Life 1984

Chapter 17 Where to Stay
Li Yunhai went to a state-owned noodle restaurant and bought a bowl of chili pork noodles.

A bowl of shredded pork noodles costs [-] cents, and you can also choose zhongjiao. Zhongjiao is the terminology of noodle shops here, which means increasing the amount of noodles. Normally, it is two or two noodles, but you can increase it to three or two noodles.

Regarding eating noodles in the provincial capital, there is a famous couplet that sums up the terminology of noodle shops: heavy pickling, light pickling, two rows of melted rows, cross the bridge, and quick drying, wide soup, thick soup, light oil and heavy oil to prevent green from falling into the pot.

Li Yunhai was young and had a huge appetite. He was still not full after eating a bowl of noodles. He passed by a fried dough stick stall and spent 4 cents to buy and eat half a tael of fried dough sticks.

He got up early, and when he arrived at Wuyiwen, most of the nearby shops were not open yet.

Li Yunhai took out the billboard written on corrugated paper and placed it under the root of the tree. He sat down on the edge of the flower bed, opened his schoolbag, took out a novel to read, and waited for customers to come.

A woman came over carrying an aluminum pot and asked loudly: "Master, do you want to refill the pot?"

In the past few days, Li Yunhai has met many people asking for pot repairs and pressure cooker repairs. Who asked him to set up a repair stall?

The repairmen outside are all like him. They write a sign, hang it on the head of the bicycle, or put it at the feet, and carry a tool bag, and they are all done.

Li Yunhai raised his head and said, "Auntie, I won't fix the pot. If any electrical appliance in your house breaks, you can ask me to repair it."

The woman muttered: "You don't know how to fix the pot? Young man, you are not good at your studies!"

Li Yunhai smiled modestly: "Yes, yes, I will work hard in the future and try my best to be proficient in everything."

Seeing that he was talking interestingly, the woman asked, "Can you repair electric fans?"

Li Yunhai became excited: "Cultivation! I know how to cultivate!"

The woman asked him how much it would cost to repair it.

Li Yunhai said, it depends on what is wrong with your electric fan?
The woman said the fan stopped spinning.

Li Yunhai said that if he didn't replace the parts, it would cost five yuan to repair it.Parts fee is extra.

Women say it’s so expensive?It only costs [-] cents for others to repair it!

Li Yunhai smiled and said: "Auntie, fifty cents? Then you'd better hire someone else!"

The woman said, young man, don’t look down on fifty cents, fifty cents is a lot, okay?You can earn fifty cents just by doing anything with your hands. How cost-effective it is?

It's not that Li Yunhai doesn't like the fifty cents, but repairing an electric fan takes a lot of time. Going back and forth may be a whole morning wasted. What if there is a bigger business in the meantime? ?Didn’t you miss it?
When the woman saw that he was silent, she added, "Why don't you open a repair shop? It's not expensive to rent a shop. If you open a shop, if everyone needs repairs, they will come to your door and fix them for you."

Li Yunhai chuckled and said, "Auntie, I also want to open a shop. It's hard to find a shop, isn't it?"

The woman seemed to be very leisurely and had a lot of time to waste. She put down the aluminum pot in her hand and said, "Can you afford the price? There is a room on the first floor of my house, but it has been empty and has no use. If you can afford it, For the price, I’ll rent it to you.”

Li Yunhai Yile: "Auntie, you are here to repair aluminum pots, why are you renting out the storefront? How big is your room? How much do you want to rent it for?"

The woman said, you don’t understand even if I tell you this, why don’t you follow me and take a look?

Li Yunhai said OK, then packed up the stall and followed her.

Her home is nearby, in an alley from Wuyi Road to Bayi Road. It is also very close to Wuyiwen. It is only a few minutes away, which is very convenient.

The woman opened a door, pointed to the room and said to Li Yunhai: "Here, take a look, is it suitable?"

Li Yunhai walked to the door and was immediately poisoned by a choking musty smell. He quickly covered his mouth and frowned and took a look inside. He saw that it was filled with all kinds of sundries. What was the use of her house? Everything that was not used was put inside, including empty wine bottles, small jars, broken stools, and even a broom with a bald handle.

"Auntie, do you call this an empty room? Do you call this a utility room? And it has no ventilation at all."

The woman walked into the room, moved some debris piled under the wall, and said, "There is a window here, but it is blocked. There is also a window at the back. You can see it if you move the things away. There is also a faucet here. If you use water, it is billed separately, just like electricity, and is not included in the rent."

Li Yunhai measured it and found that the room was about 12 square meters, which was considered adequate.

The woman is a local, and the bungalow has been passed down from ancestors.

There are many locals like this in the provincial capital. Their ancestors have lived in the provincial capital for generations and bought real estate. However, the houses are not high. Most of them are two or three-story buildings with different sizes of rooms. Some are only one room wide, and some are only one room wide. Some are two or three rooms wide and have a small yard.

Li Yunhai looked at the surrounding environment and shook his head: "Auntie, your place is not good and it is not suitable for business."

The woman tried her best to promote her room, saying that it was adjacent to Wuyi Road and Bayi Road and was a geomantic treasure. She also said that you were a repairman, why would you open a storefront facing the street?That’s too expensive, so there’s no need, right?
Li Yunhai just shook his head and finally asked: "Auntie, how much do you want to rent? If it's expensive, forget it. If it's cheap, I can consider renting it as a warehouse."

