50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 324 The Lieutenant's Mysterious Grandfather

Sun Zhiwei estimates that Lieutenant Milan's dislike of the farm was not only due to its size, but also because of the issue of its dignity.

After all, going from a lieutenant to a cowboy is a good story, but going from a lieutenant to a farmer would probably be a joke.

And 1 acres is by no means a small farm; 1 acres is 40 square kilometers, or 6 mu.

How big is this area? Let me give you a few examples:
1. The area within the Second Ring Road of Beijing, which is the part enclosed by the old city wall, is only 62 square kilometers.

2. The area within the Second Ring Road of Chengdu is 60.1 square kilometers.

3. The area of ​​the inner ring road of Jinling is 60 square kilometers.

4. The area of ​​Manhattan Island in New York is 59.5 square kilometers.

Now everyone should have a clear idea of ​​the size of this 1-acre farm.

My grandfather, the lieutenant, had a farm near New York that was like a manor in Tongzhou, Beijing—a super-large manor with 6 mu of land.

Of course, a farm of 1 acres, while not small in the United States, is not really that big either.

The largest farm in the United States is now 2070 square kilometers in size, which is 50 times the size of this small farm.

But his grandfather's small farm had a great location, right next to the mega-city of New York. Even if he only grew cabbages every year, he could make a lot of money.

Lieutenant Milan is so short-sighted; he only cares about the size of the area and thinks it's good. But even if it's big, you still have to consider the land price.

Can land prices in Pennsylvania be compared to those in New York?

However, as long as they're happy, he has no interest in pointing that out.

"Lieutenant, so you and your wife are moving to Pennsylvania?"

"Yes, but my wife went there first. I still have some loose ends to clean up here. We need to get rid of that house."

Upon hearing about the house, Sun Zhiwei immediately perked up.

"May I ask about the situation with your house?"

There was nothing wrong with saying it, so the lieutenant, upon hearing his question, proceeded to explain directly.

“My apartment is on 35th Street, which is just two blocks from the gates of Georgetown University.”

"The house is 240 square meters, with two floors above ground and one basement. There are six rooms on each floor. In front of the house is a 140-square-meter lawn, and in the back is a 100-square-meter garden."

Upon hearing the size of the area, Sun Zhiwei understood why the lieutenant couldn't make it through this ordeal.

For such a large house, the property tax alone would amount to a huge sum every year, not to mention other miscellaneous expenses.

Without his lover's support, it would be strange if a lieutenant like him could hold on.

"Lieutenant, how much are you planning to sell this house for?"

"Mr. James, are you planning to buy a house?"

"Yes, the place I live now is too far away, and it's a rented house, so I can't enjoy the community benefits."

"Sir, the house itself isn't expensive, but there are quite a few other expenses involved. You should be prepared."

The lieutenant still felt lingering fear when he recalled the bills that had been piling up like snowflakes a while ago.

Sun Zhiwei really wants to buy property soon because he knows now is a good time to buy.

It was the 1970s, the dark age of American real estate, when house prices were at their lowest.

If the lieutenant had held onto this house for 20 years, it would have sold for at least $60, but now he only wants $8.

Don't underestimate the value of $8 today. The US dollar has only been decoupled from gold for five or six years. Although it has been depreciating, that takes time, and the dollar is still very valuable today.

Sun Zhiwei's shop has been open for more than a month, and its turnover in 20 days last month was less than $4.

"I know, Lieutenant, are you going to sell your house soon?"

“Sir, if you wish, I can wait for you to raise the funds. I don’t need the money urgently right now.”

That's right, that's what a third-generation rich kid should look like, not bothered by such a small amount of money.

"Then hold it for me for a week, and I'll give you an answer by this week at the latest."

"No problem." The lieutenant was so kind to him that Sun Zhiwei was almost tempted to treat him to a meal.

At this moment, the lieutenant suddenly remembered that he had come here on important business.

"By the way, Mr. James, my grandfather has heard that you are very knowledgeable about Chinese antiques and would like to invite you to New York to help him assess the value of a batch of antiques."

Sun Zhiwei raised an eyebrow. Was he being asked to go out for testing? Ha, he'd make some money.

“Going to New York is no problem. But have you discussed my fees with your grandfather? I don’t negotiate prices here, no matter how many items are being appraised.”

"Don't worry, Mr. James, I've already mentioned it to my grandfather. We'll go with your pricing schedule. However, this time the quantity is a bit large."

A large number? It seems the lieutenant's grandfather is no ordinary person either.

At that time, almost every soldier in the Eighth Route Army brought back a lot of spoils of war.

However, to bring back a large amount of spoils of war, one needed power and influence. At the very least, one had to be a mid-level officer to have that authority.

And that farm next to New York, that location is really amazing.

It's important to know that New York City has been continuously expanding outwards.

However, it took a turn for the worse when it expanded to Lieutenant Milan's grandfather's farm.

Isn't that strange? When did capital become so easy to talk to?
Shouldn't the normal script be that the New York gangsters swarm in, kill his grandfather, and then force his father to sell the farm?
Sun Zhiwei was very interested in his grandfather's antiques, and also in the reasons why his grandfather was able to occupy such a large farm on the outskirts of New York.

"The quantity doesn't matter, the more we have, the longer we can stay. Anyway, your grandfather is going to pay, right?"

"Of course, my grandfather never owes anyone money."

“Then there’s no problem. Go contact your grandfather and we’ll arrange a time. I’ll bring Belinda with me then.”

"Bringing a secretary with you when you go out is a tradition in America."

Belinda, who was listening to their conversation, was stunned. How did this get involved? She still had to go to school.

"Boss, but I have to go to class and can't go to New York with you."

"Classes? Isn't spring break coming up soon?"

“Well, sir, Georgetown University’s spring break is from the end of March to April, it’s only February now.”

"Oh, really? That's such a shame." Sun Zhiwei hadn't really noticed how slowly time had passed.

"Here's what we'll do, Lieutenant. You should contact your grandfather first and see what his schedule is like. I'm generally available."

"Okay, sir. I'll call you back by tomorrow at the latest. Goodbye, sir. Goodbye, lovely Belinda."

Mr. Cowboy rode off on his white horse with a flourish.

“Belinda, do you see this? This is what a winner in life is. He couldn’t make it on his own, so he had to go home and inherit billions of dollars.”

(End of this chapter)