Chapter 115
"What's your business? I'm not talking to you. Get lost!"
One of the family members said impatiently.
"What did you say?" Lu Bo widened his eyes.
Lin Erlang quickly dissuaded him: "He is our chief steward!"
"What did you say?" This time, it was the turn of the people who came to make trouble to widen their eyes.
This lame man, who has no legs, can still be the manager of the orange grove?
Who are you trying to fool?
"That's right, I belong to the Gu family, and I'm the manager of this island. I'm in charge of all matters, big and small, in this orange grove, except for those that the Gu family doesn't allow me to interfere with."
The head steward of the Gu family turned out to be a cripple with a broken leg, and the wife of the Gu family was indeed incapable of managing the family.
Seeing them staring at his broken leg with disdain, Uncle Lu patted it without anger, saying, "Ah, this leg! It was lost the night those evil bandits attacked the island."
Several families were stunned. Someone tried to ask, "You were there that night, too?"
"Yes, I'm here. As the chief steward, I have to worry about the safety of this orange grove. Just like the guards, I have to protect this orange grove." Lu Bo nodded. "Well, I barely managed to survive, but it's all thanks to the Gu family who didn't despise me and promised that after I recovered, I would still be her chief steward. So now that I'm well, I'm back on the island, right?"
"That's right. Since Boss Gu is willing to continue employing you as the chief steward even though you're lame... and injured, is it too much for us guards who died protecting our family members in the orange grove to ask for a job on the island?"
Lu Bo looked at Lin Erlang.
Lin Erlang had no choice but to tell the whole story.
"It's not that we don't want to, we're just still considering..."
"That's right. Who would have known that Mr. Gu is so ruthless..."
"Okay, didn't you understand? Our Gu family orange grove is not hiring anyone now, so come back next time!" Uncle Lu's face darkened and he ordered them to leave.
"What do you mean next time? I'm telling you, don't think..."
"Shut up, all of you!" Lu Bo roared, interrupting the scrambling arguments. "Don't forget, you're all waiting for the emperor's reward."
When talking about the emperor's reward, everyone calmed down for a moment.
"What do you want to say?"
"If you still want that reward, then go back and sit down and wait. If you continue to act unreasonably, I will have Mr. Gu tell the prefect that your family doesn't need to be rewarded."
"What did you say?"
"How dare you deceive the emperor? This is a serious crime!"
"What are you trying to deceive? The prefect only said that he would commend the guards of the orange grove, but how and who will be commended? We need to discuss this with Mr. Gu carefully before we can decide." Lu Bo snorted coldly, "Since you all say that Mr. Gu is cold-blooded and heartless, then what if she doesn't commend your son's name?"
"She dares?"
"Of course she dares. The island is her island, the orange grove is her orange grove, and the ones who kill the evildoers are her guards. She can nominate anyone she wants to be promoted. If you guys keep talking nonsense and making trouble like this and it gets to Mrs. Gu's ears, what do you think she will think?"
"You're just bluffing."
"Ignore him!"
"I'm not kidding. Hero Li and I are from the same place. Coincidentally, I was originally in Zhengzhou, but I worked in the Zhengzhou government office. I've seen the prefect do a lot of work, so I know the rules very well." Uncle Lu explained slowly, "If you don't believe me, you can go back and ask if I'm telling the truth or not."
Several families looked at Lin Erlang, and Lin Erlang nodded silently.
Only then did those families realize they were scared. They swallowed their saliva and ran away faster than rabbits.
"Thank you, Uncle Lu!"
"Hey, I have to do my best for my boss!" Uncle Lu patted the wheelchair handle and said with a smile, "Boss Gu is so kind to me, I should do my best for him. It's my duty."
Lin Erlang watched as Lu Bo turned his wheelchair and walked to the other end. He couldn't help but walk behind him and help push it: "Does this thing work?"
"It works, it works!" Uncle Lu still smiled.
He had actually seen this kind of wheelchair a few years ago. It was said that it was originally made by the military departments of various governments for people who lost their legs in the war, and later it was gradually promoted to the public.
At that time, he saw a soldier without armor relying on a wheelchair to get around, and he marveled at this peculiar chair. Unexpectedly, many years later, he would also be sitting in this wheelchair.
