Chapter 2: Debt

Of course, she wanted to settle the family division before this afternoon's beachcombing, ideally even severing ties altogether.

This would avoid unnecessary trouble.

However, she couldn't be the one to bring it up; otherwise, Feng Chunhua would never let her have her way, even if it killed her.

At this moment, thinking that Chu Xuan and Mu Chenze had found somewhere to indulge in their romance, Feng Chunhua waited at home with practiced patience. She had even joyfully prepared lunch, waiting for the two of them to return and eat.

When they failed to show up after a long wait, Feng Chunhua finally sensed that something was wrong.

Just as she was preparing to head out to find Chu Xuan, Auntie Hua walked over, covering her mouth with a laugh. "Sister-in-law, I really want to know—why on earth does your Chu Xuan look down on that handsome young man, Mu Chenze?"

"What do you mean?" Feng Chunhua grabbed Auntie Hua's wrist. "Speak clearly!"

Auntie Hua was no pushover; she slapped Feng Chunhua's hand away. "Don't you know? Your Chu Xuan rejected Mu Chenze even after he brought gifts."

Without time for further talk, Feng Chunhua ran home, grabbed a wooden club, and rushed out. That damned girl! Once she found Chu Xuan, she would beat her to death!

Two thousand yuan in bride price, gone just like that.

Chu Xuan was lazy and shiftless; if she couldn't help the family earn bride price, what use was keeping her around?

Upon reaching the old house, she raised the club and swung it toward Chu Xuan.

"You slut! You think hiding in the old house means you won't get beaten? I'll beat the life out of you!"

In the past, Chu Xuan's greatest fear was her grandmother splitting her and her younger brother away from the family, so she never dared to dodge her grandmother's beatings and scoldings.

Now, she wouldn't be so foolish. She wasn't afraid of the family division; she would dodge whenever necessary.

Her heavy body did make her somewhat clumsy, but fortunately, she was familiar with the layout of the old house and narrowly dodged the blows. She looked somewhat disheveled, drenched in sweat, and her already unflattering chin-length hair had turned into a bird's nest.

Feng Chunhua cursed while chasing her. "I wasted so much food raising such a fat girl! If you were a pig, you'd at least fetch a good price! Since you can't earn bride price, you're worse than a pig or a dog. You deserve this!"

Chu Xuan retorted in her heart: she wasn't fat because Feng Chunhua had raised her that way, but because of excessive internal dampness. She gained weight just by drinking cold water and needed medicinal regulation, but Feng Chunhua refused to spend a cent on her treatment.

Feng Chunhua failed to notice a piece of rotting wood underfoot, tripped, and sprained her ankle.

Only then did she stop the pursuit.

However, her mouth didn't stop. "Chu Xuan, you little brat, you dare dodge after a few hits? You've grown some backbone, have you? Now, go to Mu Chenze and change your address—you must marry him! Otherwise, I won't let you off! Furthermore, after you marry him, you must provide at least a hundred yuan every month to our Chu family. Once Mu Chenze earns more, that amount must increase! If you don't agree, I'll split you and Chu Feng away today!"

Chu Xuan stood there panting. "Mu Chenze's family are... are good people. I don't want to... ruin them! Anyway, I... won't marry him! But I don't agree to the family division!"

If she easily agreed to the division, Feng Chunhua would surely assume she had money or a way to make money, making the division impossible then.

This matter required someone to administer a "harsh medicine" to the Chu family, and she already had a suitable candidate in mind...

Feng Chunhua had no idea of her true thoughts and simply assumed she was afraid.

"You don't agree to the division? I'm telling you, it's not up to you! What the hell do you think you are! Come here and carry me back!"

Chu Xuan feigned terror and took a few steps back. "Grandma, I don't dare come closer. I'm afraid you'll hit me."

Having said that, she ran out with a look of horror on her face.

With no one to carry or support her, Feng Chunhua left limping, leaning on her wooden club in fury, muttering, "That little slut will come home sooner or later! When that time comes, I'll have the old man and my son beat her together..."

She failed to notice Mu Chenze standing by a large tree outside the courtyard wall.

Mu Chenze was lost in thought. This woman, Chu Xuan, had quite a conscience; it turned out she had rejected him for his own good.

He acknowledged this sentiment.

