Chapter 43: The Price of a Gambler’s Folly

In truth, Zhao Xinlan had expected Wei Lan and Wei Qing to come help her up and try to stop her.

However, even as she reached the door, she still heard no sound behind her.

 

Zhao Xinlan finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

She turned her head to look behind her, only to see Wei Qing standing beside Wei Lan, secretly wiping away tears.

Wei Lan, meanwhile, remained seated at the round table, motionless as a mountain.

It was as if she were a bystander, watching her with neither sadness nor joy.

 

Zhao Xinlan nearly collapsed, only holding herself up by grabbing the door frame.

She hadn’t expected her eldest daughter to be so heartless, nor her youngest daughter to be unwilling to save her father.

 

Overcome with grief, Zhao Xinlan saw that she couldn’t persuade Wei Lan at all, so she had no choice but to leave first.

 

After she left, Wei Lan looked at Wei Qing.

She reached out and handed her a handkerchief, saying, “Stop crying.

I’ll have them clean up the next room.

You’ll stay with me for now.

No one dares to cause trouble at the Lu residence.”

“Sister, what about Mother and the others?

Are we really not going to do anything?”

Wei Qing asked cautiously.

 

Wei Lan raised an eyebrow at her.

“What do you want to do?

Offer yourself up to save that gambling-addicted father?

If you really want to do that, I won’t stop you.”

 

She had said everything she needed to say.

Good words couldn’t save those destined to die.

All she could do was this.

She certainly wasn’t going to spend a single cent on Wei Wenyuan.

“I…

I don’t want to be sold off.”

Wei Qing said softly, sobbing.

“If you don’t want that, then stay in the residence and don’t go out for now.”

As she spoke, Wei Lan called out, “Matron Li.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming, master.”

Li Zhufeng bowed very obsequiously to Wei Lan and waited respectfully for her instructions.

“Clean up the guest room next door and take her there to stay.

Oh, and prepare a few changes of clothes for her.”

Wei Lan said after a moment’s thought.

“Yes, master.”

Li Zhufeng smiled at Wei Lan, then made a ‘please’ gesture to Wei Qing.

“Miss Wei Qing, please come with this old servant.

I’ll arrange it right away.”

 

Wei Qing wiped her tears and looked at Wei Lan.

 

Wei Lan nodded at her.

“Go.

If anything comes up, come find me, or just have them handle it.

I’m usually either in my bedroom or in the workshop next to it.”

“Okay.”

Wei Qing was still quite fearful.

Her heart was still preoccupied with matters at home.

At the same time, being in a new environment, Wei Qing felt inexplicably afraid.

She didn’t dare disturb her sister too much, so she had to deal with it herself.

 

After Wei Qing left, Wei Lan changed into her work clothes and went back to the workshop to continue carving her jade plaque.

 

She didn’t treat this as a major event.

Wei Wenyuan did it himself, so he should be responsible for it himself.

 

***

 

On the other side, at Dacheng Gambling House, Boss Xue was flatteringly offering tea to Chen Zhou.

“Young Master Chen, why have you come personally?

Don’t worry, the matter you entrusted me with is going smoothly.

Wei Wenyuan has been detained by us.

I’m just waiting for his family to come ransom him.”

 

Chen Zhou didn’t pick up the tea bowl but waved his hand at Xue Sanbiao.

How could a street thug like this be worthy of offering him tea?

He was just one of the chess pieces in his hand.

 

He frowned and said, “The key isn’t to make his family pay the ransom.

The key is to hook Wei Lan.

A thousand taels of silver is too easy for the Lu residence.

Lu Zijin would give that much even to a beggar.

The important thing is to make Lu Zijin give up half of the royal merchant quota.

There’s profit to be made in the royal merchant business.

If it really falls into the hands of our Chen residence, I won’t treat you badly.”

“Yes, yes.

Young Master Chen is generous.

I’m well aware of that.”

Xue Sanbiao nodded and bowed to Chen Zhou.

Chen Zhou had given him ten thousand taels of silver to trap Wei Wenyuan.

