Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 73: Bearing Thorns to Plead Guilty? (Verb)
After thinking for a moment, he nodded. "They gave us a future courtesan for free and served you wholeheartedly. It wouldn't be right for them to turn their backs on us like this."

Do you know who's behind this?

Cao Wei Da originally intended to ignore the other party, since there were no good people running brothels, and they had done many heinous things.

But then I thought, not everyone in the sex industry is a trafficked person; most are forced into this line of work because they can't survive.

Of course, that's not the main reason. More importantly, anyone who could get in touch with the secret agents of the puppet government and even take advantage of Xiaguangyuan was obviously not a good person.

Rather than letting Xiaguangyuan be controlled by such people, it's better to maintain the status quo. With me around, at least Han Lu won't dare to disobey my orders, unless she doesn't want to continue living here.

If you can help her save Xiaguangyuan, you can also make the other party lose it again!

"I know, Tong Mazi, the villain from Zhushi Stink Street, lives at No. 86 Sesame Alley."

"Han Lu told me that Tong Mazi came to the door to show off, saying that he was determined to take Xiaguangyuan. If she obeyed, he would give her some money to get rid of her, but if she didn't, he would make her leave with her tail between her legs."

Zhushikou, originally named Zhushikou, was named after the market where live pigs were bought and sold. Later, the market was moved by imperial order, and the name was changed to Zhushikou to make the place more elegant. It is located south of the Eight Great Hutongs.

"Tong Mazi?" Cao Weida raised an eyebrow; the name sounded familiar.
But after thinking for a long time, I still couldn't remember who it was, so I simply gave up on thinking about it.

"He's got quite an arrogant tone. Who's his backer? What kind of businesses does he have?"

"I heard that he got involved with Xi Batian Fudecheng, and his main businesses are prostitution and gambling."

Upon hearing this answer, Cao Weida suddenly laughed.

Good heavens, what a small world!

He beat up Kui Biao, and later Fude Chengjiu sent all sorts of people to annoy him. Now they're at odds again.

Fu Decheng, this notorious and wicked bastard, trafficked people, raped women, ran casinos, and operated brothels. He was truly utterly wicked, deserving of death, and his crimes were too numerous to count.

Good heavens, things have really gotten interesting. Not satisfied with prostitutes, they're now planning to open high-end brothels!
What, you want a perfect closed loop in the industry?
Therefore, Cao Wei Da had even more reason to intervene, otherwise, who knows how many more women would suffer.

Unexpectedly, the next moment, a person carrying a box walked up to him.

Little Ears immediately blocked Cao Weida's path, looking at the thorns on the other man's back, and asked warily, "Brother Biao, what's going on? Are you here to settle scores with Master Cao?"

That's right, it was Kui Biao who had been beaten by Cao Wei Da before.

Kui Biao squeezed the fat on his face and forced an ugly smile. "Master Lian, you're joking. I've come today to apologize to Master Cao."

Little Ears was clearly taken aback for a moment, then pointed strangely at the bramble: "What does this mean?"

"Master Lian, please don't misunderstand. This bramble was given to Master Cao. I had a conflict with Master Cao before and offended him. As long as we can clear up the misunderstanding, Master Cao, you can hit me all you want."

Asking for forgiveness?

The word flashed into Cao Wei Da's mind instantly, somewhat unexpectedly.

Well, people usually use "bearing thorns to plead guilty" as an adjective, but you use it as a verb, right?
"After returning home, I tossed and turned all night, my mind filled with Master Cao's teachings."

Cao Wei Da almost burst out laughing, "If you don't know how to use words, don't use them randomly, that's called earnest instruction!"

"Yes, your teachings are truly insightful. I must say, Master Cao, you are indeed wise. I have pondered your teachings repeatedly and realized that I am truly a scoundrel. For a grown man to bully a woman is really despicable!"

Kui Biao had originally planned to come over yesterday to apologize, but after thinking about it, it seemed a bit risky.

It's so fake of you to come begging for forgiveness on the second day of their recruitment, but I didn't dare to delay too long, so I came today.

Cao Wei Da crossed his arms and looked at him with amusement. "So, you've come here today to apologize?"

"Yes, I am not a person!"

slap~
"I'm such a bastard!"

slap~
"If you're still not satisfied, Mr. Cao, beat me up again. Even if you beat me to death, it'll be my own fault, Kui Biao!"

Pa~~
He would slap himself after saying a single word, and the sound was so crisp that it made Cao Wei Da's face sting.

"Alright, alright, if you want to fight, go back home and fight yourself. What are you doing setting off firecrackers here?"

Ha, what kind of prodigal son returning home game are you playing with me for? Do you really think I'm stupid and can't guess anything?
Cao Wei Da couldn't be bothered to watch his performance; it was just too damn fake. Even if he wanted to cooperate, he couldn't put his heart into it.

Kui Biao paused halfway up his hand, glancing cautiously at Cao Weida, who was already showing signs of impatience, feeling uneasy.

Don't be fooled by his usual bossy manner; he's just a thug who works for others. In the eyes of the real people, he's nothing but a fart!

So what if you're all muscle?
When it's time to be a sheep, you have to be as obedient as a sheep! Otherwise, all that fat on your body will just be enough to give others a couple more bites of meat!

