PNB Chapter 3 Entrustment and the New Home
Chapter 3 Entrustment and the New Home
First came the sound of rustling footsteps on the other end of the phone, followed by Jin's mother's voice, thick with a Chongqing South accent, tinged with doubt: "Yan? Why are you calling your aunt at this hour? Is something wrong?"
"Auntie, Minjung told me about going to SM Entertainment to become a trainee."
As soon as Jiang Yan finished speaking, a very soft gasp came from the other end of the phone.
Jin's mother subconsciously turned her head to look at the kitchen doorway, and sure enough, she saw a small head with a high ponytail hiding there furtively, with a pair of big, round eyes staring wide-eyed.
Upon meeting his mother's gaze, Kim Minjung shrank back like a startled rabbit, his head slamming against the wall with a "thud," and he crouched on the ground, clutching his head and too afraid to make a sound.
Seeing this, Jin's mother sighed helplessly, took her phone, walked into the yard, and closed the door behind her. Her tone was full of worry and concern: "This child has always been stubborn; not even ten oxen could pull her back. It's not that I don't want her to go, but Seoul is such a big place, a melting pot of all sorts of people. She's only fifteen this year; she can't even figure out how to use a bus in Liangshan. If she gets to Seoul, she won't even be able to tell which way is which. How can I not worry about her?"
By the end, her voice had become slightly choked with emotion.
"Auntie, don't worry." Jiang Yan quickly sat up straight. "I'm staying in Hongdae now, which is only a fifteen-minute walk from SM's new office building. I'm planning to move to a two-bedroom apartment these days, so I can free up one bedroom for Minjung."
"How could that be!" Kim's mother refused without even thinking. "You're a student, and you're already struggling to make ends meet while studying in Seoul. How can you add another burden like Minjun? Besides, two-bedroom apartments in Hongdae are so expensive. I can't let you have that kind of trouble. Absolutely not."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all." Jiang Yan smiled. "Minjung and I grew up together. She's like my own sister. Besides, I just got a big arrangement job and settled a considerable amount of money. I have more than enough to pay for rent."
"Besides, I'm in the Applied Music Department, so I don't have many classes during the week, and I'm free all day on weekends. She goes to the company for training during the day, and I can cook for her and deliver the meals there. No matter how late she practices at night, I'll pick her up downstairs at the company. I absolutely won't let her wander around alone at night. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her, and not a single hair of hers will be missing."
He paused, then softened his tone and added the sentence that would most touch Kim's mother: "As you know, after my father passed away, I was all alone in Seoul, with no one to talk to. Minjun coming over will keep me company and make the house more lively, which is a good thing for me."
Sure enough, upon hearing these words, the other end of the phone fell silent instantly. Only the soft breathing of Jin's mother and the distant crowing of roosters could be heard.
After a full half minute, Jin's mother finally spoke, her voice noticeably nasal, "Yan, Auntie knows you're a good child, but... you just finished your father's funeral and have to pay tuition, so you must be short of money. How about this, Auntie will pay for the rent, and Auntie will also provide your monthly living expenses. I can't let you, a child, suffer."
"No need, really no need, Auntie." Jiang Yan quickly interrupted her. "I really have money. If you feel bad about it, just have Minjun bring me some of your kimchi and soybean paste from home every week. Consider this month's rent as my congratulatory gift for her signing the contract."
"That won't do..."
"Auntie, please don't stand on ceremony with me." Jiang Yan's tone was earnest and left no room for refusal. "You always took good care of me when I was little. Back then, you said that I would be like a son to you. Now, isn't it only natural for a son to help his sister out?"
These words struck a nerve with Jin's mother, causing her breathing to quicken noticeably. It took her a while to calm down before she let out a heavy sigh: "Alright, alright, Auntie will listen to you. I'll leave Minzheng in your care. If the child misbehaves, you can scold him or hit him as you see fit. Auntie will absolutely not protect him."
"Don't worry, Auntie. Minjung is such a good girl, how could she be disobedient? When she comes over next week, I'll take her to eat the best barbecue in Hongdae to welcome her over."
……
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Yan leaned on the table, looked at the rain outside the window as it gradually subsided, and let out a long sigh of relief.
This was the first time he had felt a real sense of security since he traveled to this world and arrived in Seoul.
Before, he was just a helpless stranger in this bustling city, living in a dark semi-basement where he could touch the ceiling when he looked up and the water leaked when it rained. Every day, the first thing he thought about when he opened his eyes was how to earn enough for next month's rent and tuition.
But it's different now.
He wanted to rent a real house, one with sunlight, windows, and a younger sister who was waiting for him to take care of her.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Jiang Yan got up, turned on his computer, and started looking for apartments on rental websites.
The housing prices near Hongdae are shockingly high. Jeonseok apartments can easily cost hundreds of millions of won. Even for a decent two-bedroom apartment, the monthly rent is over 150 million won, not including utilities.
With dark circles under his eyes, he spent the entire morning sifting through dozens of listings that were either too expensive, too remote, or in a terrible environment. Finally, he found a suitable one in an old neighborhood.
The apartment complex is a 20-minute walk from SM Entertainment. It is a six-story red brick building built in the 1990s with no elevator. The apartment is on the top floor, the sixth floor.
The landlady is a woman in her seventies whose children have all immigrated to the United States. She feels lonely living alone and wants to find an honest, clean, and tidy tenant.
Jiang Yan immediately took the remaining balance and rushed over.
When he arrived, the old lady was sitting on a small stool in the yard picking spinach, and she was shrouded in a soft, off-white mist, which made her look very gentle.
The old lady looked Jiang Yan up and down, then asked about his school and major. When she heard that he was a student at Seoul Variety University, a satisfied smile immediately appeared on her face.
"The young man looks quite energetic, and he's a college student, not bad at all." The old lady stood up and led him upstairs. "I just cleaned the apartment last week. It's fully furnished and equipped with all the appliances, so you can move in right away. It's just that it's on the top floor, so it might get a little hot in the summer, but I replaced the air conditioner last year, so it'll be fine."
The moment the door opened, golden sunlight flooded in, filling the entire living room.
The house is not big, only about 60 square meters, but it is kept clean and spotless.
Both bedrooms face south, and the living room connects to a small balcony. Standing on the balcony, you can vaguely see the Han River shimmering in the distance.
Jiang Yan took a liking to this place at first glance.
Compared to his dark, damp, perpetually dark basement, this place was paradise.
"Grandma, how much is the rent?"
"The deposit is 200 million, and the monthly rent is 100 million." The old lady said with a smile, and added, "This is a price I specially lowered for you because I see you are an honest young man, unlike those messy young people. Normally, the deposit for a two-bedroom apartment in this community would be seven or eight million. My children are all abroad, and I don't need that much money. I just want to find someone who can help me look after the house. If you can rent for more than a year, I can give you an even lower price."
This price is indeed almost half the market price.
Without the slightest hesitation, Jiang Yan nodded immediately: "Okay, I'll rent it. I'll pay a deposit of 50 yuan first, and I'll give you the rest in three days, is that alright?"
"Sure, sure," the old lady readily agreed, turning to go inside to get the contract. "I like straightforward young men like you."
After signing the contract, Jiang Yan immediately rushed back to his semi-basement apartment.