Chapter 239: No Place for You
“Mother, why are you saying such things? We’ll say we’ll think about it.” The three Chen brothers said in an unpleasant tone.”But we really didn’t have any good ideas.”
The others couldn’t think of a solution either.
Chen Laoqi was more knowledgeable and said, “I heard that there was a rich man in the town who wanted to take away a girl’s innocence. The girl was not willing, so she hit her head and died. Later, the rich man gave the girl’s family a lot of money, and the girl’s family did not report it to the authorities. This matter was settled just like that. The rich man still lives a good life and nothing happened to him. As long as Xue Dagui let it go and didn’t report it to the officials, no one would run so far to report it in fear of retaliation.”
Zhang Meili was sitting on the ground and crying that she was going to die. When she heard that there was a way out, her eyes immediately lit up, and said, “Then you guys should quickly raise money for Xue Dagui! This way, I won’t have to die!”
The others were extremely disgusted with Zhang Meili’s words. Why should they pool money for her? Did they think that their money was fished out of the water?
Chen Laoba’s attitude was much lower. “My dear brothers, please save me. I really don’t want to die.”
Chen Laoyi and the others also didn’t want to carry the reputation of not saving their own brother, so they all said, “It’s not that we don’t want to save you, but it’ll definitely cost an arm and a leg. We don’t have that much money!”
Chen Laoqi even helped to settle the accounts.
“Chen Laoba, think about it. Xue Dagui has raised your son for sixteen years for nothing. He will definitely count this in. He has been pretty good to Zhuzi all these years. The money he spends on Zhuzi every year is at least two silver. Everyone says that he loves Zhuzi. Zhuzi eats meat, and Gouzi can only drink soup. Even if it’s two silver a year, it’s thirty-two silver for sixteen years.
“Then, how much are your and Zhang Meili’s lives worth? We can’t just save one, right? It’s useless even if we save one. As long as Xue Dagui reports it to the authorities, they’ll definitely arrest you and Zhang Meili. This will definitely save Zhang Meili as well.
“Let’s just say that each of your lives is worth ten silver. Two lives are worth twenty. Together with the thirty-two silver, that’s fifty-two silver altogether. Maybe let’s include the betrothal gift he gave to Zhang Meili’s family. Anyway, I think…
“It has to be at least sixty silver, or else this matter can’t be settled.”
“I’ll try.” Grandpa Chen sighed heavily. “As much as I can.”
Chen Laoyi and the others had no choice but to say, “Father…”
“How much do you have?” Grandpa Chen asked Chen Laoba, “Take all your money out.”
“I only have three silver,” Chen Laoba immediately said.
Grandpa Chen frowned. “Why do you have esp little? What about the betrothal gifts you received after marrying off your four daughters? It should be more than this if you save a little every year.”
“I often buy things for Zhuzi,” Chen Laoba said. “Sometimes, I would secretly give money to Zhuzi and make Zhang Meili happy. That’s why I only have this much left.”
“Good job, Chen Laoba! You actually took the family’s money to-” His wife was no longer stunned. She opened her mouth and wanted to curse again.
“You!” Old Madam Chen shouted. “With me here, there’s no place for you to speak!”
After being scolded by her mother-in-law, his wife’s tears of grievance immediately fell. This was how she had lived all these years.
Grandpa Chen sighed again and said, “Your mother and I have ten silver, we’ll take it all out to make up for it.”
As soon as he said this, Xue Zhuzi was unhappy.
This was something he had been thinking about.
