12 Public Rental Housing in the Song Dynasty
◎Mrs. Jiang is really interesting◎
Xie Linchuan walked to Qingxin Courtyard and heard a burst of laughter before he even entered the door.
Old Madam Xie was playing Guan Pu with Xia Yin and others.
When she saw Xie Linchuan coming with a lunch box, she smiled and said:
"Come on, come on, I just won some money, I'll buy what you have in your hand."
Xia Yin and his companions were all around the old lady. They said they were Guan Pu, but in fact they were just trying to make the old lady happy.
When they saw the young master coming, they all retreated.
Xie Linchuan opened the food box: "Grandma, please take a look."
The red cherries in the box are like gems, bright red and each one is very big.
Mrs. Xie still remembered these cherries and asked curiously:
"Didn't Xia Yin say that the girl was sold holding a winnowing basket and was hard to find? How did you manage to find her?"
Xie Linchuan was in high spirits:
"That's not true. Today I went with Baoqing to Zhongwa to see a puppet show, and I saw that girl. She has gone from being a traveling trader to a sedentary merchant."
"Guess what? The certificate for her stall was made by me personally at the Lin'an Prefecture Office!"
Madam Xie smiled and said, "That's a real coincidence."
He picked up a bunch of cherries and put them into his mouth, then saw his grandson taking out the top layer of the food box.
There were actually a few strings of mushrooms and radishes placed underneath. They were a bit yellowish and grayish in color, not very good-looking, but they had a strong aroma.
"Grandma, these are braised skewers."
Xie Linchuan also introduced it using Jiang Qinglan's terminology.
"It's fragrant with a spicy flavor, and it's delicious. Don't worry, I rinsed them with water, so they're not as spicy as when they were fresh out of the pot."
Mrs. Xie ate a bunch of mushrooms, which were indeed spicy and fragrant, with a unique flavor. She also ate a bunch of radishes. She wanted to eat some black fungus, but Xie Linchuan stopped her.
He thought of Princess Baoqing's embarrassing appearance and laughed heartily: "Grandma, please eat some cherries first. Later, you can eat the braised skewers. Otherwise, you will look like that silly girl Baoqing."
He then told her about Princess Baoqing's embarrassing incident today in a few words.
Mrs. Xie also smiled, staring at the braised skewers in the box and said:
"Princess Baoqing is the most picky. Even she couldn't resist this temptation, which shows that Madam Jiang's food is really delicious."
Xie Linchuan praised:
"Indeed! The things in Fengle Building are always the same, but Madam Jiang has a lot of new things, which is really interesting."
Madam Xie concentrated for a moment, then suddenly became serious and said:
"I heard that the Crown Prince gave you a Duan inkstone as a reward. I remember that when you were little, you were good friends with the Third Prince. How come you're closer to the Crown Prince now?"
Xie Linchuan chuckled:
"The Third Prince is a very scheming person. Talking to him is exhausting. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is kind-hearted and more comfortable to deal with."
With a sharp sound, he thrust the bamboo skewers of the braised skewers into the tablecloth.
"I was just playing around anyway, telling them about Cuju and the like. It's harmless. Grandma, don't worry."
Madam Xie shook her head and asked, "What do you think of Princess Baoqing?"
Xie Linchuan knew what she meant. His father and mother knew that they couldn't make it clear, so they asked their grandmother to ask.
At that moment, his eyes became vague and he said nonchalantly:
"It's so boring. She keeps pestering me with stories about hairpins and clothes. It's giving me a headache."
Old Madam Xie did not mention Princess Shang's affairs, but only said:
"Baoqing is a princess, yet you find her boring. Madam Jiang is a commoner, yet you find her interesting. Do you know why?"
Xie Linchuan: "Of course it's because Madam Jiang put a lot of thought into the food, while Baoqing only relies on power."