And it was Gu Er Niang who first suggested making a custom wheelchair for him!
"By the way, where is Mr. Gu?"
"She's probably busy with the last batch of oranges!"
It's already November. After finishing the last batch of oranges, everyone can take a break and go home to prepare for the New Year.
"Is it in the orange grove behind the valley?" Lu Bo saw Lin Erlang nod, "Find someone to come with me."
"You have something to ask her?"
"have."
What Uncle Lu wanted to talk to Gu Ran about was the matter of Grandpa Lu.
During these days of recuperation, every time he thought of Grandpa Lu, he couldn't help but feel suspicious.
Although it happened many years ago, it was precisely because it happened many years ago that he was still impressed.
Ten years ago, Lu Bo had been to Quangang and witnessed a battle between the imperial navy and pirates.
At that time, he also witnessed with his own eyes how the high-spirited General Qiao led the navy to defeat the pirates who invaded Quangang and made them flee in panic.
Witness General Qiao, who led the charge and jumped onto the pirate ship alone. His long sword made him look powerful and heroic.
It was at that time that General Qiao An's heroic figure was engraved in the eyes of many people.
So did he.
So that night, when he saw the old man's agile posture in dealing with the number one thief, he simply thought it was an illusion caused by his serious injury.
After he regained consciousness, he inquired and realized that it was not an illusion.
It is known that Grandpa Lu had probably been abandoned on the deserted Dunzi Island for several years before he was discovered by Mr. Gu and others. In addition, now that the truth of General Qiao's defeat has been revealed, the court has searched everywhere for him but has not found General Qiao's whereabouts. There are even rumors that he was assassinated and silenced while imprisoned in the Zhou family.
But now, Uncle Lu suspects that Grandpa Lu might be General Qiao?
Gu Ran thought that Uncle Lu wanted to talk to him about something, but when he heard Uncle Lu's inference, he was shocked.
Not only her, but also Pei Liu and Li Ji were quite surprised.
"Uncle Lu, are you sure?"
"That's just my guess. Grandpa Lu's skills are really similar to General Qiao, whom I met in Quangang that year."
After Gu Ran calmed down, he remembered: They originally thought that Grandpa Lu was abandoned on a deserted island by his family, and they were thinking of sending him back home.
I also thought that since Grandpa Lu was such a skilled martial artist, he was obviously not an ordinary grandfather, but he was actually thrown onto a deserted island. This was a bit unreasonable. However, after asking people in the surrounding area, I couldn't find anyone who would abandon their grandfather on an island. There was really nothing on Grandpa Lu that could prove his identity, and he was also crazy, so I didn't investigate it any further.
What if Grandpa Lu is General Qiao?
It seems possible.
After all, not every grandfather can fight against a hundred people alone like Grandpa Lu. If he is so powerful even when he is old, he must have been even more powerful when he was young.
Only a general could be so powerful, and he wouldn't be so invincible.
Moreover, considering that the Zhou family and Du Jiang colluded to detain and imprison General Qiao, Geyan County where the Zhou family was located was in Jianzhou. If General Qiao escaped from Geyan County and stranded on a deserted island, and could not escape because it was surrounded by water, it would make sense that he was stranded on the island.
Doesn’t that mean that Grandpa Lu lived alone on Dunzi Island for at least seven or eight years?
No wonder he went crazy, no one could stand it!
If she had to live on the island like this for so many years, she would probably become mentally ill!
"We need to consider this matter in the long run." Gu Ran said to Pei Liu, Li Ji, and Lu Bodao.
"Although it's very possible, we have no evidence, and Grandpa Lu doesn't remember who he is. If we want to prove Grandpa Lu's identity, we must first make him wake up and know who he is. Then we have to find physical evidence, and then..."
Afterwards, you can take Grandpa Lu to see the prefect and ask the prefect to take Grandpa Lu back to Beijing.
The current emperor is looking for General Qiao, so naturally he wants the emperor to restore Grandpa Lu's identity and clear his name.
There must be both human and material evidence. Otherwise, who would admit that an old madman with unknown origins and who can't even tell who he is is a general?
Gu Ran didn't know that Grandpa Lu had recovered his memory on the night of the confrontation with Jia San, so what she was worried about was not a problem at all.
