Chapter 2

With one move, he took out the two tigers, and Liu San plopped down on the ground. With his small frame, the other person crushed him with just one hand. How did he end up with such a malevolent star!

Liu San suddenly felt his legs go weak, and he knelt before Zhang Ke, wailing and pleading, "Young Master Zhang, please spare me! I was just doing a job for someone else. They were pushing hard from above, and I had no choice!"

This guy's ability to change his attitude was more professional than a Sichuan opera actor. From being high and mighty, he instantly crawled into the gutter, all his arrogance gone.

Zhang Ke asked coldly, "Above, which above?"

Liu San, with a mournful face, said, "The Wans who paid me, I'm just a lackey."

Zhang Ke could see that this guy was just a loan shark, and he sneered, "Since you're a dog, scram quickly. Have your master come, I'll wait for him. I want to see just how black his heart is to calculate such high interest!"

"Yes, yes, I'll scram right away!"

Liu San turned and ran, tripping over the threshold and rolling out. Shen's family and Zhang Hui'er, who had been peeking from the door, couldn't help but laugh.

"Come back, carry this guy away!" Zhang Ke pointed to the groaning man, Er Hu.

Liu San frowned. He was hunchbacked, and Er Hu was almost twice his height. He struggled to carry him like a dung beetle pushing a dung ball, finally getting out the door. He carefully closed the door and gave Zhang Ke a smile uglier than a cry.

Zhang Hui'er ran out from the inner room, snuggling up to Shen's side, her big black eyes watching Liu San as he left.

"Second Brother, you're so amazing!"

The little girl shouted excitedly, throwing herself into Zhang Ke's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck, and giggling, "Second Brother, when did you learn martial arts? Why didn't you tell me? I was so scared just now!"

The little girl was around twelve or thirteen, her developing body full of elasticity. Her chest, like two buns, pressed tightly against Zhang Ke's chest, making him a bit flushed and heated.

Zhang Ke cursed himself inwardly, looking up to see his little sister's delicate face still wet with tears. His heart ached, and he quickly reached out to wipe away the tears, smiling, "Hui'er, don't worry. As long as Second Brother is here, no one will dare to bully you, and no one will make you cry!"

The little girl's eyes sparkled with admiration, and she asked excitedly, "Really?"

"Of course!" Zhang Ke gently patted his sister's head.

Shen, watching from the side, saw that her son was indeed different after his illness. Seeing how close the siblings were, she smiled contentedly.

Suddenly, there were hurried footsteps outside, and the door was pushed open. A fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl rushed in, her oval face flushed with health, her ample chest rising and falling, her eyes full of concern.

"Mother, Brother Ke, are you both alright?"

The girl was Zhang Ke's foster wife, Yun Xiaoxue, who had been with the Zhang family for five years. At the age of fifteen, she was a tall and plump Northern girl, exuding a youthful vigor. Her chest was full, her waist narrow, and her hips rounded, her figure not inferior to any model from the future.

Moreover, she was simple and capable, filial to her mother-in-law, and caring for her sister-in-law. When Zhang Ke fell ill, Xiaoxue took care of him, feeding him and changing his bedpans without any disgust. Just thinking about the first few days after he had traveled through time, when he had to ask the young girl to change his clothes and empty his bedpan, made Zhang Ke's face turn red.

Shen hugged Yun Xiaoxue and asked with concern, "Xiaoxue, where did you go just now? I was so worried!"

The girl lowered her head and said, "Mother, I went to fetch firewood, and I saw Liu San and his gang coming, so I ran to find Uncle Qiao!"

Hearing this, Shen and Zhang Ke looked up to see a middle-aged man standing at the door, wearing an old sheepskin coat, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, looking honest. Hearing Xiaoxue mention him, he quickly smiled, "Sister-in-law, Xiaoxue is a smart girl. She ran to tell me that Liu San was causing trouble, so I rushed over. By the way, where did Liu San and his gang go?"

