Chapter 599

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

"Xiaocai, can whatever it is wait until after the wedding is over?"

Wang Zhanggen's face was full of sincerity; he had already sensed that what Yang Xiaocai wanted to say would be nothing good, so he wanted to ask him to be accommodating.

However, Yang Xiaocai said:

"I'm afraid that won't work. I have to make things clear with you right now."

Wang Zhanggen could only say:

"Alright then, let's go talk in that corner over there, so we don't block the guests coming and going here."

"Fine."

Wang Zhanggen took Yang Xiaocai to a secluded corner on the side.

He gave Yang Xiaocai another cigarette and lit it for him.

Only then did Yang Xiaocai open his mouth and say:

"Changgen, I know you're a good person, and I don't want to put you in a difficult spot, but Xinghua entrusted me to handle this matter, so I can only act as a peacemaker between the two of you. On a fine day like this, you don't want anything unpleasant or inauspicious to happen, do you?"

"Spit it out. What does Liang Xinghua want me to do?"

Wang Zhanggen asked with a grave expression.

"It's actually not a big deal. If everyone discusses it properly, it can still end with everyone happy. It's just that Xinghua's mother died in your home, so you bear some responsibility, right? After all, the dead are the greatest!"

Yang Xiaocai spoke this one sentence.

Wang Zhanggen smoked one cigarette after another without speaking, which amounted to tacit agreement.

Yang Xiaocai then said:

"Xinghua asked me to pass on a message, telling you to compensate him eighty thousand yuan."

"Eighty thousand??" Wang Zhanggen was immediately shocked, his face full of unwillingness, feeling that Liang Xinghua was demanding an exorbitant price.

But Yang Xiaocai said:

"Don't you think it's too much. Xinghua lost his birth mother; asking for this amount isn't demanding an exorbitant price at all. Think about it — he still has to hold a funeral. Just the funeral alone will cost ten or twenty thousand to pull off, right? On top of that, his family was already poor, he has a wife to support and children to raise. Eighty thousand for a human life is truly not much. Besides, you're not short on this eighty thousand now, are you? Turn a big matter into a small one, a small one into nothing — don't quibble over this bit of petty cash."

Yang Xiaocai spoke these words with rhythm and reason, logically and with evidence.

Wang Zhanggen listened and felt there really was a bit of truth to it.

Although Zhou Aidi's death had no direct connection to him, there was still an indirect connection. When it comes down to it, the reason Zhou Aidi went to hang herself in his unfinished building was because he invited the whole village to a banquet but uniquely didn't invite Zhou Aidi, and because Zhou Aidi dug up his ancestral grave and he wanted to make Zhou Aidi go before the ancestral grave to apologize and admit fault.

Based on this premise, Wang Zhanggen actually felt guilt in his heart over Zhou Aidi's death.

So now he agreed with Yang Xiaocai's words, but — he didn't have that much cash on hand right now.

Wang Zhanggen said:

"If Xinghua wants me to pay eighty thousand, I accept it, but I don't have that much money with me right now. You go tell Xinghua, tomorrow I'll go to the Credit Union to withdraw the money and personally deliver it to him. Will that work?"

Yang Xiaocai shook his head:

"That won't work. Xinghua is harboring anger right now. If you don't give it to him now, he'll do something irrational."

"What would he do?"

"He said if he can't get the money now, he'll bring his mother's body to the wedding venue."

Wang Zhanggen heard this, his brows knitting into a deep frown, and asked in puzzlement:

"When I met Liang Xinghua before, he was still quite reasonable. How come he's become so unreasonable now?"

Yang Xiaocai spread his hands:

"I don't know about that. I'm only responsible for passing the message."

"Give me Liang Xinghua's phone number. I'll call him right now and communicate."

Wang Zhanggen said this.

But Yang Xiaocai said:

"Xinghua said he doesn't want to answer anyone's calls. If he wanted to communicate with you, he wouldn't have entrusted me to come speak to you."

Wang Zhanggen was speechless.

