windy city rainy season

On the day Tao Yu got off the plane, it was drizzling in Chicago, making him feel dry.

There are old coin-operated telephones in the pick-up hall, which have disappeared from the streets of Beijing for many years.After reading the operation introduction carefully, Tao Yu took out a steel coin and stuffed it into the narrow coin slot. Before he finished dialing the number, he heard an error message from the microphone. He dialed it again, but this time there was no error. Prompt, directly cut off.There were crooked messages from various countries beside the phone. He only understood one sentence written in English, "Go to Hell", and took out a pen from his bag. Looks fuller.

Looking at the signs in the hall, Tao Yu dragged his entire net worth and two large suitcases to take the small train at the airport, took two more subway trips, and arrived at Chinatown on the south side of Chicago - contact him online before coming. After leaving the residence, the other party agreed to pick him up at the subway entrance.

"You're Tao Yu?" A short boy with a southern accent came over, "I've been waiting for you for half an hour, and the plane is delayed?"

Tao Yu shook hands with the other party, and said apologetically, "Sorry, I'm not familiar with you just now."

The boy glanced at his luggage, and didn't intend to help at all. He turned around and led the way: "Parking here is very expensive, and there will be an extra charge for half an hour."

Tao Yu followed and asked, "Tell me where to pay the fee."

"There is an automatic payment machine at the exit of the parking lot." The boy "pointed" and said, "If you eat at a restaurant in China Town, bring the receipt of the day, and the parking fee is only two yuan."

After hearing the hint from the other party, Tao Yu calculated the cash with him and said, "Why don't we go have a meal first, I don't know you well, you choose a place."

The boy drove an old Corolla, stuffed his luggage into the trunk, and the two walked to a Chinese restaurant called "Old Beijing".Tao Yu looked at the shops along the streets of Chinatown all the way, feeling like he was in a third-tier town in China.The boys at the dinner table became friendly towards Tao Yu, and enthusiastically recommended the fruit pancakes here to him.When Tao Yu looked at the recipe, he saw that the thing that his mother cheated foreigners was 40 yuan a piece, and he jumped over the capitalist pancake after turning the page.

During the meeting, the two chatted. The boy's name was Huang Yan. He came to Chicago from a small city in the south of the motherland two years ago. He studied at a nearby polytechnic university. After graduating with a master's degree, he found an internship in another state. The house is sublet to Tao Yu.In order to thank the other party for giving him a place to stay, Tao Yu naturally paid for the meal.

It's a pity that this place didn't last long. The landlord came the next morning and found out that his tenant had become the second landlord without permission. He was very angry and couldn't find anyone even if he called Huangyan.

Tao Yu also wanted to find Huang Yan, and he gave him one month's rent the day before, because Huang Yan said that he had held down a month's rent as a deposit from the landlord, and now sublet it to Tao Yu, so he asked Tao Yu to give him the money, and wait for the house to arrive. Qi Taoyu just went to the landlord and asked for the deposit back.Tao Yu had lived for more than twenty years and had never rented a house. When the other party handed him the deposit receipt signed by the landlord, he had no doubts.However, the landlord said that the house was rented to Huang Yan, and that Tao Yu's name was not on the contract. The compatriots are lenient.Tao Yu still wanted to be reasonable, but the other party dialed 911 directly, with the attitude of "go to the police station for tea if you don't leave".

With one month's rent plus one meal, Tao Yu stayed for just one night. With his head in disarray due to jet lag, Tao Yu dragged two suitcases of money and a stomach full of anger, and started his hopeless journey of house hunting.

Turning around two streets like a headless fly, he regained his sanity and realized that if he continued to walk like this, he would have to sleep on the street when it got dark.The streets of Chicago are not just where you can sleep rough, every minute will prevent you from seeing the sun the next day.

Let's go to school and try it out. What he wants to study is the Polytechnic University in Huangyan, which is not too far from Chinatown.When I found the school with my luggage, the International Student Office was already off work.A white aunt on duty suggested Tao Yu to find a hotel to settle down first, and kindly gave him a bus pass, which allowed him to take any bus or subway in downtown Chicago within seven days.

Holding on to the warmth of a foreign country, Tao Yu sat alone on the campus, feeling dizzy, remembering that he should get a local mobile phone card, but he was too tired to stand up anyway.

"Die outside, don't come back, the old Tao's family doesn't have a bastard like you!"

"Xiaoyu, admit your mistake to your dad, don't be stubborn, mom please!"

"Tao Yu, I'm resigning, let's call it a day..."

