Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 102 Debt Settlement

For some reason, the father and son did not each ride their own bicycle, but instead rode Wang Chengpeng's Forever bicycle together to the old house.

It was still early, and there were still lights on in the courtyard, indicating that the people living there were not asleep.

Even from a distance, the sharp-eyed Wang Xia'an spotted the two and shouted:
"Father, Mother, Grandfather, Grandmother, Third Uncle and Cousin have arrived."

He was chopping wood in the yard at the time, but he was clearly distracted, otherwise he wouldn't have noticed the two of them so quickly.

He immediately put down what he was doing and ushered the two inside.

From a distance, Wang Jinshan spotted the two and asked, somewhat puzzled:

What brings you two, father and son, here today?

"Carrying so much stuff, did you strike it rich?"

Although he already knew that Wang Chengpeng and Liu Yanran had broken up, Wang Jinshan did not connect their relationship with the repayment of the money at all.

That's a whopping eight hundred yuan. Adding the cost of buying the three turns and two rings, it would have been impossible for Wang Chengpeng's family to come up with that much money without several years of hard work.

Wang Jinshan even felt a bit gloating, saying he had told them not to spend so much money on the wedding, and now they were destitute, which was entirely their own fault.

Even the fortune he mentioned was entirely from Yin Yang Wang Tieshan. Everyone knew that his family had neglected their meals for this marriage and shamelessly begged the production team for advance work points.

Faced with Wang Jinshan's "concern," Wang Tieshan pretended not to know and said:
"Of course, I need to speak with my parents about something."

"Although we have separated, there are still some obligations that need to be fulfilled."

What Wang Tieshan said was the absolute truth, and it was what he truly thought, yet it gave Wang Jinshan a strange feeling of being targeted.

For so many years, who else but Wang Jinshan has not only failed to contribute to the family but also frequently exploited it?

His expression immediately darkened, and he said, "Third brother, you really have a kind heart. I'm sure Father and Mother will be very happy to see you."

"They're in the main house; go see for yourself."

After saying that, he left in a huff, leaving Wang Tieshan somewhat confused. What was his older brother so angry about?

Instead, it was Wang Yinshan, the second uncle, who suddenly stood up and warmly greeted Wang Tieshan.

People who don't know the situation might think that the two brothers have a very good relationship and that they haven't seen each other for a long time.

After being delayed by the two men, the father and son finally arrived at the inner room a few minutes later.

At this moment, only Wang Degong was in the inner room reading a newspaper while looking at a dictionary; Zhao Yuju was nowhere to be found.

Newspapers are inexpensive, can be passed around repeatedly, and can even be used to wrap things when you get tired of reading them, making them quite a good item.

For this reason, reading newspapers became a rare form of nighttime entertainment for most ordinary families.

Upon meeting, Wang Jinshan placed the things he had brought on the table and said respectfully:

"Dad, Mom, I brought Xiaopeng to see you, and also to talk about the debt we owed before."

With just one glance, Wang Degong clearly saw what Wang Tieshan had brought.

There was no way around it; the flour and pork inside that transparent plastic bag were too obvious. Anyone who wasn't blind could see it clearly.

He already felt guilty towards the father and son because of the family division.

In addition, the father and son sent over two more nice gifts in less than a month, and Wang Degong's expression was much better than usual. He said:
"Tieshan, you're really thoughtful." "But you can visit again in the future, but don't bring so much stuff anymore. After all, your family has it tough too."

"Especially Xiaopeng, who encountered such a thing today, must be feeling even worse."

"You came here to talk about the 800 yuan debt, right? Your mother borrowed this money from someone, but I don't know the specifics. You can talk to her about it."

At this point, Wang Degong shouted at the top of his lungs towards the back:
"Old woman, stop busy, our third son has come to see us today."

A short while later, Zhao Yuju came in from the back of the house, muttering to herself:

"Looking at us? Coming to see us empty-handed again?"

Then she saw the nice things laid out on the table, and suddenly felt a little embarrassed, muttering under her breath:
"When a weasel visits a chicken to wish it a Happy New Year, it's sure to have no good intentions."

The next moment, Wang Degong's words seemed to confirm her guess, saying:
"Old woman, Tieshan came today because of the eight hundred yuan debt we owed before."

"This child is also filial; after all, he's our own child, look at him..."

Wang Degong's words immediately changed Zhao Yuju's expression. She said, "Old man, what am I looking at?"

"This money was borrowed from others, and they don't want to pay interest, so we'll have to pay the interest."

"You know our family's situation; we don't have any money."

At this point, Wang Degong immediately recalled how good the flour Wang Tieshan had brought last time was.

The meals at home were usually very ordinary, but Zhao Yuju couldn't skimp on these readily available items, which allowed Wang Degong to enjoy a few good meals.

Wang Tieshan brought so much flour and meat this time, so the family's meals will be better for a while.

This is why he spoke up for the father and son after misunderstanding their intentions, but he didn't expect to be silenced by Zhao Yuju's words and dare not say anything more.

Ultimately, one is bound to be swayed by gifts, and considering the things the father and son brought, Zhao Yuju's expression softened somewhat, and she said:
"Interest cannot be waived; at most, we can only postpone it for a little longer."

“I said from the beginning that this marriage was not advisable. Who spends so much money to get a wife?”

"See? I was right."

"Now I haven't been able to get a wife, and people are gossiping about me. I'm also heavily in debt. I'm just incredibly unlucky."

Thinking of this, Zhao Yuju felt secretly pleased with herself.

Fortunately, I had the foresight to anticipate this outcome and separated the third son's family early on.

Their family's messy affairs don't affect me now; I'm incredibly clever.

Although he knew his parents had misunderstood him, Wang Tieshan did not interrupt them, lest he be unjustly labeled as disobedient and unfilial.

Only at this moment, after Zhao Yuju finished speaking to herself, did he finally speak:

"Father, Mother, I came here today because of the eight hundred yuan I borrowed last time."

"However, the plan is not to have my parents intervene to ask the creditors for more time, but to pay off the previous debt directly."

"Here is 808 yuan, principal and interest, to be paid off in one lump sum."

"I am grateful to my parents for their help when my family was going through the most difficult time. If it weren't for this money, my family probably wouldn't have been able to get through the crisis anytime soon."

(End of this chapter)