Courtyard House: Passing through the Silly Pillar, Activating the Blessed Cave Heaven

43

"Isn't your family selling the house? I talked to Pian'erye last night, and we're bringing a buyer to see the house today. He's waiting at the door right now. Would it be convenient for you to let him in and look at the yard first?" Cai Quanwu said.

"Where is the buyer? I can't see him." Qiu Guangpu's wife looked behind Cai Quanwu but didn't see anyone else.

"He's waiting at the door. I'll go and call him in." After saying that, Cai Quanwu turned and walked towards the door.

Cai Quanwu stood in front of Qiu Guangpu's house and said to He Yuzhu, "Zhuzi, come in with me."

Qiu Guangpu isn't home, but his wife is. Why don't you go in and check out the yard first? We'll discuss the price with him in detail when he gets back.

He Yuzhu pushed his bicycle and followed Cai Quanwu into the courtyard, where they met Qiu Guangpu's wife in the central courtyard.

"Hello, Auntie," he greeted her with a smile.

"Young man, you're really tall and handsome," Qiu Guangpu's wife said warmly. "Old Qiu isn't back yet. How about I show you the house first? When he gets back, you can sit down and discuss the sale in detail."

"Thank you for your help, Auntie. Please lead the way." He Yuzhu nodded in response.

Led by the hostess, He Yuzhu carefully toured the backyard and middle courtyard of the entire mansion.

Upon returning to the courtyard, he couldn't help but marvel at how spacious the house was compared to his own courtyard house. The antique furniture inside further highlighted the once-illustrious status of the owner's ancestors.

He couldn't help but ask, "Such a nice house, Auntie, are you really willing to sell it? Once you sell it, it won't be easy to buy another one like this. What a pity."

"Who says otherwise?" The woman looked at the familiar courtyard and said sadly, "Old Qiu married me in this courtyard. We've lived here for decades and have a very deep relationship."

But right now, there's really no other way; we've encountered difficulties and have no choice but to sell. Otherwise, who would want to sell their ancestral home?

"How many children do Auntie and Uncle Pian have? Why don't I see them at home?" He Yuzhu looked around and, not seeing anyone else, asked curiously.

We have three sons, all of whom went to develop their careers outside the Great Wall.

Making a living in the city was difficult, and earning money was too hard, so they went to live with relatives outside the Great Wall, hoping to try their luck there and see if they could make a name for themselves.

Previously, the children lived in the middle and back yards, while we rented out the rooms in the front yard to others.

They're all working outside the pass right now, they're not home." The woman's face lit up with a loving smile as she spoke of her children.

He Yuzhu pondered to himself that the Qiu family's sale of the house might really be related to their sons who were far away in the Northeast.

The area outside the Great Wall is vast and sparsely populated, rich in natural resources, and its abundance is astonishing.

He suddenly recalled the description in the elementary school textbook "The Lovely Grass Pond" that goes, "You can beat roe deer with sticks and scoop fish with ladles, and pheasants fly into the cooking pot." Although it was somewhat exaggerated, it vividly showed the prosperity and abundance of resources in the area beyond the Great Wall.

As his thoughts drifted away, He Yuzhu seemed to see boundless grasslands, lush and verdant forests, and babbling brooks—all inexhaustible treasures from beyond the Great Wall.

Perhaps it was because they saw the development opportunities outside the Great Wall that the Qiu family decided to sell their ancestral home and move to the area to seek new opportunities.

He Yuzhu sighed inwardly, thinking that people in this era always manage to accurately seize opportunities in life. Qiu Guangpu, like other people with ideas, is working hard for a better life.

For him, selling the property to He Yuzhu may just be the beginning of changing his fate.

He Yuzhu became increasingly convinced of his speculation.

He secretly pondered that if his prediction was correct, Qiu Guangpu must be a shrewd person with excellent business acumen and courage.

This aroused his strong curiosity about Qiu Guangpu, and he wanted to learn more about this person.

"Qiu Guangpu is truly unfathomable!" He Yuzhu recalled their few limited encounters.

Every time we met, Qiu Guangpu always appeared nonchalant and cynical, giving people the impression of being frivolous and unreliable.

But the observant He Yuzhu discovered that beneath that cynical exterior lay a meticulous mind and extraordinary courage.

