Reborn in 1977

Chapter 622 Buying a Pot

A verbal agreement was reached, but there was no rush to sign the contract.

For such a large transaction, at least one should take a look at the actual site.

Although it was unlikely that a public institution would cheat him, he also had to show a rigorous attitude, otherwise people would think he was a sucker if he signed the contract and paid the money without even looking at the house.

If there were more big houses in the future, and they kept pushing them his way, wouldn't it be very embarrassing?!

At that time, should he buy it, buy it, or buy it?

Of course, Deputy Director Pan didn't need to come along for such a viewing; having Deputy Director Li accompany them was already a high-level arrangement.

The group exited the office building, and Deputy Director Li was somewhat embarrassed seeing so many people. One car wouldn't be enough; they would have to arrange another one from the motor pool.

Then he saw Chen Fan and the others walking towards a particularly small passenger van.

Seeing this car, his eyes lit up, and he quickly walked over, "Writer Chen, this car is quite unique, isn't it?"

Chen Fan turned to look at him and smiled, "It's a van produced by Yunhu Automobile Factory. Including the driver, it's approved for seven people, but if you squeeze, a dozen people will fit. If you fold down the seats, you can also haul goods. It only costs 18,000. Would you like to buy one?"

Deputy Director Li poked his head in, looking through the open car door, "Only 18,000? So many seats, definitely no problem for 10 people. Add a stool, and you can fit 4 or 5 more. And it can haul goods? Not bad!"

Seeing his interested look, Chen Fan smiled, "How about taking a ride in my car to get there and experience it?"

Deputy Director Li turned his head, his face beaming with smiles, "Is that okay?"

Chen Fan waved his hand, "Get in the car."

Deputy Director Li didn't say a word, immediately opened the passenger door and squeezed in.

The three girls in the back suppressed their laughter and entered the car one by one. Chen Fan then started the car and set off.

The driver behind, driving the standard Hongqi sedan, was dumbfounded when he saw the leader leaving in the guest's car.

Should I follow or not?

Looking at the trip ticket pressed on the center console, he pondered for two seconds and still started the car and followed.

Because the negotiation went smoothly, the time spent at the Housing Management Bureau was not long. By the time the car arrived at Ningjun Wangfu, it was not yet 8:30.

Before getting out of the car, Chen Fan saw the mansion gate that was completely different from ordinary courtyards.

The mansion gate was the main gate of the princely residence. Ancient architectural regulations were strictly defined. Taking the courtyard as an example, the gates, from highest to lowest, included the mansion gate used by princely residences, the Guangliang gate used by nobles and high-ranking officials, the Jinzhu gate used by lower-ranking officials, the Manzi gate used by wealthy merchants, and the Ruyi gate used by ordinary residences.

Finally, there was also the "wall-style gate" which didn't even have a gatehouse and only had a door opened in a wall. This was obviously the residence of the lowest-level common people. The large courtyards that people often talked about used this type of gate. That was the type of place Liu Juan and her family lived in.

Moreover, the gate of a courtyard was generally opened in the southeast corner, while the gate of a princely residence was opened directly south, and it was grand in scale and luxuriously decorated, like a large house.

In fact, it was just a large house. In addition to the main gate in the middle, there were also gatehouses where the gatekeepers lived and guest rooms where ordinary guests temporarily waited. Even the Guangliang gate, which was second only to this, was not so imposing.

Deputy Director Li reluctantly got out of the car and walked around to the front of the car to take a look, nodding repeatedly, "This car is good."

He turned to look at Chen Fan, "Is this car easy to buy?"

Chen Fan shook his head, "I'm not sure about that. If you're interested, I'll give you an address. It's the Beijing office of Yunhu Automobile Factory. You can go there and ask later."

He walked inside while saying, "This car is quite popular now. I heard that the orders are scheduled for two months later, otherwise I would directly arrange it for you.

However, if you need it urgently, you can ask other automobile factories. This design drawing is public, and all automobile factories can produce it. Maybe they have it there."

Speaking of this, he turned his head and smiled meaningfully at Deputy Director Li, "But the quality may not be as good as Yunhu Factory's cars."

Deputy Director Li was a little puzzled, "Isn't it the same?"

Chen Fan looked at the plaque hanging next to the gate and smiled, "The production units are different, so the quality must be different."

The unit written on the plaque was "China Youth Art Theater". The National Theater of China was not established until 2001. Its predecessor was the China Youth Art Theater established in 1949. In 1956, the Central Experimental Theater was established. In 1966, the two theaters merged and used the name of the Youth Art Theater.

