Chapter 220: Daughter Kingdom King

Li Chengru's family once had substantial wealth and even owned a large sihe courtyard near the imperial city, but his father died when he was two, worse off than Li Guangfu, and with eleven siblings in the family, it was even worse.

Even if his late father had hidden away some assets, dividing them among eleven children left nothing, so Li Chengru's future success depended largely on his own vision and boldness.

But too much boldness isn't good either—later, he lost everything trading foreign exchange.

Now his main job is as a sewing worker at the Jingshan Clothing Factory, right behind the Forbidden City—this also became his advantage when he later entered the apparel industry.

Besides that, he studied drama under Teacher Dong and had his eyes set on the amateur acting class at the Film Academy, preparing to enroll; today helping with the house viewing was purely voluntary, to meet influential people.

Whether he could squeeze out a commission from the deal didn't matter to Wei Ming—as long as the job got done.

The seller's surname was "Na"—obviously Manchu, descended from banner people, though it was unclear whether from Yehe Nara or Wula Nara.

Xiao Na was Li Chengru's junior high classmate, twenty-five or six, orphaned, but had an aunt in America—though not close, they'd never even met.

His aunt promised to get him to America, but once there, he'd have to support himself; her family was just an ordinary American household, and she couldn't control her foreign husband—this was as much help as she could offer.

Xiao Na had long dreamed of life abroad, so he wanted to sell the ancestral home he'd just reclaimed last year, to have startup capital overseas and someday return as a successful overseas Chinese, a cut above the rest.

"Since this property was previously used by a government unit, there were no other residents when it was returned to him—he can make decisions alone," Li Chengru said.

This pleased Wei Ming greatly—before the mass emigration wave of the mid-1980s, such courtyards were rare.

After walking a short while, they reached an intersection, turned in, then took another bend and arrived.

Inside, it felt much quieter; Wei Ming specifically checked the street width—good, cars could easily enter.

At the gate, the door wasn't large, but two stone lions stood on either side, clearly old, along with steps and a threshold.

Li Chengru introduced: "This courtyard is quite spacious—even though it's a single-entry compound, it's about four hundred square meters."

He didn't knock—just pushed the door open. Behind it was a screen wall, then a spacious courtyard with a large, broad-canopied ginkgo tree standing right in the center.

Because of this tree, the courtyard felt cool even in July; the leaves were still green since autumn hadn't arrived yet, and they'd turn golden yellow—much more beautiful.

"Xiao Na, visitors!" Li Chengru called out.

Soon a tall, thin young man in a tank top, disheveled, stepped out, a half-smoked cigarette dangling from his fingers.

"Come on in, take a look."

Though he was eager to sell the house, he deliberately feigned calmness, with a hint of resentment over selling ancestral property.

Sihe courtyards of this era were certainly less beautiful than those later restored by wealthy owners, but since it had been used by a government unit, it was fairly well preserved—far better than multi-family sihe courtyards, with no illegal additions or constructions.

Also, since it was a single-entry compound, it lacked features like covered walkways or ornate gates, missing some typical sihe characteristics.

Moreover, the courtyard was large but had no private toilet.

Xiao Na explained: "Turn right outside the gate—you'll find a public restroom, close by."

This was why Wei Ming disliked these sihe courtyards—convenience was terrible.

It wasn't that they couldn't be renovated, just that the procedures were complicated and subject to policy changes—you couldn't renovate whenever you wanted.

The courtyard's advantages were its square shape, plenty of rooms, and preserved historical appearance.

According to Xiao Na: "That ginkgo tree is over a hundred years old."

To Wei Ming, the tree was a plus—it was large enough not to block light, provided shade, and added life to the courtyard.

But he still complained it took up space and couldn't be cut down—trees with historical value were registered and couldn't be removed.

In Liu Heng's "The Happy Life of Zhang Damin the Commoner," why was there a tree growing on Zhang Damin's bed? Because in Yanjing, you couldn't just chop down trees whenever you wanted.

After roughly half an hour of inspection and checking relevant documents, Li Guangfu helped verify—his experience let him determine whether there were other owners or residents.

Wei Ming liked the courtyard—even if he didn't live there often, it would serve as a place for his parents or family to stay later, and it would definitely be renovated to be more livable, allowing him to alternate between the courtyard and a building.

He felt this kind of courtyard was better for writing—after growing tired, he could relax in a rocking chair under the tree, gaze at the sky, listen to summer rain, admire winter snow—all pleasures a building couldn't offer.

Next came the price negotiation.

Lazy Xiao Na finally perked up, holding up one finger: "I want ten thousand U. . dollars."

After hearing this, Wei Ming smiled politely: "Uh, I've got something else to do—I'll be going now."

