《Springtime Farming: A Happy Wife At Home》 Chapter 1 Time-Travel For Wedding Feeling dizzy, with her mind blurring, Qiao Xuan, who was lying in bed, heard the knock on the door. Then came the voice of a middle-aged woman, who sounded nervous as she asked. ¡°Duan, what happened just now? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­I am fine, Mom. It was just that I hit the chair identally.¡± The woman instantly got nervous. ¡°What? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°No, I am fine! You must be very tired today from everything. Go and sleep now!¡± ¡°Alright¡­ but you¡­ you should sleep earlier too¡­¡± It was quiet outside the door, but Qiao Xuan was thinking inwardly. ¡°Damn, what is a man doing inside her room?¡± She opened her eyes suddenly. The moment she looked up, she met a pair of cold-looking eyes staring down at her. She gasped and then started to cough loudly, with hands covering her mouth. She nced at the room, which was full of red decoration as well as the sticker of Double Happiness ¨C it was a room meant for a wedding night! ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Qiao Xuan sat up quickly and shrunk herself to the corner of the bed, ring at the man with her eyes widened. ¡°Stay away from me!¡± The man sneered slightly and snapped at her with gritted teeth. ¡°You mad woman, you are totally unbelievable! You didn¡¯t have to marry me if you didn¡¯t want to! But for my sharp discovery, my bride would have hung herself on the wedding night! That would ruin my future, and my family¡¯s too!¡± Qiao Xuan was dumbfounded and eventually saw the hanging white scarf dangling over the beam. The whole scene looked quite scary, especially when the background in the room was in full red. Below the white scarf was a chair that had been upturned. It must have been this cheap husband of hers who came to save her, when a strange sound arose, causing his mother toe over and check what was going on. Suddenly, Qiao Xuan felt dizzy and turned pale, as the memory of the original host emerged inside her mind, stirring crazily inside her head. The original host wasn¡¯t born lowly,pared to this husband¡¯s family which was only a farming household. Instead, she was the Miss of the County Magistrate¡¯s family, daughter of a concubine. This daughter of a concubine had been engaged to someone when she was young. That was when her mother was still alive. Her fiance turned out to be an excellent man, who passed the Imperial Examination and was ranked third. He even got the chance to practice to be the County Magistrate in a neighboring county. Theoretically speaking, the two families should have held the wedding in utter happiness. But Mrs. Dong, the lineal wife of the family, disliked Qiao Xuan¡¯s birth mother. So she stopped Qiao Xuan from marrying an excellent and promising man like that. Therefore, she abducted Qiao Xuan by luring her to visit the temple, and got someone to push her into the water. However, this n, which should have been done secretively, did not work out. Qiao Xuan was saved by Shao Yunduan from Shaoding Vige, namely this bridegroom standing in front of her. Since the two of them had some skin-to-skin interaction, a wedding had to be hosted just to keep the girl¡¯s reputation as pure and innocent. That made Mrs. Dong extremely cheerful. What a wonderful end it turned out to be! On one hand, she did not have to be burdened with the possibility of killing one person, and on the other hand, Qiao Xuan was able to marry a farmer¡¯s family where she was going to suffer throughout her whole life, having no chance of turning the table of her own destiny! Therefore, Mrs. Dong informed her husband about this, and swiftly ordered the engagement of Qiao Xuan to be broken off. Later, she got Qiao Xuan to marry the Shao Family within no time. Qiao Xuan, who was feeling furious and sad, lost all her hope. When she was under heavy guard and monitoring, she could do nothing about her life, but still, she still held some hope. But when she got married this time, she secretly lifted the red veil over her head and saw this shabby-looking, dungeon-like ce. She suddenly felt coldness casting over her body. Feeling that she had no future to look forward to, she decided to hang herself in extreme despair¡­ However, Shao Yunduan came and saved her right on time. But, actually speaking, the original host was already dead. It was a new Qiao Xuan when she woke up again, a time traveler. Chapter 2 No Divorce Qiao Xuan could not help but feel sorry for Shao Yunduan, who looked furious as he sat on the chair with his hands on his knees, and a straight back. Honestly, it was a misfortune for any family, when their daughter-inw decided to hang herself on wedding night. If the bride really died, the whole family would turn into aughing stock in front of numerous households, and would be looked down upon by everyone around. Anyone would get very angry and get furious¡­ But¡­ that was not her business! Qiao Xuan was groaning inwardly. What a shitty business she found herself in! Shao Yunduan, who looked seriously annoyed, said coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to marry me, fine! I will send you home early tomorrow morning. Don¡¯t worry, I will tell the County Magistrate that it is we, the Shao Family, who don¡¯t deserve you. I will mention that clearly on our divorce paper, so you won¡¯t be med in any way.¡± The couple had already exchanged the dowries and gifts, and done the wedding proceedings. In the modern world, it basically meant that the two of them had already got legally married at the Civil Affairs Office! Although one night had passed and nothing happened, Qiao Xuan would either divorce on her own or get divorced by this man. Startled, Qiao Xuan shook her head. ¡°No, no. I will stay!¡± She must not leave. If she was divorced by the husband the following day after the wedding, she would never be rid of the fact that she had been ¡®rejected¡¯ by her husband, no matter how well-written the divorce paper was. Also, maybe her selfish and ruthless father would not ept her to the family either, iming that no one from the Qiao Family would ever be divorced. After all, she was married off and basically given to her husband¡¯s family. She believed that Mrs. Dong and her father would definitely do something like that. When that moment came, her future would be nothing. Even if there was the slightest possibility that her horrible father and Mrs. Dong decided to ept her, would she be able to live a good life? Would she have apletely new life ahead of herself? ¡­It would not be a matter of whether there would be a whole-new life, but whether she would even have a life! However, if she stayed with the Shao Family, the situation might be a little more promising. She was the daughter of the County Magistrate, which was nothing in her own family but could be her protection talisman in her husband¡¯s family. As long as she made full use of her family background, she would definitely have a good life here. Also, this husband of hers had a pair of broad shoulders and narrow waist, giving out an excellent air. His nose bridge was tall and he had a very sharp silhouette on his face. His eyes seemed sparkling as well! Well, he was very handsome in her eyes, and she was not in a disadvantageous position either¡­ This husband of hers was a student at Minghua College in the county, and he had passed the imperial examination as the Cultivated Talent at this young age, so probably, he was going to be some Rmended Man, or even an Advanced Schr in the future¡­ that would make her life even more promising. Besides, she could decide thingster, looking at what happened in the future. At the moment, it was obvious that she should stay with her husband¡¯s family so that her life could be better. Hence, she was not leaving! When the decision was made, Qiao Xuan struck her own thigh and squeezed out some tears from her eyes, remembering that she had time-traveled to such a terrible situation. Tearfully, she looked at Shao Yunduan and sobbed. ¡°It was my mistake a moment ago to have done such a stupid thing. Now I have realized what is more important for me, so don¡¯t worry, I will never do that again!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Shao Yunduan sneered as if the ice in his eyes had been scattered. ¡°You are the Miss of a noble family, but we are just a poor family in the countryside. I should not deserve you, so I won¡¯t me you for making that mistake! If you don¡¯t like this arrangement, you truly don¡¯t have to bear it. I will tell Officer Qiao that it was all my fault, and in a couple of years, when you move away with Officer Qiao when he gets transferred to somewhere else, no one will know about our wedding. By that time, you can find your own Mr. Right. That sounds perfect, doesn¡¯t it, Second Miss?¡± Shao Yunduan had not been very happy about this marital arrangement either, but what else could he possibly do about it all this while? He jumped into the water to save someone, when he saw it happen in front of his eyes. He had not expected the consequences of it at the time. Moreover, he had thought that he could tolerate this Second Miss of the Qiao Family by treating her well. But he had not expected that she would rather kill herself on their wedding day, just because she disliked his family! That irritated Shao Yunduanpletely. On the other side, Qiao Xuan was alsoining heavily inside her head. The original host had left her in such trouble! But she was not going to get divorced, never! Chapter 3 Promise ¡°No¡­¡± Qiao Xuan started to act unreasonably. ¡°I am not leaving¡­ anyway. It was my fault for what I did. I apologize for that! If you are not okay with it, just tell me what you want me to do!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Shao Yunduan still sneered. Qiao Xuan tried harder. ¡°We have gotten married today, so if we get divorced tomorrow, our two families would beughing stocks in front of everyone! You have to think for your whole family, if not for yourself.¡± Shao Yunduan got so annoyed by her shameless words. He said ironically, ¡°Thank you for your concern about my family!¡± ¡°Oh well¡­ you don¡¯t have to say that. I mean, we have to think about the best method to deal with the situation, don¡¯t we? Divorce isn¡¯t the best solution, obviously!¡± That, of course, was crystal clear to Shao Yunduan! Even though he himself wasn¡¯t so interested in this marriage, yet everyone in and outside the vige, his family and friends, either his acquaintances or strangers, were all jealous of him when they learned this news. Everyone was saying that the Shao Family had gotten lucky. Moreover, it was being said that because of luck, a poor man like Shao Yunduan was able to be the son-inw of the County Magistrate! Therefore, he himself could not imagine how many snickers he would receive, if they were divorced the next morning after the wedding. Well, it was his bad luck that brought him to this situation. Qiao Xuan was observing the man who wasn¡¯t looking that cheerful, but at least, he did not seem to look as determined as he had been about divorce a while ago. Feeling slightly relieved, she begged in a soft voice by making a secondary proposal. ¡°What about we do it like this ¨C you ept me for the time being, but in a couple of years, we get divorced on the right asion.¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± Shao Yunduan was confused. He asked with a low voice and eyebrows raised. ¡°Is that what you are truly thinking? It would not be the best time for you after a couple of years.¡± Qiao Xuan did not care much and said casually, ¡°I will only be 17, or 18 years old in a couple of years. What should I be worried about anyway?¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± That was a very confident im! Shao Yunduan had no idea how to counter those words. Alright then, if that¡¯s what she wanted, he would have no objection. ¡°If you want to stay at my ce, then you will have to behave like the daughter-inw of the Shao Family and do what a daughter-inw should do! You should never be impolite to my parents, or my siblings.¡± ¡°Also, we are a poor family and have no servants to serve you. So, you have to do everything yourself. Our food is simple and ordinary, mostly to keep away hunger, that¡¯s all. You have to know about all of these.¡± Qiao Xuan replied without thinking. ¡°Sure, I understand it all!¡± Shao Yunduan was still sneering inside his heart. She understood it all? She must be joking, no? He did not think that she understood anything! But it was the only way to deal with the situation right now, and that was what they had to ept. Well¡­ what about the future? Suddenly, Shao Yunduan had some anxious thoughts crossing his head. Well, he had to stop thinking about the future at this moment. Besides, he was going to get this spoiled girl out of the Shao Family after one or two difficult years anyway! During the uing years, it would already be enough for him, as long as she did not cause any trouble and lived obediently with him. It was a quiet night. The following morning, Shao Yunduan woke up Qiao Xuan by shaking her. She drowsily opened her eyes and saw Shao Yunduan standing by the bedside, looking properly-dressed. He said as he saw her waking up, ¡°Time to get up now.¡± Qiao Xuan let out a small sound, blinked her eyes, yawned and then nodded slightly. ¡°Okay, getting up now¡­¡± No daughter-inw of any family should sleep in ¨C she was well aware of this point. Actually, when the original host was residing at her own home, she was a pitiful little girl who was forced to get up earlier than the morning roosters! Only she understood how miserable her life was, after all, she had been a very ordinary girl in the modern society in her previous life. But even if that was the case, she had never gotten up so early! She was a newly-wedded woman, who was supposed to serve tea to the elderly people in the family and had to address them differently henceforth. After she washed herself up, Qiao Xuan went for the meeting with the Shao Family, officially. Chapter 4 First Day Of Wedding The Shao Family¡¯s Old Master had three children. Shao Yunduan was not born as the eldest one. His grandparents had already passed away, and Old Master Shao as well as his three brothers were already separated from the family. Shao Yunduan¡¯s father was called Shao Dakun, and his mother was addressed as Ms. Fang. His elder brother was called Shao Yunlian, the eldest son amongst all the siblings. Shao Yunlian¡¯s wife was called Ms. Xu and they had a boy and a girl together. Shao Yunlian¡¯s son, namely Shao Yunduan¡¯s nephew, was called Shao Junyan. He was six years old and his niece Shao Qing was only three years old. Shao Yunduan had named both his nephew and niece, which pleased the children¡¯s parentspletely. They believed that their children¡¯s names sounded better than those of other children in the vige. Also, if the children were named by a person who could read, then it would mean a good beginning, which might bring in more auspiciousness. Shao Yunguang was the second brother, and he was yet to get married. But the reason why Shao Yunduan, who ranked the fifth in the family, got married first was only because he saved Qiao Xuan who fell into the water, and that basically hastened the wedding to take ce ¨C to keep the girl¡¯s reputation clean. Shao Yunhuai was the fourth brother, ranking the seventh in all the siblings. He had a twin sister called Shao Taotao, who was only 13 years old this year. The Old Master¡¯s second child was called Shao Dalou, and his wife was addressed as Ms. Niu. They had two sons and one girl together, namely Shao Yunshan, who ranked second among all the siblings, and Shao Yunqiao who ranked fourth. Shao Yunshan married Ms. Zhang and they had one son and daughter together, namely Shao Juan and Shao Xianwen. Shao Yunqiao was not yet married and he was seeking a proper suitor at the moment. Their daughter Shao Meiling was only 15 years old this year. Shao Dashi, who was the Old Master¡¯s third child, married a woman called Ms. Ma. Their eldest daughter, Shao Meizhi was already married whilst the younger daughter Shao Xiaozhi was just three months younger than Shao Taotao. Their son Shao Yunjiang was 15 years old, ranking sixth among all the siblings. He was yet to get married and was studying in the county. At this moment, Qiao Xuan only got to meet the eldest family, whilst the second and third families would arrive by evening for a family-reunion dinner, when they would all meet. Qiao Xuan bore everyone present in mind. Luckily for her, not many people were there yet. The Shao Family were very curious and nervous about this well-born daughter-inw of theirs, and they looked quite ashamed too. Her inws looked as if they were trying hard to press down their anxiety. Qiao Xuan greeted them politely and said with a smile, ¡°Dad, Mom!¡± That put the burden off their shoulders totally. Good, good! This daughter-inw had a nice temper! Shao Yunduan, who knew what Qiao Xuan was like in the past, let out a sigh of relief as well. This woman was not going to make a fuss here, and was even behaving better than he had anticipated. Had she really thought everything through? There were not so manyplicated rules in farmers¡¯ families, so all was done after the daughter-inw served the tea and met each of the family members. Ms. Fang, her mother-inw, passed on some auspicious and encouraging words, before everyone was dismissed and went down to their own business. Qiao Xuan thought for a while and followed Ms. Fang directly. In this era, it was very important to get a good impression from the mother-inw. As long as the mother-inw stood by the daughter-inw¡¯s side, she would have a firm status at home. Otherwise, there would be endless trouble and problemsing onto her unexpectedly. The Shao Family were sizing her up on the sly when she served them tea. So did she!. Moreover, she paid extra attention to her mother-inw, who was the key. As far as Qiao Xuan could tell, her mother-inw was generally a nice woman, which made it much easier for her to carry out her own n. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Qiao Xuan caught up with Ms. Fang, showing a nice smile and looking rather obedient. ¡°Please, tell me what I should do, and teach me if I am not familiar with anything.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ms. Fang smiled brightly and looked at Qiao Xuan with a friendly gaze. ¡°It is okay. Just take good care of your husband, so that he can concentrate on studies. You don¡¯t have to worry about family affairs.¡± She was the daughter of the County Magistrate! It was absolutely normal for her to stay away from housework, which was taken care of by someone else in the family. It did not have to be her concern. Ms. Fang was already very happy when she saw her behaving so obediently. She was not going to make her do any housework! Qiao Xuan was very surprised, but started to chuckle inwardly. It was a smart decision of hers to have made such a move. She insisted on showing how willing she was to learn to do housework, which pleased Ms. Fang, who became increasingly d and turned even more determined to let her take a rest instead. Qiao Xuan, who failed to persuade Ms. Fang, gave up eventually. Chapter 5 The Wood Superpower Qiao Xuan was wandering about in the yard where she nned to confirm one thing. There was a loquat tree nted on the side of the yard. The fruits on the tree, which were still quite green, were starting to turn yellow. They were hanging on the branches. It seemed that the fruits would be ripe and tasty enough in a dozen days. She walked forward and stretched out her hands. She put her palms on the trunk of the tree that was more than 30 cm thick, gathering her concentration on it. Slowly, the whole tree started to turn greener, as the twigs grew wildly and leaves opened up. For a moment, the fruits on the tree started to turn yellow and ripe, one bunch after another¡­ Qiao Xuan withdrew her hands instantly, seeing that the effect was far better than she had expected. The moment she withdrew her hands, the unusual growth of the tree stopped all of a sudden as well. She looked down at her hands, feeling extremely d. She had felt something weird the night before, when she wasn¡¯t in a clear state of mind. In the morning when she was washing herself, she found that the moment she touched the water, a kind of sensational feeling appeared instantly, and within a few moments, some peculiar information emerged and filled up her head. Only at that moment did she be sure that she had obtained a wood-like superpower. Wood generated water, so the superpower would be exceptionally strong when she touched water. Qiao Xuan, who felt as if she had received a new kind of toy, nned to have a try. At this moment, she saw a bunch of mint leaves which seemed very thin. So she squatted and reached out to the bunch with a slight touch. That small touch of hers did not cause any changes upon the mint. But when she concentrated and tried to gather a stream of spiritual power into the nt, and had the mint ced in the center of her mind, the bunch started to grow instantly¡­ She withdrew her hands and waspletely sure about her abilities. She closed her eyes and tried to enjoy her superpower. This ability of hers was not only able to give a boost to nts, but also sensed all kinds of moves around her through the nts, since the roots of those nts were interconnected with each other, underground. For example, at this moment, when she lightly touched one bunch of mint, she instantly got a clear knowledge of all the grass and woods in the yard, even about the ants in each corner, as if everything was moving right under her eyes. Therefore, she believed that she was going to have an easy time catching the animals and birds in the mountains! Also, she could see that the range of her super powerful senses could expand further, as the power became stronger. That pleased Qiao Xuan thoroughly. What was more, that superpower had given her an extra space, which waspletely barren at the moment and had not opened the ess to her. But she knew clearly that there would be one day, when she became qualified enough to enter that ce and could make good use of it. But the qualifications which she needed for it were not clearly known to her. Still, she was sure that it was rted to her superpower as well. What she could sense right now was that there seemed to be an extremely advanced system connected in space, through which she was able to find all knowledge rted to nts. Motivated, Qiao Xuan was more certain that she was not going to have a boring life from this moment on. She had a lot to explore, like this superpower of hers. At around nine or so, the breakfast was ready for the family. After she finished the tea-serving step, her father-inw, the elder and second brother as well as Shao Yunduan, all went to the vige to work asborers. At this moment, they just returned home. It was the spring season, the best season for farming. Hence, all farmers were very busy with farming. It was a bit cool in the morning, which was the best time for work. All hard-working families would get up early to do some work on farnd to start the day with. What surprised Qiao Xuan was that Shao Yunduan went down to the farnd and didbor work as well! Wasn¡¯t he a man who only read books? Suddenly, she had a nice impression of this man ¨C he seemed like a good person! Chapter 6 A Surprise Scene Soon after breakfast, the family found that the loquats in the yard had ripened! And the mint, which had just been nted a couple of days earlier, was now flourishing vividly too! They all spoke highly of this magical scene and held a heated discussion among themselves. But no one was able to draw a conclusion of why that happened, so they all agreed to believe that it was because this patch ofnd was in a rich environment. Maybe the water and the soil had turned better, causing the loquats to ripen faster, and for mints to flourish more wildly! Qiao Xuan had a smile on her face, feeling very proud ¨C these were her achievements! Shao Yunhuai, the seventh brother of the whole family, was nicknamed Little Seven. He was physically agile and loved to explore the woods and valleys whenever he had time. Therefore, he always brought back home some wild roosters, birds and rabbits for the family to eat. When he saw the yellow loquats, he could not help but climb onto the tree quickly and picked arge bucket of the fruits for the family to eat. ¡°Ah, the loquats seem to taste sweeter and have more tender flesh than those in the past year!¡± Shao Yunguang spoke in a praising tone, as he grabbed an armful of them. Ms. Fang red at him. ¡°You are talking nonsense! You don¡¯t even remember how they tastedst year!¡± Shao Taotao smiled and said, ¡°Mom, I am not sure if other people might remember, but I am sure that third brother should definitely remember the taste! He loves all sorts of fruits, he must be right about it!¡± Shao Yunguang really loved food. He was a very persistent foodie, who would even hold the hive tightly in his arms and run for as far as one whole mountain, even when he was chased by wild bees after he tried to get the delicious honey. That experience of his made him the object ofughter in the whole vige for half a month! Hearing what Shao Taotao said, everyone could not help butugh. When they were done with tasting loquats, they went down and continued with thebor work. Ms. Fang stopped Shao Yunduan and red at him. ¡°Where are you going? Your father and your elder brother and third brother can do thebor work, but you will have to keep your wifepany, okay? She has just be part of our family. Don¡¯t give her the cold shoulder!¡± Then Ms. Fang turned to Qiao Xuan with a sweet smile. ¡°Ms. Qiao, your husband is a very nice person, but he is a little bit careless. Men are always like that, right? If you are unhappy about anything he does or says, just tell me, and I will seek justice for your sake!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled brightly. ¡°Mom, my husband is a good person and he is very careful too! Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be unhappy! It is my fortune to have met such a nice husband and mother-inw!¡± Well, she knew pretty well how to behave at this moment ¨C a mother could criticize her own son, but she as the wife could not say anything bad about him. Qiao Xuan suddenly felt that she was making a smart move! Sure enough, Ms. Fang smiled even more brightly after hearing her exaggerated praises. She chuckled. ¡°You are such a nice girl! It is our fortune to have you as the daughter-inw, and Yunduan¡¯s fortune too, hahahah!¡± ¡°I feel so honored to have been praised by you, Mother-inw!¡± ¡°No, no, it is all because you are a nice child!¡± ¡°I will definitely learn from you and be a good daughter-inw for the Shao Family!¡± ¡°Okay, okay! Hahahahah!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± He was totally dumbfounded hearing how well the two women were getting on with each other. He wondered what position he was at the moment. He even suspected that he had misunderstood what he had just heard! What on earth was going on? His mother was not very satisfied with his brother¡¯s wife, actually, and had beenining about her, who seemed quiet but was actually really selfish and full of tricks inside her head. She even did not like the neighboring vige girl, whom his third brother hadid eyes on. Sheined that such a dull boy should not have teamed up with an even more dull girl, if they wanted to have a smooth life. More importantly, that girl was parentless and had a greedy brother and sister-inw who seemed to be extremely annoying and insatiable. But why was his mother behaving like this, when it came to his wife?! Chapter 7 Your Company To Me Shao Yunduan, who had turnedpletely stunned, and messy in his head, came back to himself after a slight push from his mother and uttered a very confused sound. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Ms. Fang red at him, seemingly displeased by how slow his reaction was. Then she gave him a look and said, ¡°What are you staring at? Go and keep your wifepany!¡± Shao Yunduan moved his lips. ¡°¡­¡± What more could he say? ¡°Okay, Mom¡­¡± Saying yes was the only thing he could do right now¡­ Ms. Fang then turned to Qiao Xuan and consoled her with a smile, before leaving in satisfaction. She had met numerous people in her life, and was very sure about her own judgment of her daughter-inw. The girl was a pure, open and straightforward person, who was born in a noble family but had no arrogance in her. She did not look down at the Shao Family, and respected her mother-inwpletely. Ms. Fang had all the reason to show more care towards her. Also, her son was a man with a gloomy personality, who was really suitable for an open and easygoing girl like her. What a great match written in destiny! Shao Yunduan looked at Qiao Xuan, andplications arose in his eyes and heart. ¡°You are really capable of making my mom happy.¡± Qiao Xuan showed a modest smile. ¡°Thank you for yourpliment!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s words got stuck in his mouth! ¡°I am not praising you, okay? Don¡¯t thank me!¡± Qiao Xuan almost felt like bursting intoughter, seeing how he looked so wronged and speechless. She could not help but feel like teasing him. ¡°Oh well, Mom told you to keep mepany, how do you n to do that?¡± Shao Yunduan was actually a well-mannered man who barely threw temper at people. But for some reason, he truly got annoyed whenever this woman started to talk! When he saw her blinking and waiting for him to give a reply, Shao Yunduan answered stiffly. ¡°Anyway you like.¡± Qiao Xuan tilted her head and thought for a while. ¡°What about teaching me to write? I am not very good at holding the brush-pen, and you have to correct me one step after another, okay?¡± What she meant was that he could stand behind her back, hold her hands in a flirtatious and nice way! When Qiao Xuan said the words, Shao Yunduan subconsciously had this image in his head. His eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°You¡­¡± So shameless! Qiao Xuan covered her mouth and chuckled merrily so much so that the man in front of her got really angry and his face was distorted. She waved her hands and said with a smile, ¡°I am just joking with you. Don¡¯t be so serious! I am going to sort through my dowries. You don¡¯t have to keep mepany. You can do whatever you want. Bye!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± Shao Yunduan was so angry as he saw the woman leaving from there. He could not help but feel his heated ears. He mumbled to himself through gritted teeth and left in irritation. He was sure that the girl did not change, but had her mind undergone a transformation after experiencing death once? It was indeed an enormous change, after all! Could she have decided to open up herself, since she was already stuck in a bad marital situation? Shao Yunduan could not help but let out an emotional sigh. ¡°Women¡¯s mood is just like the weather of June, so fickle and changeable!¡± Qiao Xuan had 26 sets of dowries, which were transported into the Shao Family the day before, causing much jealousy among neighbors and friends. Normally, vige girls had at most six or eight sets of dowries when they got married, and even fewer families were able to offer 12 or 16 sets. People kept saying that the Shao Family were getting lucky because of the moralities which their ancestors had umted. Their newly-wedded daughter-inw had so many dowries that were really enough for the whole family to live on for one lifetime. Qiao Xuan rolled her eyes and sneered. Those dowries were just numbers on the surface. All the 26 sets contained low-quality things. For example, ording to the notes of Dowrey Notebook, there should be one pair of treasured vases, which, however, turned out to be a pair of very cheap porcin vases wrapped inrge boxes and was still counted as one dowry piece. Chapter 8 Dowries Another example was the clothes. Those ¡®Garments for Seasons¡¯ were either cheesecloth or hemp cloth. There was not even a set of ordinary silk, let alone the newlyunched brocade. Moreover, those cheap things were all put inrge boxes and counted as four sets of dowries. As for ¡®Money in the Bottom of Boxes¡¯¡­ It took Qiao Xuan ages to dig out those few sporadic coins. Well, as the saying went ¨C ¡®a starving camel is still bigger than a horse¡¯, even though the dowries were not that abundant, they were still better than that of vige girls. But those things, whenpared to the real daughters of County Magistrate, were simply an insult and humiliation. But for Qiao Xuan, she believed that these things were enough for her life for now. Even this small amount was already arge sum for the farmer families! So, Madame Qiao might have humiliated or heavily stricken the original host of the body, but for her, it was nothing. Compared to beingpletely poor, she was happy that she was able to get these to start with. She could just earn money if she needed it. She was going to strike them back in the future! That should be extremely rxing for her! When she was done sorting through the dowries, Qiao Xuan generously handed out the cloth to her mother-inw and Ms. Xu, the elder brother¡¯s wife. She gave the clothes to the family for making dresses. For the farmer¡¯s families, such garments were already treasure, though they were not so valuable in her eyes. Both Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were startled in disbelief. Ms. Fang was hesitant. She desired those things, but was worried that others would spread the rumor that she was stealing her daughter-inw¡¯s dowries. Honestly, when the dowries were transported to her family the day before, she had heard many sour words from the other members in the family, who kept sneering and could not hide their jealousy. Qiao Xuan smiled with bright eyes, seeing their reaction. ¡°It is a small gift, Mom. You shouldn¡¯t consider me as an outsider, now I am your daughter-inw, otherwise I would feel so unassured about myself! We are a family, aren¡¯t we? We should stick together, right?¡± Ms. Fangughed and epted the gifts, then she added. ¡°Dowries are the supporters of a daughter-inw, and you should keep them instead of wasting them! We have a long life to share together.¡± Qiao Xuan felt warmth attacking her heart. She was truly moved somehow. She nodded and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Mom!¡± Then, she took out two flourishing-looking silk flowers and gave them to Shao Taotao and Shao Qing respectively. In her eyes, these silk-flowers were roughly made. Yet they still cost as much 25 wen for one pair, which was a huge expense for rural families. Ms. Xu was very d and expressed her thankfulness on behalf of Shao Qing. Shao Taotao liked the flowers too, and said thank-you with a reddened face, before putting the flowers on head. All women present spoke highly of how she looked. Qiao Xuan felt a bit guilty after she gave out the garments and silk-flowers, since she did have a selfish purpose. So, she made more effort in trying to givepliments, which led to a happyughter among all the women. She was actually testing how her mother-inw, brother¡¯s wife and husband¡¯s sister were like, when she gave out so many gifts. If any of them was greedy, she would know. But none of them were so. Even though Ms. Xu might seem to have some selfish thoughts, she still believed that her thoughts were reasonable. At this moment, Qiao Xuan felt totally assured. What she did not know, however, was that it was Ms. Xu¡¯s turn to feel guilty. The moment Qiao Xuan became part of the family, Ms. Xu had been put into shadow. So she had been feeling really annoyed by how she behaved. When she saw how Qiao Xuan tried to please their mother-inw, she had been cursing her as ¡®shameless¡¯ inside her head. But Qiao Xuan turned out to be so generous that she gave her so many garments, two of which were thick enough to be made into cotton coats in winter. She even gave Shao Qing such a beautiful silk-flower! So, she suddenly felt that she should not have cursed her and thought of her as someone shameless. Chapter 9 Bad Intention Her sister-inw was so generous and the husband was now the Cultivated Talent. He was surely going to be better and bring more honor to the family. No, he was not a selfish and cold-hearted man. She decided to treat the couple well, so she could have a better future with them too! Before her sister-inw came to the family, she was the one who did all the housework. So there was no need to be sour about this. After all, she was the daughter of the County Magistrate! As Ms. Xu thought everything through, she even fastened her steps on the way to wash clothes by the riverside. However, on the way there, she ran into Ms. Niu. She greeted her and said, ¡°Hey, sister-inw!¡± ¡°Oh hi.¡± Ms.Niu had been really sour about the newly-wedded bride the day before, and when she saw the sets of dowries carried into the house, she became so jealous that she hardly slept during the night. Therefore, when Ms. Niu ran into Ms. Xu at the moment, her eyes brightened and she decided to pick on this woman in front of her. ¡°Are you on the way to wash the clothes?¡± Ms. Niu sized up Ms. Xu and smiled. ¡°Honestly, you should teach some things to the newly-wedded sister-inw! You should bring her along with you for the housework.¡± Ms. Xu was startled for a moment and then replied with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think she has any clothes to wash today. I will ask her tomorrow.¡± Ms.Niu replied. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any clothes to wash? But she can help you, can¡¯t she? Oh my god, look at these many clothes. Are all of them to be washed by you alone? You were doing the housework all by yourself in the past, but now you have a helper, who should share your burden, right? Doesn¡¯t your mother-inw say anything? It is such an unfair move for you!¡± ¡°You are just too conventional! You are her elder sister-inw, and also the senior member of the family. Now Ms. Qiao is married to our family, so no matter which family shees from, she should still respect you! Well, I think that she is looking down on you!¡± ¡°You should build an image for yourself and tame her! Otherwise, she will act over the top and cause you trouble. You won¡¯t like it! Trust me, you are too honest and you will be bullied! I care for you, that is why I am reminding you!¡± Ms. Niu was in the middle of her happy talk, when suddenly a loud voice arose from behind. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ms. Niu and Ms. Xu were both startled, as they turned around and saw Ms. Fanging their way. Ms. Xu was surprised and was about to give an exnation. ¡°Mom, I¡­¡± ¡°Stand aside!¡± Ms. Fang snorted as she threw a cold nce at Ms. Xu. She sneered at Ms. Niu. ¡°What are you sharing with my daughter-inw? How about repeating it in front of me, so I can also learn something from you to see what mistakes I have made, which you are trying to teach my daughter-inw!¡± Ms. Xu flushed, not knowing what to do. Ms. Niu panicked but soon calmed down, thinking that her sister-inw was talking louder and looking excited. Could it be because they got the daughter of the County Magistrate as the daughter-inw? The thought made her feel even more sour¡­ As jealousy arose into her head, Ms. Niu felt even more envious and she responded with a strange smile. ¡°Look at you, it seems as if you are interrogating me! People might think that I have made a mistake. You are now the County Magistrate¡¯s inws, and you have suddenly be very arrogant. You don¡¯t even think of me as part of your family any more, do you?¡± ¡°Stop spreading your nonsense!¡± Ms. Fang snapped at her and cursed heavily. ¡°I know you are just jealous! I heard those disgusting words you said yesterday, but it was a happy and auspicious wedding scene where friends and families were all around, so I decided not to argue with you at the time! Does that make you feel as if nothing was heard by me? Yes, I am arrogant, so what? You can be arrogant too, if you can afford it! If you can¡¯t, just shut up!¡± Ms. Niu¡¯s face flushed out of anger. ¡°You¡­¡± Chapter 10 10 Mother-inw''s Anger "What?!" Ms. Fang was never a loser in arguments. She had her hands over her waist and snapped at Ms. Niu. "I don''t need you to teach my daughter-inw! Only stupid people would listen to your advice instead of mine! Just save your breath! You can teach your own daughter-inw if you have the time. I heard that your daughter-inw again sneaked food to her mother''s family a couple of days ago, didn''t she? Oh god, what a nice daughter she is right? On the other hand, I am really lucky to have gotten such a wonderful daughter-inw!" Ms. Niu shivered out of anger. Her eyes widened and her face turned green. Her eldest son''s wife, Ms. Zhang had always favored her own family. She had been sneaking things from the Shao Family to her own family ever since she got married, to show filial piety to her own parents. At first Ms. Niu and her husband knew nothing about it. They both assumed that the family must have been robbed somehow, which caused a great deal ofughter among fellow vigers. When they knew that it was Ms. Zhang''s deeds, they became extremely annoyed. But Ms. Zhang, whenever he was caught, begged them for forgiveness with tears in her eyes. Yet not long after, she started to make the same mistake again. However, she was a lucky mother who had given birth to one daughter and one son, whilst the other son of the family had not yet found a suitor. With one son and one daughter as the leverage, Ms. Niu and her husband would not be able to divorce Ms. Zhang easily. Also, if they were going to find another daughter-inw for their son, it would cost more money too. Therefore, Ms. Niu tried to find ways to deal with Ms. Zhang every single day. While one of them tried to find a way to hide the things, the other spared no effort to steal the stuff. There was always chaos happening in their house. Ms. Zhang was a strange woman too. If she failed to steal something for a long while, she would simply pull out the carrots and cabbages from the yard, and deliver them to her mother''s home. When Ms. Fang mentioned this point, Ms. Niu was stabbed deeply in her heart and lungs. Seeing that she got so angry that she could not utter a sound, Ms. Fang snorted arrogantly and red back at Ms. Xu. "What are you standing here for, huh?" Ms. Xu, who had seen her mother-inw throwing temper in such a way, got so frightened that she almost copsed. "What?!" She answered anxiously. "Okay, Mom! I will go and wash clothes now, yes, now¡­" With that, Ms. Xu dashed off. Although her mother-inw had never set up traps for her or scolded her unreasonably, for some reason, Ms. Xu was very scared of her mother-inw! When Mother-inw was wearing a serious look on her face, Ms. Xu would dare to utter no sound. Ms. Niu regained her breath and shivered. "You¡­ don''t be so happy this early! You never know what your new daughter-inw is like! You may have gotten one who can do nothing but wants to be spoiled all the time! That would be a big joke for your family!" Ms. Fang would have been worried about this before the wedding, but now, she was not concerned about this matter! She sneered ironically. "Alright then, I am waiting for you tough at me, if you can!" Having said the words, she ignored Ms. Niu and walked away. Ms. Niu let out a cry of anger. "Damn, this Ms. Fang is such a witch! What is she so proud of? As long as our brother defends us, she will have no ce in the family! Our brother is the head of the family, not her!" Only now did she realize that she did not have to argue with Ms. Fang. There was simply no need! Ms. Niu was thinking about having a discussion with her husband and her sister-inw, Ms. Ma about how to find a good match for her son and daughter. They needed money to start to prepare the gift! Since Ms. Fang had Ms. Qiao as the daughter-inw, she would need to help them prepare some gifts too, right? Her brother had always been very generous to his siblings. As she thought about this, Ms. Niu started to get really happy and decided to turn to Ms. Ma for a conversation¡­ Chapter 11 Kindness... Maybe? Qiao Xuan waspletely unaware of how her mother-inw had thrown her temper. She herself had not finished sorting her dowries yet, and was entangled in this errand again. However, when they were having lunch, Qiao Xuan noticed that there was some strange expression on her sister-inw¡¯s face, especially when she was facing mother-inw¡­ She was trying to avoid her eyes! That made her feel quite surprised. She was wondering if there was anything that happened between mother-inw and sister-inw when she had not been around. But she was not going to ask them about the matter, after all. Therefore, she just pretended as if she hadn¡¯t noticed anything, and still spoke with her mother-inw and sister-inw with a smile. Thanks to her conversation with both of them, Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu suddenly seemed to have gotten out of the awkward air, for some reason. Ms. Xu could not help but feel more assured. Ms. Fang, however, was still wearing a cold look. Yet inside her heart, she started to like Qiao Xuan more and more, thinking that it had been the correct decision to have gotten a daughter-inw like this. As for Ms. Xu¡­ She was a person with a heavy heart, and loved to split hairs. She tended to turn a deaf ear to any kind of persuasion. In the past, she would have shared some of her thoughts, but after years of living here, she was not bothered to say anything like that anymore. Her husband was honest and devoted to his parents, and Ms. Xu, despite her heavy mind, was never bold enough to cause any fuss. Well, it would always be better, if the atmosphere at home could be more bustling. Farmers¡¯ families attached more importance to breakfast and dinner. When they were well-fed at breakfast, they could go out and dobor work with more strength. After they were done with a day¡¯s work, they would treat themselves a better dinner. As for lunch¡­ that was the meal they would eat least properly. At lunch today, the dishes were porridge with red beans, properly dense, served with a few pickles. It was enough for them. After two meals, Shao Yunduan found that Qiao Xuan did not show any disdain towards the food served at home. And it seemed that Qiao Xuan had not even shown any disdain towards anything at home either¡­ Honestly speaking, Shao Yunduan was very surprised by this behavior of hers, and suddenly, he felt somehow guilty. He had not thought that she would be this good. He started to believe that he must have misjudged her somehow. Since she was behaving so cooperatively, he was wondering if he should offer some kindness? After all¡­ she was a neer to the Shao Family, and might feel a bit restrained and unustomed to the surroundings. However, Shao Yunduan did not feel like making the offer first. After all, Qiao Xuan had annoyed him badly first! He was in the middle of his confused thoughts, absently staring at Qiao Xuan for a long while before he realized that. Qiao Xuan spotted his stare and chuckled. Then she approached him and said in a low voice, smilingly, ¡°Hey, anything you would like to tell me, Darling?¡± Shao Yunduan felt as if he had been caught red-handed. He replied calmly as he withdrew his look. ¡°Nothing. It is just that¡­ you are new here, and you can tell me anything, if you feel that you are in trouble.¡± Qiao Xuan blinked and showed a smile. ¡°Sure!¡± Shao Yunduan was startled, as his heart skipped two beats forward at this moment. He had thought that she would counter him again, but when he, unexpectedly, heard this word spoken in a sweet, girlish voice, he almost did not know what he ought to do. He avoided looking at her out of nervousness and said, ¡°¡­Okay then, I have to go!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded, trying hard to hold herughter as she replied in an even sweeter voice. ¡°Okay, take care, Darling!¡± Shao Yunduan dashed off as if he were escaping from something. Seeing the way he left, Qiao Xuan believed that this man was running away in embarrassment. She burst outughing with a bent back. This man was so funny! Hahahaha¡­ For one moment, she felt that her mood was elevated. Humming a song, she turned around and continued with her task of sorting her dowries. There were many kinds of things lying around which had been exaggeratingly-packed, many of which she had yet to sort out. At around 4 in the afternoon, Shao Xiaoqi came home from somewhere, covered with mud and grass. Even the straw-shoes were filled with dirt. Chapter 12 Sister-inw Robbed But, despite the dirty look, he had two wild roosters in his hands, both alive! ¡°Mom, Mom! Fifth Sister-inw! Look at the wild roosters I have caught!¡± Shao Xiaoqi smiled brightly, as he raised the wild roosters in his hands, which looked very beautiful with the colorful feathers. Qiao Xuan, who had been done with dowries-sorting, was in the middle of chit chatting with Ms. Fang whilst babysitting some children! Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes brightened, when she saw that. She praised him constantly with surprise on her face. ¡°Wow, you are so excellent, Qi. You have caught the wild roosters alive!¡± Qiao Xuan was speaking out of her heart, since it was not something she had seen before. Shao Xiaoqi wasn¡¯t so familiar with his fifth Sister-inw, so he gave a small smile as he was praised and said in a bashful voice, ¡°¡­I did not catch it exactly, it was the trap that did the job.¡± Qiao Xuan continued with her praise and smiled. ¡°That is equally excellent!¡± Ms. Fang was also d. She said with a bright smile, ¡°That is true! Qi loves traveling into the mountains and often brings us some wild animals! He is so good at it! Oh man, we don¡¯t have to kill any roosters tonight for dinner, when we already have these two! We can spare the two roosters at home! Good, this is really good!¡± Qiao Xuan echoed her words. She again praised Shao Xiaoqi and asked him about how exactly he hunted the animals. They were soon in a heated conversation with each other. As Qiao Xuan was listening to the tale so carefully, Ms. Fang felt so pleased sitting next to them. Ms. Fang was truly happy. The events did make her feel pleased, for real. Qiao Xuan was a newly-wedded bride, and was supposed to have a family reunion dinner with all the three children of the Old Master in the family. Qiao Xuan was going to meet the second and the third families for dinner this very night. It was also a wee-dinner for the newly-wedding bride. So there would be a lot of food served. When Ms. Fang thought of how she would have had to kill roosters for the second and the third section of the family, she felt her heart aching, since they were all very greedy people. Ms. Fang had originally nned to serve two pieces of meat, one fried fish and one huge bowl of unserved chicken for the reunion dinner tonight, which had been the leftovers from the wedding the day before, when the banquets were filled with dishes. However, the sisters-inw of the second and the third section of the family had stolen all of those remainders away, before she could realize! But for the wedding that took ce the day before, she would have had a row with them. As she thought that she had to kill the well-fed roosters to serve them this very night, she felt even more distressed. Unfortunately, it was a dinner to show her care to the newly-wedded daughter-inw, so she was going to kill the roosters, no matter how much that would hurt her heart! However, her youngest son caught two wild roosters today, instead! These two wild roosters looked very well-fed, which would save her from killing any more roosters this evening. That was why Ms. Fang felt extremely pleased. After they exchanged a few words, Ms. Fang believed that it was time to get water boiled so as to kill the wild roosters in the kitchen, seeing that the dinner time was approaching. Qiao Xuan offered to help, but Ms. Fang turned her down. She spoke a few nice words about her and Qiao Xuan dropped the offer, eventually. Qiao Xuan returned to her room and felt bored, thinking that she should not go on like this any more. She should pick up some skills about making the soles or anything, so she could kill the time instead of feeling so bored. She was just thinking randomly, when she saw Shao Taotao entering. Shao Taotao was startled at the sight of her, and then she started to mumble in panic, with her head lowered. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw¡­¡± ¡°What is wrong, Taotao?¡± Qiao Xuan walked forward and asked concernedly. ¡°Why are your eyes so red? Did you cry? What happened?¡± She had to ask what happened to her sister-inw, who was in such a mess. Hearing what she asked, Shao Taotao felt even worse. She almost burst out in tears. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, the silk-flower you gave me was robbed away by Second Sister and Fourth Sister¡­ I am sorry, Fifth Sister-inw, I didn¡¯t mean¡­ to let it get snatched¡­¡± Chapter 13 Horrible People That was the Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s gift to her¡­ but it was stolen away by her cousin within half a day. Shao Taotao was feeling both sad and guilty. Second Sister and Fourth Sister? Qiao Xuan was startled. She was a concubine¡¯s daughter. She had one sister who was born by the Madame of the family and one younger sister who was born by another concubine¡­ Neither of them were easy to deal with. Hearing what Shao Taotao said, she understood mostly what was going on. However, these two cousins should belong to the second and the third sections of the family. Moreover, her mother-inw did not look like someone who was easily bullied, nor did this sister-inw of hers look like a timid person¡­ What made these two cousins so wild? ¡°How could they be so unreasonable? It is totally irritating!¡± Shao Taotao felt even worse and a little annoyed too. She pursed her lips. ¡°Dad is always defending them! He says that even though wee from three different sections, we are still one family and we should get on well with each other. We are the eldest of the family and should take care of everyone. Moreover, we should not be so critical about everything. They are family, anyway, right?¡± Qiao Xuan felt speechless. It seemed that such a thing had happened many times. No wonder those two cousins dared to bully Taotao without fearing anything. Her mother-inw might not be an easygoing person, but her father-inw was the man of the family. So no matter how much her mother-inw tried to throw temper and have a row, she could do nothing about the father-inw who was determined and resolute. After venting out herints, Shao Taotao felt slightly better. She could not help but feel that she was much closer to Fifth Sister-inw at this point. She looked up at her and said, ¡°I am sorry not to have defended myself for the silk-flower, so it was stolen away. I am sorry, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± Qiao Xuan shook her head quickly and said, ¡°It is not your fault! It is they who are terrible!¡± She raised her eyebrows. ¡°But my gift should not be stolen away so easily. You go and trick them into our yard, and I will help you to get back the silk-flower.¡± She just could not bear the anger that her gift to her sister-inw was pulled away, especially when her sister-inw came to share her grievances with tears in her eyes. Shao Taotao was surprised and sounded hesitant. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right¡­ what if father knows about it¡­ what if¡­¡± Qiao Xuan consoled her. ¡°Father is a reasonable person too, right? That is the gift I gave you, and it should not be snatched away by other people! It would sound really unreasonable, right?¡± Obviously, her father-inw was an honest person, the eldest brother who tried to bear all responsibilities. But she was a member of the eldest section and now that the people from the second and the third section had developed the habit of stealing and robbing stuff, they would definitely turn to her in the near future. She was not only helping her sister-inw, but also clearing the path for herself in future life. This was something she was going to get involved in and solve. Hearing her words, Shao Taotao thought for a while and nodded hesitantly. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw is right¡­ and it sounds reasonable too. But I am not sure if they will return the silk-flower anyway?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°We can talk to them in a nice way, and I believe that they will be able to return the silk-flower. Let¡¯s have a try anyway, okay?¡± Although Shao Taotao did not believe her words, she truly missed her silk-flower, and was angry too. So, with a little conviction, she nodded. ¡°Yes, you are right, Fifth Sister-inw. I will get them here now!¡± Soon, Shao Taotao came with her cousins Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi. Qiao Xuan turned to them as she was in the yard, smilingly. The girls were startled, and after a while, they realized that this must be the wife whom their cousin had married the day before. Chapter 14 Qiao Xuan Sees It Through Qiao Xuan looked very pretty, and she was the daughter of the County Magistrate. The soul, at this moment, had been changed, so by this point, she looked confident, calm, presenting an air of dignity. Both Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi instantly showed some fear. ¡°Hi, Fifth Sister-inw¡­¡¯ ¡°Greetings¡­ Fifth Sister-inw¡­¡± Shao Meiling was 15 years old, an age when girls loved to dress up well. She could not help but size up Qiao Xuan on the sly. Seeing how she was dressed and what she was wearing, she could not help but show some greed. Same went for Shao Xiaozhi. She couldn¡¯t help but think of how her mother talked to her sixth brother about how lucky their fifth brother was, that he ran into the daughter of the County Magistrate and saved her. Her mother wished that it was her own son who had gotten involved in the incident! If that had happened, then this fifth Sister-inw would have been Sixth Sister-inw on her side! In this way, they would have be rich too, and her own sixth brother would have had a promising future! As she was thinking, Shao Xiaozhi could not help but ce her eyes upon the beautiful hairpin on Qiao Xuan¡¯s head, thinking that if this woman were her own sister-inw, then she would definitely have been able to ask her for that hairpin in a fair and open way! Suddenly, an idea shed across her head. She could ask her uncle for help. Uncle would definitely say yes to her request! If her uncle could help her, Fifth Sister-inw would definitely have to obey his order, otherwise she would be considered as a woman without filial piety! Shao Xiaozhi could not help but feel cheerful, and involuntarily showed a look of joy. Qiao Xuan had been sizing up these two girls, who were too young to hide their inner feelings. So, Qiao Xuan had a good idea of what they truly were thinking. Suddenly, she felt disgust arising inside her head. On the other hand, she felt lucky that the eldest section of the Shao Family was not like this. She replied to them with a smile and said, ¡°You are the two cousins from the second and the third section of the family, aren¡¯t you?¡± Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi nodded. ¡°Yes, we are¡­¡± Qiao Xuan nced over their heads. These two cousins were getting on well with each other, weren¡¯t they? Taotao¡¯s two silk-flowers were right on top of their heads, one for each! Qiao Xuan took a step forward and removed the silk-flowers off their heads and said with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t these the gifts I gave to Taotao? Taotao, you are so nice to your cousins, even lending the flowers to your cousins! Taotao, I gave the gifts to you, you can let your cousins wear them for a while, but do remember to keep them well okay? They are my gifts to you!¡± Shao Taotao got so happy and took the silk-flowers, nodding with a smiling face. ¡°Thank you Fifth Sister-inw, I will definitely keep the gifts well!¡± She swore that she was not going to wear the silk-flowers in front of them. She was going to put them on at her own home, or just in the yard, not when she was out! Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi were dumbfounded. Only now did they realize what happened. They exchanged a look between themselves, and their faces started to sink. They did not know Qiao Xuan well, so they did not dare to do anything to her. But they could show a bad look to Shao Taotao instead. ¡°Taotao, how can you be like this! Didn¡¯t you say that you gave the silk-flowers to us as a gift?!¡± ¡°You are a liar, Sister, I am going to tell Uncle about this!¡± Qiao Xuan turned speechless. This justice-filled tone would have generated a misunderstanding towards Taotao, if the truth had not been known to her earlier. Shao Taotao¡¯s face flushed as she argued. ¡°I didn¡¯t give them to you as the gift, you took them on your own!¡± Shao Meiling said, ¡°But you didn¡¯t say no, right?! What do you mean by taking them back now?!¡± Shao Xiaozhi spat out. ¡°Bah, you are shameless!¡± Shao Taotao was annoyed. ¡°You are the shameless one!¡± However, that was what Shao Meiling had been waiting to hear¡­ Chapter 15 Fifth Sister-inw That was exactly what Shao Meiling was waiting to hear. She went forward and was about to p Shao Taotao, while cursing seriously. ¡°You damn girl, how dare you curse me!¡± Qiao Xuan, who saw that they were at the edge of starting a fight, stopped them instantly and said, ¡°What are you doing! Don¡¯t hit people, just talk!¡± Shao Meiling, who was both annoyed, ashamed and angry, cried loudly. ¡°Ah, Fifth Sister-inw is hitting me, she is hitting me!¡± Qiao Xuan, ¡°¡­¡± This huge chaos was heard by Ms. Fang, who rushed out and snapped. ¡°What are you two doing again, Meiling and Xiaozhi?¡± Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi, who had never taken Ms. Fang¡¯s family as someone important since their eldest uncle always spoiled them, got a bit frightened by Ms. Fang at the moment. They understood that Ms. Fang was a fiercedy, who had even gotten into a fight with their mother before. But it was Ms. Fang¡¯s merit of being so fierce, otherwise the other members of the family would have stolen everything away from their family. And Ms. Fang and her children might have been fed on grains only. Hearing how her mother-inw snapped at the cousins, Qiao Xuan smiled inwardly and could not help but praise her mother-inw. ¡°Mom, here is how it happened!¡± Qiao Xuan took a step forward and recounted the whole story in a brief manner. Ms. Fang¡¯s face sank as she asked Shao Taotao. ¡°Is this what really happened?¡± Shao Taotao nodded, feeling wronged. Ms. Fang threw a why-not-do-something look at her own daughter and said nothing. What else could she say? Her husband kept defending those annoying family members and she was the only one who dared to talk back to him. Their children did not dare to say a thing at all! That was why after a long while, those cousins found her children to be easy targets to bully! Ms. Fang would not spoil Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi. She looked serious and said, ¡°Taotao told you that it was not a gift, it was just a loan! What are you making a fuss here for? Just get your mother to buy the stuff you want! You aren¡¯t young girls any more, and you are still so unreasonable! You will have trouble in the future if you continue like this. Stop making a fuss here!¡± Shao Xiaozhi shed tears and mumbled in a small tone. ¡°You are being partial to Third Cousin! She gave it to us as a gift, it is her fault!¡± Qiao Xuan rolled her eyes inwardly. This girl was turning confounding truth and lies, and ming Ms. Fang for favoring her own child! But that was her own child, wasn¡¯t it normal that she showed some preference to her? Shao Taotao said, ¡°I didn¡¯t! You stole them!¡± Ms. Fang got impatient too. ¡°Heard that? Taotao didn¡¯t give them to you as gifts! Stop bullying her, or I will go to your mother and seek justice, if you are ever found bullying her again!¡± Well, Ms. Fang was feeling very stressful recently, when her youngest son got married this year. Her daughter was 13 years old and they needed to find a suitor for her soon. If she was a person who was easily bullied and could not counter a thing, what would happen to her when she got married in the future? She had to help her a little. Ms. Xu was not reliable. She was a trickydy who always dodged trouble and never wanted to offend anybody. She could not even tell who had bullied them either! But her son¡¯s wife seemed good. She had juste to the family and knew how to defend Taotao. That was why she was going to show her preference clearly! Shao Meiling and Shao Meiling had a guilty look on their faces when they were snapped at by Ms. Fang. Shao Meiling bit her lips, and suddenly, she gave Shao Xiaozhi¡¯s arm a pull and ran away. Shao Taotao became anxious. ¡°Mom, Second Cousin and Fourth Cousin must be running away to tell Second Sister-inw and Third Sister-inw about this matter now!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°She can do whatever she likes. I don¡¯t care.¡± Chapter 16 Ms. Niu¡¯s Dislike To Qiao Xuan ¡°As for you¡­ keep your back straight. Don¡¯t give out your things if you don¡¯t want to! Get them back if they dare to rob you of it, or hit them! In this way, they would be scared, otherwise they would get increasingly unreasonable! Also, if you are wronged, tell me, don¡¯t just shed tears. The more you cry, the more easily-bullied you appear to be!¡± ¡°Mom¡­¡± Shao Taotao¡¯s eyes turned red, as she lowered her head gradually. Ms. Fang became both concerned and annoyed. ¡°What are you shedding tears for? I am just teaching you what to do!¡± Qiao Xuan patted Shao Taotao¡¯s shoulders slightly and consoled her. ¡°Mom, Taotao is a kind-hearted girl, much better than those girls. She can rectify her w, but gradually¡­¡± Ms. Fang sighed slightly. She knew that. She had just gotten a bit anxious at that time. She couldn¡¯t help but me her husband, who had messed up everything. Ms. Fang threw a gaze at Qiao Xuan with a satisfied look. ¡°You are a good girl, you defended Taotao. You have to be careful in the future, understand?¡± ¡°Got it, Mom!¡± As they were talking, Ms. Niu and Ms. Mang came inwith Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi, looking furious. Ms. Niu, who had just been mocked by Ms. Fang earlier in the morning, was already filled with anger. And at this moment, she was totally thronged with the feeling of deep hatred and grudge. She stepped in the yard and said with a cold smile, ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, you are indeed on the air right now, aren¡¯t you? You have be so different after you have added a good daughter-inw to your home. Are you taking yourself as some Madame of some mansion? Meiling addresses you respectfully as Aunt, but you are bullying her, your own niece?¡± Then she turned to Qiao Xuan and let out a sneer. ¡°Honestly, you, I don¡¯t care even if you are the daughter of the Emperor. Now, you are the daughter-inw of the Shao Family, so you should show respect to your cousins and sisters. It is your first day here and you are already trying to turn cousins against each other and cause trouble. What is your purpose?¡± ¡°Are you trying to turn the family members against each other, because you think that you have been demeaned to be a part of our family?¡± Ms. Mang added more words. ¡°I totally agree! Your behavior is way over the top! If you don¡¯t want to be married to our family, you can just turn away. Our family is not a very high-status family, but we haven¡¯t forced you to be part of us! What is your purpose of causing trouble and setting up conspiracies, so that everything suddenly bes wrong in our family?¡± ¡°True!¡± Ms. Niu was so annoyed. She had found Qiao Xuan increasingly displeasing to her eye! Her son was studying with Shao Yunduan in Minghua College in the county, but Shao Yunduan made it to the Cultivated Talent, whilst her own son failed because of bad luck. After that, Shao Yunduan married a rich wife, and with the help of the wife¡¯s father, he was going to take off! On the other hand, her son would fall far behind in the family! That was so wrong! Qiao Xuan was cursing Ms. Niu as evil inside her heart. This woman might not have any idea of what ¡®killing people by stabbing the heart¡¯ meant, yet that was what Ms. Niu was doing! If her mother-inw had been a confused woman, she would have been convinced by what she heard just now. She surely would have assumed that whatever Qiao Xuan did might be rted to this reason. That would make her life difficult here! Luckily, her mother-inw was a woman with a clear mind! Qiao Xuan was no longer anxious any more. She was the junior member of the family, a newly-wedded wife to one of the sons. So, she did not counter Ms. Niu at the moment. Instead, she turned to Ms. Fang with a pitiful look on her face. Ms. Fang squinted at the two women and said, ¡°My daughter-inw knows how to defend her sister-inw one day after she steps into this family! I am really happy about that. You two don¡¯t have to worry about our family affairs!¡± Chapter 17 Not A Match With Ms. Fang Ms.Niu and Ms. Mang threw an angry re. Ms. Fang smiled again. ¡°There is some misunderstanding between the cousins. What are you doing here babbling at my door? Ms. Qiao, tell them what happened?¡± The more they looked down at Qiao Xuan, the more Ms. Fang was going to raise her. Ms. Fang had sharp eyes. She could tell that her daughter-inw was capable of dealing with the situation. She had been on her own for years, and now with a helper next to her, she was not going to give up. ¡°Okay, Mom!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile and recounted the incident in just a few words. Ms. Fang sneered in satisfaction. ¡°Heard that? Just teach your children well. After all, it is never good to be so intimidating. They are girls, okay?¡± Ms. Mang showed a terrible look on her face. ¡°This is nonsense! Xiaozhi said it differently!¡± Ms. Niu was more clever than Ms. Mang. She red at Shao Taotao and said, ¡°So it is Taotao¡¯s fault, isn¡¯t it? Taotao, you gave out presents and said that your cousins bullied you. That is unreasonable. You are not a little girl any more, don¡¯t just lie!¡± Taotao was angry. ¡°That is not true!¡± ¡°Now you are countering the elder in the family! Just look at her, Elder Sister-inw, you must teach her a good lesson!¡± Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi followed Ms. Niu¡¯s lead and kept saying that Shao Taotao gave them the gifts first before regretting it and calling them robbers. Ms. Mang joined them and kept saying bad words about Shao Taotao. All of thembined forces at this moment. Shao Taotao became so anxious that she almost cried. She did not know how to defend herself but kept insisting that it was not like how they were saying it. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! It is not true!¡± But her words were so weak that she waspletely defeated. Even Ms. Fang turned pale with anger. Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Taotao won¡¯t give out those flowers as presents, because they are my gifts to Taotao who cherishes them. Also, she likes silk-flowers and she would not give them out to anyone else.¡± Ms. Niu sorted, rolled her eyes and said, ¡°The girls won¡¯t have lied!¡± Qiao Xuan retorted. ¡°Taotao won¡¯t lie either. You weren¡¯t present there. Why do you think Taotao was lying?!¡± Ms. Fang said coldly, ¡°True, I believe my daughter!¡± Qiao Xuan added further. ¡°Meiling and Xiaozhi are not little girls any more, why don¡¯t they understand that they should not ept the gifts from Taotao, when they know that those gifts are from me to her?¡± Shao Meiling countered immediately. ¡°Taotao did not say that it was a gift to her!¡± Qiao Xuan asked her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask?¡± Shao Taotao said, ¡°I did!¡± Shao Meiling, ¡°¡­¡± Ms. Fang said coldly, ¡°Anything else? Just leave if you don¡¯t have anything more to say. You will get no dinner tonight if you keep pestering me. Eat at your own home instead!¡± Both Ms. Niu and Ms. Mang were angry. That was not a reasonable thing to say. Only those who knew how to insist and make a fuss of the matter would be the final winner. But obviously, they could not override Ms. Fang. They neither lost nor won. It was impossible to get back whatever Ms. Fang had taken away. And this Ms. Qiao was even more annoying! She was the daughter of the County Magistrate, sharp-tongued and not at all well-behaved. Bah! Oh true, she heard from her son that this daughter was just a concubine¡¯s daughter whose mother already died. She was not good at all! But she did have 26 sets of dowries¡­ Ms. Niu was really jealous¡­ Chapter 18 Talking Sense With Them Ms. Niu said ironically, ¡°You are really sharp-tongued, Niece daughter-inw, so good at talking! But you are a daughter-inw, so I suggest that you should learn how to behave well. Look at Ms. Xu, she is a good example for you. Learn from your sister-inw!¡± Qiao Xuan did not care at all. She did not show any anger but stared at Ms. Niu who seemed annoyed. She smiled. ¡°Thank you, Second-Sister-inw!¡± Ms.Niu got suffocated. ¡°¡­¡± Ms. Mang¡¯s eyes rolled as she shouted. ¡°Honestly, Niece daughter-inw, you can¡¯t just favor Taotao, not us. Shouldn¡¯t you be giving Meiling and Xiaozhi gifts too?¡± Ms. Niu¡¯s eyes brightened too. That was a way to cut in. She snorted sarcastically. ¡°True, Niece daughter-inw, you are not looking down at us and nning to give us nothing, right?¡± Before Qiao Xuan could say something, Ms. Fang countered. ¡°Of course not, when Ms. Zhang got married, you gave us no gifts either, right? There is no such rule here at our ce, is there?¡± Most of the rural families were poor, and it was already a big thing for a newly-wedded bride to give presents to her husband¡¯s family, not to every other family member. No one from other families woulde and ask for gifts. Ms. Mang mumbled, feeling unconvinced. ¡°That is different. Ms. Zhang is poor, but you are the daughter of the County Magistrate, you should not be stingy!¡± ¡°That is true!¡± Ms. Fang smiled coldly. ¡°But they are both daughters-inw of the Shao Family, and they should do the same thing, shouldn¡¯t they? Stop babbling here!¡± These greedy women always thought of tricks to get things for themselves. Ms. Niu and Ms. Mang saw that Ms. Fang were talking fiercely and unreasonably, and that they could get nothing good out of her, so they made a fewints and left with their daughters. Ms. Fang mumbled. ¡°Damn women¡­¡± Shao Taotao let out a sigh of relief and smiled brightly. ¡°You are excellent, Mom, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± ¡°You!¡± Ms. Fang poked her forehead. ¡°Just watch carefully and learn from your fifth Sister-inw!¡± Shao Taotao smiled. ¡°I got it, Mom!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled too. Ms. Fang added. ¡°Just leave them alone. They are always shameless. If they dare to trouble you privately, juste to me!¡± ¡°Okay, Mother-inw!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°If they evere to me again, I will try and talk sense into them!¡± Ms. Fang understood what she meant by ¡®talking sense into them¡¯. Sheughed and nodded happily. ¡°Very good!¡± Ms. Fang turned around and continued to walk into the kitchen, where she saw Ms. Xu craning out her neck around the corner of the wall. Ms. Xu got startled, but could not hide fast enough when she was found. She forced a smile as she walked out carefully. ¡°Mom, I have juste out of the farmyard¡­¡± Ms. Fang was aware that she had been watching the show standing in the corner for a very long time. She always hid when something happened. Whenever the other family members came to seek trouble, she always hid away, instead of stepping up and offering help. She knew pretty well what she should do. She was an obedient and down-to-earth person, who kept half of their earnings and gave half to her mother-inw. She and her husband were not capable people, but they did save some money. She only cared for herself, her husband as well as her children, instead of anyone else. Ms. Fang did not want to reveal her secret. She answered briefly and said calmly, ¡°Wash your hands ande to help me in the kitchen.¡± Seeing that her mother-inw did not me her, Ms. Xu nodded and answered yes. Chapter 19 Unreasonable And Wrong Ideas At first, they all assumed that it was the end of this errand. However, when the two families from the second and third sections of the family came around for the dinner, the issue was mentioned once again. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma keptining in front of their eldest uncle, not only about Shao Taotao, but also Qiao Xuan. They kept insisting that Shao Taotao did not show any sisterly love to the cousins and that Qiao Xuan was looking down upon them. Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi seemed really saddened, sitting next to them. Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were busy at the kitchen, where Shao Taotao was giving them a hand. It was only Shao Yunduan, as well as other junior members of the family, who listened to the narrative with a frown and could not interrupt them. Both Second Uncle and Third Uncle were also helping their own family members in a seemingly concerned and kind way. The eldest uncle became so guilty that he kept apologizing and started speaking nice words, whilst throwing a look at Qiao Xuan and suggesting that she should apologize too. After all, Qiao Xuan was his daughter-inw, and a father-inw was not in a good position to me his daughter-inw directly. Moreover, Qiao Xuan was a newly-wedded daughter-inw, and he had no choice but to show her some respect. Qiao Xuan understood her father-inw¡¯s hints, but she ignored them deliberately. She truly felt that these people were so morally sick! It was so tiring that her father-inw could do nothing about it! Eldest Uncle became disappointed inwardly and he kept sighing. He was ming his daughter-inw inside his heart. Even if she did not understand his hint, she should have heard theints! She had looked down upon her sister-inw and countered the senior members of the family. She should naturally feel ashamed enough to make apologies! What was she thinking? Second Uncle said, ¡°Brother, you should teach your children a lesson. They can¡¯t be so unreasonable, right? We are a family!¡± The sixth son of the Shao Family could not help butugh, after holding his words for a while. ¡°Elder Uncle, you should ask Fifth Brother if there is any need to be a schr, when he can¡¯t even teach his wife a good lesson? Saint says that a qualified schr should be able to rule the family and keep peace in the world, right?¡± The sixth son could not help but nce at Qiao Xuan, getting really annoyed inside his heart. Why had it not been him who had saved this girl? Had he married the daughter of the County Magistrate, he would have been assured of a promising future! Damn, his fifth brother kept getting good things happening to him and never thought about sharing the fortune with his brother. If his fifth brother had asked him to keep himpany the other day, he might have be the candidate for this girl¡¯s husband! His brother married the daughter of the County Magistrate. What kind of girl should he marry so that he could override him in the future? Eldest Uncle did not understand what the Sixth Son was implying, but he showed a look of admiration towards this boy. Suddenly, he felt that he could give his son a lesson, even if he could not do anything to his daughter-inw! Eldest Uncle turned to Shao Yunduan and said in a displeased voice, ¡°Your sixth brother is right! Yunduan, we should keep peace in our family. Isn¡¯t it good that we live in harmony? Tell your wife to say sorry to Second and Third Sister-inw! We are all family members, and it is fair if every girl in the family gets the same thing, including Juan!¡± Juan was only five years old, the daughter of the second section of the family. Qiao Xuan turned to look at Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan nodded at his father and gave a consoling look at Qiao Xuan, asking gently. ¡°Ms. Qiao, can you recount what happened?¡± Qiao Xuan felt that she had been repeating the same thing all the time. But she had no choice but to say the whole thing again. ¡°Mom and Taotao were both present. You should hear their words, regarding whether I was disrespecting the Second and Third Sister-inw. I am not bold enough to take over the entire me!¡± ¡°Mom also pointed out that when Elder Sister-inw and Second Sister-inw first got married to the family, they did not seem to give anyone any presents. So why are you treating me differently? Are you looking down at me, or bullying me or trying to cause trouble to me in particr?¡± Chapter 20 Ms. Fang¡¯s Fury Eldest Uncle was taken aback. So were Second Uncle and Third Uncle as well as everyone else apart from Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma. This Ms. Qiao was being so unfriendly to them!! Eldest Uncle could not utter a single sound. Third Uncle had a hot temper. He struck his head and snapped furiously. ¡°I am your Third Uncle, and I can teach you a lesson! What attitude are you holding towards us? We are the senior members of the family! Brother, your daughter-inw is indeed capable, isn¡¯t she? She doesn¡¯t think we are important at all!¡± ¡°True! You are a daughter-inw who doesn¡¯t respect senior members of the family. We will file aint against you, even when the County Magistrate asks about it!¡± ¡°Fifth Son, what are you staring at? Teach your wife a lesson! Have you read your books in vain?!¡± Qiao Xuan was about to say something when Shao Yunduan shook his head at her slightly. ¡°I will get my mother here!¡± Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma both panicked. They were about to stop him when a cry was heard. Qiao Xuan had just taken out her handkerchief and sobbed. ¡°This is so unreasonable of you all! You are senior members, and you are bullying me unfairly! Why can¡¯t Elder Sister-inw and Second Sister-inw do what they want, but not me? Are you all looking down at me? What have I done to irritate you all?¡± Qiao Xuan turned around and ran into the kitchen. She was not in a position to argue with them, so she went to fetch her mother-inw instead. Soon Ms. Fang rushed out angrily and snapped at Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma. ¡°Shame on you! Have you decided to continue dwelling on this minor thing? My daughter-inw has just been married to our family and you, the so-called senior members are causing her trouble! You better have no daughter-inw in the future, otherwise I will cause them trouble too!¡± ¡°Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma, just tell me, what has Ms. Qiao done so that she disrespects you all, only because she is not under your charge? You got your daughters to bully my Taotao and my daughter-inw, damn you all! Bah!¡± Eldest Uncle¡¯s face flushed. He felt that he was humiliated facing the newly-wedded daughter-inw and his siblings¡¯ family. So he snapped. ¡°Just stop it, Ms. Fang, we are all a family.¡± Ms. Fang, who was feeling so angry and annoyed inwardly, mumbled with a sneer. ¡°You think we are all a family, but they don¡¯t think we are! Otherwise they would not have caused trouble to our daughter-inw!¡± ¡°You!¡± Eldest Uncle got both embarrassed and annoyed. He had not expected this to happen. He had thought that when Ms. Qiao made an apology, the whole thing would just pass. Then nothing like this would have happened. But Ms. Qiao just did not want to give in. She could adjust her behavior as a junior member. She should not have countered the senior members. The whole family should be in harmony! Ms. Ma argued. ¡°You should give gifts to everyone, or you give them to no one. Ms. Qiao is just unfair, and we are not to be med.¡± ¡°True!¡± Ms. Niu added, thinking that Ms. Ma was being clever for the first time as she hit the key point. ¡°Ms. Qiao only gives presents to Taotao and Qing, because she looks differently at us two families and doesn¡¯t regard us as her own!¡± Qiao Xuan blinked. ¡°Aren¡¯t we already two families? We are not one, isn¡¯t that what Second Sister-inw said? Of course I prioritize my own family when I have presents. Since there is none left, no one outside the immediate family would get anything!¡± Chapter 21 Second Sister-inw And Dowries ¡°¡­¡± The two families almost choked in anger! Shao Yunduan¡¯s reaction almost burst out. He turned around and pretended to cough so as to hold theughter in. This wife of his seemed like a lot of fun. Eldest Uncle¡¯s eyes widened as he said, ¡°But we are all from the Shao Family, we share the same ancestors¡­¡± Ms. Fang found that Ms. Qiao¡¯s words were too good. She snorted. ¡°You are not talking senses. Half of the people in the vige have Shao as their family name and we all share the same ancestor. Should we check with every family? Ms. Qiao, you are right, we are in different families, and we are all healthy beings, why must someone be so greedy? We have never gotten anything from your families!¡± Ms. Niu said, ¡°Honestly, Sister-inw, we are not thatpetent, and we always remember the favor you have done for us! When we be capable in the future, we will be of some help to you too! We are all one family, don¡¯t get so estranged! It is so hurtful! Ms. Qiao can say whatever she wants, but we wonder if it is true about what she says, or just that she doesn¡¯t want to share her things with Meiling and Xiaozhi? We are all sisters. What she has done hurts us!¡± Eldest Uncle sighed, and threw a guilty look at Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi. He felt the same way, as heined that Qiao Xuan was too stingy as the sister-inw! Qiao Xuan showed a helpless look. ¡°I am telling the truth. There is nothing I can do, even if you don¡¯t believe me!¡± Ms. Niu became even angrier! She was not convinced inside her heart! She should have asked them to check her dowries! If Qiao Xuan had said these words, Ms. Niu would definitely ask Ms. Ma to dig out everything from Qiao Xuan¡¯s boxes! Moreover, she also wanted to see what those 26 sets of dowries from the County Magistrate¡¯s family were like! Qiao Xuan did not follow her lead, but Ms. Niu could not hold the itch, and said, ¡°You have to show us!¡± Qiao Xuan turned to her and showed a strange smile. ¡°You want to check my dowries?¡± Ms. Fang became furious. ¡°Ms. Niu, what do you mean? Even I, the mother-inw, have not seen any of her dowries, what do you think you are doing?¡± Dowries were private things. No families who had even a little shame in them would do things like this. Ms. Niu pursed her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I just want Ms. Qiao to prove what she said was real.¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t believe her. There is no need to prove anything. As long as I believe my daughter-inw, it will do!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That is fine for me, but I just remember that you haven¡¯t given me any gifts either! What about giving presents to me and letting me see your dowries too?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ms. Ma got annoyed. ¡°What gifts? We don¡¯t have such rules in the Shao Family!¡± Ms. Fang rolled her eyes. ¡°Then, shut your mouth!¡± Ms. Niu was about to add something, when Ms. Fang said, ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to have any dinner tonight, right? Are we done or not?¡± Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma exchanged nces with their husbands and pressed down their anger. They knew that they could do nothing today, so they stopped making the fuss. Eldest Uncle had already be very worried, exhausted and embarrassed. He waved at Ms. Fang and said, ¡°Alright, alright, stop talking and go make dinner! It is gettingte¡­¡± Chapter 22 Guilty Ms. Fang had been used to Eldest Uncle trying to appease everyone in the past. She simply snorted and felt nothing inside her heart. She was worried that Qiao Xuan would get bullied again, so she said to her son, ¡°Yunduan, take your wife back to the room. I will tell you when it is time for dinner.¡± Shao Yunduan also did not have any interest in hearing them babbling any further, so he nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Ms. Ma did not seem happy about this. She let out a fake smile. ¡°Sister-inw, you love your daughter-inw, and don¡¯t want her to do anything¡­¡± Ms. Fang threw a superior look at her. ¡°My son is a Cultivated Talent, and soon he is going to take the vige examination. He needs someone to take care of him!¡± Ms. Ma thought of how her own son failed the imperial examination that he had attended with Shao Yunduan. She became angry and red at her. Both Third Uncle and Sixth Son were not looking good either after hearing this. Ms. Fang did not care about how they felt. She turned around and went into the kitchen. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan went back to the room as well. The door closed and Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief. It was quiet in the room. Shao Yunduan looked at her and felt that he should say something. So he thought for a while and asked her. ¡°You¡­ are you okay?¡± Qiao Xuan threw a look back at him and smiled. ¡°I am okay!¡± Okay¡­ Shao Yunduan had no idea how to respond to it¡­ He did not know what to say next. ¡°Okay, good that you are okay!¡± He paused and added. ¡°They are always like this. You can just¡­ stay away from them. Don¡¯t take what they say to your heart. If they go over the top, tell me or Mom.¡± Shao Yunduan told her all this and gave aplicated look to Qiao Xuan. It was really a difficult situation for her right now¡­ Qiao Xuan saw how he was behaving and burst out intoughter. She looked at him with her head tilted and teased him. ¡°You are feeling a little guilty?¡± Shao Yunduan was startled. He responded in a small voice as he moved away his gaze in an awkward way. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that they were going to behave like this. Anyway, stay away from them.¡± Qiao Xuan let out an even deeper smile. ¡°You are worried that I will be bullied?¡± It was a question, but Shao Yunduan seemed to feel that she was saying that she was not at all scared and that she did not care about his concern! He felt a bit angry inside his heart, and he was about to reply when Qiao Xuan nodded and said, ¡°Yes, you are right. I will stay away from them.¡± In fact, she had no interest in those people. As long as they did note to her causing trouble, she would not care about what they were doing. Teasing this man in front of her was a lot of fun! So, she turned to him and said with a look of sincerity and expectation, ¡°If you are feeling guilty, how do you think that you shouldpensate me?!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± He felt as if he had been trapped by her. But he wasn¡¯t sure about it. The feeling of being both trapped and helpless in front of her arose inside him again! He answered in a muffled voice, when facing her gaze and this hard question. ¡°What do you want?¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled inwardly, thinking that this man was really so much fun! She inclined her head and thought for a while, smiling. ¡°What about taking me to the mountains tomorrow!¡± ¡°To the mountains?!¡± Shao Yunduan was startled. Her answer was beyond his expectation. She was the daughter of the County Magistrate. What was she going to do in the mountains? He could not help but get curious. ¡°What are you going to do there?¡± ¡°Take a walk!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± He felt as if he had be an idiot! Chapter 23 Shao Yunduan¡¯s Denial Seeing that he was so flummoxed, Qiao Xuan held herughter and added. ¡°The mountains must have a good view. I just want to take a walk around for rxation. Can youe with me?¡± The most important thing was that she was going to study her superpower. After all, there were many nts in the mountains. Could Shao Yunduan say no? Of course not! Moreover, she was med for a series of hardships today, and seemed to be so pitiful. ¡°I got it!¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and looked at her. Then he gave her a reminder. ¡°It is not an easy path to reach the mountain. There are nts with thorns, and the leaves are sharp as knives. Also, there are bugs and insects during this time of the year. You have to be prepared for all these!¡± ¡°Oh, that is okay.¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°You will always be with me, won¡¯t you?!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart skipped two beats. He suddenly flushed. ¡°You¡­¡± He had intended to tell her not to talk like this, but then he realized that she was right. On this trip to the mountain, he was going to be by her side anyway, wasn¡¯t he? She was a noble-borndy who had never been to any wild mountains! If he did not look out for her, she might get messy and totally lost! Therefore¡­ she was simply talking sense! It was just him who had thought it in another way! Good that he stopped himself from telling her the words, otherwise he would get really embarrassed! Shao Yunduan could not stand being by her side right now. This unbelievable woman was going to spill out something even more ufortable, wasn¡¯t she?! He got up and replied stiffly. ¡°You stay here, I will take a look outside.¡± Before Qiao Xuan could give any response, he turned around and dashed off. Qiao Xuan covered her face and chuckled, as she saw the door close again. This man was so much fun! He only knew how to read! It seemed that she had developed some feelings towards him! Qiao Xuan thought of how he calmly defended her when she was confronted by those annoying families. She suddenly felt that this man was actually very nice! Then she thought deeper. Her mother-inw was so nice, and so was her sister-inw. The Elder Brother, Third Brother and Qi were nice as well. So was the elder Sister-inw. As for her father-inw¡­ she could tell that he was a parent who loved to look good on the surface. It was a merit too. In this way, he was definitely not going to do anything shameful, like lecturing his daughter-inw publicly. Actually, this kind of man was very easy to deal with. For example, when she was speaking so rudely to the two women just now, their husbands got so annoyed that their veins popped out. But what her father-inw did was only to stare at her with a look of usation, instead of doing anything more than that. This section of the Shao Family was really nice! Qiao Xuan could not help but smile. The two families must have gotten tired of the argument earlier today. So they did not say anything more at dinner. Although they behaved terribly, she decided to tolerate them thinking that she would not have to spend so much time with them in daily life, as they were in different family sections. The dinner went well. After dinner, the children of the second and the third sections of the family were gone. But Second Uncle, Ms. Niu, Third Uncle and Ms. Ma remained there. Ms. Fang said that Shao Yunduan was going to study, so she asked Qiao Xuan to keep himpany in the room. The elders who stayed back at Eldest Uncle¡¯s home started to chitchat. They kept mentioning that he should watch out for Qiao Xuan, because she was going to bring trouble to the family etc. Eldest Uncle became really guilty after hearing those suggestions. He nodded constantly in agreement. Chapter 24 Qiao Xuan¡¯s Joke Eldest Uncle also felt that Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t well-behaved as a daughter-inw was supposed to be! Look at Ms. Xu. She was honest and diligent. But Qiao Xuan did not show any politeness when speaking with the senior members of the family. Instead, she kept countering them! She was the daughter of the County Magistrate, true, but she was the Shao Family¡¯s daughter-inw! Hence, she needed to be taught well, otherwise she was going to offend many people! They were one family, and everyone should stay in harmony! On their wedding day the night before, when the original host caused such an ident, Shao Yunduan got so annoyed and troubled that he did not care about anything else but fell asleep directly on the bed. But tonight, things were different and had started to go into the normal direction, well at least on the surface! The sharp issue of how they were going to spend the night also came up. Shao Yunduan just did not know how to mention this issue. They were a poor farmer¡¯s family with only one bed in the room. There were no other ces avable for sleeping! In the end, Shao Yunduan decided to get some nkets from the wardrobe and sleep on the floor instead. The floor was not paved with wood or bricks, just concrete. The floor was firm but not dry enough to sleep on. Qiao Xuan also thought of this issue. But she did not mention it deliberately, and upied the bed before her husband could. But this man was so honest that he would rather sleep on the wet floor than on the bed. She got both annoyed and amused! Of course she was not going to let him sleep on the floor. It was far too wet and cold, what if he got sick! That would hurt her conscience! ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Sleeping!¡± Shao Yunduan threw a look at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­¡± ¡°I am worried!¡± Qiao Xuan replied. ¡°The bed is wide. What are you sleeping on the floor for? I will have to take care of you, if you are sick!¡± ¡°I am strong and I don¡¯t fall ill easily!¡± ¡°But what if you get sick?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Oh, are you afraid of me?¡± ¡°I am not!¡± Shao Yunduan snapped. This woman was so unreasonable. He wasn¡¯t afraid of her. Rather, she should be afraid of him! She had said what he was going to say! He was just thinking for her sake, but she, instead of showing him some care, even told him disdainfully that she would have to take care of him if he got sick!Moreover, she taunted that he was afraid of her! ¡°Then,e up!¡± Qiao Xuan added. ¡°We spent thest night together, did we?¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± Yes they did. So any more times would not make any difference! Shao Yunduan got startled. He did not know how to reply to her. Qiao Xuan was amused. This man was so tangled in his own thoughts! Anyway, she was going to help him out. She summoned him and said, ¡°Come up and sleep, we are going to the mountains tomorrow!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart skipped two more beats. He flushed and almost tripped over! He opened his mouth, thinking that this woman simply did not know how to talk properly! ¡°Come up and sleep¡­¡± That was not something to be said so casually! But it seemed right too. She looked natural and calm in every way. She was just making a statement, rather than meaning anything more than that¡­ But he was the one who kept thinking about strange things! Shao Yunduan knocked at his head, thinking that he must have gone mental! He squinted and saw Qiao Xuan staring at him curiously. She had seen how he just behaved. Shao Yunduan became so embarrassed that he wished that he could go deep into the ground and disappear. But he gave up when he had alreadye to this step. Shao Yunduan coughed and calmed himself, as he walked straight to the bed. But the way he walked made Qiao Xuan almost burst intoughter! Chapter 25 Anyway She Wanted The following morning after breakfast, everyone got down to their own business. Shao Yunduan told his mother that he was going to take Qiao Xuan for a walk in the mountains. Ms. Fang was very happy. She nodded and said, showing an affable smile, ¡°Alright, alright, just go and take a walk, but don¡¯t go deep into the steep mountains. Take good care of her, so she won¡¯t trip or something.¡± His mother looked gratified and satisfied. She even looked as if she understood everything. That made Shao Yunduan feel a bit speechless. He would like to give an exnation but did not know how to make himself look less suspicious. So he gave it up eventually. Anyway she wanted¡­ As long as she was happy! With a bamboo basket in hand, Qiao Xuan was very happy on the way. She hopped around and smiled, looking around and showing admiration as she observed the surroundings with a pair of beautiful eyes. It was the best time of the year, flourishing and full of nts. Thendscape in the mountain was really attractive and beautiful. They had walked for more than half an hour, when they came to a forest filled with bamboo and trees. The valleys wererge and broad, with gentle hills and trees, flowers blooming around. There was a clear river flowing at the feet of the mountain, with water gurgling and birds chirping from the tree branches. Among the flourishing forest, Qiao Xuan suddenly felt a sense of vibrant life, which made her feel rather joyful. ¡°It is so beautiful here!¡± Shao Yunduan thought that she made such a sound because she, who was born in a noble family, had never seen such a forest before. Maybe she found it exciting, it being her first time. He found a dry rock and sat down, answering her casually with a single ¡®yes¡¯. As Qiao Xuan was looking around in admiration, she again smiled. ¡°There must be many mushrooms at this time of the year. They are always so fresh and tasty, I want to take some home.¡± Shao Yunduan threw a look at her, thinking that she had never been to the mountains and knew nothing about what was going on in the woods. So he said patiently, ¡°I suggest we do not do that. There are many mushrooms that are poisonous, what if we eat some of them, we will die!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°But I know which kinds we can pick. They should be fresh and safe!¡± She had just made an attempt and with her superpower, she was able to tell which mushrooms were poisonous, and which were not, including those types that they did not know about. Shao Yunduan did not believe her. He said seriously, ¡°I am not joking with you. We shouldn¡¯t do that.¡± Qiao Xuan pursed her lips. ¡°Why not? Let me tell you, I was born to be sensitive towards different nts, I¡­. My father has many books about geography and everything, and one of them talked about mushrooms. I remember the contents well. I am not going to joke with my life.¡± Shao Yunduan could not think of any way to counter her. He even showed a look of admiration. The study of the County Magistrate¡¯s home? That sounded really nice! Qiao Xuan showed him a smile. He must be very jealous of her for knowing so much about mushrooms! ¡°Let¡¯s go, I can teach you something about them!¡± Qiao Xuan was very generous, as she tugged his sleeves and pulled him forward. She was not going to hide anything! Shao Yunduan looked down at the hand that tugged his sleeves, saying nothing more. Anyway, they might as well do that! There were many mushrooms in the mountains, but it was not very easy to get them. If luck went against them, she might lose interest after a while. But¡­ What he did not know was that Qiao Xuan always intended to get mushrooms for herself! She ced her hand casually on one leaf of a small tree, concentrated inwardly and looked over with her superpower angle. Chapter 26 No Need She did not stop looking until her superpower sight covered many kilometers. That made Qiao Xuan both surprised and happy, because the range was not fixed. She could clearly tell that when her superpower grew stronger, she was able to expand the range. Her superpower could grow, especially when it came to the season in which all matters were growing and everything was flourishing. In this environment, her power grew fast too. So within this visible range, every tree, every piece of grass, every flower, and even every small ant on the grass root as well as the ground became extremely clear in her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go that way!¡± Qiao Xuan pointed into one direction with a smile, and took Shao Yunduan there. Shao Yunduan saw that she was so delighted, and decided to follow her lead rather than disappoint her. Soon they found one bunch of grass mushrooms under one tree. The mushroom had grey-brown umbres, and the stems were thick, white and tender. Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she said, ¡°We are so lucky!¡± Seeing that she was squatting to pick them, Shao Yunduan could not help but respond. ¡°Are they really safe?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Qiao Xuan took a bite of them. ¡°Look!¡± ¡°Hey, you!¡± Shao Yunduan had no time to stop her but said, ¡°What are you doing, spit it now!¡± Qiao Xuan spat and said with a smile, ¡°You see, it is safe right?¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± He just had no idea how to react. She did not have to make so much effort to prove the point! He shivered and said, ¡°Don¡¯t do this again. Pick them if you want, but feed them to the roosters first before trying them yourself, okay?¡± It was not worth dying because of a mushroom. Qiao Xuan burst intoughter and nodded. ¡°Okay, whatever you say!¡± Shao Yunduan looked at her and wondered why she did not ept his advice. Qiao Xuan waved at him. ¡°Come and help me pick some!¡± Instead of turning her down, Shao Yunduan had no choice but to squat down and pick mushrooms for her. Then the two of them found some wild-growing needle mushrooms in brown-yellow color, red mushrooms in dark red color, as well as several kinds of fragrant shiitake mushrooms, fungus, pine milk mushrooms, and many more. Even several rare porcini mushrooms were picked. But for the basket that was too small to hold everything, they were able to get more. They even found some very fat and big brackens on one hill. They picked one armful of that and tied them into one bunch with a long thatch. Satisfied, Qiao Xuan smiled brightly. ¡°This is a big harvest! We are so lucky today!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled with slight delight. He nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± In the meanwhile, he was totally amazed¡­ There were many mushrooms in the mountains, but they were never so readily avable for him to pick all the time. They were just so lucky! The two of them were just about to head home, when they ran into Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao who were strolling in the mountains. ¡°Fifth Brother, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± The brother and sister waved at them, running at them joyfully. ¡°Qi, Taotao, what a coincidence to run into you two!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes brightened. Shao Xiaoqi scratched her head and smiled. ¡°Yes, I put some traps down in the mountains the day before, so I am here to check to see if I caught anything. Fifth Brother, Fifth Sister-inw, you have got so many mushrooms, and even bracken!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Those mushrooms are all so tasty, and so are the bracken. We are going to have a feast tonight!¡± Shao Taotao was as worried as her fifth brother. She could not help but ask. ¡°Many mushrooms in the mountains are not safe to eat. What about these?¡± Chapter 27 One Problem ¡°Of course!¡± Shao Xiaoqi replied with trust and determination in his voice. ¡°Fifth Brother would never be wrong!¡± His fifth brother was the Cultivated Talent, who had learned quite a bit and knew a lot. If he said that the mushrooms were fine, then they were definitely fine. Qiao Xuan nodded in agreement and said with a smile, ¡°Qi is right!¡± Shao Taotao showed a look of realization. ¡°That is true!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± What a me he had to take! The four of them went home together, as they were talking. Qiao Xuan could not help but keep asking Xiaoqi what was happening in the mountains. Shao Xiaoqi felt a bit regretful. ¡°I wasn¡¯t so lucky today. I got nothing. I wish I had trapped some wild rabbits, roosters or some other small birds, so that we could eat some meat tonight! This ce is too close to the vige, and hence, there aren¡¯t many wild roosters around. In a couple of days I will go to the Wangqing Mountains, where we are definitely going to get a lot! Few people visit there, so we are definitely going to get many wild animals¡­¡± He was not only good at setting up traps, but also at shooting arrows. He was good at some Kung Fu, which was all taught by the deceased Grandpa Zhao. But Grandpa Zhao kept telling him that unless he was defending himself, he should never reveal that he was good at shooting and Kung Fu. Grandpa also told him not to reveal this secret to anyone in the family! He had no idea why, but Grandpa was very nice to him, so if he made the promise to Grandpa Zhao, he would definitely keep it. Therefore, even though he had made arrows and bows with bamboo, he was not going to do anything like this when he was lingering in the vige, fearing that someone would see him. He only showcased his skills when he was deep in the mountains. Qiao Xuan was apparently very interested in what she was told. She asked with a smile directly. ¡°It sounds very interesting! Qi, next time you go to Wangqing Mountains, take me with you, okay? And Fifth Brother too!¡± Shao Yunduan frowned slightly as he threw a look at her. So, she had be addicted to walking in the mountains? He could not help but caution them. ¡°It is very dangerous in the deep mountains, Qi, you¡­¡± Before he could finish his ¡®you shouldn¡¯t go there¡¯, Qiao Xuan said with a smile, ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°Of course I am not.¡± He was not going to admit even if he was! ¡°Nor am I !¡± Qiao Xuan said to Shao Xiaoqi. ¡°Look, your Fifth Brother wants to join us too!¡± Shao Xiaoqi got totally happy and he struck his chest. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry, Fifth Brother, and Fifth Sister-inw, everything will be fine when I am with you. I won¡¯t take you to any dangerous ces!¡± Shao Taotao cheered and chimed in as well. ¡°I want to go with you too!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± That was another me he had to take. Anyway, since he could say nothing more, he would just drop the topic here. When mushrooms and brackens were brought home, Ms. Fang spoke highly of Qiao Xuan. But she wasn¡¯t sure about those mushrooms either. Qiao Xuan passionately proved that those mushrooms were fine after feeding them to the roosters. Only then did Ms. Fang get assured. For dinner, they made fried mushrooms, mushroom soup, pickles with spring baboom and bracken. All were very fresh and tasty, and were highly appreciated. They had never expected that the mushrooms could taste so good. There were many mushrooms growing in the mountains. They would serve as very good dishes, if they were well-distinguished. Also, though fresh mushrooms could not stay fresh for long, they could be dried and stored, ready to be eaten whenever, throughout the whole year. Therefore the following day, the interested Qiao Xuan, together with Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao went into the mountains again. Shao Yunduan had no choice but to follow after. It was another day full of harvest. Within half a day¡¯s time, mushrooms, brackens and wild bamboos filled up their hemp bags! It seemed as if those mushrooms did not have to be found, but appeared right in front of their eyes directly. They could find the mushrooms wherever they wanted. Both Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were cheerful. ¡°We are so lucky today!¡± ¡°True!¡± Chapter 28 Admiration and Delight Shao Yunduan could not help but nod in agreement. They were indeed very lucky¡­ As the four of them returned home, Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu did not suspect the safety of mushrooms as they already witnessed what happened the day before. So they got the dustpans to hold the mushrooms and dried them out on high ces. When it came to brackens, they cut off the head and bottom, put them in boiling water before cing them into the clear water, after the brackens were taken home. Those coin-size and finger-size bamboos needed to be peeled. So the women sat together to peel off the shells¡­ As they were busy with all of these, Ms. Niu came to visit them with a look of smile. She was thinking of some ns the moment she walked in. Seeing that Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan were peeling the bamboo, she instantly lost interest and said with a smile, ¡°Oh, these bamboos are too thin to have their shells peeled off. It is so exhausting to do this work, are you tired?¡± When she heard that some people of the family came home from the mountains withrge bags of things, she just came to see what they had got. But the things in front of her were beyond her anticipation. Ms. Fang threw a look at her and said casually, ¡°That is true, children are just having fun with it.¡± Ms. Niu sounded as if she did not like any of these, but as she saw those peeled, white and tender-looking bamboos lying in the basket, she smiled and said, ¡°Qi and Taotao are so diligent. I will have some to take home for a taste.¡± But suddenly, a pair of hands stretched out and took away the whole basket instantly. Qiao Xuan stood up with a basket and smiled. ¡°Mom, should we also boil bamboo in the water?¡± Ms. Niu failed to get the basket and turned a bit dumbfounded. She looked so silly as she was frozen in her posture. Ms. Fangughed and nodded at her. ¡°Yes, but don¡¯t do that, you will burn your hands, Ms. Xu, you go and do it instead.¡± Ms. Xu nodded and took over the basket. She had also been a bit anxious seeing that Second Sister-inw was trying to get the basket. That woman was never going to spare any courtesy and would have taken the whole thing away. Those bamboos were very tasty, even though they were covered with thick shells. They had spent so much time peeling them and she would feel so bad, if Second Sister-inw took them away for free. But she did not dare to stop that woman. Luckily, her sister-inw took action. Ms. Xu could not help but admire and feel happy. Ms. Niu got so annoyed that she snorted. ¡°Ms. Qiao, you are so stingy! We are a family, why are you defending your bamboos like this?¡± Qiao Xuan showed an awkward smile and said, ¡°It is so exhausting to peel these bamboos, I am not that generous to share them. Second Sister-inw, if you want to eat them, you can go to the mountains to pick them yourself, it is not that difficult.¡± Qiao Xuan was not a stingy person, but she did not want to share her spoils with Ms. Niu, who was snapping at them, simply trying to take advantage of them. Ms. Niu.¡±¡­¡± Ms. Fang chuckled. ¡°Yes, that is true. They are not expensive things. They are avable everywhere in the mountains. Just go and pick them if you want to. There are so many of us in the family. These are only enough for two meals. We can¡¯t share them, okay?¡± Ms. Niu snorted. Stingy people! She did not care about these no-taste bamboos! She just wanted to take advantage of them! She did not want to continue to care about these bamboos. But she had stepped into the family, and she believed that she needed to say something. Ms. Niu rolled her eyes and suddenly smiled. ¡°Ms. Qiao, tomorrow is your ¡®return-to-bride¡¯s home¡¯ day. Have you got your presents ready? Tell me what you are going to take home? I can help you with some ideas.¡± Chapter 29 re Ms. Fang¡¯s smile stiffened and her face sank. She threw a really cold side nce at Ms. Niu. This damn woman. What a bitch! She just picked those words which they did not like to talk about as if she could benefit something out of it. Ms. Fang could not help but feel regretful and nervous. She should have discussed with Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan about the return to Qiao Xuan¡¯s family yesterday, but she forgot about it after having a row with her husband. She really had no idea what she should do about the trip. She started to think carefully and decided to turn to Qiao Xuan instead. Qiao Xuan smiled at Ms. Niu. ¡°What about you getting two hens for me? My father and his wife would definitely love it!¡± ¡°In your dreams! My hens are still hatching eggs. They can¡¯t possibly be given away as presents!¡± Ms. Niu red back at her. Qiao Xuan shrugged and uttered a small ¡°oh¡± sound. ¡°Then why are you asking for the information, if you are not sponsoring it?¡± Ms. Niu again said sinisterly, ¡°But you have hens, don¡¯t you? You can give some of them to your family right? But I don¡¯t think that hens are enough for the return trip, right? Elder Sister-inw, it is time for you to back up Yunduan and the Shao Family! You should never be stingy about this, right, Ms. Qiao?¡± Ms. Niu was trying her best to turn the family members against each other. ¡°Of course! Ms. Qiao is a kind, understanding and family-favored person. We are going to do everything we can for her!¡± Ms. Fang red at her, feeling both angry and irritated. What was going on? But she did not dare to say anything as she looked at Qiao Xuan. If she countered Ms. Niu, then she would probably annoy Qiao Xuan, who might assume that she would overthink her intention. Qiao Xuan smiled at Ms. Fang gratefully. ¡°Mom, thank you for your kindness. My father and mother once said that the elder section of the Shao Family are kindest of all! For them, just greetings would do! Mom, you don¡¯t have to care about this, otherwise I will feel so sorry about your concern. My father and mother will snap at me, for causing you trouble, if you do too much for me.¡± Officer Qiao was a very selfish person with the intention of going upwards. He did not care a thing about Qiao Xuan. As for Madame Qiao¡­ well, she was very happy that Qiao Xuan had married into a farmer¡¯s family. She did not care if she was bringing back any presents. As a matter of fact, Qiao Xuan had not even thought about returning to her own family. She would rather go back with nothing in her hands. Her family would not help her even when she was in trouble. If that was the case, why should she care about them? Ms. Fang felt warmth attacking her heart. She felt slightly more assured as she responded anxiously. ¡°Okay, okay, that is good, that is good.¡± Qiao Xuan turned to look at Ms. Niu and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t stand there, Second Sister-inw,e and help us peel the bamboo!¡± Ms. Fang felt so happy at this moment that she sneered. ¡°True, you are so free, why note and help us peel the bamboo!¡± Ms. Niu felt quite jealous and showed a false smile. ¡°I am not free at all, I need to go home¡­¡± She was so angry that they had such good luck! How did the Qiao Family end up being rted to them? She could not help but start toin about her son. Her second son could do nothing, but her fourth son, who she believed to be smart, just did not want to go to school and study! He said that he would reap the harvest rather than go to school, where he felt a headache attacking him. The elder brother was always taking care of his younger brothers and their families. If he had been willing to study, the fifth son of the family would have been squeezed to nowhere by this point. Chapter 30 Shao Yunduan¡¯s Reaction When Ms. Niu was gone, Ms. Fang could not help but mention the topic about returning to Qiao Xuan¡¯s family on the next day. Qiao Xuan kept consoling her, telling her that her family did not care for presents, so Ms. Fang really felt assured. By this point, Ms. Fang loved Qiao Xuan even more. She felt really happy for her. The next morning, Shao Yunduan took Qiao Xuan back to her family. There was no wagon in the vige, so they spent 20 wen in borrowing a bullock cart to ride back. Qiao Xuan had not prepared any presents. She decided to buy some on the street. She did not want to give away the arrogant roosters and fat hens which she had been feeding for two days, let alone the efforts done by Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu earlier on them. Ms. Fang decided that they should go to the street to buy some stuff, when she truly could not find anything at home to offer. She gave Qiao Xuan 2 liang. That was what she had saved till this point from her private earnings. They just could not save any money openly. The other two sections of the family were all staring at the savings! But for Shao Yunduan who was going to school, she would not have any private money either! Qiao Xuan had not intended to take it, but she epted it when she failed to turn down the kind offer. As they walked into the county, they bought four boxes of pastry, two jars of rice wine and two boxes of tea leaves. Those were very ordinary things, and were cheap. Qiao Xuan intentionally bought some beautiful wrappings to repack them. So, every present looked really amazing and expensive! Shao Yunduan was totally dumbfounded. Seeing her achievement, Qiao Xuan could not help but feel that she had taken revenge, when she thought of how Madame Qiao was going to react to that. ¡°Before we go there, I have a few words to share with you.¡± Anyway, as long as they arrived at the Qiao Family, all the evil inside the mansion would be revealed in front of him. Madame Qiao, her lineal sister, Qiao Wei and her second sister, Qiao Kou as well as Concubine Du would definitelyugh and sneer at her. They might even humiliate her as well as her husband, Shao Yunduan. She decided to give Shao Yunduan a warning before he entered the mansion. Shao Yunduan was surprised, but not that surprised after all. He was a Cultivated Talent and had more knowledge than the others. He clearly understood the conflicts that were bound to exist between the lineal mother and the concubine¡¯s children. When Qiao Xuan was rescued by him, he had found it to be very strange as to how there could be no maids next to this nobledy when she fell into the water. How did she fall into the water so easily? But he did not delve deep into the reason, when right afterwards, their wedding happened. But hearing what Qiao Xuan said, he suddenly felt that everything made sense. No wonder the marriage went on so easily. Madame Qiao was hoping that Qiao Xuan could marry a farmer¡¯s son! He was a Cultivated Talent, but there were many talents out there, and Shao Yunduan never believed that he could make it through all the imperial examinations. He might remain as just a Cultivated Talent for the rest of his life. No wonder Qiao Xuanmitted suicide on their wedding night. Shao Yunduan suddenly felt sorry for Qiao Xuan and threw a sympathetic look at her. She wasn¡¯t living an easy life either. ¡°We are not going to be received well today, but don¡¯t take any of their words to heart. We won¡¯t have muchmunication with them from this day on. We can just get the ceremony done as soon as possible, and can go home soon!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The couple held a very strange conversation, which did not make them look like a newly-wedding couple on their way back to the bride¡¯s home. The couple came to the back street of the county mansion with gifts in each of their hands. No one was there to greet them at the door, which didn¡¯t even open until a long whileter. Even the housekeepers, and a few aunties were nowhere to be seen, let alone the master. The door was opened, as azy sound of ¡®Second Miss and Second Sir Son-inw are back here!¡¯ Then the sound disappeared. Chapter 31 Madame Qiao¡¯s Cold nce There was no one guiding them on the path. Qiao Xuan, even on the trip back to her own family, received ignorance and coldness. Qiao Xuan felt calm. All those servants working for Madame Qiao were just servants, who obeyed what Madame Qiao told them to. There was no point in getting angry with them. However, Shao Yunduan next to her noticed her calmness. But he assumed that it was because she was pretending to stayposed and trying to force out a smile whilst feeling so ashamed, humiliated and angry inwardly. Shao Yunduan more or less had an idea of what was going on with Qiao Xuan¡¯s family, after she had told him about the situation inside the mansion. But only at this moment when he was inside the mansion did he realize that what he knew was too little for him to get a full understanding. They were not like a family to her. They seemed to be regarding her even worse than a stranger! Well, Madame Qiao might not show any passion, but what he had not expected was that Officer Qiao acted the same. Shao Yunduan sneaked a look at Qiao Xuan and said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad.¡± ¡°What?¡± Qiao Xuan was surprised. Shao Yunduan did not know how to console people, so he added awkwardly. ¡°Just¡­ don¡¯t be upset.¡± Qiao Xuan blinked and realized that he was trying to console her. She showed a smile and her eyes shone. ¡°I am not angry or upset.¡± The couple came to the main hall, where only Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei were seen. Qiao Xuan told Shao Yunduan to put down the gifts they had brought with them and greeted the pair of mother and daughter. Madame Qiao nced at how the couple were dressed and felt very satisfied. She nodded slightly and said, ¡°Take a seat. Old Master is busy today so he will not be meeting you. Well, you won¡¯t mind it, will you, Mr. Shao¡­¡± Madame Qiao just could not remember what Shao Yunduan was called. Nor did she have the willingness to call him Son-inw, so she just addressed him by ¡®you¡¯ only. She was going to humiliate Qiao Xuan as well as the Shao Family. She believed how she treated the Shao Family would make Qiao Xuan¡¯s life even more miserable. Madame Qiao felt even better, when she thought of how Qiao Xuan would be screamed at and lectured by her husband after this, making her shed tears from day to night. That bitch Concubine Yan dared to seduce Old Master. Hence, she decided to stab her heart so that she would not get to rest in peace even when dead. Shao Yunduan threw a gentle look at Madame Qiao and replied with a gesture, shaking his head. ¡°Officer Father-inw is a busy man and I am not here to disturb him, so no, I don¡¯t mind his absence at all.¡± Madame Qiao was startled. Right after, coldness shed across her eyes. A busy man? He was just a County Magistrate who had no business at all. Shao Yunduan was being ironic, wasn¡¯t he? Did he do that on purpose or not? She had thought that this son-inw was a dumbass, but it seemed that he did know how to talk. Madame Qiao did not show any weakness but smiled. ¡°You are a schr, aren¡¯t you? No wonder you know how to talk.¡± Shao Yunduan lowered his head slightly and said, ¡°Thank you for yourpliment.¡± Qiao Wei sneered ¨Cpliment? He did not deserve anypliment! He was speaking so highly of himself! They were just talking, when Concubine Du and Qiao Kou arrived. Concubine Du did not appear until Madame Qiao showed up first. She always used topete with Concubine Yan. Madame Qiao had signed a lifetime contract with Concubine Du, so Concubine Du obeyed whatever Madame Qiao said. She liked to tter Madame Qiao in every possible way. Qiao Kou, the daughter of Concubine Du was also Qiao Wei¡¯s follower. She served her as if she were her maid. During the past few years, the mother and the daughter lived a good life at the mansion, at least they were always well fed and were given a lot of things on the side. So when Madame Qiao held such a deep grudge against Qiao Xuan, that pair of mother and daughter would only show even deeper grudge against Qiao Xuan. ¡°Greetings, Madame Qiao!¡± Concubine Du and Qiao Kou greeted Madame Qiao happily and then took the seats opposite Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. Chapter 32 Qiao Kou¡¯s Smile Qiao Kou threw a look at Qiao Xuan and then chuckled, as she said with interest, ¡°Sister, you are dressed very uniquely. I almost did not recognize you! I seem to have seen you far in the distance a while ago, but I did not dare to speak with you. I just could not believe that was you! I should have greeted you, Sister, hehe!¡± Hearing what Qiao Kou said, everyone including Qiao Wei, Concubine Du as well as the aunts and maidsughed. Madame Qiao did not dare tough loudly, so she just showed a small smile. Shao Yunduan threw a look at Qiao Xuan, feeling both angry and sympathetic. He subconsciously clenched his fists, and suddenly, he felt a thought attacking his head. There was going to be one day, when he was going to make her prosper like never before, so that these people would not demean her in this way! Now that they had made the trip back to her family¡¯s home, they did not have to stay and get humiliated here anymore! Shao Yunduan was about to ask for leave, when Qiao Xuan smiled at Qiao Kou and said shyly, ¡°It is my biggest luck that I have be the Shao Family¡¯s daughter-inw. I am very happy already. But you, my sister, you are beautiful and have a good personality, I believe that you are going to marry some noble family! If that dayes, do try to give me a boost!¡± Qiao Kou was just one year younger than Qiao Xuan, and she was old enough to get married. Officer Qiao was transferred to this ce from the capital, and he had been seeking for a good official position in the capital these two years, so that he could return to the capital after two years¡¯ seat in the office. In the capital there were a number of noble people and young masters from some Prince¡¯s families. The Qiao Family were not supported by any strong background, but if they tried hard, they might be able to get connected with some marquis¡¯ families. Also, there were families who were worse than the Qiao Family that got connected through marriage with noble families. It was a matter of destiny that could not be stopped in any way. What Qiao Xuan said, hit right on Concubine Du and Qiao Kou¡¯s hearts. Those were nice and auspicious words that everyone loved to hear. Concubine Du and Qiao Kou suddenly felt so happy and went into a good mood. They could not help but show a proud smile. Qiao Kou became even more proud. She was both arrogant and bashful, as she flushed and let out a light snort. Suddenly, she felt that this sister of hers was better-behaved than before. But neither of the women noticed that Madame Qiao was disying a cold look. Qiao Wei was not as introverted as her mother. She sank her face and threw a cold look at Qiao Xuan, as she sneered. ¡°What do you know about noble families? Just shut up if you know nothing.¡± Both Concubine Du and Qiao Kou¡¯s smiles stiffened. Concubine Du¡¯s face changed as she said quickly, ¡°True, Elder Miss is right. Second Miss, please don¡¯t make this kind of joke any more!¡± Qiao Wei was the lineal daughter, and her brother was working at the Literati House in the capital and the only son of Officer Qiao. Madame Qiao¡¯s own family was not bad either, and she had been spoiling Qiao Wei, who had be selfish and dominating and always held a grudge against a lot of people. No one knew that better than Concubine Du. Qiao Wei was already engaged. Her fiance was the youngest son of the cousin of Marquess An in the capital. But the Marquir Family was already separated. Even if they were still a whole family, cousins and brothers were not much connected at all. It was already lucky for the Qiao Family to have such a marital connection. They were not a real Marquess family, but at least they were a little connected. Now that Qiao Xuan was saying that Qiao Kou would be able to marry someone at a higher position, Qiao Wei could not stand that thought. Concubine Du got very frightened when she realized this point. Chapter 33 Madame Qiao¡¯s Irritation Concubine Du got really frightened as she realized this point. But inwardly, she did have a small hope for that to happen, so she just told Qiao Xuan not to joke rather than confirm the point. Qiao Kou was not as smart as her mother. Hearing what her sister and mother said, she remained unconvinced. ¡°Why can¡¯t I marry into some noble family? What if someone from the noble family falls for me?¡± Even a narrow-minded person like Qiao Xuan knew that she was a beautiful girl. Qiao Xuan smiled and said nothing more. She was just trying to make a small fuss so they could all shut up. If she went over the top, the results would not be as good. She was still a weak person at the moment, and making Madame Qiao irritated wasn¡¯t an ideal choice for her in this situation now. Madame Qiao wasn¡¯t very happy as she said calmly, ¡°Alright, you sisters can have chit chat somewhere else. Yuzan, lead the son-inw of the Shao Family to have a seat in the hall!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mother, I need to speak with you alone, please. Is that okay with you?¡± Madame Qiao looked at Qiao Xuan transfixed, and smiled suddenly. ¡°Sure. Leave us.¡± Shao Yunduan, who was about to ask Qiao Xuan to leave, had to drop his intention. He exchanged a look with Qiao Xuan and left with the maids. When everyone else retired, only Auntie Ling and Qiao Wei next to Madame Qiao did not move. Madame Qiao had always spoiled Qiao Wei, so she said nothing about her being present. Qiao Wei raised her eyebrows and sneered. ¡°You are bolder than before. Since when did you develop the ability of being so good at talking? Just spill it, if you want to have a word with my mother.¡± Qiao Xuan inhaled and said self-mockingly, ¡°I have nothing to fear when I end up being in this situation. You don¡¯t have to dwell too many thoughts on me, because it is how I should be. From this moment on, we will go our separate ways. I don¡¯t think that I am going to be someone outstanding in the future any more, so I will just admit that I am nobody!¡± Madame Qiao sneered. ¡°You are smart enough to understand where you stand!¡± She felt both proud and happy, and she suddenly did not seem to feel that Qiao Xuan was so annoying any more. Qiao Xuan, in her eyes, was just like an ant who was no threat to her. She had many other important things to worry about, so from this day on, she did not have to care about this woman any more. She was not going to be anyone outstanding in her life. She felt very assured when she realized that this girl was going to be deeply trapped in a poor, farmer¡¯s family and never get out of it. ¡°However¡­¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and confessed. ¡°I am a worldly person, so I am acting like a worldly girl. Madame Qiao, you know pretty well what you have offered as dowry for me, so I am here, asking for the dowry that I deserved to get.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Madame Qiao was shocked. Qiao Wei was startled as well. Qiao Xuan said, ¡°I want the dowry I deserve. Otherwise, you won¡¯t have a peaceful day in my life.¡± Qiao Wei sneered. ¡°What can you do?!¡± Damn, this bitch dared to threaten her mother. How bold she had be! She had turned so brave after she got married. Qiao Xuan took out the pamphlet from her arms and chuckled. ¡°Should I read out what is written in the book? I have nothing to fear when I am just a nobody. Do you believe that I am going to bring the real dowry and what is written in the book to the governmental office for my father to see?¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Madame Qiao became really furious. Chapter 34 Humiliation Qiao Xuan said nothing. Madame Qiao got so angry that she started to breathe heavily, ring at Qiao Xuan. Qiao Wei got annoyed too and snapped. ¡°If you dare to do that, dad will punish you!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and said calmly, ¡°So what, Elder Miss?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Madame Qiao got stuck in wards as well. True, so what? The bare-feet people were never afraid of those with shoes, and Qiao Xuan was the former. She was not afraid of losing face, but they were! If she did put forward that to the governmental office, the Old Master would be absolutely humiliated, so would she. By that time, the Old Master would me her for what she had done. Madame Qiao clenched her teeth. ¡°What do you want?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I told you, I want the real dowry I deserve. Madame Qiao, just get the money equal to that, okay?¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± Qiao Wei snapped. ¡°Shame on you!¡± Madame Qiao sank her face and said after a while, ¡°You are Old Master¡¯s daughter, and you should get some benefits. 50 liang, and seal the note, no more requirements in the future, otherwise you will be punished!¡± Qiao Wei got startled. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Madame Qiao turned to Qiao Wei who shut up and red at Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That is so little, Madame Qiao, I need 500 liang!¡± Qiao Wei screamed. ¡°You are a robber!¡± Madame Qiao also became annoyed andughed angrily. ¡°Who do you think you are, worth 500 liang? 100 liang, or no deal.¡± ¡°400 liang, and nothing less! I am Officer Qiao¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°300 liang, and that is all!¡± ¡°¡­Alright then, 300 liang will do.¡± Qiao Wei felt as if her heart had broken. ¡°Mom, how can you say yes? 300 liang, she isn¡¯t worth that much!¡± Madame Qiao patted her hands and sneered. ¡°Just pretend as if we were buying some things and donating to the temple. As long as she leaves us alone!¡± Qiao Wei was not convinced. She red at Qiao Xuan, feeling as if a part of her had been ripped off. Well, she was more selfish than her mother anyway¡­ 300 liang was enough to buy a set of excellent jewelry for herself¡­ Soon, Madame Qiao asked Auntie Ling to get the money and asked Qiao Wei to write the note, showing that Qiao Xuan got 300 liang from Madame Qiao and they were going separate ways from that moment on, without any more ckmailing or demands. Qiao Xuan also got one note, sealed on it without hesitation. Madame Qiao threw a disdainful look at her and put away the note. ¡°Just leave, you can have lunch and go, no more visits from this moment on!¡± Qiao Wei added and sneered. ¡°No more visits! No one likes you here!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qiao Xuan said inwardly, ¡°I wish you could forget me totally!¡± She got up. ¡°I will skip lunch. We will be heading back home. It is not closeby.¡± Hearing what she said, Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei felt slightly better thinking that she had married into a poor family. Qiao Wei sneered. ¡°You aren¡¯t staying for lunch? Honestly, we have hens, ducks, fish and other meat, you won¡¯t have this much after you step out of the door.¡± ¡°No, thanks!¡± Qiao Xuan had no interest in arguing with her over some unnecessary things. She joined Shao Yunduan and together, they left the mansion. In the mansion, Qiao Wei was still very unhappy about giving away the 300 liang. Chapter 35 Qiao Xuan¡¯s Understanding Madame Qiao consoled her with a smile, meaning to console herself as well. ¡°It is just 300 liang. She can¡¯t live on that amount for the rest of her life. It is worth the while if we are left alone after this. Just take it that we are driving away a beggar!¡± Qiao Wei snorted, and let it go. When Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan left the mansion, they could not help but let out a sigh of relief. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Darling, I am sorry that you have to go through this! But don¡¯t worry, this is the one and only time. We will nevere to this ce again!¡± Qiao Xuan was feeling really guilty, because Shao Yunduan suffered from this ordeal thanks to her. She had told him a few things before they walked into the mansion, but the reality turned out to be much worse than what she had said. It did not seem to have worked that well for him. Shao Yunduan was indeed feeling really bad inwardly. But that was mostly because he felt sorry for Qiao Xuan, who was the so-called daughter of County Magistrate on the surface yet who suffered from such discrimination inside the mansion. He even believed that Taotao was living a happier life than she had, earlier at her house. They had gotten married and Qiao Xuan was verypatible with the Shao Family these days. She even called his mother ¡®Mom¡¯ passionately, and subconsciously, Shao Yunduan had already included her into their family. Seeing that she was bullied, he became not onlypassionate, but also angry. But she was still trying her best to console him at this moment. Shao Yunduan felt heat attacking his heart, as he looked at Qiao Xuan. ¡°I will definitely make it to the ¡®Rmended Man¡¯ next year at the vige examination!¡± Qiao Xuan was confused. ¡°What? Why are you saying this now?¡± ¡°And the year after that, I will make it to the ¡®Advanced Schr¡¯.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°At that time, no one is going to look down at you any more.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Xuan finally understood what he was saying. Suddenly, she felt a stream of warmth flowing past her heart, as she looked at Shao Yunduan in astonishment. She had thought that the most Shao Yunduan would do was not me her, and might hold some grudges inside. After all, he had been humiliated for no reason. No one would be able to stand that. Moreover, he was a schr, who cared more about manners than the others. Unexpectedly, however, he was making a promise to console her. This kind of constion consisted of no sweet words or gentle sentences. Instead it was filled with prative strength, just like the sunshine that melted the ice and snow. For some reason, she felt even more confident in this way. She smiled brightly. ¡°I am sure you can make it!¡± A man like him deserved to get happiness in his life. He should be given a promising future to be a ¡®Rmended Man¡¯ and an ¡®Advanced Schr¡¯. Shao Yunduan showed a rare smile as he nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Since they were in the county, Qiao Xuan decided to bring some stuff home. She talked happily with Shao Yunduan, who wasn¡¯t that talkative but gave small responses. Gradually, the grudge they held towards the trip to the Qiao Mansion was gone. The couple grabbed some food and then, Qiao Xuan took Shao Yunduan for shopping. Farmers¡¯ families were not rich enough to splurge on spices and seasonings, and they were always fed light-tasted food. Two or three meals might be useful to get a healthy diet, but too many such meals couldn¡¯t be tolerated. Qiao Xuan, who had been used to a well-to-do life, had had enough of such nd food after just three days. She was definitely going to buy a lot of seasonings and spices today, before anything else. They were breeding sprouts at home, and after the Dragon Boat Day, they would start to nt the crop. But it seemed that the grains were not enough, so her mother-inw had tried to cut down the rice for the porridge so as to live more frugally. They would not bepletely full until the new grains were harvested. Therefore, Qiao Xuan decided to buy hundreds of jin of rice and flour respectively. Chapter 36 Presents From My Family After this, she was going to buy some meat and other small things. She had received 300 liang from Madame Qiao, and she was going to learn how to make money, so she feared nothing. The things here were not very expensive, so after buying one wagon full of stuff, Qiao Xuan only spent a dozen liang. Qiao Xuan felt so fruitful when she had bought so much! Shao Yunduan had intended to ask her not to buy things, but when he was reminded that she had always been living a well-to-do life, he allowed her to buy whatever she wanted for herself. He felt a bit guilty, and could not help but ask her to buy things for herself, not for the whole family. Qiao Xuan said confidently, ¡°But Mom treats me so nicely. Qi, Tao and you as well are always kind towards me. We don¡¯t have to be so calctive. Anyway, you can repay me when you be sessful in the future.¡± Shao Yunduan, who was naturally terrible at saying things, could not find words to counter her. The two of them came home with a wagon full of stuff, which startled Ms. Fang, Ms. Xu as well as Shao Taotao. Ms. Xu could not help but feel very joyful inside her heart, when she saw the daily necessities. They were living together, so those things were for all of them to share! Her fifth sister-inw was so generous! But then, she could not help but feel jealous of her. She was not a match against her fifth sister-inw, who was born in a County Magistrate¡¯s family. ¡°Why did you buy so much? How much did everything cost?!¡± Ms. Fang asked. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom, we barely visit the town. Moreover, these are not so expensive. Just put them away!¡± The mother-inw instantly understood what she meant. Instead of asking anything more, Ms. Fang nodded. ¡°Okay, Ms. Xu, Qi and Taotao,e and help!¡± Together with Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, they carried the stuff inside the room and put them away neatly. When Qiao Xuan was buying the meat, she just could not help but feel like eating braised rib-bone and deep-fried pork. So, she volunteered to make two dishes tonight for them. Ms. Fang nodded and agreed, asking Ms. Xu and Taotao to help her. They were just talking when Ms. Niu, who was holding her grandson in her arms, came with Ms. Ma. The two of them had already started to make a n the moment they went into the yard. Ms. Ma looked about and said, ¡°I heard that you brought home a wagon full of presents from your mother¡¯s family. We are a family, so I believe that we should be given some portion as well. I don¡¯t think that you should keep the good things all for yourself.¡± ¡°I agree!¡± Ms. Niu added. ¡°Unless you don¡¯t regard us as family. But I don¡¯t think that Elder Brother agrees with it.¡± Ms. Fang had a terrible look on her face and she was about to speak when Qiao Xuan came there. Qiao Xuan was on the same side as she was, so she exined. ¡°You have misunderstood us, Second Sister-inw and Third Sister-inw. I bought those things with my own dowry. They are not presents from my mother¡¯s family.¡± Qiao Xuan felt that she had already put it clearly. Those were not presents from her mother¡¯s family, but bought by herself. Therefore, no one outside this family would be able to get a portion. Unfortunately, Eldest Uncle of the Shao Family always regarded his brothers¡¯ families as one, and kept sharing food and stuff with the other sections of the family. As long as the other sections of the family expressed some gratitude, he would feel satisfied. Therefore, during the past few years, it had been natural for the other two sections of the families to get stuff from the first section of the family. Hearing what Qiao Xuan said, Ms. Niu snapped. ¡°It is all the same. We are one family, how can you be so cruel seeing us drink porridge whilst you are eating fish and meat?¡± Chapter 37 Pestering Ms. Ma said, ¡°That is right! Our elder brother never does anything so selfish!¡± The two of themplimented and cooperated with each other, spitting and shouting as if they were definitely going to get what they wanted. soon, they became increasingly impatient and asked Ms. Xu and Qiao Xuan to get them whatever they wanted instead of wasting their time here, iming that they had many other things to deal with! Qiao Xuan turned to look at her mother-inw. She had already told them that all the things were paid from her dowry, so Ms. Fang was not in a position to cut in. She threw a look at Qiao Xuan, suggesting that she could do whatever she wanted. Qiao Xuan lowered her head and said, ¡°I think that you are well aware that my dowry belongs solely to me, and I have a say in how I deal with it. No one can do anything about it, right? So, you two should just go back to wherever you came from.¡± Ms. Fang sneered and chipped in. ¡°Ms. Qiao, don¡¯t worry, we are from the countryside, but we have dignity. We don¡¯t put our hands in our daughter-inw¡¯s dowry!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Qiao Xuan blinked her beautiful eyes and nodded with belief. ¡°You are right, there is no one so shameless in our family!¡± Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma got so annoyed that their faces twisted! Ms. Fang was alone in the past, and was not in a match against the other women in the family, considering that Eldest Uncle was always on the family¡¯s side. Now Ms. Qiao was here, and she was very hard to deal with. ¡°Okay, okay, you are so selfish!¡± ¡°Oh but honestly, Ms. Qiao, you are counting money for those who are out to sell you! You keep saying things about your dowry, but haven¡¯t you noticed that you are buying those things for your husband¡¯s family. You are being coaxed to spend all your money!¡± This implicit me made everyone from the first section of the family turn pale. Ms. Fang bellowed. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°I love spending money for my husband¡¯s family. That is not anyone¡¯s business!¡± Everyone present. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Qiao¡­¡± Ms. Fang was startled. She was so moved that she had no idea what else to say. Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows. ¡°As for people outside my family¡­ I don¡¯t care what happens to them.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ms. Ma got so annoyed but she only mumbled. ¡°But we are a family, how can you be like this!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°We are living in separate homes! Are you too blind to see that every family with many siblings in our vige is living like this!¡± Ms. Fang had said those words before, but it never worked. Yet at this moment, she felt that it was nice to say these words out loud. When the eldest man in the family was gone, brothers had started to live in separate homes and were dealing with their own business affairs. They even spent Chinese New Year in a separate way as well! Brothers helped each other when they were in need, but that was all. Brothers could offer help, if someone was in need. But it was never done out of selfishness. No families would juste to the others¡¯ families as if they were still living together. That was like making themselves turn into aughing stock in front of the entire vige! Those from the second and third sections of the family kept telling others that the first section of the family were working for them as if they were their servants.Those words were nothing to Eldest Brother who just wanted to keep the brotherhood well and fine, but they were annoying to everyone else from the first section. Ms. Niu sneered and pulled away Ms. Ma. ¡°Since you are so cruel, there is nothing we can say or do about it! Also, we are not shameless people! We don¡¯t care about your stuff, we can live on our own happily!¡± Chapter 38 Qiao Xuan¡¯s n Ms. Fang snapped at their retreating figures. ¡°You should have realized this point earlier!¡± Shao Xiaoqi scratched his head and whispered. ¡°Mom, do you think they are going to tell Dad about this?¡± Ms. Fang knocked at his forehead. ¡°Who cares!¡± Shao Xiaoqi grimaced and shut up. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Dad should be a reasonable man. Isn¡¯t it natural that I am in charge of my own dowry?¡± Ms. Fang sighed slightly and turned to Qiao Xuan, speaking kindly. ¡°Ms. Qiao, let¡¯s just drop what happened today. Don¡¯t buy so many things in the future, keep the money forter use.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom, we can earn money when it is spent. Also, I have got something to discuss with you and my husband. I am thinking about buying somend.¡± ¡°What?¡± Both Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were startled. Even Shao Yunduan threw a surprised look at her. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the room and talk.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± For farmers¡¯ families, buyingnd, building houses and buying bulls were always important things. When Ms. Fang heard that Qiao Xuan had such a n, shepletely forgot about Ms. Niu, Ms. Ma and all others. She was totally distracted. After walking around the vige two days ago, Qiao Xuan had already made a good n. There was a slope of about ten acres behind the Shao family. Because the soil was shallow and there were many stones, it remained deserted. She nned to buy it, so as to cultivate mushrooms, nt fruit trees, some precious medicinal materials such as gastrodia ta, Panax notoginseng, Solomon¡¯s seals, etc. When it was time to build fences, it could be connected with the yard at home, making it extremely convenient to take care of. That was a ce which was an eyesore in other people¡¯s eyes. But she was a person with a wood superpower, and it should be a great ce for her. Her superpower was growing day by day, and the more she used it, the faster it grew. It looked as if she were in the process of cultivating her superpower. If she nted two trees for each kind of fruit and expanded the range for four, or five mu, they would always have all kinds of fruits for the rest of their lives. Then she could build some houses for mushrooms, and with the superpower of hers, she could harvest a lot within a short while. As for the rest of the four or five mu, she could nt gastrodia ta, Panax notoginseng nted there. She could use her superpower to make them grow well. Moreover, she could have a batch of hens in the ce that was isted from the mushroom house and medical field. It would be so wonderful! Apart from the smallnd in the back of the yard, she nned to buy a patch of valleys andnd close to the vige. That was a hugend, but she could not afford so much, only 60 mu would do. On thatnd, she nned to nt China roses and multiflora roses, red and blue flowers, pomegranates, sweet-scented osmanthus, lilies, safflowers, gardenia and other safflowers and aromatic flowers and trees. With that, she could feed twenty to three beehives. Red flowers could be used to make lipstick rouge, and the essence of aromatic flowers and trees could be extracted to make perfume. Thanks to the superpower she had, all the work would be so easy for her. As long as she could concentrate, she could keep control of the nts and extract stuff out of them. She was very sensitive to the scent of flowers as well, and making perfumes would not be difficult either. She had tried all of these. She picked some mints from the yard and with almost no effort, she was able to extract two portions of very pure mint oils. With this superpower of hers, she was definitely going to live a lovely life and make a fortune. But she was going to keep it a secret from Ms. Fang and Shao Yunduan. They would not believe her words either, even if they were told. So what she said was that she was going to nt some fruit trees in the back of the yard, and the crops would be nted in the mountains. She looked forward to seeing what the harvest would be like. Chapter 39 Never Too Much The moment she finished her speech, Ms. Fang and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look with each other, falling into silence. Shao Yunduan threw a sneaky look at her, feeling both helpless and having no idea what to do. He sighed inwardly. Well, it was not her fault. She was a daughter born in a noble family who had no idea about how farmers¡¯ families were living. Buyingnd? Thatnd was all barren¡­ But seeing the sparkle in her eyes as well as the obvious passion, Shao Yunduan just could not help but hold back his intention of refuting her. Ms. Xu got a bit anxious, as she said with a smile, ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, what are you buying barrennd for? It is so difficult to sort and clean up these ces, and what grows out of suchnd is nothing more than beans and peanuts. Why bother wasting the money on thend that doesn¡¯t even produce good things? We can just buy some goodnd with the money.¡± Ms. Xu had her own n. Qiao Xuan had the money to buynd, which she was jealous about. But she was happy as well. Even if Qiao Xuan bought thend in her own name, they were still one family and Ms. Xu and her family should be able to get some profits out of them too. Also, even if they lived separately in the future and may not be able to share muchnd with the family, Ms. Xu and her family would still get some share. No one wouldin about getting too muchnd! Ms. Fang did not think highly of Ms. Xu, but she still nodded in agreement. She said with a smile, ¡°That is true, Ms. Qiao, your sister-inw is right! We can use the money to buy fertilend! The price might be higher, but those wonderful fields produce grains, which is something this barrennd would not be able to match!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You are right, Mom and Sister-inw, but I still want to buy somend first to nt fruit trees and some other things, as well as for breeding some hens. I can buy some wateryndter too. Please, Mom, just say yes.¡± Ms. Xu did not want to give up. So she insisted. ¡°But, Sister-inw, don¡¯t me me for talking too much. You don¡¯t know much about the difference betweennds. Just listen to what Mom says! It is very painstaking to open the barrennds outside the vige, and no good things would grow out of that, let alone thend in the back of our yard, where the soil is no thicker than one inch and stones are everywhere! Just don¡¯t waste any money on either of them!¡± Ms. Fang agreed. Shao Yunduan suddenly said. ¡°Mom, Sister-inw, if Ms. Qiao wants to have a try, what about letting her do that. It doesn¡¯t matter what she wants to nt.¡± Ms. Fang epted her son¡¯s words, and after a moment of contemtion, she nodded. Ms. Qiao was spending her own money and she could do whatever she wanted. What she as the mother-inw could do was to make some suggestions rather than make decisions on her behalf. If those fruit trees, peanuts and beans could grow well, then they would be able to get something, which was better than nothing. Ms. Fang nodded and said with a smile, ¡°Since you have made up your mind, then do as you want. Also, remember to write your name on thend contract, and keep the contract well.¡± ¡°One more thing, however, we are still living together, so half of the ie should be handed out to the big family and you can do whatever you want with the rest, even selling for money. That is a rule applicable to everyone in the family.¡± ¡°I got it, Mom!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and nodded. She could keep hernd contracts and be in charge of her ownnds. That was already a great thing given to someone who was living in a big family. Many people had no choice but to hand out all she had, before they started to live separately. But must she hand out half of the ie? That was something she needed to discuss with them. She was willing to do that, except that she did not want the other sections of the family to take advantage of what she handed out. Ms. Fang smiled and nodded, feeling very satisfied by how Qiao Xuan reacted. Her son¡¯s wife was a very understanding girl. He was lucky to have a wife like this! Chapter 40 Laughter When she was done with the discussion of this important matter, Qiao Xuan was very happy. She could not wait for even one moment before taking Shao Yunduan to visit the Land Officer¡¯s home. When they needed to do some business withnd and sign and lease, the Land Officer had to help with all of these. Ms. Xu felt a bit disappointed when she saw her mother-inw nodding at Qiao Xuan¡¯s proposal. But she could not do anything about it. She sighed inwardly. Well, that sister-inw of hers had money, so she could do whatever she wanted with it. She just would not ept any advice of hers. What more could she do about it anyway? Not everything was fair in this world! The Shao Family was located in Shaoding Vige. That was to say, most of the 200 households in the vige had the family names of Shao and Ding. The two-name families were always united with each other and they never had infights. They took turns in being the Land Officer for the vige. This year, it was the Ding Family¡¯s turn. Shao Yunduan was the Cultivated Talent, whilst Qiao Xuan was the daughter-inw of Cultivated Talent, so they were treated very amicably by Land Officer Ding. He did not dare offend them so easily. Soon, the process waspleted. They got 60 mu barrennds at the border of the vige, which cost them 180 liang in total at a price of 3 liang per mu. As for the 13 mu at the back of the Shao Family¡¯s yard, it was worth even less, namely 26 liang in total at a price of 2 liang per mu. Land Officer Ding promised that he would travel to the county to get them the contracts. They spent 206 liang in total, and would need a few more liang in theter process, when they would hire workers to do the cleaning, plowing and so on, as well as for buying seeds for flowers. They even needed some money to build a brick wall in the back of their yard. So in the end, they only had more than 70 liang left out of 300 liang which they originally possessed. It was enough for them to splurge for a long while. Qiao Xuan was very happy. She was crying out of surprise inwardly. This was way too cheap! After she and Shao Yunduan left Land Officer Ding¡¯s home, Land Officer Ding and his wife wereughing loudly. They thought that the young woman was very stupid! That was more than 200 liang which she spent, enough for a good piece ofnd of a dozen mu at a price of 7 liang per mu! That would be enough for them to get a lot of grain each year! The whole family would not be able to take in that much for the whole year! But she spent all the money upon barrennd. The Land Officer¡¯s wife said, ¡°Well, she is a noble-borndy who knows nothing! What she knows is to spend the money. But why does Yunduan not say anything? He must have studied too much and gotten dull in head! What about Ms. Fang? She is a smart one and even she said nothing about this?¡± Land Officer Ding smiled. ¡°She is a noble-borndy. Who dares to say any words countering her?¡± The wifeughed and sneered. ¡°True, the Shao Family has married and brought back one Buddha who should never be offended¡­¡± The wife went to share the gossip with others, feeling so amused with the whole thing. Qiao Xuan was very happy as she walked into the kitchen. She was going to make bamboo with braised rib-bone, braised pork with some mushrooms. Those dishes sounded delicious! The fresh and tender spring bamboo shoots were cut into pieces with a hob, a little soy sauce and a little sugar were added to the nched pork ribs. They were stirred and turned until they became slightly discolored. The spring bamboo shoots were added when the fragrance spread around. Then, they were stirred and fried on high heat, before a little water was added and meat was scooped out of water. The boiled pork belly was cut into thin slices, stirred and fried in a pan with oil. Then the sauce, salt as well as a small amount of washed mushrooms and garlic sprouts were added. The whole thing was fried over high heat until the whole ce was filled with its fragrance. A little sugar was added before serving. Finally, the two dishes were served. They looked so nice from all aspects, spreading scent in every corner of the yard. The third son of the Shao Family, Shao Xiaoqi as well as Shao Taotao just could not wait to have a taste of them. Ms. Xu could not help but swallow down her slobber. Those dishes were almost killing her. Her sister-inw should not be wandering in the kitchen. She was pouring oil as if it were free! Yes, she spent money on buying it, but she should not just be wasting it like this! Chapter 41 - 41 Uncle Shao’s Bad Mood 41 Uncle Shao¡¯s Bad Mood Ms. Fang was feeling a bit concerned too, but soon she remembered that it was Qiao Xuan who bought them herself. Hence, she stopped herself from spilling out anything more. She was not going into the kitchen every day anyways¡­ She made these two dishes, together with pickles with brackens as well as woked chives, and the dinner was prepared. Everyone was very active about the dinner. Shao Taotao and Shao Xiaoqiid the table and put food into their bowls. In the evening, Uncle Shao came home from the field with his two sons and identally ran into Second Uncle. They stopped for a moment and started to chat. !! The two brothers were just in the middle of a conversation, when Second Uncle asked the two sons to leave and soon, Third Uncle passed by as well. Eldest Uncle Shao had not spoken with his younger brothers for a long time and he was very happy to hear their respectful talks. But soon, the Elder Uncle felt worse and worse¡­ When he came home and saw Qiao Xuan, the Elder Uncle felt terrible. He frowned subconsciously. He had intended to say something but since it was time for dinner, he restrained himself and decided to wait until the food was done. As they were setting the table, the Elder Uncle could not help but feel like eating when he sensed the smell of meat. But when he saw the two dishes, he started toin to his wife. ¡°You are wasting materials! There is so much oil!¡± Ms. Fang threw a look at him and was about to say something, when Qiao Xuan added. ¡°Dad, I made the food, it is not Mom¡¯s fault! Don¡¯t worry, I bought these with my dowry. I want to show my respect to you, just eat.¡± The Elder Uncle got stuck with his words and after a long while, he added. ¡°Yes it is your dowry, but don¡¯t waste money! It is not really how you run the family. This is totally splurging! Have you given some to your Second Uncle and Third Uncle?¡± When the words were spoken, the whole air turned cold. They were not very surprised. In the past whenever Xiaoqi got some wild animals, the second and the third families would always get a share. So, when he got some more animals in the future, Ms. Fang would ask Xiaoqi to sell them to their neighbor, Old Master Yuan instead of bringing them home, which was better. So he only brought home one or two wild roosters and rabbits to improve the food every now and then. Qiao Xuan was startled and then she said with a smile, ¡°I did not buy a lot of things to be given to others, apart from you, Mom and Dad. We can talk about this next time we get the chance.¡± Eldest Uncle was about to add something more, when Ms. Fang said, ¡°Just eat, the food is getting colder. Stop being critical when your daughter-inw shows your respect.¡± The third son could not stand it any more. He took one bite of the ribs and eximed, showering her withpliments. ¡°The ribs taste so good! You are such a good cook!¡± Shao Junyan and Shao Qing could not stand the temptation any more either. They wanted to have a taste of the food too. Ms. Fang gave food to her grandson and granddaughter, and asked everyone to enjoy themselves, whilst asking Ms. Xu to take care of her two babies as well. They were all having a great time. Ms. Xu wasining inwardly. ¡°The meat has so much oil and is well seasoned, of course it is tasty¡­¡± Eldest Uncle. ¡°¡­¡± Well, eating was the only thing they could do at the moment. The two dishes with meat were not less, and Qiao Xuan was not stingy with seasoning, so the bamboos and mushrooms inside tasted extra good as well. Both of the dishes were soon finished. Even the remaining broth was polished off by the third son and Shao Xiaoqi with the rice. Ms. Fangughed happily. It had been a long time since she felt so good. Chapter 42 - 42 Daughter-in-law’s Dowry 42 Daughter-inw¡¯s Dowry After dinner, Ms. Xu and Shao Taotao helped to clean up the table and wash the dishes, whilst Xiaoqi and the third son went out for some fun. Ms. Fang was looking after Shao Junyan and Shao Qing. Eldest Uncle asked Shao Dng and Shao Yunduan, as well as Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang toe over. He sighed. ¡°You had an argument with Second Sister-inw and Third Sister-inw?¡± He felt really bad hearing what his brothers said to him today. He was so guilty and sad. He was not someone who wanted to get rid of his own brothers. When his daughter-inw became so rich and ruthless? !! He felt so bashful and guilty upon hearing what his brothers said to him. This Ms. Qiao was so unruly! How could she not respect the elderly people and be so selfish! They were one family and they should take care of each other. Ms. Fang had predicted that her husband would ask them about this. Those brothers were definitely going to report that to their Elder Brother! ¡°Who said that? I had no argument with them!¡± Eldest Uncle said, ¡°Of course yes! Ms. Qiao brought something home and she should have shared them with the second and the third section! We are a family and we should not just eat alone! Ms. Qiao, you should remember that though we are living in different homes, we are still one family. We are rted by blood and we should help each other. We should not be so ruthless.¡± ¡°You should get something ready and take them to the second and the third sections and apologize to them too. We should not try to argue with them.¡± Ms. Fang got angry. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Dad.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s face turned cold, and her face sank. ¡°I am very d to share with you what I bought with my dowry, and also with the brothers, but not with those uncles and aunts! I don¡¯t think you are right, Dad.¡± ¡°Dad, Ms. Qiao is correct.¡± Shao Yunduan added. ¡°It is not good when it is spread around. Sixth Brother is studying at the school, and if people hear that his parents are using their niece¡¯s dowry, he would get a very bad reputation too. Sixth Brother is very talented. But for the ident, he would have made it to the imperial examination already. Many people are jealous of him, what if rumors make it worse¡­¡± ¡°That¡­ won¡¯t happen¡­?¡± ¡°Of course it can, dad, Sixth brother can¡¯t afford any bad rumors.¡± Shao Yunduan knew clearly what he needed to do to move his father. He barely spoke, but when he did, he would always hit the point. When Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were getting married, the Sixth Son returned home for the wedding and now he was at the school again. When Shao Yunduan made it to Cultivated Talent, he had a different identity, so he did not go to school frequently as before. Instead, he would just exchange knowledge with other Cultivated Talents regrly every month, when they could hear the lectures from the teachers. So he was still at home, studying by himself. Eldest Uncle trusted his son and said, ¡°I just mean that¡­ we should not eat everything alone¡­¡± Ms. Fang said immediately, ¡°We never eat things alone! We always share! Instead, they never give us anything!¡± Eldest Uncle became speechless. It seemed that his daughter-inw¡¯s dowry did not belong to the shared properties. Ms. Fang was the mother-inw who did not deal with the dowry, and he as the father-inw should not interfere either. Elder Uncle could not help but sneak a look at Qiao Xuan, hoping that Qiao Xuan could express it herself. Chapter 43 - 43 Shao Yunduan’s Gentleness 43 Shao Yunduan¡¯s Gentleness As long as Qiao Xuan expressed herself voluntarily, the matter would be settled. But Qiao Xuan did nothing. Eldest Uncle felt very disappointed inside and sighed. ¡°A family should be in harmony, and we should live in peace, and not split hairs. The second and the third section are not living a good life right now, and they have nothing to offer us. They would not hold back, if they really have something to offer.¡± ¡°My brothers keep saying that the Sixth Son is intelligent and he is learned. He is definitely going to have a promising future and he will help us too!¡± Qiao Xuan looked up at Shao Yunduan subconsciously. But Shao Yunduan did not even move his eyebrows. !! He seemed to sense her gaze. So he looked up at her. Both of them looked deep into each other¡¯s eyes, and Qiao Xuan got slightly startled. She smiled at him and soon withdrew her look. Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He was taken aback too, and a look of gentleness shed across his eyes. Ms. Fang reacted vividly. She snapped. ¡°I need their help? I have my own son who is definitely better than him! My son is already a Cultivated Talent and he is surely going to have a more promising future than him. I don¡¯t care about their son!¡± Elder Uncle frowned. ¡°What are you talking about? Duan and Sixth Son are different! It is good that my brothers have such kindness.¡± Qiao Xuan could not stand it any more. She stood up and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, I am feeling tired. I will be off now.¡± Before Eldest Uncle could say anything, Ms. Fang pressed down her anger and said in a gentle tone, ¡°Go and take a break. Duan, keep herpany!¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and left with Qiao Xuan. ¡°That is what Dad is like. He is used to being a father for his brothers and sisters. You can simply ignore those terrible words he said to you. Don¡¯t take them to your heart.¡± Qiao Xuan threw a look at Shao Yunduan and smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t. I only listen to Mom¡¯s words!¡± Shao Yunduan was amused by what she said. He nodded. ¡°Good!¡± Qiao Xuan was not aware of and did not care how the argument went between Eldest Uncle and Ms. Fang after they left. As long as her father-inw did not interfere with her dowry, everything else would be easy to deal with. As for his hints as eitherpliments or me, she would ignore them all. It was impossible for her to take those hints and act ording to them. The following morning, Ms. Fang said to Qiao Xuan in a staggering tone that they might have to share a few kilos of flour with the other sections of the family. ¡°Good girl, I know that it doesn¡¯t make you feel good but your grandparents-inw stressed to your father-inw that he should take care of the other brothers and their families before they passed away. He has done more than enough and been used to showing such kindness to them. It is the other brothers¡¯ families who are not good enough for us! Your father-inw listened to theirints and was sighing for the whole night¡­¡± Ms. Fang was very happy to stop her husband from being too devoted to the second and the third section of the family. But Eldest Uncle did not spend a peaceful night and she felt sorry for him in the end. Qiao Xuan got what she meant. She was okay to share some flour, and she knew that her father-inw was too old. It was not easy for him to change the habit so fast. She was already very satisfied by what they had achieved this time around. After this instance, the other sections of the family would understand that the advantages were not very easy to grab. They would know more about this gradually. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom, you are right. Let¡¯s do this. You can have the right to take the call about whatever is happening here. You don¡¯t have to tell me anything!¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The female lead would not be bullied, ever. Chapter 44 - 44 Stupid 44 Stupid Ms. Fang let out a sigh of relief and smiled with happiness. ¡°But I needed to tell you first, that¡¯s all.¡± Qiao Xuan felt moved and replied with a smile. ¡°What about Mom asking Dad to deliver the flour to them? You can exin to them that I bought the rice because we are running out of food. I just don¡¯t want the family to do the farm work while being hungry.¡± ¡°From this moment on, you can ask the Sister-inw to make as much food as possible, without caring about the oil and salt. I have told my husband about buying somend for business. We are definitely going to get better and better. We don¡¯t have to be too stingy about this¡­¡± When thend was opened, Qiao Xuan had to share the story little by little, since they would not be able to hide the secret for much longer. Ms. Fang understood what she meant. She nodded in realization and said with a smile, ¡°No wonder you bought thend. You are going to use them!¡± !! Her son was the Cultivated Talent, intelligent and reliable. If the purchase was a bad deal, he would have stopped his wife. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You are so clever, Mom!¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°Just do whatever you want. I know what to do.¡± ¡°Excellent, Mom!¡± Qiao Xuan replied with a smile. Soon Ms. Fang got four kgs of flour and put it in two bags separately. She delivered them to the second and the third section of the family along with Eldest Uncle. Eldest Uncle also believed that he should visit his brothers personally. So he tagged along. The flour which Qiao Xuan had bought was the best sort of flour, most suitable for pancakes and noodles. Four kgs was already a lot for them. That was why Elder Uncle was very happy and he felt so relieved after one sleepless night. He felt that his youngest daughter-inw was not all that hopeless. It was just that shecked manners and was too young to understand things around her. He believed that she could be cultivated in the future. ¡°Brothers, we are here giving you some flour!¡± Eldest Uncle was very happy, as he walked in with a smile. However, what he had not expected was that his brother and his wife were not very happy about it. Ms. Niu took over the bag and snapped. ¡°So little?! Fifth daughter-inw bought a big wagon of things yesterday!¡± Second Uncle also snorted. ¡°It seems that Niece-inw looks down at us. You are not treating us like a family!¡± Ms. Fang suddenly realized why Qiao Xuan had asked her husband toe along. Yes, she had been so stupid as not to think of this idea any sooner! It had either been the brothers who came to fetch the things, or she, Ms. Xu or Taotao went over to deliver the stuff. Her husband had never shown up before this. Ms. Fang stayed silent. She was going to see what her husband was going to say. Eldest Uncle¡¯s smile disappeared instantly. His body stiffened up. He had not seen the scene where his brother and the wife would express their gratitude towards him¡­ ¡°We don¡¯t have much food at home. Ms. Qiao bought rice. Those small things which she bought were for herself and Duan¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, brother, we are not living separately! Ms. Qiao¡¯s things are ours too! She is so selfish! You are making excuses, you just don¡¯t want to give us any!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have any rice either! Brother, share some with us! You can¡¯t just watch our children suffer from hunger, right?¡± Elder Uncle gasped¡­ He was stuck with words. The words that his daughter-inw¡¯s dowry had been coveted by the uncles and aunts were emerging inside his head¡­ If those things were for sharing, he would definitely share them with the brothers. But those were not part of the public resources. Chapter 45 - 45 Heart-Poking 45 Heart-Poking Second Uncle and Ms. Niu keptining, making Eldest Uncle flush over in embarrassment. He could not possibly use his daughter-inw¡¯s dowry to support his brothers. Ms. Fang sneered and said, ¡°Are you done? Then give it back to me if you find it so little! You are forcing your brother to use his daughter-inw¡¯s dowry to support you? Do you have any conscience or not?¡± Second Uncle was startled. Ms. Niu pursed her lips. ¡°I think the dowry is just an excuse¡­¡± !! Ms. Fang got annoyed. ¡°Ms. Niu, do you want me to make a list of what you have forced me to pay all this while? Do we have any savings? We have used all the savings to support you. As a result, we aren¡¯t able to afford anything! You are a healthy family and you have fields too. Still, you want my daughter-inw to support you? Shame on you!¡± Whenever they brought something home, the second and the third section would want to have a portion of that. The second and third section of the family knew pretty well how the first section of the family was doing. Ms. Fang pulled away Eldest Uncle. ¡°What are you doing here? How dare you try to calcte my daughter-inw¡¯s dowry! I will keep my eyes on that!¡± Eldest Uncle was pulled away by Ms. Fang. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle exchanged a look between themselves and did not dare to run after them. Eldest Uncle sighed and felt confused. Obviously, he had been poked in the heart by his brother and sister-inw. ¡°That was four kgs of excellent flour!¡± And they wereining about the amount and forcing him to lecture his daughter-inw! Ms. Fang felt quite happy about this, but she was annoyed too. So she tried to restrain herself¡­ She pretended not to have seen anything, but asked Eldest Uncle toe along to visit the third section of the family. Eldest Uncle started to panic. He did not want to join her anymore. He felt very messy in his heart and could not stand the stimtion. What if his third brother and wife were like this too? He would definitely copse! But Ms. Fang did not want him to retreat at this moment. She forced him toe along, after all. Eldest Uncle had to follow up¡­ Sure enough, his third brother and wife did the same thing. They were not as sharp-tongued as the second brother and his wife, yet they were basically expressing the same thing. They thought that they had got too little flour¡­ Moreover, Ms. Ma asked him to get Ms. Qiao to apologize to her¡­ Eldest Uncle felt so heart-broken. He said nothing. He did not even know how he made out of the third section. Everyone found that their father was not in the right mood at breakfast. They exchanged a look between themselves and did not dare to say a thing. Ms. Fang threw a hint at everyone, so they felt assured. After breakfast, Eldest Uncle took his two sons to the field for farmwork, and Ms. Fang, and Taotao were taking care of the infants and making lunch at home. Ms. Xu, on the other hand, was plowing the field. Shao Xiaoqi decided to have a tour around Wangqing Mountains. Otherwise he would have joined his father and brothers too. Shao Yunduan was different. He was devoted to work and sometimes helped with the farmwork in the field, when the season was busy. Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao wanted to join Shao Xiaoqi for the tour, so did Shao Yunduan. Ms. Fang was aware that her sons knew what they should and shouldn¡¯t do, so she asked them to take good care of Qiao Xuan and said nothing more. Wangqing Mountains was a bit far away from Shaoding Vige, and it took them three hours to arrive there. It was a beautiful ce with ancient woods growing into the mountains. The temperature was two or three degrees lower than that in the vige, and it was an enormous mountain. It was a good ce to set up traps forrge beasts, not for small animals like roosters or rabbits, because there were many beasts living in the mountains, and the small ones were eaten up by those big ones. Chapter 46 - 46 Updated Space 46 Updated Space Shao Xiaoqi was carrying a bow made out of bamboo. Qiao Xuan cast her superpower and her sight spread all over as much as two kms. It was much bigger than that in the past. Qiao Xuan felt absolutely delighted inside her heart. It was a smooth day of hunting, since Qiao Xuan chose the right direction and led the way. Soon, Shao Xiaoqi noticed the prey hidden in the flourishing grass. !! The moment he aimed at the prey, he showed a cold look that startled Qiao Xuan. He was still young and had not yet grown up. But he would turn even more lethal, as he grew older. Qiao Xuan thought of how he learned the hunting skills from a deceased hunter. She could not help but guess that the hunter must have been more than just ordinary. Otherwise, he would not have cultivated a disciple like this. Shao Xiaoqi was very fast in getting the prey. Soon he got five wild roosters and three rabbits. Actually, Qiao Xuan had noticed wild boars and goats as well, but wild boars were too dangerous and wild goats were too fast. Neither were good options for hunting. Therefore, she led them away. When it was time for lunch, they already had 13 wild roosters and 6 wild rabbits. Shao Xiaoqi was extremely happy. ¡°I am so lucky to be hunting with you! I had never been so lucky!¡± Everyone was very pleased to get so many wild animals for food. With her super power, Qiao Xuan soon found a wild grasnd close to the spring. She and Shao Taotao killed a really big wild rabbit, and Shao Yunduan as well as Shao Xiaoqi fetched some wood. In this way, they roasted the wild rabbit for lunch. Shao Xiaoqi got some wild berries and wrapped them up withrge leaves for Qiao Xuan to eat. There were not many wild fruits except for the berries in the mountains during spring. They were growing wildly and the red fruits were asrge as a finger, growing all over the trees. They stood out in the bushes, beautiful and tasty. After lunch, Shao Xiaoqi suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s get some mushrooms before going back. It is gettingte now!¡± It was more dangerous after lunchtime, and he would not go around randomly when his brother and sister-inw as well as Taotao were with him. Also, they already got plenty of things! They nodded in agreement. Qiao Xuan was very satisfied by what she had gained from this trip. There were many wild-growing fruit trees, and when she built the fruit yard, she was going to ask him to bring her here and take some home. Then she was going to transnt those fruits with better twigs. Some could be nted directly, such as wild lemons, mulberries, bayberries, etc. She even found a patch of wild-growing watermelons, which were just budding, and which could be transnted back to their ceter. She did not have to worry about killing the bud. They were just picking some mushrooms, when Qiao Xuan had an idea. She told the rest of the team and headed towards a direction alone. She found two Ganodermas! The two Ganodermas were growing together, different in height butrge in size, almost as big as one basin. The ck surface was sparkling with purple light, and the stem looked straight and sturdy. Delighted, Qiao Xuan bent down. But she was startled the moment she touched them. Suddenly, she had nothing in her hands, but two Ganodermas went straight in her space and started to grow. These two Ganodermas seemed to get rooted in her space as if they had sensed something. In an instant, Qiao Xuan could clearly feel that the originally deste, lifeless space had a little more life, and a small clear spring appeared at a speed visible to the naked eye, next to the two Ganodermas. The spring was spurting and soon a pool was formed. Chapter 47 - 47 Superpower Expanded 47 Superpower Expanded That trash space was finally going into function mode! The development pleased Qiao Xuan greatly. In the meanwhile, she found her superpower bing stronger as well. She was not only able to explore a wider range across nts but also had no difficulty in extracting oil as well as elerating the growth of nts. What was more, she could use her superpower at her will. Previously, it was impossible for her to achieve fine control, but at this moment it seemed to be possible. For example, if she wanted a leaf to grow by one branch, then this leaf and one branch would do as she ordered, and if she wanted a fruit to grow quickly and ripen, then this one fruit would ripen quickly without affecting others¡­ It was a discovery that surprised Qiao Xuan. Pleased, Qiao Xuan decided to take a walk in the mountains when she had nothing else to do. She decided to find better things to feed her space, and when she became rich, she was going to buy excellent ginseng so that she could get unexpected surprises. Qiao Xuan returned quickly, so the other two people did not witness anything. Only Shao Yunduan could tell that Qiao Xuan seemed to be quite happy. He threw a confused look at her but noticed nothing different. He even assumed that it was because he had felt wrongly. They had got abundant mushrooms and were about to return, when Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°It is a barking deer!¡± Without informing others, he ran up with his bow! Before Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan realized what was happening, Shao Xiaoqi was already cheering. ¡°I got it, I got one barking deer!¡± ¡°Wow, brother, you are excellent!¡± Shao Taotao dashed forward in cheers. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I agree!¡± The arrow ran through the barking deer, which fell onto the ground. It looked strong and chubby, weighing approximately 2.5kg to 4kg. After they cheered for a while, Shao Xiaoqi could not help but say. ¡°Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-inw, let¡¯s bring this barking deer to Old Master Yuan¡¯s family and ask for a price. He kept asking me if we got anything other than wild roosters and rabbits. I bet that he will buy it. Then we can share the earnings!¡± They believed that such a big barking deer would definitely be shared with the other sections of the family, when brought back. However, he had not yet hunted one barking deer for long and he would like to have a taste too. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That works. But you should share the money with Taotao, and we don¡¯t need it, right?¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°We have wild roosters and rabbits too, right? They are good to eat as well. You should keep the money!¡± They insisted upon not taking the money, and Shao Xiaoqi showed an embarrassed smile and dropped the request. Qiao Xuan and Taotao were waiting for Shao Yunduan and Shao Xiaoqi in a forest outside the vige, when they went to sell the barking deer to the Yuan Vige. They even had two wild roosters and two wild rabbits with them. The barking deer was sold at only 20 wen, yet Qiao Xuan bought the meat at 15 wen half a kilo the other day. Barking deer was fresh and rare, and it should not have been sold at such a low price. But there were no rules in the vige. Old Master Yuan must have bargained hard. But Shao Xiaoqi had no choice but to sell that to him, otherwise the other sections of the family would want to share it when brought back. But Shao Xiaoqi was already very d to have made a small fortune, since the cost wasn¡¯t that high. Unfortunately, Old Master Yuan did not buy wild roosters or rabbits, which would go bad soon when it got too warm. A barking deer was already enough for him. Chapter 48 - 48 Back Home 48 Back Home Ms. Fang took 40 wen out of the 80 wen, and the rest would be shared between Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao. Taotao epted the share too. She said happily, ¡°Brother, I can keep your share for you, and you can ask me for money when you need it!¡± They allughed. Shao Taotao pursed her lips and said, ¡°We have had such a big harvest today. Dad is definitely going to ask us to share it with Second Uncle and Third Uncle again, sigh¡­¡± Eldest Uncle was nice in everything except for the fact that he kept thinking that he should take care of the other sections of the family. After so many years, the whole family already gave up trying to persuade him. The reason that half of the money earned by each person in the first section of the family should belong to the individual¡¯s personal property and only needed to be handed over to the whole family, was because it was a rule set by Ms. Fang decisively. In this way, some money could still be kept in the family. Eldest Uncle, who was a father, would naturally not ignore his children and Ms. Fang, who was a mother, was considerate of her children, so Eldest Uncle would not object to this practice. But Second Uncle and Third Uncle once said that it was a rule that would spoil the children, and that the money would ruin children¡¯s future. But Ms. Fang insisted upon that and the discussion was dropped. But when Qiao Xuan came to the family, she had attacked the second and third sections so that she became such an inspiration for Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao. Actually, Qiao Xuan was a trigger to the already existent grudge. They had not been pleased by the actions of the second and the third sections¡¯ behaviors for a long time. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That works. You don¡¯t have to share everything that you have earned.¡± Shao Taotao could not help but say. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, they woulde to flip through our stuff!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s face sank. ¡°We won¡¯t allow this to happen again!¡± Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s eyes brightened as he nodded. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw is right!¡± They told the others that they only got two wild roosters and one rabbit. Then, they hid everything else when they returned home. There was almost no secret in the family that could be kept from others. Shao Xiaoqi had a hobby of hunting wild animals, which was known to everyone. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma had always benefited from this hobby of his, so they kept prying about where Shao Xiaoqi went, every day. As long as Shao Xiaoqi went into the mountain, they would surelye to visit their ce. Today was no exception. Two wild roosters and one rabbit. They were definitely going to take them. ¡°Qi, you have hunted a lot today!¡± ¡°Look at the fat wild rooster! The wild rabbit looks good too!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s lips pursed. She was not going to allow those greedy people to get even one thing out of the family. But that was not how the first section of the Shao Family worked. They had to take it slow. Qiao Xuan grabbed thergest wild rooster and said, ¡°Qi, you have done a great job today, we will keep this wild rooster. Second Aunt-inw and Third Aunt-inw, you can share the wild rooster and the rabbit.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. This wife of his was so evil. Shao Xiaoqi was the one who hunted the animal, so it was totally reasonable that they kept thergest wild rooster. After all, they were giving away the wild rabbit that wasrger and had much more meat, weren¡¯t they? Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma were startled. They could not help but reach out for the rabbit at the same time. ¡°What are you doing? This is mine!¡± Chapter 49 - 49 Argument 49 Argument ¡°Second Sister-inw, Sixth Son needs to have some supplementary food. Hence, the rabbit should be mine!¡± ¡°Sixth Son is at the school, not at home. You can¡¯t bring him out for everything. How dare you try to snatch the rabbit from me!¡± ¡°So what? I can deliver it to him tomorrow. It is important that the Sixth Son studies well. You should leave the rabbit for me!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ms. Fang showed a mocking smile and looked at her daughter-inw with a satisfied smirk on her face. She left from there with her grandchildren. Shao Yunduan went to study whilst Qiao Xuan and Qi left as well. The two women should be left alone to sort the argument between themselves. Later, Taotao came to gossip with Qiao Xuan, telling her that Third Aunt-inw won and took the rabbit away whilst Second Aunt-inw wanted to exchange the remaining with the rooster, but got turned down by their mother. Qiao Xuanughed. She had thought that it would be Ms. Niu who would win, but it turned out that Ms. Ma tasted victory instead. They had many wild roosters and rabbits left for dinner, and the remaining ones were hidden in the yard. They were kept in the leaves and maintained in the dungeon, so that the meat could be kept for many days. Wild roosters were never as chubby as home-kept roosters, but they were already quite big. Qiao Xuan cooked dinner and made braised chicken soup with mushrooms, which tasted really fresh and delicious. The other one was stirred and fried over a lot of oil, whilst the green garlic sprouts were cut into sections. The wild celery pulled from the mountains was chopped into pieces, and some dried chili peppers were added. Soy sauce, salt, and ginger pieces were put in as well. The taste was strong and fragrant. People just could not stop eating. Then, she cut fresh bamboo shoots into thin slices, and made a light, fresh bamboo shoot soup. She even stirred and fried a vinegary and slightly spicy cabbage. The smell went over the room and made people drool. Ms. Xu helped her, and was stumped seeing how the seasoning was made. Anyway, it was her dowry that paid for it all, and she could do whatever she wanted. Those were not from the family share, hence she did not care. But Ms. Xu could not stop eating at dinner. Shao Sang was the happiest. He got so delighted that he spoke highly of his sister-inw, which made Shao Yunduan remind him that he should eat more and speak less. Shao Sang nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, I need to hurry up before you eat it all!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± When Eldest Uncle heard that the second and the third sections of the family were given some rabbit and rooster, he got very gratified inside his heart as well. They were a family and they should get on well with each other. It was a great, happy dinner. The following day, Qiao Xuan started to work. She had already gotten the contract from Land Officer Ding the day before, and after dinner, she narrated what she was nning to do. She was using her own dowry and Ms. Fang, as well as Shao Yunduan supported her. Hence, Eldest Uncle said nothing even though he did not quite agree. Well, Qiao Xuan was not using the family money. She needed somebor if she wanted to open and. So after breakfast, Eldest Uncle went to the familynd whilst Shao Dng, Shao Sang and Ms. Xu as well as Shao Xiaoqi, Shao Taotao went to help Qiao Xuan. Shao Yunduan was studying in the room. Qiao Xuan felt that she still needed more people, so she asked Shao Dng to get three men who were reliable toe and help. ¡°Just tell them to tell others that they are simply helping us. We will offer lunch and 20 wen for each of them. Don¡¯t let them spill the truth.¡± Chapter 50 - 50 Ashamed 50 Ashamed ¡°Since you all are working here, you will get 20 wen too. Brothers, you work so hard, I will pay you 10 more, but please work carefully.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell others!¡± Weeds, tree roots,rger stones, and other scattered rubbish on this piece ofnd needed to be cleaned up. Once a fence was built, trees could be nted and mushrooms could be grown. Everyone was startled when they heard what Qiao Xuan said. Ms. Xu smiled. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, this seems very nice, but do I get paid too?¡± !! ¡°Ms. Xu!¡± Shao Dng nced at his wife and said, ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, we are one family and we don¡¯t need to pay each other.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Sang smiled as well. ¡°You have bought us so much food and it is enough for us to get fully-fed every time. You can cook for us more instead.¡± Everyoneughed and agreed. Ms. Xu felt ashamed. Was she being very greedy? They were humiliating her! Qiao Xuan chuckled and said, ¡°Those are two different things. This is my private work which willst for a long time. I can¡¯t let you work for free. We should count the bill even if we are a family. Me and my husband don¡¯t do housework. It is you all who have taken over it, right?¡± Shao Sang was very open-minded, and he could either be paid or remain unpaid. Shao Dng was very honest and bad at talking, so he nodded and insisted that he should just take 20 wen, no more. Qiao Xuan thought for a while and nodded with a smile. Seeing that they got 10 wen less, Ms. Xu felt her heart ache. She threw a dark look at Shao Dng, thinking that he was so dull! But she did not dare to say anything more. Qiao Xuan exined the whole thing to them and asked them not to reveal the truth to anyone else. She was worried that the second and the third sections of the family would get someone here to work and get money from them and add nuisance. Shao Dng realized what was going on. He nodded and said that he was not going to tell anyone else about it. So did everyone else present. That was indeed how those people would behave. Qiao Xuan returned when she was done with her work. She helped Ms. Fang to look after the children whilst Ms. Fang was busy with some housework. She was not very familiar with the house, and Ms. Fang was very good at doing the work, so Ms. Fang did not let Qiao Xuan do the housework either, which made her life leisurely. Qiao Xuan told Ms. Fang about the payment. Ms. Fang first told her not to do that but after hearing her point of view, she nodded and said, ¡°You are right. This is good, they won¡¯tin in the future. But don¡¯t let your father learn about it.¡± That was exactly what Qiao Xuan was waiting for. She nodded and smiled. ¡°Mom, we are all a good family and noone willin. I just think that we can¡¯t let them work for free. After all, it is my private work.¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°You are such a nice girl who takes everything into consideration!¡± Chapter 51 - 51 Qiao Xuan’s Laughter 51 Qiao Xuan¡¯s Laughter Qiao Xuan was always very fast while giving out the payment. When everyone held the heavy coins in their hands, they became happier and more motivated. Ms. Niu came to have a look at thend with her grandson in her arms. She sneered at Qiao Xuan for being so stupid. She had just bought a wasted piece ofnd and was treating it as a piece of treasure. That was simply a waste of money! Moreover, the whole family was helping her with thend! Qiao Xuan asked. ¡°I wonder whether my cousins are free tomorrow? What abouting over to give us a hand? We are a family, aren¡¯t we? We should help each other!¡± Ms. Niu red at her without hesitation. ¡°They are not free. Don¡¯t ask them toe here!¡± Then she ran away with grandson in her arms. She was worried that Qiao Xuan would catch her if she was even one second slower! Qiao Xuan wasughing behind her back. One wild rooster and one rabbit were served at the dinner. The rabbit was cut into slices and fried in hot oil. Then it was woked with peeled garlics and deep-fried dried chilis as well as ginger pieces. Finally, a dish of fried rabbit was made. The wild rooster was turned into a very light dish. A bowl was used to hold the sliced chicken, which waster steamed in water. The soup turned out to be white, tender and sweet. Two dishes of vegetables were cooked, which made the dinner table full of meat and vegetables. They were all tired frombor work today, but the food made them brighten up. They all spoke highly of the delicacies. From time to time, they had eaten wild roosters and rabbits, but they were never cooked in this way. They all spoke highly of Qiao Xuan¡¯s cooking skills. She was considered smart as well! Eldest Uncle said nothing. He thought that his brothers had got some share too. During the daytime, Ms. Fang had already dealt with the wild rooster and rabbits well. She put them into a jar so it would not go bad even after half a month. Qiao Xuan was thinking that maybe Shao Xiaoqi could bring some to the town and sell it. But they could only start with acquaintances. Otherwise some hooligans mighty eyes on them. Normally, restaurants had a set menu, and their own resources. Otherwise they would not ept some random wild roosters and rabbits. But they could work on some rich families who had good air. When they got the preys, they could try selling those animals to them. The group spent one and half a day cleaning up the 13 mund, and they hired two masons to build up the four-side wall, which took another one and half a day. Qiao Xuan did not want anyone to sneak a peek at hernd, so she had a concerete wall built with bricks, not with fences. The wall was as tall as three meters. Then she opened two doors from her own yard, and chained it up. ¡®wastnd¡¯ was done, Qiao Xuan asked Shao Dng and the team to clean up 60 mu ofnd at the entrance of the vige. What they needed to do was to clear up the bushes and weeds. Shao Dng and the team epted the mission directly. Ms. Xu was d too. She was counting how much money she would get after four days, which would be enough for the team to finish their work. In this way, she and her husband were going to get 80 wen, half of which would be shared with the rest of the family and half would be kept for themselves. Qiao Xuan felt really satisfied when she saw the achievement. But a row broke out in the vige. ¡°Look at Shao Dakun¡¯s family! The daughter-inw is making a wall around that wastnd! That is such a waste of money! The amount spent should be enough to build a brick house!¡± ¡°Splurging housewife, what a splurging housewife!¡± Chapter 52 - 52 Splurging Housewife 52 Splurging Housewife ¡°This is ridiculous! No one cares about that move? It is such a waste ofnd and money!¡± ¡°Ms. Fang should be a fierce Mother-inw. She is being so stupid now!¡± ¡°Well, that daughter-inw is the child of a County Officer! She must be dominating the whole family! Even if Ms. Fang is fierce, so what? It is such a misfortune that they have a daughter-inw like this. They are going to have a very difficult time in life!¡± Many people got jealous of Shao Yunduan who married the daughter of the County Magistrate. They were all waiting to see the ridiculous scenes arising from the Shao Family. They were all ears for such gossip. Almost everyone around nodded and agreed. They started to mock the Shao Family, as if there was definitely going to be a lot of unpleasantness since Shao Yunduan married Qiao Xuan. !! Eventually, they all came to one conclusion. ¡°Just wait and see. It is never going to stop!¡± ¡°But what is the daughter-inw doing inside the wall?¡± Someone asked. They were all startled. ¡°Yes, what is she doing?¡± ¡°It is so stupid to have built a wall around a wastnd!¡± They dropped the topic, when they failed toe to a conslution. But whenever they had a get-together, they would always gossip about the splurging housewife of the Shao Family, and even made up a lot of jokes, just to wait and see how the family was going to deal with the trouble. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma were also very curious. They went to the door and asked what was going on. Qiao Xuan never tried to conceal the truth. So she said straightforwardly, ¡°nting fruit trees and mushrooms.¡± But she skipped telling them about the medical herbs. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma, who did not believe what Qiao Xuan was saying, started to mumble among themselves when they saw the serious look on Qiao Xuan¡¯s face. ¡°But that wastnd is full of stones, hard and thin, not a good ce for fruit trees at all. You are just wasting your money!¡± ¡°True, you might as well give me the bricks to build a pigsty!¡± Qiao Xuan. ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Xuan let them talk without saying anything in return. When they learned the answer, they started to spread the story and it became the topic of gossip among the vigers. The following day, Qiao Xuan started to buy fruit trees in the vige. She picked the really thick ones, cut them and transnted them directly. She exined to those confused people that she would do something about itter. She needed bowl-thick or arm-thick ones, which could be transnted directly. In the vige, some fruit trees were nted in front of and behind the houses, in the corner of the vegetable garden, and on the edge of the field. Although most of the fruit trees that were nted in this manner were actually unable to bear fruit at all. In spring, the flowers were full of trees and lively, and the small fruits were densely packed, but basically they could not be kept. When rain came constantly, they tended to fall little by little. In autumn, it was very difficult for them to have any good fruits to eat. Only bayberry, persimmon, loquat, and jujube would have been harvested. But the harvest only happened in some years, not every year. Usually, the main function of these fruit trees was the natural melon shelf. Everyone liked to dig a hole under the tree to nt some melons, and then let the melon vines climb up, such as pumpkin, winter melon, gourd melon, loofah and so on. Therefore, the so-called ¡®fruit trees¡¯ were worth no money in other people¡¯s eyes. When Qiao Xuan decided to buy the fruit trees, everyone wasughing at her. ¡°What are you buying these for! For firewood?¡± ¡°She knows nothing. She has never lived in the countryside before. She thinks that only by buying the fruit trees would get fruits! Haha!¡± Chapter 53 - 53 Rich 53 Rich ¡°It is not the right season. The nts would not survive. She is just being ridiculous!¡± ¡°But she is rich and can do whatever she wants! Just leave her alone!¡± ¡°¡­¡± They were all in a happy chat as if they were all experts in farming whilst Qiao Xuan was just a spendthrift girl who knew nothing. Moreover, when Qiao Xuan spent 50 wen buying a veryrge pear tree, everyone got really excited. They all came to the Shao Family and offered to sell their fruit trees. Qiao Xuan told others with a smile that she would only buy the fruit trees that she liked. Hence, the neighours did not have to be so active in offering her the trees. After all, she only needed two or three fruit trees of each kind. The vigers did not believe her. They kept pushing the fruit trees towards her and asked her to buy some more. ¡°I will sell them to you at a lower price!¡± ¡°Yes, you can get more trees for your widend.¡± Qiao Xuan kept the smile on her face when she expressed what she was thinking. She had no energy to chit chat with these people endlessly. Ms. Fang could not stand such pushy behavior any more and drove everyone away. But she was also a little worried and reminded Qiao Xuan. ¡°Ms. Qiao, it is getting very hot and the fruit trees are full of leaves. I don¡¯t think that the trees would be alive for too long.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I know what to do!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Okay, then I will not say anything more.¡± With strange people like the second and the third sections of the family existing, Ms. Fang thought that everyone else was really good. Although Ms. Xu had some ns of her own, she was still better than those from the other sections of the family. She was always very tolerant of her own family. Qiao Xuan was using her own money to make the trouble, and she as the mother-inw would not make any decisions for her. The following day, Shao Yunduan intended to go to the school, so he left early in the morning. Qiao Xuan asked Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao to clear up the weeds in the vige, so that they could help to dig holes to nt fruit trees. Qiao Xuan wanted these trees because she craved fruit. Also, the garden was good to get shelter during summer, especially for escaping from the heat, ying on the swings and doing grilled food, so fruit trees were not going to take up all the space. Thend was hard, but Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao, who were used to farmwork, did not think that it was a difficult job. They just needed to spend some more time on it. Qiao Xuan had intended to offer some help, but she was really bad at it. She could not even pick the shovel. She panted after a while, making Shao Taotao and her brother chuckle. They all asked her not to try it any more. Qiao Xuan said to them embarrassedly, ¡°I will make good food for you tonight!¡± Then she gave up. Qiao Xuan nned the orchard on the far side, upying an area of about four mu. She only nned to nt about thirty to forty trees on one mu, about a hundred trees on three mu, and another acre of grapes and watermelons, which should be enough to eat. They could even make dried fruits and fruit jams. She had her superpower and could ensure that the trees would grow and thrive. She even intended to give it a try in the future when the brokers would try to get some longan, lychee, mango, jackfruit and cantaloupe from the frontier from other ces or even the south. With the help of her superpower, those trees would definitely survive. Chapter 54 - 54 A Lucky Star 54 A Lucky Star Qiao Xuan suddenly remembered the flourishing space seeing the holes being dug. She started to concentrate. She could not help but get startled. Those two Ganoderma Lucidum had grown bigger and were full of spiritual energy, exuding a faint medicinal fragrance, which was really refreshing. There was a spring pool of about two square meters on the side. The pool had no exit or entrance. The spring water looked very clear, but the bottom could not be seen. She tried to move some grass from outside but failed. It seemed that this space was very critical. It did not take in anything or everything. It only epted Ganoderma Lucidum, for example. She tried to pull out the spring, yet nothing happened, which made her feel disappointed. But the next second, Shao Xiaoqi cried out in surprise. ¡°Water, there is water here!¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao were both surprised. They rushed out and checked. Shao Xiaoqi was so happy. Her eyes were sparkling as she was smiling. They kept digging and the spring spurted out. ¡°Ah! It is really spring water! Oh, that is great!¡± Shao Taotao screamed as she spinned around on the spot. Qiao Xuan smiled too. ¡°Yes, this is fantastic!¡± It must be the spring from her space. Good, she did not have to worry a thing about watering! And it was a great relief for them. There were only three springs in the vige. They had to carry water to their home when they needed some at home. But with this spring here, all they needed to do was to get the water out to the yard, which made it handy for them to use water. Shao Taotao rushed out happily. ¡°I am going to tell my mom!¡± Soon Ms. Fang rushed over too. She got so happy seeing the water. She struck her thigh and smiled. ¡°Ms. Qiao, you are such a lucky star! You are a lucky star!¡± They needed to use water every day, and it was so annoying and painstaking to carry water. This spring just saved all the trouble! Who would have expected that spring appeared on this desertednd! Seeing the water rushing out, Ms. Fang got both happy and nervous seeing that there was no sign that there was any end to the water. ¡°Keep this a secret, let¡¯s just see what is happening!¡± This wastnd did not seem to be a ce that should have a spring, and they wondered if the water would keep on running forward, or was it gushing out just for a moment. What if it was simply a momentary thing? When Shao Yunduan returned in the evening, Ms. Fang revealed the story to the family. The whole family was shocked! They all headed towards the yard and tried to check it out. The spring was still leaking. The tree hole wasn¡¯t sorge, and the water had already wetted thend. ¡°That is so good, it is so good!¡± Eldest Uncle just got so excited that he could not talk. ¡°It would be so conveinent for us to use water! Haha!¡± Shao Sang said happily. Ms. Xu wasughing with tears in her eyes. It was always her husband who had to carry the water, and now thebor was saved. Shao Yunduan raised his eyebrows slightly. It was such an unbelieable thing. Thisnd was not like a ce where water could gush out. How did Qi find the spring just after some digging? Thend should have been flourishing if there had been water underneath. Chapter 55 - 55 Praise 55 Praise But¡­ it was a fact! Seeing was believing, wasn¡¯t it? Shao Yunduan just could not believe what he had seen, nor could he find the logic of what he witnessed. It was indeed a magical world! He could not help but nce at Qiao Xuan. His wife was indeed blessed! No wonder his mother kept calling her ¡®the lucky star¡¯. !! Qiao Xuan caught Shao Yunduan¡¯s sight and smiled at him. She blinked and chuckled. ¡°Am I very lucky?¡± She sounded so proud that Shao Yunduan could not help butugh. She was like an arrogant fox who had raised her tail. He nodded. ¡°Yes, you are very lucky.¡± ¡°In this case, I have achieved so much at home. Try speaking highly of me!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± Shao Yunduan just could not utter a word. How should he praise her? Qiao Xuan chuckled, seeing his reaction. Seeing the man got so bashful, she added another sentence. ¡°You don¡¯t have topliment me or praise me, but you have to promise to defend me and stand by my side!¡± Shao Yunduan moved his lips. He could speak highly of people, except that he just did not understand what she was talking about. He nodded and took a deep breath. ¡°I will definitely defend you!¡± He was going to stand by her, since she was paying so much attention to the Shao Family. Satisfied, Qiao Xuan raised her lips. ¡°You have to remember what you said today.¡± She was going to remind him of this whenever she had the chance, so he could bear what she had said in his mind firmly. She gradually understood that a woman was born in a disadvantegous ce in this era, and she needed someone to lean on. For example, but for Shao Yunduan and Mother-inw, the second and the third sections of the family would have torn her apart, and allowed no chance for her to talk sense. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Early next morning, everyone from the family wanted to check if the water spring was still active. Qiao Xuan was no exception. It was the first time for her to do this thing and she wondered if the spring would remain thriving any longer. Seeing that the spring was still active and water wasing out of the hole, the whole family cheered as if the New Year was around the corner. ¡°This is a real spring! Oh god, my hanging heart can settle down now!¡± Ms. Fang said as she patted her chest, smiling. Eldest Uncle was excited too. ¡°I will get someone to get the water to our yard, so we don¡¯t have to worry about water any more!¡± Ms. Fang nodded with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s do it now!¡± She cooked porridge and steamed buns just to celebrate the discovery of the spring. The stuffing of the steamed buns consisted of two kinds of leek vermicelli eggs, diced sauerkraut bamboo shoots and diced mushrooms. The stuffing made by Qiao Xuan was full of vor, thin on the wrapping and big in size. When they were out of the steamers, they smelled great. Everyone was speaking highly of the soft, fresh taste of the warm steamed buns. After breakfast, Shao Dng got so excited that he was urged by Ms. Xu to start the work for their sister-inw. So, Shao Sang followed them up to the field. After all, they could make 20 wen a day! Eldest Uncle was in charge of the spring, so his sons did not stay at home but went to work instead. Eldest Uncle soon asked the well expert from the neighbouring vige. Qiao Xuan had her own idea and expressed her suggestions. Chapter 56 - 56 Ms. Fang’s Welcoming 56 Ms. Fang¡¯s Weing The following were her suggestions. For the pool in the yard, the best bricks should be built around it so only one hole of the spring was shown. A patch of bricknd was to be built around, which would make it easier for the water to be used for the garden. After that, an underground ditch would be dug to lead the spring water from the garden to the courtyard. The underground ditch would also be covered with blue bricks and built on both sides. In this way, thend would be t and the surface will not be ruined. Nor would the spring be dirtied. Then, they would dig a pool in the backyard to connect the water for easy takeout. But the exit would remain hidden, so that it could leak straight to the sewers and ditches in the vige. !! Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Dad, Mom, it sounds very convenient.¡± Ms. Fang agreed too, seeing that her son had said yes. She smiled. ¡°I think it is a good idea, what about doing it like this?¡± Eldest Uncle was worried about spending money. So he hesitated. ¡°The bricks are not cheap. We have to spend money¡­¡± The well expert¡¯s mouth twitched, thinking that the garden behind waspletely made of blue bricks, right? Since they could use it for thend, then why not for the water? Ms. Fang had a clearer mind in this aspect than him. She said resolutely, ¡°It doesn¡¯t cost much. It is going to be very conveient too. Let¡¯s do it this way now!¡± Eldest Uncle nodded eventually. The well expert patted the thighs and said with a smile, ¡°Good. It is very sunny these days, let¡¯s start the project as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Good, good!¡± That the active spring was discovered in the wastnd in the yard of the Shao Family was spread all over the whole vige. ¡°What? A spring in that wastnd? An active spring?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be possible!¡± ¡°Is it real?!¡± They all got shocked and rushed to have a look at the ce. Elder Uncle was smiling brightly while he was engaged in the work with the well expert, with Shao Xiaoqi helping alongside. Ms. Fang was receiving guests who wanted to have a look at it. ¡°¡­that is a real, active spring! Just take a look at it as much as you want! My Duan is very lucky to have got a really good wife who has brought so much fortune to us since she marries him! A spring from a wastnd! Now we have water in the yard, and it makes everything so easy!¡± ¡°More convenient than a well! And it saves us the trouble of carrying the water! We don¡¯t have to spend any more effort!¡± Ms. Fang was showing off without trying to conceal a thing. Everyone forced a small smile and answered with ¡®oh yes¡¯, ¡®true, very convenient¡¯. But they were not actually d to see this. Why did they never run into anything good like this? They had beenughing at the wastnd a couple of days ago, but now the family got an active spring! Look at the spring! It looked so vibrant and clear! Ms. Fang felt even more happy seeing everyone¡¯s face. They had been bad-mouthing her and the family behind their back, and she knew everything they had said. Now they were pped right on the face, right? Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma were among the group who had watched the show. They felt so sour inside their hearts. After all, they were the ones whoughed loudest at them a couple of days ago. Ms. Ma, who felt really sour, could not help but spit out. ¡°Springs here are not realiable. They get dried up in a couple of days. You don¡¯t have to spend so much efforts on it. What about waiting for some more days?¡± Ms. Niuughed. ¡°That is so true!¡± Chapter 57 - 57 Water In House 57 Water In House Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma kept saying bad words, and that made everyone else alsough. They all started to gossip loudly. Ms. Fang was so furious inside her heart but she said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sisters-inw, the spring was discovered a couple of days ago, and it is still running right now.¡± Ms. Ma snorted and said timidly, ¡°I am just reminding you out of kindness.¡± Ms. Fang showed a falsed smile. ¡°Oh, thank you very much for the reminder!¡± Ms. Ma. ¡°¡­¡± The spring remained active, no matter how much the outsiders expected it to run dry. The work was done in the evening. The clear water ran through the brick-built hidden passage and went into the pool in the yard. The pool was filled with water until it leaked out through the hidden passage. Soon the soil and sand were all filtered through, and the water filled up the pool, clear and clean. In order to prevent dirt from easily falling into the garden, the two pools in the garden and the backyard were built to be three bricks higher than the ground and were square, making it clean and easy to use. The whole family got so happy seeing the pool of water. After dinner, they got down to their own buisness. Second Uncle and Third Uncle came with weird looks on their faces. That Qiao Xuan had hired some people to help with thend was leaked out, and Second Uncle and Third Uncle both heard about the news. Both of them were feeling really annoyed inside their hearts. Moreover, when the spring was discovered in the yard, they felt even more distressed. They came over to makeints. ¡°Brother, you are isting us! Twenty wen a day, you would rather give them to others than to us!¡± ¡°Yes, it is so hurtful!¡± ¡°You are even trying to hide it from us. But for the leakeage, we would not have known about this at all!¡± ¡°You are always talking about being the same family!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Eldest Uncle was confused but smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t get mad, you must have been mistaken! They are just here to help us, and we offer them lunch, but no sry. We will help them back when they need help in the future!¡± Third Uncle was annoyed. ¡°Now, you are even lying to us!¡± ¡°You are!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Eldest Uncle called Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan over asked them about this. Shao Yunduan thought for a while and threw a quick look at Qiao Xuan. ¡°We did not talk about sry before, but they were doing a lot of work, so Ms. Qiao offered the sry when she felt very guilty.¡± Second Uncle and Third Uncle turned to Elder Uncle and showed a ¡®look-what-I-said¡¯ expression on their faces. ¡°Then, we can ask our sons to help you. You have to pay them too!¡± Shao Ling (Sixth Son) was the only child of the third section of the family and he was studying in the school. Hence, Third Uncle said, ¡°I will be there too.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°It would be great if you want to offer help. But Second Uncle and Third Uncle, we are a family, aren¡¯t we? We can¡¯t take money from each other, can we?¡± ¡°True¡­¡± Shao Sang could not help but mumble. ¡°We helped you so many times, but you never pay us anything, not even food!¡± Chapter 58 - 58 Heart-Breaking 58 Heart-Breaking Second Uncle and Third Uncle did not hear what Shao Sang said, so they countered Qiao Xuan simultaneously. ¡°We are separated, we are not a family!¡± ¡°Brothers should get paid too, it is fair, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°True!¡± Elder Uncle¡¯s face turned palethe minute he heard their remarks¡­ !! How could his brothers say those words? They would not have be so mad as to get confused in their heads, would they? Did they not keep saying that they were not separated, but a whole family? Eldest Uncle heard what Shao Sang said as well. He was not very pleased. Suddenly, he felt a bit emotional. Qiao Xuan showed her arms and said disappointedly, ¡°So, you never thought that we are a family?¡± Second Uncle got startled and brought himself back, as he looked at Eldest Uncle subconsciously. ¡°Don¡¯t try to turn white into ck. Brother, I don¡¯t mean this, I mean, you can pay us rather than paying outsiders, right?¡± Qiao Xuan sneered inside her heart. Well, that was true, but they never worked hard even when they were paid. Elder Uncle sighed and could not utter a word, as he turned to Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan said, ¡°I have already paid everyone, and the work should be finished within a day. So, I might consider your offer next time if we have similiar work to do.¡± It was not an easy ce to clean. There was grass, weeds and bushes. It would take five or six more days. Qiao Xuan was just trying to shift the whole thing as long as she could. All she needed to do was to say some words. She could just make up any number of excuses as she wanted, and could always find some new ones. Shao Yunduan added. ¡°True, we are all living in one vige and it is not proper to ask for the payment back, right?¡± Eldest Uncle, who was hurt by what his two brothers said, got so confused in mind, so he reacted to Shao Yunduan¡¯s words instinctively. ¡°True!¡± Both Second Uncle and Third Uncle were taken aback. Their brother had always stood by their sides and he never turned down their demands. But at this moment, his brother ended the hope by just saying such words? And he showed nothing? Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Second Uncle and Third Uncle, we will definitely turn to you for help in the future. We are one family, right? We don¡¯t have to split hairs, and it can save me a lot of money too, right?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Third Uncle got anxious. Second Uncle also exchanged a strange look with him. ¡°Then you should take us family into consideration when you have something good to offer. After that, we can talk about payment.¡± What did she mean by saving her a lot of money? They were a family, right? Why save money? She had 26 sets of dowry and so much gold and silver. How could she be so stingy? Qiao Xuan smiled and said nothing more. Second Uncle and Third Uncle left, looking unsure. Shao Sang pursed his lips. ¡°If I am asked to plough and put down crops for them in a while, I am going to ask for money too, or atleast lunch!¡± ¡°Just drop it!¡± Eldest Uncle threw his temper at his son and said angrily, ¡°Why so much talk?¡± Chapter 59 - 59 Nonsense 59 Nonsense He had intended to put forward the family talk, but when he thought of what his brothers had just said, he swallowed his words. He said stiffly, ¡°They help us too, right?¡± Shao Sang got even more mad. ¡°They help? I would rather that they don¡¯te! They just make us so angry!¡± Whenever it came to the busy season, the first section of the family would always help the second and the third sections of the family to finish theirbor before the other two sections came to help them. But the other two sections always idled around and never did any good work. They were never helpful. Moreover, the first section had to serve them three meals a day! If chicken was not served at dinner, they would evenin. But when they helped the other two sections, they not only got no breakfast, but also really little porridge. When dinner came, they served the meal with only soup and a lot of chicken bones. That was what they considered to be ¡®chicken dinner¡¯. When Shao Yunduan heard what Shao Sang said, he took Qiao Xuan away. They had just walked out of the room when Shao Sang¡¯s scream arose. He was begging. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t hit me, please, don¡¯t!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. Shao Yunduan threw a look at her. ¡°This is what Dad has always been like. He can¡¯t change so fast.¡± Therefore, when Shao Sang kept nagging about what he had been through, he meant that everytime their father got humiliated, he started to teach the son a lesson. Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Do you think your dad is right?¡± Shao Yunduan shook his head. ¡°No, but it will take time for him to change.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. That was true! The following day, Shao Dng and the team were still working on thend, whilst Qiao Xuan, together with Shao Taotao and Shao Xiaoqi were working on the fruit trees in the yard. She bought fruit trees from a very generous seller who not only helped to dig out the trees but also helped to carry the trees to the yard. ¡°The trees can live on like this?¡± Someone asked. Qiao Xuan smiled and said confidently, ¡°Of course, it is springtime and it is much easier to water the nts. They will definitely live on!¡± That man said nothing more. It was getting very hot and trees could not grow so well. Watering much did not help the trees to grow. She was talking nonsense. Well, she was wasting her own money, after all. When the seller sold the tree, he took a walk around the river and found a new budding tree for himself. Within two days¡¯ time, there were two loquats trees, two dates trees, one pomegranate tree, two persimmon trees, two bayberry trees, two plum trees, two pear trees, one hawthorn, and two peach trees in Qiao Xuan¡¯s yard. Apart from the two date trees and bayberry trees as well as pear trees which were asrge as a bowl, many were transnted here after being chopped, and the others were asrge as the surface of the bowl, and were transnted to this ce after only a few twigs were chopped. There were even some fruits hanging from the twigs. Qiao Xuan poured her superpower into the trees. Hence, the trees turned green and looked alive the following day. But she did not use too much superpower, otherwise they would have grown better. In this way, Qiao Xuan was satisfied. She poured in superpower every now and then, so the trees could be really good after just a few months. By that time, no one would find the growth to be strange. Chapter 60 - 60 Qiao Xuan’s Attention 60 Qiao Xuan¡¯s Attention Seeing that the fruit trees were growing nicely, Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were both very happy as well. They spoke highly of the spring here, which should be very practical to water the nts. Qiao Xuan was thinking about the wild lemons she saw at Wangqing Mountains, so she went into the mountains with Shao Xiaoqi and Taotao. Wild lemons were good for making food and seasoning, as well as perfume making. They already finished consuming the wild animals they got from thest hunt. Shao Xiaoqi smiled as he said, ¡°I have been nning to visit the mountains and if you want to go to Wangqing Mountains, we can go there together.¡± Shao Yunduan also decided to tag along, since he had gotten tired of reading. He needed to have a walk in the mountains. !! Qiao Xuan had paid attention to the spot of wild lemons, so they found what they needed very fast. In one ditch there were more than a dozen wild lemon trees growing, two of which were asrge as arms and were carried home by Qiao Xuan. For her, any broken twigs could be budding trees, and they did not need to bring too many of those home. They were so lucky that they found one bergamot tree, which Qiao Xuan decided to bring back as well. Then she asked Shao Xiaoqi to help dig two wild grape trees. When the trees they needed were picked, they hid them into the bushes and would carry them back when they were heading home. Only now did Shao Xiaoqi start to lead them to hunt for animals. This time, Qiao Xuan did not use her superpower to hunt prey for Shao Xiaoqi. Instead, she had been using her superpower to search for some precious nts. The two Ganoderma Lucidum were not enough to develop the space, and she needed to add some more things inside. Without the guidance of superpower, Shao Xiaoqi took some time to find the preys. But he was not in a hurry either. He was guiding Qiao Xuan and the rest of his team to walk through the woods. It took them almost an hour before Qiao Xuan found a patch of wild orchids, one of which looked more than ordinary. She had no idea what the orchids were called, but she believed that they were very precious. Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes brightened, as she walked towards that nt. The others did not care about the direction either, because they were idling in the woods anyway. Therefore, they caught up with Qiao Xuan. ¡°Look, darling, the orchids look so beautiful. What about taking them home? They look very nice and graceful!¡± Schrs tended to like this kind of thing. Shao Yunduan had no such hobbies, but he threw a few more nces at the orchids when he heard what she said. They did look very good. So he was persuaded and nodded. ¡°Sounds good.¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao exchanged a surprised look between themselves. They just could not understand why the orchids looked elegant. Qiao Xuan headed towards the special orchid, bent and picked it up. But she kept the posture instead of straightening up. The next moment, her hands were empty and next to the spring there appeared another bunch of orchids, facing the Ganoderma Lucidum in the space. The long leaves were hanging down, dangling beautifully. Qiao Xuan could feel that the space became even more lively, not to arge degree, but there were some changes. Overjoyed, Qiao Xuan realized that the space would take in any precious nts. She was right about the orchid being more than ordinary, but what was it called? Also, the space was so craving and demanding so many things! She would feed the space when she had something good. The activeness of the space would frighten anyone who saw it! Chapter 61 - 61 Rabbit Nest 61 Rabbit Nest Qiao Xuan picked two more orchids but there was no activity in the space. After the orchids were taken, they continued to hunt prey. Qiao Xuan suddenly felt that the superpower was expanding. It was getting more sensitive as well. It was gettingte and they headed home. Shao Xiaoqi had hunted three roosters, but Qiao Xuan did not have time to boost him. She thought for a while and decided to drop the idea. Too many prey might draw attention, and this amount was enough. She had the superpower, with which she did not have to worry about anything. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao thought the same. So they went to pick the chopped trees and started to head home. But suddenly, on the way home Qiao Xuan sensed a big activity. On a hill 30 meters away from them, there were hundreds of wild rabbits that had dug hundreds of nests, thanks to the terrain. It was indeed a kingdom of rabbits! Qiao Xuan got so overjoyed. She paused and turned in that direction. ¡°There is a wild grape tree growing really vividly at that ce. I want to take it home!¡± Her small request was not turned down by anyone from the team. So they decided to head towards that ce. Then, Shao Xiaoqi identally noticed the rabbits on the hill and as he took a closer look in that direction. He saw that there were so many of them! ¡°Fifth Brother, Fifth Sister-inw, Taotao, juste and see! There are so many wild rabbits here! This must be their kingdom! How wonderful!¡± Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s eyes sparkled. He was really excited. Shao Taotao cheered. ¡°Remember this ce. Henceforth, we will have endless wild rabbits to eat!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. ¡°Same as what I think!¡± They could not help but try to get some more prey on their way home. Shao Xiaoqi had the itch of holding the arrow and brought down two wild rabbits. The rabbits which were eating grass next to them, hushed into the hole. Shao Xiaoqi went to pick up the two rabbits and smiled at them. ¡°I have created this ce in mind!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That makes everything so easy!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Now, they were fully loaded. Apart from the roosters, rabbits and trees, they had got some more mushrooms, including wild shittakes, enoki mushrooms, and porcini mushrooms. They even pulled out a bunch of wild onions, as well as cress by the creeks. On their way home, they paused and happened to find a patch of yams. They dug three to four kilos of them. Shao Xiaoqi smiled. ¡°We won¡¯t make it today, but tomorrow, me and Taotao, as well as my Elder Sister-inw, wille to dig up everything from this patch. Yams can be stored, and they don¡¯t go bad even after being stored for two months in the dungeon of the yard!¡± Shao Taotao smiled. ¡°Yams are my favorite food! Pink and sticky, very tasty!¡± Shao Xiaoqi added. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, will you be able to make any dishes with yams?¡± Shao Yunduan and Shao Taotao turned to Qiao Xuan when he asked the question. Shao Yunduan was curious, but Shao Taotao was looking forward to the answer. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Of course¡­ yes! We can wok, stew, cook porridge and serve cold dishes with yams. We can also make yam mash, steam tams, crush them or add egg flour to make yam cakes, dry and grind yam into powder to make yam pastry, and hang syrup to make yam desserts¡­¡± Shao Taotao gasped. ¡°So many ways of eating yams!¡± Everything sounded so tasty. Shao Xiaoqi could not help but show a drooling look. ¡°Fifth Brother, you are so lucky to have married such a capable Fifth Sister-inw!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°We can stew wild roosters with yams tonight, then we can also eat woked sliced yams and syrup yams. Now, I am craving for them too!¡± Chapter 62 - 62 Sour 62 Sour Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao nodded out of excitement. They hurried back home. Once they went back home, Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao became busy in processing the yams, mushrooms and roosters, whilst Shao Yunduan kept Qiao Xuanpany and helped to put down the wild lemons and bergamots as well as grapes. As the wild grapes were nted in the opening ce inside thend, Qiao Xuan decided to set up a frame. She decided to try if the superpower could change the quality of the fruits, which she firmly believed could. She was especially satisfied by the two wild lemons, and she looked at them with deep affection. Shao Yunduan could not help but ask. ¡°Would the fruits taste good when nted in this way?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°What do you think?!¡± Shao Yunduan thought for a while and said, ¡°Maybe not.¡± The fruits looked like citruses, but they were not. On the other hand, fruit trees such as wild citrus produced fruits that were basically either bitter, astringent or sour, and could not be eaten at all. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You are right, the fruits would taste very sour!¡± Shao Yunduan just could not understand. He became even more curious. ¡°Then, why did you bring them home as if they were precious things?¡± Qiao Xuan answered. ¡°I like sour things!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± He felt that she was talking about something else. She liked sour things? Did she mean that she could get sour and jealous very easily? That made Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart skip a beat. But then Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Alright, I will not tease you any more! Lemons are sour, but they are good for seasoning, better than vinegar! You wait until I make some dishes for you to taste, when the fruits get ripened.¡± There were many dishes that could be made with lemons, such as lemon ducks, lemon chicken, lemon shrimps, lemon fish, lemon ribs¡­ sugar lemon syrup, lemon honey water, etc. However, the pity was that they could not buy arge amount of chicken feet, otherwise she could make a very tasty chicken feet dish. Shao Yunduan stiffened and let out a very expressionless ¡®okay¡¯. He started to feel a bit shameless inside his heart. He had misunderstood her again. She just wanted to make dishes with lemons, and meant nothing else. What was he thinking about? Luckily she was not aware of what he was thinking, otherwise¡­ Qiao Xuan saw that his interest had dropped, and thought that he may not have believed her. So, she kept exining to him. ¡°It is true! Trust me, wild lemons create yummy dishes. I am sure that you will change your mind after one bite!¡± Shao Yunduan replied. ¡°I don¡¯t like sour things.¡± Qiao Xuan blinked. ¡°Then you definitely need to try the dishes, they have a different kind of sourness!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± He really had no interest in hearing the word ¡®sour¡¯ any more. It would make him think too much of what should not have been considered. ¡°Just have a try!¡± She insisted. ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± Shao Yunduan simply wanted to end the topic. Qiao Xuan chuckled. There was no flower pot for orchids, so Shao Yunduan decided to buy some porcin pots from the porcin sellers. He was going to put down the orchids as soon as possible. Qiao Xuan insisted on going there with him. The vige was very close to where they lived, and it took them less than ten minutes. There were all kinds of porcin at the store, some of which were terribly made, and some were nature-looking and possessed ancient elements. Qiao Xuan was obsessed with everything on the shelf. Shao Yunduan picked six pots and the seller tied up everything with one straw rope. They were headed home as it was gettingte. On the way home, they suddenly heard a man and a woman talking with each other in the bushes. ¡°The steamed bun tastes so good, the filling is leeks with eggs, I have not yet eaten such delicious food for so long!¡± ¡°Just enjoy yourself, I can bring you two more around this time tomorrow.¡± Chapter 63 - 63 Cultivated Talent’s Wife 63 Cultivated Talent¡¯s Wife ¡°Do you want to have a bite too?¡± ¡°No thanks, I have food at home!¡± ¡°Brother Shao, you are so nice! I wonder if we can get married, as we wish to.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already told my mom that I will only marry you. I will tell Mom again tomorrow. She is a very soft-hearted person, and I am her son. I am sure that she will give her consent to our marriage.¡± ¡°Really? You should not lie to me!¡± !! ¡°I will definitely not!¡± ¡°Ah, the steamed buns are so tasty!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Xuan tilted her head and looked at Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan had no expression on his face, but he was not in a good mood. Qiao Xuan used her superpower and figured out who the boy and the girl were. The boy was Shao Sang, Shao Yunduan¡¯s brother whilst the other was a 16 years old girl. She was dressed in a blouse with many stitched patches and her hair had turned yellow. But her skin was fair and her lips were very thin. She had a very tall nose bridge, and looked quite pretty. But for the malnutrition, she would have looked even better. Yang Xiaoni, which was the name that emerged inside Qiao Xuan¡¯s head. Her brother-inw was talking about marrying a girl like that, but her mother-inw did not say anything about it. She had no idea why there was no approval, and she had an interest in gossip. She believed that her mother-inw must have had some reason to turn down the marriage. Qiao Xuan was quite surprised to hear how Yang Xiaoni talked and what she looked like. She seemed like a very nice girl. Shao Yunduan was, however, thinking inside his heart that his brother was acting so unreliably. What was he doing here? He was speaking so loudly close to the road! It was lucky that it had been him and Qiao Xuan who heard their conversation. What if they were heard by someone else? Moreover, he should not have had a date with someone privately. It was so immoral! Shao Yunduan made some coughing sound. The voices in the bushes stopped suddenly. ¡°Brother, it is gettingte, time to go home.¡± Shao Yunduan said. Then a shushing sound came, and Shao Sang walked out. Behind him was Yang Xiaoni, who looked bashful and was twisting the hem of her blouse. ¡°Oh, brother, and sister-inw¡­¡± Shao Sang scratched his head, looking timid. ¡°Cultivated Talent Shao, and Cultivated Talent¡¯s Wife, I¡­ need to leave.¡± Yang Xiaoni forced a smile and greeted Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, as she dashed off. Qiao Xuan almost held herughter ¨C Cultivated Talent¡¯s wife? What kind of title was that? ¡°You went to buy pots, for flowers? Oh¡­ there are so many of them, let me carry some for you!¡± Shao Sang said with a tteringugh, and grabbed the pots from Shao Yunduan¡¯s arms. He blinked at his brother and begged. ¡°Brother, please don¡¯t mention this to Mom, okay? Keep this a secret for me, and I will give you all, no, half of what I earn, for real?¡± He needed to use the other half to buy food for Xiaoni. Shao Yunduan looked at him with no expression on his face. ¡°You better pray that no one else will pass by you in the future.¡± Shao Sang¡¯s face changed as he said regretfully, ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t paying attention¡­¡± There were no rules in the countryside like this. Girls from farmers¡¯ families went down to the field to work. There was always a matchmaker who would arrange the marriage, if the two sides found each other to be good suitors. But private dates did not work that well. There would be gossip and rumors spread all around, once they were heard and seen like this. Moreover, Mom did not like the Yang Family¡­ Chapter 64 - 64 No Explanation 64 No Exnation ¡°It is my fault!¡± Shao Sang struck his own head. He looked so anxious. ¡°What should we do? Brother, please help me think of a solution!¡± Shao Yunduan frowned. ¡°Brother!¡± Shao Sang got anxious. ¡°You can¡¯t watch me suffer just because you have married such a good wife! I even helped you drive away bad people in the past!¡± Qiao Xuan could not help but throw a look at Shao Yunduan, who happened to be looking at her. Qiao Xuan was smiling and Shao Yunduan instantly withdrew his look. He could not make it clear to his brother about his actual rtionship with Qiao Xuan. !! ¡°How can I help you? The girl is good, but her brother and sister-inw want 80 liang as the wedding gifts, not a wen less, what can you expect Mom to do?¡± Shao Sang was struck speechless. Qiao Xuan was surprised too. No wonder her mother-inw did not approve of the marriage, even though the girl was good and her son loved her. It was Yang Xiaoni¡¯s brother and sister-inw who were the issue. 80 liang¡­ that was really too much! It seemed that they believed Yang Xiaoni was the girl whom the man loved, and that their sister would be able to get a lot of wedding gifts from her future inws. If they had only asked for 20 liang, then her mother-inw might have tried her best to offer that. Shao Sang let out a sigh of disappointment. ¡°That couple is just crazy! They bully Xiaoni every day and make her do all kind of hard work! They even starve her! Brother, she is really suffering from a terrible life. Oh, please¡­¡± Shao Sang turned to Qiao Xuan, sounding hesitant. Before he could say anything, Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Stop it!¡± Shao Sang let out a sigh of disappointment and said nothing. Qiao Xuan got it. The brother-inw wanted to ask for a loan from her dowry, and hence, Shao Yunduan interrupted him when he found it not to be proper. Qiao Xuan had no intention of getting involved, but now she turned a little soft-hearted. She asked in a soft tone. ¡°Brother, can you talk with Mom about having a talk with the Yang Family? Maybe they are just asking for a price randomly, and we can negotiate the bride price. No one else would offer such money either.¡± ¡°Honestly speaking, even if the girl is sold as a maid to some rich family, the price would be 20 liang. The Yang Family should know what to do.¡± Shao Sang did not feel that he was offended. Instead, his eyes sparkled. ¡°True! You are right, they should know that marrying Xiaoni to me is the best deal! Thanks, Sister-inw, I will talk with Mom about it!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You are wee!¡± Shao Sang smiled and turned to Shao Yunduan. ¡°You think I can make it this time?¡± Shao Yunduan said, ¡°I am not sure.¡± They could not predict what the Yang Family would think. His mother had been to the family twice, and the couple should know about his brother¡¯s affection towards Xiaoni. His mother¡¯s third visit would make things worse, maybe. Shao Sang looked annoyed. ¡°Can¡¯t you say something nice?¡± Shao Yunduan sighed. ¡°Pretty words don¡¯t work.¡± Shao Sang. ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. As they returned home, they chopped the orchids and Qiao Xuan went to the kitchen, to make some more dishes. Chapter 65 - 65 Coldness 65 Coldness Shao Taotao and Shao Xiaoqi were waiting for Qiao Xuan and they cheered as they caught sight of her. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, we have already dealt with the chicken, rabbits and yams. We are all waiting for you!¡± Even Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were wearing a look of expectation. They all liked the dishes Qiao Xuan made. In the past, they only knew how to stew and braise wild roosters and rabbits, but she was able to create different ways of eating, which they never got tired of. !! Gradually, the whole family became slightly biased about Qiao Xuan¡¯s food. As for her splurging of oil, salt and seasoning¡­ well, they could just ignore that. Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile and went into the kitchen, with her sleeves rolled up. They had three wild roosters and two wild rabbits. Two of the rabbits were hidden, unknown to the other sections of the family. When the aunts from the other two sections came to get a wild rooster for each of them, Ms. Fang ignored them. They only had one wild rooster and one rabbit for her own family, and the other wild rabbit could be left for tomorrow night. The yams were stewed with chicken and porcinis, whilst rabbits were fried with chili and garlic. Then, she soaked a handful of fungus that had dried two days ago, cut water celery into sections, sliced yams with an oblique knife, and stir-fried them together. Not only was the dish fresh and delicious, but the color looked really bright as well. After that, she fried a dish of lettuce. The yams were diced and served on the table after being well-ced. Soon, she made one more dish of sugar-coated yams. As they were about to eat the food, Qiao Xuan told everyone to eat the sugar-coated yams first. ¡°It would not taste good when it gets cold.¡± The whole yams had been cooled with ayer of amber-colored syrup, looking crystal clear and beautiful. Even the air felt sweet, delicious and attractive. Everyone started to pick up the chopsticks. ¡°Oh it is so delicious!¡± ¡°It is very sweet and nice!¡± ¡°How did youe up with this idea of making yams?¡± ¡°Let me eat some more!¡± Ms. Xu was surprised too. She, on one hand, gave some to her children whilst stuffing a lot into her own mouth. She believed that the dish would taste equally good even after it turned cold. Ms. Fang was also a little worried about the sugar, thinking that Ms. Qiao had used too much of it. She was going to tell her to save some sugar even though it was bought with her own money. Seeing her grandchildren enjoying themselves, Ms. Fang said with a smile, ¡°You have eaten so much, Third Son! Don¡¯t eat any more, spare some for Junyan and Qing!¡± Eldest Uncle was eating as he started to speak. ¡°All children like it. We can spare some, so Taotao can share some with Xianwen and Juanter.¡± Shao Xianwen and Shao Juan were the grandchildren of the Second Uncle. Cold air spread across the table the moment the words were spoken. Qiao Xuan pursed her lips. It was enough! Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°We have very little ourselves, and we will get troubled by the second and the third sections of the family. I don¡¯t think they will get enough of our food.¡± Shao Sang nodded. ¡°True!¡± Then, he stuffed a slice into his own mouth again. Shao Junyan had just finished what he was given in the bowl and he wanted to have some more. But Ms. Xu did not dare to take any more slices after hearing what her father-inw said. She consoled him by patting his back and offered him wild roosters instead. Ms. Fang did not care. She gave Shao Junyan some more and said, ¡°Lovely grandson, we barely have a chance to eat such a thing, take as much as you want!¡± She did not want to share anything with any other sections of the family, when she had her grandchildren to take care of. Chapter 66 - 66 Not Countering 66 Not Countering Eldest Uncle¡¯s face sank. Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Dad, just eat your food. We can share some things when we have more in the future.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°True, when we have sugar next time, I can make half a basin for them if they want!¡± As for the dishes on the table, she had full control of them since she bought them with her dowry. Ms. Fang snapped. ¡°I won¡¯t buy this much sugar!¡± Eldest Uncle was stuck with anger. !! Why was Ms. Qiao talking about her dowry all the time? He simply had no way to counter her. He could only abstain from eating every dish bought with her dowry. But there was nothing else he could do. After all, he could not stop the others from eating the dishes. Eldest Uncle suddenly felt very sad. It seemed as if he were like an outsider though he was the master of the family, whilst the others present belonged to another family. Qiao Xuan had no idea what Shao Sang said to her mother-inw, but she found that her mother-inw looked very gloomy the following morning. After breakfast, Ms. Fang asked Qiao Xuan toe to her side. ¡°Ms. Qiao, could you please apany me to a ceter?¡± She had been feeling embarrassed when she first started the conversation, but gradually, she got excited. ¡°Honestly, that couple of the Yang Family are goddamned hooligans, right? 80 liang? Do they think that Yang Xiaoni is a fairy?¡± ¡°We are trying to talk about marriage, but they are selling their sister! They want nothing but money! They annoyed me so badlyst time!¡± ¡°But Yang Xiaoni is a very strong girl and she can do a lot ofbor work. Moreover, my son loves her, but what can we do about her family?¡± ¡°And this son of mine seems to be so obsessed with her! What do I do about it?¡± Ms. Fang made a lot ofints and told Qiao Xuan that she was very clever, so she hoped that she could keep herpany while visiting the Yang Family. Ms. Xu was not reliable. She did bring Ms. Xu with herst time, but the daughter-inw did not dare to utter any words. She just stood there motionlessly like a piece of wood! Qiao Xuan would not turn down her mother-inw¡¯s request. She consoled her and said with a smile, ¡°Mom, if you like that girl from the Yang Family and my brother loves her, then I will keep youpany. But how much do you want to offer as a wedding present to them? We need to have an estimate for the bottomline figure!¡± Ms. Fang suddenly felt her heart ache. They had no savings at home. The other sections of the family kept their eyes glued upon all the ie she earned from selling pigs, chickens, ducks, eggs, beans and even peanuts. Shao Yunduan was quite frugal at school and often earned his pocket money by copying books in exchange for paper and ink with bookstores. Qi also hunted many animals which brought in some ie. But Shao Yunduan¡¯s wedding almost cost them everything they had! So she had less than 10 liang in savings. This was after umting the change she earned as well as the payment she got from Shao Dng¡¯s sry from Qiao Xuan as well as the 5 qian Shao Xiaoqi offered to her a couple of days ago. She decided to borrow two liang from some friends because by the end of the year, she could get 10 liang after selling the pigs. ¡°Ten at most, or 11 liang, no more!¡± 10 liang was already arge amount. Vigers did not have a rich life, and for those who had the intention of starting a martial rtionship, 3 or 5 liang would already be enough. 6 or 7 liang would mean arge wedding. Chapter 67 - 67 Meaning 67 Meaning 10 liang was already over the top. But the Yang Family had asked for 80 liang, and 10 liang might not work. ¡°Mom.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°What about me offering 10 liang as well and together, we have 20 liang. Listen to me, mom, I don¡¯t do housework, and Third Sister-inw might not like me after shees to our family because of myziness. But if I pay the 10 liang here, she will not be able to say anything bad about me. Then, we will have onerge, happy family. I am actually taking advantage of you all.¡± Ms. Fang was startled. After thinking about it, she could not utter a word in response. She sighed. ¡°Ms. Qiao, this is¡­¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°My husband is studying at school and you all support him. So it is our duty to make contributions to the family. When my husband gets a promising job in the future, he is going to take care of the family.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Ms. Fang patted her hands slightly. ¡°It is Duan¡¯s luck to have married a wife like you. If he ever treats you badly, you have to tell me. I will teach him a lesson on your behalf. No matter whether he is going to have a promising future, he will never betray you!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart turned warm and she said with a smile, ¡°Mom, I will keep your words in mind. If my husband treats me badly, I will report him to you directly so you can hit him!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Of course, of course!¡± ¡°You are so nice, Mom!¡± Outside the room, Shao Yunduan left from there but he felt that his feet were floating ion the air. His head had turned messy. He really had no idea what this woman was thinking about. What did she mean? She should not have made such an offer. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t so nice to say things so boldly. What was she thinking all the time? After Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang were done with the discussion, they headed to the Yang Family together. Yang Xiaoni¡¯s parents passed away ages ago, and her brother, Yang Liang and sister-inw, Ms. Tian were bothzy, and greedy. They should have gone out for work by this hour, but in the Yang Family, only Yang Xiaoni was forced to do the hard work whilst Yang Liang was just idling around and Ms. Tian waszing around at home. Seeing Ms. Fanging over with her daughter-inw, Ms. Tian¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Oh hey, you are here again,e in and take a seat!¡± She sized up Qiao Xuan and disyed a look of greed. She showed a hidden smile. ¡°This daughter-inw of yours couldn¡¯t have been born in the countryside. She must be your fifth daughter-inw, the daughter of the County Magistrate, right? Oh, she looks so beautiful. Only a Cultivated Talent can be a match for her!¡± Ms. Fang knew what Ms. Tian was doing. But she was happy to hear what was being said, so she added. ¡°My daughter-inw is a very good girl!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Ms. Tian showed a smile and sent her elder son to get his father back. After a few sentences, Ms. Tian asked purposefully. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ms. Fang was cursing her inwardly. This Ms. Tian was trying to calcte Ms. Qiao! But for her stupid son who had fallen for Yang Xiaoni, she would not have walked into a family like this ever in her life. Who would want to hang out with someone like this! Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s wait until your husbandes back!¡± Ms. Tian smiled and said confidently, ¡°Of course, my husband makes decisions for all kinds of important things in the house!¡± Soon, Yang Liang hurried back. He looked at Ms. Qiao and Ms. Fang, greeting them happily. Chapter 68 - 68 Yang Xiaoni’s Happiness 68 Yang Xiaoni¡¯s Happiness Yang Liang was sizing up Qiao Xuan while they were talking. He looked greedy and indecent. Qiao Xuan felt very disgusted. Ms. Fang sank her face and coughed. ¡°Yang Liang, you two know what I am here for. We think that Xiaoni is very diligent and kind, so we need to talk about the wedding gift.¡± Yang Liang and his wife exchanged a look between themselves. They looked really proud. They knew that the Shao Family would being to them. Ms. Tian snapped inside her heart. What was so good about Yang Xiaoni? Shao Sang was so obsessed that he just wanted to marry her! The Shao Family was a good family. Why should Yang Xiaoni go and enjoy herself! Ms. Fang was not a very good-tempered woman and they even had one Cultivated Talent at home. It was said that the second and the third section of the family were not very good-tempered either. So they needed to find some way to control them. The little bitch Xiaoni was good-looking enough to marry anyone. She should stay at home and do some morebor before she married some old man as a concubine. That was a better n. Ms. Tian believed that as long as Yang Xiaoni married someone bad, she could be flexible with the wedding gifts. It was because of this thought, Yang Liang asked for a very high price as wedding gifts. Otherwise, Yang Liang would have said yes about the Yang Family marrying Yang Xiaoni. Yang Liang smiled. ¡°Ms. Fang, my sister is very good looking, and she is worth around 100 liang! If you want to have her as part of your family, you won¡¯t care about this little amount of money, would you?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ms. Fang was both surprised and angry. ¡°100 liang? You raised the price!¡± And ¡®this little amount of money¡¯? Did the Yang Family have this much? Yang Liang said, ¡°Of course, you have got a rich daughter-inw. Why do you care so much about this little amount of money!¡± ¡°True!¡± Ms. Tian showed a false smile. ¡°When your fifth daughter-inw held the wedding, she had 26 sets of dowry! That is more than 100 liang, right?¡± Yang Liang nodded in agreement and then added. ¡°100 liang, and two sets of¡­ no, six sets of cotton garments!¡± Ms. Tian said, ¡°Also, a pair of silver hairpins and one pair of bracelets!¡± Ms. Fang got so annoyed. ¡°How dare you say these things? We can have any girl as a daughter-inw we want, yours is not necessary!¡± Ms. Fang was so annoyed. She had never met anyone so disgusting. Ms. Tian let out a snort. She said slowly, ¡°Ms. Fang, you have a fifth daughter-inw who has so much dowry. You don¡¯t even want to pay this much money. I think it is because you are not actually sincere!¡± Ms. Fang snapped. ¡°Ms. Qiao has full control of her dowry. We would never covet it! Also, we would never pay so much to marry someone home. Stop dreaming! It seems we have nothing to talk about anymore. Ms. Qiao, let¡¯s leave.¡± Ms. Fang regretted having paid such a visit. It was so humiliating. She swore that she was not going to be here ever again. She was not going to bring in Yang Xiaoni as her daughter-inw either. She was going to teach her third son a lesson! She was going to find another suitable girl for him so he could forget about Yang Xiaoni. ¡°Mom.¡± Qiao Xuan patted Ms. Fang¡¯s hand and said to them, ¡°Yang Xiaoni is 18 years old. You want to keep her until she bes too old? If we have her as the daughter-inw, we will definitely not treat her badly. You really don¡¯t want to allow her to be part of our family, right?¡± Chapter 69 - 69 Qiao Xuan’s Idea 69 Qiao Xuan¡¯s Idea Yang Liang was startled and started to hesitate. He knew pretty well that but for Shao Sang¡¯s affection towards Xiaoni, no families would turn their eyes upon a family like them. Ms. Tian sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about a thing!¡± Qiao Xuan suddenly realized what was going on. Ms. Tian was trying to make this marriage not happen. All families were worried that their girls would be too old to get married, yet Ms. Tian feared nothing. She did not care about Yang Xiaoni, nor did she care about her reputation. She disliked Yang Xiaoni. No, she hated her! ¡°We want to offer 20 liang as a wedding gift. Are you not going to consider it?¡± ¡°No, no way!¡± ¡°Think about this, and we wille to you in a couple of days,¡± said Qiao Xuan and left with Ms. Fang. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go to the vige and find the Land Officer there. We can ask the chiefs of the Yang Family for help.¡± Ms. Fang sighed. ¡°Silly girl, it won¡¯t work even if we speak with them. They can¡¯t make the decision either. Yang Liang and Ms. Tian are a greedy couple and they won¡¯t listen to anyone.¡± It was always the parents who decided who their daughter should marry, and when the parents were gone, their siblings would make the decision instead. Who else could have the authority! Qiao Xuan sneered. ¡°Mom, we don¡¯t need them to have the decision making authority. What we need is just to let the Yang vige know that we are here to establish a marital rtionship sincerely. There should be a turning point after that.¡± Ms. Fang, who was angry, suddenly turned lively. She nodded. ¡°We can discuss this in detail. We should let everyone know what is going on, and at least, we can make the couple feel bad.¡± Ms. Fang did not think that there would be any turning point. But, she could at least vent the anger. So, they headed to the Land Officer of the Yang Vige and then, they went to the chiefs and aunts. All of them could not help but sigh¡­ Soon, the story spread all over the whole vige. ¡°Yang Liang and his wife are crazy! Xiaoni is very pretty, and the Shao Family are so devoted. How could they say no?¡± ¡°True, that is 20 liang. My daughter¡¯s wedding gift was only 6 liang!¡± ¡°The couple is really terrible, you know.¡± ¡°Ms. Tian lectures and hits Xiaoni and she has to do all thebor of the family. They would not want to marry her away.¡± ¡°But Xiaoni has grown up. Are they going to keep her next to them forever? That is just too immoral!¡± ¡°How dare you marry a girl to their family. It is definitely a pit!¡± ¡°Poor Xiaoni. She has no parents. Her brother is such a useless man and her sister-inw is stingy. Sigh!¡± ¡°Poor girl!¡± ¡°Poor girl, indeed!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yang Liang was so humiliated that he did not dare to go out. He was the brother, yet he was doing something wrong. Ms. Fang got really annoyed. She cursed at Ms. Fang and Ms. Qiao, and then she called the vigers nosy. They were not in the position to discuss their family affairs. It had nothing to do with them! ¡°I can marry my sister-inw to anyone I want. None of your business!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the goddamned Shao Family!¡± ¡°You can take them from me, if you want to!¡± Chapter 70 - 70 Ms. Tian’s Fierce Words 70 Ms. Tian¡¯s Fierce Words Ms. Tian cursed the whole vige and everyone, who heard her, could not help but shake their heads. They were looking down at her. It was amon thing if a sister-inw did not like her husband¡¯s sister, since stepmothers never liked the children from the previous marriage. Yet Ms. Tian¡¯s behavior was way over the top. She was not only forcing Yang Xiaoni to work hard and feed her no good food, but was also trying to ruin the rest of her life! Why was she not satisfied with the Shao Family? They were far better than the Yang Family and they even had a Cultivated Talent in the family, who could have a promising future. They had offered a high-priced wedding gift as well, worth 20 liang. The Yang Family had never seen a wedding gift of over 20 liang. The couple was asking for far too much! They craved for 100 liang as well as silver hairpins and bracelets as well as the best cotton! They were not really devoted to the marriage. They were trying to annoy the Shao Family¡­ Ms. Tianined all over the vige, and someone reminded Yang Liang about his wife¡¯s behavior that might offend the whole vige. If she caused a bad name for herself, their sons would never have any wife in the future. Only then did Yang Liang pull Ms. Tian back home. On the way home, Ms. Tian kept cursing loudly. Her two sons were too young to consider a potential wife. Ms. Tian could not help but get annoyed when she saw Yang Xiaoni back at home. She lectured constantly. Yang Xiaoni had her own way of survival and was used to being lectured by this sister-inw of hers. She ignored those unfriendly words and also idled about when she was supposed to be working out there. She was trying her best not to exhaust herself. Ms. Tian was extremely fierce today. But she ignored those words as usual. Ms. Tian could not help but stand up and p Yang Xiaoni¡¯s face. She screamed. ¡°Bitch, what are you wearing this expression for when I am speaking with you? Can¡¯t I just tell you a few words when you live under my roof. You have to turn to me and ask for my permission, if you want to marry into a good family! Let me tell you, you are never going to marry anyone good!¡± Yang Xiaoni was startled. She got annoyed, furious, irritated and scared. With hands over her face, she rushed out. Yang Xiaoni had tworge hand prints on each of her cheeks, as she ran all the way to Third Grandma Yang and Third Grandpa Yang. She was begging in tears for help! Third Grandpa Yang was her grandpa¡¯s brother, and he was the close rtive to the Yang Family when her parents were still alive. The two families had a rtively good rtionship. Yang Liang was useless, and Ms. Tian was rude, so during the past few years, no one from the vige had the interest of hanging out with them. But when Yang Xiaoni came to the door and begged for help, Third Grandma Yang and Third Grandpa Yang could not help but feel moved. ¡°What, Ms. Tian hit you? That is so cruel!¡± Third Grandma Yang gasped as she said in a pitiful tone. She became increasingly annoyed when she thought of how Ms. Tian made ruckus across the whole vige earlier that day. Soon, some chiefs and Land Officers were invited to Third Grandpa Yang¡¯s home. It was not a good thing if a rude and wild housewife was living in the vige. The Yang Vige would beughed at by others! They had to do something about this! Yang Xiaoni felt slightly assured and stood there respectfully. Shao Sang hade to her secretly on the ground earlier and told her that if her sister-inw hit her, she should go to Third Grandpa Yang for help with tears in eyes. She had not fully understood what was the reason for him saying so. But, her sister-inw did hit her. Chapter 71 - 71 The Villagers’ Look 71 The Vigers¡¯ Look If the chiefs and Land Officers could help her realize the wish, that would be great. Soon, Yang Liang and Ms. Tian came over. Yang Liang¡¯s face sank as he red at Yang Xiaoni. This damned girl had reported them to Third Grandpa Yang! What a heartless girl! Ms. Tian cursed Yang Xiaoni fiercely. ¡°You bitch, what are you being so crazy for! I feed you and give you a ce to live, but you are not satisfied with it ande to report your brother and sister-inw to the public! How dare you!¡± Hearing that she was turning the truth upside down, the chiefs and Land Officer as well as the vigers were disgusted and irritated. ¡°Ms. Tian, what are you talking about!¡± ¡°Shame on you!¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t afraid of being punished by heaven?¡± The Land Officer said coldly, ¡°Ms. Tian, we have rules in our vige. You are the Yang Family¡¯s daughter-inw, and you should not ruin your family¡¯s name. Your inws are dead, and Xiaoni has been working so devotedly for years. How can you treat her like this? Yang Liang, how dare you bully your sister like this? Aren¡¯t you afraid that your deceased parents would turn into ghosts ande to you at night!¡± Yang Liang cringed and stood in the corner, showing a little fear. Ms. Tian shouted. ¡°Land Officer, you should not wrong me! This bitch¡­ Xiaoni has grown up and she can¡¯t just live under our roof without doing anything, right? Every girl in the vige works. You don¡¯t know that this girl is reallyzy and tricky. She is greedy and craves food all the time. If we don¡¯t urge her to work, she won¡¯t even move an inch. I have to teach her as a sister-inw all the time! I am teaching her a lesson, not bullying her! Who says that I am bullying her? Come and show me the proof!¡± ¡°You!¡± The Land Officer was very annoyed. The vigers exchanged a helpless look among themselves and could not say a thing. It was a family affair that could not be exined clearly. No one could stand up and show the proof. How could there be a proof for something like this? Ms. Tian showed a look of pride and snorted. ¡°Bitch, what are you staying here for? You should remember which family you are living under!¡± She meant to tell her that she was living under her roof! Yang Xiaoni was sobbing as she grabbed Third Grandma Yang¡¯s arms. ¡°No, I am not going back. She is going to kill me!¡± ¡°Shut up, that is enough, what are you talking about?¡± Yang Liang was annoyed too as he snapped at her in a fierce voice. This bitch should not have spread bad things about the family to outsiders! ¡°You two treat her like this in front of us. How can we trust that you treat her well behind our back!¡± Third Grandma Yang said annoyedly, ¡°I watched Xiaoni growing up and she is a really good girl. How can you think that you are reasonable, when you lecture her and order to do this and that all the time? Ms. Tian, don¡¯t think so highly of yourself. Just because no one can prove it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that you have done nothing! You know pretty well what you have done! Everyone can see that you have done something bad. Watch out for repayment!¡± ¡°Okay, now, I am going to ask you what you are going to do with Xiaoni¡¯s marriage!¡± Ms. Tian was feeling so annoyed and cursed this old grandma for being nosy. She snorted. ¡°That is our business!¡± ¡°This is the Yang¡¯s family and when your parents were alive, they respected me enough. Xiaoni calls me Third Grandma, so I have the right to ask you about it.¡± Ms. Tian was about to say something when Third Grandma Yang said coldly, ¡°Yang Liang, you are the master of the family. Are you going to keep Xiaoni until she gets too old to marry someone? Are you sure this is the right thing to show respect to your parents?¡± Chapter 72 - 72 Irritation 72 Irritation Yang Liang forced out a word. ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°Then, just make a decision about her marriage!¡± Yang Liang was staggering. ¡°I¡­ we are trying to find a suitor for her, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Oh, yes?¡± Third Grandma Yang sneered. ¡°Shao Dakun¡¯s family offers you 20 liang but you still don¡¯t think that is enough? What kind of family do you n to find?¡± Ms. Tian said, ¡°The Shao Family is so rich. If they want to set up the marriage, they need to offer more than 20 liang! They are looking down at us. We can¡¯t marry her to the Shao Family!¡± ¡°So, you find someone better?¡± The Land Officer said, ¡°The Shao Family has a lot of money but the money is at their disposal. 20 liang is well over the standard for a vige wedding!¡± Ms. Tian immediately responded. ¡°We are seeking a good suitor for her all the time!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Third Grandma Yang was terribly annoyed by the shameless words spoken by Ms. Tian. Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan had gone to their home for help. Moreover, Ms. Fang gave her the money which was enough for buying at least 300 kgs of rice! That pleased her a great deal. Ms. Fang had even suggested that she was going to offer more money if the marriage worked out well. Third Grandma Yang had naturally agreed to help. She felt sorry for Yang Xiaoni, but she was not part of the family so she could not say something rashly. Also, Ms. Tian was a very fierce woman and no one would dare to irritate her for no reason. But things were different at the moment. Yang Xiaoni came to ask her for help in tears, and she, as the elderly woman in the vige, could not just push away the girl under such circumstances. That was why she decided to get involved. Ms. Tian had managed to irritate the whole vige, and this was the best time to do something about it. Third Grandma Yang said coldly, ¡°I will tell you this today ¨C Xiaoni is a poor girl and she is asking me for help, so I will not leave her alone. If you are not satisfied by the Shao Family¡¯s proposal, you need to find someone better than the Shao Family quickly. Xiaoni is no longer young and she can¡¯t wait! You have to settle this marriage for her within one month. Yang Liang, you better bear in mind that Yang Xiaoni is your sister! Ms. Tian, we can¡¯t allow this thing to spread outside our vige. If you continue to cause trouble, you better go to the ancestral hall and get your mind cleared!¡± The other chiefs nodded in agreement. Everyone was looking at Ms. Tian with disgust. The reputation of the Yang Family could not be ruined because of this woman. Ms. Tian was very annoyed as she red back at Yang Xiaoni. ¡°We are a poor family and we have no parents who defend us! You all are bullying me and we have nowhere to express ourselves!¡± Third Grandma Yang got so annoyed that she red at Ms. Tian. This woman was very tricky and annoying. What she said could just make anyone hearing her words get irritated. Third Grandma Yang got very annoyed. She was a respected elderly woman who had never been countered by anybody younger like this. She would not allow this woman to oppose her publicly. If she retreated now, she would be humiliated as well! So, Third Grandma Yang stuck to her suggestion and the Land Officer, as well as the chiefs, all took her side and held a grudge against Ms. Tian. No matter how Ms. Tian tried to turn the truth upside down, Yang Xiaoni¡¯s marriage would most likely be settled in the way as Third Grandma Yang had suggested. It had to be settled in one month¡¯s time! If they did not like the Shao Family, the couple needed to find someone who exceeded the Shao Family in some way! Chapter 73 - 73 Dumb 73 Dumb Since she kept saying that they were doing this for Yang Xiaoni¡¯s sake, then alright, do it for her! Yang Xiaoni did not want to go home with her brother and sister-inw. ¡°Third Grandma, Land Officer, and Chief Grandpas, could I just stay at the ancestral hall? I can do all kinds of work. Third Grandma, I can work for you, but please just give me some food. I don¡¯t eat much, really not!¡± Yang Xiaoni cried so badly as she did not let go of Third Grandma Yang¡¯s arms. Everyone felt sorry for her but could not say a thing. The ancestral hall was very sinister, with no one living there and nothing except for the ancestral tablets. Only those who made big mistakes would be ordered to live there. Otherwise, no one else would do so willingly. This girl must have got so frightened that she could not think clearly! If this couple had any conscience, this girl would not have made such a request! Both Yang Liang and Ms. Tian were furious. ¡°What are you doing? Just follow us home quietly! Why are you going to the ancestral hall when you have a home?¡± Yang Liang¡¯s veins were almost popping out on his forehead. This ungrateful girl! Ms. Tian sneered. ¡°This damned girl is thinking about doing no work! Don¡¯t listen to her nonsense!¡± Yang Liang got even more furious. He tugged at Yang Xiaoni and said, ¡°Just shut up ande home with us!¡± Yang Xiaoni cried loudly. ¡°Please, save me, Third Grandma Yang, please!¡± No one should live in the ancestral hall for no reason. Third Grandma Yang sighed and said, ¡°It is okay, Xiaoni, just go home. If anyone hits you or lectures you, juste to me and I will seek justice for you! We are a family and we should not allow anyone to preach or hit people. We will teach her a lesson, if she dares to do so. We need to make sure that the whole n is clean and has a good reputation!¡± The other aunts also came to console Yang Xiaoni, who was still crying out of fear. All the bystanders felt very sorry. What a pity¡­ She was a nice girl but with such a couple as the brother and sister-inw, she was going to suffer a great deal. In the end, Third Grandma Yang asked Yang Xiaoni to stay at her ce overnight and leave the next day. Yang Liang and Ms. Tian red at Yang Xiaoni and left. The bystanders all sighed, shook their heads and also left. Back at home, Ms. Tian kept hitting Yang Liang whilst cursing him. Yang Liang felt so annoyed that he started to dislike Yang Xiaoni as well. She was just asked to do somebor work. What was she being so stingy for? Her brother and sister-inw were supporting her. In return, she did not even want to help with some work? Worse, she even got her brother and sister-inw humiliated in front of the whole vige. Daughters always turned their elbows out against their own family. Ms. Fang learned of what happened at the Yang Family the following day. She told Qiao Xuan about this, but she also felt quite worried. Qiao Xuan consoled her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. Yang Xiaoni seems to be quite clever, and she won¡¯t lose much. Ms. Tian won¡¯t dare to kill her anyway, right? Mom, what about reminding Third Brother that he should not meet Yang Xiaoni privately for sometime. What if they were caught, that would be very bad¡­¡± Ms. Fang agreed and told Shao Sang about this. Shao Sang was very anxious. He was afraid that Yang Xiaoni would face trouble. But he did not dare to do a thing, especially since his mother warned him not to be impulsive. Qiao Xuan¡¯snd was finally ready. There was no brick wall around the patch, but bamboos were set up around the perimeter. Behind that, all the iron fences dug from the mountains were put up and wild roses, which could climb along the wall, were nted as well. Chapter 74 - 74 Qiao Xuan’s Smile 74 Qiao Xuan¡¯s Smile Qiao Xuan had transnted all those nts from mountains andter, she was going to use her superpower so they could grow beautifully. When Shao Dng was helping with the fence, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were getting ready to buy some flowers in the city. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Actually, Qi and Taotao would be enough toe along with me. This visit might waste your study time. I don¡¯t want Mom and Dad to me me!¡± Shao Yunduan said, ¡°It is fine, I also need to walk around a little.¡± She was his wife, at least in name, and it was normal that he kept herpany on her trip. The Qiao Family did not treat her well. What if they ran into the Qiao Family and she was bullied by them. What would Qi and Taotao be able to do about it? Qiao Xuan smiled and epted the offer. There was only one flower store in the city, and offered just a few kinds of flowers. Qiao Xuan bought all the flowers including pomegranates, jasmines, gardenias, cloves, Chinese roses, ordinary roses, sweet-scented osmanthus, white orchids. The bullock cart was filled with them. The florist was very happy and even gave her some rebate. All those flowers were verymonly-seen varieties, and the whole thing cost her only 3.2 liang. The flowers were unloaded and Shao Xiaoqi, as well as Shao Taotao came over to help carry the flowers under Qiao Xuan¡¯s instruction. Ms. Xu, who had been working on the fences, joined them too. Ms. Xu was smiling happily. She had been very motivated to work recently. She got up when dawn broke and had even taken over all the housework, including washing clothes and dishes, even feeding the pigs beforeing to thend to help. Thend work wasn¡¯t an easy job, so Qiao Xuan gave them a raise, making it 30 wen a day! Qiao Xuan got a pair of scissors, and she cut away many twigs of those flowers and nted them into the earth directly. It looked quite easy. Ms. Xu could not help but say. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, I know how to nt Chinese roses. Would this make it grow properly?¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes. They are just ordinary nts, and this method surely would work. The budding would happen very soon, within a few days!¡± ¡°Oh yes?¡± Ms. Xu was a bit suspicious but did not think that her fifth sister-inw would lie to her. She smiled. ¡°Are you going to sell those flowers, but how?¡± Qiao Xuan blinked and smiled. ¡°Well, I will keep it a secret for now. You will know when the timees. In fact, I might need your help too then!¡± Ms. Xu understood that when Qiao Xuan asked for help, she always paid, so she smiled and said, ¡°No problem, just tell me what to do and I guarantee that you will be satisfied with my work!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. ¡°Thank you in advance, Elder Sister-inw!¡± When the fences were ready, the nts were all growing well, especially Chinese roses and ordinary roses, which grew very fast at this time of the year. Qiao Xuan used a bit of her superpower, and no one found the growth strange either. But the volume needed was far beyond anticipation. Qiao Xuan told the vige that she was collecting Chinese roses and ordinary roses as well as some other flowers and would pay between 1 to 20 wen for one branch. The whole vige was excited. ¡°What is the Fifth Daughter-inw of Shao Dakun¡¯s family doing? Flowers don¡¯t make money!¡± Chapter 75 - 75 Unreliable 75 Unreliable ¡°Ah, the daughter of a rich family is just too unreliable!¡± ¡°She is just burning money because she is rich!¡± ¡°See? I knew that the Shao Family could not do anything about her! It is such bad luck that they have a daughter-inw like this!¡± ¡°It is not bad luck. She is wasting her own money, and the Shao Family are taking advantage of her money as well!¡± ¡°That is true!¡± ¡°Anyway, I am going to the mountain for a walk!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The vigers all went into the mountains suddenly. There were many wild flowers and grass everywhere in the mountains, especially ordinary roses and gardenias which were really easy to find. Those flowers, which were ignored in the past, were flourishing in front of her! Due to what happened with Yang Xiaoni, Qiao Xuan was really favored by Ms. Fang, who would not say a thing about what she wanted to do. Ms. Fang was open-minded. She was spending her own money and had her own ideas about what to do. She, as the mother-inw, should not get too worried. Nor would anyone else in the Shao Family say anything about it. But Eldest Uncle did not like it. He said involuntarily, ¡°Ms. Qiao, thend is open now. You can nt some peanuts, beans, taros and sweet potatoes, which may help with some ie. What are you nting flowers for? They are just good-looking and not at all practical. It is such a waste!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and exined. ¡°Dad, I am going to keep some bees, and the flowers are for them. They don¡¯t ruin thend!¡± ¡°Bees?¡± Eldest Uncle was startled and found the whole thing even more unreliable. ¡°Bees are not easy to keep¡­ just drop the idea, there are flowers everywhere in the mountains, and the bees can go anywhere they want, why would theye here?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°My flowers are better and can offer more honey!¡± Eldest Uncle, ¡°¡­¡± He shook his head dejectedly and sighed. She was just so unreasonable. This daughter-inw of his was so arrogant and never listened to the elderly¡¯s words. How annoying! He went to Ms. Fang and asked her to persuade her. Ms. Fang med him for being too nosy. She believed that it was not necessary to intervene in the matter. Eldest Uncle got so annoyed. He just did not like Qiao Xuan at all. But there was nothing he could do. Second Uncle and Third Uncle both came over in anger. Both of them snapped at Qiao Xuan for being unreliable and not fulfilling her promise. They saw that Shao Dali and the other three were still working. Qiao Xuan had forgotten about her promise of hiring them. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let us do this easy work? You are paying outsiders, and not thinking about us!¡± ¡°True, brother, that is so unreasonable!¡± Qiao Xuan sneered inwardly ¨C letting you work? That was like paying people in vain! Shao Dali and those who were working for her werepletely devoted to the task! They were not dragging their feet, and that was why Qiao Xuan had raised their sry. If the second and the third sections of the family were to do the work, the task might not even be finished in three days. They were all full of tricks, and she had seen through them how they tried to cheat the first section of the family again and again. Before Qiao Xuan was able to speak, Shao Yunduan walked out of the room and said, ¡°Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Brother Dali are already very familiar with what they are doing right now. We can¡¯t just fire them halfway. We can talk about this next time.¡± Second Uncle got furious. ¡°What are you talking about? You are just making up excuses all the time!¡± Chapter 76 - 76 Qiao Xuan’s Confirmation 76 Qiao Xuan¡¯s Confirmation Shao Yunduan shrugged his arms. ¡°Well, there is nothing I can do about it!¡± Second Uncle and Third Uncle got very annoyed. ¡°Brother, what do you think of this?¡± ¡°What do you want my dad to do about it?¡± Shao Yunduan said coldly, ¡°We are all from the Shao Family, and Brother Dali is not outside the family either. You are trying to make us offend our family members?¡± Eldest Uncle opened his mouth and closed it. ¡°What about this, Ms. Qiao, you can ask Second Uncle and Third Uncle to offer some help tomorrow too. They are elderly people of the family and you should pay them well.¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Oh, but I don¡¯t have any money right now. If our uncles want to offer help, they will only get paid when I have money.¡± !! Normally, that basically meant that she was not going to give them any money. Second Uncle and Third Uncle got very annoyed. They immediately turned down the idea. Qiao Xuan spoke up again. ¡°I just don¡¯t have any money right now.¡± She had no money and the uncles should not possibly force her to offer money, right? Shao Yunduan was standing next to them, and as a Cultivated Talent, Second Uncle and Third Uncle did not dare to counter Shao Yunduan. So, they kept makingints to Eldest Uncle instead. But Qiao Xuan did not care. If her father-inw was lectured by his two brothers, it was not her fault. She was not that kind as to stop them. After all, it was her father-inw who was willing to get med because of his ¡®kindness¡¯. There was no other way they could do it and get away with it if not for his willingness. Ms. Fang could not stand it any longer. She came over and drove away Second Uncle and Third Uncle, who left in a fury. Eldest Uncle was so annoyed. ¡°Yunduan, you are a learned man, and you should understand that we need to have a harmonious family. How could you have said something like that to our family members?¡± Qiao Xuan, ¡°¡­¡± She just ignored this me, because it was not pointed at her. She was not going to make a connection. Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Family members should understand each other and know how they should love their family. Second Uncle and Third Uncle are just confused at the moment and soon they will understand what is going on.¡± Eldest Uncle, ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Xuan almost burst out intoughter. Second Uncle and Third Uncle got so annoyed that together with their wives, they went around the vige and spread the rumor that Qiao Xuan was not treating her family well. Everyone knew what the second and the third section of the Shao Family were like, so they allughed away the rumor. Some who were jealous of the first section of the Shao Family added some fuel to fire, but those who sold things earlier did not say anything more after being countered by Qiao Xuan a while ago. Qiao Xuan had bought wood from them and paid them! Qiao Xuan had even told them that she was going to offer a lot of chances for more money-making. So, they were not going to earn her money and gossip about her at the same time. Shao Dali and his wife as well as the cousin¡¯s family were all on Qiao Xuan¡¯s side. They were so used to the work and Qiao Xuan continued to hire them. It was so much less painstaking. They were not outsiders, and how could hiring them be something that was not reasonable? Qiao Xuan had a regr schedule of buying wood every evening and those who wanted to sell, would meet her at the determined site. When the bee box that was booked before was delivered to them, she put the 30 boxes up in the predetermined ce. After that, she went into the mountain with Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao to find the honeb. Flowers and bees were not only for the honey. The most important part was that she was going to get bee wax, pomegranate flowers and rosebush, to make lipsticks from those red flower juices and essential oils. Chapter 77 - 77 One Step After Another 77 One Step After Another She had already given advance to the carpenters to make the modes and porcin tubes for lipsticks. She just needed the original materials to be put in. When the work at thend was finished, she was going to get the bee wax and when the tubes and modes werepleted, she could start her attempts to make those things. Lipsticks were attractive to most women, even in the modern time. She firmly believed that after she managed to make the lipsticks here, she was going to get a constant stream of money for herself. The blushers sold at the market were not at all convenient, and they dried easily. Moreover, the colors did not blend well. Lipsticks in tubes were always going to be more convenient and would have better quality. Apart from lipsticks, she was going to extract oil for perfume as well. She had the superpower and she could be quite sensitive about the smell and tastes. So, the whole process should be smooth enough for her. !! Well, she was a rural wife and she was not going to expose the n to outsiders. She needed to make a good n about it. When the lipsticks business kicked off, she was going to nt mushrooms to make medical herbs. She was going to take one step after another and not rush into anything. Most importantly, she had to be in charge of everything! Qiao Xuan turned down Shao Yunduan¡¯s request to keep herpany to find honebs in the mountains. ¡°Just study at home! It is not an easy matter to finish within a few days. Dad and Mom would me me if you spend so much time with me. I have made so much effort just to please Mom¡­ you know. Anyways, Qi and Taotao are fairly familiar with the mountains and with them around, I won¡¯t miss a thing!¡± Shao Yunduan could not counter her. Since he had decided to be well prepared for the examination, he was going to earn a good rank and for that, he needed to work hard. So, he should not spend so much time with her in the mountains every day. ¡°But can you just¡­ not go into the mountains?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Only I know what to do about the honebs.¡± Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Where did you learn all of this?¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Maybe it is natural talent? I am interested in these and I pick up knowledge by reading!¡± Her father¡¯s biggest function was to serve as the shield for her. She could just im that whatever she was good at, was learned from her father. Shao Yunduan would never be able to prove otherwise. He was not going to do anything to prove that either. But what she had not expected was that when Shao Yunduan heard what she said, he started to imagine a scene where he saw a skinny, poor girl who was left alone in the study and read lots of strange books. Shao Yunduan could not rip her off from the hobby which she had been interested in since childhood. He nodded hesitantly. ¡°Juste back early, and don¡¯t go too deep into the mountains. Qi knows the mountains well. You should always ask him for directions. Watch out for the ground, it is so hot nowadays and there are bugs everywhere¡­¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. Shao Yunduan was still not assured. He turned to Shao Xiaoqi and asked Shao Xiaoqi to take care of her. Shao Xiaoqi said with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Fifth Brother, I will definitely keep Fifth Sister-inw safe and not lead her to the dangerous spots.¡± Then, the three of them went into the mountains. With the help of her superpower, Qiao Xuan soon found the honeb. Then, she used the bee box to lead the bees to move in. Due to Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower, the bees were very willing to get close to her. They were not afraid of her, and the work waspleted much more easily than she had anticipated. Chapter 78 - 78 Paid Work 78 Paid Work Apart from honeb, Qiao Xuan also harvested some wild honey as well as beeswax. She had arge woven twine bag with a custom-made t and light wooden barrel that was just right for honey. Honey tasted sweet and smelled good. It was a precious delicacy for farmers. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were very happy. They already had a deep fondness for the sweetness. But Qiao Xuan did not allow them to eat too much, because that would ruin their appetite and they would get tired of it easily. She was going to take the honey back, then extract the essences, and store it in a jar for a long-time. It would not go bad in this manner and they could eat it for a very long time. Honey was a great thing. If it could be put on the meat while grilling and deep-frying, the taste would be excellent in dishes like sweet and sour rib bones. The idea had a lot of appeal to Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao, who were drooling constantly. Shao Xiaoqi had been to the mountains frequently, but he never dared to touch the honeb, nor had he ever gotten any honey. Qiao Xuan was asked to teach him how to extract honey. Shao Taotao was a bit worried about bees, but she was out there to give it a try. Qiao Xuan taught them the tricks. She needed someone to look after her bee box, and they could be in charge of this task in the future, if they knew what to do. Anyways, she was going to pay them for it. Apart from seeking honebs and getting bees and honey, they spotted a few trees like wild-growing ordinary roses, gardenia, osmanthus, which they brought home on the way. It was never easy to fill up the 60-mu flowernd, especially with ordinary roses and pomegranates which were the original ingredients for lipstick making. Whenever they found the ordinary roses, Qiao Xuan would drive away Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao first, and use her superpower to make them grow first. After the whole day in the mountains, the three of them brought home five honebs, and got two barrels of honey as well as two bunches of ordinary roses along with some delicious mushrooms and two wild roosters which Shao Xiaoqi managed to capture. They were carrying them with shoulder poles. They ran back and forth three times and eventually got all their harvest home. When they finally entered, Qiao Xuan came to Shao Yunduan and smiled. ¡°I am back!¡± These words suddenly made Shao Yunduan feel assured. He almost felt a bit happy. He could not help but show a look of gentleness and said quietly, ¡°Good that you are back. Did you run into any trouble?¡± ¡°Of course not, all went well. We were really cautious!¡± Qiao Xuan exchanged a few words with him and went to sort out her harvest. Shao Yunduan smiled, seeing her retreating figure. Then he went back to his studies. The moment they went home, they hid the honey in Shao Taotao¡¯s room. They were never going to let the second and the third sections of the family know about the honey. They were so shameless!. Second Uncle and Third Uncle, who failed to take advantage of money from her as wages, asked Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi to visit the first section every day during the lunch time, because they knew that Shao Dali was fed there. They were two young girls, and it was quite normal that they ate lunch at their uncle¡¯s home. So, they were not driven away. Also, Eldest Uncle got happy when they kept calling him Uncle cutely. Ms. Fang rolled her eyes. The two girls had been taught in the wrong way! They were asked to take advantage of people and were going to ruin themselves one day. They were going to suffer a lot in the future. Chapter 79 - 79 Anger Vent 79 Anger Vent Sure enough, when the honey had just been hidden, Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma arrived, together with Shao Xiaozhi and Shao Meiling. Ms. Fang shared a rooster with them. ¡°Dng and the other boys have worked very hard these days, and Yunduan has been devoted to studies and he needs to get supplements. You can share one. If you think it is too little, you don¡¯t get any.¡± When they heard ¡®work¡¯, they red at Qiao Xuan, but when Ms. Fang talked about Shao Yunduan, the two aunts could not possibly say anything against that. They left with one rooster, annoyedly. ¡°Qi gets back things even less than earlier!¡± !! ¡°Yes, just two wild roosters in one day, not good enough to share.¡± Ms. Fang snorted. She had an open mind and did not want to split hairs with these two annoying people. But after her fifth daughter-inw came to their home, their family situation had been raisedpared to before, which made Ms. Fang feel good. Ms. Fang said to Qiao Xuan, ¡°Let me tell you, Ms. Qiao, Yang Liang asked someone to pass on the message that they want to see us tomorrow to talk about the wedding gifts! Damn Yang Liang, it serves him right! Your idea worked!¡± Ms. Fang felt quite happy to have vented her anger. ¡°Really?¡± Qiao Xuan got happy and said, ¡°Then I will go with you tomorrow.¡± Ms. Fang snorted. ¡°Not tomorrow. We don¡¯t have to be in a hurry.¡± She should not let that man get what he wanted so easily. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s just go tomorrow morning. We should not split hairs with people like them. We are going to show our sincerity to the Yang Family, right?¡± Ms. Fang came to her senses. ¡°You are right, let¡¯s go tomorrow.¡± She and Qiao Xuan had put on a show at the Yang Family to disy their sincerity. If they slowed down all of a sudden now, the efforts they made earlier would get wasted. Yang Liang passed on the message through a messenger, rather thane to the door personally, because he thought that they would not want to visit him out of anger. But they were not going to fall for the trick made by him! Qiao Xuan told Ms. Fang about honey, and Ms. Fang was both surprised and happy. She went into Shao Taotao¡¯s room and had a look at it along with Qiao Xuan. She had a small taste of it and her eyes sparkled. ¡°It is a rare thing! You are so lucky as to get so much honey without being stung. Some vigers were bitten all over their faces when they tried to get the honey, including your Third Brother. You are so lucky!¡± ¡°Pharmacies in the town would want to buy things like this, and the price is not low.¡± When Qiao Xuan decided to keep the bees, she was going to extract a lot of honey. But she did not care about the honey, except¡­ ¡°When I purify the honey, I will keep it in the jar and sell it in the city!¡± The honey that was newly harvested was full of small things, and it needed to be purified, so was beeswax. That was going to open a road for her in making a fortune. Ms. Fang did not know anything about her ns, so she nodded in agreement to whatever Qiao Xuans said. Her daughter-inw was a noble-borndy, and had vast knowledge about everything. Hence, everything she said should be right. Since it was still early, Qiao Xuan went to help with some work in Shao Taotao¡¯s room. The first section of the family was filled with people, and there would be more and more in the future. It wasn¡¯t always convenient to do something. Chapter 80 - 80 Your Abilities 80 Your Abilities Qiao Xuan was thinking about building a new house and was going to make a n for it. At least, she should have a yard belonging to herself. The rooms should be enough for her to use. Only in this way, she could close the door and stop outsiders from prying. She did not worry about her own family, but the issue was the second section of the family and the third section of the family. The following day after breakfast, Qiao Xuan kept Ms. Fangpany on the trip to Yang Liang¡¯s home in the Yang Vige. After Yang Xiaoni made a fuss the other day, Ms. Tian got so annoyed that she had a huge fight with Yang Liang as well. She did not want to say anything, but waited until Yang Liang did something himself. !! Even if Yang Liang didn¡¯t cater to her satisfaction, she was going to get involved anyway. Yang Xiaoni came back home the following morning. Ms. Tian could not help but re at her, sneering. ¡°You shameless bitch, now you have humiliated both of us. You can just leave our home, if you are so brave! How dare you think about marrying someone good, bah!¡± Ms. Tian did not stop nagging her but Yang Xiaoni ignored her words. She made breakfast, and drank the porridge before going out with farming tools on her shoulders. It was much better to work outside than stay at home. ¡°What should we do about her marriage? Should we ask the Shao Family again?¡± Yang Liang was feeling annoyed. Where else could he find someone better than the Shao Family? The Shao Family was the best choice so far! He could not get 100 liang, but 30 or 40 would be enough too. ¡°No!¡± Ms. Tian simply did not want Yang Xiaoni to have a good life. ¡°Useless person, can¡¯t you think about any other method to deal with that bitch? Why must we stick to the Shao Family?¡± Yang Liang was annoyed too. ¡°You can go and find one if you want to!¡± Ms. Tian sneered. ¡°You pig head! Why can¡¯t you just find some richndlord or a man who has lost their wives or something. They would offer a good price too!¡± Yang Liang was startled and got angry with her. ¡°You want my sister to be a concubine, or the widower-filler? Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°I am not crazy!¡± Ms. Tian snapped as she shouted at him. She never feared him. Instead, she got even more intimidating as she spoke. ¡°Your sister? I don¡¯t think she regards you as a brother! Let me tell you, I am sure that when she marries the Shao Family, she will not even take a look at you. You know what Ms. Fang is like, right? If she is a widower-filler, she can at least understand that she needs her natal family¡¯s help in the future!¡± ¡°Also, what is so bad about being a concubine of a richndlord? They have food and servants, and old men know how to take care of the young. She is always going to have a good life there! What is so bad about that?¡± Yang Liang fell into silence. He said hesitantly, ¡°You said that if she marries the Shao Family, she will disown us? But I am her brother!¡± Ms. Tian sneered. ¡°If she treated you as her brother, she would not have reported anything to those elderly people in the family, and would not have humiliated you.¡± Yang Liang was silent again. He thought for a while and understood that his sister was not very close to him. If she distanced herself from her natal side after she got married, that would not work! He was looking forward to getting help from her inws¡¯ family! Chapter 81 - 81 Taken Advantage Of 81 Taken Advantage Of He had realized that they did not have a close rtionship, and Ms. Fang was not very easy to deal with. Besides, Ms. Fang had a daughter-inw who was the daughter of the County Magistrate¡­ By that time, the Yang Family might not be able to take any advantage of the marital connection. Persuaded by his wife, Yang Liang decided to marry Yang Xiaoni off to andlord as the concubine. But he had a very narrowwork. When he eventually found onendlord who intended to get a concubine, he proposed 20 liang as dowry and was beaten by the ve. Thendlord got extremely annoyed. !! She was just a countryside girl and the family needed 20 liang? That was crazy! Thendlord was not going to be taken advantage of. Six or eight liang would be the maximum amount! Furious and annoyed, Yang Liang went to a widower. That turned out to be an even worse decision. Those widowers, who would like to remarry, were all poor. They could barely afford a wedding gift of 3 or 6 liang. The poor one waved away the proposal, when he heard that the wedding gift should be at 20 liang. Everyone had difficulty in making money. 20 liang for one daughter-inw? That was not worth the while! Half a kilo of rice was only 7 wen, and a wedding gift at thisrge amount was just beyond the possibility, even if the girl might be a fairy from heaven. Wives were married by men to spend their days with and give birth to babies, what did they need a fairy from heaven for? Yang Liang got so distressed after being turned down so many times. If they failed to find anyone else who would like to offer the wedding gift, the Shao Family would be the only choice left. Ms. Tian shouted at Yang Liang for being useless, and then she sneered. ¡°That goddamned girl is a part of our family. We are her brother and sister-inw, acting like parents for her. I can marry her to anyone I want! No one has the right to get involved. Why must our business be in charge of anyone else? It is against the ethical standards!¡± But Ms. Tian could do nothing except make someints at home, since Third Grandma Yang had already made the announcement in public and the Land Officer, as well the chiefs all nodded in agreement. Despite her fierce temper, she knew pretty well that she could not make chiefs and Land Officers change their decision. If she dared to make any moreints, Third Grandma Yang did have the right to trap her inside the ancestral hall where she could be abused. What a nosy old woman! Yang Liang did not want to hear what Ms. Tian said any more. He decided to go to Ms. Fang to pass on the message and talk about this matter. Annoyed, Ms. Tian thought for a while and said, ¡°I will pass on the message, it is not proper for a guy like you to do anything about it.¡± Yang Liang, who had been humiliated to the bottom of a valley already, was d that Ms. Tian could handle the matter instead of him. Ms. Tian did not go there personally. Instead, she paid a messenger two times to pass on the message and stressed to him that he should treat the Shao Family badly. She was going to make sure that Ms. Fang got so annoyed that she would not want to visit them. In that way, she could tell others that the Shao Family did not want to marry Yang Xiaoni, and in this way, she could marry Yang Xiaoni to anyone she wanted. She hated the goddamned sister-inw of hers, and she was not going to allow her to live happily. However, Qiao Xuan came over with Ms. Fang. What she had not expected was that Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang did note to her home at all, but went to Third Grandma Yang¡¯s home directly. When Third Grandma Yang sent someone to fetch Yang Liang and Ms. Tian, the couple was still wondering what was going on. Seeing Ms. Qiao and Ms. Fang, Ms. Tian¡¯s face changed and she screamed. ¡°What are you doing here?!¡± Third Grandma Yang got annoyed and she sneered. ¡°I am also involved with Xiaoni¡¯s marriage. Why can¡¯t theye to my ce? Since we are all here, we can have a thorough discussion!¡± Chapter 82 - 82 Ms. Tian’s Sneer 82 Ms. Tian¡¯s Sneer Third Grandma Yang even brought two more grandmas as witnesses. Annoyed and unconvinced, Ms. Tian said, ¡°It is not proper for us to have the discussion at someone else¡¯s home, right? She is my sister-inw.¡± Third Grandma Yang ignored her and asked Yang Liang. ¡°Am I the senior family member of the family? Is it proper to have the discussion here at my home or not?¡± Yang Liang dare not say anything against that. He mumbled incoherently and said nothing else. Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°This is a major matter of happiness. If we have senior family members as witnesses here, it is your good fortune!¡± Yang Liang and Ms. Tian red at everyone in fury, yet did not dare to say anything more. Third Grandma Yang smiled. ¡°I am an experienced person and I should take good care of the junior family members in case they go on a twisted path. We are all a family and are concerned about all members of the family.¡± Ms. Tian sneered and cursed inwardly. Well, since the incident was mentioned, Yang Liang was forced to agree, but he said that the wedding gifts needed to be renegotiated. ¡°20 liang is way too little! You are a rich family and you can¡¯t bepared with other families! She is my only sister, and I need to see if you are sincere enough. Okay, I don¡¯t need 80 or 100 liang, but we need at least 40 liang!¡± Third Grandma Yang gasped. She had not fully believed that the Yang Family would want 100 or 80 liang as Ms. Fang had put it earlier. She had thought that thetter was just exaggerating! But hearing what Yang Liang said¡­ she realized that she should have believed Ms. Fang at the beginning. Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°I am sincere enough, so I offered 20 liang! Were you able to find anyone else who would like to offer 20 liang during this period? We are here today, because we don¡¯t necessarily need your sister. If you don¡¯t ept 20 liang, then we will drop the matter!¡± Ms. Tian added. ¡°Then we drop it! We don¡¯t care about your family! Our sister can always be married to anyone. I don¡¯t think that our sister would have a good time with your family, seeing how you are like right now!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Then you can ask Ms. Yang if she is suffering with you or enjoying living with you? As for our family, we sister-inws respect our mother-inw. What our mother-inw is like is not to be determined by you. The whole family knows what she is like. You are just making yourself aughing stock by iming so!¡± Ms. Tian forced a false smile. ¡°Oh well, we are not as good as you. No mother-inw will have any courage to mistreat you!¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°It seems that thisdy is just being tough. She doesn¡¯t seem to understand what others are talking about. I don¡¯t have anything to argue with you, you can do whatever that pleases you. It is all in your imagination. We have enough people to prove how we are!¡± Third Grandma Yang snorted. ¡°Yang Liang, 20 liang is enough, and you have to remember the condition of one month¡¯s time! Just think about this. If you do anything more pestering, we can all gather to teach you a lesson! We are a family with rules. Ms. Tian knows nothing, but you should! Fifteen years ago, a horrible woman irritated her mother-inw to death, so her sister-inw killed herself in the river. Even though she had many children, she was still trapped in the ancestral hall for her entire life and she became mental in the end! Hehe!¡± Third Grandma Yang nced at Ms. Tian and said calmly, ¡°If our family can¡¯t even keep a horrible woman at bay, then no good girls would dare to join us. Gradually, our family would have no good offspring in the next generation!¡± Chapter 83 - 83 Accident 83 ident Ms. Tian¡¯s face changed. She shivered and started to panic. Yang Liang did not counter the old woman, so the tale was real. She knew pretty well how she treated Yang Xiaoni. Now the bitch had decided to start a war with her, and even spent the night at Third Grandma Yang¡¯s home instead of her own house. The way she was behaving was so annoying! What if she caused a huge mess. !! Ms. Tian did get frightened hearing what Third Grandma Yang said to her. Third Grandma Yang felt slightly better and prouder, as she managed to talk down Ms. Tian. ¡°I think we can settle the arrangement here. 20 liang as the wedding gift. Yang Liang, anything you want to say?¡± ¡°What? I¡­¡± ¡°Okay, nothing to say.¡± Third Grandma Yang said resolutely and settled the argument. ¡°Pick a date and exchange the engagement card.¡± Ms. Tian, who was furious, and jealous, found that she was losing. So she snapped. ¡°But I don¡¯t have any dowry to offer and we can¡¯t afford to host a banquet!¡± Any family would turn around and walk away, when they heard those words. But Ms. Fang did not really care about those things, otherwise she would have died out of anger long ago because of what the third section of the family and the second section of the family did to her family. She could clearly see that Ms. Tian was evil and she was doing all of this on purpose. So, in order to win the argument, she was going to say yes to the marriage at any cost. Also, her useless son insisted on marrying Yang Xiaoni. So Ms. Fang nodded constantly. ¡°Okay! We just like Xiaoni and don¡¯t care about her dowry!¡± Third Grandma Yang suddenly felt really jealous. How could her own daughter fail to have such good luck! Feeling even more furious, Ms. Tian said annoyedly, ¡°I don¡¯t have much food to give to someone else¡¯s daughter-inw. Since the marriage is settled, you should take her away as soon as possible.¡± That was exactly what Ms. Fang expected to hear. ¡°Okay then, after the Dragon Boat Festival in May, we will pick an auspicious date for the wedding!¡± Ms. Tian sneered and added. ¡°You should not look down at us. You must hold one wedding on the same scale as the one you held for your fifth daughter-inw!¡± ¡°Ms. Tian!¡± Third Grandma Yang sank her face. ¡°How dare youpare the vige girl to the daughter of the County Magistrate? What scale? If you ever cause trouble to the Yang Family, we will all go down together!¡± In other words, what she meant was that the County Magistrate was not in the same category as these people, and if the County Magistrate learned about theparison, he might not be happy. The other elderly grandmas also had stern expressions on their faces, and snapped at Ms. Tian. Qiao Xuan sneered and threw a disdainful look at Ms. Tian, as if she were going to take revenge on her without warning. Ms. Tian turned slightly pale and did not dare to say anything more. When this errand was settled, Ms. Qiao and Ms. Fang left together. Ms. Fang smiled at Qiao Xuan. ¡°You have helped us a lot!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°No worries, Mom, we are a family. You treat me so nicely and Third Brother has helped me a lot too. This is all I can do to repay you.¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°Oh, my child, you are so adorable!¡± It was Qiao Xuan¡¯s idea toe to Third Grandma Yang¡¯s home for the settlement. She even had two bottles of honey and one patch of cotton cloth to offer. Those gifts delighted Third Grandma Yang greatly, and she spared no efforts to defend them in every way possible. Chapter 84 - 84 Ms. Fang’s Concern 84 Ms. Fang¡¯s Concern That very afternoon, the matchmaker came over to exchange the engagement card. The date of May 20th was settled upon, and the whole thing was organized at a lightning speed. Qiao Xuan saw the date and her lip corners could not help but twitch. 520, what a good date¡­ Shao Sangughed as if he had turned mental. He went to Ms. Fang and kept ttering her. Ms. Fang struck hard on his head and snapped. ¡°You useless man! Now you have realized your goal! But let me tell you right now, if your daughter-inw doesn¡¯t respect me or disobey me openly and defends her family, I will not keep her here! If you dare to defend her in this way, you and I are no longer mother and son.¡± As for whether or not Yang Xiaoni¡¯s brother and sister-inw would continue to pester them after Yang Xiaoni was married, Ms. Fang wasn¡¯t that worried at all. They were just her brother and sister-inw. No brother or sister-inw of any family would get involved with their married sister, unless the married sister was taking her brother¡¯s side. Ms. Fang would not agree to hang out with those shameless people either. She was not going to allow them to take advantage of her family. Since they were just brother and sister-inw, Ms. Fang agreed to the marriage because Yang Xiaoni was a good girl. Shao Sang smiled and nodded constantly. He said in a ttering tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom, I will respect you and father along with her! She hates her brother and sister-inw too, so she is not going to take their side.¡± Haha! Ms. Fang was amused. Seeing his mother smiling, Shao Sang turned to Qiao Xuan. ¡°Thank you very much, Fifth Sister-inw. Both of us owe you big! You can turn to me for help if you need anything in the future!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°No worries, Third Brother, we are a family!¡± ¡°Yes, yes we are a family! We will remember what you have done for us forever!¡± Shao Sang smiled and said, ¡°Oh yes, you don¡¯t have to pay me any sry. When Xiaoni is here, we will work for you together!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°Third Brother, these are two different things. You are getting paid anyway. Otherwise Elder Brother and Elder Sister-inw would be very embarrassed.¡± Shao Sang was startled, wondering why. Ms. Fang red at him and exined things to make him understand what she meant. He smiled at Qiao Xuan andughed even more awkwardly. Shao Sang got paid but the money was given to Ms. Fang. He was getting married next month and they needed to host a simple banquet, which might cost some money as well. Ms. Fang epted the payment. When this matter was settled, Qiao Xuan, together with Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao went up into the mountains and hunted honebs. Shao Yunduan was not assured, so he followed them for a walk. Ms. Fang was worried about Shao Sang¡¯s wedding. The bride had nothing to offer, and they had to prepare for everything. They needed the matchmaker, the happy litter, and the orchestras too. Moreover, they needed new nkets for the room, and the couple needed to have new clothes too. Then, they also needed to provide small snacks for the guests too¡­ Also, there would be at least one representative from each household of the vige to attend either weddings or funerals, including children. But some close rtives, apart from the formally-invited guests, would all be present too¡­ Chapter 85 - 85 Money 85 Money There would be at least twenty tables at the wedding. The banquet might not be as luxurious as the one for Shao Yunduan¡¯s wedding, yet one bowl of chicken and one bowl of meat would definitely have to be served. Yang Liang and his wife were annoying, but the bridegroom was her own son, and Yang Xiaoni was going to spend the rest of her life with him. Therefore, she could not make the wedding look too shabby, otherwise Yang Xiaoni might not be so happy about this, not now maybe, but most likely in the future. Ms. Fang did want the wedding to be the ¡®hidden bomb¡¯ in the rtionship between her son and daughter-inw. So, she decided to make it look good. But where was she going to get the money to pay for the bill? Before she went to bed at night, Ms. Fang sat in bed and did the calction with Elder Uncle. They would need at least 2 liang for the wedding. The problem was that the wedding gift had already cost them everything and they did not have 2 liang at all! ¡°¡­Duan has just got married and now it is our third son¡¯s turn. This is totally beyond anticipation. Only if he doesn¡¯t hold the wedding until two yearster. But¡­ Ms. Qiao already offered us 10 liang for the wedding. Though she exined the reason to us, yet it is her kindness! We must not ask her for any more money for the wedding!¡± ¡°We should not take money as loan from her either. Also, Ms. Qiao is not going to ask us to pay her back. That would be immoral on our part!¡± ¡°Also, let me tell you, we can¡¯t even pay for Duan¡¯s examination next year. By that time, Ms. Qiao is going to pay for his fees, because it is her husband who is going to the examination. This is how our current situation is¡­¡± What she meant was that they could not possibly ask Qiao Xuan to loan them any more money for Shao Sang¡¯s wedding this time. They could not just bully her just because she was rich. Eldest Uncle also got annoyed. ¡°We can¡¯t even spare 2 liang?¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°You really have no idea what is going on?¡± Eldest Uncle looked dazed, and could not utter a word. His two brothers kept borrowing money from him and he was well aware of this¡­ ¡°What about me asking my brothers about the money tomorrow?¡± Ms. Fang sneered inwardly, but she agreed. ¡°That is good, you can try tomorrow, or we can also try toe up with some other ideas.¡± Early next morning, Elder Uncle went to the second section of the family and the third section of the family for money. But the result was well on the predicted lines. ¡°Elder Brother, we need your help all the time. Of course we don¡¯t have any spare money! We can definitely lend you some if we do have any in stock. We are family, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Brother, Ling is studying right now and we are barely making ends meet. We need your help, rather than being able to help you!¡± ¡°Why not ask Ms. Qiao? She has so much dowry. 2 liang is so small an amount for her! I don¡¯t think she even considers 2 liang as a big amount.¡± ¡°Go and ask Ms. Qiao, she has wasted so much money on thends and splurged so much. Won¡¯t she even want to offer any money for your real business? That is so rude of her!¡± Eldest Uncle felt so annoyed after speaking with his brothers. He could sense that they did have some savings, but¡­ maybe he had thought too much? As for Ms. Qiao¡­ he really could not turn to Ms. Qiao for help! Eldest Uncle felt extremely distressed. Chapter 86 - 86 Qiao Xuan Satisfied 86 Qiao Xuan Satisfied He asked for a loan from other vigers, but met with the same result. For vigers, 2 liang was not a small amount and it was very difficult to get. Eldest Uncle was feeling very distressed. He turned to Ms. Fang. ¡°What about asking Ms. Qiao for help¡­¡± Ms. Fang looked at him in silence. Then she said, ¡°That seems to be the only way to do it right now! But let me tell you, if we borrow the money, we have to return it to her! Also, Qi and Taotao are growing up and they are going to get married too. So, we need to prepare for that as well. They are your children, you have to take them into consideration first! From this moment on, we have no money for any other sections of the family!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even help your own children before you help others. Be sure your children don¡¯t me you for that.¡± ¡°Also, Duan needs money. He is studying. If he passes the examination and goes into the capital for further examinations, it would cost more. You can¡¯t possibly let Ms. Qiao offer the money to him, right? Otherwise, how would he stand with back straight in front of his wife!¡± ¡°Junyan is intelligent too, and in a couple of years, he will probably go to school as well. What if he makes it through? Even if he can¡¯t pass any more examinations, it would be better to be able to read than know nothing!¡± Eldest Uncle felt head aching and could not help but feel guilty and bashful. He interrupted Ms. Fang impatiently. ¡°Alright, alright, I got it! I am, of course, going to consider my own children first. It is just¡­ anyway, let¡¯s just do this.