I bring bad luck to my husband, you bring bad luck to your wife.

Once inside, Meng Dongqing lay on the couch reading a book, remaining silent even when Liang Da entered.

"I've sent those two away. If they send anyone else over there in the future, don't waste your breath on them. Just accept them and I'll deal with them when I get back." Liang Da knew that Meng Dongqing couldn't win against those people, so he didn't need to worry about these things.

"Um."

"Hmm," Liang Da understood that Meng Dongqing was satisfied.

"Let me touch your belly."

"I can't feel anything," Meng Dongqing said, but she didn't pull Liang Da's hand away.

"Who said that? You can tell by touch." Liang Da had his own principles, and Meng Dongqing couldn't argue with him.

Lantern Festival

While Meng Dongqing's belly wasn't too big and Liang Da was at home, they took him out to the temple fair, where they happened to run into Yang Tongchuan's family.

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

The temple fair parade has begun.

Both families were drawn to the lanterns on the street.

Since Xiangxi couldn't hold Xuebao for long, Yang Tongchuan took over.

I handed a red envelope to Xiangxi to keep safe.

"Keep this safe, Liang Da just gave it to the child."

"Does this count as bribery?" Xiangxi was very timid.

"Go back and put it in the account. We'll return it after his child is born." Yang Tongchuan thought Liang Da was a decent person, and it wouldn't hurt to get to know him better.

"Hmm." Xiangxi thought this was a good idea.

Since that temple fair, Yang Tongchuan has been running into Liang Da more and more often.

Especially when patrolling the streets.

"Why hasn't Boss Liang been going on the ship lately?" Yang Tongchuan would greet Liang Da whenever they met.

"My husband is pregnant, so I've delegated some authority, reduced the number of ships I'm on, and let my subordinates handle the work." Liang Da has been discussing a collaboration with Duan Ziqiu these past few days, hoping to open a branch of Shuanghua Pavilion in the south.

This cannot be accomplished overnight.

Many details need to be carefully considered.

Duan Ziqiu needs to be able to keep up with Liang Da's pace.

If this goes through, the store's profits will meet Liang Da's expectations.

Liang Da plans to move to the south with Meng Dongqing around this time next year to live permanently.

You can stay a little further away from your family home.

"I heard that Officer Yang has been looking at houses recently. Is there something on his mind?" Liang Da had a wide circle of friends and knew a lot of information.

"How did Boss Liang know?" Yang Tongchuan had indeed recently talked to a few brokers about the house while on patrol.

"It just so happens that the backyard of my house is now up for sale. I originally wanted to buy it and combine it with my current house to make a big courtyard for my children. But now I think I might be moving to the south, so I don't want to buy it anymore. I was wondering if Officer Yang would be interested. I hope I could have the honor of being Officer Yang's neighbor." Liang Da was also afraid that the house would be bought by some shady people, which would make him feel uneasy.

"The area near Boss Liang's house is a prime location, but I can't afford it," Yang Tongchuan said honestly.

He knew about that area of ​​courtyards; they were nice, but they were all too big and too expensive.

"You can go take a look first. The house was built a long time ago and isn't very big. It's a courtyard house. The owner doesn't usually live there and it's been vacant for a long time. I heard that he's short of money recently and is in a hurry to sell it." Liang Da knew more about the house because he was also paying attention to it.

If I move to the south, my house will be empty. I don't lack money and I won't sell it. Having a constable as my neighbor will make me feel more at ease.

"Let's talk about it later. There's been a lot going on at home lately, and it's not a good time to move."

"Officer Yang, it's been a long time since we've seen a small courtyard like this for sale in our area. If you miss this opportunity, you probably won't find a house this suitable for a while. Trust my judgment, go and take a look. I guarantee that after you see this courtyard, you won't find any other houses appealing." Liang Da was trying his best to promote it, making it seem like it was his house.

"What kind of house could make Boss Liang praise it so much?"

"You'll see when you see it. I know the homeowner, so we don't need a middleman; we can view the house directly. It saves us money." If someone were buying a house without a middleman, they'd worry about being scammed.

Yang Tongchuan didn't have this problem. As long as this person wanted to stay in Changxing County, he wouldn't dare to deceive the head constable of the yamen.

Yang Tongchuan was persuaded by Liang Da, thinking that it wouldn't hurt to take a look, so he went with the group.

"This is my house, and the house next door belongs to my ancestral family. That courtyard is right behind here. I sent my servant to find the original owner. Officer Yang, would you like to sit down at my house for a while and have some tea, or would you like me to show you around the neighborhood and let you see the surrounding environment?"

"Let's take a walk."

"Alright, I'll show Constable Yang around." Liang Da deliberately led Yang Tongchuan past the old house, making the servant at the gate mistakenly believe that he and Yang Tongchuan had a very good relationship.

Soon the former homeowner's manager arrived with the keys and opened the door.

The vermilion gate is paired with white marble door piers, and the lion-patterned screen wall embodies the grandeur of the house; the facade alone exudes an air of nobility.

Although the yard is vacant, it has been carefully cleaned recently in order to get a good price. It doesn't look desolate at all, and there are no dead branches or leaves on the ground.

Yang Tongchuan stepped in first. The square courtyard was paved with bluestone slabs, so it wouldn't accumulate water on rainy days or stir up dust on sunny days.

In the center of the courtyard stands a large blue-and-white porcelain vat, presumably originally used for raising fish, but now it is idle.

The side rooms on the left and right sides have gable roofs, and the red-lacquered windows are carved with lotus scrolls, providing excellent lighting and ventilation.

The main building facing north has several rooms with a hipped roof covered with barrel tiles. The painted decorations under the eaves are in the Suzhou style, and the beams are made of sturdy nanmu wood, making it both solid and impressive.

The door to the east wing was open, and you could see that the furniture inside was still there.

There is also a pomegranate tree planted at the entrance of the west wing.

The backyard also had a woodshed for storing miscellaneous items, a kitchen, and a well, which really suited Yang Tongchuan's taste.

This house faces south, sheltered from the wind and gathering auspicious energy. It faces the bustling city in front but remains quiet, and is backed by a quiet alley but is not lonely.

It is indeed a good location.

Liang Da did not deceive Yang Tongchuan.

"Our master said that if Officer Yang buys this house, all the furniture inside will be given away as a gift. They are all brand new and have never been used since they moved in."

"How could your master bear to sell such a nice house at such a low price?"

"To be honest, Officer Yang, our master previously guaranteed a sum of money for a friend. Now that the loan is due, the friend is not repaying it and has come to our house. Our master is concerned about his reputation, so he is thinking of filling this hole first and then dealing with the friend slowly later."

"How much is your master planning to pay?"

"The price quoted by the broker is 150 taels, but if Constable Yang wants it, the actual price is 120 taels." The manager's price wasn't high; it was even a little lower than the surrounding property prices.

When buying a house, it's all about quality and location.

So expensive.

Yang Tongchuan's brows furrowed involuntarily.

This is almost the majority of his wealth.

His budget was no more than one hundred taels.

Liang Da could tell from Yang Tongchuan's expression that he thought it was too expensive.

"Officer Yang, you've just started looking, so naturally you need to compare several options. Besides, your husband hasn't even looked at them yet, so you can't just make a decision right away," Liang Da said, smoothing things over for Yang Tongchuan.

"That makes sense. I'll go back and think about it." Yang Tongchuan was genuinely satisfied with the house, but he couldn't afford it.