17: Renting a house

"A seaside villa, a bungalow, or a house in a fishing village?"

"I think they're all fine, it depends on the situation! The most important thing is that it must be suitable! Hmm, the house must be suitable, and the price must also be suitable!"

Yang Qi drove his electric tricycle onto the coastal road, heading south.

The coastal road was built along the mountains and the sea, with winding, undulating green hills on one side and the vast sea on the other.

If viewed from above, it looked like a long ribbon between the green mountains and clear waters, winding beautifully along the contours of the mountains.

The sea on the left was divided into small coves by the undulating mountain range.

Yang Qi had specifically observed that there were no roads leading down. He could go and see them later when he had a boat.

After riding for about an hour, he turned a big bend, and the view suddenly opened up, revealing villages.

A fork appeared on the coastal road, and Yang Qi took the fork road off the coastal road.

"Laughing proudly at the vast sea, with surging tides on both banks!" His phone rang.

Yang Qi took out his phone and saw it was an unfamiliar number. He hesitated for a moment before answering,

"Hello, who is this?"

"..."

Yang Qi only heard a few breaths. "Hello~" "Hello~"

"What's the meaning of this? These harassment calls are really something, they even send a mute to call! If you don't speak, I'm hanging up!"

Yang Qi cursed and prepared to hang up the phone.

"Don't hang up yet!"

Yang Qi heard a girl's somewhat anxious voice on the other end!

"Hmm! It sounds a bit familiar!"

Yang Qi was momentarily stunned, then he realized! It was that girl named Bai Xue on the other end.

"You~ Hello! I~ I'm Bai Xue!"

It was her indeed. Her voice sounded a bit nervous.

"Oh~ Bai Xue! Hello! I didn't know it was you just now! I'm sorry! Are you looking for me for something?"

Perhaps the beginning was difficult, but once they started talking, Bai Xue's voice became much calmer!

"Hello! Yang Qi, thank you for saving me last time! Didn't I say I'd treat you to dinner on Saturday? Today is Friday, so I'm telling you in advance!"

"No need to be so polite! It was just a small favor!"

After some back and forth, Yang Qi could only agree to have dinner together tomorrow night!

Yang Qi hung up the phone and continued forward.

A date with a beauty, a joyful mood!

He passed by scattered fishing villages, moving onward.

About twenty more minutes passed.

There was a large stone by the roadside ahead, inscribed with "Qingshan Town."

Entering the town, he found it quite lively, appearing to be a town focused on tourism and leisure.

Tourists from other places came in an endless stream!

He arrived at a hillside and saw three-and-a-half-story villas and rows of guesthouses everywhere.

Below the hillside were several scattered fishing villages.

Looking down from above, he could see the sea, the beach, and the fishing villages. The scenery was incredibly beautiful!

"I should first inquire about the rent for villas and fishing village houses."

Yang Qi rode his electric tricycle away from the hillside.

On the main street, he found a real estate agency that looked relatively large.

As soon as he entered, an enthusiastic young agent greeted him, "Sir, how can I help you?"

"I'd like to know about the rent situation for villas and fishing village houses in this town," Yang Qi said.

The agent's eyes lit up, and he quickly pulled out some materials and began to introduce:

"Sir, the rent for villas in our town varies from about 5,000 to 15,000 yuan per month, depending on the location and decoration; fishing village houses are relatively cheaper, around 2,000 to 5,000 yuan."

"How about I take you to see them in person?"

Listening, Yang Qi had a rough idea in his mind. Alright! Since he was already here, he might as well go and see them!

He followed the agent to see a few villas; the environment and decoration were indeed good, but the price of 10,000 yuan per month exceeded his expectations.

Then he went to see a fishing village house, which was a small house very close to the sea. The location was quite good, but the house was too old and had no yard.

Not suitable!

Yang Qi still politely thanked the young man for his help and left his contact information. He hoped the young man could help him find a suitable house soon.

Afterward, Yang Qi wandered around and found several rental advertisements. He called to inquire, but either the price was too high or the facilities were not suitable.

Seeing that it was getting late, Yang Qi decided to find a restaurant for dinner and then head back. He would come back another day to check out the nearby fishing villages.

Suddenly, he heard a surprised voice: "Yang Qi~?"

Yang Qi turned his head in the direction of the voice and, seeing the person, was also extremely surprised: "Bai Xue~!"

"How come you're here?"

They both spoke at the same time.

Then Bai Xue spoke:

"My home is in a fishing village near Qingshan Town. Today is Friday, so I came home to get some things. I'll go back to school tomorrow morning! How did you end up here?"

Yang Qi immediately explained: "I'm looking to rent a house, you see! I kept searching and ended up here!"

"Oh~ So, have you found a house?"

"I haven't found a suitable one yet, I was just thinking of coming back another time to look," Yang Qi replied.

"I was just about to grab some food and head back! Come on, come on~ There's no better invitation than a chance encounter, I'll treat you to dinner!"

"This~ I should be treating you instead."

"Aren't you treating me tomorrow night? Today, I'll treat. You're a local, so introduce me to some local specialties, let's go, let's go."

Yang Qi, afraid the young girl would be embarrassed, quickly urged her.

"Uh~ Alright then!"

Bai Xue led Yang Qi down a side road to an unassuming restaurant that was quite busy.

Bai Xue introduced: "Have you heard of a "Fly Restaurant"? This is one. Delicious and affordable!"

At Bai Xue's suggestion, they ordered three dishes:

One dish was "Clam and Shrimp Paste," another was "Assorted Fish Family Gathering," and the third was "Squid and Tofu Pot."

Yang Qi originally wanted to order another soup, but Bai Xue repeatedly emphasized that there was enough food, so he gave up!

While waiting for the food, the two also started chatting.

Bai Xue asked: "By the way, Yang Qi, what kind of house are you looking for?"

Yang Qi replied: "One near the sea, with a yard, because I need to park my tricycle. Also, if the price is right, it's best to rent it alone."

"If it's shared, that's fine too, at most with one other family, but then I must rent at least two rooms on the first floor."

Bai Xue was a little curious and asked: "Is there a reason for that?"

Yang Qi replied: "I've decided to become a professional fisherman."

"So I must live near the sea. I have too much equipment, and going upstairs would be inconvenient. As for a yard, that's for my tricycle."

Bai Xue nodded after hearing this. After a moment of thought, she began to analyze:

"Meeting these conditions of yours is actually simple. Renting the entire building is the most suitable. Villas and some small single-story houses would all fit. But in that case, your rent budget would increase significantly."

"Since it's for becoming a professional fisherman, you can definitely rent in a nearby fishing village. There must be vacant houses in fishing villages now."

"How about I ask around when I go home? See if there's anything suitable nearby?"

"That would be great! It's best to have a local like you helping out!"