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

Chapter 52 It’s Over
It's over! That was Wang Jinshan's only thought at that moment.

The person who said this was none other than Wang Jinshan's biological son, Wang Chun'an.

However, Wang Jinshan showed no joy on his face at this moment, and stood there awkwardly, unsure whether to ride the bicycle that Wang Chengpeng had borrowed or not.

He never expected that his son would arrive so coincidentally, just as the matter was about to end, and then come out and ruin his plans.

This caused quite a stir in the Wang family courtyard.

Before there is any evidence, these onlookers can only make slightly malicious speculations and dare not speak out loud.

After all, no matter the era, gossipy women are never liked by others.

But things are different now. Wang Chun'an's appearance is practically irrefutable proof that Wang Jinshan is plotting something sinister.

Since Wang Chun'an didn't take his own bicycle or borrow one from a neighbor, his purpose in coming to borrow a bicycle from Wang Chengpeng is questionable.

An older woman couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up in support of Wang Chengpeng, saying:
"Tsk tsk tsk, I never expected this."

"Wang Jinshan may look righteous, but he is actually a heartless man who can't stand to see his nephew do well."

Another person immediately chimed in, "They have bicycles at home but don't use them; they just want to borrow their nephew's bicycle as a dowry."

"If I had an uncle like that, I'd probably sever all ties with him immediately."

"I think some people can't stand seeing the Tieshan family start to improve after the division of the family, and they're plotting to do something bad."

"..."

Faced with the accusations from the crowd, Wang Jinshan's vision went black, and he almost lost his balance and fell to the ground.

However, he wished he hadn't lost his footing earlier, so he could have pretended to be unconscious and escaped this terrifying trial.

Wang Chun'an also sensed that something was off, and asked, looking completely bewildered:
"Father, did I come at a bad time?"

Suppressing a laugh, Wang Chengpeng feigned concern and said, "No, cousin, you've come at just the right time."

"Didn't you have something to do with your uncle?"

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and get to work with your uncle!"

"By the way, Uncle, this bicycle was borrowed from Grandpa Jianshe. You can just return it to him when you're done using it."

Although he didn't know the current situation, Wang Chun'an knew that it was not a good place to stay, so he immediately told Wang Jinshan to go with him to do something.

Although it was somewhat self-deceptive, Wang Jinshan was too ashamed to stay any longer, so he immediately rode away on the bicycle that Wang Chengpeng had borrowed.

Wang Chengpeng helped Wang Jinshan not out of kindness, but simply to boost his reputation in the village.

After all, whether he helps Wang Jinshan or not, the matter is already settled, and he can gain a good reputation for being filial to his elders.

It was precisely because Wang Chengpeng was so sensible that Wang Jinshan's wickedness was highlighted, making everyone target him even more relentlessly.

Now that everyone involved has left, this good show is finally over.

Given the speed at which information spreads through the rural intelligence group, it's highly likely that news of Wang Jinshan will spread throughout Wangjia Village today.

After everyone left, a young man came over and said to Wang Chengpeng:

"Brother Peng, look how well I handled this for you, right? Shouldn't you give me the reward you promised?"

This man is called Hu Jianshe. He is a notorious scoundrel in Wangjia Village, and he has done his fair share of petty theft.

However, he had family to back him up, and he still had some moral principles, so he didn't do anything really bad.

Only someone like Hu Jianshe, who should be out of the loop, would have time to come here and watch the drama unfold at a time like this.

It was Wang Chengpeng who saw him as he was leaving, and promised him benefits so that he would call Wang Chun'an over, which led to the good show that followed.

This guy, who's clearly older than Wang Chengpeng, calls him "Brother Peng"—a perfect example of someone who'll do anything for money, which is rather comical.

He reached into his pocket, quickly pulled out a one-yuan coin, and said:

"You did a good job. This dollar is your reward. Let's work together again next time if there's an opportunity."

