The first account recorded in Qi's account book can be traced back to when she first married into the Chen family. At that time, Chen Tingjian was already an official in the capital.
Over the past twenty years, as Chen Tingjian was promoted several times, Qi received more and more filial tributes, and the amount of each tribute became higher and higher.
Qi was a careful person. At the end of each year, he would calculate the total revenue for the year.
Huayang was curious about how much the Qi family had embezzled so far, so he flipped through the pages very quickly, basically reading ten lines at a glance, and only paused briefly when he saw a large amount of income.
Chen Jingzong remained silent until Huayang turned to last year's accounts, then he pressed the page.
Huayang knew he was going to take a closer look.
No matter how ugly the quarrel between father and son is, he is the heir of the Chen family. This account book is of great importance and Chen Jingzong cannot be careless.
Some of Qi's income came from local officials, and some came from wealthy gentry and merchants, under various excuses.
Hua Yang frowned, "These people want to bribe father or your brothers the most. They didn't come to you directly. They must have been rejected before. That's why they came to Qi in a roundabout way. But Qi has no power, and she doesn't dare to speak for you. If things can't be done, why do those people keep giving money to Qi?"
Chen Jingzong: "Qi is not stupid. She dare not accept those who ask for immediate help if she can't help. But some people have a long-term vision and just want to establish a good relationship with the Chen family first, and then ask for help in the future. Qi dares to accept such people. People who send money think that the money goes to the Chen family, which is equivalent to holding the Chen family's handle. When they ask for help in the future, the old man will have to help them a little to cover up, so they dare to keep sending money."
"There is another possibility. After someone gives the money, he goes out to show off his power. Others are afraid of the Chen family and are willing to help him. In this way, the money spent is worth it."
The couple looked and talked, and suddenly, Huayang saw a special account.
[On the tenth day of March, two old ginsengs were sent from the capital. I used the root of Rhizoma Phytophthora as a decoction and sold it for three thousand taels.]
In his previous life, Huayang had only seen the general ledger of the Qi family's account book and some large detailed accounts clearly involving official corruption in the files of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and had never heard of these two old ginsengs worth three thousand taels.
Chen Jingzong's breathing behind him was heavy.
Huayang turned his head and saw that Chen Jingzong had a gloomy expression and was obviously angry.
Huayang looked at the line of words again and suddenly understood.
The old lady of the Chen family passed away in the first month of this year, but she must have had symptoms before she died, and she may have been bedridden for many years. The father-in-law was filial and could not go back to the ancestral home to visit her, so he bought two precious ginsengs from the capital and sent them to the old lady to recuperate. However, Chen Tingshi was useless, and the whole ancestral home was controlled by Qi. Qi was a black-hearted person. It would have been fine if she was greedy for money from outside, but she even used the root of the rhubarb to exchange the ginseng that prolonged the old lady's life for a good one!
If Qi hadn't done this, the old lady might have lived a few more years!
"you… "
Huayang had just opened her mouth when Chen Jingzong suddenly pulled her aside, grabbed the account book and walked out. He was so fast that when Huayang chased him out, Chen Jingzong had disappeared!
There was still some mud and water left in the yard. Huayang stood under the eaves, thinking that the evidence was in hand. No matter whether Chen Jingzong went to find his father-in-law or did something else, the only one who would suffer would be Qi.
.
Chen Jingzong left the Chen residence with a sullen face, turned north, and faced Sun and others who were several dozen feet away.
Chen Jingzong walked over there.
Sun thought that the fourth son was here to pick her up. She was relieved that her son still cared about her, but then she noticed that her son's face looked a little strange.
Sun was stunned. The last time her son was so angry was when her husband used family rules to force him to give up learning martial arts and concentrate on his studies!
"Old Four, what's wrong with you?"
Seeing that her son didn't even look at her and was about to go back with a ferocious look, Sun ran over in a hurry and grabbed her son's arm tightly.
