Chapter 510 – Unhappiness

“Ta-da-da-da ……..”

The filly trotted over with a graceful little step, carrying the princess.

It snorted and gently rubbed against Xu Qi’an’s face. The latter kept stroking its neck to calm it down.

For her part, the crown princess unwrapped the parcel hanging on the horse’s back and grabbed out a green robe and handed it to Xu Qi’an, while afterward, she glanced at the little woman and, with a slight hesitation, took out her own cotton coat as well.

“Put it on, you’ll catch a wind chill and save someone for nothing.”

In the late fall season, Yongzhou’s climate is cold to the bone, people just fished out of the river, do not change clothes and warmth in time, once infected, the mortality rate is still very high.

“The old man’s house is just ahead, go to the old man’s house and change your clothes.”

The old man holding the bamboo pole was busy saying.

Xu Qi’an hugged his clean green robe and cotton clothes and made a bow:

“Thanks, old man.”

At once he took the horse, dragged the little woman, and followed the old man.

The surrounding people are still talking, pointing, or gossip, or lamenting Zhang cripple’s daughter-in-law’s fate, met a good water, and is willing to jump into the water to save a person in the cold day, despite the infection of the wind and cold.

After walking less than a hundred meters, the old man turned into the goose-stoned alley and pushed open the black, corrosion-covered wooden door.

Behind the door was a small quadrangle with a four-sided patio overhead.

The little woman was by now blue in the face, her lips were white, and she kept shivering.

If Xu Qi’an was still a martial artist, the qi transmitting would easily dispel the coldness in her body.

However, qi machines belonged to the monopoly of martial artists, and at low and middle grades, among the major systems, only martial artists could perform qi machines.

At the high grade, other systems could also perform qi machines as their physical bodies were enhanced, but they were far from being comparable to wushu. As in the case of force compulsion, at Lina’s level, she could actively refine her essence and transform her qi, using her physical body as the main focus and her qi as a supplement to better utilize her battle power.

“Take her to change her clothes.” Xu Qi’an removed the large package and tossed it to Mu Nanjian.

The Princess clutched it tightly in her arms, glanced at the little woman, and quietly tucked the pretty cotton jacket back into the package, removing a not-so-pretty one.

Just got sloppy and accidentally took a good shirt ………

Looking at the two men entering the master bedroom, Xu Qi’an was guided by the old man to the side room to change his clothes and pants.

“Old man, would you like to take shelter for a while?”

Xu Qi’an said politely.

The old man froze and wondered, “What’s the matter, you’re still shy, postulant?”

No, I am afraid of scaring you ……… Xu Qi an smiled apologetically and looked at the old man without saying anything.

The old man then placed a clean sweatband on the table and exited the room.

Xu Qi’an unzipped his robe and took off his lining, and he had four nails diving into his flesh and blood in each of his front abdomen and back, the wounds dark red and hideous.

There was even a nail sealing the Yuan Shen at the Hundred Meetings point at the top of his head.

The Demon Sealing Nail had sealed his cultivation, including his qi, and now he had the skin of a third-grade martial artist, but he could not wield enough power, and even if he wanted to rely on the feature of hardness of his flesh to kill people, it was difficult to do so.

Changing into a set of dry clothes, Xu Qi’an and the old man sat in the humble hall, roasting a fire with a pot of yellow wine on the stove as the two chatted idly.

“Old man, you’re the only one living at home?”

“Yeah.”

“Where’s the family?”

“My old partner left last year, and I have a couple of children, my daughter married out of town and hasn’t been back to see me in years. As for the son ……..”

The old man paused for a moment, helplessness flashing in his slightly cloudy eyes:

“Some years ago there was a flood and the crops were all gone, so in order to fill the family’s stomach, he went up the mountain with the hunters to hunt and lost his footing and fell off a cliff and died.”

A moment of silence.

Xu Qi’an herself had experienced great sorrow and pain, so she wouldn’t say “I’m sorry for your loss” or something like that.

At this time, the old man lifted up the wine pot and laughed, “This wine will be ready when it is warmed to just the right temperature; if it boils, the flavor will dissipate. Young man, taste it.”

There are no extra cups in the house.

Xu Qi’an tipped the wine pot and took a sip, his eyes lit up, the flavor was fresh, sweet and mellow, sour, bitter, spicy and astringent, yet just right. After swallowing the liquor, the fragrant aroma lingered between her lips and teeth for a long time.

There were countless good wines in the capital, but this was indeed the first time he had ever tasted this kind of wine.

At this time, another plate of white cut chicken and salted boiled peanuts would be good ……… Xu Qi an thought regretfully in his heart, and somewhat impatiently wanted to find an inn to stay, and drink freely with the Wangfei until dawn.

The old man nodded his head in satisfaction, a smile on his wrinkled face at the sight of his reminiscent look.

“Listening to the latter’s accent, he’s not a native of Yongzhou, is he?”

“From the capital.”

