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墨書 Inktalez
Although the Shopkeeper of Shunlai Inn took good care of Qin Yaru and her son, it was still a bustling inn with many comings and goings. After yesterday's incident, Qin Yaru was contemplating finding a house to move out as soon as possible.
The Shopkeeper didn't say it out loud, but secretly hoped that the mother and son would leave soon. He was quite concerned and even took the initiative to ask the staff to gather information for her.
As soon as the word got out, many helpers at the inn came to introduce various rental houses. Some were as low as three to five hundred wen per month, while others could cost around a thousand wen.
After sifting through the options, Qin Yaru still felt they were a bit expensive. Although she wasn't in dire financial straits at the moment, she planned to take her son to Kaifeng in the future.
Who wouldn't yearn for Kaifeng when they arrived in this place?
Recalling the Qingming Shanghe Tu she had seen in later years, with its misty bridges and flowing waters, she longed for that kind of bustling market scene.
In the Song Dynasty, the common people of Kaifeng were known as "Proud People," living a happiness that was rare in ancient Chinese society. She remembered reading a first-person account of time travel while beside Gao Feng, which mentioned "Martial Arts Chronicles." Even its author, Zhou Mi, couldn't help but exclaim in the book—"The people are inherently proud, not merely due to customs; it is because they grow up under such circumstances."
Qin Yaru often thought that if she had been braver back then and not so timid, perhaps she would have had the chance to enjoy the treatment of being one of the "Proud People" of this era. Even if her situation were worse, it wouldn't have been as bad as those ten years spent at County Horse Manor.
This native of the Song Dynasty could only guess at its customs through various books like later generations. How shameful!
In this life, she wanted to take her son to Kaifeng.
Far from the capital, in a place like Wudang, if that County Horse and Princess wanted to make her life difficult, they could think of many ways. Even in remote areas, despite being in the prosperous times of the Song Dynasty where people's lives were relatively happy, there were countless disasters and endless suffering.
But it was different in Kaifeng; beneath her feet lay The Land of Abundant Virtue. There were Pharmacies, Charity and Orphanage Bureaus, Yangji Hospitals, and Louzeyuan. No matter how one looked at it, it was far better than other places.
Qin Yaru was just an ordinary woman; she simply wanted to raise her son well and live a happy and stable life. Moreover, since she was in the Song Dynasty, it would be too regrettable not to see the capital Kaifeng.
However, living in the capital is not easy. The housing prices in Kaifeng are no cheaper than those in Beijing in the Twenty-First Century. How can an ordinary family afford it? Even renting requires a significant expenditure.
For several consecutive days, Qin Yaru took Da Lang around to look for houses. Either the location was poor and not very safe, or the houses were too dilapidated and cramped to live in. Those that had no issues in all aspects were prohibitively expensive.
After a long delay, it was Lai San who introduced a pawnshop, where they discovered a property with a reasonable price and a good layout, which was quite suitable.
The person renting out the house was a scholar whose parents had passed away. He planned to go abroad for further studies and estimated he wouldn't return for three to five years. He simply wanted to find someone reliable to rent out the house to avoid it being left vacant.
Such properties can easily become abandoned if they lack occupancy for three to five years. If that happens, when he returns to renovate it, he would likely have to spend a large sum of money. It would be better to find a suitable tenant, earn some rental income, and save on renovation costs.
This house is located in Four Seasons Alley, where the neighbors are respectable families. While they may not be extremely wealthy, many are local gentry or scholars, with even two families having produced successful candidates in the imperial examinations.
As Qin Yaru led Da Lang to the entrance of Four Seasons Alley, they saw the clean and tidy stone-paved path. Looking at the white walls and black tiles of the neat residences, along with the green trees and red flowers, she felt three parts satisfied.
Upon seeing the house, they discovered it was actually an ancient residence. The crimson door, though not intricately carved or decorated, was simple yet majestic. Two osmanthus trees were planted at the entrance.
Looking at the lush osmanthus trees, Qin Yaru suddenly recalled a passage from the Compendium of Materia Medica: "It treats all diseases and nourishes the spirit; its color is pleasing and serves as a messenger for various medicines. Long-term consumption keeps one youthful and radiant, with a beauty akin to that of a child."
This osmanthus is truly wonderful!
Da Lang tightly grasped Qin Yaru's hand, his eyes shining: "Mother, are we really going to live here?"
In Da Lang's young mind, he had imagined living in a grand mansion one day, but that was after his Daddy came to take him away for a life of luxury. Since Zhao Yitan's appearance, although Da Lang did not voice it, he had secretly given up on such thoughts. He even vowed to study hard and succeed so that he could honor his mother by allowing her to wear the finest clothes and live in the best house.
Da Lang was too young to understand what a good house was. Perhaps in his mind, a good house was like the patriarch's home in Chen Family Village, which had more than a dozen rooms.
However, the house before them was different. It might not be large, but its elegance was such that even a child who knew nothing would find it appealing.
Qin Yaru smiled and patted Da Lang's head. Behind them, Lai San, who had been following them, looked very satisfied and laughed, " Consort Qin, this house is great. Look at these solid walls; even a big hammer might not break through. Later, I'll add a layer of iron spikes on top to ensure that even the most skilled thieves won't be able to get in!"
The people from the tooth shop quickly laughed along, saying, "What are you talking about, Third Master? The security in Four Seasons Alley is excellent. Just a few steps outside is the Yamen; which blind thief would dare to cause trouble here?"
Lai San shot him an angry glare, clearly displeased by the mention of ' Yamen'. He was indeed a lowly character and had no fondness for Official Authorities. However, he begrudgingly admitted, "It’s relatively safe for Consort Qin to live here. Those people from the Official Authorities, while lacking in other skills, can at least protect their own territory."
Qin Yaru was also very satisfied. At three hundred wen per month, it was quite cheap. If it weren't for the fact that the owner of the house wanted to choose tenants, this price would have been worth three times as much, so she signed the contract.
Only then did Lai San breathe a sigh of relief. For days he had been forced by his older brother to search for houses. Although he had a group of people at his disposal, he was still exhausted. Now that Consort Qin was satisfied, his task was finally completed. Watching Consort Qin take the key and open the door to enter the house, he happily turned to leave.
This man was rather rough and lacked subtlety; he didn’t consider that although they had just rented the house and all the major furniture was complete, they still needed to buy bedding, pots, pans, and other essentials. Ignoring all this, he left. Qin Yaru led Da Lang around the house and prepared to go out shopping when she realized that only she and Da Lang were left at home.
Qin Yaru couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. However, since they had been kind enough to help her find a house and personally bring her here without much prior acquaintance, it wouldn’t be right to trouble them further with these matters.
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