<h4>Chapter 116</h4>


    Zhang Qiquan took a deep breath, his eyes unusually red, "Dad and mom, I''m your eldest son, but I''ve lived up to this family. It''s you who can''t stand to see me doing well, thinking I have no heir, and unwilling to leave me a penny. You are biased to the extreme, how dare you me me for being unfilial?"


    "You still want to say your parents are wrong? There are no perfect parents in this world." Zhang Old Lady wailed loudly, partly fake and partly truly afraid, "Tell me, don''t you want to take care of me anymore? I''m your mother, how can you not take care of me? You unfilial thing, I''d rather have given birth to a dog than you."


    Vige olddies were always like this, when they couldn''t win an argument, they''d stop making sense.


    Although unafraid, Zhang Qiquan still felt wronged.


    Liu Cui could no longer restrain herself, rushing over to stand in front of her husband. She scolded Zhang Old Lady, "You call yourself his mother, have you ever cared for him at all? What family sends their 13-year-old child away as an apprentice, why wasn''t it one of the other two? Just because you wanted to take advantage of the most filial child, is this what a mother does, targeting the softest persimmon to pinch? Let me tell you, you''re not my mother, if you continue to bully my man of the house, I will fight you to the death."


    Some things were better left unsaid, not because ofck of courage, but out of filial piety.


    Yet the parents always picked on the most obedient child to pinch.


    But even the filial child had a breaking point.


    The usually gentle Liu Cui scolding these fierce words stunned Zhang Old Lady.


    The vigers gossiped amongst themselves, some sympathizing with Liu Cui, some cursing the Zhang family in whispers, and some unable to help but speak up for justice.


    Qian Vige Chief in particr frowned and yelled, "Zhang family, you''ve gone too far!"


    Zhang Old Lady plopped down on the ground, unable to make a sound for a long time.


    Zhang Qiquan regained hisposure, sniffing his nose, about to seize the chance to promote thend purchase n.


    Unexpectedly, someone tugged him from behind.


    ncing back, he saw Jiang Sheng''s smiling brows and eyes.


    "Brother Zhang, look there." She pointed across the way.


    Zhang Qiquan looked again to see Zheng Ruqian walking over foppishly, waving a folding fan, looking somewhat like the young masters he''d seen in the county town, yet also seeming off, rather awkward.


    "Ahem." As soon as Zheng Ruqian stood still, he flicked open the fan and acted suavely, "You''re the Zhang family? What a coincidence, Zhang Qiquan signed a contract with me saying he''d earn me fifty taels of silver in a year, but not only did he not earn it, he lost money, so I''vee to get the money back from him today. Since you''re his family, just pay back the fifty taels of silver."


    He opened up a paper, covered in words, with Zhang Qiquan''s name at the bottom, imprinted with a bright red fingerprint.


    The Zhang family was badly frightened.


    They were illiterate, but could recognize Zhang Qiquan''s name, and knew the red handprint and red stamp meant it had gone through proper official channels, a valid contract.


    In other words, the fifty taels loss was set in stone.


    The two Zhang brothers were scared witless, exchanging a nce before turning to run away.


    They were just brothers, with no real connection, and could get away without any responsibility.


    Zhang''s parents also wanted to flee, but were blocked by Zheng Ruqian.


    "You''re his parents, if he earned money you''d benefit, so you have to bear it when he loses money too." Zheng Squire grinned sinisterly, "Fifty taels of silver, not a penny less."


    The previously aggressive Zhang Old Lady was badly frightened, repeatedly pleading, "No, no, we have no rtion anymore, he''s not my son."


    "Really?" Zheng Ruqian sounded skeptical.


    "Really, really." Zhang old man pointed around, "The vigers are all watching, even Vige Chief Qian sees, from now on our third son has nothing to do with us."


    All the onlooking vigers spat on the ground.


    They''d stuck to him when it seemed he could earn money, but hearing of losses, were slippery as eels.


    What kind of family was this, wretched.


    Qian Vige Chief''s heart went cold for Zhang Qiquan too, yelling hoarsely, "Since this is the case, write a document renouncing rtions!"


