Property Purchase Permits; Bloodstained Clothes on a Rainy Night

Fang Shu returned to the Solitary Gu Hall and rested well for the rest of the night without saying a word.

Before dawn, he had already gotten up and begun his daily training.

When it was time for breakfast, not only did Second Uncle Yu Le come to deliver the food, but also Li Hou'er.

Li Hou'er was holding several steamed buns in his hands, each with a thin skin and a generous filling, steaming hot, and he kept stuffing them into his mouth. Every now and then, he would pick up a bun, spin it in mid-air, and then take a bite of it.

Fang Shu looked at the other person curiously, and while taking the food box from his second uncle's hand, asked:

"Brother Li, what brings you here today? You have time to visit me again?"

Li Hou'er didn't speak immediately, but mumbled, "Eat first, you eat first! I'll talk to you after you're done eating."

Fang Shu looked at his second uncle, Yu Le, who also shook his head, seemingly unaware as well. He then chuckled and opened the food box, indicating that Fang Shu should eat breakfast first.

So Fang Shu devoured the breakfast from the six-tiered food box on the stone table outside, as quickly as possible.

Before he could even ask about Li Hou'er's background, the other person swallowed the last bite of his bun, let out a burp, hugged Fang Shu, and pushed his second uncle Yu Le, along.

"Come on, Li Yuan has been waiting at the gate for ages."

When they were almost at the courtyard gate, Fang Shu finally learned the reason from this fellow.

It turned out that this fellow had been instructed by Li Yuan to lure Fang Shu and his nephew to the Paper Workshop to snatch up a share of the large tile house.

Fang Shu clicked his tongue:

"The Paper Workshop was burned down less than three days ago, and Black Tiger Hall is already in such a hurry?"

Li Hou'er muttered, "Who says otherwise? I heard there are quite a few chambers of commerce here to join the fun, and even more lending money at interest."

Having learned the reason, Fang Shu looked at his second uncle beside him, wondering how to persuade him to join in the fun.

Although he's temporarily "out of money," he can always take out a loan!

Before he could even speak, his second uncle chimed in, "Alright, let's go take a look."

Second Uncle Yu Le also instructed Fang Shu: "Let's go together. Even if we two don't have any money, with you and Li Hou'er, those two 'Immortal cultivator,' Old Li will be more secure in getting the share of the tile house. At worst, we can sell the share later."

Seeing that his second uncle, Yu Le, agreed, Fang Shu naturally agreed immediately.

After encountering the impatient talisman master Li Yuan at the courtyard gate, the three hurried towards the Paper Workshop at his urging.

Although on the way here, the Li father and son had been saying that there were a lot of people.

Fang Shu figured it was only breakfast time, so even with so many people, it shouldn't be too bad. But when he got to the Paper Workshop, he was still taken aback by the bustling scene before him.

The burned-down Paper Workshop was four or five times more bustling than before it was burned down. Nearby, there were tea stalls, breakfast stalls, taverns, and all sorts of other businesses that had come to join the fun, with shouts and calls filling the air.

"Noodles for sale!" "Freshly steamed buns!"

"Make way, make way, we're going home!"

Fortunately, with the excited Li father and son leading the way, Fang Shu and his second uncle followed closely behind, and managed to squeeze into the Paper Workshop relatively easily.

He then saw some tables and chairs set up in the Paper Workshop, with people in soap-cloths and hats maintaining order, and a long queue already formed in front of the tables and chairs.

At this point, the Li father and son tried to use their identity as locals of Paper Workshop to their advantage, even revealing their identities as disciples of a Daoist temple and Immortal cultivator, but they were met with resistance and could only obediently walk to the back of the crowd and join the queue.

Such a scene made Fang Shu highly suspicious that they were all shills. However, when his gaze fell on the people in line, he found that they were either wealthy or immortals with Immortal cultivator.

During his leisure time, he chatted with a few people, immediately dispelling his suspicion that they were shills.

"I've waited all these years, saved up so much money, all for this day to buy a house!"

"Damn it, we've been renting houses for most of our lives. We can't become immortals now, but we have to leave the kids a sturdy house."

"If you ask me, this lousy place should have been burned down long ago to make room for others, and the town should have been expanded a long time ago. Why is it only now that the fire has started?"

Those who came to compete for a share of the tiled houses each had their own reasons, and each of them was filled with anticipation.

In stark contrast to the excited expressions of those present were the local Paper Workshop residents, who were blocked off the perimeter and were seething with rage.

The neighbors from Paper Workshop were shouting and yelling outside the crowd:

"Pah! A bunch of robbers!"

"Is there no law or order left?!"

Upon hearing this, some busybodies turned their heads and sneered, saying:

"You country bumpkins, this is a celestial marketplace! What are the laws here? You should be asking if we have any Immortal Method!"

