Three people only saw a motorcycle rushing in from the gate, creating a gust of wind as it halted abruptly in front of them. The rider straddled the bike, one leg steadying it, and glared at them with an unfriendly expression.
The three blinked, staring at the rider’s face clad in a leather jacket and tight-fitting pants.
Was this their aunt in her sixties?
At this moment, Yin Shulan’s voice echoed in Xia Yu’s mind.
“They’re probably here to collect a debt. They’re my brother’s children.”
Seeing the middle-aged woman merely holding Yin Ling’s hand without making any other aggressive move, Xia Yu eased his unfriendly expression.
He got off the motorcycle, pried the woman’s hand off, and pulled Yin Ling behind him. “What are you doing? Why are you threatening the child?”
The two men looked at the middle-aged woman. They had been reluctant to come here in the first place, pushed into it entirely by her.
“Ah, Auntie,” the middle-aged woman had thought she wouldn’t be afraid, but now she felt intimidated. “Xiaohai wants to buy a house in Yaoguang, so we need to raise some money.”
“Buy a house in Yaoguang?” Xia Yu looked at the relatives before him in surprise. He hadn’t expected Yin Shulan to have wealthy relatives.
He wasn’t familiar with Yaoguang’s housing prices, but even in remote areas, property prices usually started at 20,000 to 30,000 per square meter.
“Why did you drag Lingling into this?” Xia Yu wasn’t a forgiving person without a good reason.
“I asked her where you were, and she said you had left late at night. I thought she might be lying to me,” the middle-aged woman said quietly.
She didn’t know what had come over her. She had even dared to confront the neighbor, Mrs. Chu, but now, faced with her frail, aging aunt, she couldn’t act recklessly.
This was because Xia Yu had instinctively used intimidation when he rushed in.
Reality wasn’t like a video game, where skills only activate when clicked. Sometimes, you’d use them without realizing.
The middle-aged woman was actually quite brave. The two men behind her were now staring at ants on the ground.
“How much do I owe you again?” Xia Yu asked. He genuinely didn’t know.
But his question was misunderstood by the middle-aged woman.
She thought Xia Yu was trying to deny the debt. Hurriedly, she pulled out an IOU. “It’s clearly written here—thirty thousand!”
Thirty thousand wasn’t a small sum in this remote countryside, but considering they could afford a house in Yaoguang, it was just a drop in the bucket.
If Yaoguang property required so much money, why worry about thirty thousand? Knowing their aunt likely had no money, why come to collect?
Well, he’d just pay them back directly.
He let Yin Ling make breakfast herself, then mounted the motorcycle and said to the middle-aged woman, “Get on.”
The middle-aged woman stepped back in fear. The two men pretending to be oblivious couldn’t remain calm either. They stepped in front of their wife/sister-in-law. “Auntie, we can discuss the money. We’re family after all!”
“…Am I going to sell her or something? Or do you think I’m going to kill and bury her?” Xia Yu impatiently slapped the back seat. “Come on, get on. I’ll take you to get the money.”
“We’re not in a hurry. If thirty thousand is too much, just give us a bit,” the three remained highly cautious.
When Xia Yu had rushed in, they had been badly frightened.
“Hurry up and get on. Don’t dawdle.”
Prompted by Xia Yu, the middle-aged woman hesitantly climbed onto the motorcycle.
“Hold on tight!”
With a roar of the engine, Xia Yu sped out of the courtyard. There was a small slope at the gate, and the motorcycle launched into the air.
“Ahhhh!” The middle-aged woman screamed loudly.
“Don’t scream like a banshee!”
Scolded by Xia Yu, she quickly shut her mouth.
“Auntie, Auntie, go slower. Safety first,” she said, her face pale.
“Don’t chatter like that. Are you a pigeon? Don’t worry. Your aunt’s riding skills are exceptional.” Xia Yu accelerated even more.
Compared to cars, motorcycles weren’t actually that fast. However, car windows created a visual illusion, making the speed seem slower. Online, people called this “slow-glass effect.” On a motorcycle without windows, you experienced the real speed.
Racing like lightning to the town’s bank, Xia Yu stopped the motorcycle.
The middle-aged woman got off, staggering to lean against a nearby wall to catch her breath.
Xia Yu’s driving had been bumpy to begin with. The rural roads were uneven, and her fear had severely stressed both her mind and body.
After buying a bottle of water from a nearby store and drinking it, the middle-aged woman gradually calmed down.
Once she finished the water, she recovered.
Then she saw Yin Shuyu exiting the bank, waving for her to get back on the motorcycle.
“No, no, no! I’d rather walk back!” The middle-aged woman hurriedly refused.
“Is that so?” Xia Yu didn’t insist. He took three stacks of money from the paper bag he had brought from the bank and handed it to the middle-aged woman.
“This is just taken from the bank. Count it,” he let her check.
Looking at the money in her hands, the middle-aged woman was astonished. She had only come to ask Yin Shulan for money because her son was pressuring her, hoping to get at least something. She hadn’t really expected to get any money back, let alone the full amount.
When had her aunt become so wealthy?
That motorcycle and outfit weren’t cheap either!
However, these thoughts weren’t important now. She started counting the money.
After she finished counting, Xia Yu started the engine, ready to leave.
“Wait!” The middle-aged woman called him back.
Looking at the large sum of money in her hands, she struggled to say, “Take me back, Auntie. It’s unsafe to carry this much money on the way.”
She decisively got on Xia Yu’s motorcycle.
“Sit tight. Auntie’s driving now.” Xia Yu twisted the throttle, speeding off.
Soon, they returned to the village.
In the courtyard, Yin Shuyu’s two nephews were having breakfast with Yin Ling when they saw a motorcycle rush in.
Yin Shuyu got off first, looking cheerful, while their wife/sister-in-law got off behind her, looking pale.
They immediately shielded the middle-aged woman. “Auntie, you’ve gone too far! What did your niece-in-law do to you?”
“No, it’s just from riding the motorcycle,” the middle-aged woman explained.
“You rode a motorcycle and ended up like this?” The two checked the middle-aged woman, confirming she was fine before mocking, “You’re really not cut out for this. It’s just a motorcycle.”
The middle-aged woman gritted her teeth. “The road back is a bit far. Let your aunt give us a ride. I’ll walk back myself.”
“Great.”
Happy not to have to walk, the two men eagerly got on Xia Yu’s motorcycle.
“Grandma, drive fast. We have things to do when we get back!” They said.
“Alright!” Xia Yu twisted the throttle.
Five minutes later, the two men sat at the corner of their house’s wall, pale-faced and panting.
“This is the money for your family. My wife asked me to give it to you,” Xia Yu handed the money to them.
“Where did you get so much money, Auntie?” The two were shocked. They had thought they had no chance of getting paid.
“I’ve earned a bit recently,” Xia Yu vaguely replied.
Hearing that it was money he had earned, the two relaxed.
“What’s going on with your Xiaohai?” Looking at the house, which was only slightly larger than Yin Shulan’s dilapidated home, Xia Yu was puzzled.
Did this family really have enough money to buy a house in Yaoguang?
“Xiaohai said he found a friend. With just a 50,000 down payment, he can get a 100-square-meter house,” the two happily told Xia Yu while holding the money.
“Oh.” Xia Yu understood. Xiaohai had been deceiving his family for money.
They couldn’t even raise 50,000, yet borrowed 30,000 from Yin Shulan. What a wonderful family of relatives.
Xia Yu felt a small sense of guilt for his private retaliation.
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