After being imprisoned for ten days, Yue Weimin compromised with the Dong family and admitted that the accounts he had given to the Dong family over the years were false and that he had embezzled nearly half of the money from Donglai Ju.
During this period, he had thought about forcing his way out, but no matter whether it was day or night, there were always several people guarding outside, and these people were servants of the Dong family. He thought that he was the head of the Dong family all these years, and these servants listened to him. He never expected that after this incident, the servants would ignore him completely, and even when he asked the servants to deliver a letter to Xi Ge'er, they disagreed.
It was Xi Ge'er who came to see him himself and asked him if he had a mistress and a child.
He told Xi Ge'er about his difficulties and said that after he entered Dong Lai's house, no one respected him. Now even the servants dared to ignore him and lock him up, which showed that they looked down on him from the bottom of their hearts. He also told Xi Ge'er about the grievances he had suffered in the Dong family over the years, saying that his mother had been in charge of the finances at home all these years and he had to ask her even for spending money.
After hearing this, Xi Ge'er hesitated for a moment and asked him, "But doesn't mother respect you very much? She never contradicts you outside, and at home, she always cares about you. Even your clothes are made by mother herself. Our clothes are still made by embroiderer. Even though mother manages the accounts, she never cares about your expenses."
Actually, even though Dong was in charge of the accounts, every time Yue Weimin wanted to spend money, he would go to the accounting office to press his fingerprint and take the money himself. Sometimes he could take hundreds or even thousands of taels of silver in a month. He said he used it to buy expensive spices and ingredients, and Dong just let him do whatever he wanted and never restricted his spending.
Everyone in the family receives a monthly allowance. For example, Dong and Yue Weimin receive twenty taels of silver per month, and their children receive ten taels per month. All the food, clothing and other expenses in the family are put into the public account, and the twenty taels and ten taels are for their daily private expenses. Even Xi Ge'er eats and drinks in the tavern every month, and his clothes and other items are prepared by his mother. He cannot spend all the ten taels of silver, unless he buys some small gifts for his fiancée, and then ten taels of silver is not enough, and he will take some more from the public account, and his mother will not interfere.
He got engaged two years ago, but the girl's father passed away suddenly, and the girl had to observe mourning for her father for three years, so the marriage was delayed. They plan to get married next year after the mourning period is over.
He and the girl have a good relationship. Although they haven't gotten married yet, they still meet occasionally to have meals together. He also often gives his fiancée small gifts and jewelry.
So no one in my family has ever worried about money, including my dad.
Even Xi Ge'er had no doubt about this. His mother was very kind to everyone in the family and she never looked down on his father just because he was a concubine.
Yue Weimin was speechless, but a little angry and said, "Xi'er, don't worry about it. Go and persuade your mother to let me out."
Xi Ge'er nodded, "Then wait, Dad. I'll go and persuade Mom. Mom must have been angry for a while. Dad, as long as you are willing to break off the relationship with that side, give some money to send the mistress and the child away, and let them go somewhere else, I believe Mom will forgive you and will not divorce you again."
Xigeer went to find Dong.
Dong just asked him back, "Xi'er, do you think your father would be willing to give up his mistress and child? Or do you think your father likes you more? Would he give up his mistress and child for you? Xi'er, if your mother hadn't made a bet with you, you wouldn't have to plead for your father these days. See if he is willing to compromise, to sever the relationship there, or to give us the money he has taken from Donglaiju over the years, and still divorce me and go back to live with his mistress there."
Xi Ge'er didn't believe it at all, but he still hesitated and agreed to the bet with his mother.
A few days later, Xi Ge'er did not go to see Yue Weimin again.
Yue Weimin also thought that Dong Shi didn't want Xi Ge'er to come over. He was also worried that Dong Shi would bring people to embarrass Liu Niang and Ji Ge'er. Liu Niang was pregnant and was about to give birth. He was really worried, so he compromised thoroughly and asked the servants to call Dong Shi over. He told Dong Shi, "Over the years, I have taken about 50,000 taels of silver from Donglaiju. I am willing to return it all to you, but you can't embarrass Liu Niang and Ji Ge'er. I give you the silver, and then you and I will divorce, how about that?"
