Chapter 114 You seem to be very afraid of the heat?

Yao Qingling only asked that one question before leaving.

Both Ma and Yao Qingqi were completely baffled.

Yao Qingling, however, already knew what was going on.

"This matter was most likely instigated by Ma Peizhen."

Ma Peizhen failed to seize the courtyard and was sent to Litai Courtyard. Naturally, she harbored resentment towards Qingling.

Moreover, now that the Marquis's mansion has lost the Duke's mansion as a marriage partner, the young ladies in the Marquis's mansion have become unwanted.

Yao Qingqi's own marriage was already arranged. She was carefree and just waited for the day to come to marry into the princess's mansion.

Ma was still resentful because she lost the argument over Qingling not returning home all night and didn't get any benefit from it. She had no mood to care about anything else.

It was a hardship for my younger cousin who was still at the Pear Terrace Academy; no one cared about her anymore.

Therefore, Ma Peizhen herself could no longer sit still.

Seeing that Qingling had successfully established Hui Bafang, she encouraged Yao Qingqi to invite other noble ladies to Hui Bafang, using their status as daughters of the Marquis's family to send gifts to curry favor.

Once you get to know those noble ladies, you'll have the opportunity to choose a husband.

Furthermore, Ma Peizhen was also aware that if Yao Qingling knew about this, she would definitely cause a scene with Yao Qingqi.

If you cause trouble with Yao Qingqi, Ma will step in and side with her.

Ma Peizhen hoped that the two sides would quarrel, and quarrel several times, so that Yao Qingling might lose one of the quarrels?

If she loses, Ma will have the opportunity to take back everything Yao Qingling has: her shop, her dowry, and the Mulan Courtyard.

These things will then become Ma Peizhen's property.

She didn't care about things that others had used. No matter how good the things from Ningjiang Prefecture were, they were still the worst things from the Marquis's mansion, not worth mentioning.

Unexpectedly, Yao Qingqi and Lin Shiyuan clashed first.

Lin Shiyuan showed no mercy, not allowing them to take anything with them unless they were given money.

The ladies rolled their eyes awkwardly, dropped their things, and left.

Not only was Yao Qingqi's dignity utterly humiliated, but it was also trampled on repeatedly. It's no wonder she went crazy.

This gave Ma Peizhen a better opportunity.

As long as Madam Ma insists that Hui Ba Fang belongs to the Marquis's mansion and everyone is a master, then Yao Qingling will not be able to hold onto that shop. If she continues to fight, she will lose everything.

As for Yao Qingqi's reputation and face?

Ma Peizhen didn't care; on the contrary, she was probably even jealous that Yao Qingqi had found such a good husband.

Tao Ye was shocked when she heard Qing Ling's analysis: "Miss Pei Zhen is so wicked. She did so many things behind the scenes, just to reap the benefits, and then she disappeared without a trace afterward."

"Even though things were in such a mess at Dan Gui Courtyard, she didn't show her face. She was hiding in Li Tai Courtyard listening to the news. If Miss hadn't asked, how would we have known that she was involved?"

Qing Ling sneered: "The Ma family is a case of 'the student surpassing the master'."

Tao Ye said, "But Miss Qingqi has been quite good to her. How could she scheme against Miss Qingqi? Isn't that ungrateful? If the Prince's Mansion dislikes Miss Qingqi and breaks off the engagement, what good will it do her!"

Qing Ling's voice grew colder, and her eyes became even more indifferent: "Yao Ying inherited my father's title. Are they grateful to him?"

No.

After the Qingming Festival ancestor worship ceremony this year, Yao Ying couldn't wait to go out for drinks and entertainment. She got drunk and started talking nonsense.

Someone overheard it and told others.

"...Everyone only knows Yao Rui, but no one knows me, Yao Ying! Am I not even as good as a dead person?!"

At that time, Yao Qingling was deliberately spreading rumors about General Yao Rui's great achievements among the people because of the divorce. That was when her father was the most talked about.

Unexpectedly, Yao Ying thought this way.

He himself was mediocre and incompetent, yet he blamed the fact that his brilliance was overshadowed by the dead.

Yao Ying was so inconspicuous that the matter didn't cause much of a stir. Only someone overheard it and mentioned it to Qing Ling, saying that he didn't know what was good for him.

