As it was nearing noon, and those people were due to arrive in the afternoon, he hurried Liu Wenwen to pack her belongings. He himself went to the main street to inquire about Liu Fatty. He clearly didn't know him, so why would Liu Fatty want to harm him?
Upon asking around, he learned that Liu Fatty was notorious in the city for his glib tongue and deceitful ways. He usually enjoyed swindling and tricking people, but no one could ever gather enough evidence against him. Everyone knew his reputation and kept far away.
Unfortunately, Liu Fatty had left with his entire family that very morning, apparently not planning to return. He had sold his own house a few days prior, and several groups of people had already come inquiring about it that morning. It was said they were all victims of his scams.
"You weren't tricked by him, were you?" an old woman asked him as she scrutinized him from head to toe, gossiping.
"How could that be? Do I look like such a fool? I just heard someone was scammed and wanted to ask who this person really was. I'm as curious as you are," Li Changqing quickly denied.
The old woman immediately lost interest. She didn't know much more than he did. After a moment's thought, she left triumphantly, eager to share the gossip with others; it was unbearable to keep it bottled up.
Li Changqing felt like crying but had no tears. He inquired a few more people, and their answers were all more or less the same. Standing on the street amidst the vast crowd, he didn't know where to go. Liu Fatty had truly caused immense trouble.
Finally, with a heavy heart, he returned home. The couple made the little remaining rice into a porridge and drank it. They simply packed their meager belongings and left resolutely. After walking a long distance, he couldn't help but glance back, his expression exceptionally determined. He muttered to himself, "I am the only heir of the Li family. All the Li family's assets should be mine. Why should I cling to this broken-down house? It's better this way."
Seeing his expression, Liu Wenwen knew he had come up with a plan. She followed closely behind him.
The two soon arrived at the main gate of the Li residence. The gatekeeper, upon seeing it was him knocking, quickly shut the gate. He apologized through the door, "Young Master, Madam guessed you would come looking for her and instructed me not to let you in, no matter what. This old servant can do nothing."
Before this, Li Changqing had not connected Liu Fatty's matter with Wu Lian'er. Her uncanny foresight strongly suggested something. Perhaps this was her revenge against him. What had previously been a matter of losing face now became a choice between survival and face, and he chose the former.
So, he pulled Liu Wenwen and stood before the gate of the Li mansion, plopping himself on the ground. He then began to wail loudly, "Everyone, come and see! I am the only male heir of the Li family, yet I've been driven out by my stepmother, penniless. She clearly intends to starve us to death so she can monopolize the Li family's fortune! Come one, come all, don't miss this! Everyone, come and see this wicked woman."
Those struggling for their livelihoods showed no interest, but this street was home to many reputable families, and their servants often came out to gather information. Soon, a crowd gathered. In the past, people would have been hesitant to stare, giving the Li family some face. But now, the Li family had fallen, and only one woman held it together. Most residents on this street had heard some gossip, such as the fact that Madam Wu had broken Li Changqing's leg.
Whenever this was mentioned, the male heads of the households scoffed at Wu Lian'er, thinking her a true poisonous woman. The gender of the unborn child in the concubine's womb was unknown. If it were a girl, would she allow the Li family to become extinct? Her actions were too unreasonable. Seeing the young master of the Li family making a scene, they quickly came to watch the spectacle.
Seeing the situation turning sour, the gatekeeper immediately went to find Madam. Upon hearing about his disgraceful behavior at the gate, Wu Lian'er stomped her foot in anger. She quickly brought people to the main gate. Peeking through the door crack, she watched him outside, relentlessly ruining her reputation in front of everyone, her anger boiling.
"You all don't know this, but Wu Lian'er has been secretly involved with my father for a long time. Back then, she was still the young mistress of the Xu family. She was so indiscreet, so promiscuous..." Su Dan novel network
Li Changqing was speaking passionately when he suddenly heard the sound of the main gate opening behind him. He quickly turned his head and saw Wu Lian'er standing at the gate with a grim expression. She had likely heard every word he said. He felt a pang of guilt, but then quickly recovered. What he said was the truth. He puffed out his chest, muttering to himself, "She should be the one feeling guilty. Why should I be?"
"Young Master, you must speak with a clear conscience. When the family was divided, you were given two shops. The rest is my dowry. Am I supposed to give my dowry to you, a stepson with no blood relation? If you want money, go find your mother. Your mother is now a renowned merchant in the city."
As soon as Wu Lian'er finished speaking, Wu Caiwei pushed through the crowd and stood beside Li Changqing, sneering, "He is surnamed Li, not Wang, nor Huang. His household registration is still under your name. It was you who drove a wedge between our mother and son, wanting him to acknowledge his ancestors. Now you want to monopolize the Li family's property and tell him to find me? What, is my place, Wang Yumeng's place, a marketplace that can be entered and exited at will?"
Wu Lian'er retorted without backing down, "It was the Master's decision when he was alive. I did not agree willingly. You know how poor the Li family was back then. The rest is my dowry. The Master's two shops, I have already given to the Young Master. It has only been a month, and he has already squandered both shops. He is a complete spendthrift."
Li Changqing was somewhat surprised that his mother was on his side, as he had grown accustomed to being rejected by her for so long. Hearing Wu Lian'er shift all the blame onto him, he immediately retorted, "Regardless, this mansion belonged to Father, and it is of the Li family. Furthermore, on the day Father passed away, you couldn't wait to transfer all of the Li family's assets into your own name. We can check with the authorities."
Wu Lian'er then began to shed tears that weren't there, sobbing loudly as she cried injustice, "Oh Master, open your eyes and see! How long has it been since you passed away? They have started bullying me. A while ago, they slandered me and sued me in court. Today, they have come to my door to ruin my reputation. It was she who voluntarily left the household, and she took the child with her. Now they have ganged up to bully a weak woman like me..."
People tend to sympathize with the weak. At first, they thought Wu Lian'er had been a bit too harsh, as it was the Li family's property, after all. Why shouldn't it be passed down to Li Changqing? But as she spoke, they started to feel that Wu Lian'er was rather pitiful. They didn't fight when Li Zixin was alive; now they were just bullying a widow.
Behind them, the murmur of the crowd grew louder. In a place no one could see, Wu Lian'er revealed a provocative gaze and a smug expression.