The Heavens Begin with Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 50: Can't you take the initiative? (10k)

Zhan Ershisi held his head high and puffed out his chest, first posing in a heroic manner, then sighed, pretending to be born at the wrong time, and said with emotion:

"I was born with supernatural powers, and I have been practicing martial arts since I was young. I never stop practicing. I wanted to be a marquis in the future, and win a title for my wife and children on the battlefield."

"But who would have thought that nowadays, with peace all over the world and no bandits, even if a hero has extraordinary military power, there is no place to use his power!"

If everyone in the mountain village heard these words, they would definitely laugh their heads off. But Third Sister You was foolish. After hearing these words, the admiration in her eyes was almost overflowing.

"Brother-in-law, I heard that Xue Pinggui can use eighteen kinds of martial arts and can draw a bow with a force of ten stones. Between you and Xue Pinggui, who is more powerful?"

Zhan Ershisi laughed loudly, stretched out his hand to pick up Third Sister You, and gently threw her upwards into the air, more than three meters high.

"what……"

Third Sister You was so frightened that her face turned pale and she couldn't help but scream.

She only felt that her whole body was falling at high speed, and the hard ground was rushing towards her. She couldn't help but close her eyes.

But she only felt a force blocking her waist, and with a slight turn, her feet were already on the ground.

Third Sister You opened her eyes in shock, and first touched her body, finding that she was unharmed. Then she discovered that there was a big hand around her waist, which was warm and made her heart beat faster.

Old Lady You had heard the third sister's scream and rushed over to see what was happening, but after seeing this scene, she immediately turned around and went back to the front yard, and restrained the others from going to the backyard.

The suspension bridge effect can easily give people the illusion of being in love, which is why so many people like to ride roller coasters when they are in love.

You Sanjie didn’t know this truth, but Zhan Ershisi was very familiar with it.

When he saw Third Sister You's rosy face, which was as attractive as a ripe red apple, he knew that his sister-in-law had been moved. He smiled at her again and without saying anything, he threw her into the sky again.

"what……"

The excitement that Third Sister You just felt had not yet dissipated, and now she was thrown into the sky again. Immediately, her heart continued to beat violently.

But this time she felt much more at ease, as she no longer had to worry about falling, so she did not close her eyes any longer. Instead, she opened them wide and watched her brother-in-law reach out to catch her and hold her in his arms again.

"Brother-in-law..."

Third Sister You blushed and cried out softly. She felt her whole body was limp and she couldn't muster any strength. She collapsed in her brother-in-law's arms, not wanting to move at all.

"Is it fun?" Zhan Ershisi asked with a wicked smile.

"...It's a bit scary...but it seems quite interesting." Sister You San buried her face in Zhan Ershi's arms, humming softly.

"Then come a few more times."

Zhan Ershisi threw You Sanjie up again, then caught her again, repeating this several times.

This time Third Sister You was not afraid at all. Not only did she stop screaming, but she opened her eyes wide, staring at her heroic brother-in-law below without blinking, and started to giggle with a red face.

After playing on this artificial "Ferris wheel", Third Sister Yu's heart was already tied to Master Zhan.

With a red face, she nestled in Master Zhan's arms and asked in a low voice:

"Brother-in-law, I will marry you as a concubine along with my second sister, okay?"

Zhan Ershi then pinched her cheek and said with a smile:

"Wait two years, and the master will take you in again."

Third Sister You blushed and nodded, agreeing, "Everything is up to the master."

Zhan Ershisi corrected with a smile, "It's more exciting to call you brother-in-law."

"Yes, brother-in-law."

Zhan Ershisi did not expect that it would be so easy to subdue You Sanjie. Presumably, with You Sanjie's personality, she would not have to worry about being abducted even if she met Liu Xianglian again.

Now that the morning exercise was over, he hugged his third sister and walked towards the front yard.

As for the eldest sister in the room, she was still in a coma and wouldn't wake up for a while.

She worked very hard last night.

She is now in her prime, and Jia Zhen's small body can't feed her at all. What's more, there are so many concubines in the mansion waiting to share the profits, which makes her even more lacking in comfort.

Originally, she planned to grit her teeth and endure it, as if she was bitten by a dog, but she was soon aroused by Zhan Ershisi's familiar techniques.

First she pretended to be dead and didn't move, then she tried to refuse but also to welcome, and finally she took the initiative to ask for it. This series of changes were completely unaffected by her subjective consciousness.

