Ger, So Proud

Chapter 108

“What? Master, spare me! I am loyal to Young Master and loyal to the Wang family. I won’t say a word!” The servant’s legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, spilling some of the soup from the bowl.

Li Deming steadied him. “Look at you, what are you so afraid of? I’m not going to kill you. Now that Fucheng is poisoned, as his personal servant, if nothing happens to you, wouldn’t it be suspicious? It’s just a serious illness; it depends on how loyal you are to your young master, whether you’re willing to sacrifice.”

“Master…” The servant was resentful, glancing at Wang’s father. The latter coldly reassured him, “Rest assured, this is just a contingency plan. I’ll recognize your loyalty. When you wake up, I’ll personally arrange a mansion for you, and the position of steward in the mansion will also be yours. How about that?”

“Well…” Wouldn’t this be his chance to rise above his current station? The servant’s eyes were dazzled by the promises of Wang’s father. For a moment, his fear and resentment faded away. “I am loyal, please trust me, Master!”

He finished speaking and gulped down the medicinal soup in his bowl, leaving nothing.

“For the sake of wealth, birds perish for food.” Seeing the servant collapse on the ground, Li Deming smiled.

“Brother-in-law, this…”

“Don’t worry about what happens next. Let Fucheng have a good sleep. Tomorrow, summon the doctor to the mansion. Remember, he won’t need any treatment.” Li Deming pointed at the fallen servant, then turned and walked out of the room.

The first step was completed, but he still needed to make more preparations.

…

On the other side, while Luo Zhanming kept an eye on the Wang family, he and the He family kept watch over the informant and several other beggars. Originally, Lin Yu was pregnant, and Dad Li was worried about him going out, but he couldn’t resist his insistence. He Youcai was also uneasy and insisted on following the young people.

In the late afternoon, the four of them returned home dejectedly after a day of surveillance without any gains. They watched Luo Zhanming enter the shop, and He’s father turned to Lin Yu. “Yu-ge, go inside first. I need to talk to Xiao Luo.”

Luo Zhanming had a premonition. It wasn’t until the two of them were out of sight that he spoke up, “Uncle He, what did you want to talk to me about?”

He Youcai patted his waist but found nothing. He suddenly remembered he had hurried out without his pipe. Staring directly into Luo Zhanming’s eyes, he remained silent for a while before saying, “Unexpected events can happen any time. This incident… is an unwarranted disaster. It came suddenly. As an elder, there’s little I can do, and I can’t be of much help. Don’t hide anything from me. Is this matter related to the Wang family?”

“It’s just speculation, Uncle He…”

“Don’t say anything for now. I overheard your conversations with An-ge and Yu-ge. If it has nothing to do with the Wang family, why would you have people watching them?”

Naturally, suspicion fell heavily on them.

Luo Zhanming couldn’t explain well and could only remain silent.

“Earlier, there was a disturbance at the flower shop. The authorities investigated, but it ended without follow-up. Xiao Ze and the others didn’t inform us old folks. But I don’t know anything, and I’m worried. Later, Xiao Ze mentioned the Wang family with a slip of the tongue. I kept that in mind. Now that the Wang family is involved again… if it’s true… your family will be implicated!”

He Youcai sighed, finally getting to the point, “Xiao Ze is inside now. Whether he can come out is uncertain. Our situation… I’ve seen how busy you’ve been these days. I just want to ask, have you really thought this through? Is it just our An-ge in your heart?”

Little Luo had an admirable character, and he had observed the friendship between the two during this time. If it weren’t for the current circumstances, he would have been happy to see them together. But…

Before Luo Zhanming could respond, He Youcai continued, “I understand your family. Your business is prosperous, your wealth is ample, and your mansion is grand. You have connections with the county magistrate. Our He family ancestors were all peasants. If not for Xiao Ze’s recent success, our family would still be struggling to make ends meet. Now, matchmakers are emphasizing social status… ”

“Uncle He…”

“Don’t rush to answer me. This isn’t even the most important thing. If this case is really aimed at Xiao Ze, and our families are implicated, can your parents not have an opinion on An-ge? Will they agree to your plan? An-ge is sensible, despite his liveliness; he’s actually quite soft-hearted. Due to his previous engagement, his dad and I have already hurt him once. There can’t be another time.”

He Youcai laid everything bare, which caught Luo Zhanming off guard. After a moment of silence, he carefully organized his thoughts and said, “First, Uncle He, you can rest assured. I’ve thought it through very clearly. I truly love An-ge, and I only want to marry him.

Second, I already talked to my parents about An-ge and me this morning. They aren’t concerned about social status and trust my judgment. They are also looking forward to a future son-in-law.”

“Thirdly, I ask Uncle He not to mention implications again. This matter has nothing to do with Brother He; if blame is to be placed, it should be on those who plot in the shadows. My parents share my views and would never hold any disdain or prejudice against An-ge because of this.”

“Do you really mean what you say?”

“I swear by everything sacred, my words are true.” Luo Zhanming raised his hand solemnly.

“Well… you…” He Youcai hurriedly pulled his hand down, fixedly staring at him for a while, and finally managed to suppress his emotions. “Good, good child… If Xiao An promises, after this matter settles down, come to my house to propose.”

