Chapter 106: You Think I’m Some Naive Fool Who’s Seen Nothing Of The World?
“So, what exactly are you trying to say?” Cao Weida asked with a strange expression. “How someone else is pitiful or not, has nothing to do with you. If you don’t say it, I won’t listen.”
“Ahem. Well, it’s like this,” Little Ear said nervously, feeling embarrassed. “As you know, my younger brother is simple-minded, honest, and a bit fierce. He hasn’t found a wife all these years.”
“I saw Ma Dongmei inside, and she looks like a good, honest woman who knows how to manage a household and take care of people. I was thinking, if possible, could you perhaps arrange for her to marry my brother?”
“I thought if my brother had a woman to manage him, perhaps he wouldn’t be so impulsive. At the very least, he’d need to leave an heir for his lineage to continue.”
Lian Hu was simple-minded and not very intelligent. To put it plainly, he was a bit foolish.
Of course, he wasn’t truly foolish; he at least had basic discernment.
He hadn’t tried to find a respectable woman for Lian Hu before, but everyone around knew his brother was foolish, and that Little Ear was involved in shady dealings, living day by day. Which family would be willing to marry their daughter to his brother?
Because of this, Lian Hu still didn’t have a woman.
As his older brother, he saw this and was anxious, but he couldn’t bring himself to abduct women.
Now that he had finally found a suitable candidate, he naturally wanted to try for it.
Cao Weida’s expression was peculiar, “Is this your idea or your brother’s?”
“This is my idea.” He quickly added, “Of course, my brother saw her before and liked her too.”
Cao Weida nodded slightly, thinking that this was not a bad outcome.
Although Lian Hu was not mentally all there, he wasn’t truly stupid; he understood things to a degree.
For example, towards Cao Weida, Lian Hu was very respectful and obedient. Normally, as long as he wasn’t intentionally provoked, his temper was fine.
As for Ma Dongmei, a woman fleeing famine, she was in Beiping with no one to rely on. If she didn’t find someone to support her, it wouldn’t be easy for her to stay in Beiping.
Moreover, a lonely woman could be targeted by someone at any time.
After pondering for a moment, he said, “This is a matter between you two, I won’t interfere. But I have a condition: you must get her consent, and she must be willing. Furthermore, you cannot use coercion or temptation. Speak your mind openly and honestly.”
Little Ear immediately said, “Big Brother Cao, you know me. I’m the most reasonable. I wouldn’t do anything coercive or tempting.”
Cao Weida believed this. Among those in the underworld, he hadn’t met anyone more reasonable than Little Ear. Little Ear disdained to use low-handed tactics.
“If she agrees and enters the family, as long as she doesn’t make any fundamental mistakes, you cannot scold her without reason, nor should you make her unhappy.”
He patted Little Ear on the shoulder, “We are men, we must have the responsibility of men. Those who rely on beating women at home to assert their authority are not true men.”
“I hope my brothers are all upright men, not cowards who only act tough at home.”
Seeing that Cao Weida agreed, Little Ear was overjoyed and quickly nodded, “Big Brother Cao, please rest assured. My brothers and I are not cowards. If we have the ability, we’ll show our strength in bed! Even Lian Cuihua looks down on those who only know how to hit women at home!”
“As long as Ma Dongmei agrees to marry my brother, she will be my brother’s wife. If my brother dares to cause trouble, I’ll beat him to death first!”
Cao Weida laughed heartily, “If it’s about showing strength in bed, then I really won’t interfere. If you have that ability, I’ll give you a thumbs up!”
“Alright, you can go in and talk to him yourself.”
“Got it!” Little Ear happily went in.
About ten minutes later, he came out with a smile.
“It seems she agreed?” Cao Weida was not surprised by this outcome.
Little Ear now had some wealth and Cao Weida’s protection, with food and drink. In this era, that was already considered top-tier conditions.
Although Lian Hu was a bit foolish, when it came to living together, such a person was actually easy to manage.
Besides, Ma Dongmei wasn’t a young maiden, she was twenty-six or twenty-seven, and her looks weren’t top-tier. Even if she looked again, what good could she find?
She had previously been someone’s mistress. Finding someone like Lian Hu was already quite good.
Little Ear beamed with joy, “She agreed. Lian Hu’s future lineage now has a prospect.”
Cao Weida smiled, “Then congratulations. Inform me when she enters the family, and I’ll go to Lian Hu’s wedding banquet!”
“Absolutely, absolutely. Not to mention you are Lian Hu’s benefactor and elder brother. For this matter today, you are practically my brother’s matchmaker. We can’t leave you out!”
“Haha, that’s true. Alright, your brother’s matter is settled. Take me to see Tong Mazi and the others.”
Inside an interrogation room.
A flickering incandescent light was on, casting a dim, yellowish glow on the interrogation room.
The light barely illuminated the surroundings, with dense shadows jumping like demonic claws in the shifting light.
Various torture instruments were placed around: handcuffs, shackles, and an iron chain connected to the wall on one end and to Tong Mazi, who was bound to a cross, on the other.
The leather whip and wooden stick were stained with dark, dried bloodstains.
An iron was placed in a brazier, its tip glowing red and emitting a terrifying red light.
Nearby were a tiger bench, a pepper spray bottle, and bamboo skewers.
The wall bore marks of impacts and scratches, proof of violent interrogations.
Tong Mazi, with a swollen lump on his head, was weakly bound to the rack, his eyes fearfully avoiding Cao Weida, who sat not far in front of him.
