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

"We need to restock next month, so we need to keep some capital," said Manager Li.

Meng Ruohua raised an eyebrow, a sneer on her face, "Didn't the shopkeeper say business was bad? Why are you still ordering more stock? To fill up the warehouse?"

Manager Li then realized that every question the second young mistress had asked him was a trap!

He didn't dare look directly at Meng Ruohua, only seeing that the girl's face was completely open and honest, without any guilt about lying. When she felt his gaze, she even nodded to confirm it.

"Then this old servant will send someone to ask?"

After receiving permission, Manager Li turned around and went out to ask someone to inquire about the news at the Song residence.

Standing under the eaves, he actually thought the second young mistress was quite considerate! Knowing he couldn't make the decision, she didn't press him to produce it immediately.

Meng Ruohua wasn't in a hurry, sipping her tea while reading a storybook. She had specifically asked Shanhu to bring it with her before leaving.

The sun was setting in the west, casting a warm glow throughout the room.

Time passed slowly, and half an hour later...

Meng Ruohua tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her well-maintained nails gleaming with a healthy sheen. She casually asked, "Manager Li, have you found out?"

Manager Li's heart rose and fell with the "thump-thump" sound. Although the sound was not loud, it was impossible to ignore.

He looked outside; the man he'd sent out still hadn't returned. He'd given the man a few copper coins for a ride, so he should have been back by now.

Yu Ye lowered her voice and said, "It's getting late, shopkeeper, you should take it out first. This money is for the second young master's full moon banquet. If things go wrong, can Shopkeeper Li take responsibility?"

Counting the days, the second young master's full moon celebration is indeed just a few days away.

He hesitated, yet was anxious. Seeing the impatience on the second young mistress's face, he realized he couldn't delay any longer.

Think about it, she is the second young mistress of the mansion, she wouldn't ask for money for no reason, and the shop's accountant and clerk can all testify to that.

He went to the accounting office to get the money and wrote a note to record it.

Meng Ruohua did not refuse and directly asked Yu Ye to put pen to paper.

Having received the money, there was no need to stay any longer. Meng Ruohua exchanged a few polite words and then left with her entourage.

Manager Li watched the departing carriage, a sense of unease rising within him.

Back at the shop, I sent two more employees out to look for someone, but the employee who went to the mansion to ask questions hadn't returned yet!

The two men searched along the road for more than an hour, until it was deep into the night, before finally returning to the shop in the dark.

Manager Li couldn't help but feel anxious. How could a living person just disappear like that!

Just as I was about to send someone to look for him again, the fellow appeared, walking unsteadily.

"You little beast, I told you to go to the manor for questioning, where did you go? Did you get the answers you wanted?"

Manager Li stepped forward and kicked him, though not with much force. But the young waiter had been walking for over an hour, was hungry and weak, and after taking the kick, he could no longer support himself, swayed a couple of times and fell to the ground.

Night had fallen, all the shops on the street were closed, and there wasn't a single pedestrian on the road.

The young man clutched his kicked thigh, tears welling in his eyes. "I was walking down the street when someone knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, I found myself at the East Gate. It took me ages to walk back."

Got hit?

He looked covered in dust, as if he had indeed traveled a long way.

Manager Li stared intently into his eyes: "Have you made any enemies?"

The young waiter cried out that he was wronged, "No, I wouldn't dare to offend anyone!"

That's true. The young waiter is the neighbor's son; he's gentle and never argues with anyone. He was sent today so that the young man could make an appearance at the mansion.

Could it have been done by the second young mistress?

But why did she do that?

Is it just for the money?

But this money will have to be delivered to your residence sooner or later.

Leaving aside how Manager Li guessed, and how he asked Granny Li after returning home.

It was only said that Meng Ruohua took the money and headed back.

On the carriage, Yu Ye sighed with a smile, "If I had known that I could withdraw money from the shop, the Second Young Madam would have come much earlier, and we wouldn't have needed to bring the dowry pad."

Meng Ruohua smiled and shook her head. She had never thought of taking money from the shop before. Firstly, her dowry was quite generous, so spending a little money was nothing. Secondly, the shop was managed by the madam, and how could she, as the daughter-in-law, overstep her authority?

But things are different now; she doesn't want to spend a single penny on the Song family. As for whether she's overstepping her authority, she only takes the money and doesn't even look at the ledgers, so it doesn't count as overstepping her authority.

However, this method can only be used once, and the second wife will definitely be more cautious in the future.

It's alright, we'll deal with whatever comes our way, and she won't have to worry about not having enough money in her account anymore.

Yu Ye laughed to herself for a while, then asked, "Why is the Second Young Madam waiting so calmly? Aren't you afraid the young waiter will really relay the message to you?"

Coral looked at her with a face full of questions, eagerly waiting for an answer.

Meng Ruohua tapped each of their pretty noses, "Have you forgotten what I did before I left?"

"I sent a letter to Uncle Yang," Shanhu answered quickly. She knew about the letter she sent.

After Uncle Yang returned, Meng Ruohua asked him to help investigate the shops in the mansion, to find out which ones were controlled by the Madam and which ones were used to falsify accounts and embezzle money for her. If possible, she also asked him to investigate the backgrounds of these shopkeepers.

Since she's in charge of the household, she'll have to put in some effort.

Today, Uncle Yang also sent people to keep an eye on things, detaining any shop assistants who left the shop to ensure they couldn't reach the Song residence by nightfall.

Therefore, the young man was followed as soon as he stepped out, and they knocked him unconscious when there were fewer people around the corner. It was also because he was greedy; if he had taken the coins and hitched a ride, Uncle Yang's men wouldn't have had the chance to rob him.

only……

Yu Ye and Shan Hu blinked their big, bright eyes, looked at each other, and encouraged one another to ask.

"Alright, just say what you have to say. I'm tired just thinking about you two," Meng Ruohua said with her eyes closed.

As a first-class maid, Yu Ye took on the important task and asked with slight worry, "Manager Li will definitely report this to the Second Madam."

The second wife would certainly not let it go easily. She would scold her even when there was nothing wrong, let alone the fact that the second young mistress had taken money from the shop on her own initiative.

Coral was filled with a mixture of worry and anticipation, worried that her mistress would be punished, yet also eager to see how she would retaliate. The second young mistress of the past was always well-behaved and obedient, lacking the lively and carefree spirit she once possessed. But today, the second young mistress first inquired about the shop's situation, then asked about profits, then the accounts. Even Coral herself assumed the second young mistress was interested in the shop's business. Manager Li, on the other hand, made all sorts of excuses, never giving a definite answer, completely unaware that the second young mistress was only after money!

This caught him off guard, and Manager Li was caught off guard and hurriedly took out the money.

A chilly autumn wind swirled in, lifting the autumn-colored curtains of the car. Looking through the car window, a red sun hung halfway down the horizon, painting the western mountains with its hues.

Meng Ruohua smiled and raised her eyebrows, "It's alright."

I never intended to hide it!

She knew what the consequences would be if she dared to do it.