Just as Fu Zhongli finished speaking, a young man who looked less than twenty shot his mouth off. He had just been kicked violently by Yan Wangchuan. âJust because you said so?! Who the f*ck are you?â
Before the person could finish speaking, a man beside him slapped him. âShut up! What nonsense are you spouting?!â
Cheng Hu was so frightened that his face turned pale on the spot. âSecond Master, donât take it to heart. This person is new and has never seen you before.â As he spoke, he glared fiercely at the person behind him. âIf you spout another word of nonsense, Iâll tear your mouth apart!â
Fu Zhongli chuckled. âCheng Hu, what do you plan to do about this issue?â
âIâ¦â Cheng Hu scratched his head. âSecond Master, tell me what to do. Iâll listen to you.â
âThe money Song Jingren owes is his personal liability. Itâs wrong of you to demand the mother and daughter to pay the debt. And extortion too? Youâre already breaking the law.â
Cheng Hu coughed twice, unexpectedly feeling a little embarrassed.
âYour man was hit by her car, but you know very well whether he needs to be hospitalized or not too. You even need medical compensation?â Fu Zhongli raised his eyebrows.
âIf you want compensation for the medical expenses, you can figure it out with my assistant. Iâll give you this sum of money. If you still want any nutritional costs or anything else, you can also calculate them with me. Iâll give it all to you.â
âSecond Master, arenât you slapping my face? How would I dare to ask you for money?â Cheng Hu smiled.
âIf youâre really injured, Iâll naturally have to pay. You donât have to be polite about this.â
âActually, itâs nothing much. Itâs just a small injuryâ¦â Cheng Hu smiled exceptionally obsequiously.
They were people who specialized in helping others collect salaries and retrieve debts. They relied on others to live. Fu Zhongli could cut off their livelihood with a word, so he naturally didnât dare to offend him.
Qiao Aiyun stood at the side and laughed sarcastically.?A bunch of scumbags.
They curried favor with the powerful, bullied the weak, and feared the strong.
âIf you want money, look for me directly. If you make things difficult for them again, I may not have as many tricks as you do, but I do have some connections in Yuncheng,â Fu Zhongli warned.
âI understand.â
âSince thereâs no problem, apologize to them. Youâve caused such a huge commotion. A group of grown men making things difficult for a woman, yet youâre not even embarrassed.â Fu Zhongli chuckled lightly.
âHow did we make things difficult for them? Look at my brothersâ¦â Cheng Hu complained endlessly.
Who knew that the older man in the suit was so good at fighting? The group of them hadnât gained the slightest bit of advantage over him. At this moment, they were all sporting bloody noses and swollen faces while howling away miserably.
âYou said that others hurt you, but I think youâve also hurt them quite badly.â Fu Zhongli pointed at Lawyer Little Liang. âIf you keep pestering them, Iâm afraid you wonât be able to get any benefits from it either.â
There were injuries on both sides. If this matter was calculated carefully, the line between right and wrong was completely blurred.
Cheng Hu had no choice. Fu Zhongli was here, so he could only get his men to apologize to Qiao Aiyun and also promise that he would never find trouble with them in the future.
Qiao Aiyun knew that she should quit while she was ahead. She knew that these people were despicable. But on account of Fu Zhongli, she agreed not to sue them anymore. This could be regarded as settling the matter.
âMs. Qiao, letâs go out and talk.â Fu Zhongli was more than polite in his speech.
Qiao Aiyun nodded.
After the group left, Cheng Hu was so pissed that he kicked the table over. âF*ck, what is this Sun family doing? Second Master obviously didnât know about this. If it wasnât for Second Master, who would give him face?
âGreat. Now that Iâve offended Second Master, Iâm afraid I wonât be able to survive in Yuncheng in the future.
âI thought that after succeeding in this matter, I would be able to get into Second Masterâs good books. I didnât get any money but got myself into trouble instead.â
âBrother Hu, are we really not going to calculate the medical fees with Second Master? We spent more than ten thousand yuanâ¦â the married woman muttered softly.
âIf you dare to, go and get it then.â Cheng Hu cursed.
âThen, should we tell Mr. Sun?â
Song Jingren had indeed borrowed money from them. They also wanted the money, but Song Jingren had gone to jail. They knew very well that this money was probably going to go down the drain. They had also been hesitating about whether to look for Qiao Aiyun. But at that moment, Sun Gongda had found themâ¦
He was Fu Zhongliâs brother-in-law, so they naturally thought that Fu Zhongli had allowed it. Only with someone supporting them had they dared to make such a fuss.
But who would have thought that they would lose money instead of being paid? And not only were the brothers beaten up, but they were also in deep trouble?
âSince he wanted to exploit us, why should we think for him? When Second Master goes back, heâll definitely settle scores with him. What does this have to do with us?â Cheng Hu wasnât a good person.
He couldnât find trouble with Sun Gongda, but he could still set him up.
