The Female Lead Decides to Act Wickedly

Chapter 1180: Chapter 444: The Stingy Dad Arrives (Part 2)

He grabbed it, weighed it in his hand and flipped it over, ”Hey, it’s got some heft. Might as well keep it for scrap metal!”

Hearing the first two sentences, He Yue’s heart leaped.

Setting up stalls in the park, giving away free gifts, or offering free treatments, then tricking the elderly into giving their contact information—wasn’t this the usual trick of health product salespeople?

But after hearing her dad’s latter half of the sentence, He Yue’s worried heart instantly calmed down.

”Save it for scrap metal?”

He Yue couldn’t help but repeat, internally marveling: As expected of my dad, always so calculating!

”Yeah, I never noticed before, hey, this is a good idea. Picking up trash and stuff requires effort, but with these health product magazines, I just give an address and they’ll deliver it to my home!”

The old man got more and more excited, his beady eyes shining brightly.

As if he had discovered some secret to wealth!

He Yue: ...

Alright, having a dad like this, she should’ve been used to it by now.

”Dad, what’s for lunch?”

Not wanting to continue this topic, He Yue tossed her backpack on the sofa, heading to the bathroom to wash her hands while casually asking.

”There’s leftover food from yesterday, I’ve heated it up. Also, the downstairs tenant gave us some dumplings, you can have them!”

The old man put the magazine in the corner and turned back into the kitchen.

Leftovers from yesterday?

Reheated after two meals?!

Hmm, basic operation!

He Yue wasn’t surprised at all.

As for her dad saying the ”tenant gave dumplings,” He Yue remained skeptical.

Not doubting that the dumplings weren’t from the ”tenant,” but doubting the dumplings weren’t ”given” by the tenant.

Sounds convoluted, doesn’t it?

The emphasis is different, the former doubts the source of the dumplings, the latter, cough cough, also doubts the source of the dumplings—I reckon dad ”insisted” on them.

Their family lived in an urban village, back when her dad was younger, whether out of good luck, keen eye, or lack of money, he bought a house in the suburbs.

A few years later, due to city planning, a university moved from downtown to the suburbs.

Suddenly, this once remote place became bustling with thousands of faculty and students.

There were night markets, shopping malls, and the whole area’s economy was stimulated.

The villagers all renovated their houses into buildings, partitioned into single rooms, and rented them to those students or small merchants.

Their family also built up, turning the house into a six-story building.

Each floor had six rooms, except for the two-bedroom, one-living room (or three-room) they lived in, all were rented out.

The rent was very cheap, just two or three hundred yuan a month, but it all added up.

The rental income alone was over a hundred thousand yuan every year, and this was 2015.

The city’s average wage was just about three thousand yuan.

As for the He family, it was just an old dad with two kids, a total of three people.

With such significant rental income, even if Old Man He did nothing, the family would still live worry-free.

Moreover, back in the days when he was making money, Old Man He got injured, leaving one of his legs somewhat lame, unable to do heavy work.

He wasn’t educated, only having primary school third-grade level.

Aside from manual labor, he couldn’t find any work.

If he were a normal elderly person, having such ”property,” with a son admitted to a prestigious local university, and a well-behaved daughter, he would’ve retired comfortably by now.

But Old Man He was different, he was a cheapskate.

Although he couldn’t do heavy work, he could still pick up trash and sell scraps.

So, even with a seven-figure savings, Old Man He still looked like a shabby old beggar.

And the He family’s living standard was ”frugally” messed up beyond description.

Saving wherever possible, sponging wherever possible, grabbing, cough cough, Old Man He wouldn’t break the law.

But with their tenants, he was quite skilled at brazenly coaxing things out of them.

In this urban village, most of the residents were young people.

Soft-hearted, thin-skinned, easy to talk to, Old Man He would say some pitiful words, and they’d hand over the goods.

After giving away the goods and closing the door, looking around at their rented ten-square-meter room, they’d suddenly realize—

Damn damn damn!

I’m a poor loser renting in an urban village, whose heart aches at paying less than three hundred yuan a month in rent, actually ”pitying” a landlord who owns a whole building?!

Afterward, they’d regret it, thinking themselves foolish.

But, when they’d again see the landlord around their parents’ age, wearing patched clothes, carrying junk he picked from outside, and salivating at the sight of store-bought frozen dumplings, they couldn’t help but ”fall for it” again!