However, this was only one of its strongholds, and there were other office locations.

Hearing Chen Fan's words, Deputy Director Li seemed thoughtful, as if he understood something.

But now was not the time to think about this. He took out his work permit, said a few simple words to the old gatekeeper, and led the people inside.

Zhou Yali held Jiang Lili's hand in one hand and Jiang Tiantian's hand in the other, looking at the scene in front of her, her eyes full of confusion.

This is the well-preserved princely residence?

Are you kidding me?!

The two sisters were not surprised. Jiang Tiantian glanced at Chen Fan in front and whispered to Zhou Yali, "This kind of place is different from the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is repaired every year to ensure that it looks the same as the original, so that tourists can visit.

And this place has been approved for use by the unit, so naturally it will not do those superficial things. As long as the structure of the house is complete and it is not a dangerous building, it is fine.

So the original carved beams and painted buildings and brightly colored patterns on the outside of the house have not been well protected, so naturally it has become what it is now."

What does it look like?

Looking around, all the buildings were gray. The red walls and green tiles, vermilion pillars and painted eaves that the princely residence should have had faded in color.

The halls and courtyards looked like dangerous buildings, showing dilapidation everywhere. There were many weeds growing stubbornly on the roofs and corners of the walls. Where was there any grandeur of a princely residence?!

Chen Fan walked inside while looking around. After turning around most of the princely residence, he couldn't help but put his hands on his hips.

Did I buy a princely residence, or did I buy a pot?

This place can be completely described with two words: war-torn and weathered!

Such a house can be lived in without major repairs, but what is the point of moving in directly?

At the very least, the makeshift earthquake shelters must be demolished, and after restoring the original layout, repairs and replacements must be made.

The peeling wall skin and corridor pillars must be repainted, and the broken tiles and ceiling in the house, oh, it should be called caisson, and the discolored doors and windows must be repaired.

(Caisson)

And the fences and walls between the courtyards must all be demolished.

A good princely residence was actually divided into several areas, and it seemed to have become a semi-open community?!

If this were restored to its original state, it would be dozens of times more troublesome than rebuilding a princely residence!

(A corner of the interior of Ningjun Wangfu in the 1990s)

He couldn't help but look back at Zhou Yali, wanting to say, can't we just buy a new piece of land and build it ourselves?!

Zhou Yali blinked, unable to make a decision for a while.

Deputy Director Li naturally saw Chen Fan's expression and quickly said, "Don't look at the surface. As long as the sheds built later are demolished, the original layout of the princely residence can be restored, and then after a little repair, people can live in it."

He pointed around, "Except for the screen wall at the entrance, the central road starts from the mansion gate, and there are Yinan Hall, wing rooms, bedroom gate, bedroom hall, Duo Hall and side hall, and the back cover building, all of which are well preserved.

The five courtyards on the east and west sides are also intact. … …"

Chen Fan interrupted him, "Yes, yes, intact, and there are many more things."

He pointed to the railing on the wing room and said helplessly, "Director Li, look, the original wooden pillars and railings have now been blocked by cement. Just this repair is a troublesome thing."

He pointed to a small corner again, "Look again, that should be the small courtyard on the west side, right? It's almost been converted into a row of villas. One floor has been changed to two floors, and they are connected together. How can this be restored?"

Deputy Director Li's face was embarrassed, "It's okay, it's still okay."

At the same time, his mind was racing. This was 240,000 US dollars, and he must not let it run away.

It was also strange. When he came to see it, he thought it was okay. Why, when they came, did everything look like a problem?

It wasn't that he didn't want to recommend a better one to Chen Fan, but this Ningjun Wangfu was already the best of the large courtyards that could be traded.

The worst one could no longer be called a large courtyard, it had to be called a shantytown.

Otherwise, based on that area and that location, they would dare to ask for 300,000 US dollars!

So, now they can only use this one to top it off.

He coughed hard twice, trying to find the advantages of this princely residence.

But before he could speak, he heard Chen Fan say, "This courtyard is not that I can't buy it, but I have one request, otherwise, let's just pretend this never happened, and I'll just buy a small courtyard somewhere else."

Deputy Director Li quickly said, "You say, you say, as long as it can be done, I will never refuse."

Chen Fan said seriously, "My only request is that after the courtyard is vacated, I hope that a professional construction team that restores ancient buildings will carry out the restoration. Moreover, the restoration plan should combine Chinese and Western styles and integrate ancient and modern elements."

