Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 913 912 House Viewing
Tang Zhitong and Meng Qingfeng had arranged to meet at 1 p.m., but time was tight, so the two hurriedly ate lunch in the office and went to the main gate of the National Library of China.

"Director Meng." As soon as Tang Zhitong stepped out the door, she saw Meng Qingfeng standing by the roadside, looking around as if trying to figure out which direction she would come from.

"Hey, Xiao Tang, you're here early." Meng Qingfeng turned around with a big smile when he heard Tang Zhitong's voice.

"I arrived a little early and had lunch at the National Library. Thank you for your help, Director Meng." Tang Zhitong took the initiative to shake hands with Meng Qingfeng. This guy had it tough too; he was sweating profusely in the middle of the day, and his hair, which was circling the Mediterranean Sea, was soaked with sweat and stubbornly stuck to his scalp, making him look somewhat comical.

"No trouble at all, it's all part of what our chemical raw materials company should do." Meng Qingfeng released his grip, nodded to Xiao Wang as a greeting, and then said to Tang Zhitong, "Our company has found two courtyards, one in Xishiku and the other in Dashizuo Hutong. Which one shall we go see first?"

"What do you think?" Tang Zhitong looked at Xiao Wang to see which side she preferred.

"How about we go to Xishiku first?" Xiao Wang was very familiar with this area. There were hospitals and primary schools around Xishiku, and it was close to Xisi, making life more convenient.

“Okay.” Tang Zhitong readily agreed.

"Let's go to Xishiku first. Can we leave the bicycles here? It's only about 400 or 500 meters away. We can walk there." Seeing that Tang Zhitong and the other person hadn't brought out their bicycles, Meng Qingfeng had the idea of ​​leaving them at the National Library. He also wanted to take this opportunity to further his friendship with Tang Zhitong.

"Okay, I'll tell the security guard." Tang Zhitong took the initiative to do the job. He often offered cigarettes to the security guard, and now it was time to use his help.

After parking the bicycles, Meng Qingfeng led the way, introducing the house as they walked: "This house was built a long time ago. It was destroyed when the Boxers attacked the church a few years ago, and it was rebuilt later. It's about forty years old now, and it was just renovated a few years ago. You'll see when you go and take a look. It's a very well-organized two-courtyard house."

Tang Zhitong listened and nodded. He knew the name Xishiku. Xishiku was a warehouse complex built by the Ming and Qing dynasties to supply royal supplies. Although it was later abandoned, many good things were buried underground, including tung oil.

Later, when the site was being renovated and rebuilt, a lot of artifacts were unearthed during the foundation work.

As for why it was buried underground, no one knows anymore. Tang Zhitong guessed it might be related to the turmoil.

The Boxers were very influential in Beijing at the time, and their slogans were loud and clear: "Eat noodles without vinegar, bombard Xishiku; eat noodles without soy sauce, bombard Jiaomin Lane."

At that time, there were not many people in the Xishiku Church, only about forty guns, but the Boxers managed to besiege it for two months without breaking in.

It is clear that without a clear framework, simply knowing how to draw talismans and drink talismanic water is of little use.

"Look at this gate, look at this yard, isn't it neat and tidy? It's been used as a warehouse for so many years, and it's always been well-maintained and clean. There are more than ten rooms, enough for your children to live in when they get married." There was someone on duty at the warehouse. Meng Qingfeng knocked on the door, and after scanning his face to open it, he invited Tang Zhitong and his wife inside.

Xiao Wang took a walk around and was very satisfied with the courtyard.

With its blue bricks and gray tiles, and its simple and ancient design, the house has a complete set of main and secondary gates, as well as east and west wing rooms, east and west side rooms, a rear building, and a toilet—a total of fifteen rooms!
If this were for owner-occupancy during the rental period, it might have been considered as exceeding the limit.

“The Xishiku Primary School is right outside the courtyard, so the children can go to school right away. A little further west is Xisi, which is convenient for buying anything. There are hospitals, post offices, cinemas, and restaurants all around, and several bus lines pass by here. Safety is not a concern either, as there are guards and patrols across the street. I think this place is quite suitable.”

Meng Qingfeng personally values ​​this courtyard highly. It is the chemical raw materials company's most prized fixed asset, and he might not be willing to part with it if it were someone else.

“This place is quite close to my sister’s school, so she can sleep in a little longer. I won’t even need to pick her up after school; it’s just a short walk home. It’s just that there are two gates here, which makes the yard a bit small, and it’s a little inconvenient to plant things in the back.” Little Wang knew that Meng Qingfeng was telling the truth and was satisfied with the yard, but she still found some shortcomings because she knew that her mother-in-law had always been thinking about the vegetable garden.

After moving, and not being familiar with the neighbors, Xiao Wang felt that her mother-in-law would definitely feel bored if she no longer had a vegetable garden to pass the time.

“Hmm, you make a good point.” Tang Zhitong nodded in agreement, then asked Meng Qingfeng, “Director Meng, if we use this set for the exchange, how much extra money will we have to pay?”

