From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

I didn't say much, just responded and hung up the phone.

When I arrived at the residential area where Su Qing lived, she was already waiting at the entrance.

She looked exceptionally radiant today, wearing a clean white printed T-shirt paired with simple denim shorts, her high ponytail neatly tied, her eyes bright, and her whole being exuding youthful vitality.

Upon seeing my electric scooter from afar, she immediately beamed and waved enthusiastically at me:

"Here, I'm here."

I parked my electric scooter in front of her, and before I could say anything, she had already gotten on.

I handed her the helmet, which she quickly put on, then urged excitedly, "All done! Let's go!"

Feeling the girl's light and cheerful breath behind me, I couldn't help but chuckle.

This girl is really thick-skinned; she cried her eyes out yesterday because she lost her family heirloom.

I've already adjusted my state of mind today, and I'm as bright as ever.

But I knew in my heart that she wasn't unsad, she just didn't want to dwell on the regrets and suffer internally.

They didn't want me to live with guilt forever, so they desperately pretended to be indifferent.

I gently twisted the throttle, and the little electric scooter glided smoothly along the roadside.

Su Qing sat in the back seat, her hands loosely resting on the clothes on my waist.

The hot wind blowing in my face lifted her tightly tied high ponytail, and a few strands of soft hair kept brushing against the back of my neck, making me feel itchy.

I instinctively turned my head away, and she seemed to notice my movement, shrinking back a little, but after a while she quietly moved closer to me again.

"What kind of house are you planning to rent?" she whispered in my ear.

"I don't know, something cheaper, I don't have too many requirements."

She gave a soft "hmm" and didn't ask any further questions.

To be honest, I've been working hard in Jiangzhou for so long, and I've never had a stable place to live on my own.

I visited countless properties this morning, but they were either ridiculously expensive or dirty and in remote locations—none of them suited my needs.

The midday sun was scorching, making everyone sweat profusely, but Su Qing wasn't annoyed at all. She accompanied me to look at houses all the way and even took the initiative to call the landlords one by one to inquire about available properties.

As it was getting close to lunchtime, I was just about to find a restaurant to grab a bite when Su Qing suddenly said she had just found a place to stay and asked if I wanted to check it out on my way.

I figured I could look at the house first and then have dinner, so I rode my electric scooter straight to my destination.

After arriving at his destination on his electric scooter, the landlord, who identified himself as Old Wang, immediately came to greet him.

Without any pleasantries, he immediately began enthusiastically introducing the small courtyard in front of me.

What I saw was a detached riverside courtyard house. Although the location was a bit out of the way, it immediately captured my heart.

The two-story building has its own courtyard, and the rooftop platform offers a wide view.

Once you sit there, you can enjoy the entire Yangtze River scenery.

I secretly calculated that even if a detached house with a yard and a view of the river is in a remote location, the rent for such a house would be at least one or two thousand yuan, so it must not be cheap.

Su Qing had already asked the landlord, "Uncle, how much is this yard for rent?"

Old Wang wasn't in a hurry to quote a price. He explained with a smile, "My son has settled down in the city and asked my wife and me to come over and help take care of our grandson. The house is just sitting empty anyway. If you like it, you can just pay a little rent."

"Just give me a little something?" I was startled and couldn't believe my ears.

Su Qing looked equally surprised: "Uncle, is this true? Is there really such a good deal?"

Old Wang chuckled and said, "Yes, but I have a request."

"What are your requirements?" Su Qing and I asked almost simultaneously.

Old Wang looked us up and down and asked, "Are you two a couple?"

I quickly shook my head: "We're not husband and wife."

"So they're a couple?"

Before we could answer, Old Wang stated his requirements: "I only rent this house to couples or married couples. You can pay whatever rent you want. I won't rent to other tenants."

I subconsciously exchanged a glance with Su Qing, and my first reaction was that this request was too outrageous and we absolutely could not agree to it.

But I have to admit, I really love this little courtyard house. Plus, the rent is negotiable. I won't find another opportunity like this if I miss it.

As I was struggling to weigh my options, Su Qing spoke up first: "Uncle, does this mean it? We can pay the rent ourselves, no backing out allowed?"

Old Wang seemed like the kind of person who was easy to talk to. He smiled and said, "I won't go back on my word. If you're not comfortable with that, we can just sign a paper contract. You can fill in the rent section yourselves."

I quickly pulled Su Qing aside and asked in a low voice, "What are you planning to do? You don't actually intend to move in with me, do you?"

Su Qing rolled her eyes and muttered to herself, "Can't you see things clearly? Just agree first, then we can each stay in our own rooms. Pay whatever rent you want, where else can you find such a bargain? Besides, don't you like this little courtyard too?"

I nodded thoughtfully: "I do like it, but..."

"Then stop with the 'buts'," Su Qing interrupted me directly, "Just tell me if you're renting it or not. If not, we're leaving right now."

I looked up and examined the riverside courtyard again. I really liked it more and more. With a little renovation, this kind of house would be more than enough to be used as a bed and breakfast.

Without further hesitation, I nodded and said, "Okay, I'll do as you say and rent it."

"That's more like it." Su Qing's eyes crinkled into a smile, then she pondered, "Let's not try to take advantage too much. Five hundred a month, do you think that's reasonable?"

"Five hundred?!" I exclaimed in surprise.

Su Qing frowned: "Too much? Then how about three hundred?"

I sighed helplessly: "A courtyard like this would normally cost at least two thousand in the market."

Su Qing pouted: "The landlord himself said he could just give it to me randomly."

As she spoke, she immediately turned to the landlord, who was still standing to the side, and asked, "Uncle, is five hundred a month okay?"

Old Wang agreed without hesitation: "Sure, but let me make this clear first, my only requirement is that you two must be a couple."

Su Qing immediately put on a smile and secretly winked at me, signaling me to play along: "Of course we're a couple, otherwise why would we come to see the courtyard together?"

I could only go along with her words and force a smile: "Yes, we are a couple."

"Alright, let's sign the contract then. I've got everything ready. You can fill in the rent information."

Old Wang was very easygoing and directly took out two pre-prepared rental contracts: "Since we've agreed, let's sign the contracts. You can fill in the rent yourselves, and give me your ID cards to register."

I carefully read through the contract word by word to make sure there were no hidden traps, but I still felt uneasy when it came time to pay.

Even the nicest courtyard house, fully furnished and a riverside detached house, has a monthly rent of 500 yuan that's outrageous. There's always something unsettling about it.

Seeing that I hesitated, Old Wang earnestly advised me: "Young man, although my place is not in the city center, it has water and electricity, and there is a small vegetable garden in the yard. If you miss out on such a good house, you will definitely regret it later."

Su Qing urged from the side, "That's right, the contract's already signed, what are you still hesitating for? Pay up!"

I was still worried, so I pressed Old Wang, "Uncle, let's get this straight. You're not going to back out halfway through and suddenly come back to kick us out, are you?"

Old Wang waved his hands repeatedly: "Absolutely not, I won't come back until my grandson starts kindergarten, at least two or three years from now."

Su Qing quickly added, "We agreed that if you come back to take back the room halfway through, we won't allow it."

Old Wang smiled and nodded in agreement: "Don't worry, you can stay here comfortably."