Chapter 1271: The Fool’s Daughter (50)

Tang Lide had long since stopped caring about anything else. “Big Brother, I'm in trouble. If I can't repay that one million, this family of mine is going to fall apart.”

Tang Liping asked in surprise, “What's going on, Lide? Calm down and explain. What do you mean by your family falling apart? Did Xiaoguo get herself into trouble?”

“No…”

Tang Lide had always believed that the bond between him and Tang Liping was the closest of all.

So he told him everything, right down to how he had mortgaged the house and borrowed money from loan sharks.

He had thought that after hearing everything, Tang Liping would sympathize with him and, no matter what, find a way to help him repay the million yuan.

In his eyes, they were brothers—real brothers who had depended on each other all their lives. If Tang Liping had been in such a predicament, Tang Lide would have rushed to help without hesitation, even if it meant risking his life.

Now that he had fallen into trouble, surely his own elder brother would do the same and help him through this crisis.

Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that after hearing everything, Tang Liping merely exclaimed in astonishment, “Lide, how could you be so foolish as to borrow from loan sharks?”

“Big Brother, wasn't it because you urgently needed money that I had no choice? How could I have known it would be this terrifying?”

“Lide, if you'd told me you were borrowing from loan sharks to help me, I definitely wouldn't have asked you for money anymore. Loan sharks are not something anyone should touch. What are we going to do now?”

“Yes, what are we going to do…” Tang Lide's voice trembled. “Big Brother, my family doesn't have a single cent left. Everything's been emptied out. The only thing left is our house. That house means everything to Jinghua. If we really have to sell it to repay the debt, she'll go mad.”

He was already beginning to regret it.

He should never have borrowed from loan sharks.

“Big Brother, please help me think of something, alright? I really need one million right now. Don't you have two houses? Can't you sell one?”

Tang Liping sighed heavily.

“It's not that I don't want to help, Lide. But look at everything our family has gone through. Weren't all those difficulties solved with your help? If I had any ability myself, why would I have needed to borrow money from you in the first place?”

“We do have two houses. But one of them is under Zhiming's name. No matter what, that house absolutely cannot be sold. Zhiming is already in that state. If he loses his home too, how is he supposed to live out the rest of his life? Lide, surely you wouldn't bear to see Zhiming spend his old age without a home?”

“As for the house your sister-in-law and I own, it's not that I don't want to help. It's simply impossible to sell.”

“Why?”

Tang Lide felt his heart turn cold.

Why?

This wasn't what he'd expected.

Could his elder brother's family really be in such dire straits?

Tang Liping explained, “With everything that's happened, do you think we haven't tried finding our own solutions? Your sister-in-law and I already have debts attached to that house. It's been mortgaged to the bank. Unless the debt is cleared, there's no way to sell it. It's a legitimate mortgage through the bank—you know how these things work.”

“Lide, why don't you call Third Brother and ask? And if that doesn't work, have Jinghua contact her side of the family. Didn't I hear that her hometown is about to undergo redevelopment? Maybe they'll receive a compensation payout.”

“I need to take food to Zhiming now. You should call Third Brother first.”

Tang Lide stared blankly at the phone in his hand.

Then, he dialed Tang Lixing, the third brother.

“Second Brother…” Tang Lixing sighed helplessly. “Mengmeng is still studying. It's not that I don't want to help you, but every family has its own burdens.”