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

After returning home, Meng Ruohua kicked San'er's family out, and sent the old woman and the man who had kidnapped her directly to the authorities, where they would be imprisoned for at least one or two years.

Although San'er was deceived by her aunt, she violated the rules of the household by casually revealing the people and things in the mansion. To prevent similar incidents from happening again, the entire family was kicked out.

Considering that San'er had served her for many years, Meng Ruohua allowed her to take all her belongings with her.

Meng Ruohua was financially well-off and often rewarded people with gifts and money. Even a third-class maid could save up a sum of money, enough to buy two or three acres of land.

Fang Ling reviewed everyone in the mansion and reiterated the rules. For a time, the mansion was strictly controlled and the servants were very well-behaved.

As for the ten thousand taels, Yu Yan gave it to her, and she accepted it without hesitation. Who would complain about having too much money?

Meng Ruohua went out even less often. Apart from visiting the bookstore and cloth shop once a month, she no longer went out to wander around.

Sometimes when Yu Yan had free time, he would invite her out for tea and music, which would always make Meng's mother frown and ask, "What kind of behavior is this?"

If she wants to get married, she should send someone to propose. Would she refuse?

Meng Ruohua playfully hugged her mother and coaxed, "This is good, I can get to know him better too."

"You've known each other since you were little, don't you know each other well enough?"

“It’s not like when I was a child anymore. I’m not the same as before. How can my mother guarantee that he will be the same as before?”

Even if he's the same as before, she doesn't know what he was like before.

Physical appearance is one thing, but you can't live your life solely based on your looks.

With Song Chen'an's incident as a precedent, although Meng's mother complained a few times, she didn't really control Meng Ruohua's actions and waved her away to avoid seeing her.

The rest of their lives are their own; as long as they don't go too far, let them be.

Meng Ruohua was grateful to her mother for being understanding and secretly warned herself to be more magnanimous in the future.

When they met Yu Yan, the two would just drink tea and chat. Sometimes they would meet at Yunwuxuan, and sometimes at Tanji Restaurant. These were all Yu Yan's territories, so there was no need to worry about being disturbed along the way.

When they weren't together, Yu Yan would often bring her little trinkets. He would buy anything that looked new, not knowing what Meng Ruohua liked. Later, after buying her many things, he realized that Meng Ruohua's favorite things were all kinds of storybooks and travelogues.

Yu Yan said with a hint of helplessness, "You've been watching this since you were a child, haven't you had enough yet?"

Meng Ruohua pointed to the storybooks Yu Yangang had just brought over, "I haven't had enough! Each one is different. This time I bought the story of the Peony Flower Fairy, and last time I bought the story of the unfaithful man who abandoned his wife and children to marry another."

“There are plenty of notebooks like this. I don’t believe you haven’t read similar ones before,” Yu Yan said.

Meng Ruohua looked at him with a smile, "I've read it, but everyone is different."

Yu Yan didn't understand. How different could they be? They were all talented men and beautiful women, or talented men who were unfaithful.

Thinking of those talented scholars, Yu Yan couldn't help but ask coldly, "You really like those talented scholars?"

Looking at his shifty eyes, Meng Ruohua couldn't help but smile. "Haven't you heard that most heartless men are scholars?"

She never liked scholars or intellectuals; she preferred upright and honest men.

Yu Yan reluctantly agreed with this answer, and thought about buying her some travelogues or similar books to keep her from reading those pretentious scholars' nonsense.

Peaceful years, youth unharmed.

Meng Ruohua's two shops in Beijing were profitable every month, and her grain shops in Pingfeng County and Dongshui County were also doing well. Because of the grain she had previously bought on credit, she was trusted by the locals, who would occasionally want to do something for the shops.

However, things were not so peaceful at the Song residence.

Song Chang was suspended from his post and stayed at home. He was too ashamed to go out and meet guests, so he thought about rectifying the family's conduct.

First, about ten of those lazy, gossipy people were driven out. With the addition of the main family members in the mansion, it was barely enough.

Song Tian, ​​however, had a problem with it: "We're about to arrange my second brother's wedding, wouldn't it be embarrassing if we didn't have enough people?"

Song Chang glanced at her indifferently and said, "You don't need to worry about your second brother's marriage. Just stay in your room and embroider your wedding dress."

Song Tian was still somewhat afraid of Song Chang and dared not contradict him to his face. Later, she went to Madam Ma's ear and said, "Although Father was suspended for a year, he can go back to work after a year. If our family reduces its manpower because of this, wouldn't outsiders laugh at us and think that our family has declined?"

Compared to saving face, Ma valued money more. Even if there were fewer people, he would pay fewer months' wages, as long as he had enough people.

"Tian'er, don't worry about these things. Who would bother watching our family's little affairs for no reason?"

"Of course there are!" Song Tian said anxiously, "I'm going to marry into the Wang family in just over two months, there are definitely a lot of people watching me."

Among those who admire Wang Yuanzhi, there are probably many who want to see her make a fool of herself.

Thinking that she was worried about her marriage, Madam Ma quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, Tian'er, your marriage will definitely be a grand and glorious affair."

She only has one daughter, so she certainly wouldn't let her suffer.

When Song Tian realized she couldn't reason with him, she angrily came over, but in her heart she was thinking about how to get more dowry.

Even if it means losing face, substance is still acceptable.

After Song Chang finished disciplining his servants, it just so happened that it was time to make winter clothes. Thinking that Madam Ma and Ma Fangde would embezzle one or two thousand taels of silver every year on clothing materials, he couldn't resist.

He immediately summoned the manager of Jinxiu Cloth Shop, first inquired about the prices of various fabrics, and then threw the list in front of Madam Ma.

"From now on, the price of clothing materials in the manor can only be this price. If your brother can make them, he can; if he can't, he can use the materials from our own fabric shop."

Madam Ma immediately wanted to retort, since all the money in the manor had to go through Song Chang's hands first, she had no chance to tamper with it. Now, why not leave her a job where she could make a quick buck?

Looking at her changing expression, Song Chang continued, "Don't forget, we've already separated. The costs and profits of Jinxiu Cloth Shop belong to our second branch."

As expected, talking about money with Madam Ma was effective. After careful consideration, Madam Ma realized that the fabrics from Jinxiu Cloth Shop were purchased directly from the south and were already two cents cheaper than those from Ma Fangde. If the servants in the mansion were to get their clothing from Jinxiu Cloth Shop, the cost would be even lower, and they wouldn't have to split the profits with Ma Fangde.

Since the beginning of this year, Ma has not been able to get any extra money, so she began to feel that the agreement she made with her family was not good. She felt that she should take the lion's share and should not split it equally.

Now, after Song Changyi's reminder, Madam Ma immediately agreed and sent someone to her family home to deliver the message, without worrying at all whether her family would agree.

Ma's family naturally disagreed, but Old Master Ma was only a county magistrate, and Ma Fangde, relying on the Song family's connections, had become an eighth-rank official in the Ministry of Rites, but had not been able to advance any further over the years.

Knowing it was Song Chang's idea, they had no choice but to nod and agree, even if they disagreed.

It wasn't until all the winter clothes had been distributed that Ma realized that although the cost of winter clothes this year was 30% less than in previous years, she hadn't earned a single penny.

She was outmaneuvered by Song Chang!