¡± Ms. Fang snorted and felt slightly better. As long as her husband did not interrupt her, the second and the third sections of the family would never get even a penny from her! As for the other wild animals¡­ well, she could just ignore that for the time being. Qiao Xuan loaned them the 2 liang without any hesitation. Elder Uncle was gratified, yet felt a bit guilty and embarrassed inwardly. In a couple of days, the field was filled with nts and flowers that were needed. There wererge patches of wild roses and ordinary roses, small patches of pomegranates, gardenias, sweet-scented osmanthus, jasmines, lilies, cloves, and white orchids. All the flowers were growing well, especially the wild roses and ordinary roses. They were sprouting many small buds that were yet to bloom. The fences were all up, which were higher than 2 meters. Along the iron fence, there were wild roses, and one could not see anything from outside. When the door was chained, no one was able to walk in. Twenty out of thirty honebs were filled with bees, who kept flying in and out every day. Qiao Xuan was very satisfied looking at the scene. In a couple of more days, there would be 30 boxes of bees! One box of bees could help in extracting two or three times of honey and beeswax, which would be purified into at least 500 grams of pure honey. Therefore, there would be more than 15 to 20 kgs of honey in one year. That was plenty for them under the circumstances. Mostly, they did not need so much anyway. Before she became powerful enough, she was not going to reveal this way of making money, and the lipsticks would not be produced at arge scale either. In order to keep everything a secret, she even had a hat on when she went to book the modes and tubes for lipsticks. She signed a non-disclosure contract with the craftmen so that the move was not revealed. When all the boxes were done, Qiao Xuan put away the beeswax carefully and decided to sell honey in the capital. Chapter 87 - 87 Anticipation 87 Anticipation The wild bees did not produce much honey. Moreover, Qiao Xuan did not work too hard on it, so in the end, she harvested more than 50 kgs of wild honey and 9 kgs of beeswax. Qiao Xuan kept around 1.5 kg of honey and decided to sell the remaining 50 kgs. Nine kg beeswax, plus the nt oil, almond oil as well as purified red-colored flower juice would make at least 2,350 lipsticks at least. How much did that mean? Qiao Xuan looked as if she had already seen moneying her way. With this amount of money, she was going to buy morend and open stores. !! In the beginning, she would do everything in secret. She did not intend to show up as the owner. She could not let Madame Qiao learn about this. When she became powerful enough that she went beyond Madame Qiao¡¯s influence, she would establish business rtionships with some big businessmen with strong backgrounds. In this way, she would have nothing to fear in the future. Most importantly, it would be great if Shao Yunduan could make it to Advanced Schr level! If he cleared it, she would be protected as well. By that time, even her bad father would not dare do a thing to her, let alone Madame Qiao. Advanced Schr was different from Cultivated Talent. He could rece the official position of a minor County Magistrate. With some rtionships and achievements, he could even be the head of a county. So, even if her father wanted to do something about him, he could not possibly win by using small tricks. He would need to report him to the government office where the head supervised the whole case. Qiao Xuan believed that Madame Qiao would try and do some tricks, but her father would not. What if her father¡¯s bad deeds were revealed, it would be the end of his career! He was not stupid enough to do something detrimental to himself. In his eyes, Shao Yunduan was his son-inw, and when Shao Yunduan became sessful, he had to pay respect to him, otherwise his name would be ruined and Shao Yunduan would not help him in the future. In fact, if Shao Yunduan became sessful, he would get extra help with rtionships in the office, and that would make him really happy. Hence, he would not allow Madame Qiao to y any tricks. Therefore, as long as Shao Yunduan made it to Advanced Schr, it would be the starting of his flourishing career. That made Qiao Xuan feel really excited. 50 kgs of honey filled up threerge porcin jars. Everyone was so happy. It would earn them a lot of money. So on this day, when Shao Yunduan was going to the school in the capital, they rented a bullock cart and everyone went there together. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao, as well as Ms. Fang tagged along. Ms. Fang had another purpose, that of buying some things needed for Shao Sang¡¯s wedding. Honey was going to be sold to the pharmacies. Many side materials used at the pharmacy needed honey. Moreover, some precious materials would be soaked in wild, authentic honey so as to be preserved well. For example, ginseng, the best fresh wild ginseng, was sliced and cut into sections, soaked in pure wild honey and sealed, so that it could be stored for seventy or eighty years without any loss of efficacy. Qiao Xuan went to one of the two big pharmacies in the capital with her family, and the manager showed them to the backyard. He tasted the honey and was shocked. ¡°How did you get so much honey?¡± Wild honebs were very difficult to find. Their clinic needed wild honey throughout the year, and inte spring and summer, they would hire specialists to seek honey in the mountains. Normally, they would at most get 100-150 kgs. Sometimes they would get even less than 100 kgs. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Just good luck. Manager, are you buying the honey? If not, we will sell it somewhere else.¡± Manager smiled, as he saw the beautiful married woman in front of him. ¡°It is a long way for you toe to this ce, we will take it¡­¡± Chapter 88 - 88 Fifth Sister-in-law 88 Fifth Sister-inw Those words might have made others feel anxious, but Qiao Xuan rolled her eyes inside her head, and said straightforwardly, ¡°Manager, you don¡¯t have to force yourself into doing any business. If you don¡¯t want to buy it, just say it directly!¡± Manager, ¡°¡­¡± Shao Yunduan added, seeing her handle everything calmly and withposure. ¡°True. Manager, if you really want to buy the honey, please name a price.¡± Qiao Xuan said with a smile, looking quite indifferent, ¡°Wild honey is a great thing. Even if we fail to sell it, we can still keep it for ourselves. Honey can be preserved for a long time, and it won¡¯t go bad even after years. We can eat it slowly, or give it away as a gift, it will alwayse into use. I hear that wild honey with water can help extend lifespan!¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That is great!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That is really good, Mom!¡± Manager¡¯s mouth twitched. He could not help but feel really concerned for this precious honey. They were ruining this wonderful treasure! He was a sly businessman, and after some testing, he realized that this young couple wasn¡¯t so easy to be coaxed. In that case, he decided not to bargain. Manager said with a smile, ¡°Your honey is really pure and wonderful, but it is too mixed. So I will buy it at 70 wen for 500 grams, what do you think?¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s legs copsed, as she felt dizzy in head. She asked in a shivering tone. ¡°How¡­ much?¡± Shao Taotao helped her up and her eyes were also widened. Shao Xiaoqi was dumbfounded too. Honey was so valuable? Fifth Sister-inw was excellent. Her things earned more than his hunt. Manager smiled. ¡°70 wen, Ms, that is a very reasonable price!¡± Ms. Fang could not say a thing. She was not trying to raise the price¡­ Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look and Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Okay, deal.¡± After weighing, the honey measured upto almost 50 kgs apart from the porcin jar. Manager gave them 7 liang, and Qiao Xuan generously gave away the three porcin jars to the manager, who smiled and thanked the youngdy. He even told her to bring it again, if they have any more in the future. When they left the clinic, Ms. Fang was still feeling dazed. Seven liang¡­ they had just earned seven liang at one go! Ms. Fang stared at Qiao Xuan transfixed and mumbled inside her heart. ¡°She is our lucky star, indeed a lucky star¡­¡± After her fifth daughter-inw came to their home, they were living a better life than before. They had not only dealt with the second and the third section of the family, but also aplished Third Son¡¯s marriage. They were having a good time. They even had a spring at home¡­ Her fifth daughter-inw was just too fortunate! ¡°Mom, I will give 3.5 liang to you, and the remaining will be divided between me, Qi and Taotao.¡± ¡°I will take 1.5 liang and you both will get 1 liang each respectively, does that sound ok?¡± Qiao Xuan was not going to take advantage of them. It was true that she had done most in getting the honey, and it was reasonable that she should get a little more from the portion that was distributed after giving the family share. There would be a lot of asions when they would make money. If they did not set a rule for profit sharing, conflicts would definitely arise in the future. By that time, they might even lose their friendly rtionship. Ms. Fang was still feeling nk inside her head, when she took over the money. Neither Qi nor Taotao was satisfied by how the amount was divided. Chapter 89 - 89 With Fifth Sister-in-law 89 With Fifth Sister-inw The brother and sister nodded and shook their heads dazedly. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, that is too much! We did nothing much, please just give half of that amount.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Ms. Fang also brought herself back and said with a smile, ¡°Ms. Qiao, we got this because of you, they can just take 1 liang in total.¡± In the past, before her daughter-inw was married to their family, no one had sold honey for so much money. They managed to earn this much because of what her fifth daughter-inw did for them. Now they would be able to host a good wedding for her third son. Ms. Fang felt really relieved when she received so much money suddenly. Qiao Xuan did not change her mind. Qi and Taotao thanked her and looked at their fifth sister-inw in admiration. They were definitely going to hang out with Fifth Sister-inw more in the future. Qiao Xuan added. ¡°Mom, put away the money. We may use it at some point in time, and¡­ keep it a secret¡­¡± Ms. Fang realized what she meant. She looked at her two sons and her daughter. ¡°True, you must keep these earnings a secret, and not reveal it to anyone else, not even to your father.¡± Money was always going to be useful, and she needed to save some. Qi and Taotao nodded in agreement. So did Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan was heading to the school, whilst Qiao Xuan and Ms. Qiao were going to do some more shopping, so they waved goodbye at an intersection. Shao Yunduan whispered to Qiao Xuan. ¡°If you ever run into someone from the Qiao Family, just avoid them¡­¡± If Madame Qiao knew that Qiao Xuan was in town, she was not going to let go of the opportunity to humiliate her. Qiao Xuan felt her heart turn warm, as she smiled. ¡°I will. And I will take care of Mom and our brother and sister.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Thanks.¡± Ms. Fang pretended not to notice that her son and daughter-inw were whispering with each other. She smiled brightly. ¡°The two of them are so sweet together!¡± Qiao Xuan had intended to stay away from the Qiao Family, so after she left Shao Yunduan, she grabbed a towel to cover herself. Ms. Fang was very satisfied seeing how her daughter-inw behaved. She thought that Qiao Xuan had covered herself up because she did not want anyone else to stare at her beautiful face. Ms. Fang told Qiao Xuan that she was not going to return the 2 liang to her. She said, ¡°We must let your father-inw know that we owe you 2 liang. If you need money at any point,e to me in private.¡± Qiao Xuan had never intended to ask Ms. Fang to return the 2 liang, but if there was a proposal like this, she would not turn it down. She smiled and nodded in an understanding way. That made Ms. Fang feel even more gratified. Ms. Xu would not have said yes to such a proposal ever. Soon, they were done shopping. Qiao Xuan weighed 1 kg of snacks, some dried chilis, star anise, fennel and other seasonings, before heading ahead to buy the meat. Qiao Xuan bought arge piece ofmb chops. She wanted to go back and make pan-friedmb chops. After adding some honey on top of it, the dish would smell delicious. She bought one more hoof and arge piece of pork belly. The hoof could be stewed with turnips, and half of it would be fried to make a dish with a sweet and sour vor. The other half would be served with chopped chives, and the taste would be really beyond anticipation. The pork belly would be added with soy sauce, honey and then fried to make BBQ pork. May was around the corner, and the day was getting warmer. The meat could not be preserved for long. If it was made into BBQ pork, it could be kept for two more days. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao offered to pay for the meat. They could not possibly ask Qiao Xuan to pay for everything. ¡°I was thinking about buying some meat and having Fifth Sister-inw cook it for us. We can¡¯t let you pay for it and cook at the same time!¡± Chapter 90 - 90 Background 90 Background ¡°Yes, we have money now!¡± The four of themughed. It cost just ten wen for 500 grams, and they only paid 200 wen for so much meat. Qiao Xuan decided not to argue with them any more, so she smiled. ¡°Then, I can treat you to a bowl of noodles each, let¡¯s go!¡± A bowl of noodles consisted of green onions, pickled vegetables, beans and a spoonful of bone soup added on top. It only cost three wen. One egg could be sold at one wen, and vigers were not really happy to spend money upon buying one bowl of noodles, normally. But they felt that they had made a fortune today, so they all agreed and went to eat noodles together. When they were done eating, they went to fetch the bullock cart, and guarded their stuff for a while, whilst Qiao Xuan went to buy some garments and needles at the garment store. The garments would be used to make the sole and the top of the shoes. Summer wasing soon, and there were many kinds of beautiful garments in the store. Qiao Xuan picked some and decided to make three sets for herself and Shao Yunduan, two for her inws, and one each for the others, respectively. She even counted Yang Xiaoni in. She also needed some underwear for the hot days. So, she bought some thin white cotton garment and decided to make two sets for herself and Shao Yunduan as well as Shao Taotao. Girls from the countryside would normally make garments for themselves, so they knew about each other¡¯s sizes. Qiao Xuan asked Shao Taotao to tell her the sizes, and gave the order to the garment store, telling them that she would fetch the clothes in a couple of days. Shao Taotao was really worried about splurging so much money. But Qiao Xuan smiled and whispered. ¡°We should not waste our time upon making clothes. We have to earn money during that time instead¡­¡± Shao Taotao fell silent. The manager of the store saw how generous Qiao Xuan was, and everyoneughed. They treated them nicely, and decided to give the cotton garments to them for free and gave some other beautiful garments as gifts too. That made Shao Taotao really happy. She was definitely going to make a beautiful pair of new shoes for her beloved fifth sister-inw! As they left the garment store, they went around and saw a person selling small geese. There were nine of them, bigger than a fist. They had long necks, and their eyes looked like ck beans, lovely and cute. Qiao Xuan bought all of them. There were many chickens at home, but no ducks. Qiao Xuan had asked her mother-inw about the reason, and her mother-inw said that it was because ducks ate too much. Keeping them was not worth the while. Qiao Xuan dropped the idea of keeping ducks. They could wait until they had more money in the future. But geese were different. They only fed on grass, and little grains. The family could stew the geese and eat geese eggs as well. Ms. Fang saw the geese and said nothing, since she knew that they only fed on grass. She was d too. Shao Yunduan returned at four in the afternoon, and they all went back to the vige together. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma did not show up this time, unexpectedly. Shao Taotao could not help but mumble out of curiosity. Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°They knew that we were going into the vige to buy things for your brother¡¯s wedding, and they did not want to be here in case we would ask them for money!¡± They groaned so terribly about their poor situation, but that worked only on her husband, not her. She knew them pretty well! They were afraid of being med by her. Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°You have seen them through, Mom!¡± Ms. Fang was proud and replied with a smirk. ¡°I have!¡± Chapter 91 - 91 Eldest Uncle Stuck 91 Eldest Uncle Stuck Good that they were not here! Qiao Xuan took a rest and after a while started to work in the kitchen. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao helped alongside. Ms. Xu was very happy to see Qiao Xuan making some snacks for her children. She offered to help too, but Qiao Xuan told her to leave. During dinner, dishes including pan-friedmb chops, stewed radish soup, pan-fried sweet and sour hoof, stir-fried yam slices, stir-fried lettuce, and cold spinach were served. The view made people drool. !! The BBQ pork was made as well. But it was stored in the kitchen for the next night. When Elder Uncle saw the table full of meat, he could not help but gasp. Before he could say anything, Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father, all this was bought with my dowry, not with the shared money. My husband has been studying hard, and our brothers and sisters-inw are working hard too. We should eat something good.¡± Eldest Uncle was stuck with words, and said nothing more. He owed 2 liang to his daughter-inw and could not possibly ask her to share the food with the other sections of the family. Eldest Uncle answered briefly and said, ¡°But this is too much for us¡­¡± He meant that they could give the rest to the second and the third sections of the family, because their children were starving too. Shao Sang pursed his lips. ¡°We are all grownups. Of course we will be able to finish it all. Dad, the dishes taste great, I will make sure I finish them all!¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. Seeing that Qiao Xuan had not yet realized what he meant, Eldest Uncle snapped at his son and said, ¡°You only know how to eat! You are getting married soon!¡± Ms. Fang rolled her eyes. ¡°Just sit down and eat!¡± Eldest Uncle fell silent. Themb chops tasted crisp on the top and the hoofs were not tough to chew. A bite of both of them tasted great. They were soft, sweet and sour at the same time, with a really fragrant taste of the broth. The wok dishes and cold-served spinach were good for appetite. After the whole family was full, they spoke highly of the dishes and did not spare even the broth. Shao Sang looked at Elder Uncle, as he poured the broth over the rice. ¡°Dad, look, I knew I could finish it!¡± Eldest Uncle responded in a dark manner. ¡°Just shut up!¡± Qiao Xuan tried to hold down herughter. Back in the bedroom, Shao Yunduan said to Qiao Xuan,. ¡°After the Dragon Boat Festival, we will have apetition with dragon boats. The teachers of the school asked me to join. Do you want to watch the game?¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Is it fun?¡± Shao Yunduan felt slightly delighted. He knew that it would be interesting for her. He nodded. ¡°Yes, and it is going to be festive!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I will be there!¡± She had never seen such a show before, and would definitely like to watch it. Moreover, she could make a thorough observation of the local area. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Ok, it is settled then.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Following day, Qiao Xuan thought of the batch of watermelon seeds. She struck her head. She should not have forgotten about this. She will take Qi and Taotao to the mountain, and bring some watermelon seeds to the yard. There were many watermelon seeds there, and with the help of her superpower, she was going to make the fruits grow fantastically in her field. The watermelons would grow to be numerous,rge in size, round and sweet too! Chapter 92 - 92 Fifth Sister-in-law 92 Fifth Sister-inw Watermelons were notmonly-seen things. ording to the original host¡¯s memory, they only got two watermelons at home once and her parents regarded them as treasure. Of course, those precious fruits were eaten by her parents, and the original host did not have the qualification of eating it. But this time, she was going to eat everything! The three of them trekked upto Wangqing Mountains, and then Qiao Xuan ¡®identally¡¯ found the wild watermelon seeds. !! The seeds were already budding, and there were many veins everywhere, tangled and spread over the ground. They could tell that when the watermelons grow well, there would be many animals and birds flying all over. Qiao Xuan said to Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao, ¡°This is a very good thing. We can go back and nt some in the yard. They are called watermelons, round, red and swee. We can even sell them in the town. I am sure that everyone will buy it!¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were notpletely convinced by her words. But they were d to hear that these seeds could be worth the while. ¡°That is great! Fifth Sister-inw knows everything and we can earn money again!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s dig out the seeds!¡± The three of them worked together. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were very proficient in it. It was a simple task, and Qiao Xuan helped too. Soon, they got enough seeds within two hours. Qiao Xuan left some for the animals in the mountains. Surprisingly, they saw two mulberry trees next to the watermelon field. It was a season when mulberry grew well, and many of the fruits had already shown up. Birds loved the fruits, and there were only a few remaining on the trees. Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes brightened and she said that those fruits could be eaten as well. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao trusted herpletely. They picked the ugly-looking fruits and put them in their mouths. Instantly, their eyes brightened too. ¡°These are so sweet!¡± ¡°So tasty!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°See, I was not lying to you, right?¡± When the mulberries were picked, Qiao Xuan decided to bring some back home too. She could duplicate the trees. Hence, they will receive many fruits next year. Moreover, the extra mulberries could be used to make liquor. The seeds were all gathered, tied up into several bunches, and put into the basket. Since they were going to nt the seeds, they decided to go back earlier. They spent two more hours in the mountains, where Shao Xiaoqi caught one rooster, and then they went to Rabbit Hill together. ¡°We can hunt two rabbits today and there is no need for more. I can juste here whenever you want to eat it!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Qi, you should nevere here alone. It is dangerous here. I need to be here with you, understand?¡± Qiao Xuan was not bragging. There were dangerous zones in Wangqing Mountains as well. The reason why they never ran into danger was because Qiao Xuan could scan over the ce and helped them avoid the dangerous zones within their nearby range. That is how they managed to escape from the beasts¡¯ infested areas in the past. What Qiao Xuan did not know was that Shao Xiaoqi was more capable than he disyed in front of others. He could escape even if he ran into wild boars or tigers. Chapter 93 - 93 Fifth Sister-in-law, So Good 93 Fifth Sister-inw, So Good Moreover, after three years¡¯ time, they could even fight for it. Hearing what Qiao Xuan said, Shao Xiaoqi felt very moved. He nodded and answered. ¡°I got it, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± Fifth Sister-inw was so concerned about him. She was really nice. ¡°But, you have to remember not to lie to me!¡± ¡°Of course, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± The rabbit nest was full of fat andrge wild rabbits, three of which became Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s catch. Shao Taotao brought them home. The three of them walked for some time before Qiao Xuan found the fig trees. The trees looked quite like wild-growing trees, but with a special smell. Surprised, she decided to take them home, but the decision startled Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao! The two of them tried to stop her. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, we must not take these home. They smell terrible!¡± Qiao Xuan pointed at the finger-size green fruits with a smile. ¡°The smelly tree you know of is different from this one. That tree doesn¡¯t grow fruits, but look at this tree. It has figs which taste good when they ripen!¡± More importantly, the trees were much easier to grow, better than mulberry trees. Even one twig could make it grow wildly. Also, the figs tasted good but could not be transported easily. So, they were often dried. Even in the modern time, no fresh figs could be found in the fruit stores that were away from the ce where figs were grown. If some fresh figs were transported before they turned ripe, the taste would be much worse. The real, mature figs had a great taste! Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao took a closer look at it and admired the fruit. ¡°They are different! Fifth Sister-inw, you are so clever. You know everything!¡± ¡°Yes, we were wrong! Fifth Sister-inw, how does fig grow? Does it bloom?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Yes, it blooms, except that the flowers are too small to be seen.¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao came to a realization, and helped Qiao Xuan to dig the tree. The three of them returned home and ran into Ms. Niu, who was wandering about with her grandson in her arms, just as they were about to enter the vige. Ms. Niu, who saw them carrying baskets and bags, had her eyes wide and bright. ¡°Hey, what all have you got?¡± Ms. Niu tried to dig out what was inside their basket. She saw some mushrooms and melon veins on top. Wild roosters and rabbits were in the bag in Shao Taotao¡¯s hand, whilst Qiao Xuan was carrying two wrist-thick fig trees under her arms. The three of them felt speechless as they saw Ms. Niu¡¯s behavior. Shao Xiaoqi dodged her. ¡°Hey, Second Aunt-inw!¡± Ms.Niu pursed her lips. ¡°What are those seeds for? Why are you carrying them home?¡± ¡°For food!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and bragged. ¡± The seeds look very fresh, they should taste good.¡± There were all kinds of wild nts in the mountains during this time of the year and in this era. So Qiao Xuan loved to bring a lot home every time she went into the mountains. Ms. Niu heard of this before. So she did not suspect Qiao Xuan¡¯s words. She lost her interest instantly and rolled her eyes,ining. ¡°She, who is born nobly, has no idea what is worth the while and what is not.¡± Ms. Niu cribbed inwardly yet said, ¡°So wild roosters and rabbits are in this bag, aren¡¯t they? You can hunt more wild animals for us, look at my grandson, he has lost so much weight!¡± Qiao Xuan blinked. ¡°But you have so many roosters at home, you can feed them to your grandson too, right?¡± Chapter 94 - 94 Teasing Ms. Niu 94 Teasing Ms. Niu ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ms. Niu red at her. ¡°Those hens are for eggs, we can¡¯t kill them to eat. We are not wasting food at home!¡± Qiao Xuan snorted. ¡°But Qi of our family is young, and he needs rest. He gets tired too. Our parents feel sorry for him, so do we as brother and sister-inw!¡± Shao Xiaoqi added. ¡°Yes, my legs feelnguished after a full day¡¯s running. It takes me several days before I am able topletely rx!¡± The three of themughed. They were obviously teasing Ms. Niu. Annoyed, Ms. Niu shot back. ¡°You are countering the senior member of the family!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s face sank, as she said coldly, ¡°Second Aunt-inw¡­ should we try to seek justice with our parents? You are setting us up! Whenever Qi returns with wild animals, you always speak ill about him when you don¡¯t get anything from him. Also, me and Taotao¡­ have we ever offended you, Second Aunt-inw?¡± Ms. Niu felt even more angry. Shao Taotao had never offended her, and they had taken many things from what Shao Xiaoqi had hunted, so she should not be med. Ms. Niu felt very annoyed by Qiao Xuan, whilst she could not utter a single word ofint. Qiao Xuan was too treacherous! Ms. Niu mumbled in anger. ¡°I am just saying, what are you being so serious about? I am a senior member and I can, of course, discipline you a little.¡± Qiao Xuan immediately reacted. ¡°You, as the senior member, can definitely discipline us, if we make any mistakes. But you are ruining our reputation for no reason. Why can¡¯t we be upset? Our reputation is important, and it can¡¯t be taken as a joke all the time. You can¡¯t be deliberately doing it, can you? Will you be happy if my mom keeps ruining Meiling¡¯s reputation?¡± ¡°They have done nothing wrong, why must they be talked about?¡± ¡°Then what have we done, Second Aunt-inw?¡± Ms. Niu became so furious that she shivered. Goddamned Ms. Qiao, she was awful! Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes looked cold. ¡°Second Aunt-inw, you have to remember not to spread rumors about others. Don¡¯t ever forget that you have your own children and grandchildren too. If you offend us severely one day, I am not sure what I will do, for real.¡± She was the daughter of the County Magistrate, and if she made such a im, there would be many people who believed her. Standing right on the spot, Ms. Niu spat seeing them leaving. ¡°Ms. Qiao, you goddamned woman!¡± Qiao Xuan reached home and dropped one rooster and two wild rabbits. Then she took the mushrooms for drying. She shared the mulberries wrapped in a broad leaf, for everyone to eat. Ms. Fang tried a few and said that they were tasty. Shao Junyan and Shao Qing felt the same. Ms. Fang smiled more brightly, when she heard that it was Qiao Xuan¡¯s achievement. She said, ¡°Your Fifth Sister-inw is a very intelligent person, and has knowledge about everything.¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao nodded in agreement. Qiao Xuan still felt a bit shy hearing thepliments. She flushed, and ran away with mulberries in her hands, saying that she was going to share them with Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan had be even more devoted to studies, after being humiliated at the Qiao Family. He had sworn that he was going to make it to the next level, so he spent the whole day studying and writing articles. Qiao Xuan pushed the door and walked in, yet he did not even realize it. Qiao Xuan did not disturb him either. She closed the door slightly and stood next to him, watching him quietly. The man did not notice her. And she sized him up straightforwardly. The way her husband wrote, made him look very attractive. Chapter 95 - 95 Good Idea 95 Good Idea The man had a slender body shape, and good physical proportions. When he was seated at the table, he looked concentrated and careful. He was calm as he wrote the characters, and the straight-back manner in which he was sitting made him look graceful and unworldly. He, who had been reading books since a young age, looked no longer like a viger. Qiao Xuan subconsciously believed that he was going to be someone more than a minor Cultivated Talent. She believed that he was going to have a promising future. Maybe one day, he was going to press down her parents, like a gigantic tree! Qiao Xuan was dreaming, when Shao Yunduan suddenly looked up and met her eyes. Both of them were startled. Shao Yunduan was taken aback at first. Then his eyes were on her for a long while. Caught red-handed, Qiao Xuan realized that she had been looking at him in a straightforward way, and it was very embarrassing when she was caught. ¡°Oh well¡­ I have picked many mulberries, and they are really sweet. Want to have a try?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled as she showed the mulberry wrapped in therge leaf, pretending that she was not embarrassed. She could just leave if Shao Yunduan shook his head. But Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Oh really? Let me taste it!¡± Qiao Xuan. ¡°¡­¡± Failing in her n, Qiao Xuan had no choice but to step forward. She put down the mulberries in front of him, smiling. ¡°They are very sweet!¡± Shao Yunduan threw a look at her, and put a ck, ripe mulberry into his mouth. He bit it open and the sweet juice went across his teeth. He smiled. ¡°It is definitely very sweet.¡± ¡°I was telling the truth, right?¡± Qiao Xuan calmed down, seeing his rxed state. She added with a smile. ¡°The mulberries look ugly, but they taste great!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled. ¡°You are right.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ ah, you can just take your time eating them, I will go and deal with the melon veins, nting melons, I mean.¡± Shao Yunduan stood up. ¡°I can help you, I will eat the mulberriester.¡± Qiao Xuan blinked and was about to say something, when Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°I have been studying for half a day, and I need to stretch myself!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. It was coincidental, and had already happened numerous times. So, she did not turn him down but said, ¡°Okay, then, let¡¯s go!¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and left with her. Ms. Niu, who had been so annoyed when countered by Qiao Xuan, came to the first section of the family with her grandson, out of curiosity. Seeing Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu drying the mushrooms, Ms. Niu could not help but speak up. ¡°Can the mushrooms be eaten? You will get poisoned!¡± Ms. Fang snorted. ¡°None of your business!¡± Ms. Niu persisted and said, ¡°Honestly, Elder Sister-inw, why don¡¯t you tell your daughter-inw not to go into the mountains for useless work? She always brings back wasteful stuff, so Qi gets no time to hunt.¡± If Shao Xiaoqi could spend more time hunting for roosters and rabbits, then they could be shared with her family. Ms. Fangughed out of anger. ¡°I don¡¯t care what my daughter-inw is doing. What is your position in talking about her? If you want more wild animals, you can go and hunt them yourself!¡± Chapter 96 - 96 Bad Daughter-in-law 96 Bad Daughter-inw Ms. Niu added to her list ofints. ¡°It is Qi who is stingy! He is hiding his skill. If he had taught Eng and Sg how to hunt in the mountains, everything would be great!¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s face sank. ¡°Ms. Niu, you can discuss with Mr. Zhao about this, but shut your mouth in front of me!¡± Mr. Zhao only recognised Qi as a talent, and only offered to teach his skills to Qi. At that time, when they saw Qi gaining a lot of things every time he came back from the mountains with Mr. Zhao, they were eager to do the same. !! The third second section of the family only had one son, who was studying and did not want to do this kind of work. But Third Uncle offered to learn the skills himself, and Eng as well as Sng from the second section of the family chipped in as well. But Mr. Zhao did not think that they were talented enough, so he turned them down straightforwardly. Second Uncle and Third Uncle got so annoyed that they kept causing trouble in front of the first section of the family and makingints about Mr. Zhao, seeing that he was alone in the vige. They were unconvinced about his decision! Shao Xiaoqi was so young, what could he do? Why did Mr. Zhao ept only him as the disciple? Was he saying that they were worse than a pint-sized boy? However, though Mr. Zhao was no longer as popr and influential as before, he was still capable of disciplining a couple of vigers. So, he taught both of them a lesson quietly, before they decided to give up. Mr. Zhao was a very skilled man, who knew that he could not face the world like before, but he did not want to die without sharing his skills. Hence, when he spotted a talented boy like Qi, he thought about imparting his knowledge to the boy. He taught Shao Xiaoqi how to do martial arts, which was much more difficult and powerful than hunting. But he did not allow him to reveal to anyone that he knew martial arts. That Second Uncle and Third Uncle were disciplined by him was known only to the two of them. They were so scared that they did not dare do anything. Neither Ms. Niu nor Ms. Ma ever understood why their husbands gave up. That was why Ms. Niu remained unconvinced about the matter and started to crib about it again. She became rather irritated when she heard what Ms. Fang said. She was about to counter her when she saw Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduaning. She closed her mouth instantly, snorted and left with one rabbit in her hand. Ms. Qiao was not a good daughter-inw. She was going to defend her mother-inw and fight her. It was not worth the while for her to stay and listen to her speech. It was her own fault that she did not have a powerful daughter-inw. Her daughter-inw only knew how to take things from her home to her mother¡¯s family. What a horribleparison! Ms. Fang was asked by Qiao Xuan to nt melons in the yard. Hence, they all went to do the work together. Ms. Fang was d to hear that she had got watermelon veins. She knew what winter melons were, but not watermelons. Hearing the exnation from her daughter-inw, she realized that it must be a sweet kind of melon that could be eaten without being cooked. She looked at her daughter-inw and felt that she was going to make arge amount of money again, which made her feel really happy. So, she asked Shao Taotao and Ms. Xu not to reveal a thing to anyone else in the family. Qiao Xuan arranged it so that the melon was put next to the grape vine. It was a very broad ce and with her superpower, she was going to make sure the melons would grow well. Shao Xiaoqi, Shao Taotao and Ms. Xuo offered help too. ¡°Fifth sister-inw, what should we do with the veins?¡± Ms. Xu was very satisfied with Qiao Xuan. She was more than willing to help withbor andundry as well. Chapter 97 - 97 Glad 97 d After all, Qiao Xuan had pitched in a lot towards the shared properties, and they had taken great advantage of it. Also, Qiao Xuan was generous enough to offer Shao Junyan and Shao Qing many snacks, and she even told them not to let their father-inw know in case he would ask them to share those with the second and the third section of the family. Ms. Xu was very grateful to Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan said with a smile, ¡°There are no rules, but start nting from this spot and don¡¯t put them too close to each other. Veins won¡¯t grow properly then.¡± They did not need to put them too neatly. Also, she was not very good at nting herself. Ms. Xu and the others were a bit surprised. Ms. Xu could not help but say, ¡°But¡­ isn¡¯t that too casual? We need to have rules for nting crops, this is just too¡­¡± ¡°Elder Sister-inw, just do as she says, it will be fine.¡± Shao Yunduan said. It was her yard and she could do whatever she wanted and however she wanted, as long as she was happy. Ms. Xu was about to say something but eventually let out a small okay. Her sister-inw was too rxed in crop nting, so was her brother-inw who just let her do whatever she wanted. Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan and said, ¡°Let¡¯s start it now!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The nting went on fast with some earth digging, some seed burying, some earth covering and some watering. That was it! Soon, thend was filled with casually-nted melon seeds. But the seeds looked withered, and were disyed in an unruly manner. They looked so sad. Ms. Xu could not help but shake her head. ¡°Can they really grow?¡± She was really doubtful! Ms. Xu could not help but feel a little speechless seeing Qiao Xuan smiling at those withering seeds. Anyway, as long as it pleased her¡­ Ms. Xu was not aware that she had subconsciously started to think differently from before. When the melons were put down, they all walked out of the yard. Shao Yunduan nced at the fruit trees and grapes in the yard, saying with a smile. ¡°Those trees are growing well!¡± That surprised him as well. Shao Xiaoqi smiled. ¡°True, look at the persimmons, peaches and pears. They are all lush, and the fruits will be avable in a couple of months!¡± ¡°And bayberries too.¡± Shao Taotao could not help but drool at the thought. ¡°They are turning red.¡± ¡°True!¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Yes, I know I have spotted the right ce. We will have endless fruits to eat!¡± Early next morning, Qiao Xuan paid a visit to the flower field at the entrance of the vige. Everything was growing well. After the Dragon Boat Festival, pomegranate flowers, Chinese roses, and ordinary roses would all start to bloom inrge proportions. At that time, the petals would be picked and smashed to extract the flower juice. Then some almonds would be bought, almond oil would be abstracted, and beeswax would be mixed in it for making lipstick. She could see that she had more than 2,000 lipsticks in hand. Soon, she was going to be a very rich woman! Satisfied, Qiao Xuan put in more superpower into the field, so that the flowers grew faster, stems became stronger and leaves flourished. The twigs needed to grow faster and higher, whilst the blooms should ripen early and be bigger¡­ Qiao Xuan did not stop sending in the superpower until a whileter. All the flowers were growing well, and when they grew so well, no one would notice the real reason for it, which made the process reasonable. That was why she had fenced the field. She did not want the outsiders to learn the truth. She was waiting for a contrast. Chapter 98 - 98 New Changes In Space 98 New Changes In Space Qiao Xuan was still headed into the mountains with Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao. It was the time when mushrooms were growing fastest and wildly. They had sundried many mushrooms, which could be stewed or fried with meat, leading to the making of a delicacy. Also, Qiao Xuan suggested selling dried mushrooms in the market, and Ms. Fang did not object to that proposal. Qiao Xuan suggested that she could get more mushrooms when the mushrooms were growing rampantly in the mountains. Moreover, she nned to nt more mushrooms in the yard, which interested Ms. Fang, who had found the biggest hope and interest in her life. Qiao Xuan, withy the excuse of seeking mushrooms, was actually trying to find some precious medical herbs, including wild-growing gastrodia tas, panax notoginseng, siberiand picks as well as ganoderma lucidum. She had decided to feed ganoderma lucidum to the space, and if the space did not ept gastrodia ta, panax notoginseng, then she could nt them in the yard. She also decided to have a talk with the pharmacy when she had some savings, about whether she could buy some seeds of gastrodia tas as well as panax notoginseng from them. Well, it would be best if wild-growing ones could be found. But it was not certain yet. The resources in the forest were abundant, and it was quite possible for her to find wild-growing ones there itself. When they were done with nting medicinal herbs, she was going to work on mushroom nting. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were quite willing to take a walk with their fifth sister-inw in the mountains. The three of them spent two days searching for the herbs, and finally Qiao Xuan found more than ten ganoderma lucidum for the space. Qiao Xuan was very surprised. She tried to feed the space ording to her own thoughts, which the space epted. Qiao Xuan was confused. But then she tried to pull the ganoderma lucidum out of the space as well, which worked too. Delighted, Qiao Xuan nted all the ganoderma lucidum into the space without hesitation. In this way, she was putting stuff into the space for saving, and she could pull it out whenever she needed things. The orchids she nted earlier were budding, which manifested the fact that nts grew fast inside. In this way, ganoderma lucidum could be left growing in the space instead, which could help her earn more moneyter. Apart from ganoderma lucidum, Qiao Xuan was lucky enough to find five more false starworts, which space did not ask for but which were nted by her voluntarily. She could sense that the magical air as well as the sense of liveliness had be thicker across the space. Thend around the spring was no longer that bare-looking, and the earth within a range of 50 meters was bing fertile. The space seemed to be expanding outwards in this way. The spring was no longer still. Instead, it was moving by a finger-size far into the distance. Yet she could not see the end, since her magical sense had not yet taken her there. As for herself¡­ she was yet not able to enter space physically, and wondered if she would be able to do that in the future. Apart from all of these changes, there was a patch of mist shrouding the area not far away from the spring, in which she seemed to have spotted a small house. The house had white walls and ck tilts, a high rooftop. It looked quite ssical. What was inside the house? Unfortunately, she was not able to go deeper inside¡­ Still, Qiao Xuan felt really excited seeing the changes in the space. She might be able to realize all the possibilities soon that had not been explored till now. ording to the current development, she might be most likely to open up all the unknown avenues into possibilities. Qiao Xuan eventually found a patch of wild-growing gastrodia ta. She wondered for how many years the gastrodia tas had been growing in the mountains, since there were so many of them, covering approximately 20 mu. Chapter 99 - 99 Harvest 99 Harvest Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao could not recognize those nts, but Qiao Xuan had the impression, because she had bought them for the senior member of the family in her previous life. True, here they were. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, is it a good thing?¡± ¡°Can we sell them for money?¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao did not care if they recognized the nts, as long as their fifth sister-inw was d. It meant that the nts were definitely going to be precious. Qiao Xuan nodded as she rubbed her hands. ¡°These are excellent things, precious medical herbs, which can be sold at a really good price in the pharmacy.¡± Gastrodia tas had always been sold at a high price starting from the ancient time. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao cheered. ¡°What are we waiting for, go and grab them! Fifth Sister-inw, what are they called? We will dig them all up!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°They are called Gastrodia ta, growing in the earth. You have to be very careful when digging them. You should not hurt them, or they will lose all their value.¡± ... Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao nodded. Shao Taotao asked again. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, how much can they be sold for?¡± Qiao Xuan thought for a while and shook her head. ¡°I am not very sure¡­ but I think that it should be more valuable than honey!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°What!¡± Their eyes widened upon listening to her, and they gasped. Both of them became even more motivated and careful hearing that. The brother and sister were fully prepared. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry, we promise to be careful!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. ¡°Good that you are careful, but a little twisted stems are okay, don¡¯t get too nervous!¡± Qiao Xuan suddenly thought that she maybe able to repair the damaged nts with her superpower. She wondered whether that method worked. Even if she could not, small damages were fine. She could use her superpower to avoid the damage in the stems. But Taotao and Qi would not able to do so, they were not real professionals. However, Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were not convinced by Qiao Xuan. ... ¡°We will definitely remain cautious!¡± ¡°Yes, we will not hurt the stem!¡± That was all potential money, far more valuable than wild honey! The three of them did not bring any shovels on this day, only des. They needed to chop the nts away so as to make a path across the wilderness. Soon, Shao Xiaoqi sharpened a sharp-tip twig and the digging started. The terrain was low and t in the woods, and the soil was not too wet or too dry. The nts were growing really well. As a result, it was much easier for them to dig out things. Soon, they managed to get a good harvest. All the nts looked ripe and weighed heavily, with some soil stuck to them. The nts had a fragrant and fresh fragrance but their noses could only smell money! Twenty mu nts like this were not easy to be dug fully, and they could not possibly carry everything back even when they were done. They had justpleted digging one mu when their baskets were full. They were not strong enough to take away everything. ... Shao Xiaoqi said, ¡°I will bear this ce in mind. Let¡¯s go home first. What are we going to do with this nt? Sundry it too?¡± Qiao Xuan had just tested that her superpower was able to repair the damage of nts, but the wounds could not be toorge or deep. She was in a good mood. Hearing what Shao Xiaoqi said, Qiao Xuan thought for a while and said, ¡°We can¡¯t do this again and again. Let¡¯s go home first, and bring Third Brother, Elder Brother and Elder Sister-inw here tomorrow.¡± Chapter 100 - 100 Ideas 100 Ideas The nts across the twenty mu were ripe and lush, because no one had harvested them before. It was the correct time, but soon they would go bad. Qiao Xuan decided to move them back home before they were discovered by others. The nts were not growing very regrly, and she decided to get some moreborers for help. With their help, the harvesting would take just a couple of days. The three of them returned to the vige. Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao waited for Shao Xiaoqi to get the bullock cart to their spot. Then the three of them went into the town together, and arrived at the pharmacy called Mingren Tang. They went to the old client whom they had sold stuff to earlier. Qiao Xuan had no idea how to deal with gastrodia ta herself, and it would be too troublesome and eye-catching as well. What if those nosy people came to their home and made trouble? They could just dig and sell, saving a lot of trouble. Those rtives were so shameless. How could they just return like nothing had happened, every time they finished the argument with her mother-inw? It basically meant that they were thick-skinned whe it came to their own interests and had a greedy disposition. ... Hearing that they had gastrodia ta, Manager Qin was really astonished. But for Qiao Xuan¡¯s previous visit and their generous sale of hundreds of kilos of wild honeyst time, he would not have believed their words. Instead, he would have thought that they were here causing trouble and would have driven them out. Seeing the nts they had brought with them, he was surprised. They were freshly-dug with soil still attached. Manager Qin was surprised and happy, as he said emotionally, ¡°You are indeed lucky!¡± ¡°Of course we will take it! I will buy them at a reasonable price¡­ do you have any more?¡± Manager Qin looked at her expectantly. Qiao Xuan replied with a leisurely smile, ¡°Of course yes, we have found more than ten mu of it in the mountains. This is just a small portion we have dug. So, Manager Qin, name a good price, otherwise we will not go and dig them any further.¡± Manager Qin would not have believed those words if they were spoken by someone else, and he would have quoted a low price if he was dealing with regr vigers. Well, everyone was trying to make some money, right? But he had to believe what Qiao Xuan said. She was a reliable person, and she must be right about what she had said. Qiao Xuan would not trick him, like the others. ... Manager Qin smiled. ¡°You are funny, little girl, my Mingren Tang is always fair and sells things at a right price, you can bring all kinds of medical herbs you can find, and we can buy it from you at the right price.¡± ¡°The nts are raw, and we still need to deal with them, which may take some time. I will pay 2 liang for every 500 grams, okay?¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao almost fainted and their hearts skipped a beat¡­ They exchanged a shocked look between each other ¨C what did they just hear? 2 liang? They had spent a lot of effort carrying the bags and baskets from the mountains, and it should weigh at least 35 to 40 kg together¡­ So, how much were they going to receive? They just could not calcte it any more¡­ Chapter 101 - 101 Nice Treatment 101 Nice Treatment Qiao Xuan thought for a while and smiled. ¡°Okay, 2 liang isn¡¯t a high price, but Manager Qin, you pay promptly, so I will take the deal.¡± ¡°Good, good! Miss, if you have some more, bring it to us please!¡± The manager let out a sigh of relief and smiled, as he asked the assistant to start weighing the goods. Two liang for 500 grams was not a low price, nor was it high. The manager was trying to get a bargain, because he did need to spend extra effort in dealing with the original nts. Qiao Xuan took the deal and told him that she was aware of the market price well enough. Manager believed that if the seller was not as smart as this young miss, he would definitely have managed to buy all the nts at 2 qian per 500 grams instead. The final bill was 172 liang for 43 kgs. If they give half of it to the shared savings, each of them would still get dozens of liang in the end. The three of them were really pleased. They bought some good food, and Qiao Xuan fetched the newly-tailored clothes, before heading back to the vige happily. Qiao Xuan asked Shao Yunduan to join them when she was handing out the money. Shao Yunduan was startled as he said, ¡°You went to the town? You have to tell me when you go to town next time. I need to be with you.¡± Qi and Taotao could do nothing. If something happened, they were not going to be of any help. They would even be frightened away! Qiao Xuan got very happy when she heard that he cared about her safety rather than the money, so she said, ¡°Alright, next time, I will tell you first¡­¡± Qiao Xuan was smiling inside her heart. She was so lucky to have a husband who treated her nicely! Shao Yunduan was really worried about her safety. He had witnessed how Madame Qiao and those from the Qiao Family treated her, so he was really angry and concerned about her. He was scared that she would run into them. Those annoying servants were even worse than their masters. They would always tter the masters in all kinds of manners. What if some housekeeper, servant or annoying aunties ran into Qiao Xuan and bullied her? But seeing how Qiao Xuan reacted¡­ he suddenly became shy¡­ But he felt somehow happy too, when he saw her cheerful face. Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, Shao Taotao, Shao Xiaoqi, Ms. Fang were dividing the money. Ms. Xu did not notice the amount of money, as she was watching her children eating snacks and putting on new dresses. Ms. Fang and Shao Yunduan were very surprised to see this much money. Qiao Xuan took two notes, each of them was worth 50 liang, whilst the rest was 10 liang as well as some small changes. They had spent some on food, such as ribs and pork belly as well as 50 kgs of rice and 15 kgs of flour. Those staple foods were consumed fast in arge family like theirs. Ms. Fang patted her throbbing heart as she said in a shivering voice, ¡°This¡­ much money was earned because you sold that nt?¡± ¡°Yes, Mom!¡± The three of them nodded with a smile. ¡°Oh my!¡± Ms. Fang almost copsed. ¡°It is so much!¡± ¡°Mom, this is just a small part. We have seen more than 20 mu of the nt. We can dig some more tomorrow. We are going to earn much more than this!¡± Ms. Fang. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let me¡­ digest it slowly¡­¡± Shao Yunduan helped Ms. Fang to sit down. ¡°Mom, Ms. Qiao found the nt, but I think that if she gives half of the earnings to the shared pool, it might be a bit too much. What do you think?¡± Chapter 102 - 102 No Greed 102 No Greed Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao nodded as well. That was exactly what they were thinking too. ¡°But for Fifth Sister-inw, we would not have recognized the nt, nor would we have sold it for this much money. Fifth Sister-inw should take thergest share!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Qiao Xuan did not care much about it. She knew what her mother-inw was like. She smiled. ¡°It is fine, we have all worked hard. But Mom, you have to hide the money and never share it with anyone else.¡± The others agreed as well. They believed that this was the most important thing above all! Ms. Fang took a deep breath. ¡°Ms. Qiao, Duan, Qi and Taotao are right. You earned the money. You don¡¯t have to give so much to us! What about you giving 20 liang to me, and the rest can be yours.¡± 20 liang was already enough for them. Honestly, they could not save 20 liang even in an entire year in the past. Ms. Fang believed that she should cherish the windfall, rather than being greedy. Qiao Xuan was able to earn this much money, because she was fortunate. The others should not be too greedy for her money, otherwise there would be misfortune along the way. Startled, Qiao Xuan had not expected that her mother-inw would be so generous. She said, ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°Mom is right, just do as she says.¡± Shao Yunduan added. She could keep her earnings. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao had no objection to the proposal. Qiao Xuan thought for a while and agreed with a smile. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t say no.¡± Ms. Fang said with a smile, ¡°You deserve it!¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao did not do much and still got 20 liang respectively. Qiao Xuan had more than 120 liang in savings right now. She stuffed 2 liang back to Ms. Fang. That was an extra benefit, which made Ms. Fang smile. Her daughter-inw was quite understanding, and knew how to make money and respected her. She was the lucky star of the family! When they were done with money sharing, Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi came, looking around. Shao Xiaoqi immediately said, ¡°We don¡¯t have any wild animals today, cousins.¡± So¡­ they could just stop looking. Shao Meiling smiled. ¡°You borrowed a bullock cart to go to the town, what did you do there?¡± Shao Xiaozhi. ¡°What did you buy?¡± Qiao Xuan replied. ¡°Why must we report what we have brought to you everytime? It is none of your business!¡± She left from there without speaking with them any more. Shao Meiling and her sister got so annoyed that they turned to look at Ms. Fang, who ignored them as well and went into the kitchen instead. They realized that their elder aunt-inw would not defend them against her daughter-inw. ¡°Let¡¯s leave!¡± The two of them dashed off. Soon the two elder women were at the door. Ms. Fang countered them and the two of them left in anger as well. Ms. Fang realized that they should not be indulged, even though her family was making money now. Qiao Xuan cooked some more food for dinner. She made braised and sugar-coated ribs, and turned pork belly into braised meat whilst adding some chives with egg soup and eggnts and beans. Qiao Xuan thought that her father-inw would say something about this but her father-inw said nothing even after they finished the dinner. Qiao Xuan was very surprised. Shao Yunduan immediately rified. ¡°They owe you 2 liang. Dad doesn¡¯t dare to say anything right now.¡± Qiao Xuan struck her head. ¡°Ah, good!¡± It was good that she had a substantial dowry! Chapter 103 - 103 No Step Backwards 103 No Step Backwards She could do whatever she wanted! What Qiao Xuan did not know was that when Eldest Uncle returned to the room, he had a long chat with Ms. Fang. Although he did not believe it firmly, he still insisted. ¡°¡­They were just here on a visit, why are you treating them as if they are thieves? It will make our name sound bad, and it will hurt us too. We are one family¡­¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°We are not one family! We are living separately! We all have sons, daughter-inws and grandchildren to support. What are they doing here? They keep thinking about getting something from us, whenever they see us bringing something home.¡± ¡°Just on a visit? They always return to their home with something or the other. Qi is not yet married, but when he has a wife in the future, and they keeping to us again and again, his wife is definitely going to be annoyed. No nephews are going to support their uncles and aunts! They can get something from us asionally, but theye to us every time Qi goes up to the mountain. Bah!¡± ¡°Ms. Qiao can buy whatever she wants. Why is it their business? Why must they dig into what she is doing? Must she share with them what she has got? They will alwayse to you whenever we refuse to give them something. You can share things with them, but leave us alone. If you are not convinced, just ask your son and daughter-inw, who on earth is willing to share the gains? You can go and ask anyone!¡± ¡°Bah, don¡¯t ever say that they have nothing, and will give us something when they have it. Look at Xiaozhi and Meiling! When they eat candies, they don¡¯t share any with Taotao! When they kill roosters for a meal, have they ever shared a bowl of soup with us?¡± Eldest Uncle, ¡°¡­¡± He could note up with any instance when he was offered something by them. ¡°A rooster is so small! If they have anything spare, they would definitely share it with us¡­¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°What do you mean by small? If they have the heart to share it with us, they would do that whenever they want. They have taken full advantage of us. Now, they should just stop it! Our children are growing up, and we are going to have more daughters-inw! You are defending your brothers, but if you expect your daughters-inw to support their uncle and aunts, I don¡¯t think that any of the daughters-inw would be d to do so! Are you trying to make sons and daughters-inw to get separated from you?¡± Eldest Uncle was angry. ¡°We are one family, we don¡¯t have to split hairs!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t, but what good have we got? Why can¡¯t we split the hairs? We need to share every time! But they share nothing, and think that we owe them something! You can be generous, but leave us alone!¡± Having said this, Ms. Fang became even angrier and went to sleep. She was definitely not going to take a step backwards. She was strong enough to snap at him. She had her son and daughter-inw to back her up, and it did not matter if her husband was arguing with her. Maybe he could just leave the family! He could check if his brothers would want to keep him and feed him! The following day, Eldest Uncle was not feeling well, but no one noticed it or spoke with him. That made the old man feel even worse. He had nowhere to vent his anger either. So, he skipped breakfast, and left with a shovel on his shoulders. Shao Dng was down-to-earth and seemed to have sensed that his father was upset about something. Ms. Fang sneered and waved her hand. ¡°Just leave him alone!¡± He woulde to join them for a meal when he was angry. Or he was going to ask his brothers for food? They would never be that kind to take care of him! Shao Dng did not think that it was right, but when he was about to say something more, Ms. Xu blinked at him and stopped him. Chapter 104 - 104 Ms. Xu’s Anticipation 104 Ms. Xu¡¯s Anticipation Ms. Xu snapped at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Dad and Mom must have had a row. As their juniors, we should not get involved in the matter.¡± Shao Dng was startled. ¡°A row? That can¡¯t be possible! They were finest night¡­¡± Ms. Xu snorted. ¡°Who knows! But just listen to what Mom says! If you ever dare say anything more, she will teach you a lesson!¡± Shao Dng thought for a while and nodded with a small answer, saying nothing more. !! After breakfast, Qiao Xuan asked them to help dig the gastrodia tas. ¡°Qi, Third Brother and I found arge patch of it, and they are very valuable. Brother, and Sister-inw, help us in bringing it back. I will pay you 5 liang a day. It will take just a couple of days.¡± She had asked Ms. Fang about the payment, and Ms. Fang agreed with it. Only Qiao Xuan recognized gastrodia ta and it was she who found this valuable nt, so Ms. Fang even believed that 5 liang for the couple would be a little too much. 5 liang for one day? If Qiao Xuan was a stingy person, she could have kept it as a secret and sell it on her own. She could have earned all the money by herself. But she exposed this to the family because she treated them well. Also, half of her earnings would need to be handed out to the shared savings. Shao Dng and his wife, as well as Shao Sang were shocked. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw¡­¡± Ms. Xu¡¯s voice was shivering. ¡°Are you saying that we can earn 5 liang a day? Five liang?¡± Shao Dng found that Ms. Xu¡¯s reaction was a little bit improper, but he could not help but turn to Ms. Xu who was gasping. He looked at Qiao Xuan and said, ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, have you made a mistake?¡± Shao Sang gasped and had not be normal yet. ¡°Brother.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I have not made a mistake. Five liang for one person per day, ten liang for two days, but¡­ please keep it a secret.¡± ¡°I will, I will absolutely keep it a secret. Fifth Sister-inw, let¡¯s go now!¡± Ms. Xu almost jumped in excitement. Ten liang for two days! They would earn 20 liang for two days together! In a couple of years, they would be able to afford to send Junyan to school, even after handing out the money to the shared savings. Ms. Fang could not help but throw Ms. Xu a disdainful look. This narrow-minded woman, she acted as if she had never seen any money before! But then she realized that she had really never seen much money before. So she decided to drop any disciplining talks with her. ¡°Just listen carefully!¡± Ms. Fang snorted. ¡°You should tell this to no one else, including your father! If you meet your mother¡¯s family, you should keep it a secret from them as well! Never mention this to anyone ever, understand?¡± Ms. Xu was startled and nodded constantly. So did Shao Dng and the others. Soon they set out to do the work. Shao Yunduan tagged along as well. He was trying to take a walk in his spare time, to bnce his time devoted to his studies. They worked fast, and it took them just half a day to finish the work. Compared to the digging, transporting was an even more difficult task. It was a long way to go¡­ They were all good at physicalbor work, but it took some effort to carry everything out. Shao Xiaoqi rented a bullock cart and they all gathered at the entrance of the vige. Shao Yunduan decided to keep Qiao Xuanpany in the town, whilst Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao followed along. Ms. Xu was very excited. She was nervous too, and did not follow along out of hesitation. ¡°Do you think that Fifth Sister-inw will give us the money?¡± Ms. Xu did not believe that it was a reliable thing. That nt looked like cheap stuff. Were they worth a penny? Chapter 105 - 105 Acceptance 105 eptance Shao Dng said, ¡°Fifth Sister-inw doesn¡¯t joke around. When she makes a promise, she definitely sticks to it.¡± Ms. Xu nodded and smiled. ¡°Then we will have 20 liang altogether, and we¡­ we are going to have savings of our own!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shao Dng smiled with brightened eyes. They sold a lot of nts this time, and the weight became 268 kgs. Manager Qin counted it as 270 kgs instead. !! The payment was 1,080 liang altogether. Manager Qin¡¯s eyes almost popped out, and he asked his assistant to serve them tea. He said in a ttering tone, ¡°Mr. Shao and Mrs. Shao, how much more of this do you have?¡± Qiao Xuan thought for a while. ¡°Simr to this amount, not too much!¡± It was wild-growing and the production wasn¡¯t that great. Otherwise 20 mu of gastrodia ta would have led them to great fortune. ¡°Good, good!¡± Manager Qin said with a smile. ¡°We want it all, we buy it at this price, okay?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Okay!¡± Qiao Xuan gave Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao 100 liang each. It was they who kept Qiao Xuanpany when she found gastrodia ta and they deserved to have this much share. The two of them epted the money happily. Qiao Xuan gave nothing to Shao Yunduan, but asked him with a smile. ¡°I can keep it for you, and you can turn to me, when you need money, alright?¡± Shao Yunduan suddenly thought of how his mother guarded the money at home, and how his sister-inw watched out for the savings, so he wondered what she meant¡­ But Shao Yunduan cut off the suspicion and nodded. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled and stuffed the money into her arms. Back at home, they started to divide the money. They gave Shao Dng, Mrs. Xu and Shao Sang ten liang each and they would receive ten liang more the following day. Ms. Xu was so happy that her eyes sparkled. She thanked her constantly and wondered where she should keep the money. Shao Sang was d as well. He had the money! And he was going to sell more of this nt with his brother tomorrow as well! He was going to buy a lot of good food! Like braised pork, roasted chicken, big ducks and all kinds of delicious meat dishes from Restaurant Yanhe, some candied sugar-coated dried fruits from dim sum shops, melon seeds and peanuts and so on¡­ He was going to buy a lot! Ah, it made him so happy! Qiao Xuan gave 100 liang to Ms. Fang as well. Ms. Fang epted the money when Shao Yunduan told her to. Qiao Xuan could not help but smile. ¡°Mom, I really admire you for how you deal with different things! I am so d to have a mother-inw like you!¡± Ms. Fang was not greedy at all, which Qiao Xuan appreciated greatly. ¡°Honestly, you girl!¡± Ms. Fang chuckled. ¡°It is Duan¡¯s honor to have married you! But you are right, I am not greedy!¡± ¡°I feel so d to have you here.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom, you are kind and friendly, and you will certainly have a lot of good fortune!¡± ¡°Hahaha! That is great!¡± Ms. Fangughed loudly. Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± He almost believed that he was the extra one¡­ The following day, they worked hard and earned 1,260 liang after the sale. Qiao Xuan gave 100 liang to Ms. Fang, Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao each, and gave 20 liang to Shao Sang, Shao Dng and Mrs. Xu respectively. Chapter 106 - 106 Qiao Xuan More Satisfied 106 Qiao Xuan More Satisfied She had 900 liang left to herself. In this way, she had approximately 1,900 liang saved with her. Great that she had the superpower. Money just came in like a flood. Otherwise she would not have been able to find those precious things in the mountains. !! After all, it wasn¡¯t easy to find those hidden treasures in the mountains, and that was why the vigers were all so poor. A dayter, Qiao Xuan nted two mu of gastrodia ta. She had asked Manager Qin to get 2 mu of panax notoginseng and 2 mu of Taizi ginseng seeds for her. It would be better if he could get ginseng seeds or ginseng that was still alive. Manager Qin nodded and even signed a contract with her. He asked her to keep nting those things and they would buy all the nts, at a rtively reasonable price. Also, they were also going to return the money for the seeds to her. Well, if the nts did not grow, then she would have to bear the cost of the seeds. This was because the seeds for panax notoginseng and Taizi ginseng were not cheap. Qiao Xuan heard that Mingren Tang was operated by the Tang Family in the capital, which was a medical family and received full respect. The grandpa, namely the master of the family, used to be the imperial doctor for the Emperor. He was from a very noble and reputable family of medicine. They might not be the most prestigious one, yet they were least one of the most prestigious ones. Due to the special social status, even the most prestigious families would not dare offend them, and sometimes the most prominent families would even want to do them a favor. After all, everyone needed doctors at some point. The richer a family was, the more scared they were of diseases. That was why Qiao Xuan became even more satisfied. If she was able to continue her coboration with the Tang Family, then her original parents would not dare do anything to her either. The Tang Family was a noble family and they had been running a medical business, which needed a ster reputation. Due to her and Shao Yunduan¡¯s social status, the Tang Family would not do anything like stealing the techniques from her, like nting those herbs. Ms. Xu was willing to help when they were nting gastrodia ta. She was very envious of those 2 mu of Gastrodia ta. She could not help but let out an emotional sigh, standing with Shao Dng. ¡°This is a very valuable nt, and they are going to make even more money! What about us seeking these nts in the mountains too? If we find some ourselves, we are going to make a fortune as well!¡± She knew that even if half of the earnings was given to the shared savings, it would still mean a great deal. Shao Dng was a down-to-earth man. He said to her, ¡°They are not so easy to nt. We know nothing about it. Just drop it. We can¡¯t recognise those valuable things in the mountains, and it is dangerous out there. We have earned so much this time already!¡± Ms. Xu pursed her lips. ¡°It is never too much money for us!¡± ¡°Also, we have earned 60 liang, but 30 liang are for the shared savings, and we only have 30 liang left. That is so little.¡± Shao Dng turned a surprised look at her. 30 liang was not enough? ¡°Darling, don¡¯t overthink it. We are just ordinary farmers, and we should not be¡­¡± Greedy! ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Ms. Xu felt as if she were stricken down. She snorted. ¡°Those are just thoughts, look at what you are saying!¡± Shao Dng scratched his head and tugged her sleeves. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything else, I just mean that we should learn to be satisfied, look at what we have now, it is enough!¡± Chapter 107 - 107 Recognition 107 Recognition Ms. Xu. ¡°¡­¡± This man was dull and dumb in head. Messages just did not get through. But he was slightly better than before. Who wouldin about gaining so much money! The fifth sister-inw could pay them this much money, probably because she herself had earned a lot. !! Well, she could not say anything about it, since she earned the money with her abilities. But if she could recognize what the nt was like, then she could go into the mountains and dig them herself. She could sell them and earn the money for her own pocket. The more Ms. Xu thought about this, the more she wanted to do so. So the next day, she pretended to work in thend, but sneaked into the mountains instead. She was going to find gastrodia ta. She had no knowledge of what it looked like, but when she was digging the nt, she bore the appearance in her mind. As long as she could run into the nt, she was going to recognize it. But gastrodia ta was not easy to find. Without Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower, it could not be possibly found at all. Anxious, Ms. Xu panicked. She kept going deep into the forest without any awareness. The path as well as the trees were getting so strange and the veins were flourishing, getting denser. But Ms. Xu just did not notice the change. When she realized that something was wrong, she nced about, as cold sweat dripped alongside her cheeks. Where was she? It was very quiet around, and trees were covering her head, as if there were numerous pairs of eyes hiding behind the woods, and a beast woulde to lunge at her and eat her up. Suddenly, Ms. Xu let out a scream, when she heard a weird sound of a bird chirping across the mountains. She tripped over and fell. She kept screaming and ran backwards despite the pain. Luckily, Ms. Xu left some footprints on the path that was barely visited by anyone. She grew up in the countryside, and often worked in the mountains. So even though she went through the difficulty at the beginning, she managed to escape from the woods. When she came to the familiar ce, Ms. Xu copsed as she panted, crying. She felt so regretful, though she had no idea what made her feel this way. But after this experience, she understood that she was not capable enough to do it herself. She could not make a fortune through this. Ms. Xu felt very jealous and admired her fifth sister-inw. No wonder her mother-inw kept speaking highly of Fifth Sister-inw and calling her a lucky star. True, she was indeed a lucky star. She had to admit that she was not destined to be as lucky. Well, she had some savings in hand, and even though they had separated from the big family, the family of four would definitely live a good life. Also, some of Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s earnings would be given to the shared savings too, so when Mother-inw had enough money in her hand, the whole family would have a better life as well. Hence, she decided to leave the money making job to her fifth sister-inw. She was sure that Fifth Sister-inw would not forget about her, whenever she was going to make a fortune. As she thought about this, Ms. Xu felt slightlyforted. From that moment on, she dropped her strange thoughts. The whole family had no idea what Ms. Xu had been through. Qiao Xuan spent the following days at home, since she was really tired in the past few days of non-stop mountain visits. Shao Taotao was making the shoe soles, and Qiao Xuan helped her. There were no other entertainment things she could do, so she got really bored and decided to kill the time by doing some needle work. Chapter 108 - 108 Later 108 Later In the afternoon, Qiao Xuan spent some time on the flower field which was located at the entrance of the vige. She had used her superpower to make the trees grow, and now, some already started to bloom. The 30 bee boxes were standing in three rows neatly, with numerous bees going in and out, buzzing around. Qiao Xuan stopped in front of one gardenia tree that was taller than herself. !! She looked at the blossoms attached to the twigs, reached out for the trunk and poured in more superpower. Soon, one of the blossoms started to open itself, and gradually, while flowers covered the entire tree. The white, egg-sized flowers were blossoming in an enticing way, covering up the trees and giving off a wonderful scent. Qiao Xuan picked several flowers and held them in her hands. Then she put in more superpower, trying to extract the oil from them. She rubbed the flowers, crushed the petals, and instilled her superpower gradually, extracting the water inside and then made it evaporate under the sunshine. It was a difficult process, because the superpower wasn¡¯t easily controlled. A small distraction might ruin the entire work. Soon, Qiao Xuan honed her skill. The crushed petals soon turned brown, and Qiao Xuan cast the petals all over the ground. She noticed the water drops at the tip of her finger, which was very small. The scent was very pure and strong. It was the smell of gardenias indeed. It must be the extracted oil from gardenias. Qiao Xuan was overjoyed. It seemed that she was going to pay another visit to the town. Some tools needed to be made and jars had to be bought. She needed to have arge white porcin bowl and pestle for pounding the medicine. The petals could not be pinched by hand. It was much easier to pound them in the bowl first, and then refine themter. She was going to buy some sealed bottles made of jadestone for the oil. She was not going to expand the 60 mu of flower field. It would be too obvious. She wasn¡¯t afraid of the vigers, but the madam at the mansion. She was going to do something bigger, when she grew stronger. But she was going to do something on the sly. She was going to buy good fields directly from thend-owners in the town. She could hire some people to take care of thend, and did not have to do everything personally. She was not going to expand the flower field for the time being. She could grow all kinds of flowers that she wanted, but if she nted too many flowers, it would cause suspicion. With her superpower, she could make the flowers bloom numerous times on the same field. The superpower would grow stronger, the more she practiced it. As Qiao Xuan was mulling over the n, she saw that the flowers had already attracted many bees. Qiao Xuan smiled. It seemed that they all loved it! She also sensed that her superpower would soon grow stronger, and more fragrant. Satisfied, Qiao Xuan left the flower field, locked the door and went home. She had just walked into the yard, when she saw Shao Xiaoqi, Shao Taotao, Shao Junyan and Shao Qing feeding ducks and geese. Ms. Fang was watching andughing, standing next to them. They dug some fish and shrimps from the bucket and cast them onto the ground. The ducks and geese were all jostling to get the food. They looked so cute and fresh, and the sight made Junyan and Shao Qing really happy. ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Fifth Sister-inw! Here!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled after greeting them. ¡°Where did the duckse from?¡± Chapter 109 - 109 Fish And Shrimp 109 Fish And Shrimp Her mother-inw used to think that raising ducks was a waste of food, and it was not worth the while. That was why Qiao Xuan was very surprised to see twenty ducks appearing in the yard. Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Your third brother went to town today, and I asked him to bring the ducks home.¡± Then, she pressed down her voice and chuckled with pride. ¡°Now, we have food for ducks! When they grow bigger, you can just make them into dishes. We can all get a taste of it!¡± Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows, but then nodded with a smile. ¡°That sounds good! I can make many dishes with duck. Mom, just wait to taste the dishes!¡± Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, what about me buying two morerge ducks from town in a couple of days, when the market is on?¡± Ms. Fang red at him in amusement. ¡°You boy, since when did you pick up your third brother¡¯s bad habit?¡± Everyoneughed. Shao Xiaoqi chuckled in embarrassment, scooped a small shrimp from the bucket and cast it onto the ground. Qiao Xuan was brought back to the scene. She said, ¡°You went to fetch fish and shrimps from the river?¡± She leaned forward and saw many shrimps, big and small as well as several fish in the bucket. They all looked like delicacies to her. Seeing them chuckling as they fed them to geese and ducks, Qiao Xuan could not help but let out a sigh of concern. Those were all river shrimps and fishes from fresh, unpolluted rivers! They could all turn into delicious dishes! She had paid too much attention to the mountains, ignoring the treasure in the river. There were many fish and shrimps in the river these days. ¡°It is such a pity that you are feeding them to the ducks and geese. They can be our food!¡± Shao Taotao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But Fifth Sister-inw, they have a weird taste, we don¡¯t like it!¡± Shao Xiaoqi was motivated instead. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, are you able toe up with dishes using shrimps and fish? I can get them home now!¡± Shao Taotao got the point too. ¡°Oh! Me too, me too!¡± Fish and shrimps had a weird smell, and vigers did not want to put too much oil into making them, nor did they want to add much wine to drive away the taste. So they believed that those things could not be turned into delicious food. Gradually, people rarely visited the river for fish and shrimps, unless it was a famine. Hence, they just got the fish and shrimp for ducks and chickens. Qiao Xuan nodded and smiled. ¡°Of course they can be made into food! There are various kinds of dishes that can be made. Do we have many of these in the river? Let¡¯s visit the river and we will make yummy food tonight!¡± ¡°Hooray!¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao cheered. They dropped the ducks and geese, and went to fetch a bucket and, heading towards the river. They had a at home, which they had no idea when they made it and when theyst used it. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°We can go to the town to buy some fish poles. They shoulde handy in fishing.¡± However, those things were ordinary tools which might not be avable on sale. They could find a carpenter to make some hooks instead. Ms. Fang did not know what she should say. ¡°You have so many ns! You are so naughty! Keep your fifth sister-inw protected, and stay safe!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao answered from a distance away. They came to the riverside, and saw seaweed growing all over the river with slow-flowing water. Chapter 110 - 110 Qiao Xuan’s Interest 110 Qiao Xuan¡¯s Interest Shao Xiaoqi took off his shoes, rolled up his trousers and tied them around his waist. He threw the into the root of the seaweed, gave it a push and took a step backwards. Finally, the was cast out. There were numerous, bouncing shrimps in the as well as two finger-size fish that showed their white bellies immediately. Shao Xiaoqi threw away the leaves and small things out of the proficiently, and gathered up the fish and shrimp, putting them into the bucket. Soon after, Qiao Xuan tried to explore the river with her superpower. !! Her eyes widened after a moment, and she was excited and motivated. There were numerous shrimps, fish and crabs swimming in there! Qiao Xuan could see all the fish and shrimps hidden in the seaweeds clearly. However, shrimps and fish were not like those nts in the mountains. They were water animals which were flexible and difficult to catch. Also, what Qiao Xuan could see was invisible to Shao Xiaoqi, so they had to make some effort and needed a bit of luck. Qiao Xuan felt really sorry to see somerge fish swimming away from the. ¡°Let me try!¡± Qiao Xuan intended to go into the water. But Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao turned her down directly. Qiao Xuan knew that they were worried about her safety, so she had no choice but to drop the idea. Therefore, she helped them, standing on the bank. They were very lucky to have so many wild, fresh fish and shrimps in this era, and with the guidance of Qiao Xuan, they managed to catch some fish every now and then. There were already crucian carps the size of four fingers, a carp, three yellow peppers the size of two fingers and several small trash fish the size of two or three fingers in the bucket. Qiao Xuan also made a few attempts, whenever it was within her abilities. However, she could not catch big fish each time from where she stood. So after a while, she only managed to catch tworge fish. Suddenly, she saw an old turtle that was bigger than her palm, hidden in a crevice under the water. Qiao Xuan was overjoyed, and hurriedly booed to remind Shao Xiaoqi and pointed it to him. Shao Xiaoqi nodded and tiptoed there. He bent his back and quickly got the turtle in his hands. ¡°What arge turtle!¡± The turtle was fun. Children from the vige would always catch one when they were ying or swimming in the river during summer. They often brought it home as a pet but gradually, the pet would be gone. Qiao Xuan asked him to put it into the bucket, smiling. ¡°It is really good for soup!¡± Seeing the harvest in the bucket, Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Time to go home! We have enough to eat today, and cane anytime we want for more!¡± There were innumerable fish and shrimps in the river. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao nodded. Shao Xiaoqi went back to the bank and the three of them went home together. They worked on the shrimps and fish, and left the remaining in the vat for the time being. The shrimps were dried in the pot, and seasoned with some salt. In this way, they could be stored for three days without turning bad. Chives were added to fry with shrimps, and eggs were cracked to make pancakes. They would be either deep-fried or pan-fried. The internal organs of the small fish were removed, wrapped in flour batter, and fried in a pan. It was crispy and delicious. There were still pickles at home, which could be used for dinner at night. Crucian carp, yellow spicy diced, and unknown fish were used to make a big pot of pickles and misceneous fish, with a little pepper added to make it sour and a spicy appetizer. Qiao Xuan served the fried fish on the te for Shao Xiaoqi. The fish were small finger-sized, and the bones were already fried. They could be chewed and crushed easily, so even Shao Junyan and Shao Qing could eat them. Chapter 111 - 111 Rich 111 Rich The dish of deep-fried fish was eaten up by the four of them quickly. Ms. Fang tried it and smiled. ¡°Ms. Qiao, you know everything! The fish tastes great!¡± Then she added another sentence. ¡°Well, you used a lot of oil, right?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Yes, deep-fried things are delicious, and I can try some more dishes like these in the future!¡± !! ¡°Okay!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. She had plenty of money now, and they could use as much oil as they wanted to! It was fine! Apart from the money Qiao Xuan contributed towards the shared savings, Shao Dng, Ms. Xu and Shao Taotao had also offered some money to her. Ms. Fang had almost lost track of the amount, and she felt really confident at the moment. Of course, she was not taking any money from her children for herself. She was actually saving it for their future use. Shao Sang came home too, when Qiao Xuan was making dinner. Shao Sang had gone to the town to buy food! With money in his hands, he was really drooling, thinking about the dish. He only got time today, since he was helping Qiao Xuan nt the day before. Shao Sang was also very confident, with money in his hands. He went to the town-famous Restaurant Yanhe, and bought braised chickens, fish, deep-fried meat and steamed ducks. Shao Sang was very satisfied by the delicious dishes. He had been to the town before, and he was salivating over the smell that came out of the restaurant whenever he passed by. He had sworn in his heart that he was definitely going to save enough money to treat himself to the dishes of this restaurant. The belief was so firm that he could not get rid of it. Therefore, the moment he got money, he came to visit this ce directly. It was indeed a great ce. Each dish was delicious. No wonder they were sold at such a high price. But after one meal, he lost his motivation. He made a carefulparison, and found that Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s cooking skills were not worse than the dishes served here, and she could even make better food, sometimes. Therefore, he was going to buy raw meat and take it home. He would ask his fifth sister-inw to make the dishes instead. But he had not expected that Fifth Sister-inw would be able to cook fish, since it was never easy to make it, and only restaurants would normally serve good fish dishes¡­ Shao Sang kept half duck and chicken untouched, and he asked the waiter to wrap it up with leaves and have it covered by ayer of yellow paper. Shao Sang left the restaurant in satisfaction. He bought two more roast chickens, five or six kinds of snacks from the Lanhua dim sum shop, and bought melon seeds, peanuts, preserved apricots, dried jujubes, preserved peaches, dried plums and other snacks at the Guoji roasted goods shop. It was a big bag full of stuff, before he went to buy the ducks. Shao Sang did not let his mother know about how much food he had bought. He was worried that his mother would me him for wasting money. He delivered the ducks home and gave Shao Junyan and his sister two bags of snacks. He put down the roast chicken in the kitchen as well as a slice of pork belly, before dashing off. He was going to take the snacks he had bought to Yang Xiaoni. He was going to share it with his future wife! Yang Xiaoni was still out doing work. In this way, she was able to stay out of her brother¡¯s home and avoid seeing them and getting annoyed. Shao Sang found her soon. Caught by Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, the two of them learned to hide themselves in the forest. Perched up in the mountain, they could see what was going on in all directions, so they could know instantly when someone was nearby. Chapter 112 - 112 Foodies 112 Foodies Shao Sang brought out all kinds of snacks and Yang Xiaoni¡¯s eyes started to sparkle! ¡°Brother Sang, you treat me so well. Wow, the chicken leg and duck leg seem so tasty!¡± Yang Xiaoni kept eating the chicken leg and duck leg, feeling really satisfied. Shao Sang chuckled. ¡°Tasty, right? I saved all of these for you!¡± ¡°Yes, they are delicious!¡± Yang Xiaoni nodded and took one bite on the chicken leg and passed it to Shao Sang. ¡°Please, Brother Sang, you eat some too!¡± Shao Sang was also drooling for the chicken leg, but he thought of the food he was able to eat whilst Yang Xiaoni had to suffer a great deal for almost half a month. So Shao Sang swallowed his saliva and shook his head, smiling. ¡°I am okay, I am full. You can just eat it all!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Yang Xiaoni did not show any more generosity, seeing that he turned her down. She soon finished two legs, and some pieces of meat. Then she wrapped up the meat and smiled. ¡°I will eat the remainingter.¡± Shao Sang pulled out all the other snacks, like melon seeds or peanuts. ¡°Xiaoni, look. I bought them myself, let¡¯s eat them together!¡± Yang Xiaoni¡¯s eyes were bright as she cheered in happiness. ¡°Ah you are sooooo nice! We have so much food to eat, that is great!¡± Shao Sang was excited as well. He nodded. ¡°Yes, these are all ours!¡± They started to feast out in the wild. They tried every dish and discussed it enthusiastically. When they were full, they started to eat melon seeds and peanuts. ¡°Oh yes, Brother Sang, where did you get the money for all this?¡± Yang Xiaoni asked. ¡­Yang Xiaoni really did not think of this before, did she? Shao Sang said proudly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I get paid for my work, good money. I still have some savings. We will buy a lot of other good food when you marry me. Oh by the way, you know about my fifth sister-inw? She is such a good cook. You will realize it when youe to live with us!¡± Yang Xiaoni looked really excited, and smiled brightly. Shao Sang added. ¡°What about me giving you 2 liang, so you can go and buy some dresses and anything else you want?¡± ¡°We can talk about thister!¡± Yang Xiaoni pursued. ¡°It is not long before I can marry you, so it is fine. If my brother knows about the money in my hand, he will steal it!¡± Shao Sang snapped angrily. ¡°Yang Liang and his wife are terrible! You will not be with them for much longer!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Married sister would never need to care about her brother or sister. Shao Sang spent half a day with his future wife. They spent some time chatting after eating. Shao Sang gave the remaining food to Yang Xiaoni before he left reluctantly. Yang Xiaoni finished the food, and hid the snacks. She tucked them over her bed when she returned to Third Grandma Yang¡¯s home. She did not share them with Third Grandma Yang and her family either, otherwise it would be too annoying since she could not tell them where she got them from. Since she was full, Yang Xiaoni did not return to her brother¡¯s home for dinner. She did not go back to make dinner either. Ms. Tian was so annoyed that she kept cursing Yang Xiaoni for beingzy and ungrateful. The four of them finished all the food, without leaving anything for Yang Xiaoni. Chapter 113 - 113 Sweet Barberries! 113 Sweet Barberries! It was a bustling scene in the first section of the Shao Family. The dishes served that evening included small river shrimp stir-fried with leeks, pickled cabbage and misceneous fish pot, sweet and sour carp, which were all paired with two vegetarian dishes. It was a table full of color, aroma and taste. The whole family was curious about the new way the fish had been cooked They believed that Qiao Xuan was skilled at it, and did not hesitate to pick up their chopsticks. Everyone spoke highly of the dishes. Shao Junyan and Shao Qing loved sweet and sour carp best. Qiao Xuan had made them a small portion of shrimp with steamed egg. The adults loved every dish. Eldest Uncle said happily, ¡°The fish is really tasty, Ms. Qiao. You can tell the method to your Second Aunt-inw and Third Aunt-inw, so they could make some and have a taste of it.¡± They could not afford to buy meat, but there were many fish and shrimps in the river. Elder Uncle¡¯s concern for the second section of the family and third section of the family was already deep inside his head, and he subconsciously thought of them in every aspect. Qiao Xuan, as well as everyone else in the first section of the family, already lost interest in countering those words. She presented the way of how the dishes were made, with a smile. She even added many extra steps to how the dishes were made. Hearing that so much oil was needed, and wine for pickling and salt and seasonings, Eldest Uncle no longer had the motivation of telling the second and the third section of the family about it. They would not be able to make the dishes in this way at all. No wonder the dishes were tasty. They consisted of many condiments! He did not dare to ask his daughter-inw to share the dishes, because all of these were bought with his daughter-inw¡¯s dowry money. Ms. Fang threw a satisfied look at Qiao Xuan, smiling happily. Soon it was the third day of May. They were discussing how they should celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan nned to visit the town, whilst Ms. Fang was making preparations for glutinous rice dumplings. The leaves and the glutinous rice were all well prepared. They normally made a few glutinous rice dumplings to celebrate the festival in the past and made some eggs for the children. But they had a lot of money this year, so they decided to make it big! Qiao Xuan became interested in making glutinous rice dumplings as well. One day before the festival, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went into the town to buy meat, ribs as well as the seasonings for the meat. They sliced the pork belly and put the rib in seasoning sauce for the dumplings the following day. In addition to pork belly chestnut dumplings, there were pork belly mushroom dumplings, pork ribs dumplings, and some red bean candied jujube dumplings, eight-treasure dumplings, and alkaline water dumplings, which they stored for half a month after cooking. In previous years, the Dragon Boat Festival was filled with alkaline water dumplings and bean dumplings. At most, a little chestnut was added, but meat dumplings were never made, so everyone was looking forward to it. Qiao Xuan felt a bit regretful. She should have pickled some salted duck egg for salted yolk dumplings. She started to miss salted eggs. Well, she could buy some to make them herself. On the third day of May, Ms. Qiao went into the mountains to pick the leaves. Shao Yunduan and Shao Xiaoqi as well as Shao Taotao went into the mountains to hunt. They decided to bring some wild animals back for the festival. They were also seeking fresh mushrooms for the dumplings. They were lucky enough to get wild roosters, wild rabbits, mushrooms and yams. On arge barberry tree, they saw therge-sized fruits hanging. Qiao Xuan held her hands against the trunk, casting the superpower without disclosing much. Shao Xiaoqi climbed up onto the tree, picked one and put it into his mouth. His eyes sparkled. ¡°It is so sweet!¡± He picked arge bunch of it and said, ¡°Fifth Brother, Fifth Sister-inw, try these!¡± Chapter 114 - 114 Rules 114 Rules Qiao Xuan smiled and started to think. Of course they were sweet. She had used her superpower to make them so! The three of them nodded in agreement. The fruits were really sweet! Shao Taotao cheered. ¡°It is rare to have such sweet barberries, let¡¯s take them home!¡± So, they filled up half of the basket with barberries. Everyone in the family nodded and spoke highly of the sweet fruits, which they had brought home in arge quantity. Ms. Fang asked Shao Xiaoqi to lead the way again, so Shao Dng, Ms. Xu and Shao Sang could all go to carry the barberries home for drying and wine-making. The following day, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan went into the town for meat. They inquired about thendowner. They visited thendowner and decided to buy somend from him. Qiao Xuan did not want to buy sprodic fields. She expected to buy patches and lots of fields. She could buy good fields as well as dry fields close to the water fields too. ¡°I wille to the town three times a month. Remember to select the fields for me. I will pay well.¡± Thendowner agreed but added a caveat. ¡°I can¡¯t find one very fast. We have to wait.¡± Qiao Xuan was aware of this too and nodded. Honestly, no households would sell water fields easily these days, because water fields were the source of their food, water and earnings. Only those who splurged or had no other way out, would sell their water fields. Once water fields were sold, not everyone was able to buy them. There were rules inside. When someone in a n intended to sell the water fields, those from the same n got the priority to buy them, and if those from the same n did not want them, then the outsiders would be the next choice. Even the ¡®outsiders¡¯ were divided into different categories. For example, if someone from the Shao Family wanted to sell fields, and no one from the Shao Family wanted to buy them, then it would be the Ding family who had the right next. If the Ding family did not want to buy them, then the other families from the vige were allowed to buy them. When no one from the above-mentioned families wanted to buy them, then it would be the other vigers¡¯ turn. Also, Cultivated Talent and Advanced Schr would have the rights to buy the fields first, before the remaining ones could do so. To sum it up, it was a long queue. Therefore, if Qiao Xuan wanted to buy good fields from other viges, then she needed to have, to put it simply, good luck. But Qiao Xuan was not in a hurry. What she wanted to do was to wait quietly. She wanted the fields, not for the ie, but for her fundamentalpetence and capital. She wanted to have control over more resources. When this conversation was done, Qiao Xuan went to fetch some stuff from the craftsmen, such as essences and other things. The modes and tubes for lipsticks were already made, including 12 sets of modes and 600 tubes. She paid the remaining amount and took them home, whilst booking another batch of tubes. When she was done with shopping, the two of them returned to the vige. The moment they arrived home, Shao Taotao, who was taking care of the babies at home, told them that Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu as well as Shao Dng went to Widow Sun¡¯s home due to some trouble. Startled, they hurried there. There were many people gathered at Widow Sun¡¯s door, which was noisy and messy. Ms. Fang¡¯s cursing sound as well as Widow Sun¡¯s sneer could be heard from a distance away. Then came Widow Sun¡¯s loud scream. ¡°How dare you!¡± The two women must have gotten into a fight. Both of them were startled. As the couple arrived, Widow Sun was under Ms. Fang, being beaten and crying loudly. Ms. Xu was really surprised as she stood next to them. Widow Sun¡¯s daughter Ding Qingqing went up to help Widow Sun, but Ms. Fang, who was really furious, started to beat the daughter as well. The mother and daughter were in a disadvantageous position. Chapter 115 - 115 A Fight 115 A Fight Shao Dng and Shao Xiaoqi intended to separate them, but they were scared. Widow Sun wasn¡¯t a gentle woman. What if the touched Widow Sun, things would getplicated. The most troublesome was Ding Qingqing, who was a girl and should not be touched randomly. They were panicking. Qiao Xuan screamed. ¡°Mom!¡± !! Then she went up, took hold of Ding Qingqing¡¯s wrist, who was about to scratch Ms. Fang¡¯s face. She dragged her away as she turned to Ms. Xu. ¡°Help us, Sister-inw!¡± She was not a strong woman, while Ding Qingqing was quite strong. She wasn¡¯t able to drag her away alone. Only now did Ms. Xu bring back to herself. She went up and helped. Both of them dragged away Ding Qingqing, who was screaming and shouting. When Ding Qingqing was dragged away, Ms. Fang pped Widow Sun¡¯s face two times. Shao Yunduan and his brother helped Ms. Fang stand up on her feet. ¡°Mom, what is going on?¡± Widow Sun decided not to get up. She remained on the ground, crying and cursing. ¡°They are such shameless people! They are bullying a widow like me! I want to die, I want to die!¡± She was already in bad shape, with unkempt hair and red prints on her face and neck. Tears were running down her cheeks, whilst her nose was runny. She looked horrible. Ms. Fang spat and cursed. ¡°You shameless bitch! How dare you spread rumors about me? You are a widow, so what? How dare you cry when you spread rumors around! You are the shameless one!¡± Ms. Fang started to tell the story in anger¡­ It was a long tale. The first section of the Shao Family had brought many mushrooms home, and the vigers, who saw that they had no problem eating mushrooms from the mountains, also went to the mountains to fetch mushrooms. They got some from the Shao Family first and decided to find the right ones. Ms. Fang gave them generously to those who came to the door. But there were so many mushrooms in the mountains, and they were open to everyone in the vige. They could never get enough of them. Even the second section of the family and the third section of the family went to find some mushrooms. But they did not want to put much seasoning inside the food, so they did not think they were tasty, thus dropping the idea. They evenughed at the first section of the family for eating horrible things like these¡­ However, all went well until some family got poisoned by the mushrooms from the mountains. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t highly poisonous, and they didn¡¯t eat too much. The family had abdominal pain, vomiting, and bile came out. After tossing all night, they drank a fewrge bowls of mung bean soup before getting better. After that, the vigers were too frightened to find mushrooms or try new things. However, Widow Sun kept spreading rumors around the vige, saying that it was the first section of the Shao Family who set them up. But for her mushrooms, no one would have got poisoned. So the Shao Family should take responsibility. There had already been many people who were jealous of the Shao Family, and they believed that what Widow Sun said was true. So, they started toin about the Shao Family. It was true, but for them, no one would have eaten the mushrooms in the mountains. Therefore, it was their fault! The affected family also wanted to get somepensation from the Shao Family! Chapter 116 - 116 Reason 116 Reason They had a rich daughter-inw, didn¡¯t they? They must be having a lot of money¡­ That was how those terrible rumors went about. They had not dared to spread the rumor at the beginning, but Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma joined the group, which emboldened them. When Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma failed to take advantage of the first section of the family, they found that Ms. Fang had found her supporter, namely her daughter-inw! !! Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma were very annoyed. With this opportunity in hand, they started to make a big noise. They were not defending the Shao Family at all. Therefore, when the vigers found that the two women from the Shao Family were spreading rumors, the others started to spread even worse and wilder rumors. Ms. Fang¡¯s friends passed on the message to Ms. Fang. Ms. Fang was so annoyed¡­ So, she went about in the vige and cursed at anyone who said those things to her. After all, she had to catch them right on the spot! She could not just let the rumor spread! Otherwise, it would be her family which would look bad! Right then, she happened to catch Widow Sun, who was the main culprit behind the rumor! Ms. Fang and Widow Sun had never liked each other, and at this moment, she was taking revenge for all the past doings. Ms. Fang gave Widow Sun, who was in the middle of making a false im, a push, and then they started to shout at each other and fight. Ms. Fang nced about and shouted at Widow Sun. ¡°Are you so stupid? There are many poisonous mushrooms in the mountains, and everyone knows that. We pick mushrooms for ourselves. Who has the say to stop us?!¡± ¡°No one has set the rules for picking mushrooms in the mountains!¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with our family whether others want to get them or not! It¡¯s not that people in our family are forcing someone to go up the mountain to harvest. Ms. Sun, you nted mouth, nted eyes, ck heart and liver, a bad stomach woman! Why did you say that Ding Daniu¡¯s family got into trouble because of us? Should our family be responsible forpensation? If you don¡¯t tell me a reason today, I will tear your stinky mouth apart!¡± Only now did Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan understand what was going on. ¡°How ridiculous!¡± Shao Yunduan said coldly. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, everyone with a wise head would understand what is going on. They won¡¯t find the ridiculous thing worth the while.¡± Qiao Xuanughed and said in a mocking tone, ¡°Auntie Sun, it is your fault. You are trying to cause trouble between our family and Ding Daniu. We never offended you before, did we? We eat mushrooms, wild nts and fish and shrimps. We can eat whatever we want. No one can dictate what to do to us, right?¡± ¡°We are all adults, and we are not stupid, we know what the reason is. You are so silly to have caused the conflict between us!¡± All the vigers nodded. Some felt guilty and anxious, some were reasonable. ¡°True! The matter has nothing to do with the Shao Family!¡± ¡°True, they never forced you to eat the mushrooms!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Do you think that she had a brain? If she did, she wouldn¡¯t have done something like this! You bitch, stop pretending to be dead. Speak now, speak! Here is the stage for you!¡± Chapter 117 - 117 Louder Cries 117 Louder Cries ¡°How dare you call me a bully! I can scold you and hit you as much as I want, you have no right toin about others when you are being a bitch!¡± Ms. Fang red at Widow Sun, and intended to kick her. Widow Sun was also good at being rude. But she had no way out when she ran into someone like Ms. Fang. She was worried about the strength of the Shao Family, and Ms. Fang even had a Cultivated Talent as a son and County Magistrate¡¯s daughter as the daughter-inw, so she did not dare to say a thing but started to sob. Disdainfully, Ms. Fang said, ¡°Shame on you! You think people would find you pitiful and feel sorry for you because you are crying?¡± Widow Sun cried even more loudly. She was ashamed, angry and was holding a grudge. But Ms. Fang did not care. She did not intend to let her go so easily. It was never easy to get rid of the ¡®sin¡¯ of spreading rumors. If she was too nice, they would continue to bully her. So, she could not stand being at the center of the rumor. Forced, Widow Sun could not help but copse. ¡°Why are you only targeting me! Everyone is spreading rumors about you. Why do you cling to me!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. How stupid could this woman be! She had just betrayed her aplices! She added. ¡°But my mother-inw only heard the rumor from you, so it is your fault! You are still trying to cause conflicts between us and everyone else! You must not spread any more rumors, for the sake of morality!¡± All the vigers agreed and started toin about Widow Sun. ¡°True! She spreads rumors about everyone! How immoral!¡± ¡°Bad woman!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense when you have no evidence!¡± Window Sun was so angry at the moment! Ms. Fang goaded her with a sly smile. ¡°True! Otherwise, you can just tell me who is spreading the rumor.¡± Widow Sun did not dare to spill any names, in case she offended others. She even regretted having shouted that out loud a while ago. She was feeling so messy inside her head. As she was just in the middle of the mess, Qiao Xuan forced her. ¡°No telling? Then you are the one creating rumors about everyone! I never knew there was anyone like this in our vige.¡± Annoyed, Widow Sun screamed. ¡°It is Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma who did it! They did it, yes they did it!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ms. Fang was startled, so was everyone else. ¡°It is Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma!¡± Widow Sun sneered as she calmed down. She had just revealed Ms. Fang¡¯s sisters-inw to see what could Ms. Fang do about it now. But for these two women, she would not have been caught red-handed by Ms. Fang today. Widow Sun thought angrily that Ms. Fang could go to them for justice if she dared. ¡°Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma both said that you have a rich daughter-inw so you pushed away your own family! You are selfish and self-centered, and you must be setting up the trap for the vigers to fetch the mushrooms in the mountains! You have to pay for the consequences!¡± ¡°They even said that the first section of the family look kind, but they are actually very greedy. They try to rob their daughter-inw¡¯s dowry, whilst the daughter-inw is a stupid woman who has been tricked but still treats you well, how funny!¡± Chapter 118 - 118 Ms. Niu And Ms. Ma 118 Ms. Niu And Ms. Ma Widow Sun decided to spill everything in one go, be it real or false. ¡°You goddamn bitch!¡± Ms. Fang was about to beat Widow Sun out of anger, before she finished her words. Ding Qingqing screamed as she held Widow Sun in her arms. ¡°Mom!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan stopped Ms. Fang directly. Qiao Xuan said gently, ¡°Mom, these words are ridiculous. Widow Sun is used to causing conflicts between people, and now they are trying to separate our family! I am not stupid. I can tell who treats me well and who doesn¡¯t. How ridiculous!¡± !! ¡°I am not lying. It was Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma who said it! Hey you two, don¡¯t you dare run away!¡± Widow Sun screamed at the top of her voice, as she saw Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma among the crowd. The crowd turned to the direction she was pointing towards. The vigers around Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma retreated backwards subconsciously, so the two women stood out directly. ¡°You two!¡± Ms. Fang red at them two, looking really furious! With teeth clenched, she asked word by word. ¡°Is Widow Sun speaking the truth?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°God and Buddha in heaven, anyone who dares to lie will bring bad luck to the whole family. I can swear to God that I did not lie, do you dare to?¡± Widow Sun, who had sessfully switched the conflict, decided to put all the me to the two women. Before they said anything, she screamed and stopped them with her poisonous oath. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°You are just talking nonsense!¡± Widow Sun sneered. ¡°I am not lying!¡± It was time for her to feel proud. She was going to see how the three of them fought with each other. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma were dumbfounded. They could definitely counter her, but Widow Sun¡¯s vow was too fierce for them to cook up any lies. Actually, Ms. Fang knew that the two sisters-inw of hers were spreading rumors, except the one about dowry. These two sisters-inw of hers dare to say everything. They were so used to taking advantage of the first section of the family, that they got angry, when they found that they were no longer able to take advantage of them. It was as if the first section of the family owed them something big! That was why they vented their anger in this manner! It was so humiliating when they spat out the family affairs to the whole vige. But she had no other way out, now when Widow Sun put it out in front of everyone. ¡°You are really nice, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ms. Fang sneered. Ms. Niu exined. ¡°This is what the vigers say! I was just making somements! Also, but for you, why would anyone go and pick the mushrooms?! It is your fault!¡± ¡°Did I force you to pick the mushrooms?¡± Ms. Niu snorted. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t picked the mushrooms, no one else would have done the same¡­¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°We aren¡¯t stupid, are we? Don¡¯t we have the ability to choose what to do and what not to do? Are you all going to follow our steps?¡± ¡°Ms. Qiao is right! I address you as my sister-inw and we have always offered so much help to your family. But you are makingints behind our backs! That is so hurtful! Henceforth, we are not just separate sections of the family, we will live separately too! Don¡¯te to our door whenever you feel like it from now onwards!¡± Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma looked timid, unconvinced, yet they did not dare to utter a sound. Chapter 119 - 119 Daughter-in-law 119 Daughter-inw There was no need to conceal anything, when the affair was already revealed to the whole vige. Ms. Fang added. ¡°You think that I am coaxing my daughter-inw for her dowry? Have you personally witnessed that?¡± Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma became even more furious. Ms. Ma said, ¡°After Ms. Qiao bes part of your family, you always have new clothes to wear, meat to eat, and wagons full of stuff. They are all bought by Ms. Qiao!¡± !! ¡°That is true.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I can do whatever I want with my dowry! Mom treats me well, and I love to buy those for her, so what? If you don¡¯t feel that is fair, you can get a good daughter-inw for yourself as well!¡± Everyone started tough. After that, everyone felt jealous as well. Ms. Fang was so lucky as to get a daughter-inw like that. She was the ideal one! Shao Yunduan could not help but turn to Qiao Xuan. Excitement arose in his eyes, and he could not help but feel gentle towards this woman next to him. ¡°You¡­¡± Ms. Ma almost wanted to spill blood out of anger. ¡°You ungrateful girl. I am doing this for your sake! You have been tricked! Just see what will happen when you lose all your dowry!¡± ¡°That is not your business any more!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I can earn money when I run out of my dowry. Moreover, I have my husband with me, right?¡± Startled, Ms. Ma suddenly realized that Shao Yunduan had already be a Cultivated Talent. He had a promising future ahead. No, that was not possible! Shao Yunduan must have had dumb luck to have be a Cultivated Talent. It was because Ling had gotten sick and he took his position. He was definitely not going to have a promising future. Ling had said that Shao Yunduan was never good at studies, and the teacher never spoke highly of him. It must have been the ancestral blessings that helped him obtain this position, and he was never going to make it to the next level! Ms. Ma could not help but say angrily, when she thought of how her son had not even made any progress in studies. ¡°You can never know what is going to happen in the future, maybe¡­ maybe¡­¡± Despite what she was thinking, she did not dare say anything bad about Shao Yunduan, in case Ms. Fang tore her apart and their Elder Brother would also give up helping them either. Therefore, she had to put it in an implicit way, indicating that it was Qiao Xuan who was not clear-minded enough. Qiao Xuan smiled even more freely. ¡°Yet again, it is not your business, Second Aunt-inw. I am so happy to have a mother-inw like this, who is like no one else, who might even cause me to lose my dowry.¡± Vigers burst intoughter. Everyone present understood what Qiao Xuan was saying and she was right. Those were true words! ¡°You!¡± Ms. Mang got so annoyed. Ms. Fang was no longer as angry as before, when she heard what Qiao Xuan said. She felt proud to have a daughter-inw like this, who was helping them make a fortune and even managed to keep peace in the family. Suddenly, Ms. Fang did not feel like going any further with Ms. Niu or Ms. Ma. They were just jealous of her. The more jealous they were, the better life they would live. That was the biggest revenge she could take on them. She was going to make them even angrier! ¡°Good girl, I know you are the best! You are our lucky star, and you have brought a great fortune to our family! You will get better and better. These jealous ones can wait and see, right?¡± Chapter 120 - 120 Fight On 120 Fight On Ms. Fang nced at Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma, snorting. ¡°I can tell that you never treated us well, since you have spread rumors such about us! In that case, we will not hang out so often. How shameless you are to have paid this kind of respect to us, who helped you before! Just try to save some face for yourself!¡± Ms. Fang snapped at Widow Sun. ¡°You bitch, keep your mouth shut! If I hear anything more about this matter, I will tear your mouth apart! Let¡¯s leave!¡± Ms. Fang left with her sons and daughters-inw happily and proudly. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma red at Widow Sun and left in embarrassment. Widow Sun cursed out loud for a bit and then went home with her daughter. Back at home, Ms. Fang let out a sigh of relief and said with a cold face, ¡°Just listen carefully, don¡¯t you show a smile to the second section of the family and third section of the family anymore! They are such ungrateful people. I will never share any food with them in the future! How dare they try to take advantage of me!¡± Qiao Xuan tried to console Ms. Fang, and distracted her by discussing the preparation of festivals. Shao Yunduan tried to speak with Qiao Xuan, but then decided not to. Qiao Xuan leaned forward and asked him with a smile. ¡°Anything you want to say, darling?¡± Shao Yunduan.¡±¡­¡± She was calling him darling so naturally. It sounded really nice. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad about what was being discussed about your dowry.¡± ¡°What? I am not!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°My dowry is not valuable. Anyways, I am prosperous now. And, we will get wealthier in the future, won¡¯t we?¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and nodded with the load going off his heart. ¡°True!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°If I am not as wealthy in the future, I will turn to you for money! You have to create some wealth too!¡± Shao Yunduan could not help but feel his heart throbbing. As he saw her sparkling and ck,rge eyes, he nodded. ¡°Of course, my earnings are all yours! I need to study now, I am going now.¡± He tried to calm himself down as he left, making Qiao Xuan chuckle. ¡°Fight on, darling!¡± Shao Yunduan almost tripped over. In the afternoon, when Eldest Uncle returned home, he looked very happy. He said with a smile, ¡°I just ran into my brothers. They said that we can celebrate the festival together tomorrow. We are eating at Second Brother¡¯s home tomorrow night, all of us.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ms. Fang was startled. Eldest Uncle seemed to show off when he walked in, speaking loudly. Both Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan heard him, and everyone was really surprised. Shao Sang responded with a sneer. ¡°Dad, are you sure? You couldn¡¯t have heard it wrong, could you? It is such a rare event that Second Uncle invited us¡­¡± During the past few years, the three sections of the family gathered for dinner at the first section of the family, and it had always been the first section who treated them all. The other sections had never offered even a single grain of rice. Sometimes they evenined about the size of the chickens, which were not enough for them. It was so surprising that the second section of the family would offer to treat them to dinner. ¡°What are you talking about? You should be careful with your words, you bridegroom-to-be.¡± Eldest Uncle red at Shao Sang angrily and then said with a smile, ¡°I told you that they are not that stingy! They are treating us to dinner!¡± Chapter 121 - 121 Bad People 121 Bad People ¡°Ms. Fang, he is really treating us to dinner, and he also said that we can just go there without bringing anything over. They are so kind! Don¡¯t say anything bad about them any more, okay?¡± Eldest Uncle was so emotional when he spoke. This was exactly what he had been looking forward to. The whole family was in harmony and no one was taking advantage of each other. It was so nice. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look and understood why the second section of the family was suddenly asking them to eat dinner together. Qiao Xuan pursed her lips and whispered. ¡°I am not going, it is really dangerous.¡± Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom won¡¯t¡­¡± Before Shao Yunduan finished his words, Ms. Fang snorted and said harshly, ¡°You can go there if you want to. Ask your children if they want to? I am not going though, I don¡¯t want to die there!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Eldest Uncle was surprised. He was so disappointed and felt as if cold water had been poured over his head. He shared this good news as soon as he walked in. He was in a hurry to highlight that his brothers were actually nice. He had not expected that Ms. Fang would react like this. ¡°You must go! You said that they were stingy, but now you don¡¯t want to go when they are inviting us to dinner. You are such a piece of work!¡± Eldest Uncle was really displeased. ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t know what happened today? I guess that is why Second Uncle wants to treat us to dinner. We better not go there,¡± said Shao Yunduan. Eldest Uncle was surprised. ¡°What happened?¡± Ms. Fang sneered and narrated the whole story. She had intended to tell Eldest Uncle about what happened today, irrespective of whether there was any invitation for dinner. She had gone through the story numerous times in her heart, so she finished the tale smoothly and fast. Eldest Uncle. ¡°¡­¡± He was totally dumbfounded. He felt that the head was buzzing¡­ Before he was able to think about it, he spilled out. ¡°That can¡¯t be possible! Is there a misunderstanding?¡± ¡°A misunderstanding?¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s voice arose as she said angrily, ¡°The whole vige heard them, and they admitted it in front of the whole vige! Now you are saying that it is a misunderstanding? In your eyes, everyone else is nice but me, right? I am a bad woman, am I?¡± ¡°No, no that is not what I mean! It is just¡­¡± Eldest Uncle could not utter a word. He felt so messed up in his heart. ¡°How could that be possible?¡± How could they do something so hurtful! Ms. Fang answered coldly. ¡°From today onwards, I am not going to get involved with them. Moreover, they are never going to get anything from me. I would rather throw everything in the water than share it with them!¡± Eldest Uncle opened his mouth but said nothing. Butter in the evening, Second Uncle and Third Uncle came over, reminding them about the dinner. Eldest Uncle was at a loss. He had no idea how to turn them down. He had never refused them before either. He was about to agree subconsciously¡­ But¡­ Ms. Fang turned them down directly. ¡°We have food at home. We will not be going over to your ce. I can¡¯t afford to eat at your house ever.¡± Chapter 122 - 122 Elder Sister-in-law 122 Elder Sister-inw Second Uncle was not so confident any more. He smiled and coaxed her. ¡°What are you talking about, Elder Sister-inw, we are a family!¡± ¡°We live separately!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°No one in our family is like this!¡± Countered by Ms. Fang, Second Uncle could not hold the pleasant expression any more. He snapped angrily. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, what are you talking about? We all make mistakes. Ms. Niu has learned from her mistake and she is going to correct herself in the future. We are expressing our regret through dinner tomorrow night. You can¡¯t just ignore our sincerity!¡± ¡°True!¡± Third Uncle added. ¡°Ms. Ma is apologetic about her mistake as well. She is not going to make the same mistake ever again. She likes to spread rumors, but she is not a bad person!¡± ¡°Same goes for Ms. Niu!¡± ¡°Elder Brother, just talk to Elder Sister-inw!¡± ¡°We are a family, and we will be aughing stock for others around us, if we are not in a harmonious rtionship!¡± ¡°True, Elder Brother!¡± Both Second Uncle and Third Uncle understood clearly what the Eldest Uncle wanted. They knew how to make him feel soft-hearted. They kept installing ideas into Eldest Uncle by saying sorry and how terribly they had behaved. Eventually, Eldest Uncle sighed. ¡°Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma spread too much gossip. You have to watch out for them so that they won¡¯t make the same mistake again!¡± ¡°I can drop it this time, but I will tear their mouths apart, if it happens ever again!¡± Ms. Fang snorted. ¡°But we are not going to have dinner with you. We are siblings, but we need to have a clear ount. We have our own children and grandchildren, and we should keep the matters separated clearly. We are not taking advantage of your families, and you should never take advantage of us, either. Not ever. We are going to live separately!¡± Second Uncle¡¯s and Third Uncle¡¯s faces changed. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, you are still ming us?¡± Ms. Fang replied. ¡°Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma hurt us so badly, why can¡¯t I remember this matter?¡± Ms. Fang did not want to ignore that, no matter what Second Uncle and Third Uncle said. She was still being reasonable by being polite. But if she gave in any further, it would be much harder for her to defend herself in the future. The second section of the family and third section of the family were trying to set her up! Their behavior was so annoying, especially when it came to the rumor that she was trying to get daughter-inw¡¯s dowry. Ms. Fang had been a strong woman all her life. She just could not stand this usation. Both Shao Dng, and Shao Yunduan were silent. They were apparently taking Ms. Fang¡¯s side. Eldest Uncle intended to say something, but he had no one behind his back. Second Uncle and Third Uncle left the first section of the family with sunk faces. ¡°How difficult it is to pursue a narrow-minded woman like this!¡± ¡°Just drop it for now. We can talk about it in the future.¡± Despite the anger, the two men did not think that Ms. Fang would stick to that attitude throughout her life. They had a long way ahead of them. When the two uncles left the first section of the family, everyone at home went down to their own business. They behaved normally, as if what had just happened was not so important, and as if no one cared about that. Eldest Uncle felt weird inside his heart. He tried to talk it through, so that he could offer his brothers a chance of correcting their mistake. But he did not get that chance. When the two uncles returned to their home, they med their wives for letting the rumor be heard by Ms. Fang. ¡°She is the type who takes revenge, got it? Now she has this issue in her hands. With this, she can do whatever she wants in the future!¡± Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma were very annoyed as well. They did not mean to let the rumor spread. It was just a small talk. But for some reason, it sounded really big and bad in front of others. Ms. Fang must have done it on purpose! Also, Widow Sun was the main culprit! But for her big mouth, nothing like this would have happened. That bitch was definitely going to be disciplined¡­ Chapter 123 - 123 Shameless 123 Shameless On other hand, when Ding Qingqing and Widow Sun rushed home, they hugged each other and cried loudly. Widow Sun was so annoyed. She kept cursing behind the door, whilst Ding Qingqing continued to cry. The mother and daughter were living alone, so they felt isted, in fights and arguments. ¡°Mom, just don¡¯t get involved with those women who gossip.¡± Ding Qingqing suggested. She felt so ashamed about what happened to them today. But Widow Sun, who was feeling annoyed, got further angry when hearing what Ding Qingqing said. She gave Ding Qingqing a poke on the head. ¡°You are terrible as a daughter! I am doing all this for you! Otherwise, what am I doing in this broken vige?!¡± Ding Qingqing got so upset that she shed tears. She just could not understand why this was for her sake? Widow Sun could not stop when she started to curse. ¡°You must be dreaming about Shao Yunduan, aren¡¯t you? He is already married, so what are you fantasizing about him for? He is a Cultivated Talent but he is never going to make it further than that!¡± Ding Qingqing could not help but cry harder. ¡°No!! You know that he is already married. What more can I do? You look down at Cultivated Talent, but who can be better than him?!¡± Ding Qingqing sobbed and went into the room, shutting the door behind. She really liked Shao Yunduan. She had liked him since she was little. He was different from the other men in the vige. He was quiet and clean, good-looking as well. She knew that he was a ss apart. Look at what he had achieved! He became a Cultivated Talent at such a young age! But her mother did not like Ms. Fang, and when she mentioned that she wanted to marry him, her mother disapproved of it! When he made it to the Cultivated Talent level, she got so happy that she wanted to share this with her mother, and maybe her mother would change her mind? But before she was able to share the idea with her mother, he got engaged and soon married the daughter of the County Magistrate! She spent the whole night crying in her nket on his wedding day. She had no hope to be with him any more! After that, she barely went out, and she almost never saw him! Unexpectedly, they met under such circumstances! She got so nervous upon seeing him, but she felt even sadder. His wife was born in a rich family. How could she havepared to her? Also, her mother had such a row with his mother! The more she thought about this, the sadder Ding Qingqing felt! It was a dark night¡­ Silence dominated the whole vige. Everyone had gone to bed. A ck silhouette came to Widow Sun¡¯s doorstep, nced about and gave a push to the door. He shed inside and chained the door from inside. After they had a good time together, Widow Sun leaned in his arms, speaking through clenched teeth. ¡°Ms. Fang is horrible! You have to help me!¡± The man hesitated but then consoled her. ¡°She is a bitch, what are you stuck with her for? I am here to be with you! You said that you need a silver hairpin. I have got it here with me today.¡± Widow Sun was overjoyed, but still felt quite upset. ¡°No, that is not enough! Are you afraid of them?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°Then take revenge for me, otherwise I will not feel better inside my heart!¡± Chapter 124 - 124 Chance 124 Chance ¡°As the proverb goes, the County Magistrate isn¡¯t that useful. Even if they have a daughter of the County Magistrate and a Cultivated Talent, so what? You will always have the chance to bring them down. You can destroy them all, and they would not be able to do anything about it.¡± The man frowned even more deeply, and turned impatient. Seeing that she did not want to give up the topic, the man said with a smile, ¡°Okay, okay I promise you that I will teach them a lesson, whenever I have the chance!¡± ¡°You have to find the chance!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, baby, let¡¯s just drop this topic, we can just¡­¡± ¡°What? Oh¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was the Dragon Boat Festival. Early in the morning, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went out together. They went to watch the boat race in the county. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were excited and would have liked to follow along bBut Ms. Fang turned them down ruthlessly. There were too many people at the race. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan would not be able to take care of them. What if something happened to them? The brother and sister did not insist either. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan took the bullock cart and went to the Yunshui River located in the south of the town. The Yunshui River was a major river and it was flowing across the whole town. The race was taking ce on the broad side of the river, which was the best position for the race. There was nice scenery around, and people often came here to ride horses and have fun, especially in spring. When the two of them arrived, there were already many people on both sides of the riverbank. It was bustling, and people were well-dressed. They started to talk and cheer around, makingments. It was the first time for Qiao Xuan to experience such a bustling scene. She got really excited to be here. Her eyes wererge and sparkling. She looked around curiously. Although there was no other entertainment in this era, the nature was pure and green, and she felt so happy to see all of this. Looking at her enthusiasm, Shao Yunduan subconsciously slowed down and gave her a tour around, whilst thinking inside his heart ¨C what a pitiful girl! She must have never been out in the town till now. After a while, the two of them were united with those from the school. Apart from Shao Yunduan, some of the fellows also had their family members with them and they greeted each other. Qiao Xuan looked very pretty and behaved amicably. She stood out among everyone else, who knew about her background. So, they sized her up curiously and nced at her on the sly. Most of them could not help but feel jealous and envious of Shao Yunduan. Honestly, Madame Qiao and County Magistrate Qiao had never revealed what Qiao Xuan had been through before she got married. After all, it was rted to their reputation. Therefore, all they knew about her was that she had a noble background. Shao Ling felt even worse inside his heart. Some of his fellows liked to tease him because they knew that he was narrow-minded. They kept saying that Shao Yunduan was lucky and talented, and that he was going to have a promising future. That made Shao Ling feel even more jealous. He swore to himself that he was going to bring down Shao Yunduan on the asion of couplet making today. He was going to let everyone understand that he was more talented than Shao Yunduan, who had only pure luck on his side. Chapter 125 - 125 Face For Them 125 Face For Them Soon, Dean Meng and Mr. Zhou as well as Mr. Wu from Minghua College came over as well. All of them looked really excited. ¡°I did not expect that Officer Qiao would be here! He is hosting a banquet with County Officer Zhang ahead. Let¡¯s all go and celebrate with them! Oh yes, Madame Qiao and Lady Qiao are both here, so all of you should behave yourselves well¡­¡± All the disciples looked both surprised and overjoyed. ¡°That is great!¡± ¡°Yes, that is such a rare opportunity!¡± ¡°Mr. Dean, don¡¯t worry, we will all behave well!¡± As they were expressing their excitement, they could not help but look at Shao Yunduan, and they could not help but feel even more jealous. Shao Yunduan was Officer Qiao¡¯s son-inw. It must have been for his honor that Officer Qiao had gathered everyone! Qiao Xuan followed along with the group. Shao Yunduan looked at her. He could not help but show worries on his face. Qiao Xuan smiled at him and shook her head slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they don¡¯t want to be humiliated¡­¡± They wanted to keep their facade and would not do anything to her openly. Officer Qiao was her father, and the whole family was here, so she needed to greet them, no matter what. Officer Qiao was having a great time with the folk, and all the officers were watching the show. But they were in a very good position, where they were separated from the others, with guards standing by so the civilians could remain separated. It was a high spot in that area, where the view was excellent. It was not very close or far away from the bank. It was the perfect ce to watch the show, not crowded but bustling. So when the group came to this ce, they were far removed from noise. They all went up and greeted the honored guests. Officer Qiao looked chubby and white, wearing a kind and affable smile. He was greeting everyone with politeness, and even chatted for a bit with Dean Meng who was asked to take the seat. Qiao Xuan bowed and greeted them as well. ¡°Hello, Father, Madame!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ you are here? Oh¡­ alright¡­¡± Officer Qiao was surprised to see Qiao Xuan here, and he almost burst out the question ¡®who are you?¡¯ As he looked closer, he noticed that it was the concubine¡¯s daughter. Otherwise he would have lost his face in front of so many people. Officer Qiao was very surprised. Somehow he sensed that his daughter seemed to look a bit different from before. No wonder he almost did not recognize her. But that was a momentary thought which did not lead to any further ideas. He barely met this daughter of his before, and did not know well what she looked like. But Madame Qiao¡¯s and Qiao Wei¡¯s faces changed. Qiao Wei was almost going to snap at Qiao Xuan, but for Madame Qiao¡¯s reminder. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You are here too,e and take a seat!¡± ¡°Okay, Madame!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and behaved gently, walking towards the seat next to Madame Qiao withposure. After she took the seat, she looked up and met Shao Yunduan¡¯s concerned look. She smiled at him, trying to console him. She was right. Madame Qiao would not humiliate her in public. Not everyone from the college had the seat, except for Dean Meng and some Cultivated Talents. All the others were standing behind the seats. But Shao Ling was different. Chapter 126 - 126 Young Master 126 Young Master Shao Ling was not a Cultivated Talent, but he was Shao Yunduan¡¯s cousin, whilst Shao Yunduan was County Magistrate¡¯s son-inw. Therefore, Shao Ling pretended not to know the rules, and took the seat. No one went up to ask him to get up. Qiao Xuan soon noticed that on the left side of Officer Qiao, there were two strange young men seated. Both of them were over 20 years old. One looked full of knowledge. He had a noble temperament, holding a folding fan, dressed in white, and was very elegant. The other person was slightly younger. He had handsome features, and a pair of peach blossom eyes, flying diagonally into the temples, long and narrow. He looked bright. He had a smile on his face, giving people a feeling ofziness and arrogance. The royal blue robe with gold trim was very gorgeous, which made him even more eye-catching. Both of them had a very interesting attitude towards Officer Qiao. They were polite, but not ttering. On the contrary, Officer Qiao seemed to tter the handsome man in white every now and then. By this point, Qiao Xuan more or less understood what was going on here. Her father did not like to hang out withmon folks. He was focussed on getting promoted and bing rich. He was a very practical person. In the past, he would have nevere to watch the Dragon Boat Race. He must be here because of these two men who were interested in the race. He even had Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei with him. So, this young master must be holding a high position. Qiao Kou was also a follower of Qiao Wei, so Qiao Kou would always be with Qiao Wei wherever she was. But, Qiao Kou was nowhere to be seen today. Apparently, Qiao Wei did not need her to be around, and must have stopped Qiao Kou from meeting these two young masters. What if Qiao Kou got in touch with either of them, Qiao Wei would be very displeased. Qiao Xuan could not help but smile. That would be an interesting show! Qiao Xuan was absolutely right. At this moment in a small room of a small yard, Qiao Kou had finished crying hard. Concubine Du kept consoling her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry any more, Third Miss. What if you get swollen eyes? What if Madame Qiao and Elder Miss see you?¡± ¡°So what?¡± Qiao Kou snapped angrily. ¡°Qiao Wei, the bitch is so narrow-minded, selfish and arrogant. She has her own suitor but still doesn¡¯t want me to have a good suitor. She doesn¡¯t allow me to meet Young Master Xie, and also forbids me from meeting Young Master Zhang and Young Master Zhao! Mom, what should I do¡­?¡± That white-clothed young master was called Xie Jingrong. He was the lineal Elder Grandson of the noble family, the Xie Family. It was a very prestigious family in the city. He was talented, elegant and handsome. He was not into imperial examinations, but he was not someone to be looked down upon. His lineal grandfather was the former Head of the Ministry of Personnel, whilst his father was the Left Officer of the Ministry of Rites. His mother was County Qingping, the only child of Lord Jian. More than ten people of the Xie Family were working as officers in the capital or some local areas. Moreover, there were endless of them who had achieved the level of Rmended Man and Cultivated Talent, but were yet to be granted official titles. That was a huge, noble n that was far beyond the Qiao Family¡¯s reach. Therefore, when Xie Jingrong was on a trip in this county with Yuezheng Xiao, who was the Third Young Master of the Yuezheng Family, an enormous business family, County Magistrate Qiao heard about it and came to greet them happily. The Xie Family had a widework. Although their n was not based in the capital, they had a hugework in the capital. Therefore, County Magistrate Qiao hoped that the Xie Family could help with his transfer back to the capital. He was sure that he could make it happen! Chapter 127 - 127 Qiao Kou And Concubine Du 127 Qiao Kou And Concubine Du Concubine Du had heard that Xie Jingrong was not yet engaged, and she was very happy about that. Qiao Kou was quite pretty and was also a miss from an officer¡¯s family. She should be a great match for Xie Jingrong. Xie Jingrong was now in the county, and she believed that it was a good opportunity for the two of them to get married. Qiao Kou had looked at Xie Jingrong briefly before, and felt so bashful even to think about marrying him. !! If she could be martially connected to the Xie Family and became Xie Jingrong¡¯s wife, she would be really satisfied. Xie Jingrong was not into the imperial examinations, but he was already a Rmended Man. With his talent, he could definitely be a Primus easily by exerting a little effort. When they got married, things would be different. By that time, she could try to persuade him towards serious studies, and he would definitely be better. Moreover, he had a great background. If he ever became a Primus, he would definitely make it to the highest position in his career. That was a promising future! Both Qiao Kou and Concubine Du had drawn a beautiful picture about his future in their heads. Concubine Du coaxed Officer Qiao, and talked into Officer Qiao¡¯s ears. He was moved. However, after speaking with Madame Qiao, Madame Qiao turned down the proposal calmly. She was not as talkative as Concubine Du and did not make a long speech. All she said was that Xie Jingrong was from a noble family. He was talented, good-looking and his grandparents¡¯ positions were also high. He was even qualified enough to marry a princess, or some noble miss from a prestigious family! Why would the Xie Family allow him to marry a mere concubine¡¯s daughter? She had heard that Young Master Xie had a very high standard towards his future wife, and that was why he had not gotten married till date. Would Qiao Kou be capable enough to be a match for him? They could not risk it! Only then did Officer Qiao realize what was going on. He was taken aback. He lectured Concubine Du severely who had been waiting for his news outside. She almost caused him a lot of trouble! Concubine Du knew that it must have been Madame Qiao who created the disruption. She was angry and furious, but could do nothing about it. The marriage would not work out, if the Madame of the family disapproved of it. Qiao Kou was very annoyed too. She had assumed that with Qiao Xuan¡¯s help, it seemed as if she had had a good position in the family. She even sneaked out just to run into Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao. However, Xie Jingrong and Yue Zhang Xiao returned to the hostel, after Officer Qiao¡¯s persuasion. Madame Qiao sneered and told Officer Qiao what happened. Officer Qiao got so furious that he pped hard on Qiao Kou¡¯s face, grounding both her and her mother. He was worried that Xie Jingrong would get angry about it, so he asked Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao to watch the race, as a way ofpensation. Qiao Wei kept sneering at Qiao Kou. She told her about the race, and then mocked her. ¡°Do you think you are good enough for Young Master Xie?¡± Concubine Du even asked Madame Qiao to take Qiao Kou along for the race, but her request was turned down. They were both really furious and sad, sitting at home¡­ The race started soon. With Officer Qiao present here, the prize had to be good. Officer Qiao expressed that the grand prize would be a roasted pig and goat, and the winning team would share the prizes. In addition, the winning team would be granted 2 liang. The prize was extremely luxurious! Chapter 128 - 128 Praises 128 Praises Every team spared no efforts for the race this year, and the civilians were all very excited, cheering along the banks. With the order put forward, the sound of drums was violently falling like raindrops, and the dragon boats that were ready to go like an arrow from the string, rushed forward across the water. The civilians on both sides were cheering in excitement, loudly. The boats were speeding, chasing one after another. It was a great scene. Qiao Xuan was watching with a lot of concentration, and she almost pped in excitement, but for the ce she was seated at. Qiao Wei rolled her eyes as she saw how Qiao Xuan got excited about the show. ¡°How narrow-minded and stupid!¡± Qiao Xuan blinked her eyes and turned to Qiao Xuan. ¡°What are you talking about, sister?¡± Qiao Wei sneered and said, ¡°I am speaking highly of you!¡± Qiao Xuan got excited and replied cheerfully, as her clear-looking eyes sparkled. ¡°Thank you, sister, I think highly of you too!¡± Qiao Wei got furious. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Just drop it!¡± Madame Qiao turned to Qiao Xuan, and gave her a warning suggestion. ¡°Just watch the show and don¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°Okay, Mother!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled, looking obedient. Madame Qiao sneered inwardly. She somehow felt that she had been making no efforts to tease this woman. This bitch seemed to get so increasingly annoyed after she got married. She used to be so obedient in the past. Was she thinking that she was a broken jar and she did not need to care about anything? Qiao Wei was even more furious. She was always the dominator among the three sisters, and could always do whatever she wanted! Now she had been set up by Qiao Xuan, who might have had no idea that she had set her up. But she was still really furious. She found that she had been tricked. The race went on. Although this section of the river was wide, it was obviously impossible for a total of 26 dragon boat teams to line up all at once. Therefore, the preliminarypetition was divided four times over. Each time the first ce would be rematched topete for the top spot. The whole process of the game was very lively and intense. When everyone watched the game, they even wrote poems to add to the fun. County Magistrate Qiao learned that Xie Jingrong was very talented, and that he loved to write poetry too. So he exchanged a few words with Xie Jingrong and then gave some regards to County Officer Zhang. County Officer Zhang said loudly, ¡± Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, which coincides with this lively event. We can¡¯t have fun without poetry? What about we all make some poems for the beautiful scenery around here?¡± County Magistrate Qiaoughed and added. ¡°Yes, yes, County Officer Zhang is right! Dean Meng, don¡¯t be restrained, just make some poems, so we can let Young Master Xie make some remarks about them. That would be such a great honor.¡± Xie Jingrong felt helpless, but he was a man with honor. Instead of countering him, he lowered his head slightly and said, ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Officer Qiao!¡± Yuezheng Xiao wasn¡¯t so happy. He rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Poetry is tooplicated, what about making couplets, and it adds much more money!¡± County Magistrate Qiao was startled, but smiled when Xie Jingrong approved of this idea by default. ¡°Good idea, good idea! Young Master Yuezheng is right! Let¡¯s make couplets!¡± No one knew where Young Master Xie was from, but seeing how County Magistrate Qiao treated him, they all believed that he was a big figure. Chapter 129 - 129 Not Outstanding 129 Not Outstanding County Officer Zhang added, and when Dean Meng agreed, all the disciples started to show off. Someone made the first couplet, whilst the other made the second. All the couplets needed to be rted to Dragon Boat. Some were excellent, which were spoken highly of by the others. Couplets included ¡°Wormgrass for the men, and rush grass for the Emperor.¡± ¡°Beautifuldies among grass, pure-hearted schrs of poetry¡±. ¡°Dragon Boat day and pear flower, Summer morning and birds chirping.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing the couplets, Xie Jingrong believed that some were almost up to standard, so he made some remarks, causing them to want to make even more. Shao Ling had tried to make some couplets but none of them were good enough, failing to catch the attention of County Magistrate Qiao and Xie Jingrong. He felt quite distressed. But when he thought of how his cousin did not make any, he felt encouraged and less distressed. Compared to Shao Yunduan, he was much better. Motivated, Shao Ling decided to scrape his brain to show his talent. In fact, Shao Yunduan just did not want to make any couplets. He did not like to stand out. Also, Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao did not like him, and Madame Qiao held a grudge against him. In this case, he tried to keep a low-profile and stay away from the mess. However, the more Shao Yunduan wanted to stay low-profile, the less he was able to. When countered by Qiao Xuan, Qiao Wei had been holding a grudge against her sister and was trying her best to find a way to take revenge for the trap she herself had set . She hated to be talked down to, so she decided to direct her grudge towards Shao Yunduan. When all the disciples werepeting among themselves, only Shao Yunduan stayed silent. Qiao Wei, of course, did not know that Shao Yunduan was doing that on purpose. She thought that Shao Yunduancked the knowledge to make any couplets. Therefore, she was going to humiliate this idiot in public. That was like humiliating Qiao Xuan. It would make her feel less annoyed. Qiao Wei rolled her eyes, and whispered to her maid, Fendie next to her. The maid turned to Qiao Xuan, nodded and went to County Officer Zhang, passing on to him what Qiao Wei had said. County Officer Zhang felt quite embarrassed. He had no idea what was going on inside County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s family, but listening to the task assigned, he could tell what was going on for real. He had heard of how Elder Miss normally behaved. The Elder Miss ordered her maid to pass on the message to him that he shoulde up with a difficult idea for the Second Miss¡¯s husband to make a couplet, so that he could be humiliated. It was such a stupid thing to do! How could he humiliate a County Magistrate¡¯s son-inw? The County Magistrate would lose his face if his son-inw was embarrassed. But if he did not obey Elder Miss¡¯s order, this narrow-minded woman would tell Madame Qiao, who would ensure that his wife and daughter suffered greatly in the future. Helplessly, County Officer Zhang still decided to do as instructed. He chuckled and turned to Shao Yunduan. ¡°Cultivated Talent Shao, you seem like a talented person, why don¡¯t you make a couplet for us to read?¡± Chapter 130 - 130 Elder Miss Qiao’s Request 130 Elder Miss Qiao¡¯s Request Everyone was startled. But they did not think that County Officer Zhang was setting up a trap for Shao Yunduan. Instead, they believed that County Officer Zhang was helping Shao Yunduan to stand out, so that he could behave well in front of the public. They could not help but feel jealous again. This man had found a huge shelter for himself! Look at him! After he became rted to the County Magistrate, even the County Officer was trying to help him¡­ !! That was what Shao Ling thought as well. He felt more jealous than anyone else. Shao Ling threw a look at Shao Yunduan, but smiled. ¡°County Officer, my cousin isn¡¯t so good at it. What about me doing it in ce of him?¡± County Officer Zhang was startled, and Shao Yunduan fell into silence. He also wished that Shao Ling could stand out for him. However, Qiao Wei was not pleased. She said loudly, ¡°That doesn¡¯t work. You aren¡¯t part of our family, you can¡¯t rece him. What about you making a couplet instead?¡± Qiao Wei turned to Qiao Xuan and smiled. She looked intimidating. Qiao Xuan only had a little knowledge about characters, and she had never learned how to write poetry or lyrics, nor had she been taught how to y the zither, chess, or write calligraphy or draw. It would be great to see her humiliated in public! No one dares to utter a sound any more. That was Elder Miss Qiao¡¯s request, which no one dared to counter. Yuezheng Xiao couldn¡¯t help but snort, but he was very interested in watching the show. Xie Jingrong could not help but nce at Qiao Wei, thinking that this Elder Miss Qiao was so stupid. She had showcased her real intentions. But did she realize that if she humiliated her sister in public, her father would be humiliated too. It seemed that Officer Qiao wasn¡¯t so good at governing the family. He was suddenly reminded of another Miss Qiao whom he ran into, and he felt even worse about this family. Officer Qiao¡¯s face had sunk. He raised his eyebrows and red at Madame Qiao. But Madame Qiao did not catch his message, since she was concentrating on something else. Officer Qiao became even more furious! This daughter of his was too spoiled by her mother, so that she had be arrogant and freewilled. Yes, he was the head of a county. Did that mean she could do whatever she wanted? What about when they went back to the capital? This behavior would bring them so much trouble! He had to discipline her when they returned¡­ Madame Qiao was also sighing inside her heart at the moment. She had spoiled her daughter so much that she could not tolerate a thing. She was venting her anger at the moment. She was just thinking about embarrassing Qiao Xuan through her husband, just to make her sad, but what about her father? That bitch was also her father¡¯s daughter! Madame Qiao knew that her husband would have given her a warning look, but what could she do right now? Her daughter had already spilled out the request, and anything she did would mean a p on her daughter¡¯s face. There was nothing she could do. She had to pretend not to have caught her husband¡¯s message. Hearing that Qiao Wei was trying to humiliate Qiao Xuan, he got anxious and angry, so he immediately retorted. ¡°Wormgrass in front of households, folks cheer for the race of dragon boats! Sorry I am not that good at it, but here is your order, County Officer. I just made one randomly.¡± Under normal circumstances, when Shao Yunduan was done making the couplet, the whole thing would be over. But Qiao Wei did not want to drop it. She chuckled at Qiao Xuan. ¡°It is your turn, Sister. Make one to cheer everyone up!¡± Chapter 131 - 131 Not Her 131 Not Her Qiao Xuan was rolling her eyes inwardly ¨C you can¡¯t even do that yourself, why forcing me? Qiao Wei, who had been spoiled in the family, was not devoted to studies at all. She was no better than Qiao Xuan in talent either. But she was the lineal daughter, whilst Qiao Xuan was the concubine¡¯s daughter, and at the mercy of Qiao Xuan. Hence, she could not use the same request to counter her. Otherwise the whole thing would get worse. Qiao Xuan turned to her and said without hesitation, ¡°I don¡¯t know how to.¡± Qiao Wei was surprised. It was such a straightforward confession made without shame or embarrassment, that Qiao Wei did not know how to react. ¡°Women without knowledge are virtuous. I don¡¯t know how to make couplets.¡± Qiao Xuan added. She had no idea how to and she was not good at it either. ¡°You¡­¡± Qiao Wei just could not say anything to mock her, strike her down or humiliate her in this case. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Madame Qiao smiled and intervened. ¡°Quan Xuan is right, women don¡¯t need to be good at this. Just drop the topic and watch the race.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, watch the race!¡± Officer Qiao let out a sigh of relief and let out augh. County Officer Zhang was clever, so he changed the topic directly, followed by all the disciples who continued to watch the race. Finally, the topic was dropped. Qiao Wei threw a re at Qiao Xuan. Her face sank, and she was obviously not convinced. Qiao Xuan ignored her. She knew that this sister of hers was so used to being intimidating that she could not change her personality at the moment. But she was very surprised. Her father, who had been dreaming about getting promoted and cared so much about his face, must have noticed the inappropriate behaviors of his daughter. He was surely going to discipline her when they went back home. Yuezheng Xiao, who was enjoying the show, could not help but throw a few looks at Qiao Xuan. He was both interested and surprised. He had witnessed numerous fights between lineal daughters and concubine¡¯s daughters. Elder Miss Qiao was obviously trying to humiliate the Second Miss and her husband in public, but Second Miss was so straightforward about herck of knowledge that Elder Miss Qiao could not do anything about it. Second Miss cut down the trouble directly. Almost all the concubine¡¯s daughters whom he encountered, had always been brought down by the lineal daughters. Second Miss of the Qiao Family seemed to be quite interesting. This Officer Qiao was even more interesting. He was an officer, and he married this concubine¡¯s daughter to an unknown Cultivated Talent? That Cultivated Talent was obviously defending his wife, but he did not seem to have a good feeling towards the Qiao Family. Yuezheng Xiao was a bit confused. He had not expected that there would be such a big show in a County Magistrate¡¯s family. It was almost lunchtime, and the race came to a good end. Everyone waved goodbye to each other. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan left before everyone else did. ¡°Had I known that we would run into them, I would not havee here!¡± ¡°It is my fault.¡± Shao Yunduan sounded guilty. ¡°I should have known about this before.¡± Qiao Xuan was not as angry as before. She smiled and waved her hand. ¡°Officer Qiao did not have the interest in watching the show earlier. No one would have predicted that he would be here today! Oh, I really want to eat glutinous rice dumplings at home and barberries. Let¡¯s finish our errands and go home!¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it!¡± The two of them went tondowners, hoping to see if there were any good fields avable to buy. Chapter 132 - 132 Super Luck 132 Super Luck Thendowner smiled. ¡°You are very lucky. Businessman Zhang is in urgent need of money, and he is selling 240 mu of good fields urgently. If you buy them now, you can start to cultivate crops, and harvest in autumn! But he is in a big hurry. He needs to have the deal done and paid for in the next two days. I was wondering how to contact you, and here you are!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were both quite happy. Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°This is our destiny! That good field is meant to be mine!¡± ¡°True!¡± The two of them agreed that thendowner would bring them to have a look at the field the next day, and if they were okay with the deal, they would pay the money and sign the contract right then and there. After they left thendowner, Qiao Xuan said to Shao Yunduan, ¡°Let¡¯s write both our names on the deed, okay? We are still in a joint family and the yield has to be shared with the whole family. But if we live separately in the future, we will still continue to share a big portion with our parents and brothers.¡± Shao Yunduan was startled. ¡°It is your field and you should write your own name on the deed. You can share the revenue portion at your will with the family. Mom is a very understanding woman, and she won¡¯t want to take advantage of you.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and fell into a good mood. What super luck she had that she ran into a family like this! Her nature had always been like this. When she was treated well, she would pay those who treated her nicely back even better. She was the one who earned the money, but she could not have earned this amount of money alone. A single woman would not get a position for herself, if she had no one to lean on. They were her shelter and bay, and with their help, she was able to do whatever she wanted. They were helping each other. ¡°Just listen to my arrangement, please,¡± said Qiao Xuan firmly. Shao Yunduan opened his mouth and wondered what she meant. These were meant to be her private properties. Why would she not keep them separate? Was she not worried that it would be difficult for her to handle it in the future? Or was she saying that she was not going to leave the family? Shao Yunduan was not certain, and kept specting on this matter in his head. ¡°Okay¡­ you can take that call¡­¡± They would think about thatter. At Mingren Tang, in the backyard, Manager Qin was receiving Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao politely. Xie Jingrong was seeking a very difficult medical herb in this county. But he had not yet paid the visit to the best pharmacy in the local area, before Officer Qiao came to his door. At this point, he finally had the chance to conduct his own business. The two sides were just talking, when Yuezheng Xiao saw an employee craning his head. He smiled. ¡°Manager Qin, your employee needs you now.¡± Manager Qin and Xie Jingrong turned to look into the direction of the speaker. The employee could no longer hide himself. He took a step forward and smiled with a greeting. Xie Jingrong nodded at Manager Qin. He said politely, ¡°Please, Manager Qin.¡± Manager Qin smiled but red at the employee. They had no secret at the pharmacy, and he could just share the message in front of Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao. ¡°Just spill it.¡± The employee smiled. ¡°Young Master Shao and Mrs. Shao are here to fetch the seeds. They are in a hurry to go home, so I came to urge you¡­¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had the ability of getting such arge quantity of wild honey and gastrodia ta for the pharmacy, so they were well received at Manager Qin¡¯s ce. If those things could be well-nted, then the pharmacy would have a long-term deal with them. Chapter 133 - 133 Exception 133 Exception Manager Qin was startled. He smiled. ¡°I almost forgot about that¡­ I will be out there soon!¡± Manager Qin turned to Xie Jingrong and said, ¡°Young Master Xie, Young Master Shao and his wife should be of great help for you. They live in the countryside, and often go into the mountains. They have brought numerous good things to us.¡± Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao were startled. Since Manager Qin said so, he must have gotten many excellent things from the couple but did not want to share those. Xie Jingrong said, ¡°Okay, in this case, let¡¯s bring them in here.¡± ¡°That is exactly what I mean.¡± Manager Qin chuckled and asked his employee to get the couple in. The employee answered and felt emotional. The couple was so lucky as to havee over at the moment. If the couple managed to help Young Master Xie with even a small thing, they would have no worries in their future life. No worries ever! Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, who heard that the manager had already got the seeds for them, were so happy that they decided to buy them and leave quickly. In this way, they could take a look in the market, buy some food and go home soon. But the manager had something else in store for them¡­ When they came to the back hall, all four guests were startled. ¡°Cultivated Talent Shao, Second Miss of Qiao, what are you doing here?¡± Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Shao Yunduan smiled and greeted them. ¡°This is quite coincidental! Sorry for the interruption¡­¡± ¡°No, no, it is no bother.¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°I did not expect that Manager Qin meant you two!¡± Manager Qin could not help but smile as well. ¡°Since you are all friends, then we can save a lot of trouble. Please, take your seats!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± They exchanged greetings and sat down. Manager Qin started the conversation. Soon, Shao Yunduan turned speechless. ¡°Young Master Xie, you are seeking a Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xie Jingrong said, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about this county, so I came to the pharmacy to see if there are any contacts that can be used. Manager Qin suggests that you can help, so please, I would like you to help me, and if the deal is done, I will pay you a great amount aspensation.¡± Pharmacies had their own sources of medical herbs. Some were nted inside the pharmacies, or cultivated by medical farmers or imported by herb businessmen. For ordinary medicinal materials, if a viger got five or four kgs and sold them in a medical store, they would not ept such small things since they had to process the materials, and the volume would be too small for processing. They would not want to do that. But there was always an exception. If rare medical materials were brought to the door, the pharmacies would ept that readily. Some pharmacies would even entrust experienced old hunters and farmers who knew about the mountains to seek rare things. That was why Xie Jingrong came to Mingren Tang. Xie Jingrong was very much respected by people around because he came to the door personally and treated the manager politely, despite being a man from a highly noble family. Shao Yunduan replied politely. ¡°Thanks Young Master Xie, we can definitely help you if we have the chance. But a Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old can be difficult to find.¡± Xie Jingrong smiled and sighed. ¡°I know, just do your best, that would be enough.¡± Chapter 134 - 134 Pause 134 Pause Qiao Xuan smiled and said to Shao Yunduan, ¡°Darling, Chinese fleeceflower root is a verymonly-seen thing. Although it isn¡¯t avable everywhere, it is not so difficult to find. Since you have asked for it, Young Master Xie, we will definitely give it our best.¡± It was a favor being sent to the door. It was just a Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old. They could simply go into the mountains to seek for that with her superpower, one mountain after another. They would always find it. She could even find one which was 300 or 400 years old, and with her superpower, she could urge it to grow faster so the nt became 500 years old¡­ Young Master Xie was a person whom even her father was afraid of. So, he must be a very important figure. She had to cozy up to him who was so powerful. It would be a pity to let go of this chance. Hearing what Qiao Xuan said, Shao Yunduan almost burst out in helplessness. She was lucky, indeed, but she should not be this arrogant! After all, luck was an uncertain thing. It could not be touched or felt. Who could predict what might happen next? But he did not counter her when they were facing outsiders. He was worried, though, that she would say something that could not be realized, so Shao Yunduan added. ¡°Yes, we will surely try, but we can¡¯t guarantee a good result.¡± Yuezheng Xiao looked at both of them and then finally at Manager Qin. This couple looked to be quite unreliable. They seemed too indifferent, when they spoke about this matter. Manager Qin, however, was very confident about the couple. He added with a smile. ¡°Yes, yes, please, Young Master Shao and Madame Shao. Just go and do the needful. I will be waiting for your good news!¡± ¡°¡­¡± By this point, even Xie Jingrong found that they seemed unreliable. He thought that it would always be better, if they could entrust Manager Qin to find some other helpers as well. There were many mountains in the county and the possibility seemed rtively small of just two people finding the requisite root. ¡°We will!¡± said Shao Yunduan as he got up, saying goodbye to them. Manager Qin did not keep them, but asked his employees to open the door to fetch the seeds of notoginseng and false starwort for them. Qiao Xuan looked at Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao, not knowing what to say. Manager Qin did not know about her and County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s rtionship, and she did not want more people to know about this, which might cause trouble. She wondered if these two people would spill out her real identity¡­ Yuezheng Xiao noticed her behavior and smiled. ¡°Anything you would like to say, Madame Shao?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Should we deliver Chinese fleeceflower roots to Mingren Tang directly?¡± Xie Jingrong answered. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Qiao Xuan nodded and said, ¡°Me and my husband are justmon, ordinary vigers in the mountains, and we have no strong background behind us, nor do we know much about what is going on around, but we know what is in the mountains, so we will try our best to find it!¡± Shao Yunduan instantly understood what Qiao Xuan meant. He added frankly. ¡°Yes, so please wait for our message patiently, and if the deal fails, please forgive us¡­ that is all¡­¡± Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao were both smart men. They thought for a while and eventually understood what the couple meant. Yuezheng Xiaoughed involuntarily. ¡°No worries!¡± Chapter 135 - 135 An Image 135 An Image Yuezheng Xiao got even more curious. What was going on with County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s family? Manager Qin was not aware of Second Miss¡¯s real identity. This Second Miss did not seem to care about being married to a farmer¡¯s family, and even offered to look for Chinese fleeceflower roots! Could she be the County Magistrate¡¯s real daughter? Or was she raised in the countryside? Could she really do it? Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan let out a sigh of relief, leaving directly. ¡°Darling, this is a great opportunity, let¡¯s go and buy some food to celebrate!¡± Qiao Xuan was very happy. Shao Yunduan did not want to discourage her, so he nodded. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s just try our best.¡± If the deal was aplished, it would be a huge favor they would have done for the powerful people. If not, they would have to ept it frankly. They could not be afraid of being defeated, otherwise they would be very sad, if they failed. They needed to stay calm. Qiao Xuan bought pork belly, ribs, two fat ducks, a roast chicken, some snacks, and head flowers for Taotao and Shao Qing. When she was done shopping, she started to head home with Shao Yunduan. At Mingren Tang, Xie Jingrong still asked Manager Qin to entrust several more hunters and experienced veterans in the mountains for help, before leaving with Yuezheng Xiao. Yuezheng Xiao could not help butugh. ¡°Officer Qiao¡¯s family is quite interesting. Look at that Second Miss, she is more than ordinary.¡± Then heughed as well. ¡°Honestly, I have never met any concubine¡¯s daughter like her!¡± Xie Jingrong frowned slightly as he turned to him. ¡°The Qiao Family isn¡¯t a family with integrity, let¡¯s just drop it. But the Second Miss seems quite different.¡± Not that he really cared how she was. He was definitely going to return her favor, if she was able to find Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old. That was all he could do, since he was not interested in the Qiao Family. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan traveled home leisurely on his bullock cart. The cart moved very slowly. While they were on the cart, they could notice what was going on around them. When they found a tall, young man lying in aa in the grass on the roadside, they could not help but stop, exchanging a look between themselves. ¡°Hang here, let me go and have a look¡­¡± Shao Yunduan said. ¡°Let me go with you!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The couple wanted to save people. Otherwise they would feel really ufortable afterwards, and would never be able to get over the lump. Qiao Xuan went down the cart and wondered what happened to the man. Shao Yunduan came to the man¡¯s side, felt his nose and sighed in relief. ¡°He is still breathing, he should be fine. Come, help me pick him up.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The couple spared no effort to help this tall man up. He was leaning against Shao Yunduan. Suddenly, Qiao Xuan felt stiffened, and started to turn dizzy. In front of her eyes, like a revolvingntern, a fragmented but clear picture appeared. In the desert and yellow sand, the gs and banners were floating in the wind, the generals looked majestic and there were thousands of troops behind them. The general returned triumphantly, and when he entered the city, the crowd was surging, and the people and officials shouted loudly. In the Golden Throne Hall, the old emperorughed heartily. He conferred the title and rewarded the general. ¡­. There were about ten pictures, each of which was not connected, but the general in each picture was the same person, and the appearance of that person closely resembled the man in front of them. Actually, they were the same person. Chapter 136 - 136 What To See 136 What To See What¡­ What was going on? Qiao Xuan was almost dumbfounded. What on earth had she seen? The future of this man? Or maybe the past? Qiao Xuan shook herself out of her stupor. Suddenly, she was very motivated to save him. At this moment, Shao Yunduan let out a low cry. ¡°He has wounds on his back and thighs. Let¡¯s help him bandage that!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Neither of them were professional medical people. Moreover, this man was not only wounded but also starved. So, when the couple was done bandaging him, they fed him water, before he slowly woke up. They fed him almost 250 grams of snacks slowly. His mind became clear, gradually. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± Shao Yunduan replied calmly. ¡°We were passing by and saw you in aa. How are you feeling now? Better?¡± Startled, the man greeted the couple. ¡°Thank you for saving my life.¡± ¡°It is okay.¡± Shao Yunduan could not ept such a big gesture, but waved his hands and said, ¡°We were just passing by, not a big deal. Where is your home? We will drop you there.¡± Home? The man looked confused and miserable. He had no home. He left home when he was much younger, full of ambition, always thinking that he could make a name for himself but eventually ended up gaining nothing. After a few years of wandering, he returned, but by then, his parents were dead. His uncle had taken hold of the properties and insisted that he hadmitted a crime outside. So he got irritated and hit them. The others couldn¡¯t help but rush up and took the opportunity to beat him fiercely, before locking him up in the woodshed. He had no idea how they were going to deal with him, but he knew that it was not going to be good. After being in the woodshed for three days, he managed to escape but ended up passing out here on the spot in pain and starvation. Unexpectedly, he was saved by two kind-hearted people. There were good people in this world. He was no longer so angry, at the sight of this couple in front of him. ¡°Thanks, but it is fine, you can leave me here. If I¡­¡± He originally wanted to say that if there was a chance in the future, he would definitely repay them, but then he thought about it, and realized that he had gotten to this point, what was his future? What could he do in return? It all seemed so ridiculous. Heughed self-mockingly. ¡°Anyway, thanks very much for saving me. You will definitely have a great fortune in the future.¡± Qiao Xuan was not gonna let go of this opportunity. Immediately, she handed the roast chicken and a packet of dim sum to the man, and said with a smile, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we will just leave. Our vige is not close by, so we should go back.¡± The man nodded. ¡°Please.¡± The man had woken up and he should be fine, so Shao Yunduan greeted him and left with Qiao Xuan. The two of them went back to the bullock cart and continued on their journey. They could not help but exchange a few emotional words. The man saw them off, until they disappeared out of sight. He struggled back on his feet, and went to an isted ce. He was starved and needed to regain energy before he could do anything else. He opened the paper that was supposed to hold roasted chicken, but his eyes suddenly widened. In one of theyers, there were almost 2 liang in change as well as one well-folded note of 50 liang. No one would have put the money in this ce identally. They must have given the money to him on purpose. He was so messy looking and homeless. They must be trying to help him out! The man could not help but feel like crying, as he held the money and food in his arms. Chapter 137 - 137 An Idea 137 An Idea ¡°Shaoding Vige¡­¡± He mumbled inside his heart. He swore that he was definitely going to be someone aplished in the future. At that time, he would return the favor and more importantly, take his revenge! He was not going to live the rest of his life as a useless person. !! When Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were back home, the glutinous dumplings were already steaming. The dumplings were put in arge iron pot, covered with a heavy wooden lid, and cooked on the stove. Some of the steam was escaping the lid, spreading the aroma of fresh grass and leaves in the whole room. It was festival time and everyone was craving the dumplings, which were eaten only once a year. They did not even eat lunch, and instead waited for the dumplings. Seeing them returning, Ms. Fang opened the lid and scooped out somerge ones for them to eat. Meat dumplings, pork ribs dumplings, bean dumplings, eight-treasure dumplings, and alkaline water dumplings were marked when they were being wrapped. The length and number of straw cores in each kind of dumpling were different, so it was easy to distinguish. Shao Taotao and Qiao Xuan helped open the dumplings. The dumplings were cut into pieces with the straw core that bound them, before they were ced on the te. The shining dumplings looked beautiful and smooth in appearance, and when they were twisted open, the aroma of rice, meat, or sweetness inside was mouth-watering and attractive. ¡°The meat dumplings smell so great!¡± ¡°I want meat dumplings too, they look so delicious!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Alright, alright, we have arge number of them. Eat as many as you want!¡± She had money and could afford to make those dumplings. It was a festival and they should all be happy during this period. Long strips of pork belly andrge ribs had been marinated with five-spice powder, soy sauce, shredded ginger, green onion, cooking wine, etcst night. They were wrapped in the dumplings and boiled for nearly two hours. The bones could be easily broken in one bite. Mixed with the fragrance of glutinous rice soaked and boiled in alkaline water, the dumplings were really delicious. They had never eaten meat dumplings before. This year¡¯s food was really sumptuous. After the glutinous dumplings, they ate a few fresh bayberries and loquats to relieve tiredness, which was perfect. Among the fruit trees transnted in Qiao Xuan¡¯s garden, the bayberry, loquat, and plum did not fall out. A lot of them were left on the tree. They were now ripe, so Qiao Xuan brought a few young ones to the yard to pick the fruits. It was a lively scene. Everyone was amazed, saying that it was not a wastnd. It was obviously a treasurend. Not only was the sweet spring water dug up, but also the fruit trees and gastrodia ta were growing very well. The fruits tasted so sweet! At night, Qiao Xuan cooked the food. She had pickles at home, and really wanted to make a bowl of pickled fish today, so she took Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao to go fishing in the river in the afternoon. They held fishing poles in their hands, which were brought by Shao Sang from somewhere. Shao Yunduan also went fishing with them. Shao Sang came back with a fishing rod two days ago and had been shouting ever since to go fishing with them. But when the time came, he was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where is Third Brother? He was here just a while ago!¡± Shao Xiaoqi was confused. Shao Taotao shook her head, looking bemused as well. Qiao Xuan thought for a while and burst intoughter. She said to Shao Yunduan, ¡°I have an idea¡­¡± Shao Yunduan was startled and smiled. ¡°Just leave him alone.¡± He would be very careful about it. ¡°Yes!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were confused about what was happening, but were extremely motivated to go fishing. ¡°We are going fishing!¡± It was alright even if Third Brother wasn¡¯t with them. Chapter 138 - 138 Laughing 138 Laughing Third Brother had stolen three meat dumplings, wrapped them in leaves randomly and gone to find his wife-to-be, Yang Xiaoni. It was a festival but Yang Xiaoni still needed to work. She was out in the mountains, chopping wood. Normally, the bride-to-be should be resting at home, sorting her dowry and everything. She should be very busy with all that. Unfortunately, Yang Xiaoni was not treated in this way. But she was d that soon, she would not need to do anything like this any more. When Shao Sang found her, she was eating wild fruits in the mountains. ¡°Brother Sang!¡± Yang Xiaoni cheered as she saw Shao Sang. Shao Sang looked up and saw her,ughing along the side. He rushed to her. The two of them sneaked into the forests by default. This way they could not be discovered so easily. The same mistake could not be made twice! Yang Xiaoni sniffed and her eyes sparkled. ¡°It smells so good. Third Brother, what have you brought for me?¡± Shao Sang gazed at her proudly. ¡°Just guess!¡± Yang Xiaoni sniffed again. ¡°Ah, it is glutinous dumplings!¡± ¡°Yes! It is made by Fifth Sister-inw. There is pork belly and ribs filling inside. It is delicious, I have brought you three!¡± ¡°Really? I am going to have a good taste of it!¡± Yang Xiaoni rubbed her hands, and could not wait and took a bite when Shao Sang opened it for her. The dumplings were bursting with fillings. Every bite would reach the meat. The fragrant glutinous rice dumplings and the fragrant and soft meat of the dumplings were blended together very well. The aroma was tangy, and it was so delicious after the first bite, that one could not wait to swallow a piece of the tongue also alongside. ¡°It is really yummy!¡± Yang Xiaoni¡¯s eyes sparkled. She was obsessed and just could not stop eating them. Shao Sang felt very pleased. ¡°What did I tell you? When you move in, you will know how well my fifth sister-inw cooks! She is like no one else!¡± Yang Xiaoni agreed and looked expectant. ¡°I have never eaten a dumpling as good as this. Our fifth sister-inw is so good at cooking! I wish I could move in with you directly. I will treat Fifth Sister-inw well in the future!¡± Shao Sang smiled. ¡°It is happening soon! I am counting the days, only 15 days left!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Theyughed at each other happily. Satisfied by the meat dumplings, Yang Xiaoni held one in her arms and they continued to talk for some more time, before they separated at the entrance of the Yang Family. They unwillingly waved each other goodbye. Ms. Tian came and red at Yang Xiaoni the moment she arrived home. Yang Xiaoni saw that this woman was throwing temper again. She put down the chopped wood and dashed off before Ms. Tian could say a word. She had already eaten two glutinous rice dumplings and held one in her arms for dinner, so she did not have to eat with them. ¡°You bitch, beingzy all the time, stupid andzy, no food for you!¡± Ms. Tian was still cursing her when she left. Ms. Tian cursed at Yang Liang when returned. Then she started to curse the whole Shao Family. Chapter 139 - 139 His Own Reasons 139 His Own Reasons ¡°It is a festival! Look at the Shao Family, they have given us nothing this time around! They don¡¯t treat us seriously! They won¡¯t spare a look at us in the future, forget before the girl marries the family.¡± That was why Ms. Tian was extra unfriendly to Yang Xiaoni today. She had assumed that the Shao Family would offer them some gifts at festivals, since the wedding was to be hosted in no time. She even looked forward to receiving glutinous dumplings and eggs from the Shao Family, as well as two chickens. They were waiting from morning to the evening, but received nothing. Ms. Tian was really annoyed! Yang Liang, who never had any opinion for himself, got furious after hearing the instigating words from Ms. Tian. ¡°I told you that this marriage would not work! The Shao Family is looking down at us! Now you know that they are not going to regard us as part of their family!¡± Yang Liang got even angrier. ¡°It is settled! They have spent so much on the wedding gift. Do you think they will break off the engagement? Just keep your mouth shut, no more nonsense!¡± Ms. Tian had not expected that he would counter her in this way. She screamed. ¡°How dare you counter me? Yang Liang!¡± The couple had a row with each other. The neighbors could not help but sigh, hearing their arguments. The Shao Family would definitely not go to the second section of the family for dinner. Eldest Uncle had to go there alone, since Ms. Fang refused to follow along. He had his own reasons. Yes, his sister-inws had been at fault, but they had realized their mistakes already, right? Since they already knew about it, and offered dinner at their ce, why not give them a chance to repent? What more did they expect them to do, when they apologized. They were all a family, and could not possibly be treated like criminals after just one mistake, right? That would be ruthless. But Ms. Fang was in the midst of being angry, so Eldest Uncle could do nothing but leave her alone. Eldest Uncle asked Shao Sang and Shao Dng to follow him for dinner. But Shao Dng hesitated, whilst Shao Sang snapped directly. ¡°I am not going! Fifth Sister-inw is cooking delicious dishes tonight and I am definitely eating at home!¡± Could Second Aunt-inw¡¯s food exceed that of Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s? Fifth Sister-inw was going to make a huge feast for the family. He had been looking forward to this dinner for days. Eldest Uncle got so stuck ¨C dumbass! He knew nothing except for food! Could he do anything else apart from that? Eldest Uncle red at Shao Sang. ¡°Second Aunt-inw is killing chickens, why not go there? You are old enough to understand etiquette!¡± Shao Sang was straightforward as always. ¡°We have no chicken tonight, but we have ducks, ribs, pork belly, fish and shrimps!¡± ¡°You!¡± Eldest Uncle red at him. ¡°Eating is the only thing you know!¡± Shao Sangughed and scratched his head. ¡°That is true, Dad!¡± He was so tant about it! Eldest Uncle. ¡°¡­¡± This boy was trying to irritate him to death. Ms. Fang wanted tough but could not. She held a tight face. ¡°So what? Good that he loves eating! You can go there alone, don¡¯t try to drag us with you!¡± Eldest Uncle snorted and ignored her. Yes, he was going alone, so what! He was going now! Angry, Eldest Uncle left home directly. Chapter 140 - 140 Festival 140 Festival The whole family let out a sigh of relief, and they went all out to make preparations for the dinner. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan decided to get a big fish in the afternoon, so Shao Xiaoqi took them to a rtively isted and deep-water area of the river. There was one section where long and many seaweeds were growing. Shao Taotao as well as Shao Xiaoqi were fishing shrimps using a whilst Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were fishing on the bank. Qiao Xuan looked calm, but actually, she could not do anything. With her superpower, she was able to see endless fish in the seaweeds, but that did not help. They were not able to catch any of it. Luckily, there were enough fish and shrimps in the river, and they harvested a lot. Half a basket of shrimps plus half a barrel of small fish as well as more than 30rge, green, finger-sized shrimps were taken back. They got several crucian carp about the size of a palm, as well as two grass carp more than a foot long, alongwith five longrge eels. What pleased Qiao Xuan above all was that they also managed to catch a palm-sized wild mandarin fish. They killed the duck for dinner, cut tender ginger into pieces, stir-fried chili and garlic cloves, added rice wine, soy sauce and other seasonings, as well as water. The whole thing was simmered over high heat. In this way, the fresh, spicy and fragrant taste quickly permeated the entire kitchen. They steamed mandarin fish, and fried prawns in oil. The two grass carps were used to make pickled fish, whilst finger-sized, small fish were wrapped in egg batter and then fried. A few dishes plus a bowl of braised pork, vegetarian fried yam, and shredded cabbage were served. A sumptuous feast wasid out. The fish that could not be eaten up were kept in arge water tank in the backyard. Qiao Xuan put some water nts in the water tank. She could use the water nts to send her superpower into the water, so that these fish could stay alive for almost half a year. Small river shrimps were not easy to raise, so they were roasted and dried. They could fry fresh leeks with it, or peppers, or even eggs. They could even make shrimp cakes with eggs the following day. When Qiao Xuan was cooking, the mandarin fish was steamed on the stove. The small fish was fried first, then the two stoves were busy with the duck and pickled fish. Then she quickly braised the pork that was made in the pot, and fried the shrimp in oil. After that, she stir-fried two vegetarian dishes. All the dishes were still piping hot when they were brought to the table. Arge table of good dishes with aromatic vors made the family drool. The pickled fish and ginger ducks were the most popr dishes. Everyone enjoyed them the most. They never expected that fish and pickles could be so good together whilst the duck meat smelled so fresh and spicy without any strange taste. They could say nothing but praise their fifth sister-inw! They turned to look at Shao Yunduan in jealousy. They allmented that Shao Yunduan was the luckiest one, since he was the only person who could eat the dish made by Fifth Sister-inw throughout his life. The steamed mandarin fish was disliked at first. The family always thought it looked too strange and might have no taste. Qiao Xuan, however, urged everyone to have a taste of it. When they finally tried the first bite, they got attracted to the iparable fresh dish! On the other hand, Second Uncle and Ms. Niu as well as the others greeted Eldest Uncle happily the moment he arrived. Eldest Uncle felt so gratified and guilty, thinking that his second brother¡¯s family were so sincere, but Ms. Fang still refused to forgive them. However, Second Uncle and Ms. Niu exchanged a look between themselves, looking very proud. See! They knew that an apology would work! They could do whatever they wanted in the future! They knew that Eldest Brother would get soft-hearted. Ms. Niu went to fetch Ms. Ma and Third Uncle¡¯s family to join them. Ms. Ma was helping with the cooking whilst Third Uncle was chit chatting with Eldest Uncle. Chapter 141 - 141 Family 141 Family The two sections of the family had sensed that they were not in a good ce as before. Ms. Fang was annoying, and more domineering than before. Moreover, Qiao Xuan had joined her. They kept bitching about her mistake. They tried to console Eldest Brother and even ttered him. Eldest Brother was the master of the family. As long as he was well manipted by them, everything else would be solved easily. It was just a matter of time! Eldest Uncle felt so moved, when he saw how his brothers, nieces and nephews were chatting with him. They were so nice to him. They were his family! He had treated them well these past few years and it was all worth the while! Their parents would be gratified in heaven as well! He had lived up to their parents¡¯ standards. In the kitchen, Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma were quite distracted. Ms. Ma could not help but look outside the kitchen, mumbling. ¡°What are Eldest Sister-inw and everyone else doing? What is keeping them for so long?¡± True, they all believed that the eldest section of the family would definitely be here, with Eldest Uncleing over first, and the others followingter. Ms. Niu was quite displeased as well. She knew exactly what Ms. Ma meant. When Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were here, they would definitely help in cooking. Also, Eldest Brother treated them well, and would alwayse with some gifts, like a chicken, for example. Ms. Niu even expected to wait until Ms. Fang arrived to kill the chicken. A whileter, Ms. Ma could not stand the wait any more. ¡°What on earth is taking them so long? Xiaozhi, Meiling, go and check on them. Tell them to be here as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Just wait.¡± Ms. Niu stopped her. ¡°Let¡¯s just hold on! We can kill the chicken and make the food. We will fetch them when dinner is served.¡± Ms. Ma was startled. Ms. Niu really started to think that she was stupid. She snapped. ¡°Haven¡¯t you got it? Eldest Sister-inw is so annoyed by us that she wants to postpone her arrival! Just drop it, we can make some dishes as we want!¡± Ms. Ma nodded. That was exactly what Ms. Fang would have done. ¡°She is so stingy! We have apologized and made dinner, what more does she want? Should we kneel down and kowtow to her?!¡± Ms. Niu rolled her eyes. ¡°What else can we do?¡± Ms. Ma was stuck with words. Yeah, what else could they do? ¡°Alright, alright!¡± It was their own fault that they were caught red-handed. They had to be tolerant at the moment. It was Widow Sun, the bitch¡¯s fault. But for her big mouth, nothing like this would have happened! That bitch needed to be punished. So, Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma dropped the idea of fetching Ms. Fang at the moment, and pretended to make dishes with full sincerity. Ms. Niu, against her will, killed one of her chickens, whilst Ms. Ma brought 12 eggs as well as some vegetables from her house. They made the dinner without putting any oil or salt in it. When dishes were served on the table, Ms. Niu smiled. ¡°Eldest Brother, the dishes are ready. What are Eldest Sister-inw and the others doing?¡± ¡°Yes, we are all waiting for them!¡± Ms. Ma added with a smile. Eldest Uncle¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°They¡­¡± ¡°It is fine, we can wait a little longer! Meiling, Xiaozhi, go and fetch them, okay?¡± Second Uncle made a gesture and let them leave. Eldest Uncle was about to stop them, when he suddenly realized that maybe these two children would be able to move Ms. Fang. Chapter 142 - 142 Embarrassment 142 Embarrassment Shao Xiaozhi and Shao Meiling were not very happy to go when they saw the dishes on the table, but they had to agree to the instructions given. At the eldest section of the Shao Family, they were already done with food, and were just cleaning up the table. When Shao Xiaozhi and Shao Meiling entered the room, Shao Taotao was carrying thest bowls into the kitchen. Shao Meiling and Shao Xiaozhi did not see what the feast was like, but looking at the happy expression on the whole family¡¯s faces as well as theyers of bowls which Shao Taotao had carried away, along with the remaining smell in the air, they could tell that the dinner must have been abundantly tasty. ¡°Eldest Aunt, my parents asked me to take you there for dinner, but you seem to have eaten already?¡± These two girls were not well-mannered since they were taught by their parents. Ms. Fang did not want to throw temper at them, and said smilingly, ¡°Yes, there are so many of us here, so we aren¡¯t going over. We have eaten dinner. You can go home to eat yours.¡± Shao Meiling nodded and left with Shao Xiaozhi. ¡°Dad, Eldest Aunt and the others already ate. They had already finished and the table was getting cleaned. The table was full of dishes!¡± Shao Meiling pursed her lips. They were all startled. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Eaten already?¡± Second Uncle and the others turned to Eldest Uncle. ¡°¡­¡± Eldest Uncle¡¯s sweat dropped from his forehead. He was so embarrassed that he wanted to dig a pit in the ground and disappear. ¡°Oh yes, let¡¯s just forget them, it is their bad luck not to have eaten dinner here, let¡¯s just eat our food!¡± ¡°Eldest Brother!¡± Third Uncle sighed in disappointment. ¡°Is she still mad?¡± Ms. Ma pursed her lips. ¡°Yes, otherwise what is she behaving like this for? She could have just carried the dishes here and we could have celebrated together!¡± Second Uncle sighed too. ¡°Eldest Brother, when will Eldest Sister stop this behavior? It is such a small matter! We have already apologized. Is she going to cut ties with us just because of that thing?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Eldest Uncle denied directly, as he forced out a smile. ¡°We can leave her alone. You know her well, right? She is sharp in tongue but soft in heart. She should forget about this soon.¡± Since the guests were absent, Second Uncle and the others could do nothing but start the dinner. At the dinner table, they kept showing passion to Eldest Uncle, who was so moved¡­ The following morning after breakfast, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan told Ms. Fang about buying fields, before heading towards the town. The crops were budding, and farmers had started plowing the fields and nting rice seedlings. Every household was very busy. Qiao Xuan had to postpone the nting of mushrooms. When the busiest period was finished, and the wedding of Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni was done, she coulde and get the mushrooms. But she could start to make lipsticks. Also, she could also start the nting of medical herbs. With her superpower, she could always make sure that the nts grew well from the seedlings. Those gastrodia in the garden were growing unbelievably well. The watermelons were as big as small fists, round and green, spread all over thend. They looked really tempting. Wild grapes were all over the stack, creating arge shelter whilst small grapes started to bloom and fruits were growing out. The loquats, plums, and bayberries were also turning ripe, but Qiao Xuan intentionally controlled the growth so that they could stay on the branches for at least one more month. Chapter 143 - 143 Arrival 143 Arrival The couple came to the town and visited the Zhang Vige with thendowner to check out the field. Zhang Vige was located in the east outskirts of the county, almost 10 miles away from the town, closer to the countypared to the Shaoding Vige. It was a really good area of more than 240 mu gold fields. Since they needed cash urgently, and the seller did not want to split them, very few families were able to pay in cash at one go, so Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan bought the whole thing at a low price. Qiao Xuan was very satisfied, so she made the deal right there and then. The field was sold at 7 liang one mu, which should be 1,680 liang for the 240 mu in total. Qiao Xuan bought another 5 mu of drought field at 20 liang, where she intended to build a small yard for future residence. Therefore, 1,700 liang was spent in one go. They had around 200 liang left from selling gastrodia ta after this. When the fields were bought, the tenants were avable. But Qiao Xuan did not want to reveal her identity, so she did not meet the tenants, but entrusted Zhang Chui and Zhang Xiaofeng with this matter. They were the chiefs, and Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan believed that they were down-to-earth farmers. So the task was delegated to them. Tenants were very afraid that when thendlords changed, the rent would be raised, but when they realized that everything was the same, they were assured in heart. The Zhang Vige was located on a rtively t field, where arge patch ofnd was spread across the distance. There were also some beautiful dikes and creeks. Qiao Xuan decided to have a look around since they were here. Shao Yunduan kept herpany. They climbed the mountain, and saw the river flowing across the beautifulndscape. It was May, the trees were shady and the vines were entwined. It was not as beautiful as the blooming flowers in spring, but there were still many wildflowers swaying on the banks of the river and the forest road, embellishing it in a deep and shallow shade of green. The mountain scenery was so outstanding that as they were walking in the middle, they felt rxed and happy. Qiao Xuan had been to many mountains, but it was all for work. This was the first time when they were having fun in the mountains, thus, both of them were overjoyed. Seeing her happy smile, Shao Yunduan could not help but feel happy too. They intended to climb up to the top of the mountain. Shao Yunduan and his fellows had been to this spot, so they knew that there was one pavilion on the top as well as a hole. Qiao Xuan became interested in visiting the spot when she heard about this. However, as they reached half of the mountain, the couple ran into Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao as well as their four followers. Both sides were startled. Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Young Master Shao, Second Miss, what a coincidence!¡± Qiao Xuan let out a small cough. ¡°What a coincidence¡­ you are having a good time, aren¡¯t you?¡± They were almost considered to be friends, so they greeted each other politely. All of them were heading towards the top of the mountain, so they had no choice but to walk together. Yuezheng Xiao could not help but ask. ¡°Are you here seeking Chinese fleeceflower root? But the vige is just next to the mountain, where a Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old might not be found, right?¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged an embarrassed look between themselves, as he said the words. They were not here for Chinese fleeceflower root¡­ They were here for fun! Yuezheng Xiao might not have noticed it, but Xie Jingrong had understood the point. Of course the couple was not here for herbs! They were not equipped with the right tools. They must be here for fun! They had just expressed their willingness to help them to find Chinese fleeceflower root, but here they were strolling around, which made Xie Jingrong feel displeased. He believed that the couple was not sticking to the promise, nor were they reliable. Chapter 144 - 144 Dumbfounded 144 Dumbfounded Qiao Xuan shook her head but smiled. ¡°We were just doing some business in the vige nearby, but I heard that the scenery here is very good, so we came to take a look at it. It is very unlikely that we can find Chinese fleeceflower roots over 500 years old in this ce. We would seek that somewhere else. Don¡¯t worry, it is very likely to find it in the deep mountains!¡± Only now did Yuezheng Xiao realize that he must have not asked the right question. He could not help butin inwardly ¨C this couple was indeed open-minded, how could they find a Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old so easily? What were they doing here, after they made the promise to them? Moreover, they were caught red-handed by Brother Xie¡­ What bad luck. He was a Cultivated Talent, and she was the daughter of the County Magistrate, they should have the idea of who the Xie Family was, right? Why were they letting go of the opportunity of doing them a favor! Yuezheng Xiao shook his head inwardly, but he did not want to show it. So he chuckled dryly. ¡°That is true. The scenery here is indeed beautiful, let¡¯s visit the ce together?¡± But Qiao Xuan paused. ¡°I think that it is going to rain soon, so we are not going up. I suggest you two walk downhill as well!¡± There was another change that happened to her superpower the day before. She could not only see the past and future of the strange man, but it led to another good function. The humidity and temperature in the air were all rted to the vegetation, so when she took a deep breath just now, she vaguely smelled something strange. When she concentrated carefully and then inhaled again to distinguish, she could feel the humidity brought by the mountain wind, and the breath of rain. It was going to rain soon. This new superpower of hers was still weak, and the range was not wide, hence the prediction period was notpletely urate. But she could easily confirm that it was going to rain soon. Yuezheng Xiao subconsciously looked at the sky, hearing what Qiao Xuan said. It was sunny everywhere, how could it be raining anytime soon? Oh, she must be trying to find one excuse to get rid of them. Well, they were not friends, and, worse, were caught red-handed for beingzy. The couple must be feeling rather ufortable inside their hearts. Even Shao Yunduan believed so. He did not know what to say. The excuse his wife found was just¡­ too unreliable¡­ But he nodded at the excuse and helped her anyway. Shao Yunduan added. ¡°True, the weather keeps changing after the Dragon Boat Festival, and it is going to rain soon¡­ maybe. We will take your leave now, and you two better go downhill as well.¡± ¡°Alright then, see you.¡± ¡°Bye!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went down the hill together. Qiao Xuan admired her husband¡¯s excuse. She had her superpower that helped her to cheat, but what about her husband? Did he read so much so that he could predict the weather as well? The couple had just walked into the vige, when the rain came down heavily. The couple found a farmer¡¯s family for shelter. ¡°Good that we ran off the mountain fast enough!¡± Qiao Xuan stuck out her tongue. Otherwise she had no extra clothes to wear! ¡°Yes¡­¡± Shao Yunduan was dumbfounded. So his wife was noting up with an excuse? She really sensed the rain? He asked involuntarily. ¡°How did you know that it was going to rain soon?¡± Qiao Xuan was startled. ¡°You sensed that too, right? I saw the heavy cloud in the sky faraway.¡± Chapter 145 - 145 Guilty 145 Guilty Qiao Xuan felt a bit guilty. She believed that it was because of Shao Yunduan¡¯s rich knowledge that he could forecast the weather, but he was just wondering how she could tell the change of weather at the moment. He could not have remembered that there was no heavy cloud in the sky, all this while, right? Sure enough, Shao Yunduan did not remember, nor did he think of it deeply. He smiled. ¡°Oh that is right, you are a very careful person!¡± !! Qiao Xuanughed. Of course, she was. But it reminded her of one thing. She should be careful when using the superpower, and could just put it at bay, when she did not have to use it. Once or twice would be enough, too many times might cause suspicion, and lead to nothing good. The rain was pouring, and soon the drapery of clouds covered the whole sky. The couple were waiting, without knowing what to do. The rain came too fast, but it left fast too. Soon it would stop. But before the rain ended, two unexpected guests, namely Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong arrived there. The two of them were soaked thoroughly. Their hair and clothes were all wet. They were in a total mess. The four of them got startled as they ran into each other again. Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Young Master Xie, Second Miss, we are bound together, aren¡¯t we?¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± Oh well¡­ The two of them exchanged some greetings, and Shao Yunduan added. ¡°Just tidy up and don¡¯t get cold!¡± Qiao Xuan even asked the mistress of the house to boil a bowl of hot ginger soup. Yuezheng Xiao wiped away his face and smiled. ¡°It is fine, our servants are fetching the clean clothes. They will be here soon.¡± Their wagon was parked outside the vige, which was a bit far away from here. The road wasn¡¯t t, and the rain was so heavy. These two young masters had never been through any bitterness, so they had no choice but to find a house to take shelter whilst their servants went to get the wagon. Yuezheng Xiao sighed regretfully. ¡°We should have listened to your advice and followed you downhill. It is raining! But Second Miss, how did you know that it was going to rain soon? It was so sunny just a while ago!¡± Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s eyes widened. He was really curious! He had found Qiao Xuan¡¯s words ridiculous, when he saw the good weather. He had thought that Qiao Xuan and her husband must be thinking of an excuse to stay away from them. However, she had been telling the truth¡­ Qiao Xuan lied as she smiled. ¡°I saw heavy clouds in the sky!¡± Xie Jingrong looked at her. ¡°But there did not seem to be heavy clouds in the sky!¡± He used the word ¡®seem¡¯, but he sounded resolute. Qiao Xuan was startled, so was Yuezheng Xiao. Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t happy at the moment. His wife never lied. And why did she have to lie anyway? Young Master Xie was so arrogant! Shao Yunduan added without hesitation. ¡°There were dark clouds in the sky.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded and sounded innocent. ¡°There were!¡± Xie Jingrong raised his eyebrows. He had always had a good memory and could never forget things after one nce. He remembered clearly that there was no heavy cloud in the sky, but¡­ could he have been wrong? Seeing the resolute look on the couple, Xie Jingrong could not help but feel unsure. Chapter 146 - 146 No Need 146 No Need Yuezheng Xiaoughed as he looked at him. ¡°Oh alright, no wonder this happened!¡± Young Master Xie never forgot whatever he saw, and he never made mistakes in remembering things. Yuezheng Xiao was thinking in a mocking way. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I should have reminded you more urgently¡­ oh here is the ginger soup, drink it to drive away the coldness. The rain is just so torrential!¡± Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief, and felt lucky to have ended the topic. Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao expressed their gratitude to the farmer and epted the ginger soup. They should not get cold. Though the ginger soup tasted bad, they still took it and drank it. The farmer had never spoken with any noble, handsome young master, so she was startled by their gratitude. She got startled and staggered, and finally ran away in a hurry. Shao Yunduan said to Qiao Xuan,. ¡°Drink some ginger soup too, I will get you some.¡± ¡°No!¡± Qiao Xuan took hold of him and whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t like the taste, I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°But look at the weather¡­¡± ¡°No!!!¡± She spoke in a coquettish tone, which made Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart throb. He flushed slightly and dropped the topic. She was healthy, and had neverined about being tired after so many visits to the mountains. She should be well. Soon, Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s servants arrived. They came with a well-wrapped clothes bag, but not a wagon. The wagon had fallen into a water pit, and was broken¡­ Now they had to wait until the rain stopped, so someone coulde and fix the wagon¡­ There was nothing else they could do at the moment. The rain was slowing down and it should be over soon. But the road to town was very far away. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°It is lunch time, if you want, I can borrow the farmer¡¯s kitchen to make some casual food, what do you think?¡± Yuezheng Xiao was startled. ¡°Second Miss, you know how to cook?¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled as she raised her eyebrows. ¡°It is just cooking, right?¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed and said to her happily, ¡°Sure, then, thanks, Second Miss, we are really starving!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°So are we. I will just make some casual food since I will be using the farmer¡¯s kitchen!¡± ¡°You can change your clothes till then and wait. I will be done soon!¡± Qiao Xuan told them and dragged Shao Yunduan inside to give her a hand. Shao Yunduan had no opinion and followed her into the kitchen. Yuezheng Xiao found the whole scene so rare. He said to Xie Jingrong happily, ¡°Second Miss is so interesting, so is Cultivated Talent Shao. He is willing to cook food with his wife. How did Second Miss manage to make him so obedient?¡± Xie Jingrong nced at him. ¡°Just drop it.¡± Making him so obedient? That was not a very polite phase to use. Yuezheng Xiao chuckled and stopped. In the kitchen, Shao Yunduan could not help but say. ¡°Are you really making food for them?¡± She did not have to. Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t pleased. Why must his wife make food for those two? Qiao Xuan patted his hands and smiled. ¡°We are starving too, right? And the farmer is helping us, it should be done quickly.¡± ¡°I can help you as well, just tell me what to do.¡± He knew that when she was making food at home, washing and cutting vegetables as well as dishing were all done by his elder sister-inw as well as Taotao. She had never done such work before. She was a nobly born daughter, and did not know how to do all of these. Chapter 147 - 147 Offering 147 Offering Qiao Xuan agreed to his offer and then spoke to the farmerdy regarding the ingredients. After the discussion, sheughed and gave 3 qian to thedy. Thedy gave 30 wen to the neighbors and told them to do something, so two children around the age of 12 went out. The farmerdy killed one rooster after she returned, and ording to the instruction of Qiao Xuan, she pulled out garlic sprouts, shallots, picked cabbages, as well as eggnts. By the time the chicken was de-haired, cut into pieces, boiled, and all kinds of vegetables and seasonings were getting ready, the two neighboring children came back. !! They had three eels with them. Under this weather, the water in the ditch was rising, and the loaches and eels were seen everywhere, easy for them to catch. The two children had gone to the ditch to catch eels. Apart from eels, they had a dozen loaches and offered them as a present. Those things were not worth any money. They only used them to feed chickens and ducks. But Qiao Xuan loved them. She had many ways of making loaches, but due to theck of seasonings at thedy¡¯s home, all she could do was to wrap them with egg porridge and pan-fried them. With the help of thedy and Shao Yunduan, the lunch was ready within no time. The dishes included roasted chicken with eels, pan-fried loaches, eggnt with garlic, shredded cabbages, fried egg with shallots, plus a big bowl of light cabbage soup. Thedy was very concerned about the way Qiao Xuan cooked, and was dumbfounded too. But thinking of the 300 wen in her pocket, she said nothing e. The lunch, plus the chicken, cost around 100 won. She had made a great deal of money from this lunch, so the guests could do whatever they wanted with the ingredients. What amazed her was that Young Master Shao was doing the dishes, washing vegetables, starting a fire and doing all kinds of dirty and filthy work. All Mrs. Shao did was stir and fry the ingredients in the pan which wasn¡¯t a very difficult task. Thedy could not help but feel jealous. ¡°Mrs. Shao, you are so lucky to have such a diligent husband!¡± Young Master Shao looked quiet, but he was so willing to do all these tasks, whilst her own husband never even wanted to step into the kitchen for anything. Qiao Xuan threw a look at Shao Yunduan who looked embarrassed, then she smiled at thedy and nodded. Shao Yunduan threw a sneaky nce at her and pretended to be calm. But actually, he felt excited inwardly, and even felt happiness striking his heartstrings. Qiao Xuan asked for clean bowls and gave some portions to thedy¡¯s family, before the dishes were served. Thedy¡¯s family was out for work, only she and her youngest daughter and son were at home, who were already drooling but had made no sound. They knew that it was something their guests bought, not something that belonged to their family. Qiao Xuan did not like that. ¡°Lady, try these dishes with your children!¡± ¡°Oh, thank you so much!¡± The woman was surprised and happy, but also felt a little embarrassed. But seeing how her children were greedy for the dishes, she did not turn her down and epted the dishes after saying a few polite words. When the dishes were served, both Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were startled. Yuezheng Xiao looked at the dishes and then at Qiao Xuan suspiciously. He was really confused. Did she really make all the dishes? Even Xie Jingrong was taken aback. He could not think of how Yuezheng Xiao said that she was different from all the concubine daughters they had met till date. Concubine daughters were often those who got spoiled by the madame of the family and behaved like a dumbass. Chapter 148 - 148 Intention 148 Intention Otherwise, they were often those types ofdies who could not stand up because of the strike from the madame of the family and dared not say a thing. Or, they were barely-seen but were cautious and dull. Second Miss seemed to be really different. Shao Yunduan was displeased. He said calmly, ¡°I wonder if the dishes my wife has made are catering to your tastes. We have limited ingredients in the vige and I apologize for that.¡± !! His wife had taken so much effort to make a table full of dishes, and they were even suspecting if they were tasty? How could a randomdy make such dishes? ¡°What?¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Young Master Shao, you have been too modest. The smell has told us that the dishes are definitely going to be tasty, let¡¯s just sit down and eat! We are starving!¡± ¡°Please!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and asked Qiao Xuan to sit as well. The eel chicken nuggets wrapped in the thick soup were salty and delicious, the eel meat was tender, and the chicken nuggets were fragrant, whetting everyone¡¯s appetite the moment they were eaten. The eggnt dish was rich in garlic, and the eggnt meat was delicate. Vinegar had been added for a more unique vor. Shredded cabbage and dried loaches also had their own characteristics. The lunch consisted of simple and ordinary dishes, but they grasped people¡¯s heart, leaving unforgettable taste in people¡¯s mind and mouth. What surprised Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong was that the dishes were made of ordinary ingredients, but the way they were made had never been presented to them before, apart from the scallion egg and cabbage soup. It was a huge surprise! ¡°Second Miss, you have cooked such great dishes, excellent!¡± Yuezheng Xiao could not help but speak highly about the lunch. Xie Jingrong was calmer than him, but he looked as if he agreed with what Yuezheng Xiao had said. Qiao Xuan smiled and replied calmly, ¡°These are just ordinary dishes, not really that amazing!¡± Qiao Xuan had never been a good cook. She could make some ordinary dishes with not so outstanding tastes as before, but after she was equipped with the superpower, she seemed to be better at making dishes! She could control the fire well, and had developed a sharp culinary skill. It was a subconsciously sharp sense. Especially when ites to vegetables. Yuezheng Xiaoughed. ¡°Second Miss, you are really modest!¡± Food could definitely form a rtionship between people. After lunch, the four people seemed to feel more rxed among themselves, and talked a lot more. The rain had ceased, and the clouds went away. It was sunny again, casting its light all over thend. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were ready to head back soon. The four of them waved goodbye to each other. Yuezheng Xiao could not help but say. ¡°We are staying in the county for some more days, you cane visit us when you have time, so we can treat you back.¡± Shao Yunduan lowered his head slightly and replied politely. ¡°Thendscape is very beautiful, and there are pagodas, waterfalls to see, and we can travel by boat in theke. We will definitely visit you, when we have time.¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed loudly. ¡°Sounds good! We will all go there for a trip! See you around!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan left, as Yuezheng Xiao raised his eyebrows and looked at Xie Jingrong. ¡°It is worth the visit, isn¡¯t it? We have met such interesting people here.¡± Xie Jingrong threw a look at him, saying nothing more. He had not expected that Yuezheng Xiao had opened his mind and admired so openly, whilst he was the one who kept falling into the pit¡­ On the way home, Shao Yunduan looked at Qiao Xuan and could not help but ask. ¡°Do you intend to establish a rtionship with them?¡± Chapter 149 - 149 Not Really 149 Not Really He was feeling a little guilty, nervous and anxious as well. They were just a contract couple, and were not in a real rtionship. She was building a road for her future, which was a normal thing, but somehow he could not stand that. ¡°Oh, you noticed that!¡± Qiao Xuan winked at him and smiled. ¡°You are so smart!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± !! He did not really want to be this smart. But Qiao Xuan added. ¡°I think that we should be better prepared for the future. You have seen how Qiao Wei treated me yesterday, and even if I didn¡¯t want to irritate her, she woulde to me for no reason. Madame Qiao adores her, and I am nothing in their eyes. They must be thinking that it is my luck when Qiao Wei can vent her anger on me.¡± ¡°But we are lucky to have been granted this chance, why not establish the rtionship. We may not rely on this kind of rtionship fully, but it is always better to have something, than nothing! Maybe one day, we can ask them for help.¡± In one word, it was never easy to make a living. She had just realized that Qiao Wei was a stupid woman, who was spoiled and had no brain. She could humiliate her whenever she wanted, but she had no way to counter her. Her words made Shao Yunduan feel motivated. ¡°I will definitely be the Rmended Man next year, I will!¡± He looked at Qiao Xuan with a gaze full of profoundness. He was determined. Qiao Xuan smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, fight on! I believe that you will too!¡± She added. ¡°Even if¡­¡± ¡°There is no even if.¡± Shao Yunduan said seriously, ¡°I will definitely make it!¡± If he made it, she would not have to be suppressed or scared or anxious. Qiao Xuan was struck speechless. ¡°Oh okay¡­ I believe that you can make it too!¡± He was so confident that she did not want to discourage him. Shao Yunduan smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± As the couple returned home, they repeated the matter to Ms. Fang, who was very happy for them. She could not help but praise Qiao Xuan once again. Now there were wonderful fields for more than 200 mu in the family! They could have endless grains for the rest of their life! Moreover, she was also happy for her son and daughter-inw, even though those grains could not be shared. But she also stressed to them about not revealing this matter to anyone else. Ms. Fang cribbed to Qiao Xuan again. Soon the spring plowing wasing¡­ Rakes needed to be made, and seedlings were required too. The matter regarding seedling was easy, but rake was not so easy to make. The problem was that not every household had bulls. There were around 100 households in Shaoding Vige, but only a quarter of them had bulls. Therefore, when they needed to make the rake, they would need fathers and sons, brothers and even couples to make the rake, and do the plowing through pure manual work. Or they would need to rent the bulls with money. Bulls were expensive at that time. So, ordinary families could only rent bulls for half of the work, leaving the other half for the family members toplete. Chapter 150 - 150 Helpers 150 Helpers The first section of the Shao Family had plenty of money. Qiao Xuan suddenly thought about buying two bulls for home and raising them. But Ms. Fang turned around and said, ¡°Not buying, they can be rented for other people. What about just renting?¡± Ms. Fang had so much money in her hands, so she was speaking with confidence. She did not care if the money was spent on renting bulls for plowing. !! Qiao Xuanplimented her mother-inw for being so considerate. When the rake was to be made, Ms. Fang offered the money and rented the bull, so her husband and sons did not have to work so hard. They had only 7.5 mu of fields at home. The production per mu at this time was very low. The grain harvested per mu ofnd was just over 200 kgs. If it was a bad year, it might be even less than 200 kgs. The 200 kgs was counted with shells on the rice, and only 30 kgs of rice could be produced out of 50 kgs crops. The whole family used to have a very tight life. With the inclusion of taros, various beans, pumpkins, winter melons, and dug up yams in the meals, they could get through the year. When the matter of rakes was solved, everyone was very happy. Ms. Xu in particr, because her husband, who was the eldest son, was always the most tired of all. This year, everything became easier! However, Second Uncle and Third Uncle came to ask the first section of the family to help them make rakes. They had no bulls either, but they had plenty of money to rent the bulls, yet they did not want to spend their own savings. Ms. Fang had argued about this earlier, but it did not work. The first section had offered them enough help through the years. But this year, Ms. Fang was really confident and acted much more fiercely. She was not going to ask Shao Dng to offer help. Second Uncle said in a pretentious tone, ¡°Elder Sister-inw, we should help each other, don¡¯t we always do it together? How about you finish your work this year, and thene to help us?¡± ¡°Right?¡± Second Uncle and Third Uncle were trying their best to try to convince Ms. Fang. Ms. Fang looked at them and though to herself that these two men were strong outside but stupid inside. She should have seen through that before. Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Together? No, thanks, Dng and Sang are terribly tired people every year. This year, we have rented a bull, so you two families can work together and solve it yourselves!¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°Where did you get the money from?¡± Second Uncle and Third Uncle exchanged a look between themselves ¨C it must be Ms. Qiao! Ms. Qiao must have offered the money! So, they had a rich daughter-inw, and now they were looking down at people! They were so jealous. Third Uncle said sourly, ¡°Oh, my brother and sister-inw are living a better life with a rich daughter-inw married to the family!¡± Ms. Fang was startled, but didn¡¯t reply when they had this misunderstanding. Instead, she nodded along. The two men got increasingly annoyed. They went to Elder Uncle to seek family love. Eldest Uncle did not dare to ask his daughter-inw to pay for the other sections of the family, but he did not think that the spring plowing should be dyed as well. Chapter 151 - 151 Ideas 151 Ideas If the spring plow was postponed, the harvest by the end of the year would be ruined! That would not work. Ms. Fang did not approve of it. She kept reminding him of what Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma did to them, and Eldest Uncle felt quite helpless. But they already apologized! Could this matter not be done by now? !! The two of them argued but could not talk it through, so Second Uncle and Third Uncle had to leave first. Ms. Fang felt much better after telling Qiao Xuan what happened. She sneered. ¡°I am determined this time. I will never let them get what they want! We have given them so much over these years. It won¡¯t work, if it continues in this way!¡± Those people not only failed to thank them, but kept showing off outside the family, saying that the first section of the family were like their employees. Worse still, they even made up lies about the first section of the family. Her third son was getting married soon, and when they had so many daughter-inws at home, the daughter-inws would not be happy about the arrangement. Their dissatisfaction might lead to unhappiness in their own family, which would be such a pity. Those two sections of the family never made efforts in spring plowing, and Ms. Fang was displeased to see that they had more fields than she did. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Right, Mom! We should never let them get what they want this time, but we can also think of a solution to make them pay for what they ask from us.¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she asked. ¡°Do you have any good ideas?¡± Qiao Xuan had a clear knowledge of what was going on. Her mother-inw acted toughly, but she might not have full rity about the situation. Her father-inw would never allow his two brothers¡¯ family to miss the spring plow. It was a major event that could not be ruined at any cost. The second section of the family had a few sons, but the third section of the family had just one son who was only focused on studies. After he started to go to school, and read, he believed that he was different from the rest of the family. He was definitely not going to the fields to dobor work! Therefore, they could never make any rake or finish the plowing. It would be so troublesome, if they missed the spring plow and came to the first section of the family for food, when they had nothing at home to eat. They could not just be driven out of the family, right? Qiao Xuan exined all this to Ms. Fang with a smile. She said that even if they offered the help, they should not do it so easily. Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Yes, we will do as you say. I will never make them happy!¡± Sure enough, the second section of the family and the third section of the family came to them in the evening again. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma were present too. They were here to make an apology. The two women were not so willing to offer an apology and were really angry and irritated since that day. They had been so intimidating in front of Ms. Fang over the years. They never thought that one day they would have to apologize to Ms. Fang. But Ms. Fang was really furious this time. She did not allow her sons to offer a hand, which made the two women very worried. For the practical help they would receive, they had to tolerate the displeasure and humiliation at the moment. Ms. Fang felt slightly happy, as she saw how these two women behaved. So she decided to put on the air of being the eldest sister-inw of the family. ¡°Since you all know what mistakes you have made, I can forgive you somehow. But just look at what you have done outside the family? You are never thankful! It is so cruel of you! We have offered you so much help during the past few years, and you never remember how kind we are! No wonder the proverb goes that the more help you offer, the less thankful the receiver would be!¡± Chapter 152 - 152 Empty Words 152 Empty Words ¡°I understand now that the more help you offer, the more greedy the receiver will be!¡± ¡°Eldest Sister-inw¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, I will let go of this matter this time, but you have to remember not to spread rumors outside! You have to be honest and down-to-earth as good human beings! And you should be grateful too! Otherwise you are worse than animals, right?¡± Second Uncle and the others were so irritated in their hearts. !! But they had no right to counter her. They forced a smile and nodded. Ms. Fang felt even prouder. ¡°Just think before you do anything and don¡¯t break your eldest brother¡¯s heart. You all have sons and daughter-inws, grandchildren and everything. Don¡¯t keep turning to your eldest brother for help whenever you have problems. Your eldest brother is getting old and he can¡¯t really be of help all the time.¡± Second Uncle and Third Uncle felt very humiliated, when they had no excuse to counter her words. Eldest Brother stiffened and was silent. Ms. Niu added. ¡°Then¡­ Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-inw, what about spring plowing¡­¡± ¡°Oh yes, what about it?¡± Ms. Ma added. ¡°What about going to the field tomorrow? Time is so pressing.¡± Second Uncle and Third Uncle nodded in agreement. Ms. Fang sneered inwardly. It seemed what she said in the past few minutes were all empty words! They were never going to be independent or examine themselves. They were so used to relying on their eldest brother for everything that they could not change the habit so easily. There were always people who could not change their nature, no matter how the environment changed. Ms. Fang said, ¡°We are a family, but we still need to have an ount for everything. My sons can¡¯t help you for free all the time. Instead, we can make an exchange.¡± Second Uncle and the others nodded in agreement. They agreed because the exchange would happen in the next spring plowing time. For now, everything could be agreed upon and thenter left behind. Ms. Fang knew exactly what they were thinking, seeing how easily they nodded. She sneered inwardly and added. ¡°Since we need to settle it fairly, we will write it down!¡± They were all startled. Second Uncle felt very ufortable. ¡°We are a family. We don¡¯t need to make it so serious, right?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take advantage of anyone, what if some rumor is spread again? I only trust written words!¡± Eldest Uncle could not say a word. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma were so angry. That episode was the bargaining chip Ms. Fang could always use throughout her whole life, right? Actually, Ms. Fang truly nned to do that ¨C they were the ones who betrayed her, no? Second Uncle did not want to prolong it any longer, and did not think that it was a big deal, so he said, ¡°Eldest Sister-inw is right, just write it down.¡± Ms. Fang added. ¡°I won¡¯t let you suffer. Your rakes will all be made by us. Second section of the family, you have 8 mu of field, third section of the family you have 7.6 mu of fields right? So together with rakes, the second section of the family has 19borers, whilst the third section of the family will have 15 right? Any problem?¡± Second section of the family and the third section of the family were all dumbfounded. Even Eldest Uncle was dumbfounded. Ms. Xu was startled, and she was about to say something, but could not counter her mother-inw¡¯s authority. She was feeling so hurt inside her heart. Was her mother-inw giving herself up out of anger? What nonsense was she talking about? Chapter 153 - 153 Your Words 153 Your Words Her man would get so tired, when he had to do all the work. Ms. Xu almost cried, with teeth clenched. ¡°Sister-inw, you are sure?¡± ¡°If you are so happy about this, we are willing to assist you too!¡± !! Second section of the family and the third section of the family were very pleased. Ms. Fang looked at them expressionless. ¡°Good that you have nothing against my proposal. Duan, fetch the paper and pen and write it down.¡± ¡°Okay, Mom!¡± Shao Yunduan soon got the paper and pen and wrote two contracts ording to Ms. Fang¡¯s opinions. Second Uncle and Third Uncle made a thumbprint on their names respectively. ¡°Dng, Sang, get up early to do work, don¡¯t forget about the fields!¡± The two sections of the family left after getting the assurance. Eldest Uncle suddenly felt guilty and he sighed. ¡°What are you doing? You¡­ Why did you agree to take all the work for yourself? My sons are going to get so tired!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Oh, feeling sorry for your sons? I thought you would be happy! After all, they are your brothers, aren¡¯t they?¡± Eldest Uncle was struck speechless. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°You think that your brother and nephews would work hard? Just ask your sons, when do the fathers and the sons actually work? It is all done by our sons!¡± Shao Dngughed as Shao Sang pursed his lips. ¡°That is right!¡± Qi said voluntarily, ¡°They are even worse than me!¡± Eldest Uncle, ¡°¡­¡± Ms. Fang threw a look at her sons and daughter-inws, as she put away the paper and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have my own idea, just go and rest.¡± Ms. Fang also told Ms. Xu to tell Dng not to go to the second section of the family¡¯s field the next morning. Ms. Xu felt a bit confused, but she never wanted her man to help the other sections of the family anyways, so she nodded in agreement. The next day after breakfast, Qiao Xuan asked Dng, Ms. Xu and Eng to help her work in her medical field. She was going to pay them 20 wen a day as before. Ms. Xu was very happy when she heard that, especially since she did not have to help the second section of the family. She even felt that her shovel was lighter than before. Qiao Xuan had brought the seeds of notoginseng and false starwort from Manager Qin, and needed to nt them down as soon as possible. She decided to allocate two mu for each of them. There were not many fruit trees at the moment, so they had enough fields empty for herbs. If she was able to get the right buyer, then she could buy some more fields through Manager Qin and expand the nting of medical herbs. Or she could pick some households from the vige, and rent their fields for mutual nting. Qiao Xuan had not forgotten about Chinese fleeceflower root. She told Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao about it as they headed to the mountain together. Shao Yunduan did not follow along, but asked them to be careful. It was their goal for the day when they entered the mountains. Qiao Xuan used her superpower and started the search. She could see everything within a 6 kms range. The only shoring was that the road became very bumpy as they went deep into the mountains, and they were not fast enough to catch up with the superpower¡¯s speed. Qiao Xuan was not in a hurry either. She was trying her best, but also needed some luck. She had looked everywhere, as far as she could. If they really failed to find it, then it meant that there was none existing. And that was what eventually happened! Chapter 154 - 154 Second And Third Section Of The Family 154 Second And Third Section Of The Family But they found a lot of delicious wild mushrooms, fresh bamboo shoots, and bitter bracken. Moreover, Shao Xiaoqi also hunted two wild roosters. They also found a lot of wild lilies, but they just started to grow before the mature season. Hence, Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t bother to pull them out. She was going to wait until autumn, as long as she wanted, wild lilies were not troublesome to find at all. They also found a batch of wild wolfberries. She was very interested in wolfberries, so she asked the brother and sister to take some tender wolfberries seedlings back home. !! They broke off a bunch of older branches, cut off the leaves and branches. She nned to take them back and ce them around the flower field. In the future, they would often have fresh and tender wolfberry sprouts to eat. Wolfberry sprouts were delicious in soups, stir-frying, stir-frying meat, scrambled eggs, sds, and steamed dishes. Also, sprouts would turn into wolfberries as well. Wolfberries could be used to make tea and soup. They also passed a waterhole, which was flowing smoothly. There was a long creek running through the mountains, and there were a lot of fish in the pools and ravines. Especially in the water pool, big fish which were longer than a foot could be seen swimmingzily in it. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao could not help but drool over the fish which they had tasted before. But for the distance away from home, they would have taken two of them home. Qiao Xuan was quite motivated as well. She said to them, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when we are free in winters, we can ask everyone in the family to fetch the fish together. We can even make smoked fish when the days turn colder. The fish is so big that it is the best material for making smoked fish!¡± Smoked meat would always be made in farmers¡¯ families every year, and some frugal families would eat smoked meat for half a year. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were very happy hearing what Qiao Xuan said. ¡°Smoked fish! That sounds amazing!¡± ¡°I will bear this ce in mind, and we cane back in winters!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Then, we can hunt some more roosters and rabbits to turn them into smoked meat, but they have to be big and fleshy, otherwise there would only be a skeleton left!¡± By that time, she could even find some wild boars and goats. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were even more pleased. It was gettingte, so the three of them decided to head home. Back home, Ms. Fang put the wild bracken into boiling water and nched it over a fire, then tore it in half and soaked it in clean water. Brackens had a bitter taste and needed to stay in water overnight. But the bitterness also tasted good, like bittermelons, which was a delicious dish for people. The bitter brackens tasted even better than bittermelons. They ate up the two roosters and the whole family finished it all. They deep-fried the meat in the oil and it could never turn out bad. They left nothing for the second section of the family and the third section of the family. Ms. Qiao heard some gossip from Ms. Fang. Second Uncle and Ms. Niu must have been thinking that everything was sorted, so they started to show the intimidating behavior yet again. They came to the door in anger. They wondered why Shao Dng and the others did not go over to help them with the fields. But Ms. Fang drove them away coldly. ¡°What are you in a hurry for? I will take responsibility if something goes wrong. We have drawn contracts, right? What are you afraid of?¡± Second Uncle and Ms. Niu got really angry but they could not do anything when they heard what Ms. Fang said. Chapter 155 - 155 Here Again 155 Here Again The contract was written down and they could not deny that. Despite this assurance, they were still worried that no one would make it in time for the plowing. They got even more angry, when they thought of how Shao Dng was helping Qiao Xuan with her useless garden. Ms. Fang replied coldly. ¡°That is something happening in our house, and of course it is more important. Also, Ms. Qiao pays them 20 wen a day for the work they do.¡± Of course they were not helping for free¡­ what did they think! Qiao Xuan had only hired Shao Dng for work, instead of outsiders, so Second Uncle and the rest could not say anything about it. Ms. Fang put that out on purpose, just to annoy them. ¡°You can never imagine how they looked when they left, honestly, it was so funny!¡± Qiao Xuan could not help but smile. ¡°Serves them right! This is the consequence they have to bear for bullying you all these years. If they want to trouble you again, we will never allow it to happen!¡± ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Ms. Fang smiled so kindly. Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Mom, to celebrate this, let me cook tonight. I will make many delicious dishes!¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°Alright, alright, make anything you want, we have plenty of money! Oh by the way, you don¡¯t have to buy rice or flour for the shared savings. I will ask Third to buy it from his share.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay, Mom, you are the best to me!¡± ¡°Oh my child, you are so sweet-tongued and adorable!¡± The fresh mushrooms were washed and thinly sliced. The breast meat of two roosters was taken, coated with flour and egg whites, marinated with rice wine, salt, ginger, etc, and stir-fried together. Two eels were picked from the big water tank, chopped into pieces. Some pieces of yam were added, and simmered together with the chicken pieces. Mixed mushrooms and wolfberry sprouts were stir-fried separately. The oil pan was heated, and then the dried river prawns were put in it. The sound of ¡®swish¡¯ was heard as the oil sizzled. Green and red peppers were chopped, garlic was added to the stir-fry, a little soy sauce, salt, along with half a bowl of water were also put in. The smell spread across the ce, appealing to everyone¡¯s stomachs. There were still some yams left, so another te of sugar-coated yams was made. The dishes were put on the table, and the whole family was raring to get started, feeling no longer tired. ¡°It is so fragrant! I can eat an extra bowl of rice by just smelling the food!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Eldest Uncle opened his mouth but did not say anything about delivering some food to his brothers¡¯ families, when he thought of how Ms. Fang still held a grudge against Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma. He was very happy to see how happy his own children were. It was just that he had always paid too much attention to his brothers subconsciously. The dinner was finished earlier than usual, especially since Qiao Xuan had cooked it. She did not like to cook under the oilmp. Before the sun went down, Ms. Fang and Taotao helped with the preparations, so when they were done with dinner, the day was still bright. In the evening, Second Uncle and Ms. Niu came over again for the issue regarding rakes. Ms. Fang said the same thing again that they had the contract, and there was no need to worry about the work getting postponed. She was not going to let her sons do the work. Following Qiao Xuan¡¯s advice, she had decided to hire the family with bulls to finish thebor. Chapter 156 - 156 More Angry 156 More Angry Although the price rose up to 18 wen for one mu for the rake work, she was not worried about spending the money. Anyways, she was not going to tell them about it at the moment. She was going to make them anxious for a couple of more days. As for theborers written on the paper, she was going to save them forter use. Ms. Fang answered the second section so decisively that Eldest Uncle could not say anything about that. He turned to Second Uncle and responded. ¡°You can go home now, don¡¯t worry, spring plow is so important that it won¡¯t be dyed at any cost.¡± Ms. Fang understood that her husband was implicitly reminding her of this issue as well. So, she sneered. Ms. Niu¡¯s eyes rolled as she smiled. ¡°You are right, Eldest Brother, but it is always better to be early thante, right? We are really worried about this. What about letting Dnge to my field tomorrow, and if Fifth Niece-inw has some work to do in her yard, I can ask my sons to take it over. Ms. Zhang and I can help too!¡± She was thinking that they could get paid for the work, at least 20 wen a day. The work was taking ce right in front of their home, and it would be effortless to do the work and get paid. It sounded like a great n! Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Second Sister-inw, you think you are very smart, don¡¯t you?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Elder Brother and Elder Sister-inw are doing great work and I don¡¯t want to rece them. If Second Brother is so free, why not go down to the field to finish the pending work himself? Second Aunt-inw, if you don¡¯t trust my mom, you don¡¯t have to wait for us.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work, we have a contract, you can¡¯t deny that!¡± Ms. Niu waved her hands hesitantly. Ms. Fang threw a sarcastic look at her husband. ¡°In this case, just go home and wait.¡± Could her husband see the truth? They would rather wait for others than go to the field to do their own work. They wanted her sons to take over the tough task! If they really treated the first section as a family, why did they keep mentioning the contract? They were waiting for her sons to do thebor work, they were even trying to steal her sons¡¯ easy jobs! Eldest Uncle was suffocating under her gaze, and did not dare to meet his wife¡¯s eyes. But Ms. Niu did not want to give up. ¡°How about you hire two more people and get the work done as soon as possible!¡± Qiao Xuan replied. ¡°No thanks, I like the work to be done slowly!¡± Ms. Niu red at her. ¡°You don¡¯t want my sons to make money from you!¡± ¡°Obviously I need to think about my own brother and sister-inw first, right? Second Aunt-inw?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled as she countered smoothly. Shao Yunduan, who found Ms. Niu to be talking too much, tugged at Qiao Xuan. ¡°Dad, Mom, we are going to bed.¡± With that, he left the ce. Qiao Xuan gave Ms. Niu a smile and left as well. Ms. Niu. ¡°¡­¡± What was she smiling for? Everything about her was so irritating. When Second Uncle and Ms. Niu left, they were only discussing the eldest sister-inw. ¡°What is Ms. Fang doing? What is she thinking? She can¡¯t be trying to trick us, right?¡± ¡°Of course not, we have drawn a contract! Well, let¡¯s just wait and see, if she tries to fool us, we will go and sue them. Anyways, Ms. Qiao has the money topensate us¡­¡± ¡°That sounds reasonable¡­¡± They were so annoyed thinking how arrogant Ms. Fang had be after having Qiao Xuan on her side whilst they seemed to have gotten no benefits¡­ The following day, Qiao Xuan took Shao Taotao and Shao Xiaoqi to the mountains in search of Chinese fleeceflower root. The herb field in the yard was not yet sorted, so Shao Dng and his wife as well as Shao Sang were still working in it. It would take one more day before they were done with it. The seedling work could begin once the water was poured in the soil which would be finished by the evening. Chapter 157 - 157 Finally 157 Finally Hearing that their fifth sister-inw was also working hard to make money, the three of them were very devoted and careful. Shao Dng and Shao Sang were rtively innocent-minded. What they needed was to level the field well so they could face their fifth sister-inw truthfully, especially since she was always very nice to them. But Ms. Xu had her own ideas. She decided to learn how to nt the valuable herbs so she could try to do it on her own for her family, and earn some extra money for herself, which would make her very happy. Qiao Xuan and her team still did not find the Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old. They found one that was over 100 years old, but it was not enough for her purpose. They found some mushrooms and other mountainous stuff, which they took home. It was in the middle of May, and the mushrooms were barely seen. They were usually avable around autumn. High on the cliff, Qiao Xuan saw lithophytic orchids, which were quite valuable, but she said nothing about them. They were at a very high and dangerous ce, and she did not want Qi to take the risk. Also, she herself could not reach there either. They found three more ganoderma lucidum, one of which was noticed by Shao Taotao. They picked them carefully and put them away. Qiao Xuan did not put them into space. She found the other two, and with the help of her superpower, she delivered them into her space without being noticed. The space was not as greedy as before, and did not steal anything from her. Gastrodia, Polygonatum and other medicinal materials were also found. But they were rtively fragmented, and the pharmacies may not ept them. Hence, they gave them up to avoid wasting time. They even saw a herd of over 20 to 30 wild goats walking by, eating grass, which made Shao Xiaoqi drool. But the flock was very far away, and they did not have time to capture them, otherwise he would have been able to hunt and take one home. The flesh of wild goats was tender and tight. ¡°What a pity!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°There are numerous animals in the mountains. Don¡¯t be sad, we will always run into them. But, are you capable of hunting such arge-sized wild goat?¡± Shao Xiaoqi smiled. ¡°Of course, I am! I am not afraid of wild boars as well! I got one wild boarst year too! But honestly, we have barely seen any wild boars in the mountains this year!¡± Wild boars were not rare wild animals, and could be seen every now and then. Some were tough and strong, which were beyond Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s reach. He only went out for those which were manageable. Wild boars had very thick skin. They were ferocious and angry, not very easy to capture. Qiao Xuan would not tell him that there were many wild boars around, and that she had actively tried to avoid running into them. She just smiled and said, ¡°It is good that we haven¡¯t run into wild boars, they are so scary! You need to avoid them too, in case youe across them. You don¡¯t have to hunt them down, your safety is more important!¡± Shao Xiaoqi felt warm in his heart, and nodded. ¡°Yes, I will be careful!¡± The following day, they finally found two Chinese fleeceflower roots that were growing together. Qiao Xuan could tell that one of them was more than 500 years old whilst the other was around 400 years old. Overjoyed, Qiao Xuan led Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao to dig them out. The two Chinese fleeceflower roots were entangled with vines, so they cleared away arge side of the vines, and thend around them, before digging them out carefully. It took them over two hours to get the two Chinese fleeceflower roots out. The nts were old, but not very heavy. Both of them were around 2.5 kgs, but did not resemble the figure of human beings. Chapter 158 - 158 Good Things 158 Good Things She intended to give the one over 500 years old to Xie Jingrong, and handed over the other one with Shao Xiaoqi for future use. Actually, she wanted to put it in her space. A 400 years old Chinese fleeceflower root should be considered as treasure. Her space would not reject it, right? Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao followed whatever their sister-inw said. They were so lucky that they not only found Chinese fleeceflower roots they needed, but also another good thing called Chinese Mesona. !! Chinese Mesona belonged to the family of grass, but could grow very high, sometimes as tall as an adult. The twigs were tender, and the leaves were oval-shaped, bigger than a thumb. The color was dark green, and fruits grew out of them, sweet and edible. Ripe fruits would turn ck, and they grew in a cluster of more than ten. Each of them was as small as the eyes of a carp. The leaves as well as the ripe fruits would give off a fresh grassy smell when bitten in the mouth. The leaves of Chinese Mesona were first mashed, then wrapped with cotton gauze, rubbed with water in a pot, and the juice obtained was filtered and left for a while. A natural pure green jelly could be made in this way. When the jelly was served in the bowl, with some honey as well as mint water, it would be a really good snack for hot summer! If they could find saltpeter and make ice out of it, then the snack would taste much better, by adding some chopped ice in the jelly. When she had enough people working for her, she would open a dessert store. Qiao Xuan chopped arge bunch and decided to nt some Chinese Mesona in her flower field. She could even make jelly as a snack whenever she had time. She thought of another thing that could be used to make jelly, namely the creeping fig. The creeping fig was a far better option to make jelly than Chinese Mesona. When ripe creeping figs were dried, the small seeds inside could be collected and grounded for making jelly. It was much easier to make and store that. But the creeping figs would only ripen in August and September. At this time of the year, the creeping figs were just beginning to bloom. The creeping figs were growing wildly and broadly, and could be found easily. She would focus on this business in a couple of days and bring them home too. That was a nt that could survive easily, as long as their vines were well nted. Satisfied, Qiao Xuan asked her siblings-inw to get ready to go home. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were both very motivated, when they heard that the Chinese Mesona could be used to make something tasty. They put the cut branches on their backs directly. Shao Yunduan could not help but admire his wife¡¯s good luck. She had really found what they needed! ¡°Darling, we will deliver it to the town tomorrow, I believe that Young Master Xie wouldn¡¯t have left yet. We can give it to him face to face!¡± Shao Yunduan nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure.¡± He was going to keep herpany on their trip to town, especially when she was meeting those two men. Ms. Fang did not know the details, but seeing that they had found what they wanted, she was very happy for them. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were unaware that the day they ran into Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao, they also ran into Strategist Lu who was working for County Magistrate Qiao. Strategist Lu greeted the two of them politely and even mentioned that he was trying to help them to find Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years. Xie Jingrong had not wanted to bother County Magistrate Qiao, so he had never mentioned this to him, but County Magistrate Qiao got to know about it for some reason. Chapter 159 - 159 Tricky 159 Tricky Xie Jingrong, who had been thinking that one more helper might work better, expressed his gratitude politely but refused his help. He stressed repeatedly. ¡°Please tell Officer Qiao that it is my private affair, and it is a big taboo to use public forces to deal with private matters. It is not good to hire so many people, otherwise I will feel really guilty about it! Those senior people in the family would me me for it too!¡± Strategist Lu was startled as he smiled and nodded. ¡°You are right, absolutely right! Young Master Xie, don¡¯t worry, I will never deal with private things using public forces, never¡­¡± Strategist Lu informed County Magistrate Qiao about it, and the magistrate had to drop the idea of getting the staff to search for the nt or putting up the poster of offering prizes to those who found it. But he was not going to drop the idea of sucking up to the Xie Family. So, he dispatched a few servants and several trustworthy policemen to seek the same in the mountains. !! Then, he gave Strategist Lu some money to look around the mountains with some reliable vigers. He even stressed that the Young Master Xie did not want this known to others, so everyone who was looking for the Chinese fleeceflower root should stay low-profiled rather than shout around, otherwise they would be punished! Officer Qiao said to Madame Qiao happily, ¡°There are so many mountains in the county. I believe that with so many people going into the mountains, they will definitely find one Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old!¡± ¡°If we find it¡­¡± County Magistrate Qiao started to dream as his eyes sparkled. ¡°I heard that Young Master Xie is nning to give the nt to Madame Xie, which should be a huge favor they would owe us!¡± The Xie Family and the court in the capital were very rted to each other. The Xie Family had enormous contacts in the capital, and Xie Jingrong¡¯s grandfather was a lord who was in grace¡­ It would be easy for him to get a position in the capital, when he did this favor for that man. Madame Qiao got excited as well. She crossed her fingers and said, ¡°Please, Buddha, please give us the blessing! If it happens, all will work out so well!¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s eyes rolled as she smiled. ¡°500 years or 400 years, or less, the year is not fixed. It is just a Chinese fleeceflower root that is old enough, as long as we can find one that is over 100 years old or just 50 years old, the Xie Family would owe us a big favor anyway!¡± That was such a treacherous thing to say. It basically meant that no matter whether the thing found was right or not, since they made some effort, they should receive some favor!¡± Officer Qiao¡¯s eyes sparkled. Heughed. ¡°That is a good idea!¡± After all, he was really willing to help Young Master, but it was never easy to find a Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old. If he managed to find one less than 500 years old, it could still be handy for Young Master Xie! It was the effort he was exerting! Young Master Xie was talented. He was young and could not stand being embarrassed. If they exchanged a few amiable words after this, the Xie Family would definitely have to owe them a favor, no matter what. Chapter 160 - 160 Favored Madame 160 Favored Madame Whenever it was festival time, they could just give some presents to the Xie Family, and that was how they would be able to actually shorten the distance between them two. The bigger Officer Qiao dreamed, the more he liked his wife. ¡°You are such a smart helper!¡± Madame Qiao smiled proudly. ¡°We are one family and are bound together. Your honor will be my honor, so I have to pay attention to your affairs!¡± ¡°You are so good, haha!¡± Officer Qiaoughed loudly. Early in the morning, Qiao Xuan spread the seeds of some nts with Ms. Xu and Shao Taotao, before heading to the town with Shao Yunduan. In order to show enough importance to the matter, Qiao Xuan found an appropriate sized box from her useless dowry and put the 500 years old Chinese fleeceflower root inside it. Yuezheng Xiao had told them about their lodge when they bid farewell to each other thest time, so Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan headed directly to the hotel once they reached the town. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong had been resting at the hotel due to the strenuous mountain-climbing a couple of days ago. Hearing about their visit, Yuezheng Xiao smiled and asked his servant to invite the couple in. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were here to deliver the Chinese fleeceflower root. Xie Jingrong was overjoyed and also surprised. He thanked them again and again after seeing therge-sized, fresh-smelling nt, and headed to Mingren Tang along with them for Manager Qin to identify the age of the nt. Manager Qin was dumbfounded as well. He had never expected that they really could find the Chinese fleeceflower root! He had dispatched many people from the pharmacy, and entrusted experienced hunters and farmers to go into the mountains, yet everyone failed to find anything. These two were just¡­ They were just so lucky. Manager Qin eximed in joy when he saw the size. ¡°I have seen many Chinese fleeceflower roots, this size should definitely be over 300 years old!¡± Xie Jingrong looked very happy. 300 years old would be okay, if 500 years old one could not be found. Qiao Xuan smiled and said calmly, ¡°Manager Qin, look carefully again!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Manager Qin nodded and started to observe the roots and stems carefully, trying to distinguish every single detail. They had no other devices to test the age, and the manager had to discern it with only his eyes. Over the years, he had be very good at distinguishing the nt¡¯s age. Fifteen minutester, Manager Qin nodded with a flushed face. ¡°Alright, this Chinese fleeceflower root is definitely over 500 years old, no doubt!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Let me take a look at it!¡± Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong spoke up simultaneously. One of them thanked Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan out of politeness, whilst the other looked at the Chinese fleeceflower root curiously, as if hoping that it would bloom. That was a Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old. It was such a rare thing! The entire group was happy after they left Mingren Tang. Xie Jingrong invited the couple to have a drink at the tea house, whilst his servant had run back to the hotel to fetch the gift. Soon the servant came over. Xie Jingrong opened the brocade box, and there was a jade lying in an apricorn colored brocade. It looked so white and pure, showcasing some bright circles around it. It was definitely not cheap. Xie Jingrong smiled. ¡°Thank you so much Young Master Shao and Mrs. Shao. If you ever need my help, please bring this jade to the Xie Family, and I will do all I can to give you a hand.¡± Chapter 161 - 161 Qiao Xuan’s Use 161 Qiao Xuan¡¯s Use The Xie Family was going to use the Chinese fleeceflower root to put in the medicine for Madame Xie. Money was never going to be enough to pay back this favor. That was why Xie Jingrong offered something else. He could tell that the couple did notck money, or at least, they were not worried about wealth. Shao Yunduan was the Cultivated Talent and he was going to participate in the examination next year, maybe he could go further than that. At that time, he probably would need the Xie Family¡¯s help. The Xie Family would be willing to give him a hand, as long as it was legal. That was why he gave them the jade, which was precisely what Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan needed more than anything else. If it had been a hunter who delivered the Chinese fleeceflower root, he would have offered him the money. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were d. The Xie Family was a noble family and Young Master Xie knew exactly what they needed. ¡°Thanks!¡± Shao Yunduan epted the gift generously. He did not need it, but Qiao Xuan definitely wanted it. If Officer Qiao and the whole family were to treat her badly in the future, Shao Yunduan would definitely make use of this jade. Officer Qiao was a clever man, and he would never expect that a concubine¡¯s daughter could ever make the Xie Family help her. Xie Jingrong exchanged a few polite words and developed some good feelings towards Shao Yunduan. He really liked people such as him, who were sharp and direct. Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Now that the goal is achieved, we are relieved! I will treat you both for lunch today!¡± Xie Jingrong nodded alongside. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan did not turn them down. Qiao Xuan had the intention of befriending them, whilst Shao Yunduan had no intention of cutting off the rtionship, so the couple epted the invite graciously. The four of them ate lunch at Restaurant Yanhe before Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan left. During lunchtime, Qiao Xuan reached an agreement with Yuezheng Xiao, telling him to wait for a little longer, since she had amodity to show him. She wondered if he was interested. Yuezheng Xiao was very interested and epted the proposal directly. When they went home, Shao Yunduan gave the brocade box to Qiao Xuan. ¡°You can keep it.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Really, for me? I think that you need it more than I do. I trust that you can be a Rmended Man, what if you get bullied? You can keep the jade. This can ensure that everything goes fairly in the future.¡± Shao Yunduan felt his heart be warm. He smiled gently. ¡°No one would dare to do anything about the vige examination, and I barely go out or have any conflict with anyone. You keep it, so you don¡¯t have to be at the mercy of Madame Qiao and her daughter.¡± Qiao Xuan epted the brocade box after hearing that. ¡°Okay, I will keep it, and we will use it when needed!¡± Shao Yunduan felt reallyfortable when he heard her saying ¡®we¡¯. He nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I will stop here. I need to do some work. You should get back to your studies! I am going to make themodity and show it to Young Master Yuezheng. If he likes it, we will have another way of making money!¡± The more money they had, the wider the road would be, and the stronger they would be as well. In this way, she would be able to get rid of the Qiao Family permanently. Also, she was going to live more happily as well! Chapter 162 - 162 Lipsticks 162 Lipsticks Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Okay, go ahead!¡± He had no idea what other strange thing she was going to work upon. Shao Yunduan was confused. Exactly how many strange books had she read? Qiao Xuan was about to say something when she ended up smiling. ¡°Then, I will be off now!¡± Saying so, she ran away. She had no time to waste. There was only half a day left. Qiao Xuan asked Shao Taotao to give her a hand. Shao Xiaoqi joined them too, when he saw them in a frenzy. The three of them came to the floral field, and plucked pink roses. There were three colors of roses, pink, rosy and orange. Qiao Xuan had used her superpower secretly, so the flowers bloomed and the fragrance became stronger. It was the flourishing time for the roses in May. Qiao Xuan had tried to keep control of the growth, yet she could not control nature¡¯s vitality too much. Moreover, she needed to get down to making lipsticks as soon as possible. If she used her superpower, the roses would keep blooming until the end of June. Apart from these, there were China roses which bloomed throughout the year. Soon, they would also witness pomegranate flowers. Those were enough for her to make lipsticks. It was very easy to pick flowers, and the brother and sister soon had a basket filled with flowers. They poured the flowers into the basket next to Qiao Xuan before going back to pick some more. Qiao Xuan grabbed all the petals and put them into another basket. Then she put the petals into jars one handful after another, grinding them. The juice was extracted, filtered and mixed with the beeswax in a jar, whilst some almond powder bought from the pharmacy as well as some seed-oil which had beenced with her superpower was put inside. She stirred it smoothly! Then she poured the liquid into a mode, and smoothed away the top. After that, she carefully put the whole thing into the lipstick tube, and zipped up the opening. With that, one lipstick was done. Qiao Xuan had the itch of using that lipstick immediately. It looked smooth and bright, fresh and tender, giving out the fragrance of roses. Perfect! It took almost two hours before the whole thing was done. It was evening when the first batch was finished. In the end, they had 12 tubes of lipsticks. They all had the same color, a beautiful, deep pink shade! She was going to fetch red roses, and deep red-colored China roses as well as orange-color roses for another batch respectively. With that, all the samples would be done. She was going to mix the color so different shades of lipsticks could be made. And she could even make use of different kinds of mountain flowers, wild flowers growing in different seasons for all kinds of lipsticks. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were confused when they saw the strange thing that their adorable Fifth Sister-inw had made. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, what is it? Is it for fun?¡± Shao Xiaoqi asked after some time. It was not food, apparently, but was it a toy? How could it be a toy? Shao Xiaoqi really could not fathom what it was¡­ Shao Taotao blinked in confusion as well. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That is called lipstick! Same as a blusher but for lips!¡± Shao Xiaoqi was still confused, but Shao Taotao¡¯s eyes brightened. Ah ha! She finally realized what it was. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, is it for lips? It looks so good, beautiful and convenient!¡± Shao Taotao cheered excitedly! Chapter 163 - 163 Achievements 163 Achievements No girl could resist such a novel thing! Shao Taotao¡¯s eyes sparkled, as she looked at the lipsticks in Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands. She could not help but feel excited. Her eyes were conveying only one thing ¨C she really wanted to try it! ¡°Taotao is right!¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°We can make some more these days. Taotao, I will give you one of each color, as well as 40 wen a day for all your hard work!¡± !! ¡°Thank you, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± Shao Taotao cheered. ¡°I don¡¯t need a sry, these lipsticks will be enough for me!¡± She had hoped to get only one, because she knew that lipstick would be expensive and it would be sold for money. But she did not dare to say a thing. She would like one in each color, because the lipsticks looked really beautiful! ¡°You are working for me, so you should be given a sry. My sister-inw should be dressed pretty and wear beautiful makeup!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. Shao Taotao flushed out of shame. ¡°You areughing at me!¡± ¡°No, no I am not, you are very beautiful and the lipstick will make you look even more so!¡± The two girls were talking happily among themselves, but Shao Xiaoqi was still confused. After a long while, he found himself remarking. ¡°So¡­ this lipstick is to dab the lips, but that would make people look like monsters!¡± Shao Xiaoqi could not understand the concept of lipstick! ¡°What do you mean? You know nothing!¡± Shao Taotao red at him. ¡°Lipsticks work better than lip flushers! It is a very good thing!¡± Shao Taotao looked obsessed. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, you are so clever, and so capable!¡± Shao Xiaoqi. ¡°¡­¡± He scratched his head, not daring to say anything that might make his sister displeased. But could these lipsticks really make money? He was very confused. However, he was even less sure when he saw how excited his sister and Fifth Sister-inw were looking. In one word, women were so strange¡­ The following day, Qiao Xuan, Shao Taotao, Shao Xiaoqi and Ms. Xu started to work in the floral field early in the morning. They were loaded with a lot of work. They had to make rosy, dark red and orange colored lipsticks within the day. The three of them were responsible for picking petals, cleaning, and grinding. Shao Taotao was a fast learner, so Qiao Xuan even let her filter the juice, whilst Qiao Xuan was engaged in other processes. Qiao Xuan was thinking about buying some more things when she had more money, since grinding petals was a very difficult task. She wanted to get three jade-like small grinders to grind the petals, which should be easier than grinding by hand. They needed to improvise other tools as well¡­ At the end of the day, everything wasing together nicely! They not only had lipsticks, but Qiao Xuan even made two lip balms with mint and gardenia vor. It was a cream with light green and yellow color, very good for moisturizing the lips. Shao Taotao loved all of them. Her eyes were sparkling when she saw the lipsticks. Ms. Xu¡¯s eyes were sparkling too, but she was trying to press down the eagerness. She could not afford to use such a thing, and would feel embarrassed, if she applied it. She could ask the Fifth Sister-inw for one lipstick and put it on in her room. The lip balm was also enticing, which should be good to put on since it was transparent. Qiao Xuan was quite generous. She gave each of them one lipstick of every kind. Shao Taotao cheerfully epted them with gratitude. Chapter 164 - 164 Ms. Fang’s Intention 164 Ms. Fang¡¯s Intention Ms. Xu, who did not have the courage to ept it, heard Qiao Xuan¡¯s smiling voice. ¡°Just take it, Elder Sister-inw. Lip balm can be used every day, it is colorless. You can also put on lipsticks to make yourself look much more attractive. You can even give it to someone else as a present. I will go into town and visit the flusher¡¯s store so I can buy some skin cream for you, which together with a lipstick, will make you look much healthier!¡± Motivated, Ms. Xu thought about giving one to her own sister and sister-inw. It would be a very practical thing to add to her face. So, she thanked her and epted the gifts with a smile. When they came home from the floral field, they ran into Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma who were still pestering the family about the spring plowing. The two women were so angry but could not say a thing. They tried to reason with Ms. Fang. !! Ms. Fang looked calm and replied the same thing over and over again. ¡°We have drawn contracts, you don¡¯t need to worry about anything. I will take the responsibility if your fields are ruined¡­¡± That made Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma even more annoyed. It was the spring plowing! What if the plow is postponed and they had nothing to harvest before autumn? They would have to starve! Of course, they were really anxious. What was Ms. Fang nning! Seeing their anxious look, Ms. Fang felt really d within her heart. She was going to make them be even more anxious, so they would have no heart to eat or sleep! Seeing Qiao Xuan return, Ms. Ma could not help but throw her temper at her. ¡°What are you doing outside every day? No daughter-inw should behave like this! You are so ill-mannered.¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled and blinked. ¡°Third Aunt-inw, my mother-inw approves of my idling outside. She loves me!¡± Ms. Fang sneered and snorted. ¡°Yes, I love to see my daughters-inw having fun and they can do whatever they want! I am quite satisfied with them. They are so kind and well-behaved!¡± Ms. Ma was so irritated that she was speechless. Ms. Fang was being so arrogant because she had a good daughter-inw! Well, it seemed that a rich, good daughter-inw could make people arrogant. That made her feel even worse. Without the intention of speaking with them any more, Ms. Fang said impatiently, ¡°You can go home now. I have already promised you. What are you afraid of, do you not trust me?¡± Ms. Niu forced a smile. ¡°That is not true¡­¡± ¡°Well, okay then!¡± Ms. Niu. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We will wait until you fulfill your promise. You won¡¯t starve us, right? Otherwise, we will have toe to your home to eat.¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°Are you still asking again when you know about this already?¡± Ms. Niu. ¡°¡­¡± Ms. Fang added. ¡°But you are wrong. I have only taken responsibility for your rakes, not anything else. Don¡¯te to me no matter whether you have food to eat. You can¡¯t keep taking advantage of us all the time!¡± Ms. Niu was stuck in words!! When the two women left, Qiao Xuan told Ms. Fang about lipsticks. Ms. Fang did not have much knowledge of it except that it did look exquisite and made her speak highly of it. ¡°It is going to sell well, right!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded. ¡°Definitely!¡± Cheerfully, Ms. Fang said, ¡°Okay, okay, only you are able toe up with an idea like this. Keep the money well, and don¡¯t tell anyone¡­¡± ¡°Of course, Mom!¡± Ms. Fang smiled and stressed that to Ms. Xu, who promised her as well. She was not going to counter her mother-inw! Chapter 165 - 165 Bad For Money 165 Bad For Money Although she was very jealous of her fifth sister-inw who kept making a lot of money, she knew pretty well that she was not capable enough to do the same all by herself. Therefore, she was envious, yet happy in the present situation. After all, when Fifth Sister-inw made a fortune, she was benefiting from it too. Moreover, Fifth Sister-inw had told her that there would be numerous tasks for them to do in future, and she would be paid for all the work, like the 40 wen she received today. She gave 20 wen to the shared savings, and the remaining 20 wen was left for her. Qiao Xuan was cooking dinner tonight as a celebration of what they had achieved in the daytime. They still had one duck remaining at home. They bought two ducks a couple of days ago, one for the Dragon Boat Festival, and the other one was kept for this day. The duck meat was minced, and the garlic sprouts and green peppers were chopped. The peanuts in the rice pot were fried until they became crispy. Then the peanuts were smashed and stir-fried together with the rest. Some steamed buns were also made which could be eaten with the fried duck meat. The others were cut into slices and stewed with the sun dried bamboo shoots for soup. They scooped out two carps from the tank in the backyard, and fried them on two sides. They added clear water, chopped pickles and cooked it with dried chilis. Another fat catfish was taken and stewed with fresh eggnts. The catfish was fat but not greasy, and the eggnts had a strong fragrance. The two dishesplemented each other. Then, a te of dry beans and a te of cold garlic lettuce were made alongside, which was good with the meat. Whenever Qiao Xuan was cooking, everyone in the family was so d, especially Shao Junyan and Shao Qing, who had no idea what was being cooked yet they knew that their fifth sister-inw was making good things. Seeing the fish and meat served on the table, Eldest Uncle was really concerned about the spending. The fish was alright, but what about the duck? How could they kill ducks when it was not festival time? They were vigers! They should not live like this! The money could not be used to live such a spoilt life! But he said nothing when he looked at Qiao Xuan. She had always said that she bought these with her dowry, and there was no way for him to counter it. Therefore, he could only eat the food and feel guilty for his brothers. The following day, Qiao Xuan asked Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao to apany her to the town. She did not want Shao Yunduan toe along. Shao Yunduan¡¯s main mission was to study, and he could not possibly travel with her all the time. Also, he did not have to go along this time. She had told Yuezheng Xiao that she would bring the lipsticks to him, that was all. She was determined that Shao Yunduan had to agree to her proposal. He kept reminding her to conceal her face so the Qiao Family would not notice her. The three of them entered the town and went to the hotel. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao had never met such handsome and noble-looking young masters so they felt a bit restrained. They were both dumbfounded. Qiao Xuan stabilized them. She needed their help in the future, and needed to bring them along to experience the world so that they could gradually get better. It was normal for vige people to meet city noble young masters and react like this for the first time. If she needed to broaden their horizons, she would need them to move around more often. ¡°What have you brought for me, Mrs. Shao, let me have a look!¡± Yuezheng Xiao said happily. He was very curious! Second Miss of the Qiao Family was a lot of fun! Xie Jingrong was present there as well. He was curious too, but he was not as unrestrained as Yuezheng Xiao. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I only bring good things to you, Young Master Yuezheng!¡± Chapter 166 - 166 Yuezheng Xiao’s Appearance 166 Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s Appearance She opened a long, rectangr box¡­ Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong turned to look at it subconsciously. ¡°What is it?¡± It was a white porcin tube depicting various flower patterns in the size and length of a finger. !! What was this? Yuezheng Xiao was a well-informed person but he was very confused at the moment. Xie Jingrong blinked and was confused too. Qiao Xuan smiled and took out one lipstick. She removed the lid, and twisted the tube. A rose colored, creamy-looking stick came out of the tube gradually. The top of the cream was smooth and gentle, looking very beautiful. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Something I made, I call it lipstick!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and exined. ¡°Something like a lip flusher, but much more handy. Qi,e here.¡± Qiao Xuan summoned Shao Xiaoqi, who came to her with a nod. She had a husband and Taotao was also a maiden, so she could not possibly show her hand generously to other men. It would make her look less virtuous. So, Qi had to do that work. Qiao Xuan pulled Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s hand. She told him to make a fist and pasted it over the back of his hand. A touch of shining rose color could be seen. ¡°Look at this, Young Master Yuezheng, isn¡¯t it convenient? I have other various colors apart from this. Also, don¡¯t worry, all the materials used in this are safe. They can be put on without any concern.¡± ¡°This is so wonderful! It is great!¡± Yuezheng Xiao was born in a business family which did not deal with cosmetics, but he could tell that the goods in front of him were going to be really popr! His eyes sparkled, and he got excited. He could imagine that once this thing called lipstick was put out in the market in the city, it would draw the attention of many nobledies, madames and girls! This looked much better than lip flushers! No one would want to use lip flushers when they had a tube of this. Yuezheng Xiao was a straightforward person, so he said to Qiao Xuan, ¡°Mrs. Shao, I will take all of your lipsticks. Give me as many as you have currently. We can also sign a contract where I want you to supply your lipsticks just to me! Don¡¯t worry, I will give you the best price. You will not be tricked, I promise!¡± Qiao Xuan had been thinking that he would be interested in lipsticks, but she had not expected that the deal would be signed so smoothly! But this was exactly what she was looking for! Qiao Xuan had been thinking about the buyer after she decided to make lipsticks. She was not going to expose herself, for sure. It wasn¡¯t easy to find a buyer, because that person had to exceed her father¡¯s position. The person also needed to be straightforward, honest, and open-minded about using all kinds of channels. Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s appearance solved her problem! First of all, this man did not think highly of her father, which was what pleased her a lot. Moreover, Qiao Xuan more or less understood his personality, for example, he never looked down at her or Shao Yunduan, and treated them equally and politely. Also, on the day when they were seeking shelter from the farmer¡¯s family, he even epted the ginger soup from that farmer¡¯s wife politely and expressed his gratitude to her. Not every rich man would be as well-mannered as him. Since he did not need to pretend to be this polite, it showed that his behavior was real Then, it came to Chinese fleeceflower root. A Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old was so rare that he only spoke highly of it, rather than showing any greed. Chapter 167 - 167 Straightforward People 167 Straightforward People Qiao Xuan believed that no one was better suited than him as her coborative partner. Since he was being straightforward, Qiao Xuan was going to be the same too. She said with a smile, ¡°Okay! I don¡¯t have sales channels, and I want to work with Young Master Yuezheng as well. I just have one condition that you should never tell anyone that I am your supplier, especially not my father and my lineal mother!¡± Yuezheng Xiao nodded in agreement. He had already noticed that she did not have a good rtionship with her lineal mother and sister. He checked lipsticks of other colors as well as the lip balm which could be used by everyone. He was very surprised. Qiao Xuan smiled and took out two smaller brocade boxes, each of which held two lip balms and gave them to Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. ¡°These are just small things, don¡¯t dislike them!¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed and epted the box, as Xie Jingrong lowered his head and expressed his gratitude. Both sides included straightforward people, and that made the deal go smoothly. Soon they came to an agreement. Yuezheng Xiao would supply them with the lipsticks tubes, and would also provide porcin, jade, crystal for the tubes so that they could look better. He was also going to hire some designers to make the patterns on the lipstick tubes. Qiao Xuan could not ask for anything more. She told him to build some tools, which Yuezheng Xiao epted directly. He did not intend to charge her for any of this. Yuezheng Xiao paid 2 liang for one lipstick to Qiao Xuan, but the price was going to be kept fluid in the future. It would change ording to the market, and could be adjusted every half a year. Qiao Xuan had no objection, because all these conditions were very good for her. Qiao Xuan expressed her gratitude for the pricing of 2 liang per lipstick. Lipsticks were handypared to the lip blushers, but they were not very precious. They were just novel items! Therefore, the pricing had to be reasonable. Also, Qiao Xuan did not spend much on making these lipsticks. She used her own flowers and beeswax. Thebor fee was the biggest expense but 2 liang for one lipstick was already well enough in her budget. Yuezheng Xiao would sell each lipstick for 4 or 5 liang. Moreover, he would raise the price of the lipsticks when they were sold in the capital or flourishing cities in the south. But he also needed to make an ount of the cost he was going to spend on the process. At the moment, this was the most suitable way for Qiao Xuan to earn money. Since the deal had been made, they signed the contract directly and came to an agreement regarding the delivery time of the first batch of goods. Qiao Xuan had 50 lipsticks and lip balms in four colors this time. She gave them all to Yuezheng Xiao as gifts. She was giving them full-heartedly for the purpose of marketing. These things were expensive for others, but for her, she had not really spent any money on them. It was a good way for her to obtain the favor of Yuezheng Xiao and the Yuezheng Family. She intended to have a longsting business with the Yuezheng Family, since he had a huge supply channel! Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were startled by her generosity. These boxes were worth 100 liang! Even in the noble family, 100 liang was not a small figure, and noble young masters with a rtively ordinary position in the family would only have 10 or 20 liang every month. For farmers, 100 liang was not a small figure. Qiao Xuan gave it out just like that? They could see that she was not being polite on the surface. Yuezheng Xiao could not help but admire the generosity of thisdy. He felt lucky inside his heart, and whispered to himself that Mrs. Shao was a good business partner that one would not find so easily. Chapter 168 - 168 Nice To Fifth Sister-in-law 168 Nice To Fifth Sister-inw Yuezheng Xiao did not want to take advantage of Qiao Xuan. In the end, Qiao Xuan epted 50 liang, half for each box, showing sincerity to both sides. Yuezheng Xiao could not help but smile. ¡°Oh right, Mrs. Shao, if you have other proposals, please consider me as your business partner first. I promise that you will never be tricked or treated unfairly.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Great, Young Master Yuezheng, I don¡¯t have any other business partner, apart from you. I can¡¯t just establish business rtionships with anyone easily!¡± !! Yuezheng Xiaoughed. ¡°That is true!¡± He said that he would visit her home someday, and Qiao Xuan agreed readily. There was nothing interesting around Shading Vige, and he would naturally note over. Qiao Xuan thought that it was just polite words, so she just said yes. Without Shao Yunduan around, Yuezheng Xiao did not ask Qiao Xuan to stay for lunch. So Qiao Xuan left with Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao soon afterwards. The brother and sister were still in shock. Shao Taotao was especially in a daze. After a while, she mustered her courage and said to Qiao Xuan, ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, when I reach home, I will return the lipsticks and lip balms to you. I will keep the used ones, because I never knew it would be so valuable, otherwise¡­¡± Otherwise, she would not have taken in so many of them! Two liang for one! Not 2 qian or 20 wen, it was for 2 liang! ¡°Just keep them!¡± Qiao Xuan interrupted her before she finished her words. She smiled as she took her hands. ¡°It is not expensive for us. Also, we have plenty of money right now, already, don¡¯t we?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°We can make them easily. If you like them, just keep them, no worries!¡± Shao Taotao thought for a while and believed that she was right. She really loved those lipsticks, and did not want to give them back. She smiled bashfully. ¡°Then, I will keep them. Thank you, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± Shao Taotao was so moved. Fifth Sister-inw was wealthy and capable of making money, and was even paying her own family for all the work, which was already quite rare. Moreover, she gave out such valuable things without hesitation. She did not think that their elder sister-inw would do the same. So, she was going to be very kind to her fifth sister-inw¡­ Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You can tell Mom about this matter, but not others, alright? We have many opportunities to make money, and you may be in charge of making the lipsticks. I will teach you, and you should focus and learn properly¡­¡± Hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s words, Shao Taotao was shocked. Shao Xiaoqi was shocked too. ¡°But, Fifth Sister-inw, that is your money making idea. How can you teach me the method?¡± Shao Taotao panicked. Shao Xiaoqi nodded too. Honestly, craftsmen only passed on skills through generations, and even if they needed disciples, the disciples would need to work for years as ves before being able to get the real knowledge. More so, the master would never give out the knowledge unless he was satisfied with the disciples. But Fifth Sister-inw was ready to pass on the knowledge so casually! Qiao Xuan was not dominated by the values and ideas in this era, and sheughed. ¡°Of course I am passing it on to you. I would be very grateful if you could help me in doing this business!¡± Chapter 169 - 169 County Magistrate Qiao Shocked 169 County Magistrate Qiao Shocked The brother and sister were shocked¡­ Shao Taotao became excited. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, I will definitely try my best, and I will never pass the secret out to anyone else, I promise!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Okay! I believe you!¡± Overjoyed, Shao Taotao was immediately filled with strength and confidence. It was like a dream! She had never expected that she would experience such an opportunity one day like this. No wonder their mother called Fifth Sister-inw the lucky star of the family. She deserved the title! When such a big deal was done, and money was earned, they decided to hold a good celebration for dinner. Qiao Xuan bought some pork. When she saw the liver and kidneys, she started to drool for them and took some home as well. Then she bought a lot of ingredients for making braised vegetables, such asrge and small fennel, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, licorice, dried tangerine peel, etc. This was to be boiled in the brine to make a pot of braised vegetables. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were both excited again. ¡°The Fifth Sister-inw is going to make delicious food to eat!¡± While Qiao Xuan and others arrived home, Xie Jingrong told his servant to inform County Magistrate Qiao that he was leaving the following day. He was here to seek a Chinese fleeceflower root. Now that he had managed to get it, it was time for them to go home. His grandma was waiting for the nt to add to the medicine. County Magistrate Qiao had received him well before. Out of politeness, he should inform the official about his departure. Yuezheng Xiao decided to hurry home too. He needed to start the business of lipsticks. He intended to make it a part of his private business. He did not intend to share it with his family. His family was not at peace¡­ When County Magistrate Qiao heard the message, he was shocked. He was leaving already? He and Strategist Lu had a discussion about who came to the hostel for a visit. Strategist Lu asked implicitly why Xie Jingrong was leaving so suddenly. Wasn¡¯t he here to find a 500 years old Chinese fleeceflower root? Xie Jingrong decided not to conceal the truth. He smiled. ¡°I am lucky to have found the requisite nt, so it is time for me to go home.¡± Strategist Lu was shocked¡­ ¡°You are¡­ indeed lucky! But where did you get the Chinese fleeceflower root? I mean¡­ there are many tricky farmers here in the mountains, and I am worried that you may have been tricked! Our Old Master is the officer here, and if he can help you check it out¡­ maybe its authenticity could be checked. What do you think, Young Master Xie?¡± Strategist Lu was indeed a loyal servant of Officer Qiao. He was very devoted and always tried his best to help his master. He could even find an opportunity to help his officer on such an asion. But he didn¡¯t stop to consider that Xie Jingrong, the lineal, eldest grandchild of the Xie Family, was well-educated despite the fact that he had never taken the imperial examination. A strategist like him could never trick a talent like him! If he was so stupid, how could the Xie Family have allowed him to go out alone? The Xie Family would be worried about the trouble that might be brought about. Xie Jingrong had seen through Strategist Lu¡¯s n. Officer Qiao was trying to make the Xie Family owe him a favor. How shameless that man was! How could Second Miss have a father like him? ¡°No thanks.¡± Xie Jingrong replied briefly. He did not even want to speak another word with Strategist Lu and asked his servant to see him off. Chapter 170 - 170 Shameless 170 Shameless Strategist Lu found him absent-minded and realized that he was trying to turn him down. He did not dare to make a scene in front of him. He pretended to put on a smile and left. He hurried back to the governmental office and passed on the message to Officer Qiao. Officer Qiao was disappointed and also a little anxious. The Xie Family was a first-ss family, and when he saw such a great opportunity slipping away in front of him, he felt heart-broken. Officer Qiao went to Madame Qiao and asked her for an idea. His wife was a good helper. She hase up with many good ideas during these years. He was so anxious that he went to ask her what opinion she had. Madame Qiao found it a waste too! ¡°Young Master Xie is so lucky! How can he get a Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old so fast? Which unruly man got it for him? He should have passed the message to you first when he found a great thing like this.¡± ¡°We must find out who that person is and punish him!¡± ¡°Also, Young Master Xie got that precious thing here in the county, and you are the officer, he should thank you too!¡± Madame Qiao sounded so shameless when she said this. Officer Qiao was the officer of the county, but he was not a man with endowment. Why must he examine everything that was discovered out of thend? But an ambitious man like him did not find anything wrong about it. He agreed with his wife totally. ¡°What can we do?¡± Madame Qiao thought for a while and said, ¡°Old Master, don¡¯t we have a Chinese fleeceflower root under 100 years old? We can give it to Young Master Xie tomorrow when they leave. It could be given as a farewell gift we are presenting, correct?¡± They did obtain a Chinese fleeceflower root, which was huge. So he asked someone to confirm the age which was between 50 to 100 years old. Officer Qiao kept the nt and decided to have this delivered, if he truly could not find the right one. Madame Qiao¡¯s words motivated him. Yes, they could just give a present, no matter what. Young Master Xie would be forced to treat it as a favor. If that young man asked for confirmation from others, he could just get someone to tell him that it was over 200 years old, which was precious enough! Young Master Xie would owe him big, when he had such a precious thing delivered to him. He would definitely ept the present when he presented it the next day. Young Master Xie would have no time to turn it down. Officer Qiao found this idea to have merit. He greeted his wife and said, ¡°This is good. My darling, you havee up with such a great idea!¡± Madame Qiao was proud too. ¡°Women should treat their husbands well. I am doing this for you, Old Master, you are the supporter of the family!¡± She took this opportunity and begged for mercy on behalf of Qiao Wei. ¡°Wei is simply spoiled. She was annoyed with Xuan, otherwise she would not have done that. Now she has admitted her mistake. Please, don¡¯t ground her for any longer.¡± Chapter 171 - 171 Dirty Shoes 171 Dirty Shoes ¡°Old Master, don¡¯t worry, I will definitely discipline her and she won¡¯t mess around any more.¡± Officer Qiao could not help but frown when he heard about Qiao Xuan. He said disdainfully, ¡°The Second Miss is so useless. She won¡¯t achieve anything in her life! I can just give her up but Wei is different. She is going to marry someone good in the capital, and she has to learn to behave well. Otherwise she will cause a lot of trouble in the capital. You have to learn how to rectify her temper properly¡­¡± Hearing what he said, Madame Qiao was feeling both d and proud. She had been making ns for years and Qiao Xuan was now nothing in her husband¡¯s eyes. Well, that bitch was really nothing. She was not even good enough to hold Wei¡¯s shoes! ¡°Old Master is right! I have not been cautious enough. I thought that a maid could do whatever she wants when she is at her own home and that she will behave well when she is married. That is why I decided to spoil her a little. You are the one who treats Wei the best!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Old Master, I will pass on your message to Wei. She will definitely understand your intention and a kind girl like her would surely correct her mistakes.¡± As for Qiao Xuan? Madame Qiao said nothing more. There was no need to mention her at all. In her eyes, she was just a weed that would stain her shoes, after stepping on her. Officer Qiao was gratified. He sorted his beard and nodded. ¡°That is right!¡± In the first section of the Shao Family at the vige. The Chinese Mesona picked from the day before was already nted in the floral corner of the field. Qiao Xuan decided to make a meal to bring in the taste. That thing was very easy to make. The leaves were mashed, a doubleyer of cotton gauze was used to wrap it, and then it was rubbed in the basin with cold water. After rubbing and filtering twice, it would sit there for a couple of days. She also got a huge amount of mint leaves from Shao Taotao, who minced it so as to extract some juice from it. She made a huge bowl of brown sugar and added some honey into the bowl. When the jelly was made, she carefully added one spoonful to the bowl, mixed it and added some brown-sugar water, some mint juice and served it to everyone. Shao Taotao was instantly attracted to the jelly-like texture, smooth and sweet. ¡°This is called jelly! So tasty, better than the pastry bought in the town!¡± ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, can we sell this too? There are still many Chinese Mesona in the mountains. We can use them!¡± ¡°Yes, we can try that!¡± ¡°Yeah, it is so tasty!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ms. Fang was astonished as well. She ate one bowl and praised Qiao Xuan. ¡°You are really clever to find such a wonderful trick. It is a good snack during summer!¡± Ms. Fang did not care if they had to use some sugar in it. Qiao Xuan served a bowl to Shao Yunduan who was busy studying at home. She blinked and asked for praise. ¡°What do you think?¡± Shao Yunduan took one bite and the sweetness went straight into his heart. He nodded. ¡°It is so tasty, no one else would be able to think of how to make something like this!¡± ¡°That is right!¡± Qiao Xuan was satisfied and proud too. ¡°Let me think more about this. Maybe, we can add more ingredients for better taste.¡± Mint and sugar were the fundamental things for jelly. Some other spices, like raisins, chopped walnuts, almonds, shredded hawthorn, sweet red bean paste, milk, juice, chopped fresh fruits could also be added alongside. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°You will definitely figure it out!¡± Chapter 172 - 172 The Most Steady Protection 172 The Most Steady Protection Qiao Xuan was even more pleased. She said with a smile, ¡°Eat it slowly, I have other work to do. We are going to have good food to eat tonight!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Seeing Qiao Xuan leaving and closing the door, Shao Yunduan could not help but feel warm. She made him so happy, when he saw her making different food every day with Taotao. Their home was lively, bustling. It was such afortable feeling. Therefore, he was going to study harder and make it to the Rmended Man, so they could all be under the most steady protection. !! Shao Yunduan finished the bowl of jelly which was sweet and fresh, and continued with his studies. Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao, when they finished the jelly, started to make braised meat. The room was filled with cheers andughter. The whole family loved Qiao Xuan dearly. She only needed to give instructions, and everyone offered their help immediately. The dinner was a feast! Sour radish was diced, sour beans were cut, whilst chili and the marinated intestine were fried together. The smell of sour and spicy as well as fragrance started to spread all across. When thinking about salted duck eggs before, Qiao Xuan had bought several jars. She made some salted duck eggs and Century Eggs, and also pickled a jar of kimchi. White radish, beans, cabbage, lettuce, and ginger were all put in it as well. Everything was ready by this point to be eaten. Braised pork liver and ears were sliced, and pig trotters were ced directly on the te whilst pork heart was stir-fried with garlic sprouts. Pork belly was stewed with soy beans and almonds for soup. It was a table full of braised food, as well as two fried vegetables. The fragrance spread across everyone¡¯s nostrils. People in the vige rarely ate inner organs, since the taste was too heavy and difficult to handle. It took a lot of oil and seasoning to make it delicious. It was better to buy meat. After all, meat was fragrant no matter how deeply-fried it was. Meat dregs when stir-frying were also delicious. It was a table full of pig inner organs, which changed their minds¡¯ of how the inner organs could taste like. Again, Qiao Xuan was highly praised. They kept saying that the inner organs could also taste so good, better than meat. The hot and sourrge intestines, crispy pig ears, fragrant and brightly colored braised pig trotters, and delicious pork belly soup were all delicacies for them. The following day, Qiao Xuan guided Shao Taotao to make more lipsticks. Qiao Xuan used the excuse of visiting floral fields to inject her super-power there. Soon, the roses and other flowers were blooming across the whole yard, giving off a fragrant smell. In the meantime, there were some fresh flowers that were budding¡­ The garden was full of a beautiful sea of purple and red, making people feel really fresh. The bees were buzzing about and working hard. It would not be long before she could harvest honey again. The flowers in the yard were especially attractive to the bees, and the honey was produced in arge amount. Qiao Xuan could see three or four bees picking nectar from the flowers. When they were sorting the floral fields, she had made the n and built a two-story shabby room. The second storey was for storage. There was one middle-size room on the first floor, whilst the other ce had one wall, and three sides open like a workshop. Whilst the others were picking flowers, cleaning materials and grinding them, Qiao Xuan was making lipsticks in the room filled with light. She asked Taotao to help her with everything. Since she intended to cultivate Taotao, she asked Taotao toe and learn how to do that right away. Qiao Xuan did not hire anyone from the vige, except for the task of flower-picking and mincing. Moreover, she could just hire someone else to do otherbor work. Chapter 173 - 173 Yuezheng Xiao’s Sneering 173 Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s Sneering But that was something forter, when they had built new houses. The yard at home was not big enough. While Qiao Xuan was busy making money, Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao were getting ready to leave the county. When they were just about to get on the wagon, Strategist Lu hurriedly walked up to them. !! It was really very urate timing! Strategist Lu had nned it meticulously. He had been waiting next to their ce for a long while, before appearing at the right time. ¡°Young Master Xie, please, stay put!¡± Xie Jingrong paused and turned around, looking surprised. ¡°Strategist Lu, it is very kind of you to see us off here.¡± Strategist Lu smiled and said with a friendly tone, ¡°You are the honored guest, it is my duty to do so!¡± He did not dare to say anything more but handed out an appropriate brocade box. ¡°Young Master Xie, this is the Chinese fleeceflower root which our Officer has found. It is confirmed that this nt is over 200 years old, which is very rare! Our Officer says that he should not keep the treasure, and instead you should have it. Maybe it can be put into practical use by you. This way the good things would not be wasted.¡± ¡°It is a gift from our Officer, please ept it! Okay, I won¡¯t dy your departure. Have a nice trip, bye for now Young Master Xie!¡± Strategist Lu said all of this with a smooth smile. When he was done, the brocade box was already in the servant¡¯s arm. He took a step backwards and turned around, leaving. He did everything really fast. Xie Jingrong was speechless. ¡°¡­¡± Everyone present. ¡°¡­¡± The servant, who was holding the box, turned to Xie Jingrong helplessly. ¡°What¡­?¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed. Helooked at Xie Jingrong and grinned. ¡°Officer Qiao is fun, Brother Xie, now you owe him big!¡± Honestly speaking, a Chinese fleeceflower root over 200 years was indeed very rare, and Xie Jingrong was taking that for his grandma. County Magistrate Qiao gave it to him so that the family could owe him a favor. Yuezheng Xiao sneered. What a tricky Officer Qiao, so shameless and snooty, how did he manage to cultivate a daughter like Mrs. Shao? Was he blind to have treated the Elder Miss Qiao as treasure rather than look at Mrs. Shao instead? No wonder Mrs. Shao insisted that they should not reveal her identity. It would not be good! If Officer Qiao learned that it was Mrs. Shao, who had found the 500 years old Chinese fleeceflower root for the Xie Family, he would have forced her to ask for the favor for him. What if he learned about the lipsticks business? He would definitely do something worse. Mrs. Shao was such a pitiful girl! She must have led a very difficult life. Xie Jingrong frowned, thought for a while and said to the servant, ¡°Return the brocade box in the intact state to Officer Qiao personally. Just tell him that I have found the Chinese fleeceflower root I needed, and I do not want to take advantage of Officer Qiao. Officer Qiao should keep it for himself!¡± Having given the instructions, Xie Jingrong turned around, went on the wagon and ordered the staff to leave. Yuezheng Xiao was not surprised by what Xie Jingrong did. This young man looked gentle and handsome, almost as if he were weak, but he was the lineal elder grandson of the Xie Family, who could never be simple-minded or fragile. He would never allow the Xie Family to owe anyone a favor forcibly! No one could suck up to him easily either! Yuezheng Xiao teased him. ¡°But a 200 years old root isn¡¯t that bad either. Why not keep it for Officer Qiao¡¯s sake?¡± Chapter 174 - 174 Badly-Mannered 174 Badly-Mannered Xie Jingrong looked at him and replied calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t think that this nt is over 200 years old. If that was the case, he wouldn¡¯t have waited until today to have it delivered to me. Moreover, I don¡¯t need it any more.¡± A nt over 200 years old was precious for sure. County Magistrate Qiao would have definitely not waited, instead, he would havee to the hotel the moment he found it. He should stay away from this man as far away as possible. He already had one 500 years old nt with him. What was the point of having another one that was less impactful? Startled, Yuezheng Xiao responded. ¡°Really? But¡­ can he really lie to us? The Xie Family would definitely hire someone to test the nt!¡± !! Xie Jingrong immediately countered. ¡°So what? He is not an expert, and maybe when he gets to know that he has got a wrong confirmation, he would prepare an expensive present ande to the Xie Family, telling us that he was cheated as well¡­¡± Yuezheng Xiao. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How horrible are people in the official field!¡± Xie Jingrong smiled, as he tapped the table. That was why he never intended to take any more imperial examination, after he made it to the Rmended Man level. There was more than one person in the Xie Family who could be active in the industry. On the other side, Officer Qiao, who had been waiting, was dumbfounded. Young Master Xie¡¯s servant did not smile but showed a very distant look. He rode away the moment he returned the stuff. Officer Qiao felt really humiliated. He lectured Strategist Lu with a ckened face, and then turned to Madame Qiao. Madame Qiao was taken aback as well. ¡°This¡­ can¡¯t be possible! How can one turn down a friendly gesture? You offered the present so generously. How could Young Master have done that? It is so badly-mannered!¡± Officer Qiao was annoyed too. ¡°Young Master Xie is really ill-mannered¡­ I should have delivered the present personally!¡± If he had gone there personally, Young Master Xie would not have returned the present, right? But there was nothing else he could do apart fromining at this moment. He was ming Young Master Xie for not being able to understand the situation. ¡°What a pity!¡± Officer Qiao sighed and was annoyed too. He asked with a slight feeling of jealousy. ¡°Who on earth found the 500 years old Chinese fleeceflower root and stole the favor from me?¡± Madame Qiao felt annoyed too. ¡°If you want to know about this, carry out a thorough investigation! Young Master Xie must have offered them a great deal of money. Those narrow-sighted people might not have seen so much money before and would definitely show it off! No one would be able to conceal the secret of finding such an aged Chinese fleeceflower root for long! It is easy to find the culprit this way.¡± Officer Qiao thought for a while and nodded. ¡°Yes, I should definitely look into it!¡± He should find out the culprit first, and maybe he could make use of that person to establish a rtionship with the Xie Family. Officer Qiao passed on the order to Strategist Lu. Strategist Lu took it as a way topensate for his faults. He bragged that he was definitely going to find out the person within three days¡¯ time. He also believed that it would be so easy to figure it out. Anyone granted with such an amount of money would surely show off across the whole vige! He could just ask the policemen from the governmental offices to ask around. However¡­ Three days passed, but there was no news about any such gains. There was not a single trace of that mysterious person. Strategist Lu, who had no way to go, had to report that back to Officer Qiao! Officer Qiao was so irritated. How could he have failed at such a minor mission? He asked his own men to ask around but the result was the same¡­ Chapter 175 - 175 Mouth 175 Mouth Officer Qiao. ¡°¡­¡± Who was the person in the county that had such a wide knowledge and consideration? How did that person know that he should keep the matter a secret and make a fortune without making a scene? How horrible that person was! Officer Qiao had a desperate itch to know who that was! At the Shao Family !! The first section of the family made the second and third section of the family feel really anxious. They did not dare toe to them to ask for wild animals and other benefits, even after they learned that Shao Xiaoqi went into the mountains for hunting and Qiao Xuan returned from the town. For one thing, Ms. Fang was so unfriendly at the moment, and they would not be able to get anything easily at the moment. For another, what if they irritated Ms. Fang so much that she would not want to help them with some rakes. Then what would they do? So they had to remain calm. Finally, Ms. Fang showed mercy and told them that she was going to help them with the rakes the following day. That made the other sections of the family feel assured. They let out a sigh of relief. When they calmed themselves down, they started to talk vividly. ¡°Oh Eldest Sister-inw, finally you remembered this!¡± ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, you are so slow, you have been postponing the spring plow!¡± ¡°Ask Dng, Sang and everyone to be there early tomorrow, we need to hurry up!¡± ¡°Infact, you should ask more people to help us. Wng, Qi, Ms. Xu and Ms. Qiao should also be there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s face sank and she sneered. ¡°Just leave from here. Are you telling me what I should do?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I suggest something?¡± Ms. Ma¡¯s eyes rolled as she smiled. ¡°Oh Eldest Sister-inw, all of you are helping us with rakes. What other things does Ms. Qiao need to be done? We can do her work and get paid!¡± ¡°Keep dreaming!¡± Ms. Fang snapped. ¡°You always think about the benefits!¡± Ms. Fang finally drove them away. ¡°Useless people, how dare they say something like this!¡± Qiao Xuan heard her grumble and said with a smile, ¡°Mom, I just noticed that Second Aunt-inw and Third Aunt-inw got so angry about what you just said. You should feel happy about it.¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°True, you are right!¡± The next day, the first section of the family were still busy with their work. Before Second Uncle and Third Uncle could ask them what was going on, they were startled to see that Ms. Fang had spent money hiring some family with bulls to do the work for them. ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, you just¡­¡± ¡°That is such a waste of money!¡± People might have thought that they were concerned about the first section of the family spending their money¡­ But Ms. Fang understood exactly what they were thinking. They thought that the money of the first section of the family was theirs, and they were always trying to get money out of them. They were so concerned about spending the money that should have been theirs¡­ ¡°I am wasting my money, so what? The job is getting done, what more do you have to say?¡± Second Uncle opened his mouth. ¡°But your sons are free¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want my sons to work for you, so what? Look at the rakes, I have fulfilled my promise, and that is it!¡± Third Uncle countered. ¡°If you already had this n, why not tell us earlier?¡± ¡°Yeah, we have all been so worried!¡± Chapter 176 - 176 Jealousy 176 Jealousy Ms. Fang smiled briefly. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t tell you earlier because I was worried about any unforeseen changes!¡± Second Uncle and Third Uncle suddenly ran out of words. They exchanged a look between themselves and left. They went into the field and started to watch the people doing the rakes. They had taken advantage of the first section of the family, but it felt as if they had turned hollow inside their hearts. !! They did not seem to feel that good¡­ Infact, they started to feel even more jealous. They could not help but feel emotional. It was so good to be rich and have a rich daughter-inw! But their eldest sister-inw had coaxed Ms. Qiao for her dowry. She must be spending Ms. Qiao¡¯s money which she had brought to her own pockets. But that was her daughter-inw! Ms. Qiao was so stupid as to have been cheated. Maybe they could even let their own daughters-inw and daughters trick Ms. Qiao. When Shao Yunduan returned from the school, he brought an invitation for Qiao Xuan. It was from the Qiao Family. Shao Yunduan did not turn it down directly and instead, brought it home. Qiao Wei was setting up a feast for viewing flowers, and had invited Qiao Xuan for it. Qiao Xuan pursed her lips. She was indeed very uneasy about the invite! ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go there, you can turn it down with an excuse!¡± Shao Yunduan was annoyed too. He felt so horrible to see his wife being bullied yet he could do nothing about it. He had been a calm person all through his life. He used to study hard for his parents so they could live a better life, that was all. But at this moment, he had developed a profound eagerness ¨C to umte power. If he could be stronger, just a little bit more powerful, he could do something about the situation. Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Of course I will go there. She can¡¯t kill me, can she? I know what she is like. If I don¡¯t go over, she will make a big scene.¡± Shao Yunduan had predicted that she would react like this, so he added. ¡°I will go there with you. I will be waiting for you outside the mansion. Don¡¯t stay for too long, just find an excuse to leave early. Maybe Young Master Xie¡¯s jade can be of some help¡­¡± It could definitely be of some help¡­ For someone like him who was going to participate in the imperial examination, he knew clearly what Xie Jingrong¡¯s jade could do. But he, without hesitation, let his wife have it. Qiao Xuan chuckled and suddenly found that this little person was lovely. She was so lucky to have found him! ¡°No, no, we should not use this jade for such small things. Don¡¯t worry, Qiao Wei is arrogant, and incapable. I am capable of handling her!¡± ¡°If she just wants to take advantage of me verbally, I won¡¯t react to it andugh with her. If she dares to do something physically, I am not afraid of that, either! I am the Second Miss, which I can use to frighten people every now and then!¡± This girl looked beautiful, confident and generous. Her eyes were sparkling, and she was so clever! Chapter 177 - 177 Invitation 177 Invitation Shao Yunduan suddenly felt as if his heart had been attacked by something. It was a feeling of warmth, soft and heartful, which flowed all through his veins. ¡°¡­then you should be careful, and be sure to leave early.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Okay!¡± Two dayster, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went into the town together. Qiao Xuan was well aware that Qiao Wei would like to see what a terrible life she was having, so she picked an ordinary-looking cotton dress and did a hairstyle only for married women, inserting a small silver hairpin in it. Then she added twomonly-seen flowers that were no more than the size of a coin. She liked the beautiful roses or China roses that were fresh and blooming in her hair in daily life. But now that she was wearing the silk flowers and checked herself in the mirror, she wasn¡¯t that bad-looking either. From Qiao Wei¡¯s perspective, she was really poor. Qiao Xuan was very satisfied by how she was dressed. At the Dragon Boat Festival, Qiao Wei was lectured by her father and had been grounded. She kept crying and felt really sad. A couple of days ago, her mother told her that the reason why her father disciplined her like that was because he had high expectations from her, and that made Qiao Wei very happy again. But when she thought of how Qiao Xuan caused all this displeasure, she thought of inviting her for the flower show. The ce where the flower show took ce was in an abbey in the southern outskirts of the county. The abbey did not belong to the Qiao Family, but a very wealthy businessman called Old Master Zhao. Old Master Zhao had a good field of over 800 mu as well as tworge viges and two stores in the county. The family lived a very luxurious life. The Zhao Family had been ttering Officer Qiao all this time, and the Miss of the Zhao Family, Zhao Ming was Qiao Wei¡¯s follower. Hearing that Qiao Wei wasing to the abbey for the flower show, Zhao Ming was excitedly looking forward to the visit. Apart from these twodies, she had invited some otherdies from noble families. Qiao Wei could not be too straightforward, and had Qiao Kou who would act as her foil. Qiao Kou had been feeling really annoyed by how Qiao Wei and Madame Qiao stopped her from meeting Xie Jingrong. She had even cursed them secretly. But that was all she could do since she had no power. Hence, in front of Madame Qiao, she still behaved like an obedient daughter of a concubine and a ttering follower of Qiao Wei. Qiao Wei and her mother were aware of how Concubine Du and her daughter held a grudge towards them, but what could they do about it? A concubine as well as a lowly daughter could not do anything big anyway, right? They were nothing more than ves. Qiao Kou would always have to obey Qiao Wei¡¯s rules and follow her orders no matter what. As for how Qiao Wei wanted to set Qiao Xuan up, Qiao Kou became even more active and eager than Qiao Wei herself. She could not do anything about Qiao Wei, but she could definitely do something about Qiao Xuan. Whenever she remembered that Qiao Xuan was not living a good life, she felt slightly better. Therefore, it could be said that the dog was even worse than its master. Zhao Ming clearly understood what Qiao Kou said and had no opinions against that. She found it fun too. She was even waiting to see how Qiao Xuan could be humiliated¡­ Qiao Xuan walked up to the abbey of the Zhao Family under Shao Yunduan¡¯s worried look. Instead of saying anything, she stuffed the invitation into the gatekeeper¡¯s hands. ¡°I am County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s daughter, is my sister here? Can I go in?