Chapter 132: Outsmarting the Opponent

Chen Dafu now had 80 kilograms, so he decided to round it up to 100 kilograms.

Bai Lu brought out a basket of chestnuts from the kitchen. "Here's 20 kilograms; take it."

Chen Dafu, with a large cloth bag prepared, poured the chestnuts into it, returned the basket to Bai Lu, and left. Xiao Wei's intense gaze made him a bit uncomfortable.

Finally, there were no men left in the house.

Xiao Wei went to school peacefully.

Wang Cuihua, knowing that Xiao Cheng had left for a distant journey, came to Bai Lu's house to pick up chestnuts but didn't rush to leave. She followed Bai Lu to the kitchen, persisting until Bai Lu blocked her at the door, asking, "Aren't you doing business today?"

Wang Cuihua blinked innocently, "I just wanted to help you out. With Xiao Cheng gone, and you alone at home dealing with roasting so many chestnuts, it must be tough. Why not let me move in and live together? I can help you roast chestnuts."

Compared to Li Shuixian's crafty schemes behind the scenes, Wang Cuihua's intentions were more apparent.

Anyone could see what she was up to.

Bai Lu smiled and delivered a merciless blow, "You won't learn. Roasting chestnuts is a skill."

"It's okay; I'll learn after a few times." Wang Cuihua thought Bai Lu had finally relented and looked excited.

"If I can't learn in one day, I'll learn in two days. If I can't learn in two days, I'll learn in three, four, or five days. I'm not afraid of hard work, and moving here is convenient. I can help with anything. If you agree, I'll move in right away."

Bai Lu hesitated and shook her head, "Xiao Cheng and I share a room, Xiao Wei has his own room, and the other room is used for storage. There's no room for you. If you don't mind..."

"I don't mind!" Wang Cuihua didn't wait for Bai Lu to finish; she decisively made up her mind.

There's still a firewood room, right? If I tidy it up, it can be used as a room. As long as I can move in, it's fine. Later, we can switch rooms.

"The firewood room is full of things too." Bai Lu dealt another blow, "Are you willing to sleep outside by the main entrance?"

Wang Cuihua: "..."

Is Bai Lu messing with her?

Sleeping outside by the main entrance is basically sleeping on the street!

Although Bai Lu still had the appearance of a gentle lady, Wang Cuihua felt that Bai Lu was messing with her.

Without saying another word, she ran off to sell chestnuts.

She would figure out a better plan to deceive Bai Lu later.

Bai Lu didn't actually deceive Xiao Wei. Today, indeed, a married couple would come to pick up goods, and there would be a man.

The new sales route was discussed with Yu Fugui when he came to pick up goods yesterday. The couple had a shop in the city, not in the same city as Yu Fugui but in Baicheng.

Baicheng was not far from Pingcheng, both under the jurisdiction of Nan City, with a slightly higher economic level than Pingcheng.

The couple would come with a small tricycle to pick up goods.

Accompanying them were Yu Fugui and Wu Xiuyun.

After Yu Fugui and Wu Xiuyun picked up the goods and, as usual, chatted with Bai Lu for a while before heading out to set up their stall.

Gao Jianchuan and Wen Li, as a couple, didn't rush to leave. They expressed their intention to discuss with Bai Lu how to sell sugar-coated chestnuts.

After seeing off Wu Xiuyun and Yu Fugui, the couple followed Bai Lu into the main house, drinking tea and chatting.

Unlike the satisfied and fortunate appearance of Yu Fugui and Wen Xiuyun, Gao Jianchuan and Wen Li had a sharp, shrewd look. As soon as they entered, their eyes were drawn to the kitchen, where the scent of sugar-coated chestnuts wafted.

But they only took a glance and withdrew their gaze, giving an appearance of accidentally seeing it and immediately withdrawing with a sense of integrity.

Wen Li, on the other hand, didn't look around and subtly inquired about the origin of the chestnuts during their conversation.

Bai Lu, experienced in reading people, had some skill in judging character, and it was clear that this couple wasn't here for cooperation but to swallow her business.

