Page 24

Xia Wencai wandered the streets in a daze, his face pale and lifeless.

It had all started off so well. His luck seemed steady at first. But somehow, it all fell apart later on.

Before he knew it, he had lost tens of thousands of silver taelsin gambling.

He had hoped to turn things around, but instead, he ended up losing even more—now owing the gambling house a debt of several thousand silver taels!

How was he supposed to explain this to his father? His father would definitely break his hands!

The moment he stepped through the door, Xia Jiang, his father, glared at him and asked, "Where's the money?"

Xia Wencai stammered, "The money... Aunt didn't give it to me."

Xia Jiang's expression darkened immediately. "What?! You didn't repeat what I told you to say to your aunt?"

"I did! But Aunt said she didn't have any money either."

With a loud bang, Xia Jiang slammed his palm on the table.

"That damn woman! Does she really want us both to go down together?!"

Xia Wencai cowered and added timidly, "Aunt said... you have so many properties and fields. She told you to go sell some of them."

Xia Jiang gritted his teeth, his face twisting with rage. He didn't want to end up in prison, so he had no choice but to consider selling his properties and farmland.

His heart bled at the thought. Those properties had taken him years to accumulate, and now he was being forced to sell them.

At that moment, Madam Xia returned home. She entered the courtyard with several servants trailing behind her, their arms laden with newly purchased items.

"Take everything to my courtyard," Madam Xia directed sharply. "And be careful with those vases—they're antiques from the previous dynasty! If you break them, your worthless lives won't be enough to repay me!"

Xia Jiang's expression turned even darker. "Why did you buy so much again?"

Madam Xia replied nonchalantly, "I went shopping with Madam Zhang today. Everyone else was buying things, so how could I not?"

Xia Jiang's anger erupted. "Madam Zhang's family is a grain merchant—do you think our family has the same kind of money? What makes you think you can compare yourself to them?"

Madam Xia retorted without hesitation, "What's there to compare? Isn't our family rich too? What's wrong with me spending a little money?"

Looking at his spendthrift wife and his utterly useless son, Xia Jiang felt a throbbing headache.

"Rich? Do you know that we're out of money? I'm already planning to sell off properties and farmland!"

Madam Xia froze in shock. "We're out of money? Then go ask your sister-in-law for some! The Shangshu Residenceis loaded!"

Xia Wencai chimed in, "Mother, Aunt refused to give us any."

Madam Xia's face twisted in disbelief. "What? She's always given us money before!"

She knew her husband had some leverage over his sister-in-law, which was why the latter had always provided whatever they demanded over the years.

Xia Wencai thought he had successfully hidden the truth about his gambling losses. But to his dismay, the matter was exposed far sooner than he anticipated.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, Xia Wencai was jolted awake by loud noises outside.

Before he could get his bearings, the door to his room was kicked open by Xia Jiang.

"You little brat! Did you go gambling again?!" Xia Jiang roared, his darkened face terrifying.

Xia Wencai hurriedly put on his clothes and denied, "No, I didn't!"

"Didn't gamble? Then why are people coming to collect debts?! They said you lost over twenty thousand taelsyesterday! Tell me—where did you even get that much money?!"

Before Xia Wencai could respond, an angry voice bellowed from outside, "Pay back the money! If you don't, I'll cripple your son's hands!"

Xia Jiang rushed out to deal with the situation, while Xia Wencai hid in his room, too frightened to show his face.

Somehow, after much pleading, Xia Jiang managed to get the debt collectors to grant him a three-day extension.

Once the commotion subsided, Xia Wencai finally emerged from his room. Xia Jiang glared at him coldly.

"Did your aunt give you any silver?"

"She... did," Xia Wencai admitted reluctantly. Initially, he had planned to deny it, but given the situation, there was no point in hiding the truth any longer.

"How much?"

"Fifteen thousand taels."

Madam Xia, who had just reached the courtyard, screeched in disbelief, "What?! Fifteen thousand taels?! And you lost all of it?!"

Xia Jiang grabbed a nearby object and began beating Xia Wencai mercilessly. Madam Xia rushed to intervene, trying to protect her son.

Even if Xia Jiang sold off his properties and farmland, it would only be enough to settle the debt with Drunken Immortal House. What about the gambling house?

If he didn't repay Drunken Immortal House, he'd end up in prison. But if he didn't pay the gambling house, his son's hands would be crippled for sure.

Forced into a corner, Xia Jiang made up his mind. He would go back to his sister-in-law and demand more money.

Xia Jiang's fury churned in his chest as he prepared to confront his sister-in-law once again.

Faced with mounting debts, a selfish wife, and an incompetent son, Xia Jiang was determined to squeeze every last coin he could from the wealthy Shangshu Residence.

But deep in his heart, he couldn't help but curse the misfortune that had befallen his family.