In the morning, Song Jinshan woke up later than usual.
Last night, he had been thinking about the boat collision, trying to grasp that fleeting moment again, but he never succeeded, instead staying awake until midnight.
After waking up, Song Jinshan felt a bit better and less worried.
So much time had passed, and the owner of the boat that Song Rui sank hadn't come knocking, so it seemed there was nothing to worry about.
He must have been having a string of bad luck recently and thinking too much.
Thinking this, Song Jinshan ate a bit more for breakfast.
Just as Song Jinshan was about to go inspect the new batch of goods his son had purchased, Zhao Ying rushed over.
Upon learning of Zhao Ying's arrival, Song Jinshan felt a bit displeased.
However, until he found a more powerful backer, he couldn't completely fall out with the Zhao family.
When it was time to play along, he still had to play along.
After recuperating at home for so many days, the injuries on Zhao Ying's backside had mostly healed, and when he walked, he gave Song Jinshan the impression of moving with great speed.
"My son-in-law, are your injuries healed?"
Song Jinshan asked with a cheerful smile.
Looking at Song Jinshan's smile, Zhao Ying almost cursed, and said unhappily, "I say, Father-in-law, what time is it, and you can still smile?"
"Ah?"
Song Jinshan was puzzled, "My son-in-law, what do you mean by that?"
Zhao Ying was furious, and asked with a dark face, "Where is Song Rui?"
Just as Song Jinshan was about to speak, Song Lianxin and Song Rui, the brother and sister, walked out.
Hearing Zhao Ying call him by his full name, Song Rui was very displeased, "I say, brother-in-law, you and Lianxin are engaged, calling me 'Elder Brother-in-law' shouldn't be too difficult for you, should it?"
Elder Brother-in-law?
Your mother's elder brother-in-law!
Zhao Ying cursed inwardly, and asked angrily, "Did you sink a cargo ship near East Gate Wharf yesterday?"
"Yes!"
Song Rui looked at Zhao Ying in confusion, "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?"
Zhao Ying's breathing suddenly became rapid, "Do you know whose cargo ship you sank?"
Song Rui shook his head slightly, but still looked nonchalant, "What, does that person really have some kind of background?"
Seeing Song Rui's demeanor, Zhao Ying could no longer hold back, exploding on the spot and cursing, "Is your head filled with shit? You didn't even know whose boat it was, and you dared to ram into it directly? That was the Su Family's cargo ship!"
Hearing Zhao Ying's curses, the Song family members' eyelids suddenly twitched.
The Su Family's cargo ship?
That cargo ship, belonged to the Su Family?
Song Rui was momentarily dazed, but after recovering, he snorted coldly, "So what if it's the Su Family's? Isn't it just compensation? I'll pay it!"
Song Rui was very displeased!
To hell with it!
I'm your Elder Brother-in-law, and you dare to come to the Song family and curse me?
What, is he trying to be the Su Family's dog?
"Pay? Can you afford to pay? Do you know what was loaded on that cargo ship?"
Zhao Ying laughed in anger, and started scolding him, "That was all white sugar, over five thousand catties of white sugar! How much silver do you have to pay for that?"
Zhao Ying's mouth was full of foul language, completely losing the image of a Titled Scholar.
He was almost driven mad by this idiot now, and no longer cared about his image.
Just open your mouth and say 'pay'?
Do you think your Song family has a mountain of gold?
"What?"
Hearing Zhao Ying's words, Song Lianxin suddenly let out a cry of surprise, her face blank.
Over five thousand catties... white sugar?
One catty of white sugar was worth two hundred taels of silver.
Over five thousand catties...
Song Lianxin no longer dared to calculate, only feeling a buzzing in her head.
Song Jinshan staggered even more, almost falling to the ground.
At this moment, that fleeting thing from yesterday was finally grasped by Song Jinshan again.
He finally knew where his unease had come from.
He should have thought of it yesterday!
That cargo ship was intentionally made for them to collide with!
Its purpose was to make them pay compensation!
Over five thousand catties of white sugar, the Song family would be ruined even if they paid with everything they had!
"Beast!"
Song Jinshan suddenly let out a roar, and fiercely kicked Song Rui, who was still in a daze, to the ground.
Song Rui cried out in pain, finally coming to his senses, and frantically shouted, "Father, this isn't my fault, this is a trap set by the Su Family! The people on that boat must have been instigated by the Su Family, deliberately letting us crash into them..."
At this moment, Song Rui also reacted.
No wonder that Sunzi was so arrogant before, but after being hit, he didn't even utter a sound.
A trap!
This was a trap!
Damn the Su Family!
They were too vicious!
This was meant to utterly ruin the Song family!
"This must be Shen Jing's idea!"
Song Lianxin's face was full of hatred, and she said through gritted teeth, "This is the same method I used against that slut Chi Chi before! He's using the same trick to deal with us!"
She had arranged for Chi Chi to break a vase worth two thousand taels of silver; if Shen Jing couldn't pay the compensation, Chi Chi would be flogged and become a slave of the Song family!
Now, Shen Jing was using the same method to deal with them!
But the compensation they had to pay was over a million taels of silver!
Over a million taels!
Even if they sold themselves, they couldn't afford it!
Shen Jing was trying to completely destroy the Song family!
This beast was truly too vicious!
"What's the use of saying all this now?"
Song Jinshan was furious, and kicked Song Rui twice more, then looked at Zhao Ying with a pleading expression, "My son-in-law, we've been set up; there definitely isn't white sugar on that boat! The Su Family just wants to extort us! You must help us!"
It couldn't be white sugar!
There absolutely couldn't be that much white sugar!
Who the hell uses real gold and silver to extort people!
"Right, right!"
Song Lianxin seemed to grasp a lifeline, stepping forward and pulling Zhao Ying, looking at him pitifully, "There definitely isn't white sugar on that boat. As long as we destroy the tax records at the wharf, then..."
"Don't be so clever!"
Zhao Ying interrupted Song Lianxin impatiently, "This is a trap! What's the use of destroying the tax records? Do you think they don't have the receipt and tax bill?"
That tax bill was the best proof!
If the tax bill said white sugar, even if the boat was loaded with shit, it was white sugar!
"But..."
Song Lianxin felt even more panicked, tears welling up in her eyes, and she asked with a choked voice, "Then what should we do now?"
"Play dirty, only play dirty!"
Zhao Ying said with a dark face, "Anyway, absolutely refuse to admit that they intentionally crashed into that cargo ship; you can even say that the boat crashed into them..."
But no matter what, the Song family would definitely have to pay some silver this time.
How much exactly would depend on the Su Family and Shen Jing's appetite.
Hearing Zhao Ying's words, the Song family members became panicked again.
Just then, the butler hurried in with a person.
Zhao Ying recognized at a glance that it was a servant from Lord Feng's residence.
"Greetings, Zhao Titled Scholar."
After bowing to Zhao Ying, the servant then said to Song Jinshan, "Master Song, Lord Feng invites you to the Prefectural Governor's Residence for a chat!"