Volume 1: Mission in Danger Chapter 19: Instigation
Wu Chenggou was at home and arrived quickly, but Wu Chengjian was nowhere to be seen. Not only did Chunrui help to cover up the fact that he went to the Huachahao that day, but Cai Qiaozhu also helped to cover it up after she found out, so Wu Guoying still doesn't know about it.
Cai Qiaozhu guessed that Third Uncle was out having fun again. She was secretly worried for Wu Chengjian and a little annoyed. She thought, "Third Uncle, you shouldn't be like this. It's okay if you're just having fun on weekdays, but now you're in a hurry!"
Thinking about the impending disaster at home, Wu Guoying, even though he was an experienced person, could not sit still and shouted, "Why is he missing now? Where did he go?" Everyone around him said they didn't know.
Wu Chenggou suddenly said, "I just came back from outside and passed by Lao Liu from Xiajiu. He asked me if my father and eldest brother were well again. I was wondering why he asked that. Lao Liu said he saw the third young master living happily in Shenxianzhou. It must be that my father and eldest brother were well again, otherwise the third young master would not be in the mood to go there. But I think no matter how ridiculous the third young master is, he would not do such a thing. Most likely, Lao Liu has misjudged him."
Although Shenxianzhou is the most popular place in Baihuaxing, it has only appeared in the past three years. Wu Guoying is a serious person. After retiring, he knows little about the outside world. The place where young people have fun is not what he cares about. Therefore, he did not know the place and asked, "What is Shenxianzhou?"
Cai Qiaozhu originally thought that Wu Chengjian went to Huachahao to escape from the stress, which was understandable, but she really didn't know how to explain why he went to Shenxianzhou. She tilted her head, feeling a little annoyed, but she didn't want to answer how dirty Shenxianzhou was.
Wu Guoying looked back at everyone and saw that no one spoke. Aunt Yang couldn't help but say, "I heard that it was the most famous floating brothel in Guangzhou in recent years."
When Wu Guoying heard this, she thought she had heard it wrongly: "What?"
"What Auntie said is correct," Wu Chenggou said, "It is a harem camp on Baietan Lake. The third brother hasn't come back since last night."
When Wu Guoying heard this, he almost fainted from anger. He slapped the purple clay teapot on the table with one hand, making it jump up. He shouted angrily, "This rebellious son! This rebellious son! His elder brother is still lying in bed, and no one knows whether he is alive or dead. How can he have the mood to go to a prostitute? Go and call someone! Go and call someone back, and I will beat him to death!"
Cai Qiaozhu said, "Master, please calm down. Maybe Old Liu really made a mistake. Who knows?"
Wu Guoying said angrily, "Old Liu from Xiajiu comes to visit our house more than ten times a year. How could he recognize the wrong person? Forget it, call Chunrui over."
Something happened in the backyard, and Chunrui in the left yard also heard the news. She was secretly anxious and had already sent someone to find Wu Chengjian, hoping to find the third young master before anything happened. Unexpectedly, she was summoned as soon as the person she sent left the house, and the person who summoned her was the master.
She thought to herself, "This time the master has also been invited out, what should I do?"
He dragged his feet step by step until he reached the backyard, but as soon as he entered the door, Wu Guoying yelled at him, "It took so long to walk these few steps. The second brother is right. After the third brother took over, this family has become increasingly messed up."
Chunrui knelt down when she heard this. Wu Guoying shouted, "Tell me, where is the third brother? If you dare to say anything false, I will kick you out of the house immediately."
Chunrui had been in the Wu family for more than ten years, and had never seen the master get so angry, let alone directed at her. She was so anxious that she burst into tears on the spot.
"Why are you crying?" Wu Chenggou shouted, "Speak now!"
Wu Chengjian's whereabouts were never concealed from Chunrui, just in case there was something urgent at home and he would come to her. At this time, Chunrui couldn't resist and sobbed, "The Third Young Master went to Shenxian Island and said he was drinking with the leader of the Third Squad of the South China Sea."
Cai Qiaozhu couldn't help but ask, "Uncle San did such a ridiculous thing, why didn't you try to persuade him? What did I tell you last time?"
She was the mistress who had been in charge of the family for many years, and Chunrui really didn't dare to talk back to her. But the last time she gave Wu Chengjian some advice, she was given such a strong reply. How could she bear such grievances when she was caught between two powerful masters? At this time, coupled with the roar of the master and the coercion of the second young master, Chunrui burst into tears on the spot, wishing she could just die.
Cai Qiaozhu looked at Chunrui and thought, "Everyone in the house says that this girl is calm and responsible. She seems to be fine in managing the affairs of the room, but a maid is a maid. She can't be in public and can't handle major events. We still have to finish the marriage for Uncle San as soon as possible. The second young lady of the Ye family is also well-known in Xiguan. I wonder if the Ye family will have any repercussions after this incident."
Wu Chengjian asked the quick-tongued Wu Qi to lose money to the Nanhai County Chief Constable Lao Zhou. Wu Qi did go there and found an excuse to find Nanhai County. In the lower nine customs of Guangzhou, he was considered to be generous, so he had some reputation in several government offices and county yamen, and he was allowed to go in and out without restriction.
After finding Lao Zhou, Lao Zhou was afraid of losing, so how could he dare to gamble? Wu Qi thought of an idea. He started gambling with other yamen runners to whet Lao Zhou's appetite. He had some talent in gambling, and his luck was good that day, so he won several games in a row. Lao Zhou felt itchy and asked Wu Qi if he could be the banker with him to help him improve his luck.
Wu Qi thought to himself: "Anyway, just let him win money. Losing money to him is letting him win, and leading him to win is also letting him win." So he agreed.
His luck was really good, he won seventeen times in a row. This made Mr. Zhou very happy, but the others were so upset that their faces turned pale.
