At 7:20 the next morning, Tie Jun took Chu Yao to the Lama Temple on his motorcycle. Far away, he saw Zhang Hai standing on the roadside.
"Brother Hai, are you here so early?"
"Brother Hai!"
Arriving in front of Zhang Hai, Tie Jun and Chu Yao greeted him together.
"Hey, my younger siblings are here too! The old lady got up at 5 o'clock and was here at 6:30, cleaning with my parents!"
"Ah? You are really good. They are already old, so why don't you stop them! Come on, don't let them do it!"
Zhang Hai led the way and entered the alley. At the end, a high-eaves gate appeared in front of him. It was vermilion red, with a brass door knocker, shining with golden light, and a row of red lacquer door hairpins with auspicious patterns below.
"Brother Hai, don't tell me, is this the Guangliang Gate?"
"Okay, Boss, you know all this! Yes, this is the Guangliang Gate. The sign is that the door leaf is placed between the two center pillars. The space in front of the door is large and it looks bright."
After parking the motorcycle, Chu Yao looked at the door and frowned: "It looks like a big mouth, how scary it is!"
Tie Jun smiled and said: "Guangliang Gate is only available to wealthy families. Brother Hai, grandpa must have been a big shot when he was alive, right?"
"The rich businessman hanged himself. It would be great if he could be a common man. This yard was returned to grandma only six years ago. Grandma can't live in it. She says she feels bad. It has always been empty. Alas!"
Zhang Hai sighed and pushed open the door. A screen wall with a crane carved on it appeared in front of him. Going around the screen wall, there was a large yard with an old locust tree on both sides.
Next to the old locust tree, there are two abandoned small vegetable plots surrounded by fences. It can be imagined that Zhang Hai's grandparents were quite good at living in the past.
There is a curved handle to press the water well in the middle of the yard, and there is a rectangular pool beside the well, which is very convenient for washing your face and vegetables.
Next to the wall, there were two pomegranate trees. It was golden autumn, and they were covered with red pomegranates. Chu Yao let out a wow and ran over.
"Hey, Xiaohai's leader is here!"
Chu Yao's scream startled the people working in the house, and a woman's voice came.
Tie Jun looked at the main room to the north. There were five rooms, with the living room in the middle, plus four east and west wing rooms, which could accommodate ten people without being crowded.
"Grandma, Dad, Mom, we are here!"
"Come on, come on!"
An old couple in their sixties walked out of the living room, supporting an old lady on crutches, and stood on the steps looking at Tie Jun and Chu Yao.
"Hello grandma, uncle, hello aunt, my name is Tie Jun..."
"My name is Chu Yao, we are from the same family!"
Chu Yao picked a big pomegranate, walked to Tie Jun, and added with a smile.
"Hehehe, a distinguished guest is coming, please come inside quickly!"
The old lady, with kind eyes and a smile on her face, let Tie Jun and Chu Yao in.
"Grandma, we came in a hurry and didn't prepare any gifts. This is the satin fabric I bought in Ruifuxiang. I'll ask Brother Hai to help you make two dresses later!"
Chu Yao took out the fabric from the bag and handed it to the old lady. Tie Jun smiled. In order to get this piece of satin, Chu Yao pinched him several times.
"Grandma, don't want it, you young people can wear it!"
"Nai, this junior's filial piety is hard to refuse!"
Tie Jun interrupted the old lady with a smile.
"Then...ok, grandma will accept it, thank you!"
After talking and laughing, a few people entered the living room. Tie Jun's eyelids jumped. My dear, there is a room full of old furniture. How much does it cost?
In his previous life, Tie Jun was involved in official circles all his life. He was not good at gambling or prostitution. Apart from drinking some wine, his biggest hobby was studying old objects.
On the north wall facing the door, there is a red sandalwood table with a pair of vases on it, a Western clock in the middle, made of copper, and huanghuali armchairs on both sides, with yellowed sheepskin cushions on it.
In the guest position, there are two huanghuali official hat chairs in the east and west, and a red sandalwood square table with a white porcelain cover cup on it.
On the right side stands a large red sandalwood pavilion. Behind it is a study room with a red sandalwood table and bookcase. Behind the table is a large huanghuali armchair.
On the left is the dining room, with a red sandalwood Eight Immortals table, four round red sandalwood stools, and a red sandalwood cabinet against the wall, with no obvious use.
The chairs have all been wiped clean. Zhang Hai's father and the old lady sat in the upright seats, Tie Jun and Chu Yao sat on the left, and Zhang Hai and his wife sat on the right.
The old lady had her hair combed up, with a silver hairpin inlaid with turquoise, a thin double-breasted jacket, bloomers, embroidered shoes, and white socks, just like an ancient person.
"Mistress, are you really willing to sell such a nice house?"
"What's good?
After living there all my life, I am exhausted, but a building is better!
You can see far, the lighting is good, you can take the elevator, and there is gas. How clean!
There is heating in the winter, and you don’t have to worry about mosquitoes and flies buzzing around in the summer. You don’t have to empty the toilet or sweep the yard every day, and there’s not so much dust.
My child, your family all lives in a building, right?"
"My house is also a bungalow, but it's not as good as yours. We have earthen kangs in the northeast, and there's no room for these kinds of furniture in the house."
"These are all old-fashioned rags. They came to collect them that year and gave them 800 yuan. I wasn't here, and Xiaohai's father was stubborn and didn't sell them."
"Mom, that man is a monkey. It's right that he hasn't sold it. Uncle Liu from the ghost market has seen it and said that when the Panjiayuan Antique Market is built, he will take it away and pay at least 2,000!"
Tie Jun smiled bitterly, Li Gui ran away, Li Kui came here, they are not good things, these furniture will be worth more than a million in future generations.
"You, you are just like your dad, a little scheming person. Your dad has been scheming all his life. What did he take away? Alas!"
The old lady sighed, and Tie Jun finally knew why he called a Beijing girl a Beijing girl?
When the old lady was young, she must have been secretive, stupid, and short-sighted. According to what old Beijing calls her, she was arrogant, not pretentious, and just wanted to be comfortable.
"My child, this old house has its own courtyard. It has a good location and is quiet. Have you seen those two old locust trees?"
When they were little, his dad and I would sit there and chat at night.
They were just running around in the yard, taking pictures of foreign paintings, catching crutches, and jumping rubber bands.
There will be people in the alley shouting with a broken gong voice: ‘Grind the scissors, sharpen the kitchen knife!’, or ‘Candied haws of sugar!’ Hahahaha!”
The old lady shouted twice, and everyone laughed along with her. It was really like life.
"To be honest, when I think of these things, I really can't bear to sell this old house. According to you young people, it's full of memories!
But now if we look at the people in these courtyards, they no longer have any contacts, let alone thoughts, and only money is left.
Sell it, move into a building, enjoy the blessings, and don’t have to worry about everything!”
"Mom, I don't care!"
"Did I tell you? You're being hypocritical. Are the third and fifth sons making a fuss?"
"Wouldn't I be there to suppress you if you make any more trouble?"
"Okay, okay, let's not talk anymore. It's just a joke for others to laugh at. My kids, you two should take a good look at it and talk about it if you like it!"
"Okay, grandma, let's go for a walk!"
Before Tie Jun could speak, Chu Yao replied with a smile, took the half-eaten pomegranate, and pulled Tie Jun out of the house.
"I still have the same attitude and won't live in a bungalow!"
Walking to the door of the west wing, Chu Yao turned around and said.