Hearing Lin Laoyao say this, several of the women became furious, their eyes reddening with anger.
“Lin Laoyao, you just threatened to slap me to death do you dare admit you said that?” said the round-faced village woman.
“Sister-in-law, you must’ve heard wrong. How could I say something like that to scare you?” Lin Laoyao replied smoothly, lies coming out without hesitation. The other women were so angry they were pounding their chests in frustration.
“He’s a shameless thug! He just threatened us a moment ago, told us not to help, and even said he’d beat people to death!”
Lin Changhong looked around and gave Lin Qimo a signal.
Lin Qimo glanced toward the door. Seeing that Lin Doudou was safe, a faint smile appeared in her eyes. Her voice remained extremely calm.
“If you say you came just to collect a debt and the violence was just a misunderstanding, then what about the daggers they’re carrying?”
The two strong men, suddenly named, silently lowered their heads.
“Search them,” Lin Changhong ordered. “See if they’re carrying daggers.”
The militia indeed found daggers on the two men and handed them over to Lin Changhong.
“Lin Hao, what do you have to say now?”
“Brigade leader, they’re not from our village. They’re people from the black market,” Lin Laoyao said with a strange smile.
“Carrying daggers is just their rule. Are you going to interfere with black market people too?”
Lin Changhong certainly didn’t dare.
Lin Laoyao was well-connected and knew all sorts of people. But hearing that the two men he brought were from the black market made even him uneasy.
People from the black market openly robbed and took money no one in Xiangyang County dared to confront them head-on, especially not rural villagers like them.
“Then if they came to collect a debt, whose debt are they collecting?” he asked.
“Of course, they came for my niece’s debt. My elder brother owed money debts are paid by the children,” Lin Laoyao replied.
At this point, Lin Changhong couldn’t intervene anymore. He could only focus on the fact that Lin Laoyao had brought people to cause trouble.
“Debt collection is one thing, but kidnapping people at the door is not allowed. And you must compensate for the soybeans you ruined in the workshop.”
Lin Laoyao was slightly surprised. “Brigade leader is right. We were wrong today. We’ll pay for the soybeans.”
Aunt Qiu immediately said, “Fifty jin of soybeans fifteen yuan.”
Lin Laoyao paid the fifteen yuan, then gritted his teeth. “I frightened all the sisters here. I’ll compensate each of you one yuan for shock.”
He knew how to handle people. The women had originally been angry, but once they heard they’d each get a yuan, their expressions softened.
Money could make ghosts do the grinding this was true in any era.
After paying, Lin Laoyao smiled and prepared to leave with the two men.
Suddenly, Lin Qimo spoke up.
“Wait. The losses to the state-run restaurant haven’t been compensated yet. Twenty yuan.”
Lin Laoyao gave a cold laugh. “Fine.”
He slapped twenty yuan onto the table, glanced at Lin Qimo with a hostile look, and then left aggressively with the two men.
His expression showed complete unwillingness.
“Ah, luckily those two kids knew to call for help,” Lin Changhong couldn’t help praising Lin Doudou and Li Er.
Lin Doudou pouted. “Uncle Lin, that’s not right. It was Big Sister who told me to quietly call you.”
Li Er also spoke up. “When my brother and I came back, we ran into Doudou first. It was Brother who told me to call you.”
Lin Changhong waved his hand. “Alright, alright, all good kids. Go back to your work. Next time something like this happens, come straight to the brigade office don’t argue with those thugs.”
The women returned to the kitchen to continue working.
Li Da, still uneasy, glanced at Lin Qimo and took Li Er up the mountain to chop firewood.
Lin Qimo called out, “Doudou, go inside and play with your second sister.”
After sending everyone away, Lin Changhong finally said seriously:
“Your uncle is connected on both sides legal and illegal. He even knows people in the black market. You still dared to confront him head-on. You’re really brave.”
“Next time you mustn’t do that. Those black market people don’t care about life. What if you get hurt?”
Lin Qimo understood this, but if she hadn’t fought back just now, Tangtang would have been taken away and she might never have been found again.
“Good thing they finally left,” Lin Changhong said, finally relieved. If he had offended the black market people today by intervening, given Lin Laoyao’s vindictive nature, the whole family would have suffered.
“Qimo, it’s not that Uncle Lin won’t help you. You should quickly borrow money and repay the debt. People from the black market are dangerous we ordinary people living peaceful lives can’t afford to offend them.”
“The brigade doesn’t handle these people either?”
“Of course they try, but they can’t catch them all they hide too well. You’re still young and don’t know. Three years ago, a family in the neighboring village offended them by accident, and the entire family was killed overnight. They still haven’t caught the culprit.”
Lin Qimo said nothing.
She had also heard of that incident back then. People were terrified no one dared go out after dark.
She only knew that people with power and influence could kill and escape punishment through all kinds of methods. She didn’t expect even bandits could act so recklessly, while innocent people could only suffer.
“Listen to me,” Lin Changhong sighed as he quietly took out the IOU from his pocket and returned it to her. “Hurry and borrow money to settle the debt. How did your father even get involved with something like this…”