Chapter 37 Dogs Fighting, Crippled
Why?
Why treat their brothers like this?
They had no grudge against these people, so why did they want to cripple them?
Even if there is some real grudge, we can sit down and talk it out. Why resort to such a vicious act?
Tong Baogen racked his brains but couldn't understand it. With the idea that he should die knowing the truth, he suppressed his fear of death and asked aloud.
The bearded man didn't even glance at Tong Baogen, crossed his legs, and expressionlessly played with his jade thumb ring.
The henchmen below showed no mercy, giving Tong Baogen another beating with punches and kicks:
"Damn it, you actually dare to ask why! How could a piece of trash as stupid as you dare to rob and injure someone in broad daylight? And you even robbed an old lady, you're a disgrace to us men!"
Tong Baogen curled up like a shrimp in pain, crying and begging for mercy: "I was wrong, I know I was wrong, please let me go, I won't do it again, I'll never do it again!"
The three cousins, all with bruised faces and broken limbs, were filled with shock and disbelief as they finally learned the reason why they had been crippled.
It turns out that they were all in this mess because they listened to Tong Baogen's instigation that day, robbed and injured an old woman, and that's why they ended up like this today!
Thinking of this, the three brothers all hated Tong Baogen and begged for mercy from the bearded man sitting above them:
"Sir, it's all Tong Baogen's fault, no matter what. He instigated us to teach that old lady a lesson just to get revenge for his mistress. He's the culprit! Please, let us go..."
Tong Baogen was nearly beaten to death, but he still managed to hear what his three cousins said. He was so angry that he almost couldn't catch his breath, and he mumbled a string of curses:
"You bunch of disloyal bastards, I'll kill you all!"
He did come up with the idea, but he only wanted to teach the old woman a lesson.
Later, these people found out that the grandmother and granddaughter had made a lot of money from their stall and had even gained the favor of wealthy people, so they decided to rob the old woman to get some money to spend.
Besides, he wasn't the one who pushed the old woman down. The ten or so coins he stole were used to buy two ounces of wine, which the four of them shared.
These bastards drank plenty of alcohol, so why are they blaming him for all the mistakes?
Tong Baogen grew increasingly resentful, glaring hatefully at the three cousins, his mouth slurring with blood as he tried to defend himself:
"No, I just wanted to scare that old lady. It was them, they were the ones who tried to rob the old lady of her money and even pushed her to the ground... As long as you let me go, I will definitely compensate the old lady and let her live out her days in my old age!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than he was kicked in the back, sending Tong Baogen sprawling to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
"If someone like you were to take care of her in her old age, that old lady would live a few years less."
The underling who had started the fight spat angrily. Seeing Tong Baogen's half-dead state, he lost interest in continuing the beating and fawned over his boss, suggesting:
"Brother, the mine is desperately short of manpower. Why don't we send them all to do hard labor? If they do well, we'll give them a chance to live; if they don't, we'll let them fend for themselves. Anyway, no one will know if they die."
The bearded man ignored him and turned to his trusted aide, asking, "Has the person arrived yet?"
The confidant pointed to the room next door, separated by a wall: "It's inside."
The bearded man nodded: "Go ask them how to handle this."
He was merely following orders; he had no right to make his own decisions.
"Yes," the confidant replied and quickly left.
In the next lounge, Xu Jinnian was leisurely sipping tea, while sitting opposite him was a middle-aged man dressed in a long gown, exuding an air of scholarly refinement.
Hearing the screams coming from next door, the middle-aged man didn't even flinch, and his attitude towards Xu Jinnian was extremely approachable.
"This is such a small matter. I could have just sent someone to let you know. There's no need for you to come in person. Wouldn't that interfere with your studies?"
Xu Jinnian took a sip of tea, frowned slightly, and silently put down his teacup: "It's just one less hour of sleep tonight. Getting revenge for my wife is a big deal."
The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow: "When will I be allowed to visit my brother and sister-in-law?"
Xu Jinnian said unhappily, "We are not brothers, don't try to claim a relationship."
The middle-aged man didn't take it to heart and laughed even more unrestrainedly: "Your father once saved my father, and later you saved me. Whether you acknowledge it or not, I consider you a brother in my heart."
At this point, a deep look of resentment appeared on his face: "As the old saying goes, an ugly daughter-in-law will eventually meet her in-laws. Even if you don't like me, you still have to let me recognize my younger brother and sister-in-law, right?"
Xu Jinnian refused without hesitation: "There's no need."
The middle-aged man seemed to have anticipated that he wouldn't agree, chuckled without disappointment, and then changed the subject to other things.
A moment later, the bearded confidant knocked on the door and came in.
Seeing that the boss's boss was also there, he quickly bowed to show his respect: "Boss!"
The leader waved his hand, indicating that he should speak if he had something to say.
The confidant quickly cupped his hands to Xu Jinnian and explained his purpose: "Brother Hu sent me to ask for Young Master Xu's opinion on how to deal with these people next."
Hearing the sounds of dogs fighting next door, Xu Jinnian replied without thinking, "Completely cripple their right legs."
Grandma Sheng's right leg was broken. Even though the old doctor at Rongchuntang was highly skilled in osteotomy, he was not entirely confident that he could restore the old lady's leg to its original state. She would likely be lame.
The trusted aide immediately understood: "Yes!"
Hearing the desperate screams from next door, the leader looked at Xu Jinnian, who remained calm: "An eye for an eye, you're ruthless enough."
Having his right leg completely crippled, he's essentially disabled for life, becoming a burden on his entire family, and there's probably no hope for the future.
Moreover, these four scoundrels are cousins. No matter how close they were in the past, they will only be enemies in the future, and their four families will also hate each other.
And then there's that mistress surnamed Tong. Although she didn't instigate Tong to hurt the old lady, she's definitely involved in the whole thing.
If the man surnamed Tong becomes disabled, his arranged marriage will most likely fall through. Won't he resent his lover?
Then it'll be another dog-eat-dog show!
This is the ultimate way to kill someone by destroying their spirit.
"They deserve it."
Xu Jinnian remained expressionless, as if he wasn't the one who could easily cripple four young men with a single sentence.
The chief's eyes were full of admiration. He said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "The path of the imperial examination is not easy. Many people take the exam until they are old and gray and still can't get ahead. Why don't you give up now and come help your brother?"
He needed a capable helper to feed the thousands of his men.
Xu Jinnian stood up abruptly and dusted off imaginary dust from his sleeves: "Sorry, my dad won't let me play with you."
He left behind those words that could make anyone vomit blood, without even glancing at the head of the gang. He paused as he opened the door and took a step, finally adding, "You'd better take a look at the latest official gazette."
After saying that, her flowing dress disappeared into the afterglow of the setting sun.
Watching Xu Jinnian's retreating figure without turning back, the leader suddenly laughed: "This kid, he really is..."
The door closed gently, shutting out the man's unfinished words; no one heard his low murmur.
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