mtl008 Chapter 286: Humiliation? An old woman in a brothel?
Chapter 286: Humiliation? An old woman in a brothel?
"Misunderstanding? Dad, this shop is obviously doing good business, but the account book shows a loss, and a lot of silver has been subsidized. Where did the silver go? I seriously suspect that the shopkeeper has embezzled it. Sir, please take the shopkeeper back and check to see if he has pocketed all the silver over the years!" Yao Qingnian continued without thinking too much.
"How could this shop make a loss? I live nearby. Although this is not the most prosperous area in the capital, it has been here for so many years and there are always people coming and going. I can see what's going on inside when I pass by the door every day. It's impossible..." A citizen who lives nearby whispered to the person next to him.
“Master, I am innocent…” The shopkeeper knelt down immediately. He couldn’t bear such a huge burden.
"Let's not talk about whether it's a loss or not. Dad, this old woman who was dressed like she came out of a brothel actually dared to impersonate my dignified and generous mother, and even teamed up with the shopkeeper to beat me. I'm lucky that there are so many people and officials here today, otherwise, my daughter might never see her parents again." Yao Qingnian's eyes were red and she squeezed out two tears. She was so aggrieved and angry that the onlookers couldn't help but feel pity for her.
An old woman in a brothel? This bitch actually humiliated her in public! How could she be compared to those sluts in the brothel when she was young and beautiful? The woman's face turned pale and she glared at Yao Qingnian viciously.
Shen Wenting's face became even uglier, and his mind raced: "Nianran, you just came back, and many things are still unclear. Don't make random guesses here. Let's go home and talk about it first, okay?"
"Father, now that things have come to this, it is better to make things clear in public. This will avoid misunderstandings in the future and tarnish the reputation of you and the Shangshu Mansion." Yao Qingnian looked at him with amusement, but wanted to see how he would cover up such a big lie.
"In fact, this shop was gifted to Runiang by my father. Her late husband and I were close friends. That friend saved my life. When I was on my way to the imperial examination, I encountered robbers on the road and almost died. At the critical moment, thanks to him, I was able to escape successfully and rush to the capital in time to participate in the imperial examination.
From then on, we became close friends. Without him, I would not be who I am today. Who would have thought that God would be so cruel and my friend would die of a serious illness at a young age, leaving behind Ru Niang and his widowed mother.
After I learned about this, I was grateful to my friend for saving my life in person, and I couldn't bear to see these orphans and their widowed mother wandering on the streets and being bullied, so I found them a place to live and gave them all the profits from the shop.
I didn't make it public because I was afraid of misunderstanding. I'm taking this opportunity to explain it today so that there won't be any misunderstandings in the future. It was Dad's fault. Dad shouldn't have kept it secret from your mother!" Shen Wenting was heartbroken and told everyone what happened with a helpless look on his face. While he was talking, he looked at Runiang with guilt and signaled her with his eyes when no one was paying attention.
Fortunately, he heard that something happened in the shop and was afraid of exposing his relationship with Runiang, so he thought of a countermeasure in advance. Otherwise, he would be in trouble. He did encounter bandits on his way to Beijing for the imperial examination, but he didn't have any good friends to save him. He found a way to escape by himself, and these friends were all made up by him on the spot.
"It is true that Minister Shen and his companions encountered bandits on their way to the capital. One of my uncles experienced it personally. Later, the imperial court sent people to suppress the bandits because of this incident!" Some people testified that what Shen Wenting said was true.
"So that's how it is. Minister Shen is really a man who knows how to repay his kindness! When his friend passed away, he helped him take care of his deceased wife for so many years."
"This is a good thing. It would have been better if you had said it earlier, so as to avoid causing misunderstandings."
Runiang was also smart, and she immediately understood what Shen Wenting meant: "Miss, I don't know you. I only know Miss Youran from the Shangshu Mansion. I thought you were a liar, which led to the misunderstanding. It turns out that you are really the Shangshu's daughter. I was blind and didn't recognize you. I apologize to you here."
"So, you really have nothing to do with my father?" Yao Qingnian looked at the two of them quietly. If she had heard correctly just now, this woman said that the jewelry was chosen by her husband. Her husband was dead, so how could he choose for her?
"Of course, the Shangshu's status is not something I can reach. The Shangshu is grateful for my husband's kindness and has taken care of us orphans and widows for so many years. He has never overstepped the line. He is truly a kind and noble person."
Yao Qingnian sneered. The two of them really cooperated well and wanted to cover up the matter easily. So she had to help them.
She ignored Ru Niang and looked at Shen Wenting beside her: "Dad, this shop is my mother's dowry. How can you be so foolish to give it away? It's a good thing that my daughter came today. If my mother came, wouldn't the misunderstanding be even greater? Let's not talk about the loss on the shop account. Why do we have to supplement it with hundreds of taels every once in a while?"
"Tsk tsk, this Shangshu is so comfortable living off his friends that he doesn't even give up his own shop but uses his wife's dowry to subsidize his best friend's wife..." Shen Wenting had just managed to turn the situation around, but was brought back to the original state again because of Yao Qingnian's words.
"A good friend's wife..." The people began to doubt again.
"This... this may be the case that the shopkeeper falsified the accounts and embezzled the money into his own pocket." Shen Wenting said.
The shopkeeper wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and knelt on the ground trembling: "Master, I am wronged! I have been doing my best and running the shop carefully and diligently. The situation is clearly recorded in the account book and can be checked at any time. Even if you give me ten thousand courage, I dare not do such a thing. Please investigate it clearly, Master and Miss."
Yao Qingnian didn't care about Shen Wenting's expression and continued, "No, we should be careful when reconciling the accounts. I checked several shops today, and there are several shops that show losses on the books. But among so many shops, only this one needs to be subsidized, and the subsidy is hundreds of taels. If no one is colluding with them, they dare to embezzle thousands of taels of silver in the shop in just a few years!"
Thousands of taels for a shop! That much silver, ordinary people can't earn that much silver in their lifetime, it's really bold! Everyone was shocked for a while and thought that the shopkeeper had embezzled the money and put it in his own pocket. After all, the customers who came here knew that the business of this shop had always been good, and it was unlikely to lose money, let alone subsidize it.
Shen Wenting's face was gloomy.
"Sir, now that Ru Niang's matter has been clarified, my father said that she was his good friend's wife, so we will not pursue it. I will explain it to my mother when I go back. But this shopkeeper colluded with the accountant to embezzle the master's money. Please take him back and investigate it thoroughly. Give justice to our Shangshu Mansion and make him return all the money he has taken in over the years." Yao Qingnian looked at the official standing aside.