Lai Zhuang was terribly frightened when he saw Gu Chengzhi jump off the cart for two pieces of at. When the mule cart stopped steady, he quickly jumped off to chase, but before he could take a step, he was stunned by Gu Chengzhi’s actions.
The people on the street were just like him, too shocked to speak.
"Ah!" A miserable scream echoed as the man whose cheek was bitten off covered his face, looking at Gu Chengzhi like a monster. What, what did this chubby boy do? He, he actually...
Gu Chengzhi was displeased, chewing on the at as he said, "Commoner, you are annoying . I’ll have Grandpa Lai capture your whole family, the n will make at for , and the won will be my wives, hehe..."
Lai Zhuang was almost going crazy, hurriedly rushing over to cover Gu Chengzhi’s mouth, begging him to stop laughing. What have you done now? He hastily picked up Gu Chengzhi and wanted to run.
But Gu Chengzhi was silly, struggling and unwilling to leave, waving his hands at the man, looking as if he still wanted to bite him.
The man was terribly frightened, and the people nearby finally realized what was happening, exclaiming continuously: "Soone, soone, a madman is hurting people!"
The shouts were earth-shattering, the entire street heard it, and people flooded over like a tide.
The vendors closest to Gu Chengzhi moved back quickly, afraid that he would lash out and hurt soone again.
The bitten man ca with fellow villagers to set up stalls, and fearing Lai Zhuang would run off with Gu Chengzhi, they grabbed poles and surrounded Lai Zhuang: "Your child hurt soone, you can’t leave, you have to explain the situation clearly."
Da Shi had been bitten hard by this child, his cheek was a gaping wound visible down to the teeth, so severely injured he’d need at least twenty taels of silver to recover.
But they were just farrs, where would they get twenty taels of silver for dical treatnt?
People from Xiaoshanxi Village were worried that Lai Zhuang would renege on the deal, so they imdiately sent soone to fetch a doctor.
Lai Zhuang was anxious, wanting to have the servants he brought to give chase, but with the crowd packed tight, how could they keep up? He could only soften his tone: "Dear brother, please don’t call people over, we’ll compensate whatever silver you need."
Hong Liang was the son of the village chief of Xiaoshanxi Village, essentially the leader among them, and he said to Lai Zhuang: "We’re from Xiaoshanxi Village on the outskirts. Don’t worry, we won’t extort silver from you. Once the doctor checks Da Shi, whatever dicine money he needs, you provide it, plus two extra taels for lost work."
That was very reasonable.
But Lai Zhuang didn’t care about their reasonableness, eager to leave, swiftly clutching Gu Chengzhi tightly and pulling out a cloth bag from his waist, tossing it to Hong Liang: "There are thirty taels of silver inside, enough for that man to treat his injuries. We have business to attend to, we’re leaving."
With that said, they quickly left, but the Lai Family and Old Gu Family were so notorious lately that soone in the crowd recognized them and pointed at Lai Zhuang shouting: "That person is from the Lai household, the fat kid is from the Gu Family, his father is Gu Youlu who caught venereal disease!"
As soon as this was said, the whole street exploded.
"Heavens, it’s people from those two households, no wonder."
Pointing at Gu Chengzhi again, asked: "This kid biting people is one thing, but eating the bitten raw at, he must be a fool, right? Can a normal person do such a thing?"
Soone imdiately chid in: "Of course not, this kid looks like a fool, definitely both foolish and mad. No wonder, Granny Gu sowed so many sins, it must be retribution on her descendants. Now in the Old Gu Family, the n have venereal diseases, the won beco concubines, and the two grandsons without the disease, one has a la leg, the other is a fool."
People on the street were loudly talking about Gu Chengzhi.
Gu Chengzhi was already both foolish and mad, with a temper that couldn’t be compared to ordinary people; hearing this, he struggled even harder. Seeing Lai Zhuang cover his mouth, he gave a howl, tearing off a piece of flesh from Lai Zhuang’s hand.
Lai Zhuang scread miserably, unable to hold onto Gu Chengzhi after all, who broke free and ran towards the crowd.
Gu Chengzhi ran while baring his teeth, fiercely saying: "You wretched lot, dare to say bad things about , I’ll bite you to death!"
The look was like soone with rabies, incredibly terrifying, with eyes red and wild. People on the street were scared and ran everywhere: "Sobody, the madman is hurting people, the madman is hurting people, quickly report to the officials!"
Hong Liang was stunned, and after collecting himself, quickly picked up the money bag Lai Zhuang tossed and called on people from Xiaoshanxi Village: "Quick, quickly carry Da Shi away, don’t let that mad child see him, or another bite should end him."
"Aye!" People from Xiaoshanxi Village began gathering farm goods while carrying Hong Dashi to a nearby shop to hide.
The street was chaotic, and Ms. Zheng was terribly frightened, knowing this couldn’t be kept secret, she quickly jumped off the mule cart and ran back to Old Gu Family.
When governnt officers arrived, Lai Zhuang couldn’t find Ms. Zheng at all.
Squad Leader Ma from the governnt office said: "Housekeeper Lai, you said this child ca with his mother, but we couldn’t find his mother, given that the Lai Family and Old Gu Family are close, you’ll have to co with us to the governnt office."
Lai Zhuang cursed Ms. Zheng dearly, but on the surface pleaded with Squad Leader Ma: "Squad Leader Ma, please, let’s not go to the governnt office, we’ll notify Old Gu Family to compensate the people’s losses and keep an eye on Gu Chengzhi, not letting him throw tantrums anymore."
Lai Zhuang used the word tantrums, didn’t dare say Gu Chengzhi was mad, because Lord Lai deeply loved Gu Chengzhi.
Squad Leader Ma said: "Housekeeper Lai, it’s not that I won’t give Tong Vice Magistrate this favor, but today’s situation escalated too much, let’s stop talking, hurry up, further delay will only gather more onlookers, and the storytellers will start making tales about the Lai Family again."
What a joke, this is rit, could it be ignored just for the sake of currying favor with Lai Vice Magistrate?
Besides, Lai Vice Magistrate’s reputation was long ruined by Old Gu Family, and once Magistrate Gu reports to the Capital, whether Lord Lai can keep his position is another matter.
With so many people watching, could he dare grant Lai Family any favor?
Lai Zhuang was helpless and had to follow Squad Leader Ma and others, escorting Gu Chengzhi to the governnt office.
Throughout the whole ordeal, everyone overlooked the ox cart that started the trouble.
The driver of the cart was Feng Jin in disguise, while sitting in it was Sister Li, similarly disguised.
...
Prefecture Governnt Office.
Upon learning the news, Lord Lai directly fainted.
The Lai household servants hurriedly fetched a doctor.
Upon hearing about this, Magistrate Gu added a line to the report to the Capital: Lai Vice Magistrate has repeatedly fainted recently, fearing his old age may have brought on senile illnesses.
After writing, he closed the report and assigned Judge Tang to preside over the case of Gu Chengzhi’s madness and violence.
He wouldn’t go, yesterday nearly exhausted by Old Gu’s case, couldn’t bear it, to settle another Old Gu case, he’d rather not bear the surna Gu!
Judge Tang accepted the assignnt but before the case was resolved, Lord Lai was revived by Doctor Liu.
Upon waking, he grabbed Steward Yue’s hand, asking tearfully: "Steward Yue, are the rumors outside true? Has Chengzhi..."
Steward Yue nodded: "Master, you mustn’t involve yourself in the Old Gu Family matters anymore, you can’t afford it, it will only burden you to death."
Having received a confird answer, Lord Lai was in tears ... the sole young, thriving sprout also withered, what sin had he committed?
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