As the first thing he did after taking refuge in Su Hao, Chen Guanyu was naturally a hundred times more attentive. He asked Su Hao and Lu Xiu'er to find a teahouse to drink tea first, while he ran to inquire who had a suitable house for rent.

In less than half an hour, Chen Guanyu ran back happily and said to Su Hao: "Su Gongzi is really a blessed person, if God helps. As soon as I asked someone to ask who had a house to rent, I heard that a Hui businessman who had been doing business in Fengcheng for several years was planning to go home to retire and want to sell his house or rent it out. His house is next to the south gate, facing Dongge Lake, with excellent scenery, which is suitable for an elegant person like Gongzi. I've just been to see that house, three two-room buildings, and a half-acre garden at the back, can the son be interested? ”

"Sounds pretty good." Su Hao smiled and said, "Come, Lao Chen, you have worked hard, sit down and drink tea first, and tell me what the price of this house is." ”

Chen Guanyu was quite impressed by Su Hao's leadership style, he nodded in thanks, took a sip of tea, and then said: "He wants to sell this house for 500 taels, and if he rents it, it will be 10 taels a year." I told him for a long time, and he promised to pay 20% of the price, if you buy it, it is 400 taels, and if you rent it, it is 8 taels a year. ”

"400 taels?" Su Hao was a little moved for a while, as a traverser, his heart was also full of desire to buy a house. In the words of later generations, can a rented house be considered a home? 400 taels of silver is undoubtedly an astronomical amount for him now, but he just saw the magistrate at a glance, and he got a reward of 20 taels of silver, if he fully displays his ability in the future, it should not be too difficult to earn 400 taels of silver, right?

However, there is also a disadvantage in the Ming Dynasty, that is, such an expensive house cannot be mortgaged. Since Su Hao can't come up with so much cash, he can only consider renting a house.

"Lao Chen, the price of 400 taels is not expensive, but I don't have much money on hand now, so I can only consider renting it first. Is the rent of 8 taels a year paid in one lump sum or monthly? Su Hao asked.

Chen Guanyu said: "I discussed this with the owner of the house, and he said that it would have to be paid at least half a year." He plans to go home to retire, and he has a few nephews who do business in several surrounding counties, and they can come over to collect rent. ”

Su Hao nodded, it seems that this Chen Guanyu is indeed quite competent to do this kind of thing, he can find a house, and he can bargain with the owner, and even take into account the problem of payment method. In the future, if this person's character is reliable, it would be good to stay at hand as a housekeeper.

"Let's go, Xiu'er, let's see our new home." Su Hao stood up, threw a few copper plates on the table as tea money, and then took Lu Xiu'er and followed Chen Guanyu towards the south gate.

Fengcheng County is not too big, and the three of them walked for about five or six minutes before they came to the house that Chen Guanyu said.

This is a typical Jiangnan dwelling, the house has two floors, brick and wood structure, the walls are painted snow-white, the windows are carved lattice, the eaves are high, it looks quite spectacular, Su Hao fell in love with this house at a glance.

The owner of the house is a rich old man from Anhui, wearing a royal blue silk shirt and pants, and a scarf on his head. ”

Without waiting for Su Hao to say anything, Chen Guanyu stepped forward first and said: "Lao Huang, this is the Su Gongzi I told you, the county magistrate has already hired him as the master of the workshop, and he is also an official person." ”

"Oh, Xiaomin greets the official." The old man Huang pretended to be a gesture to worship. Su Hao hurriedly stopped him, his master was really not an official, and he was really a little uncomfortable with letting a half-old man worship him.

"Elder Huang is polite, the student is just temporarily helping the magistrate to do something, how dare he call himself an official." Su Hao said.

Everyone was polite and polite, and Old Man Huang led Su Hao and the others into the house to see the house. As Chen Guanyu said, this house is a three-room two-entry layout, and the bright room in front of the downstairs is the main room, and the bedrooms are on both sides; The bright room in the back is the living room, and the two sides are also bedrooms. Between the front and back, there is a patio. The wooden staircase leading to the upper floor is very cleverly arranged by the corridor, and everyone did not go upstairs to see, but the old man Huang said that there are five houses upstairs, which can be arranged for the female dependents to live in.