¡± Gatekeeper. ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 178 - 178 Tricks 178 Tricks The gatekeeper¡¯s words that were meant to pick on her were all swallowed back. Qiao Xuan showed the identity and despite her ordinary-looking dress, she was still Officer Qiao¡¯s daughter, whom the gatekeeper should not mock without reason. Also, Second Miss seemed like someone who could not be irritated easily. What if she caught her fault and vented anger on her? Even her own miss would not defend her at that time. Therefore, the gatekeeper made up her mind and let Qiao Xuan in. She pointed in a direction and showed a passionate smile. ¡°You are Second Miss, right? Elder Miss Qiao and Third Miss as well as my Miss are all at the pavilion by theke. Wisteria flowers are blooming. Please, have a look and enjoy, Second Miss.¡± What a trick¡­ Qiao Xuan immediately understood that there was something tricky in her words. She would not go there now that she had realized that something was wrong. Only stupid people would follow the direction. Qiao Xuan said to the gatekeeper, ¡°I don¡¯t know the road, can you please take me there?¡± ¡°But, Second Miss¡­¡± Qiao Xuan showed a strange smile. ¡°No? I am the guest here. Is it so difficult for you to take me there? Or do you think that I don¡¯t deserve your help?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± The gatekeeper, who was an aunt, had no choice but to lead Qiao Xuan to the venue. She was mumbling to herself while walking. Who said that Second Miss was honest, timid and easily-tricked? That person must be lying! The aunt did not lead Qiao Xuan there directly, fearing that her mistress would me her for not following the order. She took her on a tour, so she could at leastplete her Miss¡¯s order. Qiao Xuan soon realized what this aunt was doing. But she said nothing. She did not care if she had to walk a little more. Moreover, she was not worried that the aunt would take her somewhere dangerous. She could see the whole abbey when she opened her magical senses. Nothing could escape her sight. She could sense where Qiao Wei and the otherdies were, and what they were doing. Suddenly, Qiao Xuan paused. She was both surprised and overjoyed. She saw two small tomatoes that were growing randomly in a corner. The two tomatoes were not growing in a healthy way and had copsed. There were flowers and red fruits, but they were not very big in size. It was something the Zhao Family had gotten from somewhere, but they could not recognize what these nts were, so they put them randomly in this ce. No one would spend much effort nting fruits. That was why they were left alone here. It was a very good thing for her. She nced around and saw that she and the aunt were alone. Qiao Xuan suddenly let out a scream and paused in her steps. ¡°I seem to have dropped my handkerchief. Aunt, please find it for me!¡± The aunt had no intention of helping her, but she suddenly thought of something and nodded immediately. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You have to return and lead the way for me, otherwise I will go home.¡± Startled, the aunt said with her breath held, ¡°Second Miss, don¡¯t worry, I¡­ definitely will return soon.¡± She had intended to leave directly, but if Qiao Xuan left because of her absence, her Miss would definitely me her. Second Miss was an honest and easily-bullied person? That was incorrect! The moment that aunt left, Qiao Xuan went to pick up tworge tomatoes and put them in arms. She was cheering happily inside her heart at this moment. She was going to make tomato scrambled eggs, tomato stewed tofu, tomato stewed fish, tomato brisket pot, tomato mixed with sugar, tomato sauce, tomato soup, tomato noodles and a lot more. Chapter 179 - 179 Not An Empty Trip 179 Not An Empty Trip Tomatoes were sweet and sour, and went well with any vegetables. They were good for soup. Any dishes added with tomatoes would be really sweet. Qiao Xuan had the habit of putting the tomato in while making ribs in the past. It was not an empty trip! She was going to make the seeds grow faster. !! And she would be eating the fruits in no time. Aunt returned soon and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t find the handkerchief. Have you remembered it wrongly?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°It looks like that. Maybe I didn¡¯t drop the handkerchief. I could havee to you but you are here already.¡± The aunt said nothing more. She had no choice but to continue taking her forward. Infact she almost suspected that Qiao Xuan had already noticed her trick and came up with a way to make her ufortable. Aunt could not help but feel scared, as she thought about this. She wondered what more Second Miss would do, if she continued to y tricks on her. She was not at all honest! By thekeside, Qiao Kou, Qiao Wei and Zhao Ming were talking vividly in the square pavilion. They all turned to look into Qiao Xuan¡¯s direction when she arrived. Qiao Kou was the first one to react. She chuckled. ¡°Sister, is that you? Why are you dressed like this? I thought that you were a servant of this abbey!¡± Qiao Wei burst intoughter, and Zhao Ming grinned as well. The other four or fivedies were eitherughing or chose to remain silent. Qiao Xuan was Officer Qiao¡¯s daughter after all, and no one was interested in getting involved in their familypetition. They might even bring trouble for their own families, if they did something unpleasant. Qiao Xuan was speechless. What an ass-licker Qiao Kou was! She was as annoying as Qiao Wei. Qiao Xuan smiled embarrassedly. ¡°This is what women from the vige are like¡­¡± That was what Qiao Wei wanted to hear, wasn¡¯t it? She could easily satisfy her. Sure enough, Qiao Wei looked prouder and was less sharp at Qiao Wei. Qiao Kou felt even happier by Qiao Xuan¡¯s humble behavior. She instantly fell into a good mood. Weak people only became strong when they were bullying the weaker ones. Qiao Wei snorted. ¡°You know yourself well.¡± Qiao Kouughed. ¡°Sister, even if that is the truth, you should dress better at the banquet, otherwise you are humiliating our parents, right? People might think that we are stingy towards you.¡± Qiao Xuan replied instantly. ¡± You are not stingy, you are nice to me. It is my fault not to have seen that through. Thanks, sister!¡± Qiao Kou expected to see her humiliated and embarrassed, but she even admitted the truth generously and thanked her for the reminder. That made Qiao Kou feel stuck in words. Qiao Wei found her boring to y with. She told herself that her mother was right. Qiao Xuan was a bitch and a weed by the roadside. There was no need to take her seriously. She must have seen it wrong to find her different before. Instead of speaking with Qiao Xuan, Qiao Wei turned to Zhao Ming and the otherdies, ignoring Qiao Xuan directly. Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief. But Qiao Kou felt unbnced. Chapter 180 - 180 Fight 180 Fight Qiao Kou, who had been thinking about humiliating Qiao Xuan, got so annoyed. Why did Qiao Wei give up tormenting Qiao Xuan only after a few minutes? What was she thinking? Qiao Kou tried toe up with some ways to set her up. But Qiao Xuan did not get into trouble with her. !! No matter how horrible her words sounded, Qiao Xuan listened without countering, and asionally, she even behaved as if she were guilty. On the other hand, though Qiao Wei lost interest in speaking with Qiao Xuan, when she saw Qiao Kou bullying Qiao Xuan, she became interested again. She wished that the two concubine daughters could fight each other. However, Qiao Xuan was too timid to cause any trouble, which made her lose interest. Of course, she would not want to get involved. But the sisters of the Fang Family did not like it. They helped Qiao Xuan out by engaging in a conversation with Qiao Xuan and eased her embarrassment. Jealous and angry, Qiao Kou did not like it when someone helped Qiao Xuan out. What was the point of helping her? She was just a countryside woman! She rolled her eyes and screamed. ¡°Oh no! Sister, I just lost my jade in the water, can you help scoop it out? Thanks very much!¡± They were all taken aback. The Fang Family sisters exchanged a look between themselves, and felt helpless. The Third Miss of the Qiao Family was being so unreasonable! She could have asked a servant to fish it out rather than let Second Miss get it. Qiao Wei smiled and said nothing. Qiao Kou became more arrogant as she snapped. ¡°Sister, you won¡¯t turn me down for such a small thing, right?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and said to the maid, ¡°Please give me a thin bamboo pole or a wooden stick.¡± Qiao Kou asked immediately. ¡°Why a bamboo pole? Why don¡¯t you just go down into the water?¡± Qiao Xuan answered shyly. ¡°Just let me try, okay, sister?¡± Qiao Kou was stuck speechless. She red at Qiao Xuan and snorted. What could she say? She could note up with a counter to that immediately. She was not stupid. If she disapproved of her suggestion, it would be visible to everyone that she was just setting her sister up. It was not a glorious action and she needed to save her face. She had already noticed people looking at her weirdly! Qiao Kou was pretending to be calm, yet she was feeling humiliated and angry inside her heart. Qiao Xuan looked as if she were very honest, but she was a tricky one! The bamboo pole was finally handed over. Qiao Kou¡¯s jade was in the water grass close to the bank. With her superpower, Qiao Xuan could see the spot clearly. She could control the grass with her superpower, so that the grass moved and the jade simply floated out. Overjoyed, Qiao Xuan had discovered one more function of her superpower. She had not thought about this, and decided to make use of it properly in the future. Excited, Qiao Xuan decided to explore the function further. She was going to develop it well. If she could use the superpower to control some nts, she could even protect herself! Won¡¯t she be totally invulnerable then? In front of everyone, Qiao Xuan used the bamboo pole to take hold of one grass de so the grass was tangled with Qiao Kou¡¯s jade. Chapter 181 - 181 Qiao Xuan’s Compensation 181 Qiao Xuan¡¯s Compensation Qiao Xuan passed the jade to Qiao Kou, and said with a smile, ¡°Third Sister, please keep it well.¡± Qiao Kou¡¯s face sank, as she took it from her with clenched teeth, forcing a smile out of her lips. ¡°Thanks, sister.¡± ¡°No worries¡­¡± Qiao Wei pursed her lips, thinking that she was such a useless person who could not even give her sister a hard time. Qiao Kou¡¯s obvious behavior made people feel very ufortable, so someone suggested that they should take a walk in the yard. The idea was supported by many people, and everyone headed towards the garden with Qiao Wei. Qiao Kou red at Qiao Xuan but the very next second, she smiled and went after Qiao Wei instead, showing a ttering expression. Qiao Xuan could not help but sigh. This sister of hers was as thick-cheeked as Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma. No wonder the original host did not have a good time at the Qiao Family. Her lineal sister was so arrogant and her second sister was worse. Both of them had their own mothers as the support, but she had nothing. What could she have done? Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows and started to look around extensively. Everyone was watching the flower show, and headed forward without noticing the two-finger thick vines stretching out, which tripped Qiao Kou over. ¡°Oh!¡± Qiao Kou became annoyed but was worried that Qiao Wei would be displeased, so she kept ttering Qiao Wei and showed no awareness of the vines. That¡¯s how she tripped over together with Qiao Wei. The two sisters fell to the ground and the whole crowd let out a scream. ¡°Elder Miss Qiao!¡± ¡°Help Elder Miss Qiao up quickly!¡± Most of the people present did not take Qiao Kou as someone important. They had seen how Qiao Wei behaved and how Qiao Kou treated her. They all thought of Qiao Kou as someone useless. Even though she fell hard, no one cared about her. But Qiao Wei fell, which was a troublesome matter! Qiao Wei was in so much pain that she turned pale. She could not regain her breath until a whileter. She was snorting inwardly with hands over her knees, as she was helped up by the crowd. The maid lifted the dress and everyone gasped. There was a purple patch on Qiao Wei¡¯s knees, which was bleeding against her fair skin. It was a very shocking scene. ¡°Bring the doctor over quickly!¡± Zhao Ming¡¯s face crumpled as she turned to her maid and instructed. She was makingints inside her heart. Elder Miss Qiao was hurt in her garden, and that would make her look like an irresponsible host! Elder Miss Qiao better not get mad at her. Qiao Kou was even more anxious than her. She almost wanted to kill herself. She felt like copsing into a faint. How did this happen? She was not injured, but Qiao Wei was! ¡°Sister!¡± Qiao Kou sobbed.¡±I am sorry, I did not mean that, sorry¡­.¡± Qiao Wei felt like she was dying, but she had to keep her temper down in front of so many people. She bit down her anger and said, ¡°I knew you did not mean to hurt me.¡± Qiao Kou felt slightly assured. ¡°Thanks, Sister!¡± Qiao Xuan tried to offer some concern, but Qiao Wei was surrounded by so many people and she was directly squeezed out, so she did nothing. Qiao Xuan felt slightly cheerful as she nced at Qiao Kou. It served her right! Soon Qiao Wei was carried into a nearby room. Qiao Wei wanted to calm herself, so she only had Fendie and Qiao Kou, as well as Ziling with her. When everyone else left, Qiao Wei changed her face directly as she red at Qiao Kou fiercely. Chapter 182 - 182 Lecture 182 Lecture Qiao Kou shivered as she said in a trembling voice, ¡°Sister¡­¡± ¡°You bitch!¡± Qiao Wei red at her and almost burst out in anger. She had the intention of ripping her off. ¡°Kneel down!¡± Qiao Kou fell on the ground without any hesitation. ¡°Sister¡­¡± ¡°Your eyes are useless if they can¡¯t even see the road!¡± Qiao Wei cursed with her teeth clenched. She said to Fendie, ¡°What are you looking at, discipline her!¡± !! She was suffering from so much pain and she could not tolerate the idea of having been tripped over in public! Pale, Qiao Kou begged for mercy in a small voice. Fendie was very proficient. She immediately went to pinch Qiao Kou¡¯s arms. It was early summer and people were wearing thin clothes. Arms would hurt from the pinch, but the wound would not be noticed. They were guests in someone else¡¯s home, and should not p them on the face. It would be seen. Qiao Kou¡¯s head almost exploded. She, out ofpulsion, could not dodge it. The tears were gathered in her eyes, but she could not cry out. She begged and said, ¡°Sister, please, forgive me!¡± Qiao Wei¡¯s anger was vented, as she said coldly, ¡°You bitch, just wait until we get home. I will teach you a proper lesson then!¡± Qiao Kou sobbed. ¡°It is my fault, I have hurt you, Sister, I will definitely beg for forgiveness from Mother. Please don¡¯t be mad at me!¡± Qiao Wei snorted and stopped ring at her. What a bitch! She was not even worth the attention. Seeing her on her knees, wiping the tears, she was still really mad at her. Qiao Kou gritted her teeth and reminded herself that she could not offend Qiao Wei, so she had to keep the hatred inside her heart. She hated Qiao Xuan fiercely at this moment. She was humiliated in front of Qiao Xuan. She had wanted to embarrass Qiao Xuan but got humiliated herself. Qiao Kou felt increasingly annoyed. ¡°Sister, it is Qiao Xuan who pushed me so I bumped into you!¡± Qiao Wei threw a cold look at her. Qiao Wei knew clearly that Qiao Xuan was not next to her, and Qiao Xuan never did anything to her, when Zhao Ming and the crowd were next to them. But she did not counter Qiao Kou. She did not have the intention of defending Qiao Xuan. Seeing that her sister seemed to have epted her words, Qiao Kou brought herself up and started to narrate the incident as if she were telling the truth. ¡°Sister, Qiao Xuan is the real bitch. You must have noticed that. She is getting so sneaky these days. She looks as if she were down-to-earth, but honestly, sister, she has never had a bad day. Everyone is also saying that you are bullying her! She is just ying dumb to make herself seem innocent!¡± ¡°Now she is married and living far away. That¡¯s why she is getting bold. She just takes advantage of the situation and is giving us a bad time. What if she does something horrible behind your back, then¡­¡± Moved, Qiao Wei started to think over her words and felt weird. However, Qiao Xuan looked absolutely humble, but she never had a hard time. She even made herself forget about humiliating her¡­ it all seemed so strange¡­ Chapter 183 - 183 Maid 183 Maid Qiao Wei could not help but start to think about the past. She suddenly felt that she never had any impression of Qiao Xuan at all. She was just a silent person who never drew anyone¡¯s attention. She looked honest at the moment, but she did not seem as genuine as before. Qiao Wei¡¯s face started to turn twisted. Was Qiao Xuan putting on a show? Was she lying to her? What was she thinking? Qiao Kou was observing Qiao Wei who apparently had taken her own words seriously. She could not help but chuckle inside her heart. She was trying to make Qiao Xuan get sullied with all kinds of filth. Soon, Zhao Ming was knocking outside, whispering that the doctor was here. Qiao Wei threw a look at Qiao Kou. ¡°Get up!¡± ¡°Thank you, Sister!¡± Qiao Kou answered and got up carefully with the help of the maid¡¯s hand. Qiao Wei had just skinned her knees, and the extreme pain had already passed. The doctor gave the medicine and went away. Qiao Wei was not in a mood for any more fun. Her limping leg could not take her anywhere. She even wanted to leave without eating lunch. Zhao Ming could not keep her but walked her out personally. When she left, the others did not remain there any longer and bid farewell. Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief that she was finally going to leave. But Qiao Wei said to her, ¡°You don¡¯te to the town often, soe back home with me and greet our mother!¡± Qiao Xuan agreed obediently and nced at Qiao Kou. She could see how proud Qiao Kou looked. At this moment, Qiao Xuan withdrew her gaze and understood that she must have yed some tricks in the middle. Qiao Xuan hated Qiao Kou deeply. She was like a fly who kept disgusting people. Sometimes she just did not understand what benefit would Qiao Kou get after picking on her? It was never easy to understand what these rubbish people were thinking. Qiao Xuan followed Qiao Wei and Qiao Kou to the wagon and headed towards the town. Qiao Kou kept mocking her on the way there. But Qiao Xuan did not counter her and stayed silent. She was going to see what Qiao Kou would get after sucking up to Qiao Wei. Qiao Wei did not mock Qiao Xuan, but called out a maid called Liu Yan. She said to Qiao Xuan, ¡°You are Father¡¯s daughter and you don¡¯t even have a maid. Father would look bad in this way. Take Liu Yan home, she will be your maid from today onwards.¡± Qiao Wei never mentioned anything about the maid¡¯s contract, because Liu Yan¡¯s contract was in Qiao Wei¡¯s hands. Qiao Xuan was startled and she panicked. ¡°I don¡¯t think it would work, we are just a countryside family!¡± ¡°Just take her!¡± Qiao Wei looked impatient as she said coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t even want to ept my gift?¡± ¡°No! Thanks, Sister¡­¡± Qiao Xuan epted Liu Yan reluctantly but Liu Yan wasn¡¯t at all happy. She clearly knew that the countryside wasn¡¯t a good ce to live in and she didn¡¯t know when she would return to the town. She did not even look at Qiao Xuan, but kowtowed to Qiao Wei politely. She looked extremely unhappy. Chapter 184 - 184 Maid From Sister 184 Maid From Sister Qiao Xuan ignored her reaction. Soon Qiao Xuan waved them goodbye and left with Liu Yan. The moment she left, Madame Qiao turned angry seeing Qiao Wei¡¯s wounds on her knees. Before Qiao Kou could beg for forgiveness, she scolded her and grounded her for ten days and asked her to copy ten scrolls of Buddha scripts. Angry inside her heart, Qiao Kou looked pitiful and helpless. She had tears in her eyes but did not dare to utter another word. Qiao Xuan left with Liu Yan and met up with Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan let out a sigh of relief seeing hering back safe and sound. But he was surprised to see Liu Yan there. He turned to Qiao Xuan with a look of inquiry. Qiao Xuan winked at her and said pretentiously in a weak voice, ¡°This is Liu Yan, a maid given by my sister.¡± Liu Yan could not help but purse her lips, snorting and rolling her eyes at Shao Yunduan. Maid? They were just poor people, how did they call her a maid? Also, her elder miss did not give her to them. She was asked to spy on them! Her contract was in her Elder Miss¡¯s hands who said that when she was done with her task, she would be brought back home again. Did this couple really think that they were someone of importance? Did they think that she was going to serve them for a long time? They were just dreaming! Shao Yunduan frowned slightly. He understood what Elder Miss Qiao wanted to do. Madame Qiao must have been involved in it too. Shao Yunduan did not show any reaction when they were in town. He nodded gently. ¡°I got it. Then, let¡¯s go home!¡± He was totally relieved to see Qiao Xuan safe and sound. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded and felt a bit gloomy. She could do something about Liu Yan, but she was not going to do that right away. They had no choice but to return empty-handed, instead of buying some meat and snacks for home. What bad luck for them! The roasted chicken they bought the other day was used to save the man on the road. She had intended to buy another one today. The roasted chicken looked crispy on the surface and it must be delicious. They rented the bullock cart for their transportation. The rakes were almost done and they did not need to spend money on rakes any more. So they had the bullock cart with them. The rent was twice as high as on regr days. Shao Yunduan was driving the cart while Qiao Xuan took the back seat. But Liu Yan did not like it. She did not even help Qiao Xuan get onto the cart, and even if she saw Qiao Xuan getting on the cart, she refused to do anything. Qiao Xuan sneered inwardly. What was this maid thinking? She had her life at the mercy of someone else. What rights did she have to showcase her sense of superiority in front of a free woman like her? How ridiculous! But she did not bother to engage with a stupid woman like that. Instead, she said gently, with a smile, ¡°The cart is a bit shabby. It is okay if you aren¡¯t used to it. You will be able to catch up with us. We won¡¯t run too fast, so you can walk along!¡± Liu Yan was startled. So, she was either taking the cart or walking. Qiao Xuan was not going to hire the wagon for her. She did not have money! Liu Yan felt that Qiao Xuan was actually stabbing her right in the face, and she could not see what was going on. However, she was not going to walk it. She was going to travel far into the mountains, and she needed to keep her legs for such an unknowingly long trip! Chapter 185 - 185 Overcome 185 Ovee Liu Yan pursed her lips, but started to climb up to the cart unwillingly. When she was about to climb on, Shao Yunduan waved the whip that hit straight on the bull¡¯s back. The bull, which got the jerk, suddenly lunges forward. Liu Yan let out a frightened scream. She took hold of the edge and climbed onto the cart in a messy way. But Shao Yunduan did not have the intention of stopping. He did not care about themotion behind his back. Qiao Xuan asked Qiao Xuan in concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡± !! She almost burst intoughter but controlled it. Shao Yunduan, who looked so honest, could even throw a prank like this. She loved it! After a long while, Liu Yan finally settled on the cart. She was furious and red at Qiao Xuan. Alright? She was not at all alright! Qiao Xuan ignored the stare and showed a gentle smile, sounding tolerant. ¡°That is how a bullock cart works, not asfortable as a cart, so¡­ please learn to get used to it!¡± Having said the words, Qiao Xuan ignored her and whispered to Shao Yunduan. Looking at the shabby cart, and the chair that had been taken by Qiao Xuan, she found that she did not even have anywhere to sit apart from the filthy board. Moreover, her hands were still on the board! Liu Yan felt so disgusted that she raised her hands in the air. The next second, she again got flung backwards on the cart, and almost got herself smashed on the board. Feeling wronged, Liu Yan burst into tears. She felt so humiliated, but she did not want to show it. So, she tried to hide the sobbing sound. Poor her! Why her? Why was she suffering from misery! She did not want to stay here any more. She turned to Qiao Xuan¡¯s retreating figure. It was the Second Miss who made this happen. She was going to see what Second Miss had so she could take revenge on her when she returned. Finally, they arrived at the vige. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan led Liu Yan home. Seeing the shabby-looking house, Liu Yan felt even more sad. What a terrible ce! Qiao Xuan felt a little bit troubled too. What was she going to do about the amodation? They had two rooms avable, but they needed to be cleaned up. Qiao Xuan presented Liu Yan to Ms. Fang and Shao Taotao. Then she turned to Liu Yan. ¡°Come and greet Madame Shao and Third Miss!¡± Liu Yan was startled. Ms. Fang and Shao Taotao were startled too. ¡°No, no, it is okay!¡± Ms. Fang shook her head and arms. She was not used to such behavior. Qiao Xuan added. ¡°Mom, this is the maid my sister gave us. We can use her in any way we want. That is the rule. Liu Yan, kneel down and greet them!¡± ves, when they met their masters for the first time, needed to kowtow. Liu Yan felt dizzy and was shocked. Was she going to greet a countryside woman and a rural girl? Second Miss was mental! She was not her real master! Qiao Xuan frowned. ¡°What are you doing Liu Yan? If you don¡¯t even know about the rules, you are humiliating my parents. I will send you home so you can learn them again!¡± Startled, Liu Yan copsed and kneeled. ¡°Greetings, Madame Shao and Third Miss! Greetings!¡± Chapter 186 - 186 Habit 186 Habit Seeing that Qiao Xuan could make her kneel down so smoothly, Liu Yan could not help but feel irritated. But it was already toote. She was a maid after all, and she was used to kneeling down. So she did it almost subconsciously. Shao Taotao got so frightened that she retreated backwards, and turned to look at Qiao Xuan nervously. Ms. Fang was startled as well. ¡°Well¡­ get up, now!¡± !! She almost reached out to help Liu Yan up, but Qiao Xuan stopped her secretly. Qiao Xuan turned to Liu Yan and smiled. ¡°You have done well. Get up now. From this moment on, you should settle down properly and serve us full-heartedly. Just do what you are supposed to do. Do not say anything that should not be said, or do anything that should not be done. In this way, you can live a good life.¡± ¡°My mother-inw and her family are all excellent and kind-hearted people. You can be assured.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go and clean up your room!¡± Qiao Xuan looked at Ms. Fang when she said that. Ms. Fang nodded dumbly as Qiao Xuan led Liu Yan to a small wing-room, where she needed to clean up everything alone. She was the maid, but why must she clean up her own amodation as well? Seeing that the light was bad, and there was some mold floating in the air, Liu Yan noticed that the broken side room was filled with stuff. Everything was so filthy. She got so angry that she said to Qiao Xuan, ¡°Second Miss, this is not a ce to live.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°This is what the countryside is like. What about me sending you back home, if you are not used to living here?¡± Liu Yan. ¡°¡­¡± She wanted to do that too, but she could not leave, not right now! Liu Yan almost burst into tears. ¡°But how can I clean it up? I don¡¯t know how to do that. Second Miss, please get two people to help me out!¡± She worked with Elder Miss as the secondary maid, who had never done this kind of toughbor work. Qiao Xuan stopped smiling and frowned. ¡°Who do you want me to get to help you? Me? My mother-inw? My sisters-inw? You are a maid, and this is your work. What about you going back to the Qiao Family and bringing someone over to help you!¡± Standing there motionlessly, Liu Yan turned to look at Qiao Xuan in disbelief. Qiao Xuan ignored her, turned around and left. Liu Yan stared at Qiao Xuan transfixedly. For a moment, she almost felt that there was something wrong with Second Miss. But she said nothing in return. Seeing the mess in front of her, she felt so bad that she wanted to die. She was not in a mood to do anything! Qiao Xuan went to speak with Ms. Fang and Shao Taotao about Liu Yan¡¯s presence here. ¡°¡­I did not dare to tell you about this, Mom, because I was worried that you would hate me. My lineal mother doesn¡¯t like me that much, and Liu Yan is here to spy on me. She might even do something to make our family worse. So¡­¡± Shao Taotao was transfixed. She always believed that Fifth Sister-inw must have lived a good life at her mother¡¯s home, where she never needed to worry about anything. But it seemed that her fifth sister-inw had not been in a good position earlier. The kind-hearted girl felt so sorry for Fifth Sister-inw. She did not have a mother to love her, and did not even dare to report it to her father. It was so difficult! She was going to treat her fifth sister-inw well, so she could live a happy life! Chapter 187 - 187 Ideas 187 Ideas Ms. Fang was dumbfounded. She felt very sorry when she heard her daughter-inw. She soon realized what was going on. No wonder she had felt that something was wrong right at the beginning. The Qiao Family did not seem to be very passionate about marrying their daughter. She had thought it was because they never thought the Shao Family were a good match for their girl, but she never expected that it was because their daughter was not considered as someone important. Her daughter-inw did not even bring a maid with her. She should have noticed that before! ¡°Good girl, don¡¯t be silly! I will never me you. I will cherish you for the rest of my life! This maid is not here to serve you full-heartedly. Now that I understand that, I will not allow her to do anything bad against us!¡± Ms. Fang consoled Qiao Xuan and started to feel disgusted towards Madame Qiao and her husband. She knew what she should do with Liu Yan. Madame Qiao and Officer Qiao were blind not to treat such a good girl kindly. Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief, and smiled brightly. ¡°I feel so relieved that you don¡¯t me me! I will definitely treat you and all the siblings well!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°You are already treating them well already!¡± Qiao Xuan added. ¡°Liu Yan may not be that obedient. You have to stay alert, and tell Sister-inw about her too.¡± Ms. Fang nodded. ¡°I will. Don¡¯t worry, if she ever dares to do anything, I will beat and scold her. She is just a maid, isn¡¯t she?¡± Ms. Fang, who had not been pleased with the maid, suddenly felt motivated. She found herself feeling like the master. Qiao Xuan chuckled and nodded. ¡°Of course!¡± Ms. Fang was satisfied with her response. Qiao Xuan went to Shao Yunduan and discussed the matter. They had no idea what Qiao Wei¡¯s purpose was. Qiao Xuan said, ¡°My lineal sister always has different ideas. I believe that Qiao Kou must have said some bad words about me. Let us just keep the maid, she won¡¯t be able to turn the table.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t let her know that you can make money, hide it well.¡± Qiao Xuan burst intoughter, feeling warm inside her heart. ¡°I will!¡± She suddenly added. ¡°She should never get close to our room or touch your books, or disturb your studies!¡± Shao Yunduan nodded seriously. ¡°I will not allow her to get close to me at all!¡± Qiao Xuan liked what she heard, and gave him a smile. When they were done talking, Qiao Xuan asked Shao Taotao toe over to her room. They took out the seeds of tomatoes and sundried them, so they could be nted. Qiao Xuan took out the seeds, spread them out in a small round dustpan covered with gauze. She said to her, ¡°Taotao, please take good care of the seeds for me. They should only be nted after being sundried. The fruits can be eaten as either snacks or vegetables. They are good things!¡± Qiao Xuan did not want Liu Yan to see these, nor did she want mice or birds to peck at them, so she entrusted Shao Taotao to do the job. Shao Taotao nodded at her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Fifth Sister-inw, I will take good care of the seeds and lose none!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Just rx, and make sure that you have some left!¡± She believed that one seed could create a whole in. She could make it spread faster and wider after that. Chapter 188 - 188 Feeling Good 188 Feeling Good The two of them talked and then went up to the yard for a walk. There were many loquats, plums, mulberries, and bayberries in the garden, which looked very attractive as they were hanging on the branches. The two of them held a few in each basket. They washed and sundried them, so that the whole family could eat it. Wild lemons had grown quite a bit, so had peaches, as well as dates, persimmons, pears, grapes, and figs. The watermelons¡¯ veins were everywhere, casting a patch of greenness on the ground, looking really interesting. The watermelons were round and in different sizes. Therge ones were as big as bowls. Qiao Xuan felt that she could pour in some power so the watermelons could be ready to be eaten earlier. What a wonderful thing! The pomegranates were also blooming, and they were particrly bright and dazzling. No wonder there was a sentence in the ancient poem, ¡®In May, the pomegranates shine brightly¡¯. The nted Panax notoginseng and ginseng had already sprouted and grown more than two inches tall. Gastrodia looked even more energetic and neat. Shao Taotao was very careful and excited when seeing the medical herbs. They were all worth a lot of money! She was so happy for Fifth Sister-inw, even though the nts did not belong to her. By evening, the whole family was back and learned about the maid. For farmers¡¯ families, it was a fresh thing, so Liu Yan attracted a lot of attention as if she were someone rare. Liu Yan started to feel quite proud inwardly. She could not help but straighten her back, thinking that these rural people must have not seen the noble air around a girl like her. The maids fromrge families were surely more noble than ordinary daughters! Also, she was in a better position than those from therge families, since she was working at the officer¡¯s home. These rural people must feel so ashamed and jealous seeing her! But those vigers felt strange as to why she looked so proud? Only Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan could tell what she was thinking, and they rolled their eyes inwardly. Qiao Xuan decided to get two crucian carps from the backyard water tank and braised them. There were many fish and shrimps in the river and Shao Xiaoqi always brought back some and added them to the water tank when they ran out of ingredients. Qiao Xuan was used to making meat dishes, and Ms. Xu, as well as Shao Taotao would take care of the preparations. Seeing Qiao Xuan working so hard in the kitchen, Liu Yan stayed far away from them, fearing that Qiao Xuan would ask her to help as well. Sheughed at Second Miss. She was even worse than a maid like her. She had never needed to do any work in the kitchen. She was going to remember this and tell Elder Miss about this. Her Elder Miss was definitely going to be very happy. Qiao Xuan made braised carps, steamed eggs and then walked out of the kitchen. Ms. Xu made fried yam slices and stewed beans. They added a bowl of sponge gourd and the whole family started to eat together. Before Liu Yan could see the dishes, Qiao Xuan took her to the kitchen. ¡°We don¡¯t have any rules here, you don¡¯t have to stay by our side when we eat. You can eat in the kitchen if you want to.¡± Liu Yan. ¡°¡­¡± Staying by their side? What were they dreaming about? Chapter 189 - 189 Too Lazy 189 Too Lazy Thinking that the rural people did not live in a luxurious state, Liu Yan refused to eat with them on the same table. So, she nodded and left. Qiao Xuan smiled and went for lunch, leaving Liu Yan alone in the kitchen. Liu Yan looked at the dish that was left for her. There was half a bowl of rice, with yams and beans, as well as some slices of gourd. All were vegetables, and there was not much oil in them. How could this be edible? !! Ms. Fang told Ms. Qiao to put in as many seasoning spices as possible, which was much better than before, considering that the family had plenty of money for the moment. At least right now, the dishes were not tasteless. Butpared to the kitchen of the County Magistrate¡¯s home, the dishes definitely paled inparison. Liu Yan was a secondary maid, who was used to eating meat during every meal. Whenever Qiao Wei was happy, she would even give the maid some desserts or leftovers of the delicious dishes. So, Liu Yan was not at all used to the poverty she had to face now. Seeing the rice and vegetables, Liu Yan suddenly felt unhappy. How could this food be eaten? She was not satisfied, but Qiao Xuan, who was very cautious towards her and could punish her whenever she made mistakes, would never mistreat her. If she were in anyone else¡¯s family, she would not even end up being given a bowl of rice. Liu Yan could not stand it any more. She ate a small portion of the dish, put down the chopsticks and bowl and returned to her wing-room. She kept sobbing lying on the hard and shabby wooden bed. Liu Yan had a very difficult time throughout the night. The following day when Liu Yan woke up, she was feeling very sore on her limbs and back. She felt like dying, all alone in this ce. But she was here on a mission and she could only leave when she was done with the task. That made Liu Yan feel motivated. Her mission was not about serving the whole family, so she refused to get out of the bed, when she woke up. What if she was asked to do hardbor work? Liu Yan did not get up until a long whileter. Ms. Fang was alone at home, taking care of her grandchildren. The others were out for work, except for Shao Yunduan, who was studying in the room. Qiao Xuan was making lipsticks in the floral field. Ms. Fang would have gone out with her grandchildren to visit others, but for the fact that she had to keep an eye on Liu Yan. She nced at Liu Yan¡¯s room, feeling very displeased. How could a maid be sozy? She should have been sold away. Liu Yanbed her hair, washed her face and found two steamed buns for breakfast. She ate them up in silence. The steamed buns were cold, and stiff. For Liu Yan, they were like wax. Liu Yan was greedy for the steamed buns with meat and ground-meat porridge. She desperately wanted to go back to where she came from. Liu Yan gave herself a pep talk and then went upto Ms. Fang. ¡°Greetings, Madame Shao¡­¡± She came to Ms. Fang and said with a ttering smile, ¡°Young Master Grandson and Lady Granddaughter are so good-looking. They must have a great fortune in the future.¡± Shao Junyan and Shao Qing were eating loquats and plums, seated on the chairs next to Ms. Fang. The bright yellow loquats and dark red plums were big and plump, and the juice flowed across the lips when they took a bite. The flesh was thick and tender, and the fruit was full of vor. The two children ate everything with relish and had satisfied smiling faces. It looked delicious at first sight. Liu Yan could not help but feel like eating the fruit as well. She gulped down the saliva, and reached out for the basket. Chapter 190 - 190 Not Her 190 Not Her Ms. Fang moved the basket and snapped at her. ¡°You are not at all honest. You are such azy maid. Even the mostzy woman in the vige wakes up at this hour and does not even get to eat porridge!¡± Liu Yan sneered and thought that she was not a woman from the vige anyways. Liu Yan felt humiliated when she was snapped at by an elderly woman from the countryside. She forced a small smile out of her lips. ¡°You are right, Madame Shao, I will correct myself. Where is Second Miss, is she also working in the field?¡± !! ¡°Of course.¡± Ms. Fang snapped at Liu Yan, as she pursed her lips. ¡°We need to eat by doingbor work! You can sweep the yard, the broomstick is in the corner. That is your job from this day on, one sweep in the morning and the evening, no early sweeping in the afternoon, wait until the ducks, chickens and geese all return to the nests¡­¡± Liu Yan felt even worse when she heard about her task. ¡°Madame Shao.¡± Liu Yan¡¯s smile stiffened, as she said unhappily, ¡°But I am here to serve Second Miss, and I can¡¯t do such heavybor. I am not good at it either.¡± ¡°There is such a thing as serving!¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s eyes arose as she sneered. ¡°Let me tell you, Ms. Qiao is working at our home, and your status is even less than hers! What are you countering me for? One more word, and I will p you right on the face!¡± Liu Yan¡¯s face turned pale. She was startled. She believed her wordspletely. Rough women from the countryside always hit or scolded people, instead of talking reasonably. She could look down at Ms. Fang and her family in her heart, but she could not dare to counter Ms. Fang, if she really pped her. ¡°It is my fault, I am sorry! Madam, don¡¯t be mad, I will sweep the floor now!¡± Instead of arguing, Liu Yan started to sweep the floor. Ms. Fang frowned. Shao Taotao had swept the floor early in the morning. Liu Yan could never do a good job. This was such a mess! Ms. Fang looked down at her inside her heart. What was she doing here, and she even wasted their food! Ms. Fang wanted to drive her away directly, if she could. Liu Yan sneaked back to her own room, when she saw that Ms. Fang was not paying attention to her. The broken wing-room was a poor ce, but it was much better than doing thebor work. She was very worried that Ms. Fang would make her do the hard tasks again. Liu Yan kept herself hidden from everyone. Qiao Xuan as well as the rest of the family did not care, because they never expected her to do anything in the first ce. Qiao Xuan even was worried that Liu Yan would seduce Shao Yunduan, but it seemed that Liu Yan was avoiding the brothers of the Shao Family, fearing that she would be too attached. That made Qiao Xuan feel quite assured. Liu Yan did not dare to irritate Ms. Fang, so she tried to get close to Ms. Xu and Shao Taotao, hoping to get some news about Qiao Xuan from them. But Ms. Fang had told Ms. Xu and Shao Taotao not to say anything, so her attempts failed. They were worried not to be able to counter Liu Yan who might use tricky means, so they kept silent and said nothing. Without any way out, Liu Yan failed to get any valuable information for Elder Miss Qiao, so she clenched her teeth, and expressed that she was going to keep Qiao Xuanpany to dobor work in the fields. But Qiao Xuan turned her down. Chapter 191 - 191 Different Identities 191 Different Identities She was never going to let her know about the existence of her floral fields. Qiao Xuan¡¯s rejection caused suspicion in Liu Yan¡¯s eyes. She tried to stalk Qiao Xuan, but was discovered by Shao Xiaoqi. Qiao Xuan lectured her and asked Shao Taotao to take her to Ms. Fang. Liu Yan tried to sneak into Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan¡¯s room when Shao Yunduan was at the college for studies, trying to find something there. But Ms. Fang got to know and found her when she was going through the wardrobe. Ms. Fang snapped at her angrily. Knowing that she was not in a good position, Liu Yan apologized and did not dare to counter her. Knowing what happened, Qiao Xuan angrily pped Liu Yan right on the face, pointing at her and cursing. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you rummage through my room! If you ever do that again, I am going to chop your hands, and ruin your face. Let¡¯s see if my good mother is going to defend you then!¡± Qiao Xuan did not care if Liu Yan was idling around. But she could not stand it when she dared into her room. Liu Yan should never be allowed to find anything in her room. pping her was the least punishment she could give to her. Liu Yan felt her face flush badly. She was so shocked that she even forgot to scream and stared at Qiao Xuan in surprise. Did Second Miss just p her? How could Second Miss be so ferocious? Did she really, actually hit her? She was the timid and honest Second Miss! She was supposed to be weak! Liu Yan felt as if she were dreaming. Liu Yan believed that Qiao Xuan was a timid person who could be bullied easily, and that was why Liu Yan sneaked into Qiao Xuan¡¯s room. Any servant would be punished heavily if such a thing happened in a family. Servants might even die, if their masters had a bad temper. ¡°Heard what I just said?¡± ¡°What?¡± Liu Yan brought herself back, and felt pain arising on her cheek. Second Miss seemed so intimidating at that moment. She could not help but shiver, as she replied. ¡°Yes, I did!¡± ¡°Then bear my words in your mind.¡± Qiao Xuan sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever forget whose hands you are in. I am not out for your blood, but don¡¯t think that I am someone easily bullied. If I am going to punish you, your contract will be mine too! I can ruin you, and your master will not be able to do anything about it, understand?¡± Liu Yan turned pale and showed horror and fright. If Second Miss ruined her, Elder Miss would definitely not help her, but me her for not being able toplete the mission well. She would kick her away instead of caring about her. Elder Miss might me Second Miss as well, but what more could she do? Second Miss was also Officer Qiao¡¯s daughter. Liu Yan suddenly realized who she really was. She was just a maid, and Second Miss was the master! They had a huge difference in their identities. If Second Miss ignored her, then things would be fine, but if she wanted to do anything to her, she would be helpless against the attack. ¡°Go into the wing-room. No food for you today!¡± Qiao Xuan said coldly. Without uttering any sound, Liu Yan rushed away. Back in the wing-room, Liu Yan copsed onto the hard wooden bed, and her heart throbbed heavily. Chapter 192 - 192 Elder Miss’s Prize 192 Elder Miss¡¯s Prize But soon Liu Yan became excited again. Her eyes were sparkling! No wonder Elder Miss had sent her to watch out for Second Miss. There was something wrong with Second Miss! She was hiding herself so well that she did not reveal her real temper until this day. Elder Miss was so smart to have noticed this secret. Liu Yan turned extremely happy. It was a great piece of news. She was going to take the information to Elder Miss. Elder Miss was definitely going to bestow great prizes and praise her. Elder Miss had told her that Second Miss would go back to her mother¡¯s home on the 15th day of August. At that time, she would reveal everything to Elder Miss. All she needed was to wait until that day. When the rakes were ready, it was time for seedling. That was something that needed to be done at the right hour. The first section of the Shao Family only had seven mu of field, and their grain production was not so high. So, it took time andbor to finish the field nting. Qiao Xuan ceased her work of lipstick, because Ms. Xu and Taotao as well as Qi were helping out with sowing seedlings in the field. Ms. Fang was cooking at home, and Qiao Xuan was asked to take care of Shao Junyan and Shao Qing. As for Shao Yunduan¡­ he was busy studying in his room, whilst the other brothers were out in the field. Second and third sections of the family again came to the door. They first started to coax Eldest Uncle outside home. As a result, at dinner time, Elder Uncle said, ¡°Let¡¯s take an early break tonight. We need to get down to work on the seedlings in the field. When you are done, you can help Second Uncle and Third Uncle as well. It is a very important matter that can¡¯t be dyed¡­¡± Ms. Fang rolled her eyes before he could finish his words. The whole family showed no look of surprise. They had been used to this kind of request. But things were different this year. ¡°What? They don¡¯t own our fields, do they? We made the rakes, why must we do the seedling work too? Oh does this mean that we can get the fruits when autumnes? And we can pick the rice we want?¡± ¡°Are they so handicapped that they can¡¯t move at all?¡± Eldest Uncle frowned. ¡°How can you say things like this? We talked about this before. We will forget our past grudges and start fresh. Why are you still thinking about this?¡± Ms. Fang got even more annoyed. ¡°Of course I am thinking about it. I am telling the truth! They betray us and then they badmouth us! Why must I forget about this? Why are you thinking about making us do all the work for them? We are also busy, they can do the seedling work themselves!¡± ¡°That is my brother, not someone outside the family!¡± Eldest Uncle stressed angrily, after being interrupted by Ms. Fang again. ¡°You are behaving over the top. We can help them when we have time! Also, they will help us with seedlings too! What are you splitting your hair for?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need them! They can do their own work if they have time!¡± Chapter 193 - 193 Clear In Mind 193 Clear In Mind Eldest Uncle red. ¡°You are not working in the field, so you have no rights to make a decision!¡± Ms. Fang looked at her sons. ¡°Do you need Second and Third Uncle for help?¡± Shao Dng was too honest to make an expression. He scratched his head and did not dare to utter a sound. Ms. Xu did the same thing too. She did not say a thing but inwardly, she was cheering for her mother-inw. Shao Sang did not give up after hearing what his mother said. ¡°I don¡¯t think so! They are alwayszy and they never do anything!¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao nodded in agreement. ¡°They are sozy and slow. We are much faster!¡± ¡°Last year when we helped Second Uncle with the seedling, Second Aunt-inw took Second Cousin back home and told her to help with cooking. But when we came to her home for lunch, we did not get to eat any food except for one pot of porridge and pickles. That was such a simple lunch that I believed the Second Aunt-inw could have done it alone¡­¡± Eldest Uncle. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Heard that?¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°No one cares about them! They are just tricking us! They are getting more and more treacherous towards us!¡± Elder Uncle felt humiliated, as he said in a sunken voice, ¡°You should drop the idea! We are going to help, that is all! Understood?¡± Qiao Xuan could not stand the whole thing any more. She smiled. ¡°Mom, it is very easy to resolve this matter! We can help them the way they help us, that is fairness, right?¡± The whole family immediately got rity in their minds. Shao Yunduan could not help but nce at Qiao Xuan, smiling. He hade up with the idea before, but he could not say it out loud. He was the son, who should not humiliate his father publicly. It was better for his wife to say so. ¡°That is true!¡± Shao Sang struck his leg, eyes sparkling. ¡°This is a great idea! You are so smart, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± Eldest Uncle shivered. ¡°Shut up, Ms. Qiao, what kind of idea is it? Seedling is an important thing, we have to take it seriously!¡± Ms. Fang was very displeased. She sneered. ¡°What are you shouting at my daughter-inw for? We are being totally fair, not messing around! Seedling is a very important thing, so you can ask your brothers to pay attention to their own business. It should not be dyed, right? Why didn¡¯t you me them for beingzy? Isn¡¯t seedling important for them?¡± ¡°If you like them so much, you can help them yourself!¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°After the seedling process is over, we are going to host the wedding for the Third Sister-inw, and we are totally upied. I need to hire Elder Brother and Elder Sister-inw to help with preparations¡­¡± She really did not have time to help the other sections of the family with anything. Qiao Xuan was not yet done with lipsticks. She needed to continue with her work. Yuezheng Xiao had told her that she should make as many as possible, and he was going to buy them all. They only had 500 lipsticks avable for sale. She had to hurry up. One lipstick was worth 2 liang and that was a great thing. They had no wax, so she needed to take Qi and Taotao into the mountains. She was going to take in 30 bees boxes within a month. She nned to nt mushrooms too, apart from lipsticks. She had made a new n. She was going to nt fungus, especially white fungus, which were widely epted, valuable and precious. Chapter 194 - 194 Not Others 194 Not Others In addition, she could nt some straw mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and por mushrooms, which would be delicious to be eaten. She did not trust anyone else, but her family! Ms. Xu did not dare to counter her father-inw while facing something else. But Qiao Xuan was talking about the business that helped Ms. Xu to earn money, so she had to say something! Working for Qiao Xuan helped her earn money, and that made Ms. Xu feel really pleased. She often counted the money she had saved in the room,ughing like a silly woman. She was saving it all for her own future! !! So when Qiao Xuan offered some more work, while her father-inw intended to get them to help the other sections of the family, she felt really annoyed. As a result, Ms. Xu said boldly, ¡°True! Dad, we can¡¯t dy what Fifth Sister-inw needs us to do, right? We must help our own family first¡­¡± Ms. Fang looked at Ms. Xu. ¡°You are right, we should understand who is closer, and who is further away from us!¡± Furious, Eldest Uncle finally snapped. ¡°You are all trying to irritate me! Alright then, you all can stay put. I will go over myself!¡± Having said the words, Eldest Uncle walked away, angrily. Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Alright, just leave my sons alone! Don¡¯t you forget to stay for lunch there!¡± Eldest Uncle wanted to ignore what she said, but caught all of it. He got so annoyed that he almost tripped over. Qiao Xuan bit her lips hard, trying not tough. Shao Dng panicked. ¡°Mom, will this work? Will Dad get mad?¡± Qiao Xuan wasughing inwardly. This Elder Brother was way too down-to-earth. Of course her father-inw was angry. He got so angry that he almost copsed. ¡°Just leave him alone!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°He asked for it! You should all listen carefully to me ¨C never join him and help them!¡± Shao Sang and the others nodded happily. ¡°I won¡¯t, never!¡± Although they felt a bit unsure about their father being angry, it was such a wonderful feeling, wasn¡¯t it? Shao Dng intended to say something more, when Ms. Xu tugged his sleeves, so he said nothing else. His wife was smarter than him, so when his wife made the suggestion, he closed his mouth no matter how confused he was¡­ unless it dealt with principles and bottom lines. The following day, Shao Dng and Ms. Xu went to work in their own fields. Ms. Fang was busy with housework, whilst Qiao Xuan kept the two childrenpany and fed the ducks and roosters. Roosters only needed to walk in the yard, where they would get happy and return on their own at night. Ducks and geese had grown very big as well. After they were fed, they were driven out of the home, and they returned in the evening after spending the whole day in the river. Qiao Xuan was not very sure about the animals, so she followed the ducks and geese in the river and brought the two children along. When they returned home, she knocked at the door, waking up Liu Yan. Qiao Xuan felt that such azy person should not remain at home. If she had nothing to do, she would cause trouble. In this case¡­ she could be given to do something. Liu Yan was hesitant. Apparently, she did not care about Qiao Xuan when she was not really in contradiction with her. Chapter 195 - 195 Real Second Miss 195 Real Second Miss But for Shaoding Vige which was far away from the town, and she, as a single girl, was worried about running into something unpleasant on the way, she would have run away rather than stay here. That was why Qiao Xuan was never worried about her running away. Seeing how Liu Yan was behaving, Qiao Xuan sneered. ¡°Sweep the floor clean, chop the wood well and wash all the clothes. No food for you, if you don¡¯t finish the work. If you can stay hungry for a couple of days, then you are wee to do nothing.¡± She had not entrusted her with any work before, because she wanted to see what Liu Yan could do. It was never difficult for her to rectify her. Liu Yan was surprised, unconvinced and extremely furious. She was certain that the Second Miss had changed. She was different from before. Or the Second Miss had always been pretending in the past¡­ Second Miss at this moment was the authentic one. Liu Yan had never respected Qiao Xuan. So when she was threatened, she was not very happy. She threatened back in a soft tone. ¡°Second Miss, don¡¯t forget that Elder Miss has told me to bring you back for the gift presentation on Mid-autumn Day. I am a person given by Elder Miss and Madam to you. I can only serve you with some tea. You should remember who is behind me. Second Miss, you are humiliating me constantly, that is not good, right?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You are wrong. What do you mean by who is behind you? Should I exin my actions to you? Do you think that just because your contract is not in my hands, I can do nothing about you? Mid-Autumn Day is still not here yet. Do you think that I will be afraid of your report to them?¡± ¡°Just wait and see what happens if you disobey me, okay?¡± Liu Yan¡¯s face changed slightly, as she stood motionlessly. But she still did not want to move. She refused to do anybor work. She just did not want to do farmer¡¯s work. Maids from the mansion never did anything like this. Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows and was about to say something, when Ms. Niu came in with her grandson in arms. She shouted. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, you bear the grudge in your mind for so long. What are you staying here for? We are just offering our help¡­¡± Ms. Fang countered immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t care! You can do your own work if you want to. We don¡¯t need your help, because you are going to say that your time and fields got wasted because you helped us with seedlings. How horrible that would sound.¡± Ms. Fang told the other two sections of the family not to visit them. She did not help them either. Second Uncle and Third Uncle had an argument with Ms. Fang, but they never showed up anyway. They believed that they were kind-hearted, but they were turned down early in the morning. Even good-tempered people would not feel pleased after a while. Ms. Niu came to the door directly, when she became frustrated. Now she got even more furious, when she was countered by Ms. Fang. She became anxious and panicked. Actually, she was upset about having to do everything alone. She had been waiting for the first section of the family to help as always done in the past. She could not stand losing the easy help, which used to be avable to her every time in the past. She was a greedy person and felt that she had been put into a disadvantageous situation. Ms. Fang was so disgusting, she thought. Ms. Niu red at Qiao Xuan. She felt that it was all Qiao Xuan¡¯s fault. Chapter 196 - 196 Fierceness 196 Fierceness Ms. Niu regretted so deeply that she had not protested against this marriage. Nothing good had happened after Ms. Qiao became part of the family. Qiao Xuan did not care about her reaction. She even thought of an idea when she saw Ms. Niu¡¯s look. She said, ¡°Second Aunt-inw, we are already in different families. We should care about our own business. Mom is right. You are just humiliating yourself bying here! But, Second Aunt-inw, if you are so busy, I can offer some help!¡± !! She pointed at Liu Yan and smiled. ¡°This is my maid, Liu Yan. Why not take home and make her do your work. You can do whatever you want with her. Maybe, she can be of some help to you!¡± Ms. Niu, who had been so angry a few seconds ago, stopped as she heard the words. ¡°Are you sure? You are going to let me use your maid?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded. Ms. Niu could not help but turn to Ms. Fang, who snorted and looked unwilling, but she said nothing more. Ms. Niu felt slightly better. She snorted. ¡°That is good, you should never break your promise!¡± Ms. Niu would never lose any chance of taking advantage of anything. ¡°Of course not!¡± Qiao Xuan said to Liu Yan, ¡°What are you standing here for? Why don¡¯t you go home with Second Madame Shao. Listen to her order, otherwise she is going to punish you, got it?¡± Ms. Niu felt so happy hearing herself being addressed as ¡®Second Madame Shao¡¯, as if she had already risen higher. She nced at the maid. ¡°Liu Yan, just follow me!¡± Liu Yan looked at Qiao Xuan, bit her lips, and followed Ms. Niu. Liu Yan felt somehow proud inwardly. She believed that Qiao Xuan must have been scared by what she said, so she did not dare to do anything to her. So she drove her away, just to hide how humiliated she was. Alright then! She could leave! Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°The maid is going to soon know what kind of hell she is going into!¡± Qiao Xuan was not a hard-hearted person, nor was Ms. Fang. But they had the right methods to give Liu Yan a hard time. They just did not want to get themselves stuck with too much trouble. Liu Yan would soon know how hellish life could be, when she ended being with someone like Ms. Niu. What was she thinking when she put on a look of who she was? Hearing what Ms. Fang said, Qiao Xuan understood that her mother-inw knew what she was doing. ¡°Mom, you know me well, that maid has to go through some difficulties so that she knows what the world is like!¡± In the afternoon, Shao Dng and the others came home for lunch. Qiao Xuan helped with dough making and noodle kneading. A while ago at home, Qiao Xuan cut chili noodles, shiitake mushrooms, egg skins, pork belly into dices, and fried shrimp, minced garlic, minced green onion, minced ginger, fried peanuts, and put them into arge jar just to mix with noodles. Apart from the noodles, she picked some beans, celery and scallions from the yard. The beans and celery were chopped, nched in boiling water, whilst scallions were cut into minced green onions as seasonings. When the water was boiled, the noodles were cooked, and scooped up so the vegetables, sauce and sesame oil as well as vinegar were mixed with pickles from the jar. It looked tasty and appetizing. The dish was simple, and the meal made people feel so satisfied. Chapter 197 - 197 Balanced 197 Bnced Qiao Xuan picked up some mulberries and plums from the garden, washed them and put them in bamboo baskets for everyone to satisfy their cravings after lunch. She did not work in the field, so she tried her best to let the whole family eat well. But she did not see any cucumbers and she wondered if cucumbers weremonly-seen at this time around. Otherwise, she could slice cucumbers and stir the slices with noodles. They would be tasty and fresh. As long as she loved it, she could let the fruit trees grow all kinds of fresh fruits throughout the whole year. But that was not very scientific and she might cause a sensation. At this time, the loquats were already out of season, and there was still a small portion of plums, mulberries, and bayberry. They would go out of season in about ten days at most. But peaches, grapes, watermelons could be eaten again, then figs, and then pears, dates, and pomegranates would be ripe enough. Eldest Uncle was still very angry with Ms. Fang. He was wearing a bad look on his face. The whole family had been fed up with the second and third sections of the family during the past few years, and they did not want to slow her down or hold her back when their mother took the lead and protested against it. So no one cared about Eldest Uncle¡¯s look. That made him feel even worse. In silent mutiny, he stopped the work of his own family but went down to the third section of the family to help him. Third section of the family was not giving him a good time. Ling was someone who worked over a desk, and there were no other sons who worked in the field. Eldest Uncle just could not stand that the third section of the family missed the spring plow. But the second section of the family felt very imbnced in their hearts, thinking that their eldest brother should be fair. He could not just help the third section of the family, but also the second section of the family! Eldest Uncle felt very ufortable. In his opinion, they were brothers. They just lived separately because they had more and more new peopleing to the ce. But the whole family was still one. The whole family should stay together, and help each other. As long as theybined forces, they could all have a better life. He really did not think that it was a problem, if his sons worked hard for the other sections of the family. Nephew Ling was physically weak, and he could not go down and work in the field, so he felt that it was totally normal if he helped out his third brother and his family. But what did his second brother mean, when he had so many helpers? Why must he go and help them? When he refused to, he was considered as not being fair. It was not about fairness¡­ It seemed that the second brother and his family did not understand the idea of being one family. Eldest Uncle felt really emotional. He tried to exin to the second section of the family, which made Second Uncle further irritated. But he stopped, when he thought of how his wife got a maid from the first section of the family. Eldest Uncle felt better thinking that he had managed to convince his second brother. ¡°Look, he understood it. He can see through my ideas¡­¡± Ms. Fang did not care about her husband working for the third section of the family. He could continue to be there. As long as his own family was on the right track, he could be left alone. They had not been to the town for days, and Shao Xiaoqi had not hunted in the mountains, so Ms. Fang bought some tofu from the wandering sellers. Qiao Xuan made food at night. Tofu was fried in oil and browned on both sides. She was going to make a dish of stir-fried tofu with green peppers and mushrooms. Arge catfish was killed, and she stewed it with the sauce which had been mixed with noodles for lunch. Two more crucian carp were killed, and after the cuts were made, they were wrapped in flour and fried, and then braised. She also made another fresh bamboo shoot soup and one dish of fried beans. A table consisting of five dishes made a good meal. Chapter 198 - 198 One Thing Left 198 One Thing Left Eldest Uncle was very angry with Ms. Fang, so he did not eat at home. Instead, he went to the third section of the family for dinner. Third Uncle and Ms. Ma were not very happy about his visit. Ms. Ma even made some implicit remarks but Eldest Uncle did not get it. Ms. Ma pursed her lips, mumbling in a small voice that all he did was just offer them some help for half a day, and now he was staying for dinner! Their eldest brother was getting more and more calctive! After many days of work, the spring plow was finally drawing to the end. No one from the first section of the family offered help. Second Uncle as well as Third Uncle failed in their n of letting Ms. Fang¡¯s sons help them out. Infact Ms. Fang got more tricky now. She asked her sons to slow down their ownbor work, so they did not have any free time to offer anyone else any help. So, after the second and third sections of the family took advantage in getting the rakes made, they would not be called reasonable if they forced Ms. Fang and her sons to help with the seedlings also. Feeling helpless, the second and third sections of the family had to ask some people from the vige for help so they could finish the spring plow. When they were done with the spring plow, the first section was done with their work as well. The two families got very annoyed. They felt as if they had been set up! They knew clearly by this point that Ms. Fang was getting harder to deal with. Spring plow had just passed. Yang Xiaoni was getting ready to be married to the family, so the first section of the Shao Family was going to be even busier for the days toe. But there were many helpers in the family, and due to the wedding of Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan which took ce just a while ago, they were fairly familiar with the arrangement of the wedding this time. Besides, Ms. Fang had plenty of money now, and she was more confident and faster in getting everything done. Therge and important stuff as well as the new room were all ready. The wedding reception had been well-arranged, so was the guest lists. The meat, the vegetables and everything else was booked. Everyone was waiting for the wedding day toe. Those whom they needed for help were all informed¡­ There was just one thing that remained to be done. Shao Sang was very honest and he treated Yang Xiaoni well. When he was done with the spring plow, he told Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle that he was helping Yang Xiaoni and her family out. Yang Xiaoni had beenining to him all the time about what her brother and sister-inw were like. Shao Sang had heard quite a lot about the couple¡¯s behavior as well. Spring plow and autumn harvest were top priorities throughout the year and they were the most tiring errands as well. Yang Liang and his wife were veryzy and loved to eat good food. So, if they took the excuse of the spring plow and tried to ruin the wedding, that would be troublesome! So he just wanted to offer some help to press down the couple, so that he could get the girl home. After the girl came to his home, he would leave the couple alone and care nothing about them any more. Married girls would always be spilled water, and even a brother could not interfere in his sister¡¯s inw¡¯s family. Actually, Yang Liang and his wife had been very annoyed by the spring plow. Ms. Tian kept forcing Yang Xiaoni to ask the Shao Family for help, but Yang Xiaoni ignored her and did not want to do anything about it. There was one time when she was pped right on the face without being able to dodge it. As a result, she tripped over and skinned her arm. When Third Grandma Yang was helping her put on the medicine, the girl, who had been so broad-minded and optimistic all this while, could not help but burst into tears. She had not yet married, and was being forced to ask her mother-inw¡¯s family to help her brother withbor. What position would she have at her new home in future? How would she be able to face her mother-inw as well as her sisters-inw? So, she did not listen to what Ms. Tian asked her to do, no matter what Ms. Tian said. But it was not so easy to ignore the issue. Third Grandma Yang promised to get involved, only because Ms. Fang had given her some gifts earlier. Moreover, she was in the right position to get involved in their family affairs as an elder. Chapter 199 - 199 Proud Ms. Tian 199 Proud Ms. Tian By this point, she had started to feel sorry for Yang Xiaoni. She sighed and consoled her. This girl was lucky after all, because the Shao Family was willing to ept her. When she was married, her life would surely get better. When Shao Sang offered help in the field, he solved all the problems immediately. People in the Yang Vige expressed their jealousy for Yang Xiaoni¡¯s luck. Some even regretted why they did not go to the Shao Family to ask about marital connection before the Yang Family did. ¡°The Shao Family is such a good family, that no one else will be able to exceed them!¡± ¡°Shao Sang looks quite honest, but he treats Xiaoni so well. When I look carefully, I think he is very good-looking!¡± ¡°We all say that dumb people have their luck, look at what Yang Xiaoni has got!¡± Some were also feeling sour and jealous, and whispered amongst themselves. ¡°The Shao Family have to marry her because they already made the offer, otherwise who would want to be married to a family like that?¡± ¡°True, Yang Liang and his wife are not easily driven away. They will always make trouble, which no one can stand!¡± ¡°I wonder how Ms. Fang would treat Yang Xiaoni when she is married. Ms. Fang is a very fierce person. We can¡¯t really say that Yang Xiaoni is lucky for now!¡± ¡°That is true!¡± ¡°¡­¡± But no matter what the whispers were like, Yang Xiaoni was feeling happy, guilty and moved. She wanted to throw herself to Shao Sang and promised to stay devoted to him thoroughly. Yang Liang and Ms. Tian were also very proud. Ms. Tian did not show any respect towards Shao Sang. She kept buzzing around him, telling him to offer help whenever he could and not to forget about their familyter on. But the couple said nothing about Yang Xiaoni. Shao Sang ignored and snorted at them as an agreement. They did not care about Xiaoni or what her life would be like, so he would not care about the couple either. He would not have shown up, but for the concern that the couple would change their mind about the wedding. Two days before Shao Sang¡¯s wedding, Qiao Xuan, Ms. Xu, Shao Taotao were helping Ms. Fang get ready for Shao Sang¡¯s wedding in the afternoon, when a silhouette rushed in suddenly. She threw herself to the ground on her knees, crying at Second Miss and kept kowtowing. ¡°Please help me, Second Miss. I am sorry for what I have done. I promise that I will do whatever you want me to do, but please, take me back, Second Miss, please¡­¡± The crying was loud and miserable. Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang as well as everyone else present there got startled. Qiao Xuan was curious. ¡°Are you¡­ Liu Yan?¡± ¡°Yes, yes I am!¡± Liu Yan screamed even more loudly. Ms. Fang and the others had their eyes wide open, feeling absolutely shocked. No wonder the whole gang looked as if they had seen a ghost. The girl who was kowtowing in front of them was not like Liu Yan of the past. When Liu Yan first arrived here, she waszy, arrogant, always well-dressed even though she was not wearing any special makeup. But her hair had always beenbed neatly, and she had embroidered shoes as well as a handkerchief with flower patterns. However¡­ This woman in front of them had unkempt hair and was wearing shabby, old clothes with patches, which were apparently too small for her to wear. She was kowtowing so her face was not seen, but she must have suffered a great deal in the recent past. Chapter 200 - 200 Revenge 200 Revenge When she was kneeling in front of them, Liu Yan looked totally different. Infact, she resembled a refugee! Ms. Fang suddenly realized what had happened. She snorted slightly and then sneered. Qiao Xuan gradually understood too. She cursed inwardly that it served her right. Ms. Niu seemed to have spared no efforts to torment Liu Yan. She must have ripped Liu Yan¡¯s clothes and given her what Shao Meiling had already worn out. It could be seen clearly what life Liu Yan was leading when she was working for the second section of the family. Evil always received revenge. ¡°Alright, just stop crying! What rules do you have by crying so loudly in front of your master?¡± Qiao Xuan said calmly. Liu Yan¡¯s cry stopped suddenly, but she continued to sob. ¡°Okay, Second Miss, okay!¡± She was no longer as arrogant as before. Second Miss was going to be her savior. She had realized that itpletely depended on Second Miss whether she was going to be rescued from where she was now. Qiao Xuan did not want Ms. Qiao and the others to see what she looked like currently. So she smiled at Ms. Fang. ¡°Mom, this servant doesn¡¯t seem to be in a good condition. I will take her somewhere else and ask her what is going on, so that she doesn¡¯t dirty the room.¡± Ms. Fang nodded. ¡°Okay, do as you want.¡± Then she sneered. ¡°It serves her right! She was arrogant,zy and always greedy for food!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°True, otherwise she would have continued to assume that everyone is as friendly as our family!¡± Qiao Xuan ordered Liu Yan to get up and took her to her wing-room. Liu Yan, who had found the wing-room so terrible earlier, believed that it was her safe bay at this moment. Liu Yan soon kneeled down and cried. ¡°Second Miss, please, I am sorry, please take me back!¡± The second section of the family was so horrible that she never wanted to go back there. The first day she arrived there, she was ordered to get changed by Ms. Niu, who said that a servant did not deserve to have such good clothes. But those were not good clothes at all. They were just made of cotton. She had been sneering at them for being so narrow-sighted that they had never seen anything good. She could not help but look down upon Ms. Niu, who pped her right on the cheek. She felt her ears buzzing, and had to obey whatever Ms. Niu said from then on. Ms. Niu and Shao Meiling as well as the other members of that family kept ordering her to do all kinds of work, as if they had never ordered anyone before. What was more, she was overloaded with all kinds of housework. It includedundry, cooking, wood chopping, fire starting, dish washing and yard sweeping¡­ Apart from that, she was instructed to serve them tea, do massages and dig the ground in the yard with a shovel. If she failed to do anything, she would be scaled, beaten and pped on the face. Just one day before, Shao Meiling suddenly got annoyed and started to kick her. She was pushed to the ground and constantly kicked, before Shao Meiling finally stopped. She suffered so terribly that she just could not get up. The moment she got up, Ms. Niu ordered her to start the fire and cook. Moreover, she was starved. She was fed only light porridge every single day. She did not even have a piece of pickle! Ms. Niu said that she was just a ve who deserved nothing more than porridge. Only then did she realize how happy her life had been when she was working for Second Miss, who gave her decent food. She was asked to sleep in the straw pile during the night, and had mosquito bites all over her body. She felt so itchy that she could not fall asleep at all. But that did not excuse her to rest the following day. She had to get up and continue to work. She had never understood how difficult life could be before this. Ms. Niu was very tricky, and kept her eye on her throughout the day. Her room was locked overnight, and she could not escape even if she wanted to. Chapter 201 - 201 Different Second Miss 201 Different Second Miss Liu Yan found a single chance to escape, so without hesitation, she hurried back to Second Miss¡¯s home. She would have soon died if she did not escape. Ms. Niu and her whole family were monsters! Liu Yan begged as she cried heavily, expressing how miserable her life had been. She looked so pitiful. !! There was no change on Qiao Xuan¡¯s face and she stood there motionlessly. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Qiao Xuan interrupted her, after hearing that what Liu Yan said were just repetitions. She sneered. ¡°It seems that Second Aunt-inw has taught you a good lesson. Now you are more prudent than before.¡± Liu Yan stiffened as she felt a streak of coldness shing across her heart. She started to shiver. She gasped, and uttered no words. Qiao Xuan sneered. ¡°I will bring you back to the Qiao Family on the 15th day of August, but what are you going to tell Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei?¡± Liu Yan was both happy and scared inwardly. It was not yet June and the 15th day of August was already so far away. But Liu Yan did not dare to counter her any more. Instead, she said politely, ¡°I will not say anything bad about you, never!¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Qiao Xuan sneered and said calmly, ¡°But you will be out of my reach by that point. How can I trust you?¡± ¡°Or, what can you give me so that I can trust you?¡± Liu Yan was startled. ¡°I won¡¯t, really won¡¯t! Second Miss, please believe me!¡± ¡°Those are just bags of wind!¡± Qiao Xuan said coldly, ¡°You think I am soft-hearted and will answer to your request just because you beg me? You think that I am like before?¡± Liu Yan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She did not dare to look up when her thoughts were seen through. What on earth had her Elder Miss entrusted her to do? What made the Second Miss change so much? She had thought that just because she was given by Madame Qiao and Elder Miss, Second Miss would not do anything to her, and would even hail her to the sky. But now¡­ it seemed that her dream of dominating the Shao Family had already broken, and one single farmer¡¯s wife had nearly driven her to death! She had told Ms. Niu and her family that she was given by Madame Qiao to the Second Miss, but Ms. Niu snapped. ¡°So, you are working for my niece-daughter-inw? Well then, she allows me to order you around, and so I shall!¡± That made her totally speechless and helpless! She did not dare to say that she was the spy, otherwise she would have been killed! Qiao Xuan snorted. ¡°I have to get a bargaining chip from you, right?¡± Liu Yan suddenly felt that something bad was going to happen. She said in a shivering voice, ¡°Second Miss, just¡­ tell me what you need¡­¡± ¡°Listen carefully, I want you to curse Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei, and I will write every word on the paper, and you need to make an imprint, sealing it. If you dare to say anything bad about me in the future, I will present the note to Qiao Wei.¡± Even if she revealed some secrets to Qiao Wei, she would not forgive her when she heard something bad about her. ¡°Secondly, I want to hear three terrible things that Qiao Wei has done in secret, and I will write them down for you to put a thumbprint on as well.¡± ¡°Thirdly, I want you to swear on your life and future that you will never reveal anything about me, after you leave this vige.¡± Chapter 202 - 202 Bad Luck 202 Bad Luck ¡°Fourthly, get one handkerchief of yours and give it to me. You should have a few in your luggage, right?¡± Qiao Xuan said as she rolled up her sleeve and checked her arm. After a moment, she put it down and checked the other. She smiled. ¡°You have one ck mole close to your left shoulder. I will bear that in mind.¡± ¡°If you dare to set me up, I will hand over your handkerchief and tell the position of the mole to the hooligans in the town, who may use this information to get you to be their wife. Do you think that they will refuse such an opportunity?¡± ¡°As long as someone holds the evidence and says that you and he are in a rtionship, do you think that Madame Qiao will defend you or hand you out to the hooligans?¡± The more she said, the paler Liu Yan became. When she was done, Liu Yan let out a cry and copsed on the ground. Her heart was throbbing and she was in such a fright that she could not even get up. She leveled a frightened look at Qiao Xuan, feeling shocked. She had lost thest hope. This was not the obedient Second Miss she knew of¡­ this Second Miss was evil! Qiao Xuan smiled as she looked at her calmly. ¡°You can either say yes or no to me. ordingly, I will know if I should either send you back to my Second Aunt-inw¡¯s home. So, choose well.¡± Qiao Xuan had no choice but to utter such harsh conditions. Liu Yan¡¯s contract was not in her hands. The moment she returned to the Qiao Family, she would tell all kinds of stories about her. Hence, Qiao Xuan could not just believe her vows, she needed to gather all kinds of proofs to prevent this girl from harming her. Otherwise the moment Qiao Wei learned about the real side of hers, she would never leave her alone. She was not in a position to fight against Qiao Wei. It would not work even if she found an excuse to keep Liu Yan for the Mid-Autumn Day. That would make Qiao Wei feel that something was wrong and she would refuse to stop spying on her. Liu Yan copsed totally. She sobbed, shivering. ¡°I will do whatever you say, please¡­ Second Miss!¡± She had no other choice! Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Good, you are teachable. Don¡¯t worry, I have no interest in your Madame Qiao, Elder Miss Qiao and you. As long as we live separate lives like in the past, then all would be fine. Qiao Wei doesn¡¯t necessarily need to know what I am like, and I can always lie to her, right? Don¡¯t be so nervous!¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± She was very nervous, but there was nothing else she could do. Qiao Xuan did not think that Liu Yan would dare do anything bad after all of this. This was a good guarantee for her and the Shao Family to live a leisurely, free life. ¡°Tidy up, boil the water in the kitchen and take a bath. Get changed and then, we will sign the deal!¡± Qiao Xuan left after saying this. Liu Yan copsed with her hands over her chest, struggling to get up from the floor. She was having such a miserable time! Qiao Xuan came to Shao Yunduan and narrated the whole thing to him. She needed Shao Yunduan to write the agreement, since she was not so good at it. Moreover, Shao Yunduan was the only person that had the right skills. ¡°Qiao Wei has Liu Yan¡¯s contract, so this is the only thing I can do to keep down Liu Yan. You won¡¯t think that I am too ruthless, right?¡± Chapter 203 - 203 Ms. Fang Alone 203 Ms. Fang Alone Qiao Xuan felt a bit anxious. She did not want Shao Yunduan and the Shao Family to consider her as evil. She was an innocent person, and expected to live a peaceful, leisurely life. Evil and ruthless? Shao Yunduan did not know what to say. His wife must have gotten a wrong idea of what ruthlessness meant. ¡°You are gentle enough, but she is already frightened, right?¡± Qiao Xuan was surprised, but soon she replied with a smile. ¡°Yes! She is so timid and dumb, what I said was enough to frighten her!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Then that is good!¡± Liu Yan was just boiling water in the kitchen, when Ms. Niu came to the door. ¡°Are you at home, Fifth Niece-inw?¡± Liu Yan, who was already so good at boiling water in the kitchen, almost copsed on her knees hearing the voice. She was really scared! Qiao Xuan knew exactly what Ms. Niu was doing here. But Liu Yan already received enough lessons and she was not going to allow Ms. Niu to take her away again. She was her maid, and Ms. Niu had just borrowed her for a couple of days. Ms. Niu was very displeased right now when Qiao Xuan wanted to take her back, but there was nothing she could do. Most importantly, there was nothing she dared to do. Ms. Fang could drive her away to start with. Ms. Niu made someints about howzy and greedy Liu Yan was whilst working for her, before she left the ce with an unconvinced heart. Liu Yan let out a sigh of relief in the kitchen, feeling alive again. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan soon got the agreement ready. Liu Yan shivered badly but she had to cooperate. Qiao Xuan was satisfied when she had the bargaining chip ready in her hand. ¡°Alright, just stay here and work for me! If you dare betray me¡­ I will bring you down with me!¡± Scared, Liu Yan shook her head and her hands trembled. ¡°No, no, I won¡¯t, I won¡¯t!¡± Liu Yan soon became very diligent! She chopped wood, swept the floor and started the fire without even being asked. She wanted to take over all kinds of work. She was suddenly so proactive! Qiao Xuan watched the whole thing calmly, but Ms. Fang pursed her lips, not feeling so good towards that maid. This maid was a bitch, who had yielded after being disciplined by Ms. Niu! The following day was Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni¡¯s wedding. At lunchtime, Shao Xiaoqi came from outside cheerfully, telling everyone that he had set three traps in the ce a couple of days ago where wild boars might appear. When he went into the mountains and took a look around, he saw arge-sized wild boar in the trap. It was too heavy for him to carry. So he came home to fetch some helpers¡­ ¡°Mom, the wild boar is really big! It weighs at least 100 kgs! There will be one more kind of dish served at the wedding tomorrow!¡± Shao Xiaoqi was so happy about it. So was the whole family. Shao Sang was so thrilled that he returned an excited greeting. ¡°Brother, thank you so much! It is going to be great!¡± ¡°You are wee, Third Brother!¡± Everyone would like to have a flourishing wedding. Shao Sang had a lot of savings and knew that his mother had some too, but the money was earned without letting their father know, so they could not spend it in front of everyone. Fifth Brother had just held his wedding, and the cost was very high. So, if they spent too much on another wedding, the situation would look obviously suspicious. That would not be good. They had the savings, and they could use it slowly for their own pleasure, which was beneficial, and full of pleasure. But a wild boar was another issue. That wild boar weighed more than 100 kgs. It should be a big thing! Chapter 204 - 204 Good Luck 204 Good Luck Hence, he fetched some vigers to carry the wild boar home. The second and the third section of the family also went to help. If they refused to offer some assistance, they might not be given any share in the meatter. Shao Eng and Shao Sng both went to help, as did Second Uncle and Third Uncle who wanted to check what was going on. The two families got so jealous! !! Why was a wild boar caught at this time? They would not be given much meat when the wild boar was caught at this moment. They would have received dozens of kilos at any other time of the year. Ms. Ma pursed her lips. ¡°Qi must have done this on purpose, right?¡± In the afternoon, the wild boar was carried home, and many vigers came to the house to watch it, saying that the first section of the Shao Family was so lucky to have gotten a wild boar on this asion. It was perfect for the wedding to take ce the next day. They became even more cheerful, when they thought that they could have a taste of the meat here! With the help from the vigers, the wild boar was quickly disemboweled, chopped and broken down into pieces. It was very cold in the mountains, and the meat was so fresh. Even after one night, the meat would still remain good. Ms. Fang was very generous. She gave one kilo of meat to every helper. She gave 1.5 kgs to the second and the third section of the family, as well as a pig foot for each family. Ofcourse, they wanted to have it all. Ms. Niu even tried to sneak one into her bag but she was spotted by Shao Taotao, who screamed. ¡°What are you doing, Second Aunt?¡± Shao Taotao¡¯s scream drew everyone¡¯s attention. Ms. Fang sneered inwardly and asked Ms. Xu and Shao Taotao to put away the meat on the board, saying with a smile, ¡°Second Sister-inw, thank you for trying to help, but we can put everything away ourselves. Just go home and rest, so you cane and help us with the wedding on the following day.¡± They had to help with the wedding, otherwise they would be med. The first section of the family did not care about their help, but she still asked for it. Ms. Niu said timidly, ¡°Okay, okay, I know¡­¡± She sneaked a look at Shao Taotao, and turned around. Ms. Niu mumbled inwardly, cursing the girl for being so bold nowadays. She never dared to counter her in the past. She was so angry! It was never easy to deal with the inner organs, which required a lot of seasonings, so the other families were not interested in the task. But Qiao Xuan¡¯s cooking skills in dealing with inner organs were all approved by the family. Qiao Xuan did not disappoint them either. She made a table full of good dishes in the evening. The pork liver was cut into small pieces, and marinated with various seasonings. Then, the slices were wrapped in oil into egg-sized pieces, and slowly fried in the oil pan. This kind of dish required a lot of effort, but the end result was very tasty. When it was fried, the smell was so good that Qiao Xuan asked Shao Xiaoqi, Shao Taotao and her niece and nephew to fry and eat at the same time. The dinner was warm and fresh, salty and fragrant. The pork loin was stir-fried with garlic sprouts and green peppers, and therge intestine was still stir-fried with pickles such as peppers such as sour, spicy and crispy radish and beans. The pig¡¯s trotters were stewed first, and then put in the pot to make a sweet and sour dish. Chapter 205 - 205 Shameless 205 Shameless This soup was used to cook processed pig heart, pig blood, small intestine, pig stomach, and pig liver. Chopped garlic sprouts, shallots, and ginger pieces were added to cook arge bowl of delicious and rich hodgepodge. Qiao Xuan processed every piece very carefully and even washed them with flour. She put in a lot of rice wine, star anises, gingers, pepper so there was no strange smell in the end. The wild boar was sorge, and the inner organs could not be finished in just one dinner. So, Qiao Xuan asked Ms. Xu to cut them into slices, deep-fry them and stew with chilis so that a jar of chili sauce could be preserved for eight or ten days. There was one big pig head that was roasted over fire, and dried in the shadow for future braising. !! Early the next morning, the first section of the Shao Family got very busy. Ms. Fang had everything arranged neatly, so things went on smoothly. Qiao Xuan¡¯s job was to help Ms. Fang in receiving rtives and getting to know them, whilst checking and urging those helpers from the second and third section of the family to work harder in case they mess things up. Qiao Xuan was pleased with the task and nodded happily. Qiao Xuan did not allow Liu Yan to show up on wedding day. She was ordered to stay in the wing-room. A lot of helpers were asked to give a helping hand at the wedding, so they had plenty ofbor forces. Liu Yan was a ticking bomb that should not show up in public. Liu Yan was very interested in watching the wedding of a vige, but Qiao Xuan did not allow her to do so, and she did not dare to counter the order. She had already understood what Second Miss could do, so she did not object. Second Miss did not even need to do anything about her personally. All she would do was to throw her to the second section of the family, and she would be engulfed in endless misery. Dressed in a red robe, Shao Sang the groom, smiled stupidly. He went to the Yang Family to fetch his bride. He was riding on the donkey, surrounded by the reception team. Shao Dng, Shao Yunduan, Shao Xiaoqi as well as the sons from the second section of the family and young men from the vige all tagged along. Shao Ling did not show up. ording to Third Uncle, he was working very hard in college and should not be distracted. After all, he had made plenty of progress and did not want to be disturbed. Eldest Uncle understood itpletely. Being able to read was very important, because it was rted to what the future would look like for them. Ms. Fang snorted and rolled her eyes. It was just an excuse. It did not take much effort to attend a wedding. Even the Emperor was not as busy as he was. He must feel humiliated toe over. Yunduan was already a Cultivated Talent, yet he was nothing more than a disciple. He was afraid of beingpared. He would have stille over, if Yunduan¡¯s wife was not the daughter of the County Magistrate. Ms. Fang thought that her husband was so stupid that believed what Third Uncle said. Yang Xiaoni¡¯s wedding gown was delivered by a messenger from Ms. Fang¡¯s side. It was delivered directly to Third Grandma Yang¡¯s home, so she could help Yang Xiaoni get dressed on the wedding day. When Third Grandma Yang, together with some rtives, brought the gown to her home, Ms. Tian¡¯s face sank. Ms. Tian knew clearly that she was the one that they were trying to hide from. Yang Xiaoni was finally moving out of home as a bride, with the help of Third Grandma Yang and the other rtives. But Ms. Tian kept crying loudly. She kept saying that she and her husband had spent so much effort in raising Yang Xiaoni and helped her get married by finding a good family. Her point was that Yang Xiaoni shoulde home often enough to visit her brother and sister-inw. Chapter 206 - 206 Not An Easy Deal 206 Not An Easy Deal Hearing those words, Yang Liang did feel a bit moved and could not help but rub his eyes. The couple¡¯s behavior disgusted the whole audience. Despite the disgusted feelings, the members from the Yang Family could not help but tell her to stay assured. However, Shao Sang did not restrain himself and embarrassed Ms. Tian and Yang Liang, seeing that his wife was already in the litter. ¡°Brother, Sister-inw!¡± Shao Sang said with a smile, ¡°I feel so moved that you treat Xiaoni well. KIndly show us the dowry, so we can go to do the ceremony. We can¡¯t miss the right hour, can we?¡± Suddenly silence dominated the whole ce. Ms. Tian, who was shedding tears, burst out. ¡°There is no dowry! You told us that we did not have to offer any dowry, you are breaking the promise!¡± Shao Sang rolled his eyes in an exaggerated way and said mockingly, ¡°We did say so, but we thought that you care about Xiaoni so much that you are crying so hard and are willing to push the dowry into her hands!¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± ¡°Ahahaha!¡± The vigers who were watching the show could not help but chuckle, so did the reception team, whoughed along. Both Yang Liang and Ms. Tian were thoroughly embarrassed. Ms. Tian red at Shao Sang and showed no expression of ¡®unwillingness to let her sister-inw go¡¯. Shao Sang felt much better seeing her showing the real look. He added. ¡°So, are you giving us the dowry or not? You love Xiaoni, don¡¯t you? You can show some sincerity after all!¡± Annoyed, Yang Liang snapped. ¡°You¡­ you¡­ we are too poor to offer you any dowry!¡± Shao Sangughed. ¡°Well, it depends on whether you have the intention. You can give us the money if you have it. If you are too poor to give us any money, you can offer a wardrobe, a table, a basin or a bucket made from the trees in the mountains. We won¡¯t turn any of it down. Seeing how you are dressed, you don¡¯t look that poor either!¡± Yang Liang was stuck with words. He red at Shao Sang, just as Ms. Tian did. Any poor family would at least offer some garments or furniture to the married daughter, if they really loved her. Ms. Tian and Yang Liang were a rarely-seen set of family. The Shao Family did not care about the dowry, as they already said that they did not need any. But it was annoying when the family offered nothing whilst pretending to y the drama that they loved the bride. It was disgusting! How could they get away with a cheap deal of wanting to keep both reputation and stuff as well. Shao Sang was a down-to-earth person, but he could not stand being disgusted to this level. Seeing that the purpose was almost achieved, Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Third Brother, let¡¯s leave, we should not miss the right hour.¡± Shao Sang chuckled. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± Without even looking at Yang Liang and Ms. Tian, the team took off. The vigers from the Yang Family exchanged a look between themselves and also left. The couple was thoroughly humiliated! But it served them right, since they were the ones who tried to take advantage of others first. Chapter 207 - 207 Grudge 207 Grudge Yang Liang and his wife became so annoyed that they pped the door shut! ¡°I am so annoyed, so annoyed! The Shao Family are behaving over the top! I am definitely going to take revenge!¡± Ms. Tian was so irritated that she kept crying loudly. Some nosy vigers understood that Ms. Tian would hold a grudge over the matter. So they leaned against the door of Yang Liang¡¯s home and listened. !! Ms. Tian, who was irritated beyond measure, kept cursing. After a while, the listeners rolled their eyes, snapped disdainfully and shared the gossip with the fellow vigers. It was a bustling scene at the first section of the Shao Family at this moment. They were not affected by the Yang Family at all. Ms. Fang was a very cautious, economic person. She added some money so that the wedding looked really good. The melon seeds, peanuts and tea were constantly served. The dried fruits were a little expensive, but Ms. Fang did not want the dried fruits to stand out so she refilled the box every third hour. Four kinds of dried fruits were bought, namely preserved apricots, candied dates, hawthorn cake, green and red fruit slices. All of them were so popr that they were eaten up the moment they were served. Qiao Xuan followed Ms. Fang to greet rtives and friends. Everyone knew about her identity, and many had attended her wedding. But she was a prestigious presence in front of the vigers, who could not help but nce at her again and again. She was very friendly, and no one could find a fault in her. Instead, they found her different from manydies in the vige. They whispered to each other, saying that she was polite, friendly and behaved well, and also that she looked so pretty and had a special air around her. In the end, they could not help but conclude that the daughter of Officer Qiao was indeed outstanding. There was even a sense of faint jealousy. The first section of the Shao Family was really lucky and was definitely going to get richer. Shao Yunduan was already the Cultivated Talent. Moreover, he was the son-inw of Officer Qiao, so his future was definitely going to be promising with such a father-inw behind his back. The guests, who heard those words, felt sour, and emotional. They were all friends and rtives and kept givingpliments to the Shao Family on this happy day. Only Ms. Ma felt aggrieved inside her heart. Shao Yunduan was just lucky, that was all! Soon her son was going to be more skilled and knowledgeable than Shao Yunduan. It was just that he got sick during the examination so that Shao Yunduan took his ce. But for Shao Yunduan¡¯s sess of bing Cultivated Talent and saving Officer Qiao¡¯s daughter, he would not have gotten a wife like this. If her own son became the Cultivated Talent, then Shao Yunduan would be nothing. So even if Shao Yunduan saved Qiao Xuan, Officer Qiao would not have married his daughter to him! She even imagined the scene of epting her, for the sake of Officer Qiao, and she would have taught her to behave well! If only such a thing had happened! If they could get rted to the Qiao Family, her son would definitely get promoted and she would be in full charge of Qiao Xuan¡¯s generous dowry. Moreover, she would even be invited as a guest at the County Magistrate¡¯s home during all kinds of festivals, and maybe, would have shared a meal with her daughter-inw¡¯s family¡­ She would have gotten to know many noble families, who would alwayse handy as useful connections for them in the future! Chapter 208 - 208 Out Of Dream 208 Out Of Dream In this way, her own family would have flourished as well! Ms. Ma found her dream getting more and more realistic. The more realistic it seemed, the more annoyed she felt about the truth she had to face, when she realized where she was at the moment. Seeing that Ms. Fang was not within sight, Ms. Ma suddenly thought of an idea. !! Ms. Ma went to those rtives and friends who did not seem to get on well with Ms. Fang, and started to reveal some ¡®secrets¡¯ about Ms. Fang. She did not dare to say anything about Qiao Xuan, since she was in a high position. No one from the vige had any idea of how Qiao Xuan was actually treated at home. But she dared to say something about Ms. Fang. ¡°¡­She just favors this daughter-inw of hers! Look at Ms. Xu, who has to work so hard from early morning. She has to doundry, sweeping the floor, chopping, carrying water, starting a fire, and cooking. After she makes breakfast, she has to go into the fields for heavybor. She is so busy every single day. But look at Ms. Qiao, she needs to do nothing!¡± ¡°It is only because Ms. Qiao has money! She is definitely going to take hold of the dowry of Ms. Qiao. This Ms. Qiao is so stupid as to still defend her and respect her as if she were her own mother!¡± ¡°You know how much they offered to Sang for him to get the wife? 20 liang! Since when did they get so generous? They have just hosted Wang¡¯s wedding and now they are able to give 20 liang to the Yang Family! Everyone knows where the money ising from! But they don¡¯t want to loan any money to us, even though they are living a luxurious life! They are so hard-hearted!¡± ¡°Just wait and see, when Sang¡¯s wife moves in, the new daughter-inw will definitely be very unhappy about her mother-inw¡¯s tant preference towards Ms. Qiao. Dng is very honest, and doesn¡¯t dare to utter a word when his wife is bullied, but Sang is different.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Those aunts¡¯ biggest pastime was to gossip about the family rtionships of different families. They were most fascinated by how those family disputes were conducted. Since they felt a bit jealous about the first section of the Shao Family, and did not like Ms. Fang much, they were all excited to hear what Ms. Ma told them. So the whole group got together and gossiped vigorously, with their eyes sparkling. But Qiao Xuan caught every word spoken even though she was standing far away. Disgusted, Qiao Xuan told herself inwardly that this Third Aunt-inw of hers had again lost her control of her tongue, despite being disciplined by her mother-inw just a while ago. Did she think that her words would separate her and her mother-inw or that her Elder Brother and her Elder Sister-inw would be dissatisfied with her? Did she think that she could break down her family? Well, she was dreaming! Elder Brother was an obedient and honest person, and she could easily buy Elder Sister-inw. Third Brother was a broad-minded person and she had met his wife, Yang Xiaoni, who seemed to be generous as well. Her family would get increasingly better, and she did not think that anything bad would happen. ¡°Third Aunt-inw!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and stepped forward. ¡°What are you talking about? I am interested in listening to it too!¡± ¡°What¡­ are you doing here?¡± Ms. Ma got startled seeing Qiao Xuaning over all of a sudden. People who gossiped behind people¡¯s backs always felt guilty. Qiao Xuan blinked and smiled. ¡°I seem to hear that you are talking about me and Mom. So, I also want to hear your story in detail.¡± Chapter 209 - 209 One Meal Or Two 209 One Meal Or Two ¡°Mom also likes listening to your talks, Third Aunt-inw. What about getting her here to listen to your story too?¡± Ms. Ma had no idea how much Qiao Xuan had heard, and her face changed. But she did not admit that she had talked badly about them, so she forced a smile. ¡°Your mom is busy today, there is no need to fetch her here!¡± ¡°It is fine!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom can arrange everything well, neatly and properly. My Elder Sister-inw is capable too, and she helps our mother relieve a lot of burden. Mom is not at all busy!¡± The rtives were very afraid of Ms. Fang, but they did not seem to be scared about the young Qiao Xuan. Someone said half-jokingly, ¡°It seems that your Elder Sister-inw is very tired with a lot of work, why not help her? Wouldn¡¯t she protest against you for not being able to help her?¡± Everyoneughed. ¡°True, wouldn¡¯t she feel annoyed?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Elder Sister-inw is very capable, of course she won¡¯t say any such thing. I have just bought dozens of mu ofnd, and nted many things. But I don¡¯t have any knowledge about how to nt those things, so I hired Elder Brother, Elder Sister-inw, and Third Brother to help me, paying them 30 yen a day! We will be nting some more mushrooms soon, and they will have to help me again¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°30 wen? That is too much!¡± The rtives¡¯ eyes widened. They suddenly realized why Ms. Xu had no opinion against Qiao Xuan¡¯s behavior. The couple could earn 60 yen a day, which even though did note every single day, but Qiao Xuan¡¯snd needed to be taken care of on a regr basis, and every time she required help, she paid them. Moreover, they were not living separately yet, so what she harvested from thend would also be shared. Oh man, she was so rich! With so much moneying to them, they would definitely ignore small things like dish washing or floor sweeping. All the rtives became so jealous and motivated that they started to treat Qiao Xuan nicely. Qiao Xuan smiled as she talked about how excellent Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were¡­ Ms. Ma¡¯s face turned pale while she stood next to them. Qiao Xuan sneered inwardly. But for Third Brother¡¯s wedding that took ce today, she was definitely going to pass on this message to her mother-inw who would again teach Ms. Ma a lesson. She needed to be disciplined many times until she finally understood what she ought to do and what not. She would eventually understand, after she was taught the lesson enough times. Soon the reception team arrived, and the atmosphere became lively. They cheered,ughed and yed around. It was a cheerful scene. The couple went through the process and the kitchen got busy again. The scent that came from the dishes caused people to drool. Everyone got very excited and looked forward to the wild boar meat at the banquet. There were eight dishes being served at the wedding banquet. Normally, only two meat dishes were served due to the poverty. But today, the dishes were more than good. The dishes included roasted chicken with mushrooms, stewed meat with dried beans, fried wild boar with green pepper and garlic sprouts, roasted tofu, yam fungus, fried bean and eggnt with minced meat, tofu and cabbage soup, which was boiled with wild boar bones and trotters for a long time, so arge pot of broth was produced. There was a bowl of eight-treasure rice too. Qiao Xuan had thought about serving a dish of braised fish, but Ms. Fang did not think that the chief cook would be able to do the dish. Moreover, the dish required too much oil and a bone might get stuck in some child¡¯s throat, making it troublesome. Therefore, they gave up the idea. Chapter 210 - 210 Greedy Shao Yunduan 210 Greedy Shao Yunduan Qiao Xuanplimented Ms. Fang for being considerate and dropped the idea of making the dish.
When the banquet was served, everyone gobbled down the dishes and emptied everything, Qiao Xuan realized that Ms. Fang had been totally right. The vigers barely had a chance to eat meat, and those with some money would at most eat meat once or twice a month, never over three times. So when the banquet was served in the vige, they never stopped themselves from eating as much as they could. When the meat dishes were served, the guests went up and kept putting the dishes into their bowls, and started to relish them slowly. Some did not even want to finish them totally, but took some home. The wedding was held really sessfully. The three bowls of meat dishes contained plenty of meat and only a small amount of side vegetable dishes. Meat was seen in other dishes too, apart from tofu and yam dishes. The guests were really satisfied by the food and the bowls were all emptied, leaving nothing behind, not even the soup. When thest batch of guests was seen off, the things borrowed for the wedding were returned, the whole family ate along with the helpers, who left after dinner. The day did note to an end, until they tidied up everything. It was already quitete. Qiao Xuan did not do muchbor work, but she felt quite tired, let alone Ms. Fang and Ms. Qiao.
After she washed herself up, she felt rxed and started to yawn. She felt so sleepy. ¡°I am so sleepy¡­ I need to go to bed now¡­¡± She yawned widely. With her eyes half-opened, she greeted Shao Yunduan and pulled the nket over her, before falling asleep immediately. Standing by the bedside, Shao Yunduan looked at her face and felt a bit dizzy in his head. It was like a dream¡­ It had been just two months since his own wedding was held, and at that time, he was not feeling so rxed, nor was she. Moreover, he remembered how the suicide took ce on their wedding night. But he had not expected that he and she lived such a good life since that point. He had also not expected that her arrival brought tremendous changes to the family. It was just two months, but for him, it seemed like a lifetime. It felt that he was used to having her at home and in his room, next to him when heid down.
Shao Yunduan suddenly felt a bit greedy, as the emotions hit him hard. He believed that if they could live on like this, life would not be that bad either. Early the next morning, Yang Xiaoni served the tea to the family and addressed each member of the family with a new title. From that moment on, the whole family epted her formally. Yang Xiaoni was very diligent and did not need to be told to do the work properly. Ms. Fang smiled brightly. She would have definitely thrown a fit, if she paid so much and was still humiliated by a daughter-inw who waszy and greedy. She was the mother-inw and she could discipline any daughter-inw who annoyed her. At this time, the taro, corn, soybeans, peanuts in the fields needed to be weeded, and the bamboo forests needed to be taken care of a little, so Shao Dng and Ms. Xu went into the field for work. Yang Xiaoni was used to doingbor work, so even if she had just gotten married, she was not used to idling around at home. She fetched Shao Sang and took him to the field for work as well. Chapter 211 - 211 Two Dumb People 211 Two Dumb People Ms. Fang said, ¡°It is fine, take a break at home for now and start work in a couple of days.¡± She was not a strict mother-inw who kept tormenting her daughter-inw. She had just gotten married and Ms. Fang did not need her at the moment. Ms. Xu feared that with Yang Xiaoni being at home, Qiao Xuan would not ask her to join them for work. So she said with a smile, ¡°Mom, what about asking Third Brother and Third Sister-inw to do work in the field along with us, so we can finish our work soon enough to go work for Fifth Sister-inw! She has a lot for us to deal with!¡± Ms. Fang was startled. ¡°Oh well¡­¡± Qiao Xuan did have a lot of work which needed to be done. She had told Ms. Fang everything, but not everyone present was aware about it. Qiao Xuan did not want other vigers to know about this money-earning thing, so she always hired her own family members to do the work, which Ms. Fang approved of. Qiao Xuan did not expect that Ms. Xu would say something like this. She smiled. ¡°Mom, Elder Sister-inw, I am fine. We don¡¯t have to hurry up!¡± She was not in a frenzy because the business with lipsticks was a long-term thing, and she had just made the amount that was needed. Mushroom nting could also wait for now because she needed to find some more kinds of mushrooms in the mountains. Mushrooms and wooden-ears were easy to find because she had the superpower, which could help her see every tiny thing in that broad, wide ce. But snow fungus was rarely seen and needed to be searched with some effort. Moreover, sometimes, luck was required as well. As long as she found the seed, she could simply urge them to grow by the virtue of her super power. Shao Sang¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he smiled. ¡°Mom, Elder Sister-inw is right. Let¡¯s get our work done as soon as possible, Xiaomi is not that weak!¡± Then he turned to Yang Xiaoni and whispered. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw is very generous. She pays each worker 30 wen a day! We can save money to buy something good in the town!¡± Yang Xiaoni¡¯s eyes sparkled too. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± These two dumb people thought that they were whispering, but Ms. Qiao and Ms. Fang caught their conversation clearly. Qiao Xuanughed but pretended not to have heard anything. Ms. Fang ignored them furiously and red at Shao Sang. ¡°Okay, just do whatever you want!¡± She was not going to force her daughter-inw to take a break and not to work. Shao Sang nodded and he left for work with his wife cheerfully. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom, just let Liu Yan do the work, you should take a break too, you have worked too hard these days!¡± Ms. Fang stopped being annoyed and smiled. ¡°Okay, okay, you are so considerate! Just go and take the break! I owe you big for your Third Brother¡¯s wedding!¡± Qiao Xuan felt warm in heart and smiled. ¡°Mom, we are a family, don¡¯t mention it! Let me make lunch and dinner. I will create something delicious!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°No need! You can make it tomorrow. Just let Ms. Xu and Ms. Yang cook tonight! Your Second Uncle and Third Uncle¡¯s families will be here for dinner, and they don¡¯t deserve to eat your food!¡± She did not want them to start visiting them often for dinner, after they tasted her dishes. Ms. Fang had already nned what dishes to serve tonight. Qiao Xuan nodded in understanding. True, as long as the two families were far away from them! Chapter 212 - 212 Rest 212 Rest Hence, she could skip making food tonight with ease. Feeling tired, Qiao Xuan returned to her own room. Shao Yunduan was writing articles, which were going to be presented to the teachers at the school and fellow ssmates formunication. Qiao Xuan did not hurry onto the bed when she walked in. Instead, she came to his side and helped him grind the ink. She was just thinking how she could tell him that she needed to take a break, when Shao Yunduan looked up at her and said, ¡°You worked so hard yesterday, you must be feeling very tired, go and take a break.¡± Qiao Xuan had not expected this sentence toe so easily, so she felt very happy. But she replied in a friendly way. ¡°That is not good¡­¡± Shao Yunduan thought that she was worried about being scolded by the family, so he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will not tell mom about this, just go and sleep.¡± Qiao Xuan. ¡°¡­¡± What straightforward words. Well, it made people feel assured. Qiao Xuanughed and epted the offer. ¡°¡­Ah, yes, I am feeling very tired. Let me take a break, you can inform me when you step out.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°I will tell you when it is time for lunch.¡± Feeling assured, Qiao Xuan thanked her husband and threw herself onto bed. She rolled over in the nket, rxed with four limbs open, and soon fell asleep. Her breath was steady and she had fallen into deep sleep. Shao Yunduan turned around subconsciously and saw the long, smooth raven hair on the pillow. He could not help but feel his heart soften. He showed a gentle look. He feltfortable and happy, especially when they spent the time together in the room, even while doing nothing. Ms. Fang hid the leftovers from the banquet before someone could steal it. One bowl of chicken, one bowl of tofu and one slice of meat were enough for dinner tonight. They had made steamed buns for lunch. The steamed buns were simple but very tasty, and when eaten with the chili sauce made by Qiao Xuan with pig liver, heart and belly. It would be delicious when eaten with porridge. When Ms. Xu returned at lunch time, they started to eat and Yang Xiaoni felt moved to be able to eat so much food. Yang Xiaoni was bowled over by what Qiao Xuan had made. She said that she could do any kind of work as long as she could eat the chili sauce made by the Fifth Sister-inw! The whole familyughed. Shao Taotao smiled proudly. ¡°Third Sister-inw, Fifth Sister-inw makes great food. You wait and see the dishes she makes!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I will take a break tonight but will make some more tomorrow!¡± Shao Sang, Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao cheered her on. Eldest Uncle could not help but look up. ¡°We are hosting a family dinner tonight, Ms. Qiao. You can make some dishes then.¡± Eldest Uncle had to admit that Qiao Xuan cooked great food though he was not very satisfied with her. She could make some good dishes for the family dinner to bring up the reputation. In this way, the second section of the family and third section of the family could have a taste of what she was capable of. Ms. Fang rolled her eyes and said coldly, ¡°Ms. Qiao has been working very hard these days and she is too tired to do any more work. She is taking a break tonight.¡± Chapter 213 - 213 Good 213 Good Shao Yunduan added immediately. ¡°True. Dad, she can make food in the future. I am sure that Second Aunt as well as Third Aun would very much like to taste food made by the Third Sister-inw.¡± It was a custom that new brides made a table of dishes for the seniors in the family. Yang Xiaoni got nervous suddenly. ¡°Dad, Mom, I will definitely try my best¡­¡± She was not very good at cooking, but she could make ptable food. !! Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just do as you did back home.¡± Eldest Uncle was stuck in words too. It was true that his new daughter-inw should make food for tonight, and he had nothing against that. Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni returned home from the field very early because they had to prepare for dinner. Ms. Fang told Yang Xiaoni and Ms. Xu what they should do, so they followed the instructions. Yang Xiaoni was used to bitter days, so when she saw how Ms. Xu filtered the rice, she felt very satisfied seeing a pot full of rice. She asked her voluntarily. ¡°Do we make rice in this way? Don¡¯t we add any kidney beans or mung beans?¡± Yang Xiaoni drooled, seeing pure rice in the pot. Back at home, she barely got to eat any rice. Either she ate porridge or rice with beans. Ms. Xu sounded proud as she grinned. ¡°No need, we don¡¯tck rice or flour, and we eat such rice every single day. Soon, you will know why!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Yang Xiaoni¡¯s eyes widened. She could not believe what she had heard. Ms. Xuughed. ¡°Of course! Fifth Sister-inw knows how to make money, and she will help us make a lot of money too! Soon, you will know!¡± The Fifth Sister-inw was not very good at doing heavybor, and when their Fifth Brother became an officer in the future, she would never go down into the field again. She had dozens of fields for lipsticks, herbs and mushrooms, and she would needborers. So Ms. Xu was well aware that they would have a lot of money to earn soon! Everytime Fifth Sister-inw made money, she gave some for the shared savings as well. So they did notck money at home. They had plenty of rice, flour and meat which they ate often. It seemed that they had taken advantage of Fifth Sister-inw and the shared savings. Ms. Xu did not want to share too many details with Yang Xiaoni yet. She had her own ideas and was not as easy going as Taotao. As of now, she definitely trusted the Fifth Sister-inw more than Yang Xiaoni! If she told Yang Xiaoni everything, she would have no advantage at all. As far as she could tell, Yang Xiaoniw as an honest person, who was easily satisfied by food, just like their Third Brother. That was wonderful¡­ The meat dishes for dinner included a bowl of chicken, pork tofu and one slice of wild boar. Some mushrooms, bamboos, pickles, eggnts and green peppers were added as the vegetable dishes. That would be enough. Ms. Fang did not kill any chicken. She just added one dish of scallions with fried egg, and a bowl of wolfberry sprout soup with eggs. When Yang Xiaoni and Ms. Xu were busy cooking in the kitchen, the second and third section of the family arrived. Yang Xiaoni¡¯s family were horrible, and the second and third sections of the family wereughing at Ms. Fang behind her back, thinking that she had indulged Shao Sang too much, because of which such a horrible marriage had been established. Yang Xiaoni had seduced Shao Sang because she thought she was pretty. For her, marrying Shao Sang was a fortunate thing. But Ms. Fang approved of the marriage despite her family background! Chapter 214 - 214 Message 214 Message They were waiting to see what life was going to be like for the first section of the family henceforth. Therefore, both sections of the family seemed to be in a good mood. They were waiting to see a ridiculous show, rather than feel jealous and annoyed. Ever since Ms. Ma was caught red-handed by Qiao Xuan when she bad-mouthed them at the wedding, she was very worried that Qiao Xuan would point this out to her in front of Ms. Fang, and be disciplined by her. Therefore, Ms. Ma did not dare to say anything. !! Since Ms. Niu was alone, she could not hold a conversation on her own. So the dinner went on peacefully, and no big fuss was made. The following day, Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni went into the field for work. After breakfast, Qiao Xuan took a walk in the yard and checked out the melons, fruits and herbs which she had nted. The seeds of tomatoes could be put down too. She softened the earth and spread down the seeds, poured some superpower of hers into the field so that the sprout could start to grow on the empty, broadnd. The seeds were ripe, and they should grow well! Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief and cheered inwardly. She did not dare to make them grow too fast, so she stopped her superpower as the sprout reached a height of a finger. The door of the yard was often locked, and that was why she dared to use her superpower at this time. When she walked out of the yard, it was time to make lunch. Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao helped Ms. Fang in making porridge, steamed rolls. They were going to eat them with the chili sauce. Shao Taotao also put some mushrooms into water, washed some garlic sprouts and beans, so that Ms. Xu and the others could fry them when they returned home if they felt like having another. Qiao Xuan, Shao Taotao and Shao Xiaoqi finished the food first before going into the floral field to continue with lipstick making. They needed to take advantage of the blooming fresh flowers, otherwise it would be a total waste. This was all money! May had just passed, and the ordinary roses could grow for no longer than ten more days. Qiao Xuan could extend the lifespan, but that was too risky for her. Her actions might cause suspicion. Fortunately, the pomegranate flowers were preparing to bloom soon, and there were several colors of roses that bloomed all year round, so there was no need to worry about raw materials. In the afternoon, Qiao Xuan let Shao Taotao make the lipstick right from the beginning to the end, hoping that she could make aplete lipstick alone. Nervous and excited, Shao Taotao was shivering throughout the whole process. Fifth Sister-inw had passed on her special skill to her, and she was very excited by that! It was a skill that could guarantee her survival for a lifetime! Fifth Sister-inw must know that when she was able to master the skill, she could earn money on her own, but she still did not keep the skill as a secret! After three attempts, and under Qiao Xuan¡¯s instructions, Shao Taotao finally managed to make one lipstick. The girl was so happy that she blushed, expressing her gratitude to Qiao Xuan. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry, I promise never to make money with this separately. Also, I will never pass this secret onto anyone else!¡± Qiao Xuan grinned. ¡°You can work as my assistant today, but we will see what happens in the future. It is arge business and you can be part of it!¡± Shao Taotao smiled, and made up her mind. Chapter 215 - 215 Displeased 215 Displeased Shao Taotao had just learned the skill and felt very motivated, so Qiao Xuan entrusted the work to her whilst she idled around in the floral field. The roses were blooming in such a flourishing way that the petals looked radiant. Due to the help of her superpower, the flowers looked rather beautiful. The pink and rose colored flowers were pure-looking and together, it seemed as if a waterfall of flowers was created. It was a muchrger amountpared to the other kind of roses, because when the blooming period passed, the amount would be reduced drastically. Motivated, Qiao Xuan tried to move the flowers into her space. !! If her space could preserve them, then everything would be so much easier. She could find some time when no one was around so as to urge them to bloom with her superpower, and all those flowers could remain stored in space. But the arrogant space gave no response. It did not ept the flowers. Qiao Xuan found it such a pity! When her mind and space were rted, she could more or less sense several issues rted to space, not necessarily in a specific way but always in the right direction. The space did have the function of saving objects, except that the function had not yet been activated. She could sense that the function must be rted to the cabin that emerged every now and then in the mist. Maybe by the time she caught a clear sight of the cabin, she would reach a high degree of magic and initiate the function of storage. It seemed that everything including upgradation was rted to the precious nts inside the space. She still needed to find some more! But she was running out of a solution. She needed to find precious goods which the critical space could ept. Qiao Xuan had to give up the idea of storing roses and instead focussed on making some more lipsticks when the flowers were still blooming. Qiao Xuan was going to make a big dinner in the evening so she returned home earlier than usual. She was going to make a dish of pig head, which would take time. The pig meat was enough for many dishes. Qiao Xuan decided to divide it into different parts. She stewed some in the pot, whilst the ears and some small parts could be served as cold dishes or fried with chilis and braised. From therge water tank, she took out a few three-finger-wide yellow, small crucian carp, small carp, and two yellow eels. She stewed a pot of pickled cabbage with a small amount of sauerkraut and dried peppers. This was what dinner was going to include. Ms. Xu and the others returned homete, and the moment they arrived, they washed their hands and got ready for dinner. Shao Taotao and Liu Yan were helping out at home, and the dinner was ready. When Ms. Xu heard during lunch time that Qiao Xuan had asked Shao Taotao to work in the floral field, she hoped to finish her own field work as soon as possible, so that she could start to make money from Qiao Xuan. The Shao Family were used to Qiao Xuan¡¯s food and were d to see the table full of dishes. ¡°Is that pig head? It smells so nice!¡± ¡°We have fish with pickles again!¡± It was the first time for Yang Xiaoni to have a taste of dishes made by Qiao Xuan, so after dinner, her eyes were sparkling as she looked at Qiao Xuan. Her Fifth Sister-inw was so good at cooking, and the pig meat dish as well as the fish were so tasty that she almost lost her tongue while eating. Fish could be so delicious that it was beyond her knowledge! They all had a good time eating, and kept speaking highly of Qiao Xuan¡¯s cooking skills. They all thought that the banquet served at the wedding was not as delicious. Only the Eldest Uncle felt a bit annoyed. He realized that Qiao Xuan refused to cook the previous day only because she did not want to, not because she was too tired to do so. Chapter 216 - 216 Ideas 216 Ideas However, if Qiao Xuan had been the only person who got this idea, he would have definitely disciplined her. He would have told her that she should not have such thoughts when the whole family was together! However, his wife and sons were all helping her out and he was totally left alone, so there was no chance for him to say anything, nor was there any use in saying anything. Eldest Uncle felt really heavy-hearted. He felt that the family was slowly scattering¡­ !! Ms. Fang knew exactly what he was thinking, when he was silent. She sneered inwardly and pretended as if she had seen nothing. She had thought that her husband would change himself, but it seemed that moving his heart might not be so easy. He believed firmly that the whole family should be together, and that his two brothers needed to be taken good care of. Hence, she decided not to say anything more. Her words would not be as important as those said by his own brothers. So, she was going to wait to see what his brothers would do to him. Let him also realize what they were really like! Just look at what they had done to him when he helped them with seedlings. He only got to eat one dinner at the third section of the family on his first day, and then he came home for three meals in the following days. His brothers never let him stay for meals! What was the need to help them! But it was good that the two sections of the family did such a thing. Even an honest man like Dng wasn¡¯t so happy about how they behaved. Otherwise Dng might have offered help to his father, since he was a very soft-hearted person. Soon it was time for Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni to visit her natal family after the wedding. Although they disliked Yang Liang and Ms. Tian, and refused to hang out with the couple, yet Ms. Fang would not cut down the return-day gifts and ceremony. Ms. Fang, ording to the rules, prepared the return gifts which included two chickens, two jars of wine, one kg of honey and two mid-sized pieces of meat. All this put together was above the intermediate level of gifting. But as Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang left the vige, she pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t want to return to my home. Those are such precious gifts and I don¡¯t want to give them to my brother and his wife!¡± Shao Sang patted his legs andughed. ¡°We have the same idea! I would rather feed the food to the dog!¡± His wife had not had afortable life before she married him. She was never fed well and was always beaten and punished. She was forced to do a lot of work. He really did not want to give the couple any presents! Yang Xiaoni thought for a while and grinned. ¡°I think we can keep the honey, which must taste very sweet. It can stay for a long time!¡± ¡°Good idea!¡± Shao Sangughed and added in agreement. ¡°This rice wine seems nice too. What about keeping it as well? We can taste it every now and then. It won¡¯t go bad for quite some time.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Yang Xiaoni nodded. ¡°And¡­ we can kill one chicken and roast it! It will taste great!¡± Speaking of roasting food, Yang Xiaoni often stole some taro, corn and beans from home to roast them in the field. Sometimes she would dig some yams and roast them to feed herself in the wild field. She had even roasted fish, but she could not process it well enough, so she gave up after one attempt. That was how she and Shao Sang met in the first ce. Chapter 217 - 217 Not Her Home 217 Not Her Home There was one time when she was roasting yams in the wild field when Shao Sang followed the scent. After a few exchanges, the two of them got to know each other and developed feelings. Shao Sang could not help but feel motivated after hearing Yang Xiaoni¡¯s opinions. He knew pretty well that roasted chicken could be tasty. ¡°That is good, but we don¡¯t have any salt with us¡­¡± The taste would be hampered greatly without seasoning. Yang Xiaoni agreed. Moreover, it was never easy to deal with a chicken which was alive. They could hide meat, but living chickens could not be hidden anyway. They would make noise! What if they were heard and stolen away? But Yang Xiaoni felt really unhappy at the thought that she had to give the meat to Yang Liang and Ms. Tian! She moved out of the Yang Family without getting anything and even cut off her rtionship with her brother and his wife. She never owed them anything. Infact, she got nothing after working for them for so many years. Rather, they got 20 liang as wedding gifts since she got married. That was already a big bonus for them! She really did not want to get involved with them any more! ¡°Oh yes!¡± Yang Xiaoni cried, as she said to Shao Sang. ¡°Let¡¯s go into the mountains and visit my parents!¡± Her parents were already deceased, and were buried in the Yang Family¡¯s graveyard. When her parents were alive, they loved her and gave her a lot of food and clothes in winter. When she was sick, her mother took care of her and made her steamed eggs. But everything ceased to exist after her parents passed away. Her brother and sister-inw were not her family. She did not want to return there! It would be great if they could visit her parents. She would kowtow to them and tell them that she had married into a very nice family, so they could be assured. Shao Sang, who did not like Yang Liang and his wife, agreed heartily with what Yang Xiaoni said. ¡°This is a good idea. I will kowtow to my inws and it is like a return-day too!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Yang Xiaoni nodded with force. So the easy-going couple forgot about Yang Liang and Ms. Tian and headed towards the Yang Family¡¯s graveyard. The couple kowtowed in front of Yang Xiaoni¡¯s parents¡¯ graves, removed the weed and cleaned a little bit of the surroundings. Then they put the chicken and meat in front of the graves, poured wine three times, and talked a little before leaving together. They did not avoid running into people, so they were seen by passers-by. They even exined why they were here. People were dumbfounded when they heard that. They could not help but gossip about it, and soon some nosy ones narrated the whole thing at Yang Liang¡¯s home. They just loved gossip. Yang Liang and Ms. Tian were shocked. Then, they got really furious. ¡°What are they thinking? What do they mean?¡± ¡°That is how the Shao Family teaches their son? Yang Xiaoni learnt nothing from them! What are they trying to do?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Honestly, the couple had been waiting for Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni to visit them since morning. They expected the couple to bring some gifts. Ms. Tian had even prepared a speech to threaten Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni, so that she could control them in the future. Chapter 218 - 218 Embarrassed 218 Embarrassed She had intended to warn Yang Xiaoni, telling her that even if she was married, she should never forget about her own family. She was going to remind her that a girl without her own home¡¯s support would be bullied by her mother-inw¡¯s family until she passed away. However, she made the full n and believed that she would be able to take control of Yang Xiaoni, but Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang did not even show up! ¡°What kind of family are they, when they do not even know that they should have presents prepared on the return-day!¡± ¡°Shame on them!¡± Ms. Tian was so annoyed, yet the vigers were allughing at her. Some people even mocked her. ¡°Well, your words are not entirely true! They went to their parents¡¯ graves to pay tribute. That can be counted as a return-day ceremony too, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, when Xiaoni¡¯s parents were alive, they loved her deeply, and Xiaoni is a good-hearted girl who knows that she should take her husband to visit them.¡± ¡°It should be counted as a return-day, right? Xiaoni does have some unique ideas, hahahaha¡­¡± Hearing those words, Ms. Tian got angry beyond words. She rushed back to the house and mmed the door shut. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Ms. Tian sneered at Yang Liang. ¡°That damned girl refuses to be under us and you were dreaming about continuing to be her brother!¡± Yang Liang felt very embarrassed too! Any married girl shoulde back to their home on return-day, otherwise her natal family would be so embarrassed! ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Ms. Tian sneered. ¡°Of course we should go to the door to demand an exnation! They are bullying us! We should teach them a lesson!¡± Ms. Tian was going to cause such a fuss that the damned girl would never have an easy time at her mother-inw¡¯s family. Thinking of how Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang went to her deceased iws¡¯ graves with chicken, meat and wine instead of bringing those things home, Ms. Tian felt even more irritated. This goddamned girl looked honest on the surface, but she knew that Yang Xiaoni hated her deeply inside her heart. But she had not expected that the girl would have done something like this! In this way, she should not be med for taking the revenge. Yang Liang hesitated. ¡°Is this a good idea?¡± He was a coward, and wanted to have a good reputation. He could lecture Yang Xiaoni when they were at home, but he could not demean himself by making a fuss at someone else¡¯s door. Ms. Tian pointed at his forehead and said, ¡°You coward! They have bullied you to your bones, and you don¡¯t even dare to stand up for yourself! Are you a man or not?¡± Lectured by Ms. Tian and thinking of what Yang Xiaoni did, causing him to be a joke, Yang Liang suddenly felt really furious. He said through clenched teeth, ¡°Okay, okay! I will make sure she suffers!¡± ¡°Now you said it right!¡± Ms. Tian sneered. Along with her two sons, she and Yang Liang headed to Shaoding Vige in anger. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni had already returned by lunchtime. They hid the two living chickens in their own room and put the two pieces of meat in the kitchen, saying that those were the presents from home. Ms. Fang did not think that it was possible, but seeing that the couple did not even stay for lunch, Ms. Fang found that it might have happened. The couple might have tried to steal meat from Yang Liang and his wife¡¯s hands, so maybe the couple got annoyed and drove them out before serving them lunch. But it was okay, they could have better food at home. It seemed that it was right for them to have brought back the meat. The couple was so unkind and she would support whatever her son wanted to do. Chapter 219 - 219 Not Ms. Fang 219 Not Ms. Fang After lunchtime, Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang headed into the field to work with Shao Dng and Ms. Xu. They wanted to finish their ownbor work during the afternoon, so that they could start to earn money the following day. Naturally, all of them were highly motivated. However, Ms. Tian, together with her two sons and Yang Liang, rushed in at the moment. Ms. Tian had the intention of causing a big fuss, so the moment she walked into the vige, she started to shout loudly and attracted numerous vigers¡¯ attention. There was not much entertainment in the vige, so when such a show was on, everyone quickly gathered around. !! The fight between two women would be a juicy piece of gossip that couldst for two months at least. Seeing many vigers attracted by her, Ms. Tian became increasingly confident and she started to shout loudly. ¡°You don¡¯t even do the return-day? That behavior is way over the top!¡± ¡°Yes, it sounds unreasonable!¡± ¡°Is it true? I don¡¯t think the Shao Family would do something like this!¡± ¡°Well, Ms. Fang has a bad personality and she definitely takes revenge, yet she always sticks to the rules. Moreover, she treats Ms. Xu and Ms. Qiao equally.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think that Yang Liang and Ms. Tian are lying! They can¡¯t be lying because something like this can not be kept as a secret.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s watch and see what happens!¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s see!¡± ¡°¡­¡± So, the whole gang rushed to the Shao Family¡¯s home with Yang Liang and Ms. Tian. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma were also among the crowd. They wereughing with their eyes sparkling. The two of them were not saying anything, fearing that their words would again reach Ms. Fang¡¯s ears, which would not be a good thing for them. Ms. Fang was not in a good mood these days. She even hit people. Ms. Fang was so shocked when Ms. Tian came to the door. ¡°What do you mean? Not allowing them to return home? Ms. Tian, do you think that I am so easily bullied! I prepared chicken, meat, and wine for Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang so that they can go to your home for the ceremony! How dare you use me!¡± The vigers nodded in agreement. That was true. Ms. Fang would never have allowed such a thing to happen! Ms. Tian sneered. ¡°How dare you im this! Xiaoni never came to my home, someone must have told her not to! Instead, they went to my inws¡¯ graves and left straight from there! This behavior is so unreasonable!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± Everyone was startled. People had heard about Ms. Tian¡¯sint, but when the matter was exined like this, they were all shocked. It was indeed a special move which they had never seen before. Shocked, Ms. Fang shouted furiously into the room and said, ¡°Why are you hiding? Get out here and exin!¡± Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang were both shocked! They had never expected that Yang Liang and Ms. Tian woulde to the door because of this! Anxious, they subconsciously hid into the room. But the couple had no choice and came out after Ms. Fang shouted at them. Seeing Yang Xiaoni, Ms. Tian got so furious that she stepped forward to p her face. ¡°You bitch, how dare you¡­ aahhhh!¡± Shao Sang defended Yang Xiaoni and pushed Ms. Tian away, ring at her. ¡°What are you doing? You better not touch my wife!¡± Chapter 220 - 220 Weirdos 220 Weirdos ¡°You¡­¡± Standing there furiously, Ms. Tian just could not vent her anger and was frustrated. For one moment, she almost felt dizzy. She could not touch this damned girl any more. That was such a loss she felt that she got even more furious. She regretted badly to have approved of this marriage. She should have cut it off at the beginning! Moved, Yang Xiaoni started to sob and looked at Shao Sang passionately. ¡°Third Brother, you treat me so nicely! No one treated me so well like you do after my parents passed away! I will definitely treat your parents well too.¡± The vigers found it both funny and pitiful. Standing next to Ms. Fang, Qiao Xuan tried to hold herughter. Her Third Sister-inw was such a funny person. The Yang Vige and the Shaoding Vige were not very far apart, and the famous families were famous across the viges. For example, weird couples like Yang Liang and his wife who treated their sister badly was a fact known to almost everyone. They should have realized what Ms. Tian and Yang Liang were like, when they saw how Ms. Tian, without hesitation, went up to p Yang Xiaoni right on the face. She must be very used to doing this, so people immediately started to look at her differently. They were such a weird couple! Ms. Tian regretted a little to have been so impulsive. So, she threw herself to the ground with her two sons. ¡°They are bullying us!¡± The whole Shao Family were here, including the brothers, and daughter-inws, surrounding Yang Liang and his wife as well as the two children. It did seem like a mob bullying the weak. Ms. Fang¡¯s veins popped on her forehead. She red at her son and frowned. ¡°Ms. Tian, stop being a bitch, I won¡¯t be fooled by this act! Just stick to the matter!¡± ¡°You should never dream about trying to get any sort of justice through this bitchy move! I will not allow you to throw your temper here at my home!¡± Qiao Xuan said to Liu Yan with a smile, ¡°Go and fetch a chair for Madame Shao and serve her some tea too!¡± ¡°Okay, Second Miss.¡± Liu Yan politely and quickly went to fetch the chair from the inner room. Qiao Xuan helped Ms. Fang sit down. ¡°Mom, please take a seat.¡± Then Qiao Xuan took over the tea and served Ms. Fang politely. ¡°Mom, drink some tea and make sure your throat is moist. This is going to be a long conversation.¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Ms. Fang picked up the cup and took a sip, then she grinned happily. She would let this bitch do whatever she wanted for now. She was simply going to watch a show. Ms. Fang felt even more happy, when she saw the vigers looking at her with jealousy. Ms. Tian was dumbfounded. Yang Liang looked even more furious. ¡°You are such a bully!¡± Ms. Ma felt itchy so she said, ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, how can you drink tea at a time like this? Why not solve it quickly?¡± Ms. Fang threw a cold look at her and said calmly, ¡°I can¡¯t do anything when she refuses to talk. Ms. Tian, are you ready to speak now?¡± Ms. Tian got so annoyed that she almost spilled blood. She wished that Ms. Fang could start a fight with her, so that she could charge her for medicalpensation. Also, if her two children were shocked, they would have asked forpensation for that as well. However, she started to act as the high status Madame Shao. She sat down, surrounded by her children, making Ms. Tian not daring to go forward. Chapter 221 - 221 Not Return 221 Not Return Yang Liang tried to calm himself down. ¡°My sister married your family and you need to help her do something on the return-day. But you are bullying us by not letting her return.¡± Ms. Fang frowned. ¡°I saw them off this morning, which was also seen by the neighbors! I did not stop them. Third, Ms. Yang, exin it to them!¡± Shao Sang was about to speak when Yang Xiaoni pinched him, and said with pursed lips, ¡°Mom, we did return, but I went to my parents¡¯ grave to pay tribute. Can¡¯t that be counted as a return?¡± Yang Liang got furious. ¡°Damn girl, what are you talking about?¡± Yang Xiaoni looked at them. Her eyes were sparkling, but she turned pale. Yang Xiaoni said to Yang Liang, ¡°I don¡¯t have a home without my parents! You know pretty well how you have treated me during the past years! You asked for 20 liang as the wedding gifts, but I have no dowry. Even my wedding gown was given by my mother-inw! How can I be grateful to you, when you have treated me like this?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do the return-day ceremony with you!¡± ¡°I was ordered to do the seedling work in the field, chopping wood, carrying water,undry and all kinds ofbor work, but I was never fed well. I owe you nothing!¡± ¡°Since you are here, I want to let you know that I am not going to have any rtionship with you from this moment on. You have sold me for 20 liang already. How I spend my days at my mother-inw¡¯s home has nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Yang Liang turned pale. Many people present understood clearly how Yang Xiaoni lived her life before she got married. They sighed and discussed the matter among themselves. Yang Xiaoni had such a terrible life but for her luck she married Shao Sang, her future would have been much worse. How shameless Yang Liang and his wife were and even dared to cause a fuss till date! Still, some people talked from the point of morality. ¡°He is your brother! Brother and sister should not hate each other. Moreover, you are married now, how much hatred can there be?¡± ¡°Yes, they are still rtives, why be so ruthless!¡± ¡°Your brother and sister-inw have brought you up. You should be kind to them!¡± ¡°Just calm down, you are a family and you should be in harmony!¡± Yang Xiaoni screamed in anger. ¡°It didn¡¯t happen to you, so you will never know what it feels like! Anyone who says so should get rtives like this, and experience it personally!¡± Some people became anxious and snapped. ¡°What are you talking about? Why are you cursing us?¡± ¡°You are so immature!¡± Yang Xiaoni snapped and sneered. ¡°You know this is a curse, right! Since you don¡¯t want anyone like this in your family, why are you forcing me? Why do I deserve to have such a hard life?¡± Ms. Fang said coldly, ¡°All you outsiders, stop interfering! We will solve the matter ourselves, you both can also leave now.¡± Ms. Tian red at Yang Xiaoni and felt very unconvinced. Yang Liang was very embarrassed and left with Ms. Tian in a hurry. Ms. Fang sneered behind them. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look good to make a fuss like this! The Yang Family¡¯s reputation is ruined by you. We should all be sensible!¡± Yang Liang staggered for a moment and then hurried away. Chapter 222 - 222 Bad Luck 222 Bad Luck Seeing the show was over and Ms. Fang was driving people away, the audience left. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma, who believed that they were part of the family, remained and continued to giggle. They were trying to convince Yang Xiaoni not to throw a tantrum and that she had only one brother whom she should cherish, or she would regret it in future. They both sounded as if they were very concerned about her. Yang Xiaoni was really annoyed, but Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma were seniors of the family and she could not counter them. !! Ms. Fang got impatient and said, ¡°You two, stop talking about those scumbags! Honestly, those shameless people who keep taking advantage of their family with the excuse of family rtions should never exist. Anyone who has such rtives is just pure unlucky!¡± The faces of Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma sank. These words sounded very piercing! ¡°Mom is right!¡± Shao Sang nced at them and said to Ms. Niu happily, ¡°Second Aunt, do you think that the couple is nice? They have two sons, and if you think that they are nice, you can be inws with them and spend the rest of your lives together!¡± Before Shao Sang finished the words, Ms. Niu shouted and was about to hit Shao Sang. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Shao Sang dodged and smiled. ¡°Second Aunt, you keep speaking highly of them. I am only trying toe up with some ideas for you. Why are you hitting me rather than thanking me? How ungrateful!¡± Yang Xiaoniughed. Seeing his wife smirk, Shao Sang teased even more loudly. Ms. Niu got annoyed and said, ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, look at your third son! He has no rules!¡± Ms. Fang nced at her and replied calmly. ¡°He is simply following your words, why is he unruly? You can get close to the couple if you don¡¯t think that the couple is annoying.¡± ¡°Just stop it!¡± Eldest Uncle, who had been hiding in the room, stepped forward and red at Shao Sang. When Ms. Tian and Yang Liang were making a fuss a while ago, Eldest Uncle got so anxious that he had no idea what to do. So, he just hid himself in the room and pretended as if he was not at home. Ms. Fang also wished that he did not show up, otherwise her husband might have said something that put her own family in the disadvantageous ce. She could handle the couple when her sons and daughter-inws were together. Eldest Uncle only showed up now¡­ And this was the scene he ran into. Shao Sang sneered. ¡°Dad, it is the Second Aunt who started it!¡± Ms. Niu snapped. ¡°Why don¡¯t you talk about your Third Aunt? Why just me alone?¡± Ms. Ma was displeased as she threw a look at her. ¡°Second Sister-inw, what are you talking about? Why am I involved in this?¡± Qiao Xuanughed. These two were just great together! Once they started to argue, Ms. Fang got impatient. ¡°Go to your home and fight with each other! You have no right to talk about our family. Also, if you spread any rumors about today, just wait and see what I will do!¡± Chapter 223 - 223 Venting Anger 223 Venting Anger Interrupted, Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma could not continue with the previous topic any longer. They mumbled curses among themselves and left. Ms. Fang red at Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni. ¡°You two, a word!¡± Ms. Fang did not me them for what happened today. On the contrary, she even believed that they were not wrong, though what they did was a bit shocking. She agreed with them that it was much better to get rid of the rtives who annoyed them. Therefore, she felt a bit happy to see Yang Xiaoni doing this. It was a kind of anger venting! However, these two children were just too bold! They did such a thing in secret and even hid it from her! Good that they were lucky enough to have the whole family at home. Moreover, Ms. Tian as well as Yang Liang did not have anyone supporting them, so they were easily controlled and revenge was easily extracted. If it had been someone with some support who caused a big fuss and used them, then they would have been on the backfoot. They needed to be disciplined in case they did the same thing again! After being disciplined by Ms. Fang, both Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni felt distressed. But Ms. Fang only taught them a lesson rather than give them a hard time. She did not make Yang Xiaoni suffer because of this. When it was dinner time, Qiao Xuan made some good dishes and Yang Xiaomi became cheerful again after eating the food. Ms. Fang had been watching the couple, who shared the same personality. Their eyes sparkled as soon as they saw good food and forgot everything else. Ms. Fang was speechless. They deserved each other! When the work in the fields was done, Qiao Xuan asked Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni as well as some family members to help her out in the floral field. They would be paid 30 yuan a day. Yang Xiaoni was as surprised as Ms. Xu had been at the beginning. At 30 wen a day which included 10 wen for the shared savings (Ms. Fang changed the rules about shared savings), she could save 20 wen for herself, with which she could travel into the town and buy a lot of good food to eat. She could buy sugar pastry, dried plums, melon seeds, peanuts and meat slice noodles, etc. She was going to eat everything with her husband! Qiao Xuan also gave away one set of lipsticks to Yang Xiaoni. Yang Xiaoni was so thankful and d to receive the lipsticks that she wanted to give Qiao Xuan a tight hug to express her gratitude. Women could never turn down cosmetics! Yang Xiaoni started to put it on, unlike Ms. Xu, who did not use it immediately. She even put on a blusher which Shao Sang bought for her. She was in a good mood after she got married. Her mother-inw¡¯s family was great. She could eat good food, and she was bing prettier than before. She looked so attractive that Shao Sang adored her even more! The couple wanted to stick with each other from morning to the evening and kept smiling at each other and working together too. Ms. Xu rolled her eyes at their behavior, and Qiao Xuan felt shy about the scene. She had been overly-fed by their sweet and sticky behavior. It was soon the time to nt mushrooms. Qiao Xuan asked Shao Dng and Shao Sang to chop some trees for the materials. It was not very easy to chop trees, and carry them back to the yard. So, Qiao Xuan paid them 60 yuan a day for the task. Chapter 224 - 224 No More Trouble 224 No More Trouble Actually,bor work only cost 20 wen in the market, and lunch was not provided. The workers were under strict watch all the time and had no spare moment to slow down. But even if that was the case, there were still many people who would want to work there. Qiao Xuan could not be so particr towards her own family. Labor work was very tiring and she needed to make sure that she paid well. Shao Sang and Shao Dng were not enough. So Qiao Xuan asked Shao Dng to ask their cousins for help. !! Qiao Xuan stressed repeatedly this time. ¡°If someone asks about this, just say that you are paid 20 wen a day, understand?¡± 20 wen was a normal and slightly high price. 60 wen would draw too much attention from the vigers. Qiao Xuan wanted to keep a low profile. She just did not want to be the center of the attention, in case she exposed herself easily. She did not want Qiao Wei to do anything crazy to her again. Shao Dng nodded and turned to look for his cousins. Shao Dali and his brother were so d that they nodded immediately, swearing not to spread the truth. 60 wen a day, they had never been paid so much! They could buy more than 5 kgs of lower quality rice with just one day¡¯s payment. Moreover, the Shao Family offered lunch as well. Qiao Xuan, together with Shao Taotao, Shao Xiaoqi, Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni, was working on the lipsticks in the floral field. They would look to find the fungus when they had the materials ready. Qiao Xuan felt that her superpower had been expanded to another hundreds of meters, and it was not very difficult to find what she needed in the mountains. There were definitely shiitakes and wooden ears, but snow fungus should be easily found as well. Qiao Xuan asked Shao Yunduan to buy some meat for home, as well as some ducks and chicken. It was summer time, and the meat could not be preserved for too long. They could keep the chicken and ducks alive until they felt like using them for food. They had more than 30 chickens with different sizes, but they were used toy eggs, and the ducks had not grown big enough yet¡­ They almost ran out of the fish in the jar, and in the afternoon, Qiao Xuan, Shao Taotao, and Shao Dali went to catch the fish and shrimps in the river, taking a break from their heavy work. But she paid them the sry anyway. Feeling bored, Yang Xiaoni followed them to the riverside as well. Qiao Xuan thought for a while and asked Liu Yan to tag along. She could help them carry the bucket or the basket. Liu Yan was already quite tamed, yet Qiao Xuan still could not trust her, so she never allowed her to walk in the yard or the floral field. That she was nting fruit trees, medical herbs and making lipsticks in the floral field was a secret to be kept only among the family, and was never mentioned to Liu Yan. Liu Yan also knew that the Shao Family had some secret, or more like Second Miss who had a secret. She would have tried to dig it out in the beginning, but after all this time, she did not dare to. She had to pretend as if she knew nothing. Second Miss was in charge of her, and what she needed was to live in peace and spend the remaining days well so as to return to the Qiao Mansion safe and sound. She truly did not dare to cause any more trouble. She was wrong, so were Elder Miss, Madame Qiao and Old Master. Second Miss was not timid or cowardly. On the contrary, she was smart, bold and far more tricky than any of them could have expected. To control her, all Second Miss needed to do was to throw her into the second section of the family and make her suffer. Chapter 225 - 225 Incomplete Awareness About Second Miss 225 Iplete Awareness About Second Miss Liu Yan understood clearly what she ought to do ¨C obey Qiao Xuan¡¯s order. For example, right now, when Qiao Xuan ordered her to carry the basket and bucket to the riverside, she should follow it quietly. Was she without help? No, she was just trained to carry a bucket! The group came to the riverside where the water grass was flourishing and the surface was broad. They started to work proficiently. With her superpower, Qiao Xuan could see big fish swimming across the grass freely, and she really wanted to help. !! It was time for her to get a fish and learn to fish! Shao Xiaoqi was fishing when Yang Xiaoni offered a hand. She had the basket around her waist, and went into the river to scoop up the shrimps. Shao Taotao and Qiao Xuan dug some pawns from under the stone somewhere where the water was not so deep. Liu Yan did not have the intention of going into the water, nor did Qiao Xuan ask her to. She was ordered to watch over the things on the bank. She spent so many years inside the mansion, and she would have never learned how to get into water. She might even scare the fish and shrimps away after being slow-handed. Liu Yan was shocked. She knew that the Second Miss had changed. But what she had not expected was that she never knew Second Miss well enough. How did Second Miss learn to do this? Qiao Xuan flipped the stone and caught a shrimp at each attempt. Fish and shrimp were different. They were never fast enough to escape the siege. They were slow enough to be caught, even when they ran from one rock to the other. Shao Taotao and Qiao Xuan were excited and soon they had more than twenty and thirty shrimps in the basket. Yang Xiaoni did not spend much effort to scoop the shrimps, which were of different sizes, some were really small. Sometimes they would find a couple of loaches, somerge fish or eels. Crabs were avable too, but she tossed them back into the river. Shao Xiaoqi was watching over the fishing poles. The fish here were never caught, so they were easily hooked. He kept getting the fish from the river one after another. Liu Yan went to help put the fish into the bucket. Seeing the fish in the bucket, Liu Yan could not help but feel happy, thinking that it was a fun activity. After a while, they all went home with the harvest. They had a heavy basket of small river prawns and small fish, arge basket of prawns, and two buckets filled with fish. There were mandarin fish, yellowhead catfish, carp, crucian carp, shrimp loach, catfish, as well as two ck fish and a grouper. Back at home, they put the hopping fish into the jar, and Qiao Xuan poured some superpower into the water, because of which the watergrass grew so that the fish started to look energetic. They kept the shrimps in the basin for dinner. Qiao Xuan nned to boil the prawns in boiling water, mix it with soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger to dip them in water, peel off the shells of the prawns and eat them directly. That was the best way to eat fresh shrimp. Then they poured the small shrimps and fish into the basin and scooped out the small fish. The small shrimps were baked in the pot, so were the fish, which had very soft and thin bones. They needed to be carefully flipped and baked separately with the shrimps, since they cracked easily. Chapter 226 - 226 The Whole Family 226 The Whole Family The small fish were very fresh. They were wrapped in flour and deep-fried, stirred with chilis and ginger slices. They were the best to eat like this. When Shao Yunduan returned, he brought pork belly, pork ribs, cheese bones, and a dozen chickens and ducks. Ms. Fang put the chickens and ducks into the cage, since they were not bred by the family, the chicken might run away. But the ducks would always linger nearby. For dinner, they stewed soup with two cheese bones, soybeans, and Chinese yam, marinated spare ribs and fried, stir-fried pork loin and loofah, deep-fried pork belly, saving them for the next day. There were wolfberry buds in the floral fields, so some were picked and fried. The bitter gourd on the fence had also grown, and they made another dish of fried bitter gourd with sliced meat. When the dishes were presented at the table, the whole family was drooling just with the smell. Shao Sang could not help but sniff deeply, as he said emotionally, ¡°Haven¡¯t eaten meat for a long time, now it is here again!¡± Yang Xiaoni smiled and her eyes were sparkling. She was greedy for meat as much as he was. Seeing the table full of dishes, Eldest Uncle opened his mouth and closed again. He thought that Qiao Xuan used her own money to buy the vegetables, and he could not possibly tell her to save money, since she was willing to pay. Also, she would not listen to him either. The whole family had be so fascinated with meat, after eating the dishes made by Qiao Xuan. They seemed to suffer deeply, when they ran out of meat after a few days. The pork from the pigs raised by the farmers were very tasty. Qiao Xuan was drooling for the meat too. She had some ribs and drank a bowl of bone soup. The shrimps were so fresh and tasty, and they were all satisfied by what they had just eaten. They were worried that the shrimp would have a weird taste, but after they had a bite, everyone found it so fresh, especially Shao Junyan and Shao Qing who loved it deeply. Qiao Xuan started to miss the dish made of tomato with shrimps. Her tomatoes were already growing so tall. She decided to make them bloom in a couple of days. The roses were not growing so much, but pomegranate flowers would bloom too, since the buds were ready. Qiao Xuan made a count of the lipsticks. The number had already reached to 1,000. They had booked the tubes, so they could slow down at this stage. They were waiting for Yuezheng Xiao to fetch the goods, and the tubes to arrive, before starting to work on it again. She used her superpower to make the pomegranate flowers bloom slower than expected. It was summertime, and the weeds were growing crazily. Especially when the barren mountains were surrounding the floral field, and the grass seeds were everywhere in the field. They were burnt first, but the weeds just would not go away. So, Qiao Xuan hired Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni to help remove the weed, and she paid them ordingly. She decided to let Shao Xiaoqi and Taotao go for a walk in the mountains. Shao Xiaoqi had not hunted for a long time in the mountains, and he felt itchy to go there. Shao Yunduan decided to take a break too, after studying hard for so long. So the four of them went into the mountains together. Qiao Xuan had the intention of visiting the ce where they had never visited before. Shao Yunduan as well as the other two agreed readily. When Daddy Zhao was still alive, he had once taken Shao Xiaoqi into deep mountains that were deep. So, Shao Xiaoqi was used to this kind of environment, and he was never afraid. But deep mountains were, after all, dangerous as they went in. It was summer time, and the bugs, mosquitoes, snakes and all were quite active. They really needed to watch out for the poisonous ones. Chapter 227 - 227 Into The Mountains Again 227 Into The Mountains Again When Shao Xiaoqi spoke of this, Qiao Xuan was reminded as well. So, she went into town to buy some medicine first, and was fully-prepared before heading to the mountains. The mountain was very far, so the four of them started before the sun rose. The air was very cool at that moment. Shao Xiaoqi was quite energetic. He became more active as he walked into the mountains. He had a lot of fun going along with Shao Taotao. !! Shao Yunduan was walking next to Qiao Xuan, reminding her what she should watch out for, like the branches, which he kicked away for her sake. Qiao Xuan did not need his help. She could see everything, and as long as she wanted to, she could use her superpower to move the veins away. But Qiao Xuan felt sweet in heart, seeing her husband care for her in this way. She was not going to give this man to anyone else! The four of them did not intend to head into very deep mountains, since they needed to factor in the return time. Seeing the surroundings getting stranger, they slowed down. Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s n was to hunt and take some animals home. He intended to get some rare prey, because roosters and rabbits were toomonce for him, especially since he took such a long and difficult trip here. They talked and walked, as they observed the surroundings. There were many kinds of bamboo in the mountains, and the bamboo shoots were seen everywhere too. From the time of the sr term of insect awakening all the way to the end of July, there were a lot of fresh bamboo shoots growing . As they were walking in the deep mountains, they would every now and then run into small patches of bamboo shoots. There were many mushrooms too. Wild berries were looking ripe as well. However, they were too far away from the vige, so they dropped the idea of bringing those home. They needed to work on more precious things, with the limited energy they had. They only paused to pick the rarely-seen and delicious mushrooms like Porcini mushrooms, Hericium erinaceus, wild red mushrooms, and small flower mushrooms. Especially Hericium erinaceus, which was rarely-seen. They were lucky enough to get many on this trip. They even found a bunch of snow fungus, which were picked when ripe, weighing around 2 or 2.5 kgs. Qiao Xuan bore this ce in mind. She woulde to pick the mushrooms when they had the materials ready. Shao Yunduan understood that the snow fungus were valuable, but he had never seen them before. When Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao heard from Qiao Xuan that snow fungus could be more valuable than gastrodia when sundried, they put them away carefully, fearing that they would break them. Shao Taotao¡¯s eyes were sparkling, as she smiled. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, are you going to nt this in our yard too? That would be great!¡± Shao Xiaoqi struck his head and smiled. ¡°Yes, no wonder it sounds so familiar! Let¡¯s bear this ce in mind and we cane back to fetch the seeds next time!¡± Seeing that they were not greedy but working for her devotedly, Qiao Xuan felt warmth inside her heart, nodding and smiling. ¡°Yes. But it is not very easy to find it in the mountains, and we need to work on it. We are going to make a lot of money if we manage to nt them well.¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were the biggest helpers when Qiao Xuan was starting her business. So, Qiao Xuan decided to pay them a sry and give them shares too. When her business became bigger, their share would be so much that they would never need to worry about money for the rest of their lives. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao did not think that far. They were just very happy that their Fifth Sister-inw had never been stingy towards them and they did not need to worry about anything. Chapter 228 - 228 Deep Mountain 228 Deep Mountain Apart from snow fungus and some precious things from the mountains, Qiao Xuan, with her superpower, saw some ganodermic, few of which were too small and difficult to find, or just too far from them. So, she gave up mentioning them. They only ¡®ran into¡¯ two pieces which were of beautiful colors and in the size of an adult¡¯s hand. She did not manage to hide the Ganodermas when she was picking them, so she decided to sun dry them to stew chicken and ducks as supplementary ingredients. She had plenty of money right now, and she did not want to head to the town just to run this errand. In a moist forest with rotten leaves, Qiao Xuan picked several orchid trees. She did not recognize the species, but she went with her intuition. She believed that they were rare things. So, when no one was watching, she put a couple of pieces into the space, which did not turn her down and epted them all. These newly arrived orchids were obediently nted on the edge of the other kinds, slowly taking root in the soil. The branches and leaves stretched, and the space was instantly filled with a touch of greenery and vitality. They ate some food in the mountains and walked for one more hour, before Shao Yunduan said, ¡°It is gettingte, let¡¯s head home.¡± It would take them a lot of time to arrive home. Shao Xiaoqi let out a small cry and scratched his head in distress. ¡°We didn¡¯t have much luck today, we haven¡¯t seen any big things. Let me atleast take some small ones home!¡± Shao Taotao smiled. ¡°Seventh Brother, it would be too scary if we really run into some big things! I think roosters and rabbits are enough! Also, the Fifth Sister-inw has found so many snow fungus, which should be better than those big things!¡± The three of themughed, so did Shao Xiaoqi. ¡°That is true!¡± Shao Xiaoqi concentrated on looking for other prey. They were deep in the mountains with hardly any people and excellent ecology. As a result, there were many prey to be hunted. Qiao Xuan helped along. She led the way and soon, Shao Xiaoqi got three roosters and two rabbits. They could have run into wild boars and tigers, but Qiao Xuan foresaw those animals and guided them away. Soon the four of them headed home. They picked some wild bamboo shoots on the way home again. There were normally two kinds of wild bamboo shoots avable in this season of the year, the sweet and the bitter, both of which were of a small size and turned out to be just slightly bigger than a coin after being peeled. Sweet bamboo shoots did not need to be nched. They could be cut into thin slices and put directly into the pot. They could be fried or made into soup. It would taste very sweet and fresh with no need to add meat. The original taste of fresh bamboo shoots would be retained in the dish. Bitter bamboo shoots needed to be nched so the bitterness could be removed. It could be cooked with meat and chilies. When she got home, Qiao Xuan ced those white fungus in a dustpan and put them in the garden to expose them to the sun. The two ganoderma lucidum were also dried together. There were a lot of porcini mushrooms, Hericium erinaceus, and red mushrooms that were picked this time. Such mountain goods were too precious, and they needed to be kept and eaten slowly. Qiao Xuan also dried some of them. The remaining would be used for chicken stew at dinner. The orchids were nted in the corner of the yard rather than in the pot. Qiao Xuan nned to take care of them with her superpower and see if they could grow well. In the evening, Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni came home. There were many weeds growing in the floral field, and the roots were stubborn in the first year. Therefore, cutting weeds became a very difficult job. Ms. Xu had some ns of her own. She could be calctive, but she never idled around, whilst Yang Xiaoni decided to start fresh, so she worked very hard as well. Chapter 229 - 229 Show 229 Show The two of them removed the weeds cleanly and the roots were all dug out. They were sun dried and then would be buriedter on. Ms. Xu was worried that Qiao Xuan would call themzy, so she exined to her that the reason why the weeds were not thoroughly cleaned was because the job was very difficult to do, and that they were notzy. Qiao Xuan never thought of her in this way, so she did not understand why Ms. Xu would exin this to her. When she understood what Ms. Xu intended to tell her, she consoled her instead. That was when Ms. Xu became assured. During dinner, Qiao Xuan cooked again. She nned to use Hericium erinaceus and porcini.The menu included stewed chicken, fried rabbit with spices, braised rabbit pork belly, sweet bamboo shoots with clear soup, as well as some seasonal vegetables. She had not eaten rabbit for a while and she was greedy for it. When it was time to cook, Qiao Xuan suddenly saw someone passing by the yard. It was Ms. Fang, who was ying with her granddaughter. She exchanged a few words with the neighbor who went away soon after. Excited, Ms. Fang handed her granddaughter to Ms. Xu. ¡°Something is going on. I will go and check it out!¡± Then she headed away. Yang Xiaoni loved gossip too, so she wanted to follow along, so did Qiao Xuan, who asked Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao to join them as well. They lived in a very small vige, and they should care about each other. If something was happening, they would definitely go and watch it. Ms. Fang was excited as she ran ahead. She looked so obvious that she was looking forward to watching a big show. Qiao Xuan understood the whole story. Fifth Grandma Ding and Fifth Grandpa Ding had problems with their inws, and they heard that their granddaughter Ding Xiang of the second section of the family was making a big fuss. Hence, they suddenly got very interested. At this moment, Fifth Grandpa Ding was already surrounded by numerous vigers, who were all whispering to each other. A young girl was seated on the ground, as she said furiously, ¡°¡­we are all grandchildren, how can we be treated so differently? You favor the other sections of the family so much, and you call me immoral? You deserve to be punished!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding got so angry that she leaned backwards, shouting at Ding Xiang. ¡°How dare you use me! I am your grandma! I will beat you to death, no need to keep you alive, bitch!¡± Ding Xiang snapped and sneered with her head raised. ¡°I am your grandchild. How noble are you, when you call me a bitch? We, from the second section of the family, work all the time, and we are never fed well. My mom is too sick to get up right now but you still think that she iszy. You give food to my cousins but you never give me and my brother anything. How can you be treated as the senior members of the family? You can be a senior member to anyone who wants you. How dare you lecture me? What right do you have?¡± The vigers all burst intoughter. Some also felt sorry for them. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw Ding is too prejudiced. Ding Erzhu and his wife are just way too obedient!¡± ¡°True, every family has its problems. Parents can¡¯t always bnce the rtionship, but they can¡¯t be too biased as well!¡± ¡°Ding Xiang used to look so obedient and silent, but look at her right now!¡± ¡°She has been bullied and can¡¯t stand it any more!¡± ¡°Honestly, they could all sit down and talk about this. It is not proper to speak with senior members in this way!¡± ¡°Yea, she has no rules! No one would stand this kind of arguing.¡± Chapter 230 - 230 Fifth Grandpa Ding’s Granddaughter 230 Fifth Grandpa Ding¡¯s Granddaughter Fifth Grandma Ding got so annoyed by what Ding Xiang said that she went up to kick her and shouted. ¡°I will beat you to death, you bitch!¡± Ding Xiang could not stand it. So, she got up and ran away. ¡°You are the senior member but you don¡¯t act like one. The only thing you can do is to put on the seniority hat! Bah, I can¡¯t stand that any more, I want to separate the family!¡± ¡°Ah! I am dying, I am dying!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding shouted. !! Instead of running after Ding Xiang, she screamed at Ding Xiang¡¯s father. ¡°You immoral man, how can you allow your daughter to bully me? Maybe you and your wife have instructed her to do so? What sins have I done so that I have to go through this trouble!¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding¡¯s face changed as he snapped. ¡°She has no rules and she dares to say such terrible things. Catch the damned girl!¡± Ding Erzhu turned pale out of fright and kept apologizing to Fifth Grandma Ding, swearing to God that he and his wife did not order their child to do so and that he would never do anything like this. Ms. Zhou kept sobbing in silence. Ding Xiang¡¯s heart cooled. She shouted even more loudly at Fifth Grandma Ding and Fifth Grandpa Ding for being prejudiced, as well as the exaggerating and annoying things the first and the third section of the family did. She insisted vehemently that she wanted to leave the family. The first and the third section of the family, who were watching the show, got annoyed too. They rushed forward with the cousins and caught Ding Xiang without much effort. Ding Xiang cursed inwardly. ¡°You ruthless family, stingy and evil, you are nothing! My parents will be killed by you one day, just wait and see! If my parents die some day, it will be your fault! You ck-hearted people, you will be condemned by god!¡± ¡°Shut up now!¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding got so angry that he shivered. ¡°What are you talking about, you damned girl! Can¡¯t you talk properly? How dare you curse your own family! You are mental and talking nonsense! Second Son, what are you doing being her parents? You should teach her well!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding pped right on Ding Xiang¡¯s face, shouting. ¡°This damned girl is crazy! No one with the right brain will talk like this. You are immoral, immoral!¡± Ding Xiang¡¯s face turned swollen. But she continued. ¡°This is all your fault! I am mental because you made me so! I want to live separately, will you agree? Of course not! You will have no servant to order around! No one will help you who arezy, mean and evil!¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding got so angry that she almost fainted. She raised her hand and was about to p Ding Xiang again. ¡°I will kill you now!¡± Ms. Zhou suddenly rushed forward with her son in her arms. She shielded Ding Xiang as she kneeled down, begging. ¡°Mom, she is too young to understand what is going on, please, forgive her, please!¡± ¡°Shut up! Bitch, you have taught her all of this! How dare you ask for forgiveness!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding kicked Ms. Zhou, who fell backwards. Her son was less than three years old, and he was crying loudly as he called out to his mother. With her son in her arms, Ms. Zhou felt so desperate that she cried. Those bystanders did not think that this should go on like this. They went up to get Fifth Grandma Ding, telling her to calm down and helped Ms. Zhou and her son get up. Some people tried to tell Ding Xiang not to talk any more and apologize to her grandparents. Chapter 231 - 231 Wrap Up The Matter 231 Wrap Up The Matter Fifth Grandpa Ding red at Fifth Grandma Ding too. It was his wife who was too prejudiced, and had been treating the second section of the family badly. The second section of the family were too obedient to say anything, and he never took their attitudes as important. But Ding Xiang, the damned girl bore the grudge in heart. This damned girl behaved openly like this and his second son and his wife might have held the same grudge too. They had made the whole family into a joke in front of the vige! Fifth Grandpa Ding was very unhappy about Fifth Grandma Ding, and was also upset about the second section of the family. !! Why could they not point out their grudge privately rather than make a scene here? Did the second section of the family think that it was a good thing to be the joke of the vige? Fifth Grandpa Ding decided to wrap up the matter properly. He had to do so! Otherwise the rumor would only get bigger! His grandchildren were getting older every single day, and they should get married when it was time. His family could not be humiliated at this juncture! ¡°Just stop it!¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding nced at Fifth Grandma Ding and his children as he looked at Ding Erzhu. ¡°Erzhu, just tell everyone if your parents have treated you badly?¡± Frightened, Ding Erzhu shook his head subconsciously. ¡°No, of course not¡­¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding snorted. ¡°Have you ever thought about leaving the family?¡± ¡°No, I never think about this! My parents are so good¡­ how can I leave you!¡± ¡°You really never thought about this?¡± ¡°Never, Dad!¡± ¡°Good. I knew that I would never have raised an evil son!¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding calmed himself down and turned to Ding Xiang. ¡°Girl, are you jinxed that you have spoken such impolite words? Just say sorry to your grandma, and we will drop the matter! After all, you are simply being impulsive at this moment, but we can forget about it!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding red at Ding Xiang and sneered. ¡°Are you confused as to have said something like that?¡± With a swollen face, Ding Xiang looked at Fifth Grandpa Ding with widened eyes. ¡°Grandpa, why can¡¯t we live separately? We can still treat you well when we live separately! I don¡¯t want my parents to live a tired life. Moreover, neither of the uncles ever work well! Why can¡¯t we just live separately, why not? Many people in our vige live separately!¡± ¡°Just shut up! They live separately for some reason, but many are living together! You should get out of our family if you want to live separately. I will see if you can survive!¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding¡¯s face sank. ¡°Girl, you are definitely jinxed! You are talking nonsense! You were not like this before.! How can you speak with me in such an impolite way? You are not being polite towards us!¡± Ding Xiang said, ¡°What I want is just to live separately!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding sneered. ¡°Why should we listen to you? You are nothing!¡± ¡°I am nothing, then you can separate us!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding snapped as he said with a sunk face. ¡°Girl, if you are jinxed, I will let you stay in the ancestral hall for a couple of days, and the gods will drive away the evil air on you.¡± It was a naked threat. The ancestral hall was damp and dark, where the ancestral tablets were ced. People could feel cold and dank air in that ce. It was always dark even in the daytime, let alone deep at night. Chapter 232 - 232 Rights Of Discourse 232 Rights Of Discourse It was not easy to stay there for a couple of days. At least for a teenage girl, it would be very scary. Ding Xiang looked up and said, ¡°I can stay there, but are we living separately afterwards?¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding¡¯s face sank utterly after that question. ¡°Second Son, do you want to live separately?¡± !! ¡°No, no, of course not¡­¡± Ding Erzhu was dumbfounded, wondering what made his girl say so. Fifth Grandpa Ding sneered. ¡°It seems that you have not taught her well. Hence, the girl is totally jinxed!¡± Ding Erzhu panicked. ¡°Dad, she is just confused!¡± Ms. Zhou was terrified too. ¡°Ding Xiang, just stop talking! Apologize to your grandma and your grandpa, we are not going to live separately okay. Don¡¯t talk like this!¡± Ding Xiang nced at her parents. She looked desperate and distressed. She had no rights of discourse. She could not change a thing. She tried her best to shout out what she was thinking, but everyone called her confused, jinxed. She was denied¡­ She could do nothing when she was under someone else¡¯s mercy! She was capable of doing nothing! What a goddamned world! She just could not stand that any more! No wonder¡­ the original host died¡­ She looked around and felt exhausted. Ding Xiang suddenly felt a bit desperate. Anyway¡­ She was not going to tender any apologies because she never made any mistake. That was the bottomline she had. They could do whatever they wanted to her. She could not ride over them! Fifth Grandpa Ding forced her. ¡°Girl, just say sorry, we can drop it as long as you apologise! We are a family and we will live happily forever!¡± Ding Xiang sneered. This pretentious tone made her feel so disgusted. What were you pretending to be? You were not at all noble! She was not gullible! She knew that they were just trying to save their face. She was being forced to repent so that their reputation could be saved. She had thought that as long as she could draw the attention of the vigers, she could force the whole family to yield. But she was wrong! Nothing happened so easily! She was alone, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not get out of this mud! Seeing Ding Xiang staying silent, Fifth Grandpa Ding got angry and said coldly, ¡°You are definitely jinxed, so you talk nonsense! Elder, Second and Third son, just take her to the ancestral hall so she can reflect herself in front of the ancestors!¡± ¡°No, please, Dad. Ding Xiang, just apologize, now!¡± ¡°Dad, she is confused, I can discipline herter, but please, forgive her!¡± Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou turned pale as they begged for forgiveness. Ms. Zhou cried so hard that she almost copsed, but for her sister-inws who supported her. The ancestral hall was very scary, but a maiden who was 15 years old, who could have a good marriage, would have her name ruined if she was ordered to stay in the ancestral hall. They would never find any good suitors for her. What was she going to do? Her life was ruined! Ding Xiang closed her eyes. ¡°She is jinxed, definitely yes! No normal girls would be like this!¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding almost cried. ¡°What are you standing here for! Get her to the ancestral hall. What a shameless thing, our family is doomed!¡± Chapter 233 - 233 Qiao Xuan’s Vision 233 Qiao Xuan¡¯s Vision No matter how much Ms. Zhou cried, Ding Xiang was still driven to the ancestral hall. The vigers exchanged murmurs among themselves. Some were talking about Fifth Grandma Ding, some were showingpassion to Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou, and some even believed that Ding Xiang had been really jinxed. ¡°True, she must be under influence, how else can a girl behave like this?¡± !! ¡°Yea, did you see her eyes? They look weird.¡± ¡°She is a grandchild, and she needs to behave like one. How could she talk to her grandparents like this?¡± ¡°She is jinxed, and she is confused. I wonder if she will get better soon.¡± ¡°Not sure!¡± ¡°¡­¡± After the show, they all went back to their own homes. Ms. Fang felt a bit interested and sneered. ¡°That old woman is such an evil person! How could she force her own son and granddaughter to be like this? She will have to pay for her actions.¡± Ms. Fang was gossiping when she saw Qiao Xuan, who seemed to be totally transfixed. She tugged at her arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go home, you got frightened?¡± Ms. Fang showed her concern. She was thinking that Qiao Xuan grew up in the mansion instead of a vige and she might have gotten scared after she saw what happened. Qiao Xuan brought herself back and smiled. ¡°I am fine, Mom. I just didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen¡­¡± ¡°No one did!¡± Ms. Fang sighed. ¡°That grandma is too cold-hearted.¡± Ms. Fang wasining to Yang Xiaoni on the way home, but Qiao Xuan was thinking about something else. She had gotten dizzy and just like how she ran into the man whom she and Shao Yunduan savedst time, she witnessed numerous images in her head again. Ding Xiang was in those images. She was going to have a very bright future! Qiao Xuan made up her mind to help Ding Xiang out. She would lose nothing, if that vision did note true, but if she was right¡­ then she would have saved an important figure. When she made up her mind, she started to think about how to do it. She decided to do it alone, in secret. After all, she had no rights to get involved with other people¡¯s family affairs, and if she offered to help Ding Xiang, her family would not approve of it. They might call her evil too. It would be a tough thing to exin. If the rumor arose about her, she would be driven mad! The whole family finished dinner, and Qiao Xuan drove Shao Yunduan back to the room, and then left home with an excuse that she needed to check out the tomato buds. She found out where the ancestral hall was. It was located in the west side of the vige. It was big and isted. That was a good thing. A tree was next to the ancestral hall, and Qiao Xuan used her superpower, so that the branches bent down for her to climb up. Then the branches took her to the wall and bent down for her to go inside the wall. Qiao Xuan hopped down and started to walk in, within a safe distance. The ancestral hall was a very scary ce, and it was even more scary at night. But Qiao Xuan was feeling very calm. After all, she had time-traveled and got superpower with her. What was she afraid of anyway? Ding Xiang was locked in the left wing-room of the ancestral hall, and when Qiao Xuan found her, she was sitting with arms around her knees, looking cold. Chapter 234 - 234 Starvation 234 Starvation Both of them froze as their eyes met. Ding Xiang did not expect that someone would be here at night. Qiao Xuan realised that Ding Xiang was not looking scared. This girl was indeed strong-minded. Ding Xiang nced at the basket in Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands. She seemed to have smelled something. She swallowed her saliva, and her eyes started sparkling. ¡°Have you got any food?¡± Ding Xiang licked her lips and asked in a hoarse voice. She was really famished. She was never fed at her home, and no one gave her food after she was locked in the ancestral hall. When she heard the sound of footsteps, she thought that it was her mother. But it was not. She felt a bit disappointed, but not that disappointed. Ms. Zhou was too weak to fight against her grandma, who would definitely stop Ms. Zhou from giving her any food. Ms. Zhou could do nothing but cry. She was her mother but she could not even defend her child who was tormented by her own family. She felt let down as she thought about this. She was so hungry that she did not even bother to ask why this woman was in front of her . All she needed was food. Qiao Xuan smiled and let out a sigh of relief. She had been thinking how to exin to Ding Xiang when they met, but she turned out to be so straightforward. This was a personality she liked. When she thought of how she fought against Fifth Grandpa Ding and the whole family and she sighed ¨C what a special girl! She was really different from ordinary farmers. ¡°Oh yes, but drink some water first, I have added some honey in it¡­¡± Qiao Xuan nodded and went to her. She squatted and took out the food and water for Ding Xiang. Ding Xiang took the kettle and poured the water into an empty bowl with shivering hands, then she finished it directly, letting out a sigh of relief and saying emotionally, ¡°It is so sweet!¡± She could not wait any longer and started to eat. Qiao Xuan had expected that she would not have been given any food by the family, so she only got one bowl of rice, one dish of bamboo shoots, and several pieces of mushrooms for her to eat. But Ding Xiang did not think too much, and she started to eat everything immediately. When the food was done, Ding Xiang wiped her mouth and put down the chopsticks and bowls. She almost cried. How could she have time-traveled to this goddamn ce? She could not even get to eat one bowl of rice! How happy it was to be able to finally eat! ¡°Oh yes.¡± Ding Xiang pressed down her tears and smiled. ¡°You are the Second Miss from the Qiao Family right? Why did you give me food? Anyway, thanks!¡± Qiao Xuan had already understood that she was different, so it was normal that she could guess who she was ¨C she was different from the vigers here. ¡°You are right.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and added. ¡°I don¡¯t approve of what Fifth Grandpa Ding did, so no need to thank me!¡± Ding Xiang grinned. ¡°So you felt sorry for me? Anyway, thanks!¡± Chapter 235 - 235 A Pure-Minded Girl 235 A Pure-Minded Girl It was a greatfort, if you could have someone who felt sorry for you. Ding Xiang sighed inwardly. She was ady born in a big family, and yet she had such a simple mind. Fearing that she would not believe her, Qiao Xuan said in a small voice, ¡°Let me tell you something but please don¡¯t tell anyone else. My lineal mother is not kind either and I felt really sorry for you when I saw you being treated like that.¡± Thisdy was so simple-minded! !! Ding Xiang replied involuntarily. ¡°Lucky that you ran into me, but let me tell you, poor people are never kind! Those farmers are too poor to think about justice and fairness. They are just greedy and private, so never be too kind or feel sorry for others, otherwise you will get yourself in a lot of trouble, alright?¡± Qiao Xuan was startled. ¡°¡­¡± What was she talking about? Did she think that she was an innocent, pure-minded rich girl? Qiao Xuan chuckled in her heart. She was not pure-minded! She could be quite ruthless! But she found Ding Xiang getting more and more interesting! Seeing Qiao Xuan¡¯s seemingly surprised look, Ding Xiang exined little by little. ¡°Look at what you did tonight¡­ I am locked here because I have been punished. You delivered food to me and if you don¡¯t help me do what I ask of you, I may threaten you about telling everyone else about your deeds. As a result, you willnd into trouble for saving me here!¡± Qiao Xuan. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I understand what you mean. But I know you won¡¯t! Don¡¯t worry, I am not that gullible, and I never show kindness to others easily!¡± Ding Xiang smiled. ¡°How do you know I won¡¯t!¡± Qiao Xuan was speechless. She could not exin it. ¡°Just a feeling. My sixth sense is always right!¡± ¡°What feeling?¡± ¡°Just an intuition!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Anyway, they needed to drop the topic. ¡°You should never be this nosy any more, got it?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Oh yes,¡± Qiao Xuan switched to the embarrassing topic, ¡°What are your ns for the future?¡± Future? Ding Xiang sneered. At this juncture, she wasn¡¯t even sure whether she would have a future! She had understood clearly that she alone could not fight against a family, especially since she was born in this era. She was called jinxed by her family and was even considered as immoral. Now, she was starving in the locked ancestral hall. Maybe she would be forced into marriage and the only thing she could do to fight against that was to die. Qiao Xuan thought for a while and tried to persuade her. ¡°I believe that if you want to achieve something, you should not lunge at it. You can try to take a roundabout. For example, you embarrassed your grandparents today, that would irritate them more. You will end up being in trouble again and again if you fail to bring them to your side¡­¡± Qiao Xuan was really curious whether this stubborn personality girl would have a flourishing future like she had foreseen? But she had developed some feelings towards this girl and would like to give her a hand. Moreover, when she heard some details about Fifth Grandma Ding from Ms. Fang, Qiao Xuan believed that Ding Xiang was really unlucky to have been born in a family like that. Chapter 236 - 236 Where 236 Where Ding Xiang smiled and nodded. ¡°You are right¡­¡± But what she was thinking inwardly was that this nobledy simply knew nothing. Retreating and ying along? She would very much like to do so, but the problem was that it would not work out for her. Her parents had already been under the charge of her grandma, and neither of them would take her side. She was alone, and there was nothing she could do. She had softened her stance before, but that did not work. Her parents had been frightened and they could not change themselves. They were used to being like that, and she could not change them at all. Also, her grandma was a very tricky person, and when she sensed that she had instigated her parents to rebel, she would be doomed! There was nothing she could do, except to throw herself out to get them all condemned. But the result was that she lost the gamepletely¡­ Honestly, the reason why her grandma treated her father like that was because her father was down-to-earth and the second son, who could ept his mother¡¯s bad temper. He was never treated well, but he neverined. That was why he ended up being like this. Obedient people always get bullied! ¡°Just go home, don¡¯te back tomorrow.¡± Ding Xiang said to Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan nodded, and gave four eggs wrapped in yellow paper as well as a small water bottle as well as a tiny porcin bottle with honey to Ding Xiang. ¡°You can eat them tomorrow.¡± She could note to this ce during the daytime. If she was spotted, she would be in trouble, just as Ding Xiang said. Ding Xiang got startled all of a sudden. She looked deep into Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes and said lightly as she took over the things, ¡°Thanks!¡± Qiao Xuan waved her hands, smiling. ¡°I am leaving now!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The moment Qiao Xuan walked out of the door, Ding Xiang called out and stopped her. She raised her hands to sort out the hair on her head, saying to Qiao Xuan seriously, ¡°If there is any chance in the future, I will repay you, definitely! Thanks!¡± This was the only kindness she had received after she came to this world. She would always bear this gesture in her heart. After all, her parents were kneeling down to her grandparents and had decided to leave her alone! How ridiculous! If they really loved her as their daughter, they would have done whatever they could to fight against her grandparents! At that time, her grandparents would not be able to do anything ¨C they could not possibly kill them, right? The fundamental point was that she was not that important in their hearts. Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile, after she was taken aback for a moment. ¡°Okay, I will bear this in mind! Haha!¡± Qiao Xuan was very happy. This was exactly what she hade for! It was great that Ding Xiang had the same idea. Ding Xiang smiled and could not help but get emotional. The Second Miss of the Qiao Family was indeed so pure in mind. Qiao Xuan answered too straightforwardly to let Ding Xiang feel that she was just teasing her, rather than take her words seriously. But Ding Xiang was not joking. Qiao Xuan left the ancestral hall in the same way as she came in. She needed to head home fast. She felt d inside her heart and felt that she had fulfilled her mission! But the moment she walked into the room, she ran into Shao Yunduan, who asked her. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°Oh well¡­¡± Qiao Xuan normally returned to the room with Shao Yunduan, but it was veryte for her to show up. So, Shao Yunduan asked her curiously. She thought for a while. ¡°I¡­ I just suddenly thought of the medical herbs in the yard. I just went to check them. After all, I hadn¡¯t seen them in a while.¡± Chapter 237 - 237 Blank In Mind 237 nk In Mind ¡°Is that really the case?¡± Shao Yunduan looked at the clothes around her waist. Qiao Xuan looked down subconsciously and saw that her clothes had some strings stuck on them. She would not have such a thing attached to her, if she had been in the yard for medical herbs. ¡°I¡­¡± Qiao Xuan snapped at herself inwardly. !! Her husband must have be suspicious. She should have found a better excuse. She could have used this excuse to get herself out of the suspicion of the others in the family, but her husband was smart enough not to believe her words¡­ ¡°Oh well..¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and confessed, as she came to Shao Yunduan. ¡°Well, don¡¯t get mad if I tell you. I visited Ding Xiang at the ancestral hall, and I brought her some food.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hush!¡± Qiao Xuan covered Shao Yunduan¡¯s lips. ¡°Keep your voice down!¡± As the gentle and soft hand covered his mouth, he could feel softness spreading across his body so he was dumbfounded, not daring to move. He was about to talk when he realized that his lips would rub across her hand. He stiffened even more, and did not dare to move at all. His ears were totally red and he got so nervous that he started to breathe heavily. Qiao Xuan was so anxious that she did not realize what she had done. She blinked as she turned to him, looking pitiful. ¡°I can exin it to you¡­¡± The two of them were standing very close to each other, and she looked so beautiful. She seemed to have a stimting fragrance that went in from the tip of his nose, making him feel excited. With his eyes staring at her, he felt his mind turn nk. As she felt some warmth on her hand, Qiao Xuan suddenly realized what she had done. She had her palm over his mouth. This was very embarrassing! Qiao Xuan let out a small, low cry and blushed. She calmed down after a moment and withdrew her hand, repeating her words just to drive away the embarrassing moment. ¡°I can exin to you¡­¡± As the soft feeling on his lips went away, Shao Yunduan let out a secret sigh of relief. But at the same time, he wished that the palm could have stayed on for a bit longer. ¡°You can exin now¡­¡± His head had turned messy, and he spoke up randomly. Qiao Xuan coughed andposed herself. She started speaking in a small voice. ¡°I am telling you the truth. It is just¡­ I found Ding Xiang very pitiful to have a family like that. No one would help her, so I gave her some food to eat. You won¡¯t think I¡¯m nosy, right? I just¡­ I was reminded of how I was treated at the Qiao Family¡­¡± ¡°I am not ming you.¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart softened, as he heard her mentioning the Qiao Family. He asked her gently. ¡°You were not noticed, right?¡± Qiao Xuan had not expected that her exnation would work so well. She felt a bit guilty but smiled. ¡°I was careful!¡± ¡°You should discuss such matters with me in the future, okay?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°I will keep this a secret for you. Don¡¯t mention it to anyone else.¡± ¡°Of course, you are the only person I told this to!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and felt much better. He reminded her again. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Mom about this either, it is never good to tell one more person about it.¡± Actually, he was worried that his mother would me her if she knew about it. Chapter 238 - 238 Good Thing 238 Good Thing Qiao Xuan did not give her too many things, nor did she want to tell anyone about it. But for Shao Yunduan who suspected her, she would not have disclosed it to Shao Yunduan. So, she just nodded and agreed. Unassured, Shao Yunduan stressed some more and then finally stopped. Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief. The following day, Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao went into the mountains for a walk. They did not find any major things the day before, and Shao Xiaoqi wasn¡¯t very satisfied with the result. He was motivated to find some bigger prey. Feeling bored, Qiao Xuan decided to tag along. When she proposed it, Shao Yunduan suggested following her into the mountains as well, at the premise that he had not affected his study n. He could make up for itter. The four of them went into the area they had never been to before. The green hills were quiet, the ancient trees were towering, and the thick fallen leaves were rustling. The temperature in the mountains was much lower than outside, and it was cool to walk in it. From time to time, the crisp and pleasant sound of birds chirping could be heard, and the echo reverberated through the valley, sounding quite melodious. With her superpower, Qiao Xuan could see all the good mountain stuff. But they were only here to pick some precious mushrooms. Shao Xiaoqi found some Bamboo partridges in the forest, and hunted them sessfully. Bamboo Partridge were as big as piegones, and the flesh could be very tasty, different from ordinary roosters. They were just walking, when Qiao Xuan saw something with her superpower. She saw that there was a patch of tea woods standing out on the valley in the southeast direction. Two of the tea trees were strong and the leaves were both dark green, looking quite tempting. Qiao Xuan did not have much knowledge of tea. She had once seen many wild-growing tea trees here, which did not draw her attention. But this patch of tea trees gave her a very strange, different feeling. Her sense told her that these were wonderful things! Motivated, Qiao Xuan believed that their trip could be rewarding with this. The two old tea trees were ancient, and the leaves were tender. They could be obtained and taken for tea at home. Therefore, Qiao Xuan secretly took the other three members of their team in that direction. As they came to the feet of the mountains, she pointed at the patch of tea trees on the valley within their sights. ¡°Look, that is a cluster of tea trees. The leaves are so tender and we can take some home. The tea made out of it should be very tasty!¡± Shao Yunduan spotted them too. He had more knowledge of tea than Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao. He added with a smile after seeing the patch. ¡°The leaves look very good. Let¡¯s get going!¡± ¡°Okay, Fifth Brother, and Fifth Sister-inw!¡± Qi and Taotao would never object to the suggestion made by them. Both of them were very interested in food and drinks. Shao Xiaoqi asked. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, apart from making tea, can the tea leaves be used for anything else?¡± Shao Taotao¡¯s eyes sparkled and she looked excited. Qiao Xuan nodded and smiled. ¡°Of course, they can be used to fry with shrimps, eggs, and make pancakes. We can use tea water to stew chicken and bones, and we can even add the leaves to braised dishes, or stir-fry¡­ anyway, let¡¯s take them home!¡± Chapter 239 - 239 Flourishing 239 Flourishing ¡°Okay!¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotaoughed and looked excited and hopeful. ¡°Let¡¯s go and pick the tea leaves!¡± The patch of tea trees was located a bit over halfway of the mountains, and the team, who was used to walking in the mountains, reached the ce almost an hourter, since the mountain was sorge. Qiao Xuan had already sensed the scent of tea when they were very far away. She felt even more motivated. Equipped with the superpower, she was well connected with nts in this world, and she was even more sensitive towards things which were extraordinary. As they went closer to the tea woods, Shao Yunduan could smell the scent of tea as well. ¡°It smells so good!¡± ¡°Yeah, it is so good!¡± Before Qiao Xuan could say anything, everyone else already understood that it was a good thing in front of them. Apart from the two ancient,rge tea trees, there were some middle-sized ones as well as small sprouts everywhere on the ground. Both Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were good at climbing trees, and they prepared to go up. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, are there any rules to pick the tea leaves? Just the tip will do, right?¡± Qiao Xuan nodded. ¡°Yes, don¡¯t get too much of the stem. Two tender leaves should be enough.¡± The two of them nodded and went to the top of the trees. Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan. ¡°Let¡¯s go and get them!¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. They had some rug bags with them as they went into the mountains, and they came handy now. The leaves were not very heavy, and those tworge bags should be enough. Back-facing the others, Qiao Xuan pinched a small tea tree sprout and tried to stuff it into the space. ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she realized what happened. It went in! It seemed that the tea trees which she could not name were really precious things! Qiao Xuan brought some more trees to space. The spring became increasingly flourishing. They started to head home after getting two bags full of tea leaves. The tea leaves seemed like precious things, so the trip was worth it, though they never got any prey. Qiao Xuan got them to dig some more arm-sized tea tree sprouts and tied them together, so they could take them home. Soon, they ran into another patch of small tea woods. The tea wood was much smaller than the first one they saw, and apart from one ancient tree, there were some other mid-sized ones. The sprouts were everywhere, growing in the shadow. The trees probably could not grow well due to theck of sun then oxygen. The tree looked quite special too. The trunk and twigs were purple whilst the leaves were dark green, and the new sprouts were tenderly red. They could smell the scent of roses as well as herbs. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao, who had no idea about tea, could not help but praise. ¡°It smells so good!¡± They did not want to leave like this. So they paused and started to pick some more. Qiao Xuan delivered some more tree sprouts into the space, which epted them as well. She got seven or eight pieces into space, and suddenly, she could tell that her superpower had been expanded. More importantly, the mist around the small wooden house was diminished to some degree. Surprised, Qiao Xuan nced about and without letting Shao Yunduan see her, she pushed some more tree sprouts into the space. Chapter 240 - 240 Escape 240 Escape However, the space did not undergo any major changes, apart from bing more flourishing. Qiao Xuan finally came to the conclusion after many times of experience that she needed to get many precious nts into space, so that the amount could lead to major changes. Qiao Xuan got arge bag of purple-colored tea leaves, as well as some tea tree sprouts. They tied them up together and started to head home. It was a good harvest. !! As they went back home, Qiao Xuan asked Taotao for help. They nted the tea trees in the yard and at the corners of the floral field. Then, they started to process the fresh tea leaves. No one had any idea how to process it in aplicated way, but the vigers usually fried them and got the water out, so the tea leaves would be in the best condition for storage. This time, they did the same. The tea leaves relieved the thirst, so vigers loved to have some nted next to their yards. In this way, they could pick some and fry them for daily tea drinking. These tea trees were not precious ones, but ordinary ones. So they did not need to be taken well care of, nor did they need to be chopped or trimmed. The trees they brought home today were apparently different from the ones they drank at home. Qiao Xuan was thinking about taking some twigs and leaves for Manager Qin to take a look. If it was a precious kind, she would turn the field she bought from the Zhang Vige into a tea garden. Qiao Xuan used some fresh tea leaves to make the dishes for dinner. These two kinds of tea leaves became increasingly fragrant, and the scent made people feel fresh in their minds. Ms. Fang praised it highly and smiled. ¡°I never expected that there would be such fabulous things in the mountains. These leaves seem to taste different from what we drink every day!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°There are many precious things in the mountains. Qi is familiar with the paths, so he takes us to these ces! He knows far more than others!¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°He hunts, but he doesn¡¯t know about tea. It is you and Duan who helped!¡± Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan exchanged a few words and said suddenly, ¡°Remember Ding Xiang who was trapped in the ancestral hall? When Ms. Zhou brought her food at lunchtime, she was gone! Ms. Zhou and Ding Erzhu are so anxious and are looking around for her everywhere. The girl is so bold as to escape!¡± Qiao Xuan was shocked and her face changed. ¡°She¡­ escaped?!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Ms. Fang kept the gossip flowing. ¡°I never expected that this girl could be so stubborn! I thought she was a quiet one. But why did she run away when she was in the ancestral hall? Where can she go? Will shee back? She would receive even worse punishment when she returns because her grandparents are so angry now!¡± Qiao Xuan panicked. She did not give any response as her mind got confused. She had a feeling that Ding Xiang did not run out of the ancestral hall out of anger. More importantly, she felt that the girl was not going toe back. Chapter 241 - 241 The Ding Family 241 The Ding Family She must have escaped and left Shaoding Vige. Infact, she might be nning to leave the county! Probably¡­ Probably that was how she turned her life around and walked to the peak of her life. She had escaped! !! Did she save some extraordinary man who came to pay back his gratitude, so that they got married and she became rich due to her husband. The images she had seen about the girl must have happened after she reached the peak. She felt slightly better as she thought about these. At least she knew that after going through twists and turns, the girl would have a bright future. Otherwise¡­ what would happen to a girl who ran away from her n and drifted about outside? That thought made her feel anxious. Qiao Xuan learned of the whole story from Ms. Fang. Ms. Zhou had wanted to give Ding Xiang some food and drink for dinner the night before, but Fifth Grandma Ding was too annoyed to approve of this idea. She had lectured Ms. Zhou and ordered her not to give the girl any food. Fifth Grandpa Ding was also very annoyed by how Ding Xiang humiliated them in front of the whole vige, so he intended to make her reflect on herself and let her suffer. He also ordered not to give her any food, until she admitted her mistake. In Fifth Grandpa Ding¡¯s opinion, she would not die just because she missed a meal. She needed to be seriously disciplined, so she could know what mistake she had made and that she would never dare to do it again. Ding Erzhu cared for his daughter, but he was too obedient to counter what his daughter had said. He did not even raise his voice in front of his parents. Ms. Zhou became desperate. She cried throughout the night. The following morning, Ms. Zhou felt even more distressed. But she did not get any chance to shed tears. She had no choice but to make food whilst listening to her mother-inw¡¯s horrible words¡­ All the way until lunchtime, Ms. Zhou could not stand it any more. She decided to sneak in a bowl of porridge for her daughter at the ancestral hall. However, she failed to find Ding Xiang at the ancestral hall. She looked everywhere, but Ding Xiang was nowhere to be seen! Mentally stimted, Ms. Zhou staggered home and passed on the message, begging everyone to help her find the daughter. The Ding Family got startled. Apart from Ms. Zhou and Ding Erzhu, everyone else got furious about it. Fifth Grandma Ding snapped. ¡°What? That damned girl ran away? How dare she run away from the ancestral hall? She better note back, otherwise I will break her leg!¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding also trembled in anger. ¡°Unruly kid! This girl has to be lectured!¡± The first and the third sections of the family also madeints. ¡°We are now the joke of the vige again!¡± ¡°Second Brother and Second Sister-inw, how did you turn Ding Xiang into such a kid!¡± ¡°I have never seen a girl as bold as this! She ran away from the ancestral hall! Damn!¡± ¡°Second Sister-inw, just don¡¯t keep crying! The girl must be hiding somewhere in the mountains and she will return when it turns dark, otherwise, where would she go?¡± Chapter 242 - 242 Nowhere To Be Seen 242 Nowhere To Be Seen Ms. Zhou red at her Third Sister-inw, Ms. Lu Ms. Lu got startled by her unexpected re. She became really furious after recovering a bit. She red back and snapped. ¡°What are you staring at me for? Are you ming me for not teaching your daughter well!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding sneered. ¡°What are all of you making a fuss about? It is a small issue. Just drop it! The damned girl can return when she is tired outside. I will teach her a good lesson!¡± ¡°Also, Ms. Zhou, how dare you ignore what I told you? Who gave you the permit to give food to the damned girl? Just wait for your punishment!¡± Ms. Zhou could not stand that any more. She cried. ¡°How can you all be like this? Ding Xiang is missing! You are not looking for her but keep saying horrible words. If she is gone, I will kill myself too!¡± Ms. Zhou rushed out. Ding Erzhu went out with her as well. Fifth Grandma Ding shouted. ¡°Stop it, Second Son, are you trying to rebel against me too!¡± With his eyes turning red, Ding Erzhu sobbed. ¡°Mom, that is my daughter! She is gone! What if something happens to her? I need to find her first, and I will receive your punishment when I find her.¡± Having said the words, Ding Erzhu rushed out. Fifth Grandma Ding shouted. ¡°How dare you? I have raised you for nothing!¡± The other sections of the family got startled and exchanged a look between themselves. No one had expected that the obedient second section of the family rebelled due to Ding Xiang. They started to feel uneasy. It seemed as if something were falling out of their control. What happened to Ding Xiang and the Ding Family soon spread all over the vige. Some sighed and someughed. Some even went out to seek the girl. After all, it was a living girl that was missing. Although they all grew up in the mountains, it was a very dangerous ce. What if something happened for real? Fifth Grandpa Ding could not stand the humiliation. He ordered the other family members to look for her. Fifth Grandma Ding, who was still unwilling to do so, went out with the others after being lectured by Fifth Grandpa Ding. However, Ding Xiang was nowhere to be seen, even after half a day¡¯s search. They started to get anxious. The deeper they went, the more dangerous it would be. So more people went into the mountains to seek for the girl. Shao Dng and his brothers, who had just carried the mushrooms home, also went out to help. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan returned from the mountains and failed to find Ding Xiang after a while. Shao Yunduan and Shao Xiaoqi even said that they never saw anyone on their way home. It was getting dark and even adults did not dare to stay in the mountains when it turned dark. So the vigers returned one after another, and decided to continue with the search the following day. They all knew that a teen girl would never end up well after spending a night in the mountains. Probably when they found her eventually after a few days, she would be a corpse already. Ms. Zhou came home crying loudly. Ding Erzhu, who was dumbfounded, followed her. Chapter 243 - 243 Shao Yunduan’s Consolation 243 Shao Yunduan¡¯s Constion The Ding Family finally panicked! They, who were fierce, never thought about killing Ding Xiang. She was a living person, their child! Fifth Grandma Ding panicked above all. It had been she who caused all of this to happen! The more anxious she was, the more she tried to calm herself down. She pushed the fault onto Ding Xiang. ¡°Damned girl, how dare she rebel! Who taught her this? She doesn¡¯t want to be punished? Damned girl, totally damned!¡± Inside the room, Ms. Zhou threw herself into Ding Erzhu¡¯s arms, crying with hatred. ¡°Just listen to what your mom is saying! How can she be so fierce as to call Ding Xiang names? She is trying to get us all killed!¡± Ding Erzhu¡¯s veins on his forehead popped, as he patted her shoulders, whispering. ¡°Just¡­ calm down, Ding Xiang¡­ she should be fine!¡± During the night, most families in the vige started to talk about this. They sighed. Those parents and grandparents, who never paid enough attention to their children, started to panic as well. They all said that it was Ding Xiang¡¯s fault for being rude and hot-tempered¡­ Qiao Xuan was more certain by this point that Ding Xiang had escaped the vige. She had seen that Ding Xiang was different from the other vige girls, and this was exactly what she would have done. The images in her head had shown that Ding Xiang would definitely be an outstanding and sessful woman. But an isted vige girl like her, who intended to escape from her original family, would definitely have to go through some misery first. Qiao Xuan felt quite emotional, and she looked a bit conflicted. Shao Yunduan took Qiao Xuan back to the room after dinner. He closed the door instantly, and with one hand on Qiao Xuan¡¯s shoulder, he looked at her seriously. Startled, Qiao Xuan looked up at him. Shao Yunduan sighed inwardly. He had noticed that she was absent-minded the whole evening. Shao Yunduan suppressed his voice. ¡°Listen, you should never reveal anything about your visit to the ancestral hallst night, got it?¡± Ding Xiang was gone after her visit. She would surely be suspected if something really happened to Ding Xiang. Then, it would be very difficult to make an exnation. Qiao Xuan nodded, as her heart turned warm. ¡°I won¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Just calm down,¡± Shao Yunduan said gently, as he looked more rxed. ¡°It is not very surprising, when a stubborn girl like her would run away from the Ding Family. It actually might be a good thing for her¡­¡± She had mentioned how she felt about Ding Xiang the night before, and now Ding Xiang was gone. Shao Yunduan could not help but console her, fearing that she would be saddened by her disappearance. Qiao Xuan nodded and then leaned against Shao Yunduan involuntarily, saying with a low voice, ¡°I am calm. I even think that Ding Xiang will have a bright future¡­¡± She just regretted not having given Ding Xiang some money. Shao Yunduan stiffened, and lifted his arm, patting her lightly. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Shao Yunduan was actually not very sure about it. Chapter 244 - 244 Separation 244 Separation Ding Xiang had never been outside the vige. A 15-year-old girl like her would definitely run into danger. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan suspected that Ding Xiang had run away from the vige, rather than in the mountains. The vigers spent three days but failed to find Ding Xiang. Three dayster, they stopped the search. It was all they could have helped with. They all believed that Ding Xiang must have died in the deep mountains. Either she fell into the valley and went unnoticed. Or she had been eaten up by a beast. A young girl would not stay alive after spending three days in the deep mountains. No one, except for Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, thought that she would have escaped the vige. That was beyond their imagination. Most of the vigers had only been to the town a few times, and some had never been to the town in their entire lives. No girl in her teens would be assumed to run away from home on such a long trip! That was just the least they could think of. Ms. Zhou was so sad that she shouted at Fifth Grandma Ding and Fifth Grandpa Ding that it was their fault that her daughter died. Fifth Grandma Ding, who had been feeling a bit scared about her potential cause of her granddaughter¡¯s death, got even more furious hearing Ms. Zhou¡¯s ming words. She pped her twice, saying that she taught her daughter badly, and that it was her fault that Ding Xiang had done something like this¡­ Ms. Zhou cried even harder. She wanted to live separately, or she was going to get a divorce. Fifth Grandma Ding and her husband trembled in anger. Fifth Grandma Ding forced Ding Erzhu to divorce Ms. Zhou, so she did not have to see Ms. Zhou any more, who would remind her of Ding Xiang and make her ufortable. But Ding Erzhu did not agree. His daughter died and his son was only three years old. Now his mother was forcing him to divorce his wife? That was like killing him directly! Fifth Grandpa Ding was annoyed too. He agreed with them separating from the family, but not right now, otherwise his family¡¯s reputation would be ruined! But both Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou made up their minds to leave the home directly. They even regretted not having agreed to live separately when their daughter said so. If they had done so on the other day, things would be different now. In fact, deep in their heart, they wanted to live separately too, just that they did not dare to say it out loud. Now their daughter was gone, they would definitely move out of the family for the sake of fulfilling herst wish. Fifth Grandpa Ding snapped and said that if Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou would move out of their family, they would be removed from their household and they would have no attachment to the family. They would just pretend that they never had a son like him! Also,he did not need to support them when they got old! Fifth Grandpa Ding said so decisively because he wanted to frighten Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou, in case they thought about living separately again. He expected them to move out after three or five years, when Ding Xiang¡¯s disappearance was forgotten about. They would just sit and talk about this peacefully at that time. But not right now! Fifth Grandpa Ding¡¯s decisive words made Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou feel worse. They had just lost their daughter due to his parents¡¯ intimidating attitudes, but his parents did not even feel sorry. Instead, they said such hurtful things, It seemed that the elders did not seem to care about them at all! Chapter 245 - 245 Nothing Attached 245 Nothing Attached Had they been treated with respect, they would not have heard words like this. Hence, they nodded without hesitation. They wanted to move out of the family immediately, and started to live separately. Ding Erzhu even got a Land Officer and Tribe Chief as witnesses. Fifth Grandpa Ding was so surprised and frightened that he wanted to sneak into the ground out of humiliation. How could this obedient son of his be so stubborn? But he could not revoke his words. He would be even more humiliated if he went back on it. So the whole thing was solved directly. With the young son in their arms, Ding Erzhu packed some clothes whilst Ms. Zhou carried away two cages of her dowries and left the Ding Family. Fifth Grandpa Ding was so fierce that he did not even give them any food. He expected them toe and beg for him when they could not survive. He would like to see how they could live! Ding Erzhu and his wife temporarily moved into a barren house close to the vige. Many vigers showed sympathy and gave them some food. But it depended on them how they were going to survive. Ms. Fang did not like Fifth Grandma Ding, but she felt sorry for Ms. Zhou and Ding Erzhu. Though she kept saying that it was their own fault for being weak that they were in this state now. Yet that was their personality, which could not be changed easily. It was, after all, the old grandma of the Ding Family who had caused all of these. Ms. Fang took a small pot, two sets of bowls and chopsticks, a wooden bucket, some rice, noodles, vegetables, oil, salt, and a dozen eggs from home, and asked Mrs. Xu and Yang Xiaoni to send the things to the couple. They were rich enough to spare some stuff, and Ms. Fang was very generous. She said to Qiao Xuan and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t need to go over, it is really filthy there!¡± Ms. Fang apparently was favoring Qiao Xuan, and if the other daughter-inws of hers were stingy enough, they would get angry as to why they were told to go, but not Qiao Xuan. But Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni did not find it wrong, let alone having anything against that. But Qiao Xuan felt a bit guilty about it. She felt that it was not so good when her mother-inw showed the bias so tantly. ¡°It is fine, Mom. I can go and see them!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and picked up the basket of eggs. Ms. Fang believed that she was just curious. She smiled. ¡°Alright then, you can go and check it if you want to.¡± Qiao Xuan really wanted to have a look at the couple. Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou as well as their son had broken their rtionship with Fifth Grandpa Ding and their life must be hard. Ms. Zhou was not very healthy and they had a three-year-old to take care of. Qiao Xuan and Ding Xiang exchanged a few words and they wondered when Ms. Zhou and Ding Erzhu would manage to get back to their feet. She wanted to go and visit them so if she asked them for helpter, the proposal would not be so sudden. When Qiao Xuan and her team arrived, the vigers were there too. They were all curious about how such a thing happened because it had never happened in decades in the vige. At this moment, Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou had already got many things piled up in their house, which were all gifts from the vigers. They had even repaired the house with wood and straws. Chapter 246 - 246 Fifth Grandpa Ding’s Grudge 246 Fifth Grandpa Ding¡¯s Grudge The vegetables sent by others were all vegetables produced in the field, and at most one bowl of rice, or a bowl of leftovers was added. Seeing that Ms. Fang and her family was so generous, who had given rice and noodles, it would add up to ten kilograms. There were more than a dozen eggs, so they were all shocked. ¡°You are so generous, Ms. Fang!¡± ¡°There are eggs too!¡± ¡°Oh they are so rich¡­¡± !! They all turned to Qiao Xuan subconsciously, and thought without any hesitation. The first section of the Qiao Family had a very rich daughter-inw, so they were offering so much. ¡°I am just here visiting you all¡­¡± Ms. Fang smiled, feeling both proud and happy. Her daughter-inw was not only rich, generous but also very good at making money. But she needed to keep a low-profile otherwise they were all going to be even more jealous. Ms. Zhou and Ding Erzhu were shocked. Ms. Zhou shedded tears. ¡°Ms. Fang, this is so generous of you¡­ we have eggs¡­¡± ¡°Just keep them for the child!¡± Ms. Fang patted Ms. Zhou¡¯s hands, feeling a bit sorry for her who looked pale and skinny as well as the starved boy next to her. Ms. Zhou felt her heart break, and could not turn down her offer. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± She sobbed. They could not help but console her, seeing her shedding tears. When it started to gette, they all went home to make food. Ms. Qiao and Ms. Fang left as well. Ms. Fang added. ¡°We are all living in the same vige, if you ever need any help, just tell us, don¡¯t be shy.¡± Ms. Zhou and Ding Erzhu nodded and sobbed. ¡°Thank you so much, Ms. Fang!¡± When everyone else was gone, the small house was quiet again. Ms. Zhou and Ding Erzhu felt so sorrowful and rxed as well. But they seemed to have seen hope ahead. Ding Erzhu said, ¡°I will go and dig a field tomorrow. I will not allow you two to get hungry. We will get better, little by little.¡± Ms. Zhou nodded and sounded nosal. ¡°But¡­ Ding Xiang¡­ ahhhh¡­¡± Her daughter was gone, forever! Ms. Zhou could not help but sob. ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Ding Erzhu patted her on her shoulders, and could not stop shedding tears too. He regretted having lived like this for the past few years. Yet it was toote to think about this now. No matter what else he could do, his daughter was gone, forever! Fifth Grandpa Ding was also aware that the fellow vigers had delivered some things to Ding Erzhu and his wife, but he did not stop them. It would have made him look too cruel. But they would not deliver any food to them because they would not bend down for them. Fifth Grandpa Ding felt a bit annoyed. He did not like it when Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou had no idea what they ought to do. They should not be med for Ding Xiang¡¯s disappearance. It was Ding Xiang¡¯s fault that she was gone! She was a grandchild who should have obeyed her grandparents¡¯ words rather than do everything on her own! She not only countered them, but also humiliated them! Also, she did not listen to his suggestions! Worse, she ran away from the ancestral hall and ended up dead. So what? It was all her fault! Chapter 247 - 247 Kind-Hearted 247 Kind-Hearted It waspletely her fault! Ding Erzhu had been obedient for so many years, but he countered them so fiercely¡­ The whole family had be just too troublesome! At the first section of the Shao Family. !! When Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went back to their own room, Qiao Xuan sighed to Shao Yunduan. ¡°Ms. Zhou and her family are so pitiful. I would like to help them.¡± Shao Yunduan frowned. His wife was too kind-hearted. He understood that she was feeling sorry for them, and she would feel bad if she did not offer them some support. Shao Yunduan asked. ¡°What is your n? Fifth Grandpa Ding is a stubborn man, and Fifth Grandma Ding is absolutely unreasonable. If Uncle Erzhu and his family live a bad life, then they would be forgotten gradually, but if their lives get better while they are still here in the vige, I am afraid that there will be more trouble in the future. I don¡¯t want them to trouble you.¡± It was never a good thing to get involved with Fifth Grandma Ding and Fifth Grandpa Ding. Qiao Xuan smiled in return. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do. My n is to ask Uncle Erzhu if they are interested in shifting and helping us take care of the field at the Zhang Vige! In this way, they should be far away from Fifth Grandpa Ding¡¯s family as well.¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s eyes sparkled as he grinned. ¡°That is a good idea. Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s just follow this n.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded. She needed to conduct the n gradually. Also, they wondered if Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou had their own thoughts for the future. They should not disturb their n either. Qiao Xuan felt a bit tired after spending two days in the mountains. She nned to make lipsticks in the floral field at home in the near future. Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni were still removing weeds, hence, only Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao were busy making lipsticks. As for Shao Xiaoqi¡­ he had just run into the mountains alone for a walk. He was used to running in the hills. Despite being young, he was very rich in experience, so no one stopped him. In the evening, after Ms. Xu and all left, Qiao Xuan went to the floral field alone. She had a basket with her,. She had told the family about getting the wolfberry sprout home for frying. But in fact, she was there to pour in her superpower. The pomegranate flowers would not bloom until some dayster, but Qiao Xuan could not wait. She wanted to use the flowers to make lipsticks, and she needed to use her superpower to hasten the process. Also she was going to try and make the tea trees grow. She concentrated hard and her superpower moved with her heart. An invisible energy wave spread outyer byyer like ripples on the water surface. Under her control, all of them went in the direction she wanted. A quarter of an hourter, Qiao Xuan rxed and let out a sigh of relief. She looked at the pomegranate flowers, bright and red hanging on the branches of the trees. Most of them had already bloomed. By the time she came tomorrow, they would all bloom. Apart from these, there were new flowers that were yet to bloom. Those transnted tea saplings had also taken root and the leaves were green. They were full of energy, and there was no ck in the slightest. Satisfied, Qiao Xuan hummed and went to pick the wolfberry sprouts. She picked up a small patch of wolfberry, which was growing brightly. The sprouts had spread and the wolfberries were ready. Chapter 248 - 248 Qiao Xuan’s Bad Feelings 248 Qiao Xuan¡¯s Bad Feelings Within a short while, Qiao Xuan filled in half a basket and left the remaining ones for frying. They would be made to cook egg and wolfberry sprouts. After she left the floral field, she ran into Ms. Zhang from the second section of the family. Qiao Xuan smiled and called out ¡®Second Sister-inw¡¯ out of politeness, when Ms. Zhang reacted with a smile. ¡°What a coincidence, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded and smiled. ¡°Bye!¡± ¡°Hey, Fifth Sister-inw.¡± Ms. Zhang stopped her and looked at her basket. ¡°The wolfberry is very fresh!¡± Qiao Xuan confusedly let out a response. ¡°Ah¡­ yes.¡± She wondered what Ms. Zhang wanted to say. Ms. Zhang smiled. ¡°It looks so fresh! I heard that you have many wolfberry sprouts nted in your floral field, maybe I can go inside and get some as well?¡± Qiao Xuan, ¡°¡­¡± Wolfberry sprouts were not precious things, and she had many in the field. There were still a whole bunch left. Theoretically speaking, she should have said yes to this Second Sister-inw. However, Ms. Zhang was from the second section of the family, and she did not want her to see what was inside the floral field. She could not let her see the lipstick tubes, the bee boxes or the trees including the tea trees. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I can share half of it with you.¡± ¡°You are so generous. I like you so much!¡± Ms. Zhang smiled and added. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to just take your things. I can pick them up myself. I would like to see what your floral field is like. Fifth Sister-inw, you won¡¯t be so stingy as not to let me in, right?¡± Qiao Xuan got disgusted. Ms.Zhang was trying to morally kidnap her! She would be stingy for not letting her in? Then okay! ¡°Second Sister-inw, I have got all the wolfberry sprouts and the wolfberries inside aren¡¯t big enough for the sprouts toe out. If you want, you can have mine in the basket.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ that is fine.¡± Ms.Zhang was a sneaky person. She had wanted to take them, but she did not want to just take the stuff. She wanted to get a look at the whole floral field. ¡°But I just want to see your floral field, why not let me in? I see the Elder Sister-inw, Third Sister-inw and Taotao keep going inside. Maybe I can help you too?¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s face sank. ¡°No thanks, they are enough!¡± ¡°Fifth Sister-inw!¡± ¡°I always ask Mom for approval. How about you asking her what she thinks?¡± Ms. Zhang got stuck. Ms. Fang would never approve of this request. She knew very well that Ms. Fang was sneaky and stingy. Ms. Zhang¡¯s smiled staggered. ¡°We can talk about thister¡­¡± Qiao Xuan smiled politely. ¡°Okay, I need to go now! Bye!¡± With that, she left. Ms. Zhang saw Qiao Xuan going away and her face sank. She was not pleased at all. ¡°Bah!¡± She spat on the ground and mumbled. ¡°What are you putting on an act for!¡± Chapter 249 - 249 Dumbfounded 249 Dumbfounded Ms. Zhang was not interested in Qiao Xuan¡¯s floral field. She just wanted to get close to Qiao Xuan. If she was able to persuade Qiao Xuan to let her work for her, she could earn 10 won a day easily, which would be great for her. But she also understood that the likelihood of it happening was very small. Hence, she thought about borrowing money from Qiao Xuan. !! Her brother¡¯s wife was soon going to give birth to a baby, and they needed money. But her mother-inw was too stingy to loan her any money, so she had toe up with some other ideas. She had two sisters and one brother. The three sisters were all taught to treat their brother well since they were young. They were repeatedly told that the brother was the only offspring of the Zhang Family! Their brother had a sweet tongue and he treated his sisters well. So the sisters were good to him too, and continued to help him even after they got married. Now his wife was going to give birth and she had to get some money and other things to help him! She had been watching Qiao Xuan these days, and wanted to get close to her. But Qiao Xuan barely stepped out of the house. Moreover, she was always with someone, so she never got the chance to speak with her. So Ms. Zhang went to the floral field to meet Qiao Xuan, when she heard that Qiao Xuan was there alone. But she was still a bit toote to run into Qiao Xuan inside. Otherwise, she could just have exchanged some more words with her alone. She could even help Qiao Xuan do some work at the time, so that Qiao Xuan would not turn her down, if she made a small request. Also, she never expected that Qiao Xuan was so blunt. She had said it so straightforwardly, and Qiao Xuan should have at least approved this small request since they were in the same family! Why was she not allowed to see the floral field? But Qiao Xuan just turned her down! She could also tell that Qiao Xuan had no interest in speaking with her, let alone getting close to her. She needed to find another opportunity to speak with her alone. But the chance was very slim. Ms. Zhang was so annoyed that she had no idea what to do. Qiao Xuan did not bother about this encounter. She was not even afraid of Ms. Niu, how could she be afraid of Ms. Zhang? What she had not expected was that Second Uncle and Third Uncle came to their home again. Both of them were very displeased. They kept ming Qiao Xuan for hiring cousins rather than them, and said that it was not at all reasonable on her part. She had promised to hire them when she had some more work to do. Qiao Xuan told the others that she paid 10 wen a day, which Second Uncle and Third Uncle were happy to ept. It was always good to get some payment. Qiao Xuan did not turn them down. She nodded and smiled. ¡°Okay, but have you forgotten about the rakes we made for you? You can count and see how muchbor you owe us? You can pay back what you owe us and then we can talk about payment.¡± Both Second Uncle and Third Uncle were dumbfounded. They had already forgotten about thebor, but for Qiao Xuan who mentioned that. How muchbor was that? It was worth more than 20 days! So, they needed to work for the first second section of the family for free before they were able to get paid? Chapter 250 - 250 Attitudes 250 Attitudes How could that be possible! Second Uncle immediately said, ¡°Your work is your own, how can you take the sharedbor as personalbor?¡± Ms. Fang took her daughter-inw¡¯s side. She snorted. ¡°Why not? I support her! Anyone who has an opinion against that,e to me!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Thanks, Mom!¡± Who would dare to speak with Ms. Fang? Also, Shao Sang and the others in the family could tell that Qiao Xuan was teasing the second and the third sections of the family, so they were d to watch the show. Eldest Uncle, who wanted to keep his face, did not dare to counter his wife, when his family took so much advantage of Qiao Xuan and her dowry. Qiao Xuan continued. ¡°I have rules for my work. You need to produce 20 pieces of a particr size and dimension every single day, otherwise the payment won¡¯t be given. If you want to work under such strict requirements, you can do that.¡± Second Uncle and Third Uncle turned pale. They had no interest in doing thebor work. They were even less willing to work 20 days for free. Shao Yunduan added. ¡°It is really hard work. We don¡¯t want you to do that, that is why we hired someone else. If we have some other easy work, we will turn to you for help!¡± Second Uncle and Third Uncle snorted and left. They were not interested in doing heavybor. But they felt a bit regretful by this point. They should not have signed that paper to start with! That was not right! They felt so annoyed that they had to work for approximately twenty days for free if they ever wanted to work for Qiao Xuan in the future. Ms. Fangughed. ¡°It was a great idea! If they ever want to ask for our help, we can keep bringing up this note again and again!¡± Shao Sangughed. ¡°That is really good!¡± Eldest Uncle frowned and nced at Qiao Xuan, sighing. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Ms. Fang snapped. ¡°Isn¡¯t it good that we have rules to deal with each other? Who wants to work for free? We can offer help, but they need to pay us or make an equal return. Isn¡¯t that reasonable? We would need help as well!¡± Ms. Fang sounded so firm that Eldest Uncle snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡± Ms. Fang rolled her eyes. ¡°Then you can stop talking about it!¡± The others simply ran away when they saw an argumenting. Seeing the scene, Ms. Fang left and Eldest Uncle was alone in the room. Eldest Uncle was so annoyed. ¡°You know nothing!¡± What were they all doing? They did not have any love for others. Eldest Uncle got very annoyed and believed that it was Ms. Qiao who had changed everyone¡¯s mind. But Qiao Xuan¡¯s idea made the others in the family feel so motivated! They had a rooster to eat for dinner that night. Shao Xiaoqi had brought one home from the mountains. She put the chicken nuggets in arge bowl, added seasonings, dried dates, ginkgo, and lotus seeds. Then, she put them in arge pot and steamed them with water. It was the best way to keep the freshness and sweetness of the chicken, and it tasted just right. Chapter 251 - 251 Hard Working 251 Hard Working There were many fish in the big water tank, so a big catfish was caught and stewed with eggnts. Qiao Xuan also saw that the salted duck eggs she had marinated a while ago could now be eaten. They were not too salty. She peeled several of them. The snow-white egg whites and the oily orange-red egg yolks looked very tempting. Also, there were other dishes, including a te of stir-fried wolfberry buds, wolfberry egg drop soup, cold yam slices, cold fungus, peanuts, and green peppers. It was a table full of bright colors. There was meat and vegetables, all looked very appetizing. This was the first time they ate salted duck eggs. Everyone praised them, especially the oily salted egg yolk, which everyone loved. Qiao Xuan decided to buy some tofu the next time she met a tofu seller. She would cut it into finger-sized diced tofu, and fry it with salted egg yolk. The taste would be very good. The following day, Shao Dng and the others were still going to chop mushrooms. It would mostly be done in the next two days. After that, they would use a saw to cut the fungus material into a suitable length, and then build a shed. With that, the fungus room would bepleted. Qiao Xuan, Taotao, Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni continued to work in the floral field. Seeing the pomegranate tree blooming, they were all amazed. However, when the pomegranate flower bloomed, it meant that a new lipstick variety could be produced. Everyone was looking forward to it. Qiao Xuan was very generous. When the lipsticks were done, she gave one to each, which was quite tempting for thedies. Yang Xiaoni and Ms. Xu helped to pick the flowers before getting down to weeding. ¡°Work hard, we will be done with the weed in a couple of days!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Having exchanged a few words, they started to work hard. Qiao Xuan was worried that Ms. Zhang would appear here, which might be a potential trouble. She needed to send her away. She was not going to let her in. However, Ms. Zhang did not appear. That was quite surprising. She was sure that when Ms. Zhang sucked up to her the day before, she must be nning to get something out of her. But did she give up so fast after she was turned down? Suddenly she realized that her Elder Sister-inw, Third Sister-inw and Taotao were all here, and Ms. Zhang must not want to be seen by any of them. Therefore, she did have the intention but she also wanted to dodge the rest of the first section of the family. Qiao Xuan wondered whether she was nning to borrow money from her. Ms. Zhang always took advantage of her inws¡¯ home, and tried very hard to move everything to her mother¡¯s house. Therefore, if she went to the first section of the family to borrow money, she would most likely be turned down. After all, she would never return it, since she intended to give away the money to her mother¡¯s home! If she could not return the money, the first section of the family would not give it. Maybe Ms. Zhang believed that if she was alone, she could be easily persuaded! Qiao Xuan felt speechless. However, when Qiao Xuan understood what Ms. Zhang wanted out of her, she believed that as long as she was not alone, Ms. Zhang would not ask her for money. She was not afraid of Ms. Zhang. She just did not want to get involved with her. Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao managed to make 24 lipsticks during the morning. It was a blended shade consisting of red and orange color, beautiful and shining like the sun, tempting and lustful. Qiao Xuan gave one to each of them. Shao Taotao loved it. ¡°This is such a good shade!¡± ¡°It should look good on the lips!¡± ¡°¡­Yes! But a bit too bright. I may not dare to put it on my lips¡­¡± ¡°Why not? Elder Sister-inw, you can put some and wipe off a little.¡± The four of them talked andughed together. Qiao Xuan threw a look at the yard, and used her superpower to ripen two watermelons. She asked Shao Taotao to help her carry them home. Chapter 252 - 252 Watermelon 252 Watermelon ¡°Let¡¯s see if they taste good at lunch!¡± Shao Taotao smiled. ¡°Of course they are sweet! You nted them!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Your tongue is sweeter!¡± Taotao smiled shyly. This watermelon was bigger than arge bowl, green in skin with dark stripes. At the knock by slightly buckled knuckles, it gave a crisp and stic sound. Qiao Xuan suddenly started drooling. She knew that the watermelons she nted would taste sweet! Ms. Fang and the others in the family had never seen watermelons before. They had only heard about it from Qiao Xuan. ¡°Can watermelons be eaten raw? It is so sweet!¡± ¡°I heard about a kind of sweet melon that can be eaten raw. It is very sweet!¡± Liu Yan¡¯s eyes widened. A watermelon? Was that a real watermelon? She did not see it wrong, did she? Did Second Miss manage to get watermelons? Liu Yan could not help butment. ¡°Watermelons are precious things and we don¡¯t usually see them here. Every summer, Old Master can get three or four. He and Madame Qiao take them as treasure. When you cut the red melon inside, there is a lot of juice and a fresh fragrance. I heard that it tastes very sweet.¡± Liu Yan was a maid, but she worked for the County Magistrate, so she did have some knowledge about unusual things. Hearing what she said, everyone looked at the watermelon with respect and treated it carefully. ¡°Is it so precious?¡± ¡°Then it must be a good thing!¡± ¡°We are so lucky to get a taste of it!¡± Ms. Fang asked. ¡°Ms. Qiao, just save them to make money, since they are so precious!¡± They all nodded and agreed. The farmers knew that precious things should not be ruined, but sold. That was what a farmer¡¯s family normally thought. They were already very satisfied and grateful to have been able to taste this precious thing. After all, that was something even the County Magistrate believed as being precious. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom, we have many more in the yard, and soon they will be ripe during summer! We can eat them as much as we can, not as precious as you think. We have enough seeds and we can nt as many as we want!¡± Ms. Fang smiled and waved her hands. ¡°Just sell them for money, we don¡¯t want to eat them!¡± ¡°It is fine, we have a lot of money now but we need good food! We can nt some more next year and sell them.¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°Haha!¡± As she thought about the fact that the family was not bad for money now, and watermelons could be grown in this field as Qiao Xuan said, it was not too umon to be able to grow them in the field. So she said nothing more. But what she did not know was that Qiao Xuan had used her superpower to ripen the watermelon, otherwise they would not grow this big. Normal people would not be able to get this without spending much energy, and the fruits might not have grown so well either. Honestly, watermelons attracted bugs. If it was raining during flowering and fruiting, the fruits might be dead. But for Qiao Xuan, none of these was a problem. She could always dodge it sessfully. Therefore, her watermelons grew well, big and numerous. Ms. Fang and the family had no idea about this, so they believed what Qiao Xuan said about how to nt them, and dropped the idea of thinking of them as precious. Chapter 253 - 253 Not Herself 253 Not Herself Qiao Xuan ced the two watermelons in the cold-water bucket, waiting for Shao Dng and the others to return to have a taste. Ms. Xu asked Qiao Xuan in a staggering voice. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, can I take some seeds to my mother¡¯s home, so they can nt some next year too?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded without hesitation. ¡°The ck seeds are ripe. You can take back as many as you want.¡± Overjoyed, Ms. Xu said, ¡°Thanks so much, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± Ms. Xu felt so happy when her request was granted so easily. After lunchtime, they surrounded the table and looked at the watermelon with wide eyes. Ms. Fang felt a bit nervous as she cut it. With a crisp and low sound, the watermelon burst open. The flesh of the melon was bright red, with countless ck seeds inside. This watermelon was brought back from the wild. It was not the excellent variety like the modern times. There were rtively many more seeds. But the watermelon tasted much fresher too. ¡°It tastes so good!¡± Shao Sang swallowed down the seeds. Yang Xiaoni licked her lips, smiling. ¡°Yes, it looks very tasty!¡± Ms. Fang threw a look at the couple, who were only out for food. She cut the watermelon into pieces and picked them up carefully. Everyone picked up a piece each and the juice filled up their mouths. The flesh was soft and the juice was abundant. The fresh sweetness instantly captured all the perceptions in the mouth. In an instant, all the cells in the mouth were mobilized, and they couldn¡¯t wait to swallow. Different voices rang in the room. ¡°I want more!¡± ¡°Oh god, it is so tasty!¡± ¡°Sweet and juicy, full of flesh!¡± ¡°No wonder it is precious. So tasty!¡± ¡°Ah, I can eat up the whole thing!¡± ¡°¡­¡± They all spoke highly of the fruit and just could not stop. Even Liu Yan was given a piece. Liu Yan was so startled that she could not help but remember how it tasted after all. That was watermelon! A precious thing! Second Miss could do everything! They ate it all up except for the tworge slices left to Shao Xiaoqi who was in the mountains. It tasted great. Qiao Xuan eventually fell in love with the taste. Sweet, fresh and drooling! In the scorching summer, at noon with the sun in the sky, eating watermelon soaked in ice-cold water was so pleasing! The watermelons had numerous seeds, but it did not hurt. Qiao Xuan did not want to sell them but there were many of them at home, and they could not finish them alone. She was not giving this fruit to anyone else. Her father-inw no longer mentioned giving it to the other sections of the family, though he had that intention. Qiao Xuan ignored him conveniently. Shen had already made the n about how to sell the watermelons. She intended to visit Mingren Tang in a couple of days and talk to Manager Qin about it. Maybe the watermelons and tea leaves could be sold through them. She herself would never show up to do so. Otherwise, Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao would get a clue! Chapter 254 - 254 Not Returning 254 Not Returning Thinking that even her parents were not able to eat these precious things throughout the summer, Qiao Xuan could not help but feel d. She was going to sell the watermelons at a high price to some rich people, someone like her parents. Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou were not living a good life. The water and field had been opened by someone else and Ding Erzhu was left with barrennd. He had no money to buy a field. He could earn a little bit by opening a few mu, and when he had more money, he could sign a contract. But no one would expect to give the money in advance. At this rate, they would definitely starve. Opening fields was not easy, especially when the weed was growing so crazily. Their son was only three years old and he could not be away from his parents, but Ms. Zhou did not want her husband to work alone. She was anxious too. Two of them were very slow, but one person alone could not finish the work! Half of the year had already passed. Now, they needed to hurry up to open up wastnd, nt some taro, soybeans. They hoped to rush into harvest before winter came. If it was dyed, there would be no harvest in autumn and winter. Then, what would they do? They had already made the n. In autumn and winter, they would go up into the mountain to dig yam and in autumn, there were wild chestnuts, date in the mountains too. They could dig mushrooms too. They would probably ask the first section of the Shao Family to see what they could eat. Also, Ding Erzhu would chop some wood and sell it in the town. In this way, they might be able to buy some thick clothes and food for winter. It was so difficult to live through these days. But they would not regret this life which they had chosen. They were going to continue to persevere no matter what. The couple had to bring their son along for the wastnd opening. They put the son under the tree and started to work. The three-year-old was so naughty that he kept ying with mud, stones, weeds and when he was fed up with it, he ran around. Ms. Zhou had no choice but throw away the shovel to catch her son. Ms. Zhou felt so tired that she had to carry the son on her back all the time. In this way, she could catch him whenever he tried to run away. But the sun was too strong for the son so he got sunstroke, and developed a fever during the night. The couple got so frightened that Ms. Zhou almost passed out. Ding Erzhu tried to borrow some money from his parents to visit a cheap doctor, but Fifth Grandma Ding and Fifth Grandpa Ding refused to give him money. Fifth Grandpa Ding told him that he should apologize first before being given the money, and make the promise that he would never rebel against them again. Otherwise, he would get no money at all because he was not part of the family and could not get anything from him. Ding Erzhu¡¯s heart was broken. He had respected his parents for more than 30 years and that was what he got. His parents threatened him with his sick son¡¯s life. If he returned to the family, he would be humiliated to death! His wife and his son would suffer even more! Ding Erzhu turned away without looking back. He had his teeth clenched and knocked at the door of the first section of the Shao Family. Chapter 255 - 255 Ideas 255 Ideas He did not want to cause trouble to Ms. Fang, but the first section of the Shao Family must be the only people who would be willing to help them, under such circumstances. Ms. Fang was a kind-hearted person and her family was capable enough to help them. The other families might offer vegetables, bowls of rice, but never money¡­ Hearing what he said, Ms. Fang was startled and loaned him 50 wen immediately. Ding Erzhu thanked her with tears in his eyes and hired the doctor from the next vige overnight. Luckily, the boy was not seriously sick. He drank some medical herb soup and by lunchtime the following day, the body temperature dropped. Although it arose a little bitter, yet eventually, it dropped after one day. The couple guarded the boy throughout the whole night and did not dare to move away. They felt as if the sky had fallen down. Ms. Fang and Ms. Qiao visited them the first day, and came to see them again the next day. They had some food with them, including some vegetables and the rooster that Shao Xiaoqi had hunted. Qiao Xuan even brought a big watermelon for the child to eat, but she told them not to feed the child too much at one go. Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou felt really grateful. Ding Erzhu almost kneeled down to kowtow to Ms. Fang, who asked Ms. Zhou to help him up. Ding Erzhu wiped his eyes and said, ¡°Ms. Fang, you are such a great family. We will never be able to pay back for what you have done for us! Please, tell us whenever you need us to do anything! We are strong people and we will pay you back in our next life too!¡± Ms. Fang sighed. ¡°Just drop it. We are living in the same vige. You two are diligent people and you will definitely have a good life!¡± Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou nodded hesitantly, epting Ms. Fang¡¯s good intention. But they really could not imagine what on earth their future would be. Would they get better? They just could not see any hope! Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan exchanged a look, as Ms. Fang coughed and said, ¡°You can¡¯t go on like this. The boy is too small to leave you, and you have nothing here, and you won¡¯t make it through winter. I have an idea, would you like to listen?¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s words hit Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou¡¯s hearts. That was exactly what they were worried about. Hearing what Ms. Fang said, the couple looked suddenly motivated. Ms. Zhou said, ¡°Ms. Fang, you are a nice person, please tell us what ideas you have. If you can help us, we will be really grateful!¡± Ding Erzhu nodded. The couple looked at Ms. Fang expectantly. Ms. Fang knew of Qiao Xuan¡¯s good fields at the Zhang Vige, and it was Qiao Xuan¡¯s proposal in the beginning. So she thought about this and believed that it was a good idea. She knew about this couple. They were both very honest and down-to-earth people. Moreover, their child was so pitiful! They could help Qiao Xuan to guard the fields, and could also live a better life themselves. Ms. Fang told them about this, but asked them to keep the secret. Qiao Xuan was the daughter of the County Magistrate. When Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou heard about the fields, they did not find it strange. They assumed that those fields were just the dowry. They knew all about keeping the secret. The Shao Family had their own problems. The second and the third section of the family were greedy for Qiao Xuan¡¯s properties, and hence, Qiao Xuan needed to keep it a secret. Chapter 256 - 256 Nosy 256 Nosy The couple got overjoyed and could not wait to immediately implement the n. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will work hard and watch the fields, and we will never reveal anything to anyone!¡± Ms. Zhou sobbed. ¡°I really have no idea what to say¡­¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I need to hire someone to watch over the fields anyway. We know you well and trust you. Somend officers can be sneaky and the business may not be so easy. So, please, Second Uncle Ding, I will check the fields every 15 days, the rest will be in your hands.¡± !! Ding Erzhu panicked a little, feeling nervous and anxious. He had never watched over any fields before, and he had no idea whether he would be able to do a good job at it. But he cherished this opportunity that no one else had got. Also, for his family who had already fallen in despair, it was an excellent thing! ¡°I will be fully devoted!¡± When the deal was done, Qiao Xuan told them with a smile that they should move there early, in fact the next morning. She asked them to wait outside the vige. She and Shao Yunduan would take the bull there and pick them up. Since the deal was a secret, no one from the vige should see them together. Ms. Zhou and Ding Erzhu nodded. As the couple said bye to Ms. Qiao and Ms. Fang, both of them felt a huge load off their chests. They were highly motivated. ¡°Good, this is good!¡± ¡°Yeah! Ms. Fang and her whole family are nice people! We have to work hard!¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± At Fifth Grandpa Ding¡¯s home. Fifth Grandpa Ding heard about Ding Xiaoshi¡¯s fever getting better and let out a sigh of relief. But then, he felt even more annoyed. He believed that the Shao Family should not get involved with them. But for the Shao Family, he might have forced Ding Erzhu and his wife toe back home. As of now, he looked like the ruthless one! ¡°Nosy family! They are burning their money!¡± Fifth Grandpa Dingined and asked Fifth Grandma Ding to take ten eggs, several kgs of rice and some beans, eggnts and chilis to visit Ding Erzhu and his family. ¡°Just go and check on them. They are still part of the Ding n!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding snorted unhappily but did not counter him. Yes, they should not be too cruel because the vigers were spreading all sorts of rumors! But it was their fault! It was her second son and his weird family who knew nothing better! They were weirdos who pretended to be honest and obedient! They were actually the opposite! This matter should not have be such a big deal! Fifth Grandma Ding got so annoyed whenever she thought about this. Visit them? Give them food? ¡°No way! They don¡¯t deserve the eggs! They will never get any food from us!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding snapped and took four eggs out of ten, and scooped out a bowl of rice. After that, she left for Ding Erzhu¡¯s residence with the eggs, rice and vegetables. The watermelon was sweet, red and juicy. When Ms. Qiao and Ms. Fang left, Ms. Zhou asked Ding Erzhu to cut it open and feed Ding Xiaoshi. Ding Xiaoshi loved it and smiled brightly. The couple tasted it too and praised it highly. Chapter 257 - 257 How Dare He 257 How Dare He ¡°What is this watermelon? It tastes so good!¡± ¡°Yeah, they are so generous and friendly.¡± Ms. Zhou even remembered what Qiao Xuan had said. She mentioned specifically that they should not give their son too much of this fruit. So the three of them ate half and kept the rest for the evening. Qiao Xuan also said that cut watermelon could not be eaten the next day, otherwise it would turn rotten and cause diarrhea. Fifth Grandma Ding arrived after they ate some watermelon. The moment she walked in, the warm air of the room turned cold. The family had a bad look on their faces, including Ding Xiaoshi. Fifth Grandma Ding red at them and snorted. ¡°What are you staring at me for? Not calling me?¡± Ms. Zhou¡¯s lips moved and then she turned away. She was silent, saying nothing as she bit the lips. Calling her? The whole family was a pack of beasts, they were not people! Ding Erzhu opened his mouth but uttered no sound. He was used to being ordered around by his mother, and he subconsciously was going to address her as mother. Yet when he thought of how his family was treated, he stopped himself! ¡°You ungrateful people!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding said angrily, ¡°I am bringing you food and you are treating me like this? You are not even calling me mother?¡± Ding Erzhu sneered. ¡°I have moved out of the family and kowtowed to you. I can¡¯t call you mother. I can¡¯t afford to call you mother!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Fifth Grandma Ding shivered out of anger as she pointed at Ms. Zhou and said, ¡°You bitch! You must have told him to do so! My son used to be an obedient person but after he married you, everything changed. You bitch must have told him to behave like this. You have caused so much trouble to my son. Are you satisfied by what you have got now? You will have to pay for your deeds!¡± ¡°I am going to pay for my deeds!¡± Ms. Zhou screamed. ¡°I can bear the payment, but will you be able to bear the consequences? Are you afraid?¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding continued to snap and started to roll up her sleeves to hit Ms. Zhou. ¡°You bitch!¡± Ding Erzhu suddenly stopped her and responded with a sunk face. ¡°Just go home, you don¡¯t have to take care of us. Also, we don¡¯t need your stuff! Just take it back with you!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding looked at Ding Erzhu with disbelief. Her lips were shivering but she just could not utter a sound. Her son was always obedient and did not dare to disobey her. She never believed that him moving out of the family was a big deal. She never thought that an obedient person like him would ever achieve anything good. He was just a stupid coward who would make no big deal after he moved out. She thought that he would always want to return and beg her! But it was not until this moment did she realize that she was wrong. How dare this coward say things like this! ¡°I am going to see how much further you are going tost! How are you going to survive? I will wait and see!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t me me for not taking care of you!¡± Ding Erzhu turned around and tried to hold his misery. His mother never liked him because he knew that he was not pleasing enough. But what he had not expected was that his mother would treat him like this. Fifth Grandma Ding sneered and was about to leave, when she saw Ding Xiaoshi bending over the short table, trying to put some melon with seeds into his mouth. Chapter 258 - 258 Confused No Longer 258 Confused No Longer Ms. Zhou saw that too. She went to catch her son and pacified him. ¡°Just calm down, we will eat itter.¡± The sweet scent of melon spread around. Fifth Grandma Ding could not help but swallow down her saliva. She could not help but ask. ¡°What is that thing? Where did you get it from?¡± Ms. Zhou became vignt and snapped. ¡°Ms. Fang gave it to Shi, a watermelon found in the mountains.¡± No one had ever seen a melon in the vige, nor had anyone heard about melons at the Shao Family¡¯s yard, so Ms. Zhou thought that the melon was found in the mountain by Shao Xiaoqi. Fifth Grandma Ding snorted but could not move her eyes away from the watermelon. Ding Xiaoshi¡¯s fingers had dug out a piece, and the sunk part was filled with watermelon juice, which made it look really tasty. Fifth Grandma Ding wanted to have a taste of it but she did not want to say it. The truth was that she was drooling already! In the past, Ding Erzhu would have cut a generous part and given it to her, but Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou showed no reaction now. Fifth Grandma Ding snapped, when she could not ask for it openly. ¡°They always bring a lot of things home, but watch out, they eat mushrooms that kill people. This must be a horrible thing too!¡± Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou got angry. Ms. Zhou said in a trembling voice, ¡°It is none of your business.¡± Ms. Fang was so friendly and they had epted her offer. They did not need to hear anyments from others. Ms. Zhou mustered up her courage to counter her mother-inw. Fifth Grandma Ding got annoyed and snapped at Ms. Zhou. Ding Erzhu could not stand that any more and dragged her out. Fifth Grandma Ding shouted some more and finally left. She mumbled. ¡°Heartless people, don¡¯t even let me have a taste of it¡­¡± She could not help but feel like tasting it. ¡°Just¡­ don¡¯t take what she said to your heart¡­¡± Ding Erzhu mumbled. Ms. Zhou sneered. ¡°I used to be stupid, but I will not be foolish any more!¡± Ding Erzhu was stuck speechless. Fifth Grandma Ding rushed home in anger and when Fifth Grandpa Ding saw the things brought back intact, he snapped. ¡°Why are you bringing them back?¡± Fifth Grandma Ding sneered. ¡°They are hanging out with Ms. Fang! They don¡¯t want our things. They just turned me down! Do you think I should have still pushed it to them?¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding was startled. ¡°How could that be possible?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Fifth Grandma Ding sneered. ¡°Maybe you can have a try?¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding fell in silence. He sighed¡­ How could it have be like this? The following day, the first section of the Shao Family ate breakfast. Afterwards, Shao Taotao took Ms. Xu, and Yang Xiaoni into the floral field for lipsticks. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went on the bull cart and fetched Ding Erzhu and his family, so that they could all head towards the Zhang Vige. After the wheat was cropped, Qiao Xuan had not seen the field but had long nned to. It was just the right time. There was no house built there, so Qiao Xuan went to the Land Officer and paid the bill for Ding Erzhu and his family to settle for the time being. Chapter 259 - 259 Fields 259 Fields s Qiao Xuan had bought five mu of fields. She still needed to build a yard and nt some stuff. Since Ding Erzhu and his family were here, a simple house could be built first for them to settle down. Qiao Xuan needed to make a good n about how to build the yard. They could have three wooden rooms built for his family. Before winter arrived, she was going to have arge house in the huge yard built for Ding Erzhu and his family, who should be used to the work by that time. Everyone was eating at the Zhang Vige. Zhang Xiaofeng and Zhang Chui came to greet them happily upon hearing the news. !! It was always Shao Yunduan who dealt with guests. In this era, women were always looked down upon and could not keep control of the situation. For another, Shao Yunduan was the Cultivated Talent who would subconsciously attract some respect from outsiders. Thirdly, since Shao Yunduan usually had no expression on his face, he looked very intimidating. Shao Yunduan nced at the couple and greeted them, introducing them to Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou. ¡°This is my uncle and aunt-inw, and they will be living here from today on. They would be in charge of the business here. You know this ce well, so please take good care of them.¡± Upon hearing the words, the faces of Zhang Chui and the other three people changed, especially the two women, who could not conceal their expressions. ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t worry, boss!¡± ¡°Yes, yes we will definitely, definitely take good care of them!¡± When Zhang Xiaofeng and Zhang Chui were asked to temporarily watch over the renters, the couple, and everyone in their family, was really pleased. They were also tenants, but the tenants in charge were different from other renters. Ordinary renters always sucked up to the ones in charge. They even tried to havepetition among themselves, trying to find a winner. But they soon realized that they did not have to havepetition between themselves any more, because the boss¡¯s rtives had appeared in front of them, and they themselves had fallen into the stage of ordinary tenants. They had no way topete with them. They could just offer some help to this new uncle, who barely had any idea about the situation here. If he could say some good words in front of the boss, then it would be great! As they thought about this, they felt slightly better. Shao Yunduan asked the couple to eat lunch at the Land Officer¡¯s family together. The couple nodded and agreed. Their wives were not supposed to eat along with them, so they said hello and left. After lunch, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan took Ding Erzhu, under the guidance of Zhang Chui, for the trip to the field, showing the rice cultivation. Crops were farmers¡¯ life, and everything rted to grain was critical for the tenants throughout the whole year, so everyone took good care of the crops and thend. Qiao Xuan had used her superpower to make the crops grow secretly. Though there was no big difference, the rice would definitely grow stronger, better and not bug-ridden. Those long, soft leaves were dangling, looking really beautiful and radiant, so lively that Qiao Xuan felt very satisfied. Soon, Qiao Xuan bid farewell to Zhang Chui and his partner. As she was talking, the two of them nodded whilst ncing at Shao Yunduan. Qiao Xuan could not help butugh. In other people¡¯s eyes, Shao Yunduan was the real boss, whilst she was just the boss¡¯s wife. Chapter 260 - 260 Words 260 Words After all, what did women know? Shao Yunduan said, ¡°My wife says that you can go home now since everything here is sorted. All you need to remember is that you have to listen to my wife¡¯s orders, and to take care of the fields whilst helping my uncle with the work, and you will be treated well.¡± These words were exactly what Zhang Chui and his family needed to hear. Feeling assured, Zhang Chui smiled and said some ttering words, before leaving politely. Ding Erzhu let out a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat on his forehead. Heughed bitterly. ¡°Nephew, am I going to be in charge of these tenants? I¡­ I am not very sure about it! What if I ruin your business¡­ I will¡­¡± !! ¡°Uncle Erzhu, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Actually, the tenants take good care of their respective fields. All you need to do is to stay here and guard them, in case they cause some trouble. You can leave the rest to the others. If you need anything or run into anything that is not good, just tell us about it.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Yes, what you need is to stay here so that the tenants would be careful about their work.¡± It was their food they were taking care of. Ding Erzhu felt slightly better and smiled. ¡°Oh that¡­ that will work!¡± What Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had not expected was that Ding Erzhu hade up with a different idea. What he interpreted was that he did not need to take care of the fields, because the tenants would take care of the crop themselves, and that what he needed to do was to watch their moves. In case if there were any rows, orck of diligence, tricks etc, he should reveal them to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan about the strangeness. What they did not expect was that due to Ding Erzhu¡¯s habit of watching the tenants, he got a deep understanding of what those tenants were like, because of which, in future, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan would dodge a huge crisis identally. ¡°Is this the only thing I need to do? Anything else? Just leave it all to me!¡± Ding Erzhu added. It seemed that he had taken a huge advantage of the couple and that made him feel unbnced. Qiao Xuan thought for a while and smiled. ¡°We are going to see thend where the houses are going to be built. If you have time, you can help me work on thend!¡± Ding Erza¡¯s eyes sparkled and he smiled. ¡°Sure, no problem!¡± Qiao Xuan avoided Zhang Chui because she was worried that the tenants would keep the secret even if they met them. So they should be kept away. In this way, when Ding Erzhu was introduced to the tenants, Ding Erzhu¡¯s influence would be set up. Otherwise those two people would look like Ding Erzhu¡¯s guides. They met several tenants who talked about their situation. Qiao Xuan felt slightly better knowing that nothing serious happened during this period. Later, the three of them went to visit thend they had bought. Thatnd was close to the Zhang Vige, located at the foot of a mountain, which had a few small hills. That was where the house for Ding Erzhu¡¯s family would be built. Qiao Xuan gestured with her hands and said that the new house would take up 3 mu and the remaining 2 mu will be the hill, which could be developed into a crop yard. Qiao Xuan gave Ding Erzhu five liang to settle down, which included the money for building the house. Chapter 261 - 261 Assured 261 Assured The cooking utensils, rice and flour and daily necessities were bought. They could buy vegetables themselves, and also could raise chickens and ducks. In this way, they would be able to settle down properly. Five liang could make them buy a lot. The family could easily live on it for three or four months. Ding Erzhu did not turn the money down. He had nothing in his hands! Feeling burdened, he sobbed as he held the money in his palm. ¡°Nephew, and Niece-inw, please count it against our sry. We can¡¯t ask you for any more money!¡± !! Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°In that case, count two liang out of it as wages. The house building is not counted. When the house is torn down at the end of the year, we can still use the wood.¡± A piece of wood with a width of thirty centimeters and a thickness of two centimeters cost less than twenty wen. Three tales of silver, includingbor and roof, was enough to cover a simple wooden house for their family of three. Ding Erzhu nodded and agreed. They could start a family and live frugally in that 2 liang. Luckily, it was still summer and they did not need to care about heating yet. Qiao Xuan decided to pay them one liang a month, and with the first two months excluded, the sry would be given starting from the third month. Ding Erzhu was startled, saying that it was too much and refused to ept it. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Just take it. I have a lot of work for you to do in the future. You will know soon! By that time, if you think that I pay you too little, feel free to tell me!¡± Shao Yunduan added. ¡°Please take it. The money isn¡¯t much when you realize how much work you need to do. We are paying others on our payroll, the same money.¡± Ding Erzhu had to ept it since he failed to turn it down. ¡°Okay¡­ But don¡¯t worry, I will watch over the fields for you diligently!¡± After Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan left, Ding Erzhu told Ms. Zhou about the money, who cried. ¡°I miss my Ding Xiang. She was such a nice child, I wish I had¡­ I had¡­¡± Ding Erzhu replied with a pale face. ¡°It was my fault¡­¡± Ms. Zhou felt sorry for him and shook her head. ¡°No, it is not! Anyway, let¡¯s just drop it, drop it¡­¡± The couple sobbed, looking at each other for a while. Qiao Xuan felt her heart feel lighter when she was done with this. Zhang Chui was not part of her family and she had no time to train her employees. So she hoped that Uncle Erzhu and his wife should be able to do that well on her behalf. After three days, Shao Yunduan would go to the college for discussions with his fellows and teachers. Qiao Xuan told him about going into town with him, so she could visit Manager Qin at Mingren Tang to talk about tea leaves and watermelons. Shao Yunduan did not turn her down, but he still felt quite worried. ¡°At that time, you should stay at Mingren Tang and not run about. Manager Qin is our friend, and he won¡¯t set us up¡­¡± Feeling warmed, Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t wander around. Manager Qin would not be able to set me up so easily¡­¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and nodded. The following day, Qiao Xuan continued to work on the lipsticks in the floral field. Soon the Yuezheng Family shoulde to fetch the goods. She was going to stop the work of lipsticks after she had 1,200 pieces ready. Qiao Xuan did not foresee that Yuezheng Xiao woulde to the vige personally and that Xie Jingrong would be with him too. Chapter 262 - 262 Yuezheng Xiao Here 262 Yuezheng Xiao Here Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong took the lipsticks home but they were not even enough to share with their own families. All of them felt so attracted to the novel things. The lipsticks looked beautiful and were handy to use. There was a small scent of flowers that drew women¡¯s attentionpletely towards it. Youngdies and madams were all so happy to have them. Those who had not gotten anything kept asking the two of them about where to get more of these. They were ready to pay whatever amount. Xie Jingrong had expected that girls would take to this thing, but he had not thought that they would be so attracted by it. He was troubled by his sisters the whole day. He entrusted Yuezheng Xiao with the work. It was his business anyway. Yuezheng Xiao was both happy and troubled. The way lipsticks were received fell beyond his anticipation. Thosedies were all greedy for the lipsticks and they did not care about the cost. What they wanted was to simply get it. This was going to be a huge business! But Qiao Xuan was the supplier, and she needed to be able to give him enough goods. After telling his sisters and his sisters¡¯ friends and rtives, Yuezheng Xiao used his own money to start the business. He rented the stores, hired workers and booked tubes as well as followed the secret instructions given by Qiao Xuan, trying to keep the whole thing from leaking to anyone. The Yuezheng Family was also quiteplicated. They had two sections of the family. He ranked third and belonged to the first section of the family. His Elder Brother was the lineal grandchild of the whole family. But his father ran into an ident five years ago, and he was so badly injured that he was still convalescing in the wing-yard. His mother was so worried about him that she spent the whole time taking care of him. His Elder Brother was in charge of the business line in the northwest, and he barely spent any day at home. When the first section of the family was confronted with such a situation, the second section of the family started to get ambitious. Especially when he heard about some gossip from his father¡¯s generation. His second aunt-inw, namely Ms. Mi Junior, was the niece of his grandma Ms. Mi Senior¡¯s family, but his grandma took her home and hence, she grew up with grandma. Ms. Mi Junior was ambitious and intended to seduce his father but he turned her down. He told his grandpa about arranging a martial connection for her. Hearing that his father was going to establish a martial arrangement for her, Ms. Mi Junior took the risk and nned to get herself pregnant. However, his father had always been cautious against her, and did not fall for the trick. However, his Second Uncle ended up falling in the honey trap. Grandma got so angry that she almost passed away when she knew what happened. Her niece had be a woman who seduced a man, and worse, that man was her son! If she revealed the news to the public, she would be totally humiliated! However, Second Uncle did not propose marriage to Ms. Mi Junior. But Ms. Mi Junior tried to convince him and the couple kneeled down in front of his grandparents, begging for the marriage. But grandpa turned down Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s proposal of bing the lineal wife. She had used a terrible method toe into the family before the lineal son got married, which was quite disgusting. Therefore, grandpa sent her back to her own family, and arranged a martial arrangement for his father, who married his mother. Three months after his mother was married to the family, Ms. Mi Junior managed to be Second Uncle¡¯s wife. His mother had no idea about what she did earlier, and she kept sucking up to her, so his mother treated her true-heartedly. After all, they were sister-inws. But disasters happened. They were never on good terms with each other. Ms. Mi Junior was always in a shadow under his mother, but she knew his grandma well. So she kept serving his grandma and sucking up to her. After a long while, his grandma started to like her more. Chapter 263 - 263 Widow Sun 263 Widow Sun Luckily, her tricks did not work on his mother, except that there was some trouble caused by her. She gave birth to two daughters and no son, and after she gave birth to the elder daughter, she did not get pregnant for three years. So his grandparents gave Second Uncle a concubine, who soon gave birth to three sons. Ms. Mi Junior got so annoyed that she med the first section of the family for causing all her misfortunes. After grandpa passed away, she kept instigating his grandma to do something. When his father had an ident and his mother took care of him, his Elder Brother was barely home as he was in the northwest running business, he just did not want to go home and let Ms. Mi Junior do whatever she wanted. The housekeeper, the ountant-in-chief as well as some important managers were all working for the first section of the family. Ms. Mi Junior as well as the Elder Sister-inw was in charge of food supply, whose ount was checked every half a year. Therefore, they would not be out of the first section of the family¡¯s control. So, they did not care about the small troubles she caused. His grandma was going to pass away soon, and when she did, they would live separately. Therefore, he had already started to n his future two years ago. He had been running private business these years, and the business was growing very well. After they separated in the future, he was going to integrate the business which was sure to grow well. Therefore, how the second section of the family did had nothing to do with him. He was so surprised by how the response to the lipsticks turned out. It was going to be a huge business. He was going to open some high-end stores for cosmetics. Feeling bored and attaching great importance to this business, Yuezheng Xiao decided to go to the county again personally. He asked Xie Jingrong whether he wanted toe along. Surprisingly, Xie Jingrong agreed and both of them went onto the wagon and headed out. Yuezheng Xiao was very curious why his spontaneous idea was approved by Xie Jingrong. Xie Jingrong did nod at this proposal. The two of them had some pastry, tea leaves and gifts ready and started to head towards Shaoding Vige. The servants and the coachmen had no idea about the way, so they kept asking around. They still needed to ask about where Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan¡¯s home was. Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s servant, Qu Shan hopped off the wagon and looked about. Seeing an aunt walking not faraway, he went up and greeted her. ¡°Please, where is Shao Yunduan, the Cultivated Talent¡¯s home?¡± The aunt whom Qu Shan asked was none other than Widow Sun. Hearing that he was asking about Shao Yunduan, Widow Sun got really furious. But as she turned around and looked at the wagon, she saw Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. They had lifted the drapery and were looking around, chatting happily. Widow Sun was not standing very close to them, but she still caught a vague look of Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. These two young masters looked so handsome, and rich too! She smiled. ¡°Are you Cultivated Talent Shao¡¯s friends?¡± Qu Shan thought for a while and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, we are.¡± Widow Sun felt even more jealous! How was Ms. Fang lucky enough to get Cultivated Talent as her son, who had rich friends and even married a rich daughter-inw? Widow Sun felt so annoyed about Shao Yunduan. Two years ago, her daughter Ding Qingqing told her bashfully that she wanted to marry Shao Yunduan, but Widow Sun had rejected her proposal. At that time, the first section of the Shao Family was under the control of the second and third sections of the family and Shao Yunduan had not yet made it to Cultivated Talent, so Widow Sun was not very satisfied with his family. Chapter 264 - 264 Hoax 264 Hoax She had not only turned down the idea, but also snapped at her daughter, telling her never to mention it again. Ding Qingqing admired Shao Yunduan and felt a bit sad about her mother¡¯s scolding, but she was an obedient girl so she dropped the thought. However, Shao Yunduan became a Cultivated Talent and the first section of the Shao Family got better and better. Widow Sun could not help but feel regretful. Ding Qingqing felt even worse. But he was already married and the mother and the daughter did not mention anything about it any more. However, the more Widow Sun thought about this, the less she liked Shao Yunduan and the first section of the Shao Family. Widow Sun wished that they would just run into trouble. Seeing these two good-looking and well-dressed rich young masters, Widow Sun came up with an idea and smiled at Qu Shan. ¡°Come with me then.¡± Qu Shan scratched her head and smiled. ¡°You can just tell me where it is, you don¡¯t have to be our guide.¡± Widow Sun waved her hand as she smiled. ¡°It is okay, we are good friends with the Shao Family, we always help each other!¡± Qu Shan felt that she was a kind-hearted person, so he thanked her and epted the offer. Qu Shan passed on the message to his own young master and Young Master Xie. Yuezheng Xiao did not think that was a big deal, so he asked his coachman to follow the woman. Widow Sun smiled proudly. She was leading Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong back to her own home. ¡°Come off the wagon, let me tell you a story.¡± Xie Jingrong frowned and asked Widow Sun. ¡°Aunt, is it the Shao Family¡¯s home?¡± ¡°Just get off the wagon first, you two.¡± Widow Sun smiled brightly. She would have grabbed Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao, if she had been any closer. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known that the Shao Family is going through trouble right now, and it is not very convenient for you to goe there. You can have a seat at my ce first, and I will tell you the details. After that I will fetch Duan here from the Shao Family, okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Trouble?¡± Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were startled. They were so surprised. But they would never think that they ran into someone who did not like the Shao Family. Widow Sun added. ¡°Just get off the wagon, young masters. My Duan is very happy to receive you. He will be very happy to see you and he will also be disappointed not to see you. Please,e to my house and have some water, I will help you get him here¡­¡± Widow Sun managed to get Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong off the wagon and walk into the house. She was so happy. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong had never expected a woman they ran into on the street would make up such lies. So Yuezheng Xiao, who was Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s partner, was very anxious. What if something stopped their deal from happening? That would be a horrible thing! Therefore, he was definitely going to meet Shao Yunduan and ask him what was going on, so he could offer some help. Widow Sun guided the two men into the yard and called out. ¡°Qingqing, we have guests. Come and serve them tea!¡± Ding Qingqing was busy sewing soles when she got confused and rushed outside. ¡°What guests?¡± As she looked up and saw Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong, Ding Qingqing could not help but feel nervous. She turned shy and lowered her head. Chapter 265 - 265 Widow Sun’s Plan 265 Widow Sun¡¯s n These two young masters looked so handsome. She could not help looking at her mother, with her heart throbbing. Where did her mother get those guests? Was she trying to make a suitor for her? These two young masters were so good-looking, which one should she say yes to? She was so shy that she did not even dare to look up at them. ¡°What are you standing here for? Go and pour the tea!¡± Widow Sun smiled and said passionately, ¡°Come young masters,e to the room!¡± Widow Sun did have a n. Those Young Masters must havee from rich families, and she was going to make them do something for her. If one of them fell for Qingqing, things would work out. If that did not happen, it was still fine. They would have no evidence about what happened inside the room. If they did not pay her well, they would not be allowed to leave. The reason why Widow Sun dared to set up Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong was because she looked down at Shao Yunduan. In her opinion, these two rich young masters hung out with Shao Yunduan because they were pretty, not because they were really rich, since Shao Yunduan was so poor himself. She looked at the wagon, which was very ordinary and they only had one pageboy with them. These young masters who had only little money were the easiest to take control of. Moreover, they were currently at Shaoding Vige and the vigers would always favor her and her daughter. They could not possibly belong to some powerful families. They would definitely have to ept everything they were told under pressure. If these two men had some ident on their trip to Shao Yunduan, then they would definitely hate Shao Yunduan and cut off their friendship with him as well. Definitely! As a result, they would refuse to hang out with him in the future. Widow Sun started to imagine everything in her mind vividly. Ding Qingqing nodded as she tugged her own clothes. She nced at Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong and ran into the room with a red face. Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s face changed. He put his hand over Xie Jingrong¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave!¡± The two men turned around and hurried away. Xie Jingrong did not need to be reminded twice. He had noticed the strangeness of this whole thing. They were not innocent young masters. They had met so many curious and strange women. They had thought that rural women were rtively more honest, but after they walked into the yard and found these two women alone, they were worried that they were nning something nefarious, especially judging from the way the older woman was behaving. Hence, they decided to leave directly. They did not want to get involved with something weird. Widow Sun had not even realized what happened, when Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong already went onto the wagon and hurried away. Widow Sun rushed out after them but the wagon was already faraway. ¡°You!¡± Widow Sun snapped and stomped her feet. ¡°Assholes!¡± Her n was about to be aplished when it was ruined. Ding Qingqing was feeling bashful and wondering which young master to pick. She quicklybed her hair, washed her face and went to pour the tea. However, when she came out with the tray, the two young masters were long gone, so was her mother. Chapter 266 - 266 Guests 266 Guests Ding Qingqing was confused. She put down the tray and rushed out, asking her mother who wasing back into the house. ¡°Mom, where are the two young masters?¡± Widow Sun clenched her teeth and shouted angrily. ¡°They are gone! Stupid people, just leave them alone!¡± Ding Qingqing. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you invite them in?¡± Ding Qingqing was confused. She had thought that they were the suitors her mother had found for her? Confronted with her own daughter, Widow Sun could not help but shout angrily. ¡°Just don¡¯t mention them ever again!¡± Ding Qingqing. ¡°¡­¡± She was angry, shameful and annoyed. She felt so humiliated that her eyes turned red. All she needed was to find a good suitor, but why was it so difficult? These two good ones were also gone! Seeing that no one wasing after them, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong let out a sigh of relief. Yuezheng Xiaoined to Qu Shan. ¡°Look, who you found!¡± Qu Shan had no idea what was going on. He said with surprise on his face, ¡°Third Young Master, what is wrong with that aunt?¡± ¡°Stupid!¡± Yuezheng Xiao said angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t know if there is anything wrong with her, but she only has her daughter with her at home, we men should not just go in randomly.¡± Xie Jingrong added calmly. ¡°Men and women should not stay too close to each other. They were alone and they still invited us in¡­ they did not have the right intention!¡± Qu Shan was dumbfounded. ¡°Third Young Master, Young Master Xie, I did not do that on purpose. I really did not expect that¡­¡± ¡°Just be careful!¡± Yuezheng Xiao hit his head on the fan. ¡°I will let you go if you continue to be so stupid!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Third Young Master, I will be much more careful henceforth!¡± Yuezheng Xiao snorted. ¡°One more problem, you are fired!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Okay, no, no I won¡¯t, please!¡± Qu Shan continued to ask around for directions. He found two children and asked them. Women could be sneaky, and men could have other thoughts, but children would not lie, right? The two children did not lie to him. They showed the direction passionately and the carriage finally arrived at Shao Yunduan¡¯s home. Ms. Fang and Liu Yan were alone taking care of the children and doing chores. Ms. Fang had not seen anyone like Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao before. They had a different, special air around them, and that made her feel a bit nervous. Liu Yan¡¯s eyes widened. She said with surprise, ¡°Young Master Xie, and Young Master Yuezheng, what are you doing here?¡± Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were a bit hesitant when they saw the house full of women. But hearing what Liu Yan said, they were dumbfounded. ¡°Who are you?¡± Yuezheng Xiao was very confused, wondering who she was. Liu Yan smiled. ¡°I am the maid working for Officer Qiao. I met you at the mansion¡­¡± ¡°Oh okay!¡± Both of them felt slightly assured. Maid from Officer Qiao¡¯s mansion was here, meaning that she was here with Second Miss. Then, they hade to the right ce. Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°We are here visiting Shao Yunduan, is he at home?¡± Liu Yan smiled. ¡°Oh, you are visiting him? Yes, he is studying in his room, I will fetch him now.¡± Chapter 267 - 267 Beneficial Things 267 Beneficial Things Hearing that the two men were asking for her son, Ms. Fang thought that they were her son¡¯s friends he made in town. So, she smiled at them and said, ¡°Oh, you are Yunduan¡¯s friends. Come in and sit down. Our house is very shabby, please, young masters, don¡¯t me us for that.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± !! Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong exchanged a look and felt assured. That was how people should react to them. This Ms. in front of them looked quite different from the one they met just a while ago. The two of them had just sat down, when Shao Yunduan arrived. He was startled too. He went forward and greeted them. They exchanged a few random words when Liu Yan served them tea and retired. Ms. Fang took her grandchildren to the yard instead of disturbing their conversation. After a few moments, Yuezheng Xiao expressed his intention ofing over. ¡°¡­we are just curious about where you live. Brother Shao, you just don¡¯t know how popr lipsticks have be! My sisters, cousins and their friends are all waiting to get some more. Please, Brother Shao, does Mrs. Shao have any more avable? We are going to make a huge fortune from it!¡± Yuezheng Xiao spoke vividy. Shao Yunduan finally understood what was going on. He really wondered what these two young masters were doing here all of a sudden. They needed the lipsticks! But hearing what Yuezheng Xiao said, Shao Yunduan was very happy that the lipsticks were so well-received. He even felt slightly proud. That was something his wife had invented! Her invention had made thedies in the town so obsessed about it. His wife was really capable! She was excellent! Shao Yunduan nodded with a smile. ¡°Ever since we separatedst time, my wife has been busy making lipsticks with her sister-inws and sisters. She counted a couple of days ago, and has around 1,000 avable currently.¡± Yuezheng Xiao cheered. ¡°That is great!¡± He had thought that they would get at most 500, or 600, 800 being the upper limit. But they had managed to make 1,000 lipsticks! That was beyond their anticipation! The Second Miss of the Qiao Family, Mrs. Shao was really capable! Before he came to this ce, he even thought about providing some trustworthy servants and maids for Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan to help them with the work. But it seemed that the help was not needed. Yuezheng Xiaoughed with a smile. ¡°Brother Shao, I want them all!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Sure, but please, Young Master Yuezheng, do remember not to reveal the source of the lipsticks to anyone.¡± Shao Yunduan was not worried about the other sections of the family because Qiao Xuan¡¯s industry could not be copied by either of them. But he was worried about County Magistrate Qiao and Madame Qiao. Yuezheng Xiao came to their door personally and asked for the supply politely, only because the lipsticks were very popr and producedrge profits. No one would refuse to get involved with any profitable business. He wasn¡¯t sure about the County Magistrate, but if Madame Qiao knew that his wife was able to make so much money, she would never leave her alone. Yuezheng Xiao knew clearly what those people were up to. He said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Shao, I remember it well. I will tell my servants never to reveal a thing. And, don¡¯t call me Young Master Yuezheng, just call me Brother Yuezheng instead!¡± Chapter 268 - 268 Not Enough 268 Not Enough Apart from doing business with them, Yuezheng Xiao found that Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were good people to get on with. They were worth being friends with. Startled, Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Okay, greetings, Brother Yuezheng!¡± ¡°Greetings!¡± The three of them exchanged a few words before Qiao Xuan returned. !! Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s eyes were sparkling, as he asked politely how big the production number was. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Young Master Yuezheng, you can take away 1,200 lipsticks. The roses are no longer blooming, but other flowers can rece them. We will make 500 more next month. But have you got any lipstick tubes with you?¡± Yuezheng Xiao nodded and then showed the box to Qiao Xuan, asking her to take it. ¡°I asked for a special design, what do you think?¡± Then, he offered Qiao Xuan some special tools that she had asked him to find. He smiled. ¡°I havepleted my mission. I hope you can be satisfied, Mrs. Shao.¡± Seeing the jade-made jars and all tools including the pestle, small hand mill,rge and small beakers, funnels, filter utensils, Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Thanks, Young Master Yuezheng, you have done very well!¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Great!¡± Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong both understood that they made the lipsticks in the floral fields, which should be their business secret, so neither of them proposed to visit there. Yuezheng Xiao said in a joking tone that he did not need to worry about lipsticks, and that he could sell as many as he wanted. He just wondered whether she wanted to expand the scale. Qiao Xuan shook her head and turned down the proposal. She did not think that it was time yet. It wasn¡¯t a very easy thing. Her superpower would urge the flowers to bloom, but if that was going to be a big business, she needed to stay away so that the business chain could develop well. For example, she needed a lot of staff to work on the whole process, which would cause a lot of trouble and which was not something she was able to do right now. Yuezheng Xiao said nothing more, though he felt that it was a pity. He just told her that she should pay attention to the news, and could just buy a few maids to work for her so that the production could be increased some more. She shouldn¡¯t be restricted to her own family members. Also, she could not hire someone who was outside her control to do the work, otherwise the business secret would be revealed. That was really a neutral suggestion, which Qiao Xuan had thought about as well. She expressed her gratitude. But she knew that it was not the right time yet. She needed to wait until Shao Yunduan passed the next level of the imperial exam. Please, God and Buddha, please, let her husband pass the next level in the year toe! She figured that Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong would stay back for lunch. So while Shao Yunduan chit chatted with them, Qiao Xuan asked Liu Yan to help her cook some food. It was a hot day, and Qiao Xuan decided to make some light dishes to serve an elegant young master like Xie Jingrong. She would avoid making chili chicken or boiled fish. He would not be used to this kind of taste. Qiao Xuan hoped that the two young masters would have a good impression of her home. Chapter 269 - 269 Broad-minded Brother Shao 269 Broad-minded Brother Shao Qiao Xuan thought for a while, and instructed Liu Yan to kill the chicken. She went to the flower field to pick some wolfberry sprouts, and then to the vegetable yard to get some fresh loofah, and beans. She also dug out some yams from the cer, cut a handful of leeks, and went home. She made Liu Yan wash them all. Then, she went to the yard to pick tworge round watermelons and let them soak in the spring water. She picked some egg-sized tomatoes. The two young masters were lucky. Even she herself had not eaten the ripe tomatoes yet. For lunch, she stewed chicken with boletus and Hericium erinaceus, and battered the crucian carp with a thinyer of paste and fried it in oil. After that, there were many small river prawns that were braised and baked two days ago. In the meanwhile, there was steamed mandarin fish, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and loofah soup. Beans, wolfberry sprouts and yams were all served as cold dishes. She cut the beans into pieces about two inches long, nched them and ced them on a te neatly, sprinkled some salt and drizzled them with sesame oil. Wolfberry sprouts were also mixed with sesame oil, salt and vinegar after being nched. Some seasoning and scallion slices were added to yams and wooden ears, after being nched. It was a table full of meat and vegetable dishes. The meat dishes were clean and bright, whilst the vegetable dishes were fresh and tender. For a farmer¡¯s family, it was an extremely good lunch. Yuezheng Xiao felt a bit bored. After being seated for too long, he went around in the yard, and Shao Yunduan kept himpany. Yuezheng Xiaoughed when he saw the spring in the backyard. ¡°Brother Shao, you are really excellent to have got the spring. It is fun to watch!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. He didn¡¯t think that it was fun, just handy to use. Not far away from the spring, there was a half-man tall tank that drew their attention. Yuezheng Xiao went forward and his eyes widened. ¡°So many fish! You have kept so many kinds of fish which even I don¡¯t know about!¡± Xie Jingrong also had a look and found it amazing. He could not help but feel gratified. ¡°Yeah! I have never seen these many varieties of fish!¡± That was true. He was a young master who had either seen the gold fish or carps, or fish being served as food. He had never seen these many kinds of strange fish that were swimming in the tank. Shao Yunduan said, ¡°My brother got the fish from the river. We keep them alive till we can¡¯t finish them. If we feel like eating one, we will get one out and make a dish of it.¡± ¡°That is cool! Look at the hopping fish. They must taste really good! Brother Shao, your home is fun!¡± Yuezheng Xiao could not help but feel a bit envious. Xie Jingrong raised his eyebrows and walked towards a wall. He was looking at the pots of orchids on the shabby wooden shelf in full concentration. Yuezheng Xiao was attracted. ¡°Wow, these are orchids, they are so lively too! Vividly growing!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°These are brought from the mountains! They look beautiful so they were nted here!¡± Xie Jingrong sighed. ¡°Brother Shao, you are so broad-minded. These are not ordinary orchids. These two pots are spring swords, this is the in lotus tripod, this and this look like spring swords, but they are different, and here are the jade orchid and mn, but they are not exactly the same. Should be a variant, I believe.¡± ¡°Brother Shao, spring swords and in lotus tripods are really difficult to get. These variants are so rare! Not many people are able to get one variant for one single nt throughout their whole life. Brother Shao, your flowers are worth a lot of money, judging from the leaves, shapes and colors.¡± Chapter 270 - 270 Her Superpower 270 Her Superpower ¡°Ah¡­¡± Shao Yunduan was dumbfounded. Elegant schrs loved to investigate orchids, but Shao Yunduan was too poor to have developed such a money-spending hobby. But he had some knowledge of the topic! He had learned about precious orchids. He had also heard of the kinds that Xie Jingrong mentioned. He knew that those were expensive orchid varieties. Even Dean Meng, Mr. Wu and Mr. Zhou did not possess such expensive orchids. They loved orchids and had raised a few pots. But those were just ordinary or mid-level kinds. They loved those flowers deeply. Shao Yunduan also understood that variants of precious orchids were even more valuable. Just as what Xie Jingrong said ¨C they were a rarely-seen breed. But how did he run into so many precious flowers? That was so strange! With his eyes on the orchids, he could not help but feel a bit shocked. ¡°Brother Xie¡­ are those orchids really¡­ really¡­¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed and patted his shoulders. ¡°Brother Shao, he would never be wrong about it. He has many floral houses where orchids are kept, and has more than 20 to 30 kinds that belong to the first-ss categories.¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Brother Shao.¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed. ¡°What about selling me a few pots? I will pay you well, please, give some to me.¡± Yuezheng Xiao did not understand much about the orchids, but he understood clearly that those were good things as presents. When those orchids were sold to some officers and noble people, his reputation would definitely rise and the receivers would be d to have them. Xie Jingrong thought for a while and said, ¡°Brother Shao, if it is okay, could I get two pots too? I want one variant of jade orchid and one variant of ink orchid? If the variant of spring sword can be given to me, that is fine too!¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Brother Xie, that is more than two pots!¡± Xie Jingrong ignored him but looked at Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan was a bit hesitant. He smiled. ¡°My wife is taking care of the flowers here, I need to talk with her. Also, we are friends, the price is totally negotiable.¡± He could give the pots to them if they belonged to him, but he needed to ask Qiao Xuan first. Yuezheng Xiao could not wait but urged him to ask her. Shao Yunduan smiled and turned to find Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan got a bit shocked when she heard the news. She could not help but feel emotional. How did that happen? But¡­ That was probably because she had the superpower! Her superpower helped her to find the precious categories. Then, the superpower helped her grow the orchids and turned them into variants. Some turned excellent, and some turned bad. All of them were valuable, but some were worth nothing. Really valuable. Therefore, Qiao Xuan would use her superpower to make the orchids better so that the flowers would turn precious. So¡­ the flowers in her space must be far more precious! Chapter 271 - 271 Shocked 271 Shocked The couple exchanged some thoughts and found that they both had the same idea. The orchids were valuable but it had cost them almost nothing to get them. So they decided to give one pot to each of the two young masters. If they wanted to have more, they could sell them at most two pots respectively at a proper price. Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan. ¡°I never expected that orchids could be so valuable in the mountains¡­ we can go and fetch some more if we get time.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled, fearing that she would get disappointed if she failed to find any more. ¡°These aren¡¯t vegetables in the garden, how can they be found so easily? It is our luck to have found these orchids. If it is very easy to find them, people could have gotten them earlier.¡± That was a reasonable thing to say. Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. She put forward a slight look of disappointment. ¡°Yeah, you are right!¡± She could not possibly reveal her superpower, nor could she do anything big to tell others that she could turn the orchids into expensive and valuable varieties. She could not exin everything with just ¡®luck¡¯. However, on the positive side, this basically meant that she had one more industry to develop. She could build an orchid base to cultivate new variants, and promote some for auction. That meant keeping a low-profile. Also, those things needed to stay rare, so they could be valuable. The more there were, the less they would cost. She needed to hold an auction, so the goods could look valuable. Shao Yunduan expressed his ideas and Yuezheng Xiao, Xie Jingrong picked one pot respectively and bought two more. Yuezheng Xiao decided to take them home as back presents, whilst Xie Jingrong bought them out of his own hobby. The two men did not hesitate at all! Shao Yunduan had so many here. Also, Shao Yunduan did not seem to be interested in the flowers either, so they were assured that they could take them home. They would not have wanted to take them, if Shao Yunduan was unwilling to share. They gave them 1,000 liang. That was the market price. Shao Yunduan epted the money since they picked what they wanted very fast. Soon, Qiao Xuan had lunch ready and asked the three men to gather at the table. Shao Sang and Shao Dng were both home and when they saw the honored guests, they felt quite nervous. They greeted each other and left. At lunch, Shao Yunduan kept Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrongpany at one table, whilst the others were eating at another. The table in the kitchen was very small, and Shao Sang, as well as Shao Dng ate in the back yard with food. They did not mind the treatment. They did not want to share the table with Shao Yunduan and the two young masters. Seeing the table full of food, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were shocked. They had eaten all kinds of expensive dishes¡­ But they were shocked to have been presented with such arge table of dishes within a short period of time. Especially those cold dishes, the snow-white yam slices and fungus were distinct in ck and white, and they were very crisp and refreshing at first nce, the wolfberry buds were green and refreshing, the beans were green, and the sesame paste was glistening on top, which instantly made it look attractive. Chapter 272 - 272 Golden Sprout 272 Golden Sprout There was also stewed chicken with mushrooms, which was fragrant and not greasy at all. Braised crucian carp was cooked with a thinyer of gravy, the color was bright red, looking very tempting. Loofah soup tasted light. There was also a te of scrambled eggs, golden and glistening red, pleasing to the eye, and it smelt a little sweet and sour, which made people feel like devouring it immediately. Yuezheng Xiao could not help but admire and respond with a smile. ¡°Mrs. Shao made all of these, right? Brother Shao, you are so lucky!¡± !! Hearing the words, Shao Yunduan felt very pleased. ¡°My wife is very good at cooking, please, eat.¡± ¡°Okay, I just can¡¯t wait!¡± ¡°Please!¡± Xie Jingrong kept praising the food during the entire time, and Xie Jingrong, who was rarely talkative, agreed with Yuezheng Xiao. They could not help but feel emotional. How could a rude person like County Magistrate Qiao have such a smart, wonderful daughter? Moreover, County Magistrate Qiao had no idea about this at all! He would have regretted deeply if he had known about this. They had never eaten tomato with scrambled eggs before, and Yuezheng Xiao could not help but ask, after he had a taste of the fresh and sour dish. Shao Yunduan had once watered the nts, so he said, ¡°My wife brought this nt home from a wild field. She calls it tomatoes.¡± Yuezheng Xiao asked Shao Yunduan to get some more for his own garden at home. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°I will talk about this with my wife.¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed and teased. ¡°You are so much fun! Okay, you can talk about this!¡± Xie Jingrong smiled and admired Shao Yunduan. Very few people respected their wife in this way. After lunch, Liu Yan and Yang Xiaoni came to clean up the table, whilst in the kitchen, Qiao Xuan and Taotao boiled some water and made some new tea to serve them. Qiao Xuan brought out the tea leaves she had taken home. After a few times, they had continued to process tea leaves at home. Tea leaves could be sold too, and the leaves should not be wasted. Therefore, when Ms. Fang asked Liu Yan to serve them the tea, she used the rough leaves. But when Qiao Xuan served them, she offered the tea that had an amber, yellow tinge. Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s expressions changed, as they smelled it. Yuezheng Xiao took a sip and turned to Xie Jingrong with surprise. ¡°Brother Xie, please, take a sip and tell me. Am I confused or something, how can this taste so much like golden sprout?¡± ¡°Golden sprout?¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look between themselves and she smiled. ¡°That seems like a nice name!¡± Xie Jingrong tasted the tea, slowly put down the teacup, and gave Shao Yunyun and Qiao Xuan aplicated look. ¡°This is definitely golden sprout, absolutely right! Is this what you found in the mountains? Unfortunately, it is not a good way to fry it. It is slightly jerky. The tea leaves are also a little browned, the color is not correct, and the fragrance is not fully soaked.¡± ¡°But it is first-ss tea, and the well-processed golden sprout would cost at least 40 liang per half a kilo!¡± Yuezheng Xiao could not help but feel speechless. ¡°Brother Shao, you really have everything! The tea leaves you offer are so expensive and rare!¡± Chapter 273 - 273 Tryout 273 Tryout Qiao Xuan was shocked. ¡°So¡­ valuable?¡± Shao Yunduan was taken aback too. ¡°We found them in the mountains. They smelled nice, so we brought some home for processing. But how could this be golden sprout?¡± It wasn¡¯t a verymonly-heard name either. Qiao Xuan had some knowledge of other categories, like Longjing of West Lake, Biluochun of Dongting and others. But she had never heard of golden sprout! Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled. She smiled. ¡°Let me serve you another kind of tea!¡± They knew what golden sprout was, then they might even have some idea of what this one was. Therefore, when Yuezheng Xiao, Xie Jingrong and Shao Yunduan were talking about golden sprout, Qiao Xuan came with three other kinds of tea with a smile. She said, ¡°Please, have some tea.