Chapter 226 He still got beaten up...
"If you don't buy it, I'll find a buyer myself when I get back." Seeing how determined Lü Bu was, Meng Chun became even more frightened and made up his mind not to accept the money.
"This..." Lu Bu looked at Meng Qing, "Lord Meng, tell me, your brother is being too cautious. We're lending him money, not giving it to him. What is he afraid of? Do you think we would harm him?"
“You’ve got the wrong title. My sister is already the Lady of Wu County, the same rank as the Governor of Shangzhou,” Meng Chun corrected, then continued, “Today you insist on lending me money, but another day you might refuse to accept my repayment.”
Lu Bu was surprised. "Lady of Wu Commandery? Lady, you've been granted another title? Congratulations! Our Wu Commandery in Jiangnan has produced a prominent figure. Lord Du, have you been promoted?"
“No.” Du Min looked at Meng Qing, waiting to see how she would make a decision.
“Nephew Meng, if you’re worried we’re giving you money under the guise of borrowing, why don’t you write us an IOU to prove your innocence?” Li Bushang interjected.
"We appreciate your kindness, but let's not mention the loan again." Meng Qing noticed Du Min's gaze and warned him not to be tempted by money; she should be even more steadfast in upholding this principle.
“My parents own several dyeing workshops and bamboo workshops, as well as a paper mill and seven or eight paper horse shops. Three years ago, they also built three guesthouses. They have quite a few businesses. But my parents are getting old and are not suitable for traveling. My younger brother will have to manage the business. Let’s sell the business in Jiangnan; it has already served its purpose. Besides, too much money is a burden for Mengchun. We also need to build a treasury and hire people to guard it. We don’t have many places to spend money.” She explained to the cloth merchant, but in reality, she was telling Mengchun, and also telling herself. She knew she was wavering.
Meng Chun nodded, "We'll have to give up the business in Jiangnan sooner or later, so there's no need to keep it."
Du Min withdrew his gaze.
Lu Bu sighed. These two families are really hard to bribe. Are their hearts made of gold? Do they look down on copper?
"Alright, alright, we'll listen to you. Sell the workshop and the paper horse shop to us." He changed his mind.
The remaining cloth merchants remained silent and did not try to change the minds of the Meng siblings.
Meng Chunxin felt relieved and at ease.
"You should leave a few days later and help Meng Chun transport all the money and silk to Hanoi County," Meng Qing said. "Take the opportunity to also listen to the winds in Luoyang. It would be best to leave a few capable people to guard Luoyang. It will take you three or four months to go and come back. If you don't have anyone to gather information, you'll be completely in the dark when you arrive in early autumn."
Lu Bu and the others agreed.
With the matter settled, it grew dark, and Lü Bu and the others left.
“Little brother, I’ll find you a way to make money in the future, so we can earn money with peace of mind,” Meng Qing said.
Meng Chun laughed, "Sister, you said it yourself, we don't have many places to spend money. Don't worry about making money. The existing business is enough to keep me busy, and I will also look for business opportunities myself."
“I’m going to the county government office to meet with Magistrate Xing.” Du Min stood up.
"Take a few constables with you when you go out," Du Li reminded him. "I'll go with you."
"You think I'd get beaten up in Wen County?" Du Min scoffed. "Fine, they're siblings with a deep bond, and we're brothers with a deep bond."
Du Li was disgusted by him again, "Go by yourself."
Du Min clicked his tongue a few times, then left with his hands behind his back. "Du Lao Er, you dare to do it but not to say it? What's there to be embarrassed about if you care about me? It's not a shameful thing."
It was quite embarrassing for Du Li, because Du Min never cared for him as much as he cared for Du Min, which made him feel humble when he showed concern for Du Min.
Du Min reached the courtyard gate but hadn't heard any footsteps following him. He turned around and asked, "You're really not going?"
"I'm not going." Du Li had already sat down.
Du Min scoffed, "You're really awkward."
Du Li picked up a chicken bone from the table and threw it at him, saying, "You're really annoying."
Du Min is gone.
Meng Qing and Meng Chun watched a play, and the siblings smiled at Du Li.
"What are you laughing at? You two want to eat chicken bones too?" Du Li's ears burned, and he threatened in a gruff voice.
Meng Qing gave him face, smiling as she turned to ask, "Little brother, are you really leaving in a few days?"
"Go early and come back early, settle down as soon as possible, and then get married and have a child." Meng Chun wasn't joking. He knew he was getting on in years and it was time to get married and have children. He couldn't let his child be too far older than the Wangzhou and Wangchuan brothers.
“Since you have this intention, your parents and I will keep an eye out for it for you,” Meng Qing said.
“Hmm.” Meng Chun nodded. He made his requirements: “The woman should not be too young, twenty to twenty-five is fine. It would be best if she comes from a merchant family, has some education, and is intelligent and decisive. Our family doesn’t have many chores, so we don’t need a mistress to stay at home and manage the servants. Her spare time is boring, so she might as well help me manage the business, like Father and Mother.”
