Chapter 188

One hundred taels of silver!

The gray bag in Madam Zhang’s hands spilled out its contents, and Wang Yuan’er counted—precisely one hundred taels of silver.

Under the lamplight, the ingots shimmered brightly, almost painfully, piercing their eyes. As everyone stared at the pile, their hearts seemed to sink, weighed down like a falling stone.

What did this silver indicate? Hidden money—didn’t that mean half the accusation was true?

Had Wang Er truly accepted bribes and committed the act of using inferior materials?

Grandpa and Grandma Wang were dumbfounded, as was Madam Zhang. They had just been adamant that their son couldn’t possibly do such a thing. But if he didn’t, then where had this silver come from?

“Could it have been given to him by Min’er or someone else?” Grandpa Wang asked hesitantly, swallowing hard, his face despondent. He couldn’t bring himself to believe that Wang Er had lost his way.

“It doesn’t matter who gave it to him; he hid it and didn’t tell me. Who knows what kind of scheme he was planning!” Madam Zhang snapped.

Having been married to Wang Er for so many years, sharing the same bed and raising three children together, she couldn’t understand why he hadn’t confided in her. In the past, whenever he had silver, he would secretly hand it to her. But now, with a whole hundred taels of silver, if it hadn’t been uncovered because of this incident, who knows how long he would have kept it hidden?

It’s often said that when a man has a bit of money, he starts misbehaving. Take Daqing from the corner street, for instance—he followed some master, received reward money, and didn’t tell his wife. He secretly hid the money for himself and used it to keep a mistress outside. When his wife found out, the two of them even got into a fight!

Could Wang Er be thinking along the same lines?

Madam Zhang discreetly touched her waist, which had grown noticeably thicker, and her chest, which wasn’t as full as it used to be. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that Wang Er must be hiding something!

At this thought, her expression grew darker.

Madam Zhang’s words earned her an eye-roll from Wang Yuan’er, anger from Grandma Wang, and even a disapproving look from Gradnpa Wang.

Of all times, she’s thinking of such nonsensical things. How utterly inappropriate!

Wang Yuan’er couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. Instead, she turned to Grandpa and Grandma Wang, saying, “We’ll know where this silver came from once we ask Second Uncle tomorrow.”

Rather than making wild guesses, it was better to hear the truth directly from Wang Er.

Grandpa Wang nodded; at this point, it seemed like their only option.

“As for the silver, Grandma, you should keep it for now. If it turns out to be… well, at least we can hand it over,” Wang Yuan’er said, pressing her lips together.

Madam Zhang opened her mouth but said nothing.

“Then we’ll head to the courthouse tomorrow. Everyone, go and rest for now—it’s late,” Grandpa Wang said, waving them off.

Rest? After such an incident, who could possibly sleep? Well, except for the little ones and Fuquan, who wouldn’t notice even if the sky fell.

Sure enough, the light in Grandpa Wang’s room remained on all night. When Wang Yuan’er occasionally woke, she could still faintly hear the sound of voices from that direction.

Madam Zhang didn’t fare much better. Early the next morning, Wang Yuan’er noticed the dark circles under Madam Zhang’s eyes and how red they were.

At that moment, Fuduo began whining about being hungry. Already in a foul mood, Madam Zhang didn’t hesitate to slap him, making Fuduo cry loudly.

“Second Aunt, why are you taking it out on the child?” Wang Yuan’er couldn’t stand it and pulled Fuduo over. Seeing the redness on his face, she glared at Madam Zhang. What kind of mother acts like this?

Madam Zhang looked at her youngest son’s reddened face, and after being reprimanded, she felt even more resentful. “Eat, eat, all he knows is eating. With everything falling apart, what is there to eat?”

“What do children know?” Grandma Wang’s voice came from behind. When she saw Fuduo’s face, her expression darkened even more, and she looked like she wanted to eat Madam Zhang alive. She said coldly, “Impressive! Taking out your frustrations on a child—so you’ve really grown some skills!”

Madam Zhang’s heart skipped a beat, and she replied in grievance, “Mother, I’m just anxious. If something happens to Wang Er, how are we as a family supposed to live?” As she spoke, tears began streaming down her face.

“Stop your cursed talk! If you can’t say anything decent, go back to your room!” Grandma Wang’s anger flared even further.

Wang Yuan’er shook her head and pulled Fuduo close. “Fuduo, be a good boy. You’ll eat with Elder Sis today. Go to the kitchen and find Sister Chun’er.”

Fuduo sniffled, glanced timidly at his mother, nodded, and sobbed as he headed to the kitchen.

Only then did Wang Yuan’er stand up and say coldly, “Second Aunt, even if you can’t help with what’s happened, at least keep quiet and let the house have some peace.”

She could hardly tolerate Madam Zhang’s reckless behavior. If you couldn’t contribute or take action, it was fine—but causing such chaos on top of that? What kind of behavior was this?

“Yuan’er, come here,” Grandpa Wang called from the doorway.

Judging by the timing, it was likely to discuss going to the courthouse. Wang Yuan’er walked over, and after a moment of hesitation, Madam Zhang bit her lip and followed as well.

It was indeed a discussion about going to the courthouse.

“Our family has so few people—some are too old, some too young. Fuquan is unreliable, and with his temperament, he’d likely cause trouble at the courthouse. Originally, you’re just a girl, and sending you wouldn’t be appropriate, but there’s no other way. We’ll have to trouble you this time!” Grandpa Wang said, his tone heavy.

As the saying goes, “Father and son fight side by side; brothers join forces to hunt tigers.” When one is in trouble, the other can step in to help. Perhaps this is why people always stress the importance of having sons. But in the Wang family’s case?

