Chapter 497 - Gypsy Busker (1/2)
Chapter 497 Gypsy Busker
Zhang Heng walked up to where the argument happened, where a gypsy busker was standing between a Jewish home and a few brutish men.
“That’s jsut too much! The man in this family has just fallen off a scaffolding not long ago. Just look at the state of his leg! He’s been unable to work for the last two months. Can’t he pay the rent half a month late? Do you really have to drive them out?” asked the Gypsy busker in disbelief.
Zhang Heng had also noticed that the man had a wooden splint attached to his leg. The family’s furniture and luggage had been dragged out of the house and thrown along the road, causing the whole family to be distraught. Their belongings were treated no differently than a pile of garbage, mainly consisting of a tattered wooden bed, old pots and pans, and a sofa with a missing leg. No one knew where they picked up all these things. The dirty wooden pony that the girl clutched dearly in her arms was probably the only toy she had.
“On-time payments, that is the rule here,” the hunchback sternly proclaimed.
“We are all reasonable people. You can ask the family. I have given them a week’s grace. Do you expect me to do it again? I told you that lots of people are looking for houses here. Someone will eventually rent my house even if they can’t afford it. I won’t be losing money one way or another.”
“But they are living here right now…”
The hunchback impatiently waved off the busker.
“I don’t care how long they’ve been living here! I don’t run a charity. If they can’t pay me, they should just sleep on the streets!”
“You are cruel beyond words! They have a child here; I implore you!”
“The kid is too young to work in factories or mines. It is why I have lost hope in them. Even if they do everything, they can and loan some money to make up for this month’s rent, what next month? At the same time, they will not be able to repay the money they owe. And if owed money owed is not repaid, creditors will come knocking on the door again. It will surely cause a lot of trouble for my future tenants.”
The hunchback coldly continued, “A family from Wales is interested in this house. There are two adult men in their families. The husband and the elder son are both very strong. Although the younger son is thin, he could fit into chimneys and clean them. On the other hand, the man’s wife would sell flowers during the day and entertain guests at night. It won’t be long before they can save enough to buy this house! How would you choose if you were me?”
This time, the gypsy busker was at a loss for words.
The hunchback man glanced at him again, “Why, are you new here? You have to be new here. YOu wouldn’t have been so nosy otherwise. Look at their neighbors. Is anyone willing to defend them? Let me give you a piece of advice. If you want to survive here, better mind your own business.”
“No, since I see it, I will not leave it alone.”
The gypsy busker opened his wallet and took out eight s.h.i.+llings from it.
“Here you go, this is two months’ rent. I will help them out this time.” After that, she pointed at the man of the family, “He can work again after two months, and naturally, he can continue paying the rent.”
It was the hunchback’s turn to be startled this time. He seemed to be caught in hesitation, and he stood there for a while with his twitching. After a while, he collected the money from the gypsy.
“Consider yourself lucky this time. Let’s go,” he scowled at the lame man.
After they left, the Jewish family thanked the gypsy busker with every last breath. They just met, and they were not even friends. It was hard for them to imagine how a stranger would pay the rent for them.
The gypsy busker thought for a while, took out a gold coin worth a pound and a half from his wallet, and put it in the little girl’s hand.
“Don’t worry, your father’s leg will soon be better. And your life will be better too!” he said, winking at her.