Siheyuan: Returning to 61 to collect waste

Yang Lin hurried to Ye Chuan, with a flattering smile on his face: "Brother Ye, there's nothing wrong with the roof. The old man just renovated it last year. It's a pity that he got a serious illness this year and didn't take care of it anymore. I'm lucky!"

However, Ye Chuan didn't seem to like him very much and didn't give any response, because he didn't trust that a person who couldn't even fulfill his family affection could be loyal to others.

However, what Yang Lin said was not false. Both the main house and the west wing were clean and tidy as new, and had obviously been carefully cared for.

Ye Chuan walked towards the west wing, peeked inside through the glass, and his sight lit up.

The two rooms of the wing were cluttered with all kinds of sundries. The first thing that caught the eye was the furniture, candlesticks and two large bags of grain.

Although the furniture was intact and had accumulated some dust, it was difficult to tell what the material was, but judging by its state of preservation, it must have been extraordinary.

Ye Chuan suggested, "Let's go check out the room!" He pointed to the main room and walked straight over. "Hey, okay!" Yang Lin quickly ran to the main door and opened it.

When he first got started, Ye Chuan couldn't help feeling a little lost.

The original design was supposed to be a foyer, but the owner transformed it into a living room and kitchen. There are stoves on both sides, which seems a bit abrupt in the spacious space.

There was a dining table placed in the deeper area, surrounded by four solid wooden chairs. It displayed a modern and simple style, but did not attract much interest from Ye Chuan.

However, when he entered the east room of the house, he felt very satisfied.

This is the owner's bedroom. It can be seen that the owner used it before and after the death of Yang Lin's parents. The layout is extremely exquisite.

The desk in the hallway, which should have been used for storing things, was placed by the window, with the four treasures of the study scattered haphazardly on it, and a few potted plants on the windowsill, looking a little haggard due to lack of care.

There are some pottery and books on the antique shelves on both sides.

Although it is covered with dust, it is clear that it was once full.

Ye Chuan asked: "You also sold these items?"

Facing Ye Chuan's questioning, Yang Lin smiled shamefully and said, "Brother Ye, I want to eat."

Hearing this, Ye Chuan felt a little sad. He couldn't understand why this guy was such a spendthrift. No wonder Qi Mazi often said that he was a spendthrift.

The room was equipped with two exquisitely crafted wooden beds, which were obviously made by the same person in the same period. They were well taken care of and carved with delicate patterns, which attracted Ye Chuan's attention.

One of them was a canopy bed, and the other was a Luohan bed, on which lay a brick bed table. On the table were two purple clay teapots covered in dust, a square hexagonal pot, and a Xishi pot with a short nose and mouth. Ye Chuan gently avoided their gaze and focused on the furnishings in the room.

The wardrobe was full of carvings, and the door was open to show that it was empty.

Surprisingly, there was only an old radio on the bedside table, which contrasted with the surrounding environment.

This made Ye Chuan wonder why all the other things were sold except the radio?

He questioned Yang Lin: "Why didn't you sell the radio that night?"

Yang Lin rubbed his hands and answered, "The radio is broken." He chuckled after hearing this. If it wasn't broken, it would surely not escape the fate of being sold.

After observing the east room, the group walked into the west room, where there was only a crudely made desk and a brick bed that covered the entire room. Messy clothes were scattered around, creating a chaotic atmosphere.

Surprisingly, there were some books placed casually next to the earthen kang. Ye Chuan turned to look at Yang Lin, and a question emerged in his heart: Could it be that this boy is a literary person?

Walking up to the window and picking up a few books, he couldn't help but curl his lips - they were works such as "Three Variations on Plum Blossoms" and "Piano Poems". Ye Chuan discovered that this kid actually had these preferences.

After walking around, he had a preliminary understanding of the house, but he paid more attention to the furniture than the overall layout.

After leaving the east room, Ye Chuan walked into the dining room, pulled a chair over and sat down. After lighting a cigarette, he said to Yang Lin, "Yang Lin, I plan to buy everything in this house. Name your price!"

After hearing Ye Chuan's words, Yang Lin paused for a moment and shook his head and said, "Brother Ye, I'm not selling the furniture separately, I'm selling the whole house together!"

Ye Chuan was conflicted about this.

He has already purchased a two-story courtyard house. Although he doesn't care about the money, he thinks "a tall tree attracts the wind". If this matter gets out, it might cause some trouble.

More importantly, he was not completely satisfied with the house. It was well maintained and ready for move-in, except that the entrance hall had been converted into a kitchen, which was a bit of a waste.

Ye Chuan thought for a long time and remained silent.

However, Yang Lin was quite disappointed.

How much could that pile of broken old furniture be worth? It was far from enough to support my own spending.

What is really valuable is this house. I can spend lavishly for several years. I can drink in the pub every day and have fun in Houhai occasionally. It is simply the life of a couple in heaven. "Where are you going to live after selling this house?" Ye Chuan asked curiously. "Yes, there is a big courtyard behind. I have lived there for almost a year." Yang Lin pointed to the back casually. "It's nice there."

"You already have your own house, why do you want to live in a messy slum?" Ye Chuan became even more curious.

