The landlord was all smiles.
He must have been a seasoned negotiator who knew his way around. Ignoring the middle-aged woman, he cheerfully said to Shen Ci and Meng Chuyue, "You two got here first, so if you can match this lady’s offer, I’ll sell to you first."
Meng Chuyue glanced at the middle-aged woman with the meaty face and said, "Then we’ll also offer two hundred and twenty thousand."
The middle-aged woman choked and said, "No matter what price you offer, I will always be a thousand higher."
Meng Chuyue sneered, "Then I say I offer a million, you better come up with a hundred and one thousand quickly."
The woman flew into a rage, "How can you be so unreasonable?"
Flicking her fingernails nonchalantly, Meng Chuyue narrowed her eyes and said, "If you were reasonable, you’d raise the bid properly with a real offer, instead of just saying you’ll always be a thousand higher, no matter what I bid. If that’s the case, I might as well say whatever you bid, I’ll match it, since Uncle Landlord here said if our offers are the same, he’ll sell to us first."
The middle-aged woman was speechless, and the landlord quickly tried to mediate, "Heh heh, no need to fight. If you’re both serious about buying this place, then discuss the price properly."
Meng Chuyue gave the middle-aged woman a light smile, "Shall you speak first, or shall I?"
After some thought, the woman turned and walked away.
Meng Chuyue and Shen Ci looked at each other, then at the landlord. Shen Ci spoke loudly, "Let’s pay the deposit now and sign the contract, then tomorrow morning we can proceed with the transfer formalities."
The landlord chuckled, "Alright."
The landlord quickly prepared the paperwork, but as he finished signing and handed it to Shen Ci to sign, Shen Ci suddenly said, "I’m sorry, I forgot my wallet at home and don’t have the money to pay the deposit. How about we don’t pay the deposit and come over to buy the house first thing tomorrow morning? Of course, if someone else buys the house before that, we won’t hold it against you."
Without waiting for the landlord to respond, he left.
Back in the car, they glanced at the landlord stomping his feet and Shen Ci said, "This landlord is dodgy, and it’s one thing if he didn’t live nearby, but since he lives so close, there could be trouble in the future. Let’s pass on this house. I refuse to believe we can’t find a suitable place in all of Imperial."
Meng Chuyue nodded in agreement, "Right, worst case, we’ll just build a new one."
Shen Ci leaned in and kissed her, "Right. You don’t think I’m being too cautious, do you?"
Meng Chuyue kissed him back with a smile, shaking her head lightly, "Not at all. Even a mighty dragon is no match for a local snake. Besides, we’re new here; it’s wisest to be cautious."
With the time for the paternity test upon them, the couple decided to pick up the results from the hospital first and then go home for lunch, planning to look for a Medicinal Food Hall shop in the afternoon.
The report came quickly.
Han Zheng was indeed Song Ting’s biological son.
Shen Ci felt no aversion to the result.
He even had a touch of happiness,
although he wouldn’t admit it.
It wasn’t bad news, nor particularly good; Meng Chuyue and Shen Ci just briefly looked at it and moved on.
Returning to the courtyard house, they found Han Zheng and Zhao Xiaoxin had already prepared a table full of lunch.
Both Han Zheng and Zhao Xiaoxin were elated to see them.
Han Zheng smiled warmly, "...Come, come, have a taste of the medicinal diet we made?"
Zhao Xiaoxin chuckled, "...I think it tastes quite good. Try it and please give us your valuable feedback."
They were learning to cook medicinal diets to help lift some burdens off Meng Chuyue in the future.
The ingredients were from Space Spiritual Plants, and the seasoning made from Space Spirit Plant-derived special spices—so as long as it was cooked through without being burnt or over-salted, the flavor was bound to be great.
Besides, Zhao Xiaoxin’s cooking skills weren’t bad to begin with, and with Han Zheng being open to learning, the dishes on the table, though some didn’t look great, tasted excellent.