kvmb Chapter 164 The Young Widow 15
Chapter 164 The Young Widow 15
After Lin Ruan arrived in Shanghai, she found a deserted place and slipped into the space. After putting down her luggage, she lay on the bed in the beauty salon, letting the beauty robot give her a beauty treatment and do her hair, while letting the system select houses for her.
This was a time of restoring order, and many people who had been relegated to the countryside were rehabilitated and returned to their homes, with their original properties returned. However, compared to the capital, Hai City had more wealthy capitalists, and many of the survivors were terrified and wanted to take advantage of the recent rehabilitation to sell their houses and leave the country. Although Hai City was a large city, its large population could not be contained, and housing was extremely tight. Many people who received houses found that not only were there families living in their homes, but they had been living there for several years, and they could not be driven away, and no matter how much they tried to persuade them, they would not listen.
Lin Ruan didn't want a house like this. She didn't have the interest or energy to argue with tenants. She just wanted a good, big villa that could be moved in after a simple cleanup. Anyway, she had gold in her space, and she had the system sell a batch of food abroad and exchanged it for a lot of US dollars.
The system quickly filtered out listings that met Linruan's requirements, and rows of detailed information surfaced in Linruan's mind. Among them, an English-style villa in Xuhui District particularly caught Linruan's attention. It had a spacious grounds and elegant architecture. While the interior decoration was a bit dated, the overall structure was intact. With a little renovation, it would become an excellent residence.
The reason why this house was not used was because it was too big. No matter what use it was made for, it was too inconsistent with the main theme at that time. It would be a pity to destroy it, so it remained vacant, which made it convenient for the owner to take back his house.
Lin Ruan immediately decided to go and see the villa in person.
Before leaving the space, Lin Ruan changed her clothes - a sky blue silk shirt with white wide-leg pants of the same material, and a pair of brown thick-heeled shallow-mouth Mary Jane leather shoes on her feet. The pearls on the leather shoes complemented the pearls on the shirt.
To match the outfit, Lin Ruan also wore a set of MIKIMOTO Aurora Pearl jewelry and a Patek Philippe Ref. 3700 on her wrist. She carried a small LV suitcase in her left hand and a black Hermès Kelly in her right hand.
He doesn't look like someone from this era in China.
It was impossible for her to take the bus to her destination dressed like this. Lin Ruan waved to stop a rickshaw, told him the address, and then leaned back leisurely on the seat to enjoy the scenery along the road.
"Seventeen, this is how people should live." Lin Ruan exclaimed with satisfaction.
The system ignored her; it was busy now.
There is a saying that goes, when you have the thought of learning bad things, you will feel that the world is wide. Since it stole the energy, it suddenly met a few new friends. They were all old systems that had survived for who knows how long. They were all wealthy. They would get together every now and then, either to complain about the host or the main system, or to exchange ideas on how to exploit loopholes to steal energy, or else they would play mahjong to kill time.
The system communicated with the others and immediately noticed Lin Ruan's advantages: Although Lin Ruan was disobedient, she was smart. Although Lin Ruan didn't buy things in the mall very often, she was generous. Although Lin Ruan enslaved it every now and then, she paid it a salary.
What kind of life did the other systems lead? They'd scrape together a few dozen points here, and secretly steal a couple of energy balls there. The system didn't dare tell the others how many energy balls it had stolen, but Lin Ruan gave it a hundred thousand or two hundred thousand points at once, making the other systems envious!
"Stop talking, don't say anything at all. Seventeen, right? Brother Seventeen, come on, play some more mahjong."
The system nodded happily.
Mahjong? Let’s play.
Points? Lose~
What did Lin Ruan say? Oh, this is called spending money to buy happiness!
Along the way, the plane trees lining the street were lush and green, and sunlight filtered through the branches, casting patches of light and shadow on the road. Shops were gradually opening. There were breakfast stalls, with fried dough sticks tumbling in oil, emitting an alluring aroma. There were also a few state-owned stores, with simple shelves displaying various daily necessities. Pedestrians came and went, and the sound of bicycle bells echoed in the air, creating a vibrant yet simple scene.
The iron gate was covered in mottled vines, and through the cracks, one could see lush trees and a slightly dilapidated courtyard. After ringing the doorbell, a gray-haired old man opened the door moments later. He was wearing a washed-out Mao suit, his face etched with the vicissitudes of life, and a cautious look in his eyes as he looked Lin Ruan up and down.
Lin Ruan smiled and stated her purpose: "Uncle, I just came back from abroad and am looking for a house. I heard that you want to sell your house, so I came to take a look." The old man nodded slightly and stepped aside to welcome her into the house.