¡± Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong became quite curious. Yuezheng Xiao had the teacup in his hands, smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is any other tea that can be better than golden sprout, good tea leaves are very difficult to find.¡± Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s eyes widened, as he took a couple of sips. ¡°Lavender, this isvender tea! Brother Xie, do you agree with me?¡± Xie Jingrong gazed at him and nodded. He was even more shocked, but he looked calmer. ¡°Yes, this isvender. You are truly lucky¡­¡± Xie Jingrong did not believe them first, but by this point, he had to believe that they were lucky. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°My brother Xiaoqi likes going into the mountains, and he is a good hunter. We wanted to get some mountain stuff, and happened to run into the tea leaves, identially.¡± ¡°Lavender, the tea leaves are first-ss ones too?¡± Yuezheng Xiao sipped some more and said with some obsession in his voice, ¡°Of course,vender is more expensive than golden sprout. Well-processedvender can cost at least 100 liang half a kilo.¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± They almost ruined the treasure! They processed the tea leaves from the iron pot in their kitchen. Qiao Xuan sat down next to Shao Yunduan, smiled. ¡°Young Master Yuezheng, are you interested in tea leaves business?¡± Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s eyes sparkled, as he turned to Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan continued. ¡°When we came home the other day from the mountains, we did not only get some tea leaves home. Since the leaves smelled so great, we also brought some buds with us. Those buds are all growing well. If you like it¡­ what about¡­¡± ¡°Of course I want it!¡± Yuezheng Xiao nodded in agreement even before she finished her words. ¡°But the two kinds of tea leaves aren¡¯t very easy to nt, if you want to do it, you need to make some efforts.¡± Yuezheng Xiao reminded her in an implict way. Good tea leaves could be hard to nt. ¡°It is fine, let¡¯s try. If we make it, we all benefit from it. If not, then we can drop it. What do you think?¡± Qiao Xuan had suspected that would happen. Easily-nted tea leaves could be seen everywhere! These were expensive because they were rare. Especiallyvender, which cost 100 liang half a kilo¡­ that was a lot of money. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°If you want to have a try, let¡¯s do it!¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a deal!¡± Chapter 274 - 274 More Jealousy 274 More Jealousy ¡°You can do the nting. Anyways, we don¡¯t have any golden sprouts andvender in our province, and they are rarely seen in the southwest too. If the nting goes well, I can surely sell however much you have!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Ok, but I have one condition. Young Master Yuezheng, please find me a good tea leaves processor.¡± ¡°Of course, otherwise we would ruin the best tea leaves!¡± Yuezheng Xiao nodded and could not help but look at the tea leaves in his cup, feeling a bit concerned. A good stir-processedvender had slender andpact strands, and the color was purple and ck. The brewed tea was crystal clear with a hint of purple, very beautiful, with a sweet taste in the mouth and a long aftertaste. More interestingly, the scent varied depending on the water temperature, the fire temperature. There could be various kinds of scentsing out of the tea leaves, the scent of roses, beans, fresh olives, herbs, chestnuts, grass and so on. Unfortunately, tea leaves were difficult to process and fry, even harder to breed. Therefore, the production was always so small. Much smaller than that of golden sprout. The two sides worked on the deal and decided to finalize the contract in detail. They could not finish the work within one day. The tea leaves would need more than a couple of days toe into existence. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan needed to have a talk about how to continue. Yuezheng Xiao was d. He believed that it was a trip worth the while. He trusted Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, so when they imed that they could do that, they would definitely make the tea leaves grow well. Xie Jingrong could not help but ask. ¡°Can we take a look at the tea leaves buds?¡± He had drunk the tea, but he had never seen what the tea trees looked like. Yuezheng Xiao was also motivated. He smiled and nodded. ¡°What about us checking it out together?¡± He looked at Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. ¡°What else do you have? What about sharing them with us together so we can have a look at them.¡± They were getting really jealous of what this couple had. Qiao Xuanughed and exchanged a look with Shao Yunduan. ¡°We have two or three mus of watermelons, very sweet. What about having a taste of them?¡± ¡°We also have 30 bee boxes and a lot of honey at home. It is really good, and we can give you two jars each when you leave.¡± She had many other good things too. Like the jelly, the rose and jasmine oil, gardenia oil and so on. But she decided to leave them forter. She had already created too many surprises today for them to ept. She was going to release the good things little by little. ¡°For real?¡± Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s eyes widened. Xie Jingrong could not help but feel really surprised too. Yuezheng Xiao had been joking, but Qiao Xuan did give him an answer¡­ ¡°Of course!¡± Qiao Xuan blinked and smiled. Shao Yunduan smiled too. Soon Liu Yan carried the watermelon into the room and Yuezheng Xiao was shocked. ¡°What a big watermelon! Brother Shao, you really have watermelons!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Yes, we dug the buds from the mountains, and they grew well!¡± ¡°This is more than well! It is excellent! We rarely see watermelons of this size. Look at the color, it should taste great!¡± Yuezheng Xiao sighed and found that he was getting a bit numb in head. Xie Jingrong felt the same. His family had watermelon fields that produced fruits in summer, but they never had much yield. Chapter 275 - 275: Worth The While Chapter 275: Worth The While Trantor: Henyee Trantions?????? Editor: Henyee Trantions Every year in summers, only those with important status in the mansion would be able to get a few, and concubines as well as disgraced children of concubines would normally get at most one. Watermelons were the best fruit for summer, and those at the mansion loved it. So did he, though he did not have much knowledge about farming. Watermelons were neverrge in number because it was never easy to take care of the fruit. The watermelons would not grow well due to the constant, heavy rain in May and June. Therefore, there were very few watermelons that were avable every year. The Shao Family had offered two very well-grown watermelons of arge size and it seemed that they did not think that those were precious. That surprised Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. When the watermelon was cut open, the sweetness was all over the ce. Qiao Xuan asked Liu Yan to served some slices to Ms. Fang and Shao Dng whilst telling the two young masters to have a taste. ¡°Try and see if our watermelons taste sweet. We all think it is quite sweet.¡± Seeing the juicy and red flesh, Yuezheng Xiao could not wait but take a bite of it. The juice went in his mouth and gave him a wonderful feeling. Yuezheng Xiao ate and said, ¡°It tastes much better tha_n the watermelons at my home. Brother Shao, you have so much treasure at home, I would like to have two when I leave.¡± Everyoneughed. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Sure, we have so many in the yard!¡± That was true. They had found the buds from the mountain, and everyone in the family was already used to seeing them grow so vividly. At first they believed that these were rare things, but now, the family treated them just as ordinary fruits. Moved, Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°If the watermelons are all in this size and taste this good, they can sell well in the town. Brother Shao, and Mrs. Shao, how many more do you have? Can we fill two wagons with watermelons and take them away?! They would arrive in the town by evening if they departed early in the morning. They could sell the watermelons early next morning. It was going to be a good business day. Although two wagons of watermelons would give Yuezheng Xiao very little profit, these watermelons would definitely be well-loved in this season of the year. Also, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had so much treasure and they should establish some friendship so as to strengthen their business ties. Seeing the watermelons growing bigger and better, Qiao Xuan was also thinking about what to do with them. She smiled with joy. ¡°1n a couple of days, we are going to have many watermelons ready. Two wagons are definitely no problem! Young Master Yuezheng, you have solved the problem for us! I was going to let Manager Qin help me sell them.¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed. ¡°Our trip is totally worth the while! It¡¯s a deal then. I will vet someone to fetch the watermelons in three dav_R_ what ahont 2 aian for one watermelon?¡± They had no scale at that time, and it was difficult to weigh them. So when Yuezheng Xiao said so, Qiao Xuan agreed readily. 3 qian for one watermelon was way beyond what she had nned. Qiao Xuan nodded happily. The four of them talked for a while, after which Qiao Xuan handed over the 1,200 lipsticks to Yuezheng Xiao. She also gave ten lipsticks to Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong respectively as gifts.. Chapter 276 - 276: Low-Profile Chapter 276: Low-Profile Trantor: Henyee TrantionsEditor: Henyee Trantions 1,200 lipsticks were worth 2,400 liang. Qiao Xuan epted the money and for a while, she felt a bit dizzy in her head. She had turned so rich instantly. When Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong left, they were given some first-ss tea leaves, two bottles of honey and four big watermelons. Not to forget the orchids¡­ As the wagon left the vige, Yuezheng Xiao looked at the wagon filled with stuff,ughing emotionally. ¡°These are all good things! How can the Shao Family have so many good things? The trip is totally worth the while!¡± Xie Jingrong added. ¡°In hindsight, we offered them very few presents. We will make it up to themter!¡± Yuezheng Xiao nodded. ¡°Yes, we should!¡± The Shao Family was lucky to have these two people. Shao Yunduan, for example, was quite learned and well-mannered. He was going to have a bright future, they believed. They spoke for a while and found the Shao Family getting more interesting. Xie Jingrong whispered to himself that when Shao Yunduan made it to the next level of the imperial exam, the Shao Family would definitely get more and more promising. After they left, Shao Yunduan gave 2,000 liang to Qiao Xuan. They had earned 4,400 liang within a day! As the notes were held in their hands, they felt really motivated. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°We have some savings now!¡± However, this amount of money was not enough to counter her father. So, they still had to remain low-profiled. Qiao Xuan gave 200 liang to Ms. Fang. She epted it and smiled. ¡°This is great! I have got enough savings now. After the autumn harvest, we will rebuild our house, so you can all have a better ce!¡± ¡°That sounds great!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she smiled. ¡°Mom, you are so considerate. we have money now, and we can build a bigger and better ce. Then, we can all have a happy life!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Yes! The house has to be very big. In a couple of years when you all have children, the house is going to be bustling!¡¯ Startled, Qiao Xuan agreed. But she felt a bit unsure. Her Third Brother and Third Sister-inw were so much in love with each other and they should have a child very soon. But she and Shao Yunduan¡­ were a bit different. Qiao Xuan did not want to divorce Shao Yunduan because she liked the Shao Family. Moreover, she liked Shao Yunduan in particr. Although her father-inw was not clear in mind, he did not affect her much. Moreover, her mother-inw always took her side. That w was not so bad. Also, there was never a perfect thing in the world. She was quite satisfied with the family she was in now. But she wondered what her husband thought of her. If he did not hate her, they could just live together forever, right? When Ms. Xu and everyone else returned, Qiao Xuan gave them 10 liang respectively, telling them that the lipsticks sold well and they were all going to get a bonus. Ms. Xu thanked her happily. Yang Xiaoni was so shocked and d to receive so much money. She smiled brightly and asked repeatedly. ¡°Are you sure this is for me? Are you sure?¡± Sheughed like an idiot. Ms. Xu could not help but roll her eyes inwardly. Her third sister-inw was so dumb.. Chapter 277 - 277: Annoyed Chapter 277: Annoyed Trantor:?Henyee Trantions??Editor:?Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan gave Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao 100 liang respectively. But for theirpany into the mountains, they would not have obtained such great tea leaves like golden sprout andvender. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao knew that Fifth Sister-inw was very generous. So, they epted the money and thanked her gratefully, adding the money to their personal savings. Thinking that Yuezheng Xiao would send his men to fetch the watermelons in three days¡¯ time, Qiao Xuan took out some time to visit the garden and helped the fruits to grow with her superpower, so that the watermelons could grow better and faster. In the town, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong reached the hotel around four, when the guards presented an invitation to them. County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s man, Strategist Lu had given it to them. The invitation was asking them to have dinner at Yanhe Restaurant. Both of them got really annoyed. Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Officer Qiao is quite quick to find our whereabouts.¡± Xie Jingrong shivered a little, asking. ¡°Did he know where we have been?¡± The guard at the hostel said, ¡°No. I just told them that you were out having fun.¡± The two of them were out for fun. Officer Qiao would not suspect that. Nor would Officer Qiao get someone to follow them about. ¡°Good. ¡® I Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s face changed. ¡°I think we should be careful about sending our men to Shaoding Vige.¡± Xie Jingrong nodded. They knew about the battle inside the mansion. If they knew that they were good friends with Qiao Xuan, she and her family would not have a peaceful life in the future. Both Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were so good at making money, which was an important secret to keep. They regarded them as friends, so they should not cause them trouble. Yuezheng Xiao cast away the invitation, smilingzily. ¡°Since Officer Qiao is providing us with free dinner, we will be there. He will continue to ask us to be at the dinner, since he is the officer of this ce.¡± The Yuezheng Family were running businesses,rge and noble businesses. They were good friends with some generals in the northwest. Yuezheng Xiao did not care about a small person like Officer Qiao. That was why he could not respect this person. Also, Officer Qiao was not that worthy of the respect, either. Xie Jingrong frowned slightly and epted the invitation, thinking that it made sense. In the evening, the two of them went to Yanhe Restaurant for dinner. Officer Qiao, County Officer Zhang, Strategist Lu, Dean Meng from Minghua College as well as two rich young masters from the local area received the two of them warmly. Seeing the oil-filled dishes at the table, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong could not help but think of the lunch they had at the Shao Family, which was fresh and full of taste, much better than the dishes in front of them. Officer Qiao was so generous that Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao had to deal with him with half a heart. ()fficer Qiao asked what they were doing and if he could offer some help. He did not think that they were here to only have fun. He had missed the chance to suck up to themst time when they were seeking Chinese fleeceflower root. Now that the chance came again, he could not afford to drop it. That made the two of them feel even more annoyed. They just said something randomly to get rid of the man. Yuezheng Xiao was thinking that they should be very cautious about hanging out with the Shao Family. The following day, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong had two more sets of expensive presents prepared and sent them to Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan with a thank-you note. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were both very surprised. The two young masters were simply too well-mannered.. Chapter 278 - 278: Mistakes Chapter 278: Mistakes Trantor: Henyee Trantions?????? Editor: Henyee Trantions The presents included cubilose, wild ginseng, silk, brocade and several boxes of delicate cakes. That counted upto more than a dozen gift boxes. Ms. Fang keptughing but with guilt. ¡°The two young masters are just so generous! So generous!¡± Qiao Xuan understood the rules of the big mansions. She gave a few red packets with money inside to the coachman, and the two staff. The three of them had not expected that they would receive red packets from a family in the countryside They allughed happily and developed good feelings towards the Shao Family. The guy also told Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan that in a couple of dayster, their young master would get some people to fetch the watermelons and that they would arrive at dawn, hoping that they could open the door for them. Shao Yunduan nodded. Many people already spotted the honored guests that visited the first section of the Shao Family the day before, and more people witnessed the presents today. Some people were even craning their necks out to see what was inside. Seeing that they were giving presents to the first section of the Shao Family, they could not help but feel jealous. ¡°They are blooming! ¡°So great that they have married a good daughter-inw! ¡°Yunduan is excellent too. What if he passes the next level of the imperial exam next year, then it would be more than just rich people who came to visit the Shao Family!¡¯ ¡°True! WOW! Widow Sun also witnessed the familiar wagon and could not help but follow up. She was also among those who gossiped. Hearing those words, Widow Sun felt both jealous and angry. She pursed her lips and snorted, walking away. She would never admit that she was regretful not to have approved of the marriage with the Shao Family in the past. If she had known that Shao Yunduan was so good and had befriended so many rich people, she would have loved to establish a marriage rtionship with them. But she soon pressed down this idea. She did not want to admit that she regretted it. ¡°He is just a Cultivated Talent, and he will not make it to Rmended Man! It is not so easy to go to the next level, he is just dreaming!¡± Widow Sun felt much better after consoling herself. Seeing Ms. Niuing towards her, she suddenly came up with an idea,ughing. ¡®Your nephew, Cultivated Talent Shao has be quite sessful! Two rich young masters visited their home the day before. Today, they sent him so many presents. Ten boxes! They could not even carry them home with four arms! Honestly, I ra_n into the two young masters yesterday, and they looked so handsome and well-dressed. They are defnitely not from ordinary families! Widow Sun winked and elbowed Ms. Niu, asking with a small, smiling tone. ¡°Your Meiling is old enough to get married right? M/hy not ask your nephew for help? You are rtives and she can marry someone handsome! If you miss it, that would be pitiful!¡± Widow Sun wished that she could get her own daughter to marry one of them, but she realized that she was incapable of doing so. Unless the two of them came to the vige again and she got another chance to do so. She had just had a fight with Ms. Fang, who would never introduce such great young men to her daughter. But she could still vent her anger, if she could make Ms. Niu pester her to do so.. Chapter 279 - 279: Interested Chapter 279: Interested Trantor: Henyee Trantions?????? Editor: Henyee Trantions She was putting forward a good idea to Ms. Niu¡­ she was! Ms. Niu was also very concerned about Shao Meilings marriage, so she was quite moved after hearing that. ¡°Really? Tell me exactly what is going on?¡± Those who could giverge presents to the Shao Fa_mily should not havee from a bad family. When Ms. Niu heard about the gifts from Widow Sun, she soon had very greedy thoughts. But then she pressed down thae idea. She understood clearly what was going on right now. Ms. Fang was too tough in her stance to share anything. Ms. Niu was very motivated to meet the two rich young masters. Even if she did not like Shao Yunduan, she had to admit that Shao Yunduan was a Cultivated Talent, and he should be hanging out with people from above average families. If the two young masters were rich and handsome as Widow Sun said, then any of them would be quite suitable to be her son-inw. That should not be troublesome for the first section of the family. Shao Yunduan and Ms. Fang should offer some help, right? They had to! Hearing that Ms. Niu was interested in her idea, Widow Sun became smug and started to brag more and more. She described Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong as special existences, who offered presents and came to visit them personally. She surmised that they should definitely be in a good rtionship with Shao Yunduan. That would make everything easy for Ms. Niu. Hearing that, Ms. Niu got so happy though she kept denying the possibility. ¡°I am not sure, but if it works as you said, I will invite you for the wedding! ¡°Sure, I will definitely want to be at the wedding! The two women exchanged a look andughed. Widow Sun kept bitching about Ms. Niu inwardly. This woman was so greedy. Why couldn¡¯t she realize the simple fact that rich young masters would not marry any countryside girls as the wife, even though Shao Yunduan was their friend. Also, Ms. Fang would never make her wishe true. Ms. Niu hurried home and talked with Second Uncle about this. Second Uncle was quite motivated as well. In their opinions, Shao Yunduan was Cultivated Talent and he had a promising future. Qiao Xuan was Officer Qiao¡¯s daughter and their niece-inw. So with these two as mediators, there should be a high possibility of getting their daughter to marry one of Shao Yunduan¡¯s friends. But they had to tell the Elder Uncle about it first. Therefore, when Eldest Uncle asked Shao Yunduan if the guests were engaged, Shao Yunduan was totally startled. In fact, both Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were shocked. What were Second Aunt and Second Uncle thinking? They did not know where the two young masters were from, but they should realize that Shao Meiling was not a match for any of them! Ms. Fang screamed. ¡°The couple is crazy, right? How dare they say things like this? Meiling is not a match for either of them!¡± Eldest Uncle was displeased. ¡°Meiling is your niece, and your face will also lift if she marries well. How can you demean her like this?¡± Ms. Fang rolled her eyes. Damn! Honestly, her own Taotao was better than that girl, and she had plenty of dowry to take along, still she never thought about marrying her to a rich family. They were not from the same background and if she married into such a family, she would be humiliated and looked down upon by rtives and friends. That would not be good for her. She could find a down-to-earth farmer and with dozens of good fields and a lot of money. With that, they would probably have a happy life together.. Chapter 280 - 280: A Try Chapter 280: A Try Trantor: Henyee Trantions?????? Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Dad.¡± Shao Yunduan could not help but sigh and shake his head. ¡°Please let Second Uncle and Second Aunt drop the idea. Those two young masters¡­ He was not going to tell him where Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were really trom. What it the news spread and reached Otticer Qiao! That would be so troublesome. ¡°They are Cultivated Talents and from rich families. Moreover, in all likelihood, their parents have already arranged the marriage for them. I dont know whether they are engaged, but they are just my ordinary friends. How can I ask them about this? Alos, the two families don¡¯t match at all!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°True. Some people just don¡¯t understand who they are, and keep adding trouble to others. Yunduan has made some good friends and if they don¡¯t hang out with Yunduan because of this embarrassing thing, he will lose important contacts! Let me tell you, if you ruin Yunduan¡¯s future, I will hate you forever.¡± Eldest Uncle frowned. ¡°I am not this kind of person, okay?! I was just asking. Since they already have marriage ns, we can drop it, of course! Also, we need to have both parties satisfied before taking it further. But Meiling is also your niece, how can you look down at her? Can¡¯t you just say something good about her?¡± ¡°She is at the age of getting married. Why can¡¯t you be nice to her?¡± Ms. Fang rolled her eyes. ¡°Okay, okay, she is good, as long as she doesn¡¯t ruin my son, then she can do whatever she wants!¡± ¡°You!¡± Eldest Uncle red. Second Uncle and Ms. Niu got annoyed as they heard the hesitant answer. ¡°Eldest Brother, so whether or not those two young masters are not engaged is not certain, right? Why not mention the matter to them, what if either of them like Meiling? ¡°Yeah! Our Meiling is beautiful and diligent, why can¡¯t she be a match?¡± ¡°Just give it a try, okay? Eldest Brother, you want Meiling to marry into a good family, right? If we lose this chance, we won¡¯t get any better ones. We can just try! All you need to do is ask what if theye together? We will be grateful to you forever! ¡°Yeah!¡± Second Uncle and Ms. Niu kept begging Eldest Uncle who became really annoyed. He wanted to promise them, but he did not want to make a decision on behalf of Shao Yunduan, so he answered briefly and hurried off. Ms. Niu snapped and sneered. ¡°Eldest Brother is always talking about beautiful things, about how we are a family and should help each other. But I think that he is very selfish!¡± Second Uncle. ¡°Yes, you simply take Meiling to their house when the guestse next time! I ¡® ¡°Yeah!¡± Ms. Niu¡¯.s eyes sparkled. ¡®You are so clever! I will just do that.¡± She felt a bit sour. ¡°I think that Yunduan is getting more promising and he should have more friendsing to his home in the future. I will watch out for his guests henceforth. We are open to anyone.¡± She had to admit that Shao Yunduan was Cultivated Talent and he was not befriending any farmers. She had no Cultivated Talent at home, but she could have a Cultivated Talent as her son-inw. What if that man became an officer in the future? Then, her daughter would be the wife of an officer! They should make full use of what they have now. If the first section could help them, things would not be bad. Shao Yunduan and the others of the family did not know anything about this. So, no one mentioned the matter any more.. Chapter 281 - 281: Going Back To The Capital Chapter 281: Going Back To The Capital Trantor: Henyee Trantions?????? Editor: Henyee Trantions Even though there was no mention, Qiao Xuanughed inwardly, and told Shao Yunduan that their Second Uncle and Second Aunt really liked dreaming! Despite that they had no idea who Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong really were, they should have at least thought that people from ordinary families did not dress like that at all! They wished to climb higher through marriage, but had they ever thought about whether the other person wanted to marry someone like their daughter? Soon it was the day when Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s men came to pick the watermelons. When it was dawn, the coachman as well as two page boys arrived. Apart from Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle, everyone else was up, busy picking the watermelons. Eldest Uncle also wanted to offer some help but Ms. Fang stopped him. Ms. Fang said, ¡°You don¡¯t have toe along. There are already so many who are in the field, and it wouldn¡¯t work if everyone went there.¡± In fact, Ms. Fang just did not want him to see what was going on in the yard. There were so many things in the yard, after all. Although they all knew that it was Qiao Xuan¡¯s personal property, the Eldest Uncle was never resolute especially if he saw this. Hearing that, Eldest Uncle nodded and believed that it was true. So, he did not go over to help. The watermelons were veryrge, and with so many people helping out, the watermelons filled up the wagons within one hour. They had 200 watermelons altogether, and the total amount was 60 liang. 60 liang wasn¡¯t that much for the first section of the Shao Fa_mily. But it was a business without cost a_nd the amount was enough tost for four or five years. Qiao Xuan did not share the money with the rest of the family, but she offered to make a delicious dinner that night. They cheered, especially Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang, who started looking forward to the dinner already. Even if Qiao Xuan did not offer to make dinner, the rest of the family would say nothing. They had cold, sweet and juicy watermelons every day for lunch, and that was a huge advantage for them. Qiao Xuan gave one to the coachman and the pageboys respectively. The coachman and page boys were so happy that they kept thanking her. Watermelons were rare, and they were going to take them home for friends and family to eat. That would surely lift up their reputation. There were a few watermelons that were not ripe and Yuezheng Xiao would send some more men to fetch the remaining ones after a week or so. At this rate, they woulde over at least three more times. With watermelons ready in the wagon, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong decided to leave the town. Yuezheng Xiao simply could not wait to sell the watermelons and lipsticks. County Magistrate Qiao had been watching them all the time. His messenger did not follow them on their trip, but would pass on the information to County Magistrate Qiao the moment they arrived. Then, Strategist Lu and he woulde to the door and greet them, exchanging a few words. That really annoyed Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. But he was an officer of the town and they could not possibly drive him and his people away. When they were just about to leave, County Magistrate Qiao came with Strategist Lu in a hurry, to see them off, making the two young masters feel irritated. Yuezheng Xiaoined. ¡°What is County Magistrate Qiao doing here?¡± Xie Jingrong said calmly, ¡°He is very anxious to return to the capital.¡± Yuezheng Xiao was startled and burst out intoughter. Hurrying back to the capital? No wonder they wanted to get on well with the Xie Family. He hoped that the Xie Family could help him to get back to the capital! But this officer with such lowpetence would not return with a high title. Also, he would have to wait for a few more years before being granted even a small position.. Chapter 282 - 282: Plan Chapter 282: n Trantor: Henyee Trantions?????? Editor: Henyee Trantions County Magistrate Qiao and his gang suddenly spotted the wagon full of watermelons. Atter seemg Ott Yuezneng Xiao and Xle Jmgrong, County magistrate (Liao¡¯s eyes sparkled. He tried to press down his excitement and said calmly, ¡°Strategist, you saw that too?¡± Strategist Lu could not help but lick his lips, drooling inwardly. ¡°That was a wagon filled with watermelons!¡± He would like to have some too! It would be wonderful if they could eat thoserge, juicy watermelons, and feel their coolness and texture. He had been working for the County Magistrate for a few years, but he only ate two slices of watermelonsst summer, which was given by the County Magistrate. The County Magistrate himself had not yet eaten any watermelons this year! Strategist Lu could not help butment. ¡°That Young Master of the Yuezheng Family just doesn¡¯t know that he should offer you a dozen!¡± That was what County Magistrate Qiao was thinking inwardly, but he was not going to say it out loud. He waved his hands, pretending to be open-minded. ¡°Young Master Yuezheng is a businessman, who only cares about profits. Also, I don¡¯t ept things from others for free.¡± ¡°You are honest, Officer. You never take benefits from anyone, that I know.¡± Strategist Lu raised his eyebrows and started to think. ¡°So, do we have someone who is nting watermelons in our county? I will go around and try to see who is doing that? We can buy some too. The watermelons would be so good for the summer.¡± County Magistrate Qiao nodded as he smiled. ¡°Good, you can go about and take a look. Try and buy as many as possible!¡± ¡°Okay, Officer!¡± Strategist Lu smiled and felt happy inwardly. The farmers would definitely be d to have a connection with the County Magistrate when he finds them and buys their watermelons! He would get however many he wanted when he saw them. No one would ask the officer for money! By that time, he was going to get dozens of watermelons, enough for the whole summer,.. When Officer Qiao returned to the mansion, Madame Qiao said with a smile, li lt is getting really hot these days, and we are not sleeping well. I decided to send some people to get some watermelons from the province tomorrow to bring home. If you need anything else, we can buy them together.¡± Qiao Wei was spoiled and greedy for watermelons. Madame Qiao cared about her and did not want to see her suffer. Watermelons did not have a high yieldst year due to the torrential rains, and the housekeeper said that one good watermelon would cost 7 qian, which was way over the budget. So only a few were bought. When the housekeeper went to fetch some more, the watermelons were nowhere to be seen. So, they needed to go there earlier this year. Officer Qiao smiled. ¡°No need to go to the capital, we have watermelons here too. He told her what Strategist Lu¡¯s n was. Madame Qiao cheered and smiled. ¡°That is good! Just let Strategist Lu get the information and watermelons too.. You are working for the county day and night, and the farmers should not ask you for money!¡¯ Chapter 283 - 283: Gossip Chapter 283: Gossip Trantor: Henyee Trantions?? Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°They should have brought some to you on their own. Damned civilians, never understanding the rules!¡¯ Officer Qjao rubbed his beard and nodded. He believed that his wife was right damned civilians! Madame Qjao added. ¡°Young Master Yuezheng is also too arrogant. You saw them off. He should have given you some watermelons on his own. How dare he ignore you!¡¯ Officer Qjao, who was deeply hurt by Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong¡¯s ignorance, felt very humiliated hearing what Madame Qjao said. ¡°Young Master Yuezheng never thinks about those small things.¡± Madame Qiao brought herself back and smiled. ¡°True!¡¯ Madame Qjao spoke to Qjao Wei about watermelons, and she was very happy too. It seemed that they were going to have many watermelons to eat during this summer season. ¡°I hope they are sweet. Not every farmer is able to nt good watermelons, otherwise they would not have been so rare. Mom, we are buying them in the province if they are not sweet here.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Madame Qjao said with an indulgent smile. It was going to be a very quick exercise. Watermelons were nted in the field and no one was able to conceal that for long. What they needed to do was to do some simple investigation. Qjao Wei and Madame Qjao even got prepared to eat watermelons the following day. It was going to be such a cooling relief, if they were able to eatrge watermelons on this hot day. That was a tempting thought! However two days passed and they could not see a thing! Qjao Wei could not help butin. ¡°They are sozy! How can they be so slow as not to get an idea of where the watermelons are!¡¯ Madame Qjao frowned and got someone to ask Strategist Lu. Strategist Lu was very anxious and disappointed as well. How would he know? The whole thing was so strange that they could find nothing! He had sent many people to look around and theoretically speaking, they should have been able to eat watermelons by that night itself. However, it seemed that the watermelons Yuezheng Xiao carried, had appeared out of nowhere. No matter what, they could not find the source! Strategist Lu got so annoyed. He just did not understand where the watermelons would have grown? So, he got someone to dig deeper. Before he could find anything, Madame Qjao¡¯s men came to ask him for the result. Strategist Lu had to tell the truth. Madame Qjaoined that he was useless but she had no choice except to wait. Yet no matter how much they tried, they still could not even find out who nted the fruit and some people even had no idea of what watermelons were. Then they heard that watermelons might have grown out in the wild field, and not nted at home. Strategist Lu thought for a while and could not find out any other exnation, thus telling the truth. The County Magistrate was disappointed but he believed the excuse and dropped the idea. What a pity that the watermelons were gone! Madame Qjao and Qiao Wei felt even more annoyed. Madame Ojao sent her servants to buy watermelons from the province! ¡°Dont worry, Wei, we are going to buy many of them, even though it costs 1 liang for one!¡¯ Only then did Qjao Wei drop the anger. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan finally let out a sigh of relief hearing that the officers stopped seeking the origin of watermelons. Although they stressed repeatedly that the family should not spread the news around, they were still quite worried. They could counter the situation if they were found, but the best thing would be that they were never found.. Chapter 284 - 284: Watermelons Chapter 284: Watermelons Trantor:?Henyee Trantions??Editor:?Henyee Trantions Hearing that Officer Qiao¡¯s family made so many efforts just to eat watermelons but obtained nothing in the end, Qiao Xuan ate two more slices purely out of delight. Luckily, they did not let Manager Qin help them with selling watermelons. Also, they dropped the idea of giving two watermelons to Manager Qin. Yuezheng Xiao took the watermelons home but did not n to sell them. Instead, he was going to give them away as presents. He gave Xie Jingrong twenty watermelons, 20 to his parents and kept 20 for himself. By this point, half the amount was gone. The watermelons wererge and round, looking beautiful and tasting sweet. They were most suitable as presents. Especially in this weather, nothing was better than a fewrge watermelons. There were many watermelons in the market, and those fixed farmers already got their watermelons booked before they turned ripe. Therefore, those that coulde to the market were not only quite limited in number but also unripe. Madame Qjao sent her housekeeper to buy the watermelon and luckily, he ran into some cheap ones in the market the following day. Although the housekeeper said that it was just one of the leftovers and not very sweet, yet the housekeeper believed that the watermelons looked really good and sounded quite crispy from outside, thus buying them as good watermelons. The expensive watermelons would not be too sweet but surely would not be bad. The housekeeper bought ten altogether. Five liang for one pile of watermelons. That was very costly. Five liang could buy hundreds of kgs of rice. But he decided to tell his master that it cost seven liang so he could save two liang for himself. Once watermelons as well as other things were bought, the housekeeper went back home early the next day. Madame Qjao and Qjao Wei got so happy when the watermelons arrived that they started to drool. Qiao Kou and Concubine Du were serving them and feeling greedy inwardly. They knew that even one slice would be quite satisfying for them. However, when the maid broke open a watermelon, it looked really white with just a touch of redness. Worse, the skin was not at all fresh. After a bite, one realized that it had no taste, and the soft texture did not taste sweet or fresh at all. Qiao Wei spat and had one more cut up. But all the ten watermelons were the same! ¡°Ah!¡± Qjao Wei snapped. ¡°What rubbish did the housekeeper buy? Is he blind? He cant even buy one correct one!¡¯ The more they wanted something, the less likely they were able to get it. That caused a huge disappointment and the anger arose involuntarily. Qjao Wei could not help but want to hit someone. She threw herself in Madame Qjao¡¯s arms and cried. What she wanted was to just eat one watermelon. How could that be so difficult? Madame Qjao got so annoyed that she scolded the housekeeper. The housekeeper¡¯s face turned. He begged for forgiveness continuously. He had not foreseen this! How could the farmer sell the rotten watermelons at such a high price? And the watermelons could not prove bad unless broken open. He was cheated too! Madame Qjao scolded him and ordered him to back off.. Chapter 285 - 285: Watermelons Available Chapter 285: Watermelons Avable Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Of course she knew that the housekeeper had been fooled as well. But she still felt really annoyed. Consoling Qjao Wei, Madame Qjao sent someone else to buy watermelons again. She just did not believe that it was not possible to eat one watermelon. She was quite vexed. Therefore, she must eat at least one watermelon to drive away the anger. Unexpectedly, the housekeeper never ran into anyone who was selling watermelons even after spending so many days in the province. Feeling helpless, the housekeeper did not dare to stay for too long. He returned empty-handed. The mother and daughter, alongwith Officer Qjao, got very annoyed by this. They could eat a few watermelonsst year, but this year, they managed to eat none. They felt so horrible not to have been able to eat any. The more Qiao Wei thought about this, the more angry she became. ¡°I just wanted to eat one watermelon! How can this broken, shabby ce offer none. I am so fed up with it!¡¯ Distressed, Madame Qjao consoled her. ¡°It is just a watermelon, nothing precious. It is not so rare that we eat nothing good otherwise. We can get all kinds of things we want when we go back to the capital.¡± Qjao Wei snorted and felt very displeased. Her face was sullen. It was so irritating. On the other hand, in the first section of the Shao Family, watermelons were very popr. Every day at lunchtime, they would cut tworge, round ones and have a good taste of it. Their thirst was properly relieved. Everyone present was very happy. While County Magistrate Obo¡¯s family failed to get any watermelons, two more wagons full of ripe watermelons were transported out of the vige and headed directly towards the province. This time, Yuezheng Xiao decided to sell the watermelon at the price of 3 qian for one. Three of his friends bought them really quickly. The clients were very passionate about these watermelons, which he had given out as presents at the beginning. This fruit turned out to be so tasty and sweet, and the cost wasnt high either. They bought them for themselves and friends, and they would not resell them to anyone else. When watermelons and tea leaves were sold out, Qjao Xuan started to focus upon the business of mushrooms. The sheds and materials for mushrooms were ready, and the seeds had been found. Once the project kicked off, they were going to make a fortune. With her superpower in y, Qjao Xuan could easily distinguish the categories of the mushrooms, so she was never anxious about starting with this business. Ms. Fang and Shao Xiaoqi could not help but feel worried for her. They were worried that the mushrooms were difficult to find and they kept consoling her that she did not need to work so hard for it. Qjao Xuan smiled and nodded, epting the kindness. There was very little they could do in the farnd, and when thest batch of lipsticks was made, the flowers stopped blooming. Roses had been picked out and the other kinds were already withering. Even if Qiao Xuan wanted to use her superpower, she needed to be cautious. So, she had to wait a little longer. Also, the beeswax was used up, and they needed to get some more of that. Therefore, Qjao Xuan, Shao Xiaoqi, Shao Taotao as well as Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni went into the mountains together. Shao Dng and Ms. Xu were helping Qjao Xuan sort out the floral fields, where they trimmed the leaves and watered the nts. Qjao Xuan brought in some water that was hundreds of meters faraway, and when the water was to be used, the only thing they needed to do was turn it on and the water woulde. They were paid 30 wen a day for their work. Shao Dng and Ms. Xu were both quite willing to do the work. They decided to find mushrooms and wild honey as well as some other precious herbs during their trip to the mountains.. Chapter 286 - 286: Love Shown Off Chapter 286: Love Shown Off Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yang Xiaoni had never walked into mountains as deep as these, so she was both very curious and excited. She looked around, swinging her neck. Shao Sang wasnt all that experienced but he was very willing to show off his knowledge in front of his wife by bragging about how interesting things were in the mountains, and how was able to get numerous prey. Hearing him say all that, Yang Xiaoni could not help but look at him with admiration. ¡°Brother Sang, you know so much!¡± Odao Xuan could not help but clog her ears as she walked next to them. They were too much! They managed to track down numerous mushrooms and got more than 35 to 40 kgs of wild honey. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni ate a lot of honey while they were dating, since he was very annoyed by how he got stung years ago. Butter, they both got fed up. Itt was too much for them. But after so many days in the mountains, they only found four sites of snow fungus. Qjao Xuan used her superpower every now and then, but she could not use too much of it. So, they failed to find too many. Snow fungus were very precious and once they grew, the values would be much higher than the other categories of mushrooms. Qiao Xuan was not anxious. She was going to urge the already-growing ones so they would be enough. Shao Xiaoqi got a lot of things too. He had roosters, and rabbits to take home which were enough for the family to eat. They even got two honebs on this day and Qiao Xuan had a discussion with the rest of the family that they could cease the search after the next day. They were all quite exhausted. Also, they needed to work on the honey. Shao Taotao and Yang Xiaoni both agreed. They believed that floral fields were more important, especially when the new flowers bloomed. They would need to work hard on it. Luckily, Shao Xiaoqi got one water deer, chubby andrge, weighing around 15 kgs. Water deer should taste really good, but it was quite timid and ran fast. It was never easy to catch it. Therefore, even finding one water deer made everyone happy. They all turned to Qjao Xuan, asking. ¡°How should we make it?¡± Qjao Xuan just could not help but feel a bit helpless. They now considered her to be the chef! But it was very easy to work as a chef. She just needed to work on the pot, whilst the rest were done by the others. She thought for a while and said, ¡°Deer, wild sheep, and wild deer are almost the same. Just follow the way of making mutton. Braised, stewed, stir-fried, and boiled are definitely not bad.¡± They all nodded and agreed. Yang Xiaoni licked her lips, saying cheerfully, ¡°I became so hungry after hearing your words.¡± Shao Sang added. ¡°This is arge one, you can eat some more at dinner!¡¯ ¡°Yes, Brother Sang, you should eat some more too!¡¯ ¡°Of course¡­ Qiao Xuan and the others. ¡® They showed off love wherever they were! Ms. Fang was very d to see such a huge prey when she came home. She helped with boiling the water, and removing the fur. Many vigers were drawn to watch the show. Such arge prey was rarely seen, and the vigers wanted to see what they were going to do with it. However, as they were watching the processing of the animal, a gray-haired old woman, together with two young men and two young women arrived there. ¡°Is this Ms. Fang¡¯s home?¡± They all turned to look at the neers.. Chapter 287 - 287: Ms. Zhou’s Family Chapter 287: Ms. Zhou¡¯s Family Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang nced at them, nodding with a smile. ¡°I am Ms. Fang, who are you?¡¯ She really had no idea who they were. Nor did anyone from the Shao Family recognize them. Someone seemed to recognize her, and was about to speak up, when the old woman went up to her and took hold of Ms. Fang¡¯s hands. In a grateful voice, she said, ¡°I am from the Zhou Family. My daughter used to be the second daughter-inw of the Ding Family. I am older than you, and I will address you as my niece! Thank you for helping my daughter!¡¯ Oh, they were from Ms. Zhou¡¯s home! People present could not help but wear a look of understanding. Ms. Fang brought herself back,ughing. ¡°Dont worry, Ms. Zhou and I have always been good friends and it was just a little help! No need to make a big deal out of it.¡± ¡°But I am grateful!¡± She said with teeth clenched, as she sneered. ¡°Some people are the worst human beings! Thank goodness you were here!¡¯ Ms. Fang shook her head out of courtesy and asked them to have a seat inside. The vigers left, seeing that something was going on in the family and Ms. Fang was driving them away. When Ms. Zhou and Ding Erzhu had the wooden house built and all was settled, they bought some chicken and opened up the field. Their life had just started. The remaining work should just be routine. Only at that time did Ms. Zhou return to her own home with her child. Ms. Zhou had thought about turning to her natal family when she ran into trouble, but she felt too ashamed to go over. When she went home and talked about the whole issue, the mother and the daughter cried a lot. Ms. Zhou had a brother who always cared about her. She was not very close to her sister-inw, but they always talked in a friendly way. Hearing that, her parents and brother got so annoyed. Ms. Zhou spent one night at her mother¡¯s home and the following morning, her parents, brother, sister-inw and cousins all rushed to the Zhang Vige and hit Ding Erzhu. Ms. Zhou shielded him but the whole family scolded Ding Erzhu angrily. They married their daughter to him only because he looked very honest. But now their daughter was suffering so much. Ding Erzhu cried too. He felt very guilty while facing his brother-inw as well as his parents-inw. His parents-inw had always treated him well. Every time he visited them, they would kill the chicken to treat him and let him bring some food home when he returned. He even borrowed some grains from them. But he failed to protect their daughter, and let her suffer so much during the past few years. When she was done scolding her son-inw, she took her children and nieces as well as her family to the Fifth Grandpa Ding¡¯s home. She did not have her husband with her, who stayed back at home. Fifth Grandma Ding was at home. Seeing the Zhou Familying towards her, she was about to defend herself when everyone rushed forward and hit her. They ripped off her clothes, grabbed her hair, hit her face and pinched her arms. They spared no efforts to hit her. Fifth Grandma Ding¡¯s two sons were gone, and two daughter-inws were both absent. So she was mercilessly hit by the Zhou Family. Also, she treated none of her daughter-inws well, and even if they were around, they might not have offered any help either.. Chapter 288 - 288: Purpose Chapter 288: Purpose Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Later, Madame Zhou took her son and daughter-inw, rushing into Fifth Grandpa Ding¡¯s home and smashed everything. They broke every utensil in the kitchen and spilled the seasonings onto the ground. But for being a farmer¡¯s family himself and not wanting to ruin the food, they would have poured all the grain into the ditch. Fifth Grandma Ding¡¯s heart felt broken. She cried and kept calling her a bitch constantly. Annoyed, Madame Zhou hit her again. They were in the midst of the fight when the Ding Family finally came home. The Ding Family got so annoyed that they demanded the Zhou Family to repay them. Madame Zhou snapped. ¡°Repay you what? You need topensate me for my granddaughter¡¯s life first!¡¯ Fifth Grandpa Ding could not hold it in. ¡°That was her fault.. ¡°She was just a child, what did she know? You believe that she can think rationally? You were so cruel as to trap her in the ancestral hall and not allow her to eat or drink anything.¡± Fifth Grandpa Ding felt so strange when he heard this. How did she know about not getting any food? Fifth Grandpa Ding flushed out of anger. He shivered and could not utter a sound. Madame Zhou sneered. ¡°My daughter and my son-inw are notzy, are they? They show respect to you, right? Still, you drove them out without giving them any share in the properties! How dare you separate the family like this?¡± Ding Sanzhu snapped. ¡°It was them who wanted to do so.¡± ¡°Oh really? But you allowed them to go away, right? They were forced to move out without getting anything. It is ridiculous!¡¯ Ding Sanzhu got very annoyed but was speechless in the end. Madame Zhou nced at them and sneered. ¡°Since you drove them out, the rtion has been cut off directly. Don¡¯t ever dare toe to us for anything good in the future. If I ever find out that you are doing so, I will p you to death!¡¯ Fifth Grandpa Ding shivered out of anger. ¡°They should nevere back home too! I wont ept them either!¡¯ ¡°We won¡¯t!¡± Madame Zhou sneered. ¡°Bear it well in mind!¡¯ After the chaos, they thanked those who had helped their daughter before, and then they headed to the first section of the Shao Family to express their gratitude. Although many people helped the couple, the first section of the Shao Family had given the biggest help. They even arranged the future for them. The Zhou Family were very grateful to them, and they definitely woulde to the door to express their thanks. Ms. Fang could not help but sigh, telling Madame Zhou that everything would be fine. Madame Zhou shed some tears and thanked them again, before leaving. Ms. Fang liked Madame Zhou¡¯s straightforward personality. Madame Zhou was a very straightforward person who had taught her daughter to be kind. But that did not be a merit. Ms. Fang could not help but feel bothered. It seemed that her Taotao was too kind as well. She should be taught to be fierce too, maybe? The family affairs of Fifth Grandpa Ding¡¯s home became the gossip for many people and it went on for a long time. The whole family got so annoyed but they did not dare to turn to the Zhou Family for any sort of repayment. They had to ept the loss.. Chapter 289 - 289: Unspeakable Feelings Chapter 289: Unspeakable Feelings Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Xu, Yang Xiaoni¡­ all of them felt sorry for Ms. Zhou¡¯s family. But Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang were the ones who knew what was really going on, so they exchanged a look and smiled at each other. It made their rtionship closer. The water deer was soon handled and the meat was sliced. They were aware that the internal organs were good things too, so they held them in a basin. It was a huge animal that should be shared with the other sections of the family, so Ms. Fang asked Shao Sang to cut a few medium-level meat for them. She was not going to deliver it, nor would she let Taotao do that. She asked Eldest Uncle to do so personally. She decided not to get involved with them in any case. Eldest Uncle was very displeased. But he said nothing to counter her. Sure enough, the second and the third sections of the familyined about getting very little meat. They did not say it straightforwardly, but that was exactly what they meant. Eldest Uncle was feeling rather displeased inwardly. But the first section of the family did not care. They started the fire and put all the inner organs inside the pot, adding different kinds of spices for braising. The other stove was heated as well. The water deer was cut into different sizes of diced and stewed on the dried bamboo. Ms. Xu was slicing the meat for frying while Qiao Xuan intended to make a dish of stewed ribs. Stewed ribs were easy to make. Rice and glutinous rice were soaked a little, fried in a pan until they turned brown, then ground and a little salt was added. She had nned to add the five-spice powder, but it was not present at the moment. So she could only make a simpler version of it and tried to see what it tasted like. Qiao Xuan did not think that it was going to taste bad, because the fried rice smelled good. Then she could add some more spices, like star anises, fennels and cinnamon to make it fragrant. When it was time for dinner, a table full of delicious water deer was brought to the table. Everyone was attracted to the stewed water deer meat immediately. ¡°That is a new dish?!¡± ¡°It looks really delicious!¡± They just could not wait to touch the dish. The meat smelled fragrant, and the rice flour over it had locked the freshness of the meat. As the scent of rice and meat werebined, it tasted best when eaten hot. Qiao Xuan had not eaten this kind of dish in a long while, and she had not expected that water deer, when made this way, would taste especially fresh. Then, she could make some more simr ones. The following day, Qiao Xuan suddenly felt a bit tired. She suggested that they should deal with the already-existing honey first and get the beeswax, before paying a visit to the mountains. Qiao Xuan¡¯s suggestion catered to what others were also thinking. Actually, it was because Qiao Xuan sensed the moisture in the air, and she predicted that it was going to rain very soon. She was very sensitive towards the air changes, and she could forecast the weather within one day¡¯s time. Sure enough, clouds covered up the sun at lunchtime, and the sky fell into darkness. Thunderstorm arrived and the rain poured down. They were in the middle of extracting honey and beeswax, and felt lucky that they were not in the mountains. Otherwise the rain would have been too heavy for them to handle. Qiao Xuan could tell that the rain wouldst for a very long time, maybee down continuously for a couple of days.. Chapter 290 - 290: Watermelon Candy Chapter 290: Watermelon Candy Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions That was good. In this way, flowers would grow even more vividly. When it was sunny again, she decided to use her superpower. Then soon, the flowers would bloom flourishingly. However, the watermelons were not in the same state. Although she used her superpower to make the watermelons grow better so that they could have stronger resistance against the environmentpared to the ordinary ones, watermelons were, after all, watermelons. They were afraid of the water piled up. Water puddles rottened the fruits. And the texture as well as the sweetness would be heavily reduced. That was horrible! She decided to sell them at a lower price if Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s men came to fetch them after a few days. With many helping hands, honey was all done. There were many jars holding them, and each of them took one jar home and left the rest for sale. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I only need this much and I don¡¯t need the profits gained from the honey sale this time. Everyone can have a share. Elder Brother, Sister-inw, though you were not with us in the mountains, you worked so hard and you should have some profits too!¡± Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni were not picky people. So they nodded in agreement. Shao Taotao smiled. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw found the honebs and she has the final call on everything!¡± She hoped that this kind of day wouldst for a long time. However, if someone became selfish in the future, they would live separately, and would not have a row with each other. Ms. Xu had plenty of money and she was much happier right now. Yang Xiaoni did not have many thoughts. It was Qi¡¯s wife who remained to be seen. It was still raining the following day. They were all bored. Ms. Fang felt very concerned about the watermelons in the yard. Qiao Xuan asked Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu to fetch somerge ones home. They decided to remove the seeds and make some watermelon candies. They were bored so they had this idea, so they could save some watermelons on the way. They were both very excited and curious about it and helped along. The watermelons were slowly simmered on low heat and filtered with gauze. The amber-colored viscous syrup obtained in the end was very beautiful. When people tasted it, there was a unique fragrance of watermelon in the sweetness, which was very tempting. Qiao Xuan had a couple ofrge tes in her hands and poured the syrup in them. They waited until the liquid solidified. After two hours, the syrup set in. When it went harder, it was cut into finger sizes and watermelon candies were formed, as the new sort of snack. It was not easy to see candies in this era, so children at home got so happy to get candies like that. Shao Junyan and Shao Qing were excited, and Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were happy to eat them as well. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni were no exceptions. Both of them were so happy about it. Qiao Xuan tasted one and felt really satisfied. She gave it to Shao Yunduan and smiled. ¡°Sweet, huh? The watermelon candies could be good snacks, handy and tasty, we can buy some yellow paper to wrap them up next time we go into the town, and we can save them in the jar.¡± When they made the candies in the future, they could also add some crushed peanuts, crushed walnuts, raisins, mint juice, rose juice, osmanthus. That meant that they could eat all kinds of candies.. Chapter 291 - 291: Chaos Chapter 291: Chaos Trantor: Henyee Trantions?????? Editor: Henyee Trantions She could ask Yuezheng Xiao to find a carpenter who could make some silver or bronze candy models to shape the candies and future potential cakes. The more Qiao Xuan thought about this, the more motivated she was. Seeing her sparkling eyes, Shao Yunduan could not help but smile and nod. ¡°Your ideas are never bad!¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled and exchanged a look with him. ¡°I think so too!¡± The two of them smiled at each other. Qiao Xuan picked some tomatoes for stewing. She made a jar of ketchup, and asked Ms. Xu to yeast the pasta. She was going to make ketchup with egg noodles. Ketchup was a very good thing. She could save some to make sugar-coated ribs or braise the tofu. The sweet and sour ketchup was added with eggs and mixed into the noodles, which provided great texture and it was really good for the stomach. It was really lively at the first section of the family, whilst the second section of the family was having problems. Due to the heavy rain, everyone was quite free at home. Ms. Niu was bored and decided to clean up the room a little. However, she found that the five liang she had hidden earlier was gone. Ms. Niu was a very sneaky person. She never hid her money in one ce. So she was very startled when she saw the money missing. She checked around and found that everything else was still avable. So she let out a sigh of relief. However, she felt so heart-broken thinking of the missing money. She always hid things well, and she never leafed through her hidden things in the room, otherwise she would have thought of this earlier. She suddenly thought of Ms. Zhang. Especially when Ms. Zhang kept asking her for two liang of money, saying that her brother¡¯s wife was going to give birth and needed money¡­ Ms. Niu did not agree to give her any. Ms. Zhang always sneaked things home and Ms. Niu hated her for her small moves. She would never loan her any money. Also, Ms. Zhang never returned any money she had borrowed! ¡°This bitch! How dare she steal my stuff?!¡± Ms. Niu rushed to Ms. Zhang. Ms. Zhang did not admit to it initially, but after being scolded, she had to admit in tears. ¡°My brother¡¯s wife gave birth to a baby, and we are too poor. You don¡¯t even want to loan me anything! I had no choice, please, forgive me! I will never do that again!¡± Ms. Niu kicked Ms. Zhang to the ground. ¡°You will never do it again? You will always do it, given another chance! My children need money for their marriages, and we need money for our family. How dare you steal money to support your own family! I will make my son divorce you!¡± Ms. Zhang cried. ¡°Don¡¯t, Mom. I really won¡¯t do that again!¡± Ms. Zhang was very scared. But she did not regret a thing. She felt lucky. When she stole the money and took it home, her parents and brother were all cheerful. They kept praising her for being capable. That made her feel so satisfied and gratified. She believed that she had done a good deed! Her brother was the only son of the family and he needed to be treated well.. Chapter 292 - 292: Furious Chapter 292: Furious Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Her mother-inw would do nothing more but scold or hit her. She could bear that. After all, she had given birth to grandchildren for the family, and her mother-inw would not drive her out. Also, it was not the first time for her to hear that she was going to be driven out. Hence, she did not panic. However, Ms. Niu was really pissed this time. She was not very happy about her stealing some stuff, but she could still tolerate that. But it was cash worth five liang this time! Worse, Ms. Zhang dared to sneak into her room to do the search. If it had happened once, it would happen twice! Her remaining cash would be taken out as well! Most importantly, she needed money to help her son and daughter to find good marriages, and Ms. Zhang was still focusing on her own family! What was this daughter-inw good for? Second Uncle and Shao Eng were chatting at someone else¡¯s home but returned when they heard that something had happened at home. Second Uncle¡¯s face darkened, as he pointed at his son. ¡°You two go to the Zhang Family to get back the money!¡± Ms. Zhang cried. ¡°Don¡¯t, please. Dad, forgive me!¡± Ms. Niu spat at her and sneered. ¡°I will forgive you when you get the money back, but if you fail, you can stay at your own home and never return. Son, you can divorce her!¡± Shao Eng was startled. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You are questioning me?¡± Ms. Niu barked at him. ¡°No¡­¡± Shao Eng staggered. ¡°But our children are still so young!¡± ¡°So what? You can marry another one next year!¡± Ms. Niu sneered. ¡°I am not letting her get away with it this time! She can still be divorced even if she bore children for you! I won¡¯t let her go this time!¡± Ms. Niu was really angry about this. If Ms. Zhang only stole a few coins, she would not have been so angry. But this was too much money for her to ept. Also, Ms. Zhang always had her own ideas. No matter how much money she stole, she would have been scolded, so she must have thought to take it all¡­ Ms. Niu pushed Ms. Zhang and Shao Eng out of the yard and pped the door shut, sneering at them. ¡°Go to the Zhang Family to get the money back. Without the money, Ms. Zhang will never be allowed toe back home!¡± Ms. Zhang cried. ¡°Eng, please, our children can¡¯t lose their mother!¡± Shao Eng snapped and said angrily, ¡°Shut up now! How dare you cry like this! Go to your family to get back the money!¡± Ms. Zhang¡¯s face changed. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°How dare you steal five liang from my mother? Your family is so greedy!¡± Shao Eng sneered. With her head lowered, Ms. Zhang did not dare to speak up. The first section of the family soon heard about the story of the second section of the family. Ms. Fang pursed her lips andughed. ¡°That¡¯s their family affairs! Your Second Aunt is not a good thing, nor is Ms. Zhang! How can she help her family like this? Her brother is like a piece of trash now!¡± All the three sisters of the Zhang Family kept helping their brother with all efforts. Hearing the gossip, Qiao Xuan and the others felt so speechless. Suddenly, Ms. Zhang came rushing with tears and kneeling down in front of Ms. Fang.. Chapter 293 - 293: Begging Chapter 293: Begging Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Zhang begged tearfully as she said to Ms. Fang, ¡°Please help me. Mom says that she is going to throw me out of the family, but my children should never lose their mother!¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s face changed. ¡°You!¡± Ms. Xu could not help but retreat. She did not like to get involved with anything strange. Qiao Xuan was so disgusted. She stole Ms. Niu¡¯s money, thus, was getting driven out. She came to Ms. Fang for a totally obvious purpose. She was trying to ask Ms. Fang to give her the money. Qiao Xuan could not help but feel shocked inwardly. She spoke up. ¡°Second Sister-inw, you can talk to us in a normal way. Why are you crying like this? People might think that Mom has done you some bad.¡± Ms. Fang realized what was happening too. She pressed down her anger and sneered. ¡°True, what are you crying at my feet for? How annoying!¡± Ms. Zhang shivered and ceased crying. She did not dare to counter Ms. Fang but stared at Qiao Xuan. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, I am so pitiful, please don¡¯t scold me any more.¡± ¡°Second Sister-inw, you are pitiful but not because of us. I am just telling the truth.¡± Qiao Xuan said coldly, ¡°You think you are pitiful, so you believe that Second Aunt has been wrong in teaching you a lesson?¡± Ms. Zhang. Only then did Ms. Fang feel a bit better. She drove away Shao Sang and Shao Xiaoqi, but said to Shao Eng, ¡°Eng, have her get up, I can¡¯t stand this behavior.¡± Shao Eng felt a bit ufortable but moved to help his wife up. Ms. Zhang pushed him away. ¡°Please, help me!¡± Seeing her on her knees, Ms. Fang said, ¡°Ms. Xu, Ms. Yang, get her up and deliver her back to the second section of the family. You have your own senior people in the family to take care of your affairs. I don¡¯t want to get involved in this matter.¡± She would be crazy to get involved in their family¡¯s dealings. Ms. Zhang got so anxious as she looked at Ms. Fang with despair. ¡°Please, Eldest Aunt, loan me five liang!? Fifth Sister-inw must easily have this much! Please, just five lian, I will definitely repay you! Eng will divorce me if I don¡¯t give her the money. If my children lose their mother, you will feel bad too, right?¡± Ms. Fang did not even change her expression. ¡°So, if your mother-inw loves her grandchildren, she will never divorce you. Those are her grandchildren too, right? Just go back and offer a sincere apology!¡± Ms. Zhang kept begging her. But Ms. Fang did not even want to look at her any longer. Helpless, Ms. Zhang snapped angrily. ¡°You are so cruel!¡± Yang Xiaoni could not hold it any more and said, ¡°Second Sister-inw, you are so unreasonable! You stole the money, and Second Aunt drove you away. What does it have to do with us? You think that five liang falls from the sky so you can have it whenever you want it?¡± Ms. Zhang burst out in tears and was finally pulled away by Shao Eng. She went back to the Zhang Family with Shao Eng against her will. Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Okay, just leave them alone! We will never get involved with such stupid things!¡± Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni nodded in agreement. Really stupid things. But Ms. Zhang was really bold enough to steal money from Ms. Niu. This woman had been too obsessed with helping her brother to understand what was going on¡­ Soon, Eldest Uncle hurried home and asked Ms. Fang. ¡°I heard that Ms. Zhang is being driven out of the family.. What is going on?¡± Chapter 294 - 294: Not Interested Chapter 294: Not Interested Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang nced at him and exchanged a few words. But she did not mention that Ms. Zhang had been here. Eldest Uncle rubbed his hands. ¡°How can a nice family be like this? Poor children, Ms. Zhang is so confused!¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°True!¡± Eldest Uncle thought of Ms. Zhang¡¯s family and was even more confused. ¡°I don¡¯t think her family is able to offer this much money.¡± Ms. Fang replied. ¡°Then, we will see if they love this daughter of theirs!¡± Eldest Uncle sighed and went to check how it was going on at the second section of the family. He even asked Ms. Fang to go with him, but she promptly turned that offer down. She was not interested at all. By the evening, Ms. Zhang returned with Shao Eng in distress. She was empty-handed. The parents of hers would never be so simple-minded, when they taught their three daughters to help their youngest brother. Ms. Zhang got scolded thoroughly when she asked them for three liang. They had no money to offer. Even Shao Eng was scolded by his inws. They kept saying that their only son was precious and their grandson was going to be born. As the daughter of the family, she should offer a hand too. They would never give the money back. What was the Shao Family thinking? As they returned home, Eldest Uncle was still at the residence of the second section of the family. Ms. Niu understood clearly what happened, judging from how Ms. Zhang and Shao Eng looked. Her face sank and she asked them with clenched teeth. ¡°Where is the money? Nothing was returned?¡± Ms. Niu got so annoyed as she was reminded of the money Ms. Zhang stole. She pointed at Ms. Zhang and said, ¡°What are you doing here since you can¡¯t get the money? Did they not ept your request? It seems that they don¡¯t like you either.¡± Ms. Zhang covered her face with her hands, begging. ¡°Mom, please, I don¡¯t dare to do that ever again¡­¡± Ms. Zhang had never expected that Ms. Niu would get so angry this time. She felt kind of regretful. But how her parents and brother reacted disheartened her as well. Yet she was more scared right now, fearing that Ms. Niu would really drive her out. ¡°What are you crying for?¡± Ms. Niu shouted and pushed Ms. Zhang out of the house. ¡°Just get out of here, go back to your own home. I am not joking with you!¡± Shao Eng could not stand it any more and defended his wife. ¡°Mom, please¡­¡± ¡°Just shut up!¡± Ms. Niu snapped angrily. ¡°We can¡¯t have a thief at home! Your brother and Meiling are about to find a marriage soon, and the dowry, and wedding gifts are not yet settled. She stole our money and you are still defending her! ¡± Chaos arose in the family. Eldest Uncle rushed back home and told Ms. Fang, ¡°Loan five liang to my brother¡¯s family. They will return it soon.¡± ¡°It has something to do with Sng and Meiling. We are not joking here. Please, loan the money to them!¡± Ms. Niu cursed at Ms. Zhang and Shao Eng, then she started to cry about how difficult it was to establish the marriage for the two children. Second Uncle was helping along too. In this way, the Eldest Uncle got involved. Ms. Fangughed. ¡°Of course, no one is joking. So, did Ms. Zhang not get any money from her family?¡± Eldest Uncle frowned. ¡°You know pretty well what they are like!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°The Zhang Familv are shameless DeoDle. and thev deserve to get nothing.. We are good people and hence, we are cleaning up for them, is it?¡± Chapter 295 - 295: Ms. Niu’s Twisted Face Chapter 295: Ms. Niu¡¯s Twisted Face Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Ms. Zhang stole her own mother-inw¡¯s money. Why should I make it up for them?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Elder Uncle frowned. ¡°But Sng and Meiling are innocent, and we should understand what is more important!¡± Ms. Fang had already predicted how her husband would defend his brothers, but she still felt quite heart-broken upon hearing this. He was clueless. He kept saying that he needed to protect his brothers and their families, but none of them respected him as the eldest in the family. Sng and Meiling were innocent, true, so they should go to those who caused them trouble, not to others. But Ms. Fang was toozy to exin it properly to her husband. Her husband had no sway in the family because she was the one who made the decisions, not him. Ms. Fang said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any money.¡± ¡°We have nothing?¡± Eldest Uncle did not believe her. He sighed emotionally. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they will definitely pay us back! They are just a little tight in hand right now, and they need to establish marriages for their children soon. You all work for Ms. Qiao, everyone is paid, right?¡± Ms. Fang nodded and said calmly,¡±True, but Yunduan needs to visit the college every month and he needs money too. He has it all!¡± Elder Uncle gasped, asking in disbelief. ¡°Really?¡± He did not quite believe what Ms. Fang said. But Ms. Fang did not care if he believed her. She had the final say. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Eldest Uncle fell silent. Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Well, I think that they can go to the Zhang Family themselves! What are they afraid of? Ms. Zhang needs to be taught a lesson anyway, otherwise she will make the same mistake again and again. That is not eptable! They can either keep their faces or their money.¡± Eldest Uncle felt distressed and walked to the second section of the family. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle got very disappointed when they saw that he had no money with him. Eldest Brother was the master of the family. But he had no say about a thing! They did not need to bother with him any more, since he was so weak. Ms. Niu could not stand it anymore and asked. ¡°Ms. Qiao has no money either? I believe that she just wants to keep the money for herself!¡± Eldest Uncle did not know how to respond. He also believed that Qiao Xuan had money. Look at the watermelons she had sold. But she was not going to loan them any. Moreover, they still owed her a lot of money for his third son¡¯s wedding and he could not possibly force her to give out a loan again. Worse, she wasn¡¯t that obedient either. Ms. Niu snorted and pushed Ms. Zhang out of the yard. ¡°Just get out of here! Now!¡± Ms. Zhang burst into tears again. She begged and cried for help. Eldest Uncle felt so ashamed. When the chaos arose here, Ms. Fang came over and asked Eldest Uncle toe back for dinner. Ms. Fang smiled and whispered to Ms. Niu, whose face changed immediately. Ms. Fang nced at Eldest Uncle. ¡°Are youing back? Else you can stay at your brother¡¯s home for dinner, and we will eat by ourselves.¡± Ms. Niu suddenly urged him. ¡°Eldest Brother, go home for dinner!¡± She was not going to keep him over for dinner. ¡°¡­¡± Eldest Uncle felt so distressed but did not dare say a thing. So he left with Ms. Fang. Hearing what Ms. Niu said, Ms. Fang felt quite happy. She was going to see how much longer he was going to tolerate it and be like this.. Chapter 296 - 296: Saddened Chapter 296: Saddened Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Niu thought for one whole night before deciding to go and get the money back herself. She must get the five liang back! Therefore early next morning, Ms. Niu, Second Uncle, Shao Eng and Shao Sng headed straight to the Zhang Family and started to rummage through their home, until they eventually found five liang. The Zhang Family had been living a very rich life after getting so much from the daughters¡¯ husbands. The money Ms. Zhang brought home was still untouched. Ms. Niu recognized her money immediately. With money in hands, the second section of the family felt really satisfied. That son of the Zhang Family was just a stupid and timid person, who retreated and hid in a corner. The olddy and her husband cried, but Ms. Niu sneered. ¡°Ms. Zhang stole the money from my room and it is right for me to take it back. Stop crying! One more theft, and Ms. Zhang is out of my family. You should never cause her any more trouble in the future. Feeling proud, Ms. Niu dashed off and left with her family. Ms. Zhang had no idea what they did behind her back. Ms. Niu was really relieved and showed off the money in front of Ms. Zhang as soon as she returned home. Ms. Zhang was shocked. She snapped. ¡°How can you¡­ do that, Mom!¡± Ms. Niu sneered. ¡°I can definitely do it! You stole my money. Also, if you dare to do this one more time, I will go to the Zhang Family directly!¡± Pale, Ms. Zhang staggered in distress. She started to cry in sadness. Her mother-inw was behaving way over the top! What would her brother do? He was going to have a baby soon! Ms. Zhang felt so annoyed. Ms. Niu snorted and felt relieved. She was in a good mood and did not want to pester her any more. Hearing the whole story, Ms. Fang told her husband. ¡°See, that was such a simple thing to do to resolve the matter.¡± Eldest Uncle was shocked. He had not expected that Ms. Fang had offered such an idea to Ms. Niu. ¡°How could you do that!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Why not? Ms. Zhang steals and your brother and his wife should get back what belongs to them. What is wrong with that? Oh, should I make it up for their sake? Honestly, let me tell you, I am totally fed up with how I have been living with you guys during the past few years. I don¡¯t have money, but even if I do, I will not share anything with them in the future! You can move and go live with them if you want to. Our children are all grown up and Qi and Taotao have their brothers and their wives to help when they need a wedding. It doesn¡¯t matter if you are here or not. Also, in this way, you can work for your brothers devotedly, and we won¡¯t drag you down. That sounds perfect, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Ms. Fang had no intention of getting involved with what happened to the second section of the family because it had nothing to do with her. Every family had their own affairs. But they kept pestering her again and again. Ms. Zhang made the mistake but she was being forced to make up for it. That was never going to happen again. Ms. Niu and her husband were cunning and kept coaxing her husband.. Chapter 297 - 297: Cutting The Hope Chapter 297: Cutting The Hope Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions That was why she came up with this ¡®bad¡¯ idea. Anyways, she just gave a suggestion and Ms. Niu could make her own decision. Eldest Uncle got so stuck that he could not utter any sound. After a few moments, he said in a shivering voice, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ms. Fang smiled, yet the smile was cold. ¡°I am just telling the truth, which has been inside my head for decades! I have spilled it all now!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get ruffled. You can do whatever you want in the future, but don¡¯t get the rest of the family involved in it!¡± Ms. Fang did not want to argue with him any more. She left the ce calmly. She let out a sigh of relief as she reached the gate. She was feeling unexpectedly cheerful and rxed. She did not care about what had happened in the past any more. She had gone over all the misery she used to suffer. Now she had sons, daughter-inws and¡­ money. If someone forced her to do something any more, the whole family would no longer need to stay together. She had hoped that her husband would change, despite seeing that he was stubborn for so long. But now she was losing hope and decided to let him do whatever he wanted. She was so shocked when she saw Ms. Zhang kneeling down in front of her, begging her for money the previous day. That was so horrifying! The second section of the family would get more and more greedy in the future. It was all because her husband, who was the Eldest Brother, believed that he had the responsibility of taking care of them. But Ms. Zhang was not in the same generation as they were. Then, how could she be so shameless toe to her with this request? Was her husband going to take care of his own brothers as well as their children? Ms. Zhang dared to do so only because she had learned that from her inws. She also believed that the first section of the family should take care of everyone from the second section of the family. She had not lived a smooth life for decades, and could forget what happened in the past. But she was never going to allow such things to happen to her children. She had to cut off the tendency right here and now. It was good that her children were all nice people. After Ms. Qiao married her son, the whole family started to get better. Her husband did not dare to make Ms. Qiao do whatever he wanted, after all she was from a noble family. When her husband could not make Ms. Qiao do what he wanted, then he would not be able to make the others do whatever he wanted. Ms. Fang felt refreshed in her mind. Ms. Qiao was their lucky star. After hearing the truth, Ms. Zhang staggered back to her home, wanting to console her parents and make an exnation. However, her mother, who was feeling so regretful about the money, snapped at Ms. Zhang. ¡°Do you have any money with you?¡± Ms.Zhang got startled and said in a small voice, ¡°No¡­ No I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then, get out of here!¡± She barked. ¡°You are useless! I raised you because I wanted you to help us! We don¡¯t need such a useless person like you here!¡± Ms. Zhang cried, yet she did not have the chance to defend herself, before getting driven out by her mother. Ms. Zhang had no choice but to cry all the way back home. She thought for a while and rushed to the first section of the Shao Family. ¡°Eldest Aunt, it was you who told my mother-inw to steal the money from my home, right? How could you do that?¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Was that your mother¡¯s money? I told your mother-inw to get back what belonged to her. That is not stealing. You have to make a clear distinction between right and wrong..¡± Chapter 298 - 298: Treatment Chapter 298: Treatment Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Zhang cried pitifully. ¡°My brother¡¯s wife is going to give birth soon. How can we support the baby without money? My family isn¡¯t as rich as your family, and I did that because I had no choice. How could you not understand my difficulty?¡± ¡°Every family has problems. Work hard and you will get it through, Why doesn¡¯t your brother work? Your husband¡¯s family have to support your family, Ms. Zhang, you are so stupid!¡± ¡°Anyways, that is not my business. You can do whatever you want, why did you get us involved? I won¡¯t let that happen!¡± ¡°Just tell your inws to stop fooling your Eldest Uncle. Your Eldest Uncle doesn¡¯t have the decision making authority in this house. You might as well work hard to earn money instead!¡± Ms. Zhang could not understand it. She cried but did not dare to hate Ms. Niu. So she started to me Ms. Fang and the first section for what she did. She hated them so much. She hated it when Ms. Fang gave Ms. Niu the bad idea. Her brother had been physically weak since he was young and he had never worked before. He would die if he was asked to work. What if he got sick and hurt his body? He was the only son of the Zhang Family and he should bepletely fine all the time! His sisters ought to take care of him! Also, she knew that Ms. Niu had much more than five liang. She had given birth to two children for the Shao Family. Why couldn¡¯t she get some bonus? How could they treat her like this¡­ The son¡¯s wedding gifts and the daughter¡¯s dowry could just cancel each other out! When Ms. Zhang left, she ran into Qiao Xuan and Taotao who had just picked the wolfberry sprouts and two yams and brought them home. She sneered with hostility in her tone. ¡°You are so lucky, Fifth Sister-inw. You are loved because you have money, and you don¡¯t need to do anything.¡± Qiao Xuan became annoyed. What was she talking about? ¡®I did not irritate you! Also, it is you who caused all the problems, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ She had no ns to start an argument with Ms. Zhang regarding this boring topic. So, she went away with Taotao. Ms. Zhang felt even worse and red at her. The day was finally getting hotter. The blue sky was clear, the air was so clean that there was no dust flying, and all the nts and trees seemed to be fresher, greener and vibrant. Qiao Xuan spared some time to visit the floral field and used her superpower to make the flowers and nts grow even more vividly. The flowers would soon bloom in a couple of days. Then, they could continue with the making of lipsticks. After a few days, Shao Yunduan was going to Minghua College and Qiao Xuan wanted to follow along to the town. She was going to sell the remaining filtered honey to Manager Qin, before heading to the agent to buy some more fields at the Zhang Vige to nt tea leaves trees. Shao Yunduan agreed. After breakfast, they rented a bullock cart and headed out. Shao Sang smiled. ¡°Fifth Brother, I would like to go into the town with Xiaoyi, should we go together?¡± Yang Xiaoni looked excited and hopeful. Her eyes were sparkling as she looked at Qiao Xuan. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, I have never been to the town.. I would like to go and have a look at it!¡± Chapter 299 - 299: Random Talk Chapter 299: Random Talk Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Xiaoqi and Taotao also came there and stood. Both of them had been to the town numerous times, but it was bustling there and they would like to visit again. Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan. ¡°What about all of us going there¡­¡± Before Shao Yunduan could respond, everybody cheered. ¡°Okay, okay, let everyone head there!¡± ¡°Great! We promise not to run around!¡± ¡°Also, we can talk on the way there to keep everyone entertained.¡± ¡°Brother Sang, I want to buy some good food to eat.. Shao Yunduan smiled helplessly. ¡°Okay, okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Qiao Xuan whispered to him. ¡°We should go separatelyter. We have to visit Zhang Vige and check out our ce.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Okay¡­¡± They had just stepped out when Ms. Zhang came over after finishing theundry by the riverside. Although what happened the day before disgusted everyone, and they all pretended not to see her, someone said, ¡°Second Sister-inw!¡± Ms. Zhang showed a sneering look. ¡°Is everyone heading to town? Rich people¡­ I wonder how much longer can Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s dowryst. It basically meant that the first section of the family was using Qiao Xuan¡¯s dowry and spending her money. Worse, Qiao Xuan was cheering them on like a stupid person. Having said the words, Ms. Zhang stood still. Shao Sang could not help but respond. ¡°Second Sister-inw, you are wrong, we are not using Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s dowry.¡± Yang Xiaoni pursed her lips and supported her husband. ¡°True!¡± Shao Yunduan added. ¡°Where did you get this idea from? You better not talk like this without evidence.¡± Ms. Zhang sneered. Qiao Xuan smiled and felt helpless. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t understand why there are always people who consider me to be a stupid person and worry about my dowry all the time? It doesn¡¯t have to be like this!¡± Ms. Zhang felt stuffy in her chest and could not give any response. She felt a bit dumb. Seeing the two jars on the cart, she suddenly asked. ¡°What is this?¡± She reached out to pick up the lid. No one had expected that she would be like this. They were all startled and failed to stop her. Ms. Zhang removed the lid and felt the scent of sweetnessing to her nose. She could not help but swallow down her saliva. Her eyes widened. ¡°This is honey!¡± Ms. Zhang could not hide her happiness. ¡°Where did you get all this honey?¡± Shao Sang was the one who responded. ¡°Found in the mountains!¡± They were heading into the town with honey. So Ms. Zhang said, ¡°You are selling it in the town.¡± All of them had a weird expression on her face. Why had they not stopped Ms. Zhang earlier? Qiao Xuan nodded and said openly, ¡°Yes, it can get us a lot of money when sold in the clinic!¡± Ms. Zhang¡¯s teeth clenched and she red at Qiao Xuan. Shao Yunduan defended Qiao Xuan and said politely, ¡°Anything else you want to say? If not, we are leaving.¡± Ms. Zhang snorted and said nothing more. Shao Sang continued walking towards the cart. ¡°Second Sister-inw will definitely tell Second Uncle and Second Aunt. What should we do now?¡± Shao Taotao felt quite worried. They exchanged a look among themselves and felt the same. Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Actually, they will sooner orter know about what is going on with our family.. But so what! What can they do about Chapter 300 - 300: In Town Chapter 300: In Town Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They were all startled. But Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Yes. We are earning money, not stealing or robbing anyone, so we don¡¯t have to be afraid of our secret getting revealed. Qiao Xuan nodded. ¡°Very true!¡± She was just worried about the Qiao Family, not the Shao Family. They had kept it a secret only because they wanted to avoid some unnecessary trouble. If it was known, it would not matter either. Shao Sang and the others felt assured and nodded. Soon, they started to talk cheerfully as well. Shao Yunduan apanied them to Mingren Tang, said a few words and then headed to Minghua College. Qiao Xuan sold the honey to Manager Qin at the price as before ¨C 70 won for half a kilo, and they received 4-5 qian for the 30 kilos. They were given nine qian respectively, excluding Qiao Xuan. Ms. Fang had told them that they did not need to hand in this little money any more and they could keep it. This was not a small amount, and they were all excited as they headed towards the street for shopping. ¡°We have decided to buy some snacks, what do you think?¡± Shao Sang was actually trying to drive away Qiao Xuan and the other two followers. He wanted to spend the time alone with his wife so that they could go shopping for food. Qiao Xuan nodded and decided to quit as the third wheel. She said, ¡°We will buy some garments. You both can look around.¡± The couple had been waiting for this sentence toe and added. ¡°Okay, okay! We can go shopping separately and gather here for lunch, what do you think? What about finding a good restaurant to eat in?¡± The three of them nodded. Shao Sang told Shao Xiaoqi to take good care of Taotao and Fifth Sister-inw. ¡°We will buy some meat for tonight and tomorrow. You don¡¯t need to buy any!¡± Qiao Xuan volunteered to be the chef for tonight. She added. ¡°Then, buy a piece of pork belly, a pork rib, and two elbows. Last time, some rice noodles were left. Half of the pork belly would be made into double-cooked pork, the other half would be steamed, the elbow would be cooked into sweet and sour, and the rest would be served with the spare ribs. The remaining stuff can be eaten tomorrow.¡± Shao Sang and the couple could not help but drool. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do as Fifth Sister-inw says.¡± Then, the two teams went their separate ways as per their own shopping n. Before lunch, they gathered at Mingren Tang with many shopping bags. Qiao Xuan even got some pastries for Mingren Tang and the two pageboys to eat so they could ce their stuff there for the time being. Manager Qin did not reject them. He received them passionately. The five of them went into the restaurant for lunch. Shao Yunduan was still at the college and did not join them. Yang Xiaoni was at a restaurant for the first time and she was very excited about it. She believed that the dishes at the restaurant would be very tasty. But Qiao Xuan could make equally good ones. After lunch they went back to Mingren Tang and waited. Shao Yunduan came over and went away with Qiao Xuan. It was very easy to buy mountain fields. The agent took them to the Zhang Vige and spoke with the Land Officer about it, and the deal was done quickly. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did not show up in person, but let the agent speak with the Land Officer, telling him that it was some rtives who were buying. The agent did not figure out why he was supposed to say that but his mouth remained sealed. He didn¡¯t ask about anything even though he was curious.. He just cared about the money! Chapter 301 - 301: Tea Leaves Site Chapter 301: Tea Leaves Site Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Also, the agent knew them well, and he knew that they always wanted to stay low-profile. The whole thing was settled very fast. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan bought two connected mountains, totaling 500 mu. They spent 2033 liang, including all the fees. In this transaction, they had spent half of the earnings gained from Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. Now, they had only 2300 liang left. Qiao Xuan was very satisfied with thend contracts in her hand. She was a youngnd owner with so many fields in hands. When she built the gardens, and filled in some staff, she would have a firm foundation. Honestly speaking, since golden sprouts andvender were such precious tea leaves, Qiao Xuan would not dare to nt them but for Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong¡¯s existence. Otherwise, the nts would be stolen and attract trouble. Money was always very attractive, and profits in this deal would be far and beyond. People might get really greedy for what they could possibly gain. However right now, they felt well protected. The agent handled the whole thing well. He imed that a rtive was here checking out the locations and decided to buy somend to nt tea leaves and herbs. The Land Officer of the Zhang Vige did not suspect a thing. Even if they realized that Qiao Xuan owned thend, it was fine. They could just say that they were hired. By the time they were capable enough, thend officer would very much want them to stay and get their vigers hired as thebor. They barely had time to visit Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou, after they finished with the business. Hence, they stayed over for just a short while. They understood that the couple was doing very well. Qiao Xuan liked the Zhou Family. She was going to ask the Zhou Family for help when the tea garden was set up. If she established a friendship with the Zhou Family, she would automatically be friends with Ding Xiang after she made it big in the future. Qiao Xuan wondered how Ding Xiang felt when she left. Was she holding a grudge against her parents? Maybe yes¡­ but when she returned, she might still take care of them. They were weak, but they had already been punished. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan returned to the town and joined the others, before going back home together. As they went back home, the sun was already going down, and it would soon be dinnertime. The summer wasing and the day was longer. It was still bright when they started to eat dinner. The second section of the family heard about Ms. Zhang¡¯s narration regarding the honey. Second Uncle and Ms. Niu were very annoyed, andined about the first section of the family for doing business alone. It must have been Shao Xiaoqi who took the whole family to find honey. They should have asked the second section of the family to tag along, since they knew that they were running out of money. The second section of the family could earn some money as well. The honey could be sold at dozens of Wen for half a kilo. Second section of the family came to Eldest Uncle about the matter, though they had intended to ignore him earlier. Eldest Uncle knew that Shao Xiaoqi and Qiao Xuan would visit the mountains to get some mushrooms, bamboo and wild animals. But he did not know about the honey. So when Second Uncle talked about this, he was startled as well. He also agreed that Qi should have taken the other sections of the family along with him.. Chapter 302 - 302: Waiting Chapter 302: Waiting Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions He intended to ask Ms. Fang about this, but as he thought of how Ms. Fang might react, he hesitated. Actually, he did not dare to! He could almost predict that no matter whether Ms. Fang knew about it or not, she would behave the same. He decided to wait until his son and the others returned from the town. However, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did their own business at the Zhang Vige, so they did not return until the evening. They were all talking about what to eat for dinner and decided to make dinner as they came home. Ms. Niu and the others were all waiting for them. The moment they put down their things, Second Uncle and Ms. Niu came over. ¡°Did you all go sell the honey? Where is the money?¡± Ms. Niu asked in such a hurry as if they should share the money with her. She had spotted a wife for her son. She was from a good family who sold tofu. Ms. Niu was very satisfied with her but they required a lot of wedding gifts. Before Qiao Xuan answered, Ms. Fang snapped. ¡°That has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°Elder Sister-inw, it is your fault. You know that we are running short of money. Why did your family not take us along to make some money too?¡± Qiao Xuan blinked and said innocently, ¡°It is because we want to make money ourselves. We are of course not going to take anyone else with us.¡± Ms. Niu and Second Uncle. ¡® Eldest Uncle frowned. ¡°You¡­ Ms. Qiao¡­¡± Ms. Fang immediately said, ¡°Okay, Ms. Qiao, Duan, you are both tired, just go back to your room and don¡¯t worry about anything that is unrted to you.¡± They nodded when they heard her speak. Ms. Fang looked at the second section of the family and said coldly, ¡°Do you not understand what I have been saying all this while? Nevermind, I can repeat it a few times. You are not getting any money from us, nor can you get a loan from us! You cane and steal the money, but if you are caught, I will report you all to the governmental office. Don¡¯t you ever forget who my daughter-inw¡¯s father is.¡± Second Uncle shivered in anger. ¡°Eldest Brother, why don¡¯t you say something? Eldest Sister-inw, are you cutting us off?¡± Ms. Fang said calmly, ¡°If you want to do that, I am willing as well.¡± Ms. Niu responded angrily. ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, you are cutting us off!¡± Ms. Fang answered. ¡°Oh, I am done with what I need to say, you can continue to talk. I am off.¡¯ Ms. Fang turned around and left. Eldest Uncle called her but she pretended not to hear. Second Uncle got so furious as he snapped at Eldest Uncle. ¡°Eldest Brother, you are the master of the family! What did our parents say when they passed away? You are living a good life now, but you are throwing us away? We can leave the rest alone, but Sng needs to get married. The Yan Family said that we need to give 20 liang as wedding gifts, or the marriage will not work! Are you so cruel as not to care about this?¡± ¡°You offered 20 liang to the Yang Family. The Yan Family is definitely better than them, right? We need to hold our reputation high and not let Sng get humiliated¡­¡± Eldest Uncle felt so annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Second Brother, I will talk with your Elder Sister-inw about this. We must help Sng!¡± Only then did Second Uncle and Ms. Niu drop the topic. But they continued to spill out their bitterness and misery, forcing Eldest Uncle to offer them the money. If the first section of the family gave out the money, that would be great. The moment they left, Eldest Uncle turned to find Ms. Fang.. Chapter 303 - 303: Business Chapter 303: Business Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions But Ms. Fang did not care about Eldest Uncle¡¯s request, now that she had decided to leave the other sections of the family alone. No matter what he said, Ms. Fang did not agree to any of it. Eldest Uncle got so irritated that he did not evene out of the room to have dinner. Everyone was quite surprised. Ms. Fang did not care and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. He can starve for all he wants. He would not die after not eating a few meals. The whole family was speechless, but they said nothing when Ms. Fang put it forward so bluntly and firmly. Eldest Uncle was really sad. He spent the whole night in misery but did not dare to meet his brother and his wife. He felt sorry about not living up to his parents¡¯ expectations. Second Uncle and Ms. Niu were very disappointed. ¡°They didn¡¯t earn much by the sale of honey. You think about the wedding gifts, and tell me if you need anything.¡± Second Uncle sneered. ¡°What is the point of telling you?¡± Ms. Zhang added as she was listening. ¡°Eldest Uncle, I saw that they had a lot of honey. They would have easily sold it for 20 liang!¡± Eldest Uncle gasped and mumbled. He could not get the money even if there was. He could not force Ms. Fang to give him any. IVIS. Lnang ruer said, ¡°E1aesc Aunt was not 11Ke rms Derore, until Sister-inw came to your family. Everything has changed. She was born in a noble family and she is very calctive.¡± Ms. Zhang pushed all the grudges to the first section of the family, especially Qiao Xuan who had 26 sets of dowry. Ms. Niu threw a very satisfied look at Ms. Zhang, and nodded in agreement. Eldest Uncle felt ufortable as well. He was not very satisfied with Qiao Xuan either. But there was nothing he could do about it. It was out of his reach¡­ When Eldest Uncle left, Ms. Niu and Second Uncleined more amongst themselves. ¡°They are getting so stingy! No wonder they say that money makes people stingy!¡± ¡°It is all Ms. Qiao¡¯s fault!¡± ¡°Yes! They keep saying that we are a family and then behave like this. We should cut them off as well!¡± ¡°But what should be done about the wedding gifts?¡± Second Uncle drove Ms. Zhang away when they started to talk about money. He asked Ms. Niu. ¡°Honestly speaking, will we be able to afford the 20 liang wedding gifts?¡± Ms. Zhang did not go away immediately. Instead, she stood eavesdropping outside the door. Hearing that, she covered her mouth tightly to stop herself from screaming. 20 liang? She got irritated. She had only received 6 liang as a wedding gift. Why should they offer the Yan Family 20 liang? That was totally unfair! She was not worse than the girl from the Yan Family! She had given birth to the grandchildren of the family! She had been working so hard for the second section of the family! But they treated her like this! She only stole five liang from her own family and her mother-inw wanted to get it back in such a humiliating manner. Now they were nning to give the Yan Family 20 liang as a wedding gift! Also, Yang Xiaoni¡¯s family received 20 liang as the wedding gift as well. She had been treated the worst. Ms. Zhang could not hear what more Ms. Niu and Second Uncle talked about. She felt so irritated. Annoyed, she went out and ran into Ms. Xu. She decided to hold onto her.. Chapter 304 - 304: Ms. Zhang’s Estrangement Chapter 304: Ms. Zhang¡¯s Estrangement Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°We are both daughters-inw, and we are suffering from misery. Also, our iws prefer someone else. Just think about this, when you got married, you received only 6 liang as a wedding gift, and Yang Xiaoni was paid 20! That is so unfair!¡± ¡°You are the eldest daughter-inw of the family, how can you be treated like this¡­¡± Ms. Xu was startled and her face changed. Although she had been focusing on her own family, she was never on the top. She never thought about this, but for Ms. Zhang¡¯s mention of the matter. Seeing her expression, Ms. Zhang felt quite proud and said some more things before she left. But soon Ms. Xu brought herself back. She was not quite happy about where she was now, but that was nothing. Yang Xiaoni was not in the same position as she had been at her natal house. Her mother-inw was forced to spend so much money on the wedding gift, not because she volunteered to do so. Most importantly, she had enough of her own savings now! She had counted it recently. Much to her delight, she had saved more than 100 liang, which belonged to herself alone. Also, she was going to get some more soon. In hindsight, the wedding gifts worth 20 liang were nothing. Also, Yang Xiaoni was a nice person. She seemed quite honest and innocent. She liked her! Ms. Zhang told her this matter deliberately because she must be nning something bad¡­ On the other side, Ms. Zhang was still feeling quite annoyed about the Yan Family receiving 20 liang as the wedding gift, even though she had managed to provoke Ms. Xu. The more she thought about this, the more distressed she became. She even spent the whole night crying. She wished that the wedding could be canceled. But Ms. Niu already found a matchmaker who could help with the wedding! In the end, the amount for the wedding gifts was still high. Ms. Zhang was really annoyed. They took the money from the shared savings! Ms. Niu was not happy about the money, but she was satisfied about the marriage with the Yan Family, and the Yan Family said that the dowry would be eight liang, so she agreed. But Ms. Niu keptining about the first section of the family. Thev had caused all of this. The first section of the family spent 20 liang on the wedding gift for Young Xiaoni, and that became known to the Yan Family, who kept saying that they needed 20 liang as well, since their daughter was not worse than Yang Xiaoni. Ms. Niu kept negotiating and the Yan Family cut the wedding gift to 15 liang finally. Ms. Niu had no choice but to nod in agreement. Seeing that the whole thing was settled, Ms. Zhang got so annoyed that she wished that Ms. Xu would make some fuss. But nothing happened. She kept saying that Ms. Xu was useless. Shao Sng¡¯s marriage was finally settled. The wedding was expected to be held at the New Year. Ms. Niu felt very relieved. She went to the first section of the family and showed off. She told Ms. Fang implicitly that they could still get Sng a good suitor without their help. Same went for Meiling. Ms. Fang responded to her calmly. ¡°That is good, you have abundant money and the Yan Family have a lot of wealth too, good marriage!¡± Ms. Niu snorted. ¡°Of course, it is good!¡± Ms. Fang was not as narrow-minded as they were. She would not want the other sections of the family to live miserably, as long as they did note to her for trouble. Soon, Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s men came to fetch the watermelons. Due to the constant rain, the watermelons went bad and the taste was not as good as before. Qiao Xuan reduced the price and charged only 40 liang for both wagons.. Chapter 305 - 305: To Province Chapter 305: To Province Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Xiao even sent a letter, telling them how well the lipsticks were selling, asking her how much longer it would be before the next lot of lipsticks was avable. He wanted to get as many as he could. Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t surprised about the poprly-sold lipsticks. She asked Shao Yunduan to write a letter back to Yuezheng Xiao, telling him that after twenty days or so, they coulde to fetch the lipsticks again, which should be around 500 or 600 in total. She further asked him to mention that the tea mountains had been found and the leaves should be transnted by the end of this year, around New Year. In autumn next year or so, they would get some amount of tea leaves to be given to him but he still needed to find a proper processor. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°We will definitely have some amount of tea next year, and the tea trees in the mountains should not be touched, but we can pick some when we go to the mountains next.¡± She had her superpower and could make sure the tea trees lived on after being moved. But the trees had been in the mountains for so many years a_nd they didn¡¯t need to transnt them. They were born and grew in the mountains, and they might produce better quality leaves there itself. Shao Yunduan agreed and smiled. ¡°Ok, that is good. Should I tell him about the mushrooms? The shiitakes and wooden ears had started to grow very fast. There were not many snow fungus but were still growing vividly. There were not many wild- growing snow fungus and Qiao Xuan decided not to find any more. She decided to breed some on her own for the moment. She smiled. ¡°You can remind him that the purchase should be done by the end of this year.¡± She further added. ¡°We would need some moreborers to work on our tea mountains. Uncle Erzhu and the Zhou Family might not be enough. What about getting some more staff?¡± Shao Yunduan thought. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can find any suitable ones in the town.¡± The town was so small and very fewborers were avable. The rich families only hired contractors. In big towns, there were endless business people and rich families who required such staff. There was almost no department to recruit such staff. Some people were working part time, who worked on asions. She decided to get someone from the province, and pay the middle men. More importantly, Shao Yunduan also hoped that their purchase of staff would not be revealed to the Qiao Family, so that was another trouble. Not everyone had a tight mouth. Qiao Xuan agreed. The town was too small to meet every need. Oh man, she had be so arrogant as to not like the town any more. Suddenly, Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Darling, what about we travel to the province? You can tell Young Master Yuezheng that when he sends someone to fetch the lipsticks, we would like to tag along. It must be bustling in the province and many more things are avable there. Let¡¯s see if we can get some appropriateborers ourselves. You can buy some books as well and visit the famous colleges in the province and exchange opinions with them, sounds good?¡± Shao Yunduan was startled. But after a moment, he was quite motivated. He also sensed that those people at Minghua College were not on the same level as he was. But the province was different. There were always better people outside. Maybe the trip would help him be better? ¡°Darling, let¡¯s just go there!¡± Qiao Xuan tugged his arms and coaxed him happily. ¡®You are going there in the future to attend the examination, and we can visit the ce first to check it out..¡± Chapter 306 - 306: Lipsticks Again Chapter 306: Lipsticks Again Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan flushed as he felt her tugging. He got a bit absent-minded but did not dare to show his reaction, fearing that he would cause embarrassment. He tried to suppress his facial expression. After a moment, he could not help but smile. Shao Yunduan simply could not turn down any of her requests, especially when she was smiling at him like this. He intended to say that he would think about it, but soon he changed his mind and answered. ¡°Okay, we can go there!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Qiao Xuan was delighted. ¡°Young Master Yuezheng and Young Master Xie must know a lot about the province, and we don¡¯t need to worry about troubling them. We can ask them what colleges they know and we can visit the schrs too. That is the most urgent task.¡± Shao Yunduan felt so moved as he saw that she was considering him above everything else. He smiled gently. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to go to the province often, so you can also think about what you need to buy and make aprehensive list.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and nodded. She also told Shao Yunduan that maybe they could bring Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao along as well. They should go and visit the outside world too. Most importantly, Qiao Xuan had made up her mind to train Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao to be her helpers. She was teaching them how to read and wanted them to go out and have a look at the outside world. Shao Yunduan did not object. In this way, he could visit the local schrs and colleges at ease, while Qiao Xuan would have someone with her when he was gone. ¡°Don¡¯t tell the others in the family about it yet. We will inform them when we leave.¡± Shao Yunduan added. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± They did not want the news to be spread across the vige and cause gossip. Also, Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni would want to join them as well, and that would trouble them a great deal. Qiao Xuan believed that they would have a chance to visit the province again, with everyone in the family, including her mother-inw. But not right now! When the decision was made, Qiao Xuan decided to visit the mountains during the next two days to see if there were any expensive herbs to take along as She would pick some Ganodermas from her space, if nothing valuable was found. She decided not to touch what was in the space, in case the magic would disappear. She needed to support the space so that it could upgrade and help her gain some more abilities. The roses were blooming vividly. Red and rosy were the biggest colors with the biggest size. Some pink ones were not sorge but they were many in number. There were some other colors,? including apricorn-red, orange, purple and light yellow. Qiao Xuan asked for the red and rosy ones to be picked, so each one could be put into different bags in case they got mixed. Actually, if they blended the colors, new colors could be produced. But they needed repeated experiments to find the best colors. That would require a lot of time and energy, which was not something Qiao Xuan had currently. When she found the time, she would get Shao Taotao to do that together with her. She nned to get even more abundant colors. After four busy days, their work was paused as they waited for another patch of flowers to bloom. Ms. Xu and the others were resting at home, whilst Qiao Xuan and Qi as well as Taotao went into the mountains.. Chapter 307 - 307: Tagging Along Chapter 307: Tagging Along Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions As expected, Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni also wanted to tag along. The group had be much bigger than estimated. However, the second section of the family, for some reason, got to know about their trip to the mountain. They came to them and said to Shao Xiaoqi, ¡°Qi, you can take your cousins to the mountains as well? They can be of some help. Ms. Qiao, Ms. Yang and Taotao don¡¯t have to be with you guys. Women are always creating trouble in the mountains.¡± Qiao Xuan. Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s face sank and he turned to look at Qiao Xuan subconsciously. Ms. Fang also frowned involuntarily. ¡°They are just having fun in the mountains, not doing anything. What are your sons tagging along for?¡± ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, you are so stingy. Why not take my sons to earn some money too? We can find some honey and get some pocket money as well, Eldest Uncle added. ¡°Qi, just take your Second Brother and Fourth Brother with you. They can help!¡± Shao Xiaoqi wasn¡¯t pleased after hearing this. He did not want to take them at all. But it looked as if they were going toe along. They would follow them in secret even if they were not taken along. Qiao Xuan said, ¡°If you want to tag along, we can go together. But the deal is that we don¡¯t promise to get anything. Also, you are older than us, and you need to do some more hard work.¡± ¡°Okay then, if anything goodes up¡­ ¡®Qi will take the biggest portion, and the rest will be shared among us.¡± Second Uncle wasn¡¯t pleased after listening to that. Ms. Fang snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go if you aren¡¯t happy about it.¡± Second Uncle did not dare to say anything more. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It is gettingte.¡± Second Uncle added. ¡°Ms. Qiao, Ms. Yang, what are you doing by tagging along? You can just stay at home. It is not easy to walk in the mountains. Won¡¯t you slow them down! The fewer people there were, the bigger the share would be. He even told his sons to concentrate on how to get the honey and grab it, as well as learn how Shao Xiaoqi got the other things, so that they could go there alone in the future. Before Ms. Fang and Ms. Qiao said anything, Shao Xiaoqi said unhappily, ¡°If the Fifth Sister-inw ising, I will go. If she stays, I stay too!¡± Second Uncle. Qiao Xuan became cheerful. ¡°Qi, you are a good boy!¡± Shao Xiaoqi smiled bashfully after hearing thepliments. Second Uncle got annoyed. ¡°What are you saying? Shao Xiaoqi turned his head. ¡°You heard what I said.¡± Eldest Uncle frowned. ¡°Qi, don¡¯t be so unruly!¡± Ms. Fang chimed in. ¡°Forget about the trip today!¡± Qi said, ¡°Okay!¡¯ But Shao Sng got anxious. ¡°Ah, Eldest Aunt, Qi, don¡¯t be angry, let¡¯s all go together, alright? Dad, just save your breath!¡± Second Uncle. They should not get impulsive and irritate the eldest aunt! In the end, they all headed out. Shao Yunduan had not nned upon joining them, but seeing what happened, he went along. He needed to protect Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan wanted to try her luck in finding precious medicinal herbs such as Ganoderma lucidum, or China root, or Solomon¡¯s seals. She also wanted to see if she coulde across some snow fungus, so she decided to visit a new area that she had never been to before. The first section of the family were already used to the path, but Shao Eng and Shao Sng were not.. Chapter 308 - 308: Walking Around Chapter 308: Walking Around Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The first section of the family were already used to the path, but Shao Eng and Shao Sng were not. Especially when there was no proper road, they would need to open the path by themselves. ¡°Where are we going?¡± They were rural people who grew up in the mountains, but they barely came to this kind of wild ce. So, they were not very used to Shao Xiaoqi said, ¡°We are just walking around.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shao Engs eyes opened wide. ¡°Aren¡¯t we seeking honey?¡± Shao Sng nodded as well. ¡°Of course not.¡± Shao Xiaoqi added. ¡°We are just taking a walk.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Shao Eng and Shao Sng looked at each other and became anxious, especially when they saw how calm the others were. ¡°Qi, let¡¯s just find some honey! There are so many weeds and vines here and the road isn¡¯t very smooth. Think about your sisters-inw and sisters. They will trip over or stumble.¡± Yang Xiaoni immediately refuted him. ¡°Second Cousin, don¡¯t be silly. We have been here many times and we have never fallen or gotten hurt! Shao Yunduan. ¡°Honey isn¡¯t so easy to find, it depends mainly on luck!¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Yeah, this is what our trip is always like. Ah, darling, look at the mushrooms! Qiao Xuan cheered as she pointed at the left side. There were many penny buns there. Those were delicious things, and everyone from the first section of the family looked excited. They got to know quite a lot of varieties of mushrooms, thanks to Qiao Xuan. They understood that these penny buns were not only beautiful but also quite tasty. These were rare things. They were getting precious things early on this day! ¡°I will go and pick them!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Qi and Taotao went to fetch the mushrooms cheerfully. Shao Eng and Shao Sng could not help but roll their eyes, thinking that those people were so shallow-sighted. Those were just mushrooms. What were they getting so excited for? Shao Sng even added. ¡°Brother Third and Brother Fifth, what are you standing here for?We are deep inside a forest and many snakes have climbed over them before. We can¡¯t pick these mushrooms. What if they kill us!¡± ¡°Stop it, you!¡± Shao Sang said unhappily, ¡°We like eating mushrooms!¡± Yang Xiaoni added. ¡°True, you know nothing.¡± Seeing that none of them supported him, Shao Sng snorted and said nothing. It would serve them right, if any ident happened. In this way, they walked and stopped, got some mushrooms whilst Shao Xiaoqi caught two wild roosters. Qiao Xuan got some nice China roots in the pine forests but after that they got nothing else. Shao Eng and Shao Sng got quite anxious. They did not recognize China roots and did not know that it was a good thing. They thought that these were just wild nts like yams, nothing interesting. They were only greedy for honey. ¡°Qi, where can we find honey? Take us there.¡± Shao Xiaoqi felt speechless. How could they find honey so easily? Most of the time, it was the Fifth Sister-inw who helped them find it, but he would not say it out loud. He believed that the Fifth Sister-inw was thinking the same as he was. She did not want to take them there. ¡°It depends on luck. We are looking for it.¡± Shao Xiaoqi said. Shao Eng and Shao Sng suspected that Shao Xiaoqi was lying, but they had no proof for that, thus could not counter him. Qiao Xuan said, ¡°It will be lunchtime soon, let¡¯s take a break and eat something. There is spring water here and we can continue after eating something first..¡± Chapter 309 - 309: Found It Chapter 309: Found It Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Everyone agreed with what Qiao Xuan said. As it is, Shao Eng and his brother¡¯s opinions did not matter. They could go about themselves, if they were not convinced. ¡°Qi, you can divide the work among everyone. There are many yams over there, we can get some and roast one rooster for lunch.¡± ¡°Okay, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± Hearing that they had one wild rooster to eat for lunch, Shao Eng and Shao Sng were delighted. They had not eaten a wild rooster for ages. They had not gotten much from the first section of the family recently, so they could not counter Qiao Xuan when she proposed this. Shao Eng said, ¡°I am so tired. What about me roasting the wild rooster, and you can go and find some wood. Brother Third, you can do some other work as well. Qiao Xuan said straightforwardly, ¡°Second Cousin, Qi is familiar with the mountains and it depends on him as to what we should do. We agreed on this, right? Qi should do the roasting and he is really good at it.¡± Everyone from the first section of the family chuckled and nodded in agreement. You are the best chef here¡¯, everyone said so inwardly. But they did not say that out loud! After all, they did not want her to cook for people outside the family. Shao Xiaoqi said, ¡°Second Cousin, I can roast the rooster, and Fourth Cousin goes to find the wood, whilst you and Third Brother can find yams over there. I and Taotao will wash and peel the rooster.¡± Shao Eng could not counter him but Shao Sng asked. ¡°What about Fifth Sister-inw and Fifth Brother?¡± Shao Xiaoqi replied with confidence. ¡°Fifth Brother is Cultivated Talent, and Fifth Sister-inw is a nobledy. They don¡¯t need to do anything. Third Sister-inw can help with starting the fire.¡± Yang Xiaoni nodded with a smile. ¡°I can do that, no problem!¡± The others agreed. Shao Sang and Shao Eng went to get the yams whilst Shao Sng had no choice but to grab the wood Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were both on the verge ofughing. Qi was so kind and he made them feel so warm in their hearts. Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look, see what wild fruits there are.¡± Shao Yunduan followed her into the mountains. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Shao Yunduan asked with a small voice. Startled, Qiao Xuan smiled and blinked. ¡°You are smart! I just ran into two Ganodermas, so let¡¯s go and pick them!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that!¡± Soon they found the two Ganodermas, which were bigger than the palm of a man. The special scent brought their spirit up! The surface wasplete, the color was ck blended with purple, straight in the stem, looking quite mystic. ¡°How beautiful! Qiao Xuan could not help but praise the two pieces. She felt like not giving them away. However, these could not be put into space since Shao Yunduan already saw it. Then, they could be given to Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong respectively! The two of them picked up the nts and wrapped them up with gauze as well as arge patch of leaves, putting them carefully into the basket. As for the wild fruits, they saw a few persimmon trees and wild grapes that climbed up the canopy of the tall trees, but they were not yet ripe. They ate something for lunch, took a nap and then got up. They became quitezy after lunch, and soon, they headed back home.. Chapter 310 - 310: Superpower Chapter 310: Superpower Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions In the afternoon, Shao Xiaoqi got two roosters and three pigeon-size grouses, nothing more. Seeing the shadow in the forest becamerger, they realized that it was time to go back home. Shao Eng and Shao Sng got quite anxious. They had their eyes widely-opened, seeking honey. But honey wasn¡¯t so easy to find, even if they made efforts. On their way home, Qiao Xuan found a very special-looking orchid in the forest. Orchids grew nicely in the woods. There were patches of such nts everywhere, which were good to decorate the garden, yet worth not that much money. Qiao Xuan could tell directly if any special kind was sprouting within. She pretended as if she were picking the mushrooms. She walked over and picked them up. She found a few more of them, and took them all. She ced them in the space without anyone noticing it. Thanks to the superpower, Qiao Xuan was not that careful when it came to the dangerous forests. She walked ahead absent-mindedly. Suddenly, she sensed a strong pain on her finger and saw that she had been bitten by a ck,rge centipede. Her snowy and skinny fingers became swollen and she was in a lot of pain. Qiao Xuan¡¯s face changed. She had not yet done anything when she sensed that some electrical life stream was going into her fingers as if washing away the dirt. Suddenly, the ck blood rushed out and the poison inside her finger went away. A short whileter, the swollen part faded away and the pain was suppressed. Only a tiny, narrow red spot of wound was seen, and the stream-like power went all over the body. Qiao Xuan looked at her finger in astonishment. She smiled. Good, her superpower knew exactly what it needed to do. How thoughtful! But she wondered if this function of healing could work on others too. Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart throbbed. She was so excited! She nned to use it on the chicken, ducks and geese at home first. If it worked, it would be so wonderful. Soon after, she went back, smiling at her husband. ¡°Darling, it is gettingte, what about going back home? Shao Yunduan looked at Qiao Xuan, wondering if he could figure something different about his wife. Her eyes were sparkling as if she had run into something cheerful. Was it because they had teased their cousins? Shao Yunduan smiled and found that reasonable. It was the second section of the family who asked for this treatment. ¡°Yes, it is gettingte, let¡¯s go home!¡± ¡°Okay, good, let¡¯s go home!¡± ¡°For dinner! ¡® I All nodded in agreement. Shao Eng and Shao Sng were not very convinced, but they understood that it would be very dangerous to wander about, when the sunlight went away. So they had to agree in distress. The mushrooms and wild bamboo shoots in the mountains could be seen everywhere. They had enough in their basket on their way home. They had many mushrooms, yams, wild bamboo shoots as well as roots of kudzu vines. Shao Eng and Shao Sng were forced to carry them home too.. Chapter 311 - 311: Not Promised Chapter 311: Not Promised Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They were not very happy to do the hard work, but if they did not offer help, the first section of the family might leave them halfway. So, they had no choice but to carry the load and walk on. Back at home, they were given one rooster and some yams, nothing more. Shao Eng and Shao Sng were very disappointed. What they wanted was honey! But as they thought about this, they believed that it was because they were not so lucky today. After all, if honey was so easily seen, the first section of the family might have made a fortune already. But thinking that they had a wild rooster for dinner, the two of them still felt quite cheerful when they went home. ¡°Qi, are we going tomorrow to find honey?¡± Shao Eng and Shao Sng were still quite interested. Shao Xiaoqi turned to look at Qiao Xuan subconsciously. Qiao Xuan blinked at him and nodded slightly. Shao Xiaoqi smiled. ¡°Sure!¡± Shao Eng and Shao Sng were excited again. Shao Taotao asked. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, are we still taking them to the mountains tomorrow?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°We are not going tomorrow. Qi can take them. They love having fun in the mountains, right?¡± They were so shameless after being taken care of by Eldest Uncle all these years. They knew no rules! Those who had the way of getting rich depended on their own abilities. No one would juste and demand a share! Why would those who knew how to make money take someone else along for a free ride? Everyone smiled after hearing that. Shao Xiaoqi nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay! I will give my two cousins a big tour!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and praised him. Shao Yunduan was going to take the imperial examination, and he needed to keep his reputation intact. Hence, Qiao Xuan tried to keep her methods low-profiled when using them upon the other sections of the family. Most of the time, she would make them give up the matter by themselves. Otherwise, they would keep pestering the first section incessantly. The following day, Shao Xiaoqi took the two cousins into the mountains again. Shao Eng and Shao Sng were both quite cheerful. They believed that when they found the honey, they could get a big portion. Shao Xiaoqi was just a young boy who was very easy to deal with. Shao Xiaoqi went into the mountains, and traveled around easily. He intended to make them suffer by taking them up into the high mountains, weed-filled forests so that the two cousins got really tired. They failed to find the honey after one whole day of roaming around. In fact, they ran into some wild bees. Shao Xiaoqi dashed off, and the two cousins did the same too. By evening, they got very distressed as they came home. But Shao Xiaoqi was quite motivated and asked. ¡°Are youing tomorrow?¡± Shao Eng and Shao Sng looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Still? ¡°Can we find honey tomorrow?¡± Shao Xiaoqi burst out inughter. ¡°I can¡¯t promise that!¡± Then¡­ they were not going! Shao Sng asked him in return. ¡°It is so strange! Why can we not find it?¡± Shao Xiaoqi pursed his lips.. ¡°If it were so easy to find, we would have made a fortune by now!¡± Chapter 312 - 312: Purposeful Chapter 312: Purposeful Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They had actually already made a fortune because of their Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s guidance. Moreover, they were going to build arge house by the end of this year. Shao Eng and Shao Sng were mute suddenly. ¡°Just drop it.¡± Shao Eng felt a bit scared as he thought of what they had experienced today. ¡°We are not going tomorrow!¡± He was not going there any more! It was too exhausting. Also, there was no guarantee that they could find the honey anyway. Who had the time to travel about in the mountains? Shao Xiaoqi smiled inwardly but showed a very disappointed look on his face. ¡°Alright then¡­¡± Ms. Zhang and Ms. Niu were both very disappointed, as the two of them reached home. ¡°Still nothing?¡± Shao Eng and Shao Sng were simply too tired to talk. ¡°How can it be so easy?¡± The two of them fell asleep as soon as they reached their ce. Ms. Zhang pursed her lips. ¡°I think the first section did it on purpose? How could they find so much honey whilst Eng and Fourth Brother found nothing! I saw they had so many jars of honey!¡± Annoyed, Ms. Niu intended to ask Ms. Fang about this, but then she thought of how Ms. Fang would react. Reluctantly, she gave up the idea of confrontation. She might get mocked by Ms. Fang if she went up to argue with her. ¡°That is honey, my sons can go and look for it themselves. They are sure to find Ms. Zhang looked down at her mother-inw, who was too timid to interrogate the first section of the family. She could not stand it any longer. She went to the first section of the family and finally ran into Qiao Xuan and Taotao, who had been picking vegetables in the field after she waited for a long while. Ms. Zhang went up and said sarcastically, ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, you must have done that on purpose, right? How can you be so stingy? You know that we don¡¯t have much money. Still, you don¡¯t want to help us make money. Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt were not like this earlier. But since the moment you came here, everything changed! You are trying to estrange us! Aren¡¯t you afraid of being med by our ancestors?!¡± Shao Taotao got really annoyed. ¡°Stop it! You can talk with my parents about this, not my Fifth Sister-inw!¡± Ms. Zhang became angrier as she sneered. ¡°Taotao, you have be bolder too!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Qiao Xuan patted her arm and smiled. ¡°Taotao is confident, beautiful and bold, now no one can bully her!¡± ¡°Also, whether you have money or not has nothing to do with me, Second Sister-inw. Your thinking is wrong!¡± ¡°As for the honey, you can go and seek it yourself. That is the same mountain we go to. No one is stopping you. It all depends on luck. We also can¡¯t find it every time we are there.¡± ¡°As for your usation that I am creating a rift in the family¡­ why didn¡¯t I know that? What about telling me in detail? Is it because we refused to work for you for free and did not offer you free money, hence you are saying this? You know that it doesn¡¯t make any sense, right!¡± Ms. Zhang shivered and stammered. ¡°You don¡¯tck money! You just don¡¯t know how hard it is to be poor. You can help us, why not do it?!¡± ¡°You talk big, but the truth is that you are so selfish!¡± Qiao Xuan felt shocked. Was this what Ms.. Zhang was thinking! So were the other sections of the family, right? Chapter 313 - 313: Into Province Chapter 313: Into Province Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan said, ¡°It is never easy to make money, and you can¡¯t simply have others do everything for you. Let me tell you, we are getting richer but you are never going to get a penny out of our wealth!¡± ¡°Only if you work hard and earn every penny one by one, will you have a chance. But if you don¡¯t work hard and hope to get everything for free, you will get nothing!¡¯ Ms. Zhang looked at Qjao Xuan with hatred. She did not take in anything Qjao Xuan said. It seemed that Ms. Zhang was the most extreme one from the second section of the family. That was so unexpected. Qjao Xuan found her annoying but also pitiful. That was because her parents had taught her something against morality. But this matter had nothing to do with her. It was all her family¡¯s business. Before Ms. Zhang could say anything, Qjao Xuan left with Shao Taotao. Shao Taotao whispered. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, Second Sister-inw look so scary. How did she be like this? She was not like this before!¡¯ Qiao Xuan shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She only focuses on her brother and is probably stimted by what happenedst time.¡± Shao Taotao could not understand it and said, ¡°But she is married now, and even if she wants to help her own family, she can¡¯t just steal her mother-inw¡¯s money, right?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°She knows nothing. We can¡¯t be like her. We should stay away from her.¡± Shao Taotao understood this point very well. After a few days, Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s men came to fetch thest batch of watermelons. The good weather had saved the watermelons. They wererge and refined on the surface, with ayer of smoothness. The shell sounded crisp upon knocking. They seemed to be wonderful watermelons. The men from the Yuezheng Family were surprised and d to receive such good watermelons in thest batch. Qjao Xuan gave them a dozen more, and the rest were kept at home. She nned to nt some more with the seeds she kept back. Ms. Xu intended to take some seeds to her own family, and she approved of it. She could give some spare ones to the others who needed it. Qjao Xuan and Shao Yunduan proposed that they wanted to visit the province. The coachman and pageboy of the Yuezheng Family nodded without hesitation. They were in a good rtionship and they were wee anytime. Qiao Xuan decided to bring the 600 lipsticks along, and Yuezheng Xiao did not need to send anyone else over to fetch them. She even had hundreds of mint-smelling lip balms ready with her. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan talked with the family about this, seeing that the Yuezheng Family had sent their men over to fetch the watermelons. Ms. Fang did not stop them. Her son needed to check the ce ahead of time to learn about the imperial examination, so that he could be more prepared. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were very happy that they could tag along. Ms. Fang felt even more assured when they hadpany. So she approved of that proposal too. ¡°That is the province! There are so many things over there! I want to visit the ce too!¡¯ Shao Sang felt so jealous and looked at Shao Yunduan with a look of begging. Yang Xiaoni nodded excitedly. She wanted to tag along as well. Before Shao Yunduan said anything, Ms. Fang hit Shao Sang on his head ¡°Drop this idea! You should stay at home and get the wood! We will be so busy during the harvest season that we won¡¯t have time to get enough firewood! You can help us chop more wood. Taotao and Ms. Qjao can keep each otherpany, and Qi can run errands for your Fifth Brother.. You will be superfluous there!¡¯ Chapter 314 - 314: Examination Chapter 314: Examination Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Sang scratched his head and sadly gave up. They allughed. Shao Xiaoqi said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother, I will bring a lot of good food to you to Only then did Shao Sang feel better and said happily, ¡°Don¡¯t forget about it! Just buy me as much good food as possible, I will try them all! I will give you money!¡¯ Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni were so generous now that they had some money. They had already eaten almost everything avable in the town. Ms. Fang red at them upon hearing that. ¡°Hey, you should know how to save money. I know that it¡¯s your personal money but you need to keep some saved for tough times. We have a long way to go. Don¡¯t get greedy! You are married now, think about the long-term!¡¯ Shao Sang did not care but mumbled. ¡°We make money because we need to spend it. We can make some more when we dont have any.¡± Ms. Fang snapped. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I just told you?¡¯ ¡°Yes, yes, Mom!¡¯ Shao Sang got startled and answered almost instinctively. Ms. Fang asked him sternly. ¡°You haven¡¯t spent much, right?¡± Shao Sang felt a bit guilty as he stammered. ¡°No, no!¡¯ Shao Xiaoqi, Qjao Xuan and Taotao exchanged a smiling look amongst themselves. How much Shao Sang and his wife spent was unknown to Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle, but the others knew it well. They had easily bought two or three liang of snacks from the town! Ms. Xu was so concerned about their expenditure, and alwaysined about them spending too much to her husband. Shao Dng also found her words reasonable and talked to Shao Sang about saving some money. Shao Sang nodded yet still continued with his behavior. Ms. Fang suspected his breezy words. ¡®Really?¡± ¡°Come here.¡± Ms. Fang pinched Shao Sang¡¯s ears. ¡°Show me your savings! I won¡¯t take your money, I have more than you have. I just want to check it.¡± Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni turned pale. ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother, Mom!¡¯ ¡°Yes, Mom, you don¡¯t bother!¡¯ The more they behaved like this, the more skeptical Ms. Fang was. ¡°No! Take me there!¡¯ Qjao Xuan and the others left the ce quietly. Something was going to happen soon, and they needed to escape! Sure enough, the couple had to let Ms. Fang check their money and was scolded badly. Ms. Fang ordered them to give her half of what they earned so she could save it for them. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni did not dare to counter her words. On the day when the men from the Yuezheng Family came over, they packed the watermelons and went onto the wagon together. Qjao Xuan and the others rented another wagon when they reached the town, since the wagon had many watermelons on it already. The two wagons went forward together. They could reach the province by the evening, since they started early. They were all excited, including Qjao Xuan, who came out for a long distance trip for the first time. She lifted the drapery and checked around. Everything was so new for her. Most importantly, they had the Yuezheng Family with them and they werepletely safe. They stopped for lunch at a restaurant in the town, and soon moved on.. Chapter 315 - 315: Province Chapter 315: Province Trantor: I-lenyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The road was quite smooth but still the wagons shook and were not sofortable. Yet the gang of young peopleughed and talked on the way, feeling both satisfied and excited. By the evening, the sun had set and they eventually approached the province. The road became wider and tter, and more and more pedestrians and wagons appeared on it. Many wagons looked quite magnificent. These were not something seen in the town. Before they reached the center, they had already sensed how bustling the environment would be. As the wagon finally reached the center, it became even more crowded. Wagons were noisy, and the wide and straight streets were lined with various shops. Everything looked tall and luxurious, dazzling and overwhelming. ¡°This is the province! The real, bustling province!¡¯ ¡°Yes! This is what a province is like, much better than the county!¡¯ Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao could not help but feel amazed. Qjao Xuan smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s find a hotel to stay in. We will have enough time to have Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao nodded. They were looking forward to it. Shao Yunduan waved goodbye to the two servants from the Yuezheng Family, and told them that they would visit them the next day. The two servants nodded and told them where they should find amodation and did not leave until they told the coachmen how to reach there. The four of them asked for the best rooms next to each other. Qjao Xuan and Shao Taotao shared one whilst Shao Yunduan and his brother shared the other. They were keeping each otherpany when they were traveling outside. They were all quite tired from the day¡¯s trip. They did not go out for dinner but remained in the hall of the hotel and ate some simple food. The province was more than bustling. There were various dishes with high prices. The four of them ordered four local special dishes as well as one soup, which tasted great. Especially the dish, which consisted of sweet and sour fish. The sweet and sour sauce was very well adjusted, and the taste was moderate, as it was poured on the fish. The white and tender fish was soaked in the juice, the sweet and sour taste was tangy, and it made people feel like devouring it. After dinner, the day fell yet it was still quite lively on the street. The stores on both sides of the streets hadnterns lit up, and the light shone through. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao had never seen such a busy city under the moon, so they really wanted to have a look around. Shao Yunduan did not dare to release them. So he said, ¡°We can go back to the room for a break. When we ask more about where we can go, we will explore the ce!¡¯ Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao agreed. However, they had just returned to the room when Yuezheng Xiao came with his two servants, namely Qu Shan and Qu Xi. Shao Yunduan and Qjao Xuan were surprised. They felt that they had been given a lot of respect. Yuezheng Xiao really treated them as good friends, otherwise he would not havee over. The three of them were seated in the elegant room in the hotel and chatted happily. When Yuezheng Xiao asked Shao Yunduan their purpose of being here, Shao Yunduan confessed to him honestly. ¡°Brother Shao, your idea sounds wonderful. You should definitelye over to have a look around. I will ask and see who can be your bestmunicator, and will tell you about it soon, sounds okay?¡± The Yuezheng Family knew a lot about the province, thus could go around very easily. Shao Yunduan did not turn him down but smiled with a greeting. ¡°That sounds great. Thank you, Brother Yuezheng!¡¯ Yuezheng Xiao waved his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Brother Shao.¡± Later, Yuezheng Xiao spoke with the couple about how popr lipsticks were. He was so excited while telling them about it.. Chapter 316 - 316: Meeting Chapter 316: Meeting Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Lipsticks had be the absolute favorite of youngdies and madams in the province. They were so proud of being able to get each color. Yuezheng Xiao did not put the lipsticks into the market in bulk, so thedies and madams were even more eager to buy them. The news had spread to the neighboring cities as well. Some youngdies and madams even asked their housekeepers to stand in queue just to buy them first, or asked their locally-residing rtives to purchase some for them. His cosmetics stores were selling many things due to which they had earned a great deal. Yuezheng Xiao had decided to set the price at 5 liang for each. After deducting the cost, he could earn 2 liang for one, which was already enough for him. After all, the lipsticks could be sold out no matter how many there were on the shelf. Due to this single item, the store had earned tens of thousands of liang a month. In addition, the powder, blushers and all helped him earn even more. That was just one small store. But the lipsticks became far more popr than he had expected, so he raised the cost by two liang for each, so one lipstick costed seven liang then onwards. He had intended to raise 5 qian for the ones Qjao Xuan brought with her this time. Qjao Xuan had brought some new colors on this trip, which interested Yuezheng Xiao even more. Qjao Xuan took them out and showed them to him, whilst making an exnation about it. Yuezheng Xiao bought all the lipsticks and lip balms she had with her this time. He could not help but say emotionally, ¡°The lipsticks are sold out so easily. Brother Shao, and Sister-inw, give me as many as you can. My Elder Brother was here a few days ago and he was interested in the lipsticks as well. If they can be sold outside the province, we will definitely expand our business! I look forward to seeing a big business growing out of this!¡¯ Qiao Xuan was quite d as well. She exchanged a look with Shao Yunduan and said gently, ¡°Of course we will, but not right now. Young Master Yuezheng, thanks for your understanding!¡¯ ¡°Of course I understand.¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°We can always wait for big business!¡¯ Although they did have some stock, he said to the public that the lipsticks were not so easily made, so the production could not be raised. That was why everyone was waiting expectantly. In the province, the Yuezheng Family was the top in the business area, so no one dared to set them up, nor was there anyone who dared to suppress them. Also, he was prepared to get Xie Jingrong involved in it, by giving him 20% of the shares. Due to the existence of the young master of the Xie Family, no one would dare to touch this business. Soon Yuezheng Xiao waved them goodbye. He told them that he was going to open a huge banquet for them, and they woulde with a wagon. Xie Jingrong would be asked to join them so they could save time instead of going to visit them at the door. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were both smart people, so they nodded and saw them off politely. When the waiter was cleaning up, Shao Yunduan gave him 2 qian and asked him more about the Yuezheng Family. Those who worked at the restaurant were always up to date with the gossip. The waiter, who received money and liked talking, started to say it all out. The couple were not surprised to hear that there was chaos in the Yuezheng Family, which was noble and big. The waiter might not be telling the entire truth, but the big picture was definitely right.. Chapter 317 - 317: Unexpected Guest Chapter 317: Unexpected Guest Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions No wonder Yuezheng Xiao told them not to pay a visit to his house. It seemed that the second section of the family was quite tricky too. It would be annoying if they were discovered. The following morning, the four of them did not eat breakfast at the hotel, but learned from the waiter that they could find some local snacks on the street. The waiter, who had shared the information and got the bonus from them, felt much closer to them. He answered their questions and acted really passionately. There were all kinds of snacks on the street, and you could see different varieties of food there. There were various kinds of soup noodles, porridge, sugar cakes, rice cakes, plum cakes, steamed buns with various fillings, biscuits, burritos, etc. The four people bought a lot of them. Even though the quantity was not much, they were already very full after roaming around one street. It was a bustling ce, filled with liveliness and stuff. Qjao Xuan paid enough attention and found that there were no sugar-water stores. If she could open some sugar-water stores, maybe a chain of them, she could earn a great deal. She could make some simple ones, such as kelp and mung bean paste, sour plum soup, jelly pudding, taro ball sago, red bean sago, bean curd, various new fruits and jelly, sago, lily, peanuts, lotus seeds, milk and otherbinations. These all had unique tastes. But the sugar-water snacks could be copied very easily. If they wanted to do well, they would need to make sure that it tastes well. Also, multiple stores would need to be opened at one go, so that the money could roll in. Otherwise people would soon copy and take a chunk of their profits. One store would guarantee their livelihood. But Qjao Xuan was not satisfied by just opening one store. She bore this idea in her mind and decided to do it in the future. She could do some preparations now, like she could ask the Yuezheng Family to look for the sources of sago. At lunchtime, the wagon from the Yuezheng Family came to pick them up. Qjao Xuan took along the Ganoderma and China root which she had brought along as greeting gifts for Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong as well. They did not carry the lipsticks with them because Yuezheng Xiao woulde to fetch themter and they could talk about tea leaves at that time. The Yuezheng Family had a restaurant in the city, and it was very lively there. But Yuezheng Xiao did not take them there. Instead, they found a private room at The Restaurant, which was quite a famous eatery. He ordered the most popr dishes such as cherry meat, three sets of duck, and Wensi tofu. When Qu Shan brought the guests over, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were already there. They greeted each other politely. Shao Yunduan gave them the presents, and Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong thanked them and epted them. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao had met them before, so they felt much more open despite being a little shy. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were very friendly young masters. Xie Jingrong looked distant, but Yuezheng Xiao was open-minded. It was a lively lunch hour. They exchanged some thoughts about the local cultures, and Yuezheng Xiao asked the pageboy to inform the waiters. But before the dishes could be served, an unexpected guest arrived there. It was Yuezheng Ting and her maid Jiang who walked in. She spotted Xie Jingrong and smiled even more brightly. She went up and greeted them politely. Then she turned to Yuezheng Xiao. ¡°I was just standing in line for the pastry when I saw your wagon.. You are here, Third Brother!¡¯ Chapter 318 - 318: Thoughts Chapter 318: Thoughts Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Ting was Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s cousin, the youngest daughter of the second section of the family. The two sections of the family were not on good terms with each other. Although Yuezheng Ting was just a girl, Yuezheng Xiao did not think that she knew much. The first section of the family did not have any daughters, and the daughters of the second section of the family were born by his second aunt, Ms. Mi. The two girls loved to behave well in front of grandmother, especially Yuezheng Ting, who knew how to make her grandmother happy. Hence, their grandmother liked the second section of the family more and more. Therefore, Yuezheng Xiao tried not to get too close to this cousin of his. He disliked her even more when he discovered that this cousin loved to follow him just to get close to Xie Jingrong. It seemed that his grandmother, second aunt and second uncle understood that the girl was not a match for the lineal grandson of the Xie Family, so they did not say a thing on the surface. But he did not think that Yuezheng Ting¡¯s parents were not aware of what their daughter was nning. They were just pretending not to know or see. They were hoping for a miracle. If Xie Jingrong fell for Yuezheng Ting, the whole thing would fall in ce naturally. Even if Xie Jingrong did not fall for her, Yuezheng Ting¡¯s name would not be ruined because she had her cousin as a shield. It was not easy to see if Yuezheng Ting was here on purpose. She sounded harmlessly nice when she imed that she was here buying things for her grandmother. Yuezheng Xiao could not drive her away, so he smiled. ¡°What a coincidence! Have you eaten lunch? You can join us if you haven¡¯t.¡± Yuezheng Ting chuckled and smiled with her eyes blinking. ¡°Ah¡­ well, I was going to go back home for lunch, sorry to trouble you.¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled and introduced Shao Yunduan and his family to Yuezheng Ting. Yuezheng Ting could see that Qiao Xuan was inly dressed, but she had never seen them before. She was curious and greeted them politely. Then she saw Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao who seemed too timid to raise their heads. Yuezheng Ting sneered inwardly but showed no look on her face. She just ignored them and smiled at Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. They talked about the good things they knew, their orchids, banquets and all. She tried to cater to Xie Jingrong. Xie Jingrong was not very talkative, but he did not pretend to be distant. Before Yuezheng Ting came, he and Shao Yunduan were having a good conversation, but he fell into silence when Yuezheng Ting came over. Unless Yuezheng Ting asked him of her own ord, he would not respond to a thing of his own ord. Yuezheng Ting had not yet managed to see her Third Brother and Xie Jingrong together for a long time, and on this rare asion, she believed that Xie Jingrong would stay more patient, and talked more. But Xie Jingrong was so annoyed and so was Yuezheng Xiao. What a shameless person! Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had sensed the hidden trouble between them. They exchanged a look and felt helpless. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong had to let the show go on. So, they needed to finish the whole meal from beginning to the end. Qiao Xuan could sense that Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao were nervous. She smiled at Shao Xiaoqi and patted Shao Taotao¡¯s hands, saying with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s eat, the dishes are expensive, don¡¯t waste them..¡± Chapter 319 - 319: Contempt Chapter 319: Contempt Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Taotao burst into chuckles spontaneously, hearing what Qiao Xuan said. She felt more rxed as well. She nodded at Qiao Xuan and answered with a small okay. The two girls did not make a big move of it, but Yuezheng Ting happened to see that. Yuezheng Ting not only needed to pretend that she were elegant, but also tried to find some topics to start the conversation. The whole thing was very tiring! Moreover, Xie Jingrong seemed quite uninterested, and did not seem to have any intention of speaking with her. To top it, her Third Brother disliked her even more. That made Yuezheng Ting feel rather annoyed. It was quite embarrassing as well. Since Xie Jingrong did not want to speak with her, and she could not continue to pester him, she nced at Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao. ¡°Mrs. Shao, you are on a good term with Ms. Shao. Where are you from? I have never seen you before?!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°We are just running some small business outside the city. It is quite normal that you have never seen us before, Lady Yuezheng.¡± Yuezheng Ting chuckled, and threw a look at Yuezheng Xiao. ¡°You are demeaning yourself, Mrs. Shao. My Third Brother is a very picky person. Ordinary business people do not impress him, let alone be his friends.¡± Yuezheng Ting felt increasingly confused. Her Third Brother was a very picky person and only a few people had managed to be his friends. If Shao Yunduan were alone here, she might have understood what happened. But Qiao Xuan was a woman and she was here with her brother-inw and sister-inw. It looked so strange. How important did her Third Brother consider the whole family to be? He was treating the whole family to such a huge lunch. Qiao Xuan continued making up some stories. At the same time, she showed a surprised look. ¡°That is really nice of Young Master Yuezheng! Well, when Young Master Yuezheng passed by our vige, it happened to be raining very heavily. So, he sought shelter under our roof and had a wonderful chat with my husband. We came to the town today and ran into them again, so¡­¡± Yuezheng Xiao let out a sigh of relief upon hearing what Qiao Xuan said. He immediately reacted. ¡°Mrs. Shao, you are very friendly. You treated us well the other day, and now it is my turn.¡± Yuezheng Ting smiled and nodded, losing the interest of speaking with them any more. She understood that this family did not seem to have the chance of bing her Third Brother¡¯s friends. Well, they were just being polite with each other. The long lunch was finally finished, and Shao Yunduan waved them goodbye, leaving with Qiao Xuan and his brother and sister. Yuezheng Xiao did not have a very happy and easy family either. Yuezheng Xiao lowered his head slightly in an apologetic way, and did not get up to walk them out. They had just left when Yuezheng Xiao said to Yuezheng Ting, ¡°You can go home now. I and Brother Xie have other affairs to deal with. Yuezheng Ting smiled bashfully. ¡°Third Brother, where are you going, take me along too!¡± It was okay for women and men to go out together with family apanying them. But Yuezheng Xiao did not have any interest in taking her along. He smiled and said, ¡°Girls should not go where we are going.¡± Yuezheng Ting got startled, and her face reddened. She could not insiste upon following along. So, she had to pretend as if she knew nothing and smiled. ¡°I¡­ I will go home first, I am leaving now.¡± Having said that, she left with her maid. Yuezheng Xiao let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Xie Jingrong.. ¡°Honestly, Brother Xie, when are you getting married? Don¡¯t be so picky! Just get engaged and marry as soon as possible!¡± Chapter 320 - 320: Too Kind Chapter 320: Too Kind Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions As long as Xie Jingrong was engaged, Yuezheng Ting would leave him alone. She was just too annoying. Xie Jingrong showed a weak smile. ¡°I can¡¯t lose my whole life for this tiny nuisance, right?¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed. Then¡­ he sighed. It was so annoying that someone just had no idea how they should behave. In the wagon, Yuezheng Ting¡¯s face sank. Jiang said angrily, ¡°Third Young Master behaves way over the top. How can he say such a thing in front of you! Let¡¯s tell Madame Yuezheng about this, so he can be punished.¡± Irritated, Yuezheng Ting snapped at her. ¡°Alright, alright, what is the point of telling Grandma about this?¡± Grandma would just tell him not to do that, and that was it. She did not want to look more irritating in his eyes. ¡°You are simply too kind, Miss!¡± Jiang mumbled. ¡°But why is Third Young Master not helping you? Isn¡¯t that a good thing for the Yuezheng Family after all?¡± Yuezheng Ting bit her lips and said nothing more. That was exactly what she was thinking. It would be a good thing for the whole family. But her Third Brother was not helping her and also pretending not to know a thing. That was so disgusting! She was growing older and older, and would need to get engaged to someone else after a couple of more years, if she didn¡¯t manage to get the man she wanted. But she was not convinced. Which other family had a better groom than the lineal grandson of the Xie Family in the whole province? It would be such an honor if she could marry Xie Jingrong! Everyone was going to be jealous of her! More importantly, she had the chance to make it happen. Her Third Brother and Xie Jingrong were good friends. As long as he helped, she would have at least 80%, if not 100% chance to get him! She really fancied Xie Jingrong personally as well, keeping aside his background. Xie Jingrong was such a handsome man that was attractive to everyone¡­ Yuezheng Ting felt so annoyed. She decided to think of a better way to make this happen. Yuezheng Ting was just thinking when she heard Jiang speak. ¡°Look at that, isn¡¯t that Young Master Shao and his family?¡± It was cloudy today, not very hot, and Qiao Xuan and the other three walked back to the hotel, strolling along the street. Yuezheng Ting cast an arrogant look at her and rolled her eyes. She had no interest in looking at them. Jing sneered. ¡°Poverty!¡± They could not even afford to ride in wagons. In the afternoon, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong visited the hotel again, and exchanged business matters with Qiao Xuan. They also talked about the tea leaves. They were quite confident about the future. As for the colleges and the schrs whom Shao Yunduan would like to visit, the Xie Family knew it all. Xie Jingrong gave him the advice and even expressed that he would send a pageboy to tag along. With Xie Jingrong¡¯s pageboy around, he would remind Shao Yunduan and help him reach the right people. In the process, he would not be a target for people to get jealous about or attract too much attention. If Xie Jingrong went there with him, Shao Yunduan might be the topic of gossip among the schrs in the whole province. This seemed to be a proper arrangement. Shao Yunduan thanked him politely. Qiao Xuan was quite d. Xie Jingrong was such a friendly and considerate person! Xie Jingrong also expressed that he would treat them for another meal after a few days. After speaking with them for a while, the two friends left together.. Chapter 321 - 321: Gifts Chapter 321: Gifts Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The two of them returned home and opened the presents given by Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan respectively. Both of them were shocked. China roots were of excellent quality, very difficult to obtain, though not so difficult for them. But Ganoderma was really rare! It was bigger than a man¡¯s open hand, thick and well-patterned, ck in color and wless. It emitted an attractive herbal smell. What they did not know was that Qiao Xuan had put the nt in space for a few days and used her superpower to make it better, so it was far better than the ordinary kinds. These were indeed precious things. Each of them should be worth more than 2,000 liang, and could not be bought easily. They both believed that Shao Yunduan and his family did not buy them and must have found them in the mountains! They should know that this nt was very precious. But they gave them away as presents. What precious gifts! ¡°Brother Shao and his family are so generous. It is wonderful!¡± Yuezheng Xiao ordered Qu Shan to wrap up the nts and deliver them to his mother in the outskirts area. His father was still sick and the nts were good for health. They shoulde in handy. At the Xie Mansion, Xie Jingrong was so shocked when seeing the presents. He promptly had them delivered to his grandmother. Madame Xie was so happy that she kept smiling. ¡°You all say that I adore Jingrong more, but look at how much he loves me! He found me the best Chinese fleeceflower root, and now this! These two are really rarely-seen herbs. Jingrong must have spent a lot of effort to find them. I adore him deeply and no one should crib about it!¡± People present there smiled and spoke highly of Xie Jingrong. Xie Jingrong¡¯s cousins got so jealous but stayed mum. They had tried to find Chinese fleeceflower root but couldn¡¯t find it! They had offered some rare nts to the grandmother, but never found such a great-looking one before. It was just Xie Jingrong¡¯s luck¡­ Xie Jingrong¡¯s pageboy kept Shao Yunduanpany at the academic events, whilst Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao as well as Qiao Xuan rented a wagon and traveled around the province every day. Qiao Xuan had asked Shao Xiaoqi to apany Shao Yunduan. But Shao Yunduan turned that idea down. He insisted that Shao Xiaoqi should keep Qiao Xuan and Taotaopany. He did not think that two girls should travel alone in the town. They were friends with Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong, but the two of them were far away. Shao Xiaoqi was a man and he should be of some help incase of any emergency. He also gave the coachman a lot of money, telling him to pay more attention to them and he would receive an extra bonus for it in the future. The coachman felt quite happy and agreed. Qiao Xuan loved traveling. She made a specific n and went about with Shao Xiaoqi and Taotao for shopping and food tasting. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao got so excited and obeyed Qiao Xuan¡¯s order dutifully. They visited many ces of interest before it turned hot, and returned to the town at lunchtime to eat at a rmended, old restaurant.. Chapter 322 - 322: Shopping Chapter 322: Shopping Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They took a nap at the hotel and at four in the afternoon, they went to a few stores and some other leisure ces, before joining Shao Yunduan for dinner. Shao Yunduan felt quite jealous after hearing Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao¡¯s talks regarding where they had been and what they ate, bought and saw in the morning. He threw a quick look at Qiao Xuan. He had not yet spent much qualitative time with her outside¡­ He needed to find a good time to walk with her. After a couple of days of shopping, Qiao Xuan bought quite a lot of things, which were not easily seen in the town, like clothes materials, embroidery threads, blushers, silk flowers, small, beautiful jewelry, various seasonings and dry food ingredients. Province and town were different. Qiao Xuan was very happy to see sun dried shrimps, abalones, sea cucumbers, hairtails, conches, sea scallops, scallops, and yellow croakers. She bought a lot of each kind. She would buy the snacks and longsting pastry one day before they returned home. She even visited the pharmacies, trying to see if she could get any fresh ginseng. But unfortunately, she could not find any. Good ginsengs were rare, but all were processed, not originally growing. Qiao Xuan had to give up finding fresh ones. She was very interested in nts, fruit trees and expensive flowers and woods, so she spent some time there too. It was not the best time to nt flowers, so there were not many avable except for some pots. Qiao Xuan did not need any of those. She went to visit some florists and checked their flower gardens, but none was good enough for the space. Finally, she bought some plum trees, different kinds of grapes and peach trees. She was going to pick them up one day before they went home. The fruits of these could be eaten in the next year. After a few days in a row, Shao Yunduan had visited the ces he needed to and met those whom he had to meet. He had obtained much knowledge and was more confident about the imperial examination next year. The following day, Xie Jingrong asked them to visit him at the side mansion, and they decided to leave after two days. After dinner, the day turned dark and Shao Yunduan asked Qiao Xuan. ¡°What about taking a walk around? Just nearby.¡± There was a river passing through the city nearby. Willows and peach trees were nted along the riverside. The area along the riverside was also a famous local food street. There were countless shops,rge and small, lively at night. Especially in summer, many catering shops liked to put long tables and stools on the wide venue at the entrance. There were countless diners, and the restaurant was spacious and cool. The fragrance was permeating, which was particrly appealing. In the past few days, they had visited a lot of ces during the day. At night, after dinner, everyone had no energy to go out again. Therefore, though they knew about such a ce and yearned for it, they didn¡¯t visit it. Now, they wanted to have ast walk around the area. Qiao Xuan was quite interested in seeing the night town in the ancient city. So she said, ¡°Okay, I heard that it is very lively along the river.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and looked gentle. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°What about fetching Taotao and Qi?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Shao Yunduan sounded indifferent. ¡°They are already there.¡± He had already looked into it and believed that it was very safe with many people there. He instructed Qi and Taotao not to stay close to the small alleyway ore home toote, thus letting them go alone.. Chapter 323 - 323: Hand In Hand Chapter 323: Hand In Hand Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Both of them were so happy and went out ages ago. They just could not wait to walk around at night. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°They were nagging about this, and they could not wait, let¡¯s go as well!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Qi and Taotao were not too young any more and Qiao Xuan was not very worried about their safety. Most people in the world were trying to live in peace. There were not so many bad guys around. They walked shoulder to shoulder, and moved forward with the crowd. The lights of the stores were on, as they walked along the street. The lights were sparkling like stars. Under the light, people were moving about,ughing and chatting with each other. In the summer night, the wind blew from the river bank, bringing the coolness and the aroma of various food stalls, which made people feel the warmth in this world. When the two of them came to the long riverside street, the excitement and hustle and bustle seemed to be doubled. There were people tasting delicious food everywhere. Various shops or stalls were zing with fire, and the sounds of frying, boiling, and steaming were endless. The aromas of various foods were stimted and collided with each other, and the fragrance was particrly attractive. In addition, there were many shops selling various kinds of cakes, candied fruit, roasted seeds and nuts, sugar man, candied haws, and more which made the street lively and bustling. Qiao Xuan was shocked. She had not expected that the night streets in this era would be so lively. ¡°What a pity! We should not havee post dinner, or even lunch! We should have starved ourselves for a day beforeing to this ce.¡± Shao Yunduanughed when he heard that. ¡°We can take a walk first, and if we feel like eating, we can eat some, or we cane again another time.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and nodded, as they continued strolling around. They passed by a store full of dried fruits. Qiao Xuan bought some sugar-coated plums. They walked and ate as they came to the riverside. The lights on both sides of the river were reflected on the water surface. The gently flowing waves shook the light and shadow, and everything became gentle and blurred. The two of them stood under a big willow tree, feeling the cool breeze and looking at the river view, surrounded by lively peopleing and going. Suddenly the two of them looked at each other and smiled lightly. Qiao Xuan pinched on the plum and passed it to Shao Yunduan¡¯s lips. Her long eyshes blinked as she said with a smile, ¡°Want to try, Darling? Shao Yunduan stiffened. He had heard her calling him ¡®darling¡¯ numerous times. And by now, he was used to it. But at this time, he felt that his heart was throbbing hard. Her slender and white fingers brushed his chin unintentionally, and the faint, smooth and soft touch lingered for a long time. He was a little afraid to look down at her hand, let alone her smiling eyes. He lowered his eyes and said, ¡°Yeah¡±. Then he opened his mouth in a panic and bit the plum. Also, he bit a part of her small finger too. Shao Yunduan blushed and stiffened. He could not even start to chew the plum. ¡®Sorry¡­¡¯ He wanted to apologize to her, but could not open his mouth and say anything. Qiao Xuan had not realized what happened. But seeing him stiffen, she thought that it was because he did not like the taste of plums. She smiled. ¡°Is it too sour? I think it is okay, you can spit it if you don¡¯t like it..¡± Chapter 324 - 324: Teasing Chapter 324: Teasing Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°No¡­ nope¡­¡± Shao Yunduan finally understood what he should say. But the sour and sweet taste was on his tongue, stimting every cell in the mouth. He mumbled. ¡°Not sour, sweet.¡¯ Qiao Xuan suddenly realized why he had reacted in that way. She chuckled inwardly, feeling a bit proud. Her husband could be teased so easily? So thin-skinned? Qiao Xuan added. ¡°For real? You want to try one more?¡± Shao Yunduan stiffened and looked at the girl in front of him. In the dim light, she had raised her head to look at him, her moist ck eyes smiling a little. She was holding a plum in her slender hand and was holding it next to his lips. At this moment, he only had her in his eyes, and the lights from far and near and the noise of pedestriansing and going had be the background. He opened his mouth slightly, approaching her hand cautiously. He quickly grabbed the sweet and sour plum, and hurriedly retreated, for fear that his lips would touch her finger again abruptly. Qiao Xuan, She had intended to take advantage of him and tease him. She wanted to continue asking if he hated her or not. But this man was so honest that he just did not want to offend her. Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°Well¡­¡± Shao Yunduan did not dare to look at her again but pretended to cough. ¡°You want something more? Let¡¯s go around?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Qiao Xuan looked at him and answered with a smile. She could not tease him any more but looked deeply at him. Just leave him alone. There will be more chances in the future¡­ Also, he should focus on studies, since the imperial examination wasing soon. She should not pursue him to start a romantic rtionship at this time. It was not going to be an easy examination. The two continued to stroll forward. Shao Yunduan was very careful to protect Qiao Xuan, so that no one would touch or push her. What Qiao Xuan saw and liked, he bought it and took the initiative to carry it, and strolled down further. Though he didn¡¯t buy much, Shao Yundun¡¯s hands were full on both sides. Qiao Xuan supported that and chuckled. ¡°I bought so many things already?¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Not many, you like them.¡± Qiao Xuan felt her heart sweeten. She leaned her head and smiled at him. ¡°Really? Can you give me anything I like?¡± Shao Yunduan felt his heart throbbing. It felt as if her words carried a deeper meaning. He nodded without looking at her. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°What if you regret it!¡± Qiao Xuan sounded very sad. Shao Yunduan felt his heart break after hearing that. He added. ¡°No, never!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she said, ¡°Oh okay, but you should remember that only you can give me what I want, and you can¡¯t share it with anyone else, got Shao Yunduan was startled. Then he felt his heart beating fast. Right after, he was taken aback. What did she mean? Was it what he was thinking about? Shao Yunduan felt an urge to ask her but stopped himself.. Chapter 325 - 325: Not Possible Chapter 325: Not Possible Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions He was going to wait for a bit longer, till he passed the examination. By that time, he would be a good match for her, and he could ask her then.. Shao Yunduan flushed and believed that she should like him too. For now, he said nothing except for just two words, ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Qiao Xuan could sense that he was very resolute at the moment. She felt his heart soften and started to feel a bit guilty. She should not have teased him like this. They should have understood by this point that they were not going to divorce as they had agreed at the beginning. ¡°I am not worried!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and tugged at his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go back! Qi and Taotao should be back by now. They will be worried about us!¡± Shao Yunduan was very happy to be pulled by her. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± There was no better wife than her. She was nice to him and treated his siblings warmly too. They ran into Taotao and Qi on the way back to the hotel. Shao Yunduan wondered how he felt when the duo had two more people joining them. He suddenly lost the sweet air which existed a while ago. The four of them headed back to the hotel together. As they were going into the room, Shao Yunduan suddenly stopped at the entrance and looked at Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan seemed to have sensed that he was looking at her, and she returned the look. As their eyes met, Shao Yunduan stiffened slightly and panicked. He was feeling a bit strange. He was just about to move away when Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Good night!¡± Shao Yunduan also replied in a rxed tone. ¡°Good night!¡± Then he hurried into his room. Qiao Xuan chuckled and felt slightly emotional as well. She could not help but smile. Early the next morning, Yuezheng Xiao came over with a wagon and took them to visit Xie Jingrong¡¯s abbey in the outskirts. Xie Jingrong¡¯s abbey was his personal property, which was located at Peach Flower Site, more than ten miles away in the southern outskirts of the city. The abbey wasn¡¯t enormous but looked really beautiful. There were rockeries, a smallke and more. They could either go into the rockeries or row a boat in theke in hot summer. Xie Jingrong¡¯s abbey was located in the valley, and there was a greenke outside the path. At the back of the abbey was arge bamboo forest that was well-maintained. Passing through the bamboo forest was a maple forest. A white waterfall fell from the mountain, and the sound of rumbling water brought forth bursts of coolness. Xie Jingrong was already waiting for them when they arrived. Xie Jingrong was only entertaining them on this day. No other guests were around. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao both let out a sigh of relief. They were very afraid of running into strangers like Lady Yuezheng. That would be awkward. Rich families varied as well. Brother Yuezheng and Brother Xie were very different from others. Without any outsiders around, they talked happily. The garden was small and exquisite, quiet and elegant. Taotao could not move her legs when she saw the koi swimming in the water lily pond, so Xie Jingrong ordered his maid to bring fish food and apany her to feed the fish. Shao Xiaoqi was quite looking forward to seeing the horses in the abbey when he heard about it. Xie Jingrong took them to see the horse. In the valley outside the manor, there was a small horse farm, enough for beginners to practice. Shao Xiaoqi was really excited. He touched and patted the horses, smiling happily. Yuezheng Xiaoughed and sent away the coachman, offering to teach Shao Xiaoqi to ride a horse personally.. Chapter 326 - 326: Good Things In Mountains Chapter 326: Good Things In Mountains Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Xiaoqi was a fast learner. Soon he could ride alone in the horse farm, steady and calm. Yuezheng Xiao praised him with a smile. ¡°Qi learns fast!¡± Xie Jingrong added. ¡°He seems to have established a friendship with the horse very easily.¡± Qiao Xuan felt proud and added. ¡°Of course he is. He never fails in hunting!¡± ¡°Hunting?¡± Yuezheng Xiao felt his chin and got very excited. ¡°Qi, you are so talented. What about hunting together? I also want to go have a look at your mountain!¡± They allughed. Qiao Xuanughed too, but felt a bit guilty. There were many things in the mountains¡­ Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Actually hunting is a matter of luck, but there aren¡¯t many people in our vige who can hunt. The mountain is full of woods, and there are many prey. If you are interested, Brother Yuezheng, pleasee and visit us when it gets colder.¡± Yuezheng Xiao was d to hear the offer. ¡°It¡¯s a deal! We will definitely go over, right, Brother Xie?¡± Xie Jingrong nodded and gave a brief smile. ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan also went up on the horseback. They were not very good at ridingpared to Qi. They were nervous and stiff on the back of the horse and soon Qiao Xuan felt arms and legsnguishing. A little whileter, she dismounted. Shao Yunduan rode the horse for twops and went off too. Shao Xiaoqi wanted to go beyond the horse farm, and Yuezheng Xiao, who was in a good mood, decided to guide him from the backdoor. Xie Jingrong turned to Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. ¡°Yuezheng is very good at riding, and the horse is mild. Don¡¯t worry, he should take care of Qi well.¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan nodded. They were not worried about Qi. He seemed like an active boy but he knew what he ought to do and what not. The three of them returned to the abbey first. Taotao had been feeding the fish and looking out for Qiao Xuan and the others. She came over the moment she saw them. Shao Yunduan and Xie Jingrong were chatting in the pavilion, drinking tea, whilst Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao just walked around randomly. Qiao Xuan subconsciously started to pay attention to the nts. The nts were flourishing in the garden, andvender was blooming vividly. There were some other small flowers as well. Qiao Xuan was more interested in fruit trees and vegetables, but they did not seem to exist here. So, she stopped thinking about it. Well, the nts in the garden were all for show, and the fruit trees would be limited to pomegranates, persimmons, peaches and plums. She could go to seek someter. They ate lunch at the garden. Xie Jingrong hired the chef from the mansion, who had been busy getting ready for the lunch. The chef cooked one whole table of dishes for them. Yuezheng Xiao teased his friend by saying that he managed to eat the dishes only because Shao Yunduan and his family were here. Xie Jingrong had never treated him so well like this before. They spent the afternoon rowingte, and after dinner, the sun set and they left the abbey. Yuezheng Xiao took them back to the hotel. ¡°Brother Xie¡¯s abbey is so nice, so beautiful too!¡± ¡°Of course, the province just looks so different!¡± ¡°But I love our home more.¡± ¡°Me too, but I want to buy a horse!¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were amused by Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao¡¯s conversation. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You behaved very well. Also, I agree with you.. When we make more money, we will build a huge abbey, alright?¡± Chapter 327 - 327: For Favor Chapter 327: For Favor Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°For real?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao¡¯s eyes sparkled. They looked quite expectant. Yeah, it was definitely doable. They could build the abbey themselves. ¡°Of course, as long as we make enough money!¡± ¡°We can save our money and build an abbey for ourselves!¡± ¡°Me too! Can I raise one horse too then?¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°Everything is going to work out. You can have two, if you like! But save your money and we will have an abbey sooner thanter!¡± Shao Yunduan added too. ¡°Your Fifth Sister-inw is right! We will have an abbey, as long as you help your Fifth Sister-inw in her work!¡± He was going to work hard as well so that she could live a peaceful and leisurely life, and not worry about the Qiao Family! The following morning, Qiao Xuan headed out. They had made a deal the day before. Yuezheng Xiao sent two wagons for them so Qu Shan would keep thempany while on the way back home. The sprouts from the florist as well as many things filled up one entire wagon. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong both gav them presents to take back. Xie Jingrong gave them two jars of ginseng wine, as well as some delicate pastries that were made by the chef in the mansion. He also gave some hand-written transcripts which were excellent articles from previous examinations. These articles were easy to procure for the Xie Family but for those outside the family, they were valuable things, which were difficult to collect. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were really grateful. Those were the exact things they required. Yuezheng Xiao also offered some good food and things to use, including cubilose, donkey-hide gtin, spices and brocades. He was very generous. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong did not see them off personally. They were friends and did not need to stick to such useless formalities. Also, Shao Yunduan was going to participate in the imperial examination next year, and when he went to the next level, he could openly be good friends with Xie Jingrong, who would bring along his good friend, Yuezheng Xiao. That would work out smoothly. If he was known to have befriended the Xie Family earlier, he might risk being gossiped about. Yuezheng Xiao put the newly-obtained lipsticks in the store for sale. Due to the limited stock, only 30 pieces were sold each day and each person was given no more than two. If they failed to get even one, the consumers could buy items worth 10 liang at or make a booking for the next day. 10 liang was a huge amount. Even for people from the Xie Family, the pocket money of thedies would only be 2 liang monthly. Well. if thedies had the intention of buying good stuff. they would always have ways to get their mother to buy them. Yuezheng Xiao was very satisfied. This small store brought in a lot of profit for him every month. More importantly, he did not need to spend a lot of effort in building up the store. As long as he had lipsticks in stock, he could always buy some other things and sell them easily. Once home, Yuezheng Xiao was asked by Madame Yuezheng toe over for a talk. Yuezheng Xiao could almost tell what was going on. He nodded, changed his clothes and went for the talk. Yuezheng Ting must have reported him again. Yuezheng Ting wanted 10 lipsticks from him the day before but he had turned her down. And now his grandmother was looking for him¡­ what a coincidence? He could give her one, but ten? Why¡­ so that she could share them with others to lift up her reputation? Never! Yuezheng Ting was very irritating. She said that 10 lipsticks just cost a few hundred liang and that was nothing for her Third Brother. Why couldn¡¯t he give them to her? But someone needed to tell her that this money was not falling from the sky! Chapter 328 - 328: Yuezheng Xiao’s Relief Chapter 328: Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s Relief Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Xiao greeted his grandmother, and spoke with her for a few moments. Soon after, Madame Yuezheng started to ask him about the lipsticks. She kept ming him for not caring about his cousin. As expected, she said that it was a matter of just a few lipsticks which only cost a few hundred liang! Yuezheng Xiao did not bother to listen to her carefully. He let the words go through his ears and disappear. A few hundred liang was a huge amount in any family. The Yuezheng Family was really rich, but a few hundred liang was still a sizable amount. He was not going to give them to Yuezheng Ting for free just for her whim. Not even when Madame Yuezheng asked for it. However, Madame Yuezheng just mentioned this briefly instead of forcing Yuezheng Xiao to do it for Yuezheng Ting. However, that was not it. Madame Yuezheng did not continue with it, but suddenly added. ¡°We have manv business affairs in our familv, and vou can help with our familv business as well. You can just leave this store to Ting who can train herself. She can earn some money as well. She is a girl, totally suitable for such a store, what do you think?¡± Yuezheng Xiao was not a stingy person. But he was disgusted by what he had heard. No wonder she did not pester him earlier. This was what she was thinking about. Seeing that he didn¡¯t say anything, Madame Yuezheng further said, ¡°I will decide it for you, just give the store to Ting, like the source and everything. Don¡¯t forget to teach her well.¡± Yuezheng Xiao turned her down. Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Grandmother, what a coincidence! I am trying to train myself as well. I started it with my own money, not with the family money. I am saving this for my wife, not others. If a cousin wants to train herself, why not pick any other store from the family business? Or she can open one herself if she likes. He was not working for the family. But for the business line from the northwest, his Elder Brother would have dropped it too. The two brothers worked hard not for the second section of the family to take advantage of. That¡¯s not how things worked. Madame Yuezheng was startled. She sounded a bit annoyed. ¡°But it is just a small store¡­ if Ting likes it¡­ ¡°But I like it too!¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled but he did not mean to smile. He replied in a frivolous tone. ¡°Grandmother, you know that I will never give away anything I love. Grandmother, spoil me once too, alright?¡± Madame Yuezheng. Yuezheng Xiao smiled, got up and left. ¡°This child has been taught so badly by his parents!¡± She was furious. The Second Mrs. Yuezheng and Yuezheng Ting walked out of the room behind and Second Mrs. Yuezheng said, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Mother, Ting has forgotten what Xiao is like. He is right, just drop it.¡± Madame Yuezheng sneered. ¡°He is like this because his parents have taught him wrong!¡± Yuezheng Ting pursed her lips and said in a muffled sound, ¡°I love this store a lot. That is why I asked the Third Brother for it. How could he turn me down for just one thing I asked him for?¡± ¡°How can he talk with you like this? Doesn¡¯t he feel guilty when he speaks with you like this, Grandmother?¡± Chapter 329 - 329: Pretense Chapter 329: Pretense Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Madame Yuezheng became even more annoyed. She sneered. ¡°He doesn¡¯t think of me as his grandmother at all!¡± Second Mrs. Yuezheng smiled. ¡°It is fine, Mom. Xiao loves you, but he is just fickle because he is a young man. He can be confused sometimes. Ting, talk with your grandmother, and I will check in the kitchen. Mom, you are going to be served delicious food consisting of longan with duck soup. I have to stay by the firece and watch it carefully.¡± Only now did Madame Yuezheng feel happier. She smiled emotionally. ¡°You love me the most!¡± Yuezheng Ting blinked her eyes and said with a smile, ¡°That is what we should Madame Yuezhengughed. By the time they finished with lunch, Madame Yuezheng was very happy. After that, the mother and daughter went back to their own yards. The mother and the daughter felt so ufortable after pretending to serve Madame Yuezheng well. That was why Yuezheng Ting did not like to speak with Madame Yuezheng. It was so tiring! She loved to be free and alone. ¡°Mom, we can¡¯t let it go so easily, right? I really want that store!¡± Yuezheng Ting was really unconvinced. If she could be in charge of the store, she would use the lipsticks to be friends with thedies from the Xie Family. Then, she would have more chances to get closer to the Xie Family. Third Brother was so stingy as to not give that small store to her! Second Mrs. Yuezheng sneered and said, ¡°What can we do if your Third Brother doesn¡¯t agree to it? We can¡¯t steal it, right? He is not a very easy person to deal with. ¡± Second Mrs. Yuezheng had already noticed the potential of the store when Yuezheng Xiao first promoted the lipsticks. She also got interested in it. Seeing that he had very little in stock, Second Mrs. Yuezheng even offered to find someone who could produce more for them and expand the business. That basically meant that she wanted to be involved in the process. The lipsticks business was different from the others. Alldies would try to suck up to them if such business was in her hands. Also, it was a very special way of making money, safe and generous. But Yuezheng Xiao turned her down. Yuezheng Xiao and his brother were not very easy to deal with. Second Mrs. Yuezheng had no way to force him to ept her proposal. She had expected that no matter what Yuezheng Ting said to Madame Yuezheng, the result would be the same. But she just wanted to make Madame Yuezheng hate the first section of the family some more and cause more trouble for Yuezheng Xiao. Yuezheng Ting remained unconvinced. Biting her lower lip, she said, ¡°How can Third Brother treat us like this? I am his sister but he is treating me worse than he treats that whole poor family?¡± Second Mrs. Yuezheng raised her eyebrows. ¡°What poor family?¡± Yuezheng Ting pursed her lips and recounted the story when she met Shao Yunduan, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong at the restaurant. Second Mrs. Yuezheng thought for a while and said, ¡°That poor family might be rted to your Third Brother in some way.¡± Yuezheng Ting was startled. Second Mrs. Yuezheng said, ¡°Your Third Brother never gets close to anyone so quickly. Moreover, Young Master Xie was with them too!¡± Moved, Second Mrs. Yuezheng suddenly thought of how the whole family showed up after Yuezheng Xiao started the store. She could not find the source of the lipsticks because Yuezheng Xiao was very cautious all this while. Her staff could not trace it either. Second Mrs. Yuezheng sneered. Well they could look into these poor people, and her men could go about and dig out the truth. When she found out the source, Yuezheng Xiao would not be able to hold onto this business¡­ Chapter 330 - 330: Province Chapter 330: Province Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Second Mrs. Yuezheng knew that her daughter could not conceal any secret, so she did not reveal this n to her. Yuezheng Ting did not think of it as something of importance. She was more worried about her own marital affairs, so she could not help but start to mention Xie Jingrong again. The two of them mumbled to each other for a few moments before stopping. At Shaoding Vige Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan finally returned home in the evening. Their trip was quite long, and they finally came back home and settled in. Ms. Fang kept saying out of relief. ¡°Good that you are back. I was so worried about you! I was scared that you would be bullied, or have no ce to go to. I was just too stressed. Good that you are finally back!¡± They heard her words and burst intoughter. Qiao Xuan felt her heart be warm. She smiled. ¡°Mom, we are no longer little children. We can take good care of ourselves. Also, we went to the Province, not somewhere dangerous. No one would bully us there!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Shao Xiaoqi said, ¡°Brother Yuezheng and Brother Xie were there too. It was so much fun!¡± Ms. Fang red at him. ¡°You only know how to y!¡± Taotao suddenly held back her own words, when she saw her mothers reaction. She stuck out her tongue. Qiao Xuan and Taotao had sorted the things on their way home, and it was easy for them to arrange them. The ingredients were all stored in the empty wing room. The gifts for each person were put in packages and given out directly. The brocades and other things given by Yuezheng Xiao as well as those given by Xie Jingrong were all put away by Qiao Xuan in her own room. She gave the snacks to others and shared them with Ms. Fang. The Xie Family, which was a noble family, had given very exquisite and small pastries. There were various flower-shaped red bean cakes, mung bean cakes, sweet-scented osmanthus cakes, lotus cakes shaped like lotus flowers, transparent and beautiful crystal cakes, as well as jujube mud cakes, hawthorn cakes, chestnut cakes, fried sugar balls, sugar lotus seeds, etc. They looked good and tasted even better. Everything looked so good and people spoke highly of them. They were even hesitant to swallow them down. They also bought some stuff for the second and third section of the family. Those were cheap things but looked good. They should be enough for them. No one wanted to deliver the stuff to them though. Ms. Fang asked Eldest Uncle to do the needful, who in turn delegated it to Taotao. Taotao dodged it and the others pretended that they had not seen a thing. Eldest Uncle had no choice but to go there alone. They all knew about Shao Yunduan and their visit to the province, and felt veryplicated in heart. The first section of the family got so lucky that they had a different life after Qiao Xuan married into the family. That was the province they went to! Not many people from the vige even went to the town! The first section of the family in the past could never have done a thing like this. Eldest Uncle delivered the things, and Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were both quite happy. They were no longer as wild as in the past. Ms. Niu knew that they could only wait for Ms. Fang to give them stuff. Ms. Zhang looked at her smiling inws and got annoyed. The first section of the family would rather go to province to splurge their money than loan a few liang to her.. Chapter 331 - 331: Affairs Chapter 331: Affairs Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions When Eldest Uncle came to the third section of the family, Shao Ling had also returned from college. Hearing that Shao Yunduan and Oiao Xuan had gone to the Drovince, Shao Ling was startled at first and then got quite ufortable. He smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t Fifth Brother studying? What was he doing in the province? And he was away for so long¡­¡± He dreamed about going to the province. But he could not go there unless it was for the examination. What were people like Shao Yunduan doing there? Slightly startled, Eldest Uncle had no idea what his children were doing in the province. They just went there and did not say anything. Eldest Uncle did not find it strange, thus did not ask. But when Shao Ling questioned him about this, he staggered. ¡°I don¡¯t know, they can do whatever they want.¡± Shao Ling got up and said, ¡°Then¡­ I will go and speak with him.¡± Shao Yunduan was just a Cultivated Talent who should go to the province next year. But he was there for so long. It must have been not just for shopping, but also to attend some events held by the colleges and poetry society, etc. He might have bought some books home too! The more he thought about this, the more Shao Ling felt jealous. He got really distressed again by the fact that he had not saved the Second Miss of the Qiao Family at that time! But for Ms. Qiao, Shao Yunduan would not have gotten so lucky and had the chance to visit the province! Shao Yunduan was not surprised by Shao Ling¡¯s visit. Shao Ling hit right on the topic after a few remarks. ¡°Fifth Brother, have you heard any news or bought any rted books? I should have gone there with you and checked it out ahead of time!¡± What he meant ahead of time was before the examination date. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan felt quite speechless. This man was not yet the Cultivated Talent, and the examination will not happen until Mid-Autumn Day. Was he so sure that he would be the Cultivated Talent for sure this time? Even if he did make it, he would not have much time to read and review. Did he dare to do so within such a short while? Shao Yunduan did not want to ponder over this question, thus did not say a word. Shao Ling could not help but ask sourly. ¡°Fifth Brother, just tell me frankly. You must have visited some people during the days you stayed in the province, right? You visited some important people and heard some news too, right?¡± Shao Yunduan did not want to discuss this. Thanks to Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao, he did have a good harvest during this trip and he got to visit many people. He also learned a great deal from those experienced figures. Xie Jingrong even gave him numerous precious documents. He could not tell the truth, feeling that Shao Ling would get jealous. He also hoped that Shao Ling could achieve the goal he wanted to. If he could pass the Cultivated Talent examination, he could definitely pass on some information to him, but not right now. ¡°It was not very easy to meet those people¡­¡± Shao Yunduan replied vaguely. Shao Ling felt much morefortable and showed a smile on his distressed face. He took it for granted that Shao Yunduan had failed to visit the schrs there, though he intended to.. Chapter 332 - 332: For Whom Chapter 332: For Whom Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Fifth Brother, you are right. Those people are arrogant and they are not easy to meet up with. It is totally reasonable that they didn¡¯t want to meet you. Don¡¯t be upset.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Yeah¡­ ¡®Anyway, this is your assumption.¡¯ Shao Ling asked again. ¡°Fifth Brother, but you must have bought some books home, right? Can I read them?¡± Shao Yunduan did not turn him down. He took out the books but did not show him the excellent articles. These were not useful for Shao Ling. Shao Ling leafed through the stuff and looked quite jealous. ¡°Fifth Brother, can I borrow them and read?¡± Shao Yunduan said, ¡°They are not useful for you right now. You can have them when you be a Cultivated Talent.¡± He needed these books and decided to study them wholeheartedly these days. He was not going to let Shao Ling borrow them away. He would not mind helping Shao Ling when he was not affected. But he was not going to sacrifice himself for him. Shao Ling was not worth it. Also, he needed to be guarded against this cousin of his. He was always so jealous of him. Since he got the books, Shao Yunduan would not loan them out to Shao Ling. He would only allow him to make a copy. For some reason, Shao Ling started to believe that Shao Yunduan had more opportunities to pass the examination. That made him both jealous and anxious, and he even started to panic. Shao Yunduan was always far more excellent than him, though they started to study together. Shao Yunduan kept going upwards, whilst he remained still. What would others think of him under such circumstances? He would turn into aughing stock! ¡°Fifth Brother, I am just borrowing them. You are too stingy to lend them to me? Or are you trying to stop me from making it to the next level? I am not affecting you. We will bring honor to our family together!¡± Eldest Uncle heard that and added involuntarily. ¡°Yunduan, you can just lend them out to your cousin. If both of you make it, we will be so honored!¡± Shao Yunduan did not respond to his father. In his father¡¯s opinion, his brothers were all very nice people without any fault. ¡°That is okay.¡± Shao Yunduan said calmly, ¡°You cane and copy them. I need to use those books, and so, you can¡¯t take them away. But you can copy them.¡± Shao Ling looked embarrassed. ¡°But I am going to take the examination soon, what time do I have for copying? Fifth Brother, you are giving me a hard time!¡± Qiao Xuan could not stand it any more. Who on earth was giving others a hard time here? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, these books are not very practical for you right now. They are useful for him as the Cultivated Talent. You can copy them when you be a Cultivated Talent. I bought them with great difficulty, not just with money. These are very precious for my husband right now, and it is not very suitable to loan them to you right now, ok?¡± ¡°You are our cousin, and we allow you to make copies, otherwise we would not even show them to anyone else!¡± Ms. Fang looked annoyed. ¡°Ling, it is your fault. They are not useful for you, what are you borrowing them for? Are you trying to slow down Yunduan?¡± Shao Ling got annoyed.. ¡°How can you say that, Eldest Aunt?!¡± Chapter 333 - 333: Unexpected Ginseng Chapter 333: Unexpected Ginseng Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to do so.¡± Shao Ling got annoyed and got up. ¡°Okay, okay then!¡± Shao Ling left and Ms. Fang said to Shao Yunduan, ¡°Just ignore him! He must be ill-purposed and knows nothing. I wonder what books he has read?!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Mom, I am not angry. You shouldn¡¯t be angry as well.¡± He nced at Qiao Xuan and they looked at each other. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I am not angry either.¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled and nodded. Eldest Uncle opened his mouth and suddenly, he felt that he was not a part of the conversation. He said with a muffled sound, ¡°Yunduan, you can help your cousin. If both of you make it, it is an honor to our family.¡± ¡°When he bes a Cultivated Talent, I can definitely offer him any books he wants and answer all of his questions.¡± Well, Shao Yunduan did not think that Shao Ling was modest enough to turn to him for help. He would always try to start an argument with him on whichever topic it may be. Eldest Uncle opened his mouth and did not have any idea what he should say. His son had already finished what should be said, though he did not think anything was wrong. After a while, he replied in a muffled tone. ¡°Okay, okay then!¡± Ms. Fang rolled her eyes but said with a smile to her children, ¡°You are tired too, I will get Ms. Xu and Ms. Yang to make some food. Ms. Yang always sneaks in some food whenever she is cooking!¡± The following day, Qiao Xuan went through everything she bought from the province, which included cloth, needle and thread, and some silk flowers, which she shared with Ms. Fang, Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni. Everyone was so d to receive the presents. Qiao Xuan was very curious about the two jars of ginseng wine. She opened them and checked them. She was startled the moment she opened them. The ginsengs were as thick as one¡¯s fingers, and the scent attacked the nose the moment she opened the lid. More importantly, one of the ginsengs even had a pair of leaves growing out of the surface. The ginseng was still alive inside! Overjoyed, Qiao Xuan used chopsticks and took out the ginseng, sending it to her space. Instantly, she saw how the ginseng went into the enriched earth. Tthe leaves expanded and it looked greener. The space became more magical and lively¡­ There were still many things that the space needed. When it reached a certain degree, something different would happen. Not only would space be stronger, but her superpower would be stronger as well. Then the nts would flourish more and the space would be better and better. Look at those that she had put inside. They were much stronger than before, and the space became even more magical and lively! She was going to work harder! When roses bloomed, Qiao Xuan and the others started to make lipsticks. They were better at making them now and were faster too. After this, they went onto pick the mushrooms and wooden ears as well. Shao Sang even went into the town to buy meat and ribs, so they could make food with the fresh mushrooms. They chopped the meat, stuffed it with some minced green onion, made stuffed mushrooms, fungus and yam slices, boiled peanuts. They also grilled pork ribs with mushrooms, and fried cabbage with mushrooms, mushrooms and scallops.. Chapter 334 - 334: Sweet Osmanthus Chapter 334: Sweet Osmanthus Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The fresh mushrooms were thick and tender, smooth in texture and fragrant, suitable for all kinds of side dishes. Qiao Xuan harvested some snow fungus as well. She saved the original to take the spore mycelium and cultivate more. If all went on like this, there would be a huge harvest of snow fungus soon. Sweet osmanthus had bloomed as well. Qiao Xuan had more than 2 mu of sweet osmanthus, and she used some of her superpower to make them grow faster. Those flowers grew faster than ordinary ones, and the flowers were not very huge. Qiao Xuan was thinking that she should put in some more superpower so the amount could double. When the flowers were more lively, she was going to ce one clean carpet below the tree, shake the flowers and extract oil from them to make lip balms. Also, she was going to save the extra ones for using them in perfumes. The sweet osmanthus did not bloom in arge quantity in the floral field, but many people in the vige had osmanthus trees nted in the open space in front of their gates, some of which were decades old, with thick branches and cloud-like crowns. People could smell the refreshing floral scent from afar. Qiao Xuan decided to buy some sweet osmanthuses from those households seeing the flowers blooming there. The price was 3 wen for half a kilo. The trees in front of the house meant auspiciousness and could provide shelter. Also, the smell would be nice in autumn. The vigers never expected that they could make money out of it. The vizers were verv happy about receiving the monev. They all went to Qiao Xuan when they got the news. They were all trying to be the seller. Qiao Xuan truly wanted to collect as many sweet osmanthus as possible. The more essential oils were refined, the better. Osmanthus could also be used to make osmanthus candy, osmanthus cake, osmanthus pie, and osmanthus sauce. After drying, it could be used as fillings for various snacks, porridge, and various sugar waters. It could also be added to make tea or wine. The fresh sweet-scented osmanthus was washed, added to honey and stored in a sealed container. With that, they could get sweet-scented osmanthus honey. If they had lotus roots, they could even make sweet osmanthus and glutinous rice lotus roots. Sweet osmanthus was, after all, a piece of treasure. Qiao Xuan assured everyone, saying that she would buy as long as they wanted to sell. Then she took Ms. Yang, Qi and Taotao and visited house from house to collect the flowers. The ground was cleaned, and a clean nket was spread around the tree. Shao Sang climbed up the tree and shook the branches neither lightly nor heavily. Soon, he saw golden osmanthus flowers pouring down like rain, with a fragrant scent. Then they used broomsticks to gather them and put them into the basket carefully. They collected flowers in the morning and processed them in the afternoon. They could collect more than 10 kilos from those households. 10 kilos amounted to 60 wen. Vigers were very happy to have got this much money. Widow Sun had tworge sweet osmanthus trees in front of her house. But she did not offer to sell sweet osmanthus, nor did Qiao Xuan visit her. She was such a bitch! Her mother-inw even had fights with her and Qiao Xuan would not turn to Widow Sun for this work. Widow Sun could not humble herself to ask Qiao Xuan. She was very jealous of her too. She was waiting for Qiao Xuan toe to her, but Widow Sun could not stand it when Qiao Xuan did not show up. The sweet osmanthus trees outside her house were blooming inyers. There should be more than 10 kilos altogether.. Chapter 335 - 335: Nope Chapter 335: Nope Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions If she did not sell them, sweet osmanthus would rot after the season passed. That would be such a waste. This money could be earned without her making much effort. It would be such a loss not to make use of the opportunity. Widow Sun cursed inwardly and could not sit still any more. Eldest Uncle asked Qiao Xuan. ¡°Ms. Qiao, why did you skip Widow Sun¡¯s sweet osmanthus? It is not good that we ignored her home, right? People might think that we are bullying a widow!¡± Before Qiao Xuan could say anything, Ms. Fang snorted. ¡°You are just overly kind-hearted! That woman always badmouths us! We don¡¯t need her flowers. Also, if she wants to sell her flowers, she cane to us. That is how everyone else did it.¡± Qiao Xuan added with a smile. ¡°Yeah, Dad! What if she refuses to sell it to us because of the argument she had with momst time? That would be so embarrassing for us. If shees to me of her own ord, I would ept them.¡± Ms. Fang said with a praising tone, ¡°Look how considerate Ms. Qiao is! If she still ims that we are bullying her after refusing toe to us first, I will definitely teach her a lesson!¡± ¡°And you too.¡± Ms. Fang snapped at Elder Uncle. ¡°Stoping up with silly ideas! What if she simply doesn¡¯t want to sell the flowers and Ms. Qiao asks for them, it would be totally embarrassing.¡± Eldest Uncle got stuck with words. He mumbled. ¡°But we are living in the same vige¡­ ¡± Then he continued no more. He had chatted with the Land Officer earlier today who mentioned it to him. After all, Widow Sun was a woman who lived in the same vige and it might not be appropriate to just skip her family. He found the words reasonable, and thus told Qiao Xuan about it. He did not know whether Widow Sun wanted to sell her sweet osmanthus flowers, what if that was the case? Widow Sun waited for a long while but Qiao Xuan did not turn up, so she got really annoyed. ¡°They are just bullying me! Wait and see!¡± After the rain, it got cooler. The burning sensation of the sun shining on people had also disappeared. Although the sun was still bright and dazzling, the scorching temperature caused by it had obviously subsided. The sun shone brightly, but it was not scorching. Mid-autumn Day will arrive soon. It was time to eat crabs. For now, all they could do was just to think about it. Crabs were in the river, but they were river crabs, thin and not meaty, most of which were just bones. Qiao Xuan and Shao Xiaoqi as well as Taotao had caught some before, but the crabs were not to be steamed. They could only be cleaned, chopped and fried with ginger and scallions. Only a small taste of crabs could be had. There were no big crabs for sale in small ces in the county town. Some wealthy families were greedy for this bite, and they all asked the housekeepers of mansions to go directly to the province to buy them. Qiao Xuan believed that when the tea field was set up at the Zhang Vige, she was definitely going to dig one pool stretching across two to three mu. By that time, there should be all kinds of seafood, such as fish, shrimps, crabs, snails, and mussels avable. Lotus root and water chestnut should also be cultivated, ready to eat at any time. It was time for them to pay back a visit to the other side of the family as Mid-autumn Day approached. All married women, including Qiao Xuan, needed to visit their natal homes on Mid-autumn Day and Chinese New Year¡¯s Eve.. Chapter 336 - 336: Ready To Leave Chapter 336: Ready To Leave Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions There was no preferential treatment done in the first section of the family. Ms. Fang was very generous, especially with plenty of money in her hands. She had abundant presents prepared for Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni. A duck, a chicken, 30 eggs, 10 goose eggs, and a bottle of honey weighing about 2 catties, all of which were taken from home. She also bought around four kilos of pork belly, two jars of wine, five kilograms of pastries, and two pieces of thick fine cloth. Ms. Fang used the shared savings to buy these things. Ms. Fang would not care what more they would want to buy privately with their own money. Ms. Fang did the same with her own family too. Qiao Xuan was an exception though. Ms. Fang gave Qiao Xuan 20 liang and asked her and Shao Yunduan to buy ording to their own customs. After all, she did not know what the County Magistrate would require. Since they treated Qiao Xuan badly and did not like the local stuff, they were not going to send things from home. 20 liang was enough for them to buy whatever they needed. Qiao Xuan tried to turn down the 20 liang. But Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°I know you have money, but these are from shared savings, and what you need to do is to take it.¡± Qiao Xuan epted it with a smile and spoke highly of her mother-inw, making Ms. Fang smile brightly. Ms. Xu was very happy. She could not help but raise her head, when she thought of how much she could take to her home. This stuff should be enough, so she decided not to buy anything more except that she could offer 2 liang to her mother privately. She asked Qiao Xuan for some tomatoes and watermelon seeds. Tomatoes were very tasty for woked dishes and soup. When made into a sauce, it could be stirred with noodles. Ms. Xu thought about taking some home for her parents to eat, so they could nt some more next year. Qiao Xuan agreed generously. She picked some and together with some newly-picked mushrooms and wooden ears, she gave them all to Ms. Xu and her mother-inw. But for watermelons that were out of season, they could even bring some home too. They even had some tea leaves prepared as well. Qiao Xuan thought of her lipsticks. She told them not to share the information with their natal families. Lipsticks were very special and had a huge potential. They would run out of stock instantly. Qiao Xuan did not want this to be exposed so as to cause trouble for herself. Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu both agreed. Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were very excited about visiting their own homes, but Yang Xiaoni was not willing to return to her house. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to go back to my home. I don¡¯t want to give them anything!¡± They would rather feed the food to the dogs! Shao Sang added. ¡°That is true! They bully my wife and still get good things from us? No way!¡± Both of them were very angry. Ms. Fang, when reminded of Yang Liang and his wife, felt annoyed too. The couple did not dare to cause trouble to Ms. Fang after being taught the lessonst time. But for Mid-autumn day which was approaching soon, Ms. Fang almost forgot about how the couple had behavedst time! Ms. Fang thought for a while and said, ¡°You can do whatever you want! But remember one thing ¨C never cause trouble to the family! We are reasonable people who always prepared presents for the daughter-inws¡¯ families, you should not cause any rumors for us!¡± Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang exchanged a look between themselves, feeling rather unhappy. ¡°What about visiting your parents¡¯ tomb again?¡± Chapter 337 - 337: Worshiping Chapter 337: Worshiping Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yang Xiaoni nodded directly. ¡°I think that¡¯s what we should do!¡± Ms. Fang. Anyway, they could do whatever they wanted. The couple behaved badly first. Therefore, when Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu headed home happily with presents in their hands, Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang stepped out as well. But they went to do the worshiping of the deceased. There was a whole chicken boiled in water, andrge pieces of boiled pork belly. There were cakes, wine, incense candles, paper money, and each of them was carrying a hoe to sort out the graves and remove weeds. The couple did not enter the vige but went to the tombs directly. Some people witnessed the scene and went to inform Ms. Tian and Yang Liang about it. After all, what Yang Xiaoni did the previous time was shocking and Ms. Tian, as well as Yang Liang had beenughed at till date over it. But Yang Xiaoni managed to marry into the Shao Family, which was quite a lucky thing for her. Many people were curious whether Yang Xiaoni would bring the gifts to her mother¡¯s family for the Mid-autumn Day. She did, but she went to the tombs instead. Ms. Tian got so furious when she heard the news. ¡°What is wrong with that damned girl? Does she think that she can look down upon us just because she has married someone rich? She needs to have her own home as the backup, otherwise she will cry to death without us!¡± Yang Liang was very displeased too. He said impatiently, ¡°Just drop it, it is so humiliating! ¡± Ms. Tian sneered. ¡°Your sister is shameless. You should speak to her.¡± Ever since Yang Xiaoni was married off, the couple had to do all kinds of housework and they were both really irritated. So they kept arguing with each other. Yang Liang could not stand Ms. Tian, and he was pissed each time. He did not dare to hit Ms. Tian because she would scratch him back. So Yang Liang left angrily with a sunken face. By the time he realized where he was going, he had reached the entrance of the vige. He was startled and subconsciously headed towards his parents¡¯ tombs. Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang had removed the weeds, added new soil and put on the sacrifices and candles, incense. The couple were chatting when Yang Xiaoni suddenly smiled brightly. Hearing the sound of footsteps, the couple turned to Yang Liang and got startled. Shao Sang subconsciously pushed Yang Xiaoni behind his back, and asked. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Yang Liang opened his mouth and was even more surprised than them. He was totally shocked. Was this girl really his sister? The original yellow, thin face had grown flesh, but it was not fat. The melon-seeded face was very pretty, the skin was white and red, the facial features were so delicate and beautiful, the apricot kernels eyes were watery, and the ck oily hair was glowing with a healthy luster. More importantly, she was full of energy and looked radiant. There was no one in the vige more beautiful than her. She was wearing a goose-yellow embroidered skirt. Although it was not satin and brocade, the material was very good at first nce. The colors were bright, and the shoes on her feet were embroidered in sapphire blue. She looked extremely beautiful. Yang Liang was shocked. He suspected that he had seen the wrong person. Where was that skinny and unhealthy-looking young maiden who left home? Chapter 338 - 338: Not Recognizable Chapter 338: Not Recognizable Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Are you¡­ are you Xiaoni?¡± Shao Sang sneered, and rolled his eyes at Yang Liang. Of course she was! Yang Xiaoni looked at her brother, feeling as if it had been years since theyst met. She felt quite empty-hearted right now. She did not hate him, nor did she like him. She just regarded him as a stranger. She could let go of what they did to her, but she could not forgive him. She was not going to love them at all. From the day when she was driven out of the family on her wedding day, she decisively cut her rtionship with her brother. ¡°Just clean up and let¡¯s leave.¡± Yang Xiaoni said to Shao Sang. Shao Sang wanted to do the same and nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± Yang Liang shouted loudly at them, seeing them putting things away. ¡°Xiaoni!¡± Yang Xiaoni paused and turned around, looking at him calmly. ¡°Anything else?¡± Yang Xiaoni¡¯s look and attitude stung Yang Liang and irritated him. She had turned arrogant! Just like what Ms. Tian said. ¡°Nothing, just¡­ wondering if you want to visit us at home? I and your sister-inw miss you.. Yang Liang¡¯s voice turned increasingly soft. He was obviously feeling guilty inwardly. Shao Sang snorted and rolled his eyes. ¡°Missing what? Her as yourborer? You are so greedy!¡± Yang Liang snapped at him angrily. ¡°Shao Yunguang! What are you talking about? You are our son-inw!¡± ¡°Of course I am!¡± Shao Sang said with a smile, ¡°I am here paying tribute to my inws, thanking them for giving birth to such a wonderful daughter.¡± ¡°You!¡± Yang Xiaoniughed and threw a spoiled look at Shao Sang, looking rather sweet. Shao Sang chuckled and said to Yang Xiaoni, ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Darling! We are going to eat something good tonight.¡¯ ¡°Yeah!¡± Yang Xiaoni nodded happily. She did not look at Yang Liang again. Yang Liang was shivering as he said, tremblingly, ¡°How dare you! How dare you!¡± Yang Liang got annoyed and went home. Ms. Tian looked behind his back and saw no one, so she sneered. ¡°I thought you went to bring them home, didn¡¯t you?¡± Yang Liang did ask them to visit them, but they did not want toe over. So he snorted and went into the room, falling asleep. Ms. Tian cursed for a long while before she stopped. She was cursing inwardly that Yang Xiaoni should nevere to her ever, otherwise she was going to punish her badly¡­ Neither Ms. Fang nor Ms. Xu spent the night at their mother¡¯s home. Ms. Fang visited her home with her husband and children, Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao. They all returned by the evening. They were all so happy, especially Ms. Xu. She acted especially kindly to Qiao Xuan. She must have been so happy during her visit. Ms. Xu was indeed delighted. She was the eldest sister at home who had to work harder than anyone else but did not get treated well by her parents. After all, they had to work hard to feed themselves under the bad circumstances.. Chapter 339 - 339: Back To The Qjao Family Chapter 339: Back To The Qjao Family Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She had younger siblings, so she needed to take care of them and had helped with housework as well. Ms. Xu had a younger brother and a younger sister, but the family was doing okay. Her parents favored the son but not in an extreme way. Ms. Xu was not incapable either. Ms. Xu¡¯s sister married someone better, so she kept showing off whenever they ran into each other at their mother¡¯s home. But this time, Ms. Xu was no longer demeaned. She was so happy to see how jealous her younger sister was of her. But she was not that stupid as to reveal everything to her family and her sister. Still, she was very happy inwardly. Her sister would be so jealous of her if she really learned how much money she had saved and how well she was living. The following day, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went into the town and gave presents to Officer Qiao. Liu Yan followed along. Qiao Xuan could have forced her to stay, and find an excuse to counter Qiao Wei. But Qiao Xuan knew her sister well. The more you tried to conceal some secret from her, the more she would pick on you. So, she brought Liu Yan with her and let her ask whatever she wanted to know. In this way, Qiao Wei would drop the intention of asking more. ¡°Remember what I told you to do?¡± Qiao Xuan threw a very calm look at Liu Yan. Liu Yan was startled and nodded nervously. ¡°I do. Don¡¯t worry, Second Miss, I remember everything¡­ Liu Yan had already lost the intention of causing trouble since she had been through so much and was threatened by Qiao Xuan. Also, she had be more down-to-earth than before. Second Miss and the whole family treated her rtively well. Although she was stuck with all kinds of housework, they did not hit her. More importantly, the Second Miss was not less powerful than the Elder Miss. If she became really angry, she could definitely ruin her! Qiao Xuan added. ¡°Good. You should never reveal the secret when we are at the Qiao Family. You don¡¯t have to respect me and my husband there. Act casually, purse your lips and roll your eyes whenever you want it, understand? You can just tell Qiao Wei whatever she wants to hear, and you can even mock us.¡± Shao Yunduan almost burst intoughter. But Liu Yan could notugh at all. She nodded constantly. ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± She was actually feeling quite nervous inside her heart. She had never expected that there would be a day when she was going to lie to Elder Miss. The couple went to buy presents in the town. They bought some boxes of pastries, two jars of wine, and two chickens. That fit the status of the Shao Family and it looked as if the Shao Family had spent a lot of money sucking up to the Qiao Family. Otherwise how could a poor rural family afford to buy so many presents? Shao Yunduan looked at Qiao Xuan and wanted to hold her hand, but stopped himself after all. ¡°We only stay for a while and will leave soon. Don¡¯t be angry no matter what they say.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t, and you should not either!¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and they smiled at each other. They knocked at the gate of the mansion and the guards let them in. Seeing Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan holding the things in their hands whilst the maid Liu Yan was empty-handed, the guards at the gate could not help but look disdainful. Second Miss was such a failure. Even the Elder Miss¡¯s cat was more precious than Second Miss, and Liu Yan was Elder Miss¡¯s maid, what could Second Miss do about her anyway? The guards felt jealous.. It seemed that Liu Yan must have been acting like an arrogant miss at the Shao Family! Chapter 340 - 340: Not For Examination Chapter 340: Not For Examination Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Officer Qiao was present as well. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan walked in and greeted them politely. Officer Qiao and his wife were not at all interested in their presents. The maids took them away the moment they epted them. Officer Qiao nodded at them and behaved as if he had given them the biggest favor. ¡°Take a seat.¡¯ ¡°Thanks, Father-inw.¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan sat down. Qiao Xuan had her eyes lowered and uttered no sound. Officer Qiao frowned and looked disgusted by how Qiao Xuan behaved. This was the concubine¡¯s daughter he hated the most. She was timid, weak and quiet. She was not open-minded like Wei, nor was she lovely like Kou. She was not at all interesting for anyone to hang out with. She simply wasn¡¯t pleasing to look at. But Officer Qiao had not thought about what made Qiao Xuan be so. Her mother, who was alive in the past, had been bullied by his wife all the time. What could a concubine¡¯s daughter like her do to survive? After a few words, Concubine Du said with a smile, ¡°Second Miss, you are still so shy, even in front of your own family! But as I look at you, I find that you seem prettier than before¡­ is it because of the good living in the countryside?¡± Qiao Kou chuckled inwardly, and threw an ironic look at Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan subconsciously cringed and said nothing. She reminded herself that next time, she needed to wear makeup that made her look sad and weak, not pretty. Seeing her slightly-changed look, Qiao Kou believed that she was feeling very embarrassed. Thus she became even happier and proudly raised her eyebrows. Officer Qiao said nothing as he nced at Qiao Xuan. He turned to Shao Yunduan. ¡°You are a Cultivated Talent, right?¡± Shao Yunduan replied to this fact politely. ¡°Yes, Father-inw.¡± Officer Qiao nodded and asked again. ¡°Do you n to participate in the examination next year?¡± For one moment, everyone turned to look at Shao Yunduan. Apart from Qiao Xuan, no one, including Officer Qiao, intended to let Shao Yunduan take part in the examination or expected him to pass it. Shao Yunduan forced out the answer. ¡°Yes¡­ Officer Qiao snorted and said nothing more. He had lost interest already. He did not think that this man would pass the examination anyway, just by looking at how unconfident he was. Madame Qiao and Concubine Du were both quite delighted seeing this. Madame Qiao smiled. ¡°If you are not that sure, you don¡¯t have to take the examination next year. It is such a waste of money for your poor family, right? You are still young, you can spend one more decade preparing and then trying it, isn¡¯t that better?¡± ¡°You are right!¡± Concubine Du added. ¡°You need to know that you are not only the son of the Shao Family, but the Old Master¡¯s son-inw, if you don¡¯t make it through, you are going to be a humiliation for our family too. I don¡¯t think you need to try it now!¡± ¡°I heard that you need to be very well prepared to pass the examination. The chance is one out of 100. Honestly, you are too young to pass it!¡± Officer Qiao looked serious as he nodded. ¡°They are right. If you are not confident, you don¡¯t have to take the examination at all. What a waste of money and also a cause of humiliation, right?¡± Qiao Xuan threw a sneaky look at Shao Yunduan, who turned to gaze at her too. He lowered his head and indicated that she need not get worried.. Chapter 341 - 341: Showing Off Chapter 341: Showing Off Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Parents-inw, Concubine Du, your words are reasonable. I will bear them in mind¡­¡¯ Qiao Xuan found it funny that her husband had started to be sneaky! He bore those words in mind but he did not ept the suggestion. Officer Qiao instantly lost interest in Shao Yunduan. What could a Cultivated Talent do? A Cultivated Talent might be quite admirable at the vige, but for him, a Cultivated Talent was nothing. If Shao Yunduan was just a Cultivated Talent, he would likely remain this for the rest of his life. He was not going to waste any more energy on a man like him. Officer Qiao got up. ¡°You can sit here if you want to, and have some lunch.¡± Then he left, not offering them any reason why he was leaving. Seeing this, Madame Qiao got even more happier. She chuckled at them and said, ¡°You can stay for lunch before heading back home!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look and nodded. Neither of them was interested in the lunch, nor were they invited with a sincere heart, but they still decided to stay for politeness¡¯ sake, otherwise they would be pointed at by the people in the mansion. The couple had the same thought. They did not want to cause any trouble for themselves. Madame Qiao ordered the servants to take Shao Yunduan to have a seat in the hall whilst turning to Qiao Kou. ¡°Your Second Sister is barely home, you can take her to your room for a while.¡± ¡°Okay, Mother!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile and guided Qiao Xuan to her room. The yard was not veryrge. Madame Qiao had a separate yard, so did Qiao Wei. But Concubine Du and Qiao Kou shared one. Qiao Kou did not like Qiao Xuan, nor did she have any interest in receiving her. But as she thought about how she could show off in front of the girl, she was very willing to bring Qiao Xuan over. She sized up Qiao Xuan, who was dressed in an ordinary garment. She guessed that she had not worn expensive silk clothes for a long while and was not wearing any jewelry! She had not eaten any snacks or good tea for a while too, right? As she thought about this, Qiao Kou realized that it was worth the while to suck up to the lineal mother and sister. After the meeting was dismissed, Qiao Wei took Liu Yan back to her room and asked her about what she had experienced at the Shao Family. Liu Yan had no choice but narrated the story ording to what Qiao Xuan had told her. Hearing that the Shao Family shared one rotten and shabby house with just a few rooms and that Qiao Xuan had to work in the field and mountains, Qiao Wei and the maids were allughing loudly. ¡°That serves her right!¡± Qiao Wei suddenly felt rather d, and snorted. ¡°Qiao Kou keeps talking nonsense. I know that a fragile and weak person like Qiao Xuan would achieve nothing! Anyway, you can stay here. You don¡¯t need to go to the Shao Family any more.¡± Qiao Wei did not care about the Shao Family or Qiao Xuan. She could give out a maid and take her back whenever she felt like it. What could Qiao Xuan do? ¡°Okay, Elder Miss, thank you so much!¡± Liu Yan was startled and thanked her happily. But she somehow felt very empty-hearted. She had been looking forward to seeing this day happen the moment she arrived at the Shao Family, but when the day finally came, she was not very happy but started to miss her time there. Qiao Wei did not sense that. She would never care about a maid and continued tough at Qiao Xuan for a while longer before ordering them to get Qiao Xuan and Qiao Kou over to her ce. Qiao Xuan was speechless when she saw Qiao Kou showing off in front of her for a long while.. Chapter 342 - 342: Lipsticks Chapter 342: Lipsticks Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Wei let out a sigh of relief when someone came to fetch her. She and Shao Yunduan had behaved well and showed no leaks, so Qiao Xuan did not think that Qiao Wei would do anything to her, apart from showing off. But Qiao Kou would help, so what she needed to do was to disy no expression. Sure enough, Qiao Wei was acting the same as Qiao Kou. Sheughed at her and kept showing off her clothes and jewelry. Qiao Xuan asionally gave a jealous look, which was noticed by Qiao Wei who became even prouder. But Qiao Xuan had a slight change when Qiao Wei showed off the one lipstick she had bought outside. Qiao Kou had a jealous look on her face this time. Qiao Wei had got one! Seven liang for one lipstick was too much for Madame Qiao to give all the time. But she had one of each color, and Ms. Xu, Yang Xiaoni and Taotao all had one for each other too! Qiao Kou kept asking her proudly. ¡°You know what it is?¡± Qiao Xuan tried her best not to reveal her look andugh. She cooperated. ¡°Umm, what¡­ is it?¡± ¡°I knew you would not know about it!¡± Qiao Kou looked even prouder. She was jealous of Qiao Wei having bought lipstick but Madame Qiao and her father refused to buy her one. But seeing Qiao Xuan not knowing what that was, she felt happy. ¡°This is called lipstick, same as lip brush, but more handy and high-level.¡± Qiao Kou said with a proud tone, ¡°It can only be bought in the province. It is sold at the Yuezheng Family¡¯s store, limited in quantity, very popr but not easily bought.¡± She turned to Qiao Wei and said with a ttering look on her, ¡°You are lucky, Sister, to have got one. Only someone like you can have a thing like this!¡± Qiao Xuan was quiet. Qiao Kou really knew how to suck up to her sister. But Qiao Wei was very d. She snorted and said proudly, ¡°That is true. I heard that there are many different colors, and I want to buy one of each color!¡± Qiao Kou added with a smile. ¡°Many people will get so jealous of you. I am sure Mother will buy you as many as you want. So sad that someone can¡¯t even understand what it is!¡± Qiao Xuan. She nced at Qiao Kou quickly withpassion. If they knew that the lipsticks were produced by her, they would get so jealous as to eat her up. Good that she had predicted this! She had kept it as a secret and was going to keep the secret for a long while! When they were done showing off, it was time to eat lunch. Madame Qiao had no interest in receiving them, and asked Concubine Du to receive them. Concubine Du did not like Qiao Xuan either, and left after telling the kitchen and the servants what they should serve. Therefore, only Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were at the table. The original host would have been annoyed and felt sad and bullied. But Qiao Xuan did not care. She even consoled Shao Yunduan, who consoled her back, though he felt that she was treated so unfairly. He was really concerned about her.. Chapter 343 - 343: For Festival Chapter 343: For Festival Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The couple had fun during lunch. After all, it was lunch provided by the parents and they should eat it well. After lunch, the couple waved goodbye and left. Officer Qiao was nowhere to be seen, and he would not bother seeing them off, nor would anyone else. The couple loved the way it was handled, and left the Qiao Family smoothly. As for Liu Yan¡­ they had not seen her since they walked into the mansion, and Qiao Xuan seemed to have forgotten about her existence. Shao Yunduan took hold of Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands gently as he said in a mild yet irritated voice, ¡°I will definitely hit the high level of the examination and they would never be able to bully you ever after that!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°They are just strangers in my eyes and their well-being has nothing to do with me! I believe that you will make it, but don¡¯t get too stressed about it. Stay calm, just calm!¡± You could never hit the goal if you were too hasty or stressed. Shao Yunduan smiled and felt rxed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do!¡± He paused before adding. ¡°Let¡¯s go home!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and looked at him with a pair of sparkling eyes. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go home!¡± Soon it was Mid-autumn Day and they made mooncakes as well as many delicious dishes. They killed the duck to make crispy duck, bought themb chops to make pan-friedmb chops, as well as crispy roasted pork with the braised hoof and the golden brown and crispy skin. The fish and shrimp in the river were quite plump at this time. Two days before the Mid-Autumn Day, Qiao Xuan and Shao Xiaoqi went to catch fish. They got a lot of fish, and they were lucky enough to get two soft-shell turtles. On the Mid-Autumn Day, dishes such as braised eel segments, prawns in tomato sauce, boiled fish filets, and crispy small river fish were served on the table. The whole family celebrated the day together. What Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had not expected was that Yuezheng Xiao also had some presents delivered to them. The gifts included exquisitely-made mooncakes at the store in the province, six jars of fine liquor as well as several other snacks and pastries, fresh fruits, lotus roots and water chestnuts. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan epted them happily, especially lotus roots and water chestnuts, which Qiao Xuan was very satisfied with. Lotus roots were delicious while making cold dishes, stewed soup, or even when they were fried. Water chestnuts could also be fried, but it was more delicious when they were steamed. The fruits at Qiao Xuan¡¯s yard had ripened too. Jujubes, pears, grapes, pomegranates were themon ones, and she expected that Yuezheng Xiao would not be too interested in them, so she picked fourrge bergamots. The bergamot, which grew up under the care of her superpower, were particrly stylish and beautiful. They were huge, with long and straight ws, beautiful at the first nce. The golden color simply had no ws. The scent given out was very nice too. It held a special significance in Buddhism, prepared by madames anddies of rich families. It was not easy to buy things like these. In addition to the bergamot, the figs were also ripe, and the branches were covered with dense fruit. Qiao Xuan picked two full baskets and gave them to Qu Shan. There were fresh mushrooms and wooden ears as well. All of them were produced at her home, not very easy to buy. After the Mid-Autumn Day, the days became colder. The rice was growing well and could be harvested within a month¡¯s time. They got more than 10 kgs of honey wax from the honey in the floral field, which was enough for the lipsticks to be processed.. Chapter 344 - 344: Harvest Chapter 344: Harvest Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The honey would be kept for themselves to eat, or saved as presents after selling more than 50 kgs to Mingren Tang. The other medical herbs were growing well, but they could only be harvested every third year. With Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower, they could be harvested every second year. But she did not want to overdo it, otherwise it would be too unreasonable. The gastrodia dug from the mountains had already grown. After speaking with Manager Qin, Qiao Xuan asked Ms. Xu to harvest more than one mu of it. The gastrodia grew very well, and they had harvested more than 500 kgs from one mu. It was of great quality too. They obtained more than 2,300 liang at one go. Manager Qin got so happy and expressed that they should sell as many of these nts as possible in the future. Qiao Xuan gave Ms. Fang 200 liang and 150 liang to everyone except for Eldest Uncle. Qi and Taotao got the biggest portion whilst Shao Dng and Shao Sang as well as their wives received an equal amount. Everyone was very happy, and Ms. Xu could not help but start to count the money she had saved in the room. Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang got so excited that they talked about going into the town and buying some food to eat. But before they were done with discussion, Ms. Fang took away half of the savings and saved it up. Qiao Xuan counted her savings and found that she had 6,300 liang in total. Good¡­ Qiao Xuan smiled. It had indeed been a great year. The roses could still bloom two times. After they bloomed, they needed to be pruned again, and her superpower could be applied to let them continue to flourish in the winter with energy. What she needed to do was to wait for theing year when big and gorgeous flowers would grow vividly. She needed to go back and work on the lipsticks. Ms. Xu, Yang Xiaoni and Taotao were all ready to help Qiao Xuan with that. They were very upied, but it was highly motivating as well. They could earn 40 won a day! They could earn a lot already but this was another way of making money. When the first batch of lipstick was made, the flowers were trimmed, nourished with water. Also, Qiao Xuan put some of her superpower in it. As a result, after two weeks, thest batch of the lipsticks of the year could be put into production. She calcted and realized that they could make more than 1,500 in total. In that way, she could get more than tens of thousands of liang in properties. When the first batch of lipsticks were made, the rice was ready to be harvested. Autumn harvest was a busy period and much more tiringpared to spring plowing. The most feared thing when drying the grain was the rain. But in this season, a dark cloud and a shower often came, exhausting people. Every household was praying to Heaven to bestow good weather upon them. They would not feel relieved until they had the sun-dried grains put away in the storage. If it rained during the sun drying, the millet would turn ck, and the umted millet would ferment and then germinate, which was equivalent toplete waste. During the autumn harvest, everyone was racing against time to get good weather. Therefore, even if they had money and wanted to hire someone to harvest, it was very difficult to book theborers on time. The first section of the family was lucky to have managed to hire people, who worked for them for two days, and the grains were all brought in. The whole family went into the field. While Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang took care of young babies and made food at home, doing all kinds of housework, Taotao, Qi and Shao Yunduan went into the field and worked hard.. Chapter 345 - 345: Weather Forecast Chapter 345: Weather Forecast Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Autumn harvest differed from spring plowing. It required good timing. Taking advantage of the good weather and the bright sun, they needed to quickly harvest the mature rice and dry it in the sun, otherwise, if it rained, especially for several days in a row, it would be aplete waste. Qiao Xuan was a bit sorry about not having been able to develop her abilities of forecasting the weather. By sensing the sensitive changes of nts to the weather and the amount of moisture in the air, she could predict whether there would be rain or not. Now she could only predict the weather changes half a day ahead. But that was already good enough for this time of the year. She was able to know the future weather conditions half a day in advance, and that could help everyone perfectly avoid showers and ensure that the recovered food would not be wet by the rain. When the grains were recovered, the rain came down the following afternoon. Qiao Xuan hurriedly told her family more than half an hour in advance that it might rain in a while, and the rice had to be quickly gathered and covered with something, or carried to the house or under the eaves. Ms. Fang was a bit skeptical, but Shao Yunduan stressed that Qiao Xuan knew a bit about weather forecasts, and Ms. Fang was used to trusting Qiao Xuan. Thus she followed what she was told. Qiao Xuan thought about the other families, and told Ms. Fang asked Shao Dng to inform the others. It was a very important thing for them to harvest since rain would ruin everything. Shao Dng was honest and when he passed on the message, people tended to believe him. Hearing what Shao Dng said, the vigers looked up and saw the shining sun,ughing at him. ¡°Yunlian, you must be confused. Look at the fine weather, how can it start to rain soon?¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t joke about it at this time.¡± ¡°What about your own home? You can¡¯t have put the rice away!¡± Shao Dng found the message a bit confusing too. Heughed as he scratched his head. ¡°Yeah we have, but the weather changes a lot and we need to be very careful.¡± When Shao Dng was gone, everyone started to get very confused and hesitant too. ¡°Is it real?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Yunlian likes joking about¡­¡± ¡°But what does he know? He is kind but he is not so capable.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s just watch out for the weather.¡± Soon the wind sted, and the sunlight faded away. Someone¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he started to put away the rice. ¡°We need to be careful about everything.¡± ¡°Yeah, it seems that Yunlian is right. I think the weather is changing too.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it a normal change, it won¡¯t rain, will it?¡± So those who put away the rice had no problem with their crops because soon the rain poured down. Those hesitant ones did not make it, and some rice was unfortunately wet. They just hoped that the rain would notst for too long. From that time on, some families, who had been in a good rtionship with the first section of the family, kept their eyes on how the first section of the family moved. They would follow suit seeing when the first section of the family started to put away rice. Therefore, after a while, the first section of the family became the indicator of weather. Qiao Xuan did not stand out to say so, and when they were asked, they all said that it was Shao Yunduan who had learned that from books, and gained some knowledge about it.. Chapter 346 - 346: Teaching For Free Chapter 346: Teaching For Free Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The vigers suddenly felt a lot of respect for him. ¡°Cultivated Talent is very different from the rest of us!¡± ¡°Yeah, that is why he is a Cultivated Talent!¡± ¡°He is so smart, a Cultivated Talent knows everything!¡± Due to the autumn harvest, Shao Ling happened to be at home on the break from the college. Hearing the rumor, he felt so jealous that he sneered. ¡°He doesn¡¯t read anything from the books, he is just trying to fool you all!¡± The first section of the family was not helping the second and the third section of the family for the autumn harvest because they already owed them so muchbor fees. The second and third section of the family got really annoyed and only Eldest Uncle was willing to offer help. Therefore, Shao Ling was even more sour about Shao Yunduan. But what could be done anyway? The first section of the family was no longer helping them for free. If thev dared to challenge them. thev would show the contract to them. They had helped with the spring plow and would not continue to help them for free. Shao Ling was feeling very unconvinced. He went to Shao Yunduan and showed a fake smile. ¡°I wonder what books you have read, Cousin. Can you loan the books to me?¡± Qiao Xuan was mumbling about this annoying man inside her heart when Shao Yunduan said calmly, ¡°I am afraid not!¡± ¡°Why? You are so stingy!¡± Shao Yunduan replied. ¡°I came across the book when I was in the province but I did not buy it.¡± Shao Ling. ¡® He did not trust his cousin¡¯s words. But he had no evidence to prove that Shao Yunduan was lying to him. Shao Ling continued in a forceful voice. ¡°Oh, but how do you forecast the weather, what is the basis for it? Can I learn that too?¡± Before Shao Yunduan said anything, Ms. Fang got quite displeased. ¡°Ling, you are behaving over the top. Why must he teach you for free?¡± Qiao Xuan added. ¡°Yeah, he has mastered the skill and he is not going to teach anyone for free. You can pay him to teach you.¡± Shao Yunduan nced at him and said nothing more. In silence, he agreed with what Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang said. Also, that made sense. He had no obligation to share his skills with others for free. Anyone who understood that would not even ask about it. Shao Ling snapped and said, ¡°Then I am going to remind you, Cousin, that you are just fooling others. Be careful not to show your fox¡¯s tail!¡± Ms. Fang shouted. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Shao Ling stiffened and left the ce in pretentious calmness. Ms. Fang shouted behind his back. ¡°Don¡¯te to our door if you are going to continue to talk nonsense. Stay away from us, as far away as possible!¡± ¡°What kind of a man is that?!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Yunduan, just leave him alone, he is just narrow-minded and jealous.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I don¡¯t care.¡± Qiao Xuan whispered to him. ¡°Don¡¯t stress, I won¡¯t allow you to show your fox¡¯s tail!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and tilted his head, looking at her. ¡°Okay.¡± After the autumn harvest, Qiao Xuan and Taotao continued making lipsticks. Shao Ling was ready to take the examination. He would make it to a Cultivated Talent if he passed it. Ms. Ma and Third Uncle even took Shao Ling to kowtow to the ancestors and asked for their blessings.. Chapter 347 - 347: Furious Chapter 347: Furious Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Ma and Third Uncle were very confident. The reason why they were confident was that if Shao Yunduan could make it, so could their son. Ms. Ma was quite displeased thinking that Shao Yunduan became the Cultivated Talent before her son did, so she went to Ms. Fang again and uttered a few sour words. Ms. Fang said firmly, ¡°My son is a Cultivated Talent anyway!¡± That was a fact that could not be changed. Ms. Ma was indeed furious. The result was announced soon, but Shao Ling and Third Uncle were both quite distressed after checking the result in town. Ms. Ma¡¯s heart skipped a beat, as she forced a small smile looking at their faces. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look good? It is okay as long as you cleared the level!¡± Shao Ling threw her an expressionless look, snorted and returned to his room. ¡°Oh well¡­¡¯ Ms. Ma turned to look at Third Uncle. Before the Third Uncle was able to say anything, the Eldest Uncle asked concernedly. ¡°How is it? Did Ling make it?¡± Third Uncle instantly burst into anger. ¡°Eldest Brother, you are here to joke with us and poke us in the heart, right? Your son was lucky enough to make it, and he even has a wonderful wife. You don¡¯t need to show off here!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Eldest Uncle was shocked. He looked unconvinced and replied. ¡°I am here because I care about Ling!¡± ¡°You are not showing care towards us!¡± Third Uncle said angrily, ¡°You areughing at us!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Elder Uncle¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But¡­ Do you mean to say that Ling didn¡¯t make it?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ms. Ma¡¯s eyes widened as she screamed. ¡°How could that be possible? My son is so talented. How could he fail when Yunduan made it? It must be a huge mistake! ¡± Eldest Uncle frowned slightly at what Ms. Ma said. But he could notin about this. He opened his mouth and was about to say something, but then he sighed in silence. Third Uncle left in a hurry, saying nothing more. What else could he possibly say? Ms. Ma was still in shock, as she mumbled. ¡°That is not possible¡­ My son failed? But he can do anything, how can he fail?¡± Eldest Uncle sighed, nced at Ms. Ma and felt equally disturbed. He was very happy when his son Shao Yunduan made it because that was an honor for him. But he could not show off in front of the third section of the family when Shao Ling failed, fearing to hurt them deeply. For some reason, he could not help but feel a bit guilty when Shao Yunduan made it but Shao Ling did not. He had hoped that both Shao Yunduan and Shao Ling could make it to a high level. But Shao Ling failed once again. ¡°Sigh!¡± Eldest Uncle sighed, feeling distressed. No wonder his third brother snapped at him. ¡°Third Sister-inw.¡± Eldest Uncle felt that if he left without saying a thing, the situation would be even more embarrassing. So he sighed emotionally. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be distressed. Ling is still young and he can try again next time. Don¡¯t worry, he will definitely make it.¡± Ms. Ma red at Eldest Uncle. ¡°What if he fails again?¡± Eldest Uncle was startled. ¡°What?¡± Ms. Ma sneered. ¡°Eldest Brother, don¡¯tugh at us.. I know that you are happy that your son made it, but you can¡¯t possibly stab me in my heart, right?¡± Chapter 348 - 348: Messing Chapter 348: Messing Hurt and saddened? Of course, she was saddened. Ling was young? But Yunduan was not much older than him. He was justughing at Ling! Next time¡­ but the future could never be predicted. She had decided that he was justughing at them! The more Ms. Ma thought about this, the angrier she became. She sneered with a sunk face. ¡°Eldest Brother, your family is different from the past now. Your door¡¯s threshold is high now, too high for us to cross. You can go home now. You don¡¯t have to visit us any more, if you don¡¯t have anything else to say!¡± Eldest Uncle felt his chest hurt. ¡°Third Sister-inw, I am Ling¡¯s uncle and I really hope that he can do well.¡± Ms. Ma sneered and said ironically, ¡°These words are too much for us. We don¡¯t need your hope!¡± Those were fine words, but the first section of the family never did them any good during the past half a year. Eldest Brother just wanted to have a good reputation for himself without making any contributions. She was not going to allow that to happen. Eldest Uncle was shocked. He felt his heart breaking. He moved his lips and said nothing more. He finally left with a sigh. The moment Eldest Uncle left, Ms. Niu came and smiled. ¡°Hey, did your son make it?¡± Ms. Ma threw her a fierce look. ¡°Oh god.¡± Ms. Niu pped, feeling sorry. ¡°That is a pity!¡± That was not what she actually felt in her heart. She was actually cheering happily. This was excellent! Otherwise only her family wouldck a Cultivated Talent, and it would be bad. Seeing Ms. Ma¡¯s long face, Ms. Niu came up with an idea and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad about it, your son studies hard and he should have made it. It must have been sheer luck due to which it didn¡¯t happen.¡± Ms. Ma red at Ms. Niu, looking distressed. She hated to hear those words. Before she said anything, Ms. Niu winked and said, ¡°Hey, Ms. Qiao¡¯s father is County Magistrate. Maybe you can ask her for help. Perhaps she can speak with her father and help your son a little. Maybe your son passed the examination, but they made a mistake while evaluating his paper¡­¡± Ms. Ma¡¯s eyes brightened. Her heart started to throb. ¡°Yeah¡­ my son must have passed, but they made a mistake while going through the paper, it must have been like that!¡± Ms. Ma grabbed Third Uncle¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Ms. Niu pursed her lips. She felt quite d that Ms. Ma was convinced. The first section of the family was so annoying and she should cause them some trouble. But she needed to follow along. If Ms. Qiao did ask her father to help the third section of the family, then she needed to stop her. Soon, Ms. Ma and Third Uncle came out and Ms. Niu tagged along. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the first section of the family!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Hearing that Shao Ling and Third Uncle had gone home after receiving the result, Ms. Fang said after a moment, ¡°Yo, Ling fails again.¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°How do you know, Mom?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ms. Fang said naturally, ¡°They would havee to us a long time ago showing off and spreading the news across the whole vige!¡± Startled, Qiao Xuan thought about it and nodded with a chuckle.. ¡°You are totally right, Mom!¡± Chapter 349 - 349: Wasted Money Chapter 349: Wasted Money Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang sighed emotionally. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he make it? I thought he would. He has been devoted to studies for so long and has spent so much money. What more can he do after he has failed so many times? Ms. Fang did not like them, but she never wished anything bad for them. On the contrary, she wished that they could live a happy life so that her family could be left alone. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom, my husband is the only Cultivated Talent in the whole vige, so I am sure that it is never easy to be one. If that was an easy task, the title would not be so valuable any more.¡± As for what Shao Ling would do if he kept failing, Qiao Xuan did not dwell on it. It had nothing to do with her! Ms. Fang smiled as she heard her daughter-inw. ¡°True!¡± But soon she felt concerned. ¡°But so much money was spent on him. It is very costly to cultivate a student¡­¡± They were just talking when Ms. Niu, Ms. Ma and Third Uncle rushed into the house. ¡°Eldest Sister-inw!¡± Ms. Ma looked as if she had seen a savior and the light at the end of a tunnel. She rushed towards Ms. Fang and took hold of her hand tightly. ¡®Eldest Sister-inw, you have to help us right now. I will do anything for you if you help us!¡¯ ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ms. Fang was quite shocked and pulled her hand out. ¡°Third Sister-inw, what is going on? ¡®Eldest Sister-inw!¡± Third Uncle sighed as they walked in and took a seat. ¡°My son has been working very hard on his studies, right? You have witnessed ¡°Yes, our son has always been devoted to his studies and the teachers at the college speak well of him!¡± As they were talking, Eldest Uncle, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan as well as the other members of the first section of the family gathered together as well. Everyone was very curious as to what was going on. After all, Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma never liked Ms. Fang. So, what made Ms. Ma promise to do anything for them? Something big must be going on! Third Uncle said, ¡°But Ling failed at the examination. How could that be possible?!¡± Ms. Ma nodded constantly. ¡®Yes, even your son made it, and our son should have made it too! I mean¡­ our son is smart, devoted and he couldn¡¯t have failed like this!¡± Ms. Fang felt quite ufortable hearing that she was speaking ill of her son. She sneered inwardly, knowing that the couple must be up to no good. Doing anything for her? That was impossible They would never change what their character was from within. ¡°You are here to tell me this? Well, I don¡¯t know anything about it. What is the point of telling me about it?¡± Eldest Uncle added. ¡°Yeah, Third Brother and Sister-inw, Ling is still young and he will definitely make it in the future. Don¡¯t stress him too much!¡± Third Uncle and Ms. Ma did not like what they heard. Yeah, your son had made it so you could say whatever you wanted. If your son had failed, you would not have said something like this. Third Uncle said, ¡°Elder Brother, Elder Sister-inw, we don¡¯t believe that Ling really failed. We suspect that his paper has been wrongly judged. Hence, could the Fifth Niece-inw just tell her father Officer Qiao to check the paper for us? ¡°We are a family, and if Llng makes it and has a promising future, we will pay back this favor to Officer Qiao!¡¯ Chapter 350 - 350: Talk With Senior People Chapter 350: Talk With Senior People Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Third Uncle was worried that what had been said was not straightforward enough, so he rified again. ¡°Of course, we won¡¯t let Officer Qiao do that for free, we will prepare enough presents to thank him!¡± He almost said that he wanted Officer Qiao to cheat by helping add Shao Lings name to the list. Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle had not expected that Third Uncle and Ms. Ma would have thought about such a method. They, for a moment, had no idea what the family was talking about. Shao Yunduan¡¯s facial expressions changed and he said coldly, ¡°Are you crazy, Third Uncle and Third Aunt?¡± Eldest Uncle immediately reacted. ¡°Yunduan, what are you talking about?¡± They were already in a bad mood since their son failed the examination and he was just adding fuel to the oil! Shao Yunduan said coldly, ¡°Dad, have you understood what they mean? They are trying to make Officer Qiao cheat by adding Ling¡¯s name on the list. That is crazy! If it is revealed, Ling will never be able to attend any examination in the future, and Officer Qiao will lose his job, and he may be imprisoned too! You think this is a minor thing?¡± Ms. Fang shouted furiously. ¡°You are just mental, how can you even think about this?¡± Ms. Ma was shocked but still replied. ¡°You don¡¯t need to frighten us, it is not that serious! I just¡­ I just think that the paper is erroneously judged. It is a situation where a wrong needs to be made right!¡± Shao Yunduan responded in a clear voice. ¡°If you really think that the paper is wrongly marked, you can send the paper to the government office and ask the authority there to do a re-examination. Officer Qiao can¡¯t make this decision. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask your son yourselves!¡± Going to the government office? That was not possible! They would not be okay heading to a strange city in the province. Also, Ms. Ma did not think that it would work out favorably for them. That was not a ce for people like them to be at. Hence, she still insisted. ¡°It means that they can re-check the paper right? That is reasonable, isn¡¯t it?¡± As long as Officer Qiao was willing to offer the help, they could find any kind of excuse to do so, no one would dare counter that. Also Ms. Ma was confident that her son must have been wrongly-judged on the paper. Third Uncle was also somehow confident. ¡®Yes, as long as Officer Qiao can extend a hand, we can definitely make it. Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-inw, please, this is about Shao Lings future, we are begging you!¡¯ Shao Yunduan did not have any idea what more to say, but sneered. ¡°You think it is very easy to re-check the paper? If it was an easy thing, every participant would do so, and the whole situation would get messy. I told you, the officer and schrs should join forces to re-check the paper. Maybe, some learned people woulde forward and take a look at it as well. If there is any problem with it, then it would be Officer Qiao¡¯s fault not to have recruited the right talents and get seriously punished. If the result is the same, your son will be hit and forbidden to participate in the examination again in the future. Who told you that Officer Qiao has the right to make that call?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go to the office and ask about it!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°He is right. It is a huge thing if a mistake on the paper is done, and any wrong result can cause someone¡¯s death. You must be mental to have suspected the fairness of the recruitment.¡± Ms. Ma was not convinced. ¡°You are just frightening us!¡¯ ¡°Then you can go and visit the province yourself!¡± Qiao Xuan sneered.. ¡°You have nothing to lose, right?¡± Chapter 351 Not Waking Up Chapter 351 Not Waking Up "You can''t just go to the county, you have to go to the province! Oh, if you don''t believe me, you can go to the county office first and see if you return after some punishment." Eldest Uncle frowned at Qiao Xuan. He was very displeased by what Qiao Xuan said. She sounded quite impolite. He moved his lips but said nothing eventually. Ms. Fang was really furious by this point. She got up and started to drive them away. "Just leave us alone, one more word and you will get out of the family. If you want to get yourself killed, do so. Don''t drag us down!" Shao Yunduan said, "What about first asking your son what he wants?" Qiao Xuan could not help but add. "You keep saying that your son is smart and devoted, good at studies, but did the teacher tell you all of these things personally?" How could they be so confident that Shao Ling failed because his paper had been wrongly judged? Third Uncle was startled and almost jumped after what he heard. "What do you mean?" "I mean what I said." Qiao Xuan pursed her lips, "I won''t believe what I don''t see or hear myself." Shao Yunduan almost burst intoughter but tugged at Qiao Xuan. "Alright, let''s just drop it." He knew pretty well whether the teacher spoke highly of Shao Ling, and whether Shao Ling was smart and devoted, as he imed. But he was not going to tell the truth to the public since his cousin wanted to brag about his non-existent skills. After all, he would not be able to offer any evidence to the family. They might even call him jealous. But Qiao Xuan was so straightforward that she said it out loud. Third Uncle snapped. "Don''t you dare nder our son just because you are jealous of Elder Uncle''s heart almost skipped a beat. "Just drop it, Ms. Qiao!" His brother and sister-inw were already having a bad time and Ms. Qiao kept him!" Qiao Xuan rolled her eyes and countered. "My husband is already a Cultivated Talent and he is going to the next level next year. What am I jealous of?" Jealous of you who will never make it to a Cultivated Talent? "You!" Elder Uncle''s heart almost skipped a beat. "Just drop it, Ms. Qiao!" His brother and sister-inw were already having a bad time and Ms. Qiao kept poking their wounds! They were going to end up having a fight! Qiao Xuan was not afraid of Eldest Uncle. Instead, she said, "Dad, I am just reminding Third Uncle and Third Aunt out of kindness. They can believe me if they want to. I didn''t want to tell them this much nor did I have the intention of arguing with them because there is no point in arguing about this. I am not that bored, after all, to go to Minghua College and ask about this." Eldest Uncle. "¡­" Ms. Qiao''s words could always annoy him! Ms. Fangughed and nodded and said, "Ms. Qiao is totally right!" She was not mocking them, but the third section of the family had been way over the top in their conduct and she just could not help it. Ms. Ma snapped. "Why ask the teachers at college? Yunduan is here¡­ Yunduan, just tell us if the teachers speak highly of your cousin and call him devoted and learned or not." Shao Yunduan. "¡­" He really did not want to tell lies. "I only focus on my own studies. I am not sure if the teachers have spoken highly of my cousin. If you want to know about it, just ask him yourself." Chapter 352 - 352: Shao Liulang’s Uncertainty Chapter 352: Shao Ling¡¯s Uncertainty Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°What do you mean? Third Uncle asked him with force. He panicked for some reason. He subconsciously felt that what Qiao Xuan said was right, but he just could not ept it. Feeling confused, Third Uncle red at Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, sneering. ¡°You can just put it straightforwardly that you don¡¯t want to help us. Why do you still use my son? You are just jealous, and you just don¡¯t want him to be good!¡± ¡°Just wait and see! Proverb says that rain takes turns in pouring down, you can be as proud as you want, but my son will be far more excellent than you!¡¯ Ms. Ma snorted. ¡°True! Let¡¯s see whose turn it is to beg in the future!¡± Ms. Fang felt so annoyed when hearing their impolite words to her son. She snapped. ¡°Then let¡¯s see what happens. No matter what happens to my son, I will never turn to you for help! Anyways, we have never turned to you for any help ever!¡± Third Uncle got so annoyed that he ignored Ms. Fang and shouted at Ms. Ma. ¡°Let¡¯s just go!¡¯ Ms. Niu chuckled as she watched the whole show. Then she left with the couple of the third section of the family. Ms. Fang red at Eldest Uncle. ¡°Look at your brother¡¯s family, what kind of people are they? Yunduan is better than Ling, so what? They can speak highly of their son if they want to, but why must they talk down to our Yunduan?¡± ¡°I do hope that everyone can live a good life, but they don¡¯t wish so. They hope that we will have a hard life so we can turn to them for help!¡± ¡°But honestly, if that day reallyes, do you think that they will help you? Having said that, Ms. Fang left angrily without waiting for Eldest Uncle¡¯s Shao Yunduan left along with Qiao Xuan. The others all dispersed into different directions as well. Eldest Uncle, ¡® Eldest Uncle felt his heart breaking down. He had done nothing wrong, but why did he feel that everyone else believed that he had done something wrong? What had he done wrong? He was just feeling sorry for his Third Brother and Third Sister-inw! He was their family and he should feel sympathetic towards them, right? It was not good tough at them or counter them, no? When it came to the third section of the family, Ms. Ma got so annoyed that she cursed Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. The couple knocked at Shao Ling¡¯s door and asked him about what happened. Both of them talked one by one and they exaggerated certain things to make the story sound reasonable. After a long while, Shao Ling finally understood what they were talking about. He could not help but feel moved. Yes, he was very confident about his abilities, but why did he fail again? Maybe the paper was wrongly judged after all? If the paper could be re-checked, he might make it to the next level? Seeing the expression on his face, Ms. Ma got excited and snapped. ¡°Ms. Qiao and my nephew are just liars. They keep frightening us and saying that we can¡¯t do this unless we want troubleing to us. They just don¡¯t allow us to flourish!¡± Shao Ling brought himself back and his face changed. ¡°Just forget about it, the results can¡¯t be changed once they are out.¡± Third Uncle and Ms. Ma found what he said even more motivating. They could not forget about it but got increasingly driven. Forced, Shao Ling had to spill the truth. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were totally right¡­ ¡°Just forget about it, it isn¡¯t a good deal. Officers are not that easy to speak to.. What if they pick on us? We are just civilians, unable to counter them¡­¡± Chapter 353 - 353: Mountain In Autumn Chapter 353: Mountain In Autumn Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Third Uncle and Ms. Ma both fell silent. They were quite taken aback. Ms. Ma burst into tears. ¡°Ah, then what can we do? Poor Ling, your paper has been wrongly judged, how terrible it is!¡± Shao Ling also looked as if that was true. Third Uncle hesitated for a moment and asked discreetly, rubbing his hands. ¡°Ling, just tell me the truth, how are you doing in college? What knowledge have you obtained? Do teachers speak highly of you often?¡± Shao Ling felt quite confused, wondering what his father was talking about that he asked these questions all of a sudden. Ms. Ma could not hold a secret but said angrily, ¡°Shao Yunduan and Ms. Qiao say that you are just bragging about being spoken highly of by the teachers. The teachers couldn¡¯t have ignored you but turned to him instead, right?¡± Shao Ling¡¯s face changed as he said coldly, ¡°Just ignore what they told you! They just wish that we are worse than them. What good things cane out of their mouths?¡± ¡°That is true!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I need a break, just leave me alone.¡± ¡°But¡­¡¯ ¡°Just leave me alone!¡± Shao Ling pushed his parents out of the room, and shut the door. He let out a breath, feeling his cheeks heat up. He managed to lie to his parents, but felt quite uncertain inwardly. Why was Shao Yunduan saying this about him? He was in lucky to have reached where he was, and he was not in a position to use him of anything! Shao Ling clenched his teeth angrily. After grains went into the granary, and thest batch of lipsticks of the year were ready, the weather became much cooler. The leaves on the mountain were also gradually changing color and falling. The color-changing trees were mixed in the evergreen green mountains and forests, which was very beautiful. Qiao Xuan did a count. They had 1,536 lipsticks in total with four different colors by now. She decided to produce one batch of lip balms. It was much easier to make lip balms, but the remaining beeswax was only enough for around 1 000 pieces, ording to her experience. They could not get any more beeswax in autumn because soon winter wasing and the bees were all busy preparing for the winter. They had to wait for the spring next year to make more lipsticks. For Qiao Xuan and those who were good at it, lip balms were much easier to makepared to lipsticks, more handy. The four of them made 150 pieces within one day. After three days, they slowed down the pace. Many things started to ripen in the mountains when autumn came, and Qiao Xuan was eager to pay a visit there. The grapes in her garden were also ripe. ording to Shao Xiaoqi and Taotao, they were bigger than the original wild grapes growing on the mountain, and they were also sweeter and far more delicious. In fact, the wild grapes in the mountains were rtively small, but the ones in her garden were all big bunches. Qiao Xuan was d that her superpower helped her with all such things. Everyone didn¡¯t think it was too strange. They just assumed that the grapes grew well because they often took good care of them and fertilized them, so that they could grow better than the wild ones. In addition to the wild grapes, the dates, pomegranates, and lemons in the garden were also ripe. The persimmons were still a little bit sour, but they would soon ripen. This season was the time when the wild grapes were present the most in the mountains. Qiao Xuan wanted to get some more. She was going to wash them, drain them, and mash them intorge porcin jars, to let them ferment naturally to make some wine. It was a pity that the mountain grapes were not big enough, but the core was not small, otherwise they could have tried to convert them into raisins. There were many mushrooms, which also grew in autumn. Those were picked to be dried, and they should be delicious when eaten.. Chapter 354 - 354: Into Mountains Again Chapter 354: Into Mountains Again Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan had been thinking about the creeping figs and expected that they would be ripe by this point. Each fruit was slightlyrger than an egg. They could pick it and bring out a pack of finely crushed seeds from inside, and dry it in the sun. When they wanted to eat the jelly, they could wash it with water and let it condense. They could break the transparent jelly in a bowl, add some sugar water, a little mint juice, and some other nuts. That was the taste she had been thinking about for a long time. When the work in the farm wasn¡¯t that heavy, Shao Dng and Ms. Xu and others waited for Qiao Xuan to go into the mountain together. Shao Yunduan also wanted to take a break from his studies, so he offered to tag along. Qiao Xuan got quite motivated being in the environment where she was surrounded by nts. Since it was autumn when the liveliness wasn¡¯t that strong, she was slightly slower in using her superpower. Qiao Xuan decided to find some wild grapes in the first two days as well as other things. But birds in the woods loved to eat wild grapes, so they needed to hurry up before the birds pecked the nts. Wine made with grapes could be brewed easily, so they had threerge jars that could hold at least 100 kgs of wild grapes. Therefore, they only needed to get around 100 kgs of wild grapes. They were going to remove the veins, and the rotten and bad fruits. Wild grapes were nts with veins, and they kept climbing up to the top of the trees so as to get plenty of sunlight. Therefore, it was not an easy job to get the grapes. There were mountain grapes also present in low and wide ces, but often the mountain grapes in low ces did not grow well, and the output was very low. Shao Xiaoqi was quite familiar with the woods, and he was quite happy and energetic. There were all kinds of wild fruits in the mountains, especially in the sparsely popted and densely forested mountains. Soon, Shao Xiaoqi saw the wild grapes hanging on the top of the pine trees, as he said with a smile, ¡°Look, the grapes are there!¡± ¡°Yes, there are grapes!¡¯ ¡°They look delicious!¡± ¡°I agree!¡¯ Shao Sang and his wife said thest two words. The tree was not too tall and twigs were very thick, so Shao Xiaoqiclimbed up very easily while the others were just looking up at him. Soon Shao Xiaoqi came down and had half of the basket filled with the fruits. The fresh fruits were so beautiful and they all started to try some. They were lucky, as there were no birds visiting this grape tree, and the clusters were quiteplete Each bunch was about the size of three fingers and as long as a palm, and they were tangled tightly together. Each cluster was small but quite pretty. They were sharing the fruits, sweet and sour, amidst the unique freshness of the woods. ¡°Very delicious!¡± ¡°We can take so many of them back each year!¡¯ Qiao Xuan loved the taste too, a bit sour and sweet, suitable for wine making. They were eating the grapes while they walked forward. Qiao Xuan used her superpower and picked the ce where wild grapes were abundant. Soon, they ran into a patch ofnd where wild grapes were growing best. ¡°There are so many of them!¡± ¡°Yes, so many!¡± Chapter 355 - 355: Harvest Chapter 355: Harvest Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°It seems that there are many wild grapes in the mountains this year!¡¯ Otherwise how could they easily find one patch ofnd full of it? They all nodded in agreement. Their arrival had startled the animals who were eating the grapes. Soon, some birds took off. The trees were rtively high here, and some twigs were quite fragile. So they needed to be careful not to break them. They were all aware of this. As they were talking, they all went up onto different trees. Only Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan remained on the ground. They exchanged a look andughed. Qiao Xuan said with a smile, ¡°We are just waiting for the food toe to us!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°That is our ability too!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. Her husband had learned to speak tricky words! But the couple were not idle. Qiao Xuan just nced about with her superpower. This in-looking forest was actually a huge feast for the eyes of Qiao Xuan. There were treasures everywhere. She could see roosters, rabbits, muntjacs, and all kinds of wild birds. But she could not do anything about it. Still, she couldn¡¯t help wanting to pick all kinds of mushrooms in the forest. There were many kinds of straw mushrooms, pine mushrooms, side ears,rge mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms. Although the quantity of each type was notrge, the two of them still found quite a lot of them. By this point, they had not yet walked too far away. One hourter, those on the trees came down. Their baskets were filled with stuff, and they poured the grapes into tworge baskets carefully. They had harvested at least 20 kgs of grapes. That was a big harvest for wild-growing grapes. Seeing that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had got many mushrooms, they all cheered. They were going to have a lot to eat during dinner. They knew pretty well how tasty and fresh mushrooms in the mountains were. Shao Sang patted Qi¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Qi,e on, you should catch at least two wild roosters for the mushrooms!¡± They allughed. The team walked forward and within an hour¡¯s time, they found grapes again. This patch wasn¡¯t asrge, but they were still enough. They almost managed to fill up their baskets after this trip. So, Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni went home with the grapes first. Otherwise it would be too tiring to carry them around. Shao Sang still reminded Shao Xiaoqi as he was about to leave. ¡°Qi, don¡¯t forget about the roosters, or even rabbits will do!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. Shao Xiaoqi threw a helpless look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Third Brother, I am definitely going to get some!¡± As the couple left, Qiao Xuan and the rest were holding cloth bags. They stopped looking for grapes, but turned to search for mushrooms and wild animals. They had more than 30 kgs of grapes today, and they needed to deal with them before continuing the next day. Qiao Xuan could focus on finding the creeping figs at this moment. But she did not find any. Instead she found some more mushrooms whilst Shao Xiaogi got three roosters and five small birds, before they all headed home. On the way home, they got one muntjac. It was not that hot, especially during the night when the temperature dropped tremendously. The animals could stay fresh even when they were not processed on the same day. But they could not be put there for too long. They got down to work as soon as they came home. They needed to process the grapes overnight. They washed them, picked them off the twigs, filtered them and put them in the jars.. Chapter 356 - 356: Yuezheng Xiao And Xie Jingrong Chapter 356: Yuezheng Xiao And Xie Jingrong Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The 30 kgs of mushrooms were sorted by Qiao Xuan, who processed them well. Some not so good-looking ones were picked out for dinner, and others were sundried. Thanks to the bright sun during the daytime, they should be put away after a few days. They almost finished the sun dried mushrooms in spring, and what they had found today would be enough for them to make soup, and hot-pot in winter. They decided to eat two roosters, and two birds for dinner. The remaining animals would be put in Qiao Xuan¡¯s yard. Roosters were never that big, and the amount was enough for therge family. As the two birds were stewed with yams, one rooster had the breast meat sliced, marinated and battered, then stir-fried with fresh mushrooms. The rest was cut into dices and added with only ginger, garlic and scallions for braise. A te of stir-fried wax gourd, a bowl of dry-stir-fried beans, and a wolfberry sprout soup were served during dinner. Ms. Fang would not have minded to share some animals with the second and third section of the family in the past¡­ But due to what Ms. Ma and Third Uncle did a while ago, and the ridiculous request they put forward as well as the annoying look of Ms. Niu, Ms. Fang was really disgusted with them. So Ms. Fang was not going to share anything with them at all. Eldest Uncle had not yet said a thing when Ms. Fang snapped at him, so he fell silent. No one cared if he was happy about it or not. Anyways, they were already used to ignoring his feelings. He could not influence anyone around. After walking into the mountain for three days, they had found enough grapes. If they wanted to eat them in the future, they could bring them back in small quantities. But it was really not necessary because Qiao Xuan¡¯s garden had them, and the fruits were particrlyrge, even bigger than the authentic wild ones. They even got many mushrooms, some of which were fresh and some were sundried. They discovered a small patch of date forest, which had seven or eight trees, thick in trunk with a diameter of 30 cm. The dates were already ripe, crispy and sweet. They paid a visit to the mountain two times and got all the red, ripe ones down. They carried them home to dry. These would be made into dried dates, added to the stewed soup, added to the tea, to the porridge or eaten as snacks. They could also be used to make date cakes or date paste fillings. In addition, there were other wild fruits that could not be named, which were weird in shape and different in colors. Qiao Xuan could use her superpower to determine whether the fruits were poisonous or not. Actually, those wild children growing in the mountains could always tell that as well. Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao got a few and presented them to Qiao Xuan. After taking a break for two days at home, they decided to go into the mountains to find the creeping figs when Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong arrived there unexpectedly. Only now did Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan remember that they were here to hunt with them. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were afraid of drawing the County Magistrate¡¯s attention, so they changed into ordinary dresses and came with ordinary wagons, without showing anything about their real identities. The effort was totally worth the while. They spent one night at the hotel as they arrived at the county, and the following morning, they headed towards the vige. But they again ran into Widow Sun the moment they came to the vige.. Chapter 357 - 357: Widow Sun Again Chapter 357: Widow Sun Again Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qu Shan, who was sitting on the wagon, exchanged a cold look with Widow Sun, snorted and looked away. It was this woman who tried to set up his young master and Young Master Xie because of which he ended up being scolded. Qu Shan disliked this woman deeply. Widow Sun had not recognized Qu Shan at the beginning. She just found him a bit familiar. But wagons were rarely seen in the vige, so she suddenly remembered who they were. ¡°It¡¯s them! So they are visiting Shao Yunduan again? How can that man get to know so many rich people¡­¡± Widow Sun could not help but feel curious, wondering who was in the wagon. But she knew clearly that she could not visit them, otherwise Ms. Fang would st her off. But Widow Sun was too curious to restrain herself. She could not help but wonder what on earth was going on there. So Widow Sun went to Ms. Niu again. ¡°Hey, remember what I told you about the guests of the first section of the family? They are two rich young masters in the wagon!¡¯ Widow Sun winked. ¡°Your Meiling is still unmarried, right? This is a great opportunity, and you can¡¯t miss it! If Taotao steals the show and bes the wife of some rich people, your Meiling will have a lot of difficulty in finding a better suitor.¡± Ms. Niu did not want to speak with Widow Sun because Shao Yunduan turned her downst time when she asked. But when she heard thest sentence, she could not help but feel motivated. So, Shao Yunduan and Ms. Fang refused to introduce the two young masters to her because they expected Taotao to marry one of them? That was not going to work! Ms. Niu made up her mind and pursed her lips. ¡°Just forget about it, Shao Yunduan is nothing more than a Cultivated Talent. How rich can his friends be? But I can have a look at them.¡¯ Ms. Niu got up and started walking. Widow Sun followed up, smiling. ¡°It depends on who you areparing them to. The two men are in a wagon and they have servants. I believe that they are definitely richer than us, right?¡± Ms. Niu snorted, and admitted that Widow Sun¡¯s words made sense. She thought the same thing as Widow Sun. Those who could befriend Shao Yunduan must be rich but not as rich as those big shots. If the two women knew how much wealth the Yuezheng Family and the Xie Family had, they would not think about having a marital rtionship with them. Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s sudden visit surprised Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. The family met them for the second time and was already used to their arrival. They greeted each other, and Ms. Fang put away the gifts they had with them. She asked Yang Xiaoni to boil water and prepare the tea whilst instructing Taotao to fetch the keys from Qiao Xuan and pick some fresh grapes and dates from the garden to serve the guests. She had no idea about what to prepare for lunch, and decided to wait for Qiao Xuan to figure it out. The two young masters looked neatly-dressed and they seemed to be interested in dishes cooked by Qiao Xuan, not others. Ms. Fang felt very honored that these two young masters had befriended her son, and she decided to treat them well. The tea leaf wasvender whilst the fruits were newly picked. Yuezheng Xiao was very curious about everything in their family. Those ordinary-looking dates and grapes seemed quite unique in their eyes. They had a bite of each and sure enough, they tasted extremely good.. Chapter 358 - 358: Ms. Niu’s Excitement Chapter 358: Ms. Niu¡¯s Excitement Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Xiao said excitedly with a smile, ¡°The bergamots that you gave usst time grew so well that I shared two with Brother Xie who gave them to his grandma. She loved it. Do you have any more of those? Please give us some more this time.¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan gave that as a gift to Yuezheng Xiao during the Mid-Autumn Day but they did not give it to Xie Jingrong. That was because her family and the Xie Family were not in a very familiar rtionship and a family like the Xie Family would not receive presents easily. They had no idea what to give to them so they gave nothing to Xie Jingrong. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Yes, I have a dozen on the trees, all growing well. We will need three and four for the New Year, you can take the rest away.¡± The bergamots looked really good. Qiao Xuan considered nting some more next year. Yuezheng Xiao did not turn her down and smiled. ¡°Okay, I will take them!¡± Xie Jingrong nodded with a smile to express his gratitude. They did not need to think about what to take and give. They were just exchanging gifts. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduanughed. They appreciated friends like Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. They were just chatting, when Ms. Niu and Widow Sun walked in. Ms. Niu nced about and her eyes brightened, her heart throbbing in excitement. These two young masters were so handsome! Look at the clothes they were wearing and the wagon and the servants! Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao were not into showing off. They were not exquisitely-dressed for the trip to the Shao Family in the vige. That was why Ms. Niu believed that they were within her league, thus getting extremely excited. They looked handsome and they had money. They were just right to be her son-inw. Yunduan and Ms. Fang were so stingy not to introduce them to her. Now that she was here, she was not going to let them stop her! ¡°Oh, we have guests over! I have never seen you before. Where are you from, two young masters? ¡°Oh yes, I am Yunduan¡¯s Second Aunt, married to his real Second Uncle!¡± Ms. Niu was ncing at Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong, feeling quite confused and excited at the same time. Both of them looked so nice, which one should she pick? Xie Jingrong frowned and stayed silent. Yuezheng Xiao smiled, feeling that this so-called Second Aunt of Shao Yunduan seemed quite rough yet she was part of Shao Yunduan¡¯s family. So he was about to answer her when Qiao Xuan stood up. She took hold of Ms. Niu¡¯s arm and smiled. ¡°Second Aunt, you are here to speak with my mother, right? She is in the backyard,e with me.¡± She then nced at Widow Sun who was rolling her eyes. She asked her straightforwardly. ¡°Aunt Sun, what are you doing here? Visiting my mother Widow Sun smiled and said, ¡°We are guests and we can, of course, see each other. But Ms. Qiao, you are a junior in the family and you should not speak with me like this in front of guests, right?¡± Qiao Xuan had no interest in concealing anything in front of Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao. After all, not everything could be concealed or ignored. For example Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma, who always tried to portray as if they were a good, united family. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong would not mind the truth about their family situation, since they were friends. The two of them understood clearly what Ms. Niu was like the moment she showed up. It was totally reasonable when she spoke harshly.. Chapter 359 - 359: Driving Away Chapter 359: Driving Away Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Also, they both were from big, noble families, where they had seen infights all the time. So, they would not dislike them for no reason. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡®You spread a rumor about our family and had a fight with my mother. I am just curious about what you are doing here at our door?¡± Yuezheng Xiao burst intoughter. Widow Sun had not expected that Qiao Xuan would humiliate her in front of everybody. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she got so angry that she could not utter a word. ¡°Ms. Qiao, how dare you!¡± Ms. Niu nced at Qiao Xuan with an using look, then she smiled at Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao. ¡°Oh young masters, this is what my niece-inw is like, she has no idea what she is doing. Don¡¯t get mad at her! Oh yes, where are you from? What are your names?¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Ms. Qiao and Brother Shao are both very nice people.¡± Xie Jingrong nodded. ¡°True!¡± Ignoring Ms. Niu, Qiao Xuan pulled her away when Ms. Fang and Yang Xiaoni came out of the backyard, looking dumbfounded seeing the two women. Ms. Fang took hold of Ms. Niu and dragged her away. Widow Sun got a re from Ms. Fang and she hurried away saying that she had something else to do at home. Ms. Fang grabbed Ms. Niu in the backyard, saying furiously. ¡°Stop being so embarrassing at my house!¡± Ms. Niu was unhappy. ¡°Why am I embarrassing you? You just don¡¯t want us to live a better life! These two young masters look like a great match for my Meiling¡­¡± ¡°Stop it! Now!¡± Ms. Fang almost wanted to give her a kick. ¡°Ms. Niu, They are Yunduan¡¯s friends and they are here to visit Yunduan! Look at your Meiling, how can she be a match for them? Don¡¯t turn her into a joke so she has no reputation left! Or else don¡¯t regret your actionster. Their marriages will be determined by their families. If you want to make your daughter into either of their wife, go and rmend her in front of them directly!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ms. Niu sneered, hearing Ms. Fangs harsh words. ¡°What are you talking about? I know what you are thinking!¡¯ Ms. Niu lowered her voice. ¡°You are nning to match Taotao to them, right?!¡± ¡°What?¡± Ms. Fang was startled, not knowing what Ms. Niu meant. When she realized what Ms. Niu was trying to say, she raised her hands and almost pped right on her face. ¡°No one is as greedy and imaginative as you are!¡± Ms. Niu sneered and did not believe her. ¡°Anyway, you are wee to think what you like.¡± Ms. Fang said coldly. ¡°They are my guests, and if you dare to do anything, I will not forgive you, ever!¡± Having said that, Ms. Fang drove Ms. Niu out. Ms. Niu did not dare to walk into the room and left in anger. She was not giving up. She loved those two young masters and she needed to work hard for them. She understood clearly that it was the only chance she could have. Inside the room, Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Sorry for themotion. Please forgive them for what they have done and said.¡± Shao Yunduan did not want to tell them anything bad about Ms. Niu and the other woman. But he needed to warn them. The two women mighte up with some other ideaster. Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Brother Shao, don¡¯t worry. Every family has its own problems. My family affairs might be even worse than yours!¡± Xie Jingrong smiled. The Xie Family had many internal problems too, but not that bad, since no one dared to make a scene in front of him.. Chapter 360 - 360: New House Chapter 360: New House Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Xiao was sincerely treating Shao Yunduan as his real friend. Qiao Xuan made lunch. She killed a duck and braised it with sauce. Then, she made a pot of sour soup with small misceneous fish, steamed mandarin fish, tomato eggs, stir-fried wolfberry, shredded lettuce, and beans ording to the custom, Shao Yunduan ate with Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao outside, and the others were eating in the kitchen. Those from the first section of the family were quite calmpared to thest time when they met Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. Even someone as honest as Shao Dng came over and greeted them with a forced, embarrassed smile. Anyway, they were just very happy that the two young masters were from a good family and were willing to visit them at home and befriend his brother. In the afternoon, Yuezheng Xiao mentioned hunting and he had a long conversation with Shao Xiaoqi and Shao Taotao. Yuezheng Xiao got even more interested after that. They were here to go hunting in the mountains, so they decided to return the following morning. They did not show any disdainful look at the Shao Family¡¯s house, but the Shao Family¡¯s house was notrge enough to hold four people and one coachman. Since they had a wagon, they could head back to the town quickly. It was almost four in the afternoon when Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong went back to the town. Ms. Niu brought her daughter to their home, iming that she wanted to have a chit chat with Taotao. But in fact, she was nning on something else. Ms. Fang had already prepared for it. Before they could enter the yard, she drove them away, and even implicitly warned Shao Meiling. She told her not to behave stupidly like her mother lest she became aughing stock. Shao Meiling left with her cheeks burning red. Ms. Niu red at Ms. Fang and left timidly. Ms. Fang was speechless. She was telling the truth and was doing it for Shao Meiling¡¯s sake. Did Ms. Niu think that everyone else was stupid? The vige was too small to hold a secret. Widow Sun for example, talked a lot and she knew about this matter. It was shameless for Ms. Niu to get Shao Meiling to meet the two young masters, especially under a thinly disguised excuse. If the marriage worked out well, then all was fine, otherwise who would dare to marry Shao Meiling afterwards? Ms. Fang knew clearly that this matter would not work! Therefore, she decided to re-modify the house, especially making the gate tighter and locked properly. In the evening, Ms. Fang said to the whole family, ¡°Our house is too shabby and old, small too. Qi is getting married in a few years and you will all have children, so it is not big enough to hold you all! We need to build a new house.¡± It was a major thing to build a new house and everyone got very excited, talking between themselves. Qiao Xuan showed concern about it too. She could not help but look at Shao Yunduan. They exchanged a look which made Qiao Xuan feel quite embarrassed. She moved her gaze away from him. Did it mean that she was not leaving Shao Yunduan, ever? She had decided not to leave a long time ago, but she had not said that out loud. Also, Shao Yunduan had not said anything to have her stay back. But the way she behaved seemed so obvious to Shao Yunduan, who felt quite delighted. Eldest Uncle sighed. ¡°We do need to build two more rooms, but do we have any money for that?¡± Ms. Fang said, ¡°Two more rooms? We need to demolish the whole house and build a brand new one, to live a cozier life! As for money, we have saved some.¡± Eldest Uncle. . Chapter 361 - 361: Speechless Chapter 361: Speechless Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions When did she save money? Why was he not aware of that? At this point, Qiao Xuan chipped in to clear this up. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Dad, we went into the mountains a while ago, right? We found a patch of valuable medical herbs and sold them to the pharmacies in town, earning more than 50 liang, just enough for a new house!¡± ¡°What?¡± The Eldest Uncle¡¯s eyes widened as he responded in surprise. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°More than 50 liang.¡± Actually, Ms. Fang had decided to spend 200 liang to build a grand) new house but she cut the number as she said it out loud. Eldest Uncle wasn¡¯t good at counting so he would never know the real numbers. He was kept away from the truth not because they were afraid of the second and third section of the family. They just wanted to save unnecessary trouble so that everyone could live a happy and peaceful life. Soon the second and third section of the family would get used to them being ignored. Eldest Uncle was startled. ¡°Which medical herbs are so valuable?¡± Qiao Xuan replied crisply. ¡°Gastrodia, which is required by the pharmacies and that¡¯s why they paid us such an amount.¡± Eldest Uncle said voluntarily, ¡°So many good things in the mountains! You should describe it well so your Second Uncle and Third Uncle could also join you next time to seek it.¡± Everyone felt silent. ¡°Okay.¡± Qiao Xuan said with a smile, ¡°Gastrodia is rarely seen and we only ran into it once. When we see it next time, we will definitely bring it for them to learn from.¡± Eldest Uncle opened his mouth, feeling that something was wrong. But he could not figure out clearly what was wrong. He nodded. ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± Qiao Xuan really looked down at Eldest Uncle, who considered himself the head of the family. He kept taking unnecessary burdens onto his shoulders but still ended up being looked down upon by everyone. What did he really want from his actions? Qiao Xuan did not think that she would ever understand what he wanted in his life. Ms. Fang said, ¡°Just don¡¯t tell them right now about it. The medical herbs aren¡¯t found easily. If that was the case, they wouldn¡¯t be so valuable. If you tell them now, they may get anxious.¡± Eldest Uncle felt ufortable but replied with a nod. Shao Sang said with a smile, ¡°Mom, we are building a new house, aren¡¯t Ms. Fang looked motivated. ¡°Of course!¡± Everyone discussed how big the new house should be, how many rooms, and what kind of construction should be done. 200 liang would be plenty, but Qiao Xuan thought about adding some of her savings to the building so that the wall could be higher and best materials could be used for the decoration. What was the point of being rich and not use her money for making something good. This was a major event, and naturally it would not be finalized for a while. When everyone dispersed, they were still excited. The following day, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong arrived there early in the morning. Qiao Xuan and the others all got up early too. Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao happened to be right on time for breakfast. For breakfast, there was white porridge that was thick and fragrant, as well as steamed flower rolls and steamed buns. The homemade kimchi included radish strips, cowpeas, red peppers, carrots, green lettuce which had been ced on the table. Also, there was a te of crispy finger-sized fried fish wrapped in batter, diced radish, shiitake mushrooms, and diced chili sauce that acted as side dishes to apany the meal. In particr, the kimchi had a special fragrance, salty and sour, refreshing and bright in color. Just looking at it made people salivate.. Chapter 362 - 362: Into Mountains Chapter 362: Into Mountains Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao had never seen this kind of food before. They started to drool when they smelled it. They had eaten breakfast but when Shao Yunduan asked them to join him, they still ate half a bowl of porridge with kimchi. Yuezheng Xiao still had some lingering taste in his mouth. ¡°Your kimchi tastes really good. I am already addicted to it.¡± Shao Sang stepped forward and said emotionally, ¡°That is true! I also feel so! But my mom stops me from eating much!¡± His. Ecu 1b. She nced at her dumb son. He ate too much to suffer from indigestion but he was now saying that he could not eat enough? He was so dumb! Yuezheng Xiaoughed. Qiao Xuan said, ¡°It is very easy to make it. I can tell you how to make it, and you can ask your servants to do it for you.¡± Making kimchi was the same as making pickles. Anyone who could make food could make it. Qiao Xuan had not thought about selling it for money, so she could share the recipe easily. Taotao and Qiao Xuan often made one huge bowl for the family¡¯s consumption. It was very easy to make, and the ingredients were easy to prepare as well. But the whole thing tasted great, and that added some fun in their food, which was wonderful. Yuezheng Xiao felt a bit shy and said, ¡°Wee to your home to get a lot of things. It is very generous of you to share it all with us.¡± Xie Jingrong said, ¡°We have some wonderful recipes for making pastries at our home too and I can share them with you.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled and she nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay, okay, that would be wonderful!¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°I have some too, and I am happy to share them with you.¡± Having eaten breakfast, they wrapped ten steamed buns and picked the tools to take along with them. Soon, they headed straight into the mountains. Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s servants followed along. They had changed into somefortable clothes and shoes that were easy to walk in. They wanted to go deep into the mountains for a great hunt. Shao Xiaoqi was very excited about being the guide for the gang. He wanted to show what he was capable of, hoping secretly that they could run into somerge prey such as wild goats, and deer. But not asrge as wild boars, bears or tigers¡­ The original ecological forest had beautiful scenery, majestic and quiet, including strange rocks. Sometimes a clear stream flowed past, and asionally they could see waterfalls of different sizes, autumn chrysanthemums swaying. and the color-changing leaves flying with the wind. There were all kinds of red, and purple wild fruits adorning the branches, a feast for the eyes. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong had hunted before, but no one ever dared to take them into the real mountains. They only went to the foot of the mountains or a shallow cluster to have fun. It was the first time for them to be inside such deep mountains. Even the air they breathed in seemed to be rather different. They were quite amazed by this kind ofndscape, and spoke highly of it. Seeing that Young Master Xie and Young Master Yuezheng, who were born in a noble family, were so interested in this kind of ce, Shao Sang and Shao Xiaoqi could not help but admire them. They kept telling them about the surroundings, and they were engaged in an animated conversation with each other. Shao Xiaoqi would hunt wild roosters and rabbits when they ran into those animals. Sometimes, he would ask the two young masters to pull the arrow on the right asion. Yuezheng Xiao did not know how to shoot. He only did that based on his own instinct and unsurprisingly, missed the target all the time.. Chapter 363 - 363: His Skills Chapter 363: His Skills Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Xie Jingrong was quite a surprise. He managed to hit two wild roosters. They were shocked but Xie Jingrong just smiled, saying that he had learned a little bit of shooting and riding before. Shao Yunduan could not help but admire him secretly. A well-mannered man should have six skills, including shooting and riding. Xie Jingrong was really good at shooting and riding after being trained by the Xie Family and he looked elegant when he did it. That was amazing. Both Qu Shan and Xie Dong were delighted. They barely had this kind of fun before and every time one prey was shot down, they would go to fetch it as if they had hit it themselves. Yuezheng Xiao was not sad even if he failed. They were just here for fun! Apart from hunting, Shao Xiaoqi and Taotao even picked some wild fruits to share with them, like wild grapes. They also came across a few peach trees. The red fruit was not much bigger than a duck¡¯s egg. It tasted good, crisp and sweet, with a peachy fragrance. So, they got a few ripe ones to take them home. Qiao Xuan picked some mushrooms, which drew Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s curiosity. Half a day passed, and there were norge animals seen, but soon after lunch) they ran into a muntjac. Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s eyes sparkled. He rubbed his hands in excitement. ¡°We are lucky to run into such arge dude. Shh, no sound, it is quite cautious¡­¡± Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s thick eyebrows were raised, and he looked sharp. He stopped the others from moving, but amongst the shadow of bushes and trees, he moved forward slowly. At the proper distance, he pulled the bow, aimed with one eye shut at the animal¡¯s heart and released the arrow directly. It hit right on the animal¡¯s heart. The animal let out a scream and then copsed. It struggled for a while and finally stopped moving. Qu Shan and Xie Dong cheered. ¡°He hit it again, again!¡¯ The two servants rushed to carry the animal back. ¡°You are great, Qi!¡± Yuezheng Xiao raised his thumb at Shao Xiaoqi,plementing him sincerely. Shao Xiaoqi scratched his head and smiled in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡± ¡°Very good, not just okay!¡± Yuezheng Xiao said with a smile, especially when he was hunting the muntjac a while ago, Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s whole state immediately became different. He was a bit fierce when he was serious, with that posture, that movement, that expression¡­ those who did not know what was going on would think that he was not hunting, but facing a fierce enemy. When he thought about how he had hunted the roosters and rabbits, he seemed to be just having fun. ¡°You can join the army. You will definitely shine there! Right, Brother Xie?¡± Xie Jingrong nodded. ¡°Yes, Qi, you are totally professional, and if you join the army, you can stand out very easily. Who taught you all of these skills?¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged a look and their hearts sank. They did not think that it was not the right time to tell the truth, but they had no idea what else to say. Both of them were quite surprised too that Qi seemed to be an expert. But then who was Hunter Zhao, who taught him these skills? Why did he spend the rest of his life in this vige? Shao Xiaoqi replied casually. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.. An experienced hunter taught me these, but he passed away a few years ago¡­¡± Chapter 364 - 364: Rejection Chapter 364: Rejection Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The hunter had instructed him to tell this version to those who asked him where he learned the skills. He was asked not to say anything more than that. ¡°Oh, what a pity!¡¯ Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong did not dwell on the matter any longer when they heard that he had learned it from an experienced hunter. They even believed that they had been mistaken. They were not very professional people, and they might have been mistaken about Shao Xiaoqi. But one thing was for sure. Shao Xiaoqi would have a promising future if he joined the army. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Qi is still too young to leave home. If we can support ourselves at home, our parents would not let him join the army.¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Yes, that makes sense!¡± Xie Jingrong nodded and added. ¡°If you ever change your mind one day, you can tell me about it.¡± The Xie Family had no direct contacts in the military, but it was easy for them to help Shao Xiaoqi. Shao Yunduan thanked Xie Jingrong sincerely. ¡°Thank you so much, Brother ¡°You are wee!¡± With a lot of load on their shoulders, they finally decided to head home. They ran into a patch of wild lilies, so they paused to dig some. Lilies could be first steamed and sun-dried, then dried and put away, to add to soup, porridge, and even in boiled sugar water. They could also be ground into powder and added to cakes. Fresh lilies were delicious whether they were fried or woked with beef. They looked like snowkes of petals, extremely beautiful. After they went back home, they sorted and processed the goods. The whole family was used to this kind of work, so everything was settled quickly. They had many hunted animals at home, including 12 roosters, 6 wild rabbits as well as some other small birds. Autumn muntjacs were extraordinarily plump, and so was this one. The fur was shiny, and the meat was firm and tender at first nce. It weighed about The second and third section of the family were all here to check out the spoils from the mountains, so they had to share some with them. They could not put away the meat because it would get rotten, and the vigers would not spend money in buying these animals unless it was for New Year, even though they were sold at a low price. Ms. Fang gave two roosters and one rabbit to each section of the family. She even shared 2.5 to 3 kgs meat of muntjacs with them as well. Ms. Niu did not expect that the two young masters were here again. She regretted deeply inside her heart and keptining about Shao Sang and Qi. ¡°You went hunting in the mountains? Why didn¡¯t you take your Second Cousin and Fourth Cousin as well as Meiling with you? They could have contributed to your hunt! The two young masters would not have been to mountains before and they needed to be taken care of.¡± She saved some of her face by avoiding saying directly that Shao Meiling would have taken care of them. She was trying to tter Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong, and her eyes were rolling and ncing at them as she talked. But neither of them spoke to her. Ms. Fang added. ¡°They just took a walk around in the mountains. What was the point of bringing so many people alongside? That would only lead to trouble!¡± ¡°That is not true, the two young masters are from the city and they are not born like us rural people. They can¡¯t stand the pain, right? We could have taken good care of them!¡± Ms. Niu was still staring at the two young masters. But neither of them turned their heads to look at her. Ms. Fang got so annoyed with her embarrassing behavior that she drove her out and said, ¡°It is gettingte, Second Sister-inw. How about going home to make dinner? The meat is fresh and needs to be cooked well.. Chapter 365 - 365: The Jelly Made Of The Creeping Figs Chapter 365: The Jelly Made Of The Creeping Figs Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Niu could not help but feel greedy. It was getting veryte, and the two young masters must be leaving soon. She could not do anything with the first section of the family around, so she had to leave. But the two young masters did not leave. Instead, they stayed back for dinner. The freshly hunted animals should be excellent to eat. Qiao Xuan used all kinds of seasonings and prepared the dinner. They had dried bamboo shoots, fresh mushrooms and she woked them together for some in yet delicious home-made dishes. After dinner, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong left. Qiao Xuan said to them with a smile, ¡°Remember toe for breakfast tomorrow morning! We can have steamed buns with those meat as fillings.¡± Both of them nodded in agreement. They dide for breakfast the following morning. Qiao Xuan and Ms. Xu got up early to cook breakfast. The meat of two roosters was removed, and the remaining chicken racks were used to cook porridge. The rooster was chopped, and some chopped green onions and shiitake mushrooms were added to make the bun stuffing. The muntjac meat was minced for pies. They added some hot and sour kimchi and chili sauce, making the breakfast look delicious and appetizing. They ate breakfast and headed into the mountains again. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong loved thendscape of this ce. They were not tired at all. They were heading back the following day, so they kept hunting more animals and decided to bring them back home. They were very lucky, because Qiao Xuan finally found the creeping figs she was looking for. The fruits were slightly bigger than eggs, resembling steamed buns. One bush had many fruits on it. Qiao Xuan pretended to look surprised. ¡°Oh man, those are the creeping figs, really good things. Pick them and we can make jelly with them!¡± The creeping figs were sliced open and there were many thin seeds that could be used to make jelly. This kind of seed could be preserved for a long time after drying. When they wanted to eat jelly, they could just wrap it in gauze and gently scrub it back and forth in water. Then they could add a little gypsum and it would solidify into transparent jelly. If they could add some almond powder, or bleti striata powder, they could get jelly with different colors. ¡°These can be used to make jelly?¡± Shao Xiaoqi and Taotao were both very surprised. Qiao Xuan used grass to make jelly, but did this nt work too? Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. Taotao cheered. ¡°Let¡¯s pick them!¡± Jelly was a really good thing, and they all loved it. They were so delighted hearing that they could make jelly with this and that it was preservable. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong had no idea what it was. ¡°What is jelly?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°A kind of snack, let¡¯s go home early today and I can make some for you. If you like it, we can dry the creeping figs and have them delivered to you.¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Of course, that must be a good thing!¡¯ They allughed. They had more than 50 kgs of the creeping figs, and Qiao Xuan asked Shao Xiaoqi to remember this spot because they were going to return in a couple of days to chop some twigs to bring home. They would need to have some figs too. They carried the figs together, so it was not very heavy for them. Then, they continued with the hunting. However, they still failed to run into huge animals, except for a gang of wild boars. They wererge in size, and had sharp teeth. They did not dare to move until the animals were gone.. Chapter 366 - 366: Business Chapter 366: Business Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions There wererge animals in the mountains, many of them actually, but they were not to be hunted. Qiao Xuan found a herd of wild sheep, mountain deer, and muntjacs several times, but the distance was not close, and the mountain road was not easy to walk. By the time they walked over, they would have gone nowhere. They were not professional hunters and they were not strong enough to run after them. Shao Xiaoqi might be able to cope up, but not the rest. No one would allow Shao Xiaoqi to hunt them down alone anyway, what if something happened to him. Anyways, what they had got was already enough. Back at home, Qiao Xuan and Taotao started to make the jelly together. The fresh creeping figs worked well. When the jelly that was solidified like crystal in therge porcin bowl was ready, they used a spoon to scoop small pieces into the small bowl to break it, added the boiled honey syrup and a little mint juice, and carried them out. Everyone from the first section of the family seemed to look forward to the jelly, including the two youngest children who were really eager to eat them. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong got even more curious about it. When the jelly was finally served, they saw how it looked and became aware that the waiting was worth it. They took a spoonful of it quickly. It was smooth, tender, and stic. The sweetness of honey and the coolness of mint adjusted the taste of jelly, turning it into a delicious snack. Yuezheng Xiao was surprised. ¡°How amazing! How can the fruits lead to such a thing?¡± Xie Jingrong was very impressed as well. They were born noble and had been offered numerous delicious things, but they were only served when the dishes were ready. That was the first time for them to pick the ingredients, make them and see how the dishes were prepared. So they found the whole thing really interesting! The fruits that looked so ordinary had been turned into such crystal-clear jelly after some processing! It looked beautiful and was delicious too. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Later, I will ask my husband to write the recipe to you, and you should take some of these fresh fruits back! It¡¯s toote today, but you can add some chopped walnuts, chopped peanuts, raisins, etc., or even diced fresh fruit to this jelly. It would taste excellent. It¡¯s a pity that there is no ice at home, otherwise adding crushed ice makes it more delicious!¡± Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong thanked her happily. Yuezheng Xiao looked at the couple and suddenly smiled. ¡°Brother Shao, and Sister-inw, I have an idea. Why don¡¯t we open another store and just sell this jelly? Brother Xie, join us as well. I¡¯ll find two reliable dessert masters. Besides this jelly, if I think about a few other things, this shop will definitely be operated well. Brother Xie and I pay the cost, and we share the profit equally. As for the raw materials, Brother Shao and the others provide them here, and the store buys them at market prices.¡± Qiao Xuan had predicted something like this to happen. She exchanged a look with Shao Yunduan, who did not object, so Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That should work, when it gets hotter next year. We can find some fruits before it happens, otherwise the raw materials would not be enough. But we can¡¯t just keep looking for fruits, since their avability is totally out of our control. We can buynd and nt them ourselves.¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled vigorously. ¡°You can think about this whilst we can find some suitable store for it.. We should make it work, though it is a small thing, the profits should be huge!¡¯ Chapter 367 - 367: Not Aware Chapter 367: Not Aware Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Then they started to have some discussion about the new venture. In this way, the recipe should not be spread around and Xie Jingrong, Yuezheng Xiao expressed that they would only ask their most trusted servants to do that, not others. Moreover, they would never tell anyone that the creeping figs were the original material used for making the jelly. Qiao Xuan was d because with Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s help, she would be able to open the shop soon. All she needed to do henceforth was to lie still and get earnings, instead of being worried about getting set up bypetitors. Although she did have the n of opening a few dessert stores after a few years, she also believed that finding a partner would help a lot. However, one store would not bring in much money. Only a chain of shops would help to bring in a lot of profits. They could serve sugar-water, jelly as the main dishes whilst adding some exquisite pastries and snacks¡­ as for how they should do that in detail, they needed to have some more discussions. Qiao Xuan did not need to worry about page boys that ran errands, because Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong would help with that. They could arrange someone to do that and there would be no obstacles for them. It was definitely much easier to do the business in a partnership than being alone. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong staved back at the first section of the family for dinner. Rabbit meat was fried in oil, the roosters were stewed in water, and a few small grouse were simply marinated and then deep-fried. They were the size of pigeons, and were easy to cook in a pan. The skin was golden and crispy, the meat was tender and juicy. They made another pot of sauerkraut and mixed fish, and stir-fried two fresh vegetables. They were going away the following day, but they would visit them and stay overnight when the new house was built. Ms. Fang smiled and nodded at the two guests in enthusiasm. Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang prepared a lot for them to bring away, including bergamots, roosters, hares, fresh mushrooms, fungus, some fresh fruits¡­ Since they were leaving, the dinner was prepared ahead of time. They were just about to eat dinner, when Shao Ling and Third Uncle arrived. Third Uncle was feeling a bit displeased. ¡°Yunduan, your friends are here, why not ask your cousin to join you, you just don¡¯t know what to do!¡± Shao Ling had been studying at the college in town for years and he could figure out people better than his family did. Judging from Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s manners, he could tell that they were not in a low position and that they were not just some rich people or ordinary businessmen. Especially Xie Jingrong, who looked so handsome and well-behaved. He was definitely more than just an elegant man. Shao Ling let out a sigh of relief. Hearing that the first section of the family was receiving some guests, who were Shao Yunduan¡¯s rich friends, he had the intention ofing and seeing what was going on. He did not expect his mother toe with him because he knew clearly that his mother would ruin his face. He did not even want Xiaozhi toe along, fearing that she would cause trouble as well. Hearing what his father said, Shao Ling interrupted with a gentle tone. ¡°Dad) don¡¯t say such words about your cousin. We are in a good rtionship, and his friends are mine too. He probably thought that I would not like joining them in the mountains, thus he didn¡¯t tell me about it.¡± Third Uncle was startled. ¡°But¡­ ¡°It is fine. Just go home, Dad. Mom is waiting for you at the dinner table!¡± Third Uncle had no idea what made his son do so, yet he believed that he had a reason for his behavior. So he had to press down his questions and quietly left in silence. Shao Ling walked up in a manner he considered elegant, and greeted Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao with a smile. ¡°My name is Shao Yunjiang from Minghua College, Yunduan¡¯s sixth cousin.. How should I address the two of you Pi, Chapter 368 - 368: Forget It Chapter 368: Forget It Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Xiao almost rolled his eyes. ¡®Why should I tell you how I am addressed?¡¯ Shao Yunduan felt very helpless. He did not think that his cousin was leaving anytime soon and he could not drive him away either. Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao could not just reveal their identity but mentioned their surnames. ¡°You can call me Young Master Xie.¡± ¡°Me too, I am Young Master Yue!¡± Yuezheng Xiao said inwardly that not everyone would be allowed to call him Young Master Xie, it was already an honor! Otherwise, they would not even want to look at this young man. Shao Ling did not find the attitude of the two of them embarrassing. He smiled and sat downfortably. ¡°Oh, two young masters, greetings, wee to our vige¡­¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡® Anyway, he decided to keep a low profile. The moment Third Uncle left, Ms. Fang asked Taotao to shut the door. Ms. Fang regretted not having closed the door to avoid the trouble. Seeing the ttering smile on Shao Ling¡¯s face, Ms. Fang could not help but feel furious. Soon the sound of door knocking arose, and instead of opening the door, Taotao went to get her mother. Ms. Fang came to open the door with Yang Xiaoni and Taotao, seeing that it was Ms. Niu at the doorstep. Ms. Niu nced at Ms. Fang who did not let her in, so she snapped angrily. ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, what are the two young masters doing here again? Why didn¡¯t you ask our sons and Meiling to join them into the mountains for hunting? You can¡¯t possibly be avoiding us just because you have befriended some rich people.¡± Ms. Fang almost fainted out of annoyance. ¡°They are Yunduan¡¯s friends!¡± Ms. Niu pursed her lips. ¡°So what? My sons can make friends with them too, Those two young men were just slightly richer than they were, so what? Ms. Niu would never want to befriend them but for their looks. Those two handsome young masters were just right to be her daughter-inw! Ms. Niu was still wondering which young master she should pick for her daughter. Ms. Fang snorted. ¡°They like quietness, and don¡¯t prefer spending time with people they don¡¯t know.¡± Ms. Niu¡¯s lips pursed. ¡°They can develop friendship, right? Are they leaving soon? Will theye tomorrow?¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s eyes rolled as she replied with a sarcastic smile. ¡°Of course they are leaving, but I am not sure if they wille back tomorrow.¡± Ms. Niu heard that and decided to squeeze in. ¡°I will go and ask them!¡± ¡°Save your breath! They are leaving soon!¡± Ms. Fang said, ¡°You can ask Yunduan. Don¡¯t try to push your way in!¡¯ Ms. Niu was unconvinced. Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Those roosters and wild rabbits are not enough for you!¡¯ Hearing the threat, Ms. Niu was still annoyed but did not dare to counter her. ¡°Alright, I wille and ask Yunduanter!¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Ms. Fang shut the door and kept Ms. Niu outside. Ms. Niu was not convinced. But she did not want to argue with Ms. Fang so as to leave a bad impression on the guests. She stared at the first section of the family¡¯s house and decided to wait until the guests came out. She would step forward then to meet them. Let¡¯s see if Ms. Fang would be able to stop her. If Meiling could marry a good family, the first section of the family would be honored too, right? What were they trying to hide here anyway? The Eldest Brother kept talking about how united they were as a family! Chapter 369 - 369: Too Annoying Chapter 369: Too Annoying Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They lived separately and they only cared about themselves. They should not trust him too easily. In the hall room, dishes were served at the table, and Shao Yunduan, Shao Sang, Shao Xiaoqi as well as Shao Ling were all keeping the guestspany. Shao Dng and Eldest Uncle were not yet back. They were not at all shy to talk about everything. Qu Shan and the pageboys had been provided food as well. Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan had not yet started to eat, because they were waiting for Shao Dng, Ms. Xu and Eldest Uncle to return. Even though Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao ignored Shao Lingpletely, yet he still behaved as if he were very well mannered and learned so as to leave a good impression on the two young masters. He did not intend to leave when the dinner was served. Especially when he saw the delicious dishes on the table. As the strong scent went into his nose, he could not help but swallow down his saliva. Shao Ling did not believe that the first section of the family had made those dishes. He assumed that Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao had brought the food from some restaurant from the town. That made him feel even more envious. The dishes must have cost a lot because they included meat and were delicious, well-made and filled with rich ingredients. These two young masters were so generous. They must belong to really rich families! As they were seated, Shao Sang and Qi also took their seats. But Shao Ling said, ¡°Third Cousin and Qi, you don¡¯t read, what is the point of being seated here? You won¡¯t understand what we are talking about, you can leave us here instead.¡± Shao Sang rolled his eyes. Leaving them here? Whose home was this? He not only came to their home to show off but even behaved as if he were the master of the family. Shao Sang did not want to be talked down to. Before Shao Yunduan said a thing, he smiled. ¡°Sixth Cousin, this is not right. What about you going back home and asking the Third Aunt to prepare a table of dishes to treat the two young masters? Shao Ling stiffened and asked with displeasure. ¡°What do you mean? Xie Jingrong said, ¡°Sang and Qi are both very nice.¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed. ¡°Let¡¯s just eat. We should leave before it gets too dark!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and nodded. ¡°Please!¡± Shao Ling was quite displeased but said nothing more. Seeing that everyone started to eat, he could not stand it any more. He took a piece of meat and bit it, and found that it was delicious! He added half a golden fried grouse, and it was amazing as well. He wished that he could even chew the bones. Shao Ling kept reminding himself to remain well-mannered, still he just could not help but reach for the dishes. He enjoyed it so much that he forgot to suck up to Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao. As a result, Shao Yunduan and Xie Jingrong as well as Yuezheng Xiao had a nice chat with each other. It was a good meal, but it was a bit disappointing for some outsiders to get in. Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao didn¡¯t eat much but Shao Sang and Qi didn¡¯t want to let Shao Ling eat too much so they kept eating. By the end, Shao Ling was quite full. Xie Jingrong, Yuezheng Xiao waved goodbye to Shao Yunduan and Ms. Fang, as they put the things onto the wagon and were about to leave. Yuezheng Xiao had taken away the 1,500 lipsticks and 500 lip balms. Qiao Xuan nned to make several more lip balms, since they just had this much raw materials.. Chapter 370 - 370: Goodbye Chapter 370: Goodbye Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Generally speaking, Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao were very satisfied by what happened. They enjoyed thendscape, hunted, ate good food and started a new business n. They waved goodbye to each other at the door. Xie Jingrong tried his best to go forward just to speak a few words with Xie Jingrong, trying to hold Xie Jingrong¡¯s hands. But Xie Dong could not stand it any more and separated Shao Ling from Xie Jingrong. He said impolitely, ¡°Stay away from my young master!¡± Xie Jingrong nced at Xie Dong and said calmly, ¡°Okay, okay, do not be so rude to Brother Shao¡¯s cousin.¡± Hearing that, Qiao Xuan almost burst out inughter. Xie Dong apologized. ¡°Sorry for being so straightforward, sorry!¡¯ Instead of saying anything more, Xie Jingrong gave him an understanding look. Xie Jingrong was a very outstanding man, and was used to being pestered by outsiders. He knew what to do so as to turn people down. But he had never run into someone as annoying as Shao Ling. Shao Ling understood clearly what Xie Jingrong meant. He forced an embarrassed smile and his cheeks turned red. Having said the words, Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao went onto the wagon. At the same time, Ms. Niu rushed forward with Shao Meiling, whose face was flushed. ¡°Oh, two young masters!¡± Ms. Niu rushed forward and smiled. ¡°It is getting sote, why not stay for one more night? We have two empty rooms for you to stay overnight!¡± ¡°Second Aunt, these two young masters still have business to do and anyways, we can entertain them well. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Shao Yunduan had not wanted to start an argument with them, but they were getting more and more ridiculous! Ignoring him, Ms. Niu shouted seeing the wagons which were ready to leave. ¡°Two young masters, have you both gotten engaged?¡± Xie Jingrong was speechless. ¡® . Yuezheng Xiao chuckled, lifted the curtain and said, ¡°We are both engaged, and our fiancees are born noble, good at flute, chess, calligraphy and painting. Even their maids are good at reading and writing poetry!¡¯ Ms. Niu. Yuezheng Xiaoughed, nodded at Shao Yunduan and put down the curtains. They left as the coachmen whipped the horse. Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°You are older than them, right? How can you ask them such a thing? What would you do if they were not engaged?¡± Ms. Niu snapped angrily. ¡°I am just asking, okay? They are my nephew¡¯s friends, and they are younger than me. Why can¡¯t I ask them about it?¡± ¡°Second Aunt.¡± Shao Yunduan threw a cold look at Ms. Niu. ¡°Second Aunt, and Third Aunt, stop being so arrogant in the future. We live separately, so don¡¯t try to get involved in our business. Also, don¡¯t ever think about befriending my friends, otherwise, I will do something about it next time.¡± Thank goodness Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao were people with a good temper and had a good rtionship with him, otherwise the whole thing would have been so embarrassing! But what about the future? He might make more friends! If every time, the second and third section of the family kept getting themselves involved in his business, it would be very troublesome for all. ¡°What¡­ what?¡± ¡°Remember what I said, Second Aunt.¡± Shao Yunduan said coldly and left. He wasn¡¯t a very talkative person, nor did he get angry easily. So, when he did get angry, Ms. Niu and Ms. Fang were both startled.. Chapter 371 - 371: Son-in-law Chapter 371: Son-inw Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang, who had been holding down her anger for the whole day, finally lost it upon hearing what Shao Yunduan said. She sneered at Ms. Niu. ¡°Heard that? Stop messing around! Why can¡¯t you just live your own life well? Why do you keep causing others trouble? I will not be nice to you any more, if you continue like this!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ms. Niu told herself that they had never been nice to them. Ignoring her, Ms. Fang and her family went back to their home and shut the door. Ms. Niu said furiously, ¡°What are you so angry about? You are just mean people who get lucky! What is the point of being so conceited just because you have got a rich daughter-inw? Ms. Niu mumbled and left hesitantly. She was totally disappointed. Her son-inws were gone!! Why were they engaged? That was such a pity! Ms. Niu dropped the idea when the two young masters were engaged. It was never easy to break an engagement. But Shao Meiling looked disappointed. Shao Meiling felt so ashamed when hearing what Ms. Fang said to her and had almost dropped the idea. But she got totally dumbfounded when she saw the two young masters personally. The two young masters looked so handsome that she just could not move her eyes off them. She had never seen such good-looking people before! Shao Meiling became very excited about getting married, far more than her mother did. But the dream was broken so suddenly! When Ms. Niu left, Shao Ling got startled and brought himself back, as he knocked at the door. ¡°Fifth Cousin, please!¡± He had a lot to ask Shao Yunduan regarding the two young masters. He had never met such characters at the college and he had never heard of them before either. But they were so outstanding that they would always draw attention. How did Shao Yunduan get to know them? Shao Yunduan stood in front of him as the door was opened. He asked coldly. ¡°What else do you want?¡± Shao Ling could not help but feel a bit timid. But the next second he got a bit furious and asked with displeasure. ¡°Fifth Cousin, why do you speak with me like this?¡± ¡°I never want to mess around with you, but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that you can behave arrogantly in front of me!¡± Shao Yunduan stared at him coldly. ¡°Shao Ling, your behavior was way over the top. They are my friends, not yours! I hope you bear my words in mind, and don¡¯t try to pretend as if you are the master of the family and speak some strange words.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Shao Ling got so furious that he could not utter a word. Shao Yunduan shut the door after throwing a cold look at him. Shao Ling did not realize what happened after standing at the door for a long while. He clenched his teeth and said, ¡°What are you being so arrogant about? The two young masters did notin about me, you are just jealous of me having a nice chat with them!¡± Shao Ling always spoke well of himself and he was not even bothered to conceal that. He just felt so ashamed to have his drawback been pointed out. How dare Shao Yunduan speak to him like this? That was so irritating! Did he think that he was going to turn to him for help? He should wait and see who would be the beggar in the future! Chapter 372 - 372: No Next Time Chapter 372: No Next Time Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Only his cousin had influential friends? He had friends too! He was going to bring his friends home for him to take a good look at! Shao Ling left angrily. After dinner, Eldest Uncle looked at Shao Yunduan with a confused yet long-sighted look. ¡°Umm¡­ Yunduan!¡± Shao Yunduan looked at his father in aposed way, and Eldest Uncle subconsciously stopped himself. ¡°Dad, if you are going to talk about what happened today, you can stop right here. Brother Xie and Yuezheng are my very important friends, and they can¡¯t be troubled. Second Aunt keeps asking about their marital status whenever she runs into them. Do you think that is a proper thing to do? The Sixth Cousin is so arrogant that he thinks highly of himself. They didn¡¯t say a thing about it, otherwise it would look really bad on our family.¡± ¡°If I pass the examination, there will be more such guests in the future. If they keep messing up like this time, do you think that I can afford to offend every guest? Not everyone is so good-tempered like Brother Xie and Yuezheng!¡± ¡°I am letting you know there is no next time. If they continue to act like this, will drive them away without any negotiation!¡± Having said that, Shao Yunduan left with Qiao Xuan. If his rtives behaved like that all the time, he would lose all his friends and have his reputation ruined. Also, if he passed the examination, the guests might not be here for real friendship, but just for connection and reputation, which should be regarded with even more care. If those rtives kept behaving like this, something bad would definitely happen sooner thanter. Shao Yunduan did not care about their behavior in the past, but they kept giving him trouble again and again. Eldest Uncle realized that his son was very angry this time, and he felt quite guilty and almost didn¡¯t say anything. But when thinking about the whole family, Eldest Uncle felt perturbed so he added. ¡°Yunduan is getting more and more irritable. Second Sister-inw didn¡¯t behave well, but she loves her daughter. Anyways, I will speak with her about it. Ling is also a learned person, and he was simply sitting there entertaining the guests.¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Ms. Niu is totally shameless. If I had not stopped her, she would have taken Meiling straight to the two young masters! She even suggested that Meiling should take care of them. That sounds so horrible! I felt so embarrassed by her! How could she have done something like that? You have totally spoiled her. Let me tell you, if they ruin my son¡¯s business, I will kill them all.¡± Eldest Uncle¡¯s face changed. ¡°How could that be possible?¡± ¡°Also, Ling, honestly speaking, is so stupid and old-fashioned. He can¡¯t read or do any work, but he pretends as if he has read a lot! Who would even want to talk with him? Letting him receive guests? He came over without being invited and he drove Yunduan away because he thought he was the owner of the house. I got so disgusted by how he tried to suck up the two young masters. They could not even eat afortable dinner!¡± ¡°They love talking with you privately, so you can tell them that they should stop being so disgusting!¡¯ Eldest Uncle. ¡® He was both angry and sad. How could they behave like this? After the guests were gone, Qiao Xuan, Ms. Xu and Taotao started to make lip balms again. They had little beeswax remaining, and they finished making lip balms within a few days. After this, they were going to resume making lipsticks after the end of next spring, when they harvested honey and got the wax. Qiao Xuan was not in a hurry. Rare things were always precious, and she had made it with her own special skills. No one would be able to steal her market even when she ran out of stock. Instead, people would crave for them more than before.. Chapter 373 - 373: Tea Seeds Chapter 373: Tea Seeds Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She had more than 10,000 liang and when the lip balms were sold out, she would earn 12,000 liang in total. She had so much savings! Qiao Xuan also gave money to her family after selling the lipsticks and lip balms. Ms. Fang received 100 and the others obtained more than 10 liang. Everyone present had made efforts and worked carefully and hard for her. What she needed to do was to teach them how to do the work, so she could let them be on their own. That saved her a lot of trouble, and for that, she offered them good profits. When lipsticks were done, Qi, Taotao, Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni went into the mountains again, to find the creeping figs. She decided to buy some morend at the Zhang Vige to nt the creeping figs. But the fruits would not be harvested until autumn. They would need to find some more fruits to open the dessert stores. If the wild-growing creeping figs were not enough, then the opening of the dessert stores would need to be postponed. They could sell other desserts to start with, but the first reactions would not be that striking. The crystal-clear jelly was not only good in appearance and in taste, but also had strong sticity. It could be paired with crushed nuts, fresh fruits, syrup, milk and many other things. Even Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao had never seen it before. Therefore, the jelly had to be used as the top selling item for the store. The creeping figs were climbing nts, and they were growing in arge area. Qiao Xuan used her superpower and saw a big patch of it. They spent more than three days getting all the fruits home from the deep valley. They were all so motivated to get those fruits home because they could be used to produce such excellent dessert! Finally, they had quite a lot in stock. Thinking that the tea trees they had nted should ripen by this point, the whole gang went to pick the seeds of tea together. Qiao Xuan was going to store the seeds for the next spring, so she could cultivate the buddings and do the transntation. She was going to use her superpower to make the trees grow faster, better and healthier, which solved all the problems of transntation that everyone else worried about. She was going to dig some buds from the mountains for thend, which would need to be expanded. When the nting was done, they could just wait to receive the money. They came to the forest of the golden sprouts. It was not the time for tea harvesting, but the trees grew so well that every leaf seemed to be lush and vibrant. As they approached the tea trees, they could smell the scent that freshened up their mind. Qiao Xuan could not help but take a deep breath. The excellent tea leaves were really outstanding. There were many tea seeds falling down in the bush. Qiao Xuan ignored those that had not yet ripened on the twigs. The unripe tea seeds could not be used as the real seeds. It was not very easy to pick the right tea seeds from such a messy bush. They had no other tricks except for using their eyes and hands to seek carefully and pick. They needed to be very cautious when they were doing the work, in case they damaged their fingers. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°We are working so hard today.. Let¡¯s have a delicious dinner tonight!¡± Chapter 374 - 374: More Land Chapter 374: More Land Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions That cheered up everyone. Theyughed and agreed to her proposal heartily. It was never easy to make a table full of dishes, especially when it came to the people who ate a lot. Qiao Xuan did not cook every day. Normally it was Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni who cooked, and Taotao helped Now Ms. Xu¡¯s cooking skills had improved a little, mainly because she was willing to put seasonings, and knew how to put various condiments such as oil, salt, sauce and vinegar together. In addition to the vegetables in the yard, there were also dried bamboo shoots, various dried mushrooms, and fish. Shrimp, meat, tofu and other delicious ingredients that were cooked over a fast fire, and the taste would be equally good. Qiao Xuan had thought that the seeds could be picked within one day, but the time was limited, and she had to postpone the work of golden sprouts. It seemed that they needed to work one more day to pick thevender. After around a week, when a new patch ripened, they coulde and pick it again. That was very troublesome, and the harvest was full, so Qiao Xuan made a calction and found that there should be at least 20 or 25 kgs of it. The seeds were raven, plumpy, oily on the surface, looking really good. Qiao Xuan could easily feel that what was hidden under the shell was full of liveliness. They did not stayte in the mountains. By the time they went home, the sun was just setting. They gathered the seeds, and after taking a shower, Qiao Xuan started to make the dinner. She had already put dried shrimps, and dried hairtail in hot water, and now they were ready. She even put some sea cucumbers and abalones in water, but she was going to leave them until tomorrow, since it was veryte to make it this evening. Dishes like braised sea cucumber with scallion and braised abalone in soy sauce had been made twice before, and her family loved them. They went into the mountains and brought some things back, including shrimps, hairtails, and one rooster. The dishes included roasted shrimp in tomato sauce, refreshing and sweet, and pan-fried octopus, which was tender and delicious. The rooster was made with garlic and green onion as the main condiment, so they had one dish made of ginger and spring onion chicken. Ms. Fang had bought two chunks of tofu. She cut them, fried them and cooked them with mushrooms. They picked some vegetables from the garden and finally everything was set. The whole family had not eaten dishes made by Qiao Xuan in days, so they could not help but eat one more bowl of food. The following day, they brought some seeds ofvender home, they were not as many as those of golden sprouts, but there were not too less as well. They could do one more round of harvesting. Qiao Xuan had not expected that they could fill up the five mu of the field at one go. She had not hired people for this level of project, and they could barely manage it personally, so they would take the amount step by step. They would nt one more patch in the following year. Qiao Xuan felt a bit guilty when the whole family was helping her diligently. So, she told Shao Yunduan that she would buy some things in the town when he went to the college, like winter clothes and so on. ¡°We will go to the agent and buy some morend for the creeping figs! We will nt over dozens of mu!¡± ¡°And we will need to find people to open thend in the tea mountains. We can speak with the Land Officer at the Zhang Vige. If the vigers are willing to help us, we can hire some from the nearby ce so they could also earn some money.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and then looked at her. ¡°We are not living there, and Uncle Erzhu is taking care of things for us. We should visit the Land Officer if we need his help.¡± ¡°I agree!¡¯ Chapter 375 - 375: College Chapter 375: College Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The Land Officer of the Zhang Vige was a little greedy, but Qiao Xuan did not care much about it. But the premise was that no one should not try to trick her and Shao Yunduan as if they were fools. They reached an agreement. They would go to the town together on the day when Shao Yunduan intended to head to Minghua College. Qiao Xuan had tworge bergamots and decided to take them to Mingren Tang and give them to Manager Qin. Qiao Xuan already asked Shao Yunduan if he was going to give some things to the teachers at college. Shao Yunduan shook his head and turned her offer down. The three teachers at Minghua College were not outstanding in knowledge and they were not the same when treating others. One person called Mr. Zhou was even worse. He treated those students from a rich family in a friendly manner and even inquired about how they were doing, but he always ignored students like Shao Yunduan who hailed from the vige. Before Shao Yunduan became the Cultivated Talent, they did not think that he was promising at all. It was not until he became a Cultivated Talent and married Qiao Xuan, when they started to treat him nicely and passionately for a while. Later when they realized that the Qiao Family never visited him and he did not talk about his rtionship with the Qiao Family, and that Qiao Xuan was just a concubine¡¯s daughter, they tried to stay away from him. But for being the Cultivated Talent, they would even drive him out of the college. The three teachers had been living in town and they hung out with rich people sometimes. So, they were quite knowledgeable and were different from normal vigers. They could clearly see how the Qiao Family treated Shao Yunduan. Qiao Xuan must be a disgraced daughter of a concubine! Hence, the Qiao Family would not like this son-inw of theirs. Therefore, they would not mingle with Shao Yunduan. As a result, even Shao Yunduan treated them like ordinary teachers. They were given some small presents, and during festivals, they were given a dozen eggs and one or two chickens, that was all. Qiao Xuan had no idea what was going on at the college, but she followed what her husband told her. As Qiao Xuan reached Mingren Tang, Manager Qin was extremely cordial to her after not seeing her for a long time. His eyes were sparkling seeing the tworge golden fruits. He could not help but praise them. Bergamot was one of the best tributes offered to the ancestors of gods and Buddhas. For those who were a little more particr, there must always be a pair of big bergamots served at home. But it was not easy to get the top-grade big bergamots because in the process of growth, bergamot was easy to get scratches, and the bergamot with scratches could only be used to fumigate the house as a decoration or as medicine. Madames anddies from rich people really liked bergamots. When Qiao Xuan offered the present, Manager Qin decided to take them home to his mother, who would get really pleased. He would be very happy when his mother was happy. He could not help but ask Qiao Xuan. ¡°Mrs. Shao, do you have any other simr ones? If yes, please spare some to me and I will buy them at a reasonable price.¡± It was a great thing as presents! Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You are toote, Manager Qin. It is not easy to get the fruits without scratches. We only had four and the other two have been given to Young Master Xie and Young Master Yuezheng.¡± Manager Qin was startled. He was very surprised that Qiao Xuan was hanging out with the two young masters. ¡°Oh, that is a pity. But if you have more in the future, spare some for me too, okay?¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile.. ¡°No problem!¡± Chapter 376 - 376: The Creeping Figs Chapter 376: The Creeping Figs Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Manager Qinughed and thanked her. He was not going to steal the fruits from Young Master Xie and Young Master Yuezheng. They had a small chat and after that Qiao Xuan went shopping. She went to the cloth shop first, and bought a lot of fabrics suitable for cutting clothes in autumn and winter. The ones she had bought in the province were not meant for winters. After that, she paid pageboys to deliver them to Mingren Tang, which the pageboys agreed to. She also bought some skin care products at the cosmetics store. Lipsticks were already very popr, and Qiao Xuan overheard some richdies and madams talking about lipsticks at the store. The women were greedy for the lipsticks, and they kept urging the manager to see if she could get some samples from the province. Even paying seven liang for one lipstick was okay for them! Their housekeepers had been to the province many times but they all failed to buy even one! The manager smiled helplessly. She would very much like to buy the lipsticks which were famous everywhere by now, but it was the Third Young Master of the Yuezheng Family who ran the business. Moreover, they always ran out of stock as soon as they were ced on the shelf. Where was the chance for finding spare ones for the outsiders? The lipsticks were precious and extremely short in supply. The manager just could not get the chance to get even one. Qiao Xuan was quite surprised. She had not expected that such highly-priced lipsticks could be sold in this small town, but the truth was that all women loved to look pretty. Her lipsticks were the only existing products in the whole world and no one would be able to resist the charm. They still had many spices prepared at home, and those things did not go bad so quickly. She had bought them from the province She walked around the market and decided to take some pork home. Fresh pork wouldst a few days under such weather. She bought ribs, pork ribs, pork belly, hind legs, pork knuckles, as well as pork liver, pork belly, spending nearly 300 wen at one go. The butcher sold her the meat with an enthusiastic smile and gave her a pig heart as a present. Qiao Xuan thanked the butcher with a smile, and began to think about what to cook in her heart. She thought about making stewed pork ribs, deep-fried pork ribs this evening, sweet and sour braised pork the next day, and half of the pork belly would be made of twice-cooked pork and half steamed with noodles. She decided to make stir-fried hind legs, and salted pork knuckles for the day after tomorrow. Pork belly, pork liver, and pork heart were all prepared for tonight. After processing the remaining ones, she could fry the hot and sour pork belly, pork heart, and pork liver with pickled vegetables. Ginger slices would be used to remove the strange smell from the meat. Scallops and eels would be added to make it more delicious¡­ She was drooling for pork which she had not eaten in a long time! After delivering the meat back to the pharmacy, Qiao Xuan went to the market and bought a few more things. Then she went into a restaurant, ate one bowl of noodles before heading back to Mingren Tang, where she waited for Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan met her at the scheduled time. They went to fetch the agent, rented a wagon and headed straight to Zhang Vige. The agent did not turn down such a huge business deal, though he was very curious about what they wanted to do with so muchnd. But he knew that he should not ask them about this. The Land Officer of the Zhang Vige did not hesitate to sell them the mountainnd which was not that valuable anyways. Shao Yunduan expressed that he would like to hire someone to clear up thend, which pleased the Land Officer as well. He promised that as long as the staff were properly paid, they would work hard and well. The vigers had run out of farm work after the autumn harvest. They could do some extra work and save a little money for the New Year. No one would turn such an offer down.. Chapter 377 - 377: Tea Mountain Chapter 377: Tea Mountain Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions After the agreement was reached, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went to visit Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou. The couple were very pleased to see them, and received them in the main room. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had paid a visit to them during the autumn harvest, which was a month ago. Ms. Zhou poured some tea for them and Ding Erzhu talked about what was going on with them these days. Hearing that they were going to open up the barren mountain, Ding Erzhu became serious and attentive. ¡°We already spoke with the Land Officer about this. Uncle Erzhu, you can decide regarding who to hire and how to manage it well. It would be best if we can sort out at least 500 mu of tea mountains before the New Year. 300 mu of it should be ready for the nting of tea trees.¡± ¡°Apart from thesends, there will be anothernd asrge as 100 mu, which would be for other nts.¡± Ding Erzhu nodded constantly. ¡°Okay, okay, I will speak with the Land Officer in the afternoon and take over the job. The tenants are avable right now, and with the help from the Zhang Vige, we can definitely clear through 300 to 500 mu ofnd.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°If anyone asks about the sry, we are offering 30 won a day and lunch included. The lunch will be meat and vegetable steamed buns or rolls.¡± They could not specify the dishes because there should be at least more than 100 people working together when the project starts, so steamed buns made everything easier. ¡°Aunt Zhou, you can make some steamed buns with a few women at the vige, and they should be paid 20 won a day. You can buy the fillings from town and at least 1/3 of the fillings should be meat.¡± Qiao Xuan believed thatbor should be well-served so that they could be full of energy to work harder. 30 won a day was considered to be a high payment. Ding Erzhu felt concerned on their behalf, so he said, ¡°The sry is too high, and thepetition would be fierce. That would be quite troublesome¡­¡± If it was 15 won a day, that would be a rtively average price for those who craved to earn some money, and those who were selected to work for them would not protest. But 30 won a day would be really appealing for everyone toe and join them. It would be very difficult to choose whom to hire. And those who could not be hired would definitelyin. After all, 70% of the vigers were surnamed Zhang and Qiao Xuan and her husband were outsiders. They just could not be a match against those who were local residents. High payment and one lunch which served meat steamed buns¡­ that would be so tantalizing for anyone. Hearing Ding Erzhu¡¯s thoughts, Qiao Xuan was startled. She had just felt that the work would require a lot of energy and 30 won per day was something within her budget. But Ding Erzhu knew more about how those farmers were thinking. Shao Yunduan looked at her gently and smiled. He knew pretty well what his wife was thinking. ¡°30 won a day is a bit much, what about 20 won plus lunch. But we need to set a rule, like two steamed buns with fillings and two pure steamed buns, one steamed roll for each worker. Those who don¡¯t take lunch would get extra pay. The size of steamed buns with fillings can be as big as that avable in the market while the steamed buns and rolls can berger. It should be enough for one adult for lunch. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Okay, that sounds great! As for the workers, each tenant¡¯s family can offer one person and we would hire them all..¡± Chapter 378 - 378: Hiring Chapter 378: Hiring Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Apart from the tenants, there should be at least 100 households in Zhang Vige, right? Just see how many of them want to join the project. If everyone wants to be part of it, then we can only divide them into two batches, one for every other day, and only one person is hired from each household.¡± Shao Yunduan added. ¡°We only need strong young men, and other people can join if a family doesn¡¯t have strong, young men.¡± Ding Erzhu nodded and said with a smile, ¡°Okay, okay, I understand what I should do after hearing your n. 20 won a day with lunch, that is tempting for everyone, except for those who are toozy to work.¡± The three of them talked more in detail, regarding how to separate the groups and exclude those who werezy at work but active in eating and getting money¡­ Gradually, everything was sorted. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan woulde to them again after three days, when Ding Erzhu and the Land Officerpleted the final deal. If all went well, the project could start real soon. Qiao Xuan looked at their house and smiled., ¡°This house is okay for the moment, but not for the winter. We need to have someone watch over the teand, and to have grains stored and the creeping figs nted. We will need to have one ce for that. When the tea trees are done, we will build a huge house here and both of you can move in.¡± Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou had been thinking about going into the town and buying some paper to add to the walls of this wooden house. They even thought about saving some money to buy coals and nkets and make some thick winter clothes, but Qiao Xuan started to talk about building a house. Qiao Xuan had mentioned it once before, but she and Shao Yunduan never mentioned that again, so Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou did not take it seriously. Maybe they had some other ns and decided to leave this one aside. After all, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did not owe them anything. They needed to solve their problems themselves rather than wait for the new house to be built. Hence, they were both shocked upon hearing what Qiao Xuan said. Shao Yunduan added his view as well. ¡°It is time to have it built, otherwise it would be inconvenient.¡± ¡°Yeah, I want to dig a pool to raise fish and nt lotus roots too.¡± Ding Erzhu felt quite embarrassed. ¡°Alright¡­ then, we will move into the new ce, thanks to you again¡­ when we have more money in the future, we will build two more rooms.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Just live here if you want to and we will build the house next to ours, which is very convenient!¡± They had a son and they could not possibly just live in the house which Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan built. So for a long-term n, they still needed to build one for themselves. Ding Erzhu smiled brightly and nodded. Ms. Zhou was very d as well. Before the couple left, Ms. Zhou asked Qiao Xuan. ¡°Dear Niece-inw, can I ask my mother to help me with steaming buns? Shitou is still too young to go about by himself, and I need someone to watch out for him in case he runs into something unpleasant.¡± Ms. Zhou was a mild person but her mother was not so gentle. Ms. Zhou needed her mother to back her up. If the women who worked took them at will, or their children came to fetch them, or even the children from the vige offered the eagerness to fetch the steamed buns, Ms. Zhou would be too timid to say no. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That is a good idea. I was worried whether you could spare more time and energy into it. It would be good that your motheres over. The Land Officer¡¯s wife could help as well. Both your mother, and the Land Officer¡¯s wife can earn 30 won a day and you will be paid monthly, which is not included in this..¡± Chapter 379 - 379: Uncaring Chapter 379: Uncaring Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Zhou let out a sigh of relief and said with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t work that much and I am still getting paid. Now that I have work to do, I can¡¯t get extra payment this time.¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°You have helped us a lot! Without your help, we would not have harvested the rice so smoothly.¡± The tenants had no idea who on earth Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were, except that they were from outside the vige. But for the couple who watched them doing the harvest, they might not have been honest in their efforts. Some might even have harvested some to their own home first. But during the harvest, there was always someone who was watching them work. Ms. Zhou and Ding Erzhu were both quite embarrassed. ¡°That is what we ought to do!¡± After Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan left, Qiao Xuan still believed that the payment was quite low. She smiled at Shao Yunduan. ¡°If all goes well after we are done, we can even give the red packets to eachborer. I think 50 won should be good enough, what do you think?¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and said to her, ¡°You can spread the news around, so they may work harder for that goal.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes brightened as she chuckled. ¡°Yeah, they should be motivated enough not to cause any trouble or allow anyone else to cause trouble.¡± Shortly after Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were gone, Ding Erzhu went to visit the Land Officer of the Zhang Vige. The Land Officer always believed that Ding Erzhu was Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s rtives, so he treated him very politely. They had a very smooth and happy conversation during the deal. Qiao Xuan knew that the local hooligans had some reputation in the vige, and the Land Officer of the local area should be given some extra benefits for containing them. When the Land Officer got the benefits, Qiao Xuan would get him to hire the vigers to work for him so he could be pleased too. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went back to the town, fetched what they left at Manager Qin i s ce and headed home. Bull cart was a bit slow and Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°When the new house is built, let¡¯s buy a donkey cart for faster traveling.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. When the new house was built, they would have a lot of space to put the donkey cart as well. They could not think about buying a wagon, since it was quite difficult to obtain. Even those rich people in town would not be able to afford a horse sometimes. When they went back home, they shared the presents with the whole family. Those presents were of different categories, including clothes, food, and daily necessities. Ms. Fang smiled with a sigh. ¡°We all have savings, and we can buy what we need ourselves. You don¡¯t have to buy us anything. You and Yunduan should save money for future use.¡± Ms. Fang firmly believed that her son would make it to the next level and his studying would cost a lot of money. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. We barely spend any money, and we have savings as well. Also, we are making a lot of money too, right?¡± Ms. Fang chuckled. ¡°True, and that is all because you helped us with it!¡± Ms. Xu was very delighted. She had been thinking about making winter clothes, either with her own money or the shared savings. But Qiao Xuan had brought so many materials home, even cotton! That saved her a lot of money. Yang Xiaoni was d too. She ced the garment on herself. asking her husband if she looked nice.. Chapter 380 - 380: Unwatchable Chapter 380: Unwatchable Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Sang nodded and kept speaking highly of his wife¡¯s good looks. Yang Xiaoni felt bashful. Her cheeks were flushed but her eyes were sparkling, and she smiled brightly. Ms. Fang did not look at them while the rest pretended not to have seen the whole episode. The couple had always been like this and the rest of the family was used to it by now. Three dayster, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went to the Zhang Vige with the required money. They finalized the deal with Ding Erzhu, Ms. Zhou, Ms. Zhou¡¯s mother, Land Officer and his wife regarding opening the barrennd. All the vigers at the Zhang Vige were d about this project and almost every household applied to work on it. So, they were divided into two batches and took turns in doing thebor work. The Land Officer received a huge red packet and he was highly motivated. He said that he was going to watch over everybody so that nobody would getzy during the work hours. Hearing that there would be an even bigger red packet after the project was done, the Land Officer became even more delighted. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°We would need many moreborers for our tea mountains. Work hard and we will hire more people! Those who don¡¯t work hard would have to be excluded, and we would hire people from other viges¡­¡± The Land Officer nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we are all down-to-earth people and we will work hard. I will get rid of those sneaky ones for you!¡¯ The Land Officer and his wife felt energized and devoted when he heard that there would be more money to make in the future. The wife was going to be in charge of making steamed buns, and she would be able to take a few more since she was in charge. That was such a great deal that should not be let go of. No one would allow anyone to make trouble about this. Most of the workers were those who needed such temporary tasks. Seeing that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were able to afford thend, they suspected that they had some mysterious and powerful supporters behind their back, thus not daring to cause trouble for them. So soon, the work started full-fledgedly at Zhang Vige. The first morning was a bit chaotic, but at noon everyone queued up and got to eat steamed buns. Not only were they big, but the meaty buns were really full of meat when they took a bite. Everyone finally believed that the owner didn¡¯t lie, and the wages must be the same. So they were definitely going to work hard to earn the extra red packets of bonuses! They worked obediently and asionally, there were a few who gotzy but before Ding Erzhu and the Land Officer¡¯s son reprimanded them and everyone slowly straightened out. Everything went well. No chaos appeared, generally speaking. Steamed buns were steamed on a temporary stove in front of Ding Erzhu¡¯s house. Needless to say, the seven working women and their children who came to have fun ate together at noon. Also, the other children came to the stove as well around lunchtime. They were all drooling for the steamed buns by the time they were cooked. Not every household was able to afford to eat steamed buns like these. Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t an unscrupulous person. Although the flour used to make steamed buns was not the best, it was still quite good. The authentic flour was steamed in a big steamer, and it gave out a strong fragrance. The Land Officer¡¯s wife did not want to offend the fellow vigers, so she could not do anything about the situation. She could not even drive away people who were queuing up for the steamed buns. Ms. Zhou was not capable of turning them down alone. But Ms. Zhou¡¯s mother used a huge basket to hold steamed buns and rolls and gave them to each child until the basket was emptied. Those who failed to get the steamed buns could queue up the next day.. Chapter 381 - 381: Almost Chapter 381: Almost Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The children left cheerfully after they ate, but those who did not manage to get the buns refused to move. Aunt Zhou, Ms. Zhou¡¯s mother, coaxed them away and asked them toe back earlier next time. Some women could not help butin. ¡°But we have so many left, let¡¯s just give them one!¡± Aunt Zhou said, ¡°The owner is too kind-hearted but we can¡¯t just indulge ourselves. They make money with hard work too. 40 steamed buns for free every day¡­ that is so generous of our owner! How about we not offer any starting from tomorrow, so we all save trouble?¡± The woman said with a smile, ¡°No, no, you are right. Our owner is already generous enough and I should not have said such a thing¡­ If the 40 free steamed buns and rolls were gone because of what she said, many people would me her for being nosy. Her intention was to show her generosity through others¡¯ generosity, but she did not want to ruin what existed right now. The woman regretted so much as not to say such a thing. The Land Officer¡¯s wife could not help but add. ¡°Aunt Zhou is right. We need to stick to the rules. Our owner is so generous and kind like no other, we can¡¯t just get carried away and offer free food for our children too. We need to be reasonable, since we are being paid well!¡± The others nodded in agreement. Not everyone was able to eat steamed buns throughout the year. But for the owner¡¯s agreement, Aunt Zhou would not have done so. If they offered more than they should, they might offend people and getined about. Maybe all children from the vige would hear about it ande to fetch the free steamed buns. What should they do then? Moreover, who would pay for the extra steamed buns? A few days after this happened, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan came to check on the situation, and Aunt Zhou told them about this. Feeling grateful, Qiao Xuan gave Aunt Zhou and the Land Officer¡¯s wife two red packets, each of which contained 20 wen. Surprising fortune would always cheer people up. The Land Officer¡¯s wife had understood one thing ¨C if they worked hard, they would always get some bonus. She would have gained nothing extra, if she did not interfere, whilst others would take advantage of it. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were quite assured in heart, seeing the field clearing project went well. Small problems and some fees could be ignored. They decided not to split hairs on those who worked for them and had everything sorted out smoothly. They could even stop giving the children steamed buns and rolls or drive them away, but that would cause a lot of conflict and dissatisfaction in the near future. If some ident happened, the vigers might offer a helping hand or just stand around watching the show, depending upon their treatment of the vigers. They could not keep asking for help without giving anything in return, which would make them look miserly and wicked. Proper kindness and generosity would make people feel grateful and cherish what they got now. Being kind without asking anything in return often caused trouble. Seeing that everything went well, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were totally assured and they came to check things every fifth or sixth day.. Chapter 382 - 382: Shao Liulang’s Guest Chapter 382: Shao Ling¡¯s Guest Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions When they got some time to spare, Qiao Xuan checked around in the yard and floral field, nning the dessert stores. Taotao and Qi offered their help as well. Whether or not the results turned out to be sessful, the family did notin. Instead, they ate up all the failed dishes. Yang Xiaoni was especially d. She was so happy to be able to eat different desserts every day. Qiao Xuan was thinking about asking Yuezheng Xiao to pay attention to a few ingredients, such as sagos, cassavas, and sweet potatoes. The Yuezheng Family was involved in vast businesses and they had more information and other resources than she did. Sagos were very useful for desserts. Cassavas could be made into powder for the small balls put in milk tea. Sweet potatoes could be made into many things. Qiao Xuan tried to use flour to free up some starch, and made taro balls with steamed, mashed taro puree and pumpkin puree. They looked good, but did not have good texture. seasoned with honey, sweet sugar juice, Qiao Xuan was not very satisfied with it. They definitely needed cassavas powder. So she was going to suggest Yuezheng Xiao to raise some cows to produce milk. But it was not very easy to obtain cows, which might not be able to produce so much milk anyway. There were many small things to deal with if such a store was opened, but the profits would be magnificent as well. Seeing that there were not so many fish remaining in the tank, Qiao Xuan decided to go to the river to fetch some fish in the afternoon with Qi, Taotao Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang. It was already very cold, and they could not possibly go into the water, but they had a fish that could be used to get some. But by lunchtime, Shao Ling suddenly arrived with a strange-looking young master. Yang Xiaoni went to open the door and she was very startled seeing the two young men. Shao Ling looked quite proud. ¡°Fifth Cousin, are you here? My friend and I are here for a visit!¡± The young man next to Shao Ling was wearing a sapphire blue satin gown with a cross cor, and his hair was tied high. He was about 22 or 23 years old. He was tall and thin, with fair skin, but his face was a bit long, and his eyes were cloudy, giving people a rather frivolous and indecent feeling. He was very arrogant. He did not like this ce, nor did he like Shao Ling. But Shao Ling seemed to suck up to him constantly these days and invited him to his home multiple times. He turned the guy down enough times, but he was feeling bored at the moment, so he nodded and agreed toe. The moment the door was opened and the young master saw Yang Xiaoni, his eyes started sparkling. He straightened his back, trying to look as if he were a real gentleman who behaved gracefully. However, a pretentious man who had a terrible appearance just looked ridiculous when he tried to act like a gentleman. Yuezheng Xiao had met real young masters like Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao, so when she saw someone like this in front of her, sheughed. The way he looked at her made Yang Xiaoni feel quite disgusted. Yang Xiaoni was a very sensitive woman and figured out that this was not a good man at all. But this seemingly elegant man smiled at Yang Xiaoni who got startled and took a few steps backwards. The young masterughed even more proudly seeing her behavior. He thought that Yang Xiaoni was just feeling shy. Yang Xiaoni turned around and left directly, ignoring Shao Lingpletely.. Chapter 383 - 383: Proud Chapter 383: Proud Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The young master smiled even more proudly when he saw Yang Xiaoni¡¯s retreating figure. Shao Ling frowned but then smiled at the young master. ¡°She is just a countryside woman who doesn¡¯t know how to behave, don¡¯t get angry, okay?¡± Young Master Zhao was not mad. Instead, he looked sleazy andughed. ¡°Who is that?¡± Shao Ling had always been trying to suck up to Young Master Zhao who never spoke to him of his own ord. Hearing his question, Shao Ling said, ¡°My cousin¡¯s wife.¡± He could not help butin. ¡°She is from the Yang Family. Her brother and sister-inw are such horrible people. Our family should not have married someone like this, but my cousin fell for her so he insisted on marrying her, no matter what.¡± Shao Ling shook his head and said disdainfully, ¡°My cousin is so simple-minded, he just likes her look, not anything else about her, so stupid!¡¯ Young Master Zhaoughed as he thought of Yang Xiaoni¡¯s looks. He smiled. This girl did look very pretty, and it was quite normal that she could fascinate some men. But what a pity that she married a countryside man. It was like putting a beautiful flower upon cow dung. Hearing Shao Linging in, Ms. Fang came out of the room and frowned at him. ¡°What are you doing here, and who is this man? Ms. Fang nced at Young Master Zhao and felt disgusted inwardly. This man looked so pretentious. She was experienced enough to understand immediately what Young Master Zhao was like. Shao Ling looked very proud. ¡®Young Master Zhao is the Second Young Master of Master Zhao in the city, my fellow ssmate at the college. He is here visiting me, and we came over to talk to my fifth cousin.¡± Shao Ling looked so proud as if he were showing off. Look how generous he was to have brought his friend with him. He was sharing his friendwork with Shao Yunduan! Ms. Fang did not get what Shao Ling meant. She did not like this Young Master Zhao, but they were here after all, so she could not drive them away. She asked Qi to fetch Shao Yunduan. She was thinking about speaking with Yundan not to talk with this man too much because he looked absolutely ill-mannered. Shao Yunduan was reading in the room, and Qiao Xuan, Taotao were in the yard, working. Hearing the sound of door knocking, Shao Yunduan walked and was surprised to see Young Master Zhao. He knew this man, for sure, the younger son of Master Zhao, and Zhao Ming¡¯s brother. Zhao Guanghua was studying at a college in the province and did note back until the beginning of the year. News spread that he came back home because he had a fight at a brothel with someone and he got so humiliated that he just could not face anyone there any more. He was expelled from the college and was forced to return home. So here he was. He was a very arrogant man. Just because he studied at a college in the province, and had no one with the same background in this ce, he believed that he was the best and the only worthy one around.. Chapter 384 - 384: Evil Plan Chapter 384: Evil n Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The Zhao Family was one of the richest families in the local area, and many people were always trying to suck up to them. But Shao Yunduan was not one of those. In his opinion, Zhao Guanghua¡¯s appearance surprised him but did not please him. On the other hand, Shao Ling was feeling quite proud. ¡°Brother Zhao is here to visit me, so I am showing around.¡± Shao Yunduan said inside his heart, ¡®Thank you very much¡­ damn!¡¯ He did not intend to receive Zhao Guanghua at his home. He was not a well-mannered man, considering he had a fight with someone else for some woman at the brothel. Most importantly, he did not want him to see Qiao Xuan and Taotao. Shao Yunduan greeted politely and said, ¡°We have many people at home, Sixth Cousin. We can have a chat at your home.¡± ¡°I would like to have a chat at your ce, Brother Shao!¡± Zhao Guanghua still dreamt of meeting Yang Xiaoni again. If he could stay, he might see her again. He did not intend to do anything else right now, but he was always attracted to beautiful women. As he thought about how favorable he might lookpared to the farmer she married, he believed that Yang Xiaoni was definitely going to love him deeply, and regret having gotten married so early. In this way, he would feel really satisfied and proud. If he could at least speak with Young Xiaoni, then he would be content and feel a little smug. Shao Ling also intended to go home, but hearing what Zhao said, he replied. ¡°We can definitely sit at your home to chat. Cousin, you would be very happy, right?¡± Shao Yunduan frowned. ¡°We have no good tea to serve Young Master Zhao. So, please, Young Master Zhao, this way!¡¯ Shao Yunduan held his cousin¡¯s arm and walked outside When he and Shao Ling both left, that man should not stay as well, right? ¡°Hey, you¡­¡± Shao Ling, who had intended to protest, got startled seeing Shao Yunduan¡¯s cold look. He was dragged away wordlessly. As they walked out of the yard, Shao Yunduan nced back at Zhao Guanghua and said, ¡°Please, hurry up, Young Master Zhao!¡± He did not even wait for him to join him. Zhao Guanghua had no choice but to follow. He felt quite annoyed not to have been able to flirt with the beautiful girl he had drooled at. For now, he had no choice but to leave. He just did not have the reason to stay here, when the owner was gone. Zhao Guanghua nced at Shao Yunduan and asked ironically. ¡°Yunduan, you are not trying to drive me away from your house, right?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Shao Yunduan raised his eyebrows and said peacefully, ¡°My home is quite small, and we have no good tea. I just don¡¯t want Young Master Zhao to suffer from the inconvenience, thus turning you away.¡± ¡°Is that so? Zhao Guanghua could not believe that. ¡°Of course yes.¡± Shao Ling was cursing Shao Yunduan inwardly but had to defend him. ¡°Brother Zhao, honored guests like you always light up someone¡¯s home, and my cousin wishes that you could be here, but he is quite stubborn, so just drop the idea.¡± Zhao Guanghua thought for a while. He did not think that there would be anyone who would refuse to hang out with him, given his background. He might have overthought about this¡­ He smiled. ¡°Oh, okay, my bad.. It is okay without tea, I am not that particr, we can do that next time, okay?¡± Chapter 385 - 385: Not To His home Chapter 385: Not To His home Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Ling kept saying yes, but sneaked a look at Shao Yunduan. He felt quite sour inwardly. He had tried his best to get Young Master Zhao to his home, but the esteemed guest became more interested in Shao Yunduan instead. That was really annoying¡­ Shao Yunduan could not help but feel a bit worried. He could not understand Zhao Guanghua¡¯s purpose of trying to befriend him and wanting to visit his home. Then he thought of how his sister Zhao Ming was hanging out with Qiao Wei) and he suspected that he might be here digging around seeing what happened to Qiao Wei. The Elder Miss Qiao was so annoying! The more Shao Yunduan thought about this, the more he believed that it was the truth. Shao Yunduan did not trust him that he was here to visit his cousin. So, he was not going to let him get close to his own home. He had apanied Qiao Xuan to the Qiao Mansion, and he knew that Qiao Xuan pretended to be very obedient and quiet, honest in front of the family. She didn¡¯t even get mad even when she wasughed at. If Zhao Guanghua saw how bright and stunning she looked) he might leak that news. So, Shao Yunduan sped up. At the third section of the family, Ms. Ma had just killed a chicken and was getting ready to cook. Seeing Shao Yunduaning over, she got very displeased, but she did not dare to say anything and just nced at him. Shao Yunduan had not noticed this since he was thinking about Qiao Xuan all the time. Shao I,ing tried his best to suck un to Zhao Guanghna who did not bother to respond that often while Shao Yunduan was mostly silent. The three of them were killing time in this way. Shao Yunduan had intended to leave before lunch, but he was worried that Zhao Guanghua would move to his home with an excuse of saying goodbye, so he stayed. Ms. Ma could not stand it any more and forced a false smile. ¡°Yunduan, aren¡¯t you going back for lunch?¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Sorry that I have to trouble you today.¡± Ms. Ma. Shao Ling did eat at the first section of the family¡¯s home the other day, and he still remembered the amazing food. Also, he just could not drive away Shao Yunduan at this point. So, he stopped Ms. Ma directly. Ms. Ma had always adored this precious son of hers, so she said nothing more even though she was annoyed. She just left with a twisted face. Soon the dishes were served. Ms. Ma was quite terrible at cooking. The chicken was so roughly made, okay-looking but was the only properly-prepared dish. The other two vegetable dishes did not have any oil. Shao Yunduan stopped after moving the chopsticks symbolically. He could not eat anything like this after trying the dishes made by Qiao Xuan. Zhao Guanghua was the same too. He frowned after trying one bite, and could not stand the taste any more. He was Young Master Zhao, and he did not care about this badly cooked chicken! Only Shao Ling kept eating happily. He even told Zhao Guanghua to feel at home, without noticing that Zhao Guanghua already dropped the chopsticks. Zhao Guanghua nced at him, twisted his lip corners and felt disdainful. No one woulde to this person¡¯s home for a visit if he had not been bored. He did not deserve his visit! Zhao Guanghua was more interested in Shao Yunduan, and waited for him to speak with him. Shao Yunduan was, however, silent all the time, and Zhao Guanghua could not help but initiate the conversation. Shao Yunduan nodded and replied briefly without saying anything more.. Chapter 386 - 386: Jealous Chapter 386: Jealous Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Zhao Guanghua felt even more bored. These two cousins were quite funny one was overly passionate to tter him, the other waspletely silent. He never would have believed that Shao Yunduan was trying to ignore him. He was Young Master Zhao! Feeling bored, Zhao Guanghua left the ce after the meal. He was out for fun, and if he could not find it, there was no point in being here any longer. He could not find anything interesting here at all! Shao Ling just could not keep him. Zhao Guanghua decided not to speak with Shao Ling any more, but he thought of Yang Xiaoni and intended to have some conversation with her in the future. Shao Yunduan let out a sigh of relief, when that man was gone. He hoped that this man would nevere back. Shao Ling felt quite angry. ¡°Fifth Cousin, you have behaved terribly! Brother Zhao doesn¡¯te to us often, and I let you eat with him, why did you show him a cold face? Shao Ling believed that it was Shao Yunduan who gave Zhao Guanghua the cold shoulder because of which he left so quickly. Shao Yunduan was not bothered to talk about this. He reminded him. ¡°I believe that you know why Zhao Guanghua came back home from the province¡¯s college? He is so frivolous and arrogant) not a very good person to befriend) you better stay away from him.¡± Shao Ling was not bothered to hear these words of his. ¡°That is just a rumor, why do you choose to believe it?¡± ¡°I like Brother Zhao. He is friendly, warm and not at all arrogant. You must be jealous of me, right? That is your problem. You aren¡¯t the only person who can hang out with rich young masters! I can too!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡® Shao Yunduan did not like to teach anyone. He was not Shao Ling¡¯s father and he already told him what he should hear. But now he was being used of being jealous¡­ then what was the point of continuing? There was no need to say anything more! ¡°Whatever you like.¡± Shao Yunduan left from there directly. Seeing his retreating figure, Shao Ling just did not know what to do. ¡°How dare he¡­ He must be jealous of me! Yes! As he thought about this, Shao Ling could not help but feel happy that he finally befriended a rich person. The n of building a new house at the first section of the family was finally going to be realized. They wanted to build a house soon so they could move in before the New Year. Eldest Uncle suggested adding two new rooms next to what they had now. But the family believed that they should demolish the present structure and build a new one. Feeling alone, Elder Uncle got very angry. ¡°We don¡¯t have the money!¡¯ Qiao Xuan smiled and said proudly, ¡°Dad, money is not the issue!¡± That made the Eldest Uncle feel even worse. ¡°That is your money, not the family¡¯s money!¡¯ Qiao Xuan felt quite surprised. Her father-inw was not greedy at all. She was offering to share her money with the family, and everyone else should be d about it. In fact other people might be worried that she would regret that. Qiao Xuan felt a bitplicated at heart, not knowing what to say about him. ¡°Dad, it is the same thing. What matters is to live a happy and cozy life, right? Also, my husband will take care when he bes a promising man. 1 am Jusc aolng trus aneaa 01 time ror you. or¡­ my nusDana can givee money back to meter.¡± The others nodded in agreement. Anyways, everyone except for him knew that it was Ms. Fang who was putting in the money for the new house, not Qiao Xuan.. Chapter 387 - 387: Speechless Chapter 387: Speechless Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions But they decided not to say anything about it. After all, they wanted to live a peaceful life, rather than get bothered by unnecessary trouble that ruined their mood. Eldest Uncle was speechless. ¡°Whatever you like!¡± Ms. Fang struck the table resolutely. ¡°Done!¡± However, when the old house was demolished and a new n was made, they needed to find a ce to live temporarily. Well, they could have borrowed some empty ce from the second and the third section of the family, but they would never let it happen. They did not want to be taken advantage of by their rtives. Apart from Eldest Uncle, no one from the first section of the family would be interested in sharing a ce with the second and third section of the family. In the end, Ms. Fang went to speak with the Land Officer and the n tribe, so the whole family decided to have a temporary ce in the empty house next to the ancestral hall. They could carry all the stuff and luggage there. A temporary hut could be built as the kitchen. Hearing that the first section wanted to build a new house, the whole vige was shocked. ¡°The first section of the family has really flourished. They are building a new house!¡± ¡°Yeah, where did they get that money from? ¡°But they have more and more people moving in, and they need to have new ces for those uing grandchildren!¡± ¡°It is more than building two extra rooms. They are building apletely new one!¡± ¡°And they even bought a lot ofnd around the house! How big will that house be?¡± ¡°That is not your concern. They have got a very rich daughter-inw!¡± ¡°26 sets of dowry must have had a lot of gold and silver, enough for the new house!¡± ¡°¡­¡± They were talking, full of envy and yearning. The second and third section of the family never expected that the first section of the family would start to build a new house! They could not help bute to their door, trying to tell them that the old house was still practical to live in, and only two extra rooms were enough, and that there was no need to demolish all and build a new one. Obviously, Ms. Fang ignored their suggestion. When they learned that the first section of the family even bought two mu ofnd around the house in addition, they could not stand it any more. Second Uncle said, ¡°Eldest Brother, and Eldest Sister-inw, how big will your house be? Why did you buy thend around the house? Do you have this much money? Ms. Niu felt so sour. ¡°If you can make money, please let us know about it too! We need a new house as well!¡± Ms. Fang smiled and ignored them. They were in no position to tell her family what they should do. Eldest Uncle could not reach his hand into Qiao Xuan¡¯s money, and he could not make any decision regarding house building. So when his brothers came and asked him about it, he had no choice but to say that it was because the old house was too small for them to live in, and that they were doing this for their grandchildren¡¯s sake. When the second and third section of the family asked about how they made money, he stopped himself from saying anything further. He did not dare to tell them that Qiao Xuan was paying half of the amount and the other half was earned through selling valuable things. He did not want his brothers to me him. But the Second Uncle found his silence even more suspicious. They believed that he must be hiding something, so they were not very happy when leaving the house. However, the house to be built by the first section of the family not only included more than two mu ofnd, but also covered the yard of the neighbor¡¯s house, a small vegetable garden and a small piece of open space around the neighbors ce, which came up to a total of more than four mu.. Chapter 388 - 388: Shocked Chapter 388: Shocked Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions That would make it 8 mu in total, including the new house to be built. Then, including the 12 mu of Qiao Xuan¡¯s garden, there would be 20 mu in total. That was 20 mu ofnd in total! The first section of the family would be the most wealthy family in the whole vige. Well, the reason why the first section of the family was able to build this big house was originally because of the second and third section of the family. When the second and third section of the family divided the old house of the Shao Family, they added some small houses to it. In this way, the first section of the family did not have any ce to live. Hence, Eldest Uncle found an empty ce at the boundary of the vige, very remote and leaving a lot of empty space for what they could have now. The whole vige was really shocked and they all got so excited. Honestly, when the neighbors were moving, they looked so happy. So, the first section of the family must have given them a high price. Otherwise, who would be willing to sell the old house to outsiders and find an empty ce outside the vige to build new houses? However, the family was tight-lipped. They did not spill out a thing. They did utter a figure when forced, but no one believed that. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma felt so annoyed and hurt. They believed that the first section of the family was bullying them. Everyone was talking about the first section of the family building a new house, and wondered how much money it would cost for them to build! Some irritable people instigated them again and again, asking Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma. ¡°Your houses are very small too. Why don¡¯t you think about building a new one too?¡± ¡°Yeah, your Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-inw have been taking care of you all this time, and they should share some of what they have got, right? They are so rich, and they should help you!¡¯ Both their faces turned red. Ms. Fang was not going to help them with money, not at all! The most annoying person was Ms. Qiao who kept taking Ms. Fang¡¯s side because of which Ms. Fang started to ignore them. But with little hope in their hearts, the second and third section of the family all rushed to the first section of the family. ¡®Eldest Brother, Sng is getting married in the New Year and we don¡¯t have a new house for him. We need to build one room. What about sharing some of what you have left behind with us?¡± ¡°Yeah, Eldest Brother, Sng is your nephew, the child of the Shao Family. Getting married is a huge thing and you must help us!¡¯ Ms. Niu said this and nced at Ms. Fang, who seemed to hear nothing and kept working on the sole of her shoes. Ms. Fang ignored them. They could say whatever they wanted. She was not interested in anything they had to suggest. Dng did not know what to say, so he left. Shao Sang and Shao Yunduan, Qiao Xuan and Ms. Xu were all there. They wanted to watch the show, and also did not want Ms. Fang to be bullied. Third Uncle also joined in and tried to convince the Eldest Uncle. Third Uncle thought that if his eldest brother helped the second section of the family, he would help the third section of the family as well. Yang Xiaoni was shocked. No wonder Yang Liang and Ms. Tian could not cause any trouble here, her mother-inw knew exactly how to deal with the situation. Sweat ran alongside Eldest Uncle¡¯s forehead, as he staggered. ¡°Ms. Fang, I don¡¯t think that building one more room would cost that much, what about¡­¡± ¡°If it doesn¡¯t cost that much, they can build it themselves.¡± Ms. Fang sneered.. Chapter 389 - 389: Shockingly Thick-Cheeked Chapter 389: Shockingly Thick-Cheeked Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°You are old enough to have so many grandchildren and you still forced your old brother to pay you for your new house? How shameless you are!¡± Second Uncle and Third Uncle felt their cheeks burning. The words spoken by Ms. Fang were true and heart-wrenching. The children of the first section of the family nced at them, making them feel embarrassed. But that was nothingpared to their jealousy and resentment. So what? Their Eldest Brother had been taking care of them for so many years, and there was no point in leaving them behind when they were living a happy life. ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, you are wrong. Eldest Brother is capable now and he should take care of us brothers. We were born by the same parents, and we should all live a happy life together, right?¡± The children were all speechless. Sure, but they needed to create a happy life themselves! They were seeking advantage of them but still trying to make themselves sound as if they were being reasonable and righteous. Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°What about you taking your Eldest Brother to your home, so he can work for you and all the money he earns can be yours. All you need to do is to find him a ce to live and feed him three meals a day, how does that sound?¡± Second Uncle and the others from the family were all stuck with words. Eldest Uncle got so embarrassed as well. ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± ¡°I am speaking the truth. Look, in this way, you can take care of your brothers so they can live a good life too, how does that sound?¡± Second Uncle and his people got furious. They did not want Eldest Uncle. They needed Qiao Xuan¡¯s dowry. They stubbornly believed that the first section of the family was spending Qiao Xuan¡¯s dowry rather than assume that the first section of the family was earning their own money. Before they could respond, Ms. Fang smiled at Eldest Uncle. ¡°Look, your brothers dislike you. They don¡¯t want you to be there!¡± Eldest Uncle, ¡® Third Uncle said, ¡°Elder sister-inw, stop joking around. We will beughed at if that happens for real!¡± ¡°You are afraid of beingughed at? How surprising!¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± That was the end of the conversation. Shao Sang suddenly said, ¡°What about us building a house together, we have so muchnd, right? When the house is built, we can all live together and get to know each other better.¡± Ms. Ma¡¯s eyes sparkled as she nodded. ¡°Yeah, that sounds great.¡± ¡°Eldest Brother, we are all a family!¡¯ ¡°Yeah we have a lot of space, right?¡± The children of the first section were all shocked. These people were so shameless! So, they wanted to wait until the house was done before moving in with them? The second and third section of the family got so d that they all started to discuss when to move in. Eldest Uncle was stuck with words. But Ms. Fang could not stand that any more. She put down her soles and pushed Ms. Niu out. ¡°Just get out of this ce! What are you dreaming about? You move in when we build a new house? You are so shameless!¡± Then she cursed at Shao Ling. ¡°You can stop going to school! Your head is full of shit! All you can do is to take advantage of people but cane up with nothing new yourself. Juste back to be a farmer instead, you will have nothing to live on in the future!¡± Ms. Ma got very annoyed as she screamed. ¡°My son is definitely going to be an officer soon, what are you talking about?¡± Ms. Fang said coldly, ¡°Oh, then you can wait until he bes one, get out of here!¡± Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni were keeping Ms. Fangpany, as they watched the opponents getting thrashed. They could not do anything about the elders directly, but if the elders gave Ms. Fang a push, they were definitely going to teach them a lesson.. Chapter 390 - 390: Tore Off Chapter 390: Tore Off Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Xu hesitated but then backed her up as well. When Ms. Fang drove them out, Ms. Ma said angrily, ¡°You angry bitch, so unbelievable!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°If I am so unbelievable, you can stop talking with us and note to my home!¡± Third Uncle. ¡°Eldest Brother, why didn¡¯t you talk?¡± Eldest Uncle felt dizzy, his head was buzzing. He felt rather messed up. He was very sad about how such a family could be like this. He really wanted the whole family to live in harmony, but it never was in harmony! Ms. Fang argued with him fiercely, and the whole family disliked him. Now even his brothers disliked him. He had never been treated well! Shao Ling was very angry by what Ms. Fang said as well. Or that was because he had been shamed by Ms. Fang. He could lie to himself or others, people like Ms. Ma and Third Uncle who trusted him blindly. He could even be stuck inside his fantasy. Yet he knew pretty well what he was like at the college. During the examination, he couldn¡¯t answer any of those topics, and he just wished that he could have some luck to pass the examination. He waited one year after another, hoping that he could answer some of the topics on paper next year. But Ms. Fang tore off the fantasy ruthlessly and he felt seen through. ¡°You should not look down upon me. Fifth Cousin is nothing more than a Cultivated Talent, and you never know what is going to happen in the future!¡± Ms. Fang replied. ¡°Alright then, you can make a fortune and be an officer if you want, don¡¯t worry about what we are doing in our family!¡± Shao Ling. After driving them out, Ms. Fang said to her children, ¡°Have you spoken with the workers? When do we start?¡± Shao Yunduan responded quickly. ¡°We will tear down the house the day after tomorrow!¡± ¡®Good!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Just hurry up and remove what we need to remove. We are not living here any more.¡± She nced at this familiar-looking yard and house, sighing emotionally. ¡°I have lived here for so long and I don¡¯t feel like leaving!¡¯ Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom, when we move into the new house, you will definitely love it! We are going to use the best materials and the house should be intact even in a dozen years.¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°That is great!¡± They spent the next two days moving stuff to the ancestral hall, and it was very messy at home. They needed to hurry up with moving, since the demolition started the day after tomorrow. They all went down to doing their own tasks. Ms. Fang nced at Eldest Uncle. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for pushing them. They are just so annoying! Must we feed them all? Liuliang is so stupid as to suggest that idea. He has read nothing in all these years!¡± Eldest Uncle was speechless. He was generous towards his brothers, but he could not counter his wife about what he had just heard. ¡°But Siliang is getting married¡­¡± ¡°So what?¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°He has his own parents. We never turned to them for help when our sons got married.¡± Eldest Uncle, ¡® Soon, the process of tearing down the house, and building the foundation of the new house of the first section of the family started. They did notck any money, so they started to hire people and buy material quickly. All was going forward smoothly. That was a hugend and the whole family had already made an borate n. There was a front yard, main house and backyard. The main house was a big ce with five bays and two entrances. It was two stories high. The upper floor was going to be used to stack things, and store grain and other harvested crops.. Chapter 391 - 391: Work Started Chapter 391: Work Started Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The east and west wing rooms were all built to be spacious, with a three-bay pattern. Behind the two wing rooms, there were two small courtyards. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan would live there. Shao Yunduan needed to study, so he chose a quieter ce. Shao Dng, Shao Sang and Shao Xiaoqi had rooms of their own, whilst Shao Taotao and Ms. Fang shared the main room. ording to the blueprint given by the first section of the family, the construction team was in full swing on the day of construction, and more than half of the vigers came to watch the excitement. But no one from the second or the third section of the family showed up. Obviously, they were still very annoyed. Ms. Fang did not care. She pretended as if her mood was not at all affected. They did not even care what the Eldest Uncle was thinking at the moment. Qiao Xuan and her team went into the mountains again, when everyone was so busy. Qiao Xuan was thinking about the golden sprouts andvender tea leaves. She had many tea seeds at homest time, but they were not enough. Many seeds were not mature enough and they needed to revisit that ce. They went into the mountains for five days in a row. On the first day, they picked tea seeds, and then they started to seek and pick the creeping figs as well as mushrooms. The courtyard they were going to live in henceforth wasrge enough to sun dry those things. When seeds were taken from the creeping figs, they were sun dried in the sun and were put in therge bamboo pan. In the meanwhile, they dug more than 20 to 25 kgs of lillies and dates. There were still many persimmons and wild chestnuts in the mountains, but they had not yet reached the ripe season, and they had to wait for a while before they turned delicious. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan worked for a few days and soon after, visited the Zhang Vige again. The project of opening thend at the Zhang Vige was almost done. The couple was very satisfied by the effect. This was for nting tea trees, not crops, as long as therge and small tree stumps were dug up, it would not matter if the weeds were not cleared. They needed to make a lot of effort in removing the weeds in the first two days. Then it will slowly fall in ce. By the time the house was built, the opening of thend project would almoste to an end. At that time, they could start to build the side yards. Building a house was quick. It was much faster and more convenient toy the foundation and startying bricks than earth ramming. Building a house would take about four days. Ms. Fang saw with her own eyes that a tall, magnificent, and spacious main house was built, she felt extremely happy. The main room wasrger, and when that was done, the other rooms would be constructed even faster. After all the rooms were done, they could build the entirerge yard, then the small yards would be divided, along with the utility rooms. They would build sheds for raising chickens and ducks,y floor tiles, repair drinking pools¡­ In this way, they would be able to finish the work within one month or so. Then they would install doors and windows and have the requisite furniture made. They were definitely going to move in before the New Year. The other sections of the family were so jealous and furious. After they were driven out the other day, they were secretly paying attention to how fast the new house was built. Ms. Niu felt very sour inside her heart, seeing the house getting ready little by little. She turned to look at Second Uncle. ¡°We can build a new house too. Sng needs some space to get married. We need it to look good for him!¡± Second Uncle felt quite annoyed too, as he said, ¡°Yes, we will build one on our empty space, not with their help! We are going to get a new house too!¡± ¡°True!¡± Only then did Ms. Niu feel slightly better. She was getting a new house too! Chapter 392 - 392: Suspicion Chapter 392: Suspicion Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The second section of the family also started to hire people to build the house. Originally, they were thinking of borrowing some materials such as bricks, stones, and gravel from the first section of the family, but Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had long been on guard against them. The purchase of these things was contracted to the foreman who built the house, and the foreman was responsible for the purchase. All Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan did was to examine the quality and sign, confirming the source of the material on each paper. The foreman would gain some profits from it too. Most people in this era were quite practical. They took money and worked hard. Also, they barely had a chance to fabricate anything. For example, the number of ck bricks bought could not be fabricated. They used solid woods, notposite lumber. With the foreman who was in charge, the first section of the family saved themselves a lot of trouble. What they needed was to get everything examined well but not get worried about anything else. But Ms. Niu and Second Uncle did not know about this. They tried to carry the ck bricks away and said resolutely, ¡°This is my Eldest Brother¡¯s home, and I can borrow a few as his brother! I can repay themter. You are an outsider and this matter has nothing to do with you, you are just aborer! What are you stopping me for?¡± But the foreman lectured them and exined the details with a cold face, driving them away. He had bought everything with his money, and if Ms. Niu carried them away, he would need to make thepensation himself! They had not expected that the first section of the family had done the preparation in this way, thus getting even more annoyed. ¡°The first section of the family has spent so much money in hiring people, how much is it? They haven¡¯t lent us anything, but they can waste the money on this!¡± Ms. Zhang was most furious. The second section of the family did not offer to build a new house for her when she got married. But now Sng was getting married and he would get a new house. She was not worse than anyone else as a daughter-inw, why was she so badly treated? She did not dare toin about iat in front of Ms. Niu but cried badly in front of Shao Eng behind their backs. Shao Eng had not felt that anything was wrong with it because he felt happy that his family was getting a new house. But hearing her tearfulints, he could not help but feel annoyed and displeased. He could not help but mention this to Second Uncle that he needed one more room too because his children were growing up and they would have no ce to live inter on. Second Uncle and Ms. Niu, who were still annoyed by not being able to get anything from the first section of the family, lectured Shao Eng on hearing what he said. One room was already so difficult for them, how could they afford two? They would talk about building new ones in the future! Ms. Niu was sure that it was Ms. Zhang who would have mentioned it. So she lectured her and gave her a hard time for a few days in a row. Ms. Zhang felt so upset that she cribbed about Ms. Niu and Second Uncle as well as the first section of the family. But for the stingy first section of the family, nothing like this would have happened. On the other hand, the first section of the family had no idea what was going on with the second section of the family. Despite shifting to a new room, Shao Yunduan was still reading, memorizing books most of the time, whilst Qiao Xuan took a break and went into the mountains again. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni kept herpany on some asions. Qiao Xuan and her team did not go into the deep section of mountains every time. There were many mushrooms in the forests as well. They could see the creeping figs every now and then, and she was able to find them easily. There were many wild fruits in the mountains too, ripe with a sweet and sour taste. There were a lot of fun things in the mountains.. Chapter 393 - 393: Updated Space Chapter 393: Updated Space Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan was thinking that Yuezheng Xiao might send his men to fetch thest batch of lip balms, and he sure did. It was Qu Shan who came over. Qu Shan greeted her and gave her a present, as well as a letter written by Yuezheng Xiao. What surprised Qiao Xuan was that the present Yuezheng Xiao sent for her was a pot with five ginseng! Yuezheng Xiao had just written to his Elder Brother who was called Yuezheng Hong, who believed that the whole thing was very troublesome. But his younger brother rarely asked him for anything, so he could not help but feel like helping him, so he did that in the end. Ginsengs without being processed would get rotten after a long while. So, Yuezheng Hong made a lot of efforts after getting five of them, put them in two pots and finally transnted them into one pot. When the pot arrived, the ginseng was dying. Yuezheng Xiao was worried that it would be gone within a few days, so he asked Qu Shan to have it delivered to Qiao Xuan as soon as possible. Qiao Xuan thanked him sincerely and carried the pot into the garden with Shao Taotao. They could not just disappear in her space. They needed to be nted in the yard! After a while, she could tell others in a seemingly casual way that the five pieces of ginseng were dead or gone, then her work would be done. It was her stuff and Ms. Fang would not say anything about it, let alone others. She was the only one who had the key to the garden, and she could easily conceal her secret if she wanted to. She drove away Taotao and put the five ginseng into her space. The ginseng, which were on the verge of dying, started turning better when moved to space. Qiao Xuan felt that with her heart. When the five ginseng were nted in the soil, the space became even more lively and vital¡­ It was autumn, and everything naturally withered. Many nts had stopped growing, and some had be bare. Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower was affected by the seasons, and it was not as active as in spring and summer. But the space had not been so lively for a long while. She felt much more energetic when the ginseng were in the soil. Qiao Xuan came out when she felt better, after feeling what was inside her head. She believed that if she nted some more precious nts in her space, the space would turn tremendously different. That was to say, the umtion of quantitative changes to a certain extent would lead to qualitative changes. That made Qiao Xuan very excited. She also kept telling herself not to get overly worried about it. The environment she lived in was still too remote and closed, and precious and rare nts were not easy toe by. Sometimes it was all about chances. Yuezheng Xiao was quite reliable and he could be entrusted to find something good. Also, they were building a new house and she was going to need some more nts. She was definitely going to ask Yuezheng Xiao to find those new, precious nts for her. She only needed the rare varieties, such as orchids like ghost orchids, crane tops, and lotus petals, peonies such as Yaohuangweizi, plum blossoms such as green plums, dead branch plums, camellias such as Eighteen Bachelors, Hentiangao, Chidan, etc. She wanted to get them with the thought that if the space epted other flowers and trees, as long as they were rare enough, the space would ept them all. She was thinking about how to get these rare nts.. Chapter 394 - 394: Into Province Chapter 394: Into Province Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions These precious flowers and trees could only be obtained by famous and wealthy families. There were very few transactions of these kinds in the flower and tree market. After all, ordinary people could not afford these things. Only rich and powerful families could spend a lot of money to buy them and carefully cultivate them. Money was not the initial condition. It was just a method to get through. The atmosphere seemed a bit strange as she went home. Qiao Xuan turned to look at Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°I was just about to fetch you. Brother Yuezheng has invited us to have a gathering of literature in the province after three days. Do you want to join us? Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled ¨C of course! She could hopefully find precious flowers, shrubs and trees there! She would be too stupid to refuse the invitation. ¡°Of course.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded as she smiled. ¡°Young Master Yuezheng mentioned that the gathering should be of great importance. You should not miss it!¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°That is exactly what I think.¡± Ms. Fang and the others in the family nodded in agreement. Qiao Xuan was going to keep himpany. Qu Shan smiled. ¡°Then, please get your luggage ready tonight, so we can leave tomorrow morning.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded happily. This way, Qu Shan and the coachman spent their first night at the first section of the family. They slept on the floor of Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s room. Ms. Fang asked Shao Xiaoqi and Taotao to follow them to the province since there was nothing much going on in the family. Shao Yunduan was hesitant about this. Living as arge family next to the ancestral hall was not as convenient as living at home. There was still farm work to do every day, and the house was being built. Somebody had to go see it a few times. If half of the family was gone, they were running out of helping hands in the family. What if the other sections of the family caused trouble at the time. He was worried that his mother would run into a problem when he and Qiao Xuan were absent. Ms. Fang seemed to have seen through his concern, and she smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just do what you need to do. I am not bullied easily, and I have Sang and Ms. Yang with me here.¡± Dng was too honest to fight back, especially when Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle were in an argument. But if Ms. Fang was bullied, he would definitely step forward. Ms. Xu was not a good helper, but if she forced her to help her as a mother-inw, she would not refuse to do so. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni were with her and they always took her side. So, even if Shao Yunduan and the others were away for a while, it would be fine. Shao Yunduan agreed and nodded at the proposal. Early the next day, Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, Qi and Taotao left with Qu Shan and the coachman. After breakfast, Ms. Xu, Yang Xiaoni were doing housework, whilst Ms. Fang was taking care of her grandchildren as Shao Dng and his brother went to check around the new house before heading to the mountains for wood chopping. It was getting cold soon and they needed to store as much wood as possible, enough for the winter and the spring. Wood was not easily obtained when it rained too much in spring. Ms. Fang looked and saw Shao Ling in front of him. ¡°Oh? What are you doing here?¡± Ms. Fang sounded calm but she looked very cold. This man had the audacity to suggest moving the whole family together after their new house was built. Ms. Fang looked down at him to an extreme degree.. Chapter 395 - 395: Regretful Chapter 395: Regretful Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Ling did not sense her displeasure though. He had always thought highly of himself, and he said with a smile, ¡°Eldest Aunt!¡± He asked in a pretentiously casual way. ¡°You had guestsst night, right? They seemed to be Young Master Yue¡¯s servants, right? Have they left already?¡± Many people had seen Qu Shaning to the vige the day before, and Shao Ling saw that too. But he lost interest in the visit, since Qu Shan was here alone. So he did note to them the day before. But he got quite curious as he came to them in the morning. Unfortunately, the wagon was gone, so was the man. Ms. Fang let out a cry of surprise. Shao Ling smiled. ¡°I need to talk with my cousin!¡± Ms. Fang stopped him. ¡°Your cousin has left with Qu Shan!¡± ¡°What?¡± Shao Ling¡¯s face changed. ¡°So Qu Shan was here to take him away as a guest to their ce? Ms. Fang looked at him with confusion, wondering what made him so excited at the moment. She nodded. ¡®Yeah?¡± Shao Ling suddenly felt regretful! ¡°But¡­ I had a nice chat with Young Master Yuest time as well. Why didn¡¯t my cousin ask me to join them?¡± He should havee to them the night before and asked about the visit! He had just missed the great opportunity! Ms. Fang was speechless. Young Master Yuezheng and Young Master Xie were getting on well with her son, not with Ling! She said, ¡°But Qu Shan didn¡¯t say that Young Master Yue invited you!¡¯ Shao Ling got stuck with words, and turned pale. ¡°But we are cousins and we are together, right?¡± Ms. Fang found it hard to counter him about this¡­ so she let out a small ¡°okay.¡± and said nothing more. Shao Ling had no idea what else to say. What could he do since the wagon was long gone? He could try to chase the wagon. But he would not be able to catch up at all! He wanted to lecture Eldest Aunt but he did not dare to. Shao Ling thought of an idea and said, ¡°Where does Young Master Yue live?¡± Ms. Fang understood clearly what he wanted to do, and replied with a smile. ¡°1 have no idea.¡± Shao Ling. Shao Ling felt that Ms. Fang was lying, but he could not prove that. ¡°You really have no idea?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shao Ling got so annoyed as he said, ¡°Can you swear on that?¡± Ms. Fang threw a look at him. ¡°What is wrong with you? I would be mental to swear on this. Just leave me alone! Honestly, you can¡¯t do anybor work and just read and write. So, you should just stay in the room and read on your own. What will you do if you don¡¯t pass any examinations? That was so heart-breaking for him to hear. Shao Ling. He felt even more annoyed! Shao Ling felt regretful as he came back home in distress. Ms. Ma asked him about it in concern. Shao Ling did not want to mention it but he could not help andined to Ms. Ma. Ms. Ma did not feel any sympathy but snapped angrily. ¡°They are just showing off. They have rich friends, but so do you! Just ignore them! If you feel bored, go and visit Young Master Zhao again.¡± Shao Ling was startled. In fact, he understood clearly that his rtionship with Zhao Guanghua was totally different from Shao Yunduan¡¯s rtionship with those two young masters. But he did not want to admit that.. Chapter 396 - 396: Favored By Beauty Chapter 396: Favored By Beauty Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions That was why he tried hard to suck up to the two young masters. He somehow believed that if the two young masters befriended him, he would have a lot of wonderful thingsing to him in the future. Zhao Guanghua was different from them. But he could not just say that out loud. His mother would not understand. Bothered and flustered, Shao Ling could not stay at home and went to the Zhao Family for real. Zhao Guanghua was feeling very bored at home, when he heard that Shao Ling hade over, heughed and ordered him toe in. Now he had someone whom he could tease for fun! However, Shao Ling ran into Zhao Ming when he was at Zhao Guanghua¡¯s ce. Shao Ling was shocked by her looks. Zhao Ming saw him as well. She felt ttered to have fascinated a dumb man like him. She smiled at him purposefully and left. Zhao Ming¡¯s smile made Shao Ling¡¯s head buzz. He was totally distracted, and after a few moments, he became really happy! The Elder Miss of the Zhao Family smiled at him! Did she fall for him? That must be it! Shao Ling couldn¡¯t stand the excitement arising inside his head. He almost burst out inughter. Since Zhao Guanghua did not witness what happened, he wondered what was wrong with this man¡­ Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, as well as their family, arrived in the province before the day turned dark. It was an early winter day, and they eventually managed to go through the gate before it closed. Qu Shan drove them to the hotel where they had livedst time. Yuezheng Xiao had already booked the room for them. They thanked Qu Shan and checked in. It was a quiet night. Early the next morning, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong came to visit them together. They had a chat in a very bustling, lively atmosphere. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong thanked them for the presents which they brought along. Those included some sun dried mushrooms and creeping figs. They did not have any bergamots any more since Yuezheng Xiao already took everything awayst time he was at their ce. All kinds of dried mushrooms were fine, and jelly was still a new product. As expected, Yuezheng Xiao liked it very much. Last time when he brought some fresh ones back, Yuezheng Xiao specially gave them to his mother and sister-inw. Xie Jingrong also ordered someone to make jelly, added various chopped nuts or fresh fruits, and a little crushed ice. Thedies in the family loved it, asking him when he would be able to bring some more back. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had a few with them this time. The gathering took ce after two days and it wouldst for three days in a row. Xie Jingrong told Shao Yunduan about some important figures as well as the whole process and the regtions. Yuezheng Xiao was not interested in what was happening between schrs, so he started to talk about lipsticks and dessert stores with Qiao Xuan instead. They had no flowers for lipsticks right now, so Yuezheng Xiao decided to release the lipsticks which they had in stock regrly so they could stretch it out until the new ones arrived. Qiao Xuan gave him 500 lip balms to fill the shortage of lipsticks. Yuezheng Xiao nned to customize some crystal, jade, gold, and silver lipstick tubes iid with gemstones. Rare things were more expensive, and he would try to sell them at high prices. He wondered if Qiao Xuan would agree to that. Qiao Xuan was shocked. The Yuezheng Family was indeed a wealthy business family with not only a huge background, but also ideas and abilities. Some very wealthydies would expect their things to stand out from the ordinary ones.. Chapter 397 - 397: Limited Version Chapter 397: Limited Version Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The crystal and jade lipstick tubes would not cost a lot more than the current cost, but the price could definitely increase by more than a hundred times. Also, they did not need to have many tubes like this, more than a dozen sets would be enough. ¡°That sounds great! In this way we can make more money and satisfy what the nobledies and madams like. That is like killing two birds with one stone!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded in agreement. Yuezheng Xiao struck his thigh and smiled. ¡°That is true! Exactly what I think!¡± Qiao Xuan thought for a while and said, ¡°How about this, next year there will be a set of twelve beauties limited edition lipsticks, the twelve beauties each correspond to a kind of flower for twelve months. The lipstick tubes will represent spring, summer, autumn and winter which will be made of emerald, carnelian, gold, and crystal respectively. The tube will be carved with patterns of beauties and flowers, iid with various pearls and gemstones.¡± ¡°Three pieces will be released in one season, and the whole set can be collected in one year. Three packs can be sold at one go, and more effort should be made on the packaging. We can draw patterns and ask famous artists to sell them. You must make sure that it is exquisitely made! As for the price, I¡¯m not an expert on it, so it¡¯s fine for you to decide.¡± Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s eyes sparkled when he heard the idea. He patted the table in delight. ¡°That is a great thought! We are definitely going to do this! Let¡¯s release a set of Twelve Beauties, limited edition first, then I¡¯ll find someone to figure out a more borate ideater. After that, we canunch some other series, ah, think about it slowly. This way we¡¯re going to earn a lot of money! At that time, after deducting the cost, we will share the profit equally.¡± Yuezheng Xiao already had an idea about the pricing. He decided to sell the lipsticks with cost included at more than 3000 liang for one lipstick. Since it was a limited version, he would at most produce 10 sets so they could look rare. He was sure that they would be very well received. They did not need to worry about not being able to sell them. Ten sets for the 12 beauty series with 12 lipsticks for one set would earn them so much. The two money lovers started to discuss the n in detail. They did not stop until it was time for lunch. Xie Jingrong had already booked the restaurant, and they all headed there. Inside the elegant room, Shao Yunduan was shocked hearing what Yuezheng Xiao said about the limited version of lipsticks. Xie Jingrong spoke highly of the idea when he heard about it. Twelve beauties and twelve famous flowers would be drawn by famous artists, and the outer tubes would be made by famous craftsmen. The gold, jade and crystals corresponded to the four seasons. They were luxurious and elegant enough, and will work perfectly as limited versions. Rare things were always more expensive, and they would definitely be sold. A few thousand liang was nothing in rich people¡¯s eyes. After all, real rich people had so much money to spend that it simply could not finish. Hearing that it was Qiao Xuan¡¯s idea, Xie Jingrong could not help but look at this girl with admiration. The County Magistrate was totally blind to alienate and dislike this daughter of his. If he had treated her well and taken her as an advisor, he would have been promoted and made a fortune, and fame long ago instead of trying to stick up to powerful and rich people in this humiliating way. Shao Yunduan was a learned man, but he just could not believe that someone would spend this much money upon buying one lipstick like that. It sounded ridiculous. But Shao Yunduan could not help but feel emotional, when he saw how confident Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao were when they talked about selling these lipsticks. He simply could not understand what was up with rich people.. Chapter 398 - 398: Dessert Store Chapter 398: Dessert Store Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Eating mutton in winter was the most warming and nourishing feeling. Today¡¯s several big dishes were all mutton, including roasted leg ofmb, braisedmb chops, braised mutton with radish, steamed mutton with powder, and mutton in a dry pot. They were all served straight out of the pot. The chefs at the restaurants were pretty good at cooking. Yuezheng Xiao could not help but talk about the dessert stores during lunchtime. Qiao Xuan told him that they already bought thend for opening and they could nt the creeping figs in spring and harvest them in autumn. There were many creeping figs this year, and the sun dried ones should weigh over 50kg. But those were not enough to open a dessert store. They needed to have at least three or five stores in the province so that they could acquire the market as soon as possible and earn money. One store would earn too little profit. They could not just sell jelly and needed to offer something more as well. This ice powder jelly could not be copied by others. Other things such as sugar taro seedlings, mung bean paste, lily lotus seed and almond soup, bean curd and bean brain, were easy to learn as long as others saw them. So, they needed to take over the market right at the beginning, so all the tastes could be showcased well, and could stand firmly and for a long duration. They did not need to open the store as of this moment but they could start the preparations until all was set and ready to go. Qiao Xuan also mentioned raising cows, and she wondered if the cows could be bred because milk could lead to making many other interesting dishes as well. Taking advantage of the trend, she also mentioned sago, cassava, and papaya avable in the south. If they could find those, the whole thing would get much better. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were both shocked. This was far more than jelly! They were even thinking about raising cows? What was sago rice? Cassava? They never heard about these things. They had heard of papaya, but never saw it before¡­ Yuezheng Xiao gave Qiao Xuan an admiring look as he sighed. ¡°You have such vast knowledge! Everything sounds so good. Draw me some pictures, so I can try this with my Elder Brother. As long as we have them on thisnd, we will definitely find them!¡± His Elder Brother had befriended many wandering people as a businessman. Although they were not very close friends, they could offer some help to find the stuff they needed. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Yes, I also read some sayings in a book about foreign countries. The sago and cassava shoulde from the West, and most of them have to go to the south to find them.¡± Yuezheng Xiao nodded. ¡°I will speak with my brother!¡± He smiled as he looked at Xie Jingrong. ¡°We do have cows. Their family happened to have a small ranch, and they raised some cows there.¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan turned to Xie Jingrong. Xie Jingrong smiled. ¡°My grandfather and grandmother like milk, so the family specially raised a few cows, which were easy to handle. Soon, I will take over this pasture and expand it to raise a few more cows. Twenty or thirty should be enough.¡± Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t know if that was enough, but how many cows could be raised on a ranch needed to be calcted by experience or in a scientific way, not as per their wish. Qiao Xuan smiled and nodded. ¡°Twenty and thirty should be enough, let¡¯s see how the store business goes!¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled happily. ¡°The business should be good!¡± They talked for a few minutes before leaving. It was quitete in the day.. Chapter 399 - 399: Yuezheng Ting Again Chapter 399: Yuezheng Ting Again Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions It was slightly cold in the province, and both Qiao Xuan, and Shao Yunduan did not have many clothes with them. So, they went to buy a few more warm clothes on the way, which Qi and Taotao could bring back to the hotel, whilst they went to a few book stores and returned a littleter. They had a quick dinner at the hotel and stayed there until the next day. Shao Yunduan was getting ready to attend the gathering these days, and was reading a few poetry collections as part of the preparations. He was definitely going to be asked to make some poems at the gathering, though that was not the theme of the gathering this year. Qiao Xuan, Qi and Taotao chose to go out and have a tour around. Qiao Xuan was still thinking about precious nts, but she had not told Yuezheng Xiao about this idea yet. She decided to try her own luck first. She also wanted to buy a few things for home as well. Shao Yunduan could not keep herpany, so he stressed to Shao Xiaoqi that he should take good care of his sister-inw and sister. ¡°After the gathering, I will go out with you to far-off ces. When you are by yourself, you should only visit bustling localities, not those isted areas, alright?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t speak the same dialect as people here, and we are outsiders who might be bullied.¡± Especially those outsiders who did not have any servants with them. Shao Xiaoqi and Taotao turned serious and nodded in agreement. Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart also skipped a beat. They were not living in the modern society with high legal security, and they should definitely be careful out there. The three of them rented the wagon rmended by the manager of the hotel, and instructed the coachman to take them to many popr ces. They even paid extra for the security. They visited some street-stands and bought a few things. The three of them happened to be around Yanchi Restaurant around lunchtime, which was a very famous restaurant for its southern dishes, especially Suzhou cuisine. They had wanted to have a taste at this cest time, but they failed to eat there due to the tight schedule. They happened to be around here at lunchtime, probably because it was destiny that took them here? Qiao Xuan and Taotao got off the wagon, and smiled at Qi. ¡°You can go and fetch your brother, while we will go in and ce the order.¡± Shao Xiaoqi agreed and urged the coachman to hurry away. Yanchi Restaurant was one of the biggest restaurants in the province, so Qiao Xuan and Taotao should be safe here. Yanchi Restaurant was very popr, and when Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao went to the elegant room, there was only one room left. She booked without hesitation, as she said to Taotao, ¡°We are lucky enough to have found one at this hour!¡± Shao Taotao chuckled and nodded. ¡°Yeah!¡± At this moment, a group of people walked in. It included four beautiful and youngdies apanied by a few maids. They needed an elegant room. The manager was quite embarrassed as he said with a smile, ¡°Sorry, thest elegant room has been booked by ady a while ago, maybe you cane backter and we will save one for you.¡± Thedy who asked for the elegant room turned to Qiao Xuan with a smile. ¡°Lady, you only have two people but we have so many, can you spare the elegant room for us? I canpensate you with one liang.¡± Qiao Xuan, Thisdy looked very arrogant. She seemed quite friendly but as a matter of fact, she was rude to her face. Most importantly, thisdy did not recognize her, but Qiao Xuan did. Even Taotao exchanged a surprised look with Qiao Xuan. She had recognized her too. It was Yuezheng Ting, Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s cousin. Qiao Xuan did not care if she recognized herself. They were just irrelevant people in her eyes, and it was not so strange that she did not recognize her.. Chapter 400 - 400: Rejection Chapter 400: Rejection Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan did not mention that they had met, nor did she say that she knew her cousin Yuezheng Xiao well. ¡°I am sorry, Miss, but we are a group of more than two people. Also, we arrived here first to book the room. We live outside the province and can barely visit here. So, we really want to eat at Yanchi Restaurant. But Miss, you seem to be a local, what abouting here next time?¡± Yuezheng Ting was not a mild tempered person, but she was in public and had her friends with her. Thus she had to act as if she were very generous and elegant. She thought that she had been kind enough to offerpensation, but thisdy turned her down bluntly. Yuezheng Ting could not embarrass herself in front of others, and said with a good smile, ¡°Lady, we also want to eat the good dishes here today. How about I offer you three liang? You can eat a sumptuous meal at some other ce with these three liang, no?¡± Yuezheng Ting felt so distressed. Three liang was already a huge amount, enough for her to try different sun dried fruits. Qiao Xuan really looked down at her. If she wanted to drive her away with money, at least ten to twenty liang should have been the starting price. Yanchi Restaurant¡¯s elegant rooms were very expensive to book. In that light, one or three liang were so stingy as apensation. If she was so miserly, then she did not have to put on the show. It was so embarrassing. Had Yuezheng Ting and Yuezheng Xiao been in a good rtionship, Qiao Xuan would have definitely helped. But Yuezheng Xiao and Yuezheng Ting were not in a harmonious rtionship, and Qiao Xuan would not just let this opportunity go. ¡°Sorry, Miss. Can you please try this offer with some other guests?¡± Yuezheng Ting got so furious, which is why her maid Jiang went forward and said, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so greedy. Our miss already offers you a generous offer, what more do you want?¡± Qiao Xuan nced at her and smiled with politeness. ¡°I just want to have a quiet lunch.¡± ¡°You!¡± A girl in a rosy and patterned coat chuckled as she squinted at Yuezheng Ting. ¡°Ting, you are really not generous enough. One or three liang is too little to offer, you are so rich that you can offer more.¡± The Yuezheng Family were rich enough to offer more, but she must be doing it on purpose because she did not want to treat them with a true heart. Yuezheng Ting red at the maid and then at Qiao Xuan. She spoke in a very annoyed voice with her teeth clenched. ¡°I will give you ten liang, and you can choose another dining ce.¡± Qiao Xuan said to the manager, ¡°Mr. Manager, I am going upstairs. When my husband and my brother-inw arrive, please direct them to our elegant room.¡± Having said that, Qiao Xuan left with Shao Taotao. Yuezheng Ting¡¯s face flushed. She was both embarrassed and angry. Anotherdy wearing avender dress frowned, as she said lightly, ¡°I just thought of something. I am off, let¡¯s set another day for lunch.¡± Before Yuezheng Ting could say anything, the girl left and the other girls followed up soon after. Yuezheng Ting turned pale and felt humiliated. The girl invender dress was Xie Ruifang, the lineal daughter of the third section of the family of the Xie Family. Yuezheng Ting ran into Xie Ruifang and her cousin He Zhiqing, and was trying to suck up to them. They were just talking about the dishes of Yanchi Restaurant, so she vividly offered to take them to this restaurant for the exaggeratedly praised dishes.. Chapter 401 - 401: Angry Chapter 401: Angry Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The Xie Family was a wealthy family with very strict rules for their children. They did notck drinks or clothes, but they barely had any pocket money. There were special funds for buying clothes, jewelry, rouge and gouache, and the elders would give rewards during the New Year¡¯s Day or asionally at other times, but if they wanted to go out and eat, they might not have too much money in hand. Especially when ites to a ce like Yanchi Restaurant. Southern dishes were always exquisitely-made and an ordinary banquet would cost 20 liang at least. Upper-ss table would cost more than 100 liang. If liquor and other drinks were added, the price could be much higher. Xie Ruifang and He Zhiqing had not been here before, so they were quite attracted to take up the offer. Yuezheng Ting became happy about that. Although it might cost her some money, if she could befriend the lineal daughter of the Xie Family, it would be worth the while. Therefore, even if she ran into Wen Qingyuan from the Wen Family, the girl in the rose dress, whom she did not like much, Yuezheng Ting did not turn her down. All Xie Ruifang needed to remember was who paid for the meal. However, there were no avable elegant rooms left at Yanchi Restaurant, which was beyond her expectation! What irritated her was that thest elegant room was taken from her just one step ahead of time, and this woman who took the room did not want to eptpensation for giving up the room. How dare she! She had been filled with hope before she came here, but now everyone was disappointed. She could imagine what Xie Ruifang would think of her. She would have a terrible impression about her! Wen Qingyuan, that bitch also left with Xie Ruifang, and she was surely going to bad mouth her behind her back! He Zhiqing chuckled and said to Yuezheng Ting in a gentle voice, ¡°I seem to have seen two women eating with your third cousin the other day. There were two other men with them that day, probably her husband and brother-inw? It seems that they should be in a good rtionship with your family, how could.. How could they fail to recognize you as the Second Miss of the Yuezheng Family? He Zhiqing smiled and said gently, ¡°Or maybe I saw it wrong. If you check with her about it, don¡¯t tell her that it came from me.¡± She smiled and then turned around, leaving. Yuezheng Ting¡¯s face changed, while she stood there with eyes wide open. She suddenly thought of something as she said to Jiang with clenched teeth, ¡°You remember the Third Cousin and Young Master Xie eating at The Restaurant? There was a family with four people, right? Is it them?¡± Jiang was startled and then showed an enlightened look. ¡°You are right, Miss, it was them! I remember it now!¡± ¡°Good!¡± Yuezheng Ting got even more furious, and sneered. ¡°They must have recognized me and were ying with me! I am going to teach them a lesson!¡± Yuezheng Ting rushed upstairs in fury. Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao had just sat down when Yuezheng Ting rushed in as she pushed the door open. She pointed at Qiao Xuan furiously. ¡°My Third Cousin treats you as friends, but you dare trick me like this! I will tell him so he can teach you a lesson!¡± Yuezheng Ting stopped pretending to be an elegantdy when no one was watching. But she had not thought of Qiao Xuan and Taotao¡¯s names so the impact of her usation wasrgely reduced.. Chapter 402 - 402: Payment Chapter 402: Payment Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows. ¡°Sorry, Lady Yuezheng, but I booked the elegant room first, and I don¡¯t want to give it away to you. What is the problem?¡± She gave Yanchi Restaurant a thumb-up for not sucking up to the rich. No wonder the restaurant was so popr. Yuezheng Ting sneered. ¡°Good, good, then tell me your name, so I will tell my Third Cousin about it. From today onwards, you will never have the chance to speak with him or get anything beneficial from our family!¡± The Yuezheng Family were very famous in the province, and Yuezheng Ting assumed that Qiao Xuan was trying to suck up to the Yuezheng Family. A small portion of money from them would feed this poor family well for the rest of their lives. Startled, Taotao was so confused, not knowing how to react. What was wrong with thisdy from the Yuezheng Family? How could she be so strange? Young Master Yuezheng was in a business rtionship with her brother and sister-inw, and Young Master Yuezheng kept telling them that he was so lucky to meet them. Since when did her brother and sister-inw try to suck up to the Yuezheng Family? Where did Lady Yuezheng hear about this rumor? Taotao did not like to be misjudged. She could not help but speak up. ¡°Sorry Lady Yuezheng, but you have misunderstood us! We have never taken anything good from your family, and my brother and sister-inw¡¯s rtionship with Young Master Yuezheng is totally fair and straight!¡± ¡°How dare you say fair and straight!¡± Yuezheng Ting sneered. ¡°You want to tell me your names?¡± Qiao Xuan pinched Taotao¡¯s wrist, and looked at Yuezheng Ting. ¡°I don¡¯t think that is necessary. How about asking your Third Cousin yourself, if you want to know our names?¡± ¡°You!¡± Yuezheng Ting got so annoyed that she said, ¡°Okay, okay, you are very bold. Let¡¯s wait and see what you have to pay for your rudeness!¡± Yuezheng Ting red at Qiao Xuan and left in a fury. Taotao got a little anxious, asking. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, is this okay? Lady Yuezheng is Young Master Yuezheng¡¯s cousin¡­ after all.¡± Qiao Xuan was amused. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, think about our own cousins. If they irritate our friends, and get driven away by our friends, will you be mad at our friends?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Shao Taotao burst out and felt a little embarrassed. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Not so worried anymore?¡± Shao Taotao nodded and said involuntarily, ¡°Why are cousins always so annoying?¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°That¡¯s a good question!¡± Soon the waiters came in and the two of them started to order. Qiao Xuan ordered ssic southern dishes such as squirrel mandarin fish, stewed meat balls, braised eels, crystal meat, braised pork in Baihua wine, Pingqiao tofu, and boiled dried shredded rice. She hadn¡¯t tasted authentic Jiangnan cuisine since she came here, and wondered if Yanchi Restaurant would be a disappointment or not. The food would cost over 30 liang, but that was worth the while if the taste was authentic. Shao Yunduan and Shao Xiaoqi arrived after the two girls had waited for a while. Qiao Xuan smiled brightly at Shao Yunduan. ¡°I heard that the restaurant serves authentic southern dishes, let¡¯s just have a try!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled gently. ¡°There are many restaurants in the province that are worth trying out. We will visit them one by one..¡± Chapter 403 - 403: Yuezheng Ting’s Tears Chapter 403: Yuezheng Ting¡¯s Tears Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Okay, sounds good!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. Neither she nor Taotao mentioned the conflict with Yuezheng Ting to Shao Yunduan and Qi. That would just make the atmosphere worse. The Yanchi Restaurant was expensive for a reason. The dishes were very well made, authentic and the four of them were very satisfied. At the Yuezheng Family¡¯s mansion, the atmosphere was very strange. Yuezheng Ting was crying to her mother, Ms. Mi about what happened during the day. ¡°¡­I managed to get the girl of the Xie Family to join me for lunch, but I was so humiliated! Those two girls must have recognized me but still humiliated me on purpose! They are in a good rtionship with the Third Cousin and must have heard something from him, thus treating me like this.¡± ¡°How did they manage to befriend Third Cousin so they could humiliate me like this just to suck up to him! Will he make them rich? I won¡¯t let this go!¡± ¡°Third Cousin is bullying me. Mom, you have to help me! Those two countryside women have bullied me too!¡± Ms. Mi got so angry but she took a deep breath and caressed Yuezheng Ting and said, ¡°It is okay! I will ask him when hees back what he means. How can he befriend some filthy people to bully his own cousin? How dare he!¡± Yuezheng Ting cried even more fiercely. ¡°Mom, I want him to help me get to know the Xie Family, or I will never leave him alone!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t worry!¡± Yuezheng Xiao returned home and was summoned to his Second Aunt¡¯s ce by the maid. He raised his eyebrows, feeling surprised. Still he went there. Seeing Yuezheng Ting there with a pair of red eyes as if she had been bullied, Yuezheng Xiao felt even more confused. She gave him an annoyed look which made him think about the previous instance. ¡®What are these two women thinking about doing again? Still nning to pester me?¡¯ He could give one lipstick of each color to them as presents, but not for them to use as favors. Ms. Mi smiled. ¡°Nephew, who have you befriended these days? You are the Young Master of the Yuezheng Family, and we are a famous family who should not befriend those filthy and unimportant people. You need to stay away from those lowly, unruly folks so they wouldn¡¯t bully our family. Otherwise, it would turn us into aughing stock!¡± Yuezheng Xiao. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Second Aunt is talking about, you can put it straightforwardly if you want to.¡± Yuezheng Ting could not help but retort. ¡°Third Cousin, I met the two women of that family whom you and Young Master Xie ate a meal with. The two women bullied me today! They knew that I was your cousin, but they still humiliated me in public!¡± Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s face turned serious. Was Yuezheng Ting talking about Mrs. Shao and Taotao? They were definitely not like that. ¡°What happened?¡± Ms. Mi asked him instead. ¡°Who are those two women? Where are they from? How did you get to know them? Maybe we have conducted business with them?¡± Yuezheng Xiao knew that Ms. Mi was trying to cause trouble. He kept his connection a secret and said, ¡°They don¡¯t have any business with us.¡± Just with him. ¡°We are just ordinary friends. Cousin, how about telling me what is really going on!¡± Ms. Mi snorted and pursed her lips.. Chapter 404 - 404: For Real Chapter 404: For Real Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Ting said, ¡°I, alongwith Fourth Miss and her cousin from the Xie Family went to Yanchi Restaurant for lunch. There was only one elegant room left. I asked the twodies politely but they not only countered me but also stole the elegant room from us. I was humiliated in front of the two cousins at the Xie Family¡­ How could they do something like that? They are sucking up to you and taking things from us but humiliating me in front of everyone!¡± Ms. Mi added. ¡°They humiliated the Xie Family as well and offended them for no reason. Nephew, I suggest you stop hanging out with them lest you get stuck with them and offend other people!¡± ¡°Countryside people are so rude!¡± Yuezheng Xiao said, ¡°Yanchi Restaurant? As far as I know, Yanchi Restaurant is a restaurant that sticks to rules. They offer rooms to those who arrive first, with no exception. They must have booked the elegant room in front of you, right?¡± Yuezheng Ting, ¡°This is a simple matter. I can ask Yanchi Restaurant about it. I know that the manager and the waiters should know about what happened.¡± Yuezheng Ting could not lie any more and said angrily, ¡°They were just a step earlier than us and were talking with the manager. They had not even booked the room¡­¡± ¡°Half a step earlier is still earlier than you, otherwise the manager of the Yanchi Restaurant would not have given the room to them. They did not bully you!¡± ¡°Yuezheng Xiao, are you a part of our family?¡± Ms. Mi got furious, ¡°One or two steps earlier is nothing. They embarrassed us! They are your friends, and are making money through us, but they dared to humiliate the missus from the Yuezheng Familyo. Honestly, what made them so bold!¡± ¡°We just need to talk.¡± Yuezheng Xiao sounded cold. ¡°Also, you are wrong, Second Aunt. They are not making money through us, and we never force people to do anything.¡± Ms. Mi got furious. ¡°So it was Ting¡¯s fault?¡± ¡°Looks like it.¡± ¡°You¡­ good, good, you must be feeling very proud to have bullied us from the second section of the family for not having a very sessful businessman, right?¡± Yuezheng Xiao was surprised. ¡°Second Aunt, I don¡¯t agree with what you said. We are simply discussing this matter. You are a bully if you try to push other people.¡± ¡°Also, I think that Second, Fourth and Fifth Cousin are all excellent men, why are they considered unsessful? Fifth Cousin reads well and my father used to speak highly of them, so did my Second Uncle.¡± ¡°Just get out of here!¡± Ms. Mi¡¯s face changed, as she shouted at him hysterically. Yuezheng Xiao got up and greeted her politely. ¡°Goodbye, Second Aunt!¡± He had just walked out of the room, when Yuezheng Xiao heard Ms. Mil s furious shouting and scolding as well as the sound of china smashing. He snorted and left leisurely. This Second Aunt of his really loved to make a scene. She was greedy, stupid, narrow-minded, and suspicious. She was domineering towards her subordinates, ttering her superiors. Now she had nothing else to do except curry favor with Madame Yuezheng. She could not give birth to a son, but refused to treat the second, fourth, and fifth cousin well. She kept changing the way of tormenting them. His own mother had the vision of protecting the three cousins so that even now they also had a very good rtionship with the two cousins. The second cousin apanied them in business dealings and they helped each other often.. Chapter 405 - 405: Working Harder Chapter 405: Working Harder Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions That made his Second Uncle feel very satisfied as well, so when his Second Aunt tried to turn them against each other, she inevitably failed. That was why he quit the family business. When he quit the family business, Second Uncle felt even more satisfied and the family would get more stable and his mother felt more assured taking care of his father in town. His Fifth Cousin was very smart. He had been reading a lot since he was young, so the family decided to train him to work for the government. But for some reason, the Second Aunt was worried that when the Fifth Cousin became an officer, his mother, Concubine Min¡¯s position would be raised. So, she got Concubine Min killed first. Though there was no direct evidence, people were well aware of the fact. Fifth Cousin was not too young at the time and he remembered it. For that, he would probably get Second Aunt killed when he reached a high position in the government. How dare she scold him like this right now? She was so stupid! Yuezheng Xiao thought for a while and decided to visit Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan at the hotel in the afternoon. Yuezheng Ting had offended his friends and he needed to express his stance. Qiao Xuan had not intended to tell Shao Yunduan about this, but now the secret was revealed. She heard him speak a few words and said to Yuezheng Xiao, ¡°Lady Yuezheng was quite rude at the very beginning, so I did not give away the elegant room to her, is that okay?¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed. ¡°Sure! The first one there gets it first, just ignore her!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Thanks.¡± Speaking of this, Yuezheng Xiao decided to have a friendly get-together after the schrs¡¯ gathering. He also stressed before leaving that he would offer any help if needed. When he was gone, Shao Yunduan looked at Qiao Xuan. ¡°You are fine, right? Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡± He was a bit unhappy to hear that his wife had been bullied and that he knew nothing about it. Shao Xiaoqi and Taotao exchanged a look and left the room quietly. Their instinct told them that they should leave the room at the moment. Feeling her heart warm up, Qiao Xuan blushed a little when being stared at by his scorching look. She just felt a bit sad to see his hands withdrawing, when they were almost about to reach hers. ¡°I am fine, I just thought that I didn¡¯t need to bother you about it! She did not want to get humiliated in front of the public, so she would not have done anything extreme! ¡± ¡°The Yuezheng Family are a rich family and they have argework with many contacts around. Lady Yuezheng must be spoiled enough not to be used to this situation. What if she does something terrible in secret to you?¡± ¡°Just tell me if something strange happens in the future, okay?¡± Shao Yunduan knew that it was because he was not strong enough so many things like this happened. Otherwise, he would have gone back to Yuezheng Ting to demand an exnation. He was a man who could read, and passing the imperial examination was the only way to make him stronger. He needed to work harder. Qiao Xuan felt her heart turn soft. She looked up and smiled at him with a pair of sparkling eyes. ¡°Okay, okay I got it! I will not keep anything from you ever again, okay?¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and his heart started to beat nervously. ¡°As long as I am here, no one will ever bully you!¡± ¡°Okay, I know!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Good, do remember that in mind!¡± The couple looked at each other, feeling their hearts turning warm. Shao Yunduan did not tell her how he felt for her because he was not qualified enough at the moment to do so. Qiao Xuan was not anxious to hear what she wanted to hear.. He had only her and he only cared about her! Chapter 406 - 406: Sensing Something Chapter 406: Sensing Something Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions On the day of the gathering, Yuezheng Xiao got a wagon to drive Shao Yunduan and Shao Xiaoqi to the venue. Xie Jingrong would be present there too. He was going to keep an eye on Shao Yunduan secretly rather than stay by his side. Qiao Xuan and Taotao decided to take this opportunity to travel around the town. They wanted to buy a lot of things to nt for the dessert stores, and also needed raw materials for the lipsticks and extract essence. Qiao Xuan was going to do business outside the county. Now that they hade here, they were going to stroll around the ce, while enjoying the scenery to see what they could possibly run into so that they would not miss anything. She had a lot of savings. If she could buy a piece ofnd in the outskirts of the province or somewhere far away from home, she would benefit a lot from that purchase as well. There would be a great deal for them. The two girls rented the wagon which they had rented before. ording to the coachman, there was a beautiful site several kilometers away from the center, so that was where they headed towards. They asked the coachman to wait at the site, whilst Qiao Xuan and Taotao took a look around the ce. They seemed as if they were just idling around, yet with Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower, she was trying to pick the ce where the nts could grow well and inrge clusters. Taotao was a bit unsure. She nced around and whispered to Qiao Xuan. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, are we safe here? Let¡¯s just take a walk in the close-by area only, okay?¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled inside her heart. She was not afraid of any danger here. She could receive a lot of help from the nts. One bad guy, and she would make those nts help her out quite effectively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we are in the outskirts of the province, it is very safe here! There are many viges and abbeys here, no one would dare to do anything to us!¡± Taotao trusted her Fifth Sister-inw deeply, so when she heard what she said, she nodded and smiled with a kind of embarrassment. ¡°Oh, in that case, I am assured.¡± They were walking when Qiao Xuan suddenly turned to the eastern side. She had a sense that beyond this stream, through that patch of forest, there was something summoning her, or, rather her space. The space had not been this eager before. It was craving for something badly. Something extremely good must be present on the other side. Motivated, Qiao Xuan took Taotao to walk eastwards. They walked through the woods and saw an abbey. The tall ck brick wall separated the inside from the outer area, only some tall trees protruded from the wall with thick branches. Looking up, they could family see the ck root ridge and raised cornices. Qiao Xuan was a bit confused. The good things were inside the abbey that belonged to someone else¡­ She had no idea who owned the abbey, and she wondered what kind of people were inside the abbey. They could not just go inside abruptly. They needed to be prepared before going in. She knew how to behave properly. ¡°Let¡¯s leave!¡± Qiao Xuan was not regretful. She bore this ce in mind and would try to find out the owner of the abbey after they went back to the center. Hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s sighing, Taotao assumed that it was because they could not continue since the abbey belonged to someone else. She consoled her. ¡°Let¡¯s turn to another path!¡± They had just walked a few meters when they ran into a middle-aged maid and a young maid, who were walking towards thempanying a inly-dressed middle-aged madame. The madam looked tall with a long and thin face. She looked ill and seemed to have a preupied mind. She was walking with her head lowered with the help of the middle-aged maid.. Chapter 407 - 407: Encounter With First Madame Chapter 407: Encounter With First Madame Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The woman maid held a basket with a lid, and the three of them were not talking. Seeing that, Qiao Xuan and Taotao made way for them to pass through. Two meters away from them, the woman swayed and then copsed with her eyes closed. The middle-aged maid and young maid cried out together as they helped the madame up. ¡°First Madame, please, First Madame!¡± ¡°First Madame, wake up, please, wake up!¡¯ Qiao Xuan and Taotao went up to help them without any hesitation. But they did not know how to cure sick people. ¡°Auntie, should you take thedy into the city for a medical checkup? We have a wagon and we can take you there.¡± The maid looked up and saw Taotao and Qiao Xuan. She forced a smile and said, ¡°It is fine, but could you help us to carry her back to our abbey?¡± The maid clearly knew that First Madame was distressed mentally, and that¡¯s why she became sick. She was in a bad mood, thus passing out. It was not that she had any disease. She was disturbed in her heart, and needed to get that problem cured from the root, otherwise she would not be able to recover. Qiao Xuan and Taotao nodded. Together with the middle-aged maid, they helped the madame back to the abbey, which happened to be the ce Taotao and Qiao Xuan had intended to go to a while ago. As they went into the abbey, the servants came with a chair and carried their First Madame back to the room. The middle-aged maid asked the housekeeper to take Qiao Xuan and Taotao to the hall. She apologized to them before heading back to First Madame to see how she was doing. The medical pills were slowly dissolving inside warm water. Auntie Hua ordered the other maids to get First Madame to lean against the chair, as she fed the medicine into her mouth. Gradually, First Madame opened her eyes. The abbey wasn¡¯t very big, yet it was quiet and neat. Looking out from the window of the flower hall, they could see the corridor pavilion, rockery andke stones among the flowers and trees. The trees were lush and green, and everything was very neat. The maid served them tea and pastry, and stood quietly by the doorstep. Taotao was feeling uneasy. She had not expected that they would run into such a beautiful abbey. She looked at her sister-inw who looked very serene, so she tried to calm herself down too. But what she did not know was that Qiao Xuan was not feeling calm at all. Her space was getting agitated and she knew where the good thing should be, yet she just could not touch it directly. Such a feeling sucked. Qiao Xuan and Taotao would have left by now but for her curiosity towards that unknown thing. She did not need to stay to seek favor, or attempt to establish a friendship with this family, since all they did was to help carry the woman home. But that unknown piece of treasure was tormenting her mind so much that she really wanted to see what it was. Auntie Hua came before Qiao Xuan and Taotao waited for too long. ¡°Thank you for your help today. Our First Madame would like to meet you to express her gratitude, but she is too sick toe over. She has asked me to thank you.¡± Auntie Hua bowed to Qiao Xuan and Taotao, as she offered a palm-sized brocade box in orange color.. She said with a smile, ¡°It is already lunchtime, why not stay for lunch here at the abbey?¡± Chapter 408 - 408: Treasure Chapter 408: Treasure Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan turned down the brocade box. ¡°It is just a small favor, we can not ept such a big present.¡± ¡°If it is okay with you, we would like to have lunch here.¡± Startled, Auntie Hua smiled. ¡°That is totally okay, please stay for lunch, this present¡­¡± ¡°Just put it away, we can¡¯t ept it!¡± Qiao Xuan just could not ept such arge present just because she did a small favor for them. Seeing her resolute attitude, Auntie Hua did not insist, but exchanged names between each other so they could be served lunch soon. Qiao Xuan could not give up the chance of taking a walk around and begged the maid. ¡°Auntie Hua, can we take a walk around this garden, it looks so beautiful!¡± It might be a little rude for them to make a proposal like this just because they had done them a small favor. Slightly surprised, Auntie Hua did not expect that a properly-behaved woman like Qiao Xuan would propose something like this. Despite her slight displeasure, Auntie Hua nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure, just walk around as you wish, but don¡¯t go too far!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡¯ Qiao Xuan smiled and thanked her. Taotao thought that her sister-inw was really interested in thendscape in the garden, so she was also very d to have a chance to take a look around this beautiful garden. The two girls walked into the garden. Qiao Xuan had a predetermined goal in her mind. She simply followed the direction the space was summoning her to. Soon, they came to the deep side of the garden. Then, she was shocked! She was totally taken aback, facing the patch of woods in front of her! Taotao could not help but breathe. ¡°It smells so good, what are these trees? They are giving off such a nice scent!¡± Qiao Xuan, Of course, there was a great smell. The forest was notrge but there was so much sandalwood, which was emitting the fragrance. The trees were very well trimmed, despite the size. Somerge trees would be as old as 40 years. Qiao Xuan did not recognize the trees, but she could sense that there was a smell of sandalwood. But she could also sense that the forest was filled with precious trees. That was because her space had turned desperate for them. If she was more knowledgeable, she would be even more shocked, because the trees included sandalwood, yellow rosewood, lobr Venus red sandalwood, Golden Phoebe, camphor tree, purple camphor tree, cold scented tree and more. The owner of the abbey apparently loved those precious woods, so they had this patch filled with trees many years ago. These were huge trees! Qiao Xuan could not help but walk into the trees, when she saw a very tall, sky-piercing tree. But she could not just take them. She wanted to get a few twigs but she failed to reach them. She needed to walk up to the tree to get them. Qiao Xuan struggled for a while, but didn¡¯t ask Taotao to climb the tree together. It would be embarrassing if people in the abbey saw it, especially after they were received so warmly. If she did this, it would be too disrespectful and unsuitable. Qiao Xuan thought and decided to ask Auntie Hua to get two twigs for them, small ones would do too! As long as these twigs went into space, with the blessing of magical power, the space would be full of vitality. The small branches could take root and grow vigorously.. Chapter 409 - 409: Repair Chapter 409: Repair Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The trees from all over the country were all gathered here, which was not a very easy thing to achieve. The owner must have spent a lot of money and energy on thise project. They were all precious things, and the owner might not be willing to share anything with her. But she could give it a try. ¡°Sister-inw, look, someone is there!¡± Taotao tugged at Qiao Xuan¡¯s sleeves, as she pointed at a ce not far away. The forest was not shadowed by any bushes or weeds but the trees were flourishing and they were not able to see everything at one nce¡­ unless she used her superpower. Following Taotao¡¯s direction, Qiao Xuan looked through the trees and saw a gray-haired man sitting on a wheelchair, with his back facing her. Qiao Xuan felt a bit lucky for not having climbed up the tree, otherwise she would have been seen and caused embarrassment¡­ She did not dodge that man, and said to Taotao, ¡°Maybe he is the owner. Let¡¯s go and speak with him.¡± The two girls walked up and saw that the middle-aged man looked very skinny and sick. His cheekbones stood out and his hair had turned gray. ¡°Hello¡­ Qiao Xuan stopped the moment she started to speak. The middle-aged man¡¯s head was tilting to one side, his eyes were tightly closed and hands drooping. He had apparently passed out. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, he¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t be scared¡­ Qiao Xuan was surprised too, thinking what kind of luck she had to run into two such people. She stepped forward quickly. She reached out for the man¡¯s pulse. The middle-aged man was wearing a robe in a dark brown color with golden lines. The wheelchair was made of rosewood which she realized only when they got closer. It could be seen that even if he was not the owner of this ce, he was definitely a master with status. Qiao Xuan could not leave the man here like this. What if he was dead.. then how should she tell others about it? She needed to check his pulse first so she could either stay here or fetch someone. Qiao Xuan was startled again when she felt the pulse. The man seemed to have been poisoned, the muscles in his lower body were severely blocked. That was why he could not walk, and his chest and internal organs were also damaged to varying degrees. As long as he was alive, he must endure unbearable torture. Qiao Xuan subconsciously activated her superpower. It flowed through her fingertips and poured into the middle-aged man¡¯s body. The small but endless, energetic superpower slowly opened up the territory in the man¡¯s body, washing away the blocked tendons and repairing the dpidated damage wherever it passed by. Taotao, who was standing next to her, got so nervous that she wanted to burst out in tears as she saw the fainted man and the absent-minded sister-inw of hers. What was wrong with this man? Why was her sister-inw not reacting? What was this terrible situation? What should they do? ¡°Old Master!¡± Yue An got so surprised when he saw two strange women standing next to his Old Master. He walked up and pushed the wheelchair backwards. ¡°Who are you, what are you doing here?¡± Qiao Xuan withdrew her move and said, ¡°Sorry, Mister. We were walking around when we ran into this ce, and this Old Master seems to have passed out, so we¡­¡± Yue An lowered his head and found that his Old Master had fainted. He let out a cry of surprise, ignored Qiao Xuan and Taotao, and walked away in a hurry with the wheelchair.. Chapter 410 - 410: For The Time Being Chapter 410: For The Time Being Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yue An had just gone to the bathroom and something happened to the Old Master! His Old Master had to be alright! Qiao Xuan, Anyway, this person did not me them for anything, which was already aforting thing. Qiao Xuan and Taotao were not in a mood to continue with the walk any longer. Also, Qiao Xuan¡¯s purpose had already been achieved. Back to the hall, some maidsid out the table for them to have lunch. Qiao Xuan asked about Auntie Hua, to which the woman maid said that Auntie Hua was in the middle of doing something so she could not be here. They were asked to eat lunch well. Qiao Xuan suspected that the middle-aged man must be the owner of the abbey, and First Madame¡¯s husband. First Madame must have been taking care of her husband for a long time so she copsed out of tiredness. Qiao Xuan could not help but feel sorry for them. Auntie Hua must be busy dealing with the Old Master, when she was working for the Mistress. So, Qiao Xuan did not ask anything more, but exchanged a few polite words, sat down and ate with Taotao. She could not mention asking for the twigs. She felt a bit sorry but since she knew where those treasures were, she would find some ways to get them. She could ask Yuezheng Xiao for help, right¡­ The young maid in the abbey did not look down at Qiao Xuan and Taotao just because they were inly dressed or because they had never been here before. They were served with six dishes and one soup. The servants served them well. The reason why those servants were so well-mannered and did not judge people by their looks must be because their master and mistress had taught them so. It was a family with moralities. Qiao Xuan could not help but develop a good feeling towards this family. She would not mind treating that Old Master if she had some opportunity in the future, in exchange for a few twigs from the precious trees. She was going to think of a good method to use the superpower without exposing her abilities or causing suspicion. After lunch, Qiao Xuan and Taotao waved them goodbye. They took a walk around and went back to where the wagon was stationed, then they went back to the city together. It was almost four in the afternoon when the two girls arrived at the hotel. Shao Yunduan and Qi had not yet returned as the evening touched down. They might not be able toe back for dinner. So, Qiao Xuan and Taotao ate some simple dinner at the hotel rather than wait for them. Sure enough, when they returned, it was already dark outside. Shao Yunduan had drunk some wine, and walked in with the help of Qi and Qu Shan. Luckily, he still had a pair of bright eyes. He was not fully drunk. No one liked to take care of drunk people. Qu Shan did not leave directly after he helped Shao Yunduan. Instead, he left after helping Shao Yunduan wash up. Qiao Xuan thanked Qu Shan and gave him a red packet containing one liang, and asked Qi to walk him out. Then, she asked Qi about the gathering. Speaking of it, Shao Xiaoqi could not help but tell Qiao Xuan and Taotao the story vividly. It was a very bustling event! They made poetry and discussed articles. Everything looked lively. He could not understand it all, but he could still tell that there waspetition in the happy ce. Qiao Xuan and Taotao showed concern about Shao Yunduan, to which Shao Xiaoqi said proudly, ¡°Fifth Brother is excellent! Everything spoke highly of his articles. Some people looked down at him initially but when he made the articles, they were all convinced, especially when Young Master Xie praised him as well.. After that, everyone started to look at Fifth Brother in a different way¡­¡± Chapter 411 - 411: Flashback Chapter 411: shback Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Taotao was very happy andughed with pride. Qiao Xuan felt proud on behalf of her husband too. That was what a celebrity could bring about. Her husband owed Young Master Xie a huge favor. But Young Master Xie never told lies. If he spoke highly of her husband, then her husband must be worth the praise. So, should she be hopeful for the autumn examination? The thought pleased Qiao Xuanpletely. It was the best news ever! The following day, the four of them ate breakfast together. The gathering continued on this day. Shao Yunduan did not get too drunk the night before, so he was already quite sober by this time. He even inquired about Qiao Xuan and Taotao about where they went the day before. Qiao Xuan did not mention the abbey, but only told him briefly about taking a tour outside the town. Shao Yunduan was about to say something, when Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Just very close to town, somewhere with many people around. We didn¡¯t or will not go too far.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled too, and dropped his idea to nag her. ¡°Don¡¯t travel too far.¡± After breakfast, Shao Yunduan and Qi went out, whilst Qiao Xuan and Taotao stayed for a bit longer at the hostel and then stepped out for shopping. There were a few sites with beautifulndscapes that were worth visiting. At the abbey, Old Master, who was in aa, woke up finally. The Old Master had been seriously injured in an ident before. His legs were crippled, and other body functions were also damaged to some extent. Most of the time hey down in a daze every day. Going intoa or experiencing asional pains happened often. There were some asions when he would feel better. Whenever he felt better and the day was nice, he would go out in the wheelchair, asking his servant to help him check the forest consisting of the precious trees that he had nted 30 years ago. When the Old Master woke up and saw his wife sitting by the bedside crying, he responded with a smile. ¡°You are still not used to this, are you? Madame forced a smile. ¡°Of course not. You have to get well, don¡¯t frighten me!¡± She was not afraid of taking care of him, nor was she worried about keeping himpany in this tedious abbey. She was just scared that he would pass out and never wake up one day. The doctor said that his body was already very weak, and his viscera had been severely damaged. These years, he only relied on precious medicinal materials to continue his life. Despite that, it was still getting worse little by little. One day, it would turn so bad that his body wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it any longer. At that point, it would be the end of his life. But his wife did not dare to let him know about that. It was something that continuously pained her heart like a de hanging over her head, which might drop anytime. Especially during the past one year, he was getting worse and any small asion would make her nervous. But despite the rpse that happened today, Old Master looked good and ate a lot more food during dinner and drank a more bowl of soup. ¡°Maybe I had been trapped indoors for too long, and today, I am much better and feeling more energetic!¡± His wife felt very nervous upon hearing the words! This should not have be thest moment before death, right? She forced a smile. ¡®Good that you are getting better, good¡­¡± First Madame slept in the Old Master¡¯s room that night. She barely dared to close her eyes in case something happened.. Chapter 412 - 412: Curious Chapter 412: Curious Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Luckily, Old Master woke up in time the next day, and he seemed to have turned better than the day before. The doctor came to check on the Old Master today and was shocked. ¡°Old Master, Madame, did you consult another doctor? Or did he drink any medicine or get acupuncture or¡­ anything else?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± Both Old Master and Madame were confused. ¡°What do you mean, Doctor Tang? You are the only doctor who is taking care of his health, and he eats and takes medicine ording to your instructions. No one else is involved.¡± ¡°For real?¡± ¡°Of course, I am not joking about this!¡± Madame said seriously. Doctor Tang said, ¡°Madame, please, I don¡¯t mean anything like this. It is just¡­ I found that Old Master has turned much better than before.¡± Doctor Tang gave a hard pinch on Old Master¡¯s left calf, and said, ¡°Sorry,¡± The Old Master let out a scream. ¡°It hurts!¡± Madame stiffened, and Auntie Hua as well as everyone else all got very shocked. ¡°What are you saying, Old Master?!¡± Madame¡¯s voice shivered. ¡°It hurts! Doctor Tang, can¡¯t you be gentle, you¡­¡± The Old Master finally realized what was going on. He stiffened too as he mumbled. ¡°Am I¡­ am I dreaming? Pinch me again, now!¡± He lost feelings for his legs ages ago, and a pinch, or even a stab of knife would lead to no feelings at all. But Doctor Tang just pinched him and he felt the pain. He could not believe that it was real¡­ Doctor Tang pinched him again. ¡°Ah, it hurts!¡± Old Master inhaled and said, ¡°Doctor Tang, can¡¯t you be gentle?¡± Everyone burst intoughter. Auntie Hua smiled and said, ¡°This is great news, Madame!¡± Every servant started to pass on congrattions to the Old Master. First Madame could not help but smile. ¡°That is a piece of great news! Doctor Tang, what on earth happened? Thank you so much for your help!¡± Doctor Tang shook his hands. ¡°No, Madame, this has nothing to do with me! If I were this capable, I would have cured the Old Master long ago. Not only have Old Master¡¯s legs gotten better, but the previously blocked tendons also show signs of unblocking. Even the wounds in his viscera also get better. This is definitely not my contribution! I am also wondering who is so capable to have done so!¡± Doctor Tang looked very expectant. Old Master and Madame exchanged a look between themselves. Oh well¡­ ¡°Old Master, Madame, just think about it thoroughly, did you run into anyone today? Or ate, or drank anything different? Anything?¡± Old Master and Madame thought deeply. There was nothing out of the ordinary¡­ ¡°My Old Master is receiving treatment in the abbey and no guestse over except for some his son and daughter-inw who visit him sometimes¡­¡± Auntie Hua smiled. ¡°Yeah, it is very quiet here, and the Old Master is receiving treatment here because he doesn¡¯t want to be disturbed. No one was here today except Madame Qiao and her sister-inw, who helped us to get Madame home.¡± Doctor Tang¡¯s eyes sparkled, as he said, ¡°They did not meet the Old Master?¡± It was an off-hand question, but Doctor Tang was very curious to know the truth. He did not want to leave out any possibility.. Chapter 413 - 413: Dreaming Chapter 413: Dreaming Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Auntie Huaughed. ¡°Of course not, they didn¡¯t even meet the Old Master!¡± Yue An suddenly looked up and looked at Auntie Hua. He thought for a while and said carefully, ¡°The twodies? They did meet the Old Master yesterday¡­¡± Yue An recounted what happened in the forest the day before. Doctor Tang added. ¡°Old Master was in aa, and no one knows what they did. Where are they right now? Can I meet them?¡± Everyone present. ¡® They felt that Doctor Tang had turned mental. Madame smiled. ¡°Doctor Tang, that can¡¯t be possible¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that is possible either, so I need to find out what is going on.¡± ¡°Can it not be because your medicine works¡­¡± ¡°Impossible. I know what medicine I have prescribed!¡± ¡°What about doing it like this ¨C we look for the twodies. In the meanwhile, Old Master, Madame, and Auntie Hua, you can start to recall what you have given or done to Old Master, or eaten anything special. If we find the cause, the Old Master¡¯s health could turn better!¡± Everyone got very motivated. ¡°Doctor Tang, you are saying that Old Master is bing better. Can you check him more carefully and see what is it that made him better?¡± Doctor Tangughed bitterly. ¡°If I was able to do so, I would definitely have found the cause. But I can¡¯t. Old Master¡¯s health has improved, but I don¡¯t know how¡­ I need to find the cause¡­ Madame nodded. ¡°Okay, okay, I got it!¡± Doctor Tang added. ¡°If you find the cause, you have to tell me about it definitely!¡¯ ¡°Of course!¡± Doctor Tang sighed and left. Madame asked Auntie Hua to think it through carefully and asked the servants to fetch her son. Her son was very good at finding people. It turned out that her son was Yuezheng Xiao¡­ Yuezheng Xiao was doing ounting in the study and when he heard that his mother was looking for him. He got frightened and miscalcted things. He turned anxious suddenly, wondering if something bad had happened to his father. So, he hurried off to look for them. His mother had never urged him so quickly. He arrived at the abbey and heard what happened to his father. He became so happy. No wonder his mother was in a hurry. His mother just could not wait to tell him the good news. First Madame narrated what Doctor Tang had told them, and said bitterly, ¡°We are clueless about this. We are wondering what happened to your father. Can you help us find a couple ofdies¡­¡± Yuezheng Xiao listened to her carefully. But as the story went, he felt that something was getting really weird. Madame Qiao, Miss. Shao? Sister-inws? But weren¡¯t they¡­ How did they end uping to his abbey and cure his father? Also, since when did Madame Qiao know how to cure people? Yuezheng Xiao felt as if he were dreaming. ¡°Are you listening? First Madame patted him as she saw her son¡¯s mind drifting away. Yuezheng Xiao smiled.. ¡°I am! You need to find those twodies, right? I will definitely get them here for you!¡¯ Chapter 414 - 414: Invitation Chapter 414: Invitation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions He could not help but describe what Qiao Xuan and Shao Taotao looked like. Auntie Hua¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yeah, that is it! Do you know them, Third Young Master?¡± First Madame was very surprised too. Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°If it was them who were here, then you don¡¯t have to worry. We are actually good friends. Madame Qiao¡¯s husband, Xie Jingrong and I get along very well with each other. Madame Qiao is a very smart woman. She can do business well¡­ Hearing that the lipsticks, which were so popr and always out of stock, originated from Madame Qiao, First Madame was taken aback. ¡°Is she really that good? What a pity that I did not meet them yesterday!¡¯ Auntie Hua was very surprised, and chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t judge people by their looks. Madame Qiao and her sister-inw looked very ordinary, but they have such hidden abilities!¡± Auntie Hua could not help but feel lucky that she had not looked down upon them the day before, otherwise it would have been so embarrassing. ¡°You have not seen them, and I am not sure if they are the ones whom you are looking for. I will go and meet them now!¡± First Madame nodded, and urged him. ¡°Go right away, don¡¯t dy it!¡¯ Yuezheng Xiao left the abbey, went onto the wagon and told the coachman to head towards the hotel where Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were staying. ¡°¡­I have not yet confirmed it, but I do feel that they were the saviors¡­ Sister-inw is a great woman, and I am good as well. What luck I have¡­¡± Yuezheng Xiao came to the hotel, but Qiao Xuan and Taotao were not there. The twodies had gone shopping. They nned to try different cuisines, so they took a slow walk around and bought some interesting things. Yuezheng Xiao could do nothing but wait at the hotel. It was not long after lunch that the twodies returned. ¡°Sister-inw, Taotao!¡± Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s eyes were sparkling. He was a very calm man, but this was about his father and he could not hold back the excitement. Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s sparkling eyes startled Qiao Xuan and Taotao. ¡°Young Master Yuezheng! What happened?¡± ¡°Sister-inw, please tell me, did you go to an outskirt abbey called Southern Garden yesterday?¡± Qiao Xuan was startled. She felt that something weird was going to ur. There was one faint idea that almost popped in her mind. ¡°Yes, we were there yesterday. How did you get to know?¡± ¡°What a coincidence!¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed as he struck the table. ¡°That is where my parents live! You helped my mother and then my father yesterday, I don¡¯t know how to thank you!¡¯ Qiao Xuan, Yuezheng Xiao said resolutely, ¡°You cured my father, didn¡¯t you? Please, Sister-inw, help my father and we will be grateful to you for the rest of our lives!¡± ¡°Please stop.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled helplessly. ¡°So the man we ran into yesterday was Old Master Yuezheng? Actually, I am not a doctor, but I have some knowledge with massage and acupunture. I was worried about Old Master yesterday so¡­¡± ¡°He is better now, right?¡± Yuezheng Xiaoughed bitterly. ¡°My father has been ill for many years. He was seriously injured in an ident when he was walking with a caravan. His legs became numb and his internal organs were severely damaged. All these years, he has just been dragging his body until yesterday. But you helped him and his spirit has improved a lot already.. Doctor Tang diagnosed him today and found that he has be better, and his legs are also feeling some sensation!¡± Chapter 415 - 415: Tryout Chapter 415: Tryout Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Sister-inw, you can definitely save my father. Please, help us!¡¯ Qiao Xuan was very surprised. ¡°Did it work out well?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, it worked very well!¡± Yuezheng Xiao nodded constantly. ¡°Please, Sister-inw, can youe with me to Southern Garden, please? Qiao Xuan fell into contemtion. Yuezheng Xiao coaxed her. ¡°Southern Garden is closeby. I promise to drive you back to the hotel before the gate closes!¡± Yuezheng Xiao would not have urged her so much if it had not been for his father¡¯s health. He seemed to be a little bit disrespectful when he was pushing her in this way. But Qiao Xuan could understand his mood. If he were to remain calm when it came to his father, then such a man would be deemed as cold-blooded. ¡°Okay, we wille with you. But¡­ I am not sure if I can be of any help!¡± Yuezheng Xiao did not care, and said with a smile, ¡°Of course, Sister-inw, you can check him first. We won¡¯t force you to do anything!¡¯ Qiao Xuan smiled. That was true. They went to Southern Garden and met the First Madame. First Madame sized up Qiao Xuan and could not help but develop a good feeling towards this woman. She looked graceful, open and made people feelfortable. ¡°It was you who helped us yesterday, and I should have met you personally yesterday, I am sorry.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That is fine, First Madame. You are busy and you didn¡¯t have time for polite pleasantries. You treated us well though. Also, First Madame, you needed to rest well too!¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± First Madame smiled briefly, and lowered her head. Her nerves remained tensed up all the time, but there was nothing she could do about it. Yuezheng Xiao cleared his throat and said with a smile, ¡°Sister-inw, please don¡¯t be so restrained. You can address my mother as Aunt, and if you don¡¯t mind, my mother can call you Niece.¡± First Madame and Qiao Xuanughed. She did not refuse and greeted First Madame by addressing her as Aunt. First Madame asked them for their names and called them by their names. She even gave Taotao and Qiao Xuan a pair of ruby-embodied golden hairpins as greeting presents. They exchanged a few words and then talked about what happened the day before. First Madame realized that Doctor Tang had guessed it right. Qiao Xuan had helped her husband! She could not help but exim with excitement. ¡°Xuan, could you please¡­ please help him again? He has been lying in bed for so many years, and I am afraid¡­ First Madame started to sob. Yuezheng Xiao turned to her and consoled her. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Mom. He is getting better, right? His health will surely improve!¡± He and his elder brother had never stopped hiring the best doctors around. Qiao Xuan consoled First Madame and replied soothingly. ¡°I will give it a try. Let¡¯s see if that works.¡± First Madame was so grateful already that Qiao Xuan had decided to help them. Qiao Xuan had no idea how to do acupuncture or massage. She could not even recognize any spots. She came to help without bringing any needles along as well, iming that they hade in a hurry. But they had needles ready at the abbey, which could be used. As she put the needles on the calf, these caused no feelings except for pain. After putting on the show for a while, Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Maybe if Uncle is in aa, he would be totally rxed, and the treatment would work better¡­¡± Chapter 416 - 416: Superpower For Disease Chapter 416: Superpower For Disease Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions First Madame and Yuezheng Xiao exchanged a look with each other. But there were all kinds of methods for curing diseases, and it was not a strange thing that people could receive acupuncture when in aa. Also, it seemed that Qiao Xuan did help him when he was in aa the day before. Yue An had taken care of the Old Master for years, and he knew a little bit about medical treatment. After receiving approval from Old Master, First Madame and Young Master, he gave a needle at a spot of Old Master¡¯s neck. Old Master passed out with his eyes closed. Qiao Xuan, That was very professional. When the man passed out, Qiao Xuan got down to doing her bit. She asked the others to leave them alone in case she was disturbed. But they were allowed to watch how she did it. Being far away, Qiao Xuan pretended to needle Old Master¡¯s wrist but by using her figure and hand movements, she covered it up. In fact, she put two fingers lightly on his wrist, and calmly poured in her superpower into Old Master¡¯s body little by little. Shemanded that the superpower should wash away Old Master¡¯s clogged tendons bit by bit, so that the severely injured internal organs were slowly repaired and got rejuvenated bit by bit. It required very urate control of the flow and speed of the superpower, and Old Master¡¯s body was almost drained out. So, she had to take it slow, in case he could not stand the sudden instilling power. Otherwise, it would turn the good things into worse. This was the first time for Qiao Xuan to do this to someone. She understood that it was the right thing to do, but she did not have enough time or experience to use as reference. So all she could do was to follow her own instincts little by little. It was a very high energy consuming exercise. She started to have sweat on her forehead, cheeks and on her back. Her face started to turn increasingly pale. First Madame, Yuezheng Xiao and Taotao saw the changes in her. They were all so nervous. But they were very convinced by her skills by this point! Almost one and half hourster, Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief and copsed on a chair. The others walked up to her quickly. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, how are you doing?¡± ¡°Sister-inw, are you alright?¡± ¡°Are you okay, Xuan? Auntie Hua,e quickly with the ginseng soup!¡± Qiao Xuan let out a breath, as the superpower went traveling through her body, and soon, she recovered. ¡°I am fine, don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, look at me, I look fine, right? I was just tired but now I am okay!¡± Seeing that Qiao Xuan looked well again and sounded just a little tired, they all let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Sister-inw, what about my father?¡± They all turned to look at Qiao Xuan in anxiety. First Madame was already holding Old Master¡¯s hands, checking him. ¡°He should be fine!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°He is not in a very bad situation, or we can say that my method should work on him! As long as he goes through proper post-treatment therapy, he should recover to normalcy in a few months!¡± Qiao Xuan needed to settle this at one go because the more she did this, the higher were the chances of her secret of being exposed. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Is that so?!¡± The mother and son stared at her in disbelief. Auntie Hua as well as Yue An were both surprised and happy.. Chapter 417 - 417: Secret Chapter 417: Secret Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan smiled bashfully. ¡°It should be right, what luck!¡± ¡°No, no it is not about luck! You saved our Old Master and we all saw that!¡± First Madame did not know how to express her gratitude. ¡°Xuan, you are our savior. If you ever need our help, we will spare no efforts to help you!¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Aunt!¡± The mother and the son could not calm themselves down until a long whileter. Soon, the Old Master woke up. He had a very strange feeling inside. His disease was gone, and he felt so rxed and cheerful, as if he had been reborn. When First Madame and Yuezheng Xiao asked how he felt and received a positive answer, they were extremely d! First Madame took hold of Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands, not knowing what to say. Qiao Xuan had saved their whole family! She just could not imagine how the family would be like if her husband passed away! ¡°Xuan, you should never hesitate to ask me for anything in the future!¡± Motivated, First Madame asked earnestly. ¡°I am older than you, so, can you be my goddaughter? In this way, we can be one family!¡± The Old Master also believed that it was a great idea. He smiled in agreement. Both Qiao Xuan and Yuezheng Xiao were startled. ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°Mom, let¡¯s talk about this in the future!¡± Yuezheng Xiao could see Qiao Xuan¡¯s concern, which was also his worry too.¡±lt is gettingte, and she needs to head back to the hotel, otherwise Brother Shao would be anxious not to see her there. Dad, Mom, I will apany them back to the town now!¡± ¡°Oh well¡­ First Madame and her husband were both confused. Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief, smiled at him and left. First Madame noticed that it was getting veryte too, and she also needed Doctor Tang to check her husband, so she saw them off enthusiastically and stressed that Yuezheng Xiao should apany them back to the hotel. Qiao Xuan epted the offer and said, ¡°Uncle, Aunt, actually, I didn¡¯t do much. I still believe that it is luck that cured Uncle. I am not a doctor, so please help me keep this skill of mine a secret, and not tell anyone else that I cured him¡­¡± Qiao Xuan was very pleased about the turn of events on this day. She had not expected that her superpower could cure diseases. Actually, it was not about curing a disease, it was about bringing things back to life and repairing the broken stuff. It was such a bizarre thing and needed to be kept a secret. In future, it would be used to save herself and family members, not to make money. Hearing that, Yuezheng Xiao said seriously, ¡°Dad, Mom, if this is what my sister-inw wants, we need to respect her!¡± First Madame and her husband were both smart people, and hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s request, they understood what she was worried about. They nodded and said, ¡°Xuan, don¡¯t worry, we will arrange everything well, and not spread out even a word about it!¡± Feeling assured, Qiao Xuan waved them goodbye and left. In the wagon, Yuezheng Xiao released his fist and smiled at Qiao Xuan with hesitation. ¡°Sister-inw, I did not want Mom to¡­¡± ¡°I got it!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled.. ¡°That was what I thought as well! Really, what a wonderful coincidence!¡± Chapter 418 - 418: Concern Chapter 418: Concern Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Xiaoughed. ¡°Great that you understand it! Even if my parents haven¡¯t taken you as their goddaughter, our rtionship would not be affected. We are a family and you and Brother Shao can ask us for anything in the future!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Sure!¡± Yuezheng Xiao apanied them to the hotel, but Shao Yunduan and Qi had not yet returned. Yuezheng Xiao asked the coachman to speed up as he rushed out of the gate and headed back to Southern Garden. He was worried about his father and had decided to stay overnight at the abbey. First Madame and her husband decided to find Doctor Tang to check Old Master up after a few days since Qiao Xuan did not want to reveal her identity. They needed to think about how to make up the story for his cured condition. The Old Master was well aware that he was getting better and did not need a doctor this soon. After all, Old Master¡¯s recovery was not going to remain a secret for long. The moment Yuezheng Xiao came, First Madame med him. ¡°Why did you stop me from taking Xuan as my goddaughter?¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled bitterly. ¡°Mom, please, hear me out. It is not the right thing to do. Sister-inw would not have liked it either.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know whose daughter is Sister-inw?¡± Yuezheng Xiao exined quickly. ¡°Her father is County Magistrate of the county! The County Magistrate used to work in the capital and he desperately wants to go back to the capital. He is selfish and narrow-minded, not a good man! Sister-inw is his concubine¡¯s daughter and before she got married, she had not lived a good life in that house¡­¡± Yuezheng Xiao was curious about Qiao Xuan so he had looked into her family. Hence, he had a lot to tell First Madame when it came to this point. ¡°Think about this, if Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao get to know that you have taken Sister-inw as your goddaughter, they would definitelye and ask you for favors. At that time, are you going to say yes or no to them?¡± ¡°Also, my sister-inw has already remembered our gratitude. There is no need to take her as the goddaughter because she is aware of our feelings!¡± First Madame could not help but feel sorry. She sighed emotionally. ¡°That exins it. You are right about this matter!¡± ¡°This is her worry as well!¡± Yuezheng Xiao added. First Madame smiled. ¡°Then, we can drop the idea of taking her as our goddaughter! But we will always take good care of her! Officer Qiao must be stupid as to mistreat such an excellent daughter. He will regret it one day!¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°He is not the only stupid one!¡± Thinking of her own sister-inw, First Madame smiled. ¡°That is true!¡± Hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s story, the First Madame felt even more sorry about Qiao Xuan. She stressed to Yuezheng Xiao that he should take more care of the Shao Family and treat them as part of his family. Yuezheng Xiao just did not know what to say. He might be the one to be taken care of by them instead¡­ Yuezheng Xiao asked his father how he felt, to which he replied positively. The whole family ate dinner happily. Shao Yunduan and Qi returned in the evening. Thankfully, they did not drink much that day. They walked in soberly. Qiao Xuan decided to tell Shao Yunduan what they did at Southern Garden.. Chapter 419 - 419: Ms.Mi Junior’s Guess Chapter 419: Ms.Mi Junior¡¯s Guess Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan asked Qi and Taotao to buy some snacks for the night, and then sat down next to Shao Yunduan, tugging her clothes and telling the whole incident to Shao Yunduan. At first, Shao Yunduan thought that he had heard a fairy tale, but soon he understood what he had heard. ¡°Darling, so you cured the Old Master of the Yuezheng Family?¡± ¡°Hush!¡± Qiao Xuan put her finger to the lips. ¡°Don¡¯t be so loud. It was just a coincidence! Very surprising actually. I only did some acupuncture and massage and shockingly, it worked. It was a total coincidence that the Old Master got better with my clumsy technique!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡® Shao Yunduanughed. ¡°You are just so lucky!¡± Qiao Xuan lifted her chin, raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°I think so too!¡± The two of them smiled at each other. After a few moments, Shao Yunduan said again, ¡°Oh yes, don¡¯t tell others about what happened today, what if someonees to you for medical treatment, then you would not be able to say no that easily, right?¡± After all, Qiao Xuan was lucky to have cured the Old Master, but she might not be able to cure anyone else, who might not be so easy-going like the Yuezheng Family. Qiao Xuan felt her heart be warm, and she nodded. ¡°Darling, I thought about this too, and I told Young Master Yuezheng about it. His family would help us keep the secret.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and looked at her. ¡°That is good!¡± ¡°You must be tired today, right? Sleep early! The gathering ends tomorrow, and I can take you around for a tour before going home, alright?¡± The weather had be a bit colder, but the house was as warm as spring. Under the soft light, talking about the word ¡®home¡¯ made people feel warmer. Qiao Xuan suddenly felt happy physically and mentally. She looked at Shao Yunduan with moist eyes, and her pretty face became more and more lovable under the soft light. Shao Yunduan felt his heart throbbing, and he almost swept her into his arms. At the Yuezheng Mansion. Someone from Southern Garden came to fetch Yuezheng Xiao, who had not returned until midnight. Ms. Mi Junior became happy. She guessed that the Old Master was dying and that¡¯s why Yuezheng Xiao was asked toe over. That would be such great news! It was a pumsnment ror mm not to marry ner Derore! Ms. Mi Junior spent a whole night thinking about this, and early next day, she asked someone to find out if Yuezheng Xiao had returned the night before. He did not. Ms. Mi Junior became even more certain about her guess. She could not help but tell her husband about it. When her husband was young, he was a romantic and elegant person. He especially liked making poems with literature. Yet after so many years, he still failed to make one that could earn him a name. He gave it upter, and decided to lead a life of ying around and drinking with friends, having fun all his life. He was living a very leisurely life. He had never been interested in family business. He could not even learn a thing about it, and it made his head ache.. Chapter 420 - 420: Rumor Chapter 420: Rumor Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions He was very satisfied by what he had now. His two sons were doing well in business, and his youngest son was good at reading. He was very proud, even though he had no lineal son. Hence, he ignored all family affairs. He focused only on enjoyment. Ms. Mi Junior hated him for behaving like this. She felt so annoyed after being married to him for so long. The First Old Master was the supporter of the family but her husband was just trash. The First Old Master had a pair of excellent sons, but she had no sons at all. Hearing her words, the Second Old Master frowned in surprise. ¡°That is not possible. He has always been like this. If something had happened, he would not have concealed it from us.¡± Ms. Mi Junior sneered. ¡°Why not? He can conceal it from us so they can do something bad in secret!¡± Second Old Master. ¡® The Second Old Master was always very slow in this aspect. He snapped angrily. ¡°Why do you care? Mom is still alive and they can¡¯t do anything bad in secret! Moreover, our sons are also involved in the family business, and they would keep an eye on those who try to do something bad behind our backs. What are you worried about?¡± Losing interest in hearing Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s babbling, the Second Old Master went out, humming happily. Ms. Mi Junior felt annoyed and there was fury arising inside her chest. What on earth had she done to end up marrying such a trash! After someints, Ms.Mi Junior thought for a while and whispered something to her trusted servant. She was not going to drop it, even though her husband did not care. Yuezheng Si and Yuezheng Yan were her husband¡¯s sons, not hers. They might be sessful in business, but none of their earnings would end up being in her hands. Hence, she had to make a n for herself. She needed to get a share of the family business. Soon, rumor went around in the mansion that the First Old Master was doing bad at the abbey and was on his deathbed. Some even said that the Third Young Master had been asked to go to Southern Garden, and he looked so worried when he went out. He spent a whole night there. Soon, Madame Yuezheng knew about it. She called her eldest granddaughter-inw and Ms. Mi Junior and asked about it. ¡°What happened to the Eldest Son, do you know anything about the matter?¡± Ms. Jin turned to Ms. Mi Junior. She was already aware of what to do with the Second Aunt-inw, having being in a fight with her for years. She was going to let her Second Aunt-inw answer Madame¡¯s question. Ms. Mi Junior said, ¡°I am not sure, but someone from Southern Garden came to fetch Xiao who hurried away. He did note home the night before, so we have no idea what is going on at Southern Garden.¡± ¡°Xiao left in such a hurry. He should have told us what happened, otherwise you will be worried, right, Madame?¡± Madame Yuezheng frowned and snorted, looking annoyed. Ms. Jin smiled. ¡°Madame, maybe he did not tell you about it because he did not want you to get worried. But I am sure that he won¡¯t conceal anything from you deliberately if something really bad is happening. I will get my people to look around at Southern Garden!¡± ¡°Those servants indulge in too much gossip! He was at Southern Garden, and did not return overnight, what does that mean?¡± Chapter 421 - 421: Investigation Chapter 421: Investigation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal that he stays overnight at Southern Garden with the First Old Master and the First Madame? Who spread the rumor? I will definitely find out who released the rumor!¡± ¡°How dare those servants gossip about what happened to their masters? They have startled you, Madame!¡± Having heard what Ms. Jin said, Madame Yuezheng nodded. ¡°That is true, you need to find out who started the rumor and gossiped about the master!¡± And that person was even jinxing her son! Even though she preferred Ms. Mi Junior over her eldest son¡¯s wife, it was still her son they were gossiping about! She still did not want to hear anything bad about him! ¡°Find the culprit, and punish that person seriously! Beat that servant and sell him or her out! We must not keep someone horrible like this at home!¡± ¡°You are right, Madame Yuezheng. I will bear your instructions in mind!¡± Ms. Mi Junior clenched her teeth and cursed Ms. Jin inwardly. Since Madame Yuezheng approved of the investigation, she had no way to counter Madame Yuezheng, who might get annoyed hearing any contradictory words. But she still wanted to add fuel to the fire. ¡°But after all, Xiao was still too impolite not to have informed us about this. Otherwise there would not have been any problem like this.¡± Ms. Jin smiled. ¡°Second Aunt-inw, I don¡¯t agree with you. Third Brother goes to Southern Garden so many times in a month, must he tell his servants every time he goes there? He is the master, and servants are those who work for him. They are not in a position to gossip and guess about their master¡¯s life. ¡± ¡°There is nothing more we can do about it now, let¡¯s wait until news from Southern Garden arrives. Madame Yuezheng, don¡¯t worry. I will arrange the investigation right away, what do you think?¡± Niaaame Yuezneng 100Kea at tne two or tnem. ¡°Stop tne argument. sort out tne matter first. You can go now!¡± Madame Yuezheng was very satisfied with Ms. Jin, who always knew what she should do when faced with an emergency. Ms. Jin epted the order and retired. Ms. Jin did not care if Ms. Mi Junior was going to instigate Madame Yuezheng to do something else. Ms. Mi Junior was in control of her own words, and that was beyond her reach. She only needed to focus on what she was entrusted to do. She had to find out the source of gossip! Her Second Aunt-inw went way over the top this time! She started to create rumors about her father-inw! She was going to counter her, else she would not have any idea how to exin that to her mother-inw and husband! One night passed at Southern Garden. Yuezheng Xiao and his mother, including Auntie Hua and Yue An were all very nervous, fearing that Old Master would return to where he had been before. But the Old Master turned out to be very lively when he woke up, saying that the night before was the best and most steady night he had experienced during the past few years, and that he felt nothing strange about himself. He even had some sensation on his legs, and he could feel Yue An¡¯s massage. If all went well, he might even be able to take a walk with people¡¯s help after a few days, and maybe after some more time of therapy, he would recover totally! Yuezheng Xiao and his mother were reassured and cheered happily. ¡°You have to thank Xuan!¡± First Madame smiled. ¡°Xiao, find a good present for her. I have something for her too. Oh yes, what about inviting Young Master Shao and Xuan and the family over for food? We have to treat them properly!¡± Yuezheng Xiao nodded with a smile. ¡°What about tomorrow noon? Today is thest day of the gathering!¡± They were talking about therapy and invitation, when Ms. Jin¡¯s devoted maid arrived there.. Chapter 422 - 422: Elder Sister-in-law Chapter 422: Elder Sister-inw Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The maid narrated all that Ms. Jin told her to, and First Madame¡¯s face sank slowly. ¡°How dare she spread rumors like this? Does she really think that there is nothing I can do about her?¡± She, in First Madame¡¯s mouth, was Ms. Mi Junior. The more she thought about this, the more angry First Madame became. ¡°Is Ms. Mi Junior crazy? I don¡¯t interfere with what is happening at the mansion, so she thinks that she can do whatever she wants? Good, I will talk to her about this soon!¡± Someone must have spread the rumor about the Old Master and that¡¯s why the servants dare to gossip about their masters. First Madame could figure out the culprit instantly. Yuezheng Xiao was disgusted too. But he stopped First Madame. ¡°Don¡¯t get angry, just ignore her. Dad is getting better now. Let¡¯s see how annoyed she bes when she realizes what actually happened here! Anyways, I am going home now!¡± First Madame breathed in forcefully and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about your father¡¯s recovery, except for your Elder Sister-inw! And tell her to stay tight-lipped as well!¡± ¡°Okay, Mom!¡± He was going to make it public when his father recoveredpletely. And his father was definitely going home for the New Year! Yuezheng Xiao returned to the mansion and went to Madame Yuezheng directly. Madame Yuezheng asked him about the situation. Yuezheng Xiao was surprised. ¡°Dad is still under treatment, and he is fine. Who spread such a rumor? Mom urged me to go there because she said that dad was missing me! So I hurried over and spent the night there. Who is so bold as to spread rumors about their masters? Grandma, you have to defend my father. Doctor Tang says that he is getting better these days, and if he hears such rumors, he might be really depressed!¡± Hearing that her son was not getting worse, Madame Yuezheng let out a sigh of relief. Then she became furious. ¡°True! Find out who is behind this! Don¡¯t worry, your Elder Sister-inw is already at it!¡± Yuezheng Xiao nodded and said, ¡°I will go and visit my Elder Sister-inw and tell her about this, so she can be assured too.¡± Madame Yuezheng nodded. ¡°Okay, do that.¡± Yuezheng Xiao told Ms. Jin about how his father was recovering and would most likelye to the mansion for the New Year. He told her to stay quiet about the matter. Overjoyed, Ms. Jin pressed down her excitement and asked a few more questions out of concern. Yuezheng Xiao told her everything. Ms. Jin smiled. ¡°Thank God for helping us, this is great news!¡± Yuezheng Ting and her mother were annoying and kept causing her trouble. Even though her mother-inw left some helpers for her, Ms. Jin was still very tired. After all, Ms. Mi Junior was one generation older than her, and Yuezheng Ting was her Sister-inw, so she could not do much to counter them. She was burdened by some family affairs whilst dealing with those annoying mother and daughter. At the same time, she had to take care of her two sons¡­ she wished so much that her inws could return to the mansion as soon as possible. She could only be truly rxed when her mother-inw was home. Every time she went back to her mother¡¯s home, her sisters and friends all felt so jealous of her for not having a pressing mother-inw. But she could not exin how miserable that feeling was. Yuezheng Xiao said. ¡°Parents should be home soon, so Elder Sister-inw, just spare no efforts to carry out your investigation!¡± Ms. Jin¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Okay, I got it!¡± Ms. Jin suddenly felt motivated. She looked lethal and inspired, ready to get on with the investigation. She was definitely going to reveal Ms. Mi Junior this time! Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan could not turn down Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s invitation for lunch.. Chapter 423 - 423: Visit To The Southern Garden Chapter 423: Visit To The Southern Garden Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions To be honest, Qiao Xuan did not want to turn the invite down. Atter all, he had been thinking about the precious trees! The next morning, Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, Taotao and Shao Xiaoqi headed to Southern Garden with Yuezheng Xiao for a visit. First Madame, who was immensely grateful to Qiao Xuan, felt even closer to her after knowing about her story. Old Master had recovered quite quickly, basically improving every day. This was actually not surprising. Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower represented vitality. She had used her superpower topletely restore his body. All that was left was to recuperate and replenish qi and blood. As long as he ate well and rested well, and did some exercise, every day would bring new surprises. The Old Master was very particr with food, which was beneficial for replenishing the body, so he recovered even faster. Therefore, the Old Master received Qiao Xuan and the family as well. He looked lively and happy. He did not seem to be tired at all. Shao Yunduan was very well-mannered and talked about various interesting topics, making the Old Master feel very happy. He felt that his son was good at making friends. Qiao Xuan asked for a visit in the gardenst time, but this time, First Madame volunteered to show Qiao Xuan and Taotao around. There were countless flowers and trees in the garden. Although the Old Master did not have the opportunity to appreciate them often, First Madame still ordered people to take care of each flower and tree carefully, so that her husband would be able to appreciate the scenery in the garden whenever he wanted to and never feel sad. It was a time when chrysanthemums were blooming. First Madame took the twodies in the garden for chrysanthemum viewing. First Madame had a wide knowledge about it, so she presented the categories to Qiao Xuan and Taotao, who were pleasantly surprised. Qiao Xuan had seen many kinds of chrysanthemums, but many had disappeared in theter generations, which were now lively here in the garden. Taotao was shocked too, and said, ¡°We have so many wild chrysanthemums in the mountains and by the riverside. I thought that I had seen all kinds of them. But there are so many different kinds of them here. So beautiful and big, I like them all!¡± That made First Madame and Auntie Huaugh. First Madame said instantly, ¡°If you like them, I will get Xiao to deliver some to you. Is there anything else you want? Just tell me and I will give them to you, these are not expensive for us. Taotao was so surprised, and her eyes were sparkling. Instead, she turned to Qiao Xuan. This was a chance delivered to their doorstep! Qiao Xuan was just wondering how to lead them to the topic, when they mentioned the matter themselves. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Thank you for the offer, Aunt. We are building a new house, and we will nt some in our garden!¡± First Madame smiled. ¡°Okay Auntie Hua, do bear this in mind, In addition to chrysanthemums, get some good Mountain peonies, Chinese peonies, French hydrangea,urel, and magnoliaster as well. Anything else you want?¡± Auntie Hua smiled. ¡°Okay, Madame!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Oh yes, Aunt, I find that you have some fragrant rosewood, and red sandalwoods in the garden. Can I have some of those interesting nts too Both First Madame and Auntie Hua were startled.. Chapter 424 - 424: Prediction Chapter 424: Prediction Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Small tree buds are fine, or even some twigs are alright.¡± First Madame smiled. ¡°Xuan, you do have good judgment. You like nothing except these expensive ones!¡± Auntie Huaughed. ¡°Very true!¡± First Madame said, ¡°Your uncle has been interested in those trees for a long time. He has bred many of these just to make wonderful furniture. He was worried that they would not be enough, so 30 years ago, he nted many tree buds in the Southern Garden, as well as in other gardens of ours!¡± ¡°Some of the tree buds grew up, some failed to live, but those in Southern Garden grew best!¡± ¡°I will fetch some suitable ones from the other two abbeys, and give them to you. Or I can just get Xiao to buy some back. Twigs are useless, not that I am too stingy to share some with you!¡± First Madame would not turn down what Qiao Xuan asked for, though what she had asked for seemed quite unexpected. Her husband loved those things, and would not be stingy as to not share any with Qiao Xuan. He could just buy some more buds and breed some more. Qiao Xuan simply could not wait tor the tree buds, but smiled. , ¡°Aunt, you don¡¯t have to make such a fuss. I am very good at nting trees and flowers. You can just give the twigs, I can definitely breed them well. Tree buds are not needed.¡± First Madame. Although Qiao Xuan tried to conceal her anxiety, First Madame still sensed how anxious she was about it. Alright then, she could get her some twigs. Anyways, she was going to get the tree buds as well, so Xiao could deliver those to her ceter. First Madame did not believe that twigs were useful. But she pretended that she believed her. ¡°Okay, that sounds good. Auntie Hua, just get some twigs and tie them up for her.¡± ¡°Okay, First Madame!¡± ¡°Thank you, Aunt!¡± ¡°No worries.¡± First Madame smiled. ¡°Oh, what kind of twigs do you want, tell Auntie Hua about it.¡± Qiao Xuan thought for a while and smiled. ¡°They don¡¯t have to be too big or long, also, no withered twigs.¡± She made a gesture. ¡°This size will do!¡± Auntie Hua nodded. ¡°I have remembered it all!¡± The turn of events pleased Qiao Xuan a great deal. Done! She had a feeling that after this, the space would definitely give her a lot of surprise. After walking for a while, First Madame took them back to the house for tea, snacks and a casual conversation. At lunch, Yuezheng Xiao stayed with Shao Yunduan and Qi whilst the First Madame was apanying Qiao Xuan and Taotao. First Madame had made a lot of efforts for this lunch. She transferred the chef from the mansion and started to make preparations the night before. The dishes were made with a lot of effort, and they were, of course, exquisite and delicious. Almost every noble family had their private dishes and special pastries. So did the Yuezheng Family. The Yuezheng Family¡¯s famous dishes were clear soup cubilose and abalone knuckles. The clear soup was extracted from chicken, duck, elbow, scallops, ham, and the soup was clear as water. The cubilose was smooth and soft but did not break when eaten. The freshness in the mouth was just indescribably wonderful. The abalone knuckles were vored with a special broth, and the sauce was thick and bright, as oil and fat were removed, so the whole dish was soft and delicious.. Chapter 425 - 425: Lucky Chapter 425: Lucky Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions These two dishes could not be eaten anywhere outside their family. First Madame introduced the specialities to the twodies, and Qiao Xuan and Taotao, after eating such delicious food, praised the dishes generously. It was always nice to see that the guests liked what the host had prepared for them, especially for First Madame, who had been taking care of her husband all this time and never got a chance to rx. She had not treated people over a meal in a long time. That was also the first banquet she arranged for people, which was significant for her too. Seeing that Qiao Xuan and the family loved what she had arranged, she felt really happy. ¡°Xuan, you are not in a hurry to go home right? What about staying at Southern Garden for a few days? The chef is very good at making food, you can eat many delicious dishes here.¡± But Qiao Xuan could not stay overnight. She smiled. ¡°I should not turn down your invitation, but we have been away from home for too many days, and it is time for us to go back. We are building a new house and we can¡¯t be outside for too long. Also, Uncle is still recovering, and needs to be taken care of. We can¡¯t keep you busy at the moment!¡± ¡°We wille to visit you on our next trip!¡± First Madame smiled. ¡°It is a deal then. You definitely have toe to visit me often. When springes, just remember toe and see the flowers. There are many beautiful sites in the province which I have not visited for many years. We can go there together next time!¡± Qiao Xuan felt warm inside her heart, so she nodded and said, ¡°Okay, I will definitely be here!¡± The Old Master still needed to rest, so after lunch, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, as well as their family, left. First Madame told Yuezheng Xiao numerous times that he should treat them well and should give them the wagon to go home. Yuezheng Xiao nodded in agreement. The following day, Xie Jingrong treated them to a meal. At the banquet, he was surprised to hear about the Old Master¡¯s recovery and congratted Yuezheng Xiao sincerely. Later, Shao Yunduan went shopping with Qiao Xuan, Qi and Taotao for a day and bought some stuff. They decided to go home the next day. Yuezheng Xiao had two wagons prepared for them, one for them to ride, and the other for the products and presents which the Yuezheng Family gave to them. These included the twigs and some small tree buds which they had found. Yuezheng Xiao said that when the new house was built and the spring came, he was going to visit them and bring the nts to them personally. He also said that the brocade boxes were presents given by his mother to Qiao Xuan. It was still Qu Shan who drove them home. They set about before dawn so when they arrived at the county, it was still quite early. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan booked two rooms at the hotel, telling Qu Shan to stay there for one night as well. There was no good ce for him to stay at their current home. They had just booked the hotel and were about to get onto the wagon, and they heard a sound of ¡°hey¡± behind their backs. Startled, Qiao Xuan knew that it was Qiao Kou who was there. She and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look. They waved and blinked at Qu Shan and the coachman in the wagon, thinking that they were lucky that they had not yet gotten into the wagon. Good! If Qiao Kou and Qiao Wei saw them going into the wagon, they would have had difficulty in exining what was going on. Qiao Xuan turned around and saw Qiao Kou lifting the drapery, smiling at her and Shao Yunduan. Next to her was Qiao Wei.. Chapter 426 - 426: Slap On Face Chapter 426: p On Face Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan held in her anger and walked up to Shao Yunduan. ¡°What a coincidence, Sisters!.¡¯ Qiao Kou sneered. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°I am going to college and my wife is keeping mepany.¡± Qiao Wei snorted. ¡°Minghua College does not follow rules now? Anyone and everyone is allowed to go inside?¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°I will be waiting for my husband outside.¡± Qiao Kou chuckled. ¡°It seems that you and Cultivated Talent Shao are getting on well with each other. When you were about to get married a while ago, you cried loudly, begging not to get married. But it seems that you were pretending, right? Good that my mother knows to whom you should marry. Look at how well you are living now.¡± Having heard what Qiao Kou said, Qiao Wei and the maids around themughed. Qiao Xuan got so angry that she wanted to hit this person. This bitch was so annoying. How could she say such words in front of Shao Yunduan? Shao Yunduan moved his feet and guarded Qiao Xuan behind his back, ncing at Qiao Kou inly. ¡°I admire Second Miss and she is a kind-hearted woman. She has adjusted well to the marriage and we are living a good life now.¡± Qiao Xuan had not expected that he would say so. Feeling sweetness inside her heart, she looked up at him and could not help but blush. She felt a bit embarrassed when hearing such passionate words in front of others. She should hear them in private! Qiao Kou got stuck with words and could not help but feel jealous. What did Shao Yunduan mean? So he knew that Qiao Xuan disliked him earlier but he still kept ttering her, so she was finally moved by his actions? What kind of woman was Qiao Xuan, that she was so cherished by someone? She deserved to shed tears and get disdained by everyone around her! Qiao Kou sneered. ¡°Stop being so full of yourself! Do you admire Qiao Xuan or are you trying to suck up to my father? Everyone knows the truth! Shao Yunduan was silent. He wanted to suck up to County Magistrate? He had never been to the Qiao Family¡¯s home except for the two times when he had to. Moreover, he had What was he sucking up to him for? But he did not need to defend himself because everyone including Qiao Wei understood clearly that Qiao Kou was just being stupid. That made Qiao Kou feel pped on the face. She red at Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan said calmly, ¡°It is gettingte, what are you still doing here? If you want, we can find a ce and sit down, and can have a good chat with each other.¡± Qiao Wei sneered. ¡°No need!¡± Then she told the coachman to drive on and left. They were on the street, and she did not want to have any conflicts with Qiao Xuan here. It was never a good idea to start a fight on the street. The more she thought about this, the more angry Qiao Kou became. She could not help butin. ¡°Sister, Second Sister and that Cultivated Talent are so annoying. They look harmless, but they are actually full of terrible tricks! Cultivated Talent Shao is just a Cultivated Talent at the moment, but he dares to treat us in this way. What if he bes a Rmended Man? What more would he do to us?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think that he can be a Rmended Man, but maybe he will try other ways? I wish that he was not a Cultivated Talent at all!¡± How could such a poor Cultivated Talent behave like this? He did not deserve to even speak with her! Qiao Wei¡¯s eyes sparkled. She snorted and said nothing. But she could not help but think about what Qiao Kou said.. Chapter 427 - 427: Back Home Chapter 427: Back Home Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions That was true. Cultivated Talent Shao had never sucked up to their parents and even treated Qiao Xuan so well. He should not be a Cultivated Talent. He should just be Qiao Xuan¡¯s pageboy. Back at home, she sent Qiao Kou away and went to her mother, telling her what happened. Madame Qiao did not care much and said disdainfully, ¡°Sill girl, he is not sucking up to your father because he knows what he is capable of. He knows that even if he tries to suck up to your father, your father will never want to speak with him.¡± ¡°You think it is easy to make it to a Rmended Man? Those knowledgeable people need years to make it to that level. Shao Yunduan just won¡¯t be able to do so.¡± ¡°Also, didn¡¯t he say that he won¡¯t attempt it next year? Just stop thinking about this.¡± Qiao Wei still felt a bit annoyed. ¡°But you never know if he will change his mind! I think that we should remove his title as the Cultivated Talent too!¡± In that case, he would not be able to do anything at all! Qiao Kou felt annoyed, and Qiao Wei was annoyed too. She didn¡¯t expect that Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan would not bend down in front of them. ¡°No, that won¡¯t work.¡± Madame Qiao looked serious. ¡°Cultivated Talent Shao is your father¡¯s son-inw after all, and if his title is removed, your father will be humiliated! He definitely won¡¯t make it to the Rmended Man, so why bother to make a fuss! You will regret it deeply if your father gets angry.¡± Qiao Wei was startled and hesitated. Her mother was right¡­ The Cultivated Talent Show was too poor to be a Rmended Man. Also, it was not very easy to remove his title as the Cultivated Talent either. What if she caused trouble and her father lost face, she would suffer deeply, and that would only mean a favor done to Qiao Kou and Concubine Du! As she thought about this, she remembered that it was Qiao Kou who instigated her to do so, and Qiao Wei became even more annoyed. She was not someone who tolerated her anger. So she told Madame Qiao about everything. Angry, Madame Qiao shouted. ¡°What a bitch! How dare they try to use us! Wei, be careful not to be used by that bitch!¡± Madame Qiao felt so angry that she snapped at Concubine Du and Qiao Kou when they greeted her the next day. Concubine Du was ordered to stand still for one day and her legs were shivering by the end of it. Qiao Kou was too scared to argue or protest. When Qiao Kou and Qiao Wei¡¯s wagon went far, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan climbed onto the wagon. Qiao Xuan felt quite anxious. Although she knew that Shao Yunduan was not a superficial person, she was still quite worried that he would be affected by what her sister said. She wanted to ask him and give some exnation, but with Qi and Taotao around, she could not find a way to start the conversation. She was feeling quite heavy in her mind. Suddenly, she felt a touch of warmth on her wrist. Qiao Xuan looked up and saw Shao Yunduan¡¯s eyes on her. Shao Yunduan pinched her wrist and released it, talking in a soft voice. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Startled, Qiao Xuan no longer felt anxious. She smiled and nodded with her eyes sparkling. ¡°Okay!¡¯ When he said ¡°let¡¯s go home¡±, they were heading towards their home, so he was still treating her as his family and it meant that no one would be able to separate them. Shao Yunduan smiled back at her, and both of them felt relieved in their hearts. Back at home, the sun was setting in the west. The whole family was happy to see them back and helped to carry the gifts into the house, chatting happily.. Chapter 428 - 428: Stupid Cousins Chapter 428: Stupid Cousins Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qu Shan and the coachman left from there when it was gettingte. Qiao Xuan put most of the stuff back into the room, and shared some with Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu. She asked Qi and Taotao to carry the tree buds into the garden. She was going to deal with them tomorrow. Then, she shared the snacks with the entire family. First Madame had given them two boxes of pastries, which were made by their special chef at the mansion. They were sweet and crispy and everyone loved how they tasted. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan felt assured hearing that everything was going well at home. When they talked about how bustling the province was, Ms. Fang could not help but look forward to visiting there, let alone Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni. They had never thought about this earlier, but things were different now. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°When it bes warm next year, we will all go there for a trip, okay?¡± ¡°That sounds great!¡± ¡°I want to go too!¡± Shao Sang and his wife were the most motivated when hearing the proposal. Ms. Fang looked at the couple, hesitating. ¡°But can we all really go there?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. Yeah, Mom, we can rent a wagon and will arrive within one day! Our whole family will go together. Anyways, we have enough money with us. We don¡¯t have to be worried about anything!¡¯ Ms. Fangughed. ¡°Okay! We will all go there!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The whole familyughed and talked, when suddenly Shao Ling rushed in. ¡°Fifth Cousin!¡± Everyone was startled. Ms. Fang frowned and asked Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni to go make dinner. Shao Yunduan was confused. ¡°What is it?¡± Shao Ling looked so angry when he said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about going to Brother Yue¡¯s home for a visit?¡± Shao Ling had been suffering terribly ever since he got to know about it. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He just could not help but imagine how Shao Yunduan stood out among all those excellent people, and he was so annoyed by this imaginary picture. He was counting the days for Shao Yunduan to return, and the longer he waited, the angrier he felt. Hearing that Shao Yunduan was back, he could not wait even for a single moment toe over and use him. ¡°Fifth Cousin, your behavior is way over the top. Brother Yue and I are good friends too. So, how could you leave me behind? You are just jealous of me speaking vividly with him and fear that he will like me better than you!¡¯ Qiao Xuan, ¡°¡­¡± She could not help but look at Shao Yunduan with sympathy. She and her husband were indeed a perfect match. She had annoying sisters and her husband had stupid cousins. Shao Yunduan looked at Shao Ling coldly. ¡°Are you mental? You should go and find your own friends!¡± Yuezheng was not a verymon surname, and Shao Ling ignored the ¡®zheng¡¯ part of the surname when talking about it. This stupid cousin of his did not even know what his friend was called and he still insisted that they were friends. Shao Ling¡¯s eyes were widened. ¡°How can you say that? Eldest Uncle¡­¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s eyes sank slowly. ¡°Shao Ling, there is no use calling me my father. He can¡¯t make Brother Yue turn into your friend either. I suggest you study more and read more rather than befriend people. My friends are unrted to you, and I don¡¯t care about your friends either..¡± Chapter 429 - 429: Pretending People Chapter 429: Pretending People Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Ling said, ¡°You must have messed aroundter, I¡­¡± Extremely annoyed, Shao Yunduan replied without hesitation. ¡°If you had not sucked up to him, how would Brother Yue know who you are? You said that you had a nice chat with him, but what did you speak with him about anyway? Why didn¡¯t he send you any invitation? Qiao Xuan chuckled and smiled. ¡°Darling, maybe you are wrong. Maybe you have hidden the invitation which was meant for your cousin? Shao Ling followed up. ¡°Yeah!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°¡­¡± Qiao Xuan added again with a smile. ¡°That is called ¨C you can never wake up those who pretend to be asleep! For example, it is daytime, but that person would always say that it is night because he has his eyes closed. It is dark, because it is night as per him!¡± Shao Yunduan almost burst intoughter, despite the anger he held in his mind. Shao Ling. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°This is what I mean.¡± Qiao Xuan said coldly, ¡°My husband has already put it forward clearly that he and you are not on the same level, so stop messing around with his friends!¡± Hearing her blunt words annoyed Shao Ling even more. Eldest Uncle felt that Qiao Xuan was not being nice. He immediately said, ¡°Ms. Qiao, watch your words!¡± Ignoring him, Qiao Xuan continued. ¡°You are well aware whether or not you had a nice chat with my husband¡¯s friends, right? Actually, even if you had a good conversation with them, so what?¡± Shao Ling was stuck in words. True, so what? He was very confused. What was he thinking about anyway? Shao Yunduan asked him coldly. ¡°Is there anything else? Just leave if you have nothing else to say.¡± Shao Ling stomped his feet, snorted and left. Eldest Uncle felt so sad. ¡°Yunduan, you are studying together, and you should stay close to each other, how can you¡­¡± Elder Uncle was very confused why Shao Yunduan called Young Master Yuezheng as Young Master Yue instead when he was talking with Shao Ling, but he did not think that was important. He said, ¡°You can go out together and take care of each other.¡± ¡°Dad, you are wrong.¡± Shao Yunduan replied straightforwardly. ¡°He is selfish and overly confident. I don¡¯t get on well with him. So please, stop trying to get us together in the future. I don¡¯t want to get involved with him in any way!¡¯ ¡°Let me tell you the truth, no teacher in the college has ever said that he is intelligent or good with studies. He is just lying to you all. He is very bad at homework as well. He has been punished many times for not being able to recite any articles! Dad, why do you think such a person would help me when I need it?¡± Eldest Uncle was shocked. ¡°Is that true? ¡°I did not say anything in the past because I didn¡¯t want to cause trouble. But I am not lying to you. You can ask around It you don¡¯t Deneve me!¡± Eldest Uncle felt bitterness arising inside his heart. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you give him some tips? Ms. Fang became displeased. ¡°Just look at how he behaves with us! You think Yunduan¡¯s words can get through to him?¡± Shao Yunduan said as well, ¡°You can instruct and guide him if you want to, Dad.¡± Eldest Uncle sighed and felt grevious.. ¡°But if what you say is true¡­ but¡­¡± Chapter 430 - 430: Jealousy Chapter 430: Jealousy Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang sneered and was eager to watch a good show. She said to herself ¨C just speak with him and see if he wants to listen to you. Shao Ling still believed firmly that Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong had treated him as a friend and that Shao Yunduan must have stopped him from joining them for the visit. But he did not know how to counter him, and he had no ce to vent his anger. The next day, Eldest Uncle could not stand it any more. But when he tried to guide him to the right path, Shao Ling snapped at him andined about Shao Yunduan, saying that Eldest Uncle should discipline Shao Yunduan so he would not dare to treat him like this in the future. The Eldest Uncle finally got the chance to tell him what he had been prepared to tell him after a long while. The moment Shao Ling heard him, he interrogated Eldest Uncle about where he heard such a rumor. He shouted and asked who was trying to humiliate him! ¡°It must be Shao Yunduan who said that, right? He is lying, he is just jealous of me!¡± Shao Ling kept using Shao Yunduan aggressively but he did not dare to confront Shao Yunduan about it. In the end, he ignored Eldest Uncle and left from there angrily. Eldest Uncle was confused. He did not think that his son would lie to him but his nephew was also a literati who did not seem to be lying either¡­ After breakfast, Qiao Xuan sorted out the presents and gave a portion to each member of the family. Qiao Xuan finally unpacked the gifts which the First Madame gave her. She had been prepared that the First Madame must have given her many expensive presents, but what she saw was far more than she had anticipated. Just the whole set of forty pieces of gold head and face jewelry iid with gold and jade were already dazzling her eyes. The hairpins, the crown, the earrings¡­ Everything was exquisite in workmanship and beautifully-made. Qiao Xuan could not wear them outside right now, but each piece was so beautiful to look at. It made her feel happy. First Madame apparently knew that this was for her to appreciate and collect, so she gave her twenty more pieces of jewelry which were well made and proper to be worn in daily life, beautiful but not too outstanding. Apart from jewelry, she had received some exquisite garments, fragrance, cubilose, Donkey-hide gtin and some other jadeware as well as some porcin for flowers. First Madame did not really take her as goddaughter for real, yet she seemed to treat her like one. Qiao Xuan felt very moved. She had saved the Old Master¡¯s life for sure, but First Madame also treated her with full sincerity. After she put the precious things away, Qiao Xuan went to the garden to nt trees. She needed to put her n into practice quickly, and asked Qi and Taotao for help. She nted those buds in a corner of the garden, but did not work on the twigs. She dug a hole and had it half-covered with the soil, and waited for the right nts for transntation. Transntation did not actually work, but she needed an excuse to put these things into her space so she did the whole charade. When the trees were nted, they checked the mushrooms inside the shed. Snow fungus were all out and the fruits were growing, but they were not ripe enough to be picked yet. The mushrooms and wooden ears could be harvested though. ¡°Let¡¯s just pick the mushrooms, wooden ears and snow fungus for sun drying today!¡¯ Qi and Taotao nodded in agreement.. Chapter 431 - 431: Updated Space Chapter 431: Updated Space Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°I will fetch the basket and the bucket, and also get the Elder Sister-inw and Third Sister-inw!¡± With that, Qi dashed off. Soon Ms. Xu, and Yang Xiaoni came over with baskets and buckets in their hands. Yang Xiaoni smiled. ¡°I just told my Elder Sister-inw the day before that we should be ready to harvest mushrooms and wooden ears. Now that you are home, we can pick them!¡± Ms. Xu pursed her lips. ¡®You remember things rted to food the most!¡± Everyone burst intoughter. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Fresh mushrooms and wooden ears are very tasty, but we have no meat at home, or we can make ground meat with mushrooms, and that would be fresh and delicious! We will make a portion next time we buy meat. I will make some deserts for you with snow fungus, dates and lotus seeds!¡± They were all very excited when it came to food. They were fast in their actions and soon collected all the mushrooms, wooden ears and snow fungus in their buckets and baskets. Qiao Xuan weighed them and believed that there were 15 kgs of snow fungus. Approximately 500 grams of dried snow fungus could be produced from 3-5 to 4 kgs of snow fungus. Then, with this harvest, they would get around 2.5 kgs of it. She had looked around in the market in the province. 500 grams of excellent snow fungus could be sold at 50 liang, and even ordinary ones could be sold at 20 to 30 liang. Snow fungus produced by her wererge, with appropriate thickness, and pure in color without any ws. As long as there was nothing wrong during the sun drying process, they could be sold at the highest price. Hence, this small basket of snow fungus was worth more than 200 liang. Qiao Xuan asked Taotao, and Ms. Xu to carry the harvested fruits back into the house, whilst she remained there. They thought that she was just checking the mushroom shed, so they left ordingly. Qiao Xuan shut the gate, let out a sigh of relief and could not wait to rush towards the buds. She put the twenty twigs of trees into the space. No one would notice the strangeness happening in the garden since no one was around. When someone walked in and saw them missing, she could just say that the twigs had all gone rotten. What a perfect lie! When the twenty twigs went into space, they were deeply-rooted directly. Qiao Xuan could even feel them starting to grow the roots right after they got grounded in the soil. The magical energy inside the space grew vividly and made a huge stir. Motivated, Qiao Xuan sensed instantly that her superpower had improved as well. She could even sense the moisture in the air and make an even longer day of weather forecast. The house which had been covered with mist was now getting very clear. But¡­ it was not enough. Qiao Xuan pulled bud after bud and put five of them into space. Instantly, the magic became even stronger. She could not help but walk into the room. This time, she was not stopped. The room was right in front of her, empty. The wall opposite the gate was a storage shelf withyers. There was something in there that looked very much like an ATM at a bank. She walked forward and put her hands upon the misty screen, and soon, she was greeted with a lot of information. It told her what she should do with that ATM. Qiao Xuan smiled brightly. This device was not only going to help her distinguish every nt in her space, but was also going to offer all kinds of answers rted to nts.. Chapter 432 - 432: Trash Space Into Treasure Chapter 432: Trash Space Into Treasure Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions As her superpower grew stronger, she would get richer and get more answers from this machine. For example, if she got some precious and good things but had no idea what they were, she coulde to the machine and try to figure out the significance of it through the machine and find the answer. For another example, if she wanted to know how to process some kind of tea leaves, she could turn to the machine and get the instructions here. When it was upgraded to another degree, she would have no problem improving the current technological problems, rakes, or the farming tools. The grids and boxes leaning against the wall were all for storage. She could put everything that was not alive inside. Each grid had a volume of 100 cubic meters, which would be enough for her for however long it was. They could be categorized neatly, very handy! Not all the grids were activated, but the very bottom row was already enough for her. That pleased Qiao Xuan a great deal. The trash space had already been updated to turn into a ce of treasure! She just could not help but give it a try, so she picked two leaves of golden sprout, put them on the screen of the machine and read inside her heart. Soon, there appeared a line that disyed the name, features, and fragrance along with the processing methods for the golden sprout clearly. What was more magical was that due to the special connection between her conscience and the things in the space, she only read it once and remembered it all. That was wonderful! As long as the processor was skilled and good at processing the tea leaves, it would not matter if he did not know how to process golden sprouts andvender. She had not done it before, but she had a lot of knowledge with her. After this, Qiao Xuan put some leaves of fruit trees, and gastrodia so as to find out some instructions about them. For example, how should gastrodia be nted and taken care of, and how it should be used, what could lemons be used for and how to make the best plum wine and dried fruits, etc. She was having great fun with it. She did not leave the ce until a long whileter. Back to where she lived, Qiao Xuan put her money,nd contracts as well as the excellent garments and jewelries along with the extracted oil from flowers into the space. She finally felt much more assured. In this way, she would never worry about thieves. This ce waspletely safe! How wonderful! Shao Yunduan was very surprised to see that she was walking proudly and cheerfully. He couldn¡¯t help asking her. ¡°Mind sharing the good news with me?¡± Qiao Xuan looked delighted, but she could not reveal too much, so she smiled brightly hearing her husband¡¯s question. ¡°I am just very happy, look at my mushrooms, they are so well harvested, and our new house is almost done, everything is great!¡± Shao Yunduan nodded andughed. ¡°Yeah, everything is great, we should be happy!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± They smiled at each other. The following day, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went to the Zhang Vige again.. Chapter 433 - 433: All Well Chapter 433: All Well Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ding Erzhu and his wife, as well as Madame Zhou, Land Officer and his wife were all helping them out, so everything went well there. Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou were down-to-earth people and the Land Officer and his wife might try and do some tricks on them. But Madame Zhou was smart, and she was older than everyone else. So, if she said something as an elderly woman and was reasonable enough, no one would dare counter her. The Land Officer and his wife were both people who understood what was best for them. They were not able to trick the couple and simply decided to work hard and devotedly instead. Therefore, everything went on smoothly. When Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan went over, it would take three more days before thend was settled. Shao Yunduan expressed his gratitude and appreciation towards the Land Officer with a smile. ¡°You are very reliable. We will probably need you to hire some more people to help us with the tea tree nting, also for weeding, trimming, picking and so on.¡± The Land Officers eyes sparkled, and he said with a smile, ¡°Okay, okay, Young Master Shao! Don¡¯t worry, as long as you entrust us to do the work, we will definitely make sure all is done well, and you will be satisfied.¡± The Land Officer could not help but feel relieved that he did not cause any unpleasantness in this task, otherwise the long-term work work would not be entrusted to them again. Due to this assignment, almost every household had managed to earn some money. They were able to afford a few new clothes, nkets, snacks and some other things, which were very beneficial for them. Shao Yunduan nodded at him with a smile. The Land Officer was definitely going to tell the Zhang Vige about this. In order to have a long coboration, they knew clearly what they should do. After the Land Officer left, Shao Yunduan, Qiao Xuan spoke with Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou about building a new house. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan already had the n ready. They were going to build two yards and two wing yards. The smaller wing yard was for storage of farming tools and food. The bigger wing yard was to be used as the processing workshop and storing tea leaves. The creeping figs could be processed here, so the house needed to be built well. Qiao Xuan even decided that when the house was constructed, they would buy two guarding dogs for Ding Erzhu to keep for patrolling and safeguarding the area. Moreover, the front yard could be spared for Ding Erzhu¡¯s family to live in. Outside the yard, she wanted to make a vegetable garden where a patch of fruit trees would be built, as well as a 2 mu pool for fish, lotus roots and water chestnut. They could even raise some ducks and geese. Some chicken as well. They would evene over to enjoy a few leisurely days. When the house was finished, the craftsmen coulde and start the construction here. They were definitely going to finish the construction before the New Year. Ding Erzhu and his family did not need to worry about the hut that would leak wind. At that time, Madame Zhou could help to take care of the grandchildren and keep an eye on the workers. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan believed that it was a good n. Madame Zhou was smart and capable. She could watch the workers for them whilst teaching Ms. Zhou how to deal with the situation, so Ms. Zhou could learn these skills for future tasks.. Chapter 434 - 434: Result Of Investigation Chapter 434: Result Of Investigation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions On the way home, Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan. ¡°When Aunt Yuezheng heard about our business at the Zhang Vige, she said that we ought to buy some servants simply because we are going to have much to deal with and we need to cultivate people for the future¡­¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Yeah we should do so.¡± Qiao Xuan frowned. ¡°But that is not very easy to do. It is never easy to find people who are reliable.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take it slow.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°We can visit the province in spring and check it out. We can hire some reliable employees to sign a contract for 10-15 years. In this way, we will have some people working for us in the long term.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Yeah, true! As long as we are able to afford theborers, we can always get good ones.¡± She thought for a while and smiled. ¡°We can even ask Aunt Yuezheng to help us as the middle person. With her around, I am sure we can hire better ones.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and smiled. ¡°Yeah, there are a few tenants who seem nice. If they want, we can hire them and sign a contract with them for 10 years or more.¡± Qiao Xuan felt assured when this issue was solved. Otherwise, she was really wondering what she should do in the long-term. They needed to hire the local vigers, otherwise there would be conflicts. But if they all hired people from the Zhang Vige, there would be the possibility that they ganged up together to create trouble. If something happened, they could handle that, but the trouble was after all trouble, and it should be avoided in all probability. So, they needed to work it out in a good way. If they bought the employees, they could just work together with the tenants who were not from the Zhang Vige. Then, they could select some good ones from the Zhang Vige, so that they could maintain a bnce for future development. At the Yuezheng Family in the province. Ms. Mi Junior was used to reading people¡¯s thoughts. She believed that the first section of the family would never cause any trouble because they always wanted to keep Old Master steady. She was already used to that. Therefore, she was bold enough to spread the rumor through her maid. In her opinion, there was no point in fearing that the first section of the family would get to know about her deeds. It was always going to be forgiven anyway, wasn¡¯t it? It was the first section of the family who wanted to stay away from trouble. Therefore, when Ms. Jin spoke of the investigation and got support from Madame Yuezheng, Ms. Mi Junior did not really care. She felt that Madame Yuezheng was just saying that casually and Ms. Jin was not as strong as she looked. She would not dare to cause any trouble! She would not want the first section of the family to be disturbed. Honestly, she herself was the senior person at the mansion and it was not so easy to pick on her. Since Ms. Mi Junior did not care, Ms. Jin had no trouble finding the clues leading to Auntie Shuixiu, who was working for Ms. Mi Junior. Ms. Jin ordered Shuixiu and some other older maids who were close to Ms. Mi Junior to be taken to Madame Yuezheng¡¯s yard, where she told Madame Yuezheng the truth. Madame Yuezheng was dumbfounded as well.. Chapter 435 - 435: Settlement Chapter 435: Settlement Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Madame Yuezheng just wanted to find the servants who spread the rumor, but she had not expected that Ms. Jin caught Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s closest maid! What surprised her was Ms. Jin¡¯s purpose. Was she trying to break up with the second section of the family? Ms. Jin snapped angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Second Aunt knows about this. These servants spread rumors about the master and try to turn them against each other all the time. Madame Yuezheng, we must not keep any of these people!¡¯ Madame Yuezheng¡¯s face sank and she nodded sternly. ¡°You are right, they should not be kept. Speak with your Second Aunt, and get rid of them!¡± ¡°Yes, Madame Yuezheng!¡¯¡± Ms. Jin answered and ordered those servants to be taken to Ms. Mi Junior. Hearing that the servants were taken away by Ms. Jin, Ms. Mi Junior got furious and also surprised. She rushed to Madame Yuezheng¡¯s yard and on the way there, she ran into Ms. Jin. ¡°How dare you, Ms. Jin!¡± Ms. Mi Junior red at Ms. Jin, looking rather furious. She was pping right on her face! Everyone knew that Ms. Jin had caught her maids, and if she did not try to protect them, she would be theughing stock of the family. She was already very humiliated when her niece found out the truth. ¡°Here you are, Second Aunt. Madame Yuezheng asked me to bring those people to you and discuss with you about how to deal with them!¡± Ms. Jin smiled and narrated the whole process. Her words were quite clear. Firstly, she caught these people based on evidence, and Ms. Mi Junior could see the evidence if she wanted to. Secondly, she had already told Madame Yuezheng about this and the olddy had ordered a serious punishment. Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s face turned green as she red at Ms. Jin. With a sneering voice, she said, ¡®Good, good, Niece, you are good at catching people who are working for me! Why not speak with me first? Do you not intend to respect me as your Second Aunt? You are not a good wife!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Second Aunt. I was on my way to tell you about this.¡± Ms. Jin smiled. ¡°I was just too angry about the fact that this bitchy maid works for you. How dare she spread rumors behind your back? She must be trying to turn us against each other, so that we are not able to get on well with each other. I am just worried that she will make up stories in front of you. What if you believe her again, and the rtionship between us is ruined? That is why I caught her first, in case something terrible happens.¡± ¡°I am not disrespecting you, Second Aunt, please, open your eyes and see!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Second Aunt, this bitch is so cruel that she cursed her master and spread rumors. Due to this, the whole mansion is in a mess. She can¡¯t be kept, or things would get worse at home. That is what Madame Yuezheng said too. What do you think, Second Aunt?¡± Ms. Mi Junior got so annoyed that she could not utter any words to counter that. Shuixiu was surprised and scared, but she struggled and looked up at Ms. Mi Junior, begging her to save her. She had obeyed her mistress¡¯ words and conducted all of these actions. Her mistress had to save her! Seeing their reactions, Ms. Jin smiled. ¡°Shuixiu, are you trying to imply that you need to speak with your mistress? Take out the cloth from her mouth!¡± ¡°Hold on, save your breath!¡± Chapter 436 - 436: New House Chapter 436: New House Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s vein on forehead popped, as she said coldly, ¡°This bitch must have spread rumors for sure. Feed her a dose of the mute drug and beat her, then sell her out!¡± Then she nced at Ms. Jin, sneering meaningfully. ¡°You are excellent, Niece. You can deal with this matter properly. But you must take care of yourself in the future because there will be a lot for you to care about. Don¡¯t be too busy!¡¯ Ms. Jin sorted inwardly. She was threatening her, right? Alright then, she was ready for anything! Two months¡­ just two months, and then all bitterness woulde to an end. Her inws would return to the mansion and she was going to see what else she could do! ¡°Thanks for your reminder, Second Aunt, I definitely will!¡± Ms. Mi Junior sneered and left in fury. Ms. Jin did not soften her heart. She gathered all the servants of the mansion and punished Shuixiu and the servants in front of everyone. Shuixiu was the main culprit, so she was hit 30 times and directly sent to the abbey. At the abbey, she was going to be fed with mute drugs and when her wounds were cured, she would be sold out of the province. The others were hit 20 times and got sent to the abbey to dobor work, whilst some honest and down-to-earth ones would be picked to rece them at the mansion. The whole mansion got really shocked when they saw how First Young Madame suddenly turned so lethal. They were all frightened, especially those who had been used to doing small tricks. Their hearts were throbbing nervously. Hearing the news, Ms. Mi Junior got so annoyed that she smashed some teacups and decided to take revenge on Ms. Jin. But she had no idea that soon, Old Master and First Madame would return to the mansion and by that time, she would have no position at the mansion at all. At Shaoding Vige, the first section of the family¡¯s new house was soon finished. Many vigers came to watch the new house and pass on the congrattions. The whole family was very happy and they had prepared some snacks for the visitors. ¡°The yard is so huge, oh there are small yards and gardens in the main yard! Look at the bricks on the floor, so magnificent!¡± ¡°They are rich and willing to spend the money, so everything looks great!¡± ¡°Yeah! I wish we could have such a huge house as well!¡± This joke made peopleugh and someone mocked back. ¡°Maybe in your next The vigers took a tour around the house and felt both emotional and jealous. They all clearly understood one thing. No matter whether they felt jealous, or other things, the first section of the family had gone one step higher this time. They felt envious but they thought about befriending the first section of the family, so that one day, they might be able to get some benefit from the first section of the family, just like Shao Dali and his family. Therefore, no matter what they were thinking, they could not help but utter some ttering words. Even when it came to Fifth Grandma Ding, who felt extremely nervous inside her heart, did not say anything to offend the people around.. Chapter 437 - 437: Too Late Chapter 437: Too Late Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The second and third section of the family came to look at the new house too. The two extra rooms built at the second section of the family were already finished, butpared to this new house of the first section of the family, the two rooms were just nothing! That made Second Uncle and Ms. Niu feel jealous and gloomy. Widow Sun was among the crowd, watching the show too. With every step that she took, she felt her heart dripping water. She felt so regretful! If she had known that Shao Yunduan would achieve this much and the first section of the family would get rid of the second and third section of the family, she would have surely hooked up her daughter with Shao Yunduan. If that had happened, she would have been a part of this new house too. She was the mother-inw and she would have been able to move in. But now it was toote! It didn¡¯t look like she would be able to find someone better to marry her daughter to. Widow Sun felt so annoyed. When she saw Ms. Niu, who seemed to feel even worse, she decided to make some noise with her again. Ms. Niu sneered, as she heard what she was told. The first section of the family were all horrible people! After the new house was built, the following step was decoration. The decorating materials were all environmentally friendly, so the quality was guaranteed. They were prepared when the new house was being built. Soon, the windows, doors and furniture were all moved in at this moment. Qiao Xuan did not spare any money in making the window with transparent ze, which was definitely better than the paper window. It looked beautiful and bright, and everyone spoke highly of it except for Eldest Uncle. As for the furniture, Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t that particr. The tables, chairs, stools, and shelves in the living room were all made of high-quality fir. The wardrobes and couches in the room were made of high-quality fir or camphor. It was covered with tung oil all over, bright and clean, and the texture was excellent. People in the vige needed everything to be practical. She could afford mahogany, ebony furniture, but that was not suitable. Five days passed, and the whole house was done decorating. The sixth day was an auspicious day to move in, and the whole family shifted in happily. Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle were located in the front room, and the four yards belonged to Shao Yunduan¡¯s four brothers. There was a two-store wing house at the southeast side, and Taotao moved into this ce since she did not want to live in the front yard. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan got the best and broadest yard. Shao Yunduan needed to study so the best yard was for him to live in, and Qiao Xuan came from a special family, which made it totally reasonable that she picked it. No one countered the choice. Instead, they were so grateful to move into such a wonderful house which was all thanks to Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan liked her yard very much. The room was really broad, and there was one inner room and two wing rooms. She could do all kinds of experiments she wanted and did not have to hide from anyone. The patio in the yard was quiterge. She had asked people to build two flower beds, and was going to nt some flowers and trees in spring, nt two magnolias and a pomegranate in the corner, and also nt some roses, rhododendrons and other low flowers and nts in the small backyard. The original spring was well protected and remodeled during the construction of the house. After the remodeling, there were still ces for drinking water in the backyard. The backyard was twice as big as the previous ones, so they simply built a square pond with a height of half a person and about five square meters with ck bricks near a courtyard wall to raise some fish.. Chapter 438 - 438: New House Chapter 438: New House Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions A wooden board covered half of it, while disying the other half. The fish was kept inside, and could be scooped out for cooking whenever they wanted. There was an exit below the sink for changing water. The wide ground in the backyard of the patio was full of t green bricks that were spliced seamlessly. It was very convenient to dry the recovered rice, harvested taro, corn, and beans forter use. A shed had been built for the chicken coop, and the duck coop on the other side of the backyard. Further back, there was a one-person-high wall, as well as a spacious cowshed. Ms. Fang had decided to raise a cow, and a donkey. She also had another cart built, so that Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan could travel into the townfortably without having to worry. The first section of the family¡¯s life was getting better and better! Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were taking a walk around, looking really happy. When flowers and trees grew in spring, they could open some areas to grow vegetables, and the yard would flourish even more. Ms. Xu was roaming in her new, broad room, touching the zed window and the furniture, looking at the bricks on the ground, smiling constantly. Now, her daughter and son had separate rooms too, and her room with her husband was enormous, with all kinds of furniture and arge space. That made her feel so happy. More importantly, they did not spend any personal money to do any of this. All the things inside the room were bought from the shared savings, which made her feel really d as well. Eldest Uncle was d too. But he found it to be incredible. ¡®You sold the nts and gained this much? Are the nts so valuable these days?¡± He did not spend any money nor was in charge of handling the money, but he could tell that the ss on the windows was quite expensive. Ms. Fang did not want to discuss this topic with him. The house was built and he had moved in, what else could he say? ¡°Ms. Qiao offered some help. She said that the house should be well built so we could live a morefortable life. Look at what we have got?¡± Eldest Uncle sighed and had nothing to say. His brothers were angry about the whole episode, and they did not even greet him. He knew what they were thinking. True, building a house was too much of a waste, and if they could save some money, he could have offered some help to his brothers too. But they did not do so. That was why his brothers were so displeased inside the heart. But Ms. Qiao offered the same reason after which he would have nothing to say. Ms. Qiao did not stop repeating her words. ¡°No nephew¡¯s wife supported the uncle¡¯s family. Ihat would turn us into aughing stock!¡± They were all d on the moving day. Qiao Xuan prepared some food. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni went into the town and bought some meat and tofu home. Qiao Xuan picked some nice-looking mushrooms, chopped some meat, added some scallions and seasonings and made a dish of mushrooms with meat. Ms. Xu ground some rice and made a dish called ribs with rice flour. Braised pork belly, stewed pork belly with soybeans, peanuts, and lotus seeds, stir-fried pork liver with green onions, and sauerkraut and misceneous fish pot were cooked as well. Finally, sugar-coated yams, scallions, tofu and garlic vegetables were all put on the spacious and clean dining room, giving out a wonderful fragrance. Due to the move into the new house, Qiao Xuan had prepared a jar of wine as well. It was a happy day for everyone! Chapter 439 - 439: The Qiao Family Chapter 439: The Qiao Family Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions On the day when the first section of the family moved in, the second and the third section of the family came over to check out the new ce. The more they looked at it, the more sour they became. So, they decided not to look at it any more. They should at least treat them to some food when they move into a new house. They were waiting for the first section of the family to pass on the invitation, and despite the anger, they still wanted to eat the free food. However, the first section of the family never sent out any invitation, which made them really furious. ¡°What are they being so arrogant about? They do not want to ept us as family any more, right?¡± ¡°Alright then, we don¡¯t care! They should never ask us for help ever again!¡¯ Unlike the second and third section of the family, those from the first section of the family were all sleeping well in their new house. Everything was spacious and wide in the new house. Moreover, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan could even have their separate rooms. However, they seemed to have forgotten about this. They were still sharing the same room. Qiao Xuan was rolling on the bed happily, feeling d inside her heart. This was the countryside life she had been looking forward to enjoying! There was no shortage of food, clothing and housing. There were flower fields and gardens. The fruit trees produced endless fruits. The vegetable fields had the freshest vegetables. There were chickens, ducks and geese in the backyard, and as much fresh fish and shrimp as she wanted. There were all kinds of mushrooms, bamboo shoots, wild vegetables, wild fruits, and other things in the mountains, which could be harvested throughout the year. They were also able to make enough money for life easily. She could go out when she wanted to, or stay at home if she wanted to. On rainy days, the whole family could gather together to make dumplings, glutinous rice balls, steam rice cakes, and various other snacks¡­ It was all so wonderful! However, she needed to remove the danger of the Qiao Family so that this wonderful life couldst! Qiao Xuan needed to be stronger. The following morning, Ms. Fang asked Eldest Uncle to inform his brothers and the families toe over and eat dinner at the new house. Ms. Fang never skipped on what she needed to do. Eldest Uncle headed off immediately. He had wanted to ask his brothers¡¯ families to eat the day before, but Ms. Fang said that the house was too messy to receive any guests, and that they should do it the next day. Eldest Uncle believed that too, so he gave up on the idea. But that was not the point. The whole family wanted to have a good first day. Why would they need the second and third section of the family to cause them trouble? They wanted to spend a happy day alone. As to why Ms. Fang asked Eldest Uncle to inform his brothers¡¯ families, it was not because she was afraid of the gossip. It was reasonable that they did not hold the banquet on the previous day. But if they did not invite them altogether, that would look intentional. Qiao Xuan did not cook dinner. It was Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni who cooked, since she already did a lot of cooking the day before. They prepared one chicken, one duck, and they fetched some carrots, vegetables and leeks, as well as some yams, mushrooms, wooden ears which would lead up to two full tables. They would have more people into the family in the future, so they had onerge dining room built in the house. The ce could hold four tables, or even six! Chapter 440 - 440: More Sour Chapter 440: More Sour Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The dining room was connected to the main room at one end, protruding towards the patio, and it was perpendicr to the main room at right angles. It was rectangr, with one side facing the kitchen and was separated by a door. On the wall opposite the door was a set of cupboards and a row of chests of drawers almost as tall as a person. In addition, there were six windows in the middle of the two opposite walls, which were iid with light-colored ss. During the day, the sun shone in from the windows, which was very bright. The food was put on the table, and Ms. Fang smiled and greeted everyone from the second and third section of the family. After the first section of the family finished cleaning things up, the other two sections of the family visited the ce for the first time. Seeing that the house was neat and tidy everywhere, the brand-new furniture was made of good wood, and beautifully made, they had already turned sour inside and out. They felt even more jealous when they saw the dining room. Ms. Zhang could not help but snort. ¡°Eldest Auntie, you keep saying that your windows are made of ze, which is not cheap at all. You are saying this because you are afraid of loaning us money, right? The eyes of the two sections of the family sparkled. They all nodded vigorously. Ms. Fang smiled and said calmly, ¡°Right!¡¯ Ms. Zhang. Ms. Ma could not help but shout. ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, you are not treating us as your family.¡± ¡°What can I do? I am already very scared. You have borrowed a lot of money from us, but you have not returned any. I have been fooled many times, and I need to learn something from the past lessons, right?¡± Third Uncle coughed. ¡°But we are running short of money. If we have some, we will definitely return it to you.¡± Ms. Fang responded. ¡°Sure, I believe you, but you must be running out of money even in a dozen years too, right? It seems that I am not looking forward to receiving any money from you anytime soon. Also, I like to spend money in the way I want to. What can you say about it, anyway? Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Mom, you are right! You can even throw some coins in the water and that would have nothing to do with any of us!¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°That is true!¡± The others felt so annoyed. Ms. Zhang red at Qiao Xuan, looking furious. She was a nobly-borndy with a lot of dowry, wasn¡¯t she? But she was so-damned rude¡­ Yang Xiaoni looked at them, licked her lips and smiled at Ms. Fang. ¡°Mom, the dishes would turn cold if we don¡¯t hurry. I am starving a little!¡± Yang Xiaoni was very confident about her cooking skills, thinking that her cooking skills were good. More importantly, the ingredients were good. The freshly-cooked chicken, the ducks, which were put inside the pot for frying and boiling. She had already been drooling with the fragrance. Eldest Uncle asked the Second Uncle and everyone else to gather around the table. ¡°Come and sit, let¡¯s eat together!¡± Everyone sat down. They were very displeased, but there was nothing they could say or do apart from feeling wronged. The two tables were divided between men and women, and the women¡¯s side was not very friendly. Ms. Niu and the others did not want to talk, so they just buried their heads in eating. They tried toment in the middle. ¡°The chicken is too thin!¡±, ¡°There are too few eggs!¡± but Ms. Fang and her daughters-inw ignored it all. At the men¡¯s table, Second Uncle and Third Uncle talked more. They kept saying how the family should be united and the first section of the family should help others. They even mentioned their deceased parents, crying sourly. ¡°Eldest Brother, you are living a life that we are all jealous of. If our parents could live to the present day, they would be so d to enjoy such life with us.. We are so useless, but Eldest Brother, you are really capable¡­¡± Chapter 441 - 441: Shao Yunduan ‘s Distress Chapter 441: Shao Yunduan ¡®s Distress Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Eldest Uncle felt really ufortable upon hearing that. Heforted the second and third section of the family. ¡°The children are all grown-up and everything is going to be well. If you need any help, just tell me¡­¡± Second Uncle and Third Uncle felt even worse. ¡®What was the point of telling you? Could you force Ms. Qiao to offer her money? You were just saying good words.¡¯ Shao Sang, and Qi did not care what they were talking about. They kept eating food with their heads buried. Shao Eng did the same, which made the two uncles annoyed again. The dishes were almost gone while they were talking. Shao Yunduan chuckled inwardly. This was the best and easiest way to deal with them. After dinner, Second Uncle and the others left directly. What was the point of staying here? Everything made them feel so annoyed. After a couple of days, it was time for Shao Yunduan to go back to college. Unexpectedly, he ran into Zhao Guanghua again in college. ¡°Brother Yunduan!¡± Zhao Guanghua sounded as if they were close. He approached him, and patted him on the shoulders in a pretentiously passionate way. Shao Yunduan dodged his hand, took a few steps backwards, and said kindly, ¡°Young Master Zhao, what is the matter?¡± Zhao Guanghua was not a Cultivated Talent, so he should not be here to discuss the articles. He had not been here before either. Shao Yunduan was a little confused. Especially when this man treated him so kindly all of a sudden. Shao Yunduan did not think that Zhao Guanghua had the intention of befriending him. ¡°Brother Yunduan!¡± Zhao Guanghua smiled. ¡°We are all good friends, Brother Yunduan. You don¡¯t need to be estranged from me!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and replied politely. ¡°Sorry, I have got some work to do. Farewell!¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± Zhao Guanghua stopped Shao Yunduan and said with a smile, ¡°We can chat next time, but Dean Meng wants you in his study, so please, Brother Yunduan, don¡¯t keep him waiting for too long!¡¯ Shao Yunduan blinked and nodded. ¡°Okay, thanks for the message.¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t mention it!¡± Shao Yunduan went away from Zhao Guanghua. However, one hourter, when Shao Yunduan and several Cultivated Talents were discussing with Mr. Wu, who was holding the gathering, three students rushed in from the college and said that Shao Yunduan sneaked into Dean Meng¡¯s study. He broke his favorite orchid and left from there. They kept saying that he was not respectful towards the teacher and should not be in the college or attend any examination. They even tried to force him to get punished at Dean Meng¡¯s ce. Everyone was very surprised. Shao Yunduan sneered and sorted the timeline in his head, including the time when he walked into the college and with whom, and what time Zhao Guanghua spoke with him and who could be the witnesses. Later, he said goodbye to Zhao Guanghua and came to this ce with some people. He mentioned this in front of everyone and even pointed out that he had been in the room all this while, and since no one left the ce during this time, it meant that everyone in the room could be his witness. So, when did he have the time to visit Dean Meng¡¯s study? Dean Meng¡¯s study was located in a different direction from here. Although no one understood what was going on, what Shao Yunduan said was right. They all nodded in agreement. Some students who were in a good rtionship with him started defending him. The ones who hade to make the report panicked. They were dumbfounded. That was not how the n was supposed to go.. Chapter 442 - 442: A Strike Back Chapter 442: A Strike Back Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Didn¡¯t Shao Yunduan go to Dean Meng¡¯s study at all? But¡­ didn¡¯t he mention that Zhao Guanghua told him to? Well even if he mentioned that, Zhao Guanghua would have denied the usation. Shao Yunduan had no proof that Zhao Guanghua did pass on the message. If that happened, then he would drag down some ¡®innocent¡¯ ssmate. But he did not mention Zhao Guanghua, because Zhao Guanghua would not step out and admit that himself. Seeing their faces change, Shao Yunduan smiled and said gently, ¡°You must have been mistaken, right? Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine, we have talked through the misunderstanding¡­¡± The three of them did not dare to say anything more, but nodded with a smile and hurried away. Shao Yunduan narrowed his eyes. He and Zhao Guanghua were not good friends. He would not be so stupid as to follow his order. He instantly got three ssmates to keep himpany after he separated from Zhao Guanghua, creating a solid alibi. He had no idea what Zhao Guanghua was up to, but he did not think that it was anything good. Zhao Guanghuatried to set him up, by pushing him into a position where he had no others to help him. But if he was apanied by witnesses, he would not lose his credibility. Dean Meng got extremely angry. Soon, Shao Yunduan and the three students were taken to Dean Meng. Shao Yunduan had nothing to do with this matter, and he was just misjudged, but he knew clearly that Dean Meng was not an open-minded person, and would always try to drag someone down. Interrogated by Dean Meng, the three students could not hold it any more. They felt so embarrassed. They were from ordinary families, and one of them was suffering from poverty, so none of them dared to point out that Zhao Guanghua was the main culprit. As a result, they had to admit that it was them who did the whole thing. But they argued as well. ¡°Shao Yunduan is always very arrogant. He bullies us and we hate how he puts on airs. That is why we tried to teach him a lesson. Dean, we are sorry, but Shao Yunduan is not totally innocent!¡± ¡°True! But for his arrogance, we would not have done a thing like this!¡± Dean Meng nced at Shao Yunduan coldly. Shao Yunduan, who intended to say something, decided to stay silent instead. Apparently, Dean Meng bought the ridiculous excuses, or at least half of it. In that case, Shao Yunduan did not need to give any exnation. It would not work anyways. ¡°Shao Yunduan, what do you want to say? ¡°Dean, this is totally ridiculous. We have never hung out together and the rtionships are at peace. What do they mean by humiliating and bullying? Please, I request you to clear my name which has been wrongly dragged into this.¡± Dean Meng sneered. ¡°How dare you push your conflicts onto me! I don¡¯t care about this, just leave.¡± The three students got so startled that they kept begging for forgiveness. Shao Yunduan was shocked. But he said nothing. Dean Meng was very determined, he said coldly with sleeves flung aside, ¡°Just get out now, one more word, and I will get someone to drive you out directly, then you will be humiliated.¡± The three students got so startled as if they were chicken with hands over their necks, that they had no sound to utter. Shao Yunduan bowed and said, ¡°Thanks for your tutoring, Dean, I am leaving now.¡± He quit the room first.. Chapter 443 - 443: Elder Miss Qiao’s Words Chapter 443: Elder Miss Qiao¡¯s Words Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The three of them exchanged a look and left as well. Shao Yunduan felt very peaceful. He did not feel likeing to this ce either. He had been to two provinces twice and learned a lot from there. So he could just digest what he had obtained in his head. He did not have to be here. He walked out of the college and saw the wagon parked not faraway. It was Zhao Guanghua who had just lifted the drapery and smiled at him. Shao Yunduan turned around and walked towards him. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you want to set me up? Zhao Guanghua sneered and said indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t like you, so I did it. It happened, right? You are out of college, no? Good! Hahaha!¡± Shao Yunduan left without a word. Zhao Guanghua threw a disdainful look at his retreating figure, put down the drapery and ordered the coachman to go home. Zhao Guanghua did not like Shao Yunduan. But Shao Yunduan was Shao Ling¡¯s cousin and Shao Ling kept ttering him, yet Shao Yunduan did not do so, which made Zhao Guanghua feel annoyed. He would not have done anything under normal circumstances, but Elder Miss Qiao told his sister Zhao Ming about how to drive Shao Yunduan out of Minghua College. That made Zhao Guanghua feel motivated. He was quite willing to work for Elder Miss Qiao. He was expecting to gain some benefits from Elder Miss Qiao and her father for his family! What if¡­ Elder Miss Qiao felt moved and decided to marry him, that would make everything so good! That was why he decided to make this incident happen. Zhao Guanghua did not order anyone to pass on the message to Qiao Wei at the mansion. Instead, he was going to tell Elder Miss Qiao the detailed story over dinner at Restaurant Yanhe when his sister went to visit Qiao Wei. If they could talk over food a few times, their rtionship would definitely be better. Qiao Wei decided to do so because after speaking with her mother the other day about ripping Shao Yunduan of his title as Cultivated Talent, she realized that it was not so easy. She did not think that Shao Yunduan would be a Rmended Man either, so she dropped the idea. But she still felt really annoyed. Hence, she came up with the idea about driving Shao Yunduan away from the college. She did not think that a poor Cultivated Talent like Shao Yunduan had any talent, so if he was driven out of the college, he would get distressed and would not be able to move on. It would effectively cut away his means to take the examination. She could not do it herself. But she had heard Zhao Ming mentioning about her brother who was also at Minghua College, so she went to Zhao Ming and asked her to get her brother to do the task. Hearing the result, Qiao Wei felt very satisfied. She even gave a box of cosmetics to Zhao Ming. She could tell that Zhao Guanghua was trying to suck up to her, but she did not care about the ttery. She was used to enjoying his attention all the time. Her fiance was from a duke family in the capital, and Zhao Guanghua was just a son of some rural businessman. How dare he dream about marrying her! Back at home, Shao Yunduan did not show any difference in his demeanor. But Qiao Xuan sensed something. She asked him in private.. ¡°Did anything unpleasant happen at the college? You don¡¯t seem to be in a good mood today¡­¡± Chapter 444 - 444: Possibility Chapter 444: Possibility Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduanughed. ¡°You sensed it?¡± Qiao Xuan was startled, asking directly. ¡°For real? What happened?¡± Shao Yunduan, who had not wanted to say it in the first ce, did not conceal the incident and revealed the whole truth. In the end, he said, ¡°It is not a big deal anyway!¡¯ Qiao Xuan got so annoyed. ¡°Is it the Young Master Zhao who visited Cousin the other day? He is so horrible! Good that you did not get tricked, otherwise it would be very difficult to get your name cleared.¡± It was an imperfect n, but it worked out well in the end. If Shao Yunduan had visited Dean Meng¡¯s study and Zhao Guanghua denied that he passed on the message, then Shao Yunduan would have had no excuse to defend himself! Zhao Guanghua was wealthy and gentle, and the college would have definitely taken his words into ount. Even if this was put into the governmental office, her father would not have defended Shao Yunduan because he would have thought that this was too humiliating for him. Worse, he would even use him of the wrong doings. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°This man is not a moral person, and I have never hung out with him, so I would never have believed him especially since he suddenly tried to get close to me.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Other people might have ignored this point because no one would expect that he would dare to plot the Dean. But you are so smart! Haha!¡± ¡°Honestly, Dean Meng is not a nice person either. You were misjudged, and he even ordered punishment for you!¡¯ Shao Yunduan said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t need to go to college any longer. My studies would not be affected.¡± ¡°But I just can¡¯t tolerate this injustice!¡± Suddenly, Qiao Xuan thought and said, ¡°You don¡¯t think that Zhao Guanghua bought out Dean Meng as well, do you? Moreover, Zhao Guanghua would not be affected even if you are not at the college, right? Why did he suddenly do this, for your cousin¡¯s sake? Your cousin isn¡¯t that powerful in his eyes, right?¡± Qiao Xuan had never met Zhao Guanghua before, but she had met Zhao Ming before. People like them would not treat Shao Ling as a true friend, nor do anything for him. The more she thought about this matter, the more confused she became. Shao Yunduan had some spections. He had never been enemies with anyone, and the only people who held a big grudge against him were the Qiao Family. They ran into Qiao Kou and Qiao Wei the other day, and he met with such an incident now¡­ How could he not think that there wasn¡¯t any connection between the two. He did not want to tell Qiao Xuan about this in case she felt guilty. It was not necessary to mention this guess to her. Fearing that Qiao Xuan may think about this aspect, Shao Yunduan interrupted her contemtion gently. ¡°No one knows what someone is thinking about? It is not strange that people do something stupid at any time. I can still study for the imperial examination at home, which is better for me too!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded. If she continued to talk about this, she might make him feel even worse, so she stopped discussing it and tried to encourage Shao Yunduan so that he could feel better. Shao Yunduan let out a sigh of relief seeing that she did not mention this topic any more. It was getting very cold outside, and the wild chestnuts and persimmons in the mountains should be ripe. That made Qiao Xuan feel highly motivated. It was a fine day when everyone went into the mountains to seek the wild chestnuts. Qiao Xuan soon found arge patch of wild chestnuts on a t hill. Since there were few people in the deep mountains, many chestnuts that fell on the ground had not been picked. There were some chestnuts with shells, rolling in the fallen leaves and grass, like little hedgehogs.. Chapter 445 - 445: Abundance Chapter 445: Abundance Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan and others used wooden sticks to push away the fallen leaves and weeds, and picked up the shiny ck and purple chestnuts, cing them into the basket. Those chestnuts that were still wrapped in thorn bags were broken open with stones, and the chestnuts inside were taken out. There was a big patch here, and many of them had fallen. They only needed to pick up the ones on the ground. There were also many trees, and the branches were covered with dark green and light green thorns. They simply needed to climb up the tree and shake the branches, and the fruits would fall down. There could be no one standing under the tree, or they would get bumps all over the head, which might cause some hurt. Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang were foodies. They kept crushing the shells, picking the fruits and stuffing them into their mouths. The ck and purple hard shell of the fresh chestnuts was peeled off, and then the inneryer of skin that was close to the nuts was taken off as well. When the light yellow chestnuts were eaten into the mouth, the juice was rich. It was crunchy and sweet, and the more they chewed, the more delicious it felt. They did not move an inch ever since they found this ce. In the end, they harvested a lot of things. They had four packages which weighed nearly as much as 100 kgs. Each of them carried some home smoothly. ¡°There are many trees, and we cane again in a week or so. We must take all of them home. There are so many of them!¡± ¡°Yes, we cane again next time!¡± They wondered what they could do with the chestnuts. Of course there were many delicious things which could be made. Qiao Xuan counted them one by one with a smile on her fingers. ¡°Needless to say, fresh chestnuts, stir-fried vegetables, stews, boiled or steamed are delicious. There are also fried chestnuts with sugar, which are very appealing. After they are dried, they have another taste which is equally good. Other dishes like stewed chicken with chestnuts, roasted pork ribs with chestnuts, stewedmb with chestnuts, braised pork with chestnuts, can also be made. We can also cook porridge, make dumplings for the Dragon Boat Festival, and grind chestnuts into powder, make chestnut cakes and chestnut buns. Anyways, chestnuts are a good thing!¡¯ Everyone looked forward to all of these. ¡°We can try every one of them, I feel like eating all of them!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, tell us what to do, we can work hard so you won¡¯t be tired!¡± ¡°True!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Sure, we can fry fresh chestnuts with yams, steam them or something. We can start with that for tonight!¡± Everyone smiled and nodded. Shao Xiaoqi said regretfully, ¡°But it is gettingte, and we won¡¯t possibly run into some wild animals to fry with the chestnuts.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t need to be anxious. We can dry chestnuts for an even better taste, and we can cook such dishes in the future!¡± Back at home, they poured chestnuts into the basket, which was kept in the vacant room for sun drying. It was very broad and clean in the yard, very handy for sun drying. They picked some chestnuts, boiled them briefly, peeled off the shells, and the aroma of chestnuts wafted into everyone¡¯s nostrils. They took a bite of the flour and glutinous, which was delicate and sweet. Everyone liked it very much. Ms. Fang peeled the chestnuts for her grandchildren. She smiled brightly. ¡°You are so lucky to have found so many things which no one else could find. So many chestnuts, How can we finish them all?¡± Yang Xiaoni smiled. ¡°Mom, we can finish them. The Fifth Sister-inw said that we can make many delicious dishes, add them to vegetables, or porridge, ground into pastry etc..¡± Chapter 446 - 446: Reminder Chapter 446: Reminder Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They allughed. Ms. Fang red at her and said half-scoldingly, ¡®You remember everything about food!¡± Yang Xiaoni tried to exin weakly. ¡°Brother Sang knows more than me!¡± Everyoneughed even harder. Ms. Fang was very amused too. ¡°You are almost the same, don¡¯t me each other!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Qi knows the mountains best and we have been there many times, so we are more lucky than others. Most importantly, we are living in harmony and hence, fortune favors us!¡± That made Ms. Fang feel quite d. She nodded and praised Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan suddenly thought of something and smiled. ¡°Mom, I think that we can make some smoked sausage and meat, since it is getting colder.¡± True! They were all reminded of this and nodded in agreement. ¡°We have a lot of money now, so we can make a lot of smoked sausage and meat!¡± ¡°True, they can be preserved for a long time. We can put them into the jar and it shouldst us at least half a year!¡¯ ¡°I am already drooling over the steamed smoked sausage and fried smoked sausage with garlic sprouts!¡± Ms. Fang smiled too. ¡°It is time to make them. You should go to the town to buy the meat, buy as much as you want! I will give you some money and we can make enough for our home and also to take some back to our natal families. ¡® I They had already bought one bull, one donkey and the wagon was ready too. So it was quite handy for them to go into the town. They would store some smoked meat and sausage in the past, no more than 10 kgs, which would be finished after a few days. This year, things were different. Hearing that they could take the meat back to their own parents, Ms. Xu felt so happy and started toe up with some ideas. Qiao Xuan was very interested and most knowledgeable about food. She was living a very easy life as long as the Qiao Family was out of sight. They had money now, and all the food she bought was the most original, pure, green and pollution-free. The taste was really good too. ¡°Let¡¯s buy meat to make sausages, meat, pork liver, pork belly, pig heads, and pork knuckles. These can also be made into smoked meat, which is delicious.¡± ¡°Also, we can make smoked ducks and fish. Let¡¯s pick some big ducks and long fish, which should taste better than pork!¡± Ms. Fang and the others were all shocked. No one in the vige had made this kind of smoked meat before. Yang Xiaoni smiled in agreement. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw is right. Her words make me feel so greedy. Mom, let¡¯s make them please!¡± ¡°Yeah, we can fish in the river, find big fish!¡± ¡°True!¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s make them all! Buy ten big ducks home when you shop for meat on the street!¡± They all smiled and nodded in agreement. So, the next day, Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni went into the town to buy meat and ducks. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went into the mountains to dig winter bamboos together with Taotao and Qi. Qi had spoken about the winter bamboo the day before, and he knew where wild bamboo forests were. Those were good things that should not be missed. Hence, they went into the mountains to dig winter bamboo. Digging bamboo needed experience. It was not that easy and did not always guarantee a good harvest. But the winter bamboo in the soil was not a problem for Qiao Xuan.. Chapter 447 - 447: Being Busy Chapter 447: Being Busy Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan pointed in the direction where they could find winter bamboo. She imed that she was very experienced. That made Qi and Taotao d. Half a day passed, and they found what four people could carry around. Without Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang, they would not be able to carry the things. As for Qiao Xuan, what she could do most was to carry a few winter bamboos. Taotao could carry almost 10 kgs. The four of them went down, and returned, with more than 70 kgs winter bamboo by the end of the day. Qiao Xuan did not let them dig all the winter bamboo. She had a few left behind, so that they could grow out the next year. Startled, Ms. Fang did not expect that they could get this much. She smiled. ¡°Winter bamboo is a good thing, better than fresh bamboo. This entire pile should be dried.¡± So Ms. Xu and a few others started to get busy. There was a cer in the yard. After the winter bamboo shoots were taken home, some were selected and stored in the cer and buried in the sand. In this season, it would not go bad after being stored for even twenty or thirty days. They could just pull out some whenever they needed. They were going to have a good meal of fresh bamboo. After peeling off the bamboo shoots, the slightly yellow winter bamboo shoots were firm and small, and the faint fragrance of bamboo shoots was very delicious. Such fresh winter bamboo shoots were delicious whether they were fried or sauteed with various kinds of meat. No wonder the saying went that winter bamboos were more expensive than meat. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni went into town to buy meat. They were going to make stir-fried sliced pork with winter bamboo shoots, stewed pork ribs with winter bamboo shoots, fried sliced bamboo shoots with shiitake mushrooms, and shredded fish along with bamboo shoot soup. They intended to get up early the next day, and were going to cut the winter bamboo shoots into cubes, add meat fillings, dried plums, and soaked peas so as to make wrapped buns with fillings. These buns would be steamed. Such delicious buns would surely make everyone greedy for them. In addition to the ones kept in the cer, Ms. Fang cut the winter bamboo shoots into slices that were neither thick nor thin. She nched them in boiling water, added enough salt, picked them up and put them in a dustpan to dry, so that they could be made into dried bamboo shoots. They were all very busy. When Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni returned home, it was already evening. Ms. Fang understood that the couple must have eaten and bought a lot in the town before they decided to return home. The reason why they arrived home before the evening was because they were drooling over Qiao Xuan¡¯s cooking skills. Thank goodness for that! The two of them bought half a piece of pork, and asked the butcher to cut it into pieces suitable for making smoked meat. They bought another 20 kgs of meat for making sausages, as well as casings. They also bought what Qiao Xuan asked them to, which included three pig heads, six pork knuckles, two pig livers, and three pig stomachs. They even had rib bones and pork belly with them. They managed to buy 20 ducks who quacked all the way home. They could not deal with the ducks this evening, so they were kept in the shed in the yard. Pork needed to be processed first. They were all engaged in different tasks. Qiao Xuan was cooking, whilst Taotao and Qi helped her. Ms. Fang, together with two of her daughters-inw, started to wash the meat, pork knuckles, pig heads, etc. They spread ayer of coarse salt evenly, and then put themyer byyer in a y tank. This would be marinated for about four or five days. After being taken out, it would be washed with warm water, stringed it with a straw rope, and hung above the stove. They could smoke them when they cooked foodter. When time was enough, it would be turned into delicious smoked meat.. Chapter 448 - 448: Smoked Fish Chapter 448: Smoked Fish Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The sausage required a little more effort. They washed the meat, cut it into small pieces, and marinated it with various seasonings. It was put into the casing at noon the next day. After that, it was also hung on the stove to be smoked naturally. Ms. Fang made the sausage whilst Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni killed the ducks. It wasn¡¯t very easy to remove the feathers from the 12 ducks, so Taotao and Qiao Xuan helped as well. The method of making smoked ducks was simr to that of smoked meat. They just needed to clean the whole duck and hang it up. The duck selected for wax duck needed to be fat, otherwise it would only have a skeleton without meat after drying, and it would not taste good. They processed 12 ducks, and kept away quite many duck feet, duck liver, duck blood, duck intestines, and duck gizzards, which were all wonderful things. The family decided to eat hot-pot that night. This was the pot that Qiao Xuan had asked a craftsman to make because she was greedy for it. They used the pork ribs bought the previous day to make the soup base. After boiling them, they simply stir-fried it to make a spicy pot bottom, just enough to make a double-tasting pot. Apart from the intestines, they had a few more vegetables prepared, such as yam slices, wax gourd slices, shiitake mushrooms, taro slices, winter bamboo shoots, spinach, coriander. Some fish slices, and fried meat-filled egg dumplings were also made. This ounted for a lively meal. Sure enough, they had never expected that when the intestines were put into the spicy pot, they could obtain such wonderful taste. They really wished to kill 12 more ducks the next day! The smoked meat and sausages were apparently not enough. Ms. Fang decided to buy some more meat to make another batch, so they could be hung on the stove and sundried forter use. Qiao Xuan was greedy for sweet-tasting smoked sausages. Ms. Fang was surprised. ¡°Sweet-taste? With sugar?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°But salt and other seasonings should be used as well, not too much, but sugar has to be enough. It would be good, trust me!¡± Ms. Fang smiled and agreed to her request readily. ¡°I am just curious. I trust you! Let¡¯s make some soon, and we are all going to have a taste of such smoked sausages!¡¯ So, it was decided that they were going to make 15 kgs of sweet-tasting smoked sausage. When the smoked meat and sausage were settled, they were all motivated to make some smoked fish! Qiao Xuan thought of the water pool she found when she entered the mountain before, so she said to Qi, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go there? The fish in the deep pond are bigger, and it¡¯s the best for making smoked fish! Although there are big fish in the river, the number is rtively less. Also, the three-finger-wide small fish, or mandarin fish, or yellowhead catfish are not suitable for making smoked fish!¡± Qi agreed. But the pond was a little far from the vige, and they needed to have water with them to keep the fish alive, otherwise carrying it around would be too troublesome. Also, dead fish would not be good for making smoked fish. So, they asked Shao Dng and Ms. Xu to go together. Qiao Xuan had been thinking about the fish in the pond for a long time, and the fishing was very rewarding! When pulling it to the shore, they could see countless big fish jumping around alive and kicking, revealing their snow-white belly. Large grass carp, Asian carps, and crucian carp that were more than a foot long were caught and put into buckets. The smaller ones were all thrown back into the pond. The harvest from two mores was enough. Shao Dng, Ms. Xu, Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni each had one bucket with them and they went back to the vige together. The fish wasrge in size, and just four of them filled up a bucket. But there was enough to take back when they were all together. There was no other problem except for the distance. On the way back to the vige, they ran into a few vigers who had gathered around to watch the show.. Chapter 449 - 449: Busy Chapter 449: Busy Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Is that fish? It is so big!¡¯ ¡°Will it taste good? It smells horrible!¡± ¡°They are different from us, they can put oil and spices in their food, and it should taste good! I have heard that fish is served at restaurants in the city and the dishes are all very delicious.¡± Everyone from the first section of the familyughed. Fish was taken home as food, of course. But they did not want to talk about this with the others, in case some trouble arose like how the incident regarding mushrooms urred. The big fish in the deep water pond looked delicious at first nce, so they specially reserved two fish for kimchi at night, and left the rest to be smoked. After the big fish were processed, they were marinated like smoked meat, and after a few days, they could be hung in the sun for exposure After drying, they could be put away and stored. The first section of the family especially liked making smoked things, so they were busy for a few days. Qiao Xuan went into the mountains again, and brought some chestnuts, winter bamboo, yams and lilies back. They were either sun dried or preserved in the cer. They were all excellent food for winter. Qiao Xuan could find a lot of wild stuff with her superpower, but she was not very interested. She only found abundant ones for personal use rather than for selling them. She had better and more rxing ways to make money, and she did not have to run after such small earnings. So little and exhausting process. There were also a lot of persimmons, but they were too soft, and the skin would break if they touched them, and the birds in the mountains especially liked to bite this. There were also insects such as ants, who had pecked and broken these before they turned ripe. So they left those persimmons alone. There were three persimmon trees in Qiao Xuan¡¯s garden. The branches were luxuriant and full of red fruits. Every day, they could pick a basket and a half to satisfy their hunger. Qi hunted a few more wild rabbits and roosters, all of which were going to be smoked because there were so many of them. They even fetched some fish and shrimps from the river close to the vige and picked a few to keep in the pool. As December arrived, the days turned cold, and they stopped going into the mountains. Qiao Xuan did not want to leave home either. They had a very solid house, enough clothes, plenty of nkets and surplus wood for winter. Ms. Xu, Yang Xiaoni and Qi found the days to be boring. They either visited friends or went into the mountains to chop some wood. Qi visited the mountains every now and then. He could bring a lot of interesting things home every time he went there. There were roosters, rabbits, grouse, mountain otters, muntjacs, and so on. Once, he even brought back two ganoderma for Qiao Xuan. The only regret was that no wild sheep had been hunted. Qi for some reason, wanted to get a wild sheep home, no matter what. Meat was easy to preserve in winter. The winter in ancient times seemed to be extraordinarily cold. The countryside was a few degrees colder than the city. These wild game would not go bad after three or four days of storage. Moreover, Ms. Fang could turn them all into smoked meat. They shared a few of them with the second and third section of the family. After making smoked meat, Qiao Xuan suddenly started craving for sour meat, so she made two more pots of sour meat, one with pork belly and pork ribs, and the other with roosters. It was quite easy to do. They washed the meat and marinated it with salt for three or four days. They stir-fried the glutinous rice in an iron pan until it was fragrant and the rice grains turned slightly yellow. After cooling, they added seasonings, mixed the meat and rice, and put it in a jar. They sealed it well and it will be ready in about half a month. They could be stir-fried quickly with chili peppers, sour, salty, fresh and spicy, and were very appetizing. After doing this, the meat would also turn extra chewy.. Chapter 450 - 450: A Narrow Encounter Chapter 450: A Narrow Encounter Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions While sour meat was being made, they made some preserved eggs and salted duck eggs as well. Everyone in the first section of the family spoke highly of the food, just like Qiao Xuan had praised it before. They got everything prepared and they would have good food for the uing winter. Ding Erzhu passed on the letter, saying that the house would be built soon and asked if Qiao Xuan wanted to join them. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan paid a visit to the Zhang Vige soon. The vigers had worked fast and effectively. Due to Ding Erzhu and Madame Zhou¡¯s keen supervision, they did not cut down on theirbor work. They had done the work ording to the paper Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan gave them. The pond next to the vegetable garden had been dug by the tenants. It was finished, and there was a circle of green bricks about one and a half meters wide that had beenid on the ground. Some pits were prepared for spring tree nting. A willow, two peach trees, one elm tree, one locust tree and one mulberry tree were nted beside the fish pond. When they grew into lush shade trees, they would not only shade the pond from the sun and cool down in summer, but also provide a ce where they could sit and fish under the tree, and eat the fruit leisurely. When they could not finish the fruits, they could feed it to the fish in the pond¡­ how wonderful! Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were very satisfied by what they saw. The leader told them that they could have the house settled after a few more days, and they were invited to have a look at it when the work was all done. Afterpletion, they would immediately install doors, windows, furniture, and then when the house was cleaned) people could move in within two days. When they left the vige, it was still quite early and Qiao Xuan suggested going for a walk in the town, which Shao Yunduan agreed to. In the twelfth lunar month, the town was extremely lively, with all kinds of goods around. Countless people were choosing thick cloth, cotton, buying dishes, candles, paper money, various dry goods and so on. It would be even more lively as they approached the year end. Qiao Xuan enjoyed shopping and bought a lot of odds and ends. There were small toys that children liked, silk flowers, and snacks. Shao Yunduan kept herpany and helped her hold goods. But they were unlucky to run into a few students from the college. Worse, two of them were Zhao Guanghua¡¯s followers. Shao Yunduan frowned. It was toote to dodge them. Zhao Guanghua¡¯s followers knew that Zhao Guanghua hated him, so they wanted to tease him. Hence, they approached Shao Yunduan. ¡°Oh look at this, aren¡¯t you Brother Shao? I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time at college.¡± ¡°Haha, but he is not a student of our college any more. He has been driven out, did you forget about it?¡± ¡°Oh yes, it slipped my mind!¡± ¡°Brother Shao, I think Dean Meng punished you because he was very angry. What about us helping you out, Brother Shao? Maybe you can apologize to Dean Meng, and he can forgive you? ¡°Yeah, without teachers¡¯ guidance, Brother Shao will not be able to pass the examination.¡± ¡°Brother Shao, don¡¯t take risks with your future!¡± The two of them cooperated with each other, but Shao Yunduan ignored it. He knew clearly that he had the evidence proving that he did not do anything. But if he apologized, things would get very different. After all, why must he apologize without having made any mistakes? ¡°Thanks for your concern, but there is no need.¡± Shao Yunduan greeted them back and said gently. Qiao Xuan did not like these two men, and said to Shao Yunduan, ¡°Darling, we should leave..¡± Chapter 451 - 451: Strange Elderly Man Chapter 451: Strange Elderly Man Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan spoke to them with a lowered head. ¡°Sorry, we are heading home soon. You can continue with shopping.¡± The others in the gang were in a good rtionship with Shao Yunduan, but when Cultivated Talent Lin and Trainee Lu were teasing Shao Yunduan, they did not dare defend them. Otherwise they might offend Zhao Guanghua who would surely punish them in return. Hearing that he was leaving, everyone let out a sigh of relief, waving him goodbye. Cultivated Talent Lin sneered. ¡°Brother Shao, you really don¡¯t understand that we are helping you, right? Instead, you are trying to drive us away?¡± Trainee Lu snapped. ¡°Brother Shao doesn¡¯t understand our kindness, but we are still Brother Shao¡¯s friends who care about you. If you don¡¯t want to go back to college, Brother Shao, you can go to the elderly man who ims himself to be enriched with knowledge and wants to find a disciple! You can give it a try, maybe you can make it to a high level in the examination? ¡°Hahaha, that is very true!¡± Cultivated Talent Linughed as well. The other students who heard about the elderly man could not help but feel likeughing. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan left the ce in a hurry. ¡°Darling, those two men are so annoying. Don¡¯t get mad, just ignore them.¡± Qiao Xuan responded angrily as she took Shao Yunduan¡¯s arm. Shao Yunduan nced at her, saying with a smile ¡°No, I am not angry, you should not be angry either.¡± Qiao Xuan was startled andughed. ¡°I got angry, yes, but you didn¡¯t, right?¡± Shao Yunduan grinned at her. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. Me and them are never going to hang out together, so I don¡¯t care what they say.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with bent eyebrows. She felt so rxed as she asked curiously. ¡°But what elderly man were they talking about?¡± Shao Yunduan shook his head. ¡°No idea¡­ Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes brightened and she suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Mingren Tang and ask Manager Qin about it!¡± The town was too small for Manager Qin not to know everything. Qiao Xuan wanted to explore the man¡¯s words. She was curious about what she had heard. Shao Yunduan could not help butugh. His wife was just too inquisitive. He had not taken it into ount, but since his wife wanted to know about this, they could visit Mingren Tang. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡¯ The couple came to Mingren Tang, and Manager Qin smiled. ¡°Some more good things? Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Not every time! I have got many chestnuts, yams, and mushrooms at home. I will give you some if you want them.¡± Manager Qin, who was just joking, suddenly felt like eating mushrooms. He smiled. ¡°Okay, mushrooms with chicken is the best dish ever! I am waiting for your goods toe!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Okay, I will bring them to you in a couple of days!¡¯ Manager Qin took them to the back hall and started to talk. The couple asked about the elderly man¡¯s interest in taking disciples. Manager Qinughed involuntarily and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s true. Three days ago, one elderly man was here with his pageboy, and they were eating at Restaurant Yanhe. The elderly man imed that he is not upied, so he wants to take in a disciple to teach. He even has a few conditions for it. He wrote a poster and had it pasted at the gate of the Restaurant Yanhe. Everyone has beenughing at him ever since..¡± Chapter 452 - 452: Interesting Man Chapter 452: Interesting Man Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan found the whole thing very interesting. ¡°We did not notice the poster when we went in. We will check it outter.¡± Manager Qin smiled. ¡°The poster is gone! Someone ripped it off. The pageboy in our medical center went to join in the fun, but after listening to a few words, the poster required that the students who want to consult him must be a Cultivated Talent, be under the age of twenty-five years, not be too fat or too short, and have a good-looking appearance. Also, he must write well, be smart and studious, be diligent, be healthy, be on call and so on. But most importantly, be in line with his feelings!¡¯ ¡°So, even if that disciple meets every other condition, but does not stand in line with his feelings, he will not pass on any knowledge to him? This is just a joke. He is trying to make a show of it. At least I think so!¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. ¡® ¡°Really?¡± ¡°The man seems very interesting! Haha!¡± Manager Qin had no more information to share. When they were done with the conversation, they stayed for a while and then bid farewell to Manager Qin. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Darling, I think that the man is interesting. Let¡¯s go and explore!¡± Shao Yunduan helplessly threw a look at Qiao Xuan, smiling. ¡°Let¡¯s just go home.¡± Qiao Xuan was very curious, and just could not help but think about this. She tried to convince Shao Yunduan harder. ¡°But I think that people who dare to brag this much must have some skills. Let¡¯s just go and take a look, alright? If he is a big liar, we can go home directly. Manager Qin said that the person lives at Linhe Vige in the southern outskirts. It¡¯s in the same direction as our home, just requires a few more turns!¡± Shao Yunduan could not say anything to counter her, so he just nodded in agreement. They left the town and headed to Linhe vige. The elderly man and the pageboy lived in an old house, which looked neat and well-arranged with a small yard. ¡®Excuse me, is this Elderly Yun¡¯s home? An elderly servant squeaked the door open and looked expressionless. ¡°Here for the teacher? Write some words first!¡± The couple. ¡® Qiao Xuan smiled, and gave Shao Yunduan a push. ¡°Darling, let¡¯s do it.¡± Shao Yunduan was here to keep Qiao Xuanpany for fun, but when he heard the servant¡¯s tone, he could not help but feel unconvinced. He nodded and said to the servant politely, ¡°It is cold outside, can you let my wife inside so she can get warm? The servant looked at Shao Yunduan, eased his expression and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and went into the room. The servant took Shao Yunduan to study closeby. It was very quiet in the house. The elderly man must be away. The inside and outside of this house were clean and tidy. Although it was an old house, it had obviously been repaired. It looked quite simple and rustic, but it gave people a veryfortable feeling. That servant was in his 40s, dressed in a dark outfit. He did not particrly show anything, but Qiao Xuan felt that he was not just an ordinary servant. Maybe this elderly man was capable of something. That would be great¡­ Qiao Xuan started to make imaginative stories in her head and looked up, seeing Shao Yunduan walking towards her.. Chapter 453 - 453: Another Visit Chapter 453: Another Visit Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan got taken aback. She stood up and smiled. ¡°How did it go? Shao Yunduan pinched her wrist, whispering. ¡°We will talk outside.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded. The couple waved goodbye to the servant and left. Getting on the wagon, Qiao Xuan said to Shao Yunduan, ¡°Darling¡­¡± Shao Yunduan sighed slightly, replying in a little distressed tone. ¡°I did not meet the elderly man, but this uncle is excellent too. After a rough look, he said that my handwriting was too small, my strokes were erratic, and my mind was not stable enough. In fact, I also felt a little bit like this, but it was not as thorough as he said.¡± The servant¡¯sments were sharp and straightforward. A person without self-knowledge would not be able to ept that, and might even mock him for not knowing and pretending to understand everything. But Shao Yunduan was different. He was a Cultivated Talent, and he flushed after hearing thements. But he knew clearly that this well-behaved servant was telling the truth. Qiao Xuan was shocked to hear his words. She blinked and sighed. ¡°So the elderly man you did not meet should be even more capable?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Shao Yunduan looked earnest, as he smiled. ¡°The uncle asked me to visit him again tomorrow morning, and I should meet him at that time.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Darling, you should definitely work hard. If that elderly man is capable, he can help you. He will definitely be much better than the low-ss college teachers!¡± Qiao Xuan found the whole thing bing more real and less vague. Shao Yunduan was motivated too. He nodded and said, ¡°I will be there tomorrow morning.¡± The couple went home and Shao Yunduan walked into the study. He was thinking about a few articles, which might be of some help the next day. Qiao Xuan suddenly thought that Shao Yunduan should not visit the elderly man empty handed. But what should he take with them? That elderly man was a very strange person, so she needed to think about this carefully. The gifts should not be too precious, not fitting his style. Food should be the best, produced by a farming family. Qiao Xuan asked her mother-inw for help. They held a discussion and finally decided upon two pieces of smoked meat, a portion of smoked sausage, a package of dried radish, a package of dried plums, a few fresh winter bamboo shoots, a few salted duck eggs, and some preserved eggs. There weren¡¯t too many things, but they were produced by the family, well prepared and full of good intentions. Qiao Xuan told Shao Yunduan about it and he smiled. ¡°Thank you for your help!¡± Qiao Xuan flushed and smiled shyly. ¡°Mom helped too!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled. ¡°Thanks for the help, Mom!¡± They ate breakfast, and left, with Shao Sang driving the wagon. Qiao Xuan was very nervous, but the others did not know that Shao Yunduan was visiting someone special. Soon after lunch, Shao Ling suddenly showed up. ¡°Eldest Uncle, Eldest Aunt, something is wrong! Cousin made a mistake and offended Dean Meng of our college. Dean Meng got so angry that he drove him out of the college! He is not going to study at our college any more!¡± ¡°How can my cousin offend Dean Meng? Dean Meng is the teacher and he should be respected.. Cousin is just too stupid! What should be done now? Chapter 454 - 454: What? Chapter 454: What? Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Ling kept makingints, pretending as if he was distressed on behalf of his cousin. But he looked really excited and could not help but smile. That speech startled everyone in the first section of the family. ¡°What? What is it?¡± ¡°That is not possible! How can my Fifth Brother offend the dean?¡± ¡°Yeah, you must have heard it wrong!¡¯ ¡°Talk about it in detail. How did Yunduan offend Dean Meng?¡± Shao Ling cleared his throat. ¡°I went to the college yesterday and heard about this. But I am so concerned about him so I hurried back. Where is Cousin? Is he not at home? Is he too ashamed toe out?¡± ¡°But it is his fault! The incident just happened. And he can¡¯t escape from it. We have to solve the problem, right?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Eldest Uncle nodded. ¡°Just tell me what happened. Yunduan is not at home, it is so annoying!¡¯ Hearing Shao Yunduan was not at home, Shao Ling was surprised, but he became cheerful again. Good that he was not at home, in case he was interrupted. ¡°Let me tell you.¡± ¡°Let me tell you!¡¯ Qiao Xuan walked in at that moment. Hearing Shao Ling¡¯s arrival, Shao Xiaoqi rushed towards Qiao Xuan. He did not trust his cousin, but he trusted his Fifth Sister-inw.¡± Hearing what Shao Ling said, Qiao Xuan looked at him angrily. Shao Ling nced at Qiao Xuan indifferently. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, don¡¯t mess around. This is a huge deal!¡± ¡°Since it is a huge deal, I am telling the story. You are just trying to mess around!¡± ¡°I know this better than you. My husband and I went into town and he told me everything. Oh most importantly, the actual version differs from yours!¡± ¡°My husband was not wrong!¡¯ Shao Ling sneered. ¡°But he was driven out of the college by Dean Meng, is that right?¡± Qiao Xuan sneered. ¡°That is because of the money. Someone set him up!¡¯ ¡°That is just a im made by him!¡± ¡°You are the one making a false im, and you wish that my husband is not doing well.¡± ¡°Stop it!¡¯ Ms. Qiao turned impatient. ¡°Shut up, Shao Ling. Ms. Qiao, you talk!¡± Yang Xiaoni added. ¡°Yeah, Fifth Sister-inw, tell us the truth!¡± Everyone supported Qiao Xuan and ignored him. Angrily, he turned to the Eldest Uncle. But Eldest Uncle did not meet his eyes. Shao Ling sneered inwardly. Okay, let¡¯s hear her version! Qiao Xuan narrated the whole thing step by step. She did not reveal the conjecture that Zhao Guanghua must have teamed up with others, otherwise Shao Yunduan¡¯s reputation might be ruined. So, she pushed all the me to Zhao Guanghua. Zhao Guanghua and his followers set up Shao Yunduan, and that irritated Dean Meng, who ordered 50 hits on all of them. Shao Yunduan was totally innocent. But he was so good that people got jealous of him, and made him run into this trap.. Chapter 455 - 455: Nonsense Chapter 455: Nonsense Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Dean Meng was too angry to say anything, and he was used to being respected all the time. He had to vent his anger when his favorite orchids were broken. He just could not hold the anger to make himself feel worse That was why Shao Yunduan did not want to continue facing the wrath and chose to go home. He could still study at home. Ms. Fang and the other members of the family became irritated. They could not me Dean Meng but they were all thinking the same thing inside their hearts. They were quite disappointed as well. Wasn¡¯t Dean Meng supposed to be a knowledgeable schr? How could he behave so unfairly? Shao Ling did not believe what Qiao Xuan said. ¡°If it had not been Cousin¡¯s fault, why didn¡¯t he defend himself? Didn¡¯t he feel unhappy? Dean Meng is not a confused man!¡± Qiao Xuan was surprised. ¡°Dean Meng is never confused. He loves the orchids and he was very angry. Also, didn¡¯t I just say that my husband did not defend himself because he did not want to make Dean Meng feel even worse. Otherwise, those three students would have insisted on the conviction and made excuses. Would you take responsibility if Dean Meng got annoyed?¡± ¡°Those students already admitted that they broke the orchids, and they set up my husband because they were jealous of him. My husband had an alibi, clear and straightforward, everyone from the college knows about this, but only you have no idea what is going on.¡± ¡°Cousin, you have been reading for years, but you still don¡¯t know that you should look into the case first before spreading the story!¡¯ Shao Ling. Ms. Fang got annoyed and snapped at Shao Ling. ¡°You ruthless man! How dare youe to us and talk about this? But for Ms. Qiao, we would all have been scammed by you! I am warning you, you should not think about spreading the rumor in the vige! Otherwise I will give you a hard time during the New Year!¡± ¡°You better pass on the warning to your mother too!¡± Shao Ling shivered out of anger, but he looked very guilty. Shao Dng, who had always had a good temper, was not pleased either. ¡°Cousin, it is your fault. You should have looked into the matter first before telling us about it. You just frightened us!¡± Eldest Uncle sighed annoyedly too. ¡°Ling, you¡­ don¡¯t do this any more! Dng is right, you should talk about something only after you look into the matter!¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°I have noticed that you have been at home after the college examination, and you have not been to the college for a long time. You must have lost the method of looking into the news. It is soon going to be the New Year. Are you going to college or not after that? What about going there after the spring plow next year? You need to do somebor for your home since you are not promising enough to have a future in studies, right? You can¡¯t just not do anything, right?¡± Shao Ling got both annoyed and embarrassed. ¡°What do you mean? He was too guilty to go to the college again after he failed the college examination. He had been hiding at home, iming that he was exhausted. So, he needed to stay at home and rest. Qiao Xuan did not like to reveal people¡¯s drawbacks. But she wished to reveal Shao Ling¡¯s shorings at this moment. She was very willing to do so. ¡°Cousin, you are a schr.. How can you fail to notice my meaning? I am being kind-hearted!¡± Chapter 456 - 456: Shut Their Mouths Chapter 456: Shut Their Mouths Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°True, don¡¯t ignore our kindness! Be careful not to be someone who can neither read nor nt crops!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°You are right, Mom!¡± Ms. Fang looked proud. ¡°Yeah, not sure if he understands it though!¡¯ He, of course, got it. Shao Ling became really annoyed and said, ¡°I was just passing on the news out of kindness, but you are allughing at me! You are not good people either!¡± Then, he left in anger. Ms. Fang shouted in a loud voice. ¡°Be sure to tell your parents to keep their mouth shut!¡± Shao Ling almost tripped himself over. Eldest Uncle could not help but look at Qiao Xuan. ¡°Ling is already suffering a lot for not passing the examination, why push him?¡± Ms. Fang was displeased. ¡°How can you say that? Ms. Qiao is defending her husband. Did you hear what Ling said? He had made up stories about your son!¡± ¡°Dad.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom is right. I was just very displeased. Also, maybe my cousin will be really hard-working after this stimtion, and pass the examination the next time? Ms. Fang nodded. ¡°Yeah, yeah what a good method. Ms. Qiao, you are so smart!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Thanks, Mom!¡± Eldest Uncle, ¡® ¡°Anyway!¡± Eldest Uncle felt that he would get really annoyed if he continued speaking to the two of them. Ms. Qiao was so thick-skinned. Any other daughter-inw would get embarrassed when scolded by her father-inw. But she seemed unrepentant. Moreover, she was stillughing cheekily! ¡°Then, what will Yunduan do, if he can not go to college? Everyone was startled, and turned to look at Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan, She was confused. Why was everyone staring at her? She had no idea! ¡°My husband should have an idea of his own. Let¡¯s wait until hees home¡­¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Ms. Fang sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s wait until hees home.¡± As the group was dismissed. Qiao Xuan smiled at Ms. Fang. ¡°Husband did not tell us about it because he did not want to worry us. But I noticed his displeasure after spending one day with him. He told me not to reveal this to you. He knows what to do.¡± ¡°Mom, he has never made you worried and disappointed. He must have an idea of his own. Don¡¯t worry!¡¯ Ms. Fang felt much better after hearing that. She nodded and smiled. ¡°Yeah, Yunduan has been very understanding since childhood. He even knew how tofort me when he was young. He should have an idea of his own.¡± It was not until evening when Shao Sang and Shao Yunduan arrived home in the cold. They had coal basins at home and the thick door drapery drove the chill away. Yang Xiaoni served them hot tea. Ms. Fang, Eldest Uncle, Dng and Qi, as well as Taotao were all gathered in the room, hearing their return. Shao Sang was drinking tea when he nced about, asking curiously. ¡°What is going on with you all?¡± Ms. Fang rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Just drink your tea.. Yunduan, feel better after the tea?¡± Chapter 457 - 457: Hesitation Chapter 457: Hesitation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan nodded and smiled. ¡°I was in the wagon and I should be fine. But the Third Brother was out in the cold.¡± Ms. Fang said, ¡°He has thick skin and with so many clothes on, he won¡¯t freeze!¡± Shao Yunduan chucled. ¡°Mom, anything you want to tell me? Ms. Fang sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say, but let your wife recount the story!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, as he turned to Qiao Xuan nervously. What was going on? Qiao Xuan gave him aforting look, and narrated the episode about Shao Ling¡¯s visit. Shao Sang snapped angrily. ¡°What a scumbag! He wishes us bad luck. How horrible!¡± Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry about this. Believe me, I am not affected by this turn of events. I can definitely make it in the next examination!¡± Ms. Fang replied. ¡°But you can¡¯t go to college again, can you? Is it okay if you don¡¯t have anyone instructing you? Dean Meng should know that you are innocent, what about begging him for forgiveness with some precious presents¡­¡± ¡°No need, Mom!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I should do!¡± Ms. Fang still looked hesitant. Shao Yunduan was worried that she would do something behind his back, so he added. ¡°Mom, I have visited the province two times and I have learned more than I could ever learn here at the college! Brother Xie is from a literary family, and with his help, I can do better than ever! Moreover, I will go to him in spring again!¡± ¡°Also, Mom, just think about this. What can I learn from someone like Dean Meng?