"Please come in, gentlemen, and we'll serve you with good fruit and tea!"
Li Yu arrived at the original teahouse, which was still bustling with activity. He walked to the door, pointed to the signboard at the door and said to the waiter: "What does the 'Mingqian Gonglong' hanging above mean?"
The waiter saw the distinguished guest and greeted him quickly: "Sir, you really know your stuff. This is the best Hangzhou Longjing in our store."
Immediately he recognized Li Yu: "I seem to have seen the guest officer."
"I have a good memory." Li Yu smiled and walked into the teahouse and immediately saw the three bannermen.
However, after glancing around, I didn't see the tooth merchant Guapi Hat. I didn't know if I came at the wrong time, so I temporarily sat at the empty table next to the three banner men.
Li Yu was dressed more appropriately this time: the palace gave him two high-end silk clothes, which were obviously different from everyone else in the teahouse.
The bannerman with the white flag named Lao Yu leaned over and asked: "Where does this young man work as a errand? Why haven't I seen him on weekdays?"
Li Yu said: "I, Li Yu, are currently serving in Prince Qing's Mansion."
"Ouch!" Lao Yu said in surprise, "Prince Qing's Mansion is amazing! No wonder I see that the young master is so energetic, full of energy, and full of vigor!"
Li Yu quickly waved his hand: "Uncle, stop, stop, you are exaggerating! I take the liberty of asking for your surname."
"It's me! I won't mention my surname because it will disgrace my ancestors! If I give my first name, I'll call him Yu Qian."
"Uncle Yu!?" Li Yu also exclaimed, "No wonder you are so sharp-tongued!"
Old Yu was stunned: "Have you heard of me?"
"Not only have I heard of it! Do you have three major hobbies: smoking, drinking, and scalding... scalding hot water baths?"
Li Yu's eyes drifted across his shiny forehead, and he changed his words. His double name is really interesting.
"Oh, that's so right, how did you know?"
Li Yu laughed and said: "All China knows!"
Then he loudly called to the waiter: "Give Uncle Yu a pot of the best Mingqian Gonglong in your store!"
Lao Yu was a little at a loss: "Hey, young master, I don't know where to put my old face, how come you know my name? And you serve such good tea, it's really, really... I don't know what to say.
!”
Li Yu joked: "Don't know what to say. If you say a few more words, it will cost you more than the tea money."
"Thank you so much, Master!"
The waiter acted very quickly and brought it up quickly. When the money was paid, it was really different: usually tea is served in teacups, but this time it was served directly in a bowl. The service was also very good. The waiter personally filled several tea cups for several people.
"A few guests are using it slowly. If you need to refill the water, please call at any time."
Lao Yu blew the tea leaves and asked tentatively: "Master, are you here for something?"
Li Yu said: "I'm looking for the dental dealer I met last time."
"Just such a small thing? Then you didn't tell me earlier!" Lao Yu shouted towards the store: "Cui Laosan, don't sleep! Come out quickly, there are distinguished guests!"
"Old Yutou, what are you talking about?"
The curtain in the back hall opened, and a familiar melon-skin hat appeared in front of Li Yu.
"Hey! Isn't this the same old man from before? Why are you here again?"
Cui Laosan also traveled frequently, and he immediately noticed that Li Yu's clothes were unusual: the silk jacket alone cost at least 2 taels of silver, and ordinary people couldn't afford it.
Li Yu cupped his hands and said, "I want to rent a house. Do you want to do this business?"
"Do it! Of course I do!" Cui Laosan took off his melon skin hat and sat next to Li Yu, "We will also do Fang Xian's work."
In the late Qing Dynasty, those who specialized in real estate intermediaries were called "Lafangxian". Just like now, the commissions were higher than ordinary intermediary sales, so Cui Laosan was extremely enthusiastic.
"What location do you want to rent and at what price?"
"Near the east side of the city, preferably between Heshuo and Princess Jia's Mansion and the Prime Minister's Office."
Li Yu inquired from Ding Haoliang that the Capital University Hall had been located at the Heshuo and Princess Jia Mansion.
Princess Hejia is the daughter of Emperor Qianlong, and is the prototype of Ziwei in "Huanzhugege". After her death, the Ministry of Internal Affairs took back the princess palace, and now plans to use it to open the Capital University.
Lao Yu was also listening, and immediately gave him a thumbs up: "Master Li is indeed extraordinary. There are many officials living in that area, and it is very expensive."
Cui Laosan took out a pamphlet from his arms, flipped through it for a while and said: "Yes, please come and see, sir, how about this place in Zhonglao Hutong? It's right next to the Princess's Mansion, and it's very grand. It's two steps away.
There are 38 rooms in the courtyard, and the monthly rent is only 50 yuan.”
In the late Qing Dynasty, the word "jian" used to describe a house was not a house in the modern sense. At that time, "jian" referred to the space between two pillars.
For example: some houses have a row of pillars in the middle, which divides the house into two rooms; if there are two rows of pillars, it will naturally be divided into three rooms.
So the house Cui Laosan mentioned is, in modern terms, 18 independent houses.
Li Yu shook his head: "It's too expensive."
Cui Laosan flipped through it again: "Also, there are 10 rooms in Laku Hutong, which is also very close. This one is cheap."
Li Yu took a sip of tea and still shook his head and said: "It's too small. Is there a courtyard with only one courtyard?"
"Siheyuan" is simply what Li Yu said he was used to. There was no such word at that time, but there was a term for "siheyuan", which is a courtyard with houses on all sides.
Fortunately, Cui Laosan understood what Li Yu meant and said: "Of course! This place is very suitable. Dongchang Hutong, the location is perfect, just as you enter the yard, there are 24 rooms, and the monthly rent is 25 yuan."
Li Yu almost spit out his tea, "Where did you say? Dongchang Hutong?"
"Yes, Dongchang Hutong was a very popular place in the former dynasty!"
"I definitely know Dongchang..."
Cui Laosan spoke quickly: "That's okay, Mr. Li, it's the most suitable place for you to live here!"
Li Yu always felt that something he said was not quite right, but fortunately Cui Laosan continued:
"This house has produced a number one scholar before. You scholars will definitely like it! The current Chief Minister of Military and Aircraft Rong Zhongtang also lives in Dongchang Hutong. What does that mean? It means that the feng shui of this place is good. It can produce literary stars and have a good career! And the price is not high now.
"In the past, this kind of house in this location cost at least 30 yuan, but now you can rent it for 25 yuan!"
Li Yu felt pretty good. Just when he was about to ask how to rent it, Uncle Yu next to him shouted angrily:
"Okay! Cui Laosan, please stop fooling Mr. Li!" Then Lao Yu said to Li Yu: "Master Li, don't listen to what he says! There have been lives in this house!"
"Has anyone died?" Li Yu asked quickly.
Lao Yu said: "Yes! I know this house. There was indeed a champion before, the former Minister of Civil Affairs, Chongqi! But during the Gengzi national crisis, their whole family committed suicide together!"
"And there's this!"
Although Li Yu knew Chongqi, he didn't know that the house belonged to his family.
As the only bannerman champion in the Qing Dynasty, Chongqi was highly regarded. During the Gengzi national calamity, he and Ronglu were in Baoding. His son stayed in the city and waited for the city to fall because he was afraid of being humiliated.
He even took his whole family to commit suicide for his country.
Chongqi was already over 70 years old. She could not bear to see such a scene when she returned home. She wrote her final words and then hanged herself.
There were not many ministers who committed suicide that year, but the Empress Dowager Cixi they were loyal to had already fled to Xi'an.