Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 1043: Trafficking in Human Beings

"Legitimate business?" Gu Jin’an laughed, "You know very well what kind of business your family is really doing."

Shang Laosi was quite frightened by these words. What did Gu Jin’an mean? Did he know there was something wrong with his family’s business?

Seeing his face change, Gu Jin’an didn’t bother to hide it and said bluntly, "You’re not wrong in your guess, so you’d better behave yourself and show some respect to my master, otherwise I can’t guarantee when you’ll end up in prison."

"Prison?" Shang Shiliu startled, stood up, and asked Gu Jin’an, "Good Brother An, what do you mean by this? Are you suggesting Shang Laosi has done some evil deeds outside?"

In Great Chu, if one family member committed a crime, the whole family could be implicated.

Shang Laosi hurriedly said, "Shiliu, don’t listen to his nonsense, all my businesses outside are lawful and clean, I’ve never done anything wicked."

"Oh really?" Gu Jin’an smiled warmly and asked Shang Laosi, "Spreading rumors intentionally to ruin the reputation of decent women — when they get abandoned by their husbands, tricking them into becoming prostitutes — is that also considered a legitimate business?"

Shang Laosi’s legs turned weak with fright. Gu Jin’an actually knew, he really knew!

How did he know? These things were done in other places, hiring local thugs, surely no one in Tianfu County would know.

Gu Jin’an knew about these matters because he anticipated that someone from the Shang Family would target him after he topped the county exam. To avoid troubling Scholar Shang, he investigated some troublemakers from the Shang Family beforehand and found something on each of them.

Among those troublemakers, Shang Laosi was the one who did the most wicked things.

Shang Laosi was truly daring, using such means to harm many decent women in Jiangnan and Jianghuai, turning them into prostitutes.

Village Chief Shang was about to faint from anger, with a crash, he smashed a teacup and angrily questioned Shang Laosi, "Laosi, is what Good Brother An said true? Did you really scheme against decent women and turn them into prostitutes?!"

This was a criminal offense, and if Shang Laosi truly did it, the entire Shang Family would be implicated.

There was no way Shang Laosi could admit it. If he confessed, his family would be finished, so he immediately denied, "No, Clan Leader, don’t listen to Gu Jin’an’s nonsense, I’ve never done such wicked deeds. All my businesses outside are honest and legitimate!"

And he said, "Clan Leader, in my early years, I did deal with selling prostitutes, but they were all old prostitutes from brothels, which wasn’t illegal. I’ve truly changed and haven’t done those businesses for a long time now."

In a hurry and panic, Shang Laosi explained to Village Chief Shang and then turned to Gu Jin’an, "You, as the top scorer of the county, should know the principle of not making false accusations without evidence. It’s irresponsible to speak without proof."

After reprimanding Gu Jin’an with a tone of an elder, Shang Laosi softened his tone, "First Place Gu, I have no ill intention against you, I just saw your bright future and wanted to match my youngest daughter with you. Although she is born of a servant, she is registered under the official wife’s name. If you’re not willing, let’s pretend I said nothing, and let the matter pass."

The Gu Family’s tofu products and flavored spices are lucrative businesses, and Shang Laosi had been envious for a long time, yet he never found a way to seize the Gu Family’s business.

This time, upon hearing that Gu Jin’an topped the exam, he acted immediately, hurried back to the village, and offered Second Old Master Shang three hundred taels of silver to help arrange a marriage between his youngest daughter and Gu Jin’an.

As long as the marriage was settled, it would be easier for him to engage in the Gu Family’s business.

But he didn’t expect Gu Jin’an to be so formidable, not only refusing but also uncovering and exposing the evil deeds his family had done.

Fearing imprisonment, Shang Laosi quickly yielded and suggested letting the marriage plan go.

However, Gu Jin’an smiled, as he had brought this matter to light, he wouldn’t just let it slide.

Without wasting time with Shang Laosi, he directly took out an envelope from his sleeve and handed it to Village Chief Shang, "Village Chief and elders of the Shang Family, take a look."

"What is this? Hand it over," Shang Laosi panicked and tried to snatch it, but Gu Jin’an kicked him down.

With a thud, Shang Laosi fell to the ground, his expensive brocade clothing caught on a table leg and tore open, while his hand got poked by his worn gold jewelry, causing pain.

Being younger and quicker, Shang Shiliu grabbed the letter and handed it to Village Chief Shang, "Clan Leader, please have a look quickly."

The other members of the Shang Family hurriedly gathered around, even Second Old Master Shang craned his neck to see, afraid that Shang Laosi’s scandal was true.

Village Chief Shang rushed to take the envelope, opened it, and found a blood letter inside, along with a Jade Pendant of the Shang Family’s children.

Although the Shang Family lived in the countryside, their ancestors had wealth, and influenced by the legacy of noble families, they liked to make Jade Pendants.

Later, as the Shang Family fell into poverty, some members who sought fortune elsewhere would request the family’s seal to make Jade Pendants, both continuing the ancestral legacy and offering proof of identity while on travel or sending people home.

In the past, when Shang Laosi’s family was poor, they wished to show off when they became wealthy and specially returned to the village to request the Shang Family’s seal to make a few Jade Pendants.

These Jade Pendants were recorded in the family archives, and this matter was handled by Village Chief Shang himself. Thus, he knew immediately upon inspecting the Jade Pendant that it was genuine, made using the Shang Family’s seal.

The blood letter was written by a woman named Lianxin, spanning merely two pages and a few hundred words detailing her tragedy: how she was unjustly divorced due to rumors and subsequently tricked by an outsider widower, only to be imprisoned, threatened with her family’s reputation, and forced into prostitution.

Every word was indeed filled with tears.

Seeing the blood letter, Village Chief Shang nearly went insane, seizing and fighting with Shang Laosi, "You beast, how could you do such a thing? You’ve practically ruined the entire Shang Family!"

Shang Laosi used to boast about his fortunate success in business whenever he returned to the village, admired by many members of the Shang Family, even earning the favor of the Village Chief.

Little did they know this scoundrel was deceiving them, committing heinous acts in his business. If exposed, none from the Shang Family could escape the consequences!

Shang Laosi collapsed on the ground, never expecting Gu Jin’an to have evidence, but he couldn’t admit it, so he shouted, "Clan Leader, Second Uncle, fellow brothers, this blood letter is fake; Gu Jin’an is falsely accusing me! He wants to bring me down, he wants to bring down our entire Shang Family!"

Gu Jin’an laughed, "If I wanted to harm the Shang Family, I wouldn’t have given this evidence to you. I would have sent it directly to the Prefecture Government Office, handed it to Lord Magistrate. Such a big case would earn Lord Magistrate considerable merit and a good reputation for me."