Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 44 Zheng Chaoyang's elder brother, Zheng Chaoshan
Cao Kun showed Cao Weida around for a long time. During their conversation, Cao Weida learned that Cao Kun's family originally ran a small business.

But after the Japanese came, his business plummeted.

Business was already difficult enough, but if things were more stable, it wouldn't be impossible to sustain it.

However, assassinations were frequent in Beiping. Whenever a Japanese soldier was assassinated, the entire city would be searched. Goods entering and leaving the city were not only ripped off multiple times, but people who were doing business were also extorted.

If it were local thugs or the like, that would be one thing, at least they'd leave a way out, since it's all about making a living eventually.

But for some reason, despite paying protection money, he was still frequently harassed by gangs, and the shop was really not going to stay open, so he thought about selling the house, transferring the shop, and moving somewhere else.

Although Cao Wei Da was his neighbor, they never interacted regularly, so he naturally didn't know whether what he said was true or not.

But he keenly sensed that Cao Kun was definitely hiding something.

As for how much of it is true and how much is false, that remains to be seen.

It didn't matter to him; he wasn't interested in the other person's affairs, as long as the house was right.

After looking around, Cao Weida was quite satisfied. "How much?"

“We’re all neighbors, so I won’t play games with you. I’ll offer a sincere price: 1,200 silver dollars.”

To be honest, this price isn't high.

During this period, the price of a courtyard house in an ordinary location was generally below 800, while the price of a slightly better location was between 1000 and 2000.

This isn't a prime location, but it's in a decent spot and quite well-preserved. 1200 silver dollars is a very reasonable price, within Cao Wei Da's acceptable range.

One seller is genuinely selling, and the other is genuinely selling; moreover, the landlord's asking price is very reasonable.

After some haggling, Cao Weida readily agreed to purchase the courtyard house for 1150.

After paying a deposit of 300 yuan and agreeing to transfer the property the next day, just as I was about to leave, a man in his thirties wearing a suit appeared at the door.

"Oh, Mr. Cao, what's this all about?"

"Chaoshan, are you off work?" Cao Kun greeted him, his tone helpless. "I'm forced into this situation. I'm planning to move to another city. My wife and kids have already gone there. I'm even planning to sell the old house."

At this point, he sighed, "The old house where my ancestors lived for generations has been sold off all at once. I'm so sorry to my ancestors!"

"Let me introduce you. This is Zheng Zhaoshan, a doctor at Beiping Hospital. Dr. Zheng is highly skilled in medicine. If you ever have a minor illness or injury, it will be a blessing to have such a skilled doctor as your neighbor!"

"Chaoshan, this is Cao Weida, a relative of mine, who works at the police station."

He didn't directly say he was a patrol officer, since the title didn't sound very appealing.

"Oh? Hello, hello, Zheng Zhaoshan, I have a younger brother named Zheng Zhaoyang, who also works at the police station. You might even know each other."

As a spy, he was bound to want to find out if the people next door suddenly changed.

He had known for a few days that the courtyard was going to be handed over to a new owner, and he had been keeping an eye on it ever since.

As a neighbor, it is perfectly reasonable for him to come and visit when the house next door changes owners.

For a hidden spy, the most important thing is to make all their actions as reasonable as possible.

"I've heard so much about Dr. Zheng. You can't possibly not know Dr. Zheng, can you? Whenever anyone in our neighborhood feels unwell, the first person they think of is Dr. Zheng. We neighbors are really lucky to have him. Hello, hello," Cao Weida said with a perfectly measured smile, his enthusiasm tinged with a hint of ingratiation.
"I do know Zheng Chaoyang. We'll be neighbors from now on, so we should visit each other more often."

How could he not recognize Zheng Chaoshan? In "Glorious Times," he was the head of the "Taoyuan" organization, a special operations group composed of cold-blooded agents!

In the TV series, he was considered a major villain in the early to mid-stages.

After getting to know Duomen, Cao Wei Da paid attention to Zheng Chaoshan, but did not learn much about him.

If such a high-ranking spy were to discover that he was specifically investigating him, things would be very bad.

"Not at all, not at all. They're just empty titles. As a doctor, saving lives is my duty." Zheng Chaoshan nodded with a smile, his attitude humble and polite, showing no trace of a spy.

"If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know. I have some things to take care of when I get back, so I'll head back now. When you move, be sure to come visit me!"

Cao Weida nodded with a smile, "Alright, I'll definitely bother you then. You go ahead with your work."

Zheng Chaoshan left, but Cao Wei Da didn't pay much attention to it.

A spy is often most dangerous when he is in hiding. Once you know his background and the mysterious disguise is removed, you will find that he is just a little more capable than an ordinary person.

Cao Wei Da was physically strong, but he had not learned close combat skills. He killed those Japanese soldiers mostly by sneaking up on them from behind.

Zheng Chaoshan is an elite agent of the Military Intelligence Bureau, skilled in assassination and combat techniques. With weapons in hand, Cao Weida, with his current skills, might not necessarily be able to defeat him.

