When Chen Ermao said those words, Chen Xiaobei's heart skipped a beat.
He had purposely avoided being seen by taking a long detour around the north side of the village, but he still couldn't escape Chen Ermao's eyes. This meant that Chen Ermao had been watching him from somewhere.
Just thinking about it made Chen Xiaobei shiver.
Looking at Chen Qiao'er, who was frightened and panicking, Chen Xiaobei became a bit irritated. He stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Chen Ermao, what do you want now?"
"Xiaobei, brother, think again about what we discussed yesterday. I'm telling you, even at the Hundred Flowers Tower, Cui Hongyu won't be at a loss. With her looks, she could easily become the top courtesan. She'll have all the food and luxury. And if she happens to slip up, you and Qiao'er will be set for life."
The more he talked, the more inappropriate it became. Chen Xiaobei gritted his teeth in anger.
Even if Cui Hongyu and I aren't related, I can't just stand by and watch you push her into a pit. What kind of place is the Hundred Flowers Tower?
Chen Xiaobei didn't respond. Instead, he turned and pulled Chen Qiao'er back into the house.
He then took the two taels of silver from under the bed and went to stand in front of Chen Ermao.
He held the silver in one hand and waved it in front of Chen Ermao.
"Chen Ermao, here's the silver. This settles Qiao'er's matter. From now on, don't bother me again."
Chen Ermao glanced at the two pieces of broken silver but didn't take it.
"Chen Xiaobei, you've got it wrong. The two taels of silver you owe me, remember, we agreed on interest. It's already been five days."
"The interest should be at least half a tael by now."
Playing this game, huh?
Chen Xiaobei let out a cold laugh, quickly took back the silver, and stuffed it into his pocket.
"You've already got your silver. Now, please leave."
Chen Ermao's eyes widened. "What's this? Xiaobei, you're trying to play games with me? Aren't you afraid that, in the future…"
"In the future? There is no future for us."
Chen Xiaobei said this firmly, and Chen Ermao's eyes shifted as he started calculating. He was about to get his hands on the two taels, but now he had nothing.
A wise man doesn't eat a loss right in front of him. "Sigh, Xiaobei, I was just joking. Don't be angry. Two taels is fine. We're brothers, after all. I won't ask for interest from you."
Seeing that Chen Ermao's attitude had changed, Chen Xiaobei became cautious. He shouted loudly, "Aunt Xiumei, Dachun, come quickly!"
The shout startled Chen Ermao. "Xiaobei, what are you doing? I already said, two taels is fine."
"Chen Ermao, you don't need to be afraid. I'm just having Dachun come here as a witness."
Soon, Dachun, having heard the shout, arrived carrying a hoe.
Although Chen Ermao was usually arrogant in front of Chen Xiaobei, he did feel a little intimidated when he saw Dachun.
Dachun was tall and strong, and he worked in the fields every day, so he had quite a bit of muscle. If it came to a fight, Chen Ermao was no match for him.
"Brother Dachun, no, no, no need to fight. I just want to talk to Xiaobei about something, just want to talk."
Aunt Xiumei walked over and saw the situation, quickly standing at the door to block it. She turned to Chen Qiao'er inside and said, "Qiao'er, don't be afraid, Aunt Xiumei is here."
Seeing this, Chen Xiaobei felt a warmth in his heart.
Dachun was a good brother—when things happened, he was really there for him.
"Brother Dachun, don't do anything. I called you here to be a witness. A few days ago, I had bad luck and lost two taels of silver to Ermao. Today he came to collect the debt, so I'm giving him the two taels. After this, everything will be settled."
Seeing how casually he spoke about it, Aunt Xiumei was shaken.
Chen Xiaobei could actually take out two taels of silver.
A thought quickly flashed through her mind—Chen Xiaobei had been sneaking into the mountains these past few days.
He must have found a way to make money there.
Dachun shook his head helplessly.
Two taels of silver was a lot of money. Even if he worked laboriously in the city, it would probably take him a year to earn that much.
After taking the two taels, Chen Ermao said a few words of pleasantries and left.
Dachun sighed again, "Sigh, two taels of silver thrown away, what a waste."
Aunt Xiumei didn't sigh but instead gave Chen Xiaobei a few words of advice before taking Dachun back to their home.
Once inside, she pulled Dachun into the back room. "Dachun, do you know what Xiaobei's been up to these past few days?"
Dachun shook his head. "I haven't gone with him at night, so I don't know."
Aunt Xiumei continued, "Sigh, look at him. In just two days, he was able to come up with two taels of silver. That money definitely didn't come from the Cui family."
"So, I suspect that he must have found some way to make money in the mountains."
Upon hearing this, Dachun immediately came to his senses. "That makes sense. Otherwise, how could he possibly come up with two taels of silver?"
After saying this, Dachun turned to leave. "I'll go ask him. I want to know exactly what he's been doing!"
Aunt Xiumei quickly grabbed her foolish son. "You really are thick-headed. How could you ask him directly about his money-making? Follow him tonight and see what he's doing in the mountains."
After resting at home for a while, Chen Xiaobei packed up again to head into the mountains. But this time, he was more cautious. He decided to bring Chen Qiao'er with him.
If the wild chickens didn't return, there would be too many eggs left behind at the site, and he needed Qiao'er's help to collect them.
To make the night journey easier, he also made a torch. He wrapped an old mosquito net around a tree branch, soaked it with vegetable oil, and prepared a fire starter.
Once everything was ready, the two of them set off towards the mountain while it was still early.
Hearing that Chen Xiaobei had left the house, Dachun grabbed a machete and followed from a distance.
As soon as they left the village, Dachun felt something was off.
By the roadside ahead, a head popped out, sneaking around—it was Er Leng, a villager from their own town.
Seeing Er Leng, Dachun felt uneasy, as Er Leng was often seen hanging around with Chen Ermao.
What was Er Leng doing following Chen Xiaobei secretly?
Dachun increased the distance between them, quietly trailing behind Er Leng.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiaobei, walking ahead, didn't suspect anyone was following him. His mind was entirely focused on the wild chickens.
Unaware of the situation behind him, Chen Xiaobei led Qiao'er into Qingniu Mountain.
When Er Leng reached the foot of the mountain, he hesitated but didn't enter. Instead, he turned and started walking back.
Dachun, hiding in the bushes, waited until Er Leng had gone far before standing up.
At this point, he was conflicted. Should he tell Chen Xiaobei about Er Leng following him? If he did, it would mean he, too, had been following him. But if he didn't say anything, what if something happened?
After thinking it over, Dachun decided not to mention it to Chen Xiaobei.
In his mind, Er Leng had only followed the Chen siblings for a short distance and didn't do anything else suspicious.
Meanwhile, on the mountain, Chen Xiaobei and Qiao'er had climbed a tree and were patiently waiting for it to get dark.