Chapter 22

The matchmaker was Aunt Ye, a matchmaker from Jiangjiatun. She loved it. Lian Fengying paid a full five yuan as matchmaking fee to invite Aunt Ye.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, Lian Fengying said with a beaming smile, "You know my daughter, she's a high school graduate, and you've watched her grow up. Could you please see if there's anyone suitable for her and introduce her to someone?"

Qin Xiang understood as soon as she heard it. Fortunately, she had thought it through before and knew what her mother was thinking. Now she didn't find it strange or sad when her mother did anything out of the ordinary.

But when Aunt Ye looked her up and down, Qin Yang was already annoyed. Qin Yang was about to get angry, but Qin Xiang pulled him back and said, "Aunt Ye, did you see me when I attacked my sister-in-law's house yesterday?"

Aunt Ye, who was looking at Qin Xiang with a smile on her face, froze.

Qin Yang was delighted when he heard this. He didn't even move forward and said to Qin Xiang, "I'll wait for you outside."

Qin Xiang looked at Aunt Ye and said, "Aunt Ye, do you know why I divorced? Because my ex-boyfriend, Wang Junsheng, cheated on me."

Almost everyone in the village knows about this.

Aunt Ye smiled awkwardly, "I know."

Qin Xiang smiled. "Look, my previous husband was so good in every way except for his infidelity. I can't find anyone worse than him. He has to be a college graduate, good-looking, and come from a well-off family. Isn't that right?"

Aunt Ye's mouth twitched, "But you're divorced, and it's hard to find a woman who's been married twice."

What she wanted to say was that women who were remarrying shouldn't have such high expectations. No matter how beautiful or cultured they were, a second-marriage was just second-hand and worthless. But she didn't dare say that. She had watched Qin Xiang smash Qin Jun's house yesterday. She was really afraid that if she said something wrong, this girl would smash her house again.

"That's for other people." Qin Xiang said with an expression of "I'm optimistic about you." "But Aunt Ye is different. You are the number one matchmaker in Qinjiatun. You can definitely do things that others can't do. You won't forget, when it came to my relationship with Wang Junsheng, it was my mother-in-law who brought you to be the matchmaker. You praised Wang Junsheng to the heavens and earth, saying he was such an outstanding person. I believed you so much and married him, but what happened? Wang Junsheng, who you praised as such an outstanding person, cheated on me, and we couldn't make ends meet anymore. We got divorced, and I haven't even become a cadre's wife yet.

Now that you're so kind, you can't find someone worse, right? If you do, I'll think you're deliberately making things difficult for me and annoying me. I'm making it clear today: I won't accept anyone who's not a college student. If you really force me to agree..."

Qin Xiang smiled gently under Lian Fengying's angry gaze, "You can go to Qin Jun's house to see me. I don't mind going crazy again."

Seeing Lian Fengying about to speak and scold, Qin Xiang said, "Mom, please talk to Aunt Ye about Wang Junsheng's situation. He can't be worse than Wang Junsheng. Wang Junsheng is just an ordinary key university student. If I look for someone else, I will have to find one from Capital University or Tsinghua University. Aunt Ye is so capable that she will definitely find one. Please talk to Aunt Ye in detail. I have something to do, so I'll leave first."

After saying that, Qin Xiang hurried out without caring about the expressions of her mother and Aunt Ye behind her.

As they walked out the door, the smile on her face immediately fell. Qin Yang was happy, "Okay, let's go."

Qin Xiang got on the back of his bicycle, and then Qin Yang said, "Are you planning to rent a house this time instead of buying one? I'll give you a little more of your 500 yuan, enough to buy a small courtyard. Third Brother has some money here too, so I can ask some friends to help find you a job so you won't be sad being alone."

"No. I have something useful to keep." Qin Xiang knew that the path planned by her third brother was not bad, but she didn't want to just muddle through. She asked, "Third brother, where are you going on your long trip in a few days? Can I come with you?"

Qin Yang stopped his bike and looked back at her. "You want to go south?"

Qin Xiang smiled, "Is it not possible? There are more and more self-employed people now. I want to wholesale some profitable things and sell them back in the county."

Qin Yang hesitated when he heard this. "It's not easy to be a self-employed person, and it's not decent."

