Jin Deji thought for a moment, then tremblingly held up two fingers, "Two thousand?"
Li Xiangdong readily agreed, "No problem!"
Jin Deji breathed a sigh of relief, then felt a surge of reluctance and indescribable melancholy, but these emotions quickly faded.
Fuck it!
They can't even afford to eat, and this is supposed to be their family heirloom!
"Old man, I'll go get the money for you this afternoon. Then we'll exchange the money for the painting."
"Okay, okay!"
"There's one more thing I'd like to discuss with you."
"Please speak, young friend!"
"I would like to ask you to take a look at my product."
"ah……"
Jin Deji was a little dumbfounded. Was he going to be hired as a waiter?
But then, his inherent pride inexplicably rose again. How could we, the descendants of the Eight Banners and Nurhaci, stoop to work for others...
"You don't need to do anything. Just teach Wu Jianjun some antique appraisal skills. If there's anything he doesn't understand, you can help him. From now on, I'll take care of all your needs, from food and clothing to housing and transportation in your old age, and I'll also pay you a monthly salary of twenty yuan."
"Then, can I eat at Donglaishun once every two weeks? Unlimited mutton?"
"no problem!"
Jin Deji laughed heartily, "No problem! I'll do it!"
Li Xiangdong quickly called Wu Jianjun over, "Brother Jianjun, from now on you will learn skills from the old man and be responsible for taking care of him, what do you think!"
Wu Jianjun and Jin Deji had always gotten along well. When Wu Jianjun was a temporary coal deliveryman, he had always done his best to help him. Now that he had a legitimate reason, he was even happier.
"Xiangdong, don't worry, I will definitely serve Master Jin well and learn skills from him!"
Li Xiangdong smiled and nodded, then looked around at the old man's living environment, which was really too dilapidated.
Moreover, the Shuitong Hutong where Jin Deji lived was thirty or forty miles away from the Tianshui Hutong where Wu Jianjun lived, making it inconvenient for Wu Jianjun to take care of him nearby.
"Brother Jianjun, are there any houses for rent near you?"
Wu Jianjun frowned and thought for a while, then shook his head. Nowadays, housing is tight for every family, and families like the old teacher in Tianshui Hutong who live comfortably are extremely rare.
Jin Deji laughed and said, "No rush, let's take our time and see. This old body of mine can last at least another year and a half after this hot pot meal!"
Everyone laughed, but Li Xiangdong was silently calculating the time when the house could be traded, which should be soon.
"Brother Jianjun, Sister Hongmei, if the sale and transfer of houses is ever allowed, remember to call me immediately!"
Li Xiangdong solemnly instructed Wu Jianjun and Zhou Hongmei, "Remember to call immediately!"
The two nodded solemnly, silently repeating Li Xiangdong's words several times in their hearts, determined to remember them well.
Although they felt that Li Xiangdong's words were unrealistic, since he had said them, we had to do as he said and do them meticulously!
Ning Ruoruo stood to the side, lost in thought. After everyone came out of Jin Deji's house, she pulled Li Xiangdong aside to talk.
Ning Ruoruo is already a 17-year-old young lady, standing at 1.75 meters tall, with a slender figure and beautiful features.
"Brother Xiang Dong, are you thinking of buying a house?"
Li Xiangdong glanced at her. This girl was indeed clever. He nodded, "That's exactly what she meant!"
"I chatted with my landlady the other day, and she said she wanted to sell the house and go abroad to find her children to take care of her in her old age!"
This is important information!
It's important to understand that although private sales of houses between ordinary people are not protected by law and are even illegal, this has not stopped housing transactions from occurring.
At that time, a new type of buying and selling method even emerged – “house swapping”.
Back then, a job was a lifelong commitment, and nobody wanted to live too far from their workplace. However, the law did not support the sale of houses, which led to this bizarre way of buying and selling.
People will gather at certain locations, clearly write down the location and square footage of their own houses, and also clearly write down the location and square footage of the houses they want to exchange. If someone who meets the requirements is willing to exchange, then a house sale without monetary involvement is completed.
Of course, this simple method is very risky. Without proof of ownership, it has caused a lot of trouble for the owners of the vat.
Li Xiangdong asked, "Does the old lady really want to sell?"
Ning Ruoruo said, "I heard that the landlady's courtyard house, with its three main rooms facing north, four side rooms, and three rear rooms, all belong to her family, and there are no disputes."
This is truly a rare find. Nowadays, most courtyard houses are large, multi-family dwellings, housing countless families. Where can you find a courtyard house with such clear and singular ownership? Moreover, the location is excellent, right next to the Second Ring Road!
Li Xiangdong was quite tempted. Even though there would be many risks involved in the transaction, he didn't want to miss out!
"Let's go! Let's go talk to the landlady!"
————
Li Xiangdong really didn't expect this transaction to go so smoothly.
The landlord's grandparents are both long-time intellectuals and were high-achieving students who studied abroad. Their only daughter now works at a research institution in the United States.
The landlord said to Li Xiangdong with great emotion, "They say it's hard to leave one's homeland, and fallen leaves return to their roots. We are over seventy years old, how could we bear to leave!"
The landlady helped her husband to a chair and said, "Hanzhi, Yazhu has written to us several times from the United States urging us to come over. Now we can finally apply for visas. You can't back down! We're getting old, and we're separated from our daughter by such a vast ocean. What will we do in the future?"
At his age, if he goes to the United States, he definitely won't be back in his lifetime. As for his daughter, she has long since settled in the United States, married, and had children.
Therefore, they need to settle the affairs of this courtyard house under their name before they leave.
With time running out and not wanting to announce their intention to sell the house in a big way, the two elderly people were just looking forward to a chance to buy it from a man named Li Xiangdong.
Since both parties agreed and agreed on the terms, they immediately drew up a sales contract in private, which they then signed and sealed.
Furthermore, the landlord's grandfather even left him a letter of authorization.
"Xiao Li, if what you say is true, and our country allows the sale of houses, then you can take the power of attorney to process the transfer of property ownership."
This old man is a man of great taste.
Li Xiangdong carefully put away the contract and power of attorney, and promised to settle the 4,000 yuan payment for the house within ten days.
The two elderly people were scheduled to leave the country two months from now. During this time, Li Xiangdong asked Wu Jianjun and Zhou Hongmei to help pack their luggage and run errands.
With a major matter settled, Li Xiangdong was in high spirits.
He did some quick calculations and realized that his third sister's due date was approaching.
So he went to a jewelry store and bought a gold longevity lock and a pair of silver bracelets as gifts for his future nephew or niece.
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