Chapter 4

In the matter of the Song family coming to the Zhou residence to demand repayment of a debt, it clearly demonstrates the ideological gap between Zhou Chong, a soul from the 21st century, and the people of the 16th-century Ming Dynasty.

Whether in the later or ancient Chinese society, it has always been a society based on personal relationships. However, with the liberation of thought in later times, the sense of personal relationships has become much lighter. For example, among relatives, going to someone's home to demand repayment of a debt is a very common thing. As long as the person demanding the debt does not make a big fuss and tear the relationship apart, the relationship between the two families will not be affected.

However, in the Ming Dynasty, the relationship of debt between relatives was intertwined with more personal feelings. Generally, the debtor would take the initiative to repay the money to the other party. If there was really no money to repay, they would inform the other party in advance and try to get more time. If the creditor was in urgent need, they would not go to the relative's home to demand repayment themselves but would entrust a mutual acquaintance to mediate. This way, even if they could not get the money, it would not hurt the relationship between the two families.

The Song family had already betrothed their son to Zhou Chong's sister, making them close relatives. However, now the Song family had come to demand repayment, which was almost the same as tearing the relationship apart. This also indicated that the Song family did not care about the marriage, or they had changed their mind about it and were using the method of demanding repayment to force the Zhou family to break off the engagement.

Zhou Chong, who had lost his parents early and had worked in society, had experienced the warmth and coldness of human relationships. However, he never imagined that in the Ming Dynasty, demanding repayment of a debt would involve so many things. It was only after Xu the steward explained for a long time that Zhou Chong finally understood.

"Bang!" Zhou Chong slammed the table and stood up, the smile on his face disappearing, replaced by a look of intense anger. This was the first time he felt such intense anger since he had traveled through time, even more so than when he saw his boss in his previous life harassing a female colleague, because this time the other party had provoked his family, especially his sister, which he, as an older brother, could not tolerate.

"Master, calm down. The Song family is a group of small-minded people. I heard that the second son of the Song family has been getting close to the daughter of a wealthy merchant in Huating County. Their sudden demand for repayment is likely an attempt to force us to break off the engagement so they can marry the woman who can bring them more business!" Xu the steward, who had reliable information, immediately presented his analysis.

"How can I calm down when others are bullying us?" Zhou Chong coldly snorted, his eyes flashing with a chilling light.

In his previous life, Zhou Chong had a rather short temper, which was why he had beaten up his boss at work. Although traveling through time had made him understand the value of life and made him more optimistic about life, it did not mean he had no temper. On the contrary, after becoming part of the gray population, Zhou Chong had come into contact with many dark aspects of society, which had influenced his character. Therefore, when he truly hated someone, the other party had to be very careful.

"Chong'er, our Zhou family has already fallen, and the entire family relies on you. You must not act rashly. If the Song family wants to break off the engagement, let them. When you pass the imperial examination in the future, there will be plenty of opportunities to make them regret it!" Lady Wang was startled by Zhou Chong's words and hurriedly advised him, but when she said the last sentence, the honest woman also showed a hint of resentment.

"Yes, Lady Wang is right. Master, you have a bright future and there's no need to take the Song family seriously!" Xu the steward also advised, knowing that given the current situation of the Zhou family, it was not advisable to provoke the Song family.

Zhou Chong was no longer the bookworm he used to be and understood the current situation. The Zhou family was struggling to make ends meet and had no qualifications to fight with the Song family. However, Zhou Chong had already made a mental note of the Song family. The humiliation they had inflicted on the Zhou family today would be repaid a hundredfold in the future!

"Alright, you don't need to persuade me anymore. I understand all of this. For the sake of our family, I will not act rashly." Zhou Chong took a deep breath and said calmly, "Xu the steward, lead the way. I will go to meet the father and son of the Song family with you!"

"Sure!" Xu the steward agreed and led the way out of the small courtyard. The two of them arrived at the front hall of the Zhou residence.

As soon as they entered the front hall, Zhou Chong saw a middle-aged man in his forties and a teenager standing in the hall. The middle-aged man was dark and fat, wearing a scholar's robe, with a broad nose, wide mouth, and small eyes, looking rather unappealing. The young man, on the other hand, was pale and thin, with regular features, but his eyes were mostly white, and he looked at people with a haughty gaze.

