Chapter 13: It’s too late to repay a deep favor and now you want to distance yourself from it…
"stop!"
As Jiang Tong rushed into the yard, Jiang Huaishan's voice came from behind him.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'll go and redeem Guan Qing!" Jiang Tong kept walking.
"Where did you get the money?" Zhong Wanci popped her head out from behind Jiang Huaishan and asked anxiously.
Jiang Tong said, "I'll go pawn the land deed."
Zhong Wanci panicked when she heard this. She quickly jumped over her husband and rushed over to pull her back: "This is the only yard we have left. If you pawn it, what will happen to our family?"
Seeing that Zhong Wanci was about to cry, Jiang Tong stopped and said to her, "Don't worry, Mom. It's just a temporary pawn. Once the painting is sold, the deed can be redeemed."
"Jiang Tong!" Jiang Huaishan leaned against the doorframe for support and shouted sternly, "Do you know that if you redeem Su Guanqing, it will be announced to the world that our family is inextricably linked to the Su family's case! Who knows how many eyes will be on us then!"
"Dad, ever since you ignored my objections and insisted on my engagement with Guan Qing, our family has been entangled with the Su family. It's too late to try to sever ties now. Let those people keep an eye on us. I want to see what they can find out!"
After Jiang Tong finished speaking, he didn't even look at Jiang Huaishan's reaction and pulled A Qiao out.
Seeing her daughter disappear at the door, Zhong Wanci anxiously shook Jiang Huaishan's arm again and again: "Huaishan! What should I do?"
Jiang Huaishan sighed, as if he had finally made up his mind. He patted the back of his wife's hand and called out to Feng Fuliu, who was about to follow him out, "Sir, please stay."
…
Jiang Tong pawned the land deed for one hundred taels of silver and immediately went to the music house.
The head of the group was drinking with some musicians. When he saw Jiang Tong coming, he threw a peanut into his mouth and said loudly, "Hey, are you here to ask Su Guanqing for money again? This is unfortunate. He has been invited to a party. Please come back another day."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and whispered something to the musicians. Before he finished speaking, Jiang Tong had already walked to their table.
"I'm not here to look for Guan Qing. I'm here to redeem Guan Qing."
The team leader paused with his chopsticks, and the peanuts he had just picked up fell into his wine glass with a "clack". He turned around and stared at Jiang Tong in surprise: "Are you kidding me?"
"Didn't we agree that I'll come back to redeem Guan Qing in a month? It's almost time now," Jiang Tong said. "Name your price."
The squad leader turned back, took the peanut out of the wine, put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly.
Jiang Tong waited for a while, but he didn't speak, so she urged him again.
The squad leader just said slowly: "Haven't you seen me eat? Wait."
His posture made it clear that he thought the two little girls in front of him were easy to control, and he wanted to make them feel at a loss.
Jiang Tong could see through his trick. Although Jiang Taidou considered himself a craftsman in his previous life, she was also the owner of a restoration business. After decades of business, she had seen all kinds of people.
The reason she became the industry leader was not only her superb restoration skills, but more importantly, she was open and honest and never used tricks to deceive customers.
She herself disdained such tricks, and naturally looked down on people who used such tricks. The look she gave the squad leader was filled with a look of disdain that she could not conceal.
"It seems you don't want to do this business anymore," Jiang Tong paused, a look of sarcasm on his face. "Indeed, most of the musicians are descendants of criminals. Since the Hongwu period, they have all been exiled to Shanxi. You can sell your art to the capital, and you can earn much more than your Shanxi counterparts. How could you care less about the redemption fee of a musician?"
The musicians who were exiled to Shanxi were not allowed to leave the place of exile for generations. Only those who were pardoned or needed to take turns to serve in the palace could leave.
Of course, this is just the official regulation. In reality, the supervision of this industry is very chaotic. Sometimes, the government will not investigate unless the people report it.
Jiang Tong's words were hinting that she knew the reason behind their class coming to the capital could not stand up to scrutiny.
When the squad leader understood the implication in Jiang Tong's words, he began to feel guilty.
He put down his wine glass, his expression changing several times. He was unwilling to be outdone, so he said, "You can buy it if you want. The price is three hundred taels."
Jiang Tong's voice sank. "I'm talking to you sincerely, but you're asking for too much. Isn't that inappropriate?"
"What do you know?" The team leader sucked his teeth. "That Su Guanqing is so famous! How many young masters in the city like to invite him just because of Master Yuequan's reputation? How much money can I make from this performance? You bought my golden goose that lays eggs. You have to compensate me for this loss."
After the troupe leader finished speaking, a musician across from him immediately chimed in, "That's right, we're still not happy about Su Guanqing being bought out. There are more than a dozen people in our troupe, and everyone plays a different instrument. Su Guanqing is an exception. He can play any instrument, no matter if he's seen it before, in just two days. If anyone in the troupe has a headache or a fever, we ask him to fill in, and he never says no. You've redeemed him, and it's causing us trouble."
