Border town, the Zhang family mansion, a medicine merchant.

In the hall, a beautiful woman, supported by her maid, slowly sat down at the dining table.

Soon, the servants brought out all sorts of delicacies and placed them on the table.

The steaming dishes were incredibly fragrant.

After the servants who served the dishes left, Madam Zhang eagerly peered outside.

But when she hadn't seen the person she was hoping for return home, she instructed a servant beside her, "Go and see when the master will return?"

After receiving the order, the servant quickly left the room.

"ah!"

Suddenly, a noisy commotion broke out outside.

Mrs. Zhang woke up early this morning to find her left eyelid twitching badly. Already in a bad mood, the noise outside only made her more annoyed.

She looked outside angrily and said, "I've spoiled you too much all this time, and now you're so unruly. Go and see what happened."

The maid standing beside Madam Zhang obeyed the order and quickly went out to check the situation.

Before long, Xiaoru, the maid who had gone out to check the situation, brought a young woman into the room.

As soon as she entered the house, the young woman knelt on the ground.

Upon seeing this, Madam Zhang's expression hardened, and her heart skipped a beat.

Is it true that a disaster is about to happen?

Xiaoru stood beside the young woman and bowed to Madam Zhang, saying, "Madam, this maid has something important to report. Perhaps we should ask her to leave?"

The servants who were serving in the hall all withdrew.

The young woman then raised her head, and Madam Zhang recognized her at a glance. She was Pei Lan, the personal maid of Madam Qiao, the salt merchant next door.

Pei Lan's eyes were red, and she seemed unable to hold back her words. The servants of the Zhang family had just left.

She hurriedly said, "Madam Zhang, my lady learned today that Concubine Ning has absconded with the money she used for her business."

My wife fainted upon hearing the news and has only just regained consciousness. She sent me to the manor to ask what we should do next.

The news of Aunt Ning's escape struck Madam Zhang like a thunderbolt.

Her heart seemed to suddenly skip a beat.

She slammed her hand on the table and stood up, pointing a finger at Perrin with a ferocious expression. "What did you say? Say it again!"

Madam Zhang suddenly stood up, startling Pei Lan who was kneeling on the ground. She was so frightened that she stumbled backward and fell to the ground.

Perrin repeated what he had just said.

Mrs. Zhang refused to accept the facts, her mind filled with the impossibility.

But Perrin's sudden visit today made me certain that everything he said was true.

Madam Zhang slumped down in despair, feeling a chill run through her body at the thought of the silver she had moved to the Wu residence.

Originally, she planned to use the family's silver to give to Aunt Ning in the new capital city so they could open a rouge shop together.

After all, before this, Aunt Ning had only allowed them to take a small share of the rouge shop's profits.

The monthly bonus they received was a whopping two hundred taels of silver.

This is no small sum; two hundred taels of silver is enough to cover household expenses for a month.

Anyone would be tempted by that, especially since she was someone who had actually received the money.

But now that Aunt Ning has absconded with the money, how is she going to explain this to the head of the family?

At that time, Madam Zhang was filled with remorse and wished she could throw herself into the well to atone for her sins.

But when she thought of her young children, she couldn't bring herself to be so cruel.

Just then.

A servant from the Zhang household walked in from outside.

"Reporting to Madam, Master's carriage is already waiting at the gate. He will be able to return home for dinner in about half an incense stick's time."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang immediately felt as if she were facing a formidable enemy.

However, she was not from a humble background and would not easily give up or be unable to withstand the slightest storm.

After dismissing the servant, she turned and instructed Xiaoru to escort Peilan out of the mansion, telling Peilan that she would personally visit the Qiao residence later.

As soon as the two maids left, Master Zhang strode into the hall.

"Master is back."

Fearing that Mr. Zhang would notice something amiss, Madam Zhang immediately changed her expression and greeted him with a smile.

Today, Master Zhang heard some shocking news at the pharmacy. As soon as he returned home, he wanted to share it with his wife.

He calmly pulled his wife to sit down, and after the servants brought a basin of water to wash their hands, he wiped his hands and said with a smile, "My lady, today I heard a very funny joke."

Madam Zhang smiled stiffly, "What has made you so happy, sir?"

Master Zhang threw the handkerchief into the basin of water, turned his head to look at Madam Zhang, and said, "I heard that General Wu's mansion has a concubine who ran away with the family's property."

Their whereabouts remain unknown.

I've also heard that many ladies in the border town have been swindled out of a lot of their money by following that concubine in learning business.

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang's face immediately turned somewhat unpleasant, but she dared not show it in front of her husband.

He could only manage an awkward laugh, "Such a thing actually happened? General Wu, didn't you send anyone to investigate?"

Master Zhang curled his lips and sneered, "A woman trying to do business? In these chaotic times, even men struggle to make a living. What a pipe dream."

When General Wu learned of this, he rushed back to his residence overnight and did not even go to the military camp for the past two days.

This shows that marrying a wife is not a good idea; not only will the household be in turmoil, but there is also the risk of losing everything.

"If I were General Wu, I would definitely divorce that first wife."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang's back stiffened, and a chill ran from her heart to every part of her body.

Mr. Zhang paid no attention to Madam Zhang's changed expression, and with a gloating look on his face, he served his wife some food, saying, "Madam, you've worked hard managing the household, please eat more."

Madam Zhang's fingertips began to grow cold. She picked up the bowl, took the food that Master Zhang had placed on her plate, and thanked him with a slight smile, "Thank you, Master."

......

Meanwhile, inside the commander's tent.

Lu Qiqi and Song Yanqing were also having a meal.

Song Yanqing placed all of Lu Qiqi's favorite dishes in front of her, so that she could eat more freely and enjoyably.

Lu Qiqi slept until noon, and this meal is her first meal of the day.

Having not eaten for half a day, she was starving. She picked up the bowl and shoveled rice into her mouth, stuffing the delicious dishes into her mouth until it was completely full, just like a little hamster.

Song Yanqing was afraid that she would choke, so he would remind her from time to time to eat slowly.

Lu Qiqi finally managed to swallow what was in her mouth.

She looked up and the first thing she said was to urge Song Yanqing, "Eat quickly, we still have to go see a good show, or we'll miss it!"