Ger, So Proud

Chapter 103

“Don’t worry about compensating me.”

He An’s hand paused.

“If I end up with scars, I definitely won’t be able to find a wife. How about you take responsibility for me then? Ow—”

He accidentally poured too much powder, causing Luo Zhanming to feel a sharp sting.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“It hurts.” The powder must have had something similar to salt in it, as it stung fiercely.

“Serves you right—” He An glared at him but then softened his tone, “Bear with it. This will help the wound heal faster. Uncle Xu’s medical skills are very good. My brother and I have used this before.”

“Okay.”

Luo Zhanming stared intently at the person in front of him. Despite the pain in his body, he felt an indescribable joy in his heart.

Almost there, he thought.

He An blushed under his gaze and couldn’t help but stand up, “Alright, be careful. I’ll go get Ah Mu to come in.”

“Hey, you haven’t put the medicine on my back yet—”

“Dream on!”

He An’s voice faded as he walked out the door. Luo Zhanming was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, which caused him more pain, both on his face and his back.

“Young master, you should take it easy!” Ah Mu said with exasperation, and Luo Zhanming’s intermittent cries of “ouch” could be heard.

“Uncle Xu, are his back injuries serious?”

“Not serious, but the bruises need to be massaged out, which naturally hurts more.”

He An, still worried after hearing Luo Zhanming’s cries, kept pestering Xu Qingsheng for reassurance.

He An’s father sighed as he watched this scene, as if he could already see his precious son being taken away in the near future.

However, upon learning that Luo Zhanming had risked his own safety to protect He An, he felt very satisfied.

Having such a son-in-law… didn’t seem too bad after all?

…

The interrogation results were brought by Luo Zhanming the next day.

“He Ze, do you know anyone from the Wang family?”

In the back hall, Lin Yu served them tea. After the incident yesterday, Dad Li no longer dared to constrain He Ze and Lin Yu, fearing that something else might happen.

“The Wang family? The one that runs the silk shop?”

“Yes, that Wang family is quite wealthy in Qiongcun City, with extensive business connections and some ties to influential people.”

“The Wang family has a son named Wang Fucheng. We were both students at the town’s academy, and that’s when the grudge started. It’s been brewing for a long time. This can’t be settled easily,” He Ze explained frankly, showing no sign of worry.

“But the troublemakers, although they implicated Wang Fucheng, didn’t leave any evidence against the Wang family. So, it might be hard to deal with him.”

“I understand.” In this world, no one is foolish. While Wang Fucheng is a playboy, he has the means to be one. He has shrewd people around him to handle things, so even if there were evidence, they would just sacrifice a few servants to take the blame and serve a few months in prison.

It wouldn’t affect the Wang family or Wang Fucheng in the slightest!

“So…” From what he knew of He Ze, He Ze wouldn’t let this go easily.

“I have my plans. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Yesterday, Xiao An was saved thanks to you, and today, I appreciate you coming to inform me.”

“Just doing my duty.”

“Just doing your duty…” He Ze’s gaze was sharp, but Luo Zhanming met it fearlessly. “Alright, just doing your duty. Brother Luo, today I toast you with tea instead of wine.”

…

That night, He Ze left the flower shop alone, walking through the alleys. During the day, he had specifically asked Luo Zhanming for the Wang family’s address. Now, it was time to make them pay.

For five consecutive nights, He Ze went out when the moon rose and returned at dawn. During these five days, rumors about the wealthy Wang family’s house being haunted spread throughout the city.

It was said that as soon as the moon rose, a haunted tree in the Wang family home moved without wind, and ghostly shadows appeared.

It was said that the large locust tree in the Wang family courtyard was a thousand-year-old tree demon that extended its roots to capture and drain people’s blood at night.

It was said that the locust tree wasn’t a demon but was possessed by ghosts. Every night, someone in the Wang family would be found hanging upside down under the tree, their essence drained, and even Master Wang was not spared.

It was said that the Wang family’s young master had become the ghost’s captive, waking up each day with whip marks all over his body, but feeling nothing while being beaten. His daytime screams were pitiful.

“Pfft—”

Hearing this while drinking tea, He Ze sprayed the tea out of his mouth.

Captive??? Damn it… He just found Wang Fucheng unpleasant and beat him up every day. Plus, with his fourth-level ability, he only controlled the plants around the Wang family, never laying a hand himself!

This was a huge misunderstanding!

Receiving a strange look from his wife, He Ze felt hopeless.

“Haha, He Ze, do you think there are really ghosts in this world? I’d like to see one. They say you can hear screams from the Wang residence every night, but no one dares to check it out. The neighbors are planning to move.”

For certain reasons, He Ze hadn’t told anyone else that the troublemakers were instigated by the Wang family. Only he, Lin Yu, and Luo Zhanming knew.

“And the Wang family?”

