Chapter 182: Learned From Your Good Second Uncle
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Buttface struggled a few times, and a small bag wrapped in layers fell out. Rong Yan lifted his leg, caught it, and opened it. He realized that it was the ginseng that Second Uncle Ning had opened before.
Buttface refused to repent. “Bullsh*t. You said that this thing belongs to the Ning Family and it belongs to the Ning Family? How can it respond to you? How can it be? Their family is so poor. I can even say that I dug it up in the mountains!”
At this moment, it was Li Muyan’s turn to speak. “I can really prove that this ginseng was given to the Ning Family by me. It weighs two liang three qian ￡) and is 70 years old. There’s also a gap at the top of the ginseng.” Because of that gap, he felt that it was not suitable to give it to Gongsun Zhongjing as a gift to invite him out of seclusion. Hence, he stuffed it into the gift box for the Ning Family.
The value of a 100-year-old ginseng was worlds apart from a 70-year-old ginseng. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have given it away casually. He wasn’t really the fool who threw away silver for fun.
Buttface was speechless.
At this moment, Second Brother had already told Xiaoxiao about Buttface’s life. When she heard that he was familiar with Second Uncle Ning and got the spot to dig the canal to replace his big brother, Xiaoxiao touched her chin and felt that things were not that simple.
She stuffed the ginseng into her arms and took it out again. Then, she poked Buttface, who couldn’t move, on the ground with its ginseng roots. Buttface didn’t want to be disturbed, but his greedy eyes were fixed on the ginseng, unwilling to move away.
“Hey.” Xiaoxiao asked with a smile, “Do you want this?”
Buttface thought to himself, Isn’t that obvious?His family couldn’t even save a few copper coins a year from digging in the soil. How many years could this ginseng save him from working hard? Wouldn’t he have the capital to get a wife?! That rich young master just said that this thing was 70 years old. Wouldn’t it be worth 50 taels of silver? He might not have to worry about food and drink for the rest of his life if he sold it!
Xiaoxiao smiled even more brightly. “How about this? Answer two of my questions truthfully. If the answers satisfy me, I’ll give it to you and won’t pursue the matter of you breaking into my house.”
Buttface’s eyes widened. “A promise?”
Xiaoxiao nodded. “Of course.”
Buttface immediately became enthusiastic. “Alright, ask away!”
He was clearly still in a position where his four legs were facing the ground and his face was still being stepped on, but he was already starting to feel smug this stupid girl must have not seen the world and did not know the value of ginseng. He had to get the thing and run away before the adults reacted.
Including County Magistrate Shen and the people in the old residence, everyone was very curious about what Xiaoxiao wanted to ask. She shook the things in her hand and asked in a casual tone, “How did you replace your brother to get the spot to dig the canal?”
Buttface was stunned for a moment. His eyes were flustered as he stammered, “Ah, it’s just a coincidence. Coincidentally, my brother is injured, so we can’t waste the spot, right?”
Ning Ansheng suddenly thought of something. He wanted to advise Xiaoxiao not to make such a loss-making deal with Buttface, but he swallowed his words. He even stopped his parents and younger brother. Ning Anhui wanted to say something, but he realized that his eldest brother’s expression was frighteningly dark.
Xiaoxiao stood up and sighed. “Looks like we can’t continue this business deal.”
Buttface panicked. “Hey, hey, hey, don’t go.”
Xiaoxiao played with the ginseng. “If you don’t tell the truth, 1’11 report it to the officials. Be more specific. I’ll give this to you immediately. Don’t worry, my parents and brothers will listen to me and won’t go back on their word.”
Buttface thought that he would run away after he got the ginseng and live a carefree life somewhere else. It was 50 taels! Second Uncle Ning, that stingy man, only promised two taels of silver. What was the big deal?
“1 was the one who injured my eldest brother. My parents are biased. They said that my eldest brother’s salary doesn’t have to go to the household account. My eldest brother already has a wife and a son. I haven’t married yet, so 1 naturally have to receive the salary. Hence, 1 pushed my eldest brother down when he wasn’t paying attention!”
His parents could not bear to throw away the spot that they had painstakingly obtained, so they could only give it to him. In the end, he found out that when his parents changed the spot for him, they actually secretly recorded it as offsetting corvee. Pfft! What he wanted was silver! It was none of his business if his eldest brother had to go to work.
Noticing her family’s shocked expression, Xiaoxiao placed the ginseng in front of Buttface.
“Second question, where did you learn this move? Don’t tell me you came up with it yourself. If I ask, 1 naturally know the answer long ago.”
She pointed at the “ginseng” lying on the ground and said to him, “After you finish speaking, I’ll ask the big brother who steps on you to retract his foot. 1 can also guarantee that I won’t snatch this from you on behalf of everyone except the old residence’s people.”
Buttface looked up at her suspiciously. His only impression of this girl from the Ning Family was that Second Brother Ning said that she was obedient and did not dare to make a sound no matter how he hit or scolded her. It seemed like that was not the case today?
In addition, this girl said that she already knew? That meant that Second Brother Ning had already let it slip. No wonder he was beaten up like this. He chuckled.
“Since you already know, you don’t need me to tell you.”
Second Uncle Ning’s heart pounded and he immediately wanted to rush over to stop him. Xiaoxiao had already noticed his actions, but before he could speak, Rong Yan had already pulled out Yun Yi’s sword and thrown it out. The tip of the sword was buried in the ground and it stuck between Second Uncle Ning’s legs. Just as he was about to die, he heard the young man’s cold voice. “Listen quietly.”
When Buttface saw this, he felt that this was settling scores later. He said, “Of course I learned it from your good Second Uncle.”
Ning Fengnian felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck his head, causing his old injuries to buzz.
Madam Song’s legs went weak and her vision darkened.
Ning Ansheng and Ning Anhui hurriedly went forward to help their parents up, but their eyes were also burning with anger.
Xiaoxiao, who had known the truth long ago, was the calmest. She simply stuffed the “ginseng” back into Buttface’s arms and even asked Yun Er to let go of him. “Oh? How did you learn it?”
It did not matter if he said it or not. Anyway, Second Uncle’s actions could no longer be hidden.
Buttface got up from the ground and wiped his face casually with his sleeve. He took out the thing in his arms and looked at it left and right. At the same time, he said, “Don’t you already know how 1 learned it? Didn’t your Second Uncle get your father’s job as a short-term worker by smashing your father’s head in the dark?”
As soon as he said that, the thunder above Ning Fengnian’s head seemed to quieten down. He looked at his parents, who were not surprised, and his heart was calm.
On the other hand, Madam Song was so angry that tears streamed down her face. Not long ago, she was worried that it was inappropriate for the head of the household and her son to hit someone in front of the county magistrate. Now, she only felt that it was too lenient! That heartless thing!
Xiaoxiao hugged her mother and comforted her, but she was actually quite happy in her heart. It was better to suffer short-term pain than long-term pain. If it was going to hurt, it would hurt completely. There was no room for redemption. Just from this point alone, Buttface’s appearance was very good. Little Big Brother Ah Yan, who had caught him, had contributed greatly. She had to reward him well later!
Seeing that this matter could not be covered up, Old Madam Ning and Old Sir Ning begged for mercy for their son while trembling. “County magistrate, this, this is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding…”
Visit freewe𝑏nov(e)l.𝗰𝐨𝐦 for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience