My wife and I are both time travelers.

Chapter 43 Old Lady

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“This isn’t my house,” Aunt Tang replied. Just as Lin Ying was wondering what was going on, Aunt Tang continued to explain, “I don’t live here. The homeowner’s surname is Fang. She’s an old lady, and she’s…my cousin.”

"Then...where is the old lady?"

"She's upstairs." Aunt Tang pointed to the stairs. "She's not in good health and rarely comes downstairs. I come over every day to cook two meals for her and help with the cleaning and chores. I've been doing this for many years."

Aunt Tang's expression was somewhat wistful as she said this, and she sighed, "This house wasn't originally going to be rented out, but I'm leaving Shanghai in a few days."

"Aunt Tang... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Lin Ying blurted out half a question and quickly apologized.

Aunt Tang smiled and shook her head: "Actually, there's nothing wrong with asking. My husband passed away a few years ago. We only have one son. He went to work in the Third Front in 73 and is living a good life there now. He wrote to me several times asking me to come and be with them. Originally, I couldn't bear to leave Sister Fang here, so I didn't agree. But not long ago, my daughter-in-law gave birth to a big, healthy boy. My son and daughter-in-law have been married for several years, and this time they finally had a child. They are both working, and they are usually busy with work. They are away from home and there are no elders around. Now I have no choice but to go. After I leave, they won't be able to come here anymore."

Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying then realized what was going on and quickly congratulated Aunt Tang.

Aunt Tang chuckled and thanked them, then led them a few steps forward to the two rooms on the south side of the first floor. She said, "I'm leaving now, aren't I? Once I leave, I won't be able to take care of the old lady anymore. A few days ago, the old lady and I discussed renting out the rooms on the first floor to supplement our income, and also to find someone else to look after her."

“If you think it’s okay to rent, you can rent either of the two rooms on this floor. Also, I have a request: if you rent them, you’ll have to help take care of the old lady if she needs anything.”

Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying exchanged a glance. According to Aunt Tang, they were not only looking for tenants, but also planning to find a nanny at the same time!

"Aunt Tang, how is the rent for this house calculated?"

“If you only rent one room, the rent is ten yuan a month. Don’t think it’s expensive. It’s not easy to find a place like this. The house has water, electricity, gas and everything else, and it has a private bathroom. Other houses outside are cheaper, but where can you find this kind of condition?” Aunt Tang paused for a moment and then said, “Actually, my personal suggestion is that if you’re going to rent, you should just rent both rooms on the first floor. If you do that, you won’t have to pay rent.”

"No rent? Aunt Tang, you're not kidding, are you?"

"Of course I'm not joking," Aunt Tang said seriously. "Didn't I just say that the old lady needs someone to take care of her? I think you two are both kind people. When we were discussing this, we specifically asked around. Xiao Zhou sells old hens at the market, and Xiao Lin sells tea eggs at the movie theater in front, right? They're both reliable people. Since the old lady has decided to rent out the house, the people you choose should definitely be trustworthy. Besides, the old lady already needs someone to take care of her. If we hire outsiders, it would be better if you two helped out on weekdays. If you can manage, you won't need to pay rent. Just provide three meals a day and do some cleaning and chores, and take good care of the old lady."

"this……."

Zhou Jiye and Lin Ying could hardly believe their ears. Could such a good thing really exist?

By taking care of that old lady in exchange for renting two rooms here, I'm not losing out at all! But the problem is, what kind of person is this old lady, Fang? If I happen to encounter a difficult person, it will be a problem.

Three meals a day are not a problem, but they are usually busy with their business, so the meals are often very ordinary. The old lady is the landlord here, and those who can live here are definitely not ordinary people. What if we can't take good care of them?
Lin Ying hesitated before expressing her concerns, but Aunt Tang smiled and told her it wasn't a big deal. The old lady had a good personality, was kind, and didn't care much about small things. As for meals, there was no need to make them special, except for requesting some meat every few days, and that the food be clean and light, since she was an elderly person.

Zhou Jiye hesitated. To be honest, he was already tempted, but he had encountered someone like Aunt Wang when he rented a room last time, and he was worried that this old lady would be difficult to deal with. But at this moment, Lin Ying spoke first. She agreed immediately and then suggested that she wanted to meet the old lady. If there were no problems, they would rent the room.

Aunt Tang agreed, but said that the old lady preferred peace and quiet, so only Lin Ying could go upstairs. Lin Ying didn't refuse, and told Zhou Jiye to wait downstairs before following Aunt Tang to the second floor.

After they left, Zhou Jiye wandered around on the first floor.

