CHAPTER 771: CHAPTER 771: GIVING YOU ALL MY POSSESSIONS

Qian Guangzong was running and dodging, causing the already chaotic courtyard to descend further into a frenzied mess of chickens flying and dogs jumping.

Housekeeper Lai frowned at the sight and spoke out to stop it: "Enough! Calm down, everyone. We can discuss this matter when the adults return."

Granny Gu dared not cause further commotion and quickly put away her walking stick, making an apologetic smile at Housekeeper Lai: "Housekeeper Lai, this time it’s Chengcai’s fault. Please rest assured, I will discipline him. Please help speak a few good words in front of Lord Lai, so that Lord Lai won’t be too angry."

Housekeeper Lai did not respond to Granny Gu’s plea, simply stating: "I’m just a servant, I dare not meddle with the master’s intentions."

After finishing, he no longer paid attention to Granny Gu, but called over a servant and pointed at Lai Bai saying, "Take Lai Bai down and give him a severe beating of thirty strokes with the large plank."

If Housekeeper Lai didn’t punish Lai Bai harshly, the punishment Lai Bai would receive from Lord Lai upon his return would be far worse than just a beating.

Lai Bai didn’t dare to claim injustice, and let the servants take him away for the execution. But being Housekeeper Lai’s son, the thirty fierce strokes were somewhat lenient; they only caused superficial skin injuries without harming his bones, and he would recover in a few days.

Lord Lai rushed back in the afternoon, solely because Zhu Wu had run to the Deputy Magistrate Manor to find him, reporting that the townspeople of the Prefecture were all talking about how the newly-appointed Vice Magistrate’s nephew was using his power to bully others. In an attempt to wrest business from the Gu Family, he had led a group to assault the Futai Building, demanding information about the Gu Family’s whereabouts. Failing to get information, they also smashed up Futai Building. Unfortunately, they disrupted a meal at Lord Yan of the Linhe family, who, along with a group of noble young masters from the town, gave them a severe thrashing.

Incidents involving Futai Building could still be smoothed over, and the Yan Family appeased, but the fact that such bullying occurred just three days after Lord Lai assumed office was a serious issue.

Judge Tang earnestly advised him: "Vice Magistrate Lai, while it’s true you’re grateful and want to repay your benefactors, you mustn’t spoil their descendants excessively—your own reputation is at stake."

Lord Lai’s face turned red upon hearing this, and he hastily excused himself. As soon as he entered the gates of his residence, he furiously demanded from Housekeeper Lai, "What happened with Lai Bai? Couldn’t you keep an eye on a few people? The entire town knows about it now!"

Housekeeper Lai quickly explained the whole sequence of events to Lord Lai, adding: "This old servant didn’t know that the townspeople of He’an Prefecture were so gossipy. Events only transpired a few hours ago, yet it’s already the talk of the town."

Housekeeper Lai didn’t know that it was Futai Building’s storyteller who had spread the news, and it was actually Gu Jinli’s idea. The previous attempts to vandalize the shop had also failed because of this tactic.

While speaking, he had someone bring Lai Bai over for Lord Lai to question.

Seeing that Lai Bai was already beaten, some of Lord Lai’s anger subsided, yet he still docked Lai Bai’s monthly salary for half a year.

Then he asked, "What about Youlu and the others? Call them here!"

Such a troublesome group, causing such a major incident.

Housekeeper Lai explained, "Elder Lu San has been kneeling at your courtyard gate since he returned, even slapping himself several times, saying he failed to supervise Young Master Chengcai well and caused trouble for you."

Youlu, although frightened, was somewhat shrewd; knowing that Lord Lai wouldn’t let them off easily upon his return, he took the initiative to perform this act. Thus, he shifted all the blame onto the Qian Family, claiming complete innocence.

Indeed, after hearing this, Lord Lai’s anger subsided significantly; he knew the troublemakers were the Qians, and Youlu was merely implicated.

