The old man guarding the money wasn't going to give any money, so Mingliang continued to read the account book aloud.
It was early morning beachcombing time, and more and more people were gathering to watch the excitement. The crowd was buzzing with discussion, and Old Man Qian was clearly struggling to keep up.
"Here you go! The motorcycle is yours. Consider it payment of your debt. From now on, we're even."
Mingjing glanced at the motorcycles parked in the yard. They were covered in dust, and judging from the style, they should be a Honda motorcycle that was most popular in the 80s and 90s.
The key was inserted in the front of the vehicle, which resembled a large electric scooter from later generations. It had a powerful motor, was fast, and was lightweight, making it suitable for girls to ride. However, it was far from enough to pay off the debt.
Mingliang pushed the motorcycle out, and Mingjing laughed, "Grandpa Qian, this motorcycle is second-hand. Now that my brother doesn't plan to become your son-in-law, the money is still not enough."
Upon hearing this, Qian Jiu'er rushed over, tears streaming down her face. "Mingjing, you're bullying me too much! I've already given you the motorcycle, what more do you want?"
"This motorcycle is worth at most eight thousand yuan, Qian Jiu'er. Do you think I'm stupid? You know I have good connections in town. I only need to say one word and you'll be done for."
"I'm giving you one chance. Give me back the rest of the money right now, or I'll call the police!"
It's not unacceptable to use some appropriate methods to deal with debtors who refuse to pay their debts.
In the village, anyone with connections to the town, whether true or false, is considered a powerful backer.
"Mingliang, how could you do this to me?" Qian Jiu'er cried, her eyes red and swollen, her voice weak.
"Stop talking nonsense, I'm not stupid," Mingliang said angrily, pushing his motorcycle.
There were some seafood piled up in the yard. Mingjing immediately noticed a large basin of seafood in the Qian family's yard, which contained a lot of bitter snails, several wild perch, and dead ribbonfish.
It should be worth a few hundred yuan if you take it to town to sell.
Mingjing's eyes lit up, and he turned to the crowd and shouted, "I see that Grandpa Qian really can't pay back the money, so let's use those fish as collateral."
"Fellow villagers, as you all know, I have made money, so I naturally cannot treat you all unfairly. Grandpa Qian owes the Ming family money and cannot pay it back, so he voluntarily uses seafood to pay off the debt, and those things will be given to you all."
Take as much as you can, don't be shy.
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances, their expressions revealing a complex mix of emotions.
"Hey Lao Qian, your daughter isn't getting married, but she's taking money and gifts from people. Isn't that marriage fraud?"
"That's right, it's only right to pay back debts. If you can't come up with the money, you don't mind paying back some seafood, do you?"
"Mingjing told us to take it, so don't come after us if you have any objections."
Mingjing stood at the door and gestured for them to enter, "Hurry up and stop dawdling, or you'll miss out."
As soon as he finished speaking, the villagers rushed into the Qian family's house.
"Stop robbing! Are you bandits?"
"Bandits! Robbers!" Old Man Qian rushed to pry open the wall and grabbed the villagers, but was pushed aside.
"Stop fighting! My dad worked so hard to collect these for days, you can't do this!" Qian Jiu'er said, pulling the villagers away.
At this moment, the villagers turned into bandits, scrambling for seafood. Those who couldn't get any took the dried fish drying in the yard, and some even took the seasonings from the kitchen.
While the Qian family was having a lively time, Mingliang went inside and searched through Old Qian's belongings, which totaled more than 50,000 yuan. He took out 20,000 yuan of it.
Before long, the Qian family's house was ransacked, and Qian Jiu'er sat on the ground crying while holding Old Man Qian.
"Look carefully, I'll take the 20,000 as a way of paying off your debt. From now on, we're even," Mingliang said, putting the 20,000 yuan into his pocket.
In fact, Qian Jiu'er owed him more than just 30,000 yuan. He didn't know the exact amount and didn't want to pursue it. It was good to end it like this.
