There was no time to think.
Gong Qingyang quickly said, "Reporting to senior, I am Gong Jian's Second Uncle!"
"So that's how it is," Ao Ji nodded slightly, then said indifferently, "Go and call Gong Jian here. I will only discuss matters of cooperation with him!"
Gong Qingyang swallowed hard and said nervously, "Senior Ao Ji, I am the patriarch of the Gong family. We can discuss cooperation matters."
Ao Ji narrowed his eyes and said displeased, "What, you can't understand my words?"
Just one sentence.
It made Gong Qingyang break out in a cold sweat.
The elder in front of him, though a storyteller.
But everyone knew that he possessed medicinal herbs beyond ordinary people's imagination.
This was absolutely a super-being rich enough to rival a nation.
In front of him, Gong Qingyang felt immense pressure.
"Senior, please wait a moment, I will go and call Gong Jian now." Gong Qingyang left a sentence and turned to leave the teahouse with his son.
"Why did Patriarch Gong come out so quickly?"
"Eh, your complexion doesn't look very good."
"Don't tell me Senior Ao Ji didn't cooperate with your Gong family?" The patriarchs of the families waiting outside revealed mocking smiles.
They had expected Gong Qingyang and his son to come out joyfully.
But it seemed that things were not as they had imagined.
Gong Qingyang revealed a smile that was full of hidden meaning. "What's the hurry?"
"Although Senior Ao Ji hasn't announced cooperation with our Gong family."
"It's still not your turn."
He said and walked away quickly.
"Father, why would that trash Gong Jian know Senior Ao Ji?"
"If he told Senior Ao Ji about how we mistreated him, would he still cooperate with us?" Gong Yi looked at his father nervously.
Gong Qingyang revealed a look of disdain. "He's just a piece of trash, how difficult is it to control him?"
------
The Gong Family.
Backyard.
Gong Jian's 'room'.
It was more like a woodshed than a room.
Although by age and seniority, he was the eldest grandson of the Gong family.
But because his mother was a maid.
His status in the Gong family was very, very low.
Since he could remember, he had lived in the woodshed.
It was like this even when his father was alive.
Now that that person was dead, how could it be any different?
In front of the backyard woodshed was a well.
At this moment, Gong Jian was sitting in front of a wooden basin, washing the servants' clothes and scrubbing their shoes.
Gong San sat lazily to the side.
With an air of superiority, he sighed, "Young Master Gong Jian, you are foolish!"
"You really shouldn't have come back!"
"Your status here is worse than ours, what's the point of coming back?"
"Isn't living in Yan Country more comfortable than here?"
"Of course."
"Your return is still beneficial to us. At least we don't have to do our own laundry or empty chamber pots." He said, laughing heartily.
Gong Jian rubbed the clothes fiercely.
In fact.
He didn't want to come back either.
He didn't want to come back when he left Gan Country.
But.
In the end, he couldn't bear to see his mother living here alone.
So, he returned.
Not to attend a funeral.
But to bring his mother to live in Yan Country with him.
After all, his brothers were there.
There was stable work.
And a spacious house.
Life there was like heaven to him.
Alas.
His mother refused to leave, insisting on staying to serve her deceased father.
He was angry.
Frustrated.
But he couldn't change his mother's will.
Even though he didn't like living here.
He still resolutely chose to stay.
Only.
The pressure from the Gong family made him unable to breathe.
Crack!
Without any warning.
Gong San lashed Gong Jian across the back with a whip.
Tearing his clothes.
His skin split open.
Revealing a whip mark.
Gong San said angrily, "Do you have no ears?"
"Why aren't you answering when I'm talking to you?"
"Why are you rubbing young master's clothes so hard?"
"If you ruin them, can you afford to pay?"
Gong Jian gritted his teeth and said, "Gong San, thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river."
"You'd better not let me turn things around, or I'll make your life worse than death!"
Crack!
Gong San raised his whip and lashed Gong Jian fiercely across the back.
Splattering blood mist.
Gong San said with disdain, "Want to turn things around?"
"Do you have any chance to turn things around?"
At this moment.
A furious shout came from afar, "Gong San, what are you doing?"
Seeing Gong Qingyang and his son appear, Gong San quickly said, "Greetings, Master, Young Master."
"This fellow is slow in his work, so I'm teaching him a lesson to remember it."
Crack!
Gong Qingyang slapped him across the face and said angrily, "You impudent bastard who dares to defy his superiors."
"Gong Jian is the eldest grandson of our Gong family, how dare you, a servant, hit him?"
"Are you looking for death?"
The sudden scene shocked Gong San.
He had never expected Gong Qingyang to hit himself.
The reason they bullied Gong Jian when they were young was ultimately at the instigation of Gong Qingyang.
Otherwise, how would a servant dare to humiliate a young master of the Gong family?
"This servant is guilty, this servant is guilty!"
Gong San didn't know what was happening.
But he still knelt on the ground immediately.
"Big Brother, how is your injury? Do you need me to invite a doctor to treat you?" Gong Yi looked at Gong Jian with concern.
Gong Qingyang took out a pill and said, "Gong Jian, this is our Gong family's divine medicine for healing, especially effective for treating external injuries."
"Take it quickly!"
Gong Jian frowned.
When something unusual happens, there is bound to be a reason.
In the past, they would not have treated him like this.
"Is it Senior Brother Chen's side that's exerting influence?" Gong Jian vaguely felt it might be Chen Nan's doing, after all, he had said he would make him the patriarch of the Gong family.
Even so, he still accepted the pill offered by the other party.
After taking it, a coolness spread across his back.
Followed by an itch.
That was the feeling of the wound healing.
Gong Qingyang said, "Guards, break Gong San's limbs and let him know the price of defying superiors."
"Master, spare me, Master, spare me!" Gong San was filled with fear.
Gong Qingyang said angrily, "You defied your superiors and insulted the eldest grandson of the Gong family. According to the family rules, your limbs should be crippled as a warning."
"Master, this servant knows his mistake, please give me a chance, okay?" Gong San trembled with fear, looking helplessly at Gong Yi, as if he wanted him to intercede for him.
After all.
He was just completing the task assigned by Gong Yi, to treat Gong Jian 'well'.
However.
Gong Yi ignored his gaze.
Gong San was his most loyal and clever dog.
He wouldn't have harmed Gong San unless absolutely necessary.
But now.
He had to severely punish Gong San.
Only by doing so could they show their attitude to Gong Jian.
Only then would Gong Jian obediently follow them to see Ao Ji and strive for cooperation with Ao Ji.
"Second Uncle, this person has insulted me a hundred times. Just breaking his limbs is not enough to quench my hatred!" Gong Jian said through clenched teeth.
Gong Qingyang couldn't help but say, "What do you want?"
"Cut him into a thousand pieces."
"Yes, only in this way can I vent my hatred." Gong Jian said with a grim smile.
Since Senior Brother Chen's side was exerting influence.
He was determined to collect some interest today.
First kill Gong San.
"Big Brother, although Gong San has violated the family rules, his crime does not warrant death!"
"Why don't you be magnanimous and spare his life?" Gong Yi said with a fawning smile.
But inwardly, he was filled with boundless rage.
They say one must consider the owner before hitting a dog.
Gong Jian's actions were no different from slapping him in the face.
Gong Jian's expression turned ferocious, "No!"
"Gong San must die today!"
"And you must be the one to carry out the execution."
Gong Yi's face turned green.
His heart was filled with boundless rage.
He had never imagined that this piece of trash would bite him back.