Liu Baishi returned from his travels, dusty and travel-worn. Ren Jiajia had prepared a lavish banquet to welcome him. The family sat around the table, laughing and chatting harmoniously, completely unaware of the impending danger.
Fortunately, Wu Caiwei had considered every aspect. Just as she had anticipated, Liu family members were indeed guarding a corner near the dock, awaiting the return of their master. A closer look would reveal familiar faces – the very same coachman who had conspired with a maid to force her onto a ship back then. Ten years had passed, and he looked much older, clearly not having had an easy time recently.
Because the Liu family guards were positioned somewhat covertly, Wu Caiwei didn't spot them. They, however, did notice a woman wearing a veil. She wasn't their target, so they didn't pay her much attention. Moreover, with her face obscured by the veil, they couldn't see her features. The woman had come alone, dressed simply, clearly not from a prominent family. Countless such women passed through the docks daily; she was utterly ordinary, and they paid her no mind.
Unbeknownst to Wu Caiwei, the moment she left, Liu Baishi docked his small cargo boat. Liu family servants brought over the prepared carriage and busily began loading the goods, making trip after trip.
Liu Baishi himself had no business acumen. While Li Jinyu was alive, the shops thrived because she had grown up alongside her parents, absorbing their knowledge and possessing a natural talent for business. If she had lived a few more years, perhaps the Li family's businesses would have expanded further.
Under Liu Baishi's management, he realized that doing business was not as simple as it seemed. He repeatedly recalled the business principles Li Jinyu had taught him. With no one to rely on, he had to figure things out on his own, barely managing to keep the shops afloat. After all these years, the six shops remained six shops, but the former Li residence had become the Liu residence.
At this moment, Wu Caiwei stood before the entrance of the Liu residence, gazing at the large characters "Liu Residence" inscribed above the door. A cold laugh escaped her lips. How could he be so shameless? In the quiet of the night, did he never fear anything? A man like him had long ago sold his conscience to the dogs. He wouldn't recall the Liu family's former destitution, when they had barely enough to eat, only feeling that the identity of a live-in son-in-law to the Li family had brought him shame and kept him from holding his head high.
As she fell into thought, the main gate suddenly swung open. A white-haired old man looked at her with a puzzled expression. He felt that the young woman before him was strangely familiar, yet he couldn't recall where he had seen her. He kindly inquired, "Miss, is there something you need?"
Seeing him, Wu Caiwei nearly burst into tears. She hadn't expected Uncle Li to still be guarding the gate at his advanced age. It was as if she were back in her childhood, when Uncle Li would look at her with doting eyes every time she entered. Knowing this was an emotion left by the original owner, she held back her tears and shook her head with a smile.
Uncle Li watched her retreating back, completely bewildered. The more he looked, the more she resembled the late young miss. He chuckled and shook his head. The young miss had passed away ten years ago; how could she possibly appear before him? He must be getting senile, seeing hallucinations. It seemed he should follow his son's advice and retire to enjoy his old age, rather than continue working at the Liu residence.
Thinking this, he couldn't help but sigh. For so many years, he had guarded this gate. The Liu family's compensation wasn't generous. His son ran a small business in the city and didn't lack food or drink. Yet, he didn't know why he remained so persistent.
Perhaps it was because he had once received a favor from the Li family patriarch, and he couldn't bear to see the young lady and the little miss grow up. Or perhaps, deep down, he harbored a sliver of hope that the little miss would return one day. However, seeing no familiar faces would lead to sadness and disappointment. After all these years, he hadn't given up his cherished wish. Now, he saw the little miss in anyone he looked at. Fortunately, he hadn't impulsively greeted her, or she would have thought him mad.
Meanwhile, Wu Caiwei returned to her small courtyard under the cover of night. She looked at the familiar face before her. From now on, she would live in this city with a different identity. Liu Baishi was heartless, and she would be unrighteous. She would reclaim everything that belonged to the Li family.
Was it about doing business? That was Wu Caiwei's forte. The hundreds of taels of silver from the Zhu family were still unspent, but for doing business, it was insignificant. What to do if she lacked funds? Naturally, she would borrow from Liu Baishi. However, her method of borrowing was different from ordinary borrowing. Ordinary borrowing involved repayment, but her borrowing would be silent, uninvited, and she had no intention of ever repaying it.
And so, as the moon climbed overhead, a figure quietly approached the Liu residence, cloaked by the moonlight. The Liu family was lost in slumber, completely oblivious.
Wu Caiwei, guided by memory, reached the roof of the main house, lifted a tile, and sprinkled some powder inside. After a while, feeling that they had fallen into a deep sleep, she gently opened the door and entered.
After searching for a long time, she found only nearly fifty taels of silver. Wu Caiwei cast a disdainful glance at Liu Baishi, who was asleep in bed, thinking him utterly useless for not having developed the Liu family over so many years.
This meager sum could sustain her for a while if used for living expenses, but when it came to business, it would vanish without a ripple in the market. So, she reluctantly went to her mother's former storeroom to try her luck.
Of course, the storeroom, a place of importance, was guarded year-round. To be safe, she sprinkled sleeping powder into every room, ensuring everyone was sound asleep before approaching the door. She then took out a small iron wire she had prepared and, with a few manipulations, picked the lock.
The moment she entered, Wu Caiwei couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. She was surprised at how thick-skinned the couple was, still using her mother's former storeroom. She surveyed the surroundings and found many gold and silver treasures – all left behind by her mother. It was evident that their lives hadn't been prosperous over the years, but this worked to Wu Caiwei's advantage; she felt no guilt in taking them.
After searching for a while, she finally discovered two thousand taels of silver notes in an inconspicuous small box. Thinking that this was their entire fortune, she instantly felt they were too poor. As she left, she also took some of her favorite precious jewelry. These items clearly belonged to her maternal grandfather's collection. Some of the jewelry was her mother's favorite during her lifetime, while some were gifts her maternal grandfather had given her mother as dowry. With the Liu family losing so much, it was clear that Liu Baishi's capabilities were insufficient to fill such a large deficit. He would have to sell off the old items. Knowing that these things were about to be lost, she couldn't bear for her maternal grandfather, grandmother, and mother's hard work to fall into the hands of Liu Baishi, that ungrateful wretch.