My wife wants a divorce; if she ruins my life, I'll leave.

After browsing two clothing and jewelry stores, he lost interest and felt listless, not wanting to return home. Just then, he looked up and saw a bookstore, so he took Linglong and the little maid Chunxiu inside.

It's good to pick up a few storybooks to pass the time!

Linglong hesitated for a moment. The Second Master disliked the Second Young Mistress reading storybooks the most. If he saw her, the two would inevitably have a quarrel. "Second Young Mistress, there are already so many storybooks at home. There's no place to hide any more."

Meng Ruohua paused, a hint of arrogance in her eyes. "What are you hiding? Put them all out when we get back!"

Not only should it be displayed, but it should also be displayed openly and proudly!

"I'll have someone make a bookshelf for me later, just to hold my storybooks."

Whether you like it or not!

Hearing the first sentence was shocking enough, but the second sentence completely shattered my delicate heart.

Second Master disliked her reading storybooks the most, saying they were written by unscrupulous scholars with no knowledge of literature, and that they were corrupting perfectly good young ladies. Therefore, Meng Ruohua always avoided reading them in front of him.

What's going on today?

Chunxiu secretly tugged at Linglong's sleeve, signaling her not to stop her.

She likes this domineering master!

Speaking of Chunxiu, she's a good girl. Yesterday, all the maids ran out to play, but she stayed by three or four stoves, simmering Meng Ruohua's dinner, saying that the Second Young Mistress could eat it whenever she wanted. Upon hearing this, Meng Ruohua immediately rewarded her with a string of coins, which she brought out today.

The afternoon sun was warm, making people drowsy.

The bookstore was nearly empty, and an old shopkeeper with a half-grown beard was dozing off behind the counter.

"Hmph! If you don't have money, don't even look at it. You've worn out a perfectly good book from all the handling." The shop assistant behind the bookshelf muttered as he tidied up the books.

Meng Ruohua followed his gaze and saw a scholar in a worn blue robe holding a book and reading it.

Perhaps it was from the waiter's words that the blush spread from his face to his ears, making him look like a boiled shrimp. He awkwardly shrank back, trying to make himself less noticeable, but as a handsome scholar who was six or seven feet tall, upright and dignified, he was hard to ignore.

The waiter's eyes kept darting over, and he deliberately made noise. As he passed the scholar, he said irritably, "Make way!"

The space between the bookshelves wasn't wide, but it was enough for two people to pass each other. However, the waiter walked with a wild and unruly gait, and even deliberately bumped into the scholar.

The scholar stumbled and bumped into the bookshelf, causing it to wobble twice.

Luckily, the book didn't fall; otherwise, if it had hit me on the head, it would have hurt for a while.

"Getting in the way!"

A layer of frost appeared on the scholar's face as he tightly pursed his lips, suppressing his anger. After a moment, he closed the book, carefully smoothing the flawless pages as if he were cherishing them. If he continued reading today, he would only be mocked by the waiter again; he would have to come another day.

"Sir, may I copy this book?" the scholar asked.

The shopkeeper glanced at the book, then said, "I won't copy this book."

Which books need to be copied?

The shopkeeper lazily squinted his eyes and said, "Not now. We'll need someone to copy some poetry collections in a month or two."

The scholar bowed and said, "I am Li Lin from Hongliu County. If the shopkeeper wants someone to copy books, he may send someone to fetch me."

Wait, his surname is Li and his given name is Lin. Li Lin?

Hongliu County?

Could it be him?

In his previous life, there was a man named Li Lin from Hongliu County who passed the imperial examinations from the lowest level to the highest level in just four years. After passing the examinations, he was assigned to serve as the magistrate of a small county in Qingzhou, which was close to the northwestern border. Just then, enemy invaders attacked. He took the lead and commanded his troops effectively, leading the people of the entire county to fight off a hundred enemy cavalrymen with hoes and carrying poles.

Li Lin rose to fame in one battle, not only protecting the people but also providing timely intelligence to the Northwest Army, allowing them to prepare for battle. That year, the Northwest Army defeated the Mongol Valha tribe, capturing countless sheep and horses. It was also that battle that thrust Meng Xin into the limelight.

Meng Ruohua knew that her father's matter had nothing to do with Li Lin. In fact, she should thank Li Lin, who stopped the cavalry from advancing south and gave the army time to prepare for battle. In that battle, the Northwest Army suffered only minor casualties and limited losses.

Leaving aside Meng Xin's story, just the fact that he single-handedly protected the people of the entire county, saving them from the scourge of war, is enough to earn him respect!

He is currently in a humble position, but he will surely rise to prominence one day!

Meng Ruohua gave Linglong a few instructions, and Linglong took the book and followed her out.

He randomly selected a few newly published storybooks, and after Linglong returned, he took the two of them away.

She was in a good mood, and her steps were even lighter. In the instant she turned around, she seemed to see a familiar figure behind the bookshelf, but when she turned back to look more closely, there was nothing there.

Only after she had walked far away did a man in black emerge from the depths of the bookstore. The man stared intently at the spot where she had disappeared, his fingers unconsciously touching the end of his eyebrow. Upon closer inspection, there was a small scar there.

He parted his thin lips slightly: "Do you still enjoy reading storybooks?"