Free Web NovelChapter 354: Chapter 141: Chance Encounter
Later on, Chen Wanqing told Chen Song about her plan for them to spend two months at home before coming to the Prefecture.
Naturally, Chen Song had no objections.
He was mainly worried that without him and Xu Su Ying there to watch over him, De’an would get lost in the dazzling and distracting world of the Prefecture.
But leaving his son in Qingshui County wasn’t a good option either.
Qingshui County had a county school where newly-minted Scholars could continue their studies.
But it was a small place, after all, and the instructors were mostly unsuccessful old scholars who came to teach.
Not only was the academic atmosphere there mediocre, but the instructors’ teaching was average at best.
The Prefecture, on the other hand, was a major city with a wealth of talent. Most of the lecturers here were Advanced Scholars or held equivalent degrees. Compared to the county school, the faculty was in a completely different league.
But the prefectural academy wasn’t a place one could enter just by wishing. Whether one could get in or not depended on individual performance and the allocation of student slots for the region.
As Zhao Jing was the top candidate from Qingshui County and a "Lesser Triple First" winner—a feat seen only once every few decades—he was guaranteed a spot in the prefectural academy as long as he applied.
As for De’an, he had ranked at the bottom, only barely scraping by to become a Scholar. For him to enter the prefectural academy would be incredibly difficult. frёeωebɳovel.com
But solutions are devised by people, and paths are forged by those who walk them. In any case, they would go to the Prefecture first and figure things out from there.
If both of them could get into the prefectural academy, that would be for the best. If not, there was still the Xie Family’s Book Collection Building for them to use.
Considering that it would be best for Zhao Jing and De’an to stay in the Prefecture for the next few years, Chen Wanqing had the idea of buying property there.
"We should pick a place close to the examination hall. Even if we don’t live there in the future, we can still rent it out."
The Provincial Examination is only once every three years, but the prefectural and college exams are held twice in a three-year period. Just collecting rent would earn a lot. This investment is worthwhile.
Chen Wanqing looked at the others, and they all looked back at her.
"I certainly have no objection to buying a house, but daughter, do you have enough silver? Houses in the Prefecture aren’t cheap."
Chen Wanqing said, "I’ve asked around. A residence like the one we’re staying in now has an asking price of about eight hundred taels. If it’s closer to the examination hall, a house of the same size would be priced between one thousand and twelve hundred taels."
Chen Song sucked in a breath of cold air. "So expensive! That’s highway robbery. Our house is twice the size of this one, and it only cost around one hundred taels."
De’an also said, "That’s too expensive. You couldn’t get that much silver even if you sold me."
"But this is the Prefecture, and the location is excellent. My point is, we should buy if we can. Renting long-term isn’t cost-effective. The amount we’d spend on rent for three years is enough to buy a house."
De’an said, "We don’t have to be in the Prefecture. We can study back home. As for the books in Mr. Xie’s Book Collection Building, they have a rule: you can borrow a maximum of ten books at a time, for no longer than two months. But now that you’re doing business with Mr. Xie, Big Sis, and Mr. Wang travels to the Prefecture almost every month, I could probably ask him to help me borrow books."
"There’s no need to skimp on this bit of money; it’s not like we don’t have it. Besides, buying property in the Prefecture to collect rent is more profitable than other businesses."
When it came to business acumen, Chen Wanqing had inherited her mother’s shrewdness. "If I weren’t short on silver coins, I’d want to buy a couple more."
De’an said, "Big Sis, you call thousands of taels of silver ’a bit of money’. Just how much do you have on hand right now? I can’t even imagine how much you’ve earned from selling Moonlight Fragrance during this time. You’re even planning to buy a house in the Prefecture."
The group discussed it back and forth but couldn’t come to a clear conclusion.
So, they decided to stick to the plan and go to the Xie Family’s home to choose some books first.
But Chen Wanqing hadn’t given up on the idea. Before leaving, she specifically asked Mr. Xie to help her keep an eye out for residences near the examination hall. It didn’t need to be large—three main rooms would suffice. If he found a suitable one, he could write her a letter.
Besides asking Mr. Xie, Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing also made a special trip to a well-reputed brokerage.
The brokerage did have two residences near the examination hall. One was larger, with four main rooms, but the asking price was very steep—eighteen hundred taels, firm, no haggling.
There was also a small courtyard house with only two main rooms and no side rooms or kitchen. Its asking price was also eight hundred taels.
These prices were all inflated. They were clearly trying to take advantage of the upcoming Provincial Examination to rip off some unsuspecting buyers.
Chen Wanqing was no fool, so she dismissed the idea without even going to see them.
’It would be best to wait until after the Provincial Examination,’ she thought at the time. ’Once all the esteemed scholars start heading home, I’ll make my move to buy a house. The prices of listed residences are sure to drop then. It will be a perfect opportunity to find a bargain.’
Chen Wanqing was discussing business strategies with Zhao Jing and wasn’t looking where she was going as they walked out. As a result, someone rushed in through the door, and the two of them nearly collided head-on.
