After traveling through the book, I realized my wish in my previous life

Chapter 245: The Second Quadrangle

The autumn sun shines obliquely on the blue brick walls of Dongsi Hutong.

"This is it," Mr. Li San raised his hand and knocked on the copper door knocker. The door knocker made a dull sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet alley.

The person who opened the door was an old man in his sixties, his gray hair was combed meticulously. Although his Zhongshan suit was washed white, every button was buttoned tightly. His face was a little haggard but his eyes were clear.

He looked at the three of them and his gaze lingered on Shen Xiaoxia for a moment.

"Mr. Zhao, this is the comrade I mentioned to you," Mr. Li San introduced with a smile, "She is very interested in your courtyard."

Mr. Zhao nodded and stepped aside to let the three people into the yard.

As soon as Shen Xiaoxia entered the room, she noticed the exquisite brick carvings on the screen wall, which were painted with patterns of pine and crane longevity. Although the colors had faded a little, the extraordinary craftsmanship of that time could still be seen.

He was secretly happy, but did not show it on his face.

"This courtyard was passed down from my grandfather's generation," Mr. Zhao said in a low voice as he walked. "It has three courtyards and covers an area of ​​680 square meters. There are five main rooms, twelve side rooms, and six back rooms..."

Mr. Zhao took the three of them to visit the courtyard. Shen Xiaoxia followed him through the hanging flower gate, carefully looking at every detail.

The yard was indeed well-preserved as Mr. Li Sanye said, but some of the roof tiles were loose and several wooden carved window frames needed repair.

After passing the screen wall, you will enter the first courtyard. The floor is paved with square bricks, with wing rooms on both sides and five main rooms in the middle. The doors and windows are all old-style carved wooden lattices and are well preserved.

"These floor tiles are all old, and none of them have been replaced," Mr. Zhao said with pride and a touch of sadness. "My grandfather laid them, and it's been over a hundred years now."

Entering the second courtyard through the hanging flower gate, the layout is similar to the first courtyard, but there is an old pomegranate tree, which is full of red pomegranates, which is pleasing to the eye.

The third entrance is the backyard, where there is an old well and several back rooms. A small garden is still preserved in the corner. Although it is overgrown with weeds, one can still imagine its elegance in the past.

The more Shen Xiaoxia looked at it, the more satisfied she became.

The yard does need some repairs, such as some loose tiles on the roof and some wooden components need repainting, but the overall structure is intact and there are no major problems.

The most valuable thing is that there is no trace of subsequent random construction, and the original layout is maintained.

After visiting the last courtyard, the four of them returned to the stone table in the front yard and sat down.

Mr. Zhao brought out a pot of tea from the house and poured a cup for everyone.

"Mr. Zhao," Shen Xiaoxia took a sip of tea and got straight to the point. "How much do you plan to sell this yard for?"

Mr. Zhao put down his teacup and sighed. "To be honest, my grandson is going to study in the United States. Tuition and living expenses will cost at least 30,000 US dollars." He paused. "Based on the current market price, I want to sell it for 100,000."

Shen Xiaoxia quickly calculated in her mind that these days, the price of courtyard houses is getting more expensive every year.

She previously spent 22,000 yuan to buy a two-story courtyard house. At the current market price, she might not be able to buy it even if the price doubled.

Now the exchange rate of US dollar to RMB on the black market is about 1:3, and 100,000 is equivalent to more than 30,000 US dollars. It is indeed lower than the market price, but there is still room for bargaining.

"Mr. Zhao," she said sincerely, putting down her teacup, "the yard is indeed nice, but look at some of the roof tiles and those wooden structures. Repairing them will cost a lot of money."

Mr. Zhao frowned. "These are minor issues. The materials and labor costs combined won't add up to much."

"I'm afraid it's more than that," Shen Xiaoxia shook her head and pointed to the west wing. "The beams and pillars over there have sunk a bit and need to be reinforced. There's also a problem with the drainage in the backyard. It will definitely accumulate water during the rainy season."

Mr. Li Sanye interjected at the right moment, "This comrade is right. It's rare to find a buyer who can come up with so much cash at once these days."

Mr. Zhao was silent for a moment. "So, what do you think is a suitable amount?"

"Eighty thousand," Shen Xiaoxia reported the number decisively.

"What?" Mr. Zhao nearly knocked over his teacup. "That's impossible! A courtyard in this Dongsi area would cost at least a hundred thousand!"

