The Poor School Heartthrob Was Secretly a Financial Titan - Chapter 29
Han Xuetao never expected that in the short time he was helping his father with the hospital admission procedures at the Provincial People’s Hospital, his mother not only went out to find old relatives, but also rented a house.
Han Xuetao was pulled by his mother through a small door on the side of the hospital’s outpatient building and turned into a narrow alley.
The alley was very narrow; it was difficult for two people to walk side by side. On both sides were densely packed single-story houses, red bricks and gray tiles, their walls peeling and revealing the yellow mud beneath. Overhead, electrical wires were tangled in a mess, with plastic bags and rags hanging from them. Sewage flowed across the ground, with puddles every few steps, forcing one to tiptoe through.
After walking for three or four minutes, Zhao Xiurong stopped in front of a house.
“We’re here, we’re here.”
Han Xuetao looked up and was stunned.
This is one of the houses in a row of brick houses; it’s not an apartment building, but one of those old-fashioned bungalows.
The house was divided in the middle into two units, one large and one small. The larger unit occupied three-quarters of the space and had a wide entrance, with some miscellaneous items piled up at the door. The smaller unit, the one in front of them, had a door so narrow that only one person could squeeze through sideways.
Zhao Xiurong pushed open the door, and it was pitch black inside.
Han Xuetao followed him inside, and it took his eyes a while to adjust before he could see the situation inside the room clearly.
It was only about seven or eight square meters. Against the wall was a wooden bed with a straw mat on it and two old quilts rolled up inside. Next to the bed was a square table with a pitted and greasy surface. There was no other furniture.
Looking up, the roof was slanted, covered with old tiles, and in some places covered with plastic sheeting, the edges of which were pressed down with bricks. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tiles, casting patches of light on the ground.
The room was damp, and a musty smell filled my nostrils.
“Mom,” Han Xuetao opened his mouth, “this…”
“Twenty-seven yuan a month!” Zhao Xiurong was quite happy. “How cheap! And it’s close to the hospital, so if your dad needs anything, I can just walk there.”
A woman in her forties with short hair, a round face, and wearing a floral shirt entered through the door.
“Auntie, this must be Xiao Tao?” The woman smiled and looked Han Xuetao up and down. “You’ve grown so tall! I didn’t recognize you. When you were little, I took you to the river to catch loaches, remember?”
Han Xuetao looked at her, but couldn’t remember at all.
Zhao Xiurong introduced, “This is your sister Ping, Fan Aiping. When we were little, she lived across the hall from your maternal grandmother. Sister Ping’s grandmother and your maternal grandmother were best friends, and our two families were even sworn sisters. Later, we moved away and lost touch, but we’re still close friends when we meet!”
Fan Aiping nodded, then looked around the room, a little apologetic on her face: “Auntie, I still think you should stay at my place. Although it’s a bit far, only about ten bus stops away, it’s an apartment building, much better than here. You can make it there every day.”
Zhao Xiurong waved her hand: “Why would I trouble you? You have a lot of people in your family, and if I go there, I’ll have to cook for your uncle and go to the hospital every day. It’s so inconvenient. It’s so much better here. It’s just a short walk away.”
Before Fan Aiping could say anything more, Zhao Xiurong changed the subject: “Xiao Tao, quickly thank Sister Ping. If it weren’t for her, how could I have found such a suitable house?”
Han Xuetao nodded: “Thank you, Sister Ping.”
“No need to thank me, we’re all relatives.” Fan Aiping sighed. “It’s just that the house is a bit run-down. Auntie, if you’re not used to anything here, just let me know.”
Han Xuetao looked up at the roof tiles and plastic sheeting and asked, “Sister Ping, could you talk to the landlord and ask us to reinforce the roof ourselves? These tiles don’t look sturdy, and the plastic sheeting is torn. It’ll definitely leak when it rains.”
Fan Aiping’s expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and she lowered her voice: “I already mentioned it, and the landlord said it was no problem and that I could handle it myself. But the family next door didn’t agree.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the door next door slammed open.
