A life of success begins with being a landlord.

I shook my head: "Two hundred is the lowest price I can offer, I can't go any lower. But I can waive three days' rent for you. I'll fix the leaking bathroom as soon as possible."

Actually, the small north-facing room is less than ten square meters, and the lowest price for renting it alone is 180 yuan.

As a vampire sub-landlord, I quoted two hundred, which is a fair price.

My sister thought for a moment and then asked me to speak with her alone.

I led the older woman to the master bedroom.

He Tiantian followed them in.

"Landlord, we have no money, only a little over a hundred yuan." The woman cried, tears streaming down her face.

My sister works in a mold factory. Several of her fingers were severed by a machine, and now… they're inflamed. The factory owner won't compensate us, and we're still in court. We're waiting for the compensation…

A hundred and a half? What kind of place are you going to rent?

I shook my head: "Miss, our house is also rented, there are costs involved. Even if I don't make money off you, I can't afford to lose money, right?"

The woman was embarrassed and thought for a moment before saying, "Then...can I rent it for a week first?"

Are there options for renting for a week?

I was about to refuse, but then I felt sorry for the two sisters and sighed:

"We don't do short-term rentals, but seeing how difficult things are for you, we'll let you rent to us for a week. However, the rent is ten dollars a day. It's one month's rent as deposit and one month's rent in advance."

"Thank you, landlord."

The woman immediately nodded and took out a handful of change to count.

He Tiantian tugged at me and whispered, "Hey, two hundred yuan a month, that's only six yuan and sixty cents a day. At most, you'll make fifty yuan a week. You're asking for seventy?"

I rolled my eyes: "Sister, I'm in business, not a charity. Can't I do basic accounting? Do you think you can fertilize radishes with manure?"

"Radishes don't need to be watered with manure" is a local expression in my hometown, and it's an insult. It means, "I don't need you to teach me how to do things."

Upon hearing this, He Tiantian's eyes reddened.

He looks very wronged!

The woman renting the room counted her money for a while, her eyes reddening, and she stammered, "Landlord, if it's one month's rent as deposit and one month's rent in advance, I don't have enough money... Could you not pay the deposit yet, and just put it on my tab?"

Deposits can be accounted for? This woman always comes up with novel ideas!

"I'll pay for you!" He Tiantian said angrily, pulling out a hundred yuan and handing it to me: "I'll pay the deposit!"

I didn't take the money, and gestured with my chin, saying, "Give it to her, give it to the tenant. You can ask her for the money you lent her later. I only take the tenant's money, not yours."

thump!

The woman renting the room knelt down before He Tiantian: "Big sister, you're such a good person, you're our savior..."

"Hey, hey, get up!"

He Tiantian was flustered and quickly helped him up.

I watched coldly, unmoved. He Tiantian is a great person, and I'm the great villain, right?

He Tiantian rolled her eyes at me again: "Landlord, your bathroom is leaking and stinks, making it unusable. Until you fix it, we'll only pay half the rent, five yuan a day!"

"I already said I'd waive three days' rent. This week's rent can cover ten days' stay."

"Can you fix the bathroom in three days?"

He Tiantian argued, "I don't want you to waive the rent, but I will only pay half the rent until your bathroom is repaired. That's perfectly reasonable."

"He Tiantian, whose side are you taking?"

I was both amused and exasperated: "Did you come here to treat me to dinner today? Or did you come here specifically to cause trouble?"

Alas, a bad guy has appeared in my fellow villagers' group, betraying us!

"I'm out of money for food."

He Tiantian shrugged, a hint of smugness in her voice: "I only brought one hundred yuan with me, which I gave you for the rent. So, you're not getting any food today."

Just as I was about to speak, I heard a thud outside.

"Oh no, my sister!"

The woman renting the room was shocked and ran outside.

He Tiantian and I also went out to check.

In the hallway outside, the younger sister had collapsed to the ground, trembling all over.

"What's wrong? Let me see, I'm a nurse!"

He Tiantian quickly grabbed it and squatted down to check.

"It's okay, my sister has low blood sugar..." The older sister hurriedly rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a piece of candy, feeding it to her younger sister.

He Tiantian helped the younger sister sit on the floor and called to me, "Get me a cup of brown sugar water, it works quickly."

"Tap water, is that okay?" I pointed to the communal kitchen.

I have brown sugar, but it's in sterilized water (302). Am I supposed to run back now and make myself a cup of brown sugar water?

He Tiantian glared, forcing out two words through gritted teeth: "Cold-blooded!"

"I'm fine... I'll be right back." The younger sister leaned weakly against He Tiantian's chest.

He Tiantian sighed, "May I take a look at your hand? I'm a nurse at the hospital."

The younger sister looked at He Tiantian, smiled gratefully, and moved her left hand.

"Fellow villager, could you please go back and bring me my first-aid kit?" He Tiantian asked me.

I opened my mouth, sighed, nodded, and turned to go downstairs.

They promised to treat me to a meal and help me with chores, but now they're treating me like a lackey.

A woman's mouth is a deceitful devil!

It took several minutes to go downstairs and upstairs again to get the medicine box.

In room 304, He Tiantian had already removed the bandage from her younger sister and was examining her wound.

I glanced at it and immediately turned my head away—because it was unsightly and made me uncomfortable.

"Quickly, give me the first-aid kit..." He Tiantian seemed to have been crying. She took the first-aid kit and treated the younger girl's wounds, saying to me as she did so:

"Fellow villager, those two sisters are really pitiful. The heartless boss has abandoned them now."

I lit a cigarette but didn't say anything.

He Tiantian continued to explain the situation to me.

The older sister's name is Xue Meihua, and the younger sister's name is Xue Meiying. They both work at the "Wanjia Mold Factory".

My younger sister, Xue Meiying, had an accident twenty days ago; her index, middle, and ring fingers were severed by a machine. The factory owner took Xue Meiying to the hospital for treatment, left her with three thousand yuan, and then ran away.

When the older sister, Xue Meihua, asked the boss for money, he kept delaying and even threw the Xue sisters' luggage out, preventing them from living in the factory anymore.

Now, the Xue sisters are penniless and have no money for treatment. Their fingers are inflamed again, and they may need to have a second amputation.

After He Tiantian finished speaking, she called to me, "Mr. Wang Yaozu, I've been talking for so long, did you hear me?"

"I heard it, so what?" I sighed.

There are too many pitiful people here, and I have no way to help the Xue sisters!

"Then lend me five hundred yuan so I can get Xue Meiying medical treatment first." He Tiantian rubbed her eyes. "I'll pay you back when I get paid in a few days, okay?"

"What can you do with five hundred yuan? Is it enough for medical treatment?"

I remained indifferent, looking at Xue Meihua: "At this time, you should be looking for your family. Only your family can help you."

Xue Meihua shook her head: "There's only one father in the family, he's worse than an animal. We're practically homeless now."

Is your father worse than an animal?

I glanced at the Cigar Sisters and suddenly shivered.

No way... that's how it is, right?

He Tiantian came to me again, pleading, "Mr. Wang Yaozu, please help them. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda..."

"Alright!"

I interrupted He Tiantian and looked at Xue Meihua: "Where is the mold factory you mentioned? What's it called?"

"Wanjia Mold Factory, No. 13 Niutou Lane, Sanlichuan New Development Zone".

Develop a new district?

I paused for a moment, then pointed at He Tiantian:

"Ms. He Tiantian, you like to stand up for others and do good deeds, right? Come on, if you've got the guts, come with me. Let's go to that... Wanjia Mold Factory and get justice for Sister Xue, and get our compensation back!"