Since the broker didn't come, Zi Qiao must have come specifically to rescue her. Wei Shuwan smiled gratefully at her, but said ruthlessly, "You're the most cunning of all."
Zi Qiao naturally took this as a compliment, and said smugly, "If I hadn't been quick-witted, Miss, you would either have been pestered by her until dark, or you would have had to drink that hangover soup, pretend to be sick, and call a doctor. How tiring!"
As she spoke, Zi Qiao walked behind Wei Shuwan and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Besides, who told those mother and daughter to try and bully people as soon as they arrived!"
Wei Shuwan chuckled. Sure enough, she still remembered the grudge against that mother and daughter.
After about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, the broker arrived in a sweat, first bowing to Wei Shuwan and saying, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Third Miss."
Wei Shuwan was not one to dwell on such matters. She invited him to sit down, instructed a maid to prepare tea, and then got straight to the point:
“I’ve looked at the blueprints you sent yesterday. I think that three-courtyard house in the suburbs of Beijing is quite nice. Although it’s a bit remote, it’s spacious and close to the city gate, so it’s very cheap to come to Beijing. Let’s buy that one.”
This was the new house that Sun Lurong had promised the old lady to prepare for the eldest son's family. Yesterday, she directly entrusted the matter to Wei Shuwan, who immediately sent someone to the real estate agency to have them send over some blueprints to choose from. She was a straightforward person; she had only looked at those blueprints yesterday, and today she had already made up her mind which house to buy. Naturally, she was also in a hurry to send the three members of the eldest son's family away.
This should have been a quick sale, but the broker didn't seem happy at all. Instead, he looked worried and said regretfully, "Third Miss, that house has already been bought."
Wei Shuwan was slightly taken aback: "The blueprints were just delivered yesterday, and they've already been bought today?"
"Exactly."
The merchant nodded readily, but there was a hint of guilt in his expression. Wei Shuwan guessed that he probably had other ideas, but it didn't matter; there were plenty of other places, and it didn't have to be that one.
After thinking for a moment, Wei Shuwan said, "Then let's buy that two-courtyard house inside the North Gate. Although it's smaller than the one in the suburbs, the location is better, and it will be more convenient for Grandmother to move around."
They had to settle for second best, thinking that this time there wouldn't be any more mistakes, but to their surprise, the broker's face showed even more worry, and he stammered, "That place...it's been sold too."
"Sold again?" Last time, Wei Shuwan's words were tinged with disbelief, but this time they were laced with sarcasm. Before the broker could explain further, she simply asked, "Then which one hasn't been sold yet?"
This time, the broker didn't make things difficult. He quickly took out a drawing from his sleeve and presented it to Wei Shuwan on the small tea table next to her with both hands.
"Third Miss, you might want to take a look at this place. It's a large courtyard with five courtyards and side courtyards, and it's right next to Xishui Street in the middle of the bustling city. It has the spaciousness and brightness you want, and the location is excellent."
Looking at the blueprints in front of her, Wei Shuwan's lips gradually curved into a smile. Raising her delicate eyebrows, she asked the broker, "What is the price of this courtyard?"
"One thousand eight hundred taels!"
Wei Shuwan laughed out loud this time, closed the drawing and pushed it aside, and said unhurriedly, "When I sent someone to the brokerage yesterday, I should have specifically made it clear that the budget was only five hundred taels."
The broker, with a fawning smile, said, "Hey, who doesn't know that your Wei family has no shortage of gold and silver? Since it's for your own family to buy a house, why would you care about such a small amount? The extra thousand or so taels aren't even enough for you to make a few sets of clothes every day."
These words were unpleasant to hear, and Wei Shuwan quickly seized on a key point, asking, "How did you know that I bought this courtyard to build a house for my own family?"
When she sent someone to the real estate agency yesterday, she didn't mention the reason for buying the house at all. Besides, the decision to evict the eldest son's family was only made yesterday, and the servants in the mansion had no idea about it. So how did the real estate agency find out?
A fleeting look of guilt crossed the broker's face, but he quickly tried to cover it up: "This was just a guess. Usually, when people buy a new house, they either buy a large one for their own family to move into, or a small one for when they divide the property. Could I have guessed wrong?"
Wei Shuwan smiled casually, not delving into the flaws in her words, and said solemnly, "The Wei family's wealth is not something that grows on trees. We have our own plans for how to spend it, so there's no need for you to offer any advice."
The young woman's voice was gentle and soft, yet every word was like a needle, making the shrew feel as if he were sitting on pins and needles. He quickly apologized:
"I have spoken too much, please forgive me, Third Madam."
Wei Shuwan had no intention of dwelling on this matter and asked him, "Are there any other suitable places you would recommend?"
After hesitating for a long time, the broker finally said, forcing himself to speak, "Not at the moment."
"Alright then, I won't keep you any longer."
Wei Shuwan raised her hand, indicating that she was to see the guest out. The broker, understanding the situation, got up to take his leave and departed with the Wei family's maid.
Watching the broker's retreating figure from the window, Zi Qiao frowned and said, "Miss, something's not right about that man..."
"You noticed it too? Then find someone to inquire whether the two courtyards in the suburbs and the north gate were sold in a single day, just as he said."
Zi Qiao agreed, then turned and instructed two servants in the manor to go and inquire separately. Within an hour, they received a reply:
"Girl, nobody wants to buy those two courtyards! That broker is dishonest; he's holding onto the cheaper courtyards to squeeze more money out of you, trying to force you to buy the expensive mansion!"
Wei Shuwan had considered this idea at first, but quickly dismissed it. She shook her head and said, "If that were the case, he should have taken advantage of the situation and made a deal cheaper after seeing that I was determined not to buy the mansion, since something is better than nothing. But he didn't. Besides, he just let it slip that I was buying this mansion to house my family."
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