The wine had flowed for three rounds, and dishes had been cleared after five courses. The tavern hall was in chaos, with drunkards sprawled on the floor or leaning haphazardly, clearly having had their fill.
Only Qi Xingjie sat upright at the octagonal table, his expression having shifted from flushed red to a calm demeanor.
Seeing that they had all spoken their piece, Liu Zhiwen and Song Guangyao emerged from behind the screen. Following them were four scribes, each carrying a thick stack of confessions.
“Xingjie, how are you?” Liu Zhiwen patted Qi Xingjie’s shoulder, his tone filled with concern.
This brother-in-law was the sole male heir of the Qi family and was extremely doted upon. His five elder sisters all adored him, and as his brother-in-law, Liu Zhiwen naturally extended his affection.
Earlier, when he had been repeatedly insulted and mocked by these ruffians, Liu Zhiwen had initially expected Qi Xingjie, with his volatile temper, to lash out and fight.
Who would have thought that after hearing so many insults and being publicly slapped and humiliated, Qi Xingjie, though visibly angry, would manage to suppress the rage in his heart?
“Brother-in-law, I’m fine. I’ll leave these people to you; I have other matters to attend to.” After a long moment, Qi Xingjie reacted. He handed over Boss Gong and his gang to Liu Zhiwen, then grabbed Shopkeeper Tu and left the tavern without looking back.
Seeing Qi Xingjie’s somewhat hasty retreat, Liu Zhiwen decided against saying the comforting words he had intended. In truth, his brother-in-law was just a bit hot-tempered, fond of playing, and a bit of a glutton, but his fundamental nature was very kind.
It was just that outsiders, seeing him this way, would perceive all his actions and behaviors as frivolous.
Never mind! Let him calm down by himself!
Liu Zhiwen cast a sharp glance at Song Guangyao, then beckoned the guards and yamen runners outside to come in and bind all the big men in the room.
Song Guangyao felt weak all over, his clothes completely soaked. If this matter were to get out, he feared his position as town mayor would be at an end.
If merely losing his office was not a big deal, after all, having managed for so many years, the Song family’s status in Yong’an Town was already deeply rooted and unshakeable. But if the losses extended beyond just his official post, the problem would be serious.
Boss Gong, Ali, and a few others who had committed more serious crimes according to the confessions were all shackled and handcuffed to prevent their escape.
Apart from Ali, who was greedy, the numerous misdeeds committed by the others would inevitably lead to their execution after the autumn.
Qi Xingjie, who had run out with Shopkeeper Tu, finally took refuge in an alleyway after enduring the curious stares of the people on the street. Due to running too fast, once he reached a deserted spot, he leaned against the wall, panting from exhaustion.
At this moment, his heart was filled with immense anger, frustration, and volatility… It was too humiliating! Qi Xingjie, mocked publicly by such a group of ruffians, felt the helplessness of being stripped naked and thrown onto the street.
When those people had spoken about him earlier, Qi Xingjie had been furious at first. But gradually, he began to self-reflect. Was he truly a good-for-nothing? Did those people surround him solely because of his status and money?
He was born in the capital, his family was well-off, and he had seen many of the wealthy young masters who indulged in drinking, gambling, and womanizing. Qi Xingjie believed he was different from them.
Since childhood, no one had told him that he had too many flaws; the people around him had always indulged and pampered him. Therefore, Qi Xingjie had always believed that he was well-received wherever he went and often took pride in his good reputation.
This time, his self-esteem, his pride, and his sense of superiority, which he thought was exceptional, were all trampled into the mud and ground into pieces!
In the eyes of those people, he was no different from those second-generation rich idlers in the capital. They were all scum, dregs, and parasites who relied solely on their families!
Shopkeeper Tu, following behind him, could clearly sense Qi Xingjie’s dejected mood. If it were before yesterday, if someone had insulted the ‘Little Tyrant’ Qi like this, he would have secretly applauded.
But after these two days of interaction, Shopkeeper Tu knew that Qi Xingjie was not that kind of person. Especially last night at Old Man Li’s house, the furrowed brow and the unintentional pity that flickered across Qi Xingjie’s face further confirmed his thoughts.
Shopkeeper Tu wanted to say something to comfort him but found himself at a loss for words. What good would it do if he alone knew this? Everyone in Yong’an Town avoided Qi Xingjie like the plague.
With his plump figure, Qi Xingjie slowly slid down the wall, burying his head in his arms. His shoulders trembled slightly. After seventeen years of a privileged life, he had never felt so wronged.
The sun beat down fiercely. The old tree at the mouth of the alley blocked the scorching sunlight, casting dappled light that illuminated the two of them. Soon, their clothes were soaked through by sweat.
Seeing that Qi Xingjie’s body was no longer trembling, Shopkeeper Tu took a couple of steps forward and gently patted his shoulder. “Young Master Qi, are… are you alright?”
Qi Xingjie fiercely wiped his face with his sleeve. Due to his plumpness, his legs had gone numb after squatting for too long. He slowly straightened up, his round, chubby face flushed red, his eyes glistening, giving him a strangely pitiful air.
Although Qi Xingjie felt a little better after crying, he soon felt embarrassed. How could a grown man cry over such a small matter?
Since others misunderstood him as a idler who ran roughshod over the countryside, from today onwards, he would change himself and do more meaningful things.
Perhaps it was because they were going to cooperate to open a hot pot restaurant, and also because Shopkeeper Tu had questioned him that day, and they had run errands for the Li family. The two had, in a sense, established a friendship.
Qi Xingjie had a good impression of Shopkeeper Tu, which was why, in his awkward situation earlier, he had chosen to pull him out. “I’m fine now, Shopkeeper Tu. I want to post a notice at the city gate so that the victims who were wronged can see the fate of these people.”
Shopkeeper Tu, seeing that his mood had indeed stabilized considerably, felt a sense of relief. “Of course, that can be done. Such a gratifying event, even if no notice is posted, the entire Yong’an Town will know about it soon enough.”
Qi Xingjie shook his head, an irrepressible anger showing in his eyes. “It’s not just about letting the common people know their fate. For those victims mentioned by those people just now, I was thinking if we could find them and provide them with some compensation. It would be some comfort to them, however small.”