CH 84

Chapter 84 Crush (2)

Zhou Zhengdao was so anxious that his beard began to tremble. This little magistrate was too stubborn, he still wanted to investigate. After the accident, the prefect told him that if Tang Feilong didn't give up, he was allowed to give some leeway. So Zhou Zhengdao took a step forward and said mysteriously, "My Lord, this humble official wants to give an honest confession. A few days ago, someone found this humble official and admitted to doing an ill deed. He is fearful and doesn’t dare to speak with you, but he asked this humble official to pass a few words. He says if my Lord doesn't investigate this matter, he is willing to hand over all the proceeds from the private gold mining to you for safekeeping."

It was just a bribe, but put in nicer words. Tang Tianyuan squinted, "Oh? How much?"

Zhou Zhengdao stretched out three fingers.

"Three hundred thousand taels?"

"..." Zhou Zhengdao rolled his eyes, "Three thousand taels."

Tang Tianyuan was a little disdainful, "It's not very much."

Zhou Zhengdao finally realized, this little County Magistrate was just waiting to collect this money. But he was too greedy. Three thousand taels of gold was thirty thousand taels of silver. That was enough to crush several people to death, how was it not considered very much? 

Tang Tianyuan asked, "County Deputy Zhou, that the mine should be quite large. He only stole three thousand taels of gold taels. Does that mean that there are still many that have not been mined?"

Zhou Zhengdao knew that he wanted another idea. He sneered, "My Lord, the mine is already empty."

"How did you know?"

"I... also heard it from that person."

"Look at you! You're too naive." Tang Tianyuan shook his head.

Zhou Zhengdao was in grief and indignation. Who was naive? Three hundred thousand taels? Ha ha ha!

"What others say may not be true, only seeing is believing. You tell that person that I agreed, I will keep the gold for him for the time being. As for the gold mine, let's go and explore it some more. Maybe we can find a new mine…What do you think?"

Still not enough benefits!? Zhou Zhengdao's eyes were rolled so high that mostly white was showing. Paired with his withered mustache, he looked like a goat that just fainted.

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It was not good-looking, making Tang Tianyuan's eyes hurt, so he let Zhou Zhengdao leave.

After Zhou Zhengdao left, Tang Tianyuan sat down to settle the accounts. With the three thousand of the hundred thousand taels, he was still ninety-seven thousand taels short. Tang Tianyuan looked up and sighed. There was still a long way to go!

Still, for now it was nice to have a box of gold. Tang Tianyuan imagined Tan Lingyin’s salivating face after seeing a big box of gold… He wanted to burst out laughing.

His mood quickly turned to sorrow. It’s only been a day without seeing her, but he already missed her.

At the same time, Tan Lingyin, who was staying in the South Study, touched the back of her head. Just now, a cold air seemed to have passed over the back of her head. Was it because the weather was getting colder?

She was sitting in the courtyard, watching Tang Tang play with his tail. Tang Tang was a silly hat, he could play with his tail for a long time and never get tired of it.

"Tang Tang, do you think I did something wrong?" Tan Lingyin asked softly.

Tang Tang ignored her. It played hard this time, biting the tip of its own tail.  "Awwoo!" Painful!

It quickly let go of its tail and jumped to Tan Lingyin’s feet in panic. It rubbed its little head against her ankle, asking for comfort.

Tan Lingyin held Tang Tang in her arms and asked it again, "Actually, it wouldn’t have been a bad thing to have just married him back then, don’t you think?"

She ran away because she heard that Zhu Dacong had a bad character. After contacting him now, she felt that he was quite good natured. In this way, the meaning of her escaping marriage was now meaningless.

What would it have been like if she had married him? The husband sings and the wife follows along? In a perfect marital harmony?

There were beautiful words, but why was she not moved at all? Even feeling a little powerless?

Zhu Dacong's question resounded in her ears again: "Do you already have someone in your heart?"

Inexplicably, Tan Lingyin suddenly thought of the scene of crying in a certain someone's arms yesterday. She even rubbed her snot on the placket of his shirt... So embarrassing!

Tan Lingyin's ears were a little hot. She lowered her head and gently scratched Tang Tang's neck, who raised his head and squinted, enjoying it comfortably.

At this time, there was a knock on the door outside.

Tan Lingyin said loudly, "Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Tan Qingchen walked in with a food box. When he went to the neighboring county to buy paper a few days ago, he saw a pastry shop opened by a family from Shandong province. They were selling their hometown specialties, so Tan Qingchen bought some. He came back and waited for two days but his sister never came to visit, so he simply went to find her himself.