Chapter 212

Bargaining with a tiger!

When Grandma Wang uttered this phrase, Old Madam Tang and the others turned livid. Meanwhile, the townspeople smacked their lips and eagerly watched the drama unfold—this was undoubtedly the most sensational event of the year.

“Wang Er, back then, you begged and scraped together money to invest in my venture. I only agreed because you were Zhang Dapeng’s brother-in-law and your daughter entered our family. Otherwise, with just 500 taels of silver, you thought you could buy a share? Dream on!” Tang Xiuan pointed at Wang Er and continued, “Now you’re saying ‘bargaining with a tiger’? Nonsense!”

Tang Xiuan was truly furious. He had always looked down on Wang Er, and if it hadn’t been for his usefulness, he would never have granted him a share. Five hundred taels wouldn’t even cover the upkeep of a concubine for him. And now, the mother and son had come to his house to make a scene, claiming nonsense like “bargaining with a tiger.” This was an utter humiliation.

Wang Er appeared to be terrified. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees, trembling as he said, “Master, it was my fault. I had too much to drink and spoke foolishly. I won’t dare do it again. As for the merchant ship, I’ll withdraw my share. Please spare me this time. I swear I’ll never step foot in the Tang family’s domain again. Our two families will have no further ties. Master, I’m truly afraid!”

He prostrated himself on the ground, quivering. Whether out of genuine fear or feigned cowardice, he presented the pitiful image of a commoner being bullied by the powerful to the onlookers.

“Your second uncle has quite a knack for acting,” remarked Cui Yuan, who was watching the farce from a teahouse not far from Willow Alley. Seated across from him was Wang Yuan’er, silently observing the spectacle below.

Wang Yuan’er smiled faintly. “It must have amused you,” she said.

“It’s working, look!” Cui Yuan pointed.

Wang Yuan’er focused her gaze, and sure enough, the crowd of onlookers was buzzing, whispering among themselves. The conversation grew louder, filled with comments about how the Tang family abused their power.

Old Madam Tang and Tang Xiuan hadn’t expected this. Looking at the two pitiful figures in front of them, they felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint it. The two troublemakers’ previously aggressive and insulting demeanor had vanished.

“Wang Er, think carefully. If you withdraw your investment now, you’ll only get back half of your capital,” Tang Xiuan said, his voice strained as the murmurs in the crowd grew louder. Reluctantly, he added, “Admitting your mistakes is good—we won’t hold this fuss against you. Now leave!”

Unexpectedly, Wang Er kowtowed and said, “I don’t even want that half—consider it compensation for my foolish words. Please, spare me this one time! I promise I’ll never try to claim kinship with your family again.” He raised his head, revealing a swollen forehead, and pleaded, “Master, I don’t want to end up in jail again. I have an elderly parent and young children to take care of… Please, let me go!”

“You…” Tang Xiuan was furious beyond words.

Old Madam Tang turned to Grandma Wang and said, “Old Madam Wang, now that everything is out in the open, why should our families remain enemies? I’ve always been quite fond of Min’er and even considered bringing her back to keep her company.”

It was a clear attempt to play the family card!

However, Grandma Wang didn’t buy into it and retorted, “Don’t bother. I know my granddaughter’s personality well. We don’t seek anything grand, just peace and safety for our family. Once in jail was bad enough—should we risk going back? We simply cannot endure it.” She turned to Wang Er and added, “Second son, bring out the stock certificate. Let everyone here be witnesses—withdraw your share, and you go your way while we go ours. From now on, our two families will have nothing to do with each other. You enjoy your wealth; we just want to live quietly.”

Wang Er shakily brought out the document and handed it over, saying, “Master, it’s clearly outlined here—I acknowledge it.”

This showed his resolute decision to pull out.

Tang Xiuan felt as if his reputation had been thrown into the Changle River. Such ungrateful fools!

“Go, fetch two hundred and fifty taels—no, three hundred taels of silver,” Tang Xiuan suddenly commanded, turning the tables. If the Wang family could humiliate him, he wouldn’t hold back either.

“Xiuan!” Old Madam Tang frowned, a faint sense of unease creeping over her.

Wang Er, prostrating on the ground, let a flicker of joy flash through his lowered eyes. Feeling a weight lift off his shoulders, he bowed even deeper.

A servant quickly returned with three hundred taels of silver, which Tang Xiuan took and tossed in front of Wang Er, sneering, “For withdrawing early, you’ll only get back half your investment. But out of pity, I’ll throw in an extra fifty taels as charity!” Pausing, he added, “Think carefully before you take it—the merchant ship will return soon, and profits won’t include your share. Don’t come crying later, claiming my Tang family wronged you!”

“Thank you, Master, thank you, but…” Wang Er opened the money pouch and counted out fifty taels of silver, placing them at Tang Xiuan’s feet. “The contract states what it states; we will abide by it. We’ll only take back half of the funds—we want nothing more.”

“That’s right. Not a penny more! Taking that extra fifty taels might as well cost us our lives!” Grandma Wang chimed in. “A careless word already sent him to jail. Take the silver, and what’s next—our lives?”

“You crazy old hag, stop pushing your luck! Who the hell set him up!” Tang Xiuan yelled furiously.

“Everyone says—”

Grandma Wang started to speak again, but Wang Er got up from the ground, pulled her aside, and said, “Mother, let it go. We can’t afford to provoke them!” He put on the appearance of someone completely terrified, trembling and cowering as though utterly powerless.

Old Madam Tang felt dizzy from all this. The crowd’s growing murmurs sounded like thunder in her ears, leaving her unsteady.

“If we can’t provoke them, we can at least avoid them!” Grandma Wang huffed. She turned to Wang Er and declared, “From this day forth, you are not to have any contact with anyone from the Tang family! If you do, consider yourself no longer my son!”

