Chapter 118: Who Should Be Repaid First?

A heatwave had swept through Xiangyang City. With temperatures hovering around thirty-six or thirty-seven degrees Celsius, the entire world felt like a giant sauna. The only saving grace was the young women on the streets; dressed as if they were about to head into a shower, they were a sight to behold.

At a small roadside eatery, a wave of heat hit as soon as the door was opened. At a table in the corner, right next to the air conditioner, two people sat facing each other. A steamer of shumai, two or three stir-fried dishes, and a bottle of ice-cold beer—poured to the brim and gulped down. The chill traveled from the stomach out through every one of the body’s thirty-six thousand pores. After such an ordeal, the sensation was so refreshing it made one shiver.

"Little Master, I thought you’d forgotten all about me! I never expected you to call me." Old Ding the Lame wore a fawning expression. Opposite him sat a boy of fifteen or sixteen, a sight that looked particularly jarring.

Xiao Cheng felt a bit unsettled. Previously, when Old Ding called him "master," there had been a sense of mischievous amusement, but seeing the man so down-and-out now, and thinking of Ding Sina, he couldn't help but feel a sense of shared misfortune.

Every child has a myth about their father in their heart; it was just that the myth in Ding Sina’s heart had shattered far too early.

Xiao Cheng sighed softly, raised his glass, and said to Old Ding, "Uncle Ding, do you really not recognize me?"

The title "Uncle Ding" made the man freeze. He scrutinized Xiao Cheng, feeling a sense of familiarity but unable to place him.

He felt familiar because he had seen the photo of the Math Olympiad champion in the newspaper—the one with a mosaic over the eyes. He had taken note of it because the boy attended the same school as his daughter. Five years ago, when he had rushed in with a club, he hadn’t paid any attention to what the kid looked like, and especially now, after five years, that little tot had grown into a strapping young man.

"My name is Wen Xiaocheng."

There weren't many people with the surname Wen, but Old Ding still couldn't recall.

"This leg of yours... it was my father who crippled it. I am Wen Xinwu’s son."

The chopsticks in Old Ding’s hand froze in mid-air, and his eyes widened. He might not have known Wen Xiaocheng, but he would never forget Wen Xinwu! This was the son of his enemy! Everything he had become was the fault of the Wen family!

"You... you..." Old Ding stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence. He already had a beer bottle in his hand, as if fearing that Xiao Cheng might suddenly lash out at him.

"Uncle Ding, what are you doing?" Xiao Cheng couldn't help but laugh. "Are you planning to crack my skull with that bottle? I’m the one treating you to this meal, aren't I? You haven't even put down your chopsticks and you're already grabbing a weapon? Just because I’m Wen Xinwu’s son? I go to the same school as Ding Sina; by your logic, should I be out looking for trouble with her too?"

"You dare!"

Clearly, no matter how strained the relationship between father and daughter was, the girl remained the untouchable reverse scale on the dragon’s neck for the lame man. At the mention of Ding Sina, the beer bottle he had been about to lower was hoisted back up.

Although the bottle was raised as a threat, Xiao Cheng wasn't angry. On the contrary, he felt a measure of relief; at least it showed that the man still had a shred of humanity.

"Uncle Ding, sit down. Truth be told, at school, Ding Sina and I get along quite well. Besides, it’s been so long—do our families really have to be at each other’s throats forever?"

This sentence made Old Ding calm down, though he had no appetite left. He leaned on the table and sat back down, eyes fixed on Xiao Cheng, full of wariness.

"What exactly do you want from me?"

Xiao Cheng shook his head with a bitter smile; he actually preferred the feeling of being called "master."

"The court ordered your family 120,000 in civil compensation. After my family’s relocation funds were seized, you received over 40,000, right?"

Old Ding nodded. "Forty-three thousand, six hundred."

"Let's count the odd change as interest. That means my family still owes you 80,000, right?"