“The Wang family is in a state of panic, with most of the servants gone. There’s a rumor that the Wang family must have done something terrible, and now karma is catching up with them. But I heard they invited a high-ranking person from the mountains to perform a ritual today. Who knows if it will work… By the way, what do ghosts look like? I’d like to see one too.”

Liu San couldn’t contain his curiosity.

“I think you should stop worrying about all this nonsense,” He Ze changed the topic after getting the information he wanted. “I heard your dad is looking for a spouse for you?”

“Don’t even mention it!” Liu San felt a pang of bitterness at the mention of this. Although he wanted to get married, the people his dad had been matching him with were quite unsuitable! They were either as robust as bulls or as fierce as tigers, with the excuse that only such individuals could keep him in line. Really… wasn’t it good enough to live a peaceful life without marrying?

Sensing Liu San’s deep resentment, He Ze didn’t press further and leisurely sipped his tea. Business was slow at the flower shop, and even though He Youcai’s apprentices had returned to the woodworking shop, they still had plenty of free time.

Lin Yu and An-ge were practicing calligraphy together, while Cai Xing was meticulously tending to every plant in the garden. He had been heartbroken over the few pots that had been broken before, but fortunately, He Ze had managed to save them.

Time flew by, and although He Ze was initially worried that Wang Fucheng would send more people to cause trouble, it seemed the Wang family was too preoccupied with their own problems. The days passed by unusually peacefully.

However, He Ze wasn’t planning to let the Wang family off so easily. Although he couldn’t go too far to avoid provoking Wang Fucheng’s official uncle before his arrival, he was determined to enjoy his revenge. Every night, he continued his visits to the Wang residence.

Eventually, he wore them down so much that the Wang family moved several times, finally retreating to their old home in the village. Only by the time Wang Fucheng was left with a limp, He Ze stopped.

As the weather grew hotter, July arrived in no time. One day, He Ze, Lin Yu, He An, and the uninvited Luo Zhanming gathered at the Yu family restaurant for a meal. Wei Quan was on stage telling the story of the Snow white, drawing tears from many in the audience.

As the story on stage came to a close, everyone finally turned their attention to the feast before them.

“He Ze, you truly have a great talent,” Luo Zhanming admired, having learned from He An that the restaurant’s popular stories were all He Ze’s creations.

“I haven’t learned much serious poetry or classics, only these entertaining things,” He Ze replied.

Luo Zhanming shook his head, though he didn’t agree with He Ze’s humble assessment. After drinking a cup of wine, he got to the main point. “I heard that your family’s patch of Ding Mountain baizhi has been harvested?”

“Ding Mountain? Not exactly. The seeds I used came from An County next door, but the quality is just as good as that from Ding Mountain.”

“I see…” Luo Zhanming pondered for a moment. “How about I buy them? You know my family owns several large pharmacies. Since you say the quality is comparable to Ding Mountain baizhi, I’m reassured. As for the price, I won’t let you suffer any loss.”

“Don’t you want to see it first?”

“I trust you.”

“Alright, I’ll deliver it to you once it’s processed.”

As long as business was kept separate from personal matters, it didn’t matter who he did business with. And besides, Luo Zhanming was a trustworthy person.

“Good, it’s settled then,” Luo Zhanming said happily. Buying from his future in-laws was certainly more advantageous than buying the expensive Ding Mountain baizhi from elsewhere.

“By the way, my brother-in-law mentioned that the inspector from the Ministry of Personnel will be arriving soon, probably in the next few days.”

Understanding the underlying warning in Luo Zhanming’s words, He Ze nodded. “I understand.”

Although this incident left the Wang family humiliated, He Ze considered it just a minor skirmish. If Wang Fucheng decided to back off, that would be ideal. However, if he took advantage of his uncle’s influence to regain his arrogance and returned for revenge, bloodshed would be inevitable.

Perhaps it was because life had been going so smoothly, but He Ze noticed that the violent tendencies in his heart were gradually weakening. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

In this life, all he wanted was to protect those around him, to live a peaceful life, and to have his loved ones by his side. That was enough.

As he glanced at Lin Yu, who was fiddling with his chopsticks while intently listening to the storyteller on stage, He Ze smiled. His eyes flashed as he picked up a piece of braised pork and fed it to him.

“Mmm—”

A wave of nausea surged from his stomach, and Lin Yu quickly covered his mouth, feeling like he was going to vomit but unable to bring anything up.

“Xiao Yu, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“Brother Lin, are you alright?”

Lin Yu had always been healthy, so this sudden turn of events frightened both He Ze and He An. He Ze poured a cup of water and carefully fed it to him, asking, “How do you feel? Can you walk? Do we need to call a doctor?”

“He Ze, could it be… morning sickness?” Luo Zhanming speculated, recalling how his three older brothers had similar symptoms when they were pregnant.

“Morning… sickness?”

He Ze knew exactly what those words meant, which was why his voice trembled as he repeated them!