My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 44 Fang Manxia

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"Miss, are you really going to rent the house to them?"

In the master bedroom on the second floor of the small villa, Aunt Tang asked Fang Manxia with a worried look. Fang Manxia was the old lady Fang that Lin Ying had just met.

Fang Manxia sat gracefully in a chair. Although she was old and her hair was gray, it was neatly styled. Her long hair was combed back, revealing her smooth forehead. Her hair was tied up at the back and secured with a hairpin.

She has beautiful almond-shaped eyes and willow-leaf eyebrows. Although time has etched its marks on her face, it cannot conceal her youthful beauty. She wears a plain-colored shirt and dark blue trousers, a simple outfit that exudes a unique charm that most people lack.

"Xiaomei, how many years have you been with me?" Fang Manxia asked softly.

"Thirty-three years have passed. I came to Shanghai in 46. I was just a child then. If it weren't for Miss Fang taking me in back then, I would be long gone." Tang Mei said emotionally. Although so much time has passed, Tang Mei still remembers the day she first met Fang Manxia.

It was a winter, and that winter in Shanghai was particularly cold.

Tang Mei, who fled famine in the north, had no relatives or friends in Shanghai. Penniless and with her parents having just passed away, Tang Mei was in dire straits with nowhere to turn.

Shanghai was in chaos at that time, and all sorts of people and monsters were everywhere. How could a twelve-year-old girl possibly escape the schemes of those with ulterior motives? Just when Tang Mei was being deceived and about to be trafficked to the Changsan brothel, Fang Manxia suddenly appeared.

In Tang Mei's heart, Fang Manxia was like a ray of light breaking through the darkness, and like a Bodhisattva descending to earth, pulling her out of the mire and then taking the young Tang Mei in by her side.

Tang Mei became Fang Manxia's personal maid, but in reality, Fang Manxia never really treated Tang Mei as a maid. Instead, she took care of her like an older sister, teaching her to read and write and to be a good person.

Later, she was sent to school. After liberation, Fang Manxia specially asked Tang Mei to call her "cousin". After Tang Mei graduated from school, she asked someone to arrange a job for her. Even when Tang Mei met her husband, got married, and had children, it was all thanks to Fang Manxia's meticulous care.

Thirty-three years have passed in this way, filled with both joy and sorrow, happy days and hardships. But no matter what, Tang Mei's feelings for Fang Manxia never changed. So much so that during those difficult years, when Fang Manxia, ​​due to her family background, took the initiative to sever ties with Tang Mei to protect her, Tang Mei remained steadfastly devoted to Fang Manxia.

Thirty-three years have passed; time really flies!

Fang Manxia sighed softly, her gaze lingering on Tang Mei's face, with the same gentle look she had when she saved Tang Mei years ago.

"All good things must come to an end, and there will eventually be a day when we say goodbye." Fang Manxia said this. When Tang Mei was about to say something, she waved her hand and said, "I owe you a lot in the past few years. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid my old bones would be gone by now."

"Miss...isn't this what I should do?" Tang Mei said with tears in her eyes.

“There’s no such thing as ’should’ or ’shouldn’t. In reality, no one owes anyone anything. Many things are arranged by fate. It’s the same with how we met back then. There’s no reason in this world for anyone to have to repay you. Besides, you’ve done enough for me over the years.” Fang Manxia continued to Tang Mei, “You’ve really had a tough time these past years. Now you’re not young anymore, and Xiao Mu passed away early. Now your son is married and has established his own career, and you’re a grandmother now. There’s no need for you to stay here with me anymore.”

“Things have improved a lot in the last two years, and they will definitely get better and better in the future. I’m not in my seventies or eighties and can’t walk anymore. My health is still pretty good. You should also think about yourself.”

“Since the child wants you to go, you should go sooner rather than later. Once you’re there, your family will be reunited, and you can enjoy a peaceful life. Isn’t that better than staying here? Xiaomei, you know my temper. I won’t say more. Since you’ve made your decision, just do as I say, okay?”

"But...but I really can't bear to part with you!" Tang Mei said, wiping away her tears.

"Silly girl." Taking Tang Mei's hand, Fang Manxia gently patted it twice and said earnestly, "Just listen to me. Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about Jianguo and his wife and grandson, right? Besides, it's not like you're never coming back. When you have the chance to take the child and grandson back to Shanghai, you can still see them again, can't you?"

Tang Mei silently shed tears, feeling extremely reluctant to part with Fang Manxia, ​​but she also knew Fang Manxia's personality.

Since Fang Manxia has made this decision, it cannot be changed. Moreover, Tang Mei has never disobeyed Fang Manxia's decision in all these years, except for the one time when Fang Manxia took the initiative to sever ties with her and did not want to implicate her. Tang Mei refused to leave no matter what.

"Miss, although this young couple seems nice today, what if they treat you badly in the future? I'm really worried," Tang Mei said with some concern.

Fang Manxia laughed: "What? Don't you trust my judgment?"

"No, miss, I just..."

"Don't worry, I'm an old woman who believes I have a good eye for people and my mind isn't senile. I made this decision because I was prepared. Besides, others may not know what kind of person I am, but don't you know me? If it's really as you worry, I naturally have a way to solve it."

