Qin Mian worried, “Today, we can build a thatched house?”
Lei Tie responded: “Autumn harvest is coming, rent first.”
Qin Mian patted his head, “I forgot the autumn harvest.” Although they were only two people, at least they had to build two rooms, which couldn’t be completed in a day or two days. All the wood and couch grass needed to build the house must be prepared; there were more work than one could deal with only two people. They must invite others to help, treat them to meal and prepare all the ingredients needed. It all took time. When autumn harvest arrived, at that time everyone should be busy with rush-harvesting and rush-planting and couldn’t divide the labor forces to help them. So the construction could only be postponed temporarily.
“Can we rent a house?” Qin Mian was worried. Lei Tie didn’t like to talk and hadn’t been in the village for a long time, his relationship with the villagers was just average.
Lei Tie nodded and beckoned him to follow.During the day, the village was like waking up, very lively. The chickens in the yard laid eggs and “cluck cuck” asking for credits from their owners; a flock of fat ducks quacked and swayed to the pond; occasionally, there were loud voices of adults scolding naughty children and wake-up babies crying. Farther away, the oxherd shouted to the ox to quickly move. At the top of the trees, birds were chirping spiritedly, not knowing what sort of communication they had with each other.
A few villagers chatted under a tree and laughed from time to time. When Qin Mian and Lei Tie approached, they stopped talking and laughing. The villagers looked at them with complicated eyes and turned their heads when theirs eyes were about to contact. There was a silence.
Qin Mian’s mental state was very strong, as if he didn’t realize it, he walked over calmly.
Lei Tie was silent like a mountain, only marched with steady steps.
The villagers began to talk in low voices when they were not far away.
“Sigh, do you guys think they are really going to live together in the future?”
“No way, right? Can two men get along?”“Keep it down. Speaking of which, Lei’s eldest son is also very pitiful. He married a male wife just because of a word of fortune telling; oh what a sin.”
“Who made him have a stepmother? Lei Daqiang can’t manage his family! I heard Du Shi called Lei Xiangren “Eldest” several times; she really didn’t care about Lei Tie at all. ”
……
They went to middle of the village and stopped at tall courtyard gate. The gate was thick and imposing, with smooth reliefs engraved on it. Although it finest couldn’t be compare with that of a rich and influential family’s house, it was much better than that of a common villager’s house. It could be seen that this family could be considered as the wealthy household in the village. There was a tall persimmon tree in the yard that stretched out a branch from inside. The persimmons were full like small lanterns and some of them had turned yellow.
Lei Tie lightly tapped the door knocker and a rough voice transmitted out from inside, “Coming.”
The gate was opened. A middle-aged man with a potbelly and a stout body had opened the gate. He was a bit surprised before he smiled very politely, “Is it Lei’s eldest son? Come in.”
“Senior[1] Zhao.”
Qin Mian followed after, “Senior Zhao, excuse me.”
Zhao Wenzhong invited the two to come into the house to take a sit as he wondered what the two sought him for. Their two families had nothing to do with each other besides he and Lei Tie exchanged greetings when he bumped into Lei Tie in the village, who had just returned.
Zhao Wenzhong’s family [wife] was at home, sitting at the window mending clothes. Next to the window, she listened to the people talking outside and was also curious about the two people’s purpose of coming.
Standing in the courtyard, Lei Tie said, “Senior Zhao needs not to be polite. The two of us venture to bother Senior Zhao because we want to rent Senior Zhao’s old house at the back of the village.”
Qin Mian was afraid that his lack of words would make Zhao Wenzhong misunderstand them and so he added: “It’s like this, Senior Zhao. Brother Tie and I have separated from our parents and we are going to have autumn harvest soon. Now it’s too late to build a house, so we want to rent your old house for a while. I heard that Senior Zhao is usually warmhearted, so we dare to ask you to facilitate us.”
Lei Tie said: “Two months at most.”
The eyes of Zhao Wenzhong’s family [wife] flashed as her blood of gossip boiled. The Lei Family split? This is big news and first-hand news at that. She couldn’t stay still for a moment.
“So it’s like that.” Zhao Wenzhong was very generous. “It’s not inconvenient for you to stay temporarily. It’s just that you probably don’t know that no one had managed the house for a long time, I’m afraid the house can’t be lived in.” That house was given to him when their Zhou Family split. Later, he made a small fortune and built another house. The old house was empty and he didn’t take care of it.
Lei Tie said: “Can give shelter from the wind and rain will suffice.”
Zhao Wenzhong nodded, “Move in if you don’t mind.”
“Thank you.” Lei Tie took out a silver coin from his bosom, which was equivalent to 500-600 wen. “This is the rent for two months.” 500-600 wen was quite a lot, enough for an average family to eat for two to three months.
Zhao Wenzhong waved his hand away. “We’re all from the same village, don’t need to rent.”
Zhao Wenzhong’s family [wife] emerged from behind him, took the silver coin in Lei Tie’s hand and smiled enthusiastically at Lei Tie and Qin Mian before glanced at Zhao Wenzhong angrily, “Family head, can they live in peace if you don’t accept it? Lei Tie’s family [wife], don’t you think so? Here, this is the key to the old house.”
Qin Mian smiled as he nodded, “Auntie’s right, you have to accept it. We’re deeply grateful for you both for letting us live there. If you don’t accept the rent, we’ll feel uneasy.”
Zhao Wenzhong had no choice but to glare at his wife and forced to say: “In this case, we will accept it. I remember there are some old desks and chairs in the house. You can use them freely.”
“Many thanks.”
Seeing Qin Mian and Lei Tie leave the gate, Zhao Wenzhong’s family [wife] stared coldly at Zhao Wenzhong. “How rich are you ah? Easily saying no to 500-600 wen.”
“What do you womenfolk know?! Go-go-go!” Zhao Wenzhong didn’t bother to talk nonsense with her and turned to enter the house.
“I don’t understand, you understand! I don’t want to talk to you.” Zhao Wenzhong’s family [wife] murmured and when she thought of the big news she had just heard, a smile emerged from her lips. She went back into the house, took the sewing basket and went out to find someone to chat with.
Note:
[1]伯bó = senior; respectful form of address
