The troublemaker Wang Xiao'e departed, and the villagers could only shift their gaze to Zhang Liunian and his wife, and the flatbed cart placed in the yard.
This flatbed cart alone cost over ten yuan, suggesting Zhang Liunian had indeed earned money.
Sensing their attention, Jiang Qingqing's face flushed slightly. She nudged her husband and stepped forward, frowning as she looked at the increasingly long line behind them, and called out to those at the back.
"Fellow villagers, I apologize. I only have thirty-two yuan on me right now, and I cannot repay the debts of those who arrived later today. So, please, there's no need to queue up anymore."
Jiang Qingqing's words immediately provoked an outcry from those behind her.
Why weren't they being repaid first?
They were among the earliest to lend money.
"Qingqing, we lent you money three years ago. Why are you repaying those who borrowed only two years ago first?"
"Why can't you repay us first if it's all the same debt?"
"If you're going to repay, repay us all."
"That's right, repay everyone at once."
"..."
The uproar grew, as most of them wanted Zhang Liunian to clear all his debts.
Zhang Liunian calculated his household savings. He had given Qingqing over two hundred yuan, plus the sixty yuan he had on him, totaling less than three hundred yuan, which was far from the 388 yuan needed to repay.
Repaying everyone today was simply not feasible.
"We can't repay today. We don't have that much money," Zhang Liunian stepped forward to shield his wife.
"You must repay today," someone shouted, and the crowd joined in the clamor.
"Must repay today."
"..."
Chanting, they moved closer to Zhang Liunian and his wife.
Zhang Liunian kept his wife behind him, preventing her from taking a step forward.
Just then, the village chief, alerted by the commotion, arrived. He saw half the village harassing the Zhang Liunian couple, shouting demands for repayment today with urgent and angry expressions, as if they were about to tear the couple apart.
Old Man Zhang, honest and upright, couldn't bear to witness such a scene. For the sake of a village community, there was no need to be so ruthless!
Besides, Zhang Liunian hadn't said he wouldn't repay, only that he couldn't do it right now. Could he not be given a little more time?
"Silence!" Old Man Zhang roared and walked over.
Seeing that the village chief had been alerted, the crowd had no choice but to stop their shouting.
Tu Meili, noticing this, emerged from the crowd and spoke up, "Village Chief, Zhang Liunian's family is eating meat. They have money, and they must repay everyone's debts. It's only natural to repay what is owed."
Old Man Zhang, seeing her stepping forward to add fuel to the fire, wanted to curse her, "Your debt was already collected, wasn't it? Why are you joining in the fun here?"
"My debt is gone, but they haven't repaid everyone else's. As a successor of the new era, I feel it's my duty to help everyone get back what belongs to them," Tu Meili declared righteously, but she was merely pursuing her own selfish desires.
Old Man Zhang's mouth twitched. He looked Tu Meili up and down. "Since it's not your debt, you should butt out."
"Village Chief, I want to speak up for everyone."
"We don't need your troublemaking ways."
"Village Chief, how can you speak of me like that? I'm genuinely trying to help everyone, that's why I've come forward." Tu Meili was unhappy being described as a troublemaker by the village chief.
Old Man Zhang paid no mind to her happiness, because Tu Meili was a troublemaker in Zhang Village. Wherever she was, there was trouble.
Old Man Zhang detested women like her who caused unrest.
"Whether you represent everyone is another matter. Alright, you have no say here. Stand aside."
Tu Meili was unwilling, but faced with the village chief's resolute attitude, she could only retreat to the side.
Though she stood aside, in her heart, she was already cursing the village chief, wishing he'd fall into the lake and drown when he went out...
"Village Chief, I will repay everyone's debts, but I will need some time."
Without Tu Meili fanning the flames beside him, Zhang Liunian stepped forward and proactively stated to the village chief, "It won't be long, half a month will suffice."
The village chief, having developed a better impression of Zhang Liunian through their previous two encounters, nodded without speaking and turned to the crowd, "Half a month. What do you all think?"
The crowd exchanged glances and whispered amongst themselves. Their earlier agitated mood had slightly subsided.
Half a month. It wasn't impossible, but the question was whether Zhang Liunian could deliver in half a month.
"It's not that it's impossible, we're just afraid he won't keep his word," someone voiced their concern.
Zhang Liunian immediately replied, "If I cannot repay the debts in half a month, I'll sell my house to settle them. Would that be acceptable?"
Although his house was made of mud, it occupied a considerable area. If he were to sell it, it could indeed cover the remaining deficit.
Hearing this, the crowd finally felt somewhat reassured.
However, there was something everyone was very curious about: how did Zhang Liunian get the money?
"Liunian, the money from before, how did you earn it back?" someone asked from within the crowd.
Before Zhang Liunian could answer, Old Man Zhang replied, "He's working as an individual proprietor. Don't spread rumors. If he can't do this as an individual proprietor, you won't get your debts repaid either.
Also, everyone shares the same ancestors and bloodline. Don't push things too far."
What? An individual proprietor, the most unfashionable occupation?
Did his parents allow him to do this?
They probably wouldn't agree, otherwise, the village chief wouldn't have said it that way.
It seemed best for everyone not to gossip too much, otherwise, it would be ages before they received their money.
"Village Chief, we're not heartless people. We mostly just followed along when someone started it."
"Yes, one word led to another. We'll give him half a month."
"I saw Tu Meili start it."
"She started it."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Old Man Zhang thought, "Good heavens, it's this troublemaker again." He glared fiercely at Tu Meili.
Tu Meili hadn't expected the villagers to expose her. She tried to explain, "But I was doing it for everyone's good!"
No one believed her.
"I heard you want to become the women's director?" Zhang Liunian suddenly spoke up. Everyone suddenly understood; this was what he was waiting for.
Using the guise of acting for their good, so that they would vote for her?
What cunning!
"But I heard that to become the women's director, one must not have committed any illegal or unethical acts," Zhang Liunian wasn't trying to remind everyone, but rather to ensure Tu Meili would never be able to become the women's director.
"What do you mean by that? When have I committed illegal or unethical acts?" Tu Meili, seeing Zhang Liunian act as if she had done something wrong, immediately became agitated.
She was at a critical juncture in her election campaign, and this matter had to be clarified. Otherwise, if people suspected her, how could they vote for her?
"You helped female educated youths find husbands for marriage, helped them abandon their husbands and children, and received payment for it. Doesn't that count?"
Boom!
Zhang Liunian's words instantly stunned everyone present.
Helped female educated youths find husbands, and then helped them abandon their husbands and children?
What did that mean?
The crowd turned their gaze towards Tu Meili. They saw that she too was stunned, her expression unreadable, whether it was guilt or anger, her face flushed red.