Chapter 160 Lost everything in one night
Granny Zhuang nodded, not wanting to trouble Aunt Zhou with her own affairs, and changed the subject, saying, "Let's buy some more needles and thread, and I'll make a few pairs of shoes for the children."
Aunt Zhou smiled and replied, "Alright, let's go. It's just in time to make two pairs of clothes for Wanchun as well."
Hearing her laughter, Granny Zhuang's worries gradually disappeared, and she continued strolling with Aunt Zhou.
Madam Jiang, who was not far from them, stomped her feet in anger.
Madam Jiang's original surname was Liu. Her family owned a rice shop in Qingzhou Prefecture and lived a relatively wealthy life. However, she took a fancy to a married man named Jiang Dacheng.
After marrying Granny Zhuang, Jiang Dacheng was initially quite well-behaved, but later, perhaps seeing that Granny Zhuang was getting old and past her prime, he started having affairs with other women, eventually getting involved with the rice shop's young lady.
Madam Jiang was betrothed to a merchant in her early years, but before they could consummate their marriage, the man sailed away and never returned. Later, she returned to her parents' home and became a well-known old maid in Qingzhou Prefecture.
Jiang Dacheng would do anything for money. He climbed up to Madam Jiang and abandoned his wife at home.
Madam Jiang got into the sedan chair in a huff and returned home, where she told Jiang Dacheng about seeing Granny Zhuang buying fabric with a wealthy family.
Jiang Dacheng was not surprised. "She used to work for wealthy families in the capital, so it's not strange that she continues to serve them now."
Madam Jiang was still unconvinced, saying, "As long as she's around, I won't have any peace."
"What? You want her to go to the underworld?" Jiang Dacheng said while looking at the account book.
Madam Jiang, her eyes cold, gritted her teeth and said, "It wouldn't be bad if she could go to the underworld."
Jiang Dacheng ignored her words and continued looking at his account book.
When night fell, he took out the ledger, changed a few entries, and then stole a sum of money and sneaked off to the gambling den.
Just yesterday, he had just come out of a restaurant, and for some reason, he went to a gambling den.
He lost over a hundred taels of silver in this gamble.
Having run out of money, he decided to tamper with the accounts and take more money to gamble.
The next morning.
Du Wanchun and Aunt Zhou got up early, packed the things they had bought in the past two days, and prepared to pick up Zhou Ruiyuan and go straight home.
To my surprise, I saw a large crowd gathered ahead of me on the way.
Aunt Zhou pulled back the sedan curtain and looked outside. "Has something happened up ahead?"
Granny Zhuang also peeked over and saw that it was Jiang Dacheng's rice shop. "Isn't that my husband's rice shop?"
Aunt Zhou asked doubtfully, "That heartless man's shop? Let's go take a look!"
Du Wanchun quickly told the driver to move forward a few steps.
Granny Zhuang peered out the window at the rice shop.
A large crowd had gathered around the rice shop, and a group of people were inside taking rice and dismantling the shop.
Granny Zhuang asked the passersby beside the carriage, "What's wrong with this rice shop?"
A passerby exclaimed, "You don't know? The owner of this rice shop went to the gambling den in the market last night and lost ten thousand taels of silver in one night!"
"Ten thousand taels of silver? That much?" Granny Zhuang asked in surprise.
The passerby nodded. "Yes, how could a small rice shop like his have so much money? So he just mortgaged the rice shop."
Granny Zhuang was astonished. Just yesterday she was arguing with Madam Jiang, and today the Jiang family has fallen?
Just as she was wondering what was going on, she heard a woman crying not far away.
"Let me go! You want money? I'll give it to you!"
Du Wanchun and Aunt Zhou also peeked out when they heard the noise.
A group of men were seen dragging a woman toward a carriage.
"Isn't that the lady who scolded the nanny at the cloth shop yesterday?" Aunt Zhou exclaimed in surprise.
Granny Zhuang looked closely and exclaimed, "It really is that woman!"
A passerby looked over and pointed at her, saying, "This Manager Jiang is really inhuman; he even sent his own wife to pay off his debts!"
"These gambling den people are all fierce and ruthless; I wonder where they'll sell her to."
Granny Zhuang and Aunt Zhou listened with disbelief, "They lost their entire fortune in just one night?!"
The passerby nodded. "That's for sure. It's not just his entire fortune; he'll probably be missing limbs in a couple of days."
Granny Zhuang listened with a mix of emotions.
Aunt Zhou lowered the carriage curtain. "That Manager Jiang deserved what he got. Let's go back now."
Granny Zhuang slowly sat down, remained silent for a long time, and then said, "He hasn't returned my money yet!"
Aunt Zhou held her hand and said, "It's good to leave this kind of person as soon as possible, otherwise you might be the next one to be sold. Don't worry about the money. Go back and work with me in the spice business. Maybe you can earn it back in a month or two."
When Granny Zhuang heard this, she realized it made sense. Recalling Madam Jiang's disheveled appearance earlier, she was immediately filled with relief.
After leaving Jiang's rice shop in a carriage, the group arrived at the entrance of the Qingzhou government office.
Not long after, Zhou Ruiyuan came out.
When Granny Zhuang saw him, she was also very excited. She pulled him over and looked him up and down, saying, "Your Highness has grown taller and more handsome."
Zhou Ruiyuan was quite surprised to see Granny Zhuang and looked up at Aunt Zhou.
Aunt Zhou quickly explained the whole story.
Zhou Ruiyuan breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good, it just so happens that Wanchun will give birth in a few months."
Granny Zhuang quickly pulled him into the carriage.
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