Chapter Twenty-Three Departure

  Gan Ping was taken aback by the news, wasn't it said that this merchant group would gather in the village for three consecutive days? But why are they leaving after just one day? He felt something was off, and at this moment, the door next to him creaked open, and Old Ma walked out of the house. Gan Ping was about to greet him, but Old Ma seemed not to have seen him, hastily walking towards the village entrance.

  Gan Ping was slightly surprised, but immediately smiled. With such a big thing happening, it's no wonder Old Master Ma didn't have time to bother with himself. Looking at the back of Lao Ma's hurried figure, Gan Ping also didn't think much and turned around to go back inside the house.

  Old Horse Head cursed Li Zhuangui as he walked, just because he didn't agree to his proposal, and now he's come up with this move. The annual fair only lasted one day and he left in a hurry, if this gets out, the reputation of Ma Jia Ji will be ruined. He rushed to the Tianfeng Number horse team and saw Li Zhuangui directing his men to pack up. Although this merchant team was a joint effort by all the shops in Xiao Yue City, Tianfeng Number was still the leader, if Li Zhuangui said he wanted to leave, the other shops would have to follow even if they hadn't sold much. Moreover, Young Master Er of Tianfeng Number was also with the horse team, so this decision must have been agreed upon by him.

  Li Zhuang had seen Old Ma coming from afar, but still pretended not to have seen him, directing his apprentices to hurry about. Old Ma saw that he was being ignored and sighed inwardly, forcing a smile as he walked up to the carriage and said: "Manager Li, good morning." Manager Li didn't even bat an eyelid, grunted, and remained silent.

  This slap in the face made Old Horse's teeth itch with hatred, but for the sake of the village, he still lowered his head and said, "Li Boss, isn't this market supposed to last two more days? Why are you leaving so early?" Li Boss glanced at him and said in a sinister tone, "This Li fellow is being disliked here, someone is eager to drive me away. If I don't leave now, this old body will be left here."

  Lao Ma heard this and his face turned red and white, he had never been ridiculed at such an old age. But thinking of the villagers, he could only swallow his anger, bowed and said: "Li Zhuangui, yesterday I was rude to you, please forgive me for my mistake, let's continue with the market as usual, okay?" The last few words were forced out from between Lao Ma's teeth, he had to endure this humiliation for the sake of the villagers.

  Li Zhuanggui smiled and said, "What are you talking about? I wouldn't dare get angry. Is that so, Village Chief Ma? If you're willing, call your granddaughter over to accompany my second young master on a stroll around the market. Who knows, maybe this market will still be able to continue." Upon hearing these frivolous words, Old Ma's face turned iron-green. He actually treated my granddaughter as a woman for compensation! He suddenly stood up straight, his sleeve fluttering, "In that case, I won't see you off far. Yangzong, open the door for them!" On the other side, Ma Yangzong, who was guarding the gate, responded with a sound and opened the gate.

  Li the shopkeeper saw Old Horse Head like this, and sneered coldly, "Old Horse Head, don't be too stubborn, or you'll have to eat some bitter fruit. I'm telling you, your granddaughter is already betrothed." After finishing speaking, he sneered again, got on his horse carriage, and loudly declared to the crowd of onlookers, "We, the Li merchant group, will never come to Majiacun again!" After saying this, he ordered the coachman to hurry up, and a row of carriages left the village one after another. Only Old Horse Head with an ashen face and a group of villagers who were discussing the matter remained.

  The horse carriage's Fang Zheng Yuan looked at his team leaving Ma Jia Ji farther and farther away, and couldn't help but feel anxious in his heart. Wouldn't he be unable to see that little beauty again? He hastily grabbed Li Zhuang Guan's sleeve and said: "Li Zhuang Guan, what are you doing? Didn't you say you'd help me? Why are we leaving Ma Jia Ji?" Li Zhuang Guan saw his unmanly appearance and couldn't help but feel disappointed. He made up his mind, straightened his back and said: "Second Young Master, don't be anxious, I promised to help you and I will definitely do so. Hmph, that old horse head doesn't know how to appreciate favors. This time we'll first return to the city and think of a long-term plan. We'll definitely make it possible for you to bring that little beauty back home."

