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墨書 Inktalez
Hayang yawned and walked into the bathroom with sleepy eyes, noticing Chen Hao in front of him. He casually asked, "Where's your sister? Still sleeping in?"
"She left early this morning, probably off to Singapore for work. Seriously, it's almost Lantern Festival. You look like you didn't sleep well. Not used to it?" Chen Hao replied, his mouth full of toothpaste foam, speaking somewhat indistinctly.
"I'm not used to the bed, but her impatience is just her nature," Yang Xiao said, splashing water on his face and instantly feeling more awake. Last night had been quite a hassle; the city was just too big.
As he reached for his toothbrush, he absentmindedly grabbed the soap instead and accidentally dropped it on the floor.
Bending down to pick it up, Chen Hao teased him, "I'm already taken, so don't waste your efforts."
"Get lost," Yang Xiao retorted with a fierce laugh after realizing what Chen Hao meant.
On the bustling sidewalk, amidst the cold air, complaints could be heard. "Hey, hey, are you kidding? It can't be dragging Ling'er into this," Chen Hao said to Yang Xiaoyou, sounding somewhat aggrieved. Although he and Huang Ling had confirmed their relationship, they hadn't reached the stage of staying over at each other's places yet. After spending time shopping together yesterday, he had sent her home and was now on his way there.
"I went to see Uncle Huang about something. I recently got a prescription and wanted to see if he has any ready-made ingredients. Besides, when you went there last time, didn't you need to get something too? How's Uncle Chen's old injury?" Yang Xiaoyou replied honestly before asking Chen Hao a few questions in return.
"He's doing alright. Dad's health has been good lately. I'm planning to bring some formulas I learned at training camp. You wouldn't believe it; I never expected that old Russian would have our prescriptions," Chen Hao answered directly regarding Yang Xiao's questions.
Yang Xiao didn't delve deeper into the matter since traditional Chinese medicine preserved its system quite well, making various health-preserving formulas fairly common.
During their conversation on the way, Yang Xiaoyou learned more about Huang Ling's family situation. Previously, he had known about her family's financial struggles due to her volunteer work while studying hard.
Now he understood that her mother had been bedridden for years, placing a significant burden on the family. Her father's income from selling medicinal herbs had all gone into medical expenses, and they were also in considerable debt.
As they discussed this, Chen Hao's tone reflected some sympathy.
Huang Ling's family had sold their original house and was now renting a simple bungalow in the suburbs. In truth, such houses were becoming rare even in the outskirts of the city nowadays. Upon entering, they noticed that the interior hadn't been renovated; the walls were merely painted over with a simple coat of paint, and the lower half was still bare cement painted green.
As soon as he stepped into the hallway, a hint of herbal fragrance wafted through the air.
"Old Huang, it's not that I don't understand your situation, but it's been over half a year since I lent you that money. With the recent renovations, I'm really struggling to get by. I don't even need the interest anymore; you just need to find a way to pay me back the principal. I heard you sold off some inventory yesterday," a somewhat troubled voice echoed from the stairs as they reached the second floor.
With just a bit of thought, it was clear that this was a debt collector. However, repaying debts is a matter of principle, and judging by the tone, this creditor seemed to be a decent person. Yang Xiao exchanged a glance with Huang Wei, both feeling somewhat helpless.
"Uncle Huang, I'm here," Huang Ling called out as she approached the open door of her home. Chen Hao knocked lightly on the door.
"Ah, Chen! You're here too. I actually envy Old Huang's daughter for finding a boyfriend like you," the creditor said with a smile, looking well-groomed and seemingly familiar with Chen Hao. It appeared he had been coming to collect debts for some time now.
Meanwhile, Huang Ling's father, who looked honest and simple, was counting money from an old leather bag. When he saw Yang Xiao and Chen Hao enter, he smiled warmly before lowering his head to wrap three stacks of cash in newspaper and handed them to the creditor.
"Here are thirty thousand. I promise I'll find a way to get the rest soon. I'm really sorry about this," Huang Ling's father sighed, expressing his apologies.
Perhaps the creditor had a decent relationship with him; although the debt wasn't fully paid off yet, there was no further confrontation. As he placed the cash into his bag, he glanced at Chen Hao and said to Huang Ling's father, "Actually, this Chen kid isn't bad; his family background is good too. Your daughter isn't too young; setting up an engagement or something shouldn't be an issue. Well then, I'll take my leave."
Just as the creditor was about to ask for something more, he suddenly changed expression upon hearing commotion from downstairs and the sound of people rushing up the stairs. He quickly stood up and excused himself.
At that moment, Huang Ling emerged from the kitchen looking anxious. "Dad! Chen! They're back again!"
Just then, four or five rough-looking fellows surrounded the entrance.
Upon seeing Chen Hao, their expressions turned sour. "Hey man, it's you again! If you really care about that girl, why not help her pay off her debts?" one of them said, seemingly their leader, while rubbing his jaw where bruises still lingered.
"You guys clearly got your money last time; are you looking for trouble again?" Chen Hao replied, visibly irritated at their presence.
"Last time's money can only be considered medical expenses; it doesn't even count as interest. Do you think hitting us comes without a cost? You’re a pilot, right? Then you know that even if you can fight back, as long as we make a few cuts on you, hey." The leader, although clearly a bit afraid of Chen Hao, still managed to smile as he continued, "This time we’re not asking for much. I heard you sold off all your stock yesterday? Just bring the money, and we’ll turn around and leave. You also saw that my brother got hurt; he needs some nutritional supplements."
He then pointed to the two men behind him who were pulling at him, their faces pale and arms wrapped in bandages.
It was obvious they were loan sharks, the kind with no limits. Once you got entangled with them, it was like being stuck with parasites. It was unclear how they found out that Huang Ling's father had sold all the goods to that 'American.'
Just after the sale, they swooped in like flies, but it was evident they were tough to deal with.
Yang Xiao noticed the two muscular men sweating profusely and trying to stop their leader from talking. A strange expression crossed his face; what a coincidence.
"Hey, no need to pull me. I know; don’t worry, I’ll make sure to give you both some nutritional expenses. When the time comes, I hope you can say a good word for me in front of Eighth Master," the leader casually shrugged off the grip of the injured fellows and spoke nonchalantly.
"Oh, we meet again." Seeing that the two men had slightly purple lips and seemed unable to speak properly, Yang Xiao smiled and waved at them.
It seemed they were already aware of the news about Dung Beetle Baldy’s demise. Such an inexplicable death must have had some impact on them; facing the unknown often brings fear, which explained their current expressions.
Moreover, he wondered if the effects of what he left on Eighth Master had kicked in yet. Judging by their looks, it probably had.
"Yes, yes! What a coincidence! We’re just passing by; we mean no harm," the two towering men over six feet tall stammered awkwardly, their expressions a mix of confusion and fear.
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