Reborn as a Merchant Girl, the General's Beloved

Mrs. Ge suddenly felt dizzy and cursed, "You fool! You didn't put all the dowry in there, did you?"

Hong Ling didn't dare to speak and just nodded timidly.

Mrs. Ge fell down on the stool, raised her hands high, but in the end she couldn't hit him. She had a difficult birth and was in pain for three days before she was born. Because she was weak, she was loved more than other children since she was a child. She was pampered and raised by her side until she was sixteen years old, and then she was willing to find a husband to marry her off.

It was originally thought that the minister's family was not of high status, and that marrying the daughter of an earl would surely be pampered and cared for in every way. However, who would have thought that the minister of rites had endless troubles at home, and handed over the housekeeping power to Hong Ling very early. Her husband Yan Xianzhi was a good-for-nothing. He donated a job as an editor in the Hanlin Academy, and did not do any serious work on a daily basis. He was only interested in romantic affairs. He took in five concubines and kept two mistresses outside. Hong Ling also made a fuss a few times, but it was later dropped.

The couple was not on good terms, so Hong Ling often went out to have fun, made friends with many women in the government, and drank and had fun together every day, riding fat horses and wearing light furs, boasting that she was as rich as Tao Bai, and showing off everywhere. Ge Shi also felt disgusted, but every time she thought of her own daughter suffering in the vice minister's house, she couldn't help but soften her heart. After a long time, she turned a blind eye and just treated it as a small toy.

Even Hong Ling herself did not expect that her dowry of 100,000 taels would be enough for her to live a stable life, but if she wanted to stand out among the women, it would not even be enough to buy an ancient painting. However, she claimed to be from a famous family and had a noble status, so she was unwilling to be outdone and always wanted to suppress others.

It just so happened that her second brother's wife from her husband's family made a lot of money by reselling salt permits with her private property, so she envied him and started doing the same thing. After tasting the sweetness several times in succession, she decided to risk it all and put all her dowry on the line. But who knew she would encounter such a thing!

Thinking about the difficulties in the future when she would be penniless, Hong Ling cried more and more sadly.

Mrs. Ge fell silent for a long time before she said, "You should go back first. This matter must not be leaked to anyone. When your father comes back in the evening, I will discuss it with him and come up with a plan. I will send someone to call you back tomorrow to make a decision."

Hong Ling then left. Just before leaving, she remembered and asked again, "The officials and their wives in the capital are saying that you brought people to my elder brother's room to make trouble, smashed all the things that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince gave you, and made his wife so angry that she vomited blood. Is it true?"

Mrs. Ge's face turned pale and she said angrily, "Don't worry about this matter. Just pretend you don't know."

"It's not me..." Hong Ling was embarrassed by Ge's anger, so she said awkwardly, "You know my mother-in-law too. She made a fuss without reason. How could she let go of such a good opportunity? You said that I was vicious and uneducated, which must be because of you. You made me stand for a long time for no reason..."

That night, Ge took a mouthful of rice with hot soup. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, so she leaned back on the bench. The night watch started outside, and just as the hour of midnight approached, Hong Shilang's long-time servant came to report that the Lord had rested in Aunt Yang's room.

Ge became even more angry, so she sent someone to call the housekeeper Qiu Rong, and brought a few maids with her to go to Aunt Yang's room in a mighty manner.

At that time, Hong Shilang had already been lying down. When he heard that Ge had brought people here, he was furious. He only wore a shirt and a pair of boots and went out. Seeing Ge's aggressive look, he said coldly, "What are you doing here?"

When Yang heard the noise, she was secretly happy, but she didn't dare to step forward. She just lowered her head and stood behind Hong Shilang.

"Sir! I sent someone to tell you earlier that I had something urgent to discuss with you, but you came here as soon as you came back!" Ge glared at Yang fiercely, and when she saw her pitiful appearance, she became even more angry.