After all, it was just a small errand, and Wang Chengpeng initially only offered 50 cents as payment. However, Hu Jianshe did a great job, so he was willing to give him a little more to round it up.

To everyone's surprise, when Wang Chengpeng offered him extra compensation, Hu Jianshe looked at him as if he were being insulted, and said:
"Brother Peng, we agreed on a reward of 50 cents, how could you give me more than that?"

“I, Hu Jianshe, am a man of principle, and I would never overcharge you.”

Although Hu Jianshe said that, Wang Chengpeng had no intention of taking the money back, saying:
“For construction, this 50 cents can’t be given away for nothing.”

"As you know, my house was burgled last night, and since you live nearby, could you please keep an eye out for me and let me know immediately if you spot anyone suspicious?"

"Consider this 50 cents as a deposit. I will give you extra compensation every time you provide valuable information."

"By the way, if you find that Yanran is inclined to leave Wangjia Village, please be sure to let me know."

"I bought a bicycle, so having it with me will make things much easier, no matter what."

Upon hearing that he was being asked to do a favor, Hu Jianshe accepted the one yuan with a clear conscience, patting his chest and saying:
"Brother Peng, you can rest assured that I can handle things."

"With me watching over things for you, nothing will go wrong with your house. I'll also keep a close eye on things for you."

"Alright, I'll be going now. Thanks for the money for the drinks, Brother Peng."

Asking people to keep an eye on Liu Yanran's whereabouts was something Wang Chengpeng had instructed many people to do.

He had to make sure Liu Yanran didn't meet with Zhou Xia before April 1st, otherwise his plan would be exposed.

Wang Chengpeng was, after all, Liu Yanran's fiancé in name only, just short of a formal engagement. Instead of being seen as perverted by the person who commissioned him, they thought Wang Chengpeng was deeply in love with Liu Yanran.

This is the benefit of cultivating a good image in the eyes of others!
After seeing Hu Jianshe off, Wang Chengpeng returned to his own courtyard.

The moment Wang Meiyan saw Wang Chengpeng, she came up to him, saying happily:
"Brother, I knew you could handle Uncle."

"My uncle is really bad. I thought he was a good person, but he actually tried to steal our bicycle. Next time I see him, I will definitely spit on him before I leave."

At this moment, Wang Meiyan idolized Wang Chengpeng to the extreme, even more so than her father, Wang Tieshan.

After his older brother returned, he managed to make his uncle look foolish with just a few words; his skill was truly remarkable.

Wang Chengpeng vigorously rubbed his younger sister's head and said irritably:

"Little sister, please don't do that."

"My uncle is still my uncle. Even if he is unkind, we cannot be unjust. We should still show him the proper manners."

"Alright, after this interruption, it's almost noon."

"Since I'm back now, I might as well help make lunch, so that you, my little rascal, will have time to do other things."

After saying that, Wang Chengpeng locked his bicycle and went to the kitchen. He was going to be busy at noon.

Wang Meiyan watched Wang Chengpeng walk towards the kitchen, her mouth watering.

Let Wang Chengpeng take charge of the cooking? That means we're guaranteed to be eating delicious food that we don't usually get to eat in the next day or two.

……

While Wang Chengpeng's family was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, Wang Jinshan's family was sighing and looking utterly miserable.

Wang Jinshan simply couldn't understand how he had fallen into the hands of that bastard Wang Chengpeng.

However, no matter how he reviewed the situation, he found that he had no chance of winning. The only way to get out of his miserable situation was to simply not provoke Wang Chengpeng.

Unfortunately, there's no going back in life, and Wang Jinshan could only vent his anger on his son, Wang Chun'an.

If he hadn't suddenly appeared at the last moment, I wouldn't have lost everything.

Thinking this, Wang Jinshan lowered his voice and asked Wang Chun'an in a deep voice:

"Son, why did you suddenly appear there just now?"

(End of this chapter)