Rebirth of a Farming Wife

“Let’s speak frankly; since the Shopkeeper puts it that way, I’ll be direct. Business has clearly been picking up lately, and even without turning a profit, the losses couldn’t have been so severe. Clearly, someone is playing the ghost, lining their own pockets, and that someone could only be you, Shopkeeper. After all, no one else but you has the authority and ability to do so,” she said.

Chen Li eyed the Shopkeeper sharply, appearing both heartbroken and bitter, not leaving the Shopkeeper a shred of dignity. In her mind, the Shopkeeper was there to work for her—naturally, she had the right to direct him and call him to account. Hadn’t her superiors done the same to her when things went wrong in the past? Moreover, the Shopkeeper had committed such an outrageous act, betraying her trust.

“Boss, I’ve served you with all my heart and strength, not seeking your gratitude since, after all, the old man gets his wages. But you can’t insult my character like this. Without clarifying the facts, with no evidence, you cast baseless accusations on me. I, Yu Zhengqing, have lived an honest life, doing right by heaven and earth’s conscience. You can’t be so unreasonable!”

To Chen Li, Yu Zhengqing’s righteous and unapologetic words were nothing but sheer sophistry. She believed the Shopkeeper had hidden the evidence of embezzlement, assuming she wouldn’t discover it, hence his bold and fearless attitude. This only fueled her anger and frustration further.

“Shopkeeper Yu, you don’t have to act so innocent. If you’re truly innocent, where did all the money that’s missing from the accounts go? Did it just vanish into thin air? Some deeds leave traces, and I will find them. You’d be better off admitting to swallowing the money and spitting it out. I might forgive and forget. Otherwise, when I get serious, you won’t be able to save your old face!” Chen Li pointed at Yu Zhengqing and said angrily, thinking she had been too lenient—a troublemaker like him deserved to be sent to the Government Office for punishment.

“I’ve lived most of my lifetime, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone so unreasonable. After all, she’s just a woman, with long hair and short sight. If you can’t afford to lose, don’t go into Business—making such a fuss is truly shameful,” Yu Zhengqing said angrily, his words losing their courtesy. He had long recognized the boss’ Daughter’s identity but had not mentioned it, and now he couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Well, well, shameless old man, an old lecher at that—you knew my identity all along, so you concocted this plan, thinking that being a Daughter made me an easy target? If you don’t cough up the embezzled funds today, don’t blame me for taking you to court. Let the Government punish you!”

Chen Li felt annoyed at having her status exposed by the Shopkeeper, and her thought process, different from most people, took a somewhat bizarre turn. Deep down, Chen Li refused to believe her Store was losing money. With her modern perspective and talent, having put so much effort into managing the Store, it should have been making money hand over fist, like the other stores she had opened, which were all gold mines. The recent smooth sailing inflated her confidence; unable to accept failure, she placed the blame squarely on Shopkeeper Yu.

Shopkeeper Yu’s face alternated between pale and flushed. He had simply stated the truth, without any ill intentions, and yet was labeled an old lecher, accused and cursed in ways he had never experienced in his lifetime. Had his health not been so good, he might have nearly passed out from rage.

“Very well, the old man I, walks upright and sits squarely, and fears not an investigation. Even if I must stand in court, what harm is there? All things cannot evade the principle of justice. However, if the investigation indeed reveals the truth, I expect the boss to give me an explanation. Slandering and framing others is also a major crime,” the old man said.

Without waiting for Chen Li’s reaction, Shopkeeper Yu promptly had the guys from the store go to the Government Office to request officials. If the Government didn’t clear things up today and his name was smeared for no reason, he would have no face to live on, feeling utterly shamed.

Chen Li couldn’t stop him in time and felt a bit angry in her heart. She was not truly kind-hearted to avoid sending Shopkeeper Yu to the authorities. It was just that she didn’t want the hassle, knowing that without money, one shouldn’t venture where the word ‘government’ opens its mouth. If she could resolve this privately and recover the silver, that would be best. If it got to the Government Office, whatever the outcome, the cost of bribes would be considerable. She cursed the old man for acting too quickly and being so fearless—was he really innocent, or was he in collusion with someone from the government?

The guys had a lot of respect for Shopkeeper Yu on ordinary days; working in the store, they knew best how the business was faring. The store’s business had improved and even started to profit some time ago. However, it was later suppressed by competition from other businesses and returned to its previously chilly state, even worse than before, incurring substantial losses. Where could Shopkeeper Yu have embezzled from? Seeing Shopkeeper Yu being accused and scolded by a young girl, they felt sympathy for him, but also found it hard to watch, and so they immediately ran out to report to the authorities as soon as they heard his order.

Indeed, Shopkeeper Yu had not embezzled anything. The state of the business in the store could be attested to by both the guys in the store and people from the nearby stores. Ultimately, the Government’s investigation naturally concluded that Shopkeeper Yu was innocent.

Having his innocence confirmed, Shopkeeper Yu was so moved that he nearly burst into tears, while Chen Li could not accept it and even suspected that the Government had been bought off by Shopkeeper Yu. She incessantly protested, which irritated the official. If not for considering Liu Xiu’s position, they would not have dared to offend Chen Li too severely. Otherwise, she would have certainly received a beating and was very impatiently chased out of the Government Office.

Shopkeeper Yu had initially wanted to seek justice from Chen Li, but seeing the attitude of the Government, he could only leave, feeling helpless. However, at the very least, the Government had restored his reputation.

After hearing the news, Liu Xiu took Chen Li to his side, suppressing the annoyance in his heart, and explained to her in detail what he had found out. Only then did Chen Li believe that the store had truly incurred such losses. Feeling somewhat defeated and recalling her previous attitude toward Shopkeeper Yu, she felt a twinge of guilt. She wanted to apologize to Shopkeeper Yu and offer some compensation as an act of conscience, but upon arriving at the store, she found that Shopkeeper Yu had already packed up and left.

“He actually left? That’s incredibly irresponsible of him, not even a word of farewell,” Chen Li said, surprised, but also felt that Shopkeeper Yu had too much pride and too little tolerance. It was only a misunderstanding; everything would have been fine had they talked it out. She was his provider, and Shopkeeper Yu took her wages. Even if he felt aggrieved, so what? Hadn’t she often been scolded by her superiors before, without even being allowed to make excuses?

But if Shopkeeper Yu had left, then so be it. As long as she had money, she wasn’t afraid of not being able to hire talent. Moreover, managing the store like that, he was nothing more than mediocre, not cut out for great tasks. Thinking this way, Chen Li didn’t care much about Shopkeeper Yu’s departure.

Hearing Chen Li’s words, the guys quickly lowered their heads, hiding their expressions. Where it couldn’t be seen, the corners of their mouths curved into a hint of a sarcastic smile.