In the second half, if Zhan Ershisi hadn't stuffed the underwear into her mouth, her screams would have woken up the entire yard.

When the two of them arrived at the front yard, Old Lady You and Second Sister saw them, their eyes flickered. They looked at each other but said nothing. They just greeted them warmly and asked them to prepare for dinner.

When everyone sat down at the table, they realized that Youshi was not there.

Of course, Old Lady You knew what was going on, but the second and third sisters didn't know, so they asked curiously:

"Where's elder sister? Why didn't she come to eat?"

Zhan Ershisi lied calmly:
"Sister-in-law ate too much meat and oil last night. She is not hungry now, so she won't come to have breakfast."

At this time, most families still had two meals a day, and only wealthy families had three meals a day.

If Master Zhan hadn't come as a guest, the You family would have only had two meals a day on weekdays.

Even so, the breakfast on the table was mainly porridge and side dishes, not as much meat and fish as last night, so this excuse was reasonable.

So everyone stopped talking about her and just busy themselves with serving porridge and vegetables to Zhan Ershii and finishing his breakfast.

After breakfast, they made a pot of tea and chatted for a while before You came in slowly.

The wedding banquet was quite complicated. Since Zhan Ershi had already succeeded, he stopped wasting time on these trivial matters. He directly placed three more hundred-liang silver notes on the table and said generously:

"On the day of my second sister's wedding, there will definitely be many guests. Of course, my second sister must be fully dressed, and even my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and my third sister can't be dressed shabby."

"Keep these three hundred taels of silver at home and buy clothes for my mother-in-law, my sister-in-law, and my third sister. Don't let outsiders underestimate it."

Old Lady You's eyes sparkled, knowing that this was hush money for her family, she smiled from ear to ear, took one and put it in her arms, and said politely:
"My dear son-in-law, you are thoughtful."

At this point, Youshi had even given him her body, so naturally she had let go of everything. She had no psychological pressure at all to take his money, so she reached out and took one.

Third Sister You had just expressed her feelings to her lover, and now everything she saw seemed to be a token of love. She was secretly delighted, but at the same time, she shyly took one as well.

You Erjie already knew that her clothing expenses were five hundred taels, so she certainly wasn't jealous at this moment. She just watched from the side, smiling and saying nothing.

After everything was arranged, Zhan Ershisi said goodbye and left, leaving only the You family to continue discussing matters related to the wedding.

Old Lady You was now extremely satisfied with her future son-in-law. She immediately wrote a letter and sent it to Zhang Hua, You Erjie's original engagement partner, to cancel the marriage.

Zhan Ershisi rode his horse back to the Xue family's mansion first. Jia Zhen had already sent Yu Lu to wait for him, waiting to go to the farm outside the city to weigh the sweet potatoes.

Seeing Zhan 24 coming back, Yu Lu hurried over to kowtow and greet him.

"I am Yu Lu, a humble man, and I am honored to meet Master Zhan."

Zhan Ershisi threw a silver ingot over as usual.

"Butler Yu, right? I'll have to trouble you with the sweet potato business. I'll let Yang Yougong accompany you, and you two can discuss it."

After Yu Lu took the silver, he immediately smiled, thinking that Mr. Zhan's reputation for generosity was well-deserved, so he patted his chest and promised:
"Master Zhan, rest assured, just leave these chores to me, there will be absolutely no mistakes or omissions."

"Okay, then you can go." Zhan Ershisi asked someone to call Yang Yougong over. After explaining the matter to him, he waved his hand and went into the mansion.

Yang Yougong had already received instructions from Zhan Ershisi and knew what to do, so he smiled and put his arm around Yu Lu's shoulder.

"Brother Yu, it's still early, why don't we find a place to sit down and have a couple of drinks, and then we can go to the manor."

Yu Lu hesitated for a moment when he heard this. He had just taken Mr. Zhan's money, wouldn't it be inappropriate if he was lazy?
Yang Yougong moved closer and lowered his voice:
"Brother Yu, do you want to make some extra money?"

Yu Lu's heart moved, and he immediately forgot about Master Zhan, and hurriedly smiled and said:
"It's so cold, you could freeze to death if you work here. It's better to wait until the sun comes out before starting work. After all, this job is just weighing and collecting money, which won't take much time."

"Today is the first time we meet, so I should be the host."

