Chapter 292 - 171: The Happiness of a Retired Old TCM Doctor Is Truly Boundless

Chapter 292: Chapter 171: The Happiness of a Retired Old TCM Doctor Is Truly Boundless

Zhou Yan darted forward, took the money, and stuffed it back into the pouch. "Auntie," he said with a smile, "let me advance you this one hundred eighty yuan. You keep your money for beans and living expenses. For the dried tofu and tofu skin Lai Fu delivers later, I’ll just keep a tab until the one hundred eighty is paid off. How does that sound?"

Mrs. Sun looked up at Zhou Yan, tears streaming down her face. "But you need money, too," she said, her voice trembling. "I can’t let you do this..."

Watching the scene unfold, Zhang Zhengping and Zhang Shufen both broke into gratified smiles.

"I don’t need the money urgently," Zhou Yan said with a smile. "You’ll be delivering dried tofu and tofu skin every day, so it’s a sure thing. I’m not worried. So, that settles it."

With that, he pulled a wad of cash from his pocket, took back two Great Unity bills, and handed the rest to his grandmother. "Grandma, here’s one hundred eighty yuan. Please give it a count."

"Will do." Zhang Shufen took the money and began to count.

Gu Changgui and Wu Hongxia stared at the money in Zhang Shufen’s hands, their eyes gleaming.

Zhou Yan then took out a pen and paper and quickly scribbled out a receipt.

He Zhiyuan and Zhang Zhengping leaned in, offering a few suggestions to make it more official. Once the draft was done, Zhou Yan copied it over again neatly.

"One hundred eighty yuan. Count it carefully right now. If there’s any issue, speak up. The moment you walk out this door, we’re no longer responsible for the amount or whether the bills are counterfeit," Zhang Shufen said, handing the counted money to Gu Changgui and his wife.

Gu Changgui took the money and counted it carefully twice. He held a few of the Great Unity bills up to inspect them closely before finally nodding. "One hundred eighty yuan. It’s all here."

"Here’s the receipt," Zhou Yan said, offering him the paper and a fountain pen. "Sign it and add your thumbprint. Then I’ll burn the IOU, and this debt will be considered completely settled."

Li took a small box of red Seal Paste from a bag, opened it, and held it out.

Gu Changgui stared at the receipt, deeply resentful. He held the pen but hesitated, unwilling to sign.

Zhou Miao placed a hand on Gu Changgui’s shoulder. "Settle the debt, and we can turn the page on this," he said in a low voice. "But if anyone from Shangshui Village dares to bully my aunt or Lai Fu in the future, I won’t bother with them. I’ll come looking for you, and only you, Gu Changgui."

Gu Changgui swallowed hard as cold sweat beaded on his forehead. The hilt of the knife on Zhou Miao’s hip was pressing against his waist, radiating an icy chill.

"I’ll sign! I’ll sign right now!" Gu Changgui stammered. With a trembling hand, he signed his name on the receipt and pressed his thumb down firmly.

Zhou Yan read the contents of the receipt aloud: "’Receipt: Received this day from Sun Lihua cash payment of 180 Yuan (One Hundred Eighty Yuan Only). The original IOU has been destroyed, and the debt is cleared between both parties. This document serves as proof. Payee: Gu Changgui. Date: November 15, 1984.’" He then looked at Gu Changgui and said, "Remember, the debt is cleared."

"I remember, I remember..." Gu Changgui nodded furiously.

’This family, from the old to the young... not a single one of them is a pushover!’

FWOOSH!

Zhang Zhengping took out a match, lit the IOU, and let it burn to floating ash. Flicking the last of the soot from his fingertips, he gave Gu Changgui a meaningful look. "You’re the village accountant. You have elders to care for and children to raise. You have a happy, complete life. But Lai Fu only has his grandmother. He can’t hear, but he knows exactly what’s going on. He knows what you’ve done.

He knows where you live. He knows how many people are in your family, who your relatives are, and who your friends are.

I’ve worked at the hospital for fifty years. I’ve seen far too many cases of an honest man being pushed to the brink, only for his tormentor to have his entire family wiped out. Don’t think being the village accountant makes you untouchable. Throughout the history of China, there has never been a shortage of men willing to risk a gruesome death to pull an emperor from his throne."

Gu Changgui glanced at Lai Fu, who was helping Mrs. Sun stand, and a flicker of fear entered his eyes. He grabbed the ashen-faced Wu Hongxia and hurried away.

"Grand-uncle, you really have a way with words," Zhou Yan said, giving Zhang Zhengping a thumbs-up.

The principle that the happier man, the one with more to lose, must concede was the greatest of all open strategies—and there was no counter to it.

It trumped all other logic.

A message popped into Zhou Yan’s vision:

[Side Quest: Battle to Defend the Legacy of West Bank Tofu! Progress: 75%]