Chapter 87 Choose Siheyuan as the Dowry
Grandma Song first turned off the faucet, poured the rinsed rice into the rice cooker, turned on the control button, and when she saw the rice start to steam, she answered her grandson slowly, with a hint of inexplicable expectation in her words.
"Yuan Dan, when are you and Shi Shi planning to get married?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi's cheeks immediately turned slightly red, and her little head, which had been lowered to pick vegetables, buried even lower. She felt anticipation in her heart, and her expression was both happy and nervous.
There was shyness in her eyes, and she would steal glances at her boyfriend from time to time. She held the leeks tightly in her hand, showing that she was extremely uneasy.
Song Ci was stunned for a moment, not understanding why his grandmother suddenly urged him to get married. He and Shi Ye were only eighteen years old. Even if they wanted to get a marriage certificate, they were not of the legal age.
Glancing at his girlfriend who was stealing glances at him, Song Ci said helplessly, "Grandma, Shishi and I are still young. Let's wait a few more years before getting married. We are not old enough to get a marriage certificate now."
Grandma Song shook her head, looked at the young couple kindly, and gently advised: "You and Shishi are both eighteen years old. Since you are adults, you can consider starting a family. You can get engaged first without getting a marriage certificate."
Song Ci nodded slightly. Engagement was okay. After two years, when his and Shi Ye's careers had made further progress, they could indeed get engaged first.
"It's not that grandma is rushing you. You and Shishi have been childhood sweethearts and you love each other. The Song and Liu families know each other well, so there's no need to delay.
It would be great if you could get your life done quickly and see you get married and start a family. Your grandfather and I would have put our minds at ease. It would be even better if we could have a great-grandson sooner."
When people get old, they tend to be talkative. As she spoke, Grandma Song had already begun to imagine the future, fantasizing about the beautiful scene of four generations living under one roof.
Song Ci listened quietly to the old lady talking about the beautiful things in her heart. He understood what his grandmother was thinking.
The elders always hope that their children and grandchildren can have a successful career and a smooth and happy life. If their children and grandchildren can live under the same roof, it will be perfect and there will be no regrets in life.
Seeing that her grandson understood her thoughts, Grandma Song showed a kind face and looked at Miss Liu happily, saying in a kind and friendly tone: "Shishi, what do you think? After all, marriage is a matter between two people."
Liu Shishi glanced at Song Ci shyly at first, then replied in a timid voice: "Grandma, I can do anything. I'll listen to Song Ci's arrangements."
The old lady was so happy when she was called "Grandma". Grandma Song was very excited and said, "Good girl, you have been smart since you were young. I am happy to see you. Since you and Yuandan have no objection, I will make the decision on this matter. You should get engaged as soon as possible."
Looking at his grandmother's excited look, Song Ci felt helpless. He didn't know why the old lady was so anxious about his marriage today.
"Grandma! I'm still in school. Even if you want to get engaged, you have to wait until I graduate from college. Besides, you have to discuss it with my parents and Shishi's parents."
When Grandma Song heard what her grandson said, she seemed to wake up from a dream. Her expression was gloomy. She sighed and said in annoyance, "Oh, I was too anxious. Life is unpredictable!"
Seeing grandma suddenly look sad and behave abnormally, Song Ci's heart tightened immediately, and he asked with concern: "Grandma, you are not right, you must be hiding something from us, is there something wrong with your body?"
Seeing that Song Ci and Liu Shishi looked nervous and stared at her with concern, Grandma Song knew that they were thinking the wrong thing, so she quickly explained and told them a melancholy incident that had happened to her recently.
"I was just feeling a little emotional just now. A good sister of mine passed away unexpectedly a few days ago. Her granddaughter was supposed to get married next month, but unfortunately she didn't make it in time and couldn't see her granddaughter wearing her wedding dress in person. I think she must have passed away with regret."
