The Ge brothers were tied up securely, their mouths gagged, and then thrown into the side room to keep Su Hai company.
After capturing these three rats, Li Man'er proceeded to her next task. She had people summon the female family members of Ge Dazhuang and Ge Erzhuang, stating she had something to say to them.
Zhou Wang's wife hesitated, "Young lady, in my humble opinion, these country women are crude and ignorant. It might be best not to offend you."
Li Man'er simply said, "Go ahead, I have my own plans."
Unable to say more, Zhou Wang's wife took two old women and went to the homes of Ge Dazhuang and Ge Erzhuang.
As soon as she left, Li Man'er asked the elder of the wronged family, "Old sir, what is your surname? And how old are you?"
"Alas, this old man's surname is Wang, a native of this village, Xiao Wang Zhuang. I am sixty-three this year."
"How many people are in your family?"
"Over ten. Three sons, their wives, and six or seven grandchildren, both grandsons and granddaughters."
Li Man'er noticed the elder's eyes light up as he spoke, suggesting he was extremely fond of his children.
"You are blessed with good fortune, old sir, many sons and grandsons."
The old man grinned, "Indeed. Just that there are too many mouths to feed. Throughout the year, the children don't get to eat much meat."
Li Man'er saw the children's pale faces and their malnourished appearances, feeling a pang of sympathy. She instructed Luyi, "Take the pastries from the carriage and distribute them to the children."
"Oh my, we dare not accept anything from your esteemed personage." The old man quickly waved his hands, not out of pretense, but genuinely seeming to possess considerable pride.
"Old sir, look at how hungry the children are. These pastries are not valuable items, what little are they worth?"
Luyi handed the pastries to the children, but none of them moved. They only looked at the old man, swallowing continuously.
Although they came from a humble household, it was evident that this family had good character, and the children were well-raised.
Upbringing, after all, has nothing to do with status or education.
Perhaps it was Li Man'er's persuasion, or perhaps the old man could no longer bear to watch the children gaze longingly. He finally nodded in agreement, "Why don't you thank the noble lady."
Upon receiving the order, the children did not immediately grab the pastries. Instead, they solemnly thanked Li Man'er before taking one pastry each from Luyi's hand. They were so well-behaved it was heartbreaking.
Luyi directly handed the oil-paper bag containing the pastries to the eldest child, patting her head, "Take these, you can eat them at home."
The little girl, about ten years old, shyly said, "Thank you."
"Old sir, please take the children back. Rest assured, things will get better. This matter is likely due to the Guo family's poor management of their subordinates. Now that the Marquis's mansion is aware, they will not stand idly by."
Upon hearing this, the old man immediately knelt down, wanting to kowtow to Li Man'er, "Many thanks, young lady, many thanks."
The children did not understand much, but seeing their grandfather kneel, they all followed suit.
Li Man'er quickly had Luyi and Ziyan help them up and escorted them away from the grand residence, waiting for the families of Ge Dazhuang and Ge Erzhuang.
Ziyan was a little confused, "Young lady, what is your intention in summoning them?"
"You'll see."
Not long after, Zhou Wang's wife returned with the women. The two sisters-in-law were quite well-fed, and although their clothing was ordinary, they were far better off than the old man's family.
"This is the young lady, come and pay your respects."
Upon seeing Li Man'er, the two women were astounded. They had never seen such a beautiful young lady, nor one with such an imposing aura. They were so intimidated they dared not breathe loudly.
"Greetings to the young lady." Ge Dazhuang's wife had some experience. She had seen Lady Guo from afar a couple of times in previous years and understood some etiquette.
"Are you Ge Dazhuang's wife?"
"Yes, yes, this humble woman is Liu Shi, and this is my sister-in-law, Jiang Shi."
Jiang Shi was timid and dared not step forward, only nodding. Her eyes dared not glance at Li Man'er.
"I have something to ask you privately." Li Man'er glanced at Ziyan, who, understanding her intent, quickly ushered everyone else in the courtyard and those brought by the women to another area.
Zhou Wang's wife was among them. Apart from Luyi who remained, no one knew what Li Man'er said to Liu Shi and Jiang Shi.
The two women left, thanking Li Man'er profusely, as if they were unaware their husbands had been arrested.
After they left, Li Man'er had Ge brothers and Su Hai brought back to the capital.
Due to the matters involving Su Hai and the Ge brothers, their journey was delayed considerably. By the time they returned to the Marquis's mansion, it was already dark.
As soon as Li Man'er entered the mansion, she received news that Li Shu had woken up. The servants treated the young lady Li as if she were a deity, their solicitousness reaching an extreme.
Just as Li Man'er had been hated before, she was now equally admired. Servants are adept at gauging the wind; seeing the young lady Li's fortunes rise so rapidly, they flocked to curry favor with her.
The most evident among them was the Marquis's head steward, Zhao Qian. He used to avoid Li Man'er, always finding someone else to handle matters concerning her and keeping himself out of sight. Ever since Li Man'er defeated Duan Xu and cured Li Shu, Steward Zhao Qian's attitude towards her had undergone a 180-degree turn, as if he longed to be her lackey.
Zhao Qian, with a fawning smile, asked, "Young lady, would you like to see the Marquis first?"
"Thank you, Steward Zhao. Father has just woken up and needs to rest. I will visit him later. Oh, yes." Li Man'er waved her hand, signaling for Su Hai and the Ge brothers to be brought forward. "Please take custody of these three for now. Watch them carefully and do not let them escape."
Zhao Qian quickly replied, "I will attend to it immediately, young lady, please rest assured. Just… who are these three individuals?" Could they be notorious bandits?
"These three are quite formidable; they are people who would shake the very foundations of our Marquis's mansion."
Zhao Qian was stunned. Su Hai and the Ge brothers repeatedly shook their heads in denial. If their mouths weren't gagged, they might even be crying out about their unjust treatment.
Hearing her say so gravely, Zhao Qian immediately took it seriously. "Young lady, rest assured, I will guard them diligently. Someone, escort these three to the woodshed."
Li Man'er ignored him and proceeded directly to Songhe Hall with Wu Mama and Ziyan.
"Is Grandmother dining? If it's inconvenient, I can come back later."
Yun Xiu immediately said, "Young lady, what are you saying? It's just the right time. Tonight we have your favorite braised goose paws and crab roe tofu. Why don't you dine with us here tonight?"
Cui Shi's laughter echoed from within the room, "This monkey, she'll spend all my possessions eventually. Man'er is back, quickly bring her in."