Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan quickly parked the bicycle and stepped forward respectfully, saying, "Granduncle, hello, hello, I didn't recognize you at all."
"It's normal that you don't recognize me. The last time you saw me, you were only eight or nine years old. I wouldn't recognize you if I saw you on the street now." Zhang Zhengping laughed and said, "You were just as handsome as I was when I was young. Half the nurses in the hospital liked me."
Zhou Yan was slightly taken aback. This Granduncle's words were quite interesting.
"After he started balding at thirty, this stopped happening." the old lady added, delivering a scathing remark.
Zhang Zhengping blushed and quickly tried to cover it up: "That's because after I married your Grandaunt, I kept myself pure and resisted temptations. It has nothing to do with my hair."
"That's true. In their hospital, he's notorious for being afraid of his wife." the old lady nodded.
"What can I do? Your Grandaunt has a single palmar crease[1]. It hurts terribly when she hits someone. She's even broken doorknobs before. Who wouldn't be scared?" Zhang Zhengping said matter of factly, completely oblivious to the embarrassment.
Zhou Yan listened, somewhat bewildered, the rhythm of the old folks' endless chatter was a bit too much for him to keep up with.
However, it seemed this Granduncle was a retired doctor.
He had a really good personality, he could take a joke and possessed the humor and open-mindedness typical of older generations in Sichuan.
The old lady was still thinking about her cousin Lihua. After lunch, she pulled his Granduncle to see his great-aunt.
"Uncle! Why are you here?" Zhou Miao came out of the kitchen upon hearing the voice and quickly stepped forward with a surprised look on his face.
"I've come to see my third sister." Zhang Zhengping said with a smile, patting Zhou Miao's shoulder. "Sanshui, it's been several years since we last saw each other."
"It has been more than three years. How are you and Aunt doing?" Zhou Miao asked with concern.
"I'm still okay. Your aunt fell down half a year ago and now she has to use crutches to go out. She still needs to recuperate for a while." Zhang Zhengping said with a hint of pride, "Now she can't even catch up with me if she wants to."
Everyone laughed at this.
Zhou Yan looked at the old man, he really did have a cheeky personality that needed a good scolding.
Zhao Tieying and Zhao Hong also came out to greet them and poured a bowl of water for the old lady and gentleman.
"Tieying and Zhao Hong are really perceptive. They knew we were parched from walking." Zhang Zhengping said with a smile as he put down his bowl.
After a few casual words, the old lady said, "We'll talk later, let's go see Lihua first."
"Okay, I'll take the basket off." Zhou Miao agreed and pushed the bicycle out the door.
Zhou Yan, carrying Zhang Zhengping, chatted for a while, then asked curiously, "Granduncle, what kind of doctor were you before you retired?"
"A barefoot doctor." Zhang Zhengping replied.
"Huh?"
"Just kidding, I'm a traditional Chinese medicine doctor." Zhang Zhengping's hearty laughter rang out.
Zhou Yan wanted to scratch his head, but his hands were already gripping the handrail.
This retired traditional Chinese medicine doctor is truly living a life of boundless joy.
Zhang Zhengping chuckled and said, "You're quite something! You're only twenty years old and you've already opened such a big restaurant. You've even inherited my third sister's braised food skills. I want to eat at your restaurant tonight and try your cooking. How about that?"
"Of course! I'll make whatever Granduncle wants to eat tonight, as long as it's on the menu, I guarantee you'll be satisfied." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
This Granduncle is the old lady's cousin. The old lady's two older brothers have passed away many years ago. Among her cousins, this is one of the few she often keeps in touch with.
Of course, this frequency is also calculated in years.
Visiting once a year is considered a close relationship; in these days, transportation is inconvenient, and it's not easy for the elderly to travel.
"Okay, but I'll have to pay for whatever I order." Zhang Zhengping said with a smile.
"That won't do! Even if my grandma doesn't scold me, my mom and dad will still beat me everyday." Zhou Yan said with a smile, "I've opened a restaurant, so you can eat without worry, Granduncle. It won't bankrupt me."
"You don't understand. When I was working, my salary was managed by your Grandaunt. Now that I'm retired, we each manage our own salaries, and I can't spend it all." Zhang Zhengping said leisurely. Then he changed the subject: "Your great-aunt, when she came to Niu Hua to visit my third sister and the others when we were little, I saw her a few times. She was thin and small, with a gentle personality and good manners. Everyone liked her and called her cousin. It's been at least forty or fifty years since I last saw her."
