Volume 1, Chapter 20: The Sweeping Old Man

If the price for this residence was truly a thousand taels of silver, he was certainly interested. This three-courtyard compound was highly appealing, whether in terms of its environment, its size, or its location.

The broker cleared his throat and explained, "There are no hidden complications. The Liu estate was originally the property of Magistrate Liu, who is currently suffering the misfortune of imprisonment. His children wish to liquidate his assets, so they mortgaged the title deeds to us. We have the authority to sell the property. To put it plainly, it is as simple as that. Furthermore, the paperwork is complete, and you can rest assured that there will be no subsequent disputes whatsoever."

Magistrate Liu, imprisonment... Li Xian narrowed his eyes. Could it be that the two maidservants and the elderly man sweeping the yard were all former members of the Liu household?

Listening to the explanation, it sounded straightforward enough. After all, purchasing property in the Great Qian Empire did not involve many complexities; there were no property management fees, utility bills, or similar expenses to worry about. As long as one held the house and land deeds, there was no problem. As for water, there was a well in the courtyard, and for cooking, the kitchen was equipped with firewood and kindling. As for the toilet, modifying the drainage system for a modern commode would likely be difficult, given the established nature of the surrounding streets—it was unlikely anyone would permit him to tear up the pipes. Therefore, settling for a dry latrine would have to suffice, which was hardly an inconvenience.

Li Xian pondered for a moment and said, "Let's pause here. I need to make some inquiries outside. You may apply to the other party, and if there are no issues, we can communicate again tomorrow."

Cheap properties always have hidden troubles. It could not possibly be as simple as the broker claimed. He needed to be cautious; even if he didn't take ten days or a fortnight, he had to be prudent. That evening, after a busy day, Li Xian and Xiao An stayed at an inn. It was fine for Xinyi to be at home alone, as he had mentioned before leaving that he might spend the night in the imperial capital. While the distance from Yanshan County wasn't great, the time wasted traveling back and forth was significant. It was better to stay in the city to investigate the house; otherwise, the entire next morning would be lost to commuting, which was simply not worth it.

Early the next morning, Li Xian left the inn. After a morning of inquiries, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out the situation with the house was exactly as described: Magistrate Liu had recently been imprisoned, and his family was selling the property. That was all there was to it. Perhaps there were some minor underlying secrets, but they were not his concern. He could certainly acquire the property without much trouble.

Li Xian found the broker again and went to inspect the Liu residence thoroughly. To be safe, he even spent money to hire a professional to conduct a detailed inspection. Finding no significant issues, he proceeded to sign the transaction documents with the broker and paid the one thousand taels of silver. Simultaneously, the deeds for the house and land were handed over to him—money and documents exchanged hands. By the end of the day, the residence belonged to Li Xian.

His remaining silver notes had dwindled to a few hundred taels, a meager amount. However, he now had a home, which was a vital asset. He finally had a foothold in the capital, meaning he wouldn't have to stay in inns every night while trying to establish his small business. He still felt, however, that the broker had withheld something—the purchase had gone far too smoothly. Could it still be related to Magistrate Liu?

Regardless, the purchase was done, and he didn't care for anything else. Since all his paperwork was in order, he would be on the right side of the law should any disputes arise. He had visited other brokerage firms the previous afternoon to check market prices; he discovered that a thousand taels was a standard price for properties in other parts of the capital, such as the East and West Streets. To get a three-courtyard compound on Chang'an Street for a thousand taels was a significant bargain—a stroke of good luck. After multiple comparisons, the Liu residence on Chang'an Street was the best fit. If he wanted to conduct experiments, the location was private enough, not too close to the heart of the palace, and safe from potential thieves. This was the one.

The brokerage firm kept its promise and provided him with two maidservants, aged thirteen or fourteen, along with the partially sighted old man who had already been in the courtyard. Li Xian didn't insist on having them removed, so he let them stay. Initially, he hadn't intended to keep maids, but realizing that such a large property might be too much for him and Xiao An to manage, he decided they could stay and assist the old man with the cleaning duties.

Although this estate was said to be at the end of Chang'an Street, it wasn't strictly on the main thoroughfare. One had to travel about five miles to the right and take a turn before reaching the actual Chang'an Street, where the high-ranking officials resided. Compared to his previous life in the capital, this location was like the area just outside the second ring road, bordering the third—still a core district and far superior to most other areas.

Undoubtedly, the house was worth more than he had paid. It was a fact that such a property would usually cost at least fifteen hundred or even two thousand taels. That was precisely why Li Xian had felt uneasy when the broker, who had initially asked for two thousand, slashed the price in half.

With the keys in hand, Li Xian took one last satisfied look around the compound. Finding that everything met his aesthetic standards, he approached the old man and said politely, "Greetings, elder. This house is mine now; I have just purchased it. Do not worry; you may continue to stay here as you have, and I will provide you with daily meals."

As Li Xian spoke, the old man seemed not to hear, continuing to sweep the courtyard slowly, as if he were hard of hearing. He didn't even acknowledge Li Xian's presence.

Li Xian was taken aback. "Sir, I plan to leave today and lock the main gate. Where do you live?"

Li Xian raised his voice, refusing to believe the man couldn't hear. Only then did the old man lift his head and look at him.