They had no obligation to tell him anything in the first place.
***
Fu Zhongli brought Qiao Aiyun and the others to a tea room near the hospital and sat down.
âSecond Master Fu, itâs truly all thanks to you this time.â Qiao Aiyun was very grateful to him. Otherwise, she really wouldnât have known how to deal with these hooligans.
âPerhaps Iâm the one who needs to apologize to you. Someone borrowed my name to do evil. If I didnât come back this time, Iâm afraid I would have caused you huge trouble.â Fu Zhongli raised his hand and served Qiao Aiyun a cup of tea.
Everyone present was smart. Other than Geng Ying, who didnât know about the Sun family, everyone knew what was going on.
Other than the Sun family, they really couldnât think of anyone else who could use Fu Zhongliâs name to do evil.
âI didnât expect Song Jingren to borrow money in private either and leave this mess behind.â As soon as this incident had happened, Qiao Aiyun had gone to the detention center to confront Song Jingren.
This shameless person didnât deny it.
âNowadays, many corporations borrow from unlicensed moneylenders in private. The procedures for bank loans are complicated. If you urgently need money, the bankâs money wonât arrive in time. Although the interest is high, it wonât be much of a problem to use it for a few days to tide the company over,â Fu Zhongli explained.
âSometimes, corporations will also lend to each other, like a form of bridge loan. This kind of situation is very common.â
Qiao Aiyun nodded.
âIâll deal with this matter. I will definitely give you an explanation.â Fu Zhongli rubbed the purple clay cup with his fingertips, his eyes unreadable.
What did Yan Wangchuan hear from him just now? How could he still be dissatisfied? When Fu Zhongli came to find them, he knew that someone was behind it.
At this moment, seeing his sincere attitude, even if it was the Sun family who had done it, he shouldnât take it out on Fu Zhongli. Every injustice had its perpetrator. Even though the Sun family had been using his name, Fu Zhongli really didnât know.
âIâll treat you to a meal someday when youâre free.â Yan Wangchuan handed his business card to Fu Zhongli.
Fu Zhongli guessed his identity. When he saw the business card, his eyes still flickered. âYouâre welcome.â
The group sat in the tea room for a while before Fu Zhongli and Fu Chen left.
Qiao Aiyun watched them leave and heaved a long sigh of relief. âSecond Master Fu must have been called over by Fu Chen. I owe him a favor again. I canât repay him clearly anymore.â
âCanât repay him?â Yan Wangchuanâs face was cold. âWhatâs there to repay?â
âYouâ¦â Qiao Aiyun was furious. âOne should repay what one owes others. Donât you know the customary ways of the world?â
Yan Wangchuan raised his eyebrows.?She says I donât know the ways of the world?
What kind of plan is that little bastard concocting? He wants to kidnap your daughter. Shouldnât he help?
This brat really knows how to put on a show.
***
Fu Zhongli and Fu Chen didnât go home directly but instead found a restaurant and ate first before heading home slowly.
Sun Gongda couldnât contact Cheng Hu and the others. He called Fu Zhongli, but the latter didnât answer, so he felt a little uneasy.
âDad, stop pacing around. Itâs affecting me watching TV.â Sun Rui was sitting in the living room, eating. She waved at him impatiently to move farther from her.
âHurry up and tidy up the table. Itâs a mess. Your uncle is coming back.â Sun Gongda held his phone and had a bad premonition.
After Sun Ruiâs accident, she had been discharged early, and Sun Zhen was fine too. He was not his biological son to begin with, so he was sent back to his hometown after being discharged.
It was already the 28th of the twelfth lunar month on the day of the incident. The Sun family didnât return to the capital but took up residence in the Fu residence.
âUncle has such a good temper. Heâs not like you, shouting and kicking up a huge fuss.â Sun Rui was also sullen. She had tried to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice used to lure it[1]. Moreover, she couldnât leave the house. She had been cooped up at home the whole time during Lunar New Year.
âHehâYour uncle has a good temper?â He had a constant stick in his throat over the matter of the Sun family getting in trouble and him not helping.
While they were talking, the sound of a car came from outside. Sun Gongda hurriedly patted Sun Rui. âHurry up and clean up a little. Your uncle must be back.â
Only then did Sun Rui jump up from the sofa and tidy up the coffee table slightly.
When Sun Gongda went out to welcome him, Fu Zhongli was already at the door. âZhongli, I heard that you were coming back, but I didnât know what time you would arrive. I called you, but you didnât answer.â
âI didnât notice.â Fu Zhongli hadnât been back for more than half a year. He took a look at the house. The Sun family had come to stay for the time being, but they didnât hire any servants. They only occasionally called for an hourly cleaner to tidy up the place. After the new year, there was no one to do the cleaning, so it looked dirty and messy.
âUncle.â Sun Rui greeted him with a smile.
