Chapter 189

Wang Er was a man of lofty ambitions but lacked the capability to achieve them. When he managed the family’s only shop, he failed to generate significant profits. Later, when he became an overseer at the river bureau, his performance was mediocre—neither outstanding nor disastrous—but he didn’t accomplish much or make any major mistakes.

Yet unexpectedly, at this critical juncture, he caused such a huge problem that he ended up in prison.

Looking back at three generations of the Wang family, they were all ordinary, law-abiding people. Thanks to the diligence and frugality of their ancestors, they managed to establish a small family business to make a living. Everyone in the family lived straightforward, honest lives. Entering prison was unheard of for them—quarrels or fights were rare enough to count on one hand.

Wang Er being imprisoned was unprecedented for the Wang family.

Was Wang Er possessed by a sudden impulse? Not quite!

It was precisely because he had never achieved much. Watching others in positions of overseer or management earn rewards and bribes while he himself only received meager tokens of appreciation that weren’t even enough to buy wine, this disparity left him feeling deeply frustrated.

At this point, his wife’s elder brother, Zhang Dapeng, came to him. Zhang Dapeng worked as a steward for the eldest Tang family master. In the past, Wang Er had harbored resentment toward Zhang Dapeng for not helping him find better opportunities. However, their relationship began to improve after they jointly pooled money from various households to invest in the Tang family’s merchant ship.

Zhang Dapeng approached Wang Er with what he called a promising opportunity: he introduced a timber merchant named Lin Biao to Wang Er. If Wang Er could ensure that the river bureau used Lin Biao’s timber, Lin would reward him with one hundred taels of silver—and the partnership could become a steady stream of benefits in the future.

Since Wang Er was responsible for overseeing materials at the river bureau, it fell under his duties to manage timber supplies. Previously, a man named Chen Zhou, a mountain dweller had been supplying timber to the river bureau since the river construction began.

The offer of one hundred taels was the largest “gift” Wang Er had ever encountered in his time as an overseer. Even Chen Zhou, after numerous transactions, had only given him around twenty or thirty taels in total as a token of appreciation. The prospect of earning one hundred taels in one go, with more to come, left Wang Er deeply tempted. This spark of greed felt like hundreds of cat claws scratching at his heart, making it impossible to resist.

After all, he reasoned, timber was timber—as long as the wood was of good quality, what difference did it make whose timber was used? However, since Chen Zhou had been consistently providing high-quality timber, Wang Er couldn’t justify an abrupt switch, which left him in a dilemma.

Zhang Dapeng and Lin Biao came up with a scheme: they secretly mixed termite-ridden timber into the batch Chen Zhou delivered, swapped out most of the good timber, and used this as leverage to discredit Chen Zhou, thereby replacing him as the supplier.

Chen Zhou was deeply wronged but had no way to defend himself. The termite-infested wood had indeed been discovered among the timber he supplied, making it impossible for him to deny responsibility. As a simple mountain dweller, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and accept the blame, though he was convinced there was some hidden scheme behind this.

After Chen Zhou was replaced as the supplier, Lin Biao quickly delivered his timber. Wang Er personally inspected the wood, finding it to be high-quality solid timber, and felt reassured. However, he didn’t realize that only the surface layers were solid; the inner sections were completely hollowed out by termites. From the outside, this was nearly impossible to detect without careful examination.

It was Chen Zhou who exposed the scheme. He believed his timber had been of good quality and couldn’t understand why defective wood was found among it. Suspecting foul play, he secretly followed Wang Er for several days and eventually uncovered the plan orchestrated by Wang Er, Zhang Dapeng, and Lin Biao.

Refusing to accept this injustice, Chen Zhou reported the matter to Lord Li. Upon investigation, it was found that most of Lin Biao’s timber, except for a few surface pieces, had been infested with termites. But even after exposing the truth, it was too late. Chen Zhou was arrested alongside the others.

“Er Lang, you fool! You’re such a fool!” Grandpa Wang wept bitterly after hearing the full story, utterly heartbroken and disappointed.

Wang Yuan’er was also furious beyond words. Greed had blinded Wang Er, leading him to frame an innocent man and accept bribes.

“Second Uncle, did you really not see the termite-infested timber? If it had been used in the dam, do you realize how catastrophic the disaster could have been when the floods came?” she asked, her voice a mix of anger and sorrow.

“I—I didn’t know the timber was like that! If I had known, how could I have accepted it?” Wang Er exclaimed, his voice filled with shock and fear. He added, “Zhang Dapeng introduced it. As long as you find him, I’ll be fine. Oh, and the silver—I haven’t spent it. It’s hidden under my bed in an old shoe.”

Wang Yuan’er rolled her eyes. What’s the use of saying that now? That silver has already been found.

“Father, you have to believe me. I didn’t mean to use inferior materials—I… I just thought the timber was all the same. It was only that bit of silver that clouded my judgment!” Wang Er said regretfully, clutching his head and hitting it with his fists.

After spending one night in the prison, surrounded by rats and insects crawling everywhere, hearing the harrowing screams of prisoners under torture, and occasional muffled cries of pain, Wang Er had been terrified. If he is not careful, rats even climb onto him. Although he hadn’t grown up in luxury, he had never experienced such suffering before—and now, he regretted everything deeply. But regret couldn’t undo what had been done.

“Did they torture you?” Grandpa Wang asked urgently, carefully inspecting Wang Er.

Wang Er shook his head and replied, “No, they put me in the cell as soon as I was arrested. They haven’t started the interrogation yet.”

