Abandoning Wife and Selling Daughter? Turning Around to Marry a Powerful Minister and Wiping Out Your Entire Clan! - Chapter 26

Liu Feng felt uneasy. He returned to the residence and reported the situation to his master in private, his heart filled with anxiety.

However, Zhou Quan was not in a hurry. The pastry-making skills of the Zhang family were unparalleled in this world.

Asking Liu Feng to investigate was merely to confirm his suspicions.

At this moment, Zhou Quan was in a great mood. Now that Shen Ting was managing his shops, his mistress in Xinghua Street was gentle and lovely, and Prince Qin regarded him favorably.

If he could bring Zhang back…

Thinking of that possibility, Zhou Quan’s fox-like eyes narrowed as he smiled with indulgent pleasure.

Liu Feng, not hearing his master’s anger, was about to look up when Zhou Quan dismissed him.

Shen Ting received a report from the servants and, knowing that Zhou Quan was in an excellent mood, took a bowl of chicken soup from the kitchen and went to find him.

Since Zhou Quan was in good spirits, he naturally found Shen Ting exceptionally pleasing, and the two shared a harmonious evening.

The next morning, as she got out of bed, Shen Ting realized that Zhou Quan’s happiness this time was different from when he visited Fenghua House.

She inquired about it, only to learn that it was after Liu Feng’s report that Zhou Quan became delighted.

For some reason, Shen Ting felt a sense of unease.

She ordered someone to find out where Liu Feng had gone the previous day, and the servant reported that he had visited Fenghua House.

What was in Fenghua House that attracted Zhou Quan?

Shen Ting couldn’t figure it out, so she arranged for someone to watch Fenghua House. If Liu Feng went there again, she would be informed immediately.

That day, Zhang Xiaolan was on a break. After freshening up in the morning, the Han brothers arrived.

She spent the entire day testing the two brothers.

Han Boguang had a steady temperament, could remain calm in difficult situations, and had a bit of strategic thinking, but his environment had limited his perspective.

Han Changshu was lively, quick-witted, talkative, and dexterous, but he habitually relied on his elder brother.

Both knew some characters, but if they were to be her assistants, their current literacy was far from sufficient. Especially since they mainly recognized words but were not necessarily able to write them.

However, Zhang Xiaolan was pleasantly surprised by their sensitivity to numbers.

For business, such talent was invaluable, and Zhang Xiaolan was no exception.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, there were two paths for merchants: trade or commerce.

Trade involved joining a caravan, traveling far and wide, buying low and selling high.

Commerce meant running a fixed shop with stable business transactions.

In Zhang Xiaolan’s view, both brothers had talent for trade, but Han Boguang was more suited for running a caravan, while Han Changshu was better at managing a shop.

That was fine. Two different directions meant more opportunities to earn silver, giving her more time and energy to search for her daughter.

But for now, discussing such matters was premature. They were still far from ready.

“Tomorrow, each of you should find a copy of Thousand Character Classic and learn all the characters. You must also practice writing them,” Zhang Xiaolan said. Seeing their troubled expressions, she lowered her standard. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, but at least neat and orderly.”

“And every day, you must stand straight against the wall for a quarter of an hour. How can you negotiate business with a hunched back and weak posture?”

They also needed to learn self-defense. But as a woman without martial skills, she would have to find a teacher for them.

Training a future head merchant was time-consuming and costly.

But Zhang Xiaolan was not afraid of trouble—only of having no one to rely on.

This world had never favored those who stood alone. If she wanted to bring down the Zhou family, how could she do it alone?

When the Han brothers were finally allowed to leave, they were utterly exhausted.

“Brother, do we really have to keep learning from Lady Zhang?” Han Changshu, though clever, tended to retreat when faced with difficulties.

“Changshu, do you want to stay in that tiny Han family house forever? Think about the prestige of a head merchant in a grand shop. With Lady Zhang’s ability, she won’t settle for small businesses. If the business grows, no one will be more trusted than us.”

Han Boguang had an inkling that Lady Zhang’s efforts were related to the person who had hired them months ago.

But he also firmly believed that following Lady Zhang would broaden their horizons.

Their younger brother was preparing for the imperial exams, and with their support, he could progress more smoothly—not to mention their other younger siblings.

Han Changshu had always trusted his older brother. Since his brother had decided, he had no objections.

But imagining himself as the head merchant of a grand shop made his heart race with excitement. He only wanted to learn as fast as possible.

“Brother, let’s hurry home!”

Watching his younger brother dash ahead, Han Boguang smiled and followed.

The next morning, Zhang Xiaolan woke up but did not immediately get out of bed. She simply stared at the canopy above her.

It had been five months since she left the Zhou family, but she had yet to find her daughter.

Fortunately, she had found two capable helpers. In time, they would grow stronger.

She silently prayed that her daughter was safe and that she could find her soon.

After mentally preparing herself, Zhang Xiaolan swiftly got up.

Her routine remained unchanged. After arriving at the Fenghua House kitchen, she had breakfast, made pastries according to the customers’ orders, and by midday, distributed food to the Han brothers while checking their progress.

After five days, the Han brothers were already becoming proficient in their tasks.

She assigned them homework, requiring them to report to her daily while also considering their future business paths and planning their next steps.

The brothers agreed but also made a request of their own: they wanted to help Zhang Xiaolan with small tasks every day, such as fetching water, heating food, and boiling water for her.

Zhang Xiaolan thought about it. Since she wasn’t particularly skilled in these tasks herself, she agreed.

Walking along the road, she found it amusing that Han Boguang had insisted on fetching water for her. But it was a sign of their filial gratitude, so she accepted it.

Just as she chuckled to herself, she felt a presence behind her. Instinctively, she quickened her pace.

Upon reaching the back courtyard gate, Zhang Xiaolan quickly slipped inside and shut the door.

Then, she carefully peered through the gap.

Few people passed through this area—mostly the staff working at the restaurant.

But from the direction she had come, two shady-looking men with hunched postures were approaching.

“Hey, where did that woman disappear to so quickly?” the shorter man asked.

“No rush,” the taller one replied. “Didn’t they say she works here? We’ll just wait—she’ll have to come out eventually.”

“But what if she leaves through the front door?” the short man worried.

The tall one smacked him on the head. “Idiot! The front door is for nobles. Why would a pastry chef leave that way?”

The short man just grinned foolishly.

Watching them squat under a tree, Zhang Xiaolan pondered before straightening her sleeves and heading inside to work.

She thought about it all afternoon.

There was only one person who would go to such lengths to make her life difficult—Shen Ting.

The Zhang family could be just as troublesome, but her father was merely a scholar at the Imperial Academy. He liked to curry favor with the powerful, but as soon as he met resistance, he would back down.

Only Shen Ting would go to such trouble to make her suffer.

That evening, Zhang Xiaolan deliberately waited for Han Boguang before leaving.

Han Boguang had already noticed the two suspicious men but refrained from acting without orders.

“Lady Zhang, do you need me to take care of them?”