176: Chapter 176 Silver Ingot

Zhang Wei calculated in his heart: It was a bit of a pity to have missed the first piece of information.

As for the third piece of information, his heart stirred; he happened to be renovating his house, and appliances were exactly what he needed. He quickly went through the list of required items in his mind. After all, it would be a huge regret if he missed such a good opportunity. You see, these days, cases of "wool-pulling" on e-commerce platforms due to price setting loopholes were common. Those savvy "bargain hunters" were always able to keenly capture these opportunities, easily navigating the legal gray areas and enjoying the thrill of getting a steal. This time, the merchant was offering a 50% discount, unlike some stores where the price was set at 40-50% of the cost. If he didn't seize this chance, countless bargain hunters would catch wind of it and strike first. Thinking of this, he smiled inwardly and dialed An Xiaoxi's number.

The second piece of information was the most interesting. A news story about digging for gold in a latrine flashed through Zhang Wei's mind: in the 1970s, a man in Sichuan accidentally dug up a Song Dynasty gold bowl while digging a latrine. After expert appraisal, it was valued at a whopping 3 million!

He immediately took out his phone and looked up some information: Sycees, an ancient form of currency, were mostly cast from precious gold or silver, with silver being more common. The history of Sycees can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. In the third year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty, silver from the Pinghuai Treasury was cast into "ingots" weighing 50 taels, which were then called "Yuanbao," meaning "Treasure of the Yuan Dynasty."

Jiading, located in the northwestern part of Shenghai City, belonged to Lou County of Kuaiji Commandery during the Qin Dynasty, and was under the jurisdiction of Su City during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. In 1958, Jiading was reassigned to Shenghai City.

Zhang Wei pondered that it wasn't impossible to dig up silver ingots here. Even if Zhang Wei didn't go to pick up this bargain, according to the system's information, this box of silver ingots would inevitably be discovered by other tenants a month later. Therefore, how to weigh the balance between morality and money was a question without an answer.

The old house in Baota Village, Jiading, had been empty for a while after the elderly owner passed away. Today, Wang Hongmin and his wife, Ma Hongmei, were busy cleaning here.

"Hongmin, look at the renovation of this house; it's still the same style as when we got married," Ma Hongmei lamented while wiping an old-fashioned wooden table with a cloth. "When your father was around, he only installed a flush toilet. How about we install an air conditioner? In the countryside, the draft is strong. People have been coming to see the house one after another these past few days, but there's been no follow-up. It's almost Chinese New Year, and all the migrant workers have gone back." Her voice carried a hint of expectation.

Seeing that Wang Hongmin didn't respond, she continued, "The eldest daughter's teacher said her chances of getting into a first-tier university aren't high. Lili heard from her classmates that it's easier to get into a first-tier university if you study art. She even asked the school teachers, and they said there are those kinds of painting classes outside that cost twenty thousand a month. A few of her good classmates are planning to try this path." Her brow furrowed slightly, clearly worried about her daughter's future.

"Also, our factory is moving to Su City next spring. The leadership said the salary and benefits for employees going to Su City will remain the same, but those staying in the City Name will only get the minimum wage. I think it's better to go; with piece-rate pay, I can make at least seven thousand a month. Our younger daughter still has a year until her high school entrance exam, so you'll have to work hard taking care of the home and the two girls." Ma Hongmei said all this in one breath, her eyes full of helplessness.

Wang Hongmin put down his broom and thought for a moment. "500 per room, five rooms. If we rent them out before the new year, we can get an extra 2,500 a month. You stay here; it'll be more convenient to look after our two daughters. If that's not enough, I'll find a part-time job on my days off." His tone was firm.

"We'll see. There are expenses everywhere now. Once Wenwen gets into high school, there will be even more places to spend money." Ma Hongmei sighed, a flash of worry in her eyes.

Just then, a series of urgent shouts came from outside: "Is anyone home? Is anyone home? We're here to see the house!"

Hearing the sound, Wang Hongmin and his wife immediately dropped their tools and walked quickly to the door. Two young men were standing outside, wearing sportswear and black down jackets. Although their clothes were ordinary, one of them had an extraordinary temperament.

"Hello, we heard your house is for rent, so we came to take a look," the young man with the extraordinary temperament said. He was Zhang Wei.

"Young man, the rooms are all empty. Come on in," Wang Hongmin greeted warmly, his face beaming with a smile.

The layout of the house was simple: two rooms downstairs, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The kitchen only had a gas stove, with no range hood or modern kitchen furniture, making it look a bit crude. The bathroom had only a flush toilet, no shower or bathtub, and the tiles on the walls were somewhat mottled. Upstairs were three rooms, with a renovation style stuck in the 1990s. The furniture was simple, and the paint on the walls had begun to peel, revealing the marks of time.

"Young man, the renovation of this house is quite simple. How many of you will be living here?" Ma Hongmei asked tentatively, her eyes showing a hint of concern.

"My brother and I have been working in the City Name for a few years and have saved up some money. We want to bring our parents from our hometown to live with us. So, we came here to take a look," Zhang Wei replied, his voice sounding sincere.

"My brother has been married for a year, and his wife is looking after their child in our hometown, so he's working hard here with me. Let's take a look at the yard too." Zhang Wei looked at Liu Haorui standing beside him.

Liu Haorui immediately nodded, his eyes sparkling with anticipation for the new house.

Hearing that a whole family was moving in, the couple became even more enthusiastic and took them on a tour of the front and back yards. A solitary, bare tree stood on the concrete ground of the front yard, looking somewhat desolate. On the left of the backyard was a neglected vegetable patch overgrown with weeds, and on the right were some old sheds built with timber and tangled with vines, looking quite dilapidated.

"You can plant whatever you want in this backyard vegetable patch; it'll save you money on vegetables. This shed used to be for raising sheep, but it was abandoned after the old man got older," Ma Hongmei introduced in detail.

"Brother, Sister, how much is the rent for this house?" Zhang Wei asked, his gaze earnest.

"500 per room per month. The bathroom and kitchen are on the first floor and are shared," Ma Hongmei replied, calculating in her mind that if they rented several rooms, she could offer a discount.

"For 5 rooms, that's 2,500 a month, which is 30,000 for a year," Zhang Wei calculated.

"Young man, if you rent for a year, I'll give it to you for 2,000 cheaper. Our house is simply renovated and doesn't have much furniture, so you'll have to provide that yourselves. You can plant in the vegetable garden in the back; home-grown vegetables are pollution-free, so you can eat with peace of mind." Ma Hongmei winked at Wang Hongmin, hinting for him to agree quickly.

Zhang Wei smiled slightly. "Sister, I see your house is spacious and large, and you and your husband are so straightforward."

"My brother and I also plan to develop long-term in the City Name, so we intend to rent for five years. We'll renovate the interior ourselves and provide the furniture; we'll cover all those costs ourselves."