Considering the relationship with Yu Fugui and Wen Xiuyun, they refrained from getting straight to the point.

After chatting for a while and failing to get to the main point, Wen Li, anxious, changed her tone to a more friendly and approachable one.

"You must find it hard to handle so many chestnuts alone, right?"

"Not really. I'm used to it."

"Is your husband not at home? He left early in the morning, and we've been here for a while, but it seems we haven't seen anyone?"

"He's out on business."

"Out on business so early. You two are really hardworking. No wonder the sugar-coated chestnut business is doing so well. Do you usually roast chestnuts alone?"

"My husband also helps."

"That's good. But with your husband leaving so early, probably having his own business to attend to, who knows when he'll finish and come back. With you alone at home, managing everything and roasting so many chestnuts, it must be hard."

"You roasting hundreds of kilograms of chestnuts alone, waking up early every day, handling various tasks throughout the morning, buying groceries, and cooking... It's a whole day without rest. Actually, you don't have to work so hard."

Bai Lu didn't respond, "People need to eat and drink. Buying groceries and cooking are normal things to do."

Gao Jianchuan, after the casual chat didn't yield any results, couldn't help but speak up, "We've seen sugar-coated chestnuts in Nan City before. At that time, we had a lot of chestnuts stored at home and wanted to try making them ourselves. Unexpectedly, we didn't learn the method and ended up losing all the chestnuts."

Starting with a tale of woe, sharing a history of setbacks and obstacles in business.

Bai Lu only smiled, not saying a word.

Gao Jianchuan finished the story but found the effect minimal. Presuming Bai Lu wasn't a fool, she must be as shrewd as him.

Without beating around the bush, he went straight to the point, "The chestnut trees are in the flowering season now, and selling against the season won't last long. Why not think of a more sustainable way to make money? Earn a big profit and live a carefree life."

Bai Lu, unperturbed, said, "Chestnut trees have just started flowering. The prime time for selling against the season is still four or five months away. By then, making enough money and then considering

selling the method won't be too late."

She wasn't in a hurry, but Gao Jianchuan and Wen Li were anxious.

Next Chapter ▶▶

Chapter 131: Instructions from the Expert

Xiao Wei was struck dumb by his elder brother's unusually heartfelt farewell, and amidst his confusion, his brother dropped a piece of advice.

"Don't let men into the house."

Xiao Cheng's expression remained indifferent, as if it were just a casual remark. Xiao Wei, however, felt even more bewildered after hearing this.

"Do we sell sugar-coated chestnuts to rich Uncle Fu and Chen Dafu, or should we go and sell candied chestnuts?"

Xiao Cheng glanced at him with a deep look, then glanced at Luo Shiliu and Xiao Dazhuang, who were nonchalantly observing the surroundings. Acting as if nothing happened, he cleared his throat and said, "Except for those who come to get chestnuts."

Xiao Wei nodded in a seemingly understanding manner. "Alright, I got it. No men who don't buy chestnuts can enter the house."

Luo Shiliu looked at the hesitant man and earnestly added, "For men who come to get chestnuts, they still can't enter the house at other times~"

"If any man dares to force his way in, you go find your brother, let Brother Haozi come and knock him down!"

"Yes!" Xiao Dazhuang also nodded in agreement. "When we come back, you tell us who dared to break into your house, and we'll beat him until he's looking for his teeth all over the ground!"

Xiao Cheng remained silent for a moment without refuting. Xiao Wei understood, "Got it."

"If there's anything, tell me on the phone." Xiao Cheng gave one last glance inside the house and turned to leave.

"I'll call back every day."

What's a phone?

Before Xiao Wei could ask, the three men outside had already walked far away. The sky was still gray, with only a faint layer of light illuminating the endless road ahead.

Light footsteps sounded from behind.

Xiao Wei closed the door, turned around, and indeed saw Bai Lu stretching lazily, walking from the main house to the kitchen.

"My brother has left."

Bai Lu covered her mouth with a yawn. "Hmm," she said, indicating that she knew, and continued walking towards the kitchen.

Xiao Wei found it strange. His brother had a look of reluctance, but why was Bai Lu completely unaffected?

