Xue Yuantong

Xue Yuantong

At midnight, Uncle's Home was brightly lit.

Uncle Jiang Qitian sat on the sofa with a stern face, his voice full and resonant despite his accent.

"Didn't you say you were staying here? What, changed your mind? You looking down on Uncle's Home?"

"Not at all. Uncle's Home is spacious and nicely furnished."

"It's just that I usually prefer living alone. If I hadn't agreed to stay with you, my parents definitely wouldn't have let me come to the city for school." Jiang Ning came up with an excuse.

Uncle Jiang Qitian laughed. "You brat, so you've been messing with your uncle this whole time?"

Jiang Ning smiled. "Isn't it because I know you're a generous man?"

After chatting with his uncle for a while, Jiang Ning finally cleared things up. His uncle no longer had any objections.

Beside them, Shen Qing'e held her phone and watched anime, occasionally shooting Jiang Ning a sidelong glance. Ever since he had returned, he hadn't said a single word to her. She was annoyed. Fine, if he didn't want to talk, then neither would she!

Who didn't know how to give someone the cold shoulder? His cousin Jiang Junlong sprawled over the dining table, shoveling down rice. He had gone traveling with his classmates and only returned after half a month. Now that Jiang Ning had come to his home, he was actually quite happy.

Whenever he returned to the town during school breaks as a child, Jiang Ning would take him out into the fields to roast sweet potatoes, make fires, and catch fish in the Small Ditch. They had a wonderful time.

Though Jiang Ning was the same age as him, he could always think of fun things to do. Back then, Jiang Ning had seemed capable of anything in his eyes. Later, as he grew older and saw more of the world, that halo around Jiang Ning gradually faded away.

Still, Jiang Junlong welcomed Jiang Ning's arrival in Yuzhou City. At least he would have someone to hang out with from now on.

The next day, Jiang Ning woke up early. When he got out of bed, Aunt was preparing breakfast.

Seeing that breakfast would take a while longer, Jiang Ning said he was going to look for a place to rent and headed out.

He found a breakfast shop along the road, drank some egg soup, and ate several large steamed buns.

Then he withdrew a thousand yuan in cash. QR-code payments were not popular these days.

He walked all the way to Hui River Dam. It was not yet seven in the morning, and the temperature had not risen. Many old men and women strolled along the Dam Top, enjoying the cool air.

After finding the Transformer Box where he had cultivated yesterday, Jiang Ning activated the Nine Heavens Divine Lightning Body Tempering Art and began absorbing electricity to temper his body.

Once the sun became scorching, Jiang Ning stopped cultivating. With the temperature already above thirty degrees Celsius, if he kept standing under the blazing sun, people would probably think something was wrong with his head.

He checked the time. It was already nine o'clock. Jiang Ning straightened his clothes and headed toward the row of single-story houses.

Today, he intended to settle the housing matter.

After coming down from the dam and walking for several minutes, he arrived before a row of single-story houses.

One of them housed a small convenience store, though business was bleak. Opening a store in a place like this probably only earned enough for pocket money.

Several old men sat beneath the shade of a tree, holding enamel mugs as they played cards and drank tea.

Seeing Jiang Ning, a boy of fifteen or sixteen, approach, they paid him no mind.

Jiang Ning went straight to the third house from the west. He was unsure whether anyone lived there. If it was occupied, he would probably have to put in some effort.

Just then, a little girl came out from next door. She was about one and a half meters tall and looked like an elementary school student. Her hair was messy, and she wore black shorts, a white T-shirt, and blue slippers.

Jiang Ning froze for a moment when he saw her face.

She was Xue Yuantong, in the same year as him—a very pretty, very peculiar little girl.

Xue Yuantong sniffed and waved a small hand toward the side. "The shop is over there. You went the wrong way."

"I'm not here to buy anything. I wanted to ask whether anyone lives in this house. Thank you."

At once, Xue Yuantong's gaze turned suspicious. She stared at Jiang Ning.

"Someone lives there. That family is really fierce. They keep a Great Wolfhound that bites anyone who comes by. Do you need something?"

"Oh, I see. I wanted to rent a place. What a pity." He shook his head.

"You want to rent a house?" Xue Yuantong's expression stiffened.

"Yes."

"This is my house," she said, somewhat embarrassed.

Jiang Ning's mouth twitched. "What about the one next door?"

