The mistress of the Hou family went crazy after doting on concubines and killing their wives.

Chapter 28 Working together
Lu Wan looked innocent, "What is loan sharking?"

Aunt Zhao saw the ignorance on her face and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. What could a little brat know?
"This slave doesn't know. The old lady lets it go and then takes it back. All I have to do is let it go and take it back."

Lu Wan snorted, continued to look down, and asked casually, "How much usury was put out in total? It looks like the amount is quite large, tens of thousands, right?"

Aunt Zhao was confused for a long time, then she heard Lu Wan's cool voice, "Zuiyuelou gave mother thirty thousand taels of silver last year, why is there no record of it?"

"Ah, what?" Aunt Zhao became nervous again.

Lu Wan looked at her with a half-smile but not a smile, "Nearly 60,000 taels of silver were released as usury. Only the principal in and out were recorded here, and the interest was not recorded. Where did this batch of silver go? Also, how many of these were pawned? , are the items written on it all my mother’s dowry? Who pawned it? Are the pawn tickets still there?”

Lu Wan was bombarded with questions one after another, and Grandma Zhao was confused.

"This... I just collect the cash and use it for expenses, but I don't know whose dowry this is."

"Xi Yan, Zhang Zui." Lu Wan said lightly.

Xi Yan grabbed the dessert plate, raised her hand and slapped her hard, "You dare to call me in front of a big girl?"

Aunt Zhao covered her burning face and was stunned.

"Mother Zhao, I wonder if grandma knows your account is so messy?" the little girl's tone was slightly cold, revealing unquestionable majesty.

A chill ran down Aunt Zhao's spine.

Xi Yan angrily scolded, "Is Aunt Zhao mute? The big girl dare not answer any questions."

It is true that the usury money came in and out through the oil head who spent money on general affairs, and it was Zuiyuelou's silver that was used.

Aunt Zhao came back to her senses with a look of disbelief. Is Lu Wan eyeing loan sharks?

"Can the big girl understand the account?"

Lu Wan sneered, "What? Aunt Zhao thinks I don't understand, so it's easy to fool me, right?"

Aunt Zhao quickly waved her hand, "Don't dare, don't dare, it's just that a big girl doesn't know how to usury money if she doesn't go out the door twice."

"It is my law that no loan sharking is allowed in an official's family! Are you afraid of death if you dare to make such a big move? Do you still dare to say that your grandmother asked you to do it?"

Lu Wan's tone was suddenly cold and her eyes were as bright as a torch.

Aunt Zhao was so frightened that her calves became weak. She bent over and yelled, "This servant is indeed following the old lady's orders. I don't know about the usury and the things being pawned, so I just keep records of the money allocated for expenditures."

Snapped!
Lu Wan slapped her hand on the account book and shouted sternly, "You're not honest! My grandmother came from a well-known family and was very important to the prince's family. How could she violate the law and make loan sharks? And also use her daughter-in-law's dowry to pawn? What if the incident spread? If you go out, our Hou family will be in trouble! Are you saying that grandma doesn’t care about the reputation of the Hou? "

Aunt Zhao was so frightened that she knelt down and lay on the ground, "Slave, slave, slave is really..."

Lu Wan interrupted her and said coldly, "Zhao Ruyi asked you to do it! If you protect her, you are harming yourself."

Aunt Zhao looked up in shock, "Big girl..."

How did she know?

"You're wondering how I know?"

Lu Wan looked at her, "Because you are relatives, you colluded and used my mother's dowry money to make money. Aunt Zhao, do you know what will happen if I report this to my grandmother?"

The laws of the Dali Dynasty strictly prohibited officials from issuing loan sharks, and those who were responsible for financial affairs, whether public or private, could not withdraw more than six cents of profit per month. Although the accumulated days are many, they cannot be doubled, otherwise it will be usury.

Usury loans from official families will be severely punished.

In her previous life, she vaguely remembered that Aunt Zhao and Zhao Ruyi had a very good relationship. She thought they were relatives of the family, so her grandmother would hand over the power of the general affairs to Aunt Zhao, and at the same time let Zhao Ruyi take charge of the chief household affairs and her mother's dowry.