  Upon hearing this, Fang Zhengyuan's heart was slightly at ease. Since Li Zhu had said so, he must have a plan in mind. Returning to the city, he felt more secure, and if all else failed, he could always ask his uncle to send someone to retrieve the woman. With this thought, he calmed down considerably and sat quietly in the carriage, lost in thought about that wonderful person.

  Ma Ling'er had already heard the news of the merchant group's departure, and she didn't think that her trip to the market would cause so much trouble. However, she didn't tell Gan Ping about it, knowing that with his temper, if he found out that someone had tried to take her away by force, it would definitely lead to huge trouble. Since the merchant group had left, that rogue young master must have also left, and might even forget about these things in a few days. Although Ma Ling'er was extremely clever, she still lacked experience in the ways of the world and didn't know the dangers and cruelties that lay within human hearts. Naively thinking that this matter had already passed, she didn't tell Gan Ping, which ultimately left behind a hidden calamity.

  Li returned to the city, settled the caravan and comforted Fang Zhengyan. It was already nighttime, but he didn't go home. Instead, he went straight to a mansion and knocked on the door. The person inside opened the door and let him in. Li walked familiarly to a room and lightly knocked on the door. A young man's voice came from inside, "Come in, the door is open." Hearing this, Li hastily entered the room with respect.

  Inside the house, two special cow butter candles were burning on a desk, illuminating the entire room. A young man sat beside the desk, flipping through something, and said without lifting his head, "I heard you came back in just one day?" Li Zhuang heard this and hastily replied, "Young Master, I indeed returned after only one day. Originally, I was supposed to stay for two days to set up the market stall, but Second Young Master..." "Hmm?" Upon hearing this, the young man raised his head. This person had a similar appearance to Fang Zhengyuan, but with more sharpness in his features. He was Fang's eldest son, Fang Zhengyan.

  "What's wrong with my useless second brother again? Didn't I tell you to take him out for a few days to avoid the storm?" Li Zhuang didn't dare to look at Fang Zhengyan, who was staring at him intensely, and quickly lowered his head, recounting what had happened the day before. When Fang Zhengyan heard this, he suddenly burst out laughing, "My second brother is really something, every day he only knows how to work on women, two days ago he flirted with Miss Zhang from the Zhang family and was scolded by his father, and now he's taken a liking to a village girl... Alas..."

  Li didn't dare to respond, others might not know, but he knew that Miss Zhang's matter was actually planned by this gentle-looking young master. Just then, Fang Zhengyan said: "Last time, Father warned the second son that if he did something like that again, he would be kicked out of the house. Kicked out of the house? That won't happen, it's a pity for the position of the family head..." As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Zhengyan seemed to think of something and stopped, his face excited. He turned to Li and said: "If I become the family head, I will definitely make you the manager of the general store. But this time, you must do a good job with this matter. This is the mobilization order for the household troops, go..."

  Two people in the room made a detailed plan, and Li Zhuang went to prepare in a hurry. Fang Zhengyan pushed open the window, and the slightly cold night wind blew on his face, but he didn't notice it at all, excitedly muttering: "Mother, are you watching me? This time that little boy is dead for sure, hehehe." A string of eerie laughter spread throughout the entire inner courtyard, and the servant at the door heard this chilling laughter and couldn't help but shrink his neck, whispering: "The young master has gone mad again."

  Fang Zhengyan's face was now covered in tears, having endured countless hardships and living in constant vigilance for years, his mind had become twisted. He glared at the night sky with a ferocious gaze, muttering to himself: "This time I'll make him pay, if I become the master of the house... haha... Ning Mingxia, Fang Zhengyuan, I will definitely teach you two a lesson and let you know how I've been living these past years. Even if it means killing thousands or tens of thousands of people, I won't care."