The rise of the poor

Chapter 2334 Reversal

The feisty old woman pointed her finger at him, and the surrounding neighbors gossiped and pointed. Even the fat man, who had a thick skin, couldn't stand it. He wished he could find a big rat hole to bury his head in, because what they were saying was the truth.

Just as the fat man was shamefully searching for the mouse hole, he suddenly saw Zhu Pingan and Liu Dadao walking out of the alley.

Instantly, his chubby face lit up, his small eyes became bright and piercing, and he shed his disheveled appearance as a rat crossing the street. Like a victorious fighting rooster, he straightened his chest and said confidently to the shrewish old woman, "Aunt Wang, it's just rent, I'll pay it right now. I'll not only make up for it, but I'll also pay for the next six months."

"What?!"

The fat man's words left the feisty old woman speechless. She wondered if she'd misheard him. "What did you say?!"

The surrounding neighbors were also stunned.

“I said, it’s just rent, I’ll pay it right now. I’ll not only make up for the rent you owe, but I’ll also pay the rent for the next six months in advance!”

The fat man crossed his arms, looked at the crowd at a 45-degree angle, and casually repeated what he had said.

"What? You want to pay back rent, and you want to pay six months' rent in advance?! You fatso, don't try to mess with me!"

The feisty old woman looked the fat man up and down, her face full of disbelief.

"Aunt Wang, don't be fooled by him. He tricked you before, making you wait two days, and then..."

One of the onlookers, a neighbor, offered a reminder.

The feisty old lady immediately put her hands on her hips and shouted, "Let me tell you, you fatso, stop with the old trick of waiting two days! I won't fall for it again!"

"What do you mean wait two days? I'll pay right now." The fat man tossed his hands behind his back, displaying the demeanor of a scholar.

The shrewish old woman spat on the ground, not believing the fat man's words at all. "Pah! I've searched your room several times already. There are only tattered clothes, broken books and pens. Not a single penny. How are you going to pay the rent?!"

"What will you pay with? Heh, you'll find out soon enough." The fat man raised his head with a smug look on his face.

"What are you pretending to be so profound for?" the shrew spat again.

"That's right, he's just pretending. Don't believe him, Aunt Wang. If he can't pay the rent today, kick him out. He claims to be a scholar, but does he do what a scholar does? What scholar gets drunk every few days and urinates everywhere? Ugh, shameless! He's corrupting the children."

“I saw it once when I was passing by. It was really an eyesore. He’s definitely trying to scam you, Aunt Wang. He definitely can’t pay the rent. Don’t fall for his delaying tactics.”

The young women and wives watching all reminded the shrewish old lady that she didn't treat the fat man kindly at all.

Neither Aunt Wang nor the neighbors believed Fatty's claim that he would pay the rent today, or even pay six months' rent in advance. They all thought Fatty was just stalling, since it wasn't the first time he had done this.

Just as the crowd was filled with indignation, a voice reached their ears.

"Young master, young master, we've finally found you. Master wants you to come home and inherit the family business. He said you shouldn't take the imperial examinations anymore. The family's vast fortune is waiting for you to take over and manage it. Young master, please stop arguing with Master and stop running away from home. It's time to go back."

Zhu Pingan, his face beaming with excitement, walked past the crowd toward the fat man.

what?

Inheriting the family business?!

A business worth millions?!

Are you talking about that fatso?!

This fat guy usually keeps a low profile, but who would have thought he's actually a hidden runaway super-rich second-generation heir?!

The fiery old woman was almost speechless with shock, and the surrounding neighbors were also wide-eyed with astonishment, staring in disbelief at Zhu Ping'an and Liu Dadao as they approached.

"I'm not going back. The imperial examination is coming up soon, and I'm going to take it here! Go home and tell the old man that I don't care about inheriting a million-dollar fortune. A man's success is earned through his own efforts! I want to prove to the old man that I can do it without him!"

The fat man, Xu Wei, walked past Zhu Ping'an, put his hands behind his back, and spoke with an air of arrogance.

Behind the scenes, unseen by the crowd, he frantically gave Zhu Pingan a thumbs-up with both hands.

"Young master, since you ran away from home, the master has sent more than ten groups of people to look for you," Zhu Pingan continued his performance.

"Stop talking! I'm not going back to inherit the family business. I want to prove myself in this imperial examination!"

The fat man strode around with an imposing air, swinging his arms.

"Young Master," Zhu Ping'an continued to plead.

"Alright, that's enough. You can stay here for a while and then go home. Tell the old man that I can achieve success without his help!" The fat man interrupted Zhu Ping'an, speaking with the typical spoiled brat tone.

Then, the fat man changed the subject, "You brought a lot of silver. I'll use it first, and you can go back and ask the old man for double reimbursement."

“Young master, I have been looking for you for more than half a year. I have almost spent all my travel expenses, but I still have more than one hundred taels of silver left.”

As Zhu Pingan spoke, he took out a silver note and some loose silver from his sleeve and handed them to the fat man.

"That's enough." The fat man took out a few pieces of silver and whispered to Zhu Ping'an, "I'll borrow this for a bit." He walked towards the feisty old woman, handed her the silver, and said triumphantly, "Auntie, do you see this? This silver is the rent I paid back, plus the rent for the next two months. Is that enough?!"

"That's enough, that's enough, there's even two taels of silver left." The fiery old woman was no longer fiery at all; she was stunned, and her tone became cautious, transforming from a bold and unrestrained woman into a gentle and refined woman from Jiangnan.

The feisty old lady was also stunned by the scene and believed it to be true. She never expected that the fat man was actually the runaway young master of a wealthy family!

That explains it. No wonder he drinks every few days, no wonder he's so dissolute, no wonder he's broke, no wonder he's so unkempt and can't even take care of himself. Turns out he's a young master who rents a taxi away from home.

The surrounding neighbors were also dumbfounded, all stunned by the fat man's identity.

"Consider the extra money as compensation for dirtying the yard." The fat man waved his hand, looking like he didn't care about the money.

Turning around, out of sight of the others, the fat man looked pained, his heart bleeding. "Damn it, how did I miscalculate? I overpaid by two taels of silver. Two taels of silver is enough for me to buy twenty roast chickens."

"gone."

The fat man casually led Zhu Pingan into the courtyard. After Zhu Pingan entered, he closed the gate, blocking everyone's view.

"Fatty, you've got quite the entourage!" Before Liu Dadao could finish speaking, Fatty grinned and gave Zhu Ping'an a deep bow. "Thanks, brother." (End of Chapter)