Chapter 24: Jin Geer, If I Were You, I’d Break Off the Engagement Right Now^^…

Chapter 24: Jin Geer, if I were you, I would call off the engagement right now...

Bing Wengu immediately said, "If anyone has lent money to our family, feel free to come and collect it later."

Wang Shi's eyes popped wide open in shock, "Bing Dalang, have you really struck it rich?"

Bing Wengu ignored Wang Shi and turned to the shop assistant, "My home is a bit further in, please walk a little more."

The shop assistant, realizing the guest didn't want to talk to the woman, whipped the donkey to move the cart along.

Wang Shi, as shameless as ever, trailed the cart all the way to the Bing household. Along the way, she met familiar women and dragged them along to see the spectacle at the Bing house.

The Bing family was still up in the mountains gathering wild vegetables, and only Qian Shi, who was in confinement, was at home. Hearing the noise, she came out and was stunned by the items being unloaded.

"Big bro, where did all this grub come from?" Qian Shi stammered, her eyes wide at the silk cloth in Bing Wengu's arms.

This stuff costs over a tael per bolt, and he bought two bolts at once. If they ate carefully, this would last four months.

Qian Shi gulped, suspecting Bing Wengu had pulled off a heist, "Big bro, you even bought silk? You didn't rob someone, did you?"

Bing Wengu shot Qian Shi a cold look, ignored her, and took the silk and the bundle with the wedding dress and shoes to his room.

At this moment, Wang Shi and Li Shi, along with a few other village women who loved to gossip, entered. Wang Shi's eyes lit up as she eyed Qian Shi, eager to gossip, "Qian Shi, where did Bing Dalang get the money to buy all this? Did he do something bad?"

"I don't know, I'm still in confinement, I can't get cold, I need to go back inside, I can't entertain you," Qian Shi's eyes darted around, thinking, even if big brother did rob someone, I wouldn't tell you!

But these women weren't easy to get rid of. Qian Shi, still weak from childbirth, couldn't shoo away these brazen women.

Soon, the Bing family hurried back. Some villagers had seen Bing Wengu buying a lot of stuff and ran up to the mountains to tell the Bing family.

Before Liang Shi even got home, she already knew Bing Wengu had bought a lot of food and two pricey bolts of silk.

The moment she reached the door, Liang Shi saw Wang Shi and others loitering in the yard, refusing to leave, and instantly knew they were there to snoop. She called her sons to chase them off.

Wang Shi and the others dug in their heels and refused to leave.

Wang Shi shouted, "Your family owes me a ton of money, now that you're loaded, you should pay up. If you don't pay me back today, I'm staying right here."

Bing Wengu came out with a string of coins, "Mother, how much do we owe her?"

"Eighteen coins," Wang Shi couldn't tear her eyes away from the coins but still managed to answer.

Liang Shi almost simultaneously said, "Twelve coins."

Bing Wengu counted out twelve coins from the string, "This is what we owe you. If you insist it's eighteen, we can take it to the magistrate."

Wang Shi was a bit scared of Bing Wengu. Facing his cold gaze, she shivered, remembering the villagers said he was ruthless, even to his own brothers. Wang Shi grew even more fearful of Bing Wengu.

Wang Shi didn't dare to act shamelessly with Bing Wengu and reached out to take the coins, but was stopped halfway by Liang Shi, "You need to clarify exactly how much my family owes you. If it's not clear, you can't have the money."

"Twelve coins should be enough," Wang Shi said awkwardly.

"Your family is so stingy, even with money, you can't spare a few coins. It's just six coins. Consider it interest, what's the big deal?"

If it were someone else, they might have given in, but not Wang Shi. She had slandered his husband behind his back, not a single coin extra should be given.

"Town usurers only charge thirty percent interest, you're asking for sixty percent, you're worse than a usurer," the interest rate wasn't calculated that way, it also depended on the term, but Bing Wengu deliberately said this to mislead the villagers.

The women beside Wang Shi were startled by Bing Wengu's calculation and suddenly realized that Wang Shi, seemingly just asking for a few extra coins, was actually demanding a sixty percent interest, and their looks towards her changed.

Wang Shi felt both embarrassed and annoyed under their stares.

Liang Shi shoved the copper coins into her arms and pushed her out, "Here's your money, now hurry up and leave. We have important matters to take care of at home."

The Bing family together chased everyone out of the yard.

"Da Lang, where did you get the silver?" Liang Shi anxiously asked after the people had left.

"Did you borrow from a usurer?"

The rest of the Bing family looked at Bing Wengu with concern, waiting for him to provide an answer.

"Mother, nothing like that, don't talk nonsense," Bing Wengu said.

Bing's father immediately pressed, "Then how did you get so much silver in such a short time?"

