Chapter 45: The Pain of Spending

If she moved out, where would she live?

While twisting hemp ropes, Jiang Pan Yu had inquired with the village aunties and learned that building a house in the countryside required a considerable amount of money.

For starters, you’d need to hire people to level the foundation!

If you didn’t use blue bricks but opted for adobe bricks to build the house, you’d still need to hire someone to do it. Even if you didn’t pay them wages, you’d have to provide food to keep them fed.

Moreover, the northern province was cold, so a heated brick bed was essential, and that required blue bricks. And for the roof, you’d need roof tiles!

Then, for cooking and eating alone, you’d need pots, pans, and utensils. All in all, living alone would require at least a few dozen yuan just to get started.

Jiang Pan Yu did have some money. Before coming to the countryside, she had received a subsidy from the educated youth residence, half of which she had spent, leaving her with a few dozen yuan. Additionally, she had spent some of the 100 yuan rewarded by the Gossip System, leaving her with a total of over 100 yuan.

The money was enough to build a house, but the thought of spending it on a house made her heart ache.

After all, she wasn’t planning to live here forever—just a few years at most. Once the college entrance exams were reinstated, she would definitely leave.

The idea of throwing away dozens of yuan like this was painful. She couldn’t exactly dismantle the house and take it with her.

But if she stayed at the educated youth residence, she’d have to continue sneaking around. While others might not notice in the short term, over time, her secretive behavior would raise suspicions.

Moreover, based on what Jiang Pan Yu had heard, new educated youths were expected to arrive at the residence next year.

With more people, things would get complicated. What’s more, there were already very few vacant rooms left at the residence, and she had no idea how things would be arranged then!

Jiang Pan Yu had been pondering this issue for several days, and Tan Yanlu was also thinking about moving out.

Since she was running low on money, she was brainstorming ways to make more. Her Golden Finger required a private space to function properly, and the educated youth residence was too crowded. Even the slightest disturbance would spread like wildfire, so how could she feel safe using her Golden Finger there?

Therefore, Tan Yanlu was determined to move out of the educated youth residence, and she needed to do it quickly. The money she had spent since coming to the countryside was all from the educated youth subsidy.

Coming from a wealthy family, she had always been accustomed to spending lavishly. Now, faced with financial difficulties, she had no choice but to find ways to earn money.

Perhaps due to the protagonist’s halo, Tan Yanlu’s actions were not only swift but also highly efficient. While Jiang Pan Yu was still mulling over the issue and wondering what to do, Tan Yanlu approached her and asked if she wanted to move out together.

It was only then that Jiang Pan Yu learned that Tan Yanlu had already found a place to live—the house of Wu Dama, a five-guarantee household in the village.

Wu Dama’s life had been a tragic one. She had married young and given birth to three sons and a daughter, but due to famine, three of her children had died, leaving only one son, whom she had struggled to raise.

Her husband had passed away from illness, leaving her and her son to fend for themselves. Wu Dama had worked tirelessly to raise her son.

When her son grew up, he joined the military, and Wu Dama enjoyed a few years of relatively good life.

Not long after, misfortune struck when Wu Dama’s son died on the battlefield, leaving behind a young granddaughter. His wife remarried quickly, and the granddaughter was sent back to the village to be raised by Wu Dama.

The village arranged for Wu Dama to become a “Five Guarantees Household” (household guaranteed food, clothing, medical care, housing, and burial expenses), and with the compensation money left by her son’s sacrifice, the grandmother and granddaughter managed to rebuild their lives.

Wu Dama’s house had two rooms: one where she and her granddaughter lived, and the other, which had been prepared for her son and his wife. This room was spacious, with a newly repaired earthen heated brick bed and walls, making it suitable for living for another decade or so.

Tan Yanlu had been inquiring around and eventually took a liking to this vacant room in Wu Dama’s house. It was spacious enough to be divided into two sections, providing private space where she could carry out her plans.

Moreover, given Wu Dama’s situation, no one would dare to bully them. Living in Wu Dama’s house would also mean they had the protection of the Wu family.

Additionally, Wu Dama’s house was not far from the granary, and there were more than a dozen households living nearby. The granary even had two guard dogs patrolling, ensuring a high level of safety. The two girls wouldn’t have to worry about safety issues living there.

Jiang Pan Yu was deeply moved upon hearing this. She knew of Wu Dama, and the Gossip Sisters Squad often spoke of her as a kind and honest person. If they could live in her house, it would naturally be a good arrangement.

Even if the rent was a bit high, it would still be more cost-effective than building a house themselves, which would cost dozens of yuan and be left behind in the countryside with no way to recover the investment.

Jiang Pan Yu was more than willing, so she and Tan Yanlu discussed who to approach as a mediator to negotiate with Wu Dama.

After some deliberation, they decided to seek help from the aunties of the Gossip Sisters Squad. Being locals, they would have an easier time mediating.

The aunties did not disappoint Jiang Pan Yu and Tan Yanlu. After receiving half a pack of red sugar from the two, they quickly persuaded Wu Dama.

Initially, Wu Dama was reluctant to rent out the room to the two female Educated Youth. It was her son’s room, and keeping it intact preserved his memory. Renting it out would erase all traces of him.

In her heart, Wu Dama was unwilling to admit that her son was gone.

However, Yang Guiying and Chen Lamei made a valid point. As a widow with a young granddaughter, she needed to consider the child’s future. Renting out the room would provide some income, which could be saved for emergencies.

After all, Wu Dama was already in her fifties, having endured many hardships in her youth, and now she suffered from constant minor ailments. Her granddaughter was still just a few years old, and it was uncertain whether Wu Dama would live to see her grow up. She needed to plan for the child’s future while she still could.

After two days of contemplation, Wu Dama finally agreed to rent the room to Tan Yanlu and Jiang Pan Yu, but she had an additional condition.

Besides paying rent, Jiang Pan Yu and Tan Yanlu would also have to tutor Wu Dama’s granddaughter, teaching her to read and write.

Since there was no elementary school in the village, children had to walk for over an hour to attend school in the town.

After losing her son and husband, and with only her little granddaughter left, Wu Dama became extremely protective of the child, taking her wherever she went.

While it was fine for the little girl to play around the village, Wu Dama couldn’t rest easy letting her go to school in the town alone.

An important factor was their financial constraints. Although her son had left a sum of compensation money, years of medical expenses and raising the child had led to a long-term deficit, and that money was nearly depleted.

After much thought, Wu Dama came up with this idea:

Educated Youth, after all, were knowledgeable young people. Teaching a child elementary-level knowledge shouldn’t be too difficult for them.

If this could work, it would save a significant amount on tuition fees, allow them to save some rent money, and her granddaughter could grow up under her watchful eye. Wu Dama wouldn’t have to live in constant worry either.