Chapter 176 Confiscating Property to Pay Debts

Lu Xiaohui added insult to injury: "Back then, everyone was willing to lend us money because there was work to be done in the brigade, and they were counting on us to earn money to pay off the debts. Now that Mom is in jail and I'm gone too, the only breadwinner in the family is gone. What do you think our relatives will do?"

She leaned close to Lu Huaiyuan's ear and whispered, "Of course you'll rush over to confiscate their property to pay off your debts! Good luck to you. With your abilities, you definitely can't renege on your debts, right?"

After saying that, she smiled smugly, turned around, took the backpack, and followed Aunt Zhou and the others without looking back.

Lu Huaiyuan was left standing alone in the wind, bewildered, his back soaked with cold sweat.

Liu Zhixia, Zhang Xiuying, and Aunt Zhou escorted Lu Xiaohui all the way to the train station.

Lu Xiaohui took out the letter of introduction she had prepared beforehand, her eyes red with tears: "Aunties, and Xia, thank you so much... You have really helped me so much."

Liu Zhixia looked at Lu Xiaohui in front of her, her feelings were complicated.

In her past life, this woman had also tormented her for most of her life. In her previous life, Lu Xiaohui's fate was tragic; struggling in the mire, she wanted to drag others down with her.

Unexpectedly, being reborn not only changed his own destiny, but also altered the trajectory of Lu Xiaohui's life.

Although Lu Xiaohui in this life had also caused trouble, she hadn't caused irreparable harm, and had even rendered meritorious service at a crucial moment. With the past grievances settled, Liu Zhixia didn't want to dwell on it anymore.

"Write to us when you have time to let us know you're safe, or give us a call."

Lu Xiaohui nodded with tears in her eyes, choked up and unable to speak.

Aunt Zhou sighed, "Even if the Lu family is inhuman, you are still a girl from our brigade. From now on, treat the brigade as your maternal home, and come back if you suffer any grievances."

"good!"

Zhang Xiuying took out a wad of cash from her pocket and stuffed it into her hand: "This is your wages. It should have been given to you a long time ago, but your father interfered. Let me make this clear from the beginning, I deducted the two yuan from him, so keep the rest for yourself."

Lu Xiaohui clutched the money tightly, tears finally streaming down her face. She threw herself into Zhang Xiuying's arms and sobbed, "Thank you, Aunt Zhang! Thank you so much for taking care of me all this time!"

Zhang Xiuying patted her back gently and said softly, "Alright, be a good person from now on, don't be like your parents. Remember, good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds are punished."

Lu Xiaohui nodded vigorously: "Yes, I remember. Xia, I'm sorry for what I did to you before... Luckily, you didn't marry my brother and didn't jump into this fire pit."

Liu Zhixia smiled with relief: "It's all in the past. Have a safe journey."

Just then, an announcement came over the loudspeaker urging people to hurry up and check their tickets. The group stopped exchanging pleasantries and urged Lu Xiaohui to get into the station quickly.

After watching Lu Xiaohui's figure disappear through the ticket gate, the three of them turned and left.

However, at the very last moment when the ticket inspector was checking the information, Lu Xiaohui's expression suddenly changed, and she snatched back the ticket and letter of introduction.

"Excuse me, comrade! I have urgent matters to attend to at home. I'll leave another day!"

After saying that, she grabbed her luggage and rushed out of the waiting room like a madwoman, disappearing into the crowd.

When Liu Zhixia and her companions returned to the village entrance, they found that the crowd had not dispersed but had instead grown even larger, with everyone looking flustered.

"Why are you all here? Lu Xiaohui has already left..."

Before she could finish speaking, a villager rushed up to Zhang Xiuying and cried out, "Xiuying! Something terrible has happened! Your fourth son and Xu Zhiqing have been kidnapped!"

Zhang Xiuying's vision went black: "What?! Who did this?!"

The villagers, breathless, said, "Zhao, the educated youth, just ran back with the news. She said she saw Lao Si and Xu, the educated youth, being forced into a car! The kidnappers had guns! They told Zhao to tell you to raise money for their ransom as soon as possible!"

Zhang Xiuying swayed and almost fell, but Liu Zhixia held her up tightly, her face drained of color.

Aunt Zhou asked urgently, "Do you know who it is?"

The villagers nodded: "We recognize him! He's the wanted Boss He! We're waiting for you to come back and give us your advice, should we report him to the police station?"

"You can't report it!"

Zhang Xiuying suddenly shouted, her voice shrill: "They have guns! What if they kill him if we report it to the authorities? That Boss He is a desperate criminal now, he's definitely running away for money. Money is just an external thing, just give it to him! How much do they want?"

The villager held up two fingers, swallowed hard, and said, "One thousand per person."

The crowd erupted in uproar again.

These days, a thousand yuan is an astronomical figure, and two thousand yuan would be more than enough even if you squeezed every last drop out of the Liu family!

Zhang Xiuying was heartbroken: "Two thousand... We couldn't even sell our whole family for that much!"

Liu Zhixia's eyes narrowed, and she made a quick decision: "Then let's sell the recipe! The pickled vegetable recipe is so valuable, if we sell it for two thousand, someone will definitely want it!"

Zhang Xiuying was stunned for a moment, then gritted her teeth and nodded, her eyes filled with determination: "Sell! I'll sell anything to save my child!"

A villager nearby was stunned and couldn't help but ask, "A thousand yuan per person? You're even paying for Xu Zhiqing's share? She's not even a member of your family..."

Zhang Xiuying glared at him and said irritably, "Human life is at stake. What's the difference between family and outsiders? Xu Zhiqing is all alone here. Are we just going to stand by and watch her die?"

After saying that, the mother and daughter headed straight for the educated youth settlement.

Zhao Dongmei was pacing anxiously, but as soon as she saw them, tears welled up in her eyes: "Auntie, you've finally come!"

Liu Zhixia got straight to the point: "We plan to sell our pickled vegetable recipe to raise two thousand yuan to redeem them."

Zhao Dongmei choked up and said, "Zhihong's family has no money, and her parents passed away long ago... Auntie, this kindness is too heavy! I will definitely find a way to repay you this thousand yuan in the future!"

Zhang Xiuying waved her hand: "Don't mention money! Saving lives is the priority!"

Liu Zhixia's mind raced: "I'll go to the city to find my second sister-in-law. She has many connections and should be able to contact a large factory that's willing to buy the formula. I'll try to raise the money as soon as possible."

Zhao Dongmei said worriedly, "What if they still kill the hostage after we give them the money?"

A glint of light flashed in Liu Zhixia's eyes: "This person reported the black market before, so his background is not simple. It seems that Shen Yi and the others' mission last time was not just about the black market. He Shijie must have a big secret! I heard that he is being hunted by both the legitimate and criminal worlds, which is why he is desperate. Zhao Zhiqing, contact Brother Kai immediately and mention the 'black market whistleblower.' He will understand."

Zhao Dongmei nodded vigorously: "Okay! I'll go right away!"

Zhang Xiuying grabbed Zhao Dongmei's arm, her hand trembling: "What if... I mean, what if our son-in-law and his family come and anger He Shijie? What will happen to the child?"

Liu Zhixia held her mother's shoulders, her tone firm: "Mother, He Shijie is a mad dog now. Even if we get the money, he might not release them. After all, his current fate is related to us. We must prepare for both possibilities."

Zhang Xiuying's face turned pale, and she trembled as she released her grip: "Fine... I'll listen to you!"

Zhao Dongmei grasped her hand in return and comforted her, "Don't worry, Auntie! Brother Kai and his team are professionals; they'll definitely prioritize the safety of the hostages!"