Chapter 31

Qian Guosheng had been brainwashed by his daughter every day recently. So when he heard Qian Guocheng asking him to pay off his debt, he instinctively blurted out, “No! I don’t have any! I won’t lend it!”

Qian Guocheng was stunned by Qian Guosheng’s triple rejection and stared at him in disbelief. “Bro, if I don’t pay them back, they’re going to beat me to death.” Hearing that he might be beaten to death, Qian Guosheng became flustered and instinctively turned to look at Qian Jianing.

To prevent Qian Guosheng from giving in to Qian Guocheng’s shamelessness and their mother’s tears during this trip back home, Qian Jianing had emptied the pockets of both Qian Guosheng and Li Wanzhen before they left—leaving not even a dime and completely killing any thought of handing over money. Seeing Qian Guosheng’s panicked eyes, Qian Jianing chuckled lightly. “At most he’ll get beaten a bit. Those guys won’t risk their lives over him—it’s not worth getting involved in a murder case.”

These days, Qian Jianing was the most capable one in the family, earning the most money, excelling in school, and holding a firm attitude. Qian Guosheng had grown used to listening to her opinion on everything. Hearing her say that Qian Guocheng wouldn’t be beaten to death, Qian Guosheng breathed a sigh of relief and advised his younger brother kindly, “How much do you owe them? Just talk to them and ask for a few more days. If you work at a construction site carrying bricks or something, you can make decent money.”

Qian Guocheng widened his eyes, pointing a finger at Qian Guosheng and yelling in frustration, “Are you crazy? Me, carrying bricks? What a joke! Why don’t you do it?”

Honest as ever, Qian Guosheng replied straightforwardly, “Because I already have a job.”

Qian Guocheng was so angry he didn’t know what to say. He pointed at his elder brother and snapped, “I owe them 120 yuan in gambling debt. You help me pay it.”

Qian Guosheng got angry upon hearing that and shook his head firmly. “You actually went gambling again! You’re no kid anymore, never earn a cent, do nothing all day, and this time you lost so much. There’s no way I’m covering that hole for you.”

In the past, Qian Guocheng would lose three or five yuan at most while playing cards—just enough to get a rush and then stop. But this time, his luck was very good at first, and he won over ten yuan in a row. Before he could enjoy it, he lost it all back. Originally, he planned to go home after that. But then he stood around watching and saw an unfamiliar young man win over a hundred yuan in an hour, which made his eyes burn with envy. He squeezed himself into the game, took over the cards, and ended up playing from evening until well into the next day. When it came time to settle up, Qian Guocheng found out he owed three different people between 30 to 50 yuan each—totaling exactly 120.

Qian Guocheng was unemployed. Forget 120 yuan—he couldn’t even come up with 12. The three people he owed money to were well-known thugs in town. They had set him up intentionally. They also knew his family’s situation well, so after letting him go, they kept chasing him, forcing him to get money from his wealthy brother and sister-in-law.

Originally, Qian Guocheng had planned to go to his elder brother’s house. Even though his brother had never given him money, and his sister-in-law had always shown him a sour face, their mother lived there, and she wouldn’t let her favorite son get beaten to death over a debt.

But unexpectedly, halfway there, Qian Guocheng ran into Qian Guosheng. He secretly rejoiced at the easier opportunity, only to find that Qian Guosheng had changed completely and now refused to take on his gambling debt.

Holding an iron bar, Sun Lao’er signaled to the two men accompanying him with a wink, a cold smile forming on his face. “Qian Guocheng, we’re giving you one last chance. Get your family to cough up the money, and this will be over. Otherwise, with one swing of this rod, you’ll be down a couple of ribs, and by then, it’ll be too late for regrets.”

Qian Guocheng panicked immediately and pulled Qian Guosheng down from the cart. “Did you hear that? He said he’s gonna break my ribs! Hurry up and give him the money!”

Qian Guosheng sighed and emptied both his pockets. “I don’t have any money—not a cent.”

Seeing his brother’s pockets cleaner than his face, Qian Guocheng turned green. He yanked on Li Wanzhen, exclaiming, “Then it’s all on you—give it to me!”

Li Wanzhen slapped his hand away, took her turn to empty her pockets, which not only yielded no money but even had a hole in them.

