Chapter 563: Debt Collection
Yu Yongbai carefully looked at the expression on Gong Qingniang's face and saw that she was completely nervous about him. She no longer had that heartbreaking feeling. He breathed a sigh of relief and didn't want to put too much pressure on Gong Qingniang. He just forced a smile and said, "It's okay. Don't be afraid. I'm just moving."
Xing Xing also hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Sister Gong, I have scared your grandmother away. It's okay. I also said in front of the neighbors and the people that several ladies testified for us that I invited you to our house. Your grandmother can't use your reputation to threaten us... I just want to ask Sister Gong, have you thought about this matter in your family and how to deal with it?"
The more Yu Yongbai and Xingxing acted like this, the more Gong Qingniang felt upset.
Gong Qingniang has always been carefree and open-minded. She wiped the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief, smiled, and said calmly: "I have actually been trapped by a family relationship that is in name only, and also by my father's instructions to me to take care of the whole family when he was dying. In fact, I know in my heart that the Gong family doesn't like my father or me. On the one hand, they use me to live a life of glory and wealth, and on the other hand, they think they are a century-old family and can't stand me, a merchant woman with a coppery stench... This time it's good. That knife has completely cut off the blood relationship between me and the Gong family."
These words can be regarded as an explanation from Gong Qingniang to herself.
Yu Yongbai felt both distressed and relieved.
Xing Xing nodded repeatedly after hearing this, and she also felt sorry for Gong Qingniang, who was born in a family where the whole family depended on her for blood sucking.
Gong Qingniang spoke calmly, with a sense of relief: "...As for how to deal with the Gong family, I was born into the Gong family, and this cannot be eliminated. However, now that my third uncle is in jail, it is a condition that can be used for bargaining."
Gong Qingniang's eyes were clear and a bit cold: "...It all depends on my grandmother. Does she want to protect Uncle San and still get some money, or does she want to drag me down with her to perish!"
Xing Xing said seriously, "Sister Gong, just tell me. I will definitely not refuse if I can help you!"
Gong Qingniang looked at Xingxing tenderly and touched her hair: "...Xingxing, I have liked you since the first time I met you. I am not being distant with you, but these things are, after all, my own family's troubles. Your second brother has been stabbed because of me, and your Yu family has also had a lot of troubles because of me. If I can't handle these things well, and I have to trouble you, a little girl, to run around for me, then I will not be able to hold my head up when I marry into the Yu family in the future."
When she talked about "marrying into the Yu family", a blush flashed across her face, but she was still nonchalant and frank.
Yu Yongbai, on the other hand, was stunned for a moment, and then felt as if his heart was filled with joy.
Xing Xing didn't expect Gong Qingniang to say this. She hesitated for a moment, but still nodded vigorously: "Okay! I will listen to Sister Gong! However, Sister Gong, if something unexpected happens, please don't be shy and come to me, okay?"
Gong Qingniang smiled brightly and nodded with tears in her eyes: "Okay."
Yu Yongbai looked at Gong Qingniang with some worry. Gong Qingniang covered his eyes with her hands and said, "Boss Yu, wait for a few days. I will handle this thoroughly and come to see you then!"
Yu Yongbai had a lot to say, but in the end he just said in a low voice, "Okay."
Gong Qingniang left the Zhenxi General's Mansion.
After she left, she bought a horse with great fanfare, saying that she was going to do business in other places.
But after nightfall, he quietly entered the city while the city gate was still open.
She disguised herself as a man, bribed the jailer, and confessed several things.
That night, the jailer found a few thugs in the prison and beat up Gong Lao San who was sleeping.
He was beaten horribly, the kind that didn't kill him but was in great pain, and one of his legs was broken.
The prison guards also claimed that these prisoners who lived together had friction in the prison, which led to a fight. By the time they stepped forward to stop it, many people had been injured.
Gong Laosan cried out in pain, but the doctor invited by the government could only guarantee that Gong Laosan would not die. As for how he would recover and whether he could walk after his broken leg grew back, those were two other things.
When the news reached the Gong family, Old Mrs. Gong and the daughter-in-law of the third son of Gong almost fainted.
Old Mrs. Gong cried and slapped her thigh, cursing that it must be the Yu family who had evil intentions and wanted to kill her third son!
But before he could finish cursing, several major suppliers of the Gong family's shop came with their account books and demanded repayment for the goods they supplied.
Everyone in the Gong family was dumbfounded.
Gong Lao Er was mad: "What are you asking us for? Go find Gong Qingniang!"
The supplier scoffed: "How can Gong Qingniang have any money? She was reckless and stockpiled a lot of furs before, but she couldn't sell the furs at a good price last winter, so she has all the money in her hands! We have been delayed in paying for this product for three months!"
The Gong family looked at each other in bewilderment. Just at this moment, a shopkeeper from the silver shop came to collect a debt with an IOU. He said that Gong Qingniang had borrowed 12,000 taels of silver from their silver shop, and now that she was nowhere to be found, he naturally came to the Gong family to collect the debt.
When he said this, the shopkeeper was afraid that the Gong family would not believe him, so he held a corner of the IOU to prevent it from being snatched away, and showed the Gong family the loan note with the seal of the bank and the seal of the Gong family business. Of course, the IOU was real, but the shopkeeper had some personal relationship with Gong Qingniang, so he covered the date of the IOU with his finger as Gong Qingniang said.
That’s right, this IOU was borrowed from a bank today by Gong Qingniang, using the Gong family business as collateral.
When the Gong family saw that the account book and the IOU were real, they were devastated immediately.
Only then did they realize that the Gong family business had long been unable to make ends meet!
Old Mrs. Gong was almost fainted, but her second son pinched her philtrum to force her to wake up. The second son was very panicked because he still owed a lot of debts to the casino. Now that Gong Qingniang went bankrupt, what would he do with his gambling debts?
If you fail to pay back the money by the due date, your hands and feet will be chopped off!
But Gong Qingniang can’t even protect herself now!
Old Mrs. Gong woke up in pain from her fainting, but she didn't have time to curse. When she thought about her current situation, she wanted to faint again.
This time, several suppliers and the banker shouted in unison, "Madam, you have to pay back the money even if you fainted." Only then did Madam Gong hold on, pointing her trembling finger outside the door:
"That little bastard is at the Zhenxi General's Mansion. Go there to find her! The Gong family business is hers and has nothing to do with us! Go ask her to pay back the money she owes!"
Several suppliers discussed it and sent one to the Zhenxi General's Mansion to look for someone. The rest of them sat in the lobby, guarding the Gong family and not letting them leave.
Old Mrs. Gong was going crazy with anxiety.
She was now in a hurry to go to the prison to deliver money so that the government could find a doctor to give Gong Lao San the best medicine. She couldn't let Gong Lao San become lame in his leg!
As a result, a bunch of people came to ask for money! As soon as she handed the banknotes to the servants, the suppliers insisted that she wanted to transfer the money away, and they made a fuss and did not allow the servants to take the money away.
The second son got even more upset: "Okay, Mom, I knew you still had some money! Come on, take it all out so I can pay off my debts first!"