Chapter 202: Struggle and Poisonous Oath
When Cheng Chunhua heard about 250,000 yuan, she was already tempted. After all, if it weren’t for her family’s reluctance to pay the bride price, her two sons would have been married long ago instead of making a scene at the orphanage to force a marriage.
But she and her sister-in-law weren’t the only ones short on money.
Wang Dayong’s cousin suddenly jumped in and said, “If we’re talking about good houses, my family’s old house is the best. There are even two cherry trees in the yard, and the fruit is really sweet. You can rent it for just 4,950 yuan a year.”
“Rent mine! Rent mine! I only ask for 4,900. My old house is right by the road, super convenient for transportation!”
A crowd of people chimed in noisily, and before Xu Youyou could say much, they had already driven the price down to 4,000 yuan.
This village was about eight kilometers from the city, with no factories nearby and not much in terms of entertainment. A few families in the village rented out single rooms, but due to the commuting distance, there weren’t many tenants, and the rental market was sluggish. A simple single room typically rented for around 1,000 yuan per year.
Rather than renting out cheap rooms, many villagers preferred to convert their empty houses into guest rooms and run agritourism businesses. However, despite its scenic views, Chengjia Village had no landmark attractions, so the agritourism business struggled.
Although Xu Youyou was renting an entire courtyard, the house was an abandoned old building that required significant renovations to be livable. Even minimal repairs would cost around 100,000 yuan. That’s why, when the offer reached 5,000 yuan per year, the villagers’ eyes lit up, and they scrambled to lower the price further.
Cheng Chunhua was hopping mad, regretting her decision to call in reinforcements. “4,000! Mine is the cheapest! Only 4,000 yuan! You originally chose my house, you can’t go back on your word!”
Her face twisted in distress—just a few minutes of bargaining had cost her 50,000 yuan. But she had no choice. Old houses in rural areas weren’t worth much, and it was rare to find someone willing to rent. She would be a fool to refuse.
Xu Youyou glanced at her but didn’t press too hard. She casually said, “I do prefer your house.”
The other villagers let out disappointed sighs.
Cheng Chunhua’s eyes lit up. She wondered if Xu Youyou was actually interested in her precious son instead. But when she saw Lu Jingyao standing nearby, she swallowed the shameless words, “My son is also a good catch.”
“Miss Xu, we can sign the rental contract right now. If we settle it before the New Year, we can all have a good holiday!” Cheng Chunhua said eagerly.
Xu Youyou gave her a look and remarked, “So you do know how to talk properly.”
Cheng Chunhua, always one to adapt, immediately recalled how she had previously called Xu Youyou a “damn girl” and quickly said, “Miss Xu, I’m old and muddle-headed. If I offended you before, please don’t take it to heart.”
Xu Youyou didn’t dwell on it and gave a slight nod. “Since you’ve decided, let me be blunt. I don’t trust people like you. I’m afraid that once I renovate the house, you’ll try to take it back. So the lease must be for at least 50 years.”
Cheng Chunhua understood her concerns but got greedy again. “Fifty years is fine, but just like city landlords, the rent should increase every year, and payment should be made annually!”
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but laugh. “Yearly rent increases? You almost had me thinking this was the capital or Shanghai.”
Cheng Chunhua gave an awkward smile.
Xu Youyou’s expression turned serious. “If you’re not sincerely renting, don’t waste my time.”
As soon as she said this, the previously quiet relatives stirred again.
“Miss Xu, this woman is dumb. You should check out my old house instead!”
“Yes! Miss Xu, if you rent from me, I won’t play any tricks.”
Seeing the very people she had invited trying to steal her deal, Cheng Chunhua was so furious she almost spat blood. Her husband and children were already looking at her with blame-filled eyes. Desperate, she rejoined the price war. “Miss Xu, I was foolish! 4,000 a year it is! I won’t say anything about increasing rent—just pretend I never mentioned it!”
Xu Youyou sneered. “I suddenly think your relatives have a point. If I rent from you, I’ll probably have endless trouble in the future.”
Cheng Chunhua was filled with regret. She had thought bringing in reinforcements would strengthen her position, but now she had shot herself in the foot.
“I swear to heaven, if I cause any trouble after renting this courtyard, I’ll become a pig or a dog!” Cheng Chunhua thought she was making a serious oath.
Xu Youyou remained unfazed. “Becoming a pig or a dog is nothing. You should swear that if your family has any bad intentions, your entire family will meet a bad end.”
Cheng Chunhua gasped. “How can you be so ruthless with your words?”
But before Xu Youyou could respond, Cheng Chunhua’s sister-in-law interjected, “Miss Xu, she won’t swear! That proves she has bad intentions. You should rent my house instead.”
Panicking, Cheng Chunhua quickly said, “I swear! I swear!”
Only after listening to her take the ruthless oath did Xu Youyou pretend to be generous. “Since you’re so sincere, I’ll make a gesture too. I know your family loves money, so I won’t let you suffer too much. The rent stays at the original price—5,000 yuan per year, paid all at once for 50 years.”
Cheng Chunhua’s eyes lit up as she realized she was back to getting 250,000 yuan.
“Miss Xu is truly generous! It’s my son’s fortune to have a classmate like you,” Cheng Chunhua beamed.
Xu Youyou sighed inwardly. Even someone like Cheng Chunhua knew how to change her tone when real money was on the line.
Xu Fang, now experienced in such matters, drafted a standard rental contract on the spot. But before she could hand it over, Assistant Liu took it, glanced at it, and lowered his voice.
“Even if Cheng Chunhua swore an oath, people like her can’t be trusted.”
Xu Fang gave him a questioning look.
Assistant Liu straightened his back. As Lu Jingyao’s “love bodyguard,” he had to be extra vigilant when it came to Xu Youyou. He had no choice but to overstep his role slightly.
“I don’t know why your boss wants this old house, but since she’s so smart, it must be for something big. For people like Wang Dayong and Cheng Chunhua, the penalty for breach of contract should be increased tenfold.”