A woman in her forties rushed out, stood with her hands on her hips by the door, and shouted in a voice loud enough to be heard halfway down the alley: “Who wants to touch the roof?! I’m telling you, don’t even dream about it!”
The woman was wearing a faded blue jacket, her hair was messy, and her face had a hint of hostility. Behind her was a child of about ten years old, who was timidly peeking outside.
Fan Aiping’s face darkened: “What business is it of yours if I’m talking to my aunt?”
“How can it not concern me?” the woman pointed at the roof. “This roof is connected! If you make any changes on your side, we’ll suffer too! If the tiles fall off and the rain leaks in, who will pay for it? Can you afford to pay for it?”
Han Xuetao frowned: “We’re just reinforcing it; it won’t affect your side.”
“You think it won’t have any impact?” the woman sneered. “What do you know! This house is decades old; it’ll fall apart if you touch it! You can do whatever you wantâ” She held out her hand, “Pay up the money, and we’ll renovate the entire roof together. If you can’t, then shut your mouth!”
Fan Aiping snapped: “Are you even being reasonable?”
“How am I being unreasonable?” the woman’s voice rose even higher. “You rent that tiny, outhouse-sized place for only twenty-odd yuan a month, and you want to mess with the roof? What kind of people are you!”
She took a step forward and pointed to the end of the alley: “Also, let me make this clear to youâfrom now on, you can only use the toilets and kitchen here at specific times! From 6:30 to 7:00 in the morning and from 8:00 to 8:30 in the evening, only one hour a day! My kids need to use them when they go to school and when the adults go to work! Giving you half an hour is already a good thing!”
Fan Aiping’s face turned red with anger: “What gives you the right?”
“This apartment was allocated to me by my husband’s work unit!” the woman boasted, patting her chest. “The room you’re renting was originally a storage room, used to store coal! It was allocated to some old bachelor in our factory… That old geezer, he doesn’t live there himself, but he still wants to rent it out, it’s disgusting…”
Fan Aiping charged forward: “I’m going to have something to say to you todayâ”
Zhao Xiurong quickly pulled her aside: “That’s enough, Aiping, that’s enough. We’re going to be staying here for several months, and we’ll be neighbors all the time…”
Fan Aiping was grabbed and trembled with anger. She yelled at the woman, “What do you mean by ‘what’? What are you! You can’t even live in an apartment building, you live in a dilapidated bungalow. The walls aren’t even your own; you just put up a awning and call it your home! You’re obviously a good-for-nothing at work, you can’t even get an apartment! You’ve really angered me, I’m going to have a good talk with your boss!”
The woman’s expression changed: “Go ahead and look! You think I’m afraid of you?”
Zhao Xiurong dragged Fan Aiping back with all her might, shouting, “Aiping! Aiping! Stop arguing…”
The woman cursed a few more times before being dragged into the house by the child behind her, who slammed the door shut with a bang.
Fan Aiping stood in the alley, panting heavily, unable to speak for a long time.
Zhao Xiurong patted her back: “Forget it, forget it, why bother arguing with someone like that…”
Fan Aiping recovered and spat fiercely: “What a load of rubbish! Auntie, don’t be afraid. If she bullies you again, just tell me, and I’ll call my brother to deal with her!”
“No need, no need,” Zhao Xiurong quickly waved her hand. “You should go back now, you have things to do at home. Xiao Tao, see your sister Ping off.”
Fan Aiping gave a few more instructions, then turned and left.
Han Xuetao stood at the door of that small house, but did not see him off.
He stared at the roof, then at the wall, something swirling in his mind.
He hadn’t paid attention until Pingjie said anything, but there’s something fishy about this house!
Blue bricks.
These aren’t newly laid red bricks; they’re old-style blue bricks. This type of brick was commonly used during the Republic of China era.
Behind the Provincial People’s Hospital, are there old houses from the Republican era?
He squinted, his gaze shifting from the mottled paint on the walls to the dilapidated roof. The tiles were laid later, the plastic sheeting was added later, but the walls and the foundation beneath were old.
What was this area like before?
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