People still carry shadows from that period, otherwise, Chen Lishu wouldn't have been able to purchase the courtyard house in Beijing so readily. That property had been returned to its rightful owners, and it was only the first year of restitution, so the seller was eager to divest themselves of it.
After all, only money in hand was truly one's own.
The four first visited the courtyard house in the compound. The owners were a couple in their sixties, their children not living nearby. They had reserved only two rooms for themselves, leaving two cramped rooms remaining. The courtyard wall was close to the alley entrance, making transportation convenient, but it also meant it was street-facing.
At this time, people hadn't yet identified issues like street-facing locations on corners, which later insights like those about "Cold Mountain" would categorize. In an era where per capita living space was only a few square meters, having any place to live was good enough; there was no room for pickiness.
The house faced south, a good orientation, but the layout was awkward. The entrance led into a narrow kitchen. To the left were two small suites. The rooms were rather dilapidated, containing little more than a straw mat for the kangs, essentially empty.
There was no toilet, but this was typical for courtyard compounds; everyone used public facilities. The toilet was not far from the alley entrance, and the group had seen it upon arrival.
"Only these last two rooms are left; selling them quickly will be a relief for us," the elder of the couple said.
They were old, and who knew when they might pass away. Renting out the rooms would also be a hassle. They'd keep two for themselves and hoped to help their children with the proceeds from selling the rest.
Being sincere about selling, the couple didn't ask for anything exorbitant. For the house, totaling just over thirty square meters, they asked for two thousand yuan.
Chen Lishu turned to glance at Zhang Xue.
Zhang Xue likely found it quite acceptable. Although the area was small, Chen Lishu had mentioned when they arrived that the location was in the city center, adjacent to the provincial government, and would surely appreciate in value.
However, Zhang Xue wasn't the one paying, and she and Li Weimin were only dating. Chen Lishu couldn't make the decision directly.
"Uncle, what's the lowest you'll go for this house?" Zhang Xue tentatively asked.
"Girl, we're truly not asking for too much. We've already sold several houses, and the prices were generally around this figure."
Since a final decision on purchasing couldn't be made, further negotiation seemed pointless.
Seeing this, Li Zhiwei suggested, "How about we go see the next place?"
As the couple saw everyone turning to leave, they quickly called out, "Girl, if you're serious about buying, we can reduce it by fifty yuan at most. We've truly never sold it this cheap before."
"Alright," Zhang Xue nodded. "Then, Uncle and Auntie, we'll be going now."
Soon, the four emerged from the courtyard. Zhang Xue then asked Chen Lishu, "Do you think their house can be bargained down further?"
Chen Lishu couldn't say for sure. Their asking price was in line with the current market, and based on her past experience, older people tended to be stubborn. If they decided on something, they wouldn't easily change their minds.
Otherwise, if they had over a dozen rooms and had been selling for nearly two years without success, they must have negotiated with countless buyers. Once they set their price, it wouldn't be easy to alter it.
"I don't think it will be easy to negotiate much further, but a small adjustment might be possible." After all, the price was already set. They certainly wouldn't sell for two or three hundred, but fifty or a hundred might be negotiable.
Soon, the four arrived at the last property. This one was a standalone small two-story building with a fenced area of a few dozen square meters in front.
Its exterior had a slightly European architectural style, with high ceilings, arched windows, and protruding balconies.
However, due to years of neglect, the exterior walls had significantly peeled, making it look dilapidated.
According to Li Zhiwei's introduction, the previous owner had been a capitalist, which explained the standalone two-story house.
The owner was a man in his forties, with a long, thin face and pale skin, appearing somewhat malnourished at first glance.
He had been anxiously waiting outside. Upon seeing the group arrive, his posture seemed to relax slightly.
"Hello, my name is Yu Jiaye."
Li Zhiwei stepped forward and shook his hand. "You're Aunt Yang's relative, aren't you? I'm Li Zhiwei."
"Yes, yes, I heard from her," the man smiled. His gaze fell on the three behind, unsure who among them intended to buy. He then said, "Please, come in and take a look."
As soon as they entered, Chen Lishu frowned. Not only her, but Zhang Xue and Li Zhiwei also looked displeased.
The entrance, which was not very wide, was cluttered with jars and other sundries. The entire first floor had been divided by residents into several living spaces.
Near the windows, numerous cooking utensils and small coal stoves were placed, suggesting shared cooking areas.
Hearing voices, some tenants emerged from the rooms, looking at the group with unfriendly expressions. However, they only stared, saying nothing.
Following Yu Jiaye, the group ascended to the second floor. The old wooden stairs creaked with each step.
The second floor wasn't much better than the first. The small space had been partitioned into several rooms, and each family likely housed several people.
"You want to buy the house, right? This was assigned to us back then. Don't listen to what that Yu fellow says; he can't make decisions for us. We're definitely not moving," one of the male tenants suddenly said.
Yu Jiaye's already pale face seemed to turn even paler.
Chen Lishu and Li Zhiwei's group didn't respond. Observing the two-story house, spanning over two hundred square meters, with about ten households living there, and with everyone exhibiting unfriendly expressions, it was clear that an argument could easily break out if words were exchanged.
Moreover, they hadn't confirmed their intention to buy, so it was best not to engage.
"Perhaps we should go downstairs first," Yu Jiaye said somewhat awkwardly.
His expression always carried a hint of humility within his sorrow, likely a lingering effect from the severe political suppression of previous years, requiring time for adjustment.
"You've seen the situation just now. I can sell the house at a lower price. It was at least thirteen thousand yuan before, but if you intend to buy and pay in cash all at once, I can do it for twelve thousand."
Li Zhiwei asked curiously, "Why don't you clear them out before selling?"
Yu Jiaye looked at the group, hesitated, and then replied, "I've been to the sub-district office several times. Once, when things got heated, I even called the police, but they just wouldn't leave. The sub-district office and the police couldn't do anything about them, and it eventually became a stalemate."
As he spoke, Yu Jiaye hastily explained, "It's precisely because of this situation that I haven't asked for a high price. This place brings back too many bad memories for me, so even if I sell it cheaply, I just want to take the money and leave the country as soon as possible."
With the opening of national policies, the trend of going abroad had gradually become popular. Those who couldn't qualify for government-sponsored trips had to self-fund, which was extremely expensive.
Chen Lishu had initially been somewhat interested by the exterior. If not for seeing the current residents, she might have considered it.