CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 53: FIVE HUNDRED TAELS AT MOST

The broker owner noticed that the Sun mother and daughter seemed genuinely interested in buying a house, and his attitude improved slightly.

"If you choose a place in the bustling area, the price can be cheaper. The bustling area is noisy from morning till night, inhabited by small business people. The truly wealthy don’t live there."

"We don’t mind the noise. Please, introduce us to a suitable courtyard."

The broker owner said, "First, pay a deposit of ten taels of silver, and I will take you to see the houses.

A few traveling merchants in the bustling area recently went into business together, lost everything, and mortgaged their houses to me. There are quite a few. I can take you to see them, but I must say in advance, if you don’t find one to your liking, the deposit is non-refundable."

Madam Sun glanced at Yu Xiaolian, looking conflicted.

What kind of rule is this? Regardless of whether or not the house is decided upon, the ten taels of silver are gone.

That’s ten taels; even a farmer can’t earn that much in a year.

"Okay, please give us a fair price, we’re counting on you."

Yu Xiaolian took out a ten-tael silver ingot and handed it to the broker owner.

The broker owner gave a meaningful smile, not expecting that this young girl was calling the shots for the mother and daughter duo.

This bold and decisive little girl really was endearing.

From then on, the broker owner simply ignored Madam Sun and conversed only with Yu Xiaolian.

"Rest assured, I’m not in this for short-term profits. The price is not only fair, but the formalities are complete. Who knows, maybe you’ll make a lot of money in business in the future and come back to support my business!"

The broker owner placed the ten taels of silver on the counter and told the young assistant behind it, "Give me the keys to the empty houses in the bustling area. I’m taking them to see the properties today."

The broker owner walked ahead, followed closely by Madam Sun and her daughter.

They made their way through a dirty and noisy market until they reached an alley.

Yu Xiaolian took a look at the bumpy road. It wouldn’t be a problem if it didn’t rain, but if it did, even going out would be difficult.

Forget about the house; the road itself was unacceptable.

After about five minutes of walking, the broker owner opened a large wooden door with red paint for them to view inside.

"Lian’er, this house is really nice, and it’s even a brick and tile house!" Madam Sun exclaimed with satisfaction after seeing it inside and out.

Yu Xiaolian only looked from the outside and didn’t even enter the house.

Seeing Madam Sun’s satisfaction, the broker owner eagerly promoted it, "Big sister, the original owner of this house did small business, so it’s just right for you. How many people in the big sister’s family?"

Madam Sun replied, "Three. What’s the price of this house?"

"This house isn’t suitable if there are too many people, but for three, it’s perfect. It’s not expensive, three hundred and fifty taels."

Yu Xiaolian stepped forward and pulled Madam Sun, "Mother, don’t rush into a decision. Let’s look at a few more houses."

"Yes, let’s check out others." Madam Sun smiled.

The broker owner said, "The other ones aren’t far from here, but this is the cheapest."

Yu Xiaolian politely said, "Please show us the others, thank you."

The broker owner initially thought they were strapped for cash, which is why he brought them to the cheapest courtyard first, but it seemed they weren’t interested.

The mother was interested, but her opinion didn’t count.

This little girl had high standards indeed.

They exited this alley and entered another one. This alley, too, was a dirt road, but at least it was flat without ditches.

This second courtyard was also a standard layout, three main rooms and two somewhat shabby storage rooms on the west side. There was a small vegetable garden in the backyard, though not large.

With a little tidying up, it should be quite nice. Yu Xiaolian was relatively satisfied.

After asking, it was priced at four hundred taels, within her acceptable range.

But adhering to the principle of comparing multiple options, Yu Xiaolian continued to look at other houses.

The other houses were better but also more expensive. One courtyard had two entrances; the house, storage, and everything were excellent. Besides having a water well, it also included a garden. The road leading out was paved with stone slabs, which Yu Xiaolian really liked, but unfortunately, it cost six hundred taels, and she didn’t have that much money.

How great it would be if there were an option to make payments in installments.

Ah, Yu Xiaolian’s eyes brightened with a sudden idea that perhaps it might just work.

"Uncle, could the courtyard with two entrances be paid in installments?"

The broker owner frowned, "What? What do you mean by installments?"

"I really like that courtyard, but I don’t have enough money. Could I first pay you four hundred taels, or four hundred fifty taels, and then make up the remaining amount over three months?"

With three months, she was just asking for more time. She believed she could earn the money for the house in less than a month.

"Ah, I understand; you mean to borrow money temporarily, but there has to be interest."

Yu Xiaolian asked, "How is the interest calculated then?"

"Tell me first, how much can you pay me upfront?"

"At most, four hundred fifty taels."

"So you still owe me one hundred fifty taels, to be paid back over three months, fifty taels a month," the broker owner muttered under his breath, calculating silently.

It took him quite a while before he said, "Then there’d be an additional ten taels of silver in interest per month, making it sixty taels monthly. If you can’t repay after three months, I’d have to take back the house."

"No way." Madam Sun opposed, "Xiaolian, let’s just buy the cheapest one. Listen to your mother."

"Since the two of you have differing opinions, come back to the broker when you’ve made up your minds. I have matters to attend to and can’t accompany you further."

Either way, he’d already earned ten taels of silver for this trip. As for which courtyard to buy, it was up to the mother and daughter to decide.

Madam Sun and Yu Xiaolian, having differing views, decided to go back and consult Yu Changhe’s opinion.

Yu Xiaolian thought it useless to ask Yu Changhe, as he would certainly side with Madam Sun and choose the cheapest option.

On the way back to the inn with Madam Sun, Yu Xiaolian noticed a pawn shop, her eyes lit up, and she dragged Madam Sun inside.

"What do you wish to pawn?" The pawn shop owner, seeing their patched clothing, immediately realized they wanted to pawn something.

Yu Xiaolian’s eyes darted around, and she took out a toy of Pretty Sheep from the supermarket, "Boss, how much do you think this is worth?"

The pawn shop owner took the Pretty Sheep and was stunned.

Gosh, what exquisite workmanship, a special material too.

The pawn shop owner used a magnifying glass to examine it closely for a long time, scrutinizing every detail. Only after a long while did he stammer, "This... I’m short-sighted. May I ask what material this is made of?"

"This is made of plastic; it’s a family heirloom. We wouldn’t sell it unless absolutely necessary. Please offer a fair price, boss."

Yu Xiaolian lied effortlessly, leaving Madam Sun astonished, though she wisely remained silent.

Although this item would only cost 29.9 in modern times, enough to bring the entire Sheep Village home!

However, rarity increases value, and there was no plastic in ancient times; it was rarer than gold or glass!

Yu Xiaolian could tell the pawn shop owner was struggling, repeatedly studying it with a magnifying glass, examining every detail.

Suddenly, the owner pointed to a raised edge and said, "While this item is rare, its workmanship is flawed, reducing its aesthetic value. If you pawn it to me, I can offer you a maximum of five hundred taels, no more."