Chapter 2 Breaking the house
Lin Bai lives in Beicheng, Huaxi County. The people living here are all poor people, and it is dinner time. No one who is a little more discerning will come to the door at this time, otherwise they will be suspected of taking advantage of the meal.
So the person knocking on the door right now probably has something serious to do.
Lin Bai thought about it for a while. He didn't have many relatives in his family, and his relationship with his neighbors was average. To say who is most likely, Baicaotang is the only one, because when Lin Bai was ill, he paid for medicine on credit.
"Who?"
Lin Bai walked to the door and asked through the door.
The people outside didn't respond at all, they just kept banging on the door, as if they were trying to break it open.
This is not like asking for a debt, but more like asking for a life.
Lin Bai could only open the door.
Standing outside was a man in his mid-twenties, quite tall and thin, with sunken eye sockets, staring at Lin Bai gloomily.
Lin Bai knew this man. His name was Qi Wangzu. He was the son of his mother's brother. They were cousins.
It's just that the two families have stopped communicating since the death of their mother and uncle. The reason is that Qi Wangzu is too unreliable. He has been hanging out on the street since he was a child, doing nothing but bullying the old and weak.
Originally, the people on the nearby streets were not afraid of him, but later he joined the Ax Gang and became more and more domineering.
"Is something wrong?" Lin Bai asked.
"If it's okay, can I come to your crappy place?"
Qi Wangzu spat on the ground, ducked into the yard, glanced at the green jujube trees, and then took out a crumpled note from his sleeve and said: "You lend me twenty taels of silver to treat your illness, and I will collect the debt." ! This is an IOU, you see it clearly!”
After that, he threw the IOU to Lin Bai.
Lin Bai took a look and saw that it did say a loan of twenty taels of silver. There was a pledge from both parties, but there was no guarantor.
"When did I borrow money from you?" Lin Bai asked with a frown.
"Don't admit it?" Qi Wangzu's face turned gloomy, "When you were about to die, I came to visit you every three days. You don't admit it now? Then don't blame me for not cherishing our brotherhood!"< br>
Absolutely no such thing! While Lin Bai was ill, although he was sometimes sober and sometimes confused, some neighbors came to visit him, but Qi Wangzu definitely did not come.
The IOU must be considered a forgery.
Lin Bai's mind raced and he roughly understood Qi Wangzu's routine.
It's very simple. If he dies, this house will belong to him.
After all, the two are related by blood. Even if the two families don't interact, they are still relatives.
Lin Bai was so sick that he was about to die a while ago, so Qi Wangzu must have been ready to take over the house, but he never expected that he would actually come back to life, and he was still running around selling straw sandals in the last episode.
The duck he got flew away, and Qi Wangzu was naturally not happy.
However, it’s really difficult to deal with the other party’s aggressive approach.
Qi Wangzu is a member of the Ax Gang. Like the Qinglong Gang where Niu Er belongs, they are both gangs entrenched in Beicheng. They are engaged in the cannibalistic business of collecting protection fees, opening gambling dens, loan sharking, and opening secret doors.
Although Lin Bai was collected protection money from Niu Er of the Qinglong Gang, the Qinglong Gang only took care of the market and not his home.
Now Qi Wangzu relies on the Ax Gang to suppress others with his power. If he does not recognize the IOU, Qi Wangzu will definitely have follow-up methods, even more cruel methods...
Of course, if the IOU is accepted, the money will never be repaid. The only option is to sell the house at a low price or borrow money, but both will lead to the destruction of the family.
Therefore, Qi Wangzu expected that Lin Bai had no external support, no internal money, and was recovering from a serious illness. He was absolutely unable to compete.
Don't be afraid of thieves stealing, just be afraid of thieves missing you. If we don't solve the problem today, there will be countless troubles in the future.
"I have just recovered from a serious illness and my savings are all gone. I have no money to pay you back."
Lin Bai simply accepted the IOU. You have to admit it anyway, so just follow his words.
For the current plan, since I have no strength to resist, I will try to delay it for a while. Wait until you have mastered the skill of flying knives, and then we can discuss advance and retreat.
"After all the savings are spent, don't you still have a house? It's worth more than ten taels of silver to tidy it up!" Qi Wangzu pointed to the yard and smiled sinisterly.
Sure enough, he came towards the house!
"The IOU is twenty taels, and even if the house is sold, it won't be enough." Lin Bai said.