Not daring to delay, he hurriedly presented the box with both hands, "Cao Yan, this is a painting by Dai Jin from the Ming Dynasty that you forgot to leave behind when you hit me that day. Today, besides apologizing, I also want to return it to its rightful owner."

Wow, you're quite capable of handling things.

Cao Weida raised an eyebrow and looked at Xiao Erduo with a puzzled expression. "Who is this Dai Jin? Are his paintings valuable?"

He wasn't in this line of work, and his knowledge of antiques was almost zero. His limited experience consisted of visiting museums a few times before he time-traveled.

The key issue is that it's still unknown which items in the museum are genuine and which are fake.

Little Ear works in the black market and sometimes comes into contact with these things, but he doesn't really understand them.

He may not understand, but he knows who does!

“Brother Cao, I’m not sure either, but I know a few people who deal in antiques, like Manager Tong Fengquan of Fan Gu Tang, Old Master Ge of Yan Ju Ge, Manager Lan of Ya Ji Tang, and Manager Chen of Ju Bao Ge. They are all experts in this field. Why don’t I go and ask them for you?”

"What's the point of asking? No need." Cao Weida didn't take it. "I think you've got it wrong. I haven't lost any boxes. You should take it back."

He absolutely could not accept this gift. If he accepted it and then went against the other party, wouldn't that make him seem unethical?

He doesn't lack these things, nor does he have a penchant for collecting them.

He knew that there was a period after liberation when the "Four Olds" were destroyed, and these things would become a troublesome matter. He couldn't just leave them in his space to collect dust.

If you really want it, you can buy it after the Four Olds are over.

He lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said slowly:
"By the way, please pass on a message to Xi Batian: Han Lu from Xiaguangyuan is my friend, and I 'ask' him to go easy on her!"

Bang~~
A delicate vase was smashed to pieces. Xi Batian Fudecheng, panting heavily, stared at Kui Biao with sinister eyes and said viciously:
"That's all that bastard can say?!"

Kui Biao's eyes flashed with fear. He knew all too well how fierce and ruthless his boss was, especially when he was angry. He nodded timidly, "Boss, that's exactly what he said."

"Hmph, very well indeed!" A ferocious smile appeared on his fleshy face. "He's just a small-time crook who got lucky and made connections with the Japanese officer to help him with some bailouts. He dares to bare his teeth at me!"

"I've been a tough guy in Beiping for so many years, and this is the first time I've ever been scratched by a mere patrolman!"

Deep down, he looked down on Cao Wei Da, a lowly peasant who became a lowly patrolman and only got promoted by sheer luck.
Kui Biao touched the wound on his head where the bandages had just been removed, which was still a little sore. He said cautiously, "Boss, how about I take some men to tie up that woman named Du Shiniang and teach her a lesson?"

"All you do is fight and kill all day long, what else can you do?!" Fu Decheng glared at him and cursed, "Do you even have a brain of yours to be used as a decoration?!"

"I'll handle this myself, now get out!"

Kui Biao shrank his neck and quickly ran out.

Fu Decheng angrily swept the teacup beside him to the ground, smashing it into several pieces. His face darkened as he muttered to himself:

“Kui Biao came to apologize in person and refused to accept any gifts. This clearly shows that he doesn’t accept the apology and wants to kowtow to me, Master Fu.”

"A little punk like him dares to go against me for a bitch. Looks like I really need to find a chance to teach him a lesson!"

He dared not kill Cao Wei Da, after all, it would be tantamount to disrespecting the Grand Empress Dowager.

You can teach them a lesson in private. Even if the Japanese officer finds out, you can't make a big fuss over such a small matter, right?

On the other side, Sang Liuji was somewhat bewildered.

A miraculous escape from a desperate situation, or a blessing in disguise?
Sang Liuji felt exactly that way; it was as if a huge pie had suddenly fallen from the sky and hit him!

That damned murderer didn't pick any other place, he just chose his spot to kill the Japanese soldiers, and he even stripped them naked and threw them out on the street, causing the Imperial Army to lose face. As a result, he was demoted.

The bureau chief is truly generous; the gifts he gave earlier came in handy. Before the first great deed was even finished, the second good thing had already fallen into his hands!

The words the bureau chief had just spoken to him flashed through his mind.
Director Xu Hancheng patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Sang'er, demoting you was not my intention. It was to protect you. After such an incident in your area, I have to give an explanation to the higher-ups."

"I still have high hopes for you. That's why you're the first person I think of when there's something that can earn me credit."

"Don't say I didn't give you a chance. If you can accomplish both of these things, not only will you be able to redeem yourself, but you'll also be able to build a relationship with Commander Ono. You'll be set for life!"

"If you ever rise to prominence by hooking up with Commander Ono, don't forget your old boss!"

"Of course, without your guidance, Director, I wouldn't be where I am today. You are my leader now, and you will be my leader in the future. I, Sang Liuji, will definitely follow your lead!" Sang Liuji said obsequiously, but in his heart he was thinking:
"Once I get on Ono-kun's good side, the first thing I'll do is snatch your bureau chief position!"

(End of this chapter)