“I’ve got it.” Meng Qing remembered someone, but she had forgotten the girl’s name. That year, when her family left Wu County, the girl had seen them off at the ferry. According to Meng Chun’s requirements, that girl was perfect. She came from a merchant family, was intelligent and opinionated, shared common interests with Meng Chun, and was also from the same hometown.
"When you went back to the paper horse shop in Wu County, did you see that girl? Is she still working there?" Meng Qing couldn't help but ask.
“Yes, she’s already the manager of the paper horse shop.” Meng Chun knew who she was talking about. “I’ll go back and ask her if she wants to take over the paper horse shop. The location is excellent.”
As darkness fell and there were no candles in the courtyard, Meng Qing could not see Meng Chun's expression clearly.
"Is she married?" Du Li asked.
“She’s a mother of two.” Meng Chun didn’t shy away from talking about her. “Her children, like Wang Zhou’s, grew up in the paper horse shop. The cradle that Wang Zhou slept in is still intact.”
“Thirteen years, that’s a long time ago.” Meng Qing was somewhat nostalgic. “It’s good for her to take over; it’s a matter of passing on the torch. The price can be lower.”
Meng Chun nodded. "By the way, Master Huijue also asked me about Uncle. Sister, do you know where Uncle is?"
"I don't know." Meng Qing had visited Baima Temple a few days ago and learned that Master Konghui had not returned after leaving. She couldn't possibly ask the female saint about Master Konghui's whereabouts, so she could only patiently wait for Master Konghui to appear on his own.
The three chatted in the courtyard until the night dew fell before getting up and going back inside.
"Why hasn't the third brother come back yet?" Meng Qing offered Du Li a way out, "Why don't you go and meet him for a while?"
Du Li gritted his teeth and sighed before striding away.
"Oh, so you've finally decided to come find me?" Du Min leaned against the wall, gazing at the figure in the night, and laughed smugly.
Du Li was startled. "When did you get back? You've been out the whole time?"
"You've been back for half an incense stick's time, and you guys seem to be having a great time chatting... What are you doing!" In the next instant, Du Min was pinned to the ground, receiving several punches to his back, making him wince in pain.
"Go ahead and yell, call everyone to see how you get beaten up." Du Li threatened him to shut his mouth, hitting and cursing as he did so: "I think you really deserve a beating, are you itching for a beating? What are you trying to do at this crucial moment? Everyone was worried about you not getting home yet. We haven't even had dinner yet, waiting for you."
Hearing the commotion, Meng Qing and Meng Chun ran out, and Du Min hurriedly cried for help: "Second sister-in-law, save me quickly, my second brother has gone mad."
"Don't you always boast that you can beat him?" Meng Qing crossed his arms. "I'm not interfering in your brother's business."
Du Li's sudden outburst of anger subsided considerably. He stood up and left without saying a word.
Du Min got up and hissed as he gasped, “What sins have I committed? Outsiders couldn’t beat me, but he did.”
“This means you were destined to suffer this calamity. Since your second brother attacked you, the outsiders won’t attack you anymore,” Meng Qing said. “Remember to thank your second brother; he helped you escape this calamity.”
Du Min laughed in exasperation, "Where did he go? Did he run away in anger?"
"They've gone to serve the food," Meng Qing said knowingly. "Come inside."
Sure enough, a short while later, Du Li arrived with the cook who was delivering the food. He went back into the house to get a string of coins and handed it to the cook, because they had asked him to stay in the kitchen at this hour.
Du Min glanced at Du Li, but Du Li chose to ignore him and sat down next to Meng Qing.
Dinner was a pot of chicken porridge, served with two small dishes of pickled vegetables and a plate of fried eggs. The four of them silently picked at their food and drank the porridge.
"What did Magistrate Xing say?" Meng Qing broke the silence.
“Indeed, he is a branch of the Xing family of Hanoi. When his father was fifteen, his grandmother moved to Youzhou with his father and an aunt. He didn’t say why.” Du Min recounted, “I told him about the imperial decree, and he volunteered to come with us to Hanoi County tomorrow. He came to ask the Xing family of Hanoi to take the lead in selling land.”
"That's good, someone's taking the lead for you," Meng Qing said.
“Even without him, I plan to target the Xing family first.” Du Min doesn’t accept this favor; he has his own methods.
"Isn't it enough that someone is helping you share the hatred? They have to hit you directly, and now you know to dodge," Du Li scolded.
"Oh, oh, oh!" Du Min rolled his eyes indignantly.
Meng Chun chuckled, but seeing Du Min staring at him, he suppressed his laughter and said seriously, "It's quite interesting."
"It's pointless to hit you," Du Min said irritably.
Meng Chun wanted to laugh again. The two brothers were both over sixty years old, yet they could still fight in such a sarcastic and humorous way without losing their harmony. It was quite a story.
Meng Qing also wanted to laugh. Du Min finally acted like a younger brother in front of Du Li. She didn't know if he had become thick-skinned or shameless, but he didn't care about being beaten.