However, that grandmother of hers, Feng Chunhua, was truly a piece of work.

Chu Xuan headed straight for the town. Her mother had once saved a man nicknamed "One-Eyed Dragon," a fact no one else knew.

This time, she intended to use her mother's name to ask for his help.

At around two in the afternoon, Chu Dashan, Chu Zhi, and Chu Feng returned home, but Chu Xuan had not yet arrived.

With her husband and son present, Feng Chunhua became even more arrogant. Sitting in the courtyard, she announced the matter of Chu Xuan refusing to marry Mu Chenze.

Chu Feng was too terrified to speak.

Chu Zhi maintained a high-and-mighty air. "When she gets back, give her a beating first so she knows the consequences of being disobedient! If she insists on not marrying, then we divide the family and kick her and Chu Feng out to live in the old house!"

In the past, the siblings' greatest fear was being driven to the old house.

It was close to the beach, the roof leaked whenever it rained, and if a typhoon hit, it would surely collapse.

Chu Zhi hoped the house would collapse and kill the two siblings, sparing Chu Feng from competing with him for the family inheritance in the future.

Hearing this, Chu Feng knelt directly on the ground. "Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, I beg you! Please don't divide the family. My sister made you angry; I can take the beating for her. Hit me instead! Just don't divide the family."

Chu Xuan, who had just stepped into the courtyard, heard this. Her younger brother was willing to take a beating for her; this meant he still cared for her, and there was hope.

A frightening-looking one-eyed man following behind her suddenly grabbed the back of Chu Xuan's collar.

Chu Xuan acted as if she were terrified.

Six burly men were also standing outside the gate.

The Chu family had never seen such a scene; they felt uncertain and remained silent for a moment.

One-Eyed Dragon swept a malicious and fierce gaze over the Chu family members. "The Chu family, right? Chu Xuan broke my family's Imperial Jade ornament in town and wrote a three-thousand-yuan IOU. Many people can testify. It's in black and white, with her signature and thumbprint. Which one of you is going to pay this for her?"

Upon hearing "three thousand yuan," Feng Chunhua was the first to react, spitting out a thick glob of phlegm. "That damned little slut caused such a huge mess! Let her pay with her life! It has nothing to do with us!"

She had heard of One-Eyed Dragon; he was in his forties and was a well-known jade recycler in town.

With teary eyes and a trembling body, Chu Xuan pleaded, "Grandma, you have to save me! I don't want to die! I didn't break the jade ornament on purpose, I just wanted to look at it, and my hand slipped..."

Chu Dashan and Chu Zhi supported Feng Chunhua, shouting almost simultaneously, "Let her pay with her life!"

Chu Feng cried out "No!", only to be slapped by Feng Chunhua, his left cheek swelling instantly.

Chu Zhi followed up with a slap to Chu Feng, making the swelling symmetrical on both sides.

Chu Feng didn't dare speak again, but he looked at Chu Xuan with a face full of worry.

Seeing her brother being hit, Chu Xuan felt immense heartache. "Don't hit Xiao Feng. I'll pay... I'll pay with my life."

"Your life isn't enough to pay!" One-Eyed Dragon swept a contemptuous gaze over Chu Xuan before waving to the men behind him. "You lot, start moving things. If they don't let you move them, smash them! We have the IOU; we're in the right no matter where we go!"

The subordinates immediately complied and entered the house to start moving things.

Chu Zhi tried to stop them but was pushed to the ground, where he began to wail, "Mother! You can't let them move things! These are the things I need to marry a wife! This is like carving out my heart and drinking my blood!"

This wailing drew the neighbors over, though the villagers only came to watch the spectacle and did nothing to stop it.

Feng Chunhua grabbed the kneeling Chu Feng and, without hesitation, pushed him toward One-Eyed Dragon. "I'll give you my eldest grandson as payment too! He can work for you like an ox or a horse to pay off the debt in the future."

Chu Feng stumbled from the push, but Chu Xuan reached out to steady him just before he fell.

Chu Xuan cried out, "Brother Long, my brother and I will work for you like oxen and horses to pay the debt, but please, don't take my family's things."

One-Eyed Dragon looked impatient. "This is a new society. I only want goods to settle the debt, not people! You lot, keep moving!"

Feng Chunhua had many valuable items hidden in her wardrobe, and she was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

(End of Chapter)