Li Chuchu followed Su Wan into the auction room through the side door covered by red curtains and found an empty seat in the room to sit down.
The auction hadn't officially started yet.
In the rather empty auction hall, there were only about twenty or thirty people, mostly men with only a few women. Most of them were wearing Chinese tunic suits or dacron shirts. The seats were widely spaced, and people maintained a proper distance from each other.
Many people here were on unit - assigned tasks, using public funds to bid. They were just going through the motions.
Everyone had little expression on their faces, and the whole venue was very quiet.
Xiao Mei sat in her seat without saying a word, her two eyes fixed firmly on the front. Li Chuchu was slightly surprised that this little girl could be so patient.
But sitting here until now, she still didn't know what was being auctioned.
She craned her neck curiously towards the stage.
She only saw an old cadre in a gray Chinese tunic suit and black - framed glasses sitting on the stage, with a cup of steaming hot tea on the table.
Noticing her curious look, Su Wan tilted his head and whispered, "Oh, I forgot to tell you before we came. This bidding session is about several properties in Ningcheng."
These were generally confiscated assets and government - idle properties, and the prices wouldn't be high.
Li Chuchu's heart skipped a beat. It was just like having a pillow when she was sleepy.
"Can I bid?"
Su Wan was a bit taken aback and nodded in surprise, "Yes. But what kind of house do you want? What's the purpose? I can give you some advice."
Li Chuchu said, "A good - location one. Both shops and residences are okay."
The scope was so broad that Su Wan didn't expect it for a moment. The hesitant look on his face flashed by quickly, and then he resumed his signature smile, "Okay, I'll keep an eye out for you."
"Lot 12, two street - facing shops on Jian'an Street with a total construction area of 160 square meters. The starting price is 5,000 yuan, and each bid increment should be no less than 500 yuan..."
The location of the shops on Jian'an Street was just average for now, but Li Chuchu remembered that in a few years, after the economic opening - up reached Ningcheng, that area would develop into a new commercial street. The value of the shops would multiply.
It was a good place.
People in the venue started bidding quickly.
"5,500 yuan."
"6,000 yuan."
...
"8,500 yuan."
Maybe because it was the first property, people's enthusiasm for the auction wasn't very high. Li Chuchu waited until the bidding reached its peak and people were about to calm down, then suddenly bid, "10,000 yuan."
This clear female voice, different from the others, echoed in the venue, making the audience in the front row turn their heads frequently.
They saw a delicate - looking girl sitting by the window, wearing an orange corduroy coat over a white undershirt. The maple leaves outside were rustling down. She was dressed very seasonally and looked like a painting sitting by the window.
She looked calm, with an air of determination. In this era, it was unheard of for an individual to buy a house, and it seemed that no one had seen her before. People guessed that she might be a close associate of some high - level leader.
"10,000 yuan once..." The old cadre sitting in the front scanned the audience.
The location of the shop was remote. Even if someone got it, they could only open a small store. The price of 10,000 yuan was already higher than people's expected psychological price.
"10,000 yuan twice... Sold!"
It was obvious that people weren't really interested in this shop, so Li Chuchu easily won this round.
Li Chuchu let out a soft breath.
The feeling of spending a large sum of money at once was quite nice.
Su Wan tilted his head and whispered, "Congratulations. The location of this shop is good. As far as I know, some southern developers have already taken a fancy to this land."
Li Chuchu gave him a smile.
The following properties up for auction were all residential units, which Li Chuchu wasn't very interested in.
After that, Su Wan also bid for a shop, but in the name of his unit. Only then did Li Chuchu know that he was also here on official business.
Xiao Mei's eyes were always fixed on the stage.
Li Chuchu was a bit curious.
"Why is Xiao Mei interested in these?"
Xiao Mei was so engrossed in watching the stage that she didn't hear Li Chuchu's words for a moment.
Su Wan said slowly, "Her mother used to work in the Finance Bureau. She was very interested in foreign auctions and even wanted to change her career to become a professional auctioneer. When we were talking about these things, Xiao Mei was listening beside us, so she has always wanted to see what an auction is like."
Li Chuchu suddenly remembered that she hardly ever heard Secretary Su talk about Xiao Mei's mother.
"What about her mother..."
"She died of cancer the year before last."
"I'm sorry."
Su Wan shook his head and didn't say anything else.
Li Chuchu also decided not to say anything more.
The old cadre on the stage took a sip of tea, spat out a tea leaf, and continued, "Lot 12, a small western - style building in the Qilou District with a construction area of 220 square meters and an independent courtyard. The starting price is 9,000 yuan, and each bid increment should be no less than 500 yuan..."
Different from the other properties,
It was quite a while after the old cadre's voice faded that someone started bidding.
Li Chuchu thought for a long time in her mind, and her eyes fell on the small print on the auction list - "Original property owner: Overseas Chinese Affairs Office".
She remembered clearly that in just three or five years, this area would be included in the first batch of historical and cultural protection blocks. The government would invest in the renovation, and its value would skyrocket.
Noticing her expression, Su Wan frowned slightly in disapproval, "This western - style building is in a remote location and has been in disrepair for a long time. It will be a big trouble if it falls into an individual's hands. If you're interested in the courtyard, there will be a few more courtyards to choose from later."
This house couldn't be dealt with for just one or two thousand yuan.
Li Chuchu shook her head, "I want this one."
In this era, the focus was mostly on economic development, and there was no great attention paid to these historical relics. But in a few years, they would be the historical traces of the country's development, a wealth that couldn't be bought with money.
"10,000 yuan..."
"10,500 yuan..."
"11,500 yuan..." The old cadre thought that this house had been unsold for a long time, and the price probably wouldn't go much higher. He was just about to announce the sale.
Li Chuchu simply shouted, "13,000 yuan."
After her bid increase, no one continued to follow. It seemed that everyone thought this place was a trouble, and they might not even be able to sort out the property rights disputes.
Why not spend 10,000 yuan somewhere else?
Why throw it into the water like this?
As expected, this house also ended up in Li Chuchu's hands.
In addition, Li Chuchu also bid for a set of three connected shops.
The location was very good, right on the street near the department store. The price was even better, more than the combined price of the previous two shops.
After winning this bid, Li Chuchu let out a soft breath.
She had spent 45,000 yuan in an afternoon. She was really exhausted.
Su Wan hesitated to speak, but thinking of Li Chuchu's demeanor just now, he finally said nothing. Li Chuchu was more far - sighted than he had imagined. If he said anything more, it would be redundant.
The auction ended, and people left the venue one after another.
Fortunately, the bank passbook was in her space and she could use it easily. Li Chuchu went to the office to complete all the formalities. She carefully folded the property certificates with red official seals and put them in the inner pocket of her cloth bag.