“No money? How would you come home without bringing money?” Spotting Sun Lao’er’s growing impatience, Qian Guocheng suddenly had another idea. “An IOU. Bro, just write an IOU. You’re making over a hundred yuan a month anyway. Paying it back will be easy for you.”

Qian Guosheng’s heart sank. He’d always thought his younger brother was just a freeloader who liked to take advantage now and then—but now the man wanted him to shoulder gambling debts. If he gave in this time, wouldn’t his brother just lose two hundred next time?

Qian Guosheng’s face turned cold, and he shook his head firmly. “No. If I use my salary to cover your gambling debts, what will my family eat and drink? Should my child drop out of school?”

“So you’re gonna stand by and watch me get beaten? If I get hurt, mom will cry to death!” Qian Guocheng had bullied Qian Guosheng for decades and knew exactly where his weak spots were.

Qian Guosheng hesitated, but remembered all the words his daughter had drilled into him lately and shook his head again. “If you know getting beaten will make Mom sad, then maybe you should stop doing things that upset her. Why didn’t you think of her crying when you went gambling?”

Seeing that Qian Guosheng still wouldn’t budge, Qian Guocheng grew anxious and turned to yell at Sun Lao’er, “This is my brother! He and his wife both have jobs—they’re loaded! Ask them! And if that doesn’t work, take his daughter. I don’t believe he won’t pay up if you do that.”

On hearing this, Qian Guosheng’s eyes turned red with fury. He rushed forward and slapped Qian Guocheng across the face. “You animal!”

Qian Guocheng staggered back, holding his face and glaring at Qian Guosheng with hatred. He lunged forward like a madman. “Are you paying or not? If not, I’ll sell that girl!”

Qian Jianing couldn’t help laughing from the side. Qian Guocheng had no real skills but quite the nerve, thinking he could sell her. She wondered if there was anyone crazy enough to actually buy.

Qian Guosheng rushed forward and blocked Qian Jianing, who was sitting in the cart, with his body. He held Qian Guocheng back with both hands. “If you dare lay a finger on my daughter, I’ll fight you to the death.”

Qian Jiafeng finally snapped out of it. He jumped off the tricycle and landed a punch on Qian Guocheng. “You want to sell my sister? I’ll beat you to death!”

To Qian Jianing, Qian Jiafeng’s punches looked soft and harmless, but being a chubby boy over 1.6 meters tall, his blows actually forced Qian Guocheng back a few steps.

Seeing his nephew like a charging calf, Qian Guocheng turned his spite on Qian Guosheng. “Well, Qian Guosheng. Not only do you stand by and watch me suffer, now you’ve even let your son hit me. Let’s see if Mom forgives you—I’ll make sure she disowns you.”

A flash of pain passed through Qian Guosheng’s eyes, but he kept his mouth shut.

Qian Guocheng took it as fear and relaxed a bit. “It’s only 120 yuan, right? You two earn over 200 a month anyway. Why are you getting stingier the richer you get?”

“No. Today it’s 120, but who knows how much next time.” Even the honest Qian Guosheng had developed a stubborn streak. This incident had hit his bottom line. He clenched his teeth and wouldn’t back down. Thinking about how he’d already lent over a thousand in five or ten yuan increments, and how his wife and daughter were already unhappy, he knew if he caved again, his daughter would definitely turn on him.

For the past half month, Qian Jianing had been lecturing Qian Guosheng from morning till night, explaining countless principles and stories—never repeating even once. She constantly emphasized the boundaries between the family and the extended relatives. Qian Guosheng now understood clearly: his wife and children were his family. He had no right to give their money to others—not even to his own brother.

Qian Jianing had been sitting on the bench and watching the whole time. Seeing that even the mention of their mother hadn’t swayed Qian Guosheng, she finally jumped off the cart. She patted Qian Guosheng’s arm and said gently, “Dad, let me handle this.”

The moment Qian Guosheng saw his daughter getting off the cart, he panicked and tried to push her back up. “Get back on the cart, this is none of your business.”

But Qian Guocheng’s eyes lit up. Seeing no one was paying attention to him, he moved forward to grab Qian Jianing’s arm. Qian Jianing grabbed his wrist in one swift motion. Qian Guocheng tried to pull back, only to see her clench her fist. Instantly, it felt as if his arm were caught in an iron clamp, the pain piercing to the bone.

