I was a conman in the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 254 Returning home in glory

Chapter 254 Returning Home in Glory

Today is the opening day of Hezhou Hanshan Supermarket.

Hezhou was breached by rebel forces some time ago, suffering heavy losses. After the rebels retreated, the fleeing residents of Hezhou gradually returned to the city.

Aside from the few possessions the people could take with them, all the property they left in Hezhou City was looted by the rebel army. Looking at the dilapidated, empty houses, many people were filled with despair.

The same applies to Li Mincai.

Li Mincai is 48 years old this year. His family was quite well-off and he used to be a wealthy household in Hezhou City. But after the bandit army attacked, he became poor overnight.

A few days ago, construction began on the Hanshan Supermarket, and Li Mincai worked on the construction site. After the supermarket was completed, Li Mincai lost his job.

Today is the opening day of Hanshan Supermarket, and Li Mincai knows that the supermarket's manager will definitely be there. The supermarket will also be hiring a batch of security guards, and Li Mincai wants to see if he can be selected.

"Crackling and popping..." After a burst of firecrackers, the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Hanshan Supermarket officially began.

Wang Yue, nicknamed "Two Blackies," and the newly appointed Prefect of Hezhou, Lord Zhao, walked side by side to the colorful ribbon.

Li Mincai was completely stunned. Erheizi was none other than his eldest son. Years ago, his wife passed away, and he remarried. Because Erheizi was mute, his new wife disliked him. After much mistreatment, Erheizi was driven from his home and left to wander the streets.

Li Mincai rubbed his eyes. He simply couldn't believe that his son, Erheizi, could be with Prefect Zhao of Hezhou.

With a smile on his face, Wang Yue held the golden scissors and cut the ribbon.

Qiuju was being helped by a group of people. She took the golden scissors and handed them to the people behind her.

Qiu Ju was originally a policewoman in the police force, but later, with Wang Wenzhou's matchmaking, she married Wang Yue.

Qiuju said, "Lord Zhao, thank you for your trouble! Please go ahead to Hanshan Hot Pot City. My husband has some things to take care of and will be there shortly. I'm so sorry, but my husband is unwell and cannot accompany you indefinitely."

Lord Zhao quickly cupped his hands and said, "Madam Wang, you're too kind! I'll be taking my leave now!"

The newly appointed Prefect of Hezhou, Lord Zhao, already knew that Hanshan Supermarket was owned by Wang Wenzhou, and he couldn't afford to offend him. Besides, Wang Yue was also quite shrewd; the golden scissors he carried weighed at least ten taels.

Because Hezhou was very close to Hanshan, and because Wang Wenzhou liked Erheizi very much, Hezhou was personally invested in by Wang Wenzhou, without the participation of other nobles.

"Ahhh..." Wang Yue gestured with his hands incessantly.

Qiuju nodded and quickly instructed her subordinates on what to do.

After spending some time together, Qiuju could understand what Wang Yue wanted to say simply by looking at his gestures.

After taking care of the trivial matters, Qiuju helped Wang Yue and prepared to go to Hanshan Hot Pot Restaurant for a meal.

Wang Yue was missing a lower leg, and Wang Wenzhou took great care of him and others. He personally designed and made prosthetics for many people. Although they couldn't compare to prosthetics of later generations, people like Wang Yue could still walk with them, though it was still somewhat inconvenient.

"Hei Zi!" At this moment, Li Min blocked Wang Yue's path.

Wang Yue was furious when he saw his father!

"Aaaaah!" Wang Yue angrily pointed at Li Mincai and "cursed".

Qiuju understood her husband's meaning. Although she didn't know why he was so angry, she was determined to stand up for him and quickly ordered, "Someone, beat him!"

At Qiu Ju's command, several security guards immediately surrounded Li Mincai and began punching and kicking him.

Li Mincai squatted on the ground, clutching his head, and wailed repeatedly, "Hei Zi, I'm your father!"

