Chapter 87 Old House
It is said that the courtyard that Xia Juanjuan liked was the house built by a high-ranking official in the court after he retired and returned to his hometown. It was passed down to his children and grandchildren for several generations.
The current owner is an old lady in her seventies, whom everyone calls Mrs. Luo. Her husband died more than ten years ago and she has no children. She lives on a little government assistance and the few remaining things left by her ancestors that she picks up and sells.
The house was originally a large courtyard with three entrances, a grand gatehouse, high walls, flying eaves, carved beams, glazed tiles, hollow carved windows, and thick and straight nanmu columns. In the courtyard there is an old peach tree that is so big that one person can hug it. It has been corroded by nearly a hundred years, and it shows the beauty of ancient Chinese architecture to the fullest.
However, at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, two of the courtyards were donated by the owner, Mrs. Luo's husband, and turned into a large compound to be distributed to poor families in the county.
The remaining one is reserved for the original owner.
When the riots broke out a few years ago, there were also red armbands clamoring to take back this last courtyard and to hold a meeting to criticize and struggle against the original owner, but in the end, they were directly suppressed by an unknown person in Beijing who personally gave the order.
The reason is that although the Luo family had a poor origin, during the war years, the Luo family produced many advanced-thinking descendants who worked hard for the country. The Luo family originally had hundreds of acres of fertile land and a huge fortune, but they all sold them to support the country, and in the end only this old house was left.
Mrs. Luo's three sons and one daughter all died for their country when they were in their twenties. They were posthumously recognized as heroes and martyrs.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Mr. Luo donated two more courtyards. For a family like this, who is qualified to approve it?
Mrs. Luo is over seventy years old and lives alone without any children, which is not a big deal.
The county reported the incident to Beijing, and Beijing sent someone to take the old lady to live in the cadre nursing home in Beijing, where she would be taken care of by a special person.
Old Mrs. Luo was unwilling. She believed that when people get old, they should return to their roots. How could they leave their hometown and die in a foreign land?
What's more, if she were to pass away, what would happen if the souls of her dead children returned and couldn't find their way home?
This matter was therefore delayed.
It was also God's will. One night, Mrs. Luo dreamed that her four children came into the house together, talking and laughing. They called her "mother" in a coquettish way and said that they wanted to take her to the city to enjoy a better life. They also said that they were going to settle down in the city and insisted that mother go with them...
Old Mrs. Luo had been thinking about her children for half her life, so how could she not be willing? She was about to leave, but as soon as she took a step, she woke up.
The room was dark. Where was the trace of my four children in their prime in my dream?
Old Mrs. Luo sat on the bed in a daze for most of the night. Before dawn, she got dressed and went to knock on the door of the county government.
Although the county did not really believe what Mrs. Luo said, they still did not dare to neglect and sent a telegram to Beijing.
Within two days, the capital city sent people directly over. It turned out that the remains of a group of heroes had been found recently and were all transported to the Beijing Martyrs Cemetery for burial. The list had been compiled, but there was no time to notify the surviving families one by one.
Aren’t Mrs. Luo’s children on the list?
Whether in Jing City or Mo County, everyone was amazed at this miraculous event, and marveled that mother and son are indeed connected by heart. Even though they are separated by life and death, the son still sent messages to his mother in his dreams.
Old Mrs. Luo was stunned for a long time before she suddenly burst into tears.
Before she died and didn't see the body, she still had a wish in her heart, but now, it's really gone...
Seeing the old lady so sad, people in the capital and the county felt very uncomfortable, but how could they persuade her?
After crying for a while, Mrs. Luo went home.
Several children asked her to go and accompany them. Now that she knew they were in Beijing, how could Mrs. Luo not agree?
However, before leaving, the Luo family's old house must be properly dealt with.
The Luo family has already spent all their wealth for the country and lost four lives. She is not as great as the old man and her children, and she has some resentment in her heart.
