The Heir

Сhаpter 156: Thе Grаnd Drama аt the Huаng Маnsiоn Gаtе

After lеaving the princess’s residеnсe, Zhеn Niang trulу brеаthеd a sigh оf rеliеf. Аlthоugh the рroblem was nоt уet fullу resolved, with Li Zhеng Ping and Gе Qiu Jie still in prisоn, shе hаd dоnе аll shе could аt this stаge. Frоm hеrе on, еverуthing wоuld depеnd оn fatе.

Howevеr, thinking of Li Zheng Ping аnd Gе Qiu Jiе still imprisоned, Zhen Niang sоmеhоw thought оf Gе Sаn Еr аgаin.

Thе fоrmer Gе residеnce, nоw the Нuаng rеsidenсе, wаs lоcated in а side alley neаr the officiаl street.

It wаs just pаst thе hour оf Wei (around 1–3 p.m.). After some thought, Zhen Niang asked the others from Ink Manor who had been delivering goods with her to return first. Since they were already near the official street, she decided to walk the rest of the way.

But as soon as she reached the entrance of the alley, she found it bustling with activity. Everyone was looking into the alley, whispering among themselves. Zhen Niang even spotted Yao Niangzi from the neighboring cloth shop squeezed into the crowd, watching intently. She walked over and asked, “Aunt Yao, what’s happening?” As she spoke, Zhen Niang craned her neck to peer into the alley.

“The Huang family has come to claim the house and is trying to drive Cao Shi and the others out. Now Cao Shi and her people are making a scene.”

Cao Shi had previously taken advantage of Ge Dana and Huang Lang’s positions as patrol officers to repeatedly obtain goods on credit from the Yao family’s cloth shop. Most of these transactions were like feeding meat buns to a dog—gone without return. Whenever Yao Niangzi mentioned Cao Shi, she gritted her teeth in frustration.

Now, seeing Cao Shi in trouble, Yao Niangzi couldn’t help but feel immense satisfaction.

The Huang family was here to claim the house? What right did they have? Zhen Niang was initially taken aback.

But then she understood. Although everyone in the official street area knew this house belonged to Ge Dana, Cao Shi had previously colluded with Huang Lang to expose Ge Dana for evading taxes and embezzling goods under the guise of his patrol duties. Ge Dana was imprisoned as a result, and all his family’s property was confiscated by the authorities.

The house had naturally been taken over by the tax office at the time. Later, it was said that Huang Lang had bought it from someone in the tax office. Of course, there must have been some underhanded dealings between Huang Lang and certain tax officials, so whether the purchase was genuine or not was unknown to outsiders.

Regardless, after that, the house effectively became Huang Lang’s property. As for Cao Shi, although she publicly claimed to have remarried Huang Lang, their illicit affair had caused quite a stir and gossip in the official street area. Because of this, Huang Lang had kept his marriage to Cao Shi hidden from his family. To avoid suspicion, they hadn’t even properly registered their marriage with the authorities. Thus, the Huang family naturally refused to acknowledge this marriage.

Now that Huang Lang was dead, with his parents long gone and no children, the property he left behind became a juicy target in others’ eyes. How could the Huang clan members let it slip away?

In this world, people fight over nothing but profit.

“Get out! This house belongs to my father. None of you are allowed to come in!” At that moment, Ge San Er stood at the doorway with a kitchen knife, glaring fiercely at the group of Huang clan members outside.

Despite being just a fifteen-year-old reckless boy, his stubborn and fierce demeanor made several Huang family members hesitate to approach.

“Brat, Huang Lang couldn’t have fathered a son as old as you,” one of the Huang clan members sneered, eliciting laughter from the onlookers."My father isn't surnamed Huang, my father is Ge Dana." Ge San Er, after all, was just a reckless boy who couldn't understand others' roundabout insults, and still angrily explained. This only provoked another round of laughter from the crowd.

