I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 371 Nowhere to Escape

"This is the prefectural city! The city gate is truly magnificent!" Looking at the majestic city gate and the towering city tower, Tian Sanniang was dumbfounded and stood there, not daring to enter the city.

"Mother, let's go quickly!" Tian San was anxious. Today was the last day of the three-day deadline, and he didn't want to lose his hand.

"Oh, okay," Tian San Niang said, holding Tian San Die's left hand and A Hua Niang's right hand, following closely behind Tian San. The family queued at the city gate for half an hour before entering the city.

Looking at the well-dressed people of the prefectural city, Uncle Tian, ​​carrying an iron pot, nervously tugged at the tattered hem of his clothes with his aged left hand, and asked, "Third brother, where is our house?"

"Just come with me!" Tian San said impatiently.

Tian San's father followed behind Tian San, and the family walked through the bustling Guanqian Street, turned into a small alley, and came to a back door. Tian San raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" The doorman opened the door a crack.

Tian San smiled obsequiously, "It's me!"

"Tian San!" The gatekeeper's expression was playful. His gaze shifted to behind Tian San, and when he saw a young wife, his eyes lit up instantly. He opened the door and warmly welcomed Tian San and his family inside. "Come in quickly, the manager has been waiting!"

"Thank you, brother!" Tian San stepped in first. Tian San's parents, wife, and children looked at the clean and tidy bluestone road on the ground, then looked down at their dusty straw sandals, their faces turning as red as persimmons.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and come!" Tian San felt utterly humiliated by his family's uncouth attitude and said rudely, "Come with me to pay your respects to the manager!"

"What manager?" Tian San Niang blurted out, "Isn't this our house?"

The gatekeeper burst into laughter.

Tian San was embarrassed and angry. "Mother, what nonsense are you talking about! This is where I work!"

Tian San Niang was scolded by her son and dared not speak. Tian San Die frowned, "How dare you talk to your mother like that? What did you bring us here for in the first place?"

Tian San hesitated and didn't answer. Even if Tian San's father was stupid, he could tell that something was wrong. He pulled Tian San's mother and called his daughter-in-law, grandson and granddaughter to leave.

The gatekeeper tried to stop him, saying, "Sir, this isn't a place where you can come and go as you please!"

With his head bowed and eyes lowered, Tian San asked, "May I ask, young man, where is this place?"

The gatekeeper proudly declared, "This is the largest gambling den in Minzhou!"

Gambling den? Tian San's father was shocked. The iron pot on his shoulder fell to the ground with a loud bang, but even louder than the sound of the pot hitting the ground was Tian San's father's roar.

"You unfilial son! I've told you since you were a child not to gamble. Did you have the guts to come and work at a gambling den?" Tian San's father took off his straw sandals and chased after Tian San, beating him.

Tian San covered his head and ran away, crying, "Father, Father, I had no choice!"

"Bah! There are so many jobs out there, why do you have to do such a heartless thing! You even lied to me and your mother about running trade routes, you're absolutely audacious!"

The gatekeeper was displeased. "Old man, I don't care if you discipline your son, but I won't stand for you insulting our Jin Zhang Chun. We at Jin Zhang Chun have always been law-abiding. When have we ever done anything so immoral?"

Seeing his son hiding behind the servant, Tian Sandie dared not make another move and repeatedly apologized, "It's my fault for not knowing how to speak properly, please don't blame me, young man!"

"Hmph! It's only because we at Jinzhangchun are reasonable that we're here. If it were another place, we'd make you pay!" The servant glanced at Tian San behind him. "Quickly take your parents, wife, and daughter to the back room. The manager is waiting!"

"Thank you, young man!" Tian San turned sideways, bypassing his parents, and with his wife in his left hand and his daughter in his right, he hurried towards the back room. "Husband, what should we do?" Tian San's mother asked, holding her grandson.

"Follow him," Tian Sandie thought with a bad feeling. "I want to see what this unfilial son is up to!"

Tian San's parents followed him into the back room and saw their son fawning over a richly dressed middle-aged man like a lapdog, while their daughter-in-law and granddaughter knelt on the ground trembling.

Hearing footsteps, Ahua's mother turned around and burst into tears, "Father-in-law, save me! My husband wants to take Ahua and me to pay off his debts!"

"What?" Tian San's eyes went black. "What debt are you paying off?"

Yang Kang was in a good mood and didn't mind wasting his breath. He looked at Tian Sandie and said gently, "Your son gambled away your daughter-in-law and granddaughter to Jin Zhang Chun. Now they are Jin Zhang Chun's people." He thought for a moment and added, "And your family's ten acres of land."

Yang Kang's words struck Tian San's parents like a thunderbolt. The elderly couple immediately lost their footing and fell to the ground. Tian San's mother, holding her grandson, wailed, "Without the land, how will our family survive!"

Ah Hua's eyes dimmed.

Yang Kang sighed, "Look at this pitiful state. I wonder how much injustice he has suffered. I, Jin Zhang Chun, am an honest and upright businessman who never takes more than a penny of the gambling money, yet I am unjustly branded with a reputation for being utterly heartless. What kind of justice is this?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the thugs standing outside rushed into the room.

Tian San was so frightened that he immediately knelt on the ground. "Shopkeeper, please calm down. My parents are country folk. They are ignorant and talking nonsense. Please don't take it to heart." He turned around and glared at his parents. "Hurry up and kowtow to the shopkeeper to apologize!"

Tian San's parents had never seen anything like this before, and dared not cry or make a fuss anymore. They kept kowtowing to Yang Kang, begging for forgiveness.

Seeing that they were terrified, Yang Kang took pity on them and said, "If there's a next time, just drag them away and beat them to death with sticks!"

Tian San's parents, having narrowly escaped death, repeatedly agreed.

Meng Liang and his men lifted up Tian San's parents, who were limp on the ground, and dragged them to the backyard for rest.

Yang Kang walked up to Ahua and her daughter. Ahua's mother hugged her daughter tightly, "What, what are you going to do?"

Yang Kang lifted Ahua's chin. "The young lady is quite pretty, but she's a bit young. But that's alright, some masters like younger girls. Men, take this young lady away!"

The thug stepped forward and reached out to grab Ahua's arm.

Ahua struggled desperately, crying, "Don't touch me! Father, Mother, save me!"

Ahua's mother held her daughter tightly with one hand and fought desperately with the other, crying out, "Father, please save Ahua!"

Tian San stepped forward to stop her, "What do you know? Those who frequent Jin Zhang Chun are all wealthy merchants. It's Ah Hua's good fortune to be able to serve them!"

Tian San gripped Ahua's arm tightly, and she watched helplessly as her daughter was taken away. She cried out in anguish, "Ahua, my daughter! Give my daughter back to me! Give her back to me!"

Yang Kang watched silently as Ahua's mother fought desperately, only to be slapped to the ground by Tian Sanyi and cry helplessly, "Do you want to save your daughter?"

Ahua's mother suddenly raised her head and crawled to Yang Kang's side. "Master, please have mercy and spare my daughter!"

"If you teach me how to fry tea, I will not only spare your daughter, but also give you a large sum of money."

Ahua's mother's eyes widened.