Help others? It's better to help yourself - Chapter 22

By the time Xu Jing’an left the space, it was almost 6 a.m.

The most important thing she noticed was that the space had added a search function. Why wait? She immediately looked for houses for sale in the vicinity. Living in dorms was unavoidable, but if conditions allowed, wouldn’t it be nicer to live independently?

The steel factory was located in the western part of the city, a heavy industrial area. The dormitories and staff quarters were closer to the factory, while a bit further out were a few rural areas and military camps. All housing here was distributed by the work unit and was not available for individual purchase. Xu Jing’an, unwilling to give up, searched for a long time but had to abandon this option.

Shifting her focus eastward, beyond the railway was the city center, where shopping malls, grain stations, police stations, and savings banks were located. Housing here was even harder to come by.

A large portion of the housing was allocated by work units, with some private residences as well. A few people wanted to rent out rooms, but these were typically just one or two rooms squeezed out of a family’s home to help with expenses. This was no different from living in a dorm.

H City was situated in the central plains with few mountains and forests, and a high population density. Transportation was currently inconvenient, with the country being stable and population mobility low. About 90% of the population’s ancestors had lived here, passing down through generations.

To the east of the city were power plants, and to the south were water plants. These were too far for Xu Jing’an to consider.

With no warm winter in sight, snow could easily reach half a foot or even up to her calves. How would she manage to commute to work in such conditions?

Unable to find a viable option, Xu Jing’an turned her attention back to the area around the steel factory. Rural areas were not an option, but there was a police station and commune not far south of the factory. The area had a higher population and good housing conditions, with brick and tile houses. The main issue was that the area belonged to the city household registration, while the commune behind it was rural.

Xu Jing’an examined the housing situation in this area house by house and found two households that were looking to rent or sell.

She quickly got herself ready, grabbed her bag, and left the guesthouse. Upon reaching the vicinity of these houses, the space provided more detailed information about the two properties.

The first house was quite large, but it was old and in need of considerable cleaning and repairs. Most importantly, it was very conspicuous!

The second house was in an alley. It was in better condition but smaller in size. It had only one main room, one kitchen, and a bathroom with facilities for bathing and using the toilet.

Seeing this, Xu Jing’an quickly made up her mind. The second house best met her current requirements.

As she approached the entrance of the alley, she saw a young couple carrying two children coming out.

Not recognizing her, they asked, “Excuse me, who are you looking for?”

“Hello,” Xu Jing’an responded. “My name is Xu Jing’an. I just transferred to the steel factory and work in the data room.” Xu Jing’an showed them her work ID, adding, “You know how crowded the dorms are, so I came here to take a look.”

The young couple’s faces lit up with pleasure. “You came to the right place. Please, come and see our home.”

They turned around and led Xu Jing’an back into the house. Once inside, the woman, holding a child, introduced herself as she walked. “I’m Qin Caifeng. Since you’re young, I’ll call you ‘sister’.”

“Then I’ll call you ‘Sister Qin’,” Xu Jing’an responded with a smile.

“Dear sister, this house was built five years ago when we got married. Although it’s not large, it’s enough for you to live in by yourself.”

Xu Jing’an looked around and found it indeed nice, even better than she had imagined.

“Dear sister, our courtyard and kitchen are connected to the municipal water supply, making cooking and washing clothes convenient. Plus, we have a bathroom at home with a drainage system, so you can clean up easily without having to go outside.”

The two kids were fidgeting, wanting to play on the ground, so Qin Caifeng put them down and asked her husband to look after them.

“Sister Qin, are these your twins?” Xu Jing’an asked with a smile, looking at the two identical boys.

“Yes, they were born at the same time, and it’s hard to manage them alone, not to mention working,” Qin Caifeng complained, but her smile never faded.

“Now that we’re moving back to our hometown in Northeast China, the elderly there can help out, so the house is left vacant. How do you feel about it?”

“If it works out, I’ll buy it. It’s better than asking someone to look after it or renting it out!” Northeast China is far from here, and over time, the house might cause issues.

“Sister, I’m serious about buying it. What price are you asking?”

Xu Jing’an was eager to move in, and Qin Caifeng and her husband had a train to catch at noon.

Neither side had time to waste. After some negotiation, Xu Jing’an ended up purchasing the house for 300 yuan.