Martial Arts: I Have a Wilderness World-Chapter 42: When Something is Given, Something is Sought
After leaving the clinic, Cheng Zongyang headed straight for the Celestial Fragrance Tower.
In Jade Peak County, all property transactions were handled by the Government Office, because they had to collect the tax silver.
If a private transfer or lease was conducted without going through the Government Office, the property would be immediately confiscated upon discovery! There was absolutely no room for argument!
What left Cheng Zongyang speechless was that buying or renting a house wasn’t so simple. It involved yet another tax—the guarantee tax!
Two years of famine, and not only did the government fail to help its people, but it also imposed even more exorbitant taxes! It was just like in those two shows he’d seen in his past life, where they’d even tax you for taking a dump!
Cheng Zongyang wasn’t sure if this tax existed only in Jade Peak County or throughout the entire Da Liang dynasty.
If he wanted to buy or rent a property, he had to find an intermediary with enough influence and ability to act as his guarantor—and one who was actually willing to do so.
This person would have to act as the go-between, provide the guarantee, and pay the tax.
The property owner had to pay a transfer or lease tax, while the buyer had to pay the guarantee tax. The Government Office was profiting from both sides of the deal!
This was one of the reasons Cheng Zongyang knew the Da Liang dynasty wouldn’t last much longer.
Now that he wanted to buy a house, it was time to make use of Zheng Yan.
He had sold hundreds of pounds of snake meat and a whole bear to the man at a low price. It was about time for a favor in return.
Every investment needs a return, and now was the time to collect!
Besides, something like this wouldn’t be a problem for Zheng Yan.
As an Eighth Grade Martial Artist, he had a certain amount of clout in the county, not to mention his position as the Steward of the Celestial Fragrance Tower. It would be no issue for him to act as a guarantor, find a suitable property, or even negotiate a lower price.
If he could buy a house for a low price, it would be as if he had recouped the value of the goods he’d sold so cheaply.
He much preferred buying over renting.
That way, he wouldn’t have to worry about the landlord finding some excuse to take the property back, even if it meant paying a penalty!
Most importantly, even if he didn’t end up using the house, it could serve as a base of operations for any future trips to the city.
He observed the conditions on the street as he calmly made his way to the Celestial Fragrance Tower.
The Celestial Fragrance Tower was completely deserted, a stark contrast to its usual bustling self.
’Zheng Yan’s probably not in a very good mood,’ Cheng Zongyang mused, then stepped inside.
"Welcome to the Celestial Fragran—huh? Oh, it’s you, Zongyang."
The waiter’s greeting died on his lips as he saw who had entered. His smile froze when he realized it was a familiar face.
Cheng Zongyang paid the waiter’s expression no mind. He glanced around the empty Restaurant and asked with a smile, "Brother Sun, I’m looking for Steward Zheng. Do you know if he’s here?"
The waiter shuffled listlessly toward the back of the room, saying over his shoulder,
"The Steward went out first thing this morning. What do you need?"
Cheng Zongyang glanced at the dispirited waiter, took a seat nearby, and asked with a small smile,
"Brother Sun, look at you. With the Restaurant so empty, shouldn’t you be enjoying the downtime? It’s not like you aren’t getting paid."
Sun retorted grumpily, "I wish I could, but I doubt these good days will last much longer."
Cheng Zongyang’s heart skipped a beat, but he kept his expression neutral as he asked,
"What do you mean? The refugees outside the city haven’t gotten in, and everything inside seems fine. Surely the restaurant isn’t closing down?"
The waiter didn’t read too much into Cheng Zongyang’s question. He just sighed and said,
"Steward Zheng might be leaving."
Cheng Zongyang’s eyes sharpened, and he asked with feigned urgency,
"If Steward Zheng leaves, does that mean the restaurant is closing? Who am I going to sell my mountain goods to then?"
The waiter said with a burst of frustration, "How should I know? I’m worried about losing my job! In times like these, with no work to be found and grain prices so high, how’s a man supposed to eat?"
