Once the opening remarks came to an end, two yamen runners from Tianya pushed in a huge notice board. Pasted across it was a map three chi high and six chi long, clearly marking every parcel of land.
The notice board was pushed to the left. Another yamen runner then wheeled in a second one, displaying the first plot to be auctioned. Its area and location were listed, along with all its advantages.
The clerk who had delivered the opening remarks stepped down. Dressed in formal official robes, Song Qiming slowly walked to the center of the platform. A tall table stood before him, bearing a brass loudhailer.
“It is this official’s honor to invite all esteemed merchants to Suining City today to discuss our grand plans.”
“Without further ado, the first plot to be auctioned is located at the end of Sophora Blossom Lane. It covers approximately forty square bu, equivalent to one mu and five fen. It lies directly beside the South Gate of the inner city—a quiet spot amid the bustle, with a moderate flow of people. The starting price is fifty taels of silver, with each bid increasing by at least one tael.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a local merchant seated in the middle raised his hand.
“Fifty-five taels.”
“Fifty-six.”
“Fifty-seven.”
A merchant from out of town leaned toward the man beside him. “Brother, the place is small and the location only so-so. Why are so many people bidding it up?”
The local merchant who had just called out fifty-seven glanced at him, then turned back to the front, ready to raise his bid again at any moment.
“That just shows you don’t understand the business. Sophora Blossom Lane may be in an ordinary location, but the Song Family Medical Hall is only three streets away. County Princess Linghui’s younger sister practices there, under the tutelage of a divine physician, and patients come streaming in every day. This price isn’t expensive at all.”
What he did not mention was that once the outer city gates were completed, the inner city gates would no longer need to be guarded by yamen runners.
According to rumors, several smaller gates would be opened in the inner city walls to the east, south, west, and north. The foot traffic around Sophora Blossom Lane was bound to increase.
“Seventy taels.”
As they spoke, the price had already climbed to seventy taels.
In the end, the plot was sold for seventy-two taels to a local merchant in the cloth trade.
In the household office not far away, Song Jinzhao sat in a chair by the open window, watching the proceedings.
“This income should be quite substantial.”
The clerk across from her continued writing furiously, hurriedly nodding with an ingratiating smile.
“It’s thirty percent higher than the usual price. His Excellency’s idea of holding an auction is truly unprecedented.”
Song Jinzhao glanced at him, the corners of her lips curling into a smile.
Of course it was novel—it had been brought over from the modern world. Merchants bidding against one another was nothing unusual there.
But here, this was the first time the authorities had ever auctioned off land.
As one plot after another was sold, the atmosphere of the auction gradually reached a fever pitch. Quite a few people had already become completely caught up in the bidding, with nothing left in their minds but calling out higher prices.
The final property to be auctioned was the Guanyin Temple, which Song Qiming had visited before. Its location was not the best, but it was the largest plot by far.
More importantly, once the main roads of the outer city were completed, the official road outside the Guanyin Temple would lead directly to the coal plant and the cement plant. The area was slated to become one of Suining City’s key districts for future development.
Before the auction began, a worried merchant stood up and raised his hand.
“Lord Song, this land originally belonged to the Guanyin Temple. It doesn’t feel quite right to tear it down and rebuild.”
The others nodded one after another. They had the same concern. Whether the Bodhisattva would punish them was one matter; they were even more afraid that the surrounding commoners would gossip about them. If that happened, customers might avoid their businesses altogether.
Song Qiming raised a hand to quiet them.
“I understand everyone’s concerns, which is why the auction for this plot will be somewhat different.”
“After purchasing this land, the buyer must preserve the Guanyin Hall at its center and assume responsibility for its restoration and day-to-day maintenance.”
The announcement left the merchants silent, though none of them were pleased.
Keeping the Guanyin Hall intact meant losing nearly one-fifth of the usable area. On top of that, restoring the building and maintaining it year-round would certainly cost a great deal.
The merchants who had initially been interested in the property began to back away. They had assumed the authorities would demolish the temple, sparing them the blame from the common people. Who could have guessed that Song Qiming would come up with this condition?
Seeing that no one was speaking, Song Qiming remained completely calm.
“The starting price for this plot is five hundred taels of silver, with each bid increasing by at least ten taels.”
The merchants sat in their chairs in silence. Their lips opened and closed, but not a single word came out.
