Transmigration: I Have Storage Space in the Apocalypse-Chapter 244 - 240 Not As Happy As Imagined

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Xie Jingchen let his little wife ramble on about various schemes on the way, and only after meeting up with his parents and youngest sister’s family did they finally leave by car. Any longer, and Xiao Si and Xiaoqi would practically be implementing an empty city strategy with their empty stomachs.

The county town of X is after all an economically significant place. Though the areas surrounding the city still have a rural feel, once you reach the city center, you’ll find it already has the makings of a shopping district from later eras.

The buildings are two or three floors high, with the ground floor clearly comprised of small shops – tailors, barbers, snack vendors – among them, those newly renovated are selling ready-to-wear clothes or fashionable items and the like.

After a year of observation, in cities with relatively high transparency, commercialization is an inevitable trend that has been gradually emerging.

Having tasted success, or seeing others getting rich, has emboldened everyone.

In this era, the legal system has indeed progressed a few years faster than what Zhang Shanni had learned from history; the effects are gradually becoming apparent.

After having a late lunch with the family, Xie Jingchen took everyone to the bustling street where the supply and marketing cooperative was located.

The group split into two, with the youngest sister and Xie Tiesheng taking charge of another team. Xiaoqi wanted to follow Second Aunt, but the little aunt shook her head, so Xiaoqi obediently clung to the hem of her little aunt’s clothes.

Once they decided on a meeting point, Zhang Shanni, worried that her aunt’s family might lose track of time, even lent her wristwatch to her little aunt.

Xie Jingchen protected his little wife, "My dear, what do you want to buy?"

"Let’s buy some fabric." It would be good to buy some to layer together, so the elders wouldn’t get suspicious.

As for her husband, just ignore him.

The fabrics in this supply and marketing cooperative were indeed more fashionable than those back home, and of much better quality. Zhang Shanni, enraptured by the choices, picked out a dozen or so varieties, and when it came time to pay, she found that you could actually do so without tickets?

"Tickets are gradually being phased out of the market. In big cities, if you pay an extra 30 to 50 percent, you can buy without tickets." Xie Jingchen pulled out some tickets and counted his money, explaining quietly to his wife.

In at most two years, tickets will be officially phased out of the market.

After all, for the country to develop, the existence of the ticket system would hinder progress.

Having bought the fabric, Zhang Shanni then picked out some soles for family members’ shoes. The older generation was reluctant to waste money and preferred to make their own shoes. Of course, self-made shoes indeed fit better.

For example, Xie Jingchen really liked the shoes and undergarments his wife made for him - they fit perfectly and were comfortable.

In the end, besides buying some quality tissues, Zhang Shanni also bought some Xuan paper for calligraphy practice, notebooks for her little aunt and nephew, and then shook her head to indicate that she had finished shopping.

Truth be told, if it weren’t for adapting to the gazes of others, Zhang Shanni would have much preferred to use supplies taken out from her own Space.

"Let’s go. While we have the car, let’s go find that broker agent and take a look at the location of the courtyard. Once we’ve bought it, we’ll come back and tell Dad and Aunt," Zhang Shanni said at the end, coquettishly shaking the man’s arm.

"Sure," Xie Jingchen nodded.

When it comes to buying a house, as long as the husband and wife agree, whether the parents approve or not is not important. The couple is the only pair to accompany each other for life; parents don’t only have one child. In Xie Jingchen’s view, his own small family should naturally be governed by the husband and wife.

As to where the items in his wife’s possession came from, whether their origins were legitimate, and such issues – they were equally unimportant.

Moreover, having done a round on the battlefield, who doesn’t have some unexpected fortune in their hands? It’s all part of an unspoken agreement among everyone, as long as it’s not taking a significant advantage of the nation, minor profits are not worth fussing over.

People are risking their lives for this; if it’s not for fame or profit, who would be so foolish as to recklessly charge forward?

The mission is important, promotion is important, but without life, all these are but empty honors. Every person who dares to charge forward has their own world within.

Rong Wei knew where the broker lived, so Xie Jingchen drove directly to their home.

The broker didn’t waste words, the first place they were taken to was a three-story small western-style building in the county town.

The first floor was a small storefront with a small courtyard at the back. Apart from the storefront, there was a small side gate in the alley that allowed access.

The courtyard wasn’t small either, with a size of sixty to seventy square meters, but the total floor area of the building wasn’t very large. The landlord quoted over a hundred and thirty square meters, but Zhang Shanni felt that it was at most a hundred and twenty square meters.

Since this place was considered central in town, the price was very expensive.

The seller was in a hurry to sell, but the asking price was not cheap, demanding eighty-eight hundred yuan.

At a time when ordinary workers only earned forty to fifty yuan... with a building area of 130 square meters and a courtyard of over sixty square meters, the asking price of eighty-eight hundred yuan... meant the building area priced at around fifty to sixty yuan per square meter.

"This price is actually not expensive," Zhang Shanni thought for a moment and very fairly said to Xie Jingchen.

"Sister-in-law is clear-minded. Many people have seen this house and said it’s expensive, but it’s only now that this price is being asked. In just over half a year, I estimate it will double!" The broker looked at Zhang Shanni in surprise, this was the first time he heard a buyer say that the house was not expensive.

"Brother Xie, I won’t deceive you. The owner’s lowest price is eighty-eight hundred yuan, and it has been on my hands for nearly three months, not willing to budge a cent. He says this is already the bargain price, cheaper than this, he would rather leave it, to keep for his grandsons..."

The broker and Chen Dalang were from the same town and good friends; his thriving business here was also thanks to Chen Dalang’s support from behind, so upon hearing that it was for Chen Dalang’s colleague and superior, he gave a full hundred and twenty percent of sincerity for this deal.

As for hiking up the price or making a margin, not at all; he directly quoted the seller’s price.

"Little Brother, do you have any other locations besides this one?" Zhang Shanni felt undecided and signaled the broker to continue to the next place.

"Yes, there are two more places. One is on the edge of the county town, only a few minutes away from the town, larger than this one, but that’s an old-style courtyard, not a building. There’s another one, just listed, but the location is a bit remote. I heard Brother Daliang say that your family has elderly and children, that place isn’t quite suited for living."

"No more?" Zhang Shanni was hoping to see a few more options. Only three in total, according to the young broker?

"Uh, sister-in-law must be joking," the broker said. "Although the county town is quite large, usually, unless someone is moving their whole family or emigrating, they don’t sell their buildings. Those properties lost to gambling and such, still controversial, I dare not introduce them to you. However, there are many land plots available, you see..."

"How about this, let’s go see that old-style courtyard first..." Zhang Shanni directly gave instructions.

Xie Jingchen, seeing time was not an issue, did not object. freёnovelkiss.com

Upon arrival, however, Zhang Shanni was visibly disappointed.

The courtyard was indeed as the broker said, large, but really quite old-fashioned, and extremely far from the center of the county town, not to mention the location wasn’t great. If their little aunt had to commute to and from school, and it got late, walking through this dark alleyway would surely be dangerous.

"How about this, little brother, I’m quite interested in the previous small western-style building, allow us to go home and discuss it for a day, and we can definitely give you a definite answer the day after tomorrow, is that okay?"

Upon hearing this, the young broker immediately nodded and agreed.

After seeing the house, Zhang Shanni wasn’t as happy as she had imagined.