They chatted along the way, and after more than ten minutes, the bicycle turned onto the village road and bumped along until they arrived at the dilapidated and collapsed rammed earth house.
"Aiyo, this house collapsed and no one even bothered to repair it?" Zhang Zhengping got out of the bicycle, looked at the half-collapsed house, and said with a sigh.
"How could it collapse so violently? When my cousin left last year, it wasn't collapsed yet?" Zhou Miao also looked surprised.
Zhou Yan stopped the bicycle and heard an argument coming from the half-open courtyard gate:
"Second Aunt, I'm definitely taking these geese and chickens, along with two bags of soybeans today as this year's interest. I heard that Laifu's tofu sales have been good lately. Do you have a lot of money on hand? Bring it all over, and pay back some of my principal first." A strong voice rang out.
"Zhanggui, this won't do! I need these soybeans to make tofu. How are we going to make tofu if you take them away? Laifu and I are counting on these two bags of soybeans to get through the winter. Taking them away is like taking our lives!" Grandma Sun's voice rang out, choked with sobs.
"Second Aunt, Liwei and Qiaoqian borrowed money from me and then disappeared. This year, our family has been struggling financially, with constant fighting and no peace. It's only right to pay back debts, isn't it?" The man's voice rose a few decibels, his tone laced with ruthlessness.
"I will definitely pay back all the money Liwei borrowed before I die. But Zhanggui, Liwei borrowed five hundred yuan from you. Last year you took the donkey away to settle the debt, and later you also took two chickens and a goose. How is it still five hundred? You are the village accountant. This is not how you calculate the accounts, is it?" Grandma Sun said somewhat agitatedly.
The man scoffed, "What do you know? When Liwei borrowed money from me, it was all clearly written in black and white: a monthly interest rate of 5%. Five hundred yuan would have three hundred yuan in interest over a year. That old donkey sold for three hundred yuan, which was just enough to cover last year's interest. We'll treat the chickens, geese, and all that stuff as this year's interest. So you still have five hundred yuan left to pay back?"
"This account...this account can't be calculated like this..." Grandma Sun choked up.
"Your calculations aren't quite right. The donkey is used to offset the principal, how can you wait until the end of the year to use it to offset interest?" He Zhiyuan's voice rang out.
"Who do you think you are? Do you have the right to speak? This is our own business. This is Shangshui Village. You outsider, get the hell out of here. Stop talking nonsense. I'm calling for help! You won't be able to escape then." the man shouted sternly.
"You...you're utterly unreasonable!" He Zhiyuan's voice trembled with anger.
The four people at the door felt their blood boil.
"Damn it! Do you think Lihua has no family to rely on? You think you can bully her like this?!" Zhang Zhengping grabbed a bamboo pole leaning against the door and rushed inside.
"You little bastards! Do you think you can bully a widow and her grandchild like this?! Lihua, don't be afraid, your family is here!" The old lady picked up a brick from the ground and followed him inside.
Zhou Miao leaned his bicycle against the wall and followed them inside.
Zhou Yan stared in disbelief, then quickly followed.
The courtyard was filled with bamboo poles hanging with dried bean curd sticks.
A short, stout middle-aged man carried two large sacks, while a middle-aged woman with cross-eyed eyes beside him held a chicken and a goose in her hands.
Old Mrs. Sun sat on the ground, tears streaming down her face.
Laifu stood in front of her, his eyes red as he looked at the couple.
Zhang Zhengping, holding a bamboo pole, followed by Old Lady Zhang carrying a brick, stormed into the door, startling Mr. and Mrs. Gu Zhanggui.
Hearing the sound, Sun Lihua looked up, squinting at the doorway, her voice trembling slightly: "Sister Fenfen? That's... Cousin Zhengping?"
"Yes, Lihua, don't be afraid, your family will support you." Zhang Shufen said.
"That's right, they won't be taking anything today." Zhang Zhengping held up a bamboo pole, blocking their path.
Grandma Sun's family?
Gu Zhanggui sized up the old man and woman, then smiled contemptuously: "What kind of family are you? Two old folks who are half-buried in the ground, what do you want? Paying back debts is a matter of course, get out of the way! Otherwise, don't blame me if you fall or get hurt!"
"Let's see who dares to touch my mother." Zhou Miao walked in, lifted his shirt to reveal a boning knife at his waist, and stared coldly at Gu Zhanggui.
