I just wrote a love poem, how did that make me so powerful?

Xiao Mingyuan turned to Xiao Wanjin and said.

"Father, Miss Zhiyi said that she won't switch the silks from Chunhong Courtyard to other shops. She promised and she won't go back on her word. But there are fewer customers right now, and she's trying to figure out a solution. She also wants us to think of some ideas."

Xiao Wanjin took the letter, glanced at it, and frowned even more deeply.

He placed the letter on the table and tapped it lightly twice.

"Zhiyi is a woman of her word, but in times like these, keeping one's word alone won't last long."

At this point, Xiao Mingyuan calmed down.

He thought for a moment, his eyes darted around, and he patted his double chin, speaking thoughtfully.

"Father, something's not right. Those silk merchants are coming after us, but now they're provoking Chunhong Courtyard. This isn't normal, it's very abnormal."

Xiao Wanjin looked at him with a bittersweet smile.

"You've really improved, kid. I knew I could learn real skills from Mr. Xu. You're right, this wasn't their doing; there's clearly someone else behind it."

Xiao Mingyuan said, "Father, we need to think of a way to make a move quickly."

Xiao Wanjin: "Let me think about it..."

Before he could finish speaking, a commotion broke out.

Outside, there were sounds of someone entering the room, carrying luggage, and children chattering.

Xiao Mingyuan was stunned for a moment, then revealed an unexpected smile.

"Judging from the noise, it sounds like my sister is back."

At this moment, a woman in her thirties, dressed in plain clothes, walked into the courtyard.

He was slightly thin and his face was a little pale.

His features resembled those of Xiao Mingyuan and Xiao Wanjin, but he was much thinner than them.

While she wouldn't be considered a stunning beauty, she was certainly good-looking.

She was holding the hands of two little girls, one about seven or eight years old and the other about four or five years old.

They all had two little pigtails and timidly hid behind their mothers.

The two little girls had big, round eyes and looked around curiously.

Xiao Mingyuan went to greet her, "Sister, why did you suddenly come back?"

His sister, Xiao Lanzhi, managed a weak smile, her voice sounding somewhat weary.

"I'm coming back to stay for two days. It's been so quiet at home since my mother left. I'll also take the children to see their maternal grandfather."

Xiao Mingyuan didn't think much of it and reached out to take the bundle from her hands.

His arm accidentally touched Xiao Lanzhi's left arm.

Xiao Lanzhi suddenly hissed, pulled her hand back, her face turned even paler, and she subconsciously hid her arm behind her back.

Xiao Mingyuan stopped moving. He looked at his sister's suddenly tense face, and his heart sank.

"Sis, what happened to your arm?"

Xiao Lanzhi shook her head. "It's nothing, it's alright, I just bumped into it accidentally."

"Let me see you right now." Xiao Mingyuan's tone became firm, and he reached out and pulled Xiao Lanzhi's sleeve up.

Several bluish-purple bruises were clearly visible on his exposed forearm.

Some were new, some were old, and the heaviest mark extended from the wrist to the elbow, clearly a whip mark.

Xiao Mingyuan's hand suddenly clenched tightly.

His voice was very low, as if it were being squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Did he hit you?"

Xiao Lanzhi did not answer and turned her head away.

The two little girls couldn't resist.

The older one stepped forward, looked up at Xiao Mingyuan with his small face, and spoke in a very anxious tone.

"Uncle, Father always scolds Mother, saying she can't give birth to a son. Sometimes when Mother talks back, he hits her."

The younger one nodded in agreement, but his voice was more timid.

"The aunt next door said that my father often went to work at that widow's house where she sold wine, working until very late, and he even brought that widow home once. My mother said something to him, and he started throwing things."

The older one added:

"I overheard my father drinking with someone, and that person told my mother to ask my grandfather for more money, saying that my grandfather was rich and it wouldn't be worth it if he didn't ask for more. He said he would make a scene if my father didn't give it to him, and make a big scene if he didn't."

The two girls talked back and forth, getting more and more detailed, and their words became increasingly chilling to listeners.

Xiao Lanzhi finally couldn't help but speak up.

"That's enough, stop talking."

She knelt down, hugged her two daughters to her sides, lowered her head, and began to sob, her shoulders trembling.

Xiao Wanjin stood in the middle of the courtyard, without saying a word.

His face was grim, and the letter in his hand was crumpled into a ball.

He looked at his daughter and two granddaughters, and after a long while he spoke, his voice much lower than before.

"When did that bastard start making his move?"

Xiao Lanzhi lowered her head.

"It's been about six months. At first, he would just verbally abuse me, but later he would beat me when he was drunk. In the last few months, it's gotten even worse. He owes some money and keeps trying to get me to come back and get it. When I refuse, he gets angry."

Xiao Wanjin clenched his fists, his eyes were cold, and he gritted his teeth.

Xiao Mingyuan, standing to the side, was already furious. He slammed his fist on the stone table, wincing in pain, but his anger still flared up.

"Dad, that bastard surnamed Zhou shouldn't have let my sister marry him in the first place. He said she'd be a government official and would bring us good fortune. Now look what's happened, he's even started hitting people."

Xiao Lanzhi whispered something to the side.

"Little brother, stop talking..."

Xiao Mingyuan was about to continue speaking when Xiao Wanjin raised his hand to stop him.

Xiao Wanjin took a deep breath, and his voice regained some of its composure.

But anyone could hear the hidden anger in his tone.

"We can't just stay angry about this; we need to figure out a way to sort it out. You take the children to rest first, and I'll handle things here."

The steward, Xiao Liu, led Xiao Lanzhi and the two children to another small courtyard.

After they walked away, only Xiao Wanjin, Xiao Mingyuan, and Xu Qing remained in the courtyard.

Xiao Mingyuan was pacing back and forth, muttering curses under his breath.

Xiao Wanjin sat down at the stone table, picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and asked.

"Send someone to investigate who that guy surnamed Zhou has been associating with lately."

Xiao Mingyuan stopped in his tracks.

"Father, are you saying that someone here is also instigating him behind the scenes?"

Xiao Wanjin nodded, his tone becoming serious.

"Although Zhou wasn't exactly a good person before, he didn't develop the habit of hitting people overnight. About six months ago, he suddenly became even more violent, and recently he suddenly caused this incident. The timing is obviously right."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Xu Qing.

"Mr. Xu, what do you think?"

Xu Qing stood quietly to the side, holding a charcoal pencil and drawing something on a piece of paper.

When Xiao Wanjin asked him a question, he drew a charcoal sketch and looked up.

"What the master said makes sense. The Xiao family has recently been plagued by one mishap after another. The cloth shop was splashed with dirty water, the Chunhong Courtyard was slandered, and then Brother-in-law Zhou suddenly became more violent and started beating people. The timing of these incidents is quite close together. It's unlikely that someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes."

Xiao Mingyuan hurriedly came over.

"So, who do you think we should talk to?"