Chapter 5

Seeing this fat Song finally bring up the matter of breaking the engagement, although Zhou Chong was well-prepared, he still felt an intense urge to punch the fat face in front of him. In the social environment of the Ming Dynasty, if a woman who was engaged was jilted, it was almost the same as being divorced. It would be very difficult for her to find a good family to marry into in the future. In other words, if the Song family broke the engagement this time, it would almost ruin Zuo'er's life, which made Zhou Chong, as her brother, unable to contain his hatred.

However, after experiencing a life-and-death situation, Zhou Chong's temperament had become much more stable. He knew that some things couldn't be solved by fists alone. Although he was burning with anger inside, he didn't show it at all.

This time, Zhou Chong didn't rush to respond. He had no mood to continue the charade with the fat Song. Instead, he raised his eyebrows, relaxed, and turned to the butler Xu beside him, saying, "Butler Xu, I'm a bit tired. Go and get me something to sit on!"

Song's father and son also sensed a change in Zhou Chong's demeanor. The desperate, bankrupt young master who had been there before was gone, and in front of them was a young master Zhou with a faint smile on his face, even with a hint of roguishness.

Butler Xu was initially stunned by Li Yin's order but quickly reacted and ran out to bring in a broken recliner. This recliner was Butler Xu's favorite, and he often lay on it to bask in the sun. Because it was too broken to sell, it could now barely provide a place for Zhou Chong to rest.

Zhou Chong didn't care if the recliner was broken. He walked over, sat down, crossed his legs, and looked up at Song's father and son, saying, "I agree to the break-up, Lord Song. Our Zhou family's current situation really doesn't match up to the Song family. Also, according to the rules, we will return the dowry and the marriage contract to your family!"

Seeing such a significant change in Zhou Chong, Lord Song and Second Young Master Song were both taken aback. However, Lord Song, being a well-traveled merchant, quickly recovered and said with a smile, "Forget about the dowry. Just return the marriage contract. Given the Zhou family's current situation, it would be too much for me to ask for the dowry."

In fact, Lord Song wasn't unwilling to get the dowry back. When they got engaged, they had paid a substantial dowry. However, the change in Zhou Chong made him very uneasy, so he generously gave up the dowry and even tried to save face for himself.

Sitting in the recliner, Zhou Chong didn't get angry at all. He was actually a bit nostalgic for cigarettes from his past life. If he could hold a cigarette in his fingers and take a satisfying puff, exhaling a smoke ring, it would be even more impressive.

With a sigh of not having cigarettes, Li Yin glanced at Song's father and son again and tapped the armrest of the chair, smiling, "That won't do. A break-up should be done properly. We must return the dowry, and also the Song family's debt, which will be paid back along with the dowry!"

Seeing Zhou Chong's rude manner and the words that didn't match his expression, Song's father and son felt uneasy. They couldn't figure out what this young master Zhou meant.

Zhou Chong continued, "However, our Zhou family's current situation makes it impossible to pay everything back at once. But rest assured, I, Zhou Chong, am not someone who doesn't pay debts. I plan to pay back a part each year, which is called installment repayment. It will probably take about ten to eight years to pay it all off, and then we'll return the marriage contract to you!"

Hearing Zhou Chong's last words, which sounded almost like those of a ruffian, Song's father and son were almost enraged. Without mentioning anything else, Second Young Master Song was about the same age as Zhou Chong, and they had planned to get married the next year. If they had to wait another ten to eight years for the break-up, who would he marry then?

"Zhou Chong, don't push us too far!" Second Young Master Song, being young and hot-tempered, his face flushed with anger, stepped forward and pointed at Zhou Chong, scolding him, without thinking about who was actually pushing whom too far.

"Pushing too far?" Zhou Chong looked up at Second Young Master Song, a sly smile on his face, "Second Young Master Song, where is this coming from? Your Song family proposed the break-up, and I, Zhou Chong, agreed without a second thought. I even agreed to return the dowry. How did this become me, the young master, pushing too far?"

"You..." Second Young Master Song was about to argue, but Lord Song stopped him with a hand, then smiled and said, "I understand, Young Master Zhou. How about this: we don't ask for the debt or the dowry. We just want the marriage contract back!"

Hearing Lord Song's words, Zhou Chong turned his head, spat, and suddenly smiled, standing up, "Indeed, old ginger is the spiciest. If Lord Song had been this straightforward from the beginning, we wouldn't have had so much nonsense."

Seeing Zhou Chong's ruffian-like behavior, Song's father and son were both very angry, but they were also puzzled. The Zhou Chong they knew was always polite and even a bit naive. How did he suddenly become like a street thug after the Zhou family's situation changed?

