Chapter 61: The Gullible Fool Who Walks Right Into the Trap

When Song Jianshe heard that he would still have to pay thirty-five yuan every month, he let out a gasp and spat a mouthful of blood, his vision darkening as he nearly fainted on the spot.

"Song Wenran, did you do this on purpose? Did you even bother going to the Gao family, or are you just deliberately trying to swindle me?"

"Let me correct you, my name is Lu Wenran now!" Wenran replied with an indifferent expression. "Your other daughter's surname is Song. The Gao family said they wouldn't mind if your other daughter married into their family, and they'll figure out a way to get her back to the city."

Song Jianshe hadn't mentioned Wenran going down to the countryside to the Gao family, so he knew for certain she had actually been there. Resigning himself to his fate, he said, "I will return Lu Meiqin's money, and I'll pay back the Gao family's money too. But there is no way I can afford thirty-five yuan a month. From now on, I'll give Lu Meiqin ten yuan a month, spread over thirty months; as for the Gao family's debt, we'll split it over forty-six months, paying ten yuan a month as well!"

Wenran knew full well that he couldn't possibly afford thirty-five yuan a month, so she had deliberately left room for him to bargain.

Considering they were once father and daughter, this was the final bit of leniency she would show him.

Fu Kaiyu could no longer stand by and watch. Disregarding the attempts of Director Fu and his wife to hold him back, he rushed forward. "Song Wenran, how can you be so cruel? You're not even sparing your own biological father! He is your father, after all. Do you have any conscience left?"

"Watch your phrasing. My name is Lu Wenran now," Wenran warned him solemnly. "Since you're so fond of meddling in other people's business, why don't you adopt him as your father instead!"

Fu Kaiyu: "..."

Fu Kaiyu had never realized that Wenran could be so sharp-tongued. This only made him miss the gentle Wenxin all the more. Eager to curry favor with Song Jianshe, he continued, "With a cold, mean-hearted nature like yours, you'll never find a husband as long as you live! He is your biological father after all. Even if you sever ties, it's only on the surface—your blood remains connected.

Unless you can be like Nezha and cut off your flesh and bones to return them to your father, you'll never be completely free of him. You keep demanding money at every turn, but he's already getting old, and now that he's lost his job, how he's going to survive is still a huge question. How can you have the heart to make him pay back so much money every month? Is your heart made of stone?"

Song Jianshe nodded repeatedly, immensely grateful that someone was finally speaking up for him. It proved that Wenxin's affection for him hadn't been misplaced.

Lu Meiqin, however, looked at the young man with utter disgust. "What business is this of yours? You can actually spout nonsense like cutting off your own flesh and bones for your father—are you trying to drive my daughter to her death? Do you have any idea how much grievance she has suffered? Running your mouth off here without knowing anything, do you think you're some kind of savior?"

Fu Kaiyu's mother, Wan Xin, hurriedly grabbed her son. "Kaiyu acts on impulse. Don't take it to heart; I'll drag him home right now."

She had no desire for her son to marry Wenxin, and even less desire for him to ruin the social capital he had accumulated just to back Song Jianshe. She pulled on him with all her might, trying to force him away.

Director Fu had dropped hints both subtle and blatant, stopping just short of slapping his own son twice.

If Song Jianshe hadn't gotten into trouble, they could have grudgingly accepted Wenxin into the family, but now that such a scandalous moral failing had come to light, he no longer approved of the two of them getting together either.

Besides, upon closer reflection, Wenxin was cut from the exact same cloth as Song Jianshe. His son had clearly been promised to Wenran in an arranged childhood match, yet Wenxin had managed to steal the spot first—a tactic that was hardly respectable.

The couple had always prided themselves on being fair and upright people; they would never be foolish enough to get tangled up in a mess like this.

Song Jianshe remained oblivious to the underlying tension...

However, he underestimated Fu Kaiyu's determination to marry Wenxin. Fu Kaiyu continued to champion Song Jianshe: "Mom, let go of me! I'm not acting on impulse at all. Lu Wenran went way too far this time. You couldn't find a single girl as ruthless as her in the entire sprawling city of Beicheng—she's practically driving Uncle Song to a dead end."

