The beloved baby has a space

Chapter 170 The Creditor Comes Knocking
They initially thought he was a little beggar, but after he was caught, they realized that although the child looked disheveled, his clothes had no patches.

Upon closer inspection, the small hairpin tucked into her hair, though made of wood, was exquisitely carved.

Upon closer inspection, the person had gentle features and a clear, melodious voice, clearly indicating that she was a girl.

She looked about seven or eight years old.

Now, she was choking so badly that her face turned pale, and she looked like she was about to pass out.

The person holding her loosened their grip.

"Oh dear, this child is going to choke to death!"

"What are we going to do? My second uncle's third uncle's son, Si Gouzi, choked to death just like that!"

"Is there any water? Is there any water? Quickly bring a bowl of water and give this child a drink."

"It's no use. If you're choking, you can't drink water. You can only shake the food out!"

Everyone watched from the sidelines, but no one stepped forward.

Seeing everyone involuntarily taking a step back, Zhou Chuchu felt a pang of desolation in her heart.

Is she going to die on the spot today?

At that moment, she felt like she couldn't breathe at all, her chest was aching, and her vision was going black.

The thing stuck in my throat can't be spit out or swallowed at all.

Breathing is becoming increasingly difficult.

"Sister, don't panic!" The little girl's voice rang in my ears.

Then something was brought to her mouth.

It's water!

Without thinking twice, she picked it up and gulped it down.

Someone nearby shook their head.

If you're choking, drinking water won't help.

It wasn't just ordinary choking; the way it looked, it was a sign of an impending death.

Little Ayu took the gourd out of her pocket; it was a prop that Old Mrs. Wang had prepared for her.

They were worried that Xiao Ayu would give water to others in public.

The gourd wasn't very big, and Zhou Chuchu finished the water inside in just a few sips.

It's so sweet, even sweeter than the homemade iced snow melt soup.

Before she choked to death, she was able to drink such delicious water, so at least she wasn't too disappointed.

"Sister, are you still feeling unwell? Do you still want to drink?"

Little Ayu was also very nervous. She watched the young lady remain silent for a long time, so she quickly squatted down and tilted her head down to see if the young lady had closed her eyes.

Tuanzi said that when a person dies, their eyes will close.

Not only was Xiao Ayu curious, but everyone around her was too.

Everyone stared intently at Zhou Chuchu, who was sitting on the ground.

Suddenly, Zhou Chuchu abruptly raised her head.

It scared everyone.

"I...I'm fine now." Seeing everyone looking at her, Zhou Chuchu blushed; she had never been the center of attention before.

Liu also came up; she didn't have a good impression of the little girl who had snatched the things.

"Since you're alright, then you should make amends. You just stole our things." Liu pulled Xiao Ayu up and made her keep her distance from Zhou Chuchu.

This kid is the type who might snatch things at any time; who knows if he's a bad kid?

Zhou Chuchu's words were unclear, so neither Liu Shi nor Xiao Ayu heard them.

"Yes, child, you shouldn't steal food even if you're hungry."

"Our Nanhe Town can't afford to have a robber!"

"That's right, you're a new beggar, aren't you? You have to follow the rules, or you'll be kicked out."

Everyone chimed in, making Zhou Chuchu's face turn a deep purplish-red, wishing she could dig a hole and disappear.

"I didn't mean to steal it..." She was just too hungry.

Zhou Chuchu looked at Xiao Ayu and whispered, "I'm just here to collect something. Your Wang family owes us something."

She was smart enough not to say in front of so many people that she was there to collect money.

Liu originally wanted to say that the Wang family owed nothing, as all their debts had been paid off.

Suddenly she remembered that a few days ago, her mother-in-law had mentioned that they had 2000 taels of debt.

Could this be a creditor?
Adhering to the principle of "better safe than sorry," Liu took Zhou Chuchu back to Old Wang's house. The surrounding villagers wanted to watch the spectacle, but they were scared away by the cold faces of those secretly protecting her.

After arriving at Old Wang's house, Liu told Old Mrs. Wang about the little girl.

Grandma Wang didn't call the person a swindler; instead, she said to her, "You say our family owes you, but where's the proof? And how did you find our family?"

When Old Mrs. Wang exudes an imposing aura without being angry, she is particularly intimidating.

"I heard it from someone else." Zhou Chuchu shrank back, because the old lady's aura was too strong, and she felt even fiercer than her own grandmother.

It turns out that Zhou Chuchu is the granddaughter of the owner of Zhou's Pawnshop.

Zhouji Pawnshop is the same pawnshop that lent money to Old Lady Wang.

“My grandfather originally forbade me to come, but the family shop was swindled by villains and is now in their hands. My father and others have been imprisoned, and my grandfather was so angry that he went mad. We can’t recover many of our debts, and our former relatives and friends are now like strangers. With no other choice, I dared to give it a try.”

For some reason, Zhou Chuchu, who was usually quite eloquent, dared not lie in front of Old Mrs. Wang and could only tell her about her background in detail.

“Grandfather said you were a kind person. When our shop was seized, many things were lost, but Grandfather risked his life to protect the keepsake you left behind, and this is it.”

Zhou Chuchu took something out of her bosom, and upon closer inspection, it was a jade thumb ring.

The jade was clear and translucent, as if something was hidden inside.

She vaguely learned from her grandmother that there had been such a family who came here with a try-it-out attitude.

She first found Hujia Village, and then, by feigning pitifulness and begging, she roughly learned where Old Wang's family was now.

Then I observed the steamed bun shop run by Old Wang's family, and then I got to know the people in Old Wang's family.

However, even after more than half a month had passed, she still hadn't mustered the courage to go and collect the debt.

Having spent all the money he had, he was so hungry that he resorted to stealing pastries.

She naturally didn't dare to snatch from others, but she felt that the Wang family owed them something, and with a lot of resentment in her heart, she acted impulsively.

When Old Mrs. Wang saw the jade thumb ring, she sighed and said, "If you come to our family now, I really can't come up with 2000 taels of silver."

The hopeful light in Zhou Chuchu's eyes gradually dimmed: "The doctor said that Grandfather's medicine cannot be stopped now, otherwise his condition of being infected by evil wind will become more serious."

My grandfather was the pillar of our family. If he were to fall, our family would truly fall apart.

My father and others will also be imprisoned, and now that no one is pulling strings, it's unknown when they will be released.

She observed for a long time and saw that Old Wang's steamed bun shop was doing very well, so she figured they must be rich.

No matter what, surely you can at least give some money for Grandpa's medical expenses?

Grandma Wang touched the jade thumb ring, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

I originally thought it would be many years before I redeemed this thing.

What was left behind was not just the jade thumb ring, but also some other items, which were given to the shopkeeper as a token of gratitude.

In those times of war, jewels were prized in prosperous times, and gold in chaotic times.

Those things weren't worth much during wartime, but they became valuable after the war.

That old shopkeeper Zhou is bound to lose money no matter what.

But worrying about these things is not a good thing.

Looking at Zhou Chuchu dressed in beggar's clothes, she suddenly remembered an old beggar who had been sent away.

"I owe your family a lot of money, and I can't repay it all right now, but there is something I might be able to help with," said Old Mrs. Wang.

Hearing the first half of the sentence, Zhou Chuchu felt even more disappointed. She hadn't brought any hope with her, but there was still a sliver of a glimmer of hope.

Someone praised by their grandfather for their noble character would never renege on their debts, right?

To show her sincerity, she gave him the jade thumb ring directly.

Even during the most difficult and hungry times, she always took good care of the jade thumb ring.

“I can’t pay back the money, but perhaps I can find someone to help treat your grandfather’s illness,” said Old Mrs. Wang.

what? !

Zhou Chuchu immediately stood up, and because of the sudden movement, the chair behind her was knocked over.

Can it cure Grandpa's illness?!
"Can you cure Grandpa?!"

Grandma Wang shook her head: "I can't guarantee that, I'm not a miracle doctor."

Besides, I need to tell Ayu about this.

The gene repair fluid that was originally used on Old Wang and Wang Chuangui is still left at Old Mrs. Wang's place.

If she's right, that thing should be able to cure the evil wind disease.

If we can cure this evil wind, then we will have repaid that enormous favor from back then.

She will owe Ayu even more because of this.

(End of this chapter)