Qin Xiang was amused. "Being a worker is respectable, but the monthly salary is only about thirty or forty. The problem is that we don't have any way to get into the factory. Like you said, you spend money to find connections, but even if you get in, you don't know when you can earn back the money."

She now had a total of 700 yuan, including the 200 yuan her family had given her as a safe deposit. This was no small sum, considering many rural families couldn't save much in a year. The household contract responsibility system had been implemented two years prior, and the Wang family had a large family and a large share of land. The two sons also worked odd jobs in their free time, and Cui Lianhua was able to keep the money. Otherwise, other families would have struggled to come up with even 200 yuan, let alone 500 yuan.

With just 700 yuan, you can buy a job as a formal worker if you have the chance, not to mention in the county town, even in the city where they live.

But Qin Xiang didn't want to live like this. The difficulty in buying was one thing, but more importantly, she wanted to go to university, fulfilling her lifelong dream. But she also wanted to make some money before the exam, ideally with a foundation for earning money before graduation. After graduation, in the late 1980s, domestic policies would intensify support for economic development and private enterprise, making it a perfect time to show off her talents.

Qin Xiang took a deep breath and said seriously, "Third brother, I want to give it a try. There's no reason why others can do it but I can't. Anyway, it's only 700 yuan that I have to risk. I want to give it a try. I won't be willing to give it up if I don't. Even if I fail, I can still continue to take the college entrance examination."

Of course, if she wanted to apply for university, she would have to register at the school. Based on her academic performance, she thought she could convince the teachers to help her. At worst, she could just take another exam to let the school know that she hadn't given up on studying.

Her third brother had been driving long distances for the past few years. While not a regular employee, just a substitute driver, his vision and connections were undoubtedly superior to the average person. If she could join him on a trip south, at least her safety would be guaranteed. As for the future, she had her own plans. As long as she could make money, she could convince her third brother to join her. However, these plans would have to wait. For now, she needed to convince her third brother to take her south, preferably to Guangzhou.

Qin Yang was stunned. He had always known that Qin Xiang was a person with her own ideas, but he had never expected her to have such a big idea. In the countryside, people would say that his sister was very wild and restless, but he saw a different, shining sister.

During his years abroad, he'd seen many people return home with fortunes. He envied them, of course, but while he appeared bold and daring, he was also quite insecure in some areas. Furthermore, the money he earned was either given to his family or spent on food and drink, leaving him with little to save. His capital wasn't enough, so over the years, he'd only managed to earn a few dozen yuan by selling cigarettes, and he hadn't considered earning more than that.

But Qin Xiang's intention was very clear. He wasn't just talking about one or two times, or just a small fight. He was planning to put all his wealth on the line.

Of course, these six or seven hundred yuan are nothing to the rich. Even the factories in the south cannot afford them. But it is their entire fortune.

Qin Xiang said, "Third brother, I actually want to go to Yangcheng. I heard that it's developing very fast and some of the clothes and other things there are very fashionable. I want to go there to buy some goods. Even if I can't go there, I can go to Hangzhou or Haicheng. I have to try to get some back."

Qin Yang hesitated when he thought about the huge sum of money. "Do you want to think about it again? As for the college entrance examination, Third Brother believes you can pass. It's already February in the Gregorian calendar, and the college entrance examination is only five months away. You might as well go to college directly after the exam. With the five hundred yuan plus the government subsidy, you can live comfortably for the next four years. Why bother going through all that hardship?"

"No, I've thought about it long enough." In her previous life, Wang Junsheng's company was in the electronics industry, starting with assembling learning machines. Later, with funding, they established their own R&D team. She and Wang Junsheng had gone to Pengcheng and recruited those R&D personnel one by one. The electronics industry had great potential, but other industries were also developing very well.

Industries like clothing, catering, and even the videotape industry all have broad prospects for development.

Qin Xiang had come into contact with some custom designers in her previous life, and it was really profitable to do well in this line of work.

Qin Xiang is interested in fashion and has even sought instruction in painting and design from renowned Chinese teachers. Even though she's starting over from scratch in the 1980s, she still has all those skills. Even if her training isn't professional and her skills are rusty, she can slowly pick them up through classes and practice, turning her unprofessionalism into professionalism.

Before taking the college entrance exam, no matter if it's just a small effort or something else, you should give it a try. If you're going to do it, you should be bold. Hesitation is not a good idea. At least she has a perspective that others don't have, right?

