Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1017 Hong Kong, where money is needed everywhere, and the ailing Old Zhou (Bonus chapter for monthly votes: 3K)

"That shouldn't be the case?" Fang Yan asked in surprise.

He muttered to himself:

"Could it be that Lao Zhou sold the house?"

Le Miao said:

"Why don't we get out of the car and take a look?"

"Okay." Fang Yan nodded.

Le Miao parked the car on the side of the road, and then everyone got out of the car.

Upon arriving at the entrance and checking, I confirmed that this was number twelve.

Ignoring the dialect, I rang the doorbell first.

After they pressed the button, the person listening to the violin didn't react. Instead, two middle-aged women in their forties emerged from the flower bushes nearby, looking up at them curiously.
"Who am I looking for?"

Fang Yan asked in a loud voice:

"Is this Mr. Zhou Zhenbang's home?"

“Yes.” The middle-aged woman nodded.

Judging from their pronunciation, they must have received training.

Although the accent is still there, it's not too strong.

Fang Yan said to them:

"We are here to visit Mr. Zhou. Please inform him of our presence."

Another middle-aged woman said:
"Mr. Zhou should be taking a lunch break right now and won't be receiving guests."

Fang Yan looked surprised and pointed to the side, saying:
"Lunch break? You're making such a racket outside, and he's taking a lunch break at home?"

They said:

"Oh, that's next door, there's nothing we can do about it."

Then he pointed to a row of not-so-tall shrubs:

"The partition starts here."

The people standing outside then realized what was happening, and Le Miao muttered to herself:
"So that's how it was designed..."

This low-profile design allows for easy access from one store to another.

Fang Yan realized what was happening at this point.

This design, which uses low shrubs as partitions, belongs to the semi-open courtyard layout of the British colonial style.

By using low shrubs instead of high walls to divide spaces, the design maintains the independence of each household while allowing visual penetration, creating a "separated yet connected" effect. This design is commonly seen in high-end communities that emphasize landscape harmony.

Residents of affluent neighborhoods need privacy but do not want to be completely isolated. Low-lying greenery can suggest territorial boundaries without hindering visual communication between neighbors, which aligns with the "elegance of maintaining distance" social culture formed during the colonial period.

Furthermore, in Hong Kong's hot and humid climate, shrub partitions are more conducive to ventilation and heat dissipation than solid walls. At the same time, green plants themselves can regulate the microclimate, which is a typical technique of tropical colonial architecture.

This design was later known as the natural garden concept of English gardens.

The emphasis is on plant landscaping rather than hard partitions.

Of course, that's not the point. Fang Yan said to the middle-aged woman inside:

"Are there any other people in charge of things in the villa now? For example, Mr. Zhou's secretary and assistants?"

The middle-aged woman said:

"Yes, that's possible, but they won't let you bother Mr. Zhou."

Another middle-aged woman chimed in:
"That's right. We've seen several people come to visit, and it's always the same. You young people should wait outside and come back at three o'clock in the afternoon."

Le Miao took out the money and said to them:

"Could you please go and call someone?"

The two middle-aged women looked at each other in bewilderment upon seeing the Hong Kong dollars handed to them.

Finally, the two exchanged a glance, and then someone else stepped forward:
"Okay, okay, but if they don't see you later, the money won't be refunded."

He then grabbed the money and took it away.

Le Miao also said to them:
"Thank you."

After they went to find someone, Deng Cai, who was standing nearby, criticized them:
"Everything in Hong Kong costs money!"

"If you don't have money, everyone will give you attitude."

Le Miao smiled:
"There's nothing we can do. People come to work in wealthy areas to make money."

"We need to adjust our mindset."

Soon, the two middle-aged women came out, and there was another person following behind them.

That was Lao Zhou's former assistant secretary.

He glanced at the people at the door, realized he didn't recognize any of them, frowned, and said:
What do you all do?

Fang Yan said to him:
“It’s me, Mr. Yang. I’ve come to give Zhou Zhaoqin a follow-up examination.”

Assistant Yang frowned:
"Nonsense, who do you think you are to give... Hey!"

He suddenly paused, realizing that the voice sounded familiar, and the person speaking in the dialect also looked somewhat familiar.

But after looking at it again, I'm even more uncertain about it now.

I took a few steps closer and asked:
"you are?"

He said in dialect:

"So forgetful? My surname is Fang, and I'm from the North."

Upon hearing this, Assistant Yang immediately realized:

"Oh! Mr. Fang, what brings you here..."

speaking in a low voice in dialect:
"You know my identity makes this inconvenient."

Assistant Yang was taken aback, then suddenly realized:

"Oh...yes, yes, yes!"

After saying that, he quickly added:
"I'll open the door for you!"

This action left the two middle-aged women dumbfounded.

They were surprised to find that the situation was completely different from what they had expected. Judging from Assistant Yang's reaction, it seemed that Fang Yan and his group were honored guests. They were momentarily embarrassed, thinking that they had just received money from Le Miao.

Assistant Yang, unaware of these details, simply opened the door and gestured an invitation to Fang Yan and the others:

"Please come in!"

Fang Yan and the others also walked into the villa gate together.

In front of the villa's gate was a path paved with white pebbles, lined with neatly trimmed greenery, and every three steps there was a bronze mushroom-shaped ground lamp. The electricity wasn't on yet.

It should look somewhat dreamy when it's lit up at night.

At the end of the path is a white marble fountain, in which several colorful koi swim, each about the length of a forearm.

"What a fat fish..." Wang Feng couldn't help but mutter.

