Lin's voice suddenly trembled violently.
[A shocking revelation: Is there a suspicion of murder to cover it up?]
[That scoundrel Sun Sanlang has finally got his hands on Aunt Lin's fatal weakness; Lin's retribution has come.]
[It's all over, it looks like the Lin family is doomed!]
"Making false accusations?!"
Sun Sanlang sneered coldly, his murky eyes flashing with malice. "Madam Lin, shall we go to the yamen right now and beat the drum to appeal for justice for Hongjuan? Let the righteous magistrate send someone to fish her out of that dry well and examine her?"
Upon hearing this, Lin was greatly alarmed.
Little did she know that Sun Sanlang completely disregarded everything, looking at her resolutely and continuing, "I, Sun Sanlang, have a worthless life, and I'm barefoot, so I'm not afraid of you wearing shoes! But what about you, Aunt Lin, and your precious daughter Zheng Yutang, and your newly opened 'Zhengtianxiangfang'? Tsk tsk... are you all going to be buried with us?"
At this point, Sun Sanlang suddenly drew out his words.
She deliberately smiled as she looked at Madam Lin, watching the despair and fear in Madam Lin's eyes, as if admiring a beautiful scene—"So many years have passed since this happened, and I, Sun San, have kept this huge secret for you. After I opened the Red Beauty Gambling House, I've been braving wind and rain every day..."
"Because of your damned secret, I, Sun Sanlang, live in constant fear, afraid that I will be arrested by the righteous magistrate. Right now, I'm short of money and can't even afford a full meal. I'm just asking you for a little silver, and look at you, you're trying to force me to my death?"
At this point, Sun Sanlang glared at the bulging purse at Lin's waist. Lin quickly covered it, stepped back, and her eyes flashed with fear.
"Sun San, you scoundrel, what are you doing? Do you think that just because you've found the magistrate of the government, things will be settled? This is outrageous! What a joke! The upright magistrate won't side with a treacherous villain like you."
Looking into Sun Sanlang's greedy triangular eyes, Lin suddenly realized that she would absolutely not be able to get rid of this damned fellow without giving him some money today.
Most importantly, Sun Sanlang did indeed have evidence that she killed Hongjuan back then. If the government found out about this secret, it would cause a huge problem.
She suppressed her excruciating fear and anger and began to think.
"Give me the money, give me more money. I'll keep this secret for you." Hearing this, Madam Lin sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do, and could only tremblingly take off her money pouch.
"I……"
Aunt Lin barely had time to check how much silver was in the money bag before Sun Sanlang across from her snatched it away and opened it to take a look.
He suddenly laughed. Aunt Lin tried to snatch it back several times before finally managing to get the money bag back. She quickly took out the silver inside and tossed it to Sun Sanlang as if it were a hot potato.
"Get out! Get as far away as possible, and never let me see you in the capital again! Otherwise... otherwise..." Sun Sanlang's voice trembled violently, though he didn't say the threatening words aloud.
But often, the threat that has no outlet is more terrifying than the one that is spoken. Sun Sanlang came here only to extort money. Looking at the silver, it was about fifty taels. Sun Sanlang weighed it in his hand, pursed his lips, and said, "Fine, I'll be leaving today."
Although he disliked Aunt Lin for being stingy, seeing how much Aunt Lin seemed to want to strangle him, Sun Sanla knew he couldn't push this old woman too far.
To avoid a lose-lose situation!
He glanced sideways at Aunt Lin, then chuckled coldly, stuffed all the silver into his pocket, and then prepared to leave, satisfied.
"Thank you in advance, Madam Lin. I will certainly remember your kindness! I will come to talk to you again in a few days once I have the money!"
With a strange, cold laugh from Sun Sanlang, Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Sun Sanlang was really leaving.
Sun Sanlang took two steps back and swayed as he disappeared into the moonlit alley.
Once Sun San's shadow had completely disappeared, Lin felt utterly exhausted and collapsed like a lump of mud. Looking at the clear moonlight above her head, Lin gasped for breath.
A cold wind blew, and Lin realized that she had been sweating profusely for some time. The immense fear made her vision blur.
After a long while, she walked listlessly toward the rented courtyard. Lin didn't know how long she had walked. After entering the house, she bolted the door shut.
She had originally planned to leave the capital with that damned Sun Sanlang after Minister Zheng's death, but now? Madam Lin covered her mouth and wept bitterly.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside, followed by Lin Shouchai's voice, "Sister, why are you sobbing? Did someone bully you? Tell me, and I'll go and get revenge for you."
Hearing that it was Sun Sanlang's voice, Lin wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and hurriedly came out of the house, where she saw Lin Shoucai standing in the moonlight.
She said, "Shoucai, come in, I have something to say." Lin Shoucai entered the house, and Lin could no longer bear it. She almost incoherently recounted how she had encountered Sun Sanlang in the alley in the middle of the night and been extorted by him.
Upon hearing this, Lin Shoucai shouted.
"What?! Even that damned Sun San congratulated them, and he still dares to show up?" In fact, Zhiweitang's opening today completely stole their business.
Lin Shoucai had been drinking ever since he returned from outside, but after hearing what his sister said, he sobered up considerably in an instant.
His face turned deathly pale, and he gritted his teeth fiercely. "That beast is a bottomless pit! This time it was fifty taels, and he's tasted the sweetness. Next time he'll dare to ask for five hundred taels!"
Lin was well aware of this, but what could she do in the face of Lin Shoucai's extortion?
"Next time! That Lin Shoucai could kill the three of us. I think we really can't let him live! We absolutely can't let him live!"
At this point, a fierce glint appeared in Lin Shoucai's eyes. Lin looked at her brother. In fact, Lin Shoucai's words were not without reason. Most importantly, she and Lin Shoucai had killed Hongjuan three years ago.
If this case gets out, both of them will probably be finished. Looking at Lin Shoucai, he saw that Lin Shoucai was actually making a throat-slitting motion as if to kill him.
Lin was so frightened by the fierce killing intent in Shou Cai's eyes that she broke out in a cold sweat and instinctively wanted to back down.
But when he thought of Sun Sanlang's aggressive and despicable face today, and the secret in that dry well from back then, and the impending catastrophe that could erupt at any moment, he continued to ponder, and then his thoughts turned to his daughter's future...
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