Chapter 77 - 77: Because We Are Professionals

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Yuan Jiaqi watched her as she worked, discussing matters with him in a serious tone, and couldn’t help but start laughing.

“Thanks to your blessing, the whole family eats and drinks well, especially me and Chuan’er. We’ve benefited a lot from you.”

“Here you go again. In the future, if you study well, you can take care of me within your capabilities.”

“Of course, I don’t plan to marry again. If I become successful, then Madam Qiao will be my nominal wife.”

Qiao Mai rolled her eyes. Who would want to be a fake wife?

“In this world, only you don’t care about fame and fortune.”

Selling goods at home saved Qiao Mai a lot of worries, and the household goods increased as well, but it still wasn’t quite the same as being right by the main road.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, she invited Shopkeeper Lu’s family to have a meal, but not Madam Chen and her son.

Everyone would start their businesses the next day as it was the last day of the New Year celebration. After today, they would all be busy.

Shopkeeper Lu and her family enjoyed the delicious meal again and were pleased. They ate heartily without any hesitation.

“Sister, are you going to set up your stall tomorrow?”

“No, tomorrow I’m going to the Broker Center. If there’s a house for sale in town, I’ll buy a ready-made one. If not, I’ll buy a piece of land and build a house myself.”

Lu Sanniang nodded. “It’s best to build one yourself. You can build a row of shops in the front and leave a big space to sell your goods. Rent out the rest of them. It’s better than constantly setting up stalls and moving things back and forth. This way, you’ll have shops in the front and a residence in the back. If something comes up, your children can help.”

“Yeah. After the New Year, the teacher I hired for Jiaqi and the children will come. This yard is a bit small.”

“Oh, you hired a teacher?”

“Yes, Miss Wang introduced him. She said he would come after the New Year.” “You do need to buy a big house. If you build it, it will take at least a year.”

“This house is also livable, but I’m afraid he might find fault with it.”

“Let’s see first. With Miss Wang here, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Yeah, we’ll see how it goes.”

And so, the day passed. Qiao Mai took Ling’er and went to the Broker Center. She wrapped Ling’er up tightly, leaving only a pair of eyes visible.

Bringing her out was also to let her interact with others more. She couldn’t let Ling’er become timid and afraid.

On the other hand, Qiao Mai also wanted people to see that she really did adopt a girl.

In fact, as early as the second day of the Lunar New Year, the people already knew about this when they came to her house to buy stuff. Within a few days, the whole town knew.

People sighed at Qiao Mai’s kindness and showed contempt and sympathy for the Tian, the Qiao, and the Yuan family.

What a good woman she was, kind-hearted and capable of making money. She wasn’t appreciated. Instead, she was chased out the door. They did not know how to enjoy blessings and had lost a money-making tree.

Qiao Mai was dressed neatly, wearing a complete set of jewelry. Her small face was fair and clean. Even if she wasn’t particularly good-looking, fairness covered many flaws. With a change of clothes, she seemed like a different person, exuding an air of confidence that made it impossible to underestimate her.

“Madam, are you looking to buy people, buy a house, or seek assistance? Our

Broker Center can help you with all of these.”

“Oh, even seeking assistance is possible?”

“Naturally. Our establishment has some backing. As long as it doesn’t involve the royal family, we can assist you. It just depends on whether you can afford the fee.

“Well, if I have valuable items, can you offer a higher price than a pawn shop?”

“Of course. We won’t cheat customers or engage in counterfeit transactions.

However, our processing fees are slightly higher.”

“How much?”

“Twenty percent!”

Qiao Mai nodded. “I’m here this time to buy a house in this area.”

“There are no ready houses available. Many people don’t want to sell houses. They prefer building small houses and renting them out. They can recover the investment in a few years, which is more profitable than selling.”

“Do you have farmland near the official road?”

The assistant pondered, then turned around to find a map and looked at it for a while.

“Yes, it’s right here, to the south. It’s past the town sign. The area isn’t small.”

“How much land is there?”

“One hundred acres.”

“How much per acre?”

“For fertile land in the village, the normal price is ten taels per acre. In the town, it would be slightly higher at fifteen taels. Land near the official road is even more expensive. This piece would cost twenty taels per acre. Currently, it’s planted with wheat. The master says it’s twenty-five taels per acre, including the wheat crop.”

“So, does that mean I must wait until May to build a house?”

“If you want to build a house, you can dig up the wheat now. It hasn’t started growing again, so it’s not much of a loss.”

“Do you accept construction projects here?”

“Yes, we do, but we charge higher prices than the houses in the village.”

“Why is that?”

“Because we are professionals. Our craftsmen, especially the carpenters, are much better than ordinary workers. Look at the houses in the village. Do they have ornate carvings and decorative columns? Their houses merely need to be habitable, but ours need to be sturdy, beautiful, and comfortable. We can also help design beautiful courtyards for you, ensuring a comfortable life.”

“Well, that sounds good. Let’s talk about the land. If I use part of it to build a house and part to farm, can I have separate title deeds?”

“Of course. We will have an official come over to measure the land and proceed with the necessary paperwork. The land will be subject to taxation in the future, but not the house deed.’

Qiao Mai took a deep breath. The assistant saw her holding a child and hurriedly invited her to sit down, then pointed to the map while explaining.

“This one hundred acres of land is outstanding. Several people have inquired about it. I’m not trying to deceive you. You see, there are five acres right by the official road. It extends back twenty acres. It’s a long and narrow shape, perfect for building houses in the front and farming in the back. It’s convenient. You should act quickly, or else it might be gone.”

Qiao Mai calculated in her mind. If she built shops on the five-acre area, they probably wouldn’t be easy to rent out. If she had shops in the front and a small courtyard that could be used as a residence or storage in the back, five acres should be sufficient.

It could accommodate ten shops. She would use one herself and rent out the rest.

While she contemplated, the assistant noticed her absentmindedness and asked, “A penny for your thoughts?”

Qiao Mai came back to her senses and looked at the map. “This one will do.”

The assistant was in disbelief. “Are you really going to buy it?”

“Yes. Can the price be lowered?”

“We can’t lower it any further. Our office can waive the processing fee to save you some money at most.”

“What if I want you to build the house later?”

“We’ll waive the cost of the architecture design.”

“If I draw up the plans and want the house built according to my specifications?”

“That… I need to consult with my superiors.”

“Alright. Go ahead and secure this land for now.”

“Madam, you are very decisive. I’ll write up the documents for you. Three days from now, I’ll deliver the land deed to you. May I ask where you live?”

“Right here in town. My surname is Qiao.”

The assistant’s eyes lit up. “You’re Madam Qiao, aren’t you? Oh my, forgive my rudeness. Everyone in town knows your name.”

Qiao Mai smiled. She thought, ‘You can keep pretending, but workers from the Broker Center run around everywhere. How could you not recognize me? I don’t believe you.’

“Don’t tell anyone about my land purchase.”

“I won’t. I won’t mention the house construction either. Everything you’ve entrusted to us will remain confidential. “Alright. Do I need to tell you where I live?”

“No need. We all know.”

“After I finish drawing the plans, how long will it take to build?”

“That depends on your plans. For a three-section house, it will take about a year.”

“What if I want it done faster?”

“You’ll need to pay more. We can dispatch more craftsmen to expedite the process.”

After getting the details, Qiao Mai signed two documents at the Broker Center, officially purchasing the land..