Chapter 340: What Kind of Potion Did They Give Me?

"I will find a way to resolve this matter; there's no need for further discussion," Chu Chuyan said coldly.

"You'll find a way? What way could you possibly have?" Chu Tiesheng said disdainfully. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he felt the room temperature drop by several degrees, realizing she was truly angry. He didn't dare to push his luck further. "Fine, I'll just wait and see what solution you come up with." With that, he turned and left.

Chu Yuepo, standing nearby, also rose with a cold expression and departed. Soon, the large council hall was left with only Qin Wanru, Chu Chuyan, and Zu An.

Zu An couldn't help but say, "These people are going too far! Father-in-law is barely gone, and they're already causing such a commotion. What will they do in a while? Turn everything upside down?"

Qin Wanru explained, "The second and third branches have always coveted our line's power and wished to usurp us. With such a good opportunity, how could they not make trouble?" Ever since she learned that her daughter and Zu An had consummated their marriage, she had abandoned some of her previous unrealistic fantasies and began to accept him. Furthermore, he had just helped her deal with her second and third uncles, so she gradually began to share these private family matters with him.

Zu An sighed, "The world is so strange. Sometimes, when trouble strikes, relatives are less reliable than strangers. Strangers, even if they don't help, at least won't kick you when you're down."

Qin Wanru said gravely, "It's useless to discuss this now. The most pressing matter is to figure out how to resolve this situation."

Chu Chuyan said, "We should first raise the money to redeem Father."

"But where will we raise sixteen million taels?" Qin Wanru couldn't help but feel pessimistic at the thought of such an astronomical sum.

Chu Chuyan also fell silent. Over the years, the Chu family had been constantly patching financial holes, and with numerous expenses, they hadn't accumulated much in savings. Originally, after the Giant Whale Gang was eradicated some time ago, their salt business had improved, and income had begun to grow steadily. But then this incident occurred. Their salt permits were now deemed illegal, their salt was classified as contraband, and their cash flow had dried up. Unless they sold their land and property, but then what would be the point of the Chu family's strenuous efforts to preserve their ancestral assets? If their ancestral property were sold, the Chu family's foundation would crumble, and then the Chu family would truly be finished.

Zu An said, "I still have two to three million taels of silver here that I can contribute to help Father-in-law. Unfortunately, the Plum Blossom Gang was annihilated earlier, so I can't count on the 7.5 million taels they owed me. Otherwise, that alone could have covered at least half the amount."

Chu Chuyan was startled. "Where did you get so much money?" She knew somewhat about Zu An's dealings with the academy, and the Plum Blossom Gang hadn't given him much real gold and silver back then. So how did he suddenly have two to three million taels now?

Zu An said proudly, "Your husband here is incredibly capable. If I can win you over, earning this much money is nothing."

Chu Chuyan's face flushed, and she quickly spat, "Shameless." At the same time, she cast a guilty glance at her mother.

This time, Qin Wanru wasn't angry. Instead, she said with a touch of emotion, "A'Zu, thank you for choosing to help the Chu family in our time of crisis. Chuyan truly didn't misjudge you. However, our Chu family isn't so desperate as to need to use our son-in-law's private funds. If word got out, we'd truly become a laughingstock."

Zu An was speechless. It sounded like an ancient noble family feeling too embarrassed to use the bride's dowry. At a time like this, they were still concerned about such superficial matters of face.

At this point, Qin Wanru said again, "A'Zu, you should go back and rest. Chuyan and I still have some matters to discuss." Zu An had never intended to interfere in the Chu family's affairs and had no interest in the details. Seeing her suggestion, he was happy to relax.

Not long after leaving, he encountered Chu Hanzhao. Upon seeing Zu An, she gasped and rushed into his arms. "Brother-in-law, is Father not coming back?" Some nearby guards saw the two embracing so intimately and silently turned away, pretending not to notice. Mostly, their intimate gestures had become quite frequent lately. Since even the Madam and Young Mistress hadn't said anything, it was natural that the servants wouldn't either. The crucial part was that this time, the Second Young Mistress had actively thrown herself into her brother-in-law's embrace... Speaking of which, what kind of magic did this brother-in-law possess? Although he was somewhat handsome, he wasn't astonishingly so. How did he manage to make both the Young Mistress so devoted and the Second Young Mistress so infatuated? Even more perplexing was that lately, even the Madam seemed to be much kinder to him. *Sigh*, they were truly filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred!

