Chapter 56 The house we found was in a remote location...
The courtyard I found was in a remote location, the house wasn't new, and the furniture was scarce. People who run other businesses wouldn't be willing to rent such a place.
But if Qiu Yu is willing, it doesn't matter if the house is new or old, there are plenty of rooms, and it doesn't leak anyway. The main thing is that the rent is cheap, only ten taels of silver a year.
As for the meager amount of furniture, she was even more satisfied. She was using it to run a workshop, so she didn't need everyday furniture. The landlord had brought too much furniture, and she would have to worry about where to put it.
This is just right now. There are three main rooms and three side rooms on each side, making a total of nine rooms. We can barely fit enough furniture in the three side rooms, which is just enough for the two apprentices and the workers who can't easily go home to live in.
The main room was used as a workshop, and the other three side rooms were used as warehouses. As for the kitchen, Qiu Yuruo decided to build a shed next to the main gate. It was spacious, cooled down quickly in the summer, and kept warm in the winter even with the fire nearby.
As for where I'll be staying, I need to find a suitable place.
The courtyard where the workshop was set up was chosen based on being cheap, spacious, and not too far from the academy.
We can't just make do with what we have in our own yard.
In the newly rented workshop, Qiu Yuruo was discussing with Su Yunting what conditions to rent for their own courtyard.
The first point is that it should not be too far from the academy and the workshop; the best location is between the academy and the workshop.
Then there's the number and size of houses in the yard, and the condition and completeness of the furniture inside.
After discussing it further, Qiu Yuruo decided that they could have a real estate agent take them to see a house that afternoon.
Su Yunting said, "I'll go to Magistrate Lu's place this afternoon to deliver a visiting card. If we can meet tomorrow, then I'll wait for my return to look at the house."
If Qiu Yu agreed directly, then looking at houses wasn't something urgent; of course, the important thing was to pay a visit to the county magistrate.
Since they weren't going to look at rooms in the afternoon, Qiu Yuruo wasn't in a hurry to pack up either, so the two of them simply went back to the inn.
After writing the visiting card, Su Yunting said to Qiu Yuruo, "Let's go together. After we deliver the visiting card, we can buy you some jewelry over there."
These past two days of house hunting have exhausted me. Qiu Yuruo didn't want to go anywhere and lazily replied, "I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to lie in the house."
If his wife didn't want to go out, Su Yunting wouldn't force her. He went to her side, hugged her, and told her, "Remember to close the door when I go out. You can lie down and sleep if you get sleepy."
Qiu Yuruo responded with a simple "Okay".
Su Yunting lowered his head and kissed her forehead again before letting her go, and then gave her a final instruction as if he were still worried.
Qiu Yuruo smiled and pushed him out, saying, "I know, you should go now."
Su Yunting went out, and Qiu Yuru closed the door and lay down on the bed. She fell asleep in no time.
She was sleeping soundly when she was woken up by the knocking. Qiu Yuruo opened her eyes and took a moment to recover before there were three more knocks on the door, followed by Su Yunting's voice: "Yuruo?"
Qiu Yuruo responded, and Su Yunting outside the door stopped worrying. He was concerned that she might get dizzy if she got up too quickly, so he instructed her, "Get up slowly, don't rush."
Qiu Yuruo chuckled after hearing this. He was always giving instructions to this person and that person. If her father were still alive, he might not be as long-winded as him.
He smiled, and suddenly he felt more energetic.
After getting up and tidying up, she opened the door and saw the handsome Su Yunting standing there. Remembering all the things he always told her, she couldn't help but smile again.
Su Yunting came in, closed the door behind him, pulled her into his arms, and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Looking at his handsome face, Qiu Yuruo did not answer his question, but only shook her head with a smile.
Su Yunting picked her up and sat down on a chair next to the round table, letting her sit on his lap and holding her in his arms.
He lowered his head and touched his forehead to hers. "If you don't say anything, then you're secretly laughing at me in your heart."
Qiu Yuruo: "...No, you're overthinking it."
She didn't admit it, but her tone and downcast eyes told him that she had guessed correctly.