But if Zhao Ruyi is not a member of the Zhao clan, then Zhao Ruyi may not be of the same mind as her grandmother.

Looking at the accounts now, the interest is unknown, and there is too much oil and water in it.

Aunt Zhao's face changed greatly, "I didn't collude with my cousin. My cousin...she, she's not Zhao..."

"Mother Zhao, don't talk nonsense." Zhao Ruyi hurried in with the maid.

Zhao Ruyi looked at Lu Wan and smiled and said, "Miss, I heard that you are counting the accounts of Madam's dowry? I sent you the accounts of the eldest brother's wife."

The maid who followed her brought up a thin account book.

Lu Wan flipped through it casually, it was simple, there were only a few. It was specially used to deal with her.

"Thank you, cousin, leave it here. I'll look at it later." Lu Wan looked at Aunt Zhao, "Aunt Zhao, please go back first. After Dongqing clears the account, I will ask her to transfer the income and daily necessities." Reconciliation of expense accounts.”

Do you want to keep the ledger?
Aunt Zhao's face turned pale and she quickly took a look at Zhao Ruyi.

This doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

"You are getting married tomorrow. There are still many things to prepare for. Don't worry yourself. There are too many general affairs accounts. It won't be too late when you come back." Zhao Ruyi smiled and stepped forward to take it. Ledger.

Lu Wan pressed her hand on the ledger and slowly raised her lips, "What? Are you afraid that my cousin will find out something?"

Zhao Ruyi forced a smile and said, "Look, the little girl's family is so suspicious. I was kindly afraid that you would be tired."

"Cousin, where are the things my mother was pawned as tickets?"

Zhao Ruyi's face froze, "What, what's the ticket?"

When Lu Wan saw Zhiruo and Mingxiao pushing the door open, she said seriously: "My cousin is going back to look for the pawn tickets. Let's go to my grandma's place to talk about it later."

Zhao Ruyi glanced nervously at the account book held down by Lu Wan, and looked at each other with Aunt Zhao. They had no choice but to leave together.

After leaving the door, the two of them chatted together.

Lu Wan looked at their backs coldly.

She knew in her heart that it was either Madam Lu or Zhao Ruyi who did it.

In short, no matter who it is, she has to spit it out.

"Do you understand the count of mother's dowry?" Lu Wan looked at Zhiruo.

Zhiruo nodded, his face a little ugly, "I understand, but it's a little bit missing."

"It's time to settle the score." Lu Wan looked cold.

"Miss, the third young master is here to thank you." Xi Yan's soft voice came through the door curtain.

"Brother Ning? Come in quickly." Lu Wan was delighted.

After returning from rebirth, I haven’t seen this third brother yet.

"Eldest sister, Xiuning thanked eldest sister for the gift." The young man was delicate and handsome, bowing his head and bowing politely.

"Don't be polite, come and sit down." Lu Wan waved enthusiastically.

The young man still stood at the door and whispered shyly, "Xiu Ning is cold, afraid of freezing the eldest sister."

"Isn't the stove burning? It's okay. I haven't seen you for a long time, elder sister. Come in and talk."

Zhiruo moved a round stool to the stove and said, "Third Young Master, please sit here."

Lu Xiuning then walked over and sat upright with half his buttocks.

He is a child who knows the rules.

"Why didn't you go to school?" Lu Wan looked at the boy in surprise.

Lu Xiuning lowered his head in shame, "Back to eldest sister, Xiuning hasn't gone to clan school for more than half a year."

Lu Wan frowned, "Why?"

Lu Xiuning raised his head, with clear eyes, "Xiuning can just study by himself, there is no need for the government to waste money."

Lu Wan understood that it must be Zhao Ruyi who had deprived him of Shu Xiu.

Lu Wan looked at his clothes. He was wearing a gray straight-fronted Confucian robe. The material was used by masters. It was clean, but very old. The underwear underneath was very short, and the trousers were also a bit too short. They obviously didn't fit, indicating that they hadn't bought new clothes for a long time.

Lu Wan's heart became cold.

Zhao Ruyi is so brave.

(End of this chapter)