novelraw Chapter 248, 4 lashes!
Chapter 248, 4 lashes!
Chapter 248 Forty Whips!
Ah Gou resealed the jar and placed it on a nearby table.
Then he sat down on the edge of the bed and, through the blanket, gently pounded Gu Tang's legs.
"The Cheng family is currently in a state of utter chaos, and the Shen and Bai families have already heard the news. I heard that they sent people to the Cheng family in the past two days."
Right now, raising money to appease the Shen and Bai families is the top priority; the Cheng family has put everything else out of their minds.
Gu Tang perked up: "The Shen family and the Bai family came to the Cheng family's door? Did they cause a scene?"
"I haven't heard of that. However, even if the Shen and Bai families find out about this, they won't act like the Cheng family. They'll probably discuss it in secret and won't make a scene."
After all, the Shen and Bai families weren't exactly clean families either. The silver they hid in the Cheng family's possessions was money they had plundered from the people. If it became public knowledge, they would be the ones who suffered in the end.
"What a pity." Gu Tang clicked his tongue twice. "If these two families were as muddle-headed as the Cheng family and made a big fuss about losing the silver, that would be interesting. Unfortunately, these two families know what's important."
Ah Gou paused for a moment, then suggested, "If they won't tell anyone, we can tell everyone and let those little beggars spread the word throughout the city?"
"No!" Gu Tang waved his hand seriously. "There are traces left after something is done. Be careful the Cheng family investigates."
"No, if you're worried about those little beggars, I'll spend money to find someone else to spread the word."
"You can't ask anyone else. You're not allowed to get involved in this. Whether the Cheng family is doing well or badly is none of our business. Your current task is to buy that courtyard, furnish it, and move in with those little beggars."
Gu Tang reiterated that Ah Gou was not allowed to get involved in this matter.
Seeing Gu Tang's firm stance, Ah Gou nodded and dropped the matter.
Changing the subject, he asked Gu Tang if she wanted to go see the courtyard: "I'm going to buy a courtyard, do you want to come along and take a look? What if you don't like it?"
Gu Tang kicked him and scolded him irritably, "You're just like those gossipy women in the village! I told you long ago that because of the kidnapping, I'm being watched and not allowed to go out alone! But you keep bringing it up! I think you're just trying to annoy me!"
Despite being kicked for no reason, Ah Gou wasn't angry at all. Instead, he apologized to Gu Tang in a gentle voice: "It's my fault, it's my fault. I shouldn't have asked. Don't be angry. If you're still not satisfied, you can kick me again."
When this person got angry, the resentment on his body intensified, making his heart tremble.
Normally, it takes a lot of effort to calm her down a little, but now that she's angry, all the resentment that had dissipated in recent days has come back!
Ah Gou was extremely depressed.
Gu Tang, still feeling resentful after her rant, glared at him and continued to argue: "What do you mean by liking or disliking! It's not like I live in that yard! I wouldn't mind if you bought a pigsty!"
"Yes, yes, I shouldn't have asked that." No matter what Gu Tang said, A Gou just kept apologizing.
Knowing that Gu Tang responds better to gentleness than force, Ah Gou humbled himself, constantly apologizing and saying nice things, belittling himself and then praising Gu Tang, talking until his throat was dry before finally calming her down.
While apologizing and praising her, he didn't stop what he was doing. He gently pounded Gu Tang's legs and massaged her calves through the blanket, making Gu Tang squint her eyes in comfort and even unconsciously give him a compliment.
"The craftsmanship is good."
Upon hearing this, Ah Gou's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and the smile on his face became much more cheerful.
He said, "I've been learning this in my spare time these past few days. Try to feel it carefully, and if there's anything you don't like, just let me know."
Gu Tang: "...You learned this in your spare time? How long have you been learning it? You seem quite skilled."
"I learned it in just one day. I had the woman teach me once, and then I had her try it on me again. As long as you remember her technique and strength, this leg-massaging skill is not difficult."
Ah Gou, who said this, looked smug, which made Gu Tang's expression complicated.
Does this person really think of himself as a servant?
No, she was just saying those things in anger. And that servant's code was just something she did to make things difficult for this person.
To everyone's surprise, the other person didn't say a word of complaint and just agreed to whatever he said.
"Alright, alright, hurry up and get on with your business!" Gu Tang waved his hand impatiently, urging him to leave.
Ah Gou didn't dare to confront her at this moment, so he obediently responded, stopped what he was doing, and got up to leave, looking back every few steps.
