Chapter 142

Chapter 142

Early in the morning, just as dawn broke, Ma Zhandong and Tian Ju drove a carriage toward the ice cellar on the outskirts of the city.

The ice cellar had been purchased by Wang Ying for thirty guan. Interestingly, this ice cellar had some connection to Wei Linshui as well.

The previous owner had been driven out of business by Wei Linshui. Unable to sustain the operation, the family left the city and sold the ice cellar at a low price.

After changing hands several times, it unexpectedly ended up with Wang Ying. Coincidentally, Wang Ying later brought down Wei Linshui—this could be seen as poetic justice.

The ice cellar was partially underground, with a large interior space. Above it stood a modest shack built specifically for guarding the ice.

Wang Ying hired an elderly man from a nearby household to watch over the ice, paying him one string of coins per month. The old man happily moved in. For someone his age, who couldn’t do heavy labor, earning a little extra to support his family was truly a joyous thing.

The day after buying the ice cellar, Wang Ying quietly added over a thousand blocks of ice inside.

If it weren’t for the wheat in the experimental field already reaching earing stage, Wang Ying would have allocated even more space to freezing additional ice blocks.

As soon as the carriage stopped at the entrance of the ice cellar, the old man came out.

Recognizing the master’s carriage at once, he lit an oil lamp and approached with a smile. "You’re here."

"Yes, we’re here to collect ice," Ma Qianzi said, taking out the key, unlocking the padlock, and stepping into the cellar with Tian Ju. It was bitterly cold inside. After a while, they carried out twelve blocks of ice.

These were all pre-ordered by customers. The two had deliveries to make—one batch in the morning, another in the afternoon, and a few households even required ice in the evening.

Nowadays, Lin Sui mostly handled attending to customers at the shop, while Ma Qianzi and Tian Ju were responsible for delivering the ice. Wang Ying, on the other hand, had much more free time.

But the earnings were no less. These days, customers came steadily to order ice, averaging about 16 to 17 guan per day—not much different from the previous shaved ice business.

During the day, Wang Ying swung by the shop. Seeing that Lin Sui could manage on his own, he decided to visit the property agency.

With more money on hand, Wang Ying wanted to move to a new house. The current rented house had three months left on the lease. A few days ago, a broker had come by to ask whether he intended to renew or look elsewhere.

Renting someone else’s house was inconvenient—making any changes was a hassle. Wang Ying planned to buy a courtyard residence in the city, putting down permanent roots.

After visiting the property agency, he found that most of the houses were ones he had seen before—expensive and poorly located.

A prime two-courtyard house cost 1,700 taels, while a three-courtyard house on Zhenghe Street, in a poor location, was priced at just over seven hundred guan.

To put it bluntly, Zhenghe Street was a less reputable part of town, a rough neighborhood. Respectable families rarely bought property there. Besides, with elders, children, boys, and girls in the household, Wang Ying wasn’t about to settle there.

After looking around, he came across the courtyard he had wanted to rent when he first arrived. Previously listed at 2,600 guan, it had been on the market for nearly a year without selling and had now been reduced to 2,300 guan.

Wang Ying quite liked this large courtyard, especially the large stone screen at the entrance engraved with "Zhao Cai Jin Bao" (Attract Wealth and Treasure), which was a delight to behold.

"May I ask if this courtyard can be discounted further? What’s the lowest price?"

The broker checked the floor plan and said, "Please wait a moment, I’ll check for you." Every house for sale had a record, and the seller had set a bottom price—anything above that was negotiable.

Soon, the broker returned with a record book. "The owner’s lowest price is two thousand two hundred guan. It cannot go lower."

Two thousand two hundred guan was still a bit expensive. Buying the house would leave him completely broke, which would be troublesome if an emergency arose.

Wang Ying shook his head regretfully. "Never mind, I’ll keep looking."

After browsing without finding anything suitable, Wang Ying went to Sun's Brokerage. Coincidentally, Sun Peng happened to be there. "Shopkeeper Wang, perfect timing. I was just about to look for you."

"What’s the matter?"

"Last time, you mentioned wanting to rent a shop. Coincidentally, there’s one available these days—the price and location are quite reasonable. See if it interests you."

Wang Ying apologized, "I’m not looking to rent a shop right now. The frozen treat business has stopped."

Sun Peng had heard about the recent events and expressed regret. "What a pity. My son has been begging for your shaved ice. Since you stopped selling it, he hasn’t liked what other shops offer."

However, given what had happened, continuing the business was indeed difficult. "Are you here today to look at houses?"

"Yes, I want to see if there are any suitable courtyard homes for sale. The current place is a bit small, and with many people in the household, it’s inconvenient."

"There are a few three-courtyard houses for sale. Take a look and see if any suit you." Sun Peng brought out a stack of property listings, each detailing the location, size, and price of the houses.

Wang Ying immediately spotted the merchant’s courtyard—the same one he had seen at the official property agency. The price here was over three hundred guan cheaper!

"Is this courtyard for sale?"

"Shopkeeper Wang, you have a great eye. This courtyard is near Zhengyang Street—excellent location and plenty of space. It can easily accommodate four or five carriages! Last month, it was listed at two thousand guan. This month, it’s been reduced to nineteen hundred guan."

Wang Ying said, "To be honest, I just saw this house at the official property agency. Their lowest price was two thousand two hundred guan. Why is there such a big difference?"

"Shopkeeper Wang, you may not know this, but the official property agency takes a 30% commission. The seller only receives 1,500 guan. Our private agency is cheaper—we only take a 10% cut, so the price is naturally much lower."

"No wonder. Can this house be discounted further?"

"The price I quoted is the lowest. Our property agency has the best reputation in the city after all these years. We never engage in dishonest dealings."

