Chapter 150: The Siheyuan in Nanluoguxiang

That evening, Ning Weidong did not go home after work; after dropping off Zhao Ruyi, he went straight to a restaurant located outside Fuchengmen.

Liu Yun and her husband were already waiting at the entrance.

It was just getting dark, and when Ning Weidong parked his bicycle and arrived in front of the restaurant, the two saw him and immediately trotted down the steps.

Liu Yun took the lead and said with a hearty laugh, "Old classmate, you really are looking full of vigor!"

Ning Weidong laughed, shook hands with Liu Yun, looked behind her, and called out "Yang," and the two shook hands warmly.

Yang Zhengdong held his hand with both of his: "Section Chief Ning, please forgive me for the presumptuous invitation~"

Ning Weidong waved his hand and said, "What Section Chief or not, don't mock me; you call me Old Ning, and I'll call you Yang."

Yang Zhengdong quickly agreed, and the three walked inside.

Liu Yun and her husband had already booked a private room. After they were seated as host and guest, Yang Zhengdong poured the tea and asked, "Old Ning, this is our first time eating together, are there any dietary restrictions?"

Ning Weidong waved his hand: "None. If I were picky, I wouldn't have grown into this frame."

The three of them laughed again.

Liu Yun was very good at managing the atmosphere. Although there were only three people and Yang Zhengdong was still a stranger, there were no awkward silences.

It wasn't until they had been drinking for a while that Liu Yun brought up the topic, asking, "Old Ning, when you were sent down to the Northeast back then, I wonder if you have any useful connections over there?"

Ning Weidong smiled. Although things had been said vaguely over the phone, he had roughly guessed Liu Yun's purpose; otherwise, he wouldn't have come tonight.

He said cheerfully, "The Northeast is huge. The place where I went to the countryside wasn't far past the Shanhai Pass, and the Youth Point had people from everywhere..."

Liu Yun felt a moment of awkwardness: "The Beidahuang in Heilongjiang Province."

Ning Weidong frowned, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: "I say, aren't you joking~ The place where I went to the countryside is over a thousand kilometers away from Beidahuang, further than it is to Beijing. You come to me for something in Beidahuang, this is..."

Liu Yun looked helpless, her face crestfallen as she said, "Weidong, I'm truly at my wit's end, that's why I came to you. I know you have extensive connections, can you see if you can help think of a way?"

Ning Weidong looked at Yang Zhengdong: "You've got me confused. What exactly is going on? It wasn't easy to explain clearly over the phone, tell me in detail. Is it your older brother, Liu Guangzhi? Is he in Heilongjiang Province?"

Liu Yun immediately explained it in detail.

It turned out that her older brother, Liu Guangzhi, had gone to Heilongjiang Province to be sent down back then, and had stayed there for six or seven years.

Originally, according to current policy, Liu Guangzhi could return.

But the problem was, Liu Guangzhi had already married there and had a formal job.

If he just came back, what would happen to his wife and children? What about his employment status? So Liu Yun wanted to bring Liu Guangzhi's whole family back to Beijing at once, and also get their jobs settled.

As for why she sought out Ning Weidong, it wasn't that Ning Weidong himself was all that powerful.

Actually, strictly speaking, Liu Yun's husband, Yang Zhengdong, although his position at the Housing Management Office was not as high as Ning Weidong's, his actual power was more practical and had a wider reach.

After all, no matter how impressive Ning Weidong was as a Deputy Section Chief, he could only operate within the scope of the Red Star Factory.

But last time, when they ran into each other at Kaorouji, the couple saw Ning Weidong with Zhao Ruyi, and their intimate attitude clearly showed their relationship was not ordinary.

Although Liu Yun and her husband didn't know Zhao Ruyi, the leader who was eating with them that day vaguely remembered where he had seen her.

After going back and checking a little, it really was the girl from the Zhao Family.

Afterwards, they specifically asked Yang Zhengdong about their relationship with Ning Weidong.

That was how Liu Yun and her husband learned that Ning Weidong was actually living off the daughter of a high-ranking leader.

Only then, after hitting several walls, did they think of asking Ning Weidong for help, treating a dead horse as if it were still alive.

Ning Weidong pondered: "So you mean you want to get your brother's family of three to Beijing, and also transfer their employment status back..."

Liu Yun said with a bitter face, "I know it's very difficult, but my parents at home nag about it every day, especially my mother, whose health hasn't been good; she's been hospitalized twice for heart disease in the last two years. I figured if I could call my brother back, maybe it would let her live a few more years..." As she spoke, she let out another helpless sigh.

Ning Weidong made a "tsk" sound, expressing deep sympathy for the situation in Liu Yun's family, but the matter was truly difficult to handle.

Relying solely on himself, this matter definitely had no chance.

If it were to be accomplished, he would have to use the power of the Wang Family or the Zhao Family.

