The next morning, Zhuang Rui arrived at the courtyard house. As soon as he parked his car and entered the alley, he saw two people standing at the entrance of his courtyard house. They were Gu Yun and an elderly man with gray hair. The elderly man had a drawing board on his shoulder.
"Zhuang Rui, let me introduce you. This is my mentor, Professor Zhou. He is Minister Ouyang's nephew, Zhuang Rui."
When Gu Yun saw Zhuang Rui, he quickly came forward and introduced his teacher to Zhuang Rui.
"Hello, Teacher Zhou, I'm so sorry to trouble you this time."
Zhuang Rui quickly stepped forward and greeted him respectfully. Even without mentioning the personal relationship between Professor Zhou and his uncle, Professor Zhou's prestige in the ancient architecture circle alone was enough for Zhuang Rui to respect him. Gu Yun had said yesterday that Professor Zhou never did private work.
"You're welcome, young man. The fact that you're thinking about protecting these buildings left by our ancestors makes it worth the trip. This courtyard is nice, the location is excellent, and you can even add a side gate at the back to turn it into a garage..."
Before Zhuang Rui arrived, Professor Zhou and Gu Yun walked around the perimeter of the four-piece house. In the backyard of Zhuang Rui's house, many sheds for doing business had been illegally built. The alley there was wider enough to drive a car in, and with a little modification, a garage could be created.
"Thank you very much, Teacher Zhou..."
Zhuang Rui stepped forward and opened the heavy door, inviting Professor Zhou and Gu Yun inside.
Zhuang Rui had never had time to come over since he bought the courtyard. After opening the gate, he found that the place was completely different from the first time he came. The weeds on the ground had been cleared clean, and even the dust on the hanging flower gates had been wiped away. The tall jujube and pomegranate trees in the front and middle courtyards also showed obvious signs of being pruned.
Professor Zhou led Gu Yun to start looking around from the gatehouse, paying particular attention to the wooden structures. However, as he looked around, his brows furrowed more and more tightly, making Zhuang Rui, who was watching from the side, feel uneasy, wondering what was wrong with his courtyard.
"Teacher Zhou, please have some water and rest for a bit. What do you think is the best way to renovate this courtyard?"
Professor Zhou examined everything very carefully, going into and inspecting almost every room. He even used a steel bar he found on the ground to chisel a hole in the wall of one room to observe the condition of the bricks and stones inside. It took him more than two hours to finish looking at the first two courtyards, but he still hadn't seen the rooms in the last two courtyards.
Zhuang Rui couldn't offer much help either. Seeing Professor Zhou and Gu Yun sweating profusely, he quickly went back to the car and got out a few bottles of drinks.
"No rush, rest after you've finished watching..."
Professor Zhou took the drink Zhuang Rui offered, drank a small piece, and then held it in his hand as he continued walking towards the backyard.
Zhuang Rui grabbed Gu Yun, who was about to follow, and asked, "Brother Gu, what do you think is the best way to decorate my house?"
Gu Yun stopped and shook his head, saying, "Brother, although the rooms in your courtyard are well-preserved on the outside, they've been neglected for years. The foundation is fine, but some of the bricks inside are rotten. Look, this brick is one I just pulled out of the house..."
As Gu Yun spoke, he picked up a brick from under his feet, and with a forceful pull, he managed to break the brick in half. He then rubbed the broken surface of the brick with his hands, and with a flick of his wrist, a clump of white ash fell from Gu Yun's palm onto the ground.
Zhuang Rui was dumbfounded by Gu Yun's actions and couldn't help but swear: "Damn it, there were shoddy construction projects in ancient times too?"
"Hehe, that's not it. The main problem is that no one lives here for most of the year, so the sewers are probably clogged. During the rainy season in summer, the floodwater seeps into the house, and after being soaked, the bricks and wood have rotted..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Gu Yun burst into laughter. However, he also felt a little regretful, as he suspected that such a large courtyard with dozens of rooms would eventually be lost.
"Brother Gu, what do you think we should do?"
Zhuang Rui was genuinely anxious this time. Judging from the condition of the bricks and stones, it was probably not something that could be moved into just by repairing it. If it were to be completely demolished and rebuilt as he had thought yesterday, he would have made a huge mistake in buying the house.
"Don't worry, let's see what the teacher has to say."
Gu Yun patted Zhuang Rui on the shoulder and walked towards the backyard.