I first looked at the two rooms. Both rooms had excellent orientation, facing south. There were also steps leading from the small balcony to the front garden. It was the season when flowers were in full bloom, and the roses in the garden were blooming beautifully. Although some places looked a bit dilapidated because they hadn't been maintained for a long time, and there were some miscellaneous items piled up in the corners, looking out the window made me feel very comfortable.

Compared to the attic they live in now, the conditions here are much better.

The room was tidy, the floor was spotless, and even the furniture was complete.

These pieces of furniture look quite old; they're all made of solid wood, and the color suggests they're either mahogany or teak. Although the lacquer is faded, they're all very clean.

In particular, the large bed in the room was far superior to the wooden plank bed in their attic. It had a springy frame that felt very bouncy to the touch, and it must have been very comfortable to sleep on. The other room was slightly smaller than this one, with a similar layout, but the furniture was slightly different. There was a desk by the window and two rattan chairs against the wall, so it seemed to have been used as a small living room before.

Next to the kitchen was the bathroom. Pushing open the door, Zhou Jiye was pleasantly surprised to find that the bathroom not only had a flush toilet but also a large bathtub.

The large bathtub is against the east wall. It is big enough for two people to lie down. It has a very unique design, but there are some broken parts that reveal the gray-brown cast iron inside.

The walls are covered with mosaics, the colorful mosaics pieced together into exquisite patterns. The floor is covered with terrazzo tiles, also featuring large patterns.

Looking at the bathroom, Zhou Jiye couldn't be happier. The flush toilet would solve their daily hassle of running to public restrooms. The bathtub was even better; showering had been a huge hassle in Shanghai, especially during the hottest days. Zhou Jiye was alright; as a man, he could simply connect a hose and shower in shorts by the door. But it was difficult for Lin Ying. A woman couldn't just wash herself like Zhou Jiye, could she? Besides, living in a cramped apartment was inconvenient. In this heat, Lin Ying had no way to shower and could only have Zhou Jiye fetch water and bring it up to the attic to wipe herself down with a towel.

But washing like that never really cleaned her properly, so Lin Ying had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure it. When she couldn't stand it anymore, she would go to a nearby bathhouse to shower. But if she sweated again on the way back from the bathhouse, it was all for nothing, which was really a headache.

Now that we have a bathtub, things are much more convenient. Although we don't have a water heater yet, we can still heat water to take a bath! We can then bathe however we want and for as long as we want, which finally solves their problem.

After checking the bathroom, he went to the kitchen for a look around. The kitchen was also spotless, and had all the necessary appliances, including a gas stove, which made Zhou Jiye even happier. The conditions here were indeed much better, a world of difference compared to where he was currently living.

After some time, the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs came from the other side.

Zhou Jiye hurriedly came out of the kitchen and immediately saw Lin Ying and Aunt Tang coming downstairs.

"Aunt Tang, it's settled then. We'll go back and pack up, and move in in the next few days."

"Okay." Aunt Tang nodded with a smile: "Just move in before next Saturday. Let me know in advance before you come. Everything else has been arranged. You can move in with peace of mind."

"Thank you, Aunt Tang. We'll head back now. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Aunt Tang saw Lin Ying downstairs. Lin Ying greeted Zhou Jiye, and the two politely said goodbye to Aunt Tang again before leaving.

"What do you mean?" Once outside, looking at Lin Ying with a smile on her face, Zhou Jiye, though already having the answer in his heart, still asked again.

"Done!" Lin Ying excitedly clenched her fist in a victory gesture, her joy evident on her face.

"Is everything settled?"

"Everything is settled. I've met the old lady, and she seems like a nice person with reasonable requirements," Lin Ying said happily. She immediately told Zhou Jiye about the old lady's conditions, which were basically the same as what Aunt Tang had mentioned before.

They don't need to pay rent after moving in, but they need to be responsible for the old lady's daily life and meals, as well as cleaning and tidying the room regularly. In addition, the old lady's health is not very good, so she needs some care on a daily basis. Also, the old lady doesn't like being disturbed by outsiders, so please don't bring outsiders back. As long as these things can be done, there won't be any problems.

As for her diet, the old lady was originally from Shanghai, so her tastes were just a little lighter. They would cook to suit her preferences, and occasionally add some meat. According to Lin Ying, this old lady was definitely not as difficult as Aunt Wang; they were really lucky this time.

"That's really great! It seems we're really lucky!" Zhou Jiye was also very happy after hearing Lin Ying's story. They never expected that this problem, which had troubled them for so long, would be solved so easily.

"By the way, have you met this old lady? What kind of person do you think she is?" Zhou Jiye asked curiously.

“This old lady…” Lin Ying recalled, “She looked very elegant; she must have been a great beauty when she was young.”

(End of this chapter)