Now Su Yunting was genuinely curious. He looked at his wife's suppressed laughter for a while, then finally leaned close to her ear and whispered, "What are you laughing at me for?"
The breathy sound on her ear sent a tingling sensation through her body, making her tremble involuntarily.
Su Yunting originally had no other intentions. He whispered in her ear to ask her questions because he was worried that outsiders might overhear their private conversations in the bedroom.
Now that his wife was trembling in his arms, Su Yunting could remain calm in his past life, but now that his lover was in his arms and the two were in the throes of passionate love, Su Yunting's heart suddenly burned with rage.
Qiu Yuruo was too ashamed to open her eyes because she was trembling uncontrollably.
Little did he know that her current state only fueled his burning desire.
Su Yunting could only close his eyes and silently recite the Heart Sutra to suppress the anger in his heart.
Qiu Yuruo felt awkward for a moment. When she didn't hear him continue to ask questions, she opened her eyes to look at him, only to find that his eyes were also closed.
She didn't think much of it, only assuming that he was angry because she hadn't explained why she was laughing.
Qiu Yuruo nudged him: "You get angry so easily!"
She tried to get off his lap, but he held her even tighter. "I'm not angry. Whether you laugh at me for being ugly or for being silly, I won't be angry."
Looking at her favorite face, Qiu Yuruo sincerely said, "I love your appearance the most, how could I possibly laugh at you for being ugly?"
Su Yunting: The anger didn't subside; instead, it burned even brighter.
He was worried that he wouldn't be able to control his physical reaction, so he put his wife on another stool and said, "I won't ask anymore. As long as you don't find it offensive, you can laugh as much as you want."
After saying that, he took out a few more bills from his sleeve and gave them to her: "Let's go look at houses tomorrow. We won't rent anymore, we'll just buy one."
Qiu Yuruo took the papers he handed over and looked closely. They turned out to be five silver notes with a face value of one hundred taels each!
Qiu Yuruo: "How come you only brought back five hundred taels of silver after going out for a short trip?!"
Before he could answer, Qiu Yuruo thought of a possibility: "Has Magistrate Lu been promoted?"
Su Yunting looked at her and smiled, then replied, "You're really smart."
He looked relaxed, but Qiu Yuruo was anything but relaxed; that was five hundred taels of silver!
Qiu Yuruo thought the two hundred taels she brought home before were unbelievably much, and now she has brought back five hundred taels.
"How much is his annual salary! And in just a few months, he's given you seven hundred taels of silver in two installments. What kind of official is he..."
Qiu Yuruo didn't say what she meant after that, but Su Yunting understood her meaning.
Su Yunting: "Don't worry, Magistrate Lu's official rank is not a problem."
Salary was only part of an official's income; the rest included official land, clothing and food, tea and wine, ice and charcoal, and rewards for different festivals. Even considering only what the court gave, officials could save a considerable amount of money each year.
The county magistrate is the local official in charge of the county. After taking office, the local gentry and prominent families will visit him, not to ask for anything, but just to see him. If he does not accept such gifts, it will be detrimental to his daily governance. Therefore, after taking office, the local official can maintain a respectable social life by accepting these gifts alone.
Another way to accumulate wealth is during festivals and holidays, and when there are weddings or funerals in the family.
There are many other ways Su Yunting didn't mention, but even these few made Qiu Yuruo understand why many people continued to take the imperial examinations even when their hair had turned white, and why Fan Jin went mad after passing the examinations.
With such great benefits and almost legalized gray income, who wouldn't be tempted!
With the five hundred taels of silver, Qiu Yuruo became even more focused on looking at houses tomorrow.
The two discussed what kind of house they wanted to buy until it got dark.
The final decision was to buy a house and furnish it with 300 taels of silver, leaving 200 taels and the remaining 100 taels from the previous purchase, to cover household expenses for the next two years.
Qiu Yuruo felt that even if there were only 100 taels, let alone more than 300 taels, the family could live a very good life on a normal basis.
The next morning, right after breakfast, Lu Yide, the nephew of Magistrate Lu, came over.
