204 The Small Courtyard (a section was added later)
This time, Guan Yuehe was determined to buy the small courtyard house. Unlike before, she wasn't so picky. After all, she and Lin Yiku only had so much money, and it was impossible to buy a perfect one.
"Okay, we'll keep an eye out for you." Jiang Guiying thought for a moment, then added that it might not be that quick, and told her not to worry.
Sitian had just finished her postpartum confinement a few days ago, and Xiujuan was also about to give birth. The agricultural and sideline products store that she and her old friends had been working on together was going to be handed over to Weiguo and his wife to help manage for the time being.
"I'm not in a hurry, and neither should you." Guan Yuehe noticed the gray hair at her temple and felt a pang of unease. Rarely speaking so gently, she said, "Mom, you and Aunt Fang have worked so hard. Let me massage your back..."
"Go away! My old bones can't take your touch." Jiang Guiying shoved her aside and busied herself folding up the new diapers she had washed and dried, saying to herself, "I'll retire after I've raised Aiguo and Xiujuan to elementary school."
Some gossipy old neighbors in the alley laughed at her, saying that she not only helped her son take care of his children, but also had to help her two daughters take care of theirs. But she was happy to do so.
Her generation's greatest wish was to have enough to eat, get married and start a family, and then watch her children get married and start their own families.
Before she came to the city, she could barely read or write. After arriving, she learned that her condition was considered "illiterate." Later, the neighborhood committee launched a literacy campaign, which enabled her to learn to read and write and obtain a primary school diploma. Then, during the Cultural Revolution, the women's movement advocated that women could hold up half the sky and called on women to participate in industrial production. This gave her the opportunity to work as a cleaner at the factory's guesthouse.
She never tells anyone, but she's been particularly proud of herself these past few years: she's an illiterate woman from the countryside who has two daughters who have gone on to graduate school.
“Your father and I brought you into the city and provided you with food rations. That’s all we’ve accomplished,” Jiang Guiying said. “And you, you’ve done your part. Guyu and Linting will have an even better life in the future… One generation supports the next, and that’s how we’ve made it.”
In the past, Guan Yuehe wouldn't have been so willing to listen to these words, but now she can calm down and listen attentively.
However, when the old woman has free time, she often thinks about the past. Guan Yuehe suspects that it's because Lin Ting went to school and there's no mischievous boy causing trouble at home, so her mother likes to nag.
Otherwise, her mother would definitely be busy catching Lin Ting with a rolling pin right now.
"Oh dear! It's already this late!" Jiang Guiying didn't have time to nag about the past anymore and urged her to hurry up and go out to pick up Lin Ting.
"If we're late, she'll throw a tantrum. If we don't take her to the supply and marketing cooperative, she'll cling to a tree by the roadside and refuse to leave. She's so naughty and stubborn; she's picked up all your and Yiku's bad habits..."
“If you want to scold her, then scold her. Why drag me and Lin Yiku into this?” Guan Yuehe refused to admit any wrongdoing.
When she arrived at the Zhuoyue Garment Factory's after-school program to pick up her child, Lin Ting immediately jumped onto her back, repeatedly asking why she was late. Finally, she revealed her true purpose: "I need to buy you a popsicle to appease you."
“Your grandma said you ate ice cream yesterday.” Guan Yuehe wouldn’t accept threats, so she tucked Lin Ting under her arm and headed out.
The remaining teachers and children in the Yuhong class watched as Lin Ting flapped her wings and shouted.
"Lin Ting's mom is so tall." The children behind her whispered. No wonder Lin Ting always brags that her mom can knock down a big bad guy with one punch.
Although Guan Yuehe didn't plan to buy popsicles for Lin Ting, she still took Lin Ting to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy soy sauce.
She then curled Lin Ting's round head and said, "From now on, you'll be in charge of running errands for our family."
Lin Ting couldn't have been happier; the kids in the alley always got pocket money to buy food whenever they helped their parents buy soy sauce.
