kingnovel Chapter 450 Nanluoguxiang Courtyard Houses
Chapter 450 Nanluoguxiang Courtyard Houses
Less than 500 meters from this courtyard, they walked to another place.
Zhao Er took out his key, opened the door, and pushed it open. The first thing he saw was a screen wall.
As Zhuang Chaoying walked further in, he gasped in shock. The dilapidated state of the house far exceeded his expectations. It was more than just dilapidated; it was utterly crumbling.
Seeing the buyer's expression, Zhao Er quickly explained.
"Don't let its dilapidated appearance fool you, this house occupies a considerable area of nine-tenths of an acre. Upon entering, there are five rooms in the south-facing rear building plus the gatehouse, three rooms in the north-facing main building, five rooms in the two side rooms on the left and right, and three rooms each in the east and west wing rooms. Including the main gate and the hanging flower gate, there are a total of seventeen rooms. Despite its current state of disrepair, once it is renovated, it would be considered one of the finest houses in Beijing."
Zhuang Chaoying looked at the large courtyard and liked it very much, but she couldn't show it.
He never dreamed he would have the opportunity to own such a big house; isn't this a small goal?
Zhuang Chaoying frowned. "Renovation will cost a lot of money."
As soon as Master Niu heard what the buyer said, he immediately understood that the buyer was trying to lower the price.
After all, he was paid to do things for people, and Master Niu was very professional.
"Erzi, your yard is really dilapidated. Renovating it won't be a small expense. How much are you planning to sell it for?"
Master Niu chimed in, his eyes revealing shrewdness as he stared intently at Zhao Er, awaiting his reply.
Zhao Er was slightly taken aback, a hint of hesitation flashing across his face. He didn't want to sell too cheaply, but he also had to get a price that the buyer would accept.
There's a reason why Zhao Er is so eager to go abroad.
He learned about it a few days ago through a letter sent from abroad by his neighbor, Ding Junwu.
They say that the money they earn in one day of work over there is equivalent to ten months of hard work here, and their daily wage can be as high as a thousand yuan.
When Zhao Er found out, he couldn't help but curse. "Damn it, isn't this robbery?!"
This news was like a spark, making him eager to go abroad to seek his fortune.
He has already contacted Ding Junwu, and as soon as he raises enough money, he will go abroad to study.
Zhao Er was never content to be just a cook for the rest of his life; he wanted to climb up the social ladder and make a name for himself.
可是留学费用高达四十二万鬼子币，按照当时的汇率，1鬼子币 ≈ 1/150叨乐 ≈ 0.0251华夏币（3.76÷150）来计算，换算成华夏币也就是十万零五百左右。
Moreover, when you're in a foreign country where you don't know anyone, you need to keep some extra money on hand for unexpected needs.
Although housing prices have risen a little in the past two years, he knows in his heart that apart from the house he lives in now, which looks decent, the other two houses are really in a terrible state.
“The other house is right next door. Would you like to go take a look and then we can discuss the price.”
As Zhao Er spoke, he led Zhuang Chaoying and Uncle Niu to the neighboring courtyard.
The three of them went to the neighboring courtyard, and upon entering, the scene before them was similar to the dilapidated courtyard they had seen before.
The doors and windows were teetering on the brink of collapse, with some even falling to the ground. Part of the roof beams had also collapsed, and the whole yard looked very dilapidated. Yes, very dilapidated.
It's like buying this land and having to completely renovate it yourself. The quality of the blue bricks in the house is actually quite good; it hasn't collapsed.
After looking around the courtyard, Zhao Er brewed a pot of tea and invited him and Niu Ye to sit under the pomegranate tree in the courtyard they had first visited.
“Uncle Niu, you know my situation. I’m going abroad and I need to sell urgently. These three courtyards are in a good location, close to the intersection. The second courtyard is dilapidated but it’s big. I won’t ask for more. 150,000 yuan. All three courtyards are yours, sir. What do you think?”
Uncle Niu picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, put the teacup on the stone table, and cleared his throat.
“Erzi, don’t be so cunning. Xiaozhuang is sincere in buying, and you are in a hurry to sell. Let me give you a fair price, you two listen.”
Zhao Er was also worried. He was afraid that if he asked for too high a price, he would scare away this rare buyer. If he messed things up, where would he find a rich guy who would buy three courtyards at once?
So he quickly replied, "Alright, Mr. Niu, please speak."
Zhuang Chaoying nodded. "Okay."
"The other two courtyards are too dilapidated. If you buy them, you can't live in them without spending some money and cleaning them up. If you want to be more particular, this courtyard will also need to be cleaned up. It costs 120,000 yuan. You can leave the furniture, TV and refrigerator in this courtyard to Xiao Zhuang."
Master Niu stated his offer and looked at Zhao Er.
Zhao Er looked troubled, feeling that the price was a bit low.
"This, this 120,000, I'm really losing out. No, Mr. Niu, please add some more."
Uncle Niu waved his hand, trying to persuade him. "You won't lose out. The sooner you leave, the more money you'll earn, Erzi. How much more or less? It's hard to find such a generous buyer. Think about it carefully."
Zhao Er looked bitter and hesitated for a moment before saying, "125,000. I'll leave you all the furniture and appliances in my house, except for my clothes, which I'll take myself. How about this? I really can't go any lower."
Zhuang Chaoying calculated in her mind that 125,000 yuan was a reasonable price to buy three courtyards, but the subsequent renovations would require a considerable amount of money.
He frowned. "I think 120,000 is too high. If it weren't for the price you quoted, I would have offered 100,000. I'll round it up for you. Renovation is no small expense. A single courtyard can cost tens of thousands of yuan. You think you're losing out? If I were to buy it at your price, I would be the one losing out."
Zhao Er looked conflicted after hearing his words.
Uncle Niu watched the two of them without saying a word.
The atmosphere under the pomegranate tree was somewhat heavy, with each of the three lost in their own thoughts.
Seeing that the landlord remained silent, Zhuang Chaoying knew she had to resort to drastic measures. This was based on her years of shopping experience: if she couldn't get a better price, she would simply get up and leave—it always worked.
Seeing that he was about to leave, Zhao Er panicked and rushed forward to stop him, saying urgently.
"Sir, 120,000, 120,000, the price you asked for. We'll go directly to the housing management office to transfer the property tomorrow, but I need to make one thing clear: I want cash."
Watching the two of them arguing, Niu Ye knew exactly what was going on. He understood the tricks of the trade all too well; this was a classic tactic to drive down the price.
Zhuang Chaoying stopped in her tracks. "They've taken the bait," she chuckled, glancing back at Master Niu. "It's a serious matter," she said solemnly.
“I’m doing this for Boss Niu’s sake. I’ll give you 120,000 in cash. But you’ll have to take 5% of Boss Niu’s commission. I really don’t have any extra money.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Er's eyes widened, his face full of reluctance. "Hey, what homeowner would pay this much? That's six thousand yuan!"
Seeing Zhao Er's hesitant and awkward demeanor, Master Niu knew that the deal was about to be finalized.