Gu Wangchen was so angry that he took a few deep breaths. After regaining his composure, he said, "Are you blackmailing me? I didn't use that much money from your family. This spring, I took 45 taels of silver from you and spent another 5 taels. I should return 50 taels at most." He added, "I don't have that much money on hand. Give me a few days to raise the money."
Xu Lanyin said disdainfully, "Not counting the 45 taels of silver from selling the land, you've only spent five taels on my family in eight years? Gu Wangchen, who would believe that? Aren't you afraid the villagers of Xiaozao Village will look down on you? You've taken so much advantage of my family, and everyone in the village is watching. Return the 90 taels, not a penny less."
Gu Wangchen thought about it. While five taels of silver would certainly make people poke him in the back, he wasn't willing to give ninety taels. He said, "Seventy taels is all my family has. If you want it, cancel the engagement. If not, we can just wait and see."
Xu Lanyin was severely disdainful. Her background limited her horizons, and she even had to bargain for such a small amount of money. Furthermore, without a broad mind and tolerance, no matter how talented or pretentious she was, her future was limited. Even if she climbed up by sheer luck, the fall would be even harder.
Xu Lanyin didn't want to waste time with him over silver, so she said, "Okay, we'll just give you the extra silver as a gift, and only need to pay back seventy taels. However, the silver you're owed must be paid tonight. Let's not even talk about raising money, even if it's far away, Mr. He from Sujia Village won't give you less, right? And Miss Su, she's a wealthy person. You've already got everything you need for a rich lady and a poor scholar, so you won't be short of a 'gift of silver'..."
Gu Wangchen quickly interrupted Xu Lanyin, "I'll say it again, Miss Su and I are innocent, not as bad as you say. Since you are so anxious, just leave tonight." He looked at Xu Lanyin a few more times and said in a cold voice, "Xu Lanyin, we have known each other for so long, and I found that you are not only cruel, but also vicious. This is not good, you will not be able to get married." After that, he walked towards the village.
Xu Lanyin's eyes were filled with perseverance and hope. She called out, "Gu Wangchen."
Gu Wangchen had already walked more than ten steps away and turned back.
Xu Lanyin took two steps forward and whispered, "Gu Wangchen, is your heart made of flesh? Xiaoyuan... I loved you so much before, so much that I was willing to fall into the dust, to have nothing, to worship you as a god. How could you have the heart to plot and hurt a girl who gave her all for you like that?"
Gu Wangchen seemed to be slightly moved, his lips trembling a few times, and he murmured, "I have no choice, I want to be the best..." Feeling that he had lost his composure, he turned cold and said hatefully, "Xu Lanyin, you and I have become strangers... No, you already hate me to the core, so please stop saying those disgusting words."
Xu Lanyin sneered, "I only asked this question a little unnecessary. You're right, you make me hate you to the core, and at the same time, you hate me to the core. From now on, you take your official path, and I'll take my small wooden bridge."
Gu Wangchen said nothing, snorted coldly and hurried away.
I saw the slender figure gradually disappearing into the rain and fog, and then disappearing behind a small forest.
Xu Lanyin finally felt relieved after worrying about this for so many days, and she was about to get rid of this man.
She walked towards the village. Not far away, she saw Xu Lanzhou, wearing a straw raincoat, coming out from the other side of the grove, glaring at her.
When Xu Lanyin came closer, Xu Lanzhou said angrily, "Sister, you met with Gu Wangchen secretly again. What if he hurts you?"
Xu Lanyin said, "It's broad daylight, and this place is well connected. He can't hurt me. If we really fight, he's no match for me." Then she laughed and said, "Gu Wangchen and I have already made an agreement. He agreed to cancel the engagement and return our family's 70 taels of silver."
Xu Lanzhou's mouth widened with joy, and she asked with a smile, "Really? How did you do that?"
Xu Lanyin smiled and said, "Of course it's true. Tonight, you and the others should go to the Gu family again." She added, "Your sister is very capable. She scolded Gu Wangchen and threatened him with the county magistrate. He was helpless."
Before I reached the door of my house, I saw Wang Sanni standing not far away with an umbrella.
Wang Sanni saw them and trotted over with a flattering and excited look on her face.
Xu Lanyin asked, "What do you want to talk to me about?"
Wang Sanni smiled and said, "Sister Lan Yin, everything about you and Brother Gu has spread."
"What's going on between him and me?" Xu Lanyin was a little puzzled. She had just agreed to cancel the engagement with Gu Wangchen, and the news got out all of a sudden?
Wang Sanni said, "Everyone in the village is saying that even though you have that disease, Brother Gu is still willing to marry you..." Then she blushed and said, "Sister Lan Yin, I do. I am willing to be his mistress. Please help me to talk to him. When I give birth to a son for you, I will still respect you."
This Wang Sanni is so speechless.
Xu Lanyin was amused and said, "I just agreed with Gu Wangchen that we will cancel the engagement. You have a chance to become the first wife."
After saying that, he took Xu Lanzhou home.
Wang Sanni didn't react at first. How could Xu Lanyin be so foolish as to break off the engagement with Gu Juren? But after thinking about what Xu Lanyin had said, she grinned and ran home happily.
When Gu Wangchen returned home, Mrs. Gu was still fiddling with the ingots of silver. She would take out the silver and fiddle with it at least several times a day.
Gu Wangchen tried his best to suppress his irritation and said, "Put the silver away and don't take it out unless necessary." If something was given to him privately, he would keep it for himself. But if it was given in front of his mother, he couldn't keep it for himself.
Old Mrs. Gu knew that her son didn't like her fiddling with silver, so she quickly put the small silver ingots into a small wooden box.
Gu Wangchen continued, "I have already agreed to break off the engagement with Xu Lanyin and return the Xu family another seventy taels of silver. Please prepare the silver you are going to return."
Gu Wangchen knew his mother was stupid and unreliable, so there were many things he wouldn't tell her. Previously, Gu Wangchen had thought her son was truly sentimental and unwilling to break off the engagement, and she had been very unhappy. Now, hearing that her son had changed his mind and was willing to break off the engagement with that stinky girl, she was overjoyed and just about to break off the engagement. But then she heard that he had to return seventy taels of silver, and she became unhappy.
Her eyes suddenly widened, and she shouted at the top of her voice, "What? Give the Xu family seventy taels of silver? Why? We are the masters of the Juren, how can we be afraid of a country bumpkin like her? We won't give it to her!"
Gu Wangchen glanced at his mother and thought to himself, "If you were smarter and completed at least one of the things he asked you to do, you wouldn't be so passive." But he couldn't say these words out loud. Even if he did, his mother wouldn't understand.
His face darkened, and he said in a cold voice, "Why? Because the Xu family raised me for eight years, because Xu Lanyin saw through your tricking her into stealing the pears, because she's familiar with the county magistrate's daughter, because I have to be careful... and because, because she suddenly realized life..."
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