To the onlookers, this statement sounded both like a warning and a final declaration, making it clear that the Wang family had officially severed ties with the Tang family.

“I understand my mistake,” Wang Er murmured, lowering his head.

Satisfied, Grandma Wang nodded and prepared to leave with him.

“Old Madam Wang, are you planning to break ties with my Tang family and abandon your granddaughter as well?” Old Madam Tang suddenly called out.

Grandma Wang turned back to face her and said, “A married daughter is like spilled water. Since she is part of your Tang family, she is also part of your Tang family’s misfortunes. I trust that the Tang family wouldn’t stoop so low as to harm a widow and her child. After all, my Min’er is still your lifesaver. But if the Tang family truly can’t tolerate her and her child, rest assured—the Wang family won’t let them starve!”

Old Madam Tang’s face stiffened, her body trembling as she watched Grandma Wang and Wang Er walk away. The sight of the surrounding townspeople enjoying the spectacle and the comments about the Tang family’s dishonesty and deceit echoed in her ears. Combined with the filthy state of the estate’s gate, Old Madam Tang felt her blood surge uncontrollably to her head. Her vision darkened, and she fainted on the spot.

“Old Madam!” Tang Xiuan exclaimed in panic, calling for servants to carry her inside and sending someone to fetch the doctor.

The Tang family descended into chaos.

The Wang family members had left, and the Tang estate’s gates were tightly shut. Only two elderly servants remained to clean up the mess, but the crowd outside didn’t disperse. They stayed, discussing the earlier events with relish. All this commotion over a single rumor—what audacity from the Wang family. But could it really be called audacity? Observing Wang Er’s cowardly demeanor, one might say he would’ve wet himself if this had taken place indoors rather than out in the street.

Some remarked that, in the face of such a prominent family, ordinary folk couldn’t help but be fearful. After all, a couple of drunken words were enough for someone to end up in jail. Others speculated the rumors might not be true—it was hearsay, after all, and shouldn’t be fully trusted.

Yet, as Grandma Wang had pointed out, there’s no smoke without fire. If it weren’t true, why would the rumors specifically target the Tang family? And so, the townspeople continued their chatter, with many asserting that “commoners can’t oppose officials” remains a universal truth.

Meanwhile, the Tang family gained a reputation for arrogance and tyranny, with whispers about their oppressive behavior—from their master down to their servants—spreading like wildfire. It became clear to many that keeping one’s distance from the Tang family might be the safest course.

Rumors cannot be fully trusted, but as Grandma Wang said: there is no smoke without fire. Otherwise, why would the talk specifically target the Tang family?

Some even said that regardless of the credibility of the rumors, the saying “commoners cannot oppose officials “remains a universal truth. The Tang family—well, not just their masters but even their servants—had a reputation for arrogance. For example, it was said that a beggar named Bald Qiang accidentally bumped into one of the Tang family stewards and ended up being beaten bloody. Clearly, the Tang family wasn’t a household to provoke, so keeping a distance seemed wise.

As the rumors spread, the Tang family’s reputation solidified as tyrannical, from the masters down to the servants—overbearing and not to be trifled with.

At the Wang household.

The cowardly facade Wang Er displayed outside had vanished entirely, replaced by a sense of relief.

“Finally, we’ve severed ties with the Tang family!” he said with a smile, looking at Cui Yuan. “This is all thanks to Master Cui’s clever plan.”

Cui Yuan was truly a benefactor to the Wang family!

Cui Yuan smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming as he said, “This drama worked so well because Second Uncle Wang and Grandma Wang played their parts beautifully—so vivid and lifelike! Had I not known beforehand, I might have been fooled myself.”

Those words sounded polite, but to put it bluntly, weren’t they just showing off their streetwise tactics in full force?

Wang Er’s face turned slightly red as he scratched his head and said, “Well, although it was called an act, there were real feelings involved—genuine anger and lingering fear!”

Indeed, without those personal emotions—his previous terror in prison, the shock after learning the truth, and his resentment and regret toward the Tang family—this spectacle wouldn’t have been so effective. It was those very raw emotions that made it so impactful.

Cui Yuan nodded and said, “Now that it’s done, just focus on your lives. As for the Tang family, they’ll likely have their own struggles.”

After such a drama, the Tang family was bound to face further troubles, especially with their reputation now tarnished.

“Will they figure it out?” Wang Er asked nervously.

“Even if they do, it won’t matter. You’ve already severed ties with the Tang family. The only thing left is…” Cui Yuan lifted his teacup but didn’t finish his sentence.

Wang Er understood his implication—he was referring to Wang Min’er.

Wang Er’s expression dimmed, his heart aching slightly. After all, she was his firstborn daughter.

Cui Yuan noticed this clearly. Despite everything, Wang Er still cared about his flesh and blood—it was an enduring sign of fatherly love, imperfect but not entirely lacking merit.

Just as the conversation was about to continue, Grandma Wang interrupted, “As for Min’er, if the Tang family sends her back, we’ll take her in. If they don’t, that’s her fate.”

Wang Er managed a weak smile and replied, “Mother, I understand.”

Grandpa Wang took a puff from his pipe, glanced at the pouch of money on the table, thought for a moment, and pushed it toward Cui Yuan. “Master Cui, our Wang family owes you greatly for all the help you’ve given us. This money isn’t much, but please don’t disdain it.”

Wang Er and Grandma Wang were stunned—this money represented their entire family’s savings. But thinking about it, Cui Yuan had repeatedly assisted them despite having no ties to their family. Such a debt of gratitude couldn’t be repaid with a mere 250 taels.

In this world, debts of kindness and goodwill are often the hardest to repay!