Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 117: Advancing Studies

After hearing Zhaogui’s words, Mrs. Tao stamped her foot and scolded Manager Tao fiercely: "Damn dog thing, I told him not to listen to Manager Zeng, and now what? Not only did he fail to cosy up to County Magistrate Zou, but he also got himself into trouble."

But as the scolding went, it was after all her own husband she scolded. Having finished, Mrs. Tao could only tidy up her belongings and return to her parental home to seek help.

After Manager Tao was taken to Si Li Square, the two clerks there felt a jolt in their hearts upon seeing him, but they did not inquire further.

Disturbances in the streets were managed by Old Kong and his people. As clerks, their responsibility was merely to collect taxes from Qingfu Town, but being men of County Magistrate Zou, seeing Manager Tao arrested prompted them to send a servant to inform Manager Zeng at Fugui Building, advising him to have someone go to the county to forewarn County Magistrate Zou, lest he be bitten by County Captain Jiang as well.

Upon receiving the message from the clerks’ servant, Manager Zeng smiled and left a message for the servant to relay: "Go back and tell Lv Zhang, the two clerks, that this is Manager Tao’s own wrongdoing, it has nothing to do with us."

He did nothing but invite Manager Tao to a meal at Fugui Building and hinted a few things; he never said anything explicit, so even if Manager Tao wanted to drag others down with him, he couldn’t implicate him or the County Governor.

Manager Zeng believed that after so many years in business, Manager Tao wouldn’t be foolish enough to offend County Captain Jiang first and then recklessly antagonize County Magistrate Zou as well.

The servant conveyed Manager Zeng’s message to the two clerks.

After hearing it, Lv Zhang, the two clerks, felt relieved.

Old Kong, efficient in handling affairs and eager to show his face before County Captain Jiang, after arresting all the beggars, including Manager Tao, Zhaofu, and Liu Sanzi, interrogated Third Grandpa. He then had Hai Zi write down Third Grandpa’s confession and, after getting his thumbprint, immediately escorted Manager Tao and the others to the county town.

Third Grandpa returned to the tofu stall and told everyone, "Old Kong said the case has both testimonial and physical evidence, and with County Captain Jiang involved, we can expect a result by tomorrow at the latest, so we should rest easy."

Everyone felt reassured upon hearing this since they trusted County Captain Jiang.

After selling all their tofu and bean dregs cakes that day and collecting soybeans around town, they stored some at Xuanhu Fang and each carried a load of soybeans home.

Gu Jinli went to the iron shop to collect the iron cakes and hammers he had ordered, preparing to make soy oil.

That day, the Luo Family also bought two thousand pounds of soybeans, filling up a side room and the main hall.

After Third Grandpa recounted the incidents at the tofu stall, everyone was indignant, but upon hearing of Manager Tao’s arrest, they also felt a sense of satisfaction.

"Manager Tao deserves to be arrested; he’s lost all conscience," Third Grandma cursed.

"It’d be best if they sent him to work in the official mine and worked him to death!" Mrs. Chen said, then she recounted the beating of the beggars and Zhaofu’s arrest vividly to the neighbors.

The neighbors listened with a sense of gratification in their hearts, eagerly awaiting the final outcome for Manager Tao and his associates.

The next day, the county’s verdict came down.

Manager Tao did not implicate Manager Zeng; instead, he took all the blame on himself, claiming he had been blinded by greed, and seeing the good business of the Gu Family’s tofu stall, therefore, he raised the price of soybeans, hoping to make a profit from them.

Who would have known that the Gu Family would not agree and started to collect soybeans on their own, which infuriated him to the point where he spent money to hire beggars to teach the Gu Family a lesson.

After Manager Tao confessed to the crime, the investigation was not pursued further. The County Magistrate sentenced Manager Tao to ten heavy beatings and a fine of one hundred taels of silver; Zhaofu also received ten beatings and a fine of ten taels of silver.

As for Liu Sanzi and his group, they were all sentenced to five years of labor in the official mine.