"Both houses belong to my family. You want to rent a place, right? How long are you renting for? What do you need it for?" Xue Yuantong crossed her arms, putting on the air of the lady of the house. However, her small stature made her seem rather unconvincing.

"At least a year. How much per month?"

Xue Yuantong had never rented out a house before and did not know the going rates. She thought for a moment, then called into the house.

"Mom, someone wants to rent a house."

Soon, a woman around forty came out. Her clothes were clean, but it was obvious they had been washed many times and were beginning to fade. The passage of time had left its marks on her face, making her look much older than Aunt.

Seeing that someone with authority had arrived, Jiang Ning immediately said, "Hello, Auntie. I study at No.4 Middle School nearby and would like to rent one of your houses."

Jiang Ning remembered that, a few years later, the owner of this property was not the woman before him. Xue Yuantong must have died from illness later, and her mother had sold the house.

At that thought, Jiang Ning's gaze toward Xue Yuantong shifted slightly.

"You go to No.4 Middle School too? My daughter is there this year as well," the woman said with a smile.

Jiang Ning had an idea and deliberately said, "Really? She goes to No.4 Middle School too? I couldn't tell. That's impressive."

Hearing his tone, Xue Yuantong pursed her lips, thoroughly displeased. No.4 Middle School was nothing. She could have gotten in with ease.

The woman said gently, "Tongtong just looks young. She's actually fifteen this year."

"Mom, he's here to rent a house, not chat with you."

"Auntie, how much is the rent?"

"You'll be living alone?"

"Yes."

"I'll show you the place first."

Jiang Ning was led inside. Directly ahead was a square living room, roughly five meters long and wide. A few steps farther in and through another door was an open-air courtyard with a cement floor. Across from it stood three smaller rooms arranged in order: the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen.

"There's Tap Water and a Solar Water Heater. The electric and water meters are separate. You can move in anytime. If you rent it, two hundred yuan a month will do."

The woman did not ask an Extortionate Price. Though the house was decent, it was in a remote location, practically in the suburbs. It was inconvenient for both work and school. Leaving it empty was pointless, so she might as well rent it out cheaply to help support the household.

Of course, she also saw that Jiang Ning was clean-cut and a student at No.4 Middle School, not someone who looked like trouble. If some young delinquent from society had come asking about the house, she definitely would have refused.

"Alright." Jiang Ning settled on it. The price was close to what he had expected, so he did not bargain.

After they made a verbal agreement, Jiang Ning gave her eight hundred yuan—one month's deposit and three months' rent—and received a key.

Next, Jiang Ning went into the city to buy daily necessities, then returned to Uncle's Home to get his suitcase.

Aunt had not expected Jiang Ning to find a house so quickly and was very surprised. When Cousin's Wife saw this, she drove over to help Jiang Ning, while Jiang Junlong came along too since he had nothing else to do.

Many hands made light work. Jiang Ning quickly bought everything he needed for daily life, including a sleeping mat, quilt, desk lamp, washbasin, and other household supplies.

Aunt also gave Jiang Ning the Electric Stove left over from the restaurant's last purchase. After some tidying up, the rented house began to feel a little more lived-in.

Xue Yuantong sat on a Small Stool outside the door, holding half a watermelon larger than her head and happily scooping it out with a spoon. From beginning to end, she watched Jiang Ning and the others bustle about.

Her eyes were lively. Jiang Ning's relatives have a car. Judging by how they dress, they seem fairly wealthy. Why would he come all the way here to rent a house?

Could there be some hidden reason?

Forget it, forget it. It's none of my business. The best thing is that it can bring in some extra income for the family and make things easier for Mom.

As Jiang Junlong watched his mother and Cousin's Wife arrange Jiang Ning's room, envy flashed through his eyes. He wanted a little space like this too, but that was impossible. If his mother found out, she would definitely beat him to death.

He had never done housework growing up and could not be of much help, so he simply stood outside the door. He sighed inwardly, lamenting his lack of freedom.

Then he turned and saw Xue Yuantong eating that huge watermelon, thinking that this little girl was truly pretty and adorable.

"Hey, little kid, big brother will treat you to some chocolate!"

As he spoke, he took an elegantly wrapped chocolate from his pocket. It was a nut chocolate he had specially bought during his trip. One piece cost fifteen yuan, and he had not even been willing to eat it himself.

The moment Xue Yuantong heard that, she glared at him.

Seeing the little girl's fierce expression, Jiang Junlong awkwardly put the chocolate away and muttered to himself, Hmph, what a rude elementary school student.