Chapter 8: Repayment

Boss Hu glanced at him and saw a young man with a handsome face and tall stature, dressed very ordinarily. He disdainfully said, "Who are you? What explanation do you have? What does this matter have to do with you?"

Xiao Pingshi was also drenched in sweat; my brother is truly impressive. Adding debt upon debt, isn't this just seeking one's own demise

Xue Poya's eyes shifted, and he said leisurely: "Boss Shao, even if you don't say anything, I have an idea in my mind. Your rice shop can't be considered large, and the monthly income is only about one hundred taels of silver." He glanced around at the crowd and continued lightly: "This does not even account for the wages of the workers. Boss Shao, I am now offering you a great deal. If you allow me three months for this sum of silver, not only will I repay your forty taels after three months, but I will also give you an additional ten taels. What do you think?"

Boss Sha remained silent for a moment and did not respond; this is a business secret and will naturally not be easily disclosed

Xue Poya already knew that this fellow was Song Qian's nephew, named Luo Dachun. He was quite diligent, but somewhat simple-minded, rather stubborn; in other words, he had a few screws loose and would have episodes from time to time. Luo Dachun was orphaned at a young age and later followed his uncle Song Qian to engage in small businesses. Six months ago, Song Qian made a bold decision to purchase this restaurant, and Luo Dachun subsequently became a worker there.

Xue Poya touched his nose, swayed his thigh, and said lightly: "Do you all want to return the money right now?"

Song Qian felt quite embarrassed and turned to glance at the calm-faced Xue Poye

Xue Poye observed coldly without engaging in conversation about the *illustration* book. Naturally, Boss Hu did not take Xue Poye seriously either, merely casting a cold glance at Song Qian: "You had someone find me, so I assume the money is ready. Let's skip the pleasantries; just hand over the money, and I will be on my way." With that, his large hand was already extended in front of Song Qian.

The others were momentarily taken aback, and soon they all expressed their astonishment

Xue Poyue laughed heartily and said, "Boss Shao, don't try to set me up; I have never been fooled. " After a pause, he suddenly looked directly at Boss Shao and said earnestly, "Boss Shao, I have an unusual request that would be beneficial for both you and me. I wonder if you would be willing to hear it!"

Boss Hu was taken aback; this young man spoke quite arrogantly. He snorted coldly and ceased to speak.

Everyone looked at Xue Poyue, and someone shouted, "What does he want us to do? We can't manage anything else. Just tell the guys to go back and say it was you who asked us to come for the silver. No need for more nonsense, just hurry up and hand over the silver"

One person said in a deep voice: "From now on? There is no future. Since Boss Xue is willing to pay off Song Qian's debts, we won't say anything. Now take out the money and distribute it to everyone. As long as everyone is repaid, we won't care whether it's you, Song Qian, or Xue... Boss Xue, repay!"

Xue Poya smiled calmly and said, "Although I have no particular status, I do have the qualification to speak with Boss Hu. Boss Hu, please do not rush to shout; once all the creditors are present, I will naturally have something to say. Additionally, I would like to inform Boss Hu that I do not appreciate being referred to as 'this hetushucom.com'; I am a man of integrity, with ideals and aspirations!"

Xue Poyue smiled and said, "Boss Shao, if I remember correctly, I owe you forty taels of silver, am I right or wrong?"

Xue Poyue understood that the person was the owner of Shao Ji Rice Shop, which was also the employer of Xiao Pinshi in his previous workplace

A creditor exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, Pinshi, what are you doing here?"

Everyone was momentarily taken aback, but instantly began to look down on him, damn, this kid is starting to act shamelessly!

Xue Poya appeared quite pleased with himself, exuding an air of leisure. "Am I joking? No, I certainly do not wish to jest. Boss Shao, I am a person who speaks and acts decisively. If you agree, let us write down a note. If I fail to deliver, I will not require anyone to apprehend me; I will willingly go to the authorities and face imprisonment myself"

Xiao Pingshi smiled at the man and said, "Boss Shao, I will no longer be working at the rice shop. Thank you for your care in the past!"

Everyone was taken aback, not expecting that this ordinarily dressed young man could be so arrogant. Some creditors were about to take action, but considering this kid's unknown background and his fearless demeanor in front of so many bosses and shopkeepers, they hesitated, suspecting he might have some backing, and temporarily held back their intentions

Boss Hu rolled his eyes and snorted coldly, sarcastically saying: "Back when you sought us for the renovation, you were so commanding, pointing east and drawing west, Boss Song was quite imposing at that time. Yet now, you are so subservient, I find it somewhat uncomfortable."

The creditors were left speechless, all displaying strange expressions. After a while, someone tentatively asked, "You say you still have money? I must have misheard, right?"

