Chapter 14 Buying a House 2
Dr. Tea was an old man. Cui Qingyi guessed that he had been setting up a stall here for quite some time, so she wanted to ask him for some information.
"Uncle, how many days does Dongping Academy close? Can I go home every day while studying at the academy, or only on days off?"
Dr. Tea: "We have a day off every ten days. The academy provides accommodation, but it's not mandatory. Students can stay here if they want, and go back home if they want."
While the two of them were talking for a few words, several food stalls appeared next to the tea stall.
While waiting for the stall to be set up, Konjac peeked over and saw some unfamiliar food. Seeing Cui Qingyi and Dr. Tea still talking, he got up and went to the stall to take a look.
The people of Dongping County are very active. They come to the foot of the academy at this time, and they must be here to do business with the students of the academy. It seems that the management of Dongping Academy is more relaxed than that of academies in other places.
Cui Qingyi sat for a while and felt that she had fully recovered. Then she stood up, paid for the tea and went to find Konjac. The two of them left the mountain gate before the academy was dismissed to avoid unnecessary trouble when the crowds of people came out.
Konjac was holding two qingtuan dumplings in his hand. Cui Qingyi reached out and took them. "You still have qingtuan dumplings for sale in this season?"
Konjac swallowed the green dumpling in his mouth and savored it carefully.
"The stall owner said they were preserved from the spring and wanted to sell them as a novelty, but I don't think they are as delicious as the spring qingtuan."
Cui Qingyi took a bite and found the flavor wasn't as rich as it had been in the spring. Perhaps because the cooking process wasn't as detailed, the texture wasn't as good as the one made by the Chen family's chef.
"Let's walk along the bottom of the mountain and take a look around."
It was almost noon, and not only the streets at the foot of Shuyuan Mountain, but the entire Dongping County seemed to have come alive. Along the way, there were people washing vegetables with basins, people sitting by the river beating clothes, and peddlers carrying loads on their shoulders selling their wares along the street. It was very lively.
Cui Qingyi observed the surrounding shops as she walked. Almost none of them were vacant, and most of them were food stalls. She wasn't particularly satisfied; she wasn't one for the hustle and bustle. She simply wanted to run a simple business and live a quiet life.
After a day of wandering around, both the master and the servant were exhausted. Sitting in the inn room soaking their feet, Cui Qingyi decided, "We'll go to the brokerage firm early tomorrow morning. It's better to ask a broker for help with finding a house."
Konjac on the side nodded heavily, she also felt that it would be better to go to a dental clinic.
The pawnshop in Dongping County is located not far from the county government office. There is a striking sign hanging outside, and it is easy to see as you walk along the street.
Seeing someone coming in, the people from the dental clinic came over to greet them.
"Guest, do you want to see the house or buy a servant?"
"I want to buy a house in Dongping County. Do you have any suitable houses here?"
When he heard that they were buying a house, the smile on the broker's face instantly widened. Compared to when he first saw Cui Qingyi and Konjac, he was even more enthusiastic.
"Of course we do. Our agency is registered with the county government. I have records of all the houses for sale in Dongping County. Just tell me, and I will definitely find a house that satisfies you."
Cui Qingyi knew why the broker's attitude changed so much. Although the brokerage firm was under the jurisdiction of the county government, the brokers had to rely on themselves for monthly income. The more houses and slaves they could trade, the more silver they would get at the end of the month.
Moreover, the profit from buying a house is higher than renting or buying slaves. When the broker heard Cui Qingyi said she wanted to buy a house, he was of course happy.
Cui Qingyi explained her conditions to the broker. The broker lowered his eyes and thought for a while, then clapped his hands and said, "You've come at the right time. The brokerage just bought back a house a few days ago. It's located in Huaihua Hutong on West Street. All the people living there are respectable families. It's very suitable for you. However..."
Cui Qingyi was very interested in the house that Ya Ren mentioned. Seeing that he seemed to have something more to say, she asked, "But what's wrong with that house?"
The broker thought about it and told the truth: "It's not a big deal. It's just that the previous owner of the house had few children, and many people are superstitious about this matter."
So that's how it is. Cui Qingyi breathed a sigh of relief. People in the world are indeed more taboo about such things. After all, who doesn't want a large family?
But Cui Qingyi didn't care. If there was any taboo, her own existence itself was the biggest taboo in this world.
When she was young, she always had to be cautious in front of Yuan, for fear that she would reveal her true identity and be killed by Yuan, who thought that her arrival had prevented her from having a son.
Cui Qingyi is not exaggerating. Yuan wanted her son to become a demon because of the doctor's words. Cui Qingyi can guarantee that even if no one mentioned such things in front of her, Yuan would definitely do something crazy.
But since she didn't mind, there was no need to tell the broker. She pretended to be embarrassed and said, "Then please take us to see the house first."
The broker nodded, turned around, took the key, and took Cui Qingyi and her servant out.
As soon as I went out, someone brought a carriage over. In order to make it easier for the guests to see the house in person, the broker had specially prepared a carriage for transportation.
The agent invited Cui Qingyi and her servant to get into the carriage. "Sir, although the carriage is a bit simple, it is very clean. Please get in."
The carriage was indeed simple, with just a linen roof, but Cui Qingyi and Konjac were both very happy. They were really tired of walking back and forth yesterday, and their calves were still a little sore when they got up this morning. Now that they had a means of transportation, there was no need to complain.
"The dentist is very thoughtful. I dare not dislike it."
Konjac helped Cui Qingyi get into the car, and then he stepped onto the stool and sat down.
All the dentists have sharp eyes. After observing for a while, they knew that although Cui Qingyi looked simply dressed, she must have some background.
After all, although Cui Qingyi doesn't put on airs in her speech and conversation, the habits she has developed over more than ten years in a wealthy family are engraved in her bones and reflected in her ordinary words, deeds, and every move.
Cui Qingyi estimated that the carriage had been traveling for a quarter of an hour before it stopped and said, "Sir, the carriage cannot enter the alley. Please get down and walk a few steps."
Cui Qingyi helped Konjac get off the carriage, only to see it stopped under a large locust tree that was so big that one person could hug it. The tree looked quite old, with thick roots exposed above the ground, a tall crown, and lush branches and leaves.
The dealer casually introduced: "This ancient locust tree is over a hundred years old. When it blooms, its fragrance fills the entire alley, which is why it is called Sophora japonica Alley. Please watch your step and follow me."
Cui Qingyi and Konjac followed the broker towards Huaihua Lane. Huaihua Lane runs from north to south, and the terrain becomes slightly higher as it goes north.
The two-meter-wide alley is paved with bluestone slabs and looks very clean.
"We have a large body of water here, so we get a lot of rain. If the ground wasn't paved with bluestone, we wouldn't be able to walk on it when it rains. With bluestone, the ground remains clean even in heavy rain."
Konjac agreed, "Indeed, it looks very clean."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