"Pah! A bunch of poor bastards. Aren't you envious?"

To be honest, although the neighbors in Paper Workshop were all furious, they also clearly showed envy on their faces when they saw the people lining up to compete for the tiled houses.

Especially since there were many other Paper Workshop neighbors like Fang Shu in the group.

Upon seeing these "familiar faces," the neighbors in Paper Workshop looked even more envious and jealous, occasionally muttering curses or laughing loudly.

"Zhang the Fourth, poverty doesn't last three generations! You've been poor for two generations already, what are you doing here!"

The man called Zhang the Fourth turned his head without getting angry, and just chuckled, "Can't I come and watch you make a fool of yourselves?"

Fang Shu and the others lined up discreetly, occasionally being recognized by their neighbors in Paper Workshop, but they simply gave them a smile and that was it.

Although the queue was quite long, the process was not slow.

When Fang Shu group got closer, they discovered that it wasn't the men in black clothes and hats who were efficient, but rather the ones who were efficient at weeding out people.

Those who don't pay, get out; those without connections or background, get out; those Law Power, get out; those with excessively high demands, get out.

They were completely fearless and not worried at all that the tiled house, which didn't even exist, would go unsold!

Fang Shu and Fang Shu group had the help of the talisman master Li Yuan to pay for their tea, Li Hou'er were dressed in the robes of the Solitary Gu Hall, and their second uncle Yu Le spoke up for them. In addition, their status as locals of Paper Workshop allowed them to be registered smoothly.

But the registration process isn't over yet. To get the permit to build a traditional courtyard house, they'll have to go to several more organizations.

The further you go in the queue, the fewer people there are left to continue, and they've all become wealthy and powerful local Immortal cultivator.

And coincidentally, Fang Shu even spotted an acquaintance among them.

The other person also noticed him and quickly tried to look away, pretending not to know. However, Fang Shu and the others had already walked towards him and stood directly next to him.

The person could no longer pretend not to have seen it, and after thinking it over,

The other person smiled awkwardly and took the initiative to greet them, "Brother Yu, young friend Fang."

Second Uncle Yu Le was taken aback. Seeing that the other party had taken the initiative to greet him, he cupped his hands in return and said, "Manager Xiao Hu."

The person they bumped into was Xiao Hu, the manager of the Scorched-Tail Hall.

Manager Xiao Hu quickly waved his hand. "That's too formal. If Brother Yu doesn't mind, please call me Senior Brother Xiao, or just Old Xiao."

Fang Shu stood aside, watching with a smile as his second uncle exchanged pleasantries with the other party.

Xiao Hu was being watched; although the bones in his right leg had already closed, it wasn't fully healed yet.

Fang Shu's gaze, in particular, kept falling on his limp leg, making him feel another wave of bone pain.

Subtly turning his body to the side, Xiao Hu was genuinely afraid that Fang Shu would kick him again; if that happened, he might really be crippled for the rest of his life.

Fortunately, one doesn't hit a smiling face, so Fang Shu cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Manager Xiao."

Fang Shu's expression was normal, and that he neither disliked nor liked him, Xiao Hu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Fang Shu.

At this moment, Yu Le, the second uncle, clearly noticed the unusual relationship between his nephew and the steward Xiao Hu. He didn't say or ask any questions, but simply ended his small talk with Xiao Hu at the right time.

But after a while...

Xiao Hu seemed to have come alone; no one chatted with him, and no one listened to his boasting.

Then, unable to resist, he struck up a conversation with his second uncle Yu Le, and the talisman master Li Yuan: "Are you two also here to help your descendants establish their own businesses?"

Xiao Hu, with a hint of boasting and smugness, said:

"I'm here to buy a house for my daughter!"

Honestly, I really want to get a whole house, whether as a dowry, betrothal gift, or a backup plan, it would be perfect! Even if that's not possible, and we have to share, I'll definitely want a proper room."

"Brother, you're quite generous," Talisman Master Li Yuan clicked his tongue in admiration.

Second Uncle Yu Le remained silent with a smile.

Someone spoke up, and the manager, Xiao Hu, muttered to himself:

"Sigh! We didn't have this opportunity before, but now that we do, the child is too old. If she joins Immortal Sect and goes up the mountain, she won't live in this house anymore."

These happy complaints didn't really offend Fang Shu.

He actually took a few more glances at the guy and felt that he had become a bit more down-to-earth and was no longer the kind of person who needed to be disciplined, like he was in the Scorched-Tail Hall.

However, it's still not popular.

And so, under the arrangement of the men in black robes and hats, both sides obtained the tickets they wanted, which were called "room tickets" in the market.

However, obtaining a housing voucher does not guarantee that you will have a house, nor does it mean that you can immediately build a house.

