“Lu Zhenzhen, what do you mean? You’re actually asking me to repay the money?” Xu Yanqing asked in disbelief.
“Exactly what it sounds like. Repaying debts is only natural. Everyone, come and judge for yourselves. I came here to collect a debt, but they hit me…”
“Shut up! Shut your mouth! Who hit you?” Xu Yanqing immediately interrupted Lu Zhenzhen, using his roar to mask his guilt.
“In front of all the villagers, not only are you morally blackmailing me, but you’re also threatening me. Are you trying to default on the debt?” Lu Zhenzhen asked with a tearful voice.
Hearing this, the onlookers felt they were being taken seriously and chimed in one after another: “Zhiqing Lu is right. Repaying debts is only natural.”
“I’ve lived for over fifty years and have never seen someone who owes money not only refuse to repay but also threaten the creditor.”
“Good heavens! 1,863 yuan! I’ve never seen so much money in my entire life. No wonder Zhiqing Lu keeps running to the Xujia household.”
Li Xuemei noticed the villagers’ opinions shifting, while Lu Zhenzhen kept staring at her husband, nodding one moment, shaking her head the next, and pouting as if acting coquettishly.
She said angrily, “Who said we won’t repay the money? It’s just that the amount is too large, and we can’t come up with so much at once.”
She couldn’t stand the way Lu Zhenzhen’s gaze lingered on Xu Yanqing. If it weren’t for her rebirth, Lu Zhenzhen and Xu Yanqing would have been the married couple.
“As expected of the village belle, you’re so reasonable. Repay as much as you can today.” As for the rest, I’ll write an IOU—this part, Lu Zhenzhen kept to herself for now.
She planned to mention it after getting the money. She knew all too well that debtors were like lords; she couldn’t scare them off.
After all, she herself owed 100,000 yuan in online loans!
Well, not exactly loans—more like buy now, pay later, or advance consumption. She hadn’t even gotten to enjoy those items yet!
Thinking of this, Lu Zhenzhen felt a pang of resentment.
In her entire life, she had only played the role of a female lead once. In the drama, the female lead had a Kongjian, and with modern technology being so advanced, the company had given her a Xinpian Kongjian as a prop.
It was about a hundred square meters in size. Curious about how much the Kongjian could hold, she had stored everything from her home inside it.
She had also spent 100,000 yuan on advance purchases across various platforms, all on rice, flour, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and clothes for all four seasons…
On her way home from work today, she had saved a child who was almost hit by a car, and then the heavens had sent her here.
Fortunately, she had been an orphan in her previous life, so she didn’t have to worry about those platforms tracking down her parents. It was just a pity about all the food and supplies she had stored!
“I only have 600 yuan saved away. I’ll go back to the room to get it now. Come with me.” Li Xuemei’s furious voice snapped Lu Zhenzhen back to reality.
“I’m not going. I don’t have the strength to walk. I haven’t eaten a full meal in days.” Lu Zhenzhen leaned against the wall, speaking weakly.
“Not going? Lu Zhenzhen, are you deliberately trying to cling to Brother Yanqing?” Li Xuemei raised her voice.
“Oh dear, what a sin! Zhiqing Lu said she doesn’t have the strength. Xuemei, why are you being so aggressive? I’ll help her fetch it.” A middle-aged woman spoke loudly.
“Thank you, auntie. I’ll give you one yuan as a reward later.” As she spoke, Lu Zhenzhen plopped down on the ground.
Hearing about the one yuan, the woman quickly rushed over, grabbed Li Xuemei, and dragged her toward the house.
“What a sin! Zhiqing Lu, get up quickly. The ground is cold.” Another middle-aged woman regretted not earning that one yuan.
One yuan could buy a big bowl of pork!
The auntie stepped forward with a pained expression, helping Lu Zhenzhen up. “Xuemei, hurry and get the money to pay her back. Look how starved Comrade Lu has become!”