"Let’s go, let’s see Youlu." Lord Lai got up and walked towards his living quarters while instructing a servant: "Go and bring the Qian family father and son to me!"

"Yes," the servant replied, taking some Protectors and heading to the courtyard where the Qian Family resided.

As Youlu saw Lord Lai, he immediately choked up and said, "Uncle Lai, I’m sorry, it’s my fault for not supervising Chengcai well. Please punish me... I’m truly ashamed to face you."

Gu Youlu wept bitterly, making Lord Lai’s heart soften, though he did not let him get up immediately, he blamed all the faults on the Qian Family father and son.

When Qian Guangzong and his son arrived, he did not give them a chance to speak, and said directly: "Hold them down, give me ten slaps each, let them remember the lesson, so they won’t cause trouble by talking nonsense outside."

Seeing that Qian Chengcai had already been beaten until his nose was blue and his face swollen, he changed his statement: "The fault of the son is the father’s error, Qian Chengcai’s ten slaps will be taken on behalf of him by Qian Guangzong."

Qian Guangzong was stunned, was he going to be slapped twenty times all of a sudden? Could he even survive that?

He wanted to beg for mercy, but the Protector had already grabbed him, slapping him fiercely with a smack smack smack.

The Protector had great strength, and knowing that Lord Lai didn’t like Qian Guangzong, he struck mercilessly. Qian Guangzong’s teeth were knocked out, three in total, and finally, he was knocked unconscious.

Qian Chengcai saw his own father being beaten so miserably that he too fainted from fear.

Upon seeing this, Lord Lai frowned, Jinzhi really had a hard life, burdened with such a father and son. If Pan Shuangniang had been more responsible back in the day, she shouldn’t have let Jinzhi marry into such a family.

But it was too late to say anything now, they could only keep a close watch on the Qian Family father and son.

After punishing the Qian Family father and son, Lord Lai said to Gu Youlu: "Youlu, there is always someone above us in this world, and even though I am the Vice Magistrate of He’an, there is still the Lord Magistrate in He’an Prefecture. Wanting to find a livelihood for your family is good, but you must use the right methods, never cause trouble like this again, or I will not let you off easily!"

Gu Youlu wiped his tears and said: "Yes, rest assured Uncle Lai, your nephew will remember and will not make the same mistake again."

But in his heart, he was not thinking this way, instead, he blamed the Gu Family and was more eager to find the Gu Family to seize their livelihood, wishing death to the Gu Family!

Now, Lord Lai had no time to deal with Gu Youlu, after sending him away, he personally went with generous gifts to apologize to Lord Yan.

Although Elder Yan accepted his apology, he mentioned that the matter had already spread through the Prefecture, and whether it would reach the Capital and become known to the Imperial Censorate, he could not guarantee.

This made Lord Lai very anxious and troubled, he returned and in the middle of the night, he secretly had Granny Gu summoned and scolded her severely.

Granny Gu knelt on the ground, not daring to retort, and could only let Lord Lai scold her.

Lord Lai warned her: "If you want to live well, you must keep an eye on Qian Guangzong and his son. If they do anything detrimental to me again, you know what their fate will be."

That would be death!

Having said this, without paying heed to the trembling Granny Gu, he let Housekeeper Lai send her away.

...

However, Gu Jinli in Da Feng Village of Qingfu Town was completely unaware of this.

At this moment, Gu Jinli was looking at Qin San Lang, pointing to the box in his hands, asking, "Are you really going to have me keep these things hidden for you? Don’t you have any other place to store your valuables? I am not your nanny, last time I helped you hide the iron certificate, this time even the indentures of You An and others, the manor and shop land deeds you bought elsewhere, and the silver notes also need me to hide for you, can’t you hide them by yourself?"

It was dark, with only the faint light of a torch flickering, Gu Jinli could not see the redness on Qin San Lang’s face, only saw him looking at her with a smile, saying, "I often have to run around, keeping things here with Xiao Yu is safer."