Wang Yuan’er frowned, ready to speak, when footsteps approached.

“Come on, Wang Er, time’s up. The Lord wants to see you.” Two or three officers arrived, shoving Wang Yuan’er and Grandpa Wang aside as they escorted Wang Er out.

Wang Er was terrified and shouted, “Father, Father, you have to get me out of here!”

“Second Uncle, tell the lord everything exactly as it happened,” Wang Yuan’er called out urgently. “Don’t hide anything—be completely honest!”

Judging by the situation, it seemed Wang Er was about to be interrogated. If he confessed truthfully, he might avoid harsher punishment. Otherwise, a stint in prison could leave him half-dead.

Wang Yuan’er and Grandpa Wang were pushed out of the courthouse.

Trembling, Grandpa Wang tried to step forward again, visibly consumed by fear.

“Move along! Once the matter is thoroughly investigated, the release will be decided appropriately. Don’t linger here!” said the officer who had accepted Wang Yuan’er’s silver, waving them away.

Grandpa Wang wanted to say something, but Wang Yuan’er interjected, “Grandpa, let’s go back and think of another solution!”

Looking at his granddaughter, Grandpa Wang reluctantly nodded. Wang Yuan’er considered for a moment and pulled out another ten taels of silver from her sleeve, handing it to the officer. She asked him to keep an eye on Wang Er, reasoning that money could smooth things over and at least make Wang Er’s time inside more bearable.

The grandfather and granddaughter headed home, walking silently. Grandpa Wang sighed heavily, wiping away tears that kept flowing, a sight that deeply saddened Wang Yuan’er.

“Grandpa, don’t worry. Second Uncle was only tempted by a hundred taels of silver. Since this was discovered early and hasn’t caused significant harm, as long as he confesses truthfully, the worst he’ll face might just be a few lashes. He’ll likely be released soon,” Wang Yuan’er comforted him gently.

Although Wang Er’s actions weren’t minor, they also weren’t particularly severe. It was only a hundred taels, discovered before any major consequences occurred. Most importantly, the termite-infested timber had not yet been used in the dam construction.

The position of overseer was certainly not something Wang Er could continue. If things went lightly, he might get away with just a few lashes and eventually be released. But Wang Yuan’er couldn’t help worrying about the corruption in the bureaucracy—would someone try to make Wang Er a scapegoat? If that happened, things would truly spiral out of control.

However, she didn’t dare voice these concerns to Grandpa Wang. She kept them to herself, knowing that mentioning such possibilities now would only add unnecessary worry to the household. With the situation not yet fully resolved, it was better left unsaid.

“You don’t understand your Second Uncle. He’s not like your father. Your grandma has spoiled him since he was young, and he’s never really suffered. You’ve seen the torture in the courthouse—how many come out alive? And those who do, aren’t they practically half-dead? Your Second Uncle, with his temperament, I fear he won’t be able to withstand it!” Grandpa Wang said with deep worry. His voice trembled, and his eyes reddened again as he reached for his tobacco pouch to calm himself. But his hands were shaking so much that he couldn’t light it properly.

Wang Yuan’er’s gaze darkened slightly. She pressed her lips together but chose not to respond.

The grandfather and granddaughter finally returned to their home in Changle Town, only to find a crowd gathered at their gate, pointing and gossiping. Some officers were seen coming out of their house, and the courtyard echoed with loud cries.

Wang Yuan’er and Grandpa Wang exchanged glances, their hearts sinking in unison. Quickly, they pushed through the crowd and hurried forward.

The townsfolk noticed their arrival and stepped aside to make way for them.

“Everyone, go home! Leave!” Grandpa Wang waved his hand at the crowd by the gate and instructed Wang Yuan’er to close the door.

It’s one thing for family troubles to become public, but leaving the door wide open for everyone to see was another matter entirely—no one wants their shame laid bare for all to see.

Inside the courtyard, chaos reigned. Madam Zhang sat crying at the door of the west wing, her hair disheveled, while the children wailed in fear.

“Elder Sister is back!” Wang Qing’er, sharp-eyed, rushed forward with red, teary eyes. “Elder Sister, the officers were here. They said they were looking for stolen silver and turned Second Aunt’s room upside down—they almost searched ours, too.”

Wang Yuan’er frowned and asked, “And then?”

“Then Grandma handed them a bag. I saw it—it was full of silver. It must be…” Wang Qing’er, who had never experienced such turmoil before, now looked terrified. The usually feisty girl was choking up as she said, “Elder Sister, with Second Uncle like this, will we be in trouble too? Will we also get dragged to jail?”

Wang Yuan’er patted her shoulder and reassured her, “Don’t worry. It won’t be like you think. Everything will be fine. Help tidy up the courtyard and the house—I need to discuss things with Grandpa and Grandma.”

Seeing them return, Madam Zhang stopped crying and hurried over to ask, “Father, Yuan’er, how is your Second Uncle? When will he be released? Those damned officers turned the whole house upside down!”

Grandpa Wang’s face was grim as he prepared to speak, but before he could say anything, Wang Chun’er rushed out of the main room, her face pale, shouting.

“Elder Sister! Grandpa! Come quickly! Grandma isn’t doing well!”

Wang Yuan’er’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t bother dealing with Madam Zhang and hurriedly ran into the house, shouting instructions as she went: “Qing’er, stop tidying up! Hurry and go get a doctor!”

With so many crises piling up, the household couldn’t afford another disaster!