Chapter 205: Chapter 205: News of the Courtyard House

"What do you mean you’re fine? You have such a big gash on your arm!" Thinking about how Cheng Beize had been held hostage by a criminal, a cold sweat broke out on Cheng Beilin’s back.

Thank goodness for Su Qing. Cheng Beilin threw her arms around her. "Su Qing, thank you."

"Alright, it’s really nothing. I didn’t say anything just now because I didn’t want to worry you. See? We’re all fine now, and besides, the guy has been caught," Su Qing said, gently patting Cheng Beilin’s back.

"Mm, I know. I’m just scared thinking back on it." Cheng Beilin was indeed terrified in retrospect. ’If Su Qing hadn’t been there, would her brother have been able to escape that hijacker?’

"Alright, let’s eat. The food will get cold," Cheng Beize said, changing the subject so Cheng Beilin wouldn’t worry too much.

The rest of the journey was relatively peaceful. The next afternoon, the three of them arrived in Beijing.

Just as they got off the train, they saw the person who was there to pick them up.

"Beize!" a young man standing by a Jeep shouted loudly in Cheng Beize’s direction.

When Cheng Beize saw the young man, he smiled, waved back, and replied, "Dongjun."

With that, Cheng Beize led Cheng Beilin and Su Qing toward the young man named Dongjun.

"This is Yan Dongjun, my friend." Cheng Beize introduced the young man to Su Qing, then introduced Cheng Beilin and Su Qing to him. "This is my sister, Beilin. And this is my friend, Su Qing. She’s the one who wants to buy a courtyard house."

"Hello." Yan Dongjun smiled and greeted Cheng Beilin and Su Qing. He made a point of looking Su Qing over, then paused for a moment before quickly adding, "Come on, get in the car. I’ll treat you to a welcome meal, then we’ll go to the hotel so you can rest. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see the courtyards."

Cheng Beize smiled and said to Su Qing, "Dongjun has a wide network in Beijing. He can find out about all sorts of things. I asked him to help me inquire about the courtyards."

Su Qing smiled at Yan Dongjun and said, "Thank you for going to all this trouble."

"Hey, you’re Beize’s friend, which makes you my friend. Helping a friend is what you’re supposed to do, so don’t mention any trouble." Yan Dongjun laughed heartily. Once Su Qing and the others were in the car, he drove away from the train station.

Yan Dongjun didn’t take Su Qing and the others to a state-run restaurant. Instead, he drove to an alley, parked the car outside, and led the three of them inside. "This is a private restaurant. I’ve already made a reservation. The chef’s grandfather was an Imperial Chef, and the skills have been passed down through the family. The food here is exceptionally good."

"Really?" Cheng Beilin loved good food, so upon hearing this, she quickly smiled. "That’s wonderful! We’re in for a treat."

Hearing Cheng Beilin’s words, the others all laughed.

Soon, Yan Dongjun led the three of them into a smaller alley off the main one and knocked on the gate of a courtyard home. Su Qing looked around and couldn’t help but marvel. If Yan Dongjun hadn’t brought her here, she never would have dreamed that a restaurant would be hidden in such a small alley.

Once inside the courtyard, Su Qing realized it was a three-courtyard residence. The person who opened the door led them into the second courtyard, guiding them along a covered walkway to a room with the name "Bamboo Charm" written on the door.

Yan Dongjun laughed. "This private restaurant is incredibly popular. You have to book a table at least a week in advance to eat here. Luckily, a buddy of mine booked this private room, so I snatched it from him, haha!"

Cheng Beize smiled and said, "I’ve been here twice before. The food really is excellent."

Before long, all the dishes were brought to the table.

"Don’t be shy, dig in," Yan Dongjun, a man of hearty character, said with a smile.

"Alright." Su Qing and Cheng Beilin both nodded with a smile.

The food at this private restaurant was indeed superb. Su Qing sighed to herself. ’As expected of a descendant of an Imperial Chef. These culinary skills are out of this world.’

Since Yan Dongjun had to drive, and because they were dining with two young women, the four of them didn’t drink any alcohol. Yan Dongjun ordered a pot of tea and a bowl of sweet white fungus soup for both Su Qing and Cheng Beilin.

Yan Dongjun smiled. "Their white fungus soup is especially authentic. It’s perfect for you ladies."

"Thank you." Su Qing noticed that this Yan Dongjun was a very thoughtful person, someone who considered things from every angle. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Halfway through the meal, Yan Dongjun brought up the matter of the courtyards. "After Beize spoke to me yesterday, I made some inquiries. Right now, there are two courtyard houses for sale, one in Xilin Alley and one in Changle Alley. The one in Xilin Alley is a two-courtyard house. The owner wants to sell it to go live with their son. The one in Changle Alley is larger—a three-courtyard house with a rear building. The owner just returned from out of town at the end of last year due to some past issues. The property was just returned to him, but he doesn’t want to live there because it holds too many sad memories, so he’s planning to sell. However, because many people have been living in it over the years, the courtyard is a bit dilapidated. If you buy it, it’ll need a good deal of work before it’s habitable."

After speaking, Yan Dongjun smiled at Su Qing and said, "Because it was such short notice, these are the only two courtyards I could find that are on the market. I’m not sure if you’re looking to buy a larger one or a smaller one."

Su Qing smiled. "What are the prices for the two courtyards? If possible, I intend to buy both."

"Buy both?" Yan Dongjun was taken aback for a moment. Buying both courtyards would cost several thousand. But then he remembered that Su Qing was Cheng Beize’s friend, and it somehow seemed natural. He smiled again. "The two-courtyard house in Xilin Alley is around two thousand. The one in Changle Alley has a rear building, so it’s more like a three-and-a-half-courtyard house. The owner’s asking price is higher, around thirty-five hundred. The two together would be about five or six thousand."

To be honest, Yan Dongjun also felt the asking prices for these two courtyards were a bit high. Not many courtyards were for sale these days, and in Beijing, basically anyone with a job would be assigned housing by their work unit. Very few people were willing to use their savings to buy a house. After all, a price of several thousand was by no means low.

Even with his family background, he didn’t lack for money, but he still thought the price was steep. He added with another smile, "Of course, there’s definitely room for negotiation on the price. When we go see the courtyards tomorrow, we can try to haggle with the owners."

"Alright." Su Qing nodded with a smile. ’Even without touching the gold bars, I have over fifty thousand in savings right now. It looks like that’s enough to buy seven or eight courtyard houses in Beijing.’

"Alright, it’s settled then. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the one in Xilin Alley first," Yan Dongjun said with a smile.

Cheng Beilin quickly said to Cheng Beize, "Brother, we have a deal, okay? We’ll go back to Xiangcheng the day after tomorrow. I want to help Su Qing buy her courtyard houses."

Cheng Beize smiled and nodded. "Alright!"