Too high to reach

Chapter 127 Not Following the Flow

Early in the morning, the father and daughter went out again.

They've narrowed down the shops they want to rent to just three.

These three families live quite close to each other. I'm thinking of renting a small courtyard nearby so that Song Jiafu and his family can move there.

I had clearly explained my requirements to the broker beforehand, so everything went smoothly. In just half a day, I rented the shop and the yard, signed the contract, and paid the money.

Everyone watched, seeing young girls negotiating and signing contracts while their fathers simply handed over the money, and they all found it amusing.

After settling things over, the father and daughter planned to go to Mr. Zhang's shop to talk to the Song brothers. Having learned about Mr. Zhang's problems, they had already decided to give up on the shop.

When they arrived at the shop, they found two people standing at the door, and one of them was talking loudly inside.

The father and daughter rushed over.

Mr. Zhang was standing in the middle of the shop, angrily saying something, while his two employees watched from the side.

Song Jiafu huddled inside, his face flushed and tears streaming down his face.

"Brother Zhang, what happened?!" Mo Ruhai rushed in to ask.

Boss Zhang wasn't surprised to see the father and daughter arrive. His face was grim, his tone unpleasant, and he pointed at Song Jiafu, saying, "Perfect timing! Song Jiafu is your servant. He's committed a crime, and I have to tell you!"

"Master, young lady! I didn't! They've framed me!" Although Song Jiafu was sweet-talking and clever, he was still young and inexperienced. He was terrified when trouble came.

Upon seeing the father and daughter arrive, they immediately felt a strong urge to have them take charge.

He was also ashamed of the trouble he had caused and kept shouting anxiously.

"Caught red-handed, who has framed you?"

I've known Mr. Zhang for so many years, and I've never seen him look like that.

Upon hearing the word "criminal evidence," Mo Ruhai also became nervous. "Brother Zhang, if you have something to say, just tell me. Jiafu is still a child."

"A child? A child dares to steal silver! Fifty taels! If he's handed over to the authorities, they could chop off his head!"

“I didn’t…” Song Jiafu sobbed.

"You lowly servant, who gave you the audacity to talk back to me like that?" Manager Zhang roared. "We have witnesses and physical evidence, how dare you deny it?"

"Brother Zhang, please don't say that! Isn't there some misunderstanding?" Mo Ruhai was extremely anxious; theft is no small crime.

"Mr. Zhang, what do you want?" It was Mo Yi speaking...

Her voice was cold and her expression was serious.

The young girl always smiled at him, which made Boss Zhang feel a little uneasy, but he didn't care: "Today I found fifty taels of silver missing from my drawer. After closing the shop and searching, I found it in Song Jiafu's cabinet!"

"How could this be?! I've watched Song Jiafu grow up since he was a child. Putting everything else aside, he's a good person. He's been working at your shop for over two years, and he's never..." Mo Ruhai couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"No? I only noticed it today because I urgently needed the money! I hadn't paid attention before, and I probably wouldn't have even known it was missing?"

Mo Ruhai was sweating profusely with anxiety. "But your shop assistants are here every day, how could he possibly..."

Song Jiafu cried and said, "I know exactly what's in my own cabinet. I check it several times a day! It wasn't there this morning, but Xiao Yang asked me to go out and buy some things... I... I went out for a while... When I came back, they said I... Waaah..."

Boss Zhang sneered, "What does this have to do with whether you're investigating or not? It's not like Xiao Yang and his group put it in the wrong place. You stole it!"

"I don't!"

Mo Ruhai was about to argue, but Mo Yi stopped him.

“Mr. Zhang,” she said calmly, her voice barely rising, “this shop of yours is a family heirloom, and it’s been on this street for decades. Although business isn’t particularly booming, it’s steady and you have quite a few regular customers… Do you really want to use your reputation and future business to frame me like this?”

She didn't even bother to defend herself. What's the point of defending yourself when it's such an obvious frame-up?

Mr. Zhang was furious that a young girl dared to threaten him.

"Mr. Mo, what's going on with your daughter?" he asked, pointing at Mo Yi.

Seeing his rudeness, Mo Ruhai's face also turned cold. "My daughter is asking Brother Zhang a question. Is it difficult for Brother Zhang to answer?" He followed his daughter's lead.

"You're threatening me? Report me to the authorities! I don't believe you!" Boss Zhang shouted.

The shop assistant quickly advised, "Master, if this matter is reported to the authorities, it will be very ugly. Even if Song Jiafu is spared the death penalty, he will still face punishment. Besides, he is a servant; if something happens to him, even Mr. Mo will be implicated!"

Mo Yi said, "I think we should report it to the authorities. Letting the officials interrogate us would be fair to everyone."

Mr. Zhang found this young girl quite ridiculous; instead of arguing or proving her innocence, she directly told him to report her to the authorities…

They really don't know how powerful they are...

