The houses in the urban village were old, and the structures and facilities were all inconvenient and there were a lot of safety hazards. However, they could survive here at the very least as it was cheap.
As Ashton continued to watch the elderly couple walking further away, he hesitated, then said, “How long has it been since Sasha left?”
“Almost three or four months.”
He frowned slightly. “Most of the houses here have their leases renewed every three months!”
At first, I did not understand what he meant. Then, as soon as I got it, I hurriedly got out of the car and chased after the couple. Houses in the urban village had a short rental period. Previously, when Renee was still hospitalized, Sasha’s parents had basically lived there with her. Afterward, they had brought her out for such a long period of time, so it was likely that their house lease was already up.
The dirty path was filled with muddy puddles, so it was not easy to walk in. Ashton grabbed me and glanced at the path in front of us, then frowned. “This place is very uncared for.”
I looked around the area and could not help but feel a little cold and lost. The roads and streetlights were mostly faulty, so some parts of the road had no light. As a result, we had to use the flashlights on our phones to light the way. Indeed, this place truly reflected the stark contrast between the poor and depressing living conditions of the bottom rank of the social classes to the luxury lifestyle of the rich people in this city.
After Ashton and I walked for a while, we realized that the couple seemed to have already walked far off. I was about to give Sasha’s mother a call before we heard some noises.
The sound came from behind an old building. Using his phone’s light, Ashton managed to find a small trail. However, it was very narrow, and only one person could cross at a time. He turned to me and said, “Follow me. Be careful!”
I nodded and followed after him. A while later, a small yard of about ten square meters appeared. It was littered with a mess of items.
Although it was dark, one could clearly see that the items included some daily necessities, old pots and pans, clothes, and many other random items.
“You stupid old fools. These things have been stored in my house for free for a few months. You should be glad that I didn’t collect any storage fees from you. Instead, you dare to come to take them from me? Don’t you feel embarrassed? Why would I want all these things? They’re such a mess. Just take them away and don’t get in my way!” The one speaking was a middle-aged woman who looked a little rough. I could vaguely make out her features in the dim light. She was wearing a poor-quality mink coat and a pair of overly dramatic gold earrings. Her lipstick shade looked strikingly scary. As she scolded them, she continued to throw the items outside.
With reddened eyes, Sasha’s mother said, “Mary, I didn’t mean it like that. We’re just here to take some clothes since winter is almost here. As for the rent we owe you, it’s acceptable that you take all this as payment. But our clothes aren’t worth any money and you have no use for them anyway. If you just let us take them, we’ll be able to survive this winter.”
The woman snorted coldly. “Take them then. Don’t cry to me about how miserable you are. I’ve seen too many of such people in my lifetime. Who isn’t struggling to survive? If you want your clothes, just take them. But if you can’t afford to pay the rent, don’t even think about living here anymore. There are many other people who want to rent this place!”
Sasha’s mother nodded as she searched for their clothes in the small yard. On the other hand, Sasha’s father squatted, staring at something. Although the light was dim, it seemed like he was looking at a photograph.
“Mrs. Brooks!” I said as I walked into the yard.
When she heard the sound, Sasha’s mother looked toward us and froze for a moment before she asked, “Mr. and Mrs. Fuller, why are you here?”
As she spoke, she intertwined her fingers in embarrassment. I smiled and replied, “Ashton and I were worried, so we came to check on you.”
“I’m sorry you have to see this,” replied Sasha’s mother, embarrassed.
I understood how she was feeling as this was a showcase of their poverty and embarrassment. Sadly, there was nothing she could do to hide them.
Without dragging it on any longer, I looked at the landlord and said, “They are old. Do you still have any houses on the first floor?”
When the woman recovered from her dazed state, she looked at me and replied, “Of course. Do you want to rent it?”
I nodded. “Help them bring all these back in first. I’ll pay you accordingly!”
She looked at me, then at Ashton, and soon put on a smile as she nodded. Then, she started to move things back.
Sasha’s mother looked at me blankly. “Mrs. Fuller, you’ve helped us enough. This…”
“Mrs. Brooks, live here with peace of mind and don’t worry about anything else. Just take some time to recover. Everything will get better in the future.” I did not know how else to comfort her.
When the woman was done moving the things back in, she looked at us with a bright smile and asked, “I’ve taken care of whatever’s here. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
