The daily life of a space tycoon raising children, doting on his husband, and farming.

Chapter 261 The Death of Lu Chengyuan

"My lord, something terrible has happened! Someone has died!" The confidant rushed into the study, still out of breath, and said, "Lu, Lu, Scholar Lu is dead."

The magistrate flicked his wrist, and the ink on the tip of his brush dripped onto the newly written characters, staining them.

He asked in a trembling voice, "Which Scholar Lu?"

Good heavens, could it be that young man Lu Chengjing?

"It's that Scholar Lu who came to the county office to report yesterday." The confidant wiped the sweat from his forehead. "The inn is now surrounded by people. Constable Liu has already taken the coroner there. Sir, you should go and take a look too!"

"Let's talk as we go." The county magistrate tossed aside his brush and ordered his trusted aide to lead the way.

Meanwhile, Shang Wan, who was checking accounts behind the counter, also heard the news of the death at Yunlai Inn.

"The coroner went there. I heard it was a suicide by hanging, and his tongue was sticking out really long."

Lou Niangzi spat out the melon seed shells, sighed, and shook her head. "Those who didn't pass the imperial examination didn't commit suicide, so how could someone who passed and was about to embark on a promising future commit suicide?"

She couldn't understand it at all.

"Perhaps he can't figure it out right now." Shang Wan lowered her head and continued looking at the ledger. "Anyway, it has nothing to do with us. Just listen to the excitement and don't get involved in matters of death."

"I didn't intend to get involved either," said Madam Lou after cracking some melon seeds. "Are you really going to accompany your husband to the capital for the imperial examination?"

"Ah."

Lou Niangzi stared at Shang Wanying's fair and smooth profile for a moment, her lips moved slightly, her expression showing a hint of hesitation.

Shang Wan looked up at her: "Say what you want to say."

"Ahem." Madam Lou cleared her throat and looked around the shop. "Um, your husband isn't here, is he?"

"No, he took Yuanyuan to the old candy shop to buy osmanthus candy."

"Well..." Lady Lou lowered her voice, "I'll just say what I have to say. If you don't like what I say, don't be angry with me."

"Am I such a stingy person?" Shang Wan stopped looking at the ledger, grabbed a handful of melon seeds, and waited for Lady Lou to continue.

“I think we women should prioritize business. You’ve put so much effort into making Lingyao Pavilion what it is today. Which sister in the company doesn’t admire you? You’re giving up such a valuable business for your husband to go to the capital for the imperial examination. What if something goes wrong? It’s not worth it.”

As she spoke, Lou Niangzi stole glances at Shang Wan's expression, and only continued speaking when she saw that Shang Wan was not angry.

"Don't think I'm being blunt. All men are the same. When they have no money or power, they'll pamper and spoil you every day, treating you like their precious darling. But once they gain power, they'll change their tune and you'll have to pamper and spoil them."

"I've been through this before. It's already tough for us women to survive in this world. It's always best to prioritize your own needs first. Once a man gains power, he won't remember how much you've sacrificed for him."

"You should focus on your business. Having money in your hands will give you peace of mind. Even if your man has a new lover, we won't be afraid. At worst, we can just get a divorce and live a more carefree life."

Lou Niangzi said these words at the risk of displeasing Shang Wan because she regarded Shang Wan as her own sister. She saw how much effort Shang Wan had put into the Spirit Medicine Pavilion and did not want Shang Wan to abandon her business for the sake of a man's future.

She is the best example of what should happen. She poured her heart and soul into that jerk, and what was the result?

Haha, I didn't even get a kind word. Now I have to rely on myself for everything.

“Think carefully about what I’m saying, Sister,” Lou Niangzi said, grabbing a handful of melon seeds. “Let men work for what they want; if they succeed, that’s their skill. Why should we bother?”

"I will never let my wife down in this life." A clear voice suddenly broke in, and Lu Chengjing walked in, carrying his daughter in one arm and two bags of osmanthus candy in the other.

Lou Niangzi: "..."

The sunflower seeds suddenly didn't smell good anymore.

"Well, I have something to do at the shop, so I'll be going now." It's best to leave first.

Lou Niangzi awkwardly ran out the door, then suddenly turned back, picked up her plate of roasted melon seeds, and winked at Shang Wan, silently saying: Think it over.

As she passed Lu Chengjing, she made sure to say, "These are all my words, they have nothing to do with my sister."

Shang Wan smiled and smiled as she watched Lou Niangzi run out the door.

Lu Chengjing put his daughter down and handed her the osmanthus candy he was carrying, asking the little girl to share it with the people in the shop.

Yuanyuan first gave two pieces to her mother, then one piece to her father, and then walked around the store with the paper bag in her arms, calling out to everyone as she shared the osmanthus candy.

The little girl's sweet and soft voice made everyone in the shop smile.

Our Lu Jieyuan couldn't laugh at this moment. He reached out and touched Shang Wan's arm, "Wife, pay attention to me."

Shang Wan looked up at him and shrugged. "I didn't say that."

She was just a listener.

“I would never be a heartless person.” Lu Chengjing took Shang Wan’s hand and held it loosely. “If my wife wants to stay and guard the Spirit Medicine Pavilion, I can go to the capital alone. I will come back to pick you up after the results are announced.”

Shang Wan blinked, "You said it yourself, so I'll stay..."

"My wife." Lu Chengjing called out softly, his long eyebrows slightly furrowed, the corners of his eyes reddening, and his deep eyes seemed to hold endless grievances.

Those who were secretly watching were stunned. Lu Jieyuan, who was usually cold and aloof, actually had such an expression.

Young women and married women blushed as they secretly watched, covering their faces with their fans and daring not to look any longer.

Shang Wan then realized that this was happening in public, and she felt inexplicably annoyed that outsiders had seen her pet fox for no reason.

She glanced around, and everyone immediately looked away, some buying medicine, others chatting, but their eyes kept glancing back at the counter.

Shang Wan: "..."

She simply pulled Lu Chengjing out from behind the counter and headed towards the backyard.

After entering the house and closing the door, Shang Wan turned around. She had just opened her mouth and hadn't said a word when a kiss with the fragrance of osmanthus flowers suddenly covered her mouth.

Shang Wan: Well, this fox has really been provoked.

After comforting his fox for a while, half an hour passed.

Shang Wan flicked her finger to hook the smooth chin of the person in front of her, her full lips becoming even more vibrant than before. "Alright, let's get down to business. Does the matter at the inn have anything to do with you?"

"Hmm." Lu Chengjing hummed through his nose, his breathing slightly disordered.

"You acted pretty quickly." Lu Chengjing was out for quite a while yesterday, and Shang Wan thought he was out socializing again, but she didn't expect him to be secretly doing something big.

"He hanged himself. You didn't even go out last night. How did you manage that?"

"It's just some verbal trickery, not worth mentioning." Lu Chengjing lowered his head and kissed Shang Wan's slender fingertips. "Does my wife remember the extraordinary person I encountered when I was traveling for my studies?"

Shang Wan nodded.

Lu Chengjing said slowly, "That person has the ability to bewitch people. With the right methods, he can influence people's minds with just a few words. If he encounters someone with a weak mind, he can even control their behavior."

Shang Wan curled her lip: "Lu Chengyuan is not a weak-willed person."

"So I used the Drunken Fragrance on him first."