What kind of place is that compound? It's noisy, the environment is bad, and it's even a little dark and damp. People would rather live in a small apartment than live there. "Ah, nothing." Yang Lin smiled awkwardly, without saying the reason.

In fact, he didn't want to admit that he was renting the house to a certain woman, but that woman had broken up with him more than half a year ago, so he really couldn't say it.

Seeing that Yang Lin was unwilling to mention the details, Ye Chuan stopped asking: "How much do you want to sell this yard for?"

"Two thousand yuan!" Yang Lin stretched out two fingers.

When buying the courtyard house, Fatty Han was beside Ye Chuan, and it only cost 1800 Chinese yuan.

Hearing this, Fatty Han patted Yang Lin's shoulder fiercely, shaking him and looking annoyed: "Yang Lin, are you crazy? Two thousand Chinese yuan, are you going to rob it?"

Yang Lin rubbed his shoulders and smiled bitterly: "Brother Zhuang, what you said is true. What if I don't want to sell it for 2,000?"

Although he was afraid of Fatty Han, he still couldn't resist the temptation of money. "It's a bit outrageous!" Ye Chuan said calmly. "Brother Ye, it's not outrageous. Look at the two quilts in the old man's room. They are very expensive!" Yang Lin hurriedly explained.

Ye Chuan sneered: "Can you sell those two quilts for fifty yuan? I will never give in to this house. You have to give a real price, as long as it doesn't exceed that number, how about it?"

Facing the other party's words, Yang Lin could only smile bitterly, "Well... that's hard to say.

These things are antiques now, where can I sell them?"

He knew that Ye Chuan was not lying. The old man's favorite vase only sold for three yuan. If these things were not too cheap, he would not have thought of selling the yard. "Yang Lin, you see, you should be short of money now, right? Drinking bean porridge every day is enough to fill your stomach, but what about the quality of life? No one knows the value of this house better than me.

Tell me your bottom line. If it's not too much, I can decide to buy it now. But if you insist on asking for 2,000, I can only choose to leave." Ye Chuan pressed on.

Yang Lin understood his situation.

He was indeed penniless, and there was no market for the vases. He was no longer willing to sell the remaining items, and he could not take the heavy furniture with him, as it was probably not worth much.

At this moment, he only lived on cornmeal and pickles. There were still two bags of food in the room, and eating them would mean that the food would soon run out.

If he wasn't short of money, why would he be in such a hurry to return home? Wouldn't it be nice to stay in Shichahai and chase girls? Even if he didn't catch up with them, it would still satisfy his craving for them!

After thinking for a long time, Yang Lin said, "Boss Ye, the price is 1500 yuan. As long as you agree, I will move out with nothing. Let's go to the Housing Authority to handle the property transfer procedures this afternoon."

Ye Chuan looked up at the house, examined Qi with pockmarked face and the chubby Han, then said with a smile: "It's a deal!"

Hearing this, Yang Lin couldn't help but be delighted. He had finally gotten rid of this mansion, which meant that his wallet would be fatter again.

Fatty Han, who had been silent the whole time, was surprised by Ye Chuan's actions. Not long ago, Ye Chuan spent 1800 to buy a double-entry courtyard house, and today he purchased this house for 1500. In just a few days, he spent more than the salary of an ordinary worker for about seven or eight years.

Although Qi knew that Ye Chuan had a considerable salary and such purchasing power was not difficult to come by, he obviously did not expect so much.

When Ye Chuan said "deal", the shock on Qi's face instantly froze.

Good God! Fifteen hundred dollars was spent in the blink of an eye, without any hesitation, how generous.

But this is not 150 yuan, but a full 1,500 yuan! How many skewers of mutton and steamed bean juice can he buy?

For Yang Lin, this was a very straightforward move. He only packed a few pieces of clothing and did not bother to take anything else with him. He even left the ancient books on the bed to the original owner.

They went to the state-owned restaurant at the end of the street to have dinner. Ye Chuan ordered four plates of meat. Yang Lin, who had been eating porridge for half a month, swallowed six big steamed buns by himself, leaving others dumbfounded.

After the meal, the group went to the Housing Authority to complete the handover, and Ye Chuan then handed the 1,500 yuan to the other party.

Yang Lin took the money and left with a smile on his face, feeling relieved.

Ye Chuan didn't care how this person would squander his money, and just took the fat man and Qi Mazi back into the house.

After eating and drinking to his heart's content, Yang Lin's belly was bloated and he was holding the red envelope in his hand. His gait was completely different from usual, as if he was the richest man in the world.

We strolled leisurely to Shichahai Lake. The lake had already frozen and men and women skaters were constantly walking around.

Suddenly, a graceful figure caught his eye. The woman was sitting alone on a bench by the lake, staring blankly at the passers-by coming and going.

Yang Lin walked over with a smile on his face: "Li Hui, why didn't you join the event on the ice today?"

Li Hui raised her eyes and glanced at him. When she saw it was Yang Lin, she didn't want to say anything and turned back to the group of people skating.

Yang Lin was not angry, but said: "Do you want me to find a coach for you?"

"Do you think I need that thing?" Li Hui didn't care. "Do you look down on me?" Yang Lin sat next to Li Hui.