Shi Qingluo saw him sneaking in.

  She waved her hand. “Come over and say.”


  After the milk candy was done, the Xiao family’s full-time workers left first.

  Although Liang Youxiao was there, Shi Qingluo did not ask him to stay away to prevent suspicions.

  Her young husband’s scumbag father was so disgusting, so what he did naturally had to be known by these aristocratic young masters in the capital.

  When Third Son Shi saw that the noble young masters from the capital were also there, he was initially stunned and was still considering whether he should say it.

  Seeing Shi Qingluo waving her hand, he walked in.

  After he sat down, she even poured him a glass of water just this time.

  She asked, “What’s the crisis?”


  Third Son Shi glanced at Liang Youxiao.

  Shi Qingluo said, “There’s nothing to hide. Just pretend that he doesn’t exist.”


  Liang Youxiao was speechless. He was such a big person, how could he not exist?

  However, he was bored and saw that the two of them were acting mysteriously, so he didn’t leave.

  He wanted to hear what was going on.

  Third Son Shi thought to himself, a noble young master was standing here and looking at him curiously. How could he pretend that he did not exist?

  This girl was really daring.

  He braced himself and said, “The Wu family went to look for your fourth uncle.”


  “Two days ago, they wanted me, your mother, and your grandparents to come to the Xiao family to cause trouble and say that you were unfilial.

  “They also wanted us to go to the county yamen to sue you.”


  He looked at Shi Qingluo and said obsequiously, “I directly rejected them. I said that daughters gowned are daughters gone. Since you married off, we couldn’t sue you.

  “Besides, you’re our daughter. Suing you won’t do us any good.”


  Shi Qingluo didn’t believe him.

  If it weren’t for the fact that he wanted a child, he and his wife would definitely went to the county yamen with the Shi family to sue her for being unfilial.

  She looked at Third Son Shi with a faint smile. “After you rejected it, they are coming up with new ideas?”


  Third Son Shi felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze. “Yes. Today, the Wu family asked your fourth uncle to set a trap for your husband at the county yamen’s flower feast in a few days’ time.”


  In the next few days, a high scholar would host a flower feast at his house. He invited all the junior and elementary scholars in the county town to admire the flowers.

  Shi Qingluo was a little surprised by his words.

  She thought that the capital’s scumbag father and that woman would deal with her first.

  She frowned and asked, “They want to find a woman to mess around with my husband during the flower feast?”


  Third Son Shi realised that this daughter of his was extraordinarily smart.

  He nodded. “That’s right. The Wu family wants an illegitimate daughter in their family to hang out with your husband, and let the public catch them red-handed.

  “I heard that that girl also took a liking to your husband and offered to cooperate.”


  Shi Qingluo raised her eyebrows. “The Wu family is really willing to invest. They actually chose someone in their family to come personally!”


  She asked again, “And then? It’s not just that, right?”


  Third Son Shi said embarrassedly, “Then, your mother and I will lure you to the riverside and push you down.

  “Let everyone think that you were provoked and forced to jump into the river because of your husband.

  “Wait until your funeral is over,” seeing his daughter’s unfriendly gaze, he immediately added, “they were the ones who planned the funeral, not me.”


  He actually did not wish his daughter to go down to look for her master now. Otherwise, what would happen to the son he wished?

  Shi Qingluo nodded her head to express her trust. “Continue.”


  Third Son Shi continued, “He said that in a few months’ time, the Wu family would send that illegitimate daughter over and force your husband to marry her.

  “They would even spread this matter around the county.

  “Your husband is a scholar, but when the students were gathering to admire the flowers, he actually raped the Wu Family’s illegitimate daughter.

  “He also forced his first wife, who was his benefactor, to jump into the river and die.

  This reputation would make it impossible for him to continue with his imperial examinations.

  “When you’re not around, the Wu family probably plan to swallow a few of the Xiao family’s workshops.”


  He added, “I guessed the last part.”


  Otherwise, why would the Wu family sacrifice one of their illegitimate daughters?

  They were definitely eyeing on the Xiao family’s workshops.

  The Wu family might think that this girl was more powerful. As long as she died, a scholar like Xiao Hanzheng would not know how to run the business at all.

