"Hmm, your services are quite comprehensive. I'd like to rent a house first, preferably near the examination hall."
As for whether to buy a house or a shop, that depends on whether there are suitable options.
Huang expressed his thoughts directly.
Yan Cheng's eyes lit up when he heard this. Although the old lady was not dressed very well, her demeanor was like that of a wealthy family's head housekeeper.
There haven't been any deals for days; we have to catch this big, fat fish today.
If Madam Huang could hear Yan Cheng's inner thoughts at this moment, she would definitely spit in his face.
“You are the head matron, your whole family are matrons.”
Huang Shi was quite pleased with Yan Cheng's fawning attitude, but that didn't mean she was easily fooled.
Yan Cheng led Huang Shi and Zhao Qingyan around for a day, and finally found a two-courtyard house in Zhegui Lane, three streets away from the examination hall.
The rent is 25 taels per month, while the minimum price is 2300 taels of silver if you want to buy it.
This house is quite good in both size and location.
The first building has a rear building with six main rooms and five rooms each in the east and west wings.
The courtyard is over 200 square meters, with six main rooms in the second courtyard. The west wing has a kitchen and a woodshed, and there is also a well in the courtyard.
Behind the second house is a small courtyard, about forty or fifty square meters in size, which is very long and narrow. The outhouse is located under the wall of the courtyard.
After seeing it, the grandfather and grandson were very satisfied with the two-courtyard wall.
Putting everything else aside, this two-meter-high wall made of blue bricks alone is worth a lot of money.
The overall design is reasonable. The only drawback is that the courtyard is not on the side. Otherwise, if the front row is renovated, it can be opened as a shop again.
The owner of the house, because his son passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, used his connections to get a job as a county magistrate. The whole family went to take up the post together, and the house is now in the care of the steward.
The housekeeper was also anxious; as soon as the house was sold, he would take the money and rush to catch up with the owners.
If my master becomes an official, my own wealth will also increase accordingly.
Can the steward of an ordinary person's household be compared to the steward of a county magistrate's household?
Although the house was a bit pricey, at least we didn't have to take any of the furniture with us.
In other words, it's move-in ready.
The grandfather and grandson whispered for a while, and finally decided to buy it.
Good houses are hard to come by. Although I don't know much about the housing prices in Fucheng, after looking at so many houses in one day, this one seems to have the best value for money.
"Yan Yaren, how much is the minimum price for this house?"
If the price could be even lower, my wife would book it immediately. Also, when can the transfer of ownership be processed?
Huang called Yan Cheng aside and asked him a question.
Yan Cheng looked quite troubled, and Huang Shi understood.
"Don't worry, even if the price of this house goes down, your commission will still be the same."
Having received Huang's confirmation, Yan Cheng quickly went to communicate with the steward.
Although the steward was anxious, he still managed to keep his price in check and finally agreed to a minimum of 2150 taels.
Well, although Mr. Huang wasn't entirely satisfied with the price, it was still acceptable.
The steward was also very happy. The lowest price his master had given was 2,000 taels, and now with the extra 150 taels, at least 50 taels would go into his own pocket.
In the end, everyone was happy. The steward, who was also anxious, went to the government office that same day to complete the transfer of ownership.
After handing over the keys, the steward carried his bundle to the inn, preparing to hire a carriage early the next morning to catch up with his master.
Huang and Zhao Qingyan happily checked the courtyard inside and out again, changed the locks, and returned to the inn, preparing to move in early the next morning.
That evening, apart from Zhao Minggeng and Zhao Qianci, the other members of the Zhao family were incredulous to learn that their mother (grandmother) had bought a house in the prefectural city.
"Mother, our shop hasn't made much money. We've been buying mountains and houses. Where did the money come from?"
Zhao Changgeng posed a soul-searching question.
Mrs. Huang rolled her eyes at her simple-minded son.
"With you bunch of idiots, I wouldn't be able to buy anything I want. It's only because of my darling daughter that I have money."
If you buy it, just live in it. Why all the nonsense?
I can live a good life without relying on my son and daughter-in-law. What, you're not convinced?
If you're not happy about it, keep it to yourself. Don't take advantage of the situation and then act innocent.
We're moving tomorrow after breakfast, so make sure everything is packed and organized tonight, don't forget anything.
Well, none of the men in the Zhao family looked too happy. Their mother had really shown them no respect, but the fact was quite embarrassing.
Early the next morning, Zhao Qianci was helped downstairs by Huang Shi and Zhao Minggeng. The bump on his head had subsided considerably, and at least he could open his eyes.
However, they cannot make too many movements yet, such as nodding or shaking their heads.
Upon arriving at her new home, Qingbei jumped up excitedly.
"Grandma, sister, is this our new house?"
"Wow, that's amazing! It's huge, much bigger than the shops in our town!" the little guy exclaimed.
"Of course, this is a two-courtyard house. Our shops in town only have one courtyard. And they're much smaller than this."
Alright, stop jumping around and hurry up and take a stroll before getting to work.
First, tidy up the main room and make a place for your father to sit down so he can rest his feet.
Huang gave the order in a very domineering manner.
Zhao Qianci is too fragile right now and can't withstand any more hardship.
Zhao Qingyan felt very sorry for the old man and filled his water bag with juice for him to drink.
"Sir, drink more, it's nutritious. You really need to take better care of your health."
Zhao Qianci didn't dare to nod, but just hummed "hmm" through his nose as a response.
It's true that the men of the Zhao family are all very capable at work. Soon, not only the main room but also the sleeping quarters were all cleaned up.
Zhao Qianci was placed in the main house in the courtyard.
With a new home, they had to celebrate. Zhao Minggeng and Zhao Qingyan took a horse-drawn carriage out for a drive and brought back a lot of ingredients.
Meanwhile, in Zhao Family Village, Zhao Jinfa's pigsty has recently attracted many visitors.
For no other reason than that, even though they're both pig farmers, why are the pigs at the village chief's house so well-behaved? They just eat and sleep all day long, never causing any trouble, and they certainly don't gnaw open the pen gate to run away.
They grow especially fast, almost changing every day.
"Village chief, how do you raise your pigs? They're growing so well!"
We both gather pig feed and cook pig food, so why don't my pigs grow as well as yours?
"What's your secret, village chief? Tell us!"
Zhao Jinfa was also very annoyed by the noise, but since he had made an agreement with the Huang family long ago, he calmly listened to the villagers' clamor.
"Alright, there really are some tricks to raising pigs. I can't tell you about them yet."
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