Chapter 365: An Idea
Chapter 365: Chapter 365: An Idea
Gossip travels fast, whether in a rural village or on a campus full of students.
Soon, word that Xu Xianhui had money but wasn’t paying her debts spread between the dorms. Naturally, Su Qing and the others found out too.
"Oh my god, and here I thought she really didn’t have the money. Turns out she has it and just won’t pay it back." Liu Juan’s eyes went wide when she heard the news. To her, it was simply unbelievable.
"You find people like that everywhere," Chen Meizhen said as she tidied her bed. "One of my aunt’s relatives borrowed money from my aunt and uncle, saying they were short on cash for their son’s wedding. They never paid it back after all these years. My aunt and uncle went in person to ask for it, but they couldn’t get it back. You have no idea—the relative just sat on the floor, threw a tantrum, and insisted they had no money. They were completely shameless. What could you do?"
Ye Qingqing sighed. "People like that are truly detestable."
"Tell me about it," Chen Meizhen said. "My aunt and uncle are too mild-mannered and have never argued with anyone in their lives. After that family pulled a stunt like that, they not only didn’t get their money back, but they were also left fuming. In the end, they just cut ties with that relative and wrote the money off as a loss."
"That’s letting them off way too easily," Li Huan said hurriedly. "They should’ve reported them to the police! If they genuinely had no money, fine. But for people who have money and still refuse to pay their debts, you need to let the police teach them a lesson."
Chen Meizhen replied, "My aunt and uncle couldn’t bring themselves to do it, since they were family. So, they just let the matter drop."
As they spoke, the girls couldn’t help but sigh.
"You know, I have a feeling that when Xu Xianhui was looking for Su Qing earlier, it was to borrow money again," Sun Xiaowen said, recalling the event from earlier that day. "The way Xu Xianhui was looking at Su Qing was like she was staring at a plate of braised pork."
Li Huan laughed. "Why are you so stuck on braised pork?"
Sun Xiaowen grinned. "Because it’s delicious!"
Liu Juan laughed along. "Good thing Su Qing isn’t the fabled Tang Monk, or else everyone would want a piece of her."
Her comment made the whole dorm erupt in laughter.
Xu Xianhui stayed out until the middle of the night, only sneaking back into the dorm after everyone was asleep. The next day, her roommates saw she had returned and was still sleeping, but no one woke her for class.
Having gone to bed late, Xu Xianhui didn’t wake up until nearly noon. Startled by the time, she quickly washed up and hurried out of the school gates, heading toward the cluster of single-story houses to the right. With this matter weighing on her mind, she had no interest in class anyway. ’I already missed half a day yesterday,’ she thought. ’What’s another half?’
The whole way there, she wracked her brain, trying to figure out how to plead with the loan shark for an extension. She mulled it over the entire walk, and by the time she reached the sycamore tree, she had a plan.
The loan shark wasn’t there yet when Xu Xianhui arrived. She paced back and forth nervously under the sycamore tree, her anxiety attracting the attention of a couple of middle-aged women.
"Are you looking for someone, dear?" one of the women asked as she walked up to her.
"No, I’m waiting for someone," Xu Xianhui replied hastily.
The other woman chuckled. "Ah, waiting for your boyfriend?"
"I..." Xu Xianhui was at a loss for words when the loan shark strode over. "Been waiting long?" he asked.
The man was decent-looking. The women glanced at him, then back at Xu Xianhui, and smiled knowingly. "Well, we won’t get in the way of you young lovebirds."
They walked away, chatting and laughing amongst themselves.
Once the women were gone, Xu Xianhui looked at the man fearfully. "Come with me," he said.
"Go? Where?" After what happened yesterday, Xu Xianhui was on her guard and instinctively took a step back.
Seeing her reaction, the man sneered. "What? You want everyone here to find out how much money you owe?"
"No, I..."
"Let me tell you, your school isn’t far from here. If I make a scene, you know what the consequences will be." His voice was laced with threat.
Xu Xianhui relented. She knew this spot by the sycamore tree was a busy, public place. It was hardly appropriate to discuss money here. Still, her heart pounded with anxiety. She looked at the man, deciding she had to get it over with, and whispered, "I... I couldn’t get enough money. I..."
Hearing this, a dangerous glint entered the man’s eyes. "What did I tell you yesterday?"
"No, wait! I have a way for you to get the money. I really do!" Seeing the dark look on his face, Xu Xianhui quickly whispered, "I really have a plan."
"Hmph. Let’s go. We’ll see if your little plan can save you," the man said, narrowing his eyes at Xu Xianhui in a cold voice.
Xu Xianhui didn’t want to follow him, but she knew she couldn’t escape. ’If these people want to find me, there’s nowhere to hide. I might as well just tell them my idea. Maybe I can find a way out for myself. As for what happens to anyone else... I don’t care anymore. I can barely save my own skin, how could I possibly worry about others?’
’Better someone else’s misfortune than my own,’ she thought.
Xu Xianhui followed the man as he weaved through a labyrinth of alleys, finally arriving at a dilapidated courtyard. The place was utterly decrepit. The neighboring houses were deserted, and the courtyard itself had no gate. Weeds grew rampant, and the wooden door to the house wobbled on its hinges, looking as if it might fall off at any moment. Inside, the room was bare—forget furniture, there wasn’t even a single stool.
Seeing Xu Xianhui nervously surveying the area, the man sneered. "Stop looking. Did you really think I’d take you to one of our regular spots? Dream on."
Xu Xianhui couldn’t help but press her lips together.
"Get in. There’s no one around," the man said, entering the house first. He leaned casually against a wall. "Alright, talk. How much did you bring today?"
"One hundred... one hundred and twenty," Xu Xianhui stammered.
"What!" The man shot upright. "Xu Xianhui, don’t forget what I told you. You owe us eight hundred sixty-four yuan in total. Minus the eighty you already paid, that’s still seven hundred eighty-four. This one hundred and twenty is jack shit!"
"I have a plan! It... it’ll get you the money," Xu Xianhui said in a rush.
"Let’s hear it. What’s the plan?" the man said, raising an eyebrow.
Mustering her courage, Xu Xianhui looked at the man and whispered, "I know you guys do more than just lend money. You also sell people to villages in the remote mountains... right?"
Hearing this, the man’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Xu Xianhui, you know quite a lot, don’t you?"