lu Shang looked at herself in the bronze mirror. He didn't know whether it was really beautiful or if there was a filter. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it. No matter from which angle he looked at it, it looked beautiful.
Even the suit he had custom-made before was not as good as this shirt.
"It's really beautiful..." Lu Shang did not hesitate to praise, "Aning is so skillful, I have never worn such a beautiful dress, I will wear this one next time I go to discuss business."
Jiang Wanning's face flushed with praise: "As long as you wear the right clothes."
After changing his clothes, Lu Shang suddenly remembered something, frowned slightly, walked to Jiang Wanning, and grabbed her hand without saying a word.
"how?"
Lu Shang took a closer look and found several very small needle holes on the pads of his index and middle fingers. The wound must have been there for a few days and was almost healed now.
——He was right today.
Lu Shang asked: "Is this an injury caused while making clothes?"
Jiang Wanning hadn't expected him to be so thorough. Unable to fathom his thoughts for a moment, she could only tell the truth, "I was distracted and accidentally bumped into it a few times... It's not serious, and it's almost healed."
It was common to get pricked a couple of times while doing needlework, and Jiang Wanning really didn't care much about it.
Lu Shang, however, rubbed the injured area and said after a while, "A Ning, you've worked hard."
"Ah... well, nothing."
Lu Shang didn't say anything else. He tapped the wound on her fingertips, as if jokingly saying, "I won't ask you to make clothes for me anymore, not even yours. You should just buy ready-made clothes."
Jiang Wanning couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth when she heard that.
She didn't take this sentence seriously at all, but she didn't expect that in the following years, except for a few very rare times, she really never touched needle and thread again.
The news that Lu Shang and Jiang Wanning were moving to the town was first known to Grandma Lu, and then Dabao and Pang Liang also had a few days off, and the two families found out.
As for the other members of the Lu family, Lu Shang had been away for more than a day or two, so even if he went to town, they didn't think much of it.
After Lu Shang arrived in the town, he first paid the money and got the house deed, then borrowed some buckets and rags from the broker. With the broker's enthusiastic help, he cleaned up a house in one day.
The bed, table and other things in the room are all intact, but they are a little dirty because no one has used them for a long time. First, move them out, rinse them with water, and then wipe them twice with a rag before you can carry them back and use them.
As for other places, throw away the broken furniture and repair the leaking doors and windows. Anyway, they will need further repairs later, so it is enough for people to live in for the time being.
At dinner that night, Grandma Lu was obviously in a low mood and could not eat after just two bites. She was afraid that staying any longer would affect everyone's mood, so she got up and staggered back to her room.
That night, Lu Shang handed the newly acquired title deed to Jiang Wanning, along with the remaining banknotes and silver, totaling more than 280 taels.
Of these, 250 taels were in silver notes, and the remaining 30 taels were exchanged for cash.
The money they spent recently was basically all earned by Jiang Wanning, and the money, which was not much to begin with, has almost been spent by now.
Lu Shang went to the money shop to exchange the silver bills. He handed part of it to the pawnshop, kept part of it to buy ducks, and gave the remaining thirty taels to Jiang Wanning. One was to make up for her recent expenses, and the rest was for daily expenses.
Jiang Wanning did not refuse and packed it up carefully as usual. Considering that she was moving the next day, she did not put it anywhere this time but took it with her.
After walking back and forth for two or three days, the day of moving finally arrived.
When the two children came to school that day, their parents had not yet shown up to send their children over. Wang Cuilian was still wondering, but before long, Grandpa Pang arrived at the door of her house driving a bullock cart.
"Lu Xiucai, I'm here to help you move!"
This sound was not a big deal. Not only did the Lu family come out after hearing the sound, but even the neighbors on both sides came out to watch the fun.
Only the person involved was taking his time. He carried the largest package, while Jiang Wanning only carried a few smaller items. After Lu Shang loaded the things onto the ox cart, he immediately called out, "Second Mother, help me catch all the chickens and ducks in the yard. I'll take them away too!"
"Oh—" Wang Cuilian responded after she agreed, "Wait! Where are you moving to?"
"In town, didn't I tell you?" Lu Shang pretended to be stupid and found four or five bamboo baskets in the yard, which were specially used to hold chickens, ducks, geese and rabbits.
Wang Cuilian was dumbfounded. She suspected that there was something wrong with her memory. After trying for a long time, she couldn't find any related memories.
Lu Xiaoxiao happened to come out and was immediately caught by her and asked, "Did you know that your eldest brother is moving?"
Lu Xiaoxiao shook her head, but Wang Cuilian breathed a sigh of relief.
She breathed a sigh of relief for an inexplicable reason, and only after she let it out did she remember: "You didn't tell us at all... No, Lu Shang, where did you get the money to move, or move to the town?"
This was not only her doubt, but also the neighbors who were watching the fun had the same doubts.
Lu Shang didn't want to reveal too much, so he asked Jiang Wanning to wait for him on the ox cart, while he rolled up his sleeves and caught ducks and geese himself.
Even though he had no experience, he couldn't stand the small living space of these poultry. Before he could even turn around, Lu Shang grabbed his neck, threw him into the bamboo basket, and then covered it with a lid.
After throwing the last chick into the basket, Lu Shang clapped his hands, looked around the yard, and suddenly strode towards the well.
He took out a small basket from the well, took out the peaches inside without any hesitation, and put them on the ox cart without leaving a single one behind.
He also asked politely, "These peaches were given to Aning by Sanniang. Is it okay for me to take them away?"
Wang Cuilian was still stuck on the original question. Perhaps the news that Lu Shang was moving to the town was too shocking, and she still couldn't recover.
Lu Shang was not annoyed and waved in front of her: "Okay, Second Mother, don't see me off. We'll leave now." After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door.
Just as he stepped out of the door, a shout finally came from behind him: "Wait! Lu Shang, stop! You can't leave!"
Lu Shang was not surprised at all by Wang Cuilian's obstruction.
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