Honey, you didn't really drugged me, did you?

Chen Jie hurried home, not knowing why, but after hearing about Cui'er from Upper Peach Village jumping into a well, he had an ominous premonition in his heart.

He hadn't even finished eating at the Bai family's place when he rushed back home.

As expected, before he even reached his doorstep, Chen Jie saw quite a crowd gathered at his house.

Chen Jie was startled, worried something might have happened.

Thinking this, Chen Jie quickly ran towards his home.

At this moment, in the small courtyard of Chen Jie's house, Ma Liu sat on a chair, brazenly ogling Su Yunjin.

One couldn't deny that the Young Master had good taste in women; she indeed was very attractive.

Even in her worn clothes, her beauty was undeniable.

To be able to play with her would be ecstatic, but he wondered if the Young Master would allow him a revisit after morning class. If allowed, he could forgo his own reward from the morning class.

It was incomprehensible that such a beautiful woman would end up with the useless Chen Jiusi, who did nothing but beat and scold her, treating her with such disdain. It was a total waste!

Ma Liu unabashedly kept gazing at Su Yunjin.

Su Yunjin was visibly uncomfortable, standing in front of Little Douding, who was terrified and shrank behind her, too scared to move.

Seeing this scene, Uncle Erba, who had come early upon hearing the news, stepped forward and asked, "Ma Liu, what are you doing here?"

Ma Liu glanced at Uncle Erba and said, "Oh, Chen Quezi, I'm here to collect a debt! Where is Chen Jiusi? Tell him to come out."

"Ma Liu, watch your language. My father and yours are contemporaries. You should at least call me uncle!"

Xiao Hu, hearing Ma Liu's words, angrily questioned him.

Ma Liu ignored him and said to Chen Erba, "If calling me uncle lets Chen Jiusi come out and pay back his money so I can settle my accounts, then sure, you're my uncle. Otherwise, don't even mention 'uncle,' I wouldn't acknowledge my own father!"

"You!"

Chen Erba was infuriated by Ma Liu, who then looked at Su Yunjin saying, "Sister-in-law, please get Chen Jiusi to come out; I have been waiting here for half an hour, haven't I?"

Su Yunjin replied, "I told you, he's gone to Doctor Bai's to apprentice."

"Heh, him, apprentice for Doctor Bai, really? Stop lying, just pay back the money. He can pretend to be whatever he wants; even a turtle for all I care. Right, boys?"

Ma Liu turned to his followers.

"Right."

The followers responded.

...

Seeing the commotion in the courtyard, the onlookers outside started asking each other.

"What's going on?"

"They're collecting a debt; seems like Chen Jiusi has taken a high-interest loan from outside."

"No way, hasn't Chen Jiusi reformed?"

"Hmph, as if he could reform."

Hearing the crowd's discussion, Chen Sanliu stood by, grinning maliciously, enjoying the misfortune.

It served him right. He had been too arrogant these past few days; now karma had caught up with him.

Meanwhile, Lu San, who had a limp in one leg, helped by Lu Qinsi, also came to see what was happening. Hearing about Chen Jie's misfortune, Lu San felt rejuvenated, bouncing over a hundred meters with ease.

As he leaned on a wall to watch, his eyes filled with hatred, it seemed Chen Jiusi's bad luck was sealed.

Seeing more and more people gathering, Su Yunjin looked very upset; Chen Jiusi had just reformed, could he have gone bad again?

But their peaceful days had only just begun; if this were a dream, it was all too brief. Was she doomed to fall back into hell?

"Sister, brother-in-law he…"

Little Douding clutched his sister's sleeve.

Chen Erba spoke to Su Yunjin, "Yunjin, Jiusi hasn't had time to gamble these past few days; it mustn't be a recent debt. Don't worry; let me ask first."

Thinking this, Uncle Erba approached Ma Liu and asked, "Ma Liu, when did Jiusi accrue this debt?"

Ma Liu replied, "It's been a month or two, I guess."

After hearing this, Chen Erba and Su Yunjin both breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that it wasn't happening in these two days at least. It at least proved that Jiu Si's repentance was genuine and not a deception.

Uncle Erba asked, "How much does he owe in total?"

"Are you going to help pay it off?"

Ma Liu looked at Uncle Erba, who replied, "Hmm."

Ma Liu took out the IOU and showed it briefly. Uncle Erba glanced at Su Yunjin, as he couldn't read.

Su Yunjin looked over and immediately relaxed.

"How much, girl?"

Uncle Erba asked, and Su Yunjin, with a delighted expression, said, "One tael of silver."

"One tael, good. Hu Zi, go home and get the money."

"Alright."

Hu Zi responded.

But Su Yunjin said, "Uncle Erba, there's no need for so much. I have eight cents. Just lend me two more."

"Oh, alright then."

Saying this, Uncle Erba was ready to send Hu Zi to get the money.

Seeing them like this, Ma Liu suddenly laughed. "Ha ha, one tael of silver, you... you don't really think it's just one tael of silver, do you?"

"Look carefully, this IOU was drawn up on March 2nd, the ninth year of Zhizheng. Now it's May—two months, you have to add interest."

Ma Liu looked at Su Yunjin and Uncle Erba.

Upon hearing this, their faces turned stiff, and Uncle Erba, looking at Ma Liu, said, "Then, how much is it now?"

Ma Liu smiled and said, "Not much, interest compounded on interest, just... twenty taels!"

"How much?!!"

Hearing this, the eyes of Uncle Erba and Su Yunjin nearly popped out—twenty taels!

Twenty taels!

"How can it possibly accumulate so much!"

Both couldn't believe it, and the villagers around also widened their eyes. Twenty taels, damn, that's more than even selling the entire Chen family's assets could cover.

And outside, Lu San almost set off fireworks to celebrate. Yes, Chen Jiusi had finally gotten his comeuppance.

Awesome!

Su Yunjin almost couldn't stand when she heard this, her body swaying.

Seeing this, Ma Liu moved to support her, but Su Yunjin quickly dodged and said pale-faced, "Twenty taels, we would have to sell everything we own!"

Ma Liu said, "Hmm, you'll have to hurry. There's more due tomorrow!"

Su Yunjin looked at Ma Liu in despair. Ma Liu grinned and said, "Sister-in-law, why such a look?"

Su Yunjin asked, "What if we can't pay it off?"

Ma Liu, grinning, leaned in and said, "If you can't pay, we'll take away your house, all valuables, and cripple you by breaking your arms and legs."

Su Yunjin's face turned deathly pale.

Ma Liu's eyes gleamed wickedly as he sized up Su Yunjin, "Sister-in-law, you wouldn't want your man to become a cripple without limbs, would you?"

"Actually, I have a solution, if you're willing. Not only the twenty taels of interest, you wouldn't even have to pay the principal. What do you say?"

"What... what would I have to do?"

Su Yunjin, thinking of something terrible, looked at Ma Liu with a pale face.

Just as Ma Liu was about to speak with a smile, suddenly a voice rang out.

"Hey, Brother Ma Liu is here. Why didn't you let me know earlier, so I could welcome you properly?"

Hearing this voice, everyone looked over and saw Chen Jie slowly walking in from the main entrance, looking at Ma Liu with a smile.

Seeing Chen Jie, Su Yunjin breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiu Si, you're finally back!