Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 129 Worried
No. 7 Courtyard, Suzhou Hutong
Ji Hongbin, dressed neatly, left the north room. He glanced at the west wing, his expression somewhat unpleasant. Ever since their argument that day, Tan Jingya had moved into the west wing, no longer cooking or boiling water.

Ji Hongbin couldn't stand it anymore and said a few words to her. Without saying a word, Tan Jingya turned around and left the yard.

Tan Jingya's attitude made Ji Hongbin even more dissatisfied. He couldn't understand why she didn't understand his predicament. His mother was going abroad, and if he didn't go, he might never have the chance to see her again. As his wife, Tan Jingya should understand him.

Although he was reluctant to give up the house, he believed that as long as he could go abroad, he would live a better life on his own and would be able to buy the house back one day.

Women, after all, are naive.

"Mom, I'm going out." He called out to the north room.

"Go quickly and come back quickly. Don't forget to ask Mr. Li about the foreign exchange certificates." The old lady walked to the door and watched Ji Hongbin leave through the back gate.

Ji Hongbin arrived at the front yard and knocked on the door of the south room.

"Come in, the door's unlocked," came Li Zhe's voice from inside the house.

Ji Hongbin pushed open the door and went in. He saw Li Zhe playing with a small yellow dog. The dog looked small but was very strong. It barked twice when it saw him come in.

Li Zhe gestured for Jinzi to be quiet, then stood up and said, "Boss Ji, what brings you here? Didn't the old lady come?"

“My mother has difficulty walking, so she asked me to help with the paperwork. Mr. Li can also tell me anything.”

Li Zhe glanced at his watch: "I don't think the housing management bureau is open yet. If we go now, we'll have to wait a while."

"It's a bit early. I came early to talk to you about the rent."

Li Zhe gestured for him to sit down and say, "Boss Ji, let's sit down and talk." Li Zhe then picked up the kettle and brewed a pot of tea.

Ji Hongbin said, "Mr. Li, you paid a year's rent and a month's deposit before. After the property transfer is completed, I will calculate the rent that should be refunded to you, and then deduct it directly from the purchase price. What do you think?"

"Sure," Li Zhe readily agreed, then confirmed again, "When are you planning to go abroad?"

"If all goes well, the paperwork for going abroad can be completed within a month, and I will definitely be leaving before the end of the year."

Li Zhe nodded. He also hoped to complete the property transfer as soon as possible and settle down. "Then I wish you a safe journey and a bright future."

"Thank you for your kind words." Ji Hongbin smiled, also filled with anticipation for overseas opportunities. "Mr. Li, I heard you also have business dealings with hotels catering to international guests?"

Li Zhe's eyes darted around, and he pressed, "Who told you that?"

Ji Hongbin was somewhat embarrassed: "A few days ago, a person claiming to be the purchasing manager of the Great Wall Hotel, probably came to Suzhou Hutong for the first time and found our backyard."

"That's right, I do business with hotels that cater to foreign guests. What can I do for you?"

"We're going abroad, right? Foreign exchange certificates are more convenient to use than RMB. I was thinking if you have any foreign exchange certificates, could we use them to settle the house payment? Of course, I know the exchange rate for foreign exchange certificates is higher than that for RMB, and I'm not trying to take advantage of you. We can settle according to the market exchange rate, what do you think?"

"You want to exchange the remaining balance of over ten thousand yuan into foreign exchange certificates?"

“No need for that much. You can pay me 5000 foreign exchange certificates, and the rest can be settled in RMB.”

"How should the contract be written?" Li Zhe stroked his chin, feeling that something was amiss.

Ji Hongbin replied, "We'll calculate the exchange rate then, and write down the amount in foreign exchange certificates. What do you think?"

Li Zhe stared at him, still feeling something was amiss, thinking to himself: Is this kid trying to play a trick on me?

While foreign exchange certificates are useful, they are subject to policy restrictions, and their legality in purchasing real estate remains questionable. Within China, no currency can match the legitimacy of the Renminbi.

Buying a house is such a big deal, and Li Zhe didn't want to leave any potential problems: "Boss Ji, I'm a very single-minded person. I'm good at growing vegetables, but I'm really bad at business. If it's even a little bit complicated, my brain just can't keep up." Li Zhe poured him a cup of tea and continued:
"How about this, let's keep things separate. We'll settle the house purchase in RMB. Once the transfer of ownership is complete and the payment is settled, if you have the money and want to exchange it for foreign exchange certificates, I'll help you figure that out. These are two separate transactions, what do you think?"

Ji Hongbin frowned, feeling somewhat displeased: "Mr. Li, do you actually have foreign exchange certificates? Give me a straight answer."

“I don’t have any.” Li Zhe didn’t understand what he was trying to do, so he naturally wouldn’t make any promises, but he didn’t completely refuse either. “But I do have business dealings with hotels that cater to foreigners. If you want, I can help you make a connection after you settle your room payment. I guarantee it’s safer than trading on the black market.”

Ji Hongbin felt that Li Zhe was full of empty talk and that the two of them couldn't see eye to eye. He looked down at his watch and said, "It's getting late. The housing bureau should be opening soon. Let's go."