This contradictory nature led He Yuzhu to conclude that this person was no ordinary individual and would surely achieve great things in the future.

"If my judgment is correct, Qiu Guangpu must have been very confident to make the decision to sell his house and venture abroad." He Yuzhu understood that this was a rare business opportunity for Qiu Guangpu, and perhaps also an opportunity that he could not afford to miss.

However, he hesitated about whether he should get involved, since his relationship with Qiu Guangpu was still superficial and rashly participating in his plan might lead to unforeseen dangers.

He Yuzhu and Cai Quanwu chatted with Madam Qiu in the courtyard for more than ten minutes before Qiu Guangpu returned from outside, swaying leisurely.

Mrs. Qiu quickly stepped forward and said, "Old Qiu, where have you been? Manager Cai brought buyers to see the house, and they've been waiting for you for ages."

Qiu Guangpu said apologetically, "I'm really sorry, Manager Cai."

"Just now I was drinking and talking with Boss Chen at the tavern. I planned to go straight home after we finished, but I ran into Uncle Niu when I was leaving. We hadn't seen each other for a long time, so we chatted for a bit longer, which made me late." As he spoke, he bowed to Cai Quanwu to apologize.

"It's alright, Mr. Pian'er. When friends meet, it's only right to chat for a bit." Cai Quanwu introduced with a smile, "This is Mr. He Yuzhu, whom I told you about, who is interested in buying a house."

Do you remember him?

"Of course I remember, isn't this your nephew He Yuzhu?" Qiu Guangpu smiled and pointed to He Yuzhu, his tone warm.

"You have a good memory, sir. I am He Yuzhu." He Yuzhu replied with a smile, then changed the subject and said, "I heard that you are discussing the sale of the house with Boss Chen. A gentleman does not take what others like."

Since Boss Chen is interested in this house, I won't join in the fun.

"Uncle, let's go. We shouldn't delay Master Pian and Boss Chen's important business."

"Wait a minute, Xiao He, what's wrong? Why do you suddenly not want to buy it anymore?" Qiu Guangpu hurriedly asked, his face full of doubt.

"Yes, when Lao Qiu wasn't home, didn't you really like my house? You were just asking me about it and said you wanted to buy it. Why did you suddenly change your mind?" Qiu Guangpu's wife followed up with a puzzled look.

"Brother Pian, everyone in the neighborhood knows about your haggling with Boss Chen in the tavern. It's all over town now. Even if I wanted to buy it, I wouldn't dare." After saying this, He Yuzhu deliberately glanced at Cai Quanwu beside him, giving him a hint.

"I did talk to Mr. Chen about buying a house, but it's not finalized yet, and we haven't signed any agreement," Qiu Guangpu quickly added. "If you really want to buy, just ask, and I'll definitely sell it to you first. I absolutely won't sell it to her, don't worry."

"This house belongs to us. We can sell it to whomever we want, and it's none of anyone else's business."

"Besides, we didn't receive any deposit from Boss Chen. Even if we don't sell to her, she has no reason to complain or say anything." Qiu Guangpu's wife chimed in, echoing his sentiments.

He Yuzhu smiled but didn't reply, deliberately keeping them in suspense.

Seeing this, Qiu Guangpu looked anxiously at Cai Quanwu: "Manager Cai, what does your nephew mean by this? How can he change his mind so suddenly?"

"Master Pian'er, do you remember what I reminded you of last night?" Cai Quanwu explained, "Originally, when you and Master Niu were talking about selling the house in the tavern, even if everyone overheard, they would just think you were drinking and chatting. No one would take it seriously, and no one would dare to be sure that you really wanted to sell the house."

But today you discussed this matter with Boss Chen in public and even haggled over the price, which completely confirms the news that you want to sell the house.

Things are different now than before. Houses can't be bought and sold casually anymore. They used to be able to be traded privately, without anyone noticing. But because of your outburst, everyone knows about it. Even if my nephew wanted to buy it, he wouldn't dare, afraid of being reported and getting into trouble.

"Oh dear! Manager Cai, now that you mention it, I remember! I drank too much last night and my mind was all muddled. I forgot about it after I woke up. My memory is really terrible!" Qiu Guangpu patted his head in frustration, his face full of self-reproach.

"I told you to drink less, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what's happened, you've ruined something important!" his wife complained from the side.

