"Father, you concealed the matter of the red dress from me first, and then you laid a hand on Mother. I am truly disappointed in you for doing this!"
Li Huai'an's words were like a cold wind passing by, carrying a deep disappointment with his father's actions.
After saying that, he resolutely turned around and followed his mother Bai Wei's receding figure, leaving behind a sense of solemnity and resentment.
"Bai Lian, did you see that?! Did you hear that?! This is the kind of good child raised by the mistress of the house. When my wife and I had a disagreement, he wouldn't even call me 'Father'!" Li Zan felt his anger burning.
“Master, I also feel that you have been somewhat inconsiderate in this matter. Bai Lian saw clearly what happened that day when the woman in red forced Madam on the street—” Bai Lian raised her head and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"Get out, all of you get out!" Li Zan cursed angrily.
Bai Lian dashed off towards the gate of the mansion to catch up with Bai Wei.
"You, Bai Wei, this is the son and the servants you command! They all side with you! Fine, I'll defy you and die rather than divorce you!" he shouted at the door.
Yu Ming helped the frail Zhao Yun stand at the courtyard gate. Seeing that only Li Zan remained in the courtyard, she slowly walked over, bowed to Li Zan, and comforted him, "Father, don't worry. Mother-in-law will definitely come back once she has thought things through."
Li Zan's gaze fell on Zhao Yun's stomach. He pondered her words and realized that she had a point.
“Yun’er, you and Yunxiang will be giving birth in a few months. It’s absolutely impossible for your mother to be away from home and in charge. You and Yunxiang should try to persuade her. It’s normal for couples to bicker occasionally, but your mother-in-law has been spoiled by my parents since she was little. She can’t stand a bad word and can’t tolerate the slightest imperfection. With her personality, isn’t she just asking for trouble?”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun understood Li Zan's words. Although she looked down on his behavior of using his wife's money to support other women, the man in front of her was, after all, her father-in-law, and she didn't want him to really divorce his mother-in-law.
At that time, not only will Li Zan and Bai Wei become the laughing stock of the entire Lingyang City, but she and Li Huai'an will also become the talk of the town.
Zhao Yun accepted Li Zan's offer and leisurely went to Qingfeng Courtyard.
When she arrived, she learned that Bai Yunxiang had already packed her things and gone to catch up with Bai Wei.
Judging from her demeanor, Bai Yunxiang is determined to break with the Duke's Mansion along with Bai Wei.
Yu Ming stamped her foot anxiously, "Miss, the Duke's mansion is going to be in complete chaos!"
Zhao Yun sighed softly, a hint of worry in her eyes. "Yu Ming, this matter is more complicated than we imagined. However, since it has already happened, all we can do is try our best."
Inside Qingfeng Courtyard, Zhao Yun slowly sat down, pondering how to deal with this sudden turn of events.
She knew that Bai Wei's departure was not just a problem between her and Li Zan, but a major crisis for the entire Duke's Mansion.
She gently stroked her belly, feeling resentful about why her life was so miserable.
First, her father was dismissed from his post and went into seclusion, and then he disappeared without a trace; now that her relationship with Li Huai'an has improved a little, her mother-in-law and father-in-law are making trouble over divorce.
Zhao Yun gazed at the empty Qingfeng Courtyard, took a deep breath, and slowly closed her eyes. Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by someone, and she felt a sharp pain.
She worried that because of this incident, Bai Yunxiang's position in Li Huai'an's heart would be higher than her own.
At the same time, she was also worried that if her mother-in-law really divorced her father-in-law, and Hongyi became the head of the Duke's mansion, and Hongyi was already pregnant, and if she gave birth to a boy in the future, Li Huai'an's position as the heir apparent would be in jeopardy.
No, she can't let that happen!
She had to find a way to stop her mother-in-law from divorcing Li Zanhe.
Zhao Yun took a deep breath and said to Yu Ming, "Go find the young master and tell him that he must find his mother no matter what, and that the family needs him. Also, tell him to be careful and not let his father know what he is doing."
Yu Ming nodded in agreement and quickly left Qingfeng Courtyard.
As dusk settled and the city streets of Lingyang were illuminated by the first lights, Li Huai'an looked around blankly. He searched for a long time but could not find his mother, Bai Wei.
"Where would Mother go? The Zhang residence? No, impossible. Mother wouldn't go to Zhang Fang during this special time, giving Father something to use against her."
He gazed at the bustling crowd, analyzing every possible place Bai Wei might have gone, then rejecting each one. Finally, he came to a conclusion: Bai Wei might have gone to Chaoyang County with his family's caravan.
Just as he was lost in thought, Yu Ming ran over breathlessly and told him everything Zhao Yun had said.
Upon hearing this, a resolute glint flashed in Li Huai'an's eyes. "I know what to do. Yu Ming, go back and tell Yun'er to rest assured that I will find my mother."
Yu Ming nodded and turned to leave.
Li Huai'an rubbed his aching temples, thinking that he had been so focused on looking for his mother along the main street that he hadn't even been to his shop yet.
He turned and walked toward his own clothing shop, only to be shocked to find that the person in charge had changed and the shop had been transferred!
Li Huai'an was greatly alarmed!
He suspected his father was behind it all. He rushed to the other shops in the city, only to find, as he had predicted, that they had all changed owners and been sold!
Li Huai'an felt as if struck by lightning, and he plopped down on the steps of the shop. His empty eyes stared at the bustling crowd, coming and going, a lively scene. Yet, at that moment, he felt utterly alone.
He sat there for a long time before finally returning home, his anger simmering like a raging bull.
He wanted to go back and question Li Zan about how his father could sell his mother's dowry for the sake of a prostitute from a brothel.
If that's true, how can he be fit to be a husband and a father?!
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