Chapter One: Perplexity

  Gao Lao Gen was crying like a child, he had completely collapsed, everything he had was thoroughly overturned in just one day two days ago, originally he was living well, but suddenly became a prisoner, just thinking about the consequences made him too scared to sleep.

  For three consecutive days, he spent in extreme fear, without blinking an eye, because he himself knew that if the bad things he had done before were dug up by Gao Huaiyuan, not only would he lose everything and his wife and children would be sold to pay off the debt, but also as soon as he was sent to the government office, at least he would be beaten severely and then exiled to a remote area in the south to do hard labor for the rest of his life.

  So after Gao Huaiyuan presented these evidences, all of Gao Laogen's fantasies were thoroughly shattered and he could no longer hold on. He fell to the ground in front of Gao Huaiyuan, wailing loudly and begging for mercy, asking Gao Huaiyuan to spare his life.

  "Master! Have mercy on me, considering I've served the Gao family for so many years and my children at home are still young. Spare my life, I'll never dare again! Please, Master, spare my life... Waaahhh..." Old Gao Gen couldn't use his hands to hug Master Gao's legs, but instead kept bumping his head on the ground, making thudding sounds.

  "If I had known, why bother at the beginning? The world is fair like this. If you want to keep it a secret, don't do it yourself! Now you know what fear is?" Gao Huaiyuan found a bamboo skewer and picked at the paper seal with a leisurely air, saying that he felt contempt from the bottom of his heart for such a petty person, not arousing any sympathy in him.

  Gao Lao Gen was now at a loss for words, and could only repeatedly knock his forehead on the ground to beg for mercy. Gao Huai Yuan used his toes to hold down Gao Lao Gen's forehead, not because he pitied him, but because he feared that if this guy knocked himself dead here, his plan would be difficult to implement.

  "Alright! You can stop kowtowing now! Now, you tell me honestly, how much money have you embezzled from the Gao family over the years? If you speak truthfully, I might just spare your life. But if you dare to deceive me again, humph! No need for you to say anything, these things alone are enough to confiscate your property and take your life! Everything depends on how you account for yourself!" Doing such things, Gao Huairen was indeed well-versed, he didn't believe that Old Man Gao wouldn't tell the truth.

  At this time, Gao Lao Gen seemed to have grasped a lifesaving straw after hearing Gao Huai Yuan's words, and he hastily kowtowed again, saying: "Old slave will speak! Old slave will confess everything! This matter should be explained from the beginning when Xia'er took over the management of the old mansion..."

  After Gao Lao Gen finished explaining everything, Gao Huaiyuan compared the numbers in his mind and knew that this guy didn't dare to lie again. Moreover, the number he said exceeded the original estimate, which showed that this guy was really scared. He sat up straight, furious: "Our Gao family has always been generous to you, but how did you treat our Gao family? Now I'm asking you, where did all this money go? Tell me the truth, otherwise... humph!" He sneered a few times, not continuing to speak. At this moment, he was a little afraid himself. What if this guy was a gambler and lost all the money? Then he would have been played!

  Gao Lao Gen, with a nose full of snot and tears in his eyes, composed himself and tried to recall what had happened. He sobbed as he replied: "I know I'm guilty of a grave sin, it was all because of my momentary greed... I deserve to die, I deserve to die..."

  "Nonsense! I know you're guilty, now tell me where all the embezzled money has gone?" Gao Huaiyuan didn't want to listen to his confession at all, that was the priest's job. What he cared about most right now was still the matter of money. Don't look at those transmigration novels, where the protagonists all get rich after arriving in their past lives. But he had been here for half a year and only stolen some money, and what he earned himself wasn't even a single cent! Thinking about the things he wanted to do in the future, Gao Huaiyuan got a headache over the matter of money, so right now he was most concerned with Gao Lao Gen's pockets.

  "Ah, Master Xiao's words have given me another fright! I hastened to straighten up my head and replied in terror: 'In response to Master Xiao's words, although I've embezzled some money over the years, I used it to buy some land in the south and spent some on Widow Zhang. There are still several dozen taels stored at home. If Master Xiao spares my life, I'm willing to give everything to him! However, I really can't take out that much money right now. If Master Xiao gives me a way to survive, I'll work as an ox or a horse in the future and repay those debts!'"

  Gao Huaiyuan looked at Gao Laogen, who was crying so hard that his face was all twisted up, and thought the show had gone on long enough. So he pretended to be sympathetic, got up with his hands behind his back, and paced around the room, walking back and forth for half a day without paying any attention to Gao Laogen.

