Chapter 195: Dodging Debts

Zhong Lanhua clung to the pillar next to her, refusing to let go.

She wrapped her arms and legs tightly around the pillar. It took four of them to finally pry her off with all their might.

"Are you all dead? Hurry up and report to the government." Zhong Lanhua shouted to the clerks inside the shop, "If anything happens to me, no one will pay your wages."

The clerks, who initially didn’t want to interfere, reconsidered after hearing this, thinking about their unpaid wages.

One of the clerks stepped forward to prevent the people from the brothel from taking Zhong Lanhua away. However, there were too many men brought by the madam, and a skinny clerk couldn’t handle it.

The people from the gambling house started moving things inside. Anything remotely valuable was taken away. At this rate, they might leave only a few pillars for Fenghua Pavilion.

Not long ago, Fenghua Pavilion was bustling, but in a short time, it had become an empty shell. Zhong Lanhua, the lady boss, was also taken away by the madam of the brothel.

"Oh dear, are they taking Boss Zhong to the brothel to pay off the debt?" The lady boss of the blacksmith’s shop, who didn’t get along with Zhong Lanhua, gloated, "Well, she’s a widow with no man for so many years. If she’s sent to the brothel to pay off the debt, not only can she save her son, but she can also have a taste of men. Haha..."

The blacksmith, an honest man, quickly pulled his wife inside after hearing her excessive words.

The blacksmith’s wife scolded, "You feel sorry for her? Don’t think I haven’t noticed, this bitch has been swaying in front of you a lot lately, twisting her backside like a maggot."

"Wife, it’s not like that. She just asked me to make something, and we exchanged a few normal words." The blacksmith explained anxiously, blushing.

"There better not be anything, or I’ll strip your skin off."

Zhong Lanhua couldn’t resist and was taken away by the madam of the brothel. Before leaving, she shouted towards Fenghua Pavilion, "Yang Quan, Yang Quan, find Huan’er, bring Huan’er back."

In the dead of night, Zhong Lanhua’s cries echoed far and wide, feeling eerie.

Yang Quan came out from inside.

The other clerks saw the shop being emptied, and their hearts sank. It was too late, even if they wanted to go home, they couldn’t, so they had to stay for the night and go home the next day.

"Luckily those from the gambling house and brothel didn’t bother us clerks. If they took us to pay off the debt, we wouldn’t be able to resist."

"They wouldn’t." Another female clerk said, "The debt Fenghua Pavilion owes and the debt the young master owes, those are their issues. We didn’t sell ourselves to them."

"What about our wages?"

"The mother and son of the Jiang Family owe so much money, Fenghua Pavilion might not survive. How can they pay our wages? We’re just unlucky to have ended up at Fenghua Pavilion. If we were at the opposite Taoyao Square, life would’ve been better. The boss of Taoyao Square is generous, and the wages for clerks are not small."

Several people sighed simultaneously, sharing the sentiment of being in the same boat.

Yang Quan went out and disappeared into the alley.

The next day, Taoyao Square continued to be bustling, while opposite, Fenghua Pavilion was sealed up.

"The government has awarded Fenghua Pavilion to the gambling house. The brothel madam sent people everywhere to search for Jiang Yihui, saying if they see him, they should break a leg first, but Jiang Yihui hasn’t shown up." Chun E brought new clothes, sharing today’s news with Taoyao Square’s crowd.

"I really don’t know what this person was thinking, losing several thousand taels of silver just like that without considering if he could repay it." Jia Chunni said, "I thought I was foolish, but this person studied for several years and yet isn’t as good as me, a girl who barely recognizes a few characters?"

"Chunni, don’t belittle yourself." Jiang Jing said, "You now know more than just a few words, and you’re very smart. Everything I taught you, you learned."

Jia Chunni felt a bit embarrassed.

She was just speaking casually and didn’t expect Jiang Jing to be so worried about her. However, initially lacking confidence, Chunni regained her fighting spirit after hearing Jiang Jing’s words.

With Fenghua Pavilion closed, Taoyao Square became much quieter.

Yang Quan managed to bring Jiang Yihuan back. When Jiang Yihuan returned to the shop and saw it sealed by the government and heard people say Jiang Yihui owed too much money, and the government awarded Fenghua Pavilion’s belongings to the gambling house and brothel, she almost fainted from anger. However, once she regained her senses, she told Yang Quan that she had long since severed ties with this family, who had directly kicked them out. Henceforth, her family’s honor or disgrace was none of her concern.

"There’s a body in the river identified as Jiang Yihui." Zhang Pandi said, carrying a basket as she returned from outside.

"Jiang Yihui is dead?" Su Yaoguang was surprised, "How did he die?"

In the previous life, Jiang Yihuan didn’t die and lived well with Xiao Yanci’s support, even marrying a beautiful wife and having two concubines.

Back then, she was very resentful, thinking Xiao Yanci treated Jiang Yihui too well. From an outsider’s view, it seemed like he was his brother-in-law. Now it seems, could he not be?

Jiang Yihui didn’t die in the previous life, why did he die so early in this life? Could it be because of her changes, causing the plot to deviate from its original course?

Jiang Yihui’s body was soon claimed by Zhong Lanhua.

These past days, Zhong Lanhua had been constantly frightened in the brothel, enduring the madam’s humiliation. She was exhausted in mind and body, utterly despairing, and at this moment, she received news of Jiang Yihui’s death.

"Hui’er, mom is taking you home, home..." Zhong Lanhua cried in despair over Jiang Yihui’s body. "Wake up, son, don’t scare mom. No matter how much silver you owe, it doesn’t matter, mom will help you repay it together. Hui’er, wake up..."

"Mrs. Zhong, please restrain your grief." Chief Qian said nearby, "We found his body by the river. The forensic doctor has examined it, and it was an accidental death. If you want to take him home for burial, just sign a paper, and you can take him away."

"Mom..." Jiang Yihuan and Xiao Yanci walked over.

Zhong Lanhua saw Jiang Yihuan and grabbed her hand, eyes full of pleading: "Your brother is playing a joke on us! He’s definitely scared we won’t care because he owes too much silver and is using this way to scare me. You wake him up, tell him I’ll definitely help him repay the debt, don’t scare mom."

"Mom, accept the reality, brother is already dead." Jiang Yihuan mercilessly shattered her illusion. "Mom, even without brother, you still have me and Brother Xiao. We will take care of you and be filial to you."

"It’s you, it’s you, the bringer of bad luck!" Zhong Lanhua lunged forward and bit into Xiao Yanci’s neck fiercely, "Give me back my son, you disaster star."