Chapter 181: The Decisive Owner Returns

Xiao Huai’an lowered his gaze, noticing that the bridal gown on Ye Xin Ran had somehow come loose.

An inexplicable fire seemed to ignite within him, blazing from the depths of his heart through his entire being, leaving him parched and restless.

After all, this was their wedding night.

With that thought, Xiao Huai’an’s restraint melted away.

In the dimly lit room, the shadows of entangled figures and the soft, fragmented sounds created an intoxicating atmosphere.

Outside, a light rain began to fall. A few budding peach blossoms, opening one after another under the gentle rain, were soon bent under its relentless weight.

“Ran Ran!”

“My little darling!”

Xiao Huai’an’s eyes were filled with obsession as he whispered tenderly into Ye Xin Ran’s ear.

---

As the wind and rain subsided, so too did Xiao Huai’an’s dream.

At the break of dawn, Xiao Huai’an abruptly woke from his slumber.

A strange sensation under the blanket caught his attention, and his expression turned subtly complicated.

It had been so long since he had last experienced something like this, now that he had full control of his body.

Ye Xin Ran was still sound asleep.

Xiao Huai’an carefully pulled his arm out from under her neck and quietly slipped out of bed. Moving with light steps, he left the room.

When Chang Sheng and Chang An got up to wash, they noticed a few pairs of pants dripping water on the drying rack.

Upon closer inspection, they realized they all belonged to their second uncle.

“Second Uncle, why are you up so early washing clothes?”

Chang Ping rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Chang An pouted and giggled.

“Second Uncle, did you get your clothes dirty last night and secretly wash them this morning because you were afraid Auntie would scold you?”

The innocence of a child often speaks harsh truths, leaving no room for escape.

The moment Xiao Huai’an heard the words “dirty clothes,” a faint blush crept up to his ears.

He fixed a stern gaze on the two boys and spoke slowly, “I woke up at the usual time. But what about you two? Why are you up so late today? Tonight, your horse stance practice will be extended by half a stick of incense!”

The two boys looked at each other, dumbfounded.

Did they really get up late?

It didn’t seem like it!

“Clearly, it was Second Uncle who got up earlier!”

Second Uncle was bullying the children, and they decided they would go tell Auntie about it!

By this time, Ye Xin Ran had already gotten up.

When she saw the few pairs of pants hanging on the drying rack in the courtyard, she immediately noticed something strange. Other than one white undergarment, the rest were freshly laundered just a few days ago and hadn’t been worn yet.

Xiao Huai’an’s clumsy attempt to cover up his embarrassment was too obvious, making it easy to see through at a glance.

“Fine! You’d rather coldly wash your undergarments than be close to me, is that it!”

Ye Xin Ran turned away, puffing up in frustration, and headed off to cook breakfast.

---

The atmosphere at breakfast was tense.

Ye Xin Ran and Xiao Huai’an were preoccupied with their own thoughts, neither saying a word.

The two children, dreading their punishment later in the evening, had none of their usual chatter.

Lu Chang Qing, sensing the strained mood, quickly wolfed down a few mouthfuls of food and left.

Leng Qing Yu, sipping a small bowl of porridge, also rose and announced she was heading to the shop.

“Mrs. Lu, I’m heading to the clinic. Let’s go together,” Ye Xin Ran offered, standing up to leave as well.

Xiao Huai’an, seeing this, quickly finished his last bite of porridge. “I’ll give you both a ride.”

He hitched up the carriage, first dropping Leng Qing Yu off at the Leng family fabric shop before turning back to take Ye Xin Ran to the clinic.

---

When Leng Qing Yu entered the shop, she was greeted by the sight of the manager, Tao Qian, kneeling before her.

Recently, Leng Qing Yu had discovered discrepancies in the shop’s accounts and had summoned reinforcements from the capital.

Today marked the formal appointment of the new manager, Manager Du. Tao Qian, realizing his misconduct had been exposed, knelt to plead for mercy.

“Owner, I’ve been loyal and hardworking in Yun Tong County for all these years. My entire family has put down roots here.

I admit my abilities fall short, but I have labored hard, if not meritoriously.

I never dared pocket a single coin from the shop! You can have it investigated. The losses in those projects all went to Ye Da Cheng at low prices.”

Leng Qing Yu remained unmoved.

Flipping through the ledger casually, she responded, “Old Tao, you’ve been with the Leng family for many years. You should be well-versed in the rules.

At Leng Ji Fabric Shop, our accounts must be clear, and operations must follow the regulations.

By secretly giving Ye Da Cheng a backdoor deal, you violated the shop’s rules.”

“Owner, I didn’t want to do it either, but Ye Da Cheng came with letters bearing your seal, forcing me to comply.”

He said he had a close relationship with the owner and demanded we give him preferential prices. If we didn’t, he threatened to write letters accusing me!

I… I knew the owner and the Ye family had a deep connection, so I didn’t dare offend him lightly. That’s why I made such a huge mistake. Please, owner, show some mercy!”

Leng Qing Yu sneered, “You didn’t dare offend him, so you used my money to buy favor?

Tao Qian, you make yourself sound so pitiful, but in truth, didn’t you also benefit greatly from this?”

With that, Leng Qing Yu tossed the ledger onto the ground.

“Take a look for yourself. Does it record the truth?”

Tao Qian picked up the ledger and was instantly dumbfounded.

Every misappropriated transaction he had committed over the years was meticulously documented within.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Tao Qian realized he had underestimated Leng Qing Yu. He had thought that with Ye Da Cheng dead, he could shift all the blame onto him and escape scrutiny.

To his shock, Leng Qing Yu had uncovered the truth in such a short time, leaving him no room for defense.

The new manager, Xu Zhang Gui, brought a freshly brewed cup of tea for Leng Qing Yu, then stood silently behind her, his demeanor composed and professional.

Leng Qing Yu didn’t waste any more words on Tao Qian. She turned to Xu Zhang Gui and instructed, “Manager Xu, take fifty taels of silver from my account and give it to Tao Qian as travel expenses. Once he has the money, kindly see him out of the Leng family fabric shop.”

Tao Qian realized he had no chance of redemption this time.

The Leng family’s rules had always been strict and unyielding.

Now, he deeply regretted his actions.

Had he not been tempted by short-term gains and Ye Da Cheng’s coercion, he could have peacefully completed twenty years of service at the Leng family and earned the 1,000 taels of silver as a settlement fund.

But now, he had lost everything…

Yet with the evidence laid bare, Tao Qian had no choice but to accept his fate.

He took the silver from Xu Zhang Gui, kowtowed to Leng Qing Yu, and left the Leng family fabric shop for good.

Following Leng Qing Yu’s orders, Xu Zhang Gui informed all the other shop managers of Tao Qian’s misconduct.

Within days, the news had spread across the Leng family’s network of fabric shops.

The managers reacted with a mix of shock and introspection.

Some lamented that Tao Qian had been foolish enough to risk everything for short-term gain.

Others promptly ordered their accountants to review their recent years’ accounts, checking for discrepancies and addressing any losses immediately.

Still, there were those who secretly rejoiced.

It had been five years.

The decisive and uncompromising owner of the Leng family, known for her lightning-fast decisions and unyielding authority, had finally returned!