Chapter 22: Hot
Perhaps for others, buying a haunted house is a very unlucky thing, but for Rock, there is no psychological barrier in this regard. Rock has already died once, so there is nothing to be afraid of. What's more, not to mention the house, the furniture in the house is more than 100 pounds, so it is very cost-effective to buy it.
Of course, it is not easy to raise a hundred pounds. Rock originally had more than fifty pounds, and he spent nearly twenty on custom-made two sets of clothes. Now he only has a little over thirty left. If he wants to buy this house, he has to ask Anton and others for money.
"Okay, let's buy it first. I'll help you borrow the difference." Anton had just settled in the Immigration Bureau, and it was his duty to help Rock raise money. Chinese people in Cape Town should help each other. Rock is now the deputy captain of the commando team, the highest rank, and Anton knows what is important.
After getting the money, Rock immediately went to Haley to buy the house. Haley gave Rock a house purchase certificate. Rock only needed to go to the city hall to replace the land registration certificate, and then Rock would become a member of the middle class.
The nineteenth century was so good. Rock had lived in the Magic City of the twenty-first century for more than ten years. He could not afford to buy a house when he was in his thirties. But in the nineteenth century, he bought a property in less than a week, which made Rock very satisfied.
"it's beautiful!"
“This house is so big!”
"Boss, did you buy this? Only 100 pounds?"
After buying the house, of course, he had to invite colleagues to come and see it. Anton, Li De, Luo Yi and others exclaimed in surprise before they even entered the door. They didn't expect that Rock only spent 100 pounds to buy such a big house.
It is indeed big. Ordinary people may have no idea about a yard of ten acres. Let me put it this way, ten acres is about 6,600 square meters. A standard football field is only 7,000 square meters. An ordinary courtyard with a lawn and a swimming pool is only about 600 square meters. 6,600 square meters, even the official residence of the Governor of Cape Town may not be that big.
"According to us, this is a haunted house. The previous owner was a smuggler. After the smuggler was executed by the British, his family committed suicide in this house. That's why no one bought it. I got a bargain." Rock didn't know that the British also paid attention to feng shui. Anton and the others could understand takes courage to buy a haunted house.
"Foreigners also believe this?" Li De was surprised.
"It's okay. We can find a priest to perform a ritual some other day." Anton had an idea.
"Foreign monks are unreliable. We should invite a Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva tomorrow and replace the naked statue at the door with Zhong Kui. We should also put a Taishan Stone Guardian in the living room. It will guarantee that any evil spirits can be suppressed ." Luo Yi was not worried and came up with a solution as soon as he opened his mouth. When Anton became a citizen, Luo Yi also joined in the fun. He had no worries in the Qing Dynasty and had been living on the streets since he was a child. He was determined to stay in Cape Town with Rock and Anton.
"That's a good idea. Tomorrow I'll find a piece of stone to carve a Taishan Stone Guardian for you, and then ask a priest to bless it." Anton's ancestral stonemasonry skills are finally put to use. Unfortunately, he can't find a monk, so he can only ask a priest to make up the number.
Although the house was bought, it could not be lived in yet. The bloodstains on the second floor were disgusting no matter how you thought about it. Fortunately, there were many brothers and everyone worked together to clean it up without any awkwardness.
"Locke, the quality of these furnitures is very good. They can be used for decades more without any problem. Look at this, they are all made of huanghuali. Such good wood is rare even in our Qing Dynasty." Anton is quite knowledgeable about furniture. Sandalwood is also divided into grades. Huanghuali is the best wood. In the 21st century, it costs tens of thousands of yuan per pound. Rock has only heard of it but never seen it. Now they are so lavishly placed in the living room and dining room. I wonder how much money the previous smuggler spent on it.
"Mr. Luo, these knives and forks are all real gold and silver. There is no doubt that your 100 pounds is really worth it!" Luo Yi hadn't finished looking at it yet. Even the candlesticks were made of pure silver. If you weighed them, they might be solid. A candlestick like this cost almost one pound. No wonder this house cost 500 pounds in the first place.
"Mr. Luo, the floor upstairs has been cleaned, but some of the floors are damaged. I guess we need to hire someone to repair them." Li De was really worried. He had lent all his money to Rock, and now he didn't have a single shilling left.
"Why hire anyone? Just buy the same floor and replace it ourselves. No need to hire anyone." Anton doesn't ask for help from others and can do anything. This is also a true portrayal of most Chinese people. They will not spend money if they can do it themselves. It's just changing the floor. Can it be more laborious than carving stone?
"This is what I think. Since all of us brothers have settled down, we will have to settle down sooner or later. There are vacant land everywhere around here, so why don't we buy the land early? If there is no house, we can build it ourselves. Once we build the house, it will be ours, and we brothers can take care of each other." Rock has long-term ideas, and this is also a manifestation of his strengths. If Rock were really asked to change the floor, he would not be as good as Anton, but when it comes to planning, Anton does not have the ability.
"The terrain around here is good, with mountains and water nearby, a spacious hall, and good views in front and back. If we settle our family here, our descendants will live in peace." Anton also knew a little about Feng Shui, and it was obvious that he also liked the terrain here.
Rock didn't understand what it meant to be surrounded by people on both sides. Rock chose this place just because it was cheap and had an unparalleled sea view. As for whether it was a haunted house, Rock really didn't care. According to the jargon, Rock was in good health and had a lot of blood. Plus, he wielded swords and guns every day and was full of evil spirits, but Rock really didn't care.
"That's not necessarily true, Master An. According to Master Luo, the merchants who used to live here are dead and their families are wiped out. How can he not feel at ease?" Li De was too honest to say such words. If it were Rock, he would be a narrow-minded person and would make things difficult for Li De in any minute.
"How can they be the same? Blessings and misfortunes go hand in hand. Without blessings, living in a house like this will only bring disaster. Look at the road outside, and then look at the pool in front of the house and the swimming pool behind the house. Have you noticed anything? This is a good house. The previous owner didn't understand it. He didn't have an expert to help him with Feng Shui. He couldn't afford to enjoy too much blessing. Locke, you are going to live here. Build two ear rooms on both sides of the house to ensure that you will have no worries." Anton vowed. Rock thought carefully about the road outside, the pool in front of the house, and the swimming pool behind the house, and his heart skipped a beat.
The road outside is a semicircle, the mountain behind the house is also a semicircle, plus the pool in front of the house and the swimming pool behind the house, it is clearly a Tai Chi diagram with missing edges.
Rock decided to find someone to build an ear room tomorrow and make sure to complete the Tai Chi diagram.
"It's getting late today, so we can't burn the bottom of the pot anymore. I'll invite you brothers to go to Old Bill's Bar for a drink, and we'll burn the bottom of the pot again in a few days." Rock must lose money today to avoid disasters, and the more he loses, the better.
"Lord Luo is open-minded!"
"Thank you, Master Luo, for the reward."
"Can I have some champagne?"
The brothers were talking at once and the atmosphere was extremely heated. In such a hot scene, even the evil ones would have to stay away.
