Chapter 372 A Series of Pleading Poverty

Xiang Weinan suddenly had a bad feeling, "So..."

"Sir, as you know, our family is really not well-off. Just a month ago, my parents couldn't even afford to eat. We finally managed to open that clothing shop with all my savings, but we had hardly any business for many days. We were desperately poor. That thirty taels for a private room was really too expensive, almost all of our family's savings."

As Shu Yu spoke, she couldn't help but sigh, "But we had no choice at the time. To get that painting, even if it meant going bankrupt, I had to do it, right? But now I'm penniless, and I don't know if my parents will beat me to death when I get back."

Xiang Weinan's temple throbbed with a vein. "I really believed your nonsense."

Seeing that she was getting more and more worked up and more and more miserable, Xiang Weinan finally couldn't bear it any longer and called out to Hu Li, "Go and get fifty taels of silver for Miss Lu."

Upon hearing this, Shu Yu immediately stopped muttering.

"The sir is indeed a man of great integrity, not taking a single penny from the people. His noble character is exemplary."

Xiang Weinan hadn't had much contact with Shu Yu before, and this was the first time he had realized how eloquent she was.

I don't know how Meng Yunzheng can stand her.

He took the fifty-tael silver note and pushed it directly in front of her, saying, "Thirty taels of silver is for the private room fee, and the remaining twenty taels can be considered as your reward for your hard work today."

A meager fee... only twenty taels?

Shu Yu's eyes revealed a hint of disdain, but her hands quickly put away the silver notes.

Xiang Weinan almost vomited blood under her gaze. "Twenty taels is no small amount. Don't think that just because I'm the magistrate of Jiangyuan County, I'm any different. I've only been here a short time and I have no connections or influence in the county. If I want to get anything done, I have to spend money. It hasn't been long, and my entire county office is almost empty. Being an official is not easy at all."

Shu Yu chuckled, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Was this some kind of impromptu attempt at self-praise? One after another, they took turns complaining about being poor.

Come on, isn't fifty taels of silver part of the budget? Why don't you report it to your superiors and get reimbursed? This evidence is so important; without us, if you had others go to great lengths to find it, the cost would have been far more than fifty taels.

However, she knew when to stop, and she didn't really want to squeeze a lot of money out of Xiang Weinan.

Shu Yu put the silver notes away and nodded, saying, "Alright, I understand your situation, sir. A little less is fine; I'm just a kind person."

Seeing that Da Niu had returned and was walking towards them, Shu Yu also stood up.

My aunt and uncle have probably said enough. If we don't go back soon, our family will worry.

She bid farewell to Xiang Weinan, saying, "Since there's nothing else here, I'll take my aunt and the others home first. If anything else needs to be done, Master Xiang can send someone to find us."

“Okay.” Xiang Weinan said, “Tell your family what they should and shouldn’t say. Don’t let them spread the word. Even for their own safety, it’s best to keep the things in the black market to yourselves.”

"I understand." Shu Yu turned and left.

But after taking a few steps, she seemed to remember something and suddenly turned her head. "By the way, isn't Lord Xiang undecided about what to reward my uncle with? Would you like to hear my suggestion?"

(End of this chapter)