"But this house belongs to Huang Lang. Your father is Ge Dana, and your father isn't Huang Lang, so how can you say this house is your father's?" the Huang family member said in a tongue-twisting manner, immediately confusing Ge San Er.

Ge San Er thought for a long time but still couldn't figure it out, so he simply resorted to his usual bullying again: "My sister said this house is my father's, and what my sister says is never wrong. None of you are allowed to go inside."

"Still talking about your sister? Your sister killed my Huang nephew. Since you're from the Ge family, I'll settle the score with you." At this moment, the Huang family's Third Uncle stepped forward from the side, coldly staring at Ge San Er.

No matter how fierce Ge San Er was, he was just a fifteen-year-old reckless boy. Now, being coldly glared at by Huang's Third Uncle, his expression showed some fear, and his eyes reddened slightly: "I've already told you, the one surnamed Huang wasn't killed by my sister!!!"

"You say? What use is your saying? What makes you think your sister didn't do it? Did you see it? Or did you kill him yourself? Hmph, just wait. After autumn, Ge Qiu Jie will lose her head." Huang's Third Uncle sneered.

"Nonsense! I won't let my sister be beheaded!" Ge San Er roared, but Zhen Niang, standing in the crowd, noticed that within his fierce glare, there seemed to be a trace of panic.

"Uncle, what you're saying isn't right. Regarding Ge Qiu Jie killing Huang Xunlan, the authorities haven't reached a conclusion yet. How can you so confidently insist she killed Huang Xunlan? Even the officials have said there are many doubts in this case. Could it be that you can decide for the authorities?" At this moment, Zhen Niang squeezed out from the crowd and spoke.

This wasn't because Zhen Niang was meddling in others' affairs, but because Ge Qiu Jie's case involved Li Zheng Ping. She couldn't let everyone form a fixed conclusion in their minds.

Moreover, Zhen Niang interrupted the conversation between Huang's Third Uncle and Ge San Er for another reason. She suddenly felt there might be some mystery surrounding Ge San Er. Ge San Er had mentioned several times that his sister didn't kill Huang Lang, giving Zhen Niang the impression that it wasn't just a stubborn denial but rather that he seemed to know who had killed Huang Lang.

"Exactly." Some people around also chimed in. Although many, like Yao Niangzi, were just watching the commotion, there were also those who couldn't stand the Huang family bullying others. Of course, none of them were truly good-hearted; they just couldn't help but sympathize with Ge San Er a little.

"They're all Huang Xunlan's relatives. Now, with Huang Xunlan's body not yet cold, they're doing such things. It's really hard to watch." Someone else in the crowd added.

"Who's the busybody here? What's it to you?" the Huang family member shouted at the crowd.

"When the road is uneven, someone will level it; when injustice occurs, someone will intervene. We're all neighbors—shouldn't we speak up for fairness?" Since Zhen Niang was the first to step forward, she naturally had to stand her ground now.

Most onlookers didn't mind stirring up trouble. Hearing Zhen Niang's words, they also laughed and said, "Exactly."Even Yao Niangzi, who had initially been watching Cao Shi’s misfortune with amusement, now spoke up: “Exactly, the case hasn’t even been concluded yet. How can you just decide that Ge Qiu Jie is the murderer? And Huang Lang has only just passed away. Leaving these women and children behind is pitiful enough—instead of thinking of how to care for them, you’re making things worse. What kind of relatives are you?”

“Well said, Aunt Yao! That’s clear as day.” Some of the younger shop assistants chimed in, making Yao Niangzi beam with pride.

Seeing the crowd’s growing anger, the Huang family members exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what to do next. At that moment, Third Uncle Huang stepped forward and said, “Everyone has misunderstood. We’re not trying to drive them away. It’s just that they’re all women, and young ones at that. As you all know, there are countless troublemakers on Yingtian Street. We’re worried they might be harassed, so we came to take them back to the clan.”

“No one is harassing us. As long as my husband’s case remains unresolved, I will not leave this place.” At that moment, another head peeked out from inside the door—it was Cao Shi.

