Chapter 296 Finding a House
Left with no other choice, Xiahou Jie had to drag the still-unsatisfied Dai Xingyun out of the department store. Xiahou Jie had never imagined that his brother could be so terrifying when shopping.
After walking a few steps, a quaint and time-honored pastry shop came into view.
Xiahou Jie's eyes lit up, and he immediately had an idea. He went into the shop and ordered some osmanthus cake and some water chestnut cake, asking the shopkeeper to pack them up separately.
Not only that, he also made a special trip to Manfulou to pack two servings of roast duck.
When the two arrived at the post office carrying bags of gifts, even the experienced postman couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise.
The packages were piled up like a mountain, numbering more than a dozen of various sizes. After weighing and calculating, the postage alone amounted to more than ten yuan.
However, for Dai Xingyun and Xiahou Jie, this expense was nothing. They eagerly awaited its delivery.
After they finally finished packing and mailing all the items, the two of them were panting heavily. They had only been thinking about shopping when they went shopping, and now that they were relaxing, they realized how tired they were.
After regaining their senses, they looked up at the clock on the wall and realized that it was lunchtime without them noticing.
Dai Xingyun and Xiahou Jie, dragging their somewhat weary bodies, slowly walked towards a state-run restaurant not far away.
This restaurant is extremely popular, with crowds of people and constant noise inside.
Customers chatted and laughed loudly or waited anxiously for their food; while the waiters spun around like tops, quickly moving between tables and chairs, busy as bees.
With great difficulty, the two found an empty seat near the window.
As soon as he sat down, Dai Xingyun eagerly picked up the menu and began to browse through it carefully.
His gaze quickly swept over the dishes, finally settling on the signature dishes.
"Returning to Kyoto is really different from living in the countryside. In Kyoto, you can order your own food, but in the state-run restaurants in the countryside, you can only eat whatever they serve," Xiahou Jie remarked.
“Xiahou, we can’t waste any time on this trip. We need to get the house sorted out quickly. We’ll definitely be busy soon,” Dai Xingyun said to Xiahou Jie, glancing at the menu for the day’s dishes.
Xiahou Jie nodded slightly in agreement: "Yes! Xiaoxiao has always wanted to buy a courtyard house, hasn't she? How about I contact my friend later and ask if he has any suitable properties?"
Xiahou Jie had previously befriended someone who was particularly enthusiastic about real estate trading; perhaps he could get some useful information from him.
Dai Xingyun nodded after hearing this: "Okay! But courtyard houses aren't so easy to find, especially those near Peking University. We'll have to ask some acquaintances for help."
After saying that, he gently closed the menu and prepared to call the waiter over to order.
Xiahou Jie smiled and said, "After we finish eating, we'll go ask them."
After finishing their meal, the two left the restaurant and headed straight for Xiahou Jie's friend's house.
This friend, named Li Qiang, is a native of Kyoto and knows the area around Kyoto University like the back of his hand.
"Qiangzi, it's been a long time!" A loud shout rang out as Xiahou Jie strode into the store, a warm smile on his face, and greeted Li Qiang.
Seeing this, Li Qiang beamed with joy and quickly stepped forward to greet him, saying, "Brother Jie, weren't you sent to the countryside as an educated youth? When did you come back?"
"Haha, I just got back to the city yesterday, and I'm here to see you today. Aren't I being nice to you?" Xiahou Jie said as he walked straight to a seat and sat down casually.
"Brother Jie, if you need to find me, just give me a call to my shop, and I'll come see you. How can I let you come all the way here to find me?"
Li Qiang joked, but his gaze fell on Dai Xingyun standing to the side, and he asked with a puzzled look, "Who is this brother?"
Xiahou Jie smiled slightly and then began to introduce, "Oh, this is Dai Xingyun, my childhood friend. We're here to buy a courtyard house near Peking University. Do you have any connections?"
Li Qiang frowned upon hearing this: "A courtyard house? That's hard to find. The courtyard houses near Peking University are mostly old houses, either passed down from generation to generation or have been in disrepair for many years and are in terrible condition."
Dai Xingyun nodded slightly to indicate that he understood. He said in a calm and peaceful tone, "I know that courtyard houses are hard to find, and there are even fewer that are well-preserved and undamaged and ready to move into. That's why I came to you for help."
Li Qiang frowned slightly, lost in thought. After a moment, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he slapped his thigh, shouting excitedly.
"Oh dear! I just remembered someone! I have a distant cousin who happens to have a courtyard house he's selling. But... the price probably won't be low."
Dai Xingyun smiled slightly, revealing a calm expression, and replied, "It's alright. Price isn't the primary consideration; the key is whether the house itself suits my taste."
Li Qiang nodded repeatedly in agreement, then stood up impatiently and said enthusiastically, "In that case, let's go take a look now!" With that, he strode towards the door.
Upon seeing this, Dai Xingyun stood up without saying a word, following Li Qiang closely, and stepped forward without hesitation to follow him.
Unlike the previous two, Xiahou Jie was already feeling a bit tired because he hadn't had a chance to rest while shopping. He had originally planned to rest a bit before heading out to look at houses.
But seeing that Dai Xingyun and Li Qiang had already gotten up and left, he could only sigh helplessly, force himself to cheer up, and drag his slightly heavy steps to follow them.
Li Qiang led Dai Xingyun and Xiahou Jie to an alley near Peking University.
The alleyways, with their blue bricks and gray tiles, exude an antique charm and are full of the flavor of old Beijing.
"This is it," Li Qiang said, pointing to a courtyard house.
Dai Xingyun looked up and saw that although the gatehouse of the courtyard was a bit old, the overall structure was intact. There were several old trees in the courtyard, making it very quiet.
"This courtyard is nice, and the location is good too, very close to Peking University." Xiahou Jie nodded in satisfaction.
Li Qiang knocked on the door, and a middle-aged man came out. Li Qiang introduced him, "This is my cousin. The house belongs to him. You can talk to him directly."
Uncle looked at Dai Xingyun and Xiahou Jie and said with a smile, "You two want to buy a house?"
Dai Xingyun nodded: "Yes, we'd like to see the house."
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