After the death of the Li family couple, every time he saw Li Jinyu's sad and desperate look, he would comfort her while feeling a sense of smugness. Despite her arrogance in the manor, she was still being manipulated by him. If he hadn't feared arousing suspicion, he would have dealt with Li Jinyu in the same way back then.
He maintained correspondence with Ren Jiajia, expressing his longing. What solidified his decision was Li Jinyu's intention to let him take over a shop. After testing him, she revealed a look of disappointment, which severely bruised his ego. He thought to himself, 'She's just a woman, why does she look down on me?'
The happier he appeared and the more caring he acted towards Li Jinyu, the more hatred he harbored inside. Not long after, events unfolded as he had anticipated, and Li Jinyu died.
On the day of her burial, Liu Baishi felt as if the mountain weighing him down had vanished, giving him a sense of boundless freedom. He looked at Li Shiyun, who was crying and walking ahead of him, and found her incredibly bothersome.
He knew that as long as Li Shiyun remained in the Li family, it would be difficult for him to take over the Li family's shops. After all, the servants' hearts were with the Li family. In their eyes, the next head of the Li family was this child, regardless of her young age; she was incapable of supporting the Li family.
A surge of malice rose in his heart. He knew that once she was driven out, she would either be kidnapped and sold to some sordid place or starve to death on the streets. Thinking of how much Li Jinyu valued her, he felt a perverse sense of satisfaction.
Upon returning to the Li family, facing the questioning gazes of the elders, Liu Baishi claimed that Li Shiyun couldn't cope with the blow of her mother's death and had run away when no one was looking. He assured them he had sent people to search for her. At the same time, he declared himself the current head of the Li family and threatened to drive them out if they showed him any further disrespect.
Although they were deeply resentful, the disappearance of the young mistress forced them to endure it.
To Liu Baishi's utter astonishment, Li Shiyun was remarkably resilient. After only a few trips with him back to the Liu family, she remembered the way and returned to the countryside alone. What bothered him even more was that his mother wanted to offer her a meal.
He was a hundred times unwilling, but the villagers saw Li Shiyun when she returned. If anything were to happen to her again, suspicion would quickly fall on him. Fortunately, he publicly announced that Li Shiyun wished to stay in the countryside to be with her mother. He then proceeded to expel the elders of the manor one by one. Within a few months, he married the woman he had longed for.
Married life was somewhat different from what he had imagined. He thought that after transforming the Li family estate into the Liu Manor, he could lead the Liu family to conquer Yangcheng. Hadn't people said he owed his current status to the Li family? He wanted to achieve something great to silence those who gossiped behind his back. However, things did not go as planned. Only when he became the head of the family did he realize how difficult it was to maintain a family business.
Every time he thought of Li Shiyun living in the countryside, he was reminded of Li Jinyu. They looked so alike. If his business had been doing well, he might have tolerated her. But the worse his business became, the more he felt that Li Jinyu was mocking his overestimation of himself. It was this internal struggle that led him to sell the original owner to Blue City.
Before Li Shiqin appeared, he never regretted his actions. Although the Li family's business would have flourished with Li Jinyu alive, it had no relation to the Liu family. He knew that as long as Li Jinyu was alive, he had to appease her carefully, without making the slightest mistake.
Otherwise, he, the son-in-law, would be kicked out. After transforming the Li family into the Liu Manor, he felt somewhat relieved. He was the master of the Liu family, and no one could drive him away. He never expected retribution to come so quickly. After living a peaceful life for only a little over a decade, Li Shiqin appeared.
Knowing that his actions would be exposed to the world, not only would his reputation be ruined, but more importantly, he would face execution. Thinking of the pain of being separated from his body and head, he quickly crawled to Wu Caiwei's feet.
Clutching her legs, he begged, "I am your father, and I was wrong. But I didn't take your life. Aren't you standing before me alive and well? Please save me, won't you? Save me. If you help me this once, I will listen to you in everything from now on, and the Liu family will also be yours."
Wu Caiwei sneered at his pathetic state. 'If only you had known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?' She lifted her leg, trying to break free from his embrace. Unexpectedly, he held on tighter. She frowned instinctively and kicked him away with all her might. Liu Baishi looked at his empty hands and couldn't help but weep.
With everything settled, Wu Caiwei breathed a sigh of relief. Back then, he had ordered Chunlan to be beaten severely. Chunlan, by a miracle, survived, but Liu Baishi would not allow her to exist. He had ordered people to take her life, but Wu Caiwei had saved her. That year, he had paid a hefty sum to acquire certain confidential medicinal formulas. The staff at the medical hall had agreed to keep it secret, but after Wu Caiwei's intimidation, they were forced to reveal the truth, including the doctor's family at Baohetang.
A month later, Liu Baishi was publicly executed in the market square. Wu Caiwei had reserved a seat in a nearby teahouse, specifically to watch. She knew that the original owner's consciousness still existed, and seeing this scene would surely bring immense joy.
It was a light rain that day, and many spectators had gathered. After the execution, listening to the surrounding crowd say that Liu Baishi deserved his fate, Wu Caiwei strolled through the rain, a smile on her face.
The old Li family mansion and several shops naturally returned to Wu Caiwei's possession. Although Liu Baishi's sons were unwilling, the circumstances were beyond their control. They knew that even if Wu Caiwei didn't take them over, they wouldn't be able to survive in the city. After all, these were things Liu Baishi had taken from the Li family through all sorts of schemes. It was only right that they be returned to their rightful owner.
And with parents who had plotted murder for wealth, marriage and funeral arrangements would be out of the question for them. They would likely be pointed at on the streets. Recognizing their situation, they packed their belongings and disappeared completely from Yangcheng.
It is said they never returned to the Liu family's old residence. Madam Liu, upon hearing of her son's actions, fell ill and passed away within a few months, marking the complete decline of the Liu family.
Occasionally, Wu Caiwei would see people standing in front of her shops, their eyes filled with hatred. She couldn't help but smile. Although Madam Liu had taken her in back then, they had subjected her to years of cold treatment. Wu Caiwei not taking action against the Liu family clan was already her repayment of that kindness. After all, she had endured so many years of trouble from the Liu family while living in the countryside. Having lived a life of wealth on the bones of the Li family, it was already more than sufficient.