Chapter 11: Negotiating Favorable Terms

He Haiming looked at the five. Three seemed willing to pay rent but wanted a lower price; the other two were unwilling to pay. If he insisted on three yuan, they might really report him to the town.

“Let’s discuss this. We need the homeowners’ agreement. Wait a moment.” He Haiming called He Zhuzhu, He Pingping, and He Zhaoyang. The four went into He Zhaoyang’s house, leaving the five standing.

Zhang Meili anxiously looked at Guo Jingyi. “They’re unwilling to arrange free housing?”

Guo Jingyi looked down. She didn’t want to live with Zhang Meili; her emotional intelligence was low, and she sensed Wang Shuning didn’t want to be involved with her. They barely spoke on the train; living together would be suffocating.

Guo Jingyi: “If the village could arrange other places, they wouldn’t make us pay to stay with villagers. We can only negotiate the price now.”

Zhao Heping said in disappointment, “How could this happen?”

Inside the house, the village chief looked at the three. “You saw the situation. If you report us to the town, the town chief might make them live here for free.”

He Zhaoyang looked at He Haiming. “That won’t work. If they don’t pay, I’d rather have my grandson move back. We don’t have extra rooms.”

He Pingping nodded. “If the village hadn’t said the newcomers had no place to stay, we wouldn’t have offered our room. We built this house ourselves. If they damage it, who will compensate us?”

He Zhuzhu looked troubled. Her family was the poorest. She’d hoped renting out the room would bring in extra income. She wouldn’t do it for free.

He Haiming: “Let’s lower the price. Three yuan is too much; let’s make it two. Two people sharing, two yuan each, four yuan a month. They’ll cover the cost in a year or two. When they leave, you’ll have made a profit.”

“Two yuan is fine,” He Zhuzhu agreed first.

He Pingping and He Zhaoyang looked at her, then nodded. “Two yuan.”

Wang Shuning watched them leave, wondering how much the price would drop.

He Haiming said with a stern face, “Two yuan each. That’s the bottom line.”

Lü Beichu  looked at Guo Jingyi. Seeing her acceptance, he agreed with the price.

Wang Shuning and Guo Jingyi exchanged glances. He Zhuzhu’s house was poor; sharing with Zhang Meili would be inconvenient.

“Meili, let’s live at He Pingping’s house, okay?” Guo Jingyi quickly pulled Zhang Meili. Zhang Meili was better than the aloof Wang Shuning.

Wang Shuning frowned. “Meili, I want to live with you.”

Lü Beichu , seeing Guo Jingyi wanted He Pingping’s house, said to Zhao Heping, “Then we’ll live at He Zhaoyang’s?”

Even if Zhao Heping didn’t want to pay rent, he had no choice. He replied dejectedly, “Okay.” He had to save money.

Zhang Meili was conflicted. Both wanted to live with her. Whom should she choose?

No one wanted He Zhuzhu’s kitchenless, dilapidated house.

Seeing their hesitation, the village chief glanced at He Zhuzhu. Her house was worse, but there were no other options. He wanted to help her; two yuan a month was significant income.

“Decide quickly. He Zhuzhu’s is a single room; you’ll have your privacy.”

Wang Shuning said, “But it’s dilapidated and leaks during rain. It needs repairs. And there’s no kitchen; cooking will be inconvenient.”

Guo Jingyi and Zhang Meili agreed.

Guo Jingyi: “The conditions are so different, and it’s still two yuan a month. It’s unfair.”

He Zhuzhu didn’t want her house to be belittled. “It only leaks during heavy rain; we can use basins. My mother-in-law lived there for over ten years without problems.”

Zhang Meili asked, “Where will your mother-in-law live?”

They’d seen the house—two rooms. Would the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law share one? What about her husband and children?

“My mother-in-law passed away a month ago. I live in the other room with my two children.”

She was a widow.

Guo Jingyi felt uneasy. “Why did your mother-in-law die? Was it in that room?”

He Zhuzhu, seeing their attention, said, “My mother-in-law died peacefully in her sleep at eighty-three. It’s not unlucky.” That was old age in the village.

Their gazes shifted. Even a peaceful death was recent; it was unsettling.

Wang Shuning, having a plan, urged Zhang Meili. “Meili?”

Zhang Meili hesitated; Guo Jingyi’s hand was on her arm.

He Zhuzhu, seeing the women no longer looking at her, panicked. Did city people care? Her mother-in-law died peacefully, not from illness. She didn’t want to lose the two yuan. “I can’t afford repairs, but the vegetables in the yard are free for the women living here. You can use the kitchen first.”

Wang Shuning wanted more. They used earthen stoves; firewood had to be collected from the riverbank or mountain—laborious work. If they used a stove, buying briquettes and transporting them would be a problem; she had no transportation.

Zhang Meili was tempted by the free vegetables; it would save money.

Guo Jingyi saw her expression and felt uneasy. “Repairs would cost several yuan. We can grow our vegetables. There’s empty space by Uncle Pingping’s vegetable patch; he might let us use it, especially since we’re paying four yuan a month.”

He Pingping frowned, thinking his vegetable patch was large, and agreed. “You can use the space by the wall.” They’d likely haggle over the rent and not buy his vegetables. If he didn’t give them land, they might steal his vegetables.

Wang Shuning said, “Sharing a kitchen is inconvenient. There’s empty land next to your house. Could we build a kitchen?”

He Haiming’s mouth twitched. He Zhuzhu had no money to build a kitchen. That empty land was an old storage shed that had collapsed.

“If you want a separate kitchen, build it yourselves. Aunt Zhu has no money.”

“That won’t work. Repairs and a kitchen would cost over ten yuan,” Wang Shuning said sharply.