Courtyard House: Drunk and tipsy, the whole courtyard exposed at the start.

After dinner, Qin Dingsong, Dashan Dahe, and Qin Mancang, each carrying 100 jin of grain, totaling 400 jin, left under the cover of night.

Zhang Dabiao originally wanted them to stay overnight before leaving, as it wasn't safe to travel at night.

But Qin Dingsong smiled and said, "You think it's just the few of us?"

"There are militiamen waiting in the suburbs, all armed. I want to see if they dare to rob us again today!"

He patted Zhang Dabiao on the shoulder and said, "We'll wait for your news. Don't worry about what's going on in the village."

Watching the four men hurrying along with their large sacks on their backs, Zhang Dabiao leaned against the wall in the alley, speechless.

These days, everyone's just trying to get a bite to eat... sigh...

He scratched his head and went to find Master Lei.

------------

"Master Lei, don't worry about the yard or anything like that for now."

"A house near the national highway and bus lines, in the suburbs, with a yard, quiet, private, away from crowds, new or old doesn't matter, rent or buy is fine."

"Is it even possible to get it?"

Arriving at the small courtyard where Master Lei lived, we found him in the main room.

The old man lived very comfortably. The outer walls of the small courtyard looked dilapidated, but Zhang Dabiao could tell at a glance that the materials and charm of the house inside were all good, but Master Lei had deliberately aged them to cover them up.

After hearing Zhang Dabiao's words, Master Lei looked worried.

He dismissed his family and explained to Zhang Dabiao, "Brother Biao, do you think this is a restaurant?"

"Can it be customized?"

"It also needs to be away from crowds, and have a quiet and private yard?"

"That's a temple, not a house!"

"Where am I supposed to find it for you?"

Master Lei blew his beard and glared, thinking, "Does Zhang Dabiao think he's some kind of turtle in a wishing well?"

It would be good enough if we could find him a small courtyard house with two courtyards in the city, and it also needs to be close to the bus line, quiet, private, and away from crowds...

"Eh..."

Just as Master Lei sat down, he suddenly remembered something and scratched his head in confusion.

"Brother Biao, you know what, there really is such a place."

Zhang Dabiao, who was initially a little disappointed, immediately became interested: "Tell me about it."

Master Lei went to the door, looked around, and then told his eldest son to watch the door and not let anyone disturb him. He then came inside, made tea for Zhang Dabiao, and offered him a cigarette.

"Brother Biao, here's the situation."

"It was a traditional courtyard house with two courtyards, one in the front and one in the back. The front courtyard was a teahouse, and the back courtyard was where people lived."

"Located in the middle of Changping and Dongcheng districts, at the junction of Chaoyang and Changping districts, on the northwest bank of the confluence of the Wenyu River and the Qinghe River."

"Built along the river, far from the Lishuiqiao Village settlement, surrounded by farmland and reed marshes."

"But it's only a 5-minute walk from Lishuiqiao Bus Station, and there are bus routes 358 (Andingmen-Shahe), 426 (Lishuiqiao-Shunyi), and routes to Gulou and Di'anmen right outside the door."

"You can also go directly to Changping County and Shunyi County. From here, you can transfer at Nanluoguxiang via Gulou/Di'anmen. There is tram line 2 and a suburban special line."

"It is a natural bay by the river, which is relatively quiet and private. Moreover, it is located in a no-man's-land where Taipingzhuang Township in Changping District and Lishuiqiao Village in Chaoyang District meet. It is rarely disturbed by people. Apart from being remote, it has no other problems."

Zhang Dabiao's eyes lit up: "Do you have a map?"

Master Lei obtained an old map and found the location on it.

The more Zhang Dabiao looked, the more he felt...

Isn't this near the infamous Tiantongyuan in later generations?

No, it's quite far away, but since it's the confluence of the Wenyu River and the Qinghe River, it's highly likely that this place will be transformed into a municipal park in the future.

This location is great! Whether it's demolished or developed into commercial or residential properties, teahouses, restaurants, farmhouses, fishing parks, or anything else, it's guaranteed to make money!

