Renting in Yi Capital

Three days later, outside Yidu City.

The road here had widened noticeably, with more people coming and going, the ground covered in hoofprints and deep cart ruts—already hinting at prosperity.

Song You sat under a stall awning set up at the intersection, eating wontons. The Three Flower Cat lay beside his bowl, eating a ball of minced meat Song You had bought from the stall owner.

The seats around him were filled with traveling merchants, their voices a noisy clamor.

"Have you heard? The Fog Ghost at Liangshui Ao has been dealt with."

"Really?"

"The Zhengwei Escort Agency put out the news, and the Wu Shan Tea Merchant is spreading it too, saying that stretch is safe now... The Wu Shan Tea Merchant has decent credibility, and even more so the Zhengwei Escort Agency, which lives off that trade—there's no way they'd lie!"

"Did Nanhua County hire another expert?"

"I heard not. Seems it was a passing young gentleman who took care of it on the way. Not a peep was raised, and the Fog Ghost was just gone."

"Oh my! That's no small feat!"

"Even the masters at Taian Temple might not have that skill!"

"Taian Temple? Taian Temple is just famous for its grand buildings! How many true masters are there in Yidu? Which master cultivates within the city?"

"True enough—if you want to find a real master, you have to go outside the city."

"..."

"Slurp!"

Song You slurped up a steaming wonton.

One bite, and the fresh flavors of meat and scallions burst in his mouth, making him tilt his head back and squint his eyes, feeling a long-missed sense of satisfaction.

Though he had come to a relatively backward era, in his years at the temple, Song You had never shortchanged himself on culinary pleasures. He had even sought out ingredients unavailable in his past life to compensate for other lacks—unable to get chili peppers or tomatoes, he went for bear paws and giant salamanders instead.

These past days, he'd had enough of steamed cakes and buns.

"Three Flower Lady, is it good?"

"Good."

"Then that's good."

He had promised to take the Three Flower Lady to taste the delicacies of different places, yet after several days, they hadn't even eaten meat more than a few times—truly shameful.

The merchants were still discussing him and the Fog Ghost.

Traveling merchants made their living by moving goods, and whether the road was safe was their greatest concern. Bandits were tolerable—they only wanted money—but ghosts took lives.

Song You wasn't very interested in this. Instead, he ate while pondering accommodation in Yidu.

He planned to stay in Yidu for a few months.

First, to rest here, experience the prosperity and culture of Yizhou's seat of government—the third city in the realm—and visit the famous mountains, scenic spots, temples, and monasteries nearby.

Second, in a little while, there would be the largest temple fair in all of Yizhou, held once a year—the liveliest event of all. Perhaps he might see something truly remarkable and worthy of his interest, adding a bit of fun to his dull life.

Horses and mules would also be cheaper to buy at the temple fair.

So he needed to find a place to stay.

Inns usually focused on long-term lodging, convenient enough, but the price might not be so pleasant.

Renting a place might be cheaper.

"Slurp!"

Song You finished his last wonton, then lifted the bowl and drank the soup clean. After the Three Flower Cat finished her meat, he poured water into his palm and carefully fed her until she was full, then paid and left.

Twenty coins in total.

A bowl of wontons cost ten coins; the stall owner said the ball of minced meat was priced the same as a bowl of wontons, and the clear water after eating was free.

A few more steps brought him to the city gate.

The gate was built of blue brick, pitted and scarred, full of the weathering of time.

Soldiers from the Military School stood by the gate inspecting those coming and going, and notices were posted on the wall—mostly Wanted Orders and calls for experts to eliminate demons and ghosts in certain areas.

These notices were somewhat interesting. Among those wanted were no lack of martial arts masters and Xuanmen practitioners. As for the local demons and ghosts, Song You glanced at them—the rewards for eliminating them were mostly generous, but he figured the demons and ghosts written on these notices and posted here weren't so easy to deal with.

