Chapter 55 Looking at the house
"What's going on? Tell me."
The two of them walked and chatted.
"You know Donghuamen, right? It faces Tongzi River and Chizi Street, and there are many courtyards with one or two entrances."
Wei Shengli lit a cigarette and explained the location.
That location is right next to Donghuamen, making it very convenient to enter and exit the palace.
It is next to the Forbidden City, close to Chang'an Avenue, and not far from Houhai.
The scenery is good, the location is good, and everything is acceptable.
"I remember now. Where is the North-South Chizi Street you mentioned?"
Fang thought about it for a while and suddenly remembered.
In ancient times, people from the Imperial Household Department walked through the Xihua Gate.
The Manchu and Han ministers went through the Donghua Gate.
Therefore, there are many small courtyards near East and West Huamen.
In the past, eunuchs lived at Xihuamen.
Near Donghuamen, there were many temporary residences for Manchu ministers in the past.
Or it could be the residence of Han ministers.
“Yes, it’s that place, and now most of the houses are public.
The only way to buy and sell it is with a private certificate, and I had to ask around to find out. "
Wei nodded successfully.
Nowadays, most of the houses in the capital are government-owned.
If you have a formal job, you can register with the street office and pay the rent to arrange a place to live.
Fang Xiang’s house is different, he has the title deed.
At the beginning, it was indeed housing for employees of the steel rolling mill.
Later, Fang's mother used Fang's father's pension and bought it directly.
But other people in the yard are not like that. They are all renting and need to pay rent, but the rent is very cheap.
The only two families with house deeds are Fang Xiang and the deaf old lady.
"Have you checked it out? Don't push all those messy houses to me."
Fang Xiang pondered for a moment. If this location were placed in later generations, it could almost be said to be a top-level section of the road.
If I could buy a small yard here, I could definitely sell it for tens of millions or even hundreds of millions in the future.
“I’ve seen it. It’s a second courtyard with seven rooms.
The host cleaned it up very nicely and all the items in the room are complete.
I've also asked around, and I found out that this house has changed hands several times.
It was originally the residence of a Han minister, and then fell into the hands of the Beiyang warlords.
Later, it changed hands several times, including Japanese pirates, the Republic of China, and wealthy businessmen.
The current owner used to run a pawn shop.
It was collected from others as collateral before liberation.
The price is fair and negotiable.”
Wei Shengli briefly explained the origin of this house.
After a while, we arrived at the place.
Fang Xiang looked around and saw red bricks and green tiles in the west.
Not far to the east is Pudu Temple.
There is actually a small path in front and behind the yard, which makes it a truly private house.
Wei Shengli knocked on the door.
Someone inside immediately responded and opened the door.
"Master Wei, you are here."
The person who opened the door was a young man in his thirties.
He was wearing a tattered sheepskin coat and a crooked cap.
The exposed hair was messy and stuck together, and his face was a little blue, looking like he had not woken up yet.
"This is Mr. Fang, he came to see your house today."
Wei Shengli took the cigarette handed to him by the landlord and lit it up.
"Master Fang, I'm Liu Si, you can just call me Xiao Si'er."
Liu Si quickly offered Fang Xiang a cigarette.
"I don't smoke. Let's look at the house first."
Fang Xiang waved his hand and refused the Daqianmen that was handed to him.
"Please come in and take a look."
Liu Si put away his cigarette, nodded and bowed to welcome the two men into the house.
Fang Xiang walked into the door and went around the screen wall.
I found that there were neatly laid tiles, flowers, trees, lawns and a well on the ground.
It’s a pity that it’s winter now and there’s still snow on the ground, so it’s hard to tell what kind of plants are planted.
The yard looked to be about thirty meters wide from east to west.
Although it is said to be a two-courtyard structure, it is actually not much different from a one-courtyard structure.
It's just that there is an extra room in the middle, dividing it into two parts.
The backyard has seven rafters, a front porch and a corridor with winding corridors.
The front yard has a five-purlin structure with only an eaves corridor.
I walked back and forth and counted the steps. It was about forty meters from north to south.
