Chapter 18 A Bully Who Abuses Power
“Everyone, shut up!”
Ouyang Xu roared, and the entire crowd imdiately fell silent. Such was the intimidating power of an official.
“I didn’t do anything!”
Ouyang Xu’s sharp gaze scanned the onlookers, and under his pressure, many people nodded in agreent, unwilling to provoke him.
Turning to Gao You, he sneered, “You’re trying to fra ? That’s impossible!”
“Master Wang, my suggestion is to take him straight to the magistrate!”
Hearing this, Zhao Pan’er couldn’t hold back anymore. She looked at Wang Dashan apologetically. “Master Wang!”
“This was our mistake!”
“No matter how much you demand, we will compensate you. Please don’t make things difficult for Gao Lang.”
“He certainly didn’t do it on purpose!”
Wang Dashan, uncertain about Ouyang Xu’s stance, hesitated to act rashly.
Instead, he asked, “Where is my Blackie?”
“Here.”
Gao You pointed at the pot on the table.
In the Song Dynasty, dog at was not considered high-class cuisine, but it was still a common folk delicacy. So, rather than letting the vicious dog go to waste, Gao You had simply followed local customs and stewed it.
“You… you actually ate it?”
Wang Dashan roared in fury.
Gao You calmly pointed at Ouyang Xu again. “He did it.”
Instantly, the crowd’s gaze turned to Ouyang Xu. Before he could respond, the discussions erupted.
“I understand now. This was all the Tanhua Lang’s doing!”
“Otherwise, why would he be sitting here eating dog at? He’s a top scholar!”
“If he didn’t have a deep hatred for that dog, would he lower himself to eat dog at?”
A self-proclaid expert in the crowd began analyzing the situation, and everyone nodded in agreent.
Seeing his words being accepted, the self-proclaid expert continued, “No wonder Zhao Niangzi looked so distressed just now!”
“The Tanhua Lang ordered her fool of a husband to kill the dog!”
“Then, when trouble ca, he pushed all the bla onto her husband!”
“If he had simply wanted revenge against the vicious dog, that would just make him petty and narrow-minded.”
“But now, it’s clear—he’s cunning, deceitful, abuses his power, and discards people after using them!”
“How did soone like this beco a Tanhua?”
The crowd sighed in disappointnt.
Standing at the teahouse entrance, Ouyang Xu felt as though he had been struck by lightning. He wanted to roar again to stop these people from spreading nonsense. But the more he reacted, the more it would confirm their belief that he was a despicable bully!
“I really didn’t do it!”
Ouyang Xu could only offer a weak defense. Seeing this, Wang Dashan, who had been furious just monts ago, suddenly lost his montum.
If they took Gao You to the magistrate, Ouyang Xu would inevitably be dragged into it as well.
“This matter won’t end just like this!”
Wang Dashan glared at Zhao Pan’er, then viciously held up five fingers.
“Five hundred wen!”
“If you don’t pay, don’t bla for arresting soone imdiately!”
Five hundred wen!
On the market, that was only enough to buy fifty catties of at.
This demand… really wasn’t that high!
Zhao Pan’er quickly gestured for Xiao Lingdang to fetch the money, then handed it over to Wang Dashan.
Seeing this, the crowd erupted again.
“This is outright bullying!”
“It was Tanhua Lang who gave the order, and he was the one who ate the at, yet Zhao Niangzi had to pay!”
“How did Qiantang produce such a shaless person?”
Ouyang Xu’s face turned an ugly shade of green from the insults, but he didn’t dare argue back.
Gao You was considered a fool. The people instinctively saw him as weak and innocent, believing that he wouldn’t lie. Who would believe that a fool dared to falsely accuse a newly appointed Tanhua!?
“Very well!”
Ouyang Xu gritted his teeth, spat out these two words, then stord off. He needed to find a way to suppress this scandal imdiately.
If word spread further, being labeled a ‘cunning villain’ would be disastrous for his political career.
“Let’s go!”
Wang Dashan took the money and waved for his n to leave Zhao’s Teahouse.
“Though Ouyang Xu acted out of revenge, at least the vicious dog is gone. That’s one good thing!”
“That was Gao You’s doing!”
“What does that have to do with that scoundrel Tanhua!?”
The crowd lingered a little longer, chatting among themselves before gradually dispersing. As they left, Zhao Pan’er pulled Gao You to the back of the teahouse.
“Gao Lang, what’s really going on?”
“Why did you kill Master Wang’s dog?”
Gao You thought for a mont but couldn’t be bothered to explain.
Instead, he walked to the corner, picked up a painting, handed it to Zhao Pan’er, then yawned and walked away. Seeing their conversation end, Sun Sanniang rushed over excitedly.
“Did you see Ouyang Xu’s face when he left? It was priceless!”
Sun Sanniang laughed, slapping Zhao Pan’er’s shoulder.
“If anyone still says Gao You is a fool—”
“Then they’re the real fools!”
Xiao Lingdang nodded eagerly.
“Brother-in-law was so cool just now!”
“He didn’t flinch at all and made Ouyang Xu so mad he nearly jumped into the river!”
Sun Sanniang chuckled.
“Jumping into the river is a bit much!”
“He just made Tanhua—he hasn’t even enjoyed it yet, why would he die now?”
Zhao Pan’er didn’t join in their conversation. She simply stood there in a daze, watching as Gao You walked away.
“Sister!”
Song Yinzhan waved her hand in front of Zhao Pan’er’s face.
“Why did brother-in-law kill the dog?”
Zhao Pan’er shook her head.
“I don’t know!”
Sun Sanniang shrugged.
“Pan’er, don’t say you don’t know!”
“It’s obvious!”
“Gao You killed that dog because it scared you this morning!”
“He was standing up for you!”
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