The Tang family's old house in Tieluguba only has seven rooms, including the bathroom, which is half the size of the original house. Moreover, the land here is in a good location and expensive, so the price difference is not a small amount.

“Well… according to regulations, 20 square meters is considered one room. This place has at least three more rooms than your ancestral home. Not counting the difference in land price, these three rooms alone will cost at least a thousand.” Meng Qingfeng had already considered this issue and was very familiar with quoting prices.

"To be honest, this price is a bit beyond our budget. What about the other house?" Tang Zhitong shook his head after hearing this. Money was only one aspect. The north side of this house was surrounded by various factories, and the exhaust fumes and noise from them could reach this area every day, so the environment wasn't very good.

More importantly, this place is located at the southern end of Xishiku Street. In another ten years or so, when the authorities straighten out Xishiku Street, it will have to be demolished.

How much compensation could one expect during a demolition in the 1980s?
Tang Zhitong was reluctant to go through the trouble; he planned to look at another set first, make a comparison, and then decide.

“The other one is older and looks a bit worn, but it’s very well-built. The yard is about the same size as this one, but it doesn’t have a second gate or a rear building. The price difference would be less if we exchange it. Why don’t we go take a look over there?” Meng Qingfeng suggested, seeing that Tang Zhitong wasn’t very satisfied.

"Alright, then we'll have to trouble Director Meng." Tang Zhitong and Xiao Wang exchanged a glance and decided to go to Dashizuo Hutong again.

On the way there, Meng Qingfeng quietly said to Tang Zhitong, "Brother Tang, I don't consider you an outsider. I'll definitely help you negotiate the price. If you're short on cash, I have some spare money here. Take it and use it. I'm not saying this out loud, but this area is practically in the heart of the city, much better than your old house."

"Thank you, Brother Meng. I know you mean well. We'll try our best to choose one of these two houses so as not to cause you any more trouble. If I'm short of money, I'll definitely ask you for help and won't stand on ceremony with you." Tang Zhitong knew that Meng Qingfeng was trying to get closer to her, but she also knew that he was telling the truth.

Before the Republic of China era, the social classes in Beijing were clearly and explicitly divided by the city walls.

The saying "East is rich and west is noble, south is poor and north is lowly" refers to the inner city and outer city, in addition to the Forbidden City and the Imperial City.

The Forbidden City refers to the Palace Museum, where the emperor and his family lived. The Imperial City is the area surrounding the Forbidden City, which was originally surrounded by city walls.

The Imperial City housed government offices, warehouses, workshops, stables, and other facilities exclusively for the royal family. The servants of the Imperial Household Department also resided within the Imperial City. Besides the Imperial Household Department personnel, many high-ranking officials also lived within the Imperial City; for example, Zhang Zhidong once lived in Dashizuo Hutong, which we are about to visit.

The imperial city walls remained intact until 1920, but were later demolished for various reasons, including but not limited to widening roads, facilitating traffic, and repairing sewage pipes.

The bricks used for the city wall were not wasted; under the leadership of Qi Yaoshan and Feng Yuxiang, they were all sold.

Currently, only a section of the Imperial City Wall remains near Lingjing Hutong in Beijing; the rest has been lost to history and become part of some building.

Meng Qingfeng was very satisfied with Tang Zhitong's response and recommended the courtyard house in Dashizuo Hutong to Tang Zhitong and his wife: "Although the house in Dashizuo is a bit old, it has a good location. It is bordered by Jingshan Park to the east and Beihai Park to the west, making it very convenient for taking walks. Most of the residents in the neighborhood live in detached houses, so there are usually few conflicts and it is very quiet. Moreover, the security is quite good, with guards on duty on both the east and west sides."

"I often pass by the entrance of Dashizuo Hutong, it really is a good place." Tang Zhitong is quite familiar with Dashizuo, and he and his classmate Xiao Wang have passed by here almost every day for the past two years.

To the west of Dashizuo Hutong is Wenjin Street, and at the east end of Wenjin Street is a bridge connecting Zhonghai and Beihai. There are guards on the south side of the bridge.

The east side of Dashizuo Hutong is adjacent to Dagao Temple, also known as Dagao Xuan Temple. It is the only Taoist temple exclusively used by the Ming and Qing dynasties' royal families and belongs to the Palace Museum.

In 1950, due to the needs of the Korean War, the General Staff "borrowed" the Da Gao Hall from the Forbidden City, and this borrowing lasted for nearly 60 years.

Such places are naturally guarded by people on duty.

Upon arriving at Dashizuo Hutong, Meng Qingfeng found his workplace's courtyard, knocked on the door, and introduced himself:

"It's quite a coincidence that this is our company's backup warehouse. A while ago, someone complained that the smell was a bit strong, and we were planning to relocate it. If you're interested in this one, the exchange process will be less resistant."

After the door opened, Meng Qingfeng let the two in. He wanted to befriend Tang Zhitong, so after mentioning her strengths, he also revealed his weaknesses:
"However, this place also has its drawbacks. It used to be a stone storage and processing site. Over the years, the ground has become very hard, so it will probably take some effort to grow anything here."

