"This was just a few days after their wedding. It is said that the very next morning, Li Qingrou not only refused to cook but also slept in until she woke up naturally. Normally, she had maids to serve her and didn't need to do anything herself; all she had to do was accept the food served. But she looked down on the Liu family and didn't even want to make an appearance. The Liu family had quite a few complaints about this, and Liu Yixuan, being cunning, tried to smooth things over everywhere," Dongzhi said, looking like she was seeking praise. "I've been keeping a close eye on everything the Liu family has been up to."
Wu Caiwei couldn't help but reach out and pat her head at her adorable demeanor. "It's been a few days. I doubt only this one thing has happened in the Liu family. Do you have more to tell me?"
"You can guess that much? If I didn't know, I'd think you'd been in the village the whole time," Dongzhi exclaimed, giving Wu Caiwei a thumbs-up in admiration.
"Then tell me quickly. I also want to know. I'm waiting to see some drama," Wu Caiwei said, hugging Dongzhi's arm and acting spoiled.
Dongzhi, puffed up with pride, said, "Beg me, beg me and I'll tell you."
"My dear Dongzhi, please tell me! I'm begging you. I know you're the kindest," Wu Caiwei whined in a syrupy voice.
"My heavens, I'm getting goosebumps all over! I'm truly impressed. I never realized Liu Yixuan's mother was so greedy and snobbish. As soon as the new daughter-in-law entered the house, she wanted to take over her dowry. No one in their right mind would agree, especially since Li Qingrou has a powerful backing and servants! Miss Li isn't simple either. She used Liu Mother's demand for the dowry as an excuse to insist on moving back to town, unafraid of losing face. She even went out to let others judge the situation. Now their family has become the laughingstock of the entire village," Dongzhi said, mimicking goosebumps falling from her body.
"The good show is yet to come. If Li Qingrou finds out Liu Yixuan's hand is crippled, there will likely be more trouble. It's a shame you'll be going to the city with us and won't be here to watch the fun," Wu Caiwei said with a look of regret.
"Do you think he'll regret it if he finds out you've made a fortune in the city?" Dongzhi asked tentatively.
"What if he does? Even if every man in the world died, I wouldn't take him back. He's an absolute scumbag," Wu Caiwei said dismissively.
"That's true. You deserve someone better. Those two are a match made in heaven; it's good they're together and not out there harming others," Dongzhi agreed, nodding. "Let's talk about something else. We've been talking about his family. Tell me about your experiences in the city."
"Where should I start? Let's start from the first day we entered the city..."
Having not seen each other for a long time, Dongzhi was very excited. She chatted with Wu Caiwei and Qiu Shuang until midnight. It was only when Qiu Shuang mentioned they had to travel the next day and needed to rest early that their chattering finally stopped.
The next morning, they packed large bags and packages and headed for the city in a carriage. As they neared the city, Wu Caiwei could clearly see Liu Father's hand trembling, indicating his great excitement, though he tried to maintain a calm facade.
The carriage drove towards a three-courtyard house in the city. This was a new courtyard Wu Caiwei had bought for Liu Father and Liu Mother to live in. Although the courtyard wasn't particularly large, its location was excellent, and the layout inside was unique.
After getting out of the carriage, Liu Father looked at the large characters "Liu Mansion" under the lintel and was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. It felt like a dream.
As they approached the gate, it opened, and the butler bowed. "Master has returned!" The servants in the courtyard were all attending to their duties. Liu Father looked around, touched things here and there, and kept murmuring, "Good, good..." It was as if he had returned to his childhood. As the carriage stopped, a servant came to help him. "Young Master has returned!" Entering the courtyard, there was a new scene every three steps and a painting every five steps.
Liu Mother held his hand tightly, and he reciprocated the grip. "Madam, we are home."
Liu Mother nodded. Although her husband hadn't said anything, she knew clearly that he was unwilling to live in that small mountain village his entire life. He wanted to make the Liu family prosper.
That evening, the family happily had a reunion dinner in their new residence. The next morning, Wu Caiwei headed to the shop.
He had heard from the steward that Mr. Li from Yangshan County had come to discuss procurement matters. When Wu Caiwei first heard about this, she was taken aback and couldn't immediately recall who Mr. Li from Yangshan County was or why he would specifically come to report this matter. Hadn't the procurement matters with other merchants already been entrusted to the steward's full authority?
Soon, she realized that this Mr. Li was Li Qingrou's father. It was said that he doted on Li Qingrou exceptionally, never allowing his second wife to interfere in any of her affairs, and even sidelining the children born to his second wife.
Wu Caiwei wondered if Mr. Li would still dote on her so much if he discovered that their business was suffering and they couldn't procure goods because of Li Qingrou.
Entering the shop, she walked directly towards the reception room on the second floor. Perhaps Mr. Li had been watching every move downstairs, as he was already waiting at the entrance.
The first thing that caught her eye was a middle-aged, slightly plump man with a genial smile that made people feel friendly. This was different from what Wu Caiwei had imagined, which made her wary.
"You must be Shopkeeper Liu. Truly young and promising. One can't help but admire the younger generation," Mr. Li said familiarly, striking up a conversation with Wu Caiwei.
"Mr. Li, you've come prepared. You must have investigated me before arriving. How much do you know about this humble woman?" Wu Caiwei didn't directly answer, looking at him with a half-smile.
"The Liu family's business is very important to our Li family. Of course, I must understand the situation. I only know that Shopkeeper Liu suddenly appeared and has the backing of the Prefect. I couldn't find out anything more.
I consider my memory to be not too bad. I simply can't recall when I met Shopkeeper Liu or when I offended you." Mr. Li continued to converse with her with a smile, as if Wu Caiwei's impoliteness and disrespect didn't exist.
"You haven't met me, but haven't you investigated your daughter Li Qingrou's marriage? Don't you know that Liu Yixuan once broke off an engagement? And the family he broke off the engagement with happened to be surnamed Liu," Wu Caiwei said nonchalantly.
"Clink!" The teacup in Mr. Li's hand fell to the floor. His expression, uncharacteristic of his previous gentleness, showed surprise as he asked, "Could you be that Miss Liu? But that doesn't add up! Wasn't it said that Miss Liu's father was a private tutor?"
"It seems Mr. Li isn't entirely in the dark. Do you know how much you've lost in the past few months? I opened this cosmetic shop specifically to target you. The Li family needs to hold on. If you want to procure goods from me, there's no way." Wu Caiwei said playfully.
"Shopkeeper Liu must have misunderstood. They are together because of a near-drowning incident. Liu Yixuan saved my daughter, and after a physical encounter, they got engaged. It wasn't intentional on our part. These things are unforeseen. If we had a choice, with our family background, we would have found someone of equal standing, not a poor scholar!" Mr. Li hastily explained.
"Yes, with your family's status, you could have found someone better. But you have indulged your daughter. Don't tell me you didn't know she hired those ruffians to set fire to the Liu family's house. Although the case has already been judged, you and I both know who the mastermind behind it was."
"It seems Shopkeeper Liu is determined to carry on with this misunderstanding. I will never believe it, but I must say I truly don't know. It's all your speculation. The county magistrate deals with evidence; how could he listen to just my word?" Mr. Li forced a bitter smile.
"I believe you are a smart person and won't engage in pointless entanglement. Business between you and me is impossible." Wu Caiwei's attitude was firm, with an expression that warned others to keep their distance. She didn't wish to say more.
Seeing that his attempts at entanglement were futile, Mr. Li left the Liu family's shop with some disappointment.