It was late at night and I couldn't sleep for a long time. Suddenly I remembered something. An old classmate owed me 470,000 yuan and he hasn't paid me back for 3 years. One night he suddenly invited me to dinner. I plucked up the courage to say, "You still owe me money. 470,000 yuan!" He looked confused and said, "When did I owe you money?" I had to show him the IOU.

One day in May 2020, I was sitting at home with a gloomy face when my cell phone suddenly rang. I looked at the familiar number on the screen, and a complex emotion suddenly surged in my heart. When I picked up the phone, the other party excitedly said, "Old Nine! Long time no see, can we get together?" The person who called was my old classmate Zhang Ming.

Zhang Ming and I have been good friends since elementary school. Although we took different paths after graduation, we have always kept in touch. However, three years ago, I lent him 470,000 yuan for his business, but he has not paid me back a cent so far. Although we have a good relationship, this incident has always been a knot between us.


The agreed time came, and I came to the restaurant. Zhang Ming had arrived earlier. When he saw me come in, he greeted me with a smile and asked me to sit down. We ordered a few dishes and chatted, and the atmosphere seemed quite relaxed.

As we ate and drank, I felt the friendship we once had. I couldn't help but ask, "Zhang Ming, our lives were quite busy before. How is your life now?"


A trace of embarrassment flashed across Zhang Ming's face, but he immediately returned to normal and replied with a smile: "Fortunately, life is relatively stable. Lao Jiu, I heard that your business is getting bigger and bigger."


I shook my head, stared into his eyes, and said tremblingly: "Zhang Ming, I came to you because there is something that has been bothering me. Three years ago, I lent you 470,000 yuan. You promised me that you would pay it back, but you haven't paid it back yet."


Zhang Ming looked confused. After a moment of silence, he said, "Laojiu, I have no idea what you are talking about. I have never owed you money."


I was a little caught off guard by his answer, and quickly took out the original IOU from my pocket and handed it to him, "Zhang Ming, this is the IOU from that time, please take a look."

He took the IOU and read it carefully, his expression gradually changing from blank to thoughtful. Finally, he raised his head, with a hint of apology in his eyes, and said, "Laojiu, I really don't remember. A lot of things happened in the past three years, and I really can't remember it."


I was stunned, confused. Did he really forget? Maybe he was deliberately avoiding the question, or maybe he was pretending to be stupid. But whether he remembered or not, the debt still existed, and I was still deeply disappointed.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "No matter what, this money is very important to me. I can't just give it up. Zhang Ming, you are my old classmate. I hope that our friendship will not be damaged because of this incident."


Zhang Ming was silent for a while, then he said softly: "Laojiu, I know what I did was wrong, and I will do my best to resolve this matter. I can start repaying the loan now, or we can discuss a suitable repayment plan."


I felt a little relieved when I heard his answer. Although this process was not easy, at least he did not choose to shirk his responsibility. I knew that this was the first step in rebuilding trust between us.


We sat in that restaurant and had a long discussion and negotiation about the money. Eventually, we worked out a detailed repayment plan and signed a new agreement.


From that day on, Zhang Ming began to repay the debt step by step according to the plan. Every time he repaid, we would confirm with each other and record it in time. Gradually, I saw his efforts and sincerity, and began to trust him again.


After more than a year of hard work, Zhang Ming finally paid off his debt. When he made the final payment, both he and I felt relieved and celebrated. This experience not only deepened our understanding of each other, but also made us realize the preciousness of friendship.


Now, we are business partners and true friends. We have been through difficult times together, supported each other, and played an important role in each other's lives.


Through this experience, I understand the importance of trust and friendship. Sometimes, we need to give each other a chance and believe that the other person can change for the better. Although things may not have a happy ending, at least we try our best to repair our relationship.


This is a story that taught me tolerance and understanding, and it is also a story that made me rediscover friendship. There will be all kinds of challenges and difficulties in life, but as long as we are kind-hearted and tolerant of each other, we will be able to overcome difficulties and move towards a better future.