  Gao Lao Gen followed Gao Huai Yuan's tall figure, turning around everywhere, his neck was a bit sore from twisting. Seeing that Gao Huai Yuan still didn't speak, he guessed that Gao Huai Yuan must have been moved by his words and thought that things might be taking a turn for the better. So, he knocked his head again and cried out: "Young Master, please show mercy and spare my life! If you let me off this time, you'll be like a reborn father and mother to me! Please, Young Master... waaahhh..."

  Gao Huaiyuan made an impatient expression, stopped in his tracks, lowered his head to look at Gao Lao Gen, thought for a moment, and then said in a low voice: "Now you want me to let you go, but how can I let you go? Since you are also considered a distant relative of our Gao family, I don't want to make things irreconcilable. After all, we are both surnamed Gao, if the matter gets out, it will be embarrassing for our Gao family!"

  Gao Lao Gen let out a sigh of relief as soon as he heard, things seemed to have taken a turn for the better. He immediately began to kowtow to Gao Huai Yuan again, thanking him profusely, but was quickly stopped by Gao Huai Yuan once more.

  "But if it's just going to end like this, then that's really not acceptable. Alright, you do your best and return all the wealth you've embezzled over the years to me, then write a letter of apology and let you remember forever that you owe the Gao family. Then take your wife and children and get out of here as far as possible, never letting me see you again! What I want to tell you is that I'm not pitiful because of you, but because of your family members. I don't want them to lose face following someone as useless as you, unable to be a person in the future. Go somewhere else and live an honest life!" Gao Hua Yuan sternly said to Gao Lao Gen.

  Gao Lao Gen heard that he didn't need to be sent to see the official, so his heart immediately put down, although this way, he would lose everything, it was really painful, but compared to losing his life, Gao Huaiyuan did this, it was still a lenient treatment for him, so he didn't dare fart again, and honestly agreed.

  Gao Huaiyuan had Zhou Huan come in to untie the ropes for him, and gave him paper and pen, letting him write a letter of repentance. Then he called Xue Yan, took them with him, and escorted Gao Laogen out of the old mansion through the back door.

  Gao Laogen first found Zhang Widow, went in and talked for a while, heard inside Zhang Widow was crying and scolding, later also heard the sound of fighting, after a while Gao Laogen finally ran out of the yard with a face full of radish silk, holding a small package, handed it to Gao Huaiyuan.

  Gao Huaiyuan opened it and took a look, inside were some scattered money and some jewelry, estimated to be things that Gao Lao Gen had bought for Zhang Widow to win her favor. This time, he got them back, Zhang Widow paid with her flesh, how could she let it go easily? Of course, she couldn't help but beat up Gao Lao Gen thoroughly. Fortunately, Zhang Widow was also a clever person, knowing that if this matter were to be made public, she would have no way to continue living in the future, and might even be sent to the authorities for punishment. Although unwilling, she finally handed over these things and sat in the courtyard wailing loudly.

  Then a group of people rushed to Gao Laogen's house tens of miles away overnight, and when they looked up, Gao Huairen was delighted. It turned out that this guy had built his home in the mountains to avoid prying eyes, which was quite secluded. The surrounding dozens of hectares of good land were all purchased by him. Although the land price here is not high, it is valuable for its quietness. Moreover, Gao Laogen's courtyard looks not too small, with two courtyards in front and back, just like a small rich family. It seems that this guy has a way to accumulate wealth and is also good at managing his property. Although Gao Huairen had an expression of dissatisfaction on his face, he was already overjoyed in his heart!

  After knocking on the gate for a while, lights finally appeared inside, and then a woman's rough voice was heard: "Who is it outside? You think you can take advantage of me in the middle of the night? Let me tell you, our family's butler is from the Gao family. If you want to take advantage of me, get out of here!"

  Gao Huaiyuan and others narrowly avoided bursting out laughing on the spot. Gao Lao Gen scolded with a dark face: "You thieving woman, it's your old man who has returned! Quickly open the door for your old man! Why are you talking so much nonsense?"

  The woman inside heard that Gao Lao Gen had returned, so she hurriedly ran to the door and opened it. As a result, when she saw several people standing outside, she was startled and quickly asked: "You dead ghost, why did you think of coming back now? It's almost dawn, aren't you afraid of being eaten by wolves? What's wrong with your face? They..."

  Gao Laogen was in a bad mood at the moment, and with a wave of his hand, he slapped her hard, causing his daughter-in-law to cry out in pain. He then kicked her and scolded: "Get out of here, what's all the commotion? Go inside and talk about it later! Hurry up and light the lamp, I have something to attend to!"

  His wife then cried and ran to open the door, letting Gao Huaiyuan and others enter the house. Gao Laogen took his daughter-in-law to the back, and soon they heard her wailing like a pig being slaughtered. Without thinking, it was clear that this woman couldn't bear to part with this family property.