IHOEAYSTTTIW Chapter 34
by VolareChapter 34: I treat you like a wife, and you treat me like a husband?
By the time the yamen runners had tied up the swindlers, Lin Yan and Yun Qi had been gone from River Sister for quite a while.
Cheng Que, seeing Gu Zhan sending the yamen runners to the door and about to see them off completely, finally mustered his courage and quickly walked to their side, bowing respectfully, “Esteemed officials, please wait.”
Cheng Que’s mother was a well-known jealous woman in the Capital City, and the affair with his second mother was widely known. Those serving in the government naturally knew all about it, and their gazes towards him carried a hint of amusement: “Manager Cheng? Is there something you need?”
“It’s nothing much, just wanting a few of you to be witnesses.” Cheng Que took a deep breath and handed two hundred taels of bank-notes, along with a piece of paper, to Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan casually glanced at it and saw the three large characters on the paper.
“Divorce papers?” The smile on Gu Zhan’s face instantly faded. He stuffed the bank-notes into Cheng Que’s hand and tore the divorce papers to shreds: “No, I don’t agree.”
Cheng Que silently organized the bank-notes, stuffed them back into Gu Zhan’s arms, and said with a choked voice, “I’ve already given you the money, can you please…”
Gu Zhan pushed the money back, casually slipped a purse to the yamen runners, and led them out, “Esteemed officials, you’ve worked hard. Keep these few taels of silver for tea. Take care on your way.”
“Who’s short of your few taels of silver.” The yamen runner then threw the purse back. He refused to leave, carefully examining the decoration of River Sister, and said something meaningful, “I heard your shop’s business has been pretty good lately.”
Gu Zhan understood.
He pulled out an old purse from his body, poured the silver into the previous purse, and handed it over again.
The yamen runner still refused to accept it, even showing a disgusted expression.
What’s this about?
Gu Zhan was already in a bad mood, and being made difficult like this, the smile on his face disappeared for the most part. He barely suppressed the fire in his heart, stuffed the purse into another person’s hand, and pushed the few of them out.
“Old Chen didn’t mean to make things difficult for you.” That person returned the purse, pointed to the shelves behind the counter in River Sister, and said with a smile, “He wants to have what your shop sells…”
Gu Zhan looked in the direction the person was pointing and immediately saw the sauces on the shelf.
River Sister’s special secret recipe, Spicy Sauce personally cooked by Lin Chef, limited sale, affordable price, once it was on the market it was snapped up. Unfortunately, there were too few ingredients (Lin Yan was too lazy to continue making it after two days), and now the stock in the store was all for their own consumption.
“Understood, understood.” Gu Zhan opened the counter, took out all three remaining jars of sauce, handed them to the yamen runner, and continued to shoo people away, “Take care, take care on your way.”
Those few people hugged the sauce jars like treasures, smiling so wide their eyes disappeared, and happily left the store.
With such a commotion, the customers in the store had long since run away, the resident chef had also slipped away, and even the hired workers had found a corner, yawning and dozing off. Gu Zhan simply hung up the “Closed” sign and closed the door to customers.
Cheng Que had been silently standing behind the counter. When the farce was over and only he and Gu Zhan were left in the store, he finally mustered his courage and asked with difficulty, “Gu Zhan, what do you mean?”
Gu Zhan forced a smile, his voice carrying a panic that even he didn’t notice: “A’Que, don’t be angry, let’s talk things over…”
Cheng Que pushed the bank-notes and the newly drafted divorce papers in front of Gu Zhan, his attitude firm: “Take the money, sign this.”
“Why?” The smile on Gu Zhan’s face had long disappeared. He picked up the divorce papers, looked at them, put them back down, and unconsciously tightened his grip on the table. He tried his best to calm himself down, but couldn’t control the trembling in his voice: “Is there something I’ve done wrong?”
Cheng Que gently shook his head, the pendants on his ears swaying slightly: “No, I just want to redeem myself?”
Cheng Que’s voice wasn’t loud, but Gu Zhan felt like he had been struck by lightning.
“Redeem yourself? Redeem what?”
“Husband.” Cheng Que came out from behind the counter, walked to Gu Zhan, and before Gu Zhan could react, Cheng Que had already knelt in front of Gu Zhan, bowing deeply.
“I can’t repay the Gu family’s great kindness, but…”
Gu Zhan faintly felt like he had touched the membrane that prevented him and Cheng Que from getting closer, but the most urgent task was to get Cheng Que to take back this piece of waste paper first.
Gu Zhan immediately lifted the person up, not forgetting to interrupt, “If you can’t repay it, then give yourself to me.”
Cheng Que held onto the pendants on his ears. He broke free from Gu Zhan’s hand, turned around, and held the bank-notes on the table in front of Gu Zhan, begging with sorrowful plea: “Please take this money first, I’ll gather more for you if it’s not enough.”
Gu Zhan didn’t take the bank-notes, nor did he respond, just squinting his eyes and looking at the person in front of him.
Cheng Que became more and more uneasy at not receiving a response. He wanted to kneel down again, but Gu Zhan had already restrained him.
Cheng Que could only stand straight again, his eyes red as he continued to plead: “Whatever husband wants, Cheng Que will try his best to find for you. Cheng Que only asks that you sign this divorce paper.”
“Do you think that my two hundred taels is money to buy you?” Gu Zhan looked straight at Cheng Que.
Cheng Que didn’t speak, his head buried even lower.
Gu Zhan tapped on the bank-notes and ordered in a muffled voice, “Speak.”
“Yes.” Cheng Que’s tears streamed down in an instant. He raised his head in desperation, pointed around, and his voice was more than twice as loud as usual, “Not only do I think so, but every neighbor in this street…”
“What do you care about them? They never understand things.” Gu Zhan looked in the direction Cheng Que was pointing, snorted coldly, and quickly turned his attention back to Cheng Que.
What came into view was Cheng Que’s face covered in tears. Gu Zhan frantically looked for a handkerchief, clumsily and awkwardly wiping away Cheng Que’s tears.
Cheng Que sniffed, held back the tears that were welling up, and looked at Gu Zhan with anticipation.
Gu Zhan tossed the handkerchief aside haphazardly and, under Cheng Que’s burning gaze, stuffed both the divorce papers and the bank-notes back: “I won’t sign this, and you should keep the money.”
The light in Cheng Que’s eyes instantly went out, but the previous sentence had already exhausted all his courage, and now only the ashes remained after the flames had burned out. He silently put away the things, looked up, and saw Gu Zhan walking out in a hurry, stumbling on the doorstep as he left.
Cheng Que’s heart tightened slightly. He only relaxed a little after Gu Zhan regained his balance. He asked softly as usual, “Husband, where are you going?”
“Don’t call me husband!” Gu Zhan especially couldn’t bear this title, and only realized what he had done after he roared.
Cheng Que’s eyes turned red again.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you.” Gu Zhan tried to soften his voice, clumsily comforting him. Cheng Que nodded, his humility and obedience as usual.
Gu Zhan’s head ached when he saw him like this. He left behind a sentence “Rest early” and hurried towards home.
He couldn’t handle this situation. He was going home to seek advice, to ask his respected father how he had his mother completely under his thumb.
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