Chapter Thirty: All Debts Settled!

As for those words, Shen Guodong paid them no mind at all, for he had never been one to fear the talk of others. In contrast, Liu Yueru was anxious as an ant on a hot griddle. She looked toward Shen Guodong again and again, hoping he would step forward to explain, but he merely sat there, smoking, unmoved.

Chen Gantian was laughing so hard he nearly doubled over, sneering repeatedly. “See, cousin? This fellow just told you a few things in passing, and you believed him. If things were really as he said, wouldn’t he be the most eager of all to jump up and explain himself? Would he still be sitting there like that?”

“That’s right! He’s full of lies—there’s not a single word of truth in his mouth.”

“If I were you, I’d be too ashamed to even face the world, let alone sit here so calmly. I really don’t know how you have the nerve.”

All these relatives were desperate to curry favor with Chen Gantian, each one trying to trample Shen Guodong into the dirt.

“Have you said enough? Whether I’m lying or not, what business is it of yours?” Shen Guodong retorted with a cold smile. “Isn’t it just because I owe you money? Today I’ll pay you back, principal and interest, right now. So shut your mouths!”

The relatives who had been making the most noise had, in total, lent Liu Yueru only a few dozen yuan. Shen Guodong had checked yesterday—most had only lent a few yuan each. Compared to their own family situations, these people could easily spare a few thousand yuan; only his father-in-law’s family was among the poorer relatives.

Helping is a kindness, not helping is only one’s right. That’s how the saying goes. But in Shen Guodong’s view, their meager offerings were hardly worth the trouble.

Of course, he understood that when he was borrowing money everywhere, these relatives feared he wouldn’t pay it back. Yet now they were all making such a fuss, as if he owed them some enormous debt of gratitude. They weren’t even as good as his friends! At least among Shen Guodong’s friends, quite a few had lent him several hundred yuan—a considerable sum in those days.

Meanwhile, those relatives living in new houses and riding motorcycles, the most any of them had lent—Chen Gantian’s family included—was ten yuan.

“Pay us back? Do you even have the money?”

“This is just laughable.”

“We know what you’re really like—you can’t even afford to eat, and now you say you’ll pay us back? Where do you get this kind of nerve?”

“Really, there’s all kinds of people in the world. You’re going to make us die laughing. Where do you come by such audacity?”

They all chimed in, clearly not believing for a second that Shen Guodong could pay them back.

“Yueru, I brought the ledger. See how much we owe the relatives, pay them all, and give each of them ten yuan as interest,” Shen Guodong said calmly.

Liu Yueru nodded, then went to the inner room and brought out her cloth purse. She spread it open, revealing two thick stacks of money—at least two thousand yuan.

At that, many people stared, their eyes wide, as if unable to believe what they were seeing. It was beyond their wildest imagination.

Two thousand yuan! Where on earth had Shen Guodong gotten so much money?

Everyone was utterly astonished, unable to believe it was real.

“How can this be?”

“What kind of windfall did Shen Guodong stumble upon, to suddenly have so much money?”

“He must have done something shady, maybe even illegal. Should we report him? What if he’s paying us with stolen money—wouldn’t that implicate us too?”

“That’s right!”

Whispers and murmurs rippled through the crowd once more, but Shen Guodong remained unmoved. Other people’s mouths were their own; they could say whatever they liked. But rumors always end with the wise, and the truth is for each to judge.

“Guodong, you haven’t done anything illegal, have you? You can’t let poverty push you to do something foolish—one moment of poor judgment could ruin your whole life,” Liu Jianguo said anxiously, clearly out of genuine concern for Shen Guodong.

By contrast, the eldest brother, Liu Jiangjun, was sorely lacking. He’d always been close to Chen Gantian and had supported his sister’s marriage from the start, often working with Chen Gantian and maintaining a close relationship.

“Don’t worry, big brother. My money is all clean. The factory recognized me as an outstanding worker and awarded me a substantial bonus. I invested that money and earned a good return. When my business prospers, I’ll take you along to get rich too,” Shen Guodong said with a cheerful smile.

Liu Chuanzhi and Zhang Ailian breathed a sigh of relief at his words—this was exactly what they’d hoped to hear.

But now, envy began to gnaw at the relatives. Who could have imagined that Shen Guodong would suddenly do so well, able to earn several thousand yuan so easily? In the countryside, when someone makes money, the first thought is not to get rich together, but to ensure that no other relative lives better than oneself. This mindset was on full display now.

As soon as they heard how much money Shen Guodong had all at once, the relatives were overwhelmed with jealousy.

Liu Yueru held the ledger. “Aunt, here’s your ten yuan. Guodong says to add ten yuan interest. Take care—our account is settled!”

“Auntie, here’s yours—fifteen yuan in total.”

“Cousin, here’s your thirteen yuan!”

Many had borrowed less than the interest Shen Guodong was now paying them. In this, he had been more than generous. After all, their help amounted to only a few yuan each. Back then, Shen Guodong had indeed been in difficulties, but few had truly helped him—most had only laughed at him.

Even if wages were low in those times, when someone comes asking for a loan, clearly they’re in need, yet the relatives had only given a few yuan each. It was almost an insult, but desperation had forced him to accept.

Moreover, when borrowing the money, Liu Yueru had suffered no small humiliation—he could imagine it all too well. But now, at last, the accounts were settled, and from this day on, there would be no more ties between them.