¡± Shao Yunduan knew pretty well that the Qiao Family was behind the incident. Dean Meng was just an ordinary dean, not very evil but not straightforward either. He was not going to offend the Qiao Family for his sake. So, there was no need to beg him for forgiveness. Also, he really did not want to beg him for forgiveness. Ms. Fang had been used to following what Shao Yunduan said because he was her most precious son among all of her children. She could not help but rely on him. ¡°For real?¡± ¡°Yes, for real. Please believe me, Mom!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Ms. Fang sighed and smiled. ¡°You always have ideas of your own. I believe you!¡¯ Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you!¡¯ ¡°Well!¡± Ms. Fang waved her hands, smiling casually. ¡°No need to get disappointed at all. I have never been disappointed by any of you. Now we are living a very good life and you have just be a Cultivated Talent, which is a huge honor for the family already. I am satisfied with this!¡± Shao Yunduan felt his heart filled with warmth. ¡°Thanks, Mom!¡± But he was going to make it to the next level, and one after that too. After talking for a while, Shao Yunduan returned to the room to change his shoes, and Qiao Xuan followed behind. ¡°How was it today? Did you meet the elderly man? Is he a very capable person? Otherwise he would havee home earlier. ¡°Yeah.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and looked very excited. ¡°Master Yun is very knowledgeable. No wonder he has put forward so many conditions boldly. I listened to his speech and I feel that I have read ten more years of books. Master Yun asked me to visit him every third day, and he would give me homework and instruct me to do some article interpretation. I feel more confident about the examination already!¡± Shao Yunduan could not hold his excitement any more. He was totally amazed by his experience during the day.. Chapter 458 - 458: Capable Elder Man Chapter 458: Capable Elder Man Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions If he had been 70% certain that he could make it to Rmended Man, now he was 90% sure that he would make it. After studying with Master Yun for half a year, he was even 70% sure to make it to the final shortlist. If he continued) he would definitely make it to Advanced Schr too. He was feeling different now. ¡°Thanks! But for you, we would not have visited him the other day¡­¡± Shao Yunduan was feeling very emotional and grateful. Had it not been for Qiao Xuan¡¯s curiosity, they would not have insisted on going there, since everything sounded so ridiculous at that time, no one would have assumed that it was for real. But it was for real! Moreover, that elderly man was very capable! Qiao Xuan smiled brightly as she turned to look at him with sparkling eyes. ¡°I was curious and led you there, but it is you who are capable enough that Master Yun took you in! We are now heading towards the bright end of a tunnel, and we are going to make Zhao Guanghua and his followers so annoyed!¡± In fact, Qiao Xuan behaved that day not entirely because she was simply curious. She just felt that some real talents tended to have weird tempers and acted differently from ordinary people. She felt that a visit would not hurt. Thankfully that visit turned out to be worth the while. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Still, I need to thank you. No wonder, Mom calls you a lucky star!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled too but she was feeling quite shy¡­ Shao Yunduan added. ¡°Master Yun says that he is willing to teach me but he can¡¯t take me in as a disciple now.¡± That meant that he did not think Shao Yunduan was qualified enough to be his disciple. His words made Qiao Xuan feel motivated. She countered and said, ¡°But you are so good that Master Yun is still so particr about you? Just work hard, Darling. He will ept you someday!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay!¡¯ That was what he was thinking too. Qiao Xuan asked Shao Yunduan if Master Yun liked the presents. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°He loved them, especially salted duck eggs, dried radishes, smoked meat and sausages. Actually, he liked all of them! At noon, the servants steamed salted duck eggs and fried smoked meat with dried radish and garlic sprouts.¡± Qiao Xuan was happy. ¡°Next time, you can bring some delicious food with you, a few things each time, okay?¡± Shao Yunduan nodded with a smile. Those were not precious, but filled with his sincerity. Qiao Xuan was very d, so she wanted to celebrate a little and cooked a few dishes. A dish of fried winter bamboo shoots with smoked meat, and a dish of steamed mandarin fish with smoked meat. She cut moderately thick bamboo shoots and stir-fried them with smoked meat. The winter bamboo shoots absorbed the excess oil from the bacon. The fresh fragrance of the bamboo shoots and the salty fragrance of the smoked meatplemented each other perfectly. She put them on a te and garnished them with some green chives. The fragrance was tangy, the oil was shiny and attractive, and it looked wonderful. Qiao Xuan¡¯s food was always so interesting, even though they were just the same dishes all over. Sliced smoked meat was neatly arranged in a circle around mandarin fish crossed with a knife. After steaming, the snow-white fish meat and the bright red and translucent smoked meat slices were mixed in half and half to contrast with each other. The steaming heat carried the fragrance into the air, making people salivate. Qiao Xuan suggested that she was going to make ypot rice for lunch the next day. They had a few stoves and ypots at home. She had them made when they were processing smoked meat. They should definitely eat ypot rice with smoked meat! Chapter 459 - 459: Reliable Chapter 459: Reliable Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan did not tell the family about Master Yun. For one thing, they would not understand the importance of Master Yun, and for another, Master Yun did not allow him to reveal the secret. Master Yun liked him and had decided to take him as the only disciple. So, he asked his servant Cang to rip all the posters in the town. For that, he wasughed at by people, who believed that he must have learned of his mistake and stopped the fantasy. But he did not bother to make any exnation. He usually traveled around with a few servants and settled down whenever he felt like it. When he felt bored, he would take in some disciples and pass on his knowledge. He did everything on his own will. He did not care if he missed some potential talents. Real talents would never understand what they themselves needed and had missed taking from him. Also, he believed that Shao Yunduan was the most important disciple, whom he should not reveal randomly. Anyway, he just needed to understand what he wanted himself, and that was all. Shao Yunduan had a donkey cart, so it was very convenient for him to travel there every third day and spend one whole day from morning to the evening with Master Yun. He would always bring some vegetables from home, and smoked sausages for Master Yun and the servants to eat. Everyone liked the stuff from his house. He was thinking about holding some ceremony but Master Yun waved that off. Hence, he dropped the idea as well. Ms. Fang was worried that Shao Ling would spread the rumor about her son¡¯s dismissal from the college, so she kept an eye on the family to see what they could possibly do. But it seemed that there was no rumor that came out of their mouths, so she dropped the surveince eventually. Shao Ling would not dare to spread any rumor. His inner secret was revealed by Qiao Xuan and with one more word out of his mouth, the first section of the family would talk much worse about him. Ms. Ma was worried too. She was quite scared of Ms. Fang and she was getting more and more worried, for some reason¡­ They thought that it would be the end of the whole thing, when Third Uncle and Second Uncle came to speak with Eldest Uncle, telling him that since Shao Yunduan was driven out of the college, he could just drop the idea of attending the examination. They did not think that Shao Yunduan would make it, when he had no teacher to give him instructions. ¡°What is the point of spending money on him? Yunduan could juste and help to do some farming at home for you!¡¯ ¡°Yeah! Our son is very smart, and we are going to support Ling to continue with his studies. If he makes it in the end, we can all benefit from him.¡± Hearing those stupid words, Ms. Fang drove them out and shut the door. ¡°Honestly, you old man! That college used Duan for what he did not do. It is just a shitty ce! Duan doesn¡¯t have to go there to learn knowledge. Duan is a friend of Young Master Xie and he is more reliable and can help him better than anyone at the college. Duan says that he knows what to do, so we need to trust him. Don¡¯t mess around with your brothers!¡± ¡°Those stupid people only talk nonsense! One more word from them, and I will drive them out with a club!¡± Eldest Uncle was quite displeased too. He replied weakly. ¡°Alright then, just drop it. I am not saying that Yunduan should not attend the examination. He has studied for so many years and he has made it to Cultivated Talent, of course he should continue¡­ Ms. Fang snorted. ¡°Good that you are reliable for once!¡± Eldest Uncle, ¡® Had he not been reliable before? Hearing what happened, Shao Yunduanughed and said nothing more. Shao Ling, on the other hand, got quite stimted by what Qiao Xuan said, and decided to attend the school after all. He did not need to be ashamed of anything. He wasn¡¯t the only one who failed the test. The holiday did not start until one day before the preliminary New Year. So, Zhao Guanghua kept asking Shao Ling about how Shao Yunduan was doing these days.. Chapter 460 - 460: Professional Storymaker Chapter 460: Professional Storymaker Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Wei was very pleased to see Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan having a hard time. So, Zhao Guanghua was going to get some news out of the guy in front of him to make her happy. Shao Ling would never say anything good about Shao Yunduan. He keptining about Shao Yunduan, and described how distressed he was after he was expelled. Zhao Guanghua was very d to hear the news. Soon, he narrated the whole story to Qiao Wei. Qiao Wei was d to hear this. She was now sure that Shao Yunduan was never going to be a sessful man in the future and Qiao Xuan would live the rest of her life as a rough, ordinary countryside bitch. But Qiao Wei and Zhao Guanghua soon would know that what they wished would not turn out to be true. Shao Ling was so d to see Zhao Guanghua inviting him intimately. He believed that he was now considered a good friend of Zhao Guanghua. He thought of Zhao Ming whom he fell for, and kept sucking up to Zhao Guanghua, implicitly saying that he wanted to visit the Zhao Family. He really wished to go there, and most importantly, he wished to meet Zhao Ming again. He and Lady Zhao must be destined to see each other. Lady Zhao beamed at himst time and they might get a chance to have a chat today. Lady Zhao was definitely going to be moved by him and then, he was going to ask his mother to hire a matchmaker who could help them establish the marital rtionship. The more he thought about this, the more happy he became. But he did not have a good residence. He wished that he could have an equally good house like that of the first section of the family. Shao Ling started to feel jealous again. But Zhao Guanghua did not care about Shao Ling at all. Even though he was not a smart guy, he could sense that Shao Ling wished to visit his home. However, Zhao Guanghua ignored his suggestion. He was not going to let anyone in his house! Zhao Guanghua did not even turn him down with excuses. He just snapped at him, saying that it was not a good time, stopping Shao Ling from saying anything more. Shao Ling felt very disappointed, but soon, he got increasingly motivated. He believed that good things never came easy, and that it must be the barriers he needed to ovee for his rtionship with Lady Zhao. As long as they loved each other and never gave up, they would definitely get married in the end¡­ Shao Ling was definitely good at making up stories! In the middle of thest month before New Year, the Yuezheng Family asked Qu Shan to pass on some gifts to the first section of the family. First Madame prepared things which included 150 kgs of silver-frost charcoal, two hand heaters, two copper soup pots, several pieces of deerskin and sheepskin for boots, several pieces of fox, mink, squirrel, and rabbit fur for clothes, and thick four pieces of snow cloaks and cloaks for men and women. Her gift also included 15 kgs of fine pearl rice, 15 kgs of glutinous rice, pastries and candies, dried seafood, a whole ughtered sheep, two roasted suckling pigs, fine wine, and a box containing fashionable silk flowers from the province, four sets of skin care creams and powders, several toys and so on. There were not any precious items such as gold, silver, gemstones and jade, but these were all practical things. Especially silver-frost charcoal, hand heaters as well as the cloaks. They were exactly what they needed. Everyone in the family had a share, for example, the cosmetics were for the girls. Xie Jingrong also had presents prepared for them. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were very surprised by what they received. First Madame was just too generous at this point. Ms. Fang was startled by the presents. But Qiao Xuan exined and said that they helped the Yuezheng Familyst time when they were in the province, thus this was the reciprocity that they received. The two families would hang out like friends in the future. Only then did Ms. Fang feel assured.. Chapter 461 - 461: Pride Chapter 461: Pride Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Yunduan is excellent. This is what a learned man should be like. Since you are all good friends, we should prepare some presents for them too!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded and smiled. ¡°You are right, Mom!¡± They had a lot of space in the new house. They had a ce to park the wagon and hold the horse. So, Qu Shan and the coachman spent the night at their house and left the following day. Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang shared the presents with Ms. Xu, Yang Xiaoni and Taotao, and they were all smiling and thanking Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan when they heard how they got the presents. Ms. Xu was again feeling lucky not to have split hairs with Fifth Sister-inw when she was first married. Otherwise she would never have enjoyed any of this. Fresh mutton was the most delicious. For dinner, Qiao Xuan made pan-friedmb chops, roastedmb spine in sauce, and stewed mutton soup with yam. The roast suckling pig was cut into half and served on the table. The skin was ruddy, crispy and the meat was tender, fat but not greasy. Every bite was a pleasure. They all spoke highly of the main dish which Qiao Xuan liked too. It was a big dish that was not easy to prepare, and it was not sold at ordinary restaurants. Only when regr customers in famous restaurants ced a deposit in advance and made a reservation would they cook it. It was a rare chance that this dish could be made. But roast suckling pig might not be easy to get. They could use pork belly to make roast pork, same crispy in skin and tender in meat. The following morning, Qiao Xuan had the presents prepared and asked Qu Shan to take them back with him. The gifts included homemade smoked meat, sausage and smoked fish, fresh shiitake mushrooms, fungus, and white fungus picked from the fungus shed, as well as dried chestnuts and honey from the mountains. There were some dried vegetables such as winter bamboo shoots, dried radishes, and dried beans packed as well. All of them were home-produced. Qu Shan epted the presents with a smile. They left early in the morning with warm steamed buns stuffed with mutton and green onions. The first section of the family was so friendly. They had steamed buns the night before, and heated them up early in the morning for them to eat on the road. They also boiled a few eggs, candies, sunflower seeds and other snacks for them to use on the road. Each of them were given red envelopes of two liang each. So, they were never afraid of traveling this far. In fact, they looked forward to the trip here. They always had good things to eat! The steamed buns with filling and themb spine and ribs were all delicious. Seeing wagons leaving anding to the first section of the family, the vigers were all used to the scene. They could not take a look inside the wagons due to the big house the first section of the family were living in at the moment. Second Uncle and Third Uncle did not dare toe to the door, since they offended Ms. Fang a while ago. So, they could only make someints at home. Widow Sun was even more jealous than them. Whenever she saw how the first section of the family got better than before, she felt more jealous. If she had made her daughter marry Shao Yunduan, she would have a lot to show off now. But now she could only watch as a spectator at this moment. Widow Sun could not stand it any more. She met her lover on the sly, urging him to deal with the first section of the family. ¡°I hate Ms. Fang. She is so proud now. I am so annoyed. I really need to get it over with!¡± Widow Sun¡¯s lover was very annoyed by her pestering. He nodded and said, ¡°Okay, okay, I will think of some way to deal with them. Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± ¡°Remember what you said, or I will not give you a good time!¡± ¡°Okay, okay I got it now, I do¡­¡± Chapter 462 - 462: Happiness Chapter 462: Happiness Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Widow Sun stopped herining, and waited to see the show. However two dayster, Shao Xiaoqi set the trap in the mountains and caught a wild boar weighing almost 200 kgs, shocking the whole vige. Widow Sun got so sour. What kind of luck was that! The first section of the family was so d. They hired someone from the vige to get the wild boar back, and shared several kilos with the helpers. They made a sumptuous lunch for them to enjoy where they could eat as much meat as they could. They could even pack and take the leftover home. Everyone was so happy about it. The second and third section of the family were given only 5 kgs each respectively. Ms. Niu had thought that they would be given at least 50 kgs, so they were shocked when seeing what they received. Ms. Fang did not care about their displeasure. She smiled. ¡°We need to make smoked meat, and soon we will be taking gifts back to our natal families, especially the Qiao Family! A decent amount has been given to you. When we get rich, you will get more!¡± Those who were given meat from the first section of the family all nodded at this, saying that it was right! ¡°You are living separately, and that is all you should get!¡¯ ¡°True!¡± ¡°Shao Eng and Shao Sng helped too and they both got 4 kgs respectively. Now you have 5 kgs more, that is already a lot to be given to a cousin! I would have been so d if my cousins did this for me!¡± Some smart ones, when seeing the first section of the family living a better life, defended the first section of the family, hoping that one day they could get some help from them. All they needed to do was to defend them verbally. Widow Sun and some others wanted to turn the family against each other, but they did not dare to. By the end, everyone was defending the first section of the family. Eldest Uncle did not dare to counter his wife in public, so he had to pretend as if he did not catch the helping look his brothers threw to him. His brothers got so annoyed. Things were different now. A short whileter Second Uncle sneered. ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, you are looking down at us. Let¡¯s just wait and see. You should nevere and beg us for help when you need it!¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°We won¡¯t. If we need help, we will try toe up with solutions ourselves. After all, we all have a life to live, and we can¡¯t just turn to others for help all the time. We are all people who can work and live well, Everyone nodded in agreement. Second Uncle got even more annoyed after hearing this. He left the ce with a sunken face. Ms. Fang felt so happy to have vented her anger in this way. When the crowd was gone, Ms. Fang, together with her daughters-inw and sons, started to salt the wild boar meat, and clean the yard. Soon, she proposed. ¡°What about preparing the things to be taken to your mothers¡¯ families? We have enough time.¡± Ms. Xu nodded in agreement. Ms. Fang said, ¡°How about Ms. Xu and I go home tomorrow and Ms. Qiao the day after. What about you Ms.Yang?¡± Yang Xiaoni said indifferently, ¡°Mom, we will go and pay tribute to my deceased parents at their tombs after Minor New Year.¡± Ms. Fang did not object. ¡°Okay, whichever you like.¡± Qiao Xuan agreed to go to the Qiao Family the day after tomorrow. But she was not going to bring wild boar meat or any other precious things. She smiled at Ms. Fang. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t save me a portion of wild boar meat. We only need two chickens, one basket of eggs and a few pastries bought from the street..¡± Chapter 463 - 463: Unexpected Guest Chapter 463: Unexpected Guest Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She did not want the Qiao Family to know what she had at her home. Chickens and eggs were okay, because vigers always had some chickens at home. Ms. Fang had already learned how Qiao Xuan¡¯s life was at her own home, so she somehow disliked her parents. Hence, she nodded at Qiao Xuan¡¯s suggestion. She smiled. ¡°Sure, then I will give you 20 liang like I didst time, and you can do whatever you want.¡± Qiao Xuan thanked her and said, ¡°I will give the remaining amount back to you, Mom!¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°Just add it to your own savings! Yunduan needs money, and the expenses can be counted from the shared savings. After all, when Yunduan bes sessful in the future, he will take care of his brothers. They can take care of him now!¡± Qiao Xuan did not counter that, but nodded in agreement, smiling. Her mother-inw was such a nicedy! So Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu prepared their stuff. They had smoked meat, sausages, fish and ducks with them, as well as 10 kgs of wild boar for each family as two jars of wine. Qiao Xuan and Taotao also picked two baskets of fresh mushrooms for them to take along. The Yuezheng Family had given a few melon seeds, peanuts, pine nuts, preserved fruit, peanut candy, walnut candy, osmanthus cakes, some of which were also put in their luggage. If either of them needed to add something, they could buy the things with their own money. Ms. Xu picked three garments, a few folk flowers and two bags of needles and threads. Apart from this, she was going to offer four liang to her mother. On the day when they left, Ms. Xu dressed up her children whilst she herself had a silver hairpin on top of her hair as well. She was dressed in new clothes and left together with Ms. Fang, Eldest Uncle and Taotao. They had a donkey cart and did not need to walk any more. Shao Sang was driving the cart. He dropped Ms. Xu and Shao Dng, and then Ms. Fang. Ms. Xu¡¯s home was located in a vige which wasn¡¯t big enough for the donkey cart to get in. They still needed to walk a few miles, but that already was much more convenient than before. Shao Sang spent one night with Ms. Fang at his grandparents¡¯ ce, and returned home the next day. Then he picked up Ms. Xu and her family so they could head home together. When they were gone, the house seemed so quiet. Especially since the two children were not at home, making some noise. They had nothing else to do but think about what to eat. Yang Xiaoni and Qiao Xuan were talking about how to make the ypot rice, which Qiao Xuan had decided to make for dinner. Shao Xiaoqi offered to help too. Yang Xiaoni was proficient in making the preparations. She washed the pot, and Qi prepared the fire and stove. Qiao Xuan picked some cabbage and garlic sprouts from the garden. When the ypot rice was almost cooked, she spread the sliced sausage and smoked duck on top, poured over the prepared sauce, added the nched lettuce, and sprinkled the chopped garlic leaves when it was almost ready. A delicious and wonderful portion of ypot rice would be served. Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni chatted happily in the open, bright kitchen. When the ypot rice was just on the stove and the side dishes were about to be put in, a very loud female voice arose at the door. ¡°Where is everyone? Shao Xiaoqi shouted loudly. ¡°Cousin, Third Sister-inw and Fifth Sister-inw are cooking in the kitchen!¡± Qi wasn¡¯t that d when he made the announcement. Cousin? Yang Xiaoni and Qiao Xuan exchanged a look. Qiao Xuan thought for a while and said, ¡°Shao Meizhi, I believe? The daughter of Third Uncle. She might have gone to her parents¡¯ house to deliver presents.¡± Yang Xiaoni pursed her lips. ¡°She isn¡¯t very nice.. She was not here at our wedding, did shee over when you got married?¡± Chapter 464 - 464: No Idea Chapter 464: No Idea Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t think so. Never heard of her before.¡± Yang Xiaoni tutted. ¡°Wonder what she is doing here?¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°No idea, let¡¯s go and check it out.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two walked out of the kitchen and saw Shao Meizhi and Shao Xiaozhi standing in the main hall. Shao Xiaozhi had been here before, but Shao Meizhi looked so greedy as she looked around. She sized both Yang Xiaoni and Qiao Xuan up from head to feet, rolling her eyes and sat down on the chair. ¡°So you are Ms. Qiao and Ms. Yang? Serve me some tea and melon seeds! I am your rtive, so I don¡¯t care about your foolishness. Shame on you that you don¡¯t know how to serve people.¡± Shao Xiaozhi sneered too. Qiao Xuan looked confused and blinked. ¡°Third Sister-inw, who is this womaning to our home to show off. What is wrong with her?¡± Yang Xiaoniughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know who it is. But she seems to think that this is her home. Tut, tut, how shameless!¡± Shao Xiaozhi threw them a weird look. ¡°This is my elder sister!¡± Shao Meizhi shouted loudly. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Before Shao Meizhi got married, the first section of the family had no standing in front of the second and third section of the family. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma kept bad mouthing the first section of the family. Shao Meizhi had heard a lot of stories, and watched a lot of shows, so she never thought that the first section of the family was worth much. In her eyes, she believed that her family was better than the first section of the family, who were just theirborers. She was living at Jiangjia Vige, very far from Shaoding Vige. The distance would require a whole day trip. But that was not very far, after all. Shao Meizhi said that it was too far for her to go home, so she only came over before or after Chinese New Year every year, not otherwise. She did not want to give red packets to Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni when they got married, so she ignored the invitations. But when she came home this time, she heard about Ms. Ma and Shao Xiaozhi¡¯s cribbing about the first section of the family. Shao Meizhi got so annoyed that she wanted to teach them a lesson. Since this day, Eldest Uncle, Ms. Fang, and even Shao Dng, Ms. Xu and Shao Sang were all gone, Shao Meizhi decided to teach the others a lesson. Shao Xiaozhi led her here. But she did not believe that the first section of the family would have built a really big house. Vigers always saved some money for a new house, and that was not a rare thing. Yes they had a new house, so what? But when they came to the yard of the first section of the family, Shao Meizhi felt jealousy burning inside her heart. How ridiculous! Then she turned furious! Where did the first section of the family get this much money? They built a new house but never helped their family. How dare Eldest Uncle keep saying that he would take care of the second and third section of the family all the time? They were all liars! Shao Meizhi finally understood why her mother and sister were so angry. She pushed the door open and walked into the yard. Shao Meizhi felt more than sour. She was shocked. As she walked into the main hall and saw the fresh furniture as well as beautiful, crystal-clear zed windows¡­ Shao Meizhi wished that she had them all for herself. Note: She is just a small role, only in the story for a few chapters.. Chapter 465 - 465: My Sister Chapter 465: My Sister Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Meizhi made up her mind that she was going to teach these two newly-wedded daughters-inw an unforgettable lesson. She was going to tell her Eldest Uncle about what she wanted. She was going to force the Eldest Uncle to give her everything she wanted! That was what she used to do earlier. However, Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni did not care about her at all. They sneered at the woman in front of them. Shao Meizhi got so annoyed. Hearing what Shao Meizhi asked, Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°We don¡¯t know you!¡¯ Yang Xiaoni said, ¡°Who are you? Why are you making a fuss at our home? How ridiculous!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡¯ Shao Xiaozhi shouted. ¡°She is my sister, my elder sister!¡± Yang Xiaoni said, ¡°We don¡¯t know your sister, nor is she a part of our family!¡± Shao Meizhi was almost speechless. ¡°How dare you treat me like this! I am going to tell Eldest Uncle about it when hees back. He will teach all of you a lesson!¡± Qiao Xuan said coldly, ¡°Be my guest, we will wait and see. You are the crazy one thates to our home and makes a scene. Shame on you for reporting us! Are you more noble than anyone else?¡± Yang Xiaoni sized her up roughly. ¡°So¡­ you are Shao Meizhi? Instead of calling me Third Sister-inw out of politeness, you are trying to teach me? You don¡¯t have any rules!¡± Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows and snorted with her chin up. ¡°My father is an officer in the county, you want me to bow to you? Shao Meizhi¡¯s face twisted. ¡°You are¡­ bullying me!¡± Yang Xiaoni suddenly let out a scream, startling Shao Meizhi and Shao Xiaozhi. She held Qiao Xuan¡¯s wrist. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, please, go to the kitchen and check our ypot rice! We must not let it get ruined!¡± Qiao Xuanughed out loud. Her Third Sister-inw was really a devoted foodie! Honestly! ¡°And here¡­ ¡°I can deal with it here!¡± Yang Xiaoni pursed her lips. ¡°We are making food, they can¡¯t stop us!¡¯ ¡°Okay, then I will deal with the rice!¡± Qiao Xuan was totally amused by Yang Xiaoni, and returned to the kitchen. She must not ruin the delicious ypot rice for such people! It would be such a shame. Shao Meizhi got extremely irritated. How dare they ignore her like this! ¡°Just wait!¡± Shao Meizhi stood up angrily. ¡°I will tell Eldest Uncle about this! How can his daughters-inw be so cruel!¡± Yang Xiaoni stood up too. She had her hands over her waist. ¡°So what? You are the one who bullied us here! You are married and are not part of our family!¡± Shao Meizhi was shivering. She was so angry. She had never believed that anyone from the first section of the family would ever counter her. In her opinion, these newly-wedded daughters-inw should be too timid to counter her. Look at Ms. Xu, for example. She never dared to say any words to counter her. But she felt so stricken when she was blocked by Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni. Shao Meizhi red at Yang Xiaoni. ¡°We are leaving now! You two, just wait and see!¡± Yang Xiaoni smiled. ¡°Alright then!¡± Shao Meizhi staggered and almost tripped herself. The two sisters had just walked out to the yard, when they smelled something that made them drool.. Chapter 466 - 466: Good Smell Chapter 466: Good Smell Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The two sisters could not help but pause in their footsteps. They took in the smell, and sensed the specialbination of smoked meat and the delicious rice. It made them drool even more. Shao Xiaozhi asked Shao Xiaoqi. ¡°Brother Qi, what are you cooking?¡± Shao Meizhi did not say a word, but she also pricked up her ears for the reply. Shao Xiaoqi saidzily, ¡°Smoked meat!¡± Every household made smoked meat, so did the second and third section of the family, though they did not make this much like the first section of the family. Shao Xiaozhi pursed her lips. ¡°I did not know that it was smoked meat, but how can it smell so different?¡± Shao Xiaoqi ignored her. Shao Meizhi came to cause them trouble, and Shao Xiaoqi hated it when Shao Xiaozhi followed suit. The smell seemed to tempt them so much! Shao Xiaozhi could not resist it anymore. She swallowed her saliva. ¡°I will go and have a look at it.¡± She rushed to the kitchen. Shao Meizhi was a little hesitant before she finally gave up. She followed them. Shao Xiaoqi and Yang Xiaoni exchanged a look. Yang Xiaoni summoned him, and told him to join them. When Qiao Xuan made a pot, she made two sets of several casserole pots of different sizes. Now, on the three stoves, two small pots were for one person, and the other was for two people, namely Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. At this moment, the lid was lifted, and Qiao Xuan was pouring the seasoning sauce, cracking the eggs, and preparing to add vegetables. It smelt so good. It was a nice scene. Neat slices of dark red sausage, oily and textured smoked duck pieces, fresh and tender lettuce, oily and translucent rice grains, plump sauce, embellished with minced garlic, small pieces of garlic leaves, and yellow and white eggs could be seen. It looked just too delicious. They could not stand it any more. Shao Xiaozhi could not help but lick her lips. ¡°I want to eat it too!¡± Shao Meizhi snorted. She wanted to eat more! She and her husband had traveled all the way here and not eaten a thing. This delicious-looking dish almost killed her. She did not utter a sound but believed that if Shao Xiaozhi could be offered a portion, she would be given one too. They were together! Yang Xiaoni defended her food, and said, ¡°This is our dinner, just enough for us! See, it is smoked meat with egg and rice, that is all. You can make it at home too. Please leave now, we are going to eat our dinner soon.¡± Shao Xiaozhi was very disappointed and annoyed. ¡°You are so stingy!¡¯ Yang Xiaoni said, ¡°This is my dinner, of course you can¡¯t have any!¡¯ Shao Meizhi snorted. ¡°With the Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt away, you cooked so much food. You are ruining food and wasting money! We don¡¯t needzy and greedy daughters-inw like you here!¡± Shao Xiaoqi immediately said, ¡°Cousin, we always eat this even when parents are here.¡± Yang Xiaoni smiled. ¡°Qi, your cousin knows nothing, so she misunderstands us. And cousins, we don¡¯t care what kind of daughters-inw are at your home. But now, you are at our home, and it is none of your business how we live. You are wee to report us to our parents-inw when they are back.¡± Shao Meizhi. She became crazy after hearing this.. Chapter 467 - 467: Willingness Chapter 467: Willingness Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Meizhi thought that if she threatened them, Yang Xiaoni and Qiao Xuan would stuff her with good food as a bribe. But they, unexpectedly, countered her. When done with work, Qiao Xuan looked at Shao Meizhi. ¡°Cousin, the second and third sections of the family kept forcing us to work for you guys. Do you think that we are the same as before? ¡°That is history now. Such behavior will never happen again! It already stopped half a year ago. Second and Third Uncles are already used to this change, and I believe that you should get used to this too. Stop acting as if you are the host of this house! No one buys that any more!¡± ¡°That is not what happens in any house in the vige. If you are not convinced, just try it out!¡± Yang Xiaoni snorted. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw is right!¡± As the ypot rice was almost ready, she just could not wait and said impatiently, ¡°Just leave now, we can talk about this tomorrow, we are ready to eat dinner soon!¡± Shao Meizhi was starving but she could not stand what Yang Xiaoni and Qiao Xuan said to her. She threw a fierce re at them, and grabbed Shao Xiaozhi away. Shao Xiaoqi followed up and shut the door. Shao Xiaozhi licked her lips. ¡°Sister, I really want to eat that smoked sausage rice, it smells so good!¡± Shao Meizhi could not help but swallow her saliva. With teeth clenched, she said, ¡°We can go home now, and tell Eldest Uncle tomorrow. She will have to make the food for us!¡± Shao Xiaozhi eyes sparkled. ¡°Yeah, you are so smart, Sister, haha!¡± Shao Meizhi was panicking. What Qiao Xuan said to her atst was making her feel anxious. She had no way to counter that. It was not a regr practice in the vige. But Eldest Uncle promised to take care of his brothers, and that he would definitely help if his brothers needed him. That was what had been happening all these years. Why did they stop helping them? Her mother said that things changed after the Fifth Sister-inw got married. Was she so capable? Shao Meizhi did not believe that. But she thought of her words, and found this woman hard to deal with¡­ ¡°Xiaozhi, tell me about Ms. Qiao¡­¡± The two sisters did not look that well when they returned home. Shao Xiaozhi kept telling Ms. Ma that she wanted to eat smoked sausage rice. Ms. Ma did not know what that was, so she ignored her and asked Shao Meizhi instead. ¡°How did it go? Ms. Qiao is really arrogant, isn¡¯t she? That is how she is like! We are already used to it. You should never get annoyed by her!¡± Shao Meizhi became even angrier. ¡°She isn¡¯t the only one. Ms. Yang isn¡¯t obedient either, and Qi too. He has turned very unruly! Same goes for my cousin. He even pretended as if I were not around. He did not even show up¡­¡± In fact, Shao Yunduan was studying in his yard and had no idea that she had been there. Shao Xiaoqi had wanted to inform him but was stopped by Qiao Xuan. Hearing Shao Meizhi¡¯s words, Ms. Ma sneered. ¡°They are rich now, and you have seen that too. Didn¡¯t you see their big house? They are looking down at us, totally!¡¯ Unconvinced, Shao Meizhi bit her lips. ¡°So, the Eldest Uncle has left us alone? Ms. Ma sneered and sounded furious. ¡°No need to mention him.. He makes empty promises, but never puts them into practice!¡± Chapter 468 - 468: Tomorrow Chapter 468: Tomorrow Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Meizhi could not help but believe this reluctantly. Otherwise Eldest Uncle would not have built this house alone. She and her family would have a share in it as well. Seeing Ms. Ma ignoring her, Shao Xiaozhi repeated and said, ¡°Mom, make me the smoked sausage rice, I want to eat it!¡± Ms. Ma turned to her daughter. ¡°What ypot rice? Shao Xiaozhi said, ¡°Some rice with ayer of smoked sausage, meat with egg, vegetables and soy sauce. Cousin was making it, and I smelt it. It was so great, but they did not share it with us!¡± Ms. Ma sneered. ¡°Your own fault! They are looking down on you!¡¯ Shao Xiaozhi pursed her lips. ¡°We will make Eldest Uncle tell them to make us the same food!¡± Ms. Ma did not respond and said, ¡°Then wait until tomorrow! Smoked sausage and meat with egg? Of course it smells good. They are just ruining the food!¡± Shao Meizhi replied. ¡°Eldest Uncle is not at home, and Ms. Qiao as well as Ms. Yang are wasting food. Eldest Aunt will definitely me them, lees wait until tomorrow and see how they are scolded!¡± Ms. Ma did not think that Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni would be scolded, but she hoped that they would be. So, she added casually. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see!¡± Qiao Xuan served the ypot rice on the tray and went with Yang Xiaoni to the dining room, while Qi fetched Shao Yunduan to join them for food. Qiao Xuan mentioned Shao Meizhi¡¯s visit while they were all seated. Yang Xiaoni was angry as well. She kept adding to the story. Qi regretted it. ¡°I should not have opened the door for them!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, they will definitelye here again tomorrow when our parents are here.¡± Yang Xiaoni said, ¡°She is definitely the daughter of the third section of the family, just like my own sister-inw!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°Then lees wait until tomorrow!¡± ¡°I just can¡¯t wait!¡± Food was more important to them. The four of them stopped talking about Shao Meizhi but turned to the delicious food instead. The ypot rice was blended with meat and sauce, giving out a wonderful smell. It was not until after lunch when Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu as well as the others returned. It was again so lively inside the house. Soon after that, Shao Xiaozhi came over. ¡°Eldest Uncle, my sister and brother-inw are all here? My parents are asking Eldest Uncle to have a chat with them!¡± Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni exchanged a look between themselves. So, they wanted to exaggerate the story behind their backs! But they were going to be theughing stock after all. Eldest Uncle was very happy to see that Shao Meizhi thought of him. He smiled happily. ¡°Meizhi is back with her husband? Alright, I will go to your home and have a chat with them!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Only your Eldest Uncle is invited, not me? Also, they are junior people in the family. How can they ask seniors toe over? So precious they are? Or they can¡¯t walk? If they can¡¯t walk, then they don¡¯t have toe over here any more in the future!¡± Shao Xiaozhi did not dare to utter a sound. Ms. Fang was right in every word. Eldest Uncle coughed and turned to her. ¡°You must be thinking too much. They are just asking me to visit them!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Oh really? Then do you remember to tell me whether Meizhi is missing you or trying to tell some exaggerated stories to you about her past experience? Shao Xiaozhi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She felt too ashamed to stay here.. Chapter 469 - 469: Whole Story Chapter 469: Whole Story Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She had always been afraid of the Eldest Aunt, and now she was even more scared of her. Eldest Uncle felt a little bit displeased. ¡°You just like thinking too much about Ms. Fang chuckled. ¡°Then¡­ go ahead!¡± Eldest Uncle was affected by what Ms. Fang said, so he felt quite annoyed, and followed Shao Xiaozhi. Shao Meizhi and her husband were very hospitable towards him, and Shao Meizhi even greeted him happily. But before Eldest Uncle was able to taste the happiness, Shao Meizhi started to talk about something else¡­ The more the Eldest Uncle heard about this, the more guilty he felt inside his heart. Ms. Fang was totally right. Had it not been for Ms. Fangs reminder, what Shao Meizhi said to him might have fooled him. But Ms. Fang¡¯s words plus what Shao Meizhi said made him realize that Shao Meizhi was trying to make some usations. Ms. Qiao was indeed arrogant, but she never irritated people, unless people irritated her first. And Ms. Yang? She was even less likely to do this. She only wanted food. So, when Meizhi said that she went to visit them but was humiliated instead, Eldest Uncle did not really buy that. He did not speak his doubts in front of Shao Meizhi, but said some vague words to console her. Shao Meizhi felt very proud. She assumed that she had achieved what she wanted. ¡°Eldest Uncle, you have to get me justice!¡± Eldest Uncle was taken aback. ¡°What? Oh, okay¡­¡± Ms. Ma added someints of her own, saying that Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni were ruining food at home. Eldest Uncle became even more speechless. Ms. Qiao was rich and she always ate what she wanted. She even shared the food with the whole family, so what could he me her for? But he did not dare to reveal anything like this in front of the third section of the family, otherwise he would sound as if he were showing off. Eldest Uncle was actually a very modest person who never liked showing off. But soon, Shao Xiaozhi and Shao Meizhi, as well as Shao Meizhi¡¯s husband Jiang Dahe and Ms. Ma followed Eldest Uncle to his home. Shao Meizhi was waiting to see Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni getting scolded. Unexpectedly, the whole thing turned out quite different. Eldest Uncle could not scold his daughter-inw. Also, he spotted how confident Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni looked, and with Ms. Fang¡¯s cold eyes, he felt that something was wrong. Sure enough, before he could say a thing, Ms. Fang started scolding Shao Meizhi. ¡°Meizhi, we were not at home yesterday. What were you doing here humiliating my daughters-inw? What has your mother taught you? Apologize to them now!¡± Shao Meizhi was shocked. She snapped. ¡°They are lying! I never did that!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°My daughters-inw never lie. But you have been a liar since childhood. Want me to give you some examples? Also, Qi was here too. Did he lie as well?¡± Shao Meizhi always bullied Taotao and Qi and made up stories. Ms. Fang had caught her doing so a few times. Shao Meizhi flushed. Ms. Ma said) ¡®Eldest Sister-inw, Meizhi was the guest, and she got angry because Ms. Qiao and Ms. Yang did not treat her well!¡± Ms. Fang said, ¡°Oh, so you know you are a guest, an outsider! Then what were you doing at my house? My daughters-inw did not have to tolerate such behavior!¡± Shao Meizhi¡¯s husband, Jiang Dahe, was dumbfounded. He had no idea what he should do. Shao Meizhi felt so humiliated. She covered her face and sobbed. ¡°Eldest Aunt, how can you say this? They must have exaggerated the whole thing.¡± ¡°You are the one who exaggerates, not them. They always tell the truth.. Stop crying here, go to your own house and cry!¡¯ Chapter 470 - 470: Not Making Chapter 470: Not Making Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Cousin, I told you yesterday that we live separately. You are the guest, and you should stick to the rules. You want to be our host? How ridiculous!¡± ¡°Shame on you all! We should not have spoiled you!¡± Ms. Fang said coldly. Shao Meizhi stared at Eldest Uncle, transfixed. Eldest Uncle looked embarrassed but still asked. ¡°Ms. Qiao, why didn¡¯t you serve food to Meizhi and Xiaozhi yesterday?¡± Qiao Xuan was surprised. ¡°But shouldn¡¯t they eat at the third section of the family instead of here? Also, they were toote, we had prepared the food already!¡¯ Shao Xiaozhi added. ¡°But we are notte today. We want to eat the ypot rice you atest night!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You mean ypot rice? I told you how to make it. You can cook it yourselves! We are not a restaurant, and don¡¯t take orders from others, not even if money is paid!¡± Yang Xiaoniughed. Shao Xiaozhi snapped. ¡°Eldest Uncle, my sister, is not home often¡­¡± Qiao Xuan interrupted her. ¡°That is not my business!¡± Ms. Fang said, ¡°True! She can keep your parentspany if she does not visit home often. You are dreaming if you want my daughter-inw to cook food for you!¡¯ Eldest Uncle frowned. ¡°Ms. Qiao, Ms. Yang, they are rtives. You can make food for rtives, right?¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Rtives order food?¡± Eldest Uncle. ¡°You¡­ Ms. Fang immediately said, ¡°She was too unfriendly yesterday for us to make any food for her!¡± Eldest Uncle, ¡® Ms. Fang continued. ¡°Honestly, Ms. Ma, I am telling you now that we will be celebrating the New Year separately. You won¡¯t be joining us any more!¡± Ms. Ma was startled. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Not understood?¡± Ms. Fang said, ¡°We are living separately, and we should celebrate New Year separately as well!¡± Ms. Ma. Eldest Uncle was about to say something, when Ms. Fang beat him to it. ¡°If you don¡¯t like this idea, you can spend the new year with them. But we are not doing this henceforth!¡± Shao Meizhi said angrily, ¡°Eldest Uncle, you promised to take care of us!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Heard that? They are trying to make you take care of them! If you want to do so, we won¡¯t stop you. How about you moving to their home for good?¡± Eldest Uncle looked distressed. His mind waspletely befuddled. What Shao Meizhi said to him stung his heart! Shao Meizhi panicked too. She was about to give some exnation when Ms. Fang drove them all out of the house. How could Shao Meizhi make Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni make food for them? She should be served some dish-washer water! Ms. Ma stomped her feet in front of the door angrily. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go home. We will nevere here again!¡± Jiang Dahe¡¯s eyes rolled as he said voluntarily, ¡°Mom, we are one family. Don¡¯t ruin this rtionship. Eldest Uncle¡¯s family is so rich, and they should help us, so that we can have a better life!¡± Ms. Ma snorted. ¡°Stop dreaming! Don¡¯t you know now what they are like!¡± Shao Meizhi felt sour, shamed and angry. It was the first time for her to get humiliated by the first section of the family, so she felt worse than ever. She almost could not stand up when she reached home.. Chapter 471 - 471: Annoyed Chapter 471: Annoyed Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Mom, is their behavior so over the top now?!¡± Ms. Ma sank her face. ¡°You saw what happened! They have been like this since some time! Honestly, damn!¡± ¡°Then we just ignore them!¡± Saying that, Shao Meizhi got dumbfounded again. The first section of the family was so rich now, and wanted to get rid of them¡­ Ms. Ma added. ¡°When your brother bes an officer, they will not be this arrogant! Also, Shao Yunduan has been driven out of the college, and he is done for!¡± ¡°Really? Tell me more about it!¡± Shao Meizhi instantly got interested. The mother and the daughter exchanged some gossip, and Shao Meizhi felt very d hearing the bad news. Just wait and see what their future would be like! Shao Xiaozhi was displeased and nagged. ¡°Mom, I want to eat smoked sausage rice now!¡± Ms. Ma became annoyed. ¡°What smoked sausage rice? You always talk about this!¡± She had thought that when her elder daughter was home, she could make some difference. But she was also ruthlessly driven out by Ms. Fang. She was quite upset as she thought about this. Shao Meizhi was greedy for that too. ¡°Mom, just make the smoked sausage rice tonight!¡¯ Looking at them two, Ms. Ma was interested, as she asked strangely. ¡°How is that rice made? Can it be so delicious? Shao Xiaozhi pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it smelled so nice, and I really want it! But Third Sister-inw and Fifth Sister-inw did not share any with us!¡± Ms. Ma felt a bit concerned for her daughter, who was never treated like this. Only Taotao was! Ms. Ma could not stand it when it was her daughter who was bullied. ¡°Okay, okay, we will make smoked sausage rice tonight!¡± They had smoked sausage as well! But it was not very easy to make the one they wished to eat. They had no special pot for ypot rice, so they used the pot for rice cooking. When the rice was almost done, they put some sliced smoked sausage, poured some soy sauce, crushed some garlic and added some vegetables. Shao Xiaozhi wanted an egg, which was turned down by Ms. Ma. Smoked sausage with egg? That was such a waste! But Shao Xiaozhi and Shao Meizhi did not think the smell was right, except for the strange smell of the smoked sausage. It seemed totally different. Nheless, they still enjoyed the dish. But after that, Ms. Ma said, ¡°This is the same as steamed smoked sausage¡­¡± Shao Xiaozhi and Shao Meizhi were both startled¡­ That seemed right. But they started to get really distressed again. They knew that the first section of the family had made a different, fragrant dish. Shao Meizhi felt so irritated when she missed out what she had almost got her hands on. Her parents were right. Eldest Uncle had changed too! ¡°Mom, where does Eldest Uncle¡¯s family get this much wealth from? Are they doing some business behind our backs?¡± Shao Meizhi ¡®s husband and father-inw were carpenters. They made furniture for people, so Shao Meizhi had some different ideas. Ms. Ma was startled. ¡°They have no business to do here!¡± Shao Meizhi said, ¡°The house is so big, and the furniture isn¡¯t cheap. The zed windows are really expensive!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all Ms. Qiao¡¯s dowry.. That dumb-headed woman! The first section of the family is going to coax her to spend all of her dowry on them soon!¡± Chapter 472 - 472: Ms. Fang’s Determination Chapter 472: Ms. Fang¡¯s Determination Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Dowry? That is too much even for someone¡¯s dowry.¡± Shao Meizhi did not believe that. ¡°Ms. Qiao is a concubine¡¯s daughter. No lineal mother would really care about a concubine¡¯s daughter that much. I believe that they must have some way of making money. Look at the businessman¡¯s family, the concubine¡¯s daughter always has a worse life than maids!¡± ¡°Oh well¡­ Shao Meizhi believed that her conjecture was right. ¡°Mom, you should watch them carefully. Observe what they do. I am sure they have many ways of making money!¡¯ Ms. Ma thought for a while and nodded. ¡°Okay, I will keep an eye on them. It won¡¯t be so troublesome!¡± They were in the same vige. They would always run into each other. The next day, Shao Meizhi and her husband left. They had intended to just stay one night before leaving. But Shao Meizhi wanted to report Qiao Xuan¡¯s deeds to Eldest Uncle when he was back, thus staying for one more day. But the report failed and she felt really annoyed. She did not even say goodbye to Eldest Uncle when she left. Hearing that the three families were not celebrating New Year together, Second Uncle and Third Uncle were really displeased. They rushed to the first section of the family and argued about it. Ms. Fang ignored them and refused to change anything. Eldest Uncle wanted to have a lively dinner, but no one in the family supported him. Shao Sang, Shao Yunduan, Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni all said no to his request, and Qi and Taotao disapproved of it too. Elder Uncle felt really distressed, but there was nothing he could do. Second Uncle and Third Uncle became totally disappointed with Eldest Uncle, who only talked nice but never did anything in reality. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma kept ming the first section of the family for this decision, but no family in the vige would gather together with their brothers, after their parents were gone. When the three sections of the family gathered to celebrate New Years, they were just creating a strange scene. Hence, they could not evenin about it to the vigers. They felt so annoyed. But it had been settled that they were not spending the New Year together, ever again. Ms. Niu could not help but me Ms. Ma. ¡°It is your Meizhi who caused all of this. But for what she did to the first section of the family, they would not have made this decision!¡± Ms. Ma did not ept this usation. ¡°Eldest Sister-inw has disliked us for a long time. She was going to mention this to us anyway. Meizhi has nothing to do with it.¡± Since Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu had finished with their visits to their parents¡¯ homes, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan visited the Qiao Family before the Minor New Year. They had some mediocre presents with them and got mediocre reception at the mansion. Officer Qiao did not appear this time to receive them. It was Madame Qiao, Qiao Wei, Concubine Du and Qiao Kou who received them. Qiao Wei was also there watching the show. She was really interested in meeting Qiao Xuan. Qiao Wei even ordered Liu Yan to serve her. Qiao Xuan¡¯s face changed as she saw Liu Yan. She lowered her head and said nothing, which made Qiao Wei feel really d. Qiao Kou added fuel to the fire. ¡°Second Sister, Liu Yan is your maid, isn¡¯t she? Why is she not with you?¡± Qiao Xuan was startled, as she staggered. ¡°I am not sure¡­ Elder Sister has the call!¡± The Elder Sister could give whatever she wanted. She was arrogant and spoiled, without any manners. Qiao Kou did not understand what Qiao Xuan meant. She chuckled and teased.. ¡°You are right, Second Sister, Elder Sister has the call!¡± Chapter 473 - 473: Problems Chapter 473: Problems Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°She is the Elder Sister, after all¡­ Qiao Kou found her to be boring. She chuckled and said, ¡°Second Sister, you are so obedient! You obey whatever Elder Sister tells you to!¡± Qiao Xuan said seriously, ¡°We are sisters, and we should listen to each other.¡± Qiao Kou was startled, as she red at Qiao Xuan. ¡°Of course, I am the most obedient one!¡± Qiao Wei was already quite displeased. She snorted and threw a look at Qiao Kou. What was this bitch trying to say? No wonder her mother said that Qiao Xuan was not a threat, but this bitch was. She was not going to allow this cheap woman to suck up to any noble family, otherwise there would be trouble. It seemed that her mom was right¡­ Madame Qiao apparently realized that Qiao Kou did not mean anything good. She gave her a cold look. Concubine Du, who had been watching the show, felt her heart tremble. She threw a look at Qiao Kou, telling her to shut up. Liu Yan didn¡¯t dare to utter a word but said inwardly, ¡®Stop messing around. Second Miss is not as simple as you assume. If you keep on causing trouble, you will really be in trouble.¡¯ Concubine Du hurriedly spoke up, fearing that Qiao Kou would continue to say something bad. She smiled. ¡°1 heard that Young Master Shao has been driven out of Minghua College, is it true? What happened?¡± Qiao Kou soon got interested and chuckled. ¡°Yeah, what about telling the story of how you were driven out of college? You are not going to attend the imperial examination, without a teacher, right? Should Dad help you?¡± Qiao Xuan threw a look at Qiao Kou, as she turned to Madame Qiao, asking sincerely. ¡°Mom, can Dad really be of some help?¡± Madame Qiao nced at Qiao Kou coldly, snorting. ¡°Stop speaking nonsense. College made the decision for a certain reason. The Old Master is a fair and just officer who will never abuse his power to conduct any personal affairs!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Qiao Xuan looked disappointed. ¡°True¡­ I never expected that. But I thought the Third Sister was telling me¡­¡± Qiao Kou got anxious. ¡°Stop the nonsense. That is not what I mean!¡± Qiao Xuan sounded weak. ¡°Oh, then I must have been mistaken¡­¡± Qiao Kou got even more annoyed. ¡°You are definitely mistaken!¡± ¡°Drop it now!¡± Madame Qiao got impatient as she snapped. ¡°Just shut your mouth if you don¡¯t know how to talk. Stop messing around!¡± Qiao Kou flushed. She threw a grudging look at Qiao Xuan. Concubine Du was annoyed too. She kept ming Qiao Kou for being stupid and for Qiao Xuan not being able to talk nicely, which made Madame Qiao misunderstand Qiao Kou. Concubine Du quieted down, rather thanugh at Qiao Xuan. Liu Yan lowered her head. She wished to hide herself. She thought to herself. Second Miss just puts forward a few casual words and Third Miss immediately gets set up. She is not as simple as she looks¡­ Noone has ever realized it¡­ ¡°Alright, you have traveled far toe to this ce. Stay for lunch.¡± Madame Qiao stood up and was about to leave. She had no interest in keeping Qiao Xuan and her husbandpany. Qiao Xuan replied. ¡°It will get dark soon, so we need to head back. We can keep ourselves warm under the sun. No need for lunch, thanks. Mother, we are leaving now, say hello to Father for us..¡± Chapter 474 - 474: Going Home Chapter 474: Going Home Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They were sure that Shao Yunduan¡¯s future had been ruined, and Qiao Xuan was never going to get out of the farmer¡¯s family. They did not bother to make any effort in being nice. In this case, it saved them a lot of trouble. They would not stop her from leaving, if she wanted to. Sure enough, Madame Qiao ignored them and said, ¡°Anyway you like.¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan waved them goodbye and left the mansion. ¡°Alright, darling?¡± ¡°Yeah, I am fine!¡± They smiled at each other. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go home!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± They walked for over twones before getting on the donkey cart. Shao Sang was waiting for them at the noodle restaurant close by. He was surprised that they showed up so early. But Shao Sang never pried into the reason for it. He stood up and greeted them, and the three of them went home together. They learned about Yang Liang¡¯s visit when they came home. Shao Sang got anxious as she took Yang Xiaoni¡¯s hands. ¡°Honey, he did not bully you, did he?¡± Yang Xiaoni felt so sweet in heart, as she looked at Shao Sang with love, shaking her head. ¡°No, no, don¡¯t worry, Brother Sang. We are at our own home, and he could not bully me at all!¡± ¡°That is good!¡± Shao Sang let out a sigh of relief, snorting. ¡°Shame on him!¡± Yang Xiaoni added. ¡°Yeah. I ignored him too!¡± ¡°You are right, just ignore him! He must have said something bad to you, but don¡¯t think about it. I would be worried.¡± ¡°I am happy to have you, Brother Sang. I am not annoyed!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Ms. Fang could not stand their behavior any more. She red at her son. ¡°Just go back to your room for these sweet talks. Stop being in the way!¡± Qiao Xuan and the others had already left the site. Shao Sang was confused. ¡°We are not in the way!¡± Ms. Fang shouted. ¡°You are! Just go back to your room!¡± Shao Sang had a lot to ask Yang Xiaoni. He found his mother getting really hot-tempered these days, but he did not want to argue with her. So he replied briefly and left with Yang Xiaoni. They continued to talk about this when they went back to their own room. Yang Liang visited Yang Xiaoni because he was thinking about taking Yang Xiaoni back, so they would not beughed at by people in the vige, especially since Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang refused to pass on any gifts to them. Yang Liang said to Ms. Tian, ¡°Xiaoni is my sister, and I can coax her. She won¡¯t be so ruthless. If theye here, you must not scold her any more. Treat her nicely, so they coulde and visit us often.¡± Ms. Tian cursed inwardly and said unhappily, ¡°Alright, alright, I know what to do! You can get her back if you are capable of doing so. She is not as generous as you assume. She holds a deep grudge against you!¡± Yang Liang was annoyed by what she said. His face sank and he asked. ¡°What do you mean? Do you want me to get them here or not?¡± Ms. Tian fell silent. Ms. Fang and Yang Xiaoni were both rmed seeing Yang Liang at the door. He felt so embarrassed. Yang Liang was so jealous looking at the new house of the first section of the family! The first section of the family was leading an increasingly better life! Chapter 475 - 475: Her Guesses Chapter 475: Her Guesses Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions His sister looked prettier than thest time they met. She was even wearing silver bracelets, with silver hairpins and silk flowers in her hair, looking radiant. That made Yang Liang feel really ufortable. He had a strange thought inside his head. Yang Xiaoni turned down Yang Liang¡¯s intention. He became really furious when the persuasion did not work. ¡°Xiaomi, isn¡¯t it enough? You have vented your anger. Are you trying to deny that I am your brother?¡± Yang Xiaoni looked at him calmly. ¡°You denied that I was your sister a long time ago. You never treated me like your sister. You didn¡¯t even give me any dowry when I got married. I got my wedding gown from my mother-inw! You forgot all of these? I didn¡¯t!¡± Yang Liang got even more annoyed. ¡°But you said yes to all of these. Why didn¡¯t you oppose the decision? Now you are picking up the old stories?¡± Yang Xiaoni sneered. ¡°Would that have worked? I did not dare say a thing! What if my wedding was called off because of you and your selfish behavior!¡± ¡°If it were not Brother Sang I married, but some poor family who never fed me, would you stille and beg me to go home with you?¡± Yang Liang was startled. He subconsciously did not dare look at Yang Xiaoni. Yang Xiaoni sneered. She felt even colder in heart. This was what she had expected! What was the point of putting on a show? Ms. Fang could not help but nce at Yang Xiaoni. Her third son¡¯s daughter-inw might look slow in the head, but she never changed her mind once she made the decision. She was not all that useless. ¡°So, we can be strangers from today on, and part our ways. I won¡¯t be jealous of you if you make a fortune, or want a portion of it. Simrly, whether I am living well or not has nothing to do with you either, understand?¡± Yang Liang felt so embarrassed. But he had no words to counter her. He left the Shao Family in total awkwardness. He had another fight with Ms. Tian when he reached home. Hearing Yang Xiaoni¡¯s words, Shao Sang kept kissing his wife, smiling. ¡°My wife, you were great! You made such a wonderful speech!¡± Yang Xiaoni looked very proud and smiled brightly. ¡°Of course I did!¡± The following day, Shao Yunduan and Shao Sang went to deliver New Year¡¯s presents to Master Yun. Master Yun had not taken Shao Yunduan as the disciple formally. But he still learned a lot from him. He respected him and admired him as a disciple, thus abundant presents were prepared. However, when he returned home in the afternoon, Master Yun and his three servants, namely Uncle Yun and Aunt Yun as well as Cang came back with him. They were going to spend the New Year at his house. Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle were surprised, but still opened their arms in wee for them. Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s yard was quite spacious, with three wing-rooms and one main room, as well as two smaller affiliated rooms. Master Yun and his group would live there. Qi volunteered to spare the main room for Master Yun, whilst he rolled up his nket and moved to the east affiliated room. Master Yun stayed in the master bedroom, whilst Uncle Yun and Aunt Yun lived in the western affiliated room. Cang lived in the segmented room next to Master Yun¡¯s. Soon, Uncle Yun sorted the east wing-room as study. The Shao Family were quite uneasy facing Master Yun and his people. They were inly dressed, but they looked different. So, the Shao Family were all quite nervous meeting them.. Chapter 476 - 476: Proud Chapter 476: Proud Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions But Master Yun was a very easygoing person and good at chatting. He spoke ofnd and properties with Eldest Uncle and Ms. Fang, so that both of them felt interested in speaking with Master Yun. Uncle Yun and Aunt Yun were friendly, and Cang was a very lively and smiling boy with a sweet tongue. They soon got on well with each other. The family had no idea that Master Yun actually was Shao Yunduan¡¯s teacher. But Shao Sang and Qiao Xuan did. So when the teacher was here, he should be treated well. Qiao Xuan decided to cook the dinner personally. Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni gave her a hand. They made steamed smoked meat, sausage and a smoked fish tter. They killed a chicken and stewed it with the most delicious and rare mountain mushrooms. They also made steamed pork belly with powder, braised soft-shelled turtle, stir-fried eel with ginger, onion and garlic, steamed mandarin fish, minced meat tofu, stir-fried yam, stir-fry shredded bamboo shoots of tea tree mushrooms, as well as a garlic-fried cabbage. As each dish was cooked and served, Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni were both very proficient with Qiao Xuan¡¯s pace. But Aunt Yun was shocked. She was quite good at cooking and expected to make the dishes here. It turned out that she did not need to do a thing. At first, Aunt Yun saw Ms. Xu, Yang Xiaoni happily washing, chopping, cleaning the pot, and lighting the fire, while Qiao Xuan was watching from the side. Moreover, they still wanted to ask Qiao Xuan about everything, such as how to cut the vegetables, and other things. This made Aunt Yun even more puzzled. But Qiao Xuan was better at cooking the actual dishes. The dishes were far superior to the ones made by hers. When the dinner was served, Master Yun ate with everyone from the first section of the family. Aunt Yun and Uncle Yun as well as Cang were not at the table, but they got some portions from each dish and ate at the small, square desk in the kitchen. Qiao Xuan said to them, ¡°Uncle Yun and Aunt Yun, just eat the food. My husband is attending Master Yun!¡± Master Yun was not a particr man. So, both Uncle Yun and Aunt Yun nodded and epted the offer. Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle invited Master Yun to take the seat. Master Yun could not help but sigh seeing the table filled with dishes. ¡°This is such a waste of food! Only a dish of smoked sausage, vegetables and tofu should be enough. It must have cost a lot!¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°It¡¯s very nice of you to say so! These fish were all caught in the river and kept in the pond in the backyard of our house for free. This chicken is also raised at home. We have a lot of chickens at home! I also made a lot of sausages and smoked meat, about 100 kgs. You would never be able to finish it!¡± ¡°My daughter-inw, Ms. Qiao cooked this meal. She is really good at making food. Try it please!¡± The whole family asked Master Yun to take the seat. Master Yun was surprised. He had thought that his servant, Aunt Yun made all this. So, it was not her? But hearing what Ms. Fang said, he felt rxed and smiled. ¡°Okay, okay I will try everything! You are living a great life here. How wonderful!¡± Ms. Fang was proud. ¡°Yeah. My sons and daughters-inw are all very capable people!¡± Master Yun nodded with a smile. ¡°Yeah. I agree!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Ms. Fang felt even prouder. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Ms. Fang was very easy to get on well with. She was very straightforward. Qiao Xuan cooked for Master Yun every day. She tried her best to serve Master Yun some good dishes.. Chapter 477 - 477: New Year’s Eve Chapter 477: New Year¡¯s Eve Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions Firstly, she was showing respect to the teacher, and also, she wanted Master Yun to see that they were very sincere so Master Yun could ept Shao Yunduan as the disciple formally. Master Yun spoke highly of her cooking skills. He had been to many ces, and Qiao Xuan served different cuisines, some of which he had tasted before and some not. Hearing that Qiao Xuan was the daughter of the County Magistrate and learned the cooking skills from books, he could not help but feel emotional. How blind was the County Magistrate to have ignored such a wonderful daughter! When Master Yun was well fed, he spent more effort in imparting knowledge to Shao Yunduan. He was having a very leisure time living with the first section of the family. Soon, the news that guests were visiting the first section of the family spread in the vige, but it was not discussed for too long. The first section of the family was different from the other families. It was quite normal these days that they had guests. Seeing that it was an elderly man who was the visitor, the second and third section of the family lost interest. But they kept mumbling to themselves, ming them for being turned away whilst strangers were epted. The New Year¡¯s Eve arrived soon after Minor New Year. It was very lively in the whole vige on New Year¡¯s Eve. Every household started to post Spring Festival couplets and window papercuts in the morning. Those who were more particr would hang two pairs of rednterns under the eaves to watch the festival. The first section of the family was going to spend the New Year in the new house, and everyone was d about it. They had got everything ¨C the couplets, the character of happiness, window papercuts as well as rednterns under the eaves. The whole house looked really lively. Taotao and Qi put on new clothes and shoes, with pockets full of melon seeds, peanuts, pine nuts, almonds and so on, ying with children in the vige. They cheered happily and set firecrackers, making the whole vige look even more flourishing. Shao Xiaozhi and Shao Meiling also had new clothes made. When they went out to hang out with friends, they ran into Taotao and Qi, who had their brother with them too. Taotao was wearing a rose-red dress, embroidered with begonia flowers on the side, a circle of fluffy snow-white rabbit fur around the neckline and cuffs, a light pink skirt, and thick buckskin boots, which made the girl look very beautiful. The material of the dress was not satin, but it was better than ordinary muslin, and the workmanship of the clothes was more delicate and meticulous. It made her stand out in the crowd of friends without being too obtrusive. Still Taotao caused much envy from her peers, since she was already a good-looking girl from birth. She had many snacks and shared them with friends generously, and many children loved hanging out with her. Shao Xiaozhi and Shao Meiling had been quite happy in their new clothes, but their faces turned dark when they saw Taotao. Taotao was never as good as them, and she only got what they had left. But things are different now. The two sisters felt sour in heart. They could have ripped Taotao of the silk flowers and hairpin flowers as well as snacks in the past, and they would have pestered Eldest Uncle to share the clothes with them too. But they did not dare to do anything like that now. Shao Xiaozhi and Shao Meiling kept mocking Taotao and tried to turn others against her. But Taotao had many snacks and was very generous, so she attracted many fellows to her side, which made Shao Xiaozhi and Shao Meiling really displeased. They found the whole thing going against them, and hence decided to go home with their faces sunk.. Chapter 478 - 478: Opinions Chapter 478: Opinions Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Meiling was slightly older and had just gotten engaged. She did not dare to make a scene, thus crying to herself. Shao Xiaozhi almost burst into tears seeing Ms. Ma. ¡°Taotao bullied me!¡± Ms. Ma had not been really happy when she heard about killing a chicken for New Year¡¯s dinner. Now, she became really angry. ¡°How did she bully you? Tell me! Even Taotao has changed.¡± Normally, all they needed to do was to eat at the first section of the family every year rather than take care of everything, which saved them a lot of trouble. But right now, they have to do everything by themselves. She wanted a reason to vent the umted anger. Shao Xiaozhi got startled hearing what her mother said. She stumbled with her words, not daring to say a thing. Her mother got even more irritated by her hesitation, so she dashed off into the room. Ms. Ma mumbled. ¡°Serve you right to have been bullied¡­ so timid and weak!¡± But after thinking about this for a while, she did not go to the doorstep of the first section of the family to fight. After New Year¡¯s Eve, they visited rtives rather than farm thend. The whole vige had a very rxed air around. There were many people visiting the first section of the family. Ms. Fang and her daughters-inw received them one by one. Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu¡¯s mothers¡¯ family, Ding Erzhu¡¯s inws as well as Ms. Fang¡¯s married elder sister etc. They were all here. Even Shao Dali as well as a few other families from the same vige came to visit them. Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni as well as Ms. Xu received the guests every day. They were very busy. Luckily, the new house was spacious enough for the rtives to stay, and Shao Yunduan was not affected when he needed to study. After the New Year, the autumn examination date was approaching. But on the sixth day of the New Year, Ms. Xu suddenly felt a little ufortable. She turned pale and vomited. She knew what was happening. Ms. Fang asked a doctor to feel the pulse, and it was revealed that Ms. Xu had been pregnant for two months. The whole family cheered happily. Shao Dng felt happier since he was going to be a father again. Ms. Fang asked Ms. Xu to take a good rest instead of working in the field. She could do some light work like feeding the chicken and sweeping the floor. The four-year-old Shao Qing should not be next to her either, in case her stomach was kicked identally by the child. Qiao Xuan offered some cubilose and donkey-hide gtin to Ms. Xu as supplementary food. Ms. Xu was quite pleased. She had one son and she did not care if it was a girl or a boy that was yet toe. Most importantly, they were living a very good life these days, and the child knew how to choose a family. She or he would be a very happy child anyway. Yang Xiaoni massaged her sunk belly and got a little worried. She turned to Shao Sang and said some bitter words, meaning that the Elder Sister-inw was already pregnant with the third child, whilst she had not got pregnant at all after being married for so long. She wondered if their mother would not like it¡­ Shao Sang could tell that his wife was very worried about this. He said anxiously, ¡°It is not your fault. I should take responsibility too. You can¡¯t get pregnant by yourself.¡± Yang Xiaoni flushed. ¡°I am talking about serious business here. You are just making those indecent remarks!¡± Shao Sang. What? Why indecent? ¡°Mom won¡¯t me you for that. Don¡¯t worry about this!¡± Shao Sang consoled Yang Xiaoni. He thought for a while and turned to look at his mother instead.. Chapter 479 - 479: Ms. Fang’s Laughter Chapter 479: Ms. Fang¡¯s Laughter Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions He was going to tell his mother not to give them too much pressure in pushing them to give birth to a baby. Ms. Fang almostughed. She poked him straight on the forehead. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to put you under any pressure, okay? You have only been married for a few months! Also, Ms. Yang did not have a good time back at her own home, and it is not that good to get pregnant now. You should make sure she lives well and bes healthier, so she can be pregnant then!¡± ¡°Oh, true!¡± Shao Sang¡¯s eyes brightened, as he smiled. ¡°I never thought about this before. Mom, you are so considerate!¡± Ms. Fang red at him. ¡°Now you understand? Then, get lost from here. So irritating that my brainless son is wandering in front of me! ¡± Shao Sang did not care when he was scolded. He chuckled and went to tell his wife this good news. Ms. Fang thought for a while. She was worried that Ms. Qiao would be worried about this issue too, when she saw Ms. Xu getting pregnant. So, Ms. Fang automatically consoled Qiao Xuan, telling her not to get worried about getting pregnant now especially since Shao Yunduan was in the middle of preparing for the imperial examination. She kept insisting that they should not have a child so soon, and they could wait for a couple of more years, and such. Qiao Xuan flushed after hearing that. She nodded with a small chuckle. She felt a bit moved, but embarrassed too. Actually, she never thought about pregnancy just because her Elder Sister-inw got pregnant again. She had not even slept with Shao Yunduan at this point. Nor had she thought about getting pregnant. As a result, she never rted Ms. Xu¡¯s pregnancy to hers. But when her mother-inw mentioned it, she was reminded that she might need to get pregnant and be a mother someday, since she was Shao Yunduan¡¯s wife, after all. Luckily, her mother-inw was open-minded, and she could leave this matter to the future. On the tenth day of the New Year, Master Yun and his servants left the first section of the family and returned home. Shao Yunduan and Ms. Fang could not make them stay longer. So, they had to give it up. Shao Yunduan apanied them personally, and sent abundant local things to them. Master Yun liked their smoked sausage and meat, salted eggs and preserved eggs, dried bamboo and mushrooms, etc. So he epted them all, without turning down the offer. On the 12th day of the New Year, Shao Sng from the second section of the family was getting married. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle had a good idea. They wanted Qi to hunt a wild boar so that the banquet would look good, and also, they would not have to buy any meat themselves. Ms. Fangughed. They were telling Qi to hunt wild boars so their son¡¯s wedding could look good? Wild boars were very dangerous animals and they could not be hunted just on someone¡¯s whim and fancy! Ms. Fang turned them down, which displeased Second Uncle and Ms. Niu. When the wedding day came, Ms. Fang took Yang Xiaoni and Taotao to offer help, whilst Shao Sang and Shao Yunduan as well as Qi all went to greet the bride. Ms. Xu was pregnant so she did not go to help. She would just visit when the bride arrived. She should stay at home in case she bumped into something. Ms. Fang did not want Qiao Xuan to go there either. She asked her to stay at home to look after Ms. Xu and not do anybor work. Ms. Niu had wanted Qiao Xuan to offer help, because she was County Magistrate¡¯s daughter, which would lift up their family¡¯s reputation. But there was nothing she could do, when Ms. Fang refused to bring her along. Ms. Zhang sneered. ¡°Elder Sister-inw is pregnant with the third child and she is getting more precious than before.. She needs to be taken care of specially by someone at home?¡± Chapter 480 - 480: Annoyance Chapter 480: Annoyance Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang snorted. ¡°True. We are living a different life now, and of course she is more precious than before. We are going to getpensation for what we lost in the past!¡± Ms. Zhang choked on her words and veins popped up on her forehead. What they had lost in the past? Yeah, the first section of the family was bullied by the second and third section of the family in the past, and they never had a rxed time. So, of course they were not considered precious in the past. Unconvinced, she pretended to smile calmly. ¡°Taotao is enough to take care of her elder sister-inw, right? Why Fifth Sister-inw? I am afraid that you are favoring her more! You don¡¯t want her to get tired.¡± Ms. Fang never liked Ms. Zhang. When she was turned down after she tried to borrow money from her, she had never acted normally whenever they ran into each other. Ms. Zhang always picked the worst words to speak. Ms. Fang had never wanted to pick on someone junior in the family, but this junior kept offending her, and she was really starting to get irritated. Also, Ms. Fang was not a good-tempered person to begin with. So, she snapped. ¡°True. Of course I have a preference, and it is up to me, the mother-inw! Anyone dares to counter my preference? I think your mother-inw is the same. She gave 15 liang as a wedding gift to the Yan Family, just hoping that their daughter coulde to your family. She even built two new rooms for them!¡± ¡°Second Niece, honestly, don¡¯t be mad. The Yan Family is running a tofu business and should be quite rich. I heard that they had arge dowry prepared as well. The girl from the Yan Family should be quite capable. I am sure your mother-inw has her preference as well!¡± Ms. Zhang was trembling. She almost could not breathe. Ms. Fang sneered and turned around, leaving arrogantly. How dare this young woman try to y tricks on her? As the drum was yed and the whole ce turned bustling, the bride was officially married to the family. Ms. Zhang did not like any of this, especially the redness¡­. Yang Xiaoni and Ms. Fang did not return home until that evening. Qiao Xuan and Taotao boiled some water at home, so the hall room was filled with a warm coal basin. They even had some water prepared. They regained energy after drinking the hot tea, warmed up in front of the fire and finally rxed. The wedding was not as good as that of the first section of the family, and those who were there to help had no time to eat anything during the wedding. They were only allowed to eat the leftovers after the banquet was over. But there were no leftovers remaining as well. The leftovers were all taken away by Ms. Niu, so Ms. Fang had almost no meat to eat. Anyways, they had been so well-fed during the Chinese New Year, so she desired something light. Hence, she ignored the cheap behavior of the second section of the family. Early next morning, the newly-wedded Ms. Yan, together with Shao Sng came over with Ms. Niu to greet the first section of the family. The first section of the family represented the eldest in the family, so the newly-wedded daughter-inw of the other sections of the family shoulde to greet the rtives here first. Qiao Xuan could not help but size up Ms. Yan secretly. Ms. Yan had a very ordinary look, with many freckles on her nose. She was medium-sized, neither chubby nor skinny. Dressed in red clothes and with some silver pins and red silk flowers on her head, she seemed friendly. She was four years older than Shao Sng though! Chapter 481 - 481: The Generous Ms. Yan Chapter 481: The Generous Ms. Yan Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan finally understood why the Yan Family wished to marry their daughter to Shao Sng, when she was already 20 years old. The Yan Family was slightly wealthy and loved the daughter. So, they were quite particr when it came to son-inws. But Ms. Yan looked really ordinary, and the Yan Family were not iparably rich. Since the Yan Family was particr about their son-inw, she was not married until 20 years old. That was when the Yan Family got so anxious. The Yan Family would never have wanted to marry their daughter to people like the second section of the family. But things were different. Seeing that the second section of the family was offering 15 liang as a wedding gift, the Yan Family approved of the marriage. Otherwise their daughter would be an old spinster. Shao Sng was just lucky. Ms. Yan served the senior people in the family tea, whilst Qiao Xuan, Qi and Taotao were waiting for her to address them differently after seeing the presents. What surprised them most of all was that Ms. Yan had prepared presents for Qi, Taotao, Shao Junyan and Shao Qing. Taotao and Shao Qing were given a pair of pink silk flowers whilst Qi and Shao Junyan were given a purse of sapphire colored flowers each. The whole first section of the family got shocked. Their eyes were widened. The second section of the family was so stingy that they had never received presents from them. Ms. Yan¡¯s actions shocked them all. Even Ms. Xu tried to turn down the present, but thanked Ms. Yan for her kindness. Taotao and Qi kept pushing the presents away. ¡°No, no, thanks¡­¡± Ms. Niu looked surprised too. Apparently, that was Ms. Yan¡¯s own idea, which had not been shared with Ms. Niu. Ms. Niu took the opportunity and smiled. ¡°Ms. Yan, they don¡¯tck any of these things, just take them back!¡± ¡°Mom, these are my wishes for them. I am not taking them back!¡± Ms. Yan smiled. She sounded gentle but had a very firm attitude. ¡°Cousin, Taotao and Qi, ept them! Are you all looking down at my presents?¡± They all hesitated and turned to Ms. Fang for help. Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Just ept the kindness from Ms. Yan!¡± So they did. Ms. Niu was not very pleased. But she could not teach her newly-wedded daughter-inw a lesson in front of others. So she had to drop it. After they left, Qi and Ms. Xu opened the purses and found that there were eight pennies inside each of them. They were even more surprised. ¡°Is she a little too generous?¡± Although the first section of the family did not think that eight pennies was a lot, yet for vigers, that was already a huge amount! Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Just ept it. Ms. Yan seems nice.¡± Ms. Yan must have heard of the rtionship between the three sections of the family, but she still did so. It also seemed that Ms. Niu had no idea about this. Apparently, Ms. Yan had the intention of befriending the first section of the family. Ms. Fang did not think that it was something bad. As long as Ms. Yan did not do anything against them. If she did, she would teach her a lesson too¡­ Honestly, if Ms. Yan dared to be calctive towards the first section of the family, she would end up in a bad situation. Back home, Ms. Niu wasn¡¯t that pleased. But she still avoided Ms. Zhang and said to the newly-weds, ¡°Ms.. Yan, why did you offer them so many presents? Such a waste!¡± Chapter 482 - 482: Disrespect Chapter 482: Disrespect Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Yan smiled. ¡°Mom, they are our rtives, the Eldest Uncle¡¯s family. It is always better to have a good rtionship than hold a grudge, right? That wasn¡¯t too much for me. Also, Sng approved of it, too.¡± Ms. Yan did not tell Ms. Niu about this, but she discussed it with her husband. Shao Sng had not wanted to do so. But Ms. Yan intentionally whispered something sweet and warm to Shao Sng, who turned totally dumb and nodded in the end. Ms. Niu red at Shao Sng, while her anger towards Ms. Yan disappeared. ¡°Well¡­¡± Shao Sng scratched his head. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± He did not know how to exin it to his mother. Ms. Yan smiled. ¡°Mom, my husband expects to have a good rtionship between the two families too, right? Everything is fine. Let¡¯s just drop it.¡± Ms. Niu snorted and warned Shao Sng. ¡°Watch out in the future. We can drop it for now!¡± What else could they do, since the presents were already given away. Ms. Yan smiled and started another topic. She was now officially a member of the Shao Family. Ms. Yan and Shao Sang returned to her mother¡¯s home after three days of the wedding. Ms. Niu was stingy and did not offer much as return presents. She only gave her two chickens, two rolls of cheap tea, which almost killed her! Ms. Yan was very displeased inside her head, but said nothing. Instead, she and Shao Sng went into the town and bought two jars of wine, three kgs of noodles, one kg of pastry and three kgs of pork belly. Then, Ms. Yan said in a wrongful tone to her husband, ¡°Mom has given us so little. It is such a humiliation for us. You are the son-inw, what would my family think of you? I am helping you keep up the reputation. We are a couple, right? I am earning your reputation for your sake!¡± Shao Sng felt both guilty and moved, without knowing what to say. He was now totally on Ms. Yan¡¯s side. Ms. Yan added a few more sentences so he felt even more inclined towards her. Ms. Yan was satisfied and smiled. ¡°Since we have added things on our own to the return presents, don¡¯t tell parents about this. Otherwise Mom will me me again!¡± Shao Sng shook his head. ¡°Yeah, we must keep it a secret. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell!¡± He knew clearly what his mother was like. That made Ms. Yan feel even more happy. She was not trying to start a war with her mother-inw, but she really could not respect her mother-inw. She was married to Shao Sng, and expected to live a peaceful life. She did not care about what others thought, but Shao Sng had to take her side and obey her words. She was quite surprised about the terrible rtionship between the second section of the family and the first section of the family, which she found out recently. Luckily, Shao Sng had not offended the first section of the family like his parents. So, she coulde up with some solutions to improve the rtionship. She really thought that the second section of the family and third section of the family were stupid. They could take advantage of the first section of the family in the past, but henceforth, they needed to stay humble and try to have a good rtionship with the first section of the family. They needed to be capable enough to counter them but they had no abilities. They did not want to admit their foolishness, either. Instead, they kept causing trouble for themselves. So horrible¡­ She did not care about the third section of the family, and she did not care what the second section of the family wanted. But they should not stop her from doing whatever she wanted to do. Otherwise, she would separate herself from the family.. She was from a capable family like the Yan Family, who should not be offended easily¡­ Chapter 483 - 483: Unwillingness Chapter 483: Unwillingness Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The Yan Family had finally married off their daughter. When she visited her family, the Yan Family looked forward to seeing her again. Her mother swept her into her arms, crying and touching her face. ¡°You have lost weight!¡± Ms. Yan¡¯s father, however, got really pleased seeing theme home with so many presents. He patted Shao Sng¡¯s shoulders, smiling. ¡°You are just too polite. We are a family and you don¡¯t have to give us so many presents. But I am still d that you have many gifts with you today. It means that you think my daughter is important. What matters above all is that you live a great life! You don¡¯t have to bring so many presents next time, remember?¡± The two sons of the Yan Family all nodded in agreement, smiling brightly. Shao Sng smiled back, wiping the sweat drops on his forehead. It was all because his wife fixed it for him. She bought the presents with her own money so that he would not be humiliated or scolded by his father-inw and brothers -inw. Shao Sng now waspletely subdued by his wife. His wife treated him so well¡­ The three men of the Yan Family were talking with Shao Sng whilst Ms. Yan and her mother exchanged a few private words. Hearing that Ms. Yan was living a good life at the Shao Family, everyone smiled. The family had prepared a delicious lunch for them, including stewed chicken, stewed mutton, and pork belly with tofu. They even bought some braised fish from the restaurant and opened a jar of vintage wine just to receive their son-inw. Shao Sng felt so d. He had never been treated so well by anyone before. He almost cheered loud in happiness, when he realized that the dishes were prepared for him only! During lunchtime, the Yan Family kept telling him to treat Ms. Yan well. Shao Sng pped his chest, making many promises. His wife treated him so well, and he was definitely going to treat her well, too! On their way home, the Yan Family gave them abundant presents as well, including two ducks, four pieces of smoked meat, four strings of smoked sausage, two bags of peanut candies, sesame candies, as well as two roasted chicken from the town. Ms. Yan loved roasted chickens and they had been bought especially for her. Since they were into the tofu business, they had prepared two stacks of tofu for them to take home as well. It was tender and snow-white tofu with gauze on the top, carefully ced in each grid, easy for them to carry home. The Yan Family used the best beans to make the tofu and they had a reputation in the territory. Many tofu stores and restaurants ordered their tofu from them. The Yan Family saw the couple off at the entrance of the vige. Ms. Yan¡¯s mother almost cried seeing her daughter leaving, which also drove Ms. Yan to shed tears as well. They were not separated until a long whileter. Shao Sng felt so stressed. He wiped his sweat and said, ¡°Mother-inw treats you so well!¡± Ms. Yan smiled. ¡°They all treat me well. I feel very unhappy to leave them¡­¡¯ Shao Sng smiled. ¡°But we don¡¯t live so far apart. You cane back whenever you want, to visit them.¡± Ms. Yan smiled and said nothing back. She would not be able toe back whenever she wanted, since she was already married. Ms. Niu was really d to see so many things brought back. She kept asking Ms. Yan. ¡°Are you tired? Why don¡¯t you take a break?¡± Then, she asked Shao Meiling to pour tea for her.. Chapter 484 - 484: No Trouble Chapter 484: No Trouble Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Her daughter-inw was not as good as Ms. Qiao, but much better than most of the daughters-inw in the vige. The Yan Family was very wealthy. Look what they had sent back¡­ Ms. Zhang felt sour, annoyed and jealous seeing Ms. Niu smiling at Ms. Yan so gently. She was rich, so what? But for the money, no one would want to marry someone with looks like hers! What was she so proud about? Her mother-inw didn¡¯t like her, she liked her money! Ms. Zhang felt that the world was unfair, especially when both Ms. Yan and Ms. Qiao were favored because of their money! Ms. Yan soon cut a few slices of fresh tofu. Along with a roast chicken, she delivered them to the first section of the family. ¡°Eldest Aunt, I brought these back from my mother¡¯s home. Please, have a taste. Don¡¯t look down at them!¡± ¡°Oh well! You can save them for yourself. I ept your kindness, haha!¡± Ms. Fang was startled. Ms. Yan was being too generous. Ms. Niu and the family would cause a scene when they learned about this. Ms. Fang did not want any trouble. After all, her family did notck any food for the time being. Ms. Yan put down the stuff and smiled. ¡°Please, Eldest Aunt, you are making me feel really guilty. Before I got married, I heard that you are kind, affable and straightforward. So, I respect you a lot. I am just showing my admiration towards you.¡± Having said that, Ms. Yan left. Ms. Fangmented lightly. ¡°Sng¡¯s wife isn¡¯t simple in mind!¡± She smiled and sighed, saying nothing more. She understood what Ms. Yan meant. She had learned something about the rtionship between the first section of the family and the second section of the family before she got married. But even if that was the case, she still respected the first section of the family. Ms. Fang was in a good mood. But she could not help but feel curious. What would the second section of the family do if they learned the truth? Ms. Fang put away the stuff and made up her mind. If Ms. Niu came to ask them back, she was going to return them intact. If Ms. Niu did not show up, then it meant that Ms. Yan had convinced her, which made Ms. Yan seem even more capable. Ms. Fang did not think Ms. Yan would be able to conceal it from Ms. Niu. They were living together, and they would not be able to hide a secret like this. Tofu was small. But Ms. Niu could not have skipped the roasted chicken. Yang Xiaoni and Qiao Xuan were both surprised when they found out about this. Yang Xiaoni¡¯s eyes were widened. ¡°Fourth Sister-inw knows how to maintain rtions with people. But will the Second Aunt forgive her for this?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Well, the Yan Family is rich and she is loved by her family. I guess she has her support.¡± Ms. Fang nced at them and said, ¡°What do you think of her?¡± Yang Xiaoni immediately reacted. ¡°She is very generous!¡± Qiao Xuan understood what her mother-inw meant. How should they keep the rtionship with her? She thought for a while and smiled. ¡°Mom, we can wait and see. Time will tell if she is pretending or is really so generous. You can¡¯t hide your true nature forever. If she is worth associating with, then we can definitely maintain rtions with her. Otherwise, we don¡¯t need to care about it.¡± Ms. Fang pped her hands. ¡°Exactly what I am thinking!¡± Yang Xiaoni. What were they talking about? She did not get it. Ms. Niu noticed the missing roasted chicken and asked her about it. Ms. Yan never thought about concealing her actions from Ms. Niu.. Chapter 485 - 485: Speechless Chapter 485: Speechless Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Sure enough. The questioning came faster than she expected. Ms. Yan was asked immediately when she returned. ¡°Ms. Yan, where is the roasted chicken? Why is it missing?¡± Ms. Yan smiled and replied calmly. ¡°Oh, I just visited Eldest Aunt and gave her some tofu and roasted chicken. I also gave the Third Aunt some tofu and meat.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ms. Niu screamed. ¡°You gave them one whole roasted chicken, and meat?¡± Ms. Yan really hated her when she behaved like this. But she put on a calm look and smiled. ¡°Yes. Eldest Aunt helped us before and I am just paying them back. We are rtives. We should interact with each other sincerely. Isn¡¯t that right, Second Sister-inw?¡± Ms. Zhang sneered. Hearing that Ms. Yan was seeking confirmation from her, she thought that Ms. Yan was dragging her down so they could bear the vented anger from their mother-inw together. She was not going to do that! Ms. Zhang defended herself instantly. ¡°Fourth Sister-inw, you are wrong! The first section of the family is stingy and treats us badly. They don¡¯t share their money with us. We are not cordial with each other any longer. But you delivered food to them? That is a big mistake!¡± Ms. Niu nodded and was about to say something, when Ms. Yan interrupted. ¡°You are wrong, Second Sister-inw. Eldest Aunt and Uncle helped us a lot in the past, which was seen by the whole vige. How can you say such things about them?¡± Ms. Zhang sneered. ¡°You also know that it was in the past!¡± Ms. Yan. ¡°Favor is a favor. The first section of the family has their life to spend, and we are also a family where everyone is healthy. We can do everything ourselves too. If they want to offer some help, that is kind of them. If they don¡¯t want to, that is totally alright as well. After all, they don¡¯t owe us anything, right?¡± ¡°We are cousins with the same grandparents, isn¡¯t it good to be together? If you keep relying on them for help and want them to work for us for free, nobody would offer the help constantly. Honestly, Second Sister-inw, do you want to work for the first section of the family without payment?¡± Ms. Zhang felt that Ms. Yan was mocking her. She snapped. ¡°You know nothing as a newly-wedded bride. I was giving you some insights, but now you are trying to teach me a lesson? You should know what our family is like, else you can ask Mom about it!¡± Ms. Yan said, ¡°Mom talks sensibly and logically. I may not know about our family, but this is a principle that doesn¡¯t change irrespective of the people.¡± Ms. Zhang sneered. ¡°Speak with Mom about this then!¡± Ms. Niii. . Ms. Niu opened her mouth but felt a little bit too embarrassed to say anything. ¡°Ms. Yan, you don¡¯t know anything about family affairs. Anyways, let¡¯s just drop it this time. Ask me next time before you act, okay? When your grandparents-inw passed away, your Eldest Uncle promised to help us. He can¡¯t just ignore the promise!¡± ¡°That is their fault if they break the promise. Look at the house they have now, how wonderful! They ignore us when they have money. That won¡¯t work!¡± Ms. Yan. She was speechless. Whatever she said just now did not have any impact. How should they expect the first section of the family to take care of them? They had their own grandchildren already. Ms. Yan did not answer Ms. Niu directly but smiled. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I only do things which I think I should do.. We should be sensible, right?¡± Chapter 486 - 486: Instigation About Dowry Chapter 486: Instigation About Dowry Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Niu thought that she had agreed to what she instructed. So, she nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat dinner. Ms. Zhang, what are you waiting for? Go and prepare dinner!¡± Ms. Zhang waspletely annoyed. Ms. Yan was the newly-wedded daughter-inw and she should work, not her! Ms. Zhang sneaked a nce at Ms. Yan, indicating that she should offer to make dinner. If Ms. Yan understood the rules, she would take over now. But Ms. Yan ignored her nce and greeted Ms. Niu before heading back to her room. Ms. Niu scolded Ms. Zhang for notplying with her wishes. Ms. Zhang lowered her head and left angrily. She cursed Ms. Yan inside her heart. Ms. Yan had made up her mind to hang out with the first section of the family. When she was not that busy, she would visit the first section of the family whenever she had time. Ms. Niu did not like it at the beginning, but Ms. Yan said that she was a newly-wedded daughter-inw who should hang out with neighbors and rtives. She said that she could even try to see what the first section of the family was busy with. Maybe they could learn about how to make a fortune. Ms. Niu felt that her words made sense. So, she ignored her visits after that. Ms. Yan was good with needles and threads. Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni were both bad at it. So was Ms. Qiao who could not even make the soles. Ms. Fang spoke highly of Ms. Yan¡¯s skills of needles and threads to which Ms. Yan smiled modestly, and offered that she could teach Taotao. Ms. Fang was happy about it. She epted the offer readily. In this way, Ms. Yan spent even more time at the first section of the family¡¯s home. For days, Ms. Yan was having a good time with the first section of the family, and Taotao improved a lot under her guidance. She liked this patient and gentle cousin-inw. Ms. Xu was a little defensive but she did not think this girl was up to anything bad. Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang felt that Ms. Yan seemed to be a little different from the others in the second section of the family. Ms. Fang sighed. Sng was an alright husband. But Ms. Niu and the second son of the family were really annoying. She wondered if Ms. Yan could tolerate living with them for long. Though it seemed that Ms. Niu could not control her, which Ms. Fang found to be strange. Ms. Yan taught Taotao how to work the needles and threads, so Ms. Fang asked her to stay for lunch. Ms.Yan had turned down the offer in the beginning, but started staying backter on. The food served at the first section of the family was much better than that at the second section of the family. Even a single dish of cooked vegetables had a lot of taste, which made Ms. Yan feel so jealous. Yang Xiaoni was bad at needles and threads, but the materials used by her were excellent. Taotao had many things with her, which made Ms. Yan feel even more envious. She swore to herself that she was going to live a better life. One day when Ms. Yan returned home, she heard her second sister-inw whispering to her mother-inw. She leaned forward and tried to hear the conversation. After a while, she frowned and got really furious! Ms. Zhang, that bitch, was trying to make her mother-inw take away her dowry! She knew what kind of family Ms. Zhang was from. Ms. Yan, who grew up in a family filled with love, just did not understand how a man could be so useless that he had to be supported by his married sisters. In her opinion, a man should be able to support the whole family, protect his parents, his wife and siblings. Girls should not have to do anything like this.. They should just have fun! Chapter 487 - 487: Uncomfortable Chapter 487: Ufortable Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She had felt sorry for Ms. Zhang early on and looked down upon Ms. Zhang¡¯s brother. But after she came to this ce, Ms. Zhang was very hostile towards her, so she decided not to befriend her. Since she hated her, why must she suck up to her? She would just stay away from her. After the senior people in the family were gone, they were going to live separately and all they needed to do was to act politely when seeing each other. But Ms. Zhang was so terrible. She even tried to instigate mother-inw to use her dowry! Her dowry was not as generous as that of some nobly-borndy. But her parents and brothers adored her and had given her a lot of things. She had two sets of silver pieces, twenty sets of garments as well as other things and 30 liang in the bottom of the box. None of these could be moved or used easily. Ms. Yan clenched her teeth and left quietly. She did not go to the first section of the family. Instead, she made a big fuss sorting her dowry, intentionally drawing the attention of Ms. Zhang and Ms. Niu. Ms. Zhang felt so sour and sneered, with a mocking smile on her face. ¡°You have got a lot of dowry, haven¡¯t you? Very lucky!¡± Then, she started to mutter inside her head, thinking that none of these would belong to her soon. She did not like it when the dowry would reach their mother-inw. But Ms. Zhang would still be happy that Ms. Yan would have nothing left. These words were exactly what Ms. Yan was waiting for. As long as she mentioned the word dowry, Ms. Yan had the way to continue with the story. Ms. Yan smiled insincerely. ¡°My parents prepared the dowry for me. My mother said that dowry is the biggest guarantee for married girls, and that everything in a girl¡¯s dowry box should be neatly put away and not be used unless the whole family is starving. I was not very good at sorting things when I was at my parents¡¯ home. But now I have arranged it finally. My mom says that she wille to check my dowry every now and then. If she finds out that my stuff is not well sorted or kept well as she told me, she is going to discipline me.¡± ¡°My mom is really fierce. I have to obey her!¡± Ms. Niu suddenly turned really ufortable. Ms. Zhang felt that something weird was going on. She thought that Ms. Yan was referring to her but she could not prove it. Before she could say anything, Ms. Yan smiled at her. ¡°Second Sister-inw, can I ask you how to sort the dowry well? How do you keep your dowry? Should I put things in separate boxes and move them out every now and then and check if there are bugs or anything?¡± ¡°Second Sister-inw, tell me some good methods, so that I can learn, too!¡± Ms. Zhang¡¯s face changed. ¡°You¡­¡± She had no dowry. The rags she had were all delivered to the tailor and she had nothing left! Ms. Niu looked even more ufortable. Ms. Zhang had no words to say when Ms. Niu¡¯s face became ugly. Moreover, it would be very strange if she tried to get involved with Ms. Yan¡¯s dowry discussion. Ms. Niu knew pretty well how the Yan Family loved Ms. Yan as their daughter. She had also made the promise of adoring her, which was why the Yan Family decided to marry her to their family. The Yan Family could not be offended easily. Also, Ms. Yan looked like someone with ideas, too. What if Ms. Yan¡¯s mother really checked her dowry when she came over and found that something was missing. Things would be really horrible at that time.. Chapter 488 - 488: Your Intention Chapter 488: Your Intention Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Yan sneered inwardly, but showed no expression on her face. She smiled apologetically and went to sort her dowry boxes. Ms. Zhang was so angry. She snapped. ¡°I have no dowry and I have nothing to give Mom. But you are different, Fourth Sister-inw. You are trying to shut Mom up! You are so stingy! Look at the Fifth Sister-inw! She offers her things to cousins and Eldest Aunt all the time!¡± ¡°Just shut up!¡± Ms. Niu snapped. ¡°You also know that you have nothing to give me, right? I have never asked you to. As long as you don¡¯t move stuff to your family, I would be assured.¡± Ms. Niu suddenly realized that even though Ms. Yan did not offer her dowry, she would at least not take things to her own family. The Yan Family were very generous in giving out stuff, and they would benefit more in the future. She did not have to eye her daughter-inw¡¯s dowry now. They could talk about this in the future. Like she said, she would offer it when their family ran into problems. Ms. Zhang, who had tried to irritate Ms. Yan, got lectured by Ms. Niu instead. She felt furious but could not counter her. So she nodded timidly. Ms. Zhang went to the garden to pick vegetables, and Ms. Yan followed behind, smiling at her. ¡°Hello, Second Sister-inw!¡± Ms. Zhang was startled. She pped her chest to calm herself down. She red at Ms. Yan, and responded sarcastically. ¡°You are here, Fourth Sister-inw. What are you doing here? Mom gives me so much work to do, but nothing to you. Did you find that unfair, so you came to help me share the burden?¡± Ms. Yan smiled. ¡°Mom has her own reasons to arrange our work loads. You can speak with her if you are not happy about it. There is no point in talking about it with me. It is not up to you to judge whether I work or not. I don¡¯t think I am doing anything wrong.¡± Ms. Zhang did get much more work to do as per Ms. Niu¡¯s arrangement. But Ms. Yan was not idling around either. The Yan Family loved their daughter but they had raised her well. That was why the Yan Family did not marry her off earlier. They thought that she was very nice and smart. Ms. Yan did not think that Ms. Niu was wrong in getting her to do extra work, since Ms. Zhang kept thinking about stealing stuff from her husband¡¯s home and giving them to her own home. Ms. Zhang turned furious, and threw the basket on the floor. She said coldly, ¡°What do you want, Yan Jiao?¡± ¡°That is my question to you, Second Sister-inw!¡± Ms.Yan¡¯s smile faded. Her face turned cold and she said, ¡°I have just got married and never offended you. Why are you so hostile towards me? You even asked Mom to take control of my dowry. What is your intention, Second Sister-inw?¡± Ms. Zhang¡¯s face changed immediately. ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± ¡°I heard your conversation.¡± Ms. Yan sneered. ¡°I am not giving my dowry away to anyone, so Second Sister-inw, drop your idea. You don¡¯t have to like me and we can just go separate ways. But if you ever dare to y tricks behind my back, I will let you know what I am capable of.¡± Having said that, Ms. Yan threw a cold nce at her and left. Ms. Zhang shivered with anger. ¡°How dare she! This bitch, this arrogant bitch!¡± Ms. Zhang was angry at Ms. Yan and the first section of the family, too. The first section of the family must have taught her to behave like this, since they spent so much time together.. Chapter 489 - 489: Busy Spring Chapter 489: Busy Spring Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Yan felt quite distressed, too. She came from a peaceful family and the first section of the family of the Shao Family was quite peaceful, too. But her mother-inw was stupid, and her sister-inw was narrow-minded and jealous of her. She was so upset. She was thinking about spending two more years here, and then making a huge fuss to separate the families. She would rather give money and grain to her inws than live with them. It was just too stressful! The following day, Ms. Yan visited the first section of the family again. Qiao Xuan talked about visiting the mountains the next day. She mentioned that they would be busy with a lot of things, thus won¡¯t be working with the needles and thread. The weather was getting warmer. The flower fields needed to be loosened, the gardens needed to be tidied up, and the cultivation of tea seedlings was about to begin. After all of these were done, the shiitake mushrooms, wooden ears, and snow fungus would be picked again. Also, the tea tree seedlings in the mountains would be ready to be picked. It was time to do the transntation. The branches of the sapling fruit would also need to be cut. Spring plows should be prepared for thend at the Zhang Vige, and they had to get ready to nt lotus and raise fish in the pond as well. Moreover, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan would need to visit the province again. They were going to sell dried mushrooms, wooden ears and snow fungus this time. When they returned, the peach and apricot flowers would have bloomed. The first patch of roses would bloom as well¡­ The spring would be a busy time for them. Especially when it came to nting trees and the creeping figs as well as lipsticks. All of these were important and big projects. They had very few people who could help. Hence, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan needed to visit the province as soon as possible so as to hire and buy somebor. When they got some time during the intervals, they would go into the mountains to walk around. Everyone except for Qi had not been there for a long while. They all kind of missed it. Even Shao Yunduan had decided to follow along. They were all used to seeing Ms. Yan at their ce these days. Feeling delighted, Taotao smiled at Ms. Yan. ¡°Cousin, do you want to join us?!¡± Everyone was startled hearing that. Although Ms. Yan went on well with Qiao Xuan and Taotao, she was from the second section of the family, and there was still estrangement between them. Ms. Yan was aware of this point as well. But if Taotao mentioned this, it basically meant that she was being treated as a part of them. Even Taotao realized that she had said something wrong. Seeing Taotao¡¯s embarrassment, Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Yeah, Cousin, want to join us? We can have fun together.¡± Ms. Yan nodded in delight. ¡°If you can take me, I would like to join you!¡± She knew clearly what position Qiao Xuan had in the first section of the family. Even someone as troublesome as Ms. Xu was conquered, let alone others. Actually, Qiao Xuan was speaking on behalf of the whole first section of the family. Taotao let out a sigh of relief, smiling as she gave a grateful look to Qiao Xuan. ¡°It¡¯s a deal. Cousin,e early in the morning. We will be leaving early.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After deciding this, they started to talk about the trip into the mountains. It was a lively conversation. Back in the room, Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan. ¡°Darling, you are well-read and see things far more clearly. What do you think of this new cousin?¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled. ¡°You like to hang out with her. That is your gut feeling, right?¡± The two of them exchanged a look, and Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You are too smart which makes me feel smart as well.. Chapter 490 - 490: Feeling Closer Chapter 490: Feeling Closer Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions . ¡® Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Cousin seems okay. The second section of the family is lucky to have her. She can control them.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded and said, ¡°Yeah. We just need to talk sense with her and any matter can be solved!¡± But Second Aunt and Second Uncle would get really annoyed because of her existence. Qiao Xuan admired her cousin deeply. If she had been married to a family like that, she would have run away¡­ Early in the morning, Ms. Yan showed up. The first section of the family had already made buns the night before and steamed them the following day. It was still cold enough to keep them from turning rancid overnight. They made sauerkraut, winter bamboo shoots with smoked meat diced stuffing, and vermicelli egg stuffing. They also steamed a lot of flower rolls with chopped green onions, and white flour steamed buns to take along for Ms. Yan shared breakfast with the rest of the family and left before dawn just broke. They felt so happy to be in the mountains, which they had not been to in a long while. In this cold spring, the mountains were still green. The trees had not yet grown leaves, and the dead grass had also not yet grown new leaves. But the bare branches were already densely covered with buds with ayer of cuticle. As they gently pushed away the withered grass, they could see the tender yellow buds. After just a few days, the spring breeze would blow, and the buds would bloom overnight. That would be a sight of vitality and greenery. Qiao Xuan¡¯s inner superpower was sensing the world outside. It was moving, umting power and was ready to burst out. Everyone was talking excitedly. There were no wild vegetables to pick. So, they picked some yams. Qi was put on the task to do the hunting. As always, he was very skillful. He pulled the bow and always hit the targets. Yang Xiaoni and Taotao as well as Shao Sang all cheered. They went up to pick the hunted animals. It was the first time for Ms. Yan to watch such a scene. She was startled. Qi was so good with bows and arrows. Honestly, with him around, the first section of the family would enjoy a good life for the rest of the days. Moreover, Shao Yunduan had be a Cultivated Talent and Qiao Xuan was from a family of officials. Ms. Yan was in awe of Qi and found that her inws were totally stupid in their heads. She was going to tell her husband not to talk ill about the first section of the family, or be calctive with them. They harvested a lot after half a day. They had dozens of wild roosters, rabbits, grouses and pigeons. Qiao Xuan had seasoning spices with her, so they could eat roasted wild roosters and rabbits. As the sun shone upon them, wind blew by. It was not so cold there. Once the fire was lit, they felt nothing but warmth. They chose to start the fire close to the water source. They removed the skin and fur of the animals and soon put the wild rooster and wild rabbit into the bamboo and ced them over the fire. They had good control of the heat, and put salt, homemade five-spice powder on top of them. They spread honey twice in the middle, and finally sprinkled chili powder on the skin. It looked like the skin was crispy and the meat was tender, especially delicious. Ms. Yan was not a foodie. But she could not help feeling attracted to the food. Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang could not wait to have a bite. The texture was crispy and it smelled fragrant. The roasting was well done and people just could not stop wanting to devour all of it.. Chapter 491 - 491: Take It Slow Chapter 491: Take It Slow Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Sang could not help but speak up. ¡°We have harvested a lot today. Fifth Sister-inw, what about doing a grill in our backyard tonight?¡± They had been making different kinds of dishes during the New Year, and they tried grilling once, which left a good impression on everyone. Now they had a spacious ce, much easier to grill. Everyone nodded, as they heard Shao Sang¡¯s suggestion. Grilling was a lot of fun and delicious. It appealed to everyone¡¯s taste buds. No one could turn it down. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go down now. Or we will have no time to marinate the meat!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go home now!¡± Seeing that everyone wasughing and cheering together, Ms. Yan smiled but felt jealous. She did not think that her own family could be as close as them. Qiao Xuan smiled at her and offered. ¡°Join us!¡± Ms. Yan did want to join them, but she shook her head and smiled. ¡°Next time. It is getting cold and it won¡¯t be ok to leave home at night.¡± It was not a good thing for her to go to the first section of the family alone at night. She could hide it from everyone else, except for her husband. But the first section of the family did not invite her husband, and she could not possibly mention it to them herself. But it was not the first section of the family¡¯s fault. The second section of the family was too annoying and unfriendly to them before. She was already quite happy that Taotao and Qiao Xuan epted her so fast. She could take it slow to mend the rtionship. Obviously, Qiao Xuan and her family had thought about this as well. So they did not insist. On the way home, they dug up some fresh yams, winter bamboo and went home with the harvest. Qiao Xuan felt a bit sad about theck of fresh vegetables. It was not time to eat different kinds of wild vegetables. When spring came, they could eat ferns, spring bamboo shoots, mushrooms, dandelion seedlings, shepherd¡¯s purse, Chinese toons, wild onions, wild leeks, cress etc. Back at home, Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°You are back early today. Oh, you got so many things!¡± Shao Sang smiled. ¡°We came home early to grill!¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°No wonder you are home early. You are greedy for delicious food! It must have been your idea!¡± Everyoneughed. It was always Shao Sang who came up with the idea about food. Ms. Fang picked three winter bamboos, one wild rooster and one wild rabbit to let Ms. Yan take back home. Ms. Yan turned her down, but Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°You can¡¯t go home empty handed, right? We have many things, just take them!¡± Ms. Yan thanked her and left. When Ms. Yan was gone, they started to do a series ofbor work including boiling water to remove hair, picking vegetables from the garden, preparing charcoal fire and wire, as well as lighting up the stove. Ms. Xu¡¯s belly had not yet stuck out. This baby did not stir up a lot of trouble in her stomach, so she was fine and could eat all kinds of things. Qiao Xuan and Qi started to prepare the grill, which attracted Ms. Xu¡¯s attention, who helped with preparations as well. They had 13 wild roosters, eight wild rabbits, roosters and pigeons and five other big wild birds. They gave away two to Ms. Yan but still had many left. They could not finish them in one go. So, Qiao Xuan decided to salt them and hang them up to turn them into smoked food. Only when they were smoked could they be kept for a longer time.. Chapter 492 - 492: Disapproval Chapter 492: Disapproval Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They used two roosters, and a rabbit and cut them into different slices. The meat was marinated with seasoning for the grill. They even marinated wings, chickens¡¯ stomachs and feet, so everyone was able to have a portion each. They picked several three-finger wide crucian carps for marination as well. There were a few quibs as well added in. Apart from the meat dishes, they also prepared a few vegetables, including fresh shiitake mushrooms, leeks, winter bamboo shoot slices, winter melon slices, pumpkin slices, yam slices, Chinese cabbages, etc. To avoid the grill getting too oily, they chopped the roosters and pigeons into four big dices and marinated them with ginger and cooked wine for porridge. Qiao Xuan made the seasoning. In the evening, they started the fire for the grill. The two stoves were covered with wire, and pieces of marinated meat were roasted on them. Soon, the meat started to sizzle and smelled great. Shao Junyan and Shao Qing were walking around, eagerly waiting to eat. They could hearughter in the backyard. Ms. Niu was very happy to see Ms. Yan bringing wild roosters and rabbits as well as bamboo home. Ms. Yan said that she bought them from Eldest Aunt, who sold them at a very low price. She even gave her the winter bamboos. Hearing that some money was spent, Ms. Niu felt heart-broken. Sheined in an annoyed voice. ¡°Your Eldest Aunt is bullying you! She even asked you for money!¡± Ms. Yan was speechless. She forced a smile and said, ¡°Mom, Eldest Aunt did not want it, but I insisted. We can¡¯t always take free things from them, right? I would not give away things for free if they ask me all the time as well. Also, it is really cheap! Let¡¯s cook the rooster with winter bamboo and leave the rabbit for tomorrow night!¡± Ms. Niii. . She did not like what Ms. Yan said, but she did not counter her. But when she thought that she did not pay herself and Ms. Yan did it for her sake, so she decided not to continue discussing it. She still added. ¡°Don¡¯t be so silly next time. Qi can hunt, and he can share stuff with us easily. We don¡¯t need to pay them!¡± Ms. Yan smiled. ¡°I am going to cook now¡­¡± Ms. Yan found the whole concept so strange. How could someone take things without paying and still find it reasonable? But she could not say anything against her mother-inw, though she disapproved of her behavior. But she could say something to her husband¡­ The next day, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan went to the Zhang Vige. They visited Ding Erzhu and his wife as well as a few tenants, discussing plowing when spring arrived. Then, they met the Land Officer at the Zhang Vige, informing him that the creeping figs and tea trees would be ready for cutting. This was the right time. It was neither cold nor hot, and the cuttings and transnting would not lose water. After the first spring rain, they could quickly revive, take root and germinate. Also, Qiao Xuan was surely going to take care of those nts with her superpower. They would survive and grow well. The vigers were willing to make some money for the early spring plow. Qiao Xuan asked the vigers to apply at Ding Erzhu¡¯s ce. There were ten vacancies maximum, one from each family, until the positions were filled. The vigers would do the cutting, whilst the tenants would do transnting. When the arrangement was done, they went into the mountains to dig tea tree seedlings and cut the creeping figs. They asked only their own people to do the work, rather than anyone outside the family.. Chapter 493 - 493: Rolling Eyes Chapter 493: Rolling Eyes Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan had be very confident after learning from Master Yun for so many days. He was a smart person to begin with and he could pick up things fast. During this period, Shao Yunduan went to help with the digging of tea tree seedlings as well. Eventually, Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, Shao Sang and his wife, Shao Dng and Qi as well as Taotao were all there. Ms. Xu would have joined them as well if she was not pregnant. She really wished to make money but she was pregnant so she dropped the idea. Eldest Uncle did not know what Qiao Xuan was up to. But seeing that they were out going out, he said, ¡°If you need any help, get Eng and Sng to help you. Meiling could be helpful too, if Taotao is with you.¡± Shao Sang could not help but roll his eyes. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°We are not short ofborers, thanks!¡± Eldest Uncle. ¡® . He suspected that Qiao Xuan was doing that on purpose but he had no evidence for that. The ces where golden sprouts andvenders grew had many tea tree seedlings. So, they dug them out, tied them up and transported them on the donkey carts to the Zhang Vige and passed them onto the tenants. The days were not yet warm, and Qiao Xuan decided to wait a little longer for the seedlings to be nted. They did not have many tea tree seedlings. Hence, they spent four days digging everything that could be dug away. They had five mu of golden sprouts and three mu ofvender at the Zhang Vige. These tea seedlings could be picked this autumn, and Qiao Xuan thought that the effort was worth it. It was a test for the tea processors to train themselves, so the whole process could be smooth henceforth. It will soon rise to a certain scale next year. With her superpower as the assistant, they would definitely have a lot of tea leaves next year. They had just finished digging when Shao Dng was summoned to the meeting. They were going to fix the main canal, and that¡¯s why Land Officer Ding gathered everyone for the meeting. As a result, Shao Dng did not join them to dig the creeping figs. There were three main canals in the vige. All the water for irrigation of paddy fields was brought through these three main canals. Thergest and longest main canal had not been repaired for many years, and it was high time. When the Land Officer mentioned it, no one objected. Therefore, all the households involved in the irrigation of the main canal would providebor and take turns to repair it. The first section of the Shao Family also had a field to draw water from the canal, so Shao Dng had to repair it too. It would take three days. Qiao Xuan and the others continued to go into the mountains to cut the creeping figs, whilst Shao Dng went to fix the canal. This work was much easier, and faster than digging seedlings. They cut a certain amount, sent it to the Zhang Vige in one day and had it cut into pieces of more than 20 centimeters. The amount of cuttings in a day was enough to cover ten mu. At this rate, they would only need five days to finish the work. Qiao Xuan asked Shao Yunduan to stop during thest three days. ¡°There is only a little work left, and we have enough help. You should stay at home and study! ¡± Shao Yunduan could help when they were very busy, but not all the time. He was about to have lessons with Master Yun, thus he agreed. ¡°Then, you should take it slow. We have enough time toplete this.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and agreed. But not long after they returned home, someone rushed to them and said, ¡°Dng passed out because a stone hit his legs!¡± Chapter 494 - 494: Care Chapter 494: Care Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Everyone¡¯s face changed. Ms. Xu almost passed out, but was supported by Yang Xiaoni at thest minute. Qiao Xuan asked in a calm manner. ¡°Just the legs, right? Nothing else? It is fine, we can hire a doctor if he suffers from pain. Don¡¯t worry, Elder Sister-inw!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Ms. Fang nodded, as she saw the messenger. ¡°My son is okay otherwise, isn¡¯t he?¡± That man felt a little scared seeing Ms. Xu getting frightened. After all, it was a pregnant woman. If something happened to the baby, the first section of the family would kill him for bringing that message. He said, ¡°No, nothing else. Just the stone that hit his legs¡­¡± Qiao Xuan thanked him swiftly and said, ¡°Mom, let Third Brother and Qi get him home now. I will go with Taotao into the town to fetch a doctor. Just console Elder Sister-inw and tell her he will be fine. Shao Yunduan had taken the donkey cart when he went to Master Yun¡¯s ce. Shao Sang was always the one driving, but he was helping Qiao Xuan with the creeping fig this time around, and hence did not follow him into the town. Ms. Fang calmed herself down. ¡°Okay, okay, you should head off now. Third and Qi, hurry up! Ms. Xu, don¡¯t worry, he just hurt his legs, nothing else. We are vigers who would inevitably get wounded sometimes.¡± Qiao Xuan and Taotao left in a hurry. Ms. Xu let out a sigh of relief, forcing a smile. ¡°You are right, Mom. I am fine¡­ Soon, Ms. Yan hurried in. ¡°Elder Aunt, anything I can do to help? Don¡¯t worry, he is a lucky guy, and he should be fine. Also, stones used for the canals would not be too big and he would not be so badly-injured.¡± Although that might not be the truth, yet Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu felt assured hearing some reassuring words. They nodded and threw a grateful look at Ms. Yan. Ms. Fang asked Ms. Yan to keep Ms. Xupany along with taking care of Shao Junyan and Shao Dng, whilst she went into the kitchen to boil water. She was waiting for Shao Dng to return and tried hard to press down the anxiety. Soon, Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma as well as Ms. Zhang came over. Everyone expressed their concerns. ¡°Dng¡¯s leg should be fine, right?¡± ¡°He should have been more careful!¡± ¡°Is he badly injured? He may not be able to do the spring plow if he is injured!¡± ¡°He passed out in pain! Not sure if that is true.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He is alive, right? He just needs some treatment.¡± ¡°And even if he is handicapped, you can still survive without him, right?¡± Ms. Fang got so annoyed that she wanted to drive them out. ¡°Just stop showing your concern and go make your food. I am too busy to receive you here!¡± Did they have any idea what they were talking about? They might as well shut She was not in a mood to argue with them but she got very angry hearing what they said. Ms. Yan was speechless. She knew that her brainless mother-inw would say something stupid. So, she had asked her mother-inw not toe along with her, and she could just pass on the message. But¡­ she still came. Sure enough, she talked nonsense. Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma did not dare to irritate Ms. Fang anymore at the moment.. Chapter 495 - 495: Result Chapter 495: Result Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions If Ms. Fang got annoyed and drove them away, they would suffer. Seeing Ms. Yan keep Ms. Xupany, Ms. Zhang felt very ufortable, but she still smiled. ¡°Let me stay with my cousin as well!¡± Ms. Fang threw a nce at her and said, ¡°Ms. Yan is enough. You can leave.¡± Ms. Zhang felt so annoyed inside her heart. She was looking down at her¡­ She forced a smile. ¡°Eldest Aunt, let me stay and free up Fourth Sister-inw¡¯s hands. She is still too young to understand anything. I can keep my cousinpany.¡± ¡°Ms. Yan knows her well!¡± Ms. Fang turned impatient. ¡°I have no time to argue with you. Just leave!¡± Ms. Yan added in a calm tone. ¡°Second Sister-inw, just go home to make food for mom. I can take care of my cousin. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Ms. Yan was trying to help Ms. Zhang get rid of the embarrassment. But Ms. Zhang did not appreciate it. She felt that Ms. Yan was mocking and sneering at her, and showing off in front of her. She threw a re at Ms. Yan and left quietly. She was filled with anger inside her heart. She felt jealous and annoyed. She was mistreated so badly. In her opinion it was because Ms. Yan was richer than her. Ms. Yan was treated well by both her mother-inw and the first section of the family. They just knew how to take advantage of others! All These people should suffer one day! They were the bad ones¡­ Qiao Xuan and Taotao managed to rent a bull cart to travel into the town. They kept urging the uncle to drive faster. The driver also understood that they were in need of a doctor at the moment. But the bull cart could not go too fast. As they reached the town, Qiao Xuan spoke with Manager Qin from Mingren Tang, who packed up his stuff and went out with the pageboys, even though it was closing time. Taotao and Qiao Xuan as well as the doctor and pageboy went in the wagon, whilst the uncle drove the bull cart alone and slowly. When they arrived home, it was bustling in the room. Everyone was present, talking about things. Shao Yunduan and Qi were waiting for them at the gate and finally saw them return. ¡°Fifth Brother! How is Elder Brother?!¡± Taotao almost shed tears. Shao Yunduan said gently, ¡°Elder Brother has woken up. He is alright. Doctor Qin, please, this way!¡± They heard the arrival of the doctor and spared the way for him. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged a nce and reminded Ms. Fang, seeing so many people around. Ms. Fang brought herself back and thanked everyone present, driving them away. Shao Yunduan asked the crowd to go out and Shao Sang helped to drive them away as well. They left seeing that the doctor was here and it was gettingte in the day. It also seemed that the Shao Family did not need much help. They did not want to be in the way at this time. Second Uncle and Third Uncle were still waiting for the diagnosis. Doctor Qin checked Shao Dng¡¯s wounds and his heart skipped a beat. He was experienced and did not reveal his inner thoughts easily. Third Uncle could not wait and asked. ¡°How is it, Doctor Qin, can my nephew keep his leg? Many people say that it is a severe injury!¡± Ms. Fang shouted furiously. ¡°Just shut up!¡± Chapter 496 - 496: Nice Words Chapter 496: Nice Words Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Third Uncle said unhappily, ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, you can¡¯t vent anger on us. I am simply telling the truth. We can¡¯t ignore the facts!¡± ¡°Just get out of here! Now!¡± Ms. Fang turned furious, pushing Third Uncle out of the room despite other guests being present there. Third Uncle snapped. ¡°What are you doing? I am concerned about my nephew! I can¡¯t change the truth no matter what I say, you are just so confused!¡± ¡°Get out of here!¡± ¡°Eldest Brother, look at this!¡± ¡°Please leave.¡± Shao Yunduan said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb Doctor Qin while treating my elder brother. Otherwise, we will not spare you.¡± ¡°Yes! You are simply talking nonsense, why should we be nice to you? We don¡¯t need your care!¡± Shao Sang and the brothers went up and red at Third Uncle. Eldest Uncle stopped Shao Sang and Shao Yunduan, sighing. ¡°Please, leave now. We can take care of Dng here and we will keep you updated. Your Eldest Sister-inw is just very anxious, please don¡¯t hold a grudge against her.¡± Ms. Fang sneered and spat at them. Shao Sang and his brothers pushed them out. Third Uncle and Second Uncle got annoyed, cursing that the family was heartless in the face of their concern. They finally left in anger. Seeing the scene, Ms. Yan got up and waved them goodbye automatically. Ms. Fang nodded and said gently, ¡°Thanks for your help today!¡± ¡°You are wee. My pleasure.¡± When the outsiders were gone, everyone turned nervous as they turned to Manager Qin. Qiao Xuan had already told Manager Qin about Ms. Xu¡¯s pregnancy. She said that if the situation was bad, he should share the truth privately. Manager Qin examined Shao Dng¡¯s calf which was in a terrible situation. It might have been broken to a serious degree, and he might be limping from this day on. His right leg would not be strong enough to stand any heavy work. Also, during the change of seasons, it might hurt every time. Manager Qin sighed emotionally. But he felt that the Shao Family had a good status and Shao Yunduan was a Cultivated Talent whilst Qiao Xuan could make a lot of money. So, one limpingborer might not cause any problems for the family¡¯s livelihood. But he was going to be handicapped henceforth. That was a hurtful thing for all. ¡°He should be fine soon. Just take a good rest and wait for the injury to recover¡­¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged a look. Their hearts sank. Manager Qin was making a vague statement. They understood what he meant. Ms. Fang and the others did not notice the slight difference. They looked cheerful and smiled in relief. ¡°For real? That is great!¡± ¡°I know he will be fine!¡± ¡°Elder Brother, don¡¯t worry. Just take a good rest. I am sure you will get better soon!¡± ¡°Yeah, Elder Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry!¡± Shao Dng let out a sigh of relief and turned to Ms. Xu who had a pale face, smiling and nodding. ¡°Thank you all for looking after me¡­¡± ¡°Elder Brother, you are being too polite!¡± ¡°That is true!¡± Ms. Xu smiled too. Her eyes were wet, and she felt grateful and moved. They were lucky to have escaped. Manager Qin put an ointment and re-bandaged Shao Dng¡¯s wound. He wrote some prescriptions and medical herbs for Shao Dng to eat and put on his legs. He had many medicines with him for leg treatment.. Chapter 497 - 497: Not Good Chapter 497: Not Good Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions In a few days, they needed to go into the town to fetch another portion of medicine. Otherwise, Manager Qin coulde to check on him after five days. They could just use the medicine they had right now till then. Ms. Fang insisted that Manager Qin shoulde and check him again. The Shao Family would dly pay for the medical bills and fare. Manager Qin nodded. He needed to go back to the town, and waved goodbye to the first section of the family. The gate of the town was closed at this hour. But he was the doctor, so he had the special right to be allowed inside. All he needed to do was to show the patrol soldiers his identity card and to write down on the register what he had done and where he had been to. The first section of the family thanked him gratefully. Ms. Qiao told Ms. Fang that she had already paid him. ¡°Just rest well, Mom.¡± Ms. Fang nodded and sighed. ¡°Good child. You have had a long day too. I will give the money to youter.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded and walked out with Shao Yunduan, Manager Qin and his pageboys. ¡°Manager Qin¡­ Manager Qin sighed slightly, knowing that these two had already understood what he meant. He said in a small voice, ¡°I am sorry, but Dng is in a bad condition. His legs might not¡­ be well again.¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Manager Qin, please. Tell me what we can do to make Elder Brother recover. We are willing to try everything.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Manager Qin smiled bitterly. ¡°I am a doctor. I am not going to hide anything from you since you trust me. The bones of his calf and leg are seriously damaged, and the tendons are injured. Even the orthopedic master who is best at bone-setting can¡¯t guarantee that he can recover fully. I¡¯m afraid¡­ ¡°Well, he should be able to walk, except¡­ except that it will not be as convenient as before, and he won¡¯t be able to do any heavy work.¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s face sank. ¡°No other solution?¡± Manager Qin shook his head slightly. ¡°Almost impossible.¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Almost impossible, but there is a small possibility of recovering, right?¡± Manager Qin did not know what to say. ¡°It can be taken as that.¡± But full recovery was almost impossible. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That is good. Elder Brother has always been healthy and maybe he can recover fast. He should eat well and rest well, so he can get better, right?¡± Manager Qin. ¡°¡­Well¡­ makes sense.¡± Shao Yunduan greeted him. ¡°Thanks, Manager Qin. Take care on the way!¡± ¡°I am off now.¡± Manager Qin greeted back and left with his pageboys. ¡°Darling, Elder Brother will recover.¡± Shao Yunduan felt his heart warm. He nodded slightly. ¡°Yes. He will.¡± ¡°I am thinking about visiting the province and asking Brother Yuezheng and Brother Xie for help, to see if any expert doctors cane and take a look at him.¡± Qiao Xuan was startled. She had thought about showing her abilities. After all, she managed to heal the Old Master of the Yuezheng Family. But Shao Yunduan¡¯s words made sense. Manager Qin told them what might happen. But they would not give up unless they tried everything. ¡°Okay, then. You can go tomorrow, and I will take care of the family. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Ms. Fang was in a panic mode and she might not be capable of handling things currently. No one but Qiao Xuan could bear the responsibilities of managing the house as of now.. Chapter 498 - 498: Strange Chapter 498: Strange Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan felt much calmer. They returned to the room and heardughter. Everyone in there believed that Shao Dng would be able to recoverpletely, thus feeling rxed. Seeing the scene, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan felt even worse. They just could not imagine what the family would be like if Elder Brother¡¯s leg never healed. Especially Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu¡­ Shao Yunduan put on a rtively cheerful face and said, ¡°Elder Brother, what on earth happened today? Do you still remember?¡± Everyone fell silent and turned to Shao Dng. Ms. Fang asked with her teeth clenched. ¡°Yes, tell me. What happened? Such a thing should not have urred! ¡± The part of the canal that Shao Dng was working on, was not on a high ce. How could a stone hit him so badly? Shao Dng smiled bitterly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention. Ding Jinfa and Ding Jincai were carrying a huge rock as they passed by the hill and got tripped. Then, the rock rolled down along the hill and I failed to dodge it.¡± Ms. Fang felt so annoyed. ¡°That is all?¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Ms. Fang clenched her teeth. ¡°They hurt you and they have said nothing to us? This is not done!¡± Ms. Xu agreed. Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until tomorrow to see what they will do.¡± It was an ident. But Shao Dng was unlucky enough to have run into the luC11L. They all became less cheerful than before. Yang Xiaoni and Taotao made dinner and they found the day had turned dark and everyone was starving. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Sang, take the food to your Elder Brother first and you can eatter.¡± ¡°Okay, Mom!¡± Ms. Xu smiled. ¡°Mom, let me do that! I am capable of such small things.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled too. ¡°Yeah, Mom. Let the Elder Sister-inw eat with the Elder Brother. They can keep each otherpany.¡± ¡°That sounds great!¡± Ms. Xu added. Ms. Fang did not oppose it. She smiled and nodded in agreement. Shao Sang was a foodie. But he could take the food to his Elder Brother before he himself ate. Qiao Xuan admired their brotherhood. There was no news overnight. The next day, Shao Yunduan left before the dawn broke. He was going to ask about doctors in the province. Shao Yunduan did not tell Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle about this until this morning. It was Qiao Xuan who mentioned it. They all cheered. ¡°That is great. Dng will be healed soon!¡± Ms. Xu was so moved as she turned to Qiao Xuan. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, thank you all!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Elder Sister-inw. We are a family!¡± Due to what happened to Shao Dng, they did not go into the mountains to cut the creeping fig. Shao Sang and Shao Xiaoqi were busy taking care of Shao Dng. Qiao Xuan asked Taotao to keep herpany to drive to the Zhang Vige and to deliver the creeping figs which they had cut the day before, so Ding Erzhu and the others could nt them after a few days. Second Uncle and Third Uncle came to check on the situation early the next day. Seeing Ms. Fang in a good mood, they heard Ms. Fang telling them that Shao Dng would recover after a few days. They all nodded cheerfully and showed some care before leaving.. Chapter 499 - 499: Apology Chapter 499: Apology Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The news that Shao Dng would not limp was spread across the whole vige. Only then did Ding Jincai and his brother, together with their parents, came to the Shao Family to apologize, with lowered heads. Ms. Fang, Ms. Xu and Ms. Qiao were really displeased, especially Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu. They should havee to apologize the day before. But they simply rushed home after causing the ident, and Shao Dng was not even carried back by them. They came to apologize only after they heard that Dng was getting better. Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°What a rare thing that you remember to drop by today! I thought you chose to forget about it.¡± Ms. Xu was always quiet. But she added ironically this time. ¡°I thought they would have been here yesterday!¡± The two brothers of the Ding Family and their parents looked very embarrassed. Ding Jincai¡¯s mother forced a smile. ¡°Apologies, they were too scared to face the matter. Both of us were furious with them. We scolded and beat them yesterday. But it was toote to visit you, so wee this morning. It is their fault, but please, don¡¯t be mad¡­¡± Ms. Fang found the behavior to be disgusting. But she snorted coldly, without saying anything more. Eldest Uncle coughed. ¡°It was an ident. No one wanted it to happen. Dng is doing well and you have already apologized to us, so¡­¡± Ms. Fang cut in. ¡°So that is it? Luckily, my son is fortunate and strong. But when are you going to pay us the medical fees?¡± Ding Jincai and his brother, as well as parents, were startled. ¡°Medical fees?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ms. Fang said, ¡°My son can¡¯t just both suffer physically and spend money too! ¡± Ding Jincai mumbled. ¡°But we have no money. And you are so rich¡­¡± His parents were silent but they showed the same expression. Ms. Fang got annoyed and snapped. ¡°You made a mistake, and you don¡¯t even pay for the medical fees? It doesn¡¯t matter if we are rich or not.¡± ¡°They did not do that on purpose!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Then, if someone does not do that on purpose, they can also just offer an apology and leave?¡± ¡°Yeah, how can that be so easy and simple?¡± Ms. Fang threw a look at them. ¡°You pay half, okay?¡± The Ding Family exchanged a look between themselves, at a loss of words. They did not do it deliberately. But Shao Dng did get injured because of them. The Shao Family was already kind enough to let them pay half of the medical fees. There was nothing they could do, if they forced them to pay the full bill. ¡°Okay¡­ then¡­¡± Jincai¡¯s father sighed, smiling bitterly. ¡°My sons made a mistake, and we will cover the fees.¡¯ Ms. Fang looked less annoyed and added. ¡°You can pay us two liang first. I am not over charging you. Those are real costs. Else, you can ask Manager Qin at Mingren Tang in the town about it.¡± They believed what she said but they could not ept it. Jincai¡¯s parents tried to look poor and pleaded with Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle about cutting the fees, which was turned down by Ms. Fang. She did not care about the exact amount. She just did not like how it happened.. Chapter 500 - 500: Decision Chapter 500: Decision Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Her son met an unexpected ident and she was already so annoyed and concerned. She spared some part of the fees for them and they still tried to bargain? Finally, it was Ding Jincai who agreed suddenly. His parents were so anxious. But he nodded too fast and Ms. Fang epted it quickly enough for his parents to be unable to turn the table. So, they had no choice but to go and fetch the money. Land Officer Ding came to visit them too. He even asked Shao Dng to get well and not worry about having to work for the repair of the canal any more. That made Ms. Fang and the whole family annoyed. Shao Dng got injured because of the canal repair work. Although they did need the canal themselves, it was a project organized by the whole vige. The vige should pay some respect for Shao Dng¡¯s injuries. Land Officer Ding did not even show up earlier. He just asked his wife toe and check it out, showing a little concern and saying that they did not need to get involved with thebor for the canal repair any longer as if the Shao Family was taking advantage of him. He was the Land Officer, and he was not rted to the project directly. Ms. Fang and the family could not do anything about it. So, they dropped it. Qiao Xuan still decided to do something about it. ¡°I know some acupuncture. Mom, Elder Brother and Elder Sister-inw, if you trust me, I can do something so that you can be relieved from pain.¡± Shao Dng¡¯s wound was hurting terribly and he could not stand the pain as he groaned. That was when Qiao Xuan mentioned this. The external wounds were causing him so much pain, despite the anti-inmmatory drugs. Shao Dng had never felt so much nain before. His head was turning dizzy and his eyes were blurry. He felt that even breathing was agony for him. Hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s words, he replied quickly. ¡°Please, Fifth Sister-inw, thank you! ¡± Shao Dng sounded very determined, and both Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were startled. Ms. Fang nced at Qiao Xuan, nodding. ¡°Ms. Qiao, do it.¡± Ms. Xu was worried that Qiao Xuan was just putting on a show. She wanted to intervene but then stopped herself. The Fifth Sister-inw was just being kind. Moreover, she could not object when her mother-inw and husband both approved of the suggestion. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, just be careful. Don¡¯t force yourself. You are not a doctor and if you fail¡­ it is okay.¡± What she meant was that if she could not do anything to make her husband feel better, she could just drop it directly. Qiao Xuan knew that Ms. Xu was worried about her husband, so even though she didn¡¯t speak nice words, Qiao Xuan did not say anything about it but smiled. Qiao Xuan had bought three silver needles from the province after thest incident. So, she managed to put on a proper show this time with them. Acupuncture was just an act. She was actually injecting superpower into Shao Dng¡¯s body, and was trying to heal his wound from inside. Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu knew nothing. They were easily fooled. But she could not make Shao Dng recover instantly. After all, he was injured very badly. Hence, Qiao Xuan concentrated her superpower on the broken bones. Gradually, he would turn better and others would link it to using good medicine and resting well, rather than suspect the strangeness of his recovery. As the superpower went into his body and caressed the pain, Shao Dng suddenly felt relief. He became far more rxed.. Chapter 501 - 501: The Second One Chapter 501: The Second One Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Seeing the change in his expression, both Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu became happy. ¡°It works! That is great, Ms. Qiao. Take it slow.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± Qiao Xuan stopped after about fifteen minutes. She wiped the sweat on her forehead, smiling. ¡°This is all for today. Elder Brother needs a break.¡± Shao Dng smiled and nodded. ¡°Thanks, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± The following day, Qiao Xuan conducted the treatment again on Shao Dng, who started to feel hungry after the treatment. Everyone from the first section of the family got really happy. Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief. It was good that her superpower worked. Elder Brother¡¯s leg was definitely going to be fine. What Manager Qin had said would not happen. By the evening of the third day, Shao Yunduan came back with a doctor and his disciple, apanied by Qu Shan. They had managed to get a famous doctor from the province, and they all received the person politely. This Doctor Dong was an expert in trauma orthopedics. He was well-known, and used to being praised by others, so he naturally had a bit of a temper. But Doctor Dong was very friendly when he came to the first section of the family. Young Master Xie and Young Master Yuezheng had both informed him about this, and he, for the sake of those two important figures, restrained his arrogance. Doctor Dong hurried to this ce to check up Shao Dng, knowing that they were in a hurry. He smiled after checking his injuries. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will write a prescription and leave a portion of ointment and ster. He should take it orally and apply it externally. You must carefully clean the wound with water every morning and night, and keep the wound clean. Also, don¡¯t let him get injured again. He should lie down and rest well. After ten days or so, he can go down to the ground and ask someone to help him walk a few steps slowly. After two or three months of proper care, he will basically recover. However, it is best not to do heavy work for half a year.¡± That was almost the same as what Manager Qin said. It made Ms. Fang feel very relieved. She constantly expressed her gratitude. Shao Yunduan got really surprised inwardly since he was one of the two people who had heard the truth. Manager Qin had not said the same thing. Manager Qin would never have lied to him, and he should not be less capable than Doctor Dong! Shao Yunduan sounded skeptical. ¡°For real?¡± Doctor Dong turned a little displeased when he was doubted by someone. He was used to being trusted implicitly. But he nodded and said calmly instead of showing any displeasure, ¡°Yes. I have been working as a doctor for years and I will never make such a simple mistake.¡± This was just an external wound. He could not stand it when he was not trusted. Shao Yunduan suddenly realized that he had said something improper. He apologized. ¡°Sorry, Doctor Dong, I am not doubting you. It is just that I feel very worried. Thanks for your efforts, Doctor Dong.¡± Doctor Dong rxed after hearing his words. True, Young Master was just so worried about his Elder Brother that he could not believe what had happened. They had a great brotherhood. Doctor Dong ignored the mistake and consoled him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can definitely help him recover!¡± It was gettingte. Doctor Dong and his disciple spent the night at the first section of the family. Seeing that the situation was getting better, Qiao Xuan went to cook food with Taotao and Qi helping her. They soon had three dishes ready. There was stir-fried smoked meat with garlic sprouts, steamed sausage, fried winter bamboo shoots, spinach and egg soup for Doctor Dong and his disciple.. Chapter 502 - 502: Relief Chapter 502: Relief Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The smell of smoked meat and sausages was fragrant, the winter bamboo shoots were delicious and tender, and the hot spinach and egg soup made people warm andfortable. The food made them, who had been driving the whole day, feel so refreshed. They could not help but develop good feelings towards the Shao Family. The meal just eased them up. Back in the room, Shao Yunduan smiled and said that they could really be relieved after listening to the doctor¡¯s words. Shao Yunduan could not understand the truth and Qiao Xuan found it funny. She was not confused at all but still tried to cover it up. She exined. ¡°It is said that there is a specialization in surgery. Doctor Dong is good at treating trauma, so it is not surprising that he can diagnose more urately than Manager Qin. Furthermore, the elder brother had just been injured on the day when Manager Qin came, so the doctor¡¯s diagnosis might not be so urate at that time. After all, no one knows how well the elder brother¡¯s body can heal. Now it seems that it has something to do with the elder brother¡¯s physique. Perhaps the eldest brother himself tends to recover easily.¡± Shao Yunduan thought what Qiao Xuan said made sense. But something seemed amiss after pondering over it. He might have overthought about this. Thankfully, it was all good now. Shao Yunduan slightly rxed and nodded with a smile. ¡°You are right, Darling!¡± Doctor Dong and his disciple left early the next morning, since the patient¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t urgent. Qiao Xuan conducted two more days of acupuncture and after the medication from the new doctor, Shao Dng felt much better. His wounds still ached, and there was inmmation, but the pain did not cause him too much difort. It was bearable. Shao Dng was so grateful and kept thanking Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. ¡°Oh yes, Fifth Sister-inw, I can just stay here and rest, you can do whatever you want. Don¡¯t bother about me. I am sorry that I can¡¯t help you now¡­¡± ¡°That is okay!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°We can take it slow with our work. Elder Brother, just focus on your recovery.¡± Seeing that Shao Dng was doing well, Qiao Xuan and the others went into the mountains to cut the creeping figs. Qiao Xuan did not allow Shao Yunduan to tag along. He was not needed for the remaining work. It should turn out well. Qiao Xuan and Shao Sang, Yang Xiaoni, Taotao and Qi spent three days gathering enough creeping figs. Then, their work would be sorting flower fields, digging the soil and removing weeds. They hired Shao Dali and a few others from the vige for help, together with Young Xiaoni, Qi and Taotao who supervised the work. They only hired people with sealed lips. The hired workers saw a house inside the flower field and got curious, but they stopped prying when Taotao said that it was a ce for them to take a break and appreciate flowers. No one saw the whole set of tools of lipsticks inside, thus saying nothing. The whole vige soon learned about the hiring. Qiao Xuan hired three families including Shao Dali, who were paid 30 Wen each. It was a great deal. Everyone in the vige got really jealous about it. The second and third section of the family were furious. But they thougth of how they owed them the freebor. They gave up making a fuss since they did not want to work for the first section of the family for no payment. Moreover, Ms. Fang was not in a good mood these days due to Shao Dng¡¯s ident. So, the other sections of the family did not dare to cause any trouble.. Chapter 503 - 503: A Story Chapter 503: A Story Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Zhang still tried to make a fuss, sneering in front of Ms. Yan. ¡°Aren¡¯t you visiting the first section of the family every day and sucking up to them? I thought they were nice to you. But look, you are nothing in their eyes!¡± Ms. Yan chuckled. ¡°I am not sure what you mean, Second Sister-inw. They treat me nicely. We are rtives, but I never thought about getting any benefits from them. So, you are worrying unnecessarily.¡± Ms. Zhang snorted, sounding disdainful. She believed that it was Ms. Yan who didn¡¯t want to admit it. Ms. Yan did not want to argue with Ms. Zhang over this point. She had no interest in exining it any further to Ms. Zhang. She did not care what Ms. Zhang thought about her rtionship with the first section of the family. It was none of her business anyway. Ms. Yan still visited the first section of the family every day, sometimes the visit was a little longer, sometimes a little shorter. But¡­ she was always there. The cutting of the creeping figs waspleted within two days. Qiao Xuan went to visit the Zhang Vige again. Apanied by Ding Erzhu and his wife, they went to survey the field of the creeping figs as well as the tea forest. She imed that she wanted to see how the creeping figs and the trees were growing whilst in fact, she was trying to put her superpower into the nts. Otherwise, the trees were withering and the creeping figs might not survive. Qiao Xuan pretended to be tired and took a break, during which time, she silently exerted her superpower, bringing vitality to the nts. Qiao Xuan could sense that the trees that had been running out of water were already growing back at a very high speed. The creeping figs had full buds and found roots underground¡­ That made Qiao Xuan feel assured. She was going to exert one more burst of her superpower, so the nts should grow better. Back at home, she ran into Ms. Yan, Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu having a nice conversation. Qiao Xuan walked in and greeted them, as she turned to the backyard to wash hands. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw¡­ Ms. Yan followed up. Qiao Xuan looked up at her, smiling. ¡°Hi, Second Sister-inw!¡± Ms. Yan looked hesitant. But she lowered her voice. ¡°I need to tell you something¡­ Qiao Xuan was surprised. Ms. Yan was a cautious person. She must have been bothered by something when she hesitated with her words. ¡°Come to my ce.¡± Qiao Xuan led Ms. Yan to the east-wing of her yard. Ms. Yan let out a big sigh as if she were making a big decision. She said to Qiao Xuan in a low voice, ¡°I bumped into Land Officer Ding and Widow Sun talking in the bamboo forest near Widow Sun¡¯s garden. I was close by, but they did not notice me¡­¡± Ms. Yan happened to be in the neighborhood area near Widow Sun¡¯s home yesterday afternoon, when she was picking vegetables. Ms. Yan saw some winter bamboos in the forest, thus hoping to try some luck. Unexpectedly¡­ her luck wasn¡¯t with her. She did not find the winter bamboos, but identally ran into the affairs of Land Officer Ding and Widow Sun. Ms. Yan got so frightened. But the thick, tall bush in the forest sheltered her. She copsed and her hands covered her chest tightly, holding back her breath. She was a neer to the vige. She should not reveal this to anyone else, even if she saw that.. Chapter 504 - 504: No Evidence Chapter 504: No Evidence Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She would find herself in trouble if she spilled the beans to anyone. But she overheard their conversation. They were talking about Shao Dng¡¯s injuries. It was not an ident. Land Officer Ding made this happen just to tter Widow Sun. Widow Sun kept cursing the first section of the Shao Family, especially Ms. Fang, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. She cursed at them so fiercely as if they were her worst enemies. Widow Son kept ming the Land Officer for not being able to do this well. She said that he should have ruined Shao Dng¡¯s legs, rather than leave him any chance to recover. Widow Sun hated them so deeply. She wanted to take revenge upon Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, but she had no chance with one of them being the Cultivated Talent and the other the daughter of the County Magistrate. She did not dare to offend them, after all. But she did not want the first section of the family to have a good time. So, she had eyes upon the most down-to-earth man in the family, Shao Dng. As long as everything turned messy in the first section of the Shao Family, she would be really pleased. When she heard that Shao Dng had been hit on the legs and passed out, and that his legs might get ruined, Widow Sun felt so pleased. But soon the pleasure was gone after one day. Hence, she became really furious. Seeing Land Officer Ding, she started toin. Land Officer Ding had intended to visit her the day before, but she did not open the door. Still, he caught her when she came to the vegetable garden today by pretending as if he were passing by, after seeing that no one was around. Ms. Yan identally ran into this conversation. Ms.Yan did not even have the strength to get up until they two left. She wondered what on earth was the grudge between Widow Sun and the first section of the family that she hated them so much. She wondered if she should reveal this secret. If she kept the secret, she would feel very ufortable in heart but if she told the first section of the family about it, she would be doing them a huge favor, which she did not want to waste so easily. She had no evidence. Nor did she want to get involved with this thing. She was a neer and if she was involved, her reputation might be ruined. After thinking for a long while, Ms. Yan finally decided to tell Qiao Xuan about it first. She believed that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were calm people who would know what to do with this matter properly. If she told this to Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu, Ms. Yan would not be able to imagine what might happen. Qiao Xuan was shocked. ¡°Are¡­ are you sure, Second Sister-inw? For real?¡± Widow Sun had never had a good reputation, and Qiao Xuan heard some gossip about her too. But Qiao Xuan never believed those groundless rumors. Widows were always the topic of gossip for some people. But Widow Sun was over the top! Ms. Yan felt relieved after telling her. She nodded. ¡°I am not mistaken. I saw through the cracks. It was them!¡± Qiao Xuan, She felt fury arising inside her heart. ¡°¡®l¡¯nat IS disgusting!¡± ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, please calm down.¡± Ms. Yan felt her heart throbbing. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, should you speak with Fifth Brother about this first? Don¡¯t tell Eldest Aunt right now. She might.. She might rush into Widow Sun and the Land Officer¡¯s homes to make a fuss about it. If that happened, things would get worse. Qiao Xuan took a deep breath. ¡°Second Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry. I will talk about this with my husband first, and we will never tell anyone else, including Mom, about it. We have no evidence at the moment, after all.. Chapter 505 - 505: Revenge Chapter 505: Revenge Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Also, I will never mention your name, either.¡± Ms. Yan let out a sigh of relief, but felt her legs getting weak. She said gratefully, ¡°Thanks, Fifth Sister-inw, for your kindness¡­¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I should thank you for telling me this.¡± Ms. Yan did not have to get involved in this. If she kept this to herself, no one would know about it ever. Ms. Yan smiled. ¡°I would feel uneasy in my heart if I kept it to myself¡­¡¯ That was true. Qiao Xuan asked a few more questions about this, and Ms. Yan gave her as many details as she could. Then, she left when there was nothing else to share. The moment she left, Qiao Xuan went to Shao Yunduan. She needed to tell Shao Yunduan about this as early as possible. Shao Yunduan got so furious that he struck his hand hard on the table, looking lethal and cold. Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart throbbed. She shivered. She had never seen Shao Yunduan getting angry like this. Even on the wedding night when she almost killed herself¡­ he had not been this angry. ¡°You¡­¡± She tugged Shao Yunduan¡¯s sleeves with some hesitation. ¡°Darling, don¡¯t be too angry. Elder Brother is getting better, right? Anyways, what do you intend to do about it?¡± Shao Yunduan was not going to let it go so easily. Qiao Xuan could tell that from his expressions. Unfortunately, there was no evidence, and the Land Officer as well as the widow were two special status people, very difficult to deal with. Shao Yunduan calmed himself down and turned to look at Qiao Xuan gently. ¡°I have my own thoughts about this. You should pretend as if you never heard about this. Be sure not to tell Mom and Elder Sister-inw.¡± He did not want this to spoil her ears. Mom was impulsive and she should not learn about this. The Elder Sister-inw was pregnant and she must be kept away from this as well. He should be the one who should take revenge. Seeing Shao Yunduan¡¯s look, Qiao Xuan understood that her husband nned to do it in secret. After all, there was no open method that could be used for revenge. ¡°But you should be careful not to get involved.¡± He had a promising future, and he should not bet on it. If lost, he might lose big! Shao Yunduan nodded gently. ¡°I know my limit. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled but again asked in confusion. ¡°Do we have any grudge with Widow Sun for her to do something like this?¡± What made her so angry that Window Sun wouldbine forces with the Land Officer to set up her family? Shao Dng was the victim this time, what about next time? If she dared to do that once, what would stop her from doing it again? The threat should be removed, or they will never have a peaceful life. Qiao Xuan did not think that the grudge would have originated from the time when she argued with her along with mother-inw, a while back. Vigers always had disputes with each other, and they would still talk normally after a few quarrels. They even hung out normally. Nobody became each other¡¯s worst enemy. Shao Yunduan had been studying at the college in the town and was devoted to examinations. He knew nothing! Hearing her question, he got confused too. Qiao Xuan said, ¡°I can ask Mom or Elder Sister-inw about this implicitly. Maybe the Elder Sister-inw knows something.¡± Shao Yunduan thought for a while and nodded in agreement. He was curious, too. ¡°Don¡¯t rush into it. Ask when you have the chance, otherwise they might sense something to be amiss.¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°I know.. I am good at it!¡± Chapter 506 - 506: For His Elder Brother Chapter 506: For His Elder Brother Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions When Ms. Yan visited them again, Qiao Xuan greeted her happily as if nothing had happened. That made Ms. Yan feel less worried. She knew that Qiao Xuan had lived up to her promise. Qiao Xuan started to sort out one mu in the garden for cultivating tea tree buds. When thend was sorted well, the tea seeds could be buried. With the help of her superpower, she could make the transntation happen by early April. At that time, the tea trees would grow to a certain height. They would be trimmed in autumn, and harvested for the next year. She could also put some superpower into the tea tree buds and the creeping figs so they could grow faster and better. No one had any prior knowledge about it, so even if it grew fast, people might assume that it should be like this. Then, she would work on mushrooms, wooden ears and snow fungus. This batch of white fungus grew quite a lot. The snow-white fungus once bloomed like clouds and flowers. They were thick and beautiful. They were carefully picked one by one and spread out in a dustpan to dry. Qiao Xuan told Shao Yunduan that when the mushrooms and snow fungus were sundried, they would visit the province to buy someborers as well as lotus root, water chestnuts and so on to nt in the pond. Shao Yunduan nodded in agreement. Hearing about Widow Sun and Land Officer Ding¡¯s conspiracy, Shao Yunduan went out every night. He even asked Qiao Xuan to sleep first instead of waiting for him to return. Qiao Xuan had no idea what was going on, but by the third night, Qiao Xuan understood the situation. He was watching over at Widow Sun¡¯s door. He was doing everything he could for his Elder Brother. Qiao Xuan was surprised, but found his behavior reasonable too. Catching them on the spot was the only method. If his n was to catch them red-handed, the best method was to be the most patient hunter who guarded their prey until they came to the trap. He did not want her to know about his n, but Qiao Xuan did not ask him either. They both knew what was happening. Shao Yunduan was not in a hurry. He guarded the ce for seven days in a row until he finally, on the eighth night, saw Land Officer Ding sneaking into Widow Sun¡¯s yard. Shao Yunduan waited and did not leave until half an hourter. Suddenly, fire broke out in Widow Sun¡¯s home that night, and almost half of the vige went to help put out the fire. Land Officer Ding got so anxious that he wanted to leave directly, but the windows and doors were all shut from outside, and he could not leave at all. So, everyone who came to help put out the fire got shocked seeing Land Officer Ding sneaking out of Widow Sun¡¯s room. What was going on? They understood immediately that Land Officer Ding was not in Window Sun¡¯s room for ¡®a friendly chat¡¯. They were doing something indecent. Land Officer Ding realized that he had been set up and became furious. He wished that he could disappear from there out of shame, when everyone was teasing him. He knew that he was done this time. Luckily, his wife and two sons were not here to put out the fire, otherwise he would be so humiliated! Widow Sun was shocked too. She flushed deeply but soon, she understood what she should do. She took hold of Land Officer Ding suddenly and nced at the crowd. ¡°I am remarrying Brother Ding as his concubine.. We are not doing anything wrong!¡± Chapter 507 - 507: Concubine Chapter 507: Concubine Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The Land Officer was startled, but recovered quickly. ¡°Yeah¡­ that is true!¡± ¡°Then, why not share it earlier and instead do it on the sly? But for the fire tonight, you would not have said this to us!¡± ¡°True. It is a terrible excuse! You think we are all fools?¡± ¡°Shame on you!¡¯ ¡°We are not going to have such a shameless Land Officer here!¡± ¡°True!¡± All of those who countered the Land Officer had the family name of Shao. Those surnamed Ding understood what was going on, and thus did not help the Land Officer. Widow Sun did not care. She kept arguing with the others, saying that she was the Land Officer¡¯s concubine. So, they were not wrong in their conduct. In the end, when this news was spread to the n, they both retreated. Land Officer quit his position as the Land Officer, whilst it was time for someone with a family name of Shao to take over the position. The n did not go any further with this. Also, from that moment on, Widow Sun became Ding Jiahao, the former Land Officer¡¯s concubine Widow Sun let out a sigh of relief, and gave in. She was just defending herself. It did not depend on her whether she became the concubine. It was not announced so she could not be counted as one, no matter what. When Ding Jiahao went out of her house deep at night, it was already a very bad situation. She was very afraid that Ding Jiahao would me her for this affair, saying that she seduced him, when they were caught on the spot. It was a big problem. So, she came up with the idea of dragging him down. A concubine was thest choice but they could at least survive in this way. The Land Officer had some feelings towards her, and if she could work on him well, she would lead a good life. As for those with a family name of Shao, they had never liked Land Officer Ding in the first ce since he always favored those surnamed Ding. So, they took this chance to push him down. They were in the same vige and they could not drive away the entire Ding n. Hence, they forced him to give up the position of Land Officer and have someone with the family name of Shao take it up. In this way, the whole thing was over. Also, they promised not to spread the rumor. The Ding families let out a sigh of relief. If the news was spread, not only the Land Officer himself, but everyone with the family name of Ding would be humiliated. A Land Officer slept with the wife of a distant cousin¡­ that sounded ridiculous! Although they could notpletely stop it from spreading, it was enough when the rumor was limited within a certain range. There was nothing more they could do about it. After all, many people witnessed the scene the other night. Soon, a new Land Officer was elected from the Shao families, namely the Second Grandpa of Shao, Shao Dali¡¯s father. He was always just and fair, a highly respected, elderly man in the vige. So, he made for a very convincing Land Officer. Shao Yunduan, who actually overturned the table, was never found out except by Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan guessed that it was her husband who did it. But she needed to verify this after being driven by curiosity. She asked Shao Yunduan carefully that same night. ¡°You did it, didn¡¯t you? Shao Yunduanughed, seeing her careful look. He turned to her and nodded with a look of profoundness. ¡°Yeah.¡± Qiao Xuan felt satisfied and smiled. ¡°Welldone. Thanks for your help, Darling.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°This is what I should do.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± He added.. ¡°If anyone gives you a hard time, I will defend you and take revenge for you as well!¡± Chapter 508 - 508: A Huge Trap Chapter 508: A Huge Trap Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan was startled, and then felt warm by his words. She chuckled and nodded. She suddenly thought that he could be a schr who would be imposing and brimming with unique ideas. On the other hand, it was a very lively scene at Ding Jiahao¡¯s home. Since Widow Sun became Ding Jiahao¡¯s concubine, she was not allowed to live outside with Ding Qingqing, her daughter. Widow Sun tried to keep things the way they were, saying that she and her daughter could live in their old house. But Ding Jiahao¡¯s wife, Ms. Qiu did not want this to happen. She wondered when this bitch seduced her husband and forced herself to be his concubine, costing her husband¡¯s position as Land Officer, and causing her to beughed at by the whole vige. So, she was not going to let this bitch do whatever she wanted. Ms. Qiu said, ¡®You are my husband¡¯s concubine, so you have to move in with us, in case someone spreads a rumor about you being mistreated. We can¡¯t afford to have our reputation ruined, and you can¡¯t let others talk, right?¡± When this was said, Ding Jiahao started to hesitate, even though Widow Sun had whispered so many things into his ears. If she lived alone outside, she might hook up with someone else, and that would be a huge humiliation for him! Widow Sun had to bite the bullet and she moved into Ding Jiahao¡¯s home, after being stared at by the whole Ding family. Ms. Qiu took her two sons and two daughter-inws to help her move and they scraped away every worthy penny from her. Widow Sun wanted to make a fuss about it, but Ms. Qiu sneered. ¡°You are just a concubine and you have no rights to counter me! Are you trying to set up rules for yourself? You are under my charge, and everything of yours is mine!¡± Ms. Qiu¡¯s son and daughter-inw had terrible expressions on their faces. Widow Sun felt so annoyed but did not dare to counter her. She was Ding Jiahao¡¯s concubine, and Ms. Qiu could do whatever she wanted with her, like how mother-inw did. Her mother-inw would try to keep the reputation when dealing with her daughter-inw, but when the wife was dealing with a concubine¡­ she could even get her killed. Widow Sun felt so miserable. Only now did she realize what her ¡®clever trick had cost her. A big trap, it was! But if she did not jump into the trap, she might have been ruined by Ding Jiahao. They had hooked up because both of them felt like it, and they were in deep love when they had no conflict of interest. But when their interests shed, they would understand exactly what they ought to do individually. Unfortunately, she had no other choice. She also knew that Ms. Qiu was angry, and that her sons and daughters-inw must hate her. So, Widow Sun had no choice but to tolerate Ms. Qiu¡¯s torment. As for Ding Qingqing¡­ She moved into Ding Jiahao¡¯s home as well and called Ms. Qiu as the Mother, and addressed Widow Sun as Auntie Mother. She would be lectured if addressing her wrongly, and so would Widow Sun. Ding Qingqing had been so shocked by what had happened, and was uneasy every single day after that. Widow Sun had not expected her daughter to suffer, though she herself suffered from Ms. Qiu¡¯s torment. But when she tried to defend Ding Qingqing, Ms.Qiu sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare forget who will have the say about this girl¡¯s marriage eventually!¡± That threw Widow Sun deep into the bottom of the valley and they did not dare to say one thing. She even privately told Ding Qingqing to work hard, so that Ms. Qiu would not be pissed. This incident would be a fun topic in town, let alone in the vige where people craved gossip as entertainment in the days toe.. Chapter 509 - 509: Scary Chapter 509: Scary Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Everyone was watching Ding Jiahao¡¯s family and the show between Widow Sun and Ms. Qiu, which was spread across the whole vige and had be a good pastime between teas and meals. Yang Xiaoni was always out to hear gossip, so the first section of the family learned about the matter as well. Qiao Xuan felt so happy to hear about the bad experience of Widow Sun. She deserved to be punished by someone like Ms. Qiu. As for how it was for Ding Qingqing¡­ well, she was suffering because of what her mother did, and no one was going to offer any help. So, one should be moral and have conscience. Otherwise the punishment woulde on either her or her children, and nobody would feel sorry for that. Ms. Yan was almost sure that what happened between Widow Sun and Ding Jiahao might have something to do with Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. But she did not dare ask a thing. She subconsciously started to respect and feel scared of Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. That was a¡­ scary couple! She made up her mind never to offend them or the first section of the family. Her inws did not get punished by Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan because they were rtives, who were just kicked away or ignored by the couple whenever they made a fuss with the family. If they really wanted to teach them a lesson, they would surely not have a good ending¡­ Ms. Yan felt very nervous about the disputes that her inws kept creating with the first section of the family. Ms. Yan suddenly lost interest in getting angry when Ms. Zhang kept causing trouble. If Ms. Zhang did not stop, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan would teach her a good lesson sooner orter. But would Ms. Zhang know that she should stop someday? That seemed nearly impossible. So, what she needed to do was to watch and learn. When mushrooms, wooden ears and snow fungus were dried, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan picked a day to visit the province. The mushrooms were ready to be sold to Yuezheng Xiao, as they had promised earlier. After this, they would buy someborers and get ready for the spring plow. There was enough work headed their way including seedlings, making rakes, nting corn, taro, soybeans, nting vegetables, cleaning bamboo mountains¡­ Once the spring warmed up, the farmers tended to get very busy. Around that time, the tea saplings will grow taller and it would be time to transnt them. The flowers in the flower field were about to bloom, and needed to be made into lipsticks. Qiao Xuan and everyone else would get much busier than before. once they returned from the province, peach and apricot flowers should De In bloom. There were not many, but they would also be enough to make some lipsticks. After that, roses, and Chinese roses and pomegranate flowers would follow, keeping them busy for half a year. Ms. Xu was pregnant, so she could only be of a little help, whilst Shao Dng needed to recoup his injury. Shao Yunduan was focusing on his studies, which reduced the number of people contributing to the tasks by arge degree. As a result, they had to buy some helpers. This time when they came to the province, they didn¡¯t stay at the hostel, but headed directly to the Yuezheng Family. The doctor whom Shao Yunduan had hired was living in the Yuezheng Mansion. Old Master and First Madame moved back to the mansion during the Chinese New Year, and a capable person like First Madame had already taken over the affairs in the mansion whilst Old Master focused on the business. It all worked out well. Ms. Mi Junior was so annoyed that she almost passed out. She tried to cause some trouble but got pushed away by First Madame, failing to do anything else. First Madame treated Qiao Xuan as their savior, so she would be really hurt, if Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did note to live in the mansion when they were in province. Days got longer after the New Year, and when Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan came to the Yuezheng Family, it was still bright outside.. Chapter 510 - 510: Visit In Province Chapter 510: Visit In Province Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The housekeeper recognized Shao Yunduan immediately and when he saw both of theming, he invited them in passionately. He rushed to inform the First Madame and Old Master as well as the Third Young Master of their arrival. Although he had no idea what the rtionship between Young Master Shao and Old Master was, he knew that Old Master and First Madame considered them as very important figures. Shao Yunduan had mentioned on the day when he came over to ask for the doctor that he woulde and visit them soon. So, their arrival was not very sudden. Yuezheng Xiao came to greet them personally and theyughed, and talked happily. Qiao Xuan had carried mushrooms, wooden ears and snow fungus with them. Yuezheng Xiao asked his men to carry them all into his yard and started to check them out. Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s eyes sparkled when he saw what was in front of him. He patted Shao Yunduan¡¯s shoulders., ¡°Brother Shao, these are wonderful snow fungus! And these mushrooms, wooden ears are all in great form. Oh my, your vige is great, and it has everything!¡¯ Shao Yunduan. ¡® Qiao Xuan chuckled. Yuezheng Xiao asked about the weight of those things and informed them about the market price. Then, he bought them all with a price twice more than that in the market. The first-ss dried snow fungus weighed 36 liang for half a kilo, and sundried mushrooms and wooden ears were priced at 100 wen and 60 wen for half a kilo respectively. This amounted to more than 700 liang in total. Qiao Xuan had not expected that the snow fungus and mushrooms, as well as wooden ears would have different pricing, when she started to nt them. She had thought that they would simply be measured by weight. She was nning to nt enoki mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, straw mushrooms, and tea tree mushrooms in the future. It seemed that all kinds of mushrooms could be sold for money. Then she learned that snow fungus was not easily nted, and the price was very high. Inparison, the other mushrooms were much cheaper. But they had already nted mushrooms and wooden ears, so she would reduce the amount and nt more snow fungus next time. She was going to start by having a few mu of snow fungus at the Zhang Vige in the near future. Then, she was going to expand the scale slowly. She would have to add a few more categories of mushrooms. All of them could earn money, which was what mattered above all. Soon, Yuezheng Xiao dealt with the things they had got and took them to the guest room. ¡°You can stay here for a few more days. The weather is getting warmer. There are many beautiful sites outside the city to visit.¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged a look and said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s see. We will be here before the autumn examination. Please don¡¯t think we are annoying by that time, Brother Yuezheng!¡¯ Yuezheng Xiao patted his head and chuckled. ¡°I almost forgot about that! Do remember toe early at that time!¡± After exchanging a few more words, Yuezheng Xiao waited for Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan to put away their stuff, and came to greet Old Master and First Madame together. Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s Elder Brother, Yuezheng Hong was at home too. Yuezheng Hong and his wife were heading towards their parents to meet Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. The first section of the Yuezheng Family were all so thankful towards Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. But for Qiao Xuan, they would still be in a very bad situation. First Madame liked Qiao Xuan very much. She treated her as her daughter, which she did not have. It was getting veryte, so they did not visit Madame Yuezheng. But they sent a messenger to tell Madame Yuezheng that they had guests. Learning that it was a poor couple visiting, Ms. Mi Junior felt annoyed and remained indifferent.. Chapter 511 - 511: A Lovely Treatment Chapter 511: A Lovely Treatment Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Mi Junior sneered and told her maid that the first section of the family always hung out with filthy, lowly people. A Cultivated Talent was not that great or worthy enough to spend so many efforts on. The first section of the family arranged a nice, simple treatment for Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan in the main hall. It was a lovely evening. Hearing that Qiao Xuan was here to buyborers, First Madame said that she could help. She would go along so that the agencies don¡¯t cheat them. That was exactly what Qiao Xuan hoped to ask her for. She thanked her gratefully. Agencies were always very tricky. They had all kinds of ideas going on in their minds. An agency would probably sell them bad quality people seeing that Qiao Xuan was not a local resident and theborers could not be refunded once purchased. With First Madame keeping herpany, things would be different. No agency would dare lie to the First Madame of the Yuezheng Family! Early next morning, First Madame was about to take Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan to greet Madame Yuezheng, but Madame Yuezheng turned her down. The meeting was canceled. First Madame asked the maid. ¡°Did Second Mrs. Yuezheng visit Madame Yuezheng this morning? The maid nodded, without concealing a thing. First Madame snorted and understood what was going on. This sister-inw of hers spared no efforts to give her trouble. Nevermind, she didn¡¯t care. They could treat their own guests well enough. First Madame sent her men to pass on messages to the agencies she was familiar with, setting up an appointment that they were going to buy goodborers. She took Qiao Xuan around during the next two days. As for Shao Yunduan¡­ he was hanging out with Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. The three of them headed elsewhere. At this time, the plum blossoms in the Fuyu Temple outside the city were in full bloom. It was a good time to appreciate plum blossoms. First Madame said to Qiao Xuan with a smile, ¡°The plum blossoms in Fuyu Temple are a must-see site in the province. You guys came here just in time. It would be a pity if you didn¡¯t go and see them. Especially those green plums¡­ they are the most authentic. There is the oldest green plum tree in the plum grove, which is said to be hundreds of years old. It is said that it is the mother of all green plums in the world. All the green plums in other ces are born from this nt.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled and she asked with a smile. ¡°Is that true? Then it must be a very precious nt!¡± She loved precious nts! First Madame didn¡¯t know the inside story, but she could see that Qiao Xuan was very happy to hear this. When Qiao Xuan was happy, it meant that she had done a good job as the host, so she was also d. She nodded with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s naturally precious, it¡¯s a treasure in the temple! Let¡¯s go today, it¡¯s the perfect time. We can just buy a few sticks of incense, ande back after having a fasting meal in the temple. The temple food in Fuyu Temple is a must-have, and the scenery in the temple is also good. It is worth the trip.¡± Qiao Xuan was looking forward to it already. First Madame arranged the wagon and they went out together. The plums were blooming and it was very lively inside the temple. There were two patches of plum trees in the temple. There was arge area of plum forests without any marked boundary in the back mountain, which was open to all pilgrims, and everyone could go to enjoy the flowers. There were all kinds of red, white, pink, and green plums, and they were in full bloom. They were beautiful and very lively. There was another more exquisite plum garden, which was spread across ten mu. It was built around the rare green plum that had been around for hundreds of years. This ce was far more exquisite, whether it was the shape of the tree, the color of the tree, or the matching scenery. It contained various different pavilions. But it was not open to the public. Only people with considerable status, or those who had donated arge sum of incense money to the temple were eligible to go inside.. Chapter 512 - 512: Ancient Green Plum Chapter 512: Ancient Green Plum Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Some schrs were also allowed in who gathered there to brew tea, make poetry and do paintings. The ce where the First Madame took Qiao Xuan to was this small plum garden. ¡°Therge patch of plum is more lively, located in the back mountains. Let¡¯s walk around here and then head to the back mountain!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. The plum garden was in a very beautiful location. The trees were full of flowers and branches were full of plum blossoms, the clouds were misty and seemed to have descended to earth, which created a wonderful scene. First Madame had not appreciated flowers for years. This year also, she had almost missed the chance to see the plums. So, when she saw the scene, she became very emotional at this time. But for Qiao Xuan who healed her husband, she would not have the time to visit this ce full of beautiful flowers in her entire life. As she thought about this, she threw an even more gentle look at Qiao Xuan. First Madame led Qiao Xuan to look at the flowers, as they headed towards the ancient green plum tree. When the tree appeared in front of her eyes, Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes turned bright. She felt that the whole scene turned so clear. So, the space wanted it as well¡­ The ancient green plum was very thick, and the dark branches were vigorous and simple, revealing the vicissitudes of time. But the tree was full of vitality and blooming flowers. They could smell the wonderful scent even from far away. The plum blossom stamens were really dark, and the color gradually became lighter when it spread outwards. When it reached the end of the petals, it turned very pale. It almost looked white from a distance. But when you looked closely, you could see a faint trace of greenery¡­ There was not only this green plum in this garden. All the way here, Qiao Xuan had seen many green plums. But they were not as beautiful, elegant and noble as the one in front of her. Also, the flowers were not so pure or crystal clear. She understood the matter in her heart. No wonder it was said to be a mother tree. It was naturally different from the others. Whether it was grafted or bred, the green plum next to it had notpletely copied and inherited the beautiful color of the mother tree. No wonder her space had this strong reaction towards this very green plum. ¡°This is the ancient green plum tree? How beautiful?!¡± Qiao Xuan approached it, looking excited. First Madame smiled. ¡°Yeah! Everyone loves it!¡± The plum tree was very big, First Madame and her servant were also admiring the plum blossoms. Qiao Xuan turned her back to her a little further away, gently raised her hand to stroke the flower branch, and with a little force, quickly snapped off a two-inch long flower branch. She quickly put the flower branch into the space. She felt slightly apologetic. She raised her hands and put her hand on the branch, silently putting the superpower into the ancient green plums so as to inject her magical energy into it. She said quietly, ¡°I will give you magical energy after taking one branch from you. We are even now!¡± She could have never got a branch of the green plum tree, which was regarded as a treasure by Fuyu Temple, if she asked for it from the monks. So, she had to deal with the ancient green plum directly. With the green plum in hand, Qiao Xuan was in a good mood and walked around with First Madame. They went to a few other ces in the temple, and it was lunchtime. Every table in Fuyu Temple¡¯s vegetarian restaurant had twelve dishes and one soup. They entered the private room, and the vegetarian dishes served in white porcin bowls were quickly served. Each dish seemed great and had a beautiful name, looking delicious.. Chapter 513 - 513: Your Moralities Chapter 513: Your Moralities Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions For example, Chinese cabbage with mushrooms and bamboo shoots were called Double Winter and White Snow. Tofu soup was called Cloud and Wall. Vegetables, winter bamboo shoots, mushrooms, tofu, and gluten were carefully cooked together, and the taste was as delicious as that of meat dishes. Later, Qiao Xuan learned that the vegetarian banquet cost 100 liang for one table, since they were such precious dishes. In the afternoon, First Madame kept Qiao Xuanpany to pay a visit to the plum forest in the back mountains, where the flowers were growing freely. There were many visitors there and they were all chatting, which was a starkly different scenepared to that from the quiet, small, plum garden. The two of them had a good time and were very happy when they went home. First Madame smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping tomorrow. It is getting very warm and there are many new garments and ornaments as well as cosmetics in the market these days. You are young and you should dress up well. I am sure that we will get some suitable ones for you to wear even at home!¡± Every woman loved to go shopping. Also, it was much more convenient to have someone like First Madame with her. Qiao Xuan smiled brightly. Satisfied, First Madame smiled again. ¡°Just tell me whenever you spot something great. I am willing to buy everything for you!¡¯ Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I will definitely tell you!¡¯ First Madameughed. ¡®Great!¡± The two of them returned to the mansion and heard the message from Yuezheng Xiao that they were noting back for dinner. First Madame did not care. She asked the kitchen to get some small dishes prepared since only she and Qiao Xuan would be there for dinner. But before dinner, Ms. Mi Junior and Yuezheng Ting showed up. ¡®Elder Sister-inw!¡± ¡°Hey, Elder Aunt!¡± Both of them greeted First Madame but ignored Qiao Xuan, who was sitting next to her. They did not even want to have a look at her. Ms. Mi Junior passed an invitation to the First Madame. ¡°This is Madame Jia¡¯s invitation, asking us to attend a flower feast in a couple of days. Madame Jia and we are in a good rtionship. I am sure that you won¡¯t turn her down for no reason, right? Elder Sister-inw?¡± She finally nced at Qiao Xuan and smiled. ¡°Mrs. Shao, you are in a good rtionship with the Elder Sister-inw, and I mentioned that to Madame Jia, who said that Mrs. Shao could tag along too, so everyone could see what kind of excellent woman has befriended the Elder Sister-inw. Also, Mrs. Shao, you can meet some nobledies from the province, so you can build some more contacts, since you are a businesswoman, right?¡± First Madame did not like what Ms. Mi Junior said. She was looking down at Qiao Xuan tantly. She was about to say something, when Yuezheng Ting blinked and smiled as if she were totally innocent. ¡°Yeah, Mrs. Shao,e and join us. Aunt Jia¡¯s invitation to you is nothing less than an honor, and you can go and open your horizons a little, right? Or are you afraid of going there?¡± ¡°Ting!¡± First Madame snapped at her. ¡°Do you have any moralities? Yuezheng Ting flushed. ¡°Elder Aunt, we are all a family and I am just being honest, saying things straightforwardly!¡± Ms. Mi Junior sneered too.. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, why are you scolding Ting? Why is she wrong? Chapter 514 - 514: Ms. Mi Junior’s Anger Chapter 514: Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s Anger ¡°Ting has grown up next to Madame Yuezheng. If you doubt her morality, you are suspecting Madame Yuezheng instead!¡± First Madame sneered. ¡°Stop using Madame Yuezheng¡¯s name in front of me. You don¡¯t need to care how I treat my guests. Just leave.¡± Before Ms. Mi Junior could say anything, Auntie Hua walked up with a false smile and dragged away Ms. Mi Junior fiercely. When Ms. Mi Junior was gone, Yuezheng Ting left as well. Outside the yard, Ms. Mi Junior got so angry that she almost copsed. ¡°How dare this countryside bitch get me humiliated like this!¡± Yuezheng Ting was displeased as well. ¡°Mom, I really don¡¯t like that woman!¡± Her Third Brother would rather introduce Young Master Xie to the lowly couple than to her. That was why Yuezheng Ting never liked Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. Also, Qiao Xuan once turned her down and humiliated her in front of the two sisters of the Xie Family. Ms. Mi Junior sneered. ¡°What is Elder Aunt doing with them? How can their family actually befriend such a couple? Wait!¡± Ms. Mi Junior raised her eyebrows. ¡°Your Elder Aunt has a high taste. No ordinary people would be treated so well by her. Could there be anything special about the couple?¡± Yuezheng Ting sneered. ¡°Special about the couple? I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know your Elder Aunt well.¡± Ms. Mi Junior said, ¡°She, and Third Brother, as well as the whole first section of the family treats them so specially. There has to be a reason for that. Where on earth are they from? I don¡¯t think I would not be able to find out their details¡­ Ms. Mi Junior had looked into Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s backgrounds, but she gained nothing after looking through the viges in the neighborhood. Now, she suddenly realized that maybe they had lied about where they were actually from. But where were they from, anyway? The more Ms. Mi Junior thought about this, the more she believed that there was a secret behind this whole thing. ¡°Xuan, don¡¯t take what they say in heart. They are not picking on you. They are picking on me. Ignore them! First Madame apologized to Qiao Xuan in the room. Qiao Xuan nodded and smiled reassuringly. ¡°I know that, Aunt!¡± Ms. Mi Junior had been sure that First Madame and her husband would not be back to the mansion, and that Old Master would probably die soon. But unexpectedly, Old Master recoveredpletely, and the couple went back to the mansion. Ms. Mi Junior could not stand that any more. She had started to think that she was already in charge of the mansion. She caused enough trouble when she believed that there were people backing her up. After all, she was very good at causing trouble! First Madame looked relieved. ¡°That is good. I knew that you are an understanding person.¡± She lowered her head and asked. ¡°Will youe with me to the Jia Family¡¯s banquet in a couple of days?¡± ¡°Oh well¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± First Madameughed. ¡°No one will look down at you. You will be with me. And Xi will be keeping youpany as well.¡± She teased. ¡°When Yunduan bes the Rmended man, or reaches even further, you will need to be able to handle such situations.¡± Qiao Xuan was not afraid. She was just not very interested. Hearing that, she did not turn down First Madame. She understood that the older woman was being kind to her. ¡°Okay.. I will join you! Please be sure to teach me whatever I don¡¯t know, Aunt!¡± Chapter 515 - 515: Unfriendly Guest Chapter 515 - 515: Unfriendly Guest Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°That is no problem!¡± First Madame smiled brightly. ¡°Xuan, you are smart. You will understand everything once I tell you!¡¯ Soon it was time for dinner, and First Madame asked Qiao Xuan to join her for the meal. Ms. Jin asked her servant to prepare two dishes for them, which made First Madame feel quite satisfied. Her daughter-inw was very understanding. As long as the first section of the family was doing well, she did not care about how the second section of the family behaved. All Ms. Mi Junior could do was try to disgust her. But she was not foolish and that made Ms. Mi feel frustrated. The three sons of the second section of the family were in a good rtionship and they respected her as Elder Aunt. That made Ms. Mi Junior very ufortable. First Madame was in a good mood. She invited Qiao Xuan to join her for food in a very friendly tone. After they finished dinner, they talked about going shopping the next day. First Madame nned to pick two outstanding dresses and some ornaments for Qiao Xuan for the visit at Madame Jia¡¯s home, so that no one would dare look down at her. By the time they were almost done chatting, Yuezheng Xiao and Shao Yunduan came over. Shao Yunduan was here to pick up Qiao Xuan and go back to their guest house. First Madame smiled brightly and asked Qiao Xuan to join her for breakfast before going out together the next morning. Then, she let her go with Shao Yunduan. The couple was in a good rtionship! First Madame smiled and said that if she had a daughter, she would like to marry her to someone like Shao Yunduan. He was devoted, low-profiled and moral without showing any arrogance. Moreover, he cared about his wife too! It was still not very dark, and the afterglow was shining bright in the west. The couple chatted and walked towards the guest house. Qiao Xuan told Shao Yunduan about what they had seen at Fuyu Temple during the day. Shao Yunduan listened to her carefully, responding to her every now and then with gentleness. He was d as long as she was happy. Suddenly, they saw Yuezheng Ting waving at them not very far away. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Shao!¡± Qiao Xuan i s face stiffened. Shao Yunduan frowned slightly. ¡°The Second Miss of the Yuezheng Family doesn¡¯t seem to be here without purpose.¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°There is always someone in the family who is troublesome. I am quite curious about what she wants from me.¡± Soon, Yuezheng Ting and Jiang came to them. ¡°Greetings, what a coincidence!¡± Qiao Xuan said calmly, ¡°We are heading back to the guest house. What can I do for you, Second Miss?¡± ¡°No, no it is just that I would like to have a small chat with you.¡± Yuezheng Ting smiled. ¡°I am not picking on you. I am just a straightforward person. Don¡¯t be mad at me.¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s eyes sank. He knew that she was up to no good. He wondered what she wanted to do to his wife. Shao Yunduan again told himself that he was going to be sessful in his career so that no one would dare look down on his wife. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°It is fine, Second Miss. I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I knew you were generous!¡± Yuezheng Ting smiled happily. ¡°That¡¯s why I would like to be your friend. Where is your home? I wille and visit you someday.¡± Both Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were taken aback. Why was the Second Miss of the Yuezheng Family suddenly curious about where they were from? They were not going to reveal the truth. They did not intend to lead the enemy home. Now they were sure that this Second Miss was going to bring trouble to them.. Chapter 516 - 516: Maybe Chapter 516 - 516: Maybe Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They did not want any trouble for themselves. ¡°Just a ce in the outskirts area, it¡¯s the countryside, not good enough for you to visit, Second Miss. You shouldn¡¯t bother to visit the ce.¡± The more Qiao Xuan tried to turn her down, the more excited Yuezheng Ting became. She smiled. ¡°It is okay. My Third Brother visits the ce often, right? I won¡¯t find it too bad, either. Mrs. Shao, just tell me where it is. It is not a secret, is it?¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. ¡® This blunt girl just did not know how to talk. Seeing that she could not dodge the question, Qiao Xuan said with a forced voice, ¡°My home is in Xihe Town of Li County.¡± Yuezheng Ting bore that in mind, but did not seem very happy. ¡°Xihe Town of Li County? But I don¡¯t think that was what you told mest time.¡± Qiao Xuan blinked her eyes and showed an embarrassed smile. ¡°Li County is located in the outskirts of the province. Sorry for not making it clear. It is not a big deal though, is it?¡± Yuezheng Ting had no way to counter her. That seemed to make sense. ¡°Anyway, I got it now. I wille and visit you with my mom now. Bye!¡± Yuezheng Ting left with Jiang quickly. Shao Yunduan asked her. ¡°So, she is here to ask us this? Why?¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Not sure! She can find her answer in Li County!¡± The couple exchanged a look andughed. Shao Yunduan did not think there was anything wrong with Qiao Xuan misleading the girl. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t think that Miss Yuezheng is a good-tempered person. She maye and pester us next time if she fails to find us. What about buying a small courtyard in the province next time we are here.¡± They could just live in the courtyard rather than at the mansion, where they might keep running into Yuezheng Ting. Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°That is a good idea. If we have the courtyard, you cane and wait for the autumn examination ahead of time. We will have more freedom if we have a ce of our own.¡± After a few moments, she suggested. ¡°What about buying a bigger one, so that our mom and the others coulde and live with us too? They can also see how busy the province is! Also, Third Brother and Third Sister-inw are looking forward toing here as well!¡± Speaking of the funny Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni, Shao Yunduan smiled. Their mood was lifted up. ¡°Ok, it¡¯s a deal!¡± On the other hand, Yuezheng Ting was showing off how she got to know Qiao Xuan¡¯s address. ¡°That should be the correct address. I don¡¯t think she will dare to lie to me. It¡¯s my fault that I did not pry deeperst time!¡± Ms. Mi Junior believed her. They would not dare lie to her daughter, would they? Anyways, it was just their home address, not something secretive. She was going to dig deep into this family to see what on earth was so special about them that was worth the attention of the first section of the family. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan took a walk and went back to the guest house. They washed themselves up and slept soon. Early next morning, Qiao Xuan and the First Madame went shopping after breakfast. First Madame wanted Qiao Xuan to look pretty at Madame Jia¡¯s banquet, thus she took her to high-end garment stores,test jewelry pavilions and best cosmetic stores for shopping. Qiao Xuan could see how expensive those ces were the moment she looked up.She wasn¡¯t so sure about entering those ces. ¡°It is fine. Go in, please.¡± First Madame smiled. ¡°You are a nobly-borndy and you are sure to have more happiness toe to you in the future. You should be dressed ordingly..¡± Chapter 517 - 517: For Planting Chapter 517: For nting Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Aunt, everyone knows that I am a businesswoman from the countryside. These kinds of clothes don¡¯t fit my identity. As for prosperity and happiness, I don¡¯t need to be impatient. There will always be a chance in the future.¡± First Madame stiffened. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Aunt, I am not in a hurry. There will be one day when I have glory.¡± First Madame soon understood her meaning. Ms. Mi Junior was surely going to disclose Qiao Xuan¡¯s identity and add fuel to the fire. So, if Qiao Xuan was too well-dressed, the outsiders would definitely know that it was the First Madame who made the preparations for her, which might cause her far more belittling looks, as well as jealousy. They would be envious of her for having managed to suck up to the First Madame. Moreover, they would look down at her behavior and think of her as greedy and opportunist. No one would believe that Qiao Xuan was able to afford any of these by herself. ¡°It was myck of consideration.¡± First Madame smiled. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s change to another ce. But we can surely buy some ornaments. They are never out of fashion.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded. They went shopping for half a day and First Madame took her to a high-end restaurant for lunch. There was steamed pork ribs with betel nut taro and a shredded radish cold dish that made Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes shine. She asked the manager if she could give her some betel nut taro and Spring Watermelon. She was going to take them home for nting. The taros nted at home were small, soft and tasty, but they had a different tastepared to that of betel nut taro. There were many dishes that could be made with betel nut taros. In addition to steaming pork ribs, they could also steam braised meat, roast meat after oiling, steam mashed taro, cut them into strips and fry, cook porridge with them, and make pancakes. They were going to taste great. Spring watermelons were very good for cold dishes, fresh, sweet and crispy. With First Madame present there, the manager agreed. He asked his pageboys to bringrge betel nut taros and good-shaped spring watermelons for her to take home, without charging any tees. He even said happily, ¡°Mrs. Shao, you have sharp eyes. These have been transported from outside the province, they are not from here.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and thought to herself that she was going to make them grow here. On the wagon, First Madame smiled seeing her cherishing these two nts. ¡°If you like them, next time I will ask my elder son to fetch some more from outside and have them delivered to you.¡± ¡°Thanks, Elder Aunt, but these are enough.¡± Qiao Xuan did not want to conceal it from the First Madame. She answered happily. ¡°Actually, I want them to nt at home, and in a couple of months, they will grow nicely. I can send a few for you to eat.¡± First Madame was startled and answered. ¡°You know less than I do. Didn¡¯t you hear what the manager said? These are not from here. Our soil might not be good enough for them. Don¡¯t be disappointedter.¡± Qiao Xuan was confident. She curved her lips and smiled. ¡°I may be able to nt and grow things that others can¡¯t.¡± First Madame. ¡® She suddenly thought of what her younger son had said.. Chapter 518 - 518: Accompaniment Chapter 518: Apaniment Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Her younger son told her once that Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had nted many things at their home. She suddenly remembered different things, including bergamots, shiitake mushrooms, treme, watermelon, Gastrodia ta, jellies, tomatoes, and various fruits¡­ Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t seem to have lied to them. ¡°Okay! Then I will be waiting for your fruits. Do remember to give me some!¡± First Madame smiled. Qiao Xuan chuckled and nodded. ¡°Of course!¡± In the afternoon, Qiao Xuan asked First Madame to take her for a visit to the farming market, where she bought quite a lot of things. She picked up several, different kinds of green vegetables and cabbage seeds. There was also a variety of long beans with white skin and ck beans inside, and a kind of beans that only had beans in the pods to eat. These beans had purple flower spots and tasted glutinous. Her purchase list also included lotus beans, as well as chayote, gourd melon, a light yellow pepper shaped like antern called habanero-type pepper, and many more. There was a lot to harvest, and Qiao Xuan was really happy about it. First Madame asked her with interest. ¡°If you are so good at nting things, your Brother Hong knows a lot of people across the country, so he can gather seeds for you periodically. If you can make these nts grow sessfully, I will be able to taste different things too!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Honestly, Aunt, that is exactly what I have been thinking. I have asked my Third Brother to look for them for me.¡± First Madameughed. ¡°That is fantastic!¡± The two of them looked at each other in a good mood. The following day, they were supposed to buy theborers. Shao Yunduan and Yuezheng Xiao came along for this errand. First Madame was one of the most promising leading madames in the province, and was well-respected. But she had been almost forgotten after she withdrew from the society to take care of the Old Master. Now that she was back, the moment she returned to the mansion, she was able to take control of the whole mansion. Only a few days had passed, and everyone in the upper-ss of the society knew about this development instantly. Agencies were engaged in dealing with nobledies, so they got the news very fast. No one would dare to y any tricks if someone went to buy theborers with First Madame. They did not try to lie to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, and introduced the most suitable ones to them. Otherwise, people who just gained some wealth but had no idea about the market like Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, the agents would definitely try to fool them. They would quote high prices and sell them terribleborers. Even if Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were clever, they could be tricked in this aspect since it was new to them. But now that would not happen. Qiao Xuan nned to buy a few dozen people to reside at the Zhang Vige to sort out the tea and the garden of the creeping figs. The agent happened to have three families of farmers who had arrived from another town. She introduced them to Qiao Xuan passionately. ¡°They are down-to-earth people who are good at farming, and diligent too. They are from three different ces and can be supervised easily.¡± Qiao Xuan believed that with First Madame around, the agent would not y tricks on them. Since the agent said so, she decided to inquire more about them. She smiled. ¡°Why so?¡± The agentughed and started to exin to Qiao Xuan.. Chapter 519 - 519: Rare Chapter 519 - 519: Rare Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Mrs. Shao, you are new to this. If two families are acquaintances and move to a new ce, they would stick together and iste the third. If three families are acquaintances, the three families would be one and iste the manager. So, the best solution is that they shouldn¡¯t know each other!¡± ¡°I am just saying that out of precaution. It doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be like this. What we need to do is to be careful¡± That made Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan less confused. ¡°That is a valid point!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You are right. We better be careful. But for what you said, we would not have thought about this before!¡± Qiao Xuan thanked her constantly. ¡°You are wee, Mrs. Shao.¡± The agent cheered inwardly. She could not help but develop a good feeling towards the couple. She had been in this business for more than 30 years, She was very experienced, and could see through the world easily. Generally speaking, people who became rich from ordinary or poor families had the biggest self-esteem and inferiorityplex. They just did not listen to other peoples suggestions, and always felt that others wereughing at them in their hearts. They would not ask for suggestions or be grateful like the woman in front of her. But Qiao Xuan was frank and natural, which was a rare thing. She was confident and seemed to have a lot of abilities that would definitely take them ahead in life. So, the agent definitely wanted to befriend her. Finally, they bought 18borers as well as six maids. First Madame offered a temporary ce for these people at the private mansion. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan thanked her for the generosity. The three households were called Lin Jin, Qiao Shisan and Dong Da, whilst the six maids were called Chunyu, Chunfen, Daman, Xiaoman, Lixia and Liqiu. All of those were sr terms for easy remembrance. First Madameughed at the logic behind the naming process. When theborers were bought, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s mission waspleted. After Madame Jia¡¯s banquet the next day, they would head home. It was a busy season for the farmers¡¯ family and they had no time to waste. They had money so they could hireborers for help, thus not being in such a hurry as the others and choosing to stay at home. Shao Yunduan kept Qiao Xuanpany for shopping this afternoon. First Madame was very understanding. She could not keep her to her side all the time, especially when she had not spent some quality time with her own husband. The following day, Ms. Mi Junior hurriedly ate breakfast and came to the First Madame¡¯s residence with Yuezheng Ting, fearing that Qiao Xuan would not show up for the banquet. The daughter and the girl were very well dressed in brocade garments and wearing a lot of shining jewelry. ¡°We will keep each otherpany, so I have brought Ting along to apany Mrs. Shao. Oh, Mrs. Shao is ready as well?¡± Ms. Mi Junior sounded very rxed. She was looking forward to seeing the show. She smiled even deeper when she saw Qiao Xuan. First Madame smiled briefly. ¡°Xuan is ready, thanks for your concern!¡± Ms. Mi Junior chuckled. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, your guest is mine as well!¡± Yuezheng Ting threw a nce at Qiao Xuan. She was dressed in a pale lotus-colored satin-faced cket, ivory white stand-up cor jacket, and a beige bamboo-leaf-patterned silk-faced pleated skirt.. Chapter 520 - 520: Sidekick Chapter 520 - 520: Sidekick Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Apart from a crystal-clear jasper hairpin studded with pearls the size of a finger, there were a few silver hairpins and silk flowers on the bun,pletely different from how Yuezheng Ting and her mother were dressed. ¡°Elder Aunt, why didn¡¯t you buy some new dresses for Mrs. Shao? She looks so¡­ shabby.¡± Ms. Mi Junior chuckled and added. ¡°Yeah, Elder Sister-inw, if you didn¡¯t have time to arrange this small thing, you could have left it to me. I have many new clothes that aren¡¯t worn yet, which are still better than what she is wearing now. I can get someone to fetch them for Mrs. Shao. This outfit on her looks very improper! People might think that you are looking down at your guest!¡± Qiao Xuan threw a strange look at Ms. Mi Junior, but said with a smile, ¡°Second Madame Yuezheng, I don¡¯t really get it. I am here as a guest, and I am wearing my own dress. Why is it rted to Aunt? I am not part of the Yuezheng Family.¡± Was she trying to make her into aughing stock? Sorry, that would not work. ¡°We are from the countryside, and this is how we are dressed. Aunt gave a jade hairpin to me but I still think it is too much. I am sure that Madame Jia knows where I am from and if she looks down at me, she should not have sent me the invitation. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Qiao Xuan heard from the First Madame that Madame Jia was Ms. Mi Juniors good friend. So, Ms. Mi Junior should have said a lot of things to Madame Jia who would help Ms. Mi Junior in every aspect. Therefore, Ms. Mi Junior must have told Madame Jia everything about her. If Qiao Xuan was dressed fitting her status, then she could counter anyone whoughed at her, and First Madame would help her as well. But if she was dressed above her status, she might be aughing stock. Ms. Mi Junior felt somehow ufortable, as if her secret had been seen through so she felt annoyed due to shame. ¡°Madame Jia doesn¡¯t look down at you. But you are the guest I bring to the banquet, so you can always be dressed beautifully.¡± Yuezheng Ting said straightforwardly, ¡°Mrs. Shao, my mom is being kind-hearted! After all, you barely will get a chance to attend any banquet in the future, so you should cherish this asion.¡± First Madame frowned and threw Yuezheng Ting a displeased look. It seemed that this niece of hers had beenpletely ruined by her mother. This sister-inw had ruined two of her daughters. How excellent she had been at raising a child¡­ ¡°No need.¡± Qiao Xuan ignored her provocation and showed a brief smile. ¡°I am fine like this.¡± ¡°Just save your breath.¡± First Madame said coldly, ¡°Xuan is the guest and she should have the final say. I like how she is dressed. Very proper!¡¯ Ms. Mi Junior sneered. ¡°Okay then, you have the say, Elder Sister-inw!¡± She sized up Qiao Xuan secretly, thinking that Qiao Xuan must be feeling unconvinced. She was a countryside person and she never had the qualification to attend any noble banquets in the province. It was such a rare opportunity. She would definitely have liked to dress up well and show up in glory. Every woman loved beautiful clothes and jewelry. Anyway, Ms. Mi Junior snorted coldly. She believed that Qiao Xuan would hate the Elder Sister-inw for what she got now. It was a fun thing to watch.. Chapter 521 - 521: Lipsticks Chapter 521 - 521: Lipsticks Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The four of them walked out together, apanied by young and old maids, filling up two wagons. Many guests had already arrived by the time they reached the Jia Family. First Madame had been to many banquets and feasts since she returned to the mansion during the New Year but she had not visited this ce. It was also her first since her return. Madame Jia paid a great deal of attention to her arrival, speciallying to the door to greet them. They were all in a happy mood. First Madame introduced Qiao Xuan formally to Madame Jia and the others. ¡°Xuan and I hit it off instantly, and we have be good friends. I invited her to my mansion as a guest. Since you sent the invitation to me, I brought her along with me. She doesn¡¯t know much about the rules in the families in the province, so you should notugh at her.¡± Everyone smiled and said that they would not. Soon the guests settled down, and it was very lively in the hall. Youngdies and madams were gathered together and taking a walk in the garden. Thedies from the Jia Family interacted with Qiao Xuan with a smile, for the sake of First Madame. First Madame asked Xi to take good care of Qiao Xuan, but threw her a worried look. In return, Qiao Xuan smiled and nodded, indicating to her to remain assured. She was not being polite. She really did not need any help. She could see through every corner of the whole mansion by just touching one leaf. Her scope of sight was far beyond the mansion too. Nothing could escape her observation. If she were still set up after this, then she would just call herself unlucky. Thosedies and madams were all friends, or acquaintances, or had at least heard about each other. They identally or intentionally ignored Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan never had the intention to make herself a part of their lives. She did not care. She just went for a stroll among those people who were strangers. As she was about to take a seat in the pavilion, Qiao Xuan heard them talking about lipsticks, which drew her attention. Yuezheng Ting became the center of attention of all thedies and madams. Everyone seemed very earnest. ¡°Ting, the lipsticks are part of your family¡¯s stores, and you are always the first one to get the newest product. My nanny can¡¯t even manage to get one until a few dayster, and has only managed to buy only two of them till now!¡± ¡°Yeah, it is so difficult to buy!¡¯ ¡°I heard that there will be some new colors like peach and apricot¡­ is that true? Can you reserve two for me in each color?¡± ¡°I want two as well, or even one is enough!¡± ¡°Me too! My cousins in Jianzhou love them, and they keep asking me to buy some!¡± ¡°Ting, why not tell Third Brother that he can just sell the products to us, not to others. We can pay the same as others will. In fact, I can buy everything from his store!¡± ¡°That is a wonderful idea. Me too!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Qiao Xuan was dumbfounded, and she could not help but smile. She felt very proud. Lipsticks were definitely a profitable venture. When she had enoughbor and beeswax, she would make some more. She would also produce more colors to meet the market¡¯s demand.. Chapter 522 - 522: Limited Version Chapter 522 - 522: Limited Version Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Ting felt both furious and proud, seeing the jealous eyes. The outsiders might think that her Third Brother¡¯s business was equivalent to hers and that she could make these decisions, but the truth was not like that at all. Her Third Brother did not want to give many to her, though the products cost so little. He did not share any extra ones ever. She and her mother just could not find out where he got the products from. She enjoyed being asked for a favor, but she could not do anything about the requests. Yuezheng Ting forced a smile. ¡°That is my Third Brother¡¯s business. He is very conservative and only sells them at the store, not in private. Lipsticks are rare and the amount is limited, and he needs the lipsticks to bring in more business for his store¡¯s other products.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t persuade him when ites to business.¡± They all sighed and got very disappointed. It was not the first time for them to entrust Yuezheng Ting to do this, so they weren¡¯t too surprised or disappointed. They just spoke of it when the topic was mentioned again. What if it was possible this time? Yuezheng Ting saw Qiao Xuan who was leaning against the banister and felt a bit annoyed, as if she had been humiliated in front of Qiao Xuan, who may beughing in her heart at this moment. She grabbed Qiao Xuan and smiled at them. ¡°You may not know this but Mrs. Shao¡¯s husband and my Third Brother are in a good rtionship. My Third Brother even has received them home as guests. Uncle and Aunt treat them so well. Maybe you can beg Mrs. Shao to talk with my Third Brother about this.¡± Qiao Xuan, She felt that thisdy had hit the target unintentionally. If she told him about it, he would definitely agree. Thedies seemed to have heard a huge joke. ¡°I am sure she doesn¡¯t even know what lipsticks are!¡± ¡°Yeah, she definitely can¡¯t afford them.¡± ¡°Ting, you are so funny!¡¯ ¡°I think Ting might have her reason to say so. Maybe it is possible. What about having a try?¡± ¡°I think so too. I really want new lipsticks!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± They all turned to Qiao Xuan with a teasing smile. ¡°Well¡­ Mrs. Shao, can you speak with Young Master Yuezheng about selling some lipsticks to us? We will pay ording to the market price. We can share somemission fees with you for it. What about helping us? They all looked at Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That won¡¯t work. Young Master Yuezheng has his own rules in business. If he breaks the rules, his reputation would be ruined. You can hire people to stand in the queue and you can buy them. But I do have a piece of news that I can reveal to you. I heard that Young Master Yuezheng is going to present a limited version of lipsticks, which is a rare thing. Ten sets at most. If you need them to appear again, you may have to wait for a decade.¡± They were all startled. ¡°Limited version? What is a limited version? ¡°It is very rare. That is great.. I definitely want one!¡± Chapter 523 - 523: Desire Chapter 523: Desire Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°So only ten sets of the limited version? That is so less!¡± ¡°Yeah, it must be so difficult to buy one set!¡± ¡°But why limited? Mrs. Shao, can you tell us more?¡± Yuezheng Ting¡¯s face changed. She intended to bring Qiao Xuan out to draw others¡¯ attention so they could ignore her and sneer at Qiao Xuan instead, rather than let her be in the spotlight. But she attracted everyone¡¯s attention for real. That was not the n! Also, Yuezheng Ting did not believe what Qiao Xuan said. What limited version? Why only ten sets? She was an outsider, how could she know so much? ¡°Mrs. Shao is joking with us.¡± Yuezheng Ting nced at Qiao Xuan and smiled. ¡°Stop it, Mrs. Shao, you can¡¯t joke about business.¡± Qiao Xuan was not going to follow Yuezheng Ting¡¯s n. She needed to promote the limited version. The more she promoted it, the more it would be discussed, and there would be more people who would want to buy it. The price would be raised, and the quality would look good as well. ¡°I am not joking.¡± Qiao Xuan pretended to be confused, chuckling. ¡°Second Miss, that is what Young Master Yuezheng said to me. This is not a joke.¡± Yuezheng Ting was annoyed. ¡°Even if it is real, you can¡¯t spread the secret without Third Brother¡¯s permission! That is business, it can be either big or small, you can¡¯t just spread rumors!¡± The girls were all startled, without any idea what to say. They nced at Yuezheng Ting indifferently. Her reaction was way over the top, who did she think they were that they needed to be guarded against? Qiao Xuan blinked and showed a look of innocence. ¡°Second Miss, you don¡¯t understand. Products should be promoted, that¡¯s how they sell well. I can promise that Young Master Yuezheng did not ask me to keep it a secret.¡± Yuezheng Ting sneered furiously. ¡°I don¡¯t even know about this, but you do? What can you promise yourself with?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Young Master Yuezheng about this. He said that not everyone will be able to afford the limited version. It is high-end, first-ss and has only ten sets, very special and rare. He is going to promote it so everyone will know about it. Those who can¡¯t afford it would be jealous of those who can afford that. Why would he want to keep it a secret?¡± ¡°Also, who does he think that he will sell the limited version to, if he keeps it as a secret? It would cost 3,000 or 4,000 liang for one limited version of lipsticks as I heard.¡± She had made the price higher, so that when people learned the real price, they would find it much easier to ept it and even feel that they had taken some advantage of it. ¡°What!¡± ¡°3,000 to 4,000 liang? Oh my!¡¯ ¡°Did I hear it wrong? ¡°Mrs. Shao, you must have heard it wrong.¡± Seeing Yuezheng Ting obviously looking displeased, they did not dare to ask anything more, especially since Yuezheng Ting kept stopping Qiao Xuan from sharing more details. But now everyone was very curious about the price. They needed to know it clearly, so that they could satisfy their need to know. Yuezheng Ting herself was surprised as well. ¡°You¡­¡± She was about to deny it when she realized that Qiao Xuan would not be stupid enough to make such an exaggerated joke, thus stopping herself.. Chapter 524 - 524: Yuezheng Ting’s Anger Chapter 524: Yuezheng Ting¡¯s Anger Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan exined with a smile. ¡°I am not mistaken. Please, listen to my exnation.¡± She then told everyone about how the limited version worked. Everyone heard that the raw materials of this limited edition lipstick were carefully selected, and the essential oils extracted from flowers would also be added, and the production process was far more refined. Also, the lipstick tube was not only exquisite in materials, but also was iid with gold. Moreover, it was designed by a famous artist, all of which made their eyes brighten. ¡°No wonder it is so expensive!¡± ¡°Yeah, the tube is costly, too!¡± ¡°There are essential oils in it! That is very rare too!¡± ¡°Twelve Beauty Series, I really want a set so much!¡± ¡°Me too! But I can¡¯t afford it. My mom won¡¯t buy one for me.¡± ¡°I would like to have one for my dowry. I wonder if my parents would allow ¡°Oh, but when will it beunched in the market? I can at least take a look at it.¡¯ ¡°Yes, me too!¡± Everyone started to talk about it and expectantly turned to Qiao Xuan. Yuezheng Ting clenched her teeth, and was furious inside her heart. Ms. Qiao would not know everything, right? But Qiao Xuan did know because Yuezheng Xiao was going to give her the first batch of tubes next month for this limited version. So, a month after that, she would be able to finish making them. Ten sets in total) with five sold separately, and the other five sets sold with three at one stage. Those who were willing to buy the new set next season, could make reservations. So she smiled and answered. ¡°In a couple of months, rather within two months, it should be in the market. Then, you can all go and have a look at it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. We will definitely be there, and we are going to buy two ordinary ones too.¡± ¡°Me too! Those are wonderful things for me to take a look at. We may not be able to see them next time.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± The group was chit chatting, and people could not help but ask Qiao Xuan if she could tell Young Master Yuezheng to make some lipsticks that were not so expensive, but the quantity was limited. It didn¡¯t matter if the price was higher than the normal, but the workmanship should also be exquisite, and it was best to add some essential oils as well. Qiao Xuan, Low-ss limited version? That could work, but not right now. They needed to first sell the limited version of high quality and maybe then, they could make something else. The luxurious version had not beenunched in the market, and hence, the low-ss limited version should not appear so soon. ¡°Well, Young Master Yuezheng is in this business. You can all send your suggestions to the manager and the salesboys at the store. They would surely pass them onto Young Master Yuezheng.¡± They allughed. ¡°Okay, that sounds right. I will do that!¡± ¡°I want a limited version as well, but not something that costs me 3,000 or 4,000 liang, a few hundred will do.¡± They all nodded in agreement. Qiao Xuan smiled and looked earnestly at them. They were all money to her! Seeing Qiao Xuan getting so popr, Yuezheng Ting got so angry that she almost broke her teeth. Ms. Qiao was behaving way over the top! She was just a countryside woman who should know nothing. But she kept promoting her Third Brother. She was going to tell the Third Brother about this so that he could reprimand her. Yuezheng Ting felt so annoyed and then whispered an idea into Jiang¡¯s ears.. Chapter 525 - 525: Bad Intention Chapter 525: Bad Intention Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Jiang nodded and left in a hurry. Soon a maid came to serve Qiao Xuan the tea, and before she was able to pass it on, Xi went to ept the tray with a smile and said, ¡°Thanks for bringing it to me, 1 will take it over from here.¡¯ The maid was startled and the tray was in Xi¡¯s hands smoothly. She threw a subconscious look at Yuezheng Ting, forced a smile and left it. That made Yuezheng Ting feel even more annoyed. It was still a bit cold at this time of the year, and they had been out for a long while. Soon it was time for lunch, and the twodies of the Jia Family made an announcement. Everyone got up and went back to the hall. After lunch, they watched the y and they would be going home after that. Seeing Qiao Xuaning back safe and sound, First Madame let out a sigh of relief, whispering to Qiao Xuan holding her hands. ¡°Everything alright?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything is fine.¡± ¡°If something happens, do tell me about it. Don¡¯t put yourself in a distressing situation.¡± Qiao Xuan felt her heart turning warm. ¡°1 won¡¯t. Xi was with me. You can ask her.¡¯ Xi chuckled. ¡°First Madame, Mrs. Shao was great. I will tell you what happened. You will admire her too after that.¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. She was just promoting her own lipsticks. That did make her feel good. ¡°That is wonderful. I can¡¯t wait to go back and hear about it.¡± First Madame looked very curious. Soon the banquet started, and Madame Jia asked them to be seated at the table. There were two tables in total, with eight people at each. The elderly madames were in the main hall whilst the younger ones were in the wing hall. Qiao Xuan came in with Yuezheng Ting, but she did not feel like sitting with her. She was worried that the girl was up to something. Had it not been for Xi stopping it, the tea would have spilled all over her, back at the pavilion. So, Qiao Xuan kept herself away from Yuezheng Ting. But she was still framed, eventually. The maid serving the soup spilled it on Lady Min who was seated next to Qiao Xuan. She immediately kneeled down and begged for forgiveness, saying that it was Qiao Xuan who hit her so she spilled the soup. Lady Min snapped at Qiao Xuan. ¡°You know how much my dress costs? 80 liang! Can you afford it? It is made from a new material, and you ruined it!¡± Everyone looked at each other, uttering no sound. After all, they did not care since they were not involved. No one wanted trouble for themselves. Unless it was Qiao Xuan¡¯s friends who would defend her. But Qiao Xuan had no friend and Lady Min was apparently a more promising contact to stick to for future use. Therefore, they had picked their favored side. Those who were Yuezheng Tings good friends were very happy to see how the show went. Xi was so angry. ¡°Lady Min, I saw that Mrs. Shao¡­¡± ¡°Xi!¡± Qiao Xuan stopped her and turned to Lady Min. ¡°You are sure it was me?¡± Lady Min sneered. ¡°The maid won¡¯t make a mistake, would she?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Yeah, maids at the Jia Family are well-trained. So, I don¡¯t think that they would make a mistake.¡± The twodies of the Jia Family suddenly felt embarrassed. Manydies turned to them curiously as well. The maid should admit the fault even if it was not her. After all, she was a maid. So, either she was looking down at Qiao Xuan, or just trying to get herself out of the trouble. A maid who should not me guests so casually.. Chapter 526 - 526: Money And Clothes Chapter 526: Money And Clothes Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions It meant that she must have been assigned to do this, and it must have been approved of by thedies of the Jia Family. Else a maid would not dare do something like that. Finally, it pointed to just one thing the Jia Family wasn¡¯t a very nice family. Qiao Xuan was the first-time guest, why should the Jia Family cause her trouble. Also, if a maid dares to do this, it was because her mistress wasn¡¯t nice. Totally immoral and uneducated. The twodies of the Jia Family nced at Yuezheng Ting and regretted it. It was Yuezheng Ting who had begged them and promised them something so they could arrange Qiao Xuan to sit next to Lady Min, who was narrow-minded and cared about her appearance. She wanted to set up Qiao Xuan. She did manage to set up Qiao Xuan, but Qiao Xuan got the Jia Family involved in this as well. Qiao Xuan added. ¡°Since you are sure that it was me who did this, then Lady Min, I am sorry and I can pay you 100 liang for this dress, alright?¡± Lady Min was startled and snorted. ¡°Pay me then!¡± She could not help but burst with joy. 100 liang! She only had a monthly pocket money of three liang, and she barely had any extra money to spend. This amount was going to keep her rich for a long while. But Qiao Xuan added politely. ¡°Then my 100 liang should be able to buy out this dress, right? Lady Min should never be allowed to have this dress any longer, no? Too bad that it can¡¯t be washed by you. I can take it home and wash it myself. Could you please give me the dress?¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Most youngdies and madamsughed, as they turned to Qiao Xuan disdainfully. She was indeed a countryside woman who even wanted a dress someone else had worn before. How humiliating! Yuezheng Tingughed too. She was d to see the situation develop like this. If she recounted the story to the whole mansion, everyone was going tough at her. Her Elder Aunt had considered this kind of girl as someone important. Wasn¡¯t she afraid of getting humiliated? Lady Min snorted proudly. ¡°Sure, pay me and the dress is yours. Take it as you want.¡± ¡°Xi, keep Lady Minpany to get changed, and remember to give me the dress when she is done.¡¯ Qiao Xuan said and handed over 100 liang to Xi, saying calmly, ¡°Then, I can ask Aunt who makes this dress so expensive and worth so much money, so I can also buy two sets of garments to take them home for my sister-inw.¡± It was very quiet in the hall. Everyone was startled. Lady Min suddenly realized what was happening. She flushed as she turned to Qiao Xuan, looking furious. ¡°You¡­¡± Qiao Xuan was stillposed and looked at her calmly. She spent 100 liang buying the dress and she had all the rights to do anything she wanted with it. Everyone knew that Lady Min¡¯s dress was not worth 100 liang, or even 80 liang as she imed. It would be priced at most at 8 liang. She was just bullying Qiao Xuan for being a countryside girl who knew nothing. She wanted to threaten and frighten Qiao Xuan so she could beg for forgiveness. Everyone had been amused to see Qiao Xuan offering 100 liang to purchase the dress.. Chapter 527 - 527: Trap Chapter 527: Trap Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions It turned out that the joke was on them. As long as Qiao Xuan showed the dress to the First Madame and told her that the dress was worth 80 liang and that she paid 100 liang for it, Lady Min would be famous for being greedy in the upper-ss circle of the province. Moreover, the Min Family would turn into aughing stock. Lady Min was yet to be married, and no good family would want to have such a greedy and immoral person as their daughter-inw. Everyone could not help but feel hair standing on the back. They could not help but feel fearful towards Qiao Xuan. They started to believe that Mrs. Shao was not a stupid or ignorant countryside woman, and reminded themselves to stay modest rather than judging people by their looks, or belittling people, They might get themselves into trouble by doing so. Look at Lady Min, who had set a perfect example for them. She had dug a trap for herself to jump in. How horrible! Lady Niin was so furious but she could not do anything else except to stutter. ¡°I am not selling this¡­ this dress any more. My bad luck, okay, I don¡¯t want yourpensation¡­ not any more!¡± ¡°That is not good. I never owe people anything, especially if such a dress is worth 80 liang. I will feel so bad. You are open-minded, but I can¡¯t take advantage of you. If you don¡¯t want to sell it to me, 1 will have to turn to the seniors to help me with the persuasion. So, please reconsider if you are selling it or not.¡± ¡°Xi, go and see if Aunt can join us for a while. I am sorry to trouble her!¡± ¡°Yes, Mrs. Shao!¡± Xi got so excited that she was about to hurry away. Lady Niin panicked. ¡°No,no¡­ not now!¡± Qiao Xuan put on an even more sincere look. ¡°She has to go there, you know. I never take advantage of people, especially because this dress is so expensive.¡± Lady Niin shivered out of anger, turning to look at Yuezheng Ting. She could tell clearly that Yuezheng Ting disliked Qiao Xuan. But Yuezheng Ting had been shocked by what Qiao Xuan did, and her mind was in a mess. What was going on? She had never expected that Qiao Xuan would dare to set up Lady Min! With one sentence, Lady Min was totally exposed. She was someone who bullied the weak, not someone who stood up to help others in trouble. Never! Therefore, she moved away, pretending as if she had never seen Lady Min¡¯s pleading eyes. Lady Min flushed and turned pale. She almost burst into tears. Her maid was dumbfounded too. She threw herself onto the ground and said in a shivering voice, ¡°It was me. It was me who bumped into Mrs. Shao¡¯s arm so the soup was over Lady Min. It was my fault, please, forgive me!¡± ¡°But that was not what the maid from the Jia Family said! That girl insisted that it was me! So, which of you lied?¡± ¡°It is so funny. Why lie about such a small thing?¡± Everyone present. ¡® Honestly¡­ First Madame had spotted someone distinguished. No wonder First Madame had always been outstanding in her abilities. The twodies from the Jia Family turned ufortable as well. One of them kept ming Qiao Xuan for being so nosy to have pointed them out, dragging them down. But they should have realized that they were not being polite towards Qiao Xuan when they tried to set her up! Chapter 528 - 528: Satisfied Chapter 528: Satisfied Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions In that case, Qiao Xuan did not care about their reputation, either. Reputation was not given, but earned. When someone intentionally set up people, they deserve to be humiliated when countered back. If Qiao Xuan saved thedies of the Jia Family, would they be grateful to her? No, they would just feel lucky that Qiao Xuan never thought of them. Else, they might assume that Qiao Xuan did not dare offend them. Qiao Xuan did it only because she knew, above all, that the First Madame did not like the Jia Family who was a good friend with Ms. Mi Junior. Hence, she did not need to care about what First Madame would think about it. ¡°It is our fault. Ju totally misbehaved.¡± Thedies of the Jia Family reacted faster than Lady Min. They expressed apologies directly and ordered someone to get Ju in to make apologies. Ju turned totally pale and dumbfounded. But it was so normal that the maid became the scapegoat for her mistress. There was nothing she could do except to admit her mistake. She and Lady Min¡¯s maid admitted the mistake together. They bumped into Qiao Xuan but did not dare to admit that in panic, thus using Mrs. Shao of the wrong doings. They received the mistresses¡¯ punishment. Lady Min had not yet given an open punishment, but Ju was fined two months¡¯ sries. They kept apologizing to Qiao Xuan constantly. Qiao Xuan had reached her purpose, thus she smiled, epting the apology. Somedies started to feel that Lady Min and the Jia Family were annoying. Luckily Mrs. Shao was smart so she revealed the conspiracy, otherwise she would have been totally misjudged. What was the Jia Family doing? Anyone at the door was a guest who should be received well. Lady Min was even worse. Was she so in need of money that she was resorting to ckmailing¡­ The two maids admitted the mistake, but everyone was aware that they were simply scapegoats for their mistresses, covering them up so they would not be exposed. Lady Min waspletely embarrassed so she left, saying that she did not feel well. The twodies of the Jia Family could not leave, but pretended as if they were innocent and continued to receive guests. But no one was interested in eating any longer. They pretended as if they were full and left as well. Same for Qiao Xuan. They were just about to walk to the main hall when Yuezheng Ting came in front of Qiao Xuan and faced her. She sneered. ¡°Happy now? The banquet has been ruined by you?¡± ¡°Why do you say that? I didn¡¯t spill the soup and it was not me who caused the trouble either. Why are you using me then? How about saying that out loud so we can talk about this in front of everyone?¡± Yuezheng Ting got so angry that she was stuck speechless. She snorted and looked deeply into her eyes. ¡°I never expected that you are so clever and full of tricks. I have misjudged you.¡± Qiao Xuan thought to herself and believed that she was still being misunderstood by her. Yuezheng Ting did not know that she was rich. Nor did she know that she was also an officer¡¯s daughter. She also did not know that she was the one who produced the lipsticks. Most importantly, she did not know that her Elder Uncle¡¯s disease was cured by Qiao Xuan. If she knew all of these, she would definitely pass out. ¡°l don¡¯t know you well, Second Miss, and it is very normal that you don¡¯t know me.¡± Yuezheng Ting snorted and left angrily. Xi was dumbfounded. But she was totally convinced by Mrs. Shads conduct.. Chapter 529 - 529: Reasonable Chapter 529 - 529: Reasonable Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Xi thought to herself that no wonder First Madame liked this girl. She was very different from the others. What happened at the hall had reached the other side of the mansion by this point. Lady Niin¡¯s mother had to leave with her, when she insisted. First Madame took hold of Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands, asking concernedly. ¡°Xuan, are you alright?¡± First Madame asked in front of everyone present rather than secretively. A fewdies who had tried to defend Lady Min against Qiao Xuan were stuck speechless. Qiao Xuan felt her heart turning warm. She chuckled and shook her head. ¡°Thanks Aunt, I am well. Also, we have sorted everything out.¡± Ms. Mi Junior sneered. ¡°There is a saying ¨C you should forgive when you a_re forgiven. Xuan, your behavior was way over the top, what was the point in doing all this?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± First Madame threw her a sidelong nce. ¡°Xuan said that they have sorted things through. Sure, we need to be reasonable, but not get others wrongfully used of something as well, When First Madame was not around, Ms. Mi Junior was the face of the Yuezheng Family in society. So, when she was hailed into the air, she felt very arrogant. Gradually, she even started to believe that First Madame was never going to return to the mansion, thus behaving even more arrogantly. Now when she was lectured by First Madame in front of everyone, she felt both ashamed and annoyed. She said sarcastically, ¡°Madame Jia is a good friend of our family, so she doesn¡¯t mind. But no one else would like to befriend such a girl who just causes trouble at a banquet. Why couldn¡¯t they just deal with the matter privately, rather than cause a scene in public?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t belong to the same category!¡¯ That was the basic rule in the upper-ss circle. ¡°Second Madame Yuezheng!¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°If someone¡¯s maids wrongfully use the guest, I would not want to mingle with such a family either. I was lucky today to clear my name. If I failed to gain justice, I would have been med and Aunt would have been humiliated as well. That would make me feel very guilty.¡± ¡°Are you countering me?¡± Ms. Mi Junior snapped at her. ¡°Sister-inw!¡± First Madame said coldly, ¡°Xuan is talking sense. As per you, you can use her of something but she can¡¯t defend herself? Anyways, whatever else you have to say, tell me when we reach back home.¡± It was very quiet in the hall. First Madame simply could not stand this sister-inw of hers. During the past few years, this sister-inw kept saying bad things about First Madame and her family, which had reached First Madame¡¯s ears too. But the first section of the family only focused upon Old Master¡¯s disease, especially First Madame, who never cared about such useless gossip. But things were different now. She could not stand it when Ms. Nii Junior scolded the junior girl she had personally rmended. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, are you lecturing me for someone outside the family?¡± ¡°l am talking sense with you. You can defend yourself if I am wrong. 1 am not putting any pressure on you or stopping you from defending yourself.¡± Ms. Mi Junior could not defend herself. After all, the fault was that of Lady Min and the maids of the Jia Family. If Qiao Xuan had not pointed it out, it would just be a vague situation that could be solved casually.. Chapter 530 - 530: Abilities Chapter 530 - 530: Abilities Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Unfortunately, the method in which she tried to cause trouble failedpletely. Ms. Mi Junior was jealous that Qiao Xuan escaped and hence, tried to lecture her as a senior. But Qiao Xuan did allow that to happen and she was sheltered by the First Madame, so Ms. Mi Junior kept running into bad luck. Madame Jia felt bitterness filling up her heart seeing Ms. Mi Junior getting humiliated. She smiled and stepped forward. ¡°It was the maid¡¯s fault, and also my fault for not teaching them well. Mrs. Shao is innocent, and Ms. Mi Junior was just being kind. It is my fault, totally, for causing this small problem. Oh yes, the y is on, let¡¯s go and watch the y!¡¯ The otherdies let out a sigh of relief and nodded with a smile. First Madame threw a small look at Ms. Mi Junior, and said to Qiao Xuan softly, ¡°How about watching the y? If you want to leave for home, we can do that as well.¡¯ First Madame had understood clearly what real affection was. Apart from some close friends and rtives, the others had turned to the second section of the family when they found that the first section of the family wasn¡¯t doing well. She had not thought about this before, but now she realized that this attitude made her feel emotional. Even if she was not friendly to them, so what? They had to suck up to her anyway. She was capable enough to be sucked up to. She was the First Madame of the Yuezheng Family, and they needed to be polite to her, not vice versa. Qiao Xuan shook her head with a smile. ¡°It is okay, Aunt, let¡¯s watch the y.¡± She did not do anything wrong. Why should she leave now? If they left now, Ms. Mi Junior might take the chance and cause trouble. First Madame smiled. ¡°Okay, just tell me when you feel like leaving.¡± No one dared to look down at Qiao Xuan any longer and served her carefully. No one dared to offend someone who was so strong, especially in a circle like this. Qiao Xuan was strong herself and she was under the protection of the First Madame, so no one would dare to cause any trouble to her. Ms. Mi Junior and Yuezheng Ting looked as if they were fine, but they felt so annoyed inwardly. They brought Qiao Xuan here because they wanted to humiliate her in public so that First Madame could be humiliated too. But things turned out to be very different. On the contrary, Ms. Mi Junior was lectured by the First Madame, which changed her image in front of the other madames and youngdies. Everyone understood who was the hostess of the Yuezheng Family, and that the Second Madame simply had no sway in the mansion. It was a peaceful and lovely time watching the y in the afternoon. When the First Madame left with Qiao Xuan, Ms. Mi Junior and Yuezheng Ting refused to leave. They wanted to have a few words with the Madame of the Jia Family. First Madame did not care and left with Qiao Xuan first. On the wagon, she could not wait and asked Qiao Xuan about what happened in detail. Xiughed. ¡°First Madame, let me tell you the story¡­¡± Xi added a lot of details and moves as she recounted the incident, amusing First Madame. ¡°Good, good! That was exactly what you should do!¡± First Madame took Qiao Xuan¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°l treat you as my daughter and if anyone dares to offend my daughter, they will have to think about the consequences.¡± Qiao Xuan felt warmth in her heart and chuckled. ¡°Thanks, Aunt!¡± First Madameughed and held her hand tightly.. ¡°No need to thank me!¡± Chapter 531 - 531: Limited Version Chapter 531: Limited Version Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were going back the day after tomorrow, so First Madame asked Yuezheng Xiao to get the wagon ready to drive them back, as well as theborers whom they had bought. She had the presents ready too, such as the lotus roots, and water chestnuts. Yuezheng Xiao nodded with a smile, and asked his servants to do the preparations. He gave one batch of in version of lipsticks boxes to Qiao Xuan, and he would deliver the limited version to her personally, when they were ready. While they were talking, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan understood that after two weeks, Yuezheng Hong was going to head northwest with goods. So, they were all busy at the Yuezheng Mansion these days. They prepared and counted the goods, prepared the convoy, and finally determined the treasurers and guards to follow. They checked and visited their families to see if everything was normal, and relocated their families¡­ etc. These things were cumbersome and there were too many matters to deal with. Though they were not difficult, it could take a lot of time to straighten things out. As they were chatting, the Chief Manager and the Deputy Manager came over to pass on the message. The couple decided to leave, but Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°They must be talking about the tea business. You should stay because we may need your help with it.¡± Yuezheng Hong nodded with a smile too. ¡°True!¡± The two managers were a little surprised, but they understood that these were the new suppliers for tea, thus saying nothing. But what they did not know was that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were not ordinary suppliers. They were going to supply them with the most cherished tea and bring many profits to the tea business of the Yuezheng Family. The tea businessprised more than 1/3 of the entire business of the family. The two managers wanted to check how much tea leaves they should take along to the northwest. They had a lot with them but the leaves turned rotten halfway. The Yuezheng Family always stuck to reputation and they would not process the rotten ones and pretend that they were new. So, they had to cast them aside. Therefore, the actual profits were very less with time and energy as well as other costs counted. They needed to earn 60% or more, so that people could be motivated to work harder. Twenty percent of the profits could be earned even by small businesses. After all, merchants were far away from their rtives¡¯ hometown and traveled two to three thousand miles or even farther. One could imagine how hard it was. All kinds of idents and emergencies would ur on the way, so if they could not earn much, who would want to join them? The two managers meant that the weather wasn¡¯t good and there was a lot of rain, so the tea leaves would not be easily preserved. They suggested cutting the volume down so the goods would not be affected by the weather. If the rain kept pouring down, the goods would be destroyed again. It would take a few months for the round trip to bepleted. If the profits could not be earned, things would look bad. Yuezheng Hong was silent. The tea of the Yuezheng Family was supposed to be sold to the nomadic tribes outside the pass. What the nomadic tribescked most were tea and salt.. Chapter 532 - 532: Tea Bricks Chapter 532: Tea Bricks Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Salt was under the control of the imperial court, and the Yuezheng Family could not get their hand in. But tea had been their business for many years, and the Yuezheng Family started with such a business. If they took smaller amounts, the tribes might get disappointed, and the other business families might take that chance and sneak in, recing them as the main supplier. If they were reced, not only tea leaves, but other goods might not sell easily. As long as they had satisfying tea leaves, the other goods could be sold at the same time. If the amount of tea leaves wasn¡¯t enough, then they would need to find other new clients and turn to other aspects. That was not what Yuezheng Hong was willing to do. They were mainly a tea leaves business family, and they were experienced in it. Also, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yun¡¯s tea farms would have a small amount of goods in early autumn this year, but next year¡¯s supply would be greatly increased. After two or three years, it would reach a stable amount, and it would increase in the next few years steadily. Those were not ordinary tea leaves, but golden sprouts andvender! With these two categories of tea leaves, the Yuezheng Family could expand this business line to the capital. Yuezheng Hong had been trying to expand the business to the capital, but his father ran into an ident and the whole thing was postponed. Now his father had healed and the golden sprouts andvenders were soon going to be avable, so the n could be resumed, and things would be much easier. After all, these two kinds were the most difficult to cultivate and the capital had a high demand for them. Hence, as long as he had the goods, no one would be able to get rid of them. They needed to stick to the tea leaves business. It should never fade away. But the weather had made things difficult in the recent past. What if the weather turned better this year? The two managers and the two owners started having an argument. Both sides had their reasonable contentions and did not retreat at all, so the argument became very lively. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look between themselves. ¡® What were they doing here? Watching the show? Shao Yunduan smiled bitterly. He knew nothing about business, let alone tea leaves. But Qiao Xuan gave a suggestion instinctively. ¡°Tea leaves can be made into the shape of brick, easier to transport and much less likely to get rotten.¡± She faintly remembered that there was a documentary about tea transportation, where the tea bricks were mentioned. The argument stopped immediately. The Deputy Manager did not show any look of contempt, seeing that it was the two owners¡¯ good friend who had spoken. But he still said calmly, ¡°Mrs. Shao, we are already using tea bricks.¡± Yuezheng Xiao suddenly had hope rising inside his heart, when he saw this couple who had surprised them so many times. What if he made the right bet! ¡°Actually, bricks are differently made and processed. Some bricks can preserve the taste, color and avoid some ws. Unfortunately, our bricks aren¡¯t good enough so we are always seeking better ways to make tea bricks. But it is never easy¡­¡± Qiao Xuan thought of the system in space. She felt like giving it a try. She thought for a while and said, ¡°1 seem to remember having read something about craftsmanship of tea bricks making. I will try to recall those things and write them down for you. Maybe, it will be of some help.¡± They were all startled. Yuezheng Xiao was also taken aback.. ¡°Are you sure? We would pay for it, if you have a better method for making tea bricks!¡± Chapter 533 - 533: Tryout Chapter 533: Tryout Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Hong nodded as well. But the two managers were dumbfounded, falling into speechlessness. What were these two owners doing? Did they really take what Mrs. Shao said so seriously? The craftsmanship of such exquisite skill should be concealed in secret, and Mrs. Shao would not just reveal that to them so casually. She must be joking. They would have mocked her but for the presence of these two young masters. How shameless she was! Qiao Xuan looked frank and honest. She smiled without any embarrassment. ¡°Let me give it a try.¡± It didn¡¯t depend on her whether she could find a solution. She was going to look it up in space. If she could find the method, that would be great. If not, then there was nothing else she could do. Yuezheng Xiao had a lot of confidence in her. He nodded as if he already had received the method. ¡°Okay, okay, please have a try. It doesn¡¯t matter if you can remember anything. Don¡¯t be stressed! I am sure you can figure it out.¡± Qiao Xuan. ¡® She could not make a promise till the time she didn¡¯t check it in her space. Soon, Qiao Xuan did find the chance to enter the space and the room, where she carefully searched the process for tea craftsmanship. To her surprise, she actually found one. Qiao Xuan read it carefully and bore the contents in her mind. She could easily remember the words since what she found here was connected to her consciousness. Later, Qiao Xuan slightly changed the method of narration and made a few changes in the details with the core contents remaining intact. Soon, a n of tea brick manufacturing was formed. Shao Yunduan helped her write them down as Qiao Xuan stumbled with her words. Shao Yunduan did not know much about the tea bricks, but when he wrote the method down, he could not help but admire his wife. His instinct told him that this was really excellent. Every step was filled with characteristics as well as the items that they needed to watch out for. Shao Yunduan read the paper carefully and gave an admiring look to his wife. ¡°You had all of these in mind?¡± Qiao Xuan thought for a while and shook her head. ¡°Not all. Some of them are my ideas, not everything is from a book. I just figured it out myself!¡± No book would have aplete methodology of any craftsmanship, and Qiao Xuan could not find such an excuse. Shao Yunduan. Qiao Xuan burst intoughter seeing her husband¡¯s surprise on her face. ¡°As for tea, in fact, the preservation is quite easy. I can figure it out from what I read. Apart from reading misceneous books, I also like to think about it when I have nothing to do. Many things here are what I inferred myself. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s right or not. But the masters who make tea bricks have rich experience, they will know after trying it. Shao Yunduan said, ¡°You are right¡­¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled and nodded. The two of them smiled at each other. When handing over the paper to Yuezheng Xiao, Shao Yunduan euphemistically mentioned how it came about, so that Yuezheng Xiao and the tea brick makers would understand it well, and won¡¯tnd in trouble by blindly following the instructions. They were supposed to think more about it themselves when they were trying it out for the first time.. Chapter 534 - 534: Presents Chapter 534: Presents Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Xiao was shocked as well. His sister-in mw was really bold and full of ideas. Then, he realized that she was not an ordinary woman. She had read a lot and was very smart. She loved to think broadly and coulde up with so many delicious things to cook. Tea bricks might be her specialty as well. Some people could be good at something that no one else was able to surpass. After the paper was given to Yuezheng Xiao, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan left ording to the original n. They could not be away from home for too long during this season of the year. First Madame was unwilling to see them leave but there was no choice. She ordered the kitchen to prepare a lot of things for them to eat on the way, and did not release Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands for a long while. They had five wagons on the way back home. They didn¡¯t contain much luggage, but there were many people. Yuezheng Xiao had arranged it all, and Qu Shan led the way. However, not long after they left the gate, Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s servant, Auntie Mao, stopped the wagon. ¡°Please, Young Master Shao, Mrs. Shao. Our Madame has a present to give to you. Hence, I am waiting for you here.¡± Soon after, a maid came forward with a huge box. Qiao Xuan did not take it but smiled. ¡°Thanks, Aunt, please tell Second Madame that we have epted her kindness, but we don¡¯t need the present.¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind of you, Mrs. Shao!¡± Auntie Mao smiled, as she led forward a girl in her teens. The girl was wearing a light pink embroidered dress, with a slender waist, petite and exquisite. She had charming and beautiful facial features, especially a pair of eyes, which were particrly enticing. Auntie Mao led her forward. The girl threw a nce at Shao Yunduan, then she lowered her head, showing a snowy white neck and beautiful face, looking rather attractive. Qiao Xuan, ¡® She understood what was going on. Qiao Xuan suddenly felt ufortable, very ufortable. She threw a look at Shao Yunduan and sneered, waiting for Auntie Mao to make her speech. ¡°Young Master Shao.¡± Auntie Mao smiled. ¡°This is Li Yun, a present our Second Madame gave to Young Master Shao so that you can study well. You need to have a smart maid next to you, right? Please, ept it, Young Master Shao.¡± Li Yun put on an even more bashful posture and bowed at Shao Yunduan. ¡°Greetings, Young Master! ¡± Auntie Mao smiled. ¡°Get onto the wagon. Do remember to serve Young Master Shao. From this day on, you are Young Master Shao¡¯s girl!¡¯ ¡°Yes, Auntie! ¡± The whole scene made Shao Yunduan, Qiao Xuan and Qu Shan turn dumbfounded. Auntie Mao did not think that Shao Yunduan would turn her down. All men liked beautiful women, especially schrs who loved to have charming girls to keep thempany when they read. Li Yun was young, beautiful, and lively. No man would turn her down, especially someone like Shao Yunduan, who was from an ordinary family. He would definitely want to have someone like her next to him. Shao Yunduan understood what was going on. But this was the first time he learned about something like this. He flushed and said, ¡°Wait a moment! I don¡¯t need her. Please take her back, thanks.¡¯ Li Yun was startled climbing midway onto the wagon.. Chapter 535 - 535: For Aunt Chapter 535 - 535: For Aunt Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Li Yun was startled, and so was Auntie Mao. ¡°What did you¡­ just say, Young Master Shao?¡± He did not want a beautiful girl for free? Pressing down the anger, Shao Yunduan repeated word by word. ¡°l just said, take her away!¡¯ ¡°What¡­
¡°Young Master!¡± Li Yun looked up at Shao Yunduan innocently. ¡°What is wrong with me?¡± ¡°Everything!¡± Shao Yunduan answered coldly. ¡°Qu Shan, let¡¯s leave now!¡± With that Shao Yunduan put down the curtain, and his handsome face was stiff. Qu Shan, who had been panicking anxiously, got really happy seeing people from the second section of the family get humiliated. ¡°Yes, Young Master Shao! Auntie Mao, make way please!¡± ¡°Young Master Shao!¡± Auntie Mao could not hide her anger. She stopped the wagon and said with displeasure, ¡°Second Madame Yuezheng is giving you a present out of kindness, Young Master Shao, but you are turning her down! Honestly, Young Master Shao, you are a guest to our mansion!¡± Was he daring to humiliate the madame from the Yuezheng Family? His face was stern and without lifting the drapery, he said in a cold voice, ¡°That has nothing to do with Second Madame Yuezheng!¡¯ He was not relying on Ms. Mi Junior, and he was not threatened by a servant. Honestly, the Yuezheng Family needed his family¡¯s help, to be precise, his wife¡¯s help. Shao Yunduan never felt that he was under shadow when his wife was more capable than he was. Instead, he felt really proud! Qiao Xuan lifted the curtain and said, ¡°Auntie Mao, thank you for the present. We can ept the present but I want to rify something. This means that she will bepletely at our disposal, right?¡± Auntie Mao thought that something sounded wrong. But she did not dwell on that and added with a smile. ¡°You are right, Mrs. Shao, this is the present to Young Master Shao, and she will be at your disposal, if you ept it.¡± ¡°That is great.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Then, I am giving her away to the First Madame of your mansion, namely my Aunt. Auntie Mao, kindly send her and the contract to my Aunt so she can be pleased. A beautiful, nice maid will definitely make her happy! ¡± ¡°What?¡± Auntie Mao¡¯s face changed. She was totally dumbfounded. What was this situation? Qu Shan could not hide his chuckle. He was watching the show proudly. Before the First Madame and Old Master came back to the mansion, this old aunt tormented the servants of the first section of the family together with Second Madame Yuezheng. So, he was very d to see her getting thrashed. Shao Yunduan was pleased too. He said coldly, ¡°My wife is right. Auntie Mao, do remember to have her delivered to Aunt.¡¯ ¡°Yeah, she is at our disposal, isn¡¯t she? Hence, it depends on us how we deal with her. Auntie Mao can¡¯t decide on our behalf, right? I don¡¯t think Second Madame Yuezheng would be so stingy as to take back her gift. We will ask our Aunt next time about it!¡± Auntie Mao got so angry that her face twisted. Li Yun was so shocked.. What did she do? Why was she treated like that? Chapter 536 - 536: Ignored Problem Chapter 536 - 536: Ignored Problem Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qu Shan added with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master Shao and Mrs. Shao, I will definitely tell First Madame about this once I get back. First Madame doesn¡¯tck servants, but since this is a present from you, Mrs. Shao, First Madame will surely love it.¡± ¡°I would be d if Aunt liked it. Thanks Qu Shan!¡± ¡°This is what I should do!¡± Auntie Mao shivered from head to foot. She almost passed out due to short breath. What a bully! How could the situation be like that? Qiao Xuan threw a sidelong look at her, smiling. ¡°Auntie Mao, anything more you want to tell me? If not, please move away. We are heading home now.¡±
Auntie Mao spat on the ground seeing them leave. She snapped. ¡°What the hell, these impolite people! They have ruined Second Madame Yuezhengs present! ¡± Li Yun turned really anxious. She asked in a small voice after a long while. ¡°Auntie Mao, then I will¡­ Auntie Mao red at her. ¡°What will you do? Serve First Madame?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Li Yun shook her head anxiously. ¡°l don¡¯t want to! Please, save me!¡± She had heard what First Madame was like. She would not dare to work for First Madame, under such circumstances. Auntie Mao snorted. ¡°We are going back to report this to Second Madame. She has her own idea. How dare you beg me for help? You are totally useless!¡± Shao Yunduan would have epted her if she had been useful. Li Yun kept her head lowered, not daring to utter a sound. She had not expected that a countryside man would turn down a beautiful girl like her to be his concubine! She did not like Shao Yunduan, but Second Madame Yuezheng said that he was rich and could be an officer in the future, thus sessfully convincing her. Eventually she was looked down upon! That made Li Yun really sad. In the wagon, Shao Yunduan felt especially annoyed. He had not expected that Ms. Mi Junior would be so disgusting. He threw a quick look towards Qiao Xuan, thinking that he should say something. But Qiao Xuan did not look very happy and Shao Yunduan somehow felt a little nervous, not knowing what to say. So, he could only nce at her secretly. Although Auntie Mao was driven away and the annoying Ms. Mi Junior would get really pissed, Qiao Xuan was indeed in a bad mood. She suddenly thought of a problem that she had been ignoring all this time. She was having a smooth time at her mother-inw¡¯s home, and her mother-inw showed her favor boldly among all of her three daughter-inws. No one even objected to that. Her Elder Sister-inw and Third Sister-inw all trusted her, so did Qi and Taotao, who admired her greatly and took her advice. Although her father-inw wasn¡¯t that reliable, she was out of his control. Moreover, she did not care about the other sections of the Shao Family¡­ Shao Yunduan treated her nicely too, Although they did not say it straightforwardly, both of them should know that Qiao Xuan was not going to leave the Shao Family and they would be a real couple in the future. Why not? Shao Yunduan was nice to her and he defended her in front of the Qiao Family. He even promised to her that he would always stay by her side, so that she would never be bullied or looked down at.. Chapter 537 - 537: Unpleasantness Chapter 537: Unpleasantness Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions He had encouraged her to do business, to open a tea business, rather than restrict her by telling her that she should just obey her husband. With this as the basis, Qiao Xuan knew clearly that she was never going to find anyone else in this era that would treat her equally well. Also, after spending much time with him, she had gradually started to like him. She could not find anyone else like this if she left them. But she suddenly realized one thing ¨C the issue of wife and concubine. She had been carefree and busy making food and money because she never had the concept of this problem. After all, she was not originally born in this era. But now, this issue suddenly happened¡­ In this era, rich men often had concubines, more than one! As long as he could afford them, he would have three or four concubines, or three or four maids as well as some sweethearts outside home. As long as a man wanted it. Shao Yunduan turned down Ms. Li Yun given by Ms. Mi Junior, but what aboutter? Shao Yunduan was a smart guy. Ms. Mi Junior was up to no good, and he was not originally from a rich family, so before he became the officer, he would not ept the girl. What aboutter? Many people became arrogant and conceited after they were appointed as an officer. It was a fact. People changed. They were true-hearted when the conditions were the same, but who knew whether they would still remain the same when conditions changed. Maybe Qiao Xuan had to ept his concubine being his wife. Else she would just bebeled ¡®unvirtuous¡¯, and med by her mother-inw, and by those from the Shao Family, friends and rtives. She did not care about the reputation. But she did not want to deal with such usations. She did not want to be med by others or let such things ruin her day. Also, what if Shao Yunduan himself wanted to have concubines¡­ She could not drive them away by threatening him! If his superiors and fellows gave him beautiful girls, how could he turn them down, and how many times could he turn them down? The refusal might affect his career. Would he rather give up his career? Even if he failed to be an officer, he might still have concubines when he became rich. Qiao Xuan felt really distressed as she thought about this. Men¡­ Life was going to be so hard! She had thought that she was lucky enough to have a good mother-inw and a good family as well as a good man, but there was this hidden, huge problem in front of her. So annoying! Qiao Xuan looked up at Shao Yunduan and felt distressed. Shao Yunduan also sensed something weird going on with her. He felt very confused and anxious, thinking that it must be something to do with him. But he also hoped that it was not his fault. Yet the feeling was getting weirder than before. He could not help but observe Qiao Xuan, and then he saw Qiao Xuan¡¯s look of grudge. Shao Yunduan was startled. ¡°What is going on, Darling?¡± What was going on? Qiao Xuan snorted and suddenly felt sourness attacking her, as if she were already the wife without virtue, who was med by everyone in the neighborhood. She almost burst into tears. Shao Yunduan panicked.. ¡°What happened¡­ darling, please, don¡¯t, don¡¯t cry!¡¯ Chapter 538 - 538: Advanced Scholar Chapter 538: Advanced Schr Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°l am not crying! You are crying!¡¯ Shao Yunduan panicked. He said, ¡°My fault, definitely my fault!¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s your fault! Men are not good!¡± Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan had no idea what happened. But he knew that his wife was not happy at the moment, which made him feel concerned. He thought for a while and then said gently, ¡°Other men have nothing to do with us. Tell me what is wrong with me, please?¡± Qiao Xuan was so engaged in her imagination that she blurted out immediately. ¡°You are going to marry a concubine!¡± Shao Yunduan was startled. ¡°What? No, 1 am not?!¡± He denied it instantly. Qiao Xuan snorted. ¡°You will, in the future!¡± Shao Yunduan. He was speechless. ¡°l won¡¯t in the future, either!¡± Qiao Xuan did not believe him. ¡°You a_re just saying nice words. When you be an officer, you will need a concubine to keep up your reputation. Or your colleagues and superiors give you one. You will need to ept them in case you offend them. Or your family will want you to have many children!¡± The more she thought about this, the sadder she became. She believed that he had many reasons to ept concubines, but none to turn down one. Shao Yunduan was startled. Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart sank, as she saw his reaction. She was so sad when she said, ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t care, we are¡­¡± Shao Yunduan covered her mouth before she finished her words. Qiao Xuan red at him furiously. He was gagging her?! ¡°I won¡¯t have any concubines.¡± Shao Yunduan sighed. ¡°l don¡¯t have any now. Nor will I have any in the future.¡± Noble and rich people had this custom, but he did not. Why did he need a concubine? He liked Qiao Xuan and he could not imagine that he would be close to anyone else. He was not used to being with anyone else. And she did not like it either. Shao Yunduan did not think Qiao Xuan¡¯s concern was wrong. Instead, he felt more worried about her. She was born a concubine¡¯s daughter, thus hoping that he would not have any concubines. Feeling pity for her, Shao Yunduan added. ¡°1 will treat you well.¡± Qiao Xuan was dumbfounded. She just realized that she had lost her temper for no reason. She suddenly felt a little guilty and embarrassed. Was he telling the truth? ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°If you ever lie¡­¡± ¡°l won¡¯t.¡± ¡°What if¡­ ¡°l won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then we will talk about thister.¡¯ Shao Yunduan swallowed down all the promises he was about to make. She did not need big promises. She needed to see what he did to her. Shao Yunduan told himself inwardly that he was going to behave well. He was not going to give her a chance to leave. But Shao Yunduan wasughing bitterly. He thought that if he became the Rmended Man, then he could possibly finally confess his feelings towards her. Now it seemed that she could only ept him after he became the Advanced Schr and assure her that he would never have a concubine. Shao Yunduan promised to himself that he was definitely going to be an Advanced Schr! Only then would he be able to have her for real by his side.. Chapter 539 - 539: On The Couch Chapter 539 - 539: On The Couch Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Hearing his solemn ¡®okay, Qiao Xuan felt that he was sincere. That made her feel slightly better. That would do¡­ She had a lot of money. Most importantly, Aunt Yuezheng treated her well and the first section of the Shao Family were not unreasonable people. If that day really came, they could separate the properties and she could make sure the breakup went peacefully, even if it meant that she might face some losses. When this idea came into her mind, Qiao Xuan finally felt slightly assured. She was not alone in this world, anyway. But she did not want this to happen. Just the thought of it was distressing enough.
They arrived at Heshan County by the evening and stopped by the Zhang Vige first. They had told Ding Erzhu and his wife about buying a dozenborers before, so the couple wasn¡¯t that surprised to see them. They had got all the daily necessities ready. Anything that was missing, they could go and fill them up the next day. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan gave them some instructions, and left the three families in Ding Erzhu and his wife¡¯s hands. They will drop by the next day. It was veryte already, and they could not do everything on the same day. They were going to have a detailed discussion the next day, when they were going to pick the lotus roots. The coachmen of the three wagons stayed overnight at the Zhang Vige, whilst Qu Shan drove the couple back to their vige. The two wagons did not stop until they came into the yard. The six maids were quite nervous as they got off the wagon. Ms. Fang as well as the other family was very surprised to see them. They had been informed about the arrival of the maids and they were used to Liu Yan¡¯s presence. So the six maids did not startle Ms. Fang and the others too much. Soon they all calmed down. Qiao Xuan led the six maids to kowtow to the whole family and passed on their names. It was veryte, and they did not need to work at this moment. They were arranged to live in the back house, with three girls sharing one room. When the six maids were settled, everyone rxed, especially Taotao and Qi who approached Qiao Xuan and smiled. Qiao Xuan was also smiling happily. She had not met her family for a long time and she could not wait to share details of the trip with them. Shao Yunduan¡¯s lips curved. He knew that his wife loved this family, and had long since developed sincere feelings towards everyone. So, he was going to do his best to keep her here. It had been a long day. After dinner and a simple wash, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan returned to their room for rest. Only then did Qiao Xuan notice something strange. She and Shao Yunduan had been sharing the same bed and pillow for a long while now! Also under the same cover, that was too¡­ flirty¡­ They did not have much space in the past, so they had to bear the limited conditions. But things were different after shifting here. They had so many spacious yards and rooms, and even the yard they were living in had wing rooms. So, Qiao Xuan could live in whichever room she wanted. No one would know that they were not sharing the same bed. Qiao Xuan suddenly felt a little annoyed, especially after she was irritated today. ¡°Well¡­ you can take the bedroom. I will move into the east wing room.¡± Shao Yunduan looked up at her, deep into her eyes but sensed no emotions. Qiao Xuan felt slightly ufortable. She moved her eyes away, avoiding his look. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°l will take the couch.¡¯ Shao Yunduan threw a look at the couch ced against the wall.. Chapter 540 - 540: Not Saying Chapter 540 - 540: Not Saying Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The couch was not wide or long, barely enough for one person. It would definitely cause difort. But he did not want to sleep in a different bedroom from Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°There is no need¡­¡± ¡°It will do.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°In case Mom finds out about it. Also, no matter where you sleep, it is the same, isn¡¯t it?¡± Qiao Xuan was stuck with words.
True¡­ They all knew that she and Shao Yunduan were a married couple, and they could not spill the truth about their rtion to anyone else. Even if they were divorced, she would still be considered to have been through one marriage, after all. So, there was no need to be too particr at this moment. Hence, they could just share one room in case some ident happened. Most importantly, Shao Yunduan sounded so determined that she could not turn him down¡­ ¡°But the couch¡­ doesn¡¯t seem veryfortable!¡± Shao Yunduan agreed inwardly. But he disagreed on the surface. ¡°That is fine. It is okay for me.¡± ¡°Oh, if you don¡¯t feelfortable, don¡¯t stick around. Take the east wing room.¡± Qiao Xuan had no words to say any further. She had said whatever she was supposed to say, and that was all she could do¡­ Shao Yunduanughed and said gently, ¡°It is gettingte, let¡¯s settle dovvn.¡± ¡°What? Okay¡­¡± It was a quiet night. But when they got up the following morning, Shao Yunduan looked very tired from sleeping on the couch. He had dark circles around the eyes, and was massaging his shoulders. Qiao Xuan felt a little guilty, and said involuntarily, ¡°What about you take the east wing room. Or I can.¡± ¡°No need, really.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled brightly. ¡°l can manage.¡± Qiao Xuan was speechless. Okay then¡­ When they got up, the six maids were already up. The six girls were cautious and timid, at a loss. They had no idea what they should do. Seeing Ms. Fang and Yang Xiaoni working, they went up to offer some help. But they caused a mess. Ms. Fang and Yang Xiaoni felt a little helpless as well. If they were told to work, there wasn¡¯t so much for them to do anyway. And Ms. Fang did not seem to feel that stone-hearted to give them so much work, seeing that they were afraid to be driven away at the first mistake. But they were the maids, and they should work. Ms. Fang understood that maids should not be spoiled, after what they had experienced with Liu Yan. Otherwise the spoiled maids would cause the family trouble. They were different from Liu Yan. They were going to be kept at home for long. Seeing Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan walk in, Ms. Fang and her daughters-inw let out a big relief. ¡°Oh Ms. Qiao, what should these six girls do, please make some arrangements! ¡± As long as they were not lingering in front of her, or they would just cause trouble. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged an amused look. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°It is my fault, sorry for having caused you trouble. All you girls,e here!¡± The six maids also let out a sigh of relief, as if they had found the decision-maker. They answered and came to them. Qiao Xuan nced at them and felt very satisfied. With First Madame around, the agent offered her exactly what she needed for the family. These six girls were all very reliable.. Chapter 541 - 541: Fear And Respect Chapter 541: Fear And Respect Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The agent had rmended ten people, and she picked six out of them. All of them seemed like the right choice at that time. Actually, it did not matter if they were wrong choices, either. If they found that any of the maids were like how Liu Yan was in her initial stage, when she did not do any housework, Qiao Xuan would still not worry too much. She could just sell them and find better ones. Qiao Xuan had already told them what they should do. She did not need to give them any lecture. She only summoned Taotao and Qi, who came to her side. ¡°Your Fifth Brother will be heading into town today with me and we will buy some mutton. Let¡¯s eat mutton kebabs tonight. How does that sound?¡± Taotao and Qi¡¯s eyes started sparkling. They nodded constantly. ¡°Yeah, okay, okay!¡¯ ¡°There is not much chili powder and pepper powder at home, we will grind some more today. By the way, grind some dried ginger powder, cumin, and cloves, too!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and said, ¡°You lead Chunyu and Chunfen to the bamboo forest to cut bamboo, and let them chop them into kebab sticks after cutting the bamboo. Each of them will cut twenty pieces. You take them there, tell them how to cut it, and let them do the rest.¡¯ Qi and Taotao were a little confused. They were fast and they could do everything flexibly. But since the Fifth Sister-inw said so, then she might have a reason for it. So they nodded. Then Qiao Xuan said to the six maids, ¡°Heard that? Each person cuts 20 pieces, and holds the cut ones in hands, don¡¯t confuse them with others. I will check them when Ie back.¡± The six maids nodded. Qiao Xuan added. ¡°Our family doesn¡¯t have much housework, and my mother and sister-inw do the work by themselves on weekdays. As for you, you just need to help. In this way, six of you will work in three shifts, two in one shift, and one shift a day to help with the work. Those who are not on duty can go back to the house to rest or do needlework. If there is something to do, whoever is called will go.¡± The six maids nodded again. It seemed like a proper arrangement. The six maids felt assured and did not think that it would be messy as before. They were not the type who wanted to serve masters or madams in high-ranking families so that they could be excellent maids in the future. After Qiao Xuan bought them, they could tell what their new mistress and master were like, after living in the province as well as experiencing the trip on the way home. They felt lucky that they had a great mistress who was neither stingy nor strict, nor throwing temper at her will, and who offered them much food and clothes generously. Most importantly, though they did not dare to peep at the encounter between Auntie Mao and Qiao as well as Shao Yunduan, they heard everything clearly. Their mistress and master were nice and treated them well but they were definitely not weak. So, the maids respected and admired them, and they would not cause any trouble. Even though they might have had some strange idea before, the idea was long gone. Qi and Taotao led Chunyun and the maids to chop bamboo. After that, they were offered breakfast, before going to chop them further into pieces. The brother and sister were drooling for the oily and tasty mutton kebabs. With six more maids at home, the breakfast portion needed to increase. Qiao Xuan said to Ms. Fang with a smile, ¡°Mom, If you make steamed buns, porridge, and noodles at home, let them eat it. For daily cooking, let them cook two dishes and one soup. Fry two dishes but let the quantity be more than usual, and serve them in another bowl.. Chapter 542 - 542: Lotus Roots Chapter 542: Lotus Roots Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Then she told her about the work in shifts and the housework that the maids should do as well as what others should do in the meanwhile, etc. Rules needed to be set in the beginning, and people would be customized to it naturally. Although Qiao Xuan did not care about rules, they needed to be set so as not to cause chaos. Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Okay, that sounds like a good arrangement. It saves us a lot of trouble. You do not know how messy it was in the morning, when those six girls were surrounding me, wanting to get the work done.¡± Yang Xiaoni was quite frightened too. ¡°Yeah! I am not used to that!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom, you can tell them what needs to be done. Same goes for you, Third Sister-inw. Honestly, there will be more people around us in the future!¡± The breakfast served on this day was white rice porridge, steamed buns and flower rolls, as well as kimchi and chopped bamboo shoots, sauerkraut, bacon and chili, and fried garlic. The white porridge was fragrant and thick, the porridge rice grains were distinct and full, and the taste was smooth. The steamed buns were white and fluffy, the flower rolls were smeared with scallion foam, and the aroma was tangy. The kimchi was mouth-watering and attractive. The diced bamboo shoots, bacon and sauerkraut are stir-fried, and they were spicy and fresh to the extreme, making everything look delicious. The breakfast was simple, and full of taste as well. Qiao Xuan converted an empty wing room in the backyard into a dining room for servants to eat, and set up the square table and stools. Chun Yu and the others would eat there in the future. They might not be used to cutting bamboos. So, they did not wait for them to eat breakfast. They ate first, and then Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went to the Zhang Vige. The couple was in a donkey cart. As for Qu Shan, he left early in the morning. He needed to join people from the Zhang Vige and head back to the province. It could not be dyed. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan came to the Zhang Vige and called some people from three families and let them nt the lotus roots in the pond. The pond was dug years ago, but it only started storing waterst month. All the trees that should be nted by the pond had already been nted. There were two weeping willows, four peach trees, one pomegranate tree, one loquat tree, one elm tree, one locust tree and two mulberry trees. nting lotus roots was a rare thing. So, many people were attracted toe and watch the scene together. ¡°Lotus roots? That doesn¡¯t look very good.¡± ¡°So what? I heard they taste good!¡± ¡°l have seen the flowers before. They are beautiful!¡± ¡°Can they be nted here? nted in the pond?¡± ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t hear that before!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yun ignored these gossips. They watched Lin Mian and Qiao Shisan nting lotus roots by the pond, but what Qiao Xuan saw were tender, green, pearl-like lotus seeds in autumn. They could be stewed in soup, cold dressed, stir-fried, ground into powder and steamed for eating. They could also be used as sweet-scented osmanthus lotus root, or lotus root powder. That would be such a great thing. She never worried about whether they would survive. When the lotus roots were nted, water chestnuts would be avable for nting as well. Water chestnuts could not be nted in the pond. They needed to be nted elsewhere. The seedling could be done first, then transnted. Qiao Xuan entrusted Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou to deal with this matter. With lotus roots in the pond, and the water chestnuts on the way, fish and shrimps woulde next. They had to fetch the small fish and shrimps themselves. They thought about getting Qi and the others to get some fish and shrimps from the river, after they reached home.. Chapter 543 - 543: Plan Chapter 543 - 543: n Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The fish could not be fetched with a, because the fish carried in the were mostly on the verge of dying, thus not being able to live on. If they passed away in the pond, pollution might be generated. So, they had to use the scoop. But there were many kinds of fish in this era, and the fish and shrimps were for themselves to eat, not to be sold. So they did not need to worry about it. The fish and shrimps, when raised in the pond, might reproduce many more after a couple of days. Qiao Xuan believed that she would need to pick the good ones to be raised in the pond.
When the nting of lotus roots was done, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, together with Ding Erzhu, took the three families to have a look around their home. The transnted tea trees were growing well, and had started to bud as well. The creeping figs were looking good too. By the time summer came, there was going to be arge patch of green. The creeping figs grew the fastest. With Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower helping along the way, the speed was raised by three or four times. Qiao Xuan visited the tea trees in the morning at their home as well. She used some superpower when they first budded, so they were flourishing, and had grown tall to more than one foot. Qiao Xuan nned to wait for one more rain so that she could do the transntation. After Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan checked the tea forest and the creeping figs, they returned to the yard and told Lin Mian and the others about what they ought to do. The paddy fields did not need to be managed by them, and were nted by the tenants. They were responsible for taking care of the tea groves and scallops, including scheduling inspections every day, and reporting problems in time. They were also responsible for weeding, pruning and fertilizing. They all had some half- grown children so they bought six bulls for them to manage. The six bulls were bought for the tenants¡¯ convenience. Moreover, bull dung was also used to fertilize rice fields. It was not good if they had none. The fields would turn too useless, as years went by, without the bulls. The tenants did not use them for free. They would rent them at a low price. A bull was calcted on the basis of three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon, and the rent was only three wen per day. The cost was so low that it made tenants almost mental. Everyone was very willing to rent it. When all the trivialities were done, it was already lunchtime. Ms. Zhou and her mother made lunch for Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, who were very well received. ¡°It is a casual lunch, please but the food is very clean.¡± When the construction of the house was built, Qiao Xuan had noticed that she was a very nice, friendly, and warm, more social than Ms. Zhou. So, she hired her too by paying her one liang a month. In this way, she could be of some help as well. She was not restricted by too much work and could go home if she wanted to. Madame Zhou was very happy to ept the position. So, she moved in with her grandchildren. She could nt her own vegetables, raise chicken and ducks. All she needed to do was bring some grains. One liang a month was a lot for her. Only fools would turn down the offer. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were not picky people. So, they epted the offer and ate lunch. There was one te of scrambled eggs with chives, one te of steamed sausage, and one te of fried smoked meat with garlic sprouts. Simple and clean, the ingredients were good and the taste was not bad. The couple ate lunch and hurried into the town to buy meat. They had smoked meat, sausage, fish and duck, pickles, salted and preserved eggs at home. All they needed was fresh meat. Qiao Xuan was greedy for mutton kebabs. So was everyone else. They decided to have a huge dinner that night. They bought 10 kgs of mutton with both fat and normal meat, two sheep¡¯s feet, four pigs feet, a rib, and a piece of pork belly. The pork belly would be made into twice-cooked pork and braised pork the next day, and the rest would be marinated tonight itself.. Chapter 544 - 544: Encounter With Agent Chapter 544 - 544: Encounter With Agent Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They bought fresh meat and decided to head home. There was nothing more they needed for the moment. Soon, they ran into thend agent, coincidentally. Thend agent¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the couple. He waved at them and smiled. ¡°Young Master Shao and Mrs. Shao, what a coincidence! I was just thinking of you. I have got 70 mu of paddy field at the Zhang Vige. Do you want it? If you do, please decide now. Or I will turn to someone else.¡± Qiao Xuan exchanged a look with Shao Yunduan. They both nodded. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°70 mu or even more, we want it all!¡±
Continuous good fields were not very easy to buy, especially in the well-developed towns and viges. Well, if one really wanted to buy some, they would need to pay a lot for that. It was a possibility, but not a very practical solution. Qiao Xuan believed that it was indeed very lucky for thisnd to be offered at this moment. What a wonderful thing! Shao Yunduan thought for a while and smiled. ¡°The paddy fields should be alright, no? We have done a lot of business together before.¡± Thend agent smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t dare to sell any fields with problems. I need my reputation, don¡¯t l? I will never do anything to ruin my own name!¡± That was true. They passed on the business over generations, and needed to have a good, steady reputation over a long period of time. If they did anything that ruined their reputation and got reported, the County Magistrate had the right to rip them off the position and rece them with someone else. Anyone with a clever mind or in a good position would never do such a thing to ruin their well established business. Assured, Qiao Xuan added. ¡°But I don¡¯t have much money with me today.¡± Thend agent smiled. ¡°Alright¡­ how much do you have?¡± The couple exchanged a look between themselves and pulled out the cash. ¡°This much.¡¯ Shao Yunduan touched his nose. ¡°l have nothing.¡± He just had one liang with him, which was basically the same as nothing. Thend agent smiled. ¡°Then you can give me 200 liang and write an IOU. You can give the remaining silver to me tomorrow, ok?¡± The couple nodded. Soon, they were taken to have a look at the field, and signed the contract after the visit. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°We have 310 mu of paddy fields, we are almost like andlord family now! ¡± Shao Yunduan nodded in agreement. It was almost four in the afternoon when they went back home. Qiao Xuan took a short break and went to prepare for the dinner. Qiao Xuan was in charge of cooking, with a lot of people helping along the way. So, everything was ready very quickly. Shao Sang burned the fire to wash the meat, put it in a pot with marinade and stewed it. Yang Xiaoni chopped the mutton finely. Ms. Xu¡¯s stomach was not too big, so she went to the vegetable garden to pick some vegetables. They were going to eat grilled meat with some vegetables to avoid it from getting too oily. Qiao Xuan thought about it, and made one bowl of fish ball soup. There were freshrge grass carp in the pool, two of which weighed 4 kgs and 4-5 kgs respectively. The fish bones were stewed in soup. The fish heads were made with pickled sour peppers. The round snow-white fish balls were boiled in a clear water pot, sprinkled with green onion and coriander. It turned out to be delicious! They were going to eat grilled meat, drink a bowl of fish ball soup each and eat some fish balls. Everything was made out of fresh ingredients. Qi went to catch and kill fish, removed the bones and took the meat. Qiao Xuan checked the bamboo sticks which the maids had made. She understood what she should do next. She needed some careful people to help her with lipsticks. Not every maid was like that. She needed to pick the best one and that¡¯s why this task had been given to them this morning.. Chapter 545 - 545: Time To Make Lipsticks Chapter 545 - 545: Time To Make Lipsticks Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She had a clear preference of whom to pick. She was going to make the leader manage the rest. When the bamboo sticks were done, Qiao Xuan asked Chunyu, Chunfen who were on duty to join herself and Taotao to nt betel nut taro and spring watermelons. She gave the seeds to her mother-inw so that she knew when to nt them. She kept one betel nut taro and sliced them into pieces so they could be deep-fried and steamedter, which went perfect with braised pork belly. She kept two spring watermelons which could be used for cold dishes at dinner. Qiao Xuan cut the mutton and made the seasonings, which were better than those done by others.
They had the meat marinated for two more quarters, and had them all put onto the sticks. Generally, there was a small piece of fat sandwiched between two pieces of lean meat, which was suet. Roastedmb could not be all lean, it had to be sandwiched with small pieces ofmb fat. Themb fat was roasted so that the oil was browned, sprinkled with pepper, salt and pepper noodles, and when it was bitten together with themb and the lean meat, the freshness and the tenderness of the sheep oil melted in the mouth. It was so delicious that people could not extricate themselves from the enjoyment. Along with the mutton, other vegetables and mushrooms were also skewered. The fish balls that Qiao Xuan had squeezed fell into the water one by one. They could just boil them whenever they felt like eating some. When the sun was setting down, they set up the grill shelf and Qiao Xuan asked Taotao to invite Ms. Yan over so they could all eat together. Ms. Yan often ate at the first section of the family, and Ms. Niu did not care anymore. She wished that she could eat often at the first section of the family so the food at home could be spared. On Ms. Yan¡¯s visit there, she kept Ms. Xupany and taught Taotao to do needlework. She always had the excuse toe over. So, she was never there for food specifically. Ms. Zhang felt so jealous of her, but there was nothing she could do. She was not the one who was weed there. The maids were not with them for the kebab. But they were served enough food. Ms. Fang, Eldest Uncle, Shao Sang and Shao Dng as well as Ms. Xu all needed to eat something else. Grilled meat was not enough. There was a bowl of stewed pork ribs, fish head with chopped pepper, fish ball soup with coriander and green onion, fried yam and fungus, vinegared cabbage. The maids had onerge rib bone and two fish balls, vinegared cabbage as well as yams and wooden ears. They were so shocked when they got the food. The well-cooked and delicious stewed ribs and the fresh and tender fish balls gave them endless aftertaste. They had not expected that they would be provided such good food in the countryside. The grilled mutton was tasty and tender, fresh too. The mushrooms and vegetables had amazing taste. The fish ball soup removed the oiliness from their mouths. The apricot blossoms in the flower field were blooming just in time, and the peach blossoms were also almost ready to open. The trees were full of dense buds. It was time for them to make lipsticks. There were not many peach and apricot blossoms, and the beeswax left was not enough fromst year. So, they would only manage to make at most 200 to 300 lipsticks, including the limited version. That was enough for the maids to learn. Qiao Xuan did not go into the city to pay the rest of the money to thend agent. She discussed it with Shao Yunduan and they gave the money to Qi, so he could go into the town to do the needful. Qi was very happy to be entrusted with such an important mission. He carefully folded the note into his arms and promised in a serious tone that the money would be given to thend agent safe and sound. Qiao Xuan showed a lot of confidence in him, which made him happy. Qi was not young any more.This was just delivery of money, not such a difficult task to aplish.. Chapter 546 - 546: Watch Out Chapter 546 - 546: Watch Out Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions If the notes were stolen or dropped, it was fine too. They had more money to offer. Shao Yunduan was studying at home. He had two articles to write and in three days. he was going to visit Master Ynn. Qiao Xuan and Taotao, as well as Yang Xiaoni, went into the flower field with the six maids. They were going to extract some oil. They had been rxed during the whole winter and were only working on cooking different dishes. So when it was time to work, Taotao and Yang Xiaoni felt somehow expectant and excited.
They loved delicious food, but they loved making lipsticks to earn some money. They felt so eager to earn the money. So did Ms. Xu. She could not help but mention it to Qiao Xuan. ¡°It is just flower picking and grinding. These are just light tasks. We are not some spoiled town women! When I was pregnant with my first two children, I was still doing housework when I was almost about to give birth to them!¡± 30 wen a day was the sry from the generous Qiao Xuan, who would also offer them a bonus after the sale. In this way, they could earn ten or twenty liang altogether. Now her husband was recovering from the wound, and he could not do heavy work. She was free but there was no ieing to their family. So, she was very anxious. In Qiao Xuan¡¯s opinion, pregnant women needed to be taken care of very well. They had money andborers at home, and all Ms. Xu needed to do was sweep the flowers, feed the roosters and wash her own family¡¯s clothes¡­ She did not need to do any other tasks. That was what Ms. Fang told her too. After all, their daily life had been improved. So, Qiao Xuan could not possibly allow her to work in the flower field. What if¡­ What if she fell or something happened. That would be a huge deal. Qiao Xuan also knew that Nis. Xu wanted to earn money. So, she did not turn her down entirely but smiled after thinking for a while. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, I have got the maids. Now, what we need to do is to make sure that they work ordingly. We don¡¯t need to do thebor personally. After you have the child and finish the first month, there is a lot of work for you to do! If you are bored, could you please make some shoes for me?¡± Shoe-making was a rtively easier and safer job. What Ms. Xu was worried about, above all, that Qiao Xuan would rece her with someone else. So when she heard this promise, she smiled and nodded with a smile. ¡°That is good! Fifth Sister-inw, you can ask me for any kind of help in the future. I have very little work to do, so I will make you the shoes when I am free.¡¯ Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Thanks, Elder Sister m inw!¡± Ms. Xu started to work on the shoes, without thinking about anything else. Qiao Xuan was a very generous person. She would not let her do the work for free. What she needed to do was to make the shoes. When Ms. Xu was settled, Qiao Xuan and Taotao headed to the flower field with the maids. Before they walked into the field, Qiao Xuan warned the six maids not to mention anything about what they saw in the flower field to anyone. They were not even allowed to speak of it while casually chit chatting with anyone, or they would be fined half a month¡¯s sry. Worse, they could even be fired, if they spilled anything. The maids got very nervous. They put on a serious look and nodded constantly. When they went into the flower field, they were all shocked. What caught the eye most was the rows of shrubs as high as half a person, with a wooden frame for climbing and standing in the middle, and bushes with buds on both sides of the wooden frame.. Chapter 547 - 547: This? Chapter 547 - 547: This? Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Apart from these, there were also rhizomes of unknown nts that were less than a foot high, and took up arge area in the field. There were trees in the distance, some had grown leaves, some had yet to sprout. There was also a patch of faint crimson, which should be sporadic peach blossoms and flower buds that could not be opened. The patch of pink color was apricot flowers. The maids were shocked. What?
Mrs. Shao told them not to reveal anything¡­ about this? Qiao Xuan did not care what they were thinking. She led them into the middle of thend, where there were rooms on the left and right with the front and back being transparent. When they took out the key to open the door, Taotao and Yang Xiaoni cheered up. They went to fetch the baskets proficiently. The two of them had ventted and cleaned the room yesterday. As long as there are raw materials, Qiao Xuan could start making lipstick immediately. The two of them waved at Qiao Xuan and went to pick flowers with the maids. Qiao Xuan was walking around, checking the flowers. She poured her superpower into the flowers so they could grow better and blossom more in a wilder color. There were many desertednds in the neighboring area. With six more people added to thebor, they could expand the harvestednd and nt more flowers. All of these would be under her charge. Qiao Xuan felt very pleased. Working with flowers, surrounded by them was indeed a very pleasant experience! In addition to the main colors of Chinese roses and ordinary roses, there could be more like peach, apricot and plum flowers. Other types could also be added, such as cannas, Chinese trumpet vine, safflowers, chrysanthemums and so on. By mixing various colors in different proportions, they could get richer colors and produce lipsticks in more shades. Apart from flowers, they could also try extracting colors from other objects that were not toxic, which could be applied to the lips. Her space had a lot of area and they could definitely be stored. Maybe she could even have reimednd for nting. That would make everything much easier! Taotao and Yang Xiaoni told the maids to be careful when picking the flowers, so that the petals would not be destroyed, and the flowers could be maintained in the original way. They would pick the flowers in full blossom and half blossoms, so the two flowers would not be mixed up. They needed to work fast, because the flowers had to be cleaned and the petals should be carefully handled. That was a painstaking task. The peach blossoms and apricot blossoms were not as big as roses. The petals were thick and easy to remove. This was the first time for Taotao and Yang Xiaoni to deal with such small flowers. But the peach blossoms were delicate and the apricot blossoms were enchanting. They were both very beautiful colors. They must look good when made into lipsticks. The women really looked forward to the result. The maids nodded and started to pick the flowers. Lixia could not help but approach Taotao, asking curiously. ¡°Miss, what are we picking these flowers for? Can you tell us about it? We can be more assured if we know what they are going to be used for.¡± Since Mrs. Shao took them into the flower field, she had not nned to conceal the secret from them. That was why Lixia dared to ask. Upon hearing the question, everyone pricked up their ears. They stopped whatever they were doing and looked at her. They would know about it sooner orter. Hence, there was no need to conceal it from them. Taotao smiled. ¡°These flowers are very precious.. They are used to make lipsticks! ¡° Chapter 548 - 548: Gasp Chapter 548 - 548: Gasp Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°So, you have to be very careful when picking the flowers. The colors would fade, if the petals get crushed.¡± ¡°Lipsticks!¡± Lixia¡¯s eyes widened. She got so astonished that she had no idea what was going on for a moment. The others were shocked too. They were trained at the agency before they were sold, so that they could be sold at a good price. They had heard about the lipsticks, and when the agent talked about this, she spoke highly of them. They still remembered the admiration of the agent.
That was something the nobledies in the province loved. It was said that only Young Master Yuezheng had them in his store and that it was sold nowhere else. The reputation of lipsticks had spread beyond the province. No one knew where Young Master Yuezheng got the lipsticks from. So¡­ they were from this field of flowers in this small vige? Everyone felt that they were delusional. ¡°Lipsticks¡­ the ones sold in the province?¡± Lixia¡¯s eyes were about to pop out. She still could not believe what she had heard. dazed. But the lipsticks¡­ could not be the ones sold in the province. Taotao was even more surprised when she heard the question. ¡°Anyone else is selling something called lipsticks?¡± Lixia. ¡® That was true¡­ They all gasped. They ended up being in an amazing mistress¡¯ home! She was the one who was making the lipsticks. She was going to make a huge fortune. Alos, Young Master Shao was the Cultivated Talent and he was going to participate in the imperial examination in autumn¡­ Maybe he was going to be really promising in the official government. ¡°Miss! We will definitely be careful about the flowers.¡± Lixia made a promise in a serious tone. ¡°We will never mention anything about it after we step out of the flower field!¡± The other maids brought themselves back and made the promise too. ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°I promise to be careful!¡± Taotao blinked her eyes and exchanged a confused look with Yang Xiaoni, not knowing what to say. ¡°Just¡­ pick the flowers!¡¯ ¡°Okay, Miss!¡± The maids were so motivated that they held their breath as if they were about to do something really important. More than an hourter, they had three baskets of apricots, and one and half baskets of peach flowers. They all went to Qiao Xuan when they were summoned. They picked off the petals, removed the stamens, then washed and drained the water slightly. Then, they put them into a small hand mill made of white jade. One person put the petals in and the other turned the millstone. They had four mills, enough for them to work at the same time, which made the process faster. The red flower pulp slowly flowed out, gathered into a thin stream, and flowed into the next bowl with a big belly and a narrow mouth. The bowl was covered with a doubleyer of muslin gauze sewn into a small pocket. The flower pulp flowed into the small pocket. After grinding, the small pocket was twisted lightly, and the flower juice seeped out. After filtering twice, the clear flower juice could be obtained. Next, it was Qiao Xuan, Taotao and Yang Xiaoni who would finish the remaining task in the room. Yang Xiaoni wasn¡¯t that adept. She was just helping Qiao Xuan and Taotao. After the mold was done, they needed to be left there. There would be 46 pieces made out of this. When the mold was removed, they would continue with the rest. The process would take more than two hours, after which they could return home for lunch.. Chapter 549 - 549: Stupid Enough Chapter 549 - 549: Stupid Enough Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions After lunch, they could make one more batch in the afternoon. The molding tools had increased in number, but there were not many flowers. Two batches should be enough in one day. When Chinese roses and roses, as well as pomegranate flowers were in full bloom, they were going to make four batches a day, starting from early in the morning. That would not be too difficult, when they had many people working together. The maids were still quite confused how those flowers turned into lipsticks, when they left with Qiao Xuan.
