Chapter 3

Unconsciously, the sky had brightened.

In the vegetable patch, Zhang Dong was panting heavily from exhaustion.

Throughout the night, he had used the Spirit Rain Technique five times. Each time he used it, he was utterly drained, and twice he almost fainted.

Looking around at the cabbages, they had all grown significantly.

These cabbages were much larger than ordinary ones. Even though they hadn't been exposed to the sun, they seemed to glow, with each leaf being perfectly white and tender, flawless, without any insect holes or dirt, as if they had been washed dozens of times.

Most importantly, Zhang Dong could clearly smell a fragrance, somewhat like the scent of medicine.

"This Spirit Rain Technique is indeed remarkable! I'll take one back to try it out."

Pulling up a cabbage, Zhang Dong returned home.

However, as he approached the front door, he heard a commotion in the courtyard.

Zhang Dong's face changed, and he hurried inside.

In the courtyard, five people had suddenly appeared, led by a bald man, Yang Dabiao, a notorious thug in the village.

His sister was holding a cigarette to offer to Yang Dabiao, but Yang Dabiao slapped it to the ground.

"Your five-yuan cigarettes, I don't like them... I had someone deliver a message to you, asking for five thousand yuan, why didn't you send it?"

"I'm telling you, you must give me the five thousand yuan today. If you don't, I'll take the land by the road to settle the debt," Yang Dabiao said viciously.

Faced with Yang Dabiao's brutality, his sister could only force a smile and said bitterly:

"Brother Biao, we agreed to borrow ten thousand and repay fifteen thousand, and we have already paid it back. You said you would tear up the IOU, but now you're asking for more money. We're all neighbors, you can't be so ruthless. And that land is what our parents left for Dongzi, you can't take it."

Hearing this, Yang Dabiao grinned, his disgusting yellow teeth showing, and said arrogantly:

"Have you never heard of compound interest? I'm telling you, as long as I have the IOU, you have no case. Either you give me the money today or use the land to settle the debt... I don't have time to listen to your nonsense..."

At this, the few thugs Yang Dabiao brought with him also started shouting.

"Pay up when we tell you to."

"Keep talking, and we'll smash your house."

Seeing that Yang Dabiao and his men were not backing down, his sister's face turned pale, but she still tried to negotiate: "Alright, I'll give you the money, but please give me a few more days..."

Yang Dabiao flew into a rage: "No way!"

As he said this, he raised his hand, clearly about to strike.

However, just as his hand was raised, Zhang Dong grabbed his wrist.

Yang Dabiao turned to look at Zhang Dong and immediately became furious: "Dongzi, you've got some nerve, daring to lay a hand on me."

Zhang Dong said coldly: "Yang Dabiao, this is my home, not a place for you to cause trouble. Also, the money we borrowed from you has been repaid in full. We don't owe you anything."

Yang Dabiao laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke: "Kid, did I hear that right? Are you still half asleep?"

"You're the one who's half asleep. Give me the IOU!" Zhang Dong said sternly.

"I'll give you a kick in the ass..."

Yang Dabiao tried to pull his hand back to teach Zhang Dong a lesson.

However, no matter how hard he tried, his hand felt like it was clamped in an iron vise, unable to move.

"Hey, kid, you've got some strength, let go of me," Yang Dabiao roared.

Zhang Dong sneered and applied a little more force.

Crack, crack, crack.

Yang Dabiao's wrist made a cracking sound.

"Ah..."

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"

"Let go!!!"

Yang Dabiao cried out in pain.

At this, the few thugs under Yang Dabiao rushed forward, pointing knives and iron bars at Zhang Dong: "Kid, let go of our Brother Biao..."

Zhang Dong turned and glared at them.

Meeting his gaze, they felt as if they were staring into the eyes of a bloodthirsty tiger and involuntarily took a step back.

Zhang Dong sneered and said sternly: "Yang Dabiao, give me the IOU."

As he said this, he increased the pressure on his hand.

"Ah..." Yang Dabiao screamed in pain but still tried to be stubborn: "No way, when you borrowed the money, I said there would be interest, and your sister agreed."

Hearing this, Zhang Dong snorted: "There was interest, and we acknowledge that, but we agreed to borrow ten thousand and repay fifteen thousand, and my sister has already paid it back. You said you would tear up the IOU."

At this point, Zhang Dong's face turned cold: "But now you're asking for another five thousand and using the IOU to cause trouble and humiliate my sister. What gives you the right? I have only one thing to say: either give me the IOU or a hand, you choose."

As he said this, Zhang Dong increased the pressure on his hand.

In the past, he would have been no match for Yang Dabiao, who was used to fighting.

