The next day, everyone got up and went about their business.
Wang Er and Song Zhe stayed at the inn to study.
Today, Song County Magistrate also needed to go to Yizhou Prefecture to meet with other county magistrates and Liu Yun to discuss whether to stay or leave, so the county magistrate's wife was going along too.
Li Yao took the others to look for a house to buy.
Not familiar with life in Yizhou Prefecture, and not wanting to bother Liu Yun, Li Yao found a property agent.
Hearing that she wanted to buy a three-section house, the property agent's clerk was as enthusiastic as the hot sun in the sky. The shopkeeper brought two clerks and called two trishaws directly to take the family to the house for sale.
"Madam, may I ask your surname?"
"Li."
"So it's Madam Li. My surname is Zhang," Zhang the shopkeeper said. "This house is currently the best we have. Let me take you in for a look."
After opening the heavy front door, there was a fake mountain screen. After turning past it, there was a spacious front yard with blue brick flooring. Although the side rooms on the left and right were for servants, they were still very spacious.
The side rooms had windows installed, and the beds, tables and chairs inside were quite complete.
After passing through the second door was an even more spacious yard without side rooms, only the main house.
In the middle was a large guest hall. On either side were two bedrooms, which could also be used as studies.
The last section was even more elegant. There was a flower garden in the yard, and the main house had five sections. Next to the corner of the yard, there were also two big trees, one date and one jujube.
The furniture in the main house was top grade, basically move-in ready.
What made it even more attractive was that this house also had a very large backyard, almost as big as the previous three yards combined. The backyard had a kitchen, latrine, and a small pond, probably for keeping fish.
"Madam Li, are you satisfied?"
If talking about satisfaction, Li Yao was not actually satisfied.
The houses were all made of wood, and the windows were too small, with poor lighting and ventilation.
But considering other houses were probably like this too, she didn't nitpick.
At worst, she could always renovate it later according to her own ideas, or even demolish it and rebuild. In this world, there was no need to apply for permission to build a house.
After buying it, it would be hers to do as she wished.
"How much?"
"Hehe, the price is a bit higher," shopkeeper Zhang said, holding up three fingers, "If Madam Li wants to buy it, I can give you 90% off."
30,000 taels. 90% off would be 27,000 taels.
Although Li Yao had money now, she wasn't foolish enough to spend it loosely.
While the house was nice, it certainly wasn't worth that price.
"10,000 taels. If you agree, we have a deal now."
"Madam Li, that price is too low, too low..."
"Then we'll look elsewhere."
Li Yao turned to leave decisively, without any hesitation.
Seeing her determination to leave, shopkeeper Zhang's plans to haggle were thoroughly foiled.
"Fine! 10,000 it is! I'm taking a loss this time!"
Li Yao: ???
Something was not right!
She had intended to start negotiations from at least 20,000 taels.
Asking 10,000 taels was just testing the waters, she didn't expect he'd actually sell it for that little?
She couldn't help feeling there must be some catch for such a windfall deal to land in her lap.
But on second thoughts, even just the land itself would be worth 10,000 taels, so she decided not to overthink it.
Shopkeeper Zhang asked his clerks to bring the property deed, then they went together to the former magistrate's yamen in Yizhou Prefecture to register the transfer. After a flurry of work, the three-section house belonged to Li Yao.
Seeing her willingness to spend so freely without flinching at 10,000 taels, the three children she bought yesterday were stunned speechless.
They had clearly run into a noble patron.
The three kids knew what they should do next. Anna took a broom and started cleaning, Alice drew clear water from the well and started wiping the furniture, while Wu Tong squatted in the garden and cleared the weeds.
Seeing them all so sensible, Du Xiao Hui was gratified, feeling that she had not wasted money buying them.
Li Yao took Wang Xiao Si along to buy other necessities they still lacked - pots and pans, bedding, oil, salt, sauces and spices, rice, flour, meat...
When they returned, it was with two oxcarts.
In the evening, Li Yao asked Wang Xiao Si to bring Song Zhe and Wang Er over too. She personally cooked a sumptuous dinner for the whole family.
“From now on, we also have a home in Yizhou Prefecture!" Wang Xiao Si happily said while eating, "Mother, should we consider ourselves as He Wan Village people or Yizhou Prefecture people?”
“Whatever you like.”
“Then...” Wang Xiao Si thought for a while and said, “I’d still rather be a He Wan Village person.”
“Why?” Song Zhe asked. “What’s wrong with being a Yizhou Prefecture person?”
“It’s good, but it’s too quiet here.”
With that one line, Li Yao was jolted alert.
He was right, it really was too quiet here.
The location was very good, practically central city zone, only ten minutes walk from the current Yi Zhou Royal Palace. Logically it should be bustling with activity, but she hadn't seen even one neighbour all day.
"Seems like the houses next door are also empty,” He Xiaoya said. “Mother, could the fengshui here be bad, so no one wants to live around this area? Is that why the price was so cheap?”
"Then... could it be haunted?" Wang Xiao Si blurted out.
"What fengshui or ghosts?" Li Yao said. "We already bought it, so just stay and live here peacefully. It's better when it's quieter, so Wang Er can focus on his studies without disturbances."
Although she said that, Wang Xiao Si's words made everyone feel vaguely uncomfortable.
"Wah-"
Just then, little Yan Ran in He Xiaoya's arms suddenly burst into loud wails. He Xiaoya hurried to coax her.
That made everyone even more spooked, only Li Yao continued eating calmly, not bothered at all.
After dinner, Li Yao heated water and took a bath in the room. Lacking a bathroom really was inconvenient, they'd need to build proper sanitation facilities and a kitchen tomorrow.
Thinking this, she gradually fell asleep, unaware how long had passed before she was woken by the sound of roof tiles clattering overhead.
Could it be thieves on their very first night?
She didn't get up immediately, listening intently to judge if it was petty burglars or just a stray cat passing by.
Soon, a faint, floating voice drifted down eerily from the roof.
"I died wronged...I died so terribly..."
The voice sounded sinister and full of resentment, unavoidably making one think of a vengeful ghost that died unjustly.
"Wah-"
A loud wail of little Yan Ran suddenly erupted from Da Zhuang and He Xiaoya's room.
Soon, the occupants of every room were shocked awake, and chaotic footsteps echoed through the yard.
"Mother, trouble!" Wang Xiao Si anxiously knocked on Li Yao's door. "Our house really is haunted!"