But why would he? The relationship between Ning Weidong and this "old classmate" Liu Yun was not enough for him to mobilize that connection.

He believed Liu Yun and Yang Zhengdong understood this in their hearts as well.

Therefore, Liu Yun and Yang Zhengdong also brought out a tempting bargaining chip.

Liu Yun said, "Weidong, you also know about our Old Yang's unit~" At this point, she lowered her voice: "It has more or less some... convenience."

Ning Weidong heard that she wanted to say "some power," but changed her words at the last moment.

Ning Weidong raised an eyebrow.

Liu Yun continued, "Weidong, I heard you are planning to get married next year?"

Ning Weidong's marriage to Zhao Ruyi was set, but the actual registration and wedding ceremony had to wait until next year, when Ning Weidong would reach twenty-two, the legal marriage age.

Ning Weidong nodded, waiting for her to continue.

Liu Yun said, "It just so happens that there is a nice house in Old Yang's office." As she spoke, she looked at Yang Zhengdong.

Yang Zhengdong quickly took over the conversation: "Old Ning, that is indeed a rare, good house, right next to Nanluoguxiang. It's a three-courtyard Siheyuan, perfectly square and proper. The main thing is that it was originally a dormitory for the Material Bureau, but later the Material Bureau built family apartments, so this place became vacant. They originally wanted to divide it up for rent, but someone else took a fancy to it and renovated it again..."

Ning Weidong's heart stirred, and he knew what was going on with this house.

In fact, such houses in Beijing had not been rare in the last two years.

As the old saying goes, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river.

The group of people who had been glorious in previous years had all quieted down in the last two years.

The positions, houses, and benefits they had originally occupied naturally had to become vacant.

These vacated things would soon be redistributed.

But it was inevitable that some special situations would arise, such as this Siheyuan.

Ning Weidong asked, "What is the situation with this courtyard?"

Yang Zhengdong said, "There's no problem with the courtyard; the property rights are very clear, and the owner hasn't appeared for more than ten years."

Ning Weidong frowned: "The owner? Didn't you say it was a dormitory for the Material Bureau?"

Yang Zhengdong said, "Back then, the Material Bureau was also renting the house from someone. This house has been passed down since the Qing Dynasty, but the original owner had a problematic background, ran away during the sixties, and has had no news for over ten years until now."

Ning Weidong nodded, understanding Yang Zhengdong's meaning.

This was to "gift" this courtyard to him.

It was called a gift, but in reality, it was a sale; it's just that there were too many under-the-table dealings involved, not to be spoken of to outsiders.

If it were an ordinary person, wanting to find such a courtyard would be like looking for a needle in a haystack; let alone now, even in later generations, with the internet, one would still be trapped in an ocean of true and false information.

But Yang Zhengdong was an insider, directly holding first-hand information, which was how he could seize such a resource.

As Yang Zhengdong spoke, he observed Ning Weidong's expression and tentatively asked, "Old Ning, how about we go take a look after we finish eating? It's not far either way, we'll be there in a moment by bike."

Ning Weidong thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Then let's take a look."

Hearing him relent, both Yang Zhengdong and Liu Yun breathed a sigh of relief.

Especially Liu Yun, whose face could not hide her overjoyed expression.

As long as Ning Weidong agreed to go, it meant there was hope. If he wouldn't even go, it meant there was definitely no chance, no matter how much effort they put in, and she would have completely given up.

Ning Weidong, however, had other plans in mind.

This Siheyuan definitely could not fall into his own hands, and he certainly wouldn't move in there.

Even if it were excellent, it was a bit too eye-catching.

As long as something is good, there will inevitably be many people watching it, either openly or secretly.

Yang Zhengdong was not the only smart person at the Housing Management Office; there were surely many others who held this information.

But this did not prevent the courtyard from being registered under the name of a collective.

It just so happened that after meeting with the Li Family siblings last time, both sides reached a preliminary agreement to partner up and secure an Approval Document.

And on the surface, Li Yuanchao already had a Trade Company in his hands, so Ning Weidong and Zhao Ruyi also needed to set up their own team; even if it were just a makeshift one, it had to look the part.

It wouldn't look good if it seemed like they were just working for Li Yuanchao.

Besides, Zhao Ruyi could not continue to drift along at the Red Star Factory.

Ning Weidong thought to himself while leaving the restaurant with Liu Yun and her husband.

As for the matter regarding Liu Yun's older brother, Ning Weidong really hadn't taken it to heart.

There was no problem with such matters in principle, but in reality, it was simply impossible to implement.

For Liu Yun and the others, it was unimaginably difficult, and they were hitting walls everywhere.

But in Ning Weidong's view, it wasn't a problem at all; just let Zhao Ruyi handle it, and it would be settled in a few days.

The three of them got on their bicycles and rode from outside Fuchengmen toward Nanluoguxiang.

It was a late May evening.

Riding the bicycle with a gentle breeze blowing against them was quite comfortable.