His clever operation made the woman mistakenly think that he didn't want to rent.

In fact, Li Yunhai wants to rent it!
The woman thought for a while and held out a finger: "Do you think it's okay for 10 yuan a month? I originally wanted to rent for 15 yuan a month. I think I have a affinity with you and think you are very kind. And If we can get along, I'll rent it to you at a cheaper price."

Li Yunhai laughed and said: "Auntie, you only asked me to repair an electric fan for 5 cents. If you rent a dilapidated house like this to me, you will pay 10 yuan a month? Isn't it too expensive? Isn't this good? OK, I’ll help you fix the electric fan, and I’ll use your house for free for a month.”

The woman groaned and waved her hands repeatedly: "That won't work! I'll take the electric fan outside to repair it. It only costs two yuan at most!"

Li Yunhai pretended to leave: "Then forget it! I won't rent it anymore."

The woman shouted: "Little master, don't leave! Please help me fix the electric fan and give me another eight yuan, okay?"

Li Yunhai smiled and said: "Five yuan! I'll rent it. By the way, I'll help you repair the electric fan."

The woman gritted her teeth and said as if she had suffered a big loss: "Okay, okay, who made me fall in love with you! Six yuan! You still have to help me repair the electric fan. Six yuan a month, you No more counter-offers!”

Li Yunhai felt that the price was very authentic and fair, so he smiled and said: "It's a deal! Auntie, you have to empty this place!" Seeing that he agreed, the woman said happily: "This is easy, put it in this place It’s all unwanted garbage, I’ll call someone to collect it! You can come over and open the store in the afternoon.”

Li Yunhai immediately came to her house, helped her repair the electric fan, and paid another six yuan in rent.

Apart from being fussy, women are also easy to talk to.

Li Yunhai drafted a rental agreement with her, signed their names, and it was done.

The woman's name was Sun Huiying. She accepted the money and said with a smile: "Comrade Li Yunhai, the room is yours to use. I will ask someone to clean it up right now."

Li Yunhai suddenly thought of something and asked: "Auntie, you just took the decision and rented the house to me. Don't you need to ask your husband's opinion?"

Sun Huiying smiled and said: "Don't worry about this, I make the decision in my family's affairs! I say one thing, no one dares to say two things!"

Li Yunhai said hello.

He still returned to Wuyiwen to set up a stall.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Sun Huiying came over and told Li Yunhai that the room had been vacated and cleaned. You could go and take a look.

Li Yunhai came over to take a look. After some cleaning, the room was not bad and could be occupied.

He stayed in a bathhouse for 6 cents a night and 18 yuan for a month. It was also cold and damp, which was not good for his health.

A separate room here is much more comfortable than a bathhouse.

Sun Huiying helped Li Yunhai plan: "Comrade Xiao Li, you put a single bed under the window here, and use the space outside to open a repair shop. Pull a curtain in the middle to separate it, so you have a place to live. There is also a place to open a store! What a convenience! Let me tell you, you have taken advantage of it!"

Li Yunhai also planned this.

If there is no bathroom, you can go to a nearby public toilet. If you want to take a bath, you can bring a bucket of water in summer and take a bath anywhere. Many men in the city also bathe in buckets in the yard or on the roadside!This is not a rare thing. In winter, you can spend [-] cents to take a bath in a bathhouse every now and then.

Li Yunhai found a wooden bed plank and two wooden stools from the recycling bin, and asked someone to deliver them back. They placed them under the window and there was a small bed.

He lay down on the wooden board.

Ouch!

Too hard!
My back hurts!

Li Yunhai changed several sleeping positions and found a relatively comfortable side position.

not bad!
Comrade Li Yunhai finally has a small world of his own in the provincial capital. It cannot be said to be a place to stay, but only a place to stay.

He took the bedroll that had been stored in the Xinshachi Bathhouse, spread the quilt and mat on it, and put the thin quilt and pillows on top.

perfect!

It's like a bed.

Li Yunhai went to the hardware store to buy another lock and changed the door lock.

He was busy with the house that day. He didn't make any money and spent more than ten yuan!

That night, Li Yunhai spent the night here.

The community is very quiet, but there are a lot of mosquitoes buzzing in the ears. In the quiet night, the sound is as loud as a bomber.

Li Yunhai kept swatting the mosquitoes and got bitten many times.

He got up and took a look. It turned out that the window was not closed tightly and the mosquitoes came in through the gap.

Li Yunhai found old newspapers, blocked the gaps in the windows, swatted the mosquitoes in the room, and went to bed again.

The mosquitoes were gone, but not long after I slept, I heard strange noises again.

It's a mouse!

Li Yunhai tugged on the light cord.

Under the light, I saw a little mouse running happily under the wall!

Li Yunhai got up to chase away mice.

The mouse was very nimble. It followed a water pipe in the corner and crawled to the corner of the roof with a chirp. It lay motionless and looked at Li Yunhai.

Li Yunhai picked up the broom and hit it.

The mouse ran down again and played hide and seek with Li Yunhai.

After the commotion for a long time, Li Yunhai drove the mouse out of the door.

"Uu——" Li Yunhai lay on the bed, thinking that he could finally have a good sleep, right?
(End of this chapter)