(Part 4)
He looked around but only silence. He then said in a loud voice, “Guarding devil of this place, why are you still disturbing a miserable person like me? Watch out, don’t you bother me and block my intention, if I’m dead and become also a devil, then I will look for you to pay back!”
After saying this, he then tied the rope again to the other branch. But at that moment appeared a beautiful girl who was suddenly under a tree. The old man looked wide-eyed. He felt certain that this beautiful girl was the devil who guarded the place there, so he said, “Maybe you are a ghost of a girl who also died curious. So let me end my suffering in this world!”
But the girl who was none other than Hwe-thian Moli (Flying Female Demon) Nyo Siang Lan, without answering immediately jumped up, using both hands to catch the old man’s body and then take him down from the tree.
“Lopek (uncle), why are you so weak and acting like a coward?”
Angry the old man, “Who says I’m a coward? I’m not afraid to die and want to end my life fearlessly, but you still call me a coward? Who really you are, beautiful yet rude young girl?”
“Hm, taking your own life in this way is a low deed that will only be done by a coward! You said that you dare to die, doesn’t that mean that indeed you are afraid to live? Lopek, that’s not the way to solve life’s difficulties! If there is something that makes your situation difficult, you must try to solve it, but not in this way, run away from the difficulties you face!”
The old man who had just lowered his sad face now looked amazed, “Who are you, miss? Who are you as this young able to issue such words?”
“People call me Hwe-thian Moli (Flying Female Demon), my name is Nyo Siang Lan. Now, quickly tell me why you have acted like this. If you on your own self can”t solve the difficulties you face, maybe I can help you.”
The old man shook his head, “It’s hard, it’s hard …” But forced by Hwe-thian Moli he then told about his situation.
The old man’s name was Lim Bun and lived alone with his only daughter in Kang-leng City as a poor farmer who only had a small slot of rice-field. His daughter had now become a widow after her husband gone leaving five children with her who all now lived with him as their their grandfather.
Since his daughter and grandchildren lived with him and their lives were automatically become his responsibility, started the difficulties in the old man’s life. Usually he just took care of his own living because his daughter had received protection from her husband, but now he had to feed seven mouths. Of course an old man’s power was not as strong as those youngers to search living as much as that.
His grandchildren were all still small, while the eldest was a girl so that her power can not be much expected. His eldest granddaughter was now fifteen years old and quite pretty.
The more time passed by the more difficult for Lim Bun and her grandchildren. Items that could be saleable had all run out for a long time, and now all he had was just the small rice-field. But it seemed that Thian was still trying to test the perseverance of his people in the world, even heavy trials were passed down onto the old man without himself wanting to.
Dry season lasted so long this time so that the results of the small rice-field cannot be expected. It’s soil dried, broke and cracked, not even the slightest thing could grow but yellowing dry grass.
At the door of hunger, finally Lim Bun and his daughter were forced to ask for help to a special pawnshop. This pawnshop was very large and the owner was Santung-taihiap Siong Tat, who was very influential and famous as a generous, great tycoon. When he saw Lim Bun hunched into the door of the pawnshop, the pawnshop keeper asked about the purpose of his arrival.
“I want to borrow money,” Lim Bun said, lowering herself in such a way before the employee because he was already desperate for help.
The pawnshop employee frowned, “Do you want help for borrowing money? This place doesn’t lend money without any guarantees. This place is a pawnshop, do you have a guarantee item?”
“I have a slot of rice-field, siauwya (young master).”
‘Siauwya’ is a title for someone who was highly respected, usually only aimed at young people who were rich or of high rank. Hearing him being called with that title, the young pawnshop employee’s face immediately glowed and smiled, but his forehead remained frowned.
“Rice-fields? Who needs rice-fields in dry season as now?! After all, here only receives something that can only be brought here to be saved as a guarantee.”
“Siauwya, please have mercy … I have guarantees no more but the rice-field, we have sold all our items for eating.”
“Hmmm, it’s hard, old man!” the pawnshop employee bitting the tip of his pit (reed-pen) shaft hard-thinking-like someone. Suddenly he looked and asked slowly, “Do you have any children or grandchildren who are still young?”
This strange question made Lim Bun stunned, but he finally answered, “I indeed have a granddaughter who is still young named Siauw Kim, but what does the connection to this matter?”
The young man nodded and smiled, “If your granddaughter is beautiful, then she can be used as a guarantee for borrowing money. The more beautiful, the more money you can borrow.”
“What …?” for a long time the old man looked wide-eyed, “You mean … a girl can … can be pawned here …? Is it … is it ….”
“Shh, don’t talk anymore, lopek.”
The clerk put the pit on the old man’s lips to prevent him from talking sassy, ”Who made this policy was Siong-wangwe himself and what’s wrong with it? Poor people like you certainly don’t have any guarantees that is worthy to able to borrow money, so Siong-wangwe then set this very good policy. By pawning their own daughter, one can borrow money. Next time when they have money to redeem, they can get their daughter back. What’s wrong with that? Their daughter will be taken care of properly, only told to work cleaning the yard and other women’s jobs, and be fed enough!”
“But … why should it be measured by her beauty …?”
The young man smiled holding back his laughter, “Lopek, you’re like a kid! Aren’t all things in this world that are lived or not always measured by their beauty? Well, then go home and think again carefully! Let your family die of hunger or take over your granddaughter as guarantee here and you can borrow money. We are responsible for your granddaughter, she won’t be disturbed by anyone and will remain fine until you can redeem her back. However, there is a time-limit required for that. If you can’t redeem her just in time, your granddaughter will be the property of Siong-wangwe. If it is so, then of course he may treat his property at his will!”
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