She smiled and said, "Third brother, the policies are so good now, and no one is cracking down on speculation. I don't have any other pressure now, so why not try my luck? To be honest, I thought about this when I was planning to divorce, but I didn't expect Wang Junsheng to do such a thing. I could get compensation from the Wang family. At that time, I planned to raise ducks in the village for a year, then open a food store in the county to make some money, and then go to the south to wholesale clothes. Now I have 500 yuan, which is not much, but it can save me a lot of trouble. If you don't take me with you, I will find a way to go there myself. We have to try to know whether it will work or not, instead of giving up without doing anything. Third brother, we are not that kind of people."

Seeing her firm tone and determined to do so, Qin Yang nodded helplessly, "Okay, when we get to the county, I'll ask where you're going in a few days and see if I can take you with me."

Qin Xiang suddenly became happy. "Third brother, thank you. I won't make things difficult for you. Give me a ride and I can pay for it."

"We're brother and sister, let's not talk about money." Qin Yang didn't care. He was happy that his sister had quickly adjusted her mindset and set a goal, but he still warned, "You want to get into college, so you have to work hard. I heard that the English score in the college entrance examination will be calculated as 100 this year, so you have to study hard."

Qin Xiang smiled, "I know."

She wasn't really worried about studying. In her previous life, she'd accompanied two ungrateful students through the college entrance exams. Back then, her companionship wasn't in vain; she'd actually studied alongside them. That was probably the only benefit of raising ungrateful students. The college entrance exams twenty years later were no less challenging than they are now. While the questions might differ from era to era, there were commonalities, so picking up the knowledge shouldn't be difficult. She didn't really expect to get into Peking University or Tsinghua University; getting a decent enough degree would be enough.

"Getting into university is the most important thing, and everything else can come later. It doesn't matter if you don't make money, because university is subsidized."

Qin Yang explained in detail and Qin Xiang agreed.

It took an hour and a half to ride a bike from Jiangjiatun to the county. When Qin Xiang arrived at the county and saw the dilapidated county, he couldn't help but sigh.

Then she had another question. The county's development didn't seem very good. Would she be able to sell her clothes?

Qin Yang seemed to see her concerns and said, "If you can't do it, just study hard."

"No." Qin Xiang and Qin Yang strolled along the streets of the county town and found that some shops had already opened, mostly selling food and drinks, with a few selling clothes. However, the types and styles of clothing were relatively old. Perhaps because the Chinese New Year had just passed, there were not many customers, and they didn't know if they could succeed with just a few people.

Qin Xiang didn't know much about the county town in her life. On the contrary, Qin Yang knew more. He took Qin Xiang to find an aunt first. The aunt was obviously a capable person in the neighborhood. When she heard that they wanted to rent a house, she immediately became excited and said, "You really found the right person. There are houses for rent nearby. One of them is a tube-shaped building with a small single room, which is enough for one person to live in."

Qin Xiang asked, "Is there a smaller yard?"

Aunt Hu was a little surprised. "You live in a yard by yourself?"

Qin Yang said hurriedly, "When I return to the county town, I have to stay with my sister. Is there a suitable yard?"

"Yes, it's expensive." Aunt Hu frowned. "A room in a tube-shaped building costs at most three yuan a month. If you want a small courtyard, it would probably cost six yuan."

When Qin Xiang heard six yuan, she felt it was acceptable and nodded, "Let's go take a look first?"

She was eager to leave home, and she didn't mind if the location was a little out of the way, as long as it was within the county, it would be convenient to travel back and forth.

Unexpectedly, Aunt Hu led them to the center of the county town, right in front of the department store. In other words, the back of the house was right in front of the department store. Qin Xiang looked at Qin Yang excitedly and whispered, "Third brother, this location is great."

If she opened a door at the back of the house, it would be a ready-made shop, but she didn't know if the landlord would agree. If he did, she thought it would be okay to pay a little more, but if he didn't agree, it would be fine too. She could set up a stall at the back of the house, close to the department store, so at least the flow of people would be guaranteed.

After a while, Aunt Hu came over with an old lady. The old lady was in her sixties and looked a little serious. She came closer, looked at Qin Xiang and said, "You want to rent a house?"

