Chapter 2: Debt

Of course, she needed to settle the family split before heading out to the tidal flats this afternoon—ideally, she could even sever ties completely.

That way, she could avoid unnecessary trouble.

But she couldn’t be the one to bring it up; otherwise, Feng Chunhua would never let her have her way.

At this moment, Feng Chunhua thought Chu Xuan and Mu Chenze had gone off somewhere to flirt, so she patiently waited at home, even happily making lunch for the two of them.

She waited and waited, but they never showed up. Only then did Feng Chunhua sense that something was wrong.

Just as she was about to go out and look for Chu Xuan, Aunt Hua came over, covering her mouth as she laughed. “Sister-in-law, I’m really curious—why doesn’t your Chu Xuan fancy that handsome Mu Chenze?”

“What do you mean?” Feng Chunhua grabbed Aunt Hua’s wrist. “Tell me clearly!”

Aunt Hua wasn’t one to be bullied. She slapped Feng Chunhua’s hand away. “You don’t know? Your Chu Xuan turned down Mu Chenze, even refused the betrothal gifts.”

Feng Chunhua didn’t have time for more questions. She ran home, grabbed a wooden stick, and dashed out. That wretched girl—if she found Chu Xuan, she’d beat her to death!

Two thousand yuan in betrothal gifts, gone just like that.

Chu Xuan was lazy and gluttonous, couldn’t help the family earn any bride price—what good was she?

When she found Chu Xuan at the old house, she raised the stick and swung it at her.

“You little wretch! Think you can hide out here and avoid a beating? I’ll beat you to death!”

In the past, Chu Xuan had always been terrified of her grandmother splitting her and her little brother off from the family, so she never dared to dodge the beatings.

But now, she wasn’t that foolish anymore. She wasn’t afraid of being split off, and if she needed to dodge, she would.

She was a bit chubby and not very agile, but she knew the layout of the old house well enough to narrowly avoid the blows. She ended up sweaty and disheveled, her already unflattering bob haircut now a total bird’s nest.

Feng Chunhua chased and cursed as she swung the stick. “Fed you till you’re this fat—raising a pig would’ve brought in more money! You can’t even earn a bride price, you’re worse than an animal! You deserve a beating!”

Chu Xuan retorted silently in her heart: she wasn’t fat because Feng Chunhua fed her, but because of dampness in her body—she’d gain weight even drinking cold water. She needed medicine to regulate it, but Feng Chunhua refused to spend the money.

Feng Chunhua didn’t watch her step and twisted her ankle on a rotten plank.

Only then did she stop the beating.

But her mouth didn’t stop. “Chu Xuan, you damned girl, how dare you dodge when I hit you? Got some nerve now, huh? Go find Mu Chenze and change how you address him—you have to marry him! Otherwise, you’ll be sorry! And after you marry him, you must send at least a hundred yuan a month back to our family. When Mu Chenze starts earning more, that amount better go up! If you don’t agree, I’ll split you and Chu Feng off from the family today!”

Chu Xuan stood there, panting. “Mu Chenze and his family are… are good people. I don’t want to ruin… them! Anyway, I… won’t marry him! But I don’t agree to splitting the family, either!”

If she agreed too easily to splitting off, Feng Chunhua would suspect she had money or some way to earn it, and then the split wouldn’t go through.

She needed someone to give the Chu family a real shock—and she already had the perfect candidate in mind…

Feng Chunhua had no idea what she was really thinking, only assuming she was scared.

“You don’t agree to a split? Let me tell you, your opinion doesn’t matter! Who do you think you are? Come here and carry me home!”

Chu Xuan pretended to be frightened and backed away a few steps. “Grandma, I don’t dare come over—I’m afraid you’ll hit me.”

With that, she put on a terrified face and ran off.

With no one to carry or support her, Feng Chunhua hobbled away angrily on her stick, muttering, “That little wretch will have to come home sooner or later! When she does, I’ll get the old man and our son to beat her together…”

She didn’t notice Mu Chenze standing by the big tree outside the courtyard wall.

Mu Chenze looked thoughtful. So Chu Xuan had refused him for the sake of his family—she actually had a conscience.

He owed her for that.