"Come on, let's go to the restaurant and have a few drinks to warm ourselves up. This will make it easier for us to work, right?"

Yang Yougong declined, saying, "I'm the one who needs your help, brother. How can I let you pay for it? I should pay for it."

The two of them pushed and shoved for a while, but finally Yu Lu couldn't stand Yang Yougong's enthusiasm anymore, so he agreed that Yang Yougong would treat him this time and he would treat him back next time, and then the two of them walked to the restaurant arm in arm, smiling.

After arriving at the restaurant, Yang Yougong asked for a private room. After the waiter brought the wine and food, he first toasted Yu Lu with a few glasses of wine, said some polite words, and then got down to business.

"Brother, the sweet potato business is entirely in the hands of Brother Yu, right?"

"Uh..." Yu Lu glanced at Yang Yougong, not knowing what he meant by this question, and answered more cautiously, "My master has trusted me and entrusted this job to me, my elder brother."

"Brother, what do you mean by asking this?"

Yang Yougong smiled, raised his glass and said:
"I and you hit it off right away, so I have a way to make a fortune, and I want to do it with you. I wonder if you are interested?"

Of course Yu Lu was interested. The Zhan family and the Xue family had always been good at doing business and were generous. They were already famous in the Ning and Rong mansions.

The servants of these two families were willing to go to the Xue family for any matters, big or small, and any useful information would be rewarded handsomely.

Mr. Zhan was not stingy either. He would never go home empty-handed when someone did something for him.

For many servants, the rewards they receive on a daily basis are much higher than their monthly allowance.

If I could do some business with the steward of the Zhan Mansion, the rewards I would get would be much higher than that reward.

"Hey, brother, you are willing to help me make money. That is my blessing." Yu Lu hurriedly held up the wine glass with both hands, "Please tell me how to do it."

"It's actually very simple. Since you are in charge of the sweet potato business, I think you can change the numbers on the books, right?"

"My family will definitely take all the sweet potatoes from this farm, but the exact quantity depends entirely on how much profit you want to make from it."

"Let me put it this way. My family buys the sweet potatoes based on their actual weight and price, but it's up to you how much you report to the government."

"Don't worry about my master. I'll do the accounts here. If Master Zhen asks, the numbers in the account here will definitely be consistent with the numbers you reported."

"Hiss..." Yu Lu took a breath of cold air, "Brother, why do you do this?"

Why else?

It's still the same principle, that is, anyone can make money except Jia Zhen!
Of course Yang Yougong couldn't say that, so he smiled and coaxed him:
"Of course it's for money!"

"Brother, you can't let me work for nothing. I'm not greedy. I want 20% of your profits as a kickback."

"Well, what do you think, Brother Yu?"

Yu Lu was immediately interested.

The servants in the Ning and Rong mansions are all good at making money.

Although Lai Da and Lai Er, the stewards of the two mansions, were slaves, their houses were no less magnificent than those of ordinary gentry and wealthy men. To say that they were extremely wealthy was an understatement.

In a few years, the wealth of these two families will be even greater than that of the Ning and Rong families!

Yu Lu was of course no exception, but he was just a small steward and did not have as much power as Lai Er, so naturally he made much less money.

As an ambitious butler, he certainly wanted to take Senior Lai as an example, and also wanted his son to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar or a juren.

So after just a little hesitation, he agreed.

"it is good!"

"Then let's make it a deal!"

"I will take care of my master's side, and you will handle your master's side. We have to make this account perfect!"

The two men clinked their glasses and drank them all, agreeing that the deal was reached. Then they looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Since they were already tied together, their friendship naturally became much deeper, and they drank each other's cups and became even more intimate.

Yang Yougong said again:
"I have another idea that will make it easier for Brother Yu to pass the test with Master Zhen."

Yu Lu was shocked when he heard this. "Brother, will this method work? It's not appropriate to put the blame on Master Zhan!"

Yang Yougong smiled mysteriously and said mysteriously:
"Don't worry, I know my master very well. If Master Zhen really confronts him, he will definitely not deny it."

Yu Lu hesitated again and again, still not daring enough, so Yang Yougong patted his chest and assured him:
"If you are worried, you can say that I was the one who relayed my master's words. If my master denies it, you can say that I impersonated my master and deceived you. I will never let you bear the responsibility by yourself!"

Yu Lu was overjoyed and raised his glass again to express his gratitude:

"Brother, you are indeed very loyal. I am so grateful to you!"

