At midnight, the lights in the eldest uncle's house were blazing.
The eldest uncle, Jiang Qitian, sat on the sofa with a stern face, his voice full of vigor and resonance.
"Didn't we agree you'd stay with me? How come you're backing out? Do you think my place isn't good enough?"
"Of course not. Your place is big and spacious, and you're so pleasant to talk to—I'd love to stay here every single day."
"It's just that I'm used to living alone. If I hadn't agreed to stay with you in the first place, my parents wouldn't have let me come to the city for high school!" Jiang Ning offered an excuse.
Jiang Qitian laughed. "You rascal! You've been playing games with your uncle this whole time?"
"I wouldn't dare. It was just a case of extenuating circumstances."
After chatting with his uncle for a while, Jiang Ning finally smoothed things over, and his uncle had no objections left.
Nearby, Shen Qing'e held her phone, watching anime and occasionally glancing sideways at Jiang Ning. Ever since he came back, he hadn't said a single word to her. She was annoyed inside—fine, if he wasn't going to talk, she wouldn't either!
The silent treatment—who couldn't do that?
His cousin, Jiang Junlong, was slumped over the dining table, wolfing down his food. He had just returned from a half-month trip with his classmates and was quite happy to see Jiang Ning at his house.
When they were kids, every time the holidays came around and he went back to the township, Jiang Ning would take him out into the fields to roast sweet potatoes, build fires, and catch fish in the small ditches. Those days were pure joy.
Jiang Ning, being the same age, always managed to come up with fun things to do. Back then, in Jiang Junlong's eyes, Jiang Ning was capable of anything. Later, as they grew older and their horizons broadened, that halo around Jiang Ning gradually faded away.
Still, Jiang Junlong was genuinely glad Jiang Ning had come to Yuzhou City; they would have plenty of fun together from now on.
***
The next day, Jiang Ning woke up very early. When he got out of bed, his aunt was busy preparing breakfast.
Seeing that breakfast would take a little longer, Jiang Ning said he was going out to look for a place to rent and left the apartment.
He found a breakfast shop along the way, had a bowl of egg drop soup, and ate several large steamed buns.
Then he withdrew a thousand yuan in cash, as QR code payments were not yet widespread at this time.
He walked all the way to the Huishui River dam. It was not yet seven o'clock, and the temperature hadn't risen yet. Many grandpas and grandmas were taking leisurely strolls along the dam, enjoying the morning air.
Finding the transformer spot where he had practiced yesterday, Jiang Ning activated the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Body Tempering Formula and began absorbing the electric current to temper his physical body.When the sun grew blazing hot, Jiang Ning stopped his cultivation. Standing out in the open under the scorching sun in temperatures close to thirty-five degrees Celsius would probably make people think there was something wrong with his head.
Checking the time, he saw it was already nine o'clock. Jiang Ning dusted off his clothes and walked toward the cluster of single-story brick houses.
Today, he was going to settle the matter of the house.
He descended the dam and, after walking for a few minutes, reached a row of one-story houses.
One of the houses served as a small sundry shop with dismal business. Choosing this location to open a shop probably earned little more than pocket money.
Several elderly men holding tin tea mugs were sitting under the shade of a tree, playing cards and sipping tea.
Seeing a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth like Jiang Ning approach, the old men paid him no mind.
Jiang Ning walked straight to the third house on the western end. He wasn't sure if anyone lived here; if it was occupied, it would probably take some effort to deal with.
At that moment, a young girl came out from next door. She was about a meter and a half tall, looking like an elementary school student, with messy hair, black shorts paired with a white T-shirt, and blue slippers on her feet.
When he saw the girl's face, Jiang Ning paused for a moment.
It was Xue Yuantong, in the same year as him—a pretty, eccentric, and pitiful person.
Xue Yuantong sniffed and waved her small hand toward the side:
"The shop is over there, you went the wrong way."
Jiang Ning said, "I'm not here to buy anything. I wanted to ask, does anyone live in this house? Thank you."
Upon hearing this, Xue Yuantong's gaze immediately turned suspicious. She stared at Jiang Ning:
"Someone lives here! This family is really fierce, they keep a big wolfdog that bites whoever comes near. What do you want?"
"Oh, alright then. I wanted to rent a place, what a pity." He shook his head.
"You want to rent a house?" Xue Yuantong's expression stiffened.
"That's right."
"This is my house," she said, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Jiang Ning's mouth twitched: "What about the one next door?"
"Both houses are mine. You want to rent a place, right? How long for? What are you renting it for?" Xue Yuantong crossed her arms, putting on the airs of the head of the household, though her small stature made her look rather lacking in confidence.
