Although the alley leading to the Weng family's house is deep, it's only a ten-minute walk from the post office, which is quite close.
Besides, two yuan a month is less than Cuiju's monthly salary in a year, so she thinks it's a good deal.
Isn't this better than squeezing into someone else's dorm room?
Tang Cuiju thought her younger sister's words made sense; it's best not to trouble others if possible.
So, obediently, I went with Xiao Jiu to the guesthouse and booked a room for 15 cents a night. I had to check out before noon the next day.
Tang Cuiju didn't bring much luggage when she came. She thought that after getting her job settled and transferring her household registration to her workplace the next day, she would have to go home and bring her luggage.
When they arrived at the Weng family home, the two elders, upon hearing that Xiaojiu's sister wanted to rent a room, instinctively wanted to waive the rent.
However, Xiao Jiu silently shook her head at them.
"Grandpa and Grandma Weng, let me show my sister around first. If it's suitable, we'll settle down. She just found a job at the post office, which is quite close to our home."
"Okay, this place is indeed close. If your sister doesn't work the night shift, you don't need to worry about safety."
Our alley is a bit dark, but the security is still pretty good.
"Come, come, this is the west wing of the main house, and it also has a small side room where you can cook."
"The west room is a bit bigger than the single rooms in the east and west wings. I originally wanted three yuan, but if it's for your sister, Xiaojiu, then... I'll give you a discount? How about one yuan?"
When Cuiju realized they knew each other, she quickly waved her hand and said, "No need, no need."
Neither of the sisters is the type to take advantage of others.
The main house faces south, and the central hall has been converted into a large room. The doors to the east and west rooms are now located next to the windows. This renovation allows them to charge for an extra room.
Surprisingly, the west room is quite bright, with clean window paper pasted on the windows and an additional layer of glass on the outside, making it double-insulated.
There was a shelf and a basin stand by the south-facing window.
There was an old desk in front of the north window, and next to the desk was an old wooden bed that was 1.5 meters wide and 2 meters long, which looked sturdy.
On the left side against the wall stand two sets of old wardrobes.
"This house was previously occupied by an official from the Cultural Bureau. He was temporarily transferred here. He preferred quiet and didn't like living in a dormitory."
He's from Shanghai and his family is well-off. He bought all these old furniture pieces from a recycling center and had them re-sanded and repainted.
This house, too, was painted white, even the window paper was newly pasted. I lived here for a year and a half, and only left last month after completing the paperwork.
Xiao Jiu glanced at the house and thought it was nice; no wonder the old lady was planning to charge three yuan a month.
Such a clean house is worth it, even if it's only five yuan a month, let alone three yuan.
Ye Zhen said that the prices of houses in the surrounding area have all increased, some by five to eight yuan, because of the housing shortage.
It's likely that if the Weng family hadn't suffered hardships in the past and worried about being criticized for raising prices too much, this house wouldn't be so cheap.
There is a shared water pipe in the yard, a back door and a toilet in the back yard, and the front yard is also quite spacious, where the elderly couple grow vegetables.
Tenants piled up coal briquettes and stoves at their doorsteps, and the shelves at the entrance were for storing kitchen supplies.
Compared to other places, the west wing here has an extra side room, which is definitely worth three dollars a month.
"After the previous clerk moved out, several households came to visit and wanted to move in, but they backed out when they heard it was only three yuan a month."
"It's fortunate you came before the New Year; even if you had come back after the New Year, you might not have been able to keep the house. What do you two sisters think?"
Xiao Jiu glanced at Tang Cuiju, who also thought the house was good value for money and immediately nodded.
The old lady was very happy to see that the two sisters had passed the test, because it meant that she could be closer to Xiaojiu in the future.
So he secretly approached the two sisters and said, "If they ask, just say it was rented for three dollars and fifty cents, and I'll give you two dollars back."
Xiao Jiu couldn't help but laugh, "Grandma Weng, didn't you just say three yuan?"
The old lady, not caring about the steamed bun but about her pride, pouted and said, "The family in the middle of the west wing said they can't rent it out for three yuan."
Xiao Jiu chuckled, "Okay, then it's three yuan and fifty cents. Sis, everyone who asks says three yuan and fifty cents, so do I have to register at the neighborhood committee?"
"Yes, yes, but didn't you say your household registration hasn't been settled yet? Don't worry, once it's settled, I'll take you to register."
Xiao Jiu looked around the house. "This house is so big. I'll go to the scrap yard again and see if I can get any decent furniture. If there's a suitable small bed, I can tidy it up and bring it over. Sister, if I don't want to go home in the future, I can come and stay here with you!"
"You don't need to buy a coal stove anymore. When that young man left, he gave me his coal stove. You can just buy coal and cook. Water is charged per person, eight cents a month per person. Electricity is charged according to the meter, one cent per kilowatt-hour. I'll write down the numbers for you later."
"Grandma Weng, how do we pay the rent?"
"One month's deposit plus three months' rent in advance. You don't need to pay the deposit for this month. I trust Xiao Jiu."
Upon hearing this, Cuiju quickly counted out six yuan and handed it over, which the old lady accepted.
"Okay, then I'll take the money. Let's start counting from February 1st. I won't charge you for the last few days."
