Chen Lan cut to the chase, handing two bottles of sorghum liquor to Jia Hui, who stood beside her, gesturing for her to set them aside. Then, she smiled and asked, "Brother Zhang, you must be a native of Harbin, right?"
Seeing Old Man Zhang nod with evident pride, Chen Lan continued, "Brother Zhang, I'd like to inquire about something."
Old Man Zhang immediately replied, "Younger sister, feel free to ask whatever you wish. If I, Old Man Zhang, know it, I will certainly tell you."
Chen Lan then said, "Brother Zhang, I just want to ask you, are there any empty houses for sale near the Party School? Or even for rent?"
Upon hearing Chen Lan's question, Old Man Zhang became visibly tense and, unconsciously, more vigilant, his eyes keenly observing the mother and daughter.
Seeing Old Man Zhang's defensive posture, Chen Lan knew she had been misunderstood. She quickly explained, "Brother Zhang, please don't misunderstand! My daughter and I are not bad people. It's like this, my children's father has been transferred to work in Harbin. His unit leaders trust him and want to cultivate him, sending him to study at the Party School for two years. With the children, I can't live in a hotel all the time, can I? Besides, living in a hotel for two years is inconvenient, not to mention we simply cannot afford the accommodation fees. Don't you agree?"
After hearing Chen Lan's explanation, Old Man Zhang nodded. It was indeed true; living in a hotel permanently for a family was not practical. Moreover, hotels were expensive. No one could afford such expenses, even with a mountain of gold.
Old Man Zhang then pondered and asked, "Younger sister, do you have any specific requirements for the house? Approximately how large should it be, and how many rooms do you need?"
Chen Lan also considered for a moment before replying, "We have a large family. If possible, I'd like a separate courtyard, with at least four main rooms and a living hall. Of course, a kitchen and a toilet are essential. Preferably, the courtyard should be quite large, and the rooms should be spacious."
Old Man Zhang listened to Chen Lan's requirements and said, "Younger sister, your demands are a bit too high. If you want a house with its own courtyard, you'll have to go to the Housing Management Bureau. They have quite a few old houses for sale there, ones that haven't been reclaimed."
Chen Lan paused for a moment upon hearing the words "Housing Management Bureau." She hadn't expected that, during this period, the state actually allowed the buying and selling of houses, although transactions had to be handled through the Housing Management Bureau. Many people likely feared showing off their wealth and thus hesitated to conduct transactions there.
Seeing Chen Lan frowning and remaining silent, Old Man Zhang immediately explained, "Younger sister, it's not that I don't want to help you. As you know, housing is quite tight for everyone these days, and there are very few empty houses for rent. Also, the state does not allow private sales of property, so private house sales are even more out of the question, unless you buy from the Housing Management Bureau."
Seeing Chen Lan nod, Old Man Zhang continued, "However, younger sister, I do know of a place that might fit your requirements. Rumor has it that when that house was built, the owner spared no expense on materials. The flooring and the wood for the doors and windows are all solid red pine, and it was designed by a famous master, making the house very sturdy. It's just that now it's a hollow shell. The good things inside were smashed or taken away a couple of years ago, leaving only a pile of junk. Younger sister, to be honest, if you don't mind an old house and have the money, it won't be too much of a loss to buy it. After all, the foundation itself is worth quite a bit of money, isn't it? It will require finding skilled craftsmen to repair it, and it will take a lot of effort, money, and extensive renovation to make it habitable."
When Chen Lan heard it was an old house, she immediately nodded and replied, "I don't mind, I don't mind. As long as it can be lived in after repairs. Brother Zhang, you see, we are not locals of Harbin. We'll have to trouble you to take the lead and help us arrange the repairs. Don't worry, I will pay the wages according to the market rate plus an additional ten percent. Also, I'd like to ask you to accompany us to the Housing Management Bureau and put in a good word for us."
To her surprise, Old Man Zhang didn't refuse and readily agreed, "Alright, no problem. We'll go tomorrow morning. I'm on duty today, and tomorrow I'll be off. How about this, tomorrow morning after breakfast, I'll meet you at the main gate of the Party School. After we meet up, I'll take you to the Housing Management Bureau there. My home is very close to the Bureau, about a ten-minute walk. My wife works there as a temporary employee."
Chen Lan was delighted by the coincidence and asked, "Brother Zhang, roughly how much do you think the Housing Management Bureau will charge for that house? To be honest, that's a large sum of money, and I need to prepare funds. If it's too expensive, I might not be able to afford it."
Old Man Zhang immediately replied, "How could it be! My wife and I are very familiar with the people at the Housing Management Bureau. We'll put in a good word for you. Besides, that house has been empty for years, and it was damaged so badly that it hasn't been sold. Honestly, the house is uninhabitable now. Who among the locals would buy a dilapidated house? So, I think buying it for a maximum of one hundred and fifty yuan should be no problem. Younger sister, to be frank, the location is good. Just consider it buying a foundation there to build a house. The area is large, spacious, and bright, and it's close to the street, making everything convenient."
Chen Lan felt Old Man Zhang's words made sense. After thanking him repeatedly, she and her daughter reconfirmed the meeting time and place for the next morning. They then left the two bottles of sorghum liquor and proceeded towards the front. By then, Xu Mingxuan had already paid for their accommodation, and the group was waiting for the mother and daughter.
Carrying their luggage, the group exited the station hotel and headed in the direction Old Man Zhang had indicated, along Xizhi Street towards the Provincial Party School.
The Provincial Party School of Harbin is located southeast of the intersection of Yanxing Road. It is said to have been established in the late 1940s or early 1950s. As the group approached the main gate of the Party School, the gatekeeper stopped them. Xu Mingxuan quickly took out a letter of introduction from his unit and handed it to him.
After carefully reading the letter of introduction, the gatekeeper asked, "So you're a new student coming to study? Why are you here so early? The new students are not supposed to start for a few more days. Once you're inside, go directly to Building 5, Teacher's Building, and find Teacher Liu in the first-year department."