My Terrible Life in Those Years

When I arrived at the village entrance, I was dumbfounded.

The densely packed peasant houses stretch as far as the eye can see, starting at four stories, with six stories not considered tall.

Between buildings, even on the main street, the distance between two balconies is less than half a meter. I feel that if there were no security bars in the middle, you could easily dart around in the air after dinner!

Later I found out that this was the legendary "handshake building".

Of course, there are also kissing buildings on non-main streets!

The first floor was full of shops, all kinds of shops, small restaurants, barbecue stalls, countless convenience stores, and even temporary phone booths. There were all sorts of people, and all kinds of trash on the floor...

"Is this really the international metropolis of Flower City?" I stared blankly, and couldn't help but ask the round-faced girl next to me.

The little girl burst out laughing, then immediately covered her mouth with her little hand.

She looked rather charming and lovely.

"What else did you think? If it weren't for this environment, do you think there would be such cheap houses for rent here?"

At this time, almost every building had a sign on the ground floor that read: "For Rent, Single Room 120, Two Rooms 250, Three Rooms 450".

"Welcome to the urban village!" the round-faced girl replied with a smile.

I quickly did the math: a single room costs 120 a month, and I guess there's a deposit too, but I don't know how much it is. If it's a one-month deposit and one-month rent payment, then it'll be 240. So, I'll have a little over 100 in working capital left.

"Hey girl, you said you wanted to thank me in the car just now?" I think, I can't just leave it at that, can I? I have to give you something in return.

The girl with the round face was taken aback for a moment, probably not expecting me to so directly and immediately ask for a verbal thank you.

I was just being polite, okay? How dare you ask for thanks? I bet that's what she was thinking.

She immediately became alert, her eyes noticeably different from her previous harmonious expression. She even shifted her body slightly back.

I know what she's thinking. Am I that kind of person?

I thought about it for a moment, and it seems that's true!

But she spoke first: "Since your money was stolen, I can treat you to something to eat."

I chuckled; this girl was indeed cautious, afraid that I would offer help that would put her in a difficult position.

"You don't need to treat me to a meal; that would be too easy for you."

After saying that, I deliberately paused for a moment, giving her a mocking look. Clearly, her vigilance increased again.

"Actually, I only have a little over 300 yuan on me right now. I'd like to rent a single room, but I don't really know the local rates or the local dialect. I'd like to ask you to help me get a better price. If possible, it would be best if I didn't need a deposit; I can pay the monthly rent upfront!"

I spoke quite seriously about my situation and, incidentally, sincerely made my request.

Many people like to lean back first and then bend over when dating a girl, but I prefer to bend over first and then lean back, because I think it works better.

I was the only one in the whole class whose graduation yearbook wasn't enough to fill out one copy. They even had to buy an extra copy to leave for girls from other classes. Apparently, when the yearbooks arrived at the girls' dormitories, some girls almost tried to intercept the booklets because of what others had written, preventing others from writing on them. They only managed to stop it because the other girls in the dormitory couldn't stand it anymore.

Just as I had guessed, the little round face reacted next.

"Ah? Oh, okay!" She was quite relaxed, with a hint of embarrassment in her eyes.

Even her steps became lighter, and her ponytail swayed from side to side.

I was a little stunned when I saw her from a spot a little behind.

This ponytail hairstyle has a familiar and youthful feel to it.

"Are you a high school student?" I suddenly asked her.

The little girl with the round face paused for a moment, then her face began to blush slightly. She took a few unsteady steps forward.

"No, I've been working for over a year since I graduated from university."

I exclaimed, "My goodness, I can't believe it! I really thought you were a high school student!"

My unexpected turn of events—first praising and then criticizing—had already put her on the safe side, and given the "friend zone" card I'd given her earlier, she was quite receptive to what I said.

"Really? Does it look that small to me?"

"Yes, really, especially with that ponytail, it reminds me of my high school days." I chuckled.

The praise is indeed due to her youthful charm: a baby face, high school student attire, a shy demeanor, and especially those parts that haven't fully developed yet.

Then, I really got lost in some kind of memory. As for her, I guess my words struck a nerve, and she didn't know how to respond. Then, we both fell silent for a moment.

I was the first to react: "Um, my name is Jiang Ning, what should I call you?"

The little round-faced girl also snapped out of her daze and glanced at me sideways.

"Um, my name is Xian Wanning, you can also call me Little Ponytail!" When she said this, the mischievousness of a high school girl was clearly revealed.

"What a coincidence? Your name also has the character 'Ning' in it?" I find this world a bit strange.

"Absolutely!"

"Why don't you rent a single room first? The environment isn't great, but it's cheap. I think that's all you can do for now."

Xian Wanning glanced at my pocket with a smile.

I patted my pocket and said generously and readily to Xian Wanning, "It's just a private room, right? I can afford it."

Xian Wanning's face turned slightly red again.

Why does this girl blush so easily? And was there anything wrong with what I just said?

Want a private room? Oh, not one of those hotel private rooms, okay?

Why do I sometimes feel like this girl has a side of me that isn't innocent?

By then, she had led me across the main street, turned left into an alley, then right, and stopped at a five-story building with a "For Rent" sign at the entrance.

"How about this one?"

I was completely bewildered, having no idea why she would bring me directly to this building, when we had passed quite a few rental listings along the way.

"What are the advantages of this place?"

Xian Wanning took out a small, exquisite telephone from her bag and began dialing.

The ground floor of these houses is usually storefronts that are rented out or used to run small shops. The landlords usually live on the second or third floor.

While I was waiting for the call, she whispered to me, "I can help you negotiate the price at this place."

Oh, I see. No wonder she didn't linger at all and went straight to this house. It seems she knows the landlord.

She spoke in a rather relaxed manner over the phone, using a long string of local Huacheng dialect that I couldn't quite understand.

Then, after hanging up the phone, she said to me, "The landlord will be down in a bit. She'll write you a receipt and give you the key. It's 80 for a single room. No deposit is required, but you need to pay the monthly rent in advance. Utilities are separate."

I opened my mouth, and in my great surprise, I didn't know what to say.

As I watched her leave, I completely forgot to ask for her phone number.