A ragged cub at the beginning

"He Xide?" Tang Xu frowned. She had no impression of this name, and it had never appeared in the original owner's memory. She shook her head, "I don't know him."

"I sold calligraphy and paintings on Shuxiang Street before, you should have seen it." Du Yun reminded.

Tang Xu opened his eyes wide and remembered, "I know him! He wanted to beat his wife and I said a few words to him. What happened to him?"

"Beat your wife?" Du Yun frowned. "Beat the elderly?"

"No, no, it's his wife." Why did he suddenly mention him? Was it really him who spread the rumor? Tang Xu asked when he thought of it.

"Indeed, Miss Tang's paintings are famous in the academy, but yesterday many people talked about Miss Tang..." Du Yun couldn't open his mouth to say those words. He paused and said, "After asking, I found out that it was He Xide who spread it in the first place."

"It's him! He's such a villain!" Tang Xu narrowed his eyes and sneered, "He's a student of your academy?"

Du Yun shook his head. "Yes, I was, but because my grades didn't improve, I was persuaded to quit by the headmaster. What do you want to do, young lady?"

"It seems that the students in your academy are not very good," Tang Xu glanced at Du Yun, and her anger slowly dissipated. She cleared her throat and said, "The wisdom of a gentleman lies in knowing right from wrong and distinguishing good from evil. It is not wise to just follow others. It seems that your academy lacks such a lesson." A bunch of people who may become officials in the future, a few rumors spread everywhere in a blink of an eye, it was just like a loudspeaker.

"What the girl said is right. I will advise the headmaster." Du Yun humbly accepted the advice. In fact, he had already reprimanded them. Those students did not have excellent grades and were not diligent enough in their studies. Instead, they liked to play in groups. However, they were not students in his class, so he could not interfere.

Tang Xu felt embarrassed by his frank attitude of admitting his mistakes. She softened her tone, "Gentlemen are harmonious but different, while villains are the same but not harmonious. These students are easily influenced by rumors. If they become officials in the court in the future, won't they bring disaster to the people? I suggest that your dean pay more attention to the moral character of the students. If you teach a corrupt official, won't your reputation be ruined?"

"That's right." Du Yun cupped his hands and thought to himself: Are you going to use the academy to clarify the rumor? But the rumor was spread in the academy, so it's not wrong. If the rumor was clarified by the rumor creator, it would be difficult to spread and unreliable. Miss Tang was quick-witted and could think of borrowing power in a blink of an eye. He couldn't help but look at her with higher regard.

For some reason, he remembered his mother's words urging him to get married as soon as possible. If a girl like this was at home, perhaps the rest of his life would not be boring and boring.

After seeing off Uncle Du Yun and his nephew, Qiyue ran over to the door and said eagerly, "Mom, I want to see you cook."

"Great, we can start eating with just one more dish." Tang Xu turned around and looked at July with a smile. The soft cub got permission, curled the corners of his mouth and walked in, snuggling close to his mother's legs.

After a nap, Tang Xu took Qiyue out. To buy a house, they had to go to a real estate agency. They could have asked Dong Wanwan about this. But she had caused too much trouble for their family, so they thought they would go first and ask her for help if things didn't go well.

There is a dental clinic on South Street, and the original owner rented his house there, so this time he was familiar with the place.

The door of the pawnshop was not very conspicuous, and there were only two clerks inside. Seeing someone coming in, one of them came over and said in a flattering tone: "Welcome, my humble name is Lin Guiping. What would you like to see, young lady? To buy a man or to rent a house? We also have livestock."

Tang Xu didn't like to talk too much, so he said directly: "I want to buy a shop with a front yard and a backyard, which can be used for business and living. It doesn't need to be too big, and the budget is within 500 taels. Do you have a suitable one?"

Buy the shop directly! Five hundred taels! A big customer! Lin Guiping was suspicious for a moment. The girl was dressed in ordinary clothes and didn't look rich. But a customer who came up and said what she wanted was very likely to buy a shop. You can't judge a person by appearance. He saw that the customer didn't like to be long-winded, so he nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, yes! I can take you to see it right now. Do you have any requirements for the place?"

Tang Xu thought for a moment and said, "It shouldn't be too noisy in the downtown area, but it shouldn't be too remote either. South Street is best."

As a broker, Lin Guiping had a map in his mind. After thinking for a while, he said, "There are five places that meet your requirements. There are two on Lanxiang Street, one on Dingxiang Street, and two on Guixiang Street. Which one do you want to see first?" As he spoke, he turned around and asked another guy to help him harness the cart.

"Let's start from the nearby ones." The dental shop was not far from Lao Rong Lane where she lived now. She wanted to choose a shop that was closer so that it would be convenient for Fang Zijun and Du Jiarui to come to class in the future. She liked these two little guys very much, and they were July's only two friends.