“There was a hailstorm a couple of days ago, which broke many of the roof tiles and also smashed a hole in the main house. We haven’t had time to repair it yet. If you’re interested, we’ll definitely fix it before the replacement.”

"Okay, Director Meng, let me take a look first." Since there were staff on duty present, Tang Zhitong couldn't address Meng Qingfeng too intimately, so he could only listen and nod with a smile. Although this place lacked hospitals, restaurants, and shopping malls compared to Xishiku, it wasn't noisy and even had a somewhat tranquil atmosphere.

Since there was no second gate, the courtyard seemed more spacious, and the east and west wing rooms and side rooms were quite complete. As for the land, Tang Zhitong felt it was the least important thing. With the help of the external cheat, not to mention turning the land over, it would be a matter of minutes to completely replace it with fertile black soil.

“Most of the houses here are private residences, and the tap water is piped into each household. The electricity meters are also individual for each household. In the future, the billing will be based on the meter, so there will be no disputes.” After walking this distance, Meng Qingfeng was already drenched in sweat. As he spoke, he turned on the tap and washed his face.

"That's great. Director Meng, why do I smell a vegetable aroma? The residents here have a high standard of living!" Although it was past mealtime, the air was filled with the aroma of vegetables. Tang Zhitong sniffed, trying to figure out what kind of vegetables they were.

"Hey, it's mainly the east and west sides. The food on the east side is regulated and a bit better than that of ordinary residents. On Qiong Island to the west, there's the Fangshan Restaurant, right? Sometimes you can smell the cooking from there even when the northwest wind blows." Meng Qingfeng wiped the water off his face, shook the water off his hands, and pointed to the staff on duty here with a smile: "In our company's shift schedule, this side is the most sought-after. Just smelling the food can make you eat two extra ounces of rice."

The staff on duty just laughed when the leader used himself as an example, but in their hearts they were already complaining: Only a fool would be willing to be on duty here. It's true that the smell makes one want to eat, but the problem is that they don't have that much food ration. Most of the time, they just suffer from the smell.

"That's great! If we live here, we won't even have to cook." Tang Zhitong chuckled, not taking Meng Qingfeng's words seriously. Anyone who has ever been hungry knows that the more you smell a delicious aroma, the hungrier you get, and you simply can't resist it.

However, this is also a good thing. If they really move here, and occasionally the smell of food leaks out unintentionally, the neighbors will assume it's blowing in from the east or west, and will most likely not think that the Tang family is improving their meals.

Tang Zhitong stood at the door of the side room and peered inside. Various oil drums were piled up everywhere, and it was hard to tell exactly how big the room was through the glass.

"Open all the doors and let some air out," Meng Qingfeng instructed the staff on duty, seeing that Tang Zhitong was interested in the house.

As soon as the door opened, Tang Zhitong not only got a more direct feel for the size of the room, but also got a real look at the building materials and condition of the house.

"Director Meng, which primary school is this area?" Tang Zhitong asked as he came out of the east wing, remembering the school district issue.

"The primary school should be on Beichang Street, right?" Meng Qingfeng was a little unsure and asked the staff member on duty.

"Yes, Manager Meng. This area belongs to Xicheng District. It's near Beichang Street Primary School. After leaving the alley, cross Jingshanqian Street, and walk along Beichang Street for about four or five hundred meters, and you'll arrive." The employee raised his arm and pointed towards the corner tower of the Forbidden City.

Upon hearing this, Tang Zhitong looked at Xiao Wang and asked with a smile, "It's not too far, Beichang Street Elementary School, is it alright?"

“It’s definitely good, no worse than Shijia Hutong Elementary School.” Xiao Wang smiled. She works at the National Library of China and is quite familiar with this area. In addition to ordinary people, eunuchs and palace maids from the previous dynasty and their families, several big shots who are often mentioned in the newspapers also live on Beichang Street. The students of Beichang Street Elementary School are all the younger generation of the nearby residents, and the school’s teaching staff is second to none in the education sector of Beijing.

Tang Zhitong chuckled and said nothing more. It was quite fitting for Xiao Wang to compare Shijia Hutong Primary School, since the now-famous Jingshan Primary School had only been established this year.

After inspecting each room, Tang Zhitong noticed a hole the size of an egg in the roof of the main house. It wasn't a big problem; he could even fix it himself without going up to the roof using his external device.

Standing in the courtyard, Tang Zhitong could see Jingshan Park to the east, the White Pagoda on Qionghua Island to the west, and the corner tower of the Forbidden City to the south. Nestled against the mountains and beside the water, and adjacent to the imperial palace, its location was truly impeccable.

If I had to point out a downside, it would probably be that parking is difficult here now that the economy has taken off.

"Which one do you prefer?" This house is a bit more dilapidated. Although Tang Zhitong likes it, she still wants to ask Xiao Wang for his opinion.

(End of this chapter)