Chapter Thirteen: I'm Going to Tear Him Apart

Bang!

Old Wu, having just returned from packing up his stall, was so enraged upon learning of the trouble his son Wu Qingshan had stirred up that he slammed the table in fury, ready to grab his dulled butcher’s knife and go after his unfilial son.

“For generations, the Wu family has been honest and hardworking. We’ve never stolen, never cheated, never done anything lacking in conscience. Now Wu Qingshan goes out and makes a fool of himself—if I catch him, I’ll skin him alive!”

Jiang Chen blocked the doorway, hurriedly trying to reason with him. “Qingshan did wrong, yes, but the most important thing right now is to find where he is. As long as he’s safe, we’ll find a way to settle the rest.”

“If those people get to him first, there’s no telling if he’ll even make it out alive.”

Old Wu was speaking out of anger. Brandishing the knife was only meant to scare his son; he wouldn’t dare actually harm him, for this boy was the precious, only son in five generations of the Wu family.

If anything were to happen to Wu Qingshan, Old Wu would be the first to risk his life against those people!

Once he began to calm down, Old Wu continued to curse, but his thoughts were increasingly drawn to how he might repay the debt. He prided himself on his integrity—since the debt was real, he wouldn’t deny it no matter what.

“That rascal, what on earth has he been up to out there to rack up a debt of a thousand taels of silver? Was he chasing skirts, throwing away money he didn’t have, and then borrowing to save face?”

Old Wu’s mind spun with wild conjectures, while Jiang Chen was already preparing to go look for Wu Qingshan.

“Brother Chen, let me come with you?” Wu Yue followed him out, worry etched on her face. After all, it was her younger brother who had caused this mess—how could she let Jiang Chen shoulder it alone?

“I think I know where Qingshan is hiding. Don’t worry, I’ll find him. Besides, you need to stay home and keep an eye on your father, in case he does something rash.”

Jiang Chen took Wu Yue’s soft, delicate hand and pressed a gentle kiss on it.

Such a gesture, in these times, was nothing short of daring. Fortunately, Wu Yue and Jiang Chen’s feelings ran deep, and their engagement was already set, so she wasn’t startled.

Wu Yue only turned away, blushing, her lovely face a picture of coy reproach. “Brother Chen, don’t let my father see you like this! Hurry and be careful.”

Jiang Chen smiled faintly and walked out into the night, his mind filled with the image of her tender words and bashful demeanor—how heart-stirring she was.

To have such a woman in this lifetime, willing to follow him through thick and thin, was a blessing earned over many lifetimes. He resolved to work even harder, to give her the life she deserved.

With this thought bright in his heart, Jiang Chen made his way to the secluded courtyard he’d rented for his secret brewing.

The place had been abandoned for years, until they moved in and cleaned it up as the site for making River Moon White. Since this was all under wraps, hardly anyone knew about it.

If he were Wu Qingshan, this was exactly where he would hide. Sure enough, the oil lamp inside was burning.

Creak—

Pushing open the door, Jiang Chen saw Wu Qingshan sitting dejectedly at the bedside, head in hands. During the endless days and nights of brewing, he’d always complained he could drop dead from exhaustion, yet now he couldn’t sleep at all.

“Back when you first arrived, you kept moaning about how tired you were and wanted to quit. But lately you haven’t uttered a single complaint. I thought you’d finally learned to buckle down and work, but it turns out you were just avoiding your debts.”

Jiang Chen sat across from Wu Qingshan, rapping his knuckles lightly on the table.

A long while passed before Wu Qingshan poured out the truth. He’d wanted to befriend the wealthy young men, thinking that once he’d made some connections, he’d find a way to get rich.

But his idea was nothing but naïve. In the end, he’d gotten nothing, and had run up heavy debts by constantly treating those wastrels to meals and drinks. Now, unable to repay what he owed, he’d hidden himself here, not knowing what else to do.

Jiang Chen burst out laughing. “All this for such a small thing? You’re a grown man—how can you let it get you this down? Since it’s happened, be a man and take responsibility for it!”

Wu Qingshan suddenly stood, as though a decision had crystallized within him. His eyes were resolute.

“Jiang Chen, you’re right! Thank you for making me see clearly. I caused this mess, so it’s up to me to set it right. I can’t drag the family down with me. If those men want to hack me to pieces, let them. My father’s probably dreaming of doing the same right now.”

“Either way, I’ll face it. I’ll go find them myself.”

Wu Qingshan’s back was tinged with tragic resolve, but Jiang Chen called him back just in time.

“Where do you think you’re going at this hour? Get back here!”

Jiang Chen repeated what he’d said to the scar-faced man and continued, “In short, you don’t need to worry about the debt. Leave it to me. After all, you’re my brother-in-law.”

“A thousand taels is no small sum, but when our River Moon White sells, we won’t have to worry about such trifles.”

Wu Qingshan was deeply moved, choking up. “Brother-in-law, you’re willing to help me this once—there’s nothing I won’t do for you from now on, whatever you ask!”

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. “Is that all?”

“Oh, I promise I’ll never hang around those wastrels again. All they do is squander money and mess around—useless! A hundred of them aren’t half as clever as you are!”

“Wrong.”

“What’s wrong?”

Jiang Chen said, “Hanging around with them isn’t useless; you should spend even more time with them. Here, take some silver and go drinking with them tonight.”

Wu Qingshan froze, realizing Jiang Chen was being sarcastic, and was about to vow never to repeat his folly.

But to his surprise, Jiang Chen actually handed him some silver—it didn’t look like a joke.

“Brother-in-law, are you testing me? I won’t fall for it—never again!”

Jiang Chen shook his head. “Not a test. I need you to do something for me—go find your usual friends, and while you’re at it...”

As Jiang Chen revealed his plan, Wu Qingshan’s face lit up. “So that’s it! How did you know?”

“Didn’t you ask me earlier why I didn’t get Gu Jun to help? Guess what he’s been up to?”

Wu Qingshan’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh! Keeping watch!”

After Jiang Chen laid out his plan, Wu Qingshan took the silver and headed off to the tavern in high spirits, while Jiang Chen sat quietly in the house, every move unfolding just as he’d intended.