Chapter 107 Counting one’s chickens before they are hatched
Shang Xin’s uncle surname was naturally Jiang. His name sounded majestic and impressive. His name was Haitian (sea heaven). It was just that the person didn’t match with his name. On the outside, he still looked like a man in suit, but he was actually all dirty inside.
Early this morning, he took the group of owners to Gu resort to cause trouble. What was more was that Gu Xiran and Shu Huan had underestimated his shamelessness. Originally, they thought that after he exposed that he had money, he would be targeted by the owners. He had no other way but to be forced to bring the people to the resort to cause trouble. They didn’t expect that he did it willingly. So much that that when he signed the slave contract with Du Qiu, he already calculated to defraud Gu household.
He had already planned with the owners. If Gu household was willing to return the person, then he would withdraw the slave contract and return the money he owned. Then, the owners could use the excuse that Gu household hid a runaway slave. After they caused trouble, the owners could extort money for the crime. Afterwards, the owners could take Shang Xin away. The debt would be written off and the money they extorted would be split fifty-fifty.
If Gu household didn’t want to return the person, then the owners would cause a scene that they want the person. Then, he would come out at the right time to be the mediator and let the two sides compete for the price. The one who pays more would get to take the person. Of course, their side would only falsely raise the price. When they see that they couldn’t go higher anymore, they would give up on the person. They would still split the money. He didn’t know how much money would be split. It should still be enough for him to pay off the debt and still have some money left.
He calculated pretty well. When he caused trouble at the entrance of Gu household’s resort, that housekeeper went to notify flustered. After a short while, he led them into the resort. He led them through flowers to the main hall to go see Gu Xiran.
All the way, they looked around the resort. Seeing the luxuriant flowers, buildings, pavilion and the endless servants, these owners who didn’t see much aspects of the society couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration. Only now did they discover that Gu household was much richer than they had expected. Presumably, they wouldn’t be so stingy as to not want to spend some money to avoid a calamity. Therefore, they became more excited and happier. Even their hands began to sweat.
When they arrived at the main hall and just entered, they saw a young boy who hasn’t reached twenty yet sitting on the chair. He was holding a cup of tea and drank with lowered head. Next to him stood two maids with excellent looks. The left one’s manners was quick-witted and outstanding. The right one’s appearance was lovable and charming. They were beautiful women they had never seen before. They couldn’t help but drool and reveal a look of marvel.
Gu Xiran took the expressions of these people into his eyes. Forget it, if they only wanted to look at Meijing. It happened that Shu Huan wanted to watch the fun. She had to dress up as a maid and stood on his left side. Now, that she was being stared by these group of rogues, he was very unhappy.
Fortunately, even though, he was angry, he indulged while remaining calm and collected. He revealed the just right amount of dissatisfaction and said with a deep voice, “I heard from the housekeeper that you came demanding for someone?”
As soon as he spoke, Jiang Haitian knew that it couldn’t be determined wrongly that he (GXR) was the master. First, he pulled a very sad and bitter face, went to the front and apologized while sobbing, “This master from Gu household, I’m very sorry. It was me who is shameful. Yesterday when you let someone to come buy my niece, I was greedy for some more money and signed the slave contract. In fact…”
He deliberately kept the listeners in suspense and paused.
Seeing that he was acting, Gu Xiran naturally cooperated and sneered, “In fact, you have already sold the person, right?”
“Right, right!” Jiang Haitian truly put his all. While he agreed, he slapped himself in the face and grimaced, “I’m truly f****** not a thing! I thought that since no one would know about this, I got possessed…I didn’t expect that I would get caught by these masters. When they heard that there was news about my runway niece, they forced me to bring them here to demand the person…I’m so sorry, I…I was also forced…Please take into account that I did such a thing because I was truly so poor. Let them take my niece with them…Otherwise, they would force me to pay them back. If I can’t pay them back, they want to beat me to death…”
He talked very compassionately as if everything he did was forced, helpless, that he had no other way and that he deserved to be forgiven. Moreover, he was truly able to squeeze out two tears. Shu Huan felt very fed up when listening to him as if she saw tears of crocodiles.
