Chapter 199: I Won’t Swindle You

Manager Wang shook his head. "Three thousand silver isn’t expensive, actually. I’ve been to his place before. He has a large courtyard, and there’s even another building out back."

"Old Huang is probably trying to sell the shop and get out of here."

"After being tangled up in this for so many years, he just can’t take it anymore."

Gu Fei nodded. "That Mr. Huang is such a pitiful man."

Manager Wang sighed. "Tell me about it. His wife and children are gone, and he’s saddled with a scoundrel for a brother. Sigh..."

"Back in the day, his silk shop was the most successful one on this street. There wasn’t a day he wasn’t depositing huge amounts of silver into the bank. Who would’ve thought it would come to this?"

Gu Fei rose and gave Manager Wang a curtsy. "Thank you for telling me, Manager Wang."

Manager Wang waved his hand dismissively. "It’s nothing."

"If you want to go into business, Miss Gu, you’d be better off finding a Ya Zi to ask around. But that shop... you must not get involved with it under any circumstances."

Gu Fei smiled. "I’d like to, but it’s not like I have three thousand silver."

She gave another curtsy. "Thank you for telling me all this, Manager Wang. I won’t keep you from your business. I’ll come see you another day."

Manager Wang beamed as he saw her out. "Have you planted the chili peppers yet?"

Gu Fei nodded. "I have. They’ve already sprouted. My mother tends to them every day as if she were waiting on our ancestors."

"Excellent, excellent. Once the peppers are harvested, let me know, Miss Gu, and I’ll send my men to your house to pick them up."

"Alright. When the time comes, we’ll pick the peppers and deliver them straight to you, Manager Wang."

Manager Wang laughed heartily. "Then it’s settled. I’ll be waiting for your chili peppers."

Gu Fei left and climbed onto Sanlang’s cart. The mule cart traveled a short distance before quickly arriving at Old Huang’s shop.

Gu Fei lifted the curtain for a look. Old Huang was dressed in rags, his graying hair a mess, still sitting by the doorway.

Gu Fei couldn’t bear the sight. When the mule cart passed a cooked-food shop up ahead, she had Gu Sanlang stop. She got out, bought a roast chicken, and then had him turn the cart around.

The mule cart stopped at the storefront. Gu Fei alighted and walked over to Old Huang.

Old Huang tilted his head back and squinted at Gu Fei. "Aren’t you the young lady from last night?"

Gu Fei smiled and squatted down, offering him the roast chicken wrapped in dried lotus leaves. "Mr. Huang, this is for you."

Old Huang stared at the roast chicken for a long moment, then managed a smile that was more painful than a grimace. "When I was young, silver passed through my hands by the thousands. I never imagined I’d become a beggar in my old age."

Gu Fei said quickly, "Mr. Huang, you’re no beggar! You still have this large estate. I actually came specifically to tell you that I can’t scrape together the silver to buy your shop."

Old Huang took the roast chicken, a murky tear welling in his eye. He waved his hand. "Forget it. You’re a kind-hearted girl, so I won’t drag you into this mess. Even if you wanted to buy this place, I wouldn’t sell it to you now."

"When I’ve had enough of living, I’ll just burn this place to the ground. That’ll settle everything."

Gu Fei looked at Old Huang, feeling a mix of pity and fury. ’How can someone as detestable as Er Laizi exist in this world!’

’If only I could find a way to deal with that Er Laizi,’ she thought. ’Then Old Huang’s life might get a little better.’

’Break his legs?’

Gu Fei shook her head. ’A broken leg would heal eventually. And even if it didn’t, Er Laizi would probably just crawl his way over.’

’As long as someone like that is alive, he’ll just keep making people’s lives miserable.’

’Kill him?’

’It wasn’t that she was afraid to kill. But first of all, this wasn’t some chaotic disaster zone where people could die without anyone taking notice. Here, if a life was taken, the government would investigate.’

’And second, even the law required the punishment to fit the crime. As awful as Er Laizi was, his offenses weren’t punishable by death.’