After everyone left, Gu Tang got dressed, washed up with the hot water in the house, and went to the front yard.
Inside the main room, a large piece of hemp cloth was laid on the floor, and a half-sewn quilt was laid on top of the cloth. Uncle San took off his shoes, sat on the hemp cloth, and squinted as he sewed the quilt.
Hearing footsteps, the old man looked up and then laughed: "Are you hungry? Ping An left you some mutton soup and mutton, it's simmering on the stove in the kitchen, go and eat."
"No rush." Gu Tang avoided the burlap on the ground, walked to the side, and glanced around the room. She didn't see Gu Ping'an and her father.
"Where are Ping An and my father? Are you blind? This quilt-sewing job should be done by my father or Ping An."
“I sent Ping’an back inside to study and write, while your father went back to the village with the other villagers. My eyesight is still good enough; I can still sew a quilt.”
Uncle San was talking while his hands didn't stop sewing the quilt at a leisurely pace.
Gu Tang wanted to help, but unfortunately she didn't know how.
However, she can help thread the needle.
He took off his shoes, sat on the linen, and picked up a needle and thread to begin sewing.
Her third uncle told her to go eat first, saying he could handle this little task by himself.
Gu Tang ignored him and said, "I'm not hungry right now, I'll eat later. By the way, what's my dad doing back in the village?"
Wei has already been rescued, so her father shouldn't be involved anymore. Why would she suddenly return to the village alone?
Third Uncle didn't hide anything from Gu Tang. He told her everything Gu Lianshan had told him yesterday, word for word, which made her eyes light up.
"It seems my aunt has given up on the Gu family." Gu Tang was gloating at the thought of Wei going against the Gu family.
This is called dog bite dog!
"If I go today, will I be able to return today? The young master I rescued last time, if he doesn't come today, he'll probably come tomorrow."
"I don't know," Uncle San shook his head. "Your father went there in an oxcart. If he wants to come back, he should be able to return this afternoon."
Gu Tang started to have a headache.
Ah Gou insisted on coming to visit tomorrow, but if her father couldn't make it back in time, the rest of the plan would be difficult to carry out.
With a sigh, she could only pray silently that her father would return in the afternoon.
……
Perhaps because Gu Tang was so preoccupied with it, Gu Lianshan, who had already reached the village entrance, sneezed several times in a row.
The people in the car with him thought Gu Lianshan had caught a cold and hurriedly told him to drink more hot water when he got home.
Gu Lianshan smiled and agreed, but he didn't think it was a cold.
He was wearing a fur coat and a hat, which made him much warmer than before, so he shouldn't have caught a cold.
I bet it's his daughter talking about him!
Back in the village, the villagers who had traveled with them got off the cart and went home. Soon, only Gu Lianshan and the oxcart remained on the village road. Oh, no, there was also Gu Tianbao on the oxcart.
"Second Uncle, should we go back first, or go find the clan elders?"
Gu Lianshan turned the car around without looking back: "Let's go find the clan leader and the others first."
The oxcart headed towards the village entrance and soon stopped in front of the clan chief's courtyard.
The uncle and nephew jumped off the cart, tied up the cow, and went into the yard one after the other.
The clan chief happened to be at home at the moment, and when he saw Gu Lianshan returning with only Gu Tianbao, his expression changed slightly.
"Why are only the two of you back? Didn't you find Wei Shi?"
"found it."
"Found them?" Chief Gu glanced outside but still couldn't see anyone. "Since you found them, where are they? Why aren't they here?"
"She's at the inn..." Gu Lianshan stepped forward and whispered to the Gu clan leader about Wei Shi's situation, adding at the end, "Wei Shi doesn't want anyone to announce her return, and I don't know what she's thinking. I didn't ask..."
The clan leader looked displeased and forbade anyone to announce her return. It seemed that the Wei family was probably looking for an opportunity to cause trouble with the Gu family.
He felt that Wei's actions were inappropriate, but considering the character of Feng's family, he felt that this was the right thing to do.
As the saying goes, evil people will always be punished by other evil people.
The Feng family is no good, and the Wei family is no better.
Both are equally bad, like a dung beetle versus a bed bug, neither of them are any good!
"As long as it doesn't get too ugly, you can do as you please." Clan Chief Gu waved his hand, which was a way of agreeing to keep Wei's return a secret.
Gu Lianshan breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at Gu Tianbao, and scolded, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up! Bow to your great-uncle and thank him!"
"Ah!" Gu Tianbao immediately perked up and bowed to the Gu clan chief to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your understanding, Uncle!"
