Nangong Rou looked puzzled and couldn’t help but ask, “Brother, why do we have to refuse when Uncle can give us good food?”
Jiang Zhige had twice politely declined Shen Quan’s offer, and even Nangong Rou could tell that he didn’t want to enter the Shen household.
Jiang Zhige didn’t have time to answer Nangong Rou, he just stared at Shen Quan earnestly.
Shen Quan’s face gradually darkened, and he said coldly, “Kid, do you really not know how to appreciate kindness?”
Originally, he wanted to keep Jiang Zhige in the mansion, and then find an excuse to drive him away after they entered, but he didn’t expect Jiang Zhige to be so smart and not easily fooled.
Nangong Rou’s heart skipped a beat. The big uncle who had just looked so gentle a moment ago suddenly seemed a little scary.
Jiang Zhige was even more certain that Shen Quan was not a good person. He clasped his hands together and said with a pretense of grief, “Uncle, please let us go, have mercy on us.”
“Hmph, still pretending to be stupid? It seems that I won’t be able to change your mind unless I teach you a lesson.”
Shen Quan snorted coldly and made a hand gesture to the guards behind him.
He was not stupid. Judging from Jiang Zhige’s shrewdness earlier, he was definitely pretending to be pitiful now. He might even curse Shen Quan behind his back after they left.
The steward of the Shen mansion next to him turned pale and said hurriedly, “Master, they are just children…”
“Don’t waste words. I’m going to take this little girl today!”
Shen Quan’s eyes were cold. Anyway, the reputation of his Shen mansion was already very bad, what would it matter if it got worse?
Two Shen mansion guards with indifferent expressions walked towards Jiang Zhige with sticks in their hands.
“Rou’er, run!”
Jiang Zhige’s face turned pale, and he quickly stood in front of Nangong Rou.
But Nangong Rou was so scared that she stood still, only trembling and holding onto Jiang Zhige’s clothes.
She had been protected by her family since childhood, where had she ever seen such a scene?
Shen Quan stood with his hands behind his back and looked at Jiang Zhige. He sneered and said, “Hit him until he changes his mind. Remember, don’t hurt the little girl, especially her face.”
“Are you not afraid of me reporting this to the authorities?”
Jiang Zhige gritted his teeth. Yu City was located on the border and there were army troops stationed there. Shen Quan should not dare to make a big fuss about this.
Shen Quan shrugged and sneered, “Ridiculous. I, Shen Quan, have made countless contributions to Yu City. If you report to the authorities, they will help me, not a beggar like you.”
Although he said that, he was still a little afraid. Otherwise, he would have dragged Nangong Rou into his mansion earlier.
Jiang Zhige was still young and was a bit frightened. He thought that the Shen mansion was a powerful and well-connected family.
“Hit him!”
To prevent any more trouble, Shen Quan immediately ordered his guards to attack.
The two guards sighed inwardly. If it wasn’t for the situation at hand, they wouldn’t want to lay a hand on a skinny little beggar.
Jiang Zhige grabbed Nangong Rou and turned around to run, but one guard pulled him back.
The other guard reached out and grabbed Nangong Rou’s small hand to prevent her from running away.
Jiang Zhige wanted to break free, but the next moment he was hit with a punch that made him see stars.
The guard didn’t use a stick but used his hands instead. However, Jiang Zhige’s body was too weak. After three punches and two kicks, he was barely breathing.
“Brother!”
Nangong Rou cried out anxiously and wanted to save Jiang Zhige, but the guards firmly held her hands.
Nearby passers-by stopped when they heard the noise and saw that it was in front of the Shen mansion. They immediately guessed what had happened.
They stood at a distance and pointed, but no one dared to step forward to help.
In fact, Shen Quan’s bad reputation was already well-known, and many people hated him, but the Shen family was wealthy. Who dared to touch them?
Seeing Shen Quan bullying a young brother and sister, some people didn’t even dare to stop and watch.
