After being forced to leave the marriage, I became the wife of a top scholar.

Chapter 115 Is she the wife of the prefect?

Lin Yunche smiled with satisfaction, no longer making things difficult for Meng Zhan, but instead looked at Bai Wanqing with gentle eyes, "Madam, the two gentlemen and I still have to meet with the magistrates of various counties in a while, so I'm afraid we won't be home early today. You don't need to wait for me."

Seeing Lin Yunche's smug expression, Bai Wanqing knew that these words were meant for Meng Zhan, so she cooperated and said, "My husband naturally puts the people first. Please continue with your business, I will take my leave now."

After Bai Wanqing finished speaking, she left with Ruixin. Meng Zhan stared blankly at Bai Wanqing's back, a pang of sorrow rising in his heart.

Lin Yunche noticed Meng Zhan's expression and felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

"Ahem! Lord Meng, the county magistrates are probably waiting for us now. Why don't we hurry over there?" Lin Yunche reminded him.

Meng Zhan then came to his senses. He cautiously looked at Lin Yunche and, seeing that Lin Yunche's expression was normal, breathed a sigh of relief and put on a smile again, saying, "You're right, sir. Then, this way, please?"

Meng Zhan continued to lead the way for Lin Yunche, and the group headed towards Wanquan County, north of Huaizhou Prefecture.

At this moment, Bai Wanqing had not found a suitable shop in the brokerage firm.

"Madam, I didn't expect shops in Huaizhou City to be so expensive. The money to buy just one shop is enough for us to open three clinics in Huai'an County." Rui felt a pang of heartache when she thought about the broker's quote.

“Silly Ruixin, this is Huaizhou City after all, while ours is a county town. There’s no comparison between them.”

“However, the broker we just visited clearly overcharged us because we are from out of town. Let’s go look around at other places.”

Bai Wanqing then took Ruixin to find other brokerage firms. Before they had gone far, the brokers from the shop chased after them.

“Madam, we’ve just acquired another shop that you’re looking for. Would you be interested in taking another look?” The broker bowed, noticeably more respectful than before.

Ruixin said, "We didn't see it when we looked just now, how come there's a new shop in such a short time?"

The clerk, feeling guilty, nodded vigorously and said, "Madam, you don't know, this shop was acquired by our manager. It hadn't been released before. I just finished talking to the manager about how you wanted to find a shop to open a clinic, and that's when he remembered this one."

The broker looked at the bustling street and lowered his voice, saying, "Don't worry, Madam. Although the location of this shop is a little out of the way, the price is cheap, and I guarantee you will be satisfied."

Seeing this, Bai Wanqing followed the broker back to the brokerage firm.

This time, not only did the brokers come to greet her, but even the manager of the brokerage firm personally came to welcome her.

"I heard that Madam wants to buy a shop to open a clinic?" The shopkeeper glanced at Bai Wanqing. If he hadn't just seen the two magistrates treating this lady with such respect, he would never have guessed that such a young, beautiful, and elegant woman was the magistrate's wife.

After all, the Shang Kingdom has a strict promotion system. Anyone who can become a prefect has been in officialdom for many years. A group of people who have just turned twenty and become prefects is something that you can't find another like them in the entire Shang Kingdom.

If this lady hadn't come in just now, he definitely wouldn't have misjudged her.

Bai Wanqing nodded and said, "Yes, the location doesn't need to be too good, but it shouldn't be too remote either. I've already told Maiya about the other conditions. Shopkeeper, do you have any suitable shops here?"

The brokerage shop manager immediately replied, "Yes! Yes! Madam, what a coincidence, I happen to have a shop like this here."

After saying that, the shopkeeper turned around and took out the layout map of the shop from a wooden box, and enthusiastically introduced it to Bai Wanqing.

Bai Wanqing roughly understood the location of the shop. It wasn't exactly a bustling area, but it was still in the center of Huaizhou Prefecture. The shop had a large front hall and a courtyard in the back, making it perfect for a medical clinic.

"Shopkeeper, what are the prices for this shop?"

Seeing that Bai Wanqing was satisfied, the shopkeeper was delighted. "The price is negotiable. I wonder if Madam wants to buy or rent?"

"This shop has been vacant for two or three years. The owner is willing to sell or rent it out."

"It's been empty for two or three years? Is there something wrong with this shop?"

After all, a shop in such a location would be unlikely to remain empty for more than a month, let alone two or three years.

The shopkeeper sighed and said, "Madam, to be honest, if I hadn't seen you talking to the prefect outside the door just now and knew that you were the prefect's wife, I would never have shown this shop to you."

"Because even if you like it, I'm afraid you won't want to buy it."

Bai Wanqing became curious and asked, "Then why is the shopkeeper now willing to let me see it?"

"Just because I'm the prefect's wife?"

The shopkeeper nodded slightly and said, "If any other family bought this shop, they would probably suffer a fatal blow. But you are the wife of the prefect, and you are the most powerful person in Huaizhou City. No one can harm you, right?"

