Chen Zhancai had thought these people would rush to flatter and fawn over him, the scholar, but to his surprise, they didn't buy it at all and actually lied through their teeth.
He was so angry that his beard bristled and his eyes widened. He glared fiercely at everyone and said, "You've gone too far! Remember what you said today, you'll regret it someday!"
Old Mrs. Chen was also incredulous. Where did these peasants get the audacity to speak to the scholar like that? It was outrageous!
She glanced coldly at the crowd, her tone carrying an undisguised warning.
"You have gone too far! How dare you insult my son like this! Don't forget who he is! One day, when he achieves great success, you will all regret it!"
"Oh dear~~ I'm so scared!" Da Longzi said with a disdainful look and an infuriating tone, "Auntie, with your son like that, you still expect him to leap over the dragon gate and pass the imperial examination in one fell swoop? It's not that I'm looking down on him, but that heartless bastard can even sell his wife, and he still wants to pass the imperial examination. I think he'll never pass the imperial examination in his lifetime."
The others also rolled their eyes.
"Stop bragging. I wonder when this scholar will finally pass the imperial examination."
"We believe in reason, not personal relationships; we help those in the right, not those with relatives. Stop bullying us with your power."
"That's right. Live with a clear conscience. Don't treat us like fools. Don't you know your own character? You still want to pass the imperial examination? That's just wishful thinking."
"They shamelessly inflate their own value without even feeling ashamed."
"That's right. We were hoping he would bring glory to the family, but I think he'll be the one to disgrace it."
Grandma Chen was speechless after being rebuked, her face turning bright red with embarrassment.
Chen Zhancai was so embarrassed that he wanted to disappear into the ground.
Seeing his demeanor, Da Bao couldn't help but sneer, "People have faces, trees have bark, windows have paper, and beds have mats. Have some backbone and stop thinking such crooked thoughts all day long. Others may not know what's going on, but don't you have any self-awareness?"
I only called you "Third Uncle" out of consideration for us living in the same village, but you've taken advantage of my kindness. Since that's the case, why should I be polite to you anymore?
As he spoke, he stretched out his hand, "Hurry up and pay back the sixty taels of silver you owe me, or I'll go to the county government and sue you."
Borrowing money and repaying it is a matter of course. So what if you are a scholar or a nobleman?
If you are unable to repay your debts, your property will be forcibly sold. If your assets are insufficient, you may be sent to a harsh, desolate place to work and pay off your debts. You will not be released until the debts are fully repaid.
These words made Chen Zhancai's heart tighten. No wonder the brat was so tough and dared to hit him. So this was what he was waiting for!
How could I have forgotten about this? If, as he says, I were to be accused of owing money and not repaying it, not only would I lose my scholar status, but I would also be flogged and have my property confiscated.
If I were to pay off the debt with my labor, I wouldn't be able to repay it even if I worked my whole life with my small frame!
What a careless mistake! I let that little bastard grab my weakness.
Just as he was at a loss, Old Mrs. Chen flew into a rage, spitting out words of excitement and yelling at the top of her lungs.
"Chen Dabao, you're going too far! Not only did you hit me, but now you're trying to extort money from my Zhancai. Explain yourself clearly: who owes you sixty taels of silver? Otherwise, I'll fight you to the death."
Chen Zhancai nearly fainted from the shock; he didn't want Old Lady Chen to know what had happened.
It wasn't that I was worried about upsetting my mother, but rather that I was afraid of the whole village finding out the truth.
Bricks are vulnerable to damage from the blank, people are vulnerable to a bad reputation, money is like dirt, but face is worth a thousand pieces of gold.
If the embarrassing things that happened to him in Ningjing were to spread, how would he ever have the face to go out and see people again?
A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. Since they won't fall for our tricks, let's just sit back and wait and see.
After that brat gets her head chopped off, then we'll figure out how to fight for the family fortune.
If I'm no match for that little brat Da Bao, then I'll have to resort to some underhanded tactics.
Then we'll poison them and wipe them out, and he'll still be able to keep all the family property.
Before Da Bao could speak, Chen Zhancai quickly raised his hand to stop him, "Da Bao, there's absolutely no problem between us men. Stop talking now. I'm not going to get involved in Qing's matter anymore. Do whatever you want."
After saying that, he grabbed Old Mrs. Chen's arm and walked outside, saying, "Mom, don't ask anymore, let's go home quickly."
"Zhancai, don't pull me! I need to ask him when we owed him money? I've never been treated like this, even when I was poor. This is just throwing mud at us!"
"Alright, Mother, stop making a fuss and let's go!"
"Zhancai, let go of me! How can you let me be wronged like this? I can't swallow this insult!" Old Mrs. Chen persisted, suddenly breaking free from Chen Zhancai's grasp. She rushed to Da Bao and pointed at him, "Explain yourself! Who owes you money? Are you trying to extort us because you think we're easy to bully?"
Chen Dabao snorted coldly and pulled out the IOU written by Chen Zhancai from his pocket. "Look carefully, this is an IOU written by your precious son."
He then recounted Chen Zhancai's actions, and concluded by saying...
"Chen Zhancai, do you think you can fool everyone with your endless lies? You even said you were deceived while doing good deeds. Well, you were indeed deceived, but how were you deceived? Do you think no one will know?"
Let me tell you, nothing stays hidden forever. I already found out why you were scammed when I went to Ningjing last time. You were hoping for a windfall, trying to marry the daughter of an official, but it turns out she was a swindler too…”
Chen Zhancai's face turned pale. He never dreamed that Chen Dabao would find out about this. He was filled with shame and indignation. "Stop talking, stop talking."
After saying that, he ran out of the sugar shop without looking back.
Grandma Chen was stunned, all her strength drained away in an instant. She never dreamed that Chen Zhancai could make up such lies. The story of encountering bandits and being rescued by Da Bao was all a lie.
Seeing Chen Zhancai run out of the courtyard, she followed closely behind and slunk away.
Chen Dabao felt there were some things he didn't need the villagers to know, so he turned to the villagers around him and announced loudly, "Uncles and aunts, the sugar mill will be closed from today. The start date is to be determined, but don't worry, your wages will still be paid."
Upon hearing this, everyone spoke up.
"Da Bao, why are you resting all of a sudden? Is something serious about Qing'er?"
"Yes, Da Bao, since you can work here, we don't consider Qing Ya To be an outsider. If you encounter any difficulties, just tell us, and we will definitely help you."
"Yes, yes, Qing is our village's lucky star, we can't let anything happen to her."
Chen Dabao felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. The case was currently at a complete standstill, and he had no idea whether he could rescue Chen Qingqing. But he couldn't show it to outsiders, so he forced a smile.
"Don't worry, everyone. My sister Qingqing is a skilled doctor. Everything will be fine. I'll let you know when the sugar shop opens."
"Okay, okay, then we're relieved."
The villagers dispersed one by one as they talked...
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