Chapter 1165: Cousin, Save Me

It’s truly because Gu Jin’an and the others are too outstanding that it’s impossible not to honor them.

Because Gu Jin’an and the others are so accomplished, not only did Magistrate Gu meet with the four who passed the exams as scholars, including Gu Jin’an and Qi Kangming, but he also met with the failed candidates like Lv Bai, He Jinseng, Yao Youqian, and Qu Wenliang.

Magistrate Gu also comforted He Jinseng and the others, saying that the imperial examination is difficult, and it’s rare for someone to pass it in just one or two attempts. Most people succeed after three or five tries. He encouraged them not to lose heart and to study well, as there will always be a day when they succeed.

He Jinseng and Lv Bai cried once more because of Magistrate Gu’s words, reigniting their passion for the exams.

Chen Cangjin and Chen Canggu hurriedly followed as they saw Gu Jin’an board the mule cart, but since Gu Jin’an and the Xu Family’s members were all in the mule cart, they could only run after them instead of following stealthily.

Gu Jin’an, having practiced some martial arts for years, heard footsteps constantly trailing them, so he lifted the cart’s curtain, his gaze sharp as a torch, glancing back. He vaguely saw two adults and two children following them and coldly laughed in silence: "Zezi, keep an eye on them, see what they intend to do. If they’re still following us after we part ways with the Xu Family’s convoy, turn into an alley and capture them."

"Yes." Zezi responded, driving the cart while keeping an eye on Chen Cangjin and Chen Canggu and their sons following them.

Soon, at the fork in the road, as they parted ways with the Xu Family, Gu Jin’an’s mule cart deliberately stopped to wait for Chen Cangjin and the others. However, Chen Cangjin and Chen Canggu’s group did not stop but continued to pursue the Xu Family’s mule cart.

"Young master, they’re targeting the Xu Family." Zezi said.

Upon hearing this, Gu Jin’an said, "Take the shortcut, get ahead of the Xu Family’s mule cart, inform them, and see how the Xu Family wishes to handle these four people."

These four people were really no good at tracking, and the Xu Family had protectors; the Xu Family’s protectors must have noticed them too.

"Alright." Zezi responded, about to turn the cart onto a small path, when suddenly a mule cart came charging from the opposite street, blocking those four.

Immediately after, two people jumped out of the cart; a woman grabbed a man’s hair and dragged him into the mule cart, looking much like... a shrew brawl.

Zezi was shocked and said to Gu Jin’an, "Young master, it’s Aunt Gui."

Gu Jin’an frowned, immediately lifting the cart curtain to look ahead, and indeed saw Mrs. Chen wrestling with a man. Fortunately, with Ah Feng’s help, Mrs. Chen quickly pulled the man into the mule cart.

Chen Canggu was stunned by what he saw and turned to run, but Ah Ling had already been watching him, quickly grabbing his arm and, with an over-the-shoulder throw, slammed him to the ground.

Gu Dagui hurried over, sat on him, pinned Chen Canggu down, and called out to Mrs. Chen, "The rope, the rope, quickly get the rope to tie him up."

Mrs. Chen hastily brought the rope, and together with Gu Dagui, they tied him up.

Chen Cangjin’s son, Chen Shengfu, seeing this, pushed Chen Canggu’s son towards Ah Feng, then turned to chase the Xu Family’s mule cart, shouting as he ran, "Cousin, Gu Family cousin, save me!!"

His voice was anguished, and Elder Xu and the others all heard it.

Elder Xu had long noticed the commotion on the road but didn’t want to intervene, so when Mrs. Chen’s mule cart charged out to block them, he instructed the Xu Family’s guardian to continue driving home.

However, these words disrupted Elder Xu’s plans; the shout was out for everyone to hear, and pretending not to know was no longer possible.

Elder Xu looked at the shocked Gu Dexing and asked, "Do you have a cousin in the prefecture?"

Gu Dexing hastily shook his head, "No, the only relatives I have in the prefecture are my second uncle and second aunt."

He further explained, "When fleeing the famine, our family parted ways with my grandparents’ family. Since then, we haven’t met. I really don’t know why that person calls me cousin?"

Elder Xu’s face darkened, "Then they must be your second aunt’s relatives."

"Huh?" Gu Dexing was shocked, shaking his head, "That’s even more impossible... Our family has long ceased to have dealings with second aunt’s maternal family."

Back then, he was young but old enough to remember; he’d seen the Chen Family people causing a ruckus at their home, almost leading to a fatal incident. Since then, the two families never interacted again.

Nevertheless, since this was a scandal, involving his second aunt’s maternal family and concerning her reputation, as a junior, Gu Dexing couldn’t speak clearly to Elder Xu, only saying, "My family doesn’t have any cousins in the prefecture."

"Cousin, cousin, save me!" Chen Shengfu was relentlessly chasing and shouting along the way.

Now it was evening, and there were still people hurrying home for dinner, and quite a few heard the shouting and looked over.

Elder Xu sighed, "Stop the cart, seal that person’s mouth and bring him up."

They’d just made an impression in the prefecture today; Elder Xu didn’t want gossips about the Xu Family spreading by tomorrow.

"Yes." The Xu Family’s guardian immediately stopped the mule cart, rushed over to cover Chen Shengfu’s mouth, shoved him into the mule cart, and said to the onlookers, "It’s a distant relative coming to beg for silver, no big deal."

Upon hearing this, the onlookers went, "Oh, it’s just relatives looking for money."

Everyone has distant relatives, some of whom are poor and love asking their rich kin for money. The rich relatives get annoyed and sometimes act indifferent like this.

In a hurry to get home, the onlookers didn’t linger after hearing the Xu Family’s explanation.

Mrs. Chen was nearly driven mad. By the time she rushed over, Chen Shengfu had been dragged into the Xu Family’s mule cart.

She dashed over and lifted the cart curtain, forcing a smile at Elder Xu, "Uncle Xu, this, this is my relative. There’s been some misunderstanding; you don’t need to trouble yourself. Just hand him over to me, and I’ll take him away now."

Gu Dexing’s heart sank upon seeing Mrs. Chen and he asked, "Second Aunt, is this really a cousin from the Chen Family?"

Hearing this, Mrs. Chen fiercely glared at him and said, "This is none of your concern."

Cousin my foot. Better not mention cousins, there are no such bloodsucking relatives in the family!

Elder Xu observed the situation, becoming more certain that this indeed was a relative from the Chen Family and that the Chen Family had been following his mule cart, clearly targeting his family.

Since the Chen Family came looking for his family, Elder Xu felt obliged to intervene.

"Da Gui’s wife, since they’re relatives, the Xu Family should help. Let’s go and talk at your shop." Elder Xu lowered the cart curtain and instructed the guardian driving the cart, "Head to the Gu’s Workshop in the north of the city."

"Yes." The guardian obeyed immediately, driving the mule cart toward the city’s north.

Mrs. Chen was on the verge of tears, darn it; she put in so much effort, and in the end, the Xu Family knew. What should she do now?

"Why did he run to the Xu Family’s mule cart?" Gu Dagui rushed over and asked the crestfallen Mrs. Chen.

"How should I know?!" Mrs. Chen shouted, then became terrified, clutching Gu Dagui’s arm, "Da Gui, what if the Xu Family finds out about the Chen Family’s affairs and breaks off the engagement with Brother Xing? Will sister-in-law turn into a ghost to haunt me at night?"