Gu Zhanggui's smile froze, a chill creeping up his spine as if he was being stared at by a ferocious beast.
Zhou Laosi!
A hint of apprehension flickered in Gu Zhanggui's eyes.
The cattle butchers of Zhou Village were quite famous in Suji, and the best among them was Zhou Miao, the fourth son of the Zhou family.
Last year, Zhou Laosi was hired to slaughter the cattle for their village collective, and as the accountant, he was naturally present.
The boning knife clipped to his waist left a deep impression on Gu Zhanggui. The knife was very fast, and Zhou Laosi's hands were quick and steady. It didn't take long to separate the meat from the bone of a cow.
An old man in the village who had been to war said after watching it, "This kind of person doesn't need a second blow to kill others."
Accurate and ruthless.
So, when Zhou Laosi revealed the boning knife at his waist, Gu Zhanggui's two sacks of soybeans fell to the ground with a thud, and he instinctively took a half step back.
Zhou Yan followed him in and happened to see this scene, and couldn't help but be surprised by Comrade Old Zhou's intimidating power.
He Zhiyuan and Xiao Li, standing to the side, looked indignant, but they really had no right to get involved in the matter, and looked at Zhou Yan with some helplessness.
Gu Zhanggui chickened out and dared not utter any more threats. His voice even softened a bit: "I won't argue with you. Liwei was my cousin. I lent him the money because I trusted him. Now that he's gone, they still have to pay it back, right? I'm just here to collect the interest. What are you going to do with that? Even if you're Old Lady Sun's family, you should still be reasonable!"
"You son of a bi**h, your skin is thicker than the city wall, even cannons can't penetrate it!" Zhang Zhengping pointed at him and cursed, "Liwei passed away, leaving behind his frail old mother and deaf mute son. You, as his brother, not only didn't help them, but you also took advantage of their misfortune to steal their donkey and sell it, and robbed them of their chickens, ducks and geese. You're just like the Japanese devils!"
"You...you shouldn't talk nonsense! I still take good care of them." Gu Zhanggui blushed.
"You're blatantly lying through your teeth. Believe me or not, I'll give you two heavy blows, then a spindle, and then a slap that'll slam you against the wall so hard you won't be able to get off!" Zhang Zhengping roared.
"Old man, watch your words!" Gu Zhanggui clenched his fist in anger.
"I'm just saying this, go ahead and hit me." Zhang Zhengping took a step forward and looked at Gu Zhanggui mockingly, "Try touching me. If you dare to lay a hand on me, I'll lie on the ground. I've been a traditional Chinese medicine doctor for fifty years, I know exactly how to say a condition will require the most money and the heaviest punishment. Want to try?"
Gu Zhanggui clenched and unclenched his fists, seething with anger, but dared not lay a hand on him.
A thug isn't scary, but a thug with education is!
"You idiot, you're definitely different from everyone else." Zhang Shufen continued, "Liwei left in June. He borrowed money from you for no more than three months. A donkey costs at least 300 yuan, and chickens, ducks and geese cost another 10 or 20 yuan. So they only owed about 180 yuan in principal.
Five percent interest a month? Is that something a brother would say? Let me make this clear: we don't accept this usury. We'll pay you back your principal, and that'll settle things."
Zhou Yan, listening from the sidelines, was stunned; the older generation's fighting spirit was still formidable.
"That won't do! I have an IOU! It's written clearly in black and white! And Liwei even signed it!" Gu Zhanggui exclaimed anxiously.
"Exactly! Your word doesn't count!" Gu Zhanggui's wife, Wu Hongxia, chimed in.
Zhang Zhengping and Zhang Shufen frowned upon hearing this, somewhat perplexed.
Seeing this, Zhou Yan stepped forward and said, "Gu Zhanggui do you want to take this IOU with a monthly interest rate of five percent to the police station and the court for verification?
The government stipulates that loan interest rates cannot be significantly higher than bank interest rates. If you ask for 60% interest per year, I'd like to see which court would dare to support your claim for that interest!
You're the accountant of Shangshui Village, practically a public servant. Come on, let's go to town right now and settle this matter! Let's see what the principal of your 500 yuan is, and whether the police station will support you, this outlaw loan shark!
And another thing, you two broke into my Great-aunt's house today and stole two bags of soybeans, a chicken, and a goose. What do you call that? Burglary!
Do you know about the crackdown? Robbery is a serious crime! And the victims were a disabled elderly person and a deaf mute child, which makes the crime even more serious.