Wasn’t he a living god of wealth?

 

Of course, the only reason this matter could go so smoothly was all thanks to that fool Wei Wenyuan.

If he hadn’t become addicted to gambling here, he wouldn’t have been targeted by Chen Zhou’s people, leading to the subsequent plan of lending silver to Wei Wenyuan for business.

 

After all, his place was just a small gambling house, only capable of fleecing gamblers out of some silver.

How could he have come up with such a meticulous plan?

First, lend silver to Wei Wenyuan, then set a trap for him, and finally make him owe a thousand taels, forcing his family to raise the ransom.

 

A thousand taels was no small sum.

Wei Wenyuan’s family naturally couldn’t afford it.

So, in the end, Wei Lan would be dragged into it.

 

And this was exactly the effect Chen Zhou wanted.

If he could get half of the royal merchant quota from Wei Lan, even better.

Even if he couldn’t, that waste Wei Lan couldn’t possibly have a thousand taels.

She would still have to beg Lu Zijin to save her father.

With a gambling addict for a father, Wei Lan would inevitably be despised by Lu Zijin.

 

He just couldn’t stand Wei Lan living comfortably in the Lu residence.

As long as he could make Wei Lan miserable, he would be content.

“Mm, I’ll leave this to you.”

Chen Zhou stood up and patted Xue Sanbiao on the shoulder.

After a moment’s thought, he added, “Of course, if anyone finds out that I told you to do this, your Dacheng Gambling House probably won’t be able to stay in business either.”

“Yes, yes.

I understand.

Don’t worry, Young Master Chen.

Go slowly, go slowly.”

Xue Sanbiao flatteringly saw Chen Zhou out through the back door of the gambling house.

 

Only after Chen Zhou’s carriage had gone far did Xue Sanbiao spit in the direction it had left.

“Pah!

You just have some stinking money.

What’s there to be so high and mighty about?

You still have to beg me to do your dirty work.

Hmph.”

 

Having said that, Boss Xue re-entered the gambling house.

 

About an hour later, with nowhere else to turn, Zhao Xinlan took the deed to the family home from the house and went back to the gambling house.

 

Crying, she asked to see Xue Sanbiao.

Xue Sanbiao had someone bring her in.

 

Xue Sanbiao sized up Zhao Xinlan.

He wasn’t interested in an aging, faded woman.

But not seeing Wei Qing, Xue Sanbiao said with some displeasure, “Why did you come by yourself?

What about your two daughters?

Where’s Wei Lan?”

 

At the mention of Wei Lan’s name, Zhao Xinlan cried even more uncontrollably.

“Wei Lan… that unfilial daughter Wei Lan refused to pay the silver to ransom her father.”

 

Hearing this, Xue Sanbiao’s expression immediately turned serious.

“How is that possible?

Did you really go see her?”

“I really did go see her.

Boss Xue, this is the deed to my family home.

It should be worth a few hundred taels.

If I give you the house, can you release my husband?”

Zhao Xinlan pleaded tearfully.

 

Xue Sanbiao’s expression darkened.

He didn’t take the deed from Zhao Xinlan’s hand.

“How much is your broken house worth?

Let me tell you, if you can’t bring Wei Lan, I’ll have someone cut off one of Wei Wenyuan’s arms first.”

“No, no!

Boss Xue, please.

You’re a magnanimous man.

Please let him go.”

Zhao Xinlan pleaded.

 

Xue Sanbiao was annoyed by her crying and kicked her to the ground.

“Get lost!

You have less than two days left.

Go and bring Wei Lan to me.

Otherwise, we won’t release him.”

 

Zhao Xinlan sat on the ground, her heart filled with despair.

She had no choice but to pick herself up off the floor, though she still begged pitifully.

“Please, Boss Xue, let me see Wenyuan.”

“Heh.

When you bring Wei Lan, we’ll talk.

Then I’ll naturally let you see him.

Now get lost!”

Xue Sanbiao cursed.

He was looked down upon by a young master like Chen Zhou, and he didn’t dare to talk back.

