Chapter 146 The True or False Master (3)
3
"Don't run! Your father is dead!"
Maybe it was because they were too far away and Lin Jingzhe was so focused on running that he didn't hear clearly what the person behind him said.
Zhu Qingchen heard it vaguely, stopped slightly and looked back.
Seeing the Master stop, Lin Jingzhe became anxious and grabbed his hand, trying to pull him away: "Master, run..."
The next second, the person chasing him shouted, "Don't run! I'm not here to collect debts. Lin Jingzhe, your father is dead!"
He shouted so loudly that the people passing by were stunned.
Is this something that can be shouted out loud?
Lin Jingzhe also stood there in a daze, looking at Zhu Qingchen in confusion: "Master, he...what did he say?"
As if he had heard Lin Jingzhe's question, the man continued to shout, "Your father is dead! Your father is dead!"
Now Lin Jingzhe finally heard it clearly.
Is Lin Laosan dead?
He let go of Zhu Qingchen's sleeve in a daze and took a step forward.
The pursuer finally ran up to them, panting: "Lin Jingzhe, I called you, why did you run?"
Lin Jingzhe explained in a low voice: "I thought you were here to ask for money again."
This man was a guy in the casino. Lin Jingzhe recognized him. Every time Lin Laosan owed money, he would come to collect the debt.
The guy grabbed his hand and tried to pull him away: "Come on, follow me, your father is dead."
Lin Jingzhe stood still and asked, "Is he owing money again? Did you team up with him and trick me into helping him pay it back?" He glanced at Master Zhu and suddenly mustered up the courage to say, "He beat me up so badly a few days ago that I couldn't even get out of bed, and I don't have any money on me."
Master Zhu had told him that if he didn't make money he would be beaten anyway, and if he made money and the money was cheated away he would be beaten again. Since he would be beaten anyway, he might as well just say he had nothing.
The clerk turned around and saw that he didn't believe him. He got anxious and said, "No, he's really dead! He was gambling well at the table. He lost all afternoon and suddenly won ten taels of silver. He couldn't catch his breath and fell on the table in a snap."
"Hurry up, the boss asked me to come find you. There's a dead man lying there, scaring away all the customers in our casino. Hurry up, go over there and take him away!"
"Let's go!"
The guy pulled him hard, causing him to stagger.
Lin Jingzhe asked uncertainly: "Are you serious?" "Of course it's true. If I lied to you, I would die with your father!"
Lin Jingzhe was thin and small, and was dragged forward by the waiter.
Zhu Qingchen pressed his shoulder and calmly brushed away the waiter's hand that was pulling Lin Jingzhe.
The guy turned around and saw Zhu Qingchen walking in front of Lin Jingzhe, separating the two of them: "We'll follow you, you just lead the way, don't pull him."
Only then was Lin Jingzhe able to pull his hand back and follow the Master to the casino.
Zhu Qingchen hurriedly turned around to look at the system, which said, "He must be really dead. The plot is starting."
"Yeah." Zhu Qingchen nodded.
In the original book, Lin Laosan stole money from Lin Jingzhe to gamble, and won a big one. He couldn't bear it and was so happy that he died.
This time Lin Jingzhe did not give him money. No one knows who he got the money from, and he went back to the original plot.
That's what a gambler is like. He will gamble no matter what.
The man took Zhu Qingchen and Lin Jingzhe to the downtown area in the north of the city. The downtown area was full of people of all kinds, and after turning left and right in the alleys, they finally saw the sign of the casino.
The casino, which was usually bustling, was now closed with no one in sight.
The guy said to Lin Jingzhe, "Did you see that? Because of your damn father, there is no one in our casino now. They were all scared away."
He pushed open the tightly closed door and shouted, "Boss, Lin Jingzhe is here!"
Just as Lin Jingzhe was about to follow in, Zhu Qingchen gently pulled his sleeve and asked Lin Jingzhe to follow him.
The casino's doors and windows were closed, the light was dim, and it was almost impossible to see anything.
In the middle was a huge card table, on which were scattered chips, gambling tools, as well as wine jugs and snacks.
Lin Laosan was lying face down on the gambling table, motionless.
He clasped his arms, holding more than ten taels of loose silver.
The guys in the casino held him on both sides, trying to flip him off the table and make him lie flat.
As a result, Lin Laosan seemed to be nailed to the gambling table, his body stiff, and he remained leaning over the table.
