The Wheel-Turning Master.

Chapter 2: Breaking the Door
Lin Bai lived in the northern part of Huaxi County, where only poor families lived. It was dinner time, so people who were a little more particular would not come to his house at this time, otherwise they would be suspected of trying to get a free meal.

So the person knocking on the door at this moment probably has something serious to do.

Lin Bai thought about it and realized that he didn't have many relatives and his relationship with the neighbors was average. If he had to say who was the most likely person, it would be Baicaotang, because when Lin Bai was ill, he had bought medicine on credit.

"Who?"

Lin Bai walked to the door and asked through it.

The person outside didn't respond at all, but just kept banging on the door, as if he wanted to break it down.

This doesn't seem like debt collection, but more like asking for life.

Lin Bai had no choice but to open the door.

Standing outside was a man in his mid-twenties, quite tall and thin, with sunken eyes, staring at Lin Bai gloomily.

Lin Bai knew this man. His name was Qi Wangzu. He was the son of his mother's brother, so they were cousins.

However, the two families stopped communicating after their mother and uncle died. The reason was that Qi Wangzu was too unreliable. He had been hanging around on the streets since he was a child, doing nothing, and only bullying the old and weak.

Originally, people on the nearby streets were not afraid of him, but he later joined the Axe Gang and became more and more domineering.

"Is there something?" Lin Bai asked.

"It's okay for me to come to your crappy place?"

Qi Wangzu spat on the ground, then stepped into the yard, glanced at the lush green jujube tree, and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his sleeve, saying, "You lent me twenty taels of silver to treat your illness, and I'm here to collect the debt! This is the IOU, read it carefully!"

After saying that, he threw the IOU to Lin Bai.

Lin Bai took a look and saw that it was indeed written that twenty taels of silver was borrowed, with both parties signing, but there was no guarantor.

"When did I borrow money from you?" Lin Bai asked with a frown.

"You don't admit it?" Qi Wangzu's face turned gloomy. "When you were dying, I came to visit you every few days. You don't admit it now? Then don't blame me for not valuing our brotherhood!"

This is absolutely not the case! Although Lin Bai was sometimes lucid and sometimes confused during his illness, some neighbors came to visit him, but Qi Wangzu definitely did not come.

Then the promissory note must be a forgery.

Lin Bai's mind raced, and he roughly understood Qi Wangzu's tactics.

It's very simple. If I die, the house will belong to him.

After all, the two are related by blood, so even if the two families don't have any contact, they are still relatives.

A while ago, Lin Bai was dying of illness, so Qi Wangzu must have been ready to take over the house, but he never expected that he would actually come back to life and be able to run around and sell straw sandals in the market.

Qi Wangzu was naturally unhappy that the duck that was already in his hand flew away.

However, it is really difficult to deal with if the other party comes to your door with force.

Qi Wangzu is a member of the Axe Gang. Like the Qinglong Gang that Niu Er belongs to, they are both gangs entrenched in the North City. Their business is to collect protection fees, run gambling houses, lend money at high interest, and open secret doors.

Although Lin Bai was paid protection fees by Niu Er of the Qinglong Gang, the Qinglong Gang only managed the market and not the residence.

Now Qi Wangzu has the support of the Axe Gang and is using his power to suppress others. If he does not acknowledge the loan agreement, Qi Wangzu will definitely have follow-up measures, even more cruel ones...

Of course, if you acknowledge the IOU, you will never be able to pay it back. You can only sell the house at a low price or borrow money, but both will ruin your family.

Therefore, Qi Wangzu guessed that Lin Bai had no one to rely on, no money, and had just recovered from a serious illness, so he would be unable to compete.

If you don't solve the problem today, you will have countless troubles in the future.

"I just recovered from a serious illness, and my savings are all gone. I have no money to pay you back."

Lin Bai simply accepted the loan agreement. He had to accept it anyway, so he just went along with what he said.

The best plan for now is to try to delay for a while since we have no power to resist. When we have mastered the flying knife skills, we can decide on whether to advance or retreat.

"Even if I spend all my savings, don't I still have a house? If I tidy it up, it's worth more than ten taels of silver!" Qi Wangzu pointed to the yard and smiled sinisterly.

Sure enough, he came for the house!

"The amount on the promissory note is twenty taels, which wouldn't be enough even if we sold the house," Lin Bai said.

