An argument quickly drew people over. "What are you two doing?"
The villagers eyed Du Feiyang with some hostility. Though they all wanted to curry favor with the Hong Kong businessman and get rich, they wouldn't abandon basic morals for money when it came to a village girl.
Du Feiyang's heart sank. "I didn't do anything. She's clinging to me and won't let go."
The villagers were speechless. Was there a girl clinging to him?
Zhao Laidi started to cry. Seeing this, the villagers immediately shouted for help, "Help! Something's happened!"
It was the New Year, and everyone in the village was idle. A crowd of people seemed to appear out of nowhere. Du Feiyang remained expressionless. He had been surrounded by countless reporters before, but never had he been so enraged.
"Zhao family's eldest daughter, tell us, what's going on? Did he bully you?"
Zhao Laidi just cried, as if confirming it.
Du Feiyang sneered, "I wouldn't even look at this kind of trash if she were given to me for free. Don't try to pin this on me. This is defamation, and I can sue you for libel.
And look carefully, she's holding onto me and won't let go. If I wanted a woman, the lowest I'd aim for is a celebrity. I'd have to be blind to bully her. Don't insult me like this."
The villagers considered it. In broad daylight, it shouldn't be like this!
"Zhao family's eldest daughter, let go of him first and explain properly. What's going on? Don't worry, if he really bullied you, we'll all back you up."
Dou Dou and Ding Ding, who were outside playing with firecrackers, saw the crowd and squeezed in to watch the commotion. To their surprise, it was Uncle Du. The little brats grinned and greeted him, "Uncle Du, what's wrong? There's someone hanging on your leg."
Du Feiyang quickly said, "Go find your dad to save me!"
"Save you? What's in it for me? Is Uncle Du in danger?"
"I'll take you to the amusement park, alright? I've already given you so many gifts, and Uncle Du's heart aches."
Dou Dou said, "Uncle Du, I'll protect you. Ding Ding, go home and get Dad."
Dou Dou hugged his other leg and met Zhao Laidi's eyes. "Sister, are we playing a game? I want to play too."
Zhao Laidi was so angry she wanted to strangle him. Why was he adding to the chaos?
It no longer looked like Du Feiyang was bullying her, but rather playing house with children.
Xie Sui hadn't arrived yet, but the Zhao family did. They immediately tried to make a move, "How dare you bully my daughter? I'll beat you to death!"
Du Feiyang raised his hand and grabbed his, coldly stating, "I am a Hong Kong businessman. If you dare to touch a single hair on my head, your entire family won't live to see tomorrow. Try me if you don't believe me."
"You, you're still causing trouble in my village?"
"I've seen plenty of scoundrels like you. You're still far from trying to extort me."
Du Feiyang flung him away and remained silent, waiting for Xie Sui.
Xie Sui, slightly drunk, his cheeks flushed, sobered up halfway upon seeing Zhao Laidi's state. "Call the police. Don't just surround him. If Feiyang really bullied Zhao's daughter, I will not tolerate it. I'll personally send him to jail, even if it means he has to eat bullets."
Du Feiyang's eyes widened. Xie Sui winked at him, suppressing his anger. This was truly an unlucky streak.
Zhao Sanwang said, "That's not necessary..."
"It's very necessary. He's my friend, and I brought him here. I'm responsible for him and for the villagers. Otherwise, I'd be a sinner to the entire village.
Ding Ding, go get Dad's car phone. Dad needs to make a call."
"Okay, Dad, wait for me. I'll be right back."
"No, Xie Sui, don't bother the police during the New Year."
Xie Sui looked at him meaningfully, "Since there's nothing wrong, take your daughter home. It's New Year's, and no one wants trouble, right?"
"This..."
Zhao Sanwang was unwilling. He still wanted to extort some money. A little from their fingertips would be enough for their family to eat and drink.
Du Feiyang said, "The last person who tried to scheme against me was buried at the bottom of the sea long ago, not even bones left."
"Don't talk nonsense. This is the mainland; we have laws. How can you throw people into the sea to feed the fish at the drop of a hat?"
Du Feiyang fell silent. Xie Sui also said nothing, smiling at them. The situation remained at an impasse.
"Uncle Du, I just want to study. Please help me. If I get into university, I'll repay you tenfold, a hundredfold. Please believe me."