The old man stood in awe and said, “So you’re from the capital, no wonder, the postulant and your daughter-in-law, they’re really a talented couple.”

Hey hey, old man can your conscience really be safe when you say this ……… Xu Qi An spat in his heart.

At that exact moment, the Princess and the little woman came out, the latter still pale, her slender and slender body shivering slightly from the cold.

As the old man greeted the two over to roast the fire, Xu Qi’an saw an abnormality in the royal concubine’s face, which seemed to be desperately trying to suppress her anger.

“What’s wrong?”

Xu Qi’an handed the jug of wine to the little woman, signaling her to take a sip to warm up her body, then twisted her head to look at Mu Nanjian.

The old man sighed, “Did Cripple Zhang go gambling again?”

The little woman bowed her head and nodded.

Seeing this, the old man commented, “It looks like the days are numbered.”

The little woman shook her head, tears snapping down her face.

Mu Nan gardenia small face grimly said, “Her man gave her away ………”

Giving it away is a euphemism. What happened was that the little woman’s husband was called Zhang Youfu, a cripple, and because of his disability, he couldn’t do heavy work, and his family had always been poor.

Cripple Zhang is a person with a high eye, not willing to live a hard life, so he is addicted to gambling.

As the years went by, the already poor days became more and more unbearable.

Gambling nine out of ten gambling, Zhang Lame is not special, not only lost all the family money, but also owed a butt of debt.

One of the biggest debtors was a big punk named Chu Er.

Zhu Er colluded with the casino and drained Zhang Lame’s money, while later lending him money, nine out of thirteen back.

Its purpose was not for money, but to see Zhang Lame’s daughter-in-law, the young woman in front of him.

He threatened with debt and demanded that the crippled man pawn his wife to himself and come back to bring her back when he could pay back the money.

The desperate Zhang Cripple had no choice but to agree and sign the deed.

The little woman was taken away by Zhu Er yesterday and was forced to commit herself to him, and this morning while Zhu Er was sleeping, she secretly escaped, wanting to jump into the river to find her own death.

After hearing this, the old man sighed again, as if he had expected Zhang Cripple to come to this point sooner or later.

It is quite common in the southern part of Dafeng, and it is fine when the days are peaceful, but once there is a natural or man-made disaster, the trend of wife inheritance will be prevalent.

The law strictly prohibits such a trend, but the government usually turns a blind eye to it and adopts an attitude of acquiescence.

Xu Qi’an once again scrutinized the little woman, indeed she was long and pretty, with a soft and tender temperament, very capable of arousing a man’s possessiveness.

Mun Nanjian frequently signaled with her gaze, asking Xu Qi’an to deal with the little woman in this manner.

“How much silver does your husband owe that Zhu Er?”

The little woman looked up, timidly glanced at him, and whispered, “Thirty taels.”

Thirty taels of silver was quite a lot, in the capital, it was a year’s income for a solid population. And in a small county like Fuyang County, thirty taels of silver was enough to buy a large mansion.

But you can’t leave it at that if you gamble.

If the little woman did not lie, Zhu Er and the gambling house colluded to kill the pig, then thirty two silver is actually not a penny, empty gloves, set a delicate and virtuous little woman.

The old man whispered, “This Zhu Er is a notorious big gangster in the county, and the nephew of the governor is a friend of his. He has dozens of people under his hand. The busiest street in the county has to pay him protection money.

“There are many who resent him, but even more who fear him. With the governor at the top, he can be lawless.”

And also very smart, there will be “reasonable” means to bully men and women ……….. Xu Qi’an added in her heart.

“As the saying goes, a good man does what he wants, you now have two choices: one, the thirty taels your husband owes Zhu Er, we’ll pay it back for you, and you can go back to continue living with your husband.

“Two, the contract is not in accordance with the law, I’ll make it right for you, but you have to make peace with your husband. I will give you a sum of silver afterward, and you may go back to your mother’s house or elsewhere, as you please.”

The little woman hung her head and said in a thin voice: “A married daughter splashes out water, which can still return to her mother’s home, the little woman is a local, out of the county, where to go to beg for a living?”

Xu Qi’an knew that she had chosen the first.

Immediately left thirty taels of silver for the little woman, leading the little mare and Mu Nanjian to leave the old man’s house.

“Follow up with any questions and come see me at the best inn in the county.

“Good wine, old man, thanks for the hospitality.”

The two men and their horses walked out of the alley and faded into the distance.

The old man watched them leave and returned to the house, and was shocked to find that an ingot of official silver had been left on the spot where the young man had just sat.

The old man has never seen such a large portion of silver in his life.

………….

County, a certain three-entry compound.

The cross-faced Zhu Er sat in the hall, his face grim as he drank towards his subordinates in the hall:

“Capture that little bitch, give her face, and from now on stay in the mansion for the brothers to vent their fire. There are so many brothers who can’t get a daughter-in-law, so it’s a good idea to make the best use of them.”

He had already tasted that little lady’s flavor, and Zhu Er had always been a man who hated the new.