Chen Jingzong separated his mother's hands without looking back. Seeing that his elder brother Chen Bozong was also coming to stop him, Chen Jingzong did not want to waste time, so he took out the account book, turned to the page and the entry about ginseng, and then stuffed the account book into his brother's hand.
"Qi's private account."
He only said these five words and Chen Bochong understood. Looking at the account again, Chen Bochong's usually dignified face became as gloomy as rain.
When he looked back, Chen Jingzong had walked some distance away.
"what happened?"
Chen Xiaozong couldn't stop his younger brother, so he ran to his mother and elder brother and asked in confusion.
Chen Bozong asked them to look at the account book, and ordered the servant beside him in a cold voice: "Go and find the master immediately and tell him that there is an emergency at home."
The servant hurried over to pass on the message.
Chen Bozong was a little worried, so he asked his third brother to look after this place while he hurried to chase his fourth brother.
A family of five from the East Courtyard had just come down from the mountains.
Qi kept looking up at the mountain, looking distraught.
Chen Jizong complained in confusion: "What good thing did you lose? We almost turned the land over. If you tell us, we can help you, but you just won't tell us."
Qi's face was as white as paper.
Chen Tingshi felt a little distressed: "Maybe it fell in the shed? Otherwise, I will go up with you to look for it?"
Qi shook her head numbly. Impossible, she pressed the bundle when she left the shed, and the account book was clearly inside.
Everything was fine until Hun Lao Si suddenly showed up and said she had a snake on her body...
Suddenly, Qi's pupils shrank, and he stared nervously and resentfully at the figure striding towards him.
But as Chen Jingzong got closer, his eyes stared at her gloomily, more sinister and terrifying than the snake. Qi no longer had the energy to hate, and was left with only a bone-chilling fear.
The account book was indeed taken by Chen Jingzong, right? If the truth is revealed, how will Chen Tingjian and Sun deal with her
Qi used to despise her husband Chen Tingshi the most, but now she thought of her husband first. She hid behind Chen Tingshi trembling like a sieve, holding his arms tightly with both hands.
"Wait, Lao Si, stop, what are you doing?"
Seeing that his nephew was not slowing down at all and was about to crash into him, Chen Tingshi stretched out his hand to stop him!
Chen Jingzong was still staring at Qi behind him, but when Chen Tingshi opened his mouth, he suddenly punched him in the face!
Everything happened so fast that the couple's only son, Chen Jizong, was dumbfounded, his wife screamed in fear, and their three-year-old son burst into tears!
"I'll fight you!"
Although Chen Jizong was a playboy, he was also a young man full of vigor and vitality. After seeing his parents being humiliated, he came to his senses and let out a loud shout, then rushed towards Chen Jingzong with his eyes wide open!
Chen Jingzong dodged his fist, raised his leg and kicked Chen Jizong straight into another mud pit!
Qi deserved to die, but fundamentally it was because my second uncle was too cowardly. Qi controlled everything at home, and he couldn't even keep an eye on my grandmother when she was sick and taking medicine!
Chen Jingzong disdained to hit women. He grabbed Chen Tingshi by the collar and raised his fist to hit him.
"stop!"
Chen Bozong rushed over and pulled down his arm with all his strength.
When the two brothers were in a stalemate, Chen Tingshi helped Qi to crawl away from them, and glared at his nephew with red eyes: "Fourth brother, what are you doing? If your second aunt and I have done anything wrong to you, please tell us first. If we are really wrong, I will kneel down for you to beat me!"
Even a clay Buddha still has some temper. No matter how cowardly Chen Tingshi is, he can't stand his nephew beating him without any reason.
Chen Jingzong sneered: "I threw that punch on behalf of my grandmother. If you want to kneel, go and kneel to her!"
Chen Tingshi was stunned.
Chen Bozong stood in front of his fourth brother and looked at Qi who was hiding behind his uncle. He said in a cold voice, "Uncle, do you know that the two old ginsengs that father sent back last year were sold at a high price by Qi, but she used the roots of Rhizoma Coptidis to make medicine for grandma?"
