Chen Xia didn't know much about the courtyard houses in Beijing. As southerners, they generally preferred high-rise buildings.
However, he had seen several documentaries in his previous life that talked about the courtyard houses in Peking.
For example, those courtyard houses that have become "slums" have become so haphazardly built that the area looks horrible, and the passage in the middle is basically only wide enough for one bicycle to pass through.
In this kind of slum, you can't even tell the front yard, back yard, main house, or side rooms.
If you fart at home, all the neighbors can hear it. The key point is that there are no flush toilets. Every household has a spittoon and has to take it to the public toilet to empty it in the morning.
When Faye Wong and Dou Daxian lived in a courtyard house, they had to empty the spittoon every morning, and the sanitary conditions were quite poor.
The price of this kind of slum in 1983 ranged from a few thousand to tens of thousands, depending on the size, but generally would not exceed 30,000.
When you buy this kind of courtyard house, you only have the property rights. You cannot evict the residents because they have already rented the house and have the right to live there, unless they are willing to move out. At most, they can just give you the rent.
Chen Xia hadn't considered buying a yard like this. Was he buying it to be bullied? Or was he doing a good deed? The landlord couldn't even live there himself, so he gave it to a bunch of locals?
There is another type of courtyard house, which is quite amazing, like the courtyard house owned by Wendi Deng next to the Forbidden City, which is luxurious and extravagant.
Like the courtyard house bought by a certain unscrupulous person in Hong Kong, the courtyard wall alone has the grandeur of a mansion, but outsiders have never had the opportunity to go in and take pictures.
If Chen Xia wanted to buy something, he would buy a big house with its own gate and courtyard, like the one owned by Bai Jingqi, the seventh master of Bai's family.
There must be a front yard, back yard, east yard, west yard, main yard, side yard, cross yard, study yard, and enclosed yard.
Of course, there are even more magnificent courtyard houses, such as the "Prince Gong Mansion". Even if the country has money, it will not sell such a big mansion. Chen Xia knows his own limitations and dares not even think about it.
At present, the courtyard houses in Beijing are still very cheap, and the really rich people only want to live in high-rise buildings or office buildings with private bathrooms.
Siheyuan houses have inconvenient transportation and are usually located in alleys. In addition, the sanitary facilities are incomplete. The most important point is that there are too many neighbors around and they are too noisy.
Of course, the most important thing is that there are too few rich people.
The salary is only a few dozen yuan a month. Even for high-ranking cadres, the maximum they can earn is two to three hundred yuan a month, or one to two thousand yuan a year. They also have to take care of the food, clothing, housing and transportation of the entire family. Who has money to buy a house?
Even if it is cheaper, a yard costs 20,000 or 30,000 yuan, which is basically unaffordable for ordinary people. Moreover, ordinary people at that time had no concept of buying a house to maintain and increase its value.
Even Ma Modu once said in an interview that if he had used all the money he saved from buying antiques to buy a courtyard house, he would have been the richest man in China. But he never thought about buying a house.
After all, Vice Minister Zou's suggestion was just a suggestion, and he couldn't make the final decision, so both parties agreed to give a reply later. After all, this kind of thing needs to be discussed collectively.
That afternoon, an application from a Hong Kong client to purchase the former office building of the Ministry of Health for use as a residence was submitted, along with a clause stating that payment could be made in foreign currency.
After everyone had dinner in the evening, the Ministry of Health’s General Office called and said they agreed in principle to sell the house and that we could go and see it tomorrow.
Chen Xia was stunned. When did these office workers become so efficient?
It seems that Hong Kong people really are treated like super-nationals. They are given the green light all the way, and they are given whatever they want. But in the end, these ungrateful people...
Alas, my heart is turned towards the bright moon, but the bright moon only shines on the ditch.
The next day, a car from the Ministry of Health picked up Chen Shuqin, Chen Xia, Chen Chun and others at the Peking Hotel and drove all the way along Shichahai.
Chen Xia didn't recognize anything else, but he knew this Yinding Bridge. He had taken a photo here with Gu Lin, and also with his wife in his previous life, so he had a deep memory of it.
After crossing the Yinding Bridge, we arrived at Houhai. The car turned into a small alley. Chen Xia spotted a road sign that said Yaer Hutong. At that time, he thought the name was not nice.
Deputy Director Wu of the General Office of the Ministry of Health said very politely, "Ms. Chen, we have arrived at our destination."
This is a large house with five courtyards, which maintains the traditional architectural style. Obviously, it was used as an office space without damaging the structure. However, the interior is rather dilapidated, after all, it has been idle for 5 or 6 years.
Chen Xia actually didn't care about the quality of the house, as he didn't really want to live there. Of course, when investing, one had to choose the location.
This large courtyard is no more than 200 meters away from the north bank of Houhai Lake. The former residence of the Queen Mother of Song is nearby, so it can be said to be a quiet place in the bustling city.
In the past, only princes could live there. Now it is a prime mansion within the first ring road of the city center.
Deputy Director Hu took everyone on a tour. Chen Shuqin and Chen Chun didn't have a good impression of the house. It seemed eerie and deserted.
After a round of shopping, he lost interest. Deputy Director Hu was a little anxious. If the Hong Kong customer was not interested, not only would the foreign exchange be lost, but he would also have a hard time explaining to his superiors.
"Ms. Chen, are you satisfied with this house?"
Chen Shuqin looked at Chen Xia and signaled him to make the decision himself.
Chen Xia smiled and replied, "I'm satisfied, but I'm going to have to put some thought into decorating this house."
Deputy Director Hu breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "The renovation is easy. There aren't too many ancient architecture teams in Beiping. I promise to restore it to its original state when the time comes."
Chen Xia was most concerned about the price. "Director Hu, I wonder what price you guys agreed to give it to us?"
Deputy Director Hu was very uncomfortable with talking about money directly, but since he came from the General Office, everyone was very good at dealing with people. He immediately adjusted his mood and said:
"Our superiors have instructed us to ensure that our guests from Hong Kong are satisfied. The final decision from our department is $100,000."
At the current exchange rate, 100,000 US dollars is actually only about 200,000 RMB.
It doesn't sound high at first, but you have to consider that if you use the black market exchange rate, 100,000 US dollars can be exchanged for at least 700,000 RMB.
Think about what I just said. A large courtyard house costs only a few thousand yuan at the cheapest and 20,000 to 30,000 yuan at the most. The Ministry of Health's $100,000 is just...
Sky-high price!!!
Is it a loss? How could it be a loss?
At this price, owning this large courtyard with five entrances in Houhai will definitely not be less than tens or even hundreds of billions in a few decades. The key point is that there is no demand for it.
In the south of Yunnan, a bracelet costs several million Hong Kong dollars. Such a house is obviously a mansion of the ancient royal family, but it is only priced at half a bracelet. Isn’t it a loss?
Chen Xia smiled and nodded. "That's a good price. Besides, my aunt is willing to donate $100,000 to the Ministry of Health to improve its office environment."
Deputy Director Hu's eyes lit up instantly, "Really????"
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