But when the father and daughter saw Fu Chen following behind him, their expressions turned sour. They had both suffered at his hands.
âWhat are you waiting for? Hurry up and pour a cup of tea for your uncle andâ¦â Sun Gongda was still furious when he saw Fu Chen. âGet a cup of tea for Third Master.â
âOkay.â Sun Rui turned around and walked to the kitchen.
âThereâs no need to pour tea. Little Rui, go back to your room first. I have something to tell your father,â Fu Zhongli said.
Sun Rui was stunned for a moment. âUncle⦠is there anything I canât listen to?â
âThatâs right. What could it be that you have to send her away?â An ominous premonition flashed across Sun Gongdaâs heart, but he hoped for the best. He had just arrived in Yuncheng, so he couldnât possibly know everything so quickly.
âYouâre not leaving?â Fu Zhongli chuckled. âAlright, then, Iâll be straightforward. Gongda, did you use my name to find loan sharks to harass Qiao Aiyun and her daughter?â
Sun Gongdaâs heart trembled, but his expression remained unchanged. âZhongli, what do you mean by that? When did Iâ¦â
âWould I spout nonsense about this kind of thing? This isnât the capital. No one will help you like this. Do you need me to call those people over to confront you?
âHow did the mother and daughter provoke you? Do you need to be so ruthless to people without support and protection? Those hoodlums have criminal records and can do anything. If this matter had continued, Iâm afraid Song Fengwan would have been implicated.
âYou even used my name. Sun Gongda, when did I give you permission to do this?â
Ever since Fu Zhongli married Sun Qionghua, he had never gotten angry with the Sun family. This was the first time he was showing his wrath.
Sun Gongda didnât expect him to flare up because of this. âThereâs more than meets the eye to this matter. You donât know what exactly happened, what this family did to Little Rui.â
âSong Fengwan isnât a good person!â
Fu Zhongli chuckled. âIâve known Wanwan longer than you. When she interacted with Little Rui in the past, it was mostly Little Rui who bullied her. That girl didnât say anything either. Even if she did something, she was probably pushed to the brink.â
After all, he knew Song Fengwanâs and Sun Ruiâs personalities too well.
âUncle!â Sun Rui panicked.
âZhongli, you donât know what happened. That girl isnât a pushover! She even dared to yell right at me.â
Fu Chen chuckled. âWhy didnât you mention that you rushed to her house, kicked up a fuss, and even hit Wanwan? Youâre not young anymore. Youâre an elder, yet you attacked a child. You sure have the nerve.â
âThird Brother!â Fu Zhongli frowned. âThereâs even such a matter too?â
âHe even tried to find someone to slander Wanwan. Sun Rui deserved it for that incident. Instead of educating his daughter properly, he went to someone elseâs house to make threats. The upbringing of the Sun family has truly broadened my horizons,â Fu Chen said.
âFu Chen!â Sun Gongda was furious.
âWhat did I say wrong? Itâs a fact that you hit Wanwan. The whole family is well-mannered, so they didnât do anything to you. But arenât you great? You sent someone to do such disgusting things in private. How dirty.â
âYouâ¦â Sun Gongda was furious. He clenched his fists and walked toward Fu Chen. Fu Zhongli turned around and stood in front of Fu Chen.
âYou want to hit my younger brother in my house?â
âI wasnâtâ¦â Sun Gongda was mad with anger, but he hadnât lost his brain. He just wanted to step forward and argue with him.
âI originally agreed to let you people stay for a few days during the new year. Now that the seventh day of the new year has passed, itâs time for you to leave.â Fu Zhongli directly showed them the door.
âUncle.â Sun Rui was flabbergasted. Fu Zhongli had a good temperament and had never spoken so harshly to her.
âZhongli, are you trying to stand up for that family and chase us out?â Sun Gongda didnât expect Fu Zhongli to do this.
âYou shouldnât have found someone to cause trouble deliberately in the first place, and you even used my name. You want me to turn a blind eye? You just happened to step on my bottom line this time.
âI gave you face and told Little Rui to go upstairs, but you refused.
âThen, you canât blame me for not giving you face anymore. Do you want to leave yourself, or should I get someone to help you pack your luggage and throw you out?â
Fu Zhongli stood there and spoke in a refined yet domineering manner.
His tone was unyielding, not giving the Sun family any good attitude.
âOkay, okayââ Sun Gongda sneered. âI donât think we can be in-laws anymore.â
Fu Zhongli glanced at him. âDo you think Iâm happy to be in-laws with you right now?â
Sun Gongdaâs face stiffened. He didnât give him any face at all.
Fu Chen snorted lightly.?Using this to threaten Second Brother? He must have miscalculated. This will only worsen their relationship as husband and wife.
â¦
An hour later, the news of the Sun family being chased out of the house by Fu Zhongli spread throughout the city.
[1] A Chinese idiom about trying to gain an advantage only to end up worse off.