Qin Xiang nodded, "Yes."

The old lady asked again, "Why do you rent a house?"

Qin Xiang was a little surprised. Why would she ask this about renting a house? But she still answered, "Of course I live here."

The old lady frowned and glanced at Qin Yang, "It's not okay to do anything bad in this yard."

Qin Xiang was unhappy when she heard this. "Auntie, if you have something to say, just say it. Logically, it's my freedom to do whatever I want with this house. There's no need to tell you. If you want to dig into the details, then I won't rent this house."

When Aunt Hu heard what the old lady said, she knew she had misunderstood, and she quickly explained, "The man next to her is her brother. He knows my son, and they work in the same fleet. I guarantee he's a good person, so you can rest assured renting to him."

But the old lady still frowned and looked at her, "Why would a nice girl come out to rent a house by herself?"

Seeing that the old lady was getting excited, Qin Xiang said to Aunt Hu, "Aunt Hu, forget it, I won't rent this house anymore. If I rent a house, people will check my household registration."

In the end, the old lady shut up again and said, "Then I won't ask anymore."

Qin Xiang: "..."

So what does this old lady want to do?

Qin Yang said, "Let's go here. It looks pretty good."

After saying this, the old lady opened the door and babbled, "This house is a bit old, but it's still well preserved. This is where my husband and I have lived our whole lives, and I don't want it to be ruined by bad people."

Qin Xiang found that the old lady's words were really unpleasant to the ear. Since she was afraid that it would be ruined, it would be better to keep it.

Qin Xiang liked it the moment she entered the courtyard. It wasn't big, with three rooms facing the front, a kitchen and a utility room on the left, a water well next to the kitchen, and a small thatched cottage in the southeast corner. The courtyard wasn't big, but it had everything she needed. Inside, although it was empty, there was a small kang in the inner room and a table and two stools in the outer room, which was more than enough.

Qin Xiang winked at Qin Yang, very satisfied with the yard. They hadn't originally hoped to find a suitable yard during the New Year, but they didn't expect it to go so smoothly.

The only thing that made people unhappy was the attitude of the old landlady. She said, "The house is just like this. There's not much in it, but the location is good."

Qin Xiang nodded and said, "I rented this yard."

The old lady was a little surprised, and after a while she said, "Do you really want to rent it?"

Qin Xiang nodded.

The old lady pursed her lips, glanced at Aunt Hu, and decided to tell the truth, "Someone said this yard was haunted before, you can think about it again."

Haunted?

Qin Xiang burst out laughing. "Auntie, it's only been a few years since the Four Olds Campaign began, and I don't believe it's haunted. If you don't want to rent, just tell me directly. I don't agree with you telling me it's haunted."

The old lady seemed quite surprised by her reaction. She pursed her lips and said, "I just want to inform you in advance so that you won't come to trouble me again if someone whispers something in your ear."

"Oh, this kind of thing..." Aunt Hu didn't expect that there would be such a rumor even though the house had not been rented out. She suddenly felt embarrassed. The old lady didn't dare to look at Aunt Hu. She hadn't told her about this before, so Aunt Hu really didn't know about it.

Aunt Hu pulled Qin Xiang aside and said, "Xiao Qin, why don't we look for another place? If it's really haunted, it would be bad. We can't rent it no matter how good the location is."

Qin Xiang was about to speak when she suddenly caught sight of a head popping up from the east wall. It seemed to catch her gaze and quickly retreated. Qin Xiang had a guess in her mind and said with a smile, "Aunt Hu, I don't believe in ghosts. Even if there are ghosts, they're probably just people pretending to be ghosts. I'm not afraid of them."

Aunt Hu saw her deliberately glancing eastward, and she couldn't help but turn her head to look at her. She immediately guessed, "You mean..."

Qin Xiang nodded.

Aunt Hu said worriedly, "That's not good either. A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor. If your brother isn't at home and that family comes to cause trouble, you won't be able to handle it alone."

"It's okay. If you really want to cause trouble, I will find the police. They are still cracking down on it. I don't believe anyone dares to challenge the police." Qin Xiang had seen too many monsters and demons in his previous life, so he was not afraid of such things now.

Qin Xiang asked the old lady, "Auntie, who spread the rumor that your yard is haunted?"