Du Feiyang's eyes flickered. He suddenly said, "Okay, I'll help you. I'll cover all your tuition for high school and university. Can you get up now?"
"Thank you, Uncle Du."
Xie Sui was displeased. "Feiyang, don't do this."
"Brother Xie, I can handle it. It's just a small amount of money. It's nothing. Let's go back for a drink; I'm freezing."
Zhao Sanwang was still unwilling. "No, if you let her study, what about our whole family? Such a grown girl is also labor for the family. I don't agree to this."
Zhao Laidi cried out in grief and indignation, "Dad, if you don't agree, I'll die for you to see. If I study and earn money, I can better support you!"
"When will you be able to support us? Once you get married, you'll only care about your husband's family. Will you care about your maiden family's well-being? I gave birth to you, and you must listen to me. Studying, studying, you've studied too much, and it's made you obsessed."
What kind of logic was this? Stupid and stubborn, like a donkey pulling a millstone. Xie Sui encountered such a strange person for the first time.
Du Feiyang was also enlightened. "Does he have children just to do chores? It must be pathetic to be his child."
"If you pity us, why don't you help us? If you want her to study, give me a thousand yuan a year, and this girl is yours. She'll repay you in the future."
A thousand yuan was no small sum. The villagers' eyes showed contempt. This was too much, even for them. He wanted them to not only sponsor his child's education but also support his entire family?
Yet, such an unreasonable demand appeared.
The village chief came over, furious. "Zhao Sanwang, don't shame our village anymore! You're chilling everyone's heart. All sponsorships are gone, are you satisfied?
I'm telling you, if you ruin the village's important affairs, I'll make it so you can't stay in the village. Get out!"
"Who are you trying to scare? This is my home. You can't kick me out, even as village chief. My only condition is this: if all your families are doing well, who will take care of our family?"
Xie Sui took the opportunity to pull Du Feiyang away, lest they be entangled by the Zhao family. He didn't expect Zhao Laidi to grab his arm again, "Uncle Du, please agree to my father's request. I'll repay you this money in the future."
Xie Sui was amused to the point of laughter. The whole family had such thick skin. "How will you repay it? On what basis do you think you can get into university?
Do you think because you're reading in the town and getting top scores, and the teacher values you, you're smart and just haven't been discovered?
Do you know how many high school students there are in the county town? Once you get to the county town, this score will only be considered average. There are many variables in three years. Who would bet so much money on your future?
Even if you get into university, after four years of college, you'll have to start as a basic employee. Do you know how much the salary is per month?
Seventy yuan, and that's the highest. How many years will it take you to save that much money?"
Zhao Laidi's face turned ashen. "You can earn so much money, and I, I can too. I'll learn."
Xie Sui: "..."
He was utterly out of reach of this blind confidence.
"Village chief, you handle this. I'm speechless. I give up."
The village chief smiled apologetically. "Alright, leave it to me. This child is truly obsessed. Mr. Du, please don't be angry."
Du Feiyang shook his head. He couldn't get angry; he just found it amusing.
Dou Dou and Ding Ding had done a good deed. Du Feiyang promised them a trip to the amusement park in Hong Kong. The two children's faces were full of longing. They also wanted to go to Hong Kong to play. Their mother and brothers had been there before.
Their eldest aunt had also been there, saying Hong Kong was very prosperous and lively.
Xie Sui ruffled the children's hair and discussed with Lin Wanwan, "Why don't we let the children attend a prestigious school? We can afford it."
Lin Wanwan thought for a moment and shook her head. "Forget it. They're still young. We can't be with them all the time. If they get corrupted by those people, it'll be too late to correct them when they grow up.
When they're older, in high school, they can go. I don't think it's appropriate now."
Xie Sui said, "I'll listen to you. But they can visit during the holidays to broaden their horizons. My son, Xie Sui's son, can't be a country bumpkin, can he?"
"What's wrong with being a country bumpkin? Are we eating their rice? Of course, we are. Don't learn those bad habits, looking down on people just because you have a little money?"
Indeed, a virtuous wife can ward off trouble for her husband. Lin Wanwan was very clear-headed, unlike some women who, after a sudden rise in fortune, become so arrogant they lose their bearings.
She knew what she wanted from beginning to end.
"The Zhao family's situation is also troublesome. I don't think they'll give up. How old is this Zhao Laidi? She's already so manipulative. Today's children are terrifying."