Cheng Zongyang thought for a moment, then took out three cents and discreetly pressed them into the waiter’s palm.
Seeing the waiter’s stunned expression, Cheng Zongyang leaned in a little closer and asked in a low voice,
"Brother Sun, I don’t mean anything by this. You know I rely on the Celestial Fragrance Tower to make a living, too. Just give me the real story. Why is Steward Zheng leaving?"
The waiter felt the copper plates in his hand and closed his fist around them. After a quick glance around, he whispered,
"Yesterday, a stranger came looking for Steward Zheng. I don’t know what they talked about, but while I was cleaning, I overheard a little something... words like ’Martial Artist’ and ’trouble.’"
"He left early this morning right after we opened up. I don’t know anything else. But my guess is, the Steward is afraid of trouble, so he’s planning to close up shop ahead of time."
Cheng Zongyang’s heart sank.
’Martial Artist!’
’Trouble!’
’What could it all mean?’
"Steward! Y-You’re back!" Suddenly, the waiter shot to his feet, calling out nervously as if he’d just been caught red-handed.
The sudden outburst startled Cheng Zongyang. He quickly recovered and also stood up, turning to look behind him.
There stood Zheng Yan, dressed in fine clothes, looking at the two of them with a cheerful smile.
"Greetings, Steward Zheng!" Cheng Zongyang said, cupping his fists and adopting a humble posture.
"Ah, it’s Cheng the kid. Are you here to sell your wares today?" Zheng Yan asked as he walked further into the restaurant.
The waiter, not daring to linger, quickly scurried off to find something to do, lest he be reprimanded for slacking.
"No," Cheng Zongyang replied, paying no mind to the waiter’s movements. He addressed Zheng Yan directly,
"Steward Zheng, I’ve come today to ask for a favor."
"Oh!" Zheng Yan said with some surprise, a smile playing on his lips. "I do recall promising you a favor. Go on, let’s hear it."
Cheng Zongyang said, "I’d like to buy a house in the county. My budget, including the guarantee tax, is four hundred taels. I came today hoping to ask you, Steward Zheng, to act as my guarantor."
Zheng Yan exclaimed in surprise, "Well now, you’re quite something, kid. It’s only been half a year, hasn’t it? And you’ve already managed to save up such a fortune."
Cheng Zongyang replied humbly, "You flatter me. I had to borrow some of it from relatives. Of course, if not for your patronage, Steward, I would never have seen such good days."
Zheng Yan waved his hand dismissively, not lingering on the topic. He changed the subject, saying,
"Fine, fine. Since I already gave you my word, it’s no trouble for me to act as your guarantor."
Cheng Zongyang’s face lit up. He cupped his fists again and said, "Then I must thank you in advance, Steward."
"Have you found a place yet?" Zheng Yan asked.
Cheng Zongyang shook his head slightly. "I’m not familiar with the property market, and I don’t know the prices here in the county. Steward, my requirements aren’t high. I don’t mind if the house is old, as long as it’s large and has plenty of rooms."
Zheng Yan stared at Cheng Zongyang, his eyes gleaming.
’This kid isn’t old, but in the short six months he’d known him, he had observed a composure, shrewdness, and foresight in his speech and actions that even many adults lacked.’
’On the last two occasions when he’d bought goods from Cheng Zongyang, the kid had agreed to prices that even he himself had considered insultingly low.’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
’To give something is to expect something in return.’
’Today’s request about the house—this must have been Cheng Zongyang’s goal all along.’
’Asking him to be a guarantor was one thing, but now he was also asking him to find the house, effectively letting him decide its quality.’
’This demonstrated an entirely different level of social maneuvering.’
’Quite astute!’
’For a moment, he was once again tempted by the thought of recruiting this kid to work for him.’
"Excellent!" Zheng Yan chuckled. "Just come back this afternoon."
"Thank you, Steward Zheng!" Cheng Zongyang said, his face beaming as he quickly cupped his fists in gratitude.
He then took his leave, showing no intention of lingering.
