novelraw Chapter 768: Pay Up!
Chapter 768: Pay Up!
Henry Stanton saw that this group of people, led by the village chief, all had rather unpleasant expressions on their faces.
Some were even shirtless, holding hammers or carrying hoes, looking less like they were attending a funeral and more like they were ready for a fight.
The usually amiable village chief was now visibly displeased, his muddy eyes fixed on Henry, making him feel uneasy.
Feeling something was wrong, Henry’s smile froze as he nervously asked, "Village Chief, what are you doing here?"
"Settling scores," the village chief replied ambiguously, his voice firm yet containing a hint of resentment.
Henry’s face darkened and he asked coldly, "Village Chief, what do you mean by this? I don’t know how I might have offended you to make you bring so many people to cause a scene at my mother’s funeral. If I recall correctly, my mom did give you quite a few benefits while she was alive, right? Now that she’s gone, you turn on her son this way?"
"Humph!"
The village chief snorted coldly, saying sternly, "Your mom did give me benefits, like when a chicken or duck died at home, she’d remember to skin and gut them before sending them over. But when the village needed money to repair the temple, your mom wouldn’t pay a penny, and I had to cover her part!"
"So that’s what this is about..." Henry nodded, saying, "Why didn’t you say so earlier! Repairing the temple is a righteous cause. How much did you front for my mom? I’ll settle it with you shortly."
"You think I’m only here to ask for my own money?"
As the village chief spoke, he turned his head and looked at Dottie’s Dad beside him.
Dottie’s Dad stepped forward and said, "Henry Stanton, I heard you spent fifteen thousand on flowers for the funeral, but yesterday I asked for this month’s wages and you wouldn’t give it? Dottie’s Mom has been bedridden for so long, and I haven’t received my wages to treat her illness. Henry, how could you be so heartless?? How long are you planning to withhold our wages?"
The veins on Henry’s forehead protruded.
He wanted to say he’d settle the wages after the funeral, but looking at the oppressive crowd in front of him, he just couldn’t utter those words.
The old lady had been delaying the payment of wages, occasionally paying only for the current month to prevent the villagers from starving.
Accumulating like this over time, if he were to pay them all at once, it would be a lot of money!
Henry was really stingy with money; he could spend millions on building a house for himself but wasn’t willing to pay the wages for the villagers he deemed stupid.
Henry hesitated for a few seconds, then showing annoyance, he said, "Who is spreading rumors? I’m tight on cash; where would I find fifteen thousand to buy flowers!"
Henry said this, raising his voice as he looked at everyone, "Everyone here watched me grow up; don’t you know what kind of person I am? Right now, coal mining is hard to do; once the coal is mined, it needs to be transported and sold. There’s so much to consider when selling it, the expenses layer after layer, and the remittance is slow. I’m not refusing to pay wages; I just can’t pay them all at once!"
Dottie’s Dad, simple and honest, was momentarily taken aback by Henry’s words and asked, "Is what you’re saying true? You didn’t spend that much on flowers, nor are you planning to spend millions building a villa?"
Henry quickly nodded, "Of course! Spending millions on a villa is just ridiculous talk! I don’t know where these rumors started, but everyone mustn’t believe them! We’re all neighbors; can I disregard everyone’s livelihood?"
As Henry finished speaking, Dottie’s Dad showed some guilt on his face.
"I’m sorry, I just... misheard. Really sorry, I..."
Dottie’s Dad didn’t finish his sentence, when suddenly...