"Master Pian, since things have come to this, we won't bother you any longer. We'll be leaving now and will treat you to a drink another day to make amends." He Yuzhu said, pulling Cai Quanwu away.

"Zhu Zi, don't rush off," Cai Quanwu quickly said. "If you really want to buy this house, I have a way to get you to buy Pian'er's house secretly, without anyone knowing."

"What method? Tell me quickly!" Qiu Guangpu asked eagerly, his eyes full of expectation.

"Manager Cai, there are no outsiders here, please speak quickly! As long as the house can be sold smoothly, we will listen to you," Qiu Guangpu's wife urged from the side.

"Since the matter of selling the house can no longer be kept secret, you should openly tell Mr. Chen that you are not selling the house and that you are reluctant to part with your ancestral home."

Then, build a wall to seal off the passageway between the front yard and the middle yard, completely separating them.

From now on, you and your sister-in-law will live in the front yard. Tell others that your sister took back the house, and you couldn't bear to sell it, so you decided not to.

After my nephew bought the backyard and middle yard, he doesn't live here; he just stores some things there.

"Your front yard and back yard are on two different alleys, completely unrelated. Over time, people will naturally forget about you selling your house, and they won't even know that we bought it from you." After Cai Quanwu finished speaking, he carefully observed Qiu Guangpu's reaction, wanting to see if he agreed with this method.

"This house is indeed nice, with a good location and a well-organized layout."

"Old Qiu, hurry up and say something, do you agree to this method or not?" Qiu Guangpu's wife couldn't help but push his arm and urge him when she saw that her husband had been silent.

Qiu Guangpu lowered his head and remained silent. He raised his hand to rub the tip of his nose and secretly glanced at He Yuzhu, observing his expression.

He Yuzhu understood immediately, knowing that Qiu Guangpu was waiting for him to name a price, so he said directly, "Brother Pian, give me a straight answer. How much did Boss Chen offer you before? If you really want to sell to me, don't hide it from me."

Qiu Guangpu grinned and said readily, "I offered Boss Chen 50,000 yuan earlier, but she thought it was too expensive and didn't agree."

Today at the tavern, she relented, saying she'd only give a maximum of 40,000 yuan, and wouldn't buy anything more than that.

He Yuzhu waved his hand decisively and said, "I don't like beating around the bush or haggling."

"I'll take the backyard and middle yard of this house, just as you initially asked for, at 50,000 yuan."

"That's great! That's really great!" Qiu Guangpu couldn't help but clap his hands. "From the first time I met you, I felt that we clicked. You're both straightforward people."

"Alright, it's settled then. The backyard and middle courtyard of this house are yours!"

"However, I have a small request," He Yuzhu added with a smile.

"What do you want? Just name it! As long as we can do it, we'll definitely satisfy you!" Qiu Guangpu's wife quickly chimed in, afraid that He Yuzhu would change his mind.

"Not a single piece of furniture or item in the house can be moved; everything must be left behind, including those seemingly insignificant old objects," He Yuzhu said.

"Oh, I thought it was something important!" The woman waved her hand generously. "If you like those old things, I'll give them to you for free. It'll save us the trouble of moving them around."

After Qiu Guangpu and his wife finished speaking, he said with a serious expression, "I agree to your conditions."

I also have a set of rules here; listen to them and see if they're acceptable.

"Go ahead, I'm listening," He Yuzhu said with a smile, looking at him.

"Pay a deposit today, and settle the balance tomorrow."

"Three days later, I'll tidy up the house and then quietly hand you the keys," Qiu Guangpu said earnestly, staring into He Yuzhu's eyes.

"Easy!" He Yuzhu took out two stacks of brand-new banknotes from his pocket and placed them on the table. "This is a deposit of two thousand yuan. Please count it and see if the amount is correct."

I'll have my cousin bring you the remaining balance tomorrow.

If three days isn't enough time to move, a few more days are fine; there's no rush.

Qiu Guangpu's wife happily picked up the money, carefully counted it, and said with a smile, "Three days is more than enough. We agreed on three days, so it's three days. It definitely won't delay your move-in!" After saying that, she walked to the side and continued to count the banknotes.

Qiu Guangpu gave He Yuzhu a thumbs-up and praised, "Xiao He, you're really straightforward and efficient!"