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The Lucky Star Control Corporation in the 70s (33)
All the Chu family members restrained the grievances in their hearts. When Chu Shuang took such a tough attitude to demand debt, her mother immediately exploded. She scrambled on her feet and snapped, “What? I have no money. Do you want to rob me? You haven’t returned to our house for several months, and you’ll probably not know when your father and I are dead. You are an unfilial daughter. Even if you usually disrespect us, are you trying to force us to death now?!”
Chu Shuang sneered and retorted, “No money? Would you eat scrambled eggs if you don’t have money? There must be meat in this soup, right? Do you call this no money? Yours is better than my family’s food, so why are you crying about poverty?”
Grandma Chu choked hard and stammered, “To-today is an exception!”
She was just incensed that Chu Xiang was living well after separating from them. On top of that, Chu Xiang didn’t pay them a visit three days after her wedding. This invited all sorts of ridicule poured on the Chu family. She just wanted to have some good food and smell some meat, more or less to save face. Who would have predicted that Chu Shuang would run into them?
Chu Shuang got up and dragged her mother into the room. “Stop talking about those useless things. Get the money quickly. It’s only right and proper to pay off debts. I tell you, if you don’t satisfy me today, I’ll make everyone in the village know about it, so that everyone can see how you screwed your relatives. Let me see how you can still live in the village!”
The few members scrambled up to stop her, and then some pulling and shoving ensued. There was no telling who pinched who, and who pushed who, but soon screams of pain, accompanied by shouts grew louder and louder. Neighbors on both sides of the wall took their rice bowls and watched on. Grandpa Chu hurriedly asked his two sons to separate everyone. Several women had already torn each other up, so their clothes were wrinkled and their hair was in a mess, leaving particularly ugly pictures.
Grandpa Chu patted the table and raged, “Chu Shuang, are you still from the Chu family? Are you here to make trouble today? Do you think we can’t pay your money? Why can’t you just wait a few more days?”
Chu Shuang countered angrily, “I want my money, but look how you guys treated me! Do you treat me as family? Don’t blame me for being heartless. Do you think I don’t know? You paid the Yin family and the Captain, and you have nothing left! Are you sure my money will be ready in a few days? Who are you kidding?”
Chu Weiguo reprimanded her, “Why are you talking back to Dad?”
Chu Shuang glanced at him and snorted coldly. “Did I say something wrong? I just have this temper. I tell you Chu Weiguo, if you are a man, you will pay me back my money. It’s you, who borrowed it from me anyway. If you can’t pay it back, shut up and get lost, cut the damn crap!”
“You!” Chu Weiguo raised his hand and slapped her face.
Chu Shuang pushed him away and shouted, “Why don’t you pay the money you owe? Are you still going to beat me? Ask everyone to come and judge for me. Come on everyone. Let’s talk to everyone. I married out for so many years, and the money I earned is not the Chu family’s. Why are you beating me now that you can’t pay me back?”
As soon as Chu Shuang finished speaking, she stomped into the courtyard. The neighbors heard the shouting clearly, and other people nearby came out curiously to watch the excitement. In the blink of an eye, a dozen people gathered.
The Chu family got anxious and angry. Chu Lan and Chu Lan’s mother rushed to drag her into the house. Chu Lan lowered her head and persuaded her, “Aunt, let’s talk inside the house. Don’t expose the family’s dirty laundry outside. Everything is negotiable.”
Chu Shuang saw her and remembered something. “By the way, I heard that you are a big lucky star, is that right? Hey, why haven’t I noticed it for so many years? Can you still catch rabbits and pheasants? Why have you never sent one to my house? It turns out that you eat meat every day, while I eat bran and veggies in the county, and you still can’t pay me back? Are you black-hearted?”
Chu Shuang wasn’t the sort to blindly be harsh on someone, yet someone dared to tell her off. She slapped her thighs in front of the crowd and cried out, “I’m so miserable. I’m living a hard life at home, and now that I am married out, the family enjoys meat, but does not share a piece with me. They borrowed 300 yuan and won’t pay me back. Who would believe that you don’t have money when you reek of meat? I need it urgently. How can you treat me like this? My surname is also Chu!”
People always tended to sympathize with the weak, and the one who was weeping bitterly. Besides, it also sounded like the Chu family was unethical, refusing to pay the money they borrowed from Chu Shuang. Their eyes on the Chu family gradually changed. Why was this family getting more and more muddled? They never saw them in this light before. They were really blind.
Grandma Chu strode out in anger, pointed at Chu Shuang and scolded her, “You still have the nerve to cry, do you want everyone to see how you have beaten me? You even beat your own mother, are you human? Who won’t pay you back? I lost all my money to the Yin family, so how can I have money? What’s wrong with making you wait for a few days?”
“I didn’t hit you. Your two daughters-in-law and granddaughter attacked me. Who knows which one of them lay a hand on you? Look at my sorry state. Mother, are you being reasonable? There’s indeed a problem with lending money. It’s a pit I dug myself. I won’t lend you money in the future. With your attitude, who will want to deal with you?” Chu Shuang raised her hand and messed up her hair some more. She indeed cut a sorry figure, making her accusations particularly convincing.
Seeing that everyone was leaning toward Chu Shuang’s words, Grandma Chu also gritted her teeth and started bawling. She slumped on the ground, while crying and pounding her chest, listing down how unfilial Chu Shuang has been for over the years. However, Chu Shuang had the upperhand since she lent them 300 yuan. If she was indeed unfilial, why did she lend them such an amount? She must be in urgent need, that was why she was collecting the debt, ah. If she was indeed selfish, she wouldn’t have lent them the money.