Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 25 Buying a House

The next morning, Jiang Xun left the inn.

He inquired around and asked several people before finding a brokerage firm.

The brokerage firm wasn't large, with a wooden sign hanging at the entrance that read "Shunchang Brokerage Firm," and below it, in smaller print: "House sales and rentals, fair dealing for all, young and old."

Jiang Xun pushed open the door and went inside. There was a young man in his early twenties who was dozing off on the counter, drooling.

He heard footsteps, suddenly looked up, rubbed his eyes, and there was still drool on the corner of his mouth.

Upon seeing Jiang Xun's attire, he immediately put on a smile and came out from behind the counter.

"Sir/Madam! Buying or renting?"

"Buy a house."

The young man's eyes lit up, and he looked Jiang Xun up and down.

He wore a blue robe and a jade pendant, his back was ramrod straight, and he was impeccably clean and tidy, looking like a respectable person.

He quickly offered tea and warmly greeted them:

"Sir, you've come to the right place! Shunchang Real Estate Agency is the largest real estate agency in Jiangning Prefecture, with the most listings! What kind are you looking for?"

Jiang Xun took a sip of tea and thought for a moment: "Something with a courtyard, something quiet."

The young man nodded repeatedly, counting on his fingers: "Yes, yes, yes! There's a small courtyard house in the east of the city, with two courtyards and a small garden, but it's a bit expensive..."

"How many?"

"Three hundred and fifty taels."

Jiang Xun's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the teacup.

Three hundred and fifty taels?

This price is twice that of Jiangzhou.

In Jiangzhou, two hundred taels of silver can buy a decent courtyard house, complete with front and back yards.

Seeing his reaction, the young man rolled his eyes and changed his tone: "Sir, if you have a limited budget, there are cheaper options in the west of the city."

It's located near the city gate, a secluded courtyard, but a bit out of the way. There aren't many shops around, and you have to walk two streets to buy groceries.

"It can be bought for 180 taels."

Jiang Xun hesitated.

He could afford 180 taels, and after paying, he would still have 20 taels left, enough to live on for a while.

However, near the city gate, the constant flow of people, carriages, and vendors' cries from morning till night made it far from peaceful.

He was hesitating about whether to go look at other places when a fat man suddenly approached him.

The fat man was in his forties, wearing a slightly worn silk shirt, and his round face was full of smiles, looking like Maitreya Buddha.

He was clutching a handkerchief, wiping the sweat from his forehead, whether from the heat or from being in a hurry, it was hard to tell.

"Young master, are you buying a house?"

Jiang Xun glanced at him warily but didn't say anything.

The fat man introduced himself with a smile, his voice light and quick: "My surname is Qian. I come from a merchant background and have lived in Jiangning Prefecture for five years."

I'm going to the capital to do business, so I need to sell the house quickly to make ends meet.

My house is in a great location, in the east of the city, quiet yet convenient. It has three bedrooms, a courtyard, and is fully furnished. You can move in immediately…”

"How much?" Jiang asked.

The fat man held up two fingers, his eyes narrowing into slits as he smiled: "Two hundred taels."

Jiang Xun's heart skipped a beat.

Both were courtyards in the east of the city, but the brokerage firm quoted 350 taels, while this person only asked for 200 taels, almost double the price.

Even with his lack of experience, he knew that the price was abnormally low.

But his expression remained unchanged, not even a flicker of an eyebrow: "Where exactly is the location?"

"Willow Lane isn't far from here, just a fifteen-minute walk," the fat man said enthusiastically, wiping his forehead with his handkerchief again. "If you're interested, young master, you can go see it now. The house is vacant, and I have the key."

Jiang Xun thought for a moment and nodded.

"Okay, let's take a look."

The two went out and walked towards Willow Lane.

Behind him, the young man from the brokerage firm opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.

Suddenly, someone came out of the inner room and patted his arm lightly.

The young man turned around and saw his boss glaring at him, his eyes clearly saying: Shut up.

The young man shrank back, swallowed the words that were about to come out, lowered his head and pretended to tidy up the account books on the table, not daring to say another word.

Willow Lane is indeed not far.

The alley was narrow, but clean.

Willow trees are planted on both sides, their branches hanging down and swaying in the wind like a young girl's hair.

The ground was swept clean, without a single fallen leaf, clearly indicating that it was regularly cleaned up.

People were coming and going outside the alley; it was indeed a prime location.

The fat man stopped in front of a house.

"This is it."

Jiang Xun looked up—

The storefront isn't large, but it's very neat.

The house has blue bricks and gray tiles, and two stone drums at the entrance, polished to a shine, that have stood there for who knows how many years.

The paint on the door was freshly applied and still smelled slightly of paint, glistening in the sunlight.

The fat man took out his key, opened the door, and the hinges creaked open.

Inside was a small courtyard, not large, but very orderly.

The ground was paved with blue bricks, and a few slender grasses grew in the cracks.

In the corner stood a pomegranate tree, its blossoms a vibrant red, like a tree ablaze with tiny flames.

The main house has three rooms, facing south, and has excellent natural light.

Jiang Xun pushed open the door and went inside. The room was empty, but the walls were clean, the floor was flat, and the window paper was newly pasted.

There are side rooms on the east and west sides. The west side room is the kitchen, with a neatly built stove and a well-ventilated flue. The east side room is a storage room, with some old tables and chairs piled up.

The best part is that there's a small attic behind the main house.

The wooden ladder creaked when you stepped on it, but it was very sturdy.

Jiang Xun climbed up to the attic and took a look—it wasn't big, but it was clean and tidy, with wooden planks on the floor and an old futon in the corner.

Pushing open the window, you can see half of the rooftops of Jiangning Prefecture, layered with shades of blue and gray, and a few trees in the distance, lush and green.

He stood on the attic, a cool breeze blowing by, and suddenly felt a little dazed.

If this were my own house...

"Young master?" the fat man called from below, his voice coming up from the top of the ladder, "What do you think?"

Jiang Xun snapped out of his thoughts and went down from the attic.

His face was expressionless, revealing no emotion.

"The house is alright, just a bit expensive."

The fat man's smile froze for a moment, his lips twitching slightly: "Young master, two hundred taels is really not expensive. Look at this location, this layout, this furniture—"

"I don't need any of the furniture," Jiang Xun interrupted him, then casually added, "I have my own."

The fat man paused, looked him up and down, seemingly wondering what kind of furniture a stranger like him could possibly have.

Jiang Xun, with an air of old age, continued, "One hundred and eighty taels, it's fine if you want it, otherwise forget it."

The fat man's face twitched, as if he had a toothache.

He gritted his teeth, then gritted them again, puffed out his cheeks twice, and finally sighed, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Alright, alright, one hundred and eighty taels it is. Young master, you've gotten a great deal."

Jiang Xun took out the silver from his pocket and counted it one ingot at a time. He counted out one hundred and eighty taels. The gleaming silver was stacked in his palm, heavy and substantial.

He was about to hand it over when the fat man waved his hand.

"Young master, please don't give me this money yet."

Jiang Xun was taken aback: "What?"

The fat man chuckled and wiped his forehead with his handkerchief again: "We need to go to the government office to complete the handover first. This house has a land deed and a property deed, and it only becomes yours after the transfer is completed. We can talk about the money after the formalities are finished."

Jiang Xun's heart stirred.

This fat guy is actually quite well-behaved.

He nodded: "Okay, let's go."