novelraw Chapter 196 Renting a House
Chapter 196 Renting a House
Chapter 196 Renting a House
After walking for about 15 minutes and asking around, we finally found the Pear Blossom Alley that the couple had mentioned.
This alley is significantly wider than the one next to it. At the intersection stands a sturdy pear tree, under which several young men and women are playing with shuttlecocks.
Gu Tang broke the fried dough into several pieces, smiled, and went forward to distribute them, asking them if there were any courtyards available for rent.
The children who received the fried dough cakes were very happy. They told Gu Tang to wait under the tree while they went back to the alley to ask around.
These children all live in Lihua Hutong and are very familiar with the families living there; they know each other's homes very well.
Gu Tang sat on the exposed tree roots and waited for a short while before a group of children came running over, saying they had found out for her.
"The Guo family in the alley has a courtyard for rent. The courtyard is a bit small, but the house is nice, with three rooms and a separate entrance."
"Three rooms? That's not bad. I'll go take a look first. If the rooms are well-built, a smaller yard won't be a problem."
Gu Tang stood up and asked the children to lead her over.
The children led the people into the alley, all the way to the end, until they arrived at the Guo family's door.
This alley runs north-south, with the gates of the houses on both sides facing east on one side and west on the other.
The Guo family's courtyard is on the west side, with the gate facing east.
When we knocked on the gate of the Guo family compound, it was Old Lady Guo who answered.
The old lady was quite old, with gray hair and crisscrossing wrinkles, but she had a very kind face and loved children. She gave each of the children who came to visit a handful of roasted melon seeds.
The children who received the roasted melon seeds ran off happily, leaving Gu Tang alone at the Guo family's house.
Seeing that Gu Tang was young, Grandma Guo hesitated about her wanting to rent a room. "You're the one who wants to rent a room? Where are your parents?"
Gu Tang smiled and made up a story: "My parents run a small business, and they're busy at the shop right now. Don't let my young age fool you; I started helping my mother manage the household when I was around seven or eight years old, and now I make all the decisions, big and small, at home."
"So that's how it is. No wonder renting a place is such a big deal. How come you came all alone as a young person?"
"There's no other way. The shop at home isn't big, but there's a lot to do. My parents are reluctant to spend money to hire people, so they have to do all the work themselves. If they can take care of the shop, they can't take care of the house, so I have to step up and help manage the household."
These words struck a chord with Old Mrs. Guo. When she was young, she also worked in the shop with her husband, and when she was busy, she naturally couldn't take care of the family.
She pointed to the house next to the Guo family's: "This little courtyard is going to be rented out. It used to be part of the courtyard we live in, but my son said that since there are few people in the family, it would be a waste for the house to be left unused. He suggested separating it into a separate section and finding a tenant to rent it out, so that we could at least supplement our household income..."
The old lady muttered to herself as she took out her keys and opened the gate to the neighboring courtyard.
Upon hearing that it was a small courtyard divided from a large courtyard, Gu Tang knew in her heart that this should be the south-facing rear building.
The Guo family's house faces south and is a courtyard house with three main rooms, three rooms each in the east and west wings, and three additional rooms in the back.
The separated courtyard is created by partitioning off the three rear-facing rooms with a wall, forming a separate courtyard with a separate gate.
Upon entering the courtyard, it was indeed quite narrow, but the three rooms were rather nice, constructed of brick and tile, much better than mud-brick houses. After Old Mrs. Guo opened each of the three rooms, Gu Tang went in and took a look. They were empty, with nothing inside. None of the three rooms were connected; each had its own door.
"Although this courtyard is a bit small, these three rooms are quite spacious. If divided up, they can accommodate five or six people. Cooking is also simple; you can build a shed in the courtyard as a kitchen. By the way, is this courtyard rented to your family or to other people?"
"It's for my mother's relatives. There are three brothers. They're not very good-looking and their legs aren't very strong, but they're good people. My mother lost her parents when she was young, and they raised her with the help of their parents."
Now that the three brothers' hometown has suffered misfortune, they've come seeking refuge here. My mother said she'd rent them a small courtyard to stay in for the time being, and then next spring she'd ask someone to find them work. She didn't expect them to earn much money, just enough to keep them from starving.
Grandma Guo nodded, showing no dissatisfaction. At her age, she didn't care about appearance or physical condition, but rather whether a person had a good or bad temperament.
As long as the person is nice, she'd be willing to rent to someone even if they were as ugly as a demon.
Gu Tang saw her reaction and thought it was fine. This was the place. It was rare to find such an open-minded old lady. As long as she didn't mind the three brothers, it would be fine.
"I've taken a liking to this courtyard. Please name your price, and if it's reasonable, I'll pay the rent and rent it!"
Grandma Guo laughed: "Although this house is made of bricks and tiles, this yard is an eyesore. I know all this. I won't ask for much. Just give me 150 copper coins a month."
One hundred and fifty copper coins a month is indeed not expensive, especially in a decent alleyway house like this in the south. The old lady really didn't ask for more money.
"Alright! Since you're so honest, I won't look for another place; I'll stay with you."
Grandma Guo was overjoyed and handed the key to Gu Tang: "Take this key. Let's find someone to be a witness. Today is the 20th of the 11th lunar month. From now on, I will come to collect the rent on the 20th of every month."
In rural areas, there is no such thing as a lease agreement or a deposit when renting a house. Instead, a witness is found, and the rent is collected on a specific day each month. Everyone consciously abides by the spirit of the contract.
You can't be unaware of this, unless you're looking for a quick buck. If you want to collect rent in the long run, you have to be honest.
In the alley lived an old scholar in his early fifties. When Grandma Guo took Gu Tang to find him, she gave him two packets of pastries, and the old scholar agreed to be a witness.
As for how much the rent should be paid upfront, there's no particular rule; you can pay monthly or every three months.
With the New Year approaching, Gu Tang, with the old scholar as a witness, simply paid three months' rent and gave Old Lady Guo four hundred and fifty copper coins.
Grandma Guo was genuinely surprised to receive three months' rent at once. She thought that since it was for relatives to stay, the rent should be paid monthly. However, she was surprised that the family was so generous to their relatives, paying three months' rent in one go.
Carrying a string of copper coins, Old Lady Guo smiled, revealing the gap between her two missing teeth. She took the coins home, then personally escorted Gu Tang to the alley entrance, and only returned home after watching Gu Tang leave.
Having finally finished getting things done, Gu Tang happily returned to her own courtyard, and on the way, she bought a chicken, planning to make a pot of chicken soup.
In the cold season, hot soup is the most tempting thing.
Gu Tang, who was tending the fire and killing chickens in the kitchen, hummed a little tune as she scalded the chicken feathers with hot water, completely forgetting about the little beggars.
Little did she know that the little beggars had taken her words to heart and were now trying their best to wake up their unconscious leader.