Dong said, "Of course, as long as you return the money, the divorce agreement can be written immediately. But after the divorce, you are no longer a member of the Dong family, and you can't continue to use the Dong family recipes to open a restaurant for a living. Otherwise, I will go to the government to sue you. Even if you go to the capital, I will not let you go."
Upon hearing this, Yue Weimin looked at Dong Shi fiercely, "If you don't want to use it, then don't use it. Dong Yonglan, you are really cruel. If I hadn't been supporting Dong Lai Ju all these years, do you really think Dong Lai Ju could have been open for so many years? Many of Dong Lai Ju's recipes were created by me, and Dong Lai Ju can't continue to use these recipes."
Dong nodded, "Of course." She was not interested in the new dishes he created.
Yue Weimin added, "I have all those banknotes in the bank. If you let me go, I will go to the bank to get them."
He didn't even leave the banknote with Liu Niang, which showed that he didn't really trust Liu Niang wholeheartedly.
This kind of person is selfish and he only loves himself.
Dong also saw through him completely.
After releasing Yue Weimin, he went to the bank to get the banknotes.
Naturally, Dong personally accompanied him on this trip, and other servants followed him. Yue Weimin could not resist, so he took the sign and went to the bank to withdraw the silver note, which was exactly 50,000 taels of silver. He gave the money to Dong.
Many people gathered outside the money house, talking excitedly.
After receiving the banknote, Dong went back and wrote a divorce letter to Yue Weimin.
The two divorced completely.
After Yue Xi found out, he came to the main courtyard. At that moment Yue Weimin had already packed up and prepared to leave. Apart from the money, he didn't want to take anything away from the Dong family, so he packed two sets of clothes and just walked out of the hanging flower gate, he saw Xi Ge'er.
Xi Ge'er's eyes were red, "Dad, you and Mom are getting divorced? Are you really leaving?"
Yue Weimin sneered, "You Dong family members were the first to be unkind and unjust. I have been in the Dong family for so many years. I have worked hard even if I have no merit. Your mother forced me to take out all the banknotes I had. Your mother is so ungrateful. Do you still expect me to continue living with her and continue to work like a slave for you Dong family?"
"What about me?" Xi Ge'er asked in a trembling voice, "What should I do after you leave, Dad? I also have your last name. Am I not as important as your mistress and children in your heart?"
Yue Weimin said: "You are also your mother's child, you can change your surname back."
After having Ji Ge'er, he only felt that Ji Ge'er was his real child. Besides, Liu Niang was pregnant with another child. If he really wanted to take Xi Ge'er with him, he was afraid that Liu Niang would be angry.
Yue Xi suddenly stopped talking and his face turned pale.
At this moment, there was nothing he didn't understand. It turned out that what his mother said was right. His father actually never loved them, including him. His father felt that the child coming out of his mother's belly would humiliate him and would remind him that he was married into the Yudong family.
Seeing that Xi Ge'er stopped talking, Yue Weimin walked past him carrying a bag, not caring at all about Xi Ge'er's frighteningly pale appearance.
Dong's face was extremely cold. She had thought that Yue Weimin still had some father-son affection for Xi Ge'er, but it seemed that he had no feelings for Xi Ge'er at all. In this case, she would do things more drastically.
Without saying a word, Dong asked her family to prepare a carriage and go to Raozhou City to find Liu Niang. The money that Yue Weimin used to support Liu Niang and the child also came from the Dong family, and she wanted to take it all back.
Taking his servants with him, Dong set out for Raozhou City.
Yue Weimin rode his horse faster than Dong Shi and arrived at Shijing Lane in Raozhou City. He went over and knocked on the door. Liu Niang happily opened the door, but when she saw it was him, she was stunned. "Old, old man, why are you here? Why are you here?"
Yue Weimin did not notice the abnormality in Liu Niang's words and asked, "Who else could it be if not me?"
Liu Niang said hurriedly, "No, no, it's just that the old man usually comes during festivals and on the 15th of every month. It's not even the 15th yet, why is the old man here?"
Yue Weimin said, "I have divorced that woman, Liu Niang, and I can take you and the children to the capital. That woman is really vicious. I have worked like a slave for the Dong family all these years, but she locked me up and made me take out all the profits from Donglai Jumei. Fortunately, I still have some money saved with you, Liu Niang, and this money is enough for us to live in the capital and open a wine shop."