  The Wu family was waiting for him to jump into their trap.

  It would be easy for them to take away the formulas used in the workshops.

  Xiao Hanzheng’s expression did not change. Yet, a strong sense of hostility arose in his heart.

  What he was angry about was not that his scumbag father and his wife wanted to destroy his reputation, but that they actually wanted to kill his little wife.

  This was completely stepping on his bottom line.

  Very good, he would remember it.

  Liang Youxiao was also startled. He did not expect anyone to be so vicious in scheming against Xiao Hanzheng’s future.

  “Is the small Wu family so bold?”


  He looked at Xiao Hanzheng and said, “You are Mr Hou’s disciple.”


  Although that old man had resigned from his official duties, his influence on others wasn’t trival. He was also protective of the people around him.

  The Wu family was just a small merchant. Having a prefecture’s concubine as their relative meant nothing to him.

  Xiao Hanzheng said, “Of course they don’t have the guts. But what if someone instigates them or pretends to support their ill doings? Then they won’t be afraid anymore.”


  Third Son Shi added, “I heard from my youngest brother that some people from the capital are supporting Eldest Young Master Wu.

  “But we don’t know who it is yet.”


  Shi Qingluo pouted. “You don’t need to guess to know who’s that. Who else could it be?”


  “It’s my little husband’s ex-father, who had broken off his family ties with us and doesn’t want him to be successful, and his mistress.”


  When Liang Youxiao was asking from the villagers, they had mainly told him about Shi Qingluo.

  Therefore, he still didn’t know these insider stories.

  With a gossipy face, he asked, “What is the name of Xiao Hanzheng’s biological father in the capital?”


  Shi Qingluo answered truthfully, “General Xiao Yuanshi.”


  Then, she told him about how Xiao Yuanshi had taken advantage of Xiao Hanzheng’s maternal grandfather to learn martial arts, accomplished some tasks in the battlefield and rose to a general.

  Then, he brought back a mistress that was only a few years older than Xiao Hanzheng.

  That mistress had deliberately suffered a miscarriage and blamed it Mother Xiao.

  General Xiao used this matter to demote his wife to his mistress, but Xiao Hanzheng did not agree.

  In the end, General Xiao chased her and her children out together.

  They broke off their kinship and stayed in different places. He even divorced Mother Xiao.

  That woman also succeeded in ascending to power, but she did not stop there.

  Previously, she bribed the doctor in town to harm Xiao Hanzheng.

  Liang Youxiao was stunned when he heard that, but he quickly calmed down.

  After all, there were quite a few dirty deeds done by the aristocratic families.

  Although what happened to Xiao Hanzheng was quite outrageous, he had seen even more disgusting ones.

  Of course, he was also disgusted by Xiao Yuanshi and his wife.

  He recalled another matter and looked at Shi Qingluo meaningfully.

  “General Xiao’s family made quite a lot of jokes in the capital previously. Were you the one who sent the old Xiao family to the capital?”


  This woman never hid her personality in front of them.

  After hearing about the happenings in the Xiao family, he had even discussed it with others in their private drinking sessions.

  They felt that someone wanted to mess with Xiao Yuanshi, which was why they encouraged his family to make such a fuss.

  Now, when he heard Shi Qingluo’s words, he felt that the so-called selling of land, houses, and visiting his son in the capital might be doing.

  Otherwise, how could this chain of events happen so coincidentally?

  Not long after they created a scene in the capital, Xiao Yuanshi and his wife wanted to kill Shi Qingluo and ruin Xiao Hanzheng’s future.

  They were obviously seeking revenge.

  Shi Qingluo did not deny and admitted it openly, “Yes, it was me. But that apparently didn’t last long. Now that I have been exposed, the two of them want to teach me a lesson.”


  Since they couldn’t incite her parents to report her unfilial behaviour, they directly plan to kill her and pretend that she committed suicide and also ruin her young husband’s reputation and future.

  Of course, these were things that Xiao Hanzheng’s scumbag father and that woman could do.

  As for Liang Youxiao’s ability to read between the lines, she wasn’t surprised.

  These weren’t the true blue dandies from noble families.

  How innocent would they be?