Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 113 Yan Bugui: Buy a side room and get a side room for free?
He Yuzhu helped the old lady, and He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang also came out to see who had come.

The old lady went outside and saw that there were more than a dozen people, big and small. Although the He family's main room was not small, it couldn't fit them all.

After looking around, what impressed Mr. and Mrs. He Daqing were the two pairs of glasses. They exchanged a glance and thought, "Are all these people scholars?"

When everyone in the courtyard saw a family come out, they all looked at He Daqing, thinking that this must be the head of the household.

Before they could even speak, the old lady spoke first.

"You're all here to look at houses. How many families are here?"

"Grandma, are you the owner of this courtyard?" It was the same fat man with glasses who answered.

"Yes, the house belongs to the old lady."

“Grandma, there are four families here, all of us looking at houses. My name is Liu Haizhong.”

"Oh, four companies? Did your military control commission introduce them?"

"Yes, yes, all of them."

“The military control commission has already told you, right? I’ll start renting and selling the front yard.”

"I've said it."

Have you looked at all the houses?

"The doors were all locked, so we only got a general view," Liu Haizhong said.

"Alright, let's take a look at the house first. Zhu Zi, go to Madam's room and get the key. You know where it is, right?"

"I know." He Yuzhu said, letting go of the old woman's hand and running towards the backyard.

At this moment, Wang Cuiping from the west wing also came out carrying her daughter. She had just been feeding the child and was now coming out to see who was there.

Having done her current job for a while, she now views all strangers with a degree of wariness. If someone is coming to the hospital, she'll definitely have to check on them.

"Cuiping, why are you carrying a child out?" Chen Lanxiang asked as she turned around to see Wang Cuiping coming out when she heard the door to the west wing open.

"Sister-in-law, I heard some noise in the yard so I came out to check."

"It's okay, they're all here to look at the house. Don't scare the children if there are too many people."

"Okay, I'll go back now." Wang Cuiping glanced around at the people in the courtyard, then turned and went back.

You ask about the younger ones? Two are doing their homework, and two are playing in the backyard. He Yuzhu set a rule for the students: they can't come out to play until they finish their homework.

He Yushui usually played with Xu Xiaohui in the backyard. This was a habit they developed when Yi Zhonghai was around. With such a gloomy guy in the middle courtyard, the children didn't want to stay there.

He Yuzhu went to the backyard, and He Yushui naturally pestered him to take them to play. Then Xu Damao was lured out. He Yuzhu glared at him and said, "Have you finished your homework? Are you going to practice?"

Xu Damao quickly scurried back into the house, while He Yushui and Xu Xiaohui laughed heartily beside him.

Then came Xu Damao's furious voice from the Xu family home, "You two little brats, don't laugh at me. Wait until you go to school."

“We have plenty of time before school starts,” He Yushui retorted.

“Yeah, yeah, Xiao Hui is not even three years old yet, hehe.” Xu Xiao Hui also stabbed her brother in the back.

While the two were bickering, He Yuzhu went to the back room to get the key and then instructed, "Yushui, there are outsiders coming from the front. You are not allowed to take Xiaohui to the central courtyard."

"Someone's here. Who is it? Should I go and see?"

“If you dare to go, you’ll have to sleep in the side room by yourself every night from now on.”

"Okay!" Clearly, between watching the excitement and listening to the story, He Yu decisively chose to listen to the story.

Upon returning to the Intermediate Court, He Yuzhu called out, "Madam, I've brought the keys."

"You take them to see the houses. I won't go with my wife. After we've seen them, we'll have them come over to talk to each one."

"Row."

"Everyone, please!" He Yuzhu said to the families, and then walked towards the front yard.

"Alright!" The host had spoken, and the group responded in different ways, following the young man as they walked towards the front yard.

He Yuzhu first showed them the west hall, but the families went in, glanced at it, and then came out, clearly not very interested.

He Yuzhu didn't say anything, locked the door, and went directly to open the doors of the west wing and the west side room.

This house piqued everyone's interest. Although it had been uninhabited for a long time and was covered in a layer of dust, the families who came to view it were still very enthusiastic.

The old house has a good foundation, high beams, and large windows. Although it is a west wing room and it is morning, the lighting is not too bad.

As for introducing houses, He Yuzhu isn't a professional real estate agent; he has no interest in that and can't introduce them.

Everyone was inside watching, while He Yuzhu stood at the door waiting.