    Within the vige, wanting to rify boundaries with parents, with agreement from the vige chief and vigers, was already enough.


    But Jiang Sheng and Zheng Ruqian weren''t reassured, scheming together to frighten away the Zhang family with Zhang Qiquan''s profit sharing contract, even obtaining a written disavowal of rtions.


    After going through proper official channels, filing it at the government yamen, whether Zhang''s parents lived or died would have nothing to do with Zhang Qiquan, not even pursued if reported to the authorities.


    Zhang Qiquan and Liu Cui were sincerely grateful, energetically touting thend purchase n.


    "This is Master Zheng,e to our vige to buynd. In the future he''ll nt peas, and prioritize hiring those who''ve soldnd, paying daily wages. Long term hired hands will be even better treated."


    Qian Vige Chief also spoke up to guarantee it.


    The vigers lowered their guard, those short on cash stirred with interest. First one family soldnd, then quickly it became two, three, five families.


    Soon, six acres ofnd were purchased.


    At the market rate of five taels of silver per acre, it totalled thirty taels.


    Zheng Ruqian acted swiftly, immediately having Qian Vige Chief help draft contracts on the spot, handing over money in one hand and signing contracts with the other.


    After going through proper channels, thend ownership would transfer to Zheng Ruqian and his sister''s names, truly bing pettyndlords.


    At the vige chief''s entrance, Zheng Ruqian was discussing with Zhang Qiquan about better treatment of vigers who soldnd, in order to attract more vigers from the surrounding ten li town to sellnd.


    Just receiving the news, Zhou Zhiqiang cursed as he ran over.


    Jiang Sheng whispered in Zhang Xianglian''s ear, "See, trash is trash, even making trouble theyg behind."


    Zhang Xianglian, originally somewhat nervous, couldn''t helpughing upon hearing this, thest remnants of unease fading awaypletely.


    What did she have to fear?


    He was just an ex-husband, they''d long divorced, without even foster care obligations to threaten her.


    So as soon as Zhou Zhiqiang stood still, Zhang Xianglian just coldly spat out one word, "Scram."


    When gentle people hardened, it was most frightening.


    Someone who had endured beatings and curses, lying beside her intimately familiar to the bone, was now so foreign.


    She had be prettier, younger, fatigue and suffering vanishing from her features, indistinctly restored to the gentle beauty of when she first married.


    Zhou Zhiqiang retreated several steps.


    Jiang Sheng took the opportunity to hug over Qian Vige Chief''s puppy, pushing it towards him, also mimicking her brother''s habit of whistling.


    The puppy cooperated perfectly, peeing a puddle on the ground.


    Zhou Zhiqiang lowered his head, saw his reflection, and could bear it no longer, turning to flee.


    Liu Cui held Zhang Xianglian''s arm, quietly asking, "Sister, how did you be so strong?"


    She smiled lightly, "Would you want to return to how things were before?"


    Liu Cui immediately shook her head vigorously like a rattle drum.


    And that was that.


    Zhang Xianglian smiled shallowly, her face gentle and beautiful.


    Thend purchase progressed rapidly. Zheng Ruqian acted especially quickly, signing multiple able-bodied men from families who''d soldnd toe work the fields the very next day, for five wen per day.


    The twondlords of Ten Li Town usually only paid two or three wen per day for farmhands, and would dock pay for poor work.


    Zheng Ruqian generously gave five wen, and settled ounts daily, without any deductions.


    This news quickly spread, immediately causing a stir. Those who''d been wary at first enthusiastically responded. Whether they soldnd or not, they were mainly interested in the five wen daily wage work.


    Zheng Ruqian remained nomittal about this.


    He''d purchased what he wanted in Shili Pu Vige, for other viges he wanted contiguous plots ofnd, with good terrain and fertile soil, so he naturally dragged things out a bit.


    Dragging it out until the vigers were anxious enough to sell their connected plots ofnd.


    Gradually taking on the air of a profiteer.


    But before the Zheng siblings could enjoy it, the original twondlords of Ten Li Town were unhappy.