The man noticed Zhao Youcai's confusion and explained with a smile.
"You might not know this since you're from out of town, but these artificial hills and pavilions aren't just for capitalists. We get a lot of rain here, and it gets even hotter and stuffier inside the houses in the summer."
“We usually set up a table here and the whole family can sit in the pavilion to eat and enjoy the rain. We can also bring two rocking chairs here to relax for a while.”
This leisurely and carefree life was exactly what Zhao Youcai had always dreamed of.
The group then headed towards the backyard. It was the first time Zhao Youcai had ever seen a well with a handle and rope hanging from it, the kind that only appeared in period dramas, and even the well had a small pavilion-like cover on top.
The vegetables in the garden are growing well, and the flowers in front of and behind the house are blooming exceptionally brightly.
Zhao Youcai was very satisfied with these. If a house like this cost two hundred yuan, he would be more than willing to pay that amount to buy it.
Thinking of this, Zhao Youcai directly asked:
"I wonder how much your house and yard cost in total, and how long it will take to complete the paperwork and move in after you buy it?"
Although Zhao Jianfei didn't have much money to pay for rent, it's not easy being away from home, so every penny saved counts.
Moreover, what if someone else has their eye on this house and finds out that an out-of-towner is coming to snatch it up and maliciously raises the price?
It's best to finalize things as quickly as possible, lest the deal slip away.
The man hadn't expected the old man to be so agreeable, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud twice.
"No wonder everyone says you Northeasterners are straightforward. Fine, I won't beat around the bush with you. Two hundred yuan, no bargaining. We'll go through the formalities first thing tomorrow morning."
Zhao Youcai immediately had his son prepare the house purchase contract, and in front of the two of them, he took out ten ten-yuan bills from his pocket and slapped them on the table. He then made up the remaining hundred yuan with one-yuan and two-yuan bills.
Zhao Youcai was very cautious. If he were to simply pull out twenty ten-yuan bills and place them on the table, the other party would definitely think that he had more money in his pocket.
If you're a bit of a chatterbox and tell everyone about it as soon as you step out the door, you might suffer some undeserved trouble.
Especially since this is an unfamiliar place, my network of connections is definitely not as extensive as those of the locals.
However, if you try to scrape together the odds and ends to make exactly 200 yuan, it might make the other person think that Zhao Youcai, this old man, has already spent all his savings to buy a house.
The relevant departments will be open tomorrow so the property transfer can proceed, but that won't prevent Zhao Youcai from making the initial payment, signing the contract, and affixing his fingerprint.
In this way, the contract is legally binding. No matter how high the price offered, no one can buy the house now.
Even after the father and son returned to their rented home, Zhao Jianfei was still completely bewildered.
"Dad, you just spent two hundred yuan like that?"
Zhao Jianfei suddenly felt that his father had lived such a long life in vain.
This is a mirage, not Zhao Jia Gou.
He hasn't even gotten to know all the people around him yet. What if the old man who collects the money takes it and runs away?
On the contrary, Zhao Youcai felt that his son was overthinking things.
Just look at the condition of that precious house, and the traces of life that are everywhere in the yard.
The other party must be very reluctant to sell the house, and they probably wish they could take a few more turns around and look at it a few more times before moving out.
Zhao Youcai deliberately put on a stern face, "What? Do I have to report to you, you little brat, when I spend the money I earned myself?"
Zhao Jianfei quickly waved his hand, "Dad, you're overthinking it. That's not what I meant. I'm just worried you'll be scammed."
Zhao Youcai was too lazy to argue with him. "Hurry up and get some sleep. There's a lot of important business to do tomorrow. I don't have that much time to waste with you."
Zhao Jianfei has a job in Haishi, so he can stay here for a long time without having to go back to Zhaojiagou.
But Zhao Youcai is no good!
If he delays for a few more days, he really won't have to do anything.
I didn't come to Haishi just to buy a house.
Zhao Jianfei was speechless, then he sighed.
Alright, as long as the old man is happy.
Zhao Youcai slept soundly, as he could never sleep well on a train.
Looking at Zhao Jianfei's very obvious dark circles and bloodshot eyes, Zhao Youcai knew that the other party probably hadn't slept all night because of worry.
However, he didn't mind. The father and son finished their simple breakfast and headed straight for the old man selling the house.
Zhao Jianfei's uneasy and anxious mood finally calmed down completely the moment the old man opened the door.
"Brother, you're quick on your feet. If you hadn't signed the contract with me yesterday, you wouldn't have been able to buy this house for two hundred dollars."
Zhao Youcai smiled and narrowed his eyes, which made Zhao Jianfei's eyes widen involuntarily.
At this moment, the look in his eyes when he looked at Zhao Youcai was filled with an unprecedented admiration.
Is this what they mean by "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure"?
When Zhao Youcai learned that there were many other tenants like him from out of town near Zhao Jianfei's rented house, and that they all shared the same landlord, he understood why the prices of houses could differ so much.
Who knows, maybe that landlord is planning to lower the old man's asking price of 200 so he can buy it himself.
But no matter how much she planned, Zhao Youcai was scared off by her asking price of 600 yuan per square meter and preferred to travel a long distance to buy this 200-yuan apartment.
By the time the landlord contacted them and they offered to raise the price to buy the house, it was too late. The two had already signed the contract and even paid in full.
Recalling the landlord's mean appearance, Zhao Youcai knew that after completing the formalities this time, his son's rented apartment would probably be coming to an end.
"I wonder if there are any spare small rooms in this house? My son works here, and the place we rent is in a bit out of the way..."
Some things don't need to be said too explicitly. These are all wise and experienced people; how could they not understand the deeper meaning behind Zhao Youcai's words?
"Yes, let's go and finish the formalities, then you can move in directly. You'll have to move in sooner or later anyway, so it doesn't matter if it's a day earlier or a day later."
The group quickly completed the formalities and then strolled around the neighborhood.
Zhao Youcai also saw the watch shops here and already had a general idea of the prices of the various watches.
Just as Zhao Youcai had predicted.
The father and son had just returned home with the old man who sold the house to pack their things when they saw the landlord wiggling his big buttocks and sporting messy hair coming over.
"My child is coming back soon, and we need a place to live for their wedding. The lease on this apartment is about to expire, so I'm not renting it anymore."
As he spoke, he returned the remaining half month's rent.
"Don't say I'm being unreasonable, and don't say I didn't warn you. I'll charge you one day less rent so you can stay here one more day while you rent a new place. I'll come to collect the room at this time tomorrow. If you don't move your things out, I'll throw everything away for you."
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