God-Tier Get Rich System – CH93

Chapter 93: The House Is Secured

Mu Lantu politely asked Old Man Zhou, “What do you think, sir?”

This gesture made Old Man Zhou feel a little better inside.

His four sons all looked at him nervously.

Old Man Zhou silently puffed on his dry tobacco pipe.

“Dad, didn’t we already agree on this at home?” the fourth son said anxiously. It wasn’t that he was eager to sell the grandaunt’s house, but he had secretly started seeing someone he liked in every way—except she was unhappy about the living arrangements. She had clearly said she was willing to live with his parents, but absolutely not with his sisters-in-law.

Old Man Zhou looked at the expressions of his four sons one by one and then stood up.

“Let’s look at the house first.”

The four sons were visibly relieved and quickly headed outside, even bumping into each other at the door in their rush.

Captain Qian observed Old Man Zhou’s expression, feeling a pang of empathy. If his two sons ever decided to split the family, he imagined he’d feel exactly the same.

Mu Lantu thanked the captain and went with the Zhou family to the county town.

They all walked quickly—it only took twenty minutes to get to the county from Taiping Village on foot.

If Xu Huazhang rode his bicycle, it would take only seven or eight minutes.

The house was just as the captain had described—solidly built, and it even had a well!

But at the moment, the courtyard was a mess. With many people living there, there were three clotheslines strung up, filled with clothes of all sizes; firewood and other junk were piled against the walls.

The Zhou family had chickens in the yard, and the corners weren’t cleaned very well…

Mu Lantu and Old Man Zhou went inside and checked every room, focusing mainly on the roof, walls, and floors.

The whitewashed walls were covered in children’s scribbles. Lower down, there were black handprints and footprints from the kids.

Overall, it was a good house. Including the main building and courtyard, it was about 180 square meters.

Plenty of space for just him and Xu Huazhang.

The Zhou family carefully observed Mu Lantu’s expression, quietly surprised. This young educated youth looked so calm and composed—he didn’t show any emotion, and they couldn’t tell if he was pleased or not.

Back in the courtyard, it was sunny and warmer.

Second and fourth sons brought out a few chairs, and the eldest told the third to pour tea.

Mu Lantu said, “Sir, you sincerely want to sell, and I sincerely want to buy. Please give me your honest price. If there’s no issue, I’ll take the house and we can go transfer ownership right away. I’ll pay in full.”

The Zhou family exchanged glances. When they had first inherited the house, they had asked around and heard it could go for around 1,600 yuan.

They had agreed at home to split the sale proceeds into five shares—one for the parents, and one for each of the four sons. That meant about 320 yuan each. Enough to build new homes, but they still wanted to have some money left over.

Old Man Zhou said firmly, “Young man, 2,000 yuan, take it or leave it. No bargaining.”

If it worked out, he and his wife would have 400 yuan to fall back on in their old age. If not, they’d just keep the house.

After Captain Qian got involved and the family discussed it, though no one had said it out loud, they all understood: once the money was in hand, the second, third, and fourth sons would each build their own houses and move out.

That move meant the family would split. And he didn’t want that. A big family living together was lively and warm. Once split, emotional ties would fade.

The four sons held their breath.

Mu Lantu said, “This is a good house, and frankly, the price is reasonable. However…”

The Zhou family’s hearts collectively sank and fluttered.

“First, the house is poorly oriented. Most homes are built facing south to catch sunlight and avoid cold north winds. But your house faces more east-west. In summer, it’ll be stuffy and hot; in winter, there’s no morning sun. That’s not a small issue.”

The Zhou family was startled. As expected from an educated youth—he really knew his stuff and hit the nail on the head.

“Second, the walls and floors aren’t well-maintained. Inside the house and in the courtyard… the smell of kid’s pee is strong. That’s not something a simple scrub will fix.” Mu Lantu had put it as politely as possible. “If I buy it, the walls will need repainting and the floors replaced. That’s a big job.”

The eldest three sons blushed. They all had young kids who sometimes peed on the spot. They hadn’t thought much of it—every household was like that.

“So, I can offer 1,700 yuan at most. Sir, please consider it. If it works, great. If not, that’s fine too. Since you and your sons made the trip for me, I’ll still treat you all to a meal at the state-run restaurant. As an outsider, it’s a rare chance to meet a respected elder and a few peers.”

Mu Lantu’s demeanor was warm and cheerful, naturally winning people over.

Though his offer was a bit low, it was normal bargaining—he was polite and gracious, so the Zhou family wasn’t offended.

Still, 1,700 was a fair bit below what they hoped.

The four sons looked at Old Man Zhou eagerly.

Feeling the pressure of their stares, Old Man Zhou was flooded with emotion.

“What do you all think?”

Mu Lantu set down his teacup and stood up. “I’ll go outside for a smoke.”

He walked to a poplar tree some distance away—far enough not to hear their conversation.