Song Ci finally breathed a sigh of relief, his tense nerves relaxing. He was really scared just now, fearing that he would hear some bad news from his grandmother.
No wonder the old lady is so sentimental today. Song Ci quickly stood up and hugged her dearest grandmother, comforting her intimately:
"Grandma, life is like a dream, and things are unpredictable. Just cherish the present and live happily. Go out and relax with grandpa! As for the matter between me and Shishi, don't rush it. We will be happy!"
At the same time, I also remind myself that when a child wants to take care of his parents, they are no longer around. I should visit my grandparents more often and show my filial piety to them in the future. I should also talk to my parents. No matter how busy I am at work, I should still care about the two elderly people.
"Don't worry, Yuandan, your grandfather and I are doing fine!"
Grandma Song hugged her grandson, felt the care of her loved one, and her heart was comforted. She finally came out of her recent sad mood.
The midday sun shines through the half-open curtains onto the old wooden table, adding a touch of warmth to the simple meal.
The aroma of food wafted slowly from the table. In addition to a bowl of fragrant pork rib soup, there were also braised fish fillets, Peking roast duck, and stir-fried seasonal vegetables. Those were specially prepared by Grandma Song for Shishi Liu, and each dish contained the old lady's love.
Today, his grandson came and Grandpa Song was allowed to drink a few glasses of wine happily. Seeing that the depression between his wife's brows had disappeared, he knew that her heart knot had been resolved.
He joked: "New Year's Day's magic medicine still works!"
Grandma Song knew that she had been feeling depressed recently and her husband had been caring about her, but she still refused to show weakness and glared at the old man: "Eat your meal, so many delicious dishes can't stop you from eating."
Song Ci and Liu Shishi listened quietly to their grandparents bickering, nodding and smiling from time to time, and occasionally interjecting a few words, as if time had slowed down at this moment.
After having a warm and sumptuous lunch in Nanluoguxiang, Song Ci said goodbye to his grandparents because Song Xueying had an appointment with him in the afternoon.
After a month, good news finally came from Song Xueying. She heard that there was a three-courtyard courtyard house for sale in Xidan, and invited Song Ci to go to the site to view the house in the afternoon.
The homeowner was in urgent need of money because his whole family was moving to the United States to settle down, so he planned to sell all his domestic assets.
As a native of Beijing, Liu Shishi, who had been walking the streets since she was a child, was already accustomed to all kinds of courtyard houses.
She was neither interested in nor understood her boyfriend's desire to buy a courtyard house. She thought that Boss Song was a fool with a lot of money. After all, even the wisest man can make mistakes.
In Liu Shishi's opinion, the courtyard houses in the capital are dilapidated, the alleys are long and narrow and parking is inconvenient, and they are not as comfortable to live in as buildings.
Liu Shishi advised Song Ci to give up the idea of buying the courtyard house, but unfortunately Boss Song insisted on his own way.
Liu Shishi thought that when the courtyard house bought by Song Ci rotted and she lost money, she would change her boyfriend's nickname to Song Daidai. She, the beautiful Liu, was very smart, so she would say goodbye to the nickname Daidai forever!
Since her boyfriend refused to listen, Miss Liu acted coquettishly and asked Song Ci to take her home first.
How could Song Ci not know his girlfriend's little thoughts? Recently, Miss Liu has become addicted to the online game "World of Warcraft" and is rushing home to play the dungeon.
Originally, Song Ci had also considered playing "World of Warcraft", coveting this legendary masterpiece in the history of gaming.
Unfortunately, time was not on our side. In April 2004, The9 signed an exclusive agency agreement with Blizzard Entertainment for World of Warcraft in China. By the time Tenda Technology was established, it was too late for us to intervene.
However, four years later, The9 and Blizzard Entertainment fell out, and Tenda was able to intercept NetEase. "World of Warcraft" is a money-making tool that helps both the company's profits and the growth of users on the TD game platform. It is worth spending some money to compete with NetEase.
