“Why?”
Wang shrieked at the top of her lungs. “What does my divorce have to do with buying these trinkets?”
“It has everything to do with it!” the shopkeeper said. “If Madam Wang were still the wife of Commissioner Xie, then even if you couldn’t pay me back, the Commissioner draws a handsome salary every month, so the money would always be there in the end.”
“It might be a little late, that’s all.”
“No trouble at all.”
“But now that you’re divorced… as far as I know, Madam Wang, you’ve been idle at home for years with no decent income to speak of. If you take these trinkets now and can’t pay me back later, who am I supposed to chase?”
These words struck Wang right in the heart, and she suddenly realized the truth.
She had messed up.
She had been so busy celebrating her divorce that she had completely forgotten this little detail.
Indeed—divorced from Xie Liu, who would give her money now?
But though her mind raced, her face refused to show defeat. She snapped back, “You dog looking down on people! Without Xie Liu, there’s still Wang Liu, Li Liu, Zhang Liu…”
“I’m mature and charming now, I own a house, and I’m in the prime of my life. There are countless men fighting to marry me. Just you wait… Hmph, don’t ever expect me to step foot in this shabby shop of yours again!”
The shopkeeper’s eyes flickered with contempt, but his face was full of smiles. “When that day comes, I certainly won’t presume to have your patronage.”
“Madam Wang, please see yourself out.”
“The shop still has business to attend to; I won’t keep you.”
Wang turned and walked away.
When she reached the doorway, a fire of rage burning in her chest, she couldn’t help it—she spat loudly, the glob landing right on the shop’s clean, polished floor.
Only then did she feel a little better.
She tossed her head high and strode off with an air of superiority.
But the shopkeeper’s face darkened.
…
Wang strode down the street and decided at once to visit her bosom friend. She had to get her to introduce her to a young, handsome, talented, and wealthy domineering prince.
Then she’d come back and really make that despicable shopkeeper eat his words.
She was lost in this pleasant fantasy when suddenly someone jumped out from the side, grabbed her arm, and said, “Madam Wang, long time no see.”
“Are you going to pay up now?”
“Or do you want me to take that courtyard house of yours?”
Wang recognized him: a man from the Luofeng Slope money-lending shop. Last year, she had mortgaged her house to buy some jewelry. At the time, those moneylenders had been all sweet talk, and the interest wasn’t much.
They had never bothered her before.
She had simply paid them the agreed amount each month.
So why… was he coming to collect now?
“It’s not even due yet, is it? When it’s due, I’ll pay you what I owe for that month, as usual.”
“No.” The moneylender refused flatly. “Times have changed. Today, either you pay off the whole debt, or you hand over the house as collateral.”
His voice was low and cold, like a knife pressed to her throat. It made Wang extremely uncomfortable.
Before she knew it, she blurted out, “Why?”
“It was fine before, wasn’t it?”
“Didn’t I just say?” the moneylender said, growing impatient. “Times have changed. Before, no matter what, Commissioner Xie brought home a steady, generous salary every month, so you could pay it off slowly.”
“But now you’re divorced from the Commissioner, and you have no income. How are you going to pay me next month?”
“Even if you scrimp and borrow enough for next month, what about the month after that?”
“Our shop can’t allow that kind of risk.”
“So…”
“It’s either the money, or the house. You…”
“Pick one.”
The moneylender’s eyes were sharp as blades.
Wang’s face turned deathly pale.
That courtyard house—she had struggled so hard to get it. There was no way she would let it go so easily.
She was about to argue when another man rushed over from the other direction. She recognized him at once: a local gentleman from Luofeng Slope, none other than the man who had sold her that house.
This gentleman had built a batch of houses and sold them on an installment plan with deferred payments. At the time, Wang had been so taken with one that she ordered Xie Liu to secure it, even though the family had no money.
He had managed to get it.
After that, Xie Liu had made the monthly payments.
Everything had been fine.
So why was this man now rushing over in such a hurry, too?
“No way,” Wang groaned inwardly, a bad feeling churning in her gut.
And her premonition came true.
“Madam Wang, since you can no longer afford the annual installments and interest on that house, per the contract, I have the right to reclaim the property and keep the deposit you’ve paid.”
“Madam Wang, now…”
“Let me take the house back!”
Wang felt like she was about to explode. How could everyone suddenly be after her home?
But that wasn’t the last of them.
Still more came flooding in from all directions, racing toward her as if terrified they would be too late and all the money would be snatched up by others, leaving nothing for themselves.
“Madam Wang, you still owe thirty coppers for the clothes from the tailor shop. If it’s convenient, could you settle it now?”
“Madam Wang, last time you and your friend went on an outing, you treated her, and it came to a hundred and twenty coppers, but you didn’t have cash with you. Please, do me a favor and pay up.”
“Madam Wang…”
Each word hit Wang’s ears like buzzing flies. They grew and swelled into a thunderclap, booming in her head. Beads of sweat poured down her face. She understood now—these people had been tipped off by the jewelry shopkeeper.
Because she had spat on his floor before she left, he had spread the news far and wide.
These creditors surrounding her had all decided that since she was divorced from Xie Liu, she could no longer pay her debts. So they had all come clamoring, determined not to leave empty-handed.
But…
She really couldn’t pay.
The panic on Wang’s face was obvious.
The creditors saw it clearly, and it only made them more anxious.
With so many debtors crowded together, what if someone grabbed more than their share and left them with nothing?
They grew even more frantic, their voices sharper and harsher.
“Come on, woman, just pay up, damn it!”
“I have to take that house, or I’ll lose everything.”
“No, the house is mine—she owes me money.”
“Like you’re the only one? Sell her house and pay off all the debts!”
“That’s right, sell her house!”
“Will the Commissioner mind?”
“A debt is a debt—fair and square. What’s the Commissioner got to say about it?”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go and sell that house! Damn it, if we’re late, the money’s gone for good!”
In moments, they had hatched a plan. Like a swarm, they rushed toward the courtyard house, running as if the first to arrive could pocket the whole sale price.
Wang watched them go. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.
Then she let out a heart-wrenching wail.
“My house!”
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