But no one was stupid enough to ask this question. That was the secret only the mistress knew about. Qi returned in the afternoon and brought back the IOU note, which was given to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. They had two batches of lipsticks finished by the end of the day. The day after they would be able to get some more flowers. The next day, Qiao Xuan, Taotao, Qi, together with Chunyu and Xiazhi, went to the river to fetch some fish and shrimps. Shao Yunduan did not join them. He needed to visit Master Yun every single day. Master Yun had been fed up with living here. So one weekter, he was going to start his trip down south. Hence, Shao Yunduan had very little time left to be instructed by him. Shao Yunduan felt his heart emptied. He felt quite sad when telling Qiao Xuan about this, who consoled him. But Shao Yunduan also understood that Master Yun did not belong to this ce. He was a very knowledgeable person, and Shao Yunduan did not even know where he was from till now. What he needed to know was that Master Yun had discovered him and educated him. He was not going to stop him from traveling down south. He was just a junior who had been taught for a small period, and he was not his official disciple, thus not having the rights to intervene in his decision. All Shao Yunduan could do was to ask Master Yun what he wanted to know and what he needed him to prepare for him. Money or other things would do. Master Yun did notck money, so he did not ask for that. But he was very interested in the small snacks from the Shao Family. So he made a long list, which included smoked meat, sausage, duck, fish, salted eggs, preserved eggs, chili sauce, diced bamboo shoots and mushroom sauce, dried plums, dried bamboo shoots, jelly seeds, and so on. Shao Yunduan epted the request readily and asked Qiao Xuan for help with the preparation. Qiao Xuan believed that Master Yun was like a saint in heaven, just as Shao Yunduan had put it. Qiao Xuan trusted Shao Yunduan and she could not help but develop some sense of admiration towards the old man. She nodded in agreement and expressed that she was definitely going to make proper preparation. He had done Shao Yunduan a big favor and it was a favor to her too. He was her savior as well. So, Shao Yunduan was barely at home in the past few days. Qiao Xuan did not need to make much effort to get those things in the list ready. So, they went to fetch the fish and shrimp during the daytime. Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang, together with the other maid, went into the vegetable field to nt another kind of vegetable. Soon, the corn, taros and soybeans should be nted down as well. The fish and shrimps scooped out of the river needed to be kept in the pond, so three buckets of medium size were taken along to carry the things. There were many river shrimps there, and one casual scoop would lead to fetching abundant water creatures. There were loaches, small fish and crabs. The crabs were thrown back into the river. She knew that there were a lot of snails in the river. She managed to pick up two buckets and put them in to raise them. They could be eaten and even fed to the fish.. Chapter 550 - 550: Fish Catching Chapter 550 - 550: Fish Catching Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Chunyu and Xiazhi were a little nervous at the beginning, but gradually, they rxed and started helping out happily. Qiao Xuan could see fish and shrimps swimming between the water grass, some of which were really big. But she was not that skilled, so she asked Qi to help. She gave him seven out of ten correct directions. Before lunchtime, they already had three buckets filled with shrimps and all kinds of fish, most of which were wild crucian carps. They rented the bull cart and headed towards the Zhang Vige together. They poured the three buckets of fish as well as water grass inside the pond.
Ding Erzhu was very good at fixing the fish pond. He had cut a lot of thick pine branches from the mountain, sunk them into the pond and piled them up together, which could shade the fish and provide them a hiding ce. On the surface of the water, bamboo poles were used to form a square frame of medium size, and pirs were inserted into the bottom of the pond to fix the square frame. The fish would be fed in the four-square frame in the future. Qiao Xuan did not intend to raise the fish for sale, and didn¡¯t provide them any feed. The tender grass, aquatic nts, and vegetable leaves, which were needed to feed them every fifth or sixth day were going to be avable. With the basket framed, the vegetable leaves and grass leaves would not float around. Some terrier fish did not eat the rest, and they could be easily salvaged in one ce. Three buckets of fish were still too few. There was a river close to the Zhang Vige, so they all headed there, seeing it was still early in the day. They wanted to try their luck to see what more they could get. Ding Erzhu smiled as he asked Qiao Xuan. ¡°Landy, do you need eels, loaches and mussels?¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes were sparkling, as she nodded. ¡°Yes, all of them.¡± Those were wonderful and delicious things. Ding Erzhu smiled. ¡°Great, I will fetch them for you!¡¯ In the ditch beside the rice field, there were a lot of eels and loaches. There were also mussels in there. When they went down to the pond, they could step on them with their feet. Qiao Xuan smiled and thanked him. ¡°This is great. Uncle Erzhu, fetch more when you have time!¡± In this way, they made lipsticks one day and caught fish the next day. The processsted for five or six days, and the pond was almost done. The fish were also enough. Those were for them to store. They could just scoop the fish whenever they needed. The good ones could be kept in the pond forter use. The apricot flowers were blooming, and they could be picked after five or six days. Later, the peach flowers would be in bloom for eleven or twelve days. It was getting very warm, and the grass was thriving and so were the flowers. The bees started to get really busy again after a silent winter. Bees could be seen on almost every flower. When they stood under the tree, they could hear the buzzing sound. Qiao Xuan was thinking about getting more bee boxes to raise more bees and fetch the wax. The paddy field was watered, and soon, it was time for them to have the spring plow. At this time, spring bamboos, mushrooms and all kinds of vegetables were growing, which was very appealing for everyone around. The fresh and tender spring bamboo shoots were extremely sweet, whether they were fried with meat or fried, or used as stuffing for dumplings. It would all turn out to be delicious. All kinds of mushrooms were picked, including the tenderest ones that had just emerged from the soil, and they had a fresh mountain vor. They could be stir-fried with the meat and served on a te, and the aroma would waft all over the kitchen after a short time.. Chapter 551 - 551: Grudge Chapter 551 - 551: Grudge Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Chinese toon sprouts, water celery, wild onions, wild leeks, shepherd¡¯s purse, dandelion seedlings, Irisctea, bracken and more could be found with some effort. They could be brought home, nched as cold sd, or used to make steamed vegetables, and even mixed with minced meat to make fresh stuffing. Especially Chinese toon sprouts and bracken, which were the most appealing. It was just a short window of time for them to get to eat those things. Chinese toon sprouts with eggs, Chinese toon sprouts mixed with tofu, Chinese toon sprouts with fried bacon, fried Chinese toon sprouts wrapped in egg batter, Chinese toon sprouts omelet, and even pickled Chinese toon sprouts could be delicious. The nts could also be ground to make Chinese toon sprout sauce during this time. Brackens could be fried with smoked meat and bamboo slices.
Apart from those wild vegetables, the small cabbage, small rapeseed, Choy sum and so on in the field had also grown, and they were very fresh. There would be a lot of delicious food to eat in spring for the family. Qiao Xuan and Qi as well as Taotao often visited the mountains and brought lots of food home. Bamboos and mushrooms were the best example. There were so many of them that they could be sundried as well forter use. There were also a lot of roosters, rabbits, and roe deer hunted. Compared with preserved meat, fresh meat had a better taste. Qi even hunted one wild deer weighing 50 kgs, which cheered up the whole family. They stored meat for three or four days, and only gave out a few to others, since the members at home had increased in number. The deer meat was still fresh the next day after it was hunted. Qiao Xuan did another round of grilling with it. She marinated the meat for grilling, which gave it a very special taste. Then, they also made some dried venison. After it was finished, it weighed about 2 kgs, so they kept it for themselves and ate it little by little. While they were enjoying the delicious dishes of spring, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did not expect that they had formed a grudge with someone identally. Three days after Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan bought thend from the agent, the housekeeper from Zhao Guanghua¡¯s home ran into the agent and after some small talk, he asked. ¡°Oh, the 70 mu of the Zhang Vige¡­?¡± ¡°Sold already.¡± Thend agent smiled, sounding pitiful. ¡°Old Master Zhao did not need it and Businessman He needed to sell thend as fast as possible, so someone bought it without saying much about the price.¡± The housekeeper looked embarrassed. He forced a smile. ¡°Oh really? That is a shame¡­ Thend agent smiled. ¡°Well, this is how it is. The seller needed it to be sold as soon as possible, so I had to hurry up, otherwise I would ruin my reputation, Housekeeper got so annoyed, but he still forced a smile. ¡°True. To whom did you sell thend to?¡± The housekeeper was very curious and distressed. This patch ofnd was close to thend of Old Master Zhao¡¯s. If he had bought the entirend, it would have made it easier for him to control thend together. In this way, thend could be enhanced to a middle-ss size. But when he heard about the seller¡¯s urgency, he thought about getting some bargain. Also, Old Master Zhao gave some presents to several friends who might have been interested and able to afford thend, telling them to spare thend for him. After getting favors from Old Master Zhao, those people agreed, since they did not need thend so urgently. Old Master Zhao was very proud and confident that he would be able to get thend, so he kept bargaining and did not want to retreat.. Chapter 552 - 552: Not Selling Chapter 552 - 552: Not Selling Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Eventually, the seller told thend agent that he will not sell thend to the Zhao Family, no matter what. The Zhao Family was arrogant, and they were the County Magistrate¡¯s good friends, but so what? He was leaving the country soon, and he would be out of their control. Thend agent was very angry about the Zhao Family¡¯s behavior as well. The good field was worth eight liang per mu, but Old Master Zhao tried to take it to five liang for one mu. That was tant robbery! Thend agent had wanted to ask Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan about it and they ran into each other identally on the same day. That¡¯s how thend became theirs.
Since the Zhao Family was ying a trick, then thend was not going to be sold to them. Thend agent did not have any specific intentions towards Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. Those who could offer the proper price would be the owner. So, he was being totally reasonable. He had no idea what Old Master Zhao had done behind his back. So, when the housekeeper asked him about that, he answered him calmly, without trying to humiliate the Zhao Family. Thend agent would have told the housekeeper who bought thend if the buyers had not been Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. But the couple had repeatedly stressed that the agent should keep the secret for them, and even entrusted him to sign the contract. So, thend agent did not answer his question. The agent said something vague, and the housekeeper asked no more. The two of them waved each other goodbye. The housekeeper had a stinky face as he headed back to the mansion with the news. Old Master Zhao turned furious. He struck the table and cursed. ¡°Who in the hell bought mynd? Look into the matter and tell me who dared to steal my business!¡± He said sinisterly, ¡°l am going to make him pay!¡¯ He had been so confident and done a lot of work just to make sure he could get thend. But now, it turned out to be totally opposite from what he had expected. He had thought that thend agent would get anxious and try to sell him thend after being ignored for three days, so that he could be easily persuaded. But someone else cut in. Old Master Zhao was very wealthy and always had a very smooth career. So, he became really arrogant after making so much money. Moreover, thend agent did not want to reveal the buyer, so he was sure that this buyer knew about his intention of buying thend, thus humiliating him by cutting in. He was going to find him! He was not stupid. He was very smart! Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had always kept the secret about them buyingnd at the Zhang Vige. But if someone wanted to look into this matter carefully, they would more or less be able to find out the answer. Ding Erzhu and his team would not say a thing, and those from the Zhang Vige would not think deeply if a story was woven and told to them. Housekeeper did not dy and sent out his men to look into this matter on the same day. After a few days, they finally found the urate news. The housekeeper learned about it on the day when Shao Yunduan apanied Master Yun and his servants leaving the county. He told everything to his Old Master Zhao. Old Master Zhao sneered. ¡°Shaoding Vige? Those poor people who make a small fortune¡­ I think they should die! How dare they steal thend from me? A Cultivated Talent? Who does he think he is?!¡± Old Master Zhao showed a look of greed.. ¡°You said that they have more than 200 mu of good fields and one tea mountain of over 500 mu?¡± Chapter 553 - 553: Ding Qiuyue Chapter 553 - 553: Ding Qiuyue Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°That¡¯s true, Old Master, I heard everything. That family has made some fortune recently and bought so many things behind people¡¯s backs. They are keeping it a secret!¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Old Master Zhao sneered. ¡°Soon those ces would be mine! If they know what position they are in, they would definitely give those things to me on their own so that they can save themselves some trouble. Otherwise, they will regret it for the rest of their life!¡± Housekeeper ttered him. ¡°You are right! How dare they steal your stuff, Old Master Zhao? It is only right that they pay it back to you!¡¯ Honestly, when the housekeeper learned about therge amount of properties that belonged to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, he was shocked. He also felt really jealous.
He had always looked down at poor farmers. But now, there was a farmer¡¯s family who made a fortune and bought so many properties. He felt that he had been put into the shade! He was really envious and angry. He looked forward to seeing bad luck happening to them. He just did not like it. So many fields and tea mountains! His master was going to take these over now. After some discussion, Old Master Zhao and the housekeeper came up with one solution. He had a concubine called Ding Qiuyue, and she was 21 years old. She looked really charming and was from the vige. Ding Jiahao was one of her side rtives, her uncle, Ding Qiuyue became Old Master Zhao¡¯s concubine when she was 16 years old. She was just a concubine and could not go back to her mother¡¯s home as per the rules. Old Master Zhao had paid her family 10 liang and that counted as buying her out. She was spoiled. If she behaved well, she could get some presents delivered back to her mother¡¯s family during New Years time. But she did not dare to ask too much, else Old Master Zhao¡¯s wife would get really irritated and torment her. The wife could just get her killed as easily as pinching an ant. After all, she was just a concubine without any background. But this time, Old Master Zhao allowed Ding Qiuyue to return to her mother¡¯s family. Ding Qiuyue was surprised. But she was scared too. When she heard that Old Master Zhao needed her to do some serious business, she felt much less worried. Ding Qiuyue was wearing a turquoise embroidered dress, with silver hairpins and pink silk flowers on her hairpin. There was thin powder on her face, her eyebrows had been darkened. She had embroidered shoes on her feet, and a handkerchief in her hand. She got out of the wagon with the help of her maid Hongyu, and attracted the attention of a lot of people from the vige. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Qiuyue? Long time no see. You are getting prettier!¡± ¡°Look at what she is wearing. She seems to be leading a nice life!¡± ¡°But she is just a concubine! That is not good at all.¡± ¡°She is just a concubine and is still living well. Still it is much better to marry a poor farmer.¡± Ding Qiuyue¡¯s dad was called Ding Jiahuai and her mother was called Ms. Guan. Hearing those words, Ms. Guan red at them and asked Ding Qiuyue toe into the yard, and she shut the door. ¡°Those vigers know nothing! Ignore them!¡± Ms. Guan said as she observed her daughter. She was so well-dressed and pretty and that made Ms. Guan feel really satisfied. She smiled. ¡°You are looking so beautiful, almost as good as the nobledy from that big family.. Look at what you have on you¡­¡± Chapter 554 - 554: Prying Chapter 554 - 554: Prying Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ding Qiuyue forced a smile and withdrew her hands secretly. Only she knew what kind of life she was living. She was just a concubine and it was not at all a good life. People who were short-sighted would say so. Zhao Ming was dressed well and was wearing all kinds of ornaments. That was what a nobledy was actually like. On the other hand, she only had a few pieces of jewelry, and a few sets of garments that might lift up her spirit a little.
Even Zhao Ming¡¯s maid lived a better life than she did. Even her monthly sry was higher than hers. But she would not dare to ept too much money given to her, otherwise Madame Zhao would punish her. Old Master Zhao was an old man reaching almost 50 years¡­ being a concubine for such an old man did not seem like a good life to her at all. She had run into Old Master Zhao one day in the market and Old Master Zhao liked her instantly. Her parents approved of this marriage, what else could she do. But that was still better than working in the farming field and not being able to get any meat to eat. She couldn¡¯t have tolerated that kind of life. Well, that was what she said to console herself. She had not been home for years and the mother and the daughter kept talking with each other. But when it came to food, she saw in vegetables and cabbage as well as one small te of smoked meat only for her. Ding Qiuyue felt unhappy. She ate much better at Zhao¡¯s mansion. There were always two dishes with one soup, each of which would contain some meat. Sometimes she could even eat more and better when Madame Zhao was in a good mood. Anything there was better than what she was being served here. She just could not eat these things as she looked at them. Ding Qiuyue emotionally reminded herself. She was not used to the old, bitter days after she spent so much time at the Zhao¡¯s mansion. She forced herself to eat half a bowl of rice and put down the chopsticks. Moreover, she could not get used to the amodation. Ding Qiuyue did not want to stay over any more. She was thinking about leaving directly after finishing the job¡­ On the day when Ding Qiuyue returned to the vige, Qiao Xuan asked Taotao and Yang Xiaoni to make lipsticks with four maids, whilst she and Qi went to pull up the tea tree saplings from the garden with the remaining people. They tied them into bunches and carried them to the Zhang Vige for nting. Due to Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower, tea tree seedlings had grown to more than half a meter high, and were very strong. The main stem was straight, the branches were full, and the appearance was very good. No one from the first section of the family had done this before, and since it was in the garden which hardly anyone rarely visited, no one would wonder why the tree seedlings grew so fast. The rain stopped, and the day was still cloudy. But Qiao Xuan knew that it was not going to rain on this day, nor on the next day. But the rain mighte the day after tomorrow. So, it was the best time to nt the tree seedlings. They started to work even before dawn. After breakfast, they transported the first patch of tea tree seedlings to the Zhang Vige. Together with her own maids, and twenty people she had hired from the Zhang Vige, they nted the tree seedling. It would take three days to finish the work. The seedlings would not take up all thend, and should be done in half of the area. One more time of seedling the next year, and all would be finished. After all, she knew where the golden sprouts andvender were in the mountain. What she needed to do was to use her superpower to make them bloom, so the fruits were naturally harvested. She and Qi had visited the mountains just a few days ago.. Chapter 555 - 555: A Try Visit Chapter 555 - 555: A Try Visit Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan had been busy with her work and when she came back home, it was still veryte at night. Yang Xiaoni could not wait to share the gossip with her after seeing hering home. They had alsopleted their job at the flower field. Ding Jiahuai¡¯s daughter who was Old Master Zhao¡¯s concubine was back home¡­ It was not very strange that someone was a concubine. She was born to a concubine but she had never lived a life as a concubine¡¯s daughter. Nor had she seen anyone who was a concubine of someone. But hearing this news¡­ she more or less felt a little surprised. She also found it a little strange. But she did not dwell on it for much longer. She just exchanged a few words with Yang Xiaoni, Ms. Yan and Ms. Xu.
This concubine had never been home for years, but now she was at home in an extraordinary manner. It was said that the Zhao Family even gave her a wagon toe home, and the Zhao Family gave her many presents to her parents. She even had maids with her¡­ that was strange. The tea tree seedlings grew fast and soon, the rest should be done after the transntation. Qiao Xuan decided to use her superpower to promote growth. In this way, the transntation was definitely going to work out well. Everyone was very busy. They had a lot of work to do every single day and were all very hungry by the end of the day. Qiao Xuan was in charge of cooking. Today she steamed the sausage, washed the smoked duck with warm water, chopped it into pieces, added garlic sprouts, shredded ginger, garlic cloves, and dried chili. Finally, she stir-fried it all together. Then, she braised two big crucian carps. There were still a lot of small river prawns that were dried the day before yesterday, and she cooked them all tonight. She fried the river prawns with fresh and tender leeks. The green and red colors were distinct, and they gave off a very nice smell. She made another stir-fried dish of wolfberry sprouts, cold shepherd¡¯s purse, and that was it. Dinner was the meal that the whole family looked forward to most every day. The dishes were tasty, and they contained a lot of oil. So, even if they worked the whole day without stopping, they could still feel rxed after having been served such delicious food. Everyone took a warm bath at the end of the day and rxed. After resting for one night, the energy returned. The following morning, Qiao Xuan, Qi, Liqiu and Lixia went to pull out the seedlings and tied them into a bunch. After breakfast, they asked Qi to deliver one batch to the Zhang Vige. Qi left the house while Qiao Xuan and the others continued to pull the seedlings. They should be done today, and after one more delivery in the afternoon, they could start to nt at the Zhang Vige the following day. No more deliveries would be needed. The seedbed for raising seedlings was turned over and tidied up. Well, it was almost time to nt watermelons. Moreover, peppers, tomatoes, eggnts, beans, pumpkins, wax gourds, chayotes could all be nted. Qiao Xuan would not nt so many vegetables in the garden. Only watermelons and tomatoes would do. The others would be nted in the gardenter. There would not be any more fruits to add this year. The current ones would be enough. The peaches, apricots, plums, and pears had all bloomed and born small, green bean-like fruits. The loquats had also bloomed and bore fruit. The fruits were bing bigger and riper. The hanging ones were growing very well. In two more months, the tree would be full of golden yellow color and the fruits should be sweet. In the yard, Ms. Fang was cleaning the yard whilst her grandchildren were ying on the ground next to the flower parterre when someone knocked at the door. Ms. Fang got up, dusted her clothes and went to open the door. ¡°Ms. Fang, hello!¡± It was a woman in her 20s, wearing pink silk embroidered clothes and her hair held in a bun, looking very beautiful. She had a maid next to her.. Chapter 556 - 556: Dislike Chapter 556 - 556: Dislike Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang found her familiar, but did not recognize her. She narrowed her eyes, sizing her up. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± Ding Qiuyue smiled shyly. ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me, Ms. Fang?¡± Ms. Fang let out an exmation and was reminded of the girl in front of her. ¡°You are Qiuyue!¡± Ding Qiuyue smiled. ¡°It is me. Long time no see, Ms. Fang. You look stronger and younger than before. Also, you have such a wonderful house. You are living a better life than before. No wonder you look much better, too!¡± Ding Qiuyue smiled and praised the house, as she walked into it.
She had been ttering Madame Zhao for years, and had developed the ability to praise. She had always been good at ttering people anyways. That made Ms. Fang very happy. She smiled brightly. ¡°Not really. Just that we have many people in our house and we saved some money to build the house¡­ Ding Qiuyue smiled. ¡°But not every family with so many people like yours can afford this house. It must be because of your sons who helped with it, right?¡± ¡°True. They are all excellent!¡± Ms. Fangughed again. But only now did Ms. Fang realize that Ding Qiuyue should not be here. She stiffened. She felt regretful as well. Ding Qiuyue was a concubine of an old man in the town and Old Master Zhao was almost as old as her father. She should not have let her in, since that wasn¡¯t a very nice thing to promote. Also, her family had never hung out with this girl earlier. Ding Qiuyue was very surprised when she walked into the house. It was better than hers. Although it was not as morous as the Zhao Family¡¯s house, yet it was clean, bright, and neat. It wasfortable and spacious, equipped with every single thing needed. Especially the zed window¡­ not every window of the Zhao Family¡¯s house was zed. What on earth did the Shao Family do that they became so rich, all of a sudden? Ding Qiuyue almost blurted out the question. ¡°Well¡­ is there anything you want from me?¡± Ms. Fang asked, coughing slightly. Ding Qiuyue smiled. ¡°1 haven¡¯t been home for years so I am just walking around. I passed by your ce and decided to have a talk with you. Are you alone here? Where are your children?¡± Ms. Fangs face sank, but she smiled. ¡°They are out to do thebor work, they can¡¯t getzy at this time of the year, can they?¡± ¡°True¡­¡± Ding Qiuyue smiled. ¡°But¡­ I can understand that except for one thing. I heard that one of your daughters-inw is the County Magistrate¡¯s daughter¡­ Is she also working in the field? That doesn¡¯t seem likely.¡± Ms. Fangs face turned bad when she heard the question. Qiao Xuan had a special background, so many people would ask about her every now and then. Ms. Fang did not like it. She was her daughter-inw, and no one else was in a position to judge her. Ms. Fang did not want to exin anything to Ding Qiuyue. So, she answered briefly. ¡°Yeah, Ms. Qiao is always very diligent¡­¡± Ding Qiuyue smiled. ¡°That is very rare. You are lucky!¡± Ms. Fang felt bad, and became kind of furious. Ding Qiuyue was just an old man¡¯s concubine. She was not in a position toment on whether she was lucky or not regarding Qiao Xuan being her daughter-inw! Chapter 557 - 557: Careful Chapter 557 - 557: Careful Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She was not in a position toment on Qiao Xuan! How annoying she was. Ms. Fang did not want to say anything more. ¡°¡­Qiuyue, I am going to the garden soon, so¡­¡± Ding Qiuyue knew that she was looked down upon by many people in the vige, and even she herself thought lowly of herself. Ms. Fang was one of the few friendly ones.
If she continued to stay, then it would be a problem. Also, she had reached the purpose. She had witnessed what the Shao Family was like and how miserable Qiao Xuan¡¯s life was. ¡°Okay, I am off now, thank you!¡¯ Ding Qiuyue stood up and left with Hongyu. Nis. Fang walked her out and shut the door. Hongyu pursed and said disdainfully, ¡°Just a countryside woman. So arrogant! ¡± Ding Qiuyue threw a look at her and said nothing. That was already a very wealthy household for countryside people. If she had the choice, she would choose to live in a family like that. It would be so sweet and nice. Back at home, Ding Qiuyue asked Ms. Guan to hire the bull cart so she could return to the town. She did not want to stay here any more. She was not used to life here at all. What was the point of staying here? Ms. Guan would have liked that her daughter could stay longer, so she could share some gossip of those rich people, which she was not able to hear in her daily life. But she could not stop her daughter, who insisted upon leaving quickly. She repeatedly told Ding Qiuyue to serve the Old Master well so she could get pregnant soon, best get a son! Ding Qiuyue got really impatient, and interrupted her. The Old Master would turn 50 in two years and the eldest grandson was already 12 years old! How could he make her pregnant? That idea was totally hopeless! On the way back, Ding Qiuyue kept thinking about how to tell her Old Master what she had seen. Back at Zhao¡¯s Mansion. she was summoned by Old Master Zhao directly. The housekeeper did not pry into the Shao Family deeply. He did not think that a countryside family would be worth looking into. Ding Qiuyue did not know much about thetest news after only living at the Zhao¡¯s mansion for so many years. She only learned some more after speaking with Ms. Guan. Old Master Zhao was surprised. So the disgraced concubine¡¯s daughter of Officer Qiao was married to one of the sons of that family! ¡°The fifth son¡¯s wife is the Second Miss of the Qiao Family. I didn¡¯t dare to make any decision, thus asking you what I should doter¡­¡± She had to be very careful when she was dealing with the official¡¯s family. Old Master Zhao nodded at her in satisfaction. ¡°Good, you are right. How is Ms. Qiao¡¯s life in the Shao Family?¡± Ding Qiuyue looked disdainful as she smiled. ¡°Not very good. When I spoke of Second Miss, her mother-inw didn¡¯t seem that happy. I asked her a few more questions. It seems that she still needs to work in the field!¡± It seemed that the Shao Family never treated her as the daughter of the County Magistrate! Old Master Zhao sneered and believed that was totally reasonable. The Second Miss had been disgraced, and was even worse than the Third Miss. What was the point of wearing the title of an official¡¯s daughter? Maybe when the Shao Family found that she was a discarded girl and no one to back her up, and that she could not bring any benefits for the Shao Family, she would have been bullied there! As for the news that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went to the Zhang Vige a few times to buy properties, Old Master Zhao subconsciously believed that Shao Yunduan was the one in charge, whilst Qiao Xuan was just a plus one.. Chapter 558 - 558: The Zhao Family’s Secret Fortune Chapter 558 - 558: The Zhao Family¡¯s Secret Fortune Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Old Master Zhao asked Ding Qiuyue what was going on with the Shao Family¡­ Ding Qiuyue told him the truth. The Shao Family had a veryrge and luxurious house, with every piece of furniture totally new. All the windows were zed as well. Obviously, the Shao Family had made a fortune. Old Master Zhao was surprised. All zed windows? That cost quite a lot of money. Even their own family did not have it.
The Shao Family had not only made a fortune but had made a huge one! Otherwise poor countryside people would not have splurged like this. In fact, the Shao Family would not have spent this much money in building a huge house like this, but for Qiao Xuan¡¯s proposal. Qiao Xuan was disgraced, so her dowry must not have been a lot. So, what on earth did the Shao Family do that they made a huge fortune? That seemed weird¡­ ¡°Did you find out where the Shao Family got the money from? Any news in the town?¡± Normally, this kind of thing should have been spread all over the vige. Even though it might intentionally be kept as a secret, some people would have heard something.¡± Even if they did not want to admit a thing like this, the rumor would have originated from somewhere. Ding Qiuyue shook her head, forcing a guilty and bitter smile. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t hear anything regarding this. There was no rumor in the vige. Even my mother has no idea about the fields at the Zhang Vige. But Old Master, don¡¯t worry, I did not tell anyone about this.¡± If the news that the Shao Family had properties at the Zhang Vige, whichter became the Zhao Family¡¯s, people would wonder how that would happen. It was good that no one from Shapding Vige knew about this. The Zhao Family could definitely get the properties in his hands and make a fortune unexpectedly. Old Master Zhao nodded his head. It seemed that the Shao Family was just lucky to have made a huge fortune all of a sudden. That was why they did not say anything but started to buynd outside their own vige. As for the big house in the vige¡­ Old Master Zhao did not think that it was a big deal. Countryside people had never seen zed windows, so how much that cost did not surprise them at all. Even when they saw the Shao Family¡¯s big house, they would not think that would be worth a lot. Also, no one would look into the house across the tall yard. ¡°Okay, you can leave now.¡± ¡°Okay, Old Master.¡± Old Master Zhao did not consider giving up even though he learned about Qiao Xuan¡¯s identity as County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s daughter. He was not going to get humiliated by the Shao Family who stole the stuff that should have belonged to him. She was just a concubine¡¯s daughter. Officer Qiao¡¯s wife would not defend her, so she would have no one backing her up. He could steal stuff from the Shao Family, and in the worst case, he could just visit the Qiao Family and give them some presents, along with a few nice words. Then all would be fine. Madame Qiao was not going to defend a concubine¡¯s daughter, was she? Well, he had to be fast about the whole thing, and avoid making a scene. Otherwise it would be very difficult for Officer Qiao to stay away from the mess. Old Master Zhao smiled sinisterly. He already had an idea about what to do. He needed to make use of this concubine of his. They spent half a day sorting through all the tea tree seedlings. After lunch, the pile was loaded up for Qi to transport to the Zhang Vige. At noon, they made fish porridge, steamed white noodle buns, and cooked a pot of fish soup.. Chapter 559 - 559: Understanding Person Chapter 559 - 559: Understanding Person Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Thinly sliced fish filets were marinated with ginger, scallion, yellow wine, and salt. After the porridge was almost cooked, the fish filets were poured and dispersed with chopsticks. The snow white fish meat soon turned pink and tender, as the fragrant smell flew out of the pot. Chopped chives and lettuce were sprinkled over it, making it even more delicious. Qiao Xuan asked Lixia to get Ms. Yan over for food. She needed to speak a few words with her afterwards. Ms. Yan was a very understanding woman, and she had thoughts of her own after spending so much time with them.
The first section of the family had been so busy and Qiao Xuan, Taotao went into the flower field all the time but Ms. Yan never asked anything about their purpose. Nor did she suggest that she should follow along. If they did not want to tell her something, she would not pry. Ms. Yan was the only person who knew how to befriend the first section of the family, and only she knew what to do and what not to do. She must be the only clear-minded woman among all the other rtives in the second and third section of the family. That made her a rare person. Qiao Xuan did not want to waste such a clear-minded woman. The first section of the family had already lived separately from the other sections of the family. So, unless the other sections of the family caused some tremendous trouble, they were still connected with bloodline. Shao Yunduan had a long, promising future, and there would be many people who would be jealous of him, including those in the vige. There would be people who will try to cause trouble among the sections of the family. The first section of the family could protect themselves once or twice, but not always. If someone with a clear mind could restrain the second section of the family, the third section of the family would not be able to cause any major trouble. Also, but for Ms. Yan¡¯s information, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan would never have found out anything about the real secret behind Shao Dngs ident. They would only have taken it as an ident. Therefore, what more would that annoying couple do in secret again? But for Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower, Shao Dng would have lost his leg and not been able to walk, let alone do any heavybor work. So, that sinister couple was really ill-hearted. One would never know what wasing next. Hence, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan owed Ms. Yan a huge favor. It was time for them to pay that back. Ms. Yan had to work in the field these days, so she could not spend too much time with Ms. Fangs family. But every evening on her way back home, she woulde and exchange a few words with Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu. So, it was very normal that Qiao Xuan sent her an invitation. Qiao Xuan knew what Ms. Niu would think about this. So, she made sure the invitation reached them at lunch. Before Ms. Yan could say a thing, Ms. Niu quickly said, ¡°Just go and have lunch there, so we don¡¯t need to cook your portion! ¡± Ms. Yan. She had no choice but to nod casually, sighing inwardly. This was so embarrassing¡­ Ms. Niu believed that it was a free lunch that her daughter-inw should take from the first section of the family, who had already started to buy servants. But Ms. Niu got nothing from them, which made her feel annoyed. After lunch at the first section of the family, Ms. Yan sighed again. She felt that if she kept eating at the first section of the family, she would not be able to eat a thing at her own home. If only they could move out. But it was not yet the time. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan asked Ms. Yan to have a private talk in their room. Ms. Yan¡¯s heart started to throb. Suddenly, she had a feeling that it was going to be something good. So, she was both nervous and expectant.. Chapter 560 - 560: Kind-Hearted Chapter 560 - 560: Kind-Hearted Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan smiled at Ms. Yan, and said earnestly, ¡°Thank you for telling us what happenedst time, Fourth Cousin-inw. But for you, we would not have been prepared for what might happen afterwards.¡± Nis. Yan¡¯s heart skipped a bit¡­ Yes¡­ It was indeed the matter regarding what the former Land Officer and Widow Sun did to others. The couple was so fierce. So, their current situation served them right. But she was very scared and shocked by what they did to others. ¡°We have always wanted to repay you, Fourth Cousin-inw, but it took a while before we could talk about this, sorry for the dy.¡±
¡°No, no, it is okay, I did nothing big¡­¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Fourth Cousin-inw, 1 heard that your family is into making tofu, so I have an idea here, which may be helpful for your family.¡± Noone from the second and third section of the family was capable of this task, and any kind of fortune making method would be ruined in their hands. But Ms. Yan¡¯s family was very clever. What Qiao Xuan needed to do was to tell Ms. Yan, who could help her mother¡¯s family with this method. In this way, Ms. Yan could even help her husband to get a share. That would be enough. That was the decision made by Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. Ms. Yan nodded with a smile. ¡°Not just making tofu! My brothers can sell a lot of tofu every day! And everyone loves our tofu. Two restaurants in the town buy tofu exclusively from us!¡± ¡°That is great.¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°l have got a couple of ways to make bean products here, and I can find a way to send it to the province. If this thing is made well, we don¡¯t need to worry about them being sold. If your brothers and the others in your family are interested, we can go over and talk about it in detail. If they are willing, we can do this business together. We get 20 percent of the profit, and we will share the cost for that 20 percent. We will not interfere in the daily affairs, and your brothers are still in charge.¡± Ms. Yan threw a look at Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan smiled briefly. ¡®E lt is your Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s idea, so she has the say.¡± Ms. Yan smiled brightly and got very excited. She said without hesitation, ¡°You are all smart people, better than us. I trust your ideas. I wille up with a way to go back home and ask my family about it right away. I am sure that they will agree!¡¯ Ms. Yan could see that the reason why the first section of the family could make a fortune was because Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were smart people. But Ms. Niu and Ms. Ma could not see that. They only wanted to cause trouble. No wonder they never got anything good happening to them. Ms. Yan did not know much about what exactly was their idea. But she trusted thempletely. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did not need to set her up. There was nothing about her that was worth being set up for. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That is great. We will be waiting for your news!¡± ¡°Good! I will be off. We¡¯ll talkter!¡¯ After Ms. Yan left, Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan. ¡°Hope that the Fourth Cousin-inw¡¯s family would not turn us down. In this way, the second section of the family should have someone in charge and the third section of the family would not be able to do anything alone.¡± Shao Yunduan took her hands and withdrew quickly before she realized anything. He smiled and said gently, ¡°Thank you, darling!¡¯ Qiao Xuan was startled. ¡°l just¡­ just want to live in peace.¡± She was not trying to help the first section of the family solve trouble. She could not be sure if he was going to be her husband for real.. Chapter 561 - 561: Ms.Yan’s Visit Home Chapter 561 - 561: Ms.Yan¡¯s Visit Home Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan was a very gentle man. He curled his lips and nodded in agreement. ¡°You are smart, and you have saved us a lot of trouble. I can deal with the rest.¡¯ Although the future was not certain, those sweet words were totally suitable to be spoken in this way. Qiao Xuan could not help but smile brightly. Holding the excitement in her heart, Ms. Yan returned to the second section of the family pretending as if nothing were happening. She ignored Ms. Zhangs sour words, and asked Shao Sng, namely her husband, to join her in the field. Nis. Zhang had been saying mean things about her andughing at her all this while. She said that she was even worse than the maids at the first section of the family, and that her ttery did not work because they never taught her how to make a fortune.
She said that Ms. Yan kept sucking up to the first section of the family and it was so stupid of her not to give up. Nis. Yan was very angry at the beginning, but after hearing those words for too long, she ignored her whenever she tried to say something. But when she heard the words today, she had a slightly different thought in mind. If Ms. Zhang knew that the first section of the family was helping her out so her family could make a fortune, Ms. Zhang would definitely get so annoyed. That made her feel refreshed. Ms. Yan never believed that Ms. Zhang was pitiful. She just found her behavior to be disgusting. She whispered to herself in heart. ¡°Wait and see!¡± The couple had just walked out of the vige, when Ms. Yan told her husband that she needed to pay a visit home instantly, and that her husband should work alone in the field, so that he could shield her. Shao Sng did not ask the reason for it, but nodded with a smile and asked her to return as soon as possible. Ms. Yan had an ordinary appearance, but she treated her husband with a true heart. She was very gentle and considerate in almost every aspect, so Shao Sng was totally taken in by her and agreed with whatever she said to him. Ms. Yan rushed back home and told her parents and brothers about what Qiao Xuan told her. She even tried to persuade them into saying yes to the proposal. Mr. Yan and his two sons all exchanged a look between themselves. They had no idea what was going on. What was wrong with Yan Jiao? She rushed home and told them such a vague thing that confused them totally. Mrs. Yan realized what was going on before everyone else did. She said, ¡°My daughter is right! It is definitely going to be a great idea. Let¡¯s get them here to talk about it in detail. We need to talk face to face. 1 don¡¯t think my daughter ever makes any mistakes! ¡± She had spoiled her daughter rotten! Ms. Yan was very excited and rubbed herself against her mother. , ¡°Mom, you are the best!¡± Mrs. Yan was very excited as well. She consoled her with a smile. ¡°Of course, I am!¡± Then, Mrs. Yan said with determination, ¡°Good. Get them here and talk about this.¡± Ms. Yan said, ¡°The sooner, the better. Tomorrow will do!¡± Mrs Yan. ¡°Yes, tomorrow works!¡± The father and the two sons. Mr. Yan sighed. ¡°Okay, it is a deal.¡± If he tried to object to the idea, the mother and the daughter would make a huge fuss about it! Once her work was done, Ms. Yan was about to go home. But Mrs. Yan did not want her to go so easily. She asked her daughter-inw to boil a few eggs for her to eat on the way and even asked her son to apany her home, making sure she was safe. She even told her not toe here alone, but to bring Shao Sng with her. Ms. Yan had to agree to her mother.. Chapter 562 - 562: Meeting With The Yan Family Chapter 562 - 562: Meeting With The Yan Family Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She was not walking on an isted path and came across many familiar faces, though not everyone was familiar. How could she run into any trouble? Once her brother apanied her to the entrance of Shaoding Vige, Ms. Yan insisted that he should go back. So, her brother had to leave it there. Ms. Yan went into the field and joined Shao Sng. She even gave him the two boiled eggs she brought from her mother¡¯s family. That made Shao Sng very happy, thinking that his wife was so nice towards him and spared every bite of food for him. Ms. Yan told Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan about it and asked if they could visit her family the next day.
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan believed that it was a good idea to start as soon as possible, and agreed readily. They arranged to meet with Ms. Yan at the entrance of the vige the next day. After breakfast, they rode the donkey cart and visited the Yan Family together. Qiao Xuan brought some homemade yuba and smoked dried tofu, bean cream skin and tofu puffs alongside. Apart from the yuba and the sun dried bean cream skin, the smoked dried tofu and tofu pulls were made the day before for their family to eat. Qiao Xuan had no idea how to make those, but she learned the dishes from her space, which gave her a lot of instructions about how to make various bean products. Qiao Xuan followed the steps and managed to make them all. She nned to buy some fresh meat from the town to go with the tofu puffs. She was going to mix the minced meat with a small amount of steamed glutinous rice, and add some chopped spring leeks to it. Then, she was going to let Taotao and Xiaoqi go to the river to catch some small river prawns, bake them, and add them as well. Once the ingredients were mixed well, a little salt would be added to the taste. Nothing else would be needed apart from these. After brewing, she could steam some of it on the steamer, and deep-fry the other part. After it was cooked, they could eat them directly, or make soup, thicken it and cook it. It was going to be a delicious dish in all forms. The Yan Family were all present, and they instantly liked Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan when they met, with Qiao Xuan being the daughter of the County Magistrate whilst Shao Yunduan being the Cultivated Talent. Both sides greeted each other happily and they were very satisfied with one other. They could not help but develop the feeling that the other party was reliable. That made themunication between them go faster and smoother. Qiao Xuan brought out the bean products she had prepared in front of the Yan Family, who were all surprised. The Yan Family had been devoted to the tofu business since the generation of Ms. Yan¡¯s grandfather and it was a craftsmanship that had been passed down for generations. That was why the Yan Family cherished this skill deeply, and passed down the skill from fathers to sons. As a result, they could tell the specialties of these bean products directly. ¡°What are these? How do they taste?¡± Mr. Yan¡¯s heart throbbed, and he became very excited. Craftsmen were always sensitive towards new products made by new skills. They could even tell if that skill was valuable. Qiao Xuan made the introduction. ¡°These are yuba, tofu cream skin, puffs and smoked dried tofu. You can tell that all of these are bean products. We can try making them and see how they taste?¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Mr. Yan smiled. ¡°Then, stay for lunch, and please tell my wife and daughter how to make the dishes, so that they can do it for us.¡± Qiao Xuan had not intended to cook personally. She was going to let them do it so that they could be fully convinced. ¡°Okay, then we will be staying for lunch!¡± Chapter 563 - 563: Tryout Chapter 563 - 563: Tryout Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions There were all kinds of standard and innovative mixtures for bean products. All chefs coulde up with all kinds of new dishes as long as they thought about them carefully. But what Qiao Xuan told them were just ordinary ways of making those dishes. Roasted chicken nuggets with yuba, stir-fried dried bean curd with celery and vegetables, shredded fried bean curd in cold sauce, glutinous rice with diced bacon stuffed with tofu puffs, and one of these bean products for a huge mixture with chili. Those bean products would sell well when they were cooked with other side ingredients. Meat could be added too, but the price might be a bit too high for themon civilians to afford. So, vegetables as side dishes for the wok should leave some space for the original taste to show.
Also, dishes with meat would have a better taste. Tofu could be good either with vegetables or with meat, thus being really popr. The two daughter-inws of the Yan Family got busy. They killed chicken, soaked yubas and washed the smoked meat, getting ready to cook lunch. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had a casual conversation and Ms. Yan showed them around the vige. Soon, it was time for lunch. When the dishes were done, they were served warm to the table. Mr. Yan asked the two guests to take the seat, followed by his own family. The dishes looked really good, and the smell was so appealing, that the Yan Family had already understood what Qiao Xuan meant. Mr. Yan tasted the cold dish first while he asked the others to start with the dishes. He was taken aback when he took the first bite. It was soft and chewy, and the more he chewed, the better it became. It had an attractive bean fragrance, which waspletely different from tofu. The dried tofu, yuba and puffs all had different textures when cooked with vegetables or meat. They would be equally popr as tofu itself. Moreover, it could be preserved longer than tofu, especially the sun dried yuba and cream skin. The three men of the Yan Family exchanged an excited look between themselves. This was wonderful. It was such a pie from the sky! Everyone would want to have this business for themselves. With these bean products, the Yan Family should be able to make a huge progress in their business! The Yan Family would be able to get rich very soon! ¡°Please, let¡¯s eat first. Help yourself, we can talk about business after we are done with the food!¡± ¡°Okay, Uncle Yan.¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan understood that the Yan Family was quite willing to take the offer. After lunch, Mr. Yan and the two sons of the Yan Family asked Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan to take their seats and started to discuss this business vividly. The couple would pass on the craftsmanship to the Yan Family without concealing anything, but they wanted 30 percent of the profits after 30 percent of the capital. They promised not to get involved with other affairs, which would be under the Yan Family alone. That was finally agreed between the two parties. They knew clearly how precious the craftsmanship was, and when the couple offered 30 percent of the profits whilst offering 30 percent of the capital, the couple did not take any advantage in the deal. The Yan Family had years of experience in making tofu with good quality and reputation, so they had many old clients who were willing to buy stuff from them. They had umted a lot of money. So, they decided to invest 100 liang, with the couple offering 30 whilst they put in 70. 70 liang was enough for the Yan Family, andprised almost all the savings they had.. Chapter 564 - 564: Way Ahead Chapter 564 - 564: Way Ahead Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Apparently, the Yan Family found the business promising, thus were willing to invest in it instantly. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan decided to leave the workshop building and equipment andbor purchase to the Yan Family alone, They had been in the tofu business for so long and no one had managed to copy them, so they must be very good at keeping their craftsmanship a secret. The couple did not need to worry about anything at all. But Qiao Xuan suggested that the workshop should be built on argernd, in case there would be expansion in the future. If thend was too small, it would cause them a lot of trouble in the future. As for the way of selling them, the Yan Family had their own clients, so they could definitely sell it well in the town. On the other hand, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan still remembered their friend, the Yuezheng Family in the province.
Yubas and dried cream skin could be preserved well, so a pickup a month should be enough. Dried tofu and puffs could be picked up every third day. The Province and town were not very far away from each other. Qiao Xuan was thinking that after she had a talk with Yuezheng Xiao, she should tell the Yan Family about this, so that they could reveal to the public that they were doing business with the Yuezheng Family in the province, saving themselves a lot of trouble. After all, wealth could touch people¡¯s hearts. The moment the bean products wereunched in the market, and the business Dicked up. some people might want to get involved. She could tell that this special kind of bean product could be a very popr ingredient inmon people¡¯s homes as well as at the restaurants, and there would be people who were greedy for that soon enough. But with the Yuezheng Family as the protector, a lot of trouble could be saved. Mr. Yan had been a businessman for years, and he had thought about this potential problem as well. He admitted the concern to the couple frankly. The couple exchanged a look and Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Uncle Yan, don¡¯t worry, we have thought about this before. What you need to do is to do the business well and leave the rest to us.¡¯ Mr. Yan asked nothing more, and smiled. ¡°Okay, then we will not worry about this.¡± ¡°One more thing.¡± Shao Yunduan said, ¡°My cousin is not employed. How about you hiring him so he could make some money to support the family?¡± Ms. Yan¡¯s eyes were bright and she felt very grateful to him. She would have told her mother about thister but Shao Yunduan mentioned it now, making it easier. She had brought in such huge business for her family and she could make any request she wanted. But when Shao Yunduan mentioned this first, there was no one who could object. It would be different if it was proposed by her. ¡°Of course!¡± Mr. Yan was very happy to help his son-inw, so he agreed. ¡°We will be hiring manpower anyway, so if he is part of our family, we will not be too worried! ¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°In that case, he can be here as soon as possible. Well, you are still in charge, and I have 30 percent of the profits. If he wants to buy my shares, I can sell them to him, at 10 liang for ten percent. We need to follow the market price,¡± Ms. Yan turned to him and felt excited. 30 liang of capital at the moment could be hundreds of liang soon. Business would bloom and the share would grow as well. The share would be much more expensive.. Chapter 565 - 565: Not To Them Chapter 565: Not To Them Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions If she could buy 10 percent right now, then the profits would guarantee them enough money for the rest of their life. She could not buy 20 percent¡­ The couple needed to make some money as well. If they gave her everything, they would not be able to earn any profits. But Shao Yunduan¡¯s proposal made her realize that she could buy 10 percent at the moment. Ms. Yan always knew what to say and what to do. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You can talk about this among yourselves, and think about our proposal. We wille and sign a contract in a few days, so that we have proof for both sides.¡± The two sons of the Yan Family nodded in agreement. It was an open and fair deal between them, in case there was some contradiction in the future and the family rtionship was ruined. ¡°At that time, we will bring the instructions. Oh, one more thing, since we will give you the secret, we will not sell it to anyone else, or do it ourselves. The scope is within our province. But you can¡¯t sell this to anyone else, which should be written in our contract, agreed?¡± Mr. Yan nodded after a moment of consideration. He also felt assured after listening to this use. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan gave the instructions to them for free and they could not possibly sell it elsewhere. That would be so dishonest. If they could earn this much money with the instructions, what was the point of being dishonest? Qiao Xuan had promised that she was not going to share the business secrets anywhere or make it on their own, so it meant that the Yan Family should be the only one who would make such products. That was enough. Maybe after some decades, someone would figure out the secret but by then they would have already taken over the market. Also, they would not step anywhere outside the province, since it was already huge enough for them. Moreover, they were not the only family that sold tofu here in the county. They would expand their bean products industry, and for that the province should be enough for them. This Cultivated Talent and his wife were trustworthy people! The two sons of the Yan Family could not help but sigh emotionally. They had a good time and the deal was almost done. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan headed home with Nis. Yan. Ms. Yan had ten liang herself, and she did not need her family¡¯s help. After a moment of hesitation, she asked with a smile. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, and Fifth Brother, can we really buy 10 percent from you?¡± Ten liang for 10 percent, that woulde back to them very soon. What they needed to do was to wait for the profits toe to their pocket. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Of course, it is ten liang for you. If you want to buy 10 percent, we can write this on the contract.¡± Ms. Yan had offered them help and this was what she deserved to have. Whatever more she would receive from the Yan Family was their family¡¯s concern. Ms. Yan smiled brightly and said gratefully, ¡°You are helping us! I know that! I will buy ten percent, and I will fetch the money and give it to you!¡¯ Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay!¡¯ Ms. Yan thought for a while and said hesitantly, ¡°But can you not tell my inws about this? 1 mean¡­ if they get to know about this, there would be a lot of trouble arising in the family..¡± Chapter 566 - 566: No Problem Chapter 566: No Problem Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Soon my husband would start to work at my father¡¯s workshop and I will use the payout to cover the daily expenses.¡± She could use the payout to cover the expenses, but she was going to keep the 10 percent. Qiao Xuan did not think that was strange, because they were all living together. Ms. Yan could not possibly support the whole second section of the family, right? ¡°We are not going to tell them, but you should work on your husband on your own. You are paying for your own share, and it belongs to you alone.¡± True! The share was hers all alone, since she was using her dowry to pay for that. Hence, the profits should be hers as well. So, she did not need to be worried about it. Relieved, Ms. Yan thanked Qiao Xuan happily. Back at home. Ms. Yan instantly took out ten liang from her dowry and gave that to Qiao Xuan. She trusted Qiao Xuan and did not ask for any written proof. Qiao Xuan would not want to steal her money. Qiao Xuan gave the Yan Family two days to discuss the deal, so she did not hurry back there. They had already got the contract drawn, and Shao Yunduan had written down the instructions to make yubas and dried tofu, which was recounted by Qiao Xuan. The next day, Qiao Xuan found the time to visit the mountain with Qi, Taotao and Chunyu. At this time, there were many more kinds of mushrooms, bracken, spring bamboo shoots, and all kinds of fresh and tender wild vegetables in the mountains. They not only ate them but also dried them out, so that they couldst for half a year. These were ordinary goods from mountains, so they did not need to go deep into the mountains to get them. Moreover, Chunyu as well as the other maids were not familiar with the mountain so they did not go too deep inside. They were not very strong, but were of some help. They brought a lot of things home and Qi held tworge, chubby roosters. They had many hands to help them process the mushrooms, spring bamboos and brackens this time around. In the afternoon, Qiao Xuan checked out the mushroom shed in the garden, and asked the maids to help with the picking. They had all the mushrooms, wooden ears and snow fungus picked in just one afternoon. That was what sufficientbor could do. She had them all ced in a big dustpan for sun drying. Qiao Xuan thought that after the spring plow passed, she was going to hire more vigers to nt snow fungus. The following day, they got the beeswax, which was going to be processed after their visit to the Yan Family. Also, the roses were going to be in full bloom soon. Nis. Yan did not tell her inws about the previous visit and had asked Shao Sng to shelter her, which he agreed happily to. That was what she did on the day of contract signing as well. She had already told Shao Sng about how her family would get him to work for them and pay them too, which pleased Shao Sngpletely. If she had not stressed to him that this should not be revealed to anyone, Shao Sng would have shown off in front of his parents. So, when he went out to work in the field with his wife, and she said that she needed to take a trip back to her mother¡¯s home, Shao Sng concealed the secret for her again. The two parties exchanged the contracts, expressed a few thoughts and signed the deal in the end. After the contract was settled, Shao Yunduan copied three sets, so he and Qiao Xuan, the Yan Family as well as Ms. Yan had one each respectively. Nis. Yan had 15% shares, the extra 5% was given by her family as amission fee.. Chapter 567 - 567: Trying Best Chapter 567 - 567: Trying Best Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Mr. Yan asked Ms. Yan to tell her husband to finish thebor, so he coulde and offer some help. It was settled that he would get 700 wen a month, and he would have three days of break during each month. Ms. Yan was very satisfied with the arrangement. This sry was not going to end up in Ms. Yan¡¯s hands. Ms. Niu even wanted to steal her dowry. If her family was not this strong, she might have even offered Ms. Niu her portion as well. A mother-inw would always have her ways to torment her daughter-inw.
So, the payment was going to be given to Ms. Niu no matter what. If her husband was strong enough, he might get 20 or 30 wen out of the 700 from his mother¡¯s hands. But even that might not be possible. Anyways, she was going to try. In the end, it did not matter. If her parents nned to give her husband a raise, he could possibly conceal the real amount then and keep the extra with himself. As long as he would have the work, it was going to be fine. Most importantly, she could earn her own profits from this. That would be enough for her. Two or three yearster, she was going to ask her parents and brothers to help her get separated from this family. She might have to face some losses on the surface, but as long as they could live separately, they would have a good life ahead. Nis. Yan had made her n for her life. They all returned to their homes after the deal was signed. Ms. Yan got off the donkey cart before she reached the vige. She went into the field to meet her husband. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were heading home on their donkey cart when they were almost bumped into by a wagon behind their back. The donkey got startled and Qiao Xuan almost fell off it. ¡°Who is that? So rude!¡± Shao Yunduan let out a sigh of relief seeing that she was not hurt. He watched the wagon heading away, eyebrows raised. Qiao Xuan pursed her lips. She had lost her good mood. How annoying! Gossip arose when they were eating lunch, and the answer was found. The wagon must be holding the concubine of the Zhao Family. The concubine was back again after being away for a few days? Qiao Xuan mentioned in front of the family that the wagon almost bumped her and Shao Yunduan¡¯s donkey cart. Ms. Fang got so furious when she thought of what happenedst time, ¡°What is that concubine going wild for? Bumping people away in the vige. If someone gets hurt, even the Zhao Family can¡¯t solve the problem!¡± Taotao added. ¡°Good that you are fine, or we will not let her go!¡¯ ¡°Yeah, true!¡± Yang Xiaoni was confused. ¡°Strange. I heard thatrge families have their rules and concubines can not leave home at their wish. What is she doing here with her own family, and she is back so soon!¡± Everyone was startled hearing what she said. True, what was she doing here again? She never went home before, and now she wasing over so frequently. Also, nothing much was happening at Ding Jiahuai¡¯s home. Hence, the Zhao Family should not care about Ding Jiahuai either. They were not rted, who would care about anyone¡¯s business. ¡°Anyway, that is their own problem, we can leave them alone.¡± Ms. Fang said, ¡°Don¡¯t gossip about it, maybe they are up to no good!¡± They were curious but not nosy. They needed to stay away from someone¡¯s concubine in case it would bring trouble to them.. Chapter 568 - 568: Not Getting Through Chapter 568 - 568: Not Getting Through Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan did not like Ding Qiuyue, especially when she realized that she was the concubine of Zhao Guanghua and Zhao Mings father. When she thought about this, Qiao Xuan got a little worried, as she remembered Qiao Wei. Ding Qiuyue could not be here for her, could she? What could have motivated her toe back to her home so soon? Also, could the Zhao Family let her be here so easily without any purpose? ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t think she is up to any good. If shees to our home, don¡¯t let her in, okay?¡±
Ding Qiuyue was just a concubine, and it was very normal that she was not weed to anyone¡¯s home. So, it was not a rude thing if Ding Qiuyue was turned down at the doorstep. Qiao Xuan did not take Ding Qiuyue as a threat. But she was worried that Qiao Wei could be acting on a whim, again? She had many things that could handle any tricky situation, but she did not want to deal with Qiao Wei right now. She needed to wait until Shao Yunduan finished the examination. What if they were sinister enough to ruin Shao Yunduan¡¯s future? That would be terrible. But she was very curious. If Qiao Wei was involved, why was a concubine of someone else¡¯s family here to work on the forefront? That did not make sense. Qiao Xuan felt that she was thinking too much about it. But Ding Qiuyue should note to her home. That would save her from any unforeseen problem. Ms. Fang said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t like her much. She was herest time, and I didn¡¯t take to her. I won¡¯t allow her to be here again!¡¯ That startled everyone else. ¡°Ding Qiuyue was here? When?¡± Ms. Fang said indifferently, ¡°You were all out for work. I was here alone, She said some ill words, so I drove her out with an excuse.¡¯ How dare she try to pry into her daughter-inw and makements about her? She was not in a position to do so! Qiao Xuan pursed her lips. So, that concubine was herest time? If she came over again, then something weird was definitely going on. If she was not here this time, then she might have thought too much about it. Before Qiao Xuan was about to say something, Shao Yunduan already said, ¡°Mom, Elder Sister-inw and Third Sister-inw, if Ding Qiuyuees over again, do not let her in, okay? I don¡¯t think she is up to any good.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan thought about the same thing. Shao Yunduan was the backbone of the family, and his words were loud enough for others to hear. They all nodded and made the promise. After lunch, some took a nap, some went to visit others. It was soon very quiet in the yard. In the afternoon, they started to work respectively. It was going to be March soon and in one week, they should start to nt the seedlings. When the seedlings grew big enough, they would start nting other things. So, they kept putting the crop on the emptynd. There were also weeds in the bamboo forest, which should also be cut with a sickle, cleaned up, and then loosened with a hoe. Otherwise the weeds would grow everywhere and make it difficult to do the work. Qiao Xuan did not step out in the afternoon. Shao Yunduan was studying whilst she was reading and napping in the bedroom. Ms. Fang had just taken a nap when the sound of door knocking arose outside. She frowned and asked. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Ms. Fang, it is me, Qiuyue! I would like to have a chat with you.¡± Ding Qiuyue¡¯s smiling voice floated in from outside.. Chapter 569 - 569: Strange Chapter 569 - 569: Strange Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fangs face changed. She really came over! What was she doing here again? Ms. Fang felt that Ding Qiuyue wasn¡¯t up to anything good. She did not need Shao Yunduan¡¯s reminder. Her family and Ding Jiahuai¡¯s family were not very close to each other. They just greeted each other briefly when they encountered each other on the way, or exchanged some words on a few asions. So, what was Ding Qiuyue doing here at her ce so often rather than keep her parentspany and visit the other rtives from the Ding Family? ¡°l am very busy, and don¡¯t have time to receive you. Come back next time!¡±
Ding Qiuyue smiled. ¡°Ms. Fang, can you open the door? 1 won¡¯t keep you for long. We are all friends, right? You don¡¯t need to receive me. I just need to ask you about one thing!¡¯ ¡°Oh please, don¡¯t! I am just a countryside grandma who knows nothing. I can¡¯t tell you anything, sorry!¡¯ ¡°Ms. Fang, you are just being modest. We can¡¯t just talk with a door between us, right? Can¡¯t you just open the door. Or, are you looking down at me?¡± Ms. Fang pursed her lips, saying to herself that there was no need to act sweet in front of her. She was not Old Master Zhao! ¡°That is not true. What is the point of looking down at you? I need to cook in the kitchen. I am busy now!¡± Having said those words, Ms. Fang left the courtyard in a hurry. She did not bother to talk with Ding Qiuyue again. HOW strange. ¡°Ms. Fang, please!¡± Ding Qiuyue knocked at the door. But no voice arose from behind the door. She could not help but feel distressed. She was absent-minded for a while and had no choice but to turn around. Hongyu felt distressed too. She said involuntarily, ¡°Ms. Concubine, the Shao Family are so rude. She is just a countryside grandma! How can she act like this?¡± Ding Qiuyue nced at her. ¡°That is what it is like. What can we do about it?¡± Hongyu felt stuck in words. ¡°Let¡¯s head home first!¡± Ding Qiuyue paid another visit in the afternoon, but Ms. Fang ignored her again. Ding Qiuyue might not be smart, but she could sense that the Shao Family ignored her on purpose. She was furious and anxious. They could not have possibly known about her n, but then why was she not allowed toe in? Could it be because they did not want to hang out with people poorer than they were, just because they had be richer than before? But she was allowed inst time, wasn¡¯t she? If she could not go into the house, she would not be able to finish the task that the Old Master gave to her. She was promised to be granted with great gifts after she aplished the goal. Ding Qiuyue was feeling really anxious. The next morning, Ding Qiuyue came to the first section of the family again. She kept calling out Ms. Fangs name, but before she could coax her with some sweet words, a youngdy¡¯s voice arose from behind the door. ¡°Concubine Ding, I am curious about what you are doing with my mom?¡± Ding Qiuyue was startled. She forced a smile, ¡°Please, which daughter-inw are you? Can you open the door once? I have a few words to say and 1 will be off after that.¡± ¡°Concubine Ding, pleasee back in the afternoon.¡± Ding Qiuyue was so annoyed. What a strange family! With a sunk face, she said sweetly, ¡°Okay, 1 wille back after lunch!¡± Ding Qiuyue left in anger. Behind the door, Qiao Xuan snorted.. ¡°Back after lunch? Hope you will still have the courage to return here!¡± Chapter 570 - 570: Meeting Chapter 570 - 570: Meeting Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan was already sure by now that Ding Qiuyue was up to no good. Qiao Xuan turned to Shao Yunduan but the couple just could not figure out when they offended the Zhao Family, that the Zhao Family sent a concubine to deal with them. Shao Yunduan denied that it should be rted to Qiao Wei, when Qiao Xuan shared her spections. Qiao Wei did not care about Qiao Xuan and the Shao Family, so whenever she wanted to give them trouble, she would always do it straightforwardly. So, there was no need for her to use an old man¡¯s concubine to give them a hard time. Qiao Xuan nodded in agreement.
She was too nervous and hence, kept associating the matter with Qiao Wei. If the Zhao Family was the only enemy, they did not need to be so worried. After all, they had someone backing them up as well! ¡°It is very troublesome if she keeps pestering us. I will go and deal with her!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°How do you n to deal with her?¡± ¡°It is simple. My mom and Elder Sister-inw will visit her, asking her parents as to what their daughter is doing bying to our doorstep so many times. Let her reply in front of everyone so we get an idea about the truth!¡± Shao Yunduan. Heughed. ¡°Good idea!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled as well. ¡°l think so too!¡± She could not wait to tell Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu about this. Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu both disliked Ding Qiuyue, so the three of them went out at this time. Ms. Xu was taken along by them because she was a pregnant woman, who would always be respected and carefully watched out for. All Ms. Xu needed to do was stand next to them and y her role as a pregnant woman. Also, Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang were not there to have a fight. They were just showing concern to Ding Qiuyue. More importantly, they were going to reveal the secret so she would not have the chance to sneak around. Ding Qiuyue had never expected that the moment she arrived home and her mom was going to talk with her, Ms. Fang came there with Ms. Qiao and Ms. xu. ¡°What on earth has happened to Qiuyue? She came to our ce twice yesterday and once today. We were too busy to receive her, and just exchanged some words across the door. She said that she needed to ask me something. I am curious about what is so urgent. I don¡¯t have much knowledge of anything, but Qiuyue, you asked me for help, so I should show some concern, right? We are from the same vige!¡¯ ¡°So, I am here to ask about it. I can¡¯t just let youe to our ce all the time, right? I feel so sorry to have let you do that so many times already. Qiuyue, just tell us what you need. We are all ears to hear you.¡± Ms.Guan, Ding Jiahuai and everyone else at the Ding Family were shocked. They had juste home for food, but before they were able to eat anything, they received the news. Ding Qiuyue was dumbfounded. ¡® She was so angry inside her heart. No, this should not have unfolded in such a manner. Old Master told her to get into the Shao Family so she could get any one item out of the Shao Family, anything would do. If she could not get anything from the Shao Family, then she could tear some of her clothes and ruffle her hair as if she were running out of the Shao Family in anxiety. She needed to make sure that she was seen by someone, not necessarily too many people, just enough so that the scene could cause some suspicious rumors. In this way, there would be enough bargaining chips for them to make a deal with the Shao Family.. Chapter 571 - 571: Trap Chapter 571 - 571: Trap Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions If they did not ¡®sell¡¯ the field to the Zhao Family, then Old Master Zhao would spread the rumor that Shao Yunduan assaulted his concubine. As a result, Shao Yunduan¡¯s name would be ruined. At that time, she would act as the victim. As long as she was inside the house of the Shao Family, no one would know exactly what happened there. She could just make up any story that she liked, and with some extra effort, her Old Master was definitely going to ruin Shao Yunduan¡¯s name.
The first section of the family could not afford to make Shao Yunduan lose his future, so they would definitely offer to sell the fields. Moreover, they would have to sell them at a very low price! That was a simple method and it should work out well, if it was done properly. As long as it could work out well, it should be considered as a seamless n. Once she made it happen, no one from the first section of the family would be able to defend themselves with any excuse. A rumor spread out of this aspect would ruin someone¡¯s future no matter what they became in the end. It was never going to be erased from one¡¯s past. More importantly, Officer Qiao disliked Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, so even if Qiao Xuan decided to report the matter to the governmental office, the case would not be settled in a proper way. Luckily, the whole family disliked Ding Qiuyue and never allowed her to enter the yard. As long as Ding Qiuyue was not allowed into the yard, she would have no way to y the trick. So, Shao Yunduan dodged a bullet, purely by ident. Ding Qiuyue had thought that it was a simple and easy thing to do. She just needed to sacrifice a little of her reputation. But the Old Master was the only person she could rely on, so she had to do whatever the Old Master told her to. The Old Master even told her that she would be granted 20 liang after the n worked out. 20 liang¡­ that was a huge amount for her. But what she had not expected was that Ms. Fang disliked her so much that she did not allow her to even step into the yard. What she had never expected was that she came with her daughters-inw to her own door and made a statement in front of her own family! How should she answer now? She had nothing to ask Ms. Fang, who was useless to her! But what could she say to fool them now? Nis. Guan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? Nis. Fang, did you just say that Qiuyue came to your door and asked you for some advice?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ms. Fang sighed. ¡°I am not sure what is the matter?!¡± Ms. Guan frowned and threw a displeased look at Ding Qiuyue. Why was her daughter not talking to her but reaching out to Ms. Fang? Could it be because she wanted only to talk to rich people, not poor ones like her own mother? Ms. Guan felt kind of hurt. ¡°Yeah, Qiuyue, speak up! Just say it!¡¯ Ding Qiuyue could not make up a story, and uttered a few words nervously. ¡°l just wanted to ask¡­ ask how much did the new house cost you? Just asking, yeah!¡± Ding Jiahuai¡¯s eyes brightened, as he said excitedly, ¡°Qiuyue, are you wanting to build a house like that for us as well?¡± Ms. Guan, her son as well as her daughter-inw all got excited upon hearing that. ¡°My daughter, you are so kind, you remember us all!¡± The Ding Family nodded in happiness. ¡°Qiuyue, you treat us so nicely!¡± ¡°You never forget to share anything with us!¡± Chapter 572 - 572: Not Meaning Chapter 572 - 572: Not Meaning Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Now it was time for Ding Qiuyue to get dumbfounded. That was definitely not what she meant! Ding Qiuyue did not like it when her parents sold her to Old Master Zhao as a concubine. In fact, she hated how they made the decision, especially now that she was living a terrible life at the Zhao Family. Sometimes, she also hoped that her mothers family would flourish so she could have a back-up and have some ce to live when she needed one.
Building a new house for them? She had no money to build them a house! Before she could say anything more, Ms. Fang chuckled with a smile. ¡°Oh, that is simple. I could have told you before, if you had asked me. Not that much money, just 30 or 40 liang. The Zhao Family is too rich to take this as a huge amount. Actually, you can ask the Zhao Family to build this for you, they are so rich and they are full of people to help with the construction. Oh congrattions, you are going to live a good life!¡± Ms. Guan grinned brightly. ¡°Yes, yes, thanks. I am so proud of my daughter!¡± ¡°Qiuyue loves you, that is your luck!¡± ¡°Ahahaha! That is true!¡± ¡°Anyways, you can talk about this between yourselves. I am sure that with Old Master Zhao around, everything can be solved easily. You don¡¯t need to ask us about this! Qiuyue is just being cautious. I am off now, we have much work to do at home!¡± ¡°Ahahaha, okay,e and talk with us whenever you have time!¡± Ding Qiuyue. Ding Qiuyue was so angry that she could not utter even a single word. What was going on? When Ms. Fang left Ding Jiahuai¡¯s home with her two daughters-inw, all of them could not help but burst intoughter. ¡°Serve her right! Trapping her in her own n!¡¯ Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°We were not trapping her! We were just revealing her inner thoughts to her family!¡¯ ¡°Yes. Haha!¡± The three women left Ding Jiahuai¡¯s home happily and Ding Jiahuai¡¯s home was also filled with happiness. The whole family all turned to look at Ding Qiuyue, which creeped her out. ¡°Come on, Qiuyue, tell us slowly!¡¯ ¡°You should have told us earlier about it! Hahaha!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need such a big house, a smaller one will do. But we want the same kind of windows. They look so nice and bright!¡¯ ¡°Yeah, but sister, you are kind enough to offer us a big house, we must ept it! Also, we will have many children in the future so we will need a spacious ce. ¡± ¡°Yeah, true!¡± Ding Qiuyue got so annoyed and snapped. ¡°Enough, stop it!¡¯ The others froze suddenly. Ding Jiahuai said, ¡°Yeah, we all should stop talking about it, just leave it to Qiuyue!¡¯ ¡°Yeah!¡± The others all turned to Ding Qiuyue with a smile. Ding Qiuyue gasped. She was being pressurized! She had no money! She could have built one for them if she had money. But the thing was that she had nothing! Chapter 573 - 573: Dumbfounded Chapter 573 - 573: Dumbfounded Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She could not produce money out of nowhere and she needed to put it straightforwardly in front of the family. ¡°Don¡¯t ever dream about it.¡± Ding Qiuyue sneered. ¡°l have never mentioned building a house. I have no money for that either.¡± Moreover, they even wanted the windows like at the Shao Family¡¯s house? Ignorant people! Did they know that a window like that would be worth more than herself when she was sold.
¡°What?¡± The Ding Family did not understand until a whileter. ¡°What did you just say¡­¡± Ding Qiuyue said coldly, ¡°Since when did I say that I want to build a house for ¡°But¡­¡¯ ¡°l never said any such thing. It was all your assumption.¡± Ms. Guan and the others were dumbfounded. Their beautiful dream had been shattered before they could even think about it properly. The Ding Family were so disappointed and furious. People were strange. No one had mentioned this before, so no one had thought that Ding Qiuyue should build a house for them. But after the coincidental talk, the whole family got very upset and felt that it was Ding Qiuyue¡¯s fault that she denied the possibility. ¡°The Zhao Family are so rich, you can¡¯t even give us a dozen of liang? You have not earned even this much after all these years?¡± Ding Jiahuai snapped furiously. Ding Qiuyue sneered and turned to look at him with a grudge. ¡°I am a concubine, a concubine, you know! I am not in charge of the Zhao Family¡¯s money. I have not even seen what a dozen liang looks like so far. If you want it, you can go to the Zhao Family and ask for it directly!¡¯ ¡°You!¡± Ding Jiahuai turned even more furious. ¡°If you had gotten pregnant and sucked up to them, you would not have ended up like this. Look at yourself! No man would like you!¡¯ Ding Qiuyue burst into tears and snapped back. ¡°You sold me to be a concubine. What more do you want of me? You want to kill me?¡± It was a mess in the Ding Family. In the end, Ding Jiahuai left with a sunk face, and the mess did not end until Ms. Guan dragged Ding Qiuyue back into the room. Ms. Guan was very unsatisfied by the shattered dream. Still, she could not help but feel concerned about her daughter. She wanted to shout at her but held back. She sighed deeply. ¡°We are poor. Don¡¯t me your father and brother for what they said to you¡­¡± Ding Qiuyue looked up at her coldly after wiping away the tears. Nobody cared about her, no matter whether she would me them or not. ¡°Mom, I am telling you the truth. Old Master sent me back for a specific purpose¡­¡± Ding Qiuyue had no choice but to confess. She hoped that Ms. Guan could give her a hand. She knew clearly what her Old Master was like. If she failed this simple mission, her Old Master would not forgive her and instead punish her in the end. Ms. Guan was shocked and dumbfounded. ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°l have told you everything. Keep your mouth sealed and leak no words to anyone. Old Master Zhao is not very easy to deal with and he doesn¡¯t like rumors about his family.¡± ¡°l got it!¡± Ms. Guan got frightened and nodded, turning pale. ¡°But your reputation will be¡­¡± She just did not understand this.. Her daughter was married to Old Master Zhao, how could Old Master Zhao make his woman do this kind of thing? That was so wrong! Actually, everything felt wrong about this¡­ Chapter 574 - 574: No Solutions Chapter 574 - 574: No Solutions Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ding Qiuyue sneered. ¡°I am a concubine. Since when did I have a reputation?¡± Ms. Guan was mute, feeling slightly ufortable in heart. She felt a little guilty too. She threw a look at Ding Qiuyue and was about to defend herself, but then she gave up. Old Master Zhao hadid eyes on her and asked the housekeeper toe by. What else could she do?
Ding Qiuyue said, ¡°You have to help me to go inside the first section of the family¡¯s home.¡± Ms. Guan¡¯s head turned nk. ¡°l have no solution, either. We are not in a close rtionship with the Shao Family¡­ It is not¡­¡± Ding Qiuyue turned fretful. ¡°You must help me, somehow. I will be punished by the Old Master. The Old Master will give me 10 liang after the mission ispleted. I will give you half, if it works out.¡± Ms. Guan¡¯s eyes turned bright. ¡°For real?¡± Ding Qiuyue¡¯s eyes turned cold and her heart sank. Only money could motivate her parents to do something. They had some feelings for her, but in front of money, she was nothing. ¡°For real!¡± So, Ms. Guan decided to give it a try. After breakfast, Ms. Guan went to the first section of the family with Ding Qiuyue, under the guise of offering ¡®an apology¡¯. Once Ding Qiuyue walked in, she could just sneak away to the side without anyone noticing her actions. At the first section of the Shao Family. Everyone was busy with their work after breakfast. Shao Yunduan returned to the room to study. Master Yun left, but he had assigned him many tasks and provided precious documents, enough for him to study before the examination. He needed to cherish every minute to work on what Master Yun had taught him. He had already realized that what Master Yun gave him was not only important for the imperial examination. This knowledge was going to be very useful for his entire life as well, as long as he absorbed it well. What he had learned from Master Yun in this short period was more than what he had studied at school and college in thest ten years. He had never had this kind of feeling before. He felt that the road ahead was clear and he had received useful and precious knowledge. Shao Sang and the others had already finished working on thend. So, he and Qi went into the mountains to hunt on this free day. Qiao Xuan, Yang Xiaoni, Taotao and Chunyu were working on the lipsticks in the flower field. The apricot and peach flowers had withered but Chinese roses continued to bloom. They had a lot to do every day. Qiao Xuan was thinking that after a few days, she was going to visit the Zhang Vige and when they came back from there, they could start to work on watermelons. She did not want Ms. Fang to be at home alone. So, she asked Lixia and Liqiu to stay to help Ms. Fang with some housework, like looking after children, and watching out for Ding Qiuyue. They could inform her in the flower field, if any emergency happened. Ms. Fang felt really fresh in mind. She thought that Ding Qiuyue would note over any more. Much to her surprise, not only Ding Qiuyue, but her mother also showed up all of a sudden. Ms. Fang was very pissed. She did not even bother to answer the door and told Lixia to deal with it. That made everything easier. She was a maid, and all she needed to do was to tell them that her mistress was not at home and that she could not open the door for any guests. She offered an apology for not allowing them inside the house and informed them that she will pass on the message to the familyter. Nis. Guan was defeated as well. Ding Qiuyue felt really annoyed. It seemed that anyoneing from her home would be turned down at the door of the first section of the Shao family. With no way out, she couldn¡¯t stay at her mother¡¯s home for too long. She headed back the next day, feeling quite nervous. Ms. Fang let out a sigh of relief after hearing that Ding Qiuyue had left the vige. But she sensed that something was wrong. What exactly was Ding Qiuyue doing here at her doorstep all these times? Chapter 575 - 575: Ms. Niu and Second Uncle Chapter 575: Ms. Niu and Second Uncle Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions At the second section of the Shao family. The very night when Shao Sng and Ms. Yan signed the contract, he told Ms. Niu and Second Uncle about working for the Yan Family. He would be paid 700 wen a month, working from morning to the evening, lunch was included. The payment would rise, and he would have three days off every month. Since he was the son-inw, they would not be strict about the rules. He coulde back to help the family if he was needed. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle became cheerful. ¡°That is such a great piece of news! My son is so capable! Haha!¡± ¡°Of course you should take the job. You can start tomorrow, and let Ms. Yan keep youpany. You are going to work for your father-inw and your brother-inw. Work hard and well!¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about what is happening here at the family. But you can¡¯t splurge your wages. You have to give me the payment every month.¡± They had Eng with them to farm. He could juste and help with the seedling when it was time. They could not ask the first section of the family for help any more. But they had promised to loan them the bull, which could save them much money and energy. Also, they did not need to owe the first section of the family anybor either. Now onwards, Sng could make money as well. How wonderful! 700 wen every month was already very good, and there would be a potential wage rise in the future as well. Ms. Niu felt so happy about it. She was dreaming that the money was already in her hands. 700 wen was arge amount. More importantly, he would be paid every month, and thebor work should not be too exhausting either. Shao Sng and Ms. Yan were very happy as well. They chatted with each other. Shao Eng was d as well but he felt a little jealous. His own inw¡¯s family was so horrible, always causing him trouble¡­ He could never get anything out of them. But that was just a feeling he had. When he realized that the payment would need to be given to their mother, he could not help but feel slightly better. This meant that even if his brother turned out to be good, he would live a good life too. Ms. Zhang was different. She felt so irritatedly jealous when she saw how her inws were vividly chatting with Shao Sng and Ms. Yan. She hated listening to the piercingughter. Especially Ms. Yan¡¯s, who she believed was showing off in front of her and trying to overpower her. That made her feel even more sour. It was not her fault that her own family was not as good as Ms. Yan¡¯s. What was the point of being so proud of it? Her inws all spoke highly of Ms. Yan and Shao Sng. What position would she have at home? Her mother-inw always looked down at her and even lectured her all the time. After Ms. Yan came to the family, she even shouted at her. ¡°Look at what you have done, and look what Ms. Yan has done for the family!¡¯ She hated her so much! Ms. Zhang forced a smile when she thought about this. ¡°Mom, how about asking my sister-inw to ask her father whether they would want to hire my husband as well? In this way, we can get one more portion of payment for the family.¡± Theughter paused. Ms. Yan frowned slightly but she turned really furious inside. Still, she held her peace and did not say anything. Her inws reacted in the same way as she had foreseen. ¡°I think it is a good idea. If that works, we can get more than 1 liang a month. That is a huge amount!¡± ¡°Ms. Yan, how about asking your father tomorrow? Eng is very diligent as well!¡± Shao Eng also looked expectantly at her too. Ms. Yan sighed inwardly. They were going to hire more people in the future and there would be gossip arising if they refused to hire close rtives. She was not willing to do so, but this seemed to be inevitable.. Chapter 576 - 576: Business Chapter 576: Business Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She would have a bad time if her inws knew that her family would rather hire outsiders than Eng. Ms. Yan smiled. ¡°Dad, Mom, Elder Brother is our family, and my family would definitely take him into consideration. But we don¡¯t need so many people right now, so Sng will be the first one to work for them. If we need any moreborers, we will definitely get Elder Brother to work with us. But the payment will be a little different though¡­¡± Ms. Niu and Second Uncle found that reasonable too. They said, ¡°It is a deal. Don¡¯t forget to tell your father about it. If he needs people to work for him, our Eng can help too. Payment should not be lower than that for others.¡¯ Ms. Yan smiled. ¡°Of course. We will pay ording to the market.¡± Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were pleased. They did not find it strange if the payment was lower than that of Sngs because Sng was their real son-inw anyway. But Ms. Zhang felt that Ms. Yan was upset with her, and hence, she was trying to give her a bad time. ¡°Dad, Mom, what about getting my husband to start tomorrow.¡± Ms. Zhang smiled. ¡°Eng can take Sngs position, so he will always be taken care of. If Sng takes this opportunity, we are not sure when Eng will have the chance. Also, the Yan Family have two daughters-inw as well, maybe they will want to get people from their family to take the work as well.¡± Nis. Yan finally turned furious. ¡°What are you talking about? My two sisters-inw are all people from the Yan Family. They gave birth to and raised babies for our family and they respect my parents. Of course, they can get people from their families to work for us. Also, I am just the daughter of the family. It is already so kind of them to take care of me! This is far better than some families who want their daughter to help them rather than the other way around!¡± ¡°If you are so calctive, Second Sister-inw, you can talk with your own family rather than aiming for mine! Don¡¯t think that you are the only smart one who knows some tricks. Honestly, my father is bad-tempered, and if people try to fool him, he will never hire anyone! Don¡¯t think that I will have a say in it!¡± Ms. Zhang¡¯s face flushed and she snapped. ¡°What do you mean? How can you talk with your sister-inw like this?¡± Ms. Yan did not care. ¡°I won¡¯t do so if you leave me alone!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Just drop it!¡± Second Uncle had almost been persuaded by Ms. Zhangs suggestion. But what Ms. Yan said frightened him. He felt a little lucky to have not catered to Ms. Zhangs thoughts, otherwise he would have lost his face as well. The Yan Family was not easy to get on well with. Second Uncle was only imposing in his behavior with Eldest Uncle. He did not dare to do anything with anyone outside the family. He knew pretty well that he was nothing in front of outsiders. He dared to confront his brother only because they shared the same bloodline. But he was always nice to people outside the family. He only held a grudge with his own family. ¡°Just let Eng wait until the Yan Family needs more people to help. Ms. Yan, you need to remember that we are all part of one family and Eng¡¯s earnings will influence our life as well.. Chapter 577 - 577: In The Future Chapter 577 - 577: In The Future Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Yan nodded. ¡°l will, Father.¡¯ Ms. Zhang sneered quietly. She did not think so. She believed that Ms. Yan was just putting on a show. But under such a circumstance, Ms. Zhangs thoughts were all clogged in her stomach. The Yan Family had killed her dreams even before they sprouted. No one from the Yan Family could be offended easily. Her inws did not dare offend them either. They were just cowards.
Her inws only dared to show majesty in the family. She herself did not dare offend the Yan Family, either. The more she thought about this, the more angry she became. Ms. Zhang was so annoyed. When she found Ms. Yan alone, she sneered. ¡°Fourth Sister-inw, you keep visiting the first section of the family, but you have gotten nothing good out of them, right? The first section of the family is not helping you to make a fortune either, so you have to turn to your own family for help.¡± Ms. Yan smiled after hearing the sarcastic and sour words. She really wished to tell Ms. Zhang what she was doing right now and how she got her husband the job from her parents¡¯ family. Ms. Zhang would surely turn mental if she learned the truth. How wonderful that would be! But Ms. Yan pressed down her impulse and smiled. ¡°Second Sister-inw, do you know that we should hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I like visiting the first section of the family because they are so friendly, not because I have a purpose. Also, there are still secrets I can¡¯t tell. But you will know about them sooner orter!¡± You will know, when it is time¡­ Ms. Yan made up her mind not to reveal a thing until they lived separately. She was not telling anyone that she had one share in the business as well. ¡°Also, at least I have my own family to rely on, don¡¯t l?¡± ¡°You!¡± Ms. Zhang got so angry. Was it good to have a family to back you up? The business kicked off after the contract was signed, capital was invested and instructions were brought in. Shao Sng started the work the following day. Ms. Yan took him there and handed him over to her father and brothers. Then, she told them some of her own ideas. Shao Sng listened to everything she said. Her father and brothers were not cruel people, so as long as Shao Sng obeyed their words, there would be no trouble at all! The business kicked off directly. Ms. Niu felt so proud that she went to show off in front of Ms. Fang, telling her that her family would prosper very soon! That was because the Yan Family was going to hire both of her sons soon. In this way, they were going to have more than 1 liang a month, as well as a possible sry increase in the future, which would bring them more money. Ms. Fang said okay to express that she had heard what she said. One liang a month? How could that be something to be proud of? Her daughter-inw had already led the whole family to earn thousands of liang in just one deal. But she was not going to reveal that to frighten off Ms. Niu. She was not at all envious. In fact, she wished that the Yan Family could help the second section of the family so they would not focus upon Elder Uncle for help. Moreover, the second section of the family had to obey the rules when they were under the Yan Family¡¯s charge. If the second section of the family worked for her, they would definitely act aszy as possible. Ms. Fang did not ask Ms. Niu anything, which made Ms. Niu believe that Ms. Fang was just jealous. That thought made her really d. After she left the first section of the family, Ms. Niu went to Ms. Ma and showed off there as well.. Chapter 578 - 578: Not Bold Enough Chapter 578 - 578: Not Bold Enough Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Ma felt really sour in heart. But she chuckled pretentiously and passed on some forced congrattory words, before telling Ms. Niu that her son would be an officer soon. When her son became an officer, he could earn more than 10 liang a month, not just 1 liang. Nis. Niu pursed her lips. So what? Ling was not yet the officer. But Ms. Niu could not foresee that Ling would not be an officer, so she dare not make a conclusion now. ttery did not cost anything, so she said a few to Nis. Ma.
Ms. Ma felt really motivated. Qiao Xuan wrote a letter to Yuezheng Xiao and told him about the bean products. It would take at least half a month before the Yan Family¡¯s bean products business started officially. So, there was no need to be in a hurry. When Ding Qiuyue went back to the mansion, Old Master Zhao snapped at her and called her useless and stupid. Ding Qiuyue held her breath and did not dare to utter a sound whilst sitting on her knees. When Old Master Zhao was done, he ordered her to tell him everything in detail. She opened her mouth for the first time and spoke vividly. Listening to her words, Old Master Zhao felt that it was incredible. How did the first section of the Shao Family happen to turn down Ding Qiuyue at this juncture? They were from the same vige. It wasn¡¯t that strange that people visited each other. ¡°Did you expose yourself?¡± ¡°Of course not. I didn¡¯t dare to! I did not even tell my family about it.¡± Old Master Zhao was silent. True. Ding Qiuyue would not be bold enough to do anything like that. Moreover, she would not dare lie to him. Now that she was turned down by the first section of the Shao Family, she had no way to finish the n. So unlucky, how horrible! ¡°Anyway, you can leave now. If I ever find out that you lied to me¡­ I don¡¯t think that you can afford the consequences. If you did lie to me, confess now.¡± ¡°Old Master, I would never dare lie to you!¡¯ Old Master Zhao flung his sleeves and said, ¡°Just leave now.¡± Ding Qiuyue felt so weak that she retired in panic. Old Master Zhao was walking back and forth in the study, getting more and more furious. He was not going to let this thing go away like this, never! Old Madam Zhao sneered as she heard what happened and how angry Old Master Zhao became. ¡°Old Master Zhao, you were so confused in your head that you asked the bitch to carry out the n. She is so dumb! It¡¯s not strange that she ruined the whole thing. If this method doesn¡¯t work, then you can use other methods. As long as they fail to keep the fields, they will have to sell them to you, right?¡± Old Master Zhao felt motivated again and smiled. ¡°You are right, good point!¡± Old Master Zhao and the housekeeper made another n. Housekeeper sent someone to look around at the Zhang Vige and eventually bribed two tenants. The n was that they would poison the six bulls. Moreover, they would ruin the seeds given to each tenant. After that was done, they were going to be awarded 20 liang each and the fields would be rented to them at a low price. The two tenants were not very sincere people. Hearing the profits, they agreed despite the potential risk. The tenants were living in a very bad condition and they visited each other often. So, the limited space made it possible for them to learn where the seeds were kept, which made it very easy for them to ruin the entire pack. Some boiled water into the bags, and the seeds would either get cooked directly, or develop yeast and get ruined, impossible to be nted any more.. Chapter 579 - 579: Being Possessed Chapter 579 - 579: Being Possessed Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions By the time it would be discovered before the nting, it would be toote. There was arge amount of seeds prepared for more than 300 mu fields, and it was not very easy to make up for the loss. If the Zhao Family managed to sessfully implement the trick and ruined the fields with the bad seeds, the whole n for spring plow would be ruined. But Ding Erzhu had a habit of walking around and checking things, so he happened to catch the two tenants. That was such a huge crime they weremitting!
Ding Erzhu directly sent his men to fetch Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. Hearing the shocking news, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan came to the Zhang Vige directly. The two tenants could not be kept any more, They hadmitted a big blunder, and Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan would reim the fields from the tenants. It was already kind enough for the couple not to send them to the governmental office. Spring plow was not only important for all households, but also a very important affair for the court. All civilians needed to eat, and a good production was what a country needed to ensure. There would be chaos and rebellion if civilians could not be fed. So, seeds and bulls were very important things. It was forbidden to kill bulls meant for plowing, even though the bulls were raised by the family themselves. Else, they would be fined and cast into prison. Same was true about the seeds. Anyone who intentionally ruined the seeds would be considered to havemitted the same crime. But the tenants¡¯ family were not aware of this. They cried and begged forgiveness. Qiao Xuan asked Lin Mian¡¯s family to help them out. She could not bear to see the scene, but her mind would not change because of this. Their family might be innocent. But that did not matter right now. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan would not keep them since theymitted such a crime. They needed to set an example for the rest, to build their reputation. Shao Yunduan did not have much time for this, since he needed to work on his exam preparation. When the family members were taken out, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan let the tenants stay. Ding Erzhu was asked to remain and watch as well. ¡°Who told you to do so?¡± Ding Erzhu was startled when he heard Shao Yunduan¡¯s question. He had not thought about this. He had assumed that it was just an off-hand mischief. The two tenants were frightened as well. They lowered their heads and remained silent. Shao Yunduan brought out two notes of 10 liang each. ¡°Tell us the truth, and you will get 20 liang each and be allowed to leave the county with your family. Otherwise you get nothing. You failed in implementing the n. Do you think that the person behind would give you what they promised you?¡± Qiao Xuan added. ¡°We more or less understand who is behind this. But we just need confirmation. You don¡¯t have to tell if you don¡¯t want to.¡± The two tenants got swayed andmitted the crime. But they got caught. They were so distressed by this. So, they could not stand it any more, hearing what Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan said. What they did would spread out soon and they would not be able to be hired by anyone. So, leaving the county was probably the only way out. They could leave with or without the 20 liang. That depended on them. One of them said, ¡°Housekeeper of the Zhao Family came to me. They promised us 20 liang and low rent for their fields¡­¡± ¡°Same¡­ here¡­ The housekeeper was not worried that what they did would be exposed one day. Qiao Xuan was just a concubine¡¯s daughter whom Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao never cared about. The Shao Family were just a countryside family whom the Zhao Family did not need to worry about either.. Chapter 580 - 580: Confusion Chapter 580 - 580: Confusion Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Even if they were exposed, the Shao Family could easily squash down the rumor. They would not be even able to take revenge. Also, if the Zhao Family did not admit to it and the two tenants could not show any evidence, they could even say that they were set up. The tenants would just do their work, knowing who hired them. That was why the housekeeper did not hide his real identity.
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look between themselves. They had no doubt about the tenants¡¯ words. ¡°Alright, you can take the money and leave.¡± Shao Yunduan gave them the money, as he had promised. The two of them felt so guilty, but they could not turn down the money given to them. They kowtowed to the couple three times sincerely, took the money and hurried away. They were worried that the Zhao Family woulde to the door and give them a hard time, so they had to leave as early as possible. ¡°Ding Qiuyue, and now the bought out tenants¡­ Why has the Zhao Family be so frenzied? We have never offended them before, have we?¡± Qiao Xuan just could not figure it out. Shao Yunduan smiled and said, ¡°l am not sure, But there is definitely a reason. We just don¡¯t know when we have offended them.¡± Qiao Xuan agreed. ¡°In this case, this must have happened recently.¡± The Zhao Family did not care about them. Just look at how the housekeeper exposed his identity to the tenants. So, if the offense was done a long while ago, the revenge would have already been extracted by this point. This meant that it was a recent event. But what did they do in the near past? Shao Yunduan thought for a while and said slowly, ¡°We have bought dozens of mu of fields recently.¡± Qiao Xuan added. ¡°True! Thend agent wasn¡¯t normal the other day when he tried to sell the fields to us urgently. There may be a story behind it.¡± Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and talk to him!¡± unay : They stressed to Ding Erzhu to pay more attention to the fields and asked Lin Mian to help with the patrol, before heading to find thend agent. Thend agent was dumbfounded when he heard what had happened. He had not expected that Old Master Zhao would be so narrow-minded. Those were just some fields! Old Master Zhao offered such terribly low prices, and the seller refused to sell them to Old Master Zhao. What could and agent say about it? It was his job to find a suitable buyer, wasn¡¯t it? Old Master Zhao and the two young masters were not nice people, which was known to thend agent. But they should not have been so over the top! Thend agent sighed and recounted the whole story. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged a look between themselves. Okay, the riddle was finally solved. All this must be because of the fields! Old Master Zhao wanted to possess them, so he was very annoyed that the seller gave them to the couple, He did not think that the couple were strong enough to confront him, thus he came up with all these ideas. This was verymon. People believed that they were better than others, so they never cared about anyone else. That must be why Ding Qiuyue tried to step into the Shao Family¡¯s home. She must have been up to no good, either. Thend agent apologized constantly, but the couple could not say that it was alright. They just waved him goodbye and left. If they had known that Old Master Zhao wanted to buy the fields, they would have not thought about buying them. What they wanted least was to get themselves in trouble. Moreover, the Zhao Family was in a good rtionship with the County Magistrate¡¯s family. Now that the trouble was already at their doorstep, they weren¡¯t really afraid of it! Let theme! Chapter 581 - 581: Bending At The Door Chapter 581 - 581: Bending At The Door Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The worst result would be that the quantum of their properties was exposed to the Qiao Family. If that time came, they would have to turn to the province for help. ¡°Darling, do you think that we should wait to see what more the Zhao Family would do to us, or should we do something proactively?¡± Qiao Xuan asked. Shao Yunduan thought of how his mother, wife and sister-inw went to the Ding Family and asked Ding Qiuyue what was going on, he smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Zhao Family and ask what on earth do they want?¡± The Zhao Family was such a wealthy family. Why did they want to hold onto the dozens of mu of fields? They were going to ask about their intentions.
Qiao Xuan nodded readily. ¡°l think so, too!¡± The two of them grinned at each other. Hearing that the couple was at the doorstep, Old Master Zhao smiled. ¡°l knew it! See? They are here to bend their knees in front of me! I knew that they would not be able to confront us.¡± Madame Zhao was in a good mood too. ¡°You are right, Old Master Zhao, should we get them in now?¡± ¡°Bring them in!¡± Old Master Zhao did not want to meet them initially. But he was very curious about what the couple looked like. So, he let them in. Unexpectedly, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were not here to bend their knees. They were here to interrogate him. Old Master Zhao was so annoyed by their questioning of him. How dare they ask him ¡®why Old Master Zhao wants to get those fields when you already have so many of your own?¡¯ When the couple left, Old Master Zhao got so annoyed that he smashed the cups in front of him. Madame Zhao was annoyed too. ¡°Old Master Zhao, what did they mean?¡± ¡°Just drop it!¡± Old Master Zhao said sinisterly, ¡°They are right. I am making the Zhao Family into a joke when 1 linger over some dozens of fields. Let¡¯s see who willugh to the end!¡± This was not something that should be done on the surface, and it had to be finished very fast. But it seemed not possible at this moment. Old Master Zhao had not yet found another n, when Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao came to the vige for a visit. They were both shocked by the newly-built house of the Shao Family. Especially the zed windows, which must have cost a lot. But Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were able to afford the decorations, anyway. Their house was big enough to give Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao as well as their servants enough space to stay overnight this time. Xie Jingrong was rtively introverted. He was just curious but Yuezheng Xiao was different. He was an open and easygoing person, and after spending so much time with Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, who saved his father¡¯s life, he had already regarded them as his own family. So, he wandered curiously all around the ce. Their house was not exquisite or shining, but it was convenient and spacious, giving a concise yetfortable feeling, making people feel rxed. People could easily sense that it was a very leisurely ce to live in. Yuezheng Xiao felt a little envious, actually. They reached the gardens on the back side. Qiao Xuan did not hide anything from them, and opened the door for them to have a look. The view was shocking¡­ They had so many things, including shiitake mushrooms, fungus, white fungus, Gastrodia ta, heterophy, tea tree, figs, bergamot, lemons, peaches, plums, loquats and other fruits, some of which they could or could not recognize. There was also a plot which was ready for nting watermelons. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were totally dumbfounded.. Chapter 582 - 582: Good Things Chapter 582 - 582: Good Things Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°You have got so many wonderful things!¡± Yuezheng Xiao sighed emotionally. ¡°No wonder you have such a high enclosing wall. People would be jealous simply by seeing you have so many good things here.¡± They allughed. ¡°That is exactly what I was thinking.¡± ¡°What a wonderful ce, There is a spring pool here too!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and felt really proud inwardly.
The water was the source of life and with this spring watering thend, those nts were growing vividly. This flourishing scene made people feel happy. Who would have predicted that one year ago, this was a desertednd. People from the vige would feel so jealous to see this now. The couple showed them around. They had no ripe fruits in this season of the year, even the loquats were not ripe enough. So, all they could do was just look at it. The fruits had better qualitypared to that from outside, due to the usage of her superpower. Yuezheng Xiao smiled when saw the Gastrodia ta and heterophy. ¡°l remember that Manager Qin took hold of some wonderful Gastrodia tast year. He got that from you, didn¡¯t he? Unfortunately, I was one stepte at the time.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded and smiled. ¡°Manager Qin has booked all of these, so I am sorry. But if you want, I can give you around 5 kgs as a gift.¡± They would save some for soup braising too. Yuezheng Xiao did not turn her down and said, ¡°Oh yes, can you nt more snow fungus? Yours is of great quality and they can be sold at a high price when transported to the capital. You should nt more of them.¡± All of these were going to make them money. Then he paused and added. ¡°Oh yes, the mushrooms and wooden ears are of great quality too. Bergamots look great as well. Anyway, if you need to sell anything in the future, get someone to tell me so I can sell them all for you!¡¯ Yuezheng Xiao was shocked by what the Shao Family had produced. These things were very well taken care of, and could be sold at a really good price in the market. No one would miss such a deal, either in private or public. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were very willing to do so. So, they agreed on it directly. They walked around in the house and Shao Yunduan kept thempany for some more time, whilst Qiao Xuan went to make lunch. The preparations of the dishes were all done, as the pot was cleaned. All Qiao Xuan needed to do was to roll up her sleeves and start to wok them together. They had a plethora of dishes for the guests on this day. These included stir-fried smoked meat with fresh spring bamboo shoots, braised chicken nuggets with onion and ginger, stir-fried eel segments, misceneous fish and sauerkraut pot. The Yan Family sent a lot of fresh tender tofu and tofu cream skin this morning, just in time to make another tender tofu minced meat, and cold-stirred tofu cream skin. There were a few cold dishes too, including cold sd with shredded bamboo shoots and bracken, cold preserved egg tofu, cold wolfberry sprouts, plus a crucian carp, scallop and dried shrimp soup, in which a few pieces of bacon had been added to enhance the taste. But they had no yubas and dried tofu and puffs. She wondered if the Yan Family had them. She would ask the Fourth Cousin-inw to see if she could bring some for the two guests to have a taste.. Chapter 583 - 583: One Special Portion Chapter 583 - 583: One Special Portion Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions With an outline in his heart, Yuezheng Xiao would be able to make a final decision about the business deal. The Yan Family had been busy building workshops, booking tools and trying new products. They should have spare ones avable. On the table, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were very surprised when they ate the cold-stirred yubas. They had eaten all kinds of delicious things, and they always had some impression of what they had tasted. But whenever they were offered food at the Shao Family, they would look forward to seeing something new. After all, they could always eat something different at the Shao Family each time they were here.
This time too, they realized that they had never eaten yubas before. Yubas had a taste of bean, and a tender texture. They wondered how yubas were made. Yuezheng Xiao was about to ask when Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°They are made of beans, the same as tofu. We can talk about this after lunch. We have other simr ones.¡¯ When Yuezheng Xiao heard that this business would be his as well, he nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay, okay, we will talk about itter. I have some surprisingly good news to share with you as well.¡± It was a lively and fun meal, and after lunch, they gathered again in the hall where Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were living. Xie Jingrong knew that they were going to talk about business, so he went back to his guest room to take a break. Yuezheng Xiao became really interested in the bean products Qiao Xuan talked about. Tofu was a popr andmon thing, cheap and delicious, always well-received among civilians. The Yuezheng Family had never run any tofu business, but they had never stopped eating dishes with tofu. The servants would always eat dishes with tofu as well. But what Qiao Xuan told them was different. These bean products could be kept for a long time. Yubas, and cream skin, when dried, could be preserved for months. Puffs as well as dried tofu could be stored for a few days as well, which would make selling them much easier. More importantly, no one had done such business before. As long as they were the only ones, they could earn a lot of money. As long as the bean products were seen in the market, many tofu makers would try to find out a way to produce something new. But they would not be able to figure it out so fast, so there was a chance for Yuezheng Xiao to take over the market first. He had not eaten yubas or dried tofu, but the stirred crema skin had already surprised him and made him happy. Qiao Xuan said that tofu cream skin could be stirred and fried with almost all vegetables and meat. They could be the wrap for different fillings to fry and cook, or boiled in hot water with or without spices. They were great ingredients for all kinds of dishes. The best thing was that they could be sold at a very low price. Therefore, onceunched in the market, the products were going to be really popr. Yuezheng Xiao was very d. He always received wonderful news whenever he was here. ¡°l have got some good news for you too. I am not going to save it for tomorrow. I have held it in for too long! Brother Shao and Sister-inw, the tea bricks worked! Thank you so much for helping us out, Sister-inw!¡± The Yuezheng Family¡¯s most important business was the tea leaves transported to the northwest. Now that the tea bricks were so well made, the Yuezheng Family¡¯s business would flourish from the foundation up. The instruction Qiao Xuan gave to them in making tea bricks surprised all the masters, who were all experts and could tell whether the instructions were reliable with just one glimpse. They had tried making it ording to the instructions. There were some bumps in the process initially, but the direction and key points were all on the track, solving all the minor issues.. Chapter 584 - 584: Tea Bricks Chapter 584 - 584: Tea Bricks Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The tea bricks made ording to this new process were not only firmer, more durable to store, but also better preserved the tea aroma and tea taste. Even when it was raining, it did not damage or affect the drinking experience or the quality of tea smell or the tea itself. These were the best tea bricks that had ever been made! The masters imed that the Yuezheng Family had the best tea bricks for the whole country. There was noparison between them and theirpetitors. Yuezheng Hong and Old Master were both really d. They started to process the tea bricks and got ready to have the tea transported northwards. The Yuezheng Family¡¯s tea business would flourish even more with these tea bricks around. They were going to leap over more than three floors with this improvement.
Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s eyes were sparkling, as he narrated the whole story. He could not restrain his excitement and kept thanking the couple for what they had done for them. Qiao Xuan was very d because she could not possibly bring up her tea business alone as there were fixed clients for tea leaves who only bought the products from people they were familiar with. Especially when you knew how excellent your products were but no one else did, it was very difficult to enter into the market, since you could not even put in money to advertise your products. In all probability, before they were able to make it, they would be ruined bypetitors. Looking at the incident involving the fields of the Zhang Vige¡­ the Zhao Family were already trying to take revenge on them. Also, even with instructions in her hand, she needed people with skillful technicians who could build up the whole thing, which was not easy. Also, where would she find those people? Such talents must have written years of contract with the masters. Or the masters¡¯ sons¡­ so they were not to be acquired so easily. For the Yuezheng Family, whose main business was tea, it was so easy to get the whole infrastructure without any headache. All she needed to do was to offer the instruction manual, which was useless for her but priceless for the Yuezheng Family. Qiao Xuan did not think that it was a loss to have revealed it. Now she knew that there was a good way to sell her tea leaves¡­ not to forget the golden sprouts andvender. Yuezheng Xiao took out a box of brocade and asked Qu Shan to fetch a long case. ¡°This is what you deserve. Please don¡¯t think that it is too little,¡± ¡°Anyway, if you need any help, just say it. I am not saying this out of politeness. Your timely help has saved our business, honestly!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look with each other. Yuezheng Xiao was speaking for the whole Yuzheng Family, who were grateful to them. So, they epted the presents. ¡°Brother Yuezheng, you are so nice. We will ept the presents. Also, there is one thing we would like Brother Yuezheng to help us with,¡± said Shao Yunduan politely. Yuezheng Xiao asked him immediately. ¡°What is it, please tell me Brother Shao!¡± He was so eager to help them. This meant that Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan regarded him as their best friend. Shao Yunduan smiled and narrated the incident about them with Old Master Zhao. Then he said, ¡°l and my wife think that this issue should be dealt with directly and sharply.. So, Brother Yuezheng, could you please announce that the tea mountain and fields are your properties¡­¡± Chapter 585 - 585: Unpredictable Chapter 585 - 585: Unpredictable Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Old Master Zhao was so stingy. Just because the seller did not want to give away the field cheaply, he decided to take revenge on those who bought the field. Although he did not dare do anything more, the problem was not solved fundamentally. It would be so annoying to confront tricky people again and again. One would never know what wasing next. If Yuezheng Xiao stepped forward, things would be different.
For one thing, if Yuezheng Xiao could announce that he had the fields and the tea mountain, at least, Old Master Zhao would not dare do anything about it. More importantly, Shao Yunduan was going to take the examination soon and there should be no ident happening at that time. Since Old Master Zhao had learned about the fields, then the tea mountains as well as the creeping fig fields would be exposed too. Maybe Qiao Wei and Madame Qiao would learn about them soon. Especially those trees¡­ if someone with knowledge noticed that they were golden sprouts andvender¡­ Everything would turn into chaos! Most importantly, Madame Qiao would get really furious as well! Yuezheng Xiao looked really annoyed and said disdainfully, ¡°How immoral! Shame on him. You are right, Brother Shao, Sister-inw, such people always do whatever they want and we never know what they wille up with next. ¡°Brother Shao, you are soon going to take the examination, and you need to focus on your studies. If you are bothered by these things, it would be detrimental.¡¯ That was what Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan believed too. They said, ¡°Thank you so much, Brother Yuezheng!¡¯ Yuezheng Xiaoughed. ¡°No worries. This is nothing! You should be careful and just send people to the province to ask me for help, if you need anything!¡¯ That made Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan feel assured. They thanked him again with a smile. After a few more words, Yuezheng Xiao got up and left. After he left, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan looked at each other and started opening the two gift boxes. They contained a contract of a house as well as details of profits in the smaller box. The contract for the house was for a ce located in the province, which included a very nice garden property of seven mu. The location was in a very affluent ce with convenient traffic and easy ess to shopping. It had a really nice scene with argeke next to it. ¡°This house is big, and located in such a great ce. It must have cost thousands of liang! They are so generous!¡± Apart from the house, the profit share given to them was 10%. The Yuezheng Family had arge business and 10% was too much. By this calction, they would easily earn around 10,000 liang. If the tea bricks were of great quality, and easy to preserve, the sales would rise too, and 20,000 to 30,000 liang a year for 10% of profits should be possible to reach. So, if Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did nothing for the rest of their lives, they would still have so much to live on. The house in the province, and the profits¡­ it was really too much. Shao Yunduan sighed emotionally. ¡°The Yuezheng Family is very generous! They have offered so much.¡± He smiled at Qiao Xuan. ¡°Actually, it is all because of you, Darling!¡¯ Qiao Xuan secretly felt proud. She blinked and smiled and said modestly, ¡°l wasn¡¯t sure how much 1 could help, but the masters from the Yuezheng Family are very experienced, so they made it happen well.¡± She could tell that Shao Yunduan was genuinely praising her, and that made her very happy.. Chapter 586 - 586: Day By Day Chapter 586 - 586: Day By Day Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions It was difficult to find someone who would not trap her in the backyard and support her in her career and even speak highly of her. She was so lucky! Shao Yunduan asked Qiao Xuan to put away the papers carefully. Qiao Xuan put them into her space, to keep it safe. In the other box, there were dozens of jewels and five or six pieces of jade.
The jewelry included a pair of jade bracelets, several hairpins iid with gemstones and pearls, two pairs of gold hairpins, and two pairs of gemstone earrings. It would not be too eye-catching when she wore it. Qiao Xuan liked them and did not put them away until she yed with them for a while. Shao Yunduan said in a low voice, ¡°l will buy you some when I start getting my sry as an officer, okay?¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°Okay, I will wait for your gifts.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Yes, just wait for me!¡± By that time, he would apany her back to the Qiao mansion together in glory. The next day, Yuezheng Xiao chose to head to the Zhao Family with Qu Shan. Xie Jingrong remained at the Shao Family. Qiao Xuan, together with Qi and Chunyu, nted the flowers and trees that Yuezheng Xiao had taken from his mother. The flowers included hydrangea, tuberose, hosta, crape myrtle, hibiscus, chrysanthemum, osmanthus, and acacia. They had a lot of space spared for the nts but soon the space was filled up. After a few months, the house would be filled with blooming flowers, with fragrance over the ce. Right after, they went to fish in the river. Xie Jingrong had never seen such a scene before. He joined them for fun as well. They nned to have a visit in the mountains, and hunt some animals. They did not need to make the lipsticks since the flowers were not yet in full bloom. So, there were not too many things to do during this time. The two guests had not noticed the flower fields, and Qiao Xuan did not mention the topic, either. She did not want to show them this. Flowers were not that interesting to see. Also, she did not want to tell anyone about how to make the lipsticks. She trusted Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong, but not the servants. They might not be up to anything bad, or reveal any secrets deliberately, but they might spill it unintentionally. Qiao Xuan wanted to keep the making of lipsticks a secret for as long as possible. When Old Master Zhao heard that Young Master Yuezheng was here for a visit, he thought that he had misheard his servant. What? But it did seem that Young Master Yuezheng would be here soon as per the message sent. Old Master Zhao sprang up quickly and said, ¡°Go and fetch Young Master over! Housekeeper,e and greet Young Master Yuezheng with me!¡± The Yuezheng Family had gained a good reputation in the county, and everyone knew them. The Zhao Family was a leader in the county, butpared to the Yuezheng Family, they were nothing, not at the same level. Now that Young Master Yuezheng was here personally, it made Old Master Zhao so d.. Chapter 587 - 587: Shocked Chapter 587 - 587: Shocked Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Maybe the Yuezheng Family was trying to do some business in the county, and heard of their name, so they wanted to involve him as well. If he could get involved with the Yuezheng Family, then his business would bloom! This was such a great opportunity. Old Master Zhao greeted Yuezheng Xiao and showed him in. Yuezheng Xiao exchanged a few words with Old Master Zhao patiently and then stated his purpose. ¡°Oh yes, you know about the Zhang Vige, right? 1 heard from the Shao Family, who are in charge of my fields and tea fields, that you are very interested in my fields, is that true?¡± Yuezheng Xiao did not want to say that the person in charge was Brother Shao, and instead called it ¡®the Shao Family¡¯. Old Master Zhao was shocked. The question was too sudden, just like Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s visit, which did not get through to Old Master Zhao even after quite some time. But when he brought himself back, he could not even utter a word. ¡® ¡°What?¡± ¡°So, you are the owner of the fields?!¡± Old Master Zhao was shocked and suddenly understood what was happening. No wonder¡­ He knew that a disgraced daughter of a concubine could not possibly have arge amount of dowry and the Shao Family was a poor peasant family who could not buy those fields. Making a fortune was not so easy! Everything made sense when the properties belonged to Young Master Yuezheng. But as he thought about what he had done to get the properties, Old Master Zhao could not help but feel ufortable. Old Master Zhao forced a smile. ¡°That was a misunderstanding, Young Master Yuezheng. I did not know that the fields were yours¡­ If 1 had known that¡­ I mean, the Shao Family did not reveal a thing, so I just¡­ 1 don¡¯t know what they meant by not telling me anything!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master Yuezheng, since I know that those fields are yours, I won¡¯t cause any trouble, don¡¯t worry!! Yuezheng Xiao was not worried and he simply looked at Old Master Zhao. This old man bullied the weak and feared the strong. He was not going to make it further in his life. He said all of these as if he had done nothing wrong. If he knew how much the Shao Family had for real, and if Brother Shao became sessful in the future¡­ What would this man do? Yuezheng Xiao did not stay on any longer after he made it clear. ¡°Good that you are aware of this, Old Master Zhao. I am not worried any more. Also, don¡¯t tell anyone else about this, thanks!¡± ¡°Of course, of course! Don¡¯t worry, Young Master Yuezheng!¡¯ ¡°Thanks. I am leaving now, goodbye!¡¯ Old Master Zhao was disappointed and tried his best to keep him. ¡°Young Master Zhao, just stay for lunch. We don¡¯t have much expensive food here, but we have a few mountain goods¡­ which are very interesting.¡± ¡°No need, thanks. Next time I will do so!¡± Old Master Zhao did not dare to keep him and forced a smile. ¡°Okay, okay, please, if youe to us next time, we will receive you well, Young Master Yuezheng!¡¯ Old Master Zhao¡¯s elder son Zhao Guangyin hurried back from the store soon after Yuezheng Xiao left. He missed the special guest and noticed that his father was not in the right state. He asked the reason for it in a concerned voice.. Chapter 588 - 588: Zhao Ming’s Eavesdropping Chapter 588 - 588: Zhao Ming¡¯s Eavesdropping Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Old Master Zhao sighed and narrated the whole unlucky thing to his son. Zhao Guangyin was startled as well andmented. ¡°Dad, what was the point in doing this? If I had known about this earlier, 1 would have stopped you. We have so many fields, why are we obsessed with such small things?¡± Old Master Zhao did not tell his son the whole truth. The reason why Old Master Zhao failed to get hold of the fields originally was because he had tried to make profits out of it. Zhao Guangyin would have surely med him for what he had done, if he got to know the whole story. Zhao Guangyin was the only clear-minded person in the whole family. But he had too many incapable partners, and he was too busy to care about what his family was doing. In other words, he had not expected that his family would be so unreliable. Old Master Zhao sneered. ¡°l need my reputation and that poor family was bullying me! ¡± ¡°Father.¡± Zhao Guangyin said honestly, ¡°They aren¡¯t a poor family, when they dare to bully you!¡¯ Old Master Zhao red at him. ¡® Zhao Guangyin tried to exin it again. ¡°You need to think about the series of events and feel lucky.¡± ¡°Those properties belong to Young Master Yuezheng in the province¡­ luckily he is not someone who likes to take revenge, otherwise we would be in big trouble.¡¯ Old Master Zhao finally snapped. ¡°Shut it. You are lecturing me? You rebellious kid!¡± Zhao Guangyin sighed. ¡®1 1 am not lecturing you. I am just telling you, Father¡­¡± ¡°That is enough! You can mind your own business now.¡± Old Master Zhao got so furious and felt humiliated. Zhao Guangyin looked at him. ¡°Ok. Take care of yourself, Father!¡± He did not want to tear his father¡¯s fig leaf any more, so he turned around and Old Master Zhao felt so annoyed. What an unlucky day! He muttered in a low voice, and returned to his study. But what Old Master Zhao and Zhao Guangyin had not expected was that Zhao Ming and her maid already eavesdropped on the whole story. Zhao Ming had been listening since Old Master Zhao started the conversation. Zhao Ming left when Zhao Guangyin started to lecture their father, fearing that her presence would cause embarrassment. ¡°The Cultivated Talent from the Shao Family? The concubine¡¯s daughter from County Magistrate? That is Qiao Xuan, isn¡¯t it? How did they befriend Young Master Yuezheng from the province?¡± Zhao Ming snorted and turned to her maid. ¡°What do you think Elder Miss Qiao will do when she learns about this?¡± Jiang sneered too. ¡°l am not sure, but what I know is that Elder Miss Qiao doesn¡¯t like her sisters, and if Second Miss learns about this, she will definitely try to get closer to you and owe you a big favor.¡± Zhao Mings eyes brightened and she chuckled. She heard that Qiao Xuan and the Cultivated Talent of the Shao Family bullied her father but her father did not dare do anything back. If she told Elder Miss Qiao about this, then she would be included in the process if they wanted to do something to that girl, right? Yuezheng Xiao preferred to eat at the Shao Familypared to eating at the Zhao Family. Qiao Xuan was very good at cooking and her dishes were made beautifully. Even simple ingredients could lead to excellent results. So, he hurried back to the Shao Family after he left the Zhao Family. He wanted to have lunch at the Shao Family.. Chapter 589 - 589: Ms. Zhang’s Speech Chapter 589 - 589: Ms. Zhang¡¯s Speech Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions When Yuezheng Xiao returned to the vige, the first section of the Shao family were busy making lunch! They had caught a lot of fish and shrimps from the river and the seafood porridge was being cooked. They specially selected fresh prawns, removed the prawn lines, added eel segments, and marinated thinly sliced fish filets. When the porridge was almost cooked, they put all these fresh fish into the porridge. The rice porridge was put to boil again. After a while, they added a small amount of homemade soybean paste, stir-fried crushed peanuts, added chopped green onion and coriander, and then put in a small amount of salt. The delicious seafood porridge was ready. The fish filets were tender and smooth, and the shrimp and eel segments were mouth-watering. The surface was wrapped in ayer of rice porridge with a fragrant smell of rice. The porridge made with fresh ingredients was so appealing. They did not steam rice for lunch, instead a basket of steamed buns with diced smoked meat, diced bamboo shoots, and diced mushrooms as fillings was prepared. They had a good harvest on this day. While cooking porridge, they picked a Dot of finger-sized small fish, wraDDed it in egg batter and deep-fried it. Everything was freshly cooked and crispy. They added a bowl of kimchi, a few sliced salted duck eggs, and a bowl of fried chili sauce with dried radish and river shrimp. Although it was homely, it was delicious. Qiao Xuan understood that Ms. Yan had been eating a lot at her own home and liked fish, so she picked two crucian carps for her to eat, and even asked if the third section of the family wanted to have it. The other sections of the family learned that the first section of the family was ignoring them, thanks to the guest and the busy spring day, and Shao Ling was absent too, whilst Sng was working for the Yan Family, so they did not pester the first section of the family again. Shao Meiling was already engaged, and Ms. Niu could not possibly let her join them. Shao Xiaozhi was too timid to show up, even though Ms. Ma asked her to. Ms. Ma¡¯s face sank when she saw the fish delivered by Qiao Xuan and Taotao. This thing was not tasty at all! Ms. Ma did not like it, but it was a free gift that could be used to feed the chicken. So, she epted it anyway. Taotao pursed her lips,ining in a small voice. ¡°What is wrong with the Third Aunt-inw? She always looks as if we owe her everything.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what she is always like?¡± Nis. Yan was very d to ept the gift happily. She saw how Qiao Xuan cooked the fish. What it needed was to figure out how much oil, salt, ginger, scallions and sauce to be added so that the smell could be removed. Then, it was fried in the hot oil with garlic and pepper, simple, yet delicious. Now that she was a great hero in the family, Ms. Niu might utter a few words in distress yet she did not dare toment on how much oil she used to cook the fish. She could just ignore the nagging. Qiao Xuan would not invite Ms. Yan over for lunch since they had male guests at home. It was not proper at all. Ms. Yan processed the two fishes cheerfully but was seen by Ms. Zhang, who fanned away the smell and said, ¡°You are in a good rtionship with the first section of the family, but look at what trash they have sent you? You won¡¯t be able to eat this thing, will you?¡± She added. ¡°But then¡­ aren¡¯t you always a good friend with your Fifth Sister-inw? Why were you not invited to have lunch with them when they have a guest over and instead gave you such a terrible piece of trash? They don¡¯t like me, but they like you, right?¡± Ms. Yan frowned. Ms. Zhang was getting more and more ridiculous in her behavior when no one was around.. Chapter 590 - 590: Cooking Fish Chapter 590 - 590: Cooking Fish Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions On most days, she either ignored her or countered her. Any other normal person would have been pissed off by Ms. Zhang. Ms. Yan washed the fish and smiled briefly. ¡°Second Sister-inw, the guests at Uncle and Aunt¡¯s home are men. I as a woman need to avoid being with them. I can¡¯t just show myself at the doorstep, can l? You dislike the fish, but I don¡¯t. You should not eat it when 1 cook it for lunch, understand?¡± Ms. Zhang sneered. ¡°l won¡¯t like it!¡± Ms. Yan ignored her. She went into the kitchen and recalled the way Qiao Xuan had made fish and followed suit. She put oil into the pan, and when it smoked, she put the fish with sliced ginger in it. Then came the sizzling sound. Ms. Niu was picking vegetables in the garden but she smelled something really delicious yet strange. She was drooling and could not help but wonder if it was the first section of the family who had some food delivered here. She rushed into the kitchen. Much to her surprise, it was Ms. Yan who was cooking. The fish in the pot wasden with garlic sprouts and chili peppers. It was oily and steaming in the gurgling thick soup. It smelled and looked delicious. But Ms. Niu felt very concerned. ¡°Oh, Ms. Yan, you have used so much oil! We can¡¯t just ruin the ingredients!¡± Ms. Yan did not panic when she faced Ms. Niii¡¯s cry. She smiled. ¡°Mom, it doesn¡¯t happen often, and not much oil has been used. Also, we can afford this much splurge once in a while. I did this so that it tastes well. Let¡¯s just give it a try.¡± Ms. Niu was reminded of the situation. Her both sons had wives, and one of her daughters was already married off. Her younger son was walking for the Yan Family, bringing 700 wen a month, and her elder son should be there soon. So, she felt much more confident and generous. She felt that a good dream wasing soon. But when she thought of how the Yan Family made this happen and that she could not offend the Yan Family, she calmed down. She forced a wide smile and said, ¡°Okay, okay, just once. This is akin to ruining things. We need money for many things!¡¯ Ms. Yan smiled. ¡°Sure, Mom!¡± She would bother about next time when that time came. Ms. Yan did not care about her mother-inw¡¯s words. The fish was big, and Ms. Yan fried one but saved another for deeper cooking at night when her husband returned at night. She hid it under a big bowl. They had two other dishes to go with it, and that was enough for lunch. The fish was very well cooked, and Ms. Niu as well as Second Uncle both spoke highly of it. Second Uncle said in distress, ¡°No wonder the first section of the family fishes in the river all the time. It tastes so good!¡± Ms. Niu found it delicious too. But she was still distressed by how much oil was used. ¡°It costs too much to make it. Of course, it tastes good, it has so many condiments in it¡­ the first section of the family¡­ well¡­¡± The first section had Qiao Xuan¡¯s dowry that made them afford everything. They had nothing! Ms. Yan smiled. ¡°Mom, it is okay if we cook like this three or four times a month, right? We have fish in the river, and we can get them for free. The cost will only be of the oil and soy sauce, which costs far less than meat. Also, it tastes as good as other meat¡­ right, Second Sister-inw?¡± Ms. Zhang stiffened and became really annoyed.. Chapter 591 - 591: Annoying Chapter 591 - 591: Annoying Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions When Ms. Yan was processing the fish, Ms. Zhang made disdainfulments. She kept saying that she would not eat it, but in the end, she ate most of the fish. Ms. Yan did not stop her from touching it, but she wanted to stimte her. Ms. Zhang could tell that she was being sarcastic. She snorted and said nothing, and suddenly felt that the fish was not that delicious any more. Ms. Niu rolled at Ms. Zhang. ¡°What does she know? She only knows how to eat!¡± Ms. Zhang felt even more annoyed, and her hands holding the chopsticks shook visibly. Ms. Yan smiled and felt quite cheerful in heart. Second Uncle said, ¡°Ms. Yan is right. We have fish in the river and it costs nothing to catch it. All that costs is the oil, which in the end is still lower than meat. We can eat it a few times every month.¡± Ms. Niu thought for a while and responded. ¡°True. We can ask the first section of the family to give us some fish when we need it.¡± Second Uncle nodded in agreement. Ms. Yan was speechless. She would have snapped at these people if they were not her inws. ¡°Dad, Mom! There are many fish in the river. Sng and I can fetch some from the river. The first section of the family has some tools which we can borrow.¡± Ms. Zhang sneered coldly. ¡°Fourth Sister-inw, aren¡¯t you their good friend? Can¡¯t they just spare you some free fish? Otherwise, I don¡¯t think that you need to visit them any more!¡± Before Ms. Niu could say anything, Ms. Yan replied. ¡°You are wrong, Second Sister-inw. We live separately and can¡¯t just take other people¡¯s things for our own use all the time. If theye to our home and pick our stuff, will you be happy to ept it? I will not! Also, fish are in the river and we can learn to catch the fish from them so we can get it ourselves. Why do you always say things like this?¡± They were just making themselves look more annoying in front of the first section of the family. Ms. Niu. She felt that she was also being referred to in the speech, but she had no evidence for that. Ms. Zhang had no proof either, but she wanted to cause some trouble, so she asked. ¡°Fourth Sister-inw, your words are way over the top. How dare you say this to Niom?¡± ¡°When did I refer to Mom? Second Sister-inw, please rify!¡¯ Ms. Yan plonked the chopsticks, and stared at Ms. Zhang with a sunken face. Ms. Zhang was speechless. It had been a veiledment and could not be proved clearly. She could not say that Ms. Niu liked taking advantage of people who were in front of her. If she said so, Ms. Niu would definitely teach her a lesson. Ms. Zhang said casually, ¡®You don¡¯t agree with Mom¡¯s suggestion of asking for fish from the first section of the family.¡± Ms. Yan responded cleverly. ¡°l don¡¯t. What is wrong with it? Sng and I can both get the fish home ourselves, why turn to someone else?¡± Ms. Zhang. Ms. Yan sneered. ¡°Second Sister-inw, don¡¯t try to start an in-fight. Think before you speak! ¡± Ms. Niu felt that she had thought too much about Ms. Yan¡¯s words, after hearing what Ms. Zhang said. So, she admonished Ms. Zhang. ¡°Just stop it, you fool!¡± Ms. Zhang got so furious that she almost left the table. Everyone was against her and looking down at her! Even Ms. Yan, a younger sister-inw, dared to confront her! Ms. Yan also dropped the topic of getting fish from the first section of the family, when her inws said nothing more about it.. Chapter 592 - 592: Attracted Chapter 592 - 592: Attracted Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Yan simply assumed that her inws agreed with what she said. She felt so stressed living with them. If they could live separately, that would be great, even if it meant that she and her husband must support the parents. At the first section of the family, everyone was eating lunch in a cheerful atmosphere. Yuezheng Xiao suddenly patted his forehead, eximing that he had forgotten something. He asked Qu Shan and the coachman to fetch it from the wagon. This bundle contained the stems of some kind of nt. It was less than 1.5 meters long, a little thicker than the thumb, and a small bundle of about forty or fifty stems. It was so big that it was ced under the wagon, which Yuezheng Xiao could not remember when he was carrying the other things out. Everyone was curious about what was carried in. But Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled and she cried in surprise. ¡°It is cassava! Oh Young Master Yuezheng, you have really got me cassavas. How wonderful! Thank you so much!¡± The others were very curious. What were cassavas? Shao Sang and his wife lost interest immediately. This did not look like food. Qiao Xuan cherished the bundle and smiled. ¡°It is a precious thing. It can grow anywhere, just like taros, easy to grow in the soil. After we dig it out, we can remove the skin, bleach it, steam, boil and bake it, and then eat it. Otherwise, we can also mash it to extract starch, which can be used to make various pastries¡­ it is a precious thing!¡¯ More importantly, with cassavas avable, she could open dessert stores in the near future. The flour could be used to make taro balls and even milk-tea with small balls. ¡°That is all food!¡± ¡°So amazing, it should be tasty!¡¯ Everyone was pleasantly surprised and interested after hearing the exnation. Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°I wrote a letter to my Elder Brother about this and he inquired about these foreign seeds. So the seeds were found! They said that the nt would live once it touched the soil. Not sure if that is true!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°l have never tried that before, but I believe it.¡± She had no idea how to nt it, but she could ask the space for help. It was cut into sections of two or three inches long with an oblique knife edge, as long as there were bud bags and cuttings on each section, it could stay alive. The stalks appeared to be dormant currently, but still alive. It could not be kept for too long. If the buds were still for too long, it would simply be a bundle of dry firewood. So, Qiao Xuan asked Shao Sang to store the bunch in the cer, and decided to find a corner ce to nt in the garden. After this, she was going to buy hundreds of mu of fields, even slopes, for next year¡¯s nting. It also depended on the dessert stores¡¯ requirements. So, 40 mu should be enough for the next year and more could be nted in the future. Qiao Xuan was not very assured to nt this in the Zhang Vige. New things were always very interesting for vigers to see. She could watch over it if the nts were here, but not in the Zhang Vige. For example, if she wanted to expand the scale of snow fungus, then she would need to build a huge house in the vige or close to the vige and enclose the nts, so that no one could steal them. Everyone became really interested in this new item. As a result, in the afternoon, Qiao Xuan, Taotao and Yang Xiaoni made jelly with brown sugar water.. Chapter 593 - 593: Interrogation Chapter 593 - 593: Interrogation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao were very interested in going to the mountains. In the following three days, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan apanied them into the mountain all the time. They were not tired and even hunted many animals, and found a lot of mountain stuff, making them more and more fascinated. Qiao Xuan was lucky enough to have found some wild-growing snow fungus as well as two Ganoderma lucidum. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong had never had the experience of finding precious things personally, so they were both very surprised. Qiao Xuan and the others did not think that the experience was strange. They asked the two young masters to take the precious things they picked back to their homes. She had so many snow fungus in the space, dozens of bundles, so, these were not at all precious to her. Three dayster, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong went back in satisfaction. They both wanted to visit the ce next time. Yuezheng Xiao even carried back one batch ofpleted lipsticks this time, 420 pieces in total. The two of them had a few local stuff, including yubas, dried tofu, tofu cream skin and puffs received from the Yan Family. Yuezheng Xiao was going to talk about the bean product business with his father. He even expressed that he would ask a good manager to pass on congrattions on behalf of the Yuezheng Family when the Yan Family¡¯s workshop started. That was going to be done mainly for the Yan Family. In this way, nopetitors would dare to pull any tricks. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan agreed. It was always good to be prepared. If the Yuezheng Family paid attention to this business, they did not need to worry about anything any more. The Yan Family¡¯s bean products, including tofu, would definitely sell well. After the guests left, Shao Yunduan was asked to go back and study, whilst the others started to get busy with other things. They first nted cassavas, then took honey, beeswax, and divided the bee colony for lipsticks. Yuezheng Xiao had delivered the tubes for the limited version lipsticks. They needed to hurry up so they could be sold in the market in the first quarter of the year. It was good that they had six more maids to help them, so they could work faster. Shao Ling returned from the college two days after Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong left. There was a one-month holiday from every college in the busy spring plow time every year. Shao Ling stayed back for a couple of days at the college even though the holiday started two days earlier. The moment he came home, he rushed to the first section of the family, asking Ms. Fang. ¡°Eldest Aunt, where is my cousin? Did you have guests a few days ago? Why did no one inform me about it?¡± Ms. Fang. Ling was almost as stubborn as his Eldest Uncle¡­ Why should he be informed about the arrival of the guests? Ms. Fang felt lucky that Shao Ling had not been here in those days. ¡°Why did we need to inform you? How is it rted to you? Young Master Xie never even asked about you.¡± Shao Ling felt irritated. ¡°Young Master Xie is a schr and he and his friends are elegant people. You would not know how to treat them well! Cousin alone is not enough, I should havee and helped you.¡± Ms. Fang turned impatient. ¡°That is enough. They had a great time here with us. There was no need for any help from you! You either go home to help withbor or study in your room!¡± ¡°You! I can¡¯t get the message through your head ever!¡± Ms. Fang snorted, thinking that he was the one who could not figure out the truth. Duan had already told him straightforwardly what he thought and this man still believed in himself. He still behaved as if Duan was trying to stop him and the guests from hanging out together.. Chapter 594 - 594: Not Friends Chapter 594 - 594: Not Friends Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions He needed to speak with the guests and figure that out. If the guests really wanted to befriend him, Shao Yunduan would have gone and asked him and if he was needed, he could even be informed at the college. But no one asked for him. Shao Ling still believed that Shao Yunduan must have set this up, because Shao Yunduan did not want to let him hang out with anyone. He had failed the examinations a few times, and even though he did not say anything, Shao Ling was panicking inside the heart. That was why he wanted to befriend some wealthy and talented people desperately so as to show that he was capable enough to be recognized, and also gain their help. Hence, he felt furious when he heard his mother telling him about the guests at the first section of the family. Obviously, he would only me others for this. He felt that what belonged to him was stolen away by Shao Yunduan¡­ Shao Ling felt that his Eldest Aunt was just being unreasonable, so he went straight into Shao Yunduan¡¯s yard to speak to him. But the door was shut from inside. He did not manage to push it open. ¡°Open the door, Cousin!¡± Shao Ling banged the door. No one answered it. Shao Ling continued. The two doors were sealed. Nis. Fangughed and turned around. Shao Ling was very loud so Shao Yunduan heard his voice through the open window, thus shutting the door early on. He was not going to talk with him about this any more. Absolute waste of effort! It was correct what his wife had said earlier. One could never wake up someone who pretended to sleep. He was going to see how much longer Shao Ling was going to pretend to be asleep. The door was not opened after a long while, and he finally got tired. He turned to go back to Ms. Fang. ¡°Eldest Aunt, why is the door shut?¡± Ms. Fang answered casually. ¡°He is studying, so he doesn¡¯t hear or respond to anyone. You know that when Yunduan is devoted towards his studies, he cuts himself away from everything. If you want to speak with him, you cane back tomorrow. ¡± Shao Ling was very stupid and easy to deal with. Funny and annoying. Ms. Fang made only casual efforts to push him away. Shao Ling felt so irritated. He felt that the first section of the family was getting very unfriendly. He imed himself to be a learned man, and had no words to argue further with Ms. Fang. Shao Yunduan ignored him, so he really was at a loss. ¡°Alright, I wille back tomorrow¡­¡± Shao Ling left with his head lowered. Ms. Fang pursed her lips, and shut the gate. But Shao Ling showed up in the evening again. The family was home and it was bustling in the yard. Shao Yunduan was just speaking with Qiao Xuan after reading the book for the entire day. Shao Ling used Shao Yunduan of not inviting him over but Shao Yunduan did not want to deal with him, leaving Shao Ling talking on his own. Eldest Uncle could not stand such behavior from his son. He consoled Shao Ling and then looked at Shao Yunduan. ¡°Yunduan, do remember to inform your cousin when you have guestsing over next time. You are all learned people, and you can have a lively talk. If you share some ideas, you can help each other improve.¡± Shao Yunduan replied calmly hearing this usual talk from his father. ¡°Brother Xie doesn¡¯t know Cousin well enough..¡± Chapter 595 - 595: Problem With The Third Section Of The Family Chapter 595 - 595: Problem With The Third Section Of The Family Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Ling got so irritated when he heard that. ¡°But¡­ we had such a nice conversationst time!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°Still, none of them mentioned cousins at any point in time. Did you ever hear them mention him, Dad?¡± Eldest Uncle got stuck in words. Shao Ling turned furious. ¡°You must have messed it up! You are just jealous of me!¡±
Qiao Xuan blinked her eyes, looking confused. ¡°But Cousin, why must you befriend Young Master Xie? You have so many disciples at the college whom you can befriend, right?¡± Shao Yunduan turned a smiling face at Qiao Xuan. Shao Ling stiffened. Why must he befriend Young Master Xie? They were Shao Yunduan¡¯s friends and, of course, they were going to stand by Shao Yunduan¡¯s side. He would not get anything good out of them. He knew that. But he just did not feel convinced. He wanted to put Shao Yunduan into shadow. ¡°Just wait and see!¡± Shao Ling left the ce in anger. He was going to surpass Shao Yunduan in the future. Qiao Xuan felt that Ms. Yan had already controlled the second section of the family by gathering forces with Shao Sng. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were focused on the Yan Family, so they had not disturbed them for a while. They would stoping to the first section of the family when they found that the Yan Family could earn them money, and it would help them live a better life. But the third section of the family was still a very difficult thorn to deal with. Shao Ling was incapable, but arrogant, thinking highly of himself. If he failed the examination every time, he would keep babbling. If he did make it through¡­ he would not be a good officer. He would only cause trouble, for himself and others. Qiao Xuan hoped that he would never make it to the Cultivated Talent. Back at home, Ms. Ma felt so sorry for Shao Ling. She said angrily, ¡°I know they are all bad people. They want us to have bad luck. Just don¡¯t visit them any more. Shao Yunduan will distract you due to which you may not be able to clear your exams. You should study hard so that he can shut up one and for all!¡± Shao Ling felt even worse. Of course, he knew that he could shut him up in this way. But it was very difficult to pass the exam. He had thought that it was very easy to make it to Cultivated Talent, and he even aimed at bing an Advanced Schr. At the time, he never cared about the title of Cultivated Talent. But¡­ He was not at all confident about any of this any longer. Days passed, and all the preparations were done. The cassavas started to bud. Qiao Xuan found the green scenery so beautiful and lovely! When it matured in autumn and they got the flour, they could make all kinds of soft and chewy taro balls, and balls for bubble tea. They could also mix the flour with pure flour or glutinous rice flour to make various glutinous rice cakes, dim sums, etc. Qiao Xuan spared some time to take Qi and Taotao into the town and sold the honey to Manager Qin. Then, they visited thend agent to buy the slope located next to the flower field. The field was bought and other work should be done after the farming period was over. Then, it would be time to concentrate on cassavas. The nts needed to be nted on the mountain, shielded from animals, so the vigers would not find that interesting. If someone wanted to nt it next year, she would even provide free stems and teach how to nt it, as well as teach different ways to eat taros and to make it. They could start to nt watermelons after the visit from town. She was also going to ask Ding Erzhu and others to nt some watermelons at the Zhang Vige this year.. Chapter 596 - 596: Invitation Chapter 596 - 596: Invitation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan did not want Shao Yunduan to tag along. But Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t assured that she should face it alone. He spared some time to keep herpany. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni followed up after getting the approval of Ms. Fang, since they were done with their work. They were greedy for the food in the town. Qiao Xuan cooked well, but there were many interesting things to eat in the town as well. Foodies never turned away any opportunity to eat.
So, the brothers and sisters, six people altogether, went into the town together. The donkey cart was not enough to hold them all, due to the people on it and the honey. Shao Sang hired the bull cart to carry the honey, and rode it with Yang Xiaoni. Manager Qin had been missing them after not seeing them for a long time, and mentioned this when they reached Mingren Tang. The honey which Qiao Xuan offered was so good that there were no impurities inside. It was of a great quality. Manager Qin bought all the 130 kgs of honey they had brought, and they only had 15 kgs left for their own use. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan separated from the others after this, and decided to meet again at Manager Qin¡¯s ce in the afternoon. The couple went to find thend agent. Thend agent felt very guilty about what happened to them at the Zhang Vige. Hearing that they were going to buy morend, he promised that he was going to make sure that all went well this time around. Ding Jiahao was not the Land Officer for the vige, but someone from the Shao Family. So they could easily get the barrennd, which Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were not worried about. 100 mu sounded like arge area, but the slope did not seem like a big ce visually. They could nt the cassavas on the slope, which fitted the geography well. They decided to buy something on the street when they ran into the wagon from the Qiao Mansion. It was Madame Qiao¡¯s mam maid, and she stopped when she saw ,Liao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. She had the wagon pulled over and called out their names. ¡°Second Miss, and Second Young Master, what a coincidence! Old Master and Madame Qiao were just about to invite you home. Come with me, please!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look and were taken aback. This was not a coincidence! If they had not run into the woman, she would be heading towards Shaoding Vige to find them. That would have been horrible. The big house was not as magnificent as that in the town, but for vigers, it was already huge. If Madame Qiao learned about that, it would be bad. But why were they being invited to the mansion? Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Do you know what they want me for?¡± Auntie Ling smiled. ¡°l am not sure. You will know when you reach there. Come in, please.¡± Qiao Xuan had foreseen that Auntie Ling would not tell them anything, but she could tell that it was not something good. ¡°You can go first and inform them. I will be there with my husband.¡± Auntie Ling answered happily, since she had not wanted to share the wagon with them anyways. ¡°Please, Second Miss, and Second Young Master, don¡¯t make Old Master and Madame Qiao wait for long.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Auntie Ling said no more and asked the coachman to head back to the mansion.. Chapter 597 - 597: Sharing Information Chapter 597: Sharing Information Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Auntie Ling did not believe that the couple would dare turn her down. In fact, she was right. The couple exchanged a look between themselves. The look spoke louder than any words. It must be because of the Zhao Family. Officer Qiao had already given up on his daughter and the poor countryside son-inw. They had no interest in them at all. Same went for Madame Qiao. Unless¡­ there were other reasons. They must have heard about the Zhang Vige from the Zhao Family, or even about Yuezheng Xiao. That was why they needed to ask the couple what was going on. Old Master Zhao was a very stingy and narrow-minded person. Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s appearance had suppressed him, but he could have sold them out to Officer Qiao. In fact, they made a mistake thinking Old Master Zhao had done this. It was Zhao Ming who revealed it. But for Zhao Mings mother who had been sick a while ago, County Magistrate Qiao would have summoned them a few days earlier¡­ ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s see what is going on. First of all, we need to decide upon what we are going to say.¡± Shao Yunduan answered and consoled her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We can always head to the province for a few days.¡± Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao would not be able to do anything to them when they were in the province, which was very far away. Also, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong would be of help if they needed it. They could repay the favor in the future, if they took one now. They were just unlucky enough to have run into a shameless couple like County Magistrate Qiao and his wife. Qiao Xuan agreed. She was much calmer now and nodded with a smile. ¡°This is enough! We have nothing to worry about now!¡± The couple sorted through the whole thing about the Zhang Vige and decided to make it look like it was Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s business. They bore all of these points in mind. After this, they would write a letter to Yuezheng Xiao and ask him to handle it ordingly. In this way, Officer Qiao would not have any way to find evidence to the contrary. They headed to the mansion after they reached an agreement. They were not dyed by too long on the way. The longer they lingered, the more angry the people waiting would be. There was no need to irritate them now. In the hall of the Qiao Mansion, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan walked in and sensed the seriousness floating in the air. Madame Qiao and County Magistrate Qiao cast a sharp look at them. Qiao Wei was present there too. She screamed. ¡°How dare you two!¡± Concubine Du and Qiao Kou were not present. They were not qualified enough to hear the interrogation. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were startled, and turned to the main seat in confusion. ¡°Greetings, Father-inw and Mother-inw! ¡± ¡°Greetings, Father and Mother!¡± The couple stepped forward and greeted them calmly. Madame Qiao sneered. Qiao Wei interrogated again. ¡°How did you get in touch with the Yuezheng Family? When did that happen? How dare you conceal that from us!¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Officer Qiao sounded furious, asking coldly. ¡°Did you hear what Wei said? Spill it now!¡± Shao Yunduan was startled, as if he had no idea what made the Qiao Family so angry. He replied calmly. ¡°Father-inw, that happenedst year. We were working in the mountains, when we ran into some wild watermelons, so we picked them¡­¡± ¡°What! Watermelons?¡± Qiao Wei shouted. She felt even more annoyed. That was what she had been dreaming about sincest year and she wished to have a lot of them. But she failed to eat any, and that made her so ufortable in the past summer. But Qiao Xuan and this man found watermelons?! Chapter 598 - 598: Belief Chapter 598: Belief Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Both Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao became annoyed as well. ¡°Yeah.¡± Shao Yunduan was confused. He sounded quite normal, and reacted to them in a confused manner which surprised them. ¡°We picked many watermelons to take home, and happened to run into Young Master Yuezheng and Young Master Xie. Young Master Yuezheng was very interested in the watermelons so he bought them all right away. He gave us some extra money as well. They asked where we found them¡­ that was how we befriended each other.¡¯ ¡°Later, Young Master Yuezheng decided to open tea fields at the Zhang Vige, saying that the mountains are very good and the soil is rich, so he bought many fields at the Zhang Vige, when someone was selling the paddy fields. He bought them all and hired us to take care of them because he was too far away to take care of them.¡± Officer Qiao¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Why you?¡± Shao Yunduan looked very calm and thought for a while in a leisurely manner. ¡°l asked Young Master Yuezheng the reason as well. I am not experienced, right? I may ruin things. But Young Master Yuezheng said that I was the best candidate for the job, so I epted it. Also, I can earn 2 liang a month, which is a great deal, thus I signed the contract¡­¡± Qiao Xuan had her head lowered and was almost ready to burst out withughter. Her husband sounded really excited and proud as he mentioned the ie of 2 liang. It all sounded so real. They had more than 120,000 liang in cash currently and their properties would be worth more than 20,000 liang. They were constantly generating money from lipsticks, and soon they would start getting profits from tea bricks and bean products as well as the dessert stores that would beunched soon. Her husband did not look like a liar when he spoke with so much conviction and vigor. It was so funny. She would have absolutely trusted his words if she had not known the truth. She simply decided to hide herself next to this big-actor husband of hers¡­ Officer Qiao and his family bought his story, and they all looked very disdainful. Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei were also thinking that this man was so shallow-minded to be this happy at being paid 2 liang a month! Officer Qiao was also very disappointed and angry, feeling that he had missed the best time to establish a rtionship with the Yuezheng Family. How stupid was that! Maybe this man did not even know what the Yuezheng Family was like in the province! ¡°You are telling the truth?¡± ¡°Of course! I am not bold enough to lie to you, Officer father-inw!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you do! If I find otherwise, I will punish you!¡± Officer Qiao sounded fierce and snapped at Shao Yunduan. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us about this important thing? I am your father-inw, Officer Qiao!¡¯ That was the most annoying part. Shao Yunduan showed a very strange expression. He was startled and said, ¡°l didn¡¯t think that this was an important thing, Officer Father-inw. You are busy with so many issues, and I didn¡¯t realize that you would be interested in a matter that brings in 2 liang a month. I would have told you, had I known about this¡­ ¡°What 2 liang!¡¯! Officer Qiao snapped. ¡°l don¡¯t care about the 2 liang, I am talking about¡­¡± Officer Qiao was so angry that he could not say anything further.. Chapter 599 - 599: Stuck With Words Chapter 599 - 599: Stuck With Words Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Officer Qiao leveled a disdainful look at Shao Yunduan. Stupid, annoying and narrow-minded man! He would never advance any further in his life! Two liang was nothing! He did not give a damn about the money. He cared about the connection with Young Master Yuezheng and the Yuezheng Family from the province! That was the Yuezheng Family from the province! They had such a huge business even spread across the northwest, and they were in touch with the capital as well! They might not be as good as the Xie Family, but they could bring them great benefits if they built a friendship with each other! He needed money to get himself back to the capitol.
This stupid man did not know anything about the Yuezheng Family. He had no idea what he had missed. ¡°If Young Master Yuezheng drops by next time, 1 should be informed directly, understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Officer Father-inw!¡± Officer Qiao frowned, thinking that this title felt so annoying. But this low-ss countryside man was his son-inw and he could not be stopped from calling him father-inw. Officer Qiao felt even worse. ¡°You remember the Young Master next to Young Master Yuezheng?¡± Yuezheng Xiao was always together with Xie Jingrong, which was a fact and they knew that well. Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Yes, a very noble-looking, and handsome young master. But he doesn¡¯t like to talk much.¡¯ Officer Qiao snorted. That was Young Master Xie, the lineal eldest grandson of the real noble family. It was enough that he was seen by Shao Yunduan. Officer Qiao thought to himself. ¡®He would never talk with someone like you, stupid son-inw!¡¯ Shao Yunduan was very good at reading Officer Qiao¡¯s mind. So, Officer Qiao did not doubt what he said. He opened his mouth and closed again. He was not going to tell Shao Yunduan who Young Master Xie was. He did not deserve that! What was the point of telling him who Young Master Xie was? Young Master Xie would not eveny his eyes on him or befriend him! If Officer Qiao knew that Young Master Xie had given Shao Yunduan all the excellent sample texts and books and taken him to the high-profile gathering held for the literati, and even expressed that he wanted to help Shao Yunduan¡¯s younger brother Qi, Officer Qiao would probably vomit out blood. Officer Qiao said, ¡°Anyway, they are all noble people. You have to inform me when you meet again. Be careful not to offend them! Ddon¡¯t be greedy so as to take advantage of them, understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Officer Father-inw!¡± Officer Qiao took a deep breath and was in a better mood. But after a moment, he felt annoyed again when he thought of what he had missed. This son-inw of his was totally useless!! Qiao Wei clenched her teeth. ¡°You talked about watermelons?¡± Madame Qiao was upset too, and threw a displeased look at the couple. Shao Yunduan showed a confused look, and nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ ¡°Why didn¡¯t you deliver those watermelons to us?!¡± Qiao Wei had been holding back this question for so long. She did not dare disturb her father when he was discussing serious business. When her father was finally done, she burst out. Shao Yunduan still looked confused, asking hesitantly. ¡°Those are just some wild-growing fruits from the fields, and can¡¯t be used as a present. We did not dare give them out as presents to you. Do you like them? How unfortunate!¡± Shao Yunduan looked as if he really thought it was unfortunate. Qiao Wei was totally gagged with anger.. Chapter 600 - 600: Disrespect To Parents Chapter 600 - 600: Disrespect To Parents Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She could not just say that she wanted it! That would make her look greedy for things from the countryside! Madame Qiao answered instead of her. ¡°Watermelons are the best fruits to drive away thirst in summer. And they can¡¯t be found anywhere. You don¡¯t know about this, but Xuan, you should know it, right?¡± They just did not know how to respect parents. How heartless they were! Officer Qiao snorted and turned to look at Qiao Xuan in displeasure. Qiao Xuan looked very weak as she looked up at them three, replying in a small voice. ¡°l didn¡¯t know¡­
Madame Qiao was startled and thought of how Qiao Xuan never got to eat watermelons. Qiao Xuan was always very quiet and she never went out of the yard. So, it was reasonable that she did not know about it. Qiao Wei snorted. ¡°Now you know what they are. If you find them henceforth, you should give them to us!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded anxiously. ¡°l will bear that in mind.¡± Shao Yunduan added his words as well. ¡°You like watermelons¡­ I will try to find them this year. Ah¡­ I don¡¯t remember where I found themst year¡­¡± Officer Qiao¡¯s family had a bad look on their faces. The couple was so annoying. Officer Qiao asked more about the tea fields and other business, but Shao Yunduan disyed limited knowledge. Officer Qiao believed his wordspletely. Young Master Yuezheng had just asked him to take care of the fields and he did not need to do anything else. He should have no knowledge of anything. Since the properties weren¡¯t theirs, Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao lost interest but stressed to them that they should report to them when Young Master Yuezheng came over next time around. Then, they let them leave. Qiao Xuan felt that her throat was parched when they left. They had not even had a sip of water after they walked into the mansion. But Qiao Xuan was not angry. She regarded the Qiao Family as strangers, and she was not going to change her opinion. ¡°Are you thirsty, darling? Let¡¯s drink some tea at the tea house.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go and drink some tea and then go home.¡± They smiled at each other. It cost dozens of wen in the tea house. Shao Yunduan earned 2 liang a month, so they could afford the visit to the tea house. This matter was handled well but they were going to a letter to Yuezheng Xiao to exin the matter. Yuezheng Xiao needed to be careful about sending his men in the future. But they were not going to be like this for long. When Shao Yunduan became the Rmended Man, and went further up the next level, the Qiao Family would not be able to control him. It was already very lucky for them to live to the present time. If the Qiao Family learned the truth, they might have a different reaction¡­ After the tea house, they went back to the clinic. The family gathered there and bought some fresh meat, before heading home together. They were startled today, so they needed to eat something nice to soothe their nerves. Fresh pork belly was cooked and steamed, half of the pork ribs were roasted with fresh bamboo shoots, and half of them were made into a sweet and sour dish. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan did not tell anyone in the family about the matter at her natal family. The following day, Qiao Xuan started to nt watermelons. Unfortunately, due to what happened the day before, she could not nt watermelons in Zhang Vige. She did not want to cause any further trouble.. Chapter 601 - 601: Truth Chapter 601 - 601: Truth Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She would just ignore her father¡¯s request about sending over watermelons. They were not going to give any to them. After Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan left the mansion, Officer Qiao went back to the study. Qiao Wei was very angry and could not help butin about Qiao Xuan for being bold. She would only feel happy if Qiao Xuan lived a terrible life. But her husband got in touch with the Young Master from the Yuezheng Family. Moreover, he became a director for his fields! Also, they earned 2 liang a month!
2 liang was her pocket money as the daughter of a County Magistrate! Hence, in her eyes, Qiao Xuan¡¯s life had been greatly improved. More importantly, they revealed nothing about it to the family! Even though they might not know what the Yuezheng Family was like, they should reveal the matter to the family, right? ¡°Mom, Qiao Kou likes talking nonsense, but I believe her in one thing. Qiao Xuan is very honest on the surface but she has all kinds of tricks going on in her mind.¡¯ ¡°l don¡¯t think that this thing is as simple as they imed. They may not be telling the truth!¡± Madame Qiao frowned. She did not think that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan would dare to make up stories. Qiao Xuan grew up under her watch and she knew exactly what she was like. But Qiao Kou must have stepped into that and made Qiao Xuan a tricky one. ¡°Your dad has already taught her a lesson and you should leave this issue here. That man wouldn¡¯t lie because he doesn¡¯t dare to.¡¯ Madame Qiao tried to console Qiao Wei. Qiao Wei was not convinced, and kept feeling that something was wrong. A few dayster, Zhao Ming came and visited Qiao Wei, who started cribbing to her. Zhao Ming was startled. She was here to visit Qiao Wei because she thought that Qiao Wei would be very d and thank her for finding some bad things about the sister she hated. But she herself had not even figured things out clearly. Zhao Ming felt very annoyed. She could not me Qiao Wei for this. So, she made up her mind and wanted to get some information about Qiao Xuan and the Shao Family just to prove that she was right. Zhao Ming came to her Second Brother and had a chat with him. She mentioned Shao Ling, and tried to get some information about the Shao Family. Shao Ling should know a lot of things about the internal matters of the house. The eyes of that stupid man brightened whenever he saw her. Zhao Ming could get anything out of Shao Lings mouth. If she asked, Shao Ling would tell her for sure! She was confident about that. When Zhao Guanghua heard about the Shao Family, he could not help but think of Yang Xiaoni¡¯s beautiful face. He could not even remember what his sister asked. The two siblings talked with each other happily, since they were talking about the same family. Zhao Ming knew that the college was closed at the moment for holidays, and would not open until one monthter. So, she dropped the idea and decided to wait until Shao Ling returned, so that she could find an opportunity to talk to him. The Yan Family¡¯s workshop was soon ready, and the opening day was decided upon.. Chapter 602 - 602: Officer Qiao’s Plan Chapter 602 - 602: Officer Qiao¡¯s n Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The Yan Family decided to keep yubas and tofu cream skin as the main products, dried tofu next and puffs. They had some tofu because they had no time to travel to sell them. So, they decided to sell just a few. It was very lively on the opening day. The Yan Family had been running business for years, and they had many good friends and clients. Everyone was willing to be present on the asion. The Yan Family had already released the news that someone from the Yuezheng Family would be present, and the Yuezheng Family was very interested in the bean products and had already booked arge patch of it. So, even more people were willing to join the ceremony because they wanted to have a rtionship with the Yuezheng Family.
The Yuezheng Family was one of the top business families in the province. Even a small portion of their share would feed the minor business people for their life! Officer Qiao learned about the arrival of the Yuezheng Family. He could not help but pay attention to the Yan Family. His strategist found out that the daughter of the Yan Family was married to Shao Yunduan¡¯s cousin, so the Yan Family was actually a little rted to his own family. Officer Qiao felt veryplicated in his heart¡­ On the opening day, Officer Qiao asked his strategist to check out the show without exposing himself. He wanted to try and befriend the person from the Yuezheng Family, because he was sure that Yuezheng Xiao would note to the event personally. Otherwise, the Yan Family would tell the public that it was Yuezheng Xiao who was present. If it was the Young Master of Yuezheng who came over, Officer Qiao and the strategist would show up and even ask him to join them at the mansion for amodation and treat them to dinner. If it was just a manager, Officer Qiao would not demean himself to suck up to him. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan would not have shown up on this day, but since Shao Yunduan revealed that he was rted to Yuezheng Xiao in someway, he would have to be present at the workshop of the Yan Family who was also rted to Yuezheng Xiao in a way now. So, the couple decided to let Shao Yunduan be present. He just needed to show his face there. Officer Qiao would believe that Shao Yunduan was just showing up for Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s sake. The others who knew Shao Yunduan and were aware that the Shao Family and the Yan Family were rtives, would take him as a rtive representative. The interesting part was that the whole second section of the family was present, including Ms. Niu. In fact, neither Ms. Yan nor the Yan Family wanted to have so many people from the Shao Family to be present. Shao Sng and Ms. Yan were enough, alongwith Second Uncle plus one more, at most. But Ms. Niu took Nis. Zhangs advice and wanted to take a look at it too. Ms. Zhang said to Shao Eng that she wanted to go there as well. Ms. Yan did not like it, but had to ept their proposal. So, the entire second section of the family went there. Ms. Yan felt so annoyed. She had to agree to the request, and felt sorry for the first section of the family. It was how it felt when those you did not like stuck to you all the time. But for her powerful family, and her own idea of living apart in the near future, she would feel depressed living such a life.. Chapter 603 - 603: Opening Day Chapter 603 - 603: Opening Day Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions On this very day, the second section of the family was present. They had wanted to borrow the donkey cart from the first section of the family, but Ms. Yan vetoed that down. She said that there should be no one who would take care of it, and the first section of the family would need it too. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were in a good mood, and did not disagree with Ms. Yan. They did not want to argue with her at the moment. So, she did not say anything any more. Ms. Zhang sneered. ¡°You are so nice to the first section of the family!¡¯ Ms. Yan felt disgusted and immediately countered. ¡°They are our Eldest Aunt and Eldest Uncle, and they have helped us so much in the past. Is it so wrong that I am nice to them? Also, I just don¡¯t want to bother them again. Is that being nice to them? That sounds so embarrassing!¡¯
Ms. Zhang got so angry that she turned around sullenly. The Yan Family epted Qiao Xuan¡¯s suggestion and finally built the workshop on the t, barren field which was spread across 20 mu. They hired people to dig and fill up thend and it was very smooth, upying five or six mu of the totalnd. When the business picked up, and money was sufficient, they could expand the upiednd. The ceremony was being held at the workshop and the tools were locked in the room,pletely isted from the others. For the asion, sweets such as candy and peanuts were distributed, and gifts from everyone were epted as congrattions and greetings. The guests were invited to sit at home for a meal. The Yan Family had a good reputation and many people were present. Eight tables wereid, and the second section of the family took up half of the table. The cook from the vige was hired to make the dishes. Second Uncle and Ms. Niu met Shao Yunduan too. They were both very proud. They showed off in front of Shao Yunduan as if they were the owner of the workshop. Shao Yunduan ignored thor behavior and simply agreed to whatever they said. He did not want to cause any trouble. He had some shares in the workshop as well. What was the point of arguing with them? So, Ms. Niu and Second Uncle became even prouder, as if the whole family had flown away already. More importantly, Ms. Niu even asked Shao Yunduan how much money he gave as a gift. ¡°You are our nephew and a learned schr. You are rich, so you need to give them a big amount, right?¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡¯ Ms. Niu looked interested. ¡°How much?¡± Shao Yunduan answered. ¡°My mom gave the gift. I have no idea.¡± Ms. Niu. How disappointing! Ms. Fang was stingy and she could not have given much. In fact, Shao Yunduan gave them 2 liang as a gift, which was very high. At the lunch, Old Master invited Second Uncle, Shao Yunduan and Shao Sng to the main table and asked his two sons, wife and daughter-inws to receive other guests. Ms. Zhang saw that Shao Eng was not at the main table, and felt really annoyed. Why was Shao Yunduan at the table, but not her husband? So, when Mrs. Yan came to greet Ms. Niu, Ms. Zhang said half-jokingly, ¡°Mrs. Yan, why is my husband not on the main table like his brothers? Wng is from my Eldest Uncle¡¯s family, he should not be sitting there, right?¡± Only then did Ms. Niu notice this detail.. Chapter 604 - 604: Lecture Chapter 604 - 604: Lecture Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Nis. Niu felt displeased as well. ¡°Yeah, that seems so strange. People would surely think that my son isn¡¯t as good as others!¡± Ms. Zhang could not help frowning. She felt that too. But she did not want to speak it out loud. Mrs. Yan could not help but sneer inwardly. What on earth was wrong with this mother-inw and daughter-inw. Who were they toe to the Yan Family and teach them what to do? Especially Ms. Zhang¡­ her daughter hadined enough about her. Mrs. Yan was not afraid that this mother and daughter-inw would set up her daughter after this.
Her daughter was not someone who would bear the misery. If she ran into a problem, the Yan Family would definitely stand up for her. Shao Eng and Shao Sng would never end up working in the Yan Family, and they could even get a divorce. Mrs. Yan smiled brightly. She said softly, ¡°That won¡¯t work. Shao Wng is the Cultivated Talent, and my husband pays attention to schrs. Also, Shao Wng has to be at the main table. As for Eng¡­ we are rted, so we don¡¯t have to care much about this. He takes up an empty ce and that is not suitable. Anyone who dares to call it a bad thing, I will drive that person out. You can just tell me if anyone dares to talk about it. That kind of woman should not be kept here. We don¡¯t need friends like them.¡± Nis. Zhang opened her mouth slightly and felt embarrassed. She felt as if Mrs. Yan was talking about her. Ms. Niu was not as sensitive as Mrs. Yan. She felt a little embarrassed butughed. ¡°You are right, that sounds reasonable!¡± ¡°Just be ready to eat. Don¡¯t worry, no one will look down at your son!¡± Mrs. Yan left with a smile after a few sweet words. Ms. Zhang did not dare to say anything more. She knew that Mrs. Yan was not someone to be offended. In fact, no one from the Yan Family was to be offended. She felt very jealous. She could not override her sister-inw, instead got overwhelmed by her. After the banquet, the guests left. The Shao Family could not leave right away and stayed until the end. Ms. Zhang was very jealous, but seeing this workshop, she tried to tell Ms. Niu to coax the Yan Family so that her husband coulde and earn some money here as well. Ms. Niu agreed with her. When she was saying goodbye to the Yan Family, she mentioned this to them. Ms. Yan almost wanted to p hard across Ms. Zhangs face. Her mother-inw was really shameless. So was the sister-inw! Mrs. Yan sneered in her heart but did not say a thing. Mr. Yan was silent for a while and smiled after a pause. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will tell you if we need more people, for my daughter¡¯s sake.¡± He still did not tell her an exact date. Ms. Niu was about to say something more when Shao Yunduan coughed. ¡°Second Uncle and Second Aunt-inw, you want to go home on our donkey cart? I am leaving now..¡± Chapter 605 - 605: Over The Top Chapter 605 - 605: Over The Top Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Yan smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. Thanks, Cousin! What are you worried about, Mother-inw, now that my dad has promised you. You trust him, don¡¯t you?¡± Ms. Niu, of course, had to say yes. She smiled. ¡°Of course yes, of course!¡± Mrs. Yan smiled. ¡°Good that you trust us. We take care of our family. Don¡¯t worry, and stay away from those who try to turn you against us all the time!¡± Ms. Zhang looked straight at Mrs. Yan, and she felt sharpness hitting her head when she saw Mrs. Yan¡¯s cold look. The Yan Family was just way over the top!
Ms. Niu also felt a little guilty, denying it quickly. ¡°No, no, of course not¡­ that won¡¯t happen¡­¡± Mrs. Yanughed loudly. ¡°Yeah. I was just saying that. Don¡¯t think much about it. ¡± ¡°I won¡¯t, of course not.¡¯ After this rebuttal, Ms. Niu and Second Uncle had no way to say anything further on the topic. They did not dare to think that the Yan Family was being oppressive. After all, they ran the workshop and the Yan Family was far richer than their own family. Also, their sons were more sessful than her own. The Yan Family was helping them, so they had to be thankful for it. They would not dare to make the Yan Family angry, considering that they were very aggressive and hot-tempered. Therefore, Ms. Niu and Second Uncle only dare to talk loud at home. Soon the second section of the family went onto the donkey cart, except for Shao Sng who stayed back and helped. Even Ms. Yan followed them home first. Ms. Yan had intended to stay to keep her motherpany, but she was worried that Ms. Zhang would again whisper something to their mother-inw, so she decided to go back. She woulde back to her mother whenever she felt like it. The whole gang went on together. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were quite happy. They had watched the ceremony and were very proud that they could be part of it. Ms. Yan let out a sigh of relief seeing them talk happily. Only Ms. Zhang threw a distressed look at her husband. Shao Eng was their elder son and her inws did not even care about him. They went to tter Shao Sng instead! The Yan Family was even ttering Shao Yunduan, someone from the first section of the family! So¡­ no one respected her husband! What position did they have at home? Ms. Yan was going to bully her to death! Her husband was useless as well. He did not bother to step forward to help himself. That was why he was always bullied. Back at the vige, when the cart had just been pulled over, Ms. Zhang got so annoyed that she could not help but feel like doing something bad. She reached out and gave Ms. Yan, who was getting off the cart, a push. Ms. Yan let out a scream and staggered forward, almost tripping herself over. Her heart throbbed as she turned to Ms. Zhang in anger. Both Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were startled. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ms. Zhang felt very happy but showed an apologetic smile. ¡°Sorry, Fourth Sister-inw, your niece and nephew pushed you identally, but you are fine¡­ Ms. Yan pursed her lips and pped right across Ms. Zhangs face. That loud noise shocked everyone. ¡°Stop pretending!¡± Ms. Yan pointed at Ms. Zhang with a sneer. ¡°It was not the kids who pushed me.. It was you! You think I couldn¡¯t feel it? I don¡¯t ept this stupid excuse!¡± Chapter 606 - 606: Unconvinced Chapter 606 - 606: Unconvinced Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°You can confront me openly. What is the point of ying tricks behind someone¡¯s back? If you don¡¯t like me, we can live separately. I won¡¯t stand in your way, okay!¡± Angry and irritated, Ms. Zhang felt the pain on her swollen cheek. Covering up her cheek with her palm, she burst into tears. ¡°l didn¡¯t! You are using me of something I didn¡¯t do. Oh god, you hit me! I am your sister-inw! What rules are you following? 1 know you can bully me because your family has money, and you have never liked me. But¡­ you can¡¯t use me of wrongdoings!¡¯ ¡°Oh my god, 1 gave birth to children for the Shao Family and 1 work all the time. In return, is this all I can get? Even you dare to hit me!¡± ¡°Stop it now!¡± Ms. Niu got so angry and dragged Ms. Yan into the yard, bellowing at Ms. Zhang to follow in. They could not just keep talking outside, else they were giving the vige a free show.
Ms. Zhang did not want to go in, and she bellowed even more loudly. Ms. Yan walked into the yard and threw her a cold look. Shao Xiaozhi got frightened and dashed off. Ms. Niu could not get her in alone. She snapped at Shao Eng. ¡°Are you dead? Drag her in! We will talk when we are inside!¡± Only then did Shao Eng recover and walk forward. The mother and the son dragged Ms. Zhang into the yard and shut the door. Shao Yunduan was speechless standing outside. He shook his head and went back home. There was going to be a lively show at the second section of the family! The second cousin-inw was a very narrow-minded person, and she liked to dig into small things. She was going to hate the couple soon. But the Yan Family was more powerful and the fourth cousin-inw behaved better than she did, enjoying a favorable position in the second section of the family. So, even if the p never happened, she would not be hanging out with her sister-inw anyway. The Yan Family was not something to be bullied. Fourth Sister-inw might not be brought down by Ms. Zhang. Ms. Zhang was dragged into the yard by Ms. Niu and Shao Eng, and she struggled hard because of the pain. She kept banging against Shao Eng, crying and hitting him. ¡°You useless thing! You are bullying me together with them. I want to die!¡± ¡°Just stop it!¡± Ms. Niu got angry as she saw how she hit her son. She dragged her away and snapped. ¡°How dare you cry like this! Why did you push Ms. Yan! You dare me others for your wrong doings?¡± ¡°l didn¡¯t push her!¡± Ms. Zhang screamed and retorted. ¡°You believe everything she said? You are so biased!¡± Then she started to cry again. ¡°It is my fault, right? My family can¡¯t do anything for me, and you all look down at me. Oh my, I have such a terrible Ms. Niu got even more annoyed. ¡°How unreasonable! You dare to mention your family? You have sneaked out so many things from our home to yours and I should have made my son give you a divorce! How dare you mention your family!¡¯ Ms. Zhang sneered in return. ¡°You wanted to do that ages ago, didn¡¯t you? But your grandson can¡¯t live without a mother, and hence, you have to keep me because of this reason!¡± Ms. Niu was boiling.. ¡°So you go on behaving like this because you have a son? Try me! I can still throw you out! How dare you rebel!¡± Chapter 607 - 607: No Apology Chapter 607 - 607: No Apology Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Eng thought that his mother was serious about it. He panicked. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t¡­ ¡°Shut up, you useless thing!¡± Ms. Niu snapped. Nis. Zhang felt proud and cried loudly, wanting Ms. Yan to kowtow to her and make apologies. ¡°She used me of doing something 1 didn¡¯t actually do! And she even hit me! She should kowtow to me. If not, I can go to the Yan Family to ask them how they taught their daughter!¡± Ms. Yan watched her performance coldly and replied. ¡°l used you of the Wrong thing? Kowtow to you? Ha, don¡¯t you feel guilty saying that? I can swear on my life and my parents¡¯ lives that I am not lying. It was you who pushed me from behind! Dare you swear on your brother¡¯s life? Do you dare do that? If you dare, you can go to my parents and face them!¡±
Ms. Zhang screamed. ¡°l didn¡¯t do that. Why should 1 lie about it? And leave aside my brother¡¯s life? That is useless!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t dare to, do you?¡± ¡°You are being unreasonable! ¡± ¡°Okay, okay, just drop it! We are a family and we see each other every day. What are you arguing with each other for, we can¡¯t just live on like this, can Second Uncle snapped as he looked at Ms. Yan and Ms. Zhang. ¡°You are arguing over small things! Ms. Yan, you should not have hit her, and Ms. Zhang, you should not have pushed her. Ms. Yan, apologize to Ms. Zhang and we are done. No more discussion on this topic.¡± Ms. Niu snorted. ¡°Yeah!¡± Ms. Yan and Ms. Zhang red at each other and felt unconvinced. Neither of them was satisfied. But Ms. Zhang was the one who did it, so she felt very guilty and was worried that Ms. Yan would continue to push forward the whole thing, so she might have to bear the anger of being pped. She could not just make Ms. Yan retreat by crying. She had the chance to set her up in the future. Ms. Yan was not going to apologize. ¡°Dad, I never did anything wrong, why should I make an apology. Second Sister-inw pushed me so hard that 1 almost tripped! She should apologize to me first. She started it!¡± ¡°l didn¡¯t do that on purpose!¡¯ ¡°But you did it anyway!¡¯ ¡°Shut it!¡± Second Uncle felt humiliated and furious. ¡°Ms. Yan, I am ordering you as a parent. How can you not ept it?¡± Ms. Yan felt very sad. She cried. ¡°l am not epting it because we need to be reasonable. I am not apologizing if I am not wrong!¡¯ She nced at Ms. Zhang. ¡°l am not going to apologize, and I have a few words to share with my Second Sister-inw. Never ever y any tricks in front of me, or try to set me up. Do you think that only you know how to y tricks?¡± ¡°You know pretty well what you did in the past. I have been ignoring that till now. But henceforth, I will not forgive you!¡¯ Ms. Yan said so and turned around, heading back to her room, leaving the rest of the family staring at each other. Ms. Zhang got so annoyed that her face turned green. ¡°She used me of wrongdoing and then left because she was feeling guilty!¡¯ Second Uncle could not run after his daughter-inw to order her again. But Ms. Yan did humiliate him and he felt annoyed. So, he left as well with a scowling face.. Chapter 608 - 608: Terrible Fate Chapter 608 - 608: Terrible Fate Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Niu was very confused. But she said nothing as she nced at Ms. Zhang. She knew pretty well what Ms. Zhang was like. Ms. Yan might be telling the truth. But Ms. Niu did not want toment on that without proof. Also, most sisters-inw never got along well. It was very normal that they did not like each other. She was the mother-inw and her job was to keep them under control.
She did not care what they were doing privately as long as that did not affect the whole family. ¡°Also, don¡¯t mess up with your sister-inw! You should be careful. Why did you push Ms. Yan? Ms. Yan can get annoyed too. Be careful in the future.¡± Ms. Zhang was shocked. ¡°l am warning you. If you still want your husband to find work in the Yan Family, you should behave better!¡± ¡°I am telling you the truth, the Yan Family has offered Sng a good sry, and if you mess up or ruin my son¡¯s job, I will teach you a good lesson!¡± Ms. Zhang. She rushed back to her room, with hands covering her face. She had such a terrible fate! But she really could not me her mother-inw for preferring the other daughter-inw. 700 wen for a month and lunch included in the package was a good deal. The work wasn¡¯t heavy either. Also, whether her husband would be employed would depend on the Yan Family. She had nothing topete with her. She pushed Ms. Yan and in return, she was pped. In fact, even if Ms. Yan pped her for no reason, what could she do? Could she really go to interrogate the Yan Family? For the first time in life, Ms. Zhang started to get a little annoyed by her own family. She hated them for not being able to stand up for her. Shao Yunduan did not like gossip. So, he didn¡¯t mention anything when he returned home. As the days grew warmer, Qiao Xuan led the team and cultivated the watermelons. When the trees grew to two inches tall, they could do the transntation. They could also harvest another batch of mushrooms, wooden ears and snow fungus. The team fixed everything in half a day. The roses in the flower fields were blooming as well. They were growing very well and after the spring plow, the season for the biggest blooming woulde. They had already finished the first batch of lipsticks, including the ten sets of spring limited versions, each of which included three lipsticks. The colors included that of peach, apricot and rose, beautiful and tender. When put in the luxurious tubes, they looked really ssy and high-profile. Everyone would definitely love them. Though not everyone would be able to afford these lipsticks. Yuezheng Xiao soon sent his men to fetch the first batch. The money was sent along as well. 800 ordinary lipsticks, and 30 of the limited version. Qiao Xuan sold them at 2.5 liang for one, so they had 2,000 liang in total. Yuezheng Xiao was going to sell the limited version at 3,000 liang for one. But the cost for the tubes and workmanship was already 1,200 liang. Hence, Qiao Xuan received 800 liang for one, which made it 24,000 liang for 30 pieces. Qiao Xuan had no objections to that. After all, luxurious goods need to look good and attractive, and they should be sold in a special way. Yuezheng Xiao was running the business, and all she needed was to collect the cash peacefully. She would receive 26,000 liang in total after selling out this batch of goods, which was more than what she had in her hands all together. She had made a huge fortune this time around! Chapter 609 - 609: Rich Days Chapter 609 - 609: Rich Days Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She could even share hundreds of liang with the other family members. Even then, she would still have enough savings. Yuezheng Xiao did not mix the personal rtionship with profit sharing. That was what a businessman should do. In this way would the cooperation continue in a smooth way over a long period of time. Qiao Xuan was very satisfied. Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s men also told her that Yuezheng Xiao had already found seven medium-size ces suitable for being the dessert stores in the province. He even had the decorations and furniture ready based on her requirements. By the time it was summer, they could open two stores for trial. Qiao Xuan and Yuezheng Xiao had 40 percent each whilst Xie Jingrong had 20 percent share in the dessert stores. If the business went well, they would bring in a lot of money.
Desserts were small in portion and the cost was low. When made in an exquisite way, they could be very popr. Once the cassavas were ready, they could harvest them if the jelly¡¯s attraction ran out. Seedling process started soon after Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s men fetched the lipsticks. Yubas, dried tofu, tofu cream skin and puffs were all avable in the market after the opening at the Yan Family. The business was very lively due to the uniqueness. The workshop was very busy from day to night. They managed to earn hundreds of liang within one month as profit. The Yan Family used to earn only 40 or 50 liang of profit after selling tofu for one year in the past. The Yan Family was highly motivated, and decided to buy a few moreborers to expand the production scale after the spring plow. Those bean products could be easily duplicated, so they needed to keep the secret well enough. Also, the Yan Family would only hire those people who went through some simple procedures, in case they learned and opened stores themselves. They had to act carefully. Ms. Yan was very happy to hear that on her trip back to her mother¡¯s home. She had already earned back the cost she paid and starting from the next month, she was going to earn profits. If she could get seven to ten liang a month, then she should earn hundreds of liang a year. That would ensure her a very wealthy life in the future. While she thought about this, she did not even bother to speak with Ms. Zhang. What was the point of arguing with people like her? Ms. Yan told Qiao Xuan about this. Qiao Xuan was d too. It was a great start. The Yan Family needed to ensure that the quality remained the same whilst the quantity arose. In this way, they could take up the market share so that the Yan Family could stay firm on the ground even if there were a fewpetitors in the future. The first section of the family hired people to do the spring plow, since it was heavybor work. They had money and they could save some effort. Qiao Xuan was thinking about updating the space so that she could find some instructions for building farming tools. They might not be modernized or mechanized, yet they could save somebor force because of that. The farming tools which they had were too heavy and people worked really slowly with them. After the seedling, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went across the properties at the Zhang Vige and Qiao Xuan visited the mountains a few more times, bringing some goods from there. The days became hotter than before. It was time for them to get ready for the busiest season of lipstick making. Students from Minghua College all went back to their sses.. Chapter 610 - 610: Fruit Seeds In South Chapter 610 - 610: Fruit Seeds In South Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions On this very day, Yuezheng Xiao sent his men to deliver seeds from the south again. The Yuezheng Family had many contacts across thend. But due to the slow transportation, they traveled very slowly all over the ce. Seeds were always weed whenever they were delivered. This time, Qiao Xuan obtained seeds of all kinds of fruits, including papaya, longan, lychee, mango, caramb, dragon fruit, jackfruit, guava, jujube, grapefruit, and oranges. Each seed was wrapped in a yellow paper with the fruit¡¯s name written on it. Some were divided into different categories, such as lychees which were divided into four categories whilst mangoes into nine.
Even bananas, sugarcane, and pineapples, which were not propagated by seeds, had been brought inrge quantities. But due to the long distance and improper care, they had be listless and lifeless, and several of them had died. Yet as long as there was even one sample left, Qiao Xuan was happy to receive it. She was delighted beyond words. When the men from the Yuezheng Family were gone, she asked Qi, Taotao and Chunyu as well as other maids to help with the nting of bananas and sugarcane. They would put the seeds close to the sweet potato field forter transntation. Taotao and the others didn¡¯t know bananas and sugarcane, but they believed in Qiao Xuan. Since she said that these were all fruits, they believed that these would be fruit trees. If they were nted, they would reap a lot of delicious fruits, so they all got excited. They were all amused by the strange-looking nts. They looked so weird. Everyone could not help but feel excited. What would those trees grow into? They really looked forward to seeing the results. After nting the fruits, they brought a basket and picked a lot of loquats, red bay berries and plums to take them back to eat. The fruits were veryrge in quantity and sweet. They believed that it was because of the spring which cultivated thend, plus the daily care, of course, It was because of these reasons that the fruits grew so well. They were going to have many fresh fruits avable starting from now all the way to the winter. When Qiao Xuan was alone, she could not wait but to exert her superpower. She wanted to revive the dead nts which had been sent by Yuezheng Xiao. They instantly became lively and full of energy. Some even had a few tender leaves growing out of them. Qiao Xuan was really pleased. She touched the leaves and said carefully, ¡°You have to grow and flourish! Be sure to bloom and bear fruits!¡± She was not worried about sugarcanes, which would grow properly due to her superpower. If they were not cared for, their texture, sweetness, size and quality could be affected. They would grow to be weak and small, not very sweet and also stiff. But she had her superpower, which could improve the fruits in every single way so all the fruits would turn into the best-quality ones ever seen.. Chapter 611 - 611: Tryout Chapter 611: Tryout Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She was not sure about the bananas and pineapples. Maybe they only grew well without fruits, or the other way around, despite the superpower. Same with lychees and longans. But she was going to have a try anyway. She would see what happened to sugarcanes, bananas and pineapples. The other with seeds could not survive this year. But some hanging fruits could grow out this year. In one word, Qiao Xuan watched the seedlings and trees with a look of expectation and love. Probably after a couple of years, she was going to have delicious longans, lychees, mangoes and dragon fruits to eat. When the fruits adjusted themselves to the local environment, she could expand their growth, so that people in the centralnd and north could be fed well. Well, in the process, she could earn some big fortune as well. On the way back home, the Land Officer told Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan that they were supposed to meet Officer Qiao the next day. Qiao Xuan thanked the messenger. Qiao Xuan smiled bitterly, seeing how Land Officer looked at them enviously. What was the point of being envious? You never knew what the actual situation was. She did not want to get involved with the Qiao Family, if she had a choice. The following day, Qiao Xuan asked Taotao, Yang Xiaoni and the others to work on the lipsticks and transnt the watermelons, whilst she and Shao Yunduan headed to the town. ¡°Darling, what do you think they are up to this time?¡± Shao Yunduan was confused. He thought for a while and said, ¡°They are not interested in us. But, they are definitely interested in the Yuezheng Family.¡± Qiao Xuan groaned annoyedly. ¡°They can go to the Yuezheng Family if they want to!¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled. Officer Qiao would very much like to meet the Yuezheng Family, but the other side would not want to meet him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just leave everything to me. You can remain the silent, and honest concubine¡¯s daughter.¡± Qiao Xuan burst intoughter, nodding. ¡°Okay!¡¯ She could definitely y this role well. Shao Yunduan sighed inwardly. It was good that Qiao Xuan did not take First Madame as the godmother, otherwise the Qiao Family would get themselves attached to the Yuezheng Family by touting ¡®family rtion¡¯. Madame Qiao could always take Qiao Wei to pay a visit and First Madame would not be able to turn them down. The couple arrived at the mansion early in the morning. They had to behave as if they were very active having been summoned, which should fit their ¡®personalities¡¯. Officer Qiao was very pleased seeing Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan promptly at his doorstep whenever he summoned them. He was proud that he had seen through Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, who would obey him without hesitation. They were summoned for the Yuezheng Family¡¯s affairs, for sure. ¡°Yunduan, you are studying and soon you will be taking the examination, right? You aren¡¯t a talented person, and you need to study hard rather than get distracted. Or you will have no hope at all.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be in charge of the fields and tea. From today on, I will handle that task. I will arrange my men to take it over, so you don¡¯t have to do a thing. You are not experienced anyway, right?¡± ¡°It is settled, then. You can write a letter to Young Master Yuezheng and the strategist will tell you what to write. I will deliver that to Young Master Yuezheng directly and you can leave the rest to me..¡± Chapter 612 - 612: Outsider Chapter 612: Outsider Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Alright, just do as the strategist says.¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. ¡® Officer Qiao truly did not think that he was an outsider! Now he was putting on the air as an imposing father. He never liked Qiao Xuan. Nor did he think Shao Yunduan would be talented or have a promising future. That was why he made the decision directly, without caring about what Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan thought. At this moment, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were indeed in a disadvantageous position. Ding Erzhu was in charge of what was happening in the Zhang Vige, but he was not a very talented manager. He could deal with the vigers, but not with Officer Qiao¡¯s men. If they did have an excellent manager, Shao Yunduan could say straightforwardly that Yuezheng Xiao already had a manager, whilst he himself was just working sporadically with Young Master Yuezheng, only to inspect the tea and the fields. In this way, he could have turned down Officer Qiao¡¯s offer. But there was no qualified manager working in the Zhang Vige, so Shao Yunduan could not use that excuse. If Officer Qiao sent someone to check it, things would be overturned and would make him skeptical. Shao Yunduan was silent. Officer Qiao looked annoyed as he frowned in displeasure. ¡°You don¡¯t want to? You have no time or talent for any kind of management. I am just helping Did this man not want to ept his offer? Officer Qiao sounded as if he was granting a great favor. In fact, he needed money desperately. He had been trying his best to get back to the capitol, and had invested all of his savings. But they were not enough. The Qiao Family from the capitol said that they were in a very crucial situation, and they needed to pay at least 30,000 liang to get through the contract to realize his goal. Otherwise¡­ the deal would be off. Officer Qiao had turned almost mental during this period. He invested so much money in the primary stage, and if the deal was off, all of the previous investment would be gone. He could not stand that. So, he was going to gather 30,000 liang. He and Madame Qiao sold some stuff and collected nearly 10,000 liang. But he had no way to get the remaining 20,000 liang. The couple was really bothered by this. But Madame Qiao came up with the idea that 20,000 liang was nothing for the Yuezheng Family. If they could get in touch with the Yuezheng Family, they could borrow that amount from them! Officer Qiao was an officer, after all. That was why he decided to make this situation happen. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan knew nothing about this. Qiao Xuan would haveughed had she heard that. 30,000 liang? She had 37,000 liang cash in her savings. ¡°No, Officer Father-inw.¡± Shao Yunduan pretended to be dumb. ¡°I can¡¯t make this decision. Young Master Yuezheng has to take this call.¡± ¡°l can ask Young Master Yuezhengs opinion before you send someone to take over.¡± Shao Yunduan was thinking about signing a 15 -year contract with Yuezheng Xiao so that they could hire a capable manager.. Chapter 613 - 613: Nothing Is Free Chapter 613 - 613: Nothing Is Free Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions In this way, he was going to hire some manager for the tea fields as well. Uncle Erzhu could just be the minor manager. They would not be able to remain in charge of the overall situation. Yuezheng Xiao could make the introduction and hire some reliable manager whilst they would foot the bill. Officer Qiao snorted and said, ¡°Why the trouble? You can go with the strategist and he is going to tell you how to write the letter.¡± Officer Qiao was panicking inside. He just could not waste any more time.
He did not think that if Shao Yunduan made the rmendation to Yuezheng Xiao, Yuezheng Xiao would turn him down. His men were definitely better at managing things. Shao Yunduan could not argue back. So, he forced himself to nod, but issued a warning as well. ¡°Okay then. But I can¡¯t make the decision for Young Master Yuezheng. If he doesn¡¯t want to approve of it, 1 won¡¯t change a thing. He liked me so he made me the manager. Maybe because I had found some watermelons for him.¡¯ There was no free lunch in the world. Yuezheng Xiao hired him for some reason. Not everyone was eligible. Otherwise he would have sent someone from his family. Why bother to get some people from Officer Qiao, even if they were suitable or reliable?The Yuezheng Family nevercked such talent. Qiao Xuan almost wanted to burst intoughter, but she tried to hide her expressions. Officer Qiao understood what Shao Yunduan meant. He snorted in displeasure. ¡°Write the letter, leave the rest to others.¡¯ Officer Qiao seemed quite resolute. They might have an argument soon. So, he decided to drop it here. He would write the letter ording to the instructions but no matter how emotional Officer Qiao might be, Yuezheng Xiao would not approve of it. Yuezheng Xiao was not a stupid man. ¡°Okay!¡± Officer Qiao seemed satisfied. He looked at Qiao Xuan as if he had suddenly developed some good feelings towards her. He said quietly, ¡°You can have lunch here on your rare trip, I will let the kitchen¡­ He had meant to say will let the kitchen do what you like to eat¡¯ But he had no idea what Qiao Xuan liked to eat. He coughed and changed the words. ¡°I will let the kitchen prepare some more dishes.¡¯ Qiao Xuan did not want to stay for lunch. But she realized that Officer Qiao asked them to stay for lunch just to get close to them. Hence, she had to ept the offer in case he was suspicious about her refusal. ¡°Thanks, Father.¡¯ ¡°You should stay here and wait.¡± Officer Qiao nodded and ignored Qiao Xuan after that moment. Soon, he got up and left. He was bothered by how to raise money for his career. So, he ignored Qiao Xuan totally once the matter was finished. Qiao Xuan could sense that he was troubled by something. So, she asked nothing more but chuckled inwardly in her heart. He should be bothered heavily. Qiao Xuan asked the maid to pass on her greetings to Madame Qiao. Since she was here, she needed to keep her manners rather than cause trouble. The maid returned fast. ¡°Madame Qiao is busy now. She said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go over to greet her, Second Miss.¡± That was exactly what Qiao Xuan honed for. She showed a look of regret. ¡°Okay¡­ then.¡± The maid threw a disdainful look at her but stayed silent. Second Miss wished to suck up to Madame Qiao? She did not deserve to meet her. During lunchtime, Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao did not show up. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were alone.. Chapter 614 - 614: Stalking Shao Liulang Chapter 614 - 614: Stalking Shao Ling Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The meal included four dishes with one soup. It included bean roast pork, yuba pork belly, green pepper chicken slices, scallion fried egg, and cabbage vermicelli soup. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were not special guests, so the dishes were not well made. But the ingredients were fresh and ecological, so the food was not that bad when cooked in a big pot. The couple left after lunch. They were going to buy some stuff in town for the rooster and muntjac that Qi had hunted. They decided to buy some fresh meat to take home.
Originally, Qiao Xuan nned to kill two fat hens that day to make salt-baked chicken and crispy chicken, but she could leave that forter. The two of them bought two knuckles, a piece of pork belly, two tube bones, a pair of pork belly, and a pig heart in the market. They saw fresh mutton for sale and bought a portion ofmb chops. For dinner, half of themb chops would be made into sauce, and half would be stewed with fresh mushrooms. A portion of twice-cooked pork would be fried. Pork belly and pig heart would be marinated with spices, and could be eaten anytime during the next two days. The knuckles would be put next to the spring water at night to keep it cold, and stewed with yam the next day. Half of it would be used to make a sweet and sour dish. The bone would be used to make porridge at noon, with various mushrooms diced, fresh small river prawns, sprinkled with a handful of shallots. It would be delicious and fragrant. When they finished buying the meat, they were about to fetch the donkey cart when they suddenly saw Shao Ling heading towards the tea house. Before he went in, he even adjusted his clothes, and stood up straight. Then, he walked forward in confidence. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look at each other, very surprised. ¡°Who is he going to meet? So neat and happy? Want to take a look?¡± Qiao Xuan was very curious. Shao Ling was always arrogant. She had never seen him looking so excited and proud. Shao Yunduan thought for a while. ¡°We should go and take a look.¡± ¡°As for this stuff¡­ They left the meat at the pastry store where they often bought stuff from. Then, they went into the tea house. Shao Yunduan soon got to know from the waiter which room Shao Ling went into by giving him some money. They went into the room next to it, and held their breath, eavesdropping tantly. The soundproofing was really bad. Anyways, in this town, there were no private talks. They were here to drink tea in a silent ce, not here to pry on others¡¯ secrets. So, they did not care if others heard them. Hearing that it was a young woman¡¯sughter, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were both very surprised. What was going on? Soon, the woman was trying to ask Shao Ling about Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, as well as about the first section of the family. Their hearts sank and they started to concentrate on the conversation. Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes brightened after she listened for a while. She approached Shao Yunduan. ¡°l got it. That is Zhao Ming, thedy from the Zhao Family, who is in a good rtionship with Qiao Wei!¡± As Qiao Xuan¡¯s warm breath floated over his ears and cheeks, Shao Yunduan could not help but blush. He felt a little distracted. He understood that he should not have this kind of reaction, so he pressed down the urge and leaned a bit backward.. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Chapter 615 - 615: Zhao Ming’s Trick Chapter 615 - 615: Zhao Ming¡¯s Trick Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan did not notice what a flirtatious position they were in. She nodded and said, ¡°l am sure. I remember this voice!¡± Zhao Ming and Qiao Wei were good friends. So, Qiao Xuan did pay attention to her at the banquet. She was not wrong about it. Shao Yunduan nodded with a small ¡®okay¡¯ sound. They were separated by a screen. They were not talking loudly, but they caught a few words, notpletely clear ones though. But that was already enough for them to understand what was going on.
In summary, Shao Ling was stupid and had no idea why he thought Zhao Ming would like him. So, Zhao Ming got on a date with him, and he tried to put on a very nice show as a gentleman, trying to win Zhao Mings heart. But, in fact, Zhao Ming was not interested in him, and instead, kept talking about Shao Yunduan, Qiao Xuan and the Zhang Vige. Shao Ling was too stupid to realize that something was wrong. He felt really excited and thought that Zhao Ming was falling for him slowly. He became increasingly happy. In order to answer her queries, he made some remarks about his rtives. He did not have much knowledge about the real situation anyways. So, when Zhao Ming could not get anything more out of him, she obviously lost interest. Soon, Zhao Ming found an excuse and left. But he kept trying to offer to escort her back. Obviously, Zhao Ming did not need his help. She teased him and went away. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan heard the sound of footsteps that left the ce. Soon, Shao Ling left as well. He must be in a very good mood as he was humming all this while. ¡°What a man!¡± Qiao Xuan did not know how toin about Shao Ling. He was so stupid! What was more disheartening was that he kept making up bad stories about his rtives in front of outsiders. The first section of the family helped them so much during all these years. The reason why he was able to go to school was because half of the tuition fees were paid by the first section of the family. This was interrupted after Qiao Xuan came to the family. Despite so much, Shao Ling felt no gratitude, and kept making up bad stories about the first section of the family. What a ruthless family! Shao Yunduan was silent for a while, but said eventually, ¡°If the Zhao Family wants to know about the Zhang Vige and our fields, it should have been Old Master Zhao¡¯s men who are doing the prying, not his daughter. It should be Zhao Mings own ideas. But¡­¡± But why? Old Master Zhao did not dare to irritate Yuezheng Xiao, and he would not have insisted upon it after knowing the ¡®truth¡¯. Then, why was Zhao Ming asking about the first section of the family again? Zhao Ming and his family were not enemies¡­ Qiao Xuan sneered. ¡°Maybe Qiao Wei told her to do so¡­¡± She was Qiao Wei¡¯s follower, but there should not be any reason for Qiao Wei to do so. Shao Yunduan was confused. What was Qiao Wei up to? Officer Qiao¡¯s business should not be hers, right? Qiao Xuan was not worried. She was already half-exposed right now, except that Officer Qiao had no idea how much they had in total. ¡°We should be cautious these days. I will tell Mom and Sisters-inw that they should be careful about peopleing to the door. Those who never hang out with us and suddenly get very passionate should definitely be ignored..¡± Chapter 616 - 616: Me Chapter 616 - 616: Me Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay!¡¯ They could not keep any check on the Zhao Family and Shao Ling at the college. They could only work on their family in case they got disturbed. When they were sure that both Shao Ling and Zhao Ming had left, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan decided to go home together. On the way home, Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Darling, 1 have a hunch that Officer Qiao really wants to befriend the Yuezheng Family, and anxiously. Did you notice that?¡± Qiao Xuan was surprised.
She thought for a while and replied. ¡°Yeah, now that you mention it, it does seem like that. He had known about this for a while but did nothing. Yet today¡­ things were different. He must need money and quickly so.¡± That was an easy guess. The Yuezheng Family was rich and Officer Qiao needed to get to know them for money, of course. Shao Yunduan said contemtively, ¡°He is working as an officer in this small county. If he needs a small amount of money, he could borrow some from the local business people. But if that is not the case¡­ what does he need so much money for?¡± A few hundreds and thousands of liang should not be difficult to gather, as long as they had a thick skin. He could just ask his strategist to visit some business people who will ¡®lend¡¯ it to him. Any amount more than that would be difficult to obtain though. The county was very small and the businessmen were not very ambitious. They would not just give him so much money, since making money was never an easy thing. A few hundred liang might be really hurtful too but then they could not get away by offering nothing. He should not have problems regarding money, if he lived normally. But if he suddenly needed arge amount of money and fell into trouble because of that¡­ The whole thing seemed really strange. Qiao Xuan was confused. She blinked her eyes. ¡°There is something weird¡­¡± Shao Yunduan thought for a while and said, ¡°Maybe he needs money to buy an official position?¡± ¡°Buying an official position?¡± Shao Yunduan felt that made sense. ¡°Yeah, he would need a big amount to buy an official position because of hisck of talent and achievements. It seems that he needs a lot of money, and the position isn¡¯t low.¡± Qiao Xuan believed that Shao Yunduan was right. But her heart sank instantly. ¡°What if¡­ he does get the position? We will be crushed!¡± Qiao Xuan suddenly felt really scared. If Officer Qiao was just a County Magistrate, then Shao Yunduan would be powerful enough after bing the Advanced Schr. Officer Qiao would have to pay attention to Shao Yunduan and try to get him to his side because he was his son-inw, after all. By that time, Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei would not be able to do anything, with their Old Master turning to the other side. But if Officer Qiao was promoted¡­. then he may pay attention to Shao Yunduan, yet Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei would definitely try to override them as well. As long as Madame Qiao was given some benefits, people would suck up to her by turning her against her concubine daughter and son-inw. Once Shao Yunduan became the Advanced Schr, Madame Qiao would definitely try to bring them down. Shao Yunduan smiled and consoled his wife. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it is not that serious. This is only our spection. Also, even if we are right about it, things are not that easy to happen.¡± ¡°Moreover, even if he makes it, it would still take a long while before he finds his feet on the ground. By that time, it might be time for the spring examination..¡± Chapter 617 - 617: Home, Sweet Home Chapter 617 - 617: Home, Sweet Home Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Also, we can ask the Yuezheng Family and the Xie Family for help. We can return that favorter.¡¯ The Yuezheng Family were connected with them, and their rtionship was very close to each other. Moreover, the Xie Family should be willing to help the Advanced Schr who had a promising future, right? As long as he could stand out and let the Xie Family appreciate his value, he would not fall into despair. The Xie Family was far more promising than the Qiao Family, no matter which position Officer Qiao found for himself.
It would not be easy to return the favor, so they would rather not use it. But Shao Yunduan was not a pretentious man. If he needed to use the contact, he would. He would return the favor double fold in the future. Hearing his analysis, Qiao Xuan suddenly felt better. She smiled. ¡°l feel much more assured hearing your words!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t need to overthink about this. You can be the honest and quiet concubine¡¯s daughter, and leave the rest to me.¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled and nodded. Shao Yunduan smiled and felt warmth in heart. He was going to be stronger so that he could protect his wife. His earlier dream had been to brighten up his family, but it became bigger now. They returned home and Nis. Fang asked. ¡°Everything alright?¡± Ms. Fang had witnessed too many cold and warm things in interpersonal rtionships, for example the behavior of the second and the third section of the family. When she knew that Officer Qiao never liked Qiao Xuan, but asked them toe over suddenly, Ms. Fang knew that something bad was going to happen. She had been so worried. Qiao Xuan answered with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they just wanted to ask my husband about the autumn examination. Father needs some help in the government office.¡± ¡°Oh okay¡­¡± Ms. Fang didn¡¯t know any better and simply believed in what Qiao Xuan said. Shao Yunduan did not deny it and smiled. That was the end of the matter. Qiao Xuan took a nap and asked Yang Xiaoni and Taotao to get ready for dinner. Soon it was bustling in the kitchen, and delicious dishes were getting cooked, fragrant. That was what a family should be like. The next day, Qiao Xuan had all the seedlings transnted. Everyone turned to look at the strange-looking banana seedlings, sugarcane seedlings and pineapple seedlings. They were all growing so well. ¡°Our spring really breeds nts well. Look at how good those trees are!¡± ¡°Yeah, the fruits should be tasty too!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. Hopefully, they will turn out to be delicious. She turned to look at lychees and longans that normally grew in the south. All had budded and the tallest one was already 3 inches tall. That was really fast. People in the south would get startled by the pace at which it grew. Normally, the buds would not have sprouted until a weekter, let alone growing to this height. Qiao Xuan let it happen faster because no one else in the family knew about it.. Chapter 618 - 618: Qiao Xuan’s Plan Chapter 618 - 618: Qiao Xuan¡¯s n Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions These seedlings were tender and young, very cute and full of vitality. Even though they were still small, they looked quite different from themon fruit tree seedlings in the north. Everyone else, including Taotao, found them to be rare and fresh. Qiao Xuan decided to visit them once a day and infuse some superpower in them to help them grow. The seedlings would grow to be what they should have been like in three or four years within one year¡¯s time. In this way, they should bloom and bear fruit the next year most probably. Qiao Xuan could wait at most one year to see if such nts worked.
If not, she would give up the idea. But if this experiment worked, she would buy more fields and nt arge fruit garden so she could offer special tropical fruits to the market, earning a lot of money out of it. That would be nice. If that did not work, she could find a chance to head down south with Shao Yunduan. She would ce a lot of tropical fruits into her space, like longans, lychees, and mangoes, all for her to eat anytime. She was really greedy for them. She could wait until the magical water in her space reached a certain thickness, then the space would ept ordinary nts as well. After that, she could start to grow those ordinary nts in her space as well. Well, the space would not be unlimited but hundreds of mu should be enough, right? Or even thousands of mu? One small farnd for herself¡­ that would feel so nice! Qiao Xuan had nned out everything. After this day, they continued to make lipsticks with new colors and went to the river to get shrimps, or hunt animals in the mountains. Everyday seemed leisurely and peaceful. Shao Dngs legs recovered finally. He had recovered to be able to do some heavy work, but not continuously for the first half a year. The whole family was so happy that this worry was finally gone. Ms. Xu unexpectedly gave Qiao Xuan five liang and asked her to make a table full of dishes as a celebration. Qiao Xuan tried to turn away the money. But Ms. Xu insisted that it was their kindness, and that Qiao Xuan needed to ept it. Qiao Xuan only kept two liang and said with a smile, ¡°Five liang is too much, we would not be able to finish the food! One chicken costs 50 or 60 wen and half a kilo of pork belly would cost just 15 or 16 wen. We won¡¯t be able to finish anything more than that!¡± ¡°Two liang would be more than enough!¡¯ She insisted on giving back three liang, which Ms. Xu epted in the end. She added. ¡°Two liang is all yours, Fifth Sister-inw. You have to cook for us, and I would feel really embarrassed if you don¡¯t take it.¡± She was pregnant, and could not do any work. Her husband¡¯s illness was treated with the shared money and no one countered that. So, Ms. Xu felt really moved. Qiao Xuan epted the money eventually with a smile. The remaining money would be used to buy some small snacks for everyone to eat. Qiao Xuan made nine dishes and one soup with two liang, including salt-baked chicken, crispy chicken, as well as stewed duck with taro, stewed lion head, fish and sheep pot, ginkgo pork belly soup, and salted egg yolk tofu soup.. Chapter 619 - 619: Not Paying Back Chapter 619 - 619: Not Paying Back Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan used fresh and tender, soaked pea shoots, and stir-fried them on a te. The fresh green color, fresh and tender taste made people never want to stop eating them. Ms. Fang was gratified and happy seeing the table full of dishes. Ms. Fang actually suspected that she had misheard the news when Ms. Xu decided to offer money from her own pocket. After all, she was Ms. Xu¡¯s mother-inw and she had seen through her long ago. Ms. Fang was feeling very emotional about the days that became better and better. Those bad and small tricks were all gone.
Not everyone was as annoying and ungrateful as the second and third section of the family. Ms. Fang would agree if she knew the basic principle of the modern world money could solve 80% of the troubles in life. But she knew that she needed to support her son and daughter-inw to keep making money so that life could get better and better. Also, it was all Qiao Xuan¡¯s luck that helped. At the Qiao Mansion. On the day when Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan left, Officer Qiao could not wait but hired someone to deliver the letter written by Shao Yunduan directly to the province. He ordered that the letter had to arrive in Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s hands on the following day. ording to Officer Qiao¡¯s n, Yuezheng Xiao should agree to his proposal. After all, it was always better to have some professionals to manage thend and fields for him! As long as Yuezheng Xiao agreed to it, Officer Qiao would wait for a few days and then go over to meet Yuezheng Xiao, so that he could coax Yuezheng Xiao and borrow 30,000 liang from him. Officer Qiao would give the money for the position he needed, and when he was back in the capital, he would start to earn enough money. It was not going to be easy to make 30,000 liang within a short while, but he did not think that the Yuezheng Family would need this amount anyways. So, he never nned to pay back the money. By that time, the Yuezheng Family would not really bother to go to the capital to get the money back. Besides, if he got promoted and soon won a high-ranked position, he would return the Yuezheng Family a favor in the end. Officer Qiao had everything ¡®arranged¡¯ in his head. He was very confident. Yuezheng Xiao had just received the regr lipsticks and limited versions of lipsticks from Qiao Xuan. He was selling them out slowly. Five sets of limited versions had been sold out, and five more families had already reserved the three minor sets, which made him feel really happy. The remaining five sets would arrive very soon. But Yuezheng Xiao got very confused seeing the letter sent by Shao Yunduan. He was sure that it was written by Shao Yunduan, which made him feel even more confused. He ordered someone to bring over the messenger and after a few questions, he understood what was going on. Wearing no expression on his face, Yuezheng Xiao ordered the messenger to take a break. And then, he smiled sinisterly. He saw through the situation quickly. Officer Qiao needed money desperately! He was trying to suck up to him urgently because he needed nothing else but money, maybe lots of it! But he would not give out money so easily. Instead of answering the letter, he thought for a while and called over a trusted servant. He appointed him to be the manager for thend at the Zhang Vige. Shao Yunduan could not do anything to his father-inw. Then, he would deal away with him for his friend¡¯s sake. He did not need Shao Yunduan to ¡®be in charge of¡¯ the tea fields. He had a suitable manager who could do that for him and he was going to send that man there. That manager would not travel with the messenger. He ordered Qu Shan to send the messenger home first.. Chapter 620 - 620: Distressed Chapter 620 - 620: Distressed Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The messenger did not want to leave. He smiled and asked about a reply. Qu Shan smirked and replied. ¡°Our Young Master has his own n. He never writes replies. Young Master never wants to leave any trace of his writing outside, in case some troublees to his doorstep. Our Young Master has never written anything to your Second Miss¡¯s husband either! He only passes on messages. So, you can just pass on this message to your master.¡± Speechless, the messenger had to leave with the oral reply. He could not make the decision for Young Master Yuezheng. Also, Qu Shan was right. The Yuezheng Family was so rich and the old masters and young masters of the family would not leave any trace of their writing outside the family so easily. Without any dy, the messenger returned to the town before lunch the next day.
Officer Qiao, who had been so anxious, summoned him directly. ¡°Where is the reply? Give it to me!¡± The messenger stiffened and staggered slightly. ¡°Sorry, Officer, but Young Master Yuezheng has sent no reply.¡± ¡°What! ¡°Young Master Yuezheng says that he already knows about this matter and he has already got his own n, which he is going to conduct in a few days. Since you urged him, he will start to implement that now. Young Master Yuezhengs men should being over in a few days, and they will tell you clearly what is going on¡­¡± Officer Qiao¡¯s head turned nk. He had no reaction for a long while. He sensed that something was wrong. So, he interrogated him and asked for more details. The messenger did not know anything more. He had just met Young Master Yuezheng once and did not even exchange many words with him. Without getting any valuable information, Officer Qiao got even more annoyed, snapping at the messenger. ¡°You useless thing, you can¡¯t even do one mission well!¡± Then, he ordered him to leave. The messenger felt relieved. ¡°How could that be possible?¡± Officer Qiao felt so distressed and he went to Madame Qiao toin. Madame Qiao frowned and asked firstly. ¡°Old Master, are you sure that Shao Yunduan wrote what you told him to? Did he write anything that should not have been written in there? Did he turn them against us?¡± Officer Qiao was startled, but soon shook his head. ¡°That is impossible. The strategist already wrote the draft and Shao Yunduan copied it. Also, he examined the final draft, and I had the letter delivered on the same day. If Shao Yunduan wanted to do something bad in the middle, he would not have managed to reach there before us.¡± ¡°Also, 1 don¡¯t think he would dare to! Moreover, Young Master Yuezheng might not believe his words.¡± Madame Qiao agreed. Young Master Yuezheng and Shao Yunduan were totally different people. With a huge gap in their rank! Shao Yunduan was never going to be able to turn the two parties against each other. That would be so ridiculous! ¡°Old Master, your proposal was beneficial for Young Master Yuezheng and he should not have not turned that down. Well, now that he already has a n¡­¡± ¡°Then, there is no way out¡­¡± Madame Qiao sighed and felt distressed too. They still needed more than 20,000 liang, and they had almost used up every treasure they had. She had not even made any new clothes this spring like before, when she would get new clothes every season. She lived frugally and only had two sets for her daughter, who had been vehemently objecting to it. They could not even afford any ornaments and even had to save on new cosmetics.. Chapter 621 - 621: Desperate Officer Qjao Chapter 621 - 621: Desperate Officer Qjao Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Still¡­ all these measures were not enough. What would they do now? The couple became even more distressed. If they had no money to buy the official position, they would have no chance to head back to the capital, and they would have wasted everything they spent in the past. ¡°l wish 1 could make a huge fortune!¡±
Officer Qiaoined. Madame Qiao snorted. What was the point of saying that now? ¡°How about waiting for Young Master Yuezhengs men? Maybe we can write an IOU to that manager?¡± Officer Qiao did not think that such a method was reliable. He and Young Master Yuezheng were not friends and his family wasn¡¯t under the charge of a County Magistrate like him. The Yuezheng Family was too rich and influential for a County Magistrate like him to offend. He just could not do that. Moreover, he could not be sure that it would work. ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see!¡± He might give it a try if nothing else came to fruition. Yuezheng Xiao was worried that if his men arrived a littlete, that shameless County Magistrate would cause trouble to Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, so he ordered the manager and pageboys to reach there the next day. The manager did not go to visit Officer Qiao, and only sent a few words through the strategist, who tried to console Officer Qiao. Then, he headed directly to the Zhang Vige. He would live at the Zhang Vige, and act as the new manager. He asked Ding Erzhu to deliver the letter to Shao Yunduan exining the matter. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were really grateful after receiving the assurance from the manager of the Yuezheng Family. Shao Yunduan was devoted towards thest leg of preparation for the autumn examination. He was very confident that he would make it. But he could not just rx. It was rted to his future, and he could not have aid-back attitude about it or show no respect. Hearing the news from the strategist, Officer Qiao felt so annoyed. He sneered. ¡°The Yuezheng Family is so wild. When I reach the highest rank in the government, I am going to take revenge on them!¡± The Yuezheng Family¡¯s men did not bother visiting him because they did not want to get close to the Qiao Family. This ruined Officer Qiao¡¯s n of borrowing money. So, he got really annoyed. He just could not go straight to the Yuezheng Family to borrow money, could he? That would be belittling and humiliating for him. It would not make sense either. But Officer Qiao needed money desperately for the errand in the capital, and it could not be dyed. He turned to Madame Qiao. ¡°You should go through what we have now so that we can sell those things and gather some more money!¡¯ Madame Qiao was displeased. ¡°Old Master, we have offered everything we could already. You know that!¡± Officer Qiao sneered. ¡°Stop lying to me. I know everything about your private money!¡¯ ¡°You must dedicate your money to the family in this situation.¡± Madame Qiao was annoyed and embarrassed. She pressed down the anger she was feeling. ¡°Old Master, you are wrong. I have never hidden any private money. I am simply saving a few things for my son and Wei¡¯s dowry. Also, I am doing this for your sake, Old Master!¡± Officer Qiao realized that his behavior was overbearing a moment ago. So, he calmed himself down and said, ¡°l was wrong. But you should give the money now so that I can get a high position in the capital. At that time, I will pay you back in double..¡± Chapter 622 - 622: Empty Chapter 622 - 622: Empty Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Madame Qiao knew that was how it should be. If she could give something up now, she would obtain more in the future in return. ¡°l will try my best.¡± Madame Qiao had some jade and a few favorite ornaments pressed at the bottom of her boxes. She got them pawned in the province. The pawn shops were all very stingy. Anything worth more than 100 liang would only be pawned at 30%, not fetching more than 30 liang. Also, if the person pawning wanted to get them back, the fees would be raised multiple times.
Even if she chose to give them as fixed goods, the things would fetch 70% at most, mostly 50%. Madame Qiao¡¯s ornaments and jadeware should be worth around 13,000 liang but after pawning, she only got 7,600 liang in total. When the money and the invoices were brought back, Madame Qiao felt her chest ache. She felt so distressed. She tried to console herself that everything was worth the while, as long as she was able to get back to the capital. Once they were back in the capital, her husband would be in the high position and her daughter would marry into the Hou Mansion¡­ But Madame Qiao still felt really annoyed by the current loss. When she felt annoyed, she was going to make someone else feel equally upset as she was. ¡°Get whatever is saved in Concubine Du¡¯s ce as well! Get all the gold, money, and jade. I have offered everything, but she does nothing!¡¯ Madame Qiao asked Auntie Ling to do so. Auntie Ling loved making trouble for concubines and their daughters. She nodded and went to carry out the order with some maids. They rushed to Concubine Du¡¯s ce. Concubine Du almost passed out because of anger. That was totally reasonable! Shame on them! She knew that the Old Master needed a lot of money, so she did not and could not stop the search. Otherwise Madame Qiao would torment her in all possible ways. She was growing old and she was not like before. So, she could not turn to the Old Master for help. The Old Master was not going to defend her. Most importantly, her daughter¡¯s marriage depended on Madame Qiao! Concubine Du felt her heart dripping blood. When she knew that Madame Qiao had offered everything she had, she and Qiao Kou evenughed at her in secret. But now it was their turn. Auntie Ling was fast and straightforward, leaving nothing with Concubine Du. Even the 300 liang under Concubine Du¡¯s bed was fished out. Auntie Ling harvested a lot and left the ce proudly. Concubine Du almost copsed as she looked at her roomter. She started to cry. Madame Qiao was doing a count of what they had got. The whole thing was worth 1,340 liang! She got so furious and cursed through clenched teeth. ¡°This bitch has stolen so much from Old Master under my nose. Damn her!¡± Auntie Ling consoled her with a smile. ¡°But now you have retrieved everything. Don¡¯t worry, Madame Qiao.¡± Madame Qiao sneered. ¡°Of course! All of this is mine!¡± Hearing the news, Qiao Kou hurried back to Concubine Du¡¯s ce. She saw a distressed, tearful Concubine Du as well as a messy room. ¡°Concubine Du, what is going on?¡± Chapter 623 Madame Qiao Killed Her Future 623 Madame Qiao Killed Her Future Concubine Du took her hands, sobbing. "Everything is gone, gone! She is so cruel. She spared nothing, nothing was left for us!" All the money, even as small as 20 pennies, was scraped away by the maids. She even lost one box of blusher. Qiao Kou''s heart sank. She went about and searched everywhere. Then, she lost hope. She copsed. Those things should have been hers! She had always been proud that though she was also a concubine''s daughter, she was far different from disgraced Qiao Xuan. Even her dowry would be worth at least 1,000 liang. She used to think that she would have a great martial life with 1,000 liang as her dowry. Also, that was the bare minimum. As long as her mother was alive, she could also tter her father so the dowry could only be better. Also, her mother would have saved some more in two years. That was why she had been so confident all along. For those things, she was willing to tter Qiao Wei, make her happy. But she had nothing left now! "Shame on her!" Qiao Kou sobbed. "She is the madame of the family and she even scrapes out everything from a concubine''s room! How could she¡­" "Stop it, stop it now!" Concubine Du was shocked, covering Qiao Kou''s mouth as she nced around anxiously. "Kou, no such words here. If she learns about this, we will have a terrible time!" Qiao Kou cursed. "Are we having a good time now?" All of her savings were gone. She was going to get married two or three years after Qiao Wei got married. She was sure that Madame Qiao was not going to take care of her. But her mother was a concubine, who had no chance to start saving any more. What was she going to do in the future? What should she do? Madame Qiao had killed her future. Concubine Du sobbed. "Don''t be impulsive. Don''t worry, I will think of a way for you!" Qiao Kou felt slightly relieved but still remained annoyed. "I can''t, I can''t ept it!" Concubine Du was silent. She was unconvinced as well. But what more could she do? "Forget about this when you step out of the room. We can''t get those things back now, but if we turn ourselves into their enemies, it is not worth it, right?" Qiao Kou nodded at Concubine Du, letting out a sigh. "Don''t worry, I know that¡­" Qiao Kou had a new goal at that moment. She was going to steal Qiao Wei''s groom. She was definitely going to do so. Qiao Wei was brainless, arrogant and impulsive. More importantly, she looked down at her and ordered her around as if she were her maid. So, Qiao Wei did not have the heart to stay loyal towards her. As long as she had the n in her mind, she was going to steal Qiao Wei''s groom. Qiao Kou smirked and sneered in silence. They could wait until they went back to the capital. She was surely going to take revenge. Chapter 624 Tall Fruit Trees 624 Tall Fruit Trees Madame Qiao sneered at Concubine Du and Qiao Kou''s misery after she got their properties. Shepletely ignored their emotions. Qiao Wei learned about it too and even mocked them. In their eyes, the concubine and her daughter were just like servants for them to bully around. The concubine and the daughter would not be able to do anything in retaliation. Madame Qiao had no time to spare any more energy on the concubine and the daughter. She scraped again and got more than 7,000 liang in total. But that was still not enough. They had got everything they could offer, but they had the target of 10,000 liang. Actually, they would need at least 15,000 liang if they wanted to live well in the capital. Officer Qiao got so annoyed that he fell sick. The couple were really worked up but could note up with any useful method. They were in a terrible mood and even argued with each other a few times. Meanwhile, in the first section of the Shao family, the fruit trees that Qiao Xuan had nted were growing very well. The bananas were nearly taller than she was. The lychee, and the mango trees were getting as thick as a finger and as tall as one meter. They were ced in a neat order in the empty ce of the garden. Due to the hot weather, the mushrooms, wooden-ears and snow fungus were growing very fast too. The family picked some and sun dried them in the yard. When this batch was sundried, they could deliver it to the province. They would even send the lipsticks to Yuezheng Xiao at that time, so that Yuezheng Xiao was saved the trouble of sending anyone over. The dried snow fungus weighed around 50 kgs, and was of the best quality. Qiao Xuan could easily sell them at 30 liang per 500 grams. They were going to earn at least 6,000 liang on this deal. That was such a pleasing thing. Seeing the tender vegetables growing in the garden, Qiao Xuan had a n of making rice rolled in lettuce. As the name suggested, rice rolled in lettuce meant wrapping the fried rice with fresh and tender lettuce leaves. It should be eaten when hot. It had both the aroma of the food and the freshness of the lettuce. It was hot inside and cool outside, and tasted great. This fried rice was not as simple as the ordinary fried rice with eggs, and the condiments were very rich. They included chopped bacon, diced fresh meat, diced bamboo shoots, diced mushrooms, minced leeks, minced pickles, minced eggs, etc. Some seasoning needed to be added, after which the ingredients would be stir-fried and added to the cooled rice. Finally, a spoonful of meat oil needed to be put in, making it taste better. After the stir-fry was done, they put it on the table in arge steaming bowl. They could scoop up a spoonful of it while it was still hot, and wrap it in fresh and tender lettuce leaves. They could eat it like a wrap of roasted pork belly. It was tasty and they could make it themselves easily. When the dish was served, Taotao, Qi and Shao Sang as well as his foodie wife loved it. Qiao Xuan enjoyed the texture, and thought that she should have made this earlier. She was going to seriously n what to make in the future. She had money, time as well as efficient helpers. The following day, Qi and Taotao caught a lot of snails and came back to cook half of them as snacks. The small ones were fed to the ducks. Qiao Xuan picked some more and added lemon juice, basil, dried chili and so on to make an old duck snail pot. Chapter 625 - 625: Expansion Chapter 625 - 625: Expansion Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Soon, it was the time for the Dragon Boat festival. Qiao Xuan decided to deliver the presents to the Qiao Mansion. On the way back, they were going to talk with thend agent who could talk with the Land Officer about buying a piece ofnd at the entrance of the vige for mushrooms, especially for snow fungus. The ce in the garden was not enough. They decided to hire Shao Dali to find a few honest men from the vige, who could help the couple to sort through the ingredients. They would be paid 35 won a day.
Shao Dali was very d to ept the proposal. He got his cousins along and they managed to get seven people in total. They picked a day and went to the Qiao Family to send the presents. They had the same presents asst year, nothing new, no kindness, just a mission. Neither Officer Qiao nor Madame Qiao were seen at the mansion. Qiao Wei was gone too. Qiao Kou could not be seen anywhere and Concubine Du was missing as well. The maids told them to leave after giving the presents. It was a very strange atmosphere in the mansion. Qiao Xuan wanted to leave as soon as possible but she was very surprised too. Anyways, she did not care what was going on in the mansion, as long as there was no troubleing to her. Shao Yunduan believed that he was right. Officer Qiao not only needed a lot of money, he needed it urgently. When their master was angry, the servants did not dare utter a sound. But Officer Qiao did not turn to him and Qiao Xuan for help after what happenedst time. It seemed that he did not have much hope in them. Good¡­ The couple went to thend agent and soon bought thend. They finished the deal within two days. It was a barrennd of eight mu, located close to the vige entrance. Those in the vige did not talk about this any longer. They did not think that it was anything new. It was the right time to cultivate snow fungus. Qiao Xuan soon hired vigers to work on ttening thend. They were going to build a huge wall with bricks, as tall as three meters, which would be out of the reach of anydder. In the end, they built rows of sheds for mushrooms, whilst the ground was built on bricks, easy to handle and not prone to getting any mud in. They were going to build a storage house and tool house. They needed a storage house to store dried snow fungus and a tool house to store those tools, like dustpans, baskets and cleaves. Qiao Xuan did not intend to make a big fuss about it. Snow fungus were different from other mushrooms. Only rich people were able to eat those expensive things. If the secret was revealed, they would have a lot of trouble. They were not capable enough to bring the whole vige to be rich. They would draw a lot of jealousy and calction from peers. Fifteen people were hired to dig thend, including Shao Sang and Shao Dng, who worked there as the supervisors. They were paid 35 won a day as well. They needed professionals to build the wall and house and they neededborers as well. They were all in the same team. It would take 20 days or so to finish the project and it should cost less than half a liang. The workers were all very happy. Widow Sun, who had not been seen for ages, squeezed through the crowd and watched the show. Hearing how the vigers spoke highly of the first section of the family, she felt very sour.. Chapter 626 - 626: Jealousy Chapter 626 - 626: Jealousy Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She regretted that she had not agreed to Ding Qingqings proposal of marrying Shao Yunduan. Now, she was forced to deal with Ding Jiahao¡¯s wife, being his concubine, and was living a terrible life. She could not stand it any more, when she saw how well the Shao Family was doing right now. This should have been her life! All of this should have been hers! Widow Sun snapped at Qiao Xuan, forcing a smile. ¡°Yunduan¡¯s wife, your life is getting better and better. You buy fields every year. Where do you get this much money?¡± ¡°Do you have any ways of making money? Share that with us as well? We are all living in the vige, and you should take care of us, right? You eat meat, and you can at least share some meat soup with us, no?¡±
¡°We are all grateful people, you know. We will pay you back!¡± What Widow Sun said drew some agreement from the bystanders. Some of them even seemed quite expectant. ¡°Yeah, teach us how to live a good life, alright?¡± ¡°Maybe they really have some ways of making money. Otherwise, where did they get this much money?¡± ¡°That seems true!¡± ¡°But they don¡¯t seem to be engaged in anything?¡± ¡°Maybe we can listen to their story?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t tell you, otherwise you will be apetitor!¡± ¡°But we are in the same vige, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Seeing many people nodding at what she said, Widow Sun sneered. ¡°See, Yunduan¡¯s wife, we all want to hear the truth!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Who do you think you are that I have to obey what you say? I am going to ask my mother-inw if she agrees to your demand!¡± Many peopleughed in the crowd. Widow Sun was the concubine of the former Land Officer! Right now, Ding Jiahao¡¯s wife and she were in the midst of a big fight and everyone was gossiping about it. Qiao Xuan was right. Who did Widow Sun think she was? How dare she confront the County Magistrate¡¯s daughter, who was also the wife of a Cultivated Talent? No one dared to take Widow Sun¡¯s side when Ms. Fang was mentioned. Ms. Fang was not simple to deal with. It was never easy to figure out how others made money! Widow Sun turned so pale as she shivered. ¡°You are looking down at us! The richer the people are, the more stingy they are!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s words poked her right in her wound. Qiao Xuan blinked. ¡°We are not rich people. Also why stingy and bad? Tell me. Or I¡¯ll tell my mother-inw who can ask people in your family what you mean. Why am I stingy, when I am telling the truth?¡± Widow Sun was so annoyed. Qiao Xuan sank her face. ¡°Say it? If you don¡¯t say it clearly, 1 will never ept you using me of things I didn¡¯t do in front of so many people.¡± Widow Sun was shivering. She almost suffocated. Ding Jiahao had been obsessed with her, and he told her some sweet words. But she was med in the end because he thought that she had caused him to lose the Land Officer position.. Chapter 627 - 627: Deserved Chapter 627 - 627: Deserved Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Now, Ding Jiahao kept cursing and hitting her whenever he thought of this matter. Ms. Qiu did not even treat her as a human being. Even her daughter was treated like a maid, and she did not even dare cry. She regretted it so much. If Qiao Xuan, Ms. Fang and the Shao Family went to her husband¡¯s home to cause trouble, she would be tormented again by Ms. Qiu.
Widow Sun felt dreadful at the thought. She was frightened and held a deep grudge towards Qiao Xuan. But she regretted her impulsive behavior. She should have stayed silent! Qiao Xuan could tell that she was scared. But she still showed a calm look on her face, though she was sneering inwardly. ¡°If you try to create a rumor, you need to apologize.¡± Widow Sun opened her mouth. She really could not make an apology. Especially to Qiao Xuan. That was like a p right across her face. Still, she understood her situation. Widow Sun closed her eyes and said, ¡°Sorry, I should not have said that.¡± Qiao Xuan did not want to show harshness in front of others. She smiled and said, ¡°l will let you go, since you apologized. But you should watch out what you say next time. using others for things they don¡¯t do is a bad virtue.¡± Window Sun¡¯s face sank and she clenched her teeth in anger. But she did not dare offend Qiao Xuan again. It was toote though. Ms. Qiu arrived there in anger. She red at Widow Sun. ¡°Youzy, greedy bitch. I am so busy at home whilst you are watching a show here? Get home now, or you will have no food tonight! Widow Sun was so annoyed that she almost wanted to hit Ms. Qiu to death. This evil bitch! But she did not dare to! She was just a concubine, who was married in a very humiliating way. Ms. Qiu was the mistress of the family and she could do whatever she wanted to her. People were looking at her. Widow Sun was so angry and humiliated, that she dashed off with her head lowered. ¡°What a pitiful woman!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°It was her fault for having done such a humiliating thing!¡¯ ¡°Yeah, she asked for it!¡± Although there seemed to be a fig leaf over her affair, and the exnation seemed really reasonable, everyone understood what was going on. It was just some gossip in the whole vige that no one liked to talk about. They sighed, exchanged opinions and went home when it was time to make dinner. The crowd dispersed eventually. Qiao Xuan checked the ce, spoke a few words and went home too. She did not feel sorry for Widow Sun. Widow Sun did not deserve herpassion. But for her superpower, Shao Dngs leg would have been done! If it wasn¡¯t for Ms. Yan, who eavesdropped on their conversation and told her and Shao Yunduan about it, no one would have foreseen that it was a conspiracy. They were Widow Sun¡¯s enemies, and maybe she and the former Land Officer would have gotten them killed someday. This woman was evil and it served her right to be treated like this. Ms. Qiu was the right person who could bring her down.. Chapter 628 - 628: Not Two Owners Chapter 628 - 628: Not Two Owners At the Qiao Mansion. Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao were very distressed and kept sighing for theck of money. They started with an amiable discussion, but soon the discussion developed into an argument. The whole backyard was filled with anger and darkness. In the end, Madame Qiao came up with an idea. ¡°How about borrowing some money from those rich families again?¡± Officer Qiao was startled. He already did it once. Otherwise his coffers would have been empty ages ago. Officer Qiao did not think that it was good for his reputation if he turned to them again.
It was not a very good thing if a County Magistrate borrowed money from locals. It would turn him into a joke. He had chosen five very rich, not tricky families when he borrowed the money for the first time. He got 1,000 liang from each of them. They were nice families, but they were not very happy when they had to fork out so much money to the County Magistrate. If he turned to them again¡­ If he ran to them again, it would be unreasonable, and his reputation would be ruined among all the rich families. The fewer people knew about it, the better. 1,000 liang was already a lot of money. If he borrowed 1,000 liang again¡­ that was still not enough. He needed to find some more families to help him gather the amount. Officer Qiao felt really ufortable thinking that his name would be ruined. Madame Qiao sneered seeing his confused face. Reputation? His reputation was worth no money. His reputation could not be worthwhilepared to his future prospects. Madame Qiao did not want to give up now, especially since they had invested so much in this position. ¡°Old Master, your future is more important! Think about this, if you can be higher in the position, the reputation is nothing!¡¯ She continued coaxing him. ¡°Also, when you step into a higher position, you can return the money to them, and it would be their luck to be rted to you at that time. They would be so happy about it.¡± Officer Qiao nodded, and he gradually felt better. ¡°True. As long as I attain a high position in the capital, I will have enough money. I can return the loaned amount to them by that time!¡± Also, nothing else mattered if the future was promising. More importantly, if all worked well, he could be back to the capital by the end of spring. He did not have to stay here for one more year. Then, he would not need to worry about beingughed at. Soon¡­ he would be away from this ce. ¡°That is it!¡± Officer Qiao made up his mind to do so. The rich families, including Old Master Zhao, were all shocked. They had just lent out 1,000 liang. They still had to give more this time? They would not ask him to return the money since he was County Magistrate. So, they never held any expectations that the money would be returned. But that was 1,000 liang! Even rich families like Old Master Zhao were not happy to have it in other people¡¯s hands, let alone to someone who would never return it. The old masters gathered together, exchanging some thoughts with each other. ¡°What is wrong with Officer Qiao? He wants 1,000 liang again. I don¡¯t have this much money!¡¯ Someone broke the silence and started toin. ¡°Yeah, I only have fields, not cash..¡± Chapter 629 - 629: Old Master Zhao’s Bitterness Chapter 629 - 629: Old Master Zhao¡¯s Bitterness Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°1,000 earlier and 1,000 again now? That is just¡­ sigh!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have this much cash, either. What should we do?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t earn much money easily, right? The County Magistrate¡¯s behavior is over the top!¡¯ ¡°What should we do?¡± The sighing andints stopped, when the question was raised by someone.
They all turned to Old Master Zhao with an inquiring look. His was one of the top rich families, and the Zhao Family had a close rtionship with the County Magistrate. Old Master Zhao smiled bitterly. He was feeling even more wronged in his heart. While the others lent out 1,000 liang, he had to loan out 1,500 liang! When the others were asked for 1,000 this time, the strategist asked him to offer 2,000 liang instead. He was so annoyed and almost spat out blood. ¡°What should we do? He is an officer! Also, he is just borrowing¡­¡± Someone sneered. ¡°That is just an excuse. We all know that the money can¡¯t ever be returned.¡¯ ¡°Yeah, but who dares say that out loud?¡± Everyone became silent. Old Master Zhao sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s just gather the money and send it to Officer Qiao. We can¡¯t really fight with the officers, you know. We should take a step back. Besides, Officer Qiao has never asked to borrow money from us before¡­ he must be in real trouble in recent times.¡¯ True. They nodded, sighed and shook their heads. They had to give the money. Officer Qiao was not a greedy officer, but he was not a nice man. When he asked for something, they had to give it out obediently. Soon, Old Master Zhao gathered 2,000 liang and had it delivered. The others also tried to collect the money. Some even secretly sold out a few valuable things and managed to get 1,000 liang. Some families had to offer the money, since everyone else did. They did not dare to make anyints. Officer Qiao sorted out the money and went into the capital with his trusted man. He felt so d to have this load off his mind. ¡°You are smart! The money problem is settled!¡± Madame Qiao let out a sigh of relief as well. She smiled. ¡°l will do anything I can¡­ for your sake, Old Master!¡± He said emotionally, ¡°Our family will flourish with you next to me. I will definitely earn you a great title in the future!¡± Madame Qiao liked to hear this kind of promise. ¡°Thank you very much for that, Old Master!¡¯ ¡°You deserve it!¡± Fearing that Officer Qiao would ask for some more money, Old Master Zhao left home and went traveling. He was not nning to return home within half a year. As long as he was absent, his son could not make the decision, which could be used as the excuse to turn down any new request. The Qiao Family had offered the Zhao Family much convenience. But the Qiao Family got 3,500 liang from the Zhao Family, not including other attributes. That seemed like a huge loss for the Zhao Family after all. Old Master Zhao felt very annoyed and ufortable as well. Seeing that Old Master Zhao was gone, the other families also realized what was going on. They went traveling as well. Almost everyone from the Zhao Family learned about how the Qiao Family asked for the money from them. They felt so ufortable. They all believed that Officer Qiao treated them differently. They even bragged about hanging out together. But this behavior was such a p on their faces. Officer Qiao asked them for far more money than he did from other families. Zhao Ming was especially annoyed. She had been treating Qiao Wei so nicely and even helped Qiao Wei find some information about Qiao Xuan secretly. But now, she was not going to tell Qiao Wei anything any more.. Chapter 630 - 630: To The Weak Chapter 630 - 630: To The Weak Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions In fact, she was going to vent her anger on Qiao Xuan. That was a very strange logic. When someone offended a person who was more powerful and could not take revenge on that person, one would definitely try to bully those who were weaker, just to vent the anger. The brave attacked the strong, and the timid attacked the weak. That was what happened in the society. It was the same as in the case of those who had a bad time in their life but vented their anger at those children in the kindergarten and primary school. Zhao Ming felt annoyed by Qiao Wei, but she only dared to curse her in her heart. She did not dare set up Qiao Wei or take revenge on her.
But she was going to pick on Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan was also Officer Qiao¡¯s daughter. Officer Qiao was so annoying, so his daughter should bear the responsibility. The more she thought about this, the angrier Zhao Ming felt. So, she found some time and headed directly to Shaoding Vige. When she arrived, the house for snow fungus had been built. Zhao Ming turned to the coachman and sneered. ¡°This is by Qiao Xuan again? Interesting, what is it exactly? It is not a house, right?¡± But this showed Qiao Xuan did have some money, no? Otherwise she would not be able to afford to build these. They had a big residential house and also dozens of mu fields. There should be more than one hundred mu of field in total, right? Those fields were not worth more than good fields, but together, it would add up to something, after all. Zhao Ming suddenly came up with an idea. She thought about taking Qiao Xuan¡¯s belongings since the Qiao Family forced the Zhao Family to offer money. These fields were not valuable, but she was going to get them. For her family¡¯s sake. Although she did not think this little thing would be worth much, at least she would feel better. The vigers were used to seeing wagons heading towards the first section of the Shao family, so Zhao Mings arrival did not attract any attention. It was Lixia who opened the door. She was startled. ¡°Who are you?¡± Zhao Ming did not care about a small maid. But did this mean that they could afford to hire servants now? That was surprising. She could not help but spare a few nces at Lixia. She felt even more annoyed. Lixia behaved so well and she did not seem like a cheap, stupid servant. Almost as good as her own. Qiu Rong asked. ¡°Is this Cultivated Talent Shao Yunduan and Ms. Qiao¡¯s home?¡± Lixia nodded. ¡°It is.¡± ¡°Good. Ourdy is here to talk with them!¡± Qiu Rong said, as she was about to walk in with Zhao Ming. Lixia frowned. She did not stop them but shut the door, instead of letting the coachman walk in. Thisdy did not seem to be her mistress¡¯s friend. She looked so bad-tempered. She could not stop her, but she could at least shield her froming into the yard. The first section of the Shao Family was very busy at this time. Qiao Xuan and a few girls were working very hard in the flower fields. Apart from Shao Yunduan who was studying at home, only Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were home, taking care of the children with Lixia. Ms. Fang heard the noise and walked out. She sized up Zhao Ming.. Chapter 631 - 631: Ojao Xuan’s Money Chapter 631 - 631: Ojao Xuan¡¯s Money Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Lixia walked forward and bowed to Ms. Fang. ¡°Madame Shao, thisdy is asking for Ms. Qiao¡­¡± She could not stop her. She did not dare stop her mistress¡¯s friend. But she hesitated for just one second, which allowed Zhao Ming to walk in with her servants. ¡°Oh, you are here to look for Ms. Qiao.¡± Ms. Fang noticed Zhao Ming sizing up the house and looking at the way she reacted, she believed that Zhao Ming was not here to chat with Ms. Qiao. But she had not done anything so far, so she just smiled and asked. ¡°What is your name?¡± Qiu Rong said arrogantly, ¡°It is Lady Zhao.¡±
¡°Okay, Lady Zhao,e to the house and take a seat, Lixia, go and fetch Ms. Qiao.¡± Ms. Fang greeted her with a smile. Lixia rushed to the flower field in the backyard. Zhao Ming walked in and saw the nice furniture made with good wood. These were not precious, but definitely not cheap, either. The yard was bigger than other farmer families¡¯ homes, and there were some other yards as well. The floor was covered with bricks. An ordinary family could not have afforded this. She saw the flowers too. There were hydrangeas, peonies, and magnolias. The zed windows surprised her. Those were not cheap at all. Thoserge zed windows let in the light and this was not an easy piece of work. Qiao Xuan did it, right? These countryside people should have heard of anything like zed windows¡­ Where did Qiao Xuan get this much money? Zhao Ming believed that Qiao Xuan must have offered her dowry so the first section of the family could live a luxurious life like this. Madame Qiao could not have possibly given Qiao Xuan this much dowry. Qiao Xuan¡¯s mother left all this to her? That must be right. Interesting¡­ Zhao Ming sneered as if she had gotten a bargaining chip. She felt motivated. In the field, Qiao Xuan was startled. ¡°Lady Zhao?¡± She did not know any Lady Zhao. But when she thought of Zhao Ming, she almost turned pale. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡¯ Qiao Xuan told Taotao and the others to continue working whilst going back to the yard with Lixia. Zhao Ming could not be here for anything good. ¡°Lady Zhao.¡± Qiao Xuan was wearing ordinary cotton clothes that were half new. The shoes on her feet were also coarse cloth shoes, with a little mud stuck on them. She had been working in the flower field. The hair bun was wrapped with a light-colored floral cloth. That was to prevent the hair from being blown by the wind and messing up the vision, and also to stop the hair from being blown into the flower juice. When Zhao Ming saw how messy Qiao Xuan looked, she feltfortable. She sneered. ¡°Second Miss, what made you look like this? I would not recognize you on the street.¡± Qiao Xuan took her to the wing-room and asked. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Zhao Ming snorted, ncing about. ¡°Second Miss, you are living a good life here, right?¡± Qiao Xuan understood what she meant. If Elder Miss Qiao learned about this, she would act on it. Zhao Ming thought that she had got the bargaining chip. But she was wrong. Qiao Xuan repeated her words calmly.. ¡°l am wondering what you are doing here, Lady Zhao?¡± Chapter 632 - 632: Shocked Chapter 632 - 632: Shocked Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Zhao Ming had a bad look on her face. She said angrily, ¡°Of course I am here to collect debt! The County Magistrate got so much money from our home, so, I am here to collect it from you! So what?¡± That was not a secret among all the rich families in the county. Even the masters and mistresses from the Zhao Family knew about it. Zhao Ming naturally believed that she did not need to keep it a secret, thus spilling it out loudly. Qiao Xuan thought to herself that no wonder she was a good friend with Qiao Wei. They had the same temper! But she was shocked by what Zhao Ming said.
Did her father get much money from the Zhao Family? It seemed that her husband was right¡­ her father was in desperate need of money. The Zhao Family might have been annoyed to offer a few hundred liang. But if Zhao Ming was this worked up, then, it basically meant that the Qiao Family had taken thousands of liang from them. Qiao Xuan was shocked. Thousands of liang was a veryrge number. The Zhao Family was rich, but she was sure that they could not stand that much taken out of their family as well. Qiao Xuan said calmly, ¡°Lady Zhao, you are behaving way over the top. I don¡¯t know much about what happened. But my father has been treating you and your family well these days. Why do you react so much to loaning out this little money?¡± ¡°Little money?¡± Zhao Ming sneered. ¡°We gave your family many presents over the years. But still, he took 3,500 liang from us. You said that is little? It seems that you are rich enough to call this amount ¡®little¡¯ now?¡± Qiao Xuan. ¡® She really wanted to tell her that a few thousands of liang was a small amount for her now. She had cash worth more than 40,000 liang. But what position was her father trying to achieve, which cost him so much? He was in such a hurry¡­ Did it mean that he was leaving the country soon? That would be great. Qiao Xuan showed a look of surprise. ¡°Then, what is it got to do with me?¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Zhao Ming sneered. ¡°You are his daughter! Qiao Xuan, if I tell others that you are living in a house with zed windows andrge yards, and you even have hundreds of mu of fields, what do you think will happen?¡± Qiao Xuan was speechless. She got nothing good out of her father, but her father had caused her such trouble. Zhao Ming was very annoyed to have lost this much money, so she was venting her anger. ¡°What do you want?¡± Qiao Xuan did not show any expression. Zhao Ming believed that Qiao Xuan was pretending to beposed. She said proudly, ¡°l know you are poor, but I want your fields. Then, I will keep this a secret for you.¡± Qiao Xuan did not believe her. Qiao Xuan was not going to give away the fields here. Even if she did, what would happen next time? Was she going to give it to Zhao Ming whenever she wanted something from No, she was not going to give away anything. ¡°You don¡¯t want to? Aren¡¯t you afraid that Elder Miss Qiao would know about this? Qiao Xuan, you are a smart person.. You know what choice to make!¡± Chapter 633 - 633: Reasonable Chapter 633 - 633: Reasonable Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan asked in a calm voice. ¡°Lady Zhao, do you think that the Shao Family are rich enough to get those fields and the big house? Zhao Ming was startled. She was confused too, but then she sneered. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you!¡¯ Qiao Xuan shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not me, but my husband. I only know that the fields are rted to Young Master Yuezheng in the province, but 1 don¡¯t know the details. Young Master Yuezheng keeps a low-profile, and he doesn¡¯t like bragging. But this is not some dirty deal, so you can tell anyone you want.¡± Qiao Xuan was still trying to use Yuezheng Xiao as the shield. Afterwards, she could go to Shao Yunduan and talk about thepensation. Alos, Yuezheng Xiao had a manager who was now residing at the Zhang Vige. He could be the messenger.
He was working for the Yuezheng Family, and he would always work better than Shao Yunduan as proof. Zhao Ming had heard of the Yuezheng Family in the province. She was startled hearing what Qiao Xuan said. ¡°You are lying to me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Qiao Xuan. ¡°You can believe me, or not. It depends on you.¡± Zhao Ming snorted and flushed furiously. She got very angry about not being able to get the fields. Maybe she was even looked down upon by Qiao Xuan. She did not need the fields. She just wanted to vent her anger. How could that be so difficult? ¡°So, Young Master Yuezheng has purchased all those fields? What does he need those fields for?¡± Qiao Xuan replied with a shrug. ¡°I am not sure about it!¡± Qiao Xuan sounded so natural just when she said that. She was just ¡®a woman¡¯, who should not be involved with family business, right? Zhao Ming believed so too. She looked at Qiao Xuan quietly. She was not very satisfied, but there was nothing she could do. She could not go and get the information from Shao Yunduan. Qiao Xuan was chuckling inwardly, thinking that she could imagine all the stories she wanted. It was time to make lunch and Qiao Xuan did not want Zhao Ming to stay here any longer. ¡°Lady Zhao, it is time for lunch, 1 think you can¡­¡± Zhao Ming snorted and looked disdainful ¨C so stingy. She believed that she was going to remain for lunch? She did not want to eat anything from the poor family. ¡°Qiao Xuan, you must never lie to me. I will look into what you said. If you have lied to me, I will teach you a lesson. Qiu Rong, we should leave now!¡± Zhao Ming left arrogantly. Qiao Xuan ignored her and told Ms. Fang about it. When Ms. Fang learned that Zhao Mings brother was hanging out with Shao Ling, so she snapped. ¡°No wonder she seems like a bad person. She looks down at us! She should never bother toe to our door if she looks down at us. We are not begging her!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°Mom, next time she is here, send someone to fetch me but do not speak with her. Ladies from the town are always arrogant and they never talk nicely. Don¡¯t take what they say to your heart, or get upset, okay?¡± Ms. Fang smiled and said, ¡°Thanks for your concern, my daughter-inw!¡± They happened to go into the mountains the previous day, and hadn¡¯t finished eating the muntjac meat they hunted back. At noon, they made shredded pork in sauce, braised venison, crucian carp loofah soup, fried wolfberry sprouts, river shrimp fried spring leeks, and a bowl of kimchi pickled with carrots, beans, chili, and cabbage. Those seasonal vegetables were delicious and fresh.. Chapter 634 - 634: No Involvement Chapter 634 - 634: No Involvement Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions After lunch, they returned to their own yards. That was when Qiao Xuan told Shao Yunduan about Zhao Mings visit. The couple would have originally thought that Zhao Ming wanted to suck up to Qiao Wei, and hence she tried to pry into their matter. But the truth was that she came to vent her anger because of the loan. Qiao Xuan thought of how Shao Ling spilled the information to her at the tea house. They knew that she was not up to anything good. They did not even interrogate Shao Ling. There was no need to say anything to a person like him. What they needed was to stay cautious. After some discussion, the couple went to the Zhang Vige and gave the update to the manager there.
The manager assured them. He said disdainfully, ¡°The Zhao Family, the Zhang Family or any family are nothing, as long as our Young Master moves a finger. Once he does that, they will have no prospering business!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduanughed. Zhao Ming told her mother about what happened. She wondered if she should tell Qiao Wei what she found at the first section of the Shao Family. Madame Zhao was very surprised when she heard about the life Qiao Xuan was living. She knew pretty well what went on inside mansions like that. But¡­ ¡°You said that Young Master Yuezheng was mentioned? He is involved in it?¡± ¡°Yeah, but 1 am not sure if she is lying.¡± ¡°Just leave it.¡± Madame Zhao said calmly, ¡°What does it have to do with us? We should not get nosy like this.¡± Zhao Ming was struck speechless. She felt that it was so stupid to have visited Qiao Xuan. How the Qiao Family was doing had nothing to do with the Zhao Family. She could help to get some information before. But Officer Qiao forced the Zhao Family to pay him 3,500 liang, and the two families¡¯ rtionship was broken. She better not share the information with Qiao Wei anymore. Besides, the Yuezheng Family was involved in this as well. That was enough to motivate her to stay out of it. She even wished that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan would be powerful enough to get Young Master Yuezheng to help them take revenge on Officer Qiao¡¯s family. ¡°l got it, Mom.¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan thought that something would happen after Zhao Ming went back. But nothing did. They were very confused. They had no idea why the ident did not happen but they did not think that it would nevere. After all, Zhao Ming would not be able to keep it a secret for too long. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan only wished that life could be more peaceful. But Qiao Xuan was still very confused why her father needed this much money. So, she asked Yuezheng Xiao to look into that. Soon, Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s message arrived. Her father was trying to get a transfer back to the capital. Officer Qiao was thest generation of the rank. The Qiao Mansion lost its rank when her father took it over. They were just an ordinary family henceforth. The mansion would not have any power or contacts, since there were so many rich people and people in high positions in the capital.. Chapter 635 - 635: To Province Chapter 635: To Province Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions It was not very easy for her father to get transferred back to the capital. No wonder he needed this much money. But the way he asked for the money was so shameless. It was good that he had no idea about her properties. Otherwise, he would have kept pestering her. Once the foundation was built, the house at the entrance of the vige waspleted within a few days¡¯ time. Soon after, they built the shelf and started to transport the mushrooms. There were dustpans, cleaves, baskets all bought inrge batches. Many people in the vige were able to weave such things, so Qiao Xuan turned to them and paid them to make enough. The nting of mushrooms started within half a month. The mushrooms only took up three mu, and it would soon grow in a few months. The n of filling up the house should go smoothly. That was all money right in front of her! Qiao Xuan was very satisfied. The pomegranates were also blooming in full swing. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan decided to head to the province after they made another batch of pomegranate-color lipsticks. The autumn examination took ce at the end of July, and the time was fast approaching. Qiao Xuan needed to get everything settled before she left, in case something happened. Especially ever since she almost got exposed in front of Officer Qiao, she had be more careful. She was not sure what would happen when she and Shao Yunduan were away for almost two months. She was going to entrust her matter to Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s manager. The manager had a strong background, and he could deal with everything With him in charge, he would at least solve the small problems which could ur in two months¡¯ time. When all was settled, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan left the vige in silence on June 20th. They had 1,300 lipsticks, 10 kgs of dried snow fungus alongwith Lixia, and Liqiu. Their destination was the province. Ms. Fang had wanted Qi to follow them, but Shao Yunduan turned her down. Their elder brother was too honest, and the third brother was a bit slow in mind. Qi seemed young, but he should remain at home to protect the others. He could buy one pageboy to run errands and carry stuff when he arrived in the province. He could keep him if he wanted to, or sell him after the examination. Ms. Fang could not persuade him, and thus agreed. Shao Yunduan repeatedly told the family that no one should tell others that he went out for the examination. The news they spread was that he was out to visit friends since he was in a bad mood. Even this was not to be mentioned to anyone, unless someone asked. Especially to the other sections of the family. Actually, Shao Yunduan was very worried about Shao Ling who hung out with Zhao Guanghua. He might talk nonsense at any point of time. The Qiao Family and the Zhao Family were too close to each other. If Madame Qiao knew that he was going to take the examination, she might try to cause some trouble. He and Qiao Xuan were not at home, and their parents and siblings were all honest farmers. They would not be able to confront people like Madame Qiao, who could set them all up easily if she used some tricks. Shao Yunduan could not take the risk. Shao Ling was very concerned whether he was going to take the examination and even came to ask him about this. Shao Yunduan showed a bad look to him and said that he was not. Shao Lingughed proudly and pretended to console Shao Yunduan, then he left happily.. Chapter 636 - 636: Warning Chapter 636: Warning Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions He did not care if Shao Yunduan treated him nicely or not. Shao Ling believed that he was in a bad mood and could be forgiven. Shao Ling did not suspect him. Atter all, Shao Yunduan was driven out of Minghua College and without any teacher¡¯s instructions, he could not exchange opinions with anyone, thus going around without a clue. In that case, he would not have the guts to take the autumn examination. Even if he did, he would not make it. It would be just a waste of money. What was the point? Although Shao Ling left in satisfaction, Shao Yunduan did not rx his vignce. He still stressed that the secret had to be kept. He said to Eldest Uncle in a serious tone, ¡°Dad, you should never, ever tell anyone from the second or third section of the family about my going to take the examination. Many people from the college are jealous of me, and if they know that 1 will be attempting the examination, they would cause trouble. I have never begged you for anything, but please, this time listen to me. Eldest Uncle was very confused. ¡°l will never tell anyone outside the family. But are you intending to keep it from our family too? I will tell them not to tell anyone else. Our family would not cause you any trouble.¡± ¡°Dad.¡± Shao Yunduan knew that it would be the answer. He said quietly, ¡°l am not joking with you. The secret would no longer be secret, if it is told to even a single person. Dad, are you trying to cause me and our family trouble?¡± Eldest Uncle turned pale. ¡°Is it that serious?¡± ¡°Yes, in fact, far more serious than we think. You would never know.¡± Madame Qiao was an evil woman and she could do anything she liked here in the county. She did not care about anyone. Nis. Fang turned angry. ¡°What is wrong with you? Duan told you so because it is a serious matter. I don¡¯t know the details, but I trust Duan! You don¡¯t believe him? You think your son is messing around? What is so bad about keeping it a secret? Duan is on the way to the examination, and you are talking back to your son. I am warning you, if you ever tell anyone about it and cause us trouble, I will divorce you! My children are all grown-ups, and we can live separately. I can live without you!¡¯ Her sons would take care of her anyway. Eldest Uncle got so humiliated hearing her threat. ¡°Okay, okay then, I won¡¯t spill it. How can it be so serious?¡± Eldest Uncle left the room angrily. Ms. Fang said to Shao Yunduan, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will make sure that he doesn¡¯t talk. ¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Thanks, Mom!¡± They had a huge house, and Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had their ovvn yard. They barely showed up in front of others. So, their absence would not cause much attention. Soon, the news that Shao Yunduan gave up the examination was spread around. Some wereughing, some were making up stories, and some felt that Shao Yunduan gave this up because he believed that he would fail. Only some people really showed concern. Some even came to the door to pry. They were very curious. It was not a very good thing to discuss, and Ms. Fang was not happy to answer them. She just exchanged a few words with them and received some constion like ¡®it is fine, he can do thatter, what a pity¡¯ etc.. Chapter 637 - 637: Province Chapter 637 - 637: Province Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions No one found that it was strange, when Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan did not show up in front of people. They would be too embarrassed to do so, and people could totally understand that. At the Qiao Family. Officer Qiao understood that it was not a very reasonable thing he did to have borrowed this much money from others. So, he stayed quiet and tried to avoid meeting people during this time. He even told Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei as well as the others to remain at home, rather than attend any banquets¡­ at least for the next few months. Madame Qiao stayed at home, saying that she was practicing Buddhism.
Even if County Magistrate Qiao did not tell her to, she would not have gone out by herself. She knew that she would not be well-received after she got so much money from others. Qiao Wei did not step out either. She hoped that some of her girlfriends coulde to the door and visit her. But no one showed up. Qiao Wei felt quite cold in her heart. She sneered at them for pursuing the small benefits. They should feel lucky to have befriended her. When she was back to the capital next spring, they would have no chance to suck up to her. They would regret it deeply at that time. Moreover, she was going to marry the Hou Mansion! Those noble families were totally out of reach for thesendlords¡¯ children! Qiao Wei was still dreaming without realizing that Qiao Kou was nning to set her up. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan went to the mansion which the Yuezheng Family had given them, after they reached the Province. It was spread across seven mu, with three corridors and a small garden. There was still a lot of space after the four of them moved in. Yuezheng Xiao had learned that they would arrive within these few days, so he had already ordered servants to clean up the whole ce, and left a couple to help with some house chores. In this way, they would not panic. The following day, Shao Yunduan asked the gate guard to pass on the invitation to the Yuezheng Family and Xie Jingrong. Then, he bought a pageboy in his teens, and named him Songshi. Finally, someone was running the errands for him. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong replied and said that they could have a meeting the following day. First Madame asked Auntie Hua to send two maids to Qiao Xuan with some delicious food, saying that she was going to be invited to spend some time at the mansion. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan answered them happily. They spend the first day at home, taking a break. The couple came to the house for the first time, so they walked about and touched every corner. The woman said that it was the First Madame who had supervised the decoration. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan could tell that it was very carefully decorated. Even the ingredients in the kitchen were all settled ahead of time. There were many trees and flowers in the garden. Some were ced in small pots, and had been exquisitely taken care of. At this time, the crape myrtle was in full bloom. Other blooming flowers included the Chinese trumpet vine, hydrangea, gardenia, rhododendron, jasmine, wisteria, etc. They cast down thick shade, and drove away heat. There was a square pavilion in the northeast area of the garden, which faced a huge rockery.. Chapter 638 - 638: Yuezheng Ting Again Chapter 638 - 638: Yuezheng Ting Again Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions In front of the pavilion, there was a small pond of 13 to 14 square meters. In the pond, there were beautiful koi swimming around and water lilies. In the shallow water, there were clumps of unknown aquatic nts with golden flowers as high as half a person. They were full of vitality. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan loved the house. They decided to get the family here to spend some time together in the province, after the Mid-autumn Festival. There was a small market close by, so Qiao Xuan, Lixia and Liqiu went to buy some stuff. She decided to cook during the following days. With Lixia, Liqiu helping around, she could definitely cook three meals a day for these people.
They bought 30 eggs, one chicken andmb ribs, as well as some other fresh vegetables. She was going to stew the chicken and braise the ribs with two vegetables. Before that, First Madame sent two boxes over. It consisted of eight dishes and one soup. They could not finish it and the day was too hot for the dishes to be kept. Qiao Xuan gave some to the maids and guards, so that they could share the food with their families. The staff was very d and thanked the couple. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan settled down in the province. By this point, there were a few wealthy Cultivated Talents who had alreadye to the province. They were either living in their own houses, or at their rtives. Some were even stationed at the hostels. They soon started to befriend each other. They exchanged opinions and information, it was very lively. Shao Yunduan went there asionally, but not often. He did not reveal his rtionship with Xie Jingrong, but Xie Jingrong gave him the earliest and mostprehensive information, so he did not have to gather up with those people. He could spend more time studying at home or going out with Qiao Xuan. That was much morefortable. Qiao Xuan would visit First Madame asionally, and First Madame treated her nicely as always. First Madame did not want her to cook. She even gave her some good chefs to help her. But Qiao Xuan turned her down. She bought the most fresh ingredients in the nearest market, and Lixia and Liqiu helped along. So, they could cook a meal with three dishes and one soup easily. It was the Province and they did notck anything. She liked cooking anyway. She could even buy beef every second day. Honestly, she only got to buy beef only three times in the county market. Now, they were able to eat many dishes cooked with beef. They had stir-fried beef with green pepper, braised beef in brown sauce, West Lake beef soup, stewed beef tendon meat, beef hot pot, beef dry pot, sauerkraut boiled beef slices, boiled beef, stewed beef brisket, and a hot pot containing beef offal or stewed or fried beef. Each dish was delicious. On her third visit to the First Madame, she ran out of luck and came across Yuezheng Ting. She was about to dodge her when Yuezheng Ting stopped right in front of her. ¡°How dare youe here. Don¡¯t you feel guilty?¡± The guiding maid did not know what to do. So, she had to step aside. Qiao Xuan was confused. ¡°What do you mean, Lady Yuezheng?¡± Yuezheng Ting shouted. ¡°You are trying to trick me again! You still haven¡¯t told me your actual residential address..¡± Chapter 639 - 639: Lipsticks Chapter 639 - 639: Lipsticks Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan had tricked her way too many times, and even good-tempered people would get angry. Yuezheng Ting was never a good-tempered person, to begin with. When she realized that she was fooled by Qiao Xuan again, she kept pestering Yuezheng Xiao and asked him to tell where Qiao Xuan lived for real. Yuezheng Xiao would not say a thing. He was very protective of his friends. In this way, Yuezheng Ting felt that something was wrong. So did Ms. Mi Junior. But no matter how much they tried, they just could not figure out where Qiao Xuan was from. They could not teach her a lesson which they badly wanted to
do. So, Yuezheng Ting was very furious seeing Qiao Xuan here. Qiao Xuan sighed and said honestly, ¡°If you want to ask me for anything, you don¡¯t have to know where I live, right? Sorry!¡¯ Yuezheng Ting sneered, approached her and asked in a small voice. ¡°Mrs. Shao, are you the manufacturers of the lipsticks at my Third Brother¡¯s store?¡± Qiao Xuan was startled. She countered immediately. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Yuezheng Ting did not believe her. Her mother reached that conclusion. Her mother said that Yuezheng Xiao and his whole family really treated the couple too well and never wanted to reveal where they lived. They must have a secret. Logically speaking, the lipsticks were the most reasonable exnation. Yuezheng Ting said quietly, ¡°Don¡¯t try to convince me. Why not speak with my mother? You are selling lipsticks to my Third Brother, but we will offer a better price,¡± Qiao Xuan knew that this could not be kept a secret for too long. But Yuezheng Ting guessed it a bit too fast. Still, as long as she did not admit to it, Yuezheng Ting would not be able to do anything. ¡°You have misunderstood me, Lady Yuezheng.¡± Qiao Xuan said bitterly, ¡°Okay, I will tell you the truth. We are countryside people and we don¡¯t want trouble. We had a row before, so I was afraid that you woulde to pester me. Hence, I don¡¯t want to tell you where we live.¡± ¡°l am worried that you, Lady Yuezheng, will send people to give us trouble¡­¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s speech really made Yuezheng Tin angry. ¡°You¡­ why do you think of me in this way?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled embarrassedly. ¡°I am sorry to have said this bluntly. But I am very timid and only in this way can I feel safe. Sorry for the misunderstanding, Lady Yuezheng!¡¯ Yuezheng Ting. How shameless this woman was! Yuezheng Ting felt that Qiao Xuan was wary of her, and seemed to be on guard. But her words seemed so real as well. No¡­ she was not a narrow-minded person. Qiao Xuan was talking nonsense! ¡°Just wait and see!¡± Yuezheng Ting gritted her teeth. ¡°Mom will find out the truth sooner orter!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Just do as you wish, Lady Yuezheng.¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Qiao Xuan said goodbye to her and headed to First Madame¡¯s ce. She felt that she needed to tell Yuezheng Xiao about this quickly so when the news spread around, they would know what to do. Qiao Xuan was very thankful to Yuezheng Xiao. But for this, she would not be able to make these many lipsticks and sell them so well.. Chapter 640 - 640: Stopping Chapter 640 - 640: Stopping Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Under the premise of not having enough ability to protect themselves, they could master this kind of skill that could make huge profits. But once it was exposed, not only would they not make a fortune, but it would cause disaster and even make them lose money. This was like a three-year-old child who held gold in his hand and rushed to the market. Qiao Xuan did not tell First Madame about what happened. Her own family was into garments and silk, and she had tworge silk factories as part of her dowry. She had numerous brocades, silk and different kinds of garments in her private possession. She was sorting through them, and showed some to Qiao Xuan, sharing some knowledge about the garments. That was a rare opportunity. Qiao Xuan was very surprised and cherished this moment well. She had learned a lot from First Madame.