Magistrate Lu gave Su Yunting five hundred taels of silver this time, firstly out of gratitude, and secondly because he thought highly of Su Yunting. He had specifically instructed his nephew to cultivate a good relationship with Su Yunting.
Lu Yide had always admired Su Yunting's abilities. This time, his uncle followed Su Yunting's advice and successfully got the opportunity for promotion. The transfer order would be issued in a few days.
This result made Lu Yide value Su Yunting even more. Knowing that Su Yunting wanted to buy a house in the county, Lu Yide specially came early in the morning to accompany him to look at houses.
Su Yunting chose Magistrate Lu not only because he needed money, but also because he valued the network of connections that would be established and the protection that the magistrate's position would provide.
There are still more than two years before we go to the capital to participate in the imperial examination. During these two years, my family will live in the county.
The status of a scholar can prevent ordinary people from bullying him, but he is still powerless against the prominent families in the county.
Having connections with the county magistrate and being favored by him means that even after the magistrate is promoted, the prominent families in the county will hardly have any conflicts with you.
With the county magistrate's nephew personally accompanying them, the real estate agent dared not raise the price at all, nor did he dare to conceal anything.
Within the designated area, the real estate agent led several people to view the house.
The first place is a simple little courtyard, which can be bought for only 140 taels of silver.
The rooms were barely adequate, but the courtyard was too small. With hundreds of taels of silver in hand, such a small courtyard was not something that Su Yunting, who had once lived alone in a three-courtyard mansion, would even consider. Even Qiu Yuruo, who had always been a commoner, didn't fancy it.
When the real estate agent heard that they thought the house was too small, he took them to see a larger one.
This house is similar to the workshop house I rented yesterday, but the house and furniture are much better.
The courtyard is large, and there are many rooms, so the price is naturally high, requiring two hundred taels of silver.
Yesterday, the two of them had almost reached an agreement on buying a courtyard like this, but now, thanks to Lu Yide's influence, the price is much lower than they expected.
Such a house would provide a place for not only her own family but also for her two apprentices, but Qiu Yuruo had even more in mind.
Su Yunting was the top scholar in the imperial examination in his previous life. He must not fall below the first rank in this life. Even if he does fall below the first rank, Qiu Yuruo thinks he can at least get into the top few of the second rank and definitely enter the ranks of officials.
When it comes to the marriages of the younger siblings, they will naturally be found from families of similar social standing.
Qiu Yuruo predicted that Yun Che would be the best to adapt to the improvement in his family's social status. He was studying at the academy and was surrounded by scholars whose ultimate goal was to pass the imperial examinations. After Su Yunting passed the examinations, Yun Che's teachers and classmates would help him understand the change in his status.
But the two younger sisters are different. The second sister is naturally introverted and doesn't like socializing, which is something I lack myself in.
Later, Su Yunting's status changed, and his second sister reached the age where marriage could no longer be delayed. Qiu Yuru was worried that his second sister would be hesitant to deal with people of the same social standing.
The only thing Qiu Yuruo could think of right now was to improve her food, clothing, housing, and transportation as much as possible. It is said that one's environment shapes one's temperament and physical health, and if her living conditions improved, her second sister's confidence would definitely increase as well.
The house had a large courtyard with many flowers planted in it. Lu Yide noticed a particular flower blooming beautifully, and the real estate agent was explaining to him the characteristics of that flower.
Qiu Yuruo and Su Yunting went to the other side of the courtyard. Qiu Yuruo asked Su Yunting, "What do you think about us buying a two-courtyard house?"
As soon as she asked the question, Su Yunting agreed without hesitation.
Qiu Yuruo: "You didn't even ask me why I suddenly changed my mind."
Su Yunting: "As long as you want it in your heart, that's the best reason I can give you."
Although his main reason for wanting to buy a two-courtyard house was for his second sister, his answer still made Qiu Yuru feel sweet inside.
Since he said that, Qiu Yuruo deliberately said, "After buying a two-courtyard house, I also want to hire a few people to do housework."
Unexpectedly, after she finished speaking, Su Yunting breathed a sigh of relief: "I had thought of this a long time ago. I was worried that you wouldn't be able to accept having to hire someone for household chores, which is why I didn't dare to bring it up."
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