Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Clan Assembly

Leaving aside the fact that he had ten personal chefs in his employ, far outnumbering them, he had spent the last few days working out in his dimensional space and bathing in the spiritual spring water. His physical strength had long since been drastically enhanced, and he was eager to test his own prowess.

However, events did not afford him the chance to intervene. Zheng Tongheng and the others did not disappoint him either, successfully driving away the troublemakers without a hitch.

Since Zheng Tongheng and his crew were so obedient, Jia Ping'an naturally had to step forward to boost their morale and show them that he, Jia Ping'an, was a man of his word. Those who performed meritorious service would be rewarded.

"Ah, is that so? Well, you did a good job. Chang Chao, bring out a hundred taels of silver for Zheng Tongheng. Reward each of them with three taels, and distribute the rest as you see fit."

True to his word, Jia Ping'an handed a hundred-tael silver banknote directly into Zheng Tongheng's hands.

Under the current economic conditions, a single tael of silver was enough to sustain a family of three for an entire month, provided they lived frugally.

Yet now, with a single gesture, Jia Ping'an was rewarding each guard with three taels—an absolute fortune for ordinary commoners. Not to mention Zheng Tongheng, who, as the leader, essentially pocketed thirteen taels in one go, equivalent to a regular family's living expenses for an entire year.

"Thank you, Young Master Jia." Holding the banknote tightly, Zheng Tongheng was overjoyed.

He had expected some sort of acknowledgment since Jia Ping'an had shown up, but he never imagined the reward would be this generous.

The other members of the Zheng clan were equally surprised and delighted, following Zheng Tongheng's lead in expressing their gratitude one by one.

"All right, no need to thank me; you've earned this. If anyone dares to come and cause trouble again, handle them just like you did today. If they dare to resort to violence, hit them back with everything you've got. If you get injured, I'll take care of you."

After repeating yesterday's words, Jia Ping'an turned around with a smile and headed back up to the third floor, leaving the crowd at the entrance staring at one another.

There were quite a few onlookers among the crowd. Seeing that Zheng Tongheng and his men had merely shouted a few curses without actually throwing any punches and yet received such a handsome reward, they were green with envy, bitterly regretting that they were not members of the Zheng clan and could not work here at the third floor.

As for the gatekeeping Zheng clan members, their faces beamed with joy.

Three whole taels of silver! Taking this back home would definitely supplement the household income and bring praise from their families.

However, among them were some quick-witted and ambitious individuals who had already set their sights on Zheng Tongheng's position.

They had each received three taels, which was certainly a lot. Yet compared to the thirteen taels Zheng Tongheng got, their share paled in significance.

Zheng Tongheng was smiling too, but as he smiled, he felt several hostile gazes fixed on his back, breaking out in a cold sweat instantly.

Good grief, it looked like these people were green with eyed-monsters and were plotting against his spot.

That simply wouldn't do. He had secured his current position thanks to his father pulling strings behind the scenes. Now that the benefits were finally rolling in, how could he possibly hand it over to someone else?

At that moment, Zheng Tongheng began to cherish the position beneath him all the more. He resolved to perform even better; in short, he would never let this position slip away.

Meanwhile, Zheng Liyuan, having lost face, refused to even return to the Yuelai Restaurant. After fiercely reprimanding his six lackeys and telling them to wait properly back at the restaurant, he marched straight toward the courtyard of the Zheng clan patriarch.

Zheng Tianhai had not been awake for long and had just finished breakfast when he saw Zheng Liyuan appear before him with an expression of intense grievance.

"What on earth happened?" Seeing the subordinate who had always been loyal to him now looking at him with such wronged eyes, how could Zheng Tianhai fail to realize that something major had occurred?

"Patriarch, you must seek justice for me!" Zheng Liyuan looked on the verge of tears as he recounted everything that had just transpired.

"Outrageous!" Upon learning the ins and outs of the matter, Zheng Tianhai slammed his palm down onto the table in fury. "Such insolence from Zheng Tongheng! Does he still remember that he is a member of the Zheng clan? How could he treat his own kinsmen like this?"

Zheng Tianhai was genuinely angry. This incident was no longer just a simple matter of causing a disturbance at the third floor; rather, it signaled the emergence of dissenting voices within the Zheng clan itself—something a patriarch had to guard against vigilantly.

Especially when he considered that Zheng Tongheng's father was one of the clan elders, could this be an intentional move on their part?

Or was this a direct provocation or test directed at him by that old fox, Zheng Tianhu?

Since the matter involved his own people and even a clan elder, Zheng Tianhai could not simply turn a blind eye. "Someone come here! Invite the other three clan elders over." Zheng Tianhai decided to summon everyone and force Zheng Tianhu to state his position in public.

When the time came, he wanted to see what excuses this man would make and how he intended to cover up for his son.

Since the other party had made a move, he naturally had to respond. Not only that, he would retaliate so that everyone would know that he, Zheng Tianhai, was still the patriarch, and his word was still law.

The steward went out to summon the others. Before long, the remaining three clan elders—Zheng Tianjiang, Zheng Tianhu, and Zheng Tianhe—all arrived at the courtyard.

