novellhall Chapter 4: Debts must be repaid, not a penny less.
Chapter 4: Debts must be repaid, not a penny less.
Not only her two children, but Liu Huying also felt confused.
Did the second son's wife take some gunpowder today?
His words came out like a machine gun.
"Stop talking!" Liu Huying picked up her shoe sole and banged it twice on the steps.
"Qiao An, these chickens at home were indeed bought by the second son, but don't forget, your family of three has been eating and drinking at my place for free for four years. If you're going to argue like that, then you owe us quite a bit."
Every time Liu Huying said this, Qiao An would look like a defeated rooster. She couldn't support her two children by earning work points on her own.
As the saying goes, "He who eats another's food is bound to him," and she could never hold her head high in this family.
But now, with this letter in her pocket, what is Qiao An afraid of?
She was determined to make that family return Huo Jiyun's money.
"I owe you? Then tell me, give me a figure! I'll sell everything I own to pay you back!" Qiao An said, seemingly in a fit of pique.
Liu Huying was stunned. Was there really such a good thing?
They were making so much noise, and it was also the time when people were leaving work, that the neighbors either had to climb over the wall or crowd outside their doorways.
Even more extreme, some people squatted on the jujube trees outside, watching the Huo family's courtyard with smiles.
Seeing so many people, Liu Huying was secretly pleased. "You asked for this."
"You and your second son have been married for four years and have been eating for free in our house for four years. If we calculate it at 50 cents a day, that's 15 yuan a month, 180 yuan a year, and 180 yuan in four years..." Liu Huying couldn't calculate it anymore.
Wang Shuyun counted on her fingers, "Mom, that's 720 yuan for four years."
Liu Huying nodded repeatedly, "Yes! 720 yuan, you just said you'd pay it back, don't go back on your word!"
The neighbors who had come to watch the spectacle were instantly in an uproar.
These days, how can three mouths—one adult and two children—eat for 5 cents?
Even if you include the entire Huo family, they might not be able to afford 5 cents a day.
But that doesn't matter. Joan is determined to cut ties with this family today. Even if it's 5 cents, they'll still have to pay back 240 dollars.
Joan stepped forward. "Mom, are you sure this is the price? You can't go back on your word!"
Go back on your word? How could that be?
Liu Huying nodded, "That's the number."
"With all the villagers here today, I'm not afraid of making a fool of myself."
"Qiao An, it was you who insisted on divorcing the second son and running off to live with your biological parents in Shenzhou. We couldn't persuade you to stay. You also gave the divorce letter to the second son, and we expect to get a reply in the next couple of days."
"Now you're saying you won't divorce us? Are you just playing with the Huo family?"
Liu Huying stared with her cloudy, triangular eyes. "Of course, if you regret it now, Mom will talk to your second son for you. We're family, so there's no need for you to pay back any money. But you'll have to hand over that plot of land you reserved."
So that's what she was planning.
Qiao An sneered inwardly.
The plot of land was originally granted to her by the production brigade because they recognized her husband's support for the development of Northwest China.
She might not cultivate this land, but she would absolutely never give it to Liu Huying.
"That's strange. Why do you keep talking about divorce? Are you really hoping your son will get divorced? What are you up to?"
Before Liu Huying could speak, Qiao An took out Huo Jiyun's letter from her pocket.
"Isn't it a coincidence? When I returned to the village, I ran into Uncle Sun, and he gave me Ji Yun's letter."
"I'd like to see what Ji Yun has to say in his letter!"
Upon seeing the envelope, Liu Huying gave Huo Jiyu a wink.
He immediately stepped forward, "Second sister-in-law, you can't read, so I'll read this letter to everyone."
Just as Huo Jiyu reached out his hand, Qiao An quickly turned her hand behind her back, and Huo Jiyu missed.
"Anyone can read this letter, except for you members of the Huo family!"
