Free Web NovelChapter 666: 666 Not Exclusive
Ah Wang glanced irritably at the women huddled together gossiping in the distance.
Their voices lowered slightly, intimidated by his gaze, but they were sure that this household had no official status. Their lips curled dismissively in disdain.
As for the two house servants asking questions in front of him, Ah Wang ignored them completely, patting the horse’s head and pulling a handful of soybeans from his pocket to feed Old Huang.
The two house servants, not expecting to encounter such a stubborn person, snorted unpleasantly and moved away from him to stand at Doctor Cui’s doorway, peering inside.
But before they had glanced twice, a group of people emerged.
Qin Yao swept the scene with a cold eye; she heard the murmurs outside the door clearly and shot an even icier glance at the two house servants.
The servants were startled, their hearts skipping a beat, and hurriedly stepped aside, grumbling to themselves about what kind of people these were, getting so vicious after just a couple of glances. Are they robbers?
They hoped these people wouldn’t fancy Doctor Cui’s house. If they became neighbors, the home’s masters and young ones would have to guard against thefts and robberies.
"Let’s go to the next one," Qin Yao instructed the broker.
She glanced up at the tsk-tsking, disdainful house servants and women around them, and began to understand why the broker had hesitated earlier.
They then moved on to Kuanzheng Square.
The house layouts on either side were actually similar, though the ones in Kuanzheng Square were indeed newer. There was a well in the courtyard, making water access convenient.
The previous owner had also left a lot of furniture, but it didn’t look as luxurious and elegant as in the house at Cultivation Square. The courtyard hadn’t been well-maintained and looked rather rough. Overall, it wasn’t as aesthetically pleasing as the previous one.
But these were minor things; aesthetics can vary from person to person, and anything not liked could be changed.
In the third courtyard entry, there were twelve rooms in total at the front and back, with varying sizes.
The third courtyard was divided into two independent small courtyards on the left and right, which Qin Yao particularly liked.
As the children grew older, the family would likely have more people, and having separate, independent courtyards would save a lot of trouble.
Every other room had plenty of light, but the courtyard was a bit small, and it wasn’t a standalone building; the courtyard walls were right next to the neighbors’.
"It’s really perfect for eavesdropping," Liu Ji chuckled, his gossip-loving soul ablaze.
The children were getting a bit tired, as all these houses looked similar and not particularly exciting. Their initial enthusiasm quickly waned after seeing a few.
Qin Yao asked Liu Ji and Ah Wang to take them out for a walk, while she, Qin Feng, and Yin Le stayed behind to check each room for any damages.
Seeing her diligence, the broker nearly had it figured out; if she wasn’t interested, she wouldn’t be inspecting so closely.
But seeing Qin Yao and the others conduct a thorough inspection, he couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous.
Qin Yao pointed to the hall beam in the first courtyard, "What material is this beam made of?"
The broker immediately replied, "Ironwood, resistant to rot and insects, top-quality material, very sturdy."
"But the well has no railing or anything. If a child falls in, what are you going to do?" Yin Le stood by the well, shaking his head.
The broker quickly said, "Don’t worry, miss. The well is absolutely clean. Besides, building a railing is simple enough; you can stack a few bricks around it, and it’s done."
Qin Feng went to the back door, displeased as he spoke to the broker, "The stable is so run-down; you didn’t mention that."
The broker smiled wryly, "Eight out of ten households in the capital have horses. The original owners did too, but they disliked the smell and switched to sedan chairs, leaving the stable unused. However, the stable’s structure is solid; just repair the roof, and it’ll be fine."
"Who’s paying for the repairs?" Qin Feng pressed on.
Though wealthy, he wouldn’t spend a penny unnecessarily.
The broker was in a bind, but Qin Yao found another issue, mentioning the clogged drains in the second courtyard. Without cleaning, the upcoming rainy season would flood the house.
The broker sighed, "Don’t worry. I’ll discuss it with the homeowners. The price might come down further. How about meeting them together tomorrow for a discussion?"
Qin Yao and Qin Feng exchanged a look, "Fine!"
The broker’s heart leapt with joy; it seemed the guests were quite satisfied with this place.
But it wasn’t the house that impressed Qin Yao most; it was the surrounding environment - it wasn’t insular.
The houses here varied in size. Some were standalone homes, while others shared large courtyards with several families.
Walking into the square, most doors were wide open.
There were elder women sorting vegetables by the door, warmly greeting newcomers:
"What brings you here?"
"Oh, house hunting? That property is indeed well-proportioned."
A few steps in the alley, one encountered such warm and gossip-loving wives and women, their eyes carrying curiosity without any sense of superiority or disdain.
Since most doors were open, one could easily see each household’s situation, far better than at Yongtong Square.
Compared to Qin Feng’s current home at Yongtong Square, the clothing in Kuanzheng Square was neat, with many bright colors.
Families stayed home for house chores instead of going out to work, and children could be seen enjoying seasonal fruits and candies—not wealthy, but certainly comfortable.
The neighbors’ accents were diverse, with over half from other places. They had harmonious relations with the locals.
By the time Qin Yao and her brother finished viewing houses and came out with the broker, Liu Ji had already successfully joined the fruit stand ladies, gossiping with four other children.
The Dragon and Phoenix Twins each held a plum, gifted by someone unknown, and played with the toddlers who hadn’t reached schooling age yet.
Liu Ji, along with Da Lang and Second Lang, was surrounded by a group of aunts and grandmothers, boasting about how smart and capable his sons were.
"Da Lang, come on, show the aunts ’Golden Rooster Stands Alone’!"
"Second Lang, didn’t you just learn a poem by Cao Cao? Go on, sing it for the grandmas!"
Da Lang looked awkward but tried to smile, spreading his arms, lifting his left foot, standing with only his right foot in a ’Golden Rooster Stands Alone’ pose.
Liu Ji nudged his waist, but the young boy stood firm, steady as a tree deeply rooted.
The aunts and grandmothers expressed surprise and clapped excitedly, "So wonderful!"
The brother performed, but what about the younger one?
All eyes of anticipation turned to Second Lang.
The young boy twitched, took a deep breath, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked up slightly to the sky at a forty-five-degree angle,
"Singing before the wine, how much of life’s course? Like morning dew, how hard is the past..."
The old ladies exchanged glances, not comprehending but feeling it was impressive.
"Mr. Liu, your sons are well-raised."
"When are you moving in? I’ll have my boy learn more from your Second Lang then."
"Yes, yes! And my boy too! He’s always playing with weapons; it’d be good to have a partner to practice martial arts with..."
Liu Ji responded with ease, "Not too long now, not too long."
