CHAPTER 21: CHAPTER 20: RETRIBUTION IN THIS LIFE

Zhu Yu found herself squeezed among the crowd, involuntarily moving towards the grand Lu Mansion. Fortunately, Lu Qing was right behind her, discreetly shielding her on both sides, preventing anyone from jostling her.

Once they entered through the large door, an indescribable odor hit them, rather unpleasant.

Zhu Yu frowned, as others around her complained whether a cat or dog had died in the mansion, causing such a stench.

The servants and attendants of the Lu Family were huddled to the side, looking frantic yet seemingly unaffected by the smell.

With so many people flooding into the Lu Mansion, chaos quickly ensued. Some rushed in to search for silver and gold, while others simply walked off with vases and jade.

Initially, the Lu Family’s attendants tried to stop them, but eventually, they couldn’t hold back the crowd. The steward came out to plead, saying the master instructed him to tell everyone to take what they wanted but not to frighten the women in the back courtyard or hurt anyone.

Soon, the Lu Mansion became a complete mess.

The Lu Family members all hid in a secluded courtyard, with all the Protectors stationed there to prevent anyone from storming in and hurting them, leaving everything else unattended.

The once elegant and refined courtyard was quickly ransacked, with people who couldn’t find antique vases taking the rosewood furniture instead, determined not to leave empty-handed.

Some left clutching contracts of sale, while others simply walked in and took things, all unchecked.

Zhu Yu realized she couldn’t do anything amid the chaos and signaled to Lu Qing to head out. Taking advantage of the disorder within the Lu Family grounds, they returned to the front courtyard, which was now devoid of Lu Family’s servants, likely having gone into hiding.

Outside, people continued to trickle in, and Zhu Yu sharply recognized the young attendant who the steward had dispatched earlier. He was now huddled behind a pillar at the doorway, too frightened to enter.

Zhu Yu hurried over, and the young attendant, seeing someone approach, retreated in fear, worried he’d be in trouble.

Zhu Yu wouldn’t give him the chance to escape, catching up in a few strides and pulling him back behind the large pillar.

"Didn’t you go to report to the authorities? Where are the government people?" she asked him softly.

The young attendant, barely thirteen or fourteen, was initially terrified. But hearing that Zhu Yu didn’t seem to be causing trouble and seeing her kind face, he relaxed a bit and said pitifully, "I went there, but I couldn’t even get inside the government office. No one would speak to me!

I knocked till my hand was swollen. The officers inside said the county magistrate was too busy to deal with our problems and told me to leave quickly. If I made more noise, they’d beat me with a board.

I had no choice but to come back. I don’t even know how to explain to the steward."

Zhu Yu felt sorry for the trembling child. Although the family previously wielded power in Qingshui County, the sight of the boy’s sallow face, wearing old and short clothing, showed he wasn’t treated well, and now he was caught up in this mess.

She took out a pastry she had brought along and handed it to the boy. "Find a quiet place, eat this, and wait until the crowd here disperses before coming back. Just say you were begging tirelessly at the county government!"

The boy took the pastry dumbly, sniffing it, almost shedding tears. "Thank you, kind person! I haven’t had a full meal in days!"

"Why is that?" Zhu Yu asked, initially planning to let him go, but upon hearing this, she pulled the boy back, "Doesn’t the Lu Family feed you?"

"Not really," the boy was grateful for Zhu Yu’s help and answered her questions, "I usually just do odd jobs in the back courtyard, but the masters haven’t shorted my meals.

But lately, the food at home... it’s unbearable, worse than pig slop..."

As he spoke, he noticed more people approaching and got scared. Zhu Yu chose not to question him further and let go, watching the boy clutch the pastry and sprint away.

People continued to pour into the Lu Mansion, and it was hard to tell whether there were more truly indebted to the Lu Family or more opportunistic looters.

Zhu Yu glanced at the solid doors that no longer served any purpose, unsure what to think.

Around the Lu Mansion, some ordinary spectators gathered, not daring to come close but unwilling to leave, just watching the spectacle.

Zhu Yu and Lu Qing made a circle and returned to the crowd that merely watched without stealing, listening to their chatter.

"In my opinion, the most pitiful are the Lu Family’s servants! Look, they don’t dress well, they don’t eat well, it’s always Lu’s patrons showing off, and now that they’ve fallen into trouble, these servants have to suffer along!" A short, stout youth, resembling a round winter melon, lamented.

His tall, lanky companion was puzzled, "But my uncle once went to the Lu Family to measure for new clothes.

He said the Lu Family was extremely frugal, not only did the servants dress plainly, but even the masters wouldn’t buy costly fabrics, it doesn’t look like they only mistreat the servants."

"That’s simple, hiding all the ill-gotten wealth!" The round youth spat disdainfully, looking down on the Lu Family.

"You don’t understand," a middle-aged man leaned in between the two, speaking softly, "it’s not stinginess. The Lu Family put their money somewhere else!

You only know Lu’s patrons earn money outside, but you don’t know they have a bottomless pit at home, Second Young Master Lu, do you?"

"What do you mean?" The two perked up and quickly asked, "Is Second Young Master Lu obsessed with elixirs?

Heard some ended up like that, bankrupt, neither human nor ghost..."

"Oh—! No wonder Second Young Master Lu never shows up..."

"That’s not it," the middle-aged man quickly interjected, "don’t spread falsehoods!

Second Young Master Lu isn’t addicted to elixirs!

He’s a scholar, nearly becoming a bookworm, solely focused on achieving academic success, but sadly failing time and again.

He almost gave it up, but his brother made money and thought of buying him a title. Over the past two years, it’s said they’ve been greasing palms all around, though it’s unclear if anything came of it, but a lot of money certainly has been spent.

Who would’ve thought, after spending all that money, the title wasn’t obtained, Lu’s patron disappeared, and the Lu Family’s distillery had issues!

That Second Young Master Lu is really unlucky, probably has no hope of recovering in this lifetime!"

"How do you know all this?"

"Well, it’s because the academy always buys coal from me. I often deliver there, and over time, I learned a lot."

The stout and lanky pair listened, faces showing schadenfreude: "That’s why one shouldn’t earn heartless money, heaven has eyes! This is retribution! Serves them right!"