Chapter 31

Still, she felt obliged to help, so she took Gu Jinshui around the area.

Both Courtyard Houses were in Haidian District. One was in a prime location near Tsinghua University; the other was farther out, almost in Fengtai District.

Gu Jinshui bought the woman a bottle of soda, and they wandered around viewing the houses without feeling tired.

She pointed to the one near Tsinghua University. "This place is lovely. It has two courtyards, and just look at the surroundings—trees, flowers, grass. It'd be convenient when your children go to school, too. There are several middle schools nearby, even a university."

"Then it can't be cheap, can it?"

Gu Jinshui asked cautiously.

The woman laughed. "Think about it. A location this good, a place this big—and it used to be a government office, so it's been well maintained. It's not a mess like some other courtyards. The whole place would cost at least this much."

She held up six fingers.

Gu Jinshui wasn't a fool. He knew she meant sixty thousand.

His heart sank.

Sixty thousand yuan. He'd always thought he was fairly well-off, but house hunting had shown him that the money his family had was pocket change.

Sixty thousand! How many years would an ordinary person have to save without eating or drinking to scrape that together?

The woman could tell from his face that he couldn't afford it. "We're just looking for the fun of it. Most people can't afford a place like this. Overseas Chinese have money, though. One of them bought a Courtyard House over your way a while back and paid fifty thousand in one go without batting an eye."

"No wonder people say Overseas Chinese are rich. For ordinary folks like us, earning even ten thousand would be something."

Gu Jinshui sighed.

"Isn't that the truth?" She felt the same way. She took him to the place near Fengtai. "This one's cheaper, but it's still twenty-eight thousand, and it's smaller than the last one. There's room to negotiate, though. I reckon you could knock four or five thousand off."

"How come?"

Gu Jinshui asked, puzzled.

She led him around the back and pointed to the rear courtyard. "The front and back used to be one property with three courtyards, but another family occupied the rear one. The whole family lives back there. It was manageable when the government used the place as an office, but now it's been returned to the original owner. They can't get that family out. They're all extortionists. Try to evict them, and they threaten to hang themselves outside the police station. What can anyone do? The owner has no choice but to sell. There's nothing wrong with the title; it's just that the rear courtyard is a headache."

Her implication was clear: he'd be better off not buying this place.

They said good neighbors were worth their weight in gold. With a family of bad neighbors like that, life would certainly be lively.

Gu Jinshui nodded and thanked her. He asked her to keep an eye out for a small, self-contained courtyard house and slipped her two yuan, leaving her embarrassed.

After thinking a moment, she asked, "Does the location matter?"

"It does. Somewhere near the Third Garment Factory would be best. It's for a family of grandparents and grandchildren. The granddaughter works at the factory, and she's still a young woman. It'd be safer if she lived close by. Sorry to trouble you with this."

Gu Jinshui spoke quickly.

Buying a house might be a once-in-a-lifetime decision. He couldn't afford to settle carelessly.

"All right," she said. "I'll ask my colleagues. Someone might know of a place."

Gu Jinshui thanked her over and over, praising her like a saint. She was flattered and helpless in equal measure. Now she really had to find him something.

By the time he headed home, it was getting late.

Gu Jinshui had just passed the East Wing Room when he spotted Liang Renyi sitting inside their place.

Amused, he watched Song Jianshe come out and shut the door.

Gu Jinshui raised his brows and hummed a tune. "At the prince's report, fury rises to the heavens. Bao Zheng, how dare you act this way? Why bring the execution blade down on mules and horses? We'll take the royal carriage to Kaifeng and learn the truth..."

It was the empress dowager's aria from Qin Xianglian. The old lady had a performance next week and had been singing at home every day, even humming while she cooked.

Gu Jinshui had memorized it after hearing it once. He lifted the curtain and found his sister crouched on the kang in the East Room, holding her daughter and peeking out the window.

"What are you looking at?"

Gu Jinshui took off his hat and gloves. "Sneaking around in broad daylight?"

"You're the one sneaking around." Gu Yinxing rolled her eyes. "I'm watching something interesting. Didn't you see whose place Liang Renyi went into?"

Gu Jinshui grinned. "You spotted him? Sharp eyes."

"What sharp eyes? Liang Renyi was shouting when he came into the back courtyard. He woke your little girl up while I was looking after her. And he brought a box of pastries!"

Gu Yinxing grew indignant as she spoke.

Liang Renyi's family had mooched off the Gu Family plenty over the years, but they always came empty-handed. They'd done it again last night. Yet today, when Liang Renyi went to see Song Jianshe, he knew to bring a gift.

Wasn't he taking advantage of their family?

Gu Jinshui chuckled and leaned over to look through the window. But the other family had shut their door and windows. He couldn't see a thing.

Gu Yinxing pressed her lips together to hide a laugh.

Gu Jinshui glared at her. "You little rascal. Having fun with your brother?"

"You could see them a moment ago. They only shut everything when you came over."

Gu Yinxing handed the child to Gu Jinshui and settled lazily on the kang, shelling boiled peanuts from the table. "Hey, what do you think he wants with Song Jianshe?"

"Whatever it is, it can't be good."

Gu Jinshui knew perfectly well. He was the one who'd stirred things up.

"Jianshe, our families have known each other for years. Just tell me straight whether you can help."

Liang Renyi had the gall to say it without a trace of politeness.

Song Jianshe cursed him inwardly. Being suspended from work and stuck at home was frustrating enough without Liang Renyi coming to make trouble. What friendship? They merely nodded to each other when Liang Renyi brought his wife and children to the Gu Family's place. They hardly ever spoke otherwise. Song Jianshe would have thrown anyone else out, but he couldn't do that to Liang Renyi.

Call it a guilty conscience or concern for his reputation.

