After agreeing on a time with Manager Zhang, Cheng Ruyi headed straight for Cheng'an Pawnshop in the north of the city.
Cheng An Dental Clinic has a very impressive storefront, and the interior decoration is also clearly much more elaborate. Although the shop is not large, the overall style is clean and elegant, making it extremely comfortable to look at.
Here, Ruyi was given three options. The first was near the East Gate of the city. Although the entrance was in an alley, the house on the west side was next to the main street. It could be converted into a shop after being opened up. However, it would only have two courtyards. But there was a well in the backyard. The price was 380 taels.
The second one is located at the South Gate of the city, directly opposite the South Gate, right on the main street. Needless to say, there is a lot of foot traffic. The shop is also quite large, and it is a two-story shop. It used to sell wine, so the shop is relatively simple with almost no decoration. The inner courtyard is only one section, but it is also quite large. There are a total of ten rooms, including the main house, side rooms, and ear rooms. The price is 460 taels.
The last one is in the northwest corner of the city. It is a square, three-courtyard house that is bright and clean. The original owners were merchants. Now that their business has grown, they have moved to the prefectural city. They originally planned to rent the house, but they can sell it if the price is right, so the asking price is quite high, a full six hundred taels.
The last one sounds like it best meets Ruyi's requirements, but it's also the most expensive. Although she can afford 600 taels, she'll need to renovate the house and add a lot of household items after buying it. All of this could add up to several dozen taels, leaving her with not much money for emergencies.
However, the specific situation could only be known by visiting in person, so a time was arranged, and Ruyi spent several days visiting all the houses.
Cheng Ruyi, a modern woman, also had experience buying a house. At the age of thirty, she bought her first house, a small apartment of only forty square meters. However, it was very close to her company, saving her a lot of commuting time. There were also many convenience stores and supermarkets nearby, making it very suitable for a single, older woman like her.
Before she set her sights on this apartment, she spent several months traveling all over the city, seeing all sorts of strange and unusual apartment layouts. As a result, she was in a particularly good mood when looking at these large houses now.
The house at the West Wharf was actually in a pretty good location, but the courtyard inside was crooked and the space was very inconvenient. Moreover, although it was said to have two courtyards, it wasn't much bigger than the Cheng family's current house. There were no wells nearby, so you either had to go to the wharf to get water or buy it. In short, it wasn't convenient to live in, so we gave up on it!
As for the three-courtyard house in the southwest corner of the city, it was larger than I had imagined, and it was bordered by the river on two sides, truly a river-view property. Moreover, there was a private little dock in the backyard, which was very unique. Unfortunately, the more nice the house was inside, the worse it was outside...
Because it's located in the very edge of the city, it's extremely inconvenient to get around. Most of the nearby houses are dilapidated, and there's a lot of garbage along the way. The residents' behavior and the environmental sanitation are quite worrying. The main problem is that there's only one road in and out, and at its narrowest point, even a fat person can't pass through, let alone a car. So, we had no choice but to give up.
The house in the south of the city faces the south gate, which is indeed good for doing business, but not suitable for living. Moreover, living near the city gate doesn't feel very safe, so we gave up on that one.
The one in the east of the city had a similar problem, so I gave up on it as well.
Finally, there was the three-courtyard house in the north of the city, which Cheng Ruyi had been most looking forward to. She liked it very much as soon as she entered. There was a large two-room shop at the entrance. The first courtyard was square and practical, with a well inside. The main house also had three rooms, with an annex room on each side, and two side rooms on each side. The most surprising thing was that the inner courtyard of the second courtyard was even larger than the first courtyard, and there was even a garden pavilion. The whole house faced south, so it was well-lit. The rooms were all clean and tidy, and it felt like you could move in right away.
However, things didn't go so smoothly. The seller had agreed to sell it for 600 taels, but suddenly went back on her word and immediately raised the price by 100 taels. The brokers were furious; this was clearly damaging their reputation. In the end, the brokers negotiated with the seller for a long time, but the seller could only reduce the price by 10 taels at most. Without Ruyi having to say anything, the brokers simply refused on her behalf.
After several days of this ordeal, it was already mid-October, and there was still no progress on buying a house. Cheng Ruyi couldn't sleep well every day, and at her age, she even developed a few pimples from worry.
On this day, it was time to deliver the rabbit to Zhiwei Restaurant again. After delivering the goods, Ruyi was kept behind by Manager Huang and invited to a private room in the lobby on the first floor.
"Madam Cheng, I heard you've been looking at houses lately? I wonder if you've found one you like?" Manager Huang poured Ruyi a cup of tea and asked with a smile.
Ruyi was no longer surprised that the other party knew her whereabouts. In fact, she had made a special inquiry before deciding to cooperate with Zhiweiguan and knew that the owner behind them was the Zhou family. That was why she felt at ease cooperating with them.
Zhiwei Restaurant has a very long history and has been the largest and most popular restaurant in the county for many years. However, the Baizhen Restaurant appeared across the street. The two have been secretly competing with each other for years. It should be noted that the power behind Baizhen Restaurant is a powerful family in the prefecture. The fact that Zhiwei Restaurant can compete with the other party proves that the power behind Zhiwei Restaurant is not afraid of the other party.
The saying goes, "Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake." The only ones who can rival the powerful dragon of the prefectural city are the local snakes.
The Zhou family was undoubtedly the biggest local tyrant in the county.
Ruyi was unsure who the "boss" she met that day was in the Zhou family, but considering the Zhou family's reputation and good deeds in Huaishan County, she didn't need to worry about them harming her for no reason, no matter who they were.
"Thank you for your concern, Manager Huang, but I haven't found anyone I like yet."
"Hehehe, when it comes to looking for a house, you can't rush it. Take your time and you'll find something suitable!" Manager Huang smiled very politely, then changed the subject and asked, "Speaking of which, why did Madam Cheng suddenly decide to change houses? Is there a problem with your current place? I wonder if we can be of any help?"
I bet the Zhou family doesn't know why she moved houses!
Cheng Ruyi silently complained in her heart, then tried her best to put on a polite smile, "I wouldn't dare to trouble Manager Huang. Actually, there's nothing wrong with it. It's just that the number of people in my family is increasing, so I'd like to move to a bigger room."
"I see~~ Come, come, Madam Cheng, don't be shy, try this tea from the capital, is it still palatable?"
"I'm just a rough man and don't know anything about these things. I'm afraid I'll waste Manager Huang's tea."
Not knowing why she had been kept behind, Ruyi could only remain silent and sit quietly.
Upon hearing this, Manager Huang felt a bit embarrassed, but in his line of work, he had a strong mental fortitude, and Cheng Ruyi's attitude had no effect on him at all.
"Madam Cheng, this tea was transported from the capital. Don't you have any questions?"
The capital? What does the capital have to do with her? She's never been to the capital... Wait, could it be...?
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