But someone like Zhao Xinlan, an ordinary commoner, Xue Sanbiao had no fear of.

 

***

 

Wei Lan was completely unaware of all this.

She was still in her workshop, focused on polishing the rooster plaque.

Come to think of it, carving this rooster plaque had been quite difficult.

First, she was interrupted by her wife, then later by Zhao Xinlan and Wei Qing.

Now, she had finally finished polishing it.

 

It had to be said, the Qiemo blue zodiac plaques were really beautiful.

 

Wei Lan stood up, brushed the jade dust off her clothes, opened the door, and went back to the bedroom to change.

 

At the same time, Lu Zijin had just finished dealing with the piled-up matters at hand.

It was almost noon.

 

Qianxue stood beside Lu Zijin, and seeing that she was done, said, “Young lady, it seems something has happened at the master’s side.”

 

Hearing this, Lu Zijin’s heart tightened.

She stood up to leave while frowning, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?

What happened to her?”

“Young lady, don’t be too alarmed.

It’s not that something happened to the master, but something happened to the master’s family.”

Seeing Lu Zijin’s panicked expression, Qianxue quickly explained.

 

Hearing this, Lu Zijin breathed a small sigh of relief.

She walked towards the door while asking, “What happened?”

“It’s the master’s father.

He owes silver to Dacheng Gambling House and has been detained there.

The master’s mother and sister came to ask for her help, saying they need to pay Dacheng Gambling House a thousand taels of silver to ransom him.

But the master didn’t seem to agree.

Later, the master’s mother left.

Since this matter wasn’t urgent, this servant waited until you had finished your work to tell you.”

Qianxue gave Lu Zijin a general explanation of the situation.

 

Lu Zijin nodded, feeling somewhat relieved.

This was Wei Lan’s family matter.

Naturally, how to handle it was entirely up to Wei Lan.

 

After all, it was Wei Lan’s father who was being detained.

Lu Zijin was a bit worried about Wei Lan, so she decided to go see her anyway.

 

Several servants carried the sedan chair.

Even though they were all strong, the distance was still long.

By the time Lu Zijin arrived at Fuqu Pavilion, it was already noon.

 

At that moment, Wei Lan and Wei Qing were sitting in the bedroom, preparing to eat.

 

Wei Qing was still very nervous.

Hearing the commotion outside, she was so frightened that her eyes turned red.

 

Her sister was, after all, a live-in daughter-in-law married into the Lu residence.

She probably didn’t have an easy time there.

Now that she herself had come to cause trouble for her sister, she didn’t know if Miss Lu would blame her sister.

 

Wei Lan, of course, had no idea about Wei Qing’s thoughts.

She was also a bit surprised that Lu Zijin had come at this hour.

After all, she had taken a day off yesterday, so Lu Zijin should have had a lot to do today.

 

Wei Lan stood up and walked out.

Wei Qing didn’t know what to do, so she could only dazedly follow her sister out.

If Miss Lu punished her sister, she would just take the punishment in her sister’s place.

“Wife?

Why are you here at this hour?”

Wei Lan asked.

 

Lu Zijin, helped down from the sedan chair by Qianxue, saw that Wei Lan was fine and finally relaxed a little.

“I heard there was some trouble at your end.

I was worried about you, so I came to see.”

 

Hearing Lu Zijin say this, Wei Lan felt a warm glow inside.

Her wife was so good to her.

Knowing something had happened, she came to see her.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.

You’ve been busy all morning, right?

Then stay and eat with us.”

Wei Lan said.

 

Lu Zijin smiled and nodded at her.

“Mm.”

 

Lu Zijin looked behind Wei Lan and saw a young girl standing obediently like a quail behind her, seemingly very timid.

“Is this your sister?”

Lu Zijin asked.

 

Wei Lan nodded.

“There was a little trouble at home.

She’ll have to stay in the residence for a while.”

 

Wei Qing closed her eyes.

Her heart was racing.

She was terrified that the next moment she would hear Lu Zijin’s displeased voice, kicking her out of the Lu residence and punishing her sister.

