The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 20 Father, Father, Father, where are you? (First Update)
In the side room, Lai Da, having removed the gagging cloth, was so angry he wanted to bite Lai Sheng to death.

"Are you crazy?"

Lai Dahen's tears streamed down his face. "With the relationship between our two families, and with my mother's and my abilities, how could we just stand by and watch you fall on hard times? Protecting our three nephews wouldn't be difficult for us. How could you bring Uncle Zhen to ransack my house?"

He hid the silver and important antiques in a secret vault. If it weren't for Lai Sheng, who was one of his own, even if Jia Zhen came to confiscate them, he wouldn't have been able to do so so quickly.

Just hold on until the old lady arrives.

But now... it's all over.

"You've ruined our whole house! Aaaaaahh ...

Lai Da wept bitterly.

If only we had known, the two companies shouldn't have borrowed from each other when they were building their secret vaults.

"...I had no choice."

Lai Sheng's tears were also flowing. "You know the old man's temper, and you also know how powerful the guards are. Even if you can temporarily suppress him with the help of the old lady, they can still beat my three sons to death in the street."

He knew about the relationship between his aunt and the old lady. Didn't he think about delaying things?

He had thought about it.

But he knew his master; if provoked, he was capable of anything.

Lai Sheng never expected that after the old man released his wife, he would suddenly bring people to his house.

It's infuriating that he knew his master well, and his master knew him well too. The treasure room he built was found by his master with almost no effort.

"It's too late to say all this now. If we don't want our descendants to die out, we should... accept our fate!"

"Why do not you go to hell?"

Lai Da had no choice but to accept his fate.

His mother ran so fast, and the old lady arrived so quickly; his family should have been fine!

Lai Da headbutted Lai Sheng.

Lai Sheng quickly rolled to the side, and with a 'thud,' his head spun and he collapsed on the spot.

The guards heard the commotion inside, but the Lai family's valuables were being carried out box by box—jewelry, furs, cloth, and so on—a dazzling sight.

Both Mrs. Xing and Mrs. Wang stared wide-eyed.

One was poor, the other rich. The poor one lamented her fate, feeling worse off than a servant, and distressed that her possessions were being enjoyed by a group of lackeys. The rich one was both angry and shocked. She knew the Lai family had stolen from her, and much of the money had flowed through her hands. But while providing convenience to the Lai family, she was also stealing from them.

But after stealing in fear for so many years, she can't even compare to one-tenth of the Lai family's wealth?
"Grandma, Grandma, have mercy! Grandma, have mercy!"

When Granny Lai saw that the Jia family gentlemen were going to find her son, she hurriedly kowtowed repeatedly on the ground, saying, "Everything was done by this old servant, and has nothing to do with my Lai Da!"

Jia Mu: "..."

She had already been helped into a chair.

Granny Lai was her dowry maid, and when she married into the Lai family, it made it easier for her to manage the household.

Over the years, she was well aware that the Lai family was stealing from her, but the fact that they had powerful servants proved that they were prosperous.

Moreover, as long as the Jia family maintains its authority and holds the indentures of these servants, it will only take a word for them to come back later.

She has two sons. The elder son is useless, he has been useless since childhood. For the sake of the family, she can't help but think more about her younger son.

The Lai family property was left to her eldest and youngest grandsons.

Grandmother Jia clutched her chest, unwilling to speak.

She allowed them to steal from her home, but the Duke had to be buried alive with her...

Just thinking about that Tang tri-colored camel made Grandmother Jia feel breathless.

Her grandfather had once ventured into the desert, and he said that his most loyal companion there was the camel. He had raised one and brought it home, but the camel grew old and died before him. The old man never forgot it, so he found a Tang tri-colored camel.

Who would have thought...

"Drag her away," Grandmother Jia said in a hoarse voice, feeling dizzy.

Wang Xifeng quickly waved her hand, and two burly old women rushed up and dragged Granny Lai away.

Granny Lai let out a piercing cry.

But they were quickly silenced by being gagged.

Grandmother Jia finally got some peace and quiet and waited for the conversation inside to end.

Watching her two daughters-in-law rummage through box after box, their shrewdness reminded her of something.

Grandmother Jia turned to You Shi and asked, "Was it your mother-in-law's idea to confiscate Lai Sheng's property, Zhen'er?"

"this?"

As she watched the play, Madam You hesitated for a moment, seemingly troubled. "Lai Sheng's wife was involved in those rumors. The master spared her from beating her because of the bond between the Lai family and Lai Sheng. He apologized to the mother-in-law, who said the master was blind. Then she made a bet with the master, saying that if Lai Sheng's family's assets, excluding the house, did not exceed 20,000 taels of silver, he would release the entire family from slavery and provide additional resettlement funds. Later... you know, that's how it ended."

"..."

"..."

Wang Xifeng was very impressed!
She had never respected anyone like this before.

But Wang Xifeng felt that this aunt was someone she could look up to.

Wow, that's a lot of money!
Wang Xifeng's eyes seemed to casually sweep over the boxes.

“…Okay, okay!”

Grandmother Jia was too angry to speak, but when she caught sight of Wang Xifeng, her anger finally erupted. "Feng'er, where's Lian'er? His father, his uncle, and his elder brother are all here. Where has he gone to slack off? Someone, bring Lian'er here..."

"Ancestor!"

Jia Lian's voice changed as he rushed in from outside, "Grandmother," he said, lowering his voice as he reached her, "It's terrible! Rong-ge'er has taken Jiao Da to return the treasury silver."

what?
Grandmother Jia stood up abruptly. "What did you say?" she asked, thinking she was hallucinating.

"Oh no!" Jia Lian stamped his foot in frustration. "It's too late!"

He saw people dressed in the official robes of the Censorate wandering around Ningrong Street. Feeling uneasy, he kept a close eye on them, but he never expected to see Rong-ge'er going to pay off his debts from back then.

Jia Lian knew about this money.

When he took over the family affairs, his father specifically told him that the money in the treasury must not be touched under any circumstances.

But when Yuan Chun entered the palace, she wrote to him asking for money near the New Year last year. His second aunt cried to him that his wedding expenses were too high and the household had no other income for the time being, so she could only transfer eight thousand taels from there for Yuan Chun to use for making arrangements in the palace.

Now Rong-ge'er is going to return the money, his family...

"Father, Father, Father, where are you?" Jia Lian called out to his father.

"What the hell are you yelling about?"

Jia She was in a good mood today and didn't mind that his stupid son had only arrived now. "Get in here!"

Jia Lian rushed in.

Just as Jia Zhen was about to greet him with a smile, he saw that the man was covered in sweat and looked as if the sky had fallen.

"Father, Rong-ge'er took Jiao Da and loaded several carts of silver to the national treasury to pay off the debts from back then."

What?
Jia She was stunned.

Jia Zheng, whose face had been looking unwell, turned his head so far that his neck suddenly stiffened.

Jia Zhen was stunned on the spot.

His son was beaten on the bed. Is he able to walk?

Besides, returning treasury silver is such a big deal.
How old is his son?

He had no idea his family had debts...

I had a check-up at the hospital yesterday, Monday, and the worrying indicators have slightly decreased. I'll update the fairy-themed side story as soon as possible, if possible.