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The bookstore’s staff were hesitant to step in and help Lu Xinghe due to Jiang Gaoyi’s status, but fortunately, Lu Xinghe was agile and strong. For the moment, the three or five grown men couldn’t easily subdue him.
After Chu Yue ran out of Wang Cheng Bookstore , she headed straight towards Qiyun Alley.
She didn’t know many people in Nanping Town, and judging by Jiang Gaoyi’s attire, he definitely didn’t come from an ordinary family. Perhaps only Mr. Huang could help her resolve this matter.
Chu Yue didn’t dare to waste any time on the way and soon arrived at the Huang Mansion.
“Manager Liu, please open the door!”
Manager Liu opened the gate and, seeing Chu Yue return, quickly asked what had happened. When he heard that she and Lu Xinghe had been bullied, he immediately informed Jiang Qingwan and led a dozen or so servants to rush towards Wang Cheng Bookstore with Chu Yue.
When they arrived at the bookstore, they found Xu Heng sitting on the ground in front of the shop, holding his head and groaning in pain.
Lu Xinghe was surrounded by a group of people, and it was unclear what was happening.
“Manager Liu, my husband is over there!”
Manager Liu waved his hand, and the servants behind him all picked up their sticks and surrounded the group of people in front of the bookstore.
“Stop!”
Seeing the servants of the Huang Mansion, Jiang Gaoyi immediately ordered his men to stop.
Mr. Huang’s position as a magistrate was earned through examinations, not bought with money. If he hadn’t wanted to stay in Nanping Town to benefit the people, he would have been transferred to the county to become a county magistrate long ago. He had some connections above.
He was somewhat apprehensive about the Huang family.
Jiang Gaoyi’s face held a hint of flattery. He quickly raised his hand in a bow. “Manager Liu, what brings you here? I was just teaching a couple of disobedient commoners a lesson. Surely the Huang Mansion wouldn’t be so involved as to interfere with this kind of thing?”
Manager Liu raised an eyebrow. “Commoners? Master Jiang, you call my mistress’ niece and nephew-in-law commoners?”
“The Huang Mansion’s niece?” Jiang Gaoyi pointed at Chu Yue in disbelief. “Manager Liu, are you talking about her?”
He hadn’t realized that the little girl he had casually provoked had such a background.
A hint of mockery played on Manager Liu’s lips. “Master Jiang, it’s one thing for you to act like a bully in Nanping Town. But now you’re openly bullying someone from my Huang Mansion. Are you saying you don’t even respect my master?”
Jiang Gaoyi quickly tried to defend himself.
“Manager Liu, what are you talking about? It was Lu Xinghe who started it! I was just acting in self-defense.”
Chu Yue, who had just pulled Lu Xinghe out of the crowd of Jiang Gaoyi’s men, looked at Lu Xinghe’s bruised lips and her face was filled with anger.
“You’re lying! We were the ones acting in self-defense!”
Jiang Gaoyi sneered. “Look at our people. Who is injured less severely than your man? Whether I’m lying or not, there are so many people here who can testify for me. Don’t you agree, Brother Xu?”
He looked towards Xu Heng as he spoke.
Lu Xinghe had indeed been the one to start the fight, and Xu Heng, being a scholar and known for his stubbornness, was a witness. As long as he agreed, Lu Xinghe’s guilt for hitting someone would be confirmed, and the Huang family would be at a disadvantage if they wanted to make trouble for him.
Moreover, as long as he wanted, he could send Lu Xinghe to the magistrate’s office to report the incident at any time.
Who knows, the Huang family might even have to come to him for help later.
Given how long Mr. Huang had pressured his father, he must have hated Mr. Huang to the core. If he could make Mr. Huang beg his father, wouldn’t his father treat him like a revered ancestor?
Looking at Jiang Gaoyi’s confident face, Xu Heng felt a sense of aversion towards him for the first time.
He recalled the events that had just transpired. Indeed, Lu Xinghe had acted first, but he didn’t want to be used as a pawn by Jiang Gaoyi. So, he recounted the entire dispute as it happened.
“…This is how it all started. Although Brother Lu acted first, it was because Jiang Gaoyi spoke disrespectfully first. If it weren’t for his careless words and his intention to abduct a woman, Brother Lu wouldn’t have hit him.”
Jiang Gaoyi heard Xu Heng’s words and pointed at him, shouting. “Xu Heng, you’re despicable! Can’t you tell the truth? Which eye of yours saw me touch that girl? Our two families are close friends, and you’re siding with the other side!”
Xu Heng looked at Jiang Gaoyi, who was furious, and his expression remained calm.
“I’m just telling the truth. Besides, it was you who asked me to testify, wasn’t it, Brother Jiang?”
“You…”
Jiang Gaoyi gritted his teeth in anger. He knew he was in the wrong, so he snorted coldly and wanted to leave with his men, but before he could take two steps, he was detained by the servants Manager Liu had brought.
Jiang Gaoyi cursed. “Manager Liu, what are you doing? My father is a magistrate after all. His status in Nanping Town isn’t any lower than Mr. Huang’s. Why are you arresting me?”
“It’s not me who’s arresting you. You’re trying to abduct a woman. If I don’t send you to the magistrate’s office to teach you a lesson, do you think my Huang family is made of mud?”
He waved his hand and led the servants, with Jiang Gaoyi and the others detained, towards the magistrate’s office.
Chu Yue looked at Lu Xinghe and touched his bruised lips, her face full of heartache.
“Husband, does it hurt?” She felt a little guilty. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have gotten into a fight with those people.”
Lu Xinghe shook his head. “It’s fine. I’m not hurt.”
“Actually, I didn’t want to run away just now…”
Lu Xinghe stroked her head. “I know you wouldn’t leave me. It turns out that Yueyue is very smart.”
Chu Yue smiled and turned to face Xu Heng, bowing slightly to him.
“Thank you, Master Xu, for your help today.”
Xu Heng turned his body slightly and waved his hand.
“Miss, you don’t need to thank me. I just can’t stand seeing people commit crimes in broad daylight.”
Lu Xinghe looked at him. “The Jiang and Xu families are close friends. You’re helping us like this today. When Jiang Gaoyi returns to the Jiang family, will he encourage Master Jiang to take revenge and suppress the Xu family?”
Xu Heng didn’t seem concerned.
“They’d have to have the ability to do that. Brother Lu doesn’t need to worry about that. My family has my father to support us. My old man is not easily fooled.”
Hearing Xu Heng’s answer, Lu Xinghe and Chu Yue exchanged smiles.
This Xu Heng, he was a man of character.
Xu Heng looked at Lu Xinghe with a puzzled expression. “Brother Lu, what brings you to the bookstore today?”
“To buy books.”
“The Four Books and Five Classics?” Xu Heng asked again.
Lu Xinghe nodded. “Yes.”
A hint of excitement crossed Xu Heng’s face. “It seems Brother Lu is going to continue taking the Imperial exams. Good! You can just make it in time for the county exam next March. Maybe you can even come in first.”
Lu Xinghe smiled. “You have more faith in me than I do myself.”
“That’s right. How many people in the world can pass the exam at the age of nine? I took the exam twice before I passed.” Xu Heng’s face showed undisguised admiration.
Seeing the two of them getting along so well, Chu Yue quickly said, “Since Master Xu has helped us today, after we buy the books, we’ll go to Ruyiju and order a couple of dishes. Would you be so kind as to join my husband and me for a meal?”