Chương 108: Buying a Manor

The Song Manor. Hearing Guan Yu speak about the difficulty of acquiring the manor, Song Que frowned in thought for a moment before sighing:"Then forget it. Brother Hong, you have another task. Go find a group of craftsmen. When you return, I'll point out a piece of land to buy; find some time to quickly take them there to take a look." What else could he do? For the sake of wine, Zhong Hong could only accept. In his heart, he couldn't help but curse; he truly had the fate of a beast of burden!

"Actually, if Young Master Song wants to buy it, it's not entirely impossible." Just as they were about to drop the matter, Guan Yu unexpectedly spoke up. Couldn't you just say everything at once? Boss Song and Zhong Hong glared at him, unamused. Knowing he had provoked public outrage, Old Guan awkwardly shrank his neck back. Not daring to ramble, he hurriedly explained to the two:"This manor isn't actually very important to Young Master Xu. He doesn't even visit it a few times a year.

The difficulty lies in the person himself."

"Young Master Xu, along with the County Defender's son Dong Bo, Lord Wu's Young Master Wu Fan, and the Fierce Tiger Gang's Young Master Lu Zhongkang, are known as the Four Young Masters of Qinghe. These few have somewhat similar personalities. How should I put it..."

"Snobbish and looking down on everyone," seeing him at a loss for words, Boss Song conveniently sneered and finished the sentence for him.

"Cough... cough cough." Hearing this, Guan Yu choked violently, hurriedly turning his head to look around to see if anyone had heard. Fortunately, he didn't need to silence anyone to keep a secret today. Old Guan gave a dry laugh and continued:"Hehehe, the personalities of these four young masters are a bit arrogant, but their attitude towards people with status and position is passable. Young Master Wu Fan and this Young Master Xu actually have quite a good personal relationship.

What I mean is, if Young Master Song doesn't mind, you can ask Young Master Wu to step forward for you. I believe Young Master Xu will give him face." Recalling the unpleasant conversation he had with Wu Fan last time, Grandee Song immediately extinguished this idea. But Guan Yu's words also gave him a hint. Didn't that Young Master Xu have a good attitude toward people with status and position? If Wu Fan could be of use, then his old man's effectiveness would surely be even better!

Wu Tian would likely be very willing to do him a favor. Thinking this, Song Que instructed Zhong Hong to go about his work, then headed toward the County Office with Guan Yu. Entering the County Office for the first time, Song Que felt it was quite a novelty. The surrounding decor was gloomy, majestic, and solemn, giving off a rather oppressive feeling. Following Guan Yu down a long corridor, he waited for him to go in and report. Before long, Wu Tian walked out with the majestic strides of a dragon and tiger.

"Uncle!"

"Haha, Virtuous Nephew Song, what brings you to find me today?" Old Wu smiled kindly and nodded:"Let's go inside to talk." Following Old Wu into the reception room, he waited for Guan Yu to bring up tea, close the door, and retreat outside before speaking:"Uncle, I've come today to ask for a favor." Taking out a stack of banknotes worth five thousand taels—obtained from Old Xu Shicai's house—and placing them on the table, Boss Song continued:"It's like this: I have my eye on a manor outside the East Gate.

I heard from Brother Guan Yu that it belongs to the County Magistrate's nephew, Young Master Xu. I'm worried this Young Master Xu might be difficult to deal with, so I wanted to ask Uncle if you could help me get my hands on it. I need it urgently." He had already inquired about it; land outside the city wasn't worth much. Five thousand taels was absolutely more than enough to buy it.

As expected, Wu Tian, who had been sitting quietly without expressing an opinion, relaxed his brows after hearing Song Que's explanation and smiled gently:"I wondered what it was! This matter shouldn't be difficult. You could completely settle this by just looking for that kid, A'Fan." He conveniently picked up the banknotes on the table, counted them, took out only a portion, and placed the rest back down: This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"This is too much money; three thousand taels is more than enough. Rest assured, I will have that kid A'Fan settle this for you." Hearing Old Wu's firm response, Song Que breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't reach out to take the money back, but instead pushed it towards Wu Tian with a smile:"Uncle, I'll have to trouble you then. I'm not entirely clear on the prices, so please just give it all to Brother Fan. After all, he will need money for socializing, and we can't let him pay out of his own pocket."

Pondering for a moment, Wu Tian didn't continue to refuse. He smiled and nodded:"Alright then, just go home and wait for good news. By tomorrow at the latest, A'Fan will bring the property deed to you." Old Wu had the intention of helping Wu Fan get closer to him, and Song Que felt it would be impolite to refuse. He stood up and cupped his hands:"Then I will trouble Uncle and Brother Fan. You have many matters to attend to, so this junior will take his leave first.

I will visit your manor to pay my respects next time."

"Mm, then I won't keep you." Wu Tian politely stood up to see him out to the gate. Waiting until Song Que was far away, he turned back inside and called out to a constable passing by:"Call Wu Fan to my room!"

"Yes, Milord."... A moment later, after Wu Tian had drunk half a cup of tea in his room, Wu Fan walked in:"Father, you were looking for me?"

