Li Shengxu walked into her courtyard as usual and saw a middle-aged man sizing him up. He immediately guessed the man's identity, having heard about Wu Caiwei's experiences before. He gave the man a distant nod.
Old Master Bao had long heard that his daughter had a companion but had never met him. Seeing them so intimate today, he knew who the man was. He couldn't help but frown, thinking that given his daughter's current status, the man's background was simply not good enough for her. Yes, Old Master Bao could tell from his attire and demeanor that the man's family was not well-off.
He had been counting on his daughter to find a good family and help his son in the future. He was naturally dissatisfied with his daughter finding someone like this. He wondered what she saw in him; any wealthy young master would be better than him.
Madam Bao was much shrewder. She could clearly see the deep affection between them and said nothing that would offend. She warmly welcomed him.
Wu Caiwei and Li Shengxu paid no attention to Old Master Bao. The meal passed with laughter and conversation between the three of them, while Old Master Bao remained like an outsider, quietly observing them.
After the meal, Old Master Bao walked onto the street, feeling dejected. He clearly sensed their attitude, which made his heart sink. It seemed the situation was worse than he had imagined. His daughter had prospered, but she didn't respect him at all and had no intention of helping the Bao family. This was not a good sign for him.
As he walked, he suddenly saw a familiar face leaning against a wall, smiling at him. He hesitated for a moment, then involuntarily walked forward, wanting to discuss matters with him properly. Moreover, his several thousand taels of silver were still in his possession. He touched the silver, his hand tightening unconsciously, reluctant to return it. Yes, the person waiting there deliberately was Sun Guotang.
"I didn't expect such a large teahouse to be owned by you." If the shopkeeper hadn't accidentally let slip that he was the owner when they went upstairs earlier, he would never have known that this place belonged to him. It wasn't far from where they were living, and he had passed by the teahouse numerous times.
Looking at the constant stream of customers, he had envied the man's good business. He never imagined it was Sun Guotang's. The thought that this man was once his son-in-law, and that he had a share in this place, made his heart ache. He felt as though he should have a lot of money, but it had all slipped through his fingers.
"It is mine. You can see how good the business is here, so I have plenty of money. How is the matter I asked for your help with progressing? As long as you can get it done for me, not only will I give you those several thousand taels of silver, but I will also give you a grand gift that will surely satisfy you." Sun Guotang knew very well that Bao Susu held her father in little regard.
But regardless, he was her father. Furthermore, he had brought the husband and wife to the capital recently. Not only had his own affairs stalled, but he had also suffered increasingly fierce retaliation from her in court, leaving him nowhere to stand. He had no choice but to come to Old Master Bao again to ask for more help, to have him speak a good word for him.
Old Master Bao was tempted by the mention of a grand gift. He also understood that the man before him was the Duke of Guo, who couldn't be easily deceived. He said somewhat awkwardly, "I do want to help, but she is completely unyielding. It's also your fault for leaving her alone to suffer at the Sun family's home back then. Now she's here for revenge."
Old Master Bao had felt quite miserable, having a disobedient daughter who always went against his wishes. But looking at Sun Guotang, he instantly felt a sense of balance. Even though the man was doing better than him and had more money, he was still begging him to ask his daughter to forgive him. At least his daughter, out of respect for him being her father, would still take some care. But this man was truly pathetic. He heard that his daughter had retaliated severely recently, causing him to lose face in the capital.
"I really didn't know about that. I thought she wanted to stay in her hometown to take care of you. After all, when I left, you only had her as your daughter. Thinking of your deep affection, she couldn't bear to leave the Bao family and didn't leave with Madam. I didn't expect Madam to be the one causing trouble. I had explained to her long ago, but no matter what, she won't forgive me. I am also a victim. I'm wronged!"
Sun Guotang almost burst into tears. Every day in court, the Third Prince would call him out by name, causing no minister to dare associate with him recently. This made him feel a growing sense of crisis.
He could foresee that in the near future, the Third Prince would find an excuse to dismiss him, forcing him to return home in disgrace, to live cautiously and endure the ridicule and mockery of others. His heart ached unbearably. He had worked tirelessly for so many years, even risking his life several times, just to make the Sun family prosperous. The Sun family had only been flourishing for how long before it was going to return to its past? He felt utterly unwilling.
Looking at Old Master Bao before him, he couldn't help but feel jealous. In the past, he had never paid any attention to Old Master Bao. Even though they had played well together as children and grown up together, that was why when he fancied Bao Susu, he had ignored Old Master Bao's wishes and secretly corresponded with her, taking her as a concubine.
Later, when he became the Duke of Guo, he paid even less attention to the man. In his eyes, he was like a small ant; if he wanted his life, he could take it at any time. He never expected the tables to turn so dramatically, with the other man effortlessly becoming the victor, while he, after so much effort, was about to fail. How could this not make him feel the unfairness of fate?
How could Old Master Bao not understand Sun Guotang's thoughts? It was just that he had been a bit slow-witted since childhood, while the other man was clever and shrewd, often committing bad deeds and making him take the blame. He had grievances he couldn't express, which led to him gradually distancing himself from the man as they grew older. Later, when his daughter became his concubine, he felt extremely ashamed and cut off all contact with him. He then took a concubine to have a son, as if his daughter had never existed. He never expected to have a day where he stood above the man, which satisfied his vanity.
Sun Guotang was extremely frustrated, but driven to a corner, he could only tightly grip Old Master Bao's hand and plead, "I know you have your difficulties, but I am now at my wits' end. And the key lies with your daughter. We grew up together, and you wouldn't bear to see me become a laughingstock at my age, would you?"
Old Master Bao desperately wanted to say that in the past, he had also made him a laughingstock. His own daughter married his childhood playmate, who was also a concubine. Had he not felt disgraced? Wasn't he the main culprit? Now he knew to beg him. What was he doing back then?