"Robbery!"
Chen Qingqing raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"This is neither an inn nor a brothel; it is a respectable and virtuous family home."
Your illicit affair has tarnished my family's feng shui. A hundred taels of silver wouldn't be too much for me; a thousand taels wouldn't be unreasonable.
If you're not satisfied, we can invite your wife to judge the matter, or we can ask the magistrate to settle the case.
Although Fan Tong was not afraid of his wife, after the last time he cured the illness and exorcised the evil spirit, his wife and son praised Chen Qingqing highly and listened to her every word. If his daughter-in-law found out about this, he would probably be in big trouble.
He asked for a hundred taels of silver right off the bat; it was going to cost him his life.
But if we don't give it to her, I'm afraid this girl won't give up easily.
He hadn't completely cured his own "rotten navel disease," and he might need her again if it flared up. To save his life, he couldn't afford to offend her for the time being.
Once the "rotten navel disease" is completely cured, I will never let her off the hook. I will make her return the money she took by force, doubling the amount.
Fan Tong gritted his teeth, looking pained, and said, "Fine, fine, one hundred taels it is."
Old Mrs. Chen was nearly speechless with astonishment when she saw how easily Chen Qingqing had extorted a hundred taels of silver from Fan Tong.
She was consumed by jealousy and went to great lengths, even sacrificing her own granddaughter's innocence, to obtain only two hundred and fifty taels of silver.
And this brat got a hundred taels of silver so easily; she made the money way too easily.
The more she thought about it, the more unwilling she felt, and the more she felt she had been cheated.
Although it was Fan Tong's money, he had already agreed to marry Ruolan, and he was, after all, a relative. Based on that alone, we couldn't let him spend this country bumpkin's money.
Thinking of this, Old Mrs. Chen couldn't help but speak up.
"Master Fan, you are so foolish. With your prestige, how could you be intimidated by a little girl like her?"
What skills does she have that allow her to ask for a hundred taels of silver so readily?
If you ask me, we shouldn't give her any money. What can she do? I don't believe she'd dare lay a finger on you.
After finishing speaking, Old Mrs. Chen glanced at Chen Qingqing with disdain.
"Qing girl, don't be so desperate for money that you keep asking for cash. I'm just giving you a friendly reminder: Master Fan is not someone you can afford to offend. If you don't know what's good for you, you won't even know how you died."
Chen Qingqing glanced sideways at Old Lady Chen. This old hag, she hadn't wanted to bother with her, but this woman was acting like a bully, relying on her master's power. She was really giving her too much credit. She immediately snorted coldly.
“If you don’t speak, I’ll forget. Your precious granddaughter won’t escape punishment either. If she doesn’t want to be beaten, she must compensate me with one hundred taels of silver.”
"You, you, you, you're dreaming! I don't have any money to give you!" Old Mrs. Chen stomped her feet angrily.
Fan Tong was speechless. He didn't even dare to provoke her, so who did Old Lady Chen think she was, daring to cause trouble for him? She deserved it!
It's best to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible, lest you get caught up in it again.
Fan Tong hurriedly pulled a silver note from his pocket. "Miss Chen, here's the money. I have something to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."
Chen Qingqing took the silver note, a slight smile playing on her lips.
“One hundred taels per person, not a penny less. If Old Madam Chen doesn’t pay, I will definitely report you to the authorities. Then it won’t be as simple as just paying money.”
"This is the hundred taels I'm giving you. You can ask her for the rest." Fan Tong looked at Old Madam Chen. "If you don't want your precious granddaughter to get beaten up, hurry up and give the money to Miss Chen!"
"Why should I give her money!" Old Mrs. Chen gritted her teeth in anger. "I have no money, but you can take my life or whatever you want."
Seeing that Old Mrs. Chen was stamping her feet in anger, Wu Baoan quickly stepped forward and whispered some words of comfort to her.
“Auntie, don’t get agitated. You have to admit it. After all, it was Ruolan who did something shameful with them. If Qing’er really reports their misdeeds to the authorities, Master Fan should be fine, but your family will definitely be in trouble.”
"Go ahead and sue me if you want. I have no money anyway. At worst, I'll go to jail." Old Mrs. Chen adopted a "what's the worst that can happen?" attitude.
Wu Baoan shook his head and sighed, "Auntie, I advise you to think it over carefully. If you really make a big fuss, your family will be tarnished. If Zhancai really passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, it will cause many inconveniences for his future career. I've told you everything I need to say. Think it over before you make a decision."
Hearing this, Old Mrs. Chen's heart clenched. If they got into a lawsuit, how would her third son ever pass the imperial examinations and bring honor to the family? Wouldn't that just cause trouble for her son?
But this brat is asking for a hundred taels of silver right off the bat! That's money! Why should I give it to her for free?
My heart is filled with a thousand resentments, yet I am utterly helpless.
Old Mrs. Chen stole a glance at Chen Qingqing, whose face was gloomy, wanting to say something nice to get her to show leniency.
But then I thought again, this damned girl is heartless and ungrateful, it's a waste of breath to talk to her.
Why not...
Her gaze fell on Fan Tong. Why not just find this sucker? After all, his family has plenty of money.
Thinking of this, she grinned slyly and approached Fan Tong, lowering her voice to say, "Master Fan, doesn't that brat want money? Why are you arguing with her? Just give it to her."
"You're dreaming if you expect me to pay!" Fan Tong's eyes widened, and he really wanted to slap her mouth.
Old Mrs. Chen was a little scared and felt uneasy, but she still forced herself to explain, "Master Fan, please don't be angry. Let's think about whether or not you should pay this hundred taels of silver before making a decision, okay?"
"Okay, go ahead, I'm listening."
"I'm asking you, did you give my family a betrothal gift?"
"That's right, one silver note and one silver ingot, totaling two hundred and fifty taels."
"Just say yes or no, don't say anything else yet." Old Mrs. Chen continued to ask, "Have you and Ruolan consummated your marriage?"
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