Madam Xie sighed:
"Baoqing was born into wealth and status, and is used to using her power to oppress others. She smiles at everyone, and everyone thinks she's condescending. How could she understand how difficult it is for ordinary people to make a living in the market?"
Back then, Old Madam Xie and the first King of Dongping, Xie Shan, had worked their way up from the bottom and were very familiar with city life.
"My father was a farmer. In those days, to make a living, he planted in spring, harvested in autumn, tilled in summer, and stored in winter. He never had a single day of rest. If a natural disaster like flood, drought, or locusts hit, the harvest would be gone, and we would starve."
"Thankfully, the government is benevolent now, with low taxes and labor service, and they're actively providing disaster relief, so the people can now live a little better. If it were the chaotic times of decades ago, well, it's unimaginable..."
"It's not easy for a small business owner like Madam Jiang. First, there are taxes to pay. Look, one of them is the dental certificates you issued. Second, how can you stand out from your peers?"
"They're both fruit sellers, so why do you think she's so good? She's the only one who's been thinking about it. She's been thinking about it even in her dreams. What else can she do? She doesn't have the power of Princess Baoqing."
Madam Xie took a sip of tea, ate a stick of marinated black fungus, and said:
"Grandmother, I'm going to tell you something you won't like to hear. Although you say Baoqing is boring and Madam Jiang is interesting, you yourself are the same as Princess Baoqing."
Xie Linchuan was most annoyed by his father and mother's nagging, but he still listened to his grandmother's words and remained silent and focused.
…
When he left Qingxinyuan, it was almost midnight and raindrops were falling outside. Xie Linchuan remembered something and suddenly shouted, "Pinglin!"
…
The rain began to fall, and Pinglin rode his horse in a hurry to Zhongwa.
The stall opposite the puppet stage was empty, and the lights of several big red lanterns had gone out.
Pinglin returned to report: "The stall has been closed."
Xie Linchuan was studying the Flames' Cuju formation when he saw the rain outside the window and said:
"Then go back tomorrow. Her stall is right there. If you find her, invite her to your house."
But for three consecutive days, Pinglin couldn't find anyone.
Firstly, it had been drizzling for the past few days, and Jiang Qinglan didn't have a carriage, so it was inconvenient for her to set up her stall. Secondly, she was busy renting a house.
That day, after the two noble siblings left, Young Master Yang, lost in thought, quickly took his leave. After Jiang Qinglan sent the guests away, he and Tuantuan hid in a stall to look at the silver.
The stall went smoothly, earning them a large sum of copper coins, though they had no time to count them. Their eyes, nearly spitting fire, were fixed on a wicker stool—on which sat a horseshoe-shaped silver ingot.
Tuan Tuan asked, "How much is this?"
Jiang Qinglan: "Fifty taels."
Tuan Tuan: "How much is fifty taels?"
Jiang Qinglan began to count: "Lychee juice, cherry juice, osmanthus wine, butter tea, green plum drink, meat noodle soup, lots and lots."
Tuantuan slurped his saliva.
Jiang Qinglan added: "Twice-cooked pork, fish head stew, lamb skewers, beef stew, honey-roasted chicken, roast duck, and many more."
Tuan Tuan swallowed his saliva.
Jiang Qinglan continued, "Hot bath, scented soap, red hairband, woolen flowers, new clothes, scented quilts, lots and lots."
Tuantuan opened his eyes wide, looking fascinated.
Ever since the incident at home, they had been taking care of themselves in a hurry in the bathhouse. It had been a long time since they had set up a big wooden tub, sprinkled it with fragrant flower petals, and had a good bath.
"The most important thing is," Jiang Qinglan said excitedly, "we can rent a house now!"
Those who have never lived in a small house don’t know how happy it is to have a house of their own.
Pianjiang Qinglan knew.
In her previous life, her parents divorced and each started their own family. Since she started college, she hasn't been back to "home" much. Because that "home" isn't her own.
