Irresponsible Landlady

Chapter 1

After graduating from university, I moved into a one-bedroom apartment in the old town to manage my tight budget.

On just my second day there, I found a cigarette butt in my apartment.

When I informed the landlady, she dismissed my concerns as trivial.

"What are you worried about? If you mind your own business, nothing bad will happen to you," she retorted.

I stared at the cigarette butt in the trash, puzzled.

It was only my second day living here. I was single, lived alone, and had no visitors. How could a cigarette butt appear out of nowhere?

The only other person who had been in my apartment was the landlady, a woman in her fifties.

After exhausting all other possibilities, I decided to text the landlady.

"Auntie, do you smoke?"

She responded with a voice message.

"No, I don't. Why?"

"A cigarette butt mysteriously appeared in my apartment. If you don't smoke, I'm curious how it got here."

She replied impatiently, "You've only been here one day, and you're already causing trouble?"

"Please come over and take a look."

After much persuasion, the landlady finally agreed to come over.

I explained the situation briefly, but she just rolled her eyes.

"What are you worried about? If you mind your own business, nothing bad will happen to you," she repeated.

Her gaze then lingered on my shorts, with a disapproving look.

"Dressed like that, who are you trying to seduce?"

"If there's no trouble, trouble won't find you. You young women need to be more careful and mindful of your actions."

The landlady was short and plump, and she tried to maintain her dignity by lifting her chin high.

Anger bubbled inside me.

"Only you and I have been in this apartment. If neither of us smokes, then I can't explain this. I'll call the police. Maybe a thief broke in?"

The landlady's expression changed at the mention of the police.

"No, you can't."

"If you call the police, even if there's nothing wrong, it will become a big deal. This whole building belongs to me. If word gets out, it will ruin my reputation. How will I rent out the apartments then?"

"You're just a recent graduate with a modest salary. Can you afford to compensate for my losses?"

Her disdain was palpable.

"Auntie, why are you so opposed to me calling the police?"

"Unless..."

I scrutinized the landlady again, noting her defiant posture meant to hide her unease.

"Does this have something to do with you?"

Her voice suddenly shot up.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Otherwise, why are you so nervous?"

Unable to win the argument, she threw a tantrum.

"I won't argue with you anymore. If you want to call the police, then move out."

This landlady was unbelievably difficult. I couldn't help but wonder what other troubles might emerge in the future.

After thinking it over, I decided, "Fine, I'll move."

The landlady's eyes sparkled with triumph on hearing this.

"Alright, pack your things quickly."

"My apartments are in high demand. If you don't rent, there are plenty of others who will."

"But let me make it clear, the deposit and rent are non-refundable."

This was outrageous. I had never heard of non-refundable rent.

"But I've only lived here for a day."

She looked down at me imperiously. "Even if it's just a few hours, it doesn't matter. Do you think this is some kind of joke?"

Gritting my teeth, I gave in. "Then I won't move. Is that okay?"

She sneered, "I've dealt with your type before."

I wanted to argue but knew it would be futile.

The rent was nearly five thousand, paid three months in advance along with the deposit. My mother had helped me with the money.

If I moved out, the landlady would pocket five thousand.

Making five thousand a day just by being obnoxious? Most people have to work really hard for that. She just wanted to take my five thousand with a few words. How could there be such a good deal in the world?

Chapter 2

Chapter 5

To be on the safe side, I installed surveillance cameras in my apartment and started locking the door from the inside every night before going to bed.

It didn't take long before I caught the "thief."

One morning, I happened to be home on a day off. I heard a click, and the next second, the door swung open. A man in his fifties stood there, staring at me wide-eyed.

The commotion quickly drew the landlady over.

I confronted her, "Didn't you say you gave me all the keys? Why does this man have one?"

The landlady replied, "This is my husband!"

"Your husband? Does that give him the right to enter a rented apartment without permission?"

The man retorted confidently, "This is my apartment. Can't I come in?"

"I opened the door, so what? I didn't do anything to you."

The landlady chimed in, "Exactly."

"With your skinny figure, my husband wouldn't even bother."

I threatened to call the police.

The landlady panicked, "You little girl, why do you always want to call the police over such trivial matters?"

I shot back, "Is it a trivial matter for a young woman living alone to be harassed by her landlord? I heard your daughter is studying abroad. How would you feel if she were harassed by a criminal? Would you still think it's a small matter?"

The landlady's eyes widened in anger.

"How dare you say such unlucky things! You can't compare yourself to my daughter. She has always had the best of everything. She will be someone important in the future. You, a mere tenant from the lower class, should stop trying to cause trouble."

I scoffed, "Yes, I'm here to cause trouble. Happy now?"

With that, I dialed the police.

To my surprise, as soon as the police arrived, the couple's demeanor changed completely.

The landlord said, "I was just checking if anything in the apartment was damaged."

The police officer reprimanded him, "You can't enter a rented apartment without permission."

Seeing that this excuse wasn't working, the landlady quickly changed her tune with a fake smile.

"Oh, officer, this is all a misunderstanding. This young lady said the light was broken, so I asked my husband to come and check it. I even have the messages on my phone."

The police officer looked at the Whatsapp messages between the landlady and me. I had indeed mentioned the broken light two days after moving in, but she had been stalling and hadn't fixed it. Now, she was suddenly eager to help.

Since nothing had happened, the police could only give the landlord a verbal warning.

I was furious.

"This can't just end like this. What if he does it again? The lock must be changed, and I'll find a handyman to do it. You will cover the cost."

After some persuasion from the police, the couple reluctantly agreed.

I had the lock changed that very day. I was the only one with the key. To be extra cautious, I started carrying pepper spray in my bag.

A month passed peacefully.

Then, I received a Whatsapp message from the landlady.

"Please reply when you see this. The utility bill for this month is 1,200 yuan, including 1,000 yuan for the air conditioning."

I sent back three question marks.

"???"

"How can the electricity bill be so high? Are you charging me for the whole building's electricity?"

She sent a screenshot of the bill.

"Take a good look, you broke person. That's how much it is. If you think it's too expensive, don't use the air conditioner."

I used my phone to search for the model of the air conditioner in my apartment. It turned out to be a second-hand unit worth only a few hundred yuan, notorious for being energy-consuming.

The landlady continued to urge me.

"Hurry up. Stop fussing over such a little bit of money. I'll never rent to someone as poor as you again."

I argued with her.

"Is there any landlord as greedy as you, installing such an energy-wasting air conditioner to save money?"

I had a lot more to say, but she cut me off.

"If you don't like it, you can leave. No refund on the deposit or rent."

There it was again. She'll never stop saying that.

Although using a high-energy air conditioner was unethical, it wasn't illegal. I had no choice but to transfer the money for the electricity bill.

As soon as she received the money, she smirked triumphantly.

"Trying to fight me? You're still too green."

I bit my tongue. Just three more months, and I would move out immediately.

Chapter 3

I vented about my landlady's various bad behaviors on social media.

My high school friend saw it and started chatting with me, complaining about how hard it was to find a good apartment, especially with a friendly landlord. It turned out she had found a job close to my company but hadn't found a suitable place to live.

Seeing that she