Reborn in America, I am a legendary short seller on Wall Street.

Chapter 30 Buying Land
Larry didn’t actually know if the railroad would pass through here, but he knew that once he missed out on the $30 per acre of East Coast land, he would never get it back.

The land on the east coast of the United States, especially the thirteen states before North America gained independence, had been occupied by whites for more than 200 years, and had already been developed long ago.

As automobiles became more widespread in later generations, the Greater Boston area encompassed what is now the town of Holliston.

Moreover, Larry could feel that the scenery here was indeed very beautiful, and he thought that the value of this land should be far higher than $30.

Of course, Larry doesn't know when the price of these lands will start to rise, or what other conditions, such as requiring several years of land clearing, will be attached after the purchase.

But the allure of such a large piece of land is undeniable.

However, Larry is only thinking about it for now. Firstly, the price of the land is still too high; secondly, he is not comfortable telling his parents that he now has a large sum of cash that is not commensurate with his age.

By this time, the lawyer had already drafted the contract, and the rancher invited Larry's father to sit down and sign it.

Then comes the matter of fairness, and the inventory and handover of all movable and immovable property.

Around 10:30 a.m., the farm purchase was coming to an end, and Larry's father took out stacks of neatly arranged US dollars from his bag.

These US dollars are mostly in smaller denominations; even $100 notes are rare.

Most of them were $10 and $5 bills, some new and some very old, with frayed edges and mold.

Larry knew that this was all the cash his parents had saved up over the years, mostly his father's wages as a seaman, a small amount from his grandfather's inheritance, and money Larry's mother earned from odd jobs.

Larry felt a lump in his throat because, although his parents knew he earned a relatively high salary, they simply allowed him to buy expensive ingredients for everyone to eat together, without ever taking a single penny from him.

The father and mother counted it several times and came up with $3468.25, which they put on the table. They also counted out another $50 and handed it to the real estate agent.

The farmer counted the dollars on the table again to make sure there were no problems.

According to procedure, both parties sign the sales contract, and then the lawyer and notary public perform their respective duties and hand over the land deed.

Five minutes later, the farm sale officially ended.

Larry's father and the rancher shook hands with smiles.

After the sale was completed, the rancher rode away on his horse first, while the lawyer, real estate agent, and town clerk/notary waited for the carriage to return to Holliston.

The father held the hands of the mother and Larry as they toured the farm.

The family of three looked at the white-painted house and the vast land in the distance, feeling very happy.

However, there was no valuable furniture in the house; the farmer had already emptied the entire farm.

Larry's father rubbed his head and thought for a moment, then muttered, "I think we should move here after the New Year. We still need to go back for Christmas. Besides, we need to contact a truck to move all our belongings over."

As he spoke, the father looked around, patted his head as if remembering something, and said,

“I’m going to board four draft horses at the farm next door, Larry! You go to town with the lawyer and the broker in their carriage and buy four… no, five locks. Remember, rent a carriage, don’t worry about the cost. You have to be back before noon. We need to take the carriage back to town this afternoon to catch the 4 p.m. train.”

As he spoke, the father took out twenty dollars and stuffed it into Larry's arms.

Larry nodded and shouted his agreement, then ran quickly out of the white-painted cabin, just in time to see the lawyer and the others climbing onto the carriage.

"Wait, I want to go to town too!" Larry climbed onto the carriage and joined the others on their journey home. Along the way, the group chatted and laughed constantly inside the carriage.

Larry stared at the real estate agent, asking him about the wasteland.

Because Larry was very clever and charming, and handsome with an infectious smile, real estate agents were happy to chat with him.

"Oh, that piece of land? It's the ancestral land of the Duncan family. But Mr. Duncan has passed away, and young Duncan is eager to settle in Europe, so he wants to quickly dispose of the family's idle assets, convert them into pounds, and leave the United States as soon as possible."

The real estate agent casually chatted with Larry about the Duncan family's situation. They were, after all, once wealthy pioneers whose descendants were now focused on immigrating overseas to Europe for a more respectable and prestigious life.

“But sir, is that land really that expensive? If it’s $30, then 83 acres would cost $2490, not even including the deed tax and such…” Larry asked, frowning.

The real estate agent, a smile playing on his lips, gave Larry a deep look and said with a laugh, "...It's not like you're not allowed to haggle."

Larry instantly realized that the real estate agent was subtly reminding him that there was still a lot of room for the price to fall short of Mr. Duncan Jr.'s bottom line.

During the rest of the journey, Larry inquired about the land and then kept agonizing over whether he could buy it, and if so, how.
Ten minutes later, the carriage entered the town, and everyone began to jump off.

After Larry jumped off the carriage, the real estate agent tugged at Larry's sleeve and pointed to a respectable restaurant in town, saying, "That's Mr. Duncan!"

Larry looked in that direction and immediately spotted a tall, dark-haired young man in a sharp tailcoat and top hat, with a cane tucked under his arm, chatting with customers in the restaurant's corridor.

But upon closer inspection, Mr. Duncan was facing Mr. Porter, who had been busy visiting important clients these past few days. It seemed that Mr. Duncan was also among his targets.

Larry stared at Mr. Potter's imposing figure, his heart pounding.

He thought that perhaps he could get the land for a lower price through Mr. Potter.

Having made up his mind, Larry straightened his clothes, strode towards Mr. Potter, and bowed deeply to him.

"Mr. Potter, it is a great honor to see you here."

The two people who were talking were interrupted and both turned to look at Larry.

Because they needed to buy a farm today, Larry wore his best clothes. In addition, he was blond, blue-eyed, and handsome, so when the two turned around and saw him, they were not annoyed by the interruption.

“Oh, Larry Livingston, what are you doing here?” Mr. Potter’s face was full of surprise.

“Sir, I’ve already asked for leave for you. I’m here today with my parents to buy a farm,” Larry replied.

“Yes, that’s right, you did say that!” Mr. Potter nodded.

Larry turned to Duncan Jr. beside him and bowed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Duncan.”

Mr. Duncan, dressed in a sharp tailcoat, hesitated slightly. He nodded politely and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, but have we met before?"

“You may not have met me, but I know you.” Larry smiled. “Every outsider who comes to Holliston hears of the Duncan family’s glorious name. Without your ancestors fighting the British in Lexington, there would be no American independence! Thank God, as soon as I entered town, someone told me about your great name.”

Larry's words brought an irrepressible smile to Mr. Duncan's face.

(End of this chapter)