After eating until they were half full, the four of them went back to their respective rooms to wash up and go to sleep.
*
The next morning, Meng Chun endured another bout of excruciating pain, but his left arm was able to move again. He took a stack of plasters from the doctor and followed Lü Bu and others to Luoyang to deal with a shipload of silk.
With only half a day's journey remaining and many people passing by, Du Min believed that nothing more would happen. He dismissed the caravan and the yamen runners, ordering them to turn back.
When it came time to settle the payment, the head镖师 (镖师 is a term used to describe someone who escorts goods) refused to accept it. Du Li had no choice but to hire them again, sending them back to Luoyang with Meng Chun to escort the money and silk to Henan County.
After Meng Chun and the cloth merchants left, Du Min, along with the magistrate of Xing County and the yamen runners of Wen County, escorted five thieves and set off with Meng Qing and Du Li to Hanoi County.
At noon, the carriage arrived in Hanoi County. Du Min and Magistrate Xing got out of the carriage and escorted the five thieves to the governor's mansion. Meng Qing and Du Li returned to the prefectural governor's mansion first.
Du Min successfully stirred up a commotion in Hanoi County. He went to the governor's mansion and locked the five thieves in a secret room that Xu Ang had used to store money.
"Keep a close eye on them. If they run away, you guys take their place," Du Min instructed the guards of the governor's mansion.
The guards should be.
At lunchtime, with no officials in the governor's mansion, Du Min asked Magistrate Xing to grind ink for him. He then personally wrote a proclamation and immediately implemented the decree to the people.
"Lord Du, I heard you brought back five prisoners? What happened?" The first to arrive was Military Advisor Lin. Upon seeing Magistrate Xing, he asked, "And who is this?"
"I am Xing Wudu, the newly appointed magistrate of Wen County," Magistrate Xing replied.
"Military Advisor Lin, notify the magistrates of the other four counties, along with their respective village chiefs, township heads, and registrars, to come to the governor's mansion for a meeting within five days," Du Min instructed.
"My lord, what has happened?" Chief Secretary Dou and Military Advisor Wang entered one after the other.
Du Min finished writing the notice, put down his pen, and walked away, gesturing for them to come and see for themselves.
Chief Clerk Dou and Military Advisor Wang were in front, followed by Military Advisor Lin. He wasn't in a hurry to look at the report, but instead reported: "Lord Du, Magistrate Chang of Wuzhi County is already in Hanoi County. He came to ask when to gather laborers to clean up the river in Wuzhi County. Magistrate Gu of Hanoi County is also eager to repair the river in Hanoi County. The two have been arguing for two days now."
"Lord Du, is this true?" Chief Secretary Dou asked in astonishment.
“Absolutely true.” Du Min glanced at him. A few days ago in court, Imperial Censor Dou criticized the two emperors from head to toe. As a respondent to the government's decrees, he also got a verbal sparring match with Imperial Censor Dou. He wondered how this Chief Censor Dou would perform in Huai Prefecture.
Wang Sima's expression was not good; he stared at the words on the notice without saying a word.
Lin Canjun went over to take a look, and he immediately perked up. After reading it all, he became excited, "Great news! The land-population conflict in Huaizhou can finally be resolved."
"How do we resolve this?" The military advisors, Si Cang and Si Fa, also arrived.
"Military Advisor Lin, make several copies of this notice and arrange for people to post them out," Du Min instructed. "I haven't eaten yet, so I'll head back first. By the way, this is Magistrate Xing from Wen County. We'll be colleagues from now on, so let's all get to know each other."
Du Min, unable to contain his impatience, dropped a bombshell and fled. Upon exiting, he encountered the magistrate of Wuzhi County. Before the magistrate could speak, he declared, "Go to the governor's office. If you can implement that decree, I'll arrange for laborers to dredge the river in Wuzhi County."
Before he even got home, he encountered the magistrate of Hanoi County. Du Min said, "Go to the governor's office. If you can carry out that decree, I will arrange for laborers to repair the waterways in Hanoi County."
Finally arriving home, Du Min shouted loudly as soon as he reached the front yard, "I'm home!"
Xi Mei slid off the chair with a silken grace and ran out to greet her.
Wang Chuan followed closely behind, and Wang Zhou also got up and followed.
Du Min, holding a child in each hand, encountered Wang Zhou, who was walking slowly, and said, "You're running too slowly, I didn't have a hand to hold yours."
“I bet you can carry another person on your back,” Wang Zhou said deliberately.
Du Min was waiting for these words. He stared at Du Lao Er, who was eating in the dining room, and said, "Your father beat me last night. My back is all bruised. I can't carry you."
Wang Zhou looked at his third uncle with suspicion.
“Really, you can ask your mother if you don’t believe me,” Du Min urged.
Wang Zhou didn't ask, but Wang Chuan asked anxiously, "Mother, is it true?"
Meng Qing: "...Do you think it's true?"
"That's false, my dad loves to lie, and my second uncle never hits anyone," Ximei answered loudly. Of all the people in the family, she liked her gentle second uncle the most.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com