The old lady said depressedly, "The previous tenant said it was haunted, and I don't know how the rumor spread. Otherwise, my yard, which is in such a prime location, wouldn't have been vacant for so long."

Qin Xiang continued to ask, "Did anyone mention buying a house to you?"

"How could I possibly sell this house..." She suddenly widened her eyes, looked towards the east, and frowned. "You know what? The family to the east actually mentioned wanting to buy it before, but I want to leave this yard to my grandchildren, so I didn't agree..."

The old lady had seen so many things in her life, and after Qin Xiang's reminder, she had a vague suspicion in her mind. She couldn't help but frown and curse, "If it's really them, then they are really lacking in virtue."

Because of this, the old lady had a much better impression of Qin Xiang. "You are my type of girl. If you dare to rent it, I only charge you five dollars a month."

Qin Xiang looked around the yard. The location was really good. She walked around the east house and unexpectedly found a back door, but it was locked and the lock was rusted.

Qin Xiang came out and said to the old lady, "Auntie, the salary is still six yuan a month, but I have a request. I want to open the back door of the east room. I won't hide it from you. I want to buy some goods and sell them myself. Opening the back door will make it easier for me to operate. Do you think it's okay?"

"You want to be a self-employed person?" The old lady looked Qin Xiang up and down in surprise, frowning and saying, "Isn't that speculation? If someone catches you, it will be a big deal."

Even Aunt Hu was surprised, but after all, she lived in the county town and had some experience, so she helped to speak up, "Sister-in-law, the government doesn't care about this anymore, so it's not considered speculation."

The old lady was a little hesitant. She wondered why she opened the back door back then. In fact, she did business there for a while because she thought the location was good. But then the revolution came and they were not allowed to do anything. They were so scared that they quickly locked the door. It had been locked for so many years, and she never expected that one day someone would want to open it.

Qin Xiang continued, "Auntie, I'll tell you the truth. If you don't like it, it's okay. I can just set up a stall outside. It's just a little troublesome. If you don't like it, forget it."

Qin Yang, who was standing by, knew from his sister's eyes that Qin Xiang had decided to become a self-employed business owner. He knew he couldn't stop her, so he could only help her put in a good word. The old lady looked at his face, glanced at the east courtyard, thought for a moment, and said, "Okay."

Qin Xiang breathed a sigh of relief and added, "But I'm not sure how long I can rent this yard, so I can only pay the rent once every three months at most."

The old lady was obviously not satisfied, but there was nothing she could do. The yard had been empty for several months. If she couldn't rent it out and get paid, her life would be difficult.

"Okay, you can open the back door whenever you want, but let's make it clear in advance that if anything happens, you can't implicate my house. Otherwise, I will never let you go even if I die." The old lady had a stern face, but she was actually relieved.

Qin Xiang agreed, "Okay."

Seeing that the two had already agreed, Aunt Hu had nothing to say. She immediately said she would go back and get a pen and paper to write a note as proof. However, the old lady slowly said, "There's no need to write a note. You're just causing trouble."

But Qin Xiang thought Aunt Hu's approach was a good one, so she said, "Let's write it down. This way, the responsibilities and rights will be clearly stated to avoid trouble in the future."

Aunt Hu lived not far from here. She soon brought over a pen and paper and said, "Whoever can write, please do so. I can only recognize words, but I'm not very good at writing."

Qin Xiang took the contract and wrote down the details of the lease, including the backdoor agreement. She then read the contract to the old lady, and after both parties signed, Qin Xiang immediately gave the old lady, Liu Meifeng, 18 yuan and successfully obtained the key.

Things went so smoothly that Qin Xiang couldn't believe it.

Old Lady Liu Meifeng shouted, "I'll rent this house to you. If there are any ghosts or monsters in the future, just call me and I'll help you catch ghosts."

Qin Xiang smiled, his eyes swept to the east, and he responded loudly, "Okay, I'm not afraid of ghosts at all. I'll prepare a few more kitchen knives when the time comes. I'll chop down any ghosts that come and see which is stronger, the ghost or my kitchen knife."

"Little girl, you are a capable person." Old Lady Liu looked at Qin Xiang deeply and said, "I wish you a prosperous business in advance."

Hearing such auspicious words for the first time, Qin Xiang felt happy and said, "Thank you for your kind words."