"If there really is Master Zhan standing in front of us, then we can be a little braver!"

The two of them conspired for a long time, and it was not until after noon that they came out of the restaurant drunkenly, went back home to call their friends, and went together towards the farm outside the city.

As for Jia Zhen, ever since he tricked Zhan Niansi into selling all the sweet potatoes stored in the farm at a high price, he began to feel lonely these past two days. He was always thinking about buying something fun, or going out to have a good time.

However, before he could put these ideas into practice, Yu Lu hit him on the head and knocked him unconscious.

"What did you say?"

"How come there is only so little silver?"

Jia Zhen slapped the account book and the small box of silver on the table and roared angrily.

"I remember that in those villages, there were so many warehouses filled with sweet potatoes!"

"Besides, Brother Zhan Xian agreed to buy it at a price 30% higher than the market price. How come he only sold it for such a small amount of silver in the end?"

Yu Lu half bowed and explained carefully:

"Master, these are just coarse grains, and the price is not high to begin with."

"Also, when there were people setting up stalls all over the streets selling roasted sweet potatoes, our grain store also sold some sweet potatoes."

"Plus, our granary was not well maintained, and many sweet potatoes had already sprouted. They were crushed and fed to pigs and cows."

"What's more, what's more..."

When Yu Lu reached this point, he deliberately hesitated and did not make his words clear. Instead, he glanced at Jia Zhen.

Jia Zhen immediately became angry and slammed the table and shouted:
"Not to mention what?"

"Is there anything you can't say?"

Yu Lu shuddered and said quickly:
"What's more, Mr. Zhan's housekeeper Yang Yougong told me that his master said that the extra 30% is the matchmaking fee for the two sisters of the You family, but now he has only married the second sister You, so he only gives 15% as a matchmaking fee."

After hearing this, Jia Zhen was furious. He rushed out with the account book in his hand, shouting:

"Hurry up and prepare the car. I'm going to settle accounts with that Zhan guy!"

Zhan Ershisi had guessed long ago that Jia Zhen would come after settling the bill, so he waited for him at home. When he heard that he was coming, he pretended to know nothing and went out to greet him.

"Haha...Brother Zhen is a rare visitor. What wind brought Brother Zhen here?"

"Brother Zhen, please come in quickly!"

Jia Zhen walked into the living room angrily. After the host and the guest sat down, he took out the account book from his arms and threw it on the table.

"Brother Zhan, what you did is wrong!"

"Well, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with the accounts? I'll ask Yang Yougong to check the accounts."

Zhan Ershisi's innocent expression made Jia Zhen even angrier.

"Brother Zhan promised before that he would buy the sweet potatoes from me at 30% higher than the market price."

"But why did I hear from Yu Lu that you only gave 15%?"

"Can we only give half of the matchmaking fee?"

"Tsk! So that's what it is!" Zhan Ershisi leaned back in his chair and said slowly, "There's nothing wrong with that!"

"Second sister's matchmaking fee is 15%, and third sister's matchmaking fee is also 15%. We can't just put all of it on second sister's head. On the day when third sister gets married, there will be nothing left."

"It's not that I'm short of this little money, but the point is that it's artificially creating conflicts within the family, and it's not conducive to the harmony and stability of my family!"

"I'm not saying I won't give it to you, I'm just giving it to you a little later. Brother Zhen, don't you trust me?"

Jia Zhen originally thought that Zhan Ershisi wanted to give only 15% and that was why he was very angry. But now he heard that it was not that he would not give it but would wait until the third sister came into the family before giving it, and immediately his anger subsided.

He was also a flexible person. Seeing that his money would not be damaged, he immediately changed his expression and laughed:

"Oh, look at what a misunderstanding this has caused."

"Don't worry, my dear brother. When I get back, I will immediately urge your sister-in-law to talk to her sister and try to get both of her sisters to marry together."

Zhan Ershisi also treated the previous quarrel as non-existent, laughed loudly, and thanked him by clasping his hands: "Then I am very grateful. I will just wait for good news from my sister-in-law at home!"

After Jia Zhen left the mansion, he sent someone to You's house to pass on the message and ask Youshi to come back.

After a ridiculous night last night, You Shi regretted her decision this morning. She didn't want to stay in her parents' home any longer, so as not to continue to be toyed with by that Zhan every night.