"Sit." Walking up to Old Wu and sitting down, Wu Fan's eyes immediately locked onto the stack of banknotes on the table; he couldn't look away. Their family had money, but that belonged to the entire Wu family. The monthly allowance he received wasn't much, only around twenty taels, plus his meager salary. Wu Fan's daily expenses were always stretched thin. A stack of banknotes like this—let alone for Young Master Wu—would be considered a massive sum by anyone in the city. Seeing it, he naturally salivated.

Swallowing hard, Wu Fan asked curiously:"Father, this is...?" Looking at his unpromising son, Wu Tian felt mentally exhausted. It was all because this kid's mother and older sister had spoiled him too much, resulting in him loafing around all day, achieving nothing, and constantly hanging out with a bad crowd to indulge in pleasure. Fortunately, his second brother's son, Little Yi, was reliable. The Wu family wouldn't be left without someone to hold up the sky in the future. Old Wu sighed:"Take this money!"

"Really?!" Wu Fan's eyes shone like headlights. Looking at his old man in disbelief, he asked excitedly. Young Master Fan was truly shocked this time. Ever since he was old enough to understand things, it seemed his old man had never given him private funds. Why is he being so nice today? Could it be he did something bad behind my mother's back, and afraid of being found out, intends to use this money as hush money? If that's the case, should I take it or not?

This is quite a lot of money, but for such a monstrous sin, shouldn't I demand more? Young Master Fan hesitated. If Old Wu knew what was going through his head, he probably wouldn't hesitate to strike this rebellious son dead with a single palm!

"This money was given to you by Song Que. Haven't you been mingling quite well with that kid Xu Shisheng? Song Que has taken a fancy to a manor he owns outside the East Gate. Help him settle the acquisition; whatever money is left over is yours to keep." Hearing his father's words, Wu Fan started calculating in his head. A manor outside the city wasn't worth much. Using his friendship with Young Master Xu, if he opened his mouth, he could probably get his hands on it for just over two thousand taels.

Picking up the stack of banknotes to count, the more he counted, the brighter Wu Fan's eyes became. By the time he reached the last note, he was overly excited. Without needing to feel guilty towards his mother, and managing to net a massive sum, he immediately patted his chest and made a military pledge:"Rest assured, Father, I will handle this beautifully!" If only you were this enthusiastic when assigned tasks normally.

Wu Tian rolled his eyes at him:"Get it done quickly, then bring the property deed to Song Que's house. I'm warning you again, that kid is extraordinary. Mingle with him more, and you won't lack benefits in the future."

"I know, I know! Don't worry, Old Man, I know what to do!" Seeing his attitude, Old Wu didn't know if his advice had actually gone in. He tiredly waved his hand to dismiss him. As if granted a grand pardon, Wu Fan joyfully stuffed the money into his robes and turned to run.

"Remember to be quick!"

"Understood, Father! I'm going to look for Young Master Xu right now!" Wu Fan's voice echoed back, but the person had already disappeared. He had likely gone to find Xu Shisheng and that crowd to flaunt his newfound wealth.... Having delegated all tasks to Zhong Hong, a completely idle Song Que continued to hide in the backyard, studying martial arts. With Xiong Ba and Nie Feng gone, the backyard suddenly became desolate, making him feel a bit unaccustomed at times.

Waiting until noon the next day, Li Xin came in to report that Guan Yu and another person were looking for him outside. Only then did Boss Song leave his room. Seeing Guan Yu and Wu Fan sitting in the reception room drinking tea, Song Que understood immediately. He smiled, stepped forward, and greeted them:"Brother Fan, Brother Guan, hello!"

"Young Master Song, hello!" Guan Yu immediately stood up politely to return the greeting. Wu Fan merely sat there, nodded in acknowledgment, took a sip of water, and then said:"Little Song, after you came to ask for a favor yesterday, I immediately sought out Young Master Xu that very day. After some persuasion, he agreed to transfer the manor to you. I'm here today to bring you the deed. Once they finish clearing out their things in two days, you can move in."

Overjoyed, Song Que stepped forward to take the deed and inspect it. Sure enough, the document clearly stated that the manor outside the city, along with several hundred acres of surrounding mountains and forests, now belonged to the Song family. At the bottom was the official seal and confirmation from the government office; it was absolutely unmistakable. With the matter simply concluded, Boss Song was in an excellent mood.

Whether it cost a lot or a little didn't matter; after all, he had no real concept of money. As long as the job got done, that was fine. Tucking the document into his robe, Song Que smiled and spoke:"Thank you, Brother Fan! I've troubled you to make this trip!"

"It's nothing, just lifting a finger. It's a good thing you found the right person! Young Master Xu and I have a great relationship, which is why he reluctantly parted with it for me. If it were anyone else, don't even dream about it." Wu Fan seriously began to boast. Thinking back to last night, when he took his group of friends out for a decadent night of flaunting his wealth, seeing his companions' envious and jealous gazes made him still feel like he was walking on air. Song Que didn't care about his motives.

As long as the task was completed, he couldn't care less about how the other party did it. He happily chatted with Brother Fan and conveniently invited the two of them to stay for a meal. Old Guan's sole purpose for coming today was exactly this. Paring his ears and hearing Song Que's invitation, he immediately shot an expectant look at Wu Fan.

Remembering his old man's instructions yesterday to intentionally mingle with this person, Wu Fan thought for a moment and readily accepted the invitation, happily following Grandee Song into the backyard.