If any of his men wanted to take the silver from him, that would be even more impossible.
He clasped his hands so tightly that three or four strong men could not pry them apart.
There was no other way, the guys could only let him stay in this position and let the doctor take a look.
The doctor tried to feel his pulse and check his breathing, but in the end he could only pinch his philtrum and sprinkle some cold water on his face.
It was of no avail. Lin Laosan's face gradually turned pale and finally turned into the face of a dead person.
When Zhu Qingchen and Lin Jingzhe arrived, the doctor had already poured a large bowl of cold water on him, but he still didn't respond.
The doctor shook his head: "It's useless, he's dead."
When Lin Jingzhe heard this, his eyes lit up subconsciously.
At this time, the casino owner also came out from the inner room.
Unlike what Zhu Qingchen had imagined, this boss was thin and looked amiable. He did not look like a casino owner but more like the master of a wealthy family.
However, the thugs following the boss had fierce faces and looked ferocious.
Zhu Qingchen looked him up and down and made up his mind.
The boss said: "Is Jingzhe coming?"
"Yeah." Lin Jingzhe responded, "I'm coming."
The boss sat down at the main seat in front of the gambling table and said sternly, "Your father won money today and was so happy that he scared away all my customers."
Upon hearing this, Lin Jingzhe immediately became nervous: "I'm sorry, I didn't know it would be like this. I'm really sorry for delaying your business."
Zhu Qingchen frowned slightly, but was in no hurry to speak.
Seeing that he was anxious, the boss immediately said, "I feel sorry for you, so I won't bother with you. The money your father owed to our casino will be written off..."
Lin Jingzhe said quickly: "Then the money he won this afternoon will be left to the casino..."
"No need." The boss waved his hand. "I don't need these ten taels of silver. Besides, your father's life was lost with these ten taels of silver. It's not good for me to take them. I'll leave them to you for the funeral."
"Okay, thank you! Thank you so much!"
Hearing that the casino owner didn't want him to pay compensation, Lin Jingzhe hurriedly responded, bowed to thank him, and walked forward to carry Lin Laosan's body away.
But before he could go forward, he was stopped by Zhu Qingchen.
After the casino owner had finished speaking, Zhu Qingchen spoke up: "In that case, I appreciate your kindness, boss. Can you take out the IOU that Lin Laosan signed earlier and tear it up?"
The boss said a lot just now, but Zhu Qingchen only heard one sentence -
"The money your father owed our casino has been written off."
To summarize the key point, Lin Laosan still owes money to the casino.
Zhu Qingchen knew clearly that this kind of casino combined both gambling and lending businesses.
When gamblers lose money in a casino, they borrow money from the casino and continue gambling. When they win, they pay back the money, and when they lose, they continue to borrow money, and the cycle continues over and over again.
No matter what, the casino is guaranteed to make a profit.
Casinos often have contracts ready, and gamblers are asked to sign them when they are in the middle of playing. The interest on this kind of money is very high, almost calculated on a daily basis.
The boss said that the deal was written off, but he didn't allow anyone to take out the contract signed by Lin Laosan.
Words are not enough. It's like burying a landmine that may explode at any time. They can come to your door with the contract to collect the debt at any time.
Sure enough, as soon as Zhu Qingchen said he wanted to tear up the contract, the casino owner's face immediately darkened and he asked in a cold voice, "Who is this?"
Lin Jingzhe was pulled by Zhu Qingchen's sleeve and stood obediently beside the master: "This is my master, Master Zhu."
Zhu Qingchen nodded and said again: "Thank you for your care, boss. It is a great kindness. My students and I will always remember it."
The casino owner sat upright in his seat, looking at Zhu Qingchen with an unfriendly gaze.
Zhu Qingchen met his gaze without fear: "Besides, Mr. Lin is very tall and strong, and my student and I, with our small arms and legs, don't have the strength to carry Mr. Lin back. We have to trouble you to send two people or a car to help us transport Mr. Lin back."
The boss was shocked and said, "I don't think he has soiled my casino. Asking Lin Jingzhe to pay the money is already the most righteous thing I can do. Master Zhu, you dare to think that you want me to send someone to send him back?"
Zhu Qingchen smiled and said, "But we really can't carry him back, how about we bury him here? I think the door is a good place. Lin Laosan loved gambling when he was alive, and being buried at the door of the casino after his death would also fulfill his wish, don't you think?"
"You are talking nonsense!" the boss said anxiously.
