Niu Er's other brother couldn't stand it any longer and said, "What the immortal means is that Xiong San was also born of your mother."
Niu Er's eyes widened, and just when everyone around him thought he had finally realized something, he uttered another astonishing statement. "Could it be that I have a lost biological brother? By fate, heaven has made us brothers again!"
Niu Er looked at Xu Si expectantly, hoping to get his approval.
Xu Si: "..."
His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Niu Er was frantic. He rushed over, grabbed Xu Si, and wailed, "It's all because of this waiter! Look what he's done to my brother!"
The waiter was dumbfounded. He looked at Xue Lin, and everything was understood without a word.
Take this idiot away quickly; they can't afford to keep such a big shot here.
Xue Lin ordered Sichen to bring all three of them back to the Jingzhao Prefecture, decreeing that they could only be released if they genuinely repented and compensated Drunken Fragrance Pavilion for its losses.
Xu Si's family was the first to arrive. They scraped together half of their savings by selling everything they owned. Xu Si offered to work odd jobs at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion to repay the debt.
Seeing his serious expression, the owner of the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion agreed.
As for Niu Er and Xiong San's families--
Sichen said, "It's Niu Er's mother who's come, but she wants to save Xiong San."
Tong Aning was holding a newly bought candied fruit in her arms. She had been eating the candied fruit while listening to Sichen talk, but suddenly the candied fruit in her hand didn't taste so good anymore.
She cleared her throat and said, "It seems things are quite Minglang now."
Xue Lin nodded.
Tong Aning started distributing the dried fruit, not the bag she was carrying, but two other bags she had bought. She gave one bag to Sichen and the other to Xue Lin.
Sichen said, " Miss Tong, our young master doesn't like sweets."
Tong Aning: "Huh?"
Over there, Xue Lin had already taken the candied fruit. He lowered his eyes and said, "I like it."
Tong Aning laughed heartily, " Sichen, you seem to have forgotten about your family's young master lately."
Sichen muttered, "His mood changes faster than turning the pages of a book; who can understand him?"
Tong Aning didn't hear clearly, "What?"
Xue Lin heard everything clearly, and glanced at Sichen casually. Sichen quickly said, "I didn't say anything."
"Yeah?"
Am I hallucinating?
The jailer came in and said, "Your Highness, Niu Er is causing a disturbance in the cell."
Xue Lin and Tong Aning went to the prison together.
The prison was filled with all sorts of people, and Xue Lin was worried that Tong Aning would be offended, so he deliberately kept her out of the way.
But Xue Lin was clearly overthinking it. Everyone in the prison had heard of him; he was not only ruthless but also exceptionally vicious.
Upon hearing that he was coming, they all wished they could hide, and dared not look around anymore.
Niu Er and Xiong San were imprisoned in the same cell.
The two men, covered in dirt from their fight, had just been separated by the jailer.
Sichen: "They're incredibly audacious, fighting even in the jail cell."
The jailer who stopped them complained, "Who says otherwise? They're beating each other endlessly. Why don't we separate them and put them in different cells?"
Sichen went to see Xue Lin.
Xue Lin asked, "Why are you fighting?"
Niu Er wiped away his tears and said defiantly, "Then you should ask him what kind of bewitching potion he gave my mother that made her abandon even her own son."
Xiong San said, "Because I am Mother's biological son."
Niu Er, his face contorted with murderous intent, retorted, "What are you saying? It seems I misunderstood that waiter; it was you who instigated everything!"
Xiong San: "What's the use of saying all this now? Aren't you the one who beat people the hardest, you brute?"
[Wow, it sounds like this Xiong San is quite arrogant.]
[So his father was a scholar, no wonder he speaks in such a refined and scholarly manner.]
[Tsk tsk tsk, more than ten years ago, Xiong San's father Xiong Wanxin, and Niu Er's mother, Ji Cuifang, made a pact to elope. When Ji Cuifang arrived, Xiong Wanxin went back on his word and didn't come. He made Ji Cuifang endure the scorn of the entire village. With no other choice, Ji Cuifang had to leave her hometown.]
[At that time, Ji Cuifang was already pregnant with Xiong San. She gave birth to Xiong San in a mountain cave, and fainted from exhaustion. When she woke up, Xiong San had been stolen and ended up in the hands of his biological father.]
[Later, Ji Cuifang went to the capital and met her current husband. Their lives got better and better, and she gave birth to Niu Er. But last year, she unexpectedly reunited with Xiong Wanxin, Xiong Wanxin said he regretted it so much...]
Tong Aning gritted her teeth.
[What regret? I think he just wants Ji Cuifang to give him money... How outrageous! This father and son are actually supported by Ji Cuifang. Ji Cuifang Ji Cuifang always felt guilty about Xiong San being stolen, and that's probably why this father and son have her under their control.]
[Sigh, if Xiong Wanxin hadn't broken his promise, Ji Cuifang wouldn't have given birth in the cave. It wasn't Ji Cuifang's fault at all.]
Tong Aning was furious.
[Host, Xiong Wanxin didn't make this decision on the spur of the moment. He wanted to participate in the provincial examination but had no money, so he used sweet words to deceive Ji Cuifang.]
Tong Aning is truly astonishing; what an absolute gigolo!
Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, Niu Er punched Xiong San again.
This time, Sichen and the jailer's attempts to stop him were somewhat perfunctory.
Niu Er crawled on his knees to Tong Aning and Xue Lin and kowtowed to them.
"I know you two are both capable people. Please help me persuade my mother. I'll do anything you ask."
He's truly a filial son.
[Host, have you decided to help?]
I'm just that helpful.
