Chapter 235: Debt Collection

"Where the hell has the second son gone? Why don't you come out to work?

He just knows how to be lazy all day long, he is not good at anything and he is never satisfied with what he eats.

You have a sullen face all day long, as if someone owes you money.

You can't even give birth to a son, and you gave birth to a girl. You are a waste of money. What's the use of you to my son?

…

Gu Xiang stayed in the room for a little longer, and Mrs. Guo started to make indirect accusations again.

Gu Xiang didn't dare to refute. She coaxed Zhaodi to play by herself, wiped away her tears, and went out to work again.

Gu Xiang worked until very late before she finished and went back to her room to sleep.

In the room, Guo Erlang was still snoring loudly, and his daughter Zhaodi was tired from crying and fell asleep at the foot of the kang.

Gu Xiang leaned back on the kang tiredly. She didn't understand why her life had become like this?

She should have lived a better life since she married into the town.

Gu Xiang now deeply regrets not listening to her third brother and divorcing Guo Erlang early.

If they had divorced Guo Erlang when they found out he was having an affair with the widow, Zhaodi wouldn't have been born and suffered.

Thinking of her poor daughter, Gu Xiang burst into tears again.

After crying for a while, Gu Xiang got up, took the child in her arms, and went to sleep.

The next morning, Gu Xiang got up early again to get busy.

Guo Erlang was also sober, but he did not get up. Instead, he continued to lie on the kang and worry.

He lost money gambling yesterday and was about to leave, but unexpectedly someone offered to lend him some money to make up for his losses.

He couldn't help himself and borrowed ten taels of silver. As a result, his luck was really bad yesterday, and he soon lost the ten taels of silver he borrowed.

Those people wanted to continue lending him money, but he felt that his luck was bad and he didn't want to lend them anymore, so he refused.

Seeing that he could no longer squeeze any money out of them, the people who had borrowed money from him immediately turned against him.

He was asked to pay back the money in three days, and the interest would increase by one cent for each additional day.

The most important thing is that he asked for three taels of interest per day, which means that if you borrow ten taels of silver, you have to pay three taels of interest per day, and you have to pay back twenty taels in three days.

The three days passed in the blink of an eye. Guo Erlang was afraid that the debt collectors would come to his door, so he hid away early.

Guo Erlang was often not at home, and no one noticed when he left in the morning.

Until the debt collector came in the morning.

"Is this Guo Erlang's home?" The leader was a strong man in his thirties.

"Yes... yes, what can I do for you?" Old man Guo was sorting things out in the yard.

"Of course there is something. Guo Erlang borrowed ten taels of silver from us and agreed to pay it back today.

"Where's Guo Erlang? Let him come out and return the money." said the leading man.

"What? Borrowing money? When did he borrow the money? We don't know." Old Man Guo said in surprise.

"Tsk, he lost money gambling, so he borrowed it from our boss. We agreed that he would borrow ten taels and return twenty taels when the time came.

I won't waste my time talking to you guys, just get Guo Erlang out to pay me back." The sturdy man found a stool and Zhang Fei sat down.

"What? Twenty taels?"

"What's going on? Why did Erlang borrow money?"

When they heard the twenty taels of silver, Guo Dalang's wife and Guo Sanlang's wife, who had been eavesdropping, ran out immediately.

"Dad, why should we ask our family to pay back the money Erlang owes? All the money in our family was earned by Dalang. It's okay for him to eat and drink at home.

He also went out to gamble and is now in debt. I’m telling you, if you break his fast, we’ll split up.” Guo Dalang’s wife was eager to split up Guo Erlang right away.

"Yes, I don't agree either. That's twenty taels of silver. Dad, if you pay him back, we can split the family." Guo Sanlang's wife had wanted to split the family for a long time, and she took the opportunity to bring it up.

Gu Xiang was working in the yard. When she heard that Guo Erlang owed money outside, she didn't dare to say a word and hid in the house with her child.

"Hurry up and take the money, or don't blame us for being rude." The strong man knocked the ground with a wooden stick.

"Erlang is not at home. Why don't you go back first? When Erlang comes back, I will ask him to come find you." Old Man Guo chose his words carefully as he discussed.

"Old man, you said it lightly, but I can't go back empty-handed after this trip.

I won't blackmail you. Look carefully, this is the IOU signed and sealed by Guo Erlang.

It was clearly written on the IOU that we were owed twenty taels of silver.

I advise you to just take it out and don't wait for me to do it myself." The sturdy man winked, and the men who came with him slowly walked up.

"No, no, my son is really not at home, and there is no twenty taels of silver at home.

"Sir, could you please be flexible?" Old Man Guo begged with a nod and a bow.

"It seems that you won't cry until you see the coffin. Brothers, since they don't know how to appreciate it, you should teach them how to do things right." said the strong man.

After receiving the order, several men started smashing things in the yard with wooden sticks.

"Stop, stop now..."

"What are you doing? Stop it, you bunch of robbers."

"Oh my God, I can't live anymore. God, please open your eyes and take a look..."

"Stop it, stop it."

The Guo family tried to stop this one but couldn't stop that one. Besides, these people were so ferocious that they didn't dare to really stop them.

I could only cry and hope they would stop.

"Hurry up and give me the money, or we'll continue." The sturdy man signaled several men to go into the house and smash it.

"Wait, I'll get the money. I'll give it to you." Old man Guo said in a trembling voice as he looked at the mess in the yard.

"father……."

"Old man."

Mrs. Guo and her daughter-in-law cried out at the same time.

"Okay, take it, otherwise you will lose this house." Old man Guo said in a hoarse voice.

"But..." Guo Dalang's wife wanted to say something, but looking at those ferocious-looking men, she didn't dare to continue.

"Brothers, stop first. It would have been better if you did this earlier. You have to make me angry." The strong man waved his hand and several men stopped.

"Bah, if you don't accept my toast, you should drink the wine first. It would have been better if you took it out earlier."

"That's right, isn't this just asking for trouble?

"Brother, I think this young lady is pretty. If she doesn't pay back the money, we can take her away."

"Yes, if you sell it to a brothel, you might be able to get a few more taels."

"This one's not bad either. Although it's a bit older, there are still people who really like it."

…

Several men commented on the wives of Guo Dalang and Guo Sanlang.

They wanted to get angry but didn't dare. Feeling ashamed and angry, the two of them stomped their feet and ran back to the house.

“Hahahahahahaha.”

Several men burst into laughter.

"Alright, that's enough. We are here to collect debts, let's not make things more complicated." The strong man saw that they were getting more and more outrageous, so he quickly stopped them.