TL: Etude
Yesterday, Lin Wanqiu had mentioned that her parents were planning to come and stay for a while.
The exact duration of their stay wasn't specified.
After all, the couple had only one daughter and not too many concerns back in their hometown.
If it were up to Chen Jianghai, he would have the elderly couple stay for good.
That way, they could take care of each other.
Old Jiang was slightly taken aback when he heard this, "What? You want to rent a house?"
"Yes."
Chen Jianghai nodded, "My mother-in-law and father-in-law are coming to stay for a while, and my house is too small to accommodate them comfortably, so I'm thinking of renting a place."
Old Jiang chuckled, "That's easy to handle, I have a place myself!"
"Your place?"
Chen Jianghai was stunned, "Old Jiang, I'm not joking around here."
Old Jiang waved his hand dismissively, "Who's joking with you? I have several rooms available in my house, you can rent any of them if you want."
Chen Jianghai quickly said, "That would be great, could we take a look at them?"
"Sure, let me show you the place first, and if it suits you, we can talk about the details afterward." Old Jiang readily agreed.
"That would be much appreciated, Old Jiang." Chen Jianghai was very pleased.
"Hey, we're all neighbors here, no trouble at all."
Following that, Old Jiang led Chen Jianghai to his own house. Upon entering, there was a large courtyard reminiscent of the old-style siheyuans (search it up; it's like a chinese mansion almost).
In the town of Linghai County, this type of house was not uncommon.
The courtyard was spacious and clean, with a well in the middle that clearly was regularly maintained.
Old Jiang pointed to three rooms on the west side, "Those three rooms are vacant. Take your pick, see which one you prefer."
Chen Jianghai proceeded to inspect them.
Overall, the three rooms were roughly the same size. The only difference was in their condition; some were newer than others, but all were quite tidy. A bed would make them habitable.
Chen Jianghai pointed to the newer room and asked, "Old Jiang, how do you rent this one?"
"That one, fifty a month will do, utilities not included." Old Jiang raised a hand to indicate the amount.
Chen Jianghai nodded slightly, finding the price reasonable.
"Then let's sign a rental contract! How about I rent it for three months to start?" Chen Jianghai suggested after some thought.
As it stood, having Lin Wanqiu's parents stay for a month would be considered long, so three months was more than sufficient.
Even if they left afterwards, since the place was close to his own home, using it as a small storage would not be an issue.
Especially since the recent influx of electrical appliances was overwhelming, the room at Fang Aiguo's house was already filled to capacity.
Of course, if Lin Wanqiu's parents wished to stay for the long term, that would be no problem either.
After all, Old Jiang still had two other rooms, didn't he?
In the future, whether it was visiting the elderly couple or checking on the storage, everything would be convenient. Purchasing the property outright was also a possibility.
At the current housing prices, it was genuinely affordable. A few thousand yuan could buy a modest courtyard with several rooms.
Old Jiang suddenly seemed displeased, "What's this need for a contract? Master Chen, do you not trust me?"
"Old Jiang, you've misunderstood."
Chen Jianghai said with a smile, "Signing a contract is for the best interest of both parties, to avoid any problems later that might hurt our relationship."
Old Jiang paused, then said, "I don't know much about contracts, how about you wait for my granddaughter to come back and discuss it with her?"
"That's fine, when will your granddaughter be free?" Chen Jianghai followed up.
Old Jiang glanced at the calendar, "She'll be home tomorrow. You can talk to her then."
Chen Jianghai nodded, "Old Jiang, I'll come back tomorrow then. Thank you for this!"
Old Jiang smiled, "No problem, it's a small matter."
Leaving Old Jiang's house, Chen Jianghai headed straight to the Zhongbai Store.
With more disposable income at hand, it was time to add some household appliances to his home.
Having such arrangements would certainly put Lin Wanqiu's parents at ease when they come over to visit.
The first thing that needed to be bought was a gas stove. Cooking with a coal stove required lighting a fire every day, which was truly a hassle and not very convenient to use.
This item must be replaced immediately!
As for air conditioning, it was already approaching autumn, so it didn't seem meaningful to purchase one now.
Besides, the current house was very small, and Chen Jianghai planned to wait until he bought a bigger house before investing in a new one.
Regarding the color TV, the prices were not cheap at the moment. Chen Jianghai had looked at them, the affordable ones were over 2000, and the more expensive ones were about 5000.
Chen Jianghai felt it would be better to buy a second-hand one and assemble it himself, rather than buying a new one.
Moreover, Lin Wanqiu certainly wouldn't be willing to spend so much money on a new color TV.
If she knew Chen Jianghai spent so much money on a color TV, she definitely wouldn't be pleased; instead, she would think he was starting to spend money recklessly again.
For the sake of domestic harmony and his wife's happiness, it was best to let it go for now.
In the end, Chen Jianghai bought a gas stove and a brand-new Camel fan, spending a total of just over four hundred yuan.
Coming out of the Zhongbai store, Chen Jianghai saw a shop specializing in motorcycles and couldn't help but stop his bicycle and walk in.
He hadn't forgotten his little goal of buying a motorcycle for his wife.
At the moment, this Little Sha Mulan was a model that was popular all over the country, naturally making it the first choice.
Walking into the store, Chen Jianghai looked at the monotonous motorcycles and couldn't help but smirk slightly at the corners of his mouth, thinking they lacked a competitive edge. Selling well, they just rested on their laurels and didn't innovate.
"Boss, looking at bikes? This motorcycle sells really well!"
A man in his thirties inside the shop promptly greeted him with a smile.
Chen Jianghai nodded and asked, "How much is it?"
"There's a discount now, just ten thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine."
Hearing this price, Chen Jianghai couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
To be honest, in his past life, Chen Jianghai really didn't know the price of these motorcycles, assuming naively that a few thousand yuan would suffice.
It turned out they could sell for tens of thousands, truly a luxury item!
It wasn't that he couldn't afford it right now, but there was no need to pour all his money into it, and even if he was willing, Lin Wanqiu definitely would not be!
"Oh, it's a bit expensive, I'll think about it!"
Chen Jianghai nodded, not feeling embarrassed at all.
The man then said with a smile, "No problem, brother. Remember to come here if you decide to buy next time. I guarantee you the lowest price."
Chen Jianghai looked at him, nodded, and said, "No problem, if I decide to buy, I'll definitely come to you."
"Good, good, brother, have a cigarette!"
The owner was clearly a savvy man, handing out a cigarette casually, and Chen Jianghai didn't refuse, lighting it with a match.
That's how easily friendships were established among men.
Through this interaction, the two became acquainted.
After a brief chat, Chen Jianghai left the shop under the warm gaze of the owner.
On the road, he began to reflect on himself.
Having earned some money recently, he seemed to have gotten a little carried away.
Reality dealt Chen Jianghai a harsh truth; the money he was earning was only enough to improve his lifestyle a bit.
If he wanted to truly change his life, to alter his fate, it was still far from enough.