"Yue He?"
Guan Yuehe turned her head in the direction of the sound and saw Gao Xiaofang diagonally in front of the line next to her.
"Is this your daughter? She looks just like you." After greeting her, Guan Yuehe noticed that the little girl next to Gao Xiaofang looked about 60% like Gao Xiaofang when she first entered the factory.
"That's what everyone says."
After chatting for a while about their daughters, it was soon Gao Xiaofang's turn to buy things.
Guan Yuehe glanced at the sanitary napkins that Gao Xiaofang had brought her daughter to buy.
In 1982, China imported a sanitary napkin production line from Japan. Li Xuelian was involved in the import of this production line at that time, and she specifically told her that women's health and hygiene would be better protected in the future.
However, after this product was produced, it received little publicity and was several times more expensive than sanitary belts, so it was not promoted nationwide. Even in Beijing, supply and marketing cooperatives might not be able to buy it.
It wasn't until last year, when the popular TV series "The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea" aired and featured an advertisement for Anle sanitary napkins, that sanitary napkins came into the public eye.
Now, sanitary napkins can be purchased at most supply and marketing cooperatives.
—
Lin Ting still got to eat ice cream, and it was the most expensive one from the supply and marketing cooperative, no less. Licking it as he proudly skipped ahead of her, showing off his ice cream and exclaiming loudly and exaggeratedly, "So delicious!"
Guan Yuehe found her annoying, so she turned back to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought herself the most expensive ice cream.
Lin Ting's ice cream was paid for by Gao Xiaofang, who half-seriously and half-jokingly said that this was to repay the favor she had done for delivering sanitary napkins before.
If Gao Xiaofang hadn't mentioned it, Guan Yuehe would have completely forgotten about it. It was just that she happened to have extra at the time; otherwise, in those days when even hygiene coupons were hard to come by, she wouldn't have been able to conjure up that stuff.
But then again, sanitary napkins were so hard to buy back then, why didn't she ask Gao Xiaofang to return them later?
It's been too long, I can't remember. At least Gao Xiaofang has some conscience; she still remembered to return two yuan worth of ice cream.
When Jiang Guiying saw the mother and daughter strolling back licking ice cream, she couldn't help but want to twist one of their ears.
They shouldn't have let Yuehe pick up the child!
But Lin Ting especially liked it when her mother picked her up.
In the afternoon, as I was leaving for school, I repeatedly emphasized to her at the entrance of the preschool class that she absolutely had to come and pick me up.
Guan Yuehe agreed.
But Lin Ting didn't see her mother come to pick her up the next day at noon.
Jiang Guiying replied without changing her expression, "Your mother went to work."
"Okay." Lin Ting was a little disappointed, but she accepted it quickly. She was already a five-year-old child and knew that adults, like children, only had Sundays off. If her mother didn't work, she wouldn't have money to take her out to eat!
But when she came home from school in the afternoon, she was playing marbles with her friends at the entrance of the alley when she heard the sound of her father's motorcycle. Just as she was about to run out, she saw her mother driving her father back.
Lin Ting froze for a few seconds, then burst into tears.
Two big liars!
"Stop crying, your mom and dad are waiting for you. They came back to pick you up." Guan Yuehe moved her bottom forward to make room for Lin Ting in the middle.
Lin Ting had just gotten into the car when she was squeezed so tightly that pearls were falling out of her mouth. Jiang Guiying chased after her from the No. 3 courtyard, shouting, "Give her some clothes before she goes out, she's so dirty!"
Guan Yuehe waved and drove off. It was too late; she wouldn't get to eat anything good.
Before leaving, he added, "Mom, I'll bring you a big braised pork knuckle later!"
Guan Yuehe only rested at home for two days before returning to work.
At this time, Comrade Tan Ailian also successfully removed the "deputy" title and officially took over the position of director.
As soon as she returned to work, Guan Yuehe received a reminder from her secretary: she needed to attend this year's National Conference for Commending Advanced Units in Foreign Exchange Earning.