“Let… let… let go…” Qian Guocheng’s knees buckled from the pain. Just then, Qian Jianing twisted his wrist, and Qian Guocheng let out a scream so shrill it hurt the ears. Beads of sweat instantly blossomed across his forehead.

Qian Guosheng looked at Qian Guocheng, whose tears were streaming from the pain, and then at his daughter—who had nearly twisted Qian Guocheng’s arm off. He couldn’t help but feel that his brain wasn’t quite keeping up. Something about the whole situation felt off.

Qian Jianing dragged Qian Guocheng over to Sun Lao’er and the others, the corner of her mouth curled into a cold smile. “If he owes you money and you didn’t keep an eye on him, why’d you let him out?”

Sun Lao’er lightly tapped his iron rod against his palm twice. “Aren’t you his relatives? He doesn’t have money; you pay for him instead.”

“What wishful thinking! My dad’s not his father, why should he pay for him?” With that, Qian Jianing gave Qian Guocheng a hard shove, throwing him right at Sun Lao’er’s feet. “Here, he’s yours. Look after him this time. If he comes near me again, I’ll come after all of you.”

Sun Lao’er burst out laughing at her words. If he could’ve gotten money out of Qian Guocheng, he wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble. He kicked Qian Guocheng aside and took two steps toward Qian Jianing. “But your uncle just said he’d offer you as payment.”

That made Qian Guosheng and Li Wanzhen panic. They rushed forward.

“Jianing, come back.”

Qian Jianing didn’t turn around. Instead, she smiled at Sun Lao’er. “Offer me as payment? With that lousy stick of yours?”

Hearing her parents’ footsteps approaching, and worried they might get hurt in a scuffle, Qian Jianing acted first—she kicked Sun Lao’er straight into a tree by the roadside.

The two men trailing behind Sun Lao’er only now realized that this girl actually knew how to fight. Startled, they raised their rods and charged at her. But Qian Jianing’s figure flickered, and before their rods could fall, her fists had already landed squarely on their chests. Both felt as though they had been struck by a sledgehammer, the pain shooting through their hearts. Qian Jianing stepped back, then with one swift movement of her long legs kicked them both under the tree as well.

Qian Guosheng had just arrived in time to witness all three thugs lying motionless under the tree, trying and failing to get up. He stood there stunned.

Qian Jianing looked down at Qian Guocheng and crouched beside him, smiling. “You were just trying to use me to pay off your debt.”

Qian Guocheng glanced at the men sprawled below the tree and suddenly burst out laughing. “You guys can keep showing off—my niece will beat you into the ground.” He turned back to Qian Jianing with a wide grin. “What’s with you, girl? If you can fight, why didn’t you do it earlier? Scared the hell outta me.” He pressed a hand to the ground, preparing to get up. “Well, that’s settled. Let’s see who dares to come after me now. Next time someone does, you can beat them up for your uncle.”

Qian Jianing gave a cold snort. Then, grabbing Qian Guocheng by the collar, she hoisted him up and, before he could react, flung him under the tree next to Sun Lao’er.

“This guy owes you money, doesn’t he?”

Sun Lao’er’s legs started shaking. They normally acted tough using brute force, but the moment they ran into someone who could really fight, they cowered. In front of Qian Jianing, Sun Lao’er knew better than to pretend—he had never, in his forty years, been kicked that far by anyone.

“N-no-no…” Sun Lao’er hurriedly waved his hands. “He doesn’t! He doesn’t owe anything!”

Qian Jianing casually picked up an iron rod from the ground and gave it a gentle squeeze, leaving five faint fingerprints. “I hate liars the most.”

Sun Lao’er stared, eyes wide with shock—how much strength did it take to squeeze fingerprints into iron? He looked at her in horror, not knowing how to respond. “Then… then you tell me—does he owe it or not?”

“Just tell the truth,” Qian Jianing said sweetly. “I stand for what’s right, not for family.”

“He owes! He owes us a hundred and twenty yuan!” To his credit, Sun Lao’er was quick-witted and immediately understood Qian Jianing’s intention.

Qian Jianing nodded in satisfaction and handed the iron rod back to Sun Lao’er. “Then collect your debt however you see fit. Pretend we were never here. But the money has to come from him. Don’t go asking his relatives.”

Sun Lao’er grimaced. Qian Guocheng’s family was so poor they barely had food to eat. Relying on him to pay up might take a lifetime.

