Chapter 16: Renting a house to practice martial arts, teasing the young master...
The carriage was parked outside the brokerage firm.
The four guards, having had no use for their duties along the way, and fearing that Zhang Ting would look down on them for eating for free, dismounted and protected Zhang Ting in the middle.
Zhang Ting was satisfied, but since they were new to the capital, they should keep a low profile, so she told them to wait at the door.
The bank was startled, thinking someone had come to collect a debt.
Seeing the man's haggard face and his outdated patterned satin robe, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey, newcomer, are you here to buy maids or servants, or to rent a house?"
"I'd like to rent a house. Thank you for your help."
The brokerage firm's manager, surnamed Cui, was a tall, plump middle-aged woman with a fair complexion and a friendly demeanor. She was always smiling and bore a resemblance to Boss Mi.
"How big of a house are you looking to rent?" Cui Jingji thought to himself: Judging from his accent, he's actually from out of town.
Zhang Ting currently has six people on her side, but she needs to keep extra rooms just in case, "enough to accommodate ten people would be fine."
“That first courtyard is too small. Let me show you the second courtyard.” Cui Jingji came to the table, took out a few blueprints and handed them to Zhang Ting.
The lines on the drawings are clear and smooth, roughly depicting the room distribution and interior design of each house.
“I currently own five two-courtyard houses. One of them is in the north of the city, which is in the best location, close to where the adults go to work! Just two streets ahead is the bustling Tongping Street, where your cook can buy groceries and cook very cheaply! However, the landlord is asking for a high price, 100 taels of silver for a year's rent. If you are interested in buying it, it will probably cost 10,000 taels of silver.”
Zhang Ting: "..." No wonder later generations always say that living in the capital is extremely difficult. Who can afford to live here?
She flipped through the blueprints in her hand and found this house in the north of the city. The layout and design of the courtyard were excellent, but she returned the blueprints to Cui Jingji.
"Besides this place?"
Cui Jingji took the blueprints and smiled knowingly. Although this place was nice, it was indeed too expensive. She didn't really intend to recommend Zhang Ting to buy it. She mentioned this place first just to deflate the arrogance of outsiders and make her understand that housing prices in Beijing are high, so that she could be mentally prepared.
"There are four more. Two of them are in the east of the city, where many high-ranking officials and nobles live. One is a bit small and slightly dilapidated, but it will be fine after repairs. It costs fifteen taels of silver a year. The other is spacious and bright. It is a newly built house that was renovated the year before last. It costs twenty-five taels of silver."
"There's a place in the west of the city. Although the location isn't ideal, it's quiet, comfortable, and bright. The courtyard is planted with many flowers and trees, making it quite elegant. It costs ten taels of silver. The last place is in the south of the city, but that place is a mixed bag, so I won't introduce it to you."
Zhang Ting nodded, flipped through the blueprints, and asked Cui Jingji to take her to see the three houses. She also invited her to get into the carriage.
I've seen them all, and Zhang Ting finally settled on the one in the west of the city.
This place is a bit far from the city center, but since there are horse-drawn carriages available, it's not a problem. The house is clean, tidy, spacious, and bright, about 500 square meters. It is decorated in a relaxed and comfortable style, with many flowers, trees, and shrubs of various shapes and sizes, all well-maintained. There is also an octagonal pavilion in the middle where you can cool off in the summer.
Zhang Ting readily signed the contract with Cui Jingji and moved in that same day. She made a list and instructed Zheng Er and the driver to purchase all the necessary items, and also asked the rest of the people to help tidy up the house.
The four guards were delighted to receive the order, finally having something important to do. They were less flustered and quickly dispersed.
Zhang Ting also asked Cui Jingji how much money the homeowner was willing to pay if the house were to be sold.
Cui Jingji was happy to receive her commission, but she was powerless to help Zhang Ting with her plans. "The owner specifically instructed that the house was for rent only and not for sale."
The homeowner is a businessman who is not short of money; he rents out the house simply to bring some life to the place.
Zhang Ting felt deeply regretful and saw Cui Jingji off, even asking her to help her find a cook.
Cui Jingji's eyes darted around, and he agreed.
After finishing tidying up at Shenshi (3-5 PM), everyone was so tired that they could barely lift their hands. Zhang Ting considerately asked some helpers to go to the restaurant and buy a table full of dishes to bring back.
It cost a full tael of silver.
The stone table in the pavilion was laden with delicious food, and Zhang Ting invited everyone to sit down and eat, but they refused.
Zheng Er scratched his head and chuckled, "How can I eat at the same table as my host?" The journey was arduous, so it was fine that we ate together, but now that we're staying at my host's house, how can I be so disrespectful?
Li Ruilian also said, "We can have our meals in the outer courtyard; this is really not in accordance with etiquette."
Zhang Ting stood up and helped the two people sit down, then asked the others to sit as well. "Thank you all for your hard work today. What's a meal together?"
I poured them a glass of wine, and the atmosphere became lively.
After the meal, Zhang Ting, following custom, arranged for the guards and coachmen to stay in the outer courtyard's back-sitting rooms, two people to a room, which was quite spacious.
Zhang Ting left Li Ruilian alone.
Li Ruilian had drunk quite a bit of alcohol today, and couldn't help but burp in front of Zhang Ting.
Zhang Ting laughed upon hearing this.
Li Ruilian stood there awkwardly, her face flushed with embarrassment. She clasped her hands and said, "This subordinate has been disrespectful. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Zhang Ting waved her hand dismissively, "You don't need to be nervous. We need you to stay this time because we need your help."
"I plan to learn martial arts. Would you be willing to teach me? I will give you a separate string of cash every month as a reward."
