Now that she had become a worker, there was no need for her to stay in the village. So Lin Jingyue asked Aunt Li to help her see if there were any vacant houses; she planned to rent one.
She can start work tomorrow, but before that, she'll have to walk through the mountains for several days. Walking those few steps isn't a problem; the issue is who will take care of the child?
It's impossible for her to stay with the Chen family, and it wouldn't be good with other families either, since the original owner didn't have any connections with others and hadn't had any contact with them since she arrived. Besides, nowadays most families have many children, and Baozhu, being a girl, would inevitably suffer some grievances.
It would be best if we could finalize things today.
Whether it was good luck or not, Aunt Li thought for a moment and then suddenly clapped her hands. "I actually know a spare room. If you want to rent it, I can help you make the connection."
"Really?" Lin Jingyue's eyes lit up. "Aunt Li, it's so wonderful to know you. If it weren't for you, I'd still be toiling in the fields for a living. I'd like to offer you a toast with tea instead of wine, to express my deepest gratitude!"
She picked up the bowl on the table, which contained plain water with a little sugar added, making it taste sweet.
Aunt Li waved her hand, "Don't be so polite, Qiu Mei. This is fate between us. Come, come, let's eat first, and we can talk about it this afternoon."
"good!"
These days, everyone is struggling. Although we ate mixed grain rice for lunch, it was probably the best we could get.
As Lin Jingyue ate, she thought to herself that she could pay it back when she was able to.
The empty houses Aunt Li mentioned aren't in the family compound. That makes sense; these are all welfare houses provided by the factory, so how could they possibly be rented out?
The empty house is a single-story building over there. Nowadays, people prefer to live in apartment buildings, and not many people like single-story houses. It's understandable; apartment buildings are more lively and safer for a large group of people.
The empty house belonged to an elderly woman who lived in a small courtyard with her young grandson. Her husband had died early, and her son, after joining the army, was quite capable, but unfortunately, he became a martyr in a battle. Her daughter-in-law remarried, leaving behind her grandson, who was now being raised by the elderly woman.
Although she was called an old lady, she was actually only in her forties. However, her face looked much older than her age, and with her full head of white hair, she looked no different from a woman in her sixties or seventies.
The grandson was only five years old, dressed in tattered clothes, but neatly made. His cheeks were thin, and his eyes were a little evasive. This is typical of children this age who have no parents.
"Sister, I need to talk to you about something." Aunt Li walked over, pulled her into the yard, and said that there were too many people around outside, so it was better to handle some things privately.
"Sister Zhang, this is my distant cousin. He just found a job here, and we don't have a place to stay at home. We were just thinking that you happen to have a spare room, so we were wondering if you could accommodate him for a while. Of course, he won't stay at your house for free."
The words don't need to be too clear, just enough to convey the meaning.
Aunt Zhang glanced at Lin Jingyue beside her. Although she looked like a village girl, she was clean and tidy, with bright eyes. She gave her a shy smile, without any impurities.
Having lived to such an old age, I still have some discernment. This girl is a good person; at least she doesn't have any bad intentions.
"Aunt Zhang, don't worry, we'll just go by market rates and won't take advantage of you at all. The main thing is, it's really unsafe for my child to be alone in our hometown, so I'm thinking of renting a place." Showing vulnerability appropriately can evoke the other person's sympathy.
Chen Mingyue has been eating more lately, and her energy has improved a bit. While she might not be the cutest, she's at least gained some weight. However, she's still thin and looks rather pitiful.
Looking at the little girl, but not seeing the child's father, Aunt Zhang made some guesses in her mind, but didn't say anything. Thinking that her own child also needed a companion, and considering that she had some acquaintance with Li Xianglan, she thought about it for a while and then agreed.
"Renting the house is fine. You can say she's my cousin from now on. It's three yuan a month, the market price." Since the house is empty anyway, I might as well earn some rent and also earn some money for my grandson's supplements.
Three yuan is definitely the market price. Aunt Zhang is a martyr's family member, so no one in this courtyard dares to bother her, and her safety is guaranteed.
Lin Jingyue's monthly salary was over thirty yuan, plus employee benefits, so this amount of money was actually nothing. But from her perspective in her later life, it was only one-tenth of the total, a drop in the ocean.
They're better off than some people who dare to rent a place for 1,000 yuan when they only earn 3,000 yuan a month.
“Okay, Aunt Zhang’s price is very fair. I’ll give you this month’s rent now. I’ll give you the rent every month on this day.” Lin Jingyue took out her advance salary, counted out three one-yuan bills and handed them over.
Li Xianglan was delighted to see this and said, "Okay, Qiu Mei, you can live here from now on. You can come to me if you need anything."
"Okay, then I'll have to trouble you two from now on, Aunt Li and Aunt Zhang. Please don't think I'm a nuisance!"
A gentle and mild-mannered personality is often used to compliment someone. However, a lively and engaging personality is something everyone likes.
The courtyard, which had been quiet for so long, suddenly became lively. Aunt Zhang was actually a little used to it, but she quite liked it.
Looking up, I saw the little maid beside the girl quietly walking over, holding something in her hand.
Although Chen Mingyue is young, she is not ignorant. Adults have their own social interactions, and children have theirs. She needs to get along well with Grandma Zhang's grandson so that she won't cause her mother any trouble in the future.
So she took a piece of candy, held it out in front of the little boy, and said, "Little brother, please have some candy."
It was a candy that looked a little melted, which showed that it had been held in the palm of the hand for a long time, but it was candy, something that all children love.
The little boy looked at his grandmother, and after she nodded, he took the candy and said, "Thank you, sister." His voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible if you didn't listen carefully.
Chen Mingyue smiled shyly, "Hello Grandma, my name is Chen Mingyue. My mom says I'm her darling and her precious pearl." She was poised and adorable.
Aunt Zhang really liked the child. Although it was their first meeting, the child's actions deeply moved her.
"This is your little brother. Tell your sister Mingyue, what's your name?"
The little boy shyly snuggled into his grandmother's arms, but having accepted the candy and sensing her kindness, he whispered, "My name is Little Stone."
Aunt Zhang patted his little head happily, "You are Little Stone, and you are also Chen Ping'an. Grandma hopes you will always be safe and sound, understand?"
"Yes, I know. My name is Shen Ping'an."
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