The three were chatting when suddenly, a commotion erupted outside, the noise indicating a crowd had arrived.
Xu Jinping's face immediately darkened as he realized what might be happening. He quickly ran outside, with Ning Xingchen and Lin Hao following closely behind, both sensing trouble.
Stepping outside, Ning Xingchen frowned. Cheng Yun lay on the ground, a broken teapot nearby, tea spilled everywhere.
"What are you doing here?" Xu Jinping's voice was cold as he faced the intruders.
"Dapeng, your dad owed us money before he died. When will you pay up?" The middle-aged man leading the group, with a buzz cut and dressed decently, had a hypocritical look. He was Xu Kai, the village chief of Xu Family Village.
"I don't have money right now. When I earn some, I'll pay you back!" Xu Jinping scanned the crowd and saw that they were all creditors, including his own uncle. This starkly reminded him of the world's harshness, filling his heart with a mixture of grief and anger.
"Heh, do you take us for three-year-olds? If you don't pay now, you'll run off in a few days. Where will we find you then?" An agitated villager shouted, his anger barely contained, as if he wanted to drag Xu Jinping's father out of his coffin and beat him.
"Stop spouting nonsense. I promised to repay my father's debts, and I will!" Xu Jinping was not the type to break his promises. He was determined to honor his commitments.
"I'd be a fool to believe anything from your family again!" The creditors clearly weren't leaving without money today.
Xu Yiwei, running out from the mourning hall, couldn't stop her tears. She despised the villagers' heartlessness, demanding repayment during the funeral. She also hated her gambling-addicted father for leaving such a mess, forcing her and her brother to bear the brunt of everyone's anger.
"Dapeng, just repay the money. It's been three or four years, and we've been more than patient!" Xu Jinping's uncle added.
"Poor in the bustling city, rich in the distant mountains" was proving painfully true for Xu Jinping. Without money, people really would drive you to desperation!
"I'll repay you in three days. Now get out of my house!" Xu Jinping pointed at the door, barely able to control his fury. However, since many of these people were relatives, he couldn't bring himself to act violently.
"Dapeng, don't joke around. In three days, you'll have money? Will it fall from the sky? Even if you sold a kidney, you wouldn't gather that much. I estimate your kidneys would fetch 200,000 yuan, but your father owed over 500,000 yuan. How will you cover the rest?" Xu Kai sneered, looking at Xu Jinping with disdain.
"Yes, the village chief is right. Maybe we should sell his house!"
"This old house is worth nothing. No one would pay more than a few thousand for it!"
The crowd's mocking continued, with some villagers starting to move items, grabbing anything valuable from the Xu home.
"My brother already said he'd repay you. What more do you want?" Xu Yiwei finally broke down, crying as she spoke. The villagers' actions were no different from robbery.
...
Seeing the beautiful Xu Yiwei, village chief Xu Kai's wicked thoughts arose. He had long known about the pretty young girl in the Xu family.
Eighteen-year-old Xu Yiwei was in the prime of her youth, her fair skin and delicate features making her incredibly attractive. It seemed the village had some good fortune to produce such a beauty.
"Dapeng, there's always a way out. We're all from the same village, and as the village chief, I want to foster a harmonious community. I can offer you a solution!" Xu Kai gave a sinister smile, casting a lecherous glance at Xu Yiwei.
Xu Jinping wasn't foolish. He knew Xu Kai wasn't being kind and surely had ulterior motives.
Seeing Xu Jinping remain silent, Xu Kai continued, "Your sister is of marriageable age. She and my son would make a great couple. Why not marry Yiwei to my son? I'll give 500,000 yuan as a bride price and buy them a house in town!"
The village chief flaunted his wealth, making many villagers envious. However, they seemed to forget that Xu Kai's son was notoriously an idiot. Born with a disability, he had the intelligence of an infant and was hideously deformed.
Xu Yiwei's face turned pale, her breath taken away by the proposal. Marriage was a matter of lifelong happiness, and she would rather die than marry the village chief's idiotic son.
"Shut up! My sister will never marry an idiot!" Xu Jinping erupted in anger, cursing and standing firm.
His sister was his last hope. He dreamed of her marrying into a wealthy family, changing their fate. Marrying the village chief's idiot son would ruin her life. He wouldn't agree to it for any amount of money.
"How dare you act all high and mighty when you're dirt poor!" Xu Kai sneered, his eyes full of contempt.
"Chief, why waste words? Let's take the girl. They'll never repay the money. Let's make her the young master's wife." One of Xu Kai's cronies lunged at Xu Yiwei, trying to seize her.
Before he could reach her, a tall figure flashed by. The crony turned pale, crying out in agony as a fist smashed into his face.
In an instant, the crony was sent flying, landing in a filthy pigsty.
"Anyone who touches Xu Yiwei will disappear from this world!" Ning Xingchen stood like a god of death, protecting Xu Yiwei.
Shaken, Xu Yiwei instinctively hugged Ning Xingchen from behind, pressing her face against his back, her small body trembling with fear.
The villagers, now enraged, rallied together, angered by Ning Xingchen's actions.
Ning Xingchen sneered, finally understanding the saying, "wicked people emerge from poor lands." No matter what, he wouldn't let them take Xu Yiwei.