CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: WANT TO BUY, BUT CAN’T AFFORD

Old Tang asked with a smile, "Miss Shen, are you looking to buy a house?"

Shen Qinglan paused in her steps, turned her head to look at him, and said, "Do I look like someone who can afford a house?"

Her question was serious, without a hint of jest.

Old Tang’s expression froze momentarily, then he forced a laugh and said, "Hearing you ask, I thought maybe you wanted to buy one."

Shen Qinglan wasn’t ambiguous and said directly, "I want to buy, but I can’t afford it."

At that moment, Shen Qinglan seemed to revert to the time before she joined the organization, when she was dirt poor.

Old Tang hesitated upon hearing this and said, "I do have a vacant property, three courtyard houses. It’s not big, but quite charming.

Anyway, it’s just sitting there empty. If you’re interested, I won’t charge much—how about three hundred taels?

Of course, you don’t need to pay right away. You can pay when you have the money."

Three courtyard houses for three hundred taels?

Shen Qinglan paused again in her tracks, looked at Old Tang, and asked, "When can I take a look?"

If it’s acceptable, working at Shengxiang Restaurant for two or three years would settle the debt.

After all, she’s only thirteen now; in three years, she’d be sixteen, still very young, no need to rush.

Old Tang laughed and said, "You can see it now. I’ll call someone over to watch the counter for me, and I’ll take you to have a look."

The house was bought when he left Yongning Manor, but later Duan Yunfei opened Shengxiang Restaurant, appointed him as the shopkeeper, and arranged other accommodations for him, leaving the house vacant.

His son is currently studying at Xiuying Mansion, and his wife and daughter are over there too, leaving him alone here; he doesn’t need so much space. The house is more like a gesture of goodwill, sold cheaply to this young lass.

This young girl, with her remarkable memory and calculation skills at such a young age, is destined for greatness. Building good relations now will definitely pay off in the future!

Old Tang called over the temporary shopkeeper, who was none other than Xuan Ming.

Shengxiang Restaurant is not a Yongning Manor business; it’s solely owned by Duan Yunfei.

Few people know this fact, aside from Duan Yunfei, only Old Tang and the brothers Xuan Ming and Xuan Ying.

Initially, Old Tang was a chef at Yongning Manor, but nearing a certain age, he voluntarily resigned.

However, shortly after leaving the mountain, Duan Yunfei approached him regarding Shengxiang Restaurant.

Originally, Duan Yunfei didn’t want to disturb Old Tang after he descended from the mountain, but instead of staying at other inns, it felt more comfortable to stay on his own turf, so he ended up at Shengxiang.

When Xuan Ming saw Shen Qinglan in front of the counter, he was taken aback.

Shen Qinglan noticed him too, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

Old Tang didn’t notice the change in their expressions. He patted Xuan Ming’s shoulder and said, "Xuan Ming, take care of the counter for now; I’ll take Miss Shen to see the house."

After speaking, he didn’t bother to check if Xuan Ming had heard and led Shen Qinglan outside.

Xuan Ming snapped back to reality and without paying attention to the counter, dashed upstairs.

The Young Master has been lingering on the streets for two days just to meet this girl, and unexpectedly, she’s here!

Moreover, according to Old Tang, not only is this girl skilled, but she’s also quite talented in other areas.

Such a capable girl, even though she’s a bit young, but with time she could surely match the Young Master!

Xuan Ying was startled by Xuan Ming’s sudden entrance, and clutching his chest, said, "Brother, why are you making such a fuss? If I didn’t know it was you, I’d have thought it was an assassin coming to attack."