Old Master Wu was an extremely shrewd man. If he weren’t, he wouldn’t have been able to build up such a substantial family fortune. Although he trusted Yu Wen and trusted his own eyes, this was after all his first time dealing with Jiang Chao. No matter how well Jiang Chao spoke, he would still keep his guard up. The chief steward of his household was someone he had sent out specifically to keep watch on the Jiang family. If there were even the slightest disturbance at the Jiang family’s side, he would know immediately.
Therefore, as soon as he heard the chief steward’s words, he instantly shot up from his seat with a “whoosh,” his expression even more terrible than his chief steward’s: “Something happened at Old Master Jiang’s side? What happened? Don’t speak in half-sentences! Explain it to me clearly and properly.”
Yu Wen’s heart also began to panic.
He was on good terms with Old Master Wu, so naturally he had dealt with this chief steward more than once. This chief steward was not only loyal and honest in character, but also steady in handling affairs. He had never seen him in such a flustered and alarmed state before. Moreover, his words involved Jiang Chao, who had partnered with them in business.
After Old Master Wu stood up, he also stood up with a tense expression and said, “Chief Steward, what happened at Old Master Jiang’s side?”
The Wu family’s chief steward took a deep breath and swallowed, his emotions seeming to settle somewhat before he spoke: “Haven’t I been in Suzhou all this time? But starting from the day before yesterday, I haven’t seen Old Master Jiang. Previously I thought Old Master Jiang had gone to Ningbo. But my heart kept feeling uneasy, so I found ways to make inquiries. Old Master Jiang did indeed go to Ningbo, but the ancestral fields that Old Master Jiang had previously mortgaged to the Song family—the Song family has taken them out to liquidate. I wondered if the Song family was dissatisfied with Old Master Jiang and deliberately embarrassing the Jiang family at this time. So I quietly went to the pawnshop where Old Master Jiang had pawned his ships. The result…”
His face fell, looking as if he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
The expressions of both Old Master Wu and Yu Wen immediately became even more terrible, as they urgently asked in unison: “The result?”
The chief steward’s eyes dimmed slightly as he said with some difficulty: “The result is that four days ago, Old Master Jiang had already converted the live pawn into a dead pawn!”
A live pawn could be redeemed when the agreed time came. A dead pawn meant signing a death contract—even if one had money later, it could never be redeemed again. Moreover, a dead pawn cost more than a third more than a live pawn.
Yu Wen’s vision went black, and he collapsed into the grand armchair behind him.
Old Master Wu swayed unsteadily but was somewhat stronger than Yu Wen. Supporting himself on the edge of the table, he quickly steadied himself and urgently asked the chief steward: “Then what about the Jiang family members? Are his mother and younger sister still in Suzhou?”
“They’re all there!” the chief steward said bitterly. “And from the looks of it, they still don’t know that Jiang Chao is no longer in Suzhou. I didn’t want to disturb the womenfolk, so I didn’t say anything. I only mentioned Your name and Old Master Yu’s name, saying I had come to visit Old Master Jiang…”
Old Master Wu felt a mix of emotions at this moment and didn’t know what to say for a while. He could only instinctively nod and say: “It’s good you didn’t say anything, to avoid worrying the family. No matter what grievances we have with the Jiang family, we can’t bully their widowed old mother. One matter is one matter. You did the right thing in this.”
The chief steward hung his head and said in a low voice: “Afterward I went to Old Master Jiang’s shop and the places he usually frequents, but didn’t see him anywhere. The shop assistants and the servers at the wine houses and teahouses also said they hadn’t seen Old Master Jiang for several days. I also made discreet inquiries—the families who had invested silver in Old Master Jiang’s maritime business had all handed their silver over to Old Master Jiang… I was thinking, should we perhaps make a trip to Ningbo Prefecture…”
“Go!” Old Master Wu seemed to suddenly snap back to his senses as he listened, saying fiercely, “Ningbo Prefecture isn’t far from us anyway, and we can afford this bit of travel expense. No matter what, we need to find out clearly whether he actually went to Ningbo or not. What did he go to Ningbo to do? If it’s a misunderstanding, I’ll apologize to him.”
But what if it wasn’t a misunderstanding?
Then did that mean Jiang Chao had run off with the silver they had invested?!
Yu Tang felt as if a large stone was blocking her chest, unable to speak for quite a while.
In her previous life, Jiang Chao had been a successful and trustworthy merchant. How had everything changed when it came to her in this life?
Was it that she had misjudged the person, or was it because of her interference that things had changed drastically from her previous life?
Yu Tang’s lips trembled as she wanted to ask Old Master Wu something, but didn’t know where to begin.
Just as she was considering her words, Shuang Tao suddenly cried out: “Madam, what’s wrong with you?”
Everyone’s attention immediately fell on Chen Shi.
Chen Shi had somehow fainted and was sliding downward.
“Mother!” Yu Tang took two or three steps at once and caught Chen Shi in one swift motion.
Yu Wen was also frightened pale. While helping Yu Tang support Chen Shi, he pinched Chen Shi’s philtrum, murmuring fearfully as he did: “Don’t scare me like this. You’ve finally nursed your health back—if something happens to you, what will I do!”
Yu Tang was even more full of regret.
How could she have forgotten that her mother was still present? She had only been concerned with calculating the gains and losses of the business, forgetting to look after her mother’s feelings.
Their family had invested six thousand taels of silver—this was an enormous sum.
Many people never saw six hundred taels of silver in their entire lives.
She quickly said to her father: “Mother was most likely shocked. You hurry and carry Mother back to the inner chamber. Shuang Tao, you go request a physician.”
