Chapter 139 (End of Main Text)

Chen Ruojiang couldn't answer him on this matter, but just smiled mysteriously and drank two more glasses of wine.

Yang Zeli seemed to understand something.

He doesn't keep his mouth shut when he's drunk, and he spread the word about this incident so that everyone knows about it.

When Wei Li woke up the next morning, he was met with subtle probing questions from everyone, and some people secretly asking him, "How many taels of silver does our lord receive each month? Why isn't it enough?"

His face turned from blue to black, then from black to purple, and finally he went on strike, simply hiding himself at home like an ostrich.

Wei Li's tacit agreement and dark expression indirectly proved the authenticity of this matter.

Then, considering all these years of boasting that no one in heaven or earth dared to interfere with him, and that he made all the decisions, big and small, at home, there's nothing more ridiculous than this.

The result of Wei Li's embarrassment and anger was that Pingzhou gained another tourist attraction.

He openly displayed the names of the famous prisoners who were locked in the dungeon with shaved heads, charging people a price for a visit. For example, the King and Crown Prince of Goguryeo cost five taels of silver for a visit, and the Xianbei prince cost four taels of silver for a glance. As for Luo Haoran, he didn't know his price and he was a free gift with the "buy three, get one free" offer.

Yang Zeli squatted at the entrance of the prison, responsible for collecting money, selling tickets, and leading people inside for tours and explanations.

This sight was novel; once you come here, you won't find another like it. The world has no shortage of wealthy people, and they all readily opened their wallets and paid to visit.

After just one day, Yang Zeli's lips were sore from being rubbed raw, his throat was so dry he couldn't make a sound, and all the money he had earned went to Wei Li.

He sincerely brought gifts to apologize to Wei Li for his outspokenness and youthful arrogance, but Wei Li refused to see him.

Wei Li had been bragging for ten years, but Yang Zeli exposed his boast in one go. He was utterly humiliated and would never forgive Yang Zeli.

Wei Li took Yang Zeli's hard-earned money and went to the market with his wife and children to buy New Year's goods.

As the year draws to a close, the streets are bustling with shoppers, filled with the sweet aroma of candies, roasted sweet potatoes, and candied hawthorns, along with shouts of vendors.

The cacophony of voices—middle-aged men haggling with vendors with their hands tucked in their sleeves, children throwing tantrums and begging for candy—made the scene even more lively.

People were packed together, and Zhizhi was too small; she could easily get lost.

Wei Li simply picked her up with one hand and held Zhao Xiheng's hand with the other, afraid that the family would get separated.

The mother and daughter found everything fascinating and wanted to buy everything.

Candy, Spring Festival couplets, "Fu" characters, small windmills, roasted chestnuts, roasted eggs, roasted potatoes, and roasted sweet potatoes—after finally emerging from the crowded street full of groceries, Wei Li's hands were already laden with heavy items.

I bought some snacks, and while I'm at it, I should check out some jewelry and accessories.

Zhizhi didn't have high demands. She munched on a roasted potato while Zhao Xiheng adorned her head with silk flowers, pearl strings, and small velvet flowers. She was young, and her hair wasn't as long or thick as an adult's, so it wasn't suitable for her to wear heavy jewelry, which would also affect her daily activities.

She looked beautiful in any flower. Zhao Xiheng's desire to dress up her daughter was stirred, so she bought all the little flowers she had tried on and also bought a pair of small gold bracelets with bells.

These should naturally be taken by Wei Li.

Although the silk flower bracelet wasn't very heavy, the shopkeeper packed it in a brocade box and a wooden box, which doubled its weight and volume.

"Don't you buy them for yourself?" Wei Li couldn't help but ask, seeing that she was buying them all for her daughter.

"I have plenty, enough for me."

Wei Li frowned, glanced around, and poked the most expensive-looking golden phoenix hairpin with a pearl into her hair.

"It's beautiful, I'll buy this for you."

He didn't quite understand the subtle desires women had, but buying the most expensive things was always the right thing to do.

