Chapter 147: 147

147 "Because I don't respect the elderly."

Cao Haoqiang's matter isn't a secret around here either.

Many people know about it, and at the time it even appeared on Nan Cheng TV news.

Although his face was mosaicked, people who knew him still recognized him.

Several old men who used to stroll with him also came over.

They didn't hear what Tushan Jiu and Cao Haoqiang specifically said; they only saw that after the two finished speaking, Cao Haoqiang fiercely slapped his own face.

This startled everyone greatly.

They crowded around, asking him what happened.

Someone also glanced at Tushan Jiu sideways, and without asking, accused: "You little girl, you look all proper, but you're actually disrespectful to elders!"

As soon as that was said, someone asked Cao Haoqiang: "Old Cao, do you mean he's bullying you?"

Cao Haoqiang shook his head, indicating Tushan Jiu hadn't bullied him.

He quickly gestured to them: "She's a debt-blade person; I came to her for a debt-blade prophecy; she didn't bully me."

Although they usually strolled and played chess with him, they were good friends.

But they could only understand a little simple sign language.

Things like debt-blade and prophecy—these complicated matters—they simply couldn't understand.

Then someone directly pulled out their phone, about to unlock it: "Old Cao, don't be scared; nowadays it's the internet age—you already have a disability, and this little girl is still bullying you. I'll post her online so everyone can judge you; she must apologize to you today!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Haoqiang hurriedly lunged to snatch the old man's phone, then shook his head desperately, mouth wide open, trying to shout, but no sound came out.

Joking aside, she is a debt-blade person.

If you offend her, not to mention she's now his creditor—any harm he caused her will be repaid double upon him.

Even if he hadn't incurred a debt-blade with her, she's still someone you can't afford to provoke!

Cao Haoqiang used all his strength to block his friends' 'good intentions'.

Then he bowed respectfully to Tushan Jiu.

Tushan Jiu didn't move at all from start to finish; she merely said lightly: "The transaction is preliminarily settled; you do as you wish; once the omen comes true, I will come to collect payment."

Cao Haoqiang wearily nodded; now he just regrets, regrets.

His daughter-in-law is already over seven months pregnant; the child cannot be aborted, and he can only be glad that modern medicine is advanced enough—even congenital hearing problems can possibly be treated via surgery.

But ultimately, it's because of the yin debt he owes that led to his son's and grandson's disabilities.

If he could live his life again, even if beaten to death, he wouldn't speak rudely.

Tushan Jiu looked at him, her gaze calm, unfazed.

She knows he hasn't even considered that the root cause is his mistaken cognition.

Some people, even if given a second chance, would still repeat their mistakes.

The interaction between Cao Haoqiang and Tushan Jiu was watched by the onlookers.

The few old friends who had just been speaking up for justice now looked at each other.

Cao Haoqiang took out his phone and sent a text message to their group, explaining that he had just gone to find a debt-blade person for a debt-blade prophecy, not that she had bullied him.

The old man who had just blamed Tushan Jiu slapped his thigh and shouted angrily: "Old Cao, why didn't you say this sooner? I know about debt-blade people—I heard about it from my dad when I was young! You almost got me killed! No, I must hurry to apologize."

Cao Haoqiang: "......"

How could he have 'said' it earlier?

So he hand-wrote his input in the group, his fingers flying.

How could I have said it earlier? If I could speak, I wouldn't stay silent!

You guys come up, not distinguishing right from wrong, just pointing at people and cursing; you offend someone, then come blame me?

Wasn't I shaking my head at you? I was just short of shaking my head off!

But no matter how fast he wrote, the old man didn't see it; he turned and went straight to apologize to Tushan Jiu.

Tushan Jiu had expected this.

The old man kept saying sorry, bowing and scraping.

Tushan Jiu listened to his apology, and hadn't even waited to say whether she forgave him.

The old man chuckled and asked: "Little lady, can I also get a debt-blade from you?"

Tushan Jiu snorted and bluntly spat out two words: "Cannot."

The old man asked, puzzled: "Why?"

She raised her head, the corner of her mouth curling into a bigger sneer: "Because I don't respect the elderly."

Old man: "......"

Tushan Jiu didn't look at him again.

Like attracts like, people gather in groups— which of these old men doesn't know Cao Haoqiang's past?

Just that their worldviews are similarly low, so they can keep hanging out.

Finally, Cao Haoqiang pulled them all away, not wanting them to possibly say something offensive to Tushan Jiu again.

They left, but the others were still watching.

Tushan Jiu pointed at the knife on the ground and said: "I'm a debt-blade person; anyone want a debt-blade? After the debt-blade, I'll leave you a prophecy—no refusing payment; I'll come collect only if it comes true."

Everyone thought it was novel.

Not far away, a girl tugged at her boyfriend, who was looking at his phone.

The boy instinctively tilted his anti-peeping screen phone sideways.

The girl completely missed the guy's little move, and whispered: "This seems unlike the fortune-tellers over at the overpass; I want to try a debt-blade for fun, but I don't know what this payment she mentioned actually is."

The boy also found it interesting, but he doesn't believe in this stuff.

Then he took out his phone and searched online for a knife pawnbroker.

The online videos all said that knife pawnbrokers are fake, they are scammers, actually just knife sellers and such talk.

He read the search results aloud to the girl.

The girl wanted to move closer to see what the comments were saying.

But the boy just happened to finish reading, turned off the phone, and advised the girl: "These feudal superstitions aren't believable; we're not those old fogeys! Let's hurry up, your best friend is still waiting for us two."

Upon hearing that, a flash of disappointment crossed the girl's eyes.

But driven by curiosity, she hesitated repeatedly, yet still stepped two paces closer to Tushan Jiu and asked, "You say it's not necessarily free, is that really true?"

Tushan Jiu nodded.

She's used to this question; out of ten people, about half ask it.

The girl pressed her lips, "Okay, then I......"

Before she could finish saying "pawn a knife," the boy grabbed her.

"Xiao Yan, let's hurry up, aren't we still going to Xiao Yuan's place to eat? If we're late it'll be bad! She's been urging us over and over just now."

Tushan Jiu glanced at the boy.

The girl called Xiao Yan also furrowed her brows, her young-lady temper flared, "You're in a hurry, you go first; I just want to pawn a knife—what's the big deal?"