Volume 2: Eagle vs. Dragon Chapter 24: Not Taking a Concubine, But Marrying a Wife
Although Wu Chenggou had worked outside before, he had Wu Chengjun as a big tree to shelter him from the wind and rain, and Wu Chengjian to sort out the undercurrents in secret, so he actually had a layer of understanding of the dangers of the world. When he went out after the separation, he was wandering outside for two months, and these two months were really worse than death for him.
According to the original agreement, he did get some shops, properties, and business licenses for Fujian Tea Mountain and routes - but Wu Chengjian turned the tables that night, and everything turned upside down. Wu Chenggou's original mischief became a joke, and his talk of taking over the management of Fujian Tea Mountain was the biggest joke of all.
Even those people in the clan, such as the Sixth Uncle, who relied on Wu Chenggou in the past, have complained about him in the past two months. They all hated him for "leading us astray", not only offending Hao Guan, but also ruining their financial path - in this autumn and winter, those who could still support Wu Chengjian in times of crisis, such as the Fifteenth Uncle and Mr. Liu San, all made a lot of money. But people like the Sixth Uncle not only did not get a share of the feast, but were instead embarrassed. If it weren't for Wu Guoying's consideration of the friendship between the same clan, they wouldn't even be able to keep the little business they had in the past. After being taught a righteous lesson by Wu Guoying, these people couldn't raise their heads for a long time outside, and how could they have a good face when they saw Wu Chenggou again?
It was fine that his clan members squeezed Wu Chenggou, but even business people outside the family squeezed him out. When Wu Chenggou was in Yihe Bank, he boasted that he was smart and capable, and always thought that he was capable enough to take over Wu Chengjun's job. It was not until he went out on his own that he realized that without the support of the Wu family, his ability was nothing but a joke.
Although he was allocated a shop and had a considerable amount of money in savings, everyone in Guangzhou knew about his stupid deeds. Those who sycophanted with the powerful were afraid of offending Yihe Haoguan, who was honest and looked down on his character. Even his old friends were unwilling to associate with him, so his business became less and less profitable. Finally, a group of seemingly reliable merchants came to his door, but they were actually a group of swindlers. They deceived and took away nearly half of his money and goods. Countless pairs of eyes of the local gangsters in Guangdong saw it clearly, but no one warned them beforehand, and no one helped to track them down afterwards, and they just let the group of swindlers get away with it.
In just one month, Wu Chenggou had lost half of his share of the money. The more he thought about it, the more he felt bored. He wanted to sell his shop and house and start a new business somewhere else, but he couldn't find anyone in Guangzhou who dared to take over. The price offered by the pawnbroker was also very low. Finally, his savings ran out and he had to rely on selling jewelry to make ends meet.
Until one day he got drunk and offended a group of thugs. He was beaten so badly that his hands were almost chopped off. Wu Qi happened to pass by and couldn't bear to see what was happening, so he stepped forward to ask about it. The leader of the gang politely called Wu Qi "Brother Qi" in front of him. After telling him what happened, Wu Qi settled the matter in a few words.
Only then did he realize how powerful Wu Chengjian was. Thinking back to the setbacks he had encountered over the past month , he was even more frightened by Wu Chengjian's powerful tactics. Yihe Bank relied on money and influence to control half of Guangzhou. The clerks in the government, the wealthy merchants in the business world, and the heroes in the rivers and lakes all spoke the words "Hao Guan Shuo" as if they were hearing an imperial decree. How could he have dared to imagine the prestige of being the head of a family like this?
So when he saw Wu Chengjian again this time, Wu Chenggou was like a mouse seeing a cat. He was afraid of Wu Chengjian at the moment, even more than he was afraid of Wu Guoying and Wu Chengjun before - he had really been tortured terribly in the past two months.
Then he heard Wu Chengjian say with a lecherous face: "Auntie, Second Brother, please sit down."
Aunt Yang was overjoyed and pulled Wu Chenggou, wanting to sit next to Wu Guoying.
Suddenly Wu Guoying shouted, "Stand still!"
Aunt Yang quickly stood up, and Wu Chenggou also stood up straight - but his back could no longer be straightened.
Wu Guoying glanced at the two of them, and then said to Wu Chengjian: "Official Hao, can you really tolerate this unfilial son?"
Wu Chengjian smiled and said, "As long as Auntie can turn over a new leaf and serve Father well, and Second Brother can behave himself, we can still be a family."
Wu Guoying said, "Okay." Turning to Aunt Yang Wu Chenggou, she said, "Did you hear that? It was not my idea to let you come to this dinner this time, but it was the idea of Hao Guan. But before we eat, I have to make things clear first."
Wu Chenggou said timidly, "Dad, you say."
Wu Guoying said, "Aunt Yang can come back, but since you have been separated, you should still live outside."
Wu Cheng's idea was to return to this home and let his mother come back on her own, but he would be blocked from the outside. How could this be possible? But he had lost all his previous arrogance and did not dare to object. He just bit his lip.
Wu Chengjian smiled and said, "Although the family has been divided, the blood and flesh can never be severed. If you have the filial piety of father, come back to visit father and aunt more often in the future."
Wu Chenggou was overjoyed, thinking that as long as he could come back often, it would be fine. Although it was not as good as living at home, he could borrow the power of the Wu family if he came back, and living outside would also give him more freedom. So he shouted, "Okay, okay, I want to come back because I am worried about the third brother... Haoguan has a lot of things to do outside, and my father is old. It won't work if there is no man to support the family, right?"
