Chapter 38: Buying a House

Feng Chuchen held Feng Buji's hand and said softly, "Little brother, you are a descendant of Great Aunt. When you grow up, you might become a doctor too. Some perceptions must be changed; you cannot simply follow the crowd.

"Every one of us comes into this world from the delivery room. The delivery room carries people's most beautiful expectations and hopes. To be more precise, the delivery room is the passage connecting heaven to the mortal realm; it is the beginning of life.

"Therefore, it is not a place of filth, but a place of incense and heritage, a sacred place. That is exactly what Great Aunt believed, which is why she spent her days wandering between the delivery rooms, never tiring of it..."

Feng Buji's eyes were innocent and confused. "Connecting heaven and the mortal realm? If it's so good, did Great Aunt believe that too?"

"Of course. We are Great Aunt's descendants; we must understand these truths. As long as we hold kindness in our hearts and do no evil, we will possess righteous energy. Never mind the delivery room—even if you encountered a fierce ghost, you wouldn't be afraid..."

In a sense, she was a ghost.

As long as what her sister said was correct—and Great Aunt believed it too.

Feng Buji let out an enlightened "Oh" and stopped obsessing over whether to enter the delivery room.

He asked again, "I heard Auntie Wang say we are going to buy a house in the city?"

Feng Chuchen nodded. "Mhm. We are going to pay the money the day after tomorrow. You'll come with me. Once we move in next year, you can start school."

Feng Chuchen was exhausted, but yesterday had been a memorable day.

Before sleeping, she took out her diary and scribbled a few lines

*The 10th day of the 9th month, 19th year of Jianzhang. Maple leaves and reed flowers rustle in the autumn chill.*

*Yesterday, I lit the incense of a lifetime and applied the Yin Spirit Needle to save an infant.*

*Seeing a child go from having no breath to blooming with life in my hands... how miraculous...*

The next day, Feng Chuchen rested at home for a day.

At the beginning of the Chen hour on the 12th day of the 9th month, leaving Banxia and Datou to watch the house, Feng Chuchen took nine hundred taels of banknotes and some silver cash, heading to the capital with her brother, Auntie Wang, and Shaoyao to buy a house.

In addition to the purchase price, a three percent property tax had to be paid; the tax on nine hundred and twenty taels was twenty-seven taels and six mace.

The broker's commission was one percent, which was nine taels and two mace.

Feng Chuchen had agreed with Feng Buji yesterday that both properties would be registered under his name.

If they were registered under her name, she would be criticized for a young lady coveting her natal family's assets, and those looking to seize an inheritance would curse her without restraint.

Furthermore, since this money was primarily earned by Great Aunt, Feng Chuchen felt it was only right that it belong to Feng Buji.

Feng Buji had been unwilling and even cried.

"The fields and the old house are in my name, and now the new house would be in my name too. If I die young, transferring it to you, Sister, would be a huge ordeal and would make those clansmen covet it. Let it be in your name, Sister, to serve as your dowry in the future. If that doesn't work, we can each have one."

Feng Chuchen said, "Little brother, you only just stepped on the scale this afternoon, and you've gained four pounds in just over a month; you've even grown taller. I am a divine physician; you won't just avoid dying young, you'll live to seventy.

"Once I pass the Imperial Academy's assessment next year and gain more fame, we can open a medical clinic. I've already thought of the name: Tongji Hall. You and I will each own fifty percent. When we earn more money and buy a larger mansion, it will be under both our names."

There was also something she hadn't said.

Tongji Hall would be divided into two parts: the Tongji Hall Maternal and Child Clinic, and the Tongji Hall Life-Sustaining Clinic.

In the future, if Feng Buji and his wife proved reliable, they would continue to cooperate.

If a day came when they had to part ways, the Maternal and Child Clinic would belong to her, and the Life-Sustaining Clinic would belong to Feng Buji.