Deputy Director Li blinked, "It's no problem to find a professional construction team. But what does this combination of Chinese and Western styles and integration of ancient and modern elements mean?"

Chen Fan explained, "I know that professional construction teams generally follow the standard of 'restoring the old as before' for design and construction. They restore the house to what it looked like when it was built, right?"

Seeing Deputy Director Li nod, he continued, "But a house from hundreds of years ago isn't convenient to live in. So, I mean to add things that didn't exist in ancient times, like toilets, bathrooms, and kitchens."

"And then, connect electricity, water pipes, and gas. That's not all."

He pointed around, "After everything is connected, I want it to be completely invisible from the outside. No overhead wires, water pipes must be buried underground, including the electrical box, which must be placed indoors. And all the pipe trenches must be directly accessible for easy maintenance and replacement in the future."

After speaking, he turned to look at Deputy Director Li, "That's my only requirement. Can it be done?"

Deputy Director Li looked at him and asked softly, "Then, the maintenance costs...?"

Chen Fan chuckled, "Naturally, my… cousin will bear them."

He never considered having the Housing Management Bureau bear the cost because the amount was too large, and they couldn't afford it.

According to his plan, the renovation project for this Prince's mansion would cost at least 100,000 yuan. Of course, the Housing Management Bureau wouldn't agree to pay for it.

Deputy Director Li gritted his teeth, "In that case, I agree."

Anyway, the other party was paying, so he could make the decision without even submitting a report.

He gestured, pointing in the direction of the Forbidden City, "I'll report to my superiors and invite the unit that repairs the Forbidden City over. I'll also ask designers from the design institute who can design modern buildings to ensure this place is restored well!"

While saying this, he was secretly delighted.

It was rare to not only sell the house smoothly but also get a large maintenance order.

His cousin's family clearly wasn't short of money. They decided on the $240,000 house without even showing up in person.

When the maintenance plan is made later, it will definitely be done in the most expensive way.

Saying so much trouble, like 'combining Chinese and Western styles, integrating ancient and modern,' isn't it just wanting it to be both beautiful and useful? Compared to those large-scale projects, is this even a thing?!

If you don't want the wires and pipes to be exposed, then run them in concealed trenches, and dig two of them, separating the wet and dry lines.

Want to hide the electrical box?

Okay, we'll dig a basement for him, a big one, not only to hide the electrical box but also to hide a money box..."

With these thoughts in mind, Deputy Director Li signed the letter of intent and left in his unit's car.

Chen Fan pulled open the car door. After Zhou Yali and the others got in, he started the car and drove in another direction.

Zhou Yali, holding the back of the front seat, asked softly, "Little brother, after buying this courtyard, how much will it cost to renovate it?"

Chen Fan didn't turn his head and said calmly, "It's okay. If there isn't enough money, I'll use my manuscript fees to cover it."

Isn't it just money? When Zhou Yali brings back the first Western fantasy novel, he doesn't believe they won't have money.

Hearing that her little brother would cover it, Zhou Yali immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "Hey, if Daddy didn't have big plans right now, reforming the company, and needing money in many places, I wouldn't have to worry about this little bit of money."

Chen Fan glanced at her, "Say less sarcastic remarks. You're already short of money. How are other people supposed to live?"

Zhou Yali giggled foolishly, clasping her hands tightly, imagining what the renovated Prince's mansion would look like.

Apart from not being as large, isn't it similar to the Forbidden City?

…

A dozen minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of his master's small courtyard.

Chen Fan looked at the time. It wasn't even 10 o'clock yet.

Entering the courtyard, the three masters were all sitting in the living room drinking tea. The three girls went over to greet the masters, making the three old men grin from ear to ear.

Chen Fan closed the courtyard door casually, walked over, and smiled, "Not going out for a stroll today?"

Zhang Xuansong glared at him, "With such a big sun, would you go out for a stroll?"

As he spoke, he picked up a small cloth bag from the Arhat bed and threw it in front of Chen Fan, "Forget about bodyguards. Here, this is for you."

Chen Fan glanced at him, untied the tightly wrapped cloth bag, and took out a small wooden box from inside.

Opening it, good heavens, there were actually two PPKs.

When Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili saw the two pistols, they couldn't help but look at each other, the corners of their mouths slightly upturned, and then quickly suppressed it.