"A year to start with. How much is the rent per month?"
Xue Yuantong had never rented out a house before and wasn't quite sure of the going rate. After thinking for a moment, she called into the house:
"Mom! Someone's here to rent the house."Soon, a woman of about forty walked out. Her clothes were clean, though it was evident they had been washed many times and had faded somewhat. Years had left their marks on her face, making her look considerably older than his aunt.
Seeing that someone who could make decisions had arrived, Jiang Ning immediately said: "Hello, Auntie. I'm a student at No. 4 High School next door, and I'd like to rent your house."
Jiang Ning remembered that a few years later, the homeowner was no longer the woman before him. Presumably, after Xue Yuantong passed away, she had sold the property.
At this thought, Jiang Ning's gaze toward Xue Yuantong carried a subtle undertone of sympathy.
"You're a student at No. 4 High School too? My daughter goes there this year as well," the woman said with a smile.
Jiang Ning took an interest and deliberately remarked, "Oh? She goes to No. 4 High School too? I couldn't tell at all. How impressive."
Hearing this tone, Xue Yuantong pursed her little lips in displeasure. As for mere No. 4 High School, she could waltz right in with a flick of her finger.
The woman said gently, "Tóngtóng just looks young; she's actually fifteen this year."
"Mom, he's here to rent the house, not to chat with you."
"Auntie, how much is the rent per month?"
"You'll be living alone, right?"
"Yes."
"Let me show you the house first."
Jiang Ning was led inside. Facing them was a square living room, about five meters in width and length. Walking a few steps further and passing through a door led to a small open-air courtyard with a concrete floor. Opposite the courtyard were three slightly smaller rooms arranged in order: a bathroom, a bedroom, and a kitchen.
"We have running water and a solar water heater. The electricity and water meters are independent, and you can move in whenever you'd like. If you rent it, two hundred yuan a month will do."
The woman didn't ask an exorbitant price. Although the house was decent, the location was remote—strictly speaking, a suburb—which made commuting to work or school rather inconvenient. An empty house was an empty house, so renting it out cheaply to supplement the household income was better.
Of course, it was also because Jiang Ning looked neat and clean, and being a student from No. 4 High School, he didn't seem like a bad person. If a delinquent youth from the streets had come asking about the house, she definitely would have turned them down.
"Alright." Jiang Ning settled on it. The price matched his mental expectation, and he didn't bargain.
The two made a verbal agreement. Jiang Ning gave her eight hundred yuan—a deposit of one month plus three months' rent—and received a key in return.
Next, Jiang Ning went into the city to buy daily necessities, and then headed to his uncle's house to retrieve his suitcase.
His aunt hadn't expected Jiang Ning to find a place so quickly, and she looked very surprised. Seeing this, his cousin-in-law drove over to help out, and Jiang Junlong tagged along since he had nothing to do.
Many hands make light work. The things Jiang Ning needed for daily life—such as a reed mat, a quilt, a desk lamp, washing basins, and other daily necessities—were quickly bought and paid for.
His aunt even brought over an induction cooker left over from their restaurant's previous procurement for Jiang Ning. After a round of tidying up, the rented home took on a lived-in atmosphere.
Xue Yuantong sat on a small stool by the door, holding half a watermelon larger than her head and digging into it happily with a spoon. From start to finish, she witnessed Jiang Ning and his group bustling about.
Her eyes were bright and clever: "Jiang Ning's relatives have a car, and judging by their clothes and styling, they look quite wealthy. Why would he come all the way out here to rent a house?"
"Could there be hidden circumstances?"
"Whatever, forget it, forget it. It's none of my business anyway. Being able to bring in a little extra income for the family and making things easier for Mom is what matters most."
Watching his mother and sister-in-law tidy up the room for Jiang Ning, Jiang Junlong felt a flash of envy in his eyes. He wished he could have such a small sanctuary of his own, but alas, he couldn't. If his mother found out, she would surely strangle him.
He had never done chores since childhood and couldn't help with the work, so he simply went to stand by the door, sighing inwardly as he lamented his lack of freedom.
Turning his head, he saw Xue Yuantong eating a large watermelon and thought the little girl truly looked pretty and cute.
He called out: "Hey, little one, big brother will treat you to some chocolate!"
With that, he pulled a beautifully packaged piece of chocolate from his pocket. This was nut chocolate he had specifically bought while traveling, costing fifteen yuan a piece—something he couldn't even bear to eat himself.
Hearing this, Xue Yuantong immediately glared at him.
Seeing the little girl's fierce expression, Jiang Junlong sheepishly took the chocolate back, muttering to himself: "Hmph, what an impolite little elementary schooler."