The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 550: Unstoppable Trio -- Merchant, Warrior, and Scholar

Chapter 550: Unstoppable Trio -- Merchant, Warrior, and Scholar

Chu Shuo continued, "Brother Cao, Aunt Li, the house may be small, just a modest three-courtyard residence, but don’t mind it. Live there through the winter, and if you still find it uncomfortable, I’ll get you a bigger one."

The moment Elder Cao heard this, he objected immediately.

He began his usual sermon, "Second Chu, if you have that much money, why not use it to help the people? They are freezing and starving out there, suffering terribly!"

Chu Shuo gave him a side-eye, "Lord Cao, you’re just like a bandit."

"What? How am I like a bandit?!"

"Bandits use knives, you use your mouth. Both are out to snatch money," Chu Shuo said, lifting his chin at him. "The people are cold and hungry, but my sister and I already have plans for that. We don’t need your nagging here. You can’t even manage your own household, yet you go on and on about the people."

When it came to sharp words, Chu Shuo never fell behind.

Elder Cao was left speechless with anger.

"Forget about him," said Cao Bin--no, now he was Li Bin--hurriedly stepping in to calm the situation. "We already owe you both so much for saving us. We’re extremely grateful. We can’t trouble you further. Staying at an inn is more than enough for us."

"You don’t need to be so polite with me," Chu Shuo waved his hand. "The house on Wutong Alley isn’t anything special. If you find it comfortable, you can buy it from me later."

"But..." Li Bin hesitated.

They only had a little over a thousand taels left, and after the dowry, there wouldn’t be much left to buy a house.

But Madam Li smiled and agreed, "Thank you for your generosity, Second Young Master."

Li Bin frowned, "Mother!"

"Don’t be so rigid. Friends helping each other is normal. Second Young Master and Lord Xie are helping you because they see your potential. Don’t underestimate yourself. Let’s keep his kindness in mind, survive this hardship, and repay the favor when the time comes," Madam Li advised.

In that moment, Li Bin felt enlightened.

He had hated Elder Cao, but without realizing it, he had started to become like the person he despised.

Turning to Chu Shuo, he smiled, "Chu Shuo, we’ll have to rely on you this time."

Chu Shuo waved it off, "It’s no trouble at all. Your mother is right. With one merchant, one warrior, and you, the scholar, we’re an unstoppable force at any banquet!"

Nanli, curious, asked, "How are you invincible?"

Xie Beihan explained with a grin, "Because the two of us are shallow in knowledge, and sometimes at banquets, people like to challenge us with poetry or riddles. That’s when Brother Li steps in and saves the day!"

Li Bin chuckled modestly, "It only happened a few times."

He couldn’t stand seeing those with little talent trying to embarrass Chu Shuo and Xie Beihan.

So what if they were well-read?

Their character was rotten!

Nanli laughed, "If my Second Brother remembers just one occasion, it must’ve left an impression. And since you’ve done it several times, Young Master Li, you’ve certainly made a mark. In the future, at those banquets, you’ll have to continue looking out for them."

Even though her own Third Brother was well-versed in academics, he rarely attended such banquets and couldn’t always protect her Second Brother.

Li Bin smiled in return, "Of course."

Seeing them all getting along so well made Elder Cao feel deeply uncomfortable.

He wanted to say something to keep Madam Li from leaving, but when the words reached his mouth, he stopped himself.

If Madam Li wanted a divorce, it was her loss!

Soon enough, when she faced ridicule from others, she would come crawling back.

Chu Shuo left to prepare the house, Nanli returned to Xuanzheng Temple to work on her talismans, and Xie Beihan headed back to his residence. He soon brought back over twenty maids and guards to help pack up and load their belongings.

Meanwhile, Madam Li and Li Bin supported each other as they prepared to leave.

The servants of the Cao household, hearing that their mistress was leaving immediately after the divorce, gathered together. When they saw her, they all knelt down, pleading, "Madam, please take us with you!"

Madam Li was only bringing along her personal maid and the nanny from her courtyard.

Seeing the other servants, her heart stirred, but she sighed, "We’re setting up a new household and need to save money. I can’t afford to keep so many servants right now."

But the servants implored, "Madam, if you leave, Lord Cao won’t be able to afford us either. Please, we don’t need wages, just a little food to eat. We only want to stay by your side."

They knew what kind of man Elder Cao was.

Previously, he had tried to cut their wages to save money, but it was Madam Li who had secretly compensated them for the difference.

Madam Li couldn’t bear to abandon these loyal servants. Even though they hadn’t signed contracts of servitude, many of them had been with her for years.

Li Bin made the decision, "Mother, let’s take them with us. The house on Wutong Alley has enough space. We’ll need people to help manage it. Now that we can control our own finances, hiring a few servants is no big deal."

Madam Li agreed with a smile.

Since they had signed contracts with Li, not Cao, there would be no legal trouble if they left with her.

In a short time, the Cao residence became desolate, with almost no one left inside.

Night fell.

After resting, Elder Cao returned to his office to deal with paperwork, unaware that nearly all the servants had left.

Feeling cold and hungry, he stepped out of the study, only to find the entire mansion shrouded in darkness.

He was about to shout in anger when he remembered that Madam Li had divorced him and left with their son.

Swallowing his frustration, he wandered through the house, finding no servants anywhere. The place was eerily silent.

Finally, he encountered a young servant. Glaring, he demanded, "Where is everyone? Why aren’t the lamps lit? What kind of discipline is this?"

The servant, shrinking under his gaze, replied, "Master, they all left with Madam."

"What?!" Elder Cao was shocked. "What about the cook?"

"She left too," the servant answered.

Elder Cao stomped his foot in frustration, "Damn you, Li! Taking my people! I’ll sue you!"

But then he remembered why they had the audacity to leave--they weren’t bound to him by any contract. He had no legal grounds to sue.

Biting his lip, he turned to the servant, "At least you’ve stayed loyal. You’re a good one!"

The young servant was on the verge of tears.

It wasn’t loyalty--it was because Elder Cao had him bound by a death contract that he couldn’t leave.

Elder Cao’s stomach growled loudly.

He pulled out his purse, rifled through it, and handed the servant ten copper coins. "Since the cook’s gone, go out and buy some food."

The servant looked at the coins and winced. "Master, before the snowstorm, ten coins could buy a bowl of noodles. Now... it’ll only get us two steamed buns."

Elder Cao’s eyes widened. Muttering to himself, he said, "What? Ten coins for just one bowl of noodles? It used to buy two! Well... I’ll eat two buns, you can eat two... that’s twenty coins..."

The servant was speechless.

He could already imagine what his life would be like from now on.

"Madam, why didn’t you bind me to you instead of him? This winter, I might just starve to death!"