If I don't drive Song Jianshe to the point of coughing up blood, I'll be doing him a grave injustice!

Song Jianshe went everywhere telling people that Wen Ran had fallen gravely ill. From those he was relatively close to, he borrowed twenty or thirty yuan; from ordinary acquaintances, ten yuan; and from mere nodding acquaintances, five yuan. For those who were utterly reluctant to lend to him, he still shamelessly managed to squeeze out a single yuan.

As more and more people were hit up for loans, they inevitably began to put their heads together. The more they discussed it, the stranger it felt, which finally led them to gather right outside the doorway of the single-story row house.

Lu Meiqin was already surrounded by the crowd.

"Meiqin, what kind of critical illness does your daughter actually have? Why does it require so much money? Doesn't the hospital cover most of it?"

"He borrowed meat ration tickets from me, claiming it was to let Wen Ran eat well during her final days. He even told me not to ask you folks, for fear of making you sad."

"He hit me up for grain ration tickets, too! That is precisely what he said. I have had a lingering feeling that something is not quite right."

"What on earth is this disease? When Old Song was borrowing money from me, he looked as though he was on the verge of tears."

"How can you still act as if nothing is the matter? We are all old neighbors; don't try to put on a brave face. If something is wrong, we should all figure it out together!"

"I did the math. Judging by the way Old Song has been borrowing, he must have raked in five or six hundred yuan by now!"

"He even drew his salary in advance..."

"..."

"..."

Wen Ran understood that Song Jianshe was simply using her as an excuse because he wanted to back out of canceling the arranged marriage without creating a massive scene.

To avoid having Wen Xin marry a fool, he was actually willing to curse his own biological daughter just to borrow money. Such profound paternal love was truly laughable!

They were both his daughters, yet she was apparently worth less than the product of an affair.

What a pity that their adulterous escapade had not been caught red-handed back then!

If she did not fleece him until he coughed up blood, she would fail to do justice to herself!

Squeezing her way through the crowd, she raised her voice and said, "Uncles, aunties, elders, please quiet down and hear me out first."

Her resonant voice possessed a striking penetrating quality, successfully subduing the clamor.

Noticing that her complexion remained as rosy and vibrant as ever, the onlookers were instantly filled with even more doubts.

Wen Ran raised her voice clearly. "I am not sick. There is nothing wrong with me at all. You have all been tricked by him."

The crowd: "???????????"

Lu Meiqin finally seized an opportunity to speak, her voice hoarse as she declared, "Our Ranran is completely fine! She goes to work at the hospital and is doing better than anyone can imagine. It is entirely that wicked wretch Song Jianshe who has been cursing our Ranran, using her as an excuse to cadge money from everyone. You have all fallen for his scam!"

Ordinarily, Song Jianshe enjoyed a decent reputation at the garment factory. Even if he had recently divorced and borrowed a few dozen yuan, it hardly amounted to a major issue.

Lately, after collecting a small betrothal gift, he had started purchasing things and had even paid off his old debts. No one had ever suspected that outright fraud was at play, and chaos instantly erupted among the group.

"How can this be possible? He is Wen Ran's biological father! They live in the same family compound—wasn't he afraid of his lies being exposed?"

"Since when does a biological father curse his own daughter like this? It's impossible; Old Song doesn't seem like that kind of person!"

"Why on earth did he borrow so much money? I heard he even used his house as collateral. Could he be planning to run away?"

"That shouldn't be. Where could he possibly flee to? To throw away a perfectly good life like this—isn't that just asking for trouble?"

"Nothing is surprising these days. We'd better hurry over and see if he has already bolted!"

"..."

Some people could no longer wait and dashed off ahead of the rest to intercept Song Jianshe, terrified that he might abscond with their hard-earned cash.

Lu Meiqin turned to address those remaining: "That bastard Song Jianshe has already severed the father-daughter relationship with our Ranran. If you don't believe me, I can go fetch the written agreement right now. My eldest brother and the factory director acted as witnesses, and Ranran even changed her surname."

Before her voice had completely faded, Wen Ran had already emerged from the house holding the severance agreement and the household registration booklet.

The agreement was written in black and white: no support in life, no burial in death.

The father-daughter tie had been severed cleanly, thoroughly, and decisively.

Anyone who laid eyes on the document could instantly feel the utter ruthlessness and heartlessness of Song Jianshe.