Although his pokes were crooked and messy, Zhao Xiheng liked them very much. Actually, it was good enough that he was thinking of her.

The shopkeeper seized the opportunity to enthusiastically recommend, "This is a set. If my lord is buying a hairpin for his wife, why not buy the rest as well? It's only beautiful when everything is complete, and besides..."

"Stop talking, just buy it." Wei Li pulled out a silver note from his pocket and slammed it on the table with great fanfare.

Yang Zeli spent his hard-earned money without hesitation.

After strolling through the entire street, it was already completely dark. Lanterns were hung everywhere, illuminating the street brightly. There were far fewer people, and vendors began to pack up and close their stalls. The whole town exuded a sense of languid tranquility.

Wei Li took as much as he could, and for the rest he couldn't take, he could only ask them to deliver it to him the next day.

His hands were covered with packages.

Zhizhi squatted by the roadside, dozing off. She rubbed her eyes and said, "I'm tired."

"Come on up." Wei Li squatted down, this time without making fun of her.

Zhizhi took the opportunity to climb onto his back.

They moved little by little out of the market, where the carriage that was to pick them up was already parked.

Wei Li walked in front, and Zhao Xiheng walked behind him.

He would occasionally look back to see if Zhao Xiheng had caught up.

Zhao Xiheng grabbed his clothes to show that she hadn't lost anything.

Wei Li suddenly stopped, moved the things in his hand, freeing up his little finger, and stretched it out to her, "Here, don't say that I don't love my wife anymore now that I have a daughter, this is for you to hold."

Zhao Xiheng chuckled, looking at the slight red marks on his palm, and said, "I'll take some."

Wei Li quickly dodged, shouting, "Are you looking down on me? What kind of man makes his wife do chores?"

Zhizhi was awakened by their voices. Still half asleep, she only heard her father say, "If you really feel sorry for me, that's fine too..."

She was still dazed when a bunch of things were stuffed into her hands.

"Then let Zhao Shiliu carry some, anyway, she's just sitting on my back doing nothing."

Zhao Shiliu, “???”

So, the wife is the biological wife, but the daughter isn't?

She lay on her father's broad back, looking at her mother's empty hands, her feelings a jumble of emotions.

But it's impossible for her mother to carry it!

Young Master Zhao Tulin must start protecting his mother from a young age; she's incredibly capable!

So she nodded, afraid that Zhao Xiheng would snatch the things from her hands, "Mother, I can do it, let me carry them."

Fortunately, the journey wasn't far, and when the guards saw them come out, they quickly stepped forward and took all the things from them.

Zhizhi lay down on the carriage and fell asleep, her head resting on Zhao Xiheng's knees.

Wei Li pinched her cheek with curiosity.

Whenever he saw Zhizhi, he felt it was magical.

Zhao Xiheng gave birth to a daughter who looked exactly like him, and not only in personality but also in temperament.

"Do you act like a father? Don't touch her." Zhao Xiheng slapped his hand away from Zhizhi's face fiercely.

What kind of father would bully his child like that?

Wei Li puffed out his cheeks. He liked Zhao Xiheng the most, but it seemed that Zhao Xiheng liked Zhizhi the most now. He felt it necessary to remind her of what she had said back then.

So he asked her indirectly, "Zhao Xiheng, when did you fall in love with me?"

Zhao Xiheng was stumped by his question, her cheeks flushed red, and she brushed him off, saying, "Anyway, it's been quite a while."

He persisted, determined to make her remember that she liked him. "Did you like me back in Ji'an?"

"Am I sick? Do I like a lunatic?" Zhao Xiheng said, and even she found it rambling.

Wei Li wasn't angry. Instead, she proudly raised her head and said, "So you're still with a lunatic after all."

"Is this something to be proud of?" Zhao Xiheng rolled her eyes at him in a rather unrefined manner.

"You know this is what you owe me? You owe me, so you have to pay it back in this lifetime."

