Another manor, although similar to this one, was not far from the town either.
But in terms of distance from the Gu family, it was quite far.
"This is the place. Currently, this manor is also vacant. This manor was originally managed by an elderly couple, but this year their son moved to the Capital to start a business."
"The elderly couple then followed him, as their child needed silver taels to do business, so the elderly couple sold the manor to supplement some funds."
Nowadays, the situation with most agencies is that the main family has already sold their possessions to the agency, and the agency then sells them to other customers.
It is rare, unlike modern times, where they act as intermediaries and earn profits as middlemen.
Upon hearing this, Gu Jinchen and Luo Ge nodded.
The situation of this manor was much better than the other one, as it was adjacent to the village and also near a river.
The land was not inferior to the other manor, and in fact, due to being tended to, it was even better.
Previously, this manor was specifically used for growing crops, and it had not been vacant for long, as the grass in some fields looked like it had been recently cleared.
The original owners clearly intended to grow crops, but circumstances at home changed, so they didn't plant anything.
However, there were not as many residential buildings here as there were at the other manor. Most of the buildings here were used as storage for grains, with only one courtyard for living quarters.
But the remaining houses were well-maintained, so moving in with just a few belongings would be possible.
Needless to say, Luo Ge truly liked this manor.
"How big is this manor?"
"It's 175 mu (about 28 acres), a bit smaller than the previous one, but the good aspects are here." Old Liu replied with a smile.
"The original price of the manor was 2000 taels, but since you are Old Li's brothers, and I grew up with Old Li like brothers wearing the same pants, you are my brothers too. If you like it, Old Liu can sell it to you for 1900 taels."
Seeing that Luo Ge and the others were straightforward people, and also introduced by Li Shopkeeper, Old Liu was being honest.
For a 175 mu manor, just the land price would be around 1600 taels, so selling it for 1900 taels was not expensive and was a fair price.
Upon hearing this, Luo Ge and Gu Jinchen were momentarily stunned, then smiled.
"Then we thank Brother Liu."
They knew very well that this was a fair price, and since the seller was offering them a good deal, they naturally did not play coy.
Compared to the two manors, they felt this one was more suitable.
The land and houses were without issue, and they could use it once they bought it, which was very convenient.
"Don't mention it, come find Old Liu again if you need anything else in the future."
Just looking at the demeanor of this young couple, he could tell they were capable, and making a capable acquaintance would open more opportunities for him too.
"Of course, definitely. Does Brother Liu have time today? We brought some silver with us when we went out, so if you have time, we'd like to settle this matter soon."
When they were planning to buy the manor earlier, they had already prepared the silver notes.
This meant they wanted to pay and complete the transfer now?
Old Liu was taken aback, clearly surprised, as this was no small sum of money, and ordinary people would need at least two days to gather the silver.
He thought he would have to wait a few days, but he didn't expect this young couple to be so straightforward.
"I have time, I have time." He quickly responded after regaining his composure, and then took Luo Ge and the others to the magistrate's office to handle the paperwork, as if afraid they would change their minds if he delayed.
...Before long, a fresh manor deed was handed to Luo Ge.
After discussing, the young couple decided to name it 'Yi Chu Little Village', with the meaning of replicating their small farming village.
And Old Liu had a few hot silver notes in his hands, his mouth almost splitting into a grin, but he had to hold back from embarrassing himself in front of the customers.
"By the way, since the manor is vacant now, do you need someone to tend to it? If needed, Old Liu can take you to the agency to take a look."
A qualified good salesperson always remembers the customers' needs and makes targeted suggestions.
Needless to say, Luo Ge and the others did lack manpower at the moment, and the timing was perfect.
"Sure."
"Okay, follow me."
Old Liu walked briskly ahead, feeling delighted about this deal, doing this out of gratitude for Li Shopkeeper's introduction.
He decided to bring a jar of wine to Old Li in the evening for a couple of drinks.
Li Shopkeeper: ...Thanks, I guess?
.................
The place for selling servants was in the alley behind the agency. This entire alley was the territory of the agencies.
Apart from Old Liu's Yiyang agency, other agencies also did business here.
Not many people came to this alley, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the agencies' stall owners.
"Young sir, want to buy some girls? I have a few good-looking ones, perfect to be kept as maids."
"You could also take them as your wives, the girls here are well-trained and can do laundry, cook, and take care of children - they can do it all."
As soon as Gu Jinchen entered the alley, he was accosted by a middle-aged woman who grabbed his arm while grinning like a flower.
She seemed to habitually grasp and assess the muscles on his arm, even after Gu Jinchen brushed her hand away while keeping a smile on her face.
"Ahem."
The middle-aged woman's subtle action of assessing the muscles went unnoticed by Luo Ge, who was observing the alley behind them.
But upon hearing these familiar words, she was slightly taken aback.
And Gu Jinchen's face was almost as dark as ink.
"Madam Hua, trying to steal customers right in front of me? That's not very proper, is it?" Old Liu, who was following behind Luo Ge, clearly did not expect this situation either. Seeing Gu Jinchen's expression, his body stiffened before he frowned and scolded loudly.
Hearing Old Liu's voice, the woman called Madam Hua finally turned her head.
Then her face froze, as she had just realized that this handsome young man was with Old Liu.
"Oh my, it's a misunderstanding, Brother Liu. I didn't notice you at first."
She quickly stepped back a few paces.
Glancing at Gu Jinchen, who was guarding Luo Ge, she felt even more embarrassed.
It was clearly a young married couple.
"Ahem, my apologies, young sir. Madam Hua was shortsighted. Please don't take offense, young madam."
Luo Ge shook her head: "It's fine."
Just a coincidental overlap of dialogue, causing a bit of awkwardness.
Gu Jinchen heard this and looked down at her. He had been taken advantage of, yet his wife said it was fine?
Seemingly sensing his gaze, Luo Ge looked up at him, then quietly moved closer, as if trying to appease him.
But indeed, it softened someone's expression a little.
"Hmph, be more careful next time. I'm relatively easy to talk to, but you may not be so lucky with someone else next time."
After saying that, Old Liu spoke another sentence to the flower lady.
"Ah yes, I'll remember that."
Upon hearing this, the flower lady hurriedly responded with a smile, seeming to be quite intimidated by Old Liu.