Could it be that Bai Lu hadn't realized yet that his brother was going on a long journey, and it wouldn't be like usual, where he could come back the same day after going out?

"My brother has gone on a long journey," Xiao Wei kindly reminded, "and it will take a long time for him to come back."

"I know. Hurry up, brush your teeth, wash your face, and have breakfast." A light, ethereal voice came from the kitchen.

On the small kitchen table were dumplings, steaming hot. Xiao Wei wondered when his brother bought them.

After washing up, Xiao Wei sat at the table with his small backpack. He listened to the faint buzzing of the three electric chestnut roasting machines on the stove and felt that today was unusually quiet compared to other days.

"How come there's another machine?" Xiao Wei finally noticed something was wrong after listening for a while.

"It was made by your brother," Bai Lu replied calmly.

Xiao Wei was surprised. "When did he make it? I've been at home this weekend, and I didn't see my brother go anywhere to dismantle a fan and make a new chestnut roasting machine."

"I don't know," Bai Lu lightly shook her head. "Maybe he dismantled it when buying the fan, and then assembled it when he came back. Maybe you were out buying groceries with me at that time."

"But how did you know before me?" Xiao Wei asked.

"He told me," Bai Lu replied.

"You didn't send him off today. How did he tell you?" Xiao Wei asked innocently, not understanding.

Bai Lu's lips twitched. "He told me in a dream."

Before Xiao Wei could refute, "I did send him off," she said.

"You didn't. When my brother left, you were still not awake." Xiao Wei felt sorry for her.

Bai Lu repeated, "I sent him off."

"You didn't."

Xiao Wei became a little argumentative today. "You told me that being a person requires practicality, speaking counts, and actions count. If you did it, you did it; if you didn't, you didn't, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes. You're right; I sent him off," Bai Lu conceded. She couldn't compete with this little argumentative one.

"But I didn't see you send my brother off." Xiao Wei still didn't believe.

Bai Lu: "..."

"Hurry up and finish breakfast and go to school!"

Although the volume wasn't high, the voice wasn't even as loud as the humming of the roasting machine, Xiao Wei immediately became obedient.

There was a feeling of being sent to school by his brother again.

After breakfast, carrying a small backpack, Xiao Wei didn't forget the task his brother entrusted him with and turned to instruct Bai Lu.

"Brother said not to let men into the house."

Bai Lu laughed, "Do I need to open the door to do business?"

"Except for Uncle Fu and Chen Dafu." Xiao Wei thoroughly understood his brother's words and gave the correct answer.

"But if I have a new male partner who wants to sell chestnuts, should I also not let him in to pick up goods?" Bai Lu questioned.

Xiao Wei hadn't thought about this issue and hadn't asked his brother what to do. With a small hand holding the straps of his backpack, he furrowed his little eyebrows, pondering, unsure of how to answer.

After thinking for a while, he finally squeezed out a sentence, "Haven't you already cooperated with many people to sell chestnuts?"

Bai Lu leisurely leaned against the door frame, teasing him, "Who would complain about having too much money?"

Xiao Wei thought about the leaky roof that often let in wind and rain, nodded, "Yes, save more money to build a big house. When the big house is built, you and my brother can have a nephew."

Bai Lu was caught off guard by this remark, feeling a bit speechless. Okay, the little baldy completely couldn't get along with the idea of having a little nephew.

"Alright, alright, go to school quickly. I'll remember what you said later."

Xiao Wei had just turned around and saw Chen Dafu, who came to pick up candied chestnuts on a motorcycle, immediately stopping his steps.

Without saying a word, he turned back and followed Chen Dafu home.

Looking at Chen Dafu carrying the last basket of chestnuts, saying goodbye to Bai Lu, and leaving, Xiao Wei did not argue, "Hmm, I'm going to school."

As a result, just as he stepped outside.

Seeing Chen Dafu returning and following him back, after taking all the chestnuts, why did he come back? Apart from taking chestnuts, other times he couldn't enter the house.

Xiao Wei stood next to Bai Lu with a tense little body, his big eyes tightly staring at Chen Dafu.

This made Chen Dafu feel hairy in his heart, as if he had been glanced at coldly by Xiao Cheng, and immediately explained his intention, "There is a textile factory in the town where I sell candied chestnuts. There are quite a few female workers in it. They often buy chestnuts on their way to and from work, and the business is very good. I want to take more chestnuts over to sell."

Next Chapter ▶▶

  Chapter 15 Borrowing a Ladder to Climb a Wall

"Dad, Mom!"

the Chubby boy threw himself into Zhang Yiquan's arms, and the family of three hugged each other, crying bitterly, attracting curious glances.

On the other side, Zhao Guang had attempted several times to kill Chen Yuan but was blocked by his servants. Then he heard that someone had survived, and turning around, he saw that Chubby was indeed alive.

"How is this possible!"

Zhao Guang widened his eyes, no longer having the intention to kill Chen Yuan because the Chen family's servants were blocking him, making it impossible to kill.

He stared incredulously at the Chubby boy, his mind in chaos. He had meticulously selected the poison, which was supposed to be lethal upon contact.

He could guarantee that there was no antidote to this poison, at least not in his possession.

But how did that little Chubby survive?

He couldn't understand.

Zhang Yiquan was also perplexed, unable to understand the significance of the Chen family's actions.

He turned around with his son and left, saying coldly, "Don't think I'll be grateful to you. Let's call it even this time. Next time..."

"Wait!"

Chen Xue interrupted him, "The matter hasn't been investigated yet. Don't you want to know who harmed your son?"

"Humph, who else but you."

"Exactly." The woman jumped out again, "If it weren't for the poison you used, how could you have detoxified so quickly... Clearly, you're diverting attention from yourselves!"

"I don't care. The Chen family has to compensate for our losses. My son was poisoned by you. Who knows if there's any internal damage to his body? Without hundreds or thousands of taels, this matter won't end."

"Are you trying to extort us?"

Squinting, Chen Xue, with Xiao Die standing beside her, said indignantly, "You're shameless. Clearly, our girl saved your son's life, and yet you're not grateful. Instead, you're blackmailing us. Have you no shame?"

"Who's shameless? You're the ones who poisoned my child like little children." The woman looked around again and wailed, "Everyone, be fair. If it weren't for their poison, how could the detoxification have been so swift?"

"Humph, if it were us, why would we bother detoxifying you?" Xiao Die retorted, puffing up her cheeks.

"If it weren't for the official's appearance, would you have dared to detoxify?" The woman cried out like a spoiled child. "Anyway, if you don't compensate us, we'll keep causing trouble."

"You..."

Xiao Die was so angry her lungs felt like they were about to explode. Chen Xue patted her head and then looked at the woman.

"What compensation do you want?"

Hearing Chen Xue's words, the woman was overjoyed.

"Miss~" Xiao Die was a little anxious. The woman was obviously extorting them. Miss, why did you agree? Give a blink if you're being threatened.

"However, you need to stop that official first."

Chen Xue pointed at Zhao Guang, who was attacking her father with a weapon. Although her father was protected by his servants and wasn't hurt, the servants had suffered numerous wounds. Most importantly, they could only defend and not fight back.

Otherwise, they would really be considered rebels, and all the bailiffs would take action, executing them on the spot.

The woman was dumbfounded to see Zhao Guang still helping them deal with Chen Yuan. However, considering that her family could get the carriage, she couldn't let Zhao Guang ruin their plan.

"Sir, please stop. We're fine now."

The woman's words naturally reached Zhao Guang's ears. He cursed the uselessness in his heart. Anyway, he was determined to kill Chen Yuan today. The woman's matter was just an excuse.

So, he pretended not to hear and continued to attack the Chen family. Chen Yuan had already sensed that something was wrong and quickly hid among the exiled prisoners.

In this way, Zhao Guang couldn't continue attacking the servants. Indeed, Zhao Guang pulled out his knife and continued to chase after Chen Yuan, but he was blocked by a group of exiled prisoners.

Especially seeing Zhao Guang approaching with murderous intent, those prisoners were afraid of being implicated and panicked. Zhao Guang blended into the crowd, making it impossible for him to take action.

