After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

Fang Xiaoran then came to her senses and said in a deep voice, "I forgot about the important matter. I came here to ask about the progress of the matter I asked you to investigate."

"You mean Tao An? We don't have any leads yet. All we know is that he suddenly disappeared three years ago, and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since," He Chunming replied apologetically.

It's as if she said nothing at all; these are exactly what Zhao Junning told her.

Well, it seems finding this person won't be easy; for now, we can only wait.

Now that she had been given the position of head of the business, Fang Xiaoran couldn't just sit back and do nothing. So she inquired about the current situation of Danxi Pharmacy and its expansion plans.

He Chunming took all of Fang Xiaoran's suggestions to heart and planned to follow them immediately. Expansion would not be difficult for them, as they had sufficient funds and Fang Xiaoran had already selected a shop. All they needed to do was get these things done.

After getting a general understanding of the situation, Fang Xiaoran stayed for a while longer to see patients before leaving.

As soon as she returned to the mansion, she was stopped by Fang Chan's maid, who said to her, "Madam wishes to see the Sixth Miss. Please come with me, Sixth Miss."

"Aunt is back so soon?" Fang Xiaoran was a little surprised, but after thinking about it carefully, she realized that she had been delayed at Danxi Pharmacy, and Fang Chan should indeed be back by now.

"Madam has just returned to the manor, Sixth Miss, you'd better hurry over, or Madam will get angry again," the maid said timidly.

It was clear that she was very afraid of Fang Chan. Fang Chan didn't have a good reputation in Yuejiang. She was said to be shrewish and jealous by nature. If you were to offend her even slightly, you would be severely punished.

Fang Chan had a very difficult time during those years, and her personality became increasingly extreme, causing the servants in the household to be afraid of her.

The maid was merely there to deliver a message, so Fang Xiaoran wouldn't make things difficult for her. Besides, if she refused here, Fang Chan would definitely turn around and make a scene at the North Residence; there was no way to avoid it. Moreover, Fang Chan had no grudge against Fang Xiaoran, and as an elder, she would still be given basic respect.

"Okay, I'll go right away."

After Fang Chan returned to the Fang family, she stayed in the old lady's courtyard. After all, they hadn't seen each other for many years, and the old lady missed her daughter very much, so she naturally hoped that she would spend more time with her.

During this period, the old lady had been worshipping Buddha at Ci'an Hall and rarely went out. As soon as you entered the gate of Ci'an Hall, you could smell the sandalwood fragrance. The scent was not strong, but it lingered for a long time.

In a side courtyard of Ci'an Hall, there was a small pavilion. Fang Chan was sitting in the pavilion drinking tea. When she saw Fang Xiaoran coming, she lazily put down her teacup, her face turning unusually gloomy. "You still know how to come? I went to great lengths to arrange this marriage for you. The Xue family is a respectable family, they are definitely a good match for you. If you don't want to refuse, then so be it. Why humiliate him?"

"Humiliation? Aunt, are you referring to the fact that I didn't help him up when he accidentally fell? But men and women shouldn't touch each other, so I naturally kept my distance." Fang Xiaoran explained calmly and without any fault in her explanation, which only made Fang Chan furious.

"You!" Fang Chan glared at her angrily and said in a deep voice, "Do you know how the Xue family will view us after doing this?"

Fang Xiaoran said indifferently, "How they view it is their business. What does it have to do with our Fang family? Besides, my niece isn't in a hurry to get married. If she leaves the Xue family, will she still be unable to find a good marriage?"

Fang Chan coldly replied, "With your personality, you might not be able to find one."

Fang Xiaoran was not angry upon hearing this, but simply smiled and replied, "If I can't find someone, then I won't get married. Do you think I have to get married?"

"Listen to what you're saying! What woman would say she won't get married? Do you know how much gossip that would bring? It's not just you, it would affect the entire Fang family, even me and the Jia family. Do your older brothers and sisters still want to get married? Do they want to end up like you?"

Fang Chan's face was gloomy, and her tone became increasingly heavy.

Women in a family are already not in control of their own lives, and their reputation is of utmost importance. If they truly remain unmarried for life, the entire family will be implicated, especially the women in the same clan. Even if they marry, they will be ostracized in their husband's family, and their lives will certainly be difficult.

As a woman herself, Fang Chan was naturally angry.

"I was just making the worst-case scenario plan based on what my aunt said. Aunt, there's no need to worry. As for the Xue family, we don't need them."

“It’s true that it’s not absolutely necessary to have them, but this is the best choice for you right now. Fine, tomorrow you will come with me to the Xue family to apologize to Zhiming. He’s not a petty person and he won’t hold it against you.”

She actually has to apologize? Fang Xiaoran's eyes instantly turned cold. She only went to see her before because of Fang Chan's sake. Now she's being asked to bow her head, which shows how low Fang Chan regards her.

Fang Xiaoran coldly replied, "There's no need for that. My aunt has always been proud. When did she become so subservient?"

"I'm doing this all for your own good," Fang Chan replied urgently.

These words caused Fang Xiaoran's face to turn cold. "Whether it's for my own good or you have ulterior motives, you know perfectly well. I advise my aunt not to waste her time on me. If you have some free time, why not find suitable husbands for your sisters first?"

After speaking, Fang Xiaoran turned and left without even a bow, clearly showing her extreme anger. Enraged by Fang Xiaoran's rudeness, Fang Chan smashed the cup to the ground, startling the maid who rushed to clean it up. The maid, however, was instead scolded by Fang Chan, "Get out! No one in this Fang family respects me! If I'm not doing well, none of you will be doing well either!"

In the Manchun Garden, in the Cuiliu Pavilion.

Zhou Qin was lounging on the soft couch, listening to the servants' report.

After listening, she frowned and said coldly, "I thought this aunt who returned to the manor was so powerful, but she still couldn't handle Fang Xiaoran. It seems we can't count on her."

Mo Lan said cautiously, "Why do you want Sixth Miss to marry into the Xue family? Young Master Xue is already a scholar. If he can become the top scholar in the imperial examination, the Xue family will probably rise to prominence!"

A cold smile crept across Zhou Qin's lips, a sinister glint flashing in her eyes. She said softly, "I don't just want her to marry into the Xue family. I want her to be utterly disgraced and have her reputation ruined!"

Mo Lan frowned slightly and said with some worry, "But she is still a girl from the Fang family after all. If her reputation is damaged, it may also affect you."

Zhou Qin snorted dismissively and said firmly, "So what? This is the Fang family's business, it has nothing to do with me! Even if she has a bad reputation, we can just get a divorce. Does she think she can trap me here? Dream on!"

Her eyes were filled with resolute indifference, as if she had no attachment to the Fang family whatsoever. Mo Lan stood silently to the side, pondering the young mistress's thoughts, while also feeling a pang of regret for the girl who was about to become the sixth young lady.

"Come here, I have a few things to tell you. Go and do them for me. I will reward you handsomely if you succeed." Zhou Qin beckoned to the servant, who hurriedly moved in front of her and listened attentively.