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a bolt of thunder striking Chen Tingshi!
Those two old ginsengs...
Chen Tingshi remembered that in order to honor his mother, his wife would cook medicine for her mother herself every time, saying that she was afraid that the cook would be clumsy and ruin the good things sent by his eldest brother.
"Nonsense, what evidence do you have?"
Seeing that his father was actually wavering and was actually beginning to doubt his own family, Chen Jizong ran over, supported his staggering mother with one hand, and pointed at the two brothers from the eldest house and shouted, as if the louder his voice was, the more right their family was.
"Whether it's true or not, I'll find out clearly when my father comes back."
Chen Xiaozong came over with the account book, stood in a row with his brothers, and glared at everyone in the East Courtyard.
When Qi saw the familiar account book, she lost even the last glimmer of hope. Her eyes rolled back and she fell down softly.
"Mom!" Chen Jizong quickly hugged his mother.
Chen Xiaozong held up the account book and said, "She was looking for this just now."
Chen Tingshi looked at the account book and thought about his wife's previous behavior. What else was there that he didn't understand
So, what the nephews said was true. Qi actually coveted the eldest brother's ginseng and delayed his mother's treatment
The skinny and shriveled face of his old mother emerged in his mind, and all kinds of emotions such as absurdity and regret swept over him like a flood. Chen Tingshi covered his head in pain and howled twice. Suddenly, he turned around and snatched his unconscious wife from his son's arms. He grabbed Qi's collar with his left hand and raised his right hand high. After a slight pause, he slapped her in the face!
It’s okay for his wife to look down on him, and it’s okay for her to bully him because he is weak, but she should never bully his mother!
The severe pain on her face woke Qi from her coma. She opened her eyes dazedly and faced her honest and cowardly husband.
The forty-year-old woman is still beautiful, with her messy black hair hanging down in her loose bun.
Chen Tingshi, who wanted to slap again, had a flash of pain in his eyes, and suddenly changed direction and slapped himself hard!
Blame him, blame him for having no self-awareness!
Qi fell from his trembling hands, fell to the ground, and a stream of blood slowly flowed from the corner of his mouth.
Her face was covered in mud, a mixture of mud and blood, looking both miserable and tragic.
"mother!"
Chen Jizong rushed over, stood in front of his mother, and cursed at his own father who dared to hit his mother: "You believed what they said. Who are your family members? Do you want to hit me just because they said I stole the money?"
After saying this, he glared at the three brothers from the first house angrily.
The three brothers remained indifferent.
Who does Chen Tingshi trust more
Glancing at Qi who dared not look up, Chen Tingshi fell to the ground, beating his chest and crying, "Mother, I'm sorry!"
The crying was so heartbreaking that it could be heard from far away, causing the neighbors living near Chen's house to drop their work and run out to look over here.
"Okay, go home first and don't embarrass yourself outside."
Sun, who had been watching for a long time, finally spoke.
Chen Tingshi was still crying. Chen Jizong hugged his mother who was almost dead, tears and snot streaming down his face. He shouted that his uncle's family was bullying others by taking advantage of their power: "It's unfair! You guys are living a luxurious life in the capital, and we have been taking care of our old lady for so many years. But when you come back, you want to throw all the stigma on us!"
Sun looked at him howling indifferently. In this world, not everyone who cheats will win the lawsuit.
She told her sons, "Eldest and third son, go help your second uncle up."
"Old Four is fast, you go back first and tell the guards to surround the house. No one and no box are allowed to leave the Chen family gate until the matter is investigated."
Qi had embezzled so much. Even if Chen Tingshi was kept in the dark by her, there must be Qi's accomplices among the servants and managers in the ancestral house, either covering up for her or selling the stolen goods for her.
She and her sons can find out this simple matter without her husband stepping in!
(End of this chapter)