There is a god in the sky

Chapter 156 Reunion in Bianjing 2

The guesthouse was noisy and had terrible soundproofing.

Shen Lan even heard the sounds of flirting and kissing from next door in the middle of the night.

But perhaps she was too tired from the long journey, she fell asleep quickly, and when she opened her eyes again it was already dawn.

Xuan'er brought in warm water. "Sister, quickly wash your face. I just went out and bought two mutton buns, they're still warm."

"Why did you get up so early?"

Xuan'er blushed and said, "It's too noisy next door, I can't sleep."

Shen Lan became even more determined to rent a house, and she wanted to do it as soon as possible.

She got up full of energy, had breakfast with Xuan'er, and then went out.

Dental clinics are easy to find and always packed with people.

"So many people! Business is so good!" Xuan'er exclaimed.

A woman standing nearby, watching the commotion, cracked sunflower seeds and said with a smile, "With the end of the year approaching, there are bound to be many people coming to buy and sell people, buy and sell houses."

Some people's lives get better and better, while others' lives get worse and worse.

The Da Xi Dynasty prohibited the buying and selling of people, but those who voluntarily sold themselves into slavery were not included.

Moreover, those who went to work as servants in a master's household were protected by relevant laws and were not subject to being beaten or killed by their master.

However, the relevant laws were practically ignored, and no one would go to the government to sue their master just because they were beaten.

The woman turned around and saw two pretty young girls, especially Shen Lan, who was in her prime and truly a sight to behold.

"Are the two girls from the south?"

Xuan'er has a heavy accent; you can tell she's from out of town.

Shen Lan speaks Mandarin well, but having grown up in Aoki County, she has also picked up a local accent.

"Mm." Shen Lan pulled Xuan'er to her side and gave a simple reply.

The woman was very outgoing and leaned in to try and get information out of you, "You're not here to sell yourselves, are you? I know a few wealthy families are looking to buy people recently, would you like to go?"

Shen Lan casually asked her, "You know a lot about the officials in the capital?"

"Of course, my husband is in charge of drafting documents. I know best which company is buying people and which company is selling them."

"Really? Sister-in-law is amazing, but we're not here to sell ourselves."

The woman patted her mouth and said, "I was just talking nonsense. You two are dressed neatly, you can tell you're living a good life, why would you need to sell yourselves?"

Although Shen Lan was dressed plainly, her clothes were clean and tidy without any patches, and she certainly didn't look like a child from a poor family.

"If you need anything, you can tell me. Maybe I can help you. My surname is Gong, and everyone on this street knows me," the woman said in a low voice as she approached.

Shen Lan looked her over again.

The woman wore a simple bun with a silver hairpin inserted at an angle. Her face was painted white, and her lips were brightly colored lip rouge. When she opened her mouth to speak, she revealed a set of yellow teeth.

Xuan'er cautiously tugged at Shen Lan's sleeve.

Before leaving, Shen Lan had told her to stay close to her, as it was the end of the year and there would be many people taking photos of women.

Shen Lan asked with amusement, "We'd like to rent a small house. Does your sister-in-law have connections to get a lease?"

Only legitimate brokerage firms can issue sales and rental contracts that are registered with the government and become legally binding. Without a contract, the landlord can back out at any time and raise the price at any time, offering no protection whatsoever.

So even though people know that brokerage firms charge brokerage fees, they still come here.

"Didn't I tell you? My husband drafts documents, and he knows the clerks in the government office. As long as the contract is officially approved, it is valid."

The woman warmly pulled them aside, inquired about their needs, and then took them to see the house.

To be honest, she does know quite a lot.

She is articulate, warm, and generous; she truly has a talent for being a dentist.

Unfortunately, brokerage firms do not accept female brokers.

"Girl, I'm not bragging, but I know everyone who lives in this area. I know exactly which house is good and which house is prosperous."

Like the second place we just passed, even though the rent is cheap, definitely don't stay there.

"Why?"

"His mother is a madwoman; she's always smashing pots and pans and even hitting people. And that man isn't any better. If you two pretty ladies move in, who knows if you'll be bullied?"

"I see."

"Come in and have a look... This place is different. The owner is a businessman who sells steamed buns on the street. He's an honest man and won't raise the rent arbitrarily."

As soon as Shen Lan entered the door, she smelled a sour, foul odor, like the smell of dough that had been fermented for too long.

Gong covered her nose with a handkerchief and said with a forced smile, "That's how business people are; their homes are a bit messy. But there's a small kitchen behind your room, so you won't be eating with them."

"No need, let's go to the next one." Shen Lan turned and left.

The next house was clean, and the owner didn't live there, but the house was really small, with two cramped rooms and not a single ray of light.

"Sister, this room is cold," Xuan'er said, rubbing her hands together.

Sister-in-law Gong explained, "That's how it is when no one lives there. It gets warm when people come. Once we've rented a place, I'll take you to buy charcoal. I guarantee it'll be cheaper than what you buy outside."

Shen Lan also disliked the dark room, always feeling that a few mice might jump out at any moment.

Sister-in-law Gong generously said, "If you don't like it, just go to the next one, it's fine. But nice houses are expensive, you know how it is."

I've already inquired about prices on Shenlan Road, and I have to say, Bianjing's housing prices are quite frightening.

However, with her income, renting a decent house wouldn't be a problem.

The next two houses they looked at were much nicer, but one required renting the entire house, which was too big for her and Xuan'er to live in.

Another family, seeing that the two single women lived there, refused to rent to them.

Given their backgrounds and the fact that they weren't blood sisters, they might have been runaway slaves from some family.

After searching all day without finding anything, Shen Lan was somewhat discouraged. She hadn't expected that the first hurdle in getting to the capital would be finding a place to live.

Gong's enthusiasm was also worn away.

She complained, "Ugh, you guys are so hard to please. Do you even want to rent a house anymore?"

Shen Lan gave her a string of copper coins, saying, "I've troubled you all day, sister-in-law. Here's some money for you to have some tea."

Gong's wife looked a little better, but she still complained: "You two young girls from out of town shouldn't be so picky. I think several places are quite good."

Of course, if you're very wealthy, then disregard what I said.

Shen Lan had been walking around all day and had a general understanding of the layout of this area.

Unlike the East District, the West District was where the lower classes of Bianjing lived. It was a mixed bag, with crowded houses and dark alleys everywhere.

Several times, she felt that someone was following her.

But when she turned around, although she saw people watching them, they were not the ones who were following them.

She even thought it was her imagination.

"Sister-in-law, do you know where the Capital Judicial Commissioner's Office is?"

"The Chief Justice's Office is a place we ordinary folks avoid. You can only look at the houses in the East District."

Sister-in-law Gong gave them a mocking look.

Even if these two women didn't come from poor backgrounds, they couldn't possibly be from noble families, otherwise they wouldn't have run away to rent a house to live in.

She turned around and waved her hand, "Alright, consider this a good deed for today. You all better take care of yourselves."