A Tale of Golden Heiress: Lady Wanjin - Chapter 31

Old Master Wen hung his head like a child who had done something wrong, his shoulders hunched and tense, his whole body curled in on itself. The veins on his withered hands bulged prominently.

Yet he dared not answer for a long time.

Wen Wan’s heart ached for him.

And she hated Shi Jinquan even more.

“This isn’t your fault,” Wen Wan walked over to Old Master Wen and gently patted his back. “Shi Jinquan served the Wen family for over ten years and had always been loyal. It was only natural for Father to trust him. Any one of us would have been caught off guard.”

Old Master Wen’s eyes reddened instantly.

It was as if something was stuck in his throat.

Aunt Liu also wiped away her tears.

“Father brought us from having nothing at all into the city and built up all this family wealth. That already makes you stronger than countless men in this world. Please don’t be so hard on yourself. As long as our family is together, healthy and safe, that’s what matters most.”

Old Master Wen’s lips trembled, and tears suddenly welled up in his eyes. He cried helplessly, looking utterly lost.

A man does not shed tears easily.

It is only when his heart is truly broken.

The betrayal of a friend, being trapped in a difficult situation, and a hopeless future—none of these had moved Wen Weiming. What made him cry was… that Wen Wan didn’t blame him at all.

The pent-up frustration in Wen Weiming’s heart suddenly dissipated.

“Father, the banquet in the front courtyard has ended. You’ve been tired all day, you should rest early,” Wen Wan pressed her father’s shoulders. “No matter how big the problem is, we can talk about it tomorrow.”

Yes.

Today was supposed to be Wen Wan’s wedding day.

Aunt Liu also advised, “Master, the most important thing you can do now is take care of your health. The young mistress is already overwhelmed. If you also fall ill, that would truly be adding frost to snow.”

Wen Weiming licked his lips, his voice hoarse and strained. “Child, don’t you worry too much either. We’ll think of a way together tomorrow.”

Wen Wan signalled for Aunt Liu to help Wen Weiming back to his room. After they left, she slumped backward, lying flat on her back, and let out a heavy sigh. “Damn that Shi Jinquan! Don’t let me catch you!”

Hong Mei poured her a bowl of hot tea. The young maid, having heard the whole story, couldn’t help but worry. “Miss, can’t we report this to the authorities? That thousand taels—it wasn’t even signed and sealed by the Master himself. Why should we be held responsible?”

Wen Wan rubbed her throbbing temples. “Magistrates come and go like flowing water, but the money-lending businesses are as solid as iron. If Xinlong has been able to operate in Ping County for so many years, they must have connections in high places. Besides, they followed all the proper procedures. Shi Jinquan had the land deed and Father’s seal. Taking them to court would only let everyone know that the Wen family is buried in debt—it wouldn’t do us any good.”

“Then if we find Shi Jinquan, will all our problems be solved?”

Wen Wan smiled bitterly. “Perhaps.”

Shi Jinquan wasn’t the real problem.

The problem was the person he had colluded with.

Wen Wan had a feeling that this whole chain of events—from Shi Jinquan taking the seal, borrowing the huge loan, to the debt collectors showing up today—was a carefully planned trap aimed at the Wen family.

But who could it be?

Is it Zhu Wang, the manager of the grain store that Shopkeeper Ding mentioned?

Regarding the loan matter, money lending shops shouldn’t disclose information externally, similar to protecting client confidentiality in modern times. Yet this Old Zhu was the first to notify Xinlong Money Shop, which is enough proof that at the very least, he is involved in this.

Lü Ping sneaked in carrying a meal, but was stopped by Hong Mei. “Wait a moment. The young mistress is thinking about something and has a headache right now. She probably can’t eat at the moment.”

“It’s fine. Come in. I’m hungry too.”

In her previous life, she died of stomach cancer. In this life, Wen Wan is very careful to take good care of her stomach—no cold food, no overeating, meals on time, even in the face of current difficulties.

In other words, even if the sky were falling, she’d still have to eat a hot meal first!

While eating, Wen Wan asked Lü Ping about the situation in the outer courtyard.

“The guests have all left. Everyone is cleaning up now. Auntie Chen and I first registered the gift money in the ledger, and also moved the larger gifts to the storeroom.”

“Everyone praised the young mistress for being capable and efficient. Of course, there were some who gossiped, but since it’s a wedding banquet after all, as long as it wasn’t too excessive, we just let them murmur a few words.”

“The young master seems drunk and has already returned to his room to rest.”

Wen Wan instructed, “Get him some hot soup or tea to warm his stomach. Did the relatives give him a hard time today?”

“No.” Lü Ping smiled again. “The young master doesn’t seem like someone who can be easily pushed around.”

“Good. Tell him to sleep first and not wait for me. I’ll be back soon.”

While they were talking, Aunt Liu had already returned. Lü Ping and Hong Mei withdrew. With all the affairs in the household today, these two capable maids were indispensable.

After entering the room, Aunt Liu sat down by herself, fanning herself with her hand. Earlier, she had held back in front of Wen Weiming, but now, seeing Wen Wan, she started cursing loudly.

“Damn it, that bastard Shi Jinquan! If I run into him, I’ll kill him for sure!” Aunt Liu’s face was red with anger. The summer heat was already intense, and with her agitation, fine beads of sweat dripped from her forehead. “I just found out—that dog took the land deed himself while the master was unconscious! He’s been with the Wen family for over ten years, and the master never guarded against him. He knows this residence inside and out.”

One sentence wasn’t enough to vent her anger.

Aunt Liu continued cursing.

“Heartless, ungrateful wretch! Doesn’t he remember that if the master hadn’t given him a meal back then, his own clansmen would have bullied him to death! And now? He steals our land deed to borrow money, and a thousand taels at that! Such greed—why didn’t he choke on it! I never saw before that he was such an ungrateful person. We must report this to the authorities! The Wen family can’t bear this burden!”

After venting, Aunt Liu fell silent.

The facts were clear.

Reporting it to the authorities wouldn’t recover their losses.

Since Shi Jinquan has set up the Wen family, he’ll naturally hide well. And the debt from Xinlong Money Shop isn’t so easy to owe.

Those who run money lending shops always have connections in both legal and underground circles.

If you fight them, you might end up with chopped-off hands or feet—the gain isn’t worth the loss.

In other words, at least until Shi Jinquan is caught, the Wen family can’t escape this debt.

The thought of Wen Weiming’s despondent appearance made Aunt Liu tremble with anger, and she could only repeat that she wanted to kill Shi Jinquan.

Wen Wan finished her meal amidst Aunt Liu’s cursing. She wiped her mouth unhurriedly. “I’ve already asked Second Master Tu to leak the news of Shi Jinquan’s escape to the Shi family elders, threatening that if Shi Jinquan isn’t caught, we’ll make trouble for their clan. If we can’t find him, his parents and brothers might be able to.”

Hearing this, Aunt Liu gradually calmed down.

“But… it might not be very effective. We can only try everything, even if it’s a long shot. We can’t pin our hopes on this.”

Aunt Liu looked up at the young woman.

Dusk had fallen, and the room was dark without any lamps lit. Aunt Liu went over, brought the candlestick, and lit the lamp, chiding her, “Reading in dim light all day—you’ll ruin your eyes.”

Wen Wan laughed playfully. “I wasn’t reading, I was eating.”

“You still need to see while eating! Be careful not to put food in your nose.”

Aunt Liu sat down with a sigh. “If it really comes to it, we’ll have to mortgage this residence. We still have a small villa—it’ll be enough for a few of us to live in. We’ll dismiss the servants we should, and only keep the loyal ones.”