Ma Xiuyuan whispered mysteriously in my ear, "To be honest, I have some connections in the prefectural government. The clerk in the government office often hangs out with me. The other day, we were playing cards together, and he told me something."
"What's up?"
"The government office received official letters from its subordinates, with many townships and counties reporting that 'heavy snow and severe cold have damaged crops and harmed farmland.'"
"you mean……"
"This year, not only has the northern border region suffered from snow disasters, causing severe losses for herders, but even the interior of China is much colder than in previous years. Several blizzards have fallen in the past month or so, and crops in various places are not growing well. Judging from this, there will inevitably be a shortage of grain during the summer and autumn harvest, and grain prices will inevitably rise. Why don't we... take this opportunity to buy some old grain first, and then sell it at a higher price at the end of the year to make a profit?"
He Youyou pondered for a moment.
"Hoarding grain at this critical juncture is utterly immoral. Cheap grain hurts farmers, and expensive grain hurts the people. What you're doing is hoarding and speculation. When the time comes, won't the people of Jizhou be cursing you behind your back? Will you still be able to live up to your reputation as 'Mr. Ma the Philanthropist'?"
"..."
"Besides, the local grain merchants have already bought up most of the harvestable grain from last summer and autumn. If you try to stockpile grain now, you'll only be able to buy it from other grain merchants at a higher price. Don't they know there's a grain shortage this year? Even if they don't, with all this commotion, they're not stupid; they'll figure it out."
"Hey! You're amazing! How come I didn't think of that?" Matthew Yuan slapped his forehead.
"Let me think about this some more. It's not like there's no chance at all. I'll tell you when I have an idea."
“Alright,” Ma Xiuyuan replied, but then he thought of something else. “I say, Madam Han, we live so far apart, it’s so inconvenient to go back and forth to discuss things, isn’t it? And after your son goes to Yun Jing Academy to study, it will be very inconvenient for him to come home every month.”
He Youyou nodded and said, "Indeed."
“How about this,” Ma Xiuyuan continued, “I have several empty three-courtyard houses in Jizhou City. You can choose whichever one you like and move in there for as long as you like. I won’t charge you a penny.”
"How can that be? I can't take your money for nothing." He Youyou waved her hand and said, "But I do plan to buy property in Jizhou. I need to carefully look around and choose one that I like before I make a purchase. Master Ma has many connections, so I'll have to trouble you to introduce me to a few more properties."
“No problem, no problem,” Matthew Yuan readily agreed.
After this conversation, He Youyou immediately decided that when she went to send Han Zheng to the academy, she would also stay in Jizhou City for a few more days to look at the house.
As expected, Ma Xiuyuan had a wide circle of acquaintances and soon introduced He Youyou to several real estate agents, taking her around to see houses.
Jizhou City was the local economic and political center, attracting many wealthy merchants and officials.
The city covers a large area, with both residential and commercial areas.
There are relatively remote places, as well as lively venues.
In contrast, He Youyou prefers the bustling city center.
Living in a remote area is inconvenient and unsafe for single women.
The bustling city has the meaning of finding tranquility amidst the noise.
The city's patrolmen also frequently appeared in the bustling areas to guard against anyone causing trouble.
With more wealthy and powerful people around, they will patrol more thoroughly.
He Youyou thought that it would be ideal to find a relatively quiet house in the bustling city center, where she could work from home.
Yes, He Youyou had considered the office.
Now, she has two major projects under her belt and often needs to meet with her partners to discuss project progress and issues.
A quiet office environment amidst the hustle and bustle is essential.
Northern houses, unlike those in the south, are not always decorated with poetic and picturesque scenes, featuring bridges and flowing water. In general, they are more practical.
The house is laid out in a very square shape and is highly functional.
There are no winding covered walkways or meandering paths.
Even if some refined owners built gardens in their homes, they would only build a few moon gates, plant a few clumps of bamboo, and plant a few peonies and peonies.
He Youyou doesn't care about such refined tastes.
She is an ordinary person, and even more so, a pragmatic and utilitarian one.
Prioritize practicality in all things.
After running around the city for several days, looking at various places, I finally chose one.
This house is long and narrow, with two entrances, one in the front and one in the back.
The front gate is bustling, while the back gate is quiet.
A three-story detached building was built facing the street. The upper floor has a row of carved windows, through which you can see the bustling street scene below.
Men and women dressed in colorful clothes, men and women walking around, vendors and peddlers, their cries and shouts filling the air.
The back door leads to a quiet alley with few people, allowing one to enter and exit discreetly.
What's even more interesting is that there's also a corner tower at the back gate.
This corner tower is a perfect place to find tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle.
The lively three-story building facing the street can be used as a living room or for entertaining guests.
The corner tower at the back gate is quiet and secluded, suitable for offices and quiet whispers.
The house is next to someone else's garden, and there is usually no noise or commotion.
He Youyou quickly finalized the purchase of the house.
The broker explained that the owner of the house was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations. He later went to the capital to take the imperial examinations and, it is said, passed and became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), but never returned.
It was a pity to leave the house abandoned, so I asked someone to sell it.
He Youyou was also very satisfied with this.
Since the owner of the house passed the imperial examination with high honors, this house must be a blessed residence, a good omen, which made her even more eager to buy it.
The real estate agent who showed her the house knew it was a good property, so he offered a much higher price than elsewhere.
"The residence of a scholar"—any family with a scholar in their family would want to bring good fortune.
Because of its status as a "scholar's residence," this house commanded a significant premium, and we ended up paying a third more than the market price.
However, He Youyou was happy because she had finally bought the house she wanted, even though it cost her more money.
She wouldn't handle the rest of the work herself.
He Youyou asked Ma Xiuyuan to find her a few thoughtful and capable servants to clean the house inside and out.
They also sent someone to a furniture store to buy some necessary furniture and household items.
He Youyou is not a very particular person in terms of life and does not pursue luxury.
Furniture should be durable and comfortable.
The main theme is minimalism and decluttering.
As for the furnishings in the bedroom, those are even less necessary.
Keep it as simple as possible.
If she weren't afraid of arousing suspicion, she would have preferred to just use a hard bed as a makeshift solution.
Anyway, she sleeps in her own space every night, so she doesn't need any of these.
After the house in Jizhou was tidied up, He Youyou moved out of the inn and moved directly into the house.
From then on, this became her place of residence in Jizhou City.
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