After sending the old lady away, Aunt Hu still disagreed, "You rented this yard too hastily."

Qin Xiang was indeed anxious to move out of her home, but the premise was that this house was indeed nice. "Auntie, you also know that housing is tight these days. How many people can really rent a house?"

Aunt Hu sighed. It was true. Housing was tight, and it was hard to even live in one's own home, let alone rent it out. Old Mrs. Liu had gone to help take care of the children in her small family, while her daughter-in-law worked, and she couldn't bear to see the house sit idle, so she wanted to rent it out. It was also because of rumors of a haunted courtyard that it hadn't been rented out before, otherwise it wouldn't have survived until now.

"Since you've rented it, don't be afraid of trouble. If you have any questions, come to me. Your brother and my son are partners, so don't hesitate to ask."

Qin Xiang praised Aunt Hu's character very much. No wonder the third brother went directly to Aunt Hu.

The Chinese dining culture has a long history. Eating together can bring people closer together and make them feel more connected.

"Auntie, it's already noon. Let me treat you to a meal."

Aunt Hu waved her hand. "Forget it. Everything costs money. You want to be a self-employed person. You can treat me to a meal when you make some money. But the state-owned restaurants are probably closed right now. You two should find a place to eat. I have to go back to pick up my grandson."

After saying that, Aunt Hu left in a hurry.

Qin Xiang and Qin Yang exchanged a glance. Qin Yang's eyes were filled with helplessness, while Qin Xiang was excited. "Third brother, I'll treat you to lunch today."

Qin Yang raised his eyebrows lazily, "Okay, after dinner we'll come over and clean up. At least we need to make it habitable. We also need to heat up the kang, otherwise it will be too cold at night."

He knew why his sister was so anxious to find a house. It was because she couldn't stand staying at home. Not only Qin Xiang, but even he didn't want to stay at home. Whenever he stayed at home, their mother would nag him about marriage, which was very annoying.

Qin Xiang nodded and said, "Let's go eat."

The brother and sister went out to the back street. The state-owned restaurant not far from the department store was closed, but several snack shops nearby were open. The brother and sister found one, went in, ordered two dishes and a few steamed buns, and had their lunch.

There are not many dishes in winter. Apart from a dish of fried meat with red pepper and onion, there is also a plate of fried eggs with leeks.

The store is not big, with a total of four tables in the room. Not long after they arrived, other people came and the room became lively.

Before they finished eating, other people came and waited for a seat, and some even came with lunch boxes to buy and take away. The boss was very happy and business was very good.

After dinner, Qin Xiang asked Qin Yang, "Third brother, what do you think?"

Qin Yang had eaten at these small restaurants before, but back then he'd simply eaten. Today, under his sister's deliberate guidance, he observed the meal for a bit. He secretly calculated in his mind, "I guess they're making a lot of money."

"That's definitely a good profit," Qin Xiang used the meal they had just eaten as an analogy. "Stir-fried pork with chili peppers costs 1.2 yuan. There's about half a pound of meat in it, and at 40 cents, half a pound of meat is worth 0. The red peppers and onions are not expensive, so the actual cost is probably less than 80 cents. Scrambled eggs with chives are 60 cents a plate. It looks like a lot, but at most they used four eggs. An egg costs 5 cents in the countryside, so four eggs would be 20 cents. Chives are a little more expensive this season, but the amount they use won't be more than 10 cents. Add in the steamed buns, and the boss should make at least 1 yuan on this meal. And it's only the second day of the Chinese New Year, and they're already doing good business. In addition to the four tables of customers, there are also people coming and going to take away. Even if they only make 30 yuan a day, that's 900 yuan a month."

Nine hundred yuan!

Qin Yang's eyes widened. Their fleet was a prominent organization in the county, but regular employees only earned around 100 yuan a month. Their work was tiring and dangerous. He glanced back at the small restaurant. There were four tables, one cooking and the other helping out as a waiter and waitress. They were clearly a couple, earning at least 900 yuan a month!

Even if I don't earn 900 yuan, even 300 yuan is much better than working in an office.

Qin Yang hadn't thought about it in this way before, but now he thinks the profits are really huge.

Qin Xiang laughed and said, "Did you scare Third Brother?"

