"Young man, are you satisfied with this courtyard?"
"I'm not bragging, but houses as quiet as my distant cousin's courtyard are rare in the streets around Xuanwu Lake."
"Xuanwu Lake is right outside your door. If you want to take a stroll or go fishing, it's incredibly pleasant."
The old man squinted his eyes, leisurely. He was old, and though he didn't want to die, he didn't know how many years he had left. Leaving this house behind had always been a burden on his mind.
He valued integrity above all else in his life. His cousin had asked him to look after this house, and he had done so for over twenty years. At first, he often came to maintain it, even renting it out to others for some pocket money.
Later, he didn't dare. He hadn't dared to come to this alley for ten years.
Now, although he dared to come, he didn't have the strength to clean such a large house. He felt it was a hot potato.
Fortunately, his cousin's descendants had written to him asking him to deal with the property. He was eager to sell it quickly.
"Old man, I'm a straightforward person. I don't want to beat around the bush. Give me a price. If I can accept it, we'll talk. If you ask too much and I can't afford it, then we'll drop it."
Chen Yang didn't deliberately show too much eagerness to buy. This could easily lead to being exploited on the price.
He was indifferent. The courtyard was nice, and if the price was right, he'd buy it. If not, he'd let it go.
"Young man, I see you're an honest person. My cousin's family is in urgent need of money, otherwise they wouldn't be selling this ancestral home. What do you think of this number?"
The old man held up one hand. Chen Yang glanced at him, his expression unchanged.
He was wondering if the old man was asking for five thousand or five hundred.
Five thousand at this time would be a sky-high price. Although in later generations it could be worth five million or even fifty million, no one but Chen Yang would dare to buy it.
Seeing that Chen Yang remained silent for a long time, the old man couldn't hold back anymore.
"Five hundred yuan. If you want it, I'll give you the land deed, the property certificate, everything, paid in full at once. Apart from me, no one in the family knows about this house."
"If I send this money to my cousin's family, it will also fulfill my wish. I will take this to my grave. No matter what happens to this house in the future, no one will come to cause trouble."
The old man spoke hurriedly. Hearing him, Chen Yang's face immediately lit up.
Five thousand yuan would have made him feel a bit of pain, but for five hundred yuan to buy such a large courtyard, he felt nothing.
His parents' annual salary was more than that. Even in later generations, no couple's annual salary could afford a house outright.
Even small towns couldn't do that, let alone Jinling, the provincial capital of Jiangsu.
Moreover, this was not just one room, but a large three-courtyard compound, no less magnificent than a luxury villa in later generations.
"Then let's pay now. But I need to write a contract. You must guarantee that you will absolutely not cause any disputes about property rights in the future. If I need to transfer the title, and the real estate bureau needs someone, you must show up."
Chen Yang agreed on the spot. Seeing how decisive he was, the old man felt a pang of regret.
He had lived for sixty or seventy years. How could he not see that this young man didn't care about this little bit of money at all? He probably would have accepted even a higher price just now. He had miscalculated.
"Sign it, sign it. It's good that it's sold, it's good that it's sold. It saves this old bone of mine from worrying."
However, the old man only felt a little unhappy. He readily agreed to Chen Yang's request. Few people dared to buy houses these days and had this much money to do so.
Even though Chen Yang's parents' annual salary was considerable, living expenses, food, and social obligations all cost money. Saving one or two hundred yuan a year was good. If they encountered events like their children getting married and needing to prepare for the "three turns and one sound," they wouldn't be able to save any money. Not many people could afford to spend five hundred yuan on a courtyard at once.
Even if they had this much money, they might not dare to buy it. The state hadn't yet officially supported the sale of houses. What if it was confiscated as private property after buying? Wouldn't that be a complete loss?
If he missed Chen Yang, it wouldn't be so easy to sell it again.
The two of them went to the alley entrance and borrowed paper and a pen. Chen Yang, following the contract format from memory, drew up a simple contract and asked the old man to sign and stamp it.
Chen Yang arranged to go back and get the money, and the old man went home to get the land deed and property certificate.
Chen Yang actually had money in his pocket, but even if he paid on the spot, the old man would have to go back to get the land deed and property certificate. He didn't want to make too much of a spectacle.
Who would carry so much money around when shopping these days? Only someone like Chen Yang, who had experienced the inflation of later generations, could stuff five hundred yuan into his pocket as if it were pocket change.
After all, in later generations, who wouldn't have five hundred yuan in their Alipay or WeChat when going out?
After taking his wife and children for a stroll around Xuanwu Lake, Chen Yang guessed that the old man should be coming with the documents. He then leisurely returned to the courtyard.
"Here is the land deed, and here is the property certificate."
"They are all yours."
"The property certificate is in my name. Back then, when they were doing the clearance, my cousin and his family had already gone to Nanyang. The government invalidated all the old property certificates from the previous society and issued new land deeds and property certificates in my name."
"If you need to transfer the title in the future, and if this old man is still alive, come to Qianmen Lane and find me. I will definitely help you with the transfer."
The old man seemed to have shed a heavy burden. After saying this, he let out a sigh of relief.
"Old man, you're a straightforward person."
"Here is five hundred yuan. Please count it."
Chen Yang took the land deed and property certificate. He didn't bother that it wasn't in the name of his distant cousin as the old man had said.
It was even better. The old man was already this old, and it was uncertain whether his distant cousin was alive or dead. The real estate bureau could handle the transfer later, and if he really needed to find someone, he wouldn't know where to look.
Although the old man was also old, looking at his vigorous appearance, he could last a few more years. By 1980, he might be able to transfer the title.
Changing the name to his own would finally put his mind at ease.
Chen Yang carefully folded the land deed and property certificate and handed them to Shen Xue for safekeeping.
This was the first house he had bought, and it was better for his wife to keep it.
The old man had earned so much money in his past life, yet he never felt happy about making money. But now, by earning money himself, he had bought a house and handed it over to his wife.
The sense of accomplishment was simply too blissful.
"You're really going to let me keep it?"
Shen Xue glanced at Chen Yang, holding the two pieces of paper in her hand, feeling their immense weight. This was a house in Jinling.
"You're my wife, who else would I entrust it to?"
"From now on, all the money I earn, you will manage. All the houses I buy, you will also manage."
Chen Yang squeezed Shen Xue's delicate face. Hearing his words, Shen Xue's heart pounded wildly.
This statement, let alone now, would be incredibly impactful to women even thirty or fifty years later.
What woman wouldn't like such a man!