Although the deed does not allow him to dispose of it in this way, the cripple is so penniless that he can’t even take out three taels of silver, not to mention thirty taels.

This woman is his from now on, and he can do with her whatever he wants.

“Gollum …….”

A few of the hanyou swallowed.

Zhu Er was very satisfied with his subordinates’ reactions, believing that his decision was incomparably correct and had greatly enlisted people’s hearts.

Over this period of time, Zhu Er felt that his luck had turned, which was mainly manifested in four aspects, one, he gambled at the gambling house and won more than he lost, here refers to the case where there is no cheating, it is purely the luck of the hand.

Two, he operated several stores, industries, business suddenly became better, red hot.

Third, the county magistrate, who originally had a nonchalant attitude, collecting bribes while looking down on him, suddenly changed his tune and called him brother and sister.

The idea of setting up a trap from the casino side, draining Zhang Lame, and then forcing him with debt to take the young lady into his room was mentioned by the county master.

Otherwise, according to Zhu Er’s character, he preferred to dominate the king and then coerce a good woman to obey.

The county magistrate is worthy of being a scholar, and he thinks of a law that drips with no after-effects.

Four, the brothers under his hand became more and more reverent and loyal to him.

Zhu Er, whose wealth and power had expanded dramatically, even moved to the idea of going to Yongzhou City to make a break for it.

Compared to the main city of Yongzhou, Fuyang County, a small county, what does it count ……… Zhu Er convergence of scattered thoughts, thinking about how to find a gift to the county magistrate.

Women are directly eliminated from the options, and the Prefect will be short of women?

Silver was also culled because it had been gifted and wasn’t distinctive enough to show how much he cared.

At this time, a subordinate hurried in and said, “Second Master, Zhang Lame and Little Sister-in-Law are here, saying they’ve come to pay back the money.”

Return the money? Zhu Er froze, almost thinking his ears had misheard, and said in a deep voice, “Let them in.”

In a few moments, the thin man who walks with a limp, pulling a beautifully poised little woman in, the little woman’s arms bulging and swollen, tightly protected.

She had a few bruises on her face, as if she had just been beaten, but continued to hold on to what she had in her arms, not letting go.

“Second Master, we’ve come to return the silver.”

Zhang Lame nodded his head and fawned all over his face.

Zhu Er didn’t hitch a ride, but instead looked at the little woman and narrowed her eyes:

“Where have you been.”

The little woman tightened her arms again, with some trepidation and a forced look of courage, “We have come to pay back the money, and where is the deed?”

Zhu Er stared at her, “Where’s the silver.”

The little woman took out the cloth bag, which contained three ingots of official silver, ten taels each.

Official silver is not available to ordinary people, not that they are not eligible, but the “face value” is too large, ordinary people usually use copper coins and broken silver.

“Where’s the official silver!”

Zhu Er glared and asked loudly.

The little woman trembled in fear, and Zhang Lame quickly said, “A foreigner gave it to me.”

Immediately, he told the story, the little woman went back and told Zhang lame, Zhang lame at that time the idea is not to pay the debt, but to take the silver to gamble.

But this pawned out of the daughter-in-law dead to protect, he is already thin and weak, legs and feet, a moment actually can not snatch over.

Had to compromise and come first to redeem the man.

Outlander, rich ……… Zhu Er s eyes turned, suddenly slapped the table and shouted angrily, saying:

“Bitch, how dare you, how dare you steal my silver while I’m sleeping. Tie them both up and lock them up in the woodshed.”

Mr. and Mrs. Zhang Cripple’s faces turned pale, crying and being dragged down and locked into the firewood room.

“Second Master is brilliant!”

The subordinate hemmed and hawed, “Where did Zhang Cripple get thirty taels? No one would believe it, he must have stolen it from the second master.”

“Second master, that little daughter-in-law ……”

One of the subordinates revealed a salivating look, what Zhu Er had just said was something they had memorized in their hearts.

“What’s the hurry, people are locked up and afraid to escape?”

Zhu Er frowned and reprimanded, ”Unproductive thing. You go check on that outsider and see what’s coming. Hey, if you can casually come up with thirty taels, you can come up with three hundred taels or even more.”

………..

In the best inn in the county, Xu Qi’an was carrying a jug of wine in his hand, and the freshly warmed wine added a bit of warmth to the jug as well.

Wangfei sat at the table, there is also a pot of wine in hand, the wine soaked with ginger, spices, she is not good but not bad, after drinking a few mouthfuls, her face flushed red like drunkenness, but there are a few points of coquettishness.

“All the sages of old are lonely, but only the drinkers have left their names …….”

He said softly.

“Great poem!”

The princess exclaimed, looking at him sideways, “What about down there?”

Xu Qi’an didn’t have the heart to say, “It’s gone down there.”

He sipped his wine slowly, “I’ll go to that little woman’s house later to take a look. Since I’ve helped, I’ll help to the end.”

The Princess lamented, “Actually, I shouldn’t care, there’s a whole lot of shit going on along the way.”