In the mid-1980s, a single-entry sihe courtyard typically sold for around ten thousand RMB; if the location was terrible, living conditions awful, and area tiny, and the owner desperate, you could get it for under five thousand.

This one was larger, better located, with clear ownership and a century-old tree—logically, it could be priced higher; fifteen thousand RMB would be acceptable.

At the official exchange rate, fifteen thousand RMB equaled ten thousand U. . dollars—this was Xiao Na's thinking.

But in this era, who could exchange fifteen thousand RMB for ten thousand U. . dollars? Dream on!

Although Wei Ming still had over ten thousand U. . dollars, he couldn't waste it like this.

Seeing this, Li Chengru quickly scolded Xiao Na.

"Na Rilang, you're being too greedy—just this little courtyard and you want ten thousand U. . dollars? There's no such market."

Li Chengru was caught in the middle—on one side his old classmate, on the other a rising literary star—he wanted to broker a deal satisfying both sides, so he pushed hard for compromise.

After his words, Xiao Na relented: "Then eight thousand is the minimum."

Wei Ming still shook his head, holding up three fingers: "Three thousand."

Three thousand dollars could easily buy fifteen thousand RMB—or more.

Xiao Na got anxious: "Three thousand is way too little—I'll spend that in no time in America! No way!"

Wei Ming smiled: "Three thousand dollars can easily last half a year in America, and even washing dishes there can support you."

"I don't want to wash dishes—I'm going to be a cut above the rest," Xiao Na retorted arrogantly. "You've got to give me more."

After prolonged bargaining, they settled on five thousand dollars—Xiao Na was satisfied, and Wei Ming didn't feel the loss.

This used less than half of his remaining U. . dollars, and Mei Lina's new foreign exchange should arrive soon.

To secure the deal, Xiao Na pushed to start the paperwork immediately—he was waiting to get the money and leave for America.

Wei Ming thought for a moment: "Alright."

He'd have to fully hand over the students to Xiao Mei this afternoon—though he enjoyed it, it was just more work.

After leaving the courtyard, Wei Ming guessed the tour group had finished sightseeing; he bid temporary farewell to the two Lis and arranged to meet them for dinner at Quanjude that night—such a major transaction couldn't be settled with cash alone; treating the two older brothers to several good meals was a must.

Wei Ming also planned to bring Xiao Mei along—Jingshan Clothing Factory was a major enterprise; letting Xiao Mei meet Li Chengru would help expand business.

As for whether Li Chengru would be inspired to enter the apparel industry early, Wei Ming wasn't worried at all.

Beijing's market was too big—Wangfujing, Dongdan, Xidan—so many famous commercial streets; one person, one store couldn't possibly absorb it all.

At the north gate of the Forbidden City, they waited about ten minutes before Mei Wenhua led the group out.

He and Yunyun and Teacher Li led the front, Xiao Hong and Teacher Hu brought up the rear, with twenty children wearing red scarves in between.

Seeing Wei Ming, Yunyun was especially excited: "Ming-ge, Wen-hua-ge is amazing—just now we saw some foreigners, and he actually spoke to them in a foreign language!"

Mei Wenhua's tail was practically wagging—his past efforts finally meant something; all those years chatting with foreigners at the English Corner hadn't been in vain.

Wei Ming knew he only knew basic daily phrases, but to Yunyun and the elementary students, it was godlike; Xiao Hong was excellent in English exams but awkward in conversation.

Wei Ming smiled: "Xiao Mei studies English hard because he liked a neighbor sister who went abroad to study—he hopes to find her someday."

Yunyun: "Ah? So that's why."

Mei Wenhua panicked: "I don't like her anymore, Yunyun, don't listen to him!"

Wei Ming laughed, pulling Xiao Mei aside: "This afternoon, take the kids to the Temple of Heaven."

"I've got something else to do—we're having dinner at Quanjude on Hepingmen. Come by yourself. It's important."

Mei Wenhua nodded. Though he was anxious about the shop's renovation, he was delighted to have time with Yunyun without Wei Ming's supervision.

At noon, Wei Ming took the kids to eat luozhu huoshao—they'd never seen this dish before.

In their hometown, braised meat and pig intestines were usually stuffed into huoshao bread, but here they were all boiled together in a pot and eaten from one bowl.

But they had only one comment: "Delicious!"

After surviving the douzhi test, there was nothing in Yanjing that tasted bad.

In the afternoon, Wei Ming rode his motorcycle with Xiao Na to handle the paperwork—sihe courtyard transactions were even more complex than overseas Chinese apartments, involving more government offices, and couldn't be finished in a few days; they'd have to take it slow.

At dinner time, Li Guangfu arrived first at Quanjude, then helped Wei Ming greet Li Chengru and Mei Wenhua; Wei Ming arrived last, carrying a bottle of Maotai and a bottle of Wuliangye.

