Fortunately, the soup wasn't much, only half a bowl. Any more would have been the death of Li Haochen.
Seeing that Li Haochen had finished it all, Xie Baolian smiled and said, "That's more like it. There's still a pair left; we'll stew them tomorrow."
"Still more?"
Li Haochen was so scared he was sweating, wishing he could escape back to Binhai immediately.
"Alright, you two eat your fill and go back to your room to rest. I'll clean up."
While the soup was unpleasant, its effects were quite good. As it was, the bedsheets were soaked multiple times that night, with Li Haochen and his companion taking turns.
The next day, as the sun climbed high, Li Haochen and Murong Yanran finally woke up. By the time they emerged, Xie Baolian had already prepared lunch.
Furthermore, a hint of the previous night's soup aroma wafted from the kitchen. Without a doubt, she was stewing seahorse soup again.
Although the taste was incredibly overwhelming, its effects were undeniable. The bedsheets drying on the balcony were proof. This time, Li Haochen no longer objected. Enduring the temporary suffering of his taste buds in exchange for one or several nights of vigorous activity was a worthwhile trade.
After eating, the three of them drove together to their destination, Biguiyuan.
Half an hour later, following a winding asphalt road, they arrived at the sales center of the villa district deep within after about ten minutes.
"Son, why don't you just buy a furnished apartment? There's no need to buy a villa."
"Oh, Mom, just come and see. Maybe you'll like it. It's not like we can't afford it. Think about it, when we bring the kids over in the future, where will everyone stay, right?"
"Yes, let's go in and take a look."
Murong Yanran glared at Li Haochen, pinched his waist, and whispered, "Several kids? Do you think I'm a pig to have them all myself!"
With that, she skipped ahead, linking her arm with Xie Baolian's, chatting and laughing about which layout to buy.
Actually, buying a villa was a spur-of-the-moment decision. During dinner the previous night, Xie Baolian had mentioned that if Ling Hanfeng had no accidents, he would likely retire after one term in Yuan City, as age wouldn't permit otherwise.
Moreover, the environment and pace of Yuan City were very suitable for a leisurely retirement, which explained their visit to Biguiyuan to view villas today.
Besides, villas were scarce resources. With the state's restrictions on commercial land, the halt in villa project land supply and the approval of related land use procedures, the demand and price of villas were bound to skyrocket in the future.
"Hello, are you here to view houses?"
One had to admit that the saleswomen in this villa district were of high quality. Their tall figures were shapely, and their sexy black attire was very eye-catching, though their makeup was a bit heavy.
"Yes, we'd like to see detached ones. Are there any left?"
Li Haochen glanced around briefly, his gaze falling on the sand table model.
The sand table was large. The beautiful saleswoman could only use a laser pointer to indicate the remaining villas, speaking eloquently and making her points clearly.
"Miss, please take us to see the finished houses."
"Certainly, this way please."
As the group walked out of the sales center, a golf cart was already waiting outside. After Li Haochen and the other two got in, the beautiful saleswoman took her seat next to the driver.
As they drove, the scenery was breathtaking. On one side of the road was a vast artificial lake. The villas were built nestled against the mountains and beside the water, offering a beautiful environment and fresh air. This was undoubtedly a great place for health and wellness.
Although it looked close, it actually took ten minutes to reach their destination. Truly worthy of the name Biguiyuan.
"Mr. Li, let's look at this one first. The total area is 370 square meters, facing north, with good natural light. The entrance garden is nearly 200 square meters, which can accommodate..."
Li Haochen and the others went inside and came out after about ten minutes. The design was quite good, but the road at the corner didn't look very comfortable.
After a series of villas didn't quite meet their satisfaction, Li Haochen asked, "Miss Zheng, are there any left by the lake?"
"By the lake?" Zheng Xiyuan thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Li, there is one remaining by the lake, but..."
"But what?"
"The price is a bit high."
Zheng Xiyuan said somewhat apologetically, but she didn't look down on Li Haochen and the others. She had received professional training and could tell that Li Haochen and his companions were no ordinary people, especially Murong Yanran with her attire, which could easily cost hundreds of thousands. Otherwise, she wouldn't have explained so patiently and enthusiastically along the way.
However, the remaining villa by the lake, the king of the houses, was something no one in Yuan City dared to inquire about the price. In her eyes, Li Haochen and his companions were not people who could afford that villa.
"Tell me about it."
"Eighty-eight million."
After stating the price, Zheng Xiyuan's gaze was filled with longing. How she wished she could be the mistress of that place.
"Over eighty million?"
Even though he had previously held hundreds of millions in cash, hearing this still surprised him. In such a fifth-tier city, a villa for over eighty million? Were they crazy for money?
"Take us to see it." Murong Yanran spoke first. "It would be good to see a house that's almost a hundred million, hee hee!"
"Uh... alright, please get in the car!"
Zheng Xiyuan didn't refuse Murong Yanran's request. After all, looking wouldn't cost anything. These were potentially valuable clients. If she served them well, perhaps they might buy one in the future, and she could then relax for a year.
Not long after, the golf cart stopped. A uniquely designed villa before them immediately caught Li Haochen's and the others' attention.
With its undulating contours and carved beams and painted pillars, it was like a small palace, harmonizing and integrating with the surrounding environment, giving a sense of leisure, rustic charm, and tranquility. Shaded by lush trees, being there felt like escaping all the hustle and bustle of the city, with a serene and distant feeling that was captivating.
"Good, it truly is a rare and excellent house!"
"It's beautiful, but it's too expensive. Let's go back," Xie Baolian was also attracted by the villa and the environment, but she was more intimidated by the price. Over eighty million! What did that mean? She could buy a whole building in a decent complex in Yuan City.
"Aunt Lian, since we've come all this way, let's just visit, okay, beautiful?"
Before Zheng Xiyuan could even respond, the sound of brakes stopping nearby was heard.
A plump saleswoman, acting intimately, led a middle-aged man with a potbelly down.
"Manager Huang, only this king of houses is worthy of you. You mustn't hesitate. As the saying goes, there's no boat to catch after the Suzhou River, right?"
Huang Shengtang inwardly scoffed, thinking, "Damn it, don't you think I want to? Eighty-eight million, you think it's eight million? If I didn't really like it so much, who would come all the way to this godforsaken place? You think I'm that eager for your convenience?"
"Hey~ Zheng Xiyuan, you're bringing guests here too? Don't you know the price of this Lakefront One? Besides Manager Huang, who else in Yuan City has the capability? Don't you even look in the mirror, hahahaha!"
Huang Shengtang also looked dismissive, saying, "Ajiao, hurry up and go in. If it's suitable, I'll take it."