But as for her grandmother Feng Chunhua—she was truly something else.

Chu Xuan headed straight for town. Her mother had once saved a man nicknamed One-Eyed Dragon, though no one else knew about it.

This time, she planned to use her mother’s name to ask him for help.

***

A little after two in the afternoon, Chu Dashan, Chu Zhi, and Chu Feng returned home, but Chu Xuan was still nowhere to be seen.

With her husband and son present, Feng Chunhua became even more arrogant. She sat in the courtyard and told them about Chu Xuan refusing to marry Mu Chenze.

Chu Feng was so scared he didn’t dare make a sound.

Chu Zhi looked down his nose and said, “When she gets back, we’ll beat her first—let her know what happens when she disobeys! If she still refuses to marry, we’ll split the family and send her and Chu Feng to live at the old house!”

In the past, Chu Xuan and her little brother had been terrified of being sent to the old house.

It was close to the beach, leaked whenever it rained, and if a typhoon hit, it would surely collapse.

Chu Zhi actually hoped the house would collapse and kill the siblings, so Chu Feng wouldn’t compete with him for the inheritance.

Hearing this, Chu Feng dropped to his knees. “Grandpa, Grandma, Second Uncle, I beg you! Please don’t split the family. If my sister made you angry, I’ll take her punishment. Hit me instead! Just don’t split us off!”

Chu Xuan, just stepping into the courtyard, heard this. Her little brother was willing to take a beating for her—at least he still cared. There was hope.

Behind her stood a scary-looking, one-eyed man, who suddenly grabbed Chu Xuan by the back of her collar.

Chu Xuan put on a frightened look.

Outside the gate, six burly men stood waiting.

The Chu family had never seen such a scene before and were at a loss for words.

The One-Eyed Dragon swept his vicious gaze over the Chu family. “You’re the Chu family, right? Chu Xuan broke my imperial jade ornament in town and wrote an IOU for three thousand yuan. Plenty of witnesses, black and white on paper, signed and fingerprinted. So, which of you is going to pay her debt?”

At the mention of three thousand yuan, Feng Chunhua reacted first, spitting thick phlegm. “That damned girl! She’s gotten us into such big trouble! Let her pay with her life—it’s got nothing to do with us!”

She’d heard of the One-Eyed Dragon—a man in his forties, the most notorious jade dealer in town.

Chu Xuan’s eyes filled with tears, her whole body trembling as she pleaded, “Grandma, you have to save me! I don’t want to die! I didn’t mean to break it, I just wanted to look at it, but my hand slipped…”

Chu Dashan and Chu Zhi sided with Feng Chunhua, shouting almost in unison, “Let her pay with her life!”

Chu Feng cried out, “No!” but was slapped hard by Feng Chunhua, his left cheek swelling instantly.

Chu Zhi followed up with a slap on the other side, making it symmetrical.

Chu Feng didn’t dare say another word, but looked at Chu Xuan with worry.

Seeing her little brother beaten, Chu Xuan’s heart ached. “Don’t hit Xiao Feng. I’ll… I’ll pay with my life.”

“Your life isn’t worth enough!” The One-Eyed Dragon sneered at Chu Xuan, then waved to his men. “Go inside and move their stuff out. If they try to stop you, smash everything! We’ve got the IOU—no matter where we go, we’re in the right!”

His men immediately responded and started hauling things out of the house.

Chu Zhi tried to stop them, but was shoved to the ground. He wailed, “Mother! We can’t let them take our things! These are supposed to be for my wedding! This is cutting out my heart, drinking my blood, eating my flesh!”

His cries drew the neighbors, but they only came to watch the commotion, not to help.

Feng Chunhua grabbed the kneeling Chu Feng and shoved him toward the One-Eyed Dragon without hesitation. “Take my eldest grandson too! He can work for you to pay off the debt!”

Chu Feng stumbled, but before he could fall, Chu Xuan caught him.

She cried out, “Brother Long, my brother and I will work for you to pay off the debt. Please don’t take our family’s things.”

The One-Eyed Dragon looked annoyed. “This is a new society—I want your stuff as collateral, not you! Keep moving!”

Feng Chunhua’s wardrobe was full of valuables. She was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan."