Chapter 4, Malicious Intent

Having been exposed, the second son of the Pan family, filled with shame and anger, glared at Han Xiufeng and said: "Han Si, repaying debts is a matter of principle; you owe me money from Tongxing, and you still have the audacity to argue!"

It is often said that officials are as slippery as oil, and Manager Pan has certainly experienced this firsthand. He secretly cursed the little fox and said with a bitter smile: "At that time, your uncle did indeed issue this guarantee, but who would take something that hasn't even begun seriously? Worthy nephew, whether you believe it or not, I truly lent money to your uncle out of friendship"

Did I not just mention that I am helping my aunt and younger sister

"So, Uncle Pan, do you agree to the extension?" Han Xiufeng pressed for an answer

Manager Pan, no, Uncle Pan, since our families have such a deep friendship, why not do a good deed to the end and grant us a few years of grace, allowing us to slowly save money and repay it gradually

Manager Pan was taken aback for a moment and said seriously: "No, no, my dear nephew, you are overthinking it. The reason I lent money to your uncle, and the reason I only charged him a small interest, is purely out of friendship, a friendship that has lasted for decades"

Han Si, you repeatedly claim that without your uncle, you would not have your present situation, insisting that one must act with integrity. Yet now you say that the money is borrowed from your uncle, not from you, isn't this a case of saying one thing and doing another? I am not aware of others' affairs, but I am very clear about yours. The more than ten acres of land your uncle has in the countryside have not been rented out to anyone else; it has always been your father and your three brothers who have been farming it. There is no issue of paying rent; every year, you simply send over a few dozen loads of rice to your uncle's family, benefiting from your uncle's support and enjoying the blessings of your uncle's family! Now that your uncle's family is in trouble, you just turn your back on them. Isn't this a case of being ungrateful to one's kin? The conscience of your direct line has been completely devoured by dogs!

Manager Pan, how many years has it been since my uncle acquired this courtyard? How long have you been neighbors with him? He usually works at the yamen and hardly comes back more than a few times a year. In my opinion, your relationship with my uncle is not that deep, and it is certainly not worth that much silver

Collecting the yard and the land is quite excessive, but can living people hold their urine? Without this yard and the more than ten acres of land in the countryside, the Han family could still manage to get by, albeit with a bit of hardship

It is no trouble, no trouble at all; I will have Changsheng invite the person.

Brother Pan, one can eat indiscriminately, but one must not speak indiscriminately. My father and my uncle have long since separated their households; it is my uncle Han Yucai who owes your family money, not my family, nor my father who owes your family money!

Han Xiufeng coldly looked at the Pan family father and son, then said: "My uncle has no sons, so this branch has cut off its lineage. My branch is different; in my generation, there are four brothers, and we are thriving. When a person dies, the debt does not disappear. As long as there are people around, the little bit of silver borrowed by Manager Pan will eventually be repaid with both principal and interest. Moreover, my Han family will have to serve the Pan family for generations to come, even for our descendants!"

Brother Pan, you say I have no conscience, but where is your conscience?

"Not far off," Han Xiufeng pointed to the document in his hand and said with a half-smile, "If I am not mistaken, my uncle must have promised you when he borrowed the money that once he establishes himself in the Bichuan County government, he would ask the Bichuan magistrate to deposit the land tax and miscellaneous taxes collected into your Tongxing pawnshop for profit. Whether it is a pawnshop or a bank, the greater the capital, the greater the profit, don't you agree, Manager Pan?"

The little fox, which is as genuine as it gets, is actually climbing up the pole!

In summary, the pillar felt as if he were dreaming, unable to believe that Manager Pan could be so accommodating. He thought to himself that since the other party had agreed to the extension, it would be best to take advantage of the situation and not worry about any potential troubles. Captain Guan also felt that it was wise to seize the opportunity, and was just about to speak when Han Xiufeng unexpectedly grabbed hold of Pan's second son, who was about to go and invite the intermediary.

Esteemed nephew, you are straightforward! Esteemed nephew, you are candid! You truly deserve to be called the steed of the Han family, and with your words, Brother Yu Cai's spirit in heaven can be comforted. Manager Pan first gave a thumbs up, then bowed respectfully towards the hall where Han Yu Cai's spirit tablet was placed, and then he shifted the conversation: Since esteemed nephew is willing to assist Brother Yu Cai in repaying, let us do this: we can first offset part of the debt with the value of this courtyard and the more than ten acres of land in the countryside, and you can repay the remaining amount gradually. We will invite a neutral party to witness this and establish a new written agreement.

Do not rush, let me finish speaking. You say your family has a conscience, and you also know that my father and my three older brothers rely on farming the more than ten acres of land in my uncle's village to survive. You still want to take this courtyard and those more than ten acres of land in the countryside. Isn't this trying to force my aunt and younger sister to end up on the streets, and to push my father and my three older brothers to a dead end?

It is not unreasonable to grant a grace period, but who will repay this money in the future

How could I have no conscience

"Dear nephew, since you are the one returning this silver, what harm is there in adding your name? Do you not wish to help your aunt and younger sister repay the debt?" Manager Pan asked, staring intently into his eyes.

To reclaim the yard and land, this is not a grace period

If someone is going to be unfortunate, let everyone be unfortunate together. Open your eyes and take a look; the evidence is right here. A loan is a loan, clearly written in black and white. You are merely quibbling!

One must act with conscience. If it weren't for my uncle, there would be no today for me, Han Si. Even my father and my three brothers would not be living such a good life now. Now that my uncle's family is in trouble, how can I, Han Si, not care?" Han Xiufeng paused and continued, "However, if my name is added to the document, then it will no longer be just a matter concerning my aunt, my younger sister, and me, Han Si.

Manager Pan had long anticipated that the Han family would not be able to produce such a large sum of silver in a short time. He had never truly considered forcing a girl into prostitution; it was not that he had not thought about it, but rather that the younger sister was not only lacking in beauty but also quite dull. Even if sold as a maid, no one would want her, making her hardly worth a few coins. He had already calculated how to settle this matter before coming here. After feigning contemplation for a moment, he murmured, "Cousin, since you have brought up the matter to this extent, it would truly be a shame to disregard the friendship between our two families."

Nephew, you are straying further and further away from the point

How could Han Xiufeng not be aware of the sinister intentions behind Manager Pan's desire to re-establish the loan note? He calmly said, "Uncle Pan, isn't this just a written note? Why go through all the trouble?"

Uncle Guan, Manager Pan truly knows how to conduct business. As the saying goes, a son must repay his father's debts, but there is also another saying: a father's debts must be repaid by the son! If I were to sign the promissory note and then fail to repay it when due, Manager Pan could take the note to my father. My father would certainly be unable to produce such a large sum of silver, and at that time, Manager Pan could again invoke the saying about repaying a father's debts, seeking out my three honest brothers.

Han Xiufeng slammed the table and retorted: "The two thousand taels of silver from your family is actually only one thousand eight hundred taels, because there are two hundred taels deducted as a head tax. Rather than saying it was lent to my uncle, it is more accurate to say that it was pooled together with my uncle to fund the appointment of that substitute county magistrate, with the intention of making money and prospering together. As a result, fate did not favor us; that county magistrate had a short life and passed away shortly after taking office. In facing this misfortune, it is only fair that everyone shares the burden, so how can it be justified for my uncle to bear the misfortune alone!"

"Brother Pan, do not be anxious," Han Xiufeng pulled Pan Changsheng back and smiled at his father, saying, "Uncle Pan, are you planning to draft a new document and add my name to it?"

"What does it mean?" the officer asked in confusion