Especially when she found that deep down she was not so averse to this kind of teasing, she became more and more panicked and dared not stay.

However, she had to stay because Yindie had conveyed her master's order. Now that she received the recall order, it was like being pardoned. She immediately dropped the work at hand and said to Old Lady You:
"That's about it for the wedding banquet. The next thing is to spend the money. Just spend as much as you can, Mom. You can ask Master Zhan to pay you back later. Don't save him any money."

"This is five hundred taels of silver as a dowry. I'll leave the other five hundred taels of silver here for the clothes. Mom can go and discuss the preparations with my second sister."

"My master called me back this time. If nothing unexpected happens, I will not come again. We will see each other again at the wedding banquet."

Old Lady You didn't expect him to do this, so she agreed, happily took the silver, and sent You out the door.

Yu Shi got on the carriage and looked at Yin Die, who was lowering her head and looking calm, as if nothing had happened. She felt very complicated. She wanted to scold her and drive her out of the house, but she didn't dare to provoke her for fear that she would reveal her family's secrets.

The two sat opposite each other in silence for a long while, and finally, Youshi couldn't hold it anymore.

She took out a silver ingot from her bosom, put it silently on the table, and pushed it towards Yindie.

"Yindie, you should know what to do, right?"

Yin Die took a look, stretched out her hand to take the silver, put it in her arms, then fell to the ground, swore and said:
"Please rest assured, Madam. Yindie is definitely not a talkative person and will not talk nonsense outside."

"That's good."

Yu Shi reached out her hand to help Yin Die up, and said to her:

"You are my personal maid. I will treat you like my own sister in the future. If you have any ideas or doubts, please do not act on your own. You must discuss with me before making a decision."

This time she was really frightened by this self-righteous thinking, and was afraid that she would be cheated again in the future.

At that moment, You told Yindie all the truth, including that at first she just let Zhan Ershi touch her legs instead of actively seducing the man, as well as a series of misunderstandings that occurred later, and even what happened last night was not hidden from her.

At last, she said to Yindie, who was so shocked that her mouth couldn't close:

"The reason I'm telling you this is not to blame you for acting on your own, but to make things clear with you to prevent any rift between us and any misunderstandings from happening in the future."

"I unfortunately lost my virginity yesterday. I had no choice. From now on, I have made up my mind to hide in Ningguo Mansion and not come out at all."

"If Mr. Zhan comes again in the future, you can use the excuse that I am not feeling well and cannot meet guests, and turn down all opportunities to meet him, so that he won't come to bother me again."

Yindie quickly prostrated herself on the ground, saying with a guilty look on her face:

"Don't worry, ma'am. Yindie will never dare to have any more wild thoughts in the future. If there is anything, I will discuss it with you carefully before making any decision."

The two reconciled and their relationship became even deeper than before.

Youshi returned to Ningguo Mansion happily, thinking that she could finally get rid of Zhan Twenty-four's entanglement. However, as soon as she got home, she was scolded by Jia Zhen.

After cursing, Jia Zhen flicked his sleeves and left, leaving only one sentence behind.

"I don't care what method you use, anyway, you must find a way to get your third sister to marry Zhan Nian Si as soon as possible, so that he can send me the share of money as soon as possible!"

"If you can't solve this problem, you don't have to come back!"

Mr. Zhan is a man of his words. He promised his sister-in-law that he would not bother her anymore, so he will not bother her anymore. He will just wait for his sister-in-law to come to him.

Yu was so shocked by her master's words that she was almost burnt on the outside but tender on the inside.

I have finally escaped from the clutches of that man named Zhan, and I plan to avoid him and remain a virgin from now on.

But the result?

The master of this family is actually eager to send his wife to someone else, as if he is afraid that he is not cheating enough!
Although You Shi knew that Zhan would not let her go, she thought that as long as she was determined, she would not get stuck in this mess. At worst, if she couldn't afford to offend him, she could just hide away.

But now she realized that it was not that she couldn't hide, but that her master was eager to send her away!

It turns out that I’m not afraid of god-like enemies, but I’m afraid of pig-like teammates!
With a husband who is greedy, lustful, and as stupid as a pig, it's hard not to cheat!
Youshi was overwhelmed with mixed feelings and was absent-minded for a moment. She didn't know how she got back to her room. After seeing Yindie, she couldn't help but hug her and burst into tears.