Unsurprisingly, at the commendation ceremony, she saw Director Zheng, representing the Zhuoyue Garment Factory, accepting the commendation.
She clapped so hard her palms turned red.
While watching the news on TV that evening, she and her family applauded again.
Perhaps because the house was so festive, Wan Xiujuan's unborn child wanted to join in the fun and started labor that very night.
There was another flurry of activity in Courtyard No. 3, but they finally managed to get the person to the Workers' Hospital.
Guan Yuehe only heard the good news when she got off work the next day.
"The delivery room in the hospital is very lively today. It seems that today is a good day, and all the babies are choosing to come today."
Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku were making a bed for Lin Ting in the small room. Lin Ting had finally agreed to sleep by himself, so they didn't dare to delay and had to get this done as soon as possible.
Then, she heard people talking about her family outside the back window.
"Tell me, what kind of feng shui does the Guan family have? They're having so many girls. I asked around, and yesterday there were thirteen births at the hospital, and only two of them had daughters, one of whom is Xiujuan."
"Guiying said her family only loves daughters, so wouldn't all the little girls be eager to go to her house?"
Why does that sound so sarcastic?
Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku stopped making the bed at the same time, while Lin Ting had already run onto the kang (a heated brick bed) and pressed her ear against the window.
"Guiying is right. Look at Yuehua and Yuehe, their daughters are the most promising."
"What's the use of Yuehua and Yuehe being so ambitious? They're already married. Look at the Guan family's granddaughter, isn't she ambitious? If she doesn't pass the exam this year, it'll be her third time repeating it..."
Guan Yuehe couldn't listen anymore and turned to leave the small room. Lin Yiku quickly followed her out.
Lin Ting was the slowest. When she ran out, she heard an angry groan from outside the wall. Her father was holding the ladder, and her mother was standing in the middle of the ladder, holding a dripping basin.
Before long, the ladder was put back against the wall of Aunt Hu's house, and Lin Ting was carried home.
The family of three paused their efforts to make the bed in the small room and pretended to watch TV.
But no one came to argue with her, and no one in the alley went around gossiping about Wan Xiujuan giving birth to a daughter anymore.
As for what people say in private, that's none of my business. Guan Yuehe only cares about what she hears.
"Yuehe, are you home?"
Guan Yuehe peeked out from the small room, somewhat surprised, "Brother-in-law Jin, is there something you need?"
"Yes." Jin Junwei didn't beat around the bush and asked her directly if she was planning to buy a small courtyard house.
“I’ve been helping people buy and sell houses recently, and I know a few that are selling small courtyard houses. I heard you’re interested in buying one, so I’m here to inquire.”
"Brother-in-law Jin, you have a good business sense. You helped several people in our alley find houses. Your business should have been established long ago." Guan Yuehe greeted him and said, "Please sit down first, I'll go wash my hands."
"I'm just sitting around doing nothing. It was one thing to be unemployed before, but now the country is encouraging economic development, and I figure I can't just rely on your salary, Sister Hongqi, to make a living."
Jin Junwei didn't go inside. He carried a stool and sat outside the door, while Guan Yuehe, who was washing her hands under the tap, introduced the situation of the small courtyards.
Guan Yuehe listened to the entire presentation, pondering it carefully as she listened, and finally decided to visit two of the small courtyards first.
"Brother-in-law Jin, how should we calculate the referral fee?"
They treat this house-hunting business as a sale; even if we've been neighbors for years, we can't let them do the work for free. Even close sisters keep clear accounts.
“Our two families have a good relationship. If this deal goes through, you can just give me a hundred.”
"Okay! Are you free now? How about we go see the house today?" Today is Sunday, and we'll have to wait another week until she has her next day off. I'm afraid someone else will snatch up the house first.
Jin Junwei nodded, and Guan Yuehe didn't hesitate either. She stood in the middle of the yard and called Lin Ting to come home, as they were about to go out to look at houses.
