Just as they reached the entrance of the dining hall, they ran into Jiang Guojun. Lin Aiyun first gestured for Zhang Wenhua and the others to go in and eat, then pulled him aside to talk in the corridor.
“That’s the whole story. I don’t think we can keep her in the household.”
After hearing the full sequence of events, Jiang Guojun’s thick brows knitted tightly. He first reassured Lin Aiyun a few words, then said he would make sure this matter was properly resolved, and hurried off.
Seeing that, Lin Aiyun breathed a sigh of relief. It was best to leave this to Jiang Guojun to handle—after all, she was new and didn’t want to blow things up. She watched him leave, then turned and went into the dining hall for breakfast.
But she never expected this incident to keep escalating—and eventually even drag Xiao Juan into it.
After breakfast, seeing that Zhang Wenhua and the others were still in low spirits—and feeling rather down herself—Lin Aiyun couldn’t stay cooped up in her room. After some thought, she suggested they go for a walk around the neighborhood. The others were naturally happy to oblige.
So the four of them set out together, walking along the main road. From the car ride over, they had already known this area was large and lush with greenery. But now that they were actually exploring on foot, they felt the truth of it even more.
Tall locust trees lined both sides of the road, their shade blocking the glaring sun. The street was quiet and tidy, with only an occasional passerby.
Perhaps stung by Zhao Chunxia’s words, even the easygoing Lin Jianzhi and Lin Wenkang had changed into the new clothes they’d had specially made before coming to the capital. They’d even combed their hair, looking quite presentable. With their naturally decent features, they now seemed even more spirited.
“Look over there—people are fishing.” Lin Jianzhi pointed at a group of elderly men gathered in a corner by the small lake, his voice tinged with excitement.
Hearing this, Lin Aiyun stood on tiptoe to get a better look, then teased: “Dad’s eyesight is pretty good.”
“Hehe.” A little embarrassed, Lin Jianzhi rubbed his nose. “I’ll go take a look…”
He paused mid-step, as if remembering something, and a hint of hesitation crossed his face. “Never mind. They probably won’t want to talk to me.”
Lin Aiyun’s heart sank. Before she could say anything, Zhang Wenhua gave him a nudge. “You haven’t even gone yet—how do you know they won’t talk to you? Besides, you’re a darn good fisherman—you’re an expert. Go take a look. If you really can’t get along, just come find us. We’ll walk along this road.”
Hearing his wife give the green light, Lin Jianzhi gained back some confidence. After a moment’s hesitation, he walked forward, glancing back to remind them: “Then walk slow. I’ll just take a quick look.”
“Alright, go on.” Zhang Wenhua waved at him, smiling gently.
They watched as Lin Jianzhi trotted over to the lake. He seemed to strike up a conversation, and then one of the men waved him over and handed him a spare fishing rod, all smiles—they appeared to be hitting it off.
“Let’s go. Your father probably won’t come chasing after us. We’ll call him on our way back.” Zhang Wenhua shook her head with a knowing smile.
Lin Aiyun looked at her mother’s profile, lowered her gaze, and curved her lips.
Being willing to try integrating into a new life—that was a good thing.
“All the houses around here are big courtyard homes. Our family doesn’t need to rent something that large. How about we go farther out?” After walking around a while, Zhang Wenhua spoke up.
Lin Wenkang chimed in: “I think the kind we had before was just fine—one room for Dad and Mom, one for Sis and Brother-in-law, and one for me. That’s enough. Bigger places don’t feel like home—I prefer smaller ones.”
Hearing this, Zhang Wenhua rolled her eyes at him, but couldn’t hide her smile. “Who doesn’t like big houses? You kid—you’ve got no ambition.”
“Who says I have no ambition? I want to earn lots and lots of money, buy you all kinds of good food, and nice clothes!” Lin Wenkang puffed out his chest, eyebrows raised.
“Alright then, we’ll be waiting.” Lin Aiyun laughed so hard she could barely contain herself. The three of them teased each other a while longer before she pointed in another direction: “Let’s go this way. We’ll be out of here soon.”
Zhang Wenhua was surprised. “Aiyun, how do you know?”
