Chapter 1139: The Patsy

Grand Old Master Liu didn’t indulge him and said directly, "I give you three choices. First, your branch can get out of the clan; second, we divide the family property; third, we separate Wenqing’s house alone."

Liu Er’s branch needs a way out; otherwise, if Liu Er continues to stir trouble, the entire branch might come to an end.

Old Master Liu Er didn’t want to choose any of them.

But Grand Old Master Liu sneered and said something that could cost Old Master Liu Er’s life: "If you don’t understand the reason, I’ll put your handprint on the confession for trying to harm Wenqing. As long as I go to the government office to accuse you, you’ll have to go to jail. Do you want to go to jail, or do you want to live out your days peacefully?"

Old Master Liu Er, as Liu Wenqing’s grandfather, has the right to put his handprint on the confession, causing Liu Wenqing to die. However, as the Clan Leader of the Liu Family, he also has the right to accuse Old Master Liu Er in the government office.

Old Master Liu Er was scared. After a moment of stalemate, he nodded under Grand Old Master Liu’s fierce gaze, agreeing to separate Liu Wenqing’s house: "Let’s just separate his house, the other sons can’t be separated unless I’m dead!"

If the other sons were separated too, wouldn’t he, as the household’s old master, become a laughingstock?

And he added, "Wenqing’s father is a concubine’s child, at most can get a tenth of the property, which is twenty acres of land, nothing else."

No silver or house would be given, it’s no different from sending away a beggar. But Grand Old Master Liu knew Second Son Liu’s family’s days weren’t easy, and as a legitimate son, he felt uneasy about the difference between legitimate and illegitimate, though he wanted to help Liu Wenqing, he wouldn’t break the rules, so he agreed: "Okay."

Before his mother died, she always told him that Fu Ming was an ignorant one. After dividing the family, his branch didn’t know how it would turn out, so he should help Fu Ming more, at least help Fu Ming’s descendants, ensuring Fu Ming’s old age wasn’t too miserable.

He promised, but now Liu Fuming was senile, and he also had a group of descendants to care for. There’s not much he could do for Liu Fuming’s branch, he could only protect one house of clear-minded descendants to account for his deceased mother.

Grand Old Master Liu quickly wrote the family division document. After he and Old Master Liu Er signed and put their handprints on it, it would be stamped at the government office and become effective.

As for Third Old Grandmaster Liu, being a concubine’s child of a side branch, the division wasn’t about his descendants’ family, so his presence didn’t matter.

Grand Old Master Liu put away the division document and said to Old Master Liu Er, "Er, don’t feel like I’m bullying you; I’m your elder brother, your biological elder brother. How could I harm you? Think about what you’ve done; is that even proper? Being counterattacked by the Tong Family without knowing how to fight back — if all Liu Family’s descendants were like you, the Liu Family wouldn’t last three generations before turning from a wealthy household into slaves, not knowing when they’ll be framed and sold off."

Old Master Liu Er stiffened his neck and said nothing, clearly unconvinced.

Grand Old Master Liu, seeing this, felt sad, and didn’t know why they, biological brothers, had turned into enemies.

"Alright, if you don’t want to stay here, then go back. Remember to keep your mouth shut, don’t let slip anything you shouldn’t. Wenqing is your biological grandson, you have to think for him." Grand Old Master Liu waved his hand, dismissing Old Master Liu Er.

Old Master Liu Er was furious, shouting towards the inner room, "Er, you ungrateful wretch, how long do you want to hide? Come out quickly and see your father off!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Er hurriedly came out and assisted Old Master Liu Er in leaving.

Liu Wenqing would continue living here to recover.

Grand Old Master Liu went in to see him, handed him two items, a house and land deed, and a five-hundred-tael silver note: "Our Liu Family still has an old house in West City, not big, just one courtyard, rented out before, now it’s yours, you can move there. Keep the silver note, find a business to start, maintain the household first, and after life gets better, continue studying."

Given Liu Wenqing’s family’s current situation, doing nothing but studying would be awaiting death.

Liu Wenqing’s face turned red, feeling like a begging pauper, not wanting to accept it, but knowing it’s the family’s lifesaving money.

Wenqing couldn’t stand Liu Wenqing’s dithering, saying: "Hurry up and take it. If you don’t want to owe my grandfather, then hurry to earn money and repay the silver before he passes."

Grand Old Master Liu heard, got angry, blowing his beard and staring, cursing: "How can you talk like that, are you cursing me?"

Wenqing apologized with a smile: "Grandfather, you’re so healthy, you’ll surely live to a hundred years, saying a few words is fine... Hey, don’t hit, don’t hit, your cane is really hard, it hurts to be hit!"

Liu Wenqing looked at Wenqing being chased and hit, finally showing some smile on his face.

When Grand Old Master Liu stopped and passed him the house and land deed and silver note again, Liu Wenqing accepted them and pledged: "Grand Uncle, rest assured, this nephew will definitely repay the silver."

Grand Old Master Liu was very relieved, nodded and said, "Yes, Grand Uncle believes in you."

"I believe in you," these two words greatly encouraged Liu Wenqing, making his posture more upright.

Wenqing saw this and said to him: "Since you want to earn money and support the family, come out with me tomorrow, we’ll find a foolish investor and borrow ten thousand taels to do big business."

Liu Wenqing frowned, looking at the five hundred taels of silver in his hand: "We already have money, why borrow money? Borrowing silver for business, isn’t it bad?"

What if it’s lost, carrying debts?

Moreover...

"Who would lend us ten thousand taels?"

Not even a fool would lend, right?

Wenqing laughed: "You’ll know tomorrow. That person will definitely lend us the silver. By then, we can use his family’s silver to buy lands and shops, and run the business."

This would be snatching the wolves with empty hands.

Liu Wenqing felt Wenqing would surely get beaten tomorrow; would someone with ten thousand taels of silver let you snatch them easily?

Liu Wenqing was prepared to be beaten along with him.

...

The next day, Wenqing took Liu Wenqing to Fugui Building, entered a private room, ordered many expensive dishes, both eating and drinking, terrifying Liu Wenqing, who hurried to stop: "Brother Wenqing, are you crazy? These dishes are very expensive, at least a hundred taels for one table. Why do we eat so well? Just eat something casually in the main hall."

Wenqing said, "What are you afraid of? We won’t pay for this table. Just eat freely."

Liu Wenqing was shocked: "You want to eat for free!"

He’d be beaten to death.

Wenqing looked at him disdainfully and said, "Look at your spineless self, you don’t always need to pay with silver to eat, you can give other things. Just eat freely; Qiu Hao won’t charge us."

Hearing this, Liu Wenqing realized: "Yesterday you said to find a foolish investor to borrow money, this foolish investor is Qiu Hao?"

Wenqing nodded: "Yes. He’s wealthy and hates Tong San to death. As long as we say a few bad things about Tong San, he’ll not only lend us silver, but might even give it for free."

Liu Wenqing twitched his mouth, very skeptical: "Although Qiu Hao is young, he’s not a fool. Would he give us silver for free?"

Wenqing just smiled without speaking. When the dishes were served, he began to eat heartily, also finding fault with Liu Wenqing’s restraint: "Hurry up and eat, we still have to discuss business when Qiu Hao arrives."