Chapter 93

We have so little, so let's not pretend to be rich.

Fangya smiled and said, "What about the east of the city? It's East Gate Street and Tang Gate Street. The people living there are all ordinary folks, poor commoners. Is it appropriate for an official like you to live there?"

Lin Yanchao smiled and said, "East of the city, then east of the city. Our family used to be poor commoners too. I don't think it matters whether we live in the west or the east of the city. The most important thing is to live comfortably."

Lin Yanchao's words meant, "Don't give me any fancy noble neighborhoods, top-notch property management, or first-class security. We just want a house that feels comfortable to live in."

Fangya smiled and said, "Young Master, you speak the truth. But although the east of the city is home to ordinary people, there is a great pleasure to be had there."

Everyone asked Fangya, "What kind of pleasure?"

Fangya chuckled and said, "I'll keep you in suspense. Everyone knows what the greatest joy for an official is, right?"

"Passing the imperial exams, the wedding night, the grand and minor promotions! And meeting an old friend in a distant place," Lin Yanchao smiled, saying he had heard of these.

Fangya nodded and said, "Yes, yes, but for us commoners, the poor, we don't have so many formalities. Passing the imperial exams is something we can hardly hope for in a lifetime. But we also have four great joys. Do you know what they are?"

Lin Yanchao said, "I'm all ears."

Fangya smiled and said, "The first great joy for us commoners is sneezing. You must sneeze quickly, 'achoo.' Isn't that refreshing?"

Uncle San and Lin Yanchao both nodded and smiled, "Well said, refreshing."

"The second joy is cleaning your ears. Isn't that refreshing?"

Uncle San asked, "What's the third joy?"

"The third joy is relieving yourself. Isn't that smooth?"

Several women covered their mouths and laughed, and Lin Yanchao also laughed and scolded, "You're talking nonsense. Speak properly, don't dirty the ears of the ladies."

Fangya apologized with a smile, "I'm sorry for my crude words. The last joy is taking a hot bath!"

Everyone suddenly understood, "You mean soaking in a hot bath!" Soaking in a hot bath is a local term, which means soaking in a hot spring.

"Exactly. In ancient Chang'an, there was the Huaqing Pool. The emperor had to go outside the city to take a hot bath, but we can do it right here in the city. Tang Gate was originally built when the Min King constructed the city walls, and a hot spring was discovered here, hence the name Tang Gate. The nearby residents can enjoy the public baths, and officials have their own private baths."

"You say that many cities are more prosperous than ours, but being able to take a hot bath within the city is unique. Isn't that a blessing?"

Everyone smiled and said, "Then the east of the city is quite good."

"Great," Fangya smiled proudly, having successfully marketed the area. He then flipped through his notebook and said, "There are a few suitable houses for you. Let me show you."

The provincial capital has seven gates. To the northeast are Jinglou Gate and Tang Gate, to the east is East Gate, and to the southeast is Shuimen Gate.

Shuimen Gate has six alleys to the east and west, named Dezheng Bridge Alley, Dongzha Alley, River Affairs Alley, Shijun Bridge Alley, Houan Alley, and Dengying Fang Alley.

Dengying Fang Alley was the residence of the Northern Song状元Chen Chengzhi, originally named Jiuxian Fang because it was close to Jiuxian Mountain. Chen Chengzhi, after becoming the状元, renamed it Dengying Fang. Lin Yanchao chose a house in Dengying Fang Alley near Shuimen Gate.

Dengying Fang Alley is now in decline, no longer resembling the former residence of the状元, but it has a charm of its own, like the swallows of the noble families now nesting in the homes of commoners.

Now, many merchants live in the alley, and there are several small lanes that can only be walked through.

When they arrived at the house, Fangya, through their conversation, realized that the three uncles and the women were not the decision-makers; the only one in charge was the 13-14-year-old boy in front of him.

Lin Yanchao looked up and saw the white walls and gray tiles, with the wind and fire walls decorated with flying birds and beasts between the houses, and nodded.

Fangya, eager to flatter, asked, "Young Master, what do you think?"

Lin Yanchao walked through the small lane, and if he were an adult, he could stretch his arms to touch both walls. Not to mention carriages and sedan chairs, even horses would find it hard to enter.