After all these events, Gu Tianbao underwent a complete transformation.
Chief Gu looked at the boy who had somewhat straightened out, his eyes softened, and he gave him a word of advice: "From now on, learn more from your second uncle and pay less attention to your father! Although your second uncle has been adopted, your relationship with him hasn't changed, he is still your second uncle!"
"Okay, I've got it." Gu Tianbao replied obediently, then took out a money bag from his pocket and handed it over with both hands.
"This is a token of gratitude to the clansmen and the people. Each clansman who went with us will receive two hundred copper coins, and the rest will go to the clan. If there is a snow disaster, we hope this money can help the other clansmen."
Chief Gu stared at him intently, and couldn't help but sigh, "Young man, you've grown up and know how to handle things. But now that you've given the money to the clan, what will become of you and your mother? We can't count on your father and the others."
"To be honest, before my grandmother died, she secretly gave my mother some silver. My mother has kept it hidden, and no one knows about it. As long as we don't squander it, it will be enough for my mother and me to live on."
And this thing?
Chief Gu looked delighted and breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. Since you and your son don't lack money, I'll accept this money on their behalf."
When hiring someone, if you have money, you give them money; if you don't have money, you can give them some food. If you don't give them money or food, it's only because the family is destitute and doesn't know where their next meal will come from.
If the Gu family is so stingy, no one will want to get involved in their work again in the future.
After casually placing the silver on the table, Chief Gu began to talk to the uncle and nephew about Gu Qing.
"The clan has decided to punish Qingya with forty lashes for what she did, but given that she is currently injured, she will be allowed to recover first and kneel in the ancestral hall for two hours every day. The punishment will be carried out after she has recovered."
Forty lashes is considered an extremely severe punishment; even a strong, able-bodied man might not be able to withstand it.
If Gu Qing were to receive these forty lashes, even if he didn't die, he would need to recover for a year or two.
"The clan has the final say on this matter, and I have no objection." Gu Lianshan was very satisfied with the punishment.
Gu Tianbao also said he had no objection; his older sister had really frightened him this time.
After finishing this matter, there was nothing else to discuss, so the uncle and nephew didn't stay long and soon left the clan chief's house.
They led the oxcart towards the Gu family's house at the end of the village.
It seems the Gu family has guests. There's a cow tied up under a big tree outside the courtyard, and a cart loaded with unloaded planks parked next to it.
Gu Lianshan tied up the cow and led Gu Tianbao, who was curious, into the yard.
As soon as I entered the courtyard, I heard arguing coming from the main room.
The uncle and nephew paused simultaneously, then quickened their pace, lifted the curtain at the door, and entered the main room.
The people inside the main room were arguing fiercely when the uncle and nephew suddenly entered, startling them.
After seeing who it was, everyone in the room changed their expressions, secretly glancing at each other, and everyone's hearts were in their throats.
Gu Lianshan looked at the person in front of him, somewhat bewildered: "Wang Laosan? What brings you here?"
As he spoke, he looked at Madam Feng again: "What are you doing now? Why are you arguing with Wang Laosan all of a sudden?"
It turned out that the people arguing inside were Wang Laosan and Feng Shi.
Besides these two, Grandpa Gu, Gu Liansheng, Gu Zhier, and Wang Lao Er and his wife were also crammed into the main room.
However, they remained silent, letting Feng and Wang Laosan argue.
The two were arguing fiercely, but when they saw Gu Lianshan return, their anger was directed at him.
"Second son!" Madam Feng asked him stiffly, her face dark, "When you were in Bei'an City, did you see Madam Li?"
“The Li family?” Gu Lianshan shook his head. “Never seen them before.”
Wang Laosan, standing to the side, didn't believe this and immediately shouted, "You haven't seen it? How could you not have seen it! You..."
"Nephew of the Wang family!" Madam Feng suddenly shouted sternly, a venomous glint in her eyes.
"I know you're anxious because your wife is missing, but this has nothing to do with my second son. If you want to find her, just head to Beian City!"
Feng's angry shout instantly calmed Wang Laosan down from his rage. Remembering what he had just wanted to say, a cold sweat broke out on his back, and his face paled.
Gu Lianshan glanced at Feng Shi and then at Wang Laosan, feeling that something was off between the two.
"What happened to Li? Has she disappeared? Or was she kidnapped?"
"kidnapper?"
Upon hearing the word "kidnapper," the people inside the room changed their expressions once again.
Everyone's eyes turned to the side, and no one dared to meet Gu Lianshan's gaze.