At this moment, Yan Bugui broke away from the crowd, went out of the house and approached He Yuzhu. He took out a cigarette and was about to offer it to him, but then remembered the awkwardness of the fat man in the middle courtyard and put it away. The man in front of him did not smoke.

"Excuse me, sir, I'd like to ask if this side room is also sold together?" he asked, pointing to the side room on the side.

"Sell it." He Yuzhu looked at Yan Bugui with a smile, thinking to himself, "Isn't this guy supposed to be stingy by nature? How could he ask such a question?"

However, Yan Bugui's next words made him realize the reality.

"I'd like to ask, can I build a side room if I buy a side room?"

He Yuzhu looked at Yan Bugui and said jokingly, "Look, you're a scholar too."

Yan Bugui clearly didn't catch He Yuzhu's teasing in his words, and straightened his eyes to reply seriously: "My name is Yan Bugui, a teacher at Jiaodaokou Elementary School."

But He Yuzhu's next words broke his defenses.

"But what you're saying doesn't sound like something a scholar should say at all. Why don't you say you're buying a side room and asking for a whole courtyard to be built for you?"

Yan Bugui said somewhat awkwardly, "Can't scholars bargain?"

"What do you think? Are you sure this is bargaining? This isn't like buying radishes and cabbages," He Yuzhu teased.

“You’re not the host, what right do you have to make decisions? I have nothing to do with you.” Yan Bugui flicked his sleeves and returned to the crowd.

"Hehe, then you just wait and see!" He Yuzhu's laughter came from behind, almost making Yan Bugui trip over himself. "I was too hasty," Yan Bugui regretted his attitude just now.

After looking at the houses on the west side, He Yuzhu locked the door and then went to the east wing and side rooms. This time, the families were even more interested, and as they looked around, they split into several groups and began to discuss quietly.

A moment later, Liu Haizhong came over and whispered, "Young man, do you have any other houses? If not, I'll go to the central courtyard and discuss the price with the owner."

"There are two more rooms with reverse seating. If you're interested, I'll show them to you. If not, you don't have to see them," He Yuzhu said loudly, not in a low voice.

Liu Haizhong was taken aback. He had wanted to seize the initiative, but He Yuzhu had ruined it.

"I'm not looking anymore, I'm not looking anymore, I'm going to find the master." Yan Bugui had been paying attention to the commotion around him. When Liu Haizhong went to find He Yuzhu, he was so anxious that he was stamping his feet. He never expected He Yuzhu to do this, so he naturally had to speak up.

“Yes, let’s not look anymore, let’s go find the main family.” The other two families chimed in.

"Okay, you guys go out first, I'll lock the door."

After He Yuzhu locked the door, he saw Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui staring at the key in his hand. He waved the key in his hand.

"Everyone, let's go." With that, he strode towards the central courtyard.

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui walked to the front, closely following He Yuzhu's steps.

When they arrived at the He family's gate, He Yuzhu stopped, and the two almost bumped into each other.

He Yuzhu turned around and said, "We don't need so many people to negotiate the price. One person from each of your families will suffice."

"Okay, let's go in."

"Don't rush. I think it's better to negotiate prices one by one. What do you think?"

"I'll go first!" Yan Bugui reacted quickly this time.

"Why should you go first?" the other companies protested.

"Hey bro, that doesn't make sense. What if we've got our eyes on the same thing?"

"The highest bidder wins, but everything has to be negotiated before a deal can be finalized."

"This isn't appropriate. Besides, do you even have the final say, young man?" Yan Bugui thought to himself, "How can this be? What if someone raises the price? That would mean paying much more money."

"Why don't you wait a moment, and I'll go in and ask?" He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Okay, please ask the master for us."

"Alright, please wait a moment, everyone." He Yuzhu didn't bother with any more questions and went straight into the house.

Once inside, he recounted the house viewing and what had happened at the door. The old lady asked, "Zhu Zi, what do you think is a suitable price for us?"

"Buying and selling is just about asking for the sky and then negotiating the price. Ask for the highest price. If you want 150 yuan for the middle courtyard and the east and west wing rooms in the back courtyard, that's your way of being picky. But if it's an outsider, you can't ask for more."

"Yes, that makes sense. I also had your father inquire about the nearby courtyards. The side rooms start at 200 yuan. Their houses are not as good as ours." The old lady nodded.

