In less than a minute, the old bachelor came out: "Qiangzi, this is the house I rented. It's one yuan a month, which is too expensive. My salary is only eight yuan. Fortunately, Li Ping gives me a twelve-yuan subsidy every month, otherwise I really wouldn't be able to make ends meet."
Yan Xiaoqiang nodded. The cost of living in the capital was much higher than in Mushroom Village. Not only did food cost money, but even drinking water cost money, and there was also the electricity bill, which was much more expensive than kerosene lamps. Last month's electricity bill was more than three yuan. However, every room in the courtyard house had a light, and with people coming and going, it was normal for electricity to be used.
"Your Nannan is so kind. Li Ping borrowed ten yuan from her, promising to pay her back once the school subsidy came through. But then the baby in her belly had some problems, and she had to spend some money at the hospital. She still hasn't paid it back. Last week, when Li Ping went to school to apply for a leave of absence, she specifically asked your Nannan to explain the situation. Your Nannan immediately said not to pay it back, consider it a birth gift for the baby," the old bachelor said gratefully.
Yan Xiaoqiang nodded. Nan Nan is just that kind of person, a little fairy, of course she's willing to help others.
As they walked and talked, the old bachelor pointed to the house that Yan Xiaoqiang valued most and said, "Qiangzi, this family wants to sell their house, but the asking price is too high, six hundred yuan. Nobody can afford that."
"Is anyone inside?" Yan Xiaoqiang knocked on the door earlier, but there was no response.
"There's no one here. There's only an old man in this family. His wife left with their son years ago, and his daughter stayed with him. Now his daughter is married, so he wants to sell the house," the old bachelor explained.
"This old man sold his house, where will he live?" Yan Xiaoqiang wondered.
"The old man wants to go back to his hometown, which seems to be in the south. He says he has a house there, but it's been uninhabited for years and is very dilapidated. He wants to sell this house, get some money, and go back to build a house so he can live comfortably." The old bachelor clicked his tongue in amazement. Everyone else is heading to the city, but the old man is heading to the countryside. His mind isn't working properly anymore.
"Where is that old man? I'll go talk to him," Yan Xiaoqiang asked.
"There's a scrap metal recycling station around the corner. The old man works there. I'll take you there." The old bachelor was excited. If Qiangzi lived here too, he would have a fellow villager to chat with. Otherwise, he was too lonely.
"Old Fei, Old Fei, are you there? I've brought some people to look at your house," the old bachelor shouted.
Yan Xiaoqiang understood. He guessed that the old man was casting a wide net, asking his neighbors to keep an eye out and introduce anyone who wanted to buy a house.
"Yes, yes." Old Fei ran out of the gatehouse and smiled with narrowed eyes when he saw Yan Xiaoqiang. This man was probably a rich guy. He was wearing a white polyester shirt, serge trousers, and a pair of big leather shoes that were polished to a shine.
"Old Fei, why don't you take my fellow villager to your place? I'll cover for you here for a while," the old bachelor said.
"Ah, thank you, you old bachelor, I'm off now." Old Fei nodded repeatedly.
When they arrived at the house, Old Man Fei opened the door. The area inside the door should be the kitchen, with a sink next to the door and a cupboard opposite the sink. There was a coal stove by the window, with an iron pot for boiling water on it.
Passing through the kitchen, you enter a main room. The main room is small, at most twenty square meters, and contains only a table and two chairs, making the whole room seem empty.
There was a door on the left side of the main room. Pushing the door open, you would find a bedroom inside. The bedroom was very simple. A door panel was placed on two long benches to serve as a bed. The bedding on the bed was also tattered. At the foot of the bed was an old stool with a few pieces of clothing folded on it.
At the far end of the bedroom, there is another door. Pushing it open, you'll find a small courtyard, no more than four or five square meters, but enough for drying clothes.
Yan Xiaoqiang looked around and became more and more satisfied. Although the furniture and bedding were old and worn, the house was very clean. The snow-white walls were free of any mold, and the floor was painted red, giving off a slight shine.
This house is not expensive at 600 yuan, but it would be even better if it were cheaper.
"Comrade Fei, what's the lowest price you can sell this house for?" Yan Xiaoqiang asked.
Old Fei stroked his few remaining hairs on his beard and said, “I’ll sell it for six hundred yuan, not a penny less. My daughter isn’t doing well either, so I have to give her one hundred yuan. After all, who knows when we’ll see each other again. Building a house back home costs over a hundred yuan. I’m currently a temporary worker, so I don’t have a retirement pension. I need to save the rest of my money for retirement.”
As Yan Xiaoqiang listened to Old Man Fei's rambling account of his short future, a bitter feeling welled up in his heart. He had left his hometown to follow his daughter to the big city, but would he end up like Old Man Fei, returning to his starting point?
Thinking of this, Yan Xiaoqiang agreed to the price of six hundred yuan. Old Fei was overjoyed. Worried that Yan Xiaoqiang would change his mind, he quickly took the property certificate and went to the housing management office to transfer the property.
Old Fei took a wad of money and counted it several times before he could count it all. He carefully hid the money in the pocket of his inner garment, planning to sew it up with needle and thread later so that no one could steal it.
"Qiangzi, I'll go to my workplace to settle my accounts tomorrow, then buy a train ticket. I'll be leaving no later than the day after tomorrow. Here's the key; take it for now, and you can change the lock later." Old Fei handed Yan Xiaoqiang a key.
Yan Xiaoqiang took the keys: "Comrade Fei, I have a favor to ask you. If my fellow villager asks, just say that the house is rented to me, and the rent is one yuan and fifty cents a month, is that okay?"
Old Fei understood immediately. They said they were from the same hometown, but their relationship probably wasn't that great. However, at least they had introduced him to a client, so he decided to give them two yuan as a referral fee before they left.
Yan Xiaoqiang nodded repeatedly, saying that he would also give three or four yuan as a reward to make life a little easier for the old bachelor.
My daughter will be back the day after tomorrow, and Old Man Fei should have left by then. I'll let my daughter see if the house I chose is good. Yan Xiaoqiang rode his bicycle home with a sense of pride.
As soon as Yan Xiaoqiang pushed open the gate of the courtyard house, he smelled the aroma of food, and his stomach immediately rumbled. He thought, "When choosing a wife, one must choose a virtuous one." His mother was absolutely right. Cuihua was so good. Not only did she give him a daughter, but she also managed the whole house perfectly. With Cuihua at home, he didn't have to worry about anything.
Grandma Yan sat in a chair, leisurely smoking her water pipe. The water in the pipe gurgled with each inhale, emitting a pleasant aroma. This aroma was quite deceptive; if you accidentally inhaled a puff of the water, you would know what bitterness truly meant.
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