Cui Laosan was a little embarrassed after being told off by him: "But the price is also cheap! Besides, it is a house that has produced the number one scholar, so you can feel happy no matter what."
"Is that because of good luck? It's more like bad luck!" Lao Yu said.
Li Yu actually didn't care too much about this. Although a whole family died, he died for his country after all, and his integrity was not lost.
It's just that people at that time didn't think so, and were very shy about it. If one or two died, it would be fine. It would be really shocking if more than a dozen members of the family died, for fear that the ghosts of the deceased would still be alive.
Fortunately, Li Yu, as a staunch atheist, is not afraid of these things. To him, ghosts and gods are all false talk.
"I've rented this house! But the price must be discussed again!" Li Yu said.
"No problem!" Cui Laosan replied very simply, "You make a price!"
Li Yu tried to say: "20 hangings?"
"make a deal!"
Li Yu's heart skipped a beat: I'm going to say it's too high!
Cui Laosan quickly took out the rental discount: "The rent is 20 cents, which is 3 cents and 2 cents. You will pay another 30 per cent, which is 6 cents as the middle fee. The extra tea money and errand money will not be counted. I will also give you the house."
You take care of it."
——The hammer fell immediately without asking three times!
"Cheng two breaks three", it should be that those who rent a house get 3%, and those who rent out a house get 2% as intermediary fees. But at that time, the intermediary also charged tea money, rent and other expenses, and these fees often exceeded one
Monthly rent, so 6 cents is not too high.
Cui Laosan filled out the rental coupon with a swipe, "I forgot to ask, how many months will you rent?"
Li Yu smiled bitterly in his heart, you are really afraid of losing the business, "Let's rent it for three months first."
"Got it!" Cui Laosan quickly filled it out in duplicate and handed it over.
Cui Laosan breathed a sigh of relief. The previous family had held the house in his hands for more than half a year, and he finally found a new one. According to Fa Liang, the only surviving descendant of the Chongqi family, it would be fine if he could rent it out.
An extra 5 coins will be given as the middle fee.
It’s been a long time since Cui Laosan rented out a house with such a high price. If it doesn’t open in March, it will only be open in March!
There were a total of 66 taels, equivalent to 44 taels of silver. Li Yu had 100 taels of silver in total, and he spent nearly half of it.
Renting a house in Beijing more than 100 years ago was a big expense!
"Sign it!"
With a smile on his face, Cui Laosan actually handed over the gel pen that Li Yu had given him.
"Sign it!"
Li Yu picked up the pen and wrote his name. We still have the spirit of contract.
Cui Laosan said: "You pay a deposit first, 10 taels of silver. I will clean the house today, and then you can come over at any time tomorrow, and I will wait at the house for you to inspect the house."
It seems like you can’t just pack your bags and move in right away.
After paying the money, Li Yu was going to go to the British Embassy to find Pulande. Lao Yu saw Li Yu out of the teahouse: "Brother Li, hurry up!"
Li Yu suddenly remembered to ask him: "By the way, I forgot to ask you something. Do you know where the Tongqing class is staying?"
Lao Yu thought for a while: "Are you asking about Jia Gouer's celebration class?"
"Exactly."
"Go to Jingzhong Temple and have a look. It's probably there." Lao Yu said.
"Thank you, Uncle Yu. Please continue drinking tea, and don't forget to become the commander of the navy in the future."
Li Yu turned around and left without forgetting to tease him.
Old Yu Que was stunned on the spot: "Commander of the Navy? What Commander of the Navy?"
In the office of the British Embassy, Purland was in a good mood. He was holding a cigar in one hand and Tianjin in the other. He was very proud of the telegram sent from Shanghai. His report this time was very successful.
"Bang bang bang!"
Li Yu knocked on the office door, and Pu Lande said inside: "Please come in!"
Li Yu came in and said hello, and then continued: "Mr. Reporter, I came to you to study the matter of recording records."
Puland took a puff of his cigar and said, "I have made arrangements a long time ago." He pointed to a middle-aged foreigner next to him, "I would like to introduce to you, this is Carlos, the manager of American Victory Records in China."
Then he pointed at Li Yu and said, "Mr. Carlos, this is Li Yu, the rising star in the world of science and technology."
"Hello!"
"Hello!"
Li Yu and Carlos shook hands and sat on the sofa together.
Puland said: "Mr. Carlos was trying to open up the Qing Dynasty's record market. When I mentioned that I wanted to record Peking Opera, he immediately agreed."
Gramophones just entered China four or five years ago and are currently only available in concessions in Shanghai, Tianjin and other places.
Since Carlos' company also has this demand, it can save a lot of recording costs.
Li Yu then said: "Mr. Carlos has a very good vision. All the dignitaries in the capital love to listen to Peking opera, so there will definitely be sales."
"Yes, but we don't understand Chinese people's preferences, let alone Beijing opera." Carlos's Chinese is much stiffer than Puland's.
Li Yu said: "This is easy to handle. I know Liyuan Da Na and I will introduce it to you when the time comes."
"That's great. Chinese people understand Peking Opera." Carlos said.
Li Yu waved his hand: "I don't understand Peking Opera, I just know people who do."
Puland smiled and said to Carlos: "Now even the Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty likes to listen to operas. If you can make her like your records, I'm afraid the entire company can move to the capital."
"Then I'm rich!" Carlos laughed.
Each of the three parties got what they wanted: Li Yu wanted to help Yang Xiaolou's theater troupe get out of trouble; Carlos wanted to sell his records; Puland wanted to use this new gadget to win Cixi's favor and make up for the stalemate between the two due to the Kangliang incident.
relation.
So it was a matter of filming, and Carlos immediately expressed his intention to go to the theater with Li Yu.
Purland warned Carlos: "This must be done well. Whether we can open up sales depends on the words of the Empress Dowager Cixi."
Carlos patted his chest and assured: "Don't worry, there is absolutely nothing wrong with our company's products."
Pulande said to Li Yu again: "One more thing. I will organize a salon tonight at my residence in Dongjiaomin Lane."
"Salon?" Li Yu asked in surprise.
Puland nodded and said: "Yes, Shenbao and Zilinxi Daily want to contact you for an interview. In addition, Ms. Alice Smith, the editor-in-chief of the Beijing-Tianjin Times, also wants to meet you in person. So many people
Together, I have no choice but to organize a salon."
Well, I suddenly became the hot favorite of the press, but it just happened too fast!
"Zilinxi Bao" is an English newspaper, mainly read by foreigners in the concession, including diplomats, missionaries, businessmen, etc., so although its circulation is not large, its influence is not small.
"Shenbao" is much more famous. It has been published for a long time and basically spans the entire modern period. It can be called an encyclopedia of modern history. The news reports are also more fair and objective. Officials of the Qing court at that time would also read this newspaper.