20 019: Effortlessly_1
Translator: 549690339
No matter what era, there are good people and bad people.
In 1980s China, human traffickers were rampant.
So, Ni Yang had to be vigilant. She nodded with a light smile to the enthusiastic middle-aged woman: “Yes.”
“This is your mother, right? And the other one is your sister? Oh, she’s so small, pale, and very cute,” the woman said with a full-faced smile.
“Thank you,” Ni Yang responded with a faint smile, handing a cup of water to Ni Cuihua, “Mom, have some water.”
The woman looked at Ni Cuihua with evident envy, saying: “Big sister, you’re so fortunate to have such a filial daughter. I really envy you.”
Ni Yang, with her vast experiences and exposure, could see that the middle-aged woman’s envy was genuine.
She really did envy her.
A soft smile also appeared on Ni Cuihua’s face: “This child has always been obedient. But you look younger than me, don’t you?”
The woman appeared to be in her thirties, why would she call her big sister?
Being complimented for looking young, the middle-aged woman was delighted, “I’m already 45 this year.”
“45?” Ni Cuihua looked at the middle-aged woman in surprise.
Ni Cuihua herself was only 36, she was a full seven years younger! But by looks, Ni Cuihua seemed at least a decade older!
“Yes,” the middle-aged woman nodded, “I’m 45 this year. My daughter married and lives in Dam Village. I came to visit her.”
Dam Village.
On hearing these three words, Ni Cuihua felt a deep sense of familiarity, “Dam Village? Is your daughter Su Nianwang’s wife?”
Though Dam Village was big, Su Nianwang was the only one who had a city girl as a wife.
“Yes, yes, and yes,” the middle-aged woman nodded quickly. “My son-in-law is Su Nianwang. My daughter is called Wang Chunhua, and my surname is Ni. Are you guys from Dam Village too?”
Su Linwang was the village’s only early college student. He worked in the county now. Previously, when he was studying in Beijing, he brought back a city girl as a wife, which not only brought honor to the Su family but was also the envy of the villagers.
Back then, being a college student was a big deal, having one in the family was more honorable than having a president.
Unlike later, when college students were dime a dozen.
However, when the middle-aged woman mentioned Su Nianwang, there was no trace of pride in her eyes.
Ni Cuihua nodded immediately, “Elder sister, your surname is Ni too? My surname is also Ni. I used to live in Dam Village. After my divorce, I wanted to take my daughter to see Beijing.”
Knowing that the middle-aged woman’s surname was also Ni and that her daughter was also married in Dam Village made Ni Cuihua much more relaxed, and a little smile unconsciously appeared on her face.
The two women chatted happily, soon divulging their life stories to each other.
As it turned out, the middle-aged woman was named Ni Chenggui, a native of Beijing who lived in the suburbs. Her husband died in a car accident many years ago, and she only had one daughter, Wang Chunhua, who unfortunately was married far away. This was the reason there was a lack of pride when she mentioned Su Nianwang.
“Big sister, life isn’t easy for a single woman like us, do you have a place to stay in Beijing?” Ni Chenggui asked as she looked at Ni Cuihua.
Being a woman without a husband, she knew the struggles of a single mother, especially one with two underage children. How was she going to get by in the future?
Ni Cuihua shook her head, showing a desolate look, “Not yet, we’ll just have to take it one step at a time.”
Ni Chenggui thought for a moment, then said: “I live in the suburbs of Beijing, and my house is quite big. There’s also some farmland, and apart from me, there’s no one else. I have to take the subway to work in the city every day. If you trust me, you can stay at my place first, and we can talk about the rent once you are settled.”
There were two reasons why Ni Chenggui made this offer.
Firstly, since the death of her husband and the marriage of her daughter, her house had become cold and empty. She often experienced various illusions due to psychological reasons. Having someone else in the house would bring some warmth and companionship.
Secondly, she could collect some rent. And these three were honest, had a clear background, and Ni Chenggui would feel at ease with them staying. No one in the village would gossip, after all, these were two women.
Two birds with one stone.
As she finished speaking, Ni Chenggui, fearing that Ni Cuihua and Ni Yang might think she was a fraud, immediately took out her work permit and introduction letter, “Look, this is my work permit and introduction letter. Don’t worry, big sister, I’m not a fraud.”
Ni Yang, who had seen all sorts of people in her previous lives, knew that Ni Chenggui was not lying. So she laughed and said: “Since Aunt Ni has invited us so warmly, we would be rude to refuse.”
Ni Yang’s original destination was the suburbs of Beijing. She couldn’t afford a house in the city for now. And dealing with official matters in the city was not as convenient. Living in the suburbs was great, with convenient transportation and easy access to the city. Once she made money in the future, she would buy several houses in Beijing. She remembered that the price of houses in Beijing in the future would rise astronomically. From then on, Ni Cuihua could just be a landlord.
Her plan was to buy Ni Chenggui’s house. If she wasn’t willing to sell, then they would start off by renting it, and look for suitable houses in the surrounding area later.
Having a foothold was the most important thing.
When she heard this, Ni Chenggui realized that the person who truly made the decisions here was Ni Yang, “Alright, then, it’s settled. You and your mother can live at my place. If you find it suitable, you can stay longer.”
Her words were quite calculated, implying they could stay longer only if it was suitable. If it wasn’t, they would have to leave.
Whether it was suitable or not, of course, would be decided with money.
“Alright,” Ni Yang nodded with a smile.
The train sped along, arriving at Beijing Station around eight in the evening.
Ni Chenggui said: “It’s too late now. Let’s find an inn to stay in. We can set off tomorrow morning.”
Ni Yang, who was holding Ni Yun, nodded in agreement, “Alright, we’ll do as you say.”
Ni Chenggui was familiar with the surroundings of Beijing. She took the three to an inn. When it came to paying at the reception, Ni Yang insisted on paying for Ni Chenggui’s accommodation as well. After all, she and her mother and sister were going to live with Ni Chenggui.
Money makes the mare go.
When Ni Yang was the boss, she was adept at using money to win hearts.
As expected, after Ni Yang paid the money, Ni Chenggui’s smile became even warmer. Originally, she had been worried about whether these two would be able to pay the rent, but now it seemed there was no need to worry about that.
The standard of inns in Beijing was much higher than in Tongcheng County, and they were a lot better equipped. Even a standard room was equipped with a black and white TV.
“Yangyang, is this a TV?” Ni Cuihua stood by the bed, looking surprised.
Ni Yang nodded, turned on the TV, and the screen immediately showed a scene. The people on the screen were dressed in traditional opera costumes, singing opera arias.
“City folks are really ingenious. So many people can fit in this little box. Are they performing ‘Fairy Couple’? I’ve heard it on the stage in our village.” Then, Ni Cuihua started humming to the tune on the TV.