CHAPTER 348: CHAPTER 348: AN ACQUAINTANCE?

Ah Hu retorted angrily, "It was clearly you all who charged over and startled our young master, and yet you have the audacity to blame us first. I’ve never seen such rude behavior."

"Oh, talking all fancy, what do you mean by rude? You bumped into someone and still act so arrogantly. Hurry up and have your young master come down to pay money and apologize, otherwise don’t think about leaving!" Shuan Da said, then outrageously climbed onto the mule cart and drove it to the middle of the road, blocking Old Man Xue’s way forward.

Seeing this, Ah Hu’s face darkened with anger, "You’re going too far, move the mule cart immediately."

Shuan Da was extremely arrogant, "Move it my ass, hurry up and call your young master down to pay money and apologize."

The Lu family was recently in poverty, and they just happened to encounter a ripe target. They wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by easily, as they had been accustomed to doing such things in the past, though they had been more restrained in recent months due to several families escaping the famine.

Ah Hu clenched his fists, really wanting to punch Shuan Da in the face, but remembering Old Man Xue’s instructions, he could only suppress his anger, and through the cart curtain he asked Old Man Xue, "Housekeeper, they want us to apologize and pay money, what should we do?"

After a pause, unable to hold back, he lowered his voice and said, "If it doesn’t work out, we can’t endure anymore, I will go settle that madman."

"No, if we fight, it will inevitably blow up into a bigger issue." Old Man Xue did not want the young master to end up at the government office. After thinking it through, he finally decided to go down himself, "You come up and look after the young master, Dunzi, come with me to check it out."

Although Ah Hu and Dunzi were angry, they still obeyed Old Man Xue, "Yes, housekeeper."

"Grandpa Xue." Brother Shou was somewhat worried, feeling that the people in the other mule cart were too wicked. He wanted to go out and beat them up... Sister Xiao Yu was right, he should practice martial arts.

"It’s alright, they won’t dare do anything to this old servant," Old Man Xue reassured him with a smile, lifting the cart curtain and stepping out.

Seeing them come down, Shuan Da wore a smug expression and bellowed, "Your mule cart startled our Lu Family’s mule cart, causing our Old Master to be frightened, you must apologize and compensate with silver taels."

Old Man Xue looked at Shuan Da, seeing his fairly regular features, but the vulgarity emitted from him was simply nauseating.

Old Man Xue ignored him and went straight to the front of the mule cart, addressing the people inside, "Old Master Lu, please have your servant clear the road."

"Ha, clear the road? Your mule cart startled our mule cart, almost throwing our old man from the carriage. Without apologizing, how can we let you leave?" Old Master Lu said and lifted the cart curtain, startled when he saw Old Man Xue’s appearance, which was quite ugly with scars all over his face.

Old Master Lu sneered, "Young master? So, you are a servant, and an extremely ugly one at that. What right do you have to speak to me? Hurry up and go away, have your young master come here, this is a matter for the master of the house to handle."

Old Man Xue furrowed his brows, staring at Old Master Lu for a moment, feeling he looked somewhat familiar, probably having seen him somewhere before.

"What are you stunned for? Hurry up and call your young master to compensate our Lu Family fifty silver taels!" Old Master Lu demanded loudly.

Old Man Xue shook his head; this Old Master Lu was really blinded by money. He didn’t go back to call for Brother Shou, just asking, "Old Master Lu, does the County Governor know you are using his name to extort people in the countryside?"

"Although I don’t often come to Qingfu Town, I am still from Tianfu County, and I know that County Magistrate Zou’s Yue Family does not bear the Lu surname but the Hong surname."

Old Master Lu’s face turned pale with anger upon being confronted by Old Man Xue. Before he could scold Old Man Xue, Old Man Xue had already spoken first, "Old Master Lu, we have no intention of becoming enemies with your family, but the fault today lies not with us but with your family. By placing your mule cart here and not letting us pass, you are truly being unreasonable. Wherever this matter is discussed, it will be considered that your Lu Family is being rude."

"Old Master Lu, we are in a hurry to get home. Please have your servant drive the mule cart away and do not block everyone’s path."

In just a moment, some passing farmers had already gathered around, and there was also an ox cart parked behind, waiting. However, the owner of the ox cart knew the Lu Family’s overbearing nature in the village and didn’t dare to urge them, so he could only wait.

After Old Man Xue finished speaking, his eyes fixed on Old Master Lu. His face was burnt and already unnerving, and this cold stare frightened Old Master Lu, fearing that this ugly monster would pull out a knife and stab him.

"Hmph!" Old Master Lu lowered the mule cart curtain, sat inside for a while, and then loudly instructed Shuan Da, "Hurry up and go back. Why waste time here with such servants? Aren’t you embarrassed?"

Shuan Da was stunned. Ah? Leaving just like that? They hadn’t slaughtered Silver yet.

Shuan Da felt very sad about the fifty taels of silver they hadn’t managed to extort, but since Old Master Lu had ordered, he could only comply, dejectedly got on the cart, and drove the mule cart away.

Seeing them leave, Old Man Xue finally got onto the cart. "Ah Hu, let’s go."

"Okay," Ah Hu replied with a smile as he drove the mule cart away.

Brother Shou looked at Old Man Xue, his eyes sparkling, "Grandpa Xue is so impressive."

Dunzi also said, "Indeed, the old housekeeper is powerful. With just a few words, he got the unreasonable Lu Family to leave."

Really, the Lu Family has no shame. They nearly hit them yet turned it around and requested compensation; he had never seen such behavior before.

Old Man Xue smiled and said to Brother Shou, "This was taught to me by Little Master’s grandfather."

Brother Shou was delighted to hear this, "It was taught by Grandfather? Grandfather is truly amazing."

Seeing his interest, Old Man Xue took the opportunity to tell him about some affairs of Old Master Fu until Brother Shou fell asleep from fatigue. Then he stopped, thinking of Old Master Lu...

He had found Old Master Lu familiar when he saw him and now finally remembered that Old Master Lu looked just like one of the servants from the Linglong Painting Boat in Jiangnan years ago.

The Linglong Painting Boat was quite famous in Jiangnan, consisting of twelve boats, each hosting a Flower Fairy, known as the Twelve Flower Fairies.

The Twelve Flower Fairies were not only beautiful and seductive, but they were also proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, attracting countless scholars and madmen, with the noble families of Jiangnan proud to sponsor all twelve Flower Fairies of the Linglong Painting Boat.

In his youth, Old Master Fu loved to have fun, often accompanying scholars and madmen to the boat for amusement and flirting with the Twelve Flower Fairies.

Old Man Xue recognized Old Master Lu because several times, when Old Master Fu got drunk, he was sent back by one of the painted boat servants, and it was he who opened the corner gate.

But at that time, it was dim, and Old Master Lu was just one of the servants escorting Old Master Fu back to the residence. Besides, due to the injuries on his face, he would cover one half when encountering others and rarely left the Fu Residence, so Old Master Lu did not recognize him.

However, the Linglong Painting Boat was raided by the government forty years ago, and everyone involved suffered. The owners and the Twelve Flower Fairies were beheaded, while the servants became official slaves.

If Old Master Lu really was a former servant of the Linglong Painting Boat, how did he escape that disaster, and how did he transition from an official slave to a common citizen?

Old Man Xue was baffled.