Chapter 5: The Wronged Wang Erlang

You little rascal, do you still dare to lie to me? Come on, let's go home and see your great-grandmother. I want to see how the old lady will protect you!

He squinted his eyes and said indignantly: "Wang Dalang, we agreed that you would hand over the horse to me, and I would give you 4 guan of money, settling the transaction completely. If you dare to go back on your word, hum hum... do you know the power of me, Jin Laohu!"

Wang Ninghong was so frightened that he trembled all over, yet he still tried to argue, "Perhaps he forgot... uh, no, it was I who forgot. I am sorry to Erlang, I will go and apologize to him!"

Haha, the horse thief is here!

I cannot come, and I still cannot see what kind of person you are! Hurry up and come home with me to face the consequences!

The nephew is working hard for his uncle; look at me, I am drenched in sweat

After calculating and calculating, only the elder Wang Lianggui remains, we can only seek him out

As night fell, Wang Ning'an finally arrived at the back courtyard of the Li family with Wang Lianggui

Uncle Wang Lianggui glanced at the Cui family and said with a hint of mockery, "Second daughter-in-law, do you understand now? Ning'an is wronged; you have beaten someone, so should you also follow suit?"

We certainly will not go back on our word, but we are merely concerned that if you purchase the horse, it may pose a danger

Wang Ning'an suppressed his anger and approached his uncle.

Wang Lianggui does not need to look closely; before Wang Ning'an, he was the one who was always responsible for releasing the horses, how could he not recognize him

I have always looked down on the Cui family, but unfortunately, there has been no opportunity. If it is indeed Wang Ninghong who stole the horse, then the second family must be taught a good lesson.

Wang Ning'an quietly emerged from the pile of firewood, followed the main road, ran out of Sanhe Village, and headed straight home. As he ran along the way, Wang Ning'an's mind was constantly turning.

Wang Lianggui disdainfully said, "Don't try to mislead me, what exactly did you go to do?"

Lifting his large foot, he kicked towards the distant gate. The Li family's courtyard was made of bricks, but the main door was wooden. With one kick, his uncle pushed it open, and carrying a shoulder pole, he rushed into the courtyard, quickly running to the side of the cattle shed, where he met the owner. The horse was overjoyed, moving about restlessly, affectionately rubbing its large head against his uncle's chest.

Wang Lianggui wanted to take his people away, but Old Tiger Jin did not agree. He stretched out his arm and coldly laughed, saying: "This friend, I do not concern myself with your family's matters. This horse was promised to be sold to me, so you are not allowed to take it away!"

This time it was Wang Ninghong who was taken aback. What a coincidence, it was too coincidental. A middle-aged man walked in, took a money bag off his shoulder, and generously tossed it to Wang Ninghong, speaking in a gruff voice: "Count it, is it enough"

Uncle, take a look, is that our horse?

Uncle, just come with me!

This gentleman truly has a discerning eye, recognizing that my horse is quite good; unfortunately, you cannot purchase it

At this point, Wang Ninghong could no longer deny it. Wang Lianggui grabbed Wang Ninghong by the collar, lifting him up like a chick and bringing him to his side

Old Lady Wang personally came out and took a careful look, "It's our family's horse, right... why is Ning Hong here?" Cui was also startled, and when she saw the horse in the courtyard, as well as Wang Ning Hong, her heart was suddenly shrouded in shadow

Wang Ning'an heard it clearly and was almost infuriated to the point of cursing. How stubbornly defiant! Clearly wanting to sell the horses for four guan, yet upon seeing his uncle, he immediately changed his tune to say he was borrowing the horses. This skill in lying is truly remarkable

Wang Ninghong was both angry and afraid, hurriedly pushing the money bag to the other party

At this moment, Li Zhen hurriedly bowed and said: "It is Uncle Wang. My nephew and Brother Wang are good friends. Since the private school is on break, we are going to Cangzhou to broaden our horizons. I hope you won't take offense."

His voice was extremely high, and everyone heard it clearly.

However, using him to deal with the Cui family is simply perfect

Enough

The prowess of the Golden Tiger lies merely in bullying the rural folk; upon hearing that the court was involved, he was so frightened that he lost all his temper. On the contrary, he even accompanied his words with a smile, saying: "So it turns out you are a descendant of a military family, I am truly honored, I shall take my leave now."

No wonder the Wang family has fallen; with such peculiarities, it would be against all reason for them not to collapse

As he was pondering how to expose him, a middle-aged man suddenly strode into the Li family, shouting as he walked, "Wang Dalang, I have brought the money, hand over the horse to me!"

It is best not to let the two old gentlemen study, as grandmother has become quite muddled, treating the two good-for-nothings as treasures. It would be better to save the money and use it to find me a wife! ... I am not that old yet, so I should seize the time to have a son. Perhaps my son will be the true literary star, able to sing his name at Donghua Gate in the future ... . ... I must say, there are not many reliable people in the Wang family.

Old Lady Wang glared fiercely at Mrs. Cui and said, "Stop arguing, let's talk in the ancestral hall"

Wang Lianggui untied the reins and held them in his hand, gritting his teeth and saying: "Which filthy scoundrel dares to steal from the Wang family’s horses? A short-lived wretch who cannot be killed, a beast that does not do human affairs and does not eat human food, come out to me!"

