MTLNOVEL Chapter 366 Buying a House
Ye Shiqi and her family were just about to enjoy a rich breakfast when the real estate broker hired by Zhong Xingwang arrived, so he joined them in their breakfast.
After they finished breakfast, the broker led them to view houses.
The broker was a man in his thirties, dressed in clothes not considered noble, but much better than those of the average country man.
They were professionals, perhaps having made money; their clothing, although not extravagant, only slightly inferior to that of a rich man.
The weather being quite hot, they were dressed in thin, short-sleeved clothes, their long hair wrapped in a headscarf secured with a hairpin.
This attire was similar to her father's, though the color of the clothing was different.
Hongji and his young uncle also did not dress like a rich man; after all, they were ordinary people from the countryside, unable to compare in wealth with those from the wealthy families of the Capital City.
Rather than overkill, it's better to dress naturally and comfortably.
It was uncertain whether they would stay in the inn tonight, but in order to save money, if they really bought a house, they would settle everything that day, buy furniture, and arrange the house.
When they set out, it was a large group carrying bundles, with horses and carriages moving.
Zhong Xingwang, of course, paid for the meals and accommodation, still unsure if he would stay there tonight, the deposit matching the bill paid together.
The shopkeeper watched them leave: "What a pity, another big business gone; this young master is so generous!"
The broker brought them to a high-status house that looked quite large; according to Tingfeng's introduction, it was a five-section house with a sizeable garden space.
Inside were several courtyards, and if more rooms were needed, they could be built within these courtyards.
When he knocked on the door, an old man came to open it; the broker introduced them to the old housekeeper of the house, whose owner was a Capital Official, though not a very high-ranking one.
Now retired, he was preparing to return to his homeland with his family.
Hence, the house was for sale, readying his family to go back to the county.
The housekeeper glanced outside at the group, noticing among them a rich young master, while the other two carriages seemed quite ordinary; some guards looked like they were from the countryside.
Overall, these people seemed kind-hearted by their appearance.
"All of you come in, only the Old Master is at home now, everyone else has already left, only me and the Old Master handling the aftermath, come in and I'll take you to meet the Old Master!"
So the group led their horses and their carriages through the gates.
Once the carriages entered the gates, five girls descended along with a couple accompanied by two young men.
The old housekeeper, seeing this family, felt a sense of confusion, always feeling a familiar sense in the men and women of this family.
Shaking his head, after the broker's introduction, he understood that they were from the countryside, fortunate to have the opportunity to buy a house here because another rich young master took a liking to one of the daughters of the couple.
Able to afford a house, they likely were considered rich men in the countryside, but in Capital City, they were no different than common people.
As Hongji and the rest disembarked, the broker introduced the house-buying family to the old housekeeper.
The old housekeeper…, the family appeared to be dressed plainly, but their quality was not at all less than that of a wealthy family.
The delicate young girls, that lady with her soft, pale skin, and this master, clearly a leader.
Surely, a countryside boss with his lady and family, this lingering familiarity, came from that Old Master and his children.
Who do they resemble?
The old housekeeper shook his head, then felt he was being overly concerned. The Capital was so vast; there certainly would be similar people.
When the old housekeeper led the master Hongji, his family of Madam and children, and that pair of father and son, as well as that young master and the broker, to see the Old Master.
Hongji instructed the guards to wait outside; they not only had to watch the horses but also feed them.
The old housekeeper ushered them into a main listening great hall, where a grey-haired old man was sitting above the seat of the Grandmaster, sipping tea.
"Old Master, the clients interested in buying the house have arrived."
The elderly man above the Grandmaster had piercing eyes. Despite his age, his vision was not blurred. He fixed his gaze on a few people as they entered from the doorway.
His gaze was not on the wealthy young master; indeed, he was looking at the oldest among the group, which was not the broker; it was a tall and slender man, and several delicate girls, along with a little boy.
Old man...why does this family feel so familiar? Who do they resemble?
Suddenly, he couldn't recall who they resembled, but he felt that this family reminded him of a friend.
"Sit down," he gestured them to take their seats and then said to the housekeeper, "Housekeeper, tea!"
Hongji didn't want to trouble their family and, while taking a seat, said to the old housekeeper:
"Uncle, don't trouble yourself. Our family and son-in-law have just had breakfast and tea before coming here!"
The old housekeeper, upon hearing Hongji's words, did not move but glanced at his master.
"Housekeeper, in that case, let's not bother. Tell them about the price of the house."
The old housekeeper nodded and took a seat on a stool opposite the family, and began to discuss the price of the house.
"Surely the broker has also mentioned to you, our house is well-located, and there haven't been any bad incidents, the house has also been well-maintained, 3,000 taels of silver is not expensive!"
Hongji almost screamed in surprise; he managed to hold it in. He knew houses were expensive but didn't realize they were this expensive; 3,000 taels could buy a lot of farmland in the countryside.
In their county, you could buy several such large houses.
"Grandpa, is the price of the house fixed? And for example, besides selling the house, do you also sell shops or warehouses, farmland, and estates?"
Ye Shiqi didn't know why she felt like the elders were looking at them oddly, as if they were looking at acquaintances. Since they had just arrived in this place, they didn't think these old men would visit their remote county, so there must be a reason!
Old Master...how is it that a spirited little girl is speaking?
The old housekeeper...if the adults are not speaking, can such a determined little girl represent their intentions?
Hongji had a hard time swallowing the words he was about to say. In the past few years, although people had made money off him, he had also been investing continuously. With good returns in recent years, he knew he had made several thousand taels.
Several thousand taels of silver seemed not to go far here; buying a house and then purchasing shops, his daughter talked about using warehouses and estates, it seemed several thousand taels might not be enough.
Very soon, his eldest daughter would be getting married, and money was needed everywhere. He hesitated, but since his younger daughter had already spoken, they might as well give it a try!
"Hehe, Uncle, my young daughter's question speaks for me too. We all bargain when doing business, don't we? Does your family have any other shops or property?"