Li Ruilian hesitated, "I am willing, and I don't need Your Majesty's reward. It's a matter for me to classify things, but..."
Zhang Ting raised an eyebrow: "Just what?"
It's true that alcohol emboldens people, and Li Ruilian said directly, "Your Majesty is too old. Your frame is already set, and I'm afraid you won't be able to develop any good skills even if you continue to practice martial arts..."
Zhang Ting smiled and said to her, "If it doesn't work, you can treat it as a way to improve your health." If you've trained, you'll definitely be able to run faster than others, right?
Li Ruilian nodded repeatedly. Zhang Ting told her to go back and rest well, and that he would come back to instruct her in martial arts at Chenshi (7-9 AM) the next morning.
Zhang Ting lives in the main house in the inner courtyard. The right side is well-ventilated and bright, which she plans to use as a study. If she makes money with Xu You's business in the future, she can stay in the capital to prepare for the imperial examinations.
Wrapped in thick blankets, I gradually drifted off to sleep.
The next day, while it was still dark, Li Ruilian woke up with a sore head, washed up, and then went to teach Zhang Ting martial arts, her attitude even more enthusiastic than Zhang Ting's.
When Zhang Ting wanted to practice martial arts, he changed into a maroon cotton robe to avoid soiling his brocade clothes.
As soon as the door opened, Li Ruilian stood straight in the doorway, dressed in thin clothes, her nose red from the cold, which startled me.
Zhang Ting said gently, "Guard Li, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Why didn't you wake me up first when you arrived?"
Li Ruilian was not good at polite words, so she quickly waved her hand and said, "It's alright, it's alright."
It snowed last night, and the yard is covered with a thick layer of snow.
Zheng Er didn't drink much alcohol last night and got up early. She saw that the snow on the back of the house was deep, so she took out the broom she bought yesterday and cleaned the road. After cleaning, she ran to the inner courtyard.
Seeing the eldest brother and Zhang Ting standing together, he was quite surprised but didn't ask. He lowered his head and picked up a broom to sweep the snow.
Zhang Ting valued Zheng Er highly. Although she was not good-looking, she was clever and bold. She had been sent to report to the authorities and purchase supplies before, and she had done a good job in these tasks. Now she knew to come and shovel snow in the morning, which showed that she was a capable person.
With a little training, they will become excellent at handling foreign affairs in the future.
“You four sisters each have your own strengths, I’ve really struck gold.”
Li Ruilian frowned, her face showing some sorrow. Having spent so much time together these past few days, she had long since let her guard down around Zhang Ting. She sighed and said to Zhang Ting, "Master, you don't know, but my younger sisters are all very good people. If it weren't for me getting involved, they would all be saving money and getting married by now. I, as their eldest sister, have let them down."
Having heard about Li Ruilian's exploits, Zhang Ting's gossipy nature was piqued, and he hurriedly asked, "Did you really flirt with the young master of the Yu family?" He took a closer look at her; her face was still pretty, but her coarse linen clothes remained unchanged.
Previously, Li Ruilian had taken Zhang Ting's money to select a new horse in Qishan County. In just over ten days, the horse's coat became shiny and smooth, indicating that she had received considerable subsidies in private.
Zhang Ting would believe she flirted with the horse, but he had his doubts about whether she coveted the young master of the Yu family for her beauty.
Unexpectedly, this question put Li Ruilian in a very awkward position. She stammered for a long time before finally saying, "It can't be called flirting."
Zhang Ting: "?"
Li Ruilian's tanned face flushed red, and she gave a dry laugh, completely losing the sharpness and alertness she had shown when they first met. "Young Master Yu asked me if I was willing to marry her. I thought that the young master of a wealthy family would surely have a generous dowry, so I agreed immediately. I also asked Young Master Yu, and he said he would support my horse-raising."
"But to my surprise, he secretly came to me that night and asked me to elope with him!"
"I declined because I thought about having to support another person in the future..."
"The commotion alerted the other guards, and Young Master Yu immediately accused me of harassing him."
"I explained it back then, but not a single person believed me!"
Zhang Ting: "..." She didn't know whether to marvel at how quickly the young master could change his tune or be speechless at Li Ruilian's scheming.
She patted Li Ruilian on the shoulder, "I believe you."
This man is resolute and truly a rare talent in horse breeding.
Zhang Ting grabbed the man's hand and began to paint a rosy picture: "Guard Li's obsession with horses truly moves me. If the opportunity arises in the future, I will definitely..."
Li Ruilian was so excited by the flattery that her hand trembled slightly as she stood in mid-air. After a moment, she bowed deeply to her, saying, "This subordinate thanks you for your appreciation, Master!" She couldn't express how happy she was.
After talking with Li Ruilian for a while, Zheng Er finished cleaning the ground. Zhang Ting called her over and praised her lavishly, making her very happy. Zhang Ting gave her two coins to run errands and buy some breakfast. If there was any extra money, it would all be hers.
Zheng Er felt he had followed the right person, and excitedly ran out of the house after taking the money.
When Li Ruilian began teaching Zhang Ting martial arts, she immediately became serious, her tone low and her demands strict, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor.
"The way to learn martial arts lies in diligence and hard work. Today, I will first teach you how to stretch your legs and stand in a horse stance. You should practice the basics for the next few days. When the time is right, I will teach you external martial arts techniques and moves."
Pointing out Zhang Ting's mistakes one by one, Li Ruilian added, "This morning, let's practice horse stance for two hours first, and then continue after breakfast."
Zhang Ting, a frail scholar, found the training extremely difficult, her legs trembling, but she persevered.
It's all for our lives!
Li Ruilian nodded repeatedly, impressed. As expected of the boss, her willpower was terrifying despite her weak and feeble body!
A note from the author:
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