“Xiao Cheng roughly explained the layout of this area to me yesterday.” Lin Aiyun guiltily made up an excuse, then quickly changed the subject: “The residents around here should know if there are any rooms for rent. Let’s ask around a few places and compare prices.”
Zhang Wenhua had no objections. Lin Wenkang, still a half-grown boy, knew nothing about such matters and just stood by as a bodyguard, nodding and agreeing to whatever his mother and sister said.
The three followed the path Lin Aiyun pointed out, and sure enough, soon arrived at a street with a few small shops selling simple snacks. Spotting a stall selling lüdagun (glutinous rice rolls with sweet bean paste), they bought a portion.
“They call this ‘lüdagun’? What a strange name. But it’s pretty tasty.” Lin Wenkang popped one into his mouth—full of bean aroma, soft and chewy, wonderfully fragrant.
“It’s an old Beijing snack—they don’t sell it back home.” After such a long time, having it again, Lin Aiyun couldn’t help but eat a few more before leaving the rest for Zhang Wenhua and Lin Wenkang.
“Never had it before—it’s really good. We’ll bring some back for your father later. He loves this kind of thing.” Zhang Wenhua said, not forgetting Lin Jianzhi even as she ate. Seeing they didn’t have enough, Lin Aiyun bought two more portions.
Having made several sales so early in the morning, the vendor’s face was practically split with smiles. He threw in two extra pieces and asked casually, “By your accents, you sound like you’re from the south.”
“Yes, we just arrived in the capital a couple of days ago. Uncle, are you a local?” Lin Aiyun’s mind turned quickly as she responded with a smile.
The vendor wasn’t surprised. In recent years, with the unstable situation, many out-of-towners had flooded into the capital seeking refuge. Even the family next door to his was a household that had just arrived from Shanghai.
Seeing that the young woman before him was pretty and polite, the vendor smiled and replied, “Yes, born and bred here.”
Lin Aiyun chatted with him a bit more about the capital’s good food and fun spots before letting out a troubled sigh: “Uncle, I’d like to ask you about something—is that alright?”
Her big round eyes were full of expectation, sparkling brightly—it was hard for anyone to say no. The vendor figured she just wanted to ask a question, nothing troublesome, and since there were no other customers at the moment, he nodded. “Of course there’s no harm in that. Go ahead, miss.”
Lin Aiyun exchanged a glance with Zhang Wenhua, then asked, “We’re new here and don’t really know where to go. Do you happen to know if there are any extra houses for rent nearby?”
“You’re looking to rent?” The vendor’s eyes lit up at that. He slapped his thigh and said, “Then you’ve come to the right person—my wife does exactly that for a living.”
“Really? That’s great! Where is your wife? We’d like to get this settled as soon as possible.” Lin Aiyun hadn’t expected to stumble upon a professional by accident—this would save them a lot of time.
“Wait here—I’ll go get her right now.” The vendor turned and walked into the shop, calling out a few times. Before long, a middle-aged woman in an apron emerged from the back, her hair pinned up, her face round and kindly looking.
“They’re looking to rent a place nearby. Why don’t you all sit and chat?” The vendor said as he brought over a few small stools.
Su Fengqin had been kneading dough in the kitchen and had been called out in a rush—her hands were still dirty. But she didn’t mind. Seeing that the three of them were all holding the lüdagun her shop sold, her smile grew a little warmer. When she heard they were looking to rent, that smile deepened even more.
She didn’t forget to invite them to sit: “Yes, have a seat. Don’t stand on ceremony. I’ll go wash my hands and be right over.”
“Alright, thank you.” Lin Aiyun smiled and nodded. No sooner had she sat down than Su Fengqin returned.
“My name is Su Fengqin. You all look younger than me—just call me Sister Qin like everyone else.” Formalities aside, she quickly got to the point. “What size place are you looking for? Any must-haves?”
Zhang Wenhua thought for a moment and tentatively said, “Preferably a bit larger—at least three rooms. A kitchen and a bathroom too.”
But as soon as she finished speaking, Su Fengqin’s expression changed. Looking a bit troubled, she said, “There are places like that, but they’re not cheap. And this area has a good location, so it’s a bit pricier than others.”