Old Master Wu also came to his senses, saying anxiously: “Hui Li, your daughter is right. Quickly take your wife inside to rest. People are living beings, business is dead—we can’t let your wife suffer because of business matters. We’re rushing to make money, isn’t it all so our families can live good lives?”
Yu Wen was very grateful. He carried Chen Shi into the inner chamber and poured a cup of hot tea for Yu Tang to feed to Chen Shi, only then going outside to wait for the physician.
Old Master Wu was anxiously waiting for Yu Wen outside. Seeing him emerge, he immediately came forward and said: “Business is certainly important, but your wife’s health is more important. As for the Suzhou matter, don’t worry about it for now—I’ll make the trip personally. The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up soon. No matter what, we should get through the Mid-Autumn Festival first.”
Yu Wen felt both ashamed and grateful. He bowed to Old Master Wu and said shamefacedly: “Brother Wu, I’ve dragged you into this.”
“What are you saying?” Old Master Wu pretended to be angry and said, “I was willing to partner with you. Moreover, business naturally has profits and losses. You just stay home and take good care of your wife. As soon as I have any news, I’ll tell you immediately.”
Yu Wen shamefacedly saw Old Master Wu out.
Afterward came requesting the physician, fetching medicine, brewing medicine—busy all afternoon. By the time Chen Shi had drunk her medicine and, under Yu Tang’s soothing, her emotions had gradually calmed down, it was already time to light the lamps.
Chen Shi had always respected her husband. Although such a major incident had occurred, thinking that the whole family was still safely together, Chen Shi didn’t feel quite so distressed. She had Chen Pozi fetch her dowry jewelry and handed it to Yu Wen, saying gently: “Don’t be anxious. I still have some jewelry here, along with two hundred taels in banknotes—it’s all what you’ve given me over the years. You take it first to tide things over.”
How could Yu Wen have the face to accept his wife’s personal savings? He quickly said: “I should be the one saying this to you. Although that sum of silver was large, as I said before, it was a windfall—we should just consider it as money we never had. How could I use your personal silver to make up for mine? Put it away quickly. The family doesn’t lack for this bit of silver from you.”
For a moment he rather regretted not telling his wife about the maps—otherwise his wife wouldn’t be so worried now.
As Yu Wen hesitated, Yu Bo’s family came over.
This truly proved the old saying that good news doesn’t leave the house, but bad news travels a thousand miles. Yu Wen’s troubles had barely begun when Yu Bo’s side immediately knew about it.
Wang Shi and Xiang Shi went to the inner chamber to comfort Chen Shi, while Yu Bo sat with a stern face in the seat of honor above Yu Wen and said: “You’re smarter than me. I’ve never interfered in your affairs. But this time you must tell me the honest truth—do you owe debts outside or not?” He added, “Our family’s shop may not earn much silver, but it’s still a bit better than your income from the estate. As for Old Master Wu’s silver, I’ll find a way to help you repay it. On your end, first make a list of priorities. If you can’t repay it, I’ll find ways to help you pay it back slowly!”
This meant he had decided that Yu Wen still owed outside debts.
He didn’t believe at all what Yu Wen had said before about windfall money.
But at this moment, Yu Wen couldn’t very well explain clearly to his elder brother.
He said awkwardly: “Elder Brother, I’m a grown man too. I do have some sense of propriety in my actions. That sum of silver really was a windfall. As for Old Master Wu’s silver, Old Master Wu and I have an understanding between us. You don’t need to worry—just do your business properly.”
“A family doesn’t speak as two households.” Wang Shi had somehow emerged from the inner chamber and stood wearily leaning against the doorway of the inner room, saying, “Previously Little Uncle also said he’d share half of whatever he earned with our family. Now that the business has lost money, naturally we should also count half as our family’s loss. Although we can’t come up with it all at once, piecing together large and small amounts, we’ll help you repay the silver. Little Uncle, don’t be polite with us. If your days are hard, your elder brother and I can’t just eat meat and drink soup ourselves. What kind of brothers would that make us?”
Yu Wen was very moved, but he truly didn’t need his elder brother to put up silver. He could only look pleadingly toward Yu Yuan, hoping Yu Yuan could help him say a few good words.
Yu Yuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
One lie often required more lies to cover it up.
Originally concealing the matter of the maps for the family’s peace, it had now become an unspeakable secret.
But when they came, his father had already scolded him soundly. He was still hoping his uncle would speak up for him—how could he possibly persuade his father?
Three days later, Old Master Wu returned from Ningbo travel-worn and dusty. He passed by his own home without entering and went straight to the Yu family.
“It’s Old Master Wang’s side that had the problem.” He hadn’t even had time for a sip of tea before he stood with Yu Wen in the courtyard and began recounting what he’d learned on this trip. “Didn’t Old Master Wang establish his own operation after leaving his old employer? His old employer’s two sons probably feared Old Master Wang would steal their family’s business, so they joined forces to frame Old Master Wang and threw all three of Old Master Wang’s sons into prison. Old Master Wang steeled his heart, and after spending a fortune to bail out his sons, he sold the ships and ran off with his whole family. He also absconded with all the invested silver. Old Master Jiang was the first to sense something was wrong and immediately rushed to Ningbo Prefecture, but he was still a step too late. Now he’s also running around frantically in Ningbo Prefecture, trying to see if he can recover anything to offset some of the debt.”
Yu Wen sighed deeply upon hearing this and said: “That truly couldn’t be helped!”
His previous anger, worry, and fear were instantly relieved.
He hadn’t misjudged the person—he hadn’t trusted the wrong person.
Old Master Wu thought the same way, saying: “Previously we invested because we had confidence in Old Master Jiang as a person. Now that something like this has happened, we can’t blame Old Master Jiang entirely. I think we shouldn’t rush—let’s see what plans Old Master Jiang has afterward before deciding.”