"Hehehe, that old bastard Li Laocai must be devastated now. Double blow? No, it's a quintuple blow!"
"First, his foot and butt got nailed, then he lost his money bag, his beloved youngest son isn't his, his wife had an affair with the guard Li Ligang, and now he's got tetanus and is just waiting to die."
"Let him die knowing he was cuckolded; let him die with no peace!"
At this moment, Qin Wang was in a great mood.
Based on the intelligence, after some more manipulation, Li Laocai was on the brink of death.
"Intelligence insufficiently triggered?"
Qin Wang looked at the intelligence panel, showing a thoughtful expression, and muttered to himself, "It seems I still need to go out and wander around; otherwise, there won't be enough intelligence triggered to benefit me!"
After spreading the news yesterday morning, Qin Wang stayed home practicing Taizu Changquan. The intelligence panel function requires triggering, and interacting with more people and things will fill up the ten intelligence slots. Staying home won't trigger enough intelligence.
"To make the best use of the intelligence panel, I need to move to the county town in the future!"
Qin Wang thought to himself.
Qingniuji is a small place, and relatively speaking, the county town has more opportunities to make money.
However, Qin Wang still wanted to wait until he mastered the basics of Taizu Changquan and until Li Laocai's family was ruined. If he could get his hands on the 850 taels of silver under Li Laocai's bed, that would be fantastic.
That was the ill-gotten wealth Li Laocai had accumulated over the years.
"This morning, I need to visit Baicaotang!"
Qin Wang planned silently.
He had started practicing martial arts and found it necessary to master various acupoints. Being proficient in medicine could help recognize human acupoints, which would greatly aid martial arts training.
It would be great if he could gain the favor of Bai Langzhong (Doctor Bai). If not, even working as an unpaid medicine boy, just getting a meal and borrowing some medical books wouldn't be too much to ask, right?
"Vicious Li Laocai intended to sell me into prostitution, and he has only five days to live. I must watch him see his family ruined before he dies to be satisfied!"
Qin Wang's eyes gleamed coldly.
If it weren't for his sister Qin Xuemei selling herself into the Chen family for 600 coins, he would have starved to death!!
Currently, his sister was still at the Chen family in Yanyun County!
Yan Po had said when taking his sister away that it would cost 30 taels of silver to redeem her.
These 30 taels of silver must come from Li Laocai!
Having made up his mind, Qin Wang went to sleep.
Practicing Taizu Changquan all day had been tiring. He couldn't train non-stop; his body was frail and needed to balance work and rest. After training for a while, he'd go out for a walk to trigger more intelligence.
The next day.
At dawn, the morning sun painted the horizon red.
After breakfast, Qin Wang was heading out to pour out his wash water and happened to meet Li Yunhai coming out. He greeted him, "Uncle Yunhai, good morning!"
"Little Qin, I have some good news for you!"
Seeing Qin Wang, Li Yunhai seemed to recall something and said.
"What good news?"
Qin Wang pretended not to know and showed a curious look.
He had already guessed it was likely about Li Laocai.
"Did you know? That Li Laocai who bought your family's field and tile-roofed house at a low price, wasn't he nailed while inspecting the fields the day before yesterday? I heard he's developed tetanus and has been drooling and convulsing. Bai Langzhong said to prepare for his funeral!"
"Some people also said that Li Laocai fell ill because someone posted notices in the market yesterday claiming that his youngest son Li Tianxin is actually the son of the guard Li Ligang, making him a big cuckold."
"This Li Laocai has done countless evil deeds and schemed all his life; this is his just desserts!"
Li Yunhai spoke with evident delight in his eyes, clearly sharing a deep-seated grudge against Li Laocai.
"Indeed, he truly deserves it!"
Qin Wang nodded in agreement.
"Little Qin, I need to go now."
After informing Qin Wang, Li Yunhai headed towards the market, carrying his fishing net and basket. He fished daily and sold his catch to the fish market. After deducting boat rental fees, the rest was his earnings, so he needed to catch more fish to support his family.
"It's about time to head to Baicaotang!"
Qin Wang cleaned up, locked his door, and headed towards Qingniuji.
"The sky is falling, what are we going to do now, master…"
"Father…"
At the Li family estate, in a classical side room, there were cries and wails.
At the door, five or six maids stood with their heads bowed, not daring to make a sound.
"Have you informed my sister-in-law, madam?"
Li Laocai's lips quivered, drooling, his breath weak. A maid quickly stepped forward to wipe his mouth.
"Master, we informed her yesterday. She should arrive this afternoon."
The madam, who was about forty years old, cried while wiping her tears with a pair of mandarin duck handkerchiefs.
The sister-in-law was the master's younger sister, married to Zheng Kecheng, the Chief Inspector of Yanyun County. Because of this relationship, the master had amassed a large fortune in Qingniuji, and during the holidays, he could use his connections to suppress any issues.
When the sister-in-law came, her husband would come too. With him presiding, that adulterer Li Ligang wouldn't escape.
"Alright."
Li Laocai's lips quivered again. "That scoundrel's brother is now a guardian in the Golden Fish Gang. I can't do anything to him, but… but Li Ligang and the bastard child… must not be spared."
Yesterday, Bai Mingliang Langzhong had said that the rusted nail had caused tetanus and that there was no cure. His days were numbered.
He needed to arrange his affairs.
"Master, rest assured, everything will be handled by sister-in-law and her husband."
The madam kept wiping her tears.
"Money bag… found… it?"
Li Laocai asked intermittently after a while.
"Master, at this time, why are you still worried about that…"
The madam began crying again.
In Qingniuji, in a house.
"Li Laocai is so unlucky. Nailed, lost his silver, and now he's got tetanus… he's dying."
"And then he was exposed for his wife's affair with the guard, and his youngest son isn't even his. How can he bear it? I remember he adored his youngest son, taking him everywhere."
"If he dies, I lose a money-making route."
Yan Po, dressed in brown clothes with two yellow cloth flowers on her head, looked towards the Li family estate, sighing deeply, extremely depressed.
Originally, she and Li Laocai had a clear division of labor: Li Laocai forced people into desperate situations to sell their land, and when they were desperate, she would introduce them to jobs in the county, earning a commission. With good prospects like Qin Wang, she could sell them to officials or wealthy families with special interests, making a lot of money.
Now, with Li Laocai suffering from tetanus and Bai Langzhong suggesting preparing for his funeral, her plan to sell Qin Wang into prostitution had fallen through.
She could find someone else to force that Qin kid into desperation, but if things went south, who would cover for her?
Doing this kind of thing was like walking a tightrope!
If something happened, without Li Laocai's backing, she wouldn't escape prison!
She had approached Li Laocai because his brother-in-law, Zheng Kecheng, was the Chief Inspector of Yanyun County!