Marrying My Bestie's Ferocious Brother - He Calls Me His Baby!

Chapter 340 - 338: Settling the 600-Yuan Bill in Public

The incandescent light in the Family Committee office was glaring, making the red slogans painted on the wall appear pale.

Director Sun held an enamel mug with a chipped rim and thumped it heavily on the desk. A few droplets of tea splashed out, landing on the old newspapers spread on the tabletop.

"Speak up, what exactly happened!" Director Sun demanded with a stern face, letting his gaze sweep across the room.

Wang Guixiang sat on a long bench, her hands tightly clutching at her wrinkled trousers, and immediately began to wail. She ruffled her hair messily, and vigorously rubbed the rough back of her hands at the corners of her eyes. Though she couldn’t squeeze out any tears, her voice was sharp and piercing.

"Director Sun, you must make the decision for us! We came all the way from the countryside, our feet blistered and bleeding, and finally found our relatives’ house. And what happened? This family is so heartless! They didn’t even offer us a sip of hot water before they drove us out! In this cold weather, they’re trying to force our family of three to death!"

Qin Jian Country squatted beside her, sighing heavily to create a picture of an honest man suffering grievances.

Lin Wan Yi pulled out a wooden chair, smoothed the hem of her clothes, and sat down calmly. Gu Yanshen stood half a step beside her, clad in a neat military uniform with his arms crossed behind his back, scanning the Qin family trio with an intense sense of oppression.

Faced with Wang Guixiang’s accusation, Lin Wan Yi didn’t even flinch. She turned to Director Sun, her voice steady and clear: "Director, since this is an open mediation, there should be both witnesses and evidence. Just now, Aunt Zhang from next door borrowed an awl from me this afternoon; she should have seen the whole thing."

In the crowd, Aunt Zhang, who lived next door to the Gu Family, was carrying a bamboo basket of vegetables. Once named, she immediately elbowed her way through the front and came forward.

"I testify!" Aunt Zhang’s loud voice rang out, filling the entire office, "Director Sun, this woman is full of lies! What nonsense about not having a sip of hot water? When I went to borrow something this afternoon, there was pork braising in a big pot in the Gu kitchen! The aroma wafted through the entire hallway."

Aunt Zhang turned around and pointed at Wang Guixiang’s nose, "I saw with my own eyes, your family of three sitting at the Gu family’s table, each having a big bowl, gobbling up the food like wolves. Not a drop of the stewed meat was left; you mixed the broth with rice and cleaned it up! You even chewed up and swallowed the ginger, garlic, and scallions in the dish, and now you come pretending to be starved?"

Aunt Zhang pointed to Qin Jianjun beside her: "Look at this kid, the grease at the corner of his mouth isn’t wiped clean yet! Most families can’t afford such a meal even for New Year. And they, having eaten their fill, turn around and say they weren’t fed, what a lack of conscience!"

The military wives watching erupted into an uproar, pointing fingers at the Qin family.

Qin Jianjun instinctively raised his hand and wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, and sure enough, wiped off a piece of shiny grease. His face turned a beet red, and he hurriedly hid his hands behind his back.

With the lie being exposed on the spot, Qin Jian Country was flustered and banged his thigh to change the subject: "What’s wrong with having a meal! We came to borrow money! Jianjun’s getting married, and the girl’s side is asking for 500 yuan and a sewing machine as a bride price. Yanshen is a regiment commander now, and Wanyi was recently celebrated nationally; they could give a little help easily. But what do they do? Not only did they refuse to lend a penny, but they also forced us to write an IOU! Calculating so clearly between relatives, what is this!"

Lin Wan Yi opened the canvas bag she carried with her, took out a notebook with a leather cover, and pulled out a Hero-brand fountain pen.

"Smack."

The notebook and the pen were slapped down in front of Director Sun on the desk.

"Since Cousin raised the point, let’s settle this account face to face with Director Sun and everyone present." Lin Wan Yi looked at Qin Jian Country, "500 yuan in cash, plus a brand-new Butterfly sewing machine. A sewing machine ticket costs at least 100 yuan on the black market. Together, it’s 600."

She pushed the fountain pen in front of Qin Jian Country.

"600 yuan. An average Grade 8 worker earns three or four dozen yuan a month, saving for two years without eating or drinking. Cousin, write the IOU now. Detail when it will be paid back, and how much per month." Lin Wan Yi knocked on the table, "Once it’s signed, with a fingerprint, I’ll give you the money right away."