Cai Qiaozhu recalled Wu Chenggou's behavior when Galiu came to her house, and she sneered in her heart. However, she was well-mannered and did not show any sarcasm at all. She just turned her head slightly. Guang'er said innocently: "Second uncle, next time a Manchu servant comes to your house, you should stop hiding behind the door."
Wu Chenggou was very embarrassed. Cai Qiaozhu patted her son lightly and said, "Don't talk to your second uncle like that! You are so disrespectful!"
"Guang'er is right!" Wu Guoying said, "You are just a pillar behind the door, it's better to have nothing! But after all, you have my blood in your veins, and I, Wu Guoying, am not a heartless person. So even though we were in such a difficult situation back then, I still gave you a lot of my wealth. It's all in black and white, and there are my clan members as witnesses. How can I regret it? So from now on, the Wu family's business has nothing to do with you, and you are not allowed to interfere in the business of Yihe Bank, and you are not allowed to use the name of your family's business to show off outside - Haoguan, you should spread the word when you get back so that everyone outside will know."
Although Wu Guoying was old and sick, he was not confused. He knew his own health and probably didn't have much time left. Wu Chengjun's health was probably worse than his own. If he died, Wu Chengjun would also be gone. Although Wu Chenggou was a bastard, he was still his brother and uncle. At that time, he would take advantage of his age and act like a demon, which might cause trouble for Wu Chengjian and Guang'er again.
He is old and lonely, and Wu Chengjian is willing to let Aunt Yang and Wu Chenggou come back. To be honest, he is willing to do so in his heart, which is also Wu Chengjian's filial piety. However, he cannot leave hidden dangers for Wu Chengjian and Guang'er, so he has to block Wu Chenggou's way in advance - with Wu Chenggou's escape before and Wu Guoying's personal assertion later, even if he is not around in the future, if Wu Chenggou does something stupid again, both Wu Chengjian and Guang'er can drive Wu Chenggou out with a broom.
Wu Chenggou's face turned blue and red. If he could no longer borrow the power of the Wu family and Yihe Bank, then why did he come back?
Although Aunt Yang was also a scumbag, she was a veteran after all. She thought that if she and her mother were kicked out and she came back, she would definitely not say anything good now, but as long as she could get in, she would serve Wu Guoying well in the future . People are made of flesh and blood, not to mention that he is her own son. After a long time, he would say something different. So she secretly twisted her son, and Wu Chenggou felt pain and quickly agreed: "Yes, yes. I will listen to you, Dad."
Wu Chengjian had sharp eyes and guessed what the mother and son were planning with just one glance. However, this was also what he wanted: Wu Guoying was old, and this time the dragon's lair situation had taken a lot of effort and consumed a lot of energy. No matter what Aunt Yang's intentions were, as long as Wu Guoying could live a few more days of comfort, it would be enough. As for the calculations behind it, Wu Chengjian would not be afraid.
He smiled and said, "Let's live in harmony from now on. We are still a family. Please sit down."
The whole family sat down. Wu Chenggou's wife Liu was looking at the door. Seeing this, she walked in timidly. Wu Chengjian also said generously, "Sister-in-law, please sit down."
Guang Er shouted, "It's time to eat!"
Wu Chenggou picked up the chopsticks and said, "Home-cooked food is still the best. I've been out for the past two months and nothing tastes right."
In the past, Wu Chengjian would have made some insults to him, but now he didn't even have the heart to speak. No one else noticed this change, except Cai Qiaozhu, who thought, "After this battle, Hao Guan's mind and vision have also changed."
Wu Guoying looked at Guang'er picking up food for Cai Qiaozhu on his left, and Wu Chenggou and Liu on his right. Only Wu Chengjian was alone across from him. He couldn't help but sigh, "Hao Guan... Now that things in the bank are on track, you should think carefully about your marriage. A bachelor as a business owner will always make the guys feel inappropriate and unsure."
Wu Chengjian was holding a boiled shrimp in his hand and said, "I was just about to tell my father that I've fallen in love with a beautiful girl recently and was planning to ask my sister-in-law to find a matchmaker to help me propose marriage."
Wu Guoying knew that his son had a special liking for a courtesan, and that courtesan had shown affection and loyalty when the Wu family was in trouble. However, this was his most beloved son after all, and he was unwilling to let him marry a prostitute - even if the other party was poor and plain-looking, as long as she had a clean family background, at least she would not become an obstacle to his son's future. But thinking about how much Wu Chengjian had contributed to the Wu family, and how he had rescued the entire family from the abyss, he had no choice but to let him be willful in this marriage.
Cai Qiaozhu also felt that if Wu Chengjian married Tan Sanniang, it would be a great hindrance to his future and the reputation of the Wu family. She had thought of persuading Wu Chengjian to take Tan Sanniang as a concubine and pamper her more after they got married. However, after finding out from him that Wu Chengjian was determined, she did not say anything - this was a tacit understanding between her and Wu Guoying, and they both remained silent at the moment.
Then Wu Chengjian said, "Although Uncle Dalin's family education is average, I like the daughter he raised very much. Sister-in-law, if my father has no objection, please help find a matchmaker to come to our house and see if our horoscopes are compatible. If they are, haha, then Uncle Dalin prepare a dowry."
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the yard was surprised. Wu Guoying exclaimed, Cai Qiaozhu exclaimed, and they couldn't help but exclaim. Even Wu Qi was surprised: "This... is he really going to marry that Ye Youyu? Not a concubine, but a wife?!"
