Remarrying Chun Yuan

Chapter 187 Pay the money

A woman dressed in flamboyant clothes was complaining without any restraint by the roadside. After she finished speaking, several other women nodded in agreement, their low jeers barely audible.

Liu Yuechu glanced at her sideways. Was this the woman who admired her man?

Her face was as round as a pancake, and her waist was as thick as Song Liu'er's. How could she have the nerve to criticize her...?

"It's a government office, after all. Shouldn't the entrance be cleaned regularly?" She looked at the person who came out to greet her.

The man glanced at the women in the distance and smiled helplessly. "They're all women. We shouldn't force them to leave. Otherwise, it might turn a non-issue into an issue, which would be bad for your reputation."

"Madam Liu, don't lower yourself to the level of that kind of girl. You are the master's wife, and no one can compare to you."

"They admire you, sir, but they are not daughters of officials, so their words were a bit harsh. You don't need to take it to heart."

The group of people kept telling Liu Yuechu to be patient. Liu Yuechu just gave a fake smile, lifted her skirt, and went inside.

Huajiao glared at them, and even with her emotions in control, she couldn't help but curse, "ungrateful wretch!" These people were homeless and lived in the Liu family's courtyard.

Are they so comfortable with their lives that they've become a bit ungrateful?

Liu Yuechu entered Yuan Cuo's house with a smile on her face. Yuan Cuo's house was filled with ancient books and border maps of the Great Qi Dynasty.

But those are all old and rotten things, and are no longer accurate.

Upon seeing Liu Yuechu arrive, Yuan Cuo was surprised and then delighted. "Weren't you supposed to go to the Imperial Household Department today? Are you already done with your work?"

"I was a bit busy, but I suddenly thought I'd come and see you. I didn't know what I was getting into, but I was shocked to see that my husband is so charming. There's a whole bunch of admirers standing outside the door, which makes me quite jealous." Liu Yuechu said sarcastically, not hiding anything and telling the whole story.

Yuan Cuo frowned. "Why are they still here? I instructed them to clear the area at the entrance!"

"Looks like your boss's words don't carry any weight." Liu Yuechu opened the food she had bought and began to eat it herself. She had originally planned to share it with Yuan Cuo and her subordinates, but now they wouldn't get a single bite.

Yuan Cuo watched helplessly, both amused and exasperated. "It's all my fault. I'll have them chased away later. They're not allowed to come within ten meters of the door, okay?"

"Didn't you order the area to be cleared, but it didn't work? Since my husband's order didn't work, I'll naturally lend a hand so that he won't have to worry about court affairs and be distracted." Liu Yuechu ate heartily, told Huajiao to pack up the things, and immediately headed back home.

Before leaving, she stood at the entrance of Yuan's house and said loudly, "I want the people on the estate to live in the Liu family's house. Husband, please have your men move out tomorrow. If you stay a day later, I will charge you five taels of silver per month."

After saying that, she took the food and went back to her residence.

Her words immediately startled everyone in the courtyard, and they rushed over to Yuan Cuo, pleading, "My lord, why are you suddenly asking me to move out? My wife is about to bring our child to the capital!"

“My mother is already here. If it were just me, I could set up a makeshift bed on the floor of the yamen to sleep, but where can my mother stay?”

"We don't know what we did to offend Lady Liu, but we are the master's people and we work for the master..."

"You can't let Lady Liu mistreat us like this, can you? We're all doing this for your own good!"

……

They talked at once, offering their grievances for almost fifteen minutes.

Yuan Cuo stood there calmly, never uttering a word, until the group of people had talked until their throats were dry and they had nothing more to say.

"Have you finished speaking?" he asked softly, looking at everyone.

Everyone stared at him expectantly, completely silent.

“I’ve said it before, the lady of the house is in charge, and I’m just a son-in-law. Even if I pass the imperial examination and become your boss, I’ll still be a son-in-law.”

"You can't even tell who's in charge. No wonder you did well on the exam, but were assigned to this poor government office of mine."

“But it’s no use saying anything more. I can’t change what my wife has decided… You should have found your own way to make a living and stay here. Now you’ve all saved up some money, so you won’t starve.”

"And the blueprints I need, you must prepare them tonight, I need to see them first thing tomorrow morning."

"Those who cannot pay will have their salaries deducted according to the rules. If they really do not want to suffer in this government office, they can find a way to leave. I will not try to keep them."

After Yuan Cuo finished speaking, he instructed the driver to prepare the carriage and hurried home to coax his wife.

The people in the courtyard looked at each other, speechless with grief.

"How come he can't stand up straight even though he's become the top scholar? Besides, there are rumors that his wife is not good enough for him. He should be more assertive by now."

"Whether he's tough or not, I don't know, but I certainly can't be tough... Are you all out of your minds? Why don't you just chase those women away from the door!"

“That’s Zhonghuai’s distant cousin…”

"And the daughter of the Ministry of Works Assistant Minister."

None of them individually are people they can afford to offend.

But we've offended the person we shouldn't mess with, and it hurts so badly that it costs us money!

……

Liu Yuechu sat in the carriage, lost in thought.

Fearing that her master would be unhappy, Huajiao cautiously advised from the side, "The son-in-law treats you as always, and that's enough. There's no need for you to take your anger out on him, or you'll only strain the relationship."

“At this point, if I were to back down even a step, I would be in a very passive position. There are some things that can be compromised, but there are some things that, once the first step is taken, will lead to falling into an abyss.” Liu Yuechu thought of how it was in her previous life, and how she was eventually manipulated by Wei Gongming to the point of being neither human nor ghost, and how miserable she was.

Sichuan peppercorns didn't understand why it was so sharp; they just felt that things were a bit inexplicable.

“Moon Lady is right. We must not back down at this time. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. You must always stand tall,” Granny Fang said firmly.

Liu Yuechu glanced at Granny Fang, "Have you also noticed something amiss?"

Granny Fang nodded. "It's strange that Princess Fuyao suddenly approached you. And it's even more strange that there are women waiting for the young master at the main entrance of the yamen."

"Everything points to me, is it because they can't tolerate a woman like me doing business?" The person Liu Yuechu was thinking of was Emperor Qi Xiao.

Only this "eunuch" looked down on her status the most, but weren't his methods a bit despicable? It really didn't suit the status of an emperor.

"There might be someone else behind this." Liu Yuechu suddenly had a gut feeling: Could it be Princess Fuyao?

Princess Fuyao had already approached Qin Muyan.

She spoke sweetly about her eagerness to marry and her choice of a husband, and finally, she hit the nail on the head regarding Yuan Cuo, saying, "...I've taken a liking to him, and I want to marry him."

“My brother made his woman a concubine, and I married Yuan Cuo as his principal wife. Then, whatever you want him to do, I can whisper in his ear. It’s a win-win situation…”