Most importantly, Tong Aning couldn't stand men who lived off women.
*
Ji Cuifang felt extremely uncomfortable. "Perhaps Mother, you should leave."
Niu Er grabbed her arm and pleaded, "Mother, do you want me to be locked up again?"
Ji Cuifang looked at Niu Er. Although she had always felt guilty towards Xiong San, this was also her child, flesh and blood of her own flesh. She couldn't just sit idly by and do nothing.
Ji Cuifang sat down. "You weren't scammed, were you?"
"Definitely not."
Putting aside the fact that Xue Lin is a prince and a man of his word, Tong Aning is a deity; would a deity deceive him?
Even the scheme that allowed Xiong Wanxin to reveal his true colors was orchestrated by Tong Aning.
Tong Aning, Xue Lin, and Sichen were right next to Niu Er and Ji Cuifang.
Tong Aning had booked the entire first floor of the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. Apart from their two tables, the only other person present was Xiong Wanxin, who had just come in.
Ji Cuifang: "That's not..."
Niu Er grabbed his mother's arm and whispered, "Mother, I beg you."
"I will never go back on my promise to you."
Xiong Wanxin looked around. Ji Cuifang was blocked by Niu Er, so he didn't notice anything. After sitting down, he asked the waiter to bring tea.
The waiter asked, "Sir, what would you like to eat?"
Xiong Wanxin himself, "Someone else is coming. Let's wait until she arrives."
[Tsk tsk tsk, looks like he's been living off more than one woman.]
Ji Cuifang was completely confused. What was that sound?
Also, who exactly is Brother Xiong going to see?
"Wan Xin."
A delicate, chilling voice rang out, and the person went straight to Xiong Wanxin Xiong Wanxin sat in his lap.
Ji Cuifang couldn't believe it.
The woman asked, "Haven't you ordered yet?"
Xiong Wanxin: "I've been waiting for you to come. What would you like to eat?"
"The dishes at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion are very expensive, are you really willing to spend that much?"
"I can't bear to part with you, but I still have you, don't I?"
[They've really stopped acting.]
The woman paused, looked at Xiong Wanxin, and relented, "Alright then."
The food hadn't even arrived yet, but there were already more people than they had ordered.
" Xiong Wanxin, just how many people did you call?"
" Xiong Wanxin, aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning... There's even a man here?"
Xiong Wanxin retorted, "I don't know, I don't know what's going on."
[If we don't know this one, then we do know the others?]
"Oh dear," the man skillfully hooked his arm around Xiong Wanxin's belt, "Scholar Xiong, have you forgotten? You were giving me a flirty look before you left last night."
Xiong Wanxin gagged several times, "Nonsense."
"I'm not making this up. Lots of people saw it. I even paid for the books you bought."
Even if just one person stabbed Xiong Wanxin Xiong Wanxin, he'd be turned into minced meat, wouldn't he?
Niu Er said, "Mother, you saw it all, didn't you? He doesn't really regret it; he just wants your money, Mother!"
Even though Niu Er had already said all that, Ji Cuifang still got up and walked towards Xiong Wanxin without hesitation.
Niu Er felt a wave of weakness, but then he heard a loud slap.
Crisp and powerful.
The blow knocked half of Xiong Wanxin's head to the side.
Xiong Wanxin spat out a mouthful of blood, covered his face, and said viciously, " Ji Cuifang, you dare to hit me?"
"So what if I hit you? You lied to me more than ten years ago, and you're still lying to me more than ten years later, you beast."
"How dare you call me an animal? If it weren't for you, would Xiong San have suffered so much? You can't even protect a child."
Ji Cuifang clutched her chest, Niu Er quickly supported her, "Mother, are you alright?"
"Look at you, raising other people's children so well, while our child has been wandering outside for ten years."
[What a liar! As soon as Xiong San Sanyi was stolen, Xiong Wanxin bought the child. At the time, he was having an affair with a woman who had damaged her fertility in her youth and couldn't have children, but she loved children. Xiong Wanxin simply bought a child to please her.]
Those who had been deceived by Xiong Wanxin were filled with righteous indignation.
"That damned bastard, he's obviously a repeat offender. Take him to the authorities, take him to the authorities!"
Xue Lin stood up and said, "I am the Vice Magistrate of the Jingzhao Prefecture. I will handle this matter."
"Great! Excellent! This is truly gratifying!"
*
Xiong Wanxin and Xiong San were both sent to prison. Ji Cuifang also saw through their true colors and decided to go back to live a good life with Niu Er and Niu Er's father.
Niu Er went to work odd jobs at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, where he formed a new trio with the waiter and Xu Si.
[Excellent, excellent, truly excellent.]
Tong Aning held up the candied hawthorn in her hand and hummed a song.
" Yingtao, let's buy more snacks to take back for Sister Mu Yao to try."
Yingtao: "Okay."
It's very noisy up ahead.
Tong Aning pulled Yingtao along as they squeezed in.
She looked around curiously, "What are they doing?"
"They were arguing about who Qinxin was looking at, and the argument escalated into a fight."
"Where is Qinxin, my beloved?"
Someone pointed upstairs.
The beautiful woman leaned against the windowsill, without any makeup, like a lotus emerging from the water.
Is there even a need to compare?
She was clearly looking at me.
Yingtao:"...?"
Why is the young lady being shy?
This little girl is absolutely hilarious! What is Qinxin looking at her for?
"They're here, they're here, Qinxin's maid is here."
The maidservant walked through the crowd and approached Tong Aning.
"Young lady, this is our young mistress. Please come upstairs."
People around:?
No, was Qinxin really looking at her?