In addition, many Housing Agents and idlers were waiting here. In this era, there was no navigation, so they could provide services like guiding, labor, and brokerage. But their target customers rarely seemed to include Taoist priests—or perhaps they feared priests wouldn't pay, instead preaching about fate—in any case, none approached Song You.

Song You walked to the gate, hesitating as he thought about calling out to find a Housing Agent to help him rent a place, when he suddenly ran into an acquaintance.

"Sir!"

Turning his head, he saw it was the Merchant surnamed Li and his group.

They seemed to be leaving the city to return to Wu Shan.

"Greetings."

Song You bowed to him.

The cat at his feet also stood upright on its hind legs, imitating his gesture and bowing to the Merchant surnamed Li.

When had this started? It seemed to be three days ago, after he bought it small fish as a betrothal gift—since then, it had occasionally begun to mimic Song You's words and actions.

"Oh my!"

The merchant surnamed Li hurriedly returned the greeting. Seeing the cat bowing at his feet, he paused for a moment, then bowed again, but dared not ask and dared not neglect:

"Sir, have you just arrived in Yidu City?"

"I was delayed on the road for a few days."

"If you had come a day earlier, we would have prepared a banquet for you." The merchant surnamed Li sounded deeply regretful, though whether genuine or not was hard to tell.

"If I had come a day earlier, we wouldn't have met."

"That's true!" The merchant surnamed Li paused again. "May I ask how long you plan to stay in Yidu City, and where you are lodging?"

"I was just about to find a Housing Agent to rent a house for a few months' short stay."

"There's a small yard behind our tea shop. It's a bit cramped, but if you want to stay for a few days, you could make do there and save some rent."

"I wouldn't want to impose."

"I figured you wouldn't be interested. But the Housing Brokers in Yidu are a deep game. I have a brother-in-law who works in this trade here—he's fairly honest. If you have a need, I'll bring him to meet you right now." The merchant surnamed Li grinned as he spoke. "That way, I'll have an excuse to visit you again later, sir."

"Then I'll trouble you."

"Please wait a moment, sir!"

The merchant surnamed Li turned and ran off, fetching a man from not far behind. As he walked, he gave instructions, and when they reached Song You, the two bowed again:

"Sir, this is my brother-in-law."

"This humble one is Wang Ji. Greetings, sir."

"I'll entrust the matter to you, then."

"I will do my utmost."

Before long, the merchant surnamed Li and his party left the city once more. On the yellow earth road, beneath the pale green mountains, their silhouettes grew smaller and smaller.

In the distance, more merchants and porters continued to arrive.

Song You followed Wang Ji into the city.

Like most cities of this era, Yidu was laid out in neat squares, with roads straight and level, making it hard to get lost—though it was easy to circle around in the alleys.

Wang Ji seemed like a straightforward man. He took Song You to see several houses, but either the price exceeded Song You's expectations, or the quality of the house or its surroundings simply didn't meet his needs.

There was no help for it. Housing prices in Great Yan were not only the highest of any dynasty but also ten times higher than the previous dynasty. The main reason was that Great Yan had abolished the "Equal Land System," meaning land and homesteads were no longer distributed to everyone. At the same time, the growth of the commercial economy spurred population movement, with people flocking to cities—triggering what was likely the first housing price surge in history.

Currently, a house in Yidu City would cost at least a thousand strings of cash to buy, and rents had naturally skyrocketed as well.

Song You had no choice but to fall back on a method his master had once mentioned: "Do you know of any houses in this city that are haunted or unlucky?"

Wang Ji paused at this, sizing him up:

"You wouldn't mind such houses, sir?"

"They really exist?"

"They really do! More than one! There are houses where people fall ill or have bad luck as soon as they move in, ones that drain your fortune, and ones haunted every night. Which kind would you like, sir?"

"The cheapest."

"I know of one house. It's in a quiet location, convenient for buying groceries, and rumored to be haunted. Several families have rented it, but none stayed more than a few days before moving out. It used to be priced at a thousand coins a month. If you're truly interested, sir, I'll take you to see it first. If you like it, it'll be doing the owner a favor."

"Thank you."

"Please follow me."

