Chapter 5

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Chen Zhiyuan walked out of the door.

He saw a well-dressed young master standing outside the door of the small courtyard, who kept peering into the room.

Four or five servants were leading the horses and fanning him, and two other servants were pounding on the frail door of his house.

When he saw a man walk out of the house, the well-dressed young master was obviously shocked as well. He sized up Chen Zhiyuan from head to toe, and a look of disdain immediately appeared in his eyes.

“I presume you are the useless husband of Miss Li, Chen Zhiyuan? Look at your poor appearance. How do you deserve Miss Li? The young lady is really blind. That’s why she married a good-for-nothing like you.”

The young master stared coldly at Chen Zhiyuan. With a swoosh, he opened the folding fan in his hand, and he was full of disdain.

The Xu family was a large clan in the county, and Xu Qingfeng was the only son of the Xu family. He was a regular customer of the county’s brothel, and he had slept with many young ladies from wealthy families. However, if he played too much, he would eventually get sick of it.

Until that day, when he happened to go to his own cloth shop to look at his business, he happened to meet Li Zhu’er, who came to sell cloth. Although she was dressed in a coarse linen shirt, she was extremely beautiful, and her figure was also well-developed. Suddenly, his eyes could not move, and he could not move his feet too.

From then on, every time Li Zhu’er came to the cloth shop to sell cloth, he would be waiting in the hall on time. After learning that Li Zhu’er had borrowed money from the cloth shop, he directly changed Li Zhu’er’s flat loan to a usury loan.

He only wanted to wait until Li Zhu’er could not pay back the loan, and then he could let Li Zhu’er use her body to pay off the debt.

He did not expect this peasant girl to be so virtuous. She had used the excuse of being married several times to avoid him.

Xu Qingfeng was even more excited when he heard this. He got rid of the idea of having his subordinates kidnap Li Zhu’er. He wanted to see a virtuous woman like Li Zhu’er, who had no choice but to give herself to him because she could not pay back the money. That would be interesting.

Therefore, he came personally today to collect the debt!

He already knew very well who was in Li Zhu’er’s family. Her husband was just a drunkard and gambler.

However, when he saw Chen Zhiyuan, who had a strong figure and was slightly more handsome than him, coming out of the house today, this huge contrast made him a little jealous. He could only mock Chen Zhiyuan’s status.

“You must be Xu Qingfeng, the young master of the Xu family. Young Master Xu, may I know why you’re here today?”

Chen Zhiyuan looked at Xu Qingfeng casually and said in neither servile nor overbearing manner.

“B*stard! Why are you talking to my young master? Are you blind?”

“That’s right! Tell your wife to come out. The money she borrowed from my young master should be paid back today!”

Before Xu Qingfeng could say anything, the servant beside him pointed at Chen Zhiyuan’s nose and started cursing.

How dare this poor drunkard and gambling maniac talk to his young master like that?

“Young Master Xu, my wife Zhu’er borrowed a hundred coins from your cloth shop. She has paid back five hundred coins. No matter how you look at it, the debt should be paid off. So why are you still coming to my house to ask for money?”

Chen Zhiyuan could not be bothered by the clamor of the lackeys. He stared into Xu Qingfeng’s eyes and asked in return.

Sensing Chen Zhiyuan’s sharp gaze, Xu Qingfeng felt a strange chill in his heart. However, when he thought about how he knew Chen Zhiyuan was just a good-for-nothing who only knew how to drink and gamble, his courage grew again.

“That’s right. Miss Li has paid back 500 coins. However, that was last year’s interest. This year, the interest has increased again!”

“Since the great drought, the price of grain has been changing every day. As for borrowing money, naturally, it’s also the same. The debt your little wife owes has accumulated to a thousand coins. Even though you paid back 500 coins, you still owe me 500 coins. I want the money by today. If you can’t pay it back, then use your little wife to pay off the debt!”

Xu Qingfeng snapped the folding fan shut and stared at Chen Zhiyuan as he said viciously.

He wasn’t going to act anymore. He laid his cards on the table!

No matter what, he wants to have Miss Li today and right in front of Chen Zhiyuan.

“Young Master Xu, since you have said so, it means that you’re going to snatch a woman today!”

Chen Zhiyuan grinned and stared at Xu Qingfeng like a bloodthirsty hungry tiger.

“So what if I am? In this small area, if I say so, no one will dare to say no. I, Xu Qingfeng, am the sky here! Men, charge in. The blame for beating Chen Zhiyuan to death will be on me. Today, I must bring Miss Li back!”

Xu Qingfeng put the folding fan behind his back, rolled up his sleeves, and led a few servants to charge in.

The servants were used to being arrogant. Now that they had Xu Qingfeng’s orders, they even tore down the courtyard door with just a few punches and kicks. They charged in, raised their fists, and were about to punch Chen Zhiyuan in the face.

“Hubby! Hubby, there are too many of them. Leave quickly, and don’t bother me. Young Master Xu has practiced martial arts before. You are no match for him. Hurry up and leave!”

Li Zhu’er, who saw the scene outside through the crack in the door, couldn’t hold it in any longer. She rushed out and blocked in front of Chen Zhiyuan, telling him to leave quickly.

Seeing this scene, Xu Qingfeng, who hadn’t entered the courtyard yet, couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Chen Zhiyuan, what kind of man hides behind a woman? Miss Li, what’s there for you to feel reluctant about this kind of trash? Why don’t you come with me and be my mistress? You will be able to lead a good life. Won’t that make you happier?”

Li Zhu’er ignored Xu Qingfeng’s words and kept pushing Chen Zhiyuan into the house. Seeing her husband standing still, she was so anxious that she almost cried.

Just then, she suddenly felt a pair of warm hands caressing her face again.

“Zhu’er.” Li Zhu’er raised her head in a daze.

Chen Zhiyuan looked at her with a gentle gaze and said, “You made this courtyard door yourself. How much do you think Young Master Xu should pay for it? How about starting with 5,000 coins? Young Master Xu should be able to afford it, right?”

“Ah… Hubby…”

Li Zhu’er was completely stunned.

The few lackeys and Xu Qingfeng were also stunned.

However, Xu Qingfeng was not stunned for long. The color of his face changed from white to red, from red to green, and his eyes were filled with ferocity.

“Men, charge. Beat him to death for me! Beat this good-for-nothing to death, and you will be rewarded with 100 coins! I will personally go to the county office to bail you out!”

Xu Qingfeng was completely mad, and his eyes were bloodshot. Not only did this young couple flirt in front of him, they even discussed making him pay and even starting with 5,000 coins. That was 5,000 taels of silver!

5,000 taels of silver!

Even if he massacred Taoyuan Village during this year of famine, and threw 5,000 taels of silver in front of the county grand master, the county grand master would probably vouch for him and report that all the villagers of Taoyuan Village had starved to death!

“Kid, you’re courting death!”

“Hand over your life!”

With the master’s words, a few servants charged forward without fear of death.

“Zhu’er, stand back and see how I’ll make Young Master Xu pay up obediently.”

Chen Zhiyuan looked at the rushing servants and gently pulled Zhu’er behind him. He grabbed the first fist that came smashing towards him.

He twisted it casually.

“Ah!”

A heart-wrenching howl resounded through Taoyuan Village.

A servant spun two and a half times in the air and fell heavily to the ground!