Seeing that Zhao Guang didn't stop, the woman felt helpless. She turned to Chen Xue, and Chen Xue shrugged, "If he doesn't stop, we have nothing to negotiate."

She could see at a glance that the woman's goal was the carriage. As long as they held onto this point, they would be fine.

The only thing she was worried about was whether the woman could stop Zhao Guang.

As a bailiff, Zhao Guang was behaving very strangely.

Thinking about the carriage, the woman could only take a deep breath and shout to Zhao Guang, "Sir, please stop, we've already settled things!"

"Useless!" Zhao Guang, unable to kill Chen Yuan, was full of anger. He turned to glare at the woman, almost causing her to fall to the ground in fright.

Then Zhao Guang turned to Chen Xue and his eyes lit up. "If I catch his daughter, he'll obediently accept death."

Thinking of this, Zhao Guang turned and rushed towards Chen Xue.

"Miss, be careful!" Without hesitation, Xiao Die rushed in front of Chen Xue, opened her arms, and shielded her.

Ding!

At a critical moment, Xu Tian appeared.

He blocked Zhao Guang's attack and glared at him angrily. "Zhao Guang, what are you doing?"

"Get out of the way!"

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Guang said, unexpectedly seeing Xu Tian again. He had ruined several of his plans before.

"The captain is here."

Xu Tian didn't argue with him. Instead, he casually said, letting Chen Xue step back and join her father.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Zhao Guang turned around and saw the captain of the bailiffs coming with a group of subordinates.

"What's going on? Are you guys causing trouble again?"

The captain's face was very ugly. Today was only the first day, and there had been frequent stops, all because of Zhao Guang, the Chen family, and the others.

The woman didn't expect to attract so many bailiffs and suddenly felt a sense of unease.

But Chen Xue breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, the situation had reached this point.

"How is it? Can you handle it?" Chen Xue's parents stood beside her, not saying a word until now, wanting to see how Chen Xue would handle it.

Because of the matter of exile, they understood that as the child grew up, they couldn't protect her forever.

So they wanted to let Chen Xue try to handle it. Faced with a shrew like the woman, Chen Xue still handled it easily.

But now, the captain of the bailiffs had also arrived, and they were worried that Chen Xue had never faced the situation of dealing with officials, so they asked.

"I can handle it." Chen Xue naturally understood her parents' good intentions, but she wanted to try if she could solve this matter perfectly on her own.

At this time, the captain of the bailiffs had also understood the situation.

He called both parties together. "You guys handle this yourselves!"

If it were someone else, he would have dealt with it casually, but the key was that it involved the Chen family, with two forces vying for power. He didn't want to get involved, so he let them handle it themselves.

This way, it wouldn't seem biased or offensive.

"Sir, we demand that the Chen family compensate us for our losses and give us the carriage!" The woman used a ladder to climb the wall.

PS: Every time I ask for support, it feels like the backstage gets sealed off, and no one even votes for the recommended tickets anymore. It feels like everyone has left (﹏)

Special thanks to these patrons for their support ❤ : 【PROWESS of March 2024】

DreamTales Translations:

【jermira】 【Suliat Raheem】 【Michelle Graham】 【Gloriana Foster】 【CHAMPAKA R】 【DetectiveGeek421】 【Ha17eul】 【Lisa Pace】 【Tamara Vega】

Eternal Novel Hits:

【Hipployta】 【Esmeralda Linda】 【Something】 【Evzen Sichyokno】 【Nanashi D. Yurei】 【Sabrina Chase】 【Mani_C】 【onepiece】 【jumoke ajetunmobi】 【Jen】 【Hayuningtyas Hadiutami】 【Serenthia】 【Anna Cassano】【Joua Chang】

Bbing Translations:

[Kelloges]

Next Chapter▶▶

 Chapter 7: Second Brother

Following the Golden Water River northward for about half an hour, the carriage of the Bai family finally entered the Xuantai District in the northern city.

This area was inhabited by ministers of the court, especially those of third rank and above who basically had mansions in this district.

It could be said that all the neighbors were influential.

