Chapter 36 (1/2)

Chapter 36 Buy or NotAlright, I haven’t experience much of the world but I do know that the Suzhou garden on TV is much prettier than this… Lin Luoran tries to persuade herself. However, at the idea that this is the house she might buy, Lin Luoran immediately gives up to the scene in front of her eyes.

There is a little island with a bridge in the backyard. In the center of the island is two small bamboo rooms surrounded by green bamboos. Out of the corner gate, a cobblestone road leads all the way to the wood bridge. On both sides of the road, camellia flowers are thriving. Grape trellis is put up along the corner, and lots of bamboo poles are stuck in the field. Seems that lots of vegetables such as cowpea and loofah were growing here before.

On the left side of the backyard is a building with a delicate loft. You can have a view of the street when you go upstairs. This building has carved beams and painted rafters, and several small copper bells are hanging on the eaves.

The s.p.a.ce between the wall and the pond is planted with vegetables, including several rows of cabbage which harvest in winter.

With all the bamboos and vegetables, it seems that this was a squire mansion in the ancient times. The question is that it is the 21st century now, and R City is a metropolis. Isn’t it weird that there is such a house in the downtown?

“Sister w.a.n.g, how much…is the house?” Lin Luoran swallows briefly. She guesses that her five million yuan is not enough to buy those wood houses, let alone the entire house which almost covers two acres of land.

Lin Luoran remembers that on the year she dropped out of school, the college sold an old campus downtown for eight million yuan per acre. Years have pa.s.sed, and the housing price must have risen a lot.

w.a.n.g Miao’e shakes her head and points to the vegetable field, “You should ask the owner about this.”

Then Lin Luoran and Baojia notice that a man is standing behind the camellia flowers. He shows himself after hearing what w.a.n.g Miao’e just said— It is an old man in a straw hat who has silver hair and ruddy cheeks.

w.a.n.g Miao’e shows her rare charm and says, “Uncle Jia.”

Lin Luoran sees that the old man is smiling at her. She says in shyness, “Master Jia.” Instantly, w.a.n.g Miao’e is stunned.

“You know Mr. Jia?”

Mr. Jia nods, “Luoran is the new apprentice I took in lately.”

w.a.n.g Miao’e is surprised. Her family and Mr. Jia’s are friends for generations. She has known from childhood that her uncle Jia has real skills. Back in the days when she and Fatty Cui fell in love, she even brought him to see uncle Jia, hoping that he can take Fatty Cui in, so that elders in her family could agree to their marriage.

Of course, Fatty Cui was not qualified. However, he was unwilling to give up and said inappropriate words crankily, then he was kicked out by Mr. Jia with a thick stick.

The past is always beautiful. Thinking about her past, smile crawls all over w.a.n.g Miao’e face, “Luoran, I never thought that our relations.h.i.+p can be this close. We are meant to be friends!”

Mr. Jia waves at them and invites them to the bamboo room on the island. Tables and chairs made of bamboo are placed in the room. It turns out that it is a small tearoom.

Baojia, who is always tough, is now quelled by this sage-like old man and the refined bamboo room. Her gestures and expressions have become much gentler.

Lin Luoran blushes, “Master Jia, I don’t know this is your house…” This is the first time that she comes to her master’s home. She feels so embarra.s.sed for not bearing any gift.

Mr. Jia seems to right look through her. He says while pouring tea for the three of them, “Doesn’t matter. Just make yourself at home. I know your personality. You could send that wild ginseng to your halfway master, and how can you be stingy?”

Lin Luoran’s face turns redder. She says meekly, “Sister w.a.n.g didn’t tell me that the house is this nice. I’m afraid that I may not afford it…” Lin Luoran concerns that her master may be in urgent need of money, thus she doesn’t want to disappoint him. Lin Luoran decides to make things clear that she really can’t afford this house for now.