Riddle Four: All Things Come by Heaven's Will-Force Nothing; Why Labor over Schemes?

Under the furious kicks of the men outside, even the wooden doorframe began to loosen.

"Mad Xiang, open up! Fuck, we just saw you go in."

The kicks outside grew ever more frantic, punctuated by coarse laughter.

The old woman's trembling voice came from the inner room. "Shibai, don't go out..."

"Mother, don't be afraid. I'll talk to them."

Mad Xiang murmured a few words of reassurance, settled his elderly mother, then opened the door and stepped out.

The door had barely opened a crack when a thick, fleshy hand pulled it wide, seized Xiang by the ear, and viciously yanked him outside.

The tremendous tug sent pain shooting through Mad Xiang's ear. He lost his footing and stumbled to the ground, his knee striking the stone step.

Just watching it... hurt.

Hearing the commotion, the old woman in the room cried out at once.

"My son! My son, what happened?"

"Nothing, Mother. I dropped something."

Mo Chen shifted laboriously on the bed and saw a corpulent middle-aged man standing at the door, his face gleaming with grease. Seven or eight fierce-looking thugs stood behind him.

One glance was enough to tell they were no good.

The fat middle-aged man looked down at Mad Xiang and sneered. "Xiang Shibai! Don't fucking give me that empty bullshit. Tell me! When exactly are you paying back the silver you owe me?"

Xiang Shibai climbed to his feet. "Master Yu, soon... I can pay it all off this time."

"Oh? Playing the pipa actually earns you money?" Master Yu scoffed and held out his fat hand. "Then hand it over."

"Master Yu, please don't rush me. I'll go with you to take another..." Xiang Shibai's voice grew quieter and quieter.

Master Yu roared with laughter. "Even if I chopped it off and fed