Gu Yanshen took half a step forward and tapped the notebook with his long fingers: "Write. We’ll complete the paperwork in front of everyone today."

Qin Jian Country looked at the black fountain pen, his hand trembling, not daring to take it.

Pay it back? He scrapes at the ground all year and doesn’t earn much. He came under the guise of "borrowing money" but never intended to repay it. If they put it in black and white with a fingerprint, what if the Gu Family really comes to the countryside for the debt later?

"What? Not writing?" Lin Wan Yi looked at him, "Not literate, or never intended to repay from the start?"

This sparked off laughter from the crowd.

"Isn’t it obvious? Trying to sponge off the military compound!"

"600 yuan! They dare ask for that! Robbing a bank wouldn’t be as fast!"

Aunt Wang at the back of the crowd rolled her eyes and raised her voice sarcastically: "In my opinion, Lin Wan Yi is being too stingy. Coming from a capitalist family, money is dearer than life to her. If a poor relative is in trouble, what’s wrong with helping out? Must she force them to write an IOU, isn’t that deliberately embarrassing them?"

This sparked public outrage at once.

Sister Li, living downstairs, was the first to protest. She stood with hands on her hips and accused Aunt Wang: "Fatty Wang, don’t spew filth here without restraint! Who doesn’t have a clear account of what kind of person Wanyi is in this compound? Just the other day, my mother-in-law was constipated for days, unable to eat or sleep, and Wanyi specially brought us some fresh greens. The leaves were so green and fresh; after eating, my mother-in-law was at ease! Isn’t she the kind of person who disregards tried empathy?"

Sister Chen also stood up, holding half of a handmade shoe sole: "Exactly! Last time, when my son had a fever and nothing tasted good to him, Wanyi brought us two big apples. The apples were crunchy and sweet; after eating, my son was lively the next day. Wanyi is usually so warm-hearted, never putting on airs as a commander’s wife. It’s clearly these people being greedy and coming for extortion, and you are siding with outsiders; what’s your motive?" Now everyone chimed in, all praising Lin Wan Yi.

The vegetables and fruits Lin Wan Yi usually sent around, watered with the space spring, not only tasted exquisite but even had mysterious health benefits. These seemingly small acts had long built her a solid reputation in the compound.

Aunt Wang, surrounded by several army wives berating her, turned alternately red and white in the face, shrank her neck, and retreated to the outside of the door, not daring to utter a word.

Director Sun slammed the teacup heavily to stop the commotion.

"The matter is clear." Director Sun glared at the Qin family, his face ashen, "Under the guise of visiting relatives, you came to the military compound causing trouble, extorting military families. You have guts!"

Qin Jian Country was so frightened that his legs went limp, and he slumped to the ground. Wang Guixiang didn’t dare make a sound, hunched up, trembling all over.

Director Sun pointed outside: "The guards are just outside. Qin Jian Country, you are committing serious lifestyle misconduct and disrupting military compound security. According to the rules, I have to report your situation to the squad leader of your hometown by official letter! Let your entire village know the good things you’ve done!"

Reporting to the squad leader!

This sentence was the final straw for the Qin family. Once reported back, they’d lose face in the village completely.

Seeing that they not only wouldn’t get the money today but would also face a sanction, Qin Jianjun, who hadn’t said much, was thoroughly panicked.

He’s a thug accustomed to being oppressive in the countryside, understanding nothing of this world’s rules. He only knew that the wife and sewing machine almost in his hands were now gone, and this bunch of city folk even dared to point fingers at him.

"Bang!"

Qin Jianjun suddenly kicked over the long bench in front of him. The solid wooden plank crashing on the concrete floor made a deafening sound.

The office fell silent for a moment.

Qin Jianjun’s eyes went bloodshot, the veins on his neck bulging. He pointed at Director Sun, then at the military wives around him, shouting like a mad dog.

"What’s all the noise! Who do you think you people are to teach me a lesson!"

He strode forward arrogantly with his head held high, spitting as he spoke.

"You think I’m some mud-legs that can be bullied at will? Let me tell you, my cousin’s husband is Commander Gu of the military area! What’s wrong with taking some money among relatives? Gu Zhen Guo is my elder, his money is our Old Qin Family’s money!"

The more he shouted, the more excited he became, as if clutching some lifeline, his arrogance reaching the utmost level.

"Dare treat me like this today; believe it or not, I’ll have my cousin have all your men kicked out of the army! Make you all pack up and roll!"