Favoring the concubine and killing the wife? She divorced the concubine and lived with her concubine

After sending away those managers, Xiao Lan and Xiao Wu sat face to face.

Xiao Wu was impatient and paced around the hall anxiously. She had thought everything was simple before, but it was not until these stewards showed up today that she realized that besides the shopkeepers in the capital, collecting debts was also a big deal.

When she and Xiao Zongshan had previously visited the capital, each shopkeeper had to settle the bill at Cui You's arrangement. Otherwise, no one would dare to give a single ounce of silver even with a signed receipt.

"That silver is really hard to get. He only recognizes people. And he only takes cash, and he always brings it back in boxes! Your father hid it every day and didn't even bother to take you to see it before he died. Now he's asking you to look for it in such a hurry, why would he give it to you?"

Xiao Lan felt that this business was peculiar. It was said to be the Xiao family's business store, but it had no say in the capital. This was like being someone else's legal representative for no reason, and then being the scapegoat when something went wrong!

Thinking of the scapegoat, she suddenly wondered if what Liu Hu had said before about Xiao Zongwen's plot was about this?

But now he had no clue, and it was just a random guess. But Li Shan's behavior just now gave Xiao Lan a clue. If the second branch wanted to make a move, it would definitely start from the workshop that Li Shan was in charge of.

"It is said that this business in the capital was initiated by my great grandfather?" Xiao Lan remembered that Xiao Cheng said this that day.

"Well, it was indeed arranged by Fourth Uncle. How about you go and ask Fourth Uncle to take you to the capital?" Mrs. Xiao Wu thought that Xiao Yu thought highly of Xiao Lan, and if Xiao Lan went to ask for help, there might be a turning point.

Xiao Lan nodded. "Since no one can help, I'm afraid I can only ask my great grandfather to take the trouble to go there. I just don't know if he's willing..."

"Your father has given him many benefits before. Every time, your father divides the profits of his family's business into 40% and 60%, and he gets 60%! Other families don't have such a good thing..." Xiao Wu said unhappily.

"That's easier..."

Xiao Lan spent some time talking to those people, and she also used her brain. She sat down in a chair, picked up the teacup and sipped the red tea. It was indeed good.

"This tea is really good..."

"Those sub-managers are just here to make things difficult for you. I haven't seen Li Shan get very close to the second branch before. I'm afraid he looks down on you now, and the second branch has given him benefits, so he's making things difficult for you." Xiao Wu said this, looking up at Li Hu behind Xiao Lan.

Although Li Hu came as a servant, he didn't greet anyone present, including Xiao Wu. His arrogant demeanor made Xiao Wu somewhat unhappy. "Your servant may be skilled, but he has no understanding of etiquette. He's speaking out before the master has even said anything. Fortunately, we're just stewards today. If we ever meet those high-ranking officials in the capital, we'll have to make sure we don't give him any leverage."

Xiao Lan looked back at Liu Hu, still looking unconvinced. She smiled and said, "Did you hear me? I told you to behave yourself and not embarrass me!"

Liu Hu never lost his temper when he met Xiao Lan. No matter what she said, he didn't get angry. "It's not that those bastards were rude. If you hadn't stopped them, wouldn't I have killed a few of them today to vent my anger?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, where did you find this servant? He's so unruly!" Xiao Wu couldn't stand it any longer. "Don't bring this with you when you go to the capital. There are always people out there, don't get yourself into trouble!"

"Okay, I'll listen to mother!"

"Why?" Liu Hu was about to say something when Jasmine poked him from behind.

"This is the madam's mother, what do you want to do?"

Liu Hu turned his face away, looking unhappy but not saying anything more.

Seeing that Xiao Wu was still staring at Liu Hu and wanted to say something, Xiao Lan changed the subject, "How are the second branch's family? I didn't expect that the servant only went to find Li Shan? And not Xiao Zongwen?"

Xiao Wu gave the two people behind her a deep look, and Xiao Lan understood what she meant. "It's okay, these are all family."

Xiao Lan saw that only Mother Zhang was following behind Xiao Wu, and she guessed that Mother Zhang was the person closest to Xiao Wu.

"Yes, Xiao Zongwen talked to him a few words. Maybe it was Xiao Zongwen who asked him to find Li Shan. Since Xiao Zongwen couldn't get into the Xiao family compound, he made some moves outside. I don't think it would cause any trouble!"

When talking about Xiao Zongwen, Xiao Wu looked disdainful.

"Xiao Zongwen also has Xiao Xuan and Fan Zhixing beside him. And Fan Zhixing..."

"Who?" Xiao Wu was startled and stared at Xiao Lan. "Who else do you think is with her?"

"Fan Zhixing...what's wrong?"

"Fan Zhixing? This name sounds familiar. Before..."

Having said this, Mrs. Xiao Wu stopped, and still dismissed Mother Zhang, and asked Xiao Lan to send Liu Hu and Jasmine out as well.

Ben Liu Hu was still unwilling, but Xiao Lan glared at him and he retreated obediently.

"I'm afraid this servant has some inappropriate thoughts!" Mrs. Xiao Wu looked at Liu Hu being pushed out by Jasmine and asked Xiao Lan.

"Don't worry about him. What does mother want to say?" Xiao Lan brought the subject back and didn't want to say anything else.

Seeing that she was unwilling to speak, Xiao Wushi was too lazy to care. "Don't ruin your reputation. These men look down on women when they do business. Now that you want to take over this family, you'd better keep your own family affairs secret."

"understood!"

Seeing her impatience, Xiao Wu said no more, "Your father's previous servant was named Zhixing! I had someone drag him out and beat him to death. Now this person with the same name is still with Xiao Zongwen. I have to think twice."

"Schoolboy? Are you talking about... that one?" Xiao Lan was shocked. She had only met Fan Zhixing a few times, and the brief encounter was just after the Sun family was robbed. But even then, the middle-aged man who smiled at her looked quite handsome. Perhaps he had been a handsome young man in his youth?

-----------------

Decades ago

Sunlight streamed softly through the carved window lattices into the study. Xiao Zongshan, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, his face as handsome as jade, his brows slanting into his temples, stood before his desk, painting. The moonlight shone into the ink, and the figures in the painting were like light.

A handsome page boy stood at one side of the desk. He looked no more than a teenager, with a delicate face, curved eyebrows, and a clever look. His slender arms pushed the inkstone, and the faint fragrance of ink emanated from his body.

"Young Master Zongshan is really amazing. He can draw such a beautiful picture with just a few strokes. I just wonder who this young man under the moon is?" Zhixing leaned over to take a closer look.

Xiao Zongshan saw that his long eyelashes cast shadows under his eyes, and the childishness on his face had not yet faded, only the green hair was shining in the sun.

"The painting is of you. Does it look like you?"

"Ah? How can I be so good-looking?" Zhixing was a little embarrassed and took a step back to continue polishing. But his eyes kept glancing at the person in the painting, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise.

Seeing his expression, Xiao Zongshan smiled, picked up his pen and wrote two lines of poetry.

[His aspirations are high and his demeanor is as graceful as an immortal, and his dreams are left behind by the reflection of clouds and water.]

Zhixing was very curious, but he didn't know many words and could only read haltingly.

"Zhi Gao...what rabbit...Ruoxian...woman?"

"Hahaha, yes, yes, Ruo Fairy!"

Xiao Zongshan just thought that his servant boy was really cute, but he had no idea that Xiao Wu, who left angrily at the door, had already developed murderous intentions!