One day, she saw Grandpa Lu finally returning to the house. She greeted him with a smile as usual, and then she thought of the walking stick she had asked Master Huang to make for her, so she took it and handed it to Grandpa Lu.
"Look, you lost your walking stick, didn't you? I made one especially for you, using the finest poplar wood. Master Huang said this material is very rare, and he went to the harbor to plunder the wood. I heard it was made for you, who killed the bandit leader, so he reluctantly gave me a small piece and charged me a lot of silver for it. Try it on and see if it fits your hand."
Qiao An silently took the crutch and waved it.
"Does it work?" Gu Ran asked, not noticing anything unusual.
Qiao An nodded.
"That's good. It's said that this poplar wood is very strong. Next time, Grandpa Lu, you go to fight evil bandits, you don't have to worry about it breaking easily."
Qiao An smiled and held the new crutch tightly. After a long moment, he finally spoke: "Second Mother, Second Mother Gu!"
Gu Ran was still smiling when he heard Grandpa Lu speak. The attack that night was so intense, and coupled with his state of fear, he hadn't noticed Qiao An had spoken. Now his eyes widened. "Lu, Grandpa Lu, you, you said, spoke? You can speak?"
"Yes, that is, it has been many years since I last spoke. I forgot for a moment, forgot."
Gu Ran laughed. He was still learning to speak, so he was stuttering!
Wait, since Grandpa Lu can speak, then he, is he...
"Grandpa Lu, can you remember who you are?"
Qiao An's gaze fell on the crutch, and his eyes were sad for a moment, but he still raised his head and nodded to Gu Ran.
"Then, then who are you?" Gu Ran asked immediately.
"I, I am, Qiao An!" Qiao An sighed heavily.
These days, since he regained his memory, he was no longer confused on the island. He just listened to what others said casually and asked about the current Quangang, the current government, and the current Jianzhou.
He knows everything.
Even things that were unclear have been inferred!
His defeat that year was caused by the collusion between Du Jiang, the then director of the Quangang Maritime Customs, and the Japanese pirates. Now Du Jiang's entire family was convicted and executed.
The Jianzhou Zhou family and Du Jiang were in cahoots. Back then, it was the Zhou family that cooperated with Du Jiang to fabricate a rebellion plan.
Although he managed to escape with the help of his soldiers, he was stranded on a deserted island and remained unknown.
However, the Zhou family has always claimed to Du Jiang that he had been imprisoned in the Zhou family all these years, using this to threaten Du Jiang, who was promoted to Beijing. Last year, Du Jiang was forced to commit suicide, but something went wrong during the process, and the truth of that year was accidentally revealed.
The current emperor, who ascended the throne as a princess, clarified the facts for the Qiao family, the soldiers and their descendants who were wronged in the past, and gave them generous rewards to make up for the mistakes they made in the past.
But, the Qiao family...
The Qiao family had already wiped out all nine generations of the clan back then!
In such a big Qiao family, he is the only old man left!
Qiao An's eyes were red and he cried many times.
It is still the same today.
He tried his best to control his emotions and admitted that he was Qiao An.
"Qiao An? General Qiao?" Although Gu Ran had expected this, he couldn't help but feel excited when he heard Grandpa Lu admit it in person.
Qiao An nodded.
"That's great, I hope you remember who you are!" Gu Ran thought, "Then, do you want to go home?"
Home? Where could he go home now?
But no matter how the world changes, what should be done should still be done.
"I want to go to Kyoto." Qiao An said firmly.
Since the current emperor has found out the truth and is tracking his whereabouts, he must go to the capital.
He went to the capital and told the emperor about the defeat and the defense he never had the chance to make: he had not neglected his duties, and the soldiers under his command were not rebels.
He wanted to tell the emperor, all the officials, and the people of the world in person that his Qiao family and the many soldiers who had followed him to the war were wronged.
"Second Mother, Second Mother Gu, are you willing to come with me to the capital?"
Gu Ran was stunned: "Lu..." No, it's time to call him Grandpa Qiao. "Grandpa Qiao, why should I go to Beijing with you?"
"I don't trust others." Qiao An looked at Gu Ran and said.
Gu Ran was moved.