Though Sun Lao’er didn’t voice it, Qian Jianing could see it clearly. She gave him a meaningful look. “If he doesn’t pay for a day, watch him for a day. Only let him go once he settles it. Oh right, he also owes our family over a thousand yuan. If you have time, remind him of that too. I’ll be back to check on you.”

Sun Lao’er wanted to cry. What kind of bad luck was this? He had tried to set a trap to squeeze some money, but instead his hands were empty and he ended up with trouble.

Looking at Qian Jianing’s smiling face, Qian Guocheng suddenly felt his legs go weak. He swallowed hard and stiffened his neck. “What’s wrong with you? I’m your blood uncle!”

Qian Jianing’s sweet smile turned cold. “Do you really think you deserve to be my uncle?”

Qian Guocheng backed away nervously and forced himself to sound tough. “What’s with your family? None of you show me any respect, huh? I’ll tell your grandma everything when I get home.”

Qian Jianing sneered. “You’re over forty, and your only skill is tattling to your mommy? It’s embarrassing. Seriously, other than running to my grandma, what can you do?”

Qian Guocheng wasn’t ashamed in the least. If he’d had any shame, he wouldn’t be in this mess now. Instead, he looked a bit smug. “You disrespectful brat. You’ll see—your grandma will deal with you.”

Sun Lao’er finally understood—this girl had a grudge against Qian Guocheng. His eyes lit up, and he offered a suggestion to Qian Jianing. “This Qian Guocheng has no money to repay debts, but I heard the coal mine over in Hong Village is always hiring. Though going underground is tough.”

Qian Jianing stared at Qian Guocheng and said word by word, “Hard work is no problem. My uncle thrives on hardship.”

Qian Guocheng’s eyes went wide with terror. Just as he tried to get up, Sun Lao’er pushed him back down. Qian Jianing didn’t even glance at them, stood up calmly and said, “That’s it. I’m staying out of your disputes. Repaying debt is the right thing to do. Beat him or scold him as you like, we totally understand.”

She turned and walked away, calling out to the still-dazed Qian Guosheng. “Dad, let’s go. The birthday banquet’s about to start.”

“What, just leave your uncle here?” Qian Guosheng looked uneasily at Qian Guocheng, who was cowering with his head in his hands.

“If we don’t leave him here, then what—are you going to pay his debts, or sell me off to cover them?” Qian Jianing’s face turned cold.

That scared Qian Guosheng. He quickly waved his hands. “That’s not what I meant—I just thought we should maybe take him home first.”

“Then what about the money he owes? What did the lender do to deserve this?” Qian Jianing’s tone was icy. “If he had the guts to borrow, he needs to face the consequences. You may sympathize with him, but I sympathize with the creditor.” She climbed onto the tricycle and slapped the side panel. “If you don’t feel at ease, then stay here. We’ll go to the banquet ourselves.”

Seeing that his daughter was angry, and recalling the outrageously selfish things Qian Guocheng had said, Qian Guosheng hardened his heart, climbed onto the tricycle, and took his wife and daughter away without looking back.

Once the tricycle disappeared into the distance, Sun Lao’er stood up, brushed himself off, and kicked Qian Guocheng. “You sure can run—try that again, I dare you!”

Another man also got up, grabbing an iron rod and about to swing it at Qian Guocheng, but Sun Lao’er stopped him. “Don’t use the iron rod. If you break him, how’s he going to work in the mine?”

Qian Guocheng was so scared he started crying, backing away frantically. “Don’t send me to the mine, I can get the money! Really! My big brother and big sister have money. I’ll make them pay!”

“You little bastard! Still trying to drag us down with you?” Sun Lao’er kicked him square in the face. “Didn’t you hear what your niece said? You have to earn the money yourself! Stop causing us trouble!”

“Second brother, what do we do now? Should we send him to the mine right away?”

“What if he runs back? Then we’d have to stand guard over him, right?”

Sun Lao’er sighed so hard his head nearly split. He slapped his own mouth in frustration. “Just my damn luck. How the hell did I pick this bastard?” He sighed again. “My brother-in-law has connections with the mine manager. I’ll go back today, have him talk to them, and then send him over.”

“So what do we do with him these next few days?” Another problem arose.

Sun Lao’er let out a deep sigh. “Let him go home for now. You two take turns watching him—don’t let him run off.”

