In the cluttered room of Treasure Pavilion’s back courtyard, a musty smell pervaded the air. Bu Shi Ren waved his hand in disdain and looked at Mo Qingze with a calculating face, not bothering to conceal the greed in his eyes.
"How about it? Have you thought it through? I’ll say it again, just hand over the silver you’ve embezzled, and I’ll let you go home immediately; otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude!"
Mo Qingze had been tormented all morning and was now slumped listlessly against the wall. Hearing Bu Shi Ren’s words, he opened his swollen eyes and stared coldly at Bu Shi Ren as if he were looking at something filthy before closing his eyes again, regretting that he had been so naive to trust the greedy and despicable man in front of him, which had led to his current plight.
Extortion? Ha! Even if it meant death, he could not admit to such an accusation!
Seeing the expression on Mo Qingze’s face, Bu Shi Ren’s own face twisted in an instant. With a wave of his hand, two thugs rushed forward and started punching and kicking Mo Qingze.
"Ugh..."
Mo Qingze clenched his teeth fiercely, holding back the pain throughout his body, refusing to let out a single sound. To bow his head to these unworthy people? Never!
Bu Shi Ren, seeing this, stomped hard on Mo Qingze’s ankle, grinding it again and again, taking pleasure in the sight of Mo Qingze’s agony.
"Hmph, you won’t shed a tear until you see the coffin; let’s see how long you can hold out! If you don’t confess by dawn tomorrow, enjoy your stay at the Government Office. Not only will you have to cough up those Two hundred taels of silver, but you can also say goodbye to your title of Scholar!"
After threatening viciously, Bu Shi Ren spat, no longer looking at Mo Qingze, who lay on the ground. He waved his hand and left the cluttered room with his two flunkies.
Once the room quieted down, Mo Qingze opened his eyes and struggled to sit up, leaning against the cold wall. Thinking of Bu Shi Ren’s greed and threats, he reluctantly made the worst assumption—if it really came to that... he could only prove his innocence through death, but that would be the plight of his three children.
Thinking of his eldest daughter, who was already capable of supporting the whole family, a proud smile couldn’t help but appear on his face. He knew his daughter had a secret, although he didn’t know what it was and had been worried it might bring her trouble, but now he felt surprisingly relieved. If he really couldn’t escape this time, at least Yanyan could take care of her younger siblings.
...
Liyan brought the cooked food to the table and saw Xin Er and Zhenzhen sitting there in a daze, not speaking at all, which made her heart ache. She walked over to them, took their hands, and comforted them, "Xin Er, Zhenzhen, stop being sad! My grandfather and your sister are discussing how to save your uncle. They will surely bring him back. Why don’t you come and eat something now? After you’ve eaten and taken a nap, your uncle will be back!"
At this moment, the two children were like lost lambs, wrapped tightly in insecurity and panic. Liyan’s words undoubtedly provided them with great comfort.
Xin Er clutched Liyan’s hand tightly and asked anxiously, "Sister Yanzi, dad will definitely come back, won’t he? He won’t abandon us, will he?"
Zhenzhen also gazed at her with eyes full of hope.
Liyan nodded affirmatively, "Your uncle will be fine. How could he bear to abandon such obedient children like you? Come and eat your food, otherwise, he’ll be upset when he gets back."
Hearing this, Xin Er and Zhenzhen nodded repeatedly. Without waiting for Liyan to say more, they started to eat the plain rice voraciously, seemingly unaware of the dishes.
Watching the siblings like this, Liyan was reminded of herself when her own parents had died tragically. She couldn’t help but tear up. She quickly wiped her eyes dry and started putting food into their bowls with her chopsticks.
Once the siblings had finished eating, Liyan told them to go to their room to sleep. She then went to the main room and saw the door was still closed and could faintly hear conversation inside. Knowing that her grandfather and Sister Yan were still discussing plans, she quietly walked away.