He's been operating on this street for decades; how could the officials not maintain some influence over him?
Does your family have officials, but mine doesn't?
Instead of offering kind words of apology and bowing down to make peace, are you trying to cause trouble?
Then I'll play along to the end. I was just about to send out my men...

"Father, don't be impatient. This is quite a fun thing. In the future, when Her Majesty the Empress summons me to the palace again, I'll tell her this as an interesting story." "...Her Majesty the Empress summons you to the palace...you're quite arrogant!" Boss Zhang found it amusing.

The Mohists are far removed from the royal family; otherwise, would they be here to do business with me?
"Father, didn't you tell Boss Zhang that your daughter just entered the palace on the second day of the second lunar month and was summoned by the Empress alone?"

Mo Ruhai shook his head: "It's not too late yet. Besides, Father wants to keep things low-key."

He's quite honest.

Is this true? Knowing that Mo Ruhai was a bit slow-witted, but he never lied, Boss Zhang was also a cautious person. He looked at the father and daughter in front of him and speculated.

“Mr. Zhang, I understand your thinking, we’re not stupid. It’s just that this charge is a bit too much. It must be a misunderstanding…” Mo Yi offered a way out.

She knew that Boss Zhang was just jealous because he wanted to cooperate but failed and didn't get any benefits, so he was unhappy and deliberately framed her.

As for what they're after, it's not clear yet, but it's definitely about profit and money.

At this point, it's pointless to tell him that Song Jiafu is a good person, that he couldn't possibly steal, or that he had no opportunity, etc.

Don't let him lead you by the nose.

First, use the fact that I entered the palace to intimidate others; if that doesn't work, there's always my uncle.

This Mr. Zhang is clearly just jealous; his hopes for cooperation and marriage are dashed! And Mo Ruhai even plans to move away…

I hadn't asked him for much rent before, so wasn't this helping him out?

Business is good, and now they're ungrateful!

If you don't appreciate my kindness, then I'll...

He orchestrated this whole scheme for two reasons: first, to vent his anger; and second, to extort some benefits from them when they begged for peace…

Unexpectedly, the little girl did not follow the path she had drawn at all.

Did she really go to the palace? Could it be that the Mo family is about to make a name for themselves?

Just as I was hesitating, Song Jiaxing arrived.

He knew his younger brother had gotten into trouble at the shop, so he ran to the Mo family home to call for help. But Mo Ruhai wasn't home…

"Master! The eldest master is back and wants you to go back immediately. He's been promoted!" Song Jiaxing said excitedly, his voice quite loud.

"Really?"

"It's true, I just got back, and the house is bustling with activity! We wanted you to go back right away."

Mr. Zhang, being a businessman, was quick to adapt. "Oh dear, Mr. Mo has some good news at home, so you should head back now!"

“Then here…” Mo Ruhai asked.

"I was too hasty and didn't understand. I guess the young men put it in the wrong place. Please don't be offended, sir."

Looking at this person, Mo Ruhai felt deeply that he should pay attention to character when making friends in the future, and this Boss Zhang was really bad.

"Father," Mo Yi said softly, pulling Mo Ruhai along, "Let Song Jiafu go back. We're not going to work here anymore. There's a lot to do at the new shop and new courtyard. If we ruin the relationship, there's no point in staying any longer."

“Okay. Jiafu, pack up your things here and take them all. Boss Zhang, our contract is until the end of June, and the rent was paid up to the end of March. In March, I will have someone deliver the money as per the contract. From then on, we…”

"Oh, Mr. Mo!" Boss Zhang quickly stopped him. "Today's events were all a misunderstanding. I lost my temper before I understood the situation. Jiafu is sensible and hardworking, and I like him very much. Please don't be angry!"

Your business started here, this is your lucky place, how can you leave? Look, look... I won't ask for any more rent! You can keep doing business here..."

Mo Ruhai shook his head: "No." He didn't want to say another word.

Mr. Zhang smiled sheepishly, inwardly regretting his actions.

Song Jiafu quickly tidied up, but his tears never stopped.

I don't usually have much contact with Boss Zhang, but I have a very good relationship with these two employees! I help them with their work, and my mother brings them delicious food from home. My husband and daughter never come to the shop empty-handed.

But when the time came, they ended up hurting themselves!
How can one live without bearing the stigma of theft?
How much trouble will this cause the master?
"Manager Zhang, things have come to this point, let's save some face for each other! We will pay the rent according to the contract and do our utmost. But Mr. Zhang, you also need to watch your mouth. If we hear you still spreading rumors and causing trouble, don't blame us for turning ruthless."

The little girl spoke with great sternness.

"No, no!" Mr. Zhang hurriedly agreed, extremely embarrassed. "Miss, the rent is waived."

"Are you all packed?" Mo Yi ignored him.

"Jiafu...it's my fault, I made a mistake," Xiao Yang apologized softly.

The two Song brothers, carrying their belongings, ignored everyone and followed the father and daughter.

(End of this chapter)