The two randomly chose a restaurant and ordered a few dishes.

Gu Nanjiao cut to the chase: "What about the profit sharing?"

Bai Luochen took out a stack of silver notes from his pocket and handed them to Gu Nanjiao: "Count them, it's three hundred taels in total! The account book is with Manager Yao, we can check the accounts anytime."

Gu Nanjiao took it and counted it. Sure enough, it was three hundred taels of silver notes. It was the first time she had ever seen ancient silver notes. They were somewhat similar to the paper money in history books.

Gu Nanjiao could hardly believe her eyes when she received three hundred taels of silver in half a year's profit sharing. She instantly became a rich woman, holding three hundred taels in her hands. Adding the profit sharing from Lü Siniang's shop and the money she earned from her stall, she had a full five hundred taels!

I'm a little rich woman, a little rich woman, a happy rich woman, so happy! Bai Luochen is definitely a helper in my journey to the pinnacle of life, cooperating with him is definitely worth it.

Seeing Gu Nanjiao's eyes shining with joy, Bai Luochen couldn't help but twitch his lips.

It's only five hundred taels, and they're already this happy.

Indeed, for a rural woman, this was an enormous sum of money that she would never have dared to dream of.

Bai Luochen curled the corners of his lips and said with a smile, "The Imperial Concubine Soup is currently in short supply. I wonder if Madam Lu still has any left?"

Gu Nanjiao quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes, we have it stored in the cellar at home!" The Wang siblings and the Lu family had processed a lot together and stored it in the cellar, enough to last until the kudzu matures this year.

"Alright, I'll talk to Manager Yao another day and have someone go and pick up the goods."

"Okay, no problem!" Gu Nanjiao readily agreed, and the unease in her eyes when she looked at Bai Luochen was gone.

Bai Luochen stared at Gu Nanjiao for a while, then asked in a low voice, "Do you know what a mine is?"

Gu Nanjiao's heart skipped a beat, and she asked in return, "What is a mine?"

Bai Luochen was too cunning; he actually tricked her when she was in a good mood. Luckily, she reacted quickly and pretended to be confused and didn't understand!

Bai Luochen's peach blossom eyes sparkled: "You don't know?"

"I don't know. How would a country woman like me understand what you mean by 'mine'?" Gu Nanjiao continued to pretend that she didn't know.

"The acting is really bad!"

Gu Nanjiao lowered her head and stroked the silver note repeatedly, her heart filled with panic. Was she really that useless? He had seen through her little scheme at a glance. Or was Bai Luochen still bluffing her? In any case, she couldn't let Bai Luochen find out that she knew about the saltpeter mine.

Gu Nanjiao looked up and met Bai Luochen's gaze. Her tone was calm: "I don't understand what you're talking about. What do you mean by bad acting? What did I act?"

Bai Luochen remained silent, looking at her with a half-smile.

Gu Nanjiao blinked: "Why don't you tell me what a mine is and where it is? Don't try to be cryptic, I really don't understand what you're trying to say?"

Bai Luochen chuckled: "Just kidding! Look how scared you are!"

Gu Nanjiao...

When did she get scared?

...

After Lu Xiaomei sneaked into the academy through a side path, the teacher was still lecturing, so she could only anxiously hide behind the wall.

After what seemed like an eternity, school finally ended. Lin Ji was the first to come out, and seeing Lu Xiaomei crouching in the corner, she couldn't help but ask, "You...aren't you Yanzhao's sister? How did you sneak in?"

Lu Xiaomei slowly stood up. Her legs were a little numb from squatting, and she almost fell. Fortunately, Lin Ji caught her in time.

Lu Xiaomei hurriedly asked, "Brother Lin, where is my brother?"

Lin Ji shouted towards the door, "Lu Yanzhao, someone's looking for you!"

Hearing that someone was looking for him, Lu Yanzhao put down the book he was holding and came out.

