Xia Wencai, who lived ier courtyard, only heard about the otion in the western courtyard from the servants the m.

  Startled, he excimed, "What is Aurying to do? She ’t be serious! If something happens to her, my family’s moree will be gone!"

  Without eveing breakfast, Xia Wencai rushed to e Xia’s courtyard.

  "Auntie, are you really going to do something foolish?"

  e Xia dismissed the servants, ensuring the room was empty. Once alone, she straightened her posture, revealing none of the frail demeanor she had shown before.

  "Hah! If I don’t do this, how I soften your uncle’s heart?" she replied leisurely, giving her nephew a sidelong gnce.

  Xia Wencai breathed a sigh of relief. "I k! Auntie, I’ve been here for a full day now. When are you going to give me the money?"

  e Xia’s expression darkened. "I just gave your father several huhousand taels the other day. Where would I have more moo give right now?"

  Xia Wencai’s eyes roamed the room, appraising its furnishings. "Auhe decorations in this room alone must be worth quite a bit."

  "Don’t even think about toug these things! They’re too spicuous. Taking them out would immediately draw attention. Are y to get us caught?" e Xia snapped.

  Xia Wencai thought about it and realized she was right. Eveing past the gatekeepers would be a challenge.

  "So what should we do, Auntie? If you don’t provide the money, what if they report my father to the authorities a him arrested?"

  e Xia sneered. "Your father has bought so many properties and farmnds—did he think I wouldn’t notice?"

  Xia Wencai’s face darkehose properties were his iance!

  "My father said that if you don’t give him the money, he’ll ght to Uncle and tell him everything. If something goes wrong, Auntie, don’t bme him!"

  e Xia’s face turned pale with fury. She smmed her hand oable.

  "He wouldn’t dare!"

  Xia Wencai shrugged. "Father said that if he’s going to prison anyway, he has nothing to fear. Auntie, don’t fet that the money he spent at Drunken Immortals House was mostly for you. Now that the matter’s been exposed, how you abandon him?"

  e Xia’s face was ashen. If it weren’t for the leverage her brother held over her, she wouldn’t want anything to do with him.

  This blood-sug family! If she hadn’t arranged for her brother to work at Drunken Immortals House, he wouldn’t have had the moo buy properties and nd!

  And if he hadn’t been so careless, little Su Li wouldn’t have discovered the loophole, and she wouldn’t have fallen out of favor with her husband!

  Yet now, they dared to repeatedly use that matter to threaten her!

  e Xia’s heart burned with hatred. She o e up with a way to solve this problem ond for all.

  Seeing her darkened expression, Xia Wencai cautiously asked, "Auntie? Auntie, you’re family—you’re one of us. I’m your nephew. You don’t have any sons, so who else would i your wealth? Li’er? She’s a Su, and one day she’ll marry out of the family. Wouldn’t that be handing everything over to someone else?"

  e Xia gred at her nephew’s greedy face, barely suppressing the urge to shout at him.

  But she forced herself to remain calm, thinking of her pns.

  Smiling, she said, "Wencai, you’re right. We are family—if one of us prospers, we all do. I’m sure you uand that. I’ll give you the money shortly. But when you get back, make sure to tell your father not to think too poorly of me. He’s my brother. Of course, I’ll help him."

  Xia Wencai beamed with delight. "I k! Auntie’s heart is always with our family. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to honor you iure! Now, Auntie, quickly give me the money. Father’s waiting anxiously."

  e Xia smiled faintly. "No rush. This money is my st savings, even Li’er’s dowry is gone. If your father still needs money after this, I really won’t have ao give. What should I do then?"

  Xia Wencai scratched his head. "Uh…"

  "By the way, did you think about what I told you yesterday?" e Xia asked.

  Xia Wencai’s expression soured. "Auntie, I’d rather you didn’t bring that up. Just thinking about that Su Li makes me angry! She’s disfigured, not beautiful, and not geher. I really don’t like her!"

  Internally, e Xia scoffed at his disdainful attitude.

  While Su Li’s face was indeed scarred, she was still far more than enough for a sdrel like her nephew. After all, she had a atus.

  Though she looked down on her nephew, she suppressed her annoyand said patiently, "Wencai, if you want endless wealth, you must marry Su Li. Think about it: Lady Su only has one daughter, Su Li. All her shops and assets will go to her. Moreover, Su Li is the legitimate daughter of the Minister of War and the granddaughter of the Duke of Wei. If you marry her, do you really need me to spell out how much you’ll gain?"

  "But…" Xia Wencai hesitated. He had always dreamed of marrying a beautiful, gentle noblewoman.

  "There’s no 'but'! If you don’t like Su Li, then just marry her and leave her alone. Wheime es, whether you divorce her or whatever else, it’ll all be up to you."

  Xia Wencai’s eyes lit up. "That’s right!"

  He could marry her, take the money, and then discard her!

  "But Auntie," Xia Wencai tinued, "those maids around Su Li follow her everywhere. I haven’t been able to get close to her at all."

  e Xia smiled. "That’s easy. The uping trip to Hu Guo Temple is your ce. As long as you follow my instrus, you’ll succeed effortlessly."

  Xia Wenodded immediately. "I’ll do as you say, Auntie."

  Two hours ter, Xia Wencai left the Su estate with a pouch full of banknotes, brimming with fidence.

  The momeepped out, Su Li received word of his departure.

  Calling Si Qin to her side, Su Li instructed, "Go inform Uncle Lin to proceed with the pn."

  Si Qin nodded and hurried off.

  Walking through the bustling streets, Xia Wencai frequently patted his chest, reassured by the money he had just received.

  "Hey, Brother Xia! Let’s go have some fun!"

  Xia Wencai turo see someohrowing an arm around his shoulder. Instantly, his momentary nervousness melted away.

  Smiling, he said, "Lao Liu, I ’t today. I have other business."

  The man called Lao Liu scoffed. "What business? Pying a few rounds won’t hurt. Didn’t you lose st time? Maybe today you’ll win big. e o’s go."

  Hearing the sound of dice being rolled and the lively shouts from the gambling den, Xia Wencai’s fiwitched with temptation.

  But thinking about the money in his pocket, he shook his head. "No, I’ll join you tomorrow. I really have something important today."

  "Just a few rounds!" Lao Liu coaxed. "Look! Even Lao San is winning big today, and his luck is usually awful. Don’t you want to try?"

  Gng at Lao San, who was flushed with excitement, Xia Wencai couldn’t resist any longer.

  "Alright, just a few rounds!"

  "That’s the spirit!"

  Xia ced his bets, and luck was immediately on his side.

  As the pile of silver before him grew, he pletely fot his earlier promise to only py a couple of rounds.

  Lao Liu leaned in, fanning the fire. "Brother Xia, with your luck, why not raise the stakes? Win big and make your father proud!"

  Flushed with excitement, Xia Wencai waved grandly. "All in!"

  His father was always critig him for being useless. This time, he’d win enough to buy a mansion and prove himself!

  "Ha ha ha! I won again! I won!"

  Lao Liu ughed along with him. "Amazing! Today’s your lucky day, don’t waste it!"

  "Ha ha ha! Let’s go again!"

  [--------------------------------------------]

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