Buying a House

The dealership boss led the brother and sister to the main street, walking all the way to the last shop at the end. Past this point, there was only an alley.

The boss explained: "Don't let the location at the end of the street fool you. This place isn't isolated at all. In fact, many people traveling the main street, pass through this alley—it's just as busy as the middle section."

The siblings observed their surroundings and noticed there were indeed plenty of people around, no less than what they'd seen in the middle of the street. The neighboring shops and those across the way all seemed to be doing good business too.

Qibao glanced at the locked shop—it was two stories tall and quite spacious, but she couldn't see what it looked like inside.

Xu Wenwu asked: "Boss, could you show us inside first?"

"Sure, no problem!" The boss replied.

He took out a key from his pocket and unlocked the door.

As they entered, the space appeared vast and empty, with nothing inside except for a wooden counter.

The dealership boss said: "What do you think? This hall can easily fit eighty or ninety tables. And upstairs, there are over twenty private rooms. Would you like me to show you the second floor?"

The siblings nodded, following the boss up to the second story.

"Look at this hallway. It's wide and airy, even when crowded. From here, you can see down to the first floor. The view is great. I'll show you the private rooms now."

The dealership owner pushed open a private room door: "See this big window? Standing here, you can look out onto the next street over. The room itself is sizable too. With some paintings and potted plants for decoration, it'd be perfect."

Qibao thought it was nice. The store looked fairly new, all they'd need was for Uncle Qian to bring some people over and give it a fresh coat of paint. Most importantly, being able to buy such a large store on Xuanyang Town's main street was sheer luck.

Xu Wenwu asked: "Little sister, what do you think?"

Qibao nodded: "It's good. But how much? You tell us the price."

The dealer smiled: "You've seen the location and size. I won't fib. It's 28,000 taels."

Qibao inwardly gasped. Though she'd prepared herself, she hadn't expected the price to be so high.

She could easily afford it, but it still made her marvel at how expensive things were in Xuanyang. Still, this shop was much bigger than the one in Qingyun City. Overall, she was quite satisfied.

The shopkeeper continued: "Gentlemen, there's a small yard at the back of this place. It's not much, but it's a good spot to rest. I haven't charged you for it. Consider it a gesture of goodwill. When you start doing business here, we might be able to help each other out."

Xu Wenwu nodded: "Sounds good."

The shopkeeper was clearly pleased: "Great! I remember you mentioned wanting to find housing earlier. Should we go check something out while we have the time?"

Xu Wenwu agreed: "Lead the way!"

"Perfect! I'll take you to a house near here. If you like it, it'll be convenient—just a short walk from the shop." The shopkeeper said with a smile.

"I prefer somewhere quiet." Xu Wenwu said: "Too much noise isn't good for resting."

"Rest assured." The shopkeeper replied: "The neighbors here are all wealthy residents of Xuanyang Town. The environment is top-notch. You'll see for yourself when we get there!"

The house wasn't far. Following the shopkeeper, they turned onto a wide alley. Rows of houses lined both sides, their gates tightly shut, with stone lions guarding the entrances.

"We're here! This is the place!"

Qibao looked in the direction the shopkeeper was pointing. Two heavy black gates stood before them, looking solid and secure.

The dealership owner unlocked the gate with a key. Qibao stepped inside and began to look around.

The house was very large. On either side of the main entrance were workshops. Beyond a folding screen lay the outer courtyard. Past that, the inner courtyard had bedrooms on both sides.

Further inside, the main residence stood flanked by two side rooms. Beyond it, a third courtyard led to a row of rear buildings.

"What do you think of this place?" Xu Wenwu asked.

"It doesn't look like anyone's lived here before." She said.

The owner laughed: "You have keen eyes, young man. The previous owners were a family of three. They never got a chance to move in. Their son caught the eye of an important person in the capital and was asked to stay and work there. Not wanting to leave his parents behind, he brought them to the capital as well. That's why they sold this house to me."

"I see. So what's the price?" Xu Wenwu asked.

"This house costs 20,000 taels of silver. If you want both properties, the shop and the house, it would be 28,000 taels plus 20,000 taels, making it 48,000 taels in total." The owner explained with a smile.

Qibao thought the price was reasonable. It wasn't cheap, but it wasn't more than the house was worth. She nodded to her brother.

"Great!" Xu Wenwu exclaimed: "We'll take both the shop and the house!"

The dealerships boss's face lit up: "Aiyoh! Young Master, you're the most straightforward person I've ever met! I'll give you a guarantee. If any problems arise with either the house or the shop, come to me at the dealership, and I'll make sure they get resolved."

"Thank you very much!" Xu Wenwu said gratefully.

The dealership boss smiled pleasantly: "Please follow me back. We need to handle the title deeds for the house and land. It won't take long."

Xu Wenwu nodded, unlocked the house, and re-locked it before the trio set off again.

At the dealership, the boss asked: "Young Master, whose name should I put on the property papers?"

"Both should be under Xu Linyue's name." Xu Wenwu replied.

Qibao pulled out a stack of silver notes from her waist pouch, counted out 48,000 taels, and handed them to the dealership's boss.

"Wonderful!" The boss said, taking the silver notes with both hands: "These documents need to be stamped at the prefectural office. Please wait here. I'll be back shortly."

Xu Wenwu nodded.

Before leaving, the dealership's boss instructed his assistant to serve the Xu siblings tea and snacks, ensuring they were well taken care of.

Xu Wenwu asked: "Sister, why buy this house if we're not living here? What else are you planning for?"

Qibao nodded: "Our five other brothers will have their own ideas in the future. They won't stay in Xujia Village forever. I want them to have a home in any place they go—somewhere warm and comfortable like our own."

Xu Wenwu felt a warm glow in his heart as he said: "You mean you also want other houses for our family in different places?"

"Wherever our stores are, there should be a home for us too." Qibao replied: "My dream is to open our business all over Dragon Soul Kingdom. Once everything settles down, I want to visit famous mountains and rivers, to see the sunset and soaring birds together, and enjoy the autumn waters meeting the sky."

Xu Wenwu looked at his sister's bright eyes. He always felt that his sister longed for freedom and should not trap herself in the small Xujia Village for the sake of her family.