Chapter 15: Viewing Houses (1)

"Young Master Liu, are you looking to rent, pawn, or buy a house?"

"What does pawning a house mean?"

"Pawning a house means you pay a lump sum to lease it for ten or twenty years, but during that time, if the owner is willing to return the money, they can take the house back."

"Then we'll buy. A ready-built house."

"This ready-built house is..."

"It means a house that's already been built."

"Young Master Liu jests — how could one sell a house that hasn't been built yet?"

"Some people sell them, and some people buy them."

"Well, that's strange. Who would be so foolish? What if you pay the money and the builder runs off — who would you go after? Hmm, never mind such fools for now. Since Young Master Liu is buying a house, how many main rooms do you need, how many side rooms, how many shopfronts, how many floors? Do you mind if the southern side rooms face the wrong way? Do you have any firm requirements?"

"Well... four rooms, a courtyard, one or two shopfronts. A second floor doesn't matter."

"In that case, Young Master, please wait a moment." The house broker (note: intermediary) pulled out a heavily worn booklet and slowly began flipping through it.

Chen Xin could not stop everyone's enthusiasm for house-hunting, so he had no choice but to let Hai Gouzi and Zhang Da go buy grain and meat to deliver to Dai Zhenggang's place, while the rest of them summoned a house broker and began viewing houses that very afternoon.

This house broker was called Wu Yue, around fifty-some years old, a bit farsighted. Squinting, he held the booklet at arm's length to read it. After finishing a page, he licked his finger, dabbed on some saliva, and turned the page. Wang Daixi and Zhang Erhui stared fixedly at the broker, afraid he would say there was nothing suitable.

Fortunately, the broker spoke up: "Young Master Liu, this is perfect timing. There are three suitable properties, all with courtyards. Let me tell you about them one by one. The first is in Liye Fang: one main room, two side rooms, one single-story shopfront. The price is twenty-eight taels of silver."

"That one seems a bit small."

"No matter, there's another, also in Liye Fang: two main rooms, two side rooms, one shopfront. The price is thirty-three taels."

"We can go see that one. And the third?"

"The third is in Jingdong Fang, not far either. Altogether two main rooms, three side rooms, two single-story shopfronts. The advantage is it has its own gate, so you don't need to enter through the shopfront, and there's some old furniture left behind. The price is a bit higher, though — forty-two taels of silver."

Liu Minyou and Chen Xin discussed briefly and decided to go see the latter two houses. The group set out together, first heading to Liye Fang to view the thirty-three-tael house. Liu Minyou was impatient, but there was nothing to be done — Broker Wu was old and shuffled along slowly the whole way, making Liu Minyou want to push him forward.

When they arrived and knocked, a young woman with a face full of tear stains opened the door. She was around twenty, her features still rather delicate, but her hair bun was disheveled and her clothes were filthy. The moment she saw it was a house broker, her eyes reddened again. Broker Wu sighed and asked, "Is Louzi's mother home?" The woman nodded and stepped aside to let them in, then turned her back, apparently wiping away tears.

Once inside, the clothesline strung across the courtyard was hung entirely with bloodstained cloth. An old, haggard woman was still sitting on the ground washing clothes. Seeing the group arrive, she came over to greet them.

Broker Wu said to her, "Louzi's mother, is Louzi getting any better?"

At this question, Louzi's mother's tears fell in streams. "The bleeding has stopped, at least, thanks to Physician Wang, but we still owe for the medicine."

"At least his life was saved. That's no small thing."

"But now he's lost a leg — how are we supposed to live from now on? Though he brought this on himself..."

Broker Wu shook his head, then remembered his business and quickly introduced them to Louzi's mother: "These gentlemen have come to see the courtyard. Is it convenient inside the house?"

Just then, from the dark interior of the house came a man's frantic voice: "Get out! Get out! This house is not for sale! Whoever comes, I'll beat to death!"

Louzi's mother cried out anxiously, "If we don't sell, where will the money for your medicine come from? Who told you to go and do that..."

"Don't you dare say it! Get out! Get out!" With a clang, a coarse porcelain bowl flew out of the room and smashed against the stone steps, shards scattering far and wide.

Wang Daixi let out a shriek. Zhang Erhui instantly drew his short blade and shielded Chen Xin's side. Though Zhang Erhui was young, he was no coward — he had once faced that scarred beggar barehanded and dared to fight to the death. Since following Chen Xin, he had grown even wilder. Now, short blade in hand, he was itching for a fight, his eyes on Chen Xin. It looked as though the moment Chen Xin gave the word, he really would go and cut someone down.

Broker Wu was also badly startled and stumbled back several steps, stammering, "This — this — I was only trying to help you. What is the meaning of this?"

Louzi's mother dropped onto the stone steps and wailed loudly: "Heavens! You brought this disaster on yourself, and now you take your anger out on others! You want to drag the whole family to death!" The woman who had opened the door also began to sob aloud.

Chen Xin was displeased inwardly, but his face still wore a smile. He said to the broker, "This house is so full of cheer — would you want to live here? Why don't you go inside and try to calm him down? We can lend you the knife for self-defense."

Broker Wu stared at the knife, sweat beading on his forehead, and could only apologize profusely. Seeing this, Liu Minyou went over, confiscated Zhang Erhui's blade, and put it away himself, saying, "This situation is indeed rather unsuitable. Let's go see the other house."

