Chapter 195: Luxurious! House!
Chapter 195: Luxurious! House!
The next morning, warm and delicate sunlight quietly slipped in through the half-open window lattice and hit Lu Yunyi's face, causing him to frown slightly.
As the light penetrated deeper, the dim room gradually became brighter, and everything was awakened.
The faint scent of pine and the freshness of flowers and plants floating in the early morning air poured in, the two intertwined, causing Lu Yunyi to wrinkle his nose.
The next moment, Lu Yunyi's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes, flashing a trace of haziness and confusion due to drunkenness.
He looked at everything in the room, and it took him a while to remember what happened last night.
Lu Yunyi blinked his eyes, stood up quickly, ignored the headache, quickly put on his clothes, folded the quilt, and washed his cheeks with cold water placed on the side.
After doing all this, he walked out of the room with a calm expression.
He happened to meet Liu Sanwu doing morning exercises in the yard, so he said goodbye and left on the pretext of having military matters to attend to.
After leaving Liu Sanwu's residence, Lu Yunyi breathed a sigh of relief and looked back and forth on the street.
It can be seen that the people living on this street are either rich or noble.
The houses are arranged in an orderly manner, and majestic stone lions are placed in front of the doors.
Looking back at the Yingtian map, it should be near the Imperial College in the middle city.
Just walk south and you will reach Hongwu Street and Zhenzhuqiao West 18th Street.
It is one of the main roads in Yingtian City. It is adjacent to the parade ground and across a river is where the powerful and wealthy live.
Lu Yunyi walked slowly on the street.
Soon he arrived at the market near West Eighteenth Street.
There are many vendors here, and the people they face are not ordinary people, but people from the Beijing Guards and the parade grounds.
Lu Yunyi walked among them, his eyes moving around casually.
There were many big men in the market, all of them looked ferocious and vicious.
But he was extremely abiding by the rules, which made him feel a little doubtful.
The Ming army had a large number of soldiers, a mixed bag. At least he had not seen such well-behaved soldiers in the army.
Soon, Lu Yunyi stopped at a wonton stall and ordered a large bowl of wontons.
I was drunk last night, so I always have to drink some soup to sober up in the morning.
There were quite a few customers at the wonton stall. There were five or six tables randomly placed with about ten people sitting on them.
Even in September, the weather in Yingtian City was not so cool, and the soldiers were sweating profusely while eating.
But judging from their satisfied expressions, the wontons must taste good.
While waiting, Lu Yunyi looked at the shopkeeper who was also sweating profusely, took out thirty coins from his pocket and handed them over.
The shopkeeper uttered a cry and looked up quickly:
"Three bowls? You can finish them, right? Our bowls are all big, one bowl is enough."
Lu Yunyi was stunned and said with a smile:
"I'll just eat one bowl, and I'll give you the remaining twenty coins to find out something from you."
The shop owner looked at Lu Yunyi warily, then looked at his diners, and immediately felt relieved.
"To inquire about something? What is it?"
"It's like this. I'm a foreigner, and I've just arrived in Yingtian. I want to go to Xi'anmen Street to visit my old friends, but I don't know how to get there?"
After hearing this, the shopkeeper heaved a sigh of relief and said with a smile:
"You're hiring a car, right? Are you trying to transport people or goods?"
"Pull someone." Lu Yunyi raised his hand and pointed at himself.
"Oh, is twenty cents necessary for such a small thing? Two cents will be enough, and you can take the rest back."
As he said that, the shopkeeper looked back and shouted to a big man in a sweatshirt on the side of the road:
"Li Wu, come alive!"
The big man shuddered, quickly found the wonton shop, smiled, and trotted back.
The shopkeeper looked at Lu Yunyi and said:
"Li Wu, the driver in this area, is well-informed. If you have any questions, just ask him. There is nothing in this central city that he doesn't know, but you have to give this."
The shopkeeper raised his hand and rubbed the two copper coins together, which meant "you know".
Lu Yunyi immediately showed realization and made an "I understand, I understand" expression.
Then he found a table and sat down, waiting for the coachman named Li Wu to arrive.
Soon, Li Wu ran over and squatted down with a smile:
"Sir, do you need a car?"
