Song Mansion.
"What? That woman didn't come back again last night?" Song Zhijing returned home and was furious when he heard Zhang Shuer's words.
He was busy for three days in a row because his family, including the clerk and Constable Ruan, reported that their home had vanished.
That's right, it's not that the things inside are gone, but the entire house, including the roof and the plants, is gone.
The sleeping family members were awakened by the cold, because the blankets covering them were gone.
The same goes for Yongtai Pawnshop on East Street!
The thief's modus operandi was so unusual that it was exactly the same as that of the prefect's family!
Song Zhi was in a terrible state of mind. He couldn't even get enough to eat when he got home, and then he heard that his wife had gone back to her parents' home again. How could he not be angry?
"Make her hand over the reins of the household tomorrow."
"Husband, don't be angry. I've already given my mother one hundred taels of silver to buy grain."
Hmph, if it weren't for her grandmother's upcoming birthday, she wouldn't be contributing to the household expenses.
"You're still the best."
Zhang Shuer: "Has my husband prepared the birthday gift for my grandmother?"
Song Zhijing: ...Never mind what I just said.
I'm just worried about this, another expense!
"Of course." He forced a smile.
Just as he was thinking about how to scrape together money to buy a gift for his father-in-law, he heard the maid outside the door say that the young mistress had returned.
Song Zhijing and Zhang Shuer walked out quickly.
The carriage drove directly into the courtyard.
After a while, under everyone's gaze, a fair hand, as white as jade, reached out from the carriage and slowly lifted the curtain, revealing a face as beautiful as a peach blossom.
Li Ruo!
What happened? Shouldn't a woman whose husband has been stolen be haggard, pale, and weak?
The woman was radiant, her eyes bright, and her smile dazzling. Song Zhijing was stunned for a moment, while Zhang Shuer was so jealous that she crumpled her handkerchief.
Mrs. Xu was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth.
"Wow, everyone's here." Li Ruo had originally planned to get out of the car gracefully, but she had already exhausted her patience by just lifting the curtain, and instead jumped down with a flourish.
Song Zhijing thought to himself, "This woman really is different."
He was extremely agitated, which was reflected on his face as a dark cloud. "I'm asking you, you haven't come home for three nights in a row, where have you been?"
Li Ruo said calmly, "Didn't the security guard tell you? I went back to my parents' house."
"Don't you think it's inappropriate for you to go back to your parents' home so frequently?"
"What's wrong with that? My grandmother took care of me for half a year, shouldn't I take care of her for a few days?"
Song Zhijing seemed to choke, unable to refute.
Li Ruo's gaze suddenly turned sharp and mocking. "Tsk tsk, Song Zhijing, what right do you have to question me? How many times did you come to see me while I was in a coma? If it weren't for Grandma, I would have died long ago. Of course, you might wish I were dead."
Song Zhijing was taken aback. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Whether you're lying or not, you know best. How's your investigation into the case of me being knocked unconscious? Have you even investigated it properly?"
Xu's heart skipped a beat.
Song Zhijing's face stiffened slightly. "How could there not be! A servant saw Xie Xiao that night; it was him who did it."
(Xie Xiao: Your family is so mean.)
"Really?" Luckily, Li Ruo had read the book, otherwise she would have actually believed it.
Whether he investigated seriously, or whether he knew that Xu had smashed the items but chose to protect Li Ruo, is unknown. However, it is certain that this person had no feelings for the original owner.
Madam Xu, standing nearby, quickly tried to smooth things over with a smile, "Alright, it's not a big deal for her to go back to her parents' home for a few days, but—"
She changed the subject, "I think Aruo has just recovered from a serious illness and probably doesn't have the energy to manage both things. Why don't I take on the extra work and continue to run the household?"
The Song family also had some shops, but they were jointly owned by the three branches of the family, and the shopkeepers only recognized the seals, not the people.
Li Ruo looked at Madam Xu. At this moment, she could still remain so calm and pretend to be a smiling tiger. She truly deserved to be called Old Jiang.
She readily agreed, "Sure, but has Madam forgotten that I said I had to return my dowry within five days? Today is the last day. If you return it to me, I will return the seal to you."
Mrs. Xu: Oh, so that's what she was waiting for. I really underestimated her.
Xu's smile vanished. Where could she find the money to smash it again? "Heh, you see the current situation at home. Could you grant me a few more days?"
Seeing the fleeting ruthlessness in her eyes, Li Ruo smiled and said, "Alright, we're all family, what's there to be embarrassed about? Tomorrow is the birthday of the old lady of the Runan Prince's Mansion, and as the young mistress of the Song family, I can't help but attend. Just consider it giving the old lady face."
As she spoke, she looked at Zhang Shuer.
Zhang Shuer was almost furious. She went as the young mistress of the Song family, so what identity did she have? She could only go as the granddaughter.
Mrs. Xu was also choked with anger.
She hadn't planned to let Li Ruo go with her, but she was afraid that Li Ruo would use the dowry to cause trouble, which would make things difficult. "Yes, that's the best way to think."
This implies that Li Ruo also went along.
In Song Zhijing's view, although Li Ruo had become aggressive, she still seemed to care about the title of young mistress. It was just that she cared about him, and she seemed no different from before. His expression softened slightly, "I'll let it go this time when she goes back to her parents' home. This is a one-time exception."
After saying that, I had to get busy preparing the gift.
Zhang Shu'er's act wasn't over yet. She grabbed his arm and said sweetly, "Husband, the grain I paid for this time has already been distributed to the third branch of the family. I didn't know my sister was coming back, so I didn't give her any."
Hmph, I'm glad you're starving, but more importantly, I'm trying to embarrass her in front of everyone.
Song Zhijing glanced at Li Ruo. After all, it was Zhang Shuer who paid for it, so he couldn't say anything. It would be good for this woman to learn a lesson.
A little voice inside Li Ruo was laughing hysterically, wanting to starve her.
However, she didn't make a fuss because of her "good temper." She said, "I understand. My husband doesn't need to worry about me. It's okay if I don't eat for a day or two."
So docile and easy to talk to?
For some reason, Song Zhi became even more irritated. "That's it then, everyone go and get busy," she said, and left as if fleeing.
Zhang Shu'er smiled smugly, thinking that it would be fine if Li Ruo went to Runan Prefecture tomorrow, but he shouldn't cry then.
Li Ruo wasn't idle at the Song family's house; she went to the second and third houses in the neighboring courtyard and took advantage of them.
Fearing that Xu would use the same trick again at night, Li Ru hung a bell on the door.
Sure enough, the bell rang in the middle of the night. The steward Liu, whom Xu had sent, was knocked unconscious by Li Ruoyi's katana, tied up, and stuffed into a wooden box.
This is the same person from our wedding night; she's a witness, and she plays a crucial role.
The next morning, Mrs. Xu, who had been waiting all night, was restless because she could not find the housekeeper anywhere.
Just as she was about to depart for the Prince of Runan's residence, she looked around and couldn't find Li Ruo!
Just as Madam Xu was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Li Ru appeared, entering from outside. Madam Xu was startled, exclaiming, "You—"
Li Ruo looked bewildered. "What's wrong?"
Xu gave a stiff smile. "It's nothing, let's go."
Because Zhang Shuer insisted on sharing a carriage with Song Zhijing, Xu Shi had no choice but to sit with Li Ruo, feeling extremely uncomfortable under Li Ruo's beaming smile the whole way.
Strange, this woman is a bit strange.
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