Unfortunately, Song's father and son didn't know that the Zhou Chong from his past life was much more ruthless than a street thug. He cherished this rare chance at rebirth and didn't want to repeat his past mistakes, so he played some 'civilized' tricks with them. Otherwise, according to his past nature, he would have sneaked into the Song family's mansion that night and given them a lesson they would never forget!

Of course, although the current Zhou Chong wouldn't use more aggressive means to retaliate, it didn't mean he was weak. Zhou Chong, who had learned to hide his anger, was more terrifying than the hot-tempered Zhou Chong from his past. As for forgiving the Song family's debt, it was just a small interest he collected on the side.

The rest of the matter was simple. Song's father and son were eager to break the engagement. If Zhou Chong insisted on taking them to the yamen, according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, they would be in trouble. Now that Zhou Chong had clearly stated that he wanted them to forgive the 200 taels of debt, although 200 taels was a significant amount, being able to break the engagement without any future trouble was still a good deal for the Song family.

Lord Song, who had been in business for many years, knew the math. He suppressed his anger, took out the Zhou family's promissory note, and said, "Alright! Since Young Master Zhou has spoken, I, Song, will be straightforward. Here is your family's promissory note. Bring me the marriage contract, and we will be even, with no further ties!"

Zhou Chong saw the promissory note in Lord Song's hand and had Butler Xu verify it. Only then did he signal him to fetch the marriage contract from the back. He then said in a tone that was infuriating, "Uncle Song is indeed a generous person, a role model for us younger generations. However, if the daughter of the Huating wealthy merchant looks down on your son and the Song family wants to marry my sister again, it will be quite troublesome. By then, my sister might even have a child. I hope Uncle Song won't blame us!"

Hearing the sarcasm in Zhou Chong's words, Second Young Master Song was so angry that he gritted his teeth. He wanted to mock Zhou Chong, but Lord Song stopped him with a hand. In contrast, Lord Song, with his dark face, was much more composed. He didn't seem to be angry at all, just saying in a calm tone, "My son's marriage is our family's business and doesn't need you, Young Master Zhou, to worry about it!"

Seeing that the other party didn't seem angry, Zhou Chong was a bit disappointed. Soon, Butler Xu brought the marriage contract, and Zhou Chong took it and exchanged it for the promissory note with Lord Song. They both tore up the documents in their hands, and from then on, the two families had no further ties. However, Zhou Chong didn't notice that Butler Xu's expression was somewhat strange when he tore the promissory note.

After tearing up the marriage contract, Song's father and son turned and left the Zhou family's mansion. However, just as they stepped out of the gate, Second Young Master Song finally couldn't hold back and complained to his father, "Father, why did you stop me just now? Zhou Chong is just a wastrel. Given the Zhou family's current situation, they can only marry their sister to a peasant. I don't want such a low-class woman!"

Hearing his son's complaint, Lord Song's face turned grim, but he finally suppressed his anger and said, "Do you think I wanted to endure that wastrel's insults? However, although our Song family is wealthy, our backing is not strong. You might think the Zhou family is down, but Zhou Chong is still the prospective son-in-law of Lord Wang Lun. Lord Wang has served as a censor and, although he was dismissed for offending the head of the Eight Tigers, Liu Gonggong, he still has many friends in the court. With our Song family's strength, we can't afford to offend Lord Wang for now!"

Second Young Master Song, hearing his father's explanation, was immediately frightened and said, "Father, if we can't afford to offend Lord Wang, why did we break the engagement with the Zhou family? What if Zhou Chong uses Lord Wang's influence to rise again? Wouldn't our family be in danger?"

Hearing his son's words, Lord Song smiled mysteriously and said, "I already said, we can't afford to offend Lord Wang for now, but Liu Gonggong is at the height of his power. Lord Wang was dismissed because he and a group of people impeached Liu Gonggong. Although Liu Gonggong himself might not remember Lord Wang, his subordinates haven't forgotten him. I have received reliable information that someone wants to use Lord Wang and his associates' heads to curry favor with Liu Gonggong. Lord Wang's good days are numbered. If we still have ties with the Zhou family, we would be heading for disaster."

Hearing his father's words, Second Young Master Song was shocked. He never imagined that a simple break-up could involve political struggles in the court, even involving the powerful Liu Gonggong. This was beyond his imagination, and he became even more admiring of his father. No wonder everyone said, "Old ginger is the spiciest." The Song family could do without anyone, but they couldn't do without his father.

Second Young Master Song suddenly thought that his father telling him such a secret meant that his father trusted him more. Although he had an older brother, his older brother was honest and unsuitable for business. If he inherited the family business, the Song family would surely go bankrupt.

Thinking about this, Second Young Master Song felt a surge of enthusiasm and became even more determined to marry the daughter of the wealthy merchant in Huating County. With this connection, his status in the family would be much different.