"You saved me, so you are my savior. I will take you back to the capital to receive your reward."
Gu Ran's heart was moved.
Well, we saved General Qiao, that’s a huge achievement!
She is not so noble as to not covet the reward money, so she would not be so hypocritical as to say no!
It’s just the capital, just go!
Gu Ran smiled, nodded, and easily agreed to go to Beijing.
"Then, Grandpa Qiao, if we want to go to the capital, we can't leave until after the New Year." Gu Ran said, "Also, you must report your matter to the prefect and ask him to arrange an official ship to escort us to the capital. That way it will be safe."
Now that the emperor knows about the great injustice suffered by General Qiao, he feels pity and compassion for him. If the prefect knew that General Qiao was still alive, he would definitely protect him strictly and ensure his safe return to the capital.
What a great political achievement this is!
Sure enough, after secretly reporting the whereabouts of General Qiao to the prefect, the prefect could not wait and quietly came to Dunzi Island again - to avoid too many people knowing about it and stealing his credit.
After meeting Qiao An and listening to the explanations of Gu Ran and others, he believed it completely.
"That's right. Is there any other physical evidence?"
Qiao An handed the mottled longsword to the prefect: "Back then, when I was ordered to go to war, this was the royal sword bestowed upon me by the emperor."
Upon hearing this, the prefect quickly bowed to the sword, then carefully took the sword, took a look, and indeed saw the royal seal.
"Don't worry. I'll explain to His Majesty after we return to the capital," Qiao An said. "Besides, there are people in the capital who know me, Qiao An. If it's true, it can't be fake. If it's fake, I would never dare to pretend to be you and deceive you!"
The prefect nodded repeatedly and said, "Don't worry, General Qiao. After the New Year, I, Qia Hang, will also return to the capital to report on my work and transport the tax grain harvested this winter to the capital. I will arrange for General Qiao and you to accompany me on that trip, and I will make sure everything goes well."
Qiao An nodded.
Lord Hang had a solemn expression in the hall, but when he arrived outside the house, his face blossomed with smiles.
General Qiao, who had been wronged for many years, was found. After returning to the capital to report on his work, he will definitely be promoted.
In order to ensure General Qiao's personal safety and avoid any further accidents, Lord Hang sent four skilled guards to him after returning to Jianzhou to serve as his personal guards.
Gu Ran didn't tell anyone that Grandpa Lu was General Qiao, so only the four of them knew about it.
Dunzi Island is now famous for killing evil villains. If something happens with General Qiao on the island, it will be even more serious!
So when Grandpa Lu suddenly had four more guards around him, people who knew the inside story didn’t find it strange, but people who didn’t find it strange.
"Why does this Mr. Lu have more people serving him?"
"He was hired by Mr. Gu, right?"
"An old madman, why?"
"That night when the evil bandits came to the island, he also helped to kill them, isn't that enough?"
Some people showed sympathy and understanding, some cursed him, but Qiao An ignored them all.
Today, he left Dunzi Island for the first time, leaning on a cane, crossed the surging river, reached the other side, and rode a donkey cart to Xiaxi Village for the first time.
It was also the first time after many years that someone was around to accompany him during the New Year.
Gu Ran brought Grandpa Qiao back to Xiaxi Village, preparing to celebrate a happy New Year with Pei Liu and Daju's family of four generations.
Grandpa Qiao thought that he just had someone to spend the New Year with, but he didn't expect that there was such a big family of furry balls waiting for him.
The brave ones immediately ran up to him and warmly welcomed him, while the timid ones watched for a while before tentatively joining the welcoming queue. There were also lazy ones, such as Daju, and Xiaohua and Xiaohei, who had also become lazy these days. They glanced at the ones squatting motionless beside the charcoal brazier.
Looking at so many cats with different temperaments, Qiao An felt relieved.
I just squatted down and rubbed it. The little furry ball with a lively personality was used to seeing one or two strangers suddenly coming into the house, so it would rub against him!
Grandpa Qiao touched them all, then picked up the one that was clinging to him and held it in his arms, exclaiming: It's so warm!
"Second Mother, there are so many cats in your house!"
"Yes! There are too many. I plan to bring them to the island next year."
