Chapter 159 The scapegoat

"Get out of the way! Watch out!"

A rough shout came from behind.

Before Lu Huaiyuan could react, a loud "moo" from a cow rang in his ears, followed by a powerful force that knocked him flat on his face.

"Hey! Are you blind?!"

The oxcart screeched to a halt, and the villager driving it looked completely innocent: "Didn't I tell you to be careful? How can someone this big lose their balance?"

"you……"

Lu Huaiyuan lay on the ground, about to explode, when he suddenly felt a heat on his back, and a familiar, nauseating stench spread out.

"Oh dear! This cow has pooped! You're lying on the ground and won't get up, so it's not my fault!" The villagers suppressed their laughter and quickly drove the cow to join the road-building team.

A burst of laughter erupted around him, and Lu Huaiyuan's head went blank.

Is he... covered in shit again?!

"You...you all..."

Lu Huaiyuan suddenly got up, covered in cow dung, and glared fiercely at the gloating villagers.

Zhang Xiuying laughed and joked, "Don't blame the cow, it's just an animal that doesn't know any better! Besides, this is the brigade's cow. If you damage the brigade's property, we can't afford to pay for it now!"

Upon hearing the word "loss," Lu Huaiyuan instantly cowered and could only roar, his voice trembling with fear, "The Liu family! Don't think you're so great just because you have a little money! You've just earned a little money and you're already spending it all on road repairs. At this rate, you'll be bankrupt one day!"

Liu Xiangyang scoffed, "It's hard to say who'll be selling everything they own, but it's definitely not our family. Some people, on the other hand, should worry about how to pay off their mountain of debt first!"

Liu Zhixia covered her nose, looking disgusted: "Lu Huaiyuan, even dogs know not to roll in latrines, how come you like this? You keep getting this stuff on yourself, a normal person would have gone home and changed clothes by now, but you're here spraying filth all over yourself? It stinks!"

"Hahaha!"

Recalling his "heroic feat" of rolling around in the manure with Gu Mansheng last time, the villagers laughed uproariously.

Lu Huaiyuan's face turned pale and then red, and he gritted his teeth and threw down the words "You just wait," before tucking his tail between his legs and fleeing in a sorry state.

A busybody auntie called out from a short distance away, "Old Li! Your son brought back a whole bunch of 'good stuff,' aren't you going to go back and help wash it? Are you expecting your pampered daughter-in-law to do it?"

Following the gaze, everyone saw Li Xuemei and Lu Xiaohui huddled in a corner, working. It was as if the sun had risen in the west that these mother and daughter would participate in this kind of unpaid labor.

Li Xuemei was called out, and she awkwardly smiled and said, "How old is this brat? If his daughter-in-law doesn't want to wash, then let him wash himself! He deserves it!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding area burst into laughter again.

Li Xuemei's former imperious manner is long gone; now she hunches her shoulders like a doormat.

Everyone knows the Lu family is now a drowning rat, heavily in debt, and everyone in the village dares to kick them while they're down. Those who were bullied by Li Xuemei in the past are especially happy to see them make a fool of themselves.

As everyone was working enthusiastically, a black sedan slowly drove into the village.

The car didn't stop, but sharp-eyed people recognized it as He Shijie's car at a glance.

Lu Xiaohui's face was deathly pale. She clutched Li Xuemei's clothes tightly, her voice trembling, "Mother, why is he here? Does he know we hit Gu Mansheng?"

Li Xuemei's heart skipped a beat, and she threw down her tools: "Let's go! Let's go back and take a look!"

The mother and daughter ran back in a panic. Liu Zhixia and Zhang Xiuying watched them and smiled at each other.

Zhang Xiuying gloated: "This is going to be interesting."

Liu Zhixia smiled slightly: "I wonder if they're here to collect debts or to settle old scores?"

...

He Shijie's car came to a steady stop in front of the Lu family's house.

Lu Huaiyuan had just entered the yard, cursing and swearing, and hadn't even had time to change out of his dirty clothes when he heard the familiar sound of an engine. He shuddered and instinctively hid behind the door to peek.

Sure enough, He Shijie walked down in a sharp suit, exuding a powerful aura.

As soon as he got out of the car, that sharp gaze swept precisely behind the door, and Lu Huaiyuan trembled even more violently.

"Uncle... Uncle!"

If that scoundrel finds out that Gu Mansheng was beaten, miscarried, and is now infertile for life, he'll skin him alive.

He Shijie glanced at him, noticing his disheveled appearance, his brows furrowed, and his disdain was palpable.

"Let's go inside and talk."

Upon entering, He Shijie's brows furrowed even more as he smelled the stench emanating from Lu Huaiyuan. He said with disgust, "You're filthy! Go back inside and change into some clean clothes before you come out and talk!"

"Yes...yes..."

Lu Huaiyuan felt like he had been granted a pardon and scurried into the bedroom in a panic. When he came out tremblingly after changing his clothes, he saw Gu Mansheng crying in He Shijie's arms, her face streaked with tears.

"Uncle! Take me away! I can't live like this anymore!"

Lu Huaiyuan's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, thinking that it was all over now.

However, He Shijie did not fly into a rage. Instead, he pushed Gu Mansheng away and said earnestly, "Xiaoman, although your uncle has a foundation now, it is not stable enough. I still need your help."

Gu Mansheng stopped crying, looking bewildered: "What else do you want? Uncle, you have money and a house, can't I just live with you?"

He Shijie smiled helplessly: "Your family background is bad now. Your uncle is negotiating a big deal with a state-owned factory. If they find out that I have a niece from a capitalist family, how can this deal be done?"

Gu Mansheng was struck dumb, staring at him in disbelief: "Uncle... even you despise me?"

He Shijie patted her shoulder and comforted her, "Silly girl, what are you thinking? Just bear with it a little longer. Will your uncle let you suffer? Take this money and spend it however you like."

He pulled a thick wad of banknotes from his bag and stuffed it into Gu Mansheng's hand: "I'm here today mainly to talk business with your man."

Gu Mansheng glanced at Lu Huaiyuan and said disdainfully, "Him? He can mess up even the smallest things. What kind of business can he do?"

He Shijie's eyes flashed sharply, and Gu Mansheng trembled in fright, quickly shutting her mouth.

"Alright, you look terrible. Go back to your room and rest. I want to talk to him alone."

Gu Mansheng wanted to say something, but under He Shijie's warning gaze, she could only reluctantly put away the money, glare fiercely at Lu Huaiyuan, and turn back into the house.

As soon as Gu Mansheng left, Lu Huaiyuan sidled up to her like a criminal on trial, sweating profusely, and wondering guiltily: Did she actually tattle?

However, He Shijie remained calm, though the disdain in his eyes was undisguised.

"You handled things terribly before, and you definitely deserved to be punished. However, since the IOU has already been signed, I'm too lazy to pursue it further. I'm here today to give you a chance to make amends. If you succeed, that debt will be wiped clean. This time, you'd better seize the opportunity!"

Looking at He Shijie's "kind" smile, Lu Huaiyuan couldn't help but tremble.