CHAPTER 243: 243 SETTLE DOWN

"That’s great, I was worried that with so many rooms, I couldn’t finish cleaning them all by myself in three days."

"You can do it, besides, you’re pregnant. It’s okay to ask for help."

Jiang Xinyu pulled out the introduction letter and opened the room. The two agreed to meet at the entrance at seven o’clock the next morning.

After seeing off the enthusiastic comrade, Jiang Xinyu hurried out to the post office to call Qian Jun. After returning, she directly fetched water to take a bath. It was too unbearable. The half-day in the scorching sun made her face feel painful.

Secretly filling up a big basin, she sat in it and enjoyed a comfortable bath.

She didn’t go downstairs to eat, instead, she ate a serving of cold noodles in her room. She fell asleep immediately after, barely able to hold on anymore.

Perhaps it was due to finally standing on solid ground, she didn’t have any anxiety about choosing a place to sleep and enjoyed a dreamless sleep, waking up naturally.

After getting up, she still felt sticky all over. She saw it was just six o’clock and decided to take a bath and changed clothes before heading out for breakfast.

Walking on the street, she caught a rich aroma in the air that drew her in.

It turned out to be spicy meatball soup. Real meatballs in it.

Jiang Xinyu found herself swallowing with anticipation. She spent two yuan for a bowl of the spicy meatball soup. As for the steamed bun, she didn’t order it since she couldn’t eat that much. After eating her fill, she hurried over.

"Xiao Jiang, we’ve all been waiting for you."

Jiang Xinyu smiled as she walked over, "Aunt Wang, sorry, I woke up late." She noticed a refined man in his fifties wearing glasses standing on one side, along with four middle-aged women.

Jiang Xinyu smiled and nodded to those present.

"Xiao Jiang, this is the homeowner Wang Minghe, and this is Jiang Xinyu, here for university."

The two shook hands.

"Alright, hand over whatever you need to address directly."

They all entered the yard. Jiang Xinyu was quite satisfied with the place, mainly because it was a brick house. She had seen many dugouts from the train.

Although she had heard that the dugouts were warm in winter and cool in summer, this was the city; besides, she didn’t like those mixed brick houses. They didn’t seem sturdy to her.

Finally, the two followed Aunt Wang to the housing office to finalize the transfer procedures.

"Comrade, is your registration with the street committee or the school?"

"Comrade, I’ll settle it with the school. After all, I have lunch there, so it’s more convenient."

"Okay, but only the grain ration is registered with the school. All other tickets are here."

Jiang Xinyu received a large stack of colorful tickets, including coal tickets, shopping coupons for non-staple foods, and various others like cotton and cloth tickets, a mix of miscellaneous things.

This kept her busy until noon. She wanted to treat the helpful aunt from the street to a meal but was turned down.

"It’s my job, no need for thanks. Xiao Jiang, you should rest, and check on those four around four or five in the afternoon to see if their work is okay?"

"Alright. Thank you, Aunt Wang."

Jiang Xinyu went to have the spicy meatball soup again, feeling she couldn’t get enough of it.

Afterward, she returned to the guesthouse for a nap, only wandering back to her own house after two o’clock, now truly her own place.

The four women were quite genuine. The house was already cleaned, even the concrete floor was wiped sparklingly clean.

Jiang Xinyu was very satisfied. "Aunties, do you think the roof needs any repair?"

"No need, the tiles were replaced within the last two years."

"The well at this house is deep, and the water tastes sweet."

Jiang Xinyu invited the four to sit down, asking a few questions, and finally chose a lady with clean fingernails. She told her she could start working on the 30th, mainly because she needed several days to settle some things.

She wanted someone clean to take care of the child, giving each of them a yuan, and sent them off with a smile.

She took out a new lock to secure the door and went to find Wang Qing.

"Aunt Wang, I felt a good connection with Bai Hongying and told her she could start working on the 30th."

"She fits well. She has no husband, only two daughters, both married, and they don’t live far away."

"Yes, let’s see how it goes. I hope she can take good care of me and the baby.

Aunt Wang, there’s no furniture at home yet. I’d like to know where I can buy some?"

"Do you want new or second-hand ones?"

"I don’t mind. I can take second-hand too."

"Then you can check out the junkyard. Just follow this road, but it will take about fifteen minutes to walk."

"Alright, I won’t bother you anymore, Aunt Wang. Please accept this token of my appreciation. Let’s not argue, I sincerely want to give this."

Wang Qing accepted the paper package with a smile from Jiang Xinyu.

Following the direction given, it took twenty minutes to reach the junkyard.

She explained her purpose and finally picked a few cabinets. As for other supplies, she would buy them directly from the department store.

The staff warmly introduced her to a carpenter who not only agreed to help repair the cabinets but also offered to push them back home.

From the carpenter, Jiang Xinyu bought a large bathtub, three types of wooden basins, two of each, a dining table, benches, chairs, a dish rack, and a new wardrobe set. In the end, she also bought three heated brick bed mats.

By the evening, Jiang Xinyu’s home was furnished fully.

She returned to the guesthouse to check out and went back to her home.

After taking a bath, she lay on the deck chair in the courtyard, gently rocking back and forth, feeling particularly comfortable.

With her hand gently placed on her belly, "Baby, we have a home again. Although I still don’t know what’s going on with your dad, but I believe he’s okay."

Getting drowsy as she gently rocked, she didn’t dare sleep outside, returning to her room and lying on the heated brick bed, smelling the familiar scent of the bedding and pillows, she soon fell asleep.

The next morning, she pushed her bicycle out early, again going out for breakfast, which was still the spicy meatball soup. After eating, she rode around and found the supply and marketing cooperative, the butcher shop, and the grain station.

At the cooperative, she bought plates, bowls, a teapot, tea cups, chopsticks, a rolling pin, a dough board, and a cutting board. Plus oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

She rode her bike back to drop them off, then went to the grain station to buy fifty kilograms of flour.

Finally, she checked out the department store; it was quite comprehensive.

She bought everything she could think of needing, and only returned home by noon. Everything was set aside, waiting for Bai Hongying to come and organize them the day after tomorrow. She simply couldn’t crouch down anymore.

Then she took out a barrel of peanut oil, a barrel of soybean oil, and some seafood, which were difficult to buy here.

She also unpacked all of her clothes, keeping the baby’s needs in a separate cabinet.

Personal items she often used were also unpacked, most importantly her radio.

On the 28th, she went out with the coal ticket to buy coal, both briquettes, and coal balls, and bought a lot of kindling wood. Paying someone to deliver it all back, and they even helped stack it neatly. She also told the firewood seller she would need two more loads.

The neighbors were very curious about her, and Jiang Xinyu warmly chatted with them, getting to know each other.