The eldest son said, “Dad, 1,700 is a bit low.”

The other three nodded.

“How about 1,800?” said the second son. “Houses are in high demand—you can’t even get one with money. Otherwise, this educated youth wouldn’t have come all the way to the village looking.”

The eldest son said, “Let’s offer 1,800 first. If he won’t budge, go down to 1,750.”

They returned to the courtyard.

Old Man Zhou gave the new price: 1,800 yuan.

“Young man, that’s the price. No more bargaining. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll still treat you to a chicken dinner!”

Mu Lantu looked troubled. “Sir, how about 1,750? I came from far away, and buying this house will clean me out. Can you let me keep a little for food?”

If he hadn’t stood so far away, the Zhou family might’ve suspected he overheard them.

Old Man Zhou and the eldest son exchanged a look.

Old Man Zhou said, “1,780. That’s final.”

Mu Lantu hesitated a long moment—then agreed.

Best to act fast. He was worried word might get out and others might compete. There were always wealthy people around, no matter the era.

Both sides satisfied, they went straight to the housing office to transfer ownership.

Mu Lantu registered the house under his name.

The Zhou family clutched the cash tightly, faces flushed with excitement.

Mu Lantu felt a bit uneasy—if anything happened on the road, he’d feel guilty.

“I need to stop by the captain’s house again. I’ll go with you.”

The Zhou family wasn’t worried he’d try anything—there were so many of them.

Old Man Zhou said, “Comrade Mu, can I trouble you for something? Can you keep the sale quiet for now? If anyone asks, say you’re renting.

We’ve got a lot of cash at home now, and I’m worried about safety. I’m planning to have the boys buy building materials quickly—once the money’s spent, we’ll be fine.”

The four sons were jolted.

“As people say, ‘an old man is a family’s treasure.’ You really are wise,” Mu Lantu said. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul. I don’t want people knowing I bought a house in town either. I hope you all don’t mention it to others. If word gets out, people might think I’m rich. Truth is, after this, I’ve got nothing left. But it’s worth it—now I won’t feel insecure just because I’m from out of town.”

The Zhou family nodded repeatedly. It made sense—having a house meant having roots.

Old Man Zhou said, “Don’t worry, we’ll move our things out today. Your friend can move in early.”

Mu Lantu didn’t decline. If the old man hadn’t brought it up, he would have.

“Thanks. The weather’s getting colder—we need to get the place in shape before winter. Once it gets cold, it’ll be hard to work.”

Back in the village, they all went to the captain’s house.

After exchanging a few words, the Zhou family left. Mu Lantu solemnly thanked the captain again.

The captain insisted on feeding him, even having his wife prepare to kill a chicken.

Mu Lantu politely declined, saying he had errands to run—he didn’t want to be responsible for the family’s last chicken vanishing into someone’s stomach.

He was hungry, though, so he returned home to cook.

He reheated some steamed buns and cooked two dishes: a wild greens and egg pancake, and a mushroom and vegetable soup.

“Comrade Mu!”

A girl’s voice accompanied a knock at the gate.

“Coming.”

Mu Lantu opened the courtyard door. It was a little girl he’d seen a few times before.

“Comrade Mu, my grandpa wants you to go to the brigade office.”

“Who’s your grandpa?”

“Comrade Zhang Jianxin,” the girl said, hands behind her back, acting like a little grown-up.

Mu Lantu suddenly understood.

“Alright, got it. Wait a sec.”

He took a steamed bun, split it open, and stuffed in a piece of the wild greens and egg pancake, handing it to her.

The captain’s family didn’t have extra food either. Like most village kids, the little girl was skinny.

“This is for you—thanks for running over.”

The girl blushed and didn’t take it, but her eyes were glued to the bun. She licked her lips repeatedly. “No need—it was just a few steps.”

Her family had eaten this kind of mixed flour bun and egg pancake before, but nothing smelled as good as what Mu made.

“Take it. You helped me, and this is my thanks. That’s normal, right?” Mu Lantu coaxed.

The girl thought for a moment and then accepted it with both hands. “Thank you, Comrade Mu. Next time, I’ll bring you some roasted chestnuts—they’re delicious!”

Mu Lantu smiled. “Great. What’s your name?”

The girl leaned back and tilted her head, giving him a sideways glance, as if saying: I’m so famous in this village, and you don’t know my name?

“My name is Zhang Minmin. Gotta go! I’ll bring you chestnuts next time!”

She carefully held the bun and dashed off. Her small body bounced along—Mu Lantu worried she might fall.

Thankfully, she was nimble and skilled, quicker and more agile than many adults. In a flash, she was gone.

Mu Lantu finished his meal and headed to the brigade office.

The captain was organizing newspapers.

“Captain.”

“You’re here. You and Comrade Xu have been wanting to dig a well, right? Master Luo just freed up some time.”