“Mm.

You make the arrangements.”

Lu Zijin reached out and took Wei Lan’s hand, smiling.

 

Then she looked at Wei Qing, seeing that the young girl seemed a bit uneasy, and comforted her, “Just think of this as your own home.

If you need anything, just tell them.

No need to be so nervous.”

“Thank you, Sister Lu.”

Wei Qing hadn’t expected Lu Zijin to say such things to her.

Although she was still scared, she felt a little relieved.

It seemed Lu Zijin wouldn’t punish her sister.

“Come on, let’s go inside.”

Wei Lan took Lu Zijin’s hand and led her into the bedroom, then casually ordered, “Go get my wife’s chopsticks and bowl.”

“Yes.”

Li Zhufeng and Zhao Linghui immediately went to arrange it attentively.

 

Wei Lan led Lu Zijin to sit down.

Wei Qing, however, was still quite nervous.

She stood to the side and didn’t dare sit.

 

Wei Lan saw that she was still standing and said, “Sit down.

Relax.

There aren’t that many rules at home.”

“Maybe… maybe I should just go back to my room to eat.”

She was still afraid of causing more trouble for her sister.

“It’s fine.

Sit and eat with us.”

Lu Zijin also encouraged her.

 

Seeing that Lu Zijin really wasn’t angry, Wei Qing finally sat down.

She tried to minimize her presence, sitting quietly without daring to speak.

 

Lu Zijin looked at Wei Lan and asked, “What do you plan to do?”

“Nothing.

He did it himself; he should take responsibility.

You know how I came to marry into the family, wife.

Wei Wenyuan selling one daughter wasn’t enough for him; he wanted to sell a second.

He’s just a bottomless pit.

Saving him once would lead to countless more times.

The family isn’t short of silver, but we can’t use it to save someone like him.”

Wei Lan’s expression was calm, as if this matter was truly insignificant in her eyes.

“Have you really thought it through?”

Wei Wenyuan was, after all, Wei Lan’s father.

The Lu residence was the second wealthiest in Panyang City.

If Wei Lan wanted to save him, Lu Zijin had her ways.

“Mm, I’ve thought it through.

Before we got married, I already warned him that he wasn’t cut out for business.

I told him not to do any more business.

But now, not only has he picked up a gambling habit, he’s even borrowed silver from a gambling house to do business.

You don’t need a brain to know what kind of people run gambling houses.

Since he did this, he can suffer the consequences himself.”

 

Having said that, Wei Lan picked up a piece of pork rib and put it in Lu Zijin’s small bowl.

“Wife, let’s eat.

No more talk of this.”

“Okay.”

Lu Zijin hadn’t expected Wei Lan to be so assertive in this matter.

But that was good.

After all, it was Wei Lan’s family matter.

Let her make her own decisions.

 

Wei Lan saw that Wei Qing was just sitting there blankly, so she also picked up a piece of pork rib for her.

“Eat.”

“Thank you, sister.”

Wei Qing silently ate the food in her bowl.

She didn’t dare reach for any other dishes, afraid Wei Lan might think her ill-mannered.

 

Wei Lan didn’t care about any of that.

She ate as usual.

Wei Wenyuan was digging his own grave.

What did it have to do with her?

 

After the three of them finished eating, maidservants immediately cleared the round table of dishes.

 

Lu Zijin still had a pile of things to do in the afternoon and couldn’t stay to keep Wei Lan company, so she prepared to leave.

But just as she was about to go, another guard came running in to report.

“Master.”

The guard saw Lu Zijin was also there and quickly bowed.

“Young lady, master, the master’s mother has come again.

She’s waiting outside the main gate right now.”

 

Wei Lan’s brow furrowed tightly, her displeasure already showing.

She had no feelings for these family members of the original body.

Especially since the original body had essentially been sold into the Lu residence by her family, Wei Lan had no good feelings towards them.

Adding to that, she had already advised Zhao Xinlan this morning.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to take care of Zhao Xinlan; it was that Zhao Xinlan insisted on saving Wei Wenyuan.

