The stigma on the Marquis’s household had been cleared, but the family of five did not feel as relieved as one might expect.

After all, they had sincerely treated the Zhen family well and genuinely hoped that Zhen Heng would succeed and become a pillar for the Zhens.

But unexpectedly…

At this moment, a servant came to report, “Madam Lu requests an audience.”

Bai Ruzhu sighed, “Let Sister-in-law in.”

Madam Zhen lowered her head and entered the Marquis’s residence.

Once she reached the main hall, she suddenly knelt with a thud on the floor. “Marquis, Madam, I beg you to save my nephew. He is a good boy who just lost his way for a moment. Now that he is in prison, his official career is over. All those years of hard study would be wasted. I beg the Marquis, I beg the Madam, please show mercy…”

“What do you mean by mercy?” Li Zhiyue said coldly. “Zhen Heng’s arrest was not ordered by our Marquis’s household.”

“Yes, yes, I was wrong!” Madam Zhen burst into tears. “Please, Marquis, help us speak to the authorities. I beg you…”

Bai Ruzhu stepped forward and helped her up. “Sister-in-law, our Xiangyang Marquis’s household looks impressive, but it’s all just for show. We neither had the power to get Zhen Heng admitted to Yanshan Academy nor to get him released by the officials. He made a mistake and must bear the consequences himself. Please stop running around on his behalf.”

Madam Zhen sobbed loudly.

Wasn’t the Marquis’s household just seeking revenge?

She had only failed to clear the Marquis’s household’s name, yet they wanted to destroy her nephew’s future!

Clearly, the Marquis’s household owed her a life-saving favor, yet now she, the one who saved a life, was kneeling on the ground begging them.

They looked down on her as if she were nothing but an insignificant ant…

“The Marquis’s household has another villa in the capital,” Bai Ruzhu said, “Sister-in-law, you can take the children and stay there. I will arrange people to serve you. Just stay there without worries.”

Madam Zhen bit her lip.

So, the Marquis’s household was only offering a temporary place to stay, not outright gifting the villa?

A respectable family treated a lifesaver like this?

But she had no grounds to refuse.

Because all her money had been taken by her nephew for bribing officials, the three women could only depend on the Marquis’s household.

Even if it meant living under someone else’s roof, they had no choice but to swallow this bitter taste.

“Yes, thank you, Madam.”

Madam Zhen lowered her head and left the Marquis’s mansion.

At the door, she met her daughter.

Lu Jingxue saw her mother’s appearance and knew the Marquis’s household was unwilling to help further.

She whispered, “Although they saved our lives, after this incident, the Marquis’s household probably won’t help us unconditionally anymore…”

Madam Zhen wiped her tears. “No matter what, I will find a way to make you siblings part of the Marquis’s household…”

“No…” Lu Jingxue shook her head. “With Madam Bai and Miss Li in the Marquis’s household, even if you enter the Marquis’s house, life won’t be easy. It’s better to look for somewhere else…”

Madam Zhen was incredulous. “We are orphans with no one else to turn to. Where else can we go?”

Lu Jingxue pressed her lips.

If there’s no path, then we will carve out one.

The capital city was never short of new gossip.

The scandal of Zhen Heng’s impersonation quieted down after two days, slowly forgotten by everyone.

Because of the last opera event, Li’s Tea House business had improved day by day.

Li Zhiyue took this opportunity to launch a membership card system.

Anyone who recharged sixty-six taels of silver would get a permanent 20% discount. Additionally, whenever new products were launched, members would be the first to receive tastings delivered to their home.

This system had two goals: to stabilize old customers and to generate a cash flow.

She planned to open a new branch in the western part of the city, which required a lot of capital to kickstart.

Also, there was the opera troupe she wanted to build a theater for—she couldn’t just keep the forty-plus performers at the Marquis’s household; their meals alone were a huge expense, which the Marquis’s household couldn’t afford.

Once the news came out, it sparked a wave of buzz.

“Sixty-six taels to join the membership? That’s way too much!”

“My family’s grocery shop earns sixty-six taels in a whole year! Li’s Tea House is robbing people blind.”

“I’m lucky if I have a silver coin to buy a cup of milk tea, where would I get sixty-six taels for a membership?”

“If I had so much money, I’d spend it on something better.”

“…”

“You poor folks think sixty-six taels is a lot, but for the rich, it’s just like throwing water around. Look, people are lining up to become members.”

“Mostly big families. We commoners can only watch.”

“Guess how much money Li’s Tea House will make in a day?”

“Too many wealthy families in the capital, no way to guess.”

“…”

Li Zhiyue’s target was to get a hundred members.

But unexpectedly, the number broke through two hundred and kept rising.

She knew there were many rich people in the capital, but didn’t expect so many, as if money was no object, pouring into Li’s Tea House.

“Miss!” Shopkeeper Chen trembled a bit. “Today’s membership income is fifteen thousand three hundred taels of silver!”

He had been a manager for decades but had never seen so much cash.

Moreover, this money was not for buying goods but for a membership title. He never imagined so many people would be willing to pay.

When Miss Li first proposed the system yesterday, he was skeptical.

But now, he was completely convinced by her.

From now on, whatever the Miss said was final, no doubts!

Even Li Zhiyue herself was stunned.

She said, “Deposit the money in the bank, split it among four banks.”

Shopkeeper Chen hurried off to do it.

Li Zhiyue called Qiao Mu over. “Come with me to the west side of the city.”

Qiao Mu immediately put down his work and followed Li Zhiyue out of the tea house.

Li Zhiyue sat in the carriage.

Qiao Mu and the coachman sat in front driving.

The carriage rode for nearly half an hour before reaching the western part of the city, which showed how large the capital truly was.

She got off the carriage and said, “Qiao Mu, do you know why I brought you here?”

Qiao Mu thought for a moment.

After a while, he looked down and answered, “Recently, some people have driven all the way from the west side to drink milk tea here at the tea house. They complain it’s too far. Even a kid could notice this problem, so the Miss must be planning to open a second tea house in the west?”

Li Zhiyue smiled.

As Shopkeeper Chen said, Qiao Mu was indeed smart.

She looked at the bustling street and said, “Your task today is to find a shop. If you do well, you will become the manager of the second tea house.”

Qiao Mu’s face showed immense disbelief.

He had only been with the Miss for a short time, yet she promoted him so quickly?

What merit had he done?

Li Zhiyue chose him because he was not born into the Marquis’s household and had no complicated ties there.

She needed someone like Qiao Mu to prevent the household servants from slacking off.

Also, Qiao Mu was smart, educated, and good at math.

Even Shopkeeper Chen praised him highly.