The county government had three shifts of yamen runners: the Zao shift, the Zhuang shift, and the Kuai shift. The Zao shift was in charge of the county government's internal affairs, while the Zhuang shift and the Kuai shift were jointly responsible for arresting guards. According to later metaphors, the Zhuang shift was more like the armed police, while the Kuai shift was more like the police.
Lao Zhou, the captain of the fast squad, was happy about his win, but Lao Zheng, the captain of the soap squad, and Lao Feng, the captain of the strong squad, were annoyed. After a disagreement, the three of them started fighting. The leaders were fighting, and the people below were half cheering and half helping. If Jiang, the clerk from the criminal department, hadn't come, the commotion would have almost alarmed the magistrate.
Afterwards, Jiang Xingshu interrogated the people and found out that the instigator was actually the quick-tongued Wu Qi. He ordered people to arrest him on the spot. Jiang Xingshu was in charge of the specific operators of the county's criminal law, which was equivalent to the director of the Justice Bureau in later generations. Although the title was not high, the actual power was not small. Seeing that the quick-tongued Wu Qi dared to set up a gambling racket in the county government office, if Lao Zhou and others had not stopped him, he would have handed a note to the county magistrate on the spot to bring the quick-tongued Wu Qi to justice.
When Wu Chengjian heard the news, he hurried to Nanhai County. When they met, everyone knew each other and couldn't save face. Wu Chengjian scolded the quick-tongued Wu Qi in person. Jiang Xingshu, however, gave Wu Chengjian face and let the matter go.
Wu Chengjian saw that the two leaders of the Zaozhuang were unhappy because of losing money, so he spoke up and held a banquet in Shenxianzhou to apologize, and invited Jiang Xingshu as well. Everyone knew that the Third Young Master Wu had a great reputation in Shenxianzhou, and they were happy to go to that brothel to help the Third Young Master waste money, so they all gladly accepted the invitation.
This banquet made everyone happy. Jiang Xingshu and the third shift leader were each given a silver hairpin. This was a rare opportunity, and the third shift leader was very happy. Everyone enjoyed themselves that night.
Wu Chengjian also drank a lot and didn't even call back that night.
The next day, he woke up and found himself sleeping in Qiu Ling's room. Qiu Ling saw that he was awake, so she wrung out a hot towel to wipe his face. Wu Chengjian was used to being served, so he let her wipe him and just asked, " Why here?"
Qiu Ling said, "The Third Young Master was drunk last night. Could Qiu Ling still let you sleep downstairs? The fact that those squad leaders could sleep on the second floor was a courtesy to them. If you sleep there, it would be so degrading!"
Wu Chengjian smiled and said, "It doesn't matter where I sleep, but if I sleep on this bed, I'm afraid Young Master Chen will come back and settle the score with me."
"Him," Qiu Ling said with a giggle, "It's rare that the third sister is not in the Immortal Continent. Not to mention that Young Master Chen was not there last night, even if he was here last night, I would still pick up the third young master." She leaned close to Wu Chengjian's ear and said, "Besides, a romantic figure like the third young master will be honored no matter whose bed he sleeps in."
"I don't believe it. Young Master Chen's family is engaged in real business, and he himself is young, handsome and rich," Wu Chengjian said with a smile, "You are his pickpocket, and he can let others touch you?"
Qiu Ling's eyes were as charming as flowing light: "If someone dares to touch me, he will have his legs broken. As for the Third Young Master, he won't mind. He can't wait for you to come."
Wu Chengjian laughed and said, "Could it be possible that he would like this tune?"
Qiu Ling breathed in Wu Chengjian's ear, vaguely: "One time... I suddenly called your name... and he... hehe... shivered... and then he lost it."
Wu Chengjian laughed out loud when he heard this, but he didn't take the rumors seriously.
Because of his hangover and headache, and because he had been busy recently, he simply stayed in Qiu Ling's room that day and had some free time for half a day. He used the good things that Young Master Chen from Foshan had left in the room without any hesitation, and Qiu Ling also tried her best to please him.
It was getting dark in the evening, and they were about to go back to their home in Xiguan. Quick-talking Wu Qi came in and said, "Third Master, go home quickly. The master is angry."
Qiu Ling straightened her clothes and said, "You guys chat," then she walked out.
Wu Chengjian then asked, "Why are you so angry?"
"It seems that the Second Young Master reported your stay in Shenxian Island to the old master. When the old master found out, he was furious and has prepared all the family rules." Quick-talking Wu Qi said, "Let's go back quickly. If it's too late, the Second Young Master will throw another spoonful of oil on it, and the barbecue in the backyard will turn into a stir-fry."
Wu Chengjian was already preparing to leave, but after hearing this he said, "I'm not going back. I'll sleep one more night and go back tomorrow." He stretched his waist and fell back on the bed.
Wu Qi: “Ah?”
Wu Chengjian said, "Didn't you also say that the old man has prepared all the family rules? If I go back now, I will definitely beat him up. I think I am too thick-skinned. Wait one more day and go back tomorrow."
"That means he stayed with prostitutes for two consecutive days...then...then the master would be furious, right?"
Wu Chengjian smiled and said, "I have a plan. You are right to listen to me. Stop the people sent by my family from going to Shenxian Island. I will stay in hiding for another day."
Wu Qi agreed and went to do the work.
The door creaked, and someone came in. Wu Qi brushed his body and asked unhappily, "Who is this?"
The person who came in was a young man of medium build and handsome face. When he saw the man on Qiu Ling's bed, his expression changed. He took two steps closer and saw that it was Wu Chengjian. He was stunned for a moment, then his annoyance disappeared. Instead, his face was full of joy and he said with a smile, "What a good wind that brought the Third Young Master here."
