Chapter 137: May Young Had Just Finished Tidying Up the House

May Young had just finished tidying up the house when the courtyard gate was kicked open with a loud bang. Seven or eight rough-looking men barged in, led by the bald-headed thug who had come to collect debts last time.

"Where's Derek Harlan? Get your ass out here!" The bald man kicked over a bucket of water in the yard, sending it splashing across the ground. It was the clean water May Young had just fetched to wash the bedding.

"Hey, nice quilt." A yellow-haired lackey yanked the cotton quilt off the clothesline and deliberately tossed it into a muddy puddle. May Young's heart ached—it was made with five pounds of fresh cotton, a wedding gift from her parents.

Derek Harlan heard the commotion and lifted the curtain, paling instantly at the sight of the intruders. His legs gave way, and he dropped to his knees beside James's bed.

"Uncle! Save me!" He clutched James's hand so tightly his nails dug into the flesh. "They'll kill me this time... They nearly did last time... Uncle, please..."

Before he could finish, the bald man and his gang stormed inside. Spotting James on the bed, they burst into mocking laughter.

"Derek Harlan, the IOU says twenty-one hundred. If you don't pay up today..." The bald man grinned viciously before suddenly kicking Derek square in the chest. "I'll take one of your legs!"

Derek was knocked flat on his back, still gripping James's hand. May Young lunged forward to steady her husband, preventing him from tumbling off the bed.

"Ouch... my back..." James groaned dramatically, shooting May Young a subtle wink.

May Young nearly laughed. This old fox—still putting on an act at a time like this.

"Derek Harlan!" The bald man plopped onto a chair like a king holding court. "With interest, it's twenty-three hundred now. No money today, and your whole family's gonna suffer!"

The old woman rushed to shield her grandson. "If you want money, just ask! What's the point of beating people?"

"Oh, granny's got money?" The bald man rubbed his shiny scalp. "Even better. Boys, get granny some tea!"

The old man forced a smile. "This... Brother Bald, right? Can you give us a few more days..."

"More days?" The bald man glared. "You think I'm running a charity? No money today, you lose an arm!"

James's brother and sister-in-law finally scurried in, flustered. Nora Yates wailed at the sight of her son. "Father, he's our only heir..."

The old man sighed. "Second Son, how much... can you spare?"

Before James could speak, May Young cut in. "How much are Big Brother and Sister-in-law chipping in? You can't expect us to cover it all."

James's brother immediately played poor. "Sister-in-law, we're just farmers. Where would we get money?"

"Since when do they have money?" the old woman shrilled. "If you've got it, just hand it over! Since when do family members keep such close accounts?"

May Young smirked coldly. "If we had money, would they have beaten James half to death last time? All these years, who paid for the house, the food? Derek keeps borrowing from us—our little shop's been drained dry. Now the business is ruined, we owe suppliers and rent, and the last five hundred is for James's medicine..."

James reached to stop her but withdrew his hand halfway. He wanted to see—without him, would this family even survive?