Wang Da and his wife passed away early, leaving only Wang Er from the second branch. Wang Er has two sons—Fuquan, who is at most fourteen years old, immature and undependable, and Fuduo, who is only six or seven years old, still too young to understand or take on any responsibilities. And who else is left in the family? Only members of the first branch, and among them, Wang Yuan’er was unquestionably the most capable and decisive.

In their discussions throughout the night, Grandpa and Grandma Wang were painfully reminded of the family’s dwindling numbers. The only one with the intelligence and leadership to handle this crisis was Wang Yuan’er, their eldest granddaughter. This realization weighed heavily on Grandpa Wang, leaving him feeling bitter and sorrowful.

Wang Yuan’er sighed inwardly. This is what happens when children aren’t properly educated. If Second Uncle and his wife had nurtured Fuquan better, perhaps he could have stepped up in this situation. What a pity…

She sighed and said, “Don’t worry, Grandpa. Even if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would’ve gone to investigate.”

The character ‘Wang’ can’t be written without two strokes.” Wang Er was her biological second uncle—now that he was in trouble, she couldn’t just stand by and watch.

Hearing her words, Grandpa Wang felt deeply comforted and let out a sigh of relief. He nodded at Grandma Wang.

Grandma Wang pulled a small key from her waistband, opened a storage chest, and took out a box, unlocking it.

“This is all we have left. I don’t even know if it’ll be enough,” Grandpa Wang said, pushing the box toward Wang Yuan’er.

Wang Yuan’er looked inside and saw broken pieces of silver and some copper coins. Judging by her estimation, it amounted to about twenty or thirty taels. Going to the courthouse naturally required bribes—some for the officers here and there—but she doubted it would be enough.

Still, Wang Yuan’er understood that much of their remaining money had already been used by Wang Er and Madam Zhang to invest in the Tang family’s merchant ship. What was left now was Grandma and Grandpa Wang’s last savings.

Wang Yuan’er couldn’t help but glance at Madam Zhang. If it hadn’t been for her coaxing, would they have been left in such a tight spot?

Madam Zhang guiltily lowered her head, avoiding Wang Yuan’er’s gaze.

“Grandpa, there’s no time to lose—we should head out now!” Wang Yuan’er didn’t refuse the silver they offered, taking all of it. However, she returned to her room to grab a little extra silver from her chest, just in case.

After tidying up, Wang Yuan’er supported the trembling Grandpa Wang as they arrived at the county courthouse. Looking at the bright red doors, Wang Yuan’er smiled bitterly—it was hard to believe that her first visit here would be to visit someone in jail.

Wang Yuan’er composed herself and had Grandpa Wang wait aside. She stepped forward to explain her purpose to the gate officer while discreetly offering the silver she had prepared.

“In this freezing weather, you’ve worked hard, Officer. Please accept this small amount to buy some wine and warm yourself,” Wang Yuan’er said with a smile.

The officer weighed the silver, which was about five taels, and tucked it into his waistband. He then said, “The official is very serious about this case—everyone involved has been detained, and visits are technically not allowed.”

“Officer, we mean no harm. You see, it suddenly snowed again last night. We’ve come just to deliver some hot food to my Second Uncle. We’ll be quick and won’t cause trouble for you. Please reconsider?” Wang Yuan’er opened the basket she carried, revealing steaming hot buns.

If the purpose of the visit was to check on someone in jail, one had to be prepared.

The officer glanced at the basket but said firmly, “No, no, that’s against the rules.”

“Officer, please, be kind. We’ll be quick and won’t cause any trouble,” Wang Yuan’er pleaded, slipping another piece of silver from her waistband into his hand. She added, “Officer, my father passed away early last year. My grandfather only has my Second Uncle left. He’s been so worried he couldn’t sleep all night—please do us this favor!”

Hearing this, the officer looked over at Grandpa Wang, who stood hunched to the side, his hair completely gray, his face haggard and full of worry. Sympathy flickered in the officer’s eyes. How heartbreaking it is for parents to bear the consequences of their children’s mistakes!

He glanced at the officer beside him, who gave a slight nod. Only then did he say, “Fine, but be quick—you’ve got fifteen minutes at most.”

Wang Yuan’er was overjoyed and quickly bowed in thanks. She turned back to help Grandpa Wang, following the officer into the courthouse.

The prison was dark and dismal, filled with all sorts of prisoners. They were dressed in rags, filthy, and disheveled. As Wang Yuan’er and Grandpa Wang walked by, some inmates rushed to the bars, stretching out their hands through the iron railings.

It was Wang Yuan’er’s first time seeing such a scene, and she swallowed nervously, gripping Grandpa Wang’s arm tightly. But she soon realized her grandfather was just as terrified—his hands were trembling uncontrollably.

“Here we are!” the officer leading them stopped in front of a cell. “Say what you need to say, but don’t take too long.”

Wang Yuan’er hurriedly agreed, slipping him another small piece of silver before turning to peer into the cell. After scanning the interior, she finally spotted Wang Er huddled in a corner. He was curled up into a ball, lying on the floor.

Wang Yuan’er’s heart clenched, and she called out, “Second Uncle, Second Uncle!”

“Er Lang, Er Lang!” Grandpa Wang joined in, shouting, “Wang Er!”

Wang Er groggily woke up. When he saw people standing outside his cell, he thought he was dreaming. But as he focused and realized it really was his father, he hurriedly crawled over on hands and knees, gripping the bars tightly. He cried out in agitation, “Father, Yuan’er, you’re here! Please, please get me out of here! I can’t stay in this place any longer!”