Chapter 134: Live in the Dormitory

　　Starting from the second half of 1975, a number of people were rehabilitated one after another. There were not many people who wanted to sell their houses, but if they could be found, there would definitely be quite a few.

　　Fu Shaohua even went home to inquire about this, and then brought Jiang Youtao and others to Yangshu Hutong behind his house.

　　Fu Shaohua took them to one of the courtyards: "Someone wants to sell this courtyard."

　　The properties of those who were rehabilitated were also returned one after another, and this courtyard house was one of them.

　　The three of them followed Fu Shaohua in. There were six or seven families living inside. There were a few elderly ladies basking in the sun in the yard. When they saw Jiang Youtao and the others come in, they looked wary.

　　After the property was returned, the landlord notified those who originally lived in the compound and asked them to find a place to move out as soon as possible because he wanted to sell the house.

　　The people living in the compound were not happy, but after they cried and made a fuss, the police and the street office came and all gave opinions that were in favor of the landlord.

　　Now, people who have lived in these house for a long time have only one thought: pray that the landlord cannot sell the house!

　　They have lived here all their lives and don't want to move.

　　But their prayers were obviously in vain, as people who came to see the house kept coming and going in recent days.

　　Most of them were squeezed out by these old ladies.

　　"Girls, are you here to look at the house?" A round-faced old lady asked with a forced smile, speaking in Beijing dialect, which was completely different from the accent in the Northeast.

　　Jiang Youtao is still a little uncomfortable.

　　Jiang Youtao's eyes fell on her for a moment and nodded: "Yes, we heard that this courtyard was for sale, so we came to take a look first."

　　The square-faced old lady opposite the round-faced old lady slapped her thigh and said, "Girl, let me tell you, the houses in this courtyard are not very good. They are small and narrow, there is no light, and many walls are broken and rotten."

　　The squinty-eyed old lady next to the square-faced old lady tried hard to open her eyes: "That's right, many people died in this house. My old man just passed away two months ago."

　　The three of them were afraid that they would not believe it, so they took the initiative to take them around. The courtyard was indeed quite old, and many of the walls were peeling. The room where the squinty-eyed old lady lived was still hung with a white sail, and her windows were covered with paper. The room was dark, and the white sail was particularly dazzling.

　　In her previous life, Gu Nianwei had heard that in the 1970s, some people were unwilling to return the properties and did many disgusting things, but it was rare to do so.

　　Jiang Youtao was also amazed.

　　The landlord heard the news and came over. Seeing the three old ladies taking people around to look for houses again, he felt dizzy.

　　Since his property was returned to him last year, countless people have come to see his house in the past year, but no one is willing to buy it. Why? Because they are disgusted by the white sails in the house.

　　"Mrs. Gong, please remove the white sails from your house. Your old man has been dead for two years. Don't you feel scared living in the house alone at night?"

　　This was not the first time that Mrs. Gong had been exposed by the landlord. She sat down on the ground skillfully and began to roll around on her thighs, saying, "I'm not afraid. What should I be afraid of? We live in this courtyard because it was arranged by the street office. Why should we move out if they say we can live here? This is the house allocated to us by the state. It belongs to us at all times."

　　Mrs. Gong just doesn't want to move!

　　The landlord was so angry that he was shaking: "The street office has been here before. This house belongs to me. You must move out and return it!"

　　Mrs. Gong didn't care and started crying about the past, crying about how her family had been poor peasants for eight generations, crying about how they had worked hard all their lives, but when they got old their house was going to be taken away by the capitalists and landlords.

　　Her crying was full of ups and downs, and several other old ladies also started crying. The whole yard was filled with crying, which was so rhythmic that it made people's heads buzz.

　　Fu Shaohua whispered to Jiang Youtao and the others, "The other courtyards that are being sold are all in a similar situation! This one is still relatively good. I heard that some families in the main alley even hanged themselves in order to avoid moving out of the large courtyard."

　　Jiang Youtao and Gu Nianwei looked at him with sharp eyes. Fu Shaohua continued, "He really hanged himself. There is no fakery at all. He is dead."

　　Whether it is a house in the capital or in the central city, anyone with a little business sense knows that the price of this land will definitely increase, but sometimes, some homeowners still choose to sell their houses.

　　One reason is that they are afraid of being persecuted and are afraid that if they keep the house, they will be brought up again one day and be arrested and persecuted again.

　　Second, each family living in these slums is more difficult to deal with than the other.

　　In addition to these two reasons, there is another and most important reason why these houses are difficult to sell: the price cannot be agreed upon. If the price is too low, the owner feels that he is losing money; if the price is too high, the buyer feels that the house is run-down and there are difficult residents inside, so it is not worth the price.

