Li Shangcai is no longer as financially secure as before. Now he is short of money and has no extra energy to pretend to be cultured.
The scholar who had been on good terms with him had invited him three or four times in the past few days. We don't know how much of his sincerity was in this, but when Li Shangcai was generous in the past, he would pay for the meals out of his own pocket.
Now that he was short of money, he always refused, saying that he was not feeling well and could not go to the poetry gathering.
There was no way these shrewd people could hide this refusal from them. After inquiring about it based on the rumors from last time, they knew that he was not as popular in the Zhang Mansion as before.
These people gradually gave up their thoughts and who knows how they would laugh at him behind his back.
Li Shangcai had been in contact with them for a long time, so how could he not know what these people were thinking? Now that no one was rushing to curry favor with him, he had accumulated a lot of resentment in his heart and went out less often.
At home, he either drinks and falls asleep or wakes up and takes out his anger on grass. He has always loved torturing people, and now he has become even worse.
Cao'er's indenture contract was in his hands, so she couldn't run away and could only endure it. She hoped in her heart that Liu Guiyuan was not dead and had escaped long ago.
If Liu Guiyuan were alive, Cao'er would not ask him to save her from danger, but only hope that he could protect himself and not be dragged down by her.
Li Shangcai became more and more addicted to alcohol, and his sober time became less and less. Cao'er secretly felt lucky that it was better to sleep, as she would not torture herself when she was asleep.
Li Shangcai originally didn't allow him to leave the house, so Cao'er was trapped in this small house, unable to see the sun.
However, later on, because there was no maid to serve them, it became difficult for the two of them to eat. Li Shangcai could not cook by himself, so he gave Cao'er some money and asked him to buy food.
The amount of money he gave was fixed, and there was no extra money after buying food. Even if Cao'er wanted to keep it for herself, she had no chance.
Seeing that it was noon again, Cao'er took the money and went out to buy food. Before leaving, Li Shangcai warned her not to run around.
Cao'er responded in a low voice and walked out with her head down.
There was a long and narrow alley where they lived, and as Cao'er walked out of the alley, someone called her.
"Are you Cao'er?"
Cao'er turned around and saw a stranger. The name Cao'er was called by the people in her village, but she had definitely never seen the person in front of her. If he was a person from the town, she should not call him by this name, but should call him Han Su.
"Who are you?" Cao'er looked at the person warily.
Yang Donghu's foot injury has improved a lot. Although he still staggers when walking, fortunately he can stand for a long time without anyone's support.
Zhao Luochuan had already told him about Liu Guiyuan and Cao'er's affairs when he went back last time. Yang Donghu sighed at their plight.
The reason why he came to see him today was not for any other reason. Yang Anchen had already told them about Madam Zhang selling the land, and Yang Donghu came today to add fuel to the fire.
"Don't be afraid, I mean no harm." Yang Donghu took two steps towards him.
He took two steps forward and Cao'er took a few steps back, her face wary: "How do you know who I am?"
"Liu Ji, do you know him? He was the one who told us."
Cao'er certainly knew that Liu Ji was good friends with Liu Guiyuan, and she also knew that Liu Ji was trustworthy, otherwise she would not have asked him to help find Liu Guiyuan's whereabouts.
But just a name was not enough to make him trust the person in front of him.
Seeing that he wasn't letting up, Yang Donghu continued, "Don't worry, I have no ill intentions. You and Liu Guiyuan secretly pledged your lives together under the locust tree outside the village before you were sold. However, before you could tell your family, something unexpected happened. Only you and Liu Guiyuan knew about this. Later, Liu Guiyuan, feeling furious and having no one to vent to, told Liu Ji about it. He knew I was coming to find you, and he was afraid you wouldn't believe him, so he told me this to reassure you."
Cao'er gradually relaxed and anxiously asked Yang Donghu, "What else did Liu Ji say? Is there any news about Guiyuan?"
Yang Donghu shook his head, and seeing Cao'er's eyes gradually dimming, he felt a little reluctant: "Don't be too sad, maybe there will be good news one day."
Cao'er had been numb from repeated disappointments. Upon hearing this, she simply nodded and said, "Well, what do you want from me?"
"Has Li Shangcai been active lately?"
"No, I just hide in the house and drink all day long." Cao'er shook her head.
"I know your bond is still in his hands, so you can't escape. Since we have the same concerns, are you willing to help me?"
Cao'er looked up at Yang Donghu. It was the handsome face that Li Shang would miss. He understood and felt a sense of empathy.
"That evil man deserves to die. What do you want me to do?"
Yang Donghu explained to Cao'er the matter of Madam Zhang selling the land deeds. It was only a matter of time before Madam Zhang fell from power. If she wanted to make Li Shangcai fall into ruin, this alone was not enough.
"Li Shangcai doesn't have a big gambling addiction, but he's short of money right now. You just need to tell him that gambling houses make money quickly, and he'll be hooked."
"But what if he gets really lucky? Gambling depends on luck the most."
Yang Donghu shook his head. "Once you've entered the gambling house, you can't get out unscathed. He went in and out so often before because he was a big spender. Now he's determined to turn the tables, so he definitely won't just play once or twice and then quit. There are more winners than losers in the gambling house, and he's offended someone before. Once he's in there, winning or losing is out of his control."
Cao'er hated Li Shangcai so much that she wished he would be beaten to death by the people in the gambling house. He nodded firmly: "Okay."
Only after Cao'er walked away did Zhao Luochuan come out from his hiding place and support Yang Donghu.
Yang Donghu looked at Cao'er's back, turned around and asked, "Have you found the person?"
"Well, those guys are all seasoned con artists, perfect at setting up schemes to lure in those brainless rich young men. One of them is a relative of the boy that Li Shangcai raped. He's the only relative he has, so naturally he wants revenge. Besides, if they can squeeze money out of Li Shangcai, who wouldn't want to be without money?"
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