Xu Jinshan was Wang Cuihua's husband and the owner of this convenience shop.
In Xu Tongdao's memory, Xu Jinshan was quite sharp-minded. Besides farming, he worked as a carpenter, had contracted the largest fish pond at the back of the village, and was also the first person in the village to open a convenience shop.
Because of this, his family lived quite comfortably.
In his spare time, Xu Jinshan also liked to gamble. But because he was clever, it was rare to hear of him losing large sums. More often than not, he would even win a little.
Xu Tongdao remembered clearly that after his father disappeared back then, it was Xu Jinshan who had taken away his family's television.
Now that he had been reborn, Xu Tongdao didn't really care about a black-and-white TV.
Getting the things taken from his house back today was secondary. His true goal was to establish authority.
For a seventeen-year-old to establish authority sounded a bit ridiculous.
But he had to do it. Otherwise, over the next few years, his mother, younger brother, and younger sister would definitely suffer—even if he could earn money to support them. The bullies in the village, who preyed on the weak and feared the strong, would still come harassing them every few days.
He needed to throw one punch hard enough to stop a hundred punches later.
"Hm? You're looking for my Jinshan?" Wang Cuihua sized up Xu Tongdao, snorted, and sneered. "Xiao Dao, what's gotten into you today? Don't you know your place? My Jinshan is from the same generation as your parents, and you dare call his name directly? Is that how your parents taught you? Heh."
She had no intention of calling Xu Jinshan out.
"Is he at home?"
Xu Tongdao ignored her mockery and pressed coldly.
He guessed Xu Jinshan was at home. Although every household had to send someone to guard the dike recently, Xu Jinshan was too clever. In past years, he always sent his father to muddle through the duty.
Because his father was old, he wouldn't be assigned heavy work or dangerous tasks. If Xu Jinshan went himself, however, he wouldn't be able to avoid the hard and risky jobs.
"Get lost! If you have something to say, tell your mother to come! What's a little brat like you babbling on about? Go, go!"
Wang Cuihua waved her hands impatiently, shooing Xu Tongdao away like a beggar.
Xu Tongdao sneered inwardly. Her words had already confirmed that Xu Jinshan was indeed at home.
She didn't have the patience to talk to him—and he had no patience to waste words with her either.
Though his body wasn't yet fully grown, he still disdained to argue with a woman.
He immediately lowered his umbrella and suddenly roared, "Xu Jinshan! If you've got the guts, get the hell out here!! Get out here!!!"
His shout was so loud that when his voice fell, Xu Tongdao's entire face was dark and flushed, fury surging.
The people outside the shop were instantly startled. Several who were standing close instinctively stepped back.
At the same time, people from nearby houses poked their heads out to watch the commotion.
After all, rural folks loved nothing more than a spectacle.
Behind the counter, Wang Cuihua jumped to her feet in fright and retreated two steps, pointing at Xu Tongdao as she scolded in panic, "Xiao Dao! You—have you lost your mind? What kind of madness are you pulling at my house? Where's your mother? If there's something to say, go get your mother here! Go, go!"
Xu Tongdao shot her a cold glance and still didn't respond. His gloomy eyes fixed on the door of the master bedroom.
He had already heard Xu Jinshan's shout from inside.
"Who is it? Which little bastard came to my place to cause trouble? Who is it?!"
As the words fell, the door was yanked open. Xu Jinshan—round-faced, with a buzz cut—stormed out angrily.
He was about one meter seventy-five tall, a bit taller than Xu Tongdao.
More importantly, his family ate well, and being middle-aged, he was far sturdier than Xu Tongdao.
The moment he appeared, Wang Cuihua seemed to find her backbone. She hurried over, pointing at Xu Tongdao outside the counter and shouting, "It's him! Jinshan, it's this brat! I don't know what drugs he took today, running over here to cause trouble! Hurry and drive him off! Hurry! Don't let him stand here!"
"Xiao Dao?"
Xu Jinshan raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
Then he sneered and strode over, waving his hands like he was swatting flies. "Get lost, get lost! Your dad still owes me money he hasn't paid back! And you dare come make trouble at my place? Don't you leave right now, I'll break your legs! Get lost!!"
The last "get lost" was especially forceful.
By now, the people who had been chatting outside the shop had all moved across the road to watch from someone else's doorway.
Only Xu Tongdao remained standing in front of the counter, holding nothing but an old umbrella.
Faced with Xu Jinshan's harsh threats, Xu Tongdao sneered faintly.
His feet seemed rooted to the ground—he didn't move an inch.
He stared coldly at Xu Jinshan's impatient face and said in a low voice, "Return the things you stole from my house. Otherwise, I'll call the police and report you for home invasion and robbery."
"Home invasion and robbery?"
Xu Jinshan frowned and stopped short, looking stunned. Then he burst out laughing. "Heh! Your dad owes me money. Now that he's run off without a trace, and your family has no money to pay, what's wrong with me taking things? Robbery? You want to report me? Go ahead! Report me! You think I'm afraid of you? Go on! Hurry up!"
Xu Tongdao locked eyes with him for two seconds, then his gaze dropped to the counter.
On the counter sat a red landline telephone, used by the villagers. Of course, every call cost money.
Without another word, Xu Tongdao stepped forward, picked up the phone under the stunned gazes of Xu Jinshan and Wang Cuihua, and without hesitation began dialing the police.
As he dialed, he said, "Fine. Then let's see whether the law protects gambling debts. If the law doesn't protect them, then what you did at my house a few days ago was home invasion and robbery!"
Before his words had even finished, the three digits for the police had already been dialed.
He casually lifted the receiver to his ear and looked up with a cold smile at Xu Jinshan a few steps away.
Xu Jinshan's face changed on the spot.
That the law didn't protect gambling debts—of course he had heard that before.
But in the countryside, when something happened, people usually settled it themselves. Very few ever called the police. For gambling debts, creditors going to seize property was seen as normal. Almost no one reported such things.
After all, debts had to be repaid—it was only natural.
Moreover, while calling the police could indeed punish creditors who seized property, the debtor who reported it would also be punished for gambling—imprisonment was entirely possible.
Cases like Xu Tongdao's—where the debtor vanished completely, leaving all the gambling debts to his wife and children—were unheard of in the nearby villages.
In an instant, Xu Jinshan's quick wits kicked in. He immediately realized that this kid wasn't afraid of calling the police, but if the police actually came, Xu Jinshan himself might truly end up in jail.
Home invasion and robbery were serious crimes.
He rushed over in two quick strides, slapped his hand down on the phone base, and with his other hand snatched the receiver from Xu Tongdao. He hurriedly slammed it back onto the base, shouting in rage and humiliation, "You actually dared to call?! Don't you understand that debts have to be repaid? Are you even being reasonable?! Huh?!"
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