Cheng’s village was only a little over half an hour’s drive from Ronghua City, but the bus stop was a twenty-minute walk away from the village.
Xue Ling had grown up in the city, either riding a bicycle or taking public transportation, and her family later even bought a car. She had never walked long distances like this.
After walking for more than ten minutes, she was drenched in sweat and had to lean against a tree by the roadside to catch her breath.
“The bus usually arrives around 2 PM, and this is the only trip,” Cheng Tianyuan calmly reminded her. “You need to walk faster; otherwise, we’ll miss it.”
Seeing her exhausted, he wanted to help, but he had his hands full carrying his own large package and her suitcase.
“Are you okay? Can you keep going?” he asked.
Taking a few deep breaths, Xue Ling gritted her teeth and said, “I’m fine.”
With that, she straightened up and continued walking, even though her legs were trembling.
Cheng Tianyuan watched her determined back and couldn’t help but admire her. Soon, he caught up with her.
After a while, they finally reached the bus stop.
Outside the run-down shelter, there were about thirty people waiting, some smoking, some chatting, and others scanning the road ahead, eagerly anticipating the short-distance bus.
Cheng Tianyuan positioned himself and Xue Ling at the back of the line and set down their luggage.
Being an attractive couple, they attracted many curious glances, especially Xue Ling. Her graceful figure and fair, delicate face left quite an impression on some of the men, who found themselves staring.
Cheng Tianyuan furrowed his brow, and he turned to shield Xue Ling from their view.
Xue Ling, noticing his protective gesture, couldn’t help but smile secretly.
The bus arrived shortly after!
Everyone rushed forward, carrying their luggage and jostling for a spot.
Cheng Tianyuan, tall and strong, cleared a path for Xue Ling. He quickly loaded their luggage onto the bus and then pulled her aboard.
After more than half an hour of bumpy travel, they finally arrived in the county.
Cheng Tianyuan explained, “I work at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative in the center of the county. There’s a dormitory upstairs where a few men share a room. It’ll be dark soon, so I’ll find a place for you to stay first.”
Xue Ling nodded and looked around. “Let’s find an affordable small hotel.”
Cheng Tianyuan hesitated. “There are a few small hotels nearby, but the environment isn’t great, and there are some shady characters around. It might not be safe for you to stay alone.”
Xue Ling blinked her eyes and asked, “Is there a small hotel near the Supply and Marketing Cooperative where you work?”
“Yes,” Cheng Tianyuan replied, “but it’s still not very safe. I have to go to work, and if something happens to you, being close won’t make a difference.”
Feigning a worried expression, Xue Ling said, “I’ll start looking for a job tomorrow morning. I’ll only stay for a day or two. During the day, it should be safe. I’m more concerned about the evenings.”
After a moment of contemplation, Cheng Tianyuan finally spoke.
“How about this? I’ll come to see you in the evening after I finish work. It’s early autumn, so the weather isn’t too cold. I’ll lay down a bed inside, and once you find a place to stay, we can cancel the room.”
Xue Ling readily agreed to the arrangement.
Ronghua County wasn’t large, and Cheng Tianyuan took her to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
“It’s just around the corner. The hotel is across the street, called ‘Promise Hotel.'”
Xue Ling glanced at it and saw that the building was a bit old, but it appeared to be fairly clean. She nodded in agreement.
The landlady, seeing that there were two of them, grumbled, “Two people need to stay in a standard room, not a single room! If the industry and commerce department comes to inspect and finds out, I’ll be fined! Are you going to take responsibility?”
Xue Ling firmly shook her head. “My husband has a dormitory where he works; I won’t be staying here! A standard room is fine!”
A standard room cost twenty yuan per day, while a single room was only eight yuan. They wanted to save money during their time away from home.
“There are no single rooms left!” The landlady frowned. “Only standard rooms are available!”
Cheng Tianyuan was considering that there were no other options nearby and that he couldn’t manage it if Xue Ling stayed farther away. However, staying in a standard room for several days was too expensive.
Xue Ling loudly declared, “No single rooms left? Then we’ll find another place to stay! There must be more hotels in the county!”
Panicking, the landlady rushed out and said, “Wait!”
Xue Ling pulled Cheng Tianyuan away, giving him a meaningful glance. She was trying to get more for their money; she didn’t want him to draw a clear line between them. If she could save some money, she would definitely try.
Cheng Tianyuan was surprised by her cleverness. He hadn’t expected her to be so resourceful.
“I’ll help you look around. There are a few single rooms left, but they’re farther from the center,” the landlady said, worried about losing their business. She continued, “I’ll go check! Just wait!”
Thinking that they were only staying for a single night, she had expected to make a little extra money. However, now that they were looking to stay long-term, this could be a lucrative deal.
Xue Ling didn’t look back and loudly said, “The best one! It has to be the best one!”
The landlady rushed out, afraid of losing the business. She shouted, “It’s the best one! Guaranteed!”
Cheng Tianyuan noticed Xue Ling’s clever tactics and smiled to himself.
The landlady returned, leading them to the best room available. She assured them that it was newly renovated, had good ventilation, and even had a balcony. She also provided fresh bedding and pillows. Only then did Xue Ling agree to pay the deposit.
Cheng Tianyuan took out the money and paid the ten-yuan deposit.
Xue Ling had intended to pay it herself, but seeing his confident attitude, she couldn’t help but smile.
She didn’t want him to create too much distance between them, and if she could save some money, she would.
Cheng Tianyuan, after observing her over the past few days, was somewhat surprised.
“Did you… study abroad before?” he asked.
Xue Ling’s eyes glinted as she gave an ambiguous answer, “It’s quite far from home, so I had to stay in accommodations.”
During her time managing the company, she had frequently traveled for business and dealt with people from all walks of life. Handling someone like this who was accustomed to city life was a piece of cake!
After getting their luggage sorted, Xue Ling had gone to look for a job, and Cheng Tianyuan had gone to work.
He seemed to be quite busy, working during the day and sometimes even working late into the night.
For the next two nights, when he came to the small hotel, Xue Ling was already asleep.
Three days passed, and it seemed that Xue Ling still hadn’t found a job.
That evening when Cheng Tianyuan arrived, she was sitting at a small table, scribbling and drawing rather than sleeping.
“Haven’t found a job yet? Do you need my help?” he asked.
Xue Ling looked up, shrugged, and smiled ruefully.
“I’ve applied to several places, but I’m not sure which one to choose. Can you take a look and give me some advice?”
After these days of getting to know each other, they had become quite familiar.
Cheng Tianyuan sat down at the opposite side of the small table and noticed that she wasn’t drawing but was writing in English.
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