“You… you all…” Li Xuemei stamped her foot. Seeing that Lu Zhenzhen didn’t want the money only made her more eager to repay it immediately—she wanted to cut all ties with Lu Zhenzhen once and for all.
The auntie who had heard there was a yuan to be earned tugged forcefully at Li Xuemei, while Li Xuemei herself was also eager to return the money. Thus, half-resisting and half-yielding, she went inside to fetch the cash.
Lu Zhenzhen, meanwhile, was carefully supported by two aunties, one on each side.
“Zhenzhen…”
Lu Zhenzhen unceremoniously cut off the scumbag’s words. “Shut up. Don’t even think about trying to weasel out of paying by pretending we’re close.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard the onlookers begin to berate him in a chorus of voices. “Don’t you dare try to skip out on this debt!”
“We all misunderstood Comrade Lu before. Over these past three years, everything she’s done for your Xujia family—we’ve seen it with our own eyes.”
“That’s right. We were all deceived. We shouldn’t have called Comrade Lu shameless—it turns out the shameless one was someone else all along.”
“…”
Listening to the village women’s accusations, Xu Yanqing’s heart sank. What was going on with Lu Zhenzhen?
Was she actually serious this time?
Usually, even when she was angry, she only dared to take it out on Li Xuemei—she never dared to get upset with him.
Lu Zhenzhen watched Xu Yanqing’s disgustingly devastated expression, lowered her head to hide her eye-roll, and pondered whether Li Xuemei would actually return the money today.
Money might not be able to buy someone’s genuine affection, but it could heal all insecurities and embarrassments, propping up dignity and the power of choice.
The original host was a max-level Lian’ainao, too kind for her own good. Yet kindness alone wasn’t enough to weather life’s storms.
Only by securing a financial foundation and personal strength could one remain unruffled amidst the world’s ups and downs.
“Zhenzhen, little sister, I’m giving you all the money I have. I hope you won’t come to our house again from now on~~” Li Xuemei said plaintively.
“Comrade Lu, I just counted it for you. It’s 663 yuan in total,” the auntie said, her hands trembling as she held six bundles of ten-yuan bills.
Lu Zhenzhen’s sharp eyes caught sight of an additional five ten-yuan notes, one five-yuan, two two-yuan, three one-yuan bills, a fifty-cent note, and about ten ten-cent notes.
She extended her thin, chicken-claw-like hand and picked up the six bundles of ten-yuan bills, plus the five loose ten-yuan notes.
Then, leaning weakly against one of the aunties, she pointed at the remaining money in the auntie’s hands and said gratefully, “Auntie, these two yuan are for you. This one is for her…”
The auntie who had helped her fetch the money received two yuan; the two aunties supporting her got one yuan each; and the one who had spoken up to scold the scumbag got fifty cents.
The other onlookers who hadn’t spoken up were each given ten cents—a share for all who had witnessed the scene.
“Auntie, I’m hungry. I’m going home to eat first. Please help me supervise them as they write the IOU. They still owe me one thousand two hundred yuan exactly,” Lu Zhenzhen said weakly.
“Alright, Auntie Lanhua, you’re literate. Stay here with me and help supervise,” the auntie said excitedly.
The other two aunties carefully supported Lu Zhenzhen as they strode out of the Xu household with heads held high.
Lu Zhenzhen had walked quite a distance when she could still hear the triumphant voice of the auntie who had received two yuan. “Youth Xu, hurry up and write it!”
“Don’t even dream about it. I won’t write any IOU,” Xu Yanqing’s furious voice carried a sinister edge.
“Yanqing, big brother, Zhenzhen is dead set this time. Just write it for her!” Li Xuemei’s delicate voice trembled with tears.
“Fine, I’ll write it.” Xu Yanqing’s temples throbbed violently, a suffocating sensation once again sweeping over him like a tidal wave.
He closed his eyes briefly, forcefully suppressing the turmoil in his heart. When he opened them again, his gaze had turned frighteningly cold.
Whether it was the money or the IOU, he would get it all back from that foolish woman. Thinking this, Xu Yanqing felt somewhat better.