No need to ask, these two must be Lord Song and the second son of the Song family. They were standing rather than sitting because all the tables and chairs in the hall had been sold to repay debts, leaving the hall empty and without any place to sit.

As Zhou Chong entered the hall, his calm face immediately turned into a warm smile, as if he were greeting a respected elder. He bowed to Lord Song and said, "Uncle Song, I am sorry for not welcoming you properly. I am truly sorry!"

Seeing the sudden change in his master, Xu the steward was taken aback. He never thought that the young master he had watched grow up could have such a deep level of sophistication. Just a moment ago, he was cursing the Song family, but now he could greet them so warmly. This was completely different from the bookworm he remembered. Could it be that the decline of the family had suddenly opened his eyes?

Lord Song was also taken aback by Zhou Chong's warm reception. He had visited the Zhou residence many times and had seen Zhou Chong often, but in his memory, Zhou Chong was just a bookworm who knew nothing about personal relationships. However, although Lord Song was surprised, he did not show it too much and also greeted warmly, "Nephew, there's no need for such formalities. I heard that Brother Zhou met with an unfortunate accident, and I am truly saddened. I hope you can take care of yourself."

"Thank you, Uncle Song, for your concern. I wonder if you have any important matters to discuss today?" Zhou Chong asked, knowing the answer. On his way to the hall, he had already thought it through. Given the Song family's cold attitude, even if they did not break off the engagement, he would not marry his sister to them. Now that they had taken the initiative to break it off, he had the upper hand, and the Song family must pay a small price for today's actions.

Hearing Zhou Chong's question, the dark and fat Lord Song glanced meaningfully at Xu the steward. He had already explained his purpose to Xu the steward, and he did not believe that Zhou Chong did not know. However, since Zhou Chong was asking, he could not avoid answering. He suddenly grinned and said, "Nephew, you may not know, but it's almost the end of the year, and the workers are waiting for their wages to go home for the New Year. Our Song family is a small business, and we are really short of funds, so we hope that you can repay the debt you owe us."

Lord Song, being an experienced merchant, was straightforward and unflustered in demanding the debt, showing no embarrassment despite the close relationship between the two families. Xu the steward, however, cursed the Song family in his heart. Although the Song family's business was not as big as the Zhou family's used to be, it was still one of the top businesses in Songjiang. Now they were saying they had no money to pay the workers, which was a lie even the ghosts wouldn't believe.

However, Zhou Chong showed a look of belief and sighed, "I thought the Song family was a large and prosperous one, but it seems even you have your difficulties. As the old saying goes, even the landlord has no surplus grain!"

Lord Song and his son were taken aback by this old saying, wondering where it came from. However, Zhou Chong did not give them time to think and continued, "Since Uncle has spoken, the debt the Zhou family owes to Uncle will naturally be repaid."

Hearing that Zhou Chong was willing to repay the debt, Lord Song's eyes lit up. But before he could say anything, Zhou Chong added, "However, as you can see, I have no place to sit, and I am truly short of funds. Could you please give me a few more days?"

As Zhou Chong said this, he showed a look of deep shame, as if he were truly sorry for not being able to repay the debt.

Lord Song was initially pleased to hear that Zhou Chong was willing to repay the debt, but he was taken aback by the sudden turn of events. However, his purpose today was not just to demand the debt but to achieve a more important goal. It was not advisable to tear the relationship apart before achieving this goal. The second son of the Song family, however, showed impatience and tried to speak several times but was stopped by Lord Song.

Zhou Chong pretended not to notice the Song family's behavior. Lord Song suppressed his anger and smiled again, "Nephew, you are joking. A debt of 200 taels is nothing for the Zhou family, but it is a matter of life and death for our small business!"

Hearing Lord Song's continued plea for poverty, Zhou Chong sneered inwardly but put on a more pitiful face, as if he were a bankrupt young master being pressured by a creditor. He kept pleading with Lord Song to give him more time, but Lord Song firmly refused.

Finally, Lord Song felt that the time was right and stopped talking about the debt. His face turned serious, and he finally revealed his true intentions, "Nephew, since you are so indifferent to the relationship between our two families and refuse to repay the debt, there is nothing more to say. Your daughter is too good for our family, and I think we should call off the engagement!"

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