Not only will you lose your job as accountant, but you and your husband will both be facing execution!"
Upon hearing "facing execution," Wu Hongxia lost her grip on the chicken and goose, which fell to the ground and scattered wildly around the yard.
For the first time, fear appeared on Gu Zhanggui's face.
He graduated from high school, and his education was enough to make him an accountant.
Zhou Yan's words sounded frightening, but upon closer examination, they made a lot of sense.
If they were actually charged with robbery, given the current crackdown, they could really be shot!
Standing to the side, He Zhiyuan took out his camera and said, "I have taken pictures as evidence of the robbery. If needed, we can print them out and hand them over to the police station at any time."
Gu Zhanggui and Wu Hongxia looked at the camera gleaming in He Zhiyuan's hand, their faces growing even paler.
"Scared? I think you two are doing something dangerous—courting death!" Zhang Shufen sneered.
Gu Zhanggui put on a smile: "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. We're all related by blood, why would we need to make a scene at the police station or the town? We can discuss anything."
Zhang Zhengping said, "There's no room for discussion. Take out the IOU, and we're going to settle this mess for Lihua today."
"I didn't bring the IOU with me either, let's go back and get it." Gu Zhanggui waved to Wu Hongxia, preparing to slip out the door from the side.
Zhang Zhengping raised the bamboo pole in his hand to block the way and said coldly, "Tell your wife to go back and get it. You wait here, or we'll go to town to report it to the police immediately. Let me tell you, my third sister's youngest son is the head of the Suji Armed Forces Department. He's a sharpshooter, quick and accurate. We can ask him to apply for your execution."
"This won't do! This won't do!" Gu Zhanggui's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. He waved his hands repeatedly and said to Wu Hongxia, "Go get it quickly! It's in the third drawer of the bedside table!"
"Okay…" Wu Hongxia's legs felt a little weak. She grabbed the door and left the courtyard, running all the way.
Gu Zhanggui's face was pale, and his expression was flustered.
Zhou Yan's words made him uneasy. If he really reported them for robbery, they would be arrested and taken to the police station. They would be in serious trouble, if not dead.
He never expected that the old woman's son was actually a high-ranking official in town! Originally, he had been taking advantage of Old Mrs. Sun's lack of support, intending to exploit her family. But he never imagined that her family would be so powerful.
This was a real eye-opener.
He'd worked incredibly hard to get the village accountant position, he couldn't possibly withstand an investigation.
Zhou Yan stepped forward and helped Grandma Sun up, then sat her down in a chair. He comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, Great-aunt. We'll back you up today and resolve this matter for you."
"Lihua, don't be afraid. My third sister and I are your family. No one can bully you." Zhang Zhengping said.
"Yes, yes…" Old Mrs. Sun nodded, tears streaming down her face.
Laifu held Grandma Sun's hand tightly, a smile appearing on his face.
A short while later, Wu Hongxia returned with the IOU.
Gu Zhanggui reached out and took it, making a move to tear it up.
"Wait!" Zhang Shufen said, looking at Gu Zhanggui, "This IOU cannot be torn up now."
"I'll tear it up, I don't want the money anymore, okay?" Gu Zhanggui said with a bitter face, "Let's just leave it at that, I don't want the principal either."
"Paying back debts is a matter of course. Lihua will return this principal to you. No matter where you go in the future, you won't be able to say a bad word about those two, grandmother and grandson." Zhang Shufen took the IOU from Gu Zhanggui's hand, looked at the words "principal of 500" and Gu Liwei's signature and fingerprint on it, and continued, "You said that old donkey was sold for 300, and the chickens, ducks and geese you took before were worth 20, so there is still 180 yuan left to pay back. Do you agree to this?"
"I agree! I agree." Gu Zhanggui nodded repeatedly. He hadn't planned to ask for the remaining money, but if he could get the remaining 180 yuan back, at least he wouldn't lose out.
"Lihua, what do you think?" Zhang Shufen looked at Grandma Sun and asked gently.
"I'll do whatever you say, Sister Fenfen." Sun Lihua nodded, reached into her pocket, and pulled out a cloth bag. Inside was a neatly folded stack of banknotes, including a ten yuan note and mostly small change. She handed it all to Zhang Shufen: "Here's forty eight yuan and twenty seven cents. Sister Fenfen, please return it to him for me. I'll pay him back the rest slowly."
Zhang Shufen reached out to take the money.
