Chapter 53

Chapter 53 - 53 052 Xie Shang Takes Action Zeng Zhilis Time of Death Chapter 53: 052: Xie Shang Takes Action, Zeng Zhili’s Time of Death (Two Chapters Combined) Chapter 53: 052: Xie Shang Takes Action, Zeng Zhili’s Time of Death (Two Chapters Combined) His friend sat down with him for a drink, “Isn’t she your lover? You look at her differently.”

Of course, differently.

“She’s an enemy.”

A passing car suddenly honked its horn.

Too close for comfort, Wen Changling adjusted the hearing aid in his left ear, uncomfortable with the noise.

“You seem to like Lileitu a lot.”

Xie Shang looked at her, “My uncle’s ashes were scattered over Mingmang Snow Mountain.”

That’s why Xie Shang went to Lileitu every year.

At that moment, three cars drove into the alley one after another and parked near the pawnshop. Even Wen Changling, who didn’t pay much attention to cars, recognized the emblem on the cars, and he had seen the person who got out of the front car on television.

Last week, a major event took place. The Ship King of Crane Port suddenly fell ill, and his four sons took their inheritance dispute to court. The man who had come to see Boss Xie was the eldest son of the Ship King, Rong Jingtu.

Business was about to pick up at Ruyi Pawnshop, so Wen Changling went home.

The next day, while Wen Changling was on duty, the waiting room was broadcasting news about Crane Port. She listened for a few moments as she passed by. The will of the Ship King had been made public, and the eldest son inherited the ship and gambling businesses of the Rong Family, while the other three sons inherited the hotel, logistics, and aviation businesses respectively.

Even Wen Changling knew the most valuable asset of the Rong Family was the ship business; otherwise, there wouldn’t be a title like the Ship King. Overnight, the inheritance dispute that rocked Crane Port came to a close, and Ruyi Pawnshop was much more mysterious than she had imagined.

As night fell, the deep alley without street lights was pitch-black. Several beams from flashlights shone on the walls, casting shadows from obstacles onto them.

Four standing figures, one lying down, curled up on the ground.

This secluded place only echoed with the sounds of fists and feet striking flesh and the desperate cries for mercy.

“Stop hitting!”

“Stop hitting!”

“I will pay the money back, I swear I will!”

The man curled up on the ground covered his head with his arms, his body bent like a worm, constantly promising.

The man leaning against the wall smoking was the leader of this group. Clenching a cigarette between his teeth, his dark red tattoos started at his neck and crawled across his entire lower jaw.

He was called Brother Xiang, as everyone in the underground gambling scene did. Nobody knew his real name.

Brother Xiang lifted his hand, and his men stopped. He walked over and stepped on Zeng Zhili’s back, asking, “When will you pay back?”

Zeng Zhili, mouth full of blood, spoke unclearly, “Next time, I’ll definitely pay back next time.”

Brother Xiang pinched Zeng Zhili’s mouth haphazardly and stuffed the lit cigarette end into it. He whimpered and rolled his eyes in agony.

After the lesson was sufficiently delivered, Brother Xiang let go, disgustedly wiping the blood from his hand onto Zeng Zhili’s face. Zeng Zhili immediately spat out the cigarette, half of his face numb and drooling with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“When will you pay? Give me a date.”

Zeng Zhili didn’t dare to be vague anymore, “Next, next week.”

“If I don’t see the money next week,” Brother Xiang kicked his left arm, “this arm will serve as payment.”

Two days later.

Gossip on street corners had a new topic.

“You know about that tenant at Old Lady Zhu’s house, right?”

The tenant kept to herself, and not many knew her name.

“The one who collects bodies at the mortuary?”

“That’s her.” Auntie Liu lowered her voice, creating an air of mystery, “I heard she can cast spells.”

Auntie Wang replied in shock, “Cast what?”

“Cast a spell.”

Someone nearby didn’t believe it and let out a laugh, almost waking the grandchild in their arms. They gently patted the child to calm him, “That’s ridiculous. What era are we in, sending rockets to the moon, and still casting spells?”

“Her relative said so, claiming their family suffered retribution because she cast spells on someone.”

The tenant from Old Lady Zhu’s, who collected bodies at the mortuary, had a distant cousin. Poor guy, he came from his hometown to work and got his wallet stolen on the way. With no money for a hotel, he was forced to sleep under the Sky Bridge.

And now, he got beaten up by a gang of homeless fighting over territory, leaving him bruised and swollen.

Last night, that bruised and swollen distant cousin was on this street corner, waiting for his cousin to see if he could borrow some money to go back home. Kind-hearted Auntie Liu even gave him an apple to stave off his hunger.

A few aunties coming out to buy breakfast from the bun shop were also talking about this matter.

“You know about Miss Wen who collects bodies at the mortuary?” They had more sensational news, “Her brother is a murderer.”

The locals, who spent most of their lives in this small neighborhood, were shocked to hear such terrifying news, displaying expressions of utter disbelief.

“Really?”

“Is that even a question? Her brother died in prison.”

“When did this happen?”

“Must have been years ago.”

“...”

As the story spread, the details began to change.

That’s how rumors work—each person adds their own artistic embellishments when recounting the tale.

By evening, the story told at the street-side raw egg stall had morphed.

“No wonder the tenant at Granny Zhu’s place is so quiet. I heard her brother committed murder, got the death penalty, and was shot.”

“That’s terrifying, isn’t it? To be executed by firing squad, he must have committed some heinous crime.”

“Exactly. And her mother couldn’t cope, she killed herself.”

“My God!”

The uncles and aunties were speaking enthusiastically.

Suddenly, a shout came—

“Hey!”

