Shu Yao went to the Shu Family. None of the people she disliked were there today.
Wen Xia was the head nurse at the Army hospital, Shu Minghui was at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and the Old Master had specifically taken a day off.
Shen Huaiyu, who was usually very well-behaved, had been crying nonstop today. Shu Zhenzhong, Qiu Li, and their three children were gathered around him, yet none of them could comfort him.
The two children had already covered their ears and crouched with their heads lowered, as if doing so would keep them from hearing the Little Nephew's ear-piercing wails.
When they saw Shu Yao, all four of them visibly let out a huge sigh of relief.
“Yaoyao, come quickly. This Kid has been crying nonstop. I'm afraid something might happen to him!”
If something happened to this Kid, how would he explain himself?
“Grandfather, give him to me.”
Shu Yao set down the things in her hands. She was becoming more and more skilled at holding babies.
Shen Huaiyu stopped crying, but his head kept turning from side to side as he looked around, as if searching for something.
“Yaoyao, this child is sweating all over from crying. You need to wipe him with a dry cloth, or he might catch a chill.”
Qiu Li handed over a white cloth towel.
“Thank you, Second Aunt.”
Shu Yao took it and wiped the baby's forehead.
“No, you need to wipe the back of his heart.”
Qiu Li grew anxious at the sight.
“Let me do it.”
After wiping him with the cloth towel, Qiu Li turned it over and tucked it behind him.
Knowing that the grandfather and granddaughter must have something to discuss, she left the living room with the two children once she had finished.
“Yaoyao, how will you manage raising the children alone in the future?”
“If you live at home, you won't need to worry about Wen Xia. Besides, you have your Second Aunt. She's a good woman and can usually help look after the children.”
“Second Aunt has two children to care for. Please don't trouble her.”
Shu Yao said helplessly,
“Grandfather, I've thought it through. When the time comes, I'll send them to the nursery.”
Qiu Li already had two children to care for. Why add to her burden?
Besides, if she lived with them, it would be difficult to take things out of her Storage Space.
“Sigh, since you've made up your mind, Grandfather won't try to persuade you any further.”
“I had Xiao Fan look at houses for you today. He'll focus on places near the Food Factory, so commuting to and from work will be convenient.”
Xiao Fan was Shu Zhenzhong's guard and driver.
“Thank you, Grandfather.”
Shu Yao really was planning to rent a house.
Xiao Fan was very quick. By afternoon, the house had more or less been settled on.
“Senior Commander, I found two promising houses.”
“One is a standard rental on Xiping Street, and the other is a privately rented house in Liuya'er Hutong.”
Shu Yao thought for a moment. Both places were indeed not far from the Food Factory.
Standard rentals were a concept that had only appeared this year, and explaining it was rather troublesome. Basically, they were bungalows placed under the management of the Housing Management Office—houses left vacant because entire families had been subjected to forced relocation.
“The one on Xiping Street was just vacated and no one has moved in yet. The one in Liuya'er Hutong is a side room on the west side that the owner has made available for rent. I asked around about the family. The man works at the Steel factory, and his wife has a straightforward personality and gets along well with all the neighbors. They have three children—one son and two daughters. The eldest daughter just got married, which happened to free up this room.”
“The second daughter is in high school, and the Younger son is in junior high.”
“The rents are more or less the same, around four or five yuan a month.”
“Yaoyao, what do you think?”
Shu Zhenzhong asked Shu Yao for her opinion.
“Grandfather, I'll go take a look first.”
The house on Xiping Street did not yet have confirmed neighbors, so she did not know what sort of people she might encounter. The owner of the one in Liuya'er Hutong sounded decent, but the room was a west room—cold in winter and hot in summer.
She would have to see them in person before making a decision.
“All right. Have Xiao Fan accompany you.”
“Comrade Shu Yao, this is the house.”
Xiao Fan stopped at the entrance to a courtyard at the farthest end of Xiping Street. Jian Muhan also got off the bicycle and leaned it against the wall.
There already seemed to be people in the courtyard.
Xiao Fan went in first.
“Deputy Director Zhang.”
“Oh, Comrade Fan.”
The middle-aged man inside turned around and greeted him.
“You came at just the right time. The room on the left has already been rented out, and they're moving now.”
“This is comrade Wei from the Paper Box factory. He also came to look at the house.”
Xiao Fan was wearing a military uniform. No matter the era, soldiers were always respected.
Comrade Wei took the initiative to shake Xiao Fan's hand. The male owner of the room on the left also came out when he heard the commotion.
“Hello, soldier comrade. I'm Ma Gengyun from the Printing factory.”
“Oh, are you two a young married couple?”
A woman came out of the side room, carrying an enamel basin. Without the slightest concern, she forcefully splashed out the dirty water, sending quite a few droplets flying onto Shu Yao's trouser legs.
“Female comrade, please be more careful. Also, Comrade Shu and I are not married. Please watch what you say.”
Xiao Fan frowned as he looked at Shu Yao's half-wet trouser legs.
“Oh, if you're not, then you're not. Why are you being so fierce?”
“And you're a soldier comrade, too.”
The woman muttered,
“Besides, it was only a little water. It's the middle of summer, so it won't freeze you to death. It's just one wet trouser leg—what a fuss.”
She rolled her eyes at Shu Yao. With that vixen's appearance, who knew what kind of relationship she had with this soldier?
Her eyes flashed with jealousy as she looked at Shu Yao's white blouse with tiny red flowers, fashionable white bell-bottom trousers, and white leather shoes.
Tsk, she was dressed like a seductress. Who was she planning to entice?
“Petty-bourgeois style!”
“Why are you still outside? Have you finished cleaning up the house?”
She shot Ma Gengyun a sideways glare.
“Mom—”
“Mom—”
A boy's hoarse, desperate cries came from inside the house.
“Coming, coming.”
The woman twisted around.
“I must owe your Old Ma family in a past life!”
Shu Yao was practically laughing from anger at the woman's attitude and expression, not to mention the supposedly whispered “petty-bourgeois style.”
If she let this go just like that, she would not be Shu Yao.
“Wait. Wife of comrade Ma, these are dacron trousers bought at the department store for ten yuan.”
“You splashed dirty water on them. I won't ask you for much—just five cents for the cleaning fee.”
The woman immediately turned around and shouted:
“What kind of expensive trousers cost ten yuan?”
“I think you're trying to swindle me!”
“Is that so?”
“I just bought these trousers, and I still have the receipt in my pocket. Come on, let's go to the Public Security Bureau and discuss this.”
“What kind of bandit behavior is this? You damaged someone else's property and still have the nerve to act so righteous!”
You put the hat of “petty bourgeois” on me, so I'll put the hat of “bandit” on you.
“This is director Zhang, right? Please act as a witness.”
Director Zhang also disliked this unreasonable woman. When she came to rent the house that morning, she had caused a huge scene at the Housing Management Office over a single dime of rent. As a result, no one was willing to bring prospective tenants here to view the house, so he had to come personally.
“No problem.”
The accusation of bandit behavior frightened Ma Gengyun so badly that his legs trembled. He immediately grabbed his Wife.
“We'll pay. We'll pay.”
“Are you crazy? Five cents can buy two chi of cloth!”
The woman refused.
“Shut up!”
Ma Gengyun scolded her harshly. He could indulge her in other matters, but not this one.
He did not want to lose his job and be sent for reform through labor.
“Comrade, this is the cleaning fee. Please take it.”
The woman still wanted to say something, but Ma Gengyun dragged her into the house. Low, angry scolding immediately followed.
After this incident, the house on Xiping Street could be crossed off the list.
There was no way she could live peacefully as neighbors with people like that.