Chapter 12 I'll take him away now
These words surprised not only Song Xinran but also Huang Yun.
Wow, such a nice apartment only costs 180 a month to rent?!
When she chatted with the previous tenant, she asked about the rent. The tenant complained bitterly, saying it was 230 yuan a month! And the landlord wouldn't negotiate. They were new to town then and didn't know any better. Later they realized they'd been ripped off; the highest rent for a place in the same area was only 220 yuan.
Huang Yun had seen this house before; it was filled with stuff and she couldn't tell if it was good or bad. She thought they might have overpaid for it.
But looking at it today, I realize it's not expensive at all; it's clearly a great deal!
When Huang Yun first came to see the apartment, she thought Wan Mei would charge a high rent, since Wan Mei had spent money to renovate it later, and she was worried that Song Xinran wouldn't be able to afford it.
Upon hearing the price, Huang Yun almost thought she had misheard; it was far too cheap!
In their area, the rent for a two-bedroom apartment is never less than two hundred.
Song Xinran was also surprised; the price was far lower than she had expected.
She asked sincerely, "Sister Mei, you're not joking, are you?"
Wan Mei said, "Of course not. As you know, the price is relatively low, so I need to make some things clear beforehand. The minimum lease term is six months, so I hope you will take good care of it. Also, I need a deposit of 300 yuan, which I will return to you if there are no problems when you terminate the lease."
Hearing this, Huang Yun hesitated again. The deposit of three hundred yuan was more than a month's rent.
If Wanmei doesn't return the deposit, wouldn't we lose a lot of money? Besides, Wanmei has a history of not returning deposits.
Unexpectedly, Song Xinran made the final decision: "Okay, Sister Mei, it's as you said, a deposit of three hundred."
Wan Mei rarely met such a straightforward person, so she added, "Don't worry, young lady, I will write the details of the deposit in the contract, and it will be fully refunded when you check out if there are no problems."
Song Xinran smiled and said, "I know you, Sister Mei. You seem like a very capable person. I will take good care of the house, so I won't worry about these things."
Wan Mei smiled as the two agreed to sign the contract and get the keys in the afternoon, after which they could move in.
Song Xinran was very happy. As soon as she stepped out the door, she said to Huang Yun, "Sister Yun, thank you so much for today. I was able to rent such a nice house. It's almost noon now, so don't go back. Let's just grab something to eat outside."
Huang Yun looked worried and pulled Song Xinran aside, saying, "Xinran, you need to think this through. A deposit of three hundred is not a small amount."
Moreover, there's room for manipulation here; once the money is given to someone else, whether or not it's refunded is entirely up to them.
Song Xinran smiled: "Sister Yun, I know you're thinking of me, but I really like this house. Besides, Sister Mei's rent is very low, so I've already gotten a good deal. It doesn't matter if the deposit is a little higher. I can't always be the one benefiting."
There's no such thing as a situation where you always benefit from something. If that's the case, be wary that it might be a trap.
Although she had only known Wan Mei for a short time, Song Xinran could tell that Wan Mei wasn't the kind of person who was petty. The high deposit was just to protect the house. Since Wan Mei cherished the house, she naturally wasn't worried about that.
Huang Yun thought about it and agreed. Looking at Song Xinran again, she felt that she was a wise and decisive person, and her goodwill towards her increased even more: "Okay, you can move here from now on. We'll live close by. Just call me if you need any help."
Unable to resist Song Xinran's insistence, Huang Yun had lunch with her at a restaurant outside.
The two ordered one meat dish and one vegetable dish, twice-cooked pork and stir-fried greens, which cost a total of 13 yuan.
After the dishes were served, Huang Yun said, "Eat them while they're hot. I told you to come to my house for dinner, but you refused. You said you wanted to try the food at a restaurant. Now try it. This restaurant has been open for several years and is doing very well."
Song Xinran smiled. She was just preparing for her future restaurant business by trying more local dishes and figuring out what people liked.
She picked up a slightly curled slice of stir-fried meat and put it in her mouth. The first thing her tongue tasted was the rich flavor of fermented bean paste and other seasonings. The lean meat was firm, and the fat was juicy.
She then tasted the side dish in the twice-cooked pork. The green garlic sprouts were a bit overcooked, but they were of good quality, with a fresh aroma that cleverly balanced the greasiness of the pork.
Overall, Song Xinran thought the dish was barely acceptable, maybe a tiny bit better than what she'd had at the glass factory canteen.
The biggest problem is that the meat isn't cooked properly. A truly good twice-cooked pork should have each slice fried into a "lamp-shaped" shape, so that it's fatty but not greasy, and the aroma of the meat fills the air as you chew.
This requires a certain level of knife skill; the slices must be neither too thin nor too thick, and each slice must be uniform so that they curl slightly when stir-fried. However, the meat slices in restaurants are of varying thicknesses, resulting in a lack of flavor; the meat slices are either too tough or too fatty.
As Huang Yun ate, she said, "Is the food alright? This restaurant is one of the best in town."
Song Xinran didn't want to tell the truth, so she said, "It's alright."
Huang Yun exclaimed, "My family's twice-cooked pork can't taste this good. Restaurant owners really know how to make it."
Song Xinran thought for a moment and said, "Sister Yun, once I move in, I'll cook twice-cooked pork for you. You can come and try it then."
Huang Yun became interested; she was also a foodie: "From what you're saying, you must be very good at cooking."
Song Xinran modestly said, "I can only eat a lot, and I like it, so I often think about it. To be honest, Sister Yun, I came to town to rent a place to set up a stall and sell some food."
“Selling food is a good idea. The cost is low, and as long as the food tastes good, you can make money,” Huang Yun affirmed.
