Chapter 212 - 198: Renting a House (Part 3)
Chapter 212: Chapter 198: Renting a House (Part 3)
Guan Ailan and Mo Linghui called out, "Hello, Uncle Tang!"
Tang Qingyun smiled and nodded. "You must be Xiao Man’s classmates, right? Wonderful. Go wash your hands and come eat!"
Guan Ailan, Mo Linghui, and Xiao Man, still carrying their quilts, washbasins, and other belongings, went into the rooms first. The two rooms were the same size. The one Xiao Man would be sleeping in was attached to a balcony where they could air out clothes, quilts, and other items.
The glass windows had been bare when they arrived at noon, but now, small floral-print curtains were hanging there. To her surprise, the pattern was the exact same as the one in her room back home.
The bed frame was already made with a new quilt and sheets. There was a large desk and chair, and a low cabinet for storing folded clothes, with space on top to place personal items. A mirror hung on the wall. For a temporary rental, this was more than enough.
A glance into Tang Haocheng’s room revealed a similar layout. The only difference was that his sheets and duvet cover were blue and white plaid instead of pink.
The kids still had an evening study session to get to. Tang Qingyun watched helplessly as they wolfed down a perfectly good dinner as if they were in a battle. As a parent, he didn’t even have a chance to say anything before they had finished eating, stood up, and headed downstairs for school.
Before leaving, Xiao Man placed a stack of money in front of Xiao Feng. "I really like this apartment," she said, "but I have to be the one to pay the rent, or I won’t stay. And since you’ve done me this favor, I’ll take good care of Tang Haocheng, so you don’t have to worry. I don’t need the meal tickets for the cafeteria; I’ll cook for myself. So, that set of cookware in the kitchen—consider it bought by me. The money is here. Please, take it."
Xiao Feng looked at Tang Qingyun, uncertain. Tang Qingyun lowered his gaze and gave a slight nod, so Xiao Feng accepted the money.
Once Xiao Man had run out the door and down the stairs, Tang Qingyun forced a wry smile. "That girl... she’s so stubborn. I wonder when she’ll ever be willing to forgive us."
Xiao Feng was sympathetic. "No one wanted this to happen. It’s nobody’s fault, but you can’t blame Manman, either. For over a decade, she suffered in the countryside while another child took her place and was doted on by her own parents... Just thinking about it, I don’t think even I could bear it. These things take time. Eventually, she’ll see how much her real parents care."
Tang Qingyun sighed. "I suppose that’s all we can do."
"Should I give them a ride to school?"
"No, it’s fine. It’s only a twenty-minute walk, and Manman likes walking. By the way, when will that bicycle be ready?"
"The day after tomorrow. The county co-op is getting a new shipment of bicycles then. Director Wang will help pick one up and lock it in the small woodshed downstairs. We just need to give the key to the siblings."
"All right. Let’s finish eating. We have to get back to Wancheng afterward."
After their evening study session, Xiao Man met Tang Haocheng at the school gate, and the siblings walked home together. There were many other students who lived off-campus, and since their apartment was on the main street, they were in good company the whole way. With all the streetlights, it was very safe.
Tang Qingyun and Xiao Feng had already left. The apartment was spotless—even the leftovers were gone. "Sis, you can wash up first," Tang Haocheng said before slipping into his room and closing the door. Xiao Man went into the bathroom and saw that the iron bucket and everything else were brand new. There was even a shower, though it only had cold water. Water heaters hadn’t yet made their way to a small county town like this.
She went to the kitchen to start a fire and boil some water. Placing a small iron pot on the stove, she washed some white rice and put it inside. Then, she pulled a fresh fish from the spring in her personal space, cleaned it, and minced a piece of the flesh to simmer with the rice. She added some slivered ginger, and once the fish congee was ready, she sprinkled some chopped green onions on top. It made exactly two bowls.
They were both at an age where they were constantly growing. Even she felt her stomach was empty after the late study session. ’I wonder if Tang Haocheng is hungry,’ she thought. She knocked on his door. When Tang Haocheng opened it and saw the fish congee on the table, his eyes lit up at the fresh, savory aroma. He threw down the book in his hands and rushed over. "This is great! Sis, I love fish congee! Grandma used to make it for me all the time!"
Xiao Man was left speechless.
’So it wasn’t that he was hungry, he just loves to eat it!’
As the two of them slowly ate the warm, late-night snack, Tang Haocheng’s eyes narrowed in contentment. Xiao Man took off his glasses and said, "Since you don’t usually wear glasses, you probably don’t need them for reading, do you?"
Tang Haocheng smiled and shook his head. "No, I have to wear them."
"If this keeps up, you’ll have to wear them just to walk around, won’t you?"
"Yeah, probably."
’Now that this kid is with me,’ Xiao Man thought, ’I have to get his health in order. The nearsightedness is a minor issue. Those glasses are annoying; I’ll get rid of them for him. And the leukemia from my past life had better not show up this time, so I won’t have to give him my bone marrow again.’