"You're not stupid! But we are cousins ​​after all. It doesn't matter if there's a difference of a few taels. Can I force you?" Qi Wangzu laughed and patted Lin Bai's shoulders twice. Lin Bai took two steps back to show that he was weak.

Lin Bai was silent for a moment, then said, "It's too hot in summer to travel far. I've just recovered from a serious illness, so please be patient for a few days, cousin. I'll sell all the straw sandals I've made at home to save some money for the trip. We'll hand over the house deed in a month."

Upon hearing this, Qi Wangzu looked at Lin Bai again and saw that he had indeed lost a lot of weight. He laughed strangely and said, "A month is too long. Ten days!"

"How can ten days be enough? It's better to use half a day..." Lin Bai still wanted to buy some more time.

Qi Wangzu was immediately impatient, frowned and shouted: "You are so stupid selling straw sandals, you think this is a business deal? Only ten days! Put away all the junk at home!"

Lin Bai sighed and agreed.

Qi Wangzu said nothing more and turned to leave. But after two steps, he turned around again, with a sinister look on his face, stepped forward and pointed his finger at Lin Bai's chest, and whispered fiercely: "If you dare to play tricks, don't blame me for not thinking about the friendship between brothers!"

When did we have a brotherly relationship? Lin Bai remained silent and watched Qi Wangzu leave.

After locking the door, Lin Bai sat at the kitchen door again, thinking carefully about how to deal with Qi Wangzu.

"The other party is using the means to destroy the whole family, and they have the support of the Axe Gang. If it is an ordinary family without the protection of the clan, they will definitely be powerless to resist."

"I still have to intensify my practice of flying knife skills. In ten days... let's see what results I can get. Then I can decide whether to stay or leave."

Just as I was thinking quietly, there was another knock on the door, but this time it was much softer.

By this time the sky was completely dark, with only stars in the sky and the moonlight shining brightly, like mercury pouring down on the ground.

"Is it possible that someone is here to collect debts again? Do you really think that people like weaving mats and selling shoes can't hold swords?"

Lin Bai walked to the door and asked in a deep voice, "Who?"

"I, your sister Zhen." A gentle and soft female voice came from outside the door.

Lin Bai opened the door and saw a woman standing in front of the door in the moonlight. She was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with a slim figure, a full chest, and a floral cloth wrapped around her head.

She has an oval face, and her smile in the moonlight makes her look even more approachable, like a gentle sister next door.

In fact, she was indeed the girl next door. Her name was Mu Zhen and she lived very close to Lin Bai's house, just outside the alley.

"Why did you lock the door just after dark? Have you had dinner?" Mu Zhen asked with a smile.

"The porridge is still cooking on the stove." Lin Bai replied with a smile.

"That's perfect." Mu Zhen handed over the lotus leaf bag in her hand and said, "The buns in the store haven't been sold out yet, and I can't eat them all. It's hot and they can't be left overnight. You can eat them. I've been sick at home for a few days, so you have to take good care of yourself."

Mu Zhen's family opened a small shop specializing in selling steamed buns.

"How can this be so embarrassing?" Lin Bai refused.

Although the two families lived close to each other, they did not interact much, and Mu Zhen was a widow, so Lin Bai really couldn't figure out what Mu Zhen meant.

"We are all neighbors, why should we be so polite? If you are really embarrassed, just help me carry water when you have time." Mu Zhen said.

"Thank you, Sister Zhen."

Lin Bai didn't act pretentiously and took the lotus leaf bag. The buns inside were still warm. So he couldn't help but say, "Sister Zhen, when I get well, I won't let you be deprived of water in the future."

Mu Zhen glared at Lin Bai, then smiled again, "I'm leaving now, go back and eat."

After saying that, he twisted his waist and walked away.

Lin Bai locked the door again, went back to the kitchen, got a bowl of millet porridge, scooped a plate of pickles from the pickle jar, took out a sorghum rice cake, and put it on the small table in the yard.

The weather was so hot that it was impossible to eat indoors.

When I opened the bulging lotus leaf bag, I found five buns inside.

Lin Bai picked up one, took a bite, and found it was filled with meat.

"Alas, two people came knocking on the door today, one came to blackmail me, and the other came to save me..."

After finishing his meal, Lin Bai was sweating all over again. He simply took off his clothes and took a cold shower.

After drying himself, he spread a cool mat in the yard and sat cross-legged. He closed his eyes and emptied his mind, and soon he appeared in the space on the stone plate.

(End of this chapter)