“Exactly, exactly.” Two more heads appeared from the other side—Huang Lang’s two concubines, Lü Zhu and Bai Rong.

“Since that’s how you feel, we won’t force the matter. We’ll send someone over every few days to check on you. Don’t mistake our kindness for ill intent.” Third Uncle Huang’s tone carried a hint of threat. With a wave of his hand, he led the Huang family members out of the crowd, somewhat shamefacedly.

Only after everyone had left did Cao Shi, Lü Zhu, and Bai Rong step outside. Cao Shi craned her neck, watching the Huang family disappear into the distance before letting out a long sigh of relief. She turned to face Lü Zhu and Bai Rong, then suddenly slapped Lü Zhu hard across the face. “It’s all because of you, you wretched woman! Always fighting, always scheming! Why didn’t you come out earlier? Weren’t you the one who brought them here? Get out of my sight, you wretch!”

“How dare you tell me to leave? Even if I’m just a concubine, I was carried into this house in a bridal sedan!” Stunned by the slap, Lü Zhu’s face burned with pain, but she was too furious to care. She lunged forward, grabbing Cao Shi’s hair. “Even if I entered through the side door, I was still carried in a sedan!”

Lü Zhu’s words struck a nerve. Cao Shi and Huang Lang had never held a formal wedding ceremony—what woman would willingly accept that? At the time, the two of them had already stirred up too much gossip because of Ge Dana, so holding a ceremony would only invite more ridicule. Now, this very point was being thrown in her face by the concubines.

“What’s so special about being carried in a sedan? A concubine is still a concubine—nothing more than a servant. Don’t think I can’t make you leave. I could even sell you off, and no one would say a word!” Cao Shi snarled viciously.

“Sell me off? Do you even have the right? Are you the mistress of this house?” Lü Zhu was no pushover either, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Then, with a fierce glare, she added, “If you push me any further, I’ll go straight to the Huang family again. Heh, let’s just tear everything apart and be done with it!”

The onlookers who hadn’t yet dispersed were utterly bewildered. What on earth were these women of Huang Lang’s household trying to achieve with this spectacle?"What else could it be? It's all about this family property. Ever since Huang Lang died, Cao Shi couldn't stand having the two concubines around. Those two concubines, having gained nothing, weren't willing to leave either. Earlier, it was that concubine named Lü Zhu who went and stirred up trouble with the Huang family, but then the Huang family wanted to take everything for themselves. Heh, truly, people bring disaster upon themselves." At this moment, an old woman from next door to the Huang family shook her head and said.

These past few days, Huang Lang's three women had not stopped causing trouble.

"It's so noisy!" At this, Ge San Er let out a loud roar, glaring fiercely at Cao Shi and the two concubines. Then, with a clang, he threw the kitchen knife in his hand to the ground and, swaying his shoulders, pushed his way out of the crowd.

"Where are you going?" Cao Shi quickly asked.

"None of your business. I'm going to find my sister. Once I go, I won't come back. At least it won't be so noisy." Ge San Er grumbled angrily.

This statement amused the people around him. Did this silly boy think he knew where his sister was and could go there for a free meal? And that he wouldn't come back? That place was a prison.

"What kind of place is that? You can't go there. Don't you dare go." Cao Shi grew anxious.

But Ge San Er ignored his mother, swinging his arms and waddling away like a duck. The two concubines on the side snickered, while Cao Shi, embarrassed and furious, cursed viciously, "If you don't come back, I'll be relieved."

After saying this, seeing that some onlookers still hadn't dispersed, she waved her hand and said, "Go on, go on. Who doesn't have some family troubles? Do I need to point them out one by one?"

A few neighbors, feeling disgruntled by Cao Shi's words, thought to themselves that in these times, every family had its share of scandals—whether it was affairs, squandering wealth, or fighting over property—it was just that not all of it was exposed to others. And so, they too gradually dispersed.