Zu An looked at the string of Rage points in his system and thought, "These guys are quite good at pretending. Their faces show nothing, but they're probably drawing circles and cursing me behind my back, right? But can't they get a little angrier? All I'm getting is a string of single-digit Rage points. They don't even dare to fully express their anger; no wonder they can only watch me enjoy life's luxuries." If he were to say that aloud, he was guaranteed to see his Rage points skyrocket. However, countless lessons had taught him to weigh the consequences: which Rage points were worth earning, and which ones would lead to more trouble than they were worth.

Gently patting the trembling, delicate body of the girl in his arms, Zu An comforted her, "Don't worry, your father will definitely be fine."

"But I heard this matter is very serious. I'm afraid it won't be easy for him to be fine," Chu Hanzhao said, wiping away her tears, still uneasy.

"Your father is so capable; he'll surely turn misfortune into good luck," Zu An said, wiping the tears from her face. "Besides, your mother and sister are also trying to find a way to save him."

"But I see Mother and Sister looking so distressed. I've never seen them like this before, so they must be very pessimistic about rescuing Father," Chu Hanzhao said, her brows still furrowed in worry.

When did this little girl become as melancholic as Lin Daiyu? Zu An chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Even if you don't trust your mother and sister, you should trust me. I'll also find a way to save Father-in-law."

"Really?" Chu Hanzhao instantly went from worry to joy.

Zu An nodded. "Of course, it's true."

"Brother-in-law is the best!" Chu Hanzhao's expression immediately brightened, and she started happily bouncing around. The many guards standing by were dumbfounded. The Second Young Mistress didn't even believe the Madam or the Young Mistress, but she believed the son-in-law? What kind of bewildering potion had this guy given the Second Young Mistress?

"I'm really useless. All I do is play normally. When real trouble comes, I can't help Mother or Sister, and I'm not even as good as you," Chu Hanzhao said, her expression suddenly dimming.

Zu An was speechless. What did she mean, "not even as good as me"?

"You're still young. When you grow up, you'll naturally be able to help," Zu An still comforted her.

"Really?" Chu Hanzhao blinked, a skeptical look on her face. Clearly, she was quite aware of her own capabilities.

"Of course, it's true," Zu An affirmed. This girl had been compared to her elder sister since childhood, which naturally undermined her confidence, so appropriate encouragement was necessary.

"Brother-in-law is so nice!" Chu Hanzhao hugged his arm, her face full of sweet smiles. Feeling the soft sensation against his arm, Zu An's expression became a little odd. It seemed she had put on some weight recently...

It took him a long time to comfort her. When Zu An returned to his courtyard, he found Old Man Mi watering flowers. "This guy acts like a gardener, but he's actually a terrifying old schemer," Zu An grumbled inwardly, though he still wore a bright smile on his face. "Greetings, Senior."

Old Man Mi grunted, then smiled back at him, though his ugly face made it look somewhat unsettling.

Zu An asked, "By the way, Senior, something has happened to the Chu family recently. You're so powerful, do you have a way to help resolve it?" He figured that since the old man had chosen to live in seclusion with the Chu family, he might be some esteemed elder of the family or had a connection with a Chu ancestor. He wouldn't just sit by. Given his cultivation, if he were willing to help, things would be much easier.

Old Man Mi shook his head. "The Chu family has a thousand years of heritage; it's not that easy for them to be finished."

Zu An wondered what kind of reasoning that was. Did a thousand years of heritage mean they couldn't be finished? He racked his brains but couldn't think of any other way the Chu family could resolve this. Sixteen million taels! Even if all four major families in Brightmoon City combined their resources, they probably couldn't produce that much cash.

"Stop meddling in affairs that don't concern you. How could the esteemed Chu family need a mere live-in son-in-law like you to save them?" Old Man Mi snorted. "Besides, to me, the entire Chu family combined isn't as important as you are. Your top priority now is to take care of yourself and avoid doing anything dangerous." After speaking, he left without another word, clearly unwilling to hear Zu An continue to beg him to save the Chu family.

Zu An felt a shiver down his spine. Was this guy confessing his feelings to him? How disgusting...

That evening, Zu An went to Qingyin Pavilion several times, but Chu Chuyan never returned. Zu An quietly went to the council hall and found it brightly lit, with people, many of whom were trusted Chu family members, entering and exiting occasionally. He presumed Chu Chuyan was trying to find a way to save the Chu family. Zu An felt a pang of sympathy. His wife was beautiful, skilled in combat, and, crucially, so capable. But being too outstanding had its drawbacks: at such a young age, she was bearing many burdens she shouldn't have to. In his previous life, girls her age were freely enjoying their youth, surrounded by admirers, living incredibly comfortable lives, unlike her current hardship.

Zu An eventually fell asleep unknowingly while waiting in Qingyin Pavilion. The next morning, he was awakened by Chu Chuyan. "A'Zu, come with me for a moment."