"Brother Gu, what is Teacher Zhou doing? Why isn't he using a camera?"
Upon entering the backyard, Zhuang Rui saw Professor Zhou take the easel off his shoulder and quickly sketch something on it with a pencil. He was probably drawing the houses. However, he noticed that Gu Yun was carrying a camera, so he couldn't understand why Professor Zhou insisted on drawing with his hands.
Zhuang Rui's voice was a bit loud. Professor Zhou, who was drawing, stopped what he was doing and said, "Young man, you need to know that taking a picture takes only a second, but drawing it might take five minutes. In five minutes, you will see more than in one second, so you can remember it. You don't necessarily have to take a picture."
Zhuang Rui nodded thoughtfully. Society has indeed become much more restless these days. People are trying to accomplish things in the simplest way possible, but they forget that they have already lost a lot in the process.
Gu Yun walked over to Professor Zhou and whispered a few words to him. Then, he said to Zhuang Rui, who was deep in thought, "Xiao Zhuang, this house can no longer be restored using the methods of ancient building repair. I'm afraid it will have to be demolished and rebuilt!"
"Teacher Zhou, is there no other way?"
Zhuang Rui hurriedly asked. Even though he didn't know much about the construction industry, he knew that decorating and building a house were two completely different things. He had originally planned to move in in a little over a month. If it was to be rebuilt, who knew when he would be able to move into the new house?
"Sigh, if there were even the slightest possibility, I wouldn't have let you demolish these old buildings. However, the foundation of this house has been soaked in water for a long time, and the wood has long since rotted away..."
As Professor Zhou spoke, he handed the drawing board in his hand to Gu Yun, then slowly walked to a hanging flower gate in the backyard. He grabbed one of the thresholds and pulled hard, and a long strip of wood with colorful paint on it was pulled down. Zhuang Rui went over and took the wood and saw that it was indeed rotten inside.
Seeing this, Zhuang Rui said somewhat dejectedly, "Teacher Zhou, if it's to be rebuilt, will it still retain its original appearance? Also, how long will it take to complete?"
Zhuang Rui bought this courtyard house because he liked its architectural style. If he wanted to buy a villa, more than 60 million yuan would be enough for him to buy a top-tier villa in Beijing. After all, it was only 2004, and the real estate market was just starting to heat up.
"Hehe, you don't need to worry about that..."
Professor Zhou laughed upon hearing this and said, "What a coincidence! This house of yours was specially commissioned by the Ministry of Works to house the ministers of the Six Ministries during the Kangxi era. The blueprints for these houses are still preserved. It's not impossible for you to rebuild it exactly as it was originally, but..."
Professor Zhou paused here, and seeing Zhuang Rui's anxious look, continued, "But if we build according to the original blueprints, the cost will be quite high."
"Approximately how long will it take?"
Zhuang Rui was most worried about this issue. If the house still wasn't built by the time he came to school next year, what was the point of buying it?
"It won't take long. There are about thirty rooms in total. Including the more detailed hanging flower gates, two months should be enough."
Gu Yun chimed in, saying that this was his job, and he could estimate the timeframe with just a glance. He also said that the two-month construction period was a bit long; in fact, if they worked on it quickly, it could be completed in a month or two.
"Okay, let's build it according to the original blueprints. Brother Gu, how much will it cost approximately?"
Zhuang Rui was delighted to hear that the house could be completed in two months. The original house was indeed dilapidated, and rebuilding it would not take much time. Of course, he chose to rebuild it. Moreover, with Professor Zhou around, even the design drawings were unnecessary.
Gu Yun made a mental estimate and said, "Brother, given our relationship, I won't make money off your materials. However, ancient building materials like these colored glazed tiles and large blue bricks are more expensive. All the building materials plus labor will probably cost around 15 million."
"Fifteen million? Okay, Brother Gu, but the exterior of this house should stay in the original style, but you have to make the interior decoration more modern for me. Make sure it has a kitchen and bathroom, so we don't have to run to public toilets later."
Zhuang Rui felt a pang of bitterness upon hearing this. The purchase of this house had already cost him over 65 million, and with this additional 15 million, it would be a total of 80 million gone. However, there was no turning back now, and Zhuang Rui had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree.
Chapter 309 Apprenticeship Ceremony
"After deducting that fifteen million, I really don't have much money left..."