Yang Xiaocai said further:

"Changgen, you have to understand Xinghua's feelings. After all, his mother just suddenly passed away like this. Him acting like this is already considered restraint. To put it bluntly, if I were Xinghua, I might have come straight here and caused a huge scene at the wedding venue. Why would I send someone to negotiate politely with you?"

Wang Zhanggen let out a long breath. Yang Xiaocai's words also made a bit of sense.

Seeing Wang Zhanggen's resolve had already begun to waver, Yang Xiaocai continued to guide him patiently:

"If you don't have money, your son surely has some, right? Go ask your son for some."

Wang Zhanggen was unwilling:

"I haven't let them know about Zhou Aidi hanging herself in my house yet."

Yang Xiaocai said:

"You can hide this for a while, but you can't hide it forever. You'll have to tell them eventually."

Wang Zhanggen pulled a long face:

"Today is a great day of celebration. I don't want them to know this inauspicious business."

Yang Xiaocai wore a helpless expression, expressing sympathy:

"Then I can't do anything either. You handle it yourself."

Wang Zhanggen finished one cigarette, took out another, smoked one after another, and muttered to himself:

"Even if we go to the Credit Union to withdraw money now, it's too late — the Credit Union is already off duty."

Yang Xiaocai continued to persuade:

"Just ask your son for it — whether it's Dashan or Erhai, they can definitely come up with this sum. If you're too embarrassed to ask, how about I go ask your son for you?"

As he spoke, Yang Xiaocai was about to go find Wang Dashan, who was greeting guests at the front door, to talk about this matter.

Wang Changgen hurriedly grabbed him and held him back:

"Don't you. I'll go ask someone else for it. This matter can't let Dashan and Erhai know about right now — today is their wedding! You wait here for a bit, I'll be back soon!"

Having said that, Wang Changgen turned and left.

Yang Xiaocai called after Wang Changgen's retreating back:

"Who are you going to ask?"

Wang Changgen didn't answer this question.

He walked quickly into the Wedding Banquet Hall.

Only to see that at this time in the Wedding Banquet Hall, many banquet tables were already seated with guests.

It was bustling and noisy.

When Wang Changgen walked in, many guests greeted him.

He politely smiled and nodded in response while searching for the person he wanted to find.

After searching in the hall for a good while, he finally found the person he was looking for.

Zhang Zhongtian.

Wang Changgen came before Zhang Zhongtian:

"Party Secretary Zhang, I have something to tell you."

"What matter?"

"Let's go to the side to talk."

Although Zhang Zhongtian was puzzled — what matter couldn't be said face to face? —

seeing that Wang Changgen's complexion wasn't quite right, he still hurriedly stood up and followed Wang Changgen to a Small Room on the side.

"Party Secretary Zhang, could you lend me eighty thousand yuan? I'll return it to you in two days."

"What do you need to borrow money for at this time?" Zhang Zhongtian was extremely surprised, and also asked: "Could it be that the bride's side is raising the price after agreement, demanding a higher bride price? If that's truly the case, that behavior is too ugly. You tell me, is it Dashan's woman or Erhai's woman who did this? I'll help you go communicate with them!"

Wang Changgen gave a bitter laugh:

"No, there's no such thing. Whether it's Dashan's side or Erhai's side, the women are quite decent — they didn't raise the price."

"Then what are you coming to borrow money from me for at this time?" Zhang Zhongtian's face was full of puzzlement.

Wang Changgen sighed and truthfully said:

"Just now Yang Xiaocai came and told me that Liang Xinghua wants me to compensate him eighty thousand yuan. If I don't give the money, he'll bring his mother's corpse to the wedding venue to cause a scene."

Hearing these words, Zhang Zhongtian was immediately greatly shocked and puzzled:

"That shouldn't be right. Xinghua this kid is quite reasonable. When I went to his house this afternoon, he even said he didn't want your family's compensation!"

Wang Changgen was stunned:

"Then what's going on? Yang Xiaocai is now saying he wants me to pay eighty thousand."

Zhang Zhongtian immediately flew into a rage:

"It must be that bastard Yang Xiaocai making trouble!"