Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved

Chapter 104: Chapter 104: The Secret Between Treasure Bead and Nanny Fan
 

Fu Baozhu feared unforeseen complications.

She personally took Nanny Fan to the gambling den to redeem her grandson and was prepared to give them a sum of money, asking them to go far away from the Capital City, and never return.

As long as Nanny Fan was unaware of what had happened at home, even if her grandson died at the hands of gamblers, she wouldn’t know.

Actually, she wouldn’t mind if Nanny Fan were dead, as that way, apart from her biological parents at the Marquis Mansion, no one else would know her real identity.

But Nanny Fan had raised her for so many years, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Moreover, although she often beat and scolded the servants, she had never killed anyone and didn’t dare to.

Soon, the two of them arrived at an underground gambling den.

Hearing that they were there to redeem someone, the people from the gambling den brought out Nanny Fan’s grandson to show that he was still alive.

He was alive indeed, but he was beaten black and blue, with not a single intact spot on his body. Nanny Fan was heartbroken and cursed these people for their lack of conscience.

“You want money, we’ll give you money, why did you have to beat him?”

The people from the gambling den sneered, “This grandson was cheating at the gambling table, do you think he shouldn’t be beaten? Quit your nonsense. If you have the money, give it here, if not, we’ll send one of this grandson’s hands back soon.”

With that, they waved a knife in their hand.

Seeing this, Nanny Fan repeatedly said, “Give them the money, we’ll give them the money!”

She urged Fu Baozhu, “Miss, take out the money quickly!”

Fu Baozhu, feeling pained, took out the silver note and handed it to Nanny Fan, whispering, “Nanny, promise me this is the last time. If there’s a next time, there won’t even be money for collecting your grandson’s corpse.”

“The old servant understands, understands!”

Nanny Fan, having only her pitiful grandson in mind, naturally Fu Baozhu could only placate her for the time being.

Upon receiving the silver, she hurriedly delivered it to the people of the gambling den.

“Gentlemen, can you release my grandson now?”

The gambling den people counted the silver note, nodded in satisfaction, made a gesture, and someone immediately threw Nanny Fan’s grandson out.

The grandson cried out in pain, and Nanny Fan, heartbroken, blew and rubbed on him.

Unexpectedly, after grimacing, the grandson noticed Fu Baozhu and with a lecherous gleam said, “Grandma, this is the Fourth Miss from the General’s Mansion? She’s so beautiful!”

“How dare you! Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll gouge your eyes out!”

Fu Baozhu said disgustedly.

Nanny Fan was a bit displeased; it was just a few looks, and it’s not as if it could harm her. Besides, her grandson was already in such a state, how could he possibly harm the Miss?

Ultimately, the issue was that the Miss disdained her grandson’s status.

“That’s enough, Nanny Fan, we’ve been out for quite a while. Find someone to take him back, and we should head back to the mansion first to avoid our fathers and brothers finding out,”

Fu Baozhu said impatiently.

“How can that be right, he’s in such a state, how can I, an old servant, rest assured letting someone else take him back. Besides, the courtyard has been seized, they have nowhere to stay!”

The silver that Fu Baozhu had just given was minus the money for that small courtyard, so it was less than eight thousand taels.

Nanny Fan meant to ask Fu Baozhu to give her the remaining silver to buy another place to reside.

Fu Baozhu said sternly, “Nanny Fan, I have already settled so much money for you, I have fulfilled my duty, do not be insatiable. If you want the silver, it’s possible, as long as they leave the Capital City and go far away, all this silver in my hands can be theirs!”

In her hand, she still had a five-hundred-taels silver note.

That was enough for an ordinary family to live on for most of their lives.

In other smaller places, a courtyard could be bought for just a few dozen taels.

But Nanny Fan was shrewd, she fully understood Fu Baozhu’s plan: five hundred taels to make her separate from her grandson was, of course, impossible.

It was only that they really couldn’t stay in the Capital City any longer. Her grandson’s gambling addiction was too severe, and if this continued, even mountains of gold and silver would be lost.

To think that previously, the losses had been mere hundreds of taels, but this time he had actually lost eight thousand taels, which frightened her terribly.

“Miss, this old servant knows you are considering for me, just, they have grown up in the Capital City since they were young and are accustomed to it. Changing places, I fear they wouldn’t adapt well,” she said.

Fu Baozhu frowned, “Nanny Fan, do you think the money too little? Or are you trying to threaten me?”

The two did not realize that, at this moment, General Fu and his four sons were standing around the corner of the alley, listening to all their conversations clearly.

Threaten?

Why would Baozhu mention the word “threat”? What leverage could she possibly hold over Nanny Fan?

She, a young lady of the boudoir, what leverage could she have?

Then, Nanny Fan hurriedly shook her head and waved her hands, “What are you saying, Miss? This old servant considers you as family, how could I possibly threaten you? It’s just that I can’t bear to part with them.”

Fu Baozhu’s expression softened slightly as she took off the jade bracelet from her wrist.

“Take these five hundred taels and this jade bracelet and give them to them. I want them never to set foot in the Capital City again, and you can only contact them through letters once every three months. Let me be clear, if he gambles and loses money again, I will have the casino’s people chop off his hands!”

Nanny Fan glanced at the jade bracelet. Among all of Miss’s bracelets, this one could only be considered ordinary, worth at most two or three hundred taels of silver.

The Miss had deliberately worn this bracelet for going out.

She had looked after the Miss for over sixteen years, devotedly. In the end, to be treated so stingily by her, Nanny Fan felt a chill in her heart.

She then said, “Miss, you know, my grandson is my only bloodline. If we are separated, this old body of mine, I don’t know if I could ever see him again in this life.”

As she spoke, she began to wipe away tears, firmly not agreeing to send them away.

Fu Baozhu looked impatient, her voice stern, “Nanny Fan, don’t you forget your status! You are a house servant, destined to serve for generations; but now, your family members are not servants!”

With that remark, General Fu and the others who were about to step out of the shadows instantly froze in their steps.

What does Baozhu mean by this?

Nanny Fan had come to the General’s Mansion under an employment contract, not brought along with a deed of sale like a house servant. How could Baozhu claim that Nanny Fan was a house servant?

“Father, wasn’t Nanny Fan sent from the side of mother’s family when she was alive?”

Fu Heng asked in a low voice.

General Fu nodded, his gaze deepening, “It seems there are things between Baozhu and Nanny Fan that we don’t know about. Send someone to thoroughly investigate Nanny Fan’s background. Keep them under control in the Capital City, not letting them leave.”

Fu Heng nodded; he would arrange for someone to handle it shortly.

They had thought Baozhu regarded Nanny Fan like a grandmother by listening to their conversation. But it seemed Baozhu was quite impatient, and it seemed like she might be held leverage over by Nanny Fan.

Especially that term “house servant,” it surprised them all.

Fu Han asked in a low voice, “Father, why not go directly and ask Baozhu? She might be deceived by Nanny Fan.”