Then Cuiju got the house key.
"I have one key, and your sister has the other. If you want to switch them, just give me the lock later."
After the two left, Xiao Jiu spent 2.2 yuan at the supply and marketing cooperative to buy three locks: one large and two small.
"Sister, we'll lock this bigger lock on the outside door later. We'll use these two smaller locks, one for the cabinet inside the house and the other for the small cabinet in the outer side room. I'll keep the keys with me so you don't have to go back and forth to get them. We'll change them when you come home tomorrow to bring your things over."
Cuiju had no objections whatsoever; in fact, she felt as if the day had been a dream.
"Do I really have an urban household registration? Will I be able to get government-subsidized grain rations from now on?"
"Of course, once your household registration is settled, you'll have to go back home to transfer your grain rations. After that, you'll be a true city dweller."
When you go to the city tomorrow, ask about how to apply for the coal mining license and other related documents. Since you're living nearby, don't eat at the canteen; cook at home instead.
So the two sisters returned to the guesthouse, rested, and wrote down on a piece of paper what they needed to buy for their home.
You don't know until you write it down, and once you start writing, you're shocked: "I never knew I needed to buy so many things."
"It's okay, sis. Just go back and bring your bedding and clothes. We'll get the rest later."
"I'm going on vacation soon too. I have a thermos and bedding in my dorm, so I won't bring them home. You can use them for now."
Not only that, Xiao Jiu plans to buy all the grains, oils, vegetables, and fruits, and also some pots and pans.
Setting up a home is not easy, but it also means that Tang Cuiju is becoming independent, and at least her eldest sister will no longer have to worry about her.
First there were my third sister, fifth sister, and sixth sister, and now there's my second sister too.
Actually, Fourth Sister doesn't need to worry too much; she and Niu Feng have already started corresponding.
Although she only replied to one of the many letters he wrote, it was at least a good start.
Only when her sisters have their own plans will the eldest sister worry about her own affairs.
Her self-sacrifice is ingrained and cannot be changed.
Fortunately, with the help of the fourth, fifth, and sixth brothers, as well as her, the ninth brother, everyone has managed to get by so far.
She had originally planned to go back home a few days later for the Chinese New Year this year, and take advantage of this time before the New Year to release some more products.
It just so happens that my second sister has rented a place. She's new here and there must be a lot of things she's not used to. Having her here can keep her company.
The two ate dinner at a state-run restaurant, ordering two bowls of clear soup noodles, and bought four or five steamed buns before leaving.
Considering that eating only steamed buns was tasteless, Xiaojiu also gave Cuiju a small jar of pickled vegetables.
"Sister, take these food coupons and change. I have class tomorrow, so I won't go with you. Just go at the agreed time."
Sister Zhen will definitely come to help you. After you've handed over your work and completed the onboarding procedures, go with Aunt Cao to get back on your feet as soon as possible.
After you register your household registration, take the new household registration back home to handle your grain rations. They will definitely explain it to you tomorrow. If you can't remember it, write it down in a small notebook.
Don't forget anything, or I'll have to run back and forth again. It's almost the end of the month, but I reckon we won't start working until the 1st of next month.
After carefully explaining everything, Xiao Jiu returned to school. That night, after her roommates had all gone to sleep, she sneaked into the warehouse again.
I organized several sets of bedding in the staff duty room, but unfortunately, these beddings were all made of silk floss, not cotton, and were not warm at all.
It's completely unsuitable for people of this era; it seems we'll have to buy cotton instead.
Besides these, she also collected some pots and pans that the former employees used. She only used the pots, but didn't touch the bowls, basins, or even towels. She put them all aside so that she could give them to her second sister later.
She also pulled down the bed curtains in the staff duty room, and after cleaning them tomorrow, she would take them to her second sister's place, saving her the trouble of buying more.
The two curtains were about the same size as those in the rental apartment, and she thought they were of pretty good quality!
With final exams approaching, I've been doing practice problems and papers every day, from morning till night, and my head is buzzing.
Sure enough, as soon as get out of class ended on Monday morning, I heard the loudspeaker in the gatehouse go off. When I ran to the door, I saw Tang Cuiju.
"Second sister, how did it go? Is it all done?"
Cuiju excitedly showed her the brand-new household registration booklet, saying, "It's done! It's a collective household registration at our post office."
"Oh, that's great! Did everything go smoothly?"
The second sister nodded vigorously, "This is my work ID. The handover went smoothly, and I've already checked out of the guesthouse."
I just came to let you know that I need to go home in a bit to get all the necessary documents processed. They asked me to come back on Wednesday to familiarize myself with the work process; it's been quite busy lately, especially with the year-end approaching, so I'm starting early.
"Oh, that works too. If there are any year-end bonuses, I'll send them to Aunt Cao later."
Cuiju laughed when she heard this, "We don't need to worry about it. The union people already told me and Aunt Cao at the same time."
"That's great! It saves us the trouble of having someone to take care of things. What's the deal with the dorms?"
"It would probably be difficult to get a place in a year or two, so renting this house was a good decision."
"Alright, it's time to eat. You should go back and eat now. I also need to catch my bus at the station. See you in a few days."
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