Zheng Tianjiang and Zheng Tianhe were somewhat baffled as to why they were being summoned so early in the morning. Zheng Tianhu, however, had a vague inkling of what it was about, though he kept quiet before the matter was brought to light.

"Haha, all three brothers have arrived. Please, sit, sit. Someone, serve tea." Facing the three clan elders of his lineage, Zheng Tianhai said with a smile on his face, showing not the slightest trace of a change in expression even when looking at Zheng Tianhu.

This was the art of concealing one's emotions. To securely hold the position of the Zheng clan patriarch, Zheng Tianhai certainly possessed some genuine skill and capability.

The three clan elders exchanged polite greetings, then took their seats in order, after which their gazes finally fell upon Zheng Liyuan.

Needless to say, apart from the four clan elders, there was only this junior present, so the matter must have originated with him.

Sure enough, once everyone was seated and had sipped their welcoming tea, Zheng Tianhai turned to the four elders and said, "A minor incident occurred this morning. As for the specifics, let Liyuan explain it."

"Yes, Patriarch." Zheng Liyuan bowed respectfully and, with a tearful and mournful expression, recounted the events of the morning once more.

As the details came to light, everyone's gaze turned as one toward Zheng Tianhu.

Zheng Tongheng was his son, and now that the son had done wrong, the father was present and naturally had to provide an explanation.

"Rebellious wretch! An unfilial son! Do not fret, my brothers; I shall go to the third floor right now, give him a proper thrashing, and give everyone a satisfactory explanation." Zheng Tianhu feigned total ignorance, the muscles in his face twitching as if he were consumed by rage.

"Ah, such a trivial matter—how could I trouble you to go personally? Where is the steward? Go to the third floor and summon Zheng Tongheng here." Zheng Tianhai blocked Zheng Tianhu's move with a smile. In his eyes, this man was an old and crafty fox who was not easy to deal with. Rather than giving the father and son time to concoct a joint story, it was far better to summon Zheng Tongheng directly so they wouldn't be able to hide their flaws.

Zheng Tianhu wanted to press the matter further, but seeing the resolute look in Zheng Tianhai's eyes, he knew that saying anything more would be futile and simply let him have his way.

The patriarch clearly did not trust him and feared he would coordinate stories with his son. Since that was the case, he couldn't be blamed for playing his own games.

If you don't trust me to begin with, yet expect me to support you wholeheartedly, how could that ever happen?

The steward departed. For the time being, the others sat together making polite conversation and exchanging pleasantries. Zheng Tianjiang and Zheng Tianhe had initially known nothing of the matter, and now seeing that it did not concern them, they naturally adopted a detached attitude of minding their own business.

Only Zheng Tianhu sat in silence, wearing a grim, furious expression. It was impossible to tell whether he was angrier with the patriarch Zheng Tianhai or with his own son.

Barely a tea's time later, the steward trotted back, looking breathless and panting.

"Why have you returned alone? Where is Zheng Tongheng?" Seeing no one else behind the steward, Patriarch Zheng Tianhai could not help but ask.

"Patriarch, Zheng Tongheng refused to come back. He said..." At this point, the steward cast a glance in Zheng Tianhu's direction.

"What did he say? There are no outsiders here, speak plainly." Zheng Tianhai said with a heavy tone.

"Yes." The steward shivered, sensing the patriarch's genuine anger, and continued, "He said he was hired simply to keep watch over the third floor, and since someone went there to cause trouble, it was only natural for him to step in—that it was his duty. Oh, and he also mentioned that ever since he was a child, the clan taught him to be a man of honor and loyalty, and to faithfully execute whatever task he undertook. What he's doing right now is precisely that."

Clearly, Zheng Tongheng was not a man of high education, but he had heard the phrase "faithfully execute the task entrusted to one," and repeated it when the steward went to fetch him and asked him to return.

Return? There was no way he was coming back.

The patriarch had called his own father over; if he went back now, he certainly wouldn't come out of it with any benefits. Thus, he used the excuse of being too busy with matters at hand to refuse. Ever since seeing his father last night, he had already harbored thoughts of no longer relying on the Zheng clan. Moreover, getting those thirteen taels of silver from Jia Ping'an today showed him Young Master Jia's firm commitment to his word, which only solidified his previous decision.

Come to think of it, it was the Zheng clan that had abandoned him first. If they truly valued him, how could they have gone to cause trouble in the first place?

Since they went to cause trouble, they clearly didn't hold Zheng Tongheng and the others in any regard; if that was the case, why on earth should he still obey them?

It was a reciprocal relationship—you strike the first blow, so don't blame others for striking back on the fifteenth.

"Did he really say that?" Hearing this, Zheng Tianhai was so furious his mustache nearly stood on end.

There was nothing inherently wrong with taking someone's money to disaster relief and carrying out their tasks.

But you had to weigh the occasion and the stakes!

Good grief, the people hiring you had just come into conflict with your own clan behind your back, so how could you possibly help outsiders deal with your own flesh and blood? That was a complete failure to distinguish between one's own people and outsiders!