Chapter 18

The Wang family father and son were the perfect example of bullies who preyed on the weak but cowered before the strong. When it came to bullying the elderly and children, they were all in, but the moment they encountered someone stronger, they instantly shriveled up.

Just moments ago, seeing his son beaten to the brink of losing control over his bowels, the old man didn’t even dare to step forward.

And now, he was acting tough again, all bark and no bite, angrily yelling:

“Wang Tiezhu, your family owes me money! Not only do you refuse to pay back the debt, but you also dare to hit people! Is there no law left in this world? Everyone, look at this! Wang Tiezhu is nothing but a bandit! I… I’m calling the police to have you arrested!”

Wang Tiezhu scoffed. “Go ahead, call them. Haven’t you been calling me an idiot all this time? An idiot isn’t responsible for his actions—heck, even if I killed someone, I wouldn’t be punished. Haha!” His demeanor was shameless and arrogant, as if daring anyone to challenge him.

“You… You…”

Wang Sanpao was at a loss for words, his frustration boiling over. How did this fool manage to turn his own tricks against him? It was usually him using this tactic against others!

Seething with anger, he turned to Wang Shuigen and demanded, “Wang Shuigen! Do you people even care about reason? Are you going to discipline your reckless son or not? He owes my family twenty thousand yuan—pay up now!”

“Heh…”

Wang Tiezhu clapped his hands and sneered, “Oh, so now you want to talk about reason? Where was that attitude earlier? You came to my house with a bunch of goons, stirring up trouble. Wang Sanpao, do you think everyone here is blind to your schemes? Your tricks don’t work on me.”

“You want money?” He reached into his bag, pulled out two stacks of cash, and tossed them forward. “Here’s twenty thousand! Take it!”

Thud! Thud!

Wang Sanpao stared at the stacks of cash at his feet, stunned. He hesitated for a moment before picking them up to check. It was real—twenty thousand, clear as day. His mind reeled—where did this fool get so much money?

Something didn’t add up!

This was completely different from what he had expected. He hadn’t come here just for the money. And though he had gotten it, he wasn’t happy about it.

Wang Tiezhu smirked at his sour expression. “Now that you’ve got your money, get the hell out of here. I’m warning you—if you dare to come back and cause trouble, I’ll beat the crap out of you next time.”

“Scram!!!”

Seeing that there was nothing more to do, and now that the debt was settled, Wang Sanpao had no choice but to back down. Though he felt unwilling, there was nothing he could do at the moment. He collected the money, gritted his teeth, and muttered, “Wang Tiezhu, this isn’t over! Watch your back!” With that, he turned and stormed off, not even sparing his son a glance.

“Dad! Wait for me! Wait for me!”

Wang Sipo, who had been pretending to be unconscious, scrambled to his feet, stumbling after his father. Their two lackeys followed behind.

“A bunch of trash.”

Wang Tiezhu dusted off his clothes and waved his hand. “Alright, show’s over! Everyone, go home and mind your own business!”

Once the crowd had dispersed, leaving only his family, Wang Tiezhu turned to his parents and sister. “Dad, Mom, Xiaomei, are you all okay?”

Wang Xiumei frowned. “Tiezhu, where did you get so much money? You better not have done anything illegal.”

Wang Tiezhu rolled his eyes. “Mom, don’t worry. It’s perfectly legal—I made this money selling bear paws and bear bile.”

“I earned over sixty thousand in total.”

As he spoke, he pulled out another two stacks of cash from his bag and handed them to his mother. “Mom, take this twenty thousand for the household expenses. I’ll keep the rest to start a small business.”

Wang Xiumei accepted the money cautiously. “Tiezhu, you’re sure this money is clean?”

“Of course!”

Wang Tiezhu nodded. “Don’t worry about it.”

Then, he took out a brand-new smartphone and handed it to his younger sister. “Xiaoling, this is for you. If you ever need anything at school, call home.”

Wang Ling’s eyes sparkled as she took the phone like it was the most precious thing in the world. “Brother, this is the latest Huawei model! It costs five or six thousand yuan! It’s too expensive!”

Wang Tiezhu chuckled. “Well, I already bought it. No returns.”

“Thank you, brother!” The little girl beamed, her smile as sweet as honey.

With the family’s debt repaid, Wang Tiezhu’s parents felt a huge weight lifted off their shoulders. To celebrate, they cooked a feast, even killing an old hen and stewing it with chestnuts—the delicious aroma filled the house.

During lunch, Wang Tiezhu said, “Dad, I examined your leg carefully yesterday. There’s still a good chance it can be healed. You’ll be able to stand and walk again.”

Clatter!

Wang Shuigen’s chopsticks fell to the floor. He trembled with emotion. “Tiezhu, are you serious? You’re not just giving me false hope?”

Wang Tiezhu reassured him, “Dad, don’t get too excited. You’re my father—why would I joke about something like this?”

“I’ll start treating you today. It might take a long time, but I’m confident that within three years, you’ll be fully healed.”

Wang Ling asked skeptically, “Brother, since when did you know medicine? Why didn’t I know about this?”

“Uh…”

Wang Tiezhu scratched his head awkwardly. That was hard to explain. So, he brushed it off, saying, “Ever since my brain got better, I just somehow understood it. Haha!”

After lunch, he stayed home to rest for the afternoon. Then, at around nine in the evening, he made his way to Widow Liu Axiang’s house.

Knock knock knock!

He rapped on the door.

“Who is it?”

A wary female voice called from inside.

“It’s me, Xiangxiang-jie,” Wang Tiezhu whispered.

Creak!

The door swung open, and Liu Axiang smiled in surprise. “Tiezhu, it’s you! Come in!”

“Alright.”

The two of them acted as though they were sneaking around, and Wang Tiezhu slipped inside.

In the room, a large wooden tub filled with water sat on the floor, surrounded by puddles. The air was warm and misty. Liu Axiang’s face was flushed, her damp hair clinging to her skin. Droplets of water trickled down her fair neck, disappearing into the depths of her cleavage.

The faint scent of bathwater and the fragrance of a woman lingered in the air.

Late at night. A man and a woman. The atmosphere was… intimate.

Wang Tiezhu blurted out, “Xiangxiang-jie, did you just take a bath?”

“Mm.”

Liu Axiang responded softly, her voice laced with femininity. “Tiezhu, I heard that you gave those Wang family scoundrels a beating this morning. You were amazing!

The whole village is talking about how Wang Sanpao didn’t even dare to fart in front of you.”

Wang Tiezhu grinned. “Those two bastards are nothing but bullies who prey on the weak. Xiangxiang-jie, if they ever bother you, just tell me—I’ll take care of them.”

“Mm.”

Liu Axiang nodded. “So, what brings you here so late?”

Wang Tiezhu pulled out a wad of cash—five thousand yuan—and handed it to her. “I sold the bear paws and bear bile in town today. This is your share—take it.”

“Ah… this…”

Liu Axiang hesitated, then pushed the money back. “Tiezhu, I can’t take this. I didn’t do anything to help—how can I accept your money?”