Therefore, even though the Luo family had no descendants, Old Lady Luo was still unwilling to donate the remaining house without compensation.
There has to be something left, right?
Whether it's for reliance or selfishness, the Luo family doesn't live long. If this house can survive from generation to generation, it can be considered as living for the Luo family...
Once a house is uninhabited, it will decay quickly and may collapse or be destroyed in a few years.
Therefore, Mrs. Luo began to look for an owner who could save the house in the future.
Coincidentally, she remembered that her children liked to eat the mutton stuffed pancakes she made when they were young, so she wanted to make some in the home where they grew up, using water from the well in the yard, so that she could bring them to Beijing.
On the eve of the New Year, even the sweet potato noodles in the county’s state-owned stores were sold out. Even with tickets, you couldn’t buy them, let alone white flour and mutton.
Old Mrs. Luo took out a golden hairpin and went to the black market tremblingly.
When Xia Juanjuan was selling goods, she would ask people who came to buy things if there was anyone in the county town willing to sell their house. Preferably an old house with a yard in the old city. Money and food supplies were fine, and it didn't matter if the house was a little shabby, the price she gave was always fair!
Everyone was curious and asked her why she wanted the old, run-down house. Workers in the county were all scrambling to move into the building. It was run-down and gloomy, and those who still lived there were either too incapable to move or unemployed vagrants.
Xia Juanjuan smiled and said that she lived in this old house when she was a child. Later, her family destroyed it and rebuilt a new one. She has always missed this kind of yard...
After hearing this, Mrs. Luo was moved and began to observe Xia Juanjuan from a distance.
After observing for a few times and confirming that Xia Juanjuan was honest and fair even when selling things on the black market, he became interested.
Therefore, when she went to the black market again, she went straight to Xia Juanjuan and said, "My dear, I want to buy some white flour and mutton. Do you think this is enough?"
When Xia Juanjuan saw the golden hairpin, she was stunned for a moment.
The natives of the county town are richer than the people in the town and the village. In addition to the old woman she met in the town, Xia Juanjuan also met several people in the county town who used old items at home to exchange for supplies. However, they were all relatively ordinary items such as old pottery jars, copper coins that were circulated in the past, silver earrings and other small items, and Xia Juanjuan exchanged them all.
It's so heavy that you can tell it's made of solid gold as soon as you hold it. This is the second time I've ever seen a hairpin this valuable.
Although it is not as good as the pair of jade bracelets owned by the old lady in the town, it is not much different from the golden beast incense.
"Grandma, this thing is very valuable, are you sure you want to exchange it?"
Old Mrs. Luo nodded and said, "I want to exchange two kilograms of flour and two kilograms of mutton. Is that okay?"
Xia Juanjuan nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, I can."
She is no longer too concerned about the value of things that other people have brought back decades later. After all, times have changed and now is the time when material things are more valuable than anything else.
Anyway, if the item is valuable, she will give the person who comes to exchange it whatever they want, and even give a little extra.
Xia Juanjuan took out more than two kilograms of mutton and flour and handed them to Grandma Luo.
Old Mrs. Luo took the things but did not leave immediately. Instead, she hesitated and asked, "My dear, I heard that you want to buy an old house in the county town? I have one at home. Would you like to take a look?"
Of course Xia Juanjuan was willing.
She has seen several shows but was not satisfied with any of them, so she has not made a decision yet.
Following Old Lady Luo all the way into the Luo family’s old house, Xia Juanjuan fell in love with the house at first sight.
It is ancient and quaint, with high walls and deep courtyards. A cluster of gorgeous red plum blossoms at the corner of the wall reflects the accumulated snow, and its beauty is extremely violent and unrestrained.
"Old lady, how much do you want for this house? Or the supplies are fine, just name your price!"
Xia Juanjuan wanted to make the decision on the spot.
Old Mrs. Luo looked at her and said, "This house doesn't require money or materials..."