Most of the gamblers are very superstitious.
It's unlucky enough that someone died in a casino. If he were to be buried here, no customers would dare to come.
I’m afraid that within a few days, the story of “Lin Laosan turning into a demon” will spread everywhere.
"Don't push your luck. You want an IOU and you want us to move the body." The boss slammed the table. "Someone! Throw these two people out, along with Lin Lao San!"
Lin Jingzhe quickly stepped forward, opened his arms and stood in front of the teacher to protect him.
Zhu Qingchen patted his shoulder and told him not to worry, then walked up from behind him, dragged out a chair, brushed it with his sleeve, wiped it briefly, and sat down directly.
Zhu Qingchen played with the wooden chips on the table. "Why did Lin Laosan choose your casino for so many years? How much money did he give to your casino? How many times did he die for your casino? Why did he always get to the gambling table when he clearly had no money? Who lent him money? Everyone knows it."
"Now that Lin Laosan has died in your casino, all the customers have been scared away by him. You just stopped doing business for an afternoon. From now on, all the customers will watch how you deal with this matter."
"How you handle this matter and how you treat Lin Jingzhe will determine whether you can continue to do business for a long time."
"Everyone knows that Jingzhe is pitiful. How would it look if you let a skinny little man like him walk out of the casino carrying Lin Laosan's body?"
"Those who know you would say that you are a big businessman and you are magnanimous, so you didn't bother with Jingzhe and wrote off the past. But those who don't know you would only see Jingzhe as pitiful, wouldn't that be chilling?"
"If you attract the attention of the government, you will have to go to the government again and make arrangements. It will take dozens of times more time and effort than it does now." Zhu Qingchen looked at him with a smile, "Isn't that right?"
The casino owner looked at him with a gloomy expression, but his eyes rolled around, as if he had taken Zhu Qingchen's words into account.
Zhu Qingchen was right. The casino was indeed in the wrong in this matter.
Generally, when someone dies in a casino, not only will the old account be written off, the person will be personally sent back, and sometimes funeral expenses will be given to the relatives as a consolation.
He thought Lin Jingzhe didn't understand and was deliberately fooling him. He wanted to keep the IOU and ask Lin Jingzhe to compensate him.
He knew that Lin Jingzhe was just a little clay figure, otherwise he would not dare to plot against him openly.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Zhu, who is knowledgeable about the business, appeared halfway.
Zhu Qingchen continued, "You also know that Jingzhe is just an ordinary child who digs for food in the fields. It is impossible for you to expect him to make a fortune and pay off the debt owed by Lin Laosan in his lifetime."
"I also know that there are rules in casinos. When a customer loses everything, they will give him some loose change so that he will not be left with nowhere to go and lose everything."
"Jingzhe is in the same situation now. He finally managed to keep his father alive. If the gambling house is still plotting against him and I don't help him, I'm really afraid that he will be unable to get over it. What if... Don't you think so? A cornered dog will jump over the wall."
Lin Jingzhe stood beside the master, listening to the negotiation between the master and the boss, and felt that he benefited a lot.
Just one last comment…He can jump over walls, but he’s not a puppy.
Zhu Qingchen clasped his hands, sat in his seat, and looked at the boss with a smile across the gambling table.
"Why don't you just be a good person to the end? You can also earn a good reputation, and everyone can make money by being harmonious, ok?"
After an unknown amount of time, the boss smiled with a fake smile and said, "Okay, Master Zhu, every word you say is for my own good, so of course I have no reason to refuse."
The boss turned around and waved to the waiter: "Go find all the contracts signed by Lin Laosan."
"yes."
Soon, the waiter took out a small box from under the counter.
The seal on the box was labeled with Lin Laosan's name.
The boss threw the box to Zhu Qingchen and said, "All of Lin Laosan's IOUs are here. I will send two men to help you deliver the body. Master Zhu should know clearly what to say and what not to say."
"I know." Zhu Qingchen took the box. "Boss, you are kind-hearted, blessed with great fortune, and your business is booming."
Zhu Qingchen's idioms popped out like money. He opened the box, took out the pile of IOUs and took a look at them.
Lin Laosan couldn't write, so he used fingerprints. The contract was not signed by Lin Laosan himself, but by -
Lin Jingzhe's name.
It's obvious that this was signed by a casino clerk.
It was a huge expanse of red, and the amount of money borrowed ranged from one to ten taels. If it was delayed for a few more years, it would be a sky-high price of several thousand taels.