　　The round-faced old lady had been paying close attention to them. When she heard them mumbling, she was delighted. She wiped her tears and said, "Girls, you have money, why do you have to compete with us poor people for housing? You should buy a building. It's so spacious and comfortable to live in."

　　Jiang Youtao didn't like what the round-faced old lady said. It was a bit of a moral kidnapping. If someone else heard what she said, such as forcing a poor person to live in a house, they would definitely not buy a house.

　　After all, what's the difference between what these words sound like and what the landlords, rich capitalists used to say?

　　Jiang Youtao felt that morality was something that could be disregarded sometimes, just like now, she had no morals, and the round-faced old lady could not bind her. She looked at the round-faced old lady with a smile.

　　"I don't think so. I just like courtyard houses. Look, there's so much space in the courtyard. It's so nice to run around when you have nothing to do. If I lived in an apartment building, I would be afraid that the neighbors downstairs would come up and knock on the door if I walked loudly."

　　"Besides, I don't think this house is run-down. After all, I have the money to buy the yard, so why can't I spend a little money on renovation? I am not afraid of people dying there. Looking at the entire land of China, is there any inch of land where people haven't died? Besides, we are destroying the four olds now, so feudal superstition is not allowed."

　　"You said that this is unreasonable, old lady. If you use this again, I will have to go to the Revolutionary Committee to have a good talk with them."

　　Jiang Youtao's words made the square-faced old lady's face darken. The landlord looked at Jiang Youtao with a gleam in his eyes.

　　While Jiang Youtao and the square-faced old lady were arguing, Gu Nianwei and Xu Manqiu had already looked around the courtyard. She stared at the wall behind the east wing for a long time.

　　The square-faced old lady didn't dare to speak. In the past few years, many people were beaten for talking about feudal superstitions. What if she said it again and was criticized? She is in her fifties or sixties, her children are grown up and working, and her grandchildren are in school. It's not worth it, not worth it.

　　"Let's go." Gu Nianwei walked to Jiang Youtao and pulled her out. The landlord immediately caught up with her, and the old lady with squinting eyes saw the landlord leave, and she got up quickly.

　　She hadn't even wiped the tears from her face when she revealed a smug smile.

　　The round-faced old lady figured out something, and her heart was beating fast.

　　The landlord caught up with Jiang Youtao and the others and said, "Comrade, comrade, do you really want to buy this house? If you really want to buy it, the price can be lower."

　　Jiang Youtao and Gu Nianwei looked at each other and asked, "How much are you offering?"

　　The landlord slapped his hand and said, "Five thousand."

　　Five thousand is not a small amount. Take Jian Rou and Fu Shaoguo for example. They were formal employees when they first joined the company, and their monthly salary is only 36.5. For 5,000 yuan, one of them would have to go without food and drink for 11 years to be able to afford it.

　　Jiang Youtao's expression suddenly faded: "Brother, you are not sincere! It's just a shabby yard. After buying it, I have to tidy it up myself. This alone costs a lot of money, otherwise there is no way to live here. Besides, so many tenants in your yard don't seem to be easy to get along with. It will take me a lot of effort to get them to move out. It's not worth it."

　　The landlord also knows the situation of his yard. At the beginning, he offered the house at 8,000 yuan, but now he has lowered the price to 5,000 yuan.

　　The landlord thought that if he couldn't sell it, he would lose the yard. They had been sent down before, and the people in the yard were not afraid of him at all. He would not get any respect there!

　　The landlord asked, "How much can you offer?"

　　Jiang Youtao knows how to bargain! She has been calculating since she was young. Others bargain by the waist, but Jiang Youtao is different. She bargains by the legs: "1000."

　　The landlord's originally friendly expression changed instantly: "You said I was not sincere, I think you are not sincere either. I asked for 5,000, but you only offered 1,000. What a loss I am going to suffer!"

　　"It can't be sold at this price. Go out and ask around. What kind of place is Yangshu Hutong? It used to be where the rich and powerful lived!"

　　Gu Nianwei said: "You also said that was in the past, but now it's all a slum."

　　Gu Nianwei was telling the truth, and the landlord was furious. He took two deep breaths and said, "4900, no less. I have three main rooms, two side rooms, four wing rooms, and two back rooms in my yard. The yard is also big."

　　Jiang Youtao continued to chop: "1500."

　　The homeowner's face turned black: "4800."

　　"1600."

　　The two of them slowly pushed and pulled the price one hundred at a time until it reached 2,300, a price that both parties were satisfied with.

