Chapter 342: Countless Ways to Destroy You

“Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, you must stand up for your daughter-in-law! Yuanshan doesn’t know what’s gotten into him, as soon as he got back, he started calling me a foolish woman. It’s simply unreasonable.”

Zhao Qiao’er was the first to accuse, making no mention of her own mistakes.

Lin Yuanshan suddenly realized that Zhao Qiao’er was truly different from the usually dutiful and hardworking daughter-in-law she appeared to be.

Perhaps, this was the real Zhao Qiao’er.

Lin Yuanshan was trembling with anger, a wave of disgust rising in his heart.

Pointing at his wife, he said to his parents, “Father, Mother, do you know what this vile woman has done? She actually dared to poison Princess Cangzhou! Now, the Brocade Workshop, which was co-opened by the Princess and the Wei Family, has spread the word that our character is questionable. Unless I divorce her, they will never do business with Lin’s again!”

“What?!”

Mr. Lin was taken aback, how could this be?

The cane in his hand clattered to the ground, and his wrinkled face turned pale instantly.

The old man leaned against the doorframe, swaying as if about to fall, his voice hoarse and unsteady.

“The Lin Family has been in business for three generations, honest with all our customers, and now… now we’re about to be ruined by…” He couldn’t finish his sentence before a fit of coughing overcame him.

Leaving aside the matter of sourcing from the Brocade Workshop, just claiming that the Lin Family’s character was problematic was enough to slap them in the face.

Although the Lin Family was small, they had been upright and honest in their dealings for generations, and would never allow such a vicious woman to exist within the family.

Ms Lin hurried to calm her husband, then turned to her son urgently, “Look at how you’ve angered your father. You must quickly go and summon the clan elders! For such a major incident, we must convene at the ancestral hall and discuss a plan!”

Zhao Qiao’er finally panicked. She knelt on the ground with a thud, crawling on her knees to embrace her mother-in-law’s legs.

“Father-in-law, Mother-in-law. Your daughter-in-law knows her wrongs! Han Lei, that vile woman, is just a lowly servant of unknown origin. At first… at first I was only thinking of my brother…”

As Zhao Qiao’er knelt, her carefully arranged hair became disheveled, and the golden hairpin hung askew by her ear.

After all, a hundred days of marriage builds deep bonds, and Lin Yuanshan was a sentimental man. Seeing his wife’s disheveled state, a trace of reluctance flickered in his heart. But Mr. Lin had already pointed shakily outside the courtyard, urging continuously.

“Son, go… go ring the bell… gather the heads of all the houses… this matter must not be delayed.”

Lin Yuanshan took a deep breath, though unwilling, thinking of Zhao Qiaoer’s sinister malice, he still nodded.

As Lin Yuanshan’s heavy footsteps gradually faded away, Zhao Qiao’er finally collapsed to the ground.

Her expensive brocade skirt spread out like a peony suddenly wilting…

…dividing line, dividing line…

Jingzhou.

The sky drizzled with fine rain, enveloping the entire street like smoke and mist.

Han Lei stood in front of the shelves, turning her head to watch raindrops from the eaves splash into small flowers on the bluestone.

The humid air was filled with the scent of wood and lacquer.

In the shop, Da Yi and others were wiping down the newly crafted elm tables and chairs.

Cloth rags swirled over the wood grain, wiping away every last speck of sawdust.

Prince Jingzhou stood at the counter with his sleeves rolled up, fingers fiddling with an abacus, occasionally glancing at Han Lei busy in front of the shelves.

Behind him, two attendants were meticulously counting various side dishes for wine, all wrapped neatly in oil paper, lined up tidily on the shelf.

“These side dishes, each package is one serving,” Han Lei walked over to Prince Jingzhou, lightly tapping a package wrapped in oil paper, “For the first three days of opening, each table gets a free serving, ensuring that the patrons will order pot after pot of wine.”

Prince Jingzhou’s eyes lit up at her words, unable to suppress a swallow.

He seemed to already see the bustling scene of the tavern when it opened.

The Drunken Immortal Brew House in Jingzhou was about to open, and Prince Jingzhou visited daily.

He felt that listening to Han Lei talk business was a pleasure. Since meeting Han Lei, he realized his life had undergone a tremendous change.

Previously, he always lived in the shadow of the royal power struggles, cautious and fearful.

But the agency for Drunken Immortal Brew had filled his life with sunshine and the smell of money.

The appearance of fine food further brought him joy in life.

He couldn’t wait for Han Lei’s tavern to open quickly, so those patrons could come and taste the side dishes.

Then, just like the Drunken Immortal Brew, spread by word of mouth, helping him sell his business, waiting until he gets the agency rights, and then stay busy counting Silver every day.

Thinking of this made him feel very pleased. Just as he was about to speak, Han Lei suddenly said, “Tao Qing should be here.”

As Han Lei spoke, she walked to the door, leaning out to look.

In the rain curtain, several blurry figures were walking this way from afar.

At the forefront, Tao Qing wore a bamboo hat, with rainwater flowing steadily off his straw raincoat.

Behind him were some brothers from the Jingzhou Big Character Team, struggling to pull several carts.

The wine jars on the carts were tightly covered with oil paper and straw, but a faint wine fragrance could still be smelled amidst the rain. Once the Drunken Immortal Brew was placed on the shelves, the preparations before opening would be complete.

“Just in time!” Han Lei’s face showed joy, turning back to the store and shouted, “Da Er, take two people to help unload!”

Jingzhou’s drainage system in the county towns was decent, even after two days of heavy rain, the water on the street barely reached the ankles.

Murky water flowed through the bluestone road. Tao Qing and his group trudged through the rain, cart wheels rolling over the accumulated water, splashing in waves.

The street was deserted and empty, the usually lively street now devoid of people, not even the soldiers and government officials patrolling in the previous days were nowhere to be seen. Only the sound of rain tapping on the eaves, and occasionally a barking dog in the distance.

Suddenly, the sound of urgent hoofbeats came from afar.

Behind Tao Qing and his group, a fast horse was galloping rapidly toward them through the rain.