Jin Junwei introduced five courtyards in total, but Guan Yuehe did not consider the other three because they were located too far away.
The apartment closest to her workplace's staff quarters is definitely out of the question.
Over the years, she's come to understand. No matter where you live, you can't avoid petty squabbles with your neighbors. But one thing is most important: keep your distance from your colleagues at work.
Otherwise, you'll see colleagues at work and after work. Keeping them at a distance will also prevent colleagues' family members from constantly dropping by to subtly inquire about work-related matters, which would be incredibly annoying.
The two small courtyards that Guan Yuehe decided to visit are both under the jurisdiction of Changhu Subdistrict Office.
One was slightly larger, but so dilapidated that only four broken walls remained; it was possible that a strong wind might blow the walls down one day.
Jin Junwei's introduction was also honest: "This courtyard was originally inhabited by scholars, but later something happened and the place was badly damaged."
She didn't mention anything specific, but Guan Yuehe knew what it was about; back then, many scholars were criticized.
Moreover, it wasn't just badly damaged; it was practically dug up three feet into the ground, leaving the surface full of potholes, and who knows how many people have come to dig it up.
"The landlord's offer wasn't high, a flat price of 25,000."
Guan Yuehe barely managed to suppress a gasp. This run-down place costs 25,000?!
"Can't be less?"
Jin Junwei shook his head, "I can talk to other courtyards, but not this one. I've made up my mind to sell it for 25,000, not a penny less."
"Don't let the dilapidated appearance of this house fool you; the location is great. Just twenty meters ahead is a department store, and it's not far from our alley. It's also quite spacious; there's enough room for at least three proper rooms, plus a bathroom and kitchen on either side..."
Guan Yuehe didn't say anything. They went to see another small courtyard first. It was located near the new factory area of Zhuoyue Garment Factory. The houses there were well preserved and not far from the main road, but there was a problem: it was too close to the factory area, so there was bound to be noise.
If the Zhuoyue Garment Factory needs to rush production, the workers have to work in three shifts, and the machines in the workshop run 24 hours a day.
Moreover, the courtyard over there is smaller than this one, and they're asking for 30,000. Even if you can negotiate, you can't avoid it for less than 27,000 or 28,000.
Guan Yuehe sighed.
Back when she first had the idea of buying a house, a small, detached house near the machinery factory's residential compound was selling for 18,000 yuan. But where would she have gotten such a large sum of money back then?
After all these years, 25,000 yuan can only buy a small, uneven plot of land. Building a house there would cost at least several thousand... so it comes to 30,000 yuan!
After buying the goods, not only would they be penniless again, but they would also be in debt for tens of thousands of yuan. Guan Yuehe felt her scalp tingle just thinking about it. She and Lin Yiku would have to spend at least two or three years paying off the debt.
"Are you selling your house in Courtyard No. 1?" Jin Junwei suddenly asked. "If you are, your house could fetch at least tens of thousands of yuan if it were out there now."
Is her house really that valuable?
Guan Yuehe was only shocked for a few seconds before she quickly realized the key point. Her house was located at the entrance of an alley; if she could knock down a section of the wall behind the small house, she could make a small storefront.
Yinxing Hutong has ten courtyards and houses over a thousand people. There's another hutong next door, also with nearly a thousand residents, who have to pass through Yinxing Hutong to get home. This highlights the prime location of her shop. Even if she only sells small daily necessities, she has a stable income. If she put up a telephone in her shop, the people in the hutong would definitely choose to make calls from the nearest phone.
“If you want to sell the house in Courtyard No. 1, our family would like to buy it,” Jin Junwei added. “If you don’t want to sell, renting is also fine.”
"I need to have a serious talk with Lin Yi."
—
That evening, Guan Yuehe convened a family meeting regarding the purchase of the small courtyard house.
Author's Note: I slept all day today and got plenty of rest. I'll update again tomorrow [cat paw emoji].
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