Working as a Real Estate Broker in the Northern Song Dynasty

After transmigrating to the Northern Song dynasty, Xue Xiao was sold as a maid to the Lin family, who managed the government housing office.

The government housing office was something like the Northern Song's state-owned property management bureau. It mainly managed and rented out government-owned houses, collecting rent and handling repairs.

As the lowest-ranking maid in the Lin household, Xue Xiao had no time to worry about any of that.

Before dawn, she had to wash the socks and trousers of the maids and older women in the courtyard. If she knocked over a bucket, she would get a scolding from Mama Chun, the household manager.

Faced with a future as dark as night, Xue Xiao decided to return to her old line of work.

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As it happened, the role of real estate broker in the Northern Song had just been formalized and written into law.

The Song Code stipulated, “Land and house transactions must be conducted through a broker; violations shall be treated as theft,” making it clear that real estate transactions had to go through brokers or other intermediaries, or they would be considered illegal.

Xue Xiao had long been the top salesperson at her real estate company. Selling houses in ancient times came naturally to her.

If her coworkers flattered her, Xue Xiao would babysit their clients' children and shop for groceries for them. She would even make sure to show up on the perfect day with congratulations when a coworker's old family dog gave birth.

If a coworker had a good property or floor plan, Xue Xiao would draw up a detailed diagram by hand and explain every feature to clients. She even made a custom wheelchair ramp for an eighty-year-old client's mother.

While her coworkers led the effort to ostracize and isolate her, Xue Xiao had already bought properties of her own in Bianjing, using rental income to cover the mortgage.

She never expected to become the famous nouveau riche of Bianjing.

*

The eldest daughter of the Lin family was visiting the capital for the first time, hoping to rent a house for her husband, who had come to Bianjing to take up an official post.

A kind passerby pointed her in the right direction: “Head south along the Imperial Avenue and look for the tallest building. That's where Broker Xue lives.”

Although Miss Lin was also the daughter of an official, she had grown up in a provincial town and had never seen such a luxurious, splendid house.

After spending ten taels of silver to arrange a meeting with Broker Xue, Miss Lin of the Lin family was left speechless for a long while.

The woman, bedecked in jewels and dressed in fine silks, surrounded by servants, was none other than the lowly maid she had once berated in her own home.

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Slow burn.

A slice-of-life story about farming, business, and working one's way up, with romance.

Theme: Hard work is hope.