With such a huge expense, Zhuang Rui naturally had many requirements for the rebuilt courtyard house. However, what he cared about most was the bathroom, which stemmed from his childhood.
Before the 1990s, not only in Beijing's courtyard houses, but also in bungalow areas across the country, public toilets were used. Friends born in the 1970s may still remember that at that time, it was said that revolutionary work was not divided into noble and lowly, and the so-called "lowly" actually referred to the latrine shovelers.
When Zhuang Rui lived in the old house as a child, he often threw firecrackers into the toilet during the New Year. He also often had to run to the toilet in the middle of the night because he was in so much pain. So, his first requirement for this courtyard house was that it must have a separate bathroom. Ideally, the room next to the master bedroom in each courtyard should be converted into a bathroom.
Another issue is the kitchen. The exterior architecture can retain the shape and structure of traditional buildings, but the interior must be modernized. Otherwise, with a large stove for burning firewood inside, even if Zhuangzi's mother came, she probably wouldn't know how to use it.
"Brother Gu, there's a basement in this courtyard house. Could you help me tidy it up, install a new ventilation system, a dehumidifier, and make sure it's secure? I plan to use it as a collection room..."
When Zhuang Rui first came here, he knew that there was a storage basement in the courtyard house, which was located not far from the master bedroom in the backyard. Zhuang Rui had already made up his mind about it at that time.
"Okay, and the side door of the garage, right? I've noted it all down. It's too early to talk about these things now. We'll wait until the overall construction renderings are ready and you need to sign them. You can bring up any requests then."
Although Zhuang Rui made a lot of demands like a "fussy mother," Gu Yun remained all smiles. It is said that the customer is God, and Gu Yun clearly understood this saying very well. With a project cost of over ten million, even without cutting corners, Gu Yun could still make a fortune.
With the deal settled, Zhuang Rui handed the front door key to Gu Yun, and they were just waiting for the renderings to be completed before construction could begin. Feeling a little guilty that Professor Zhou had come to see the house in the sweltering heat, Zhuang Rui invited him, "Professor Zhou, shall we go have a meal?"
Professor Zhou waved his hand and said, "I'm not going. I'll just have Brother Ouyang prepare a few bottles of 1980 Moutai for me later. Xiao Gu, you come with me too. I don't know where they've put the Kangxi era documents."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui's house was going to be demolished and rebuilt, Professor Zhou felt that he had failed in his duty. He was in a hurry to find the information. Although the information was well preserved, there was too much of it and it would probably take half a day to find it. That's why Professor Zhou asked Gu Yun for help.
However, Zhuang Rui was unaware that those so-called bottles of 1980 Moutai were something that money couldn't buy.
Zhuang Rui locked the front door, handed the key to Gu Yun, and watched them drive away before getting in his own car and leaving. With the house issue settled, Zhuang Rui felt much lighter, but he didn't want to go back to Yuquan Mountain. The pass hadn't been processed yet, making entry and exit troublesome. After calling his mother and finding nothing amiss, Zhuang Rui simply pulled out his phone book and found Professor Meng's number.
Uncle De had been urging Zhuang Rui to visit his future mentor, and since he had nothing else to do today, Zhuang Rui made the call.
Professor Meng was pleasantly surprised to hear that it was Zhuang Rui calling. He invited Zhuang Rui to come to his house immediately so they could have lunch together. Zhuang Rui thought for a moment and didn't stand on ceremony. When he passed by a farmers' market, he saw someone selling turtles by the roadside. Zhuang Rui had caught these creatures in the river when he was a child. They looked wild, so he bought two.
Professor Zhou's residence is in the Peking University faculty village, located behind the Peking University campus. It is surrounded by lush greenery and has an artificial lake, making for a very elegant environment. After parking his car downstairs at the building Professor Zhou mentioned, Zhuang Rui picked up two turtles and prepared to go upstairs.
"Brother Zhuang Rui, Grandpa said you were coming. I didn't even go shopping. What nice things are you bringing me? What are you holding?"
Professor Zhou lived on the second floor. Before Zhuang Rui even entered the building, he heard a clear shout coming from the second-floor balcony. Looking up, he saw Meng Qiuqian staring wide-eyed at the turtle in Zhuang Rui's hand, her face showing an incredulous expression.
