Chapter 353: Chapter 183: Ruthless Move _2
Lian Shouren entertained them with a meal and told them to wait a bit longer. He would try to raise more money tomorrow.
"I’m anxious, but if Big Brother hasn’t raised enough money, I don’t have any other way either," he said.
After a night’s sleep, early the next morning, Lian Shouli and Lian Shouyi went to look for Lian Shouren again.
"...it turned out that Big Brother had already left the house. Big Brother’s butler said that Big Brother and Lady Gu had gone out early in the morning to raise money and told me and Second Brother to wait at home and not go anywhere. I thought that gathering over a thousand taels of silver wouldn’t be easy, and I wouldn’t be able to help, so I could only wait. I also thought about how anxious Dad must be at home, so I asked the butler if he could find someone to send a message home. The butler said Big Brother had everything arranged and told me not to worry," he said.
As Lian Shouli spoke, he let out a long sigh.
"No one was sent to deliver a message to the family. Dad must have been so anxious he was metaphorically climbing the walls," said Lian Shouli.
"Sigh," Lian Shouli clenched his fist and thumped himself on the forehead, seemingly blaming himself for not managing the situation well.
"Third Brother, it’s not your fault," Lian Shouxin said. Even if Lian Shouli didn’t mention it, Lian Shouren should have sent a message. Seeing the puffiness of Lian Shouli’s lips, Lian Shouxin knew how his Third Brother had been faring these past two days. He understood that his honest Third Brother was not to blame for this situation.
Throughout the day, neither Lian Shouren nor Lady Gu were seen, and only the butler called upon Lian Shouli and Lian Shouyi for meals. Lian Shouyi couldn’t stay put and left in the afternoon, leaving only Lian Shouli behind.
It was not until evening that Lian Shouli once again saw Lian Shouren.
Lian Shouren said he had raised some money but was still far from enough. He asked them to wait another day.
The third day was just like the second, except this time Lian Shouyi also went out with Lian Shouren.
"I waited until noon, feeling like my brain was on fire. I thought about going out for a walk, but the main gate was locked, and both the butler and the gatekeeper said I wasn’t familiar with the place and shouldn’t wander off. They were right, I didn’t have a penny on me, and I didn’t know the roads in the town, so I couldn’t cause more trouble for Big Brother... I was so anxious," he said.
"That evening when Big Brother came back, I said that if it really wasn’t possible, I would return first and asked Big Brother to give a definitive date to reassure Dad and Mom," he said.
"Third Uncle, have you come back first because the money was raised?" asked Lian Manman. She looked him over; Lian Shouli didn’t seem like someone carrying a thousand taels of silver.
"Big Brother raised some money and asked Second Uncle and me to bring it back first. The money is with your Second Uncle," Lian Shouli said.
"What about my Second Uncle?" she asked.
"Your Second Uncle came back by horse cart..." said Lian Shouli.
Everyone in the room widened their eyes in surprise.
"I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but isn’t Second Uncle being too bullying?" Lady Zhang interjected before Lian Shouli could finish, "A horse cart can fit three or four people just fine. Why would Second Uncle ride alone in the cart and make Third Uncle walk back?"
"Third Brother, you ran back from the county town?" Lian Shouxin furrowed his brow.
"No, it was before we reached the town. Second Brother told me that the family was waiting for the money and was definitely anxious. With many people in the cart, it couldn’t go fast. He told me to get off so that the cart could go faster and bring the money home first to reassure Dad and Mom," Lian Shouyi replied.
"So you got off the cart and walked back yourself?"
"I run fast and was keeping up with the cart all the way, in case something happened," Lian Shouli said, since Lian Shouyi was carrying the money.
This was not the main point at all.
A sudden idea struck Lian Manman.
"The cart Second Uncle rode in, was it the same one we saw just now?" Lian Manman asked.
"Yes, that one, right ahead of me," replied Lian Shouli.
Why had Lian Shouyi left Lian Shouli behind and returned on his own? Was it just his ill intentions acting up, or was it something simpler? Just now, when they passed the breakfast shop, why didn’t Lian Shouyi stop to greet them, not willing to delay even for that short a time?
There must be some reason that made Lian Shouyi want to get home first. But what was it? Lian Manman couldn’t figure it out, but with half the day already gone, hurrying over now would be too late, so she decided not to deal with it for the moment.
From Lian Shouli’s account, it seemed Lian Shouren had his own separate yard, a butler, and a gatekeeper, indicating that he was living well. In the county town, it was likely that Lian Shouyi and Lian Shouren had had a private conversation, and Lian Shouli’s actions had always been restricted.
"Third Uncle, do you know how much money Big Uncle managed to raise?" Lian Manman asked.
"I know that," Lian Shouli replied, "Big Brother took out the money in front of me and Second Brother, and we counted it together."
"Oh, I see. So how much did Big Uncle raise?"
A look of difficulty appeared on Lian Shouli’s face.
"Your Big Uncle said that after scraping around, it was still Huahua who provided the bulk of the funds. They kept only a few personal garments, pawning the rest of their clothing. They raised four hundred taels of silver in total," he said.
The debt required over a thousand taels of silver. After all these days, and having Lian Shouyi and Lian Shouli wait in the county town for two days, Lian Shouren had only managed to raise four hundred taels of silver! Lian Manman felt a bad premonition.
"Big Brother is coming back too, right?" Lian Shouxin said.
"This morning when I went out, I didn’t see Big Brother. Lady Gu said Big Brother was sick, that he had fallen ill these last few days while trying to raise the money. She said we should take this money back first to pay off the debt, and they would make sure to raise the rest as soon as possible, asking... asking the family to figure something out in the meantime," he said.
Listening to Lian Shouli’s statement brought clarity as to why Lian Shouren was so late in returning without even a verbal message, and why Lian Shouyi had abandoned Lian Shouli to come home first—the answers to all those questions seemed to have come together.
Such a selfish and vicious scheme, but this time, with her, Lian Manman, present, they would not have it their way.
*****...******
Second update, seeking support. Please give a little more effort to push Ruoyan into the top ten. Ruoyan will continue to add updates, clenched fist. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to support by casting your recommendation votes, monthly votes at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