Zhang Hui'er laughed, "Uncle Tieshan, the bad guys were all chased away by Second Brother!"

The middle-aged man was stunned, looking at Zhang Ke in disbelief. This kid had grown up under his watchful eye, always timid, and later, after studying, he became even more like a girl. The idea that he could fight was laughable.

Qiao Tieshan looked at Shen with doubt, and Shen's face was filled with pride, "Ke has finally grown up, he's a real man now!"

Qiao Tieshan suddenly became excited, patting Zhang Ke's shoulder hard and laughing heartily, "Good, very good. I always said that my brother's son wouldn't be bad, he's a good kid! Tell Uncle Qiao, why did Liu San that scoundrel come to cause trouble? Uncle won't let him off!"

Zhang Ke knew that Qiao Tieshan was a man of principle. Twenty years ago, his father and Qiao Tieshan had fought together in the Wanli campaigns, going to Korea to fight the Japanese. His father had saved Qiao Tieshan several times, and the two families had formed a life-saving friendship. After his father's death, Qiao Tieshan had helped the Zhang family a lot.

"Uncle Qiao, it's like this, they..."

Before Zhang Ke could finish, there were hurried footsteps outside, and a man with a duck-like voice shouted, "Zhang Second, get out here, Third Master is back!"

"It's Liu San!"

How did he come back? It was chaotic, and it seemed he had brought a lot of people!

Qiao Tieshan looked at Zhang Ke and asked, "Second Nephew, are you afraid?"

"What's there to be afraid of? If a man dies, he dies. If I'm afraid, I'm not a Zhang man!"

"Good, you have spirit. Let's go out and see!"

Zhang Ke pushed open the door, and a dozen or so ruffians rushed in like bandits, kicking the two gates open. There wasn't much of value in the yard, but one of them pushed over the soy sauce jar at the door, and the brown soy sauce spilled out, filling the small courtyard with a strong smell.

Northern farmers had the tradition of making soy sauce, and a large jar of soy sauce could last a whole family for a year! In winter, poor families had no vegetables to eat, and a bit of soy sauce was a meal.

Without soy sauce, they could only use salt water, and the difficulty of survival was unimaginable in the future.

Zhang Ke remembered that Shen and Yun Xiaoxue had worked from early morning to late night, their shoe soles stacked half a meter high, to buy the soybeans. This jar was filled with sweat and the taste of home, and now it was spilled on the dirty ground.

"Beasts!"

Shen stood at the door, her hands covering her face, tears streaming down her fingers. Zhang Ke was furious, grabbing the shovel by the door, ready to fight. They had come to his doorstep, what else was there to say!

Qiao Tieshan's eyes were also burning, but he held onto Zhang Ke's arm, "Second Nephew, don't be impulsive! See that sickly-looking young man in the middle?"

Zhang Ke looked over and saw a thin young man with a sallow, small face, prominent cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and dark circles under his eyes, red and bloodshot, breathing heavily, looking like he had overindulged.

Qiao Tieshan continued, "His name is Wan Anliang. His father, Wan Baiquan, is a hereditary hundred-householder, with power and influence. Didn't you see him bring over a dozen thugs? Listen to Uncle, don't fight!"

A hereditary hundred-householder wasn't a big official, but to ordinary people, it was like the sky. Zhang Ke could only suppress his anger and nod.

"Master Wan, we're all neighbors. Who doesn't know that the Zhang family is decent? Bringing so many people to beat and destroy, isn't that too much?"

Wan Anliang sneered, "Decent? You owe me over forty taels of silver and injured my men. Don't you think I should settle this?"

Qiao Tieshan, hearing about the debt, secretly cursed. At the beginning of the year, the Wans had forced a tenant farmer to drink lye and commit suicide. Once you got involved with them, it was hard to get out.

Zhang Ke stepped forward, sneering, "The loan is true, but my mother only borrowed twenty taels. In just a few months, you're asking for forty-five taels in principal and interest. Is there such a high interest rate in this world?"

