After being reborn, her aloof ex-husband and her crazy deceased husband got into a fight.

The Du family of Huainan was a renowned and prestigious family during the Dayong Dynasty, with a lineage that had lasted for hundreds of years.

The Du family was once a family full of high-ranking officials, but due to betting on the wrong horse and following the wrong people in two consecutive dynasties, almost all of the family members were wiped out, which greatly damaged the family's vitality.

The clan chief at the time decisively led the entire clan back to their ancestral home in Huainan. Thus, the Du family resumed their ordinary lives of farming, studying, and engaging in commerce for generations.

However, the foundation of a century-old family should not be underestimated. In just forty or fifty years, the Du family grew into a towering giant, becoming extremely wealthy.

Because of the tragic experiences that the clan had gone through, few of the Du family descendants were willing to serve as officials in the imperial court, and Du Zhong was one of those few.

Baihua Lane is very close to the imperial city, boasting an excellent geographical location. It is inhabited by high-ranking officials, nobles, and princes.

Gan Cai'er stared at the vermilion gate of the Du residence with its three animal-head ornaments and the stone lions on either side of the gate, each a head taller than her, and couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement.

The Du residence is so grand, it's almost as impressive as a prince's mansion.

"Miss, isn't Lord Du only a fourth-rank official? How can he have such a big mansion? Are we sure we haven't come to the wrong place?" Xiao Hong couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Gan Cai'er pointed to the two golden characters "Du Mansion" on the plaque above the door and said, "That's right, this is the place."

"Although according to his official rank, Lord Du shouldn't be able to afford such a luxurious mansion, his family is rich!"

"So, Xiao Hong, it's really good to be rich!"

Gan Cai'er sighed, feeling quite envious. She slightly raised the price she had already decided on.

But as soon as she entered the Du residence, Gan Cai'er's envy turned completely cold.

The Du family mansion looked magnificent from the outside, but once you stepped into the courtyard, it was incredibly dilapidated, even more so than the Lan family's old residence.

Because the Lan family's old house was confiscated and taken over by the imperial court, although it had been in disrepair for many years, people still lived there. It was a bit dilapidated, but it still had a lively atmosphere.

The Du family mansion was different. It was Du Zhong's private property, and he was sent to a post outside the capital. So after he moved away from the capital, the mansion was left vacant, with only three or five old servants looking after it.

Gan Cai'er entered the Du residence and saw that the courtyard was full of weeds and dead trees, with cobwebs everywhere, and the moss on the bluestone slabs was so slippery that it was hard to walk on. Occasionally, a few crows would startle her and take flight... It was a completely abandoned and dilapidated house.

The desolation here is completely at odds with the grand entrance.

Gan Cai'er looked up at the sun in the sky. If it weren't for the bright sunshine and clear blue sky, she would have been worried that she might accidentally encounter a ghost.

A gust of wind suddenly blew by, making the window of the next room creak. Startled, Xiao Hong quickly stepped forward and clung tightly to Gan Cai'er, not leaving her side for even a moment.

"After Lord Du left, has no one lived in the house anymore?" Gan Cai'er asked.

The man who led the way was an old servant in his fifties, who explained, "Back in my hometown of Huainan, if someone comes to the capital, they sometimes stay for a few days."

"It's just that the Du residence is too big, and when the master left, he only left five people to look after the house. We are limited in our energy and simply cannot take care of everything. So over the years, most of the residence has been abandoned."

"However, Madam need not worry. The main courtyard is still cleaned and repaired every day, just like when you were here. That's where the Ninth Young Master is staying now."

Gan Cai'er paused for a moment, then said, "But I came to visit the Eighth Prince today."

The old servant who had led the way stopped and turned to look at Gan Cai'er, his face full of surprise: "Does Madam want to see the Eighth Young Master?"

"What, is there a problem?" Gan Cai'er raised an eyebrow.

"Madam is unaware of the truth. The Eighth Young Master is unruly, and my mistress forbids him from meeting outsiders."

“From Danzhou to the capital, I was on the same boat with the Eighth Prince for more than half a month, and I had no idea that he was so unruly.” Gan Cai’er was still smiling, but her tone was cold.

"Madam, please go back." The old servant spoke politely, but his attitude left no room for negotiation.

Gan Cai'er gave Xiao Hong a wink.

Xiao Hong put down the food box in her hand, took out a small handful of loose silver from her purse, stuffed it into the old servant's hand, and said with a smile, "My young lady and the Eighth Young Master get along well, so she's not afraid of his mischievousness."

"Besides, your wife is far away in Danzhou. She doesn't have eyes that can see a thousand miles or ears that can hear the wind. How would she know whether or not the Eighth Young Master has been seen?"

"Please trouble the old man to take us to see the Eighth Young Master. Please accept this small amount of silver as a gift for your drinks."

Xiao Hong smiled sweetly, spoke fluently, and most importantly, she slipped the silver into their hands with practiced ease. The old servant's attitude visibly softened; he weighed the handful of loose silver in his hand, then turned and led them in another direction.

"Alas, it's not that I'm deliberately making things difficult for the lady, but it's not easy being a servant either," the old servant sighed.

Not long after they left, Gan Cai'er and her servant were led to a small courtyard.

Gan Cai'er looked up and saw a few words carved on the gate of the courtyard: Yaoyue Xiaozhu (Inviting the Moon Pavilion).

"Madam, this is where the Eighth Young Master lives."

"Since you know the Eighth Young Master, then this old servant doesn't need to announce your arrival."

After saying that, the old servant turned and left, looking as if there were floods and ferocious beasts in the courtyard, making him unwilling to stay any longer and only wanting to leave as soon as possible.

"Uncle, please wait." Gan Cai'er called out to him, and then she took out a silver note from her bosom and handed it to him.

"To be honest, sir, I became acquainted with Aunt Zhao when I was in Danzhou. She helped me with many businesses. When I came to the capital this time, I promised her that I would take care of the Eighth Young Master."

“I believe you know your family’s situation better than I do. I don’t ask you for anything, I only hope that when I come to visit the Eighth Young Master in the future, you can do me a favor.”

"As for your wife, don't worry, she can't touch me."

It was a two-hundred-tael silver note. The old servant's hands trembled as he held it, and his face broke into a wide smile.

"Of course, of course. In the future, whenever Madam wishes to come to the manor, she can simply have a maid come and instruct this old servant."

After saying that, he bowed respectfully to Gan Cai'er and then left.

"Miss, that's a whole two hundred taels! You just gave it to me like that?" Xiao Hong felt a little bad about the money and couldn't help but complain.

"Don't worry, Miss is here to make money today. It's just two hundred taels, I'm sure I can make eight or ten times that back!" Gan Cai'er said confidently.

Xiao Hong glanced at her, her eyes full of disbelief. Her young lady was a master at spending money. Making money? Ha! She'd only earned less than five hundred taels in over a year in Danzhou.