They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 240 Greasy
On the narrow path between the official road and the county school, Young Master Qi's carriage cut across the middle of the road, making it impossible for Xu Zhichun to pass.

Upon seeing the other party's magnificent carriage, Yang Xiaoan hurriedly reined in the oxcart and gently called for it to stop. Otherwise, if he accidentally damaged the other party's carriage, he wouldn't be able to afford to pay for the damage.

Yang Xiaoan was in a bit of a predicament. The road was very narrow, and even if he wanted to avoid it, he couldn't.

Young Master Qi lifted the carriage curtain and smiled at Xu Zhichun: "This must be Madam Xu from Liangjia Village, right? I'm a relative of the Zeng family. May I have a word with Madam Xu?"

The Zeng family?

Yang Xiaoan couldn't help but glance at Young Master Qi, a hint of wariness and disgust flashing in her eyes: Was this the Zeng family, his stepmother's family? There weren't any good people in that Zeng family. No wonder this person didn't seem like a good person.

Xu Zhichun wondered if it was just his imagination, but the way this young master looked at him seemed to have a hidden meaning, intentionally or unintentionally revealing a hint of frivolity and affection. How greasy.

It's very offensive.

Being stuck in traffic like this isn't a good thing. Since they're from the Zeng family, they've already stopped them, so they won't leave easily. It wouldn't look good if others saw them.

Xu Zhichun got off the oxcart decisively. "Okay."

"Mrs. Xu is so straightforward!"

Young Master Qi laughed heartily, got off the carriage, and gestured to the nearby grove of trees, "Madam Xu, please."

Xu Zhichun frowned slightly, looking even more greasy.

"please."

With the Spring Equinox in mind, Xu Zhichun wasn't afraid of him at all.

They didn't walk too far into the grove. "What is the relationship between the young master and the Zeng family?"

Xu Zhichun had never met Young Master Qi, so she didn't know he was Zeng Mingzhu's husband. Even if she did know, she wouldn't treat him any differently.

In short, they can be categorized as belonging to the Zeng family.

Young Master Qi suddenly didn't want to reveal his identity. He flicked his gold-painted peony fan, thinking himself very dashing, and chuckled, "Madam Xu, all you need to know is that I represent the Zeng family. Madam Xu, it's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. Having more friends means having more options. The Zeng family would never dishonor you, right? If you ever need any help in the future, just say the word. The Zeng family has some influence and can always help you."

“I know that Madam Xu has a good relationship with the Qin family. However, Madam Xu is a smart woman. She should be able to see that the Qin family has been able to maintain its position as the richest family in Qingshan County for many years. Master Qin and Madam Qin are definitely not kind people. You probably can’t even imagine how deep their scheming is. If Madam Xu only befriends them, what if they plot against her one day? Wouldn’t she be left with no one to turn to? It would be better to make more friends and make the Qin family more wary. Don’t you think so?”

"In any case, the third young lady of the Zeng family and Madam Xu are on good terms. With this relationship, what does Madam Xu have to fear?"

Xu Zhichun: "What exactly is the relationship between you, young master, and the Zeng family?"

Young Master Qi's smile froze slightly—why are you still asking?

“Madam Xu, what I just said came from the bottom of my heart. You only need to think about it for a moment to understand. It’s better to resolve enmity than to make it fester. Besides, making enemies with the Zeng family will not do you any good.”

"What exactly is your relationship with the Zeng family, young master?" "You—"

"I don't know who this young master is, nor do I know what he means by saying these things. But I have never seen the young master in the Zeng family. So please stop pretending to be a member of the Zeng family. I dare not listen to these words."

Young Master Qi sneered, somewhat annoyed: "Who said I'm a member of the Zeng family?"

The Zeng family's standards were significantly lower than those of the Qi family.

If it weren't for the business dealings between the two families, and the fact that Zeng Mingzhu was said to be a talented, beautiful, virtuous, and dignified young lady from a prominent family, she would not have been worthy of entering the Qi family.

After the marriage, the Qi family was quite satisfied with their daughter-in-law. However, what the eldest son of the Qi family did not expect was that Zeng Mingzhu's virtuous and dignified demeanor was limited to the Qi family in Qingyang County. Once she returned to the Zeng family, her true colors were revealed.

He was so angry he died.

If it weren't for the fact that it was already a done deal, he would never have married her.

Now that he knows her true colors, even for the sake of his own reputation, he has no choice but to help her keep it a secret at home.

Cuiqiao was her dowry maid. She went back to her parents' home and Cuiqiao disappeared. Even if there is a reasonable explanation, does everyone really think they are idiots?
If his younger brother and sister-in-law find out, who knows what they'll do.

Young Master Qi had seen Xu Zhichun protecting Zeng Xiaoyan before, and at that time he was quite interested, thinking that this young woman was charming and cute, and quite interesting like a little firecracker. But he didn't think much of it, and when he returned to Qingyang County, he put those flirtatious thoughts to the back of his mind.

Unexpectedly, this little firecracker really had the ability to turn the Zeng family upside down. Young Master Qi's desire to flirt was itching again, and it was getting more and more intense, making him unable to sleep at night.

He couldn't even say whether his reason for stopping Xu Zhichun today was more to get Cuiqiao out of jail, or simply to have more contact with Xu Zhichun.

But he had to admit that the chili peppers were really spicy, making him both furious and incredibly tempted.

Young Master Qi secretly vowed that he must get his hands on this little firecracker.

Just imagine how wonderful it must feel for her to be so ruthless to everyone else, yet bow down to him and obey his every whim! Just thinking about it made him feel all excited.

Xu Zhichun's eyes darkened, and her pretty face turned icy: "Since you are not a member of the Zeng family, it's best not to meddle in Zeng family affairs. Farewell."

"No way," Young Master Qi swished his folding fan shut and then opened it again, elegantly waving it to block Xu Zhichun's path. "Madam Xu, I'm sincerely trying to talk to you. Didn't you realize that I'm doing this for your own good?"

"Ah!"

"Making the Zeng family owe Madam Xu a favor won't do Madam Xu any harm, right? In terms of compensation, Madam Xu won't be shortchanged either."

Xu Zhichun's gaze was cold.

Young Master Qi smiled, feeling refined and gentle. He untied the sachet from his waist and gently handed it to Xu Zhichun: "Here are two hundred taels of silver notes, as a token of my sincerity. Please accept them, Madam Xu. We can discuss the rest later."

As he spoke, he glanced at Xu Zhichun, his voice gentle and tender with pity, "Madam Xu is too plain. She should buy some fashionable jewelry and have some new silk dresses made to match her current status. Besides, Madam Xu is at the prime of her life; she should dress up nicely! Even if it's not for anything else, dressing up nicely will improve her mood, won't it?"