"Big sister, how did I become someone who conned people? I just want to fix up my house properly. What Iâve calculated are all real costs. Fine, since you say my quote is high, then find someone else to fix it for me, but let me make it clear, you have to cover the losses during the days the house is being repaired, two dollars at least."
"Big sister, isnât this a bit deceitful? Iâm helping you fix the house, but I still have to pay you? Thatâs too much, right?" Ye Qing watched the child was almost finished eating, her eyes shifted, planning to find a way to get the woman to leave.
She wouldnât be the fool here.
"If it werenât for you guys delaying me for so many days, couldnât I have rented out the house earlier and made an extra dayâs rent?"
"Big sister, youâre not right by saying that. Our payment hasnât expired, has it? These days are still within our rental period, right? Iâll just fix the house for you."
The landlady thought for a moment and realized that Ye Qing was right. It was her first time renting a house, she didnât have much experience, and at the beginning, this tenant had been quite generous, paying half a year upfront, so she forgot about the deposit issue, otherwise, this situation wouldnât have happened.
"Okay, you can fix it for me, but donât forget about the people downstairs either."
"Big sister, I got it. I still need to go back and tidy up the house; itâs all water inside, and I have to stay there tonight."
"You... you still need to stay?"
"Big sister, of course, we need to stay, or what about the child? Itâs getting late now, I need to go back and tidy up, and tomorrow Iâll hire a worker to see how to fix the house. Why not come by in the afternoon and listen in. See what else needs fixing, feel free to say." Ye Qing said with a smile.
Indeed, there were many places in that house that needed reworking, and since Ye Qing agreed, such an enticing offer, of course, the landlady was willing.
"Fine, fine, Iâll come by tomorrow. But you need to give me a phone number, or how will I reach you if I canât contact you?"
"...Oh, sure, Iâll give you my familyâs number." Ye Qing flashed a glance and wrote down the Mei familyâs number for her.
The landlady felt considerably relieved with the phone number and walked away with the note.
Ye Qing watched the landlord walking away and secretly thought to herself, "Fool."
Although there werenât many things for the child in the rental place, there were still some clothes, and those clothes could save a bit of money.
Ye Qing went in to tidy up and packed a large bag, along with her own handbag. She picked them up in one hand, ready to take the child directly to catch a ride back to Z City.
Unexpectedly, just as she pushed the door open, she ran into the landlady face to face.
The landlady was halfway home when she suddenly realized she had taken the house keys with her. Without them, how could the mother and son get into the house?
So, out of kindness, she returned to bring back the keys, not expecting that when the door was open, Ye Qing had smartly left a crack.
The landlady saw that Ye Qing was carrying lots of bags and taking the child obviously to go out, and immediately understood.
"You... you bitch, you wrecked the house like this and now you want to sneak away?"
"Big sister, whoâs sneaking away?"
"If not sneaking away, then what is this?" Although the landlady wasnât the sharpest, she was better at being aggressive than Ye Qing. As she spoke, she flung Ye Qingâs bag onto the ground.
"How unreasonable are you to a person, whatâs wrong with me packing some things?" Ye Qing, feeling guilty, pulled the child behind her, afraid sheâd touch the child.
"You take me for a fool?" The landlady forcefully shoved past her into the house to take a look. Everything usable had been packed up, and seeing this, the landlady was furious and went right up to Ye Qing, "Thankfully I turned back once, or I wouldâve been completely played by you. Looking at you, you donât look like you have no money, so why do these things? So disgraceful. Letâs let everyone judge, see if you donât feel any shame for what you did."
The landladyâs voice was loud, and as soon as the neighbors who had just returned home heard the commotion, once again from this house, they all curiously rushed out to see whatâs going on.
Especially the family next to them came out with a chuckle, asking, "Whatâs going on here?"
"Letâs have everyone weigh in, shall we? I pitied her a moment ago, let her and her child go out to get something to eat, she said sheâd fix the house for me, even said she wanted to continue renting. I didnât expect, in just a blink, this woman secretly packed up her stuff to leave. If I hadnât turned back midway, Iâd have incurred a huge loss on this house."