At the same time, Wu Caiwei found her former neighbor and asked her to keep an eye on Li Youcai and Liu Yu's every move. If there were any special circumstances, she was to report them to Wu Caiwei, who promised generous rewards.
The neighbor proved to be quite diligent, reporting on their situation to Wu Caiwei at regular intervals. Each time, Wu Caiwei did not let her leave empty-handed, which made her work with even more enthusiasm.
Liu Yu and Li Youcai were completely unaware of this. When the Sun family returned, out of guilt, they did not inform him that Wu Caiwei suspected him. Li Youcai still believed his methods were clever and that Wu Caiwei had not discovered his small schemes.
He was solely focused on Liu Yu. When Liu Yu, unwilling to accept their current situation, wanted to return to the Liu mansion again, he accompanied her to the city. It was then that they saw Li Zhutao, busy at work. At first, they thought Li Zhutao was working for someone else, but after watching for a while, they realized everyone was taking her orders.
He found a nearby neighbor and inquired, only to discover that this woman, Wu Caiwei, had become wealthy in the city and had opened several shops.
He was initially quite jealous, but as he delved deeper into his inquiries, he learned that Wu Caiwei had connections with the county magistrate, who served as her backer, allowing her business to flourish. Li Youcai, who had been contemplating how to seize these businesses for himself, completely abandoned the idea. He had witnessed firsthand how ruthless this woman could be.
Liu Yu also couldn't believe that a village girl could become rich and live a good life, while she, so beautiful and a young lady of a noble family, was living like a village woman. The world was so unfair. She began to feel melancholic again, and the man beside her became increasingly displeasing in her eyes.
Both of them were psychologically unbalanced. Naturally, they wanted to cause trouble for Wu Caiwei. Li Youcai specifically went to the Sun family and spoke about Wu Caiwei's newfound wealth. As expected, the Sun family reacted precisely as he had anticipated and immediately rushed to the city.
He had never seen the Sun family return in such a disheveled state, though he had heard others speak of it in private. With no trace of his previous arrogance, he decided to live an honest life and mend his relationship with Liu Yu, the woman he longed for day and night.
As his mindset changed, he now regretted his past actions. The thought of the houses and shops in the city being his if they hadn't divorced made his heart ache. He began to consider the possibility of reconciliation with Wu Caiwei.
Li Youcai acted decisively. After helping Liu Yu chop firewood and fetch water in the morning, he hurried to the county town.
The shops were doing booming business, earning more money than the two of them could spend in a lifetime. Consequently, Wu Caiwei hired many employees, and Li Zhutao was responsible for managing one of these shops. She no longer worked hands-on but sat aside, issuing instructions.
Li Youcai walked to the shop he remembered. The queue outside was even longer than what he had seen before. He silently marveled in his heart, wondering how much money they were making.
This further solidified his determination to find Li Zhutao.
As Li Zhutao came out, she saw Li Youcai looking around furtively, searching for someone. She guessed he was looking for her. She had been in the backyard when an employee informed her that someone was lurking suspiciously at the shop's entrance. She quickly came out. If she had known it was Li Youcai, she would have hidden.
Seeing Li Zhutao, Li Youcai could hardly believe his eyes. Was this still the same thin, frail girl with dry, yellow hair? Now, dressed in silk and adorned with jewelry, she looked like the young lady of a wealthy family.
"Zhutaoh, I am your father!" Seeing his daughter's transformation, he realized they were more affluent than he had imagined. With his daughter having money, wouldn't she be obligated to show filial piety to her father?
"Is there something you need?" After the incident with the Sun family, Wu Caiwei had informed her that Li Youcai was behind the trouble. Although Li Zhutao still felt some father-daughter affection, she had not forgotten the disdainful glances from her father and grandmother since childhood. She had not been physically beaten, but she had suffered all other forms of hardship.
"You ungrateful girl, your own father comes to visit and you don't even invite me home to be properly entertained." Li Youcai was very displeased with her indifferent attitude and couldn't help but grumble.
"Do I need to show you the deed of separation again to remind you that we no longer have a father-daughter relationship?" Without even guessing, Li Zhutao knew he was likely there to ask for money. She had initially considered giving him some, but seeing his unrepentant attitude, she changed her mind.
"No matter what, I am your biological father. I raised you. Our family is out of money. As a daughter, you should show some filial piety. Also, try to persuade your mother. A married couple is best as originals. Let your mother turn back soon. Even though we are divorced, I don't mind. It's better than ending up destitute in my old age." Li Youcai felt guilty when his daughter mentioned the deed of separation, so he couldn't help but raise his voice and speak boastfully.
Li Zhutao could hardly believe her ears. After arriving in the city, Wu Caiwei had deliberately trained her to handle responsibilities independently. She had dealt with many matters and met many people. Someone this shameless and ignorant of his own limitations, she honestly felt that if he weren't her father, she would have kicked him out long ago.
"Don't look at me wearing fine clothes and jewelry; in reality, my mother manages all the money. I wear whatever she buys me. I'm not even very clear about how much the shop earns. I just help my mother manage it. If Father is in urgent need of money, we can go find Mother now. A husband and wife of a hundred days share a deep bond; I believe Mother won't ignore your situation."
Although there was a deed of separation, Li Zhutao, as a daughter, would be in the wrong if she were unfilial to her father. Therefore, Wu Caiwei had told her long ago that if Li Youcai came looking for her, she should shift all the blame onto her.
"Why are you so useless? You manage such a big shop for her, can't you secretly save some money to help your father?" Li Youcai was almost driven to death by his daughter; she was nothing like the descendants of their Li family.
From then on, no matter how Li Youcai pestered her, Li Zhutao insisted that she had no money and that he should go to Wu Caiwei for it. If Li Youcai dared to approach Wu Caiwei, he wouldn't be bothering Li Zhutao. Subconsciously, he felt Wu Caiwei was more difficult to deal with.
His goal unmet, Li Youcai's teeth itched with anger, and he had no choice but to risk approaching Wu Caiwei.
With a little inquiry, he learned the location of her shop. This was his first time visiting a cosmetics shop. Looking at the resplendent decor and the continuous stream of young ladies and married women from wealthy families, Li Youcai felt somewhat timid, considering himself too shabby.
He mustered his courage and walked to the entrance. A woman dressed elegantly and beautifully approached him with a polite smile. She said gently and apologetically, "I'm sorry, sir, but our shop does not admit male customers. The sign over there clearly states this. You can go and take a look."
"Then, then... I... I... won't go in." Li Youcai said, his face flushed red and stammering. When he had walked past earlier, he had seen writing on the sign, but he couldn't read it, making him feel extremely embarrassed.
He waited in the vicinity of the shop, hoping for a stroke of luck and a chance encounter with Wu Caiwei. However, his luck seemed to be running out; he waited for a long time without seeing her.
He couldn't continue like this. He decided to take the initiative.