"How much does it cost to go to No. 2, San Tiao Lane, Xi'anmen?" Lu Yunyi asked casually.
Li Wu's eyes lit up as he took in Lu Yunyi's outfit.
He immediately recognized that this robe was from a famous person in the capital, so he asked for a high price:
"That's a great place. What do you think of fifty cents?"
Half a penny of silver, Lu Yunyi knew he was being ripped off, but he did not bargain, but nodded slightly:
"Okay, wait until I finish eating the chaos, and then we'll set off."
"Okay, sir, you are so generous!" Li Wu was overjoyed!
Lu Yunyi placed the eighteen coins that he had not given out just now on the table and raised his chin:
"Take the money. I'll ask you something. The fare will be given later."
Li Wu was delighted and quickly put away the copper coins, saying respectfully:
"Sir, please ask."
Lu Yunyi looked around and asked:
"Are these soldiers in the Beijing camp usually so obedient? When I was in Peking, the soldiers often ate without being paid."
"Sir, you are from Peking. What a great place!"
Li Wu flattered him first, then lowered his voice and said:
"Sir, don't you see where we are? It's the 18th Street west of Pearl Bridge. The Imperial City is in front of us.
Can ordinary people do business here?
Even if these soldiers were given eight courages, they wouldn't dare to cause trouble here."
Li Wu looked around and continued:
"Most of the shop owners here are military dependents, and their relatives and friends are all serving in the Beijing Guards. Who would dare not pay?"
Lu Yunyi nodded slightly, thinking the same thing.
At the same time, he scanned the surroundings, looking for the Jinyiwei hiding in the dark.
This place is so close to the imperial city and is also a strategic military location, so there must be Jinyiwei here.
"Here we go!"
At this time, the shopkeeper came over quickly with a bowl of hot wontons.
Placed on the table, it has a charming aroma, is white with a hint of red, and is extremely large and full.
Li Wu pursed his lips and looked salivating at the sight.
"You go to work without eating."
Lu Yunyi glanced at him and asked with a smile while picking up the side dishes.
Li Wu smiled embarrassedly and rubbed his hands:
"I ate, I ate at home,
The wonton here is too expensive, if we want to eat it, we have to go to the city gate, three cents is enough, but the portion is not big, just try it out."
Lu Yunyi nodded and shouted to the store owner:
"Shopkeeper, give him a bowl too."
"Okay, sir, you are really generous."
The shopkeeper responded and quickly poured the prepared wonton on the side into the pot, and hurriedly shouted:
"Put it in the pot!"
Lu Yunyi smiled and pointed to the small stool opposite:
"Sit down. I'll ask you something."
Li Wu was a little confused. It was the first time he met such a good-talking gentleman.
But the wonton was already in the pot, so he sat down and thought it would be a waste if he didn’t eat it.
While eating, Lu Yunyi asked:
"At the gates of Peking, there are special tax collectors to collect carriage and horse taxes and gate taxes. How come there are none in Yingtian?"
In the past, Liu Heiying often complained to him that the tax collectors in Peking were too corrupt.
Every time fruits and vegetables were brought in or out of the city, a large sum of silver had to be paid, and they were charged by the basket. Lu Yunyi kept this in mind.
The Ming Dynasty imposed light taxes and levies, with a tax rate of one in thirty.
However, the wars all year round cost a lot of money, which was paid from taxes such as carriage tax, door tax, tea tax, salt tax, etc.
Its essence should be commercial tax, but it is broken down into smaller parts.
Li Wu thought for a moment and asked:
"Sir, you are talking about the toll, right?"
Lu Yunyi was stunned and nodded repeatedly: "Yes."
Li Wu immediately laughed:
"Master Hongwu was kind-hearted. He had some money in the early years, but in the past two years, Zhili suffered a disaster, so he waived the money. It seems that he waived it for three years, and it should be collected the year after next."
At this time, Hun Dun also came over, and Li Wu smiled:
"Thank you very much, sir. You must be a noble and generous man!"
"Eat, eat."
Lu Yunyi smiled. The doubts in his mind were answered, which made him feel much better.