It was the younger daughter of the Lanying Hair Salon family, who didn’t look for work and spent her days at home painting—the one in slippers, angrily standing with hands on her hips, “How much does spreading rumors cost per pound? Are you all wholesale traders here?”

She held a long twist of fried dough, looking like she was about to hit someone with it—scary indeed.

“We’re not spreading rumors; these were the exact words from the relatives of Old Lady Zhu’s tenants.”

It’s not like these neighbors had any ill intentions—they just had too much free time at home, life was boring, they needed some excitement, and they didn’t want to gossip about the chaos in their own homes, so they were keen on discussing the strange twists and turns in the lives of others.

Yang Xining snorted, “You haven’t spread rumors? Didn’t you just say that Boss Xie was kept by a wealthy woman? Forgot about that so soon?”

The people didn’t have a leg to stand on and exchanged glances, falling silent. After all, gossiping about others behind their backs wasn’t something to be proud of.

Yang Xining had been assertive since she was a child and wasn’t afraid of these gossipy neighbors—everyone knew everyone else’s business, “If you’re really that idle, go home and find a wife for your grown son or push for grandchildren. If that doesn’t get anywhere, have a child yourselves, find something to do.”

Uncle Liu, who still hadn’t found a wife at the age of thirty-six, “...”

Auntie Wang, whose daughter-in-law stubbornly refused to have children, “...”

Big Sister Zhang, who was in her forties or fifties and had an accidental pregnancy, felt so ashamed she secretly got an abortion, “...”

Are there secrets on Lotus Pond Street?

No. Yang Xining’s mom was also part of the street’s gossip network.

The gossips each wore faces of different colors as they dispersed.

Yang Xining turned around and walked towards the corner, “Don’t listen to their nonsense. When I went to have my appendix removed, they said I had hemorrhoids.”

There were even more outrageous rumors. When her brother saw her drawing a scene where the main characters kissed, now everyone on Lotus Pond Street thought she was involved in creating adult comics.

Wen Changling said thanks, “Thank you.”

Yang Xining scratched her head, “I messed up your haircut before, so speaking up for you is the least I could do.” She broke the big twist of fried dough in half, handed one part wrapped in paper over, “Want some? It’s really crunchy.”

Wen Changling took it, “Thank you.”

Yang Xining thought Wen Changling was a good person.

Why? Her comics had been ignored by everyone, and she had periods where she just let her art slide and didn’t update. Once, while she was in a rice noodle restaurant, Wen Changling, whom she never spoke to before, came over and said his first words to her, “You draw very well.”

Yang Xining would remember those words for a lifetime.

Granny Zhu went back to her hometown.

Wen Changling followed the lanterns painted with rabbits, walking several rounds before going home. It was getting dark, and the noisy Lotus Pond Street was finally quieting down. From afar, she saw Zeng Zhili guarding the door of Granny Zhu’s house, which wasn’t surprising to Wen Changling. A person like Zeng Zhili would stick to you unless you got rid of him completely.

Occasionally, people glanced this way.

Wen Changling approached calmly, “Run out of money?”

Zeng Zhili must have had a rough couple of days, his face covered in bruises, his eyes swollen so badly he could barely see. He said urgently, “Give me three hundred thousand, and after I get the money, I won’t ever come back.”

False.

If she gave him the money, he would only become greedier. An insatiable hole can never be filled.

“All these rumors about my family must have been spread by you, right?”

He was still so despicable.

“That’s just a fraction of it. Just the issues with your brother alone would make an endless drama.” Zeng Zhili didn’t have time to drag things out, “If you still want to live here in peace, just give me enough money. Think of it as buying peace. With the money, I’ll disappear. Otherwise, it won’t be just where you live—I will also take my show to your workplace. I’ve already been ruined by you anyway, so even if I die, I’m dragging you down with me.”

Without the money, he would be beaten to death.

If it hadn’t been for the settlement money, he wouldn’t have gone to the underground casino in the first place, wouldn’t have gotten into such debt. Before he died, he was determined to take Wen Changling down with him.

Wen Changling repeated her line, “I don’t have any money.”

The look on Zeng Zhili’s face grew even more malevolent as he gritted his teeth, looking like he was ready to drag her down with him, “Then let your lawyer boyfriend pay. He drives such a nice car; he won’t miss that money.”

The lawyer boyfriend he referred to was Xie Shang.

Xie Shang had also been entangled by Zeng Zhili.

After Xie Shang bailed Wen Changling out of the police station that night, he sent her a WeChat message: If that person comes to you again, I can help you.

“Okay.”

Wen Changling agreed too readily. Zeng Zhili was taken aback for a moment. She opened the door, and after hesitating for just a few seconds, Zeng Zhili followed her inside.

As long as he could get the money, Zeng Zhili would jump even into a pit of fire.

Wen Changling led him to the backyard, then went to her room, “Wait here. I’ll go get the money from him.”

Then she left through the back door, locked it from the outside, and went to Ruyi Pawnshop.

The door of the pawnshop wasn’t closed; she knocked from the outside.

“Come in.”

Wen Changling walked into the courtyard.

Xie Shang seemed to be enjoying the cool air or admiring the moon, leisurely sitting on a woven chair, a book in his hand, with a pot of tea beside him.

He was reading the Tao Te Ching.

“Any issues this late?”

Wen Changling approached him, “I don’t have any other valuables.” She placed her bank card by the teapot, explained her purpose, “This contains all my savings. Can I use this money to pawn an item with you?”

Xie Shang put down his book, “But Miss Wen, I don’t need the money.”

Chapter 53 - 53 052 Xie Shang Takes Action Zeng Zhilis Time of Death Tip: You can use left, right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.