Zhuang Rui looked up and chuckled as he entered the apartment building. Professor Meng was already waiting at the door. Seeing the turtle in Zhuang Rui's hand, he laughed and said, "Little Zhuang, I don't accept gifts from students. What's the point of you carrying this?"
"Teacher Meng, I saw someone selling them on the way here. They looked wild, so I bought them to help you recover. Consider it a gift from your student to my teacher."
Zhuang Rui had spent some time with Professor Meng in Shaanxi and knew that he was a very kind person, so he joked around with a smile.
Meng Qiuqian ran over with a basin used for washing vegetables and told Zhuang Rui to put the two turtles in the basin.
Professor Meng stopped on the ground with great interest, looking at the two turtles in the basin, and commented seriously: "Hmm, their limbs are yellow, and their skirts are thick, so they are wild. This one is also quite big. Turtle meat can cure weakness and night sweats, lower back pain and leg pain, and can also nourish yin and kidneys, clear heat and remove blood stasis, and strengthen the spleen and stomach. Xiao Zhuang, thank you, this old man will accept this gift."
Upon hearing Professor Meng's words, the little girl became anxious, grabbed the basin with both hands, and held it protectively in front of her. She said, "No, I want to keep it. Grandpa won't let me eat it."
So they're treating the two turtles Zhuang Rui bought as pets.
"Okay, Grandpa won't eat them. Xiao Zhuang, come in and have dinner. I showed off my skills today."
Professor Meng still doted on his granddaughter. After she brought the turtle to the kitchen, he invited Zhuang Rui to sit down at the table. Professor Meng's cooking skills were really good. From the time Zhuang Rui made the phone call until now, only thirty or forty minutes had passed, and he had already prepared seven or eight dishes. There was also an old hen stewing in the kitchen.
"Brother Zhuang Rui, I made these cola chicken wings. Why don't you try them and see if they're good?"
Meng Qiuqian placed a plate of golden-fried chicken wings in front of Zhuang Rui, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
"I'll do it myself, I'll do it myself..."
Seeing the little girl preparing to serve him a piece, Zhuang Rui quickly picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece, and put it in his mouth.
"This...this is cola chicken wings?"
Zhuang Rui forced himself not to spit out the chicken wing in his mouth, but his taste buds were numb. This taste was way too salty!
"Yes, is what I made delicious? I'd like to try some too."
Seeing Zhuang Rui's expression, the little girl could pretty much guess that her masterpiece wasn't very good. She picked up a chicken wing, but only took a small bite. She didn't have Zhuang Rui's patience and immediately spat it out.
"Failed again, Lucas. Here, there's something good to eat..."
The little girl's eyes darted around, and she set her sights on her pet Lucas. But to her surprise, Lucas, who had been lying by the dining table, suddenly jumped up and "whoosh!" disappeared under the bed in the room, making Zhuang Rui burst into laughter.
Thanks to the little girl's banter, the meal was quite pleasant. After the meal, Professor Meng led Zhuang Rui into his study.
Professor Meng pointed to a stack of books on the table and said to Zhuang Rui, "Knowing you'd be coming to Beijing soon, I've prepared all the review materials for you. If you have any questions, just come to my house..."
"Thank you, Teacher Meng. I'll definitely need to bother you often in the future."
Zhuang Rui flipped through them and found they were mostly books on classical Chinese and chemistry, which were quite targeted and suitable for him.
Professor Meng had other matters to attend to in the afternoon, so after Zhuang Rui asked him for guidance on some key review points, he took his leave. Meng Qiuqian, the little girl who was on summer vacation, was a bit reluctant to let him go, and only allowed him to leave after making him promise to bring Bai Shi next time. ...
While driving, Zhuang Rui suddenly heard his phone ring. He glanced at the unfamiliar number, pressed the answer button, and a pleasant female voice came through: "Hello, is this Mr. Zhuang?"
"I am Zhuang Rui, and you are?"
Zhuang Rui pulled the car over to the side of the road and answered the phone.
"Oh, Mr. Zhuang, I'm from Beijing TV. I wanted to confirm with you about attending an antique appraisal event in Jinan tomorrow. Are you sure you can attend the event tomorrow?"
It turned out to be the organizer of this treasure appraisal event. Old Master Gu said they would call Zhuang Rui, but he hadn't received a call yet. Zhuang Rui was a little puzzled at first, but then said, "I can participate. What is the specific itinerary? Please tell me first."