Chapter Forty-Eight: Stirring Up Trouble

When Ning Shuyi heard this, her brows furrowed a little more. “So they’re well aware that the landlord lives right downstairs?”

“Of course! Your father told them from the very beginning. He said we live downstairs, and if they need anything, it’s easy to find us—just come down and knock on the door.” Ning’s mother looked thoroughly displeased. “Now I really dread them coming down for every little thing, knocking on our door and complaining about this or that upstairs. My blood pressure can’t take it!”

Ning Shuyi considered for a moment, and the words she wanted to say remained unspoken. Instead, she relaxed her brows and said to her mother, “Let it be. Like you said, there’s only a month or so left before they have to move out. Then our home will be peaceful again. Just bear with it for now. I’ll pick up a couple of pairs of earplugs for you and Dad tomorrow; you can use them at night to help you sleep.”

“No need! If your father and I want something, we’ll go buy it ourselves. No need to trouble you! You work so hard during the day, don’t waste your energy on these household trifles.”

“Hurry up! Eat your meal properly. We’ve been talking so long, the food’s getting cold!”

“By the way, let me know in advance when their lease is up. Don’t let you and Dad go up alone to ask them to leave; it’s best to have a few people present, just to be safe.” Ning Shuyi, though she hadn’t intended to say more, couldn’t help but remind her mother.

Ning’s mother nodded, “I know what to do. There’s no way your father and I will handle it alone. The kids upstairs clearly aren’t the best sort, and we’re not sure we can handle it. If it comes to it, we’ll call your brother-in-law to help.”

Ning Shuyi pressed her lips together, lowered her head to sip her soup, and said nothing more. From above, the clatter and banging continued, but mother and daughter didn’t discuss the topic further.

After dinner, Ning Shuyi made an excuse to go downstairs to the neighborhood convenience store. After buying a few things, she headed straight upstairs. As soon as she reached the door, she could hear music thundering inside—the beat was so strong it pierced through the walls and security door.

She listened for a moment; the music was loud, but nothing else was stirring. She raised her hand and knocked firmly on the door.

“Who is it?” After a few knocks, someone called from inside, and the security door swung open.

The person who answered was a tall, slender young man, his hair dyed a straw-like color, sticking out in wild, disobedient tufts, as if someone had placed a basket of grass atop his head.

He leaned against the doorframe, sizing Ning Shuyi up and glancing at the plastic bag in her hand. Then he turned and shouted into the apartment, “Who ordered something from the downstairs market? The delivery’s here! Come get it yourself—I’m not paying for you two!”

His shout brought two more heads poking out from another room. Their hair looked exactly like his, as if the three had bought a group deal at the same salon—if you didn’t look closely at their faces, you’d think they were triplets.

“I didn’t order anything; not my concern!” one straw-haired head muttered, ducking back inside.

The other looked at Ning Shuyi, “I didn’t either, but since you’re here, tell them to bring up a crate of beer next time!”

“I’m not from the market,” Ning Shuyi said to Straw-head Number One at the door. “I’m your landlord, living downstairs.”

“Oh!” Straw-head Number One perked up immediately, straightening and grinning as he gave Ning Shuyi another once-over. “So it's the landlord lady—no, wait, you look more like the landlord girl! Is there something we can do for you?”

The second straw-head, who’d wanted beer, came out of the spare room at the remark, standing in the living room and beckoning the third straw-head to join them.

“Your music is too loud. Even through the door it’s disturbing, and it’s affecting the neighbors’ rest. According to the Environmental Noise Pollution Prevention Law, you’ve exceeded the permitted decibel level. I’m here to remind you—don’t let the neighbors call the police, or that would be trouble.” Ning Shuyi ignored their joking and spoke seriously to Straw-head Number One.

He raised an eyebrow and turned to the other two, grinning, “Hear that? The landlord girl’s not happy! She’s going to call the cops on us! Hurry up and turn off that blasted speaker. If someone gets arrested, it’ll be you—not us!”

“Oh, I’m terrified! Such injustice!” Straw-head Number Two joked, calling back to Ning Shuyi. “Landlord girl, I’m just being kind! Good music should be shared, right? I pay for a subscription and let all the neighbors listen for free! Isn’t that a good deed? If someone listens for free and then calls the cops, that’s really low!”

The other two immediately burst into laughter, clearly not taking Ning Shuyi’s words seriously.

Ning Shuyi had no intention of arguing further. She nodded, “I just heard the noise when I came back and wanted to remind you. Whether you listen is up to you. But please try not to make too much noise in the apartment; our family lives right below you, and all the banging disturbs our rest.”

Straw-head Number One winked exaggeratedly, “No problem! We’ll treat your advice like a royal decree! You’ll see—we’ll definitely change!”

Ning Shuyi said nothing more, went downstairs, and gave the noise-reducing earplugs she’d bought at the convenience store to her parents, so they could use them at night.

That night, the situation upstairs indeed changed after her visit—only, it became worse.

First, as soon as she went downstairs, the music grew even louder. She didn’t need to stand in the hallway anymore; the pounding rhythm was audible even through the ceiling.

By eleven or twelve, things escalated further. The music stopped, but every so often, a sudden, thunderous crash sounded from above, as if something heavy had been thrown onto the floor.

Ning Shuyi had prepared herself mentally, but she was still disturbed—she tossed and turned all night, barely sleeping. Several times she crept out in the middle of the night to listen at her parents’ bedroom door. Thankfully, the earplugs she’d bought were good, and her parents seemed unaffected.