In the capital, most ordinary people lived in large communal courtyards, where several families shared the same kitchen and bathroom—let alone each having their own room.
For poorer families, it was common for a dozen or more people to crowd into a single room, with cloth partitions for makeshift privacy.
Zhang Wenhua paused for a moment, then asked directly, “What’s the usual price per month?”
Su Fengqin slowly quoted a number, and Zhang Wenhua sucked in a sharp breath—she hadn’t expected it to be so expensive. A few months’ rent would equal the cost of the house she’d built back in Nangou Village.
But she also knew this was the capital. Expenses were naturally higher—you couldn’t compare it to the countryside.
“Aiyun…” Zhang Wenhua instinctively looked at her daughter. Somehow, decision-making power in the family had gradually shifted to Lin Aiyun—perhaps because she was married now, and growing more independent by the day.
Lin Aiyun knew the price was reasonable, but still wanted to negotiate. “If we rent long-term, could the price be a bit more favorable?”
Seeing they were genuinely interested and thinking of the commission, Su Fengqin didn’t hesitate much before nodding. “I can knock it down a little, but not by too much—it’ll ultimately depend on the landlord’s attitude. I have three places that fit your requirements. When would you be free to take a look?”
“If it’s convenient for you, we can go now.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
The first place was at the end of this street, in an alleyway. The landlord’s family lived on the second floor. As soon as Su Fengqin called out, someone came down to open the door. Upon hearing they were there to see the place, they were very welcoming and even poured everyone a cup of water.
But no one was in the mood to drink—their eyes were all on the house.
It was a two-story building, looking like it had been built just a few years ago—quite new. It had a small yard, with some scallions and bok choy planted in the corner. The right side had a staircase leading to the second floor.
On the ground floor, walking through the door led straight into the living room, which held some clutter and a table with chairs—no other furniture. There were indeed three rooms, but all on the smaller side, empty of beds. Lin Aiyun estimated that after fitting a bed in, there’d be barely any space to move.
The kitchen was right next to the bathroom, which didn’t even have a door and looked rather unsanitary.
Overall, Lin Aiyun wasn’t very satisfied, but she didn’t show it. She smiled, discussed the price briefly, bid the landlord farewell, and followed Su Fengqin to the next place.
The two places were fairly far apart—Lin Aiyun estimated they’d walked nearly twenty minutes before arriving.
This one was set up like a large communal courtyard, with the landlord not living on-site. Su Fengqin had to go somewhere else to fetch them to open the door.
Inside the entrance was a big open area, with some laundry hanging out to dry in the middle. Most of the other tenants must have been at work, as there weren’t many people around. An old woman sat in the yard holding a little boy, both soaking up the sun. She gave them a once-over when they arrived, then looked away.
Not exactly friendly, but not hostile either.
There were currently two families living in the courtyard. The house they were there to see was on the right—a single-story bungalow, much larger than the previous one. Stepping inside, the living room had two cabinets and a table with chairs. To the left was a small storage room—tiny, but if the space was used efficiently, it could hold quite a bit.
The three bedrooms were also spacious, each containing three empty bed frames—and that was it.
The kitchen and bathroom were separate, located on opposite sides of the house, and both looked clean.
Lin Aiyun looked around and was quite satisfied. She could tell Zhang Wenhua felt the same. The mother and daughter exchanged a glance and understood each other’s meaning—but they couldn’t show it yet, or they’d lose leverage for bargaining.
Of course, they couldn’t negotiate in front of the other tenants. Lin Aiyun deliberately pulled the landlord aside, walking quite a distance away before bringing up the price.
The landlord was a relatively young woman, probably under thirty. Lin Aiyun started by complimenting her from head to toe, making her smile so wide she couldn’t close her mouth. She even gave her the lüdagun she’d bought earlier. Then she went on about how hard it was for their family to leave their homeland and the hardships they’d endured.
When you’re away from home, you make your own identity.
Lin Aiyun was a master at rambling on about all sorts of things, leaving Lin Wenkang dumbfounded beside her. Zhang Wenhua, by contrast, kept her composure and chimed in from time to time, even wiping away a few tears at the most emotional parts.