Yindie was also frightened, thinking that the truth had been revealed, and asked hurriedly:

"What's the matter, ma'am?"

"Could it be that the master knows?"

Yu shed tears and said:

"If he knew, it would be fine. At worst, I could just give up my life, which is better than suffering like this now."

Yindie hurriedly comforted him:
"Madam, please don't do this. Saying such angry words will not help. It's better to tell me about the matter and we can discuss it together."

Youshi then told Yindie about Jia Zhen's order, and after hearing it, they were also speechless.

"Master, this is really..."

"But this also proves that the master knows nothing about this, otherwise he would never do this."

"I think the old lady has a special attitude towards Mr. Zhan. She is obviously very fond of him. Otherwise, I will go to You Mansion to pass on the message and ask the old lady to persuade Third Sister to let her join the family as well."

Yu wiped her tears and said:

"Then Master Zhan is just taking advantage of the situation to make a fuss. He wants me to take the initiative to ask him for help so that he can control me."

"If he doesn't want to give the money, he can always find a reason. He might even make my mother refuse to agree. Can my mother dare to go against his wishes?"

After hearing this, Yindie suddenly realized that this method would not work, so she also looked bitter.

"Then...then what should we do? Could it be that..."

She stopped talking halfway through her words. Yu Shi knew what she was trying to say, but at this point, there was really no other way to think of.

"Never mind, never mind. You can avoid the first day, but you can't avoid the fifteenth."

"Since Mr. Zhan is determined to do something bad, it's useless to try to escape. It's better to let him succeed one more time."

"After the master receives the money, I will hide at home and never go out again. I will tell others that I am sick and leave the housekeeping affairs to my little...daughter-in-law Keqing."

"Even if Mr. Zhan wants to cause trouble again in the future, our master can't let me work while I'm sick, right?"

She used to call Qin Keqing a little whore, but now that she had lost her virginity, she realized that there are many things in this world that girls cannot control. Naturally, her hostility towards Qin Keqing decreased a lot, and instead she felt more sympathy for her.

Although she had already decided to sacrifice herself again, You was still a little unwilling and wanted to try again, so she took Yindie out of the house and went straight to the Zhan family.

She thought, it was broad daylight, and they met at Zhan's house, so Master Zhan would have to be cautious and not indulge in lust in broad daylight, so the worst that could happen was that she would just let him have fun.

What's more, she went to the Zhan family in a very public manner, and everyone saw it. Even if she lost her virginity again, it would only be this time, and Master Zhan couldn't let a woman like her stay overnight in his house.

But when they arrived at the Zhan Mansion and asked, they were told that Master Zhan had gone to the You Family again and asked You to meet up there.

Yu had no choice but to take Yindie back to her parents' home.

She had originally told her family that she would not come back after she returned, but with the words still fresh in their minds, she returned.

Fortunately, Old Lady You knew all about this and said nothing. She just enthusiastically pulled her aside to continue discussing things like the wedding banquet.

You Shi originally came for Zhan 24, but she found that Zhan 24 was not there at all. Just when she didn't know how to ask, Old Lady You took advantage of the opportunity and whispered in her ear:

"Mr. Zhan has been very busy lately, so I told you to just stay home and he will definitely come back to stay overnight. Miss, remember to leave the door open for him at night."

Yu's face turned red, and she felt that her mother had seen through all her family's secrets.

Although she had known in her heart that Old Lady You had been secretly bringing them together, knowing it and having it pointed out to her in person were two completely different feelings.

She lowered her head, her face flushed, and she was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig out a two-bedroom, one-living room in the ground with her toes, but she heard Old Lady You chuckle, reached out and poked her, and whispered in her ear:
"We are all family, why are you still shy?"

"When your father was alive, mother used her identity as An Ren to socialize with the families of your father's colleagues in the government, and heard a lot of gossip about the rich and powerful families from the gossipy women."

"It was only after comparison that mother realized that the richer the family, the more materialistic the people are. For a little benefit, they will do anything."

"Things between men and women are even more casual, such as stealing ashes, stealing a woman's wife, borrowing sperm, homosexuality, and group sex... Tsk tsk, if mother dares to say it out loud, I'm afraid you won't dare to listen!"

"Only those small families who have not read much and do not understand anything, and believe whatever is written in the books, are more polite and well-mannered."

"Young lady, you are now the mistress of Ningguo Mansion. Don't tell me that Ningguo Mansion is clean and there is nothing dirty going on."

