Chapter 564: Design

Chapter 564: Design
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After Xia Haifu and his wife retired to their room, Xia Chen called out to Xia
Wan.
“Wanwan, are you really planning to let our uncle and his family stay with us?” Xia Chen asked with a hint of worry, glancing towards the guest room temporarily housing Xia Jiang and his wife.
“I disagree!” Xia Feng quickly voiced his opposition.
“I don’t want them staying in our house either,” Xia Chen said, frowning. “With them around, mom and dad will never be able to assert themselves.
“We’ve been oppressed by them for too many years; I don’t want to continue living like this!
“Besides, if it wasn’t for uncle and aunt, mom and dad wouldn’t have been kidnapped!”
“Big brother is right! Without them, we wouldn’t have had to live in constant fear!” Xia Feng added. “In any case, I don’t want to see them in our house!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll contact Uncle Cheng shortly to take them back,” Xia Wan reassured, waving her phone.
“Uncle Cheng? With his miserly nature, would he actually come to pick them up?” Xia Feng looked doubtful.
“He wouldn’t make the effort without a good reason,” Xia Wan replied, slightly smug.
“You’re not planning to bribe him off with some benefits, are you?” Xia Chen leaned in, probing. “Mom and dad always said that Uncle Cheng isn’t someone we can easily deal with. He’s only active for his own benefit, and once involved, it’s hard to disentangle from him!”
“I’m not borrowing money from him, so why worry!” Xia Wan smiled soothingly. “Besides, I’m essentially giving him money!”
“Wanwan, I think…” Xia Chen began, only to be interrupted by Xia Wan.
“Brother, rest assured! I have a plan!” Xia Wan said, already dialing the village chief’s phone.
Though Cheng Mu’s family was wealthy in the village, he was known for his extreme frugality. Despite several villagers having phones, he stubbornly refused to spend money on one.
Xia Wan could only reach him by asking the village chief to relay a message.
“Wanwan, your Uncle Cheng was just talking about you yesterday!” the village chief said warmly.
“He mentioned how well your family is doing and that you still remember us poor villagers. He’s very happy that you plan to visit!”
Xia Wan responded noncommittally, then inquired about Cheng Mu’s location.
“Your Uncle Cheng went to the neighboring village to collect rent today. He probably won’t return until tonight,” the village chief said after some thought. “Let me do this, I’ll have him call you back when he returns.”
“That would be great, thank you,” Xia Wan expressed her gratitude to the village chief, then turned to Xia Chen and Xia Feng, “Let’s get ready to send them off tonight!”
“Is this really feasible?” Xia Feng and Xia Chen exchanged doubtful glances, skeptical of Xia Wan’s plan.
In the evening, Cheng Mu finally called.
“Wanwan, did you need something from your Uncle Cheng?” Cheng Mu’s voice sounded slightly inebriated.
Xia Wan responded affirmatively, then spoke up, “Uncle Cheng, I heard that my uncle’s family owes you money?”
“Yes!” Cheng Mu responded angrily. “I thought his son-in-law was wealthy and influential enough to take them back to the county town for a better life!”
“Uncle Cheng, how about this: tell us how much my uncle owes you, and we’ll repay it. After that, we’ll be square. How does that sound?” Xia Wan proposed anxiously.
“You want to pay off their debt?” Cheng Mu sounded surprised. “Wanwan, although I know your family is well-off now, your uncle owes me a considerable sum!”
“Moreover, considering their past behavior towards your family, are you sure you want to repay evil with kindness?” Cheng Mu seemed skeptical of Xia Wan’s intentions.
Everyone in the village had seen how the Xia family had treated Xia Hai’s family.
Furthermore, now that the Xia family had divided their assets, and given their past conflicts, could Xia Hail s family really overlook the past and bail out Xia Jiang’s family?
Xia Wan promptly replied, “Uncle Cheng, rest assured! We have no interest in my uncle’s wealth!”
Realizing her mistake, she quickly corrected herself, “No, what I mean is, our family can afford to pay off the debt my uncle owes!”
“Wait! What did you just say? What about your uncle’s wealth?” Cheng Mu seized on her slip-up..