From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 552: Chapter 554: Theft

When Gu Dashishi woke up again, he found several pairs of eyes staring at him in the room.

He saw a few familiar elders, and just as his lips began to tremble, ready to let out a wail, he was cut off by Gu Sanbu’s words.

"Since you’re awake, you can tell us exactly what you’ve been up to these past few days."

Gu Dashishi struggled to push himself up with his hands. Seeing that his legs were already splinted and bound, he sighed in relief.

A lie sprang to his lips. "I haven’t done anything. That damn woman is just framing me."

Gu Sanbu brought up the Chen woman and Landlord Duan, so Gu Dashishi simply closed his eyes and refused to speak.

"You’re not going to answer? Then I’ll have to bring out the family registry."

Gu Dashishi’s eyes flew open. "I haven’t broken any clan rules."

"Don’t play these petty tricks. Right now, you just need to tell me what benefits you received from this and what you promised in return.

If you continue to be so stubborn, I’ll have you carried to the ancestral hall. You can stay there and reflect on your actions. You won’t come out until you give us an answer."

Gu Dashishi shivered with fear. In his current state, if he were sent to the ancestral hall, he’d never make it out alive.

Only then did he stammeringly confess how many benefits he’d received and what things he had purchased for that Chen woman...

Li Cuicui listened from beginning to end with a cold expression. She had long since lost all expectations for the man before her.

"It’s one thing to be incompetent, but to go around acting like a big shot under my son’s name... Even if you don’t divorce me now, I’m divorcing you."

The Gu brothers were also furious. ’Our own father is trying to drag all of us down with him.’

’Why would the Minister of the Ministry of Justice’s Mansion seek to build a relationship with them for no reason? If something went wrong with Seventh, wouldn’t our entire family become meat on someone else’s chopping block?’

"Mrs. Li, don’t say such things in anger," Gu Sanbu said. He knew that the parents’ lack of virtue would also affect Wenheng. "Dashishi is the one who caused this mess. You’ve already beaten him, so you should have vented some of your anger. Leave the rest to the clan. The clan will give you a proper resolution."

Li Cuicui stared at the cloth shoes on her feet and, for the moment, held her tongue.

This was just a strategic retreat. For the rest of her life, she would have to keep an eye on Gu Dashishi for the sake of her sons.

"Yuan Jin, the city gates are probably about to close. Tomorrow morning, you and your brothers go to Fu County and report that Chen woman to the government. Since she can own property in her name, it means she’s now a commoner with good status.

For a maid who just recently gained her freedom to acquire so much property in such a short time, she must have stolen it from her master’s household."

Hearing Gu Sanbu’s words, Gu Dashishi struggled to sit up and retort. But the moment he moved, a sharp pain shot through the freshly set bones in his legs. He let out a pained cry, forgetting everything else.

Gu Yuanjin asked, "Will County Magistrate Xia let her off easy because of Minister Huang?"

Gu Sanbu replied, "He won’t. Now that the matter has been exposed, Landlord Duan won’t dare drag his master into this.

Besides, all he did was give your father some gifts and a maid. That matter will probably just be dropped."

Gu Yuanmu said, "Then why are we reporting her to the government? Wouldn’t it be easier to just kick her out of that courtyard?"

Gu Sanbu sized him up for a moment. "When you have free time, you should spend more time with Fourth. I’m not asking you to become as shrewd as him, just that you stop being so naive in your words and actions."

Gu Yuanmu was speechless.

Gu Sanbu then looked at the other brothers. "As for the silver taels your father took from them, you brothers should pool your money and pay it back for now."

But Gu Yuanshui stepped forward and shook his head. "That’s not a good idea. It’s not that we’re unwilling to part with the money, but if we voluntarily return it now, aren’t we just handing them leverage against us?

As I see it, he has no proof, and the money was all spent on that maid. Why don’t we turn the tables on them..."

After all, there were no outsiders in the room. As for the other one with ulterior motives, he was currently lying in bed, powerless to do anything to them.

Gu Yuanshui laid out his plan. Aside from the filthy curses coming from Gu Dashishi’s mouth, everyone else thought it was an excellent idea.

On the way back, Gu Sanbu looked back at Gu Yuanshui with some regret. "With a mind like yours, if you’d had the same opportunities back then as your seventh brother does now, you could have also carved out a path to success. It’s truly a pity.

Why don’t you reconsider? There are actually many intangible benefits to being the Clan Leader."

Gu Yuanshui replied, "Third Grandpa, I know you have my best interests at heart, but I also know I’m not someone who likes being bound by rules and regulations.

Besides, our family is already conspicuous enough in the village and the clan. We should leave some opportunities for others and not monopolize all the good fortune."

Gu Sanbu was old and crafty; how could he not know that these were just empty platitudes?

He admitted to himself that he had selfish reasons for wanting Gu Yuanshui to become the Clan Leader. After all, it was the best way to tie Wenheng more closely to the Gu family.

But he also genuinely valued Gu Yuanshui. The man might be a bit selfish, but he had principles.

Most importantly, his mind was sharp, and he didn’t rigidly stick to conventions.

"You and your brothers will have to be more patient with your father. Although he’s getting old and has a crooked temper, he hasn’t done anything truly heinous. You can’t neglect his daily needs."

Gu Yuanshui fell silent. He knew that people’s hearts are always biased. Third Grandpa felt sorry for his nephew, but didn’t he and his brothers feel just as sorry for their own mother?

He and his brothers weren’t fools. For all these years, their mother had sacrificed the most for the family. Gu Dashishi was their birth father in name only.

And with all the trouble he’d caused over the years, what little father-son affection they had was nearly gone.

But he put on a smile and saw Gu Sanbu to his door. "Don’t you worry, old sir. We brothers know what to do."

Hearing this reply, Gu Sanbu could only sigh. ’Dashishi has truly dug his own grave.’

With the outsiders gone, Li Cuicui stared at Gu Dashishi’s legs, a cold smirk playing on her lips.

Gu Dashishi’s heart went numb. Now that he was alone in the room with this old hag, he simply lay flat and pretended to be asleep.

But at that very moment, Li Cuicui bent down and leaned closer. He thought this damn woman was about to strike him again and tried to roll over toward the inside of the kang bed.

In that instant, he completely forgot that his legs were broken. By the time he came to his senses, the wooden splints the doctor had used to set his legs had come apart, and a piercing pain made him break out in a cold sweat.

"You old man, really. I told you not to move, but you just had to.

I was just trying to pull the blanket up for you. What are you dodging for?

Oh, you didn’t think I was going to hit you again, did you?

You think too highly of yourself. Before, I was just venting my anger. Now, even hitting you once would dirty my hands."

"Get the doctor," Gu Dashishi gritted out. How could he not understand now? This woman had planned all of this from the start.

Right now, the pain in his legs was unbearable.