This man is Xiao Qiao'er's father, Tao Wan's mother was convinced of it. Otherwise, why would anyone nervously introduce themselves as the prefect's son-in-law? Why would they emphasize this identity to a child?
"You're my dad, you're my dad!" Little Qiao'er cried and tried to pry the man's legs off.
"Nonsense!" The man frowned, his face darkened, and he kicked at Xiao Qiao'er.
Tao Wan's mother reacted quickly and immediately pulled Xiao Qiao'er back.
"Little Qiao'er, this person isn't your father. You've mistaken him for someone else. Let's go!" Tao Wan's mother covered Little Qiao'er's mouth with one hand and held the child's waist with the other, forcefully pulling the struggling Little Qiao'er away.
“Little Qiao’er, be good. Grandma Tao will go and find out about this person for you. Even if he is your father, a father who doesn’t acknowledge his own child is better off without him!”
"Waaah~ Daddy~" Little Qiao'er sobbed, her already travel-worn face now even dirtier, looking like a tangled cat.
"Mother, Xiao Qiao must have mistaken someone for someone else. That's a very important person," Ling Dahu said weakly. His tall and imposing figure was enough to make anyone's heart tremble.
"Let's go, let's go to the brokerage first!" Tao Wanniang said, pulling Xiao Qiao'er along, her face grave.
When the broker saw Tao Wanniang and her group, he clearly ignored them. There was a constant influx of refugees into Shanhai Prefecture, but these refugees were all penniless and came to the brokerage in search of work.
"Do you have any houses for rent around here?" Tao Wan's mother asked bluntly. "We're looking for a place for our family to live, the cheaper the better!"
"Ha!" Tao Wanniang's words drew a burst of ridicule from the brokers.
"Auntie, the cheaper the better! Do you even have any money?"
"Now that we've come to you, we sincerely want to rent a house. What, are you going to turn down money?" Tao Wanniang said sternly, looking at the condescending broker.
This was clearly a low-paying job, and not many people were willing to take it on. But a young, naive-looking man stepped forward and said, "Auntie, we do have houses available, but it depends on what price range you're looking for."
"Judging from the number of you, you must want a four-bedroom apartment, right? This price isn't cheap; it usually costs three hundred coins a month. Auntie, are you really that wealthy?" the broker, Xiao Lu, asked patiently. "Besides, our brokerage's rule is to charge 10% as brokerage fee."
“I know the rules, young man. You look kind, so why don’t you find us a place to stay? Three hundred coins is too expensive. Do you have any cheaper options?”
Tao Wanniang sighed. This kind of self-aggrandizement exists everywhere!
“Auntie, a four-bedroom house for 300 coins isn’t expensive. If you go up, there are houses for 500 coins, and if you go down, there are still 250 coins. Moreover, the cheaper the house, the more dilapidated it is. You have a child with you. What I mean is, if you have money, you should stay somewhere better.”
Tao Wanniang did the math and realized that they would need to rent a house for a while, which would cost 500 coins a month, and 6 taels of silver a year. There would be many expenses in the future, so they should save some money on rent.
"We want something cheap. Um...we're renting it for a year first, so it doesn't matter if it's a bit run-down or old. We don't care even if it's haunted!"
Tao Wanniang spoke firmly, and as soon as she spoke, not only the Ling family looked at her in surprise, but also the people from the brokerage firm looked over.
"You want something even if it's haunted? You must be broke!"
Some people in the brokerage firm made sarcastic remarks and even sneered mercilessly.
What do you know? Ghosts and such, you can't see them anyway. Most ghost stories are just rumors.
Tao Wanniang looked around with a cold expression.
"Xiao Lu, isn't that two-courtyard mansion on West Street supposed to be haunted? Since this lady doesn't mind, why don't you take her there to have a look? If you want, it'll be three hundred coins a month."
An older man came out; he had clearly also heard what Tao Wanniang had said.
"Auntie, if you want it, our brokerage firm will break our rules and let you pay rent every month. Because, you know, I'm afraid you'll just stay one night and then run away!"
"Uncle Chen, this isn't a good idea, they have children!" Xiao Lu said with difficulty.
“We’re fine!” Tao Wan’s mother said first. “Let’s go take a look first, young man. Hurry up, we need to settle in as soon as possible.”
Xiao Lu glanced at the sky; it was still a while before dark, perfect time to go see the haunted house.
"Auntie, let's go then. But let me be clear, this house is haunted."
"Has anyone died?" Tao Wanniang asked directly.
Xiao Lu was taken aback, then said, "No, but the homeowner saw a white shadow floating by, and the candles that were just lit went out without any wind. Also, the windows would open by themselves in the middle of the night..."
"What kind of haunted house is it if no one has died there!" Tao Wanniang exclaimed. "Do you know how many people have died in some remote mountain villages in the Shanhai Prefecture this time, which suffered from drought and locust plagues?"
"Some people eat tree bark and clay every day, and when they die, their stomachs are hard and bulging!"
"Some even died of thirst, collapsing on the road, where the sun infested them with maggots, and white worms crawled out..."
"Stop, stop, stop, ma'am, don't even mention it, it's broad daylight and it's giving me the creeps!" Xiao Lu shivered and immediately said.
Tao Wanniang did it on purpose, and she was saying it to her own people. Wasn't it scary to have fled all the way through famine? Wasn't it scary to have bandits trying to kill them? They've survived all that, why would they be afraid of something that's just a figment of their imagination?
Ling Dapeng, who was pushing the cart, was stunned for a moment, then immediately said, "That's right, we're not afraid at all. We still have a father down there who will protect us!"
Tao Wan's mother glanced back at her youngest son. Good, at least she had some peace of mind!
The two-courtyard house on West Street—just looking at the gate, Tao Wanniang fell in love with it. The house was not only not dilapidated, but also quite new.
"This house has changed hands three times. The first family liked it at first sight, but sold it a month later, saying they heard a mournful female ghost singing every night, and the whole family was going crazy. They sold the house for half price!"
"The second household was also daring. After buying the house, they hired a Taoist priest to perform rituals, repainted the exterior walls, and replaced the main gate. They managed to survive for two months, but eventually, they couldn't hold on any longer!"
"The third household is the current owner. He bought it at a bargain price, but he didn't live in it himself; he just wanted to collect rent!"
"It hasn't been rented out yet?" After entering the house, Tao Wanniang looked at the abandoned front yard and felt it was a pity. Wouldn't it be better to order food like this?
"They rented it out, and in less than a month, they ran off without asking for the money back!"
Tao Wanniang liked it more and more as she looked at it. It was a two-courtyard house with plenty of rooms. If she made money in the future, she could buy the house and it would be enough for her family to live in.
"Why is this well covered? Doesn't it produce water?" Tao Wanniang asked, puzzled when she saw the well in the backyard covered with a thick layer of stones.
"And this slab of Taihu stones is exquisite, but there's no pond in this house, so it feels a bit out of place."
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