Chapter 135: Buying a House

There are blacksmiths aplenty in the West Market, and a barbecue grill is hardly a complex contraption, so finding any random artisan to do the job and explaining the requirements clearly was sufficient.

The difficulty lay in preparing the ingredients. The primary issue was the lack of variety. There was no shortage of meat—chicken, duck, fish, mutton, and pork were all available, and one could even find venison and bear. But without vegetables, it was, in the end, unsatisfying.

It was not that green vegetables did not exist, but they were reserved solely for the Emperor and the very few individuals upon whom he bestowed them as a favor. As early as the Qin and Han dynasties, special personnel were employed to cultivate greens for the Emperor during winter: "Onions, leeks, and other vegetables would sprout in winter, covered by structures, with coals burning day and night to maintain the warmth necessary for growth." "Smoldering fire" was a technique of burning without an open flame, intended to raise the ambient temperature indoors to facilitate plant growth.

Yet, managing these smoldering fires was a skilled trade. If the control was improper, one would either exhaust the firewood or accidentally turn the vegetables into charcoal; it was an incredibly difficult task. Furthermore, the sheer quantity of firewood required was far beyond what any ordinary person could afford.

Consequently, before the Tang and Song dynasties, it was more common to rely on natural resources for heat. After the Tang and Song, the trend shifted toward constructing greenhouses and installing flues to circulate heat throughout the rooms. Even so, the fuel consumption remained significant, remaining well beyond the means of average households.

The Tang Dynasty had "Inner Gardens" specifically for cultivating out-of-season fruits and vegetables for the palace, which functioned by channeling hot spring water to create temperatures suitable for plant growth. The Tang poet Wang Jian wrote in his poem *Early Spring Before the Palace*: "The Inner Garden receives the hot spring's flow, and by mid-second month, melons are already served." This refers precisely to that practice.

While the markets offered pickled vegetables and, at a higher price, cellar-stored produce, the variety was extremely limited—only a few types, such as mallow, were available. Even bok choy was rare and expensive. Ultimately, the problem was the lack of crop diversity. It was a pity that so many fruits, vegetables, and grains were still on the American continent; with current nautical and shipbuilding technology, reaching them was an impossibility.

***

During the days spent waiting for the blacksmith to finish the grill, Manager Fang came to find Wei Renshi. He had already consulted with brokers to identify several properties intended for sale and came to report his findings.

"Manager Fang, I have heard that the wards in the southern part of Chang'an are sparsely populated, and that many areas within them have even been reclaimed as vegetable patches. I wonder if this is true?" Wei Renshi asked from inside the carriage. During his travels in Xi'an in his later life, he had encountered the saying that Chang'an was "empty in the south and dense in the north, noble in the east and wealthy in the west," and thus asked with great interest.

Manager Fang nodded and said, "What you have heard, Young Master, is correct. This Chang'an city is vast and populous, but it is indeed empty in the south, dense in the north, noble in the east, and wealthy in the west."

Hearing these eight characters from his mouth, Wei Renshi grew even more intrigued. "Could you elaborate on that?"

"It is my duty to inform you, Young Master Wei. The north of Chang'an houses the Palace City and the Imperial City, so the population is concentrated there, consisting mostly of high-ranking officials and nobles. The Ruoyuan and Shengye wards in the northeast are particularly clustered with princely mansions. The Ruoyuan Ward once housed sixteen of Emperor Xuanzong’s sons, earning it the name 'The Sixteen Princes' Ward.' The Shengye Ward contains the mansion of Prince Xue and the garden pavilion of Prince Ning. The Chongren Ward is home to many princess residences, while the Anren Ward is filled with the families of imperial in-laws. The Yishan and Laiting wards are mostly inhabited by eunuchs. The Pingkang Ward is even more chaotic; the three alleys east of the North Gate are where courtesans reside. The most famous courtesans of Chang'an are all found there, and the capital's chivalrous youths and wealthy scions gather there as well. Because of this, the ward is known as a 'den of romance.' The area around the West Market is home to wealthy merchants, and many foreign traders reside there as well," Manager Fang explained. "As for the south of the city, it is quite different from the north. Especially the three southernmost rows of wards; being located in such remote areas, they are considered 'outside the围,' and the population is quite sparse. Although people live there occasionally, there is little sign of life, and the land is mostly given over to farming and crisscrossed by fields. The Shengdao Ward in the southeast is full of ruins and graves, with absolutely no one living there. I have even heard that tigers roam the Changshou Ward in the southwest!"

"So there is so much to it!" Wei Renshi laughed. "And where are the houses you inquired about, Manager Fang?"

"In Yankang, Yanshou, and Anxing wards," Manager Fang replied. "I shall take you to see them now, Young Master Wei."

"Very well." Wei Renshi nodded.

Yanshou and Yankang wards were both near the West Market, so it was natural to visit those two first.

There were many gold and jewelry shops in Yanshou Ward. Curious, Wei Renshi asked, "I thought shops were supposed to be confined to the two markets? If there are any in other wards, aren't they just small storefronts or peddlers? How are they permitted to open in Yanshou Ward?"

"That is the rule, but it is not strictly enforced," Manager Fang said. "Storefronts in the two markets are very expensive, so some merchants simply open elsewhere. As long as one offers a bit of money, no one bothers to manage it. In Chang'an, for instance, the Xuanyang Ward is full of silk shops, Yanshou Ward has many gold and jewelry stores, and Fengyi Ward has many shops selling funeral supplies; they all exist."

As they spoke, the two arrived outside a residence. Judging by the outer wall alone, the place was quite large. They walked around to the side and entered through an alleyway to find the main gate.

The Tang Dynasty had strict regulations regarding housing. Only officials of the third rank or higher, or those of the "Three Excellences of the Ward"—those possessing lineage, talent, virtue, and literary distinction—were permitted to open doors facing the streets outside the ward. The homes of other officials and commoners were required to have their gates facing inward. Therefore, anyone seeing gates along the main thoroughfares of Chang'an could generally assume they belonged to royalty, nobility, or high-ranking court officials.

This household was clearly not among them, so its main gate faced inward, and it could only be reached through the side alley.

They knocked on the door, and the gatekeeper, not recognizing them, asked, "Who might you be..."

"Oh, I heard your household intends to sell this property and came specifically to take a look," Manager Fang stepped forward and said.

The gatekeeper replied, "I am terribly sorry, but my master sold this property to someone else yesterday."

"Oh? So quickly?" Manager Fang was startled. "I heard as recently as yesterday morning that it was for sale?"

"A friend of my master heard it was for sale and came yesterday afternoon to purchase it," the gatekeeper said.

"Then I apologize for the intrusion," Manager Fang said, and the gatekeeper closed the door.

As they walked away, Manager Fang looked rather regretful. "Of the three houses I inquired about, this was the largest. What a pity."

"If that is the case, let us go take a look at Yankang Ward," Wei Renshi said, unbothered.

Yankang Ward was also near the West Market, not far from Yanshou. They boarded the carriage and arrived shortly after.

It was also a sizable courtyard, and though it appeared smaller than the previous one, it was by no means small. Manager Fang went up to knock on the door. The servant who opened it did not recognize them and asked, "Are you here to inquire about the house for sale?"

Manager Fang nodded. "Indeed, we are interested. May I trouble you to inform your master?"

The servant opened the gate wider and said, "Please, follow me in. My mistress has left instructions that anyone interested in buying the house does not need to be announced."