Chapter 367 Decides to Buy Property in Huzhou
Cheng Wanwan wasn't idle either.
She took Lu Yingxue to stroll around Huzhou City. They would be returning in two days, and she needed to buy some gifts to take back home, as a lot of people were waiting for them.
Both Wen and Sun were women. She each brought a box of rouge, while the old lady, whose skin was rather rough, bought a box of moisturizing cream made from lard.
Old Zhao likes woodworking, so she bought a set of the latest tools from Huzhou City to take back with her.
Zhao Youyin and Zhao Youcai are brothers-in-law and also grown men, so they don't need to put in too much effort; each of them can buy a pair of shoes.
Four flowers, one for spring, one for summer, one for autumn, and one for winter, each with different hobbies. A sharp kitchen knife would be a gift for spring, a set of embroidery thread for summer, and a hairpin for autumn… A bit of a dilemma, since the girl hadn't shown any interest in any particular area. As for winter, food would make her happy, but Cheng Wanwan took a different approach. She chose to give her a cookbook; whatever she wanted to eat, she could figure it out herself. It didn't matter if she couldn't read; she could learn slowly.
Da Wang and Er Wang, one gave an abacus and the other gave the Four Treasures of the Study.
As for her four sons...
Cheng Wanwan started to feel a bit of a headache. The family had made a lot of money recently, and the children basically had everything they needed, so there really wasn't anything to give them.
She looked up and saw a shop in front of her, and her eyes suddenly lit up.
"Sister Wanwan, you wouldn't be thinking of buying a shop, would you?" Lu Yingxue swallowed hard. "This is the most bustling street in Huzhou City. Even a small shop like this costs almost three thousand taels of silver. If you rent it, it will cost more than ten taels of silver a month."
Then, she changed the subject, "However, Sister Wanwan, you really can buy a shop. These past few days, I've heard many people in Huzhou talking about Daheyan, saying that the food at Daheyan in Ping'an County is even more delicious than that at Zuixianlou. Some people even want to go to Ping'an County to try it out. If you open one in Huzhou, the business will definitely be very good."
Cheng Wanwan shook her head: "I'm not buying the shop."
The expansion of Dahe Banquet is Er Gou's business; she won't get involved.
She wants to buy a house.
Whether in ancient or modern times, investing in real estate is a sure way to make money.
Another thing is that Si Dan will also be coming to Huzhou to take the exam in the future. If he has a place to stay, he won't have to make do with staying in an inn.
The shop in front of her is a real estate agency in Huzhou, specializing in housing transactions.
She stepped inside.
There were quite a few staff members inside, about seven or eight. When she walked in, all seven or eight of them looked up at her, then lowered their heads and continued with their own tasks.
Lu Yingxue said coldly, "Someone come here!"
There's only one real estate brokerage in Huzhou City, and these people never have to worry about not having business. They're all so good at putting on airs.
At this moment, a middle-aged man finally came out. He looked at Cheng Wanwan and Lu Yingxue scrutinizingly. Neither of them were dressed in fine silk or satin; they were clearly ordinary people. When ordinary people come to find a real estate agent, it means they are looking to rent a house.
Renting a house doesn't cost much, and these middlemen don't get much commission either, which is why everyone is so lazy.
"My surname is Wu, just call me Lao Wu," Lao Wu said with a fake smile. "Are you two looking to buy, rent, or sell a house?"
Cheng Wanwan knew that this was a monopolistic industry, so it was normal for the employees to be a little arrogant. She didn't mind and said, "I'm buying a house, closer to the main street."
Old Wu glanced at Cheng Wanwan: "The courtyards near the main street aren't cheap. Just entering one costs at least a thousand taels of silver. Are you sure, sister-in-law?"
Cheng Wanwan nodded: "If you have any suitable properties, you can take me to see them now."
"Alright then." Old Wu reluctantly lowered his head, took a key from the drawer, and said, "Let's go, it's not far, just ahead."
