Qin Feng explained:
"This isn't an ordinary three-story house, it's..."
"How should I put it? Ah, never mind. We've put up a preview image of the new house outside. You'll understand once you see it."
"Well, uncles and aunties, I'll lead the way first."
After saying that, Qin Feng rode his tricycle ahead to guide them.
He hadn't driven his Mercedes this time—since he'd already shown it off once, it wouldn't be long before everyone in the village knew about it.
For just a trip to the village entrance, riding the tricycle was more convenient.
The elderly villagers watched as the fully loaded trucks drove forward, their faces full of envy and confusion.
"Not an ordinary three-story house? What does that mean?"
"They even put up a preview image of the new house at their doorstep?!"
"Should we go take a look?"
"Let's go, let's go check it out. We can even help them unload the stuff while we're at it."
A warm-hearted old man suggested this, and soon everyone was following him toward Qin Feng's house. They all wanted to see what kind of extraordinary three-story house Qin Feng's family was planning to build.
And this was exactly the purpose of Qin Feng's earlier remarks—he was waiting for them to come see the preview image.
The new house would take months to complete, but that didn't mean he couldn't let them envy the preview first.
...
When the crowd saw the large poster displayed outside Qin Feng's house, they were stunned.
"This... this is the new house Qin Feng's family is going to build?"
"My goodness, isn't this the kind of place kings live in, like in the movies? What's it called again? A for... for..."
"A castle!"
"Yes, a castle! Is Qin Feng turning his house into a castle?!"
"Oh my heavens, how much would that cost?!"
"He bought a car worth over a million, and now he's building a house like this... How much online loan debt did he take on?!"
"Are online loans really that amazing?"
"I don't know if online loans are amazing, but I do know Qin Feng will be living the good life for sure—good food, good drinks, and a grand place to live."
At that moment,
these people began to feel intensely tempted.
Maybe...
they should also take out a small loan?!
Not too much, just a little bit...
In the following hours,
each lost in their own thoughts, they helped unload bricks and other materials.
Many hands make light work—by dinnertime, all the goods from the several trucks had been unloaded.
Naturally, Qin Feng was generous too, treating everyone to a meal at the best restaurant in town.
...
By evening,
the news had spread throughout the village: Qin Feng had driven back in a luxury car worth over a million and was planning to renovate his old house into a castle-like home.
By now, most people in the village had heard about these developments.
At the same time, they had also learned about the online loan scheme.
Household after household was discussing the matter behind closed doors.
Take Qin Guangyuan's family, for example.
Qin Guangyuan took a deep drag of his cigarette, holding the smoke in his lungs for a long moment, before finally saying to his wife:
"Maybe I should take out an online loan too."
"My back isn't good anymore—I can't handle heavy labor, and you don't have any income either."
"If things go on like this, we'll end up with nothing."
"Now our second child is about to take the college entrance exam. If we can't even scrape together the tuition by then, wouldn't that ruin their future?"
Guangyuan's wife kept her head down, silently wiping the table over and over without a word.
"Enough!"
"Stop wiping!"
"How many times have you cleaned it already?!"
Qin Guangyuan frowned and scolded her sharply.
His wife put down the rag, her face full of hesitation, and said:
"I don't know what to say. This... this is your decision to make."
Qin Guangyuan sighed quietly to himself.
Usually, he made all the decisions, big and small. But now, when he actually wanted to discuss something with his wife, it seemed impossible.
Finally, he muttered to himself:
"Just taking out a small loan should be fine, right?"
"It should be fine!"
Then there was Qin Guangliang's household—
the same man who had brought a jar of Nü'er Hongwine to Qin Feng's house at noon.
Lying on the bed with his arms behind his head, he stared at the ceiling and said:
"Dear, what do you think about this online loan thing? Should we give it a try?"
Guangliang's wife set down her needlework and replied:
"I think it's worth considering!"
"Didn't you hear how convincing Qin Feng sounded today?"
She went on and on, making her case.
Qin Guangliang had repeated every word of the conversation at Qin Feng's house to his wife, so she knew all about what Qin Feng had said.
Qin Guangliang frowned, still hesitant:
"But something about it just doesn't sit right with me. I can't quite put my finger on it… It's like there's a hurdle in my heart I can't get over."
His wife snorted dismissively:
"What hurdle is there to get over?!"
"It's not illegal—in fact, you could even say it's doing a good deed."
"Unless you're just scared. Are you afraid of debt collectors showing up at our door?"
Qin Guangliang's eyes widened:
"Me, scared of them? If they dare lay a hand on me, I'll smash their heads with my hoe!"
"Besides, if debt collectors ever set foot in our village, do you think we'd let them get away with anything?"
"Everyone here may be simple folks, but no one's a pushover. Even if they're gangsters, we won't let them bully our own in our village."
Guangliang's wife spread her hands:
"Well, then? What's holding you back? I really don't get it."
Then, thinking of Qin Feng's car worth over a million and that castle-like house, her heart grew restless with envy.
Before this, Qin Feng's family had even been worse off than theirs.
So how did he get to drive a luxury car and live in a mansion now?!
All because he took out those online loans!
And how easy is it to get an online loan? It takes no effort, not even much thought.
Just like that, Qin Feng effortlessly got to drive a luxury car and live in a mansion.
But what about their own family, who used to be better off than his?
Now, she was upset over a piece of clothing that had started fraying not long after she bought it, even planning to mend the frayed spot and keep wearing it.
The more Qin Guangliang's wife thought about it, the more intense her jealousy grew.
Finally, she threw the needlework and clothes in her hands aside and said fiercely to Qin Guangliang:
"You coward! If you don't dare to take a loan, I will!"
"I want to live in a house like that too!"
"Why should his family, who weren't as well-off as us before, get to live in such a place now, while I'm still here mending clothes?"
Stung by her words, Qin Guangliang sat up straight:
"Who's a coward? Who's scared?!"
"It's just an online loan—what's there to be afraid of?!"
"Tomorrow I'll go see Qin Feng and ask him how he did it!"
"You're a woman—just stay home and focus on taking care of the household."
Hearing this, Guangliang's wife was overjoyed and immediately started sweet-talking him.
That night,
several households in the village decided they would give online loans a try,
though none dared to borrow as much as Qin Feng had—they planned to start with just a small amount.
Many more, however, remained in a wait-and-see mode, still harboring doubts and concerns.