"Sorry, sorry—I just came back from the Housing Bureau. Xiao Mei, you've already met Chengru-ge, right?" he asked.

Mei Wenhua smiled: "Yes, yes—we've met. Once this busy period's over, I'm planning to visit Jingshan Clothing Factory—I've got Chengru-ge to help me!"

They'd clearly had a pleasant chat; Li Chengru seemed even more humble.

"I passed by your shop before—I wondered what kind of business it was, never guessed it was a clothing store—and run by you, Writer Wei! Impressive!" That "impressive" came from the heart; official businesses weren't remarkable, but three young men in their twenties running a private shop with such a large store? That was impressive—those buildings weren't cheap, and renting them to private operators cost even more.

At this moment, he was indeed tempted, but his dream of becoming an actor still outweighed the desire to do business; at twenty-something, he knew money mattered, but ideals still came first.

Mei Wenhua also learned that his Ming-ge had bought another sihe courtyard—he was envious beyond words; clearly, writing novels brought in serious foreign exchange. When would he ever have such a carefree, lavish attitude?

After dinner, Wei Ming walked home with Xiao Mei; along the way, they discussed the opening plan and preliminary preparations.

"Besides Yunyun, we need a few more sales staff who understand clothing and speak well."

"We've already found them—all unemployed returned urban educated youth. We're helping the neighborhood solve employment—trial wage is thirty yuan, and they're all fighting to get the jobs."

But since policies weren't yet fully open, including Yunyun, there were only four sales staff; though the neighborhood strongly wanted them to hire more, exceeding five employees would be problematic.

"We need to start training immediately," Wei Ming said, deciding not to interfere—he'd let Xiao Mei follow the training methods he'd seen in Guangdong.

His immediate priority was taking photos for Lin-jie, to have Lin-jie and Xue-jie serve as the face of Dongfang Xintiandi.

When Wei Ming returned home, he noticed a letter in the mailbox; opening it, he found a letter from Xue-jie—written just days after he left.

!

Inside, Xiao Hong and Yunyun were watching TV—they'd taken the bus home themselves; Wei Ming had bought them monthly bus passes—passes were crucial.

And they should always go together, never alone.

"Brother, who's the woman in this painting?"

Wei Ming had just sat on the sofa when Yunyun sweetly handed him a cup of tea, and Wei Hong came over holding the painting frame.

"Oh, this is my friend, Sister Zhu Lin—the tape recorder I bought for Dad originally belonged to her," Wei Ming answered calmly.

"How old is she?"

Wei Ming: "She's almost thirty, I think."

Hearing her age and seeing her brother's relaxed demeanor, Wei Hong realized she'd overthought it—maybe her eldest brother simply loved painting and asked friends to be his models.

She disappointedly put the drawing back, and Wei Ming added, "Tomorrow I have some paperwork to handle, so you two should join the group to visit Tsinghua and Peking University."

Tomorrow's itinerary includes visits to Tsinghua, Peking University, the Summer Palace, and the Old Summer Palace.

"What kind of paperwork? A clothing store?" Xiao Hong asked.

Wei Ming: "No, I bought another sihe academy today—I'm handling those procedures."

"What?!" Xiao Hong and Yunyun both stared in shock.

"Brother, why are you buying more houses again? Save your money for a bride—it'd be better!" Xiao Hong slipped into mother mode.

Wei Ming smiled and explained, "I've got years before I can marry. Don't worry—I won't lack funds for a bride. When our parents eventually move into the city, I'm afraid they won't adapt to apartments. A sihe academy lets them live wherever they like—it's perfect."

Watching her brother's confidence, Wei Hong realized she must quickly adapt to Yanjing life and broaden her horizons—or she'd never catch up to his level.

Back in the bedroom, Wei Ming immediately opened the letter. Xue-jie's note contained no major news—summed up in just two words: "I miss you."

Wei Ming: "I miss you too!"

Early the next morning, Xiao Hong and Yunyun took the bus on their own to join the group; the big bus from their hometown would take them to Peking University.

Wei Ming first called Ping'an's family to inform them.

"Great, I'm at school today with nothing else to do—I'll guide them myself."

"That's perfect!" Wei Ming said. "With you as an example, these kids will finally see how bright the future is for those who study hard."

Even though it was vacation, there weren't many students on campus, and the study atmosphere was thin.

When it was nearly work time, Wei Ming called Zhu Lin's office and told her to wait for him to pick her up at noon.

"No one's home at noon~"

Zhu Lin covered the receiver, her ears turning red.

Then Wei Ming went out to find Xiao Na, and the two continued handling the paperwork.

At Peking University's west gate, Mei Wenhua returned after resigning a few days earlier; the gate guards were puzzled and teased her.

