Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 285 Renting a House

Yang Peimin shook her head, "I still stand by what I said, I know nothing about your affairs, nor do I have anything to say. But whether someone else has seen you, I’m even more clueless. Whether anyone has talked about it, I wouldn’t know a thing. In short, I’m unaware."

She wouldn’t say anything, but if Zhu Qing herself wasn’t cautious and let someone else see and talk about it, she wouldn’t want to be held responsible later on.

Zhu Qing nodded, "Thank you."

Yang Peimin gave her a nod in return.

Their conversation came to an end.

After class in the afternoon, Yang Peimin returned to the guesthouse.

Shen Yixiang was there waiting for her. "My brother knew you would come back after school, so he asked me to wait for you here. He went to talk about a house."

Yang Peimin raised her eyebrows in surprise and sat down on the chair opposite Shen Yixiang, "That fast?"

Shen Yixiang’s face was smiling, "Of course. My brother and I went together. We’ve been running around all day and finally found a place that we’re quite satisfied with. Everything was according to your specifications, what with a standalone house, a private bathroom, good natural light, location, balcony, all in line with your ideas. You have no idea how close we were to breaking our legs from all the searching." Although her complaint was evident, her expression was one of pride, as if she also felt a sense of accomplishment.

Yang Peimin felt a pleasant surprise as well, "You really found one? Where is it, and is the landlord renting or selling?"

Shen Yixiang played coy, "You’ll see when you get there."

Shen Yixiang couldn’t wait to move over because staying at the guesthouse meant spending money every day, plus having to buy food separately, which wasn’t as tasty or cheap as cooking for oneself.

"I’ve already packed your things. We’ll wait for my brother to arrive and then move together. Someone came to clean up the place, and the house is fully equipped, so we won’t need to bring much. If we go there early, we can start cooking and have dinner."

Yang Peimin checked the time, it was already past six in the evening.

She made up her mind and stood up, "All right, it’s still early now, we don’t need to wait for your brother. Do you know the way? If you do, let’s go now."

The two of them checked out and were on their way when they ran into Shen Yiguang, who was coming to pick them up.

"Brother, have you finished there?"

Shen Yiguang smiled, "Yes, we’ve rented it for now, 15 yuan a month, and signed a contract with the landlord."

Yang Peimin saw his happy expression and joined in the excitement, "Do you know if there’s a stove and a kang inside the house?"

Shen Yixiang, however, was worried about the rent, "Why’s it so expensive? In our hometown, that could cover one person’s salary, add a bit more and you could even get a wife. If we keep putting this much money in every month, not counting food, with only your salary brother, aren’t we going to run out of money?"

Yang Peimin and Shen Yiguang just laughed, "Look at Yixiang, acting all grown up and managing the finances so well."

"Don’t worry, this is only temporary. Once our situation improves, if we find something suitable, we can buy it and won’t need to worry about rent anymore."

Shen Yixiang glared at her, "But buying would require even more money, wouldn’t it?"

As they talked, they passed by a noodle shop, and Yang Peimin pulled the others inside to eat, saving them from having to cook when they got home.

The rented house was chosen specifically for its proximity to the school. It was just two bus stops away, or a half-hour walk, which was very convenient.

Yang Peimin knew that houses here often weren’t partitioned into separate units with a kitchen like dormitories are. Frequently, a courtyard might be shared among several tenants, and she didn’t want any hassle with co-renters, which is why she asked Shen Yiguang to look for a house with a private yard, for safety and peace.

The house had a small courtyard at the front and a two-story building at the back. Though it looked a bit old from the outside, the architectural design was very nice, with a quaint charm. From the front, one could see a small balcony on the second floor.

"The neighbors are all locals or factory staff staying in staff quarters. The area isn’t complicated, and there are stores nearby for groceries. Just out on the main road, there’s a bus stop. The house might not be big, but with its two stories and six rooms, it’s sufficient."

After hearing about it, Yang Peimin also approved, "It sounds quite nice. You and Yixiang must have worked hard today to find so many places, right?"

"Absolutely. Many other places required sharing with others, or were inconveniently located, or just too dirty and messy. The landlady here is renting out because her son has done well and got into university in the capital. Recently, the landlady hasn’t been feeling well, so her son wanted her to move to the capital where he could take care of her, as his wife is also there. Thinking about the high cost of living there, she decided to rent out two rooms at home, since they’d be empty anyway. This way, she can help subsidize her son’s expenses."

Shen Yixiang shared some details about the house’s owner, "I asked if she would sell, but she said she couldn’t make that decision. However, it’s probably unlikely, given that her son hasn’t started working yet, and the future is uncertain. If anything were to happen, they could still come back here. At least they’d have their own house to stay in."

Yang Peimin nodded, "Who lived here before then?"

Shen Yixiang replied, "According to her, it was used for storage and no one lived there. She lived in another room, but before that, her son and daughter-in-law lived there. Although they moved some furniture out, there are still things we can use. The first floor has a kang cleared out, and since we brought bedding over when we came, there’s no need to worry. The landlady also provided some coal so that we can heat up the stove and have a warm night’s sleep."

The group tidied up the sleeping area, and, cleaning just enough to get by, they arranged to sleep there for the night while leaving the rest for the next day.

When Yang Peimin slept on the kang again, she realized how much she had missed it; no longer did she have to worry about her hands and feet being cold or the bedding not being warm enough despite layering blankets.

Shen Yiguang added coal to the stove, "Let’s get a dog to keep watch over the yard. If I don’t come over, it’ll give us some peace of mind." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

"Are you coming over in the future? I’m afraid to stay alone."

Shen Yiguang laughed, "What are you afraid of?"

"Afraid of the dark, afraid of ghosts, and afraid of thieves." This was her childhood trauma, born from being scared by ghost stories told by neighboring boys and girls.

"We rented this place for one thing so that Yixiang could have some peace of mind when she returns, and secondly, to prepare for your future. If something really does come up, you can’t go back to school. At most, we can hire someone to come and help take care of things, and I will try my best to come over as well."

The night passed without incident.

Having settled the matter of the house, Shen Yixiang seemed to have accomplished a major task. In the morning, as Yang Peimin was leaving for class, Shen Yixiang earnestly reminded her, "Make sure you come back for lunch."

Yang Peimin promised she would.

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