Chapter 50: Buying a House |
Changping Street.
The afternoon sunlight spilled into the alley paved with bluestone.
"Master Chen, this way please."
A lean and capable middle-aged man in a half-worn blue cloth jacket led Chen Qing through the crowded neighborhood.
After leaving the old Chen family house, Chen Qing had found this broker, Old Third Zhao, to look at houses.
After many twists and turns, at the end of a deep alley, a separate courtyard suddenly appeared before them.
The wooden door was thick and heavy, painted with deep black lacquer.
"Please look, Master Chen."
Old Third Zhao paused and pointed at the main gate with a smile, "This door bolt is made from a whole piece of old camphor wood, solid! If ordinary thieves come with crowbars? Heh heh, want to break it? Unless they have diamond hands!"
Speaking, he took out a key and opened the lock with a "click," then pushed hard.
"Creak!"
The front courtyard was open and flat, paved with blue bricks, with traces of light moss emerging from the brick joints.
On the east side was an old locust tree with flourishing branches and leaves, while on the west side was a stone well.
Old Third Zhao introduced eagerly, "This locust tree is best for cooling off, the east room is quiet and faces the sun. The west room is convenient for housing elderly ladies or receiving guests. The main house is right ahead..."
Chen Qing's gaze swept around. This was the third place he had looked at.
This courtyard's location and environment were most to his liking.
With this small courtyard, he would have a place for daily practice.
The water well was especially convenient.
Old Third Zhao continued, "The well water is clear and sweet. Look, these rope marks are still fresh! The previous owner was a wealthy merchant who moved away recently and was eager to sell, which is why it's being sold cheap."
Chen Qing asked, "What's the price?"
"If you're satisfied, we can discuss details later."
Old Third Zhao smiled and led Chen Qing to see the back courtyard's stove room and kitchen, examining everything carefully. Though small as a sparrow, it had all the necessary organs.
Chen Qing pondered for a moment, "Who are the neighbors on left and right?"
"The eastern neighbor is Constable Mo from the government office, the western neighbor is Shopkeeper He from Yuelai Inn." Old Third Zhao answered readily.
Although Changping Street belonged to the outer city, it was only separated from the inner city by a river. Those who could live here were already considered wealthy or noble in ordinary people's eyes.
"I'm satisfied with this house."
Chen Qing made his decision, "Name your price."
Besides being able to practice boxing, mainly there was a water well, making water access very convenient.
Most importantly, it was very close to Zhou's courtyard, and many fellow disciples from Zhou's courtyard lived around here, so it would definitely be much safer than Mute Bay.
"Master is straightforward, just this amount."
Old Third Zhao held up three fingers.
"Thirty taels?"
Chen Qing nodded, "That's not expensive."
Old Third Zhao was stunned and quickly smiled apologetically, "Master Chen, you're joking. It's three hundred taels!"
Three hundred taels!?
Chen Qing raised his eyebrows. If it were thirty taels, it really wouldn't be expensive, but three hundred taels was not a small sum for him.
The Cheng family and Zhou Liang's help to him was mostly in cultivation resources.
The monthly salary from his position at the River Office was extremely meager, and he really didn't have much silver on him.
Chen Qing pondered for a moment and asked, "The transaction... could the payment be delayed?"
"Others definitely couldn't! But for you, Master Chen..."
Old Third Zhao lowered his voice, "I, Old Zhao, will put my face on the line to negotiate with the owner! How about this, you pay one hundred taels first, and once the contract is signed, you can move your belongings in. The remaining two hundred taels, we'll write an IOU, and by next spring it'll be two hundred and ten taels with interest. Black on white, I, Old Zhao, guarantee it. If you can't pay by then, the jujube trees in the courtyard, the stove platform, even the new things you build, all will belong to the owner as collateral. What do you think?"
He had already inquired clearly that Chen Qing was a newly minted scholar with good prospects, so he wouldn't lack silver in the future, which was why he dared to guarantee it.
After all, a ten percent commission meant thirty taels of silver.
"Good, when can we sign the contract?" Chen Qing made the final decision.
After achieving the martial scholar rank, many wealthy households and influential forces had sent gift money. Combined with what he had saved before, gathering one hundred taels shouldn't be too difficult.
Old Third Zhao hurriedly said, "Master Chen is straightforward. Tomorrow I'll prepare the documents and personally visit you."
...
Evening.
Chen Qing returned from practicing at Zhou's courtyard, walking toward Mute Bay.
The fundamental force diagram still revolved in his mind. The flow of obvious and hidden strength between moves deepened his understanding of Through-arm Boxing by another layer.
"Among the disciples in Zhou's courtyard, probably not many can obtain this diagram..."
He thought to himself.
Without realizing it, Mute Bay was already before his eyes.
Unlike the usual hustle and bustle, today it was eerily quiet.
Fishing boats of all sizes were crowded at the shore, their cabin doors tightly closed, exuding an unusual oppressive atmosphere.
