Xia Chang Zheng and Zhang Cui were certainly afraid of Xia Xiao Lan at first. Every encounter with her brought misfortune. Even though they had moved from their business in Shangdu to Beijing, they still couldn’t avoid Xia Xiao Lan. At that moment, Chang Zheng’s anger overwhelmed his reason – though he still maintained some judgment. Xia Xiao Lan was accompanied by a refined middle-aged man who didn’t look like a fighter. If she had been traveling with several bodyguards, a coward like Chang Zheng would have given her a wide berth when their paths crossed!
Chang Zheng had knocked down Manager Wu! Manager Wu nearly slipped into the well, while Chang Zheng scrambled on the ground several times, unable to get up for quite a while.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” The property owner pinned Chang Zheng down, nearly bursting with rage.
The couple had only moved to this area recently. The owner didn’t care who he rented to as long as they paid monthly. While the courtyard had various tenants, most had proper jobs. Tenants like Chang Zheng and Zhang Cui who made their living from street stalls were rare – even the lowest-paying work units still provided monthly wages, ensuring rent wouldn’t be a problem.
Zhang Cui’s food cart occupied space in the courtyard and produced strong cooking odors. Other tenants had complained to the owner, but since he was already planning to sell the property, he had asked everyone to be understanding. Understanding meant nothing now – Chang Zheng had suddenly rushed out to attack Manager Wu, and the owner wanted to throw him down the well, with a few large stones added for good measure!
Xiao Lan helped Manager Wu up, who was equally angry. Though Chang Zheng was pinned down by the owner, Manager Wu wanted to beat him but restrained himself, considering his position as a government official.
Chang Zheng continued cursing, his beard unkempt, reeking of alcohol despite it being morning. His right hand was empty and damaged – a disabled person from society’s lowest rungs. Manager Wu could only accept his bad luck, but listening carefully, he realized Chang Zheng wasn’t cursing randomly – he was cursing Xiao Lan.
Manager Wu found it strange, but Xiao Lan saw no need to explain in detail.
Looking at the house was now out of the question.
While Chang Zheng continued his vulgar tirade, Xiao Lan had already left with Manager Wu.
“I have some history with that person. No matter how nice this house is, I can’t take it. If he knows where I live, won’t he come harass me regularly?”
Her conflict with Chang Zheng ran deep.
Chang Zheng had tried to prevent her from taking the college entrance exam and ruin her future. Xiao Lan had indeed suffered a fractured right hand and took the exam while injured – perhaps without that injury, she might not have scored four points less than Ning Xue.
But Chang Zheng had also lost a hand.
That thug had been particularly brutal with Chang Zheng in self-defense. Xiao Lan believed in revenge and felt no guilt seeing Chang Zheng, but she simply didn’t want to mix with a mad dog.
When she saw Beijing Normal College, Xiao Lan became cautious, worried about frequently encountering Xia Zi Yu and Jian Hua Wang. If she bought a house here, while not particularly far to travel, it would make her uncomfortable. The previous two properties were about 10 kilometers from Huaqing, just a half-hour bicycle ride, and had no unpleasant people nearby. Xiao Lan particularly liked the courtyard house at Shichahai.
If she could buy both properties, she could take the Shichahai courtyard and have Yong Liu buy the one in Nanluogu Lane.
Manager Wu also thought choosing between the first two properties would be better, this courtyard wasn’t worth considering.
He clearly understood when the owner said no to buying, even though the owner called after them for quite a while.
As Manager Wu and Xiao Lan cycled away, the owner returned to berate Chang Zheng: “Pack your things and leave my house immediately. I’ll even refund the remaining rent for this month, just get out!”
Chang Zheng was being held down in a chair by two tenants, or he would have rushed out to chase and beat Xiao Lan.
“I paid the rent! What right do you have to kick me out? You’re just discriminating against us, outsiders!”
The owner thought, of course, they were outsiders. Other tenants might be renters, but they had work units and connections in Beijing. Even the shabby-looking old man with his birdcage might have been related to nobility, with descendants working in government offices.
A couple from outside Beijing running a small stall, with a daughter studying at Beijing Normal College – the owner truly wasn’t afraid!
If he didn’t want to rent to a college student’s parents, who could force him?
Chang Zheng was ordered to move out of the courtyard. Zhang Cui, who had gone out to set up her stall, was called back. She returned crying and scolding: “Jian Hua finally found us this place, close to Zi Yu’s school, with a better environment than our previous rental, why did you have to cause trouble?”
Good houses weren’t easy to find!
They needed space for her food stall, affordable rent, and proximity to Zi Yu’s school for her occasional visits… this courtyard had been found only through Jian Hua Wang’s connections.
Chang Zheng growled, “I saw that little wretch Xiao Lan! What was she doing here?!”
Zhang Cui fell silent.
She hadn’t seen Xiao Lan for a long time, not since that scene at An County First High School on the fourth day of Chinese New Year. After Zhang’s shop closed, she and Chang Zheng moved to Shangdu, lived there in fear, and then followed Zi Yu to Beijing.
Wasn’t Xiao Lan studying at Huaqing University?
What was she doing here?
Zhang Cui was also somewhat afraid. The owner was making them move out tomorrow, and this was Xiao Lan’s doing – was Xiao Lan deliberately making it impossible for them to stay in Beijing? That little wretch was too cruel!
But the situation was different now. The Wang family was powerful again. Zi Yu said Jian Hua Wang’s father worked in the Education Department – surely they could handle a mere university student?
Zhang Cui rushed to find Zi Yu.
Zi Yu was still basking in the joy of Jian Hua Wang’s newspaper coverage.
The paper included a photo showing him tall and handsome. Zi Yu had collected every available copy. Only now did her roommates truly admire her judgment when Jian Hua Wang appeared in the news.
Zi Yu had invested so much, proving her good eye.
Someone privately mentioned that Jian Hua Wang was actually from a high-ranking cadre family, previously staying low-key to temper himself through hardship. Zi Yu hadn’t looked down on him then, leading to her current rewards.
Things had been consistently difficult since last year, and Zi Yu was finally experiencing being envied again when her mother brought bad news.
Xiao Lan had gone to where her parents were renting – was she there to look at the house?
“…Xiao Lan is buying a house in Beijing?”
Zi Yu suddenly stood up.
Zhang Cui was startled by her reaction. “That can’t be right, maybe she was just helping someone look at houses. How could she afford it? The owner wants 70,000 yuan!”
Zi Yu had her eye on this house too. Knowing the owner wanted to sell, she had tried to figure out how to raise 70,000 yuan to buy it. Although the tutoring class had started making money, the monthly income was limited. Now that the tutoring class had become a platform for promoting Jian Hua Wang, they couldn’t rely on it to make much money.
Zi Yu had the money returned by the Wang family.
Combined with her parents’ savings, they had just over 10,000 yuan. Zi Yu had barely consoled herself that if she missed this house, there would be others – but now Xiao Lan wanted to buy this courtyard. What right did she have?!