After getting into the carriage, Old Master Li finally relaxed his upright spine, his gentle smile replaced by worry.
Regarding his daughter's actions, Old Master Li couldn't possibly be unaware. All the maids and guards by his daughter's side were arranged by him, and someone reported his daughter's every move to him daily. He thought that since the other party was just the daughter of a minor scholar, it wouldn't matter much even if she died. As long as his daughter was happy, that was all that mattered. Who knew she would offend someone she shouldn't have.
How could he not have investigated before coming? Knowing she was a woman, the prefect and his wife treated her with special regard, which is why she emerged from obscurity and made a fortune daily, yet no one dared to cause trouble.
This was also the reason Old Master Li came to negotiate with her properly today. If she were a small merchant without powerful backing, she would have been picked clean long ago, with not even bones left, and would not be able to do business as usual.
However, the more he understood her background, the more worried Old Master Li became. Clearly, the other party had come prepared. The Li family's pomades initially sold a little, but then gradually no one asked for them, and they had a large inventory left.
Of course, the Li family did not only engage in this one business. They also had restaurants and silk shops, but apart from pomades, their businesses were all mediocre, earning just enough to cover the household expenses.
Before leaving, he had considered ordering some goods from the Liu family and mixing them with old stock to sell, so as to not suffer too great a loss, earning back a little if possible.
But now this path was blocked, and she had the prefect as her backer. His brother-in-law, the county magistrate, not only couldn't help but had to be cautious, as he was the one who helped clean up the mess last time.
Listening to Liu Feixue's tone, she already knew who the murderer was, but for some reason, she had not acted yet. Old Master Li believed that if given the opportunity, no one would let their vengeance go unavenged; it was only a matter of time.
In the past, his daughter had used many tactics to achieve her goals, which he considered nothing. After all, in business, who didn't use underhanded tricks? Of course, he had also warned his daughter that before taking any action, she must thoroughly investigate the other party's background and not kick an iron plate.
As soon as Madam Li saw his grim expression, she knew that things had not gone smoothly. Her husband never let her interfere in business matters, so she couldn't offer any advice. She only knew that the steward had been economizing recently, and her husband had been worried all day. He must have encountered difficulties outside, and this trip was to resolve them, but his return in this state indicated that the matter was tricky.
In Madam Li's eyes, the family fortune would eventually belong to her son. Now that business was not going well and they had to cut expenses, she felt heartache. All she could do was be more attentive to her husband's daily meals and living arrangements, hoping he would find a solution to the predicament soon.
Old Master Li looked at the elaborately prepared dinner, having no appetite at all. He instructed his attendant, "Tomorrow morning, go to Qingshan Village and tell the young lady she must return, no matter what."
Madam Li, hearing the vexation in her husband's tone, was somewhat surprised and asked tentatively, "Could the Li family's difficulties be related to the eldest young lady? She shouldn't have that much influence, should she?"
Old Master Li avoided the topic, looking sternly at his wife, "From tomorrow onwards, review the household staff. Whether to dismiss or sell the excess, you decide."
"Has it come to this?" Li Ren, seeing her husband's refusal to answer, knew that this matter was likely related to Li Qingrou. She just didn't know what heinous act she had committed to have caused such a serious situation.
"The Li family is facing a grave crisis. If we don't handle this well, we might not have a chance to recover," Old Master Li said with a heavy heart. The Li family's current prosperity was built from scratch by him, through countless sleepless nights spent managing affairs. Watching his accumulated achievements about to crumble felt like needles piercing his heart.
"I understand, my lord," Madam Li swallowed the tempest in her heart and managed to speak calmly.
Neither of them had the appetite to eat, and even lying in bed at night, they were both preoccupied with worry.
The next day, around noon, Li Qingrou returned. The moment she saw her father, she started complaining, "Father, please uphold justice for me. The Liu family is bullying me, especially my mother-in-law, who adamantly refuses to let us move to the town. Please send someone to teach her a lesson."
Old Master Li stroked his daughter's head, looking at her innocent and impulsive demeanor. Only now did he deeply regret that perhaps he should have let Madam properly discipline her. She was already married yet still so willful. But it was too late for regrets now.
Not hearing a response from her father for a long time, Li Qingrou looked at him with confusion. This was unlike her father's usual style. If he had heard that she was wronged in the past, he would have been the first to jump up and demand justice for her.
Seeing her bewildered expression, Old Master Li sighed helplessly, "Rourou, we haven't had a good heart-to-heart talk in a long time. Tell me how you met Liu Yixuan, and what you did to make him break off his engagement."
Upon hearing her father's question, Li Qingrou automatically made assumptions. Perhaps her father was thinking of her mother again. Whenever her father remembered her mother, he would have a long talk with her.
So, she recounted to Old Master Li, in great detail, how they met, how they fell in love, how hateful Wu Caiwei was, how she was not worthy of Liu Yixuan, and how she had hired Old Fourth Zhang.
Looking at his daughter's radiant face, her father saw his first wife. In those days, he was a poor young man, unable to afford medicine for his parents. He met his kind first wife, and he felt unworthy that she treated him with special regard, not only providing money for his parents' medical treatment but also giving him money to start his business.
At that time, he vowed in his heart to treat her well. However, fate was unfair. During childbirth, she could not overcome the ordeal and left the world with her reluctance to part with her daughter and himself.
After grieving for two years, at his mother's persuasion, he remarried to his current wife, Madam Li. For so many years, fearing his daughter would be wronged, he never allowed Madam Li to interfere in her affairs. Whatever his daughter said, regardless of whether it was right or true, he would stand up for her, as long as she was happy. He compensated for all his regrets regarding his wife by showering his daughter with affection, which resulted in her becoming domineering and willful. Even at this point, he couldn't bear to scold her.
Li Qingrou finished her heartfelt story and looked at her father, who seemed to be seeing someone else through her. She knew it must be her mother. She quietly waited for her father to regain his senses, as this often happened before.
"Daughter, Liu Yixuan and the Liu family are not worth your excessive emotions and money. From now on, Father cannot protect you anymore. You must take good care of yourself. Remember not to show off your wealth, always keep a part of yourself hidden, and go back now. Take care of yourself," Old Master Li said earnestly after regaining his senses.
The smugness on Li Qingrou's face was replaced by confusion. "What does Father mean?"
"Liu Feixue, who was jilted by Liu Yixuan, is now doing business with a cosmetic shop in the prefectural city. Not only has she taken over our business, but she is also opposing our Li household. The key is that she has the prefect as her backer. How can we be her match? And your bribing Old Fourth Zhang, she actually knows all about it. She will retaliate. From now on, if you encounter her again, stay far away from her," Old Master Li felt that if he didn't explain clearly to his daughter, she might still try to harm Liu Feixue out of jealousy, knowing she was Liu Yixuan's former fiancée.
His daughter's little tricks could only be used against those without money or power. A woman like Liu Feixue, who had built a successful business, was not someone to be bullied easily.