"You're not stupid! But we are cousins after all. We are just a few taels apart. Can I force you to do it?" Qi Wangzu laughed and patted Lin Bai's shoulder twice. Lin Bai stepped back. Two steps to show weakness.
Lin Bai was silent for a moment and said: "It's so hot in summer that it's difficult to travel far. I've just recovered from a serious illness. I'd like to ask my cousin to give me some mercy for a few days. After I recover a little, I can sell out all the straw sandals I've knitted at home." Save some travel expenses. We will hand over the property deed in a month.”
When Qi Wangzu heard this, he looked at Lin Bai again and saw that he was really thin. He smiled strangely and said, "One month is too long, ten days!"
"How can it be done in ten days? It's better than half..." Lin Bai still wanted to buy some more time.
Qi Wangzu immediately became impatient, frowned and shouted: "Are you stupid for selling straw sandals? Do you think it's a business deal? It's only ten days! I've packed up all the tatters at home!"
Lin Bai sighed and agreed.
Qi Wangzu said no more, turned around and left. But after taking two steps, he turned around again, with a sinister face, stepped forward and tapped Lin Bai's chest with his finger, and said in a low voice, "If you dare to play tricks, don't blame me for not caring about the friendship between brothers!"
When has there ever been brotherhood? Lin Bai remained silent and watched Qi Wangzu leave.
After locking the door, Lin Bai sat at the door of the kitchen again, thinking carefully about how to deal with Qi Wangzu.
"The other party uses the method of destroying families, and they are backed by the Ax Gang. If an ordinary family does not have the protection of the clan, they will definitely have no power to resist."
"You still have to practice your knife-throwing skills more intensively. In ten days... let's see what results we can get. Then we will make a decision whether to leave or stay."
While I was thinking silently, there was another knock on the door, but this time it was much softer.
At this time, the sky was dark, only the stars were all over the sky, and the moonlight was so bright that it was like mercury pouring down the ground.
"Could there be debt collectors again? Is it true that mat weavers and shoe sellers can't hold swords?"
Lin Bai walked to the door and asked in a deep voice: "Who?"
"I, your sister Zhen." A gentle and soft female voice came from outside the door.
Lin Bai opened the door, and there was a woman standing in front of the door under the moonlight. She was about twenty-three or four years old, with a slender figure and a plump chest. Her head was wrapped in a floral cloth.
She has an oval face, and her smile looks even more friendly in the moonlight, like the gentle sister next door.
In fact, she is indeed the sister next door. This woman's name is Mu Zhen, and she is very close to Lin Bai's house, just out of the alley.
"Why did you lock the door just after dark? Have you eaten yet?" Mu Zhen asked with a smile.
"The porridge is still cooking on the stove." Lin Bai replied with a smile.
"That's just right." Mu Zhen handed over the lotus leaf bun in her hand and said, "The buns in the store are not sold out, and I can't eat them. It's hot and I can't keep them overnight, so you can just take them and eat them. I've been sick at home for a few days. You have to take good care of it.”
Mu Zhen's family opened a small shop specializing in selling steamed buns.
"Why is this so embarrassing?" Lin Bai refused.
Although the two families lived close by, they didn't have much contact, and Mu Zhen was still a widow. Lin Bai was really not sure what Mu Zhen meant.
"We are all neighbors, why are you so polite? If you are really embarrassed and can help me carry water when you have time, that's all." Mu Zhen said.
"Thank you very much, Sister Zhen."
Lin Bai didn't show any pretense and took the lotus leaf bun. The bun inside was still warm. So I couldn't help but said again: "Sister Zhen, when I get better, I won't let you stop drinking water in the future."
Mu Zhen glared at Lin Bai with her pretty eyebrows, then smiled again, "I'm leaving, you go back to eat."
After saying that, he twisted his waist and walked straight away.
Lin Bai locked the door again, went back to the kitchen and filled a bowl of millet porridge, fished out a plate of pickles from the pickle jar, took out a sorghum rice cake, and placed it on the small table in the yard.
The weather was hot and it was really impossible to eat in the house.
Opening the bulging lotus leaf bag, there were five buns inside.
Lin Bai picked up one and took a bite. It was still stuffed with meat.
"Oh, two people came to knock on the door today, one came to blackmail someone, and the other came to save someone..."
Gulu Gulu finished his meal and broke into a sweat again. Lin Bai simply took off his clothes and took a cold shower.
After drying himself, he spread out a mat in the yard and sat down cross-legged. Close your eyes and let your mind go, and soon you will appear in the stone plate space.
(End of chapter)