Ch 105: Creditor

“Yo ho! Having a late-night snack? Why didn’t you call us? We’re starving too!”

The master bedroom door opened, and three burly men strode out, followed by a room full of acrid smoke. The five people at the dinner table all frowned, their expressions varying.

Third Uncle and Third Aunt looked helpless, Xiao Wenxing’s eyes burned with anger and disgust, his brows furrowed into a deep V. Zhuang Lingyun and Xiao Yao exchanged a glance; Zhuang Lingyun looked thoughtful, while Xiao Yao sized up the men.

She had encountered the worst people in her life, which were those people around Zhong Lingxiu. These three burly men looked like thugs, with fierce faces. They resembled the goons under Ban Wu’s command – overbearing and violent, capable of breaking your arm without a second thought.

Although she was annoyed at Third Uncle and Third Aunt’s partiality, they were, after all, the men’s son. If they wanted to pay, she couldn’t stop them; she only felt injustice for Xiao Wenxing.

The leader of the three burly men, a bald man, unceremoniously pulled up a chair and squeezed into the space between Xiao Jianbo and Xiao Yao. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating without hesitation.

The other two didn’t join them at the table. One sat on the sofa, legs crossed, munching on an apple, occasionally glancing around, seemingly observing something. The other went to the refrigerator in the kitchen, rummaged around for a while, then muttered something before grabbing two cans of beer. He tossed one to the bald man and sat down on the sofa with the other.

Almost the instant the bald man sat down, Zhuang Lingyun pulled Xiao Yao up and switched seats with her, placing her between himself and Xiao Wenxing.

The bald man opened his beer can, gulped down a large mouthful, but kept his eyes on Zhuang Lingyun and Xiao Yao, looking them up and down. He let out an uncouth belch when he put down the can, causing everyone at the table to frown even deeper.

The bald man introduced himself as Zhu Ge, claiming it was a double surname, but that everyone called him Zhu Ge. After introducing himself, he raised his can towards Zhuang Lingyun, but his gaze was fixed on Xiao Yao. “Where are you guys from? I haven’t seen you before. Are you relatives? You have such an air of refinement; you’re certainly not from our humble village. You must be quite wealthy, right?”

Zhuang Lingyun gave him a cool glance. “What’s it to you?”

The bald man chuckled. “Oh, what a blunt tone. But it’s alright. Since you’re relatives, you should share the burden, right? Look, Xiao Jianbo doesn’t have much money. You wealthy relatives should help out. Pay the debt quickly, so I can get back and report. You see, this money isn’t just mine; it’s the blood and sweat money of our entire village.”

“What’s it to me?”

“…”

The bald man blinked, then chuckled again. “Spirited. I like it.” He paused, then suddenly raised his glass towards Xiao Yao. “Beauty, care for a drink?”

Zhuang Lingyun’s eyebrows shot up, his eyes flashing with cold light.

Before Zhuang Lingyun and Xiao Yao could react, Xiao Wenxing slammed his hand on the table, glaring at Zhu Ge with barely contained fury. “Is this never going to end? We said we’d pay you back. We’ll sell everything to pay you. Don’t worry; with so many of you watching, we can’t run. These two are my guests. Please show some respect, and leave the table immediately. You’re not welcome here.”

The bald man finished his can of beer, tilting the remaining drops over the table, letting them spill into the dishes. His expression turned cold, his gaze icy as he looked at Xiao Wenxing. “No need to sell everything. We just figured, you still have a house, right? Plus all the furniture and appliances. Even though house prices are low, it’s still worth six or seven hundred thousand. We’ll take what we can get. What do you say?”

“Bullshit! This is my house!” Xiao Wenxing’s chest heaved with rage. These people were greedy, they wouldn’t even let them keep their last home. Did they want them to sell their house and sleep on the streets?

“You can’t do this! We promised to pay, and we will pay; we won’t run away!” Xiao Jianbo held onto the agitated Xiao Wenxing, afraid he would clash with them. “Wenxing, don’t worry, Dad won’t sell your house. Grandmother is still lying inside. Keep your voice down; don’t wake her up. She’ll worry.”

Xiao Wenxing took several deep breaths to calm his anger.

The bald man tapped his chopsticks against his bowl, making a rhythmic clinking sound. “If you’re not selling the house, then pay the money quickly! I can’t wait forever. If you can’t afford it, I’ll call the police first thing tomorrow. Maybe Jiang Yu still has some unspent money; I might be able to get some back.”

“Don’t call the police!” Third Aunt immediately protested. “We agreed not to call the police. We’ll pay, but you need to give us a deadline. Even borrowing money takes time, doesn’t it? Zhu Ge, please be lenient.”

The bald man thought for a moment, then nodded. “Fine, I’ll give you three days. Go borrow money.”

“Three days!” Xiao Jianbo immediately retorted. “That’s not enough! This isn’t three or five thousand; it’s millions!”

“A week.”

“No, not enough…”

The bald man threw down his chopsticks, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair. “Then how long is enough?”

“A… year.”

The bald man burst out laughing, but his face suddenly turned cold, a fierce glint appearing in his eyes. “Are you kidding me? A year? Why not ten years? I told you, I can’t wait! I’ll give you half a month at most. This isn’t a negotiation; this is the final deadline. If you don’t pay, don’t blame me for not keeping my word. We’ll see you in court!”

He kicked his chair back, cursed, and returned to the bedroom. The other two also stood up from the sofa, glared at everyone at the table, and followed him inside.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang, shaking dust from the frame.

Third Aunt started crying. Third Uncle gulped down half a glass of Baijiu, his face contorted. He then lit a cigarette, his complexion pale, his fingers trembling as he held the lighter.

Xiao Wenxing looked helpless. He went to the window, opened it, and let the cold wind blow on his face, trying to calm down.

Xiao Yao didn’t know what to say. She got up and took Zhuang Lingyun back to her grandmother’s room. The sleeping old woman looked peaceful, showing no signs of waking up.

“I can help them,” Zhuang Lingyun said suddenly from beside her, his voice echoing in the silent room. “If you want, I can help.”

Xiao Yao looked back at him and shook her head. “This is Jiang Yu’s mess. He spent the money, enjoyed himself, and now he’s run away. If my Third Uncle and Third Aunt want to bear the debt, let them. Who can stop them? Right now, I only feel sorry for Xiao Wenxing. He’s truly innocent.”

“Sorry?” Zhuang Lingyun fixated on the word, pondering it with some displeasure. “That was his choice. Why do you feel sorry for him?”

“If I don’t help, people will say he’s ungrateful. If I help, he might never recover. ” Xiao Yao sighed. “The year I first met you, he learned he wasn’t their biological son. Although he continued to joke and play around, seeming unchanged, I know he suffered inwardly. He never mentioned family matters in front of others, burying his sorrows inside.”

Zhuang Lingyun was silent.

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