Upon seeing her brother, Lu Xiaomei grabbed him and hurriedly said, "Brother, something terrible has happened! Your wife has run away with someone else!"

Lu Yanzhao: "...Who?"

"My sister-in-law said his name is Bai Luochen?"

Lin Ji stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Judging from the name, he's a pretty boy. These days, pretty boys love to steal other people's partners."

Lu Xiaomei: "Brother Lin is absolutely right. He looks fair and clean, like a pretty boy. He's wearing all white clothes and holding a broken fan that he keeps waving around."

“White clothes, fan, Bai Luochen…” Lu Yanzhao couldn’t help but think of the man who had been so attentive to Gu Nanjiao as he escorted her home at the entrance of the restaurant. He seemed to be dressed like that as well.

"What, you recognize him?"

"Hmm, a pretty boy, but not as good-looking as me," Lu Yanzhao said in a deep voice.

Lin Ji glanced at Lu Yanzhao speechlessly: "So what if he's not as good-looking as you? Pretty boys are good at sweet talk and bewitching women; most women can't resist their sweet words. They don't just rely on their looks. Yanzhao, if your wife is targeted by someone like that, I'm afraid..."

Lu Yanzhao's expression changed drastically, and he asked Lu Xiaomei, "Do you know where they went?"

Lu Xiaomei said, "I know, Mother was secretly following behind and left marks on the road, telling me to hurry up and find you."

"Let's go then!"

"Oh, okay!" Lu Xiaomei quickly followed, glancing back at the academy before leaving. In her mind, the academy was a sacred place, accessible only to men. She longed for the day when she could study there too.

...

After the two had eaten and drunk their fill, Gu Nanjiao wiped her mouth. She had cooked for Master Zheng at noon and hadn't had time to eat lunch, so she ate until she was stuffed.

Bai Luochen didn't eat much; the food simply didn't suit his taste. He was starting to miss Gu Nanjiao's shredded pork with garlic sauce. He hinted at it several times, but Gu Nanjiao wouldn't listen.

After saying goodbye to Bai Luochen, Gu Nanjiao returned to her stall. Lu's mother and younger sister were waiting anxiously, and when they saw Gu Nanjiao return alone, they were both stunned.

What about Lu Yanzhao?

Where is his brother?

However, Lu's mother dared not ask. What if her daughter-in-law found out that she had not only followed behind but also asked her younger sister to call her son? What if she got angry and ran away?

Lu Xiaomei lowered her head and helped tidy up the stall, not daring to utter a sound. She led her brother to the location, and her brother told her to come back. She didn't know where her brother had disappeared to.

...

Bai Luochen had just reached the corner when he suddenly felt a chill.

Before I could react, a black cloth bag was put over my head.

Bai Luochen remained calm and composed, swiftly opening his jade fan. "Hmph, who's the fool who dares to provoke me? Do they think my kung fu is all for nothing?"

He lightly touched the ground with his toes, his white robe fluttering, and ripped off the black cloth bag from his head, sending the jade fan flying. Before he could even see who it was, lime powder attacked from all directions. Bai Luochen reached out to block it, but was still blinded. In an instant, an undercurrent of tension surged.

The enemy came on strong and outnumbered, and no matter how good Bai Luochen's skills were, he was outnumbered.

Who goes there?

"Pretty boy, you dare to talk back." The thug who was pinning Bai Luochen down kicked him.

"You should understand even if you die." Bai Luochen struggled for a moment, but four or five thugs pinned him down so tightly that he couldn't move.

Lu Yanzhao's expression was cold and stern as he spat out a few words through gritted teeth: "Don't even think about coveting what doesn't belong to you!"

Bai Luochen was taken aback. What was he even thinking?

Could it be that another powerful family has discovered the saltpeter mine and wants to take it from him?

Bai Luochen sneered: "What if I don't?"

Lu Yanzhao's expression grew increasingly grim: "Did you ask for this?"