Volume One, Chapter 28: The Words “Licensed Robbery” Were Practically Written All Over His Face!

"And what about these things on your cargo bed?"

The pot-bellied officer pointed excitedly at the items on the vehicle, as if he had just discovered a new continent. As long as Lin Xiaoxu, this damn fool, couldn't produce valid receipts for even one of these items, they would have a handle to overturn all the documents he had previously presented, as well as the testimonies from the dealership owner and Song Qingxin.

This trip to Taoyuan Village would finally have something to show for it. The three-wheeled motorcycle looked ninety percent new; it was worth a decent sum. After exchanging glances, the officers' eyes flashed with greed. The words "legalized robbery" were practically written on their faces.

Lin Xiaoxu sneered. He jumped onto the cargo bed and began moving the items down one by one.

"These are two canisters of propane, a gas stove, and a rice cooker I bought at a shop in town. The receipts are right here; please, take a look." Lin Xiaoxu chuckled foolishly as he handed over all the paperwork.

Seeing the two propane canisters, the gas stove, and the rice cooker laid out on the ground didn't just stun Wu Deshun and the villagers; even the officers felt a surge of frustration. Most people in the village burned firewood; few could afford or were willing to spend over a hundred yuan on a canister of gas. How on earth could this fool, Lin Xiaoxu, afford such luxuries?

Every receipt provided by Lin Xiaoxu was flawless. They couldn't exactly suggest in public that he pay a "service fee," could they? Realizing this trip to Taoyuan Village was a wash, the officers climbed into their vehicle parked behind the cowshed and left the village, simmering with resentment.

As Lin Xiaoxu watched the car pull away, he muttered to himself: "Good grief. With so many robberies and muggings happening every year, how many do they actually solve? I just buy a three-wheeled motorcycle with my own hard-earned money, and they nearly strip me down to my underwear. It's a good thing I didn't take that million in cash from Chen Bao, or I'd never be able to clear my name, even if I jumped into the Yellow River."

"Lin Xiaoxu, the day before yesterday you were swearing up and down that you'd cover the debts that deadbeat Zhao Daming owes us."

"That's right! You can afford such a flashy three-wheeled motorcycle and all these appliances now, so pay up!"

"Give us our money..."

After the officers left, a group of villagers began raising their voices, demanding that Lin Xiaoxu pay back what he owed.

"I don't have enough money right now. I hope you can give me another week."

Lin Xiaoxu couldn't pay back the seventy thousand-plus yuan he owed the villagers right this second. If he delayed it by a week, they might find it easier to accept psychologically. After all, he had always been the poorest person in the village. A sudden rise to wealth would inevitably invite gossip, and, more seriously, it could lead to trouble.

The villagers weren't worried that Lin Xiaoxu wouldn't pay—his ancestral home and the family graves were still there. They were just feeling bitter. They still couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that Lin Xiaoxu had just taken a trip to the county seat and returned with a motorcycle and modern home appliances.

Wu Deshun was equally jealous, but as the village chief, he had to maintain a certain level of decorum in front of the villagers. However, watching Lin Xiaoxu speak fluently and argue reasonably, handling the officers without batting an eye, he found the boy’s behavior impeccable. Looking at him, he didn't seem like a fool at all. Could Lin Xiaoxu’s mental illness have been cured?

"Lin Xiaoxu, I saw Liang Weiming looking for a matchmaker the other day to introduce him to a woman. He even said he’d pay a dowry of sixty-six thousand yuan. In my opinion, you might as well sell Shen Yulian to Liang Weiming. Wouldn't that be enough to pay off your debts to the village?"

Wu Deshun wanted to use Lin Xiaoxu's response to determine if his mind had truly returned to normal. But as soon as he spoke, before Lin Xiaoxu could even answer, the villagers burst into laughter. This outsider, Shen Yulian, was always being sold off by her own husband. If her family knew, would they ever be able to hold their heads high in their own village?

Humiliated in public by Wu Deshun, Shen Yulian’s face flushed with a mixture of blue and purple. The worst part was that she was powerless to do anything about it. She shot a sidelong glance at Wu Deshun and caught him staring. She quickly averted her eyes, but he was scanning her body with keen interest.

*Hmm?* It had only been a day, but Shen Yulian looked much younger, as if she had returned to the appearance of a girl of eighteen or nineteen. Her chest also looked twice as large as before. If he could hold that in his arms at night, he couldn't imagine how wonderful it would feel. As Wu Deshun fantasized, he felt a stir in his loins.

Liang Weiming, with his pockmarked face, was already over fifty—a notorious old bachelor in Taoyuan Village. He was old enough to be Shen Yulian's father! This was a total insult to her dignity.

Lin Xiaoxu put his hands on his hips and roared back, "Wu Deshun, Liang Weiming is in love with your mother! You'd better hurry up, wash your mother clean, and send her to Liang Weiming's bed! Come next spring, your mother will give you a little brother. You'd better be a good, filial son to your new stepfather, Liang Weiming!"

"Hahaha..." The villagers laughed until they nearly fell over.

"You!" Wu Deshun’s eyebrows arched, and rage surged in his chest. He took a step forward, intending to punch Lin Xiaoxu in the mouth, but when he saw how tall and broad-shouldered the younger man was, he wisely pulled back his left foot.

"Let's go! Let's head to the back mountain to pick guavas and take them to the county to sell tomorrow."

"If that fool can sell them for thousands, we're not stupid. We can at least make ten thousand!"

Once the laughter died down, a group of villagers ran home to grab baskets and fertilizer bags, racing toward the back mountain. Lin Xiaoxu wasn't worried; in fact, he felt a secret thrill.

Seeing that Lin Xiaoxu had defused the crisis, Lin Manru left, feeling relieved. Liu Shulan giggled to herself in secret—the old saying that fools have fool's luck was truly correct. She shot a lingering, seductive look at Lin Xiaoxu, then covered her ample chest with both hands and sashayed back to the convenience store, her hips swaying.

"Hmph! Sooner or later, you'll be kneeling and begging me for mercy, you damn fool!" Wu Deshun stormed off.

Once everyone had left, Shen Yulian threw herself at Lin Xiaoxu, her arms winding around him like vines. Her soft, supple, oversized breasts pressed firmly against his chest.