Chapter 521: Chapter 521: He Is the Real Ant

Gu Ruinian was in extreme pain.

How could he know who became the emperor? But he had to provide an answer that seemed impossible to everyone else to have a chance of survival.

No matter, surviving comes first.

"Second Master Zheng, may I be struck by lightning if I’m lying," Gu Ruinian said.

Second Master Zheng ordered the water torture to stop.

Gu Ruinian took a deep breath, his mind gradually recovering, realizing that Second Master Zheng asking him this question wasn’t to test him because Second Master Zheng himself didn’t know the answer.

There was only one conclusion, and that was that Second Master Zheng or the Zheng Family had connections with Shengjing, and he wanted to use this chance for risky investment.

In the feudal era of collusion between officials and merchants, which local businessman didn’t have a backer in the court?

Second Master Zheng had quite an appetite.

Gu Ruinian nodded without hesitation and said, "The next emperor is indeed the Fifth Prince."

"Second Master Zheng, I’m really not lying to you, it is indeed the Fifth Prince who inherits the throne. The Crown Prince is gone, and many think Prince Ning will inherit the throne. But later history books say Prince Ning got embroiled in a succession storm, and all the ministers sided with the Crown Prince, therefore angering the Imperial Concubine. Moreover, Prince Ning, being unruly and vengeful with a tyrant’s temperament, was feared by ministers to unleash a bloodbath if he took the throne. In the end, after much struggle, the Fifth Prince ascended the throne. You studied at Wanliu Academy, you have more knowledge than me, think about it, am I lying to you?"

To survive, Gu Ruinian had no choice but to fabricate.

Second Master Zheng’s gaze was wavering and after a long time said, "I believe you."

Gu Ruinian breathed a sigh of relief; he could survive now.

Second Master Zheng picked up items Gu Ruinian had drawn from the future and asked, "Can you make those things from your future? Like the missiles you mentioned that can launch cannonballs, planes that can fly in the sky, high-speed trains that can cover 300 to 400 kilometers in an hour?"

Gu Ruinian was overwhelmed; he studied finance and had no idea how to make those.

Second Master Zheng certainly had big dreams, but even Edison couldn’t do this.

Gu Ruinian replied, "It’s not that I can’t, but these things require a complete industrial system to establish. Even in the future, not all countries can make these."

Second Master Zheng’s gaze darkened, and Gu Ruinian shivered, saying, "I... I can make gunpowder... As long as I have the materials, I can make it."

He clearly remembered the chemistry formula he learned in middle school: one part nitrate, two parts sulfur, and three parts charcoal.

As expected, Second Master Zheng brought the materials for making gunpowder, threatening that if he couldn’t make it, he wouldn’t leave the Zheng Family alive.

Four days later, the gunpowder exploded in the Zheng family backyard.

Although the effect was not as explosive as Gu Ruinian had anticipated, it was enough to make Second Master Zheng smile.

He gambled right!

He told Second Master Zheng that given more time, he could make gunpowder that could blow up city walls.

Second Master Zheng released him.

But he didn’t let him leave the Zheng Family unharmed; instead, he cut the tendon in his right leg, crippling one of his legs, and said that he might occasionally come to find Gu Ruinian, reassuring him to study gunpowder, with all materials supplied by him.

Despite narrowly escaping death, everything that happened at the Zheng Family made him shiver.

He profoundly understood the meaning of feudal society’s disregard for human life.

For a moment, he realized that he was just an ant.

Fortunately, he managed to leave, relying on some skills from the future to make it out.

He hated Second Master Zheng, he hated Xu Zaohua, he hated Lian Hengruo who ruined his plan, he hated Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua, mother and daughter... These people destroyed him.

Since leaving the Zheng Family, he wouldn’t willingly remain an ant to be squeezed at will.

Gu Ruinian clenched his fists.

...

"Is Sister-in-law back?"

During the days when Tong Huaqiong was away, Gu Honglian went to Tong Huaqiong’s house every day for breakfast, enduring Liu Yueer’s disdainful gaze.