Since Liu Shishi didn't want to accompany him, Song Ci didn't force her and just followed her wishes and sent her home.
On the way back, the campus hunk Song lamented that before they confirmed their relationship, Shi Ye wanted to stick to him all the time, but now that he has been tricked into getting her, her boyfriend is not as important as games. It turns out that those who are favored are always fearless.
When his grandmother was urging him to get married in the kitchen that morning, he was thinking that if the courtyard house in Xidan was suitable, he would buy it as one of the gifts to marry Shi Ye, so he wanted to take Miss Liu with him to see it, but unfortunately Shi Ye was not interested.
Xidan is an important commercial district in Xicheng District of Beijing. It is densely populated and land is extremely valuable. This three-story courtyard house is located here.
In front of the quaint vermilion gate of the courtyard, Song Xueying, dressed in a white women's suit, is still so intellectual and elegant.
Pointing to a man and Song Ci, he introduced: "Mr. Song, this is the client of the homeowner, Manager Gu Yongzhou."
Song Ci looked over when he heard this. This Manager Gu was tall, with broad shoulders and a strong body. His hair was combed back to a shine. He was wearing a black suit with a light-colored tie. His eyes were bright and he looked calm and capable.
Song Xueying then introduced Gu Yongzhou: "Manager Gu, this is the buyer, my boss, Mr. Song."
Gu Yongzhou was also secretly looking at Song Ci. He was much younger and more handsome than he had expected. His unique and unrestrained temperament made him think that Song Ci was the young master of a high-ranking official in the capital.
At that moment, he was even more excited about the deal, and stepped forward to greet them respectfully, "Hello, Mr. Song, and Miss Song, please follow me and let me see the house first."
Song Ci nodded, stepped onto the smooth steps in front of the courtyard, and stood there, feeling that this three-in-one courtyard was indeed magnificent.
Gu Yongzhou took out the key, pushed open the ancient and heavy door of the courtyard, and invited the two in.
The three of them stepped over the gate and what came into view was a lifelike bluestone screen wall with carvings of dragons and paintings of phoenixes.
Passing through the moon gate at the entrance to the front yard, the entire courtyard is made of blue bricks and gray tiles, decorated with seedlings and rocks, which is grand, ancient and full of vitality.
When Song Ci walked into the courtyard, he was already very satisfied with this quadrangle courtyard and was interested in buying it, but he did not show it on his face. He quietly listened to Gu Yongzhou's introduction to the layout of the courtyard.
"Mr. Song, this courtyard house is very well preserved. It was originally the residence of a high-ranking official in the previous dynasty, and later it was passed down to the owner. If you really want to buy it, I can talk to the owner and give you a big discount."
Song Ci looked at the ancient buildings with carved beams and painted rafters, and felt happy. The more he looked, the more excited he became. He asked, "How big is this courtyard?"
Gu Yongzhou quickly replied: "Mr. Song, this is the most standard three-in-one courtyard house in Beijing, 1,200 square meters."
Song Ci nodded slightly. It was similar to what he estimated. The three-courtyard houses in Peking were basically over 1,000 square meters.
Gu Yongzhou held out his hand and said, "Please come this way. I'll take you to the back. The living room, wing rooms, bedroom, and study are all in the second courtyard."
At the top of the front yard is an exquisite hanging flower gate, which serves as the partition wall leading to the second courtyard.
The three of them passed through the hanging flower gate and came to the middle courtyard. Compared with the majestic front yard, the middle courtyard was more warm and elegant, suitable for home life.
Maybe the house has been vacant for too long, and the central courtyard looks a bit messy and disheveled.
Song Xueying looked around and frowned, "Manager Gu, the central courtyard is a bit run-down. If we want to live there, we'll probably have to renovate it from the inside out. Such a large area will definitely cost a lot."
Gu Yongzhou didn't dare to answer. What Song Xueying said was indeed the truth. A 1,200-square-meter courtyard house would require a huge amount of money to renovate.
