Wasn't It Just a Ruined Dress?

The group discussed the matter casually, and soon their men began to act.

Zhou Wanwan was drinking tea when a maid suddenly came over and poured the tea over her.

She knelt on the ground, trembling, and said, "This servant deserves to die, this servant deserves to die!"

Lu Lan gently scolded:

What's wrong with you, little girl?

"You can't even pour tea properly. Luckily you ran into Zhou Wanwan. If you had met some other important person, you'd be in for a world of trouble."

Zhou Wanwan looked at Lu Lan and said, "What do you mean by that? What do you mean by 'luckily it was me'?"

Lu Lan glanced at her indifferently and said, "I was just saying, you're not angry, are you?"

Zhou Wanwan looked at Lu Lan and said, "I'm not angry, but your servants splashed my clothes like this, what do you suggest we do?"

Lu Lan scoffed and said, "It's just a piece of clothing. I'll pay you back."

Zhou Wanwan looked at Lu Lan and said, "You're quite generous; this dress of mine is no ordinary one."

Lu Lan said helplessly, "Zhou Wanwan, you're trying to extort money again. It's just a piece of clothing, is it really that big of a deal?"

Zhou Lan, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but say:

"Zhou Wanwan, don't embarrass the Zhou Family family in public. It's just a piece of clothing."

You have so many clothes, you won't miss this one, why make things difficult for this servant girl?

The surrounding ladies began to whisper among themselves, "This Zhou Wanwan is acting like she can't afford to live. It's just a tattered dress, only a few taels of silver."

"She's just determined to make a scene! Poor maid."

Upon hearing these sounds, the maid suddenly cried out:

"Miss, please, please let me go!"

My monthly salary is only a few dozen coins. If I were to lose money on this garment, it would probably take me several years.

Lu Yao said reproachfully, "That's right! It's just a piece of clothing. Most people would have let it go easily. Only she wouldn't let it go."

"They started as bandits in the mountains, so naturally they like to rob people."

"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. She's a former bandit!"

Zhou Wanwan looked at Lu Lan and said:

"Since your Lu Family's servants dirtied my clothes, then your Lu Family should compensate for them!"

The material of this dress is the finest silk satin.

This material is truly amazing; it keeps you warm in winter and cools you down in summer.

In autumn, it becomes even more breathable and comfortable, feeling neither stuffy nor dry against the skin, and as smooth as flowing clouds.

In the capital, to have a complete outfit like this made, requiring the finest materials and top-notch embroiderers, would cost at least ten thousand taels of silver.

Everyone was stunned.

Lu Lan blinked and looked at Zhou Wanwan, saying, "Are you robbing me?"

Zhou Wanwan looked at Lu Lan and said, "Doesn't your Lu Family have anyone who knows their stuff? Why don't you have the shopkeepers come and take a look?"

Soon, a female manager from the Lu Family was invited over.

The shopkeeper examined Zhou Wanwan's fabric, touched it, and nodded, saying, "This is indeed top-quality cloud-patterned soft satin; it certainly costs over ten thousand taels."

Cui Rou said speechlessly, "Zhou Wanwan, why are you wearing such expensive clothes for no reason?"

Zhou Wanwan glanced at her indifferently and said:

Who says I can't wear nice clothes?

Cui Rou, just because you can't afford nice clothes doesn't mean others can't.

Lu Lan, will you compensate me for the cost of these clothes?

Lu Lan gritted her teeth and said, "Pay up! Take Zhou Wanwan to change her clothes, so people won't say the Lu Family is stingy."

Su Zhixia and Shen Yunshu were naturally worried, so they followed Zhou Wanwan into a room on the painted boat.

Su Zhixia looked at the pleasure boat and said, "This pleasure boat is quite large. I wonder what kind of windfall the Lu Family has recently made to be so extravagant."

Shen Yunshu sighed and said, "I heard that the Lu Family has made connections with that Imperial Concubine in the palace, and they're now doing business together with her!"

To put it bluntly, the Lu Family is now affiliated with the Imperial Concubine.

Zhou Wanwan thought about it and understood. Lu Zhiwei would enter the palace sooner or later, and being a smart woman, she naturally knew how to manage things.

However, this has nothing to do with Zhou Wanwan.

Suddenly, Su Zhixia and Shen Yunshu felt dizzy and fainted on the bed.

Zhou Wanwan looked warily towards the door. Sure enough, Xie Cheng'en walked in and said, "Zhou Wanwan, let's see how you escape this time."

Zhou Wanwan looked at Xie Cheng'en and said:

"I knew it was you guys who did this."

I'm just here to attend a banquet, you don't have to try to kill me!

Xie Cheng'en looked at Zhou Wanwan and said:

"If I want you to be my concubine, wouldn't it be better if you just behaved?"

"We have to resort to such forceful methods."

Zhou Wanwan looked at Xie Cheng'en and said, "You always end up losing to me, but you seem to get stronger with each setback. You've really made something of yourself!"

Xie Cheng'en looked at her coldly and said:

"The boat is now surrounded by my men. You can scream your lungs out today, but it won't do you any good."

Besides, there's someone watching a play on the other side of the pleasure boat! They can't hear you shouting at all."

Zhou Wanwan raised an eyebrow at them and said, "Is it possible that it's not me shouting, but you who need to shout?"

Nie Feng laughed loudly, "Ignore her, let's hurry up, one for each of us, lest something unexpected happens."

Zhou Wanwan looked at Nie Feng and said:

"Nie Feng, out of respect for you being Nie Shi'an's grandson, I'm giving you a piece of advice: pull back from the brink."

"Now, if you leave this room, I'll pretend I knew nothing."

Nie Feng laughed heartily:

"Zhou Wanwan, I really don't know what kind of bewitching my grandfather is. Let me tell you the truth!"

My grandmother hates you to the core. She knows all about these things, and she wants me to ruin you.

Zhou Wanwan hadn't expected Madam Nie to hate her so much.

Just as the three men were about to make their move, the Old Scholar Tree bound their hands and feet.

Xie Cheng'en exclaimed in horror, "It's that monster again! What on earth is that thing?"

Nie Feng, terrified, cried out, "Zhou Wanwan, what is this? Make it let me go!"

Zhou Wanwan said calmly:

"I warned you before and gave you a chance, didn't you say so?"

"Even if I scream my lungs out, no one will listen to me, and it's the same for you."

Zhou Wanwan took Song Zhixia and Shen Yunshu away directly.

Once outside the pleasure boat, Zhou Wanwan fed them their medicine. Song Zhixia looked at Zhou Wanwan and asked, "Wanwan, what happened to us? Is someone trying to harm us?"

Zhou Wanwan nodded and said, "Yes, but don't worry, you two, they can't harm us."

Shen Yunshu whispered, "Who is it? Why would they want to harm us?"

Zhou Wanwan raised an eyebrow and said, "They're just a few common rats, don't be afraid. I'll take you to see a good show in a bit."

Suddenly, they heard a noise coming from inside the pleasure boat. Lu Lan spoke up:

Is it really that Zhou Wanwan that you're taking so long to change your clothes?

It's been almost the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and it still isn't changed.

Nie Rou chimed in, "That's right! Let's go check it out together! What if something happens to that little girl on our pleasure boat..."