Liu Niang was stunned. "Master, are you in such a hurry? Why did you suddenly divorce me? Didn't you say that you still need to wait for some recipe from Xu's Restaurant? Also, Master, isn't the capital too far away? Why don't we stay in Raozhou City and open a restaurant there?"
"How can that be possible!" Yue Weimin frowned. "Yuanbao Town already knows about my affairs. The news will spread to Raozhou City in less than half a month. By then, are you willing to become the laughing stock of the neighbors in Raozhou City?" He didn't want to. When he thought about how these people would laugh at him, he wanted to leave Raozhou City immediately and go to the capital.
But without a pass, he couldn't leave, and he needed to go to the government office to get a pass.
It would take two or three days to get a travel permit, which was just the right time for him to pack his things. Liu Niang was pregnant, so it would be better and faster for her to go by water. When he arrived in the capital, he could buy a house and settle Liu Niang down first, and then he would look for a shop to open a restaurant. He had learned cooking for so many years, so even without the Dong family recipes, he could make a name for himself with his own cuisine.
Liu Niang looked a little panicked.
She thought it would take Yue Weimin two or three years to divorce that party.
Besides, she didn't really want to leave Raozhou City and go to the capital. It was such a far place, leaving her hometown was one thing, and the other reason was even more difficult to accept.
Yue Weimin did not notice Liu Niang's abnormality. "Liu Niang, please ask the maids and servants to pack up. I am really exhausted from the past ten days. I will go into the house and rest for a while."
In order to take care of Liu Niang, he originally planned to buy two maids and servants, but Liu Niang said that she wanted to choose the ones she liked, so these two maids and servants were also chosen by Liu Niang herself.
He felt that there was nothing to pack at Dong's house, but in this house he wanted to take even the furniture with him.
When Yue Weimin went in to rest, Liu Niang sat in the main room in a daze.
The old woman came over and whispered, "Madam, do you want to pack your things?"
Liu Niang sighed, "Let's clean it up first."
Ji Ge'er is still in school. Let's wait until he comes back in the evening and let him persuade the old man.
After cleaning up for a while, there was a sudden knock on the door outside the yard. Liu Niang was absent-minded and asked the maid to open the door. As soon as the maid went out, Liu Niang heard the maid's panicked voice in the house, "Who are you? Why did you break into my house? Ah, what are you doing? You are so brave to break in. Be careful, I will report you to the police."
Upon hearing the voice, Liu Niang hurried out with her bulging belly, and saw several old women with thick waists and broad arms coming into the yard, as well as a woman wearing a silk dress with a plain and fair face.
The woman looked a bit old, but her skin was fair and wrinkle-free. She had a simple gold hairpin in her hair and a jade bracelet on her wrist. Her demeanor was gentle and polite.
When the woman saw Liu Niang coming out, she waved her hand at the servants and said, "Don't scare the pregnant woman."
After that, the woman said to Liu Niang calmly: "My name is Dong Yonglan."
As soon as these words were spoken, Liu Niang's face turned pale.
Of course she knew who Dong Yonglan was. She was the old man's wife, but now they were divorced. She stammered, "You, what are you doing here? The old man has divorced you. You have no relationship. Are you here to hurt me?"
Dong shook her head, "We did get divorced, but we are still related. What you eat, wear, and use, including this house, were all purchased with the money Xi Weimin gave you. All his money came from the Dong family. He is just the son-in-law of the Dong family. These things and money were purchased with the Dong family's money, so I came to take them back."
Liu Niang was stunned.
She didn't expect that the words from this gentle-looking woman in front of her would chill her to the bone.
After saying this, Dong waved to the servants and said, "Go in and search. It doesn't matter even if they report it to the police. This is just a family matter."
Just because Yue Weimin was the son-in-law of the Dong family, the government had no way to do anything about it.
Liu Niang panicked, "How dare you? This is my home. This is my own business. Everything is mine."
Dong said, "Since you said so, you can report it to the police. Then you can provide evidence to prove that you bought all these with your own money. I remember that you were bought by Yue Weimin, right? Your aunt wanted to sell you to Xiangmanlou, and Yue Weimin bought you when he passed by. You have never worked outside in these years. How did you get the money to build your own business?"
During the ten days when Yue Weimin was imprisoned, she went to check on Liu Niang and learned some of her past.