Bai Wanqing was stunned. She had only been in Huaizhou for a few days, but she felt that the waters in Huaizhou were much deeper than those in their Huai'an County.

"Shopkeeper, what is the reason for this?" The shopkeeper paused and said, "This shop is a family business run by a doctor in our area. His family has been running a clinic in Huaizhou for generations."

"However, ever since the Fang family's medical clinic came, no other medical clinics have been able to open. The Fang family originally wanted to acquire the Zheng family's medical clinic as well, but Doctor Zheng refused no matter what, and that made them enemies."

“Right now, no merchant in Huaizhou City dares to touch this shop, for fear of incurring the wrath of the Fang family, which would be a loss for them.”

"So, I just heard from my subordinates that Madam is going to open a clinic, so we set the prices very high. Mainly because we thought Madam was an ordinary person, and we didn't want you to be targeted by the Fang family."

The shopkeeper rolled his eyes and said, "Of course, the purpose of the brokerage is to make clinic owners hesitate by inflating prices, but it's not as he said, that it's to prevent clinic owners from offending the Fang family. Rather, it's an agreement between the Fang family and the brokerage."

They also benefited greatly from it.

This time, however, the person asking was a member of the prefect's family, and the shopkeeper finally found an opportunity to get rid of the Zheng family, that hot potato. That's why he talked so much with Bai Wanqing.

Bai Wanqing glanced at the brokerage shop owner, naturally not entirely believing his words.

However, since this shop was suitable, she had no reason to refuse it. She asked about the price, which was one hundred taels, which was indeed 50% cheaper than other shops, so she was naturally tempted.

"When would be a convenient time for us to visit the shop?" Bai Wanqing planned to check out the shop first, and if it was suitable, she would make a decision as soon as possible.

Seeing Bai Wanqing's prompt reply, the shopkeeper quickly said, "Right now! You can see it right now."

The shopkeeper started rummaging through the wooden box again and soon found a set of keys.

"Madam, shall we go outside?" The shopkeeper gestured for them to enter.

Bai Wanqing, accompanied by Ruixin, went with the shopkeeper to inspect the shop.

At that moment, the person who had been following Bai Wanqing returned to the Meng family and was reporting back to Liu Feifei.

"Madam, I'm useless. They actually found out." The servant knelt before Liu Feifei, repeatedly admitting his mistake.

At this moment, Liu Feifei was still immersed in the explosive news that Bai Wanqing was the wife of the prefect.

"Niu Jie, are you sure you didn't hear wrong? She really is the prefect's wife?"

Niu Jie nodded immediately, "Madam, I'm not mistaken. Our master was also there at the time, so there's no mistake."

Liu Feifei remembered that Meng Zhan was also present, which meant that her plan to have someone follow Bai Wanqing had been completely exposed.
That Niu Jie is truly useless!

“Niu Jie, you ruined my plans this time, so I'll fine you three months' wages! If you make the same mistake again, you might as well leave the Meng family,” Liu Feifei said, suppressing her temper.

Niu Jie opened his mouth, but seeing the look in the butler's eyes behind him, he immediately lowered his head and retreated.

Butler Liu stepped forward and asked, "Madam, should we continue following Bai Wanqing? If so, perhaps we should choose someone more clever to avoid being discovered again."

Liu Feifei glared at the housekeeper. She still didn't know how to deal with Meng Zhan, and if she sent someone else...
"Forget it! Niu Jie has noticed Bai Wanqing coming to see the master these past two days, and now that she's become the prefect's wife, she probably won't be looking for our master again anytime soon." Liu Feifei's eyes suddenly narrowed as she said this.

"Xiao Cui! Has Master returned?" Liu Feifei asked.

Xiao Cui lowered her head and replied, "He just got back and asked us to boil water for him, saying he wanted to take a bath."

Liu Feifei nodded, "Okay! I understand! Then hurry up and boil some water to take to him."

Seeing that the servants had left, Liu Feifei went to the mirror, dressed herself up, and then, with her pregnant belly, went to Meng Zhan's bathing place.

Meng Zhan was soaking in the wooden tub, his mind filled with the scene of seeing Bai Wanqing during the day.

He never felt that there was anything wrong with abandoning Bai Wanqing. Since ancient times, men have aspired to travel far and wide. He had simply found a better in-law family for his own future. What was wrong with that?
But he couldn't understand why Bai Wanqing, who was clearly desperate and divorced, should be despised by everyone and had to kneel before him begging for his pity.
Why was she able to remarry so easily, and why did she become the wife of his superior? This was practically a slap in his face. If his other colleagues knew, Meng Zhan didn't want to think about it anymore.

Just then, he suddenly heard a noise at the door. He turned around alertly and saw Liu Feifei. Only then did his tense nerves relax.

"Husband, you must be tired today. Let me wipe you down." Liu Feifei walked in gently.

Meng Zhan was annoyed with her at the moment, but seeing her pregnant belly, he still held back his temper.

“Madam, it’s damp and slippery here. You shouldn’t have come here,” Meng Zhan said, glancing at Liu Feifei.

(End of this chapter)