Since the conditions were settled, Chen Lan, along with her two daughters, returned to the Housing Management Office with her elder sister.
As soon as they stepped into the Housing Management Office, Chen Lan, without a word, took out stacks of large black ten-yuan bills from her bulging shoulder bag and paid the full housing price of 8,200 yuan at once.
After her elder sister and several staff members at the Housing Management Office painstakingly counted the housing payment, her elder sister, along with the accountant, collected the 8,200 yuan. Just as she was about to sit down and issue the property certificate to Chen Lan, Chen Lan stated that she also needed to pay 1,500 yuan for preliminary renovation materials. Of course, Chen Lan also promised that if this material fee was insufficient, she would pay more later. In short, Chen Lan's stance remained the same: money was not an issue, but the most important thing was to get the house repaired properly!
Next, Chen Lan reached into the military shoulder bags carried by Jia Hui and Shi Mei and pulled out stacks of large black ten-yuan bills. She also paid her elder sister the promised wages for the fifteen workers for one month, plus a one-month deposit, totaling 1,700 yuan. Along with the material fee, the total amount of 3,200 yuan was handed over to her elder sister.
Holding the thick stacks of large black ten-yuan bills, the elder sister at the Housing Management Office grinned from ear to ear. She truly did not expect Chen Lan to be a woman of action, not just words, and to produce all the money without hesitation.
With a beaming smile, the elder sister accepted the money and repeatedly assured her, "Sister, you definitely won't regret buying this courtyard! You can rest assured, we at the Housing Management Office will definitely fix up the house for you perfectly! I guarantee you, we'll have it done before the children's school starts. Then you can move in with the children with peace of mind!"
After saying this, the elder sister continued to count the money. Chen Lan thought that perhaps her elder sister had never counted so much money in her life!
After several people meticulously counted the money twice, it was finally verified. After the elder sister had the accountant take the money, she very efficiently prepared the property certificate for Chen Lan, stamped it with the official red seal of the Housing Management Office, and then handed the brand new property certificate and the house keys to Chen Lan.
Chen Lan took the freshly issued property certificate and examined it carefully. Property certificates from this era were printed on slightly thicker paper. In the center of the certificate was a portrait of a great leader and a quote from the leader: "Serve the people wholeheartedly."
Of course! The name of the owner listed on this 286-square-meter courtyard house was, naturally, Xiao Shi Mei's name, Xu Jia Yu.
Chen Lan carefully put away the property certificate, thanked the elder sister at the Housing Management Office multiple times, and then solemnly handed the keys to the courtyard house back to her elder sister. After exchanging a few more words with her elder sister, the mother and her two daughters happily walked out of the Housing Management Office.
It was almost noon now. Chen Lan decided to take her two daughters to a nearby state-run restaurant for a good meal before taking a car back to Zhao Jia Lou to meet up with Xiang Xi and the others, to see if Xiang Xi and Xiang Dong had any good news.
When everyone gathered at the inn that evening, Xiang Dong and Er Hu brought Chen Lan two pieces of good news.
The first was that the old house was still vacant and no one had moved in. However, there was a bad rumor circulating that someone claimed the old mansion was haunted. The second was that they had found the exact location of the black market. They planned to visit the black market that night to get a feel for the prices and familiarize themselves with the environment of the capital's black market.
When Chen Lan heard that her old family home was still intact and hadn't been occupied by others, the worry in her heart finally eased. As for the rumor about the old house being haunted, Chen Lan simply chose to ignore it.
Xiang Xi, Xiao Shuan, and Lin Mao returned, saying that most families in the capital were short of housing. They had roamed around all day but found no private rentals, let alone houses for sale. Xiang Xi mentioned that they could only go to the Chaoyangmen Housing Management Office tomorrow to inquire.
The next morning, after the group had breakfast at a state-run restaurant, Chen Lan casually took a few large black ten-yuan bills and some coupons from her pocket and handed them to Jia Hui.
Seeing Jia Hui look up at her in surprise, Chen Lan smiled and explained, "Jia Hui, Jia Yu, Mom is going to the Housing Management Office with your Uncle Xiang Xi. Jia Hui, you two sisters don't need to come. You should go shopping on the street with Shi Mei. Have lunch outside and don't rush back."
Jia Hui took the money and coupons, put them into her military shoulder bag, and replied, "Mom, I understand. Don't worry, I'll take good care of Xiao Mei!"
Seeing her daughters nod in agreement, Chen Lan continued to instruct, "Jia Hui, you should divide the money and coupons into several portions. Keeping them all together like this isn't safe. Give some to Shi Mei to hold as well. If one of you happens to lose some money, the other can still use theirs in an emergency."
Unexpectedly, Jia Hui replied nonchalantly, "Mom, it's okay! I'm being careful! If anyone dares to steal my money, humph! I'll show them why the flowers are so red."
As she spoke, Jia Hui clenched her fist.
Chen Lan smiled and asked, "What if you do accidentally encounter a thief? I'm telling you, if you unfortunately run into a thief, you are not to chase them, understand?"
Jia Hui asked in surprise, "Mom, why not? If they steal my money, why can't I chase them?"
Chen Lan explained very seriously, "Of course, I'm worried they might create a diversion, then lure you away. Afterwards, their accomplices might make a move on our Xiao Shi Mei."
After saying this, Chen Lan glanced at Jia Hui and continued, "Jia Hui, I'm warning you, don't be careless. You must bring your sister back to me safe and sound, understand?"
Seeing Jia Hui nod, Chen Lan, still not entirely at ease, took out two more large black ten-yuan bills and a few coupons and handed them to Xiao Shi Mei. Then, reaching out, she patted Shi Mei's dark braid and instructed, "Shi Mei, keep the money and coupons separate. Listen to your sister and don't wander off, okay?"
Xiao Shi Mei nodded obediently and replied, "En! Mom, your daughter understands! I'll stick close to my sister and promise not to run around."
With all instructions given, Chen Lan, along with Xiang Xi and Xiao Shuan, set off on their bicycles.
They soon arrived near the Chaoyangmen Subdistrict Office in the eastern district. This street had a lot of courtyard houses, and they were quite well-preserved!
The entire street was almost entirely composed of old Beijing architectural styles, with gray brick walls and vermilion painted gates.