Shen Xiaoxia spoke calmly, "Mr. Zhao, I checked. A similar courtyard in Xisi sold for 75,000 last year, and a four-story house in Dongzhimen sold for 110,000 last month. Although your courtyard is in a good location, it needs renovation after all."

Of course, she made up the news.

Mr. Zhao's face turned grim. "How can those courtyards compare to mine? This is a proper official residence. My ancestors once passed the imperial examination!"

"Yes, the brick carvings in your yard are indeed exquisite," Shen Xiaoxia continued, "but precisely because they are old items, they are more expensive to repair. Ordinary carpenters can't do this kind of work."

The two of them bargained back and forth, and the water in the teapot was refilled three times.

Shen Xiaoxia sometimes argues with reason and sometimes plays the emotional card.

Mr. Zhao sometimes insisted on the price and sometimes sighed and complained.

"Mr. Zhao," Shen Xiaoxia suddenly changed the subject, "Is your grandson studying medicine?"

Mr. Zhao was stunned. "How did you know?"

"I just saw a few medical books in the study," Shen Xiaoxia smiled, "They're original English editions. I guess Ling Sun is very studious."

When talking about his grandson, Mr. Zhao's expression softened. "That child has always wanted to study medicine since he was young. This time he's going to Johns Hopkins University..."

"That's a world-class medical school," Shen Xiaoxia said, expressing her admiration. "But the cost of living there is indeed high, especially at the beginning. Rent, books, insurance—none of it is cheap."

Mr. Zhao sighed, "Yes, that's why I..."

"How about this," Shen Xiaoxia made a concession, "85,000, I'll pay it in full in one lump sum. You can get the money tomorrow, and Ling Sun can prepare to go abroad earlier with peace of mind."

Mr. Zhao hesitated. He stroked the teacup, his eyes wandering around the yard, and finally stopped at the plaque with the words "Poetry and Books Passed Down from Generation to Generation" on the lintel of the main house.

"Add another three thousand," he finally said, "and eighty-eight thousand, and I'll leave all the old furniture to you. That set of Huanghuali tables and chairs is rare on the market nowadays."

Shen Xiaoxia was delighted. If it were real huanghuali wood, those chairs alone would be worth a lot of money.

But she still looked hesitant. "How about this? 87,000. You can keep the furniture, and I'll give your grandson a set of Ming editions of Compendium of Materia Medica. It'll be a keepsake for him to take abroad."

Mr. Zhao's eyes lit up. "Do you have a Ming edition of Compendium of Materia Medica?"

"It's a family heirloom," Shen Xiaoxia smiled, "and it's well preserved."

This additional condition obviously touched Mr. Zhao. He pondered for a moment and finally extended his hand. "Deal."

Shen Xiaoxia shook the wrinkled hand and said, "It's a pleasure to work with you. See you at the street office tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."

After leaving the yard, Mr. Li couldn't help asking, "Are you really willing to part with that set of Compendium of Materia Medica?"

Shen Xiaoxia smiled and said, "It's useless to keep it in my hands, so I'll give it to someone who can really use it."

I got the book when I signed in to the system. I'm sending it out now, hoping it can be of greater use.

Seeing that Mr. Li was hesitant to speak, Shen Xiaoxia blinked and said, "We each get what we need. He gets what he wants, and I get the benefit."

The setting sun stretched the shadows of the three people very long. Shen Xiaoxia looked back at the courtyard house that would soon belong to her, and a satisfied smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

The next morning, Shen Xiaoxia took the money and went with Mr. Li Sanye and Mr. Zhao to complete the transfer procedures.

Mr. Zhao had another residence. After the transfer procedures were completed, he left and said that he had packed up all the things in the house yesterday.

After seeing off Mr. Zhao, the benefits that belonged to Mr. Li San were also handed to him before he left.

Back in the courtyard, Shen Xiaoxia stood in the newly bought courtyard and took a deep breath with satisfaction.

The autumn sunlight shines through the branches and leaves of the old pomegranate tree onto the ground, creating a mottled pattern, as if telling the story of this century-old house.

In the distance came the sounds of children playing in the alley, mixed with the cries of people selling popsicles.

The autumn wind blew, bringing with it the unique atmosphere of Beijing's bustling life. Shen Xiaoxia knew that things would get better and better.