Wang Xiumei's family was quite large.
Her grandfather had four sons, and since the family hadn't divided the household yet, three of the four families—aside from her youngest uncle's family, who lived in the city—were all crammed into a single courtyard.
Despite the Wang family compound being sizable, with three families and two elderly members living together, space was still tight.
Fortunately, Wang Xiumei’s father had once apprenticed as a carpenter, and since Wang Xiumei was his only daughter, he built her a treehouse out of wooden planks.
That way, she at least had her own room.
Otherwise, with so many people in the Wang household, Wang Xiumei would have been too embarrassed to invite Shen Nanchu to stay over.
The next morning, Shen Nanchu, accompanied by Wang Xiumei, went to see the village chief, Wang Jianguo.
Wang Jianguo’s house stood right in the center of the village, its walls made of yellow mud and topped with black tiles.
When Shen Nanchu arrived, before even catching sight of Wang Jianguo, she saw a middle-aged woman with a bob haircut sitting in the courtyard picking vegetables.
"That’s the village chief’s wife," Wang Xiumei whispered to Shen Nanchu before greeting her, "Auntie Lanhua, good morning!"
"Auntie Lanhua, good morning!" Shen Nanchu flashed a bright smile.
"Oh my, where did this pretty girl come from? She looks like she stepped right out of a poster!" Yu Lanhua’s attention immediately locked onto Shen Nanchu.
"This is Shen Nanchu, the new educated youth assigned to our village," Wang Xiumei explained. "We’re here to see the village chief."
"Auntie Lan, these are some local specialties I brought from the capital. Please try them."
Shen Nanchu handed over a bamboo basket to Yu Lanhua.
Yu Lanhua lifted the floral-patterned cloth covering the basket—inside were two packs of white sugar, with a pack of Double Happiness cigarettes tucked underneath.
The sugar alone was a luxury, let alone the coveted cigarettes beneath it.
This young girl might be tender in years, but she certainly knew how to handle things.
Yu Lanhua was instantly overjoyed.
Though her husband was the village chief and many came seeking favors, few were as generous as Shen Nanchu.
"Wait here, I’ll fetch him for you."
Yu Lanhua happily carried the basket inside.
"Husband, someone’s here to see you."
Soon after, Wang Jianguo hurriedly threw on a shirt and stepped out.
"You were looking for me?"
He eyed Shen Nanchu and Wang Xiumei with confusion.
What could they possibly want this early in the morning?
"Good morning, Village Chief. I’d like to buy the house belonging to Uncle Fifth Wang at the foot of the mountain."
Shen Nanchu got straight to the point.
"What?"
"Say that again?"
Wang Jianguo wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him and dug a finger into one to clear it.
Yu Lanhua, who had followed him out, also doubted her hearing.
"I want to buy Uncle Fifth Wang’s house."
Shen Nanchu repeated herself.
This time, Wang Jianguo heard her clearly.
"Comrade Shen, according to policy, since you’re not from Wang Family Village, you don’t qualify to purchase property here."
Shen Nanchu was aware of this rule.
She had deliberately mentioned buying to set up her next move.
"Village Chief, if I can’t buy it, can I rent it instead?"
"For the time I stay in Wang Family Village, I’ll rent Uncle Fifth Wang’s house. Once I leave, it’ll revert to the village."
Her proposal gave Wang Jianguo pause.
Renting out the house would indeed bring income to the village.
But he couldn’t in good conscience take advantage of an educated youth.
"Xiumei, did you explain the condition of Uncle Fifth’s house to Comrade Shen?"
"I did."
Wang Xiumei sighed helplessly—no matter how much she tried to dissuade her, Shen Nanchu remained adamant.
Wang Jianguo grew agitated, squatting on the steps and fishing out his tobacco pouch to roll a cigarette.
Yu Lanhua silently handed him a pack of Double Happiness.
Wang Jianguo blinked. "Where’d this come from?"
"Comrade Shen brought it." Yu Lanhua didn’t hide it.
"What’s wrong with you? Give it back!" Wang Jianguo’s voice rose sharply.
"No, I won’t!" Yu Lanhua snapped back, flinging a handful of vegetables at him. "If you’re so capable, bring me two packs of sugar yourself!"
"You—!"
The only reply Wang Jianguo got was the slam of a door.
Being shown up by his wife in front of the younger generation left him more than a little embarrassed.
"Ahem. Comrade Shen, you must know that Uncle Fifth’s house isn’t in great shape. Maybe you could pick another one?"
But Shen Nanchu had her heart set on Uncle Fifth Wang’s place.
Truthfully, building a new house wasn’t out of the question, but the Pei Family was about to be sent down for re-education, and constructing a new home would take at least two or three months. Where would they live in the meantime?
Even if the male lead was willing to squeeze in with others, Shen Nanchu certainly wasn’t.
She could change her living arrangements, but she refused to lower her standards.
"Village Chief, my family says I have a fortunate destiny—I neutralize all kinds of misfortunes. It’ll be fine."
Wang Jianguo knew full well that once something landed in his wife’s hands, it wasn’t coming back.
The mouth that eats can’t speak harshly; the hand that takes can’t push away.
"How about this? I’ll take you to see the place first. After you’ve looked it over, you can decide."
Shen Nanchu agreed.
The three of them headed to the abandoned house at the foot of the mountain.
Uncle Fifth Wang had once been the most renowned carpenter in the area, and Wang Xiumei’s father had learned the craft from him.
The couple had no children, but with Uncle Fifth Wang’s skills, they had lived more comfortably than most villagers.
The courtyard walls and house were built from yellow mud bricks, the roof covered in black tiles—no different from the other homes in the village.
Wang Jianguo unlocked the heavy padlock at the gate, revealing a spacious courtyard laid out in a traditional single-courtyard siheyu design.
At the center was a main hall, with two rooms partitioned on either side. Flanking the courtyard were two larger rooms and two smaller ones.
The small room on the left served as the kitchen.
What Shen Nanchu loved most were the two rooms on the right. The smaller one had a flat wooden roof instead of tiles, with a thatched canopy creating a shaded balcony.
Once repaired, she could place a small tea table and a couple of lounge chairs there, sipping hot tea while admiring the green mountains and clear waters—pure bliss.
This only strengthened Shen Nanchu’s resolve to secure the house.
"Village Chief, my decision’s made. I’m renting this place."
What?
Wang Jianguo had brought her here hoping the rundown state would change her mind. Instead, she seemed even more determined!
"Comrade Shen, are you sure?"
Wang Jianguo pressed again.
"Don’t let the space fool you—it’s been empty for years. Everything needs repairs, and that’ll cost a fortune!"
He pleaded with genuine concern.
"Besides, you’re all alone. There’s no need for such a big house!"
Shen Nanchu appreciated his kindness.
"Village Chief, I’m grateful for your concern."
"But in a couple of days, my family will be joining me."
"This place is just the right size."
...