Either way, Song Jianshe couldn't simply turn him down.

But he didn't want to lend him money outright, either. He pulled out his pockets with a rueful smile. "Brother Liang, see for yourself. I haven't got a penny on me. I haven't been working lately; my wife's supporting the whole family. I'm happy your family can go abroad, but we don't have any money to spare."

No money?

Liang Renyi sneered inwardly.

They'd stolen the Liang Family's treasure, and now Song Jianshe was pleading poverty.

He gave him a knowing smile. "I'd believe it if someone else said they had no money. But your family? Come on, Jianshe. Don't you have those little gold bars?"

Song Jianshe's heart lurched.

His expression tightened, and his fingers gripped his trousers. "What gold bars? We haven't bought any fish."

"Don't play dumb. We both know where your gold bars came from."

Liang Renyi sneered. "Be honest and lend me some, and we can settle this quietly. Otherwise, I'll report you to the police. It'll be quite a spectacle when they search your place and find them."

At those words, anger surged through Song Jianshe. The veins in his neck bulged, his teeth clenched, and he looked at Liang Renyi as if he wanted to devour him.

Liang Renyi cheered inwardly at the sight.

He'd guessed right!

They were the ones responsible for what had happened that night!

Well, well.

They'd taken the Liang Family's property and kept their mouths shut. The quiet dogs were the ones that bit!

"So? Are you giving me some or not? If not, I'm off to the police station."

Liang Renyi rose leisurely, triumph all over his broad, fat face. "When Public Security finds the goods, you'd better think about how you'll explain where they came from. If you can't, well, enjoy prison!"

"You!"

Song Jianshe went red with rage. He wanted nothing more than to punch Liang Renyi in the face.

"Dad!" Song Chaohua lifted the curtain and emerged from the inner room, looking every bit an innocent young girl. "My little brother's crying. Come change his diaper."

She shot Song Jianshe a look.

Song Jianshe caught on and stood. "Have a seat. I'll see to the baby, then we can talk."

"Of course, of course." Liang Renyi nodded. He even opened the box of pastries himself and popped a piece of glutinous rice roll into his mouth.

He was making himself right at home.

Song Jianshe gritted his teeth and went into the inner room.

Song Chaohua pulled him over to the kang. "Dad, why don't we agree?"

"Do you even know what he's asking for?" Song Jianshe froze, then shook off her hand in irritation. "Stay out of the family's business."

"Dad, lending it to him doesn't mean we can't get it back!"

Song Chaohua lowered her voice. "Liang Renyi and his family are going abroad. Once he gets it, he'll have to turn it into cash. We can steal it right back."

Song Jianshe paused and rubbed his chin. That really was a good idea!

The Thirty-Sixth Day of Being Overheard

Liang Renyi left the Song Family's place beaming.

Gu Jinshui saw it clearly. Liang Renyi kept a hand over his pocket, which sagged with something heavy. Gu Jinshui raised an eyebrow.

It seemed the Song Family's gold really had come from somewhere shady. Otherwise, why would Song Jianshe let Liang Renyi threaten him?

After a moment's thought, Gu Jinshui said to Gu Yinxing, "I'm going out. I might not be back for dinner. Tell my wife and Mom."

Gu Yinxing blinked. "Where are you going, Brother?"

"Don't ask." Gu Jinshui waved her off. He took two knit caps that could cover their wearers' faces and left. First he went to see Old Master Xi. "Master, do you still have those fake gold bricks you made for me years ago?"

Old Master Xi looked at him. "What do you need them for?"

"Don't ask. I'm doing a good deed, I promise," Gu Jinshui said.

Old Master Xi snorted, clasped his hands behind his back, and went inside. A moment later, he came out carrying a heavy bag and tossed it to Gu Jinshui. "They're all there. Be careful. Don't cause trouble."

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen." Gu Jinshui opened the bag and saw the gold bricks still gleaming. He couldn't help admiring his master's skill at making fakes. They could pass for the real thing; without a close inspection, even an expert might be fooled.

Gu Jinshui offered to buy the old man dinner, but Old Master Xi waved him away. "Enough. All you ever think about is food. Do you take me for a pig? Get going."

Gu Jinshui chuckled, tucked the bag inside his coat, and went to wait near Shanhu's place. Shanhu didn't return until dusk.

He came back chatting and laughing with a young woman who wore her hair in a long braid.

She was pretty, with bright red lips, a wool coat, and the bell-bottom trousers that had come into fashion that year. She had quite a figure.

"Huzi."

Gu Jinshui called out.

Only then did Shanhu notice him standing outside his home. Shanhu hurriedly said a few words to the young woman and ran over. "Brother Jinshui, what brings you here?"

"It's been a while. Thought I'd treat you to dinner."

Smiling, Gu Jinshui took a cigarette from his pocket and offered it to Shanhu.

Shanhu accepted it but tucked it into his pocket instead of lighting it. "Let me grab something from inside, Brother Jinshui, then we can go."

Gu Jinshui nodded and watched Shanhu go inside, shutting the door behind him.

The young woman didn't leave. She stood in the courtyard, glancing at him now and then. Her gaze traveled over his clothes before settling on the watch on his wrist.

Gu Jinshui said nothing. Shanhu came out shortly afterward with a bag and handed it straight to her. "Here, take it."

"Oh, I couldn't, Brother Hu."

She accepted it, biting her lower lip. "I'll pay you back as soon as I earn some money."

"No problem. It's only a few pounds of rice. We're neighbors. We ought to look out for each other."

Shanhu rubbed the back of his head, a blush spreading across his honest face.

The young woman smiled at Shanhu and carried the bag of rice toward the rear courtyard.

Gu Jinshui called Shanhu along. Once they'd walked a short distance, he asked, "Was that young woman your neighbor?"

"Yeah."