My domineering ex-husband is living off his wife in ancient times.

Chapter 96 My Little Secret Has Been Discovered

After touring the entire house, Cheng's mother and eldest sister had already forgotten what the previous two courtyards looked like.

This three-courtyard house truly suited their taste perfectly.

Especially those small courtyards, Cheng's mother even thought that when Si Xin and Si Nian grew up, she could give each of them a place to live.

“Anyway, we’re from the village, so there’s no distinction between men living in the main courtyard and women living in the back. It’s perfect that the two siblings can each have their own independent little courtyard.”

When Cheng's mother said this, her eyes crinkled with laughter.

Cheng Ruoan casually asked, "Mother, you've divided the small courtyard between Xin-ge and Niannian, what will happen to eldest sister's children in the future?"

The smiles on Cheng's mother and Cheng Ruotong's faces froze.

Si Shaoheng noticed that before they could speak, he changed the subject and asked Zhong Yaren, "How much does this courtyard cost?"

Zhong Yaren apologetically bowed to Si Shaoheng and Cheng Ruoan: "It's my fault for not saying this upfront. The owner's asking price for this house is rather high, two hundred taels is non-negotiable. But all the furniture and items in the house, including every single plant, are included, so..."

Two hundred taels?!

Cheng's mother and eldest sister were both stunned.

"Two hundred taels of silver could buy a two-courtyard house in the outskirts of Beijing, and this is the north!"

Zhong Yaren scratched his head sheepishly, “Yes… this is the North, so the land price is definitely not as high as in the capital, but this house is a large three-courtyard house, and the furniture is all made of good wood and made in sets.”

Moreover, this house was only built three years ago; it's quite new.

Upon hearing this, Cheng's mother and Cheng Ruotong's agitated state was immediately calmed down.

To be fair, all the furniture in the owner's house was complete sets, not a single piece was missing, and it was all spotless.

Not to mention, the guest rooms, and even the furniture in the gatehouse and back rooms where the servants lived, were not made of rotten wood; they looked like they could be used for at least another ten years.

Cheng Ruoan also mentioned that the flowers, plants, and trees in this house are all well-known varieties. They may not be particularly rare, but at least they weren't just randomly dug up from the wilderness.

The mother and daughter were in a dilemma.

They definitely have enough money to buy this house, but they can't bring themselves to make that decision.

"An'an, what do you think?" Cheng's mother looked at Cheng Ruo'an again.

Other locals who want to move to a bigger house might feel that the two hundred taels is robbery, because they just need a house and have their own belongings to move in and continue using.

In this small town, which isn't even a county seat, the two-courtyard houses you see in front of you only cost fifty or sixty taels of silver, and they're much more livable.

An empty three-courtyard house would be worth at most 120 taels of silver.

Cheng Ruoan had no objection to the price, after all, they had moved from other places and hadn't brought a single table or chair with them. The whole house set cost two hundred taels, which was really not expensive.

In fact, some of them are even good deals.

Cheng Ruoan analyzed the situation in detail for everyone, and finally asked the two of them, "Just looking at your mother and eldest sister, don't you feel uncomfortable using furniture left behind by others?"

If they don't want the furniture, Cheng Ruoan will definitely try to negotiate the price.

If you can't cut it off, you can only say goodbye and hope the next one is better.

"What's the big deal? Besides, this house doesn't seem very lively; it must have been vacant for a long time, right?" Cheng's mother looked at Zhong Yaren.

Zhong Yaren: "Madam has a good eye. Half a year ago, the owners of this house moved to the capital. They only hired servants to come and take care of the flowers, trees and plants and do some daily cleaning."

Cheng Ruoan nodded and looked at Cheng Ruotong: "Big sister, what do you think?"

"Your brother-in-law and I can even sleep in a bed where a dead person has slept, let alone this."

Cheng Ruoan: ...

There's no need to be so aggressive.

“Zhong Yaren, I have one last question. This house is located on Ta Ma Street. Can I convert the row of back rooms in front of the main gate into shops? After the conversion, can I open a shop for business?”

Cheng Ruoan had this idea when she learned that there was a row of houses behind that wall.

The door to the front room opens into the courtyard. The small door inside the shop is only for the owner and the waiter to enter and exit. With a curtain hanging up, there is no privacy to expose the front courtyard.

If you just knock down the outward-facing wall and replace it with the door panels that are used by shops on the street, you can open and close the door without affecting the inside of the house at all.

Isn't this the chosen shop?

Zhong Yaren was taken aback for a moment. “Once the deed is done, this house belongs to your family, madam. You can change it however you want. As for whether it can be used for business… as long as you can get the business license from the government office, it can be used for business.”

Cheng Ruoan's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and her gaze met Si Shaoheng's.

Both of them narrowed their eyes and smiled slightly in unison.

"Okay, then I'll buy it!"

As soon as Cheng Ruoan finished speaking, Cheng Ruotong immediately took out the silver notes.

Zhong the broker's lips twitched violently: "Shall we go back to the brokerage to pay and sign the contract?"

"Row!"

Afterwards, led by Zhong Yaren, the group returned to the East Town Brokerage.

After paying and signing, Cheng Ruoan soon found himself with two property deeds for a three-courtyard mansion on Tama Street in Huangyang Town.

Zhong the broker also handed a letter to Cheng Ruoan: "Madam Cheng, take the contract to Songshan County and find Sun San'er at the brokerage firm in the east of the city."

He's my apprentice; he'll take you to the county government office to complete the legally binding contract.

Cheng Ruoan carefully put away the letter. "Is your brokerage firm a chain?"

The term "chain" didn't exist in ancient times, but the concept did, which is why the Zhongya people understood it.

"Yes, our brokerage firms are located in all the counties within Beiming Prefecture, and also in the prefectural city."

Cheng Ruoan joked, "Then is it called the Fudong Brokerage Firm?"

Zhong Yaren asked in surprise, "How did you know, my lady?"

Cheng Ruoan: ...

It really is that name.

"So your brokerage firms are all located on the east side of each town, right?"

Zhong Yaren nodded: "Yes, our boss said that the east direction is auspicious for his family."

Cheng Ruoan's lips twitched violently. "Very reasonable."

After leaving the brokerage firm, the whole family returned to Youjian Inn.

As soon as I entered, I saw that Dr. Hu had already ordered a table full of dishes. "The innkeeper said you went out to look at houses. I figured that no matter whether it works out or not, you would have to come back for lunch, so I ordered the dishes first."

Are you all hungry?

Eat first, eat first.

After walking all morning, everyone was really hungry. Everyone, including the two little ones, was so hungry they could barely lift their heads.

After they finished eating, Si Shaoheng went to fetch the carriage, and Cheng Ruoan then led Doctor Hu and the children into the carriage.

The Cheng mother and daughter naturally stayed in town to move.

They didn't have much stuff, just a horse-drawn carriage, but after moving in, they still needed to buy more food, clothing, and other necessities.

On the carriage, Cheng Ruoan told Doctor Hu that his mother had bought a big house in town, and tricked him into thinking he wanted to move there. She said she would buy him a servant so he could enjoy a life of luxury.

Doctor Hu glanced at her and said, "I said I'd go into the mountains to collect herbs every day, so I have to go every day. If you want to be lazy and not work in the medical field, stop trying to fool your master into thinking you can enjoy a life of leisure."

Cheng Ruoan's lips pursed.

Oh dear, your little scheme has been discovered.