　　By the time the price was determined, forty minutes had passed. Gu Nianwei and the others disliked the strong wind and had found a place sheltered from the wind to wait.

　　Jiang Youtao was very satisfied with the price. 2,300 for such a large courtyard house. If it were to be put into use 40 years later, wouldn't the market value be calculated in billions? Even with inflation, the 2,300 yuan for the courtyard house would be worth it!

　　Both of them were afraid of the consequences, so they immediately went to the landlord's house to sign the agreement.

　　After Jiang Youtao paid one hundred yuan in cash and signed the agreement, the landlord finally breathed a sigh of relief.

　　When they were being packed up by agreement, Gu Nianwei asked the homeowner: "I saw a wall built in your backyard. Do you have a backyard?"

　　The landlord glanced at Gu Nianwei and said, "My yard has two entrances. The front yard is the one I just sold to you. The back yard is next to the willow tree. The back yard is smaller. There are two main rooms, four side rooms, and two ear rooms. There are also many people living in that yard, but the people there are easier to talk to than those in the front yard."

　　Jiang Youtao didn't look carefully and didn't know it was a two-story house. She looked at the owner again and said, "One thousand yuan, are you selling the two-story house?"

　　The landlord was really surprised this time: "You want it?"

　　"As long as you sell it, I want it."

　　The landlord was thinking of selling both houses to one owner, and then breaking through the wall, wouldn't it be the same as before?

　　His grandfather passed away within two years of the movement. Before he passed away, he missed the courtyard of his home. That was where he and his grandmother lived when they got married. His parents, uncles, and aunts all grew up in that courtyard.

　　Unfortunately, the family was broken up. Some of the family members died or were injured. Now he was the only one who was left intact. He knew that he could not keep the yard. If he could not sell it, the yard would eventually become the property of the people who lived there now.

　　"That's the price! Sell!"

　　The two redrafted the agreement. This time, both parties were truly satisfied.

　　In her previous life, Jiang Youtao never dared to dream of owning a two-story courtyard house in the capital!

　　Seeing that Jiang Youtao had finished buying, Gu Nianwei started thinking about her own house: "Brother, is there anyone who wants to sell a yard like yours?"

　　"You want to buy?" The landlord said this sentence, which sounded very familiar. He just said it ten minutes ago!

　　"Buy it. I want two sets!" Gu Nianwei made a "yeah" gesture to him.

　　The landlord looked at her carefully for a while, then asked them to wait at his house. After a while, an elderly couple supporting each other came up behind him.

　　"This is Uncle Yu and Aunt Yu. They have two courtyard houses for sale." After a pause, the landlord continued, "The two houses next to mine are theirs. They also have two courtyards."

　　"What price do you want?" Gu Nianwei asked.

　　The old couple said, "Our house is not as big as Xiao Jin's. His house sold for 3,300 for two rooms, but ours sold for 3,100 for two rooms."

　　The old couple had already discussed it on the way here.

　　Their children died in that decade, and they are old and afraid that they will not be able to keep the house, so they might as well sell the house and keep some money for their retirement.

　　Gu Nianwei had no intention of bargaining. The price was already very cheap and not outrageous. If the landlord had asked for 5,000 as he had done at the beginning, she would have definitely turned around and left.

　　"Okay. Sign the contract."

　　Gu Nianwei didn't even go to see the house. It was just a large compound where a lot of people had lived. When these people moved out, she would still have to renovate it.

　　The two courtyard houses with two entrances cost a total of 6,200 yuan. Gu Nianwei gave a deposit of 200 yuan. It was really too cheap, so cheap that Gu Nianwei wanted to cry.

　　If the situation did not allow it, she really wanted to fly to Shanghai and buy the small western-style house in the concession that she had been dreaming of. The price would definitely be very attractive.

　　They agreed to go through the contract together in the afternoon, and then everyone went their separate ways.

　　Shao Qing knew they were coming, so she came back early and started cooking.

　　After lunch and a nap, the two went to the bank to withdraw money. This money was deposited when they left Yangping County, so that they could buy a house in the future.

　　After taking the money and putting it in the bag, everyone headed towards the agreed place. Xiao Jin and the old couple were already waiting at the door with their ID cards.

　　Everyone handed over money and documents at the Housing Authority. After the people at the Housing Authority looked at the documents, Xiao Jin stuffed two big unity bills into their hands, and they readily reissued the property deeds for them.

　　The two of them went out happily with the house deeds, but Xiao Jin and the old couple felt different from them.

　　It took their older generation so much effort to build that house, and now that they have sold it, who would feel good about it?

　　Before leaving, Jiang Youtao looked at Xiao Jin and said, "Brother Jin, if you know of anyone who wants to sell a yard, just go to the Fu family in the back alley and tell them. As long as the price is right, we'll take it."