He was filled with regret at that moment. He had already learned Cao Weida’s identity – the man who forcibly seized Xiaguang Garden, making even Fu Decheng wary and unwilling to retaliate directly!
At the same time, he seriously suspected that Fu Decheng was killed by Cao Weida!
After all, why was nothing wrong before, but as soon as Fu Decheng caused trouble for Ruixin General Store, he was killed?
And the one who killed him was Wu Dalaizi, who had gone to cause trouble for Cao Weida!
In this world, could there be such a coincidence!
“Master Cao, I… I admit defeat, but please listen to me. That matter is not my fault, it was all instructed by that bastard Fu Decheng.”
“You are magnanimous. I am just a dog, a piece of shit. Don’t stain your hands.”
He was very panicked at this moment. Just looking at the torture instruments around him, he almost wet himself.
Cao Weida remained silent, smoking a cigarette with a blank expression. The flames in the brazier beside him flickered, casting a buttery glow on Cao Weida’s face.
Seeing Cao Weida didn’t reply, Tong Mazi fearfully closed his mouth, but his heart sank bit by bit, so much so that his legs began to tremble uncontrollably, and his sphincter twitched, threatening to loosen.
His chest felt as if a thousand-pound stone was pressing down, making it hard to breathe.
Only after finishing a cigarette and crushing it on the ground did Cao Weida slowly begin to speak, “I heard that you used to help Fu Decheng with the sordid business of trafficking women?”
Tong Mazi’s heart jolted. Just as he was about to explain, Cao Weida waved his hand to interrupt him, “I don’t want to hear any explanations. You just need to tell me everything you’ve done, and then hand over the money you’ve earned over the years. I can promise you a quick end, and before you die, I’ll let you have a full meal.”
Tong Mazi’s face changed instantly. His already contorted features trembled non-stop, like countless centipedes crawling.
He knew that Cao Weida had no intention of letting him go and was determined to kill him!
The fear of death washed over him, and he trembled as he asked, “Master Cao, I did offend you, but I was just following orders. You also work for others, you should understand this principle.”
“If we disregard that matter, we have no past grievances and no recent enmity. It’s good to leave some room for future encounters. As long as you let me go, I promise to hand over all my accumulated fortune!”
Cao Weida slightly raised his eyelids. His bared teeth glinted under the light, “Oh? It seems you didn’t earn a small amount. Then tell me a number, and see if it can move me.”
Hearing that there might be a chance, Tong Mazi was overjoyed, “Master Cao, I don’t have great abilities, but I’ve saved up thirteen thousand silver dollars. As long as you let me go, I’ll immediately hand over all this money with both hands!”
“Thirteen thousand? That’s not right.” Cao Weida’s face darkened, and he said coldly, “With only thirteen thousand silver dollars, you dare to have designs on Xiaguang Garden? Are you trying to fool me into thinking I’m an unsophisticated fool?”
For top-tier places of pleasure like Xiaguang Garden, the redemption price for a good girl could easily be hundreds to two to three thousand silver dollars, and a prostitute at Qingyin Small Class could earn up to three hundred silver dollars a month.
To buy a top-tier brothel would cost at least twenty to thirty thousand silver dollars!
Thirteen thousand?
He must be dreaming!
Even with some coercive methods, it would definitely be more than that.
This showed what? This scoundrel wasn’t telling the truth!
“Don’t try to fob me off with excuses like Fu Decheng instructed you, or he paid for it. Do you think I haven’t investigated?”
Investigated?
What investigation? Fu Decheng was killed by that brute Wu Dalaizi at the time. Where could he investigate?
However, this didn’t stop him from being taken aback.
He stood up, “Before, I heard you say that you’ve picked up silver dollars from a scalding pot of oil, and walked barefoot on red-hot coals on the street.”
“I am very impressed with your skills, Cao Weida. My knowledge is shallow, and I’d like to see them all for myself to broaden my horizons.”
“Coincidentally, there are red-hot coals here. How about you, Master Tong, perform for us?”
“Little Ear, call two brothers and have them pour the coals onto the ground. Let Master Tong perform for us!”
“Got it, Big Brother Cao, just watch!” Little Ear showed a cruel smile. “Come on, Master Tong is going to perform a special skill for us today, we can’t neglect him. Go, press him down, and pour the brazier onto the ground, spread it evenly!”
Two younger brothers approached with smiles, and without a word, they pinned Tong Mazi down. Then, one of them poured all the charcoal from the brazier onto the ground.
Little Ear tilted his head, “Come on, Master Tong, let us broaden our horizons too.”
Cold sweat poured down Tong Mazi’s forehead, his legs thrashed wildly, and his tightly held sphincter could no longer hold back, releasing a torrent like a dam breaking. A stream of liquid actually flowed down his trousers to the ground.
He admitted he was scared, he was truly scared!
What he had said before was just bragging!
Picking up money from a pot of oil, stepping on red-hot coals – those were just street magic tricks!
He was only human flesh and blood, how could he possibly dare to do that!
Isn’t that just asking for death!
If he had really picked up money from a pot of oil, his hands would have exploded into chicken claws long ago!
Stepping on red-hot coals would have burned through the soles of his feet!
Seeing that he hesitated to step forward, even wetting his pants in fear, Cao Weida waved his hand in disgust, “What are you standing around for? If Master Tong doesn’t want to perform, don’t you know to help him out!”
