CHAPTER 387: CHAPTER 387: NIGHT VISIT

Old Man Xue wanted to let bygones be bygones after returning home that day, thinking that whether Old Master Lu was a runaway slave or not, what happened in the past had passed, and now Old Man Xue just wanted to focus on raising Fu Yang well, not wishing to mention the matters of the past anymore.

However, being a cautious man, he had Ah Hu discreetly investigate Old Master Lu after returning home and discovered that he held enmity with several of Gu Jinli’s family.

Gu Jinli was his benefactor, and his benefactor’s enemy naturally became his enemy. Old Man Xue thus wrote a letter to Gu Jinli, informing him about the matter of Old Master Lu being a runaway slave.

But Old Man Xue feared the letter might be intercepted, so he did not write in detail and also did not mention whether he held any evidence that could prove Old Master Lu was a runaway slave.

Even so, Gu Jinli was so delighted upon receiving the letter that she almost burst into laughter.

It seemed as though God Himself was helping her.

The hierarchy and household registration system in Great Chu were very strict; if Old Master Lu indeed was a runaway slave from the Linglong Painting Boat, not only would he be sentenced to death for the crime of being a runaway slave, but the children, grandchildren, and even the distant descendants born to Old Master Lu would all be enlisted as slaves!

It was as if she had netted them all in one fell swoop.

Exhilarated, Gu Jinli knew this matter could not be delayed and immediately called for Gu Jin’an, and the two of them headed to Elder Qin’s house.

Elder Qin was fetching water, preparing to make dinner, when he saw the siblings and smiled, "Why have you both come together? Is Brother Gu calling me over for dinner again? I just went yesterday. If I go again today, in the future, the old man won’t need to cook, and might as well eat at your house all the time."

When the Qin Brothers were not at home, Third Grandpa would have Elder Qin come over to eat every other day.

Gu Jinli said, "That’s no problem at all. As long as Grandpa Qin is happy, you can have meals at our place all the time. However, we are here this time to discuss another matter with you."

Seeing Gu Jinli’s serious demeanor, Elder Qin put away the smile on his face and said, "Go sit in the main hall first."

As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly carried a pair of water buckets to the kitchen, briskly poured the water into the tank, then hurried back to the main hall and looked at Gu Jinli, "What is the matter exactly?"

It seemed to be a very serious matter.

Gu Jinli handed Elder Qin’s letter to Elder Qin, "Please have a look, Grandpa Qin."

Though Elder Qin was of advanced age, his eyesight was excellent. He took the letter, read through it quickly, his expression turning from shock to excitement: "Good, the good days for the Lu family are coming to an end."

Elder Qin felt there was an eighty percent chance that the matter of Old Master Lu being a runaway slave was true.

Back when he first came to the village, due to Old Master Lu leading the oppression against several families, Elder Qin had investigated Old Master Lu and learned that over forty years ago, he indeed went out to make a living.

At that time, Old Master Lu’s family was very poor, so poor that they could not afford to open the pot, but when Old Master Lu came back forty years ago, he brought back quite a lot of silver. With that silver, he repaid debts, bought more than ten acres of land, and built a green brick tile house.

Today, that green brick tile house had become the Lu family’s servant’s room, and Shuan Da and the others lived there.

However, Old Master Lu was not content, thinking that life with more than ten acres of land was a hardship. Therefore, he sent Lu Meihua to the County Governor Mansion to become a concubine, and the family became thoroughly prosperous.

Thinking back now, it must have been when Old Master Lu was a servant, he had witnessed the grand wealth of Jiangnan and could not be satisfied with the petty ease of owning just a dozen or so acres of land.

Gu Jin’an had just washed his face with cold water, and before he could finish a bowl of water, Gu Jinli had dragged him to the Qin family. He hadn’t yet seen the letter, and upon hearing this asked, "Grandpa Qin, what exactly is written in the letter? Why are you and Xiao Yu so excited?"

"You haven’t seen it?" Elder Qin said, handing the letter in his hand to Gu Jin’an.

After reading the letter, Gu Jin’an’s expression changed dramatically; he almost wanted to burst out laughing, but he restrained himself, saying only four words: "Lu Family, it’s over!"

Elder Qin shook his head, "It’s been a long time, and it won’t be easy to conclusively pin the crime on Old Master Lu. However, now that God has delivered such an opportunity to our doorsteps, we have to give it our all. If successful, we can eradicate the Lu Family and feel a bit more at ease living in the village in the future."

Although the Lu Family had been severely weakened, the current state of the Lu Family was like a wounded venomous snake, lying in wait in the village, ready to strike out at them again at any moment— they had to be vigilant.

Gu Jinli nodded, "Grandpa Qin, we can’t drag this out too long. We must act swiftly and decisively. Let’s leave immediately for Uncle Shang’s house, then head to Hukou Town, and directly see Old Man Xue, asking for his help to testify and take down the Lu Family in one fell swoop."

Seeking Scholar Shang was because not only was he wise, but he was also the Jiang Family’s son-in-law, and if they wanted to uproot the Lu Family, they needed the Jiang Family’s assistance.

Elder Qin looked at the sky, worriedly said, "If we depart now, could it be too early? If village folks see us, we might set the grass rustling and alert the snake."

It was now early evening, and the villagers were all fetching water for cooking at the village center well. Others were not fools; they would be suspicious if they saw them leaving at this time.

Gu Jinli smiled, "Grandpa Qin, don’t worry. I’ve thought of an excuse. We’ll say that my brother is returning the mule cart to Uncle Shang, and the two of us will hide in the cart without showing ourselves, and no one will notice."

In the past few months, their family had also borrowed the mule cart from Scholar Shang’s Family several times, and it was not unusual to return the cart. Unless someone was deliberately looking for trouble, they wouldn’t be suspicious.

Elder Qin nodded, "Alright, let’s set out now."

But...

Elder Qin continued, "First, we have to call Third Grandpa, Tie Zhu, and Yongfu over. We surely won’t be able to return tonight, and we need them to be vigilant, to prevent any mishaps."

"Eh, I’ll go call Third Grandpa right away," Gu Jin’an responded and ran to summon Third Grandpa, Father Luo, and Wang Yongfu.

The reason for calling only these three was because Third Grandpa was the eldest male elder among the villagers and had always managed their affairs. Father Luo and Wang Yongfu knew martial arts; both were capable of handling trouble, and could protect the families at the edge of the village while they were away.

As for the others, Gu Jinli and Elder Qin thought it was better not to let them know for the time being. The more people who knew, the harder it would be to keep a secret.

In no time, Third Grandpa, Father Luo, and Wang Yongfu arrived.

Elder Qin repeated the situation to them, "The three of us will set out soon to take care of this matter. The end of the village is in your hands. Until we return, do not let this slip, be cautious and careful, so as not to let the Lu Family catch any wind of this."

Third Grandpa was stunned, he never expected that Brother An called them over to discuss such an urgent matter... Escaping servitude—if they were caught, not only would Old Master Lu face death, but the entire Lu Family would be forced into slavery.

Third Grandpa’s hands were trembling, and it took him a while to calm down from the shock and excitement, before saying to Elder Qin, "Brother Qin, rest assured as you take the two youngsters. Leave the end of the village to us. We will ensure the safety of our families and prevent any trouble."