The two of them were talking while eating. Lu Yunyi hadn't finished yet.
Li Wu had already finished eating it, even drinking up all the soup. He was chewing the remaining shrimp skin with a satisfied look on his face, as if he was still not satisfied.
"Sir, this tastes really good. I have wanted to try it for a long time, but I am short of money and have not been able to do so."
Lu Yunyi smiled:
"It's 50 cents a trip, you should make at least a few cents a month, how come you are so short of money?"
At this point, Li Wu blushed, and after thinking it over, he decided to confess:
"Sir, to be honest, we asked for more than the previous price. Thirty cents will be enough.
If you still need me, just give me thirty coins. If you don't need me anymore, I won't say anything, but I won't give you the Chaos Money."
Lu Yunyi thought of some interesting things and laughed:
"No wonder you can't make a fortune. I only added twenty coins. Don't worry, I still need you. I agreed to fifty coins, so it's fifty coins."
"Thank you sir!"
Li Wu showed respect, knowing that he had met a kind person.
He had been in the capital for many years and had met many wealthy gentlemen, but he was the second one who was willing to treat him to a bowl of wontons.
"Is there a toothless shop around here?"
Li Wu asked: "Sir, do you want to buy a house or rent one? Do you plan to live in the middle city or the upper city?
The three lanes of the southwest gate are in the upper city, where all the dignitaries live.”
The Upper City is the South City. Because it is home to the imperial city and has prosperous commerce, people call it the Upper City.
Lu Yunyi finished eating the last Chaos and said:
"I want to find someone to repair the house and take care of it after I leave the capital."
Li Wu was stunned. Since ancient times, porters have always been the smartest people among the people.
After a few questions, Li Wu understood a little bit.
In particular, he also knew that No. 1 and No. 2, San Tiao Lane, Xi'anmen, were both vacant.
For a moment, Li Wu thought of the exorbitant price he had just asked for, and his body trembled, with a hint of fear in his eyes.
"Don't be afraid. Just answer whatever I ask you. Can I arrest him for a few dozen coins?"
Hearing this, Li Wu felt a little relieved and breathed a sigh of relief:
"Sir, the house you are talking about for renovation is No. 2, San Tiao Lane, Xi'anmen?"
Perhaps feeling that this was a bit abrupt, Li Wu quickly explained:
"Sir, there are more than a dozen big dental clinics in Central City, but most of them rent out houses.
If your house is too nice, you should go to the upper city to look for Wanhu, Changsheng, Shangling and other brokers.
They not only sell houses, but also rent them out and help people take care of their houses. Some of the best houses in Beijing are taken care of by them.”
Lu Yunyi nodded, thinking that the few dozen coins were well spent, and stood up:
"Let's go to No. 2, San Tiao Lane, Xi'anmen first, and then decide whether to go to the dental clinic."
As he spoke, Lu Yunyi paid Hun Dun's money and Li Wu's money.
In this way, Li Wu was completely settled, but he still had some doubts in his mind.
He had never seen such a guest who didn't know the condition of the house.
But other porters had seen it, and he had heard some of it,
This kind of situation usually involves corrupt officials, whose houses are given by others.
Otherwise, how would you not know what your own house looks like?
But Li Wu didn't meddle in other people's business.
Soon, Lu Yunyi got on Li Wu's cart.
He just pulled me all the way from the middle city to the upper city.
There were people coming and going along the way, and it was lively at first.
As time passed, the closer we got to the imperial city, the fewer people there were.
The houses everywhere became more and more magnificent, from the original lanes with dozens of households to
Today, there are only a few households on one street, all of which are high-class families with large courtyards.
All that could be seen were the clean and tidy exterior walls and the guards with vigilant expressions.
After running for nearly half an hour, Li Wu finally stopped at No. 2, San Tiao Lane, Xi'an Gate, panting heavily, his sweatshirt soaked.
"Sir, we're here!"
Lu Yunyi just glanced at the magnificent gate and ignored it.
He then looked at Li Wu with a strange expression, and looked at him carefully:
"You can run for half an hour without stopping."
Li Wu chuckled:
"I'm used to it. I used to carry goods and I would run all day. Today, I'm just a guest, so it's very light."