With a serious expression, he said: "I was just joking, who would sell a horse? This is my family's treasure, can't you see my uncle has come?" Wang Ninghong raised his eyebrows and made gestures, implying that the other party should understand his predicament and just leave quickly.

"Why? Does your royal family have the final say?" Old Jin roared.

"You dare to threaten me, kid?"

I ... ... I ... ... I told Erlang!

The uncle is assertive with his own family, but when faced with outsiders, he becomes somewhat timid, at a loss for words and unsure of how to respond. Wang Ning'an, having caught his breath, walked over with a smile.

Of course not! Wang Lianggui, being in his thirties, would not be deceived by a little child. He coldly laughed and said: "If you want to use our horse, why didn't you tell me?"

Li Zhen is indeed a bit quick-witted; he leaned over to Wang Ninghong's ear and whispered a few words, which gave Wang Ninghong a bit of insight. He hurriedly ran to the back and coincidentally bumped into Wang Lianggui

Oh, isn't that you, Da Lang? Could it be that you have stolen our horse?

Wang Ning'an chuckled and said, "To speak frankly, the horses in my family are raised for the court. In the fourth year of the Qingli era, the court purchased tens of thousands of warhorses from Hedong in one go to deal with the Western Xia. You must be aware of this, right?"

Wang Ning'an hurriedly returned home and happened to see his uncle carrying a water bucket, coming back from the village well. Upon seeing Wang Ning'an, he immediately shouted: "You little rascal, the old lady said that you are to fetch water and chop firewood. From now on, your uncle will not do it for you. If there is no water and no firewood, you won't need me to hit you; the second brother's wife will not let you off either"

Upon entering the courtyard, I shouted loudly, "Grandma, I have found the horse!"

He insisted on having Wang Ning'an ride the horse, while Wang Ninghong could only follow behind in a dejected manner. By the time they returned to the Wang family, it was already past the second watch of the night

Upon hearing the phrase "head of the family," Wang Lianggui was taken aback. It was not only his grandfather who had passed away, but also his father. He was the eldest and highest-ranking male member of the Wang family, and thus, he was indeed the master of the Wang household

Wang Ninghong quickly smiled and said: "Uncle, you have arrived?"

Brother Wang, please calm down

Indeed! Wang Ning'an exclaimed, "Our Wang family has been military generals for three generations, and during the campaign against the Xixia, my grandfather sacrificed himself for the country. This horse is a descendant of a war steed; it is uncertain when the court will requisition it. When the time comes and the horse is gone, who will bear the responsibility when the authorities come to investigate, us or you?"

The imposing Golden Tiger was sent away by Wang Ning'an with just a few words, leaving even Wang Lianggui astonished; his nephew truly possesses the demeanor of a great general

Wang Lianggui spoke while laughing triumphantly, displaying a look of glee at others' misfortune, showing not the slightest trace of the affection that an uncle should possess

Wang Ninghong looked innocent and said, "Uncle, what do you mean by that? Your nephew is going to Cangzhou to see my father, and it just so happens that Brother Li is accompanying me. I brought the horse along to help with the journey. It's quite a long way, over dozens of miles; we can't possibly walk there, can we?"

"Bah!" Wang Lianggui spat fiercely, "Your mother took Erlang to the ancestral hall and gave him a beating. If it was something you borrowed, why didn't he say anything? How could he have been beaten? He almost lost his life!"

Of course, it is you!

How could the other party possibly relent? Four guan of money can buy a decent horse, which is an incredible bargain

What about Grandma Xu? She doesn't take care of things and her health is not good

Uncle cursed loudly and charged forward

Among the elders of the Wang family, there is no need to consider the Cui family, as she will certainly favor her son. As for the old lady Wang, she is advanced in age and has a biased perspective, so it is unlikely that she will easily trust her own.

I certainly know, how is it that the horses of your family belong to the court

As he spoke, this person unexpectedly rolled up his sleeves, revealing his dark, muscular arms, which frightened Wang Ninghong into retreating continuously, feeling both guilty and embarrassed

Before long, the Wang family and all its members were stirred.

Inside the room, Wang Ninghong and Li Zhen were startled. In an instant, Wang Ninghong's face turned pale, "This is bad, my uncle has come!" Wang Ninghong turned around and attempted to escape from the front yard.

"Uncle, I truly did not deceive you. Trust me, our family has the means to help you find a wife, and then my little nephew will have an aunt." Wang Ning'an said earnestly, his bright eyes sparkling.

"You are talking nonsense, how could Ning Hong steal a horse?" Cui was still arguing, but Old Lady Wang knew that the situation was serious. Not only had Wang Ning'an been beaten, but he had also been punished. If he was truly wronged, when his father Wang Liangjing returned, wouldn't there be an uproar?

Wang Ning'an pulled Wang Lianggui as they ran towards Sanhe Village, while telling him about Wang Ninghong's horse theft. With a heart full of grievances, he said: "Uncle, you are the head of the family, you must stand up for your nephew!"

Wang Lianggui's old face flushed with anger as he exclaimed, "You little brat, what nonsense are you talking about?"

How could Li Zhen let him go? You left, and I have become a horse thief!

Since his wife passed away, what kind of life has he been living? The old lady looks down on him, the second son bullies him, feeding the horses, plowing the fields, fetching water, chopping firewood... Damn it, I have become a servant!