Learning that Song You was visiting Yidu for the first time and renting for the first time as well, Wang Ji explained some rental rules as they walked.

Housing Agents in Great Yan were fairly particular, mainly because both renting and the agents themselves were strictly regulated by the government. Rentals had to go through a Housing Agent, and only contracts made through them were recognized by the authorities. Every agent was registered with the government, and commissions were fixed. The government had even enacted laws to protect the rental market—for instance, the principle that a sale does not break a lease, a concept already in place in this era.

There was also the Public Housing Bureau, a government agency that managed rental properties—essentially public housing.

If commoners came to the city for work, officials took up posts elsewhere, or out-of-town students came to study or prepare for exams and couldn't afford rent, they could rent from the Public Housing Bureau.

Many things surprised Song You.

Not that such things existed, but that they already existed in this era. Then, catching himself, he felt that his surprise carried a kind of superiority and arrogance from a more advanced civilization—and that was truly uncalled for. So he fell into reflection.

An hour later.

The man and the cat had arrived before a small yard.

This yard was in the northern part of the city, a valuable area with thriving commerce and easy access to water.

The yard sat in the middle of an alley. Not far from the gate stood a large tree, with stone tables and stools beneath it for shade. The red paint on the wooden door had faded and aged. The trees originally planted in the yard stretched their branches over the top of the wall.

Passersby at the entrance saw another agent bringing someone to view the house and cast strange glances—clearly, there was something off about it.

"You're a man of skill, sir..."

Wang Ji muttered to himself, as if reassuring himself.

A creaking sound of metal on metal, with a rustic texture, as he pushed open the gate. With a grating noise, the yard came into view before Song You.

"You may go in and inspect it, sir."

Wang Ji said this, but he himself stood at the entrance.

Song You didn't mind. He nodded and stepped through the courtyard gate.

It was clear the courtyard had once been quite refined, with plum trees and bamboo, but it had long been uninhabited. Weeds grew deep, and the bamboo grove behind the house had crept into the yard.

"The landlord said that if you're willing to rent, the contract can be written for just one month. According to the law, the rent is paid monthly, starting from the sixth day. The first five days are for you to move in and tidy up the house."

Song You paced the courtyard, then turned to ask:

"And the price?"

"Still one thousand a month."

"Done."

"Alright."

They signed the contract, and the agreement took effect.

Song You saw Wang Ji off.

The Three Flower Lady, meanwhile, looked left and right around the courtyard. In this new environment, she felt unsettled again, sniffing here and there. As if struck by a thought, she suddenly turned her head and whispered to Song You: "Are we staying here today?"

"We're staying here tomorrow too."

"And the day after?"

"We'll be here for a while."

"This house really does seem to have a ghost."

"Mm."

"Why are we staying in a ghost's house?"

"Is the Three Flower Lady afraid of ghosts?"

"The Three Flower Lady is a Cat God. Cat Gods aren't afraid of ghosts." The Three Flower Cat followed him like a shadow. "But this is a ghost's house."

"Because we're short on money, so we have to impose on them."

"I don't know what 'short on money' means."

"It means we don't have much money."

"I don't know what money is either."

"It's what I used on the road to buy flatbreads, steamed buns, and mantou. It's also what we use to buy meat for the Three Flower Lady. Buying a house to live in also costs money. If we spend less on the house, we'll have more money to buy fish and meat."

"Oh..."

The Three Flower Lady seemed to understand, but not quite.

Just as she was about to ask what to do about the ghost, she saw Song You turn around, face the courtyard, and bow with a calm expression. "Truly, housing in Yi Capital is expensive, and our purses are light. We will have to stay here for a while. Please forgive the intrusion."

The Three Flower Cat quickly bowed along with him:

"Please forgive the intru—"

The courtyard was silent, only the wind rustling through the bamboo. It was nearly dusk, but the sunlight had not yet faded, slanting across the tiled roof, where the roof moss shimmered like colorful flowers.

Despite the overgrown weeds, it was truly a lovely little courtyard.