Chapter 36

“Are you sure you want to return it?” The old village chief looked at the dense crowd in the courtyard and asked in a deep voice.

The noisy crowd quieted for a moment, then became even noisier. “What do you mean? Of course, he has to return our things!”

“Is it easy for me to peel a few pounds? Why should I give it to him for free?”

“Right, their hearts are too black. People from the same village can harm each other, simply heartless!”

…

Li Changlin saw it clearly from the side. The people speaking harsh and disgusting words were all from a few families.

The sharp-witted Fan Damu’s family, who is still within five generations of the same lineage with Uncle Fan.

The family of Bald Zhang, whose brother-in-law is Zhang Auntie’s husband. Although Zhang Auntie is the poorest in the village because Uncle Zhang is a gambler and dragged them down, Bald Zhang is purely lazy and does nothing, having a harvest from two acres less than others get from one.

And then there is the family of Wang Mazi, also one of the three poorest in the village! Moreover, he’s his mother’s fourth uncle.

Known for being crafty, lazy, greedy, and slippery, he’s notorious in the village.

At this moment, he pointed at the old village chief and shouted, “Hey, my niece married into your family as a daughter-in-law, Changlin, I’m still your fourth grand-uncle!

You can’t help outsiders bully this poor old man of mine. If you don’t stand up for me today, the Wang family will never acknowledge your mother again!”

Li Changlin almost rolled his eyes to the sky internally.

Using age to intimidate, always using the Wang family to pressure them!

“Fourth uncle, what are you saying?” Wang Guifen was also extremely disgusted with her fourth uncle who often used her name. She frowned deeply and questioned.

“What am I saying? The truth, of course! Niece Guifen, you must let your family help us Wang family!” Wang Mazi didn’t care, pointing at his niece to make demands.

Wang Guifen deeply regretted it, regretting mentioning the rice exchange at his house yesterday.

Yesterday, after hearing from Fan Jin and Shuiqing that more is better, she thought it was a good thing and mentioned it to her family, never expecting…

She took a deep breath, looked at her parents in the crowd, and asked, “Mom and Dad, what do you think?”

The two elders, under their daughter’s unfriendly gaze, shrank their necks, glanced at their fourth son, and finally stood beside their daughter, whispering, “We still listen to Guifen.

If her family wants to return, we’ll follow; if her family doesn’t return, we won’t either.”

Wang Mazi was displeased, pointing at his elder brother and sister-in-law and shouting, “Hey, we agreed before we came, how can you go back on your word?

If we return later and you don’t get anything back, don’t complain.”

The old couple lowered their heads like quails, not saying a word.

The old village chief scanned the crowd with a sharp gaze and said to his grandson beside him, “Changlin, go get paper and pen, write down the names and the amount of gorgon fruit for those who want to return it, and let Uncle Fan’s family return the gorgon fruit later.”

“Hey, isn’t it rice? Why return gorgon fruit?” Fan Damu discontentedly raised an issue.

The old village chief’s sharp gaze swept over, sneering, “You gave gorgon fruit, and you don’t believe people will exchange rice for you, so returning your gorgon fruit is most suitable.”

The people with him whispered, “Yeah, having gorgon fruit is fine, Damu, stop making demands.”

“We agreed before we came, returning gorgon fruit is fine, or increase the price!”

The old village chief under the eaves heard this and chuckled faintly.

Increase the price?

With the decisive actions of Fan Er’s wife in recent days, once the gorgon fruit is returned, these people might never cooperate again.

The goods haven’t been sold yet, and they are thinking about increasing the price, no wonder these families are poor and struggling in the village.

If their mindset is not right, it’s rotten from the root, not worth helping…

Wang Mazi saw his second brother and elder brother standing together, unwilling to return, and sneered disdainfully.

Really don’t shed tears until you see the coffin, even Fan Jin’s own mother and brother said, Fan Jin is dirt poor, if he really had such a wealthy and powerful classmate, how could he be poor until 28 years old?

Probably would have been rich long ago.

Just fooling the idiots in the village.

