Chapter 69: 低调的有钱人
[Low-profile Rich Person]
As for Second Uncle Chen’s family, they could sign a five to ten year work contract, tidying up the yard, buying food and cooking, and giving one or two silver per month.
“No need to give so much!”
Second Aunt Chen was shocked by one tael of silver, cooking and cleaning the yard were the simplest chores, and in the severe winter months, one could still cat in the house, much more comfortable than washing clothes against the cold wind.
Li Haitang means, once the contract is signed, the family’s food and drink all belong to the main family, they only need to do the work, and do not need to worry about anything else.
Second Uncle Chen hurt his leg, after healing, heavy work can not be done, but no problem in driving the carriage, Da Ya can also do some chores, a large family only gives one or two silver, people still complain about it for too much.
“The master’s heart is good, I’m now an invalid, can’t do even anything, my family eldest daughter can give her mother a hand, one month, they give two hundred Wen is already good enough.”
When Second Uncle Chen said this, he still felt that he was taking advantage of the situation, the main family obviously wanted to help out before finding them the light work.
He had injured his leg, the family’s house had not been renovated, and if it snowed heavily in the winter, the roof would surely collapse, so to be able to move out, then it couldn’t be better!
If this is the case, that they have other thoughts and don’t do the work properly, they are simply dogs with a conscience and don’t deserve to be human!
“We intend to buy a two-entry small yard, when the time comes to do a lot of work, one tael then one tael.”
In the future, if you do business, you have to write it down. Occasionally you can go to Deer City and having a place to settle down is better than living in an inn.
Furthermore, many of my husband’s brothers are in Deer City, and in the future, they will move around more, and have more friends and more roads.
Li Haitang is most interested in those ‘three hands’ aka pickpocket, she also wants to learn two tricks in case there is a chance to use them in the future …
“You guys just pack some clothes, other pots and pans are not convenient to bring, go to Deer City and re-purchase.”
The Chen family’s house was a mud tiled house with several cracks in the walls, it was definitely going to be cold in the winter.
Li Haitang remembers that Huang Ji, the middleman, had business in LuCheng. They cooperated once, she had a good view of Huang Ji, and went to find a partner, let him accompany for one trip.
The middleman sells Si Xi, a completely lost money’s business, mate did not expect, can receive a big deal. Unexpectedly, what the boss says is right, honesty is the root of doing business, those who deceive their superiors and delude (or dupe) their subordinates, smashing their own signboards, their business will only get worse and worse.
The next day, a group of people rented a carriage, set on a journey.
The first thing to do in Deer City was to find a place to settle down. The mate from the broker or middleman brought them to the inn at the foot of the Foothill /Lu shan Academy.
“Young lady, the village at the foot of the Foothill Academy is called Shang He Village, and there are quite a few additions to the villagers’ houses in the village that are leased to the scholar’s family.”
Rich people have large courtyards in the city, with groups of slaves, and those with moderate conditions live in the village, so that it is convenient to have the scholar’s children come and fetch food.
Several people walked around Shang he Village and found that the houses over here were densely packed, some of them occupied farmland, and the ones for sale were farmyard, which did not meet Li Haitang’s standards at all.
“Shanghe Village is just a bit closer, but the village is cluttered with people, and there are often incidents.”
The mate rubbed his brow, they were well-informed as the middleman, including gossip. Hearing that a strange clothes thief appeared in Shang He Village, specifically, like to collect the trousers of young ladies.
“This place is not suitable, we plan to buy a house with a courtyard.”
Li Haitang was speechless, perverts were everywhere, it would be best to find a quieter place where the surrounding households were not too complicated, this would save a lot of trouble. She asked, “Is there a small two-inch courtyard in the nearby town?”
The road out of Shanghe Village was flat and repaired every year, and when it snowed heavily in winter, the carriage entered the village as usual, making travelling convenient.
Also because of this, Li Haitang wanted to find a courtyard in the town, on the one hand, it was close to the academy, on the other hand, picking up ingredients in the town was definitely more convenient than in the village.
“There is.”
The mate held a pamphlet in his hand, there was really a set of courtyard in the town, small three-entry, after the owner bought it, he pushed down and re-added a big grey brick tile roofed house.
“The owner of the house is a foreigner, and also has the merit of Xiu Cai (one who passed the imperial examination at the county level in the Ming and Qing dynasties), in the town, he opened a calligraphy and painting shop.”
Lushan Academy street, there is a street specializing in selling brushes, ink, paper and inkstones. The business is booming, however the owner of the house for so many years, did not make a lot of silver.
He is a filial son, heard that his mother’s body is not good, so he plans to go back to his hometown, the news has just been released, the shop has been bought, only a set of courtyard left.
“Truth be told, this set of courtyard is good, but it’s just too expensive.”
The house is all new, the whole house furniture is customized, there is also a spacious study room,by counting just the furniture, the owner spent hundreds of taels of silver. How could you be willing to sell it cheaply?
According to the mate, selling out is certainly not a problem, but the earliest is probably the beginning of spring [usu. referring to the first month of the lunar year].
“How much silver?”
Li Haitang brought two thousand taels with her on this trip down the mountain, half of which was her own earned silver cheques.
Living in the village, she couldn’t spend two taels of silver a year. Once, when she went out to buy a mansion, she realized that no matter how much money she has, yet it would not be enough to spend.
What was a huge sum of money in the eyes of the poor people was likely to be one meal worth to the rich.
“Twelve hundred taels, the price is non-negotiable.”
The owner of the house was not poor and didn’t want to sell it cheaply, this silver money was the total amount he had spent on building the house and customising the furniture, he was not going to lose or make a profit, he wanted to change hands.
A fixed price difference of a copper plate is not for sale.
Subsequent to the yamen on the file, through the household registration, all costs borne by the buyer, plus the middleman fee, is about one thousand two hundred and fifty taels.
“A normal mansion, in that location, would sell for a maximum of six hundred taels of silver.”
The mate is really honest and dependable, although the house is good, but according to the original owner’s favourite style design, rich people pay special attention to feng shui, buy the house and rebuild it, won’t look for a new house like this, taken all together, it’s a difference of more than six hundred taels!
The Chen family’s whole family did not dare to speak, a thousand taels of silver for a set of courtyards, never even heard of it, was their eyesight too narrow?
The courtyards close to the Lushan Academy are not cheap, Li Haitang is prepared, she currently wants to move in quickly, buy a house that doesn’t need to be renovated, save time and effort, however, only this price is beyond expectation.
“Go and take a look.”
Xiao Lingchuan never had any concept of money, he saw his mother’s heart move and urged the mate to lead the way.
The mate had been observing his words and when he saw that the other party did not react when he said the heavenly price, he knew that the person was not lacking in money.
It’s strange, now rich people are so low-key?Look at the dress, so ordinary that it can not be more ordinary fine cotton cloth.
The mansion is located in the east of the city, from the village entrance of Shang He Village out, a turn to. The east side of the city looks like a place where rich people live, and it is quiet in the daytime.
“There are many mansions over here, and there are corner gates at the front and back, so it’s easy to walk.”
The mate had a set of keys in his hand and opened the blackened iron gate, leading the group in.
“There’s a set of three courtyards in the west of the city, it’s just slightly away from the Lushan Academy.”
The mate felt that the price was on the high side, mainly because of those furniture, the average person didn’t have to choose too good wood material, cut down two trees in the back of the mountain and find a carpenter to customize it, costing nothing in silver. For furniture, a few hundred taels added to it, making the price of the courtyard a head higher, generally families who have budget, will not come to see the house at all.