Another musician said, "Honestly, why would you redeem him? He's blind and can't do anything else, and he needs someone to serve him. If he stays here, he can earn money to support himself and even help your family. Everyone will be happy!"
Several musicians were talking and drinking, and secretly exchanged glances.
At this point, Jiang Tong had to either be persuaded by them and give up on redeeming Su Guanqing, or beg them to do the deal. Since he was begging them to do the deal, there was no way he could negotiate the price.
For these people who have been in the business world for half their lives, deceiving and bullying a ten-year-old kid is a piece of cake.
After these musicians finished their coordinated performance, they all turned their eyes to Jiang Tong, intending to use her reaction as a pretext for drinking.
The squad leader made up his mind that if the little girl didn't beg him crying, he would definitely not give in.
Jiang Tong, however, did not show the panic and dilemma they imagined. She stood with her hands behind her back, her eyes fixed on a long table by the wall, on which were scattered various musical instruments, such as suona, gongs, cymbals, etc.
After she finished looking at the last instrument slowly, she slowly said:
"Guan Qing grew up reading the books of sages. He learned the zither and music only to harmonize his mind, not to perform for fun. He doesn't like this kind of life."
His words and actions had the aura of a master, which was completely beyond everyone's expectations. Some musicians had unconsciously put away their contempt and deception.
When Jiang Tong said this, he saw that the foreman was just drinking and ignoring him, so he tapped the table with his fingers and said, "I must take him home today. Please give me a real price."
When Jiang Tong knocked like this, the team leader suddenly felt like he was being treated as an apprentice for no reason, just like when he was distracted while learning his craft, his master would knock on the table to remind him in the same way.
This made him feel a little instinctively afraid, but soon, when he realized that the one who aroused his secret emotion was a young girl whom he did not take seriously, a feeling of shame and anger rose from his lungs.
"I said three hundred taels. If you can't afford it, just get out and don't disturb me while I'm drinking!" The team leader said as he was about to knock Jiang Tong on the table with his chopsticks, but he didn't have time to retract his hand.
Just as the tip of the chopsticks was about to hit Jiang Tong's hand, Aqiao turned his wrist and a small paper ball flew out so fast that no one present could see it clearly. The squad leader suddenly felt his fingers go numb, and the chopsticks slipped out of his hand and fell on the table with a "clang".
The squad leader was stunned for a moment, then reacted. He looked at A-Qiao, who had not spoken since entering the room, and shouted angrily, "How dare you lay hands on me!"
"If you are not rude to Miss Jiang, I will naturally not take action." A Qiao stood behind Jiang Tong with his arms folded, expressionless, and said coldly.
"Two ignorant little girls, trying to show off on my territory!"
The class leader roared in a loud voice, intending to intimidate the two girls. However, before he finished speaking, Jiang Tong's face darkened, and the fear of being scolded by his master instinctively rose a little, which made him even more angry and embarrassed.
"Come on! Hold these two ignorant little girls here and search them. I want to see how much money you brought to redeem Su Guanqing today!"
After receiving the order, the musicians immediately pushed away their stools and stood up, shouting and trying to pull Jiang Tong and A Qiao.
"Today, I'll let you see our lowly methods!"
"...If you don't have three hundred taels, any amount will be considered a deposit! I'll give you time to raise the money!"
“…”
Seeing them rushing towards him in a hurry, Jiang Tong took two steps back calmly.
A strong wind passed by her side, and it was A Qiao who met it.
The skills that made him a big shot in the martial arts world in his previous life have now begun to show their potential.
The scene was chaotic for only a short while before it settled down.
Jiang Tong squatted down, looked at the foreman lying on the ground in a mess, and asked calmly, "Is there a real price now?"
…
At the entrance of Xu's house
Jiang Huaishan was supported by Feng Fuliu and stood at the door of Xu's house. His face was sickly pale with a hint of blush from the rapid journey.
He really didn't want to get involved, but as a father, he had already lost his composure in front of his daughter and couldn't stop Jiang Tong at all.
Since Jiang Tong was bound to step forward, the Jiang family would inevitably be involved with the Su family again. No matter how he tried to escape, it would be useless, so he had to force himself to follow despite his sick body.
Just after asking the doorman to inform, Jiang Tong and A Qiao also rushed over.
"Have you redeemed Guanqing's indenture?" Jiang Huaishan glanced at his daughter coldly.
Jiang Tong nodded. Seeing Jiang Huaishan's frail appearance, he felt soft-hearted, but the words he spoke were still a little stiff: "Daddy, there's no need to make this trip. I can do it too."
"Hmph, you can do it!" Jiang Huaishan sneered, "If I don't come, you can't even get through the door!"
Jiang Tong rubbed the bottom of his nose and said nothing.
Before Jiang Huaishan could say something else, the door of Xu's house opened and the doorman who had just reported the news came out respectfully.
"Master Jiang, our master invites you."
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