lcionline Chapter 7 Dad, my chapter is here!
Chapter 7 Dad, my chapter is here!
The Spring Festival in 2009 came earlier than usual. After finishing his work at school, Lin Feng went home early to celebrate the New Year. He really missed home.
Lin Feng's hometown is Taishan in Shandong Province, which is right between Beijing and Shanghai. However, there is no high-speed rail there yet. Lin Feng had to take both a train and a car, and he arrived home at around 8 p.m.
Just as Lin Feng was about to enter, he heard an urgent voice coming from inside:
"Sis, I'm your own brother! Don't you trust me? Besides, I'm just borrowing 20 to tide me over. I'll definitely pay you back once I've settled down."
"Hong Tao, this is your brother-in-law's compensation money. You know your brother-in-law's current situation. Also, Xiao Feng is about to graduate from university, and he will need money to buy a house and get married."
"Sister, I understand. Don't worry, I'll only need it for three months at most. No matter what happens, I'll pay it back first. Can you rest assured now?"
"This... let me think about it some more..." Lin's mother was somewhat relenting.
"Sis, have you forgotten who took care of everything after my brother-in-law's accident? If you're still worried, I can write you an IOU and pay you back with interest later."
"Alright! I believe you. Forget about the interest. I'll transfer the money at the bank tomorrow. But you have to promise me you'll give me the money as soon as you have it! I can't work anymore, and this is all the money I have right now." Lin's mother finally agreed.
Mr. Lin received a total of 100 million yuan in compensation for the car accident (including medical expenses, nursing expenses, lost wages, disability compensation, and mental distress compensation). However, 60 yuan has already been spent on various medical expenses for Mr. Lin's treatment, leaving 40 yuan remaining, with other medical examination costs to be covered.
In his previous life, his uncle Zhang Hongtao was involved in the underworld and lost a lot of money in many businesses. At some point, he became addicted to gambling. He not only borrowed 20 yuan from Lin's mother, but also borrowed 20 yuan from other people. In the end, he lost everything and ran away.
This was a huge blow to Lin's mother. Her family was already struggling to make ends meet, and then she was swindled out of 20 yuan. She couldn't forgive herself and felt even more sorry for Lin Feng. She often skimped on food and drink and took odd jobs, which eventually took a toll on her health.
Upon hearing this, Lin Feng could no longer control his emotions. He pushed open the door and burst in, unleashing a torrent of abuse: "Zhang Hongtao, you gambling addict, you're a real scoundrel! How dare you borrow money? You've ruined our family! Get out of here right now!"
Zhang Hongtao was initially stunned by the outburst, but after Lin Feng finished venting, he finally reacted and retorted, "Xiao Feng, what do you think you're doing! I'm your own uncle, how dare you talk to me like that!"
When Lin's mother saw Lin Feng return, a rare smile appeared on her face, but she still said, "Xiao Feng is back. How dare you talk to your uncle like that? You have no manners."
"My real uncle died in his past life, I don't have an uncle like you!" Lin Feng said bluntly.
"You little brat, do you want a beating?" Zhang Hongtao was about to reach out and hit him again.
"Zhang Hongtao, don't stoop to the child's level!" But Lin's mother pulled her back, "Xiaofeng, apologize right now!"
Lin Feng wasn't easily frightened. He was still furious when he recalled his past life. He stood up and shouted angrily, "You dare to lay a hand on me? I'll beat you to death!"
Zhang Hongtao, who is only about 175 cm tall, couldn't really stand up to Lin Feng, who was 183 cm tall and bursting with anger. Instead, he turned to Lin's mother and said, "Sister, you need to discipline this child properly! I'll be going now, I'll wait for you downstairs tomorrow morning."
"No need to wait, I definitely won't lend you this money. Go ahead and mess with whoever you want!" Lin Feng said without any politeness.
At this point, Lin's mother objected, "Xiaofeng, what's wrong with you? This is your uncle! How can you act like this!"
Seeing Lin's mother's troubled expression, Lin Feng calmed down. At this moment, Lin's mother was still unaware of her uncle's true colors, so he had to tear off Zhang Hongtao's mask first.
"Mom, don't worry about that for now. I just want to ask Zhang Hongtao, you said you'd borrow 20 yuan, but what exactly is it for? Can you give me a detailed explanation?"
"I need it for working capital in my business with my friends!"
"What kind of business is it for working capital? What exactly is it for? And you said you'd definitely pay it back in three months, right?"
"Yes! I'll definitely pay it back. I'll even give you 2 in interest later, how about that?"
"Not so great! I don't care what kind of business it is, but since you're so sure you can pay it back, I'll tell you a way. There's a kind of credit loan online, which is a peer-to-peer loan. All you need is your ID card to borrow money. You can give it a try."
"What do you mean? Can that be the same? I promise I will definitely pay it back."
"It's all money anyway, so what's the difference? Besides, your guarantee is useless. I know perfectly well what you're going to do with the money! Uncle, this is the last time I'll call you uncle. I hope you'll take care of yourself."
After saying that, Lin Feng didn't care about anything else and kicked Zhang Hongtao out, even threatening, "If you dare to harass my mother again, I won't be polite!"
After Zhang Hongtao left, Lin Feng said calmly, "Mom, don't you understand? He's not my uncle anymore. He was gambling!"
"Xiaofeng, how do you know your uncle gambles? Don't talk nonsense! Your uncle has been good to our family. When your father had his accident, he was the one who took care of everything!" Lin's mother still couldn't accept it.
"Mom, I heard it from my uncle and his family. My uncle had borrowed money from him before, but he refused. They also said that my uncle doesn't actually run a business; he's just a gambler and hopeless!"
The uncle is on the mother's side of the family, and the younger uncle is on the father's side. Logically, the two sides shouldn't be connected. However, when a gambler gets into the mood, he can try to borrow money by taking advantage of any connection. Actually, Lin Feng heard this from his younger uncle later.
"Oh! How could this happen? We have to find a way to save your uncle. We can't let him continue to sink deeper into depravity!" Lin's mother still wanted to save her uncle and bring him back to the right path.
"Mom, it's too late now. You don't understand. Gambling and drug addiction are two different things. Once you're hooked, you're not human anymore! My uncle isn't the same person he used to be!"
At this moment, Lin's mother also felt a little scared. "Oh, thank goodness you came back early, otherwise I really would have lent him the money, and I don't even want to imagine the consequences!"
"Mom, don't overthink it. I'll be here for you. I'm going to check on Dad first." Lin Feng quickly changed the subject, afraid that his mother would overthink things.
"Hmm! Haven't you eaten yet? I'll make you a bowl of noodles first, just wait here."
Entering the inner room, seeing Lin's father lying on the hospital bed, looking as if he were asleep, Lin Feng felt a pang of heartache. His father once had a very happy family, but it had all been reduced to ashes in a car accident.
Moreover, seeing Lin's father, such a strong-willed person, lying there motionless only made Lin Feng feel even more sorry for him. He skillfully massaged his father while talking to himself.
"Dad, I'm home!"
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