NFBE Chapter 135 Owes a Huge Sum of Money
Chapter 135 Owes a Huge Sum of Money
Ye Yuanru gritted her teeth. How could this beggar be here?
"Grandma, do you remember me? I'm... the shop assistant from the fabric store."
The old woman saw Wang Shitou clearly.
"Oh! It's you! I remember you, young man, you're a good person. That day I didn't get any money, and you were the only one who gave me two copper coins."
"Yes! Yes!" Wang Shitou exclaimed excitedly.
"Slap! Granny, do you even know what case is being tried in court?"
"Sir, I heard on the street that there was a case to be tried and people were rushing over here, so I brought my granddaughter to beg for a few copper coins. But I'm not very good at walking and I'm slow. I was brought in as soon as I arrived."
"What did you hear that day at Xue's shop?"
"This old woman can't read. Where is Xue's shop?"
"It's the shop where he sells fabrics," the constable said, pointing to Wang Shitou.
"It was him! Let me think, the old woman stood at the shop entrance for a long time that day. There was only one girl there at the time, and then another one came out later."
The girl had a maid named Chun send me away. The old woman hadn't gotten any money all day, and her granddaughter, who had been hungry all day, didn't want to leave, so she begged for a little longer.
Later, the young man ran out and said something was broken, oh! There was a hole.
The girl was very impatient, saying that it was beneath her dignity to be minding the shop for the young man, and that he needed to ask her about such trivial matters. She told him to just cover himself up with a cloth or something, and then she left.
"Yes, that's what I said?" Seeing that someone had told the truth, Wang Shitou wiped away his tears with his sleeve.
Ye Yuanru's face was pale.
"Ye Yuanru, is what this old woman said true?"
Xue Ruoxue stepped forward and replied:
"My lord, I suspect that someone is secretly plotting this. How could this old woman have appeared here by such a coincidence? There must be something going on. Please investigate carefully, my lord."
"Ms. Xue, then tell me, who would go to such lengths to frame you?"
"This……"
Xue Ruoxue wanted to say it was Liu Yunshu and her son, but she didn't have enough evidence.
"My lord, this humble woman..."
"Aren't you that girl? Your appearance isn't good. You'd better not do anything underhanded. Doing more good deeds might bring you a better future."
The old woman is a beggar, living one day at a time, unsure of where her next meal will come from, she has to beg to fill her stomach.
When the old woman saw Ye Yuanru, a shrewd glint appeared in her cloudy eyes. She said a few words and then walked out with her faltering steps, holding her granddaughter's hand.
The constables tried to stop her, but Zheng Tianxing waved them away, and Ye Yuanru gritted her teeth in anger.
"Grandma, I believe what you're saying is true. Here's the money."
"I'll give it to you too."
The onlookers put copper coins in the old woman's bowl.
"Thank you so much! Good deeds will be rewarded." The old woman left the government office with a bowl full of copper coins.
"My lord, Miss Ye, as the owner, did not pay attention to the fabrics in the warehouse, and Manager Xue did not check them carefully when shipping them out. This has delayed my return home."
Everything is ready now; we're just waiting for this batch of fabric to be sold. Please, Your Excellency, grant this humble servant your permission.
With witnesses to corroborate Wang Shitou's statement, the warehouse issue was Xue Ruoxue's responsibility, and Manager Wu was indeed the party who suffered losses.
"Ye Yuanru, what the old woman said is the same as what Wang Shitou said. Do you agree or not?"
Ye Yuanru lowered her head; she couldn't admit it, otherwise her family would suffer heavy losses.
"My lord, this matter is ultimately due to my lack of thorough inspection. I am willing to compensate Manager Wu for his losses."
Before Ye Yuanru could reply, Xue Ruoxue admitted it, and the woman outside who gave the beggar a copper coin was already convinced that it was their fault.
As long as this matter has a resolution, that's enough. They may lose some money, but Ye Yuanru's reputation can be preserved. Xue Ruoxue reluctantly admitted it.
"Okay, the cost of this batch of fabric is three thousand, plus the cost of hiring someone to escort the goods, and the loss due to the delay in opening the new store."
This judge, in accordance with the law, hereby orders that Xue shall immediately compensate Wu Fugui with 5,500 taels of silver.
Xue Ruoxue thought it would be at most four thousand taels. Upon hearing the amount, she staggered backward, as she had already spent most of the three thousand taels on bribes.
She now has less than two thousand taels left, and even with her existing possessions, she can't raise enough. Five thousand five hundred taels is going to leave her with a huge debt!
"My lord, could you grant me a few more days?"
"You'll have to ask Manager Wu what he thinks."
Xue Ruoxue bowed her head and apologized to Manager Wu:
"Manager Wu, I have failed your trust. I cannot come up with such a large sum of money at once. Could you please grant me a few more days?"
"Manager Xue, I cannot stay in the capital for long. You must hand over this money to the government office before sunset tomorrow."
"Manager Wu, I might..."
"Manager Xue, I have already made concessions, please don't put me in a difficult position."
Seeing his resolute attitude, Xue Ruoxue gritted her teeth and could only nod.
"Alright, I will bring the silver notes before sunset tomorrow."
The clerk took the written statement and had Xue Ruoxue sign it.
“Mr. Xue, sign here.”
"mother……"
Ye Yuanru looked at her with tears in her eyes. Their small shop could only earn a hundred taels of silver a year at most. This business deal was a complete loss.
Xue Ruoxue knew all too well the devastating losses, and with trembling hands, she picked up the brush and signed her name.
"My lord, I have signed the agreement and will now go back to prepare the money." With that, she turned to leave.
"Ye Yuanru, slow down," Zheng Tianxing said unhurriedly.
"Sir, is there anything else?"
“There’s a case here involving hiring someone to spread rumors. The person confessed that you were the mastermind. Bring Zhang Dazhuang in, and everyone else who is not involved in this case, get out.”
When Ye Yuanru heard Zhang Dazhuang's name, her face turned pale. How could Chunzhi have been found out?
Xue Ruoxue nearly fainted. She was afraid that her daughter would be involved in the lawsuit, so she signed the document to protect her reputation. She never expected there would be another case.
Judging from Ye Yuanru's reaction, it was obvious that she was the one who did it. When did she secretly do this? Xue Ruoxue was so angry that she almost fainted.
Zhang Dazhuang was pushed and shoved by the yamen runners to the front of the hall, where he knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head.
Zheng Tianxing slammed the gavel down and said sternly, "Zhang Dazhuang, tell the truth. Who instructed you to spread rumors and slander Madam Ye and Miss Ye at Zuixiang Tower?"
Zhang Dazhuang stole a glance at Ye Yuanru and said tremblingly, "Sir, it was...it was the Ye family who made me do it."
Xue Ruoxue stepped forward and shouted, "You're talking nonsense! We don't know you at all! Madam Ye is my sister-in-law, why would we speak ill of her?"
"Ms. Xue, your case is closed. Leave the court immediately."
Zhang Dazhuang, tell me in detail what happened.
Helpless, Xue Ruoxue could only go to the door and listen in.
“Sir, it was that maid who gave me ten taels of silver and told me to go outside and say that Ye Yaoyao is a jinx and that Madam Ye has driven out Old Madam Ye.” Zhang Dazhuang pointed at Chunzhi.
"You...you're talking nonsense, I don't know you at all."
Chunzhi denied it, but she was unsure of herself. She hadn't shown her face at the time, so how could this person have recognized her?