Pan Jinlian was nowhere to be seen, either inside or outside the living room.
Dai Zong laughed and said, "That Pan Jinlian insisted on carrying gold and silver jewelry, saying it was capital for doing business. As a result, it filled two carriages, making the journey slower. Now that we have arrived at the foot of the mountain, Brother Wu Song has gone to greet us."
Li Huan said, "You've worked hard. Have a few more boxed lunches for lunch."
Dai Zong chuckled and clasped his hands in thanks.
A moment later.
Wu Song led Pan Jinlian into the courtyard.
"Huan-di! Your sister-in-law is here!"
Li Huan immediately went to greet them and saw two carriages parked outside the courtyard.
"Sister-in-law, what's in the carriage?"
Li Huan asked the question knowing the answer already.
After a long absence, Pan Jinlian's face appeared rounder and her figure more voluptuous, inevitably sparking the imagination.
Pan Jinlian smiled radiantly, first bowing to Li Huan, then said, "The carriage is filled with gold and silver, which is my savings from the past few years."
Li Huan said, "We are going to foreign lands, and the journey is long. We simply cannot bring so much gold and silver jewelry."
Pan Jinlian was taken aback: "How can I open and run a shop without enough gold and silver?"
Li Huan said, "I have a large sum of silver in the foreign country, which I can use to invest in opening a shop."
Pan Jinlian smiled and said, "That's my brother's money, how could I possibly use it?"
The wealthy women in Yanggu County were very powerful and unwilling to spend men's money.
Li Huan said, "You deposit your savings into the Liangshan Treasury. After we arrive in the overseas foreign lands, I will be responsible for providing the funds to open a shop and handing it over to you to manage."
Pan Jinlian said, "That's very good, I'll leave it to you, brother."
After saying this, Pan Jinlian and Wu Song followed Li Huan into the living room.
Wu Song asked curiously, "Sister-in-law, what will happen to the shops in Yanggu County after you leave?"
Pan Jinlian said, "I have instructed the managers of each shop to manage their businesses and to give them a share of the profits at the end of the year."
Wu Song praised, "Sister-in-law is not the same as before, Wu Song admires her the most."
Pan Jinlian said, "If it weren't for Brother Li Huan leading me to set up a street stall selling boxed lunches, how could I have achieved the prosperity I have today?"
When talking about selling boxed lunches on the streets of Yanggu County, Wu Song immediately thought of his elder brother Wu Dalang. He was saddened and couldn't help but sigh.
At this moment, Hu Sanniang took Li Shishi's hand and walked into the living room side by side.
"My lord, please look!"
Li Shishi, dressed in a short-sleeved outfit reminiscent of a female general, appeared both heroic and charming, catching everyone's eye.
"Great! Beautiful!" Li Huan gave a thumbs up.
Wu Song hurriedly asked Hu Sanniang, "Why did you dress Li Shishi in this outfit?"
Hu Sanniang said, "Shishi is now the master's concubine. She has decided to stay at Liangshan and join the Women's Army. From today onwards, I will teach Shishi to ride horses, shoot arrows, and practice martial arts!"
Wu Song laughed and congratulated Li Huan.
Dai Zong also clasped his hands in congratulations and flattered Li Shishi, praising her as a celestial being descended to earth.
Pan Jinlian stared at Li Shishi, her eyes filled with intense jealousy.
"Brother Li Huan, you knew I had feelings for you and waited for you for three years, but you married Hu Sanniang and refused to take me as a concubine!"
"Today, I finally understand. Brother Li Huan has a unique eye; he only likes women who are skilled in martial arts!"
After Pan Jinlian finished speaking, she snorted unhappily.
Holy crap, the wealthy and powerful Xiao Pan openly expresses his feelings in public without any attempt to hide it.
Li Huan laughed and said, "Sister-in-law, do you know who this Li Shishi is?"
Pan Jinlian curled her lip in disdain: "What kind of background could she possibly have? She's just a few years younger and a bit more beautiful than me."
