Night falls.

On the roads connecting DongHua City to its outlying towns,透视透视 a young man named WenQing was sweating profusely as he pedaled an old rickety three-wheeled vehicle through the murky darkness.

He kept kicking his feet restlessly, and he kept glancing at the time on his phone, looking very anxious.

Three months ago, the literati's father died of cancer, his mother has been plagued by old ailments and unable to work, and his sister is still young. The Wen family is deeply in debt and their lives are in despair.

At that time, Wenqing was preparing to give his all for the college entrance examination. However, a cruel twist of fate forced him to abandon his studies and take on the responsibility of caring for his mother and younger sister.

The young intellectual took over his father's old business, working from dawn till dusk. He would ride forty miles every day from the village to the city to sell fruits and back again, which was very tiring.

But even so, his daily earnings were still very meager.

My younger sister, Wenxin, is in junior two at the middle school in town. She goes out early and comes home late, and usually only my mother is home during the day.

Mother is unwell, and the passing of her father dealt a heavy blow. The literary youth felt uneasy about leaving his mother alone at home and sped toward their house as fast as possible.

The village where the literary youth lives, Yin Tang Village, is only twenty miles away from Donghua City. However, due to the fact that urban development has not yet reached here, Yin Tang Village still retains its original rural appearance.

However, the young and middle-aged labor in the village have all gone to work in Donghua City or, like Wenqing, are busy running small businesses to support their families by getting up early and working late.

The artsy house was located at the east entrance of the village, not far from the highway. As soon as the artsy person got off the highway, they saw the sun lamp in their own front hall lit from afar, and their mother was sitting under the lamp talking with someone.

It's so late, who else is coming to visit?

The literati was a little surprised. As he got closer and saw the person clearly, he couldn't help but frown.

For this uninvited guest, the literati are certainly no strangers. He is a cousin of the same clan, the fourth son of his father's generation. The villagers call him Wen Lao Si.

When his father was running a fruit business, he had borrowed some money from Wen Laosi but hadn't had the chance to repay it before passing away.

Wen Laosi is a person who follows power and wealth. He never considers family ties. Seeing that Wenqing's family has fallen, he often comes to the door demanding debts. He is waiting here now, so it's probably another time to ask his mother for money.

Four brothers, look at my family's situation now, it's really…

The literary youth parked his car outside the courtyard and tiptoed inside. As soon as he stepped in, he heard his mother's voice lamenting to Old Wen Si with a hint of sadness.

"Sister-in-law, repaying debts is a matter of principle. Even if your family is struggling, you still have to pay back the money... Besides, I'm short on money lately too!"

As soon as he heard his mother complaining, Wen Laosi's face immediately darkened, and he said sternly.

"This... the four brothers, I understand what you're saying. I'm not saying I won't return it to you, it's just... your second brother just left, and we really can't afford to..."

Upon hearing the fourth son's words, Wen Mu's face turned difficult. In her heart, she felt even more heartbroken and helpless.

"No, even if you can't afford it, you still have to pay!" When Wen Lao Si heard this, his face became even more somber.

He swept his eyes across the room and said in a harsh voice, "I'm here today to collect the money, no matter what. If you don't pay up, don't blame me for taking things from this place as payment."

"Stop!"

Just as Wen Lao Si was about to storm into the room and grab things, Wen Qing suddenly burst in, stood before Wen Lao Si, and said angrily, “Don’t worry, we will definitely return your money. I will pay you back!”

"Qingzi!" Hearing Wenqing suddenly appear and say such a decisive word, Wenmu was taken aback.

"Alright, the son pays for the father's debts! Qingzi, you truly have backbone."

Hearing the young intellectual's promise to repay the debt, Lao Wen felt overjoyed. He waved the IOU in his hand and said to the young intellectual, "Your father owed me nine thousand and twenty yuan before he passed away. Consider it my misfortune, I'll erase the cents. You just need to repay nine thousand."

The literati spoke in a low voice: "I've said I'll pay you back, but not now. Please give me some time, and I'll pay you back when I've saved enough."

"Have you saved up enough to pay me back?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Laosi seemed to hear the biggest joke in the world. He scoffed and said, "Haha... Little guy, do you think I'm a three-year-old child that can be fooled so easily?"

"My word is my bond!"

The literary youth stared intently at Wen Lao Si's eyes, gritting his teeth and speaking word by word.

Wen Lao Si was obviously startled by Wen Qing's look of composure, but after a moment's hesitation, he came to his senses and sneered, "Where do you plan to earn money? I'm talking about nine thousand yuan, not ninety...I don't care, if you don't pay me back today, I'll move my things out."

Having said that, Lao Si started to search the room with his shifty eyes for anything valuable.

"Huh, what's this?"

Suddenly, Wen Lao Si's gaze landed on a small bronze mirror hanging in the corner. In an instant, his greedy eyes could no longer be moved away.

It was a round bronze mirror, about the size of a bottle mouth. Although it looked simple and unassuming, anyone with discerning eyes could tell at once that this mirror was quite old and must be very valuable.

Lao Si's eyes were sharp, and at a glance, he could tell that the mirror was a valuable antique. His eyes lit up, and he immediately reached out to take the mirror off.

"Don't take it!"

This bronze mirror was cherished by the father before his death, and it was also the only thought he left for himself. How could a refined scholar like him allow it to be taken away by Wen Laosi? He immediately rushed forward to grab it.

"Get out of here!"

Wulaosi was burly, so he wouldn't have taken the slender, young intellectual seriously. He shoved the intellectual aside at once.

Boom!

The literature enthusiast's momentum was too forceful, unstoppable. He was pushed back with a jolt, hitting the corner of his desk with his forehead, causing a gash and bleeding.

"Qingzi…" Seeing her son injured, Wen Mu was startled and rushed forward to hug him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to... This mirror is just to settle the debt. We're even now!"

Wen Lao Si didn't expect to injure Wen Qing either. He was startled at the moment, finished speaking and then took the bronze mirror and ran outside.

Slap!

However, before he could take two steps, the artsy guy picked up a long bench and slammed it hard against his back.

"Give me back my bronze mirror!"

The literati's forehead was struck with a straight flow of blood, yet he completely ignored it. He charged forward madly, knocking the aged Wen Lao Si to the ground, and snatched the bronze mirror from his grasp.

"Damn it, I'll kill you!"

Wen Lao Si got up, his back teeth bared and gritted. He was about to give Wen Qing a good beating, but when he saw the ferocious look on Wen Qing's face, which was even more terrifying than his own, he hesitated and didn't dare come closer.

"Give me six months, and I'll pay you back with interest. If you don't leave, I'll call the police and say you're robbing the place."

The literati grasped the bronze mirror with both hands, his hair dripping down his face, but he didn't care at all. He glared fiercely at Wen Lao Si...

"Kid, you're ruthless. Remember this, in six months, if you still don't pay me back, don't blame me for being impolite."

The two faced each other for almost five minutes. Wen Lao Si finally didn't dare to provoke this fearless little troublemaker, threw a harsh word, and slipped away from the Wen family dejectedly.

(Editor in charge:novel gatsby)