“Master…”
The guard quickly stopped when he saw the situation. If he killed someone, he would definitely be held responsible.
Shen Quan waved his hand and walked over to Jiang Zhige, who was lying on the ground. With a smug look on his face, he asked, “Kid, let me ask you again, are you willing to enter my Shen mansion?”
Jiang Zhige’s nose and mouth were bleeding, and he struggled to turn his head to look at Shen Quan.
At this moment, his eyes were filled with killing intent, and he gritted his teeth and said, “To…today, if I don’t die, then in the future, I will destroy your entire Shen family…”
Jiang Zhige knew that at this point, even if he miraculously survived, Nangong Rou would still be unable to escape the fate of being harmed.
Shen Quan shuddered and took three steps back in fear.
“Hit him! Beat him to death with a stick!”
Shen Quan had lived for decades and had never thought that he would see murderous intent in the eyes of a nine-year-old beggar.
Furthermore, beggars had nothing to lose, so if they really fought back with their lives on the line, it would surely become troublesome.
The guard swallowed and reluctantly picked up a stick.
He raised the stick towards Jiang Zhige but hesitated for a long time. He could not bring himself to strike him.
“Why aren’t you hitting him? What are you hesitating for?” Shen Quan yelled in a rage.
“But, master, his body is too weak. If we continue to beat him, he will undoubtedly die…” the guard said hesitantly.
Shen Quan’s expression turned crazy, and he shouted, “I’m paying you, aren’t I? If you don’t hit him, then get out of here!”
He wanted to beat Jiang Zhige to death to prevent him from seeking revenge. The guard gritted his teeth and raised the stick towards Jiang Zhige once again.
In this day and age, it was difficult for anyone to live well, and he didn’t want to lose such a good job as a guard for the Shen family.
“Stop!”
At this moment, an old man in a white robe with a bamboo hat walked out of the crowd.
Upon hearing someone stopping him, the guard immediately put down the stick.
The other guard also took advantage of the opportunity to pretend that he hadn’t caught Nangong Rou and tried to give her a chance to escape.
Unexpectedly, Nangong Rou showed no signs of fleeing and rushed over to help Jiang Zhige, who was barely alive.
“Brother! Brother, don’t die!”
Seeing Jiang Zhige’s miserable condition up close, Nangong Rou burst into even louder tears, thinking that her brother was about to die.
Jiang Zhige wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and comforted her with a forced smile, “Don’t be afraid, Rou’er, brother is fine…”
Nangong Rou’s crying eased slightly, but she kept sobbing.
Shen Quan’s eyebrows raised slightly, and he turned around to look at the old man, questioning, “Who are you? How dare you meddle in the affairs of my Shen family?”
Not to mention the entire Yu city, at least in this area, he had the final say in everything. Anyone who dared to oppose him was simply seeking death.
The old man in the white robe ignored Shen Quan and walked up to Jiang Zhige with his hands behind his back, curiously asking, “Young man, if your sister becomes a servant girl in the Shen mansion, then the two of you can live a carefree life. Why do you have to resist to the death?”
Nangong Rou sniffled and looked at Jiang Zhige with some confusion.
When Jiang Zhige refused Shen Quan for the second time, she found it strange.
If she became a servant girl, they would not have to worry about food and clothing, and her brother would not be beaten. So why did he refuse?
Seeing the confusion in Nangong Rou’s eyes, Jiang Zhige reached out and patted her head, saying helplessly, “Rou’er, do you know what being a servant girl means for you?”
Nangong Rou’s eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head, saying, “N-no, I don’t know…”
She just wanted to make sure she and her brother had enough to eat and wear. She didn’t care about anything else.
Jiang Zhige didn’t explain further, his expression becoming serious as he said in a low voice, “Rou’er, you must always remember, be a beggar rather than a slave. As long as I’m still alive. I will never let you become a slave or a servant girl.”
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