"You are going too far," she said truthfully. But if she sent her own people to deliver the silver to their courtyard, those shrewd individuals hiding in the shadows would surely guess what had happened today.
The consequences of her words in the courtroom would definitely attract the attention of those with ulterior motives, something he could not afford. However, if he angered the couple, and they revealed the evidence, he would be in just as much trouble.
"We can carry it away ourselves. You know, hiring people inevitably leads to leaks. If any unpleasant rumors spread, you can't blame us." This last sentence was the primary reason they made their demand.
The county magistrate hesitated, then nodded. Although things might spread later, without evidence, it would only be idle gossip. But if his own men personally carried the chests to Hu Lianyu's courtyard, even more people would see it, and the couple would have irrefutable leverage.
In that case, the couple had no reason to conceal anything for him. The magistrate was not a person dedicated to the people's welfare; he would be happy to spread rumors, and even happier if it led to his downfall.
Soon, the news reached Madam Hu. Fearing that things would not develop as she wished, she stationed several people near the yamen to observe the situation. When she learned that the couple had entered the back courtyard of the yamen, several of them immediately rushed to the back gate.
Seeing them carrying two large chests, and more importantly, recognizing the chests from that morning when they were brought in, they were bewildered as to how these items ended up with the Hu couple.
While the servants couldn't figure it out, Madam Hu's expression grew increasingly grim. The magistrate would surely find an excuse to conclude the case and hand over the silver to them, indicating that they held leverage over him.
Thinking of the large sums of money that had flowed out of her hands like water recently, her heart ached. She also harbored resentment, regretting that she had driven him away too soon. She should have stifled him in the mansion before he grew powerful; then she wouldn't have so many troubles now.
The Zhou family heard that the couple had returned and hurried out to greet them. Seeing that they were not only unharmed but also carried two large chests, they could guess what was inside and were astonished. Others who went to court either ended up injured, severely beaten, or even imprisoned. To their surprise, the couple not only returned looking radiant but also brought back gold and silver. This was different from their expectations, but even so, they dared not linger in the mansion any longer.
"You handled the matter? It was so frightening, someone poisoned our well water. Fortunately, you discovered it, otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable." The Zhou family had not dared to eat or drink in the Hu's small courtyard all day, still trembling with lingering fear.
Wu Caiwei and Hu Lianyu knew what they were thinking and ignored them. They directly ordered people to carry the two chests to the storeroom and then sat in the living room to drink tea. The Zhou family exchanged glances and quickly followed.
"We've been in Yùchéng for so long, it's time we returned. Visit us often when you have time." Zhou Xueshan didn't want to waste pleasantries with them, but the thought of coming to Yùchéng and obtaining twenty thousand taels of silver using their name made him overjoyed. That was twenty thousand taels! Back in the village, he would be a veritable landlord. He could buy several courtyards, a large plot of land, and a bunch of maids and servants to enjoy a life of ease.
"When are you planning to leave?" Hu Lianyu asked casually.
"Tomorrow, we leave early tomorrow morning." They didn't want to stay here for another day. If it weren't for the fact that their belongings weren't packed, he would have left today.
Wu Caiwei nodded, indicating she had heard. Madam Zhou looked at her indifferent expression and opened her mouth, wanting to scold her. But then she recalled how heartless the two had been some time ago. Since she was leaving anyway, it was better not to stir up trouble. She didn't know if she would ever see her again in this lifetime, so she couldn't be bothered to say more.
With the Zhou family gone, the courtyard became quiet. The couple appeared to be shopping every day, but in reality, they were surveying shops and looking for business opportunities. They then began selling off their household items, pooling enough money to buy some shops and start businesses.
Initially, the people of the city didn't take them seriously. After all, they had seen how Hu Lianyu had lived for so many years. If he truly had business acumen, he would have become wealthy long ago and wouldn't have lived such a hard life. But what surprised them was that their shops gradually gained a reputation.
Soon, their shops were surrounded by people. Every day, the shopkeepers and employees were busy beyond measure, and money flowed rapidly into Wu Caiwei's pockets.
There were only so many people in the city. Where there was joy, there was sorrow. The one crying was Madam Hu. Seeing her income noticeably decrease, she was furious. Upon inquiry, she discovered that the couple had been subtly undermining her.
"Is there no way to deal with them?" Madam Hu looked sternly at the stewards below. She refused to believe that after doing business for so many years, the Hu family couldn't deal with two people who had no one to rely on.
"Their products are of excellent quality, and their prices are fair. If we go head-to-head with them, I fear we will lose," it wasn't a time for bravado. The shopkeeper quickly stated his true thoughts, afraid Madam Hu would accuse him of incompetence or lack of dedication. He also wanted Madam Hu to have a clear understanding, so if he ruined the business later, she wouldn't place all the blame on him.
"If we can't use force, we'll use subtlety. I refuse to believe that our Hu family can't handle them. Didn't they recently open a fabric shop? How about this: all our fabrics will be half-price, cheaper than theirs. Let's see what they do. I don't believe they won't be dragged down." Seeing that the fabric shop was already suffering serious losses, Madam Hu could only come up with this less-than-ideal solution.
"But if we only sell at half-price, let alone make a profit, we won't even recover the cost. Besides, if they can hold on for a few months, will we continue like this indefinitely?" The shopkeeper looked worriedly at Madam Hu, thinking this plan wouldn't work. It didn't address the root cause. Furthermore, if their business collapsed later and they raised prices again, people wouldn't accept it.
"We'll keep at it until they are dragged down. While they haven't grown strong yet, we must nip them in the bud. Otherwise, they will surely be powerful rivals to the Hu family." Madam Hu fell silent for a moment, then made up her mind. This time, no matter what, she had to crush them. Given Hu Lianyu's hatred for her, if they prospered, he would undoubtedly target her first. She would not allow that day to come.