Courtyard House: Home Alone

He stepped forward, cupped his hands slightly, and said, "Hello, Mr. Liu, I am Lin Yifan, the son of Meng Zhuolin. My mother asked me to come here to inquire about the house."

"Meng Zhuolin?"

Boss Liu paused for a moment, put down his abacus, and carefully examined Lin Yifan for a few moments before exclaiming in realization, "Oh! So you're Dr. Meng's son! What a coincidence! We're family now, we don't even recognize each other! Please, have a seat!"

He warmly invited Lin Yifan to sit down, then turned around and poured a cup of tea for him, saying, "Your father is Dean Lin, so I'll call you Young Master Lin. Here, have a cup of tea to warm yourself up."

Lin Yifan took the teacup, thanked him, and got straight to the point: "Boss Liu, the reason I came back this time is to rent a large house with a yard nearby, preferably a detached house with a quiet environment."

Also, I'd like to move my parents and sister to a larger place. Do you have any suitable accommodations available?

Upon hearing this, Boss Liu's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "A large house with a yard? Sir, you've come to the right place. We do have several nice properties here. Are you looking to rent one for yourself, or...?"

"I live here by myself, so it might take a while," Lin Yifan said vaguely, not wanting to reveal too much specific information.

"I understand, I understand."

Boss Liu nodded without asking any further questions. He rummaged through the pile of documents in the corner and found a few rolls of blueprints, which he spread out on the octagonal table. "Sir, this is a house located in Jingya Lane in the west of the city. It has three courtyards and a sizable back garden. There is also an old locust tree in the yard. The environment is absolutely tranquil."

The house was left by a scholar who passed the imperial examinations during the Qing Dynasty. It was later renovated, and the main structure is very sturdy. The rent is a bit expensive, though, at 300 yuan per month.

Lin Yifan looked at the blueprints, which were drawn in fairly detailed terms, making the layout of the houses and the size of the courtyards clear at a glance.

He vaguely remembered Jingya Lane; it seemed to be a relatively quiet place, not too far from where his mother lived.

Three hundred yuan a month is indeed not cheap in terms of the current purchasing power of legal tender, but it is nothing to him.

"Is there anything else?" Lin Yifan didn't answer immediately; he wanted to see more.

Yes, yes, yes!

Boss Liu took out another roll of blueprints. "This one is in Ping'an Lane in the north of the city. It's also a detached house, but it's a bit smaller than the one in Jingya Lane. It has two courtyards."

However, it's newer; it was built three years ago, has running water and electricity, and comes with a small garden. The rent is 260 yuan per month. The Pinganli area is mostly inhabited by government officials and business people, so the security is relatively better.

Lin Yifan carefully compared the blueprints of the two houses and asked about specific details, such as the orientation of the houses, the lighting, and the situation of the surrounding neighbors. Boss Liu answered all his questions patiently and professionally.

"I have a general idea of ​​where to rent a place."

Lin Yifan put down the blueprints, picked up his teacup and took a sip. "So, what about the house you bought? Do you have any recommendations?"

Seeing that Lin Yifan was interested in renting a house and then proposed buying one, Boss Liu became even more enthusiastic: "If you buy a house, you'll have even more options. If you'd like to buy one nearby, sir, I have one that just went up for sale, right behind our street in Fu'an Lane."

It's a two-story house with a small courtyard, and five rooms in total. The renovation is relatively new. The landlord is moving his family south and is eager to sell, asking for 18,000 yuan.

"Eighteen thousand?" Lin Yifan estimated in his mind that this price was quite reasonable in the current situation in Fog City.

"Yes, this price is very reasonable," Mr. Liu quickly said. "Fu'an Lane has a great location. It's close to the market, there's a bus stop right outside, and it's convenient for your child to go to school. If you're really interested in buying, I can help you negotiate the price with the landlord."

Lin Yifan pondered for a moment and said, "Boss Liu, could you take me to see these houses in person? I'm still not entirely reassured just by looking at the blueprints."

"Of course, of course!" Boss Liu readily agreed. "Sir, when are you free? I'll arrange it right away and accompany you to see the apartment."

"Let's do it now, I don't have anything planned for this morning," Lin Yifan said.

"Alright!" Boss Liu picked up a hat hanging on the wall and put it on, then took a set of keys from the drawer. "Sir, which one should we look at first?"

"Let's go check out the rental apartments in Jingya Lane and Pingan Lane first, and then we'll go see that small building in Fu'an Lane." Lin Yifan stood up.

"Okay, whatever you say!" Boss Liu locked the shop door and set off with Lin Yifan.

The two first went to Jingya Lane in the west of the city. The house was indeed as Boss Liu had described, antique and elegant, with a spacious and quiet three-courtyard layout. The old locust tree in the back garden was lush and cast a large shade of green.

The house was indeed very sturdy. Although some parts looked old, it could be completely renovated with a little repair. Lin Yifan liked the environment very much; it was quiet, had a sense of history, and was suitable as a temporary place to stay, as well as a convenient place for him to carry out some secret activities.

Next, they went to Ping'an Lane in the north of the city. Although the house was smaller, it was indeed very new, with complete water and electricity facilities, and the yard was kept clean and tidy. The surrounding environment was also quite nice, with wide streets and well-mannered pedestrians, exuding an atmosphere of tranquility.

Finally, they went to Fu'an Lane to see the two-story house for sale. The exterior of the house was Western-style, but the interior had a warm, Chinese feel.

The five rooms were well-arranged, with excellent natural light and ventilation. Several rose bushes were blooming brightly in the small courtyard. Lin Yifan walked around the house and made up his mind.

This place is close to where my mother lives now, and the surrounding amenities are complete, so it is indeed very suitable for my parents and sister to live here.

After viewing all the houses, Lin Yifan returned to the brokerage and, without much hesitation, said directly to Boss Liu, "Boss Liu, I'll rent the house in Jingya Lane. I'll also buy the small building in Fu'an Lane. As for the one in Ping'an Lane, I won't consider it for now."

Mr. Liu was taken aback by Lin Yifan's decisiveness. He had expected to spend more time persuading him, but the young man was so quick to agree. He immediately smiled broadly and said, "Oh! Sir, you're such a straightforward person! Shall we sign the contract now?"

"Okay." Lin Yifan nodded.

Mr. Liu didn't dare to be negligent and quickly took out the contract text to begin drafting. Both the rental contract and the purchase contract needed to be carefully checked. Lin Yifan read them very carefully and raised his own requirements on some details, which Mr. Liu agreed to one by one.

After signing the contract, Lin Yifan paid on the spot a year's rent for the house in Jingya Lane, a month's deposit, and the full amount for the small building in Fu'an Lane.

When he pulled stacks of crisp new Chinese currency from his backpack, Boss Liu's eyes widened, and his hands trembled slightly. In all his years in the brokerage business, he'd never encountered a customer offering so much cash at once to buy or rent a house. Let alone a child.