Chapter 635: The Human Kindness Of A Hutong
Translator: Lan_ Editor: Efydatia
The young employee had been through many hardships and worked very hard in order to become branch manager.
Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei visited the real estate agency. That was the necessary procedure for the owner to get their property back, as they had to check if there had been any damages or changes first.
As they walked down the twisting hutong, the manager began his introduction.
"You entrusted all the houses to us, so we remoulded them according to the temporal conditions to keep the rent on an acceptable level. We make money from the difference, but we have to cover the maintenance costs first. Does that sound right, brother?"
It did. He had warned Qin Guan about that beforehand. When they arrived at the first and largest house, Qin Guan was shocked by the flexible structure.
It was a small house with one bedroom and one living room. The old room had been decorated by the agency. It used to be a staff dormitory with clothing lines hanging in a criss-cross pattern in the yard, clothes and sheets exposed to the sunshine on them.
They entered the room and saw some crowded shelves inside. They could hardly set a foot in.
It was working hours, so the lodgers were not in. They worked at a small restaurant.
"How many people live here?"
The manager forced a smile before showing Qin Guan one of his hands. Then he turned his hand over.
"Five?"
"Ten. I just turned my hand over!"
You are a master of the sign language.
The other houses were in the same condition. Some were even rented by the bed. There was great fluidity among the tenants, so some houses were divided into small cabinets that were rented out to different individuals.
When Qin Guan came out of the last house, he was greeted by an old woman.
"Hello, young man. You are finally back!"
Qin Guan was confused. The woman was wearing a red armband and holding a stool in her hand.
"You forgot me? I met you when you bought the house!"
"That's it!" Qin Guan was enlightened.
"You returned just in time! Take a seat!"
She handed the small stool to Cong Nianwei and returned to her house. She came back in a short while with a small notebook.
"Let me show you… Health care, hydropower, basic street reformations... This is the expense breakdown of the past three years."
Qin Guan smiled at the detailed record and the receipts she showed him.
"Thank you so much, madam. The agency has attached them to my contract."
The old woman gazed at the manager. "Be careful with those weasels. They would do anything for money. Look at your property. They have transformed it completely. If you were in urgent need of capital, you wouldn't be able to sell it at a decent price! Besides, they may charge you extra by using fake receipts!"
The old woman stood in the warm hutong like a hen protecting her chicks. Nowadays, the word "neighbor" was not common in a bustling city, but hutongs were famous for the close relationships between the neighbors. People there thought that a good neighbor was better than a distant brother.
The old men playing chess or cards at the entrance of a hutong acted like guards, and women gathered at the threshold of the plain grocery store, eating sunflower seeds as they chatted. They also exchanged daily supplies there.
At dinnertime, children ran between the tables of different families and shared their food with each other. They grew up together, their sincere friendship an eternal bond between them.
Hutongs were a silent witness of the exciting comings and goings of people. Some moved in, some left, but the stories remained there.
Qin Guan smiled brightly at the old woman.
"You are more experienced than young people like us. I'll be careful with them. It's hard for everyone to make money these days."
"Exactly, young man. What's your family name?"
"Qin. Just call me Xiao Qin."
"Okay. Xiao Qin, do you know that the houses here are going to be demolished?"
"Yes, that's what I came here for."
The woman was glad to hear that the young man was one of them.