Adult Adoption

My landlord and landlady (房东） couple Mr. Ming, (明先生, literally Mr. Bright) and Mrs. Leng (冷阿姨, literally Auntie Cold) (Chinese wives do not adopt their husband's surnames on marriage) have adopted me as their own. Not only this, but their adult daughter Ming Yue 明玥 (Mysterious-Gem Bright) and her husband Wang Da Peng 王大鹏 (Big-Roc King) have taken me under their wings too!

Today, Ming Yue called me up and asked to meet me to sort out the phone and internet. Wang Da Peng had some sort of business connection to 铁通 (Iron Communications) [Edit: I found out he works for them as an engineer] meaning we could get broadband installed in the flat today or tomorrow, rather than wait seven days. They were also waiving the equipment deposit and giving me an auspicious telephone number for the price of a regular one.

Yesterday, I arrived back at the flat to find Mr. Ming and Mrs. Leng lounging around while a horde of workmen swarmed around a gaping hole where the security door used to be.

"Because of you, we've changed the door", explained Mr. Ming.

"You look like a child, and safety is the most important thing". Mrs. Leng beamed.

"The old door, it was no good, and we were worried that you could get locked out, or someone could break in", Mr. Ming continued. "This new door cost us 800RMB!"

"It's beautiful isn't it?" marvelled Mrs. Leng.

I opened my mouth to say I wasn't paying another 800RMB for their new door, however shiny and new, when Mr. Ming said,

"Oh, of course you don't have to pay for it. It's beautiful isn't it?" knocking on the varnished mahogany.

I nodded my agreement.