Xie Sui's expression deepened. "She shouldn't be more than sixteen this year. Children in the village start school late. Feiyang, you shouldn't go out. If they try to extort you, it'll be very disgusting.
Perhaps we should return to the county town tomorrow?"
"No, we can't leave just because of this. It'll seem like we're afraid of her. If she wants to follow me, that's fine. I can take her out, and it'll be my word how to deal with her."
A murderous glint appeared in Du Feiyang's eyes. Xie Sui said, "Feiyang, promise me, no matter what, don't hurt anyone. We're legitimate businessmen now. We can't have blood on our hands.
We'll make plenty of money in the future. It's not worth it to let these lazy people stain you.
How about this? I'll call Ah Hua and the others. With bodyguards protecting you, I'll feel more at ease."
Ah Hua and the others were also in the county town, but they were hidden. Xie Sui didn't want to be high-profile, so he hadn't let them appear. Now, it seemed that being low-profile wasn't an option.
The Zhao family was indeed not giving up. If they could give their eldest daughter to Mr. Du, they would become the father-in-law and mother-in-law of a Hong Kong businessman. They would have endless money from then on. Wouldn't he take care of his own family?
Perhaps they could even go to Hong Kong to see the world and become magnates.
Dreaming such beautiful dreams made them smile in their sleep.
When they attempted to act the next day, they saw two men in black standing at Xie's house, looking bewildered. Who were these people?
The bodyguards had sharp eyes and stared directly at them. "Who are you? What are you sneaking around for?"
They drew the batons from their waists and pulled Zhao Sanwang and his wife out. "Tell us, who are you? What do you want?"
"We are Mr. Du's..."
Zhao Sanwang almost said he was Du Feiyang's father-in-law. He was thinking too grandly. Fortunately, his wife pinched him and said, "I was just passing by. Why are you grabbing me?"
"Passing by? You've already peeked into our house more than ten times and stayed for a quarter of an hour. Is that what 'passing by' means?"
The bodyguards were professionals. If Mr. Xie hadn't instructed them not to injure anyone, they would have taught them a lesson first.
The villagers were stirred up again. It was the New Year, and they had nothing to do. The Zhao family was providing plenty of excitement. They stood with their hands behind their backs, watching the spectacle.
Xie Sui came out, frowning. "Zhao Sanwang, are you getting too bold?
Ah Hua, let him go. I warn you, do not appear within two hundred meters of my house. Otherwise, my bodyguards are ruthless. If there are any misunderstandings, don't blame me for not warning you."
"Xie Sui, you're too overbearing. Is this your territory? Are you even reasonable? Try hitting me!"
Xie Sui sneered, "Break one of his legs. I'll cover the medical expenses and lost wages. If one isn't enough, then two. I have a good temper, but that doesn't mean you can run rampant here."
"Yes, boss. According to mainland compensation, one leg is only a thousand yuan. I know my limits. I'll only break it, not cripple him, so it won't constitute disability."
"Alright, I trust you with this. Let's do it."
Xie Sui was too lazy to argue. Zhao Sanwang still wanted to shout, but Ah Hua dislocated his jaw. He instantly drooled and couldn't speak.
His wife panicked and quickly pleaded, "We dare not anymore. Please don't hit him. We were wrong."
Ah Hua waited for a moment, then reset his jaw, and whispered, "Don't push your luck. Your lives aren't worth much. Get out!"
A killing intent surged. Zhao Sanwang was so scared he wet his pants. He scrambled away, and the Xie family finally had peace.
The village chief was very remorseful. The good deed had turned into this. These people were truly shaming their village. He came to apologize to Xie Sui, fearing that he wouldn't sponsor the children anymore.
Xie Sui didn't mind. "They are still foolish. They have little education and stubbornly stick to their own way of thinking. That's why it's even more important to let children study more. Only through education can they understand reason."
"Little Sui, you are too magnanimous. Uncle thanks you on behalf of the entire village."
"You're too kind. I won't be going out this year; I'll be in the county town. If you need anything, just find me. Don't be a stranger."
"Ah, that's good. Is it not easy to earn money outside? Or is it better at home? Don't go out and get bullied with no one to help you."
Xie Sui felt a bit touched. Who wasn't? Home was indeed better.