The entire yard should be less than 1600 square meters, which is almost two and a half acres.
The house in the front yard is smaller than the back yard, and a few small trees are planted next to the empty courtyard wall.
I wonder if these trees can provide shade in the summer.
"Wasn't it forbidden to plant trees near the Forbidden City in ancient times?"
Fang Xiang touched the tree and it looked like it was only about ten centimeters in circumference and less than four meters in height.
"You also said that it was in ancient times, and it has been many years.
Besides, these are specially planted fruit trees and they can’t grow tall.
There were pomegranate, apple, peach and fig trees.
In the fall, the trees are full of fruit.”
Liu Si smiled and answered whatever was asked.
If you don't ask, you won't say anything, and you seem to be very sensible.
"Let's go to the upper room and take a look."
After Wei Shengli followed Fang Xiang for a stroll in the yard, he opened his mouth and mentioned it.
The upper room is the main house, the three-bay master bedroom in the north.
“This courtyard belonged to a Khan’s minister in the early years.
The materials used are of great quality. Look, the roof is more than five meters high.
The pillars and beams are all made of large wood that is more than 40 centimeters long.
Before liberation, this house was well preserved in the hands of both the Japanese pirates and the Nationalist government.
Later, it was bought by a big capitalist who ran a factory.
It was also renovated and cleaned up once in the middle, and it was said that it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
When liberation was approaching, I was preparing to flee abroad, so I sold it to my father at a low price.
Everything inside has never been used, it's like new."
After Liu Si finished speaking, he opened the door to the upper room.
The largest room is the main house's living room, which is quite large.
There are five sets of high coffee tables and tables and chairs.
One slightly larger set is located in the north, and four smaller sets are located on the east and west sides.
There are unknown calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall, and two rows of bookshelves on the side, filled with books.
There is also a row of low cabinets and some small tea items against the south wall, which looks like they can be used to store things.
The east room is the master bedroom, with a large bed, a set of tables and chairs, and three sets of wardrobes.
The west room is the study, which has a small single bed, several rows of bookcases, and a table and chairs for working.
“The furniture in these rooms is all made of huanghuali wood.
When my father took over, he heard from the rich businessman that it was prepared for his son's wedding.
Until now, I have never used it, so it is not an exaggeration to say that it is brand new. "
Liu Si carefully accompanied the introduction.
When Fang Xiang heard that it was huanghuali, he was a little surprised.
I sniffed and indeed smelled a faint woody scent.
But he didn't understand, and couldn't tell whether it was true or false.
But it is definitely not top-grade huanghuali.
But even if it is of inferior quality and can be preserved to later generations, it would probably be worth several million.
However, Fang Xiang remained calm and walked out after taking a look.
He checked the main hall, the east and west wing rooms, the ear rooms and the back rooms again.
Except for the east wing of the second courtyard, the furniture is also made of huanghuali.
Although the furniture in the other rooms was complete, it was all made of ordinary wood.
The whole yard is very well preserved, although no one lives there.
It is also obvious that someone takes care of it regularly.
No dust, cobwebs, rats or anything like that.
In the back room, I also saw a stove for floor heating, but it was not turned on.
In terms of layout, it is not much different from the courtyard house where Fang Xiang lives now.
Although it does lack a courtyard, the materials and specifications are at least two levels better.
The most important thing is that this is a private house with a private courtyard. Not only is the location excellent, but it is also very quiet.
Basically, it completely meets Fang Xiang's expectations.
The only thing I'm not satisfied with is that there is no separate toilet and bathroom.
"What's the price?"
After looking around, Fang Xiang was quite tempted and asked about the price.
"Three thousand?"
Liu Si hesitated for a moment, opened his clasped hands, and stretched out three fingers.
"Liu Si! Are you damn blind? Do you want me to loosen your skin for you?!"
Before Fang Xiang could speak, Wei Shengli almost jumped up.
His right hand was as fast as lightning and he slapped her.
Liu Si spun around on the spot for two and a half weeks and almost fell to the ground, leaving Fang Xiang dumbfounded.
