Wu Wangshi smiled ingratiatingly at Xiao Li, her face twitching.
"Alright, I'm a little tired. I'll rest for a bit. Mother, you can go home now."
Wu Wangshi quickly stopped in her tracks. "Okay, okay, you should rest now. I'll take care of things at home."
Xiao Li ignored her and went into the courtyard on her own.
When Madam Wu turned her head, she revealed a ferocious expression. She was too spoiled and had no manners. Her son had made a huge mistake marrying her. She would definitely find him a different wife in the future.
After resting for a while, Xiao Li began to think. In this life, she would be facing imperial power, and the next emperor would be the fifth princess's own brother, which was why she was so arrogant and domineering.
She hasn't been idle for the past two weeks. She's offered her father many suggestions regarding the family business and made plans for the forces she should rely on in the future.
Although the Sun family was not the richest in the dynasty, they were still extremely wealthy, ranking among the top in Yancheng. However, only a small fraction of their vast fortune ended up in the national treasury, with the majority ending up in the pockets of the Fifth Princess and the Second Prince.
The current emperor of the Kang Dynasty has ten sons, but only five are adults; the other five are too young to pose a threat.
The eldest prince was born to Consort Li, the second prince and the fifth princess were born to Consort Shu, the third prince was the empress's legitimate son, the fourth prince's mother was Consort Xian, but Consort Xian had passed away, and he grew up in the empress's palace from a young age, and the fifth prince was born to a palace maid, abandoned by the emperor, and had no presence in the palace.
These five princes are all extraordinary; those who were simple are all dead.
At present, the fourth prince and the fifth prince seem like good choices. The first thing to do is to strengthen oneself and gain enough benefits so that one can get in touch with the princes and be given important positions.
A rumor spread through the streets of Yancheng: the old lady of the Wu family was a wicked mother-in-law who coveted her daughter-in-law's dowry.
Sun Niangzi's dowry was secretly hidden by her, as were her son and husband, Wu Xiucai.
The rumors circulating in the market were incredibly detailed: how the dowry was carried out, who was in charge, how many carriages were used, and where it was taken... everything was told with great accuracy.
"Daughter-in-law, it really wasn't us, you have to believe us."
You know Bin'er's character; he wouldn't do such a thing.
Upon hearing the rumors, Madam Wu quickly tried to clarify them with Xiao Li, but Xiao Li just looked at her without saying a word.
They didn't have time to do it in this life, but in their past life they took everything, even the Sun family was completely wiped out.
"Mother, go back. The authorities will naturally investigate this matter thoroughly. I need to rest. Chunhua, escort the old lady back."
Lady Wu had no choice but to return home dejectedly.
"This is infuriating! We clearly didn't do anything, so what's wrong with these people?"
Madam Wu smashed the last tea set in the room. Granny Chen opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn't try to stop her.
Wu Yanbin sighed. With the rumors spreading and the Sun family remaining silent, he already sensed something was amiss.
“A fabricated charge can be used to justify anything.”
"Mother, we need to make plans soon; Sun Xiaoli is already out of our control."
Wu Wangshi clenched the handkerchief in her hand unwillingly. She had finally started to live a good life, how could she lose it all?
"What's wrong with this Sun family? Wasn't she perfectly fine? How did she suddenly change?"
Wu Yanbin sighed, "It's all because of the dowry. In the end, they still think we took it."
"Does this mean we can't rely on the Sun family anymore?"
Wu Yanbin's expression changed. He hated it when people said he relied on the Sun family. He was clearly talented and had achieved his success through his own efforts.
"Mother, please rest early. I'm going back to my study now."
Wu Wangshi sighed. She knew her son's pride all too well, but without money, one could hardly move an inch in this world. She never wanted to go back to the days of weaving cloth and washing clothes for others.
Xiao Li was getting ready to go to sleep when Wu Yanbin arrived.
"My wife, let's get settled."
Xiao Li looked at his outstretched groping hand, grabbed his wrist, and snapped it with a "crack"!
"Ah... my hand, my hand..."
Xiao Li sneered. She hadn't even settled accounts with him yet, and he had delivered himself to her doorstep. She had also severed a tendon in her hand. Although she could still use it after it healed, she would never be able to hold a pen again.
"Sun Xiaoli, do you know how precious my hand is? Take me to the clinic right now, or I'll kill you."
Xiao Li ignored him and went to wash up and go to bed on her own.
If Wu Yanbin weren't still useful, we would have dealt with him long ago. Now it seems we need to take care of them first.
No one paid any attention to Wu Yanbin, so he had no choice but to endure the pain and run out to get his hand checked.
The whole house was in an uproar again, but the pear courtyard remained quiet, and no one dared to cause trouble there.
The next day, Xiaoli summoned all the servants in the courtyard. Except for the steward and two cleaning women, those who could redeem themselves did so, and those who could not were taken away by slave traders.
"Young Madam, please let me stay. I can cook and do housework. I'm willing to do anything. Please."
Xiao Li remained unmoved. What was the point of keeping people around? She had a few maids and servants to take care of her; the others shouldn't be idle.
"Let's go. The young mistress has already instructed us to go through the proper channels. You won't be sold into brothels. From now on, it's up to your luck."
"Thank you, young mistress!"
Once the courtyard was quiet, Xiao Li looked at the resentful Wu Wangshi beside her.
“My mother used to do housework, so she should do it herself from now on. After all, we are too poor and have to increase our income and cut expenses. If this yard were still here, we would be homeless.”
Wu Wangshi was so angry that she wanted to hit someone, but two rough old women grabbed her.
"Is this how you treat your mother-in-law? You'll be struck by lightning!"
Xiao Li threw a lightning-summoning talisman over.
"Rumble~"
A flash of lightning struck, and Wu Wangshi's hair stood on end, turning her entire body black. She was so frightened that she wet herself and collapsed to the ground.
Wu Yanbin rushed over with his arm in a sling, "Mom, how are you?"
He reached out to help Wu Wangshi up, but Xiaoli threw another lightning-attracting talisman at him, and "crack!" Wu Yanbin was also struck by lightning.
The gate to the courtyard was open, and passersby saw the lightning strike the two people directly, so they rushed in and stood by the gate to watch the spectacle.
"It's over, it's all over now."
Wu Yanbin sat down heavily on the ground. The first thing he felt was not the pain in his body, but the desolation in his heart. What future could someone who had been struck by lightning have?
"Isn't that Scholar Wu? How could he have been struck by lightning?"
"And what about his mother? Why did the lightning specifically strike those two? Could it be that they really stole Lady Sun's dowry?"
"Even the heavens couldn't stand it anymore."
"He's supposed to be a scholar, yet he does such a despicable thing. Even God won't let him off the hook."
Xiao Li looked startled and said hurriedly, "Quickly help the old lady into her room."
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