“Uncle He—”

The surprise came too suddenly, and for a moment, Luo Zhanming didn’t know how to react.

He Youcai patted his shoulders twice, a hidden contentment on his face. “You’ve been working hard during this period. I hope this case gets resolved quickly, so we can celebrate at home.”

After saying this, He Youcai turned and entered the shop. Luo Zhanming stood still for a while. Just now, did he pass the test from his future father-in-law?

Suppressing his joy, Luo Zhanming turned back towards the mansion. Uncle He was right; the priority now was to clear up this case.

Perhaps thanks to a stroke of luck, they received good news the next afternoon.

Since waiting idly was futile, He An and the others decided it was better to take the initiative. They took along the portraits of Wang Fucheng and his servant, pretending to seek relatives. Initially, they thought they would return empty-handed, but unexpectedly, someone came looking for them in the evening.

“I’ve seen this person before.”

Pointing at the dirty beggar in the portrait, with yellow teeth and a deep bite mark on the back of his right hand, he seemed afraid of offending them and quickly withdrew his hand after pointing, stepping back two paces.

“Really? Where did you see him? When did you see him?” He An hurriedly asked.

The beggar didn’t speak further, cautiously glancing at them and then averting his gaze. Luo Zhanming poured out two pieces of silver from his money pouch and handed them to the beggar. “Will this be enough?”

Two taels of silver!

Where did this god of wealth come from? He’s so generous!

“Enough, enough. Whatever you want to ask, just ask. I know everything, I’ll tell you everything.” The beggar bit the silver in his hand, as if he had seen a steamed bun stuffed with meat and couldn’t help but drool.

“When did you see this person? Where did you see him? What was he doing when you saw him?”

“It was about seven or eight days ago, under the bridge behind this alley. It was almost dark that day. He wasn’t wearing these clothes, but I wouldn’t mistake him. It’s the big mole under his ear; I remember it very clearly. When I saw him, he was talking to Zhutou about something…”

“Zhutou?”

“Yeah, he’s another beggar around here, like me. By the way, he died a couple of days ago. Fatty said he was poisoned and reported it to the authorities. I think he must have eaten something wrong when he was starving; we’ve had quite a few deaths from eating the wrong things here. When people are really hungry, they’ll eat anything…”

“Did you hear what they were talking about?”

“No, I was far away. I just noticed that he was dressed nicely, and I thought Zhutou had encountered a benefactor and was going to strike it rich.”

“Alright, is that all you know?”

“That’s all, but…” The beggar hesitated, glanced at them, then continued, “You’re not really here to find relatives, are you? I’m not sure if what I’ve told you will be useful. I noticed Fatty hasn’t been himself these past few days, the one who went to report the case. He hasn’t been out in the streets. I saw him sneakily gnawing on roast chicken at noon today, the aroma…”

The group exchanged glances, sensing something different in his words. Luo Zhanming spoke again, “You said Zhutou and Fatty are close?”

“They’re alright, they fled together. Normally, they’re always together.”

After finishing his questions, Luo Zhanming thought for a moment and handed him another piece of silver, “What’s your name?”

“None of us here have names. If you’re willing, just call me Da Fu. In this life, I dream of becoming wealthy and prosperous.”

“I can’t make you wealthy and prosperous, but if you’re willing, this money can buy you two sets of new clothes. In a month, go to the Luo Mansion in the city to find work. Your basic livelihood will be guaranteed.”

“You’re joking, young master. What kind of place is the Luo family? It’s a big family with big business. How…”

“How should I address you?” Yellow Teeth seemed to realize something, his breathing becoming rapid.

“I’m Luo Zhanming. When the time comes, just tell the gatekeeper my name.”

“Yes! Yes! Thank you, Young Master Luo, thank you. I’ll definitely go on time…”

After the beggar left, joy appeared on the faces of the group. He Youcai was somewhat excited, “Is this clue…”

“Yes, this clue is very important. We can now almost confirm that this case is related to Wang Fucheng. I’ll remind Brother Fu to focus on this aspect, and I believe the truth will come to light soon.”

“Yes, it will.” Lin Yu patted his stomach, a smile on his face.

That night, after returning to the mansion, Luo Zhanming didn’t even bother to eat dinner. He hurriedly knocked on the side door of the prefectural office.

Zhou Wen opened the door and got straight to the point, “Did you find anything?”

He knew Luo Zhanming had been busy with this case recently.

Luo Zhanming recounted the lead they obtained from the beggar in the afternoon. Zhou Wen fell silent, “It seems this matter really is connected to the Wang family. I wonder if Li Deming is aware.”

“Brother-in-law, as long as we have solid evidence, what does it matter if Li Deming knows?”

“You don’t understand,” Zhou Wen shook his head, “If he was aware of this from the beginning, or if all of Wang’s actions were at his behest, then this case might be difficult to resolve.”

“How could that be? We just need to follow the trail from the servant who had contact with the deceased and the person who reported the case. We’ll surely find some clues.”

“You’re right, but…”

“Sir, something bad has happened!”

Before Zhou Wen could finish his sentence, there was a commotion from the corridor, and it was Liu Yangji.