Although Song Qian had reached an agreement with Xue Poyue, she still approached awkwardly and said with a forced smile, "Boss Hu, please take a seat and have a cup of tea. Let us discuss this slowly."

Under the gaze of numerous predatory eyes, Song Qian could only call over the attendant who had been sleeping at the counter to serve tea and pour water, being very attentive.

Song Qian was just about to speak when Xue Poyue had already signaled Xiao Pingshi to call out: "Everyone, please be quiet, be quiet!"

Xue Poya sneered, "Smash the tavern? Very well, go ahead and smash it. I currently owe you nearly 500 taels of silver, and the total value of the tables, chairs, dishes, and jars in this tavern is barely over 100 taels of silver. If you don't want to reclaim your silver, feel free to smash it. Once you break something, I will go to the authorities and submit a complaint; for whatever you smash, I will demand tenfold compensation from you."

"Is the money ready, Mr. Song? Everyone is here, so take out the money. Once it's distributed, we can get back to work!" "It would have been better to take it out earlier; why did it have to come to this?" "Hurry up, hurry up, stop with the nonsense, bring out the money!"

Xue Poya stepped forward and sat down on a large chair, crossing his legs. He surveyed the crowd with a strange smile playing at the corners of his mouth, presenting an air of inscrutable profundity

As soon as the words were spoken, they were immediately met with agreement from the crowd

Song Qian then awkwardly cupped his fists in salute to everyone, turned around, and pointed at Xue Poyue, saying: "Everyone, this is Boss Xue Poyue. It is he who has invited you all here today"

Upon hearing the name Xiao Pingshi, everyone fell silent

Of course, bring the silver quickly. If you cannot produce the silver, we will smash your tavern

Song Qian hurriedly said: "Esteemed shopkeepers, Boss Xue has indeed taken over the tavern from me and has promised to repay your debts. From now on, you may approach him for any matters!"

Boss Shao was taken aback; ten taels of silver is no small amount. With external debts of forty taels, it will turn into fifty taels in three months. This is even more severe than usury.

Xue Poya observed the varied expressions of surprise and anger among the crowd, and with a faint smile, he nonchalantly stated: "Ladies and gentlemen, this tavern now belongs to me, Xue Poya. All matters concerning the tavern will be handled by me. As for the debts owed by Boss Song, I will naturally take responsibility for repaying them."

"Boss Shao is quite generous, hehe. Boss Shao, how much silver can your shop earn in a day?" Xue Poye asked while rubbing his nose.

Boss Shao nodded and said: "Not bad, it was originally forty taels and two qian, so the two qian will be waived"

Song Qian let out a sigh of relief after listening, and her expression became considerably more relaxed

Regarding the matter of collecting debts, no one is willing to fall behind. After just over half an hour, more than ten creditors came knocking, most accompanied by their followers, shouting and making a scene, displaying an unparalleled arrogance

Boss Shao noticed that Xue Poye, who had just been looking indifferent and dismissive, suddenly became serious, which was somewhat surprising. Hearing him speak like that, he frowned and asked, "What does Boss Xue want to say?"

Xue Poya sighed; these individuals likely had a different demeanor when Song Qian first opened for business. It truly reflects the reality of human relationships, where warmth and coldness can be so starkly contrasted, and the world can be so indifferent.

Xue Poye coughed twice, took a couple of steps forward in a pretentious manner, and smiled, saying: "Boss Hu, do not be anxious; the money will certainly not be lacking. Once all the creditors arrive, I will naturally provide everyone with an explanation"

"Boss Xue, are you joking?" Boss Shao asked suspiciously, blinking his small eyes

"No!" Xue Poyue said straightforwardly: "Boss Song owes a total of 486 taels of silver, and I will take on all of this."

Boss Shao of the rice shop coughed lightly and said: "What you said, Boss Xue, is rather unpleasant. It is only right to repay debts. Since you have taken on the responsibility, you should settle everyone's debts. A true man should act decisively and straightforwardly, so do not resort to these petty tricks"

Boss Song, standing behind Xue Poye, was drenched in cold sweat. It turned out that Boss Xue was repaying his debts in this manner, pulling off a trick of empty-handedly taking advantage. However, regardless of how Xue Poye handled it, as long as he truly took over this mess, he could distance himself from it, and it would be fine for him to deal with it however he wished.

The first to arrive was Boss Hu from the decoration business, riding a tall horse, exuding an imposing presence. Upon entering the shop, he immediately called out loudly: "Song Qian, I heard the silver is ready? That's excellent. While they haven't arrived yet, return my one hundred and eighty taels to me first."

Boss Hu sneered from the side, saying: "Isn't Boss Xue just stalling for time? We won't fall for that trick."

Song Qian coughed a few times, chuckled awkwardly twice, and the muscles on her face twitched

The hall was bustling with noise, as everyone shouted loudly, creating quite a commotion