Manager Liu continued to bow with a wry smile and plead, "Young Master Li, both our families are counting on this shop to survive."

"Please be lenient and let this matter drop. We have no grudge against each other..."

Cat Brother, who had been listening to the whole thing from behind his brother, had long lost his patience. He shouted, "Shut your dog mouth! Do you really think no one knows about the shameful things you've done?"

"Your two families certainly added fuel to the fire regarding those rumors about my sister that were circulating in the city!"

"Do you think our family are idiots who don't know anything?"

"It's just that I haven't had the time to deal with you all!"

"Wang Sheng and Liu Kui, those two idiots, offered themselves up and forced us to compete, wanting to beat our Cyclamen. In the end, they lost their own shop, and then they started cheating!"

"You guys are really shameless! Whenever the city wall is built, you won't even need bricks and tiles; just smear your faces on it!"

"What a disgrace! How dare you come to Broken Gold Beach! You're like a dog wearing a hat to pretend to be a man!"

"Is it because our Li family's knives aren't sharp enough, or do we think it's not a good time to dig pits and bury you alive in winter?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the veterans around him cheered.

Compared to the eldest young master's persuasive reasoning, these roughnecks preferred the seventh young master's outburst of insults.

That's satisfying! That's what I call getting over my anger!

The veterans raised their machetes and sticks, shouting loudly.

"Seventh Young Master is right, it's been years since I've killed anyone, my hands are itching!"

"Let's bury them alive! Killing is too easy, it's no fun! Bury them in the ground, only their heads are sticking out, hold it for half an hour, then shave off a layer of scalp, the blood will gush into the sky like a fountain, it'll be so exhilarating!"

"Damn, this is a great idea! This is how you deal with those who refuse to pay their gambling debts!"

The Liu and Wang families were so shocked by what they heard that their legs went weak.

Some of the more timid ones, just imagining themselves turning into a fountain of blood, have already turned away and started gagging.

Seeing his younger brother eager to try and looking like he was about to cause trouble, Jiaren was also at a loss and quickly shielded Maoge behind him.

The Li family should indeed take a tough stance against shameless individuals like the Liu and Wang families, but they shouldn't go too far.

If the Liu and Wang families are forced into too dire a situation and this gets out, it might damage the Li family's reputation.

In truth, people are foolish.

Sometimes, people don't care about right or wrong, or who is in the right; they only sympathize with the more miserable party and then morally blackmail the stronger party.

The Li family's goal was simply to take back the two shops and reclaim their rightful spoils of victory.

As for the Liu and Wang families, there are many ways to deal with them; there's no need to reveal them in public...

Li Ge'er guessed what his elder brother was thinking, so he reached out and pulled Mao Ge'er.

Jiaren then said to the Liu and Wang families, "Liu Kui and Wang Sheng are your family members. Even if the shop is not in their names, since they have put it up as a bet, they should accept the consequences."

"Besides, don't you keep saying they are children? When children make mistakes, of course you, as fathers, should clean up and resolve the mess!"

"If we don't receive the shop deed by this time tomorrow, just wait for the officials from the Prefect of the Capital to come to our door. We'll see you in court, and the Li family will fight to the bitter end!"

Having said that, he instructed the villagers, "See the guests out!"

The veterans immediately rushed forward, shoving the Liu and Wang families backward.

The Liu and Wang families dared not linger; they didn't want to become a fountain of blood.

Even if someone accidentally falls, they quickly get up and stumble away...

Lu Zong couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh, "Such a shameless scoundrel deserves to be taught a lesson like this!"

Jia Xu nodded with a smile, "Back at the poetry gathering, Wang Sheng and Liu Kui were so arrogant. They probably never imagined they'd end up like this!"

Jiayin then pushed open the door and called her brothers to get in the car.

The carriage turned around and happily took everyone home.

Furthermore, the Liu and Wang families came without a care in the world, but left in a sorry state.

The two families finally made it to the city gate, found a tea stall, and had a cup of hot tea to warm their stomachs.

No sooner had he sat down than a servant from the Wang family came looking for him.

Upon seeing Wang Zhongyuan, the servant rushed up to him and shouted, "Master, you should go home and see! People from the yamen have come and returned all your belongings. They said you don't need to go on duty anymore."

"What?!" Wang Yuanzhong's expression changed completely; he simply couldn't believe it.

There's an old saying: "It's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings."

He's just a low-level clerk in the government office!

Whoever comes to the government office for business, regardless of their background or how powerful they are, must bribe these lowly officials.

The income ranged from one or two taels of silver to five or ten taels, with income coming in almost every day.

He bought the general store on the commercial street by saving up his spare change.

He had just been intimidated by the Li family, and he was thinking that at worst he could just give the shop to the Li family. As long as he had a job, he could always buy another one in a few years.

Unexpectedly, their very foundation has been undermined.

The shop is gone, the job is gone, what am I going to do now?!

"The Li family is truly ruthless; they're not letting us live!" Wang Zhongyuan said, his face pale and filled with hatred.

Wang Sheng couldn't help but offer a suggestion, "Dad, why don't we ask Uncle for help..."

Before he could finish speaking, his father slapped him hard across the face, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Fool! Your uncle owns a shop, what ability does he have! He wanted to help, he came to our house yesterday, why hasn't he shown up yet? How dare you speak like that? Our family will be ruined because of you!"

Wang Sheng's head was spinning from the pain, and he dared not speak anymore, filled with immense regret.

If he had known this would happen, he would never have proposed an additional round at the poetry gathering.

But in the end, it was the Li family that was despicable. Perhaps they already knew that their servant was capable, and deliberately made things difficult for him to lure him into a trap!

Actually, this is a miscarriage of justice for the Li family.

Gu Li is usually diligent and quiet. Apart from his excellent bookkeeping skills, I haven't seen anything else remarkable about him.

Who would have thought this kid would make such a splash this time?!

Mr. Jiang is a playful and cheerful man who seems to have no great ambitions and is fond of pleasure, but he genuinely protects Gu Li.

When Guli returned to school that day, he mentioned the poetry gathering and was severely reprimanded.

This time we were lucky; the questions the old gentleman asked us were ones we had discussed before.

What if it's something you're not familiar with?!

If Gu Li loses, won't that mean his family's shop will also be lost?

That's incredibly daring and risky!

Mr. Jiang personally went to the Li family to apologize and also found Gu Li a job to inspect the Baiyunjian branch in a nearby prefecture.

This trip will take at least half a month to get back.

By then, the handover between the two shops would be complete, and the people of Xindu would have completely forgotten about Gu Li...

As darkness fell, Li Zhensheng, Li Lao Er, and Mr. Wen returned from the city.

Dinner had just been served, and the pickled cabbage in the large earthenware jar was just right for eating.

Take out a few and slice them into strips, then kill two geese and simmer them for half an hour. The aroma will fill the yard.

Once it was placed in a snow-white porcelain basin in the middle of the table, the steaming food brought smiles to the faces of everyone, young and old.

Old Mrs. Li, along with Mrs. Wen, Tao Hongying, Wan'er, and Wenjuan, and Jiayin with her three children, set up a table on the kang (a heated brick bed) in the house.

As for the men, young and old, they ate in the main room.

With such delicious food, of course we should drink some alcohol...

wap.

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