Chen Fan picked up one of them, moved his fingers a few times, and the pistol became parts, scattered on the table. He raised his head and smiled, "Not bad, Third Master. You didn't fool me with Type 52 pistols. You got two original ones."

China's most famous pistol is undoubtedly the Type 54 Black Star, but on another hidden front, the most used and also known as the most reliable pistol is the Type 52 police pistol, a replica of the PPK.

The appearance of the Type 52 pistol is not very similar to the PPK, it can only be said that it is exactly the same, only different in the serial number on the gun body.

This gun, with its mature design and stable shooting, was once the most reliable helper for agents and police. Later, in 1962, it was redesigned and called the 62 Small Cannon.

Ahem, mainly because the bullets of this gun are too small, and the gunpowder capacity is naturally very small. The gunshot sound is similar to a small cannon. Of course, the range is not far, and the effective lethality is only a dozen meters, but it is enough for a defensive gun or close-range firefight.

It's just that the later Type 62 pistol changed the mature design of the Type 52, and the effect was far inferior to the Type 52.

And the only reason why the Type 52 was later eliminated was that the production process level that year was too poor. After a few years, the guns would be scrapped, which was far from comparable to the original PPK.

Just like the parts that Chen Fan disassembled at this time, each one was smooth and round, while the parts of the Type 52 pistol could even see the knife marks left by the lathe.

That's why Chen Fan was a little surprised. He didn't expect Master Zhang to be able to get him the original.

But thinking that he retired from the General Logistics Department, it felt like it should be.

Zhang Xuansong lit a cigarette and said to Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian, "It's not that the Third Master is unwilling to help, but the matter of equipping bodyguards is too eye-catching and not suitable."

He pointed to the gun on the table, "So I got you two guns. The gun license is registered under the General Logistics Department unit. Whether it's in Beijing or Shanghai, or other places, as long as you don't go abroad, you can use them."

"Later, let Little Fan teach you how to shoot. Remember to carry them with you usually. Don't be afraid at critical moments. Just shoot. I'll cover you if something happens."

Chen Fan disassembled the other gun, checked that there were no problems, quickly assembled the gun, and handed it to them together with the gun license and magazine, "Aren't you going to thank Third Master?"

The two took it together, turned around and bowed to Zhang Xuansong and the others to thank them, "Thank you, Third Master. Thank you, First Master and Second Master too."

Li Shangde and Lin Yuanxiang waved their hands together, "No need to thank us. Lao Zhang handled this matter. Just thank him."

Then Lin Yuanxiang carefully instructed again, "Just now your Third Master also said that you can shoot at critical moments, and we will cover you, but if it's not a critical moment, you still have to be cautious. It's better not to use this gun easily."

The two nodded together again, indicating that they understood.

It's just that Jiang Tiantian was a little tangled. How did she become a master herself?

Chen Fan poured a cup of tea, took a sip first, and then said, "Third Master, although we have guns, Second Master said just now that it's best not to use them. Sometimes, when you encounter some troublemakers, whether to draw the gun or not is also a troublesome matter."

"So, when will it be relaxed and open up this gap, it's best to find two people for them, so as to save those small troubles from bothering people."

Zhang Xuansong smoked his cigarette, not even looking at him, "Hmm."

Then there were no other words.

Instead, Lin Yuanxiang next to him said, "Your kung fu is already higher than mine. You can be considered out of the master's tutelage. Whether to accept apprentices or teach kung fu to anyone, you can decide yourself."

After a pause, he asked again, "Understand?"

Chen Fan nodded with a chuckle, "Understood."

Then he looked at the two sisters, "Did you hear that? Second Master said I can accept apprentices. Aren't you coming over to become apprentices?"

The two sisters rolled their eyes together, too lazy to pay attention to him.

Chen Fan didn't mind, turned around to look at the three masters, and said, "If there's nothing else, we'll take the car tonight and leave."

Without saying a word, Zhang Xuansong waved his hand repeatedly, "Leave quickly, so as not to be annoyed by seeing you."

He took away two of his precious collections at once, and also cost him a favor. Lao Zhang felt that he had lost a lot.

Li Shangde chuckled, "Since you're leaving tonight, don't be idle this afternoon. Don't you still have people you know? Like Mr. Mao Dun's place, you can go and visit. People love you, and you have to know what's good for you."

Chen Fan nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I know. I have already prepared the things, and I will go to the Writers Association agency in the afternoon to take a look."

Zhang Xuansong smiled lightly, then waved his hand, "Aren't you going to cook?"