Tao Yu woke up suddenly, realizing that he had just dozed off just now, his stomach was empty, and he hadn't eaten all day.Looking at the sky, he stood up and dragged his suitcase to the outside of the school, wanting to try his luck in a nearby residential area.

While waiting at a red light at the intersection, an SUV drove up from behind.Tao Yu didn't pay attention at first, until the window on the co-pilot's side fell, and the driver shouted in Chinese: "Student, do you need help?"

Tao Yu looked around and realized that the other party was talking to him. The driver was in his early thirties and looked well-bred, but he didn't dare to answer casually—he was killed by his compatriots less than 24 hours after getting off the plane.

"I'm a teacher in the computer department of this school." The other party saw his hesitation and explained, "I saw you in school just now. Are you looking for a room?"

At this time, the intersection changed to a green light, and the driver raised his hand and pointed ahead: "Let's talk over there."

When Tao Yu dragged the box across the road, the other party had already got off the car and was waiting for him on the sidewalk.

"My name is Tang Hainan. I just went to the main building to deliver the class schedule for next semester. I heard you asked about Lisa's accommodation. If you don't have a place to live, I have a small living room at home. You can make do with it."

Lisa is the white aunt who gave Tao Yu the bus card.

People have been declining for a long time, and I can hardly believe that a pie fell on my head from the sky.What can he plan for me?Tao Yu's mind turned around quickly a few times, and he felt that he wanted money and no money and no color, a pair of dark circles under his eyes could hit his feet, and he couldn't think of anything worse. Can the landlord agree to my living? Will he call the police and drive me out?"

Tang Hainan smiled and said, "I am the landlord, don't worry." He helped Tao Yu pick up a piece of luggage and put it in the trunk of the car.

Tang Hainan's home is not far from the school, only 10 minutes by car.Landlord Tang himself has a two-story building, which is similar in style to other houses on the street. Half of the first floor is a garage, and the other half is a storage room. The second floor has three bedrooms and two living rooms. The location is quite hidden, and it can barely be regarded as a room, but there is no door.The small living room was connected to the guest room, and the door was closed. Tang Hainan said that the room was rented out to an intern who had just graduated from medical school.

"His name is Chang Zheng, he's an ABC, and he's an intern at the Northwest Hospital in the urban area." Tang Hainan said, "You can live here temporarily until you find a long-term house, but the conditions are relatively simple, with only one sofa..."

"It's good to have a sofa to sleep on." Tao Yu took over the conversation, "To tell you the truth, I just arrived in Chicago yesterday. I've thought about sleeping on the street. I don't care much, as long as I have a place to sleep and can store my luggage, can you rent this room to me for a long time?"

Tang Hainan was a little hesitant. There was already a long-term tenant in the house. Would it be too crowded if there was one more person, and the two tenants had to share the same bathroom for a long time. Would the previous tenant be unwilling?

"Brother, if you're afraid of messing up the house, I'll put all the things in boxes so you can't see them, okay?" Honey, there is someone who is willing to take him in, and he doesn't care about face.

Seeing how pitiful this boy was, Tang Hainan's heart softened. When he brought him back, he only thought of letting him live for a few days, and moved out as soon as he found a house. He didn't even intend to collect the rent.Back then, he was also an overseas student. When he saw this kid, he remembered the hard work of those who worked alone in the past.It's not impossible to stay for a longer period of time. After he gets familiar with this place, friends will communicate with each other, and if there is a suitable house, he will naturally move out.

Tang Hainan thought so, and said to Tao Yu: "Let's do it this way. Take your time to look at the house, and move if you find a suitable one. If not, just make do with it here. When Chang Zheng came back at night, I told him that he is nice, but not He loves to talk."

Tao Yu heaved a sigh of relief, finally he didn't have to sleep on the street anymore.

"How much rent shall I pay you?"

Tang Hainan is actually not short of this little money, but after all, there is an extra person, and he has to explain to the other tenant.He thought for a while and said, "Let's say the rent is [-] a month. In the past, Chang Zheng and I shared half of the water, electricity and gas network. Now we share three, which is fairer to him."

"It should." Tao Yu immediately took out three hundred dollars, "Is this enough?"

Tang Hainan hadn't seen rent paid in cash for many years. It was either a check or an online transfer, so it was good to have a stub.He went to the study to get a pen and paper, and said to Tao Yu: "Just give two hundred, and we will settle the bills together when the gas, water and electricity bills come. This time I will write you a receipt. When you are free, you can go to the bank to open an account, and write later. Give me the check."

Tao Yu has developed a memory, and in the future, he will have to leave evidence for anything related to money.