Song Xinran poured Huang Yun a glass of water: "Actually, I was a little worried at first. I used to work at a glass factory in town, and I saw that most of the people selling things at the stalls outside were elderly. I was afraid that they wouldn't be able to make money and no one would do it."
Huang Yun: "You definitely came at the wrong time and in the wrong place. For example, there are plenty of people setting up stalls outside the school gate every day after school!"
Huang Yun leaned closer and whispered, "There are definitely people who make money from this, but no one wants to say it. You don't know unless you've bought those things. They're not cheap either, but those students love to buy them to eat."
Song Xinran smiled and said, "Sister Yun, thank you so much. Although I was already preparing to sell food, I was still feeling very uneasy. After hearing your words, I finally feel a little more at ease."
Song Xinran had been to the town a few times, but she always returned before the students were dismissed, so she didn't know how lively it was. She usually saw that there weren't many people setting up stalls in other places, and they mostly sold things like rice candy and biscuits.
Huang Yun paused, then lowered her voice even further: "Business is good at the school, you can make money there. All those stalls and vendors have banded together and are very exclusive with outsiders. But I only heard this from others, so it doesn't count. Don't worry."
Song Xinran laughed; she felt that nothing was more terrible than poverty.
After lunch, Huang Yun took Song Xinran for a walk around the town, telling her which places usually had many vendors, but since it was late afternoon, no one was setting up their stalls.
"You'll understand when you get to town." Huang Yun always said this at the end.
Song Xinran was also filled with enthusiasm and energy, as if there was gold everywhere, making her wish she could pick it up right now.
In the afternoon, Song Xinran went to the bank to withdraw 500 yuan, signed a rental contract with Wan Mei, paid 480 yuan, and Wan Mei gave her the key and left.
Song Xinran sat on a lounge chair in the living room. A cool afternoon breeze drifted in through the half-open window, bringing a refreshing coolness.
Her gaze swept over the square wooden table, the four matching stools, the clean and flat floor, and the snow-white ceiling. A smile couldn't help but appear on her face. For a long time to come, this would be her and Song Yu's home.
She stood up and looked around the room, bathroom, and kitchen. She remembered Song Yu saying that she was a little afraid of pigs when taking a bath. When the little one said that, his shoulders trembled in sync with the scene, and his eyes were wide open, looking both pitiful and adorable.
If we put a bathtub in the bathroom and buy two bath ducks, Song Yu shouldn't be scared anymore.
Song Xinran can't wait to bring her little one here. Will he like this new home?
On the way back, Song Xinran bought another pound of meat, but Huang Yun insisted on only charging the cost price. Song Xinran thought that when she moved to town, she would definitely cook more food and treat Huang Yun to more meals.
On her way home, Song Xinran mentally recorded her expenses again. She had spent a total of 27 yuan today, and had 17 yuan left in cash. She withdrew 500 yuan from her savings account to pay rent, leaving her with 20 yuan. Now she only had 37 yuan in pocket money, and half of her savings had been used up.
Although the money is dwindling, the future looks increasingly promising.
Song Xinran carried the meat and walked briskly towards her home. Before she even got close, a little girl of about four or five years old ran over and glanced at her with her eyes, as if she had something to say but didn't dare to.
Song Xinran was in a good mood today. Seeing that the little girl looked familiar, she smiled and asked, "Little sister, is there anything I can help you with?"
The little girl leaned closer to her and whispered, "Song Yu is kneeling in the dam area."
After saying that, he ran away in a flash.
Song Xinran was taken aback, her brows furrowed, and she ran home in a few quick steps.
Song Yu wasn't on the threshing floor in front of the house. The gate was ajar. Song Xinran strode towards the house, and as she got closer, she suddenly heard cursing coming from inside:
"How come you break a cup just by asking me to fetch some water? You're four years old and you still can't do anything!"
"What are you thinking, you pig-brain? I spent several dollars on that cup!" It was Cai Yongde's voice, rough and angry.
Another child's voice rang out: "Make him pay! If he doesn't have money, sell him!"
A child's sobbing voice rang out: "Don't sell me, boohoo."
Song Xinran's expression changed drastically. She ran up in two steps and pushed the door open.
Cai Yongde was sitting on the sofa with a pile of broken porcelain shards in front of him, his face full of anger.
Cai Yang nestled to the side, holding an orange in his hand, his mouth smeared with juice, watching TV with great interest.
What about Song Yu...?
He knelt on the cold ground, his small body trembling with sobs. Hearing the sound, he raised his head in alarm, his eyes filled with fear.
Upon seeing it was her, she sobbed even harder, whispering, "Mom, Mom."
Song Xinran couldn't describe the feeling in her heart at that moment. It was like being pricked by a fine thorn. She pursed her lips, took a few steps to Song Yu, and picked him up.
The child was probably too scared to stand up; his body was limp.
Upon seeing her suppressed anger and dark, brooding expression, Cai Yang immediately rolled off the sofa, feeling frightened, and ran quickly out the door to find his mother.
Cai Yongde's eyes flickered with panic for a moment, wondering why Song Xinran, who usually returned at five or six o'clock, had come two hours earlier today.
"Xinran, you're back so early today," Cai Yongde said.
Song Xinran didn't answer him, but instead lowered her head to comfort the sobbing child.
Cai Yongde felt a little embarrassed and coughed lightly: "Xiao Yu is four years old and he can still break a cup. He has always lived in our house. I am his uncle and I am disciplining him for his own good."
Song Xinran looked up and gave him a cold glance: "I don't need you to help me educate him. I'll take care of Xiao Yu myself from now on. I'll take him away now."
A note from the author:
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