"Do yourself a favor and use your brain next time you step outside. You think *I* am the one driving him to a dead end?" Wenran looked at him as if he were a complete idiot. "You're far too naive! He's doing this entirely of his own volition. If he doesn't pay up monthly, his only other option is to accept Wenxin marrying the Gao family's mentally handicapped son! I was just being kind, and you treat my good intentions like a donkey's lung. It has nothing to do with me anymore, yet I'm the one running around handling this mess!"

She left her words half-said, but hearing the second half, Fu Kaiyu froze completely in his tracks!

He had known that Wenran's engagement to the Gao family was going to be canceled, but he genuinely had no idea what Wenxin had to do with any of this.

"What do you mean Wenxin is marrying the Gao family's mentally handicapped son? What does Xinxin have to do with this?"

Wenran lifted her chin. "Ask your good Song uncle!"

Fu Kaiyu's face darkened instantly. "What else are you people hiding from me?"

The surrounding onlookers had only heard bits and pieces of gossip and couldn't figure out the situation, so they began to murmur and discuss it among themselves.

Feeling guilty, Song Jianshe dared not provoke Wenran any further, terrified that she might reveal even more damaging details about him, which would make the situation truly unresolvable.

Fortunately, the gullible fool Fu Kaiyu was standing right there speaking up for him, giving Song Jianshe an immediate idea.

"Kaiyu, if we can't scrape together enough betrothal gifts, we'll have no choice but to let Xinxin marry into that family! That's the only way the Gao family will stop hounding the Song family. I don't want to, but I simply don't have that much money.

If there was any possible way for me to scrape the money together, I wouldn't bear to let Xinxin marry a fool either. As you can see, I borrowed all that money purely for Xinxin's sake, and now that it's been returned, I simply can't come up with the rest. It's all my fault—my fault for being foolishly tricked by the Gao family into not knowing their son's mental state."

He neatly washed his hands of the whole affair. Realizing that Song Jianshe was trying to scam Fu Kaiyu, Wenran kept silent and didn't interrupt.

As long as she got her money, it didn't matter to her which sucker Song Jianshe managed to bleed dry; that was his problem.

Besides, with a fool like Fu Kaiyu around, milking a few more yuan out of him didn't hurt at all.

Sure enough, Fu Kaiyu took the bait. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Uncle Song, I still have three hundred yuan in my hands, you can take it first—"

"Kaiyu!" Wan Xin interrupted him sharply. "You are coming home with me right now. I have something to say to you."

Director Fu glared fiercely at Song Jianshe; this feud was now carved in stone. He grabbed his son and started dragging him away. "Come home with us! What on earth are you meddling in this for?!"

Usually, Fu Kaiyu was the most obedient son, but the thought of Wenxin having to marry a fool because they couldn't come up with the money filled him with intense anguish.

He broke free with a violent jerk. "Dad, that money was originally what I saved up to marry Xinxin anyway. It's just right to use it to help them out of this emergency."

Smack—!

"Get home!"

Director Fu slapped his irrational son across the face and forcefully hauled him away with an unyielding attitude.

He heard Song Jianshe let out a sigh, only for Fu Kaiyu to break free once more and murmur a few whispered words to Song Jianshe before finally leaving.

Upon hearing those words, Song Jianshe's eyes lit up.

Wenran also agreed to his terms, even having him sign a formal agreement.

Ever since she had lacked paper to write a prescription for Erhu's mother earlier, she had made a habit of carrying paper and a pen with her everywhere she went.

The agreement was drawn up in triplicate: one copy for Song Jianshe, one for the factory, and the remaining one belonged to her.

As he signed the agreement, Song Jianshe asked in a low voice, "Where is the notebook? When are you going to return it to me?"

Wenran flashed a shrewd, cunning smile. "Once you've finished paying back every last cent, I'll return it to you naturally."

Song Jianshe: "-_-||"

Ceasing all further struggle, Song Jianshe clenched his back teeth, signed his name, and pressed his thumbprint, feeling as humiliated as if he were signing away his life in an indenture contract.

The moment his thumbprint was pressed, he dropped the pen and left with the security guards!

The onlookers were still left scratching their heads, wondering what on earth Fu Kaiyu had whispered to Song Jianshe to make him capitulate so easily.

Lu Meiqin was equally curious. On the way back, she asked Wenran, "What do you suppose Fu Kaiyu said to Song Jianshe?"

Wenran gave a knowing, understanding smile. "We'll know in three days at most!"

Lu Meiqin: "..."