Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Silver
“Fifty taels of silver isn’t a small sum. Why did you borrow that much?” Qin Hui Yin asked.

“To keep him alive, of course.” Chen Zhong Yi’s smile widened, pleased with himself. “Back then he was half a foot in the grave. The doctor said he needed ginseng to survive. I’m a kind man—when I heard he had no silver to buy it, I lent him the money. He swallowed the ginseng and kept breathing. Now that his life’s been saved, he pays the debt. But look at this house—poor to the bone. No money? Then trade people instead.”

Li Tao Hua’s eyes flashed. “Who knows whether the money even bought ginseng? Maybe you set him up on purpose and fooled that stupid pig of a man.”

“It’s been so long the ginseng’s already digested.” Chen Zhong Yi spread his hands, all innocence. “If you want to claim the ginseng was fake now, bring proof. No proof? Pay up!”

Qin Hui Yin caught her mother’s wrist before Li Tao Hua could lunge forward and gave it a steady squeeze. “Mother.”

She hadn’t been here when Tang Da Fu got injured. She didn’t know what had been said, what had been signed, how desperate he’d been. If the doctor had told him he was going to die, he would’ve agreed to 50 taels—or 500—just to keep his eyes open for one more day. Pain and fear made a man pliable. Even if you asked him now, all he’d remember would be blood and the terror of not waking up.

Qin Hui Yin lifted her gaze. “Who else was there?”

“Plenty.” Chen Zhong Yi’s chin tipped up. “The doctor. My shop assistants. They can all testify.”

“Your shop assistants belong to you.” Li Tao Hua snapped. “And you found the doctor—who’s to say he isn’t in on it too?”

Chen Zhong Yi’s smile cooled. “Then I’ve got nothing else to say. If you don’t believe me, report it to the authorities. I’ve got witnesses. Even if we stand before the yamen and confront each other, I’m not afraid.”

Qin Hui Yin let the words settle, then spoke evenly. “Fifty taels is a huge amount. Even if we repay it, we can’t do it overnight. Give us one month. Come back in one month to collect. If we still can’t repay by then, we’ll settle it by the rules.”

Li Tao Hua whipped her head around. “One month? Fifty taels—how can we repay that in one month? And this stinks of tricks!”

“It’s been too long,” Qin Hui Yin said quietly. “Even if we investigate now, what can we find? If the ginseng was fake, or if it wasn’t worth 50 taels, do we have proof? They’ll keep saying Uncle Tang already ate it. Are we supposed to make him vomit it up?”

“So we just swallow it?” Li Tao Hua’s voice shook with rage. “Look at him—sinister and slippery. Do you really believe he did it out of kindness?”

“In that situation, Uncle Tang needed treatment,” Qin Hui Yin said. “If they truly meant him harm and he refused their terms, he might not have made it home alive.”

“If he’s that despicable, shouldn’t we be even less willing to let him get what he wants?”

“Right now we’re the weaker side and they have the upper hand.” Qin Hui Yin kept her tone steady, forcing logic over heat. “If we clash head-on, it’ll be an egg hitting a stone. There are more of them, and everyone here is either a woman or a child. If we force it, we’ll only lose. Step back first. Get through what’s in front of us. Then we think of a way out. Mother—50 taels is a lot, but it isn’t impossible to earn.”

Li Tao Hua clenched her jaw. She hated it, but she knew these people weren’t easy to deal with. If she let them keep making trouble, life would only get harder. Sending them away bought them silence, if nothing else.

And this involved Tang Da Fu. Tang Yi Chen—the Tang family’s eldest—wouldn’t ignore it. Counting the days, he should be home soon.

Chen Zhong Yi made a show of yawning. “Done whispering? You want more time? Hah. What’s the point? You think you can earn 50 taels in a month?”

Qin Hui Yin met his eyes. “One month as the deadline. If we repay 50 taels, the debt is wiped clean. If we can’t… I’ll pledge myself to you as a servant. Is that acceptable?”

“No!” Li Tao Hua exploded before Chen Zhong Yi could even breathe. “If we can’t pay, I’ll go. I’ll be your servant!”

Chen Zhong Yi looked Li Tao Hua up and down like a butcher weighing meat. “This master liked you at first, big beauty.” Then his gaze slid to Qin Hui Yin, greedy and bright. “But after seeing your daughter, I prefer the young ones. Fine. One month. If you can’t pay, she comes with this master.”

Li Tao Hua surged forward, murderous. “You—”

“Mother.” Qin Hui Yin stepped in, blocking her with her own body, voice low enough that only Li Tao Hua could hear. “Trust me. I won’t let you lose. Let’s get them out first. We’ll talk after.”

Chen Zhong Yi flicked his hand. “Write it up. Everything we just said. She signs and stamps it. Evidence matters. This master isn’t stupid.”

One of his men brought out brush, ink, and paper and bent to work. His hand moved fast—too fast, practiced and neat.

When the document was done, Qin Hui Yin took it and read each line. Her gaze snagged on the handwriting—then on the shop assistant holding the inkstone.

It matched the IOU.

She didn’t show it. She only lowered her thumb, pressed it into the red paste, and stamped the paper. Then she signed.

“Boss Chen,” she said, sliding it over, “your turn.”

Chen Zhong Yi grabbed the brush and scrawled a crooked name like a child just learning characters. He stamped his thumbprint with relish, folded his copy, and tucked it into his chest.

He looked Qin Hui Yin over again, slow and satisfied. Young, yes—but the bones were good. Give her a few years and she’d be a beauty that turned heads.

And there was no way this broken family could scrape together 50 taels in a month. In a month, this little beauty would be his.

Qin Hui Yin pointed toward the gate. “Since it’s settled, you should leave. Please.”

“We’ll go—for now.” Chen Zhong Yi leaned closer, voice oily. “Little beauty, you’re interesting. We’ll see each other again.”

Li Tao Hua yanked Qin Hui Yin behind her, face twisted with disgust. “Do you know your breath stinks? My young lady smells sweet. Don’t knock her out with your stench.”

Chen Zhong Yi’s face darkened. “You—”

“Boss Chen.” Qin Hui Yin cut in smoothly. “We just signed a contract. You’re not planning to go back on your word, are you? Go on. Come back next month.”

Chen Zhong Yi stared at her, then laughed through his teeth and waved his men out. The thugs filed after him, boots scraping dirt, and the yard finally emptied.

The moment the gate shut, Li Tao Hua’s fury cracked open into something raw. She lunged at Tang Da Fu—still slumped on the ground—and pounded his shoulder with both fists. “You damned bastard! If my daughter gets dragged down because of you, I’ll kill you, then kill myself! I must have been blind to pick up useless trash like you. Divorce! Right now—divorce! I’m done living with you!”

“Wife…” Tang Da Fu flinched under her blows, voice hoarse. “It’s my fault. I’m wrong. Don’t be angry—don’t make yourself sick. I’ll think of a way. I’ll repay the 50 taels. I will.”

“Even if you sold every patch of land you own, it wouldn’t fill a hole this big.” Li Tao Hua’s eyes were bright, vicious with tears she refused to shed. “I’m done with you. Figure it out yourself.”

Then she grabbed Qin Hui Yin’s hand like she meant to drag her straight out of the village. “Daughter, we leave. We go far, far away. We aren’t even from here—why waste our lives in this place?”