Chapter 103 - 104: The House
"That’s good news," Li Yong said after a moment of silence. "As far as I know, there is a house up for sale. The only thing is, the asking price is a bit steep, which is why it hasn’t sold yet.
I’m just not sure if Brother Gu..."
After all, they had fled here as refugees, and Li Yong was afraid of embarrassing them by bringing it up.
From what Brother Gu had said, it sounded like he wanted to better his station, so Li Yong was all the more willing to build a good relationship.
"How much are they asking?" Gu Wenheng asked, his expression open. "If it’s within our means and catches my wife’s eye, we can certainly consider it."
"He’s asking for one hundred taels. The courtyard itself isn’t large, with just two main rooms and four side rooms. But the good thing is, it was rebuilt only a few years ago and has been meticulously cared for. It’s practically new.
The house isn’t far from here at all, just around that next corner. How about we go take a look now?"
"If the house is nice, the price is acceptable. The only issue is that our household registration hasn’t been processed yet. I’d hate to trouble the owner."
Li Yong puffed out his chest. "Brother Gu, have you forgotten what I do for a living? If you really decide to buy it, we can get the red contract sorted out as soon as your household registration is issued."
Gu Wenheng bowed. "Then I’ll have to trouble you to make the introduction, Chief Li."
Li Yong replied, "Don’t be so formal. I’ve been calling you Brother Gu all this time. Let me take the liberty of an elder—just call me Brother Li. It’s no trouble at all. Besides, I’d be helping my friend find a buyer, so it’s a win-win for everyone.
Come on. His family should still be home at this hour. We can talk on the way."
"My friend has spent years traveling all over, doing a bit of business. Now that he has some money saved up, he wants to move somewhere better. They’ve already bought a small courtyard home in Shangjing and plan to start a small business there.
The house here became vacant, and he was thinking about finding someone to look after it. But since it’s not their ancestral home, he decided to just sell it off. He can use the money to buy a few more acres of land, which would at least provide some income." Li Yong explained as they walked. "For now, only his old father and a servant are staying there. If the house sells, they can move out right away."
"..."
"Here we are. See? Although it’s on the street, it’s at the very end, so it’s usually not too noisy. If you were to live here, Brother Gu, Leping Academy is also an option. It’s only a fifteen-minute walk from here, which is incredibly convenient."
They were already tempted just from listening to Li Yong’s description on the way over. Now, seeing the pristine exterior walls and the location, they felt even more satisfied.
Gu Wenheng and Jin Qianqian exchanged a look, then silently studied the house before them.
A young servant boy opened the door. Peeking through the gap, Jin Qianqian saw a clean and tidy courtyard inside and couldn’t help but rub her fingers together in anticipation.
Once inside, they saw the house was exactly as Li Yong had described. It was clear the owner took great care of it.
The courtyard wasn’t just packed earth; a small path paved with crushed stone led to the rooms.
The two main rooms were well-proportioned. Even with the built-in *kang* bed-stove, there was still a great deal of open space.
As for the four side rooms, one had been converted into a kitchen. An old-fashioned stove sat there, adding to the homey atmosphere.
The only thing that made Jin Qianqian frown was the small outhouse in the corner. It was little more than a few planks laid across a pit, and she couldn’t help but shut her eyes and back away.
’But that wasn’t a real issue; they could always renovate it later.’
Without much hesitation, the couple quickly made their decision. The owner was just as decisive. He produced the red contract and, with Li Yong as a witness, drew up a bill of sale. Just like that, the house was registered in Jin Qianqian’s name.
Seeing the buyer’s name on the document, both Li Yong and the owner looked at Gu Wenheng in surprise.
Gu Wenheng grinned. "The money is from my wife’s dowry, so of course, the house should be in her name."
Neither of them had expected Gu Wenheng to be so forthright, and their impression of him improved considerably.
Back at the inn, Jin Qianqian no longer hid her delight. "We finally have a place of our own here! We have to celebrate tonight."
Before Gu Wenheng could even react, Jin Qianqian pulled him into the space.
Gu Wenheng was astonished by the changes inside the space.
Aside from the plots of land where herbs were growing, a section of ground near the entrance was now completely covered with sheet metal. A carpet was laid over it, on top of which sat a pristine white desk set. Beside it stood a full-wall cabinet, neatly filled with the books they had bought earlier.
"When did you do all this?"
Jin Qianqian blinked. "Guess."
Gu Wenheng said, "Last night."
Jin Qianqian asked, "You saw?"
Gu Wenheng was speechless. ’She disappeared from my arms. How dead to the world would I have to be not to notice?’
Jin Qianqian rubbed her nose. "I thought you were fast asleep. You were even snoring lightly.
Take a look around. If there’s anything you don’t like, we can rearrange it together."
Gu Wenheng took off his shoes, stepped onto the carpet, and ran his hand over the Four Treasures of the Study on the desk. "This is wonderful. And with this cheat of a space you have, I’ll have so much more time to study and read than anyone else.
I never thought that after decades of studying, I’d have to start all over again."
He tried holding the calligraphy brush. He remembered how to grip it, but his strokes felt limp and powerless.
Jin Qianqian was speechless. ’I can’t let him know what my handwriting looks like. I have to destroy the evidence from my practice sessions—it’s too atrocious to be seen.’
Gu Wenheng suddenly looked up at Jin Qianqian. "Qianqian, interested in writing a few words?"
Jin Qianqian waved her hands dismissively. "I have ballpoint pens and fountain pens. They’re good enough for me."
Gu Wenheng understood. "It’s fine. We can practice together from now on. Who knows, if we ever get a chance to go back, we might be able to pass as master calligraphers."
Jin Qianqian pressed her lips together, all the more determined not to let Gu Wenheng see her chicken-scratch handwriting.
"To celebrate our first piece of property here, what would you like to eat?"
Gu Wenheng replied, "I’m not picky. Anything with meat is fine."
"Easy enough. Coming right up." Jin Qianqian vanished before Gu Wenheng’s eyes.
When she reappeared, she was carrying a large bag full of takeout containers.
"What’s all this?" Gu Wenheng asked, reaching out curiously to take the bag.
"Clear off a corner of the table. I’ve got all the good stuff here.
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, shark fin soup, roasted lamb chops, secret-recipe braised pork, and a fruit salad. How’s that? Anything else you’d like?"
Gu Wenheng said, "What a feast! But it’s not a real celebration without some red wine."
"TA-DA!" Like a magician, Jin Qianqian produced a bottle of red wine from behind her back, with two wine glasses in her other hand. "I was one step ahead of you. Is the gentleman satisfied?"
Gu Wenheng played along enthusiastically. "I couldn’t be more satisfied. Thank you for preparing all this, my dear wife."