Chapter 162 - 154: You Originally Owed Me Six Taels
Chapter 162: Chapter 154: You Originally Owed Me Six Taels
Old Mrs. Bai was determined to default on the debt. Four taels of silver! That was a fortune. She had already given him two taels of silver for Zhao Lan’s treatment, and that had felt like tearing the flesh from her bones. And now he wanted another four? That was absolutely preposterous. Never mind that she didn’t have it; even if she did, she wouldn’t give him a single copper coin.
"Where’s the IOU, then? You just said I owe you four taels of silver. So where is it?" Old Mrs. Bai watched Doctor Lu with a smug look on her face. ’This little brat thinks he can outsmart me? I’m no pushover. He’s still wet behind the ears.’
Yet Doctor Lu didn’t seem the least bit annoyed. His gaze was exceptionally calm, as if he had expected this all along.
’It would be a miracle if a Bai family member ever paid up without a fuss. A true miracle.’
’They had no concept of integrity and knew nothing of a person’s conscience.’
Since they were going to be so ruthless, why should he show them any mercy?
Doctor Lu said, "I knew you’d pull something like this. What you just tore up wasn’t the real IOU. It was just an old, discarded prescription. I never even brought the real IOU, the one with your thumbprint."
Old Mrs. Bai froze for a moment, then laughed. "Don’t try to bluff me. I don’t believe you. That was clearly the IOU I put my thumbprint on. I saw it with my own two eyes. It’s a shame it’s gone now." Her face was wreathed in smiles, her eyes gleaming with triumph.
Doctor Lu shook his head. "Believe what you will. Since you’re so set on defaulting on this debt, I don’t have to worry about our neighborly ties anymore. If you refuse to pay the six taels of silver you owe me, someone will see to it. I don’t even think I need to go to the government office. Didn’t Lord Meng arrive in our village today? I’ll just ask him to settle this case."
Old Mrs. Bai was stunned. "Six taels of silver? Didn’t you just say four taels? How is it six now?"
Doctor Lu snorted. "The IOU was originally written for six taels. Then you insisted I get two taels of silver from Zhao Lan. I figured, since we’re all neighbors, I’d take the loss and only plan on collecting four taels of silver from you. But now, you refuse to even acknowledge the four taels. In that case, I have no choice but to do this by the book. You’ll pay me the full amount written on the IOU—not one mace of silver less."
Old Mrs. Bai was so angry she could grind her teeth, but there was nothing she could do about him. Besides, she was certain the thumbprinted document had been torn to shreds. Doctor Lu had no proof. ’He’s just saying all this to bluff me. Hmph. I’m not falling for it.’
Without another word, Doctor Lu turned and left. He went straight to Hu Changlin’s house, but upon learning that Lord Meng wouldn’t be back until noon, he headed home for the time being. He instructed Hu Changlin to be sure to notify him the moment Lord Meng returned.
Seeing Doctor Lu leave, the Bai family members gathered around Old Mrs. Bai in twos and threes.
Liu said, "Mother, you don’t think Lu Changchun actually gave you a fake document to tear up, do you?"
Old Mrs. Bai snorted. "Of course not. He’s not that clever. If he were really that smart, why would he still be cooped up in our little mountain village after being a doctor for so many years? He’s a blockhead, and his brain is full of mush."
Bai Dazhu agreed wholeheartedly. "Exactly. If he had a quick mind like you, Mother, he would’ve opened a clinic in the city and gotten rich long ago. Would he still be stuck here as a country doctor?"
Standing beside Bai Xiaofeng, Bai Dabao said, "Grandma, a lot of people were watching when you made that IOU. What if he really takes this matter to Lord Meng, and other villagers testify for him? What will we do then?"