Chapter 49

"Using Yang Laoer's name is my business, don't drag my family into this."

Gai Jiayun struggled desperately, but Yang Molili suddenly let go, and Gai Jiayun fell to the ground with a thud. Before he could figure out what was happening, a large dog's head appeared in front of him, baring its sharp teeth.

"Bo Ti, come back!"

Yang Shouwen called out, and Bo Ti immediately bit its tail and retreated to Yang Shouwen's side.

"Auntie, what time is it now?"

"It's already past noon."

Yang Shouwen stood up, looked down at Gai Jiayun, who was under Yang Molili's foot, and said in a deep voice, "When the sun sets, it will be the time for your entire family to be executed. Don't talk to me about the law; Changping is currently in turmoil, and some things can be done first and reported later. You know what I want to know. There are horses at the foot of the mountain; you can return to Changping before nightfall."

Gai Jiayun, with a bruised nose and swollen face, looked up at Yang Shouwen.

"I admit, it was my fault with Yang Laoer. But although I used his name, I didn't ruin his reputation. At least I never harmed the locals in Changping, and those outsiders wouldn't dare to make a fuss. Why go to such lengths over such a small matter and kill my entire family?"

Yang Shouwen sighed, squatted down, and patted Gai Jiayun's face, "Gai Erlang, you still don't understand where you went wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"What does Yang Laoer have to do with me? Although he shares the same surname, we are half-brothers, and we had almost no interaction before. To be honest, if you hadn't affected the reputation of the Yang family, I wouldn't have gotten involved. You could have used the name of the county magistrate, the county secretary, or any other family, but you couldn't use the name of my family. However, that's not important... I want to know, what's the deal with the Hongfu Inn?"

Gai Jiayun was taken aback and looked stunned.

"Yang Dalang, I don't understand."

"Who told you that the people in courtyard Jia San at the Hongfu Inn were suspicious?"

"This..."

"Don't tell me you noticed it yourself. You, Gai Laoer, might be a big shot in Changping, but only to ordinary people. The Hongfu Inn is a place even your father doesn't have the right to enter, let alone you, a ruffian. Who told you to send a message to Erlang, saying that the people in courtyard Jia San were suspicious? If you don't tell me clearly today, I can guarantee that by nightfall, your father and brother's heads will be in front of you... Have you heard of a county magistrate who can ruin a family? My father may not be the county magistrate, but he can definitely kill your entire family."

This time, Gai Jiayun was truly afraid! He could tell that Yang Shouwen wasn't joking, and with Yang Chenglie's status, killing his entire family would be no problem. After all, Gai Laojun was just a local thug, and his hands were far from clean. With the power Yang Chenglie had built up in Changping over the past ten years, it would be easy to find trouble for Gai Laojun.

Gai Jiayun suddenly regretted getting involved for a few small coins and offending the Yang family.

"I'll talk, I'll talk..."

Gai Jiayun said with a mournful face, "This really has nothing to do with my father. A few days ago, Erlang asked me to keep an eye out for suspicious people in the city. I mentioned this to my father casually during a meal, and Scholar Kou said he had seen a group of suspicious people check into the Hongfu Inn a few days ago. He said they looked tough, didn't seem like good people, and had an unknown background, but they were very generous...

"My father told me not to get involved. But later, Erlang urged me again, and I was short on cash, so I told him about it. As for who is staying in courtyard Jia San, I really don't know much. But since Scholar Kou said they were suspicious, it must be true. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal, and the authorities would handle it, so there wouldn't be any trouble, right?"

Yang Shouwen listened quietly but frowned.

"Who is Scholar Kou?"

"Scholar Kou's name is Kou Bin. He was originally a poor scholar. It's said that he got into trouble in Jixian and fled to Changping, seeking refuge under my father. As you know, my father, though illiterate, has always respected scholars. So he values Kou Bin highly and even entrusted him with the accounts of the inn."

Yang Shouwen felt a headache coming on.

Where did this Kou Bin come from?

He had hoped to get a clear answer from Gai Jiayun, but it seemed that Gai Jiayun was also being used.

But, was this aimed at the Yang family, or at the people in the inn?

Yang Shouwen stood up again and paced at the entrance of the hall. After a moment, he took a waist badge from his belt and threw it to Gai Jiayun.

"Take my waist badge and go back to the city. Find my father and tell him everything you just said. Tell him I'm no longer angry. This matter is over, and you should take better care of yourself in the future."

He then said to Yang's wife, "Auntie, please go down the mountain again and give him a horse to return to the city."

Yang's wife nodded, and Gai Jiayun and his men stood up.

"By the way, Kou Bin has been spending a lot lately. I've seen him enter and exit the Hongfu Inn and flirt with the Huji there. Although my father values him and pays him well, it's not enough for him to frequently visit the Hongfu Inn."

A burly man next to him whispered a few words in Gai Jiayun's ear.

"Also, Lao San once saw him come out of Clerk Lu's house."

"Clerk Lu? You mean Lu Yongcheng?"

Gai Jiayun realized at this moment that he had been involved in a major event. It was no longer just about saving Gai Laojun; it could affect the survival of the Gai family and the Old Army Inn.

"Lao San, tell Yang Dalang."

Lao San, clearly Gai Jiayun's confidant, said after being instructed, "About six days ago, it was almost dark. I was sent by Erlang to collect a debt and passed by the back door of Clerk Lu's house. I saw Kou Bin come out, and Lu Qing even escorted him to the gate. I wanted to call him, but something happened, so I didn't. Later, I forgot about it... If not for Erlang mentioning Kou Bin just now, I wouldn't have remembered. Oh, I also saw him and Lu Qing at the Hongfu Inn."

"Who is Lu Qing?"

How did another person come into the picture?

Yang Shouwen felt more and more confused and turned to look at Gai Jiayun again.

Gai Jiayun said, "Since Dalang isn't in the city, you might not know some people and things. Lu Qing is the steward of Clerk Lu's house and the most trusted person by Clerk Lu. He can even be considered Clerk Lu's representative outside. If Clerk Lu can't handle something personally, he usually sends Lu Qing to do it."

As he spoke, Gai Jiayun scratched his head.

"Lao San, did you see wrong? Lu Qing is very picky; how could he look favorably upon Kou Bin and even escort him out? But if Kou Bin has connected with Lu Qing, it's not surprising that he can enter the Hongfu Inn. Lu Qing has a high status in Changping."

Kou Bin, Lu Qing, Lu Yongcheng... and the mysterious people in courtyard Jia San. Unconsciously, a line had formed in Yang Shouwen's mind, making the original mystery much clearer.

"Tell my father about this too," Yang Shouwen pondered for a moment and then said softly, "Gai Erlang, you're a smart person and very filial. I can tell you're a good man because you dared to come to me for your family. But the current situation might change. You're too smart to spend your days on the streets. If you're willing, I can ask my father to find you a job. It may not lead to great achievements, but it's better than your current lifestyle... Think about it when you get back."

After saying this, Yang Shouwen waved his hand.

Yang's wife had also finished preparing and walked to Yang Shouwen's side, saying, "Xizi, lunch is ready. Eat while it's hot... Auntie will come back before dark to make sure you and You'er don't go hungry. If you need anything, tell me, and I'll bring it with me tonight along with Yang Molili, to save time and effort."