Chapter 223: Chapter 223

"Little Uncle! I don’t have any Silver, can you lend me some?" Gu Wanhua brushed Yang aside in an instant, thinking that men having three or four wives was perfectly normal. With less burden on his heart, he wanted to stay a few more days.

"What do you need Silver for? If you want to pay for the room, I’ll pay it for you! Just rest well!" Gu Chengyu saw Gu Wanhua’s unsteady footsteps, the way he seemed to be stumbling when walking, with large dark circles under his eyes, and frowned.

He had already decided, without needing Gu Wanhua’s consent, that once Ming Mo arrived, he would knock Gu Wanhua out and throw him onto the carriage, not letting him off until they reached Shangling Village.

Gu Wanhua spoke up, noticed Gu Chengyu’s refusal, and felt somewhat displeased, thinking he was really stingy! He thought of Huang Ming, that it might be better to borrow from Huang Ming. With that in mind, he decided to go later.

Gu Wanhua returned to his room, stood by the window, and looked toward Yan Bi’s courtyard, but didn’t see Yan Bi, feeling a bit disappointed. The more he thought, the more reluctant he felt, and he ran to Gu Chengyu’s door and knocked.

Gu Chengyu was preparing a visiting gift, intending for Yu Tuanzi to take his invitation to visit Vice Magistrate Wang’s house, just worrying that Yu Tuanzi, having no female acquaintance, might not be able to enter the inner quarters of someone else’s home, fearing that Vice Magistrate Wang might not be willing to extend his favor.

"Knock knock knock!" Gu Wanhua felt a bit anxious, unsure whether his Little Uncle would agree to what he was about to ask!

"Little Uncle! It’s me, open the door!"

Gu Chengyu opened the door, Gu Wanhua stepped in and closed it behind him. He plopped down on a stool, "Little Uncle, are you planning to send me back today?"

Gu Chengyu felt puzzled, wondering what Gu Wanhua was up to.

"Yeah! Your wife and child should be missing you!" Gu Chengyu deliberately mentioned these two people, wanting to remind Gu Wanhua that he still had a wife and infant at home.

Hearing this, Gu Wanhua’s hand paused as he was pouring tea with a teapot, "It’s not that I can’t go back, but I want to bring someone with me!"

Gu Chengyu laughed in anger, being threatened by Gu Wanhua, as if he were Gu Wanhua’s parent? He couldn’t have had a son this grown!

"Ha! Bring who? That woman named Yan Bi?" Gu Chengyu sneered.

"You know Yan Bi?" Gu Wanhua was a bit surprised, his face flushed as he glanced at Gu Chengyu, who met his gaze with coldness in his eyes.

He knew his request was a bit too much, but he couldn’t bear to let Yan Bi go.

"I saw you came out of her courtyard in the morning. You want to take her away? How do you know she would agree? Would a woman like her be willing to follow you? What do you have? You’re not the son of a wealthy family, wouldn’t she suffer by following you?" Gu Chengyu couldn’t comprehend Gu Wanqian’s thinking.

"Besides! If you bring her back, what would your wife think? Even if it was a match made by a matchmaker, with no deep feelings involved, she still gave birth to your son. Considering your son, you can’t do this, right?"

As soon as he mentioned his son, Gu Chengyu saw a hint of hesitation in Gu Wanhua’s expression and decided to try persuading him further.

But after just a moment, Gu Wanhua’s expression turned firm again, "I didn’t say I wouldn’t keep Yang! I’ll sort this out myself. Just tell me whether you agree or not, Little Uncle."

Gu Chengyu found it strange, how Gu Wanhua was so sure Yan Bi would follow him, if she wanted to go, why seek his consent? Was Yan Bi sincere, or was she just playing along?

"Whether I agree or not, what’s the difference? If you want to take her, why ask me?"

"Yan Bi was raised by her godmother, but her godmother is forcing her to sell herself. She refuses, and her godmother wants to beat her. If she’s to leave with me, we’ll need to give her godmother a sum of Silver!" As he said this, Gu Wanhua’s voice grew quieter, observing Gu Chengyu’s increasingly dark expression.

Gu Chengyu felt his lungs about to explode with anger, this was practically Gu Wanhua dating a woman of ill repute, while asking him for Silver? Asking him to pay the ransom for that woman? Truly absurd!

"You say she has a godmother, yet my window faces her house, and I’ve never seen another woman apart from her. Are you fooling me, or is she fooling you?" Gu Chengyu’s voice suddenly raised, realizing he couldn’t communicate with Gu Wanhua.

He walked to the door and opened it, "Get out!"

Seeing Gu Chengyu’s firm attitude, his expression extremely grim, Gu Wanhua could only exit the room, but instead of going to his own room, he went downstairs.

Gu Chengyu watched him leave, decided not to bother with him, planning to have Ming Mo catch him and take him away when Ming Mo returned! He had only two places to go, after all.

Gu Wanhua ran to Huang Ming’s inn, "Shopkeeper! Has my Senior Brother Huang returned?" His frequent visits over the past days had made the innkeeper recognize him.

"Mr. Huang returned yesterday!" When Huang Ming returned yesterday, the shopkeeper had already informed him that someone was looking for him.

Gu Wanhua didn’t bother thanking, he panted heavily as he climbed to the second floor. Huang Ming was staying in a lower-grade room, and after Senior Brother Qian left, Huang Ming was sharing the room with others.

"Senior Brother Huang! Open the door quickly!"

"Huh? Wanhua? Why are you looking for me now? You’re not at Yan Bi’s place?" Huang Ming asked, surprised to see Gu Wanhua standing at the door, and then teasingly asked him.

"Stop talking, let’s talk inside, is there anyone in your room?" Gu Wanhua thought himself quite familiar with Huang Ming, stepped aside for Huang Ming to let him into the room.

Lower-grade rooms are shared by three people, better than large shared rooms, and as Gu Wanhua entered, he scanned the room, seeing only Huang Ming inside.

"Senior Brother Huang! You have to help me!"

"Did something happen?" Huang Ming pulled Gu Wanhua to a chair to sit down.

"It’s about Yan Bi, I want to pay her ransom, but her godmother demands two hundred taels of Silver. You know, where would I find so much Silver?" Gu Wanhua was troubled, as his family’s assets weren’t even worth that much!

"I haven’t heard of her having a godmother or needing that much. You know I’m not from a wealthy family. If I had it, I’d lend it to you, but now, I’m also powerless!"

Huang Ming silently ridiculed him, thinking how foolish Gu Wanhua was! Wanting to pay the ransom for a courtesan? Yan Bi, what kind of woman would be interested in Gu Wanhua? Only Silver can make women in such places devoted.

"I know, my Little Uncle surely has Silver, but he doesn’t want to lend it to me!" Gu Wanhua said through gritted teeth.

"Oh? I see your Little Uncle’s family is getting more affluent. What? He’s not willing to lend you Silver?" Huang Ming’s eyes turned, sensing an opportunity!

"Stop mentioning it, my Little Uncle is miserly, as soon as I mentioned paying the ransom for Yan Bi, he got upset!"

"Are your feelings for Yan Bi genuine?" Huang Ming looked at Gu Wanhua, probing.

When it comes to how Yan Bi and Gu Wanhua got involved, it was by chance. Gu Wanhua and Huang Ming mingled together for a few days, and once while drinking, Gu Wanhua mentioned the courtyard behind the inn and the woman there. Huang Ming, being who he was, understood Gu Wanhua’s crafty thoughts perfectly.