Chapter 97
Of course, Yoren had no particular reason for asking those questions. To be honest, it was just idle chatter. They were going to be neighbors from now on, and a bit of mutual understanding couldn't hurt. But he had no interest in meddling in other people's personal business.
"By the way, Ergou, how long has your house been empty?"
"Almost a year. No one's rented it."
"That's surprising. Your house isn't bad. The location might not be perfect, but it's not that bad either. Why did your mom raise the price so high? Isn't it better to rent it out at a lower price than leave it sitting vacant?"
Ergou sniffled and wiped his nose.
"Yoren, you haven't lived in the Kilt neighborhood before, have you?"
"Nope. Just moved in a few days ago. Wait, and stop calling me Old Yoren."
Ergou snatched the football from Yoren's hand and dribbled it lazily on the pavement.
"My mom never said why she set the price like that. But I know one thing. Even if she lowered it, no one would rent. And even if they did, they wouldn't stay long. So she figured, if someone's gonna leave anyway, might as well charge more. People who pay a lot are less likely to walk away."
"Less likely?"
Yoren frowned. There was something off about Ergou's tone.