Volume 1, Chapter 22: A Mix-up

"Jianshe, someone is calling for you!" Chu Yan, nestled close to Su Jianshe, glanced toward the entrance.

Su Jianshe looked at the crowd gathering at the gate of the courtyard and understood immediately: these people were causing trouble again. He comforted Chu Yan, saying, "It’s fine. We haven’t broken any laws or committed any crimes, so what is there to fear?"

There was something else Su Jianshe didn't say: with his current martial arts skills, even if everyone in the courtyard joined forces, they wouldn't be able to harm him in the slightest.

Seeing Su Jianshe return, the Second Master, Liu Haizhong, was overjoyed, the heavy stone in his heart finally dropping. "Su Jianshe, you’re finally back! Hurry up and reimburse us; the comrades from the supply and marketing cooperative are still waiting!"

The others in the courtyard chimed in immediately.

"Su Jianshe, everyone has been busy with your wedding banquet for so long. Pay up quickly; everyone is waiting to rest."

"We’ve worked so hard, and we haven’t even asked you for a labor fee yet. Stop stalling; the people from the cooperative are busy too."

"The wedding banquet is over, and the food has been eaten. You’re only showing up now? Why are you so dilatory?"

Seeing everyone in the yard accusing Su Jianshe, the Second Master, Liu Haizhong, decided it was time to intervene. "Everyone, don't be impatient. Don't pressure Su Jianshe; he might not have the money on him. Wait for him to return to settle the bill."

With that, Liu Haizhong walked up to Su Jianshe and said in the tone of an elder, "Su Jianshe, as the Second Master, we have already taken care of your wedding banquet. The supplies were all gathered by the families in the courtyard. Once you settle the bill with the comrades from the cooperative, pay back these expenses as well."

As soon as he finished speaking, the people behind him began to clamor, afraid that Su Jianshe wouldn't pay.

"Su Jianshe, my family contributed five catties of meat, and my mother helped cook. You need to pay me back soon!"

"So many people helped you; it wouldn't be right not to pay. This was your wedding banquet, after all."

"Exactly! We even took time off work to help you with all this labor. Not a single cent less will do!"

Xu Damao, standing to the side, also shouted, "Su Jianshe, how could there be no wine at a wedding banquet? I brought over several crates myself; you owe me money!"

Chu Yan, who had just returned to the courtyard feeling happy, was trembling with rage upon hearing these accusations. A wedding banquet? A banquet where you yourselves ate until your mouths were slick with grease while the people involved weren't even present? Furthermore, they had never intended to hold a wedding banquet at all!

"How can you all be so shameless? When did our family ever say we wanted a wedding banquet or invite any of you?"

"Besides, Jianshe and I weren't even here. Whose wedding banquet were you holding?"

"Do you have no sense of shame?"

Chu Yan's retort immediately infuriated the crowd. The only reason they had been so "generous" with their food and utensils was to gorge themselves at the banquet. Moreover, the Second Master, Liu Haizhong, had explicitly stated that Su Jianshe would cover all costs, so they wouldn't have to pay a dime. If Su Jianshe refused to pay? They were not people to be trifled with.

A middle-aged woman stepped forward and scolded, "Chu Yan, you little girl, what are you babbling about? We did this for your own good. Which wedding doesn't have a banquet? We just held it for you, so hurry up and pay!"

"That's right. You really are ignorant and ungrateful. We put in so much effort to prepare this banquet for you without asking you to host, and now you're being difficult over paying?"

"Don't you know the rules? We are all your elders; how can you be so rude? You have no respect for your seniors!"

"Chu Yan, Su Jianshe and you—we even held you when you were children. How can you not recognize us now?"

"It's a good thing your mother died early; otherwise, she’d be angered to death if she saw you like this!"

Chu Yan was shaking with indignation. She had never seen such shameless and vile people. This was her wedding to Su Jianshe—what did it have to do with them? And they had even insulted her late mother.

Su Jianshe watched the angry crowd coldly, gently patting Chu Yan's trembling hand and pulling her into his arms to comfort her.

The situation grew increasingly tense, and these ignorant old women even began to resort to personal attacks. The Second Master, Liu Haizhong, could no longer sit still; after all, Su Jianshe hadn't paid yet. What if he were truly angered and refused to pay?

"Alright, everyone, stop arguing!"

"I am the Second Master of this courtyard. I will speak a word of justice today."

Seeing Liu Haizhong step in, the people in the courtyard stopped berating Chu Yan. To them, the insults were trivial; the important thing was to get reimbursed for the meat and other items they had taken from their homes.

"How could the meat from our own homes be eaten for free? Even if it went into our own stomachs!" This was the thought of most of the "livestock" in the courtyard.

Feeling everyone's gaze focused on him, Liu Haizhong felt as if he had become a person of great importance, and he couldn't help but feel intoxicated. To be the center of attention—wasn't this what it was all about?

"Ahem! Today is a joyous day for Su Jianshe and Chu Yan. Everyone, let's not be like this; let's discuss things calmly."

But just then, Liu Haizhong's tone shifted. He pointed his finger directly at Su Jianshe and Chu Yan.

"Chu Yan, you are also in the wrong. Regardless of anything else, these are your elders, and you must show them the respect they deserve!"

"And you, Su Jianshe, you must manage your wife and maintain good relations with the people in the courtyard. That is the only way to live up to my expectations for you."

When had Chu Yan ever suffered such injustice? The Liu Haizhong before her hadn't scolded those who held a wedding banquet without asking or those who insulted her mother; instead, he had turned the spearhead toward her at such a time, as if she were the one at fault.

Tears welled up in Chu Yan's eyes. She couldn't understand why people could do such despicable things. Yet, Liu Haizhong acted as if he saw nothing and continued to order Su Jianshe around haughtily.

"Su Jianshe, hurry up and settle the bill with them. Don't keep the comrades from the cooperative waiting; what does this look like?"

"I have recorded what every household in the courtyard contributed in my notebook. We are all neighbors; why would we cheat you? Just reimburse everyone one by one."

Qin Huairu, seeing that Su Jianshe didn't even dare to speak, immediately stepped forward. "Pay my family first. My family made a huge sacrifice this time, contributing a whole bowl of meat."

As she spoke, fearing that Su Jianshe would refuse to pay, Qin Huairu turned to incite the residents of the courtyard behind her. "Everyone knows the Jia family is struggling. We couldn't even bear to eat this meat ourselves, yet we gave it all to prepare this wedding banquet for you. If you don't pay us back, it really wouldn't be right, would it, everyone?"

Qin Huairu's words struck a chord in everyone's hearts. In this day and age, which family didn't have its difficulties? Most of this meat was being saved for the New Year. If they couldn't get the money back by the New Year, they would be miserable, left staring at thin, watery noodles in their pots.

A single word stirred up a chorus of complaints. In the courtyard, everyone began to speak, attempting to persuade Su Jianshe. Though they called it persuasion, it was, in reality, coercion.

"Su Jianshe, stop stalling and give us our money back."

"That's right. It's your wedding banquet, yet you didn't even lift a finger, and we've already taken care of everything for you. Are you trying to welch on the debt now?"

"Su Jianshe, if you don't pay us back, I'm not finished with you. Do you believe I'll stand at your door and curse you every single day?"

The personnel from the supply and marketing cooperative, who had initially felt relieved upon hearing that someone would pay, were now stunned to silence by these shameless words. They had heard every word clearly.