Shen Qiqi walked quickly to the door of Brother Zhang's house and pushed open the half-closed wooden door. The dim light in the house made her feel a little uncomfortable for a moment.
A faint musty smell mixed with the smell of tobacco hit her face, making her nose itchy.
She saw Brother Zhang sitting on the kang, holding a pipe in his hand, his brows furrowed. In the smoke, his face looked frighteningly gloomy.
Mrs. Li sat on a small stool nearby, her head lowered, her fingers nervously twisting the corners of her clothes.
"Brother Zhang, please listen to my explanation..." Shen Qiqi spoke in a hurried tone, her heart pounding. She could feel that the atmosphere in the room was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring.
"Explain? What else is there to explain!" Brother Zhang stood up suddenly and slammed his rough big hands on the kang table. There was a loud "bang" sound, which made the teacups on the table jump up.
"I've lived for most of my life, and I've never seen anyone as good at deceiving people as you! Now the whole village is calling you a liar. How can I trust you?"
Lu Qing followed him into the house. When he heard Brother Zhang's roar, he clenched his fists and veins bulged on his forehead.
He walked to Shen Qiqi's side in two or three steps, protecting her behind him, and glared at Brother Zhang fiercely, "Watch your words! I know what kind of person Qiqi is better than you!"
Shen Qiqi gently pulled Lu Qing's sleeve, signaling him to be patient.
She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.
"Brother Zhang, I know there are a lot of rumors in the village right now, but they're all false! Uncle Lu..."
"Uncle Lu? He is your uncle! How could he possibly harm you?" Brother Zhang interrupted her gruffly, his face full of suspicion and distrust.
Shen Qiqi felt her throat tighten. She knew that it was useless to say anything now. Rumors were like a virus, corroding people's hearts.
She calmed herself down and said firmly, "Brother Zhang, believe me, I, Shen Qiqi, am not that kind of person! This project will definitely succeed. I can use my..."
"Qiqi..." Lu Qing looked at her worriedly. He knew how much effort she had put into this project, and he didn't want her to suffer any more injustices.
Shen Qiqi gave him a reassuring look, then turned to Brother Zhang and said, "I can guarantee it with everything I have!"
Brother Zhang looked at Shen Qiqi's determined eyes and was stunned for a moment. He seemed to be intimidated by her momentum.
The room fell into a brief silence, with only the ticking sound of the wall clock making an exceptionally clear sound.
Sister Li moved uneasily and spoke timidly: "Qiqi..."
When Mrs. Li heard this, she panicked instantly. She was like an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth restlessly, and the dust on the ground was flying up from the friction of her feet.
"This...what should we do? If it's really as they say, then all our efforts will be in vain. I don't want to be criticized by my neighbors because of this!" She said as she wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, and worry was written all over her face.
Shen Qiqi looked at Sister Li like this, and felt a little powerless, as if she had punched cotton.
She knew that once people's hearts were shaken, no amount of explanation would be of any use.
But she was unwilling to give up. She had paid too much for this project and could not give up.
She straightened her back, her eyes were firm, and her tone carried a hint of unquestionable strength. "Sister-in-law Li, don't panic! Rumors stop at the wise. We are upright and honest, so what are we afraid of? Besides, I, Shen Qiqi, am not the kind of person who runs away from the battlefield!"
At this moment, Lu Qing took out a piece of paper from his bag and handed it to Brother Zhang.
"Brother Zhang, this is the bank's preliminary approval of the loan. Take a look!"
Brother Zhang took the paper and looked at it carefully with squinted eyes.
There was a red official seal on it, with a few big words clearly visible: Loan Approved.
His originally gloomy expression gradually turned into surprise, and then slowly showed joy.
Sister Li also leaned over to look, her calloused hands trembling a little at this moment.
"Oh, my God! It's true! This, this is so great!" Sister Li jumped up excitedly, her face filled with incredible surprise, like a dried flower blooming again.
Brother Zhang was also grinning from ear to ear. He slapped his thigh hard with his hands and said, "I knew it, this girl Qiqi must be very capable! I knew that my vision as Zhang would not be wrong!" As he spoke, the wrinkles on his face were squeezed into a ball, but his smile looked particularly bright.
Shen Qiqi looked at their overjoyed expressions, and a strong sense of accomplishment surged in her heart, just like drinking a bowl of steaming ginger soup in the cold winter, making her whole body feel comfortable.
She knew that the crisis of trust had been temporarily resolved and the project had taken the first step towards success.
"In that case, let's continue..."
"Okay, I'll listen to you!" Brother Zhang interrupted her with a wave of his hand. He stood up suddenly, walked to the door, closed it, and turned back to her. His eyes became deep and his voice became much lower. "There must be someone behind this!"
Brother Zhang's words instantly froze the atmosphere in the room.
Shen Qiqi raised her eyebrows, a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. This old fox doesn't seem to be stupid.
She turned to look at Lu Qing, who was also looking at her with a questioning look in his eyes.
"Brother Zhang is right. There is indeed someone behind this." Shen Qiqi did not continue to ask, but changed the subject, "However, instead of spending time to find out the mastermind behind the scenes, it is better to use our strength to shut them up!" Her crisp voice echoed in the slightly dim room, with an unquestionable confidence.
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