Chapter 372 Opening a Shop in the Capital (4)_1
Seeing Steward Cao return alone, without Lady Mei’s family, Duke An was surprised. "Steward Cao," he asked, "why didn’t my granddaughter come back with you? Didn’t you deliver my message to her?"
Steward Cao chuckled awkwardly, recounted exactly what Cai Wei said, and then dropped his gaze, not saying another word.
One thousand taels!
The number truly horrified and embarrassed Duke An, who secretly cursed the cheek of this audacious and ignorant girl. If not for Young Master Huo, he would have had her brought to the mansion at once, beaten half to death, and then dealt with.
However, with Young Master Huo right in front of him, he couldn’t reveal his indignation and resentment. And as for the one thousand taels that the girl demanded, he genuinely couldn’t afford it!
If she had asked for one or two hundred taels, he might have gritted his teeth and, for the sake of saving face in front of Huo Yuan, reluctantly agreed. But one thousand taels—that was enough to cover the cost of running the mansion for a month, and he couldn’t bear to let go of such an amount.
Duke An held his tea bowl as if he was about to drink, his face reflecting a profound struggle, looking extremely uncomfortable.
Steward Cao stood to one side in silence. The gentlemen who were seated with them exchanged glances, showing their frustration. Yet they couldn’t vent their anger due to the presence of Huo Yuan, all of them grimly bearing their resentment without words.
Seeing everyone in such state, Huo Yuan casually smiled and said, "Your Grace, since her heart is set in this direction, why don’t you just indulge her, so she can move in with peace of mind."
"Ahem, that’s true, I am getting old and my thinking inevitably tends to be conservative. If I impose old rules on her, what if she gets annoyed and refuses to acknowledge her grandfather? That would be a great loss for me."
With a thick skin, Duke An joked, giving himself an out at an opportune moment, while also currying favor with Young Master Huo and demonstrating how much he valued his granddaughter.