RYEY -Chapter 350 Li Xiaonuan Has a House Too

“Hello, Auntie Yue. Long time no see. I wonder if you still recognize me.”

“Of course I do—Ye Ling! How have you grown even more beautiful? Where’s your husband? How old is your child?”

Ye Ling’s face flushed bright red at once. Cheng Qiao quickly blinked at Qin Yue, who immediately understood—so this girl wasn’t married yet.

“By the way, have you had breakfast? There’s a breakfast stall next door now—doufunao and the like. Want to go have some?”

“No need. I already ate at my little uncle’s place.”

They chatted idly for a while, easing the awkwardness. Then Ye Ling changed the subject—she wanted to buy a siheyuan in the capital, as well as a well-located shop.

Qin Yue nodded. Although reform and opening had just begun, many people, even with money in their pockets, didn’t dare invest, fearing history might repeat itself.

But she wasn’t afraid. Her husband was traveling all over the country looking for investment opportunities. He had even exchanged several chests of gold for cash, buying houses and shops everywhere, preparing for a comeback.

“I know there are two siheyuans for sale in Qianjie Hutong,” Qin Yue said. “Both are three-courtyard compounds, very elegantly laid out. Unfortunately, they’ve been badly damaged. The cost of restoration would be higher than the purchase price.”

Back when her family bought their own three-courtyard siheyuan, it cost twenty thousand yuan to buy, but repairs had already cost sixty thousand—and it still wasn’t fully restored. At least another ten thousand would be needed.

“Auntie, has your clothing store hired sales clerks yet?” Ye Ling asked.

“Yes. Don’t worry—once they arrive, I’ll take you over.”

About ten minutes later, the clerks had all arrived. Qin Yue assigned them tasks, then took Cheng Qiao and Ye Ling to Qianjie Hutong, about half an hour’s walk from Peking University.

Seeing the two spacious yet dilapidated courtyards, Ye Ling felt a sharp ache in her heart. All those exquisite carvings, patterns, pavilions, and terraces passed down by their ancestors had been utterly ruined.

“Auntie, how much are these courtyards?”

“The location is good. The owner wants thirty thousand each.”

“I really want to take both, but I don’t have enough cash. Cheng Qiao, how about we each take one? Later we can open a moon gate between them and make it feel like one big place.”

After a moment’s thought, Cheng Qiao nodded. She planned to leave this courtyard to Li Xiaonuan. The girl loved beauty—she could open a boutique or a beauty salon in the future.

The main gate opened right onto Qianjie Hutong. As long as they opened a doorway from the front courtyard’s inverted rooms onto the street, it would become a ready-made shop—no need to buy one separately.

Seeing Cheng Qiao agree, Ye Ling hurriedly pulled Qin Yue to find the owner. Smiling, Qin Yue told them to go in and take a good look first, so they wouldn’t regret it later.

Hand in hand, the two went inside. The first courtyard had turned into a garbage dump. The second courtyard was choked with illegal additions; what should have been a garden had become a narrow path barely wide enough for one person.

The rear courtyard was even worse—peeling red paint on the gate revealed raw wood beneath. The main house had been partitioned into five or six tiny rooms, cluttered with junk.

The landlord arrived. Both siheyuans were ancestral property. Seeing them ruined like this, he felt deeply ashamed before his ancestors—but it wasn’t his doing.

Out of sight, out of mind. He decided to sell all the ancestral property and leave far away. Staying here any longer would only torment him.

“Pick one—thirty thousand per courtyard. If you take both, fifty-five thousand for the lot.”

“Fifty thousand,” Cheng Qiao said. “We’re still young, using elders’ money. We don’t dare spend recklessly.”

“Fifty thousand? Then the two of you become two ‘two-fifty’ fools—not a nice number,” the landlord joked.

“No problem,” Cheng Qiao replied.

“Being ‘two-fifty’ is fine—some people want to be and still can’t.”

Hearing Cheng Qiao bargain, Ye Ling chimed in as well. Her words left the landlord at a loss for how to respond. Thinking of his already-booked flight, he gritted his teeth—what’s five thousand more or less? He sold.

The transfer went smoothly. But when Ye Ling saw the property deed bearing Li Xiaonuan’s name, she was surprised—she had thought it would be in Cheng Qiao’s own name.

After buying the houses, Ye Ling dragged Cheng Qiao and Qin Yue to a mutton restaurant for hotpot. It had just opened and business was booming.

Cheng Qiao’s luck was always good—they snagged the last open seat and leisurely started dipping slices of mutton.

“Cheng Qiao, why is the deed in Li Xiaonuan’s name?” Ye Ling asked.

“I have four children. Except for Xiaonuan, the others all have property in their names. I can’t shortchange Xiaonuan.”

Qin Yue nodded. Ye Jun’s siheyuan had already been transferred to Ye Jing. Zhao Min’s siheyuan was clearly meant for little Cheng Li. Li Ming had businesses in both Chuncheng and his hometown—even the land back home was his.

The only one without any assets to her name was Li Xiaonuan. So putting this siheyuan in her name was absolutely right.

When Qin Yue asked whether they needed help finding people to restore the courtyards, both women shook their heads in unison. They planned to use them for business—simple renovation would be enough.

“What kind of business are you planning?” Qin Yue asked, a little nervous.

Her clothing store was doing incredibly well. She really didn’t want competitors to appear. Of course, that was inevitable sooner or later—but if the competitors were family, it would be awkward.

Ye Ling glanced at Qin Yue, feeling a trace of disdain. Qin Yue really couldn’t compare to Zhao Min. Forget it—one kind of rice feeds a hundred kinds of people. She might not even do business with Qin Yue in the future.

“We haven’t decided yet. We’ll talk it over after we get back,” Ye Ling said.

At that point, there was no need to continue. Cheng Qiao glanced at her watch—she’d taken too much leave lately. She still had an afternoon class she could make. She stood up to leave.

Ye Ling nodded in understanding. She also needed to find Ye Chengying’s old subordinates. The house needed renovation, and with limited funds, she could only swallow her pride and call in favors.

“Auntie Qin, I’ll be leaving now. Thank you for all your help today. Cheng Qiao already paid for the hotpot—next time, it’s on me.”

Qin Yue froze, only then realizing Cheng Qiao had already settled the bill before leaving. This child—everything she did made people feel comfortable.

Ye Ling also let out a breath of relief. Auntie Qin had helped find the houses and the landlord—how could they let her treat them? That would be far too embarrassing. Luckily, Cheng Qiao understood social niceties.

As Cheng Qiao rode her bicycle, she pondered what kind of business to do. A grocery store in the capital wasn’t impossible—but it would waste the value of a siheyuan lot.

What about medicinal cuisine? People nowadays lacked food and clothing; many were clearly malnourished. If she added diluted well water to the food and supplemented it with medicinal herbs, she should be able to help a lot of people.