There were people inside and outside the courtyard, all watching to see how Jiang Shuyun and her husband would handle the situation.
The woman in the courtyard was still crying, and her daughter, her eyes filled with fear and tears, looked blankly at her mother and the crowd around her.
What's going on?
Third Grandfather arrived quite quickly. Shuyun gave him a general overview, but he didn't know the specifics yet.
"Third Grandfather, you have to stand up for me! Jiang Shushan went gambling again and lost a lot of money. He gave Nizi away as collateral, sob sob... my poor Nizi!"
"Alright, stop howling. Jiang Shushan lost money gambling, what are you yelling about here?"
"Third Grandfather, I... I had no other choice. Only Brother Shuyun's family in the clan is rich. I was desperate, so I thought of borrowing money from them to pay off my gambling debts and redeem Nizi."
The woman looked at her stern-faced third grandfather and spoke in increasingly softer voices.
"Borrow money, how much, and when do you plan to pay it back?"
"I borrowed a hundred taels of silver, when will I pay it back? I... I don't know, sob sob..."
Mu Yi'an found it quite amusing. Borrowing a hundred taels of silver, with no idea when it would be returned, they really thought she was a sucker.
"You dare to ask for a hundred taels? Even if you sold Jiang Shushan, he wouldn't be worth a hundred taels. This isn't borrowing money; you're trying to extort it, aren't you?"
"Third Grandfather, I didn't. I had no choice. I couldn't just watch my daughter be taken away by them. That would mean she would have no way out. Brother Shuyun's family is so rich. They own estates and shops. One hundred taels is a small amount of money for them, but it can save my daughter's life."
The woman spoke with such conviction that Third Grandfather was so angry his beard bristled. What a scoundrel! How could she utter such shameless words?
"Shut up, Shuqi, Shuhu, Shuhai, you guys go and take Jiang Shushan to the ancestral hall, we'll go over there."
"I understand you're anxious for your daughter, Shushan family, but whether Jiang Shuyun's family is rich or not is irrelevant."
Third Grandfather looked at the people surrounding the courtyard with a serious expression.
“Let’s go to the ancestral hall. This is a matter for our clan. What’s the point of blocking it up at Ziwen’s house?”
The third grandfather led the way out. The woman wanted to say something, but after glancing at Mu Yi'an, she quickly lowered her head, pulled her daughter along, and followed.
“Let’s go take a look. This is just the beginning. We have to nip it in the bud, otherwise it will never end.”
Mu Yi'an tugged at Jiang Shuyun; both of them knew that something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. Jiang Zhonglin was thankful that he was by Yi'an's side when it happened, preventing her from facing it alone.
The Jiang family ancestral hall is located in the very center of the village. It is a fairly large courtyard where the ancestral tablets of the Jiang family are enshrined.
The Jiang family had once been glorious many years ago, but with the change of dynasties, the direct descendants of the Jiang family were no longer around, and the Jiang clan members in Jiangjia Village were all from collateral branches.
The ancestral hall is a brick and tile building. Because it was built a long time ago, although it is repaired every year, you can still see the signs of dilapidation.
Third Grandfather opened the door of the ancestral hall and went in first.
Women are generally not allowed to enter the ancestral hall, but they can enter the courtyard.
Jiang Shushan was escorted into the courtyard. The debt collectors neither got their money nor caught him. They followed him from a distance. With everything in black and white, no one could deny it.
"Jiang Shushan, last time you lost money gambling, you swore in the ancestral hall that you would quit gambling from now on, and that if you ever did it again, you would voluntarily leave the clan. Do you remember what you said?"
"Third Grandfather, I was wrong, really wrong. Please give me another chance. I will change, I promise I will."
Jiang Shushan, a grown man in his thirties, was kneeling on the ground, crying with snot and tears streaming down his face. Coupled with his bruised and swollen face, it was truly disgusting.
"It's too late. No one will believe you anymore. Not only are you a gambler, but you've also heartlessly pawned your own daughter off. What kind of man are you? Do you even deserve to be a father?"
Third Grandfather was truly disappointed in Jiang Shushan. The Jiang clan rules clearly stipulated that members of the Jiang clan were forbidden from gambling, as it was the root of family ruin. A few years ago, Jiang Shushan was working in town when he was taken to a gambling den and lost more than ten taels of silver.
The casino owners came knocking, and his parents tearfully borrowed money to pay off his gambling debts, leading to a family split. He knelt in the ancestral hall and swore he would never gamble again. Unexpectedly, just a few years later, he was gambling again.
“Shushan’s parents, we’ve already given him a chance, but unfortunately, he didn’t cherish it. Our Jiang clan has an ancestral rule that clan members who gamble must be expelled from the clan.”
"Third Uncle, let's follow the clan rules and pretend we never had this son."
Jiang Shushan's father, his back hunched, looked at his son kneeling on the ground, furious at his son's lack of ambition; he truly couldn't control him anymore.
"Dad, please save me. Third Grandfather, please give me another chance. I promise I will change. If I gamble again, I'll cut off my own hand."
Jiang Shushan cried out in fear. What good could come of someone expelled from the clan? Besides, the people from the casino were still outside. If he was expelled, no one would help him; he was doomed.
“Even if you chop off your hand right now, you still have to leave the clan. We can’t let your actions corrupt the other members of the clan. We can’t set this precedent. Gambling is a wasteful thing.”
"Yes, he should have been kicked out last time."
Grandpa was furious. How could there be such a person who never learns from his mistakes?
"Brother Shuyun, please save me, only you can save me. Lend me some money, I'll pay off my gambling debts, and I'll be your slave from now on, really, I swear."
“Brother Shushan, even if my family didn’t have a hundred taels of silver right now, we couldn’t lend it to you. It’s not that we’re stingy, but we can’t help you with this. Nine out of ten gamblers lose, and if you can’t quit gambling, no amount of silver will be enough for you to lose.”
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