Along the way, He Mingyu asked two enthusiastic older women for directions. After walking for another fifteen minutes, she finally found the area where the property brokerages gathered.
The Song Dynasty had a State Accommodation Bureau, which belonged to a state-owned enterprise. Looking from the outside, it was a completely different world compared to the surrounding bustle and prosperity. The blue-brick and grey-tile buildings stood tall, the black-lacquered wooden doors were wide open, and the notice board outside displayed yellowed documents, which should be previous rental notices. Occasionally, employees from the State Accommodation Bureau dressed in official uniform could be seen walking past hurriedly while holding thick registers. From the objects to the people, everything exuded an aura that warned strangers not to approach.
He Mingyu pinched the silver pieces in her bosom: Intimidatingly unaffordable…
She turned around instead and walked into a nearby private property brokerage that looked quite large: “Shopkeeper, I want to rent a house.”
The assistant inside the counter raised his head upon hearing the voice. Seeing the newcomer, his scrutinizing gaze swept rapidly over her rough cloth garments, and the smile on his face instantly froze. Subsequently, he lowered his head to continue fiddling with his abacus, lifted his eyelids a fraction, and spoke flatly without any emotion: “What kind of house does the young mistress want to rent?”
“I want to rent a small courtyard, preferably one with a kitchen and an attached room.” He Mingyu paused, “It would be best if the monthly rent is below two taels of silver.”
Hearing this, the assistant’s hand fiddling with the abacus paused for a moment before returning to normal. He neither said there was one nor said there wasn’t, but merely jabbed his chin casually toward the long bench against the wall: “Alright, sit down first, young mistress. I will help you look into it once I finish this bit of work on hand.”
Yesterday was He Mingyu’s first time dealing with Song Dynasty people, and right now was her first time dealing with Song Dynasty merchants. She felt a bit unsure in her heart, but since the other party’s attitude was acceptable, she sat down to wait as told.
Time passed bit by bit, yet that assistant still unhurriedly fiddled with his abacus, occasionally lifting his pen to make a few strokes in the account book. From beginning to end, he had never flipped through any register related to real estate. He Mingyu waited with some anxiety.
Just when she could barely sit still anymore, a man dressed in satin material walked in. He looked to be about forty years old, with two scented sachets and a jade pendant hanging from his waist. He opened his mouth to ask about buying farmland.
The assistant, who was just now “too busy to breathe”, had his eyes light up. He immediately wound out from behind the counter, his eyes smiling until they almost formed a line: “Honored guest, please take a seat.” He was both serving tea and pouring water, and introducing things in an endless torrent, acting attentively as if he were a completely different person.
Seeing this in her eyes, He Mingyu understood perfectly in her heart. She immediately rose to her feet, turned around, and walked away.
From behind her came a rather enthusiastic voice, which seemed to have waited for this moment for a long time: “The young mistress is leaving just like this? Properties are hard to find, come back next time when your hands are full of cash!”
Standing at the street corner, He Mingyu took a few deep breaths to suppress the slight vexation in her heart. Fortunately, she was quite optimistic, and she soon rallied her spirits. After walking along this road for nearly fifteen minutes, she finally spotted an extremely small property rental shop at the end of the alley.
Perhaps because it was currently midday, there were only two children dressed as apprentices in the shop. Looking to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, in the eyes of He Mingyu, who had lived for thirty-two years in her previous life, they were no different from half-grown children.
The speech she had prepared for a long time stuck in her throat; under this kind of situation…
The young apprentice was not as hesitant as her. Turning around and seeing it was a young mistress of a similar age, no look of slight appeared on his face, and he welcomed her with a smile: “Is the young mistress looking to sell a house, buy a house, or rent a house? Or if buying land, selling land? Our shop has excellent farmland. Seeing that the time for spring sowing is just around the corner, buying it now won’t delay this year’s autumn harvest at all!”
Seeing him so enthusiastic, an image of a yellow cube famous for its enthusiasm inexplicably surfaced in He Mingyu’s mind… She shook her head subconsciously: “I’m not buying land…”
The young apprentice reacted quickly: “Could it be that the young mistress wants to rent a house? Right now the shopkeeper hasn’t returned yet, so perhaps you’ll have to wait for a short moment. Young mistress, please sit down, I will pour tea for you. I wonder if you have a preferred location?”