“Whether they beat or don’t beat you to death; what does it have to do with me?” Gu Xiran took out the slave contract from his sleeve, slammed it on the table and said angrily, “I only know that I spent money and you sold the person. The slave contract is written in black and white, could it be that you want to go back on the deal?”
“But…,” Jiang Haitian rubbed his hands and looked very pitifully at that group of owners.
This was a sign to cause trouble. One after another, the owners came on stage. A middle-aged man dressed in black and with a thin face pushed Jiang Haitian out of the way. He also bent over, shook out a slave contract from his shoe and said, “Did you see? We also have a slave contract and it was signed earlier than you! We are in the right here! What reason do you have to hide the person and not give her back?”
The other owners also echoed, “Right! Quickly hand her over. Hiding a runaway slave is a crime!”
“If you don’t hand her over, then we will go report this matter or we can also ask the folks to judge!”
“No need to say more, hand over the person! If you don’t hand her over, we won’t leave!”
“Or why don’t you pay us ten times the price written on the slave contract. The person or the money, you weight it on your own hand.”
“…”
The hall was suddenly in a mess, but Gu Xiran still saw through their real intentions…
The person or the money!
They truly wanted to extort him?
Gu Xiran was a bit dejected. Could it be that his acting was too real and he truly looked like someone easy to deceive and who would become a softy after being scared a bit?
“You are too shameless!” While he was in deep thought, Meijing couldn’t hold it anymore. She pointed at Jiang Haitian and said, “When my second young master bought the person, I didn’t hear you say that she has an owner. Moreover, there isn’t runaway slave written on a person’s face. If you want to search for who is in the wrong, go search for him. Why are you pestering us here?”
As soon as she opened her mouth, that clear voice had hooked away the souls of those owners. All eyes fell on her.
Humans will die for riches, just as birds will die for food.
Humans will die for riches, just as birds will die for food: a man will do anything in his means to become rich
Before, if the financial situation of Gu household made the owners in awe, now that they already caused trouble and Gu Xiran didn’t smash the cup and drive them out and instead was reasoning with them, they regarded him as someone who didn’t get deeply in the outside world and was easy to bully. They didn’t have any scruples anymore. Someone even dared to open his mouth to take liberties with Meijing, “Little girl is beautiful. It is also alright if your second young master gives you to us! Brothers, what do you say?”
“Yes…”
Different voices with the same answer sounded in the room. Vulgar laughter entered the people’s ears.
“You…,” Meijing was so angry that she almost cried. “Second young master, quickly call two people, bind them and sent them to the feudal office!”
Gu Xiran was also very angry in his heart, but it was still not obvious on his face. He only put on a hesitating appearance and said, “Feudal office…”
He deliberately lengthened the tone of the voice. Sure enough, Jiang Haitian couldn’t hold it in and got hooked. He said with a crying and bitter face, “Master, don’t! These people have a written pledge. If we go to the feudal office, not only would you have to return the person, even…even I wouldn’t get anything good from it. After all, I have to suffer a beating…Moreover, your household has so much money. If we go to the feudal office, wouldn’t a layer of skin be peeled of by the feudal official?”
He means that the feudal official would ask GXR for a bribe.
Gu Xiran casted him a sidelong glance and feigned anger, “This all was caused by you. Then, what do you say we should do?!”
When Jiang Haitian heard him ask that, he continued to pull that bitter gourd face even longer and said, “I think that you all should discuss some more… Or why don’t I return the price of the person to you and you give them the person and the slave contract?”
“I can’t do that!” Gu Xiran suddenly stood up. “The person had already entered my Gu household. If you take her away when you wanted; where should I put this face of mine?!”