In this way, she would have done right by Great Aunt and her foster parents' kindness in raising the original owner of this body, as well as her own occupation of it.

Feng Chuchen held the little fellow and coaxed him for a long time before he finally agreed.

Their arrangement deeply moved Auntie Wang.

The young lady was not only capable but also magnanimous and grateful, treating the young master even better than a biological sister. The young master was also loyal and affectionate, protecting his sister...

They did not hire a private carriage today but instead rode in Uncle Qin's carriage, costing two wen per person.

There were already five people on the carriage.

Someone asked, "Taking your brother to the capital for fun?"

Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "Brother has run out of medicine; we are going to Dechun Hall to ask Old Doctor Fang to prescribe more."

Someone else laughed, "Little Buji has grown fat and tall..."

Upon arriving outside Xihe Gate, the driver, Old Man Qin, said the same thing as before: "Wait for the carriage here at the beginning of the Shen hour this afternoon. I will not wait if you are late."

The group disembarked, and Feng Chuchen and the others headed straight for Beifu Street.

It was nearly a thirty-minute walk; Shaoyao carried Feng Buji on her back.

When they arrived at the brokerage, the broker and the sellers, Uncle Sun and Uncle Er, were already waiting.

After Feng Chuchen received the deed and handed the banknotes to the broker for temporary safekeeping, they took a mule cart together to Beian Ward.

As soon as they entered the alley, they could hear the clear sound of reading coming from the previous alley.

The private school was the fourth house in the preceding alley.

Feng Buji smiled happily. "Sister, once we move here, can I go to school?"

Feng Chuchen replied crisply, "Of course."

The broker opened the door and handed the keys directly to Feng Chuchen.

After looking around, Feng Buji was very satisfied, nodding continuously.

Shaoyao grinned widely. "To live in such fine quarters... I never dared to dream of it before..."

There were a few pieces of old furniture in the house: three large cabinets, two bunk beds, two tables, a few chairs, and several buckets and basins. They were old, but still usable.

The deal was closed after a two-tael price negotiation.

The group then took a mule cart to the Changping County Magistrate's Office to process the deed.

Upon reaching the window for deed processing, the broker handed the banknotes to the Sun brothers.

The clerk at the window took the old deed and the tax silver handed in by Feng Chuchen and retrieved the archives from the cabinet.

He asked, "Is the money in place?"

The broker smiled, "It is, it is."

The Sun brothers also smiled, "It is."

The clerk first handed out a deed, which the Sun brothers signed and thumbprinted.

Then another deed was handed out; Feng Chuchen filled in Feng Buji's name, original residence, and other information, then had Feng Buji sign and press his thumbprint.

The clerk took the papers inside, re-wrote the deed, stamped it with several red official seals, and then had Feng Buji sign and press his thumbprint again.

The entire procedure took a little over fifteen minutes.

Holding the deed, Feng Chuchen felt a great sense of achievement. In just two months since transmigrating, she had secured two properties for the family, and they were even school-district houses in the capital.

After parting ways with the broker and the sellers, Feng Buji, accompanied by Auntie Wang, went to the courtyard of the county magistrate's office.

The two knelt on the ground and kowtowed several times toward the interior. Feng Buji shouted loudly, "This boy, Feng Buji, thanks the Blue Sky Lord for acting on behalf of the people! Thanks the Blue Sky Lord for loving the people like his own children! This boy is moved to tears with gratitude..."

The several bailiffs standing outside the gate all laughed. "This little kid has quite the nerve."

Before long, many commoners were attracted to watch, and they also joined in praising the great achievements of the Blue Sky Lord.

Standing in the distance, Feng Chuchen gave her brother a mental thumbs-up. Expressing gratitude and reverence to the Magistrate in this manner was exactly what the Magistrate liked most.

In public, as a young lady, it would not be appropriate for her to sing the praises of the Magistrate, so she let Auntie Wang accompany her brother. She had taught him these words last night, and he performed excellently.