Bing Wengu had no intention of hiding it from the Bing family, "I went deep into the mountains and found two rare herbs, which I exchanged for some silver in the city. I said that earlier because I was afraid you wouldn't let me go deep into the mountains."

The Bing family didn't doubt this. Recently, Bing Wengu had been frequently going to the back mountains, and the wild game he brought back had been enjoyed by the family.

Bing Silang was immediately excited, "If you can go deep into the mountains, I surely can too. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a few herbs to sell for some silver and make a fortune."

Liang Shi immediately snapped, "Bing Silang, if you dare to go, I'll break your legs!"

"The deep mountains are not easy to venture into; there are wolves, tigers, and leopards. Twenty or thirty years back, someone from the village, desperate, ventured into the mountains and never came back. Later, his family only found his blood-stained clothes. The villagers said he was taken by wild wolves." Bing's father still remembered this incident and had since taken it as a warning, never venturing into the deep mountains.

Bing Silang wasn't convinced, "Da Lang, a frail scholar, was fine. I can't be worse than him."

"Actually, you're not as capable as your elder brother," Liang Shi said bluntly, "Not long ago, it wasn't Erlang or San Lang who was completely beaten by your elder brother."

Bing Silang looked sheepish and annoyed, "Mother, why bring that up?"

Liang Shi shot him a look and turned to Bing Wengu, feeling a wave of fear, "Da Lang, were you injured?"

"I'm fine," Bing Wengu said, deliberately scaring them to prevent the family from venturing into the mountains and getting into trouble, "I ran into a lone wolf, but luckily I was quick and got away."

Liang Shi gasped, her heart racing. Even though it was in the past, she broke out in a cold sweat.

"From now on, no one in our family, not even Da Lang, is allowed to go into the back mountains. Otherwise, don't consider me your father," Bing's father said sternly, fearing his sons would not obey.

The Bing brothers, hearing that Bing Wengu had actually encountered a wolf, belatedly realized the danger and all obediently agreed not to go into the back mountains.

Bing Wengu also handed Liang Shi twenty taels of broken silver, "Father, mother, use this to settle the family debts, and give some interest to each as you see fit."

Although in their village, borrowing money between neighbors never involved interest, the Bing family's situation was different. Those who were willing to lend them money had done them a great favor.

"Alright," Liang Shi understood this simple logic, but it still pained her.

"Also, don't forget to ask a respected elder from the village to witness, and find someone who can read and write. For each family we repay, have them draft a receipt, and both parties sign it. We'll keep evidence to avoid future disputes," Bing Wengu instructed.

Liang Shi said, "Da Lang, you can read and write, why ask someone else to do it?"

Bing Wengu sighed, "Mother, most villagers can't read. They wouldn't dare to sign a receipt I wrote, fearing we might tamper with it."

Liang Shi whispered, "But you're not like that."

But she didn't insist.

"Also, if the villagers ask where the silver came from, tell them I saved a nobleman on my way to work in the city, and he gave me a reward as thanks," Bing Wengu said. Liang Shi was puzzled, "Our family's silver was earned honestly, why lie?"

Bing Wengu shook his head, "Mother, just now Si Lang found out that I discovered treasures in the deep mountains and wanted to follow me into the mountains. Do you think the villagers might have the same idea?"

Bing Wengu's public image has always been that of a frail scholar. Many villagers believe they are stronger than Bing Wengu. Now that they see him entering the deep mountains unscathed, they might subconsciously think that entering the deep mountains is safe and that treasures might be scattered everywhere, making it a quick way to strike it rich. If something goes wrong, wouldn't it be on him?

Those who don't know his story and insist on entering the deep mountains have nothing to do with him. Whether they live or die, whether they become rich or not, that's on them.

But Bing Wengu absolutely cannot be the one to lead them.

The Bing family thought carefully and found Bing Wengu's words reasonable. Adhering to the principle of avoiding trouble, they unanimously told outsiders that Bing Wengu had accidentally saved a nobleman and received a token of gratitude.

The commotion in the Bing family was big enough to get the whole village talking.

The Nan family, living in the same village, naturally found out as well. Miao Shi was excited and quickly brought Nan Jinping out to inquire about the situation.

As soon as the mother and son stepped out of their house, they ran into the trio of troublemakers led by Wang Shi and Li Shi.

Wang Shi and Li Shi, one with a broken arm hanging from her neck and the other with a broken leg leaning on a stick, still didn't forget to cause a ruckus. Their spirit of causing trouble is not something ordinary people can match.

Wang Shi, green with envy, saw Miao Shi and Nan Jinping, and her nasty thoughts were on the tip of her tongue.

Wang Shi blocked Miao Shi and Nan Jinping's path, "Miao Shi, Jin Geer, if I were you, I would immediately call off the wedding with Bing Wengu."