When they looked at the household registration booklet, "Song Wenran" had been altered to "Lu Wenran," with Lu Meiqin listed as the head of the household. Only the information of the mother and daughter remained, presenting a rather desolate picture.

The crowd was struck with even greater panic and dismay.

The ties really had been severed!

No wonder Song Jianshe had spoken of Wen Ran's terminal illness with such a clear conscience—it was because no affection remained between them!

Such a scoundrel was a first for everyone present.

Or perhaps they had simply trusted him too much, never imagining he could be such a despicable wretch.

If he could be so cruel to his own flesh and blood and a wife who had shared his life for a decade or two, how could he possibly treat anyone else with kindness?

Every single person present had lent money to Song Jianshe, and virtually at that exact moment, they all reached the same verdict regarding his character.

Who could bear to wait any longer? They all rushed toward the communal corridor building in search of him.

After all, no one's household finances were particularly abundant. Every single person guarded their money tightly, wishing they could split a single coin in two, carefully calculating every penny they spent.

They strode forward faster than one another, some even breaking into a light trot.

Wen Ran and Lu Meiqin properly stored away the agreement and the registration booklet, locked their front door, and followed the crowd toward the corridor building.

Inside the corridor building, people hammered on the door for a long time, but no one answered.

Some concluded that Song Jianshe simply lacked the courage to open up and was hiding inside, so they found someone with brute strength to kick the door open with a single blow.

The room had not been cleaned for days and was in utter disarray.

Song Jianshe was nowhere to be found.

At this realization, panic seized the crowd even more intensely!

It heightened their suspicion that Song Jianshe had indeed absconded with their money.

Some of those who had lent large sums burst into tears, beating their chests and stamping their feet with overwhelming regret; others remained relatively calm, analyzing where Song Jianshe might have fled; still others, desperately searching for a scapegoat, grabbed hold of Wen Ran and Lu Meiqin, demanding that the mother and daughter give them a satisfactory explanation.

Lu Meiqin was equally distressed. "You are anxious, but I am even more anxious than all of you! You have no idea—this scoundrel Song Jianshe arranged a marriage for Ranran behind our backs, forcing her to marry a fool! You judge for yourselves: how is this any different from selling his own daughter?

"He tricked you into believing Ranran had fallen critically ill simply because he was too shameless to mention the disgusting things he had done. All these newly purchased furnishings in the house were bought with the money from selling his daughter. Just look at how much wealth is scattered here—and yet he refused to call off the engagement when told to do so. He was clearly driving my daughter onto a path of no return."

It had to be said that Lu Meiqin possessed formidable eloquence. By mixing partial truths with falsehoods, she successfully turned the tide and garnered a wave of sympathy.

Those who had aggressively grabbed hold of them moments earlier were instantly consumed by guilt and hastened to offer profuse apologies.

They were all victims; compared to being defrauded of money, forcing Wen Ran into a sham marriage with a fool was far more heartbreaking.

This sudden wave of understanding swept through the crowd, prompting a chorus of heavy sighs.

Wen Ran rationally analyzed the situation: Song Jianshe must have gathered nearly all the funds he needed!

As for whether the bribe he paid to Su Hongyu could be recovered remained an unknown variable.

Therefore, he had most likely gone to find Su Hongyu, and she immediately shared this deduction with the crowd.

Catching a glimmer of hope, the group headed straight for Su Hongyu's residence.

In the adjacent corridor building, Song Jianshe was currently sweet-talking Su Hongyu.

The borrowed funds, combined with the advance drawn from the factory and the remaining betrothal money in his hands, totaled one thousand nine hundred and sixty-four yuan.

The grain and meat ration tickets had also reached fifteen of each.

Subtracting four yuan kept for daily miscellaneous expenses, they were still short by eighty yuan to reach the target.

With a humble and ingratiating tone, he pleaded, "Hongyu, give me the money so I can call off the engagement, and I will listen to you in everything!"

"That will depend entirely on your performance!" Su Hongyu's eyes darted playfully as she skillfully untied her buttons and slipped off her blouse.

To be able to secure both money and a lover—any fool would know how to make such a choice.

Moreover, Su Hongyu was both seductive and proactive.

Song Jianshe was no saint; he nimbly stripped off his clothes and pressed himself upon her.

At that exact instant, the door was kicked wide open!