Upon hearing this, Liu Sanzi and his cohorts fainted on the spot. The work in the official mine was the most exhausting, and they knew they wouldn’t be able to withstand it—not even for one year, let alone five.

But it was too late for them to regret anything.

Because of this matter, the Yu Family also grew to detest Manager Tao. Although Manager Tao was proficient in business and had made a decent amount of money for the Yu Family over the past decade, this time he nearly dragged them into the conflict between County Magistrate Zou and County Captain Jiang. Elder Yu was infuriated to the point where he personally decreed that Manager Tao and Mrs. Tao be expelled from Tao Family’s Grain Store, stating that they were no longer allowed to manage it.

Originally, Tao Family’s Grain Store was not actually owned by Manager Tao, but by the Yu Family. Manager Tao had married Mrs. Tao, and it was only after Mrs. Tao’s father pleaded with Elder Yu that Elder Yu decided to hand over the grain store in Qingfu Town to Manager Tao to manage. The profits were split between the two families, with Manager Tao receiving forty percent and the Yu Family sixty percent.

Upon hearing this news, it was like a bolt from the blue for Manager Tao, who fainted immediately. After regaining consciousness, he, along with Mrs. Tao, knelt in front of Yu Mansion, pleading for Elder Yu to revoke his decision.

However, Mrs. Tao was not Elder Yu’s own niece, but a distant relative. There was no way she would be spared, and the family servants drove Manager Tao and Mrs. Tao away.

Mrs. Tao’s father, who adored his daughter, gave her his savings of one hundred taels of silver so that the couple could start a small shop in the county and continue with their lives.

As a result, by the time Tao Family’s Grain Store reopened, the signboard had changed to Xiang’s Grain Store.

The Yu Family did not want to get involved in the feud between County Magistrate Zou and County Captain Jiang, so they did not manage the grain store themselves. Instead, they entrusted it to a relative with the surname Xiang, still splitting the profits forty-sixty, but Elder Yu cautioned Manager Xiang to conduct business honestly and not get involved in any troublesome affairs.

Aware of Manager Tao’s ordeal, Manager Xiang was exceptionally cautious and careful. After Xiang’s Grain Store opened, he did not visit Manager Zeng nor did he approach the Gu Family with promises of not raising prices. He simply opened his doors for business as usual, selling soybeans to anyone for three copper coins per jin regardless of the amount purchased.

Third Grandpa, worried that Xiang’s Grain Store might target them, personally went to buy soybeans. Manager Xiang greeted him with a smile and sold the soybeans for three copper coins per jin. freewebnσvel.cѳm

With that, the matter was finally put to rest.

Upon hearing about this incident, Scholar Shang personally visited the Gu Family and mentioned the idea of having Gu Jin’an study at his home.

Gu Jin’an, having waited so many days, was both excited and moved upon finally receiving Scholar Shang’s response.

He suppressed his excitement, knelt before Scholar Shang, and was about to kowtow when he was lifted up by Scholar Shang.

Scholar Shang said, "You don’t have to perform the full disciple’s ceremony. I won’t take disciples, only students, to teach you reading and writing. The tuition fees must still be provided by your family though."

After reviewing Gu Jin’an’s responses to Wen Zhi and recalling his performance the day they caught Lu Laosan, as well as hearing that he had not attended a private school but had self-studied the Thousand Character Classic, Scholar Shang was very satisfied with him. After pondering for a few days, he ultimately decided not to take him as a disciple.

Gu Jin’an was an uncut jade, a rough diamond that, with proper polishing, would surely become a talent within ten years. The relationship between a master and disciple is much like that of father and son. Once one takes on a disciple, it becomes a lifelong commitment; the master can determine many aspects of the disciple’s life, including marriage.

Scholar Shang was very much aware of his own status. His family might have some reputation in Tianfu County, but beyond that, they were nothing notable. Gu Jin’an deserved a better master, so as a tutor, he would teach him for just a few years.