"Don't accept gifts from people for no reason in the future, and then fail to get things done, making people look down on you."
Mingjing said a few words, turned around and went out. He twisted the handlebars of the motorcycle. The engine was still working, but the fuel was low.
"Get in the car!" Mingjing tilted his head at Mingliang, turned the car key, and the engine roared loudly, with black smoke billowing from the exhaust pipe.
Mingliang sat on the back of the motorcycle, and Mingjing twisted the throttle to get home.
Sun Yunmei brought out the food, saying, "Eat first, then go."
Shrimp dumplings with seaweed, a few boiled eggs, and two baskets of small steamed buns the size of teacups.
"Mom, I saw an injured eel in that pond. Don't move it. I'll make you eel rice when I get back," Mingjing said as she rode her motorcycle into the house.
Eels are a good thing, rich in collagen, but they're sticky to the teeth. Each one weighs at least a pound, and she didn't sell it because her tail was injured.
The eel rice dish on the menu requires at least 2,000 points.
"Wow, you really got the motorcycle back?" Sun Yunmei was overjoyed.
"Not only do we want the motorcycle back, but we also want 20,000 yuan back," Mingliang said, handing two stacks of banknotes to Sun Yunmei.
Taking the money, Sun Yunmei counted it and smiled so broadly her eyes disappeared. "It really is twenty thousand yuan! How could that stingy Old Qian agree to this?"
Mingliang quickly recounted what had just happened to the others, which made Sun Yunmei laugh. She finally felt relieved.
Mingjing didn't stop it; the whole village soon knew about it, and it was no use for her to stop it.
"Then we'll be at odds with the Qian family from now on," Ming Dahai worried.
"Let's get married. Why are we afraid of her? She's in the wrong. Eat up, Dad, let's go to the city after we finish eating."
Mingjing didn't take the Qian family seriously at all.
Now everyone in the village knows that the Qian family owes money. It is only right to pay back debts. Now she has dragged the villagers into this mess, so they are all in the same boat.
Even if the Qian family were foolish, they wouldn't make enemies of the entire village.
After finishing his meal, Mingjing hung the money bag on the handlebars of his motorcycle and placed two bags of grain in the empty space in front of the motorcycle.
"Dad, don't go. I can go by myself. Wait for me to come back."
Motorcycles can't carry much, and there aren't many people on them, so Mingjing plans to go to the city to deposit the money himself.
"You can ride a motorcycle?" Sun Yunmei was surprised by Mingjing's change.
Mingjing put on his helmet, twisted the handlebars, and the motorcycle roared to life. "I studied in the mainland, don't worry."
In her past life, she was a motorcycle enthusiast, and to her, this old-fashioned motorcycle was no different from an electric scooter.
“That won’t do. You go to the city first, and I’ll take a boat to the bank to find you. It’s not safe for you to be carrying so much cash,” Ming Dahai insisted on going with him, worried.
These days, there are many bank robberies, and a frail woman like Mingjing, carrying a money bag, would be a prime target for criminals.
There's only one bank in Xianlin City; he can find out where it is by asking around.
Mingjing didn't refuse; she turned the car handle and rushed out the door.
Motorcycles are already conspicuous in the village, and it's even more outrageous for girls to ride them. When Mingjing passed by, the motorcycle kicked up a cloud of dust, making everyone cough and sparking a heated discussion.
Some say Jing's family makes money, while others say he robbed the Qian family with a gang, making him a gang leader, which he seems to believe even more when he's riding a motorcycle.
Mingjing ignored them and rode her bicycle onto the passenger ship.
Fortunately, there are no regulations yet that allow you to board the ship with any ticket.
After disembarking at the dock, they passed a gas station. Mingjing filled up his tank with gasoline. A liter of gasoline cost less than ten dollars and would last a long time.
At the city bank, Ming Dahai arrived earlier than Ming Jing. He spent several hours filling out forms, taking photos, and going through all sorts of other procedures before finally getting his passbook.
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