"Okay, please go in." Lin Guiping helped the guests get on the carriage and drove it to the first place.

Lin Guiping opened the gate and said, "This was originally a vinegar shop. There was a house in the backyard, a kitchen, and a cellar. Because vinegar brewing requires a lot of water, a well was dug."

Tang Xu was not satisfied. The yard was not big to begin with, and the kitchen seemed to be built on top, making it even more cramped. There were also wells and cellars, and she was worried that Qiyue would accidentally fall in. Most importantly, there was no toilet! Without a toilet, we could only use a bucket! This was unbearable! "It's too small, the yard needs to be bigger, next one."

Lin Guiping didn't say much nonsense and went directly to the second place. The second place was bigger, but the shop in front was a noodle shop before, and the walls were blackened. The room in the backyard looked very dirty. The predecessor obviously didn't like cleanliness very much. It was so messy even when cooking. No wonder he couldn't continue.

The third place was fine, but a bit noisy.

After visiting five places, Tang Xu was not satisfied with any of them. She looked at Lin Guiping, feeling a little embarrassed that she had wasted the whole afternoon with someone else. She asked tentatively, "Is there nothing else?"

"No more for now. There aren't many shops for sale, not to mention the ones with yards. Don't you like them?" Lin Guiping didn't complain. He was spending hundreds of taels to buy a house, so it's not easy to find a suitable one. "No, leave me your address and I'll keep an eye out for you. I'll come back if I find a good one."

Tang Xu thought for a moment and asked, "What if we just want a shop? The one on Guixiang Street?" The yard she lives in now is pretty good, and she doesn't really want to move after getting used to it. She was thinking wrong before, and there's no need to have a shop in front and a yard in the back. As long as it's close, she can go back to eat at noon after closing the shop, and then come back after eating.

"Yes! Can I take you to see it?" Lin Guiping originally thought that the deal was over, but unexpectedly there was a turnaround, so he immediately and enthusiastically invited her to get in the car.

The first shop was actually the third shop next to Zhou's Cloth Shop, not far from where I lived. The previous owner had opened a jewelry shop, but the business was not very good, so he wanted to sell it.

The shop was very clean and not too big. All it needed was a little painting and some furniture, and it would be ready for business. Tang Xu was very satisfied. "How much is this shop?"

"This shop is not big, but it's on the main street, so there are a lot of people coming and going, so the price is three hundred and eighty taels." Lin Guiping glanced at the customer. She was so young and beautiful. Did she run her own shop? What did she sell? Embroidery? Rouge?

Tang Xu frowned and said, "Are you bullying me because I'm young? I don't like to talk nonsense. Name your lowest price. If it doesn't work, I'll go look somewhere else."

Lin Guiping paused, this was the first time he saw someone bargaining like this, so he asked for the lowest price. He was about to praise the shop, but the man opposite him showed an impatient look, and he tiptoed out, holding his child.

This big business can't be lost! He hasn't opened for two months. If there are no orders, he will leave! He hurriedly stopped him and said anxiously: "Three hundred and fifty taels, this seller also lost a lot of money before, waiting to pay back, otherwise this shop will be sold for four hundred. It won't be difficult."

Tang Xu was delighted. She didn't know how to bargain, so she just tried to test the waters. Unexpectedly, she got thirty taels directly. Maybe there's still room for negotiation? She pretended to be cold and said, "Three hundred and three, since you've been to many places with me today, I won't bargain much. If it's okay, we'll settle it today."

"This, this..." Lin Guiping looked embarrassed, but he was relieved in his heart. The reserve price was three hundred and twenty taels, which was acceptable. The owner of the shop lowered the price because he was in a hurry to pay back the money. This was the truth. It could also be sold for four hundred taels, but you have to wait. "This price is too low, the seller may not agree. Hey, how about you increase it a little?"

"If the deal is successful, I will also buy a yard..." Tang Xu didn't finish his words and just looked at the broker.

"You still want to buy a yard?" Lin Guiping's eyes lit up, and then he realized that he was too excited. He coughed twice and said confidently: "I'll help you negotiate! Please come to me if you want to buy a yard!"

"Okay." Tang Xu nodded. After buying the yard, the remaining money might not be enough to buy the yard. She silently calculated in her mind: there were still 35 taels of money left by the original owner, 150 taels for embroidery samples, 500 taels for Mrs. Zhou, and more than 1 tael from the miscellaneous profits from the stall, a total of more than 680 taels. After deducting 330 from the shop, there were still 350. Sister Wan said that the yard was priced at 450 taels, which was unaffordable. Another trip to Sansi Embroidery House? I have saved up six tickets recently, and it should be enough if I put them together.

But then I thought, I can't spend all the money. I have to save some for daily expenses and emergency money. I don't need to worry about the yard. There are still two months before the house expires. I will definitely save enough by then.