Walking further back from the living room, around a shadow wall, there is a garden of more than half an acre, there is a small pool in the garden, there are rockeries on the bank, and flowers and trees are planted everywhere. In this midsummer season, the flowers are in full bloom, and there is a sweet fragrance of ctenophores, which makes people feel refreshed.

There is a small gate on the fence of the garden, and the view is also very nice when you walk out to the lake.

"How?" After reading it all, Su Hao asked Lu Xiuer.

Lu Xiu'er put her mouth to Su Hao's ear and whispered, "This house is so good...... It's just too expensive. ”

"Hehe, 8 taels of silver a year, it's really not expensive." Su Hao also whispered to Lu Xiu'er that he didn't know much about the general market for renting houses in the city, but in terms of the experience of future generations, renting a house of five or six hundred square meters with a private garden was really cheap for seven or eight thousand yuan a year.

"How is it, Master Su, are you quite satisfied with this house?" Chen Guanyu asked with a smile.

Su Hao nodded: "Yes, Lao Chen, thank you very much." ”

"As long as Su Gongzi is satisfied." Chen Guanyu said happily.

Next, it is to go through various procedures, the two parties write down the rental agreement, sign each other, and ask someone from the tooth shop to do the guarantee, Chen Guanyu is familiar with these things, and there is no need for Su Hao to worry about it. After Old Man Huang accepted the 4 taels of silver paid by Su Hao, he handed over the keys and other things to Su Hao, and the house was used by Su Hao from then on.

Old man Huang has other residences in Fengcheng, and because this house is going to be rented, the daily necessities in the house have long been moved, leaving only some slippery furniture. After Old Man Huang left, Chen Guanyu was eager to help Su Hao buy daily necessities, but Su Hao politely declined, he planned to let Lu Xiuer do these things.

"Is this house really for us? That's great! ”

After sending Chen Guanyu away, Lu Xiuer could no longer suppress the joy in her heart, and began to inspect the house room by room. She couldn't see enough of herself, so she had to pull Su Hao with her, so Su Hao had to accompany her upstairs and downstairs for seven or eight laps, only until both of them were tired and out of breath before she gave up.

"I said Xiu'er, can you go and boil some water to drink first?" Su Hao sat on the Taishi chair in the main house, giving orders to Lu Xiu'er like a master in charge.

"How can you burn it without a pot?" Lu Xiuer replied.

"Buy it." Su Hao took out the remaining four taels of silver and some change copper coins in his pocket, put them on the table, and said, "From now on, you will be responsible for managing this family, and this money will take care of the lives of the two of us for at least two months." ”

"I don't care about the money." Lu Xiu'er put her hands behind her back and shook her head like a rattle, "Brother, when are we going to let my mother come over?" ”

Su Hao said: "Why don't you have two months, wait for this side to stabilize." At least the fields at home have to be harvested for this season before they can be rented out, and I guess my mother will have to go into the city to live, and it will take a while. Tomorrow I will ask someone to bring her a message back, and she will come at any time if she wants to. ”

"Mom is alone at home, can she plant so many fields?" Lu Xiu'er said, "Otherwise, I'll go back too, it's good for you to be here alone." ”

Su Hao said: "The fields at home must be planted by others, I have already agreed with Xiaohu to let him help find some short-term jobs, and my mother will be responsible for keeping an eye on those short-term jobs at home, I can't be tired." As for you, you have to be here to help me during this time, at the very least, someone at home has to cook for me, right? ”

"Hmm......" Lu Xiu'er thought about it, it seems that this is indeed the case, such a big house, Su Hao can't live in it alone.

After the discussion, the brother and sister went out to buy all kinds of daily necessities, straw mats, quilts, pots and pans, drinking cups, brooms for sweeping the floor, in addition, firewood, rice, oil and salt, etc. According to Lu Xiu'er's thoughts, some things are available at home, and you can just ask Su Xiaohu to help transport them another day. But Su Hao felt that things that didn't have much money anyway should be replaced with new ones. I don't know how many years of bedding and the like have been used at home, but now that I want to build a new home, of course I will replace them together.

The two walked around the street for an afternoon, and finally hired a small cart to send the things they bought home, and Su Hao settled the account and spent more than one or two silver. Looking at the money bag that quickly deflated, Su Hao sighed for a long time: I hate less money when it is used, it seems that I really have to find a way to get money.