Courtyard House: He Daqing Forces Qin Huairu into Marrying at the Beginning

After the military control was lifted in 53, the steward of the courtyard house finally took office.

Yi Zhonghai hadn't yet assumed the position of an elder; he was merely a neighbor to everyone in the courtyard and had no authority over He Daqing.

Besides, without Qin Huairu and Sha Zhu as his right-hand men, Yi Zhonghai's words would be completely ineffective.

He Daqing ignored him, so what could he do?

"The Great Qing, the Great Qing, oh yeah..."

Helpless, Yi Zhonghai could only stand there in a helpless rage.

Back in his room, He Daqing closed the door, turned off the light, went to bed, and quickly fell asleep.

The Jia family and Yi Zhonghai are nothing but paper tigers, easily defeated. If they harbor any more evil intentions, He Daqing has plenty of ways to deal with them.

The next morning, still half asleep, He Daqing had an idea and started checking in.

[Check-in Reward: 20,000 yuan, 2 jin of peanuts and melon seeds]

He Daqing rubbed his eyes, a light smile appearing on his face.

Earning 20,000 yuan a day is no small amount; it adds up to more than the factory's wages over a month.

Making money while lying down is so great!

Thinking that he still had things to do today, He Daqing quickly got out of bed and got busy.

After having breakfast and delivering the rainwater to the school, He Daqing hurried to the steel rolling mill.

I waited until noon when I finally had some free time and excitedly ran to the factory's logistics department to find Director Zhang and resolve the housing issue.

Before entering the office, He Daqing first found a secluded spot, took out a pound of peanuts and melon seeds from his spatial storage, and put them into a bag.

Having been in the business for so many years, He Daqing knew how to manage relationships with people at all levels.

In the office, a short-haired woman in her forties, wearing a blue cotton long gown, was intently flipping through the account books on the table.

She didn't realize it until He Daqing walked to the table and called out to her.

"Director Zhang, I am He Daqing, the head chef of the second canteen. I am here today to discuss the housing issue."

As He Daqing spoke, he took out some melon seeds and peanuts from his pocket and gently placed them on the table.

"Oh, it's Master He."

The employer has already explained your situation to me.

Director Zhang scooped the sunflower seeds and peanuts off the table and put them under the table, then smiled slightly.

A pound of sunflower seeds and peanuts isn't worth much, but Director Zhang likes sensible people like He Daqing.

"The east side of your courtyard house has three rooms, totaling more than 100 square meters, with an attached small courtyard."

If you want to buy it, the internal discount price will be five million.

In the early 50s, housing prices in Beijing had not yet skyrocketed; a room in a hutong (traditional alleyway) cost between a million and several million yuan.

Five million for three rooms, plus a yard, is a great deal.

Moreover, these days, you can't just buy a house whenever you want.

Kyoto has historically been an unsuitable place to live; without connections, it's very difficult to get a good house.

It's wonderful to have a separate little courtyard in a traditional courtyard house, where you can live a secluded life behind closed doors.

He Daqing had already investigated the situation in the courtyard and immediately expressed his agreement.

"I want to buy the whole of this small courtyard."

Thank you, Director Zhang.

He Daqing couldn't contain his excitement at the thought of finally getting the house.

Buying a house now is still worthwhile. If you wait until later, a 100-square-meter house in a first-tier city would cost several million.

An average person earns a few thousand yuan a month, and they can't earn that much money in their entire life.

He Daqing finally understood what it meant for some people to be born in Rome.

"It's all something I should do."

"Just bring your money and documents, go to the real estate exchange to complete the formalities, and then you can get the keys."

The Sijiu City Real Estate Exchange was established in February 50 to assist citizens in completing real estate transactions, reduce their burden, and prevent additional exploitation.

The sale of a house still requires official procedures.

He had prepared the money for the house early in the morning, took half a day off in the afternoon, quickly completed the paperwork, got the keys, and finalized the house purchase.

Now that you've got the property, the next step is to hire someone to renovate it, buy furniture, and even find a matchmaker.

Fortunately, He Daqing still had more than a thousand yuan left, which was more than enough to handle these matters.

He Daqing gets to know many people by hosting wedding banquets for other families on a regular basis.

After a moment's thought, he thought of a suitable bricklayer and rushed to the neighboring Huaihua Lane without stopping.

Is Chen Laojiu here?

As soon as he arrived at the gate of the courtyard, He Daqing asked the women inside.

Once a bricklayer gets a job, he has to work outside all day.

If he can't find anyone, He Daqing will have to try another company.

"You're here to see Chen the bricklayer, right?"

"Wait a moment, he's inside."

The woman responded and quickly walked into the courtyard.

A short while later, a bald man wearing a gray cloth shirt, revealing his muscular, bronze arms, jogged out from inside.

"Master He, what brings you here today?"

Chen Lei is the ninth child in his family, so people who know him call him Old Chen the Ninth. He is a highly skilled bricklayer in the whole area.

Two years ago, Chen Lei's eldest son held a wedding and asked He Daqing to cook. That's how the two met.

"Old Chen, how's business lately?"

I have a task I'd like to ask for your help with.

Are you free?

Chen Lei was a straightforward person, and He Daqing didn't waste any words either, directly stating his purpose.

Chen Lei chuckled, stroking his shiny bald head. "When I have time, Master He will come to my door in person. Of course I have time."

Let's go inside and talk.

The two went inside, and Chen Lei poured He Daqing a glass of water before sitting down to talk about business.

"Master He, are you building a house or renovating it?"

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"I just bought a small courtyard house in a traditional courtyard house. It has three rooms and a yard, and I want to find someone to renovate it."

What do you think we should do to make it more comfortable to live in?

He Daqing gave a brief explanation of the situation so that Chen Lei would have a general idea.

"Three rooms are quite a lot; Master He is very generous."

You've come to the right person with this matter.

When it comes to renovating houses, I'm among the best in the south of the city.

He is proficient in masonry and carpentry.

"Just leave it to me, and you can rest assured."

When it comes to decorating a house, Chen Lei becomes very talkative, as if he has endless things to say.

The artisans of Beijing all possess a certain pride, a confidence in their skills.

You can't show off if you don't have real skills, or you'll be ridiculed by your peers.

"I can vouch for my skills."

However, we'll have to go and take a look at the specific renovation plans first.

Are you available now?"

Craftsmen like Chen Lei don't have a stable job; how well they live depends entirely on how much work they get.

He's been feeling restless and uneasy at home these past few days, and he's eager to find something to do.

"That's convenient, let's go there now."

He Daqing was not a procrastinator, and he hoped to get things done quickly during his half-day off in the afternoon.

The two alleys were not far apart, and after walking for more than twenty minutes, the two returned to the courtyard house.

"Great Qing, why have you returned?"

And who is this?

When Yan Bugui's wife, Yang Ruihua, saw He Daqing bring in outsiders, she asked him something strange.

It's not time to get off work yet, and all the men are still busy.

"I just bought the east wing today."

This is Mr. Chen from Huaihua Lane; I hired him to renovate my house.

He Daqing said a few words and then led Chen Lei to the east courtyard.

Chapter 7 Internal Turmoil

They took out their keys, opened the courtyard gate, and the two quickly entered the east courtyard.

The three rooms in the east courtyard face south and stand side by side. Although they have not been cleaned for a long time and are covered in dust, and the corners of the houses are somewhat damaged, the overall condition is very good.