Chapter 415: Repaying Debts
"Nonsense! I don’t know any Fang Dayong," Gu Kaichen said, trying to evade the issue by playing dumb.
Lu Daniu wasn’t falling for it. He had seen plenty of men like this. "Heh, there is no debt the Ruyi Gambling House can’t collect. Second Young Master Gu probably doesn’t know this, but Lingnan is just a small branch for us. The Capital City is our real headquarters. Do you think we could survive in this business without solid backing?
"If you know what’s good for you, settle this tab immediately. It’ll be better for both of us. Otherwise, even with the Third Prince’s backing, things won’t end well for you."
Now he was resorting to threats. Liu Yun clutched her chest. The Gu Family was already a pile of mud, and now even more dirty water was being poured into it. How was anyone supposed to survive like this?
"How much silver does he owe?" Gu Baijiang knew of the Ruyi Gambling House. He had heard rumors about the man behind it—it was a property of Prince Pingkang.
Although Prince Pingkang was the Emperor’s half-brother, he was very tactful. Ever since the Emperor ascended the throne, the Prince had stayed far away from court affairs, content to live peacefully as a wealthy, idle royal.
It was said that a large portion of this gambling house’s annual profits was sent straight into the palace. Because of this, absolutely no one dared to cause trouble or look for a fight on their turf in the Capital City.
Of all the places this bastard could have gone, he just had to pick the Ruyi Gambling House. He certainly knew how to pick them.
No matter how furious Gu Baijiang felt, he had no choice but to step forward and clean up his son’s mess.
"Mr. Gu, please forgive my poor eyesight. I didn’t see you standing there," Lu Daniu said, offering a perfunctory salute. Making a living in the Capital City meant they were well aware of the important figures in town, but they truly didn’t take the Gu Family seriously. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made this trip today. "Second Young Master Gu owes our Ruyi Gambling House a hundred taels of silver. However, his entire family fled to escape the debt, which caused us a great deal of trouble.
"Between delivering letters across thousands of miles and tracking down the debt in another province, the owed silver has doubled. That comes to a total of two hundred taels of silver. I wonder if Mr. Gu will be settling the tab with cash or silver notes?"
Before Gu Baijiang could speak, Gu Kaiping chimed in from the side. "How could he owe so much? And you guys are being ridiculous! The silver doubled in such a short time?"
Hearing his father and older brother speak up, Gu Kaichen thought he had found some backing, and his voice grew a little louder. "I didn’t actually owe that much! I only borrowed fifteen taels of silver. Your interest rolls over way too fast!"
"What? You only borrowed fifteen taels of silver, and they came knocking on our door demanding two hundred taels?" Xu Yulan’s eyes widened. What about all the debts she had paid off for him in the past? Had they been like this too?
This wasn’t lending! This was highway robbery right at their doorstep!
"Exactly! I only received fifteen taels of silver in hand. I didn’t borrow as much as he claims. Even if I have to pay a little interest, it shouldn’t multiply like this!"
"Shut your mouth!" Gu Baijiang snapped, not even knowing what to say to these foolish family members. Prince Pingkang might be an idle royal, but he wasn’t someone they could afford to offend right now.
Even if the Third Prince were to run into him, he would have to respectfully address him as Royal Uncle. "Young man, here are two hundred taels of silver. Have a look."
Gu Baijiang pulled out the silver notes. The butler, who was very perceptive, stepped forward to take them and handed them to Lu Daniu.
After verifying the amount, Lu Daniu thoughtfully handed Gu Kaichen’s original IOU over to the butler.
He hadn’t expected collecting this debt to be so easy today. If everyone was this cooperative, his monthly commission would be quite substantial.
At the thought of this, the smile on his face became much warmer. "It is Mr. Gu who understands our difficulties. This debt is now settled."
After saying that, he looked over at Gu Kaichen. "Second Young Master Gu, the Ruyi Gambling House here in the Capital City is our headquarters. The facilities and services are much better than those in Lingnan. Whenever you have the time, feel free to come over and play. If you need anything, you can come directly to me."
Receiving the furious glares of the Gu Family, Lu Daniu wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. He simply offered them a smiling salute and walked away with a grin.
"Dad..."
Gu Kaiping had just opened his mouth to speak when Gu Baijiang stopped him. The old man flicked his sleeves and strode out. No one knew what he was going to do. Before they could figure it out, they saw him return holding a thick wooden stick, likely fetched from the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Gu Kaichen was still reminiscing about how easily his father had casually tossed out two hundred taels of silver. His heart fluttered with excitement. The old man really did have some hidden wealth...
He wondered what the Capital City’s Ruyi Gambling House was like. He definitely had to find the time to go experience it properly.
Now that Second Young Master Gu wasn’t short on silver, he would definitely have to enjoy himself to the fullest next time.
Just as he was immersed in his beautiful fantasies, a sharp scream from his wife pierced his ears. Snapping back to reality, he saw a heavy stick swinging straight at his face. Terrified, he dodged to the side, but a split second later, a fiery, agonizing pain flared across his back.
Before he could even let out a cry, a second strike followed closely behind. "Ouch, ouch, ouch! Dad, what are you doing?"
"You still have the nerve to ask me what I’m doing? Who told you to gamble? Who told you to borrow money?
"I’ll beat you to death, you wasteful son!"
Gu Baijiang was filled with extreme hatred, swinging the stick with all his might. No one wanted to step forward to stop him, and no one dared to, either.
Even Xu Yulan quietly backed away, mentally giving her father-in-law a thumbs-up. Yes, this was exactly how he needed to be beaten! It would be best if they could beat some sense into him!
This guy was utterly worthless. Not only had he squandered all their wealth, but if they hadn’t run away in time, he might have even sold her off by now.
As for the eldest branch and Xu Shuanghong, there was even less to say. They quietly watched the spectacle unfold. Though they didn’t jeer, the amused expressions on their faces were all too obvious.
The rest of the servants also stayed far away. The Third Prince had left them in this courtyard to keep an eye on things while doing their jobs, but the Gu Family had far too much ridiculous drama, providing them with more than enough entertainment.
Gu Kaichen had no idea how many times he had been hit. He only knew that if no one saved him today, he was going to be beaten to death.
Enduring the pain, he looked up and saw his older brother hiding in the corner, gloating over his misfortune. Gritting his teeth, he charged straight toward him.
Before Gu Kaiping could react, he ended up shielding him from a blow. Having never been beaten before, he felt his father’s love for the very first time.
"Dad, it’s me! Don’t hit the wrong person!"
By now, Gu Baijiang was seeing red. "I didn’t hit the wrong person! I would have been better off raising a litter of pigs than raising you sons! Not a single one of you is of any use, and each one is more unfilial than the last!"
He could no longer tell which was Boss Gu and which was his second son. Gripping the stick, he thrashed about wildly.
Even his two daughters-in-law hiding in the corners were caught in the crossfire.
But his age caught up with him. In less than fifteen minutes, he was panting heavily. Though he could no longer run, he kept muttering curses under his breath. "You’re all a bunch of spendthrifts! A pack of bastards! I’ve been smart my whole life—how did I end up giving birth to sons like you? Not a single one of you gives me peace of mind!
"Our Gu Family is finished! All my years of scheming, only for it to amount to nothing in the end..."
His final words were spoken in an extremely low mutter. Everyone else was too busy tending to their wounds and wishing they could be as far away from him as possible to care about what he was saying.
Only the butler, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, had a faint flicker in his eyes as he quietly backed away into the shadows.