What a Big White Lotus

Such meticulous love ultimately resulted in this kind of frustration.

Xu Weibei felt that he strongly agreed with this statement.

Children are such a troublesome thing.

However, if taught properly, he shouldn't be so unable to distinguish right from wrong.

Xu Weibei felt that his Second Concubine's parenting was flawed; she had borne all the difficulties herself, which was why her younger brother was so irresponsible.

Without real experience, and with his older sister always taking the lead, how could he possibly distinguish between good and bad people, or understand the ways of the world?

That's why people can toy with your feelings.

But Xu Weibei didn't say.

He said that Gu Wanning would be unhappy.

Even if it weren't for the fact that the Second Concubine was someone Gu Wanning was protecting under her wing, you wouldn't allow anyone to say a bad word about Gu Wanning's dog.

Gu Wanning brought up Yiling again, saying, "She's acting strangely."

"He won't cause any big trouble," Xu Weibei said. "He's just a spoiled brat. Don't hold back, teach him a lesson he needs, and I'll take care of it."

"That's not necessarily true."

As he spoke, Xu Weibei added that he wanted to add a few more people for Gu Wanning.

"... If Er Ya goes back to the autumn harvest, you won't even have anyone to serve you. You'll have to do everything yourself."

"Don't make any rash arrangements," Gu Wanning refused. "I have hands and feet; I can do anything myself. I don't want too many people around me."

That requires careful consideration and planning.

She doesn't want to.

"You're all alone; if anything happens, there's no one to run errands for you."

"What could possibly happen to me?" Gu Wanning said, "It's just Rongrong's family's business. I wouldn't go even if someone invited me!"

"When your second sister-in-law gives birth in a few days, are you going to go?"

Gu Wanning: "... Of course I'll go."

"You'll be all alone once you get there?"

"It's alright, it's alright, we can talk about adding more people later." Gu Wanning still refused.

Xu Weibei had no choice but to give up, but "his wicked intentions remained," and he instructed Gao Lan to keep an eye on the situation and select a suitable person.

The next day, the Second Concubine arrived, accompanied by the Third Concubine.

"So early?" Gu Wanning had just gotten up and hadn't had breakfast yet.

Although she did wake up a little late this morning because she talked with Xu Weibei until late last night, it's not really late in the morning yet.

"Aren't we supposed to be recognizing our relatives?" Gu Wanning asked.

"No." The Second Concubine looked terrible. "She hasn't gotten up yet, and I didn't want to wait any longer, so I left."

Gu Wanning: "..."

It would be a bit much for the bride not to get up at this point.

Even if you're just putting on an act, you have to pretend as soon as you enter.

Does this mean that since there are no elders in the household, she can just let herself go and do whatever she wants?

But wasn't everything arranged by the Second Concubine?

Even if she didn't achieve great things, she certainly put in a lot of effort, and she's the older sister.

This must be the new Second Concubine sister-in-law a hard time.

Chapter 264 What a Big White Lotus

"If you don't want to admit it, then don't. You don't need her tea, and you'll save yourself a red envelope," said the Third Concubine. "Keep the money for yourself, and don't be foolish in the future."

Gu Wanning thought the same thing, but it was too hurtful, so she didn't dare to say it.

Normally, given her personality, she would be very outspoken with her best friend.

Perhaps because she had spent such a tender and blissful night with Xu Weibei, she was much gentler now, thinking about how to phrase her words more tactfully.

Unexpectedly, the Third Concubine said it.

The fact that they could get together shows they're "birds of a feather."

The Second Concubine said with a bitter smile, "I'm more ruthless than any of you, but my younger brother is my only weakness."

That was her younger brother, more like the son she had raised herself.

"... I also want to leave, out of sight, out of mind. But what if he gets swindled out of everything by that woman, ending up homeless and starving? Can I just ignore him?"

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. "I've asked myself, and I can't. I must have owed him something in my past life. No matter what he does in this life, I'll always be the one cleaning up his mess in the end."

That was her younger brother, for whom she had given everything; how could she abandon him?

"So, I'm not reconciled." Second Concubine gritted her teeth. "If I leave, that woman will benefit too. Don't laugh at me, but after yesterday's commotion, my head manager secretly told me last night that my brother has taken care of that servant's extended family in the shop."

The "servant" she referred to was Concubine Yu, which shows her disgust for her.

"She's already planted her?" Gu Wanning said. "I was originally thinking of reminding you to be careful, that she might sabotage your business. I didn't expect her to be such a formidable character, having your brother completely under her thumb without a word."

"If I'm not mistaken," she picked up her teacup and took a sip to moisten her throat, "It must be that those relatives did something that the shopkeeper couldn't control, which is why he told you."

From the shopkeeper's perspective, being caught between two owners is a difficult situation.

One is in power now, and the other will be in power in the future.

Therefore, he wouldn't easily "betray" someone.

Those people must have done something to make the shopkeeper feel threatened, that they were a threat to the Jin family's business, which is why he couldn't hold back any longer.

After all, they had been shopkeepers for many years and had an emotional attachment to the shop and the Jin family. They wouldn't just stand by and watch the Jin family decline.

"Sister, you're incredibly insightful." A flicker of pain crossed the Second Concubine's eyes. "That servant's brother brazenly withdrew money from the account, claiming it all belonged to his niece."

"You can still tolerate this? Are you going to keep it until the New Year?" Gu Wanning's fists hardened. "Kick it all out!"

"I need to think of a more tactful approach, especially considering my lustful brother."

Gu Wanning: Okay.

You know he's blinded by lust, but you can't give him up, so you can only endure the pain.

Just then, Jin Huayu arrived with his newlywed wife Shi.

"I knew my sister would be with Sister Gu." Jin Huayu smiled like a naive and innocent girl.