"Then you'll want 260, the side room 70, the through room 110, and the back room 50. Go ahead and cut it down. If you think it's too tiring, give it to my dad."

After He Yuzhu finished speaking, He Daqing glared at him, wondering why he was being dragged into this trivial matter.

"If you're so capable, why don't you do it yourself?" He Daqing said irritably.

"What's wrong, old lady? You're not even willing to help me anymore?" The old lady tapped her cane.

"You know how good my tongue is, it's not as good as Zhu Zi's," He Daqing said sheepishly.

"Humph."

"Madam, what should we do? Negotiate with them one by one, or put out a price and let them bid themselves, with the highest bidder winning?"

"Let them make their own bids. Get some paper and pens, and let them write down which house they want to buy. Don't let them fight over buying a house."

"Alright, you're in charge. Then come out with me and tell them that they think I'm too young to be in charge."

"Are you teasing someone again?" the old lady laughed.

"No way, there are people trying to get a bargain by asking if I get a side room for free when I buy a side room. There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"Which one is it?" He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang exchanged a glance, and He Daqing asked curiously.

"A skinny man who wears glasses."

“That man looks scholarly, like someone who’s studying,” Chen Lanxiang added.

"That person is a student, a primary school teacher."

"Ah, appearances can be deceiving. I've really learned something new today," Chen Lanxiang exclaimed.

"Hehe, it would be quite interesting if this person moved in," the old lady said meaningfully.

"Are you still planning to sell him the house?" Chen Lanxiang asked.

"These are minor issues. He doesn't steal or rob. He's a teacher, what kind of trouble could he possibly cause?" the old lady said.

"Just don't end up like Yi Zhonghai."

"Impossible, his whole family is different from Yi Zhonghai's." The old lady made a pointed remark, but stopped short of revealing her true intentions.

"Fine, the house is yours anyway, so you can do whatever you want."

"Zhu Zi, what do you think?" The old lady threw the difficult question at He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu knew the plot. This Yan Laokou wasn't a bad guy, just a bit annoying. It would be interesting to keep him in the front yard.

One family teaches their children to be cunning, another family beats their children with leather belts every day, and yet another family begs for a living every day. He Yuzhu is quite looking forward to seeing them all together, provided, of course, that he doesn't mess with them.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal. Let me help you out. You can make the announcement, and I’ll go back to my room to prepare paper and pen.”

"Okay, let's walk."

After the grandmother and grandson left the He family's gate, the old lady told them what they had agreed on, and then there was a bit of a commotion below.

The price was a bit beyond expectations, and the Jia family, who were watching from behind the moon gate, overheard this. Jia Zhangshi immediately felt that her family had gotten a good deal, as it would only cost them 35.

She decided that once all these families had bought their houses, especially after someone bought a house with a reverse side, she would show it off.

He Yuzhu prepared four sheets of paper and four pencils. Even if the adults in the family couldn't write, the children should be able to. The older children in the families were all around ten years old, and the youngest child in the family was probably seven or eight years old.

Once the paper was distributed, the four families dispersed, each occupying a corner of the yard, none of them wanting others to overhear their negotiated price.

He Yuzhu helped the old lady into the main room, and Liu Haizhong was the first to arrive.

He offered 230 for an east wing room. He Yuzhu saw crossed-out words on the paper and vaguely recognized it as a side room.

After taking his paper, He Yuzhu told him to wait outside. Next to come in was Yan Bugui, who offered 280 for the east wing and east side room, 225 for the east wing, and 55 for the east side room.

He Yuzhu took one look and thought, "Wow, Teacher Yan is rich! He's definitely not from a poor family. This guy will have something to talk about when he blocks the door in the future."

After waiting for a long time without the other two families coming in, He Yuzhu went out to take a look and was told by Liu Haizhong that the other two families had gone to look at the back of the house.

He Yuzhu figured he probably couldn't afford the east and west wing rooms, and since this courtyard house looked nice but he didn't want to rent it, he went to look at the cheapest one.

Sure enough, the two families returned shortly afterward. One family, with a larger number of members, chose two rooms facing backwards and offered 80 yuan. The other family, presumably not satisfied with the rooms facing backwards or the rooms in the main hall, offered 90 yuan.

As a result, no one made a bid for the west wing and west side room, while the other two bidders were easy to negotiate with and did not fight.

He Yuzhu told the two families to come in first and each pay a ten-yuan deposit, then write a receipt. He said they could use the remaining money to complete the formalities when the Military Control Commission opened the next day.