In less than an hour, the three of them had arrived near Nanluo.

This area was far from as bustling as it would be in later generations; they turned off the road into the hutong.

The third house ahead was the one.

The hutong in front of the door was relatively wide, enough for about two vehicles to pass.

There were people chatting in the hutong, and they couldn't help but take an extra look when they saw the three of them stop in front of that courtyard gate.

Most of the courtyards in this vicinity were Dazayuan, and very few were vacant.

Arriving at the gate, Liu Yun and her husband were well-prepared, and Yang Zhengdong took a key out of his pocket.

With a "clatter," he opened the large black padlock hanging on the gate.

With a "creak," as the door opened, the door hinges made a friction sound.

The gate was a wide, bright-style gate, and it was pitch black inside.

Yang Zhengdong walked forward two steps with familiarity and reached out to flip the power switch.

With a "pop" sound and a spark, the light in front of the gate turned on.

The three of them walked inside.

Arriving at the first courtyard, the second Chuihua Gate also had a light, illuminating the area around it brightly.

Ning Weidong scanned the area; Liu Yun hadn't lied just now, this place had indeed been recently renovated.

The cement tiles on the ground were newly laid, and the Chuihua Gate had been repainted.

The door pillars on the left and right were bright vermilion lacquer.

The inverted rooms opposite the Chuihua Gate also had new doors and windows; it didn't look like much from the outside, but the inside was a different world.

It wasn't Yang Zhengdong's first time here; he stood to the side with a smile, letting Ning Weidong look around, and gestured toward the inside of the gate: "Shall we go inside and take a look?"

Ning Weidong nodded and took the lead in pushing open the Chuihua Gate.

Inside the Chuihua Gate was a covered veranda; entering, there were east and west wing rooms to the left and right, while directly ahead was a green screen door.

This was usually kept closed and would only be opened when distinguished guests visited the family.

The three of them walked around the side of the screen door and entered the middle courtyard.

The middle courtyard was quite large, and because only the Chuihua Gate had a light, the courtyard felt somewhat eerie.

Yang Zhengdong and Liu Yun hurriedly turned on the lights room by room.

Soon, white fluorescent lights lit up inside the windows, making the courtyard bright all at once.

The feeling of the entire courtyard changed instantly.

Ning Weidong couldn't help but nod secretly; the courtyard was indeed good, the foundation itself was solid, and whoever built this house must have spent a significant amount; the North Room in the center and the wing rooms on both sides were built very high, and the subsequent renovations had also employed master craftsmen, with very meticulous workmanship.

He walked around each room again.

The North Room and the east wing room were both empty, clearly never having been lived in since the renovation.

Only in the west wing room was it packed with quite a bit of furniture, all of which was antique rosewood furniture.

Ning Weidong didn't know much about rosewood furniture, but he could tell that the pieces piled in the room were extraordinary.

Yang Zhengdong followed along at his side and said at the opportune moment, "Section Chief Ning, the furniture inside here also goes with the house..."

Although Ning Weidong had just said not to call him "Section Chief Ning, Section Chief Ning," Yang Zhengdong still knew how to act according to the situation.

Ning Weidong gave an "en" sound and did not say much more.

After coming out of the west wing room, Liu Yun said again, "Shall we go take a look at the back courtyard?"

Ning Weidong waved his hand and said, "No need."

The essence of the entire Siheyuan is in this middle courtyard; as for the back row of rooms, they are just an extra, and judging from the situation in the front and back courtyards, they surely won't be too bad.

Ning Weidong stood in the courtyard, pondered slightly, and said, "Liu Yun, Yang, I have an idea about this matter in my heart, but after all, it is thousands of miles away, so I dare not make any promises to you two; wait until I go back and ask."

Liu Yun was overjoyed, and Yang Zhengdong also breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly saying, "Section Chief Ning, rest assured, for this house, you just find someone you trust on your end, and I will help handle the procedures immediately."

Ning Weidong, however, said, "Don't rush the house yet; wait until I have figured things out. Eat food one bite at a time, and handle matters one by one."

Yang Zhengdong hurriedly agreed, finding it inappropriate to say anything more.

Immediately after, the three of them went out from the courtyard and parted ways.

Liu Yun and her husband stood by the side of the road, watching Ning Weidong ride his bicycle away, and the two of them let out a long sigh of relief.

Liu Yun restrained the joy she had just shown and whispered, "Yang, what do you think he means? He agreed to our matter, yet he isn't in a hurry to take the house?"

Yang Zhengdong said, "What else could it mean? He's afraid there's something fishy inside and that it would be a hot potato if he rashly took it over. He definitely has to investigate what exactly is going on."

Liu Yun frowned; in her impression, the rash Ning Weidong didn't have this many schemes.

But then she thought, ever since middle school graduation, she and Ning Weidong hadn't really been in touch for several years.

(End of this chapter)