Chapter 12: Pear Blossom Alley

The thin, gaunt clerk pondered for a moment, looked An Chunfeng up and down, and then said, "Since Mistress An is living alone, you shouldn’t stay on the main street. It would be better to choose a spot in a small alley; there are fewer people, and it’s more convenient for coming and going."

An Chunfeng, hearing that it was a quiet place, agreed.

"Little Lin!" the clerk called out toward the back room, setting down his brush.

A moment later, a lad of about fourteen or fifteen, dressed in a hempen shirt with half-sleeves, ran out and bowed stiffly to the clerk. "What are your instructions, Third Master?"

"Take this lady to Pear Blossom Alley to look at a house in the donkey cart," the clerk said flatly.

"Yes, sir. Which house in Pear Blossom Alley?" Little Lin asked, tightening his belt as he prepared to go and fetch the cart.

The clerk glared at him, warning, "How many houses could there be in Pear Blossom Alley? Obviously that one! I’m telling you, if you don't start doing your job properly, I’ll send you to collect night soil on the streets!"

"Ah! Third Master, I wouldn't dare!" Little Lin’s face went pale, and he hurried out of the agency with his head bowed.

Getting to Pear Blossom Alley required passing through several streets. Though not as bustling as the main thoroughfare they had previously traversed, the area was still lively. Shops were scattered along both sides of the street—mostly wine taverns and eateries, interspersed with decent-looking grocery stores, fabric shops, and silk flower vendors.

During the day, there weren't many people on the street. Those who passed by were dressed in clean, bright clothing, with calm expressions and steady gaits. Compared to the noisy, crowded city center, the area felt more grounded and lived-in.

An Chunfeng sat sideways on the donkey cart and asked Little Lin, who was driving, "Young man, what is this street called? What kind of people live around here?"

Little Lin clearly had something on his mind, as he kept looking around while driving. Startled by the question, he quickly gathered his thoughts and replied, "This is Chessboard Street. The people around here are mostly ordinary folk."

"Oh!"

Seeing that Little Lin wasn't much of a talker, An Chunfeng gave up on asking for more information and focused on observing the surroundings herself.

Pear Blossom Alley was at the end of Chessboard Street. It was quite narrow, wide enough for only one donkey cart. Fearing the path might be blocked, Little Lin had no choice but to park at the entrance and lead An Chunfeng inside on foot.

Pear Blossom Alley lived up to its name, with beautiful scenery.

The deep alley was serene, paved with gravel, and from time to time, one could see red flowers and green vines peeking over the courtyard walls. Two or three small birds hopped and chirped on the wall tops, and from somewhere unknown came the faint, warbling sound of someone singing. The scene was soothing, and even the scorching sun seemed to soften here.

After walking for several minutes and making two turns, they finally stopped in front of a gate painted in black lacquer.

Little Lin took out a key and opened the gate. The sight inside immediately met their eyes, and An Chunfeng couldn't help but narrow her eyes.

The architecture of this era typically featured the traditional *siheyuan*—a four-sided courtyard with front and back yards, main rooms, side rooms, attic rooms, and south-facing rooms. However, the courtyard before her was not a standard *siheyuan*. Upon entering, one was met with a plain white spirit wall painted with orchids. Beside it was a gatehouse, two south-facing rooms, two main rooms, and a small side room, but there were no side wings.

In the place where the side wings should have been, there was an open-air pavilion with bamboo blinds on one side, and a flower bed on the other, meticulously built with decorative rocks. A few small flowers were planted among them, their petals peeking out from the stones under the bright sun. At the corner of the pavilion stood a cluster of green bamboo, reaching just to the eaves.

It was midsummer, and a breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, casting dancing shadows on the window lattices and leaving a rare sense of coolness.

The two-step stone staircase in front of the south-facing rooms created a sense of depth, subtly separating the inner and outer areas with a certain artistic flair.

The main rooms were not laid out in the traditional way either. The entire front wall consisted of a row of half-height wooden windows, with intricately carved lattices covered in translucent paper. There were no partition walls inside; the two main rooms were essentially one bright, open space. If one were to live there, wooden cabinets would be needed to act as dividers.

The main rooms, the pavilion, the south-facing rooms, and the side room totaled four or five spaces. With the open courtyard, the total area was around two hundred square meters. All the structures were connected by low-eave corridors, making it compact, exquisite, and cozy without feeling cramped.

This wasn't a traditional house at all; it was more like a series of interconnected corridors that could provide shelter from the wind and rain, or perhaps, it looked remarkably like those modern, trendy "ancient-style" homestays.

The agency must have frequently sent people to clean and inspect the roof, as the heavy rain from the day before had left no trace of leaks. The paper on the wooden windows was intact, and even the rammed-earth floor was free of dust.

An Chunfeng walked around once and looked at Little Lin, who had remained silent since opening the gate. "What kind of house is this? As an agent, why don't you tell me?"

Usually, real estate agents needed a silver tongue to sell their wares, but Little Lin hadn't said a word. Even while An Chunfeng inspected the house, he just stayed in the yard.

Little Lin stammered, "The house is just as it is. You can see for yourself, Mistress."

After saying this, Little Lin likely forgot the agency clerk's warning and added, "Well, to be honest, it’s not a good house. If a whole family wanted to live here, it wouldn't be enough space. If one person lives here, they don't need all these rooms, and these flowers and plants take time to maintain... it’s not worth it!"

For a typical tenant, the house did indeed have those drawbacks—too much wasted space, somewhat impractical. Those who truly needed a courtyard would find the number of rooms insufficient for a large family.

Hearing his honesty—pointing out the flaws rather than the merits—An Chunfeng couldn't help but chuckle. "You’re an honest fellow. It’s no wonder the Third Master told you to do your job properly. If you can't close this deal, you really will end up collecting night soil."

Little Lin blushed, fumbling, "If you don't like it, Mistress, I can take you to look at other places. There’s a courtyard in Willow Alley with an empty room. It only has one room, but it comes with half an open-air area. You can dry your clothes there, and it’s enough for one person. It’s only one hundred coins a month. But you would have to share the place... though the grandmother in that family is kind-hearted, the grandfather doesn't talk much, and the aunt and eldest son are both very pleasant. There are two children, ten and eight, both well-behaved and cute. The younger sister and brother-in-law work outside and rarely come home. If you move there, you’ll have other women to talk to, and if anything happens, there will be people to look after you."

As soon as An Chunfeng heard about sharing a house with a large family, she shook her head. In her previous life, she was someone who preferred to be on her own; she hadn't even considered marriage. In her view, marriage was a shackle and children were a burden; nothing was as comfortable as being free and untethered.

Having just left the Tang family and now bearing the title of a widow, she had even less desire to be closely scrutinized by others. Moreover, she was quite interested in this "eccentric" dwelling. With a house and a courtyard, it was just right for one person, and she quite liked the open-air corridors and large windows.

"Little Lin, if I want to rent this courtyard, how much silver will it cost per month?"

Little Lin’s eyes widened in surprise. "You want this courtyard? It’s not good, it’s not suitable!"

An Chunfeng knew well enough whether it was suitable or not. She only felt that Little Lin was an unqualified agent who would surely be scolded once he returned to the agency.

"I’m very interested. Just give me a price!"

Money could be earned, and one should spend it when necessary. Treat others well in good times, and treat yourself well in bad times. Eat well, live well, stay in good spirits, and keep healthy—especially when one is alone, it is vital to take care of oneself and avoid illness.

An Chunfeng guessed that having such a "trendy" homestay in a large city couldn't be cheap. Regardless of whether she had enough money or not, there was no harm in asking.