PFC Chapter 342 Scheming
Chapter 342 Scheming
As Xia Ruwan boarded the carriage, Li Congxiao's attendant appeared, holding Xiami. He placed the cat on the carriage and bowed deeply, "Miss Xia, our master has been very busy lately and may not be able to take care of this cat. Please help take care of it. Don't worry, our master will pay for the cat's food. Please accept this."
After saying that, he stuffed the box into Xia Ruwan's arms, bowed again, turned around and strode away.
Shuhui wanted to call out to the follower, but the follower ran even faster when he heard the sound.
"What nonsense is that? Who would believe it?" Shu Hui complained. "Such a large Li Mansion still needs Master Li to take care of the cat personally?"
Li Taohua looked at Xia Ruwan beside her and said with a smile, "It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. As long as there is a reason, right? Wan'er?"
Xia Ruwan blushed: "How would I know what he's crazy about?"
"What's in here?" Qin Huiyin asked.
Xia Ruwan opened the box and saw a jade hairpin inside.
"So beautiful." Tang Luwu said beside her, "It's of such good quality, I'm afraid I'll have to eat cat food from you for the rest of my life."
Xia Ruwan closed the box and put it in the cabinet next to her.
"After what happened today, not only did the Li and Rong families not become relatives, they became enemies," Tang Luwu said. "What will happen to the Second Young Master Rong and the Third Young Miss Rong?"
"Although Master Li had informed the guests in advance, how could he have concealed the truth when so many people had witnessed it? Go out and listen to the people on the street tomorrow. I'm sure they'll all be hearing about this ridiculous affair between brother and sister. It's hard on Wan'er, but I'm afraid you and Master Li will be implicated as well. Although you are innocent, you are married to them after all, so how can you not speak out about it?"
"They don't feel ashamed, so why should I care?" Xia Ruwan said, "Fortunately, we didn't get married. If it were so embarrassing after marriage, I would kill him."
"The person who was most happy that Li Congxiao didn't marry into the Rong family was none other than Li Jingyan. As the legitimate daughter, Li Jingyan was determined to take charge of the Li family. No matter how capable Li Congxiao was, he was still a bastard, without a backer. He could have borrowed some strength by marrying into the Rong family, but now that's gone. However, judging by Li Congxiao's performance today, the Rong family will still accept his favor." Li Taohua said, "Do you think Li Congxiao was such a sucker that he even spoke up for the Rong brothers and sisters after this incident? He was just being patient and doing Chairman Rong a favor. Anyway, the absurd things the two of them did couldn't be concealed, so what did he lose by stepping in and helping them?"
Tang Luwu was surprised and asked, "How could this Mr. Li be so cunning?"
"When Master Li was young, he flirted with many women and fathered countless illegitimate children. How come none of the other illegitimate children came to see him, but he survived to see Master Li?" Li Taohua said, "You should know that Madam Li is no pushover. Almost none of the illegitimate children who coveted the Li family fortune lived to see Master Li. Li Congxiao is certainly no simple man, and the Li family's harem is a mess. As long as there's no resolution, there's been fighting for years. Li Jingyan has hooked up with the Fang family again, and now she has the upper hand."
"That may not be the case," Qin Huiyin said. "The marriage between the Li and Rong families has ended, but Rong Jingbo still owes Li Congxiao a big favor! Li Congxiao is as cunning as a fox, how could he not take this opportunity to cooperate with Rong Jingbo? I even suspect that everything that happened today was all part of Li Congxiao's plan. He must have known about the ridiculous things that happened between the siblings for a long time. As for whether he was the one who caused such a big commotion on the wedding day, that's unknown."
"He won't let himself be tainted by such filth. Chairman Rong will definitely investigate. If he finds any connection to this matter, he will be in big trouble." Xia Ruwan said, "Don't underestimate Chairman Rong. He has been in this industry for a long time. If he wants to kill an entire family, it would only take a few words to get him to do so. The Li family wouldn't dare to go against the Rong family these days, so Li Congxiao won't leave any evidence like this."
"Wan'er knows him best, and whatever Wan'er says is what it is." Qin Huiyin said teasingly.
Xia Ruwan glared at Qin Huiyin: "Stop teasing me. I have nothing to do with him."
"At best, your relationship is like that of a cat." Li Taohua said with a smile.
"Wan'er canceled the marriage with the Rong family. How am I going to tell Aunt Xia when I go back?" Tang Luwu worried.
"Tell me the truth. Sister Xia loves her daughter as much as I do. If she knew Wan'er had been deceived like this, she would be heartbroken. Even if the Rong family is royal family, we will not suffer such an injustice. Besides, Wan'er is very smart. The marriage was called off, but the betrothal gifts became compensation."
"If I accept those betrothal gifts, I don't know what unpleasant things people outside will say to me. They might even say that Wan'er is greedy for money," said Tang Luwu.
"We don't care what others say. We only care about the benefits at hand. Wan'er had such a bad marriage, and her reputation has been damaged. Of course, they need to compensate her. Don't refuse this money, but don't try to act noble like others. We've all been poor before. When we have nothing, can being noble really feed us?"
Xia Ruwan hugged Li Taohua's arm and said, "Aunt Li is right. I, Xia Ruwan, am originally a businessman. Greed is my nature. I can say whatever others want."
Li Taohua knocked on the carriage and said to the driver outside, "Tell the carriage ahead to go back first. We'll stay at Xia's house tonight."
Tang Dafu and Tang Yi were laughing in the carriage in front.
When they returned to the Xia residence, it was already late, but the courtyard was still lit with lanterns, illuminating the entire mansion as bright as day. The gate to the Xia residence had never been closed, and the gatekeeper, upon seeing their carriage return, immediately went to report to Madam Xia in the main courtyard.
Such a big thing happened today, Li Taohua had to tell Madam Xia the truth, but she was also worried that she would be angry, so she stayed and chatted with her.
The next day, the entire county was buzzing with discussion about the Li and Rong families' marriage. The siblings' absurdity became a popular topic of conversation. Storytellers even began to fill teahouses, recounting their affairs with such vivid detail that it felt as if they were actually there.
The Rong family quickly sent people to suppress the rebellion, but the effect was minimal. After all, the news had already spread, and even though the Rong family was powerful, they couldn't control people's hearts.
The consequence of this public opinion was that more and more people came to inquire about the industries under Xia Ruwan's name, which actually added a little heat to Xia Ruwan's business.
"I heard something." Tang Luwu walked into the room and said to Xia Ruwan and Qin Huiyin, "Today, a customer in the store said that the Rong family's brother and sister eloped overnight and were caught again. Miss Rong San was sent to a nunnery to shave her head and practice as a nun, and it seems that Mr. Rong Er was sent to trade at sea and won't be back anytime soon!"