It wasn't far at all; we arrived in no time. It was in an alley behind the main street. Once you entered the courtyard, you could see the whole place. There was a main hall in the middle, a side room on the right, and a kitchen and outhouse on the left. There was a tree, a well, and a stone table in the courtyard. In Cheng Wanwan's opinion, the courtyard was indeed nice, but it was too small. It could only accommodate three or four people at most.
"This courtyard has just been vacated. Look at these doors and windows, they've just been painted, it looks like a brand new house," Old Wu said. "This courtyard isn't expensive, it's only 1,400 taels of silver."
Lu Yingxue gasped. Although she was a native of Huzhou, she had never bought a house before and was unaware of the prices. Hearing this price, she was truly shocked.
Cheng Wanwan could accept it.
After all, Huzhou is the prefectural capital, and it is the largest and most prosperous city in the area. With convenient road transportation and waterways, it serves as a transit hub. It is not surprising that housing prices are high here.
This small courtyard is barely habitable, but with so many family members, it definitely won't be enough for them.
She said, "Is there a larger courtyard, preferably a two-courtyard house?"
Old Wu smirked. This woman wasn't dressed very well, yet she had so many demands.
However, since he was in charge of receiving the person, he still had to complete the process.
So he took Cheng Wanwan directly to the house next door, took out the key, and opened the door.
“This is a three-courtyard house,” Old Wu casually introduced. “The previous owner renovated it after buying it. There are artificial hills, flowing water and corridors in the courtyard. It’s very grand. That’s why the price is relatively high. The owner asked for six thousand taels of silver.”
At this price, most people simply can't afford it.
He intended to scare Cheng Wanwan away on purpose, since he had no intention of doing business with this woman anyway, and she had wasted a lot of his time.
Cheng Wanwan walked in from the door and carefully looked at each room. The first courtyard was a large hall and a flower hall. The second courtyard was the living quarters, which should be where the head of the family lived. The third courtyard was also a living quarters, where the children could stay. There were side rooms on both sides, which were very spacious.
"After looking at them for so long, are you going to buy them or not?" Old Wu's patience ran out, and his tone became a little impatient. "Some of these ornaments are quite valuable. If you can't afford them, don't touch them randomly."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Wanwan's smile vanished.
No matter how high-handed this person is, she doesn't care. It's just a business deal after all; once the house is bought, it's none of her business anymore.
But now, this person is taking advantage of her kindness and has an extremely bad attitude. She doesn't want to let this person earn money, even if she has it.
She lifted her skirt, walked out of the courtyard, and smiled: "Six thousand taels of silver is too expensive, I can't afford it. I'd better go back and take another look at that little courtyard."
Old Wu was so angry he fell backwards.
He knew the woman couldn't afford it; she'd been looking for almost half an hour, wasting so much of his time.
If I had known, he shouldn't have been the first to step forward and greet them.
He locked the courtyard gate and said in a deep voice, "I have to entertain a lady later. How about this, I'll have my apprentice take you to see the house."
Cheng Wanwan smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll wait here."
Before long, a dark-skinned, thin boy came running over, looking travel-worn.
Seeing this boy, Cheng Wanwan seemed to see Si Dan, whom she had met for the first time. He was about ten years old, thin and ragged, like a child from a refugee camp.
"Hello, ma'am. Uncle Wu is my master. My name is Gou Dan." The boy bowed slightly. "My master gave me all the keys. Ma'am, just tell me which kind of house you'd like to see."
Gou Dan, a combination of the names Er Gou and Si Dan, actually made Cheng Wanwan feel a little more favorably toward him. She asked, "If you sell a house, will you get the money?"
Dog Egg nodded: "One tael can be obtained for every thousand taels."
Cheng Wanwan had a plan in mind. She pointed to the house behind her and said, "Find a house that is bigger and better than this one, and take me to see it."
During this period, she earned a lot of money. Apart from upgrading her storage space once, she didn't have any other expenses. She felt it was worthwhile to spend more money to buy a better house.
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