Don't listen to those online trolls who brag that a strong physique can overcome any skill with sheer force. That's only true when both sides are unarmed. In a real fight, who's stupid enough to fight you hand-to-hand? So what if you're physically stronger? Someone can still slit your throat and you're dead. No matter how strong your physique is, you're still just a mortal. You can't be invincible.
So what? No matter how high your martial arts skills are, one shot will take you down. I can't beat you, but I don't believe you can withstand bullets!
This is the greatest advantage of time travelers—identity recognition!

Cao Weida called Xiangzi over, and after they got into the carriage, he said to Xiao Erduo:
"Cuihua, go and identify those thieves. If they are forced into this line of work by the pressures of life, let them go. If they have done something heinous, detain them. I will need them in the future."

"Okay, Brother Cao, I'll take care of it as soon as I get back."

"Xiangzi, let's go to No. 97 Nanluoguxiang."

Courtyard No. 97 is a single-entrance courtyard, and it is very close to Courtyard No. 95, which is separated by two alleyways.

Cao Weida ignored the No. 95 courtyard house and went directly to the No. 97 courtyard house.

The owner of courtyard house number 97, surnamed Cai, was arguing with Tian Zao with a helpless expression.

He offered 1500 silver dollars, which was a bit expensive, but Tian Zao immediately bargained it down to 900, making the veins on his forehead bulge.

"Oh dear, Uncle Cai, you're going to the US to enjoy your life, and you might not come back for a long time. You should hurry up and make your move so you won't be thinking about it while you're in the US."

"Even if I didn't care, you can't just reduce the price by this much, can you? No way!" The Cai family head hurriedly shook his head; this price had simply crossed his bottom line.

"I can't reason with you, girl. Let's wait for the buyer to arrive."

That girl is incredibly shrewd; she's always out and about.

He only gave her leftover two-layered flatbread because he thought she looked pitiful.

Although it took so long that the hard parts were almost impossible to chew, at least it was given away.

But in the end, he actually helped others undercut his price, which is outrageous.

Just as Tian Zao was about to say something more, she saw a rickshaw parked at the entrance. Her eyes lit up when she saw the person getting out.
"Look, the buyer's here! Brother Cao, Brother Cao, over here!"

"Thank you for your hard work." Cao Weida nodded with a smile. He had overheard their conversation and was quite pleased to see Tian Zao standing on his side and helping to negotiate the price.

"No trouble at all, come in and see what this courtyard is like." Ever since their last meeting, Tian Zao had inquired about Cao Weida's character from various sources.

The result was naturally good; everyone said that Cao Wei Da was a rare and excellent patrolman.

Tian Zao was naturally happy to help such a patrol officer.

She's really put in a lot of effort these past few days, although it's possible that Cao Wei Da gave her too much.
"You must be the buyer. It's a pleasure to meet you. My surname is Cai, and everyone calls me Lao Cai."

Cao Wei Da was not wearing a police uniform today, and this place was not within his jurisdiction, so the Cai family head did not recognize him.

"Cao Weida, it's a pleasure to meet you." After a brief greeting, Cao Weida had no interest in chatting with the other party and had the Cai family head accompany him on a tour of the courtyard.

"Mr. Cai, how much are you planning to sell it for?"

Mr. Cai had originally planned to ask for 1500, but after looking at Tian Zao next to him, he swallowed the number. "1300, that's the lowest price."

"Too high." Cao Weida shook his head. This courtyard was smaller than the one he had just booked, but its location was better. However, the courtyard was clearly not as well-maintained as the previous one. He stated his desired price:
"1100, if that's possible, I'll buy it; if not, then forget it."

Although he wasn't short of two or three hundred dollars, he wasn't a sucker either.

There are quite a few courtyard houses on the market nowadays, and there are plenty of people who want to sell them. If he doesn't want to sell, then so be it; he's not worried about finding buyers.

At that time, the courtyard house was still one's private property, but during the Liberation period, if the house was not registered in someone else's name, it would most likely be confiscated.

He bought this house mainly as a precaution, not because he was worried about anything else. He wouldn't buy too many, and even if he did, he would definitely need to arrange for someone to live there.

"Too low, no way, 1280."

Mr. Cai originally thought that by haggling over the price, they could at least raise it a bit.

That's how business deals are always negotiated.

But to everyone's surprise, Cao Wei Da didn't play by the rules at all. When he saw that Cao Wei Da didn't agree, he turned around and walked away without saying a word.

Old Cai was dumbfounded, wondering if this was a ploy to lure him in.
But seeing that Cao Wei had already reached the door without stopping at all, he immediately panicked.
"Wait, wait, 1100 it is, I agree!"

He had no choice. His son had already bought the summons for him, and in a few days the whole family would be moving to the United States. Whether he would ever be able to come back was anyone's guess.

Once he's admitted to the hospital, he can't be sold separately for a good price, and there are a lot of problems. If he's sold as a package, the price won't be cheap.

Those who are wealthy usually start with a two-story house or a small villa. However, there aren't many people who want to buy such a house but can afford it, so they are in an awkward position.

If he misses this opportunity today, he might not be able to sell them again for a long time, and time is his biggest concern.
(End of this chapter)