Peng Yuxiu was introverted and indecisive. After being persuaded by Yang Jian and Liu Chao, she followed them back.
Before they reached the house, her father, Peng Gang, her brother, Peng Yuhua, and her sister-in-law, Wang Lin, intercepted them on two motorcycles.
"Yuxiu, you really came here. Get on, come back with me."
Peng Gang, in his fifties, was tall with a booming voice that made Peng Yuxiu tremble.
Yang Jian didn't know them, but Liu Chao did. He quickly took out a cigarette. "Uncle, Brother, Sister-in-law, please come inside and sit for a while. We can discuss things."
Peng Yuhua didn't take his cigarette. "What's there to discuss? Liu Yong is scum, a cripple now. My sister has no future with him. Divorce."
"Brother, even if it's a divorce, the two families should sit down and discuss the arrangements. How to divide the property, who gets the child? You can't just take her away like this without a clear understanding."
"What property to divide? Liu Yong is drowning in debt, there's no property to divide. Are you expecting my sister to repay his debts? I've asked a lawyer. In Liu Yong's situation, my sister doesn't have to bear any debt."
"Brother, I didn't say sister-in-law has to bear the debt. This is my cousin, Yang Jian. He has already taken on all of my brother's debts. You must have heard about this. No one will come to force sister-in-law to repay the money anymore."
Yang Jian nodded at them. "Uncle, Brother, Sister-in-law, please come inside and sit for a while. Things are not as bad as you think."
Peng Yuhua, only in his mid-thirties, had clearly heard about Yang Jian's situation. His originally overbearing attitude immediately softened. "Then let's go inside and sit for a while."
As soon as they entered the yard, the two children rushed over, crying, and hugged Peng Yuxiu's legs. The mother and sons hugged each other and sobbed loudly. Wang Lin also couldn't help but shed tears.
Liu Chao's mother stood at the doorway, also wiping away tears.
After entering the house, Liu Chao nimbly served tea to the Peng family. Yang Jian offered cigarettes to Peng Gang and Peng Yuhua again and began to persuade them.
"Uncle, look how cute your two little grandsons are. Can you bear to abandon them?"
"Little Yang, I've heard about you. You're a loyal and righteous person, taking on Liu Yong's debts. But Liu Yong is hospitalized now and needs a lot of money for treatment. Even if he recovers, he probably won't be able to do heavy labor. What will he rely on to support the family?"
"Uncle, don't worry. I came to deliver money today. I'll cover Yong Ge's medical expenses. You don't have to go out to work. Even if my cousin can't do heavy labor in the future, the children's education expenses will be on me."
As Yang Jian spoke, he took out the twenty thousand yuan given by Wu Wangchun. He had to stabilize the Peng family first. His cousin's family couldn't fall apart, otherwise, the two children wouldn't be able to grow up healthy.
"I have another ten thousand here."
Liu Chao also quickly gave Peng Yuxiu the ten thousand yuan he received that day.
Seeing them produce so much money at once, Peng Gang's demeanor softened. "Little Yang, since you're still willing to handle Liu Yong's affairs, we won't mention divorce for now. We'll talk about it after Liu Yong is discharged from the hospital. If he truly becomes a cripple, I won't let my daughter suffer with him."
"Don't worry, Uncle. No matter the cost, I will cure Yong Ge's illness. Even if he can't do heavy labor in the future, he can work on construction sites. I'll be taking on projects in the latter half of the year and will find him work."
"Alright, I'll believe you for now. It's getting late, we're leaving."
Peng Gang was a decisive man. He got up and left after speaking.
Peng Yuxiu led the children to see them off outside the yard before returning.
"Er Jian, are you serious about what you just said? You're really willing to help Da Yong recover and arrange for him to work on a construction site?"
Peng Yuxiu had lost hope for Liu Yong. If it weren't for the children, she would have left. But Yang Jian's words made her feel that this family could still hold on.
"Don't worry, Sister-in-law, I'm telling the truth. Use this thirty thousand yuan first. I'll figure out Yong Ge's subsequent medical expenses."
"Yes, Sister-in-law, you don't need to go anywhere. I'm earning money quickly following Brother Jian now. Don't worry about the money. Just stay home with Mom and take care of the children."
Liu Chao also made a promise, which finally reassured Peng Yuxiu, and she gave up the idea of going out to work.
Yang Jian, however, felt a headache coming on, with an added burden. He had originally planned to earn over a hundred thousand in the next ten days to have some capital to go to Hancheng. Now, the priority was to gather the medical expenses for his cousin.
Upon returning home, Yang Jian specifically told his mother about his cousin's wife returning, so she wouldn't worry about her family's affairs anymore.
Nanhu Farm.
Hu Zhenghua, Brother Mao, Baoguo, and Hong Xing gathered on the lake island.
"Brother Hua, how is Er Ping's injury?"
Hong Xing was the youngest among them but had the strongest presence and a powerful voice.
"His injuries are very serious. His left arm is fractured, and his knees are shattered. The doctor said he'll need a cane to walk in the future, essentially crippled."
Hu Zhenghua was very dejected. Hu Ping was his cousin, and he couldn't explain this to his family.
"Yang Jian is truly ruthless. He breaks people's limbs at the drop of a hat. Liu Ming is crippled, Cao Wu is still in a wheelchair, Wu Laizi is fine, and now he's beaten Er Ping this badly. I think this person can't be kept. I want to transfer people from the south to take care of him. What do you guys think?"
"I agree. I felt a strong killing intent from Yang Jian today. I'm worried he already knows it was me who went to smash his house. If that's the case, he won't let me go."
Baoguo had long been terrified of Yang Jian. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fled south to seek refuge back then.
Brother Mao shook his head. "Let's not act rashly. Yang Jian is not easy to deal with. He's bold and meticulous, and his martial arts are quite formidable. I heard from San Pang that he has counterattacked several times when others had guns or were outnumbered. Except for getting injured once by Brother Xiong, he escaped unscathed in other instances and severely wounded the opponent.
Besides, they have guns themselves. If you send people to ambush him, you might have to pay a heavy price. I'm worried that if the assassination fails, he might counter-kill us, and then we'll all be exposed to the police."
"Then we'll just let this matter go? With his casino operating, how can we do business? Why don't we put some pressure on Song Jianhao?"
Hong Xing was a rebellious person who believed the entire Luogang was his territory. He could tolerate Song Jianhao opening a small casino for a few days during the New Year, but he was furious that he was making such a big show of opening a casino and drawing away his regular customers.
"That's possible. Give the Song Jianhao brothers a warning, and perhaps they'll back down and close the casino early."
Brother Mao had no intention of making a move against Yang Jian anymore. Their meeting today was tantamount to a complete break. If he angered him further, old and new scores might be settled, and he couldn't afford it.
Song Jianhao was a soft target, someone they could easily deal with. Although their relationship was good before, they now belonged to different camps, and for the sake of profit, they couldn't afford to be sentimental.