Zhou Yan stepped forward, took the money, and put it back in the cloth money bag. He smiled and said, "Great-aunt, I'll cover this 180 yuan for you first. You can keep your money to buy beans and for living expenses. I'll deduct the cost of the dried tofu and dried bean curd sticks that Laifu brings later, up to 180 yuan. Is that alright?"
Grandma Sun looked up at Zhou Yan, tears streaming down her face. Her voice trembled as she said, "You need money too, this won't do..."
Zhang Zhengping and Zhang Shufen watched this scene with relieved smiles on their faces.
"I don't need the money urgently. You'll be sending dried tofu and dried bean curd sticks everyday, so you can't run away. I'm completely at ease." Zhou Yan said with a smile. "Then it's settled."
After saying that, he took out a wad of cash from his pocket, pulled out two ten yuan bills, and handed the remaining money to his grandmother. "Grandma, here's one hundred and eighty yuan. Please help me count it."
"Okay." Zhang Shufen took the money and counted it.
Gu Zhanggui and Wu Hongxia stared at the money in Zhang Shufen's hand, their eyes lighting up.
Zhou Yan took out paper and pen and quickly wrote a receipt.
He Zhiyuan and Zhang Zhengping came over and pointed out a few points about the proper formatting. After drafting it, he neatly copied it again.
"One hundred and eighty yuan. Count it in front of us. If there are any problems, discuss them here. Once you leave this door, we are no longer responsible for the amount or authenticity of the money." Zhang Shufen said, handing the counted money to Mr. and Mrs. Gu Zhanggui.
Gu Zhanggui took the money, counted it carefully twice, and then took out a few large bills to look at them again and again before nodding: "One hundred and eighty yuan, no mistake."
"Here, this is the receipt. Sign it and put your fingerprint on it, then I'll burn the IOU. That will settle the debt completely." Zhou Yan handed over the receipt and a pen.
Xiao Li took out a box of inkpads from his bag, opened it, and handed it over.
Gu Zhanggui looked at the receipt, feeling unwilling, and hesitated to write anything with the pen in his hand.
Zhou Miao placed his hand on Gu Zhanggui's shoulder and said in a deep voice, "The debt is settled, and this matter is over. If anyone in your Shangshui Village dares to bully my aunt and Laifu in the future, I won't go after anyone else, I'll only go after you, Gu Zhanggui."
Gu Zhanggui's throat bobbed, and cold sweat instantly poured out. The hilt of the knife at Zhou Miao's hip pressed against his waist, radiating an icy chill.
"Sign! I'll sign right away!" Gu Zhanggui said tremblingly, his hand shaking as he signed his name on the receipt and pressed his thumb.
"Receipt: Received from Sun Lihua 500 yuan (five hundred yuan only) in cash. The IOU has been destroyed, and the debt is settled. This is hereby acknowledged! Payee: Gu Zhanggui, November 15, 1984." Zhou Yan read the contents of the receipt aloud, looking at Gu Zhanggui and saying, "Remember, the debt is settled."
"I remember, I remember..." Gu Zhanggui nodded vigorously.
This family, from the oldest to the youngest, is no pushover!
Sizzle!
Zhang Zhengping took out a match and lit it, burning the IOU to ashes. He flicked the ash away from his fingertips and looked at Gu Zhanggui meaningfully, saying, "You're the village accountant, with elderly parents and young children, living a happy and fulfilling life. But Laifu only has a grandmother. He can't hear, but he knows exactly what you've done.
He knows where you live, how many people are in your family, and who your relatives and friends are.
I've worked in hospitals for fifty years and seen far too many cases where honest people were driven to desperation, and in the end, those who bullied them were all wiped out. Don't think that being an accountant is anything special. Throughout history, the Chinese have never lacked the courage to risk everything and even defy the emperor."
Gu Zhanggui glanced at Laifu, who was supporting Old Lady Sun, a hint of fear appearing in his eyes. He quickly pulled the pale-faced Wu Hongxia away.
"Granduncle, you're really good at speaking." Zhou Yan gave Zhang Zhengping a thumbs up.
The principle of yielding to the fortunate is the greatest and most unsolvable strategy.
It surpasses all other principles.
A message popped up in Zhou Yan's eyes:
[Side Quest: The Battle to Protect the Heritage of Xiba Tofu! Progress: 75%]
[1] In palmistry, a "single palmar crease" refers to a woman whose heart line and head line merge into one, forming a straight line across the palm. Traditionally, this is considered a sign of a strong and independent personality.