And if it’s really true, just exchange it again in the future, why take this risk!

Fan Damu watched the people lining up to register, a smile curling up on his lips.

He had already agreed with Fan Jin’s brother Fan Qian, that he would go to the prefecture city to inquire, best to use Fan Jin’s name to get connected.

Then they quoted one and a half pounds of rice for one pound of gorgon fruit, a full pound less than Fan Jin, doing business, how can one not be tempted by high profits?

Even a fool knows how to choose!

By then, they can use coarse grains and rough rice to exchange gorgon fruit with villagers, no need to earn from Fan Jin, they can earn the silver themselves…

Li Changlin registered names one by one at the table.

Bald Zhang’s family has few members, children are still young, only four pounds;

Fan Damu gave a lot yesterday noon, a full five pounds, but kept a hand in the afternoon and only gave one pound, so a total of six pounds;

Wang Mazi’s family has quite a lot, mainly because he is old, has several sons below, each family gave, now all registered to return under his pressure;

Wang Laoda and Laosan’s families temporarily changed their minds and were unwilling to return, only Laosan was convinced by Wang Mazi and insisted on returning.

Wang Laosan doesn’t have the authority at home, mainly his family is divided, only the children living with him must return, the rest who moved out don’t listen.

Finally, Li Changlin handed the written paper to his grandfather.

The old village chief scanned it, then wisely looked at each person on the list, saying, “Once returned, there will be no more trouble over this matter.”

“Rest assured, definitely no trouble!”

“As long as it is returned, we are not unreasonable people, how can we make trouble?”

“Chief, rest assured, once they return the things, I won’t make trouble, and if anyone does, I’ll scold them!”

…

The old village chief hummed, turned, and whispered to Changlin, “Have your mother bring the gorgon fruit we peeled today.

It might be useful later for Fan Er’s family.”

Li Changlin instantly understood his grandfather’s intention.

Grandfather was worried that Uncle Fan hadn’t returned, and these people might rob Uncle Fan’s rice, so he decided on returning gorgon fruit;

Also considering that Uncle Fan’s family might not have gorgon fruit to return, but their own family has, so bring their own.

He looked up, whispering, “Got it.”

The grandfather and grandson exchanged a smile.

·

Led by the old village chief, the crowd headed towards Fan’s house on the high ground at the edge of the village.

The houses in Shanshui Village are closely connected, front and back, quite compact. Fan Jin’s family didn’t build a small house next to Fan Qian’s brick house but chose another place.

The place is larger, but inconvenient to reach.

There weren’t many families actually demanding returns, but the number of people following the old village chief was not small—during the farm idle season, everyone had nothing to do and wanted to join the fun.

When the crowd climbed up the slope, seeing only a few distant tiny dots on the wide open ground.

Fan Damu, quick on his feet, ran to the thatched house first, seeing the locked wooden door, shouted to the crowd, “Nobody here!

The house is locked!”

Wang Mazi got excited, shouting it was fortunate he had foresight.

Pointing at his sons and daughters-in-law, he scolded, “Your father has eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice, listening to me can’t be wrong!”

He looked smugly at his elder brothers’ families, mocking, “Not listening to me, can a brother harm you?

Now it’s good, people are not here, who knows when you’ll get your things back, regret it but no use, can’t blame me.”

Others who came to watch the fun curled their lips, though worried their own things might be lost, they still looked down on Wang Mazi’s behavior.

Knowing it’s just a few pounds of food, not knowing might think it’s gold and jewels~

Bald Zhang’s eldest daughter ran to the vegetable garden, pointing at Yan Qiuxing and cursing, “Where are your parents?

Let them come out, return our things!”

All because of her cousin Zhang Xiaocao, her own stupidity led to their family’s loss.

That was several pounds of gorgon fruit, dried and ground into powder, made into vegetable paste, could be several meals.

Yan Qiuxing slowly stood up, facing the crowd, clearly and brightly said, “My parents will be back soon, please wait, grandpas, grandmas, uncles, and aunts.”