　　Xiao Jin looked at Jiang Youtao and Gu Nianwei deeply, nodded, and then left.

　　Jiang Youtao and Gu Nianwei hugged the bag containing the house ownership certificates tightly. Xu Manqiu was very envious of them as they owned so many houses at such a young age.

　　Jiang Youtao touched her head and said, "Qiu'er, when there is a suitable house, I will lend you money and you can buy a small yard. When you make money, you can pay me back."

　　Xu Manqiu was very tempted. She also wanted to own a house of her own, but she couldn't take it: "No need, Sister Taotao. I already owe you too much money. I don't dare to be in debt anymore."

　　Even though Jiang Youtao and Gu Nianwei had said many times that they provided Xu Manqiu with food, drink and schooling and she didn't need to pay it back, Xu Manqiu still decided to pay it back. Jiang Youtao and Gu Nianwei were good to her because they were good people.

　　She couldn't take it for granted that Jiang Youtao and the others had to sacrifice for her. There weren't so many things that were taken for granted in this world. She was not Jiang Youtao and Gu Nianwei's responsibility, and they had no obligation to support her.

　　So she has to pay back the money.

　　Jiang Youtao patted Xu Manqiu on the shoulder.

　　After knowing that Jiang Youtao and her friend were raising Xu Manqiu, many teachers in the Yangping County Middle School staff quarters felt confused, but Jiang Youtao always felt that raising Xu Manqiu was worth it.

　　Just based on her character, she deserves to be treated well by them.

　　Fu Shaohua followed them all the way. When he saw that his girlfriend already had a house and wanted to buy another one, he was also moved.

　　There will be a family gathering tomorrow, and Fu Shaohua is thinking about how to get some money from his grandfather and elders. After all, he is the only one in the Fu family who was admitted to Capital University!

　　His father said that this was a matter of honor for the family, and that it was the ancestral tomb of the old Fu family that was smoking and on fire. If he didn't give the old Fu family a look, how could he be worthy of his family's ancestral tomb!

　　Fu Shaohua rubbed his hands together, quietly waiting for tomorrow to come.

　　Jiang Youtao and the others returned to the dormitory. Feng Yunyun was reading a book. She smiled at Jiang Youtao and the others but didn't say much.

　　Jiang Youtao and the other person crawled behind the curtain, one stuffed the property certificate into the system backpack, and the other put the property certificate into the space.

　　There was a noise outside. It was the other two roommates who had returned. One of them was from the local area, Zhong Lingling, and the other was also an educated youth from Hebei Province, Cheng Linfang. They had just arrived this morning.

　　Jiang Youtao was not very familiar with them, so she just introduced them to each other.

　　At this point, five out of the eight people in the dormitory had arrived.

　　The next morning, before Jiang Youtao and the others woke up, someone came into the room again. The noise was so noisy that it made people feel annoyed. Jiang Youtao opened the curtain and took a closer look. It was someone she knew!

　　Ning Lei and Du Xun'an, both are here.

　　Du Xun'an also saw Jiang Youtao, and his eyes looked at her bed carelessly.

　　The obscene look makes people feel disgusted from the bottom of their hearts.

　　Ning Lei didn't expect to see them in the new dormitory and was a little surprised. In order to avoid those classmates who disgusted her in her previous life, she went to the instructor to change her dormitory as soon as she arrived at school.

　　Teachers in today's schools are afraid of students, so when she went there and told the teacher, she changed her assignment. However, the dormitories in the History Department were full and no one was willing to exchange dormitories with her, so they had to assign her to the Literature Department.

　　Ning Lei wanted it very much. She really didn't want to see those people again. She had no contact with the people in the literature department in her previous life. New friends, new life, she will definitely live a good life in this life.

　　Jiang Youtao picked up the shoes on the ground and threw them at Du Xun'an. Her aim was very good and the shoe hit Du Xun'an right on the head. "Where are you looking with those two eyes?"

　　"Don't you know that boys are not allowed into the girls' dormitory?" Jiang Youtao looked at Ning Lei.

　　Ning Lei knew, of course, but she had too much luggage to carry by herself. Du Xun'an happened to come and show his courtesy. She thought about the things Du Xun'an had done to her in her past life, so what was wrong with asking him to help her carry some things now?!

　　Ning Lei never thought that it was inconvenient for boys to go in the girls' dormitory!

　　"Get out of here now, you guys are all shameless." Jiang Youtao felt that she had really evolved.

　　Look at the double entendre in her words, look at the sarcasm in her words.

　　She's simply the Onmyoji herself.