Courtyard houses: Those who are capable are rewarded, and many children bring many blessings.

Niu Dazhuang arrived early, but the young man selling the house arrived even earlier. By the time Niu Dazhuang arrived, the young man had already drunk two bowls of hot water at the tavern.

"Dazhuang, now that you two have met, I won't go with you. It'll be faster for you to take Xiaoye on your bicycle this way." After introducing the two, Xu Huizhen didn't intend to get involved.

Xiao Ye sat behind Niu Dazhuang's old bicycle.

While not all men from old Beijing can be called "talkative masters," most of them are certainly very talkative.

Before Niu Dazhuang could even speak, Xiao Ye started chatting with him.

"Comrade Dazhuang, don't companies usually provide housing for their employees? Why are you buying a house?"

Niu Dazhuang didn't answer him, but instead asked, "After you sell the house, where will you live?"

"Hehe, whether you like it or not is another matter, we don't live there!"

"Oh, so you make a living by renting roof tiles. Then keep renting them out, why are you thinking of selling them now?"

"You can only make a few bucks a month renting a place. There are fewer people renting now; most companies arrange housing for them, and the rent is really low. It's better to just sell it! This way, it's near the north gate of the Temple of Heaven."

It's quite fast to ride a bicycle; it only took about twenty minutes to get there.

Niu Dazhuang's area is quite chaotic, and the air quality is poor. He was wondering why the air quality was so bad when it was only a few kilometers away.

Xiao Ye, being a shrewd person, noticed Niu Dazhuang's doubt and frankly asked, "Comrade Dazhuang, you're not from Beijing, are you?"

"No, I've only been here a few months."

"Oh, that's it. If you're from old Beijing, you'll know what this place is. The new China is great! They keep the people's affairs in mind and really do practical things. Haven't you seen the movie 'Dragon Beard Ditch'?"

Niu Dazhuang was about to shake his head when he suddenly thought, "Could this be Dragon Beard Gully?"

"Hehe, you guessed right. Although Dragon Beard Ditch has been turned into an underground river, the sewage still flows there. It's normal for it to smell a bit. You hadn't been here before the renovation, and the smell was even stronger, especially in the summer! Tsk tsk..."

I don't know what my husband was thinking, but he actually bought a house with a yard here. But who can predict whether it's a blessing or a curse?

The yard was a bit dilapidated, but it was still tidy. If you sniffed carefully, you could still detect the unpleasant odor in the air.

"Xiao Ye, does your family have any other small courtyards like this?" Niu Dazhuang guessed that his family must be descendants of the old regime.

Xiao Ye shook her head: "The big one was donated, and my family still lives in the other one!"

"Oh, if any of your friends or relatives have good positions, you can help me get in touch. I promise you won't be doing this for nothing."

"Understood. Should we also tell the tavern owner if there's any news later?" Xiao Ye gave Niu Dazhuang a knowing look.

This guy is a natural at making friends!

"Okay, thank you for making this trip for nothing." With that, Niu Dazhuang took out a Daqianmen cigarette and handed it to him.

They each lit one

"How much are you planning to sell this courtyard for?" Niu Dazhuang asked.

"I plan to sell my house for 4000 yuan. Although the location is not ideal, my house is very tidy and you can move in right away with just your bedding."

"Oh, in Dongcheng, are small courtyards like these more expensive?" Niu Dazhuang asked a stupid question.

"Of course! Although the southern part of the city has changed a lot now, it used to be terrible. There used to be a saying: 'The east is rich, the west is noble, the south is poor, and the north is lowly!'"

"Oh, tell me about it."

"It's not absolute. It's just that the eastern part of the city is full of shops, and most of the shop owners live there too. The western part is the Western Hills, and Yuquan Camp is where the imperial water supply is kept, and there are also many military camps there, so the west is more expensive."

"The southern part of the city used to be full of shacks, and all sorts of small vendors lived there—rickshaw pullers, street performers on the overpasses, pack carriers, they all lived in the southern part of the city."

"What's the deal with Bei Jian?"

"The term 'Northern Lowly' refers to the area outside the city. In the past, old eunuchs who left the palace would retire in the north and be buried there after they died. That's why it's called the Northern Lowly."

"Oh, I see. Where do you work?"

"I haven't started work yet, but..." Xiao Ye stopped mid-sentence.

Niu Dazhuang didn't ask any more questions. After finishing his cigarette, he rode his bicycle back to the tavern.

"They left quickly and came back just as quickly; it must have failed to reach an agreement!"

"Cousin, didn't you even ask where the house is? I'm not familiar with the city, but you are! You've given me nothing but disappointment." Niu Dazhuang complained.

"I helped and it turned out badly. Do you still want my help in the future?"

Niu Dazhuang immediately changed his expression and said shamelessly, "Of course I need your help. I'll pin my house-buying problem on you. I have to go now, I'm leaving." As he left, Niu Dazhuang threw a box of face cream on the table.

Xu Huizhen quickly put away the face cream, looking at Niu Dazhuang's retreating figure with a resentful gaze, and whispered, "If you don't want to take responsibility, why are you still thinking about me? You're just..."

Xu Huizhen was torn.

Niu Dazhuang didn't think that much about it. Since he had asked for help, he was bound to do something in return.

I must keep my promise to Director Yang of the Mentougou Coal Mine; only then can our relationship last. What's most important right now? Relationships, of course. Relationships are more effective than money.

It was past 10 a.m. when Niu Dazhuang arrived at the Mentougou Coal Mine. The gatekeeper made a phone call before letting Niu Dazhuang in.

This is my third time here, so I'm pretty familiar with the place.

Upon meeting, Niu Dazhuang didn't waste any words. He took out a paper package from his military green satchel and handed it to Director Yang.

"Just two days ago, I returned from Fengtian with two antlers from a sika deer!"

"Haha... Brother Niu, you're so kind. How much is it?" With that, Director Yang put the money away without even looking at it.

"Director Yang, it's too formal for us to talk about money!" Niu Dazhuang said politely.

"That won't do, that would make me make a mistake. This stuff isn't cheap. I've bought from Tongrentang before, and if I remember correctly, one tael of top-grade sika deer antler costs 50 yuan. This bag must weigh at least two taels!"

"You said it yourself, this is the retail price. I bought it directly in Fengtian, it wasn't that expensive!"

"That won't do either," Factory Director Yang said sternly. "If you keep doing this, take your things back." He then reached for the drawer.

"Okay, okay, you can give me 25 then!"

"That's more like it! I didn't expect you to come today. Wait for me a minute!" Factory Director Yang went out to borrow money.

Who carries that much cash around all the time? And not everyone has a personal baggage allowance. Niu Dazhuang earned fifteen yuan with tears in his eyes. (It was sixteen ounces per pound, bought for 80 yuan per pound.)

It's a pity the quantity is small; this one time alone, it's almost a month's salary for Niu Dazhuang.

In the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, Factory Director Yang returned, handed the money to Niu Dazhuang, and asked, "Do you have any more goods?"

"There's still a little bit left, what's wrong?"