Chapter 60: Singing the same tune, setting a trap

When Monkey heard Hu Laoliu's question, he told him without hesitation that Zhao Qiang owed the casino more than 6,000 taels of silver, and then he pleaded for mercy. His attitude was sincere and genuine, which moved Zhao Qiang who was standing by.

After hearing this, Hu Laoliu frowned, then shook his head and refused, saying, "It's too much. If it was only a few taels, it would be fine. 6,000 taels is not a small amount. Coach Zhao should do what he has to do."

This made Zhao Qiang feel like he was struck by lightning. His face turned pale, and there was no blood at all. He bent his knees and knelt down in front of Hu Laoliu with a "thump".

"Sixth Master, please be kind. I can't pay it back. I can't pay it back in this life, the next life, or the next life..." Zhao Qiang almost cried and begged Hu Laoliu humbly. Hu

Laoliu was unmoved. He glanced at Zhao Qiang and said faintly: "According to the laws of the Liang Dynasty, those who don't pay back their debts will be sentenced according to the amount of debt. Coach Zhao, you owe more than 6,000 taels, which is a huge debt. Do you know how the government will sentence you?"

Monkey replied at the right time: "According to the laws of this dynasty, you should be caned 80 times, imprisoned for three years, and then exiled to the army."

Monkey said while secretly glancing at Zhao Qiang's expression. When he saw Zhao Qiang's struggle to despair and finally silence, a smile of success flashed in his eyes.

Although Zhao Qiang was not an official, he worked in the government office and was much more familiar with the law than ordinary people. He knew what Monkey said long ago, but knowing it yourself is different from hearing it from others. What others say always carries a sense of judgment.

Hu Laoliu got up from the low couch, walked to Zhao Qiang, bent over, helped him up, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Master Zhao, I heard that your uncle is a clerk in the government office. Maybe he can find a way to help you reduce the punishment. Don't worry too much."

Zhao Qiang heard this, his legs softened, and he knelt down again.

It was because his uncle was a clerk and had an official rank that he felt the sky was falling when he got into trouble.

A small 8th-rank clerk, who was already walking on thin ice under the pressure of the county magistrate, what could he do to help? If he took action, he might even lose his black veil hat.

"Sixth Master, you can't tell my uncle. Please, save me. I kowtow to you. I will never gamble again, never gamble again..."

Zhao Qiang said as he leaned down, his forehead touching the ground, and kowtowed to Hu Laoliu several times.

Hu Laoliu squatted down quickly to stop Zhao Qiang from continuing to kowtow, and said meaningfully: "Master Zhao, I run a gambling house, not a charity. A gambling house has its own rules. If you win, you make money, and if you lose, you lose money. If everyone is like you, wouldn't I have been penniless and sleeping on the street?"

Zhao Qiang's face was frighteningly pale, and his eyes were full of bloodshot. He just stared at Hu Laoliu blankly, and the light in his eyes dimmed a little bit.

The monkey saw that he had scared people enough and it was time to perform the next act, so he said: "Master Liu, please be merciful. Master Zhao is a person who knows how to repay kindness. If you let him go this time, he will definitely repay you in the future."

Hu Laoliu pondered and did not answer.

Seeing this, the monkey looked anxious and knelt down with a "dong": "Sixth Master, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Even if you force Master Zhao to death, he can't come up with six thousand taels of silver. It's better to be a human being and leave a way out for everyone."

Zhao Qiang choked up and looked at the monkey, his eyes filled with tears. At this moment, he only felt that the monkey was his benefactor. He was so lucky to have met such a good brother.

Hu Laoliu touched his chin and pretended to think, walking back and forth. In just half a cup of tea, Zhao Qiang felt that the day was like a year.

"You're right," Hu Laoliu said slowly, "Even if we send Coach Zhao to see the officials, it's still us at Jinyufang who suffer the loss."

Zhao Qiang heard a turning point in these words, his eyes lit up, and he immediately said impatiently, "Sixth Master, if you let me go, I'll work like a slave to repay you!"

Hu Laoliu hesitated, and after a long time he finally made up his mind and sighed deeply.

Zhao Qiang only heard him say: "Six thousand taels is really too much. If you can't take it out, there's no point in me making things difficult for you. So how about this, you just give me a hundred taels as a token

of your gratitude. You can't let my Jinyufang do business at a loss, right?" From six thousand taels to a hundred taels, it sounds like a world of difference. Zhao Qiang chose to agree without hesitation. It was not until he pressed his fingerprint on the IOU and walked out of Jinyufang that he realized that a hundred taels was a far cry for him. How could he take out a hundred taels?

Zhao Qiang thought he had escaped death, but in fact he was still in the abyss.

Monkey stayed by his side all the time. After they walked out of the Jinyufang, he said to him happily, "Sixth Master is really a good man. Coach Zhao, now you just need to get one hundred taels of silver."

Zhao Qiang looked at the monkey, but couldn't laugh: "Brother Monkey, what if I say I can't get one hundred taels of silver?"

The monkey's smile froze, as if he suddenly thought of this, and said embarrassedly, "Coach Zhao, one hundred taels, we can still get it by asking others to scrape together, right?"

Zhao Qiang just smiled bitterly a few times: "Hahaha... Brother Monkey, although I have some reputation in Lingshan Town, I am just familiar to everyone. How many friends do you think I have who can lend money to me? Among those people I know, who can easily take out a hundred taels of silver? There is no difference between six thousand taels and a hundred taels to me."

Monkey curled his lips, and mockery flashed across his eyes. The next moment, he looked as if he had suddenly realized something, and pulled Zhao Qiang to the deserted street.

Zhao Qiang saw Monkey sneaking his head around, looking around, and then lowered his voice and said mysteriously: "Coach Zhao, I know who has a hundred taels of silver. As long as you are brave, this matter will be easily resolved."

Recalling this, Zhao Qiang frowned painfully while sitting in He Zhenhu's house.

He didn't want to be that thief, but reality forced him to compromise. He didn't want to be beaten, didn't want to go to jail, and didn't want his life to be ruined, so he chose to follow the monkey's advice and come to Lotus Village to be a robber.

As long as he passed this level, Zhao Qiang thought in his heart, he swore that he would never step into a casino again in his life!

Spreading out his palms and looking at the yellow paper ball, the words of the pharmacy owner rang in Zhao Qiang's ears again: "My knockout drug, just a small half, can be put into a cow! If used on a person, even if it's a man weighing two or three hundred pounds, I guarantee that he will sleep for a day and a night!"

The sky gradually darkened, and some families in the village had dinner early, and the smoke from cooking had already risen.

Zhao Qiang stretched his body, which had been a little stiff after sitting for a long time, and walked out of He Zhenhu's house and looked towards a certain place, where a wisp of smoke was rising.

And that place was Liu Mingan's house.