Chapter 224: Borrowing Money

"Hey, Wang Mei, what’s with your tone? My Shanzi is smart, he just doesn’t want to study. If he had a job, he’d definitely be excellent."

At her words, everyone around couldn’t help but roll their eyes.

Forget eight hundred meters thick, the filter she saw her own son through was eight *thousand* meters thick!

Shen Yunlian tried to reason with her gently. "Sister-in-law Ma, that’s really not possible. They’re just Jiaojiao’s godparents, and they only just became so. Even we, the immediate family, wouldn’t have the gall to ask them to arrange a job for someone."

The implication was, ’Let alone you people. You have even less right to ask.’

But Auntie Ma acted as if she couldn’t understand plain language.

"How do you know they’re not willing if you haven’t even asked? Jiaojiao did them such a huge favor. What’s the point of holding on to that debt of gratitude? I say you people are just stupid.

"If you’re too embarrassed to ask, then let the kid do it. Since they like Yun Jiao, let Yun Jiao ask them. They’ll definitely agree to save face. With a chance at a real job, who would want to go fishing every day?"

Granny Yun and the others’ faces darkened.

"You may have no shame, but we do!"

Wang Mei started shooing her away. "Get out, get out! You’ve completely ruined our good mood today."

’What awful luck.’

Auntie Ma retorted, "Hey, Wang Mei, I’m your elder, after all. How can you talk to me like that?"

Granny Yun said, "If she can’t say it, I will. What my daughter-in-law means is what I mean. You are not welcome in our home!"

Yun Linhai, Yun Linhe, and even young Yun Xiaowu glared at them menacingly.

Seeing she wasn’t going to get anything, Auntie Ma spat on the ground and dragged her son away.

She was still cursing as she left.

"A bunch of fools who don’t know how to use their connections! It’s such a small thing, and they won’t even help. There will come a day when you’ll be begging me for help!"

Yun Linhe and the others just rolled their eyes.

That weirdo had just left when, in the blink of an eye, someone else eagerly shuffled forward to tell their sob story.

The corners of Granny Yun’s and Grandpa Yun’s eyes twitched. They didn’t even need to hear what came next; they knew for sure this person was here to borrow money.

"Third Uncle, Third Aunt, you know my family’s situation. I have elders to support and children to feed. I’ve only come to ask today because we truly can’t put food on the table anymore. Look how skinny these three kids are. Please, just lend me a little money. I promise I’ll pay you back soon."

Grandpa Yun’s expression soured as he took a drag from his cigarette.

Although he had expected something like this to happen, his perfectly good mood for the day had been completely ruined that evening.

No one’s expression was pleasant.

"Little Aunt Lin, if I recall correctly, you borrowed money the year before last, and last year as well. Did you ever pay it back?"

The speaker was Yun Chen Nan. He wore glasses, and his eyes seemed to see right through people.

"There are more than five families in our village that you’ve borrowed from, aren’t there? Have you paid them back?"

Called out like that, Little Aunt Lin stammered, looking awkward and pitiable.

"I... I’m just tight on cash."

Yun Chen Nan’s voice was gentle. "But our family didn’t cause that, and neither did anyone else."

"Why are you willing to swallow your pride and borrow money from everyone, but you aren’t willing to make Uncle Yun Liang spend his money on his family?"

Little Aunt Lin covered her face and sobbed. "I... I can’t persuade him."

Yun Jiao watched, nestled in her fourth brother’s arms. She thought this person was very strange. She was obviously pitiful, but at the same time, her actions were detestable.

"I’m really at a loss with you."

Someone she had borrowed from rolled their eyes. "When are you going to pay back my money? I’ve never seen anyone so pathetic. Your husband is out there spending money to support another woman, and he doesn’t care about his own children or parents. What’s the use of just begging him? You should hit him! We told you to go to the police station and report him, but you wouldn’t. You won’t divorce him either. What’s the use of going around borrowing money day in and day out?"

Little Aunt Lin kept her head down. "I... I can’t. He’s the children’s father, after all. He’s my husband. I can’t call the police. He’s my husband, I can’t divorce him."

Hearing this, everyone was left speechless.

You could call her a coward, but she had the nerve to go around asking everyone for money.

You could call her brave, but at home, she was more timid than anyone. She was such a hopeless case it made you roll your eyes, but there was nothing anyone could do about her.

"Little Aunt Lin, I’m sorry, but our family cannot lend you this money."

Yun Chen Nan was clearly just a teenager, but at that moment, he spoke like the head of the household.

Yun Jiao’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him. ’Third Brother is so amazing.’

"Your family sold so many large yellow croakers! You’ve known hardship before, so why can’t you lend us a little money to help out? How can you be so selfish?"

Wang Mei retorted, "Does anyone’s money just grow on trees? When our family was at our poorest and most miserable, we never came to your family for a loan. Besides, the saying goes, ’Borrow and repay, and borrowing again is easy.’ We’ve paid back all our debts. What about you?

"How many people do you owe money to? Have you paid back even a single cent? To put it nicely, you’re ’borrowing,’ but you’re clearly just taking other people’s money and stuffing it in your own pocket!"

Yun Chen Nan said, "Little Aunt Lin, if you’re truly in a difficult position, there is another solution."

The few people she had borrowed from all turned to look at Yun Chen Nan.

Yun Chen Nan smiled. "A husband and wife are one entity. Since Little Aunt Lin can’t pay the money back, then just go find Uncle Yun Liang."

"That’s right!"

Someone slapped their thigh. "Why didn’t I think of that? Let’s go find Yun Liang! Since he’s out there supporting Li Guafu and her son, he must have money on him!"

Hearing this, Lin Qiu instantly became agitated.

She had chosen this time to borrow money, thinking that under the circumstances, people would lend her at least a little something to save face.

But she never expected that kid Yun Chen Nan to turn the situation around like this with just a few words.

Lin Qiu could no longer be bothered with borrowing money.

She quickly said to the group, "I’ll definitely pay the money back! Don’t go looking for A-Liang. It’s not easy for him either. Besides, if you go find him, he’ll definitely come back and fight with me, and he’ll want a divorce! What will I do then? What will happen to my children?"

"I’m telling you, Lin Qiu, you must be sick in the head! Yun Liang is spending all his money on that widow. Wouldn’t it be a good thing for you if we went to get our money from him? How can you not tell what’s good for you?"

Yun Jiao stood on her tiptoes, craning her neck to watch the drama unfold. ’Third Brother is truly amazing,’ she thought. ’Just like that, he turned our family’s problem into someone else’s.’

"No, no, I’ll pay you back, I will! I’m begging you, please don’t go looking for A-Liang."

After Lin Qiu’s repeated, groveling pleas, the creditors, their expressions sour, reluctantly agreed not to go looking for Yun Liang.

They all just thought that Lin Qiu had something wrong with her head—and it wasn’t a mild case, either.

Yun Chen Nan adjusted his glasses. "Little Aunt Lin has a self-sacrificing, self-pitying type of personality."

You can’t try to understand people like her with normal logic, because they simply won’t listen.

It really proves the saying: every pitiful person has their detestable side.

Now Lin Qiu didn’t dare ask Yun Jiao’s family for money anymore. However, in her heart, she resented them for being stingy and selfish. She gave them a dark look before leaving with her children.

It was getting late, and the other villagers gradually left as well. At long last, their house finally became quiet.