Xia Wencai wahe streets in a daze, his face pale and lifeless.

  It had all started off so well. His luck seemed steady at first. But somehow, it all fell apart ter on.

  Before he k, he had lost tens of thousands of silver taels in gambling.

  He had hoped to turn things around, but instead, he ended up losing even more—now owing the gambling house a debt of several thousand silver taels!

  How was he supposed to expin this to his father? His father would definitely break his hands!

  The momeepped through the door, Xia Jiang, his father, gred at him and asked, "Where's the money?"

  Xia Wencai stammered, "The money... Aunt didn’t give it to me."

  Xia Jiang's expression darkened immediately. "What?! You didn’t repeat what I told you to say to your aunt?"

  "I did! But Aunt said she didn’t have any moher."

  With a loud bang, Xia Jiang smmed his palm oable.

  "That damn woman! Does she really want us both to go down together?!"

  Xia Wencai cowered and added timidly, "Aunt said... you have so many properties and fields. She told you to go sell some of them."

  Xia Jiang gritted his teeth, his face twisting with rage. He didn’t want to end up in prison, so he had no choice but to sider selling his properties and farmnd.

  His heart bled at the thought. Those properties had taken him years to accumute, and now he was being forced to sell them.

  At that moment, Madam Xia returned home. She ehe courtyard with several servants trailing behiheir arms den with newly purchased items.

  "Take everything to my courtyard," Madam Xia directed sharply. "And be careful with those vases—they’re antiques from the previous dynasty! If you break them, your worthless lives won’t be enough to repay me!"

  Xia Jiang’s expression turned even darker. "Why did you buy so much again?"

  Madam Xia replied nontly, "I went shopping with Madam Zhang today. Everyone else was buying things, so how could I not?"

  Xia Jiang’s anger erupted. "Madam Zhang's family is a grain mert—do you think our family has the same kind of money? What makes you think you pare yourself to them?"

  Madam Xia retorted without hesitation, "What’s there to pare? Isn’t our family rich too? What’s wrong with me spending a little money?"

  Looking at his spendthrift wife and his utterly useless son, Xia Jia a throbbing headache.

  "Rich? Do you know that we’re out of money? I’m already pnning to sell off properties and farmnd!"

  Madam Xia froze in shock. "We’re out of mohen go ask your sister-in-w for some! The Shangshu Residenbsp;is loaded!"

  Xia Wencai chimed in, "Mother, Aunt refused to give us any."

  Madam Xia’s face twisted in disbelief. "What? She’s always given us money before!"

  She knew her husband had some leverage over his sister-in-w, which was why the tter had alrovided whatever they demanded over the years.

  Xia Wencai thought he had successfully hidderuth about his gambling losses. But to his dismay, the matter was exposed far soohaicipated.

  The m, just as dawn broke, Xia Wencai was jolted awake by loud noises outside.

  Before he could get his bearings, the door to his room was kicked open by Xia Jiang.

  "You little brat! Did you go gambling again?!" Xia Jiang roared, his darkened face terrifying.

  Xia Wencai hurriedly put on his clothes and denied, "No, I didn’t!"

  "Didn’t gamble? Then eople ing to collect debts?! They said you lost over twenty thousand taels yesterday! Tell me—where did you evehat much money?!"

  Before Xia Wencai could respond, an angry voice bellowed from outside, "Pay back the money! If you don’t, I’ll cripple your son’s hands!"

  Xia Jiang rushed out to deal with the situation, while Xia Wencai hid in his room, thteo show his face.

  Somehow, after much pleading, Xia Jiang mao get the debt collectors to grant him a three-day extension.

  Ohe otion subsided, Xia Wencai finally emerged from his room. Xia Jiang gred at him coldly.

  "Did your aunt give you any silver?"

  "She… did," Xia Wencai admitted relutly. Initially, he had po deny it, but giveuation, there was no point in hiding the truth any longer.

  "How much?"

  "Fifteen thousand taels."

  Madam Xia, who had just reached the courtyard, screeched in disbelief, "What?! Fifteen thousand taels?! And you lost all of it?!"

  Xia Jiang grabbed a nearby objed begaing Xia Wencai mercilessly. Madam Xia rushed to interverying to protect her son.

  Even if Xia Jiang sold off his properties and farmnd, it would only be enough to settle the debt with Drunken Immortal House. What about the gambling house?

  If he didn’t repay Drunken Immortal House, he’d end up in prison. But if he didn’t pay the gambling house, his son’s hands would be crippled for sure.

  Forced into a er, Xia Jiang made up his mind. He would go back to his sister-in-w and demand more money.

  Xia Jiang’s fury ed in his chest as he prepared to front his sister-in-w once again.

  Faced with mountis, a selfish wife, and an inpetent son, Xia Jiang was determio squeeze every st he could from the wealthy Shangshu Residence.

  But deep in his heart, he couldn’t help but curse the misfortuhat had befallen his family.

  [--------------------------------------------]

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