Chapter 109 IOU

She was understandably upset, but her family wasn't well-off either.

"Then let's not delay any longer. Let your older brother take care of it tomorrow! There's not much work to do in the fields right now, so let's get things sorted out while we have the time. That way, your dad and I can have some peace of mind."

Song Qiaoying's brows relaxed, and she finally made up her mind.

While the weather is nice and everyone is here, let's quickly repair the wall, patch up the roof, and replace the door with a sturdy one, so we can at least feel more at ease living here.

Shen Cuifen thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Although the house is dilapidated, every beam and every brick bears the imprint of her memories.

Now that she has some money in hand, and with both of her older brothers returning, it is indeed a good opportunity to make repairs.

She didn't want her mother to worry about where she lived anymore.

I don't want to have to squeeze into a drafty room again next time I come back.

She had made up her mind.

Not only did they have to repair the walls, but they also had to repave the floor, repaint it, and clean the house thoroughly.

If we could add another stove, it would be more convenient to boil water and cook.

This is not just about repairing a house, but about restoring peace of mind.

But just as she finished speaking, she suddenly sat up in bed.

Her expression changed, and her eyes suddenly sharpened.

"Cuifen, what's wrong?"

Song Qiaoying immediately tensed up.

"Are you feeling unwell again? Or did something sad happen to you?"

Shen Cuifen lowered her voice.

Her lips trembled slightly.

"I just realized that we only talked about allocating land and housing today, and we didn't mention money at all!"

She became more and more anxious as she spoke, a hint of fear showing in her eyes.

When dividing family property, how can you only divide the things and not talk about money?

She then realized that the negotiation had been too hasty, and she had forgotten about the savings she had accumulated over the years!

Song Qiaoying was taken aback. It was true; no one had mentioned money.

The scene from just now flashed through her mind.

But from beginning to end, not a single person mentioned the word "money".

The money was hidden in an earthenware jar under the cabinet in the main room.

Although the amount is not large, it represents a considerable sum of savings for this family.

If we don't mention it now, are we going to let someone take it away quietly?

Shen Cuifen's eyes lit up, and she immediately opened the cabinet to search.

She knelt in front of the counter.

Deep inside the closet were piles of old quilts, out-of-season clothes, and several pairs of new shoes that had never been worn.

She rummaged through it while muttering to herself.

"I remember putting it here...it must be here..."

She recalled a year when her family couldn't afford the children's tuition fees.

Having no other choice, she had to bite the bullet and go back to her parents' home to ask for help.

At that time, my parents didn't say much and just let them take it.

But Lu Jianguo's eyes looked so greedy, as if he wanted to pounce on him and take a bite.

The father took out a small cloth bag from under the pillow, counted out two hundred yuan, and handed it over.

Lu Jianguo's eyes lit up, and he said "Thank you, Dad," but his gaze was like that of a wolf eyeing its prey.

Shen Cuifen could see it clearly; the way he stared at the stack of money made him want to stuff it into his pocket right then and there.

Shen Cuifen stubbornly insisted on signing an IOU before she would take the money.

After writing it, he even had Lu Jianguo sign and affix his fingerprint.

Lu Jianguo reluctantly agreed, but his fingers trembled violently.

Once the IOU is signed, the money is no longer "taken" but "borrowed".

At that moment, Lu Jianguo just wanted to take the Shen family's money for free!

From the day he entered the house, he had been eyeing the Shen family's wealth with covetousness.

He was always thinking of taking advantage of others, believing that if he married Shen Cuifen, everything in the Shen family should belong to him.

But Chen Cuifen refused. She had her own principles and understood her parents' hardships.

Sure enough, something bad happened later.

Because of that debt, Lu Jianguo hit her as soon as he got home.

She remembers it very clearly; it was an exceptionally hot afternoon.

Lu Jianguo drank a few sips of cheap liquor and then started beating him up.

That time he was furious and hit her hard, punching her right in the eye.

She was afraid of losing face, so she didn't dare to hide at her neighbor's house or tell anyone.

She knew that once word got out, people would only say she was "unlucky," and wouldn't say a word against Lu Jianguo.

In this village, it's common for men to beat their wives.

Since she couldn't stay at home, she simply went to the fields to pull weeds.

She dragged her aching body step by step to her family's cornfield.

He eventually suffered from heatstroke and collapsed unconscious on the ground.

Fortunately, Dr. Chen from the town happened to pass by and saw her, and rescued her.

After that, Shen Cuifen secretly saved every penny from Lu Jianguo.

When she returned the money, she deliberately chose a day when Lu Jianguo was not at home.

When I went back to my parents' home, things were done in a rush, let alone having time to look for those old scraps of paper.

However, she felt that since they were all family and the money had been repaid, it didn't really matter whether or not she mentioned the IOU.

But the situation is different now.

Lu Jianguo turned his back on people.

Not only did they kick the mother and her two children out of the house, but they also wanted to take all the money and grain in the house for themselves.

At this point, the piece of paper became the most compelling evidence.

It not only proves that Shen Cuifen once owed money.

This further highlights Lu Jianguo's shameless and scoundrel-like nature!

So this thing can be very useful in critical moments.

"Cuifen, what are you flipping through?"

Song Qiaoying watched as she rummaged through the cabinet and made a mess of it, and she couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Mom! We found it!"

Shen Cuifen's eyes suddenly lit up, and she pulled out a yellowed piece of paper.

She shook off the dust and shoved it into Song Qiaoying's hand.

This piece of paper is about five or six years old.

At the time, Shen Cuifen specifically instructed herself to keep the IOU safe.

Fortunately, it has been kept under clothes all these years and has never been soaked in water or gnawed by rats.

Looking at the handwriting above, each stroke reads "Lu Jianguo".

Now, even if Lu Jianguo wants to deny it, he can't escape it.

Song Qiaoying leaned closer curiously.

"What's this, Cuifen?"

"Mom! This is an IOU!"

Shen Cuifen smiled.

“Don’t you remember? Five or six years ago, the eldest, second, and third children all needed to pay their tuition fees. We were so short of money that we couldn’t even afford to eat, so we had to borrow two hundred yuan from you and Dad.”

She pointed to the words on the IOU.

"Look, this was written by Lu Jianguo himself, and he even put his fingerprint on it!"

Song Qiaoying then said "Oh".

A look of sudden realization crossed her face.

"Oh! I remember now! That's right!"

"But didn't you return that money to your dad a long time ago? Why are you keeping it? It's just a piece of paper, taking up space. Tear it up so it won't be an eyesore."

As she spoke, she actually reached out to take the paper.

Shen Cuifen was startled and quickly clutched the IOU tightly to her chest.

"Mom! You can't tear it!"

"Didn't you just say you hadn't discussed the money with Lu Jianguo yet? Tomorrow, let's take this IOU to the brigade and have him read and sign it in public!"

"He wrote this himself! If he dares to deny it, we'll expose his past and make him suffer!"

Upon hearing this, Song Qiaoying seemed to have been awakened.

She suddenly grinned.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"

"Keep it, it'll come in handy! This isn't just ordinary paper, it's a 'lawsuit document'!"

She seemed to already see Lu Jianguo's pathetic state when he was publicly questioned tomorrow.

Shen Cuifen finally breathed a sigh of relief and carefully folded the IOU again and again.

Then she took out a small cloth bag and gently stuffed it inside.