The Bai family mansion was located on the bustling Chang'an Street in Xuantai District.

At the entrance, there were two large stone lions crouching, exquisitely carved and imposing.

A few servants who had seen the Bai family's carriage entering the city hurried back to report, so when Bai Sanlang and his party arrived at the gate of the mansion, they saw two stewards and several maids standing at the entrance.

Bai Sihan was curious, but restrained her excitement, quietly lifting the curtain to take a closer look. She saw an old and steady steward stepping forward to bow and greet the father inside the carriage.

"Third Master, you've had a long journey. The Old Madam, the Master, Fourth Master, and the ladies are all waiting in the hall. They said they were waiting for you to return for a reunion dinner."

Bai Zhaoke replied softly from inside the carriage, "Please convey my respects to Mother, I will freshen up with my relatives and go see her immediately."

"Yes, Third Master."

With that, Bai Zhaoke finally got off the carriage.

In his early thirties, Bai Zhaoke had a rare sense of stability on his face. His appearance was ordinary, not as sturdy as his father, nor as handsome as his fourth uncle.

Years of being an official had cultivated a habit of speaking less, and his sudden glance had a certain dignity, making it difficult for people to feel close to him.

Shen Shi took a deep breath and began to tidy up her clothes and hairpins, making sure everything was in order. Then she glanced up and down at Bai Sihan, whispering to her.

"The servants in the Bai family are all your Uncle's wife's people. You mustn't let them look down on you, understand?"

"Mother, don't worry, your daughter understands."

After nodding solemnly to her daughter Bai Sihan, she led her down from the carriage.

The cold wind in Dongdu made the mother and daughter shiver, but Shen Shi's heart was excited when she looked at the words 'Bai Mansion.'

Finally, she had returned!

This time, she wouldn't leave empty-handed again!

However, Bai Sihan was a little puzzled. She intentionally didn't wear a hat, hoping to impress the Bai family's servants when they saw her, but to her surprise, no one reacted.

Was the family's rules so strict?

Just as she was feeling frustrated, two neat and clean maids who followed the steward approached respectfully and bowed.

"Third Madam, Second Miss, please."

With this address, both Shen Shi and her daughter Bai Sihan felt pleased with themselves and proudly followed them into the mansion.

In front of the Phoenix Mansion, the situation was different from that of the Bai Mansion. The servant on duty at the gate was dozing off, and he was awakened by the sound of galloping hooves, barely opening his eyes.

"Second Young Master is back!"

The servant's face was full of excitement as he quickly ran a few steps forward, coming out from the side gate to wait.

A young man rode a horse from a distance, and when he reached the gate of the mansion, he immediately stopped the horse.

At this moment, Feng Jinlin pulled the reins, and the horse neighed, lifting its front hooves high and then landing heavily, startling the gatekeeper, who took a few steps back.

"Why are you always scared by Chasing Clouds?"

The servant wore an awkward smile, helplessly replying.

"The Second Master's Chasing Clouds is so tall, I'm afraid of being kicked by it, aren't I?" Although he said so, he took the initiative to approach and take the reins.

The young man's horse was called Chasing Clouds, jet black and shiny, with white fur on its four hooves, and its horseshoes were made of pure gold, carved with cloud patterns. At first glance, it looked like it was treading on clouds.

Feng Jinlin raised an eyebrow and laughed heartily.

"Take good care of me, Chasing Clouds. In a few days, I'll ride it to hunt foxes."

"Yes."

He threw the reins to the servant, along with a small ingot of silver, making the servant smile happily, and then he walked proudly into the mansion.

In the courtyard, the meal was being prepared.

Feng Jinyao had just put down the book in her hand and heard the hearty and generous voice of the young man outside. She felt a sudden joy in her heart, immediately putting on her shoes and walking towards the outside.

"Where's Ah Yao?"

"Second Young Master! Miss is inside the house, just finished setting the table, Second Young Master, would you like to join us for the meal?"

Seeing the newcomer, Xiuqiu was more pleasantly surprised and approached to greet him.

"Set it up, let the kitchen make a few more dishes. I went to Mount Mingchi to hunt for a few days, and I'm starving."

