"You can take the copper coins to the village chief later!"
Liu recalled Xiaopang's walking posture and felt that the child was very pitiful for being beaten so badly.
"Okay, I'll also deliver the money I owe to the village chief."
It is always uncomfortable to owe money. If Liu didn't want to be conspicuous, she would have wanted Lin Anru to pay off all her foreign debts long ago.
Lin Anru pulled out a small jar for saving money from under the bed, took out three strings of silver from it, plus the one hundred coins handed over by Liu, put them in a small basket, covered it with a cloth and went out.
The village chief's home is in the middle of Yamada Village. He met many villagers along the way. They greeted him warmly, but they looked at the basket in his hand curiously from the corner of their eyes.
The villagers who had some sense at most just glanced at it, and Lin Anru pretended nothing happened. The less sensible ones not only asked questions but also started to dig it up. Lin Anru would evade it if she could, but would immediately refuse with a stern face if she couldn't.
The attitude of the village chief's family was the exact opposite of the enthusiastic villagers. They were not very welcoming to Lin Anru's arrival, especially the village chief's wife, whose face was full of annoyance.
But no matter how much she hated it, she still had to be polite. She took the man to the lobby, gave him a glass of water, and then left.
Village chief's wife: (￢_￢)
Xiaopang: (＾v＾)
The two met behind the door, and tacitly did not say anything, just pretending that the other was not the village chief.
The two stood behind the door for a while before the village chief appeared.
"Uncle, this is one hundred coins. It's the money Xiaopang paid for the sugar yesterday. We didn't know Xiaopang stole it from home, so we've already used some of the sugar. Consider this as the money we paid for it."
Xiaopang didn't take much sugar, just one pound at most, and one hundred coins were enough.
Upon hearing this, the village head's wife behind the door grabbed Xiaopang's ear with her hand.
You prodigal son!
Xiaopang felt pain, but dared not make a sound and could only plead silently.
"That's enough."
The village chief only took a part of it and left the rest untouched.
Lin Anru pushed the money back and said, "This money is what my daughter asked me to give you. The extra money is Xiaopang's 'life saving money.'"
The fat boy, whose ear was being pulled by his grandmother, immediately opened his mouth wide, and then his other ear was also pulled by his grandmother.
After learning that his grandson had taken the candy to save someone, the village chief had already reported the incident. However, since he had the money, he accepted it anyway.
"This is the silver you lent me before. Can you count it?"
The village chief frowned: "You still want to take the exam, aren't you? Were you just trying to cheer me up before?"
Lin Anru shook her head.
"If that's not the case, then take the money back and return it to me slowly when you become successful."
The old lady behind the door immediately became anxious and wanted to go out and collect the money on the table.
When Xiaopang saw that, he immediately pulled the person back and stretched his head over to let her continue pulling his ears.
"Uncle, you know, I can earn quite a bit of money copying books. My daughter knows medicine, so she can also help support the family. Now that the money I earn doesn't have to be turned over to the government, I can save quite a bit. I plan to pay off all my foreign debts first, and then save money for my studies."
“Nonsense!”
The village chief shouted.
His voice did not scare Lin Anru, but it did scare the old lady who wanted to come out to get the money. After hesitating for a long time, she retracted her feet and stayed with her grandson.
"You're not young anymore. If you pay off your foreign debts and then save money, how many years will it take to save enough? Anru! When you're young, you have the opportunity to try and make mistakes. When you're older, there are fewer opportunities."
The village chief tried to persuade him earnestly, but Lin Anru had made up his mind and would not change it.
"Uncle, I know what's going on."
"You have a fart!"
The village chief slammed the table, stood up and pointed at his nose, wishing he could pry his head open and take away the thoughts in his mind.
He lived to such an old age, and only one scholar appeared in the village. Was it easy for him? Huh?
"It's just because I'm old that I have more concerns!" Lin Anru calmly explained to the furious village chief: "I've been in debt for more than ten years, and my wife has suffered for more than ten years."
The village chief was unconcerned: "Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. What's the big deal about enduring this little hardship? Good fortune is yet to come!"
"They say being debt-free brings freedom and contentment. Her health isn't good, and we can't let this invisible burden weigh on her forever." Lin Anru continued, "If I succeed, it'll be fine. But if I don't and keep going down this path, Boyu and Shiyu will be like their mother now. They're so young, and the burden will crush them."
"The older you get, the less courageous you become. Why worry so much? I have your uncle to back you up."
Lin Anru was helpless: "It's not that I'm timid, it's that I've matured and thought things through more comprehensively. Besides, the villagers were willing to lend me money more than ten years ago, but will they still lend me money today? I can't rely on your money if I don't save it myself."
More than ten years ago, he was still a teenager, and those who lent him money were basically teenagers or older friends from the same village.
At that time, they were either not married yet, or married but had no children, or had only one or two children. The pressure of life was not that great, so they borrowed the money.
Now they have to raise children and take care of the elderly and young children. Even if they want to lend him money, don’t they have to consider their families?
"Whatever you say, humph!"
The village chief took the money and then sent the guest away with a sullen look on his face.
When Lin Anru was about to reach the threshold, the village chief's voice came from behind him: "I'll keep this money for now. When you need it, come and ask me for it."
He was angry after all, and he turned around and went back to the house without waiting for Lin Anru to answer.
When Lin Anru came out, he happened to meet the village chief's wife. Unlike when he came in, this time the village chief's wife finally stopped looking at him with disdain. She even nodded in response when he greeted her.
The village chief’s wife: Now that he doesn’t owe my family any money, he looks much more pleasing to the eye.
When he reached the gate of the yard, he saw Xiaopang and waved to him to come over.
"Sister Shiyu said she'll call everyone together when she has time to divide the money!"
Xiaopang's eyes lit up and he immediately ran away, not even bothering to ask his grandfather for the "life money" that Lin Shiyu had given him.
After paying off a large sum of foreign debt, Lin Anru walked with a little more ease. Now the only debt left was from the village head. Once they paid off the money they owed, all the money would be paid off. From then on, the money they earned would truly belong to their family.
Liu was also very happy. Although there was a little space in the jar, she felt much more at ease.
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