Chapter 6

In this era, people in rural areas hadn't yet realized the importance of education. Only half of them could manage to finish junior high school, and very few continued their education. Most would return home at the age of fifteen or sixteen to get engaged, and by eighteen, they would be married, regardless of whether they were legally adults or could obtain a marriage certificate, as long as they had children.

Liu Feiyang's childhood friends, whom he had grown up with, were almost all married. When they gathered, they would talk about adult topics. Moreover, there was no talk of love; after marriage, affection would naturally develop over time.

He also wanted a wife, and he dreamed of it. He had even lain awake at night, staring at the ceiling, wondering which eligible girl in the village could be with him...

But it was only now that he understood the gap between urban and rural areas. Not only was life better in the city, but the girls were also more beautiful.

The girl who came out of the courtyard was wearing a white down jacket, a high-necked sweater underneath, and a blue pair of jeans that had just become popular in the county town. She had a ponytail, and without any makeup, her skin was even more radiant. Her eyes seemed to speak, blinking expressively.

She was very tall, probably over 1.7 meters, as she didn't look much shorter than Liu Feiyang, who was 1.8 meters tall.

She was somewhat surprised and cautious when she saw the two of them, mainly because their appearance was rather disheveled. Especially the second one, who had lost his fur hat in the computer room, with greasy hair, looking a bit more spirited than a beggar, somewhere between a thief and a robber.

The scene froze for less than five seconds.

Then she focused her gaze on the older Liu Feiyang.

Liu Feiyang's face turned red as he met her gaze. He had never seen such a beautiful girl before, and his heart was pounding. In his rapid breathing, he even had a spring-like feeling.

"Who are you looking for?" the girl asked, still wary.

"Uh... We are... We want to rent a house, can we come in and take a look?" he stammered.

"Rent a house?" She was taken aback because her house was at the end of the alley, and there was a wall in front of it, so there was no way to go further.

"Yes, we have nowhere to stay. Beautiful sister, do you know where we can rent a house?" The second one, without any hesitation, was much bolder than Liu Feiyang. He wiped his nose and smeared it on his pants.

His innocent look, despite his greasy face, made him seem somewhat cute.

The girl might have seen through his simple face and asked further, "Where are you from?"

"From Japi Gou, just thirty miles east along the road. I'm Zhao Zhigao, seventeen years old. He is my brother Liu Feiyang, nineteen years old," the second one replied boldly.

Liu Feiyang looked at him with new respect. This kid could talk in the village, and he hadn't expected him to be so good outside. He wanted to say something to the girl but didn't know what to say.

"You're nineteen?" The girl turned her head, looking somewhat disbelieving.

"Ah... I just grew up quickly," Liu Feiyang replied nervously.

She frowned, thinking for a few seconds, then put down her bike and asked, "What are your requirements for renting a house?"

"No requirements, as long as we can stay. We slept in the computer room last night, and if we can't find a place today, we'll have to go under a bridge. Beautiful sister, do you have any extra rooms?" He wiped his nose again.

She thought for a few seconds. "Alright, come in and take a look. If it works, you can stay. If not, you can look elsewhere..."

She said this, scanning their faces, and then turned and walked back into the courtyard.

The family seemed well-off. As they entered the courtyard, they saw the side of the house, with a cement ground about three to four meters wide. In front was a small wall about a meter high, and on the other side was the front yard, not very large but suitable for growing vegetables.

"Creak..." She walked ahead and pulled open the door.

"You two come in first..."

Inside, someone heard her voice and called out weakly from the room, "Ran, do we have guests?"

"Mom, they want to rent a house. I saw that our west room is empty, so I brought them to take a look," the girl shouted to the bedroom on the right and then raised her hand, saying, "This way, you two can take a look..."

She didn't follow them but walked back to the east room.

On the kang (a traditional heated bed), an elderly woman with white hair and a weathered face lay, but she didn't look very old, probably in her forties. She was trying to sit up, but her movements were awkward, with one hand and one leg hanging limply.

She walked in and saw her mother trying to sit up, so she quickly walked over to help.

"What kind of people are they?"

"Just two kids from Japi Gou, probably here to work."

"Who works during the New Year and doesn't go home? Are they boys or girls?"

"Boys, probably because of something at home..." Ran took a few steps back and observed Liu Feiyang and the second one through the glass on the door.

"That won't do. We can't rent to them. If it were a girl, it might be okay, but how can we bring men home? You're still a girl, and this could affect your reputation. No, no..."

From her mother's actions, it was clear she was ill, with hemiplegia, meaning one side of her body was paralyzed and without sensation.

"Let's see. They might not even rent it," she said, smoothing her hair. "Mom, stay here. I'll go check the room..."

"Ran, we can't rent it. A girl's reputation is important."

"Okay, no problem..." She replied and then walked out of the room.

The two had already looked around the room. They didn't have many requirements; as long as they could stay, it was fine. The room wasn't very large, half of it was a kang, and the other half was the floor, now filled with clutter but very clean, with almost no dust.

"This room used to be mine. It's very warm. It might feel a bit cold now because the kang isn't heated, but if we light a fire, it will be fine. The kitchen has a stove for cooking, and there's a toilet in the back yard with a shed, so it doesn't leak!" She seemed eager to rent out the room and tried to sell it as much as possible.

"Alright, we'll stay here. How much per month?" Liu Feiyang interrupted, looking out the window before she could finish.

"This... What do you think it's worth?" Ran clearly hadn't expected such a quick decision, without comparing prices. She thought for a moment and decided to name a price. "Houses in this area rent for thirty, but since we're in the same house, it's twenty!"

"Alright, twenty it is," Liu Feiyang decided immediately, pushing the second one. "Pay up! For a year!"

"Oh..." The second one nodded, not realizing that all his money had been taken by Liu Feiyang. He habitually undid his belt and reached into his pants...

"Whoosh..." Ran's face turned red like an apple, and she turned away.

The action, though brief, caught Liu Feiyang's attention in his peripheral vision, and this unintentional grace left a lasting impression on him.

---

Page AD begins

Page AD ends