“We’re just letting him go like that?” The two men stared at Qian Guocheng, unwilling to accept it. “We wasted an entire night on this guy.”

Sun Lao’er kicked Qian Guocheng to the ground in one swift motion, then pinned him down and delivered two punches. “Let’s get our frustrations out first and talk later. As long as you don’t disable him and he can still go down the mine to work, it’s fine.” The other two men, hearing this, stepped forward and joined in. They held Qian Guocheng down and gave him a brutal beating, releasing all their pent-up anger on him. He screamed and wailed, wishing he could kneel and beg for mercy.

***

Seated on the tricycle, Qian Jianing couldn’t see Qian Guocheng’s miserable state, but she could easily imagine that Sun Lao’er wouldn’t be letting him off easy. Qian Jiafeng leaned against Li Wanzhen with a look of admiration as he watched Qian Jianing. “Sis, that kick you did just now was so cool! You sent that guy flying! How long do you think it’ll take me to learn that move?”

Qian Jianing pulled out a handkerchief and casually wiped her hands, then reached into her suitcase and took out an apple to munch on. “With your talent, I’d say… ten, maybe eight years at the very least.”

Qian Jiafeng was immediately indignant. “How come it took you just a few days to get that good, and I need ten years?”

Li Wanzhen couldn’t help but chime in. “When did you learn to fight? Why didn’t I know?”

Qian Jianing shifted her gaze evasively. “I kind of just practiced by copying moves from books. Maybe I’m one of those naturally gifted girls they talk about in martial arts movies—you know, the kind who picks up skills easily and becomes unbeatable.”

Li Wanzhen looked at her, clearly exasperated. “And I thought you were busy enough already. You still have time to watch TV? What kind of shows are you even watching? Sounds totally ridiculous.”

Qian Jianing took another loud bite of her apple and mumbled, “Maybe it’s just that those guys couldn’t take a beating. Did you see those dark rings under their eyes? Probably take one hit and stumble a few steps back. I just got lucky.”

Li Wanzhen thought for a moment. That did seem plausible. “I saw how pale and ashen their faces were—looks like they were up all night playing cards. Jianing, you were lucky this time, ran into a few weak ones and didn’t get hurt. But don’t go charging in recklessly next time. What if you come across some big guy with muscles and strength? With those thin arms and legs of yours, and just a few amateur moves, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Qian Jianing nodded earnestly. “You’re right, Mom. Next time, I’ll be sure to check their faces first before jumping in.”

Li Wanzhen glared when she heard this. “You’re planning a next time?”

Qian Jianing quickly raised her hand in a pledge. “No more fighting, no more fighting. From now on, I’ll be a gentle and refined young lady.”

“That’s more like it.” Li Wanzhen tapped Qian Jianing on the forehead, then turned to Qian Guosheng and asked, “Hey, you did pretty well today—stood your ground even when your brother threatened and intimidated you. Looks like all the teaching your daughter’s done hasn’t been in vain.”

Qian Guosheng sighed. “He wasn’t always like this. Back when he borrowed money from me, it was only to buy some meat or liquor. But ever since he got into gambling, he’s just gotten worse and worse. I’ve heard people say that once someone gets hooked on gambling, they lose all conscience. Look at him—he even wanted to sell my daughter. How could I possibly give him money?”

Qian Jianing let out a cold snort. “Dad, you always try to see the good in people. But I’m telling you, my uncle lacking a conscience isn’t anything new. Otherwise, would he have spent the last ten-plus years constantly coming to you for money? But there’s no point talking about that now. What really matters is, if Grandma finds out about this, what are you going to do?”

Qian Guosheng suddenly slammed the brakes, turning back with a shocked expression. “Isn’t he being sent to the coal mine? How would your grandma find out?”

Qian Jianing chuckled as she looked at his face. “So you’re even more eager than I am to see him go work in the mines, huh?”

Qian Guosheng’s face reddened, and he looked down in embarrassment. “I just figured, maybe if the mine pushes him hard enough, he’ll finally get rid of those lazy habits.”

Qian Jianing shook her head without comment, then shifted the conversation to Grandma Qian. “If Grandma starts throwing a fit over this, I’ll take the lead. You just need to do two things.”

Qian Guosheng immediately asked, “What are they?”

Qian Jianing calmly replied, “Shut up and play dumb.”