The young man opened the courtyard gate with a key and invited Chen Lan and the others in. Chen Lan, eager, was the first to step inside, carefully circling the courtyard to get a good look.
Chen Lan discovered that the courtyard contained only four detached two-story Western-style houses, each with its own front and back yard. The structure was quite similar to the houses in the valley, akin to modern detached villas.
Chen Lan, along with Xiangxi and the others, toured each building and found that they were all in relatively good condition! Due to their age, the exterior walls and doors and windows were somewhat weathered and peeling, requiring fresh paint for the walls, a new coat for the windows, and some simple repairs. After a day or two of cleaning and tidying up, they would be ready for occupancy.
After examining the layout and size of each room inside, Chen Lan became even more satisfied. Although there was no furniture in the rooms, this was not a problem for Chen Lan.
Chen Lan thought that if Erhu and Lin Mao preferred antique furniture, they could easily search for it at the antique markets in the capital. If they preferred modern styles, it would be even simpler, as the all-powerful system could provide any kind of modern furniture they desired.
However, these Western-style houses were not without their drawbacks. The only issues were the inconvenience of water supply and bathing, and the less-than-ideal toilet facilities. But for Erhu and the others, who worked in construction, these were not problems at all; they could completely renovate the toilets.
If all else failed, they could build new ones. The courtyard was large enough to dig a new deep well and construct a new toilet and bathhouse without any issues.
Most importantly, the location was very close to their old family home, only about a half-hour walk. If Erhu and Xiao Shuan were to live here, Grandma Cui and Uncle De could easily stroll over from the old house anytime they wanted to visit their grandsons. Erhu and Xiao Shuan could also return to the old house for meals and to see Grandma Cui and Uncle De whenever they wished.
Chen Lan mused that she could also arrange for Xiaoshan and Lin Mao's families to live here. With four Western-style houses, each family, including Erhu and Xiao Shuan, would have their own, facilitating timely communication with Xiangxi regarding work matters.
Xiangxi, Xiao Shuan, Lin Mao, and Xiaoshan all nodded, agreeing that the place was good. They commented on the pleasant environment and the tranquility.
Perhaps it was due to living in the valley for decades, but upon returning to the capital, everyone felt a bit unaccustomed, especially in the mornings, when the city felt rather noisy.
Since everyone agreed it was a good place and worth considering, Chen Lan quietly discussed it with the group and they decided not to look any further.
Chen Lan then told the young man that they didn't need to look anymore. The young man assumed that Chen Lan's group, like other potential buyers, were just browsing, especially since they hadn't even inquired about the price.
This was indeed a beautiful misunderstanding. Chen Lan and her group were simply eager to see the houses and hadn't even considered the price.
The young man was accustomed to such situations and said nothing. He relocked the courtyard gate and led Chen Lan and the others back to the housing administration office.
Upon entering the office, Chen Lan suddenly remembered that after looking at so many houses, she had forgotten to ask the young man about the selling price of each Western-style house.
She then asked, "Comrade, what is the price for those Western-style houses?"
The young man habitually pushed up his glasses and replied in a business-like manner, "Comrade, the four Western-style houses in the courtyard are all priced the same. Each house, including tax, is sold for twelve thousand three hundred yuan."
Chen Lan didn't react immediately to the price. She thought, "Good heavens, that's quite expensive. In this era before reform and opening up, that price could buy a fairly decent siheyuan!"
The young man, having not held much hope for Chen Lan's group, was not particularly disappointed.
To his surprise, Chen Lan suddenly spoke again, "Comrade, we'll take all four houses! How about this, we'll give your housing administration office thirteen thousand yuan per house. Of course, the extra seven hundred yuan will be for your office to arrange workers to repaint the interior and exterior walls, and also repaint the windows. You'll also need to help tidy up the courtyard and the rooms. Comrade, do you think this is acceptable?"
After speaking, Chen Lan saw the young man staring blankly and added, "Of course, the seven hundred yuan does not include material costs. We will pay for the materials needed for repairs separately!"
The young man finally snapped back to reality and stammered, "What? Comrade, are you sure? Are you certain? Is it true? Comrade, I must tell you, such matters are not to be taken lightly! Are you really planning to buy all four Western-style houses?"
Chen Lan smiled and replied, "Young comrade, didn't you just suggest that we all pool our money to buy houses?"
The young man was speechless, having been cut off by Chen Lan's remark. He thought, "Was that what I meant? I suppose it was!"
Chen Lan didn't expect him to answer and continued, "Comrade, we don't have that much money with us right now. Can we come back this afternoon to pay? If you're not at ease, we can pay a deposit."
The young man raised his hand to adjust his glasses and quickly replied, "Auntie, there's no need. No deposit is necessary. These houses are a bit pricey, and no one will likely come to buy them anytime soon. You can come back this afternoon to pay the full amount! Besides, for such a large sum, we'll need to notify the accountant to count the money, so please don't rush. Just bring the money this afternoon."
The group walked out of the housing administration office. After they had walked a considerable distance, Xiangxi, unable to contain his curiosity, asked, "Xiao Lanzi, why are we giving them an extra seven hundred yuan per house? Our money doesn't grow on trees! We can do all the work you mentioned ourselves, so why let them earn the money!"
Erhu and Xiao Shuan, Xiaoshan and Lin Mao nodded in agreement, "That's right, we can do these small tasks ourselves, there's no need to pay others to do them."
Chen Lan smiled and explained, "Brother Erhu, Little Watermelon, have you thought about it? If we spend tens of thousands of yuan today to buy four Western-style houses all at once, I estimate the news will spread throughout Sijiu City within a day."