To actually pay for a house, everyone has to wait until the Black Tiger Hall has compiled a list in a day or two and completely divided up the Paper Workshop area. Then, everyone will come and draw lots to determine the size, location, number of houses, and so on.

However, having a housing voucher is still a good thing. Even if you don't use it yourself, you can still come to the lottery later and sell the voucher.

Fang Shu and his nephew, along with Li Hou'er and his son, received the right and left wing rooms in the same courtyard, respectively. After securing two households, they wanted to take over the remaining rooms as well, so they could easily cultivate relationships with their future neighbors.

No matter how much they pleaded, the men in black and white simply refused, rejecting their request on the grounds that "the number of people was not more than half" and telling them to wait and see how things went.

This made the talisman master Li Yuan anxious. After getting angry, he kept pestering and nagging the other party until the man in the black clothes and hat had no choice.

The other party glanced at Fang Shu and Li Hou'er's youthful appearance, and then, with a sigh, suddenly pointed at the steward Xiao Hu and said:

"Seeing that the three of you seem to get along well, why don't the three of you get together? Once you have more than half the people, you can reserve one detached house, and the remaining one or two households can find their own."

These words startled Fang Shu and the others, including Xiao Hu. But before they could discuss it further, the man in black robes and hats slapped his seal, handed the note to them, and said impatiently, "If anyone is unhappy, just tear it up."

Talisman Master Li Yuan hesitated for a moment, but still accepted it.

The steward, Xiao Hu, looked at Fang Shu and the others, hesitated, but surprisingly did not raise any objections.

After the group left, the two sides exchanged a few more pleasantries.

Fang Shu then realized that Xiao Hu had indeed prepared a main room for his daughter. With the three families pooling their resources, they could still have a spare room for the rear building.

As for who should get the share of the back room, Fang Shu had already discussed it briefly and had some ideas about who to choose. So, the talisman master Li Yuan stepped forward and asked the manager Xiao Hu if he had any requirements for the person to be chosen for the back room.

Xiao Hu smiled politely and said, "You two can decide for yourselves."

So the three families didn't tear up the note on the spot, intending to leave it at that for now and discuss the details when they actually drew lots later, since there would still be room for reversal.

After finishing their errands, all three families bid farewell and left with pleasant expressions.

Along the way, Li Hou'er even broke away from the group halfway to go to Blood Street to find Dou Sufu, wanting to tell her the good news.

Dou Sufu, who sells milk tofu, may have saved some money, but given her status, it's clear she wouldn't be able to secure a room ticket.

This is why Master Li Yuan and Second Uncle Yu Le temporarily acquiesced to the steward Xiao Hu, making it easier to give Dou Sufu a chance to bring him in.

Fang Shu didn't care much about this. After returning to the Solitary Gu Hall, he began to cultivate even more diligently, intending to make up for the half-day he had wasted.

On the other side.

Manager Xiao Hu returned to the Scorched-Tail Hall with a cheerful smile.

Once inside the restaurant, he no longer acted arrogantly as usual. Instead, he suppressed his joy and walked briskly towards his room, as if a dog had its tail between its legs.

Only after entering the room and closing the door did he start pacing back and forth, his joy returning.

The fellow looked around with a sigh:

"This house is fine, but ultimately it does not belong to me."

With a soft sigh, Xiao Hu suddenly recalled the various events of the past period, and his expression became emotional.

But when he thought about how he had obtained the housing voucher, he could build a home for his daughter and truly settle down in Guling Town, instead of renting a house or living under someone else's roof.

A joyful smile appeared on Xiao Hu's face, and he instantly felt all his gloom disappear.

Recalling his conversation with the talisman master surnamed Li, Xiao Hu personally took action and retrieved a small stove and pot from the room.

He slowly prepared the tofu and pickled vegetables, working until night, planning to tell his daughter the good news while they ate and chatted when she returned home.

As a result, Xiao Hu waited in vain for his daughter Xiao Lili to return after dinner.

Late into the night, autumn rain began to fall in Guling Town.

He was pretending to be asleep in his room when a soft knocking sounded at the door.

"You're back so late!"

Xiao Hu opened his eyes, a smile immediately spreading across his face, and quickly responded.

He straightened his robes, turned on the small stove that had been keeping warm in front of him, and casually shook the tofu blocks into it.

A burst of steam rose up, warming his heart.

Xiao Hu, his face tense, limped to the door and muttered, "You, you've grown up, haven't you...?"

As soon as the door opened.

Sure enough, it was his daughter Xiao Lili outside the door, but the joy in Xiao Hu's eyes vanished instantly, his face stiffened, and even his pupils shrank.

The daughter, Xiao Lili, stood in front of the door with lifeless eyes, a pale face, disheveled hair, and soaking wet.

What struck Xiao Hu even more was that Xiao Lili, dressed in blood-stained clothes, looked severely injured, trembling all over, and staring at him blankly and helplessly.