Chapter 245: The Coward
Chapter 245: The Coward
Could a spoiled young man, famous for his arrogance and bullying, suddenly turn over a new leaf and stand up for justice with such solemn righteousness?
Obviously not!
Old habits die hard. Unless some major upheaval changed a person, their basic nature couldn’t be so easily altered.
Watching Liu Lei step forward with such noble bravado, Mu Feng instinctively sensed something was wrong. He kept to the outskirts of the crowd, quietly observing.
At Wangjiang Tower that day, he had witnessed Liu Lei’s bullying and cruelty firsthand. This young master who could inflict such harsh punishment on a lowly waiter hardly seemed like a decent person!
“Huh? You… you’re the son of the Prefect, Liu… Second Master Liu?”
Wang Mazi, his face covered in pockmarks, had been glowering fiercely, ready to give the meddler a harsh lesson. But recognizing the imposing figure of Liu Lei, he suddenly rubbed his eyes, his expression shifting to one of shock and surprise.
As a local thug near Jiangling City, he knew practically every shady character in town. The villagers around might not recognize the true identity of the imposing youth in the white Scholastic Palace robes, but if he, Wang Mazi, didn’t know, he would have wasted all these years!
The son of the Prefect?
At Wang Mazi’s exclamation, the crowd immediately erupted. People looked at the handsome, righteous Liu Lei with murmurs of awe. Their eyes held a mix of subservience, respect, and unprecedented excitement.
With the Prefect’s own son stepping in, who would dare cause more trouble?
The villagers pointed and chattered. The nearly despairing Old Woman He and the young maiden He Chunlan were overcome with emotion. The Old Woman, especially, who had felt utterly cornered, dropped to her knees with a thud. “Heaven has eyes! We’ve finally met you, Young Master! Please, Young Master, plead our case! My son, He Wu, is absolutely not that kind of man! We’re wronged!”
“I beg you, Young Master, plead my case too!” He Chunlan knelt beside the Old Woman, her eyes blurred with tears, looking utterly pitiful.
From above, her kneeling figure was even more captivating. Her full bosom strained against her simple clothes, while beneath the coarse fabric, her slender waist curved delicately. Her graceful figure was accentuated by the posture, drawing attention.
Taking in her alluring body, Liu Lei felt a sudden heat. He unconsciously swallowed. Pulled out of his distraction only when Li Yang discreetly tugged his sleeve from behind, he regained his composure. “Good woman, please rise. Today, with Liu Lei here, you have nothing to fear.”
After helping the Old Woman up, Liu Lei intended to step forward and personally assist the lovely He Chunlan to her feet. To his surprise, she shuffled backwards and rose on her own, evading his outstretched hands, a faint blush on her face. His hands hanging empty in the air, Liu Lei felt a stab of awkwardness. He forced an embarrassed laugh before his expression frosted over. Turning to Wang Mazi beside him, he asked coldly, “So, Wang Mazi? What exactly is going on here?”
“Young Master Liu,” Wang Mazi replied, his pockmarked face previously arrogant now the picture of exaggerated suffering. He bowed and scraped like the most pathetic coward before this scion of power. “The son of this old hag, He Wu, is a hopeless gambler. Over half a month ago, he borrowed five hundred taels of silver from the gambling den. Per the agreement, it should have been repaid already. But seeing he was broke, the little rat just hid away. Couldn’t find him anywhere! What option did I have? I had to come to his home to collect.”
He feigned distress. “Look, Young Master, here’s the IOU the runt signed. His signature and thumbprint are right there. The money was borrowed from the den itself; I’m just the humble collector! If I don’t get the money today, we’ll be in deep trouble – maybe just a scolding, or maybe beaten and thrown out. Young Master Liu, I truly have no choice… see?”
“The IOU?”
Liu Lei frowned. He snatched the paper from Wang Mazi’s hand and scrutinized it. He turned to the Old Woman. “Good woman, is this true? Is the signature your son He Wu’s? What about this thumbprint? Does it look like his?”
The Old Woman trembled, fumbling in her dress. She produced a letter. Unfolding it, it revealed her son Xiao Wu’s handwriting and signature from a letter sent home half a year prior. A glance proved the signature on the IOU was identical!
Examining both the signature and the thumbprint on the IOU closely, the Old Woman felt the world spin. Old tears streamed down her face. “Young Master Liu, wronged! We are wronged! Xiao Wu is not that kind! He worked hard, saving every coin for his wedding! The marriage day is almost upon us! How could he possibly be so foolish?”
“Ah, I understand your grief, good woman,” Liu Lei said, shaking his head with apparent regret. He gestured to the document. “But it’s here in black and white… A debt must be paid. Nothing can change that. Even if I chased this ‘Wang Mazi’ away today, if the debt isn’t settled, another one will come. It’s a problem without end. Tell me, how much silver can you muster now?”
“Young Master Liu,” He Chunlan answered softly, supporting the tear-blinded Old Woman. Her voice dwindled. “We… we just bought bricks and tiles for a new house. There’s… there’s no silver left.”
“None at all?”
Liu Lei shook his head, feigning hesitation. Then, decisively, he pulled out a heavy money pouch from his robes, containing roughly five hundred taels. He turned to Li Yang and his companions. “Check what cash you carry! Hand it all over!”
“Right!”
The other students nodded, rummaged their pockets, and produced another three hundred taels together. It exactly covered the debt sum.
“Second Lord, wait!”
Just as Liu Lei, not blinking, was about to part with the entire eight hundred taels, Li Yang, standing close behind him, subtly gripped his sleeve. “Second Lord,” Li Yang whispered urgently, “didn’t you say this money was for hiring a sensible maid to care for your ailing mother in the mansion? If you spend it all now… when we return, the Prefect might…”
“Eight hundred lousy taels, what does it matter? Let go, Li Yang. As for my father, I’ll handle it!” Liu Lei shoved Li Yang’s restraining hand away without a second thought and pressed the full sum into Wang Mazi’s grasp.
“Eight hundred taels! Utter chivalry!”
“Wait… didn’t the Prefect’s son have a terrible reputation? How come…”
“Believe every gossip you hear?”
…
Watching Liu Lei empty his purse for strangers, the crowd murmured in awe. Their gazes towards him filled with growing reverence.
The prestigious son of the Prefect! A student of the prestigious Xiangshan Academy! Dressed in pure white scholar’s robes, radiating an air of righteousness!
“Hmph, hire a maid?” Mu Feng gave a cold, knowing laugh.
While others praised and pointed with admiration, he discerned the truth instantly. Hearing Liu Lei and Li Yang’s hushed exchange, he grasped their real intention. He thought for just a moment before the scheme became crystal clear. Silently, he began to edge closer through the crowd.