Li Zhe finished his tea, grabbed the paperwork, locked the door, and rode his bicycle straight to the Housing Management Bureau.

Braving the biting cold wind, the two wandered through the alleys for about twenty minutes before finally arriving at the Dongcheng District Housing Management Bureau.

Upon entering the housing management bureau compound, Ji Hongbin suddenly felt uneasy. The property deed in his inner pocket felt like thorns, pricking him painfully. This was the family property passed down from his ancestors, and he never expected it would be sold to someone else. Inside the housing management bureau lobby, it was almost empty, except for an old man huddled in the duty room who peeked at them before continuing to read his newspaper.

Li Zhe walked over and said, "Sir, we're here to complete the property transfer procedures."

"Leave the materials here? Xiao Wang hasn't started work yet." The old man didn't even look up, still intently studying the newspaper.

Li Zhe glanced at the clock on the wall; the hands were pointing to 9:00. "Sir, how long does Comrade Wang usually start work?"

"Didn't I say to leave the materials here first? Find a warm place to wait, they'll be here soon." The old man responded with a nod, which was essentially meaningless.

Ji Hongbin seemed to have expected this, and found a chair near the radiator to sit down.

After waiting for nearly half an hour, the blue curtain of the service window was pulled open, and a woman in her twenties, with her hair in a ponytail, said, "Those who need to process property transfer procedures, come this way!"

Li Zhe and Ji Hongbin walked over. "Comrade, we need to process the property paperwork."

The female employee straightened her ponytail and glanced through the documents: "A two-courtyard siheyuan in Suzhou Hutong. The original owner was Ji Hongbin, and the buyer was Li Zhe. Is this you?"

"It's us."

"Bring out your documents, property deed, and sales contract," the female employee added. "Was this a voluntary sale?"

"Our transaction was voluntary."

Is there any dispute regarding the property?

"No."

The female employee checked the documents and said, "Put the documents here for now. We will notify you to complete the transfer procedures after the verification is finished."

Ji Hongbin pressed further, "Comrade, how long does the whole process take?"

"If things go smoothly, it will take two or three months."

"Two or three months?" Ji Hongbin's voice suddenly rose. "Are you kidding me? That long?"

"What are you talking about? Who's joking with you? In August, someone surnamed Zhao came here to process the property transfer, and it's still not done! Do you think buying a house is child's play? Do you know how many departments are involved? This isn't just our business, and there's no use getting anxious with me. Besides, if you're only focused on speed and something goes wrong, who will be responsible?" The female employee with the ponytail rattled off a whole bunch of things.

Ji Hongbin took a deep breath, suppressing his displeasure: "Comrade, it's like this, I need to go abroad before the end of this year. If the property procedures here are not handled properly, it may delay my departure. I would like to ask if it is possible to expedite the process?"

Upon hearing that Ji Hongbin was going abroad, the female employee with the ponytail softened her tone slightly: "Comrade, I understand your feelings. But we have our difficulties. The new regulations for housing sales management issued this October are still incomplete in terms of supporting details and operating procedures. We are also learning and exploring, and we need to coordinate and communicate with other departments. Do you think it can be done quickly? If you are really in a hurry, come and ask in a few days. Since your property rights are clear, maybe it will be easier to process."

After speaking, the female employee with her ponytail lowered her head and ignored the two of them.

Li Zhe and Ji Hongbin looked at each other, and could only helplessly walk out of the hall.

Li Zhe was also somewhat frustrated. Ji Hongbin was leaving the country in a month, but completing the property transfer would take two or three months. Would he still be able to buy the house? Although Old Mrs. Ji hadn't mentioned the specific reason for selling the house, Li Zhe could guess that she was probably short of money and selling the property to raise funds. If she weren't short of money, she probably wouldn't be selling this ancestral house.

If the paperwork for this house cannot be completed in a short period of time, will Ji Hongbin still be able to go abroad? If Ji Hongbin cannot go abroad, then there is no need to sell the house.

Li Zhe's heart sank; he couldn't let this house slip away right before his eyes!
He walked up to Ji Hongbin and asked, "Mr. Ji, do you know anyone at the housing management bureau? Can you find connections to expedite the property transfer?"

Ji Hongbin took out a pack of cigarettes and handed one to Li Zhe: "I do know people at the police station, but I don't really know anyone at the housing management bureau."

Just as Li Zhe was about to speak, a "beep beep" sounded from his waist.

Li Zhe lifted his coat, took out the pager clipped to his waist, and glanced at the contents.

Ji Hongbin glanced at him sideways, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes, and thought to himself: Damn, you're such a show-off! Selling vegetables and you even have a pager. I really want to page you with a corncob!

Li Zhe put down the pager and said to Ji Hongbin, "Boss Ji, please wait here for a while. I'll go contact a friend and see if she knows anyone here."

"Alright, then go ahead." Ji Hongbin agreed verbally, but inwardly he was somewhat unconvinced.

Look at you, so capable! Even locals in 49 cities can't get connections, and you, a vegetable vendor, think you can get in touch with the housing management bureau?

After saying that, he also started to worry. What should he do?

(End of this chapter)