Moreover, the renovation of ancient buildings requires very high construction requirements. If the client has no connections, he can introduce a decoration company and make some extra money.
Seeing that Song Ci was also staring at him, Gu Yongzhou looked embarrassed. He made up his mind that next time if someone came to see the house again, he would have to find someone to clean up the yard in advance.
At this point, he could only bite the bullet and ask Song Ci: "Do you want to walk around the backyard again?"
Song Ci waved his hand, "No need to go to the backyard, I know it well, there are usually wing rooms in the back, they are all similar."
Gu Yongzhou breathed a sigh of relief. The backyard was probably not much better than the middle yard. "Do you have any more questions about the yard? I'll try my best to answer you!"
Song Ci shook his head and winked at Song Xueying.
Song Xueying understood what the boss meant and asked directly, "Manager Gu, there's no need to talk nonsense. Just give me a price."
Gu Yongzhou was overjoyed when he heard this, knowing that Song Ci was interested in buying it. After a moment's hesitation, he raised his right palm, spread his five fingers, and said cunningly, "This number! 50,000 per square meter!"
Song Ci suddenly laughed out of anger. He was being taken advantage of. Nanluoguxiang was located within the Second Ring Road and also had three courtyards. Depending on the layout and quality, the price ranged from 35,000 to 45,000 per square meter.
Xidan is on the West Second Ring Road, and its location is not as good as Nanluoguxiang. The preservation of the courtyard houses is only average. Gu Yongzhou actually dares to ask for 50,000, which is really exorbitant.
Song Xueying was also listening with her eyes wide open. She had recently been asking around for information about courtyard houses in Beiping City, but there were no courtyard houses in this city that were priced at this level.
Song Xueying sneered, "Manager Gu, I don't think there's any need for us to continue talking. You're taking us for fools."
Seeing the guests were angry, Gu Yongzhou quickly explained: "Calm down, this is the price offered by the owner. Who doesn't love money? The owner would like to sell it for 100,000 yuan per square meter. I am the client, so I must tell the client the price of the owner.
I think you two are knowledgeable. If Mr. Song really wants to buy it, please give me a suitable price and I will talk to the owner."
Song Xueying thought for a moment, and naturally she was the one to sing the black face. She imitated Gu Yongzhou's gesture just now, raised three fingers, and said, "Thirty thousand."
Gu Yongzhou suddenly became angry and shouted, "No one would offer such a price as you do. If I really want to make this deal happen, you have to offer a reasonable price."
Song Ci didn't want to waste time arguing, so he offered a relatively moderate price. "This courtyard is average in quality, but the location is OK. 36,000 yuan, I guess. If there's a courtyard behind it, Manager Gu, you can continue to sell it to me."
Gu Yongzhou calculated that at 36,000 yuan per square meter, the total price was close to 43 million yuan. He could get a 1% commission, and earn 430,000 yuan from one transaction, which was considered a huge fortune for him.
If he didn't make this deal, he wouldn't be able to pocket his commission. He could feel that Song Ci really wanted to buy a house.
Gu Yongzhou gritted his teeth and promised, "Okay, I'll go and talk to the owner of the house and convince him to accept this price and go back to China to handle the transfer procedures, but you have to pay the deposit."
"The deposit is no problem." Song Ci agreed readily. Ten years later, the housing price of this courtyard house in Xidan would soar to at least 200,000 yuan per square meter, and there would be no demand for it.
Song Ci is planning to take out a loan to buy the house. Nowadays, the housing price growth in Peking far exceeds the bank interest rate. Taking out a loan to buy a house and waiting for the property to appreciate is equivalent to using the bank's money for free. Why not do it?
Seeing that the matter was half done, Gu Yongzhou said happily: "Then wait for my good news. I will inform you in time when the landlord returns to Beiping."
(End of this chapter)
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