bookrandom Chapter 60 House Viewing
Chapter 60 House Viewing
Upon arriving at the Xinhua Bookstore staff dormitory building, Zhao Yuan asked the security guard and went straight to Tu Chenglong's house.
"Brother Zhao, how did you find my house? Come in, come in, have a cup of tea first."
Upon seeing Zhao Yuan, Tu Chenglong quickly invited him into the house.
"Sister Hou said you came back last night and asked me to come find you. I asked the security guard and found your house."
Zhao Yuan went inside, sat down, and took a sip of water.
"Fengjiao said you want to buy a courtyard house in the county town?"
Tu Chenglong asked.
"Yeah, it's so inconvenient like this. I bought a tractor yesterday, and now it's much easier to get into the city."
Zhao Yuan said.
"Alright, it'll be easier to find you now that you're living in the county town. Come on, I'll go with you to look at houses. Your Aunt Hou and I went to see a courtyard yesterday, and I think it's quite nice. You should go take a look."
Tu Chenglong said.
The two got on the tractor.
The tractor stopped in front of a yard.
The courtyard was located on the edge of the city, but it wasn't quite in the city; it was a detached house, yet it wasn't quite in the countryside either. It was just on the edge of the city, only a 10-minute walk from the supply and marketing cooperative. Zhao Yuan was very satisfied.
"Director Tu, is this Sister Hou's cousin's house?"
Zhao Yuan asked.
"No, this is a courtyard house that his cousin found for you. The owner of this courtyard house and his whole family moved to the provincial capital. They want to buy a house there, so they are in a hurry to sell this house. Your sister Hou's cousin lives not far from here. He and the owner of this house are childhood friends. After you told your sister Hou yesterday, we went to his cousin's house last night to ask and found out that the house was for sale."
Tu Chenglong said.
"That's great, let's go in and take a look."
Zhao Yuan said.
"Let's go get the key from my cousin first."
Tu Chenglong said.
"Then I'll go to Sister Hou's place to buy something first before I go over. It's not good to go empty-handed on my first visit."
Zhao Yuan said.
"Okay, let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative first."
The two then drove the tractor to the supply and marketing cooperative.
Zhao Yuan bought two bottles of wine, a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes, and some candy.
"Brother Zhao, you're too kind. There's no need to buy so much stuff."
Tu Chenglong said.
"Not much, not much. When you ask someone for a favor, you can't let them suffer a loss, or you'll lose face for yourself and Sister Hou."
Zhao Yuan said.
The two then got back on the tractor and headed towards Hou's cousin's house.
We arrived at my cousin's house soon.
Zhao Yuan, carrying his things, followed Tu Chenglong into a farmhouse courtyard.
Is Bo Ya Zi home?
The door was open, and Tu Chenglong led Zhao Yuan straight inside.
"Brother-in-law, you're here."
A middle-aged man came out of the house at the back.
“Bo Ya Zi, this is Zhao Yuan, the Zhao Yuan we told you about yesterday who wanted to buy the courtyard.”
“Brother Zhao, this is your sister Hou’s cousin, Fan Bo.”
"Hello Brother Fan, this is just a small token of my appreciation. Thank you for your help. I just went to see the courtyard you looked at for me with Director Tu, and we are very satisfied."
As Zhao Yuan spoke, he placed the things he had bought on the table in the main room.
"Brother-in-law, Brother Zhao, you're too kind. We're all family. It's just a small favor, why are you being so formal?"
Fan Bo said with a smile.
Zhao Yuan took out cigarettes and handed them to Tu Chenglong and Fan Bo, and lit a match to light them for them.
“That courtyard is really nice. My childhood friend grew up here. The feng shui of this house is excellent. Now that his whole family has moved to the provincial capital, he entrusted me to sell this courtyard. The courtyard is quite large, and the houses inside are very practical and convenient for getting around. Let’s go take a look.”
Fan Bo said with a smile.
Tu Chenglong, who was standing to the side, quickly agreed, "Alright, let's get going!"
The three men boarded the tractor, and with the roar of the engine, they drove towards the small courtyard.
Before long, they arrived at their destination. From a distance, the small courtyard was surrounded by a low mud wall, giving it a simple and peaceful feel.
