Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 744 - 580: Dying at the Wrong Time

Once his eyes adjusted to the intense light, he saw Gu Chengyu standing in front of him with a stern face.

"Gu Chengyu?" Without thinking, these three words blurted out.

Ming Yan, upon hearing this, immediately flung Erlang aside—how could he directly call his master’s name?

Gu Chengyu sneered, "I see you’re still not awake. Ming Yan, make him sober up."

At these words, Ming Yan stepped forward and slapped Erlang twice, leaving him a bit dazed.

He had been wondering whether the Gu Chengyu before him was real or not when his face was hit twice immediately after.

These two slaps completely sobered Erlang up. Anger surged through him, and he was about to curse.

"Erlang! Your uncle is your elder; how dare you directly call his name?" Mr. Gu sternly reprimanded without further interest in arguing.

He turned to speak to Uncle Gu, "Brother! I have to trouble you to gather some clan members to set up the mourning hall first, and to inform friends and family."

Erlang was still somewhat in shock, not quite believing it—did his father really die? Was he truly dead?

As Sanlang entered the room, seeing Gu Chengyi’s wretched state, he cried even more sorrowfully.

Erlang repeatedly shouted, "Impossible! Impossible!"

He scrambled and crawled toward the west wing, wanting to see if his father was truly dead.

Seeing that Erlang still cared, Gu Chengyi figured he might be the only one in this family on Erlang’s mind.

Upon entering the room and seeing Sanlang weeping profusely on the kang, his mind went completely blank.

Looking closer at Gu Chengyi’s face, he was suddenly startled, stepping back a few paces.

Only two hours after his death, Gu Chengyi’s body hadn’t stiffened yet, but blood was still flowing from his mouth.

The weather was too hot, so the blood hadn’t coagulated. With his eyes wide open and mouth agape, Erlang felt a cold shiver rush to his forehead.

Startled by Gu Chengyi’s gruesome expression, Erlang couldn’t even cry if he wanted to.

Seeing Sanlang still crying, he thought how foolish that must be, that one could still cry in such a situation.

He ran to a corner of the room, not daring to look at Gu Chengyi anymore.

Gradually, his fear faded, and he recalled the cause of his father’s death.

Then he looked up at the bed table, noticing that the bronze lock on the cabinet was unlatched.

Erlang ran to the bed table, opened the cabinet, and found the box had disappeared.

At this moment, he no longer cared about Gu Chengyi’s terrifying visage; he cast a suspicious glance at Sanlang.

"Third brother, did you open this cabinet?"

Sanlang, who was grieving, stopped crying upon hearing Erlang’s words, looking at the bed table with great confusion.

"No, I didn’t!"

Hearing this, Erlang grew anxious, his face darkening ominously.

He pounded the cabinet with his fist, "It’s over! Our silver is gone."

He had just examined Sanlang and knew he couldn’t have hidden such a box.

With the box gone, it couldn’t have been Sanlang. They returned together, that he remembered clearly.

It must be Gu Chengyu, yes, he’s the one who took it. No! It could also be Wang Yue.

Sanlang seldom returned and wouldn’t know where Gu Chengyi’s silver was kept.

Besides, faced with such a situation, silver was certainly of less concern. He believed Little Uncle and others wouldn’t take it, nor would their grandfather.

"Could it be with grandpa? Or did Aunt Wang take it?"

Over the years, his father must have saved quite a sum, it wasn’t a small amount, and naturally, he couldn’t let Wang Yue take it all.

He glanced at Gu Chengyi; his father had held Erlang in high regard, thinking Erlang would become a Scholar, then an Advanced Scholar, and bring prosperity to their family.

His father accommodated Erlang’s every request, but wasn’t as generous to him. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

He once wanted to buy a small courtyard in the county, just a small place to make marriage proposals easier.

But his father refused, saying the silver was for Erlang’s schooling, though Erlang felt some resentment.

Yet, now that his father truly died, and in such a tragic manner, Erlang couldn’t help feeling distressed—after all, he was his real father!

Although he was sad, he wouldn’t refuse what he deserved. Nor would he covet what wasn’t his.

"We should first ask grandpa and the others about dad’s sudden death, we need to find out what’s really going on, why so sudden?"

Sanlang wiped his tears with his sleeve, pondered for a moment, then spoke to Erlang.

At this point, all Erlang wanted was to find out where the silver went, so he ignored Sanlang and went straight out of the room.

He needed to go to the main room to ask about the silver’s whereabouts, as it was for his studies.

Gu Chengyu was supporting Mr. Gu at the doorway when he saw Erlang rushing out.

Seeing them, Erlang quickly asked, "The silver? Where’s the silver from the cabinet?"

Mr. Gu was taken aback by Erlang’s question, then became so furious he trembled.

When he arrived earlier, he only heard Sanlang’s cries; seeing Erlang’s dry eyes, did Erlang feel no sorrow?

Gu Chengyu, seeing Erlang return from the west wing just for the silver, replied impatiently, "The silver is kept by your grandpa, surely it hasn’t flown away!"

"Many people were present when the silver was counted, and the box hasn’t been opened since. Once the funeral is over, the silver will be divided among you brothers."

Gu Chengyu feared Erlang and the others might think someone took their silver, so it was best to make things clear early on.

Upon hearing this, Erlang breathed a sigh of relief; he’d feel secure only when the silver was in his own hands.

But asking for it now would be improper, so he decided to endure a little longer.

However, just as he intended to return to the room, he suddenly remembered something, and slapped his thigh in realization.

"Damn it! The college examination is soon. With dad’s death, doesn’t that mean I can’t participate?"

Even Gu Chengyu found it intolerable—his father died, and he thought not about mourning, but the examination.

Erlang passed both the county and prefecture exams this time, and was brimming with confidence, preparing for the college examination these past days.

Only yesterday did he relax a bit, going for a night of leisure with classmates at Little Peach Blossom’s place.

Today, he wasn’t even fully awake, yet was dragged out of bed with news of his father’s death.

He had great confidence in this exam, but given the current situation, while in mourning he couldn’t participate for three more years?

Moreover, he was already eighteen, an age for marriage proposals.

Would the teacher’s daughter wait for him for three years under these circumstances?

His heart grew restless—his father’s death couldn’t have come at a worse time!

"Father, why did you have to go so soon?"

Erlang lamented, pounding his chest and stomping his feet, feeling both helpless and regretful.

At this moment, recalling how his father had been decent towards him, he couldn’t help but feel a bit more sorrowful.

Hearing Gu Chengyu’s voice, Sanlang finally exited the room.