Zhou Tianpeng hadn't reacted at first, instinctively covering his face and looking at her in confusion.
The next second, he understood, his anger surging. "Don't think you're all that just because you changed your name and became the owner of a medical clinic. In my eyes, you're still the same maid-born Shi Yun. Others may not know you, but how could I not?"
"So what? You're still asking me for something?" Wu Caiwei leaned back against her chair, crossing her arms and looking at him provocatively.
"Who said I came to ask you? I came to question why you changed my son and daughter's surnames." For some reason, Zhou Tianpeng didn't want to admit defeat in front of her. An idea sparked, and he came up with an excuse.
"You don't want them anymore, so who else would they take their surname from? Besides, they signed a letter of severance from you. You have no right to control them now. Or perhaps..." Wu Caiwei scrutinized him from head to toe, slowly approaching the table, and asked in a playful whisper, "You can't let go of us?"
"How could that be?" Zhou Tianpeng retorted without thinking, his voice involuntarily rising.
Wu Caiwei distastefully cupped her ear. "Why are you yelling? I'm not deaf."
"It's because you think too highly of yourself. How could I not let go of you? I've been dreaming of you leaving the Zhou mansion quickly, and now my dream has come true. I'm even planning to set off firecrackers to celebrate." At this moment, Zhou Tianpeng acted like a childish child, resolutely refusing to back down in front of her.
"Alright, let's get to the point. If you're here today to cooperate with me, I advise you not to waste your efforts. It's impossible." Even if he hadn't said it, Wu Caiwei knew what he was here for; she just wanted to tease him.
"Stop joking. How could I cooperate with you? I just happened to run into you and wanted to see my son. Now that I've seen him, I should be going." Zhou Tianpeng almost fled in disarray, hastily climbing into his carriage and urging the coachman to leave quickly.
They rested at the inn that day and left early the next morning. It wasn't that he didn't want to try and win her back, but knowing Shi Yun as he did, he understood that when she said it was impossible, it truly was. Moreover, he couldn't bring himself to beg her.
Returning to the county town, he stood quietly in front of his own medical clinic for a long time. With no business coming in for so long, he knew that his clinic would eventually go bankrupt if this continued, but he was powerless.
During his days in the prefecture city, he had come to understand Shi Yun even better. He had thought about expanding his business to the prefecture city for years, but after much effort, he had always returned defeated, with his two sons-in-law also returning disappointed.
He never imagined that in just a few months, she had built so much business in the prefecture city. He didn't think he was petty, but any man in his position would find it unbearable. Every time he went out, people would talk about how capable his wife was, completely overshadowing his own efforts and brilliance.
With a sigh, he turned and left, walking alone on the street, filled with worry. What made him even angrier was overhearing a few women gossiping. Normally, he wouldn't pay attention to such gossip, but he listened this time because he heard his own name.
"My relative works in the Zhou mansion. They say that Master Zhou and Miss Hong had a secret affair long ago, which is why he divorced Madam Zhou. Now everyone is guessing that Master Zhou must regret it, otherwise, why wouldn't they have set a date for the wedding, nor have they contacted Miss Hong at all?" a middle-aged woman was enthusiastically chatting with them.
"Won't Miss Hong end up not becoming Madam Zhou?"
"You might be right. It's possible. A man's heart can change in an instant. If he has someone new, how can he remember the old?"
...
Zhou Tianpeng's anger flared up. It seemed he really needed to get married quickly, otherwise, any small disturbance in the mansion would be spread by them. Su Dan Novel Network
He was always a man of action. Within two days, a matchmaker was already visiting the Hong family to arrange the betrothal gifts.
Both were remarried. One was eager to marry, and the other urgently needed a mistress of the house. The wedding date was set for one month later.
For this month, Hong Lingxiang's heart was filled with anxiety, fearing that the cooked duck would fly away. Under her worried gaze, the wedding day finally arrived.
Sitting at the dressing table and looking at herself in red, she still felt a sense of unreality. Her heart finally settled.
However, when the sedan chair passed through the streets, it was blocked. The reason was that Miss Liu was marrying into her uncle's family in the capital, and for good luck, she had to leave first.
Hearing this news, Hong Lingxiang's face, hidden under her veil, showed no discernible expression. The hand holding an apple, however, gradually tightened, her fingernails digging into the apple. Juice flowed onto her body, and only then did she react.
After what felt like a long wait, the sounds of gongs and drums finally came from ahead. They followed behind. Hong Lingxiang, who had been filled with anticipation for this marriage, suddenly felt a sense of emptiness. Although life in the inner courtyards of the prefectural governor's mansion was not easy, when she went out, people would at least show her some deference and not easily offend her.
The Zhou mansion was wealthy, it was true, but anyone could step on them. Her status was still too low.
The subsequent proceedings all went smoothly, but the events of the morning remained like a thorn in Hong Lingxiang's heart.
If anyone was unhappiest after their brother's marriage, it should have been Zhou Wanqiu and Zhou Wanyue. They had expected that with Hong Lingxiang marrying their brother, and thanks to their sisterly bond, it would be easy to get money from the Zhou mansion to take home. However, the reality was the opposite. Whenever they complained about being poor, Hong Lingxiang would also claim to be poor, even saying that married women knew to take money from their husbands' families to subsidize their own.
The first time they heard these words, they were bewildered, thinking they had hallucinated. Only when they came to their senses did they truly recognize her true colors. All this talk of sisterly affection was fake. It was likely that she had planned to use them from the beginning to enter the Zhou family.
They had complained to their mother and brother, but this time their mother refused to take their side. Even their brother reprimanded them, "You were the ones who praised her, you were the ones who wanted her to enter the Zhou family, and you were the ones who introduced me to her. Now you're saying she's not good enough? Do you think this is a game of pretend?"
The two women were speechless. Although they were willful, they also knew that the Zhou family could not withstand any more turmoil. Many people were whispering behind their backs, saying that everyone in the Zhou family had gone mad, abandoning their wife and children to divorce. If anything else happened, would the Zhou family's reputation matter anymore? After considering these things, the two could only leave dejectedly.
Hong Lingxiang was the mistress of the Zhou mansion's inner courtyards, and their every move escaped her eyes. After hearing the servants report that the two had left, she revealed a sinister expression. These two had been moving many things from the Zhou mansion home like hamsters over the years, and she would sooner or later make them spit out everything they had taken.