"Xiao Mei, aren't you running a shop? Why are you acting as a tour guide now?"

Mei Wenhua replied, "These are all Ming-ge's fellow villagers—I'm following orders to guide them."

The children had been in the capital for three days; upon entering Peking University today, they immediately sensed its atmosphere differed greatly from the hutongs and Wangfujing—it felt sacred, deeply alluring, especially to the older kids.

Wei Hong was especially eager, longing to fast-forward two months until she could enter Peking University as a student.

Soon Wei Ping'an arrived; the two elementary school teachers immediately bowed respectfully to Wei Chu and looked at him with admiration.

Wei Ping'an was very courteous—he recognized several of the children and called out their fathers' names, instantly bridging the gap.

Wei Ping'an pointed to the ancient west gate: "Back then, I first entered Peking University through this gate. Today we'll start here too—Xiao Hong, push my cart."

As outstanding representatives from Gouzitun, Wei Ping'an and Wei Ming shared the same heart: they hoped their hometown would produce more talented individuals.

Even if those talents didn't stay in their hometown, it didn't diminish their desire to build it up, give back, and make it better.

At noon, after touring Tsinghua, Wei Ping'an arranged for the elementary students to eat lunch at Peking University's cafeteria.

Wei Ping'an took the chance to explain that rural students received a monthly scholarship of 22. yuan—enough to cover meals and daily expenses.

This figure stunned the children again—there was really that much?!

After lunch, Mei Wenhua ran into Liu Master from the campus bus team, who asked Xiao Mei to pass a message to Wei Ming: he could now take the practical driving test.

Meanwhile, Wei Ming picked up Zhu Lin and took her straight home.

Even though they both wore helmets, Old Sun could tell this woman wasn't either of his two sisters—he guessed it was the older sister again.

After entering, as Wei Ming was changing into slippers, his sister hugged him from behind.

Wei Ming immediately turned and met her lips.

Having not been touched by Wei Ming for over ten days, Zhu Lin was burning with desire and showed no restraint.

But Wei Ming didn't immediately satisfy her. "Good sister, I want you too—but let's do the important thing first. I'm afraid if we finish, I won't be able to shoot."

Wei Ming had already explained to Zhu Lin: he and Xiao Mei had opened a private clothing store and planned to photograph several beautiful girls wearing their designs—as living advertisements to attract customers.

Though Zhu Lin felt a bit embarrassed, she wholeheartedly agreed for her lover's sake.

But when she saw the clothes, her last resistance vanished.

"So beautiful!"

Wei Ming's hand slipped inside her clothing: "Then let's start changing—I'll help you."

They'd made thirty to forty outfits, but Wei Ming selected only five or six—all suited to Lin-jie's Qizhi: bright, elegant, slightly martial, with potential to become bestsellers.

After Zhu Lin changed into the first outfit, Wei Ming had her stand against a blank wall and pose; she still felt awkward.

"I've always taken photos in studios or outdoors—this is the first time in your home."

Wei Ming laughed: "This is called a boudoir photo—taken in a private residence. Later, I plan to convert another room into a darkroom for developing photos."

After school starts, I'll leave the campus publication team—it's not fair to keep borrowing their darkroom. With my current finances, setting up my own photo-developing equipment is no burden.

Each outfit took only one or two photos; most time was spent changing clothes—and the flirtation while changing.

Both Wei Ming and Zhu Lin had to work hard to keep from losing control.

After the last outfit was shot, Wei Ming told her to take off the clothes—and then not wear anything else.

As she undressed, Zhu Lin glanced nervously at the door: "Do your sisters have keys?"

"Yes—but they're at Peking University, then heading to the Summer Palace—they won't be back until tonight." Wei Ming walked over, embraced Lin-jie, and they stepped into the bedroom in tango posture.

Once he closed the door, Zhu Lin finally relaxed and let herself go completely.

Hours passed—she'd be late for work in the afternoon, but she simply couldn't bear to leave Wei Ming's chest.

She gave up: "Fine, I'll be late—after all, I'll be late often once I join the acting class."

Wei Ming told her about a new friend he'd met: "His name is Li Chengru—he works at Jingshan Clothing Factory, apprenticed under the People's Art Theatre's Dong Xingji, and plans to apply for this year's amateur acting class at the Film Academy. If you both get in, you'll be classmates."

"Oh, she's a disciple of a famed theater master—if there are more like her, I'm doomed."

Wei Ming pressed her: "What nonsense—does my teaching as your master fall short? I'm trained in the Film Academy's orthodox methods."

"Yes, yes, your orthodox teaching is all about teaching people how to use their tongues skillfully, right?" His sister struck back fiercely, pinching him.

The dying fire flared again~

…

(Yesterday's minimum)

(End of chapter)