Hu Meili finished giving a thorough rundown of the village’s situation before smiling and saying,
"The military canteen purchases seafood from them two or three times a week. I’ve dealt with their village cadres several times—they’re all very easygoing."
"Come on, I’ll take you to the brigade leader’s house." As she spoke, Hu Meili knocked on the door of a household.
Soon, a voice called out from inside, "Who is it?"
The door opened, revealing a kindly-faced elderly woman.
The moment she saw Hu Meili, she beamed. "Oh, Deputy Director Hu! What brings you here? Come in, come in!"
Hu Meili waved her hand. "Auntie, how many times have I told you? Just call me Meili."
She loved hearing those two words—"Meili."
The auntie’s eyes crinkled with laughter. "Alright, alright. Meili, come on in."
Not only did she smile warmly, but her hospitality was overwhelming.
As soon as they stepped inside, she poured them cups of sugared water. "Have some water to wet your throats."
Then, she pulled up a small stool and sat across from them. "My old Meng went to the aquatic products factory. Wait a moment, and I’ll have someone call him back."
"Auntie, no need to call Uncle back. I came today to see you."
"Me?" The auntie blinked in surprise.
Hu Meili nodded, cutting straight to the point.
She gestured to Jiang Si. "Auntie, this is my younger sister. Her husband is the commander of the aviation regiment. She’s just moved here to join him in the military and wants to rent a house near the base."
"I was wondering if there’s anything suitable in the village?"
With that, she clarified their relationship, highlighted Jiang Si’s status as a military dependent, and stated their purpose in one breath.
Hearing that Jiang Si was a military spouse, the auntie’s smile grew even warmer. She couldn’t promise much, but their village had plenty of houses to spare.
They’d been fortunate in recent years. Since the village got its own state-run factory, the villagers’ pockets had swelled, and outsiders had flocked in.
A few years back, every household had replaced their boat-shaped thatched huts with coral houses.
The auntie turned to Jiang Si with a smile. "Leave the house to me. But how big of a place are you looking for?"
Jiang Si knew housing was tight these days, so she didn’t have many demands. "Auntie, anything else is fine, but we’d prefer a standalone house with its own yard."
"Wait a moment, let me think."
At the words "standalone house," the auntie paused. "Give me a second to recall."
After about five or six minutes, she slapped her thigh. "Ah, there is one! Come, I’ll take you to see it."
Jiang Si nodded. "Thank you, Auntie."
The auntie waved her off. "We’re all family here—soldiers and civilians are one. No need for thanks."
Truth be told, back when so many fishing villages were competing for the factory’s location, the reason Yuhua Island Village won out was largely because of the nearby military base.
On the way, the auntie gave them a quick rundown of the homeowner’s situation.
Originally, the house had been built for the owner’s two sons to marry into.
But both sons had done well for themselves—one got a job in the provincial capital, and the other joined the military and was now serving, unlikely to return anytime soon.
"The house just sat empty, so the old couple moved into the new one. The old place has been vacant since."
Worried Jiang Si might turn her nose up, the auntie added, "It’s an older house, but it was renovated a few years back. It’ll last another hundred years, no problem."
Soon, they arrived at the doorstep of a coral-walled courtyard.
The auntie went in to explain their purpose to the homeowner.
A few minutes later, a round-faced woman followed her out.
One look at her, and Jiang Si could tell she was easygoing.
The auntie introduced her. "This is Auntie Feng. You can call her that."
Jiang Si greeted her. "Auntie Feng."
Auntie Feng smiled and nodded. "Take a look at the house first. If you like it, we’ll talk details."
With that, she unlocked the neighboring courtyard gate.
Jiang Si stepped inside. Houses on the island all followed a similar layout.
There was a small front and back yard, each about 15 square meters.
The main entrance led straight into the central hall, locally called the "main room."
On either side of the main room was a bedroom, making it a two-bedroom, one-living-room setup.
Thanks to the slate flooring, the interior was pleasantly cool.
The kitchen and bathroom were in the backyard. After a quick look around, Jiang Si stepped back out.
"Well?" Hu Meili and Xu Mingjuan turned to her.
Jiang Si answered honestly, "Not bad. The place is clean and tidy."
Hu Meili let out a relieved sigh. "Glad you like it. I asked Auntie earlier—she said if you only wanted to rent a single room, the village has plenty. But standalone houses like this? Only this one’s available."
Jiang Si nodded.
Since she was satisfied, she didn’t want to drag things out.
The price was reasonable too.
In the city, rent ran about 0.13 yuan per square meter. Though Yuhua Island was remote, the state-run factory kept prices around 0.06 yuan per square meter.
Excluding the kitchen and yard, the house covered over 60 square meters.
Since the brigade leader’s wife had brought them, and Jiang Si mentioned a long-term lease, Auntie Feng gave them a straightforward deal.
"Let’s say 0.05 yuan per square meter. For 60 square meters, that’s 3 yuan a month."
"You can pay monthly or quarterly, whatever suits you. The furniture stays—use it as you like."
Jiang Si had no objections.
With the brigade leader’s wife as witness, she drafted a contract. Once both sides confirmed the terms, they signed and thumbprinted it.
Three copies were made—one kept at the village committee for peace of mind.
With the housing matter settled, Jiang Si breathed a sigh of relief.
Before leaving, she pulled two packs of premium cigarettes and a bag of candies from her satchel.
"Auntie, thank you for taking the time to show us around. These cigarettes are for Uncle, and the candies are for the kids."
The auntie waved her hands, refusing adamantly. "It was just a short walk—"
Before she could decline further, Hu Meili chimed in with a smile, "Auntie, just take them. My sister recently held a wedding banquet—these are celebratory cigarettes and sweets. Consider it for good luck."
At that, the auntie relented.
As if remembering something, she said while walking, "The kids dug up a lot of oysters by the shore this morning. Take some back to try."
The moment "oysters" left her mouth, Jiang Si’s face twisted like a bitter melon.
"Auntie, no need! We’ve got plenty at home. We’ll head off now."
Watching her practically flee toward the village entrance, the auntie was puzzled. What was Comrade Jiang’s problem?
Hu Meili and Xu Mingjuan exchanged knowing glances, stifling their laughter.
Once they were alone, Hu Meili couldn’t resist teasing.
"So? Did you try what I suggested the other day?"
Jiang Si’s face flushed red. Just as she was about to reply, a familiar figure appeared in her line of sight.
“Why are you here? I thought you said you had training today and wouldn’t have time?”
Huo Tingzhou: “Originally, I didn’t. But I got a last-minute notice this afternoon.”
Jiang Si didn’t think much of it until they arrived at the family quarters and the two aunties had each gone home.
Suddenly, Huo Tingzhou looked at her with a grave expression. “Darling, did you know asbestos roofing can cause cancer?”
