卷毛 and 平头 had originally intended to bring a few people to threaten Liu Yong's family and get back the material payments. They hadn't expected a fierce person to suddenly appear, taking down two men in under a minute. Furthermore, the other party was seizing the opportunity of them drawing knives and trespassing on private property, which completely exceeded their expectations.
"Sis, don't call the police. Let's talk it out properly."
平头 saw that Yang Rui was already dialing and quickly went to stop her.
Yang Rui glanced at her brother. Seeing him nod, she put away her phone.
平头 breathed a sigh of relief. "Brother, I apologize. We were wrong today. We shouldn't have brought so many people. They drew their knives in self-defense because you acted suddenly. It was entirely a misunderstanding. May I ask who you are?"
"My name is Yang Jian. I'm Liu Yong's cousin. If you're not satisfied, you can come find me for revenge. I'm always ready."
平头's expression changed instantly. "Holy crap, you're Yang Jian? No, Mr. Yang, I'm so sorry, so sorry. We have eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai. We really didn't know Liu Yong was your cousin."
卷毛 and the other two thugs also panicked. Not only had they kicked an iron plate today, but there were also nails on the plate. They had taken this beating for nothing. Who was Yang Jian? He had crippled Liu Ming, the top golden fighter in Chengguan. How could they dare to seek revenge on him?
"It's normal for you to come asking for money, and I'm not an unreasonable person. But you can't threaten the elderly and children. Especially this guy, he even cursed. Don't you know how to respect elders? My uncle doesn't owe you any money. Liu Yong has separated from the family. What do you mean by pressuring my uncle?"
Yang Jian didn't realize he had such a deterrent effect. People in villages dozens of kilometers away from Chengguan knew his name.
The young man who had been beaten lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Yang, Brother Yang. I was wrong. I apologize to you."
"Apologize to my uncle. What kind of skill is it to bully the elderly, you damn fool?"
"Brother Yang, I was wrong. I apologize to my uncle." wΑp.kanshu伍.net
The young man spoke incoherently, walked up to Liu Tong, who had just come out of the house, bowed, and said, "I'm sorry, Uncle. I was wrong. Please be magnanimous and forgive me this time."
Liu Tong was still a bit dazed. The turnaround was too fast. The group that had been arrogant and overbearing moments ago was now thoroughly disciplined by his nephew.
"Alright, let's talk. How should we handle this matter today?"
Yang Jian knew his uncle wasn't good at speaking and wanted to get rid of these people quickly.
平头 immediately said, "Mr. Yang, we'll leave right away. The material payments can be discussed later. We'll pay when Liu Yong returns and has money."
"How much money does my cousin owe you?"
"Not much, just over twenty thousand yuan."
"In that case, leave your contact information. When I have some funds available, I'll repay this money. Don't bother my uncle again in the future, or don't blame me for being impolite."
"We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare. We will definitely not come here again. Mr. Yang, here are our business cards. Feel free to visit our factory for tea sometime. The material payments are not urgent; you can pay whenever you can."
平头 and 卷毛 simultaneously handed over their business cards with extremely humble attitudes, then quickly left with the two young men who had been beaten.
"Brother, I didn't expect your reputation to be so great. You broke their heads, and they didn't even dare to squeak, even apologizing obediently."
Yang Rui excitedly shook the car keys in her hand. She hadn't seen the fight, but she knew her brother's skills were more than enough to deal with a few thugs.
Yang Jian glared at her. "Stop messing around. Help Uncle look after the children. You have no sense of urgency. Can't you see how messy the house is? And you're still smiling."
Yang Rui stuck out her tongue at him and turned to play with her two young nephews.
Seeing his mother chatting with his aunt, Yang Jian pulled his uncle aside.
"Uncle, what's going on with cousin's wife? Why did she abandon the children?"
"Alas, ever since she heard that your brother was seeing other women outside, and also using drugs and gambling, she became disheartened. After her brother took her away, we haven't been able to contact her. Your aunt took the children to her parents' home, but didn't find her. Her family also didn't say where she went."
"Cousin's wife is usually very virtuous. How could she bear to leave the children?"
"You can't blame her for this. You can only blame your brother for being a scoundrel. There's no future or hope with your brother. It's normal for her to leave, but it's the two children who suffer. Your aunt can't take care of them alone. I have to go out to work, and I also need to earn money to help Liu Chao build his house and get married. I don't know what to do."
"Uncle, don't worry. Cousin's wife won't abandon the children. She'll definitely come back after some time. It'll be fine once Brother Yong is discharged from the hospital."
Liu Tong sighed. "Er Jian, stop comforting me. Liu Chao called me last night and said that even if your brother survives, he'll probably be crippled and might even need us to take care of him, along with a mountain of debt. That will make things even harder and affect Liu Chao's marriage prospects. Who would propose to a family like this?"
Yang Jian didn't know what to say. Yellow, gambling, and drugs had taken their toll on Liu Yong, with gambling and drugs being the most destructive.
The harm from the yellow was relatively minor. On construction sites far from home, most married migrant workers had experience with prostitution. Unless they contracted a venereal disease, it generally wouldn't have a significant impact on the family.
The harm from drugs was the greatest. Once addicted, it was very difficult to quit. It not only severely destroyed a person's body and will but also consumed all their wealth. However, not everyone could access drugs. For example, in rural areas, most people wouldn't know what drugs looked like in their lifetime, only knowing the consequences of drug use from television.
Gambling, on the other hand, had the widest reach. It was almost everywhere, from high-ranking officials and wealthy celebrities to ordinary citizens and laborers. Few people didn't know how to play mahjong or poker.
Some people gambled a little for pleasure, while others gambled away their fortunes.
Some believed in the saying "bet it all and a bicycle turns into a motorcycle," while others dreamed of a windfall and getting rich overnight.
Countless families were broken, and wives and children were separated. Liu Yong was the most typical example. A good family was thus ruined, and he was left with only half a life, destined to linger on in regret and misery for the rest of his days.
"Er Jian, I heard you took on all your brother's debts from the construction site. I don't know how to thank you. Our family might never be able to repay this favor."
As Yang Jian was contemplating, Liu Tong showed immense remorse.
"Uncle, we are blood relatives. Don't say such things; it makes us strangers. I am your nephew. Can I stand by and watch you be hounded for debt every day?"
"But he owes so much money. You're not married yet. When will you be able to repay this huge sum? I'm worried it will affect your marriage. Liu Chao said your girlfriend just broke up with you, and it's probably related to this."
"It's fine. It's just a million or so yuan. As long as I have the opportunity, I can earn it back in a few months. I've already promised those migrant workers that I'll pay all their wages next year."
"I hope you have that luck. But you must never do anything illegal. Don't gamble, don't do drugs. Learn from your brother's example. This lesson is too painful."
At this moment, Liu Tong deeply abhorred gambling and drug use and naturally did not want his nephew to go down that path.