He didn't know the backgrounds of the two people in front of him. Seeing his nephew's trusting gaze, coupled with the fact that they could openly bring Li Zixin out, he knew the other party's identity was extraordinary. He said in panic, "This is our Li family's property. How can you just give away so much wealth? How long have you known them? Have they tricked you?"
"That's not right. This doesn't belong to the Li family. It used to belong to my parents, and now it's mine. I can give it to whomever I want. I wouldn't leave it for your family even if I gave it to a beggar on the street." Li Zixin knew he had the couple behind him and was fearless, not hiding his hatred.
"What's going on? I hear you have a misunderstanding with us. When I came to find your parents, I didn't expect them to pass away so suddenly, and you were arrested. Didn't your household fall into chaos? I had to take over and keep it safe for you temporarily, lest others take advantage of the situation." Li Jia Dabo looked at him with a wronged expression, feeling like an ungrateful wretch.
"You're still pretending, even at this point. In fact, on the day my parents passed away, I secretly went to their room. I heard your conversation and knew you had a hand in their deaths. You and the magistrate are in cahoots. The reason I was arrested back then was because I had collected evidence of you murdering my parents. I don't believe the magistrate didn't tell you. Why are you acting innocent in front of me now? Aren't you afraid my parents will come back for revenge in the middle of the night?" Li Zixin had truly seen their shamelessness.
"Since you know everything, you should know that my relationship with the magistrate is very close. If I can get you arrested once, I can arrest you a second time. For the sake of you being my nephew, I'm kindly reminding you to leave quickly." Li Jia Dabo's face changed like the June sky. He had been full of grievances just moments ago, but now his eyes turned sinister. He felt his nephew knew too much.
"Fine. We didn't intend to meddle, but this person before us, who is worse than pigs and dogs, is so shamelessly brazen that even we can't stand it. We'll take this deal exceptionally." Well, there was no need for further investigation. The two people facing off had already revealed the whole story.
"On what grounds? This is the Li family, and I am the true owner. I will block the way here today. Can you still kill someone?" Seeing the confident look on the other's face, Li Jia Dabo had a bad premonition. Thinking of the heavenly life he had been living recently, he would not give up easily no matter what. He had to maintain his imposing manner and absolutely could not back down.
Wu Caiwei, too lazy to argue, stepped forward. Before the other party could react, she grabbed him by the collar on the back of his neck and dragged him towards the door.
"Let me go, let me go..." Li Jia Dabo placed his hands on his collar, trying to prevent it from choking him, and yelled loudly.
The commotion immediately attracted the attention of the Li family servants. This was the first time in their lives they had seen such a scene. Their mouths hung open in astonishment, frozen in place. This beautiful woman was dragging their master across the ground, and what's more, she didn't even look strained. It made them mistakenly think their master was light as a feather.
"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and help!" Li Jia Dabo yelled angrily as he saw them standing there dumbfounded. Didn't they see him being dragged out?
He didn't know where he was being dragged to. He truly realized that the woman in front of him was not simple. The thought of her possibly going mad and killing him sent shivers down his spine, and he desperately wanted to break free.
"Oh, oh..." Only then did everyone react. Seeing the woman moving with swift strides, they were at a loss as to how to act. They feared that by obstructing her, they might injure their master and face repercussions later. Yet, they also feared that by not intervening, they wouldn't be able to rescue their master. They were in a dilemma when Li Zixin followed them.
"I'd like to see who dares to help that murderer." Seeing them about to block Wu Caiwei's path, Li Zixin quickly shouted a rebuke.
The servants didn't understand their young master's words, nor did they know who the murderer was. But their intuition told them that their young master and the woman in front of them were on the same side and had returned to deal with Li Jia Dabo. He had been making a mess of the mansion recently, squandering much of the Li family's wealth, selling off several shops, and hiding the money. As old servants of the Li family, they felt heartbroken, but he was family. They were merely servants who had signed contracts and had no right to interfere. A single word from them might lead to them being sold off.
Seeing that these servants were dissuaded by his nephew, Li Jia Dabo felt a surge of despair. He cried out desperately, "Murder! Murder!"
Wu Caiwei remained unfazed. She dragged him directly to the main gate and with a forceful shove, he was thrown outside with a "thud," landing on the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
Li Jia Dabo had never suffered such hardship in his life. His body felt as if it were breaking apart, filled only with pain. He couldn't even speak, his mind a complete blank. After a while, he tried to crawl, but collapsed again. The commotion had long since attracted the attention of passersby. Some nearby neighbors recognized him and couldn't help but point and whisper. Li Jia Dabo, thinking of the great embarrassment he had suffered in front of everyone, wondered how he would ever face anyone again. He couldn't help but weep, tears mixing with the dust on his face, a sight that was hard to bear.
The heavy sound of a closing door echoed behind him. He would have to return to the countryside and live a life of poverty, perhaps even losing the Li family's support. The thought made him frown. After a long while, he sat up.
"What are you looking at? Haven't you seen someone fall?" Li Jia Dabo snapped at them, seeing them peeking from the side and snickering.
Seeing that there was no more spectacle, they knew he was in a rage. They let out a few loud laughs and dispersed.
He was unwilling to return to the countryside like this. Hadn't the magistrate said Li Zixin would no longer bother his life? How could he have broken his word? What had happened today? He wanted to find out, so he stood up and hobbled towards the county yamen. To his surprise, the yamen runners, who had always been diligent towards him, had changed their attitude this time. As soon as they saw him, they chased him away with swords, threatening to arrest him and give him a beating in prison if he dared to come to the yamen again.
Li Jia Dabo stood in a small alley opposite the county yamen, gazing at the majestic main hall, his heart sinking to the bottom.
He walked with heavy steps towards the city gate. Halfway there, he turned back to look at the bustling, prosperous street, knowing that once he left this time, it would be as difficult as climbing to heaven to return. Gritting his teeth, he turned back.