"Ah!" Qiu Ju was stunned and immediately shouted, "Stop!"

Li Mincai looked at Qiuju and asked, "Miss, what is your relationship with Heizi?"

Qiuju replied, "He is my husband!"

"Aaaaaah!" Wang Yue pointed at Li Mincai and cursed loudly.

"Sigh..." Qiuju sighed. All she knew was that her husband had once been a homeless vagrant who later came to Hanshan, where he met Wang Wenzhou and Lord Wang, which led to his current status as Wang Yue. She didn't know much about her husband's background, but seeing how similar he looked to the old man on the ground, she guessed that the old man was indeed her husband's father.

"Husband, the master said that the customer is the master, please don't be so angry. There are so many people watching, let's find a place where no one is around to talk," Qiuju advised.

"Ugh!" Wang Yue said angrily.

"Alright!" Qiu Ju said to Li Mincai, "You can leave now, don't bother my husband anymore!"

"Hei Zi, do you really not acknowledge your father anymore?" Li Mincai asked, tears streaming down her face.

Wang Yue wished he could kill his own father, because of whom he had suffered so much! His father had driven him out of the house because he was mute. Now he's come back to claim him as his son! Li Mincai, you're shameless! If I were begging on the streets right now, would you acknowledge me? You probably wouldn't even give me a cold meal!

"Ah!" Wang Yue pointed ahead.

Qiuju quickly helped Wang Yue walk forward.

“Husband, he is, after all, your father!” Qiuju advised.

Wang Yue went into the nearest shop, went up to the second floor, and asked the shop assistant to bring him paper and pen so he could talk to his wife.

Qiu Ju then understood the feud between Wang Yue and his father.

Qiuju wanted to offer some advice, but seeing her husband's somber expression, she had to remain silent. After all, all the suffering her husband had endured over the years was caused by his father. Qiuju also thought of her own father; if it weren't for him, she wouldn't have been sold into a brothel. Some parents aren't really parents at all; besides giving birth to their children, they haven't fulfilled their parental responsibilities.

After this commotion, Erheizi Wang Yue became famous in Hezhou City. Many people in Hezhou knew Erheizi; he had begged in the city for several years, and many people had given him food.

Perhaps it was for this reason that many people, impoverished by the bandit army, turned to Wang Yue for help. Wang Yue, being generous, lent them all his assistance. As a result, Erheizi became known as "Master Wang" among the people of Hezhou.

As for his father, Li Mincai, he suffered a terrible fate. Although the people knew he was Wang Yue's father, Wang Yue disliked him, and the people disliked him even more. A father who would drive away his own son was simply not human.

Li Mincai wanted to find a job but couldn't. To support his family, he had no choice but to open a small business. However, no one came to his shop. A month later, Li Mincai followed in Er Heizi's footsteps and became a beggar on the street.

Of course, Li Mincai wasn't broke, but he wasn't starving either. He begged because he wanted to annoy his son. "You're a big shot now, and your own father is begging on the street? Don't you feel ashamed?"

Li Mincai's actions angered Wang Yue. Wang Yue sent men to beat Li Mincai up, then threw him ten taels of silver. He declared that if Li Mincai wanted silver, he would give him a beating and ten taels of silver in return.

On the way to Beijing, Wang Wenzhou learned about Wang Yue's story and burst into laughter, clutching his stomach, saying, "Erheizi is really interesting; he's a good man with both affection and righteousness."

Gao Guilan knelt on the ground, took a sip, and said disdainfully, "Uncle, Erheizi is unfilial, why are you praising him?"

Wang Wenzhou gently pressed Gao Guilan's head down and said softly, "What filial piety! It's all bullshit! Parents raising children is a matter of course, it's not something to be described as noble! Because when a child is born, parents don't ask the child if they want to come into this world, if they want to be their child!"

"Sigh..." Gao Guilan quickly swallowed it, thinking that the uncle had a lot of fallacies and heresies.