Chapter 26

"Uncle Pan, please return the money."

Chen Ping'an's smile remained unchanged as he ignored Old Pan's suggestion and stood firm on his position.

"Ping'an, didn't I just say it? This matter is too sudden. I haven't had time to prepare. Go home for now, and come back in a couple of days. We'll discuss how to handle this then."

Old Pan spoke in a coaxing tone.

His words implied that the request for repayment was too abrupt and had caught him off guard, as if it were Chen Ping'an's fault for bringing it up.

It had been nearly a year since the loan was made. Any decent family would have taken the initiative to repay without being asked. Even if some families were genuinely tight on funds, they would at least explain the situation and discuss a repayment plan, setting a timeline that worked for both parties.

Old Pan, being shrewd, tried to control the narrative. He turned the tables, making it seem like Chen Ping'an's request for repayment was the problem, rather than his own failure to address the debt.

Most young people, hearing this, would feel embarrassed for causing such a fuss and would back down, falling into Old Pan's trap.

"Uncle Pan, this debt isn't something that just happened yesterday. What kind of preparation do you need? Why don't you explain?"

Chen Ping'an had his own resolve and refused to be swayed.

At these words, Old Pan's smile completely disappeared.

"Ping'an, you're not married, and you don't have any debts. You don't need this money urgently. Why are you in such a hurry? We're neighbors, after all. It's not like we won't pay you back! Didn't I say I need to think about it? Besides, you're a young man. Isn't it embarrassing to be so fixated on this little bit of money?"

Auntie Pan chimed in with a sarcastic tone.

What a masterful shift of blame and reversal of roles! Truly a match for her husband!

If they hadn't brought up the debt, it might have been fine. But now, their words only made them look ridiculous.

Back then, Old Chen had chosen to borrow from loan sharks rather than ask Old Pan to repay the debt.

And now, Chen Ping'an had managed to gather fourteen taels to repay the loan sharks. Yet, they were making it seem like he was in the wrong.

He was the one fixated on this little bit of money?

Who was really the one fixated on money?

Repaying a debt was a matter of principle!

Even if Chen Ping'an didn't need their consent to demand repayment, they should have taken the initiative to return the money, regardless of their financial situation.

No matter where this was brought up, Chen Ping'an was in the right.

Half a tael of silver, nearly a year, and he hadn't asked for a single coin of interest.

Now, in their words, he was the one being unreasonable, obsessed with money, and disregarding neighborly relations.

"Uncle Pan, Auntie Pan, whether I need this money or not has nothing to do with whether you repay it. I came here politely, considering our neighborly relationship, to discuss this matter. If this were to get out, I wonder who would be embarrassed and lose face!"

Chen Ping'an spoke calmly, without anger or agitation.

"You!"

Chen Ping'an's words left Auntie Pan speechless.

Seeing Chen Ping'an speak so bluntly, Old Pan's expression turned cold. "Ping'an, we never said we wouldn't repay you. Was it necessary to speak like that?"

"In that case, please return the money now."

"Go home, and we'll repay you in a few days!" Old Pan said coldly.

If Old Pan had spoken like this from the beginning, Chen Ping'an might have agreed to give them a few days. But now... that was out of the question.

"Please return the money now!"

Chen Ping'an's tone was firm and resolute.

The Pan family was stunned. They never expected a young man like Chen Ping'an, not even twenty years old, to react this way in such a situation.

"Chen Ping'an, don't go too far!" Auntie Pan began to escalate, her voice sharp and shrill, like a hysterical woman. "We said we'd repay you in a few days. Why are you pushing so hard? Do you want to ruin our family?"

Faced with Auntie Pan's outburst, Chen Ping'an remained calm and said slowly, "Uncle Pan, neighborly relations are built on mutual respect. If you don't repay me today, then you can forget about maintaining that respect."

Bang!

Old Pan slammed his hand on the table and stood up, furious.

"Chen Ping'an, you know we're neighbors. No matter what, I'm still your elder. Do you even respect me?"

To be honest, Old Pan's angry expression and sudden rise were quite intimidating.

"You little brat, how dare you speak like that! Even if the heavens came down today, we don't have the money!"

Auntie Pan was hysterical, resorting to the typical tactics of a quarrelsome woman.

But none of this fazed Chen Ping'an.

"In that case, we'll settle this at the Town Guard Office!"

With that, Chen Ping'an turned to leave.

Seeing this, Old Pan's anger faltered.

The Town Guard Office?

He had thought Chen Ping'an would at most go to the local headman. How did it escalate to the Town Guard Office?

Every street in Nanquan Lane had a local headman responsible for mediating civil disputes. If it went to the headman, Old Pan's family, with their numbers, could muddy the waters. At worst, they'd just have to repay the half tael.

But the Town Guard Office...

This...

Old Pan finally realized something.

The young man before him wasn't an ordinary teenager. He was a constable of the Nanquan Lane Town Guard Office!

When he was being polite, he could call him "Uncle Pan" and consider their neighborly relationship. But if he chose not to be polite, he had the means to make things difficult.

Old Chen was dead, and Chen Ping'an had been too accommodating. Old Pan had forgotten that Chen Ping'an was an official.

Damn it!

"Wait!"

Old Pan finally couldn't sit still and called out to stop Chen Ping'an.

But Chen Ping'an kept walking, ignoring him.

"Ping'an, wait, wait! We'll repay you. I'll get the money now!"

With that, Old Pan rushed into the inner room.

"Old Pan!" Auntie Pan tried to stop him, but Old Pan pushed her aside. The woman, caught up in her emotions, hadn't yet realized the gravity of the situation.

Hearing this, Chen Ping'an stopped.

Sounds of rummaging came from the inner room, and soon, Old Pan emerged with a small black cloth bag.

"Ping'an, don't be angry. The money's all here. Take a look."

Old Pan forced a smile.

Chen Ping'an took the bag. Inside were both large and small coins. He counted them and then looked up at Old Pan.

"The amount doesn't seem right."

"What? How can it not be right? I counted it! There are five hundred small coins in there, exactly half a tael." Old Pan hurriedly stepped forward.

Chen Ping'an looked at Old Pan calmly. "There are indeed five hundred small coins here. The loan was for half a tael, and according to the usual interest rates, after almost a year, the repayment should be five hundred and fifty small coins. You're still fifty coins short."