"We are mother and daughter, and I am telling you something from my heart, so please don't think it's unpleasant."

"The nonsense in the book is something that even the author may not be able to do, but he still asks others to follow it. Don't believe it completely."

"What's the point of the three obediences and four virtues? How can it be more important than living a comfortable life at home?"

"The most important thing for you right now is to secure your position as the mistress of Ningguo Mansion. You have to make it unbreakable!"

"Your father is gone now, and you don't have your mother's family background anymore, so you have to find some outside help!"

"Since Mr. Zhan is interested in you, you should win him over."

"Don't underestimate Mr. Zhan, he's just a businessman, but if a businessman has enough money, naturally there will be powerful people willing to win him over."

"Look at the Xue family. Didn't they become the imperial merchants just because they are rich?"

"Master Zhan has just arrived in Beijing and still has to look up to Ningguo Mansion. But if he gets help from a noble and becomes a big shot in the future, then even if your affair is exposed, Master Zhen will probably be cautious and won't dare to touch you."

Old Lady You spoke from the bottom of her heart, which immediately made You, who was already in a period of confusion, even more confused.

Seeing this, Old Lady You smiled and reached out to gently push her.

"Okay, just keep these words in mind for now. When you are older and have seen more, you will naturally understand it."

"There's nothing to do here, go and have some rest."

"By the way, remember to keep the door open at night!"

Of course, what Old Lady You said was drafted by Hongye, the unscrupulous maidservant beside Zhan Twenty-four. She told Old Lady You through Zhan Twenty-four, and then Old Lady You conveyed it to Youshi. The price was one hundred taels of silver.

Zhan Ershisi didn't want to do this at first, but was persuaded by Hongye. He decided to test Sister-in-law Zhen on behalf of Brother Zhen to see how much Sister-in-law Zhen loved Brother Zhen.

If Sister-in-law Zhen had given up hope on Brother Zhen and wanted to seduce him, he was not Liu Xiahui, so how could he endure it?
What else could he do?
Of course I obeyed my sister-in-law!
It is very difficult to change a person's psychology, and we need to guide him/her in the right direction.

Zhan Ershisi will definitely use various economic means to control the Ningguo Mansion in the future. If there is a lady of the Ningguo Mansion to assist him and constantly persuade Jia Zhen to spend money squanderingly, then it will be much easier to conquer the Ningguo Mansion.

He first used Old Lady You to let You know that there were a lot of terrible things happening in the homes of the rich and powerful, so that she didn't have to resist losing her virginity.

With the example of Jia Zhen's affair, it was easy for Youshi to believe that what Old Lady You said was true, and she found a perfect excuse for herself in her heart.

Then, she would use the bait of "securely becoming the lady of Ningguo Mansion" to dangle it in front of her, so that she would think of seeking external help.

Because she usually walked on thin ice in the mansion, and did not look like the legitimate lady of Ningguo Mansion at all, it was impossible for her not to have resentment in her heart, so it was naturally easier for her to accept it.

Finally, he concluded that if Zhan Ershi became rich in the future, Jia Zhen would definitely be afraid of his financial power and turn a blind eye to her infidelity, thus planting a thorn in Youshi's heart.

When Jia Zhen repeatedly acts in the future to value money more than her, the words left by Old Lady You at this moment will become the scissors that cut the bottom line in her heart, making her completely turn to Zhan Twenty-four.

Mr. Zhan certainly wouldn't force anyone, but bribery is reasonable, right?

Encouraged by Old Lady You, Mrs. You obediently left the door open that night, waiting for Master Zhan to crow the rooster in the middle of the night.

But who would have known that Mr. Zhan was now a gentleman from Liangshan? Although he returned to the courtyard that night, he rested obediently in the room next door and did not come to disturb them all night.

Poor Youshi tossed and turned all night, half asleep and half awake, and waited until dawn, but there was no sign of Master Zhan.

When it was dawn the next day, Master Zhan was still practicing martial arts in the yard, his fists and feet making crackling sounds, which made Third Sister You cheer and jump for joy. She was like a crazy fan, and she fell more and more into it.

When it was time for breakfast, Youshi yawned continuously because she had not slept well the night before, which attracted the attention of her sisters.

"Didn't you sleep well last night, elder sister? Why are you so tired?" the second sister asked with concern.

