Xia Yuanfang said, "I bought the green vegetables and fruits at the nearby supermarket, so you don't need to run so far. Oh, right, I saw a shop in the Plaza Garden in the Central District. I want to rent it as a studio. I'll send you the address. If you have time, can you go and see if the location is good?"
Xia Chujian happily agreed, pushed open the door, and went out.
It was still very cold outside. Xia Chujian wore the moon-white coat that Xia Yuanfang had made for her, and inside was the Nanomaterial Bodysuit Bulletproof Vest that Zong Ruoan had given her.
On her head was a hat made of exotic animal fur, on her face a self-heating mask, and windproof glasses with a built-in display screen connected to the Quantum Optical Brain, and she carried two Low-Level Nutrient Solutions.
Of course, the Killer 018 Smart Pistol that Ye Shijie gave her as a birthday gift, along with two bullet magazines, and a Tactical Dagger, were all part of her daily equipment when going out.
Xia Yuanfang shook her head with a sigh in the house, thinking, Other girls bring handbags, makeup bags, and snacks when they go out, who is like her? She only knows how to bring lethal weapons...
Xia Chujian couldn't hear anything and had already quickly arrived at the elevator, waiting for it to come up.
With a ding, the elevator door opened, and Mr. Yu, her neighbor across the hall, was actually standing inside.
He was wearing sportswear, his body was steaming, his face was red, and beads of sweat were rolling down.
He was holding that big black dog.
Xia Chujian greeted him with a smile, "Hello, Mr. Yu, are you walking the dog?"
Mr. Yu laughed heartily, "Yes! Raising a dog is such a hassle! If I don't take it downstairs for a walk every day, it will tear the house down!"
The dog bared its teeth at Xia Chujian, revealing a mouthful of jagged canines.
Xia Chujian thought, My Si Xi Small Dog is better, not only does it not need to be walked, but it also doesn't tear down the house.
Looking at this black dog, she disliked it even more.
But with the dog's owner here, she couldn't show it too obviously, and only said tactfully, "...You have to pay attention to keeping your dog on a leash. If it accidentally gets loose, it will be hard to find it again."
Mr. Yu laughed and waved his hand, saying, "No way! No way! My dog knows the way. Even if it gets loose, it knows how to go home!"
The dog took the opportunity to break free from the leash, and with a howl, it pounced on Xia Chujian, going straight for her throat.
Mr. Yu broke out in a cold sweat and shouted, "Black Dragon! Don't!"
Xia Chujian was not afraid at all. She dodged with a light and nimble spin, then raised her leg and kicked hard, sending the pouncing big black dog directly into the back wall of the elevator, and then said seriously, "What I mean is, it wants to bite people when it sees them. Once it gets loose, it will most likely be beaten to death. —Like just now."
Mr. Yu was very embarrassed, scolding the dog loudly while apologizing to Xia Chujian, "Miss Xia, I'm really sorry, it's usually very well-behaved, I don't know what's wrong with it today... It won't happen again, it definitely won't happen again..."
As he spoke, he finally pulled the dog out of the elevator.
The Black Dragon, which had been baring its teeth and claws at Xia Chujian just now, was finally afraid of Xia Chujian, and was walking with its tail between its legs, close to the wall.
Mr. Yu casually asked, "Is Miss Xia going out for a run? It's especially cold outside!"
Xia Chujian smiled, walked into the elevator, pressed the button for the first floor, and said, "No, I'm going shopping with a friend."
"Shopping?! Shopping is good!" Mr. Yu slapped his forehead, "My daughter stays at home alone every day and only knows how to study. She's about to become a bookworm. Miss Xia, why don't you take my daughter shopping with you?"
Xia Chujian didn't answer. The elevator door slowly closed in front of her, and she didn't even have an apologetic expression.
It wasn't that she disliked the girl across the hall. On the contrary, she had a pretty good impression of her.
But shopping is only fun when you're with someone you know well.
And she and this neighbor weren't close enough to go shopping together.
...
Xia Chujian took the Inner City Maglev Train to the Plaza Garden in the Central District of Mulan City.
She had agreed with Ping Qiong to meet at the Inner City Maglev Train station near the commercial building in Plaza Garden.
Because the two of them would first look at the commercial property that her aunt wanted to rent, which would be her aunt's future studio.
As soon as Xia Chujian got off the train, she saw Ping Qiong waiting there at the station.
She had arrived early.
Xia Chujian happily waved her hand and ran to her side.
The two of them held hands, braving the cold wind, and jogged all the way to the address Xia Yuanfang had given her.
This shop was on the 17th floor of the building in the middle of the Plaza Garden in the Central District.
The area of the entire shop was medium-sized, not too big but not too small, and most importantly, the location was very hidden.
Xia Chujian and Ping Qiong looked at it with the eyes of Bounty Hunters, and felt that the security performance was very good.
It was at the very end of the corridor, and as long as they guarded the entrance, it would be foolproof.
Pushing open the door and entering, there were three large cubicles in sight, still not renovated, still looking like the former trading company.
At a glance, it was at least two hundred square meters.
If it could be well-designed and renovated, the usable area could be even larger.
Outside the window, it directly faced the musical fountain flowerbed in the Plaza Garden.
In the summer, when the fountain moved, it reflected the surrounding dazzling flowerbeds, like a beautiful scene framed in a painting.
The more Xia Chujian looked at it, the more she liked it, and she quickly contacted the number left by the landlord to ask if he would sell this place.