Qiao Tieshan, an old hand, was so angry at Zhang Ke's words that he trembled.

"Master Wan, don't go too far. There are rules for borrowing money. The interest rate is at most three percent, and the annual interest is no more than one fold. Twenty taels of silver, in just a few months, has increased to more than one fold. You're trying to drive people to their deaths!"

Liu San stepped forward, laughing coldly, "Master Qiao, you're a smart man. The government is the government, and we are we. You're not young, and you have a large family. I advise you to be reasonable and not get involved in the Zhang family's affairs!"

Qiao Tieshan glared, saying sternly, "I owe the Zhang family my life. If you want to kill them, I'll fight to the death with you!"

The old man is still tough!

Wan Anliang cursed inwardly, but he didn't dare to offend Qiao Tieshan. This man had been a soldier and a killer twenty years ago, with a fearsome reputation. He had two sons, both said to be strong! The Zhang family wasn't scary, but the Qiao family was poor and tough, making him wary.

"Master Qiao, since we're talking, I can't refuse your face. I won't ask for much. If the Zhang family can immediately pay thirty taels of silver, the debt will be settled."

Thirty taels! Even three taels can't be paid!

Shen's lips turned blue, and she said, "Master Wan, the note says the debt is due in a year. Can't you give us a few more days?"

Wan Anliang sneered, "Shen, don't pretend to be confused. When you borrowed the money, you said your son would pass the examination to become a scholar. But your son is a waste, he can't even..."

"Shut up, don't you dare insult Ke!"

Shen's son was her heart's treasure. In a fit of anger, she forgot her fear and shouted, "What do you want? The money is mine, I'll pay you back!"

"Pay? How will you pay? With weaving and shoemaking? A joke, not even enough for the interest!" Wan Anliang suddenly sneered, "How about this, just like when you knelt and begged me for the loan, kneel down and slap yourself. If I'm happy, I might show mercy."

Shen bit her lip and suddenly knelt down, extending her rough hands and slapping her cheeks hard.

Seeing his mother humiliate herself in such a self-destructive way, Zhang Ke's heart felt like it was being cut with a knife.

"Mother, they're beasts with wolf hearts and dog lungs. Don't expect them to have any mercy. If it comes to it, we'll fight to the death." Zhang Ke held his mother's hand.

"Ke, they're many, you, you can't fight them!" Shen's weathered face was swollen with palm marks.

"Mother, bowing and scraping isn't a way to live! We can't lose face!"

Turning to stare at Wan Anliang, he shouted angrily, "Wan, draw the line!"

Wan Anliang's lips curled into a fox-like smile, and he said sinisterly, "I keep my word. I can't let a few slaps go to waste. Your family is in trouble, but I can extend the deadline or even forgive the debt. I only have one small request. If you agree, everything is fine."

Zhang Ke looked at him sideways, saying nothing.

Wan Anliang glanced at Liu San, who quickly stepped forward, grinning, "Zhang Second, paying back a debt doesn't always require money. Some use land, some use houses, and some use women! I'll be straightforward. Our Master Wan has his eye on your young wife, a foster wife. If you give her up, it will save a lot of trouble, and many would beg for such a deal!"

Wan Anliang had a lecherous smile, continuing, "Brother Zhang, your family is so poor, it's a waste for a heavenly beauty like Xu. If you agree to give Xu to me, first, we can cancel the debt, second, you'll reduce your burden, and third, Xu will live better. See, I've brought so many men. If you don't agree, I'll take her by force, hold the wedding, and enter the bridal chamber!"

They're after my wife, how dare they! In my past life, I never even touched a girl's hand. I finally have a wife who doesn't care about a house or a car and is devoted to me. If they take her, I might as well smash my head against a stone! Not even the emperor can do this!

"Looking for death!" Zhang Ke gripped the shovel, like a raging leopard, and stepped toward Wan Anliang.