Chapter 446 The scalpers are back again
As June arrived in the lunar calendar, the sun blazed fiercely, and the leaves of the trees along the street drooped and curled up. It wasn't until evening that the heat subsided somewhat.
It rained the whole way, and Lin Yuesha was already tired of rainy days. However, the sun was so hot that she was dizzy, and she actually hoped for a heavy rain to cool things down.
"Miss, you're just having trouble adjusting to the new environment. You'll need to get used to it when you arrive in the capital."
Due to the different climates in the north and south, and the large temperature difference, Lin Yuesha felt dizzy and nauseous after staying in Cangzhou for only one day. She couldn't eat or sleep and was in great distress.
"But then my period started and I couldn't have any fun, so Sister Yan wouldn't let me drink herbal tea."
Lin Yuesha sighed, never expecting that she wouldn't be defeated by the Qin family, but by the heat first. She couldn't adapt to it.
Suffering from the summer heat is agonizing. She has no appetite for bland food and can't eat spicy food either. Lin Yuesha especially wants to eat a bowl of cool ice jelly, but the maids are watching her, and she is distressed that she has no chance.
"You have a stomachache after eating ice jelly, and I can't buy any medicine on the ship."
Bai Cha advised Lin Yuesha that patience would bring peace, and that things would pass quickly. Besides, being on a boat surrounded by water, with a gentle breeze making it cool and comfortable, was also a good idea.
"White tea, you really know how to choose words."
Lin Yuesha was speechless. She knew that the maid was doing it for her own good, but she couldn't find any fault with her.
As evening fell, the docks of Cangzhou City were packed with people, boatmen, passengers, and laborers unloading cargo.
The official ship had already docked, and there were people checking the tickets. Lin Yuesha saw the scalpers she had traded with the day before.
The scalper was deeply impressed by Lin Yuesha. It was strange, really. Yesterday, someone offered 100 taels of silver for a top-class boat ticket, and he missed the opportunity. But after he sold the ticket, someone else offered a high price for it.
In this back and forth, he lost several hundred taels of silver. Seeing the silver in his pocket leaking out, he was so heartbroken that he didn't eat for a day, and blisters appeared on his lips.
He wouldn't be satisfied if he didn't make some money off this young lady!
"Miss Lin, are you leaving already?"
The scalper quickened his pace and blocked Lin Yuesha's path; not being able to make money had become a major worry for him.
Yes, you're here too.
Lin Yuesha saw a wealthy family's carriage, seemingly offering high prices for top-quality boat tickets. It seemed the scalpers weren't lying; she was already content with buying a boat ticket for fifty taels of silver.
"Miss, I still have business here."
The scalper muttered under his breath, "I wonder if Miss Lin would be interested?"
"I'm leaving Cangzhou and won't be back for a while."
Lin Yuesha waved her hand and hurried to board the ship. On the other side, someone on the official ship was already banging a gong to announce the official boarding.
Because it was a first-class ticket, there was no need to squeeze with others, and boarding was priority. So, the advantages and sense of superiority of the rich are really evident everywhere.
"I learned that you went to the capital. This is business in the capital, otherwise I wouldn't have contacted you."
The scalper was very eager. He said he had to sell the tickets he had to make some money, otherwise he couldn't sleep or eat, and he was becoming haggard.
"What kind of business? Tell me about it."
If it were anyone else, Lin Yuesha wouldn't have paid any attention. But after dealing with this scalper, she found him to be a fairly honest person among scalpers.
“Miss Lin, I heard you say that you came to Beijing to take your father for medical treatment, so I suppose you don’t have a suitable place to stay.”
At this moment, the capital city is overcrowded, and it is difficult to find a suitable inn. Many scholars have no choice but to stay in Cangzhou and go to the capital before the imperial examination.
If you can't find a good place to stay, or if it's noisy and disruptive to studying, then patients have even more stringent requirements for their accommodation.
"If you cannot find a suitable inn in the capital, you will have to stay at the homes of ordinary people."
Huang Niu patiently and earnestly inquired about Lin Yuesha's accommodation situation.
"Do you have a yard you want to sell?"
Lin Yuesha was about to board the boat when she was drawn in by what the scalper said and stopped in her tracks.
Indeed, what he said was the primary issue Lin Yuesha was currently considering. Although she had decided to move into the Zhuang family's residence, it was not a long-term plan, and since they were not related by blood, it was not appropriate to keep bothering them.
If scalpers were also involved, Lin Yuesha expressed interest and said she could go and see the courtyards they recommended. However, she had one condition: she wanted to buy a courtyard in the inner city.
“Miss Lin, if you lived in the inner city, it would be much more convenient for you to see a doctor.”
The inner city was inhabited by high-ranking officials and nobles, and the doctors in this circle were naturally quite skilled. Even so, it was extremely difficult to find a pair of exceptionally skilled doctors, especially for ordinary people.
"I don't have a courtyard, but I do have a house ticket."
After finishing speaking, the scalper carefully took out a ticket from his pocket. Although the ticket was valuable, he couldn't find anyone in the capital to buy a house in a short time. The ticket was valid for five days from now, and it would take three days to travel from Cangzhou to the capital, so the scalper was eager to sell it.
He approached it with a "let's give it a try" attitude, but to his surprise, Lin Yuesha was interested, which was a delightful surprise.
"Miss Lin, let me explain this to you."
The scalper pointed to the seal on it, which was the private seal of a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Revenue. That official was in charge of the houses and travel permits of the people in the capital, and he knew better than anyone who had a courtyard for sale.
That man only does business within the inner city, introducing the buying and selling of courtyards; he's very reliable.
However, to make a transaction, you must have a ticket; otherwise, without this entry ticket, you won't even be able to get in and will be kicked out.
"It's not just the courtyard, but also the shops and fields. People who want to sell will go there. It's open once a month."
After the scalper explained, Lin Yuesha understood the general meaning.
Officials from the Ministry of Revenue abused their positions to make money by creating a pretext to organize a fair similar to a modern real estate fair. There were sellers and buyers there, and if someone was suitable, they could make a deal. Because it was an official from the Ministry of Revenue who facilitated the transactions, there was no fear of being cheated, so it was considered relatively reliable.
As for housing vouchers, they are the key to entry, but there are many people who have money but can't find the right connections.
"Only one, two hundred taels of silver, no bargaining."
The scalper was adamant; he couldn't get his hands on a receipt. He'd found the ticket himself and didn't know whose it was. He had to ask around among several people in the industry before he found out.
The ticket from the capital was lost in Cangzhou. Since it was an anonymous item, whoever found it could keep it.
If he hadn't suffered such a huge loss yesterday, he would never have remembered that a worthless ticket that was about to expire could be sold for two hundred taels of silver with no cost—it was free!
The scalper strongly recommended that if you made money, your back and legs would no longer ache, and your arms would be strong again. You could go to a brothel for a night of pleasure!
"All right."
Lin Yuesha thought for a moment. If she spent two hundred taels of silver to go to a place like this, she could at least learn about the rules of buying and selling in the capital. Even if the deal didn't go through, she would still learn a lot so as not to be ripped off.
Courtyards in the capital are so expensive; getting ripped off is far more than just two hundred taels. Consider it tuition; I still have to go and see for myself.
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