Liu Niang was speechless and looked at Dong with tears in her eyes, hoping that she would soften her heart.
She did not dare to step forward to stop it, for fear of hurting the baby in her belly.
Dong asked the maids to go in and search.
She knew that Yue Weimin must have embezzled more than just the 50,000 taels of silver. He must have taken a lot from the public accounts over the years, and Liu Niang must have also put a lot of banknotes in his pocket.
Yue Weimin was also awakened. When he saw Dong, he knew that Dong wanted to kill him. He looked at Dong with red eyes and gritted his teeth and said, "Dong Yonglan, you must dare to kill me, right? I have worked like a slave for Donglaiju for these years, and you won't let me take this little money?"
There was a lot of noise here, and the neighbors all heard the noise and ran out to see what was going on. For a while they couldn't see anything, and they were all curious about why there were suddenly so many people in the house of this reclusive woman.
The neighbors knew that the woman was about 30 years old and had a son named Liu Niang. They heard that her father was a caravan driver and was away doing business all year round so he was not at home.
Although there are occasional people who gossip, most of the neighbors live well. They think it is not easy for a woman to raise a child, and they will help her.
Now that so many people suddenly appeared in Liu Niang's house, they were naturally very curious, and some people recognized Yue Weimin.
"I know this old man. Isn't he the chef of Donglaiju in Yuanbao Town? He is also the shopkeeper of Donglaiju. You all know Donglaiju, right? It's a century-old brand. The owner's surname is Dong. This old man Yue married into the Dong family, so Old Man Dong taught him the Dong family recipes..."
"I know Donglaiju, it's been around for many years, but why is the old man of Donglaiju here? And I've never seen this woman in simple clothes before, who is she?"
"Yuanbao Town? I also know there is a Xu's Restaurant in Yuanbao Town. I heard the food there is delicious."
"I know this, it's true. The food at Xu's Restaurant is really delicious. I have a relative who lives in Yuanbao Town. When I visited his home, he went to Donglaiju to buy food. His family is a bit poor, but Xu's also sells cheap food. The fish balls and stewed fish I bought here taste really good..."
People around were chatting idly, and they saw the simply dressed woman asking a maid to go in and search the house. The neighbors finally found out what was going on.
"So this woman is Dong, the owner of Donglaiju? How could this old man Yue, the son-in-law of the Dong family, have a mistress and even have a child with her?"
"Oh my god, so that's how it is. This Liu Niang also said that her husband is doing business outside. It seems that she knows that she is a concubine and her husband can't come often, so she told others that her husband is doing business outside."
"How shameless."
"Dong family is also miserable."
"But they've both divorced, so let's be lenient with them. Now you want to turn this place upside down, isn't that a bit too much?"
"What's too much? It was originally the man's fault. He entered the family and used the money of the family owner to help other mistresses to set up business. If it were you, would you be able to swallow this?"
The neighbors around were excited and chatting excitedly.
Liu Niang blushed at what she said.
Dong had already asked her maid to search the house and find a locked coin box.
Seeing the money box being turned out, Yue Weimin's face turned red and his neck became thick, and he wanted to rush over to grab it, "Dong Yonglan, this is my own money. What right do you have to steal my money? Give it back to me." He only had these 50,000 taels of silver notes left.
Dong didn't say much to him. She waved her hand and asked the maid to find an axe and chop open the lock on the money box. Dong went over and opened it, revealing a thick stack of banknotes inside.
"So many banknotes? Oh my goodness, no wonder Dong family wanted to find them. There must be 20,000 or 30,000 taels of banknotes, right?"
Dong asked someone to count the silver notes, and found a total of more than 20,000 taels, less than 30,000 taels. She looked up and asked Yue Weimin, "Is this all the 20,000 taels? Nothing else?" In fact, she knew that Yue Weimin must have other silver notes here, and she guessed correctly.
"More than 20,000?" Yue Weimin was stunned and looked at Liu Niang, "Didn't I deposit 50,000 taels of silver with you? How come there are only more than 20,000 taels left?"
Liu Niang stammered and was unable to speak. Finally, she said, "Yes, I spent some of it myself."
Yue Weimin was incredulous and asked, "Why did you spend more than 20,000 taels? Your monthly expenses, as well as the silks, satins and jewelry you wear, were all bought by me. You have no place to spend all this money. How did you spend it?" He also didn't expect that, because in addition to these whole banknotes, he also paid for the monthly expenses, and he also gave Liu Niang a monthly allowance of several dozen taels of silver. Why did she spend more than 20,000 taels of silver?
