Following the innkeeper's recommendation, the hundred trades real estate agency had the most large houses available, and they were all in excellent locations.
Without a second thought, Lu Ye took the four of them to the hundred trades real estate agency.
However, before setting off, he put on a very ugly human-faced mask. The last time he came to the capital, he was pestered by some inexplicable women, which greatly annoyed him.
He was handsome, but he only wanted his dear darling to see it. Those women with ill intentions towards him only made him feel disgusted. To avoid more trouble, he decided to wear this ugly mask as much as possible from now on.
The hundred trades real estate agency was indeed vast. After Lu Ye and his group entered, many buyers were already negotiating with sellers.
At the wooden counter, several people who looked like agents glanced at them briefly before looking away.
These five people were dressed in very ordinary clothes and did not appear to be wealthy. The tall man in the front, although possessing an excellent physique and dignified demeanor, must have had an unsightly appearance to wear such an ugly mask.
The old and young men following behind him, while behaving appropriately, also looked rather impoverished.
And the two little girls following at the very end were timid and did not dare to meet anyone's gaze.
Based on the agents' experience in judging people, they could at most afford an old ox for plowing. If that were the case, they would only receive a commission of a few dozen copper coins, so it was not worth wasting their breath on them.
Just as Lu Ye was about to step forward to inquire, a short, thin man in gray clothes limped towards them with considerable haste.
He asked with a smile, "My surname is Ding, and I am an agent at Hundred Trades. May I ask, young sir, are you looking to buy a house, or purchase people or livestock?"
Lu Ye replied, "Greetings, Agent Ding. My surname is Lu, and I would like to see if there are any good houses near Fushou Street or Changle Street."
Upon hearing that he was buying a house, Agent Ding's eyes lit up. He chuckled and said, "Naturally, there are. If you have time now, I will take you to see them."
"Then I will trouble you," Lu Ye said, raising his hand.
"Please follow me, Young Master Lu," Agent Ding said with some excitement. He had a low position in the agency and, with his limp, was often bullied. He only picked up the guests that other agents rejected.
However, he was different from other agents; he treated every guest politely, regardless of whether they were wealthy or not. He himself was a poor man, so how could he have the right to look down on other poor people?
The agents who had been standing and observing immediately exchanged glances upon hearing that this group was here to buy a house. Although they felt a bit of regret, they did not show it.
One of the agents said sarcastically that even if this family were to buy a house, it would certainly be a very small one. Large houses cost thousands or tens of thousands of taels, which they could not afford.
The other agents felt a little better then, thinking that Agent Ding was only suited for such unremarkable customers.
Agent Ding took Lu Ye and the other four to see a total of four houses, and Lu Ye was quite interested in two of them.
One was located in Yuhua Lane on Changle Street, a large courtyard with three entrances and two side courtyards on either side. Not only were there enough rooms to accommodate everyone from Hongshu Slope, but there were also bamboo groves, flower beds, lotus ponds, and even a training ground.
It would take half a day to truly tour the entire residence.
It was said to have been the villa of a high-ranking official in the past, and the surrounding environment was particularly tranquil, but the asking price was very high, eight thousand taels of silver.
The other house was not far from Fushou Street, a courtyard with two wells, priced at 2,500 taels of silver.
Qing Feng showed no reaction to the high prices of houses in the capital, as the house he lived in as a child was much more expensive than this.
Wang Da Fa broke out in a cold sweat, while Lu Hua and Ga Mei were stunned.
Lu Hua had always thought that a few hundred taels could buy a very large house, but she never expected the prices to start in the thousands. Hmph, a few hundred taels? Not even worth thinking about!
Moreover, her elder brother showed no surprise when inquiring about the price, acting as if their family owned several gold mines. Had their family suddenly become so rich?
Regardless, Lu Hua still wanted to persuade her elder brother to buy a cheaper one. Everything in the capital was expensive, and money needed to be spent frugly.
Although they had sold the stone gifted by Shanshan and received five thousand taels of silver, the daily expenses for so many workers at Hongshu Slope were not a small sum. Furthermore, the fruit trees and crops planted by her sister-in-law had not yet generated any income, and the shops in the capital had not yet opened. Every corner required money.
Ga Mei also said that they should just buy a few small huts, enough for them to sleep in. They would never be able to earn that much money in their lifetime for such expensive houses.
Wang Da Fa suggested buying a simple, unpretentious courtyard with one entrance.
Qing Feng felt that the houses they had just seen were acceptable, so he did not offer any opinion.
Lu Ye pulled everyone aside and lowered his voice slightly, saying, "Since we have decided to do business in the capital, we must gradually adapt to everything here, including the prices. Many of our ways of thinking must also be forced to change. Otherwise, our ideas will always be trapped within the narrow confines of Hongshu Slope. Without broadening our thinking, our horizons, and our knowledge, it will be difficult to make a name for ourselves in the capital."
Qing Feng strongly agreed with Lu Ye's words. "Junior Brother speaks very true. We should indeed maintain a good family tradition of thrift and diligence, but we cannot be overly petty. Otherwise, we will not get anywhere in the capital. Only by integrating into the capital as quickly as possible can we earn more money from the people of the capital."
Lu Ye was a few years older than Qing Feng and also much taller and sturdier. Being called "Junior Brother" made him involuntarily shiver. Alas, junior brother he was, and a junior brother to his dear darling as well. It was just that he had become a disciple of Granny Wu the latest.
Wang Da Fa also agreed with their viewpoints. However, since the money belonged to the employer, he did not feel comfortable expressing his true opinion. Saying they should buy a small courtyard was merely out of politeness and courtesy.
Lu Hua and Ga Mei understood only half of what was said. However, Lu Ye was not in a hurry. In the future, as the two girls experienced more in the capital, they would naturally understand this principle.
Only through actual experience could they grow quickly.
In the future, these two girls would likely undergo significant tempering.
Seeing them whispering under a tree on the side, Agent Ding thought they were discussing which house to buy, so he waited patiently.
It was evident that Young Master Lu favored the one in Yuhua Lane. If this deal went through, it would be the first large house he had sold, earning him a commission of about twenty taels of silver. He could buy a set of clothes for his wife and two children, as well as some rice and grain. Their family would be much more comfortable.
As Agent Ding was envisioning the happy scenes after receiving the commission, Lu Ye walked over to him.
"Agent Ding, I have decided to buy the three-entrance house on Yuhua Lane, Changle Street," Lu Ye said with a smile.
"You truly… truly decided?" Agent Ding's voice trembled slightly. He never expected that he would actually sell this large house, and that twenty taels of silver would… would be obtained so easily?
Lu Ye nodded, "Decided."
"Good, good, good. Then I will take you… take you to handle the property deed and land deed," Agent Ding's smile stretched from ear to ear.
Since the property deed and land deed were at the agency, everyone returned to the agency.
Upon hearing that this family had bought the three-entrance mansion on Changle Street, everyone at the agency was stunned. That house had been unsold for months with no one showing interest, and unexpectedly, it had been sold by Agent Ding, and to such an ordinary, poor family!
Had their judgment of people become so inaccurate?
Two agents who appeared to hold some status immediately walked up to Lu Ye with beaming smiles and then shot a fierce glance at Agent Ding, signaling him to step aside.