After all, Gu Baishuang felt embarrassed to drive away her aunt, and Gu Dashi didn’t mind adding a pair of chopsticks.

The greasy meat buns, flaky crispy dough sticks, and chicken soup loaded with chunks of chicken... Gu Honglian enjoyed them so much she considered removing herself from the old family’s registry.

The day after Gu Ruinian returned, the whole family was gathered around him, looking at his leg. Meanwhile, Gu Honglian sneaked off to Tong Huaqiong’s household again.

Seeing Tong Huaqiong back, she awkwardly yet warmly greeted her.

"What are you doing at my house?" Tong Huaqiong asked.

Gu Honglian dared not say she came to freeload; she was afraid her sister-in-law would kick her out.

"Sister-in-law, I heard you were back, so I specifically came to tell you that Rui Nian has returned from the Zheng Family," Gu Honglian said after thinking it over.

The last time at Qinghe Bay, she went to her sister-in-law’s house to speak ill of Gu Ruinian and her second sister-in-law, and her sister-in-law offered her a meal.

She realized then that only by severing ties with her second brother’s family could she regain her sister-in-law’s favor.

Anyway, she already considered her second sister-in-law and Rui Nian as enemies, so cutting ties was no burden.

Tong Huaqiong said, "Oh, so how’s Rui Nian doing?"

She had seen Gu Ruinian tossed at Wu Ji’s entrance yesterday but couldn’t tell how severe his injuries were.

Her sister-in-law spoke to her, and Gu Honglian was thrilled and eagerly revealed Gu Ruinian’s situation.

Now, Tong Huaqiong, Gu Taohua, Gu Dashi, and others all knew Gu Ruinian had his tendon cut, crippling a leg, and it was likely a lifelong condition.

Tong Huaqiong simply felt he deserved it.

Speaking of which, she and Gu Taohua had a hand in pushing him to this outcome.

But Tong Huaqiong felt no guilt at all.

"He’s fortunate the Zheng Family didn’t take his life," Gu Dashi said.

"Rui Nian said Second Master Zheng needed his help, that’s why he was released, but I think he’s talking nonsense. What use could he be?" Gu Honglian said, grabbing a meat bun from Gu Dashi’s bowl, noticing Tong Huaqiong didn’t mind, and continued, "Maybe Rui Nian sold off Xu Zaohua to survive. Rui Nian is selfish to the core, always hiding behind Second Aunt and taking the benefits for himself. This time, he must have let Xu Zaohua bear the brunt just like at home..."

Tong Huaqiong glanced at Gu Honglian, tsk tsk tsk, this little sister-in-law finally stopped mindlessly siding with Gu Ruinian.

"That’s something Rui Nian could definitely do; I heard Xu Zaohua was shaven-headed and sent to the ancestral temple," Liu Yueer chimed in.

Tong Huaqiong didn’t tell Liu Yueer the truth, fearing she’d can’t keep her mouth shut and gossip, affecting Lian Hengruo and Gu Taohua negatively.

Thus, Liu Yueer always believed Gu Ruinian and Xu Zaohua were as the rumors said. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Enough, none of this concerns us. We should focus on our business and not worry about these things," Tong Huaqiong said. "Let’s finish up and get to work at the supermarket."

Yet Gu Honglian mentioned Second Master Zheng released Gu Ruinian because he was useful to the Zheng Family; she couldn’t help but wonder what use he could be?

From her perspective, Gu Ruinian was an exceptional transmigrator destined for great things; even if he temporarily fooled the Zheng Family about inventions from the future, eventually, he’d be exposed.

Whatever he and Second Master Zheng were conspiring, she didn’t care, but if they bullied Tong Huaqiong and her group of bad bamboos, she wouldn’t let it slide.

Gu Honglian, having finished eating a bun, reached for the dough sticks, and Tong Huaqiong couldn’t help but say, "Honglian, did you come to talk about Rui Nian or just to freeload breakfast?"

Gu Honglian sheepishly said, "Both."

Tong Huaqiong gave a cold laugh but didn’t chase her away.