When they first entered the great prison, old Master Ouyang did not see Ouyang Chen. He was still pleased that not everyone from the Ouyang family had been imprisoned, thinking that there were still people outside trying to save them.
But soon he realized something was wrong. When the Emperor's personal head eunuch arrived at the prison to read out the imperial decree, he suddenly understood that perhaps the Emperor had never been looking for Ouyang Chen from the start. After all, it would be impossible to conduct a trial if the main culprits were not all apprehended.
Listening to the charges listed one by one in the imperial decree, he suddenly realized that Ouyang Chen must have betrayed him from the very beginning. Many of these charges were things he had ordered Ouyang Chen to accomplish alone. When the head eunuch finally read, "All adult males of the Ouyang family are to be beheaded and displayed, while the female members and underage children are to be exiled to Lingnan," he knew the Ouyang family was finished. He was filled with hatred, hating Ouyang Chen for his ingratitude and himself for his lack of discernment. It was all too late.
Now a free man, Ouyang Chen happily followed Leng Shuixiang to the south to live. As for those brothers from the Ouyang family's private army who were willing to follow him, he took them to the south. Those who were unwilling, he set them free.
Soon, the two held another wedding ceremony. The moment the veil was lifted, they embraced each other tightly.
This time, they continued to do good deeds as much as possible. Of course, Wu Caiwei did not forget to promote the Leng family. The Leng family parents never dreamed that in this lifetime, they would be able to live a life with servants at their beck and call. They passed away with contented smiles.
As Father Xu and Mother Xu grew old, they visited Xu Shuqin. Seeing that she was living well, they were at ease. Xu Dazhu, capable and grateful, began applying to be a shopkeeper at Wu Caiwei's establishment. He initially thought that because of their past relationship with the Xu family, Wu Caiwei would not hire him. However, to his surprise, she harbored no grudges and greatly trusted his abilities, which deeply moved him, making him even more dedicated to his work.
Wu Caiwei had always been generous with her shopkeepers. As long as one worked diligently, the rewards were substantial. Within a few years, Xu Dazhu had acquired his own property in the city and brought Father Xu and Mother Xu to live with him, enjoying the joys of family.
Seeing that Xu Shuqin was particularly adept at business, Wu Caiwei abandoned the idea of having another child and passed on the empire she had built to her, allowing her to take a son-in-law into the family.
They passed away with no regrets. Looking at the golden water in the bottle rising a little higher, Wu Caiwei seamlessly transitioned into the next world.
"Madam boss, why is our wine taking so long to be served?" a man asked her lewdly.
The moment she saw his gaze, Wu Caiwei felt uncomfortable. Although she was new and didn't know what had happened to the original host, she couldn't help but dislike someone.
She turned her head and saw a man standing nearby. Assuming their relationship was unusual, she quickly ordered, "I'm not feeling well. Go and fetch the wine for him."
Zhang Tieshan was somewhat reluctant. "He specifically asked for you. What am I?"
Wu Caiwei frowned upon hearing this and said displeasedly, "Are you going or not?"
Seeing so many people watching them, Zhang Tieshan felt it would be inappropriate not to go. He hadn't expected that after years of marriage, Gao Feixue would scold him in front of so many people for the first time. He awkwardly said, "Fine, I'll go. Why are you so angry?"
With that, he quickly stepped forward and handed them the wine they wanted. Li Er Niu was very unhappy about this. He had wanted to get closer to Gao Feixue, but he had heard earlier that she was unwell. With so many eyes watching, he could only let it pass for now.
Then, Wu Caiwei walked towards the back. She had said she wasn't feeling well, so it was normal for her to go back and rest, right?
Zhang Tieshan watched her retreating figure with some regret. This event today was something he had meticulously planned. He had originally intended to stop her. Perhaps she was indeed feeling too unwell, and had unexpectedly become forceful, acting contrary to her usual demeanor. If he persisted further, it might backfire and arouse her suspicion if anything happened. It wouldn't be worth the trouble. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
Hiding in a corner, Wu Caiwei leaned against the wall for a moment before opening her eyes. She then composed herself and walked towards the main room.
Halfway there, she saw Zhang Tiehua coming out of the east wing room. Seeing her returning to her room alone, Zhang Tiehua said with some displeasure, "Sister-in-law, it's not that I, your sister-in-law, want to lecture you, but now is a good time to make money. Why are you resting in the back courtyard?"
If the original host were here, she would have considered Zhang Tiehua's status as an elder sister-in-law and offered an explanation or sheepishly gone to the front to help. But now, it was Wu Caiwei standing here. The moment she thought about her true relationship with Zhang Tieshan, she felt disgusted. She felt these two were wolves in sheep's clothing. She sneered, "I'm not feeling well, can't I come back to rest? If you had any sense, you should have gone to the front to substitute for me instead of standing here spewing sarcastic remarks and lecturing me."
This was the first time Zhang Tiehua had seen Gao Feixue like this. In her impression, Gao Feixue was timid and a bit of a pushover.
She suddenly felt guilty. Had she discovered her secret? She awkwardly said, "You know I'm a maiden from a respectable family. I can't easily show myself in public; it would damage my reputation."
Wu Caiwei was so angry she laughed. "I grew up in a small tavern and was out in public almost every day. In Sister's eyes, am I not a proper woman? Or does Sister think it's only right for me to show myself in public and earn money to support you and your brother."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Tiehua quickly changed the subject. "Sister-in-law, what's wrong with you today? You're speaking so sharply. I only said one sentence, and you've given me so many in return. You shouldn't vent any unhappiness in your life on me. I didn't provoke you."
Wu Caiwei looked at her innocent demeanor, feeling an urge to vomit. She warned, "I want to emphasize one thing to Sister: this shop, including this courtyard, belongs to me. If you're not comfortable living here, you and your brother can move out together. You're living in my house and eating my food, so don't put on an arrogant air with me."
With that, she ignored Zhang Tiehua and walked straight into the room. Zhang Tiehua looked at the closed door, feeling wronged with nowhere to vent. Her family's conditions were much better before. She was a young lady who had servants attending to her. If not for that disaster, how could she have ended up in this godforsaken place to be subjected to her anger?
Furthermore, what did her words mean? What did she mean by suggesting that she and her brother move out together? Given how much he cared about his brother, he shouldn't have said such a thing.
Looking at the situation, she had narrowly escaped. She didn't believe her luck would always be so good. To avoid further complications, she needed to initiate the next step of her plan as soon as possible.