But now, his body was like a completely different person compared to before.

Yang Dabiao, in pain, his face turning red like a liver, couldn't help but kneel on the ground and stammered: "I don't have the IOU, next time... next time, okay?"

Zhang Dong snorted in disdain and released his hand.

Swish.

Yang Dabiao jumped up, pointed at Zhang Dong, and shouted: "Brothers, take him down."

The thugs rushed at Zhang Dong.

Zhang Dong had anticipated this and was not panicked.

He grabbed a shovel from the side of the courtyard and swung it around.

He had no special techniques, relying solely on his strength.

A moment later.

Yang Dabiao and his men lay on the ground, bruised and battered.

Zhang Dong planted the shovel in the ground and said: "Yang Dabiao, if you don't bring the IOU within three days, I'll make you stay in the hospital for half a year... Get out."

Yang Dabiao and his men fled in disarray.

They ran out of the Zhang family courtyard.

A red-haired thug said: "Brother Biao, what do we do now? With Zhang Dong around, it will be hard to force Zhang Zhaodi to comply with you."

Yang Dabiao, unwilling to give up, said: "It's because you're all useless. So many of you couldn't beat a bookworm... But Zhang Dong is indeed strange. I'll call more people in a few days, deal with him first, then deal with Zhang Zhaodi. Damn it, the woman I like isn't going to run away, not a chance."

In the courtyard.

His sister, Zhang Zhaodi, rushed forward, tears in her eyes, worried about her brother.

She examined him carefully, full of concern: "Dongzi, are you okay? You're a scholar, how can you fight with someone like Yang Dabiao... Let me check, are you hurt anywhere?"

Although Zhang Dong had won the fight, Zhang Zhaodi was not at all happy.

She blamed herself for being naive.

She had believed Yang Dabiao's lie about tearing up the IOU and hadn't retrieved it.

Who would have thought that Yang Dabiao was deliberately tricking her.

Without the IOU, Yang Dabiao would not let it go.

Seeing her sister's worry, Zhang Dong comforted her: "Sister, don't worry, I'll handle Yang Dabiao. Just wait for my good news..."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhaodi became anxious and grabbed Zhang Dong's hand: "Dongzi, Yang Dabiao and his men are not good people. You can't act rashly. We can't afford to provoke them. If we had the money, we might as well give them the five thousand yuan!"

Zhang Dong gave a reassuring smile: "Sister, don't worry, I'll handle it. Wait for my good news. I'm tired from working in the fields, I'll go take a nap. We'll eat when I wake up."

Back in the house, Zhang Dong had a good sleep.

When he woke up, it was almost noon.

He was startled awake by his sister Zhang Zhaodi's surprised scream.

Thinking something had happened, he ran out without even dressing properly.

In the courtyard, he saw his sister Zhang Zhaodi holding a bowl of porridge, looking at it with a surprised expression, as if there were flowers in the porridge.

Zhang Dong asked in confusion: "Sister, what are you doing?"

Zhang Zhaodi turned to look at her brother and pointed at the porridge.

"Dongzi, isn't it strange? I've had back pain for a while, but after drinking a bowl of porridge, it's gone. And after drinking it, my body feels warm..."

Hearing this, Zhang Dong was puzzled. A bowl of porridge, could it be that magical?

"What did you use to cook the porridge?" Zhang Dong asked.

Zhang Zhaodi pointed to a half cabbage on the stove: "I used the cabbage you brought back this morning. Where did you get this cabbage? It's so big."

Seeing her sister's puzzled and cute expression, Zhang Dong sighed.

He was about to explain when his sister suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, I have to go to the construction site today, I forgot. The porridge is still hot in the pot, you can eat it."

Before he could respond, his sister rushed out the door.

Watching her sister's disappearing back, Zhang Dong's heart stirred. He quickly went to the kitchen, took a bowl, and drank the porridge in a hurry.

Instantly, he felt a warm current spread through his body.

His originally weak body was suddenly full of energy.

He drank three bowls in a row, feeling the strength and energy he had lost the previous night return.

"This cabbage is indeed powerful."

"Ultimately, it's all thanks to the Spirit Rain Technique!"

Zhang Dong's eyes twinkled, and he had an idea about how to deal with Yang Dabiao.

He turned, pushed out the tricycle, and went to the vegetable patch, quickly cutting a hundred cabbages.

If he could sell these cabbages, he could at least make a good amount of money.

Riding the tricycle, Zhang Dong reached the village entrance and saw two figures struggling by the river.

One of them was the old village chief, Li You Tian.

The other was Yang Cui, with whom Zhang Dong had a close relationship.

Zhang Dong quickly braked, jumped off the tricycle, and ran to the river.