Lin Jingzhe could probably understand the numbers and his own name, and he looked at it with fear.
If the master hadn't helped him get the contract, if the casino asked him to pay back the money in the future, he wouldn't be able to pay it back even if he sold himself.
Zhu Qingchen handed the things to Lin Jingzhe: "Take it back and burn it."
"Okay." Lin Jingzhe nodded vigorously.
The boss sent two men to transport the body in a donkey cart.
They were driving the carriage in front, and Lin Laosan was still lying on the table, his two hands like eagle claws, grabbing the non-existent silver.
Zhu Qingchen and Lin Jingzhe sat side by side at the back of the donkey cart, swinging their feet.
The system said: "Chenchen, how do you know that this matter will be exposed in the future?"
Zhu Qingchen frowned and wondered: "What would cause such a thunderstorm?"
"In the original book, Lin Jingzhe was cheated by the owner of the casino. A few years after he was recognized as the Earl's mansion, the owner came to collect the debt with an IOU. I wanted to remind you, but when I saw you asked for the contract, I thought you already knew it, so I didn't disturb you."
Zhu Qingchen said: "I don't know, the plot summary didn't say it, I just think it should be handled this way."
The system sighed: "Chenchen, you are getting better and better at completing tasks now."
Zhu Qingchen asked: "In the original book, when the casino owner came to the door, how did the Earl's Mansion handle the matter?"
The system said: "Because the IOU was signed by Lin Jingzhe, they all thought that Lin Jingzhe owed the money for gambling."
Zhu Qingchen:?
"Also, at that time, the servants stole Lin Jingzhe's things to sell for money. Lin Jingzhe complained to his mother, and his mother disciplined the servants at first. But then this happened, and the servants took the opportunity to spread rumors, saying that it was Lin Jingzhe who stole things to sell, and they also falsely accused the servants."
Zhu Qingchen:? ?
The system continued, "Because it was a gambling debt, the Earl's Mansion did not report it to the police, but made Lin Jingzhe kneel in the ancestral hall for three days, and they paid the money back. But Lin Jingzhe's reputation was ruined because of this incident."
"After this incident, everyone said that it was no wonder that the Earl and his wife favored Yi Zizhen. Lin Jingzhe was so stubborn that the Earl's Mansion had done its best."
Zhu Qingchen: ???
Although the IOU was signed with Lin Jingzhe's name, the date and location were clearly written. Even if you use your toes to count, you can tell how it is possible that Lin Jingzhe started gambling and accumulating debts at the age of three?
Even if the Earl's family can't count, then Lin Jingzhe and Lin Laosan's fingerprints must be different, right? Let Lin Jingzhe press a fingerprint and compare it. Anyone can see the difference.
Even if the Earl's Mansion is both blind and stupid, they can send someone back to Linjia Village to ask, and the truth will naturally come to light.
Even if they can't think of anything, they can report it to the authorities and let them investigate.
This game is full of loopholes, and you can find them easily.
As a result, the powerful Earl's Mansion in the capital was taken over by a casino in a small town.
It's ridiculous.
Don't say that they are also deceived.
From the beginning, they didn't believe that Lin Jingzhe was a good kid, and they had a preconceived impression of him as a naughty boy, so no one ever felt that he was wronged.
They colluded with the casino and wrongly accused Lin Jingzhe, but they felt that they had good intentions by helping Lin Jingzhe pay off his gambling debts and not reporting the case to the police, thus protecting Lin Jingzhe's reputation. They are truly the best parents in the world.
They said that they were protecting Lin Jingzhe's reputation, but in the end, "everyone said that Lin Jingzhe was bad" and "Lin Jingzhe's reputation was ruined."
So what exactly are they defending? It doesn't make any sense.
Zhu Qingchen turned and looked at Lin Jingzhe.
He sat nearby, holding the box full of IOUs, holding the lid tightly, fearing that the contents would fly out and kill him.
Zhu Qingchen sighed and said softly, "You should learn from your mistakes in the future and not just believe what others say. Don't just listen to what others say is good or bad. Think about what this person wants you to do and what benefits it will bring to this person. Then you will understand clearly."
"Yeah." Lin Jingzhe nodded, "I'll remember it."
"When you work as a waiter in the future, you have to be careful. If a customer runs away without paying, you will have to pay for it."
"I understand. Today, thanks to Master Zhu, otherwise I would have been cheated."
