Chapter 146: Chen Si Gets Involved

Chapter 146: Chen Si Gets Involved

The middle-aged woman felt her heart warmed and comforted, giving her the courage to sneak into her mother-in-law's room once more to search.

She accepted the broken silver and tucked it close to her body.

Four taels of silver would be enough to get through this harsh winter and celebrate the New Year.

Her daughter had been begging for a bowl of steaming lamb soup from the street vendor for a long time, but she and her husband had never dared to agree to the sixteen coins.

It wasn’t that they were unwilling, but saving even a few coins was incredibly hard under her mother-in-law's tight control.

The middle-aged woman’s eyes welled up, her heart warmed.

"Master Lu," she leaned in and whispered, "My mother-in-law is shrewd, the kind who won’t act without solid proof. If Miss Cheng was indeed pregnant, that child probably has something to do with her nephew from her maiden family."

"Chen Si, an enforcer from the Yongsheng Gambling Den in Lotus Town, is on good terms with my mother-in-law's nephew. Whenever they have cash, they get together to drink, gamble, and visit brothels. Chen Si probably knows all about that scoundrel’s misdeeds."

"Thank you for the information you brought today, sister-in-law. Once my brother is safe, I’ll definitely prepare another token of gratitude," Lu Mingchao said earnestly, clasping her hands in gratitude.

The middle-aged woman felt a bit embarrassed and stammered, "I wasn’t entirely helping you..."

"Sister-in-law, I understand," Lu Mingchao interrupted her. "I judge people based on what they do, not what they intend. You’ve helped me, and it’s only right that I repay you."

"Sister-in-law, it’s late. Why not stay the night and leave at dawn?"

She glanced around the clean, exquisite room, which carried a faint floral scent, and jumped up as if pricked by a needle. "My brother from my maiden family is waiting for me at the alley outside Chaofu Grain Shop."

"Master Lu, I’ll take my leave now."

Lu Mingchao fetched a food box and placed one dish after another of pastries into it. "Sister-in-law, take these back to enjoy."

After seeing off Old Lady Yang’s daughter-in-law, Lu Mingchao and Lu Yao sat facing each other.

The candlelight flickered, and the yellowed prescription flickered in the candlelight.

"Second brother, since Old Lady Yang already has Cheng Zhi’s leverage, why didn’t she push her to marry into the family right away?"

Lu Mingchao gently rubbed the prescription with her fingertips, deep in thought.

Lu Yao took a sip of tea from his cup and leaned back casually in his chair. "First, Cheng Zhi fought back with threats of her own."

"After all, if Cheng Zhi were to go all out and report it, Old Lady Yang’s nephew could end up in prison or exiled far away."

"Second," Lu Yao’s fingers slightly curled, tapping the armrest of the wooden chair rhythmically. "Old Lady Yang discovered that the child Cheng Zhi is carrying might not be a Yang."

Lu Mingchao nodded in agreement. "Then I’ll ask you, second brother, to take the message to Uncle Chen."

Lu Yao retorted, "Isn’t this why Mother kept me in the city?"

To keep her company and run errands.

Lu Mingchao smiled and deliberately said, "Should I come with you, second brother?"

Lu Yao shook his head without hesitation. "If Mother finds out, she’ll grab the broom and chase me around again."

"Chaochao, keep these banknotes safe. They’re something, at least."

Lu Yao casually pulled two banknotes from his robe, acting like it was nothing.

Lu Mingchao slightly frowned, "Did Second Brother earn this money by staying up all night writing scripts?"

Lu Yao raised his long eyebrows, "No need to pull an all-nighter!"

With that, he hurriedly pushed the door open and left, not giving Lu Mingchao a chance to speak further.

Lu Mingchao let out a deep sigh and carefully tucked away the banknotes.

In fact, she was more financially comfortable than Lu Yao thought.

After all, the business at Chaofu Grain Shop was practically a goldmine.

The lamp flickered, casting the room in light once more.

Just like Lu Mingchao's heart, glowing with warmth.

Lianhua Town.

In the middle of the night.

Chen Si'er, reeking of booze, hummed a lewd tune, his eyes bloodshot, as he staggered down a deserted, shadowy alley.

The old saying that liquor gives courage to the timid is spot on.

Chen Si'er felt no fear; instead, he was drunk on the idea of hitting the gambling den to try his luck and strike it rich.

"Chen Si'er?"

From the depths of the dark alley, two burly men seemed to materialize, clutching clubs as thick as a man's forearm.

Chen Si'er sobered up in an instant.

Shaking, he made a desperate attempt to bolt in the opposite direction.

But as he turned, he was met by two more towering and muscular men.

"Hey, fellas, no need to get rough. Let's talk this out, okay?"

Chen Si'er, ever the pragmatist, dropped to his knees with a thud.

"Pay up honestly, and I won't lay a finger on you."

"You borrowed twenty strings of cash, with a one-month term and three percent monthly interest, totaling twenty strings and six hundred coins."

"Settle the debt, and we’re square."

The man in front of Chen Si'er snapped the wooden club in his hands with a sharp crack, sneering coldly, "If you don’t pay up, this is what’s coming to you."

The night was pitch black, the moon shrouded by clouds.

Chen Si'er couldn’t make out the faces of the burly men, but the murderous edge in their voices was unmistakable.

Pay back the money? He didn’t owe a dime!

"Hey, fellas, you’ve got the wrong guy. I, Chen Si'er, never took out a loan."

Twenty strings and six hundred coins?!

Where could he get over twenty taels of silver? This was practically a death sentence!

"You’re Chen Si'er, from Yongsheng Gambling House, right?"

Chen Si'er nodded blankly.

"Then it’s settled, we’re here for you, Chen Si'er."

"That Yang guy borrowed money from our boss in your name, and now he can’t pay it back and has gone into hiding. So, that means you’re on the hook for it, right?"

"If you can’t pay, pick: a broken arm or a broken leg."

The burly man’s voice was harsh and threatening, leaving Chen Si'er both angry and terrified.

That bastard surnamed Yang!

Chen Si'er clenched his teeth, "I swear, I’ve got nothing to do with that Yang guy..."

The burly man scoffed, "No relation?"

"To be sure, before lending the money, our boss had someone check you out."

"You and that Yang guy were inseparable, sharing everything, even going to the brothels for the same girl, vowing to be blood brothers who’d die together. So why, when it’s time to pay, are you suddenly strangers?"

"Besides, that’s not what Yang said."

"Yang said that three or four years back, you two were tight, and you two teamed up to mess with a decent girl, and no one knew whose kid she was carrying."

Chen Si'er: ???

A decent girl?

He’d never laid a hand on a respectable girl.

The burly man’s face was all smiles, but his eyes were ice-cold, and he punched Chen Si'er hard in the face.

"Chen Si'er, either pay up quick, or I’ll break your legs and dump you outside the county office at midnight to turn yourself in."

"Forcing a decent girl and teaming up with that Yang guy? You’re as good as dead."

"Even if you die, the debt won’t disappear. After you’re gone, I’ll sell off your sister, the one learning embroidery, and we’ll get some money out of it."

Chen Si'er felt a wetness below, and a foul smell spread in the alley.

"If you play dirty, don’t expect me to play fair."