To Hold One’s Joy

  Chapter 355 Lost

  Eight hundred taels is indeed not a small sum.

  Many officials and eunuchs marry their daughters, and they can manage the marriage quite decently with one thousand to two thousand taels of silver.

   Otherwise, a senior official like Zhao Shangshu would not be so heartbroken when he came to a restaurant to have a drink.

  Luo Sheng didn't think that her precious nephew could have pocket money of 800 taels of silver.

   "Where did the gambling money come from?" She continued to ask Kerr.

Kouer sighed again, with the expression of a prodigal son who couldn't stand it: "Mr. Xu lost the little money in his hand, where else can he get it? I can borrow it from the gambling house. Girl, don't you like to see Mr. Xu gamble?" Huh? Then you should take care of it earlier, Mr. Xu can't go on like this..."

  Of course Luo Sheng knew that it couldn't go on like this, but for a boy like Xu Xi who had lost proper discipline since he was a child, and was at the age of fifteen or sixteen, impulsive and rebellious, it was useless to simply stop him.

   I still have to do it ruthlessly, to let that **** know the pain.

  This is also the reason why Luo Shengming knew that Xu Qi went to the gambling shop every day, but he never made a move.

  But it's time to make a move.

   Qianjinfang is related to that mysterious killer organization, it is better to pull Xu Qi out of that quagmire earlier.

   "Go and tell those people that the net can be closed."

   "Well, I'll make arrangements now, maidservant. Miss, you said Mr. Xu is handsome, why is his brain so hard..." The little maid continued to babble.

  Luo Sheng urged with a blank face: "Go quickly."

  Kuer reluctantly stopped, and went out to make arrangements.

  The next day, the wind picked up. Although it was not too strong, it hurt like a knife when it was blown on the face.

  Although this is the case, it can't stop Xu Qi's enthusiasm for going out.

  Xu Fang chased after her, because the cold wind made her delicate cheeks flush because of her haste.

   "Brother, why did you go out again in such a cold day?"

  She knew that Xu Qi was going to the gambling house, but she didn't want to reveal it, lest her younger brother who had a bad temper recently become angry.

   "I'm bored at home, let's go out for a stroll." Seeing his sister standing in front of him, Xu Qi looked impatient.

  Xu Fang saw Xu Qi's reaction in her eyes, felt a pain in her heart, and persuaded: "The New Year is coming soon, brother, don't go out, let's go to enjoy the lanterns together on the Lantern Festival—"

  Xu Qi frowned and interrupted Xu Fang: "What's so interesting about lanterns? They're all things girls like."

  Xu Fang's complexion darkened: "What do you like, brother?"

   Do you just like to gamble?

  Thinking of her younger brother always going to the gambling house these days, becoming more and more obsessed with him day by day, Xu Fang was very anxious.

  She stopped, persuaded, and even scolded, but her younger brother seemed to be possessed by a demon, and he refused to listen to him.

   Can gambling really lose one's mind?

  She should have told her parents and elders that they would restrain her younger brother from going astray.

   But she can't.

  She can't trust her sweet-hearted stepmother, let alone her cruel father.

  She was even sure that those two people were waiting for someone to expose his younger brother's gambling addiction and take the opportunity to drive him out.

   And her muddled younger brother still dreams of being a wealthy son for the rest of his life!

  Xu Qi became more and more impatient: "Elder Sister, does she even care about what I like? Eldest Sister lives in Ningguo Mansion all the year round, and she seldom returns home. Didn't I say that?"

   Xu Xi was very disgusted that Xu Fang always went to live in Ningguo Duke's Mansion for a while.

  In his opinion, Mrs. Ning Guogong is just a distant cousin, but her sister goes to live in other people's house every three days, isn't it a joke to climb high.

  The Marquis of Changchun's Mansion is not as good as the Duke of Ningguo's Mansion, and the stepmother may not be as good as it looks, but no matter what, this is their home.

  Even if my elder sister has been living in the Ningguo Mansion, she can’t become a girl in the Ningguo Mansion. When outsiders mention their siblings, the first thing that comes to mind is that their mother is Princess Huayang, the daughter of a rebellious minister.

  The family background cannot be erased there, what's the point of my sister's deceiving herself all the time?

  After hearing Xu Qi's words, Xu Fang was taken aback for a moment, and then felt an uncontrollable heartache.

  Is the younger brother mocking her for climbing high and despising her family?

  But how did her silly brother know that if she hadn't gotten close to Mrs. Ning Guo these years, the Changchun Hou Mansion might not have such a big girl long ago.

  Countless nights of tossing and turning, she repeatedly hesitated whether to tell her brother the nightmare hidden in her heart.

  At the beginning, her younger brother was young, so she didn't dare to speak out, for fear that his younger brother's clues would lead to death.

   Later, when her younger brother grew up, he became impulsive, self-willed, and straight-hearted, so she dared not say anything.

   "When my mother was still alive, she was close to my cousin, and my cousin treated us well. Why shouldn't we be closer to my cousin?" Xu Fang asked with trembling lips.

  Xu Qi sneered: "Sister, don't pull me, and leave me alone."

   "Why can't I control you? Xu Qi, I'm your sister!"

  Xu Qi looked at Xu Fang who was angry, and stretched out his hand: "Since she is my sister, then give me some money, I have no money to spend."

  Xu Fang's eyes trembled, her heart ached beyond words.

  How did my brother become like this?

  In the past, although my younger brother was very impulsive and always fought with others, he also had his own pride.

  But since he was addicted to gambling, his brother's spine has been bent.

  A smiling face flickered in front of Xu Fang's eyes, it was the gentle smiling face that her stepmother Yang always wore.

  A chill gushed out from the bottom of my heart and flowed to my limbs.

  Young is taking revenge!

   That time Miss Luo slapped Yang in the face severely, and no one dared to bully her younger brother again. Seeing that her younger brother was having a bad time, Mrs. Yang resorted to even crueler and more shameless revenge.

  Mr. Yang wants to turn his younger brother into a gambler that his six relatives don't recognize, and he will be stuck in the mud from now on and can't get up.

  The younger brother is getting deeper and deeper in the gambling house, and one day he will be found by someone. At that time, Yang cried a few words in a hypocritical manner, and his father finally had a reason to drive the eldest son out.

   Neighbors would sigh that the younger brother deserved it, and even ridicule the mother who had passed away long ago.

   After all, they are both father's children, and the Yang family's one daughter and two sons are both so outstanding.

  Xu Fang suppressed the fear in her heart, and grabbed Xu Qi's wrist: "Brother, I can give you money, but you can't gamble anymore—"

  Xu Qi was impatient for a long time, and broke away from Xu Fang's hand with all his strength: "If you don't want to give it, let it be, there are so many reasons."

  He turned around and strode forward, wishing he could fly to Qianjinfang.

  Today... Today we must win back what we lost!

   "Brother, I beg you, don't go again." Xu Fang was unwilling to catch up and grabbed Xu Qi's sleeve tightly.

  Xu Qi looked at her with a cold face: "Sister, are you still finished?"

  When I was a child, I left him alone and went to Ningguo Mansion to have a lot of clothes and food. Now I know how to control him?

  Xu Fang no longer cared about the heartache and disappointment, and gritted her teeth: "Anyway, you are not allowed to go again today, and I will follow wherever you go!"

  Xu Qi sneered: "Eldest sister is making such a fuss, aren't you afraid of being known by father?"

  Xu Fang was startled.

  Xu Qi took the opportunity to pull out his sleeves and walked away quickly.

  (end of this chapter)