Chapter 42 Let's Take a Gamble

Even when he saw that it was Li Changhe and Zhu Lin, Old Man Zhang didn't react at all, unlike last time when he acted like a naughty old boy.

But Li Changhe could also understand it. After all, he had just heard the bad news that his daughter was gone, and he must be feeling unhappy.

Sister Zhang went in and talked with Old Man Zhang for a while, and then came out after a while.

"You two go in and take a look. If you like him, talk to him."

"If you don't like it, you can just leave and pretend it never happened."

"I'm going home first."

After saying that, Sister Zhang got on her bicycle and left.

Li Changhe looked at the half-covered door, and he and Zhu Lin pushed it open and walked in.

There is a screen wall at the entrance, which blocks the view of the courtyard inside.

After Li Changhe and Zhu Lin passed through the screen wall, they saw the scene inside.

Behind the screen wall is the main courtyard. The ground is paved with bluestone bricks. It is not a mud courtyard. There is a jujube tree on one side of the courtyard. Under the tree is a wooden rocking chair. There is also a well not far in front.

To be honest, this scene is extremely incompatible with this era.

"We are destined to be together!"

"Take a look at it yourself, and then talk to me if you find one you like."

Old man Zhang looked a bit listless at this time, he just waved his hand and spoke casually.

Li Changhe nodded and walked into the east wing next door.

There is no need to consider the main house, as it will definitely be where the old man lives alone.

The room was actually quite plain, with not much in it, just the usual furnishings of the era, a wooden bed, a wooden cabinet, and a simple set of tables and chairs.

There are two paintings hanging on the wall on one side, one of which is yellowish in color and looks like an ancient relic.

The other painting is a landscape, which looks quite new, and the signature on it seems to be Binhong.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t even know who this person is, and doesn’t know if he will become famous in the future.

As for the room, it is quite spacious and the layout inside is also good. It looks elegant and comfortable.

"Changhe, do you want to rent this place?"

Zhu Lin looked at Li Changhe's careful expression and asked in a low voice.

If you suggest buying this house and using it as their own home, Zhu Lin has no objection.

But if you say you want to rent this place for your wedding, Zhu Lin will definitely not be happy.

It’s better to live in her house than here. It’s an apartment building anyway. If all else fails, I can just wait and see if the company can give me some housing.

"Don't worry, we won't put our wedding room here, but if he really wants to rent it, I can rent it too."

"Don't forget my readers' letters and stuff. I still have nowhere to put them!"

Li Changhe explained to Zhu Lin.

After knowing that he couldn't buy it, he was not very interested anymore.

However, since what Sister Zhang said before was so good, he also wanted to come and take a look to see if it is a high-quality courtyard house of this era.

Unexpectedly, after arriving there, he found the courtyard of his "old friend" to be quite nice, much better than the shabby courtyard he had imagined.

After reading it, Li Changhe walked out of the room, looked at Zhang Shiqi lying there, pulled a bench nearby and sat down.

"Is that all?"

Zhang Shiqi waved a palm-leaf fan, closed his eyes, and spoke calmly.

"Well, it looks good."

Li Changhe nodded.

"Are you interested?"

"good!"

"Let me tell you, it's not easy for me to find tenants. It's not easy to move in."

Zhang Shiqi opened his eyes, looked at Li Changhe and asked calmly.

Li Changhe did not answer directly, but said seriously: "Tell me about it."

"If it were my personal opinion, I wouldn't want to rent this house, but the government has regulations and I have to comply."

"You can move in, but you two should stop making noise. I can't stand the noise."

"Don't bring anyone from home, any relatives or friends here."

"One more, the rent is five dollars" [Oh my god, the rent is five dollars! ]

Li Changhe finally realized how unreliable this old man was.

These days, all the houses are public housing, which are owned by the state, and the rent is very cheap. An ordinary person can live in such a courtyard house and pay only a few cents in rent a month.

That is the kind of cadre housing they have, two bedrooms, with its own bathroom and kitchen, and it only costs five yuan a month.

"Your price is ridiculous, it's so expensive!"

Zhu Lin couldn't help but speak.

Zhang Shiqi was not annoyed. He looked at Zhu Lin calmly and said, "Of course it's expensive for a reason. Judging from the way you are dressed, you must be from a well-off family. Do you live in an apartment?"

"But can your building compare to my courtyard? The ground is made of large bluestone from the Western Hills, and there is no water accumulation when it is windy or rainy. There is an independent kitchen and toilet over there. Look around the capital, how many courtyards have these?"

"Besides, the height of the cadres' quarters cannot be compared with this place. Not to mention the courtyard, the height of the beams inside the house is much higher than that of your building."

"Forget it, you won't understand if I say too much, it's just that price anyway!"

Zhang Shiqi looked as if he didn't want to rent it or not, and then closed his eyes again.

Li Changhe walked to the side curiously, first looked at the kitchen, then glanced at the toilet in the corner.

Although it was a dry toilet, it was quite clean and much better than the rural dry toilets he remembered from his previous life.

Li Changhe understood the old man's confidence. In this era, it was really amazing to have such a yard.

Having said that, the fact that this house has been kept for so many years and has not been taken over by the young people of the past shows that this old man is a capable person.

A few days ago, he went to Lao Mo for dinner when he had nothing to do. It is obvious that he has a hobby and is not short of money.

Eating Western food and living alone in a courtyard house, to be able to live like this in this era, vision and adaptability are indispensable.

can.

"Changhe, are you interested?"

Seeing Li Changhe looking around, Zhu Lin noticed that Li Changhe was somewhat moved.

“Except for the high price, this courtyard house is really nice.”

Li Changhe walked around and suddenly an idea came to his mind.

"Uncle Zhang, your house is really nice, but the rent is too expensive.
It's a bit of a loss."

"How about this, I can rent the house, and then we can sign a verbal contract, and when the house can be sold, you can sell it to me, how about that?"

Li Changhe came up to Zhang Shiqi with a smile and said.

Zhang Shiqi opened his eyes and looked at him: "Transaction?"

"Do you think this house can be sold in the future?"

Everything is now publicly owned, and these private property owners are being stripped of their assets step by step.

"Who can say for sure? I'm just trying to find a balance."

"You asked for such expensive rent. I felt so bad for paying it. I looked around Beijing and found that apart from the cadres, there were not many people who rented a house for 5 yuan."

"But if you agree to sell it to me later, I can treat this house as my own, and I won't feel bad about paying for it."

Li Changhe said with a smile.

Zhang Shiqi looked at Li Changhe seriously at this moment: "You are very smart, you are sure that the house can be sold privately in the future."

"I didn't say that, but who knows what the future policy will be."

Li Changhe couldn't tell him that buying and selling had been allowed since the 1980s.

"I always feel like I've been fooled by you by agreeing to this, but I am really interested, old man."

"Didn't you say last time that the country would resume the college entrance examination this year? Let's bet on this!"

"If the college entrance examination is resumed this year and the house can be sold in the future, I will sell it to you!"

"If it doesn't recover, you have to pay me the rent honestly in the future, what do you think?"

"make a deal!"

There is such a good thing.

Li Changhe agreed without hesitation, and Zhang Shiqi couldn't help but murmur in his heart when he saw Li Changhe's happy look.

It's already early September and this year's enrollment plan has already been submitted. Is he still so confident?
Is it really going to change?

Zhu Lin, who was standing by, heard the conversation between the two people and couldn't help but cover his mouth and laugh.

(End of this chapter)