Qin Yang shook his head, swallowed, and muttered, "I used to think that only bosses in the south could make money, but I didn't expect that such a small business could be so profitable."

Qin Xiang was helpless. "This is just my guess. Maybe I don't make that much, but one thing is certain. As long as you're willing to work hard and don't lose face, you can definitely make more money than working. A small business may not look impressive, but the capital is low. Even if you set up a stall on the street with just a pot and a table, you can start a business. No matter how much you make, it's better than working. If I weren't thinking about going to college, I would have wanted to open a small shop and be the boss."

"That's true." Qin Yang said self-deprecatingly, "I suddenly feel like all those years of struggling outside were for nothing. I didn't make much money, and I don't even understand this principle as well as you do."

Qin Xiang thought, if she had known this in her previous life, she wouldn't have taken so many detours and endured so much hardship in Wang Junsheng's early days. Isn't it because she's lived an extra life and seen the development of society that she has this perspective?

She glanced around and said to Qin Yang, "Shall we still go to Second Brother's house?"

Qin Yang shook his head. "Forget it, let's not go for now. Second brother hates trouble the most. Let's clean up the house quickly. I'll ask someone to buy some firewood and coal tickets later. You can move in whenever you want."

Qin Xiang smiled, "Of course the sooner the better."

If Qin Yang really had to choose, the tube-shaped building would actually be better. Although the environment is a little worse, there are many people living in the tube-shaped building, and everyone can hear you if you shout. The independent courtyard here is indeed quiet, but it is not that safe to live alone.

Qin Xiang said to Qin Yang, "If you're worried, you can come live here too. I see there's a small kang in the room next to the kitchen, which can be cleaned up and used as a place to live. You'll have to follow the sports car back and forth in the future, so you'll have a place to rest when you come back."

Qin Yang was amused. "It seems you have already thought of this."

Qin Xiang didn't feel guilty when her idea was exposed, and said directly, "Isn't this just a matter of convenience?"

The brother and sister first went to the department store next door to buy a rag and a bucket, and then prepared to go back.

As soon as I turned the corner, I saw a woman in her forties peeking into the yard.

Seeing someone coming, he hurriedly walked to the east.

Qin Xiang took one look and called out, "Auntie, what were you looking at at my door just now?"

Qiao Huilan paused, looked back at her in shock, and asked, "Did you really rent this house?"

I couldn't hear clearly from the wall at home just now, so I hurried over to check it out. Unexpectedly, they said it was right in front of their house. Is it really rented? If the house is rented out, then all their efforts would be in vain, and they would have to start all over again.

Qin Xiang nodded, looked at her and said, "Yes, we have rented it. We have paid the money and I have the key. Do you live next door?"

"Ah, yes." Qiao Huilan smiled awkwardly. She looked around but didn't see Mrs. Liu. Then she looked at Qin Xiang seriously and said, "How dare you rent this house? I'm telling you, this house is haunted."

Qin Xiang was happy, thinking that it had come. "I know."

"You know you're still renting it." Qiao Huilan didn't know what to say. "Your house has been haunted for a long time. Aren't you scared living here as a girl?"

Qin Xiang shook her head and glanced at her third brother. "I'm not afraid. My third brother is here too. He specializes in exorcising ghosts and is known as the Ghost Seer."

It was only then that Qiao Huilan noticed that there was a tall and strong young man standing next to Qin Xiang, and he looked like someone who was not easy to mess with.

Qiao Huilan was startled and moved aside. "This ghost doesn't care whether there is a man or not..."

"Come on then." Qin Xiang rubbed his wrist and turned to Qin Yang and said, "Third brother, go buy a few more kitchen knives and hatchets later. If there is really a ghost, my brother and I will chop it up and use it as firewood."

Qin Yang's face was cold and he curled his lips into a sinister smile. "I don't need you to fight ghosts. I can handle it by myself."

After saying that, Qin Yang really turned around and went back to buy it. Qin Xiang looked at Qiao Huilan with gratitude and said, "Auntie, thank you for telling us this in advance. Now that you know about this, maybe this ghost has also been to your house. Don't worry, when we move in, we will get rid of any ghosts. From now on, you can just sleep peacefully."

When Qiao Huilan looked at the brother and sister, her heart sank. She forced an awkward smile and hurried home.

