To divorce his wife, the top scholar preferred being cuckolded to wearing a red hat.

At that time, Fu Jingsheng was just a poor scholar, wearing a faded blue robe, with his hair tied up, and exuding a strong scholarly air.

From the age of ten onwards, she interacted with all sorts of people, and men like Fu Jingsheng, who were handsome and had a scholarly air, immediately attracted her.

Soon, she married Fu Jingsheng. On the third day after their marriage, Fu Jingsheng went to the capital, and she retreated to the small world of Fu Jingsheng's home.

Fu Jingsheng had always felt guilty about earning money to support the family. He kept writing to comfort her, saying that once he passed the imperial examination, she could stay home as an official's wife and wouldn't have to manage those heavy businesses outside anymore.

Hearing his words, she was still very happy. She comforted him, saying, "We are husband and wife now. You are studying now, and you will need money in your future career. The more she earns, the smoother his future will be."

He's only in high school, yet he's already eager to dump her and marry a daughter from a prominent family in the capital.

“Master, even if he saved you once, he has relied on your money to study in the capital all these years, and now he has become the top scholar in the imperial examination. So you have already repaid any debt of gratitude.”

"There are some things I have to wait for him to tell me himself. Until then, you have to keep a close eye on these businesses I have in my hands. The favor from back then has been repaid, and the rest naturally needs to be settled properly."

Hongxiu knew her master.

If she hadn't met Fu Jingsheng back then, fallen in love with him at first sight, and married him, her world wouldn't be here.

Every time the idea of ​​letting her mistress leave was brought up, she would shake her head, saying she would wait for Fu Jingsheng to return. If he passed the imperial examination, she would leave with him. If he didn't pass, she would continue to support him, or perhaps have him join her in business.

"Rest assured, I will protect our property. No one but you has the right to move it." Although the master did not say what had happened, something must have happened that made him make this decision, and it was no small matter.

In her previous life, she was confined to Fu Jingsheng's mansion, unable to go anywhere. After her death, Hongxiu came to her door, accusing Fu Jingsheng of being ungrateful and so on.

By then, Fu Jingsheng already held immense power, and it would have been easy for him to crush Hongxiu. He used the pretext that Hongxiu coveted the Fu family's property to imprison her, and that very night, Hongxiu committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

It's impossible that Hongxiu committed suicide out of fear of punishment; that beast must have silenced her to prevent her from revealing anything.

When she left the Su family, she only took her mother's money and no maids. Hongxiu was someone she bought on her way to find her master.

Thinking of Hongxiu's fate, his hatred for Fu Jingsheng grew even stronger.

Back at the gate of the courtyard she had arranged for the Fu family in the city, she squinted at the gate. This house, too, was something she had arranged; it seemed she could have Hongxiu put it up for sale.

When she returned, the old lady was waiting for her in the lobby.

Fu Jingying and Fu Jingsheng sat on opposite sides, seemingly ready to settle scores.

“Mother, Jingsheng, were you waiting for me on purpose? I just went to the shop and took a look. Business has been bad lately, getting worse every day. Now that Jingsheng has passed the imperial examination, I was thinking about whether to sell these shops and buy a few more in the capital. What do you think?”

She will sell all her properties in Qingshui County, leaving nothing for the Fu family, and she never wants to set foot in this place again.

Upon hearing that she wanted to sell the shop, Madam Qian snorted coldly: "Jingsheng is now the top scholar in the imperial examination. If people in the capital knew that he had a wife who was a merchant, he would be laughed to death. Sell it quickly and see how much silver we have at home."

"Business isn't what it used to be, so I doubt I'll get a good price for this shop."

"Sister-in-law, don't lie to us. I went there a few days ago, and business was the same as before. How could it be bad? You say you have no ulterior motives, but my brother just got back, and you're already complaining. Do you not want to pay up or spend money on my brother?" Su Mingyue knew exactly which shops the Fu family owned and which shops the Fu family owned.

Sometimes when she ran out of money, she would go to the shop to withdraw some cash. Afterwards, when the managers came to her, she would say that her sister-in-law had agreed to it, and the managers could do nothing about it.

Su Mingyue sighed softly, "You can go out and find out the current market price. A good business might sell for two or three thousand taels, while a bad business might only get one or two thousand taels."

Qian Shi had an idea and said to Su Mingyue, "I won't hold it against you for accusing me of having an affair with Liu Datou yesterday. Jing Sheng has now passed the imperial examination with top honors, and he has been allocated a mansion in the capital. The officials should be coming down in the next few days. You've been managing the family business. If the shop isn't doing well, stay home and manage it properly."

Take a good inventory of the family's silver and give it to Jingsheng. We'll go with Jingsheng first, and after you leave the shop, we'll send someone to pick you up. Don't worry, no one can deny that you are Jingsheng's wife and a daughter-in-law of the Fu family.”

"Yes, my wife. I'll know in the capital what department I've been assigned to and what my job is in the next few days. The family business can't do without you. Even if we have to close the business and sell these shops, it will take some time. I'll take my sister and mother there first, have them clean up the courtyard, and then send someone to bring you here to be an official's wife. What do you think?"

"Sister-in-law, look how considerate my brother is of you." Fu Jingying covered her face and smiled. "There are still many places to arrange and clean in the mansion in the capital. My mother and I will have to work harder. You can stay home and focus on closing up the business. In the future, our family will live a good life with my brother and enjoy the blessings of a wealthy family." Fu Jingying's heart pounded at the thought of which wealthy family in the capital she might marry in the future.

If anyone dares to call her a country bumpkin again, I'll make sure they get their mouth slapped until it's swollen.

She is now the sister of the newly crowned top scorer, and her status and position are different from before.

Su Mingyue looked troubled: "Are you leaving already? That's really unfortunate. Some of the money might not be available for a while."

"Why can't you get it back? Where did you put all the family's silver? You told us you'd bring 100,000 taels of silver with you when you married into our family. All these years, our food and drink have been supported by the Fu family's businesses. You haven't spent much money, so even if it's not 100,000, it's at least 90,000." She'd been watching Su Mingyue ever since she entered. The shops she brought into the Fu family belonged to them; now that her son was going to the capital to take up his post, the silver naturally had to be taken with him.

Fu Jingsheng and Fu Jingying also looked over at Su Mingyue.

The brother and sister each had their own unique expressions.

Fu Jingying was furious, thinking she was up to something.

Fu Jingsheng was puzzled.