Liu Niang's eyes were evasive, she was speechless, and she was extremely panicked.
The people around were still talking, "There are actually 50,000 taels? No wonder the boss is chasing us."
"Oh my goodness! Fifty thousand taels!"
For ordinary people, fifty thousand taels of silver is indeed something they would never see in their lifetime.
"Is this woman so generous? Did she secretly set up other businesses?"
A neighbor suddenly asked in confusion: "Why do I remember that Liu Niang's man is not Old Master Yue? I remember seeing this once before. I was out drinking that day and came back late. I saw that Liu Niang's door was open. Liu Niang opened the door, and a tall man walked in. He looked completely different from Old Master Yue in height. The man even looked back. He was not Old Master Yue at all. He had thick eyebrows, single eyelids, and a hooked nose. Liu Niang was very happy to see him, and walked in intimately with the man. But that happened two years ago."
Everyone was stunned. What did this mean? Could it be that Liu Niang had other men?
Everyone couldn't help but think of Liu Niang's eldest son, Ji Ge'er.
Ji Ge'er looks neither like Liu Niang nor like Old Master Yue.
Moreover, both Liu Niang and Yue Laoye have wrinkles on their eyelids, and neither of them has hooked noses.
On the other hand, Ji Ge'er has only one layer of eyelids and a not very obvious nose, but you can still tell that he has a hooked nose...
Liu Niang's face changed drastically.
Yue Weimin also heard this, panting heavily. He stared at Liu Niang and asked, "Whose child is Ji Ge'er? And where did you spend the 20,000 taels of silver?"
Liu Niang cried, "Master, what are you talking about? Ji Ge'er is of course your child. Don't listen to these people's nonsense. They are just talking nonsense."
The man said loudly: "I'm not kidding. By the way, I think that man looks a little familiar. Let me think about it..."
The man thought carefully and suddenly said, "I remember! I said that man looked familiar to me. He was Chen Daqun, the escort of Santong Escort Agency. Isn't Chen Daqun a businessman? Didn't you say that your man is a businessman?"
"I remember Chen Daqun lived in the alley in front, right? He seemed to be at home these days, so what's going on? Whose child is Ji Ge'er?"
Yue Weimin stared at Liu Niang, "Tell me, whose child is Ji Ge'er?"
Dong was stunned. She didn't expect that this would lead to the events that followed.
She didn't want to know whether Ji Ge'er was Yue Weimin's child or not. These things had nothing to do with her anymore. As for the house and the silks, satins and jewelry worn by Liu Niang, she was too lazy to pursue the matter. It was enough for her to get the money back.
"Let's go." Dong took the purse and told the servants to leave.
Yue Weimin watched Dong leave and began to panic. If Liu Niang was really unfaithful and had been hanging out with other men, then Ji Ge'er was not his child.
Even if Ji Ge'er is his child, it is probably true that Liu Niang is having an affair with someone else. So what is the point of all he did? He abandoned his wife and children, and in the end, the woman he treated as a treasure turned him into a cuckold.
It was impossible for him to even turn back. Everyone knew about these things. How could he still have the face to stay in Yuanbao Town and Raozhou City?
He has nothing left.
After Dong left, the neighbors watched her walk out of the house step by step, then turned back with interest to continue watching the show inside.
…
Ten days later.
At Xu's Restaurant, Xu Qinyu served Dong a bowl of hot Tremella, Lotus Seed and Red Date Soup. "Madam Dong, please try it. This Tremella, Lotus Seed and Red Date Soup was cooked at noon. No sugar was added to it. After it was cooked, some wild honey was added. It is nourishing and beautifying, and can also help you sleep and strengthen your stomach."
She noticed that Dong didn't look well, with dark circles under her eyes, and it was obvious that she hadn't gotten enough rest recently.
Of course she knew why Xiaodong looked so bad.
Not only did the people in Yuanbao Town know about the Dong family's affairs, but even the people in Raozhou City knew about it. It became the gossip and joke of every town and city during that period of time. Yue Weimin was so ashamed that he left Raozhou City overnight after the matter was resolved, and no one knew where he went.