Yue Xiu seemed to understand, "Is it because of competition from peers?"
Li Mai nodded and gave him an approving look. "It's all because of business. Think about it, the world is only so big, there are only so many people, and only so many people need incense. Instead of working hard to improve the quality of their products or their marketing methods in order to grab more business, they think about harming people. What will the final result be?"
"Although it is said that a gentleman takes his revenge even after ten years, thirty years is a bit long. But didn't the Xu family finally get to see what fate awaited their enemy?"
"Those three families had their property confiscated, and those who should have gone to jail went to jail, while those who should have started over went back to work. What have they gained in these thirty years? Perhaps they have only added some people to their family, but after this ordeal, their descendants can forget about ever turning their lives around again. In the eyes of the world, their reputation and credibility are gone."
"They haven't made anything in these thirty years, but they've taken so many lives and earned a lifetime of infamy. The incense industry in the Song Kingdom has plummeted ever since. I estimate that it will take at least thirty years for the incense industry in the Song Kingdom to regain its former glory."
"This is their karmic retribution in the mortal world. They have repaid their debts in this life, but after death, they still have to repay their debts in the underworld. Those debts of life are not over just because they were not sentenced to death. They still have to repay them after they die. It is unknown whether they will have the chance to be reincarnated in this life!"
People at that time believed in ghosts and gods, so it was easy for Li Mai to manipulate them.
After Li Mai finished speaking calmly, she looked up at the potted plants arranged in the private room.
Following her gaze, everyone saw that the flowers that had been in bloom had all closed into buds.
They quickly looked around and discovered that all the blooming flowers had closed up sometime during the day.
"What happened to these flowers?" Xu Chong was taken aback. He had borrowed them from his wife, and they had been ruined. His wife would make him sleep in the study.
Li Mai smiled faintly, stood up and walked to a flowerpot. She turned back to look at the Pei family head and the Yue family head and said softly, "Don't you two family heads not believe in cause and effect. Many things that people have not seen with their own eyes are still real."
As she finished speaking, she gently stroked the flower bud with her fingers, and instantly, the bud slowly opened until it finally bloomed back to its original state.
Then she gently flicked her finger towards the other flowerpots, and the flowers there slowly unfurled.
The principle behind this is that she simply uses spiritual power to make the flowers close, and then uses spiritual power to make them open again.
Throughout the process, she used her spiritual power to protect the flowers, ensuring that their vitality was not affected.
Although she expended some spiritual energy, this move was effective in intimidating those she wanted to deter.
Her words, combined with the scene, were quite beautiful, but they also gave off a slightly eerie feeling.
Everyone was deeply moved, and no one could utter a single word.
Zhou Quan stood up at this moment, "Madam, the child is hungry!"
Quinoa nodded and stood up, smiling as she looked at the two family heads and the two young masters. "You probably understand what I mean. Since we didn't suffer any losses before, we can let bygones be bygones this time, just because the two young masters are young and don't know any better."
"As for how to proceed in the future, that depends on your plans. If you have figured it out, the Li family welcomes you to come and discuss business at any time."
After saying that, the couple left and went downstairs to pay the bill, but the shopkeeper refused to accept it, saying that the owner had said that this meal was on him.
Li Mai glanced at Xu Chong, who was coming down behind her, shook her head, put down a ten-tael silver note, and went back with Zhou Quan.
A meal of stewed mutton would cost less than ten taels of silver. Xu Chong saw them off without much hesitation, and decided to give it to them as they pleased.
He knew they didn't care about this little bit of money now, so he would give them something else another day.
Standing at the door, Xu Chong gazed in the direction where Zhou Quan and Li Mai's carriage had left, thinking that he seemed to have learned a lot today.
Lu Qian also came out and stood next to Xu Chong. He suddenly said, "Brother Xu, I suddenly realized that all those years of fighting and bickering between us were quite meaningless. Fortunately, we didn't do anything that we'll regret."
Xu Chong gave a soft "hmm" and patted his shoulder. "Speaking of which, we're quite lucky. Fortunately, we're on good terms with those two."
Lu Qian gave a soft "hmm," then suddenly remembered his Xiao Tao and said with a smile, "I'm luckier than you. You're a relative, but I'll be family from now on."
After saying that, Lu Qian whistled and strolled off to see his little peach.
Xu Chong watched his retreating figure, speechless. He still had that annoying mouth, but he didn't seem so annoying anymore.
The Pei and Yue families, who had come out from behind them and heard everything they said, silently bid farewell to Xu Chong.
Xu Chong returned the greeting and smiled as he gave them a word of advice: "You are like standing on a cliff right now. If you make the right choice, you may need to turn back, but your future is promising. If you make the wrong choice, you may fall into a trap and lose everything."
After saying that, Xu Chong went back to the restaurant to greet the other guests.
The Pei family and the Yue family bid each other farewell, and agreed to discuss important matters together at noon the next day.
As Yue Xiu walked home with his father, he remained silent, pondering how to ask about that matter.
“That’s not a mistress, he’s your cousin. Your mother knows about this too. He’s your aunt’s child.” The Yue family head turned to look at his son and said helplessly.
"Then they'll investigate and find out she's a mistress?" Yue Xiu asked in a deep voice.
"Because your aunt became someone's mistress, but she died after giving birth. That family didn't want her to go back, and they had many sons, so your father had no choice but to bring her back and settle her outside."
Seemingly knowing what he was about to ask, he said, "Your grandparents were so angry with your aunt that they severed ties with her and refused to acknowledge that child as their grandson. They wouldn't let him into our household, so I had no choice but to place him outside. Only a few people know that I placed him there, and since the child shares our surname, that's what everyone else thinks."
Yue Xiu nodded, "I see. Should we go see my cousin another day?"
"No need. He already thinks he's my son. What would you say if you went?"
The Yue family head glanced back at him and said, "From now on, you should take good care of him in secret. He is thirteen years old this year. He is good at studying. It's better that he doesn't come into our family, otherwise we would still have to keep his status as an illegitimate son. For now, he is just a child without parents, living with a few servants."
Yue Xiu hummed in agreement.
Thirteen or fourteen years old? Then he should be able to guess who it is!
However, that boy didn't seem to be as well-behaved as his father had said; he seemed to have intentionally checked on him twice.
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