"Yes, I'll go tell them."

After Xiuqiu smiled happily and bowed, she hurried to the small kitchen behind.

The maids in the yard all blushed and bowed their heads, not daring to peek.

They saw his ink-black long hair fluttering in the wind, with a youthful and vigorous demeanor between his eyebrows, just shedding the last trace of childishness on his face, and he had gained a few points of mature and handsome charm. His free and easy manner exuded a noble aura.

Dressed in a fox fur cloak, he looked even more handsome and unparalleled, with eyes shining like stars.

As he stepped out from behind the curtain, Feng Jinyao suddenly felt her eyes welling up with tears when she saw her second brother's lively and pure smile.

Somehow, she suddenly remembered his frustrated appearance in his previous life.

How good! How good!

At this moment, he was still the young man in bright clothes and on a spirited horse, his lively and pure smile still lingering on his face.

Just as Feng Jinlin walked in, he saw his younger sister throwing herself into his arms, tightly holding onto his waist with both arms, just like when she was scared by a wolf and cried, and when Feng Jinlin found her, she also hugged him tightly like this.

"Alright, in a few days, I'll carry you to your husband, don't keep clinging to Second Brother all day long, like an undignified little girl, still crying, be careful I tell Big Brother and let him tease you."

Feng Jinlin turned her sorrow into nothing with just a few words.

"Where did you go? Tomorrow is grandmother's birthday. You just came back now. If Father knows, he'll give you some good fruits to eat!"

"Su Jing got the news that there are more foxes on Mount Mingchi these days. I thought it was winter, so I went to hunt a few and make them into cloaks for you and Mother."

As they talked, the two walked into the house, and the table full of dishes made Feng Jinlin salivate.

While eating and telling Feng Jinlin some interesting stories from the past few days of hunting, Feng Jinyao frowned slightly as she looked at his appearance.

Next Chapter ▶▶

  Chapter 82: Escaping Justice

"That's enough," Manager Chen interrupted them from continuing.

The leader of line four was a bit dissatisfied, "Manager Chen, at this point, with our lives on the line, are you still protecting Vice President Hu?"

"If it wasn't for him instigating us during the celebration party in the first month of the company's establishment, and urging more than ten of us to gamble online, how could we have lost so much money? Even now, we can't pay it back, no matter how hard we try!"

The leader of line five received debt collection calls every other day, to the point where he felt like jumping off the roof.

If it weren't for the thought of his young child and ailing wife, he would have ended it all a long time ago.

"Vice President Hu instigated you to gamble online?" Ou Yan raised an eyebrow. This was illegal, and no one dared to do it.

"Vice President Hu said that the website had a nine-out-of-ten winning rate. He even showed us the amount he withdrew, more than 600,000! At first, we didn't believe it. But after a few bets, everyone's luck was good, and the winnings could be withdrawn to our bank accounts."

"So, we kept increasing our bets, even calling our friends and family to join. Eventually, the website kept upgrading the withdrawal amount. It started with requiring 500,000, and after we pooled our resources to get that, it then said we needed one million to withdraw. We borrowed a lot of money from various online loan platforms, but even after investing millions, we couldn't get our money back!"

The leader of line five sighed. If it weren't for fearing the repercussions on his family, he would have taken his own life!

Because many production line workers were involved, they formed the fourth and fifth production lines together. They collaborated with the warehouse manager to take the clothes outside and sell them, sharing the earned money proportionally.

"Some relatives in my hometown trusted us, but they didn't understand online operations. They entrusted us with their life savings or the money from selling their houses, and all of it is gone now."

"Some used their coffin money, and some used money for relatives' surgeries. Because the surgery fees weren't enough, they wanted to win a large sum through gambling. But they never got that money, and some relatives couldn't get it even until their deaths."

"Most of the money we borrowed was from dozens of online loan platforms."

"We've been paying back for a whole year, several tens of thousands each month, and we still haven't paid it off!"

The leader of lines four and five couldn't help but burst into tears. The bitterness and helplessness among them were probably only understood by themselves.

