But regardless of whether this old man is a high-ranking official, a prince, or an old lord, he will act as he pleases, without caring about his feelings or trying to please him.

Moreover, Sun Jian is still seething with anger about what happened today!

Since he's already here, he has to pay compensation!

"Young friend, please have a seat."

After settling his two attendants, the old man quickly invited Sun Jian to sit down.

Sun Jian made no attempt to stand on ceremony, sitting directly on the rosewood chair and pouring himself a glass of wine.

Sun Jian didn't rush to greet the old man; instead, he turned his gaze to the three women behind him.

"Zi Jian, Qing Cheng, Wan'er, you've been running around all day. It's almost afternoon. Sit down and have a meal together."

To everyone's surprise, Chu Qingcheng and Gu Zijian shook their heads repeatedly.

"Husband... this... this isn't right, is it?"

"Yes, my lord, since ancient times, it has been customary for a wife to sit at the table when her husband is dining out. I will simply serve you from the side..."

As a young lady from a wealthy family, Chu Qingcheng was exposed to this kind of thinking from a young age.

Although the Chu family had fallen on hard times and she herself had been a prisoner, her husband was no ordinary person, nor was he someone to be trifled with.

On the contrary, your future prospects are limitless.

These courtesies are a matter of appearance, respect, and above all, the dignity of her husband.

In this era, women had a very low status.

The wife is the head of the household, the ruler is the head of the subject, and the son is the head of the father; this is ingrained in our bones.

Not to mention high-ranking officials, generals in the army, and even more so those from powerful families, merchants, and wealthy households, even the wives of ordinary people from humble backgrounds with land had to abide by etiquette.

Those commoners might be able to eat at the same table with their wives at home, but they can't do that when they meet friends outside.

Sun Jian was somewhat helpless; the two women were adamant in their stance, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

At this moment, Zhou Wan'er, who hadn't spoken until now, stared at the old man out of the corner of her eye for a long time before finally breaking the deadlock.

"Oh, he asked you to sit down, so just sit down. Things have come to this, why be so formal?"

Although Zhou Wan'er spoke in a carefree manner, her actions truly reflected the demeanor of a well-bred lady.

First, she gently pulled out the chair, tidied her clothes, and then sat down.

Seeing Zhou Wan'er's cheerful personality, Sun Jian finally found a way to break through.

"There's no need for those formalities. When traveling, keep things simple. If you ask me to sit, then sit. Do you intend to disobey your husband?"

Sun Jian mimicked the old man's tone and spoke to the two women.

"Can……"

Chu Qingcheng glanced at the smiling old man beside her, still somewhat hesitant.

"Oh, don't be like that. Look how straightforward Wan'er is. Besides, they invited us to dinner. They can't just not let my wife sit at the table, can they?"

After Sun Jian finished speaking, he looked at the old man.

Seeing Sun Jian's actions, a barely perceptible glint flashed in the old man's eyes, and his gaze became even more probing.

He nodded and laughed heartily, "Sit down, everyone. Don't be shy."

"Alright then..."

Seeing that both sides had allowed them to sit down, Chu Qingcheng and Gu Zijian didn't say anything more and sat down next to Sun Jian.

However, he was still a little reserved, and his speech and behavior were somewhat restrained.

After the dinner started, the other party didn't say anything, and Sun Jian was too lazy to wait any longer. After all that trouble and exhaustion, he was starving.

They began to eat with great relish.

While eating, he didn't forget to serve food to Gu Zijian, Zhou Wan'er, and Chu Qingcheng.

He gestured for them to eat without being polite.

Sun Jian's eating manners were so unseemly that it was as if he were possessed by a pig god, making everyone who watched feel embarrassed.

Especially Wang De, whose face turned pale and then red, kept glancing at Sun Jian and then at his master's changing expression, not daring to speak easily.

On the contrary, when the old man saw Sun Jian's appearance, he was not angry at all. His eyes became much kinder and his expression even became more like that of an elder looking at a younger generation.

The old man shook his head with a wry smile and said to the burly man eating slowly and awkwardly beside him, "Li You, on behalf of your brother Li Mu, toast this young friend as an apology for what happened today."

"yes!"

Although the burly man was very unwilling, he dared not disobey his master's wishes, so he could only pick up his wine cup, force a smile, and toast Sun Jian.

They put on an act of sincere apology.

“Young friend, I am... I am named Li You, and the person you are fighting in the street today is my younger brother, Li Mu.”

"Because he broke several ribs and is currently receiving medical treatment, he cannot apologize in person. Today... I apologize to you on behalf of my brother Li Mu. He was indeed reckless and almost hurt you and the three ladies."

"Your decision on compensation is entirely up to you. My brother Li Mu and I will have no objections and will comply."

"He broke a few ribs today because of this, but that's his fault... He brought it on himself. You're a magnanimous person, so drink this cup of apology wine and let's call it a day, okay?"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their attention to Sun Jian, wanting to see how he would respond.

Normally, given the other party's status and Sun Jian's status as a commoner, and Li Mu's words having already gone this far, Sun Jian should have simply laughed it off and let bygones be bygones, and not pursue the matter further.

But little did anyone know that Sun Jian was not a normal person.

His words left everyone completely stunned.

What he cared about was not apologies or sincere attitudes at all.

He only cares about compensation and money...

"Pay back? How much?" Sun Jian lazily ate a bite of vegetables.

"you!"

Li You was clearly furious at Sun Jian's unconventional actions, his beard bristling and eyes bulging.

He was the one who broke his brother's ribs, yet he was unharmed. Now that he was so humble and subservient, he never expected the other party to say such things.

Who is he? What is his background? How could he be so scorned by a commoner?

But his master was still sitting there, so even if he was angry, he had to hold back!

Li Youqiang suppressed his anger and obsequiously changed his tune: "You... whatever you say, that's what I'll do..."

"I'll give you whatever price I say?" Sun Jian pressed.

Li Youqi clenched his fists, which trembled, but he still repeated obsequiously, "Yes, whatever you say."

"Aren't you going to argue?"

"No rebuttal!"

"Willingly?"

"I'm willing!"

"really?"

"really!"

"really?"

"really!"

Sun Jian pursed his lips, "Then let's make one hundred taels of silver!"

"What??"

Li You exclaimed in shock.

One hundred taels of silver?

This guy must be joking!

I thought this guy would just ask for a token amount, but I didn't expect him to ask for such an exorbitant amount!

He's just a commoner; he struggles to even scrape together a thousand coins a year. One tael of silver can be exchanged for a thousand coins, so how could he possibly ask for a hundred taels?

Has he ever seen what a hundred taels of silver looks like?

One hundred taels of silver notes would weigh 8 catties (approximately 4 kg) in actual silver! Even an ordinary person would find it heavy to carry!