Chapter 55: Sisterly Affection, Part Thirty-Two

What surprised Yu Shanmeng was the business talent displayed by Zhang Qingxue and his second son.

If things were truly as she claimed and she had merely glanced at the ledger, then who had actually made the decisions?

Both Zhang Qingxue and Xuehai utterly astonished him. Having been husband and wife for so many years, she indeed had a gift for cooking and could whip up countless delicious meals. As for Xuehai, he was hopeless at studying, constantly obsessed with doing business, and had always dabbled in small ventures—from what Yu Shanmeng knew, the boy had even suffered a loss once. The crucial point was that the kid was only seventeen years old!

A seventeen-year-old could be sensible, but surely not sensible enough to take over a massive family business like the Yu household's without making mistakes, right?

Seeing the look of utter shock on his face, Chu Yunli smiled and said, "Never underestimate anyone."

Yu Shanmeng couldn't help asking, "Can the two of you really run a business?"

Chu Yunli nodded. "That newly opened teahouse in the city, the three-story building on Yunkang Street—that's mine. It opened the day before yesterday, the business is quite good, and it certainly won't lose money."

As a businessman, Yu Shanmeng naturally paid attention to newly opened shops in the city. He had even inquired about that teahouse when passing by. Not knowing who the owner was, he had to admit that the business was indeed thriving. Judging by the current situation, it would recoup its capital in three months at most, after which it would generate a steady stream of profit. Moreover, the storytelling scripts available there were quite good; when he was looking to borrow silver, he had even accompanied that gentleman to sit there for half a day.

"You... you never told me before that you knew how to run a business..."

Chu Yunli amusedly replied, "You only ever wanted me to stay in the kitchen and cook, and you never showed me the ledgers. Besides, you handled everything with such ease, why should I meddle? Actually, nobody knows their true potential until they are forced to push themselves!"

Yu Shanmeng was left speechless.

Did that mean Zhang Qingxue's formidable capability was actually forced out of her by him?

None of that mattered now. What mattered was that if the mother and son were capable of managing the Yu family business, his previous plan would fall through completely. If he couldn't take over the business, what would he use to support his family?

Inside the carriage, Zhang Qingxue had heard every word from beginning to end, and her face had now turned completely pale.

Yu Shanmeng glanced back, not daring to take a second look.

What should he do now?

Chu Yunli didn't care about him at all. She directly ordered the servants to close the gates and even said bluntly right in front of Yu Shanmeng, "If anyone dares to force their way through the main gate, release the dogs immediately!" With that, she cast a disdainful look at Yu Shanmeng and the carriage. "If you have no shame, just go ahead and try!"

Yu Shanmeng had been the young master of the house since childhood and was accustomed to being respected. Even now, when his fortunes had plummeted, people merely avoided him rather than daring to humiliate him to his face. If word got out that he had been bitten by dogs, he would truly become a complete laughingstock.

Inside the carriage, Yu Shanmeng wore a dazed expression.

Clutching her handkerchief tightly, Zhang Qingxue tentatively asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Yu Shanmeng snapped back to reality. "Dealing with the genealogy book is simple. I am the head of the Yu clan. Later, I'll find a scholar to rewrite a copy, hire someone to recarve the ancestral spirit tablets, and clear out a room to serve as the ancestral hall..."

"I'm talking about the business!" Having suffered consecutive setbacks, Zhang Qingxue was in an irritable mood. The mere thought of enduring hardship while following Yu Shanmeng made it impossible for her to keep a pleasant tone. "The gifts we received earlier were already used to settle debts, and it wasn't even enough to clear them all. Early next month, those shops will come knocking again... and then there are the wages for the household servants, the daily expenses for the whole family—everything requires silver. Yet here you are, acting completely unhurried..."

Pushed step by step by her words, Yu Shanmeng grew irritated as well. "Then what do you expect me to do?" As soon as the words left his mouth, realizing his tone was harsh, he rubbed his temples. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you like that. Zhang Qingxue is simply too infuriating. Such a ruthless woman—I must have been truly blind back then to go and ask for her hand in marriage."

To Zhang Qingxue, all of this was utter nonsense. The most urgent matter right now was to get her hands on some silver.

"This morning, I already made an appointment with the tutor at the private school. I plan to send A-liang over shortly."

What was being sent there wasn't just a person, but silver as well. A sharp headache pounded in Yu Shanmeng's temples, and he remained silent for a moment.

Knowing he was in a difficult spot, Zhang Qingxue suggested, "Why don't you just storm over there and take the business back by force? After all, those things rightfully belong to you..."

Yu Shanmeng sighed helplessly. "We signed an agreement between us." Besides, although those assets were currently managed by Zhang Qingxue, they had already been divided among the three siblings. They hadn't been taken outside the family, and he was unwilling to have a bitter falling out with his former wife and biological children over such matters.

If the family ended up taking each other to court, how could they face each other in the future?

He was willing to give everything to take care of Zhang Qingxue, but that didn't include abandoning his children and his own dignity.

Feeling deeply powerless, Zhang Qingxue couldn't help asking, "If you couldn't take care of me, why did you marry me?"

Yu Shanmeng abruptly raised his head. "Can you stop being so mercenary? Is there nothing in your eyes except silver? Can't you see my feelings for you? If I hadn't married you, all of the Yu family's businesses would still be in my hands right now. How could I have fallen into such a predicament?"