As she spoke, Qiao An looked back and saw Tian Yongfu, the village secretary, carrying a hoe at the door. He was a high school graduate and considered quite educated in the village.
"Secretary Tian, could you spare two minutes to read this letter to me?"
Tian Yongfu put down his hoe, and the excitement was all over him. Wasn't this fun?
"Okay, I'll read it to you."
The moment Tian Yongfu took the envelope, Liu Huying and Huo Jiyu's expressions changed.
"My dear wife Qiao An, it's like seeing you in person as I read this. I know it's been hard for you taking care of our two children, and I feel incredibly guilty. Without you all these years, I wouldn't have been able to work peacefully in the Northwest..."
"You wrote to say that you think I give my parents too little money. I already know that. For the past four years, I have been sending my parents 20 yuan every month as living expenses at home. I thought that would be enough for them to live on. It seems that I was not thoughtful enough. Starting next month, I will send them an extra 10 yuan every month. I hope my parents can help me take good care of you."
......
After reading the letter, Tian Yongfu couldn't believe his eyes. He shook the letter, exclaiming, "Good heavens! Huo Lao Er only gives you 20 yuan a month? And that's it... and you still say that the mother and her three children are eating and drinking for free at your house?"
One stone stirs up a thousand ripples, and the villagers who were watching the spectacle immediately started gossiping.
"Isn't that young couple having a good relationship? They haven't mentioned divorce."
"That's right, and Huo Lao Er sends 20 yuan to Qiao An and the other two every month for living expenses. How could Liu Huying have the nerve to ask Qiao An to pay it back?"
"I'm ashamed for the Huo family. How can they treat their daughter-in-law like this?"
Hearing these words, Liu Huying's face turned ashen; she never expected Qiao An to pull this stunt.
Only she, her husband Huo Shoutian, and their third son and his wife knew about the money Huo Jiyun had given them.
Shen Xiufang looked to her left and saw that Wang Shuyun and the others seemed to know about this, but she and Huo Jifeng were kept in the dark.
"Mom, third brother, and second brother, you both know about the money you're sending home?"
Seeing that they didn't speak, Shen Xiufang became even more certain.
In other words, the second son's money was all swallowed up by his parents-in-law and the third son's family!
Seeing this, Qiao An added fuel to the fire, "Sister-in-law, don't you understand? They just dislike you for not giving birth to a son, and they're bullying my brother because he's honest."
"My husband's money, who knows, it's probably all gone to the third son's family! Wang Shuyun gave birth to two sons, she's a great contributor to the Huo family."
Joan didn't want to bring up the topic of boys and girls, but there was nothing she could do; people in this era just fell for that.
Sure enough, Wang Shuyun blushed and her hair stood on end when she heard this.
She plopped down on the ground. "Damn it! Everyone, look at this! The Huo family is bullying us! The first and second wives are both stepchildren, only the third wife is their biological child!"
Qiao An raised an eyebrow, and with just a few words, she had won over her sister-in-law to her side.
There's no way around it, it's just that powerful.
Seizing the opportunity, she quickly interjected, "You just said I owe you 720, but Huo Jiyun has wired you 960 over the past four years! That means you now owe me 240."
"The villagers are all watching; don't try to renege on your debt!"
Liu Huying gasped for breath, feeling a buzzing in her head.
On one side, Shen Xiufang was wailing like she was in mourning, and on the other side, Qiao An was pressing closer and closer.
Huo Shoutian, Huo Jifeng, Huo Jiyu's wife, and eldest son, Huo Jifeng, hadn't gotten home from work yet, and Huo Jiyu was too timid to stand up.
She suddenly realized that there wasn't a single person in the entire courtyard who could offer her advice.
Qiao An didn't care about any of that; she had to get the 240 yuan back, as she still needed it.
"The letter was read by Party Secretary Tian. If you don't acknowledge it, I'll send a telegram to Ji Yun to find out the truth."
"If you agree to pay, then pay me back now! Not a penny less than 240 yuan!"