CHAPTER 769: CHAPTER 769: FORCED INTERROGATION

Granny Gu’s face turned cold as she heard this: "What’s wrong with the Lai Family? Hasn’t the Lai Family treated our family well? Without Lord Lai, could Youwen have become an official? You better not forget that our Youwen is just a Scholar."

Granny Gu felt that Elder Gu was truly an insatiable ingrate. How well Lord Lai had treated him; he didn’t kill him, but instead allowed him to live with them at the Lai residence, and yet he dared to be dissatisfied with the Lai Family.

Hmph, peasants will be peasants, eating mud pies and drinking wild vegetable soup, cultivating an ungrateful and despicable nature.

Seeing that Granny Gu was angry, Elder Gu’s face also darkened.

Unfortunately, this time Granny Gu did not try to pacify him, but instead said harshly: "Lord Lai looks after our entire family only on account of the life-saving grace my parents showed him. Otherwise, do you think a high-ranking official like him would help our family for no reason? Sixth Son Gu, one must have a conscience. Your son became an official because of Lord Lai. You can’t just abandon the Lai Family once you’ve risen up."

"And besides, we still need Lord Lai’s help to find the residence of the Gu Family. Don’t ruin our entire family’s prospects just for your own vanity!"

Having said her piece, Granny Gu changed her clothes and went to bed to sleep, no longer paying Elder Gu any mind.

Elder Gu could only stew in his own anger, which aggravated his already healing illness, but he wasn’t going to die from it. Gu Youwen had just become a teacher, and if Elder Gu were to die, Gu Youwen would have to observe mourning, something Granny Gu couldn’t bear to see.

That night, everyone in the Old Gu Family was too excited to sleep, as they discussed in their own courtyards how they would spend the incoming Silver.

The next day, Gu Youlu rose early and went to Lord Lai’s residence. Afraid that Gu Youlu might monopolize the family business, the Qian Father and Son followed him like glue, which irritated Gu Youlu, but he was unable to shake them off.

Lord Lai, aware that they had come early in the morning anxious to find the Gu Family residence, called Zhu Wu and Lai Bai. He instructed Zhu Wu to secretly find the residence with his Protector, while Lai Bai accompanied Gu Youlu and Qian Guangzong Father and Son to Futai Building and the Qi Family, inquiring about the address of the Gu Family with these two households.

Over the past three years, people came to the Qi Family almost every month wanting to know where the Gu Family lived, hoping to personally discuss the spice business with them. Master Qi had long since become accustomed to it.

Seeing Lai Bai and Gu Youlu, he said, "The Gu Family enjoys their solitude and loathes being bothered about business matters by others."

Gu Youlu quickly responded: "We are not outsiders; we also bear the Gu surname and share the same clan and ancestry with this Gu Family."

Master Qi’s mouth twitched, you dare claim same clan and ancestry without even knowing where the Gu Family is from, shamelessly scheming for someone else’s business, truly you’ve lost all sense of shame.

Master Qi was one to bully the weak and fear the strong; he couldn’t stand up to Elder Lei Wu nor Gu Jinli, not to mention Gu Youlu. He frowned and said, "Our family has a contract signed with the Gu Family. If we dare disclose the Gu Family’s residence or any matters related to their spices, we owe the Gu Family a compensation of one hundred thousand taels of Silver. Will you pay this one hundred thousand taels?"

"One hundred thousand taels of Silver!" Qian Guangzong was furious: "How domineering of this Gu Family to set such a contract. One hundred thousand taels, why don’t they just rob someone?"

Master Qi sneered; it was your family that came three days ago, heard of the Gu Family yesterday, and now seeks to seize their business as if you were someone of great importance. Even the King of Heaven is not as overbearing as you are.

Master Qi continued: "That’s the situation. If you want me to tell you the Gu Family’s address, it’s fine, but you’ll have to give me two hundred thousand taels of Silver, no Silver, no talk."

"Two hundred thousand taels, wasn’t it one hundred thousand just before? You’re raising the price on the spot, aren’t you afraid of ruining your family’s reputation?" Qian Chengcai, the fool, seeing the price suddenly double, thought Master Qi was deliberately making things difficult for them and blurted out without a second thought. Lai Bai was too late to stop him.

Bang! Master Qi slammed the table and said to the servant Mo Song, "See the guests out!"

Mo Song, who was a Protector by trade, immediately grabbed Qian Chengcai and dragged him towards the door of the guest hall: "No need to see you out slowly."

"Hey, you brute, what do you think you’re doing? Let me go!" Qian Chengcai struggled, but having spent his days with four maids, his body was sapped of strength. He was no match for Mo Song and stumbled as he was dragged out the door.

Qian Guangzong hurriedly followed, shouting: "Stop, stop it now! We reside with the Vice Magistrate, do you know how much Lord Lai dotes on my son? If you harm him, Lord Lai won’t let you off."

Father and son Qian did not realize where they had gone wrong, but Lai Bai did and he didn’t have time to deal with them. He quickly apologized to Master Qi: "Master Qi, please don’t blame us. Young Master Chengcai didn’t do it on purpose; he’s just blunt and forthright."

Master Qi sneered, "Blunt and forthright enough to insult my entire Qi Family?"

Lai Bai was at a loss for words and hurriedly said again, "Master, please calm down, calm down."

Seated in his Taishi Chair, Master Qi said with a gloomy face, "Just leave, it’s your presence that tarnishes the reputation of my Qi Family."

Seeing Master Qi’s expression, Lai Bai knew they were not welcomed anymore and had no choice but to pull a reluctant Gu Youlu away.

Gu Youlu was not convinced and wanted to argue with Master Qi, but he was firmly restrained by Lai Bai and dragged away.

As soon as the group of four stepped out of Qi Family’s gate, Gu Youlu questioned Lai Bai, "Why didn’t you let me reason with that Mr. Qi?"

With his eloquence, he was sure he could have persuaded Master Qi.

Lai Bai said, "The Qi Family is a scholarly household that values reputation above all. After what Young Master Chengcai said, Master Qi is not going to pay us any heed. His elder brother has been serving as a government official in the Capital for decades and has made quite a number of acquaintances there. He has performed fairly well since his promotion and is highly valued for Elder Qi’s integrity. It’s best if we avoid offending the Qi Family whenever possible."

Qian Chengcai had been dragged out of the Qi house by Mo Song and his face looked displeased as he blustered, "Eldest Young Master Qi is just a fifth-rank official, Lord Lai is also a fifth-rank, why should we be afraid of him?"

"Capital Officials are different from those positioned elsewhere. Even though they share the same rank, the ones in the Capital are considered more esteemed," Lai Bai explained and seeing that Qian Chengcai was about to make more fuss, he quickly added, "Also, there’s Futai Building; we could question Boss Hu of Futai Building. Boss Hu is just a merchant and has no government officials in the family - we could pressure them however we like."

At this suggestion, Gu Youlu and the others were immediately delighted and hurried toward Futai Building.

Upon arriving at Futai Building, they directly said to the Shopkeeper, "Where is your Boss? Call him out, and tell him that people from the Vice Magistrate’s residence are here to see him."

The Shopkeeper of Futai Building, also surnamed Hu and a member of the Hu Clan, frowned when he heard this and responded, "The Boss is celebrating the New Year back in his hometown, he’s not in the Prefecture."

Gu Youlu and his companions were stunned; today was truly a damper. Boss Hu was unexpectedly not around. They said, "No matter, it’s fine even if he’s not here - we can ask you instead. Don’t you go and get roast duck and marinated goods every day? Then you surely know the residence of the Gu Family; tell us where the Gu Family lives."