America: The neighbor's wife is so incredibly hospitable!

"Don't you like it?" Sarah's voice suddenly rose a few octaves.

"That's the art school you cried and begged to go to! The tuition was forty thousand US dollars a year!"

"Tom almost sold his tractor for that money... and now you're saying you won't study it just because you don't like it?"

"Mom! Please don't mention that old bastard!"

Jessica slammed the bread onto the plate in frustration.

"Anyway, I'm not going to study anymore! As for the school... I've already completed the withdrawal procedures."

"Drop out?!" Sarah felt a wave of dizziness. "What about your student loans? And..."

"There are also private loans."

A cold voice came from the entrance hall.

The mother and daughter turned their heads at the same time.

Chen An pushed open the door and came in, carrying two bottles of red wine that he had just taken from the garage.

He took off his coat and hung it on the hanger as naturally as if he were back in his own home.

He walked to the sofa and looked down at Jessica.

"I heard your phone ringing continuously at the door just now. It was ringing every five minutes."

"And the terrified look on your face every time you look at the screen... it doesn't look like your boyfriend checking up on you, it looks like he's trying to kill you."

Chen An sat down in a single chair, skillfully opening a bottle of wine while saying casually:

"Tell me. How much do you owe? Who did you offend?"

Jessica bit her lip, her face pale.

She looked at the powerful young man in front of her.

The embarrassment of being seen through made her want to run away, but her legs felt as heavy as lead, and she couldn't run at all.

"No...it's none of your business," Jessica retorted, forcing a smile.

"Jessica!" Sarah cried out anxiously, "Ann is trying to help you! If it were some kind of loan shark, it could be fatal!"

"...Eight thousand."

Jessica finally broke down, her voice barely audible, "Eight thousand dollars."

"I met some friends in Seattle who played underground music."

"They said there was an investment opportunity, I could start an electronic music studio... so I maxed out my credit cards and even took out student loans... and then..."

"So they ran off with the money?" Chen An chimed in, a hint of mockery in his voice.

Jessica nodded, tears falling onto the table.

"Those people... those loan sharks said that if I didn't pay back the money, they would take my..."

"They posted my students' information online and even tried to find my hometown... I was scared, so I ran back."

Sarah covered her mouth, looking incredulous.

Her proud daughter was swindled so badly in the big city and got into such a mess.

"Eight thousand dollars..." Sarah murmured to herself. Although the debt was now paid off, she didn't have any cash on hand.

That money is all in the company's account; it's Chen An's money, and she has no say in it.

"stupid."

Chen An swirled his wine glass and gave a one-word evaluation.

Jessica looked up abruptly, her eyes blazing with anger: "What did you say?"

"I'd say you're stupid." Chen An took a sip of his drink, his eyes cold. "Being cheated out of money is stupid, but running home for the sake of so-called face but not daring to tell the truth is stupid on top of stupid."

"You think you can run back to Montana and hide under the covers and those creditors won't find you?"

"These days, debt collection companies can send your bills even if you're on the moon."

"You..." Jessica was so angry that she trembled all over, but she couldn't refute it and burst into tears of grievance.

"Then what am I supposed to do! I'll just die!"

"I don't support idlers, nor do I support the dead."

Chen An put down his wine glass, leaned forward, and locked his dark eyes on her like a hawk's.

"Two choices."

He held up two fingers.

"First, get out of here yourself. Whether you go out the door to sell yourself to pay off your debts or jump into the lake, I won't stop you. This house is not for trouble."

Jessica's crying stopped abruptly. She looked at Chen An in horror, then at Sarah.

Sarah felt sorry for him, but Chen An's stern gaze silenced her, and she dared not speak.

"second."

Chen An took out a checkbook from his pocket, picked up a pen, and quickly wrote a check.

"This is ten thousand US dollars."

He held the check between two fingers and didn't hand it to her.

"I paid off your debt. But this money wasn't given away for free."

"Starting tomorrow, this money will be your indenture."

"A contract of servitude?" Jessica instinctively covered her chest, looking at him warily.

"What do you want to do? I... I don't sleep with people! Even if you're my mother's..."

"puff."

Chen An couldn't help but laugh out loud, and that contemptuous laugh made Jessica even more ashamed and indignant.

"Stop with your pathetic pride. I have no interest in this underdeveloped little girl, especially compared to your mother."

Chen An glanced at Sarah, who still looked charming, and Sarah blushed, giving him a coquettish glare.

"I mean, you have to work for me."

Chen An pointed to the greenhouse outside the window, "My farm is short-handed. Perfect, since you dropped out of school, you can be a full-time worker."

"Farming, weeding, feeding the cattle, shoveling cow dung. Ten hours a day, paid at the minimum wage, to pay off debts."

"Until you pay back this $10,000."

Jessica was stunned.

Shovel cow dung?

Why would you send this trendy hot girl who was clubbing in a Seattle nightclub just a second ago to shovel dung for those smelly cows?

"I...I can't..." she weakly protested.

"No one is born knowing how. But I believe you can learn."

Chen An threw the check on the coffee table; it was both a gesture of charity and an order.

"I want to see you in the cowshed at five o'clock tomorrow morning."

"If you can't get up, this check is void, and I'll personally throw you out to feed the wolves."

After speaking, Chen An stood up and looked at Sarah.

"Sarah, I don't want my workers to receive any special treatment."

"Even if she's your daughter. Here, the boss's word is law."

Sarah looked at the $10,000 check and was filled with gratitude.

She knew that Chen An was helping Jessica, using this method to both resolve the debt and temper the girl's temperament.

"I understand, Master."

Sarah nodded obediently, and the way she called her daughter that name made Jessica's eyes widen again.

"Well... get some rest."

Chen An yawned and walked straight to the master bedroom on the second floor. The room that originally belonged to Sarah and Tom had now become his private territory.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he glanced back at Jessica, who was still sitting blankly on the sofa.

"Oh, right, dye your parrot-like hair back."

"And those nails on your face are an eyesore. If you don't remove them, I'll take pliers and remove them for you."

"Bang."

The bedroom door was closed.

………………

The living room was deathly silent.

Jessica looked at the check, then at the closed door on the second floor, and finally at her mother who was silently clearing away the dishes.

"Mom...you just let him bully me like this?" Jessica's eyes were red.

"How is this bullying?" Sarah sighed and came over to hug her daughter.

"Silly child, he's teaching you the survival rules of the West."

"If it weren't for him, you would have been captured by those debt collectors by now."

She slipped the check into Jessica's hand.

"Here you go. Pay me back first. Tomorrow... remember to set your alarm tomorrow morning."

"If An is unhappy, she really will kick you out."

After saying that, Sarah turned and went upstairs.

Jessica sat alone in the large living room.