Zhu Qingchen nodded: "Learn slowly, and you will be able to do it in the future."
Soon, the donkey cart arrived at the entrance of Linjia Village.
As the sun sets, villagers return from the fields carrying farm tools.
Seeing Zhu Qingchen and Lin Jingzhe coming back in a donkey cart, they were a little confused.
"Master Zhu, this is..."
"Lin Laosan died in the casino, and the casino owner sent someone to bring him back."
"What?"
The villagers were all terrified. When they looked carefully, they saw Lin Laosan lying on the donkey cart in a twisted posture.
"this……"
"How could this happen? Wasn't he fine a few days ago?"
"God opened his eyes and took him away."
The elders could discuss this, but Lin Jingzhe lowered his head and didn’t say much.
Zhu Qingchen jumped off the donkey cart and said, "My dear uncles and elders, Jingzhe is still young, and I am from a different family, so it is not convenient for us to handle Lin Laosan's funeral. The casino has sent someone, but we still need your help."
Zhu Qingchen leaned forward and bowed deeply: "Thank you all for your help."
Everyone hurriedly helped Zhu Qingchen up: "Master Zhu, you are too polite. Jingzhe is from our village after all, so of course we will help. Don't worry, get up quickly."
With the help of villagers who were familiar with the procedures, Lin Laosan's funeral was held quickly.
It was in the shabby little courtyard of the Lin family.
Two guys sent by the casino owner helped hang up the white cloth and the spirit flags. Lin Laosan's curled up body was forcibly pried open and placed in the coffin.
The coffin was also provided by the casino owner. It was not a good coffin, but it was already very luxurious for Lin Lao San to use.
Late at night, most of the villagers who came to help went back, leaving Lin Jingzhe alone, dressed in mourning, guarding the coffin.
Zhu Qingchen brought a large bowl of food, walked to Lin Jingzhe, and handed it to him: "Eat something."
Lin Jingzhe said: "Master, I heard that you can't eat while you are keeping vigil."
"What are you afraid of?" Zhu Qingchen sat cross-legged beside him and said seriously, "There's no one here, you can eat a little secretly, I won't tell anyone, and Lin Lao San won't jump up and hit you."
He was still a little hesitant: "But...what if..."
Zhu Qingchen looked at him seriously: "He died, are you really sad?"
"Well... sad..." There was really no confidence in saying this.
Lin Jingzhe changed his words: "A little sad..."
Lin Jingzhe changed his words again: "I should be sad..."
Zhu Qingchen smiled, with a look of understanding on his face, grabbed his hand, asked him to hold the bowl and chopsticks, and said firmly: "You are not sad, you are very happy."
"I didn't!" Lin Jingzhe hastily explained, "I...how can I be happy? After all, it's mine..."
"What are you afraid of in front of the Master?" Zhu Qingchen curved his eyes. "The Master is also very happy that he is dead."
"Ah?" Lin Jingzhe was shocked. "But Master, isn't this against the rules?"
Zhu Qingchen said, "You were beaten by him for more than ten years. Now he is dead, but you still feel sorry for him, make excuses for him, and want to forgive him. This is not the loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness written in the book. This is a big fool that is not written in the book."
"That……"
"Just keep your head down and pretend in front of others. Don't put yourself in a difficult position behind others. Eat when you need to, don't starve yourself."
"Yeah." Lin Jingzhe nodded, lowered his head, and tried hard to put rice into his mouth.
"You are really happy, right?" Zhu Qingchen asked, "This is human nature, you don't have to feel ashamed."
"Yeah." Lin Jingzhe was so hungry that he almost buried his face in the bowl.
The funeral in the village was smaller in scale. After Lin Laosan's body was kept for three days, it was sent to the mountain for burial.
It was a cloudless morning.
The young and strong men in the village used a thick hemp rope to pass through the coffin and the thick tree trunk and lifted the coffin up.
Lin Jingzhe, wearing coarse linen and straw on his head, walked out of the yard holding Lin Laosan's tablet in both hands.
Just as he stepped over the threshold, the sound of horses neighing suddenly came from the distance.
horse?
How could there be horses in this small village?
Lin Jingzhe subconsciously turned his head and saw five carriages with a group of attendants and maids following beside the carriages. They looked like immortals, with fluttering clothes and a grand scene.
Lin Jingzhe couldn't help but stare in amazement. Zhu Qingchen frowned and turned to the system and said, "Here it comes."!
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