 

Pitiful people often have detestable qualities.

Wei Lan didn’t even want to see her now.

 

But after a moment’s thought, Wei Lan still said, “Bring her in.”

 

Wei Lan was afraid that Zhao Xinlan might start crying and making a scene, so she wanted Lu Zijin to go back first.

After all, Lu Zijin was so busy; she didn’t have time to listen to such trivial matters.

“Wife, why don’t you go back to Jingchen Courtyard first?

I wouldn’t want this to upset you.”

Wei Lan looked at Lu Zijin and said.

“It’s fine.

I’ll stay with you a little longer.”

Lu Zijin was a bit worried seeing that Wei Lan seemed to be in a bad mood today.

 

Wei Lan reached out and took Lu Zijin’s hand, shaking it gently.

Lu Zijin smiled back at her slightly.

 

Her little Qiankun was so good.

She wanted to kiss her.

 

But she could only think about it.

There were still so many people in the bedroom, and Wei Lan’s sister was also there.

Naturally, Lu Zijin couldn’t do that.

 

Before long, the guards brought Zhao Xinlan in.

Zhao Xinlan had never met Lu Zijin before, but judging by her attire, she had already guessed who she was.

Immediately, she knelt down in front of Lu Zijin.

“Miss Lu, you are married to Wei Lan, which makes you our daughter-in-law as well.

Please help me, I beg you to help me.”

 

Lu Zijin naturally couldn’t let Wei Lan’s mother kneel before her and immediately went to help her up.

 

But as soon as she took a step, Wei Lan stopped her.

“Say what you need to say.

What’s with all this crying and carrying on?”

“Wei Lan, Boss Xue said that you have to come in person, only then will he be willing to release your father.”

Zhao Xinlan knelt there, crying with tears and snot streaming down her face.

“Me?

So it seems that Boss Xue is after me.”

A cold smile curled at the corner of Wei Lan’s mouth.

 

She and Lu Zijin exchanged a glance.

Both of them had basically guessed the general situation.

“Yes.

He said he has to see you.

Wei Lan, he is your father after all.

You have to save him.

You have to save him!”

Zhao Xinlan continued to plead.

 

Wei Lan let out a light snort.

She definitely wasn’t going to get involved with Wei Wenyuan.

But as for Dacheng Gambling House, Wei Lan wanted to pay a visit.

She wanted to know why Boss Xue insisted on seeing her.

 

Wei Lan looked at Lu Zijin.

“Wife, I’d like to borrow some of the residence’s guards.”

 

Lu Zijin nodded.

“Borrow?

You’re the master of the residence.

You can tell them to do anything.”

“Good.

Then thank you, wife.”

Wei Lan smiled at Lu Zijin.

Then she looked towards the door and ordered, “Assemble thirty guards from the residence.

I’m going to take a trip.”

“Yes.”

In the courtyard, a servant boy immediately went to call for them.

 

Seeing that Wei Lan was willing to go with her, Zhao Xinlan felt a stone lift from her heart.

She wiped her tears and looked at Wei Lan.

“Wei Lan, I knew you were a filial child.

I knew you would save your father.”

 

Wei Lan waved her hand at her and said coldly, “Don’t get too excited just yet.

I’m only going to take a look.

I never said I was going to save him.”

“Wei Lan, you can’t do this to your father.

You can’t do this to him!”

Zhao Xinlan continued to cry.

“If you keep crying like this, I won’t even go.

Enough of this act.

Stand up.”

Wei Lan was truly losing patience with Zhao Xinlan.

All for a man with a gambling addiction?

Was it really worth it?

 

She couldn’t understand it, and she couldn’t sympathize with Zhao Xinlan.

Wei Lan turned to look at Lu Zijin and said, “Wife, you go back first.

I’ll handle this myself.”

“Mm.

When you go, be very careful.

Don’t hurt yourself.”

Lu Zijin instructed.

Of course, with thirty guards from the Lu residence protecting her, no one would dare touch Wei Lan.

“Don’t worry.”

