Today, Dong Yuxuan received his monthly allowance. He bought half a pound of braised meat and two ounces of liquor, planning to have a good meal at home.

He was greeted by a cold and deserted house. Ye Xiaohui was crying in her room, while Dong Wangshi was crying outside. The two of them were arguing again.

"Mother, what's wrong with you?"

Looking at her son, Dong Wangshi felt wronged.

"My son, it wasn't easy for your mother to raise you. You mustn't forget your mother after you get married."

Dong Yuxuan was completely baffled. How could he be that kind of person?

"No, Mother, you are the most important person to me."

"Fine, your wife doesn't respect her mother, so divorce her."

Before Dong Yuxuan could speak, Ye Xiaohui ran out.

“Brother Dong, I didn’t disrespect Mother. I put too little water in the rice when I cooked it at noon, so the porridge was a little burnt. I didn’t eat enough, but Mother blamed me for not giving her food. How can you blame me for that?”

"It's you! You didn't gather any pig feed this afternoon. The pigs won't have anything to eat tomorrow, and you're sure to starve."

"Mom, my hands hurt, I have blisters, I can't gather pig feed anymore..."

...

Dong Yuxuan didn't know who to comfort, so he picked up the braised meat and wine and went to the study.

A month after their marriage, Dong Yuxuan didn't want to go home every day; he felt that his home no longer felt like home.

Every day was filled with arguments. Either Ye Xiaohui would cry to him about how her mother bullied her, or her mother would cry about how difficult her daughter-in-law was to manage.

At first, he tried to mediate between the two women, but later he realized that neither of them wanted to live a peaceful life; they just wanted to compete for dominance so they could occupy a higher position in the family.

He was tired too. He had been busy all day and couldn't even find peace at home, so he might as well go out and get drunk.

?

Xiao Li was enjoying watching the show when there was a knock on her door.

"Miss Ye, we meet again."

Lan Zelin stood outside the door, looking somewhat reserved.

Xiao Li was a little surprised to see him. Over the years, Lan Celin would occasionally come to escort medicine for injuries, so they were quite familiar with each other.

"It's you! What brings you here?"

Shouldn't they have been awarded a title and honors in the capital?

Lan Celin scratched his head. "I'm here to take up my post. The Emperor appointed me as the governor of this place, so I came to see you."

Xiao Li: ...

Are we that close?

"Is there anything else? I'm about to head out."

Lan Celin reached out and braced himself against the door. "There's one more thing."

"What?"

Lanzelin blushed slightly.

"Well, I have a plum grove in my manor, with many varieties, and it's very beautiful. So I've come to invite you to be my guest. I wonder if you would do me the honor?"

Xiao Li immediately understood; the peach blossoms had arrived.

She looked Lan Celin up and down, left and right. Anyone else would have been shy, but Lan Celin was quite open and allowed her to look him over. He even stood up straight to show off his good physique.

He has a good physique, is good-looking, has a straightforward personality, and most importantly, he likes himself.

"Alright, I'll pack up and go to the prefectural city with you tomorrow."

Lan Celin was overjoyed. He put his things down and followed Xiao Li, waiting for her instructions.

"I'm used to sitting in this recliner, so I'll bring it with me."

Move away.

"I'm used to using this silk quilt, so I'll keep it with me."

Okay, I'll take it with me.

"This stove is for brewing tea in winter; you should take it with you."

No problem, take it with you.

Xiao Li packed up the things she was used to, all of which were custom-made and couldn't be bought for the time being. She gave the rest to Lan Celin.

Xiao Li called Ye Xiaomeng and her husband Zheng Erhe over and handed over the business of the yard and flowers to them.

"I probably won't be coming back to live here in the future, so you can stay in this house. You can also help manage the flower business. Once you've bought the flowers, send them directly to Yuyan Pavilion."

Xiao Li had already partnered with Yu Yan Ge, so she didn't need to worry about the ordinary steps; she only needed to focus on the core secret formula.

Her secret recipe is the refined essence, which is irreplaceable by others, as there are no sophisticated machines in this era capable of such extraction.

Ye Xiaomeng was happy for her when she learned of her plans. She sincerely wished her sister well in finding a good partner.

Xiao Li traveled by carriage all the way to the prefectural city.

Ye Xiaohui regretted her past actions when she learned that her eldest sister had married the governor. She wished she had done the same as her second sister and tried to curry favor with her eldest sister. Now she could have benefited from it, or at least gotten some advantages like her second sister.

Dong Yuxuan didn't go home again; who knows where he went gallivanting that night. Ye Xiaohui fell asleep with her pillow soaked with sweat.

In her dream, Dong Yuxuan became a general, and they fell in love at first sight. Ye Shiqing also agreed to their marriage.

After marriage, her mother-in-law treated her very well, like her own daughter. Her husband also cherished and loved her, and had only her for the rest of his life. She lived a life of luxury, wealth, and happiness.

"hehe……"

Ye Xiaohui was laughing when she woke up. The dark walls told her that she had just been dreaming, and she cried again.

The Dong family was poor, so Dong Wangshi took on some laundry and mending jobs, and Ye Xiaohui also had to do them.

She often imagined herself living as a general's wife in her dreams, but unfortunately, it was just a dream.

?

Xiao left for the manor that Lan Celin had prepared for her. It was a small estate, and its most precious feature was a hot spring.

Xiao Li really enjoyed it; soaking in a hot spring in winter was so comfortable.

A month later, Lan Celin came to marry Xiaoli with a generous dowry. Yan Jinjin, as a member of the bride's family, came to see her off. When Xiaoli's dowry was displayed, it was as many as sixty-four loads, and everyone realized how wealthy she was.

Over the past decade, she has earned a considerable sum of money, which she has converted into antiques, jewelry, estates, and residences—a truly impressive collection.

Lan Celin is the youngest son. His hometown is Hancheng. His parents are not around. For this wedding, his parents and brothers came, but they only stayed for half a month before leaving again.

Xiao Li maintained a peaceful relationship with them, and things were quite harmonious.

With them gone, Xiao Li became the most powerful person in the entire mansion. With no one to supervise her, Xiao Li could do whatever made her comfortable and lived a very enjoyable life.

Lan Celin may seem carefree, but he is actually quite thoughtful and petty. He appears indifferent to Xiao Li, but secretly he wrote a letter to the county magistrate.

In the letter, he recounted how his wife was framed and nearly died when she was young, which pained him deeply.

The magistrate pondered for a day and finally understood. The next day, Dong Yuxuan was fired. He couldn't understand why he had suddenly lost his job.

After returning home dejected, he rallied his spirits and tried to find a job, but unfortunately, no one else dared to hire someone the county magistrate had dismissed.

Dong Yuxuan could only work as a traveling peddler. He carried a load of goods on his shoulders all day, rang a bell, walked through the streets and alleys, shouted his wares, went through forests and hills, endured wind and rain, and slept in the open to earn a meager living.

?

Ye Shiqing had three daughters, but unfortunately none of them were close to him. His biological son was by his side, but unfortunately he had no talent for studying and failed the imperial examinations repeatedly, eventually becoming a farmer.

Ye Shiqing often dreamed of his eldest daughter's desperate eyes as she drowned herself in the pond, and he died in despair.

Xiao Li was exceptionally happy in her life. She was the most powerful woman in the entire prefecture, and all the ladies flattered her. Her husband served as the prefect for nine years, and when the emperor summoned him back to the capital, he directly applied for a post outside the capital.

He knew that Xiaoli disliked being constrained, so he never returned to the capital and spent his entire life serving as an official in other places, living a carefree life with Xiaoli.

(over)