The landlord was completely taken in. Seeing how tough their situation was and taking a liking to Lin Aiyun, she eventually relented and lowered the price a bit.
With the most important matter settled, Lin Aiyun casually asked about the other two households. Learning that there were no difficult or odd characters among them, she felt a little more at ease.
The third place was even farther—they walked another thirty or forty minutes to get there. By then, the sun was high, and Lin Aiyun was sweating profusely. She mentally calculated the distance: it would take at least an hour to walk from here to the front gate of the Xiao residence.
This house was a detached single-story building with no yard, just an open space in front, about three or four meters from the road. Inside, the living room had some clutter but no furniture. There were four rooms, all roughly the same size—big enough to fit a bed and a wardrobe.
The kitchen and bathroom were also separate and fairly clean.
But when it came to negotiating, the landlord stood firm on the price, refusing to budge even with Su Fengqin’s help. Lin Aiyun didn’t push further.
After leaving, they found a nearby restaurant and treated Su Fengqin to a meal.
“Sister Qin, we still need to think it over. Once we decide, we’ll come find you at your shop.”
With a full stomach, Su Fengqin was in good spirits and readily agreed. After the meal, they chatted as they walked back, parting ways at the entrance of her shop.
“Aiyun, I think the second place is pretty good,” Zhang Wenhua said, weighing her thoughts.
Lin Aiyun nodded. “Good lighting, the right size, and cheaper than the other two.”
“The only thing is, we’d have to share a courtyard with others—that’ll take some getting used to,” Lin Wenkang added.
That was indeed a concern. A detached house with its own yard would be the most comfortable, but for now, there were no better options. And Lin Aiyun didn’t plan to keep them there long-term anyway—they needed to save up and buy their own place quickly. Otherwise, once private property sales were banned, they’d have to wait for public allocation, which would be highly competitive and favor senior employees. A tough road ahead.
But housing prices in the capital were a fortune in any era.
Just thinking about it gave her a headache. Life wasn’t easy.
“We haven’t settled on this one yet. Let’s look around some more tomorrow and get Dad’s opinion too.” There was something Lin Aiyun didn’t say: knowing Xiao Cheng’s temperament, if he found out about this, he would definitely not agree.
She’d deal with the evening matters when evening came—no point worrying now.
After a long day of running around, Lin Aiyun was tired. She sat on a stone bench by the roadside to rest a while before continuing on. When they reached the lakeside where they had parted ways with Lin Jianzhi, the group was still there.
Wow—someone had brought alcohol, and they were all gathered around drinking.
“Dad.” Lin Aiyun walked over and called out.
Her crisp, clear voice stood out among the group of older men, and everyone turned to look.
“Whose daughter is this? She’s so pretty!”
“Hehe, mine!” Lin Jianzhi’s cheeks were slightly flushed—he’d clearly had a fair bit to drink. But luckily his tolerance was decent; he wasn’t drunk.
“Little lady, care for a drink?” One of them grabbed a new cup and offered it warmly.
Lin Aiyun quickly shook her head. Seeing no ill intent from any of them, she smiled lightly, her eyes curving, and said, “Thank you, Uncle, but no need. My mother and brother are waiting over there for us to go back for dinner.”
Earlier, seeing Lin Jianzhi drinking from afar, Zhang Wenhua had been annoyed and refused to come call him herself, so she sent Lin Aiyun instead.
“Oh, I see. Your father mentioned you’re staying with the Xiao family. Could you be the new wife that Xiao Cheng kid just married?” The speaker wore an old sleeveless undershirt, fanned himself with a palm-leaf fan, and had a pair of glasses perched on his nose. He had a kindly, smiling face.
Hearing that, Lin Aiyun flushed slightly. It had only been her first day here—how had news already spread? Still, she nodded instinctively.
The others quickly caught on, and their looks toward her shifted.
“What! That grumpy Xiao Cheng managed to marry such a beautiful girl?”
“Little lady, he didn’t trick you, did he? That boy’s got more schemes than you can count!”
Lin Aiyun gave an awkward laugh. She could tell that Xiao Cheng didn’t have the best reputation among these old gentlemen—but the teasing tone made it clear it was more like elders joking about a younger generation.
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