Old Ding was stunned. He had long since given up on that 80,000. The Wen family had been torn apart, leaving only an old woman and a young grandson with no means to pay. He hadn't expected Wen Xiaocheng to bring up the compensation himself today.

"You know about the Math Olympiad a few days ago, right?"

"Hmm?"

"I took first place and won a 100,000 scholarship," Xiao Cheng said nonchalantly.

Only then did Old Ding realize why Xiao Cheng looked familiar—he had seen him in the newspaper!

"What are you getting at?"

He had just talked about the debt between the two families and then mentioned his 100,000. What did this mean? Was he going to pay him back?

"Heh," Xiao Cheng chuckled, deliberately keeping him in suspense. He picked up his chopsticks and put a strip of braised meat into his mouth, chewing slowly. The wait made Old Ding anxious.

"Eat while we talk, Uncle Ding. Help yourself."

"Oh, right, right!"

Old Ding had lost his temper by now and shifted into his fawning mode. He picked up his chopsticks and took a few bites, but his eyes never left Xiao Cheng’s face, afraid of missing anything.

"Truth is, I don’t have any other motives. 'A father’s debt is a son’s duty'—it’s only natural! But regarding that case five years ago, you weren't the only victims. Aside from the Lu family who didn't sue, the Qiu and Zhang families are still owed hundreds of thousands in total. If I were to pay everyone back, this 100,000 wouldn't be enough..."

Having said that, he stopped, continuing to eat.

Old Ding watched him longingly, his expression like that of a man desperate for a bathroom but unable to find one.

Xiao Cheng took a sip of beer and continued, "I was thinking, if I pay a little to each family proportionally, it wouldn't settle anything, and no one would appreciate the effort. It would be better to find one family and clear the debt entirely. Not only would it be clean, but once the receipt is sent to the court, I could even be credited for 'active compensation'..."

Old Ding nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. "Right! Right! Right! One clean debt is better than none!"

Xiao Cheng smiled. "You see, I was planning to pay you back, but you grabbed a bottle to crack my head open. Is that appropriate?"

"Ah! I was just being impulsive!" Old Ding immediately beamed. "After all, these are the grievances of the older generation, and it’s better to resolve them than to hold onto them! You have this kind of heart—kid, that’s impressive! Winning first place in a Math Olympiad is impressive, but for someone so young, not even working yet, to take on your father’s debts? That’s even more impressive!"

"You flatter me!" Xiao Cheng laughed. "One debt cleared at a time—that’s what I’m thinking. But as for which of the three families to pay first, I haven't decided yet. It just so happens that Ding Sina and I get along well at school, so I came to ask for your opinion..."

Hearing this, Old Ding couldn't hold back. He looked troubled and said, "My dear nephew, don't hesitate! The Zhang family is in real estate; they are the richest in town, they don't lack money! That brat Qiu Zeyuan is a civil servant with an iron rice bowl! And I’m not just spreading rumors, but that kid is not a good person; even if you paid him, you wouldn't get any credit. You see my situation—I'm a disabled man struggling to raise my daughter. I’m short on cash, so why don't you settle my debt first!"

Old Ding pleaded.

Xiao Cheng nodded. "Uncle Ding, that’s what I was thinking, or I wouldn't have come to you. However..."

That "however" made Old Ding’s heart leap into his throat, terrified of any further complications.

Xiao Cheng smiled and explained, "The saying 'a father’s debt is a son’s duty' is correct in principle, but legally, the judgment is against my father. Execution can only be carried out on his assets. Even if I have money, I cannot be forced to pay. So, if I pay you back for my father, you have to be grateful!"

Old Ding nodded hurriedly. "I understand that, Uncle! You’re a righteous and honorable kid! I’m grateful! Aren't you and Nana classmates? Let’s turn the page on this. We’ll be friends after this misunderstanding. If you need anything in the future, just give me, Old Ding, a shout. Everything is negotiable!"

"Haha, great!" Xiao Cheng laughed heartily. "Since you said so, I won't stand on ceremony. As it happens, there is something I’d like your help with!"