"Why are there so many orange trees on the island?" I heard that orange trees are not good for cats.
"Don't put them in the big house in the orange grove, but on the other side of the river." It was all agreed with Uncle Wu San. After the New Year, during the period from the Lantern Festival to the start of the farming season, they would first clear an acre of land at the foot of the hills and build a house specifically for Daju's family. Then they would let the animals roam there.
She also plans to build a few houses on the hillside next to the cat's yard. The blueprints have been designed, and it will be her mansion then.
Take out three hundred taels of silver from the money you earned this year to build a house.
However, the overall house to be built is large, a whole community, so we have to take it slowly.
In addition, she will go to the capital with General Qiao after the New Year. Oh, for the original owner, it means returning to the capital, so she will not be there for several months. Therefore, she told Uncle Wu San in advance to build it slowly and there is no rush.
Also going to the capital with General Qiao are Pei Liuniang and Li Ji.
It was the four of them who discovered Grandpa Qiao together. General Qiao also told them that he is now alone and has no one close to him. They are the only ones who are most familiar to him.
In addition, although the prefect sent four guards, Grandpa Qiao did not trust them. Pei Liu and Li Ji were good at fighting, so he trusted them more.
Pei Liuniang didn't care whether to accept the reward or not, but she was worried about Gu Ran and made a decision quickly.
As for Li Ji, when he heard that he could meet the emperor, he thought of the unjust case of being framed and murdering the suspect, and immediately agreed.
Even if the entire Li family had left Zhengzhou, and even if Li Ji was living a good life now, he could not allow such a crime to be borne on him, so if there was a chance, he would definitely try it.
And when they learned that they were going to the capital to receive the reward - in order to avoid causing a sensation and suspicion, Grandpa Lu's affairs were kept secret. When talking about the reason for their trip to the capital, they said that they had wiped out the remnants of the emperor's number one thief, and were recommended by the prefect to go to the capital to receive the reward for their merits. Master Shen was also involved.
Half of his family's guards were gone, and now there was a reward, so he planned to take Shen Erlang to the capital to receive the reward and broaden his horizons.
Gu Ran didn't want to say it directly, but he also thought of Mr. Shen's guards, so he talked to Grandpa Qiao and he agreed.
After reporting this to the prefect, he agreed, but also stated that there couldn't be any more people. Gu Ran agreed and didn't add any more people.
After these things were settled, everyone had a happy New Year.
Gu Ran was also very happy!
First, the issue of the number one thief in the world was completely resolved, and no one would come to cause trouble in the future!
Secondly, the orange production in the orange grove is steadily increasing. With its reputation spreading, it is becoming very popular. This year, it has received many merchants who have placed advance orders for next year's oranges. The deposits have been received and after splitting them in half with Liu Niang, they have all been saved in their own real estate.
Thirdly, with the support of Grandpa Qiao, I can go to Beijing next year to take a look at the imperial capital of the Great Sheng Dynasty. I might even have a chance to meet the emperor. Most importantly, I can get a reward, which is really nice.
So not only did Grandpa Qiao feel particularly warmed by this New Year’s Eve dinner, but Gu Ran himself also enjoyed it very much!
Although the original owner was born in a marquis's mansion and had heard and seen a lot of important figures who came and went in the mansion since she was a child, she was not the original owner. She was just herself. To be honest, the highest-ranking official she had ever seen with her own eyes was probably General Qiao in front of her.
When we first met him on the deserted island, who would have thought that he was General Qiao?
The general, a big shot, came to our humble home to have a reunion dinner with her and Liu Niang. It was such an honor!
The place to accommodate Grandpa Qiao can only be the side wing.
However, after hearing about General Qiao's experience, the prefect was moved to tears and sent a lot of good things, which were decorated very well in the side room. There were quilts, brocade quilts, deer antlers and ginseng, as well as gorgeous embroidered robes, etc. This small side room was definitely more luxurious than Gu Ran's master bedroom.
Gu Ran was not jealous.
There is no comparison in terms of status!
It had been many years since Grandpa Qiao had eaten such a warm New Year's Eve dinner. He lay in bedding as light as cotton, with two fur balls close to him in his arms as a warm stove. It was also the first time in many years that he slept so comfortably and happily.
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