Xiao Li blinked. "Mother, this is white fungus and lotus seed soup. You can make it in the kitchen if you want to eat it."
Besides, I haven't even found my dowry, and I have no money left. Mother, could I possibly withdraw some silver from my account to buy some headdresses?
Wu Wangshi was taken aback. Even though I've never eaten bird's nest, I know this isn't white fungus.
Why do we need to pay money now? Oh right, her dowry is all gone.
"You should go back now, I have a headache and want to rest."
Xiao Li bowed and led her people back.
Wu Wangshi looked at Chuntao standing to the side, picked up a bowl and threw it at her.
"Bang……"
Chun Tao didn't dare to dodge and was hit on the forehead, instantly raising a large bump. She knelt down and begged for mercy.
"Madam, I was wrong. Please forgive me this time."
Wu Wangshi snorted, "Take her out and sell her."
The two maids pulled Chun Tao away, and only then did Madam Wu feel a little better.
Granny Chen shrank to one side, afraid that the old lady would see her. She had already begun to plan in her mind that she could no longer stay in the Wu family mansion.
Xiao Li returned to the Pear Courtyard and had a good sleep. In this world, she didn't have spiritual roots, but she could practice martial arts.
She selected two suitable martial arts manuals to practice. By daybreak, she could feel a trace of true energy circulating in her body, eventually flowing into her dantian.
Although she hadn't slept, she didn't feel tired at all. Now she can lift 200 pounds without feeling the weight.
After having breakfast, she changed into her outdoor clothes.
"Miss, are we really going to practice martial arts? Qiu Shi and I are so old, can we still learn it?"
Xiao Li nodded, "It definitely can. I tried it last night and it worked."
Chunhua's mouth dropped open. It was already strange that there were two extra manuals in the dressing case, but the young lady was actually a martial arts prodigy?
Qiu used his hand to close her mouth. "Yes, Miss, I will keep an eye on Chunhua."
"Um."
The three of them practiced martial arts in the courtyard. Xiao Li practiced her lightness skill, while Chun Hua and Qiu Shi watched as their young lady gradually transformed from an ordinary person into a martial arts master.
"Qiushi, Miss has been acting very strangely lately. Before, she cared a lot about the young master, which worried us, but now she seems to care very little."
Qiu Shi hummed in agreement. "I've seen Miss's back. The little red mole is still there. As long as Miss is still here, it's good that she doesn't care. The young master isn't worth it."
Chunhua was furious when she thought about how her son-in-law hadn't returned to his room for half a month. But was it really okay for the couple to be so indifferent to each other?
Xiao Li shook her head when she heard the little interaction between the two maids. Even the maids could tell that Wu Yanbin was not a reliable person, but the original owner was deeply infatuated with him.
When Wu Yanbin went out with his classmates to enjoy the snow and look for plum blossoms, he discovered that he didn't have the money to buy a small red clay stove.
He stormed home and headed straight for the pear orchard.
"Sun Xiaoli, how do you manage the household? I don't even have any money when I go out, and you don't even know to prepare anything. Are you happy to make me lose face?"
Xiao Li covered her face with a handkerchief. "Husband, my dowry has been stolen and we haven't found it yet."
Besides, Mother is in charge of the household now, how can you ask me for money? You haven't given me your money either.”
Wu Yanbin was furious, just as Granny Chen arrived at the door.
"Young Madam, this old servant has come to deliver the housekeeper's key to you on the orders of the Old Madam. The Old Madam said that this household is now in your hands, and she expects you to manage it well."
Xiao Li saw the key and thought it was free, so she glanced at Qiu Shi, who understood and stepped forward to take it.
Granny Chen quickly bowed and withdrew, fearing that Xiao Li would return the key to him.
"Alright, now give me the money quickly, I'm going out."
Wu Yanbin breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, his mother had a solution, and it was better for Mrs. Sun to continue managing the household.
Xiao Li flipped through the ledger, which only contained records for a few months, and all of them were expenses. The income was the money that the Sun family had given her back then, and now the account was empty.
"Husband, can you do the math? I don't understand. Where is the income?"
Wu Yanbin blushed. He knew his family's situation all too well, but he had assumed that Sun had been in love with him and would take care of everything for him. Now it seemed he was wrong.
"I'm just a scholar, you should be grateful that I married you. Don't try to control me with money. Otherwise... humph!"
Xiao Li raised an eyebrow and stopped acting.
"Wu Yanbin, do you think you're something special? There are plenty of poor, pedantic scholars like you. I'm so beautiful and rich, it's your luck that I've taken a liking to you. Don't be ungrateful."
Wu Yanbin was stunned. "You...you...you have committed one of the seven grounds for divorce. I'm going to divorce you."
"Stop trying to restrict me with those rules and regulations. Your family is so poor that you can't even afford to eat, what are you pretending for? Go ahead and divorce someone and see if you have the courage to go back to living in a thatched hut."
Wu Yanbin was so angry that he flung his sleeves and ran away.
Xiao Li handed over the housekeeping duties to Qiu Shi, and in the afternoon, Qiu Shi took four nannies to the Chrysanthemum Courtyard.
"Madam, I've come to retrieve the servant's indenture. Since the steward doesn't have an indenture, he's not in the right, is he?"
Wu Wangshi touched the indenture, reluctant to part with it. This was her source of confidence; once she handed it over, she would lose control of people's hearts.
"Madam, the kitchen is waiting for money to buy rice to cook."
Granny Chen advised, "She's finally realized that this young mistress is the real boss of this household, so she'll have to try to please her from now on."
Qiu Shi glanced at Granny Chen and smiled at her. She was indeed a clever person.
Granny Chen immediately received the message, and a hint of joy welled up in her heart.
Wu Wangshi eventually handed over the indenture, and she was so angry that she ate two extra bowls of rice, making herself so full that she couldn't sleep. She went for a walk in the garden before returning to bed.
Wu Yanbin didn't go out either; there was no point in going if he didn't have any money. He was holding a book, lost in thought, not even realizing he was holding it upside down.
★
"My lady, we can set off now."
Today is the day Xiaoli returns to her parents' home. The two families live not far apart, but this is the first time she has returned to her parents' home.
Originally, she was supposed to return to her parents' home in three days, but the dowry was lost and the officials came to investigate, which delayed her for a few days. Xiaoli then sent a letter back home, deciding to wait until the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, which is half a month later, before returning.
Wu Yanbin was unusually attentive today. He had figured it out: if he wanted a good life, he would have to rely on the Sun family. So he came to the pear orchard early in the morning to accompany his wife back to her parents' home.
He plans to have a good talk with his parents-in-law.
The carriage arrived quickly, and when Xiaoli opened her eyes, she saw Wu Yanbin's smiling face as he lifted the carriage curtain.
She helped Chunhua out of the car and looked at the huge courtyard of the Sun family.
This estate covers a vast area and consists of several three-courtyard complexes. It is located on the edge of a slightly remote town, or in modern terms, in the suburbs.
"Ah Li, my son, you're finally back."
Xiao Li looked up and saw a beautiful woman with elaborate headdresses running towards her, lifting her skirt.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com