Chen Qing's heart jumped. He leaped onto his family's boat deck and pushed open the cabin door.
"Mother, I'm back."
A dim yellow lamplight shone from the cabin. Lady Han sat in the corner, her face looking somewhat ugly, her eyes filled with panic.
"Ah Qing..."
Lady Han saw Chen Qing return and grabbed his arm.
Chen Qing asked in a deep voice, "Mother, what happened?"
Lady Han said, still shaken, "...Something big happened! The Tiger Gang... the Tiger Gang..."
She paused, the fear in her eyes deepening, "They were completely wiped out!"
Hmm!?
Chen Qing's pupils contracted slightly as he asked, "When did this happen? Who did it?"
"Probably last night, not long after you went to your grandfather's house. Old Gao was the first to see Tiger Gang members' corpses floating on the river surface."
Lady Han swallowed and said, "Later, some bold people quietly rowed over to look. They came back with faces white with fear, saying... saying the several large boats the Tiger Gang had moored at the dock were all burned to charcoal frames. Many things were floating on the water surface. Their several shacks on shore had also collapsed. Blood... blood everywhere... No survivors were seen, and no trace of who did it. After killing, they left clean as a whistle!"
Lady Han finished in one breath, her body trembling slightly.
Chen Qing's brow furrowed into a knot.
The Tiger Gang had been entrenched in Mute Bay for a year, and Xu Chengfeng had always been careful and prudent in his actions, managing both open and hidden relationships seamlessly. Who exactly had used such thunderous methods to completely uproot them?
Who had he offended?
Lady Han said with some worry, "You tell me, the Golden River Gang fell not long ago, and now the Tiger Gang has been completely wiped out..."
The world was changing too fast, making her uneasy.
"Mother, don't overthink it."
Chen Qing took a deep breath and comforted her, "I've found a good house. We'll move in a couple of days."
"Moving away is good too."
Lady Han nodded, then touched the boat hull and sighed, "Your father nearly lost half his life for these two boats back then. If he knew how successful you are now..."
Making a living on the water, one boat was a home, a hope for survival.
Getting two boats? How could that be easy.
Speaking of this, Lady Han sighed and said nothing more.
...
Early the next morning, Old Third Zhao brought good news, holding the contract in his hand.
"Master Chen, the owner agreed. Just waiting for you to sign your name."
If Chen Qing hadn't achieved high rank, this matter naturally wouldn't have worked out but now with his different status, everything fell into place naturally.
Chen Qing nodded and said, "Good, I'll sign it now and move this afternoon."
Old Third Zhao's face was full of smiles, "Leave it to me."
Chen Qing signed the contract with a flourish, then took out his silver to give to Old Third Zhao.
Not long after Old Third Zhao left, just as Chen Qing was about to return to the boat, he suddenly heard a greeting from nearby:
"May I ask if you are Brother Chen Qing?"
Chen Qing looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man with broad shoulders and thick waist, bulging temples, wearing neat gray training clothes that revealed two muscular arms, with a long sword at his waist.
Behind him followed two sturdy young men, both with powerful builds.
Chen Qing responded calmly, "And you are?"
The burly man cupped his fists in salute, his face beaming with enthusiasm, "I'm Song Hu. I just moved here recently and now manage the fish market affairs in this area. Hearing that Brother Chen achieved martial scholar rank, I came specially to congratulate you. A small token of my appreciation, please accept it."
As he spoke, he flicked his wrist slightly, and one of the young men behind him immediately presented a heavy red pouch.
"How could I accept this..."
Chen Qing was polite with his words but readily took it with his hands, weighing it. About five taels.
"Brother Chen, don't be a stranger."
Song Hu waved his hand, then his expression turned worried, "Speaking of shame, when I first arrived here yesterday, I heard that the Tiger Gang was completely wiped out. I wonder if Brother Chen knows any inside information?"
Chen Qing shook his head, "Not too clear about it."
Song Hu sighed heavily, "Alas, the Golden River Gang that had ruled this place for three years was just eliminated. How long has it been? Now the Tiger Gang has met the same fate..."
His gaze seemed to casually sweep across Chen Qing's face.
After brief pleasantries, Song Hu cupped his hands in farewell, "Then I'll take my leave first. Brother Chen, if you have leisure time, you can always find me at the fish market."
"Of course."
Chen Qing also returned the courtesy.
Watching Song Hu and his three companions' figures disappear, Chen Qing weighed the pouch in his hand, but his brow furrowed slightly.
He always felt the name "Song Hu" was inexplicably familiar.
In an instant, a flash of inspiration struck!
He remembered the name "Ah Hu" that Song Tie had mentioned before his death.
This person had just arrived recently, and the Tiger Gang was bloodily wiped out. Could there be such a coincidence in this world?!
"Giving silver is fake, testing me is the real purpose?"
Chen Qing's eyes suddenly turned cold. Without further hesitation, he moved swiftly, chasing in the direction Song Hu had left.
