The thought of ending up homeless made Old Qiu spit out a mouthful of saliva! Then, a plan formed in his mind.
When they reached Shiligou, they happened to run into a group of women gossiping at the village entrance. They learned that Chen Guang'an had also been forced to kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment. After thinking it over, Qiu Laoda followed the route he remembered and found the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall.
Only when Liu Meixiang came out of the ancestral hall did they realize that it was indeed Chen Guang'an inside.
They waited outside for a while, until it was completely dark and the villagers were all asleep, before quietly moving over.
Qiu Laoda wasn't surprised by Chen Guang'an's attitude, nor was he angry. Instead, he walked in with a smile, turned around and closed the ancestral hall door, and continued smiling apologetically.
"Brother Guang'an, I was wrong yesterday, please don't be angry, I had no choice!"
You know, if I'm expelled from the clan, I'll be all alone! At least you have a wife and son, unlike me, I don't even have any relatives!
Old Qiu squatted beside the fire, looking utterly pitiful!
Chen Guang'an snorted, but in his heart he was convinced that this Boss Qiu was indeed inferior to him. Although he wasn't exactly a good person, he couldn't help but feel superior when compared to others! His tone unconsciously softened a bit, "What do you want from me? I'm barely holding on myself, there's nothing for me to gain! Is your business settled?"
He found it unbelievable that Qiu Laoda could stand in front of him unharmed. Qiu Family Village was known for its strictness and was not a place where people could be easily fooled!
In comparison, Chen Sheng was considered quite kind, usually only scolding him. Even though he was furious this time, he only made him kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment, without having the heart to expel him from the clan.
This is why Chen Guang'an obediently stayed here to accept his punishment! Once expelled from the clan, he would no longer be a member of the Chen clan of Shiligou, and he would have no say in any future benefits for the clan!
Old Qiu sighed pitifully, "Ah, you know how it is in our area, those heartless people who wouldn't budge no matter what I said, they even expelled me from the clan! It's truly heartbreaking!"
I was thinking, "I'm so sorry, brother. I came to apologize before I left. I was blinded by emotion that day and spoke without thinking. Please don't take offense, and forgive me, brother!"
He was a few years older than Chen Guang'an, so he could naturally call himself the elder brother.
Chen Guang'an was shocked to learn that he had actually been expelled from the clan! Seeing the worry on his face and the man's apology, and remembering their past companionship wandering the county together, chased and ambushed by gambling den thugs, he felt a lingering sense of camaraderie. He waved his hand and said...
"Brother Qiu, don't blame yourself. It was that woman surnamed Qin who caused this mess. If it weren't for her, how could we have ended up in such a sorry state?! Sigh, what can we do when she's one step ahead of us?"
The Qin family has both manpower and money; they're not someone we can afford to offend. I plan to avoid them from now on. Where are you headed?"
Chen Guang'an was now afraid of both Qin San Niang and He Yingyuan, but what frightened him even more was Gu Qingshan. After the man stopped him, he leaped off his horse and kicked him to the ground. Even now, his chest still ached slightly.
Chen Guang'an wasn't stupid; he knew that Gu Qingshan was not only skilled but probably a master, so he didn't even try to resist and obediently followed him back.
You can't beat them in a fight, and you can't win an argument with them! Plus, they have money! It's infuriating; you can only swallow your anger.
Thinking of Qin Sanniang, Qiu Laoda could hardly conceal the sinister glint in his eyes. He tucked his sleeves and said...
"Hey, I'm planning to go to the county to find work. I met a guy before who's quite capable. I heard he can take us on a trading trip and we can earn this much money in one trip! I'm all alone now, so this way I can save some money, get married later, and live a warm and cozy life!"
Looking at the two fingers raised by Boss Qiu, Chen Guang'an exclaimed incredulously, "What kind of business is this? It can actually earn twenty taels of silver?!" Even if you had work every day, you couldn't earn that much!
"What, twenty taels?! You really have no knowledge, it's two hundred taels! Hehe, to be honest, that was my reaction at first too. Two hundred taels, that's enough to support you for a lifetime in a year, it's a worthwhile business! Even if it's a bit tough and tiring, I can handle it!"
"Brother, I'm planning to go with them! If we make money, I'll buy a house in the county and won't have to come back to Qiujiazhuang."
Old Qiu's eyes were full of daydreams. He thought to himself, what difference would it make if he were expelled from the clan? He didn't even want those poor relatives! If he had money in the future, wouldn't it be great to buy land in the county, build a house, and become a landlord?
Two hundred taels! This time it was Chen Guang'an's turn to be surprised! Even if he worked himself to the bone, it would take him a hundred years to earn two hundred taels, and that would be without eating or drinking!
His eyes darted around, and he moved a little closer to Boss Qiu, saying ingratiatingly, "Brother, now that you've found a way, you can't forget your brothers! We've been through thick and thin together, haven't we?"
“Of course, but brother, don’t you still have to kneel in the ancestral hall? And if you go out to do business, it will take a year, which is very hard. Can you handle it?” Boss Qiu hesitated, seemingly very concerned for him.
"I'm strong and healthy. As long as I can make money, I can endure any hardship! Brother, please help me out and talk to them for me. Count me in too!" Chen Guang'an begged Qiu Laoda with a fawning expression. The temptation of two hundred taels of silver was too great; he was willing to forgo kneeling in the ancestral hall!
In his mind, Qiu Laoda was so thin and small that he was not as strong and powerful as him. If he were to work for Qiu Laoda, he would definitely be more competitive than Qiu Laoda.
Moreover, he was penniless, his pockets were emptier than his face, so he wasn't afraid of being cheated at all! As for their looks, forget about it; the two of them were just passable in appearance, far from handsome. Chen Guang'an wasn't worried about being sold into prostitution in shady places; with their rugged looks, they wouldn't even be qualified for that kind of work. He, on the other hand, would love to do a business where he could make money lying down, but alas, his abilities wouldn't allow it!
Unbeknownst to Qiu, he had already imagined all this and was now considering whether to take Chen Guang'an along. To be honest, he was also worried about something going wrong if they went on the trade trip; having someone to run errands and take the fall would be very helpful!
Besides, what that person was doing wasn't exactly a clean business; they were good at trafficking women and children. As long as the goods weren't lost along the way, they could get the money as soon as they arrived at their destination. It was a very profitable business!
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