Lu Yunyi kept rubbing his hands. If it weren't for the physical training, he wouldn't have told anyone.
He even suspected that this Li Wu was a trap set by someone intentionally.
Putting away his thoughts, Lu Yunyi looked at Li Wu and asked with a smile:
"You are so fast, do you have any tricks? Can you tell me?"
"Uh"
Li Wu looked conflicted. He kept scratching his head and stammered, not knowing what to say.
He does have a trick, but it's a trick he doesn't intend to reveal.
Seeing this, Lu Yunyi smiled.
Without hesitation, he reached into his arms, pulled out a stack of banknotes, and quickly pulled out ten of them, slapping them on the cart:
"Ten strings of cash, enough for you to earn for a few years. How about buying your tips?"
Li Wu's eyes were widened to the widest point in his life, and his breathing became faster than ever before.
"Is this true?"
Lu Yunyi rolled his eyes at him and said, "Nonsense, would I cheat you out of such a small amount of money? Do you want to do it?"
“Go, go, go, go!!”
Li Wu nodded repeatedly. Although his head was shaking up and down, his eyes were always focused on the ten strings of money.
Lu Yunyi smiled. He loved the feeling of everything going smoothly.
"Take the money and come in."
Lu Yunyi fumbled out the key that he had prepared long ago from his arms.
Open the huge tiger-head lock at No. 2, San Tiao Lane, Xi'anmen.
Until this moment, Li Wu had no more doubts in his heart. He quickly kicked up the ten strings of money and rushed forward with excitement.
As he rushed up the steps, the door opened.
Seeing the scene inside the door, he was stunned for a moment.
For no reason, he felt a sense of emptiness in his heart. At this moment, he really felt that ten strings of coins were a small amount of money.
In September, the sky was high and the clouds were light. The golden wind was refreshing and the sun shone through the sparse clouds.
The carved wooden door slowly opened with the creaking sound of time.
A fresh air mixed with the faint fragrance of osmanthus and pine wood hits you in the face.
The view suddenly opens up and a spacious and exquisite courtyard comes into view.
In the center of the courtyard, a winding bluestone path leads the eye deeper into the courtyard.
On both sides of the path are carefully trimmed autumn chrysanthemums in all colors, yellow, white, and purple.
Directly ahead of the path, the house is tall and majestic.
The vermilion pillars and carved beams and painted buildings look particularly dazzling in the early morning sun.
The roof is covered with blue-grey tiles, the eaves are raised, and the ridge is decorated with exquisite glazed tiles.
The tall Sangong trees on both sides reach up to the sky, bringing a moment of shade.
Not only Li Wu, but even Lu Yunyi was shocked by the scene before him.
The expected desolate and dilapidated scene did not appear, but instead he saw a prosperous scene.
The two of them walked slowly, crossed the hanging flower gate,
Looking to the right, the scenery changed again, and a huge courtyard appeared!
The pavilion is located in a corner of the garden, with stone tables and stone benches.
The pavilion is surrounded by a carefully arranged garden with a variety of flowers competing for beauty.
There are exquisite rockeries standing on one side, and water flows slowly down from the top of the mountain and flows into the clear pond in the center, making a gurgling sound.
By the pond, a few late-blooming lotus flowers stand tall and graceful, contrasting with the weeping willows swaying in the wind on the shore.
“How much does this cost?”
Lu Yunyi's face showed shock. His eyes did not blink for a long time, but they were not dry either. He looked around and muttered to himself.
Lu Yunyi also knew something about the five-story house.
In an ordinary five-story house, the garden and courtyard are usually located in the fifth story, in the backyard, and are limited in size.
But there are very few places like this where the entrance is directly into the garden.
At this moment, Li Wu was thinking,
“How much money did this cost?”
He has lived in Yingtian for twenty years.
It was the first time I saw a wealthy family enter through the main gate.
This feeling made him feel complicated and he suddenly felt frustrated. He felt that all his hard work over the past 20 years had been in vain.
Not to mention twenty years, even in twenty lifetimes, he couldn't afford to buy the house in front of him.
Oh my god, I finally finished writing it, here I come, big brother!!!
(End of this chapter)