Li's mother slapped her thigh and sat down on the ground, wailing, "My life is so hard! Not only do I have to send my son off before myself, but as soon as he's gone, his wife not only shows no sorrow but tries every means to seize the family property, intending to drive us old couple out."
Wu Lian'er calmly replied, "Mother, are you heartbroken and mistaken? When did I say I was asking you to move out? I'll state it here for everyone to witness: the courtyard and the shops are all under my name. You two are welcome to live here as you please; this will always be your home."
Li's mother refused to listen. She was heartbroken that the Li family's property had fallen into the hands of an outsider. She continued to cry, "My husband and I worked hard our whole lives, and finally managed to get our son to become a Juren. In the end, we have to live under our daughter-in-law's thumb, and who knows how you will mistreat us."
Wu Lian'er looked at them with a half-smile. "If Mother is afraid I'll mistreat you, then it's fortunate that I want to separate from the eldest young master. I'll give him two shops then, and you can live with him. I, as a daughter-in-law, am not part of the Li family, but he is your own grandson, isn't he? Living with him, you will definitely not be treated unfairly."
Li's father and mother felt a pang in their hearts. Though they didn't want to admit it, they knew Li Changqing was not a good person. Living with Wu Lian'er, at least they would have food to eat. Living with Li Changqing, they might not even survive.
"Why should I live with him? This is my son's house, and I'm used to living here. I don't want to move. We'll just stay here and not leave," Li's mother quickly resorted to unreasonable arguments.
Wu Lian'er watched her perform with composure, knowing her intentions. She didn't expose her, but she did want to separate from Li Changqing. Who would keep an enemy right under their nose, fearing a backlash at any moment?
Li Changqing was still immersed in the joy of inheriting the Li family's property when Wu Lian'er informed him of their separation. It was like a bolt from the blue.
He was the only male heir of the Li family and thought he would inherit everything naturally. Unexpectedly, he was to be driven out. He rushed to find his grandparents, hoping they would stand up for him. To his surprise, they not only didn't side with him but looked at him with disapproval. "Your mother asked you to separate, so just separate. Isn't it nice for a young couple to live outside?"
Li Changqing looked at them in astonishment. "Are you just going to stand by and watch the Li family's property fall into the hands of an outsider?"
Li's mother spread her hands helplessly. "Our house deeds, land deeds, and shops are all in her name. She says it's her dowry. What can you do? It's already quite generous that she's giving you two shops."
Li Changqing was stunned. He hadn't realized there were so many complexities. Having lived in the countryside his whole life, he thought that after his father's death, all the property would naturally become his. He hadn't realized there was a matter of whose name it was under. If he had known, he would have fought for it the day his father passed.
Not long after, the couple moved out of the Li residence, dispirited. Wu Lian'er was naturally reluctant to part with the shops in good locations. Even if she wasn't good at managing them, renting them out would still bring in a considerable income. What they were given, one could imagine.
When the couple hobbled to the entrance of the shop, they felt like crying without tears. They had heard that Wang Yumeng had made a lot of money in the past two years, opening shop after shop. If he hadn't betrayed her and had remained with the Wang family, he was sure those shops would have been his one hundred percent.
Now that they were both crippled and the shops were in this state, they felt their future was very uncertain and filled with despair.
They hadn't considered using the same methods they used against Li Zixin to deal with Wu Lian'er, but no one would help them. The magistrate only wanted to get rid of Li Zixin and considered Wu Lian'er to be of little consequence, not willing to take any risks.
Li Changqing hadn't given up. He tried to find the magistrate, but the magistrate didn't even show his face. He merely had his steward warn him that there would be no further interactions between them. He had missed his chance. He had paid money back then, and from now on, that matter should be considered non-existent. If he wanted to deal with Wu Lian'er, he should figure it out himself.
Wu Caiwei had been secretly watching their every move. Seeing Li Changqing so cowardly admit defeat, she felt angry that he wasn't fighting harder.
He was so ruthless towards his own parents, yet hesitant with an outsider. Was it because she had broken his legs last time, instilling fear in him? Or was it because the original owner had been too kind to him, making him feel that it was acceptable to kill his mother?
If she didn't give him something to do, Wu Caiwei felt it would be too easy for him. When Li Changqing encountered difficulties again and came to her for help, Wu Caiwei casually raised a question: "What a coincidence, right? Li Zixin had just become a Juren, and Wu Lian'er became a widow. And then Young Master Xu died suddenly. Aren't these coincidences too many?"
After saying this, Wu Caiwei quickly changed the subject, basically indicating that he should not come to her again and that she would never help him in this lifetime.
The speaker was unintentional, but the listener took it to heart. Although Li Changxin came to her, he didn't have much hope of her helping him. At this moment, hearing her raise this question, he felt a sudden enlightenment, as if he had found a new direction.
He turned and left without a word, then quietly began to inquire about the news of Wu Lian'er's husband's death. The moment he made a move, the Xu family noticed.
Wu Lian'er married Li Zixin, became a Juren, and then an official. They, a small merchant family, were no match for her. Although they felt their young master might have died unjustly, to avoid bringing disaster upon the Xu family, they could only turn a blind eye.
At this point, the Li family had fallen, and Li Changqing, the stepson who had always been at odds with Wu Lian'er, was investigating the past events. They naturally went along with the flow, revealing the evidence they held after receiving benefits from him, reluctantly sharing it.
Upon seeing that there was indeed a hidden story, Li Changqing immediately became interested. He even sold a shop to understand the truth of the matter. Once he had concrete evidence, he filed a lawsuit, accusing Wu Lian'er.
When the yamen runners showed up, Wu Lian'er was still bewildered. She recalled her recent actions, certain that she had been well-behaved.
However, since the yamen runners had come, she had to go. She couldn't afford the crime of disrespecting the county magistrate.
When she saw Li Changqing kneeling in the hall, she thought he was suing her for the Li family's property and her heart settled. Everything was legal, and there was no way he could snatch the property from her.
The county magistrate suddenly asked about her ex-husband. She was momentarily caught off guard, as it had been too long. She calculated that the son of his concubine was probably almost twenty years old. If the county magistrate hadn't brought it up today, she wouldn't have remembered that person. Recovering her senses, she quickly recounted what was common knowledge.
The county magistrate banged his gavel sternly. "Li Changqing accuses you of murdering your former husband. Do you admit it?"