But the school dormitories couldn't really be called "home" because there was no private space. From an eight-person room in undergraduate school, to a four-person room in my master's program, and finally to a two-person room in my doctoral program.
Fortunately, her doctoral roommate did not live on campus, so she truly had her own little nest—a place where she could laugh and cry without worry.
But after living in the cozy little nest for only a year, she came here and lived in the big dormitory again.
But now, everything is about to change!
It had been drizzling these past few days, so Jiang Qinglan and Tuantuan, holding umbrellas, went to all the building management shops in the city and found out what was going on.
Housing prices in Lin'an are high, and many people cannot afford to buy a home. However, people still need a place to live, which is a rigid demand. This is why the rental housing industry has emerged.
Just like today, rental housing at that time was divided into two categories: government-run public housing and private housing for ordinary people. However, the difference was that public housing seemed to be more numerous and its system was more complete.
Ask around in any building store and you'll find all sorts of public rental housing on offer, from small studio apartments for four or five hundred wen a month to large courtyard apartments for dozens of taels.
Some of these houses are low-rent housing funded by the Lin'an Prefecture.
Some of them were from common people who had borrowed money from the government but could not repay it, and their property was confiscated to pay off the debt.
Some, like Jiang Qinglan's original property, were confiscated after they committed crimes.
Jiang Qinglan and her friends looked around and were overwhelmed by the choices. Finally, they decided on a small courtyard in Jiangmi Lane, Qiantang Gate, in the north of the city.
This place is not far from Zhongwa and West Lake, so it is a good location. Therefore, the market price is two taels of silver. However, because it is a government housing, it only costs one and a half taels per month.
As a divorced woman, Jiang Qinglan has no parents or parents-in-law, no male brothers in the family, and no children to rely on. She can be considered a "widowed woman" among the "widowers, widowers, and lonely people".
Not only can she live in a separate "female household", but she can also enjoy discounts on public housing - the courtyard in Jiangmi Lane only costs one or two taels of silver.
After hearing the introduction from the broker in charge of the building store, Jiang Qinglan was secretly delighted: I didn't expect that divorce would have such benefits.
In addition, another advantage of public housing is that you don’t have to worry about landlords arbitrarily raising rents or violating contracts and forcing people to move out.
But public housing does have its drawbacks. One of them is the long-term lease, with the rent having to be paid in one lump sum for a year.
Therefore, she spent twelve taels of silver just to rent this yard.
Jiang Qinglan and her sister didn't have much luggage. They went through the formalities at the building store, got the key to Jiangmi Lane, quickly cleaned the yard, and moved in from Qinglian Temple.
It's called a courtyard, but in reality it only has three rooms. The main hall is located through the courtyard gate, the kitchen is on the left, and a small bedroom is on the right.
The three rooms and the courtyard wall together form a "mouth" shape, which is the courtyard.
Fortunately, there were some simple pots and stoves in the house, so I could just prepare the rest of the things slowly.
Before the accident happened at home, the little girl Tuantuan was treated like a treasure, and was ordered around by servants. After the accident, she grew up quickly, cleaning, packing luggage, running around, and was very sensible.
Now, the move was finally completed. She was so tired that she lay down on the chair, shaking her chubby little legs to catch her breath.
Jiang Qinglan was exhausted, but she was happy. Now that she had money and a house, she felt more confident and ready to satisfy her appetite. "Let's go buy some meat!"
"Meat?" Tuantuan swallowed.
Living in Jianlong Temple and Qinglian Temple, she couldn't cook meat herself and hadn't eaten meat for several days.
After hearing this, she jumped off the chair. "Is there meat to eat?"
Jiang Qinglan's eyes were firm and his tone was resolute: "Yes!"
"Eat meat! Eat it big! Eat it hard! Eat it fiercely!"
【Author’s words】
Sisters, the channel is too cold [laughing and crying][starry eyes], I was shocked. Collect it~ [rose]
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