The two families hesitated at first, but He Yuzhu said, "You can go with the money tomorrow, but we can't guarantee whether you can buy a house. Since the Military Control Commission has sent an intermediary, you are definitely not the last group."

The two families discussed it again, paid each other, wrote an agreement, signed and pressed their fingerprints, and then left with the agreement.

After the other two families left, Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui asked which house they had bought and then breathed a sigh of relief. They then went into the main room of the He family's house together.

"Can we talk about ours now?" Liu Haizhong was the first to lose his composure.

“Now I have a question, let me ask this teacher Yan first,” He Yuzhu said.

"Okay, you ask first."

"Teacher Yan, you two both like the east wing, but your offer is five silver dollars less than this other person's. We're asking because we see you want to buy the side room as well. If you still offer the same price, then the house goes to this other person."

Before He Yuzhu could finish speaking, Liu Haizhong interrupted.

"Liu Haizhong, you can call me Master Liu, or Old Liu, either is fine."

"Oh, then the house belongs to this Mr. Liu."

Yan Bugui looked at Liu Haizhong with resentment. Liu Haizhong glared at him and said, "Why are you looking at me like that? Hurry up, I'm in a hurry."

Yan Bugui gritted his teeth, and just when everyone thought he had made up his mind to bid, he said something that almost made them all burst out laughing.

"Then, could you give me a discount on the west wing and the adjacent side room? After all, there are some differences between the east and west wing rooms."

He Yuzhu glanced at the old lady with a smile in his eyes. The old lady glared at him in annoyance before saying, "I'll give you a five-yuan discount. If you don't want to buy it, then forget it."

"Buy it, or I'll be a bastard!" Yan Bugui immediately beamed with joy, as if he had gotten a huge bargain.

Seeing that it was a really good deal, Liu Haizhong also spoke up, "Then mine will be mine."

"No, you can't get a discount if you only buy one. If you buy the side room as well, we'll give you a discount of five yuan. The side room will be priced at 55 yuan according to Mr. Yan's quote."

Liu Haizhong puffed himself up for a while, like an inflated toad, then deflated and said, "Then I'll just buy one side room."

Since it was settled, the deposit was still ten yuan, which was neither a lot nor a little. The main thing was that it saved trouble for both parties. However, Yan Bugui was a little reluctant to pay the money.

They wrote an agreement, signed it, and agreed on a time to go to the military control committee the next day. The two families then left with the agreement.

The next day, He Yuzhu rode his bicycle with the old lady to the Military Control Commission again. The matter went smoothly, and after receiving their house deeds, the families were all happy to go back and prepare for moving.

The old lady was extremely nervous, carrying the several hundred silver dollars she had just received. After He Yuzhu refused Wang Hongxia's offer to have soldiers escort them back, she kept urging He Yuzhu to go home quickly.

On the way home, He Yuzhu rode his bicycle so fast that the old lady shed tears all the way. After arriving home and calming down, the old lady gave him a few solid taps with her cane.

"You little rascal, I just told you to hurry up, and you almost flew off! Ouch, my butt! Lanxiang, can you clean it up for me?"

"Zhu Zi, hurry up and apologize to the old lady."

"Madam, didn't you tell me to hurry up? There are several hundred silver dollars in your bag."

"Hmph, you still have the nerve to talk back? I was thinking of giving you some flowers because I saw you were working so hard, but now I don't have any."

"No, madam, I'm counting on this little bit of money from you to treat myself."

"Go away, my wife, I know you too well. Others may be missing a mouth, but you are not."

Chen Lanxiang watched the old woman and the young boy bickering and laughed. The old lady was like a child, constantly arguing with her eldest grandson. He Yuzhu seemed to be doing it on purpose, as he didn't give in to the old lady much.

In the end, the old lady basically compromised, and her son received all the benefits he was entitled to.

The families in the front yard moved in quickly, and the chaos lasted for several days. Of course, there were plenty of trivial matters, but since it didn't escalate to the intermediate court, He Yuzhu didn't care.

Xu Damao came back and said that there were a few boys in the front yard who went to the same school as them: Liu Guangqi, Liu Guangtian, and Yan Jiecheng.

　Thank you to Zhang Yu, Cyndi1982, and Subject-Verb-Object-Attributive-Adverbial-Complement for the generous donations! Thank you for your support!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)