But for Qingling, she wished her parents were ordinary, at least they could still be alive; she would rather not have this marquis's mansion.

Peach Leaf fell silent.

No wonder these people are a family; they're all ungrateful wretches, yet they manage to live together.

"Well...Miss, is there anything we should do?"

Yao Qingling strolled slowly, and before she knew it, she had returned to Mulan Courtyard.

She said, "This time, nothing too big of a storm happened, and thankfully Yao Qingqi didn't spread rumors outside. I'm quite busy, and I don't have time to play house with her."

"However, since this person likes to cause trouble behind the scenes, we might as well find her something to do so that she won't always cause trouble."

Yao Qingling planned to let Yao Qingqi and Ma Peizhen fight amongst themselves.

It would be best to send Ma Peizhen back to Ningjiang.

Peach Leaf's eyes lit up, and she began to look forward to it.

The two women were in good spirits. When Lou Yue saw them, she asked in confusion, "Could something good have happened at Dan Gui Courtyard? Look at how happy you are."

Yao Qingling waved her hand and ordered dinner to be served.

She was hungry.

After dinner, Yao Qingling looked at the account book for a while, thinking about how to turn the money from the bearded man into clean, transparent money.

How can this be done in the ledger without being noticed?

Furthermore, Hui Ba Fang is ultimately a property of the Marquis's mansion. She wants to separate Hui Ba Fang from the Marquis's mansion and take complete control of it, so that no one can touch it.

The next day, she went to the shop for a stroll.

Lin Shiyuan, dressed in all black, stood with his hands behind his back in a secluded spot on the second floor, observing the operation of the entire shop.

Yao Qingling walked over, handed her a cup of tea, and said slowly, "Don't be nervous, this isn't a battlefield."

His demeanor was like that of someone standing on a city gate tower observing the enemy's movements; he appeared relaxed, but was actually ready to strike at any moment.

He hasn't adjusted to his new identity yet.

Lin Shiyuan took the tea from her, glanced at her, and said calmly, "Nothing happened yesterday?"

Qingling looked at him and said with a smile, "Are you talking about my deal with the bearded man? Or about Yao Qingqi?"

Lin Shiyuan took a sip of tea, his voice still light: "We have both."

Qingling nodded and said, "The matter of the bearded man is quite important. I can make a fortune and use that money to open a few more shops, which will allow me to employ even more people."

"As for Yao Qingqi..."

She drew out the last syllable, and Lin Shiyuan turned his gaze towards her.

Qingling said, "Hui Bafang is mine, no matter how much she makes a fuss, it won't work. You did a good job, you can't let Yao Qingqi get a taste of the benefits and reach out to me."

Lin Shiyuan calmly withdrew his gaze, but the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

He added, "I thought you would say that giving her a small interest would be enough to settle things peacefully, and that it's not worth arguing with her over such a trivial matter. Offending those noble ladies would affect the shop's business."

Qing Ling smiled and gestured with her chin toward the south-facing shelf.

It was full of goods from the south, which were rarely seen in the north, making them rare and precious.

"How can this be a small matter? Those noble ladies have very good taste. Do you think they would even look at the ordinary things in my shop? I'm not a generous person."

She's living a very frugal life.

Lin Shiyuan watched her waving her fan.

As the weather grew hotter, she broke out in a light sweat, her clothes and hair sticking to her body.

As Yao Qingling fanned herself, she said, "Even noble ladies are different. Those who openly covet petty gains are despised. These customers are none of my business."

With a teacup in one hand and a fan in the other, she couldn't easily brush the hair stuck to her forehead, so she could only rub it with the back of her hand.

Lin Shiyuan raised his hand, about to land on the woman's forehead, when he suddenly came to his senses, lowered his hand slightly in mid-air, took her fan, and fanned her.

Yao Qingling glanced at him and smiled, "Thank you."

After fixing my hair, I suddenly realized that the act of receiving and giving away the fan had a hint of ambiguity.

She lowered her head slightly to hide the sudden awkwardness that arose within her. After the strange feeling in her heart subsided, she glanced at the man again.

At this glance, all that remains is clarity and naturalness.

I just realized that this tough guy was actually quite shrewd and knew how to read the room.

Lin Shiyuan fanned her, saying, "You seem to be very sensitive to heat?"