Abandoning Wife and Selling Daughter? Turning Around to Marry a Powerful Minister and Wiping Out Your Entire Clan! - Chapter 33

Zhang Xiaolan turned her head when she heard Yan Yuyang’s voice. “You know him?”

She had just turned away to avoid suspicion, but upon hearing the voice, she couldn’t help but look back.

“This is an uncle of mine, surnamed Tang. I only heard he was sent away before, but I don’t know why he ended up like this.”

Yan Yuyang was also surprised. His movements as he wiped the man’s face became much gentler.

Zhang Xiaolan stared at the box at her feet and said nothing more.

The carriage fell into silence. By the time they reached the capital, the sun was already setting.

They hurried along and managed to enter the city before the gates closed.

Zhang Xiaolan first instructed the Han brothers to drive the carriage to the General’s Mansion. Yan Yuyang had the man carried off and made sure to take the box with him.

He softly said goodbye to Zhang Xiaolan before rushing back to his residence.

Zhang Xiaolan didn’t mind and returned home, letting the Han brothers return the carriage before heading back themselves.

The next morning, Zhang Xiaolan woke up feeling refreshed. Now that she had a lead on her daughter, and there was a chance she could freely enter and exit the city gates,
she thought it would be best to buy a carriage and head to Anxi to find her daughter.

She hurried to Fenghua Pavilion and told Manager Zhang that she wanted to resign.

“You want to resign?”

Manager Zhang hesitated. Zhang had great skills, and she was also good at managing people.

When she first arrived, Mistress Lin would often make trouble for her, but now Lin frequently put on a smiling face.

Not to mention Master Zhao’s two apprentices, who were practically treating her better than their own master.

Manager Zhang had originally planned to promote her to kitchen manager once Master Zhao returned.

That way, he could free himself from kitchen affairs and focus on expanding the business.

“Is something urgent?” Manager Zhang asked anxiously. “If you have urgent matters to take care of, you can take leave. I’ll keep your position open for you.”

His words were exceptionally considerate, and Zhang Xiaolan felt grateful.

“It’s a family matter, but I don’t know when it will be resolved. I wouldn’t want to trouble you, Manager Zhang.”

Manager Zhang felt it was a pity and still wanted to persuade her.

“Master Zhao will be back soon. I was planning to make you the kitchen manager, but now you’re…”

Zhang Xiaolan only smiled without replying, and Manager Zhang couldn’t say much more. However, he still made one last effort.

“How about this? I’ll give you ten days. If you still want to leave by then, I won’t stop you…”

Seeing his persistence, Zhang Xiaolan didn’t want to be rude and agreed.

She continued to work as usual. In the afternoon, she stepped out the back door to get some air and unconsciously walked toward the front of Fenghua Pavilion.

The restaurant was thriving, which made her happy. She was even more impressed when she heard that the owner was a woman.

Then…

Zhang Xiaolan hesitated. That person seemed to be from the Zhou household, but she wasn’t one of the main servants. Her face was unfamiliar.

She always carried some disguise tools. Checking her clothes, she casually applied some powder and followed.

The woman grabbed the hand of a waiter in the front courtyard and pulled him into a nearby alley.

She first handed him some silver and then whispered instructions, the two of them acting intimately.

“Ah Niu, you must handle this well. Madam said if this is done properly, she will reward me, grant me free status, and we can get married.”

“That would be wonderful,” the man said, planting a kiss on her cheek. “I can’t wait any longer.”

However, the waiter seemed puzzled. “Why does your mistress want me to keep an eye on whether Zhang is leaving the city?”

“Oh, well, Master fancies her. Madam has no choice but to keep an eye on her, so she can bring her into the household.”

The two then continued their flirtations.

Zhang Xiaolan, hiding nearby, heard everything.

They had their eyes on her? Shen Ting planned to bring her into the Zhou household?

She didn’t believe it. It was probably just a cover-up.

She had left the city yesterday, and now the Zhou family was tracking her movements.

Bringing her into the household was just an excuse—trapping her in the capital was the real goal.

That way, they could keep Zhou Quan pleased while ensuring she continued to suffer the pain of being separated from her daughter.

Zhang Xiaolan gritted her teeth in anger but was also relieved.

She hated their cruelty but was glad she had noticed the maid and followed her to uncover their plot.

After the two left, she stepped out of the shadows.

Returning to Fenghua Pavilion, she made a point to check on the waiter, memorizing his features before heading back to the kitchen.

That evening, she returned home.

She left a secret signal for the Han brothers, instructing them to keep an eye on the waiter and investigate how those two reconciled after the previous incident.

Shen Ting treated Zhou Quan like a precious gem. Could simply taking on a concubine calm her rage?

Zhou Quan loved power above all. Not just in court, but at home as well.

He was of mediocre talent, and the one thing people used to say most about him was that he had to endure. Marrying Shen Ting was his way of gaining control over his household. Now that she had humiliated him, would he really tolerate it?

Ha! If those two reconciled so easily, pigs might as well fly!

The next afternoon, she took her travel permit and went to the city gate.

As expected, she was still not allowed to leave, with the same excuses as before.

Those two bastards! Clearly, her previous punishment hadn’t been severe enough.

Zhang Xiaolan clenched her teeth, vowing to make Zhou Quan and Shen Ting lose everything and suffer unbearable misery!

Returning to Fenghua Pavilion, she saw Han Changshu signaling from an alley before slipping away.

Zhang Xiaolan checked her surroundings and then entered naturally.

“Just as you expected, the Zhou household is far from peaceful,” Han Changshu said excitedly. “I chatted with some of their servants. Apparently, Madam Zhou frequently loses her temper, while Master Zhou spends all his time either at court or in his study.”

“But…”

“But what?”

“Apparently, the night before last, Madam Zhou went to see Master Zhou. No one knows what was said, but they left together and seemed to have reconciled.”

Zhang Xiaolan nearly cursed aloud. So, these two had now turned their attention to her and were teaming up again?

Ha! The deep autumn chill was setting in. Maybe she should prepare a little surprise for them?

She warned Han Changshu not to tell anyone about this and instructed him and Han Boguang to focus on their studies and martial arts training.

Han Changshu nodded enthusiastically.

Zhang Xiaolan emphasized, “The tasks I assigned before must be completed within a month. Will that be a problem?”

Han Changshu grew even more excited. Being entrusted with managing a business was a great opportunity. Why would he find it difficult?

That evening, Zhang Xiaolan returned home.

Her mind was filled with thoughts of how to deal with the Zhou family as she walked quickly along the wall.

“Ah!” She suddenly collided with something hard, feeling a sharp pain in her legs.

“Careful!” A pair of hands caught her waist, and she instantly found herself sitting on someone’s lap.

Looking up, she was shocked. “It’s you?”