After smoothly collecting all the documents and keys from the agent, we headed straight to my new home. On the way, I was grinning so wide that when Lin Feng said I looked like Julia Roberts, I didn’t even get mad. The house was on the tenth floor of an eighteen-story building, not large, with two rooms and a living room, under sixty square meters, with old, ugly renovation marks on the walls, but I loved it. I touched the windows here, knocked on the walls there, and asked Lin Feng, “Isn’t it strange? A rented house feels different, less secure, like unmarried couples sneaking around in a hotel. But this time it’s different, I, Li Zheng, am now a homeowner, and I can even write in my personal ad: Female, single, good-looking, with a car and a house!” Lin Feng laughed, “That’s clearly false advertising, not to mention the good-looking part, where’s your car?” “Hey, don’t forget I’ve got a bike!” I sat on the windowsill, looking down at the crowd below. As the sun set, people started heading home. The sounds of bike bells and car horns filled the air, children reported their grievances to their dads, moms who got home early had already put on their aprons, and the sound of garlic sizzling in the oil pan made my mouth water like Pavlov’s dogs. I asked, “Lin Feng, do you know why I like this place?” He smiled, “You must be missing home, right?” “Yeah, I fell in love with the environment here at first sight, so full of life, with the market, hospital, and post office all within a short walk. There’s also an old Shandong lady guarding the entrance; on my first day here, she interrogated me for ages, so responsible! When I come home after work, she’ll greet me with a simple smile and say in her Shandong accent, ‘Girl, you’re back, here’s your newspaper! Oh, and there’s a remittance slip for you.’ By nine in the evening, she locks the door, and if I come back late, she’ll scold me for half a day, ‘Why so late? It’s not safe, be careful next time!’ How nice, it feels like coming home…” Lin Feng laughed, “You just need someone to look after you, why didn’t you say so? Maybe I could move in and take care of you?” I shot him a glare, “You wish!” I jumped off the windowsill, dusted off my pants, “From now on, if you want to come, you’ll have to ask the homeowner if I’m willing!”
I hopped out of the building, and an elderly couple was coming back from shopping, supporting each other, carrying a shopping basket. I greeted them, “Are you two going shopping?” The old man replied, “Oh, the vegetables are quite fresh today, you should hurry and go too!”
“Too late and they’ll all be sold out!” We hadn’t gone far when we heard them chatting behind us. “Who’s that girl? She looks familiar!” “Maybe it’s the newlywed couple from the fifth floor, they look quite well-matched!” Lin Feng quickly glanced at my expression: “They’re just talking nonsense, don’t take it to heart!” I thought to myself, ‘Hmph, you’re quick to clear your name, but I wouldn’t even consider marrying you!’
Chapter 10
As we walked down the street, my mind was still on my new house, planning which room would be the study and which the bedroom. Suddenly, I felt a cool sensation on my face. Looking up, I saw it was actually snowing. The first snow of this winter had arrived silently; before I knew it, the most beautiful autumn in Beijing had passed, and now the long, harsh winter was upon us. Even after walking dozens of meters, I couldn’t help but look back. Amidst the swirling snowflakes, the tower block was unremarkable, hidden among the many buildings of Beijing, but in my eyes, it was so adorable, my home! From now on, I would plant my roots in Beijing, vowing to dedicate myself to its prosperity and growth! Overwhelmed with happiness, I took out my phone to call Wang Yang, Xu Ling, and Wu Di: “Comrades, come out today, I’m in a good mood, I’m about to leave behind you bunch of homeless wanderers and step into a new life!”
When Wang Yang and Xu Ling arrived at “Boiling Fish Town,” I was already there, tapping on the table in urgency. Seeing them, I quickly spread out the property deeds and related documents on the table for them to see. “Take a look, have a good look, at least I own a piece of real estate now! Just like my mom said, everything else is nonsense, having a house and a child, that’s what matters!” Wang Yang laughed at me: “You’ve got the face of a classic landlord! Want to hire a couple of maids or farmhands? No need to look elsewhere, Xu Ling and I know each other well. We won’t ask for much money, just food and lodging, and a couple of taels of silver at the end of the month.” I threw some chopsticks at him: “You dare ask for wages from your sister? With your appetite, I’d lose money even if you paid me two taels of silver!”
Xu Ling, holding the papers, looked them over, her eyes welling up, “Li Zheng, your life keeps getting better, now you have a house in Beijing too. Look at me, I used to have everything, and now, somehow, I’ve lost it all. Almost thirty, and here I am in Beijing, starting from scratch…” I didn’t expect to accidentally bring up Xu Ling’s sad past. I quickly said, “You can’t blame yourself, you just had bad luck with men. Leaving that scoundrel was the smartest decision you’ve ever made. Don’t take men too seriously, we can live well without them! Once I get the house sorted out, move in with me, and I’ll introduce you to someone like Brad Pitt, how about that?” Xu Ling had been dreaming of Pitt for a while. Wang Yang quickly chimed in, “Xu Ling, what a coincidence, haven’t you noticed I’m Brad’s long-lost half-brother? I’ve never told anyone this, how about you consider marrying into the Pitt family?” Lin Feng also said, “Xu Ling, if you need any help, just say so. I can introduce you to some colleagues from Kangpu.”
As we were talking, Wu Di arrived late. I shouted at him, “Why are you so late? Got held up by another female client?” He handed me a small box from behind, “You think I owe you from my past life? One call and I drop everything, even cancel dinner plans, and you still scold me. I went to buy you a gift!” I opened it to find a delicate sign, perfect for hanging on the door. Wu Di’s thoughtfulness was unmatched; he always managed to surprise you in the most unexpected ways. I thought, why can’t Lin Feng learn from him?
Spicy boiled fish is my absolute favorite, and a large red pot of it was brought to our table, sizzling. Everyone’s attention immediately shifted to the fish, ignoring how hot it was, they started eating. One pot wasn’t enough, so we ordered another. By the time we reluctantly put down our chopsticks, our lips were numb, tingling as if electrified. Looking at everyone’s swollen lips, I guessed none of them were doing much better than me. Wang Yang, touching his lips, said with relish, “Sis, leave the house decoration to me, I’ll make it like nothing anyone has ever seen before or will see again. Anyone who steps in will be stunned by the visual impact, just like after eating this spicy fish!” Wu Di agreed, “I think that’s a good idea. I know some decorators, I’ll take charge of the construction. Wang Yang, let’s use your sister’s house as a showcase. If she can’t handle the shock, we’ll rent it out, put up a rope at the door, and charge admission, calling it ‘Visual Art’!” Wang Yang scoffed, “You’re out of touch, visual art isn’t in vogue anymore. How about this, I’ll hire some people, they’ll strip down and lie on the floor, we’ll call it ‘Performance Art’!” Xu Ling clapped her hands in delight. I said seriously, “You two better stop joking around and get to work, because I’m really handing this job over to you. But I’ll have to approve the design, no wild ideas!”
