CHAPTER 23: CHAPTER 23: RENTING AN APARTMENT

Over there, Mrs. Fu wanted to say a few more words but was stopped by Mr. Fu.

The old couple had quite an argument, completely unbeknownst to Jiang Xin.

Jiang Xin hadn’t mentioned to the Fu family parents that she wanted to rent a place outside and move out.

Firstly, there was no need at all, and secondly, since it was all uncertain, she didn’t want to reveal a single word before it was finalized.

Once she truly rented a house, she’d just leave with her bags; by then it would be a done deal, even if Mrs. Fu wanted to stop her, she wouldn’t have any means.

On the way, Jiang Xin had always had good stamina, so this mere twenty-something minutes of travel was nothing to her.

When she arrived at the entrance of the farmers’ market, Jiang Xin glanced at the watch on her wrist.

She was actually five minutes earlier than she had expected.

She started wandering around the market, intending to find some food according to her original plan.

Honestly, she wasn’t particularly familiar with this market.

After all, the original owner hadn’t been here before, and her memory of this town was practically a blank slate.

It wasn’t until yesterday afternoon that she came to this market for the first time.

Jiang Xin followed the direction of the crowd, aimlessly rummaging for breakfast while also keeping an eye out for any unoccupied stall spots.

If there was a suitable spot, she could even claim it early.

She roamed aimlessly like this for about ten minutes.

Jiang Xin sniffed, suddenly catching a scent of delicious food.

Was it chive pockets?

Jiang Xin’s eyes instantly lit up.

After walking for quite some time, she was indeed getting a bit hungry at this point.

After searching around, following her nose, there it was—the scent led her to a nearby breakfast stall.

And what was sizzling in the vendor’s pan if not freshly made chive pockets?

Jiang Xin quickly ran over and ordered two chive pockets, and then a bowl of tofu pudding.

The boss lady was a middle-aged woman; after Jiang Xin finished speaking, she readily and briskly said:

"Alright. The chive pockets will take a little time to be ready."

"You can go sit at the table at the back and wait for a bit."

Jiang Xin nodded and looked to the back of the stall.

Being a mobile stall, their setup location changed every day.

So the breakfast stall’s owner had placed a few portable tables nearby, for customers to sit if they wanted to eat breakfast with them.

The boss lady was quick with her hands; after Jiang Xin had sat for just two or three minutes, two steaming hot chive pockets were brought to the table she was sitting at.

Then came the tofu pudding, and the sauce the boss lady used in it smelled heavenly.

The craving in Jiang Xin’s stomach was immediately stirred.

She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a bite of the chive pocket, and took a bite; the crust was crispy, the filling savory and delicious, not just ordinarily good.

It was simply scrumptious.

The crispy chive pocket paired with the tofu pudding filled Jiang Xin’s heart with immense satisfaction.

For a moment, she even thought.

Why not rent a house near this market when she finds a place?

She’s not much of a cook anyway, so if she lived nearby, she could have these delicious chive pockets for breakfast every morning she woke up, and just thinking about it made her happy.

When Jiang Xin finished eating, she originally thought of calling the boss lady over so she could pay and leave.

But when she raised her head, she saw the boss lady chatting enthusiastically with a customer over there.

It looked like they were discussing some gossip.

Jiang Xin had a sudden flash of inspiration; she wasn’t familiar with this area, but the breakfast stall’s owner definitely was very familiar with the surroundings!

Her instincts told her not to underestimate the insider news that circulates among these vendors.

Maybe later she could ask the owner if she knew of any houses available for rent.

Jiang Xin didn’t have the bad habit of rudely interrupting someone else’s conversation.

After all, she had plenty of time, so she just sat there, silently waiting for the boss lady to finish her chat with the customer before approaching.

After some time, the boss lady finally finished her conversation with the customer.

Seeing she was not busy with business, Jiang Xin waved her over.

Jiang Xin first complimented the boss lady’s skills, then after paying for the meal, asked her question:

"Boss lady, could I ask if you know of any vacant houses around here that are available for rent?"

Clearly, Jiang Xin was asking the right person this time.

As soon as Jiang Xin finished asking, the boss lady slapped her knee excitedly and said to Jiang Xin:

"Oh dear, you’ve asked the right person!"

"I’ve been running a breakfast stall in this market for over twenty years; within a ten-mile radius, there’s nothing I don’t know about!"

After saying that, the boss lady looked at Jiang Xin.

Seeing her cute and charming looks, she immediately took a liking to her.

She studied Jiang Xin for a moment, feeling even more delighted in her heart, and said with smiling eyes:

"This little girl is really pretty. You look rather unfamiliar; I don’t think I’ve seen you before."

With her good memory, especially because of doing business, she was basically able to remember faces upon seeing them.

At that moment, the boss lady was quite sure Jiang Xin was a new face.

Jiang Xin listened and replied:

"Yes, indeed I’m not from around here. I came from the provincial capital, got married here. Recently, I’m planning to start a small business here, so I’m beginning to think about renting a house."

Jiang Xin calmly spoke with a faint tone, explaining her situation.

She wasn’t lying!

After all, she did marry here; just how she ended up marrying was something Jiang Xin chose to keep to herself.

After hearing her, the boss lady thought for a while and said to Jiang Xin:

"You’re in luck; I actually do know of a house that’s for rent."

"It’s not anyone else’s but my brother and sister-in-law’s house. Their kid is going to the provincial capital for college. They’ve only got the one child, who has been under their nose all these years."

"Now that school is about to start, my sister-in-law can’t bear to part with the child, so she wants to go to the provincial capital to be with him."

"Their house was allocated by the company some years back. The surrounding environment is pretty nice, and the neighbors are all well-educated and cultured!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xin’s eyes instantly lit up.

High-quality neighbors, isn’t this exactly what she’s been looking for?

So, Jiang Xin couldn’t wait to speak up:

"I’ll rent it. Is the house still available?"