Xiao Pan stubbornly raised her pretty face and puffed out her chest, comparing herself to Li Shishi with her own strengths.
In this respect, Li Shishi was slightly inferior.
Li Huan said, "Li Shishi, famous throughout the capital, renowned for both her talent and beauty, from Jinqian Lane! Haven't you heard of her, sister-in-law?"
Pan Jinlian was stunned: "She...she's Li Shishi, a famous courtesan in the capital?"
With a smile, Li Shishi politely bowed to Pan Jinlian: "It is indeed I, your humble servant."
Pan Jinlian chuckled, "So you're a courtesan!"
Li Shishi's face immediately showed a hint of embarrassment.
Li Huan said, "Although Shishi makes a living in a brothel, she sells her art but not her body. She remains pure and untainted. As of last night, she was still a virgin."
Pan Jinlian was startled again: "You...you two slept together last night..."
Li Huan raised his thick eyebrows slightly: "Nonsense! If we didn't share a room, how would I know that Shishi is untainted by the mud?"
Pan Jinlian was speechless, biting her lip with her pearly teeth.
Li Huan said to Li Shishi, "My wife, go practice your martial arts. Be careful not to fall off your horse."
Li Shishi softly agreed and followed Hu Sanniang away.
Gazing at Li Shishi's graceful figure, Dai Zong's face was filled with envy: "Brother is so lucky, he actually took Li Shishi as his concubine..."
Pan Jinlian snorted again, pouting and sulking.
Wu Song felt extremely uncomfortable and quickly took his leave, leaving the living room with Dai Zong.
At this moment, only Li Huan and Pan Jinlian were present.
Pan Jinlian's eyes suddenly reddened, tears welled up, and she began to sob.
"Waaaah... I've waited so many years, my love for you so deep... Who knew that today I can't even be a concubine? My life is so bitter..."
Li Huan smiled and said, "Li Shishi's situation is different from yours."
Pan Jinlian cried, "She is young and beautiful, so of course her situation is different from mine. You must dislike me, thinking I'm old and faded, and not to your liking... Waaah... My life is so bitter... so bitter... so bitter..."
Hearing Pan Jinlian repeating "my life is so hard" like a broken record, Li Huan got annoyed and slammed his hand on the table!
Snap!
Pan Jinlian was startled and instinctively fell silent.
Li Huan said, "Although I didn't take you as a concubine, I promised to take you to foreign lands overseas. This is a privilege that neither Hu Sanniang nor Li Shishi could enjoy. What else are you dissatisfied with?"
Pan Jinlian's eyes suddenly lit up, and she hurriedly wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief.
"You didn't lie to me, you really aren't taking Hu Sanniang and Li Shishi to those foreign lands?"
Li Huan nodded: "Hu Sanniang must stay at Liangshan Marsh to personally train the women's army, and Li Shishi must also practice martial arts."
Pan Jinlian smiled through her tears: "It seems that you, brother, have a particular fondness for me."
Li Huan said, "There is one more person traveling with us on this trip to foreign lands!"
"Who is he?" Pan Jinlian asked curiously.
Li Huan immediately ordered that Xiao Qiao and Da Qiao be summoned.
Pan Jinlian's face turned green when she saw it.
Good heavens, there are two stunningly beautiful women with extraordinary elegance!
Li Huan patted Xiao Qiao on the shoulder: "Her name is Xiao Qiao. She is traveling with us to a foreign land overseas."
Xiao Qiao smiled and asked, "Mr. Li Huan, how should this lady be addressed?"
Li Huan said, "Her surname is Pan, her given name is Jinlian, and she is a wealthy woman from Yanggu County."
Following that, Li Huan vividly recounted his experience of selling boxed lunches at a stall in Yanggu County.
Xiao Qiao and Da Qiao listened intently.
Pan Jinlian stared at Xiao Qiao, her eyes filled with jealousy...
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