Wei Lan nodded in agreement.

She had no feelings for these family members at all.

If there was anyone who had spent the most time with her and treated her the best since she came to this world, it was Lu Zijin.

 

Lu Zijin got into her sedan chair and left.

After thinking it over, she still felt uneasy and instructed Qianxue to send two shadow guards to protect Wei Lan.

 

Not long after Lu Zijin left, the guards arrived.

The guard captain Lu Zijin had requested from Fan Chuan hadn’t arrived yet, so the position was still vacant.

The guards were all eager to show off their abilities, after all, the head guard’s monthly salary was much higher than that of ordinary guards.

 

The tall guard at the lead stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Wei Lan.

“Master, everyone is here.

When shall we leave?”

 

Wei Lan nodded.

“We’ll leave now.”

 

She glanced at Wei Qing beside her and said, “You don’t need to come along.

Just stay in the residence.”

 

Wei Qing nodded weakly, secretly relieved.

She was truly afraid of places like gambling houses, and afraid of those thugs looking her over everywhere.

Since her sister wasn’t making her go, she felt relieved.

“Sister, please be careful.”

Wei Qing said.

 

Wei Lan nodded, then said to the guards, “Let’s go.”

 

The servants in the courtyard immediately hitched a carriage.

Wei Lan got into the carriage, not bothering to have anyone help Zhao Xinlan.

The group headed off towards Dacheng Gambling House in a mighty procession.

 

Zhao Xinlan hadn’t expected her daughter to ignore her like that.

But she had no time to worry about that.

She ran after the carriage, following it all the way to Dacheng Gambling House.

 

Wei Lan stepped down from the carriage, her expression cold.

“Let’s go.

Let’s go meet this Boss Xue.”

“Yes.”

Immediately, ten guards led the way.

 

The gambling house’s people saw so many men in guard uniforms barging in and hurried over to stop them.

“Who are you?

Do you know what kind of place this is?”

A thug with a scar on his face cursed.

“Break in.

I’ll take responsibility for anything that happens.”

Wei Lan said coldly.

 

With Wei Lan’s words, the guards had no more reservations.

They kicked the thug directly.

Before long, the few thugs guarding the door had been beaten to the ground by the guards.

 

The lead guard gave a loud kick, smashing open the door of the gambling house.

Then more than a dozen guards flooded into the first-floor hall.

“Master, please enter.

It’s a bit of a smoky mess inside.

Don’t want you to choke.”

One of the guards welcomed Wei Lan inside.

Wei Lan was followed by more than a dozen guards.

 

At this sight, the first floor of the gambling house, which had been filled with shouting and noise, fell completely silent.

 

Wei Lan swept her gaze coldly over the people inside and said one word:

“Out.”

 

The lead guard immediately shouted loudly, “The master of the Lu residence is conducting business here.

If you don’t want to bring trouble upon yourselves, get out now.

Otherwise, if you lose your lives, don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

 

Seeing Wei Lan’s fine clothes and the nearly thirty armed guards around her, it was clear she had come to smash the place.

The gamblers immediately scattered in all directions.

 

The gambling house’s employees tried to stop them.

“Hey, you haven’t paid your silver yet!”

 

But no one listened to them; they all rushed out.

 

Seeing the trouble, a servant boy quickly ran up to the second floor to find Xue Sanbiao.

“Boss, bad news!

Bad news!”

 

Xue Sanbiao frowned and cursed, “Speak properly.

What’s the rush?”

“Bad news!

Someone’s smashing the place downstairs.

All the customers have run off!”

The servant boy was nearly in tears.

“What?”

Xue Sanbiao slammed the table and stood up.

“I am a prominent figure in Panyang City.

Who would dare come looking for trouble here?”

“I…

I don’t know.

The guards said it was someone like… the master of the Lu residence.”

The servant boy said in a panic.

 

Xue Sanbiao’s face immediately turned pale.

Hadn’t Chen Zhou said that Wei Lan was not favored in the Lu residence?

How could she have the authority to summon the Lu residence’s guards?

 

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