Reaching the courtyard, Fan Bo took a key from his pocket, carefully inserted it into the lock, and gently turned it. With a crisp "click," the gate slowly opened. As the gate swung open, a musty, old-fashioned atmosphere wafted out, arousing curiosity and anticipation. Everyone eagerly stepped into the courtyard, eager to see its true form…
The courtyard was spacious, with lush ivy and wild morning glories growing on the walls. Two rows of dilapidated mud-brick houses stood in the courtyard, their roofs covered with thick thatch, giving them a rustic and tranquil feel. In one corner of the courtyard was an old well, beside which sat a wooden bucket and a long well rope. In another corner was a small vegetable garden and several fruit trees, their branches already sprouting tender leaves.
"There are six rooms in total, and each one is quite spacious and comfortable."
As Fan Bo spoke, he gently pushed open the slightly antique-looking door in front of him. As the door slowly opened, a sense of antiquity and tranquility wafted out.
Stepping inside, you'll see several old wooden tables and benches, standing quietly as if telling stories of bygone years. A few steps further in, you'll find a few wooden beds, empty and slightly worn.
Zhao Yuan followed Fan Bo into the room, looked around, and then asked, "Brother Fan, how much is the owner of this house asking for?"
Fan Bo smiled and replied, "Well... actually, this house is indeed a bit old, but it has a huge advantage—the yard is very spacious, and it's a detached house with its own entrance. Plus, they even dug a well, so daily water use is super convenient! So, my childhood friend offered three thousand yuan. If you think that's reasonable, I'll contact him later and have him come back this weekend so we can get the paperwork done."
Fan Bo said.
“The price is a bit high. This house needs to be renovated before we can move in. You can talk to your friend about it. I sincerely want to buy it and will pay in cash, but I need to negotiate the price down. Can you ask him if 2500 yuan is okay for me? If it is, I will come over to pay and complete the formalities when he comes back.”
Zhao Yuan said.
"Okay, I'll talk to him. He's in a hurry to buy a house and needs the money."
Fan Bo said.
"Thank you, Brother Fan."
Zhao Yuan said.
"Bo Ya Zi, are you free at noon? Let's go to my house for lunch."
Tu Chenglong said.
"Okay, let's go together. I'll go make a phone call while I'm at it."
The sun shone brightly, a gentle breeze caressed their faces, and the three men sat excitedly on the bumpy tractor, speeding towards the supply and marketing cooperative. Dust billowed along the way, but their hearts were filled with anticipation and excitement.
Upon arriving at their destination, Tu Chenglong went straight to Hou Fengjiao without hesitation. The two huddled together, discussing something in hushed tones. After they finished, Hou Fengjiao picked up the various delicious foods that Zhao Yuan had brought from the table and handed them to Tu Chenglong.
At the same time, Fan Bo followed Hou Fengjiao closely to the phone booth. He quickly picked up the receiver and called his childhood friend.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yuan walked to the counter alone. In no time, he bought two bottles of wine, a pack of the popular Daqianmen cigarettes, and some candy.
After finishing their respective tasks, the three of them, carrying large and small bags of belongings, boarded the tractor again and returned together to Tu Chenglong's cozy home.
Upon entering, Tu Chenglong noticed that Zhao Yuan was carrying many things and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise:
"Brother Zhao, you've brought so many dishes and so many gifts! How can I possibly accept them?"
Despite Tu Chenglong's polite refusal, Zhao Yuan maintained a smile and replied:
"Director Tu, please don't be so polite! This is just a small token of my appreciation. I just wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your promotion so we can celebrate together!"
Fan Bo chimed in, "Yes, Director Tu, I just called my childhood friend. He said he'll be back tomorrow, but he mentioned on the phone that he thinks the price you offered seems a bit low. So, regarding the specific price, it's best if you two discuss it in person tomorrow. Anyway, there shouldn't be any major problems. Let's celebrate Brother Zhao's new house in advance!"
"Alright, alright, let's celebrate together then."
Tu Chenglong was very happy.
"Then consider this my early celebration of getting a new house. After the transaction is completed, I'll celebrate again at my new house and warm up the house."
Zhao Yuan also said happily.