Wei Niang sighed heavily, her entire being exuding weariness. "That restaurant was where I invested all my savings and built it up with him, brick by brick, when I first married him."
"In the beginning, he still felt guilty and voluntarily registered the restaurant under my name. We also had a loving period for a long time."
It seemed like too many words had been pent up, and now that she finally had a place to pour out her grievances, Wei Niang couldn't help but start speaking. "Later, when Ling'er was born, because I was busy with the restaurant, I failed to notice her illness in time, which led to her current condition..."
Bringing up these matters, Wei Niang couldn't stop regretting. "We consulted many doctors, but none could cure Ling'er. Moreover, due to her constant medication, her physique grew increasingly robust."
"It wasn't until we met Doctor Chen. Although he couldn't cure Ling'er, he could at least prevent her physique from continuing to develop this way. That's why we chose to settle down here."
Wei Niang wiped away her tears. Her pale complexion, tinged with anger, gained a hint of color.
"In the beginning, he was a good husband and father. But as time went by, he became increasingly impatient and more and more disdainful of Ling'er, until one day I caught him..."
Although she had accepted the reality long ago, she still couldn't bring herself to speak of those events calmly.
She would never forget the sight of her husband being intimate with another woman, which she had witnessed with her own eyes.
Having spoken her heart, Wei Niang felt the weight that had been pressing on her chest finally dissipate.
She looked up at Li Yue Shu. "Over the years, our attention has been focused on Ling'er, and we've neglected the management of the restaurant. Business has been poor, which gave him the idea of selling it."
"But that was what I intended to leave for Ling'er as her dowry," Wei Niang said, her heart aching. "Given Ling'er's situation, this is all I can do for her. So, I hid the property deed in advance."
Upon hearing this, Li Yue Shu likely understood her intention. "You want me to retrieve the property deed and temporarily keep it for Ling'er?"
Wei Niang paused, then shook her head. "Although the restaurant's business is poor, its location is good, and it can fetch a good price. I want to transfer the restaurant to you as a token of my gratitude for you taking care of Ling'er."
Although they were engaged, she didn't believe Ling'er would truly marry the eldest son of the Shen family.
It would be better to use this property deed as a gift of thanks rather than a dowry. This way, if any unforeseen circumstances arose in the future, the Shen family might treat Ling'er better.
Li Yue Shu naturally understood her meaning but was somewhat surprised. How could a woman like Wei Niang, with such insight and foresight, find herself in such a predicament?
Li Yue Shu didn't ask further questions. After a moment of thought, she nodded. "I accept the restaurant. It so happens that I also have thoughts of venturing into this industry. If it's successful, I plan to give Ling'er forty percent of the profits annually."
Wei Niang looked at her in surprise, her eyes welling up.
Although they hadn't known each other for long, she knew that if Madam Shen said something, she would definitely do it.
Regardless of whether this restaurant could continue to operate, Madam Shen's gesture was enough.
"Thank you..."
Wei Niang knew that no matter how many times she said these two words, they couldn't express the depth of her gratitude, but besides that, she truly didn't know what else to say.
...
After leaving the dungeon, Li Yue Shu was already planning when to make a trip to the neighboring town.
The last time she had broken into Qing Feng Pavilion to save Shen Yi Min, the restaurant's location should have been easy to find.
In fact, before opening Heng De Pharmacy, her original idea was to open a restaurant.
Her best friend in her previous life loved making all sorts of delicious food, and she had naturally learned a lot from her.
Those dishes would definitely become a sensation in this world.
However, she later met Doctor Chen, and the option of opening a pharmacy presented itself, so she temporarily abandoned that idea.
After hearing Wei Niang's story today, she immediately decided to revise her plans.
Although Awen was destined to become a renowned businessman, she could lay a good foundation for him in advance, which would save him a lot of trouble later.
Now that she could gradually delegate the affairs of Heng De Pharmacy, she would have free time to dedicate to this endeavor!
Li Yue Shu guided the ox cart, her mind engrossed in thoughts of the restaurant.
She was so lost in thought that she completely failed to notice Shen Yi Min's lingering gaze behind her.
He desperately wanted to ask about their engagement but felt too embarrassed to do so, especially with the other party sitting beside him with a look of innocent bewilderment.
Even though he knew she was completely oblivious, Shen Yi Min felt that his words might hurt her.
Thus, it wasn't until they returned home that Shen Yi Min, having finally mustered the courage to find Li Yue Shu alone, saw her rush into her room as soon as she got back.
Shen Yi Min couldn't even call out to her in time and could only stand there in a daze.
Mo Lian walked over with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong? You look like you have something on your mind."
Shen Yi Min turned his head, his expression a mixture of emotions. "It seems like your words have indeed come true."
"What?" Mo Lian asked, completely bewildered. Before he could inquire about the meaning of his words, he saw Shen Yi Min sigh dejectedly and walk away.
Li Yue Shu was unaware of these goings-on. She preferred to act decisively. After spending a day creating a general plan for the restaurant, she intended to personally go to the neighboring town to retrieve the property deed the next day, after seeing the children off to the academy.
As she was about to leave after escorting the children to the academy gate, Shen Yi Min finally spoke up. "Wait, I... I have something I want to discuss with you privately."
Although Li Yue Shu was puzzled, she didn't refuse.
She followed Shen Yi Min to the side. "What is it?"
Shen Yi Min hesitated for a moment, then decided to be direct. "Did you arrange an engagement between me and Wei Ling?"
This time, it was Li Yue Shu's turn to be taken aback. "Who told you that?"
Shen Yi Min had clearly prepared his response. "Father said Wei Ling will be my wife from now on and told me to treat her well."
Li Yue Shu: "..."
This loose-lipped fellow!
She had originally planned to tell the two children about the engagement after Wei Ling came of age, letting them interact normally beforehand. Who knew that Shen Wei would let it slip.
Since Shen Yi Min already knew, Li Yue Shu didn't choose to continue hiding it. "Wei Niang and I did arrange an engagement for you. After all, you saw her body. As a man, you have to take some responsibility."
Shen Yi Min's cheeks flushed crimson. "That was an accident! We... we're still children, there's no need to go this far."
Li Yue Shu raised an eyebrow. It was the first time she had seen the usually gentle and steady Shen Yi Min display such an agitated demeanor.
She wondered if this young man would regret his words now when he experienced the "true fragrance" of it all in the future.
Li Yue Shu maintained a composed expression and asked, "If it were Ah Yi in Ling'er's situation, do you think my actions would be right?"
"I..."
Shen Yi Min, who could always argue eloquently when faced with the teacher's various questions, suddenly fell silent.
However, he truly didn't want this troublesome engagement. In the future, when he returned to Chongzhou, he might struggle to protect himself, and Wei Ling would only be in danger by his side.
Li Yue Shu noticed his reluctance and reached out to pat his shoulder.