GBP Chapter 462: The Yard is Bought
Chapter 462: The Yard is Bought
When Xie Dong heard that the deal was done, he smiled so hard that his teeth were showing and said quickly, "Let's go to the owner's house later to discuss the price. I'll ask Butler Zhao to go with us to get the house deed."
They came to the junction of East City and North City, where the old house of the Zhao family was. The house had five courtyards, but the house was a bit old, and it was obviously a wealthy family. When the housekeeper of the Zhao Mansion heard that they were buying a house, he invited them in to discuss it, saying that this required the master's consent.
Su He and his father followed Butler Zhao and Xie Dong to meet the master. The master of the Zhao family was an old man in his sixties, with a white beard, regular features, and a serious look. He used to be an official, but not now. Otherwise, Xie Dong would not call him Master Zhao, but should call him by his official title, such as Prime Minister Zhao, etc.
Xie Dong stepped forward and kowtowed, then said cautiously, "Master Zhao, this is the person who wants to buy the house. I'll bring him here for you to see."
Su He and the others did not kneel down, as they did not want to perform this ritual. They just bent over and bowed as a gesture of respect.
The old man asked them: "What is the purpose of buying a house? Who will live in it?"
Su He's father said: "My three children came to the palace for the exam, and the whole family stayed with them. Everyone in the family thought that the courtyard was quiet and peaceful, and it suited their tastes..."
Su He also nodded and said with a smile: "We don't need to change anything when we live there, it's good like this..."
In fact, when the old man heard that all three children could come to the palace for the examination, and that the father and daughter were neither humble nor arrogant, and what they said was very much to his liking, he thought that what he was waiting for was to cherish the people there so that he could sell it with confidence.
He said, "I want six thousand taels for this place. Seeing that you like it, promise me that you will take good care of this house. I will offer you five thousand eight hundred taels. Is that feasible?"
Su He's father smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhao. We will definitely take good care of the house and the price will be determined according to your request. Then you can have someone follow us to check the title deed."
As he spoke, he took out six thousand taels from his pocket and counted out two hundred taels, and handed the rest to Xie Dong. Xie Dong took the silver, counted it, took out the documents he had prepared in advance, asked both parties to sign and seal, and handed the money to Butler Zhao.
Butler Zhao counted the banknotes, placed them on the table next to their master, and then led them out of the hall.
Su He now had time to look at the yard. It looked a little old from the outside, but the inside was very well tidy. Every place seemed like a small scene, just like entering a Suzhou garden. Every step was a scene, and everywhere was a scene, showing that the Zhao family must be extraordinary.
Su He had guessed correctly. The master of the Zhao family was originally the Minister of Rites. Of his two sons, the eldest had long been sent out to take up a post and was now a prefect. The second son was unlucky and took many years to pass the exam. It turned out that he had been placed in a small official position under him.
Perhaps due to his limited ability, he never got any major promotion. Mr. Zhao was old and had probably seen through the officialdom, so he resigned and returned home. His second son had been marginalized in the Ministry of Rites without his protection, so he had to find someone to send him out.
The second son also thought that he might be able to achieve something by trying his luck outside. He was sent out to be a county magistrate, and in order to prevent him from becoming a corrupt official, Mr. Zhao sold his house.
Because they had already negotiated, and because they had acquaintances at the government office, they paid some money according to the rules and got the house deed done neatly. Su He and the others also took out a gift from the car and gave it to Butler Zhao to thank them for their cooperation.
After sending Butler Zhao away, he took out another gift for Xie Dong, thanking him for introducing such a nice house to him. At the same time, he promised to help him find a shop suitable for selling the four treasures of the study.
Xie Dong was very happy today. Both families were good, there was no need for so much entanglement, and he could make some money. The Su family also wanted to buy a shop from him, which was another big deal.
Their brokerage is responsible for renting and selling. Of course, the commission for buying and selling is high. This time, it was done at first sight, which was not easy. He smiled and promised to find a partner for them. When the Su family moved in, they could find him.