Wang Ying nodded. "I came here precisely because I know your agency is reliable."

Sun Peng said, "Well, for anyone else, I wouldn’t lower the price further. But since we’re acquainted, I’ll take twenty guan off as a gesture of friendship. I’ll also handle the property transfer paperwork for you."

Trying not to show too much excitement, Wang Ying said, "Buying a house is a big decision. I need to discuss it with my family. I’ll give you an answer by tomorrow at the latest."

"Alright, I’ll hold this house for you."

At noon, Wang Ying returned home and told his family about the house-hunting situation. Chen Qingyan and the others were not home, so Li Shi, unable to decide alone, simply said that if Wang Ying thought it was suitable, it was fine.

However, Fang Ling offered some advice. "It’s best to inquire around the neighborhood first—see if it has any bad history. We don’t want to buy a house with bad vibes and live uncomfortably later."

"Alright, I’ll go ask around after lunch."

Li Shi opened a chest and handed Wang Ying all her savings. "I should be the one buying the house for you all to live in, but now it’s all up to you."

Wang Ying declined. "As the eldest brother and sister-in-law, Qingyan and I should take care of everyone."

"Good child, thank you…"

"We're family."

*

After lunch, Wang Ying took his sister out to inquire about the house. Recently, Qing Yun had been staying home preparing her dowry and hadn’t gone out much. With nothing else to do, he brought her along for a stroll.

The new courtyard was not far from where they lived—just a short walk away.

There were four or five households nearby, mostly local merchants. Wang Ying randomly knocked on one of the doors.

Soon, the gate opened. Coincidentally, it was the shopkeeper of the neighboring sesame oil shop.

"Shopkeeper Song?"

"Shopkeeper Wang, what brings you here?"

"Nothing much, just wanted to ask about the house in front of yours."

Manager Song opened the door and said, "Come in for a cup of tea."

"No need, no need, that’s too much trouble."

Manager Song didn’t insist, as it wasn’t quite appropriate to invite a young man and a young woman into his home. Standing at the door, he said, "I know the previous owner of that house. They lived here for over ten years. A few years ago, they had a lucky break in the tea business and earned a sizable sum, so the whole family moved to the capital."

"How's the house? Nothing bad ever happened there, right?"

"Not at all. The houses in this area are all quite clean. Are you thinking of buying it?"

Wang Ying nodded, "Renting isn’t a permanent arrangement. I’ve been thinking about buying a house to settle down."

"That house is a good choice. The courtyard is half again bigger than mine. The only issue is the price—it’s too high. Otherwise, I would’ve been interested myself." After saying this, Manager Song couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy, thinking that the Wang family’s shop must have made a lot of money if they could afford a house costing over a thousand guan.

With this confirmation, Wang Ying felt more assured. He took Chen Qingyun directly to Sun's Brokerage, got the keys, and took another look around the courtyard.

Compared to the previous year, the place had become more overgrown, with weeds sprouting in the yard and the lotus flowers in the large water jars had died.

But it was indeed spacious, with two large courtyards front and back. Though not as large as their previous home in the town, it had more rooms, so they wouldn’t be cramped anymore.

Wang Ying said, "We’ll fix up the rooms in the west courtyard and reserve them for you and Lin Sui as your personal rooms. Even after you marry, they’ll remain yours. You can come back to stay whenever you want."

Chen Qingyun got choked up and tugged at Wang Ying’s sleeve. "Sister-in-law, you’re so kind."

After inspecting the courtyard, Wang Ying went to pay for it. Once the payment was made, there was nothing else to worry about. Sun Peng had connections at the prefectural office, and the property deed transfer went through in just three days. The house officially became the Chen family’s residence.

However, the new house still needed some work. The rooms had to be whitewashed, the roof tiles needed repairs where there were leaks, and the doors and windows that were warped required fixing. The paper windows also had to be replaced. It would take at least a month or two to complete all the renovations.

By the time the new house was ready and they moved in, they wouldn’t have to extend the lease on the old place.

*

The three students at the prefectural school still didn’t know that the family had bought a new house.

The monthly exam was approaching—the first test for the three of them since enrolling.

The prefectural school held monthly exams and one major annual exam. The monthly exams determined class placements: those who fell below the top 40 would be moved out of Class A, while those from Class B or C who scored well could advance to Class A.

The annual exam determined the selection of stipend students. Only those who passed could receive the following year’s government stipend.

Last month, both Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai received three hundred wen and three dou of grain. The amount wasn’t much, but it was an honor. Being recognized as stipend students of the prefectural school earned them respect.

In a way, this monthly exam was even more challenging than the prefectural exams, as it brought together scholars who had passed the exams within the last six years. (According to imperial regulations, students could only study at the prefectural school for a maximum of six years.)

The competition was fierce, and as this year’s top scorer, Chen Qingyan felt immense pressure. He was afraid of underperforming and ending up with an average rank, which would invite ridicule.

In recent days, Qing Yan and Qing Huai had been studying extremely hard. Even Liu Changyi felt the pressure. Previously, his rank hovered around twentieth place, and occasionally he barely scraped by.

Seeing his elder brother and Qing Huai working so diligently, he also pushed himself to study harder, determined not to fail and risk being demoted from Class A, which would be really embarrassing.

At the same time, Fang Wenke, the top scorer from two years ago, was also under significant pressure. Having been overshadowed by the Chen brothers at the poetry gathering, he couldn’t avoid comparisons now that they were both top scorers.

He was older and had studied for two years longer than Chen Qingyan. If he ranked below him in this exam, wouldn’t it prove that he was inferior?

For this reason, Fang Wenke also threw himself into his studies, not daring to slack off for a single day.

Time flew by, and soon it was the day of the exam.