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墨書 Inktalez
The couple had no connections, so they had to resort to the simplest method: waiting for an opportunity.
Since it was inconvenient for Wen to go out, Yang Hua went alone to the entrance of Liu Residence. He didn’t dare to knock on the door directly to seek an audience with Liu Yuan; instead, he hid and lurked around, appearing suspicious. After several visits without encountering Liu Yuan, he was nearly caught and beaten up by the guards of Liu Residence.
Now, Yang Hua was back at the entrance of Liu Residence again. He didn’t dare approach the front door and could only crouch beside a stone lion, waiting for Liu Yuan to come out.
As soon as the gatekeeper spotted him, he hurried inside to report to the manager.
“Zhang Butler, that man is back at the entrance. Should we chase him away?”
The gatekeeper didn’t dare make a decision on his own and reported the matter truthfully, leaving it to someone with authority to handle it.
Zhang Butler had already heard from the gatekeeper about a suspicious man lurking around recently. He was concerned that if this person had ulterior motives and intended to do something harmful to the Liu Family, it could be serious.
“Let’s go take a look!”
With that, Zhang Butler adjusted his clothing and waddled out to assess the situation.
Upon reaching the entrance, the gatekeeper seized Yang Hua and said to Zhang Butler, “Zhang Butler, this is the man who has been coming here repeatedly. He doesn’t seek anyone or say anything; he just squats in this corner! I think he’s definitely suspicious; we should apprehend him and hand him over to the Yamen!”
“Wait, wait, please don’t!” Yang Hua was terrified at the thought of being captured. He quickly pleaded, “Sir, please listen! I’m not a bad person; I’m here looking for someone.”
Zhang Butler approached Yang Hua and scrutinized him. With his shabby appearance, it was clear he wasn’t a friend or relative of Liu Residence. His cowardly demeanor made him seem unlikely to cause trouble.
Such ordinary impoverished folk were hardly worth noticing by the masters of Liu Residence. Even their servants didn’t feel obliged to treat them with courtesy.
However, Liu Residence always aimed to project an image of benevolence towards its people. As long as someone didn’t infringe upon their interests, they wouldn’t go too far in their treatment—at least not overtly.
Zhang Butler did not directly throw Yang Hua out but instead asked with a friendly expression, "Are you looking for someone? Who are you looking for? I am the butler of Liu Residence. If you tell me, I can help you pass on a message."
"Thank you! Thank you!" Yang Hua was overjoyed by Zhang Butler's politeness and quickly revealed his purpose, "Zhang Butler, I am here to find the county magistrate's young master, Liu Yuan!"
Before he could finish speaking, the gatekeeper burst into laughter. "With someone like you, you think you can meet our young master? Do you think he can be seen just because you want to?"
Yang Hua felt mocked and dared not show anger; he maintained a smiling face throughout. He had already decided to give up; this plan seemed unwise. The Liu Family was not a place where someone like him could easily gain access.
It would be better to think of other ways.
Not daring to linger any longer, Yang Hua took his leave, saying, "Yes, yes, yes! I was too presumptuous. I will take my leave now."
"Wait." After enjoying Yang Hua's embarrassment for long enough, Zhang Butler finally called him back and kindly said, "Since you've come all this way, and I see you're an honest person not here to cause trouble, I'll make an extra trip to check if the young master is at home. If he isn't, you can't blame us."
Yang Hua quickly bowed in gratitude. "Yes, yes! Thank you for your trouble."
Zhang Butler did not tease him further and genuinely sent someone to look for Liu Yuan. Coincidentally, Liu Yuan was inside the house reflecting on his recent visit to Peach Blossom Studio. Not only had he failed to gather the information he wanted, but he had also been subtly ridiculed by Ye Xiaohan, leaving him feeling quite displeased.
"Looking for me?" Liu Yuan was somewhat surprised; none of his friends were like that. He directly refused, saying, "I won't see them. You all must be too bored to disturb me with such matters. I think it would be best to assign you all to menial tasks so that you'd understand what you should and shouldn't do."
The servant delivering the message was instantly terrified; despite Liu Yuan's outwardly gentle demeanor, he was not as warm-hearted as he appeared. If he said they would be assigned to menial tasks, they truly would be.
"Yes, that's right! Just send them away so they won't linger at the door and become an eyesore!"