The transportation was inconvenient, but Lin Yanchao liked the feeling of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle. He said, "Our Min region may not be as prosperous as Suzhou, as picturesque as Hangzhou, or as blessed with talented people as Shaoxing, but here, there is a sense of poetry and music in every household."

Fangya, having experienced Lin Yanchao's sharpness today, almost ran himself ragged. He thought, "Finally, he said something good." Afraid that the scholar would look down on the merchant and try to haggle, he quickly explained, "Young Master, although it's not as good as before, this alley has produced a literary star. If you're studying for the exams, living in this状元alley is perfect."

Lin Yanchao smiled and said, "Let's see."

The house's door was inside the alley, facing east. Although there was no storefront, it was very spacious, with two courtyards separated by a central skylight.

Fangya led Lin Yanchao through the main gate, which had a screen wall. After the screen wall was the front courtyard, which had a reverse seat along the alley, with corridors on both sides and a cluster of bamboo in the middle. After the front courtyard gate, there was a rectangular skylight between the two courtyards, paved with large stone slabs, smooth and shiny, with drainage ditches on all four sides.

In the center of the skylight was a well, with some moss around it. Peering inside, the well was full of water, and a few carp were swimming around, their tails flicking.

The back courtyard was the highlight. Entering the back courtyard, there was a hall with two rooms to the west, a small building to the north, and a kitchen to the south, covered with thatch instead of blue tiles like the other houses. The three sides formed a small skylight, and the houses were raised on a platform to prevent dampness.

The best part of the house was the small building to the north, as facing south was the ideal direction. In front of the small building were several potted plants, with flowers blooming in the spring, emitting a pleasant fragrance. The lady was very satisfied, but they didn't show it, frequently looking at Lin Yanchao, eager to haggle and finalize the deal.

Before Lin Yanchao could speak, Lin Qianqian, like a young wife buying vegetables, started to be picky: "Uncle, you said this house doesn't face south, which is not ideal."

Fangya apologized with a smile, "Madam, this lane is north-south, so the door can only face this way. If it were to face north-south, the door would be on someone else's wall."

Lin Qianqian added, "Well, that's fine, but this lane is too narrow, not even as wide as an adult's shoulders."

Fangya smiled, "My dear, please, please."

"Can the price be negotiated?"

As they were talking, a woman walked out and, upon seeing Fangya, said in a sharp and sarcastic local dialect, "Why are you here again? Don't keep introducing these 'two voices' to our house. They can't afford it and just haggle. Tell them, our Wu family's house won't be sold for less money."

'Two voices' is a local slang term for people from other regions who come to the provincial capital to make a living, speaking with a foreign accent and unable to speak the local dialect well.

Lin Yanchao thought, "Local people's prejudice against outsiders seems to be a long-standing bad habit."

Fangya quickly explained, "Madam, you misunderstood. They are from Hongtang Village in the west of the city. They have an official and a clerk in their family and want to buy a house in the city to move in."

Upon hearing this, the woman's attitude changed 180 degrees, and she greeted them with a smile, "Why didn't you say so earlier? You are honored guests. We usually can't even invite you. Please come in for tea."

Lin Yanchao smiled and said, "Madam, you are too kind. If the price is reasonable, we can decide immediately. If not, we'll look elsewhere."

The woman smiled and said, "Why are you trying to haggle right away, young man?"

Lin Yanchao smiled, "Don't call me young man, I am a scholar."

"Ha ha, a scholar, that's great!" the woman smiled.

The lady, acting like an official's wife, stepped forward and said, "Forget it, Chaoqian. We've seen so many houses, and I'm tired of riding in the sedan chair. Let's take this one, minus the extra cost."

Sedan chair? Where is the sedan chair?

Lin Yanchao said, "Lady, let's look a bit more."

The woman quickly said, "No, no, 52 taels of silver. If you can decide tomorrow, we can negotiate a little."

One played the good cop, the other the bad cop, and after a round of haggling, they finally agreed on 52.3 taels of silver, with an additional 0.7 taels for Fangya. The next day, they would exchange the deed for the money.

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