TEFSCBSS Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Final Segment (Part 3)

How could Han Yueyi be so ungrateful? Clearly, he’s already deep in guilt, yet not only does he refuse to admit it, but he also ignores everyone?

The crowd’s eyes widened as they stroked their chins. This doesn’t make sense, does it? He seemed so sincere just moments ago. Could it be that he’s one person in public and another behind closed doors?

Before anyone could piece it together, a commotion erupted from the group surrounding Liu Tuhu.

Wang Qingmu’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurried over.

“Hey! Liu Tuhu, confess! Where does this key open?”

“Are you hiding some gold or jewels from us?”

“Boss, we’re not raiding a house, there shouldn’t be anything valuable to find…”

“Cough, I know. Hey! Liu Tuhu, tell us honestly, are you hiding some clue from us?”

Liu Tuhu faced three guards, unyielding. He stomped his foot on the chair, slapped the table with a thundering noise, and growled, “What’s the matter? Why should I tell you anything? You’re the ones who took my key! I’ll report you for theft!”

“Hey!” Song Dazhou, losing his temper, also stomped on Liu Tuhu’s chair, shouting, “We’re the ones investigating here, you’re the suspect, you understand?!”

“What’s the matter? What suspicion do you have of me, huh?”

“Oh, shouting loud, are you? Anyone can shout! Tell me, did you know Yanran was your daughter all along?”

Liu Tuhu stomped his foot again. “So what if I did, huh? What if I didn’t?!”

“Doesn’t matter! Answer me!” Song Dazhou was getting frustrated, stomping his foot and slapping his leg!

Neither of them would back down, both convinced their voice was stronger than the other’s, and the result was a chaotic series of crashes as both men’s chairs broke under their feet, sending the two of them crashing to the ground, shaking the entire stage.

Su Li, originally just observing, suddenly found herself caught in the mess.

With a dark look on her face, she pushed her way through the crowd, narrowing her eyes as she watched the two clumsily struggle on the floor, occasionally sneering.

Wang Qingmu anxiously inhaled a sharp breath, worried that Su Li might demand compensation. If that happened, who knew if the unscrupulous boss would only charge for a broken chair or the entire set?

After all, wealthy and pretentious people tend to throw out a whole tea set just for a broken cup.

Wang Qingmu feared that he might not get the twenty taels of silver he was promised, and might even have to pay Liu Tuhu extra.

He frantically scanned the crowd, positioning himself between the two men, acting pitifully. “Boss Zhao, Boss Zhao, please, calm down!”

Su Li lifted her cold gaze, her eyes containing a smirk, “What? Wang Xiu’s scholar, are you going to compensate for them?”

Wang Qingmu immediately clutched his chest and shook his head fervently, “No, no, you’ve misunderstood, Boss Zhao.”

“Boss Zhao, we know things aren’t easy for you, but… Liu Tuhu and Song Dazhou are poor, truly poor!”

“How about this? How about we settle the debt with labor? One month isn’t enough, let’s make it two. Or maybe six months, we’ll make sure you get the full value for your losses!”

Su Li remained unmoved, “Let them work off the debt here?”

“Yes, yes, exactly.”

“Ha, you’re going to destroy my shop tonight, aren’t you?”

“Look! In just this little while, Liu Tuhu wrecked my restroom, and the two of them ruined my floor and camphor wood chairs!”

“Ah—those were my ancestors’ hard work!”

Su Li had truly lost it—she was broke!

She had 500 taels tied up in the shop, 200 for renovations, with the rest being business funds. She lived frugally, eating the same dish three times a day, and slept in a coffin prop because there was no bed.

To put it bluntly, when she treated everyone to snacks earlier, her heart was bleeding.

She didn’t know if she’d even get to sleep in the coffin tonight, worrying herself sick.

It was all her money!

Liu Tuhu and Song Dazhou were also uneasy, neither able to speak.

Wang Qingmu, feeling resolute, clenched his teeth and, with a firm stomp… no, he couldn’t stomp anymore. He clasped his hands and said in a deep voice, “Boss Zhao, how about this? We’ll buy two, and you get three! A real bargain!”

Su Li: ???

“Explain.”

“Liu Tuhu and Song Dazhou are rough around the edges. If it’s just them, I’m sure you’ll have a hard time managing them. So, I’ll stay along with two other guards. We’ll all work for you for three months, and if we need to go out, we’ll ask for leave and make up for the days we miss.”

“How’s that?”

The other two guards widened their eyes. Wait, wasn’t this the boss’s fault? Why are we involved?

Song Dazhou raised his thumb behind Wang Qingmu. No wonder Wang Xiu’s scholar was so considerate, understanding his struggles, like taking care of orphans—he was thinking of him!

It’s just working, right? Even if he could only show up on his days off, this felt like fun! He might get to play new scripts, just like Zhao Si, who did this every day! Where could you find such a good deal?

And, anyway, it wasn’t every day, so he knew how to balance work and rest!

Song Dazhou was gleeful as he lay on the floor, kicking his subordinates playfully before turning to Su Li. “Boss Zhao, don’t worry, just watch—we’ll work hard!”

Su Li had no choice but to pinch her nose and give in with a cold snort, tacitly agreeing.

She gave Wang Qingmu a few suspicious glances. They say that anyone with some education is exceptional, and Wang Qingmu seemed no different—he was full of tricks. She wondered what he was up to, so eager to work for her.

As they say, when trouble comes, you face it head-on. Since these people have thrown themselves into her hands, Su Li promised they’d never forget the lesson.

Hmm!

After the chaos, time was running out, and everyone remembered there was still a place to investigate, so they quickly surrounded Liu Tuhu.

“Old Liu, you wouldn’t want us to cause any more trouble, right?” Song Dazhou sighed in front of him. “If we make a big mess, Boss Zhao’s shop will be ruined, and we’ll never be able to pay for it!”

Wow, this guy knew how to bend with the wind—calling the boss into the mix.

Liu Tuhu glanced around, considering the secret tied to the bronze key. He figured it didn’t matter if the others found out; his suspicion had been cleared anyway.

With a wave of his hand, he said, “Let’s go, I’ll take you there!”

The crowd eagerly dropped what they were doing and surrounded Liu Tuhu, following him like the stars surrounding the moon. Even Han Yueyi, walking in the middle, was jostled several times.

His eye twitched, but with the pressure from both sides, he couldn’t move. Wang Bo also didn’t want him to fall behind, so he grabbed him from behind, hoisting him onto his shoulder and charging ahead.

Han Yueyi: …Just wait!

Everyone raced to the recently vacated cemetery.

The ground was covered in paper money, with the tombstone in the middle standing out, looking desolate.

Liu Tuhu pointed grandly, “The secret room you’re looking for is right there!”

???

“You mean, the secret room is…”

“Yes, exactly, the entrance is in the coffin!” Liu Tuhu said smugly. “You’re looking for a secret passage, right? Song Dazhou, look, there are several shovels over there, pass them out, let’s dig the grave and open the coffin!”

A few people in the front paled and quickly stepped back.

It wasn’t that they were afraid of bad luck (although it certainly was unlucky), but it was just that… wasn’t this place haunted just a moment ago? Opening a coffin now—wouldn’t it resurrect the dead?