The servant quickly responded, fearing to provoke Liu Yuan's anger.
Liu Yuan waved his hand, signaling him to leave quickly. Suddenly a thought crossed his mind, and he called the servant back: "Come back. That person just now—was his surname Yang?"
"Returning, Young Master, it is the surname Yang." The servant did not understand why Liu Yuan suddenly changed his mind, and could only silently pray that the Buddha would protect him from Liu Yuan's wrath. He hurriedly ran to fulfill his duty, hoping to avoid any misfortune.
Fortunately, Liu Yuan was not angry. "Let him in," he said.
"Yes, Young Master!" The servant escaped a disaster and quickly went to carry out the order.
Liu Yuan tapped his index finger rhythmically on the armrest of his chair. Previously, he had heard that the family had sent Yang Juanjuan back, and it was even done personally by Liu Bei. He feared that Ye Xiaohan had found Yang Juanjuan bothersome and forced Liu Bei to take such action.
Liu Yuan felt he understood Ye Xiaohan's methods well enough; even he had suffered losses at Ye Xiaohan's hands. How could an inexperienced girl fare any better?
The man coming in also bore the surname Yang. He wondered if there was any connection to Yang Juanjuan. If this person was indeed related to her and had come seeking help to retaliate against Ye Xiaohan, then he was not foolish—he could be a useful tool.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Liu Yuan maintained a calm demeanor.
Yang Hua was soon brought in. He was a countryman who had spent a few years as a shopkeeper; most of what he had seen were ordinary folk like himself. He had never encountered the grandeur of the Liu Residence and was dazzled as he entered.
Upon seeing Liu Yuan, he dared not meet his gaze, standing timidly to one side, unsure where to place his hands and feet.
"You are Yang Hua? You wish to see me?"
Seeing Yang Hua in person left Liu Yuan somewhat disappointed. This man seemed lacking in cunning; he doubted he would be of any help.
Yang Hua quickly stepped forward to respond, "Yes, Young Master Liu, it is I."
Liu Yuan felt disheartened by him and decided not to engage further. He intended to dismiss him after a couple of questions and casually asked, "What do you want from me?"
Yang Hua stammered, unclear about his purpose. Liu Yuan grew irritated; he was already troubled and encountering such a person only added to his frustration.
"Since you have nothing important to discuss, I won't keep you any longer. Please leave."
Liu Yuan gestured for the attendants to escort the guests out. Upon receiving the order, the attendants moved forward, half-pulling and half-dragging, intending to push them out.
Yang Hua grew anxious. If Liu Yuan did not help them, he and his wife would have no chance of turning their fortunes around. Thinking of the wealth that awaited them after acquiring the six families, and contrasting it with their current state of being at the mercy of others, he steeled himself and exclaimed, "Young Master Liu, I came to ask for your help in dealing with that bitch Ye Xiaohan!"
This was a moment where Yang Hua and his wife, despite their scheming nature, lacked sufficient cunning. If they had been a bit more calculating, they might not have acted so impulsively and would have thought things through more carefully.
Thus, by sheer chance, they encountered Liu Yuan, who was equally intent on causing harm.
"Oh?" Liu Yuan finally looked up at him. "You want to deal with Ye Xiaohan?"
The attendants paused in their actions as Yang Hua quickly broke free and rushed forward. "Yes, yes! Our family has had enough of Ye Xiaohan's abuse; we just want to get rid of her as soon as possible. I heard Young Master Liu also dislikes that bitch. Why don't we join forces to eliminate her? After we inherit the six families' wealth, my wife and I are willing to give you thirty percent!"
Offering thirty percent of the six families' inheritance to Liu Yuan was an idea concocted by Yang Hua and his wife. Initially, they planned to offer only ten percent, but considering Liu Yuan's status, they reluctantly raised their offer to thirty percent.
"Thirty percent?" Liu Yuan genuinely laughed this time, though it was not a kind laugh but rather one filled with mockery. "That's quite a sum; I would love to have it. But first, I need to understand your identity and intentions clearly. Only then will I consider whether or not to wade into this murky water."
He said this, but anyone with a bit of sense would know that if he truly did not want to get involved, he would have already kicked them out when Yang Hua first spoke.
Since Liu Yuan had said such words, it was clear that he had already stepped one foot into the murky waters.
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