Chen Zhancai panicked immediately. If Da Bao didn't take care of him, he would be doomed.
It's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death. As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood. What's a little debt? Even if I don't pay it back, what can he do to me?
"Okay, okay, I'll write it, I'll write the IOU, I'll sign and put my fingerprint on it."
The shopkeeper stopped making things difficult for Chen Zhancai. He only wanted the money from the shop; as long as someone paid the bill, he wouldn't lose money. He quickly told the waiter to go back to the inn and bring out Chen Zhancai's package.
"You're lucky you ran into family, otherwise I would never have let you off the hook."
Chen Zhancai glared at him, "You snobbish little man, you better pray you don't end up in my hands in this lifetime."
The shopkeeper looked at him with utter contempt. "Someone like you will never have that chance in your entire life."
Chen Zhancai ignored the shopkeeper, took out a pen and ink and quickly wrote the IOU, then bit his finger and put his fingerprint on it.
After paying sixty taels of silver, Chen Dabao led Chen Zhancai into the carriage and hurriedly left.
Outside Ningjing City.
A horse-drawn carriage sped along the official road.
Inside the carriage, Chen Zhancai sat silently in the corner.
It was so damn embarrassing that they actually saw this embarrassing thing. But it was also a stroke of luck that they didn't see it. If they hadn't seen it, I probably would have spent the rest of my life in prison.
Now that the danger has passed, what should we do next?
If he goes back to the village and they spread his embarrassing story, how will he ever be able to face anyone in Nanshan Village again?
Chen Zhancai felt increasingly uneasy. No, he absolutely couldn't let them reveal his secrets. Now, he had no choice but to risk everything.
Chen Zhanshan, that utterly despicable bastard, was so cold-hearted and ruthless even when he was being driven to his death. He was truly devoid of conscience and had no humanity whatsoever.
Would such a heartless and ungrateful person grant my request? Wouldn't it be even more embarrassing if he didn't?
Who cares? How will we know if we don't try?
Thinking of this, Chen Zhancai knelt down before the two men with a thud.
"Big brother, Da Bao, I know I was wrong. If I hadn't met you today, I would have been dead. In my next life, I'm willing to serve you like a cow or a horse."
I will never forget your immense kindness. Could you please do me a favor and not tell anyone about what happened today when you return to Nanshan Village?
Chen Zhanshan was taken aback at first, then realized what was going on. He rolled his eyes dismissively and said, "Don't worry, I don't have time to bother with your nonsense."
Da Bao also said, "Third Uncle, now you know it's shameful? Didn't you feel ashamed when you knelt down and begged for mercy?"
"Da Bao, your third uncle has a secret. I was cheated, otherwise I wouldn't be short of money to pay the shop bill."
Chen Zhancai looked aggrieved; he dared not tell the truth and could only spout nonsense.
"You don't know, I traveled all the way to Ningjing to take the autumn imperial examination, saving every penny. I couldn't bear to spend a single cent of money beyond what was required."
After arriving in Ningjing, I planned to find a small inn to stay in, but as soon as I got to the door of one of the shops, the innkeeper and the waiter grabbed me and wouldn't let me leave.
They said their prices were cheap, they provided three meals a day, and the service was top-notch. Since they made it sound so good, I couldn't refuse.
Who knew that as soon as I settled in, they treated me to good food and drink and took good care of me. If that's all, it's not a big deal, and I can afford to pay for the place.
But what you don't know is that the day I finished my exam, I encountered a beautifully dressed woman crying by the roadside. I felt sorry for her and went up to ask her why.
The woman said that her husband had died and she had come to Ningjing to settle her husband's estate. Because she was a widow, she was afraid of being bullied, so she asked me if I could pretend to be her younger brother to support her. She was willing to give me fifty taels of silver as a reward after the matter was settled.
When I heard this, I thought it was a rare and good job. Not only would I help people solve their troubles, but I could also earn money. With these fifty taels, I could go back to Nanshan Village and buy back the land that had been sold.
So I agreed. The woman was really generous. She took me to the biggest restaurant in Ningjing for a meal and even bought me a jade pendant for one hundred taels of silver at a jewelry store. When I saw that she was a rich woman, I was quite happy.
The next day, I waited for her at the agreed-upon place, intending to go with her to settle the inheritance. However, she realized she had forgotten her jewelry, and since it would be too late to go back, she decided to go to a jewelry store to buy another set.
When I arrived at the jewelry store, the woman told me to wait in the lobby, saying she would come to find me after selecting a few pieces of jewelry. But little did I know she was a swindler who ran off with the jewelry.
Because I had come here with her the day before, the waiter assumed I was her brother and insisted that I pay.
I said I didn't know the woman, and the shopkeeper pointed to my jade pendant and said that this was the woman who bought it for me, and if I dared to deny it, he would send me to see the magistrate.
I was like a mute eating bitter herbs, unable to explain my suffering. In order to escape, I gave them all the silver I had..."
Chen Zhancai fabricated a story so convincingly that he acted as if he were also a victim, completely forgetting that he brought the deception upon himself.
Da Bao shook his head and chuckled, "Third Uncle, get up quickly. I won't tell anyone in the village about what happened today."
"Thank you, big brother. Thank you, Da Bao."
Chen Zhancai felt relieved and changed from kneeling to sitting. He had been worried about not having enough money to get home, but now he was not only able to go home, but someone was even taking care of his food expenses along the way. It seemed that he was indeed a lucky person.
Aside from meals and accommodations, the group remained silent throughout the journey...
Nanshan Village.
Life at the Chen family's old house was extremely difficult. The family had run out of food, and it was only thanks to Ruhua that they could make ends meet by digging for wild vegetables in the mountains every day. Otherwise, the old couple would have had to beg for food.
Old Mrs. Chen became emaciated and pale from eating so many wild vegetables; she had no strength left in her body.
She waited and hoped every day, faithfully waiting under the big willow tree at the village entrance, just waiting for Chen Zhancai to return after passing the imperial examination.
When that time comes, we won't have to eat coarse food anymore, and good days will arrive.
That day, Old Mrs. Chen dragged her weak body toward the village entrance.
Several women were sitting on the rocks under the willow tree. When they saw Old Lady Chen walking over from afar, they all pursed their lips.
"Hey, look at the scholar's wife, she looks like she could be blown away by a gust of wind."
“Good farmers don’t farm, they just mess around and pin all their hopes on studying. What kind of family lives like that?”
"Who says otherwise? The eldest son's line has broken off, and the second son's line has been separated from his family. If the third son doesn't pass the imperial examination, the Chen family is likely to have a tough winter!"
"Serves them right, they brought it on themselves. Who told them they couldn't treat everyone equally!"
"Alright, that's enough for now, Old Lady Chen is here."
The women immediately fell silent and resumed their work...
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