Chapter 251: Could It Be Another Stronghold?
Without waiting for Lu Qiaoge to continue, Old Mrs. Lu looked around, then reached into the kang cabinet and rummaged for a moment, taking out a package wrapped in cotton cloth and handing it to Lu Qiaoge.
“Qiao Ge, if you really want to buy that house, you have to check it carefully first, to guarantee there are no real estate disputes, and then the property certificate can be changed to your name, so it can be freely traded later.
Grandmother has no money, just two gold bracelets, which were originally for you and Qiao Ling as dowry. If you really want to buy the house, go to the bank to exchange them for money, then I’ll go to your Fourth Uncle’s house to borrow some for you, and if that’s really not enough, have your parents lend some.”
Lu Qiaoge thought for a moment and said, “Grandmother, no need to borrow. These two gold bracelets plus Qin Hengzhi’s help should be enough.”
Lu Qiaoge put the two gold bracelets in her pocket without any psychological burden.
Anyway, she wouldn’t use them; they were just temporarily kept here with her.
She still needed to go to the bank once to know exactly how to operate.
Fortunately, there were no acquaintances at the bank; Lu Qiaoge didn’t want acquaintances to know about this operation.
Hugging Old Mrs. Lu, she said intimately, “Grandmother, when I have money later, I’ll get you ten big gold bracelets.”
Old Mrs. Lu pursed her lips and smiled: “They were originally for you and Qiao Ling; yours are already given to you. When Qiao Ling gets married, you just give her one that’s about the same, Grandmother doesn’t want any.”
She had to give them anyway.
The little old woman had gone to great lengths to keep these two gold bracelets.
Not only did she have proof, but the family members didn’t know either.
She had to think about how to handle this matter.
Lu Qiaoge chatted a few words with Old Mrs. Lu, then returned to her own bedroom and put the two gold bracelets in the wardrobe.
In the afternoon, she went to find Su Hongmei, worried that long nights bring many dreams, and decided to go take a quick look at what was really going on with this house.
She also asked incidentally if the price could be lowered a bit.
Then she learned from Su Hongmei that there really were people wanting to buy it.
But they were pooling together to buy it, and the Housing Management Office had also loosened up, saying it could be divided into five households; the price probably couldn’t be lowered.
The house was indeed not far from the military factory’s family courtyard.
And it really was a standalone house with its own courtyard.
According to the local description, it was seven rooms of large tiled houses with blue bricks.
Surrounded by courtyard walls on all four sides, the courtyard walls were quite high, also built with blue bricks.
The house wasn’t newly built.
It had at least several decades of history.
But it looked very sturdy.
The front yard had a cherry tree and a water well.
Lu Qiaoge glanced at the backyard; it looked like there used to be a pond, rockery, and such scenery.
Because the terrain in the middle was relatively low.
But it had to be said that if this were in the city center, it would have sold long ago.
Lu Qiaoge glossed over all these.
She knew that since the house was being sold out, there was no need for public announcement; just within this internal circle, it would sooner or later be bought by someone.
So, no matter what, she had to quickly gather enough money.
She couldn’t delay; just now Rat Big told her that it and Xiao Cangcang had counted, a total of twenty-nine boxes.
As for how big they were, these three wouldn’t describe, but they shouldn’t be small boxes.
And they felt somewhat similar to the boxes under the big tree in Yuanbao Mountain’s Birch Forest.
So was this another base of the Japanese invaders?
You had to know that in those days, the capitalists or big landlords who fled abroad or to Hong Kong weren’t stupid; they were very smart.
They would take all the gold and silver they could carry; these were hard currency, useful anywhere.
So her analysis might just be the truth.
Because only after they were defeated could these no longer be transported away.
Lu Qiaoge told Rat Big and Xiao Cangcang in her mind to stay here.
She even specially took a few biscuits and a small handful of soybeans, and while Elder Sister Su was leading her from room to room, she quietly placed them in the corner.
Lu Qiaoge said to Elder Sister Su: “I really like this house, Elder Sister Su. Can you talk to the people at the Housing Management Office and give me two days to gather the money?”
Su Hongmei nodded; this was a small matter, no problem.
Actually, if it weren’t for this place being relatively far from the city center and other state-run large factories, it would have sold long ago.
This area north of the city was the military factory’s territory.
Just right, she knew Lu Qiaoge wanted to buy a house, so she told her this news.
Standing in the courtyard, Su Hongmei looked around and still said to Lu Qiaoge: “Although the house is pretty good, it doesn’t matter if you don’t buy it. Qin Hengzhi already has an allocated house; when his term of office here is up, he’ll definitely return to Beidu, and then you’ll have to move.”
After she got home and thought about it carefully, she felt there wasn’t much meaning in Qiao Ge buying the house.
Lu Qiaoge nodded; if it weren’t for considering that there was so much gold and silver hidden underground here, she wouldn’t be in such urgent need to buy it.
Mainly, the current ways to get money were basically just going to work.
And it was really too expensive, more expensive than she had expected; if it were within two thousand, it wouldn’t be this troublesome.
Lu Qiaoge parted from Elder Sister Su and rode her bicycle to the bank.
Halfway there, Lu Qiaoge got off the bicycle and stood under a big tree waiting for Grey Pigeon.
There were people raising pigeons near the bank, so when Lu Qiaoge arranged today’s itinerary, she had Grey Pigeon Xiao Hui set out.
Although no one would suspect and no one would think a pigeon would go scout the situation at the bank, it was still better to be careful.
Not long after, at Lu Qiaoge’s call, Grey Pigeon flew over and landed on the big tree beside Lu Qiaoge.
【Little Master, I’ve inquired thoroughly. The bank has a special gold recycling counter and an appraisal office, but not in the main hall; there’s a special clerk in a separate office.】
【They won’t make things difficult or be picky, because this morning’s bank meeting emphasized that gold recycling this month has been low and the task not completed, telling the staff to go out and do more propaganda, and to do good confidentiality work for people coming to sell gold.】
【I also heard the team leader at this counter quietly exhort the female clerk named Liu Min that if someone really brings gold to exchange for money, it’s either urgent need or to support national construction; absolutely don’t ask too many questions and scare people away, saying we’re not the police station; they have a letter of introduction and proof, and they’ve come to make a contribution.】
【Liu Min then muttered softly to others that there’s no need at all for a letter of introduction or proof, because this regulation has scared away so many people; as long as the gold in their hands is real, that’s fine; without these cumbersome things, the bank’s gold recycling volume would greatly increase.】
【What I heard and saw this morning was basically this, and then around nine-something, an old woman brought a gold ring to exchange for money. She said she lost her proof, but had a letter of introduction from the Neighborhood Committee, and she was quite unhappy, saying it’s so troublesome as if her ring was stolen; if it were stolen, would she dare come? If it weren’t to buy a red woolen coat for her granddaughter to wear at the wedding, she wouldn’t bear to sell the gold ring to the bank, especially at such a low price.】
【At that time, another clerk wanted to criticize the old woman for low awareness, but Liu Min stopped her. She cheerfully handled the procedures, and after appraisal, put all the money in a wallet, counted it clearly, had her sign, and the old woman left.】