Only then did Broker Wu breathe a sigh of relief and hastily agree. Seeing that Louzi's mother was still crying, he turned to the woman who had opened the door and said, "Madam Shen, I was only trying to help you. Look at the way your husband behaves — not only has he spoiled the business, but what if he had hurt someone? I won't dare come again, and don't you come troubling me anymore either."

That woman still had some composure. She wiped her tears and gave a graceful curtsy, saying, "It is our fault. Ever since he lost his leg, he has been miserable every day. Please, Uncle Wu, for the sake of our neighbors, do not blame him. We two women have no one else to turn to but you. Right now, not only are we in debt, but the grain at home is nearly gone. We still must sell this house and rent a small place to live. We must trouble Uncle Wu to take the trouble."

Chen Xin could not be bothered to listen any further. He called Zhang Erhui and Wang Daixi and went out the door first. Liu Minyou was soft-hearted. Hearing this, he said to Broker Wu, "Since that's the case, you should still help them. It's no problem for us — we'll just go see the next house."

Broker Wu then nodded. Madam Shen cast a grateful glance at Liu Minyou but said nothing more.

Once everyone was outside, they headed together toward Jingdong Fang. Along the way, the broker told the two men about this household. It turned out that Shen Lou had originally been a military auxiliary in the Right Guard. He had worked as a hired servant in a gentry household and had always done well enough, living a passable life. Then last year, he suddenly took a liking to gambling and racked up considerable debts. A few days ago, pressed too hard, he stole some jewelry belonging to the mistress of that gentry house and was caught red-handed. The second young master of that household had always been a young thug, and in a rage, he hacked off one of Shen Lou's legs.

Liu Minyou was puzzled. "Shouldn't that still go to the government office for sentencing? How can they just take the law into their own hands? Didn't the Shen family go to file a complaint?"

"Young Master Liu, you don't understand. That gentry family is surnamed Liu. They produced a Metropolitan Graduate back in the Jiajing era and have been a prominent family ever since. Not only are they wealthy, but they've spread their branches wide in Tianjin Guard — many people, much influence. Every generation has had someone in office. Right now, the eldest son of that Liu family serves as a Secretary in the Ministry of Revenue. No matter where they took the lawsuit, the Shen family would never, ever have a chance of winning."

Liu Minyou listened, then said quietly to Chen Xin, "Should we help this family? They're so pitiful..."

"We're not the Red Cross. The little money we have can't withstand charity like that. Besides, he brought it on himself with his gambling — he deserves it. If we have money, we'll give it to Meimei."

"Just giving a few taels would solve their immediate crisis."

"There are countless families in this world suffering more than theirs. We can't help them all."

"Then why did you help Dai Zhenggang?"

"Didn't I say they can serve as household guards? They're useful. What use would this family be if you helped them? Besides, his leg is already gone — he won't be able to work in the future. You give them a few taels now, and what happens when it runs out? Once you start, it's a bottomless pit."

Liu Minyou sighed. "I just felt sympathy seeing them. You're far too utilitarian."

"Of course I'm practical. Hmm — don't tell me you've taken a fancy to his wife?"

"You're the one who would. I'm not that low."

Chen Xin gave a sly grin. "A married woman can't be helped. If she were a widow, then you could help. More experience — technique tends to be more proper."

Liu Minyou cursed, "You think everyone's as dark-hearted as you. She's in that state and you still make jokes."

Jingdong Fang was not far, and the group arrived shortly. An old servant opened the door. Once inside, it was immediately much cleaner and more pleasant than the previous house.

The courtyard had two main rooms on the north side, three side rooms on the west, and on the east side facing the street, two single-story shopfronts. The eaves on these three sides were connected by a covered veranda, with two pillars standing on each set of steps to support it. The outward-facing eaves had drainage gutters. The main gate was on the east side toward the south, next to the shopfronts. The south side had no reverse-facing rooms, just an enclosing wall. The courtyard was reasonably spacious. In the southwest corner was the latrine, with a small elm tree planted outside it. In the middle of the courtyard stood a stone table. Against the southern wall, a kitchen had been built using several long timbers and bamboo strips, with the stove and all its fittings ready. Beside the stove sat a large water vat, and a pile of coal was heaped on the ground.

Broker Wu introduced the place to the two men: "The owner of this property was originally a cotton-cloth merchant from Huzhou. This year he bought a three-courtyard residence in Nancheng, so he plans to sell this one."

Liu Minyou was basically satisfied with what he saw. The group then went into each room to look around. Every room had brick walls and tiled roofs, with windows facing the central courtyard for light. One of the two main rooms had originally been a central hall, equivalent to a parlor, and still had a few wooden chairs left behind. The other rooms also contained some furniture. The kang beds were already built in — though old, they were all still usable. No one lived in this house now; an old man had been left to look after it, and everywhere had been swept spotlessly clean.

Wang Daixi and Zhang Erhui's eyes shone. Their families were both military households from Liaodong, living far more harshly than those inside the Pass. They had lived in thatched huts before and had never set foot in such fine brick-and-tile houses. Curious, they wandered everywhere, looking and touching as they went.

Broker Wu followed the group around as they looked, then asked, "Young Master Liu, what do you think? Is this place to your liking? The owner's asking price is forty-two taels — quite reasonable."

Chen Xin's eyes darted around. He shot Liu Minyou a look and prepared to start haggling with the broker.