The villa's interior was filled with an air of age. The wooden floorboards creaked slightly, and the wallpaper on the walls had peeled a bit, but the exquisite carvings and tall floor-to-ceiling windows still betrayed its former opulence. Lin Ruan gently stroked the carved railings, and the wooden floorboards creaked beneath her feet, as if telling stories of the past. She scrutinized every detail, her gaze settling on the exquisite chandelier on the ceiling. Though the bulb was covered in a thick layer of dust, she could still imagine how magnificent it once must have been when it shone brightly.
After the tour, Lin Ruan sat down with the old man in the living room and chatted. The furniture in the living room was old, but spotlessly clean. The old man explained that the villa had originally been his family's property, confiscated during the Special Period. Now, with much difficulty, it had been returned to its original owner, but his wife had passed away during the struggle sessions. His children were all abroad, and they planned to reunite abroad, which was why they wanted to sell the property.
Lin Ruan expressed a strong desire to buy. He looked at the old man sincerely and said, "Uncle, I really like this house. I wonder how much it costs?"
The old man sighed. Since he'd returned and revealed his intention to sell the house, two or three people had approached him, but as soon as he'd mentioned the price, the enthusiastic buyers had backed off. This girl might look young, but she wasn't wearing anything cheap. He wasn't sure if the house would sell.
"Eighty thousand." He slowly said a number.
Lin Ruan thought about it and felt that it was within his budget, so he said, "Uncle, the price is fine, but I can also pay with gold or US dollars in addition to cash. Which do you prefer?"
The old man was slightly taken aback, as if he hadn't expected such a choice. But it was true; the girl in front of him had just said she'd returned from abroad. He was silent for a moment, a hint of confusion in his eyes, and then he slowly said, "Girl, this is a dilemma for me. Gold has been a hard currency since ancient times, and it gives me peace of mind. But what about dollars? My children are abroad, and they'll have many other expenses, so having dollars would be more convenient. How about this, girl? Give me half dollars and half gold. Is that okay with you?"
Lin Ruan smiled and nodded, responding readily, "Sir! You've thought it through." As she spoke, she took out some gold bars from her small suitcase and placed them neatly on the table. The bars shone with an alluring luster, appearing particularly eye-catching in the dim living room. Then, she pulled several wads of US dollars from her designer bag and placed them next to the gold bars.
The old man's eyes suddenly lit up. He stood up and took a closer look. He first gently picked up a gold bar, feeling its heavy texture, and stroking the surface of the gold bar with his fingers, his eyes full of emotion. Then he picked up a stack of US dollars and looked through it for a few times. After confirming that it was correct, the old man excitedly shook Lin Ruan's hand and said, "Girl, you are such a straightforward person! I am relieved to sell this house to you!"
Afterward, the two signed the house transfer agreement on the spot. The paper was a bit rough, and the pen made a rustling sound as it ran across it. The old man solemnly handed the key to Lin Ruan. The key was a bit old, and the metal surface had a faint patina. The moment Lin Ruan took the key, his heart was filled with joy.
She said goodbye to the old man and strolled through the villa courtyard again. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, but one could still see its once carefully designed layout. The rockery in the corners was of various shapes, and the dead branches beside them were twisted and tangled, as if waiting for the moment to come alive.
After a while of browsing, Lin Ruan pulled out her favorite renovation and housekeeping robots, planning to have them tidy up the house. She, on the other hand, rushed non-stop to the next buyer.
Although I bought the one I liked the most, I couldn’t miss out on other houses that I liked.
buy! buy! buy!
However, buying a house only took Lin Ruan half a day. Seeing that there was still more than a week before reporting, she simply took the overseas Chinese certificate forged by the system and checked into the Ping An Hotel.
When I walked to the front desk, the receptionist looked up and immediately smiled warmly: "Ma'am, welcome to the Peace Hotel. Do you have a reservation?"
"No." Lin Ruan said as she took out the M Country Overseas Chinese Certificate that the system had forged for her.
"So you are from Country M. What kind of service do you need?" The receptionist took the Overseas Chinese Certificate and smiled even brighter.
Lin Ruan smiled faintly and said, "I want to buy a ticket to Los Angeles, Country M, tomorrow. Could you help me buy it here? I'd also like to book a room here for the night. Can I choose airport drop-off service?"
"Of course, ma'am," the receptionist said with a smile. "Please wait a moment. I'll check you in first and then book your flight. What kind of room would you like?"
Lin Ruan smiled and said, "Is there any room in the Nine Kingdoms Suite? I don't have much Chinese currency, so can I pay in US dollars?"
The front desk clerk smiled even brighter and said more enthusiastically, "Of course. Room 721 is vacant, and it's the Country M suite. Would you be interested in staying there, ma'am?"
Lin Ruan nodded and said, "Okay, this one will do."
"Okay ma'am, that's $71."
Lin Ruan only asked the doorman to help carry her suitcase, leaving her bag in her own hands. She pulled $75 from her bag, placed it at the front desk with a smile, and said, "I really enjoyed your service. This $4 is your tip. Please let me know when you've booked your flight."
"Yes, ma'am, please don't worry."