Ping Qiong whispered, "Why buy it? Isn't it good to rent? The rent is only five hundred yuan a month..."
"Also, this winter is unusually cold, and it is particularly dry. It is said that this year's harvest will not be good. Many supermarkets, and the online marketplaces on the Star Network, have already started raising food prices. Chujian, although we have earned some money, don't spend it too quickly... Who knows how high food prices will rise."
Xia Chujian's heart tightened, and she quickly asked, "Really? I've been studying at home this week and haven't had time to go on the Star Network at all!"
Ping Qiong nodded and said, "I originally planned to save this money to buy a house for myself, but my mother said that food prices have risen, and there are many younger siblings at home, and everyone doesn't like the plastic taste of Low-Level Nutrient Solution, so I gave most of the money to my mother."
Xia Chujian: "..."
She had not asked about Ping Qiong's family situation, only roughly knew that her family had a relatively large population.
Now that Ping Qiong had brought it up herself, Xia Chujian cautiously asked, "...How many younger siblings do you have? Do they need to eat so much money?"
They had each earned one million this time, and when they received the two million from the Hunted List, it would be even more abundant.
And the food in Mulan City, even if they ate the most expensive kind all year round, this money could almost buy out the entire supermarket.
Ping Qiong was also familiar with Xia Chujian, and no longer avoided it, directly spreading her hands and saying, "My family has ten children, I am the oldest, and there are eight younger sisters and one younger brother below. My parents are not in good health, and they can only do odd jobs usually, and spend the rest of the time taking care of my younger siblings. The money I earn is the main source."
Xia Chujian: "..."
That was a bit much.
But it shouldn't cost as much as one million just to eat, right?
Ping Qiong said with a smile, "Besides eating, there are other expenses. Nine younger siblings need clothes, daily necessities, the family's electricity bill, and the expenses for visiting relatives and friends during the New Year and holidays, all of which cost money. Fortunately, I helped pay off the family's mortgage this year, otherwise, I'm afraid everyone would only be able to eat Low-Level Nutrient Solution every day."
Xia Chujian was silent for a while, and said, "...Actually, Low-Level Nutrient Solution is completely filling, and its nutritional components are balanced."
Xia Chujian had heard her aunt say before that although the Beichen Empire had such a large population base, there were also many poor people, but malnutrition and starvation were rare, because of the great invention of Nutrient Solution.
Although the cost of this thing varied, even the lowest grade had enough nutritional components for normal human development.
Ping Qiong had a deliberately complaining, but actually proud expression on her face, and said with a smile, "There's no way, my younger siblings and parents don't like the taste of Low-Level Nutrient Solution, and they are not Gene Evolvers, so it's useless for them to eat that stuff, so I just buy them food..."
Xia Chujian curiously said, "But before, our Team didn't earn much money, how did your family eat?"
At that time, the money their Team earned was not enough for Ping Qiong's family to only eat food and not Nutrient Solution.
Ping Qiong thought for a while, and frowned, "That's right, I didn't earn much before, and my parents had regular jobs. Most of the time, we actually ate Nutrient Solution..."
Saying this, Ping Qiong herself understood, and her face was embarrassed.
Xia Chujian quickly changed the subject and whispered, "By the way, didn't you say that food prices will rise? When food prices rise, everything will rise. This place is so good, with a large flow of people, as long as you hang a large LED sign on the window, you can see it from miles away!"
Ping Qiong was skeptical.
At this time, the landlord's message came, replying to Xia Chujian: Eighty thousand yuan, the price is firm.
Xia Chujian pretended to hesitate for a while, and bargained, "Sixty thousand, I can pay in cash. More than sixty thousand, I may have to take out a loan."
The landlord was of course unwilling, but he really wanted to sell it, because business in Mulan City had not been very good in recent years, and his house had been vacant for almost two years intermittently.
He really didn't want to continue.
Therefore, after some bargaining with Xia Chujian, he finally agreed with Xia Chujian at a price of seventy thousand.
The two first signed the contract, and then paid the deposit.
The remaining money would be paid after the New Year holiday, when the government departments were at work, and the two went to formally transfer the ownership.
Ping Qiong watched eagerly from the side, and really didn't expect that after going out for a stroll with Xia Chujian, she bought a commercial house! And it wasn't a price she couldn't afford.
As Xia Chujian came out of that commercial building, Ping Qiong quietly said to Xia Chujian, "Chujian, actually I also want to buy a house. I want to go to the newly built, well-decorated luxury apartments in the East District and buy a small house for myself..."
"Isn't your home in the West District?"
"Well, my home used to be in the North District, in the same district as you. Later, after I became a Bounty Hunter, my family's conditions improved, and we bought a house in the West District."
"The West District is so good, why move to the East District?"
"...The West District is good, but there are... too many people at home. I want to have my own place." Ping Qiong said reservedly.
Xia Chujian understood that she wanted to move out of her house.
Xia Chujian said, "If you really want to buy, hurry up, once food prices rise across the board, everything will rise in price."
Ping Qiong made up her mind: "Then I'll buy one myself."
Xia Chujian raised both hands in agreement and said, "Cai Jie, that's a great idea! The residential area next to my house is the luxury, well-decorated apartment in the East District. I think it's pretty good. Although it's not as well-located as the West District, the East District is good enough for people of our class."
This is the second update. There will be a new update at five past midnight.
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