Seeing that the person had indeed entered the east yard, Qin Xiang smiled and opened the door and entered the yard.

Working in the middle of winter is indeed uncomfortable, but when Qin Xiang thinks about being able to move out and live a comfortable life soon, she feels that everything is no longer a problem.

She took a broom and swept the main room and the kitchen, and then cleaned up the storage room. Although it was called a storage room, there was actually nothing else in it. She just piled some discarded bottles and jars under the wall outside.

Just as we finished sweeping here, Qin Yang came back with a bundle of firewood and some things that could be used at home.

Qin Xiang then analyzed the matter of the elder sister-in-law with Qin Yang. Qin Yang frowned and said, "It seems that when you move in, I will have to come over to visit you for a few nights. I can only feel at ease after catching this ghost."

Qin Xiang was amused. "I'm not afraid at all." She waved her hands and said, "There's a knife at the head of the kang and a stick at the door. If one comes, I'll beat him. If two come, I'll beat them both."

Qin Yang was helpless. "You figured out that I was worried and would follow you to watch over me, right?"

Hearing this, Qin Xiang smiled embarrassedly.

The biggest advantage of having few things in the house is that it is easy to clean up. Things like bedding and washbasins are all in her dowry, so they can be used directly when she moves in.

She couldn't bear to give up the Wang family's belongings after using them. Although these belongings looked insignificant, it would cost a lot of money to buy them, and they required tickets. She even needed pot tickets to buy a pot.

After they finished cleaning, they pushed their bicycles out the door and locked it. There was still an old lock hanging on the door of the main room. Qin Yang originally wanted to replace it with a new one, but Qin Xiang thought that ghosts might do something when she didn't move in, so they simply didn't bother and decided to wait until they finished cleaning.

When I left, Qiao Huilan from next door came out again, "Are you guys leaving? When are you moving in?"

Qin Xiang said, "Let's talk about it later. We'll move in once we're done packing. We're not here anymore, so please help take care of it, sister-in-law."

Qiao Huilan nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be home during the day and I'll make sure I can keep a close eye on him."

Qin Xiang thanked him with a meaningful smile, and after leaving this place, he said to Qin Yang, "Third brother, just wait and see, they must have a backup plan."

Such things were common in the past. They would disrupt other people's rental or house sales transactions, then come out and say they didn't mind, taking the opportunity to achieve their own goals at the lowest price.

Qin Xiang liked this yard, and the old lady also agreed to let her open the back door, so why should she give in?

Qin Yang nodded, "Okay, I'll listen to you."

The brother and sister rode their bikes back home and met many people returning from their mother's house. When they saw Qin Xiang, they couldn't help but ask her about her divorce.

Qin Xiang did not hide it and said it openly. After all, it was not her who cheated, so why should she hide it for Wang Junsheng? Whether she received sympathetic looks or words of blame, Qin Xiang did not care much.

Qin Xiang smiled immediately when she caught a glimpse of a young wife. It was Cui Hong's sister-in-law from her natal family. She was also a powerful person. But she didn't know how this powerful person would treat Cui Hong.

When I got home, Tian Zhongmei was talking to Lian Fengying in the yard. Seeing Qin Xiang and his sister coming back, she quickly stood up and said, "Mom, I'm going home first."

After saying that, he ran out in a flash.

"Alas..." Lian Fengying ran out before she could finish her words. Seeing Qin Xiang and Qin Yang come in without even saying a word, she felt unhappy. "She is your sister-in-law after all. If you embarrass her like this, you are also embarrassing your brother. Brothers and sisters are still connected even if their bones are broken."

Seeing that Lian Fengying had forgotten what she had said before and was about to lecture her again, Qin Xiang hurriedly prepared to go in. It was useless to argue with her mother. Her mother's thoughts could not be changed in a short time. Instead of making herself uncomfortable, it would be better to be a little cold and hard-hearted.

Lian Fengying followed him and kept nagging, "Did you hear what I said? I also have to tell you about what happened this morning. I've never seen you talk like that before. If Ye Dazui tells this to others, will you ever get married again? How can you live in Qinjiatun anymore?"

Seeing her mother's excitement, Qin Xiang couldn't help but laugh. She pulled her mother's arm away and said, "So in order to solve your problem and not embarrass you, I have already rented a house in the county town today, and I will move in tomorrow morning."