Seeing the clarity and determination in Fang Manxia's eyes, Tang Mei nodded helplessly, agreeing to Fang Manxia's decision. But she also told Fang Manxia that if any problems arose, she must contact her and not try to bear it alone. No matter what happened, Tang Mei only needed a letter or a phone call from Fang Manxia, ​​and even if she was paralyzed in bed, she would crawl back to Shanghai to stay by her side.

"What a silly girl..." Fang Manxia laughed, but her heart was filled with emotion.

To be honest, she was also reluctant to let Tang Mei leave. The two had depended on each other for most of their lives and were like sisters.

But Tang Mei lost her husband because of her in previous years. Now, she can't be a burden to Tang Mei because of her. Although Tang Mei always says that she wouldn't exist without her, isn't that the same in Fang Manxia's heart? People can't always think about themselves. They also have to think about others. Tang Mei is not young anymore. She is already a grandmother. She should have her own life, her own happiness and family. She can't keep being unable to reunite with her family because of her.

Fang Manxia had given this arrangement considerable thought. She believed she hadn't misjudged people, and besides, as she said, she had already prepared a backup plan.

Fang Manxia was a big shot in Shanghai back in the day. What hadn't she experienced and what kind of people hadn't she met? She's weathered so many storms over the years, how could she not understand these things?

……

On their way back from the alleyway, Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying felt a bit lighter after resolving their rental issue.

They never expected things to go so smoothly, let alone that they could rent such a nice house. Although there were some conditions attached to moving in, they were nothing compared to those conditions, which made them extremely happy.

Since Tang Mei is leaving Shanghai at the beginning of next month, they only need to move there next week.

On the way back, Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying discussed moving. Zhou Jiye asked Lin Ying if she wanted to move as soon as possible, but Lin Ying thought about it and decided to move next Wednesday.

The reason is simple: it's because of Aunt Wang.

Isn't this woman thinking she has something on them and constantly raising the rent? She even said she'd give her an answer by Tuesday, acting like she had them completely under her thumb.

Since that's the case, there's no need to give her any face. Anyway, it's only a couple of days left. Just wait until Tuesday and tell this woman they're not renting anymore, get their deposit back, and move out on Wednesday. Then she'll see how this old woman reacts—surprised? Disappointed? Regretful? Angry?
Regardless, this is a good way to vent your anger and teach the other party a lesson.

Zhou Jiye was also furious with Aunt Wang. Since Lin Ying wanted to do it this way, he naturally agreed wholeheartedly. So, after they went back, they didn't mention moving at all, but they secretly started packing their things at home, planning to confront Aunt Wang on Tuesday and move out early Wednesday morning.

Tuesday arrived in the blink of an eye, and Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying set up their stall as usual. Around 7:30 p.m., Zhou Jiye helped Lin Ying pack up her stall near the movie theater, and the two pushed their cart back to their residence. Aunt Wang was already waiting downstairs.

"Oh, you're finally back!" Aunt Wang greeted Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying with a smile as they pushed the cart through the door.

"Aunt Wang, it's so late, why aren't you resting yet? Are you getting ready to go out?" Lin Ying said with a smile, pretending not to know anything as she asked this question.

"Going out? I don't go out in the middle of the night. I'm waiting for you here." Aunt Wang said.

"Waiting for us?" Lin Ying was taken aback, then turned to look at Zhou Jiye: "Didn't you turn off the stove properly when you came out?"

"It's closed properly! It's sealed tight." Since Lin Ying was pretending to be stupid, Zhou Jiye followed suit and pointed to the coal stove in the corner of the kitchen.

"You scared me to death..." Lin Ying patted her chest, still shaken. "I thought you'd gotten into some kind of trouble and Aunt Wang was going to hold me accountable."

"How could that be!" Zhou Jiye said seriously, "I'm a very careful person, you know."

"It's alright, it's alright." Lin Ying smiled and said to Aunt Wang, "Aunt Wang, it's getting late, you should go and rest early. We've been busy all day and are tired too, we'll go upstairs and rest later..."

Aunt Wang was caught off guard by their actions. Seeing Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying push the cart in, lift the coal stove from the cart and put it aside, completely ignoring her and busying themselves with their own things, Aunt Wang became a little anxious and quickly stepped forward and said, "Hey Lin, you haven't forgotten something, have you?"

"Forgot?" Lin Ying glanced back and forth in the car a few times, then looked around blankly. "I brought everything back. I didn't forget anything!"

Aunt Wang's face immediately fell. Even if she was slow to realize, she knew these two were pretending to be stupid. She immediately said bluntly, "What do you two mean? Are you trying to beat around the bush and pretend you don't understand? I'm asking you, Xiao Lin, how are you going to consider what we talked about last week? It's Tuesday night, and tomorrow is Wednesday!"

"What we talked about last week?" Lin Ying pretended to think, while Zhou Jiye looked equally blank. The two looked at each other, and suddenly Lin Ying exclaimed, as if she had finally remembered something.

(End of this chapter)