“No, but I want to rent an independent courtyard, preferably with a kitchen and an attached room…”
Before she could finish her words, another slightly older, dark and thin apprentice in the shop hastily threw down his broom and approached with a smile: “Yes, yes, yes! I will find it for the young mistress right away! Set your heart at ease, although our shop is not large, we have plenty of properties, and the prices are extremely fair, cheating neither the old nor the young!”
Seeing him so eager, He Mingyu smiled apologetically: “It’s best if the monthly rent is within two taels of silver…”
“How much?! Two taels?!” The dark and thin apprentice let out a wail, turned around to pick up his broom, and began to scrape it around half-heartedly, “Wanting to rent an independent courtyard for two taels, you’d better go try your luck elsewhere.”
“If there isn’t one, then I will…” He Mingyu looked at the young apprentice beside her with embarrassment, and even the teacup in her hand became scalding hot.
“Independent courtyards below one tael and five mace are indeed rare.” After a moment of thought, the young apprentice ran hastily to the counter, “Young mistress, sit and wait a moment, allow me to search first.”
While sweeping the floor, the dark and thin apprentice scolded him: “Mancang, where on earth is there an independent courtyard for two taels that must also have an attached room? It’s fine if others don’t understand, but you are great, joining in on the dream! Watch out that the shopkeeper comes back and scolds you!”
Yet Mancang ignored him, leaning over the counter on his own and flipping through the register extremely fast. Not long after, his movements paused, and he raised his head with a smile: “I just remembered there is one that fits the requirements!”
“Truly?” He Mingyu rose abruptly, stepped forward quickly, and said in pleasant surprise, “Where is it? Can you take me to take a look right now?”
After carefully checking the records in the register, Mancang conversely found it a bit hard to smile. Looking at the highly expectant He Mingyu, he hesitated for a moment: “Young mistress, this courtyard is a bit… special, which is why the landlord lowered the price… Why don’t you add a bit more, and I’ll help find a better one?”
“Special…” He Mingyu asked immediately, “Could it be that it’s haunted?”
“No! No!” Mancang waved his hands in a hurry.
“A murder house?”
“Even less so! It’s just that the neighbors to the left and right are a bit strange…”
Since it was neither a murder house nor haunted, her heart was set at ease: “Can you take me to see it?”
Mancang showed a look of difficulty. He looked at the sun outside, then looked at the earnest face of He Mingyu. Gritting his teeth, he said: “Fine, I’ll take you to see it. Brother Youjin, you watch over the shop first, I will go and return shortly.”
The two left like the wind, with Youjin scolding from behind: “Nonsense again! Who would rent that broken courtyard! The shopkeeper will definitely scold you when he returns…”
The small courtyard was located in Donglizi Alley, tucked away behind several bustling main streets. The alley was so narrow that it could only allow a single cart to pass through. It was somewhat secluded; if one did not search for it intentionally, it was extremely easy to miss, but it also carried a bit of the meaning of finding quiet in a noisy neighborhood.
However, this tranquility was instantly shattered by a continuous, deafening “thumping” sound.
He Mingyu sought the sound and looked over. She saw a household in the alley with its courtyard gate wide open, inside which sawdust and wood shavings were flying all over the sky, looking like a carpenter lived there.
Mancang pointed to the courtyard opposite: “This one is the house I was talking about.”
Seeing her looking back step by step at the opposite neighbor’s house, Mancang smiled awkwardly: “This family opposite… works during the day, so perhaps it will be a bit noisy…”
Just as his words fell, from within the courtyard wall of the household next door to the small courtyard, a strange hissing sound came indistinctly.
He Mingyu stopped her footsteps and looked over curiously. Before she could voice the question in her heart, she saw Mancang’s face turn deathly pale, his voice trembling:
“Young mistress, I am not lying to you, that household… lives a Hu nationality beast tamer, who keeps several long worms (snakes) at home… But you mustn’t worry, the beast tamer has ways to deal with them!”
A flash of astonishment passed over He Mingyu’s face. No ghosts, but snakes?
