Chapter 10: The Weight of Debt

Suddenly being praised by so many villagers, Zeng Xiaofan felt a bit embarrassed. He cupped his hands to the crowd, then walked over to the old man whom Zhao Qinglong had injured, and gave him a thorough massage. Instantly, the old man felt completely comfortable, the pain gone as if it had never been there.

With a respectful bow, Zeng Xiaofan said sincerely, “Thank you for speaking up for my aunt. The old injury in your back that’s plagued you for years—I’ve just healed it. From now on, you won’t feel any aching in your back when it rains.”

“Really?” The old man’s face broke into a broad grin. He didn’t know quite what Zeng Xiaofan had done, but after that massage, his whole body felt more comfortable than ever before.

Zeng Xiaofan nodded, then strolled slowly to the edge of the paddy field. The group of burly men in the field exchanged nervous glances, not daring to step forward or even meet Zeng Xiaofan’s gaze. By now, Zhao Qinglong had been dragged out by the others and was retching up cow dung at the side.

“Zhao Qinglong, remember this!” Zeng Xiaofan declared, his voice ringing with authority. “The money Uncle Changgui owes you—I’ll pay it back! But if you dare harass Uncle Changgui or Aunt Yao again, I won’t let you off so easy!”

As his words fell, a domineering air swept over the scene. Zhao Qinglong shivered in fright. Though his heart quaked, his mouth remained stubborn. “Fine! I’ll give you one more day! If you can’t pay up by then, not even Jesus can save you! I… I mean it!” he blustered.

Zeng Xiaofan’s brows arched, his voice grew cold. “What did you say?”

Instantly, Zhao Qinglong wilted, staring at his own feet and mumbling, “I… I said my throat’s a bit sore today…”

“Get lost!” Zeng Xiaofan barked.

As if receiving a royal pardon, Zhao Qinglong scrambled away, dragging his cronies with him in a mad dash. The villagers erupted in cheers once more. Zhao Qinglong had bullied them often; this was the first time they’d seen him brought so low, and it was deeply satisfying. They crowded around Zeng Xiaofan, giving him enthusiastic thumbs-ups.

Only after Zeng Xiaofan repeatedly urged them did the villagers finally disperse.

Unnoticed, dusk had fallen. The sunset painted the mountains red, a streak of rosy clouds hanging on the horizon. Wisps of smoke curled from chimneys as the old oxen plodded home; the air was thick with the pleasant scent of burning dry grass.

Zeng Xiaofan turned around to find Aunt Yao and Uncle Changgui staring at him wide-eyed. “Ahem… What’s wrong? Uncle, Aunt… Is there something on my face?” he asked sheepishly.

Bai Qingyao smiled sweetly, saying nothing as she walked up to him. She cupped Zeng Xiaofan’s handsome face in her hands, gazing intently into his eyes with gentle warmth.

Zeng Xiaofan tensed involuntarily, the faint fragrance from Bai Qingyao’s slender fingers wafting to his nose. Seeing her beguiling eyes up close, the elegant bridge of her nose, the slight pout of her alluring red lips—just one look made his heart pound wildly. He dared not meet her gaze and instinctively lowered his head.

But as he looked down, his eyes inadvertently caught the curve of her neckline, the snowy-white skin trembling delicately, making him even more restless and ill at ease.

“Ahem... Auntie, what’s the matter?” he stammered.

Bai Qingyao burst into a soft laugh, her tone teasing yet tender. “Silly boy, you’re still shy when Auntie touches you? Little fool, I just wanted to look into your eyes. They really are better now… How did that happen? How did your eyes suddenly recover, and you’re so… tough, so strong now?”

As she spoke, her fingers brushed against his abs, sending a strange feeling through her and causing a blush to creep onto her cheeks.

Scratching his head, Zeng Xiaofan muttered, “Uh… I… I just bumped my head by accident. Maybe it loosened something in my nerves or blood vessels and my eyesight came back. As for being tough… that’s just from working in the fields! Don’t you remember, Auntie? I can carry three sacks of rice at once!”

Bai Qingyao nodded, her face full of relief. “That’s wonderful! Heaven must be watching over you, Xiaofan! Now that your eyes are healed, people won’t look down on you anymore. I’ll find you a wife soon—you’re not getting any younger…”

Zeng Xiaofan grinned sheepishly. “Auntie… don’t say that… I haven’t even thought about getting married…”

“Oh, right—Uncle Changgui, why didn’t you tell us you owed that man money? Zhao Qinglong is a notorious bloodsucker. Anyone who gets tangled up with him gets completely drained.”

Hearing this, Xiao Changgui lowered his head in shame, his voice hoarse. “I… I just didn’t want to trouble you all. I thought if I could win a few rounds, I’d have enough to pay him back. But I didn’t expect… I didn’t expect the interest to pile up so fast… Suddenly it was a hundred thousand…”

“And about that business with mortgaging my wife, I really didn’t know about it. That fine print was something he added himself at the end…”

He looked at Bai Qingyao, face full of guilt, but Bai Qingyao shot him a frosty glare.

“Xiao Changgui! How many times have you promised me you’d stop gambling? Don’t you know how much you’ve lost? And this time, you even put your wife on the line! If Xiaofan hadn’t arrived in time, I would have been… would have been…”

Her voice choked, tears welling in her eyes.

Zeng Xiaofan hurried to comfort her. “Auntie, don’t worry. From today on, as long as I’m here, no one will ever bully you again! I’ll protect you for the rest of my life!”

Bai Qingyao’s heart fluttered at his words, her anger fading, but soon her brows knit in worry. “Xiaofan, you were too impulsive. You shouldn’t have fought with them just now. Zhao Qinglong’s gang isn’t easy to deal with—if they have a grudge against you, they’ll come for revenge sooner or later. And you shouldn’t have taken the debt on yourself. That’s a hundred thousand yuan! With the interest, it’ll take us years to save that much! If it was just our debt, that would be one thing, but you’re so young—Auntie can’t bear to watch you suffer like that…”

Zeng Xiaofan only smiled faintly. “Uncle, Auntie, don’t worry! I’m not the same as I used to be. I can handle this. Trust me!”

“Sigh—this child…” Bai Qingyao sighed, biting her cherry lips. “But that’s a hundred thousand yuan. How will you earn it? I’d better think of something. If it comes to it, I’ll have to borrow from the village chief…”

She knew the chief had long coveted her beauty. If she asked, he would probably lend her the money. But if she did, he would never let go of the chance to hold that over her—she might even have to give herself to him. Unless absolutely necessary, Bai Qingyao would never consider this step, but for Xiaofan’s sake, she was prepared to go that far if she had to. Quietly, she made up her mind…