The main reason is that there are few people and it's quiet. Even during strong winds, no one will come here to cause trouble.

Zhang Dabiao slapped his hand and shouted, "How much!"

I bought it!

Master Lei's face twitched. "You didn't even ask whose house it was, or who the seller was?"

So what if you're rich!

But then I remembered the 30 yuan Zhang Dabiao had in the bank, the 10 yuan in remittance certificates he had donated, and what he still had left...

Forget it, there's no point in arguing with these nouveau riche.

------------

The next day, Master Lei took Zhang Dabiao to meet the seller and to see the house.

It took more than an hour of bumpy driving to get there. I must say, this two-courtyard teahouse is really quiet. It's surrounded by farmland, reed beds, and woods, and it's about two miles away from Lishuiqiao Village.

It was completely quiet.

The seller was a remnant of the old regime, surnamed Jin, and we'll just call him Mr. Jin. His goal was to liquidate his assets and then seek refuge with relatives; Zhang Dabiao didn't care where he went, but he figured he was going elsewhere.

This was his ancestral property. The two-courtyard house on the banks of the Wenyu River in Lishuiqiao was a suburban summer retreat built by his grandfather in the 28th year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign (1902). It was not an ancestral property in the city center. Because of its quiet riverside location and distance from the hustle and bustle, it became a place of seclusion after the Republic of China was established. Around 1940, it was simply renovated into a wine shop and teahouse, only for personal drinking and small gatherings of relatives. It was never operated on a large scale to the outside world and was considered "ancestral private property, small-scale self-sufficiency".

After liberation, he voluntarily handed over his large mansion in the city, keeping only this small courtyard in the suburbs. He used the winery and teahouse in the courtyard to brew and sell his own wine to supplement his daily expenses. He did not make a fuss or violate any policies, which became a "tacitly approved self-support model for the old guard" by the local government.

The property occupies 400 square meters, with a building area of ​​218 square meters. It features a small two-story teahouse in the front and a large single-story courtyard in the back. It is intended for "suburban self-occupation and small-scale business," with no large-scale commercial buildings, and does not violate the policy red line of private house renovation/reclamation in 1960.

This place does not belong to the commune; strictly speaking, it is a private residence in a nearby town, not a rural homestead.

Simply put, Zhang Dabiao can buy with confidence. He can also arrange for a few people to stay here and help keep an eye on things; nothing will go wrong.

Zhang Dabiao looked around and agreed that it was indeed a good fit.

The building has an old-fashioned, understated style, and the backyard is spacious enough.

Then we discussed the price again, and it came to 3200 yuan!

Zhang Dabiao exclaimed that Tai Chi Bar was too expensive! He turned around and asked Master Lei, who nodded in agreement.

「城里的私房，比如说彪爷你那个院子里，正房15－20㎡/间，大概200－300块；厢房12－15㎡/间，150－200块；耳房6－10㎡/间，80－120块；倒座房10－14㎡/间，120－160块。」

"It's not expensive, but everyone is waiting for their work unit to allocate housing, and there are many restrictions. Private housing is also scarce, so it's not easy to buy or sell."

「一进的院子，占地面积350－450㎡，建筑面积180－220㎡，内城2000－2500块，外城1500－2000块；」

"A two-courtyard house can cost anywhere from 800 to 5000 yuan, depending on its location and size."

"This set costs 3200 yuan. I really didn't overcharge you, Boss Biao."

Zhang Dabiao hesitated for a moment. He didn't know when this location would be demolished, and it was hard to say whether he could break even.

But we urgently need a base for storing and transporting grain, so let's leave it at that.

Finally, they talked about 2000 yuan and 1000 yuan in remittance certificates. They originally wanted small yellow croakers, but Zhang Dabiao didn't have any; he only had five, which he had to keep hidden away.

In the end, they replaced it with remittance certificates, which were still useful for exchanging for small yellow croakers or foreign exchange.

Zhang Dabiao and Master Lei went to the city to get the money. Finally, the house transaction was completed under the witness of respected guarantors in the area (from Taiping Township and Lishuiqiao Village).