"Then I'll go find the hostess right away. She doesn't live far away. Do you want to wait here or go next door? There is a teahouse next door. Why don't you go there and sit for a while and have a cup of tea? There is a very famous storyteller there." Lin Guiping suggested.

Tang Xu nodded and said, "Okay, go ahead." Then he took Qiyue into the teahouse for the first time. There was a platform inside the teahouse with a table and a chair on it. At this moment, someone was telling a story vividly, probably a storyteller.

The first floor was almost full of people, but almost no one was talking. The storyteller's voice echoed clearly in the teahouse. The second floor was hollow, with a circle of tables placed around the guardrail, and many people were sitting there at the moment.

"Good afternoon, sir! How many people are there?" A waiter came forward to greet them.

Tang Xu raised the little hand he was holding and said, "You two."

"The first floor is full, how about going to the second floor? The second floor is quiet, just right for you to bring your children." The waiter suggested.

"Okay." Tang Xu pulled July, whose attention was completely attracted by the storyteller, to the second floor and ordered a pot of scented tea and a plate of snacks.

July held the railing with both hands. Although he didn't understand some of the words, he found the uncle downstairs talking very interesting.

The storyteller was indeed quite talented, with clear and eloquent speech. He sang and sang at the same time, and his expression and tone changed with the story, which was fascinating. Even Tang Xu listened attentively. The story was about a scholar who passed the imperial examination and was chosen by a senior official who wanted to recruit him as his son-in-law. The scholar refused because he did not want to abandon his wife, and the senior official held a grudge against him. As a result, he walked on thin ice in the court, and was in danger several times, and was almost thrown into prison.

When Lin Guiping came, both the big and the small were leaning on the railing to listen to the story, their movements and expressions were exactly the same. The child was quite thin, but because he was squeezed on the railing, the flesh on his face was puffed up, which was so cute that it made people soften their hearts. He didn't know why he suddenly thought of his wife and children. They had never been to the teahouse. His wife was busy all day long, taking care of the whole family. If he could let her bring her children to listen to the story, would she be as happy as this child?

Lin Guiping stood there in a daze for a while. If this order could be successful, he could make a lot of money. Then he would ask his wife and children to come and listen to the storyteller's story. Thinking of this, he smiled and called softly, "Girl, girl."

"Ah?" Tang Xu turned around and saw Lin Guiping. She didn't know when the tea and snacks on the table came. She glanced at Qiyue, and the little guy's head was almost squeezed out.

She asked Lin Guiping: "Have you finished talking about it?"

"Okay, the owner is already waiting in the shop. If it is settled now, we can still rush to the government office to exchange the deed." Lin Guiping nodded repeatedly.

"Okay, I haven't drunk this tea yet. You've worked hard. Have a cup of tea." Tang Xu saw that Lin Guiping was sweating all over from running, so he poured him a cup of tea. He then called the waiter to pack up the snacks, and then called Qiyue to follow Lin Guiping back to the shop.

After that, everything went smoothly. I paid the money and went to the government office to exchange the deed. The clerk in the government office was quite efficient and did not hint at bribery.

Lin Guiping sent the seller away, turned back, rubbed his hands, put on a flattering smile, and asked carefully: "Miss Tang, what are your requirements for your yard?"

Tang Xu felt a little guilty. He couldn't afford to buy the yard now, but he had already sold it. He could only bite the bullet and say, "The yard I'm renting now is pretty good. It's the one at the end of Lao Rong Lane. I rented it from your dental clinic before. How much do you think it would sell for?"

Lin Guiping recalled, "That one, the price was four hundred and fifty taels."

Tang Xu just looked at Lin Guiping without saying anything.

Lin Guiping scratched his head. For this order! He directly quoted the lowest price. "Four hundred, no less!"

Can we still talk? Tang Xu hesitated for a moment, then said with a straight face, "My shop on the street is 330 yuan, and your shabby yard at the end of the alley, which is inconvenient to come and go, is 400 yuan? Do you think it's appropriate?"

"Ah?" Lin Guiping frowned, his voice almost bitter, "Auntie, how big is that yard? How big is this shop? How can this be compared?"

Tang Xu looked unmoved, "That's not convenient either. It's hard to even get into a carriage. How about I buy a shop with a yard?"

"Four hundred is already very low. The most I can do is reduce it by five taels, to three hundred and ninety-five!" Lin Guiping raised his hand and slapped it.

Only five taels.

Tang Xu curled his lips, flicked his nails, and made another promise, "Look, my family is big, what if I want to buy a shop or a yard someday, right?" Who doesn't know how to brag? Just say it!

"Oh," Lin Guiping took a bite of the cake, patted his thigh, and gritted his teeth and said, "Give me a number!"

"Three hundred and three." Tang Xu said, staring at Lin Guiping's expression. This price was indeed a bit unreasonable, but she really couldn't afford more money. She was even a little worried that the broker would spit at her after hearing this price.