Zhang Qingxue was momentarily stunned by his roar. "Are you yelling at me?" she demanded, highly agitated. "You said you waited for me for years and yearned for me for years, and that was the only reason I agreed to marry you. And now, barely two days have passed, and you're already glaring at me... If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have married you at all. At least then you would have treated me with some courtesy..." As she spoke, tears began to stream down her face. "And you call me mercenary? You never spoke to me like this before we were married. It's true what they say—what you can't have is always the best. Now that I'm completely yours, you feel free to vent your temper on me however you please, don't you?"

She abruptly stood up. "Let's get a divorce. I'll release you so you can go manage your own business, and I can find someone else who is actually willing to take care of me and my child..."

Yu Shanmeng grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back down. "I won't allow it!"

"What right do you have to forbid it?" Zhang Qingxue's anger flared to its peak. "You can't even take care of me..."

Yu Shanmeng emphasized firmly, "We are already married. We are husband and wife, and I am your man. I will not allow you to go look for another man!"

Zhang Qingxue froze. "You're still yelling at me?"

Yu Shanmeng didn't want to yell at her either. Seeing her crying uncontrollably, a wave of regret washed over him. He fell silent for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry. I'm in a bad mood, and I won't shout at you like that again."

Crouched in the corner, Zhang Qingxue wepted with ragged breaths.

When it was time to step out of the carriage, she walked ahead without waiting for Yu Shanmeng to catch up, heading straight into her own room.

Gaoliang and his younger sister Gaomi had originally wanted to come over and ask about the preparations needed for attending the private school—to put it simply, if they brought plenty of silver, the school would provide brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, clothing, food, and lodging entirely; if the silver was scarce, they would only be allowed to attend lectures, and everything else had to be provided by themselves.

Instead, from afar, they saw their mother storming angrily into her room, while their stepfather headed in the opposite direction.

Nervously, Gaomi asked, "Brother, what should we do?"

Gaoliang smiled bitterly. "Sister, are you afraid of hardship?"

Of course Gaomi was afraid. She clutched her brother's sleeve, her eyes filled with anxiety.

After deep thought for a moment, Gaoliang said, "I have a feeling that if we stay here any longer, both of us will be dragged down by Mother." In truth, his biological father was a disgraced criminal, which had already cut off his path to taking the imperial examinations and entering officialdom. Changing his surname and entering another family's genealogy could indeed break this dead end, but he was quite reluctant to do so. Even if he successfully entered officialdom, this was a stain that could not withstand close scrutiny, and ultimately he wouldn't go far.

"Sister, come with me. Let's go find Father." At the very least, it would earn them the reputation of being filial children.

Gaomi looked astonished. "I... I'm too scared..."

Seeing his terrified younger sister, Gaoliang pondered for a moment. "Then let Brother find you a match for marriage. Remember, in the future, don't worry about Mother, and live a good life at your husband's family!"

Gaomi didn't want to be separated from her brother, but she had no say in the matter. That very evening, Gaoliang had already accepted betrothal gifts from a family and sent his sister to the home of one of his classmates.

That family was also a long-standing acquaintance of the Gao household, and their character was reasonably decent. After welcoming her into their home, they stated that they would wait until Gaomi reached womanhood before holding a formal wedding ceremony for the two of them.

This incident caused quite a stir, with many praising Gaomi's future in-laws for being deeply loyal and righteous.

And this was precisely the outcome Gaoliang wanted. Since they were known for being "loyal and righteous," they wouldn't dare treat Gaomi with callousness or injustice in the future.

Zhang Qingxue was the last to find out. Furious, she turned around to look for her son, only to find his room completely empty. There was only a letter left on the table stating that he was unwilling to live under someone else's roof and unwilling to force others, and had therefore gone to find his father to fulfill his filial duties.

Turning back, she went to fetch Gaomi.

However, the mistress of that household was willing to see her, but refused to let Gaomi return with her. She stated bluntly that when Gaoliang left, he had taken a substantial amount of silver from their family, and if Zhang Qingxue wanted to take her daughter back, she had to return the silver first.

In truth, Gaoliang had never taken the silver the woman mentioned. Her family and the Gao household had been family friends for many years, with intermarriages dating back several generations; she said this simply because she utterly despised Zhang Qingxue's conduct after the downfall of Gao Mingqiao.

Given how quickly Yu Shanmeng had married her, nobody would believe that the two hadn't been carrying on behind the scenes beforehand. Even if nothing had been explicitly stated, there was certainly some ambiguity between them.

Such a fickle woman who couldn't behave herself even after remarrying must not be allowed to ruin the Gao family's last remaining bloodline! If the child wanted to self-destruct, so be it, but Gaoliang had backbone and was willing to take his sister away from their mother, so her family would do everything in their power to help.

Walking out of the Lin residence, Zhang Qingxue felt utterly hollow and lost.

Lately, amidst all her busyness, she had indeed noticed that her two children had grown rather quiet, but she had no idea that Gaoliang harbored such intentions. She... seemed to have suddenly become entirely alone in the world.

The sky was growing dim as Zhang Qingxue walked down the main street, feeling an intense chill.

In the darkness, a carriage approached. As Zhang Qingxue looked up, she saw Yu Shanmeng.

"Let's get a divorce!"

Yu Shanmeng: "..." Are you playing with me?