Chapter 25 Taking an Inch and Wanting a Mile
"Didn't I just say that if your family doesn't have enough money, everyone can lend you some, more or less?"
"What did you tell me? You said that borrowed money had to be repaid!"
"Listen to what you're saying, is that even human language?"
"Among so many families in the village, which family hasn't suffered a disaster? Which family is like you, abandoning their perfectly good child just like that?"
“Miss Xie herself is still in debt. Her injury has just healed, and she runs up the mountain every day. She finally saved up some money and is willing to spend it all on Xiaoya’s medical treatment. What about you? What about your family? You are Xiaoya’s own parents, brothers and sisters!”
"She can't interfere in your family's affairs, right? Then can I, as the village head, interfere?"
"Tell me straight today: are you going to pay for Xiaoya's treatment yourself, or are you going to sell Xiaoya to Miss Xie and have Miss Xie pay for Xiaoya's treatment?"
"If you're willing to watch the little girl die just to save face, then I'll send someone to invite your fifth grandfather and ask him and your Liu family if they can tolerate a dog like you who would be so heartless as to kill his own daughter!"
The Liu family and the Wang family, like other families, fled here and settled in Mingfu Village.
The fifth elder, the most senior and prestigious member of their clan, had a much fiery temper than the village head. Moreover, as the elder of the Liu clan, he had far more authority than the village head in handling the Liu family's affairs.
It's just that he's old, so the Liu family can't easily drag him out of the house in the middle of the night; otherwise, his cane would have already hit Shuanzi's father by now.
Upon hearing the village head say that he wanted to invite his fifth grandfather, Shuanzi's father immediately backed down, saying, "My family can't afford it anyway. Since that stinky Miss Xie has so much money, she can just give the money to Doctor Chen."
Chen Lizheng sneered, "What, you want people to spend money on your little girl's medical treatment for nothing?"
Shuanzi's father avoided eye contact. "I can't really sell the little girl, can I? The villagers would gossip about me behind my back!"
Chen Lizheng couldn't stand his twisted logic and opened his mouth to scold him, but the thin old women who couldn't stand it either beat him to it.
One of the elderly women, with graying hair, spat forcefully, "You scared a perfectly healthy child until she got sick, and she's almost dying. You didn't even care if people talked about you behind your back, but now that you've sold the little girl, you're worried about people talking about you! If you're so shameless, why don't you take out your own money to treat the child?"
Another elderly woman beside her chimed in, "Isn't it just because Miss Xie is kind-hearted and can't bear to see the little girl die like this? You think you have her wrapped around your little finger and want her to spend money on your little girl's treatment for nothing? Do you think no one can see through your little tricks?"
"......"
With many sons and nephews, the old ladies of the large family are not afraid of Shuanzi's father. If this scoundrel dares to lay a finger on them, they will stay at his house and eat every last grain of rice!
Their children, grandchildren, and relatives will also seek justice for them, beating Shuanzi's father until he screams and howls.
Shuanzi's father was being scolded by the old ladies, who pointed at him and berated him. His dark face turned bright red with embarrassment.
He dared not continue to make things difficult for Xie Wanniang, fearing that these old women would seize on the smallest thing and fabricate ten or eight charges against him.
He still has to live in the village, and his second son also needs to get married. He can't ruin his family's reputation.
"Fine, fine, I can't argue with you." Shuanzi's father took two steps back. "Since you think selling is a good thing, then I'll sell, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Lizheng nearly burst out laughing. "So, we all forced you to do this?"
Shuanzi's father quickly shook his head, "No, no, you're doing this for Xiaoya's own good."
He dared not incur the wrath of the masses.
"That's settled then." Xie Wanniang turned to Doctor Chen and Shuanzi's mother. "Auntie, could you please take her to Jiang Yuan's house? She can stay in my room for now. Master..."
Dr. Chen nodded, "I'll go to your clinic to see this little girl."
He paused for a moment, then added, "To completely cure this child, you'll need at least a thousand or eight hundred coins. You'll sign a contract of servitude later. If her family demands an exorbitant price, then you might as well not buy her."
Xie Wanniang smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm not some foolish, rich, and foolish person."
She looked at Jiang Yuan, "Ah Yuan."
Jiang Yuan nodded. "I'll go open the door for them."
Xie Wanniang then turned to look at Shuanzi's mother, who was standing there hesitantly, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something. "Auntie, aren't you going to take Xiaoya out? Her illness can't be delayed any longer, can it?"
Shuanzi's mother remained standing still, wiping away her tears as she said to Xie Wanniang, "Miss Xie, since you have money, could you lend us some? Once Xiaoya recovers, I'll have her work for you to pay us back."
Xie Wanniang was truly amazed. She looked at Chen Lizheng and the onlookers, "Uncle Lizheng, uncles, aunts, and grandmas, I've been taken advantage of. I guess I'll just refrain from doing this favor."
After she finished speaking, she turned and left. Shuanzi's mother hurriedly reached out to grab her, but she nimbly and nimbly dodged her.
Xie Wanniang turned around, frowning as she looked at Shuanzi's mother. "Auntie, one shouldn't be greedy. Just because someone is kind doesn't mean they're easy to fool. You should understand this, right?"
"The village head just said that if your family is in trouble, the villagers can lend you money. But you said that you have to pay back the money you borrow, so we can't lend it to you!"
"How come you can lend me money again now? Does that mean you can just default on your debts and not pay me back?"
"They said they'd make Xiaoya work to pay off the debt. Xiaoya is five years old, but she's the same size as those three-year-olds in the village. She's short and skinny, just a skeleton. What can I do with a little girl like that? Dig for wild vegetables or gather firewood?"
"My master just said that it would cost at least 1,800 coins to cure her. Auntie, how much firewood and wild vegetables does that little girl have to gather for me to pay back the 1,800 coins she owes me?"
"Do I need to hire a middleman to help me keep accounts and calculate the price of the little firewood and wild vegetables that Xiaoya brings me every day?"
"Is it not worth it? I also think it's not worth it! But I don't want to lend you money out of kindness, only to lose my reputation along with the money in the end!"
The villagers were talking about it, and most of them felt that Shuanzi's mother had decided to let the debt slide because Xie Wanniang was kind-hearted, young and tender, and most importantly, an outsider.
Anyway, just like Xie Wanniang said, the little girl is so tiny, what can she do to earn money and pay off the debt?
They would have her deliver some firewood and wild vegetables to Xie Wanniang every day. After three to five years, when the girl was eight, nine, or ten years old and could be of great use at home, they would announce to the outside world that the girl had been working for Xie Wanniang for four or five years and that she had more than enough to repay the thousand or eight hundred coins. Naturally, they would no longer need to repay this debt.
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