Chapter 474: We Only Take Cash Here, No Bank Cards Allowed!

“Good lord, people actually pull this kind of stunt nowadays, just hand over a bank card like they’re some big shot.”

“Haha, not a bad idea though. I’m totally stealing that move. Next time I’ll hand over a card too. That way no one can see how much I actually gave.”

“True! No need to feel embarrassed about the amount. Just preload it with a few dozen bucks, who’s gonna know?”

Before Wang Yun could even say a word, the group of guys nearby had already started whispering to each other. Only this time, unlike their earlier comments about Old Hu, their voices were much louder. Intentionally so.

“Hey, little brother, how much are you giving exactly? How are we supposed to record this?”

The elder shifu stared at the bank card, looking genuinely puzzled.

Out here in the countryside, people always gave cash. No one used cards for something like this.

And how much was on it anyway? Who could say? You could make up any number you liked.

Wang Yun hadn’t thought it would be a big deal, but hearing their reasoning, he figured they did have a point.

“Alright then, I’ll just give it directly to the groom later. No need to have it recorded,” Wang Yun said as he reached to take the card back.

But just then, a hand shot out and pressed the card flat onto the table.

“Hey, that’s not how we do things around here, brother.”

Wang Yun turned his head and saw the guy who’d tried to step up earlier, the one from Xiao Gang’s childhood crew.

The man wore a black jacket speckled with white lint. Combined with his greasy hair, the dandruff falling off his scalp looked like a mini snowstorm.

“Hm?” Wang Yun narrowed his eyes and gave a dismissive snort.

“Look, since we’re all Xiao Gang’s friends here, the usual practice is cash,” the guy said with a fake smile. “You show up flashing a bank card, it’s just not how we do things around here. You city folks have your way of doing things, but we villagers have our own customs. How about this, we’ve got cash. You can transfer the amount to one of us, and we’ll swap it out for you. That way it still looks respectable.”

As he spoke, the man pulled a wad of cash from inside his coat.

The others behind him quickly nodded in agreement, reaching into their pockets and pulling out bills of their own.

“Yeah, between the few of us, we can put something together.”

“Lucky timing, I just got paid today. Got eighteen grand on me that I haven’t deposited yet.”

“Well damn, I didn’t know you were rolling in it these days!”

The others pulled out their cash too, showing off thick stacks.

The scene drew attention immediately. People nearby who had just been spectating turned their heads at the commotion. Even Old Hu noticed—after all, under the bright daylight, a bunch of guys waving around wads of cash was hard to miss.

“Boss, what’s going on? You borrowing money or something?”

He walked over, puzzled.

Wang Yun glanced at the piles of cash and smiled faintly.

“Nope. I gave Xiao Gang a bank card, and these guys say I don’t know how to follow the rules.”

His voice was calm, completely devoid of emotion.

Old Hu’s face darkened.

“Rules? What rules? Don’t worry about it. Just give it to Xiao Gang later,” he said. “Leaving a bank card lying around isn’t exactly safe anyway.”

“Not safe?” one of the other guys shot back, irritated. “We’re out here handling wads of cash, and you’re worried about a single card?”

The old bookkeeper chimed in, his tone slow and didactic, as if speaking to a student, “Relax, son. We may look rough, but we’re meticulous to the core. Don’t underestimate us. Even if you handed over a pile of pennies today, we’d pass every last one to the groom.”

He finished with a proud glance toward Old Hu, clearly annoyed.

“Old man’s right,” dandruff guy said, smirking. “Though I wouldn’t be surprised if that card is full of pennies.”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Even the bookkeeper chuckled along.

Their raucous laughter echoed through the courtyard, drawing everyone’s attention.

Some of the older ladies who’d been nibbling sunflower seeds now looked over, pointing fingers at Wang Yun. Even the auntie who’d just been chatting about matchmaking for Old Hu came over and tugged on his sleeve.

“This isn’t the city, you know. Tell your friend to quit with the fancy airs and just bring out the cash.”

She meant well, giving the advice with a smile.

But Old Hu wasn’t the kind of guy to back down, not when it came to Wang Yun.

Even if Wang Yun had given them a sack of pennies, he’d still take his side.

“Rules? Screw the rules. My boss gives what he wants. And even if it is pennies, what of it? Money can’t compare to brotherhood,” he shouted it loud enough for half the village to hear.

The elders around them just shook their heads and chuckled mockingly.

In their world, money spoke louder than anything else. After living half a lifetime, they knew what really counted.

“C’mon, man, we’re all waiting to make our gifts over here. We’re all Xiao Gang’s friends, right? Just take out the cash,” dandruff guy urged again, still wearing a fake smile like he had Wang Yun’s best interests at heart.

Wang Yun hadn’t wanted to cause a scene.

But he’d had just about enough of these people.

He slid the card back into his pocket, eyes narrowing as he looked at them.

“Alright. I’ll transfer you the money. You scrape together the cash. If we’re going by local customs, then let’s do it properly.”

After exchanging glances, the group broke into smirks, eyes full of disdain.

Then, one by one, they whipped out the money they had.

“This is all we’ve got between us, thirty-two thousand. That enough for you?”