The Legend of the Farm Girl

Madam Liu took Yun Fangniang and walked towards the north of the city, chatting as they walked.

Madam Liu was a talkative person. She pulled Yun Fangniang aside and said, "Don't call me Madam Liu. I'm 28 years old. My husband's family name is Liu and my maiden family name is Zhang. If you are younger than me, you can just call me Sister Zhang."

"Then you should call me Sister Zhang. My husband's surname is Yun, and my maiden surname is Qu. I am one year younger than you."

"Then let me tell you about the house I rented. I have rented it for three years. The landlord has a nice personality and lives next door." Sister Zhang paused and then continued.

"There is a well in the yard, which is a rare advantage when renting a house. Otherwise, it is very difficult to get water in the city. Besides, there are two rooms in the house where people can live. One is a bed and the other is a kang. The kang is quite big and can accommodate several people in winter. There is also a warehouse in the yard where some sundries can be stored. Sister Qu, how many people are there in your family?"

"My family consists of me and three children. The oldest is my daughter Yunfang. The second and third are both boys. One is named Yunfeng and the other is named Yunying."

"Then your man..."

Yun Fang's mother said in a low voice, "He is gone. He was injured when he was doing labor service earlier. Our family sold the land and used up all their savings but still couldn't save him. There is no land left in the village. My two sons are four years old and a few months old. The poor little one has never seen his father since he was born. So I discussed with my eldest daughter to find a job in the city."

Listening to Yun Fangniang's words, Sister Zhang felt even more pity for the woman in front of her and comforted her, "Your daughter has a skill. When your two children grow up, you can also do some work. Your life will be better in the future. When we get to the landlord later, I will negotiate with you. I will give you whatever price he gives me. My house is 800 wen a month, and you have to pay for half a year each time. I have asked around in that area, and my price is the most cost-effective for renting a house like that."

"Thank you, Sister Zhang. It's because of good people like you and Manager Huang that I dare to bring my children to this unfamiliar city to seek a way out," Yun Fangniang said with gratitude.

The two walked and talked until they arrived at Sister Zhang's house. Sister Zhang took Yun Fang's mother to look around the house carefully and told her which things could be left for them. Yun Fang's mother was very satisfied. Seeing Yun Fang's satisfaction, Sister Zhang took her to the yard next door and found the landlord who was waiting for them.

Sister Zhang said to the landlord, "Aunt Li, this is Miss Qu from my embroidery workshop. The embroiderers in our workshop are all very reliable. You can rent it to her for 800 wen a month, which is what I paid you before. Is that okay?"

The landlord looked at the reserved Yun Fangniang and said to Sister Zhang, "Xiao Zhang, the rent for a house like mine around here is already 900 wen. I haven't raised the rent for you because you've lived here for a long time. You can't keep asking me to give you this price!"

"That's not right, Aunt Li. How can other people rent the house for as long as we do? Think about it, if you rent it to someone who rents it for a shorter period of time, you will be upset when the house is empty. I'll find this girl for you, so that you can move in immediately when I move out. The house can't be empty for a day, and the rental period can't be short. As long as the price can be settled, Sister Qu can pay the deposit. And we embroiderers cherish things the most, so you can cherish your house, don't you think it's right?"

Aunt Li hesitated and told her to find someone who was willing to spend 900 wen. She could indeed find someone, but it was not certain when she would find him, and it was not certain what kind of family he would find. What Sister Zhang said really touched her.

"Okay, then let's sign the deed. Xiao Qu, you pay the deposit of two taels of silver first, is that okay? When Xiao Zhang moves out on March 1st, you can pay the remaining two taels and eight cents."

Yun Fangniang hurriedly signed a contract with the landlord, Aunt Li.

After Yun Fangniang walked out of the landlord's yard, she didn't realize that she had actually succeeded in renting a house in the city and had a place to settle down.

Seeing that Yun Fangniang was still in a daze, Sister Zhang patted her on the shoulder and said, "Come on, I'll go back to Shanhai Embroidery Shop with you. You still need to take on more work. By the way, you don't have to move in on March 1st. You can move your things here on February 26th. I'll vacate a room in my new house on February 20th. I've calculated an auspicious date and will move in on February 26th."

"Okay, okay, thank you so much, Sister Zhang."

"Don't thank me. Let's go. When you move to the city, I'll have to take a good look at your eldest daughter. I only have two sons, and I envy other girls to death."

Talking about her own daughter, Yunfang's mother became more talkative, telling Sister Zhang in detail how smart, filial, sensible and capable her daughter is, which made Sister Zhang envious.