Chapter 13: Renting at a High Price

After viewing the house, Linzi hurriedly drove An Chunfeng back to the pawnshop to draft the lease agreement.

Along the way, he still tried to persuade An Chunfeng to reconsider and live in that shared rental.

An Chunfeng asked, "Linzi, do you think this place is unsuitable because you worry about the safety of the neighborhood—fearing criminals or lawbreakers? Or are you just trying to save me money? Be honest; maybe I’ll change my mind and rent another place."

Linzi shook his head, already slipping into his real estate agent role. "No, no, there are patrol officers who walk the streets daily, and watchmen at night. You don’t need to worry about theft. Even though Qipan Street has taverns and inns where drunks make noise, they won’t disturb the tranquility of Pear Blossom Alley. It’s just that I think Madam An living alone in that courtyard is too lonely—no one to talk to."

At this, An Chunfeng chuckled, "So what? I like it quiet!"

Back at the pawnshop, when An Chunfeng agreed to rent the house, Clerk San’s face lit up. That odd, overpriced property was finally leased.

He opened the ledger and said, "That courtyard on Qipan Street is a fine location, and the house was just renovated. Madam An won’t have to worry about snakes, insects, or rats inside. The flower hall and flower beds were designed by a master. Though simple, they are fresh and refined, far from ordinary. Madam An has truly found a treasure. If the landlord weren’t so strict about preserving the interior layout, the pawnshop would have rented it out a long time ago, and at a higher price. But now it’s only one tael and a half silver per month."

The clerk enthusiastically praised the property, complimenting An Chunfeng’s insight and luck, adding that the rent was worth every penny—much cheaper than other courtyards—and that no further discounts could be made.

To ease any concern about the price, Clerk San showed An Chunfeng the ledger.

The pawnshop had clear, fixed prices for these rentals and insisted they were truthful.

Indeed, for such a uniquely tasteful courtyard, a rent of one tael and a half was not expensive.

But for An Chunfeng’s current situation, it was still considered high.

To save money, she would have to share the place or wait for a more suitable rental.

At this moment, she did not want to wait; no matter how expensive, she had to rent.

Another attraction was that the pawnshop collected rent monthly, not requiring payment for the whole year upfront. Of course, late payment was not allowed—missing even a single day was unacceptable.

With two taels on hand, she could rent for a month and felt confident about paying rent in the future.

Regarding safety in the neighborhood, she had asked about it once more.

Clerk San smiled proudly: "Madam An, this is the capital, right under the emperor’s nose. The residents are not unruly villagers. With the Jingzhao Prefecture, the Dali Temple prison, and the city patrol troops, no petty thief dares break in. You can live here with peace of mind."

An Chunfeng didn’t believe such words but chose not to argue.

There are shadows under the sun; villains exist everywhere. As long as no one came openly to burn, kill, or rob, she wasn’t afraid of petty theft. Besides, the pawnshop would help resolve any problems.

Clerk San also mentioned that if any inconveniences arose, she could seek help from the pawnshop, which would provide a lawyer free of charge to assist in lawsuits. Of course... she would have to pay any fees involved in filing complaints—this was an additional legal service.

Furthermore, all items inside the house must remain undamaged, and some depreciation fees would be charged upon use.

Adding it all up, the follow-up expenses would be more, so the rent was only the beginning of high costs.

However, the high price had its reasons—one gets what one pays for. The one tael and a half rent covered many services.

The pawnshop was responsible for the full set of furniture inside, including chairs, stools, beds, and wooden cabinets.

The room’s curtains, the kitchen’s stove and utensils, as well as later repairs and maintenance, plus water and coal supplies, were all provided through their channels.

If she found other ways to handle these, the pawnshop could let go of their responsibilities.

Once everything was arranged, An Chunfeng only needed to bring her bedding and personal items to move in.

It was essentially a high-end serviced apartment.

This was exactly what An Chunfeng needed as a newcomer, unfamiliar with the ways of the capital, and she felt no resistance to it.

Thus, she paid one tael and a half to rent the courtyard in Pear Blossom Alley and another five qian for paid services like water delivery, firewood, and waste disposal.

If she had more money, she could hire several maids and servants for laundry, cooking, and cleaning.

In short, as long as one was willing to pay, the pawnshop could cater to every need.

These services suited An Chunfeng perfectly, but unfortunately, money was tight, so she gave up hiring help and would handle laundry and cooking herself for the time being.

After finalizing the lease, An Chunfeng returned to the inn, waiting just one day for the pawnshop to move her belongings in before she could settle into her new home. She also needed to quickly think of ways to earn money.

...

As for the Tang family in Shun’an Lane, after driving out the An family, the very next day Liu’s family arrived at the Sun residence with an official matchmaker and Tang Yushu.

Tang Yushu was exceptionally handsome and talented, standing out among the provincial exam candidates. He had long caught the eye of Sun Hongbao, the patriarch of the Sun family. With the matchmaker and Liu’s family vouching, the proposal naturally went smoothly.

At the Sun household, Tang Yushu also met the daughter he was to be betrothed to, Sun Ruyi.

Miss Sun was beautiful, with a slender waist like a willow and a graceful gait like stepping on lotus petals. At sixteen, adorned in fine jewels and elegant clothing, she looked like a fairy. Her expressive brows and eyes carried a certain charm, and with just a fleeting glance, Tang Yushu was captivated.

After setting the engagement, upon hearing that Tang Yushu was only studying at an ordinary academy, Patriarch Sun immediately pounded his chest in assurance that he could secure a spot for him at the Imperial Academy.

He also promised to lend a courtyard for Tang Yushu to move into for focused study.

Such an opportunity came so soon after the proposal, and Tang Yushu was overjoyed, no longer feeling any guilt, only wishing he had accepted earlier.

Once enrolled at the Imperial Academy and taught by great scholars, he was sure to pass the highest imperial exams.

He did not mind Patriarch Sun’s rough manners and promptly called him “father-in-law.”

The Tang family rejoiced at this prestigious match. Even Tang Mu, who had changed his name to Qin Mu, was carefree and happy, tugging at Lady Qin and asking, “Great-aunt, can we move with Uncle Yushu? This place is too cramped!”

He no longer objected to calling the man formerly known as his father, Tang Yushu, “uncle.”

Since the name change, Qin Mu hadn’t called him “dad” or “grandmother” even once, nor asked about the whereabouts of the An family, wasting Lady Qin’s prepared excuses for any possible tantrums.

Lady Qin hugged Qin Mu and smiled, “Your uncle needs to study now. We won’t move there until after the spring exams next year when he gets married.”

Qin Mu squinted and gave a cute smile, “Great-aunt, where is the new home? Uncle never took us to see it. Does he not want us?”

Hearing Qin Mu suddenly mention the new home and suggest exclusion, Lady Qin hesitated, then said, “Don’t say nonsense. It’s just that Great-aunt doesn’t want to go.”

The Sun family offering the courtyard was specifically for Tang’s scholarly use. They would assign servants to attend to him, forbidding others from the Tang family from disturbing him—including his own mother.

Lady Qin keenly sensed that the Sun family only valued Tang Yushu; even she, the mother-in-law, was completely disregarded.

This was no different from a son-in-law moving in with no regard for his mother-in-law—being cast aside even before marriage, living separately from the An family.