"What did I owe you?" Zhao Xiheng covered Zhizhi's ears and argued with him, afraid that she would hear. "I clearly saved you back then, didn't I? You're not grateful to me, but instead you tried to scare me by trying to steal my bride. This is called repaying kindness with enmity and turning the tables on me! Bah! Shameless!"

In order to give Zhizhi a wonderful and happy childhood, the two of them wove a beautiful and dreamy story to tell her.

The story goes that the two fell in love at first sight during the Lantern Festival and remained devoted to each other until death.

This story is definitely more beneficial to children's physical and mental health than a forced marriage.

The main thing is that they are presentable. Wei Li can shamelessly and proudly say that his mother was stolen by him, but Zhao Xiheng is not so shameless.

She is still trying to learn how to be a gentle and kind person, never scolding others, for fear of leading Zhizhi astray.

“I’m an ungrateful wretch, a heartless wretch. If you’re going to save me, you should have saved me to the end. If you abandon me halfway through, I’ll definitely get my revenge!” Wei Li said righteously.

Who threw you away?

"You! You thought I was troublesome and even bit people, so you kicked me out of the palace! I just wanted to see you, but they wouldn't let me, so I bit them." Wei Li's voice was bitter, and the tips of her ears turned red.

Zhao Xiheng pondered for a while, and recalled that there seemed to be such a thing. There was one of the wildest and most unruly horses in the stable, which always hurt people, causing the stable to be full of complaints. In the end, she gave him money and sent him out of the palace.

"Didn't I give you money?" Hearing Wei Li say that he bit people just to see her, Zhao Xiheng couldn't help but soften her heart, and her tone became gentler.

She didn't know him at the time, and the palace servants always said he was harmful, so of course she couldn't keep him any longer.

Looking back now, she didn't do anything wrong. It's just that Wei Li is the person she loves now, so she feels sorry for him.

"What use is money if I want to see you?" He said this with a hint of sadness and dejection.

If he had stayed in the palace, he might have seen Zhao Xiheng more often, but perhaps he wouldn't have had the good fortune to be with her now. Whether it was good or bad, he couldn't say for sure.

Every time I think about those three months I spent wandering outside the palace gates, I feel a sense of desolation in my heart, like snow has fallen.

Seeing his obviously downcast expression, Zhao Xiheng thought for a moment, leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then looked at him quietly, "It's hard to say who owes whom anymore, we're all tangled up in a mess, so let's just stay tied together forever and never separate again. If you want to see me, you don't need to bite anyone."

"Then can you say 'we won't separate' a hundred times?"

"No way!" That bastard really knows how to seize an opportunity.

Author's Note: The main text is finished!

After I finish writing the side stories, I'll be doing my internship, so I'll check my schedule and try to update daily.

As requested by everyone, the next book will probably be about this.

His Highness Wants to Fall in Love

Xiao Zhuo, the Prince of Southern Liang, was arrogant and disdainful of the world. He would not drink anything but the strongest wine, ride the finest horse, or marry the most beautiful woman.

When his peers had three children old enough to run errands, he cut the eighteenth red thread the emperor had tied for him, declaring that no woman in the world was worthy of him.

Later, the Xin family brought back Xin Shijiu Niang from Dunzhou. The young lady was beautiful, had a sweet voice, and was charming, which made all the eligible young men in the capital eager to pursue her.

At the palace banquet, Xiao Zhuo and Xin Shijiu looked at each other from afar, both of them startled.

My old nemesis still looks all respectable!

But no matter how good-looking they are, it doesn't change the fact that they can't stand each other.

When he opened his eyes, his bodies had been switched.

Xiao Zhuo's worst fears were about to come true—Xin Shijiu was about to use his body to indulge in debauchery and ruin his reputation.

Xin Shijiu never expected Xiao Zhuo to be so shameless—in order to keep an eye on her at all times, Xiao Zhuo used her body, crying and begging her father's leg, saying that he would never marry anyone but the Prince of Nanliang in this life.

This is absolutely outrageous.