TIPS – Chapter 24

While Sun Zheng was still stunned, Song Jingwei backhanded him with another slap.

“You—!” Sun Zheng snapped back to his senses, glaring at Song Jingwei with pure rage. How dare he—?!

Song Jingwei spoke coolly, hands clasped behind his back. “Sun Zheng, if you dare hit me back, I’ll say you attacked me first. And I won’t just take it to the village chief—I’ll report you directly to the magistrate in town.”

His palm, unused to slapping people, now stung with a dull ache inside his sleeve.

The room fell silent, everyone shocked—not only by Song Jingwei’s sudden action but also by his words.

It was now clear to everyone—Song Jingwei had come here specifically to stand up for Wu Xi.

But why? Was it because Wu Xi was renting his land?

“You! Why are you helping him? What do you get out of this?” Sun Zheng had never been humiliated like this in his life. His rage burned, and he barely restrained himself from striking back.

“Yeah, Young Master Song, why interfere?” Sun Laizi chimed in, equally confused. “That Wu Xi is no good. His brother even opposed you before!”

Song Jingwei sneered. “And wasn’t that because of the trouble you caused?”

Sun Laizi flinched. So he knows… But he still tried to brush it off. “So what? This is just a personal matter between my nephew and Wu Xi. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Nothing to do with me?” Song Jingwei chuckled coldly. “Wu Xi rents my land. His life and well-being affect my income. Why wouldn’t I care?”

Then, his voice turned even sharper.

“Even if he weren’t my tenant, I’d still step in—because I can’t stand people like you. Filthy scum.”

Sun Laizi and Sun Zheng’s faces darkened instantly. Anyone would be furious after being insulted so openly.

“You have two choices,” Song Jingwei stated flatly. “Either settle this privately, or take it to the authorities.”

“No—!” Sun Zheng immediately protested, but Sun Laizi grabbed his nephew just in time, stopping him from saying something reckless.

Instead, he asked cautiously, “What do you mean by a private settlement?”

If money could fix this, they wouldn’t mind.

“Simple. You stop harassing the Wu brothers, and we all act like this never happened.”

Sun Laizi’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s it?”

Where was the compensation? His nephew had bled—shouldn’t Wu Xi pay up?

“What else do you expect?” Song Jingwei raised an eyebrow. “Or do you want to compensate Wu Xi instead? After all, your nephew was the one who attacked him first.”

“He—” Sun Zheng started to argue, but Sun Laizi quickly covered his mouth and said, “Wu Xi still injured my nephew. He should at least pay for the medical expenses. Otherwise, we won’t accept this!”

“Fine,” Song Jingwei said easily. “Wu Xi will pay for the medical fees—

“But in return, you’ll pay him a trauma fee. That’s only fair, right?”

He glanced pointedly at Wu Xi’s bruised face. “Besides, the Wu brothers are injured too. What do you have to say about that?”

Sun Laizi and Sun Zheng choked on their own words.

They had beaten the Wu brothers black and blue in their rage—and now, they had no excuse.

“That settles it,” Song Jingwei concluded. “Wu Xi, you and your brother can go home. Tomorrow, come to my house to discuss your land.”

As an afterthought, he turned to the village chief, Li Zhangguang.

“Village chief, do you see any issue with this arrangement?”

Li Zhangguang had already been shaken by Song Jingwei’s slaps earlier.

Seeing how even Sun Zheng had been put in his place, he dared not object.

“No, no issues at all.”

But Sun Zheng wasn’t done.

He finally broke free from Sun Laizi’s grip and shouted, “I refuse! This isn’t fair!”

Song Jingwei calmly turned to him.

“If you refuse, I’ll report you to the authorities—for bullying and attempted assault.”

His expression was indifferent, but his words were a direct threat.

Sun Zheng’s face turned red with fury, but he didn’t dare protest any further.

Even so, his resentment didn’t fade. He was absolutely going to get revenge on the Wu brothers.

“Hmph! They still owe me silver! If they don’t repay their debt, I’ll beat them whenever I want! Who dares say I’m wrong?”

Song Jingwei asked, “How much do they owe you?”

“Ten taels of silver!” Sun Zheng spat.

Song Jingwei turned to Wu Xi and his brother.

“I remember your family’s land is fourteen acres. Together, you earn nearly forty taels of silver a year. If you want, I can advance your payment now to help you settle this. Do you agree?”

Wu Xi’s eyes lit up with surprise and gratitude, but when he thought about his older brother and sister-in-law, his excitement dimmed.

He knew they wouldn’t let him use the money to pay off the debt.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, “I can only take five taels. I’ll pay him five taels first.”

Originally, both brothers had borrowed the money together, but the debt note was written under Wu Xi’s name.

When his brother got married, his sister-in-law had immediately distanced herself from the debt, saying it had nothing to do with them.

Since Wu Xi’s name was on the note, he had to bear the responsibility alone.

That money… it was meant to bury my parents. Wu Xi thought sorrowfully.