"I also participated in the betting, and..." The warehouse manager bit her lip, tears streaming down her face. It took her a while to say, "At that celebration party, I drank too much. The next day, I woke up and found Vice President Hu lying next to me. He took many photos of me and forced me to do this..."

Everyone was shocked, looking at her with expressions of disbelief.

"At first, I was in great pain, especially when I learned that he had connections in the police station. Even if I reported it, it would be useless... Every month, there was a share for me, and I could even buy some designer bags. So, I just went along with it."

After hearing the warehouse manager's words, the head of the purchasing department was also surprised and angry, "I drank too much at that time, and Hu Linquan also touched me! He said that if I didn't cooperate, he would tell my husband and even put my photos at the door of my in-laws' workplace, letting them know I was an unfaithful daughter-in-law... I had just gotten married at that time and was very scared..."

The revelations in the office left the onlookers outside in stunned silence.

This Hu Linquan was really despicable, taking advantage of others' vulnerabilities and forcing them to collude with him!

"Miss Ou, please give us a way out..." The warehouse manager pleaded, "I really don't want to go to jail. I still have a long life ahead of me. I don't want to spend it in prison..."

"You caused the company a loss of over ten million. I have to report this to the police," Ou Yan's tone was calm. "If I let you go privately, then I become an accomplice in covering up. The guilt is the same."

"Miss Ou, please have mercy..." The head of the purchasing department cried, "My marriage is very happy, and my child has just been born... I really don't want this incident to ruin my entire family!"

"This matter needs to be explained to the headquarters. If an employee causes a loss of over ten million to the company, and by shedding a few tears and saying a few soft words they can safely get through it, then what kind of chaos will there be in the company and at the headquarters? How can managers still manage? How can they gain trust?"

"Miss Ou..." Everyone knew there was no room for negotiation in this matter. They had made a wrong turn, step by step, and now there was no turning back.

"All of you are adults." Ou Yan spoke with a heavy heart. "Since you've done it, you have to bear the consequences. If you feel wronged, you can tell the police and seek lenient treatment."

Although Hu Linquan was despicable, they had collaborated in their wrongdoing, causing the company significant losses. The company was also an innocent victim.

Ou Yan glanced at He Ning, who understood and took out his phone to report to the police.

Every word they said before had been recorded by Ou Yan. She planned to hand it over to the police later.

"What's the website address of that platform?"

Hearing this question, Manager Chen was puzzled. Tears were still stuck in his eyes. He took out his phone, "It's this one... Although it has been shut down for a long time, we still owe money to friends and family, as well as various online loan platforms. Miss Ou, why are you suddenly asking about this?"

The website had already been shut down, and they couldn't recover the original funds.

"Just asking." Ou Yan remembered the website address and planned to investigate it privately.

"Although everything was due to Hu Linquan's coercion, we don't have any evidence. The share he received from us every month was deposited into some untraceable cards or given in cash..."

Everyone felt unwilling. They were about to go to the police station, but Hu Linquan could still escape justice!

Ou Yan knew that the evidence pointing to Hu Linquan was mostly testimonial, and there was little physical evidence. Even if he was invited to the police station for a chat today

Because the evidence was insufficient.

"Going to jail is our own fault, but the main culprit is Hu Linquan! He took the most significant benefits, and he must be punished for us to be at peace!"

"On Hu Linquan's side, I will make him reveal his true colors." Ou Yan's words had just fallen, and several police officers arrived.

Watching the five people being taken away by the police, the onlookers outside couldn't express their sadness.

This incident caused a sensation throughout the entire company. Li Yuanfu was playing golf. When he received the call, his expression changed.

"What happened?" Song Qiaoying, who was next to him, heard him mention something happening to Yan Yan and hurriedly approached.

Li Yuanfu could hardly stand steady. After making the call, he staggered a few steps.

Li Yusha, who was nearby, hurriedly went forward to support him. "Sister, what happened? Dad, don't worry, take your time to explain!"

"It's not Yan Yan who had an accident..." Li Yuanfu, supported under the sunshade, sat on a leisure chair and took a deep breath. After drinking the tea brought by the caddy, his complexion finally improved a bit.