Yushi blushed, and was too embarrassed to say that she was not in good spirits because she had not waited for her future husband last night, so she could only evade the question by saying:

"I've been a little tired lately and haven't slept well."

When Old Lady You heard this, she misunderstood again. After breakfast, she quietly called You aside and told her:
"You two shouldn't play too much at night. Go to bed early. Otherwise, if Second Sister finds out, it will be so embarrassing."

After hearing this, Youshi felt sick all over, her face flushed, and she complained in a low voice:

"Mom, where did you think you were?"

"He...he didn't come at all last night!"

After listening to this, Old Lady You suddenly realized.

"No wonder!"

"You kept yawning, it turns out you were lovesick last night."

"You said you were the same, so why don't you take the initiative?"

"Your two rooms are next to each other. If he doesn't come over, won't you go over?"

"I..." Yu Shi became even more speechless, tongue-tied, not knowing what to say.

"You are so old now, you should think about it carefully!"

Old Lady You shook her head, sighed a few times, then turned and left.

Youshi stood there in a daze, feeling annoyed.

Of course she knew that Zhan Ershisi had calculated all of this and wanted her to take the initiative to throw herself into his arms.

The two rooms were adjacent to each other and could be crossed in one step, but in her eyes, this short distance seemed as far as the ends of the earth.

If she really took the initiative to move into the next room, it would no longer be a helpless act, but a complete and active affair, which would be completely different in nature.

After hesitating for a while, she remembered her third sister's attitude towards Master Zhan before, so she thought of trying to persuade her own sister first, and then solve the problem in a roundabout way.

As a result, as soon as she opened her mouth to test it, the third sister smiled and said:
"I told my brother-in-law a long time ago that I wanted to marry him with my second sister, but my brother-in-law thought I was too young and might easily attract reports, so he told me to grow up a few years before marrying me."

Yu Shi immediately understood everything.

She wanted to give up and just go back home, but she couldn't take that step after lifting her legs several times.

Her master's attitude was very clear. If she couldn't get the money back, he would definitely make her suffer.

Although he might not necessarily divorce her because of this, he would definitely become more dissatisfied with her, and her status in the family would certainly drop again.

As this kind of dissatisfaction accumulated, there was only one result in the end, which was to divorce his wife and marry someone else, which she absolutely could not accept.

In order to keep this position, she has endured all kinds of humiliation over the years and paid too much sunk cost. She really can't turn back and can only continue to persevere.

"Forget it, forget it, you've already lost your virginity, why are you still pretending to be a virgin!"

After sighing a few words in her heart, Youshi opened her arms and prepared to welcome a new life.

That night was another dark and windy night. Taking advantage of the fact that the moon was obscured by dark clouds, Youshi sneaked out of the house, ran to the door next door like a thief, and quietly reached out to push the door, but... the door was locked from the inside!

This damn ghost!
It’s really not a thing!

Yu Shi cursed under her breath, then turned around and went back to her room.

Mr. Zhan, who was in the room, had been listening to the noise outside the door. He heard that Youshi retreated again and did not come out for a long time. He wondered if he had done something wrong.

The relationship between men and women has always been one of advances and retreats, and this kind of mutual tug of war is what touches people's hearts the most.

Just as he was hesitating whether to take the initiative and take a step forward, there was a sound at the door. Yu Shi came out again, came to the window, knocked on it gently, and called out:

"Master Zhan, it's a cold night with heavy dew. Do you need...something to warm your feet?"

Zhan Ershisi opened his mouth, laughed silently, and then replied sanctimoniously:

"What is this, sister-in-law?"

"It is said that men and women should not touch each other. It is late at night now. Isn't it embarrassing for me to do this, sister-in-law?"

You Shi was getting more and more embarrassed and angry outside. She bit her lower lip and stamped her feet hard, cursing in a low voice:
"You pervert, why are you pretending to be a good person?"

"Do I have to ask you personally?"

She took a deep breath, suppressed her shame, covered her burning face, and pleaded in a trembling voice:

"Master Zhan, I'm here to offer myself to you. Can you please open the door?"

Seeing that the time was right, Zhan Ershisi jumped down from the ground and opened the door. Youshi hurriedly lowered her head, walked quickly into the room, and threw herself into Zhan Ershisi's arms.

The following content, ten thousand words, ten thousand words, and another ten thousand words. Even the moon was shy and pulled up the dark clouds to block its eyes.

(End of this chapter)