Le Miao said:

"This should be a 'Kohaku Taisho' koi imported from Japan. It has a market price of 30,000 to 40,000 yuan, and can even sell for 20,000 Hong Kong dollars apiece on the black market."

Upon hearing this, Assistant Yang smiled and nodded.

"This young lady has good taste!"

"Please follow me, everyone." Assistant Yang pointed to the entrance of the villa.

The group followed, bypassing the fountain and ascending three steps covered with red velvet carpet. The double oak doors at the entrance opened inward, revealing a six-meter-high hall inside.

A spacious villa hall appeared before everyone, with a chandelier made of thousands of crystal pieces hanging from the ceiling. Each crystal piece refracted a rainbow-like halo in the sunlight, as if the entire Milky Way had been plucked down and hung overhead.

It makes my eyes a little dizzy after looking at it for a while.

Assistant Yang said with a smile:

"This was ordered by the young lady from abroad."

Miss is Zhou Zhaoqin.

Then everyone stepped into the hall, where the floor was paved with black and white marble mosaics with geometric symmetrical patterns from the Renaissance period. Each stone was carefully polished to a mirror-like shine.

In the very center stands a mahogany long table in the style of the Regency, with acanthus leaf patterns carved on the tabletop and gilded lion claws at the bottom of the legs. At the end of the table stand two bronze auspicious beast incense burners from the Ming Dynasty, from which a faint scent of agarwood wafts.

To be honest, I'm not used to this kind of dialect.

He frowned slightly.

On either side of the long table are eight Queen Anne-style armchairs, with seats covered in burgundy velvet and delicate shell carvings on the backs.

Against the wall is a set of Victorian-era satin wood display cases, with glass doors showcasing Mr. Zhou's collection: antiques from various countries, including a gold and diamond-encrusted pocket watch with the inscription "Presented to HSBC Hong Kong in Commemoration of its Opening." To the right is a row of ivory miniature ship models, the smallest of which is no bigger than the palm of your hand, yet the sailor statues on the deck are clearly visible.

Assistant Yang led them to the sofa on the right side of the lobby.

A three-seater sofa is paired with two single armchairs, all upholstered in cream-colored brocade fabric. The gilded carvings on the backrests and armrests feature scrolling foliage and seashell elements. The oval coffee table in front of the sofa is made of marble, and on its surface sits a framed photograph of Mr. Zhou and the British Governor of Hong Kong, Murray MacLehose, taken at Government House.

This is probably just a little trick by Lao Zhou to intimidate the visiting guests.

"The boss and the others are still taking their lunch break. I'll go wake them up," Assistant Yang said to Fang Yan and the others.

He pointed to the next door in dialect:
"You're making such a commotion outside, isn't it affecting things inside?"

Assistant Yang smiled and said, "

"The soundproofing here is very good, so don't worry."

He waved his hand, signaling someone to close the door.

As soon as I turned it off, the sound stopped immediately.

The dialect suddenly became clear:

"I see!"

Then he hurriedly said:
"Let's open it and let some air out!"

He just couldn't understand it. There were so many bugs in the villa, why not just kill them directly instead of locking the place up completely and burning incense in the room?

Upon hearing Fang Yan's instructions, Assistant Yang nodded, and the others followed suit.

With a larger villa comes more servants.

Otherwise, it won't be possible to make arrangements.

"Please wait a moment, I'll go upstairs and call the boss and the others down right away," Assistant Yang said to Fang Yan and the others.

He nodded in dialect.

Then Assistant Yang said to the maid:

"Pour tea for the guests!"

Soon the black tea was served.

Assistant Yang then quickly walked up the wooden stairs and went upstairs.

"How much would it cost to buy this place?" Fang Yan asked Le Miao.

Le Miao said:

"It's expensive here, and the usage fees are even more expensive."

"These days, people who can afford to buy villas on the hillside are undoubtedly top figures in the business and political circles, or wealthy and powerful families. Ordinary people can only look on with envy at such prices."

"So I don't know the exact price either. If you're interested, I'll ask around later."

Shaking his head in dialect:

"Never mind, I was just asking."

"If I had the money, I would buy a courtyard house in Beijing."

Le Miao was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said:

"Haha...Are you implying that there aren't many courtyard houses available for sale in Beijing?"

Dialectal wave:
"No, no, I just said it offhand..."

He really didn't have any designs on the Le Miao family's courtyard house. In a few years, it will be able to be bought and sold normally, and there will be more courtyard houses available for sale then. It's just that clearing out the people inside will be a bit of a hassle. It's best to buy the kind that has never been lived in before.

Five minutes later, steady footsteps echoed down the stairs, accompanied by the slight creaking of the wooden handrail. Old Zhou appeared at the top of the stairs. Before even descending, he saw Fang Yan downstairs and greeted him warmly:

"Hey Dr. Fang, it's been so long! It's so good that you've come. I was planning to go back to find you if you hadn't come!"

Fang Yan was taken aback and asked:

"what happened?"

As Old Zhou walked downstairs, he said:
"Maybe it's because I'm getting old, I'm getting sick!"

"It shouldn't be serious, but I'm feeling a bit unwell. I went to the hospital for a checkup, and they said my blood sugar is a bit high and I need to take some kind of diabetes medication."

“I’m fine anywhere else, but after living here for a while, I’ve actually developed diabetes. It’s unbelievable…”

After speaking, he paused and asked:

"You asked if traditional Chinese medicine can cure diabetes?"

PS: I've gained another 100 monthly votes, so I owe you all another 2000 words.

After finishing this chapter, I currently owe everyone 96000 words.

There will be more this afternoon!

(End of this chapter)