Most snakes kept by beast tamers were non-venomous; even if they were venomous, their fangs would have been pulled clean long ago. She wasn’t afraid herself, but those two little ones at home…
While she thought this way in her heart, she did not say it with her mouth.
“This… how can a person live here?” Dread instantly filled her face, and she took several steps back in succession, “No peace during the day, and having to be filled with anxiety at night, I fear one would be startled awake even when sleeping…”
She made a gesture to leave, but Mancang blocked her hastily: “Young mistress! Young mistress, please stay! This courtyard… it, it also has advantages! Listen to me!”
He wracked his brains to pitch it: “Look at this location, it’s only two streets away from the official residences of the Court of Judicial Review, so it’s exceptionally safe. Moreover, there is a fire watchtower at the mouth of the alley, so even if… even if it unfortunately catches fire, nothing bad will happen.
If it weren’t because the neighbor is a beast tamer, a location like this and a house like this could absolutely never be rented out at a low price under any circumstances. The most vital point is that the price is cheap, and look at this house—the tiles are complete, and the walls are thick, preserved exceptionally well. If you don’t believe me, follow me inside to take a look.”
Fearing she would refuse, Mancang struck while the iron was hot, turning around to push open that creaking courtyard door: “Take a look inside first!”
Though called an independent courtyard, the courtyard altogether was only the size of a palm, and currently piled with miscellaneous items, it appeared increasingly cramped. What surprised and delighted He Mingyu was that the kitchen was rather spacious, and the window faced west; at this moment, the afternoon sunlight was shining in warmly, casting bright patches of light on the ground.
Mancang introduced in the yard: “Take another look at this red fruit tree. When autumn arrives, the dates it bears are sour and crispy; when dried and kept until winter to eat as snacks, it’s beautiful.”
A hawthorn tree?
He Mingyu was somewhat surprised. She only knew that tanghulu (sugar-coated haws) appeared in the Southern Song Dynasty, but she didn’t know that hawthorns already existed in the Northern Song Dynasty?
Her face remained impassive as she lifted her feet to go to the other rooms. Beside the kitchen was a low attached room. Opening the door abruptly, dust and cobwebs were everywhere, raising clouds of dust with her movements: “Cough, cough, cough… cough, cough…”
“The previous tenant was a bricklayer.” Mancang rubbed his hands with embarrassment, “If the attached room is to be used, the young mistress will need to spend effort to clean it up.”
Covering her mouth and nose, she saw that the inside of the attached room was piled with discarded tools and earth materials: “This is simply too dirty.” In her heart, however, she calculated that once this place was tidied up, it would be perfect to serve as Shitou’s room.
“This, this…” Mancang smiled shamefacedly, temporarily unable to speak. In fact, this house had long become a “notoriously difficult problem” in the shop. Initially when posted on the notice board, because the location was decent and it was an independent courtyard, three to five people would come daily to ask about the lease, but after looking at it, it usually fell through.
Later, a property broker in the shop harbored crooked intentions and tricked someone into renting this place, which actually caused a ruckus all the way to the Kaifeng Prefecture. In a fit of rage, the shopkeeper kicked him out and compensated the tenant a lot of money before letting the matter drop. Therefore, right now, as long as it could be rented out, it would do.
He Mingyu did not notice his guilty conscience. She was currently wandering around with satisfaction inside the main rooms on both sides of the central hall. Although a thick layer of dust had settled inside the rooms, both rooms actually had kang (heated brick beds), which was simply a pleasant surprise.
Mancang stepped forward quickly: “This kang… was built by that previous bricklayer himself. Although it’s dirty right now, the materials used are good; when burned in winter, it’s warm and doesn’t emit black smoke. It’s just that it requires you to expend great effort to clean it up…”
A look of dislike and difficulty timely appeared on her face, as if she had used up all the strength in her body: “This courtyard has simply too many defects…”
Subsequently, she let out a sigh: “If you can truly make the decision, one tael and five mace of silver per month, and it must be clearly written that all these nonsensical things in the courtyard are at my disposal, then I will… I will grit my teeth and rent it!”
Mancang felt as if he had received a great amnesty and agreed wholeheartedly: “Deal! Everything will be according to the young mistress!”
Seeing him agree so readily, He Mingyu’s heart skipped a beat. Heavens above, I offered too much!!!