After seeing off the cheerful matchmaker, Wu Caiwei breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that finding him needed to be put on the agenda. During his absence, someone was already trying to seize the opportunity.
With the matchmaker's spreading the word, those interested in Wu Caiwei soon learned that she was already betrothed. Everyone was inevitably disappointed. They had originally thought of marrying a wise and capable wife, only to find she was already taken.
Ren Jiajia looked at the food on the table, with no appetite at all. Recently, the family's expenses for food and clothing had been decreasing, and if it dropped any further, she wouldn't know how to go on.
However, the usually exceptionally picky master picked up his chopsticks and started eating without a word. She had her mouth open for a long time but couldn't utter a sound. She knew that the master's business must have been extremely bad, otherwise, how could he tolerate it? Was that person named Li Shiqin really that capable? She couldn't help but harbor doubts.
Every time she heard the other person's name, she felt disgusted from the bottom of her heart. However, living in the same city, she would inevitably meet. So, as soon as Wu Caiwei walked out of the shop, she saw a woman dressed as a lady stealthily observing her.
Although the other party acted very discreetly, when Wu Caiwei looked at her, she pretended to look at the surrounding scenery, as if waiting for someone. But Wu Caiwei knew that the other party was there to observe her. She searched the original owner's memories and confirmed she didn't know her, so she pretended not to notice, wanting to see what the other party's intentions were.
Seeing her leave, Ren Jiajia quickly lifted her skirt and followed. Watching her walk into a restaurant opposite, she thought for a moment and quickly followed. As soon as she entered, she saw Wu Caiwei leaning casually against the door, looking at her with a puzzled expression, "Madam, if you want to see me, just say so. We can sit down and chat. Following me so sneakily, what can you figure out?"
Caught red-handed, Ren Jiajia looked around awkwardly, then said as if nothing had happened, "I thought I was being very discreet and didn't expect you to discover me. Let me introduce myself, I am Madam Liu. My husband often praises you as a skilled businesswoman. The more he praises you, the more curious I became, wanting to see who you are." Su Dan Novel Network
Wu Caiwei raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected to encounter her mission target right away. In the original owner's cognition, the other party was very suspicious. It was said that she grew up in the Li family, but she had never heard her mother or maternal grandparents mention her. Given their temperaments, unless the other party had done something unforgivable to them or made a major mistake, they wouldn't have cut ties with her. Besides, Li Jinyu had just passed away, and she was with her father. Were there so many coincidences?
The other party wanted to meet her, and Wu Caiwei also wanted to meet her, so she made a gesture of invitation. They requested a private room and sat down to have a good chat.
"I heard that your eldest daughter's name is very similar to mine. Master Liu seems to be very concerned and even specially came to visit me. It's a shame he was disappointed. Besides having a similar name, I am nothing like her," Wu Caiwei said casually while pouring her a cup of tea.
Ren Jiajia's face stiffened for a moment. She thought that Li Jinyu and her daughter held no status in the master's heart. She didn't expect it to be her own wishful thinking. The master heard that her name was very similar to that of that wretched woman's daughter and specially came to visit her. If she hadn't brought it up, she would have been kept in the dark. She was burning with hatred, but her smile became even more cheerful on the surface.
"Alas, no matter what, she was our master's first child. It's inevitable that the master cares about her. Besides, the dead should be respected. It's only right for the master to keep her in his heart."
Ren Jiajia's surface work was done well, which was why she had maintained her position as madam for so many years. At least she could mingle with other madams when they went out together, and sometimes even provide some convenience for the Liu family's business.
"To be remembered by so many people, the eldest daughter would be very touched if she knew. You probably don't know that not only you and the master specially visited me, but even your maids and that stable hand have been to my shop and bought twenty taels of fabric," Wu Caiwei said, as if enjoying the commotion. Knowing that Liu Baishi would definitely not tell her some things, she decided to expose them herself and see if the other party could create a rift.
Ren Jiajia was, after all, a smart woman, otherwise, she wouldn't have been Madam Liu for so many years. As soon as she heard this, she knew something was amiss. Coupled with her husband's evasiveness that day and the perfunctory answers whenever she asked Chunlan, was their shared secret about Li Shiyun?
Li Shiyun was only in her teens when she died. What could they be thinking about? It couldn't be what she was thinking, could it? Li Shiyun wasn't dead at all and was living somewhere in the city, and the person in front of her looked very much like her. He wanted to confirm something, or perhaps she was already dead, and the murderer was related to their master.
If she said that other masters dared not commit murder and arson, she would believe it, but who was Liu Baishi? Although he appeared refined and cultured on the surface, he was ruthless when it came to doing things. He had long known that Liu Baishi was dissatisfied with Li Shiyun, as the Li family had originally decided to leave all their assets to Li Shiyun. As a son-in-law who married into the Li family, Liu Baishi was merely a steward watching over the household for his daughter.
How could the ambitious Liu Baishi be willing to accept this? So, as soon as Li Jinyu passed away, he immediately drove her out. If it hadn't been for Old Madam Liu taking her in, her life would have probably ended outside. Ren Jiajia understood what he was plotting with a little thought.
Raising a daughter was nothing to him; it was just one more pair of chopsticks. But his daughter's appearance, so similar to his first wife's, kept flashing before his eyes, making him uneasy. He always felt as if his wife was secretly observing him, or even came back for revenge. So, he decided to get rid of her once and for all. This way, the Li family's assets would rightfully belong to him.
How Li Shiyun died, Ren Jiajia had long forgotten after so many years. She only remembered that her husband calmly told her she had died that night. Although she and Li Shiyun were distant relatives, they had never met, let alone had any feelings for each other. So, she just hummed and nodded.
Later, she heard that her husband had sent people to bring her back, but unexpectedly, she had already eloped with someone. Thinking she had to return and marry someone else, she directly threw herself into the lake. To this day, no one had seen her body. At the time, she had completely believed her husband's words, but now they seemed full of loopholes.