She was smart and clever. She asked all kinds of right questions and even shared some of her own opinions with the First Madame. First Madame was very gratified hearing that. She liked the young woman even more. Qiao Xuan could not speak highly of herself. She was not born in the same era as the rest of them, and it was not rare that she could think of some advanced ideas. First Madame sighed happily as she saw how modest she was. Half a day passed without them realizing it. Qiao Xuan had to stay at First Madame¡¯s ce for lunch. First Madame ordered the kitchen to make sweet and sour squirrel mandarin fish. The taste was very appetizing in summer. There were also light steamed crab powder meatballs, shrimp tofu, cold wolfberry sprouts, and beef bitter gourd. The maids were ordered to make jelly and sour plum soup, which were chilled with ice cubes and could be used to cool off after lunch. After a sumptuous meal, Qiao Xuan bid farewell to First Madame, since she was very busy with many things in the mansion. First Madame did not keep her but asked her to join her again after a few days. When she was sorting the garments, she gave some to Qiao Xuan and asked the servants to pack them. Qiao Xuan got too many things from the First Madame, and did not turn down the generosity. She thanked her smilingly. She was going to offer some things from her own home, like the fruits, the smoked stuff, snow fungus, the expensive tea leaves, watermelons, and so on. But before she was able to leave the Yuezheng Family, she ran into Ms. Mi Junior. ¡°Greetings, Second Mrs. Yuezheng¡¯! Qiao Xuan stopped to greet her. Nis. Mi Junior sized her up and smiled. ¡°Mrs. Shao¡­ my Elder Sister-inw really loves you, doesn¡¯t she? She does not even treat us like this. What about having a chat with me?¡± Qiao Xuan did not want to. But she needed to visit the Yuezheng Family often, so she could not escape the woman and her daughter all the time. She nodded unwillingly. ¡°l have to ept your invitation, sorry to trouble you, Second Mrs. Yuezheng.¡± Ms. Mi Junior chuckled as she covered half her face with the fan. ¡°No trouble at all. You are really good at saying nice words, no wonder my Elder Sister-inw loves you! Come with me.¡± Ms. Mi Junior soon took Qiao Xuan back to her own yard.. Chapter 641 - 641: Feeling Guiltv Chapter 641 - 641: Feeling Guiltv Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The two sat down, as the maid served the tea. After exchanging a few words, Ms. Mi Junior asked the other servants to retreat, but kept Yunxiu and Auntie Mao. Ms. Mi Junior stopped smiling and leveled a serious look at Qiao Xuan. ¡°We are alone now, so we can talk about everything frankly. Mrs. Shao, spare me some lipsticks. I don¡¯t want many, just 100 or 200 lipsticks will do. I will use them as favors. I will pay you more than Yuezheng Xiao pays you, just think of it as a favor you do for me, ok?¡± Ms. Mi Junior and Yuezheng Ting were truly mother and daughter, good at intimidating others. They did not even want to conceal what they were up to. Qiao Xuan said sincerely, ¡°Second Mrs. Yuezheng, I understand what you mean. But you have misunderstood me. I do have lipsticks, Aunt Yuezheng gave them to me. I have so many, with different colors. I love them. But I am not the manufacturer. Where did you hear such a rumor? You are wrong.¡± ¡°Mrs. Shao.¡± Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s face sank. ¡°There is no use pretending, right?¡± Qiao Xuan answered. ¡°I am telling you the truth.¡±
¡°Mrs. Shao, don¡¯t be so extreme. If I find out the truth one day, you will be embarrassed.¡¯ Qiao Xuan thought to herself. ¡®I am not setting you up or begging you for anything. I am concealing the matter because you are up to no good. If you really find that out, why will I be the embarrassed one?¡¯ ¡°Do you really want me to prove it to you?¡± ¡°Sorry, but we are not so familiar with each other. I have nothing to say more, if you don¡¯t believe me, Second Mrs. Yuezheng.¡± ¡°Okay, I can tell that you want solid evidence thrown in your face. Just wait and see!¡± Qiao Xuan almostughed in her head. ¡®So what? I am not going to work with you anyway!¡¯ ¡°I will be off now, bye.¡± Ms. Mi Juniorughed and said, ¡°How can my Elder Sister-inw treat you so nicely? After all, you should not have anything to do with my Elder sister-inw, right? You should tell me the truth, right?¡± These people were just too nosy. Why was Ms. Mi Junior interested in who Aunt Yuezheng treated nicely? She did not think that Aunt Yuezheng had any time to care about who Ms. Mi Junior cared about. She thought for a while and smiled. ¡°That is not strange. The other day when my sister-inw and I went out for a walk, we ran into Aunt Yuezheng who had passed out. So, I helped her to her room along with Auntie Hua. Since then she has liked me, so I feel quite lucky.¡± ¡®Like¡¯ was a very vague word, which could not be exined conclusively. That was the only thing Qiao Xuan could say. If Ms. Mi Junior could not understand, there was nothing she could do. Ms. Mi Junior frowned slightly. She did not like this answer, but she could not find any fault with it. ¡°Oh in that case¡­!¡± Ms. Mi Junior showed a false smile. ¡°You are very lucky, Mrs. Shao, after all, the Yuezheng Family is a huge family in the province. You have helped my Elder Sister-inw and she likes you. You will have no worries for the rest of your life.. Very fortunate for you!¡¯ Chapter 642 - 642: Ms. Mi Junior’s Anger Chapter 642 - 642: Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s Anger Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan smiled as a way to agree with what she heard. She was lucky. Otherwise, she would not have got the superpower, or the space, or the husband with a huge potential as well as a mother-inw like that. She even had so many properties that earned her the money, as well as friends like Yuezheng Xiao, Aunt Yuezheng and Xie Jingrong!¡¯ But her silence made Ms. Mi Junior feel angrier. Ms. Mi Junior believed that she was shameless and did not hear her sarcasm. ¡°Hopefully, you will have this luck forever!¡¯ ¡°Thanks, Second Mrs. Yuezheng!¡¯
¡°Okay then, you can go back now.¡± Ms. Mi Junior found herself very annoyed after Qiao Xuan left. She did not like what she heard from Qiao Xuan. ¡°Where did this wild girl appear from? How can she be so lucky? She really feels so good about herself!¡± ¡°My Elder Sister-inw has picked the wrong person!¡± Yunxiu and Auntie Mao added fuel to the fire. The three of them kept cribbing about this. Qiao Xuan denied that she had anything to do with lipsticks, but Ms. Mi Junior was still skeptical about it. She asked Yuezheng Xiao toe to her ce the moment he stepped into the mansion. ¡°Yuezheng Xiao.¡± Ms. Mi Junior smiled. ¡°Mrs. Shao was here with me. She said that as long as you agreed, she would give me half of her lipsticks. You won¡¯t turn me down, right?¡± The production amount was apparently doubledpared to that fromst year. But it was still too littlepared to the market demand. They were always out of stock the moment they came on the shelf. Especially the limited version which appeared in the market. The whole province was shocked after theunch. Numerous richdies and madams went into the store to watch the show. They could only take a look at the treasure. In the meantime, they bought many other things in the store. Everyone felt so jealous about it. Two linealdies from the Xie Family bought one set each. Yuezheng Ting asked Yuezheng Xiao for one, but he turned her down, saying that the limited version had already been booked. What a liar! Yuezheng Ting and Ms. Mi Junior both felt so annoyed. They turned to Madame Yuezheng to enquire about this, and she asked Yuezheng Xiao, who still gave the same answer. The mother and the daughter were very annoyed. Yuezheng Ting had already bragged that she would have one set, but she did not dare to attend any banquets for thosedies, fearing that someone would ask to take a look at the limited version. Ms. Mi Junior could tell that the profits of lipsticks were far more than she had expected. One store would make so much money without the manager doing anything. Moreover, the lipsticks were so fascinating. Both of them wanted them so much. Ms. Mi Junior sneered at Yuezheng Xiao for not having a partner who manufactured enough of these. The Yuezheng Family could offer the ingredients and the partner could just produce more. That would earn them more than the tea leaves business that they had now. But what she did not know was that Qiao Xuan had been expanding the scale slowly. She had limitedbor force, and she could not be too showy about it in case some trouble came to her door. She was going to expand the products, and venture into things like perfume and hand-made soaps.. But not right now¡­ Chapter 643 - 643: Eagerness To Gain Chapter 643 - 643: Eagerness To Gain Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Xiao respected her decision, and did not get himself involved in the production. But in Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s eyes, that was dumb and stupid. Yuezheng Xiao did not believe Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s im. Qiao Xuan was never going to make a promise to Ms. Mi Junior without telling him first about it. His Second Aunt-inw was trying to be smart, wasn¡¯t she? She was thinking of tricking him as if he were three years old. ¡°What are you talking about, Second Aunt-inw? I don¡¯t understand!¡± Ms. Mi Junior smiled. ¡°Stop pretending in front of me. That is not funny. I will put in some capital for your lipsticks business. You won¡¯t lose anything.¡± ¡°You are joking, Second Aunt-inw.¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Why is Mrs. Shao involved again? That business has nothing to do with Mrs. Shao. She never talks about things which have nothing to do with her!¡± Nis. Mi Junior felt very annoyed by what she heard. ¡°You are humiliating me. You are a man, and cosmetics aren¡¯t a good business for you to be involved in. Why bother? You can give me the business. I promise you that you will earn more than what you have today! You will not lose anything, why turn me down?¡± ¡°To put it straightforwardly, I want this business. We can work together. I promise never to ruin your interests!¡± In Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s opinion, the business was really profitable. She only needed to get as many products as she could, without bothering about anything more. It would simply help her earn money and contacts. She had never been as earnest to a business deal as this one. She really wanted to get it. Yuezheng Xiao sneered. He got up and said, ¡°Second Aunt-inw, you are really strange. If I want to expand the scale, I have my own capital. Why should I share the profits?¡± You are so annoying, Second Aunt-inw!¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s face sank. After a while, she said, ¡°Then tell me, is Mrs. Shao behind the lipsticks?¡± ¡°Can you swear that you won¡¯t lie?¡± ¡°Why should I swear about it?¡± Yuezheng Xiao asked her curiously. ¡°That is a business secret, Second Aunt-inw. Sorry, I can¡¯t reveal a thing!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. I am leaving now.¡± Nis. Mi Junior sneered as she looked at Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s retreating figure. ¡°Nothing can be concealed forever. I will see how much longer you will be able to hide the secret? You won¡¯t be able to do it for long because there are too many people who are interested in lipsticks!¡± Yuezheng Xiao knew what she was thinking. But he was confident enough to be able to safeguard Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. It seemed that he would need to get the Xie Family involved and share some profits with them. The Xie Family had an imperial background and they were a noble family. The Xie Family should be able to safeguard whatever they wanted to. They were capable enough to do so! Soon it was July, and the 20th would be the day for examination. There were already many Cultivated Talents who were in the province. The hostels were filled with people, and many schrs dressed in long robes and square hats could be seen at restaurants and tea houses. Luckily, Shao Yunduan had a yard where the two of them could stay without being disturbed. It was spacious and quiet enough. Shao Yunduan studied ordingly, and sometimes, he attended the gatherings held by the schrs.. Chapter 644 - 644: Land Chapter 644 - 644: Land Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan kept a low-profile. No one knew that he was a close friend with the lineal grandson of the Xie Family and the Young Master of the most wealthy Yuezheng Family. He remained absolutely low-key at the gatherings. He drew no attention to himself. But he ran into some Cultivated Talents from the same county and was mocked. Some people who did not know the truth looked down at him as well. Shao Yunduan did not care. He replied without showing emotions. ¡°Whether or not I am able to make it to the next level doesn¡¯t depend on your words. It depends on the actual result.¡± Not everyone was belittling him though. Shao Yunduan had befriended two Cultivated Talents from another county called Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou. It was the second time for Lu Min to take the examination and the first for Gu Zhiyou. The three of them had a nice chat and soon became friends. On July 12th, the biggest-scaled gathering took ce before the examination. Shao Yunduan attended it as well. Qiao Xuan had looked through every corner of the province, and she was very interested in the outskirts. She was thinking about buying some nice fields. She could not get the good fields, which were very popr amongndlords and rich people. She stood no chance at acquiring those. But she could buy drought fields. If she could buy a few hundred mu, or at least 100 mu, she could nt the cassava and the creeping figs, as well as a few other fruits. In this way, she would be able to get the ingredients for the dessert stores. She was thinking that if the southern fruits like longans, lychees, mangos and dragon fruits as well as papayas and grapefruits were all growing well at home, she could get some to grow here as well. Those were excellent materials for desserts. She had decided to expand the lipsticks, perfumes and hand-made soaps at the vige or in the neighboring areas. She could help the vigers to be rich, so that no one outside the vige would be able to break-in. Qiao Xuan rented a wagon and went out of the town with Lixia and Liqiu, when Shao Yunduan was out for his gathering. They went traveling to see if there was anynd she could buy. On this day, the three of them went to the southern suburb ten miles away. They hiked through a forest and soon entered a t and wide valley. Qiao Xuan liked thisnd very much. The slope was gentle and the valley was wide. Although it looked like there was a lot of gravel and a few boulders taller than a person pop out from time to time, it was no problem nting scallops, cassava, and fruit trees on thisnd. More importantly, she could even get a spring at the end of the valley. With the spring, she could use her superpower and everything would be fine. But for the rocks here, she would not have the chance to acquire this ce since it was difficult to open it. Qiao Xuan liked thisnd. The valley, together with the gentle slopes on both sides, plus the other side of the ridges and slopes over the gentle slopes, was arge area. Altogether, there was at least 600 ¨C 700 mu in total. It would be worth the while though. Qiao Xuan was calcting it in her head when she pointed at the slope, asking Lixia and Liqiu. ¡°How about going up there to have a look at thend?¡± Lixia got the meaning, and smiled.. ¡°You want thisnd, don¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 645 - 645: Young Master Xie Chapter 645: Young Master Xie Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Liqiu asked in an uncertain voice. ¡°You want thisnd? But there are so many rocks on it. You can¡¯t get anything to grow here.¡± Lixia smiled. ¡°It can be used to nt roses and Chinese roses.¡± Liqiu thought for a while and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Qiao Xuan answered as she walked. ¡°You are wrong. I am not going to nt those things here. You can have a look at it first, and then you will know!¡± The three of them talked and smiled. The slope wasn¡¯t high, but after a quarter of an hour, they reached the ridge. The slope on the other side was low too. It could be bought as well. By this point, she was almost certain about this. The three of them had been visiting many ces these days. Sometimes, Shao Yunduan would keep herpany too. Out of all those ces, Qiao Xuan liked thisnd most. That was the best ce with enough space. Qiao Xuan suddenly pointed at the feet of the mountain, then turned to her maids. ¡°Is that Young Master Xie?¡± Lixia and Liqiu had never seen Xie Jingrong before until their visit here to the province. They had eyes widely opened but still shook their heads. ¡°l can¡¯t see clearly¡­¡± ¡°Me neither.¡¯ Qiao Xuan sighed. Right¡­ She had her superpower and could see things through easily. She was a lot more sensitive in every way. In fact, Qiao Xuan did not usually use superpower to check around, usually. She did not like to dig into people¡¯s secrets. But when she used her superpower, she could tell that it was Xie Jingrong and his servant. As Qiao Xuan looked into the direction he was heading, Qiao Xuan was shocked. ¡°Yuezheng Ting?¡± Yuezheng Ting was waiting for him down, next to arge tree. So, Yuezheng Ting was waiting for Xie Jingrong? Was it what she thought? That was strange. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan could tell that Yuezheng Ting liked Xie Jingrong. So, Xie Jingrong should have seen that too. But how could he set a date with Yuezheng Ting in private? Something was wrong. Qiao Xuan used her superpower to look around. Shao Yunduan¡¯s gathering was at a side ce of some noble family. Shao Yunduan had said to her that Xie Jingrong would be present too, but why was he out seeing Yuezheng Ting? Qiao Xuan found that something was wrong. So, the three of them went downhill to take a look at the situation. ¡°Let¡¯s figure out what¡¯s happening.¡± The three girls were very fast as they came downhill. Qiao Xuan led the way and they were close to the ce now. Xie Jingrong had alreadye to Yuezheng Ting by this point. Xie Dong and Yuezheng Tings maid were not standing very close to them. Qiao Xuan gave her maids a wink. So, the three of them went and hid in the shrub, not very far away. She could see everything within sight but they could not hear what the two of them were talking about. Qiao Xuan used her superpower and caught everything that Lixia and Liqiu could not. ¡°What do you want so that you can return the fan to me?¡± Xie Jingrong sounded really angry. Apparently, he and Yuezheng Ting had talked about this already, but there was no conclusion.. Chapter 646 - 646: Not Planned Chapter 646: Not nned Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan was startled. A Fan? Xie Jingrongs fan was in Yuezheng Tings hands? For schrs, a fan was very private. It represented their identity. If the fan was written with his calligraphy, it could be given away as a gift. No wonder Xie Jingrong wanted to get the fan back from Yuezheng Tings hands. Qiao Xuan could not help but feel that Yuezheng Ting was really good at this. She even stole the fan from Xie Jingrong? ¡°Brother Xie.¡± Yuezheng Ting looked at Xie Jingrong with a gentle and sweet voice. ¡°You don¡¯t like me? But I like you so much!¡± ¡°Lady Yuezheng, be careful with what you say. I don¡¯t think that I have ever said anything to make you misunderstand me. I will pretend that I never heard your talk today.¡± ¡°My fan is a private thing. Lady Yuezheng, you can return the fan back to me now. If you don¡¯t want to give it back to me, I can just say that I lost it identally. Honestly, it is just a fan, nothing that important to me.¡± If Yuezheng Ting told the public saying that Xie Jingrong gave it to her as a love gift, would Xie Jingrong agree with that? As long as he said that the fan was lost, people would definitely trust him more than Yuezheng Ting. If he really fell for Yuezheng Ting, he would just get the matchmaker to make the proposal and the Yuezheng Family would definitely say yes to that proposal. This process was never needed. Also, everyone knew that Yuezheng Ting liked Xie Jingrong¡­ including everyone from the noble families in the province. Yuezheng Ting would be stupid enough to ckmail Xie Jingrong to marry her. She was too innocent. She would only cause trouble for herself. The Xie Family would never allow a woman like this to set up their lineal grandson! Xie Jingrong appeared here because he was, after all, Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s friend, and he did not want to ruin the rtionship too badly. He also wanted to put the truth straightforwardly in front of Yuezheng Ting. Moreover, he had painted the fan when he was in the best state, and it would be very difficult to paint an equally good one. That was a rare asion and he had some personal print on it too. It would be best if he could get it back. He felt quite bad to have to let it go. But Yuezheng Ting had touched the fan, and he would never use it again. Yuezheng Tings face sank. She started to cry and seemed very pitiful. ¡°Brother Xie, why am I not good for you? Please tell me, I can change myself. Why don¡¯t you give me any chance?¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s lips twisted. She felt speechless. It was really shameless of her to continue to bother the person who had turned her down. What was the point of doing this? Xie Jingrong lost patience. He frowned and asked quietly. ¡°Why should I give you a chance?¡± Yuezheng Ting was started. Her eyes were widened. Qiao Xuan was surprised too. A gentleman like Xie Jingrong would be so sharp! Yuezheng Ting would be too stupid if she continued to bother him after hearing that. Apparently, Yuezheng Ting felt even more motivated. She sobbed.. ¡°But I truly like you so much¡­¡± Chapter 647 - 647: Bothering Chapter 647 - 647: Bothering Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Xie Jingrong. ¡°How do I care?¡± Qiao Xuan. ¡® That was a very strong stab in the heart. Sure enough, Yuezheng Ting could not stand it any more. She covered her face and burst into tears. Seeing that, Xie Jingrong asked. ¡°Are you returning the fan or not?¡± He hated women like Yuezheng Ting. Such women pretended to be innocent, but were actually very arrogant. They thought highly of themselves and did not care anything about people around them. So annoying! He just did not understand why people like them would want to force people they liked to admire them back? Why did they think that by bothering them constantly, they would definitely reach their purpose? He just did not expect that Yuezheng Ting would get herself dressed up as a man and steal his fan to set up a date with him. What she did not know was that he hated to be calcted. That would make him feel even more disgusted. Holding the fan, Yuezheng Ting was sobbing without saying a thing. Xie Jingrongs eyes sank. He was thinking that if she did not want to return the fan, he would just tell others that he had lost it somehow. But he really did not want anything of his left behind in Yuezheng Tings hands. He wanted to take it back. ¡°If you don¡¯t give it back, I will turn to Brother Yuezheng for help.¡± Yuezheng Ting was startled and cried even more loudly. ¡°Brother Xie, you are so cruel. Okay, okay, what about keeping mepany for two quarters, and you don¡¯t have to say a thing. I will give it back to you after two quarters of an hour, and I will stop pestering you from this moment on.¡± Xie Jingrong did not understand what made her say so. He could not help but look at her. Yuezheng Ting smiled bitterly. ¡°Brother Xie, you can¡¯t even say yes to this small request?¡± Xie Jingrong felt silent. Obviously, he agreed. Yuezheng Ting wiped her tears and smiled on the sly. Qiao Xuan. ¡® Qiao Xuan just did not understand what Yuezheng Ting was doing. She would give up her obsession after two quarters¡¯pany from Xie Jingrong? Since when did she get so enamored with this man so she could belittle herself like this? That was different from how Yuezheng Ting should behave. Qiao Xuan did not walk out, and started to think. Sometimeter, her face changed. Due to her superpower, she could see a few farmers from the neighborhooding over with baskets and des around their waist, sneaking their way here. They were whispering to each other. ¡°So, we need to be witnesses, right? Nothing else.¡± ¡°Yeah, thatdy promised to give us money when we shout what we see.¡± ¡°Thatdy is very interesting!¡¯ ¡°No more talk, we just need the money.¡± ¡°Yeah, ten liang!¡¯ Qiao Xuan suddenly realized what was happening. Yuezheng Ting got Xie Jingrong to stay because she wanted the vigers to see her and Xie Jingrong alone. The Xie Family would need to save the girl¡¯s reputation. Moreover, the Yuezheng Family was not a small household and Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong were good friends too! Yuezheng Ting was really bold to havee up with the n. But she was so stupid. Xie Jingrong could not be forced to marry someone like her. He would not even touch her if they got married.. Chapter 648 - 648: Countering Chapter 648 - 648: Countering Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions In fact, Yuezheng Ting might end up being in a terrible situation. Did she really think that she could turn his mind around? How stupid she was! Qiao Xuan did not care about what she was thinking. But she did not want Xie Jingrong to get set up by this horrible trick. Pondering over this, and seeing the vigers arriving very soon, Qiao Xuan walked out with Lixia and Liqiu, acknowledging them. ¡°Young Master Xie, Lady Yuezheng, greetings!¡¯ Yuezheng Tings face changed. She snapped loudly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Xie Jingrong smiled after a moment of surprise. ¡°Mrs. Shao! Greetings!¡¯ Yuezheng Ting was so annoyed and said with displeasure, ¡°Mrs. Shao, didn¡¯t you see that Brother Xie and I are here? You should leave us alone!¡± Qiao Xuan was very surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t you run into each other identally? Why are you dodging?¡± Yuezheng Ting almost wanted Qiao Xuan to prove that she and Xie Jingrong were alone here. But Qiao Xuan did not seem to be interested in thinking it that way. She knew that Qiao Xuan was countering her. Xie Jingrong smiled loudly. ¡°Mrs. Shao, you are right!¡± Then, he suddenly seemed to think of something and threw a spective look at Yuezheng Ting. He realized that he must have missed something. But with Qiao Xuan here, he was totally assured. Qiao Xuan was cursed by Yuezheng Ting inwardly repeatedly. She interrupted rudely when she saw Qiao Xuan and Xie Jingrong starting to talk. ¡°Mrs. Shao, we are here, Where are you headed to, maybe you should leave now?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°It doesn¡¯t happen every day that we run into each other. We can walk together. 1 am not nning to go anywhere specific.¡± Xie Jingrong developed a bad feeling towards Yuezheng Ting. How could she say such misleading words? So, he said to Yuezheng Ting, ¡°Lady Yuezheng, watch out what you say. You and I just ran into each other, that is all.¡± Yuezheng Ting felt so ashamed when she heard him speak so indifferently. Suddenly, some farmers appeared on the path and they were shocked seeing the scene as well. So was Xie Jingrong. Then, he threw a cold look at Yuezheng Ting and looked imposing. Yuezheng Ting was panicking as if she had been seen through. ¡°Brother Xie, let¡¯s just¡­ just go!¡¯ Xie Jingrong was not stupid. The farmers suddenly appeared for a reason, and they seemed confused when they reached the ce. There was definitely something amiss here. He almost understood what was going on. After all, he had witnessed and heard many conspiracies happening in inner mansions. But he had not expected that Yuezheng Ting would have dared to do such a thing. ¡°What are you doing here? Did she get you here?¡± Xie Jingrong threw a look at Yuezheng Ting and asked them straightforwardly. ¡°Well¡­¡± The farmers turned to Yuezheng Ling subconsciously, looking hesitant. Qiao Xuan almost did not want to continue to watch this. These farmers had no idea how to conceal their inner expressions. They were just asking Yuezheng Ting through their expressions. ¡®Should we tell the truth?¡¯ Yuezheng Ting snapped at them. ¡°What are you looking at us for? I don¡¯t know That was totally different from what they had promised. They only had 5 qian as advance and had thought that they would get 10 liang in total. So, they panicked.. Chapter 649 - 649: Yuezheng Ting’s Plan Backfires Chapter 649 - 649: Yuezheng Ting¡¯s n Backfires Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°What are you talking about, Lady, you are the one who got us here. You wanted us to be the witness of you being along with this Young Master. Now, you are breaking the promise!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Also, you promised to give us ten liang each, you need to give it to us now that we havepleted the task.¡± ¡°Yeah, we dropped our work toe here. This ce is very far away.¡± ¡°You have to give us the money!¡¯ Yuezheng Ting was so ashamed that she screamed loudly. ¡°You lowly farmers, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t know you at all. Just go away!¡¯ Those farmers were so stupid. Ten liang¡­ they could have asked her for the money at any other asion. She would have paid them to shut them up. But they were foolish to reveal everything in front of Xie Jingrong. That was akin to killing her! They would never get any money. Those farmers had been worried that Yuezheng Ting would break the promise, and seeing that she was trying to get out of hermitment, they panicked. ¡°You are a citydy yet you are lying to us?¡± ¡°You found us, and now you are iming that you don¡¯t know us? We came here for the money, else we will never do anything so hical like this!¡± ¡°Yeah, you must give us money, or you will not be able to leave today!¡± ¡°You are all mental! Farmers! I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. Someone bought you off, right? Who did?¡± Yuezheng Ting tried to sidetrack the fire at Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan did not bother to defend herself. Speechless¡­ What a talent in transferring the target. Qiao Xuan did not utter a sound. That made Yuezheng Ting feel that she had found an anchor. Her back straightened up as she pointed at Qiao Xuan. ¡°You are speechless, aren¡¯t you now? Brother Xie, look at her. She tried to set me up!¡± Xie Jingrong ignored her and asked Xie Dong to give 100 liang to the vigers. ¡°Speak the truth now.¡± With the payment, the vigers all cheered up and sold out Yuezheng Tingpletely. Well, it was her own fault. She had been nning this since the gathering. She did not think her maid would be enough as proof, so she met the farmers and told them her n. She did not even bother to conceal her face. In her opinion, it would just be one casual meeting and they would have no intersection with each other ever again. So, it did not matter if they had seen her face once. She spared no efforts to sneak into the gathering and got Xie Jingrongs itinerary to arrange a meeting. She tried to express her love to him, and if Xie Jingrong was moved, they would leave together, without being seen by the farmers. If he failed to notice how good she was, she would use the n. She would throw herself into Xie Jingrong in front of the farmers. When that happened, Xie Jingrong would need to take responsibility. She was sure that he would like her sooner orter. By that time, nothing she nned today would be worth a fuss. She loved him so deeply and was just trying to set him up for their future happiness. It was all because she loved him! Chapter 650 - 650: Not End Chapter 650 - 650: Not End Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions But Qiao Xuan popped up from somewhere and ruined her whole n. Even the farmers sold her out right in front of Xie Jingrong. Hearing that, Xie Jingrong nced at the farmers. ¡°You can leave now.¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡¯ ¡°Thanks for the bonus, Young Master Xie!¡± The farmers left the ce cheerfully. Yuezheng Ting got both annoyed and embarrassed. She could not stand being pped on the face, especially in front of Xie Jingrong! ¡°Mrs. Shao set me up, for real! Brother Xie, you have to believe me! I never nned anything like this! ¡± Ignoring her, Xie Jingrong turned to Qiao Xuan. ¡°Want to leave, Mrs. Shao?¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. ¡°Please.¡± They had to walk this road together. What if Yuezheng Ting did something else if she was gone. Then, what Qiao Xuan had done earlier would be in vain! Xie Jingrong gave Xie Dong a nce. Xie Dong understood his meaning. After Xie Jingrong and Qiao Xuan left, he came to the sobbing Yuezheng Ting. ¡°Lady Yuezheng, please return the fan.¡± Yuezheng Ting stiffened, sobbing without moving. ¡°Lady Yuezheng.¡± Xie Dong sounded disdainful and annoyed. ¡®You are a linealdy of the Yuezheng Family, what is the point of doing this?¡± Yuezheng Ting stiffened and lost her grip. Xie Dong pulled the fan out of her grasp and left. His Young Master had saved her reputation by not pointing it out in front of everyone. But he would never do that. He wanted to reveal these shameless people¡¯s true faces. Yuezheng Ting staggered and almost copsed. She had lost her mind. Both Xie Jingrong and Qiao Xuan were a little embarrassed. ¡°Sorry for the ridiculous show, Mrs. Shao.¡± Qiao Xuan replied. ¡°That is not your fault, Young Master, you are an excellent man so many people want to court you.¡± Xie Jingrong smiled bitterly. He did not think that he was an excellent man. He was courted mostly because of his family background. Most people would respect him when they heard where he was from. Did Yuezheng Ting really worship him like this? Not necessarily. She admired him because he was the lineal grandchild of the Xie Family. But he was not going to forget how she set him up in this way. He was a cold and lethal person, after all. It was an embarrassing topic, so Xie Jingrong coughed and smiled. ¡°What made youe here, Mrs. Shao?¡± It was his luck that Qiao Xuan ran into him here. Else, he would have been in a really awkward situation here. Yuezheng Ting would not have been able to achieve sess, but the process would have been much moreplicated. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°My husband is at the gathering. So, I came out with two maids to explore the surroundings. What a coincidence that we ran into each other!¡± Xie Jingrong said, ¡°Thanks for your help, Mrs. Shao!¡± Qiao Xuan was involved and Xie Jingrong did not conceal anything from her, but told her why he ended up being here. In the end, he said, ¡°Mrs. Shao, you better not visit the Yuezheng Family these days. I won¡¯t let go of this matter easily. And Yuezheng Ting might cause you trouble, so you have to be very careful these days. Better stay indoors¡­¡± Qiao Xuan was startled. She had not thought about this before. She nodded.. ¡°Thanks for the reminder, Young Master Xie!¡± Chapter 651 - 651: The Fan Chapter 651: The Fan Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Xie Jingrong thought for a while and said, ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Mrs. Shao. I will watch out in case there is any troubleing for you due to this.¡± Qiao Xuan felt relieved hearing what Xie Jingrong said. She was sure that he would definitely keep his promise. Hence, she was not going to worry. ¡°Thanks for your help, Young Master Xie! ¡± ¡°That is what I should do!¡± Xie Jingrong and Qiao Xuan would not have thought about this otherwise, but Yuezheng Ting was a little too dangerous¡­ She tried setting up Qiao Xuan right in front of her, and she might do something even worse in secret. The two of them did not go on the same path because they did not want to cause any rumor between them. They waved goodbye to each other at the feet of the mountain. It was gettingte, and Qiao Xuan went home with Lixia and Liqiu in town. Xie Jingrong headed towards the gathering. Xie Dong presented the fan to him. ¡°Young Master Xie, this fan¡­¡± Xie Jingrong frowned slightly. ¡°Keep it with you, and put it away once we are home! ¡± He did not want to touch it. He felt quite distressed to have wasted his excellent work. Xie Dong was annoyed too. ¡°Okay, Young Master, 1 will definitely put it away and leave it out of your sight. What a pity!¡¯ Xie Jingrong felt that his words were funny. Xie Dong added. ¡°We were lucky that Mrs. Shao was here, otherwise¡­¡± Xie Dong felt both disgusted and scared. He understood clearly what Yuezheng Tings n was, seeing how she liked his Young Master and the farmers¡¯ timely appearance. But for Mrs. Shao, his Young Master would have been in trouble. They would have been able to deal with her in the end, but it would have taken far more effort. Xie Jingrongs eyes sparkled. He answered. ¡°Yeah, very lucky indeed.¡± Xie Dong said emotionally, ¡°Thanks to Mrs. Shao!¡± Xie Jingrong didn¡¯t reply to him. He did not think that her appearance was pure luck. He even felt that Qiao Xuan appeared intentionally to help him. But he could not find an exnation for this thought. Anyways, Mrs. Shao was very interesting. Xie Jingrong was not in a mood to attend the gathering, but thinking that Shao Yunduan was still there, he should visit there anyway. He was not a friend to Shao Yunduan on the surface, but Qiao Xuan helped him and he could help Shao Yunduan on the sly, in case he was being bullied. So, he went to the gathering, after all. It was not until evening when the gathering finished. The schrs and talents waved goodbye to each other and left. But, in the second section of the Yuezheng Family, it was total chaos. Yuezheng Ting was crying when she returned home and she could not stop doing so in front of her mother. The episode was too embarrassing and hurtful for her. She had never experienced such shame as on this day. She lost her face in front of the man she adored, and it felt as if heaven had fallen down. Ms. Mi Junior was shocked to see her daughter crying in an abandoned manner. She consoled her for a long while before she was able to stop herself. After a long while, she stopped crying and started to talk. Yuezheng Ting did not tell her the truth. She did not even darement on Xie Jingrong. She simply med everything on Qiao Xuan. She said that she ran into Xie Jingrong and was in the middle of conversation with him when Qiao Xuan suddenly popped up and used her of flirting with Xie Jingrong.. Chapter 652 - 652: Venting The Anger Chapter 652: Venting The Anger Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She even said that Xie Jingrong trusted Qiao Xuan¡¯s words and did not defend her. Instead, he let Qiao Xuan humiliate her¡­ In the end, Qiao Xuan even lured Xie Jingrong away, so that she and Jiang were left alone there. Ms. Mi Junior almost passed out in anger after hearing the story. ¡°How dare that countryside girl treat you like this. How dare she!¡± ¡°Shame on her!¡± ¡°It must be your Elder Aunt who was behind this. She has not liked us for a long time, and now that she is back from the abbey, she intends to remove us. But for her authorization, Qiao Xuan would not have had the guts to do something like this! ¡± ¡°l will speak with her now!¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Yuezheng Ting stopped her. She did not dare let her go to First Madame. What if it became too big a trouble to deal with¡­ She wanted to vent her anger, but she did not want the issue to be too big. She would be exposed! After all, her Elder Aunt was a tough one. She believed in her mother¡¯s capabilities, but if her mother and Elder Aunt had a confrontation¡­ the result would be hard to tell. ¡°Elder Aunt would never admit to it. Maybe she will use you instead. Why bother!¡± Ms. Mi Junior agreed with her. But after a while, she thought and said, ¡°You are right, let¡¯s go to your grandma. She loves you and I will speak with her about it.¡¯ ¡°No, no, grandma would bring in Elder Aunt as well, the result would be the same! Yuezheng Ting sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t think that grandma can control Elder Aunt, do you?¡± Madame Yuezheng could have control over the second section of the family, but never the first section of the family. Madame Yuezheng was only tough on the outside, never inside. Ms. Mi Junior became really irritated. She was not convinced, but she dropped the idea of visiting Madame Yuezheng. She could not help but regret not having a son. If she had a son, he would surely defend her, and Ms. Liu would not have bullied her like this! ¡°But how can I tolerate that you have been bullied so badly?¡± Ms. Mi Junior gritted her teeth. ¡°How can Young Master Xie be so stupid as not to tell the right from wrong?¡± Yuezheng Ting did not reply. Ms. Mi Junior stared at her and had some hope arising inside her heart. She asked gently. ¡°What did you talk about when you ran into Young Master Xie? If he has some misunderstanding about you, it is fine. You can ask your brother to set a date between the two of you, and you can reveal Qiao Xuan¡¯s real face at that time.¡¯ Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°How does that sound?¡± She had not expected that her daughter and Young Master Xie ran into each other and spoke with each other for a while. The matter looked hopeful. Things would get better as long as they worked hard. Maybe Young Master Xie would be moved by her daughter¡¯s devotion? This was a good omen! But if Qiao Xuan ruined this deed, it would be such a pity! Yuezheng Ting stiffened. What should she do now? She had told a lie and it wasing back to bite her. She started to get anxious. Especially when she thought of how Xie Jingrong had treated her. He was so cold to her and even asked the farmers what her n was. Yuezheng Ting felt like screaming.. She was going mental! Chapter 653 - 653: Humiliation Again Chapter 653: Humiliation Again Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions How should she face Xie Jingrong when they meet again? What would she do if he exposed her? ¡°Mom¡­ let¡¯s wait for a while. Brother Xie misunderstood me and he must be very angry. Just hold on until he calms down!¡± ¡°Dumb girl¡± Ms. Mi Junior did not agree with her daughter¡¯s cowardly approach. ¡°You should work on the matter when it is hot. You can rify the misunderstanding when you are in front of each other. If you wait for too long, things will get worse.¡± ¡°No, I will wait a little, until Brother Xie calms down. Also, I don¡¯t want to let go of this issue with Qiao Xuan!¡± Yuezheng Ting gritted her teeth. ¡°l want to vent my anger!¡¯ She was not convinced about giving up on Xie Jingrong. She had exposed herself to Xie Jingrong already and she could do anything she wanted with him. What if he was moved? Even if he was not moved, she would face humiliation once more. So what! She had been humiliated already anyway. But that matter could wait. She really had no courage to stand right in front of Xie Jingrong just after this episode. Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s face sank. She sneered. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s vent our anger at her. How dare this bitch humiliate you just to suck up to Ms. Liu! I am going to let her pay for it. She should know who she is and what she should not touch! She can¡¯t offend just anyone she wants to!¡± Yuezheng Ting loved these words. She asked instantly. ¡°Mom, what is your idea?¡± Ms. Mi Junior smiled at her daughter. ¡°That woman¡¯s future is tightly connected to her husband. If we cut her husband off from the imperial examination, he will have to admit that it is his wife¡¯s fault that he didn¡¯t get to attempt the examination. You think her days would be peaceful from that time on?¡± Yuezheng Ting was overjoyed. ¡°Mom, that is a great idea!¡± Ms. Mi Junior patted her hand with a smile on her face. ¡°You are still young, you have a lot to learn. I will pass on some knowledge to you. But remember, either you make sure the person you take revenge on suffers for the rest of her life, or you don¡¯t do it at all!¡± Yuezheng Ting smiled and nodded. ¡°You are right! You want Auntie Mao to bribe the examiners? But that is not very easy¡­¡± ¡°Why examiners?¡± Ms. Mi Junior sighed, thinking that her daughter was very innocent and lovely. She said seriously, ¡°The imperial examination is very important and we can¡¯t bribe the examiners! If something happens, the whole family will be killed. Remember, whatever you do, you have to keep yourself safe first. Otherwise, it would just be empty talk! ¡± Yuezheng Tings heart was throbbing. She nodded constantly. ¡°l got it¡­ Then what are you going to do, Mom?¡± Ms. Mi Junior sneered. ¡°It is very easy. I will get Shao Yunduan¡¯s legs or hands broken, so he has no chance to take the examination. Also, no cripple can be an officer ever in his life!¡± Yuezheng Ting smiled. ¡°That is a good idea. l, somehow, made everythingplicated.¡± Ms. Mi Junior smiled gently.. ¡°You are too young to understand any of this!¡± Chapter 654 - 654: Fearless Chapter 654: Fearless Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The mother and daughter leaned against each other, looking beautiful and charming. But in fact, they were talking about the worst and most indecent n in the world. Ms. Mi Junior asked Yuezheng Ting to take a break, whilst she herself started to work on the matter. The problem was that she had no idea where Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were living. So, she asked Auntie Mao to dig around the servants catering to the First Madame. As long as she knew where they lived, things would be much easier. Many people had gathered for the examination. Those Cultivated Talents were blending with some business people. So, there were lots of people around. Even if some ident happened, no one would be able to find the source. Also, that poor couple would have no idea how to find the truth, if they met some trouble. They just did not have the right channels in the province. Those who might defend them would definitely her own Elder Sister-inw and her nephew. But they would not be able to find out anything since she was part of the Yuezheng Family, and even if the cause was found, they would not do anything to her. They would not announce it to the public either. Worse case scenario, even if they did, they would feel so ashamed to be involved with the Yuezheng Family as well. Madame Yuezheng would not approve of that. So, there was nothing Ms. Mi Junior needed to be afraid of. But before she could do anything, First Madame sent her people to summon her. Ms. Mi Junior was confused. How did she offend the first section of the family? What did Ms. Liu ask her for? She had to go over since the summons hade from the First Madame. She was curious about the matter, and went there readily. First Madame was not in a good mood. Yuezheng Xiao had just been to her ce and recounted the whole story to her about what Yuezheng Ting did earlier that day. Xie Jingrong had asked his servant Xie Dong to recount the story to Yuezheng Xiao. Xie Dong really wanted to add fuel to the fire and report about Yuezheng Tings behaviors. But his Young Master had strict rules and he did not dare to make up false stories. There used to be a pageboy who was trusted by the Young Master and trained well by him. He had the chance to be the best servant working for Young Master. That would have been a great achievement for a servant. But there was one time when he did what he believed to be good for Young Master and did not obey his rule. In the end, he was fired. From that time on, no one dared to bet on their own future. Yuezheng Xiao got so furious hearing the deeds of Yuezheng Ting. But for his rtionship with Xie Jingrong, the guy would not have told him about this and the whole family would be doomed. How could someone dare to set up the lineal grandson of the Xie Family?! Yuezheng Ting was an idiot to have used such a method. Only she was foolish enough to believe that the n would work. The truth was that it would never havee to fruition. The Xie Family would never allow anyone with such an evil heart to be their lineal granddaughter-inw. It was such a daydream! But since it was his sister, Yuezheng Xiao could not go to her personally. So, after speaking with Xie Dong, he passed on the matter to his mother. First Madame was so annoyed. What on earth did the Yuezheng Family do to make the mother and the daughtere up with such a terrible n? Did she think that she would be able to marry anyone just by being thedy of the Yuezheng Family? Chapter 655 - 655: Different Words Chapter 655: Different Words Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions First Madame, who had been dreaming of having a daughter, for the first time, thought that she was lucky not to have a daughter. Otherwise, her reputation might have been ruined due to this episode. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, I wonder what you have called me over for!¡± Ms. Mi Junior smiled brightly. She was trying to control her emotions so that she did not vent them on First Madame. ¡°Sit down please, I have something urgent to tell you.¡± First Madame had no interest in chit chatting with her. She threw a look at Auntie Hua. ¡°Auntie Hua, tell her.¡¯ ¡°Okay, First Madame!¡± Auntie Hua had just started the narration when Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s face changed. ¡°Bullshit! Elder Sister-inw, where did you hear this story that humiliates Ting? Did Qiao Xuan tell you about it?¡± ¡°Bah, everything she told you is false!¡± First Madame was surprised that Ms. Mi Junior mentioned Qiao Xuan, because Qiao Xuan was a part of the story after all. She thought for a while and then realized what had happened. ¡°Yuezheng Ting told you something, right? Okay, no outsider is here, and Auntie Hua¡¯s story would not be revealed to anyone else. Don¡¯t interrupt her now. Let her finish and you can defend yourselfter.¡± ¡°Also, Xuan did not tell me any of this. Xie Dong who works for Young Master Xie told Xiao who mentioned it to me. You don¡¯t think Xie Dong would lie, do you?¡± Young Master Xie¡¯s servant did everything ording to Young Master Xie¡¯s intention. Ms. Mi Junior was still not convinced. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Listen to Auntie Hua first. Continue speaking, Auntie Hua.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Auntie Hua bowed and continued with the story. Ms. Mi Junior was about to interrupt her when First Madame¡¯s cough covered it up. Ms. Mi Junior had to grit her teeth to hold back the impulse. She just did not believe anything that was told to her. It was just a fabrication! Finally, Auntie Hua finished the story and Ms. Mi Junior could not stand it any more. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, that is not possible! I don¡¯t believe anything that has just been said! This is called bullying! ¡°Oh yeah?¡± First Madame thought that she would at least feel embarrassed after hearing the truth, but she was only trying to push the me to someone else instead. First Madameughed out of anger. ¡°You think it was me who told Auntie Hua to lie to you or are you suspecting Xie Dong? You think the servant who works for Young Master Xie would make up a lie? What a bold thought!¡¯ Ms. Mi Junior was stuck speechless. But she knew pretty well that no matter how much First Madame disliked her, she would not get Auntie Hua to make up such a big lie. It was not going to be easy to hold a lie like that forever. Moreover, she could not suspect Xie Dong either. ¡°But that is not what happened anyway. Tings version wasn¡¯t like that!¡± Ms. Mi Junior chose to believe her own daughter. Also, her daughter was in tears when she saw her today. She could not have made up a lie! First Madame sneered. ¡°Oh yeah, what did Ting say?¡± Ms. Mi Junior had not wanted to reveal it to the First Madame, fearing that she would ruin theirst hope of getting rted to Xie Jingrong. But she could not hide it anymore. Also, if she didn¡¯t mention it, her daughter would be used of something she didn¡¯t do! Ms. Mi Junior narrated to the First Madame what Yuezheng Ting told her, and she even tried to make it sound that First Madame had told Qiao Xuan to do so, suggesting that First Madame must have asked Qiao Xuan to trick Yuezheng Ting! First Madame almost passed out hearing her speak all that nonsense. ¡°You just believed everything Ting said?¡± Chapter 656 - 656: Falling Chapter 656: Falling Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Of course.¡± Ms. Mi Junior defended herself. ¡°Ting never lies to me. I am her mother!¡± First Madame almost wanted to shake her or pour a basin of water over her so that she could calm down and think rationally. ¡°Just think about this.¡± First Madame almost did not want to exin anything to her but had no choice. ¡°Just think about what Xie Dong said and what Ting imed. Who on earth is lying? Ting did not mention anything about the fan? Are you trying to say that Xie Dong came up with something like that out of nowhere? Also, a girl from our family needs to steal a fan to force a meeting with the guy she likes? How ridiculous?!¡± ¡°¡­It must be a misunderstanding. Ting must have forgotten to tell me!¡± ¡°What about those farmers? How dare she set up Xuan who ran into them? She is totally uneducated!¡± ¡°Elder Sister-inw, you¡­¡± ¡°l don¡¯t care about the details. Ting stole the fan and forced Young Master Xie to have a private meeting. Do you think Xie Dong could lie about this too? And the farmers? Are you looking down on people¡¯s intelligence here?¡± ¡°Also, honestly, it was lucky that Xuan was there and interrupted them. Otherwise¡­ Ting was trying to make the farmers be the witness to her date with Young Master Xie! That is so shameful even when I speak of it here. You think she could have seeded with this method? That is so foolish of her! You think that would have worked out well? Young Master Xie is the lineal grandson of the Xie Family and his wife is going to be the honoreddy of the Xie Family!¡¯ Ms. Mi Junior could not stand listening to it any more, She almost lost it. ¡°But Elder Sister-inw, why are you looking down at my daughter? My daughter can definitely be the honoreddy of the Xie Family as well!¡± First Madame sneered. ¡°If the Xie Familyes with the proposal, then we can ept it. But she made a bad n! You think the Xie Family are so easy to manipte?¡± ¡°l don¡¯t believe you. That is just one side of the story. Unless Young Master Xie tells me about this face to face, I will never believe that it happened like this!¡± Her daughter was so cute. How could she lie to her? First Madame became even more annoyed. ¡°You think that is possible? Honestly, even Xie Dong would not repeat the story in front of you. You think the Xie Family are people to be summoned and driven away as you wish?¡± ¡°You can ask Jiang who has been serving Ting. You can interrogate her!¡± ¡°Honestly, even though we don¡¯t live separately, the Xie Family understands what is going on here. We have never offended them and my son and Young Master Xie are good friends. If you continue to behave like this, you will need to bear the consequences yourself. We will not offer any help!¡± ¡°l have told you everything here, you can think about what to do yourself.¡± Ms. Mi Junior. ¡® She just could not vent her anger at First Madame. First Madame was not thinking for her sake. She was telling the truth. She was going to keep her hands away regarding this issue. Honestly, she should be happy when First Madame wanted to stay away from them, but somehow she felt quite displeased after what she just experienced. Nis. Mi Junior bluffed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother, Elder Sister-inw. 1 will look into this matter myself!¡± She left with a sunken face. First Madame whispered to Auntie Hua. ¡°Watch out for her. See what she is going to do, but don¡¯t get involved easily.¡± Chapter 657 - 657: Last Resort Chapter 657: Last Resort Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Okay, First Madame!¡± The more Ms. Mi Junior thought about this, the angrier she became. She called Jiang to her side despite thete hours. Even to this point, she still trusted her daughter. She was ready to take her to First Madame and let her tell the truth post this. However, after a few harsh words, Jiang shivered and confessed everything to Auntie Mao. The more she talked about this, the more embarrassed Auntie Mao and Ms. Mi Junior became. That was not a confession. It was a p on their faces. But Jiang did not know about this. She got even more frightened seeing their increasingly horrified faces. She saved nothing and blurted out the smallest detail. Jiang felt that she could be spared after her honest confession. But Ms. Mi Junior was so annoyed after Jiangs frank words. There was a very bad atmosphere inside the room. ¡°Jiang, think carefully. What you said is the absolute truth? You should never lie to Second Mrs. Yuezheng! Or you will not be excused when the truth is found!¡± Jiang turned pale. She nodded constantly, and kowtowed to Ms. Mi Junior. ¡°Second Mrs. Yuezheng, I am telling the truth, no lies! I don¡¯t dare lie to you at all!¡± ¡°Bitch, your job is to serve the Young Lady but look at what you did? Why didn¡¯t you say anything at the beginning? Did you encourage her? My daughter is always so obedient and kind. How can she do something like that? It must be you who told her to!¡± Ms. Mi Junior wanted to get Jiang killed. ¡°No, no Second Mrs. Yuezheng, I didn¡¯t. I would not dare!¡± ¡°You dare to do anything, because Young Lady adores you! Auntie Mao, send this bitch to the wood room. We will deal with herter.¡¯ ¡°Okay, Second Mrs. Yuezheng!¡¯ ¡°Second Mrs. Yuezheng, please, it wasn¡¯t me! Please¡­¡± Jiang was shocked and cried. But soon she was gagged and dragged away. Ms. Mi Junior vented her anger and snapped at Jiang. Auntie Mao added fuel to the fire, saying that Jiang must be the bad influence on herdy which made her behave like that. She was trying hard to make Ms. Mi Junior look better. After all, Ms. Mi Junior was pped right across her face by First Madame earlier. She was very irritated. After a long while, Ms. Mi Junior calmed down. What was she going to do? Ms. Mi Junior massaged her temples and felt a headachee one. In the end, Jiang took the me, and Ms. Mi Junior had no face to tell First Madame about this. She turned to Yuezheng Xiao, hoping that he could exin to Xie Jingrong that it was Jiangs fault. Yuezheng Xiao rolled his eyes. Everyone knew what Yuezheng Tings feelings towards Xie Jingrong were. Besides, could a maid like Jiang really make the n on her own? Even if Jiang did make the n, Yuezheng Ting was her mistress. She was the one who put it into practice. Had she refused to do so, what could Jiang do about her? ¡°Second Aunt-inw, don¡¯t worry, I will tell Brother Xie about this, and he will not pursue it. If he wanted to work on this, he would havee to me personally, rather than let Xie Donge to me first. But this can only happen once. If Brother Xie is irritated again, I would not be able to do anything. After all, no one likes to be set up again and again, right?¡± ¡°Also, my cousin is old enough to get married. What about finding a good suitor for her? I am sure that she will mature after she is married.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure if she was going to be sensible after getting married.. At least, she was not going to ruin his family¡­ Chapter 658 - 658: Due To Qiao Xuan Chapter 658: Due To Qiao Xuan Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Mi Junior felt embarrassed hearing the advice from her nephew, but she needed Yuezheng Xiao to pass on the message for her, so she had to force a smile. ¡°You are right, it is time to find a suitor for Ting¡­¡± Soon, Jiang was sold away. Ms. Mi Junior gave Yuezheng Ting another maid called Li. Yuezheng Ting did not like her, because Jiang had been serving her for a long time. But Ms. Mi Junior said that someone had to take the me, so Yuezheng Ting was silent. She could not take the me herself for the sake of Jiang anyway, right? She liked Jiang, but she could not sacrifice herself for a maid. So, she asked mother to give Jiang more money for old time¡¯s sake. Ms. Mi Junior agreed but forgot directly afterwards. She was sold away, what was the money for? Jiang could not be kept, no matter how much money was given to her. Xie Jingrong did not talk any more about this. Yuezheng Ting also stopped trying to get close to Xie Jingrong. Xie Jingrong was never going to meet her again. If he did not want to meet her, she would never be able to see him, no matter what. Nis. Mi Junior realized that it was how it should be from this moment on. She was thinking about finding a suitor for Yuezheng Ting. But Yuezheng Ting did not understand the importance of this incident. She thought that it was already history and she would still have a chance to meet Brother Xie. Yuezheng Ting did not want to let Qiao Xuan slip away from this either. But for Qiao Xuan, Jiang would not have been sent away and she would not have been so embarrassed. Maybe at this moment, the Xie Family and the Yuezheng Family would have been talking about their engagement. It was all Qiao Xuan¡¯s fault. Ms. Mi Junior was very annoyed too. She was embarrassed in front of First Madame. In order to turn the tables, she was going to give Qiao Xuan a hard time as well. Qiao Xuan and First Madame were very close to each other, weren¡¯t they? When she finally found out Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s residential address, Ms. Mi Junior was shocked. She had liked that mansion and wanted to buy it too but she hesitated because of the price. When she finally made up her mind to buy it, she was told that the house was already sold. She had asked the identity of the buyer, but the agent said that they wanted to keep it a secret. So, she didn¡¯t ask anything more about it. Many buyers did not want to reveal their identity. She had felt sorry about losing the house. Unexpectedly, the house belonged to Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan! They could not have been able to afford the house. It must have been the First Madame who bought it for them. But then she thought what if they were able to afford it! If they were able to afford the ce, it was definitely because they earned a lot by selling lipsticks. Either of the scenarios made Ms. Mi Junior feel angry. Since the autumn examination wasing soon¡­ She was going to ruin Shao Yunduan, to vent her anger. But Ms. Mi Junior had not expected that First Madame was watching out for her. Whatever Auntie Mao did was under First Madame¡¯s watch. So, the morning, when Shao Yunduan kept Qiao Xuanpany to buy things in the market, the hooligans bought by Ms. Mi Junior decided to cause some trouble with the couple. But they were caught promptly by First Madame¡¯s men. They were all sent to the government office. First Madame stressed that the officer interrogated them in a strict way. In the end, it was found out that Auntie Niao¡¯s brother was responsible for this attack. When Auntie Mao¡¯s brother was caught, he sold out Auntie Mao without hesitation.. Chapter 659 - 659: Looking Down At The Court Chapter 659 - 659: Looking Down At The Court Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions When the governmental office sent the guards to catch Auntie Mao at the Yuezheng Mansion, Ms. Mi Junior had tried to hide Auntie Mao, but First Madame let the guardse in. Auntie Mao was escorted away. She waspletely devoted to Ms. Mi Junior and did not sell out her master. She took the me herself. She kept saying that she did not like the way Qiao Xuan treated her Second Mrs. Yuezheng, so she arranged the whole n privately just to take revenge for Second Mrs. Yuezheng. She only mentioned Nis. Mi Junior, but not Yuezheng Ting. After all, she did not want to ruin Yuezheng Tings reputation. That was quite thoughtful of her. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were not hurt, but since Auntie Mao¡¯s n was to hurt the examination participants, she hadmitted a serious crime. The imperial court really paid attention to talents and the imperial examination. If the criminals were not punished seriously, it would encourage anyone to hurt the participants. Malicious people could buy some hooligans to kill or hurt the talented ones and have a servant to take the me. That was horrible! That was belittling the court! So, the officer in the governmental office decided to set up an example with Auntie Mao and her brother. He ordered that Auntie Mao and her brother were going to be imprisoned, and then exiled to the South Ind, thousands of miles away. They would never be allowed to return. Second, Mrs. Yuezheng from the Yuezheng Mansion did not know anything about this, but the whole thing was caused by her. Since the culprit was working for her closely, she was ordered to provide apensation of 10,000 liang to Shao Yunduan along with an apology. Auntie Mao and her brother regretted their actions so badly at the moment. But there was no chance for them to change their words. No chance! The sister and brother regretted it. They were crying hard! South Ind? That was a barrennd! And never to return? That was horrible! Auntie Mao had thought that Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were not hurt and Second Mrs. Yuezheng would help her too. So, she would probably only get some hits on the back and a few lectures, or imprisonment for half a month, which was not too bad. That was a punishment she could bear. Moreover, Second Mrs. Yuezheng would help her so she would not need to suffer much. But the whole thing turned out to be so serious. Second Mrs. Yuezheng was annoyed too. She rushed to First Madame. ¡°Elder sister-inw, don¡¯t you think that you are behaving way over the top for someone outside the family? You are ruining our family¡¯s reputation! Don¡¯t you ever forget that you are also part of the Yuezheng Family!¡¯ First Madame looked at her coldly. ¡°The difference between you and me is that you never talk sense. I will not mind my reputation if I am doing things against immorality. If you ever care about the Yuezheng Family, you would never have done a thing like this. You are the one who makes the mistake, and still you are not learning from it, instead, you are pushing it all to me.¡± ¡°l am telling you, Xuan is not someone outside the family. She and I get on well with each other. I have not officially asked her to be my goddaughter, but I treat her as my real daughter! You better remember this, if you ever want to set up her and Yunduan, you will be my enemy!¡¯ ¡°If you are my enemy, I won¡¯t spare you either!¡± Ms. Mi Junior shivered out of anger. She almost lost her breath. First Madame sneered and added. ¡°Also, you think that it was I who made Auntie Mao get so seriously punished and you lose the money?¡± Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s face sank. ¡°Not you?¡± ¡°Of course not. I am not lying to you.. You can think carefully about who else is involved in the matter?¡± Chapter 660 - 660: Retreating Chapter 660 - 660: Retreating Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Nis. Mi Junior knew that First Madame would not lie to her at this moment. But who else was involved? She suddenly got shocked, and let out a low exmation! First Madame sneered and figured that this woman had finally understood what was going on? ¡°How could¡­ that be possible!¡± Ms. Mi Junior sounded hoarse, angry and jealous. Xie Jingrong did it? What was so special about Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, that Young Master Xie did all of this for them? Moreover, he was doing this against her! That meant only one thing ¨C Young Master Xie had no feelings towards her daughter, rather, he hated her! Otherwise, he would not have done things like this. Ms. Mi Junior was jealous, and felt heart pumping hard because of anger. Her daughter loved him so deeply but Xie Jingrong not only disliked her, but also did such a cruel thing to her. First Madame felt rxed seeing the way she was distracted. This woman should be taught a lesson too, or she would think that she was capable of everything. ¡°Now, you got it? You know what reality is the reality, and what you should do and not do?¡± Ms. Mi Junior gritted her teeth and left. Yuezheng Ting was so irritated and disappointed. Sheined about Auntie Mao beingpletely useless. She said that Auntie Mao not only failed to touch Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, but got herself punished. Worse, her mother had topensate Shao Yunduan and Ojao Xuan with 10,000 liang! ¡°Mom, we can¡¯t just drop it. I don¡¯t think that they are always going to be so lucky!¡¯ Ms. Mi Junior felt sad for her daughter. She said quietly, ¡°Drop it, Ting. The officer said that we can never touch Shao Yunduan!¡± Not only Shao Yunduan, but everyone else in the capital was also very cautious towards those participants, in case they ran into trouble if they ever tried to hurt any of them. Yuezheng Ting sneered. ¡°Then, we can leave Shao Yunduan alone. We can deal with Qiao Xuan. She is not a participant!¡± Ms. Mi Junior was startled. ¡°Mom, Auntie Mao has been punished so seriously and you have been fined 10,000 liang. You really want to let it go?¡± Ms. Mi Junior was somehow persuaded. But the moment she recalled what First Madame said to her, she retreated. She was trying to convince herself that First Madame was not better than her. But if First Madame really wanted to be her enemy, she would not be able to counter her. After a moment of hesitation, Ms. Mi Junior shook her head with a sigh. ¡°Okay, just drop this. Stay in the mansion and don¡¯t go anywhere¡­¡± There was a rumor going on outside. Even she decided to stay indoors in case she got asked about anything that just happened. Yuezheng Ting was not convinced. But she said nothing more. First Madame sent her people to ask Ms. Mi Junior when she was going to apologize to Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan and give them the money. That was an order from the governmental office, which she could not dodge. Ms. Mi Junior felt so annoyed and sought the help of Madame Yuezheng, but First Madame ignored them both. So, the next day, Ms. Mi Junior went to Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan¡¯s home, apanied by the First Madame. Ms. Mi Junior knew that if she tried to evade it any longer, First Madame would definitely send more people to urge her and she would be badgered again and again. So, she decided to finish it as soon as possible in case she got constantly harassed. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan did not give her a hard time. She apologized to the couple and gave them the money. That was the end of the deal.. Chapter 661 - 661: Fully Prepared Chapter 661: Fully Prepared Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did notck this money. But they needed to do this for First Madame¡¯s sake. They wanted to return the money to the Yuezheng Family, but First Madame did not ept it. ¡°The officer made the decision, so that is what you deserve. If you don¡¯t ept it, that would be disrespectful to the officer!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan expressed their gratitude and epted the money. Qiao Xuan said with a smile, ¡°Aunt, you are here for the first time, how about staying back for lunch? I will cook some dishes for Aunt!¡± Nis. Mi Junior did not want to stay there any longer. She forced an apology out of her mouth and gave them 10,000 liang, and left, without any intention of looking at the couple for even an extra second. First Madame was happy to remain where she was. ¡°Sure, let me stay and taste the food you make!¡± Shao Yunduan remained there for a while and then went back to continue with his studies. He had gone through everything, but there were still a few days left and he would rather read and practice. Qiao Xuan kept First Madamepany in the garden for a while, before going into the kitchen to make dishes. She knew that the First Madame liked something light, so she asked Lixia to get the ingredients ready and she was just in time to do the cooking. At this time, crabs were avable in the market. She removed the crab roe and crab meat and fried them into crab powder. It was served with soft and smooth tofu, making it a delicious and smooth crab powder tofu dish. The glutinous rice soaked with meatballs was steamed in a drawer, and the crystal clear glutinous rice meatballs were ready. She sprinkled it with green onion, which made it fragrant and eye-catching. She cut the pigeon into four pieces and stewed soup with ginkgo fruit, lotus seeds and wolfberry. For the chicken dish, young hens were selected. The meat was extraordinarily tender. After processing, she put it on a te and drizzled it with seasoned scallion oil. It was a scallion oil chicken that blended the fragrance of scallion and meat, and the chicken was tender and delicious. She also cooked a dish of eel with soy sauce and two portions of seasonal vegetables. Shao Yunduan ate in his own study, whilst Qiao Xuan kept First Madamepany at the dining table. First Madame had not expected that Qiao Xuan was so good at cooking. She was so surprised that she spoke highly of Qiao Xuan. Especially the scallion oil chicken and glutinous rice meatballs¡­ she had not eaten things like this before. The rest of the dishes were also different from the ones she tasted before. It seemed that Qiao Xuan cooked them better. No wonder she liked Qiao Xuan. She was so smart and clever, and she could do anything! Qiao Xuan would never have a bad time because of this skill. How blind her father was to have deserted someone like her. First Madame sighed whenever she thought about this. Soon, it was time for the autumn examination. Despite her confidence in Shao Yunduan, Qiao Xuan and the maids were very nervous. Shao Yunduan felt quite moved in heart. ¡°Wait for me here, I will definitely make it!¡± ¡°Yes, darling. You will surely seed!¡± The couple smiled at each other sweetly. Shao Yunduan raised his hands to brush away Qiao Xuan¡¯s hair, saying in a soft voice, ¡°For your sake, I will make it¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows and looked confusedly at him. She did not catch his words. ¡°Nothing.¡± Shao Yunduan shook his head. ¡°Wait for me toe back!¡± Shao Yunduan went on the wagon and disappeared against the dawn. Qiao Xuan and Lixia Liqiu did not return to the yard until the wagon went around the corner.. Chapter 662 - 662: A Bit More Chapter 662: A Bit More Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan was going to spend nine days in a row giving the exam. That made Qiao Xuan¡¯s hair stand up. Honestly, ancient literati were definitely not weak people. Otherwise, they would not make it through even one day of such tough conditions! Anyone who could survive the test was definitely very healthy and strong. Qiao Xuan felt a bit hollow in heart. She was both nervous and excited. Although it was too early to make a conclusion now, the future looked bright. She believed that Shao Yunduan was going to make it¡­ He should¡­ She was very confident about him! In the morning, First Madame asked Xi to take some pastry and fresh peaches, grapes and some fruits and visit her. First Madame would visit her when she found time one of the days. Qiao Xuan felt warm in her heart. She was grateful for the support. It was lucky for her to have met someone like First Madame and her family. During these days, when Shao Yunduan was taking the examination, Qiao Xuan went to visit the First Madame a few times, but the rest of the days, she just stayed at home and waited for Shao Yunduan. Yuezheng Xiao sent his men to Shaoding Vige to fetch two carts full of watermelons and 1,100 lipsticks. They also brought news about the first section of the family to her. Yuezheng Xiao asked his men to send 2,800 liang and ten watermelons to Qiao Xuan, along with the message that everyone was doing well in her family. Qiao Xuan smiled and felt assured. She and Shao Yunduan had been away from home for far too long this time, It was a relief that everything was fine at home. Nine days passed eventually, and Yuezheng Xiao took his servants to pick up Shao Yunduan. Qiao Xuan joined them too. The wagon was parked in a corner, a few blocks away from the examination hall. It could not go in front of the main gate. Moreover, there was a traffic jam in the area. First Madame had told her to wait in the wagon, so that Yuezheng Xiao could go and pick Shao Yunduan with his men. She was a young woman and did not have to get osted by the crowd. If an ident happened, it would be really bad. Shao Yunduan had been training physically and he often did some farming at home, so he was rtively fitter. Still, after spending nine days in the exam hall, he looked very weak and there were prominent, dark circles around his eyes. He looked quite pale. He barely held on when he met Yuezheng Xiao and Songshi. He managed to smile and went up to greet Yuezheng Xiao. Some people simply copsed at the sight of their brothers, family and servants. A few people could not even wait for their people to arrive and fell down halfway. ¡°Darling!¡± Qiao Xuan was waiting anxiously and looked around. When she spotted him, she waved at him, her eyes sparkling. Shao Yunduan saw her and smiled brightly too. He could not help but feel warm and wave at her. Qiao Xuan climbed down the wagon and greeted him. ¡°Thank goodness, you are alright. Let¡¯s go home!¡± ¡°Okay, Darling!¡¯ ¡°You have worked hard!¡± ¡°l am fine, it was not really that hard!¡± Yuezheng Xiao rubbed his nose and felt that he should not be intervening at this moment. Still, he cleared his throat with a smile.. ¡°Hey, I am still here!¡± Chapter 663 - 663: Yes Chapter 663 - 663: Yes Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan was startled. She was blushing but Shao Yunduan remained calm. He responded inposure. ¡°Thank you for today, Brother Yuezheng, would you like toe and have some tea at home?¡± Yuezheng Xiao waved his hands and shook his head, looking at him with a meaningful smile. ¡°No, thanks. 1 don¡¯t want to Impose myself upon you today. You should go home now. Brother Xie and I will visit you tomorrow.¡± The couple had been away from each other for a long time and they needed a reunion. He knew that! He was not going to be the third wheel under the circumstances! Shao Yunduan knew that he must have misunderstood something. Without exining anything, he nodded and said, ¡°Okay, we will be waiting for you toe tomorrow! ¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡¯ Seeing Shao Yunduan getting onto the wagon with Qiao Xuan, Yuezheng Xiao smiled and went back to his mother. His mother was really fond of Qiao Xuan, not just because she saved her husband¡¯s life. She truly liked Qiao Xuan as a person. She was very devoted to Qiao Xuan, even more than she was towards her own son. She did not even ask him when he was nning to get married. Seeing Shao Yunduan¡¯sposure, he believed that Shao Yunduan must have done well in the examination. Xie Jingrong had given him enough study materials. When they were discussing the content in the past, he did not understand anything, but it sounded profound. So, he should be capable of making it to the next level! In the wagon, Qiao Xuan passed a cup of honey tea to Shao Yunduan. ¡°Darling, drink some tea to moisten your throat.¡± Qiao Xuan could not help but feel sorry for Shao Yunduan. She had never seen him look so pale like this. The examination time was just too long. The tea cleared his throat, and had an aftertaste of lemon. Shao Yunduan finished it all and felt refreshed again. ¡°Darling, I should make it to the next level this time.¡± Shao Yunduan sounded calm and looked confident, as he said this to Qiao Xuan with a smile. He was never an arrogant man. If he said that he could clear it, then he would. Qiao Xuan believed him. Actually, when she saw him approaching her from afar, she somehow felt assured in heart. ¡°That¡¯s good. We will have good news to share with the family.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and showed an excited look. ¡°We will pass on the news to Officer Qiao as well. He will be d too.¡± Shao Yunduan had seen through Officer Qiao. He was going to be very friendly to him if he made it to the next level, even though he looked down at him earlier. Shao Yunduan will definitely have a promising future if he made it to the next level and would be of great help to Officer Qiao. Shao Yunduan did not care whether Madame Qiao would be pleased or not. Qiao Xuan felt that it was a very pleasing thought. It was going to be so much fun looking at Madame Qiao¡¯s face at that time. She smiled brightly. ¡°Yeah, we will go together to tell them the good news, right?¡± The couple exchanged a look and smiled. The hot water bath was ready. Shao Yunduan went to take a bath and wash his hair. He changed his clothes and felt quite fresh. Qiao Xuan had already stewed ck-bone chicken, along with red dates, ginkgo and lotus seeds, which had been stewed with rock sugar and white fungus to make a delicious soup. She offered it to her husband. ¡°Drink some soup, and have a good rest.. I will cook you a big dinner tonight!¡± Chapter 664 - 664: Good Thinking Chapter 664: Good Thinking Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions When Shao Yunduan was away, she felt that the whole house was empty, though he was the only one missing. Once he was back, the empty feeling suddenly disappeared. It felt as if the home wasplete again. She did not try to purposefully feel sp. She just had a slight sense of easiness, rxation and quietness. Shao Yunduan looked gentle and answered happily, picking up the soup bowl to drink. The chicken soup had been stewed long enough to be fragrant and delicious. The aroma of red dates and ginkgo blended with the aroma of chicken. Every mouthful warmed the stomach and quickly replenished the energy of the body that had been consumed, making his mood change for the better. Shao Yunduan suddenly felt greedy. He wished that this kind of warmth and peace would never be taken away from him. Shao Yunduan felt tired and needed to rx and rest. After finishing the soup, he went back to the room and slept. Lixia and Liqiu were d and exchanged a few happy words with Qiao Xuan, congratting her. They had been living so freely and happily after moving to the Shao Family. Hence, they wished that the Shao Family would get better. In this way, they could just stay with the Shao Family forever. Qiao Xuan was d but did not lose her rationality. She reminded them. ¡°The result is not certain yet, so nothing can be sure until the final result is out. We can talk amongst ourselves, but no conversation outside. If someone asks about this, don¡¯t say anything, alright?¡± Some neighbors kept asking about Shao Yunduan¡¯s situation, when they ran into each other in the market. Lixia and Liqiu nodded sincerely. ¡°We won¡¯t, don¡¯t worry!¡¯ ¡°Yeah, we are not in a hurry. We will be patient. The result will be out soon, and at that time, we will talk about this freely.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Qiao Xuan, ¡® That was the right n. ¡°Do remember to keep your mouth sealed!¡± For dinner, Qiao Xuan made gastrodia ta pigeon soup, cooked soft- shelled turtle and chicken nuggets, steamed mandarin fish, shrimp and egg, green pepper beef, garlic lettuce, fungus and yam. It was to treat Shao Yunduan well. He ate casual food during the past nine days and must have been fed up. He was lucky that Qiao Xuan had prepared some dried pork and beef to help him sustain during the tough period. Shao Yunduan was d to see a table full of dishes. He was greedy to have them all. Qiao Xuan noticed the way he reacted. Feeling satisfied and d, she said modestly, ¡°These are just casual dishes I have cooked. Eat them to make yourself energetic again.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled brightly. ¡°Okay, I will eat it all!¡± Qiao Xuan felt her heart sweeten and she smiled. ¡°Help yourself!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled slowly, and picked steamed mandarin fish with chopsticks for Qiao Xuan. The snow-white fish was dipped in a rich sauce. It looked tender and delicious. This dish had always been Qiao Xuan¡¯s favorite. ¡°Sorry to worry you.. Darling, please eat some too!¡± Chapter 665 - 665: Her Husband Chapter 665 - 665: Her Husband Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan was ttered. ¡°You know how to please me! You also eat, don¡¯t just concentrate on giving food to me.¡± Shao Yunduan replied instantly. ¡°You can feed me too. Anyways, you don¡¯t need to please me. Everything I own is yours.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled brightly. ¡°That is cool! But my things are still my things!¡¯ Shao Yunduanughed. ¡°Of course!¡± The following day, Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao came to visit them, and did not leave until after lunch. Shao Yunduan spent the following few days keeping Qiao Xuanpany at home. Post that, having been invited by Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou, he went out to meet some other participants. They talked about the result of the examination and everyone sounded hopeful. They kept discussing what the answers should be and who would be the Provincial Champion this time. There were numerous guesses going around. Shao Yunduan heard the news but was not moved by these small rumors. There was no fluctuation in his heart. He did not care about the rumors because he had ess to the official channel to hear the truth. If anything really happened, the Xie Family should definitely know about this and Xie Jingrong would not conceal it from him. The date of the result was soon revealed. Everyone was talking about it. Some casinos even set up the bet about who would be the Provincial Champion. Many popr ones were ranked in the list. Qiao Xuan looked at the list and found that Shao Yunduan was not included in the candidate list, in any of the casinos! She felt really displeased. How could her husband not be mentioned in the betting list? Her husband was such a diligent and excellent man. Qiao Xuan dressed up as a man and went to the biggest casino in the province. She did not ce her bet on any of the candidates. Instead, she put forward the name of Shao Yunduan. She bet that Shao Yunduan would be the Provincial Champion! Qiao Xuan knew enough about the imperial examination. A Cultivated Talent was a very difficult level to achieve and the Rmended Man level would be even harder to reach. The Advanced Schr level was the most difficult, since the examination only took ce once every third year. In the whole country, only 300 people were epted. Just the name sounded so difficult! Actually, she wasn¡¯t sure if Shao Yunduan could be the Provincial Champion. If Shao Yunduan could achieve the title of the Rmended Man, he would be considered excellent. Still, Qiao Xuan felt that Shao Yunduan¡¯s intelligence should not be ignored. He deserved to be at least on the probable candidate list! So, just for the talent of her husband and her belief in him, she was going to make a bet. The owner of the casino looked at Qiao Xuan as if he were looking at an idiot. Heughed. The othersughed as well. ¡°What is his name again?¡± ¡°l don¡¯t know, never heard of him!¡± ¡°Well, maybe they have some news, maybe this man really has be the Provincial Champion! ¡± ¡°That is impossible. It would either be Gu Yuan or Hu Zhonghe. No one else is expected to make it this time!¡± Qiao Xuan remained unconvinced. ¡°The result has not been announced yet. Anything is possible. You are drawing a conclusion too early. Shao Yunduan has always kept a low-profile and he is modest. I believe that he is capable.. Just tell me if I can make a bet here or not, if not, I will go somewhere else!¡± Chapter 666 - 666: Shao Yunduan’s Reputation Chapter 666 - 666: Shao Yunduan¡¯s Reputation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Of course you can.¡± The owner smiled. ¡°But if you are the only one who makes the bet, and you are putting a very small amount on it, we can¡¯t even open it. If you want to make a bet, it needs at least 1,000 liang, okay?¡± The owner was very eager to get the money! Qiao Xuan asked him. ¡°What is thepensation rate?¡± Was she really going to make the bet? The owner was motivated and answered enthusiastically. ¡°Five times!¡± Honestly, the most popr candidates would have the return of three times, and the two most popr ones had a rate of 1.5 times. The casino was trying to earn money, not giving out money. Five times were a lot. Everyone booed. This was going to be a great show. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Okay, then, my bet is that he is going to win. Here are 5,000 liang!¡¯ Qiao Xuan brought out five notes of 1,000 liang and ced them on the table. Everyone gasped. Then, someone pped excitedly. ¡°Good, very brave! ¡± ¡°Hahah, what a stupid person!¡± ¡°5,000 liang is too little. Add some more!¡± The owner was startled but soon he smiled. He put away the money and gave Qiao Xuan the invoice. He smiled. ¡°Keep it, as a souvenir!¡± Everyoneughed, and looked at Qiao Xuan mockingly, as if she were an idiot! Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°l will definitely keep it safe to get my money. Be prepared to have 25,000 liang ready for me!¡± The ownerughed confidently in return. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we never cheat!¡± Qiao Xuan snorted. ¡°Good!¡± She believed that the casino would be able to afford thepensation, since they were rich. Also, she had the Yuezheng Family behind her. She was not worried that they would be able to cheat. Later, Qiao Xuan found three more casinos and put 5,000 liang each as the bet. The other casinos were surprised and found it funny. So, they followed suit and increased thepensation rate to five times. Some others also wanted to have fun, so they put down the money as well. Shao Yunduan, as a candidate, received a minimum of 100 liang in each of the four casinos. With this, Shao Yunduan¡¯s name became popr. Gu Zhiyou and Lu Min were shocked. Who did it? They soon realized that maybe Shao Yunduan could make it as the Provincial Champion! Shao Yunduan had always kept a low-profile and he never bragged or talked big. But he was very learned and they did not know how knowledgeable he was. They even teased him that they would make a bet to support him. Shao Yunduanughed. Shao Yunduan knew that it was his wife who started the bet. But Gu Zhiyou and Lu Min did go to support him by putting down five liang each. They were not from a rich family after all. Back at home, Shao Yunduanughed at the sight of Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan felt a little guilty, but not overly so. She said confidently, ¡°l believe that my husband should have a name on that list, for luck¡¯s sake.. You won¡¯t me me for splurging, will you?¡± Chapter 667 - 667: Support Chapter 667 - 667: Support Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Of course not.¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled. ¡°As long as you are happy! Instead, 1 want to say thank you for thinking so highly of me!¡± Qiao Xuan was quite cheerful. ¡°l just don¡¯t want them to look down at you! Don¡¯t be stressed, we will ept the result, no matter what!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡¯ Actually, he was sure that he would make it to the next level and would attain a good rank on the list. But his wife really had a high expectation of him, so he felt a little stressed now. As the news spread around, Yuezheng Xiao was amused and went to make a bet as well. He stood by Shao Yunduan¡¯s side. But he did not think that he should trespass Qiao Xuan, so he only bet 3,000 liang in each casino. Hearing the news, Ms. Mi Juniorughed, and then sneered. She even went to talk about this to First Madame. She imed that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did it on purpose just to make Shao Yunduan famous, and even coaxed Yuezheng Xiao to splurge. Yuezheng Xiao spent more than 10,000 liang on this, and that was a huge amount. First Madame was amused hearing that. She kept asking Ms. Mi Junior for more details. Ms. Mi Junior felt even prouder. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, now you see the couple couple¡¯s real face and pped right across First Madame¡¯s face. So, she told her every little detail. First Madame smiled. ¡°Thanks for telling me this, Second Sister-inw, or I would have had absolutely no idea.¡± Ms. Mi Junior felt even prouder. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, now you see the couple are up to no good. They didn¡¯t dare to tell you in case they ruin your reputation after getting benefits from you for free! ¡± First Madame replied. ¡°They have never tricked me or got anything from us for free. Why do you keep saying so? This is a very interesting thing though, why didn¡¯t my son tell me about it?¡± ¡°Auntie Hua, go and get 20,000 liang to make a bet!¡± First Madame also believed that she should not go past Qiao Xuan. She was the Aunt and she could stand shoulder in shoulder with her. Ms. Mi Junior did not know that it was Qiao Xuan who started it. But First Madame and Yuezheng Xiao knew clearly that it was she who was behind all of these. ¡°What are you doing, Elder Sister-inw!¡± Ms. Mi Junior was shocked and soon got furious. She was being pped by First Madame now. First Madame said, ¡°Nothing serious, just making a bet. Join us if you want to.¡± Ms. Mi Junior staggered. ¡°Elder sister-inw, you are trying to trick me?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± First Madame smiled. ¡°What does this have to do with you, anyways? You have over-thought this matter.¡± Ms. Mi Junior was startled and got stuck speechless. First Madame was going to ce a bet and that had nothing to do with her. But First Madame would not have made the bet if she had not spoken of this in front of her. Her telling First Madame was one thing and First Madame knowing about this and making the bet was another. First Madame never promised anything to her. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, you are bent on making me unhappy, aren¡¯t you? Oh I see, I am not half as important as that outsider!¡± Ms. Mi Junior was about to leave in anger after saying that. ¡°Second Sister-inw.¡± First Madame stopped her and said coldly, ¡°You and I know pretty well what you have done during all these years.. We all know that but we don¡¯t bother to talk about it, understand?¡± Chapter 668 - 668: Good News Chapter 668 - 668: Good News Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Second Sister-inw, do you really think that I am so forgiving not to care what you did to us before? Don¡¯t keep harping on the fact that we are a family. Don¡¯t you feel guilty saying this?¡± Ms. Mi Junior felt both angry and embarrassed. She snorted and left. Auntie Hua soon got the money and asked the housekeeper to ce the bet. The housekeeper informed her that the rate had been adjusted to three times. That was because the money put in was so huge, that the casino had to change the rate. First Madame felt that it was a pity! But the casinos were also in a dilemma. Not many people made the bet, but the amount was always huge, The initiator put down 5,000 liang, and then came someone with 3,000 liang, then another person with 3,000 liang. That made them feel hesitant. It was 11,000 with all of those put together. If they lost, it would be 55,000 if the bet was lost. That was not a huge amount. What if someone added to the amount? So, the owner decided to adjust the rate. Sure enough, one day after the adjustment, someone with 5,000 liang came to ce a bet. Those who were watching the show felt that Shao Yunduan might have somepetence, so they decided to try their luck as well. So after one day, more than 500 liang was taken in¡­ The owner was totally shocked. What was everyone doing here? Who on earth was the first person who started all of this. He really wanted to ask ¡®him¡¯ if he had any inside news that made the person do this. Otherwise, why so generous? They all knew that the young master¡¯ ced a bet of 20,000 liang in four casinos at one go. But they were never going to find that young master¡¯ any more because Qiao Xuan did not show up again dressed as a man. The governmental office understood clearly that everyone was eager to see the result. So, the office urged that the paper should be examined as fast as possible. Five dayster, it was time for the result. Shao Yunduan went out with Songshi to check the list. Yuezheng Xiao joined them. Xie Jingrong was not in a good position to do so, so he did not show up. He did not reveal his identity when making the bet at the casino. He asked Xie Dong to find someone outside the mansion to do so. Qiao Xuan was waiting anxiously at home with Lixia and Liqiu. They started to panic while they were waiting. They just could not help but think about the worst case. What if¡­ well, one never knew about the future. Four hours passed, and the wagon finally showed up. Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes brightened, and she almost had her heart popping out. The wagon pulled over. Songshi got out of the wagon and passed on the congrattions. Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief. She went up and saw Shao Yunduan and Yuezheng Xiaoing out of the wagon. ¡°You made it to the next level? Congrattions!¡± Shao Yunduan took hold of her hands with a smile. ¡°Darling, congrattions to you! You can have all your money back.¡± ¡°Really!¡± Qiao Xuan screamed and was shocked by the unexpected happy news. She felt that she was already floating in the clouds. ¡°You are the Provincial Champion? You really are the Provincial Champion?¡± Actually, she was not sure if Shao Yunduan could be the Provincial Champion. She made the bet because she wanted Shao Yunduan to have what other candidates had.. Chapter 669 - 669: Low-Profile Chapter 669 - 669: Low-Profile Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She did notck money. She could always earn it back. She was just being generous while cing that bet. Seeing Qiao Xuan¡¯s bright smile, Shao Yunduan also felt really pleased. He felt happier nowpared to the time when he knew that he was the Provincial Champion. Shao Yunduan nodded and grinned. ¡°Yes. I am the Provincial Champion. So, you will be Mrs. Provincial Champion from this moment on.¡± Qiao Xuan blushed, and started to get a little shy. She nodded with a light smile and her eyes lit up. She could not stop smiling. Yuezheng Xiao nced at the couple and touched his forehead. He was the third wheel again, wasn¡¯t he? How embarrassing! ¡°Well, Brother Shao and Sister-inw, you better get ready for the official messenger. I am afraid that there will be many peopleing to congratte youter today.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, we should prepare for it!¡± Qiao Xuan suddenly realized what was going on. She asked Shao Yunduan and Yuezheng Xiao to stay there whilst she, alongwith Lixia and Liqiu went to make preparations. The governmental office woulde to pass on the news and offer some bonus. The participants and the neighbors would also walk in to congratte him. So, they needed to prepare tea, candies, pastries and some snacks. They didn¡¯t have much stuff at home, so she asked Lixia to buy them. Liqiu was asked to boil the water in the kitchen whilst Qiao Xuan had the tea and teacups ready. Sure enough, one hourter, the governmental office delegation came over. Shao Yunduan¡¯s good news had already spread to the neighborhood. Lu Min and other participants knew about this too. Many people came to the yard and passed on the congrattions. Yuezheng Xiao sent across ten pageboys and maids to help, so that they were not too busy. Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou also made it to the next level, with Gu Zhiyou ranking thest, and Lu Min ced somewhere in the middle. But they were already very satisfied by the result, and gave the most sincere congrattions to Shao Yunduan. They were young and were lucky to have achieved this result. Their future was filled with various possibilities. They had the energy and time to advance to the next level after this. They had been to Shao Yunduan¡¯s home, so it was alright. But the other participants came there for the first time. When they heard about the owner of the house, they were all shocked. Some people, who were not convinced or had looked down at Shao Yunduan earlier, lost their arrogance. After all, Shao Yunduan had never spent much money on their gatherings and he was always inly dressed. But ordinary people could not afford a house like this in the province or have a good rtionship with the Young Master from the Yuezheng Family. Shao Yunduan had just been keeping a low-profile in the past. They suddenly felt so shameful when they realized what was going on. Amongst them, the most shocked group was the Cultivated Talents from the county. They had heard of Shao Yunduan before, and just could not believe what they saw. When did the Shao Family be so wealthy? But then, Shao Yunduan was County Magistrate¡¯s son-inw, so it seemed reasonable that he had money. Did it mean¡­ Shao Yunduan and Officer Qiao did not have a bad rtionship as per the rumor. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan did not like what they heard.. Chapter 670 - 670: Mysterious Chapter 670 - 670: Mysterious Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They both expressed openly that they bought the house themselves, not through Officer Qiao. Officer Qiao was just a County Magistrate, and he could not have so much money to afford a house like this in the province for his son-inw. Unless¡­ he had embezzled money. Moreover, they earned the money through business with the Yuezheng Family. Yuezheng Xiao was present there too. He smiled and confirmed what the couple said. Those who were present nodded in realization. Most people stopped asking for details at this point but some annoying ones asked about what business they were doing, because of which they made so much money. Yuezheng Xiaoughed. ¡°That is a business secret!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled too but kept his mouth shut. The curious ones finally stopped asking. Why did they have to tell them what business they were involved in? Yuezheng Xiao confirmed the business rtionship and that was already a way to show that it was the truth. Most people were very understanding except for a few annoying ones. They were all in a good mood for the rest of the day. By the afternoon, the neighbors and guests were all gone. Yuezheng Xiao said, ¡°Sister-inw, do you think you should go and collect the money from the casinos? We should do it as soon as possible.¡± Qiao Xuan was startled for a moment and then chuckled. ¡°Right, 1 would have forgotten about this but for your reminder!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled at her. She did love money, but because of his sess today, she did not even care about it. So, she liked him more than she liked money! Qiao Xuan did not show up at the casinos personally. She gave the invoice to Yuezheng Xiao and asked him to get the money back. The owner had to do it ording to the deal. He said some sour words asking if they had learned the result ahead of time, else they would not have put so much money in it. Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°It was only because we believe in Brother Shads talent. He is knowledgeable, modest and doesn¡¯t like showing off. But we are his friends and know so much about him.¡± The owner almost passed out in anger. Qiao Xuan earned a profit of 100,000 liang! Yuezheng Xiao also earned more than 10,000 and Lu Min earned dozens of liang, which covered half of their fares spent on the trip to the capital. That ¡®mysterious young master¡¯ earned a name for his antics. But this young master¡¯ left without showing up again in front of anyone. ¡®He¡¯ never showed up but left an impact on the casinos. Qiao Xuan was so happy to hold the money. Honestly, she was fortunate to have so much money and felt like a winner! Qiao Xuan did not cook after a long day. She got it delivered from the restaurant instead. There would be some gatherings in the near future and she was going to treat Yuezheng Xiao and some friends for meals. She was also going to visit the Old Master and First Madame. They were going to spend the following seven or eight days attending banquets. Yuezheng Xiao did not leave and stayed over for dinner. In fact, Shao Yunduan would rather eat alone with Qiao Xuan, but Yuezheng Xiao helped him so much that he did not drive him away. Qiao Xuan booked two tables of dishes. She and Yuezheng Xiao, Shao Yunduan shared one table whilst the servants shared the other.. Everyone was really happy! Chapter 671 - 671: Problems At Home Chapter 671 - 671: Problems At Home Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Xiao still did not want to leave after dinner. He looked hesitant. That was quite surprising. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan felt that something was wrong. Yuezheng Xiao must have something to say. Something was not right¡­ Or he would not have been so embarrassed¡­ ¡°Brother Yuezheng, why not have the talk in the study?¡± Shao Yunduan suggested. They could talk about anything they wanted. Yuezheng Xiao bursted out. ¡°No need, no need, we can just talk here¡­¡± That meant that Qiao Xuan could join them. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged a look between themselves, and they became even more confused. ¡°Brother Yuezheng, just say it!¡¯ ¡°Yeah.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate, you have to tell us sooner orter.¡± ¡°Sigh!¡± Yuezheng Xiao felt like bursting. True, they had to know sooner orter. ¡°Brother Shao, Sister-inw, I do have something to tell you about your family. But everything is fine now, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything!¡¯ The couple was startled. Shao Yunduan lowered his voice. ¡°Brother Yuezheng, please speak clearly.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t worry, everything is fine now. I promise!l should have told you a few days ago, but because of the imperial examination, I made up my mind to conceal it from you, Brother Shao!¡± It was a long story and it had something to do with the Zhao Family. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had arranged everything well. Everything should have been fine. But¡­ on the day when Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni went into the town to buy stuff, something happened. The family could afford enough food these days, and because of Qiao Xuan¡¯s cooking skills, everyone was greedy for meat. Ms. Fang was not stingy either. She could afford the food, so she decided to have a good time. They were able to live generously, so she did not want to behave like a poor family. Every now and then, Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni went into the town to buy meat. Though Ojao Xuan was not around, Yang Xiaoni and Taotao could copy her by adding a lot of seasonings and spices, and if they could keep the meat fresh, then the big fire over the stove should be able to make the fish taste great. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni always went into town smoothly but there was one time when they ran into Zhao Guanghua with Taotao and Q). Zhao Guanghua stared at Yang Xiaoni without moving. He knew that Qiao Xuan was Officer Qiao¡¯s daughter and Shao Yunduan was the Cultivated Talent, so even though he liked that girl, he could not possibly force her. So he just sneaked around. But his servants, She and Dou, found him very distressed these days, and saw how he looked at the girl from the countryside. Hence, they decided to kidnap Yang Xiaoni and deliver her to their young master¡¯s side. Yang Xiaoni was beautiful and dressed in a very lovely way. She liked desserts and pastry, so the two servants believed that Yang Xiaoni must be azy person. Otherwise, how could some wife from the countryside be so well-dressed and would like to spend so much money buying snacks. It must be the wife who was greedy that her husband had to buy those things for her, since she was very pretty.. Chapter 672 - 672: Bullying Chapter 672 - 672: Bullying Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions In Dou¡¯s eyes, a girl from the countryside was very easily coaxed. As long as she was kidnapped, she would feel that she was honored to be with their young master. She would be willing to serve him. The Zhao Family had never feared anybody in the county. She and Dou had been used to bullying around, and they never had any rules or morality. They dared to do anything to tter their young master. So, the two servants came up with the idea of hiring a few hooligans and tried to rob Shao Sang and the others on their way home. The servants and the hooligans put on some masks and pretended to be bandits from the mountains. Taotao and Yang Xiaoni were so scared but Shao Sang did not allow anyone to bully his wife. He shouted loudly to Qi and asked him to take the two girls away. But Qi was so furious that he pulled out a tree trunk thicker than his arm and waved at the bandits, who fell onto the ground. Shao Sang did not get to do anything at all. Taotao and Yang Xiaoni were both shocked. Then, Qi asked Shao Sang to get the eight of them tied into two clusters. The hooligans were not afraid of them so they kept shouting and decided to threaten them. Shao Sang was furious but he was a bit scared as well. Hooligans were very difficult to get rid of. They might not be afraid of them when in the vige, but if they went into the town in the future, they mighte to attack them again. One would never know what wasing next. More importantly, they were not afraid of anything. Shao Xiaoqi shouted loudly. ¡°Just shut up! You know who we are, so you dare to do anything? My fifth sister-inw is County Magistrate¡¯s daughter and if you ever touch us, she will never let you go. My Fifth Brother is the Cultivated Talent, and he is in the province for the imperial examination. If he makes it to the next level, you will not escape the punishment!¡± ¡°Have you heard of the Yuezheng Family? The richest family in the province! Their Young Master is a good friend of our family and he has even lived at our ce. He even has a manager residing at the Zhang Vige taking care of the properties! You can ask around if you don¡¯t believe me,¡± ¡°We are not your enemies. We have never offended you. Why did you do this to us?¡± The hooligans were dumbfounded as they exchanged looks between themselves. They started to hesitate. Officer Qiao did have a daughter who married a Cultivated Talent, but these people had no chance to pry about the County Magistrate¡¯s family, so they had no idea that Qiao Xuan was disliked in her family. Also, even if she was, the County Magistrate would protect her just to keep up his reputation. Also, what if this boy¡¯s brother really became a Rmended man¡­ They would never be bold enough to offend people from a Rmended man¡¯s family. But the Zhao Family was powerful in the County and they knew that the Young Master Zhao was very arrogant. They could get many benefits by sucking up to him. If he was offended, the result could be bad too. So, they did not dare sell out Zhao Guanghua. They just apologized and said that it was a misunderstanding, promising never to touch them again.. Chapter 673 - 673: Evil Servants Chapter 673 - 673: Evil Servants Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions At this time, Shao Sang pointed at She suddenly. ¡°Qi, look at that man. Does he look like the pageboy serving Young Master Zhao when he visited our cousin¡¯s home?¡± Shao Xiaoqi was startled as he looked in that direction. Sure enough! Shao Xiaoqi was smarter than Shao Sang. He sneered after thinking for a while. ¡°So, is it Young Master Zhao who hired you? Shame on you!¡¯ She and Dou felt that they were better than others, and they could not stand it when a countryside boy cursed their young master! She red at Qi. ¡°Since you know we are working for Young Master Zhao, you better untie us. Otherwise, our Young Master will not let you be at peace!¡± Dou also snapped back. ¡°Yeah, you poor people from the countryside should never dare to offend our Young Master! You can cheat others, but we are from the Zhao Family. Untie us, and let this girle with us. When our Young Master is pleased, he will forgive you!¡¯ Shao Sang and Shao Xiaoqi did not like such words. Annoyed, they punched and kicked the two servants who cried out in pain. They even lost two front teeth. ¡°We will punch you, you damn servants!¡± ¡°We will punch you whenever we see you!¡¯ Shao Sang and Shao Xiaoqi left with Yang Xiaoni and Taotao. She and Dou did not get rid of the ropes until a long whileter. Finally, they went home in a mess. The hooligans found that something was wrong. They dodged She and Dou and refused to help them. That family did not seem to be very easy to deal with. Humiliated, She and Dou again cursed at those people, feeling angry. Hooligans were not easily offended. When they did not offer help, they did not dare to do anything about it either. But from that day on, they regarded the Shao Family as their enemies. After a few discussions, they instigated Zhao Guanghua by saying that the Shao Family kept sneering at Zhao Guanghua behind his back. They imed that they went to defend his name in front of them but got beaten. Zhao Guanghua got so furious. He could not stand the humiliation. So, the next day, they rushed to Shaoding Vige with a few followers. But the Shao Family were in charge of the vige and the Land Officer had a good rtionship with Shao Yunduan and his family. So, the Land Officer would definitely defend their family to show his position and keep the family safe. He needed to act like a Land Officer. Also, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had said that they would offer some jobs to the vigers. A few families had already got some benefits from them, so the Land Officer was absolutely on the side of the Shao Family. Young Master Zhao would never do anything for the vige. No one from the vige would care about him. So, when Zhao Guanghua came with his gang, they could not do anything to the Shao Family, and left angrily. Zhao Ming got furious hearing about this. Since when did the Zhao Family be so easy to be bullied? Officer Qiao forced them to donate money and his cheap son-inw ordered people to punch their servants? Chapter 674 - 674: Anger Out Of Twist Chapter 674 - 674: Anger Out Of Twist Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Who made them so bold as to do this?! Zhao Ming gave her Second Brother an idea. ¡°They should be made to fight amongst themselves!¡± So, the next day, she went to Qiao Wei and told her how Qiao Xuan bought so many properties in secret and had hundreds of mu in the vige. She even mentioned how they had actually sucked up to the Yuezheng Family in the province, and how lively their lifestyle was. Cultivated Talent Shao even went into province with Qiao Xuan to participate in the imperial examination. If he made it to the next level, things would be very different! Qiao Wei¡¯s face changedpletely. She interrogated Zhao Ming and asked again if everything she said was real. Zhao Ming swore that it was all true. She even said that the Shao Family had a huge house with zed windows and they even had many fields¡­. Qiao Wei¡¯s face was twisted. How dare Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan do this? Qiao Wei told Madame Qiao about all of this. Madame Qiao was furious as well. ¡°How dare Shao Yunduan go to participate in the imperial examination?!¡± Madame Qiao told Officer Qiao about it in anger. Officer Qiao was shocked too, but said instantly, ¡°If he wants to have a try, then he can do that. It doesn¡¯t cost us any money. If he fails, that has nothing to do with us. If he does make it to the next level, he may be of some help to us!¡± Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei were both shocked. Their thoughts were far different¡­ quite the opposite! Qiao Wei could not stand her father¡¯s attitude. She felt saddened, and said, ¡°Dad, how could you say that? How dare Shao Yunduan participate in the imperial examination? Who does he think he is? He may end up humiliating you!¡± Madame Qiao added. ¡°Old Master, he is just a Cultivated Talent, and he lied to you. He told you that he would not be participating in the imperial examination, but he did it in secret! He doesn¡¯t respect you! He doesn¡¯t think you are important! ¡± ¡°He is so ruthless and tricky. If he makes it to the next level and bes promising, do you think that he will help you, and not set you up instead?¡± Officer Qiao was startled. Heshed out. ¡°He would not dare! I am his father-inw! If he ever dares to do anything against my will, he will lose his position. Also he needs my help when he is new to the government. Listen carefully, if he fails, then ignore him. If he makes it, you must treat Qiao Xuan well! We are a family, remember?¡± In Officer Qiao¡¯s eyes, nothing was more important than his career. Even if he had some disagreement with Shao Yunduan in the past, nothing matteredpared to a bright future. So, Shao Yunduan was not going to hate him. If he did resent him, then he was a stupid person. Qiao Wei just could not believe what she heard. She was about to counter her father, when Madame Qiao stopped her. Madame Qiao smiled sweetly. ¡°It is my fault for not thinking about this. You are right, Old Master, if Shao Yunduan makes it, then he would need your help. If he is not stupid, he will definitely suck up to you, rather than hate you. After all, you are his father-inw!¡± Officer Qiao nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Good that you think so.¡± Madame Qiao sighed with a smile. ¡°But he needs to clear the level first. He is not a learned person and has no name in our county. He was driven out of Minghua College because of the trouble he caused. He might not make it most probably.. We need to wait until the resultes out¡­¡± Chapter 675 - 675: Warning Chapter 675 - 675: Warning Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Officer Qiao fretted and turned anxious. ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s see what happens!¡± Officer Qiao did not think that Shao Yunduan would make it to the next level. But when he thought of how he disagreed with his proposal and sneaked to take the examination, he could not help but feel disgusted. ¡°You are right, Old Master.¡± Madame Qiao sighed with a slight worry in her voice. ¡°Hopefully he knows what to do, and he won¡¯t just brag about his background and bring you down, Old Master!¡± Hearing that, Officer Qiao suddenly got annoyed by Shao Yunduan. He sneered. ¡°If he dares do something like that, I will punish him!¡± Madame Qiao said, ¡°No matter what the result is, Old Master, you need to teach him a lesson so that he knows that he should respect you and inform you of everything. Otherwise, he will always try to rebel and make decisions on his own. Old Master, that would bring you much trouble!¡± Officer Qiao frowned slightly and agreed. ¡°You have given me a good reminder. That is definitely necessary!¡¯ Madame Qiao said modestly, ¡°I am fully devoted to you, Old Master!¡± Officer Qiao smiled in satisfaction. True, his wife was very virtuous. What Officer Qiao did not know was that the moment he left, his virtuous wife and brilliant lineal daughter had distorted expressions on their faces. ¡°Mom, look at what Dad said! Qiao Xuan, the bitch and Shao Yunduan dared to rebel against us! How can they do so? Mom, that bitch should have never be an officer¡¯s wife, never!¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s face sank. She did not want this to happen more than Qiao Wei did. Her original n of setting up Qiao Xuan and forcing her to marry some countryside man was ruined! ¡°Anyway, he is just there for an examination, you think he can make it to the next level? Shao Yunduan is not at all skilled! That is not going to happen!¡¯ ¡°What if it does happen?¡± ¡°Not possible! Imperial examination can clearly identify knowledgeable people and those people without any knowledge would never go any further. How can it be possible for someone like him to seed?¡± Qiao Wei felt slightly better hearing that. She gritted her teeth. ¡°Mom, Qiao Xuan dared to make the decision herself. We will teach her a good lesson when she returns.¡¯ Niadame Qiao¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°True. I am going to ask her why she concealed this from us. What is so humiliating with the imperial examination?¡± Qiao Wei was fretting. She really wished to get Qiao Xuan over here to lecture her now. How could Qiao Xuan follow Shao Yunduan to the province for the imperial examination? Qiao Xuan was just a coward. She was not good enough to be seen in public. How could she go to the province! She did not deserve the visit to the province! Even though she herself had never been there enough times¡­ ¡°Mom, how about getting Auntie Ling to visit the vige and take a look at the Shao Family. Zhao Ming said that Qiao Xuan has collected a lot of money and they even have zed windows and a big house. They have bought a lot ofnd. Where did she get the money from? Even if Shao Yunduan imed that he is working for Young Master Yuezheng, two liang a month is not at all enough. Something is wrong!¡± ¡°The couple lied to us about going to the province. So, I believe that they must be lying about a lot of other things too!¡± Madame Qiao found that many things were wrong. She was also itching to do something about it.. Chapter 676 - 676: Auntie Ling At Door Chapter 676 - 676: Auntie Ling At Door Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan¡¯s mother never left anything for her, and Auntie Ling prepared the dowry for the girl. There was nothing valuable there. Qiao Xuan coaxed 300-400 liang from the family but that was just enough for dozens of mu fields, nothing beyond. A big house with zed windows? That was just fantasy. Oh right! Madame Qiao suddenly realized that Qiao Xuan must have been pretending to be weak. She never cribbed about the poor dowry prepared for her either. Unless¡­ she had been pretending to be weak before! The more she thought about this, the more angry Madame Qiao became. She felt so furious. That bitch had been lying to her all this while. Good, good! Then what she and Shao Yunduan said might not be true. Maybe their rtionship with Young Master Yuezheng was not the same as they had imed¡­ But what could it be? Madame Qiao was feeling really ufortable at this moment. She turned to Auntie Ling. ¡°Take two people to the Shao Family in the vige and take a thorough look at their home. That bitch must be lying to us about many things. You have to see with your own eyes, and not believe what the Shao Family tells you, got it?¡± Auntie Ling nodded. Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei told Auntie Ling a few more things before she left. They were not going to visit the vige personally. That ce was too low-ss for them to set foot in. Before Auntie Ling left the following day, Madame Qiao got Concubine Du and Qiao Kou to keep herpany. When Concubine Du and Qiao Kou¡¯s properties were taken away, they did not seem to have a broken rtionship with Qiao Wei and Madame Qiao, but both of them knew what they were resentful inwardly. When Concubine Du and Qiao Kou heard about what happened to Qiao Xuan and the Shao Family, they were shocked and then, they turned extremely jealous. Why was Qiao Xuan living a good life whilst they were suffering? That was totally unreasonable! Both of them got very motivated and swore to god that they were going to rip the Shao Family off. Seeing their reaction, Madame Qiao more or less understood what they were thinking. She felt disdainful. These were just her tools! At the first section of the Shao Family. Due to what Zhao Guanghua did to them, the brothers of the Shao Family did not leave home, fearing that something might happen again. Yang Xiaoni and Taotao were still making lipsticks in the flower field, which was located next to the vige, so that was alright. Auntie Ling and her team came to the house of the first section of the Shao Family and ordered the maid Zhang Sier and Yang San to knock at the door. Sizing up the appearance of the house, Auntie Ling and Concubine Du as well as Qiao Kou were all very annoyed inwardly. It was indeed a huge house. Concubine Du felt sour inwardly. ¡°Second Miss is really capable of buying so many properties.¡± Shao Sang opened the door and looked rmed, seeing the two women at the door. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who are we? That is a good question. We are from the Qiao Family, Madame Qiao sent us here. Are Qiao Xuan¡¯s inws home?¡± Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s family? That could not be good.. Chapter 677 - 677: Jealous Chapter 677 - 677: Jealous Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Sang chuckled. ¡°My parents are both at home. If you are from Officer Qiao¡¯s mansion, pleasee in!¡± Shao Sang did not think that they were impostors. Honestly, no one in the county would dare pretend to be from the County Magistrate¡¯s family! Auntie Ling went in with the others. Shao Sang turned around and shouted, so everyone who was at home came out. Auntie Ling, Concubine Du and her daughter as well as the two woman maids were shocked to see the house! The yard was paved with t and clean square bricks. The house was tall and spacious, and the materials used were very good. There were actually several small yards, each with a closed door. There were a lot of flowers and trees nted, which were lush, and blooming, including roses, hydrangea. Pomegranates were hanging from the trees, and they were full of vitality. This was not a countryside home. In fact, it was better than a town family¡¯s home! The worst part in their eyes was that the windows were all installed with light-colored zed windows, with a lot of light shining through. It must be so good to live in such a ce. Concubine Du and her daughter exchanged a look, and both felt really jealous. Even their room was not installed with zed windows¡­ ¡°Ah¡­ you are from the Qiao Family? What are your names?¡± Ms. Fang smiled brightly. Yang San frowned. ¡°You are the inw right? We are all women here, and we can¡¯t just meet other men. Can they be sent away? Eldest Uncle flushed and looked embarrassed. He smiled. ¡°Okay, okay, we will leave¡­¡± Then, he took away Shao Sang, Shao Dng and Shao Xiaoqi. Only Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were present. Ms. Fang gave Qi a wink, who left without saying anything. But Qi did not leave them alone. Instead, he was on watch nearby. Shao Sang went to the flower field to get Yang Xiaoni and the other girls toe back. They could not be less in numbers. Ms. Fang did not have a big smile on her face originally and she smiled even less now. ¡°We don¡¯t have many rules and manners here, sorry for that. Who are you?¡± Auntie Ling and Concubine Du as well as her daughter did not like the way Ms. Fang talked. They seemed to look down at Ms. Fang. Yang San introduced them arrogantly. ¡°That is Concubine Du, Third Miss, and Auntie Ling who works for Madame Qiao.¡± Ms. Fang said, ¡°Oh!¡± So concubine and servants¡­ and one mistress who was her daughter-inw¡¯s sister. So, if she was her daughter-inw¡¯s sister, then she should be above her in generation. Ms. Fang soon understood that they had no positions in front of her. Thanks to Qiao Xuan, Ms. Fang had learned the inner workings of the mansions. Qiao Xuan had used hermon sense, and some things she mentioned were even wrong. After all, she was not professional in this aspect either. Those were just what she had learned from fiction and TV-series in the past. But what she had taught Ms. Fang would be useful now. Those people were here with ill-intention. Moreover, they seemed to be looking down at her. Ms. Fang almost rolled eyes at them, not intending to suck up to Concubine Du and the others. It was already kind enough for Ms. Fang to let them enter the house.. Chapter 678 - 678: No Rules Chapter 678 - 678: No Rules Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Ms. Xu, you are pregnant, you can go back to your room to rest.¡± Concubine Du still nced about as she sat down, hearing what Ms. Fang said to Ms. xu. Ms. Xu also noticed that the visitors were not up to any good. But these were the inws of the family and her mother-inw should be able to handle it. She was going to be inbor soon and she really could not help her being here. What if some ident happened¡­ that would be horrible! So, she smiled and left the threshold. Qiao Kou could not stand it but forced out a false smile. ¡°Aunt Fang, you are lucky. My Second Sister¡¯s dowry must have paid for everything in this house, didn¡¯t it? My Second Sister has got so much money!¡¯ Ms. Fang nced at her. ¡°What do you know, little girl? Don¡¯t go around spreading rumors. Ms. Qiao¡¯s dowry is her own property. No inws would use daughter-inws¡¯ dowry. You are just a little girl. Where did you hear such rumors?¡± ¡°You!¡± Qiao Kou flushed, angry. Concubine Du got angry and her face sank. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, you are a concubine right?¡± Concubine Du. Qiao Kou shouted immediately. ¡°So what? A concubine is superior to you countryside people! ¡®t Ms. Fang struck the table hard, sneering despite whether they had got frightened. ¡°If that is the case¡­ what is the point ofing to our home? You are too noble for us to serve, aren¡¯t you? So, you can leave now.¡± Ms. Fang stood up and shouted at them. ¡°Just leave now. Or I will use a broomstick. We countryside people are always very rough.¡± ¡°You are driving us away?¡± Qiao Kou sneered. ¡°Mother sent us here, and you are driving us away?¡± ¡°l am a generation older than you, and you dare shout at me and lecture me? You are also saying that a concubine is superior to me? Does this mean your mother wanted you to say all of this? Then, I will ask everyone around if it is reasonable. Best that there is a conclusion drawn out of it!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Third Miss!¡± Auntie Ling could not stand it any more. All this while, she had been watching the show. If this countryside woman truly drove them out with a broomstick, that would be so humiliating! Also, this countryside woman was very reasonable in this matter. Auntie Ling could tell that this countryside woman was not someone to be bullied easily. No wonder they always said that poor ces tended to breed poor people. ¡°Inw, please, Madame Qiao sent us here to ask a few questions. The concubine doesn¡¯t know how to behave and Third Miss doesn¡¯t know manners. Please excuse us. Madame Qiao would never tell them to do so, you have misunderstood us!¡± Ms. Fang sat down and snorted. ¡°Oh, is that so? I neve expected my daughter-inw¡¯s mother to have such an idea. So, will they apologize to me since they made a mistake like this?¡± Auntie Ling stiffened. Concubine Du¡¯s face changed and Qiao Kou almost shouted out something loudly again. But Auntie Ling red at them so they stopped. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Auntie Ling replied with gritted teeth. ¡°Concubine Du, Third Miss, apologize to Lady Fang.¡± Auntie Ling was speaking for Madame Qiao. So, no matter how unwilling Concubine Du and Qiao Kou were, they still obeyed her. Otherwise, she would report it to Madame Qiao when they returned and they would suffer. ¡°Sorry for the rude words, please forgive us!¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Chapter 679 - 679: Wrong Answers Chapter 679 - 679: Wrong Answers Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang rolled her eyes openly. It was boring to hear these untruthful words. ¡°Forget it.¡± She waved her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Qiao Kou got so annoyed. ¡®Then tell us earlier if you don¡¯t care. Why wait until now! Auntie Ling did not dare to ask what they were about to ask, after this incident. ¡°Madame Qiao heard that the Second Miss and her husband are in the province for the examination. So, she sent us here to offer some help.¡± Ms. Fang did not believe her. ¡°Everything is fine here, no need for any help.¡± ¡°Yeah, I can tell. Look at this magnificent house and zed windows. One such window would cost 30 to 40 liang. Lady Fang, you are living a luxurious life now! ¡± Nis. Fang was startled when she heard that. What? One zed window cost 30 to 40 liang? How could that ss be so expensive? She was sighing emotionally inside her heart. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan used their money to make this happen. How much did Ms. Qiao pay for the house? She would not have agreed to use the zed windows, if she had known how expensive they were. The couple told her nothing. The room was very bright because of these, and the zed windows were so beautiful. Everyone liked them but it was so costly! Ms. Fang could help but shiver. She was throwing scared nces at the windows. That was money! She needed to be very careful about the sses. They were all money! ¡°Madame Qiao even said that if the Second Miss¡¯ husband clears the examination, are the fees for the next examination avable? If not, Madame Qiao will offer some help. But you are very rich, so I believe that you must be doing some business, right? Are you hanging out with Young Master Yuezheng from the province? What is the business deal between the two families?¡± ¡°Madame Qiao is curious, so she needs to know the answers. I will tell Madame Qiao about this so that she can be assured in her heart as well¡­¡± Ms. Fang had no idea what Auntie Ling was thinking. She was still stuck on the zed windows. Auntie Ling raised her voice and called her. Ms. Fang came back to her senses and asked. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Auntie Ling was speechless. She had no choice but to repeat everything patiently. Ms. Fang waved her hands. ¡°1 have no idea about any of this. Yunduan has always been capable since childhood, and he can read well. He is smart, steady and assiduous too. He respects us and I never need to take care of him that much¡­¡± Auntie Ling. What was she saying? Later, no matter what Auntie Ling and Concubine Du asked, Ms. Fang only answered with one statement. ¡°l don¡¯t know.¡± Yang Xiaoni came back at this time. Taotao and Chunyu were still busy in the flower field. There was no need to have too many of them present here. Shao Sang and Shao Xiaoqi were both in this house. They were not around, but closeby. They would rush in to help in case something happened. But this was better. Ms. Fang pretended to be foolish and Yang Xiaoni really had no idea what Auntie Ling asked. Auntie Ling got very tired and expressed that they would like to have a tour of their yard. That was not going to happen. Their house was not a tourist site, and Ms. Fang said that it was not very convenient for her to show the yards of her children to outsiders.. Chapter 680 - 680: Lunch Here Chapter 680 - 680: Lunch Here Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Kou suddenly said, ¡®1 1 am a little tired. Can I have a rest in my sister¡¯s yard?¡± Concubine Du¡¯s eyes sparkled, as she smiled. ¡°Yeah, they have always been good sisters and never lived separately. Sisters can share a room, can they? You will approve of that, won¡¯t you, Ms. Fang?¡± Ms. Fang chuckled. ¡°That won¡¯t be possible. We have a small house with only a few rooms. Ms. Qiao has no separate room for herself. The couple are living together. You can¡¯t just rest on the couple¡¯s bed, can you? We don¡¯t have many manners, but we do have a few rules.¡¯ Qiao Kou¡¯s chest heaved. She was so angry that she almost exploded. This old woman was bullying her! Even Concubine Du was angered by this speech. Ms. Fang felt very proud in heart. Did they think she was stupid? They were up to no good if they wanted to visit her son and daughter-inw¡¯s room. She was not going to let that happen. Auntie Ling stiffened, but she said with a smile, ¡°It was our fault. Please don¡¯t mind. We would like to have lunch here, will that be okay with you?¡± Ms. Fang was not very happy. But she did not turn them down. She said indifferently, ¡°Oh, it is just a matter of another portion of rice and some more chopsticks. That is totally okay. But we don¡¯t have much to eat at home, so you should not mind.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Auntie Ling replied with a smile. ¡°Vegetables here are fresh and we will surely like them!¡± Ms. Fang smiled too. ¡°Yeah, we have many fresh vegetables!¡± Ms. Fang kept thempany and asked Yang Xiaoni to make some food. Yang San and Zhang Sier offered to help Yang Xiaoni. Ms. Fang did not stop them but let them do that. Concubine Du said that she wanted to go to the bathroom, so Ms. Fang had to show her the way. Concubine Du, Auntie Ling and Qiao Kou exchanged a look between themselves but Ms. Fang summoned Qi. Qi came in when he was called. Ms. Fang said, ¡°Keep the guestspany and I will be back soon. Concubine Du,e with me.¡¯ Qi chuckled and nodded. ¡°Mom, I will definitely take care of the guests!¡± The three guests were shocked. Concubine Du had just left when Qiao Kou shouted at Qi. ¡°Who are you?¡± Qi replied. ¡°Your brother-inw is my brother!¡± Qiao Kou frowned and showed a disdainful look, snapping inwardly. ¡®Brother-inw¡­ that Cultivated Talent didn¡¯t deserve this title from her. He was always looked down upon by her parents, and he didn¡¯t dare to utter a sound!¡¯ ¡°Your family really has no rules. We have not been served any tea ever since we came here. I am thirsty, serve me some tea.¡± Qi looked at her. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°l said wait.¡± Qi said naturally, ¡°If I leave the room, you will be alone here. Our rule is that we should never leave the guests alone!¡± Qiao Kou. ¡°You¡­¡± Auntie Ling could not help but feel nervous. Was this family stupid for real or pretending? She did not understand¡­ She red at Qiao Kou who was about to counter. But it seemed that there was no way that they could realize the n of walking around in the house without the Shao Family being involved.. Chapter 681 - 681: Concealing Chapter 681 - 681: Concealing Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Kou snorted and red at Qi. She did not dare to disobey Auntie Ling, but she felt really unconvinced. She did not think that Auntie Ling needed to respect the Shao Family so much. They could do whatever they wanted to do with them. Why bother saying such empty words? Soon, Concubine Du and Ms. Fang came back. Qi went away to get some tea. Since the guests asked for tea, he was going to serve it to them, for his Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s sake. But he recalled how his Fifth Sister-inw spoke highly of golden sprouts andvender, which were rare, even for rich people. He thought for a while and grabbed some really old tea and poured three cups for the guests. In the hall, Ms. Fang kept the guestspany, while in the kitchen, Yang San and Zhang Sier also tried to get something out of Yang Xiaoni regarding the Shao Family. Yang Xiaoni was honest but she was not stupid. Her Fifth Sister-inw kept telling her that they should keep a low-profile and make a fortune without showing off. She understood that they should conceal the wealth, or there would be trouble at the door. Exposing the family wealth would bring them trouble from those who wanted to steal it. So, when Yang Xiaoni heard them asking about what was going on in the family, she got rmed. She kept saying that she had no idea what was going on. Yang San and Zhang Sier felt annoyed and even sneered. ¡°You are the daughter-inw of the Shao Family, how can you know nothing?¡± Yang Xiaoni showed a natural smile. ¡°Mother-inw is in charge and I have an Elder Sister-inw. Also, my Fifth Sister-inw is more capable than me, so I just do what they ask me to.¡± The two maids were speechless. Honestly¡­ After this, they decided to bezy. They did not want to help Yang Xiaoni for real. They were only trying to get something out of Yang Xiaoni, but failed. So, they found an excuse and left the kitchen. They were servants, but they were not going to help the countryside people. Yang Xiaoni pursed her lips. She did not care. Good that they were out of the way. She did not intend to make a sumptuous lunch. Ms. Fang did not need to stress because a foodie like Yang Xiaoni would not want those people to stay for lunch. So, she was not going to provide them with good food. It was a vegetarian fare. Only Ms. Xu and two children had steamed eggs. The three guests were not very happy seeing the dishes. Qiao Kou said involuntarily, ¡°You live in such a big house and have everything, but you only have these dishes for lunch?¡± Yang San cut in. ¡°l can see many chicken, and fish in the yard!¡± Ms. Fang nced at Yang San. She had been careless not to keep eyes out for these two people who took a walk in the yard. Ms. Fang did not feel embarrassed and exined. ¡°Chicken should be kept forying eggs. My elder daughter-inw is pregnant and she needs to eat eggs everyday. When she is in her first month of confinement, we would kill a few chickens for her nutrition. No one kills chicken every day, and fish are being kept to exchange them for spices.¡± Qiao Kou sneered. ¡°We are your guests.. Is this how you treat your guests?¡± Chapter 682 - 682: Approaching Chapter 682 - 682: Approaching Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang was not afraid of her. She smiled brightly. ¡°l am not treating you as guests, right? We are a family.¡± Qiao Kou got so stuck by her response that she had no idea what to say. That was so shameless of her. Even Auntie Ling and Concubine Du were shocked. This countryside woman was not very easy to deal with. But when Concubine Du realized that Qiao Xuan had such an annoying mother-inw, she assumed that Qiao Xuan would not be having a good time here, so she felt slightly better. Auntie Ling still remembered their main purpose ofing here. So, instead of lingering over the minor thing, she smiled. ¡°You are right, we are a family so we can help ourselves. The vegetables from the countryside are so fresh and we can have a good taste of them.¡± ¡°Yeah, you are right Auntie Ling. Take a seat, and eat as many fresh vegetables as possible!¡± Ms. Fang spoke as if she were offering some precious food. Auntie Ling just had no idea what else to counter back with. Yang Xiaoni was not very happy that someone was here to eat lunch with them. Moreover, the dishes had no meat and there was no oil. Very basic fare! The three women were not very used to the pure vegetable dishes served on the table. After lunch was done, Auntie Ling asked Concubine Du and Qiao Kou to take a rest in the wing-room, whilst she had a private talk with Ms. Fang. ¡°Ms. Fang, in fact, Madame Qiao asked us toe here because she cares about Second Miss and her husband. We heard that Second Miss has bought many fields. I want you to show them to me, okay? In this way, we can tell Madame what we found.¡¯ Ms. Fangs face sank. Of course she knew that Qiao Xuan had many properties, but she was not going to show them to Auntie Ling. Lipsticks were produced in the flower field, and those bee boxes kept there could earn them a lot of money, three times a year. So, she was not going to let Auntie Ling know about any of these nor will she let her go and see them. She was not going to show them the garden and the fruits, as well as other herbs as well. Those were all precious things! She could not be taken to the mushroom house at the entrance of the vige. Ms. Qiao had told her that things inside there were very expensive too. Ms. Fang had no idea what was going on at the Zhang Vige, but she heard that Young Master Yuezheng had sent a manager to take care of them, so those things were definitely good ones as well. Ms. Fang understood what dilemma she was facing right now. ¡°My daughter-inw did buy some fields, but those are not precious ones, and have few productsing out of them. What is so good about it? Why would my inw want you to see them?¡± Auntie Ling gave a very meaningful smile. ¡°Ms. Fang, I am just following Madame Qiao¡¯s order. She should have her own reason to do so. There is no way for me to ask her about it. Also, it is not a secret, right?¡± Ms. Fang said to herself that it was, of course, something to be kept away from her inws. ¡°l am not sure what Ms. Qiao is doing. She uses the properties, and I never ask her about this¡­ That made Auntie Ling feel that something was wrong. So, she insisted with a smile. ¡°l just want to take a look at them.. You don¡¯t have any idea about where the properties are?¡± Chapter 683 - 683: Conflict Chapter 683 - 683: Conflict Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Madame Qiao cares about the Second Miss. If you don¡¯t tell me now, Madame Qiao would definitely send some more people here. 1 don¡¯t think that we need another unnecessary visit, do we?¡± Ms. Fang said to herself. ¡®Well, try another visit then?¡¯ Why would theye here again? That was a trap. Ms. Fang turned to the other topics, and refused to show her what she wanted. Auntie Ling felt annoyed and her face sank. ¡°Ms. Fang, you keep turning me down. Is it because there is something strange in there? Madame Qiao can dig out whatever she needs to know. Do you think that you will be able to stop us forever?¡± ¡°l can tell Madame Qiao about what is going on here. Also, why is there a locked garden behind your yard? I heard that there are many fruit trees and spring water there too. I will go and take a look at it, is that fine?¡± Ms. Fang was startled. ¡®Of course not. It was not ok!¡¯ ¡°Ms. Qiao owns the garden, and we can¡¯t get in there without Ms. Qiao¡¯s permission. Those are just fruit trees, why insist on checking them out? Auntie Ling, maybe you can go home now, ande back to ask Ms. Qiao when she is back?¡± Nis. Fang kept turning her down, but she knew that she could not resist them forever. She just hoped that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan would return home as soon as possible, so they could solve the problems personally. Auntie Ling felt very irritated, hearing that this small request was turned down as well. ¡°Ms. Fang! I am addressing you respectfully, but don¡¯t think that you are someone great. No one would have a good result when countering Madame in our county!¡± Ms. Fang looked at her and sneered. ¡°Is the show finally over? I think that you must be very tired to have put on this amiable show. I can¡¯t make a decision for Ms. Qiao. When she is back, you can ask her yourself. You are just giving us a bad time when youe and ask for this and that.¡± ¡°We are countryside people and we can¡¯t afford to treat you any longer. Please leave now.¡± Auntie Ling was so shocked that a countryside woman would disrespect Madame Qiao! She sneered and was about to say something, when Concubine Du and Qiao Kou came in, looking messy. Qiao Kou screamed. ¡°Auntie Ling, let¡¯s just go home. I am going to tell Mother that the Shao Family is just ridiculous. They beat us!¡± Auntie Ling and Ms. Fang were both shocked. Yang Xiaoni and Shao Xiaoqi, Shao Sang came in together, looking furious. Qi snapped and said angrily, ¡°You are the robbers! I told you not to go to the garden, but you ordered the two women to smash the door. Are you bandits?¡± Concubine Du and Qiao Kou heard from Yang San that there was a locked garden in the backyard, and they really wanted to have a look at it. Qiao Kou could not stand the curiosity any more. She insisted on going to check it out and ordered Yang Xiaoni and Qi to open the door. Yang Xiaoni and Qi refused. She kept cursing them and even ordering Yang San to smash the door. Qi and Yang Xiaoni could not let them do that.. They stopped them and pushed them away, but Qiao Kou turned around and said that Qi and Yang Xiaoni had beaten them! Chapter 684 - 684: Spine At Home Chapter 684 - 684: Spine At Home Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Kou sneered. ¡°What on earth is hidden inside the garden so you won¡¯t show it to us? I will definitely find it out soon! I will tell Mother about this when we return, and she will send more people. I will see what you dare to do at that time!¡± Auntie Ling stopped herself when she heard what Qiao Kou said. No wonder Madame Qiao sent these two to keep herpany. Sometimes they did need some wild and intimidating people to deal with the problem. Ms. Fang hated it when Qiao Kou behaved so arrogantly. She got so furious and snapped. ¡°Oh yeah? Trying to use your power now? We are not as noble as Madame Qiao, but we are an ordinary family who lives peacefully. How can youe and cause us trouble? Madame Qiao has sent some unreliable people and I want to argue with her about it.¡± Qiao Kou snapped at her disdainfully. Arguing? Who did she think she was? How would she have a position to argue with her mother? Did she think that they were actually being treated as inws? They were nothing but rude, poor farmers. Seeing Qiao Kou treating Ms. Fang so impolitely, Shao Sang and Shao Xiaoqi got furious. Shao Sang rolled up his sleeves and shouted. ¡°Just get out of here! If you were not a woman, I would have beaten you. How dare you treat my mom like this!¡± ¡°You!¡± Qiao Kou flushed. ¡°Rude and rough!¡¯ ¡°Get out of here!¡± ¡°Just wait and see!¡± The three women could not stand it any more. They had to leave in a mess. Qiao Kou kept cursing on the way home. She wished that Qiao Xuan was here, so she could have made sure that the old bitch would not have snapped at them. Auntie Ling was silent all the way home. She was sure now that the Shao Family had some secrets. She was thinking about how to report the news to Madame Qiao. After all, there was no evidence that proved their conjectures. Madame Qiao would not be satisfied by this result. They were going to have to give a good exnation¡­ When the three women were gone, Ms. Fang let out a sigh of relief. But soon they became agitated. ¡°What should we do? Are we not going to be able to keep a low-profile any longer? Are we going to face more trouble?¡± Yang Xiaoni was very worried. Shao Sang consoled them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Fifth Sister-inw and Fifth Brother will soon be here. They will have some solution when they are back.¡± Ms. Fang sighed as well. But that was the problem. The two of them were the spine of the family. Qi was calm. He said, ¡°l am afraid that the Third Miss of the Qiao Family was not joking. Madame Qiao will surely send more people here. 1 will go to the Zhang Vige and get Manager Dong here.¡± Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-inw told them to fetch Manager Dong when they ran into problems that they could not solve. This was the time to fetch him. Civilians could not fight with officers, and they would not be able to confront Madame Qiao by themselves. Ms. Fang was slightly relieved. She nodded and asked Qi to do that. Manager Dong was from the Yuezheng Family, so he would be able to face Auntie Ling bravely. The moment Qi told Manager Dong about this, he frowned. ¡°Someone must have informed Madame Qiao about Mrs. Shao¡¯s properties. They have not got the confirmation they were looking for, so they will definitelye back again. I will follow you back to Shaoding vige, Young Master Qi, and I will be residing in your ce these days.. How does that sound?¡± Chapter 685 - 685: Unconvinced Chapter 685: Unconvinced Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°For security¡¯s sake, 1 will write a letter to Young Master Yuezheng and tell him about this¡­ Manager Dong was Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s trusted servant, and his Young Master told him repeatedly about the Shao Family. Hence, he was very concerned about whatever was happening to them. He knew about the lipsticks, so based on that, his own Young Master was definitely going to protect the first section of the Shao family, let alone their deep rtionship. Qi was very happy to hear that. He nodded with a smile. ¡°That is the best. Thanks for your help, Brother Dong.¡± Manager Dong went back with Qi to the vige whilst on the other side, Qiao Kou also passed on the happenings of the day to Madame Qiao. With the narration of Auntie Lings exaggerated stories, Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei got very furious. ¡°How dare the Shao Family do things like this. But they can do nothing when I want to know something about them!¡± Qiao Wei snapped. ¡°Mom, there is something wrong going on here. We have underestimated the damned girl Qiao Xuan. She has been pretending all this while! I will not forgive her when shees back!¡± Qiao Kou added. ¡°l knew that! Qiao Xuan always liked pretending. She never had a good heart. Now you believe what I said, Mother and Sister!¡± Qiao Wei said, ¡°Mom, ask Auntie Ling to take more people to pay them another visit tomorrow! ¡± Madame Qiao sneered. ¡°Auntie Ling, take some police officers there as well. Let¡¯s see what the Shao Family is capable of!¡± Qiao Wei¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Yeah, that is right!¡¯ Qiao Kou was very d too. She proposed automatically. ¡°Mother, I will go along with them tomorrow too so that I can regain the face for you!¡¯ Concubine Du disapproved of this proposal, but she did not dare say anything. Madame Qiao did not care. She said nothing. Qiao Kou could do anything and go anywhere she wanted because she did not mind if it was Qiao Kou or the Shao Family who got into trouble. She and Qiao Wei would never be there personally. That was beneath them. The Shao Family were not good enough for them to investigate personally. But when they learned of Qiao Xuan¡¯s properties muchter, they regretted it terribly. After all, when Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were missing, and the two of them broke into Qiao Xuan¡¯s ce and found all those properties, they would have been able to take them for their own. Even Ms. Fang and her children would not be able to stop it. But they did not do that, thus missing the only chance they could possibly have. The first section of the Shao Family did not expect Auntie Ling and Qiao Kou toe over so soon. Nor did they expect that they brought along two police officers. Police officers were serious officials, so two of them were already enough. Besides, it had been Madame Qiao who got the two of them transferred here personally, so the whole action was done in a very quiet manner. Ms. Fang and her family were slightly scared looking at the scene. But Manager Dong was present beside them, luckily. Manager Dong stepped forward and spoke with the two policemen, mentioning that the properties belonged to Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s, whilst the Shao Family were just in charge of watching them over. If they wanted to have a look at them, they needed to write a letter to Yuezheng Xiao who woulde and have a talk with them personally. But before Yuezheng Xiao was here, no one would be able to go into those ces. The two officers had to believe that. They could not counter the Yuezheng Family from the province! Qiao Kou did not care. She wanted to break in, no matter what. But she could not move the two police officers, since she was not capable enough. The two police officers could not just leave without making a deal with Manager Dong. So, they decided to wait for Young Master Yuezheng who was going to arrive after three days. After this, they would be able to speak with Madame Qiao about this personally.. Chapter 686 - 686: County Magistrate Qiao’s Idea Chapter 686: County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s Idea Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions If he could not make it after three days, then Madame Qiao¡¯s order would have to be put into implementation. Manager Dongmunicated on behalf of the Shao Family, and sent his worker to pass on the message to the province urgently. Auntie Ling and her group returned without receiving any results. Madame Qiao started to feel skeptical. But she could not just provoke the Yuezheng Family by breaking into their properties. The Old Master had already forced many rich people to give him money, and he was not very liked among the rich households currently. If the Yuezheng Family were offended as well, those rich households wouldbine forces with the Yuezheng Family to cause them trouble. The Old Master¡¯s future was very important, and they had to be very careful about it. Hearing the news, Yuezheng Xiao did not dare dy it by even a second. But Shao Yunduan was going to take the imperial examination within five days, so after thinking about it, Yuezheng Xiao concealed the incident from Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, and went to the county personally. If he could solve the problem, he did not need to bother Shao Yunduan and worry him. Sure enough, Yuezheng Xiao went to visit County Magistrate Qiao and recounted the whole story. Only then did County Magistrate Qiao realize what his wife had done behind his back. He got furious and gave his wife a warning. Then, he politely consoled Yuezheng Xiao. He even asked Yuezheng Xiao what his rtionship was with Shao Yunduan? Yuezheng Xiao did not conceal things at this point. He smiled and expressed that he appreciated Shao Yunduan, especially after he arrived in the province and attended many gatherings, he managed to attract even Young Master Xie¡¯s attention. County Magistrate Qiao was shocked to hear that. Yuezheng Xiao sneered inwardly. Officer Qiao was indeed very concerned about his own interest. He was not even bothered to conceal that. Good, if the Yuezheng Family was not strong enough, Xie Jingrongs name could keep the first section of the Shao family safe for a while. Officer Qiao smiled pretentiously. ¡°My son-inw managed to attract Young Master Xie¡¯s attention? He is very lucky! ¡± ¡°That is not luck.¡± Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Brother Xie has always had a high standard in seeing people. People without talents would not be appreciated by him.¡± Officer Qiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He believed the wordspletely. He even felt that Yuezheng Xiao must be paying attention to him because Shao Yunduan attracted Young Master Xie¡¯s attention. He believed that Yuezheng Xiao was here to tell him that he was a good friend of Shao Yunduan¡¯s. Young Master Xie was very arrogant and it was normal that he appreciated people with talents. But did he really see Shao Yunduan wrong? Was he actually that capable? Officer Qiao smiled again. ¡°You are right, Young Master, my son-inw does have some talent. But how do you think he will perform at the imperial examination this time?¡± Yuezheng Xiao was sneering inwardly. ¡°Brother Shao is very talented. I believe that he will definitely have a good rank this time!¡± He was not bragging about Shao Yunduan. Xie Jingrong spoke highly of this man and he trusted Xie Jingrongs judgment. He had a hunch that Shao Yunduan would make it, for some reason. He could tell that Shao Yunduan was very confident. When a down-to-earth and steady man expressed that he was confident, he really was. Officer Qiao cheered inwardly. He could not even conceal his smile and nodded. ¡°Good, good, 1 knew Yunduan was a good one.. He has lived up to my expectations!¡± Chapter 687 - 687: The Zhao Family And The Trouble Chapter 687: The Zhao Family And The Trouble Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Xiao smiled. ¡°Then, congrattions to you, Officer Qiao!¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± So, Yuezheng Xiao solved all the problems on this visit. Now, whether Shao Yunduan could make it this time, thanks to his rtionship with Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong, County Magistrate Qiao would not do anything bad to this son-inw of his. He understood clearly how difficult it was to be a Rmended man. Very few people could make it on their first try. Even some capable ones could not make it because thepetition was very fierce. Shao Yunduan was young and he would have many chances in the future. Officer Qiao was never going to let go of a son-inw like that. Officer Qiao lectured Madame Qiao and told her never to cause trouble to the first section of the Shao Family, at least before the examination result was announced. Before he was able to figure out Shao Yunduan¡¯s rtionship with Xie Jingrong, nothing like this would be allowed. Madame Qiao¡¯s heart ached. Qiao Wei was very displeased too. Qiao Kou was shocked. How could that be possible? A man like Shao Yunduan should not have any rtionship with Young Master Xie! He was not even good enough to be his servant. If Shao Yunduan could suck up to Young Master Xie, then it meant that Qiao Xuan had the chance to meet Young Master Xie and have a promising future? That could not be right! Qiao Kou wanted to grab Qiao Xuan and interrogate her thoroughly. Madame Qiao did not think that Shao Yunduan would be sessful. So, she said angrily, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see!¡± As long as Shao Yunduan failed, she had all kinds of solutions to change Old Master¡¯s opinions towards Shao Yunduan. They would just wait for now. But Qiao Wei was in a hurry. She could not stand it whenever she thought about this. So, she went to Zhao Ming but did not tell her about Shao Yunduan¡¯s rtionship with Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. She told Zhao Ming to do something against the Shao Family and she was going to help her clear everything, irrespective of what she did. She also promised that she was going to help the Zhao Family to get back the money her father got from them. Zhao Ming had been very angry about being humiliated by the first section of the Shao Family, so she was motivated hearing the suggestion. That was such a huge amount of money! If she could get it back, her parents would be so happy! Zhao Ming was alone and not powerful enough. She was in a good rtionship with her brother Zhao Guanghua, so she went to her brother and talked about this. She and You were very annoyed because of what happenedst time, so they decided to take revenge this time now that the chance was at their door. The two of them made a n with Zhao Ming and tried to convince Zhao Guanghua. Zhao Guanghua thought of the money, also of Yang Xiaoni and was reassured of Qiao Wei¡¯s promise, So, he approved of this proposal. He told Zhao Ming, ¡°You are a girl, and you don¡¯t have to get involved in this personally. I will deal with the rest!¡± Zhao Ming only needed a result. So, she agreed happily. What Qiao Wei wanted was that they could ruin the first section of the Shao Family and their reputation would be destroyed. But Zhao Guanghua was dreaming about Yang Xiaoni, so he decided to start working on her first. In his opinion, if he could get Yang Xiaoni in his hands and bring a prostitute to ruin Shao Sangs reputation, then Qiao Wei¡¯s mission would be aplished. Zhao Guanghua understood that it could not be done recklessly, so he decided to make use of Yang Liang, based on what they had heard. Hearing the n, Yang Liang turned really angry. He snapped at Zhao Guanghua. He might not be a good brother, but he was not going to ruin his sister¡¯s life.. Chapter 688 - 688: Fake Brother And Sister Chapter 688: Fake Brother And Sister Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions But even though Yang Liang did not like it, Ms. Tian was very motivated to do so. She had been trying to find a way to take revenge on that bitch and now the chance hade. Ms. Tian ignored Yang Liangs prevention, and epted the 20 liang that She offered. She could tell that the couple had different ideas. So, he said that he woulde back the next day and left. The moment She was gone, Yang Liang shouted angrily at Ms. Tian. ¡°Why did you ept the money? You go and return the money! She is my sister, real sister, how could you¡­ how dare you treat her like this?¡± Ms. Tian sneered and put away the money. She did not care about Yang Liang¡¯s anger, and snapped back. ¡°Real sister? She is living such a good life, and she has never spared a thought to you. Bah, real sister!¡± Poked in his aching spot, Yang Liang became embarrassed but felt regretful too. ¡°Shame on you. You treated her badly, that is why¡­¡± ¡°And you were dead?¡± Ms. Tian sneered and broke through his hypocrisy. ¡°l treated her badly and you knew that clearly. But you said nothing. Now you are solely ming me for it? Hehe!¡± ¡°l think that you treated her like that before, so you don¡¯t need to call her your real sister now!¡± ¡°Also, the Young Master Zhao can take her as a concubine even though she is married, what is so wrong about it? She can be Young Master Zhao¡¯s concubine and will have maids serving her, without any worries about food and clothes. Isn¡¯t that better than what she has now? We are doing this for her sake as well!¡± ¡°Also, Young Master Zhao is trying to teach the Shao Family a lesson and it means that he really likes that girl. Otherwise, she will fall into trouble together with the Shao Family! The Shao Family is nothingpared to the Zhao Family, and they are definitely going to lose this time. Will you like it when she suffers?¡± ¡°Anyway, we are doing this for her sake. She will thank us when she knows our purpose in the future.¡± ¡°l have epted the money and I am not returning it. Else, you can return it to the Zhao Family yourself! ¡± Yang Liang was speechless. He sat down on the ground with his hands over his head, letting out a long Ms. Tian realized that her husband was convinced. She sneered proudly and knew that Yang Liang had no opinion of his own. She could do anything she wanted with him. She would do whatever to teach Yang Xiaoni a lesson, even if she was not paid. That damned girl had no heart. She was living a good life but cut off her rtionship with them. She had never visited them since she got married. If Yang Xiaoni was so ruthless, then she could do anything she wanted too. When Yuezheng Xiao dealt with the problem, the Zhao Family had not yet started their n on the Shao Family. So, Yuezheng Xiao did not know about this. Hence, Yuezheng Xiao only told them about what Madame Qiao did to the Shao Family and how Manager Dong dealt with the problem. ¡°Brother Shao, Sister-inw, I should have told you earlier about this. But I was worried that you would be affected by it and may not do well in the examination. That would have been a pity. Most importantly, I was able to deal with this problem myself..¡± Chapter 689 - 689: Going Home Chapter 689: Going Home Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°It was my fault, anyway. Brother Shao, Sister-inw, please forgive me!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan looked at each other transfixedly. They were shocked. They had never expected that such a thing would happen at home! They had not expected that Madame Qiao would send her people to cause trouble at this juncture. Luckily, Qi turned to ask him for help, otherwise Madame Qiao would have discovered everything they had been trying to hide. They would never me Yuezheng Xiao for this. He was already very devoted to their well-being. He made this decision because he treated them as real friends. ¡°Brother Yuezheng, you really make me feel so ashamed of myself.¡± Shao Yunduan replied emotionally. ¡°We are not ungrateful people. Actually, we should thank you for your help, Brother Yuezheng!¡¯ Qiao Xuan added. ¡°Yeah. Most importantly, it has been solved and everything is fine!¡± As Qiao Xuan thought of Shao Yunduan who had be the Provincial Champion, she smiled and added. ¡°We will be fine henceforth!¡± All of them understood what she meant andughed. They did not need to hide the secret any longer. When Shao Yunduan became the Provincial Champion, they would announce their rtionship with the Yuezheng Family and Xie Jingrong. In this way, the Qiao Family would never dare to think about taking possession of their properties. The three of them exchanged a few words and charted out a strategy about how to make the details about the properties public. It was veryte by the time they finished. Yuezheng Xiao felt assured, thinking that they did not me them for making the decision on his own. He was about to leave since it was getting dark when Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Brother Yuezheng, I am thinking about going home with my wife tomorrow. Could you please help us to deal with the rest of the affairs here. If someone asks where I am going, please tell them that I need to go home to deal with some urgent matters.¡± Shao Yunduan was not entirely assured that the problem was solved. He knew fairly well what Madame Qiao was capable of. If the news that he was the Provincial Champion reached the county, he could not be sure that Madame Qiao would not do anything against his family. After all, she hated his wife so deeply. Maybe she would me her for hiding everything. Yuezheng Xiao understood that he could not stop Shao Yunduan at this moment. He nodded resolutely. ¡°In this case, I will arrange the wagon to take you home. I and Brother Xie are here to help you! It is a little sad that you are back so soon, but we should have more chances in the future for other things!¡¯ Shao Yunduan smiled with a gesture. ¡°Thanks, Brother Yuezheng!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t mention it!¡± After Yuezheng Xiao left, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan packed up swiftly, ready to leave early the next morning. They had lived here for a long while and Qiao Xuan bought many things. But they could not take too many back home, since the trip tomorrow was going to be very quick. Qiao Xuan decided to take Liqiu back and let Lixia stay. She told her to work with Yuezheng Xiao, who could send her back hometer. If she did not understand something, she could turn to Auntie Hua who worked for First Madame. But she should be cautious about Second Mrs. Yuezheng and her daughter. Qiao Xuan even gave her 10,000 liang and a letter for Yuezheng Xiao, asking him to buy out thend she had set her eyes on. Lixia nodded nervously but she felt excited as well. Mrs. Shao seemed to trust her and hence, instructed her to do these tasks. If she could do these well, she could be one of her most trustworthy maids. Mrs. Shao was an upright person and she would definitely ensure a good future for her. Lixia felt so lucky to have been bought off by Qiao Xuan.. Chapter 690 - 690: Ms. Tian’ s Plan Chapter 690: Ms. Tian¡¯ s n Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The dawn had just broken, when Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan and Liqiu were hurrying back home. They knew Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei well, so even though they kept consoling each other, they still desired to arrive home as soon as possible. Evil and reckless people would always do something unexpected, something beyond their expectation. Shao Yunduan did not attend the gatherings of the rmended men. Yuezheng Xiao helped him to exin to others that Shao Yunduan needed to go home for some urgent matters at home. The others all understood what happened. One could not be dyed when he needed to deal with something at home. After She and Ms. Tian made the deal, Zhao Guanghua came to Yang Liangs home in a low-profile manner the following morning. Thinking that he could get hold of the beautiful girl she had been dreaming of, Zhao Guanghua felt so motivated. Nis. Tian received Zhao Guanghua and his servant passionately, and Zhao Guanghua was generous enough to give her a small amount of money again. Yang Liang wasn¡¯t feeling well. He remained silent, sitting in the corner with his head lowered. Ms. Tian looked down at him. He had approved of this proposal as well. What was the point of pretending now! When everything was settled at home, Ms. Tian went to Yang Xiaoni with two crying children, saying that Yang Liang had just rolled off the hill and got seriously injured. Maybe he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life. She expected her toe and take a look at him since he was her brother after all¡­ No one doubted that Ms. Tian would lie about this. She could not have been so evil as to joke about this, right? Yang Xiaoni panicked as well. She felt empty in heart. She did not hold any hope towards Yang Liang, but bloodline was a strange thing. So, when she heard about Yang Liangs ident, Yang Xiaoni could not be so cruel as not to visit her brother, after all. Shao Sang wanted to keep thempany, but halfway there, Ms. Tian again cried and asked Shao Sang to fetch a reliable doctor in the town. They were too poor to hire someone good and the doctor in the vige could not be of much help. Shao Sang could not turn her down. Hiring a doctor was nothing to him because the amount was quite little. So, he nodded and left. Yang Xiaoni went back home with Ms. Tian alone. As they reached the familiar yet strange-looking yard, Yang Xiaoni stopped her steps and felt a little blurry in mind. This ce used to be her nightmare, and she thought that she would nevere back after she left. But here she was, again. She did need to visit her brother if he was about to get paralyzed. It was just a visit, wasn¡¯t it? Ms. Tian smiled at Yang Xiaoni seeing that she stopped. ¡°What are you staring at? Come in!¡± Yang Xiaoni¡¯s heart throbbed. She suddenly had a strange feeling. Her brother treated her terribly but he liked Ms. Tian. He was the backbone of the family and if he got sick, Ms. Tian would not have been able to show a smile at this juncture. Yang Xiaoni was a very open-minded person, not a cautious one. But Ms. Tian had never treated her nicely. At this moment though, she seemed so different. That was very weird.. Chapter 691 - 691: Suspicion Chapter 691 - 691: Suspicion Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yang Xiaoni said as she walked into the yard, ¡°Is Yang Liang so seriously injured?¡± Hearing that Yang Xiaoni did not even address her husband as Brother, Ms. Tian cursed her inwardly. But she did not want to cause any trouble at the moment. So, she did not pick on Yang Xiaoni but sighed pretentiously. ¡°Of course! He is lying in the room. You should go and take a look at him, and speak with him too!¡± Yang Xiaoni looked at Ms. Tian in surprise and her heart was throbbing. Nis. Tian did not call her a ruthless and cruel girl? That was very strange! Yang Xiaoni might not be so skeptical towards others, except for Ms. Tian. She had been living under Ms. Tian¡¯s dominance for years and she survived to this stage because she knew Ms. Tian well. She knew exactly what Ms. Tian was like. Suddenly, she felt that something was very wrong. How could Ms. Tian treat her so kindly?
Yang Xiaoni did not want to enter the house. She said, ¡°l will wait for Sang until hees back with the doctor!¡± Ms. Tian¡¯s face changed. She gripped Yang Xiaoni¡¯s arm and dragged her in. ¡°What are you waiting for here? You have no heart, your brother is injured and you don¡¯t even want to look at him?¡± Yang Xiaoni shrugged away her hand and said, ¡°Get off me, now!¡± ¡°Shut up now! I can drag you in!¡± ¡°You!¡± Yang Xiaoni was used to doingbor work, and she was physically strong. Ms. Tian could not control her. The two women started fighting with each other in the yard. Ms. Tian was worried that her money would be gone if she didn¡¯t seed now, so she shouted loudly. ¡°Shut the main gate now, now!¡± She and Douined about Ms. Tian being useless, so they rushed out of the room. ¡°It is you!¡± Yang Xiaoni soon recognized the two people who had tried to grab her earlier. Scared and frightened, she did not even have time to curse Ms. Tian when she pushed her away, rushing towards the gate. ¡°Stop!¡¯ She and Dou rushed out. If the gate was closed and they gagged her, no one would see anything, and the matter would go smoothly. But if Yang Xiaoni rushed out, there was nothing they could do. People were milling around the vige. They were not brave enough to rob a girl in broad daylight. Yang Xiaoni was panicking. The gate was right in front of her, but she felt that she was not going to make it. She and Dou were right behind her. Right then, Yang Liang, who had been ordered to stay in the room, rushed out and bumped into She and Dou, who copsed on the ground. Yang Xiaoni was suddenly relieved. She rushed out without looking back. ¡°Bitch, stop now!¡± Ms. Tian did not give up and instead sped out. Yang Xiaoni asked for help when she was rushing out. ¡°Help, help me please!¡± Ms. Tian wanted to beat her to death. ¡°Stop it, shut up now!¡± Some vigers were on the way and they saw the scene, feeling surprised. ¡°Hey, Xiaoni is here!¡± ¡°What is wrong? So confusing!¡¯ ¡°Yeah¡­ She had just reached the entrance of the vige when a donkey cart came towards her.. Chapter 692 - 692: Encounter Halfway Chapter 692 - 692: Encounter Halfway Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Sang hopped off the donkey cart and ran into Yang Xiaoni. ¡°Brother Sang!¡± Yang Xiaoni threw herself into Shao Sangs arms, crying loudly and feeling miserable. Ms. Tian¡¯s heart sank. She turned around and decided to run away. Qiao Xuan and Liqiu had already hopped off the donkey cart and caught up with Ms. Tian who had already be exhausted. They gripped her tightly. Qiao Xuan gave her a sarcastic smile. ¡°Ms. Tian, what are you running for? You know you can run but you can¡¯t hide.¡± ¡°Let go of me! Now!¡± Ms. Tian struggled out and snapped at her. ¡°l am not running! I have not done anything wrong! Qiao Xuan replied coldly. ¡°You wish you didn¡¯t.¡± Yang Xiaoni spilled out the story in Shao Sangs arms. Shao Sang got so furious that he shouted loudly at Ms. Tian. Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Many people must have seen what happened today. We should rify the matter so that people won¡¯t guess randomly. What do you think?¡± Shao Sang red at Ms. Tian, and then turned to Yang Xiaoni.
Yang Xiaoni wiped her tears and sobbed. ¡°Whatever you say, Fifth Sister-inw!¡± ¡°In this case, we will go to Fifth Grandma Yang. We are also going to speak with the Land Officer and the elderly men from the n today!¡¯ Ms. Tian did not agree with her. But Qiao Xuan and Liqiu were not loosening their grip on her. Shao Sang and Shao Yunduan went to fetch Yang Liang and brought him to Fifth Grandma Yangs home. As for Zhao Guanghua and his servants? They had already escaped. But they were not going to get away with this. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s wagon had just run into Shao Sang who was going into the town with the bullock cart. They got down and greeted each other. Shao Sang was very happy seeing theme back. When he heard that Shao Yunduan was the Provincial Champion, he smiled brightly. It was already four in the afternoon, and Shao Sang must be heading into the town for some urgent matter. Shao Yunduan asked him about it. Shao Sang told the story. Qiao Xuan burst out immediately. ¡°Third Brother, how can you leave the Third Sister-inw alone with the Yang Family? You know how they treat her! ¡± Shao Sang was shocked. He replied hesitantly. ¡°It should be fine¡­ right? You know¡­ Yang Liang was lying still and nothing would happen to Yang Xiaoni at this time, right? Qiao Xuan replied. ¡°l think we should be careful. Ms. Tian is never up to any good and she might bully the Third Sister-inw!¡± Shao Yunduan agreed with her. ¡°Third Brother, I think my wife is right!¡¯ Shao Sang panicked, hearing the couple¡¯s words. ¡°What? What should we do? I will go back and take a look!¡± Shao Yunduan was not very assured by this straight-minded brother of his. He could not handle a fierce woman like Ms. Tian. In fact, even he could not do so. But things were different at this moment. He was Mr. Provincial Champion, and when this identity was revealed, he did not need to deal with Ms. Tian personally. ¡°Darling, let¡¯s go with him.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go now!¡± They would arrive hometer tonight, and could finish this task on the way. Shao Yunduan asked Qu Shan to hire a doctor from the town, whilst Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan and Liqiu went onto the donkey cart with Shao Sang as the driver. They headed towards the Yang Vige.. Chapter 693 - 693: Pressure Chapter 693 - 693: Pressure Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Then, this was the scene that they ran into. Qiao Xuan was right. Something was wrong! Ms. Tian¡¯s expression told them that Yang Liang waspletely healthy. When they asked in the vige, everyone was shocked. ¡°Yang Liang is seriously injured? Of course not, I saw him wandering around in the vige yesterday at noon!¡± ¡°Yeah! The couple are sozy, how can they go to the hill and get injured? Hahaha?!¡± ¡°Shame on them! They lied just to get Xiaoni home?¡± ¡°That is so bad!¡± ¡°That is totally over the top!¡¯ ¡°But Xiaoni is also bad. She doesn¡¯t want to speak with her brother and sister-inw.¡± No matter what the truth was, the news had been spread.
Yang Xiaoni, Qiao Xuan and Liqiu forced Ms. Tian to visit Fifth Grandma Yang, and everyone went to see the show of Yang Liangs family. When they met Fifth Grandma Yang, Qiao Xuan greeted her politely and narrated the story briefly. Then, she ¡®identally¡¯ spilled out the news that her husband had not only be a rmended man, but also the Provincial Champion! They were just hurrying home to pass on the good news to their family, but ran into such a thing halfway¡­ Yang Xiaoni was surprised and d, whilst Ms. Tian turned pale. The others exploded vividly, when Qiao Xuan¡¯s words were heard. ¡°What? Did I get it right? Shao Yunduan is a rmended man now? Mr. Rmended Man?! ¡± ¡°And Ms. Qiao said he is ranked first. Is that true?¡± ¡°Of course yes, who dares make such a lie!¡± ¡°Shao Yunduan, no, Cultivated Talent Shao, no, Rmended man Shao, you are so capable!¡± Fifth Grandma Yangs family felt so honored when they heard that. They kept saying congrattions to Qiao Xuan and her husband and started to show a lot more enthusiasm and politeness towards Yang Xiaoni. Fifth Grandma Yang, without hesitation, asked her children to get Land Officer and the elderly men from the n over. Soon, Shao Yunduan¡¯s sess in the examination spread across the Yang Vige. Soon, Yang Liang was escorted there. Shao Sang became the brother of Mr. Rmended man, whilst Yang Xiaoni was the sister-inw of Mr. Rmended man. Moreover, this Rmended man was the Provincial Champion. What did that mean? It meant that he had the biggest chance to be the advanced schr next year in the spring examination! After all, he was the first one in the whole province! At that time, he would be an officer! Who would want to offend an officer for people like Yang Liang and Ms. Tian. They were definitely going to help this potential officer! It was a very easy process of interrogation. Under heavy pressure, Ms. Tian soon confessed everything, without being brave any more. But she was not regretful. She keptining about Yang Xiaoni for being cruel. But for her ruthlessness, she would not have been tempted to do something like this. Yang Xiaoni got annoyed hearing that. Some people from the Yang Vige tried to tell Yang Xiaoni to be tolerant and open-minded. If Yang Xiaoni could help their vige now when Shao Yunduan was rising in his position, their vige might possibly be promising as well. So, they all hoped that Yang Xiaoni could ept her brother and sister-inw¡¯s apology. That would make the Shao Family¡¯s rtionship with the Yang Vige better.. Chapter 694 - 694: Divorce Chapter 694 - 694: Divorce Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yang Vige would feel honored even as they spread the news. Qiao Xuan said coldly, ¡°You have made a huge mistake and almost ruined my Third Brother and my Third Sister-inw¡¯s life. How dare you me her? My Third Sister-inw is from the Yang Vige, and she will always remember that. But she will never ept you as her family!! Shao Yunduan added. ¡°I am nning to establish a school in the vige and I will buy 300- 400 mu of good fields to support the school costs. I am also going to invite children from the vige to attend the school. The Yang Vige is very close to my vige, and I can spare ten ces in the school for this vige¡­¡± People¡¯s eyes were sparkling already. They were both surprised and happy. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°For real?¡± The Land Officer tried to press down the excitement in his heart. ¡°Rmended man Shao, are you sure?¡± ¡°Of course, I am not going to lie in front of you, right? Those students will not have to pay a penny for the tuition fees. They will get ink and paper on a monthly basis too.¡± ¡°That is great! ¡°Yeah, my son can attend the school without tuition fees and even get the paper and ink! I can really afford to let them study!¡¯
¡°Same here! I don¡¯t expect them to be very sessful. The title of a Cultivated Talent can get them a job at a bank in the town!¡± ¡°Yeah, being able to read leads to more work opportunities.¡± They were talking as they threw unkind looks at Yang Liang and Ms. Tian. Everyone started to curse the couple. They did not stop until the Land Officer asked them to. But they all said that Ms. Tian should be punished and thrown out of the family. This evil-hearted woman should not stay at the Yang Vige to ruin the Yang Vige¡¯s reputation. The Land Officer thought so too. He had never liked Ms. Tian, who was so unreasonable, and Yang Liang could not even control her. He was the Land Officer, but he had not been able to get involved in vigers¡¯ family affairs. So, if she could be driven away on this asion, that would be great. No one would want her to stay here any longer. Nis. Tian had no supporters around her. She panicked as she shouted at Yang Xiaoni. ¡°Yang Xiaoni, I gave you food and shelter, but you are driving me out? You should think about your brother and your two nephews. If your parents were alive and saw their grandchildren losing their mother at this age, they would never forgive you!¡¯ With that, she burst out into tears. Yang Xiaoni could not stand it. She turned away, saying nothing. Shao Sang snapped at her though. ¡°Shut your mouth! You almost got my wife killed. Why should she forgive you?¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Ms. Tian, stop ming my Third Sister-inw for anything. You caused your sons¡¯ misfortune. But for your evil ns, Land Officer and elder men from the n would never have driven you out. You don¡¯t deserve to be part of the Yang Vige. Why is my Third Sister-inw involved in this?¡± ¡°You are a ruthless woman and you may not be a good mother. Maybe your sons would be taught by you to do something even worse!¡± The Land Officer, who had been hesitating, made up his mind after hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s words. ¡°Divorce now! Ms. Tian will be sent to the ancestral hall and afterwards, she will be sent back to her home the following morning!¡¯ ¡°No, no, you can¡¯t treat me like this.¡± Ms. Tian burst out into tears. The two children were very scared and started crying too, Yang Liang suddenly stepped forward. ¡°Land Officer, and elders! Don¡¯t make me divorce her. We will leave the Yang Vige and will nevere back.. I swear, we will never return¡­ Chapter 695 - 695: Cut Off Chapter 695 - 695: Cut Off Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yang Liang had always been bullied by Ms. Tian but he relied on Ms. Tian heavily. He was used to her. He just could not imagine how to survive without Ms. Tian, and how to bring up his two sons. He never imagined marrying again. He had no money to afford a new wife. Alos, no woman from any good family would be willing to marry him! That was why he made the suggestion. They were all shocked, including Yang Xiaoni. Honestly, when they left the hometown and the protection of their n, it would be very difficult to set up a base somewhere else. Especially Yang Liang and Ms. Tian, who werezy, poor and had no skills for anything. They would simply be waiting for death without the house and the fields that they had now. Yang Xiaoni¡¯s heart ached. In her brother¡¯s heart, she simply did not exist. Otherwise, he would not have defended Ms. Tian at this point. Anyway¡­
She thought of how Yang Liang rushed forward to bumped away the two bandits because of which she got the chance to slip away. Otherwise¡­ Yang Xiaoni closed her eyes in pain. This was thest time. ¡°Uncle Land Officer, they don¡¯t have to leave the vige. But I want you all to be my witness today. I am going to break off my family ties with him, and we will never have anything to do with each other!¡± ¡°Moreover, this is thest time. If you ever set me up again, I will report you to the government office. 1 swear I will!¡± Ms. Tian let out a sigh of relief hearing that they did not need to leave. She was about to counter Yang Xiaoni to ask something more, when Yang Liang answered his sister. ¡°Okay, we will break up our rtionship with each other. We will never have anything to do with each other, ever¡­¡± He could not meet her again anyways. He was too ashamed. It was good that they just stopped having a family bond. He did not prevent her from getting set up today, after all. Seeing her rushing about anxiously, he suddenly felt bold and rushed up to bump away the two bandits. That was all he could do. He knew that he was stupid and useless, but what else could he do? Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Good. Then, we write it down on the paper, and seal it with three copies. We will keep one for ourselves, one for the Yang Vige¡¯s ancestral hall archives, and the third will be for Yang Liang and his wife.¡± ¡°We have to write clearly why the rtionship has been broken, in case people try to spread rumorster.¡± Neither side had anything against that suggestion, except for Ms. Tian but she did not dare say a thing. So the whole thing was settled. The letter was written and signed. From that moment on, Yang Xiaoni was aplete stranger for Yang Liang and his family. Everyone from the vige sighed. It served the couple right! If they had not been so critical towards Yang Xiaoni, they would flourish too when Yang Xiaoni married into such a good family. They would definitely have gotten something good, and their situation would have be much better than what it was now. Rmended man Shao had a promising future, and Yang Xiaoni was his sister-inw. That was such a great honor! But now Yang Liang and his wife had nothing to do with their sister any more¡­ Ms. Tian looked furious. She did not seem to be willing to break off the rtionship. Was she still trying to get something good out of it? In her dreams! Chapter 696 - 696: Gratitude Chapter 696 - 696: Gratitude Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The audiences sighed and some cheered looking at this show. Shao Yunduan again reassured the Land Officer that when the school at Shaoding Vige was built, the Yang Vige would get ten free seats along with ink, and paper. Everyone from the Yang Vige was satisfied and left happily. No one cared what happened to Ms. Tian. After this incident, it was already dark when Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan returned home. The rest of the family were dumbfounded seeing the coupleing back with Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni. It took them a long while before Ms. Fang realized that it was not a dream. The family cheered happily. Her son and daughter-inw were back. The backbone of the family was back! Ms. Fang asked how Yang Liang was doing. She got furious hearing the story told by them. Thank goodness that Yang Xiaoni was lucky! Shao Sang ran into Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, and thanks to their reminder, Yang Xiaoni was saved. Ms. Fang said, ¡°Third, and Ms. Yang, you must be grateful to Yunduan and Ms. Qiao! You were saved because of them.¡±
Ms. Fang sighed emotionally. This son of hers and his wife were iparable to anyone else in the family. With them around, she did not need to worry about anything. Before Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan could refuse, Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni nodded and gave the couple a deep bow, almost bending their back. ¡°Thank you so much, Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-inw, thank you so much for what you did for us today.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-inw!¡± ¡°Oh please, don¡¯t be like this!¡± ¡°Third Brother, please, get up now!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan felt a bit embarrassed. They helped Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang stand up. Ms. Fang said seriously, ¡°It is fine. They should thank you. Both of you, always remember this favor they did for you!¡¯ Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni nodded and looked grateful. This was definitely something they had to remember forever. But for this coincidence, they just could not imagine what the consequences would have been like. Maybe Yang Xiaoni was taken back by Ms. Tiana There would be many rumors circting after that, if Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had not brought them along with the Land Officer and Elderly Men from the n to make a rification. Once the gossip was spread, there was no way to make it clear. As the time passed, the gossip would turn real, and no argument would be able to bring out the actual truth. Neither way would work out. Even if she killed herself, people would say that she must be too ashamed to live. Rumors could kill, no matter whether it was true or false. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did not turn them down but epted the gratitude. ¡°Finally, you are back. Let¡¯s wait at home for the announcement of the result. You must be very tired after the long trip. Taotao, Xiaoni, go and make dinner. Steam the smoked sausage, stir fried cured duck with garlic sprouts, steam and make some egg custard, along with fried eggnt and long beans! Let¡¯s eat first and take a good rest. We will talk about everything tomorrow.¡± Taotao and Yang Xiaoni went to cook food. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged a smiling look and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, Elder Brother, Elder Sister-inw, the results were announced yesterday. I am a Rmended man, as well as the Provincial Champion!¡± Shao Sang smiled. ¡°Yeah, our brother is so intelligent!¡¯ Everyone present. ¡® Ms. Fang, Eldest Uncle and everyone else was shocked. Ms. Xu was the first to recover and startedughing.. ¡°Parents, this is great! This is wonderful news! Chapter 697 - 697: Mother-in-law’s Plan Chapter 697 - 697: Mother-inw¡¯s n Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Hahaha! Yeah, great news, wonderful news! Yunduan finally made it! Hahaha!¡± Ms. Fang finally realized what was going on. She keptughing and felt like she was floating in the air. This was indeed brilliant, and delightful news! The whole family cheered happily and passed on congrattions to each other. Their words were all jumbled up and no one knew what they were talking about in the end. All they knew was that Shao Yunduan became a Rmended Man and ranked first in the examination. They were so d! A long whileter, the excitement settled down a little. Then, they started to talk with each other, asking about Shao Yunduan¡¯s examination. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had been calm about the results ages ago, but when they were surrounded by the cheerfulness of the family, they were delighted nheless. Shao Yunduan smiled and answered every question patiently. Their questions were all asked out of curiosity, strange but interesting. It was a lively scene in the family. Taotao and Yang Xiaoni had finished making dinner and asked Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan toe over and eat. The family was sincere when offering them the food. They were truly happy for them. Ms. Fang kept asking Shao Yunduan to eat as much as possible. She felt very concerned when she heard that Shao Yunduan spent nine days in the examination room.
The simple dishes served at home were full of homely taste and warmth. Ms. Fang nced at Elder Uncle, asking suddenly. ¡°Oh yes, are we supposed to inform the other brothers about Shao Yunduan bing the Provincial Champion so they can celebrate with us?¡± Everyone was startled. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a knowing look. Their mother was up to something! Eldest Uncle¡¯s first reaction wasn¡¯t good. His face changed. ¡°Of course¡­ yes¡­ yes¡­ definitely.¡± For some reason, Eldest Uncle now had subtle feelings towards the other two sections. He suddenly felt that since Shao Yunduan had be Provincial Champion, the other two sections of the family were not at the same level as them now. Everyone was looking at him openly or secretly. They were not surprised by the moves on his face. Ms. Fang sneered inwardly. Wasn¡¯t he the one talking about one family and all? Now that they had such great news, he didn¡¯t even want to tell them in case they got angry. What was wrong with Yunduan being excellent? Nis. Fang asked intentionally. ¡°How about you visit them now and share the news with them?¡± Eldest Uncle coughed slightly, turning down the suggestion. ¡°It is getting sote, we can wait until tomorrow. Also, we have hidden Yunduan¡¯s participation from everyone. Ling even asked about this specifically. I never told him that Yunduan went for the examination¡­ how can I exin it to them now?¡± He was simply ming the others between lines. Qiao Xuan pursed her lips. Ms. Fang was very displeased, and so was the Elder Brother. Ms. Fang firmly believed that what her son and daughter-inw told them to do was right, and that they should follow their instructions. Qiao Xuan knew clearly what was going on with Shao Ling.. He was never up to any good! Chapter 698 - 698: Eldest Uncle’s Anger Chapter 698 - 698: Eldest Uncle¡¯s Anger Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions It was not something that could not be exined. But Eldest Uncle would not believe that Shao Ling would be up to anything evil! He would never believe it! Maybe he would even tell Shao Ling the truth just to prove that he was never up to any bad. Due to this, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did not exin the reason why the family should keep the trip to the province a secret. That made Eldest Uncle very displeased. Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Dad, that is very easy to exin. Just tell them that it is not auspicious to say things ahead of time. That is our belief, isn¡¯t that okay?¡± ¡°l like this excuse!¡± Ms. Fang agreed readily. Eldest Uncle felt even more annoyed. He threw a ming look at Qiao Xuan. ¡°This is ridiculous! Why did you keep it a secret, can¡¯t you say that now?¡± Shao Yunduan put down the chopsticks. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter now. Dad, you don¡¯t have to ask about it any more. My wife and 1 are doing everything for the family¡¯s sake.¡± Everyone else nodded. ¡°True!¡± Eldest Uncle was so angry¡­
He felt that he had been left out of the family. ¡°l trust you, but we need to exin it to others clearly so we don¡¯t have misunderstandings¡­¡± ¡°Dad, there is no understanding for us. I believe in my brother no matter what!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Eldest Uncle red at Shao Sang. He had wanted to tell Shao Yunduan to take good care of the other sections of the family, but he lost interest, knowing that his request would not be responded to. Actually, he wanted to hear Shao Yunduan volunteering to make the offer, but that was not going to happen for sure. Suddenly, a loud banging sound on the door arose. It was Ms. Yan and Ms. Niu. Chunyu went to open the door. Ms. Yan and Ms. Niu rushed into the room. Ms. Yan had just greeted them when Ms. Niu cried loudly. ¡°Elder Brother, Elder Sister-inw, you have to help us! My grandson is gone, I am so concerned!¡± Since they did not know about Shao Yunduan¡¯s visit to the province, they did not find his and Qiao Xuan¡¯s presence strange. But Ms. Yan realized that she had not seen Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan on her few previous visits, and she felt that the first section of the family must be hiding something from the others. But she did not ask or say anything more. Ms. Niu¡¯s words shocked everyone in the room. ¡°What! ¡°Gone? What does that mean?¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t cry. Tell Eldest Aunt, and Eldest Uncle what happened, so that we can all help!¡± Ms. Yan cried and held back Ms. Niu in tears. Ms. Fang felt good that Ms. Yan was present, so things could go easily. Ms. Yan told the story. After lunch, Shao Xianwen was ying in the vige but did note home until evening. They did not pay attention to his absence until a long whileter. Children were always ying together and they might forget toe home. Usually, they only went to get children when dinner was ready. Same went for the second section of the family. However, they could not find the child. The children who hung out with Shao Xianwen said that he went home already. That made the second section of the family very anxious. They went about searching in the vige but still failed. They were really anxious at this moment.. Chapter 699 - 699: Boy Gone Missing Chapter 699 - 699: Boy Gone Missing Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Zhang was crying dreadfully, and the Second Uncle and his son went to different families in the vige to ask for help. Ms. Yan and Ms. Niu came to the first section of the family for help. It was indeed a huge deal when the child was missing, especially when the child was only four years old. The first section of the family also got nervous. Before Eldest Uncle said anything, four brothers from the first section of the family offered to help to seek the child. Ms. Fang was about to say something to stop Shao Yunduan. But she held herself back. Qiao Xuan got up. She came to Shao Yunduan¡¯s side. ¡°Darling, let me go with She could use her superpower to connect to the nts in the mountains. With that, her vision would be stretched to at least ten miles away. It would be much easier for her to find the child and safer too. Both of them had just returned from the trip and she was very tired. It was already dark and she did not want anyone to run into an ident. Nis. Fang frowned. ¡°No way. You don¡¯t know how to walk in the mountains when it is dark. You should stay at home. Many people are out looking for the child, you don¡¯t need to join us.¡± Shao Yunduan said to her gently, ¡°Mom is right. You can sleep at home. I will go out to look for him.¡± Ms. Niu added. ¡°But one more person, one more possibility. Ms. Qiao can join us if she wants to.¡¯
They cared about the child, but Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°You said so because she is not your daughter-inw! What about Ms. Zhang herself? Is she out looking for her own son?¡± Ms. Niu was silent. She mumbled. ¡°1 didn¡¯t ask Ms. Qiao to. She offered it herself¡­ ¡°But can¡¯t you say something nice? Ms. Qiao was not born here. She is not used to walking in the mountains sote at night. No sense in your head at all. You are just selfish!¡± Ms. Niu was so annoyed. ¡°Eldest Brother, look at what the Eldest Sister-inw said! ¡± ¡°l am talking sense, which you can¡¯t!¡± Eldest Uncle was feeling very anxious. ¡°Stop arguing now. We should find the child first!¡± Shao Yunduan pinched Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands gently. ¡°You can take a break. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Her mother-inw was defending her against Ms. Niu, so Qiao Xuan should not insist on going with Shao Yunduan. Otherwise, her mother-inw would have done all in vain whilst Ms. Niu would feel superior. Shao Xianwen was just four years old and should not have gone too far. He should be fine. So, she did not have to join the searching team. She nodded and said to Shao Yunduan in a small voice, ¡°Don¡¯t give yourself too much stress¡­ They had had a long day, actually. Shao Yunduan felt his heart warm up. He replied in a low voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡¯ All men, including Eldest Uncle, were out searching for the baby. It was quiet in the room suddenly. Ms. Fang asked Ms. Xu and Qiao Xuan to go to bed. Ms. Yan also asked Ms. Niu to go back home. Instead of sleeping, Qiao Xuan stood in her yard and ced her hands over an orchid tree. She used her superpower and allowed it to go through all the nts. She would not miss anything as long as she could look carefully within dozens of miles. It took time for her to conduct the move. It also cost her energy due to therge scope of area. Shao Yunduan was not with her, so she did not need to be too cautious. She could recover after one night¡¯s sleep. As she nced across the area, she, however, did not notice any sign of Shao Xianwen! Chapter 700 - 700: Confused Chapter 700 - 700: Confused Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions That made Qiao Xuan quite confused. Shao Xianwen was just a little boy. How far could he go? He might have run away himself, but even if he had an adult with him, he would have stopped within dozens of miles. People might miss some ces. But Qiao Xuan would never miss any corner. She had even looked into the water, but she could see nothing. Her heart sank. Could Shao Xianwen have been taken away by some human trafficker? That should not have happened. Human traffickers might be around, but they rarely came to the vige to kidnap children. Strangers were always noticed when they were in a vige, They would not be able to kidnap children away easily. Ms. Niu must have asked about strangers from the other children too. If that was the case, they would have reported it to the governmental office rather than go out to seek the child first. So, where did the four-year-old child go? Qiao Xuan was feeling a little upset. It would be a little difficult to find the child in this way.
She felt very tired after maximizing her superpower. She could not hold for too long. Not finding anything, she withdrew her superpower. Subconsciously, she could not help but feel curious about what Ms. Zhang and Ms. Niu were doing. Ms. Niu was still awake, sitting by Ms. Yan¡¯s side in the room. Ms. Niu was mumbling about her grandson¡¯s whereabouts, looking really worried. Ms. Yan was consoling her constantly. Ms. Zhang must have gotten too tired to continue. She was now back in her room. She had fallen asleep! She even snored! Qiao Xuan could not help but look down at her. Her son was missing, and the whole family was so anxious. But she was the mother and was in the midst of a good sleep. Even if she was tired from crying, she could not have slept so deeply. She was totally heartless. Dawn came, and the searching teams came back. Shao Yunduan and everyone else from the vige were very tired. But none of them had found Shao Xianwen. Seeing everyone back fruitless, Ms. Niu let out a scream. She passed out directly, which caused people to get anxious again. Those who spent the whole night searching were all really tired. They discussed amongst themselves that another batch of people should go and look for the child. Someone even suggested that they should report it to the government. What if someone did take the child? That could be possible. Even Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan started to believe that maybe it was the human traffickers who did it. If they were dyed, they might not even be able to find the child. So, they could not stand one moment of dy. Everyone agreed that they needed to try different methods. Shao Yunduan tried to make himself stay awake, and offered to go to the governmental office. Qiao Xuan offered to tag along. No one countered that suggestion. They were the County Magistrate¡¯s family and they should be the one who made the report. The couple decided to take off directly. Shao Yunduan was already Provincial Champion, and they were sure that County Magistrate Qiao would pay attention to it. They also nned to ask him to search in the neighboring area of the county, and some towns that surrounded the county too. But Ms. Zhang turned that down. She cried. ¡°No strangers were in the vige, so that could not have been possible¡­ We aremoners and we should not get close to governmental officers¡­ They are not easy to deal with..¡± Chapter 701 - 701: No Promise Chapter 701 - 701: No Promise Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Anything rted to governmental office would beplicated. We can¡¯t afford to offend them. Let¡¯s just look more carefully. We can find Xianwen, definitely¡­¡± ¡°What is the point of reporting to the governmental office?¡± She was right. Commoners wanted to live a peaceful life, and they would not want to get involved with governmental office unless it was absolutely necessary. It was always easy to report to the governmental office, but no one knew what requirements they would raise in return. Things might get veryplicated. Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Second Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry. My husband and I will deal with it. We will be fine!¡± The others nodded and showed a look of jealousy. Qiao Xuan was County Magistrate¡¯s daughter and when she made this promise, there should not be anyplications. But Ms. Zhang still did not ept that. She sneered at Qiao Xuan. ¡°Stop pretending to be kind. Who knows what you are thinking inwardly? You never treat us well. I don¡¯t believe you. You better stay out of this!¡± Ms. Fang shouted angrily. ¡°Ms. Zhang, listen to what you are saying?¡± Even Second Uncle could not stand what Ms. Zhang said. He told Ms. Zhang to shut her mouth.
Ms. Zhang kept saying that they should not report to the governmental office. She did not trust the governmental office. Nor did she trust Qiao Xuan unless Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan swore that they could get her son back. Otherwise, they were not allowed to report the case to any office! Anyone who reported the case behind her back would be her enemy, especially if her son was affected because of that. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were not very happy about this. Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°They don¡¯t want to ept your help, Duan and Ms. Qiao. Don¡¯t bother anymore. She is the mother, she has the final say!¡¯ Swear? Who would dare swear on this? They all exchanged a nk look between themselves. This idea was canceled. Those who had gone searching for the boy went home to sleep. Another batch of people started to go and look for him. The Shao Family was very anxious. But by lunchtime, someone delivered a ckmailing letter. It was discovered at the gate of the yard of the second section of the family. But no one noticed how the letter reached the second section of the family. Ms. Zhang gave the letter to Ms. Niu and Ms. Yan, who could not read. So, they gave it to the first section of the family and asked Shao Yunduan to read what it said. Shao Yunduan was asleep. Qiao Xuan did not wake him up but opened it herself. She was County Magistrate¡¯s daughter, and she should be able to read. She opened the letter and was shocked. It was a ckmailing letter. The letter asked the second section of the family to deliver 100 liang to some ce to ensure that Shao Xianwen would be safe and sound. Otherwise, Shao Xianwen would be lost forever. Ms. Niu almost passed out, crying out loudly. ¡°Which monster did this? That is my grandson! We are not rich people, how can theye to us for this?¡± Ms. Zhang also put on a crying look. ¡°100 liang¡­ where can we get 100 liang? Mom, please, save Xianwen first¡­¡± Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang were both shocked. Ms. Fang was very intimidating, but Shao Xianwen was her grandnephew, so her heart softened.. She was about to say something, when Qiao Xuan gave her a wink, which made her hold back Chapter 702 - 702: Blame Chapter 702 - 702: me Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Second Aunt-inw, Second Sister-inw, just get Second Uncle and everyone to return. We have found a clue, and we don¡¯t need to look in the mountains any more. We should try to talk about how to save the child.¡± Ms. Niu had been so anxious that she was distracted. She told Ms. Yan to get everyone back home, especially Second Uncle and Shao Eng. Nis. Zhang sneered and said to Qiao Xuan, ¡°What is the point of talking about anything? We need money. We don¡¯t have 100 liang, so you should help us with it!¡± Ms. Niu understood what was going on as well. She said to Ms. Fang, ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, please help us this time, 1 can¡¯t let my grandchild get killed!¡± Ms. Fang felt so disgusted. She was about to offer the money but they beat her to it and were nning to let her pay the bill. They would always think about turning to her for help. ¡°What do you mean, Second sister-inw? If I don¡¯t offer 100 liang, would it be me who gets Xianwen killed? You don¡¯t have 100 liang, but can¡¯t you offer even one liang?¡± Nis. Niu was about to argue back when Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Second Aunt-inw, let¡¯s wait until Second Uncle is back. Second Aunt-inw, you can go home and wait. We will be there soon.¡¯ Ms. Zhang sneered at Qiao Xuan, looking really annoyed. She left with Ms. Niu without saying anything.
Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows. She had a feeling that Ms. Zhang did not seem to care about her missing child. Instead, she had time to hate her at this point¡­ Ms. Fang patted her chest. ¡°Damn, how can they say such horrible words to LIS! r, Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom, just ignore them. We already know what they are like, right?¡± Nis. Fang sighed and lost some anger. ¡°No.¡± She revived herself. ¡°l will go and speak with my husband in case he really agrees to offer 100 liang!¡¯ Then, she left for his room. Eldest Uncle had been up for one whole night. He was asleep at the moment. Qiao Xuan smiled. She was just about to ask her mother-inw to remind her father-inw, but her mother-inw already had the idea¡­ They could offer the money, but not the entire money. This needed to be handled carefully in case they did not thank them but med them for not being sincere. Nis. Yan had said that two quarters before the letter arrived, she was sweeping the floor in the yard. Therefore, the letter had just been put down. That meant that the delivery man was not yet far away. Qiao Xuan used her superpower to look around¡­ She maximized her superpower and managed to cover almost 15 miles. She was confused again. She did not see any strange man on the path, trees or valleys. Could that person havee in a wagon? That would have drawn a lot of attention. Suddenly, she realized something. Could the delivery man be from the same vige? Only that would make sense. The person dropped the letter and sneaked home. So, she could not find that person at this moment.. Chapter 703 - 703: No Evidence Chapter 703 - 703: No Evidence Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She could not rey the past with her superpower. She could only try to catch the suspect red-handed. Qiao Xuan suddenly had an idea shing across her mind. Did Ms. Zhang arrange everything herself? She was totally startled. That could not be possible. It would not be the case, right? But when this notion hit her mind, Qiao Xuan started to get skeptical. Ms. Zhang could take Shao Xianwen away without letting anyone notice that. She also seemed to have such a good sleep the night before¡­ She even insisted that the first section of the family should never report the case to the governmental office. Most importantly, she was the one who found the letter, whilst no one had any idea how the letter arrived at the door. Ms. Zhang could just bring out the letter herself, secretly! She had been crying loudly, but she did not seem to be very worried about her son. On the other hand, Second Uncle and Shao Eng were very anxious and looked heavily-struck. It was the same for Ms. Niu. Ms. Zhang even had the time to me her and kept stressing about the 100 liang¡­ In modern society, science and technology were vastly developed, and there were many strange cases and hot topics going on in the society. In many cases, results turned out to be really startling. There were enough parents who harmed their children. With those as the base, Qiao Xuan subconsciously became skeptical towards Ms. Zhang. Maybe other people would not think like this. But Qiao Xuan had witnessed such cases. So, she suddenly found that it was very likely, after all. But this was just her suspicion. There was no evidence for that. So, she was not going to say it out loud. Soon, Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle came out in the hall. They were wearing bad looks on their faces. Qiao Xuan went up and greeted them, suggesting that she would follow them to the second section of the family. She was going to go with the flow to look for some anomalies. It seemed that her father-inw suggested offering 100 liang to get back Shao Xianwen, whilst her mother-inw must have argued with him over that. When they reached the second section of the family, Second Uncle and Shao Eng were back. Some vigers were at their ce too. They kept raising some ideas. Ms. Niu was crying about losing the grandchild and not being able to offer so much money. Qiao Xuan knew clearly that they definitely could not gather 100 liang, unless Ms. Yan offered her private savings. The Yan Family¡¯s business was going upwards. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan got 80 liang when they only had 20% of the profits. In this case, Ms. Yan must have got 40 liang for her portion. Her dowry as well as Ms. Niu¡¯s savings would add up to 100 liang. Seeing Eldest Uncle and Ms. Fang, Second Uncle¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Eldest Brother¡­ ¡°Second Brother, you can gather some money and we can loan you a dozen liang. But you have to tell us how you will pay it back.¡± Before Eldest Uncle finished his words, Ms. Fang cut in. Second Uncle got very furious. ¡°Eldest Sister-inw, are you crazy? How can you say such words right now?¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Why not? You can¡¯t be thinking about getting money from us for free, or are you? That is not good, right?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled.. ¡°Mom is absolutely right! If someone hides the child and pretends to put on a kidnapping show to ckmail us, that would make them rich conveniently, right?¡± Chapter 704 - 704: A Weird Mother Chapter 704 - 704: A Weird Mother Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Ms. Qiao, shut up now!¡± Second Uncle and Eldest Uncle shouted at Qiao Xuan at the same time. Qiao Xuan was simply adding fuel to the fire at this time. Second Uncle was furious. ¡°Ms. Qiao, what do you mean? How can you say things like that? Can anyone do anything like this? That is totally unhuman.¡± Qiao Xuan sneaked a look at Ms. Zhangs face when she said those words. Ms. Zhang was startled by these words and her face turned red. She was panicking. Soon, she tried to calm down, but Qiao Xuan was more or less sure that Ms. Zhang had caused all of this herself. What a mother! But she was just a rural woman and she might have done this for the first time. So, she was not very good at putting on a calm face, thus exposing herself when asked by Qiao Xuan. ¡°Second Uncle, don¡¯t be mad. I should not have said those words.¡± Qiao Xuan replied calmly. ¡°But I was with my father and saw such cases in other counties, thus mentioning this out loud. A grandma hid the grandson and pretended that he was kidnapped. She forced her son and daughter-inw to pay her so that she could use the money to help the useless younger son¡­ Sorry, Second Uncle¡­¡± Second Uncle sneered. He was very angry but he said nothing more. Qiao Xuan was County Magistrate¡¯s daughter and she could not be lying when she said that there were cases like these. No one would be able to prove otherwise. She might be a little over the top saying it, but that was reasonable as well. Most importantly, the second section of the family did not have 100 liang, and they needed to get the money from the first section of the family. Second Uncle did not care if he was getting the money as a loan. He barely had the energy to think about when or how to return the money. If he offended Qiao Xuan, maybe they would not be able to get anything from them. Qiao Xuan said sincerely, ¡°I think so too. Only ruthless and heartless people would use this method to get money. Such people would always get retribution, and end up badly. Isn¡¯t that right, Second Sister-inw?¡± Nis. Zhang was shocked. Her eyes became erratic. She got furious and embarrassed, as she screamed. ¡°Why did you ask me this? How would I know about it?¡± Qiao Xuan stared at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you think such people should be punished?¡± Ms. Zhang turned pale. Her lips were trembling. She dodged Qiao Xuan¡¯s question and cried painfully. ¡°Parents, please, raise some money to save Xianwen first. Where is he now? He is so young and he may be suffering badly!¡¯ Ms. Zhang covered her face and burst into tears. Qiao Xuan could tell that she was panicking already. Qiao Xuan left the money discussion to Ms. Fang, who would never let the second section of the family take advantage of them. Also, if Ms. Zhang had nned this, Shao Xianwen should be safe. Ms. Zhang just needed money. She would not kill her son. Qiao Xuan gave Ms. Yan a look, and two of them left the room. In a quiet corner, Qiao Xuan asked. ¡°Fourth Cousin-inw, did Second Cousin-inw ask Second Aunt-inw for money these days?¡± Ms. Yan was startled. She wondered why Qiao Xuan would say so. But Nis. Yan replied clearly. ¡°She did ask a few days ago. Second Sister-inw asked her for 10 liang, saying that her mother¡¯s family needed it desperately. She imed that it was a loan and Second Brother¡¯s sry would cover the payback..¡± Chapter 705 - 705: My Words Chapter 705: My Words Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Yan sounded sarcastic. Her family¡¯s business was doing well, and they had expanded the scope. They were very busy these days, and the profits were plentiful. The whole family was very motivated. Therefore, Shao Eng was hired to work there as well. Shao Sng had been promoted to be a manager. Shao Sng was paid 3 liang a month, and he only gave 2 out of those towards the shared savings, and kept one for their own use. Shao Eng was not as well-treated as the son-inw of the Yan Family, and was working as a minor employee. He was paid ording to how much he worked. His sry was no more than 2-3 qian a month. Ms. Zhang had only paid half a month¡¯s shared savings and was already asking her mother-inw for 10 liang for her mother¡¯s family. She even said that Shao Eng could pay that back with his sry as if his sry was huge. More importantly, Ms. Zhang came to her twice and asked her to tell her mother¡¯s family to promote Shao Eng as a manager. In this way, he could be paid more and work less. She turned her down and Ms. Zhang was very irritated by her. Qiao Xuan asked again. ¡°Did the Second Aunt-inw give the money to her?¡± Ms. Yan looked amused. ¡°Of course not. I even heard the Second Sister-inw ming the Second Brother in secret.¡± Qiao Xuan sneered. ¡°Good. Her mother¡¯s family needs money and her mother-inw refuses to help. She must be feeling really annoyed¡­¡± When she had the grudge and needed money, it would not be strange if she had some weird ideas in her head. Ms.Yan. That was true. But she felt that her Fifth Sister-inw was implying something else. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Fourth Cousin-inw, I have some guesses, but I can¡¯t say those out now, because 1 am not sure if I am right. Fourth Cousin-inw, please don¡¯t share my words with anyone else.¡± Ms. Yan felt relieved. She nodded with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Fifth Sister-inw, I will keep my mouth tightly sealed.¡± Qiao Xuan could not tell Ms. Fang about this and instead, mentioned her guess to Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan seemed really calm hearing her words. He believed her instantly. Qiao Xuan was surprised. She smiled. ¡°Darling, you believe me?¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Your words have a ground, and I think that your guess is quite possible. You aren¡¯t the kind of person who spreads rumors.¡± Qiao Xuan felt sweetness in her heart. ¡°Good. 1 don¡¯t need to exin a thing. Darling, what do you think we should do about it?¡± Shao Yunduan said, ¡°l will get Second Cousin and Shao Xiaoqi to keep an eye out on Ms. Zhangs family. Ms. Zhang can¡¯t be the only one nning this.¡± Ms. Zhang would not be able to carry it out alone. Moreover, she would notbine forces with someone outside the family. She needed to keep her reputation. If someone outside the family knew about her n, she would have no way to keep her head up in her life, ever again. So, she had most probably done this with the Zhang Family. If they monitored the Zhang Family, they may find something interesting. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Thanks for your efforts, Darling!¡¯ Soon, 100 liang was gathered. Ms. Niu had to offer 20 liang and Ms. Fang lent them the remaining 80. Shao Eng and Shao Sng would need to pay back Ms. Fang with their money every month in the years toe. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle cared about their grandson, so they had to agree to the deal. When the money was gathered, Ms. Zhang went to drop the money as the ckmailer had instructed. The ckmailer told her toe alone and Ms. Zhang insisted on following the instructions.. So, she set off by herself¡­ Chapter 706 - 706: Money And The Man Chapter 706: Money And The Man Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Zhang and her brother had found a very good spot to make the deal. It was a long cave with two exits. Zhang Dabao was waiting with Shao Xianwen whose hands and legs had tied, and he was gagged. The n was that Ms. Zhang sneaked in from one end of the cave, gave Zhang Dabao the money, so Zhang Dabao could sneak out from the other end. Even if someone stalked Ms. Zhang, all she needed to do was to stall the stalker, so Zhang Dabao could sneak away without being noticed. By that time, the boy would be back and the whole thing would end. In this way, Zhang Dabao would have the money. 100 liang was enough for the Zhang Family to buy 10 mu of good fields and the remaining amount shouldst for a long time for them to live a leisure As for the future¡­ Ms. Zhang would definitely try to find other methods to get the money. Shao Eng had a stable ie and she would always have the means to grab some money. No one from her mother-inw¡¯s family respected her, so she should think about her mother¡¯s family instead. She could rely on her mother¡¯s family and was going to depend on her beloved brother! But what Ms. Zhang had not predicted was that when her father was delivering food to Zhang Dabao, Shao Eng, Shao Yunduan and Shao Xiaoqi followed up and they were led all the way to the cave. Zhang Dabao did not manage to escape. He, along with the money, was caught by Shao Yunduan and the others. Ms. Zhang brought her son home. Ms. Niu cried badly seeing her grandson suffering from pain. Shao Xianwen, his mother and grandma all cried. It was a pitiful scene. Everyone let out a sigh of relief, and consoled each other. No matter what had happened, the boy was back, safe and sound. That was all what mattered. Soon, Zhang Dabao was escorted to Shaoding Vige with bruises all over his face, together with the huge bag filled with money¡­ Zhang Dabao had been to Shaoding Vige many times, but most people from the vige still did not recognize him. At the beginning, when they saw this man escorted by Shao Eng, Shao Yunduan and Shao Xiaoqi, they were confused. They asked among themselves. ¡°Who is this man?¡± Only Ms. Zhang recognized Zhang Dabao the moment she saw him. Her heart skipped a beat immediately. She screamed as she rushed out. ¡°What are you doing? What have you done to my brother?!¡± Zhang Dabao was such a coward. He was already very frightened when he was caught red-handed and beaten heavily by the angry Shao Eng and escorted back to the vige. He cried loudly at Ms. Zhang. ¡°Please, help me, Second Sister, please!¡± Ms. Zhang did not regret a thing. She shouted at her husband and tried to defend her brother. But Shao Eng could not stand it any more. He kicked Ms. Zhang and shouted at her angrily. ¡°You bitch, how ruthless you are!¡± Ms. Zhang burst into tears. Soon, the truth was revealed. Zhang Dabao vomited out everything. Ms. Zhang copsed onto the ground and shook her head constantly. ¡°No, no it was not like that!¡± But no one believed her any more. Her denial was useless. Zhang Dabao was caught red-handed by Shao Eng with the money and Ms. Zhang had no way to defend herself. Ms. Niu got so furious that she grabbed Ms. Zhangs hair and started to beat her.. ¡°You bitch, you evil bitch! You are so ruthless! How could you do this to your own son? He is only four years old! You frightened him and may have even killed him!¡± Chapter 707 - 707: Ms. Niu’s Fury Chapter 707 - 707: Ms. Niu¡¯s Fury Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Your family agreed to do something like this? Are you so poor to do such an immoral thing? Who do you think my grandson is? I am going to kill you now! ¡± The angrier Ms. Niu was, the more fiercely she kicked Ms. Zhang. She had turned mental. Everyone was shocked by what Ms. Zhang did. No one showed any sympathy towards her. They were all looking down at her. Ms. Zhangs voice turned loud as she was kicked by Ms. Niu. Startled, people went up to pull Ms. Niu away. ¡°Okay, stop it. Stop it now. You are killing her!¡± ¡°Just vent your anger and stop it.¡± Nis. Niu panted and kicked Ms. Zhangs body hard. She sneered. ¡°She deserves to be killed!¡± Ms. Zhang was bruised all over and she had blood around her lips. Half of her clothes had been ripped off. Her hair was unkempt and much of the hair had been torn away by Ms. Niu. She was crying in despair and snapped angrily. ¡°What else could I do? What else could I do? You all hate me. You think I am poor and you think my family is poor! I have just one brother, the only heir of The Zhang Family! I have to help him, so what? Eng earns money and gets one liang a month. In this way, he can get 12 liang a year. I can surely share some of it with my brother, right? You never give me any money, not even one penny! What else was I to ¡°You useless bastard, how dare you!¡± Ms. Niu got even more annoyed. She kicked her a few more times, cursing. ¡°For your useless brother, you set up your own son? What reason did you have to do so?¡± She then pointed at Zhang Dabao who was cringing in a corner. ¡°Is he a cripple? Does he not have any limbs? He still depends on his married sisters? Shame on this trash! For this trash, you didn¡¯t even care about your own son?¡± Qiao Xuan nced at Nis. Niu subconsciously. This Second Aunt-inw of hers did know some principles. But they were more or less the same, essentially speaking. Ms. Zhang cried even more loudly. ¡°What am I to do? My brother is weak and he can¡¯t do hard work. If something happens to him, there will not be any bloodline passed on from our family! How can you be so ruthless?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ms. Niu got so annoyed. The vigers were all shocked, whispering among themselves. There would never be any girls epted from the Zhang Family any more. Their names were ruined. No inws would want to ept such a girl as their daughter-inw. After all, who would be willing to marry someone who only defended her own family. Help could be given, but there needed to be a limit. Ms. Zhang was not helping. She was supporting him. Ms. Niu snapped. ¡°Divorce her now. Now! Write the letter and make her leave. She wants her family, doesn¡¯t she? She can get out of here and live with her own family. We don¡¯t need anyone like her at our home!¡± They were all taken aback, but not surprised. Ms. Zhang screamed. ¡°No, no way! My children cannot be motherless! Eng, you can¡¯t divorce me!¡± Shao Eng was very annoyed, but a divorce might not be necessary. Seeing Ms. Zhangs condition, he felt a little concerned. He turned to Ms. Niu.. ¡°Mom, is that a little over the top?¡± Chapter 708 - 708: Shao Erlang’s Divorce Chapter 708 - 708: Shao Eng¡¯s Divorce Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°What are you hesitating for?¡± Ms. Niu sneered. ¡°This evil woman doesn¡¯t even care about her son. She is all for her brother. Your children will be killed if you keep her! Or are you going to make your children think that the Zhang Family are their only family? My grandson doesn¡¯t need a mother like this. She can just die! Even a tiger doesn¡¯t kill its own babies. She is not even as good as an animal! Divorce her now!¡± ¡°Divorce her!¡± Second Uncle was annoyed too. He snorted. ¡°Your mother is right. This evil woman can¡¯t be kept any longer. Who knows what other things she would do in the future? She doesn¡¯t think what she has done is wrong! Instead, she is ming us for not giving her any money. You are working for the Yan Family and you earn more than one liang a month. The business is growing and your sry will grow too. You can remarry any good woman you want.¡± Shao Eng turned hesitant as he looked at Ms. Zhang. He had lost all affection for this woman after knowing what she did. Ms. Zhang panicked. ¡°No, no, Parents, Eng, please, don¡¯t divorce me. I will never do anything like this again! Please, give me one more chance. I am the children¡¯s mother, and a stepmother will never treat them as 1 do! What would the children do in the future?¡± Ms. Niu countered her. ¡°You are worse than a stepmother. Shame on you! They don¡¯t need a mother like you. This divorce has to happen. Yunduan, write the divorce paper for him. Now! I don¡¯t want to see her any more!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the children. I am still alive. No one will bully my grandson as long as 1 am alive!¡± Shao Eng did not hesitate. He agreed and decided to prepare the divorce paper. Ms. Zhang almost passed out. She was about to get up to grab Shao Eng but got kicked away by Ms. Niu. She tried to find her children to defend her, but Ms. Niu had already sent the children into the room and let Shao Meiling look after them. Ms. Zhang was begging hysterically but Ms. Niu sneered and lectured her. Nis. Yan could not stand it any longer. She did not feel sorry for Ms. Zhang, but for Shao Xianwen and his sister. Also¡­ for herself. If there was no divorce, she would have the excuse to live separately from her inws. She was not going to live under the same roof with this evil woman. Soon the divorce paper was prepared. Ms. Niu and Shao Eng, together with Shao Dng and Shao Sang, as well as some rtives from the same family, escorted Ms. Zhang and Zhang Dabao back to the Zhang Vige. Ms. Niu was not going to let this thing pass so easily especially when Ms. Zhang made the n with her natal family. She was still annoyed after divorcing Ms. Zhang. She needed to tell everyone about it! She was going to let the whole vige know what the Zhang Family was like, in case they became the one who got med for separating a mother from her children. It was a big show at the Zhang Family. Zhang Family¡¯s name became totally notorious. The Zhang Family¡¯s seniors were also weird. They were caught red-handed by Shao Eng, but still imed that the Shao Family were using them of something they never did. Seeing Zhang Dabao beaten heavily, Mrs. Zhang got so concerned that she insisted that the Shao Family should pay the medical bills for him.. Chapter 709 - 709: Weird Family Chapter 709: Weird Family Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Niu was so angry that she almost hit her. In the end, it was the Land Officer and Elderly Men from the Zhang Vige who came and suppressed the family, and sorted things out. As for Mrs. Zhangs im that the Shao Family used her son of something he did not do and how they looked down at them because Shao Eng had money so he divorced her daughter, no one wanted to hear about it. Ms. Zhang gave birth to two children for Shao Eng, and he was not someone who just made a huge fortune. The Shao Family would not set her up if she had behaved well. The cousins from the Shao Family caught Zhang Dabao re&handed with the money, and the Shao Family had umted the money from different ces, which was witnessed by many people in the vige. The money was for Ms. Zhang to deliver to the ckmailer! But Zhang Dabao got all the money, so the truth was clear. Land Officers and Elderly Men from the Zhang Vige felt ashamed especially after Mrs. Zhangs words. Seeing that Zhang Dabao could not escape the me, Mrs. Zhang started toin that the Shao Family were treating her daughter badly and they could do whatever they wanted with that woman. Ms. Zhang would not be allowed to return home, and the Shao Family could take her back and deal with her in whichever way they wanted. Ms. Zhang was in tears. She kept begging Shao Eng and Ms. Niu for forgiveness. Shao Engs heart turned soft but Ms. Niu did not approve of that. This damned old woman had just cursed her and her son, and even wanted her topensate them? She was not going to allow any of this to happen. Mrs. Zhang screamed loudly. ¡°l don¡¯t care. I already married off my daughter. She is a part of your family now, not mine. She is not going toe back to our home, no matter what! If anything happens to her, that would be your fault! ¡± Ms. Niu was furious by her shamelessness. She sneered. ¡°So, she is not part of your family? Then, why do you still need the money from her? Why not throw the money away?¡± That made many peopleugh. Everyone knew clearly what the Zhang Family was like, after all. Ms. Niu felt proud seeing people¡¯s reaction. ¡°We have driven her out of our family and we don¡¯t care if you take her back or not. You can do whatever you want with her!¡± The Shao Family left, and Ms. Zhang got lectured by her mother. Some vigers could not stand it any more. The Land Officer lectured the family and told them to take Ms. Zhang back home. Finally, the crowd dispersed. As for what Ms. Zhangs life was like at the Zhang Family had nothing to do with the second section of the Shao Family. In Shaoding Vige. After Shao Dng went to the Zhang Vige with the second section of the family, Ms. Xu went intobor. Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni both got anxious. Ms. Fang was experienced, and Ms. Xu was having her third child, so she did not have many special feelings. After the midwife came, Ms. Xu soon gave birth to a son. Ms. Xu had been well taken care of during pregnancy, and she was well fed too. So, the child was full term when he was born. He was chubby and lovely. Both Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu were d. The maids helped to carry the hot water, serve the chicken soup and put everything in order. Yang Xiaoni and Qiao Xuan did not really help much anyway. They were both quite distracted. Was it so easy to give birth to a baby? Chapter 710 - 710: Recommended Man Chapter 710: Rmended Man Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions When Ms. Xu was inbor, they were both very nervous, far more nervous than Ms. Xu herself. Qiao Xuan could not help but think of the scenes in the TV-series that showed what child-bearing was like. She was frightened. She had thought that it was going to take a long time. But the process ended soon. Yang Xiaoni patted her chest, saying to Qiao Xuan emotionally, ¡°Is it so easy to give birth to a child? I am not worried any more!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. She really wanted to tell her Third Sister-inw that it was not very easy to give birth to a child. But she gave up the thought. What was the point of frightening her? Shao Dng was told that he had be a father again when he arrived home. So, he smiled happily. It was a warm scene in the first section of the family. Ms. Fang asked the maids to cook eggs, dyed them red and shared them with the neighbors. She even told Shao Dng to inform Ms. Xu¡¯ s family. Soon, the other sections of the family came to pass on the congrattions. The neighbors also came to greet them happily. They all said that the child was lucky. He did not need to suffer a thing after he came to the world. It was said that Ms. Xu was lucky to have two sons. Two sons and one daughter, and the only daughter-inw of the first section of the family who had children. As long as she did not go about causing trouble like Ms. Zhang, good days awaited her. All the daughters-inw of other families were feeling quite jealous of Ms. Xu They had never expected that the first section of the family would see the light of the day. They used to mock and tease them in the vige, but things were different now. Ms. Xu felt very satisfied. All she needed to do was to feed herself and the child well. She did not need to worry about anything else. She even had maids to serve her water. Qiao Xuan cooked dinner. She stewed chicken with wolfberries and ginseng for Ms. Xue Although Ms. Xu¡¯s delivery worked out well, still, she bled a lot. Her face was pale at the moment, and she needed to eat well to replenish her energy. Celebrations were held in the family, both for Ms. Xu and for Shao Yunduan who was Provincial Champion. Qiao Xuan spent a lot of effort on the dinner. She made dozens of dishes, including crispy chicken, stewed lion head, braised soft-shelled turtle with ham, stuffed shiitake mushrooms, dry pot fish, nched dried shredded tofu, etc¡­ They were all salivating over Qiao Xuan¡¯s dishes, and looked forward to the dinner, especially Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni, who just could not stand the fragrance. News spread around very fast. When the first section of the family had just finished the dinner, many people from the other sections of the family arrived. Nis. Yan said with a smile, ¡°l heard that the Fifth Cousin made it to Rmended man, is that true? Congrattions!¡± Ms.Yan asked the question, but the news was already out. How could it be false? Everyone from the first section of the family was shocked. Oh yeah, they almost forgot. Under normal circumstances, if Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan returned the night before and brought them this good news, Ms. Fang would have definitely shown it off across the whole vige, including to the second and the third section of the family. Her son brought honor to the family! She was definitely going to be very happy about it, and would definitely show off! Chapter 711 - 711: No Argument Chapter 711 - 711: No Argument Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions But Shao Xianwen went missing and Ms. Zhang, the culprit was caught and driven out of the family. Then, Ms. Xu gave birth to the baby¡­ everything happened altogether and distracted them. So, everyone from the first section of the family forgot about this great news. They had not spread it out to anyone. This news came from the Yang Vige¡­ Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Yeah, it is true. Yunduan is ranked first in the exam! He is the Provincial Champion! I should have told you earlier, but 1 guess we all forgot about this since too many things were distracting us!¡¯ Ms. Yan smiled brightly. ¡°That is fantastic! Congrattions, Eldest Aunt. Fifth Cousin has really boosted our family¡¯s name!¡± Ms. Fang loved to hear that. Sheughed. ¡°Very true!¡± Ms. Niu and Second Uncle felt quite distressed. But since the first section of the family helped a lot with what happened to Ms. Zhang, they could not change their attitude too fast. So, they had to force a smile and offer congrattions. Ms. Ma and Third Uncle were different. Ms. Ma was sour. She threw a look at Ms. Yan and snorted. ¡°Ms. Yan, what are you so happy for? It is not your husband who made it, right? You don¡¯t even have anyone in your family who reads.¡± Ms. Yan was not angry and smiled instead. ¡°Fifth Cousin¡¯s sess as the rmended man brings honor to our family, so, of course I am very happy about it. Being able to read is a talent. We don¡¯t have it, but maybe our our children will. Nothing else matters, as long as we can live a happy life.¡± Ms. Niu did not like what Ms. Ma said, so she echoed her daughter-inw¡¯s words. ¡°True!¡± Third Uncle said with jealousy evident in his voice, ¡°Now you have cleared the examination, maybe you can teach your brother. If he can be a Cultivated Talent, that would bring double honor to our family!¡¯ ¡°Yeah.¡± Ms. Ma snapped. ¡°In fact, you should have taught him earlier!¡± Eldest Uncle felt very guilty. He added. ¡°Third Brother and Third Sister-inw, it is not toote now. As long as Ling likes it, Yunduan would be willing to teach him. If we have two rmended men in our family, it would be glorious. The two brothers can help each other too!¡± ¡°Yunduan, tell your Third Uncle and Third Aunt-inw about it!¡± Shao Yunduan shook his head at his mother who was about to say something. ¡°Sure, as long as Sixth Cousin is willing to take help from me, 1 would be willing to do that!¡± That was true. In fact, he had tried to help Shao Ling back in college, but Shao Ling believed that he was better than Shao Yunduan and never wanted to listen to his instructions. He even tried to argue unreasonably with him. The argument was so boring that Shao Yunduan decided to leave Shao Ling alone. He would only help him if he came over willingly. Third Uncle and Ms. Ma were not very happy hearing that. Ms. Ma snapped. ¡°What is the point of saying this now? It is toote.¡± Shao Yunduan. He did not argue back. Nor did he get angry. Ms. Yan was watching the scene. She felt disdainful inside her heart. It was the parents¡¯ fault anyway. Third Uncle snapped. ¡°You can¡¯t just make empty speech. You have to put it into action. Promise that you can help Ling be a Cultivated Talent next year! ¡± Ms. Fang sneered.. ¡°Are you joking, Third Brother? Promise? There can never be any promise like this! Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± Chapter 712 - 712: Better Be Kind Chapter 712 - 712: Better Be Kind Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan added, ¡°Third Uncle, do you think the imperial examination is a joke? Even excellent masters can¡¯t make any promises, and you are asking my husband to make a promise? Anything can happen in the examination, so why do you think my husband can guarantee anything for you?¡± Ms. Fang said, ¡°Exactly, stop talking nonsense if you know nothing!¡¯ Ms. Fang had worried that if her son and Ling, who studied together, both failed to make it to Cultivated Talent, the couple from the third section of the family might take out their frustration on them. However, she had not nned to argue back. But the couple¡¯s unreasonable behavior was bing intolerable. Ms. Fang could not contain her anger any longer and sneered, ¡°l remember someone always boasting about how Ling was smarter and better learned than my son, and always getting praised by the teacher. That same person imed my son¡¯s studies were a waste of money. Now, you me my son for not teaching your son? Ling never listened to my son before! You wouldn¡¯t even let my son teach yours. You said my son was arrogant and a bad influence on Ling! ¡°You¡¯re all being ridiculous.¡± ¡°Honestly, if you don¡¯t want to congratte us, then don¡¯t. But mocking us serves no purpose.¡± Qiao Xuan managed to smile reassuringly at her mother-inw. ¡°Don¡¯t feel mocked, Mom. My husband is already the Provincial Champion, and he¡¯s definitely going to participate in the spring examination. He¡¯ll be an advanced schr soon enough.¡± Ms. Fang beamed at her daughter-inws words. ¡°That¡¯s great news!¡± Nis. Ma, however, was seething with jealousy. ¡°Bing an advanced schr isn¡¯t easy, you know. Don¡¯t count your chickens before they hatch.¡± Qiao Xuan shot back, ¡°We¡¯re not counting chickens, Third Aunt-inw. We¡¯re speaking auspicious words. Or do you not want us to seed?¡± Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t resist a dig at her husband¡¯s family. ¡°Look, your brother won¡¯t even let his own son seed. It¡¯s a shame, really.¡± Eldest Uncle, ufortable with the tension in the room, struggled to find the right words to say. Ms. Fangs lips curved into a sneer as Third Uncle expressed his dissatisfaction. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, don¡¯t try to turn us against each other. I just want someone from the Shao Family who can be sessful. Our son studied with your son at the same school, he is not bad either. Why¡­ why didn¡¯t he make it? So I would like to ask you what is wrong with our son?!¡± Ms. Fang responded coolly, ¡°Oh, then you can ask him if you want to, but don¡¯t mock him. My son is a Rmended Man and soon he will be an Advanced Schr. By that time, he would be an officer, and you had better treat him nicely!¡¯ Third Uncle and Ms. Ma were left speechless. And their anger was mixed with fear. They knew that humiliating an officer was not a joke, and Ms. Fang was not one to take things lying down. Even Second Uncle and Ms. Niu¡¯s expressions changed, sensing the tension in the air. Ms. Fang dismissed them with a wave of her hand. ¡°It is gettingte, you can go home if you don¡¯t have anything else to do here!¡± As the two sections of the family left, they exchanged a look between themselves and parted their ways. Third Uncle and his wife seethed with anger, while Second Uncle and Ms. Niu felt distressed. It was a bad day for them, while the first section of the family had two pieces of good news at the door, making theparison all the more irritating.. Chapter 713 - 713: Revenge on the Zhao Family Chapter 713: Revenge on the Zhao Family Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions When good fortunes smiled upon the first section of the family, and their coffers were flush with cash, they knew they had to throw a grand banquet to celebrate. The next day, Ms. Fang discussed the matter with Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, who gave her free reign to n the festivities as she saw fit. Ms. Fang was thrilled with the opportunity to take charge and make the event as lively as possible. Shao Yunduan, however, had other concerns on his mind ¨C about the Zhao family. That wretched Zhao Guanghua had already tried to harm his Third Sister-inw. Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t going to let him get away with it so easily. Yang Liang and Ms. Tian had already been punished for their involvement in the scheme, but Zhao Guanghua should face consequences as well. As they discussed the matter, Yang Xiaoni couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of sadness. Shao Sang tried to console her and reminded Shao Yunduan in an angry tone, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, Fifth Sister-inw and Fifth Brother, things could have been far worse. Xiaoni may have escaped the trap, but her reputation could have been forever damaged. We should never forgive that despicable man.¡± ¡°Fifth Brother, I know I¡¯m not capable and not clever enough to handle this. So please, help me beat that bastard when he¡¯s caught!¡± Shao Sang pleaded with Shao Yunduan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Third Brother. We are family, and I will handle this. I won¡¯t let the Zhao Family get away so easily,¡± Shao Yunduan assured him. Zhao Guanghua and his father were despicable people. Although Yuezheng Xiao had helped temporarily resolve the issue, Shao Yunduan was determined to put an end to it once and for all. People with narrow-mindedness and a deceitful nature were always causing trouble. Shao Yunduan nned topletely remove the Zhao Family from their lives for what Zhao Guanghua did to them. After breakfast, he and Qiao Xuan went directly to the County Magistrate¡¯s home. Instead of confronting the Zhao Family directly, they were going to use the Qiao Family to deal with them. Since County Magistrate Qiao owed Qiao Xuan a lot, the couple had no qualms about utilizing him to solve the problem. County Magistrate Qiao had already heard the news from the province that there were only two rmended men from their county, and one of them was Shao Yunduan, who was the Provincial Champion! This news made County Magistrate Qiao very pleased, as Shao Yunduan was not only his son-inw, but also an aplished schr. That made County Magistrate Qiao very d. Finally, he had one son-inw who was a Provincial Champion! Provincial Champion¡¯s achievement had already guaranteed him a ce in the next level of the spring examination, provided that he passed the test based on his own merit without any interference. Excited by the news, County Magistrate Qiaoughed heartily and expressed his emotions to his wife. ¡°1 did not expect that Yunduan would be so excellent. I have misjudged him before!¡± Madame Qiao forced a ttering smile, but her true feelings were betrayed by her gritted teeth. When County Magistrate Qiao finished his emotional speech, Madame Qiao smiled and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Yunduan tell you about his talent? You could have helped him if he had revealed this to you.¡± ¡°I wonder why he keeps his abilities a secret from you, Old Master. He doesn¡¯t even tell you about participating in the examination, and Xuan is the same County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s smile faded, and he appeared a little displeased. However, he knew it was not the time to humiliate Shao Yunduan.. Chapter 714 - 714: What If Chapter 714: What If Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions What if Shao Yunduan had the dumb luck and made it to Advanced Schr and ranked high again? What if he became recognized by some important figure in the capital? What if¡­ well¡­ you never knew¡­ What if¡­ He couldn¡¯t help feeling uncertain about his past treatment of Shao Yunduan. He had never been kind to him. Now he could understand why Shao Yunduan might have kept his talents hidden from him. It seemed perfectly reasonable that he would conceal such a secret. Thinking about these, County Magistrate Qiao suddenly felt less saddened. He spoke up, ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on the past. Instead, we should focus on the future and treat our family well. When theye to visit, we should wee them with open arms. As for Xuan, she calls you mother and you should guide her properly, so that she knows I am her father and can work for me. This would benefit her and her family in the long run¡­¡± Madame Qiao felt a wave of disgust wash over her. That bitch was calling her mother¡­ she did not deserve a thing of it! She had previously tried to sabotage her own marriage with a promising fianc¨¦, but now Shao Yunduan had be the Provincial Champion! What if¡­ just what if he went on to be the national champion as well? No, that seemed far-fetched. How could she even consider such a preposterous idea?! Shao Yunduan had no wealth to go further than this. The most he could do was to reach the level of Advanced Schr! But even if he was an Advanced Schr, that was still a blow on them. And her husband was paying attention to them now, which was totally uneptable! Madame Qiao smiled kindly and replied, ¡°Of course, Old Master. I will make sure to treat them well and give them good instructions!¡± ¡°I trust your judgement!¡± Officer Qiao felt very gratified and satisfied. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve noticed that Xuan¡¯s wardrobe is a bitcking. We should provide her with some nice garments and essories to show her that we appreciate her new position,¡± said Officer Qiao. Madame Qiao¡¯s anger boiled inside her, but she kept a calm exterior. She was seething with rage inside ¨C good ornaments and garments for that woman? She didn¡¯t deserve any of them! And didn¡¯t her husband remember that she had already sold off her good garments and ornaments for money? ¡°The few ones I have right now are all my precious ones. Why should I give them away to Qiao Xuan for free?¡± Madame Qiao thought to herself. ¡°Old Master, I think it might be better to wait until after the spring examination before we do that. What do you think?¡± She suggested, trying to dy the decision. Madame Qiao was not convinced. She tried to overturn the suggestion. Officer Qiao replied. ¡°No, no, that would be toote! It is the right time now!¡± Madame Qiao cursed to herself inwardly. But she had to force a kind smile. ¡°Yeah, right. I will arrange everything.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Officer Qiao smiled. ¡°l will have our strategists spread the news and ask them to join us the day after tomorrow. You should get ready for the reception! Let the kitchen prepare plenty of dishes and arrange a courtyard for them to restfortably.¡± Madame Qiao almost felt like throwing up blood. She clenched her hands around her handkerchief and forced a smile through gritted teeth. ¡°Okay, Old Master,¡± she said through the forced smile. Officer Qiao got really satisfied, finally. Once he was gone, she couldn¡¯t contain her rage any longer and took it out on the nearby tea cups, shattering them into pieces, panting heavily in anger.. Chapter 715 - 715: Utter Anger Chapter 715: Utter Anger ¡°Bitch!¡¯ Auntie Ling expressed sympathy towards her mistress. Her mistress had apparently put in a lot of effort for nothing. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Madame Qiao. There¡¯s still a lot more toe,¡± Auntie Ling consoled her, asking the other maids to clean up the scattered items on the ground. ¡°He¡¯s just a Rmended Man, not yet holding an official position. We don¡¯t know what he¡¯ll be like in the future. The Old Master is just pleased with him at the moment, and you can justply with his orders for now. There¡¯s no need to let it upset you.¡± Madame Qiaoposed herself and let out a sarcasticugh. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. I was foolish to be upset. The Old Master is the real fool here. He treats a simpleton as a prized possession. How can someone so dull seed in the future? He¡¯ll be overwhelmed by the distractions of the capital and fail his exams!¡± ¡°Madame Qiao, you are right,¡± agreed Auntie Ling. The exchange between the mistress and the maid helped calm Madame Qiao¡¯s nerves. She then instructed Auntie Ling to tidy up a courtyard, arrange for some shopping, and send for Qiao Wei. Madame Qiao was particrly concerned about Qiao Wei, who had a low tolerance for injustice. She knew that Qiao Wei would be outraged when she heard what had happened and needed to be pacified first. As expected, Qiao Wei was furious upon hearing the news. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! How can a poor Cultivated Talent be a Provincial Champion? The examiners must have been blind or he cheated!¡± Qiao Wei eximed. Madame Qiao became nervous and said, ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± Qiao Wei only dared toin in front of Madame Qiao. She knew better than to mention such ridiculous things. Qiao Wei snapped, ¡°Dad wants us to treat them well and prepare good gifts and news for that woman. And we¡¯re supposed to teach her too? She doesn¡¯t deserve any of this!¡± Madame Qiao had a headache and said, ¡°That¡¯s your dad¡¯s order, and we can¡¯t let him down¡­ ¡°I disagree! Why can¡¯t we let him down? My brother is working at Hanlin Academy! Dad won¡¯t do anything to us just because that man got lucky and became a Rmended Man!¡± ¡°Save your breath. Everything is temporary, and we will get through it eventually. When your dad knows what they are really like, he will just kick them out without us doing anything. You need to be patient and try to endure it, or things will be very difficult for us after your marriage. There will be many obstacles along the way.¡± ¡°Try to behave well in front of your dad and give her some of your nice ornaments.¡± Qiao Wei was initially persuaded, but her anger resurfaced when she was told to give Qiao Xuan some of her ornaments. She adamantly refused. ¡°No! She doesn¡¯t deserve my things! I would rather throw them away than give them to her!¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t want to pretend to be her beloved sister!¡± Madame Qiao attempted to calm Qiao Wei down and advised her to develop the ability to ept people she didn¡¯t like, especially for the sake of her father. She emphasized that this skill woulde in handy when she eventually married her husband. She exined that if Qiao Wei acted kindly towards Qiao Xuan in front of their dad, he would treat her better in the future. After much persuasion, Qiao Wei reluctantly agreed, but she knew deep down that she couldn¡¯t force herself to genuinely like her sister. However, she promised to avoid causing any trouble and to behave civilly towards Qiao Xuan for the sake of their father¡¯s happiness. Madame Qiao sympathized with her daughter¡¯s predicament and acknowledged that changing her attitude towards Qiao Xuan would not be easy. She also agreed with Qiao Wei¡¯sints. To ease the situation, Madame Qiao instructed Auntie Ling to inform Concubine Du and Qiao Kou about the new developments, so they could all be on the same page and not worry about any further issues for the time being.. Chapter 716 - 716: No Offense Chapter 716: No Offense Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Auntie Ling ryed Madame Qiao¡¯s message to Concubine Du and Qiao Kou, who understood what was expected of them ¨C to give Qiao Xuan a hard time and mock her. Once Auntie Ling had left, the mother and the daughter exchanged an irritated nce between them. For one thing, they were very frustrated that Qiao Xuan¡¯s husband had advanced to the next level and even the Old Master had begun to take notice of them. Qiao Xuan had suddenly be an important figure in the family, For another, they were frustrated that Madame Qiao was putting them in a difficult position by asking them to give Qiao Xuan trouble. They were unsure if this would really impress the Old Master? However, they also knew that refusing toply with Madame Qiao¡¯s wishes could have negative consequences for them. They depended on her for their livelihood, and they didn¡¯t want to risk falling out of her favor. It was a dilemma for them. But Madame Qiao had given them an order, and they couldn¡¯t just pretend to be sick to get out of it. Madame Qiao would not have epted their absence. ¡°Mom, They¡¯re treating us like tools,¡± Qiao Kou gritted her teeth, feeling a burning hatred for Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei that surpassed even her feelings towards Qiao Xuan. She became even more determined to sabotage Qiao Wei¡¯s marriage. Concubine Du sneered in agreement. ¡°We¡¯re just like servants, tools for their entertainment!¡± Qiao Kou cried. ¡°l am also dad¡¯s daughter¡­¡± Concubine Du let out a deep sigh of relief. ¡°So you have to find a good husband, and only in this way, will you be able to overthrow the situation you are in now.¡± So, they knew they had to tread carefully around Madame Qiao for the time being. Offending her could mean risking their chances of finding a good husband and potentially causing themselves more trouble. Look at Qiao Xuan! The reason Qiao Xuan was able to rise to her current position was pure luck. No one had expected it to happen, and her sess cannot be replicated. If it were to happen again, Concubine Du could not guarantee that her own daughter would have the same stroke of luck. Perhaps it was premature to rely on luck for sess. After all, Shao Yunduan was merely a Rmended Man and not particrly significant. Concubine Du was not willing to take any chances and risk her daughter¡¯s future. ¡°Leave it to me, forget about it.¡± Qiao Kou nodded, agreeing with her mother¡¯s decision. In truth, Qiao Kou was not bothered by Madame Qiao¡¯s opinions of her. She knew that their father would soon return to the capital, and he would not allow Madame Qiao to arrange a marriage for her at this time. Qiao Kou was determined to ruin Qiao Wei¡¯s marriage when they returned to the capital. She had never relied on Madame Qiao to find her a good match, so she wasn¡¯t concerned about offending her. However, she also knew that it was best not to provoke Madame Qiao in case their life got worse. As the family was still making their own ns, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan unexpectedly arrived at the door. Madame Qiao sneered upon hearing the news, ¡°The couple really knows when toe. We have misjudged them before!¡± Auntie Ling had not yet finished tidying up the courtyard at this moment. Officer Qiao was pleased with the timing of their visit. It could only mean one thing ¨C Shao Yunduan was trying to curry favor with him, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have been so eager to see him. This time, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were warmly weed by Officer Qiao. He patted Shao Yunduan on the back, engaging in friendly conversation as if they were close family. Shao Yunduan adopted a humble attitude mixed with a respectful tone, indicating that he had not informed his father-inw about his participation in the exams because he was afraid of failing.. Chapter 717 - 717: Problem Chapter 717 - 717: Problem Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Officer Qiao felt relieved and his happiness grew even more. Meanwhile, in the backyard, Madame Qiao received Qiao Xuan along with Qiao Wei, Concubine Du, and Qiao Kou. There was a subtle tension in the air. In the past, Concubine Du had constantly mocked Qiao Xuan and looked down on her with disdain. But now, the time was different. It was Qiao Wei who seemed the most annoyed, sitting stiffly in her chair with a neutral expression. Qiao Kou sat with her eyes lowered, lost in thought. Even Auntie Ling and the other servants were treating Qiao Xuan with more respect and kindness than before. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but think that power and status were truly practical. Her husband had only be a Rmended Man, yet the Qiao family and the people in the vige were treating her differently. Even those who they often socialized with were now more polite and cautious around her. Even the once-arrogant members of the second and third sections of the family retreated slightly when they heard about Shao Yunduan¡¯s potential future as an officer. It was no wonder that throughout history people had pursued power, and yet many lost themselves after obtaining it, falling deeper into the abyss. Shao Yunduan remained calm and clear-minded, his gaze gentle and smiling as he looked at Qiao Xuan. But she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit confused about how long this gentleness wouldst. She felt that she should trust him. But she felt that she should always keep a clear-mind as well. Madame Qiao said warm congrattions to her, emphazing the importance of family and encouraged Qiao Xuan to visit often, especially since her husband was now part of the government and would be mingling with different people, likedies and important madames. She reassured Qiao Xuan that she could alwayse to her for advice if she needed it. ¡°We are a family, and we should share the honor and humiliation together and look into the future,¡± Madame Qiao added. Qiao Xuan replied politely and briefly, ¡°Thank you.¡± She made a mental note to distance herself from the family as soon as she could. She was going to find the opportunity to break up with them instead. Concubine Du spoke, showing a false smile. ¡°Second Miss, you are very lucky, you have married a Rmended Man! You should thank Madame Qiao for setting you up with such a great husband. You should definitely thank her and respect her.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°You are right, Concubine Du. Don¡¯t feel jealous of me. Madame Qiao is always kind, and treats us equally. I am sure she will find a great marriage alliance for the Third Sister.¡± Concubine Du, who had intended to just pretend, became annoyed hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s words. ¡°You talk too much, Second Miss.¡± Qiao Kou sneered. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, Concubine Du!¡± Qiao Xuan maintained her innocence. ¡°l am just speaking the truth. Is there something wrong with that? I can stop if it bothers you.¡± Madame Qiao shot Concubine Du a disapproving look, silently cursing her behavior. Afterughing at Qiao Xuan. Concubine Du found herself on the receiving end of her own words. Qiao Wei, unable to hold her tongue any longer, spoke up. ¡°Concubine Du is right, you are quite talkative. Perhaps you¡¯ve be arrogant? After all, your husband is just a Rmended Man, far removed from the true halls of power. Even if he does manage to advance, he¡¯ll likely be left to drift alone without anyone to help him. In a few years, no one will remember who he is..¡± Chapter 718 - 718: Bleeding Chapter 718 - 718: Bleeding Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan was displeased with the way Qiao Wei belittled Shao Yunduan. But she knew better than to argue with her hot-headed sister. Instead, she calmly interjected, ¡°I beg to differ, sister. My husband is not just a rmended man, but also a Provincial Champion ¨C the first one in the whole province. That is quite an achievement.¡± ¡°My husband will have a great and promising future!¡± Qiao Xuan expressed her pride. Qiao Wei was visibly annoyed, ¡°A promising future?!¡± Qiao Xuan interrupted her before she could finish, ¡°You don¡¯t think so? That was what my father said about him just now!¡± Qiao Wei. ¡°Indeed, he is young and talented, with a very promising future ahead of him,¡± Madame Qiao said with a forced smile. ¡°Oh, and by the way, I have some beautiful garments and jewelry that I would like to give to you, Qiao Xuan.¡± She quickly motioned for Auntie Ling to bring them out. Despite her polite words, Madame Qiao¡¯s heart was heavy. She didn¡¯t really want to give any gifts to Qiao Xuan, and had originally nned to buy some cheap ornaments from a street vendor. Dozens of liang for some exquisite ornaments and a few garments should be enough. However, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan arrived unexpectedly, leaving Madame Qiao with no time to buy new items. Reluctantly, she had to go through her own collection of jewelry. She spent a long time pcking out arge pearl hairpin and a green jade bracelet, which were worth more than 300 liangbined. The garments were silk with golden edges. When Auntie Ling arrived with the items, Concubine Du, Qiao Kou, and Qiao Wei were all fuming with annoyance. How could Qiao Xuan, a mere woman, be gifted with such items? She didn¡¯t even deserve the right to receive them. Concubine Du and Qiao Kou felt their hearts breaking. Even if they did not have such beautiful hairpins and bracelets, which should be worth more than a few hundred liang in total. Even Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei had few such items. Concubine Du¡¯s most expensive golden bracelets with some rubies were not even worth one hundred liang, and Madame Qiao had scraped them away from herter. Qiao Xuan almost burst intoughter seeing this. So rare that Madame Qiao offered stuff to her. She was definitely going to take them. She would not wear them. She would put them away in her space and pawn themter for money. After all, she knew the true value of these ornaments, and it was not just a few hundred liang as she believed. She had more savings than all of these together. And she had many ornaments and garments too. She herself did a lot of shopping in the province. She had bought proper clothes and some exquisite ornaments. She put them away for collection so she could use them in the future. Moreover, First Madame had given her many other wonderful things. Those were genuinely precious and valuable. The ornaments with ruby and sapphire alone were worth 5,000 liang. The hairpins had pearls that were wless andrge as one huge longan fruit. What Madame Qiao offered were insignificant inparison. Madame Qiao smiled as if she were giving Qiao Xuan the best things ever, as she ordered Auntie Ling to deliver them to Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan thanked Madame Qiao and reached out for the items, identally revealing the emerald bracelet on her wrist. Madame Qiao¡¯s expression became tense and the others also noticed it, bing uneasy. Concubine Du smiled and asked, ¡°Second Miss, did you acquire that bracelet on your own? It looks very valuable..¡± Chapter 719 - 719: Pretentious Chapter 719 - 719: Pretentious Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan smiled proudly, showing off her bracelet. ¡°Oh, this,¡± she said, rolling up her sleeves to reveal her pure white wrist. The translucent bi-color jadeite bracelet stood out against her skin, creating a pleasing contrast. ¡°First Madame gave it to me,¡± she continued, ¡°her Auntie Hua told me it¡¯s worth around 10,000 liang and asked me to take good care of it. Breaking it would be such a pitiful thing. It was a gift from First Madame, you know. But for my husband who makes it to Provincial Champion, 1 would not have put it on!¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s expression turned sour upon hearing this, and the others were envious of Qiao Xuan¡¯s prestigious gift. Even Concubine Du was impressed by the value of the bracelet. The others all gasped in disbelief. ¡°What? Worth 10,000 liang? You must be joking!¡¯ ¡°l can¡¯t believe it either!¡± Qiao Xuan simply smiled and replied, ¡°l was just as surprised as you are. But Auntie Hua wouldn¡¯t deceive me. 10,000 liang is a small sum for the Yuezheng Family, isn¡¯t it? There¡¯s no need for her to lie about it. Madame Qiao felt a pang of envy and jealousy hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s casual tone when talking about such arge sum of money. She cursed inwardly, calling Qiao Xuan pretentious. Madame Qiao knew that she herself didn¡¯t even have 100 liang to her name, so hearing someone talk about 10,000 liang as if it were nothing only made her feel more inferior. Even the Old Master, with all his wealth, did not have savings of more than 10,000 liang. But soon Madame Qiao was attracted by the Yuezheng Family. ¡°You said the First Madame gave you this? Why did she give you such a precious gift?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Young Master Yuezheng and my husband are good friends, and he likes him. First Madame invited us to visit her at her mansion so she gave this to me.¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s heart sank at the realization. ¡°You were at their mansion?¡± The Yuezheng Family was known for their wealth, power, and influence. Madame Qiao had always hoped to establish a connection with them, but they had never even set foot in their home. And now, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were already their guests? The Provincial Champion was so precious like this? ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded and continued, ¡°The Yuezheng Family is truly grand. The carved beams and painted buildings, along with their exquisite furnishings, leave one absolutely dazzled. The spices smoked in First Madame¡¯s room alone cost a hundred liang. Their garden is also vast, adorned with a plethora of flowers and trees. There is an old camellia nt called eighteen bachelors that is said to have cost thousands of liang to buy. And then there are the many famous orchids, all cultivated in their zed greenhouse, worth tens of thousands of gold¡­¡± The others were all speechless as they listened to Qiao Xuan¡¯s story. Gradually, Madame Qiao began to believe her words. However, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Qiao Xuan knew so much about the trees and decorations in the Yuezheng Family¡¯s mansion. She had never been there and had no knowledge of such things. It seemed that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had managed to get close to the Yuezheng Family in some way. Feeling jealous, Madame Qiao was still trying to make a n of how to use this rtionship¡­ Qiao Kou felt a surge of irritation. ¡°The zed windows are from the Yuezheng Family? That can¡¯t be right. Your husband wasn¡¯t even a rmended man back then. Are you telling me that you were already friends with the Yuezheng Family?¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile, ¡°Yes, Young Master Yuezheng and my husband have been friends for quite some time now. The zed windows were a gift from them. They had many unused things at their home, and my husband is a modest and low-profile person who doesn¡¯t like to boast about such things..¡± Chapter 720 - 720: Madame Qiao ‘s Anger Chapter 720 - 720: Madame Qiao ¡®s Anger Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°My husband doesn¡¯t like to unt his connections. People who do that could never be true friends with Young Master Yuezheng,¡± Qiao Xuan said. Qiao Kou. ¡® Qiao Kou felt as if her sister was indirectly criticizing her. Madame Qiao¡¯s jealousy continued to grow, and she could no longer remain calm. It was obvious that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had been friends with the Yuezheng Family for quite some time. If only they had known about Shao Yunduan¡¯s friendship with the Yuezheng Family, they wouldn¡¯t have needed to worry about money at all. They used up all of their savings and even forced wealthy people to lend them money, tarnishing their own reputation. At that time, they thought Shao Yunduan was just a minor manager who couldn¡¯t even hold a conversation with Young Master Yuezheng¡­ Madame Qiao quickly dismissed Qiao Xuan¡¯s story as bragging, believing that Shao Yunduan must have been a nobody in Young Master Yuezhengs eyes back then. She thought that the two only became closer after Shao Yunduan became the Provincial Champion. Madame Qiao became increasingly annoyed. Was the title of Provincial Champion really that precious? Shao Yunduan was just a man from a poor family, and after he became the Provincial Champion, he became so well-received. And this woman Qiao Xuan was also raised in status! Madame Qiao took a deep breath, feeling optimistic about the situation. She believed that they could benefit from the Yuezheng Family and acquire some wealth before returning to the capital next year. They would need fine clothes and jewelry for their trip to the capital, so they wouldn¡¯t be looked down upon by others, would they? And they would also need money to give bonuses to the servants, as well as presents for everyone in the mansion and their rtives. They would need money to host banquets and entertain guests. Madame Qiao¡¯s constant need for money frustrated her even more as they had none. Her covetous gaze fell upon Qiao Xuan¡¯s jade bracelet, reflecting her greed. In the privacy of their conversation, Qiao Wei was never one to hold back her thoughts, especially regarding her sister¡¯s behavior. The jadeite bracelet on Qiao Xuan¡¯s wrist was a beautiful and noble piece, with excellent color and crystal rity, resembling an emerald-greenke. ¡°Take off the bracelet and let me see it.¡¯ Qiao Xuan hesitated, ¡°I¡¯d rather not. I don¡¯t want to risk damaging it. It¡¯s a gift from First Madame, and I should keep it safe. If you want to see it, you cane and view it yourself.¡± Qiao Xuan knew that if she took off the bracelet and showed it to Qiao Wei, she would never get it back. Everyone loved this kind of beautiful bracelet. ¡®Qiao Xuan, what do you mean? You think we will take this into possession?¡± Qiao Wei shouted angrily. Qiao Kou despised Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei, but pretending to be generous, she added, ¡°Second Sister, we are all sisters, and this beautiful bracelet is too precious to keep to oneself. You can give it to Elder Sister as a token of our family¡¯s unity. It might even please First Madame to see us getting along so well. Or do you not want to offer it to us at all? Qiao Wei gave Qiao Kou a very praising look. She was right this time. Qiao Xuan burst out. ¡°Of course 1 don¡¯t want to. 1 never see anything good, unlike you who always have good things to wear. So I need to keep it up!¡¯ Qiao Kou. Qiao Wei flushed out of utter anger. She did not need to care a thing when no one outside the family was here.. Chapter 721 - 721: Officer Qiao’s Opinion Chapter 721 - 721: Officer Qiao¡¯s Opinion Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She was determined to maintain her own reputation and being turned down like this made her unhappy. ¡°You are very short-sighted!¡± Qiao Xuan retorted. ¡°You are right, sister, I am not as good as you!¡¯ Qiao Wei. Madame Qiao suggested, ¡°First Madame gave this bracelet to you as a gift, so you should take good care of it. Double Ninth Day is approaching, and you should visit her to show your gratitude. We can all go together.¡± Qiao Wei understood Madame Qiao¡¯s intention and decided to stop harassing Qiao Xuan. Yeah, Qiao Xuan was rude and dumb, and even she could make First Madame happy, and could she! Thought Qiao Wei. She thought to herself that if she could please First Madame more, she might receive even better gifts in the future. She was fortunate to have a promising husband, but without him, no one would be willing to associate with her. Madame Qiao continued to inquire about the Yuezheng Family. Qiao Xuan also advised Madame Qiao to pay close attention to Ms. Mi Junior and Yuezheng Ting. She wondered what would happen if they met? Qiao Xuan looked forward to that. Madame Qiao found Qiao Xuan¡¯s practicality impressive and started to warm up to her, even bing kinder. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were invited to stay for lunch. Officer Qiao ordered some high-quality dishes from a nearby restaurant while they waited for the food to be prepared. He was very hospitable and sincere in weing the couple. After lunch, as Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan left, Officer Qiao and the rest of the family saw them off happily and praised Shao Yunduan as the best son-inw. Madame Qiao felt inwardly annoyed at this. ¡°What did Officer Qiao say about the Zhao Family?¡± They had just got onto the donkey cart when Qiao Xuan asked. Shao Yunduan stiffened and thought of how his father-inw treated him so earnestly. He smiled and replied, ¡°Officer Qiao was very hospitable, and he even advised us to be careful. He mentioned that the Zhao Family has been causing troubletely, and that he has been wanting to take care of them for a while.¡¯ Qiao Xuan, ¡°Good, that saves us a lot of trouble.¡¯ ¡°Yeah, true.¡¯ They did not care much about how it was done. As long as the Zhao Family could be removed, anyway would be fine. The Zhao Family had to be removed! Soon, there was going to be a lovely show! After they left, Officer Qiao couldn¡¯t help but admire Shao Yunduan¡¯s charisma and charm. Despite not being overly enthusiastic in his demeanor, he found Shao Yunduan to be an impressive and outstanding individual. He felt very satisfied with his son-inw. Later on, Officer Qiao spoke highly of Madame Qiao for finding such a remarkable son-inw for their daughter. Madame Qiao agreed reluctantly and changed the topic to the Yuezheng Family. What happened in the past did not matter much, but at this moment, she was willing to do whatever it takes to get closer to them so that they would never have to worry about it again. First Madame gave Qiao Xuan a bracelet worth 10,000 liang, so the Yuezheng Family must be very rich and generous as well. Officer Qiao instantly came up with much motivation after hearing that. Knowing that it was all for nothing, they might have been infuriated. However, Qiao Xuan wouldn¡¯t have brought up the First Madame to Madame Qiao if it hadn¡¯t been for her mentioning her first Chapter 722 - 722: Fair and Square Chapter 722 - 722: Fair and Square Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions First Madame was very curious how on earth the couple were. She could meet Madame Qiao to see what on earth was going on with the family after all of The Yuezheng Family was too far-reaching for Officer Qiao. Officer Qiao¡¯s usual tactics for dealing with wealthy individuals in the county did not apply to the Yuezheng Family. During a conversation with the couple, Qiao Wei abruptly interjected, ¡°Second Sister never socializes and she should have given you her bracelet, Mom. It was selfish of her to refuse.¡¯ ¡°Okay, Wei,¡± Madame Qiao nced at her daughter and sighed emotionally, ¡°I¡¯m fine. That bracelet is exquisite and of a high grade. It could be worth more than 10,000 liang. If we sold it, we could use the money for Old Master¡¯s business, and we would have much more spare money.¡± Officer Qiao nodded in agreement, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling greedy. But he decided not to talk about this. ¡°Xuan has never seen such nice things, so it¡¯s understandable that she likes it. We can talk about itter.¡¯ Madame Qiao also noticed her husband¡¯s interest in the bracelet and smiled before saying, ¡°You¡¯re right, there¡¯s no need to rush.¡± Officer Qiao nodded in agreement, as he had more pressing matters to attend to. He couldn¡¯t help but harbor a grudge towards the Zhao Family for being so miserly. They had only lent them a few thousand liang, and even Old Master Zhao had imed to be out traveling just to avoid meeting with him. While Shao Yunduan might want to seek revenge and eliminate the entire family for his own gain, Officer Qiao did not share the same perspective. He had no intention of taking such drastic actions. But, he would be leaving for the capital next year, so he saw no point in worrying about it Officer Qiao consulted with the strategist and inquired about strategies to uncover any illegal actionsmitted by the Zhao Family. By doing so, he could have their enemies report them to the office for a fair trial, leaving the Zhao Family powerless. Given the many terrible things the Zhao Family had done, it would not be hard to expose their wrongdoings. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan spected that Officer Qiao would use this method to deal with the Zhao Family. Shortly after, Officer Qiao made the announcement and everyone became aware that Shao Yunduan was the Provincial Champion! This was an unprecedented urrence, as there had only been a few Rmended Men from the county but never a Provincial Champion. The whole county got excited. Everyone started to ask around who Shao Yunduan was! Manager Qin from Mingren Tang spoke the loudest. As a good friend of the Provincial Champion, he talked about how interesting the champion was, bringing attention and reputation to Mingren Tang. Meanwhile, Minghua College found itself in an embarrassing situation. The three teachers were feeling ufortable. They were just Cultivated Talents, while Shao Yunduan was now a Provincial Champion. They knew they would have to show respect to him whenever they met. The memory of how the College forced him out and failed to set him up kept them embarrassed and anxious, fearing that Shao Yunduan might seek revenge against them.. Chapter 723 - 723: Going There Chapter 723 - 723: Going There Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The three teachersined to each other, but they could note to a decision. As a result, individuals who possessed strong moral values and knowledge began to question whether the three teachers were unsure about their situation. There was even talk of them considering attending a different college in the next county rather than remaining at their current college. It was widely known that Shao Yunduan was forced to leave due to the influence of teachers who had been bribed by Zhao Guanghua. However, most people did not pay much attention to it. Nheless, this incident raised concerns about the ethical conduct of the three teachers involved. Interestingly, after leaving, Shao Yunduan went on to be a Provincial Champion. This essentially implied that the teachers not only had poor ethical standards, but their knowledge was also questionable. Therefore, there was little incentive for the students to remain at the college. The students discussed this matter discreetly, without intentionally concealing anything, which was not entirely hidden from the teachers¡¯ knowledge. Before long, the three teachers became aware of these discussions. The teachers were both infuriated and humiliated by the students¡¯ discussion, but they were powerless to act on it. They argued amongst themselves discreetly and feigned ignorance. However, deep down, they knew that the future of Minghua College was bleak. The students were not only nning to leave, but they also intended to extend their congrattions to Shao, the Rmended Nian, in the vige, hoping to receive some valuable guidance from him. Hopefully, that would bring some auspiciousness to their future! The teachers were feeling increasingly dejected. Although the students did not take any overt action, their mere presence served as a constant reminder of the teachers¡¯ transgressions. The teachers attempted to act as though nothing had urred, but the atmosphere remained tense. Meanwhile, Shao Yunduan was not one to hold a grudge and was pleased to receive the students¡¯ congrattions. But what about them? Should they visit him or not? The teachers were hesitant to visit Shao Yunduan in case they were met with humiliation, but they felt it would be disrespectful not to pay their respects to a former student of Minghua College. Moreover, they hoped to receive Shao¡¯s blessings, and perhaps establish a rtionship with him that could prove beneficial in the future. If they could mend the bridge with Shao, it could potentially lead to valuable connections and opportunities. As for the three teachers, they discussed amongst themselves and came to the conclusion that saving face was not as important as maintaining a good rtionship with Shao Yunduan. They gathered the students and, on behalf of the college, visited Shao with gifts. The teachers would join the group naturally. However, when the college was discussing the visit, Shao Ling had already rushed home, feeling annoyed and humiliated. He found the whole situation to be incredibly irritating. ¡°Fifth Cousin, I thought you said you weren¡¯t taking the exam. Why did you go ahead and participate anyway? You lied to us!¡± Shao Ling used Shao Yunduan, storming towards the first section of the family with a tone of anger, as if Shao Yunduan hadmitted a wrongdoing. ¡°Hey, Shao Ling, be careful with your words,¡± Ms. Fang intervened, defending Shao Yunduan. ¡°Yunduan is a Rmended Man and a Provincial Champion, a respected schr. You should show him some respect or you might face consequences. Don¡¯t forget, he has achieved a higher level than you ever will.¡¯ Shao Ling was taken aback by Ms. Fangs stern words and was at a loss for words. ¡°I¡­ There was a saying that went like this, and Shao Ling knew he needed to respect it. He had to admit that his cousin had achieved a higher level of education and sess, and had be a different man from the one he knew before.. Chapter 724 - 724: Why Angry Chapter 724 - 724: Why Angry Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Ling¡¯s eyes were widened. He difficulty burst out the following sentence. ¡°Elder Aunt, I asked you if Fifth Cousin went for the examination, and you told me he did not! You were lying to me as well!¡± Qiao Xuan almost burst intoughter hearing Shao Lings interrogation. What on earth was he focusing on? Whether or not her husband had gone for the examination had nothing to do with him. And he was Provincial Champion already, what was the point of asking about this anyway? What was he angry about? In what position was he angry for what, anyway? Must her husband stay at home for his sake, just because he failed the examination to be a Cultivated Talent? He asked her mother-inw about her husband¡¯s participation, and got d when hearing a negative answer. Qiao Xuan did not think that lying to him was wrong. Instead, she felt so lucky to have told her mother-inw not to tell that to this man. Or this man would have done something unexpectedly terrible. Ms. Fang didn¡¯t back down from what Shao Ling had said. ¡°Well, at that time, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to say anything. If Yunduan had failed, it would have been embarrassing for him. So I kept it a secret. But as it turns out, he¡¯s a Provincial Champion now! Ahahaha!¡± Shao Ling. ¡°l should not have lied to you. But I did that for a purpose, Also, that did not hurt you, did it? Why are you annoyed by this?¡± ¡°You should be happy that your cousin is a Provincial Champion. You can ask him for advice if you are have some academic questions, right? You should focus on studies, do you?¡± Eldest Uncle consoled him. ¡°Yeah, Ling, don¡¯t be anxious. You are smart and diligent, I believe that you can make it as well! For sure!¡± ¡°Stop it, Elder Uncle,¡± Shao Ling vented his anger. ¡°l know what you¡¯re implying! Cousin is capable, and you don¡¯t need to tell me this! You toyed with me and lied to me. There¡¯s no need to talk with you any more!¡± ¡°With that, Shao Ling stormed off, leaving Eldest Uncle behind, who tried to catch up with him. ¡°Ling, please, don¡¯t be angry,¡± he pleaded. But Shao Ling ignored him and kept walking. Ms. Fang, on the other hand, paid no attention to Elder Uncle and turned to Shao Yunduan with a gentle smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, Yunduan. He seems to have lost his mind after reading too many useless books. Let¡¯s celebrate your achievement instead! ¡± Eldest Uncle happened to hear that. Shao Yunduan nodded and smiled. Qiao Xuan smiled in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I am happy to do it. We have double happinessing to our door, and it¡¯s a joyous asion to celebrate!¡± Ms. Fang also nodded, ¡°Yes, we must host the banquets well. Qiao Xuan, you have much work to do to receive the guests.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom. Leave it to me. Taotao, my Third Sister-inw, and the maids will work together. You are the mother of a Provincial Champion, a highly esteemed senior member of the family. Ordinary guests do not deserve to meet you. They should automaticallye to pay their respects..¡± Chapter 725 - 725: Regret Chapter 725: Regret Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang was very amused. ¡°Oh my! that is not what I am used to!¡± ¡°You should, mom! You will meet even better things in the future, that is your fortune!¡± Ms. Fangughed. ¡°Okay, okay, let¡¯s all share the fortune. Thank goodness you are here, so I am not feeling that unsure any more!¡± Qiao Xuan added. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom. I will get everything well-arranged!¡± Shao Yunduan looked at these two women, gently and smiling. Sure enough, the strategist and publicists arrived to congratte Shao Yunduan. The announcement of his bing a Provincial Champion caused a great stir in the first section of the Shao Family. People flocked to offer their congrattions. Land officers and elderly men from the n led Shao Yunduan to the ancestral hall where he paid tribute with tears of pride. There had never been a rmended man from the vige before, and Shao Yunduan was the first to obtain the title, which was a great honor for the whole vige. Vigers, friends, and rtives, as well as businessmen from the Yuezheng Family such as Manager Qin and Manager Dong, and even businessmen from other viges, all came to offer their congrattions and establish rtionships with the family. Qiao Xuan had attended many banquets with the First Madame and had learned some basic manners. She led Yang Xiaoni and Taotao to receive the guests, and they were also trained in the proper etiquette The maids helped everything run smoothly, ensuring that everything was in proper order. They were so well-mannered that even some businessmen who didn¡¯t think of the Shao Family as important couldn¡¯t help but adjust their attitudes and show full respect. Despite being just a farmer¡¯s family, the Shao family¡¯s manners impressed everyone. And with Shao Yunduan¡¯s young age and Provincial Championship title, he was sure to have a bright future. It was clear that befriending people like this would be beneficial for their own businesses and futures. Most of the guests were male, and Shao Yunduan¡¯s pageboy, Songshi, was there to assist Shao Sang and Shao Xiaoqi in receiving the guests. Manager Dong even offered some of his employees to help, which Shao Yunduan gratefully epted and asked them to stay with the Shao Family for the time being. When the three teachers from Minghua College and their students arrived, Shao Yunduan received them with calm and polite demeanor. However, he maintained a polite andposed demeanor when interacting with the teachers, without showing any excessive familiarity or respect towards them. To Shao Yunduan, only Master Yun was truly worthy of admiration and respect, as he was a man of great talent and integrity. While the college teachers were knowledgeable and ethical, they were not particrly outstanding in Shao Yunduan¡¯s eyes. Despite being expelled from the college, he had no intention of causing a scene or holding any grudges against them. As long as they could interact peacefully, it was enough for him. The teachers were reassured to see Shao Yunduan receiving them withposure and without any signs of mockery or aggression. They had initially feared that he might pick on them or make fun of them, but were pleasantly surprised to find that he treated them with respect and dignity. Despite feeling relieved, the teachers couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty and regretful for their past behavior towards him. They wondered why they had treated him so poorly before. Feeling embarrassed, they didn¡¯t stay for too long and left after having just two cups of tea. County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s strategist also attended the event and brought people to boost Shao Yunduan!s reputation. The Shao Family received all of their guests at the door, except for those from two particr families.. Chapter 726 - 726: Pretending Chapter 726 - 726: Pretending Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions One of them was the Zhao Family, who had wronged the Shao Family before. The Shao Family found it odd that the Zhao Family woulde to their door bearing gifts. Did they really believe that a few presents could erase their past transgressions? Zhao Guangyin, the housekeeper, as well as two servants from the Zhao Family arrived with borately wrapped gifts. The first section of the Shao Family became furious upon hearing of the guests¡¯ arrival. Nis. Fang shouted loudly, ¡°How dare youe to the door? Get out of my ce! ¡± Shao Sang punched directly at Zhao Guangyin¡¯s face. ¡°You are staining our floor! Get lost, now!¡± Zhao Guangyin was totally confused, asking sternly in a mess. ¡°When did we offend you? You are over the top, how can you punch us for no reason?!¡± ¡°So what? We did not punch you at your door because we don¡¯t have time. If you daree to us, we will punch you every time you do.¡± Shao Yunduan sneered coldly, ¡°Are you putting on a dumb show, Young Master Zhao? Well yed!¡¯ Zhao Guangyin was even more confused than angry. He knew that something must have happened. ¡°l really don¡¯t have a clue¡­¡± ¡°Then you can ask when you are at home.¡± Shao Yunduan interrupted him. ¡°Leave now, or we will continue to punch you!¡¯ Faced with the intimidating demeanor of the Shao Family, Zhao Guangyin left in a hurry without saying a word. On his way back, he couldn¡¯t help but ask his housekeeper, ¡°Did Second Young Master Zhao do something to offend the Shao Family again?¡± The housekeeper remained silent, trembling with fear from the encounter at the Shao Family¡¯s doorstep. Zhao Guangyin couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the housekeeper was aware of something that he wasn¡¯t. The housekeeper suggested, ¡°Perhaps you should ask the Second Young Master himself, he might know what is going on.¡± The Zhao Family had one head housekeeper and two deputy housekeepers. This particr deputy housekeeper served Zhao Guangyin exclusively and was promoted by him. He was treated differently from the other two housekeepers and was somewhat alienated from them. He only focused on carrying out tasks assigned to him by the First Young Master, and disregarded anything else that happened in the family. So he was not in a position toment on Old Master and Second Young Master¡¯s behavior. Zhao Guangyin got angry. ¡°Spill it now! ¡± The housekeeper sighed emotionally and spilled the story, in a staggering way. What happened at the Yang Vige was a huge thing, and it was solved directly on the spot. Yang Xiaoni was fast so she did not even run into Zhao Guanghua. Also, Shao Yunduan was Provincial Champion, and when he decided to take Yang Xiaon!s sidei, no one dared to spread the rumor about Yang Xiaoni at all. Or things would have gone worse. This kind of thing would always turn ridiculous and fall beyond the truth, when it was spread around. Women always became the victim of the topic. Zhao Guangyin really had no idea about this. He was busy with business and fields and hosues. He had no time to care about family affairs. Also, the Second Young Master was very wild and no one dared to spill the secret to anybody else, or tell him about this humiliation. Zhao Guangyin¡¯s heart sank, as he said, shivering. ¡°How could this have happened? Was he mental? How dare he¡­ do this! He already has three maids serving him, isn¡¯t it enough? He even dared to steal a married woman! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this before?¡± Zhao Guangyin felt so annoyed as his face turned red. He was getting very anxious at the moment.. Chapter 727 - 727: No Talk about Second Young Master Chapter 727 - 727: No Talk about Second Young Master Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions It¡¯s no surprise that the first section of the Shao family looked at him strangely, that Shao Sang punched him, and that Rmended Man Shao treated him coldly. How could he have even considered stealing a married woman? Such an act was unforgivable, especially considering that Shao Yunduan was the Provincial Champion and his wife was Officer Qiao¡¯s daughter. Officer Qiao might not have paid attention to Ms. Qiao before. But things were different now! Zhao Guangyin felt coldness going through his body and his heart almost stopped throbbing. He felt desperate. ¡± ¡­¡±The housekeeper smiled bitterly. With his head lowered, he did not dare defend anyone, He did not dare to say anything about the Second Young Master, in his position The deputy housekeeper remembered that the First Young Master had to intervene and tell the Second Young Master to stop. The First Young Niaster exined that the Second Young Master was like that, and his orders needed to be followed, or he might seek revenge quickly. That was why he never stepped forward to help when the Second Young Master started to give him a hard time. Young Master only consoled him and gave him five liang. He epted the money and thanked the First Young Master. There was nothing else he could do about it. He was just a deputy housekeeper, and he could not do anything about that. After that incident, the deputy housekeeper made a conscious decision to pretend not to know anything about the Second Young Master¡¯s actions. When the First Young Master asked him about it, he remained tight-lipped. Why should he reveal any secrets? He did not want to be the target of the Second Young Master¡¯s anger. Instead, the First Young Master would allow the Second Young Master to vent his anger before defending him and putting an end to it all. He was uncertain whether the First Young Master¡¯s approach was the right one, but he knew he didn¡¯t want to be the target of the Second Young Master¡¯s temper. He had already suffered enough and didn¡¯t want to shorten his lifespan due to this. However, the situation wasplicated. The Second Young Master had caused a lot of trouble, and the Shao Family was not known for forgiving easily. If the matter was not resolved properly and the Shao Family did not forgive them, the Zhao Family might run into significant trouble. Zhao Guangyin felt so distressed. But his father was not at home. So he had to ask someone to get his father back and tried to fix it all. At the Zhang Vige. Ms. Zhang had just been divorced and sent back to her mother¡¯s family when news broke that Shao Yunduan had be the Provincial Champion. Although Shao Yunduan was from the first section of the family, those from the other sections were also considered family, and they should have benefited from his sess. They would never have to worry about food and clothing again! Ms. Zhang and her family were dumbfounded by the news, and Mrs. Zhang became furious, shouting and even striking her own legs. ¡°The Shao Family is bullying us! They look down on us and divorced our daughter.. I won¡¯t stand for this!¡± Chapter 728 - 728: Ms.Zhang’s Intention Chapter 728 - 728: Ms.Zhang¡¯s Intention Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Mrs. Zhangshed out at both the Shao Family and Ms. Zhang. ¡°You¡¯re so useless. You¡¯ve been married to them for so long, given birth to a son and a daughter, and they still drive you out of the family. What good are you anyway?¡± Ms. Zhang couldn¡¯t hold back her tears, and they began to trickle down her face as she sobbed. She didn¡¯t even dare cry in front of her mother because she knew she would only be met with more cursing and beatings. Zhang Dabao, meanwhile, had forgotten about the punches he had received from the Shao Family and joined in. ¡°Yeah, the Shao Family is terrible. They drove the Second Sister out of the family on purpose! Why must we be bullied? Second Sister has given birth to the lineal children of the family, and they can¡¯t just ignore herpletely.¡± ¡°Mom, send the Second Sister back to the Shao Family!¡¯ The Shao Family was now flourishing, and Mrs. Zhang knew that if she could somehow remain connected to them, her family would surely benefit from it. There was no point in staying at her own home since she wasn¡¯t earning any money. Ms. Zhang also shared the same intention of returning to the Shao Family. She missed her children and her husband and had to admit that her life at her mother-inw¡¯s home was much better than her life at her own home, despite her mother-inw¡¯s constant scolding. Mrs. Zhang agreed with her son¡¯s suggestion and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s go back to the Shao Family. If your wicked mother-inw still refuses to ept you, then go and plead with Shao Eng and your children. You gave birth to them, and they should listen to you! If you can¡¯t even control your own children, then what¡¯s the use of you being here at home all day?¡± Nis. Zhang couldn¡¯t bring herself to look up and speak. She was doing her best to stay close to their uncle, but her children hardly ever saw him, and they didn¡¯t believe her words. Meanwhile, her mother-inw kept giving her chores to do, leaving her with barely any time to take care of her children. As they talked, Mr. Zhang chimed in, ¡°Why rush into things? Let¡¯s wait a bit longer. We¡¯ve spoken with the Land Officer and Elderly Men, and they¡¯ve promised to help us out.¡± ¡°ording to the old saying, marriages should not be broken up without good reason. Our daughter hasn¡¯t done anything wrong, and the Land Officer should intervene on our behalf¡­ Mrs. Zhang nodded in agreement. She felt reassured by her husband¡¯s words. The next day, Mr. Zhang went to the Land Officer and the Elderly Men and asked for their assistance. To their relief, things went more smoothly than expected. They all agreed to help, seeing it as a way to strengthen their ownmunity ties. What was more, Shao Yunduan was the top-ranked candidate and likely to enter the government office soon. Having a rtive like Ms. Zhang in their family would certainly be advantageous for the Zhangs. So, the Land Officer and other vigers from Zhang Vige apanied Ms. Zhang to Shaoding Vige. However, they were unsure whether she should first return to the second section of the family or visit the first section to offer congrattions.¡± They agreed to visit the Provincial Champion first. It was always better to approach with a smile than to be turned away. Rtives and friends were already visiting the Shao Family to offer their congrattions, so The Zhang Family should do the same. The Provincial Champion would surely ept their well-wishes, and if they were epted, then Ms. Zhang would be epted too.. Chapter 729 - 729: Ms. Fang’s Annoyance Chapter 729 - 729: Ms. Fang¡¯s Annoyance Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions If they could just express their regrets and offer apologies, perhaps the second section of the Shao Family could ept Ms. Zhangpletely. Although Mrs. Zhang initially did not want to apologize, Mr. Zhang insisted, and she had to oblige. After all, it was The Zhang Family¡¯s fault for being caught red-handed by Shao Eng, so an apology was necessary. Despite her reluctance, Mrs. Zhang kept her objections to herself and agreed to apologize. When The Zhang Family arrived at Shaoding Vige, they went straight to the first section of the Shao Family. Many guests had already visited to offer their congrattions and kind words. Thus, when the group from Zhang Vige arrived, the first section of the Shao Family happened to be free to receive guests. As the group approached the door, Songshi, who was standing guard, was startled by their size and hurried off to inform the family. Ms. Fang, Eldest Uncle, and Shao Yunduan all came to greet them, but their expressions darkened upon seeing that the group was from Zhang Vige. The Land Officer and the Elderly Men from Zhang Vige offered their congrattions and kind words to Ms. Fang, who responded politely. Eldest Uncle even invited them inside the house. However, Ms. Fang shouted. ¡°Hang on!¡± She threw a cold look at Ms.Zhang. ¡°The Zhang Family must not be here. We don¡¯t ept such evil women. She is staining our floor! ¡± Ms. Fang had always disliked Ms. Zhang, and after what Ms. Zhang did to her son and got divorced, her resentment grew even stronger. She red at Shao Yunduan and Shao Xiaoqi, ming them for meddling in her family affairs and causing her so much trouble. She even wished them a miserable life. Ms. Fangs grudge against Ms. Zhang remained deep. Ms. Zhang and The Zhang Family may have regretted their actions, but it was toote to make amends in Ms. Fangs eyes. Mrs.Zhang was so annoyed. ¡°We are rtives!¡± ¡°We have no vicious rtives like you! Ms.Zhang is divorced and you have just epted the letter. We have nothing to do with you!¡¯ ¡°What? ring back at me? What are you thinking? Throwing temper at my ce?¡± Shao Yunduan added. ¡°Mom is right. The Zhang Family are not ethical people and we have nothing to do with each other any more. They are not epted to our door. But the others are weed inside.¡¯ But¡­¡± Mr. Zhang¡¯s expression turned to anger, although he tried to maintain a smile on his face. ¡°Rmended man Shao, we are here to pass on our congrattions with sincerity. My daughter used to be your sister-inw, and as a schr, you should understand the importance of proper etiquette!¡± ¡°Of course he does!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re not associating with you! Sister-inw? She is not! If everyone follows your example andes to my door uninvited, am I supposed to wee bandits and hooligans as well? This is not proper etiquette, and it¡¯s tarnishing our family¡¯s reputation!¡± Qiao Xuan added. ¡°Mom is totally right!¡¯ Yang Xiaoni nodded. ¡°Yes, absolutely right!¡¯ The Land Officer and the others exchanged a look between themselves, feeling quite embarrassed. They had not expected the conversation to turn this way. Trying to ease the tension, the Land Officer smiled and spoke up, ¡°Ms. Zhang made a mistake, but even saints make mistakes and learn from them. Perhaps she deserves another chance. She has been doing well in her current home, raising children, respecting her inws, taking care of her husband and household duties. She is a diligent person..¡± Chapter 730 - 730: Rejection Chapter 730 - 730: Rejection Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°What do you say we go inside and discuss this in private? After all, we¡¯re here to congratte and discuss the family affairs of Ms. Zhang and Shao Eng, and it¡¯s unfortunate that a family has been broken up. The children are still so young, and Ms. Zhang isn¡¯t a criminal, right?¡± Eldest Uncle had a kind heart and was mindful of his reputation, so he couldn¡¯t bear to see The Zhang Family begging for forgiveness at the door. The Land Officer¡¯s words only added to his difort. He was about to ask the guests toe into the door. ¡°Yes, yes we can talk in the room, because I feel it is not easy to talk it through clearly within a short while¡­¡± ¡°Oh yeah that is great!¡± ¡°The Zhang Family are not wee inside,¡± Ms. Fang retorted sharply to Eldest Uncle. Her expression turned even darker as she continued, ¡°Yunduan is now a Provincial Champion and our family has a good reputation. We cannot allow these types of people to ruin it. Not just The Zhang Family. but anyone like them should never be allowed into our home.¡± Shao Yunduan added, ¡°l agree with my mother. Land Officer Zhang and Elderly Men, that¡¯s what I meant.¡± The others hesitated and turned to Eldest Uncle for his decision. Feeling annoyed that his wife and son were publicly humiliating him, Eldest Uncle responded, ¡°Yunduan may have achieved sess, but we cannot turn away vigers. While we are not rted, we can still treat them as guests and offer them hospitality.¡± ¡°You old man, how dare you ept such a despicable family! Are you happy to see Yunduan¡¯s reputation tarnished?¡± Ms.Fang eximed, her anger boiling over. She stomped hard on the floor in frustration. ¡°Why do you call us despicable? It is your whole family that is despicable! Your family divorced our daughter and now your son has be a Rmended Man. You think you are of a higher ss and we are beneath you!¡± Mrs. Zhang continued, her voice rising with each word. ¡°If you didn¡¯t like us, your family should never have married our daughter! She has given birth to children for the Shao Family and worked for you for so many years. And now, you are just driving her away? How can she be summoned and dismissed so easily?¡± ¡°Our daughter was aplete woman before she married into this family, and she would never have done such a thing if not for you! She is a sister, and it is her duty to help her brother. What is wrong with that? How could you force her to make that mistake? You made her do it!¡± Mrs. Zhangs voice was raised, her anger palpable. ¡°l spared no efforts to raise a daughter and gave her to your family. She was just trying to help her brother. What is wrong with that?¡± she continued. ¡°We are not finished with this! We will not be bullied!¡± Everyone present. ¡® Yang Xiaoni¡¯s eyes widened as she listened to the argument. She spoke up quietly, ¡°But that¡¯s not right! Second Sister-inw, or rather, Ms. Zhang, you were the daughter-inw of the second branch of the family, not ours. Why are youining here? And I have never seen a mother treat her son like this. How can such a mistake be seen as something positive? Your family is really scary!¡¯ Qiao Xuan snorted, ¡°My husband being a Provincial Champion has nothing to do with you. The announcement was made by the county, not us! And Ms.. Zhangs mistake and subsequent removal from the family has nothing to do with my husband¡¯s sess either!¡± Chapter 731 - 731: Not Deserving Chapter 731 - 731: Not Deserving Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°l cannot believe you had the audacity to call my mother horrible! You were the one who made the first mistake bying to our home and insulting us. If you dare to set foot in our house again today, we will ensure that you face utter humiliation! ¡± Yang Xiaoni said, ¡°Very right!¡± Everyone present. Ms. Fang snorted, and nced proudly at the two daughter-inws of hers. Things were different now. She was safeguarded by people as well. No one could bully her any more. Mrs.Zhang was so annoyed. ¡°You¡­ how¡­¡± The others exchanged nces, their expressions filled with disdain as they directed their disapproval towards Mrs. Zhang. They regretted believing Ms. Zhang and now questioned her character, especially considering the behavior of her children. Agreeing to apany them here to reconcile with the Shao Family was a grave mistake, and they couldn¡¯t help but feel humiliated by the whole situation. Qiao Xuan had recently dispatched someone to summon the second section of the family, telling them that the Zhang Family had returned with demands for money. Their intention was to use the first section of the family¡¯s assistance as leverage against the second section of the family, coercing them into making a deal. Ms. Niu had always been irritated by Ms. Zhangs actions, but her irritation had now transformed into intense hatred. Ms. Zhang had not only stolen from them to provide for her own family but had also manipted her own son. When news reached Ms. Niu that the Zhang Family was attempting to gain control over the second section of the family through the first section, her anger reached its boiling point. Fueled by fury, Ms. Niu approached the Zhang Family and directed her scathing words directly at them, not holding back her contempt for Ms. Zhang and her actions. Ms. Niu firmly informed the Zhang Family to cease their harassment, emphasizing that they had no chance of marrying someone like Ms. Zhang, regardless of Shao Engs potential future remarriage. Unable to contain her frustration, Mrs. Zhang engaged in a heated argument with Ms. Niu, their confrontation on the verge of turning physical. The Land Officer, growing exasperated, developed a headache. He could no longer tolerate the situation and bid a forced, polite farewell to Shao Yunduan, swiftly escorting the Zhang Family away. Ms. Niu spat in their direction before storming off, seething with anger. Peace and quiet descended once again, prompting a collective sigh of relief from the first section of the Shao Family. The Zhang Family¡¯s incessant arguments and disruptive behavior earned them a reputation for being unreasonable, noisy, and bothersome. Eldest Uncle strongly disapproved of their conduct and emotionally expressed, ¡°Yunduan, you are the Provincial Champion. You should treat the vigers with kindness and not forget your roots or mistreat them.¡± Upon hearing Eldest Uncle¡¯s words, Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t help but express, ¡°Mistreating them?¡± She found his remarks about her husband unjust. ¡°Are we expected to consider an immoral woman like Ms. Zhang as family? The Zhang Family is far from virtuous, especially when their children are raised to behave this way! That old woman even cursed at me! Do you think I should just smile and tolerate such behavior?¡± ¡°They are not worthy of being considered our fellow vigers. What are you even saying?!¡± Ms. Fang retorted vehemently. ¡°Dad!¡± Shao Yunduan interjected, feeling helpless. ¡°l am just a Provincial Champion, not even holding a significant position! It is premature to discuss forgetting one¡¯s roots at this stage. Many people harbor jealousy towards me and secretly plot against me. We should never associate ourselves with individuals like that!¡± ¡°We should never have any connection with The Zhang Family and the Zhao Family. You never know what they are plotting! If you find it unbearable, then stay out of the limelight. Don¡¯t interfere in anything rted to me, Dad!¡± Ms. Fang reassured him, ¡°Duan, don¡¯t worry. I am here! I will never let anyone like them tarnish your reputation. I won¡¯t forgive anyone who tries to harm you..¡± Chapter 732 - 732: Officer Qiao Chapter 732 - 732: Officer Qiao Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan felt a warmth in his heart and nodded. ¡°Mom, thank you!¡¯ Ms. Fang smiled and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s nothing!¡¯ Eldest Uncle felt a sense of istion, and his heart felt empty. He began to lose interest. He felt unjust. As a father, he didn¡¯t intend to harm his son. He only wanted Yunduan to improve so that the whole family could prosper. Yunduan was a Rmended Man, and he needed to be modest and cautious to avoid giving people a reason to gossip. Those words wouldn¡¯t be well-received. The Zhang Family¡¯s behavior was excessive, but the Land Officer was not entirely wrong. The children were still young, and Ms. Zhangs preference for her mother¡¯s family was her only mistake. If she were at the door, she must be feeling guilty about it. She could make a promise to never do it again, so why be so harsh? He genuinely wanted the whole family to live in harmony. Why was there nobody who understood him? Eldest Uncle¡¯s heart felt heavy with sadness. However, little did he know that Shao Yunduan had never aspired to be a passive and docile man. He would never back down in the face of injustice. The Zhang Family harbored malicious intentions, and he earnestly wished for the second section of the family to sever ties with them soon. As the date for the banquet was finalized, the entire Shao Family became immersed in preparations. They were making arrangements for hosting 50 tables at the banquet. They nned to invite the affluent businessmen who hade to extend their congrattions, the professors and students from the college, as well as rtives, friends, including Manager Qin and fellow vigers. Initially, they had prepared fifty tables, but realizing it might not be sufficient, they decided to add ten more. With the banquet just four days away, Shao Yunduan took charge of writing the invitations, while Manager Dong and Qi were assigned the task of delivering them. Shao Yunduan personally informed the County Magistrate about the uing banquet but made the decision not to send him an invitation. He exined that the event was expected to have arge number of attendees, and the presence of the County Magistrate might create a formal and restrained atmosphere, preventing guests from celebrating freely. However, Shao Yunduan assured the County Magistrate that if he returned to the county with Officer Qiaoter, they would be treated separately and orded the appropriate hospitality. Officer Qiao was pleased to hear Shao Yunduan¡¯s considerate decision andmended him for his thoughtfulness. Initially, Officer Qiao had been reluctant to visit the countryside as it was not a ce he particrly enjoyed. He had been concerned that his absence might disappoint Shao Yunduan, but now he was contemting what he should do in response to the situation. Shao Yunduan took the initiative to propose the idea of not inviting the County Magistrate to the banquet, which showed his thoughtfulness as a son-inw. However, the underlying truth was that Shao Yunduan had never intended for the County Magistrate to visit his home. With the date for the banquet confirmed and invitations distributed, the preparations were set in motion. Vigers came forward to lend their assistance, and the banquet chefs were present to oversee the cooking. Since the dishes couldn¡¯t be preserved for an extended period, fresh ingredients had to be purchased on the same day to ensure the highest quality for the meal. The banquet required a total of eight bowls to amodate all the guests. To ensure freshness, tworge and plump pigs were purchased and ughtered during the night. Alongside the pigs, 60 chickens and 60 ducks were also prepared. Fresh mushrooms and vegetables from the garden were added to the menu, along with additional ingredients sourced from the vigers. With the preparationspleted, they anxiously awaited the arrival of the scheduled date. However, the Zhao Family unexpectedly appeared once again. Madame Zhao and her elder daughter-inw, Ms. Quan, imed to be visiting to extend their congrattions. While Madame Zhao wore a smile, her condescending manner and choice of words made everyone ufortable.. Chapter 733 - 733: Unknown Chapter 733 - 733: Unknown Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Xu was still recovering in bed. Ms. Fang decided not to allow Yang Xiaoni toe to the door, since she was rted to this incident. Taking charge of the situation, Ms. Fang herself greeted Madame Zhao and firmly declined her entry. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of frustration with the Zhao Family¡¯s audacity. Did they truly believe that a few women could sway her decision? Absolutely not. Their attempts to win her over with borate gift boxes went unnoticed by Ms. Fang. She didn¡¯t even spare a nce at them, let alone consider epting their offerings. The Zhao Family seemed to hold the mistaken belief that Ms. Fang and her family were ignorant and unaware of the world around them. However, Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t help but find their assumptions amusing. Young Master Yuezheng and Young Master Xie had presented far more impressive gifts, having experienced and witnessed countless remarkable things. The Zhao Family likely couldn¡¯t evenpare to some of the items they possessed. With their arrogant expressions and presumptuous demeanor, these two women had nothing of interest to offer in a conversation. Ms. Fang had no desire to engage with them on any level. Attempting to maintain a sense ofposure, Young Madame Quan intervened and urged Ms. Fang to reconsider. She emphasized the importance of not bing enemies and suggested a discussion to resolve their differences. ¡°Madame Fang, let¡¯s have a seat and talk about this. We are here to convey blessings, after all. Just let us know what you need.¡± Qiao Xuan interjected firmly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to discuss at this moment! We are not on the same level. Please leave.¡¯ ¡°Mrs. Shao, we genuinely mean well¡­¡± ¡°Would you be willing to negotiate if this situation happened to your own family?¡± Young Madame Quan found herself at a loss for words. She realized that the response she wanted to give was not something she could say in this situation. The answer was, of course, no¡­ The atmosphere grew tense as both sides stood their ground, unwilling to back down. Madame Zhao furrowed her brow and spoke candidly, ¡°Mrs. Shao, let¡¯s be frank. My soncks direction in life and often associates with unsavory characters who influence his behavior. That¡¯s why incidents like this happen. But no real harm was done, right? Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t havee here to discuss it.¡¯ ¡°My elder son and I have already reprimanded him, and he will never dare to do anything like this again. We havee here to apologize, Ms. Fang. We are all from the same county, so let¡¯s put this behind us. Whatever you need, just say it, and we will do our best to assist you¡­¡± Madame Zhao felt a pang of unease as she uttered those words. She never imagined herself stooping so low as to apologize to someone from the country side like Ms. Fang, let alone demean herself in this way. But Ms. Fangs son was sessful, Madame Zhao¡¯s own son had caused trouble, leaving her with no choice but to swallow her pride. Young Madame Quan chimed in, attempting to salvage the situation with a smile. ¡°Money,nd, anything you desire¡­¡± Nis. Fang sneered in response. ¡°Leave this ce! We have no need for your money ornd. We won¡¯t let our family be humiliated over such things. Stop wasting our time and leave, don¡¯t soil ournd with your presence!¡± Madame Zhao struggled to contain her anger. ¡°Then tell us, what is it that you need, if our offers are of no use to you?¡± Madame Zhao was taken aback by the swift dismissal from the Shao Family, as she hadn¡¯t expected the matter to be resolved so quickly. Ms. Fang had no intention of disclosing her demands to Madame Zhao. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Madame Zhao inquired. ¡°l have no idea,¡± Madame Zhao admitted. Qiao Xuan interjected, ¡°Well, that¡¯s your problem to figure out. We¡¯re not here to solve your issues! Mom, let¡¯s just ignore her and go home!¡± ¡°Good idea!¡± Chapter 734 - 734: Lucky Yang Xiaoni Chapter 734: Lucky Yang Xiaoni Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Afterward, Ms. Fang led her daughter-inws and daughter back into the house, leaving Madame Zhao and her daughter-inw standing outside. The maids inside were instructed not to open the door for them, as they appeared to be quite agitated. Outside the house, a crowd had gathered, witnessing the unfolding drama. Whispers and discussions filled the air. Recognizing the sensitivity of the situation, some onlookers believed it would be best for the truth to be revealed and for everything to be rified. By doing so, they hoped to prevent any unfounded rumors from spreading further. As the news of the incident spread throughout the vige, it reached the ears of everyone residing there. This widespread awareness was also a stroke of luck for Yang Xiaoni. Coincidentally, during the same period, Shao Yunduan achieved the remarkable feat of bing the Provincial Champion. This prestigious titlemanded respect and had the power to ward off any ill intentions or troublemakers. Given the ¡°bad¡± reputation of the first section of the Shao family for their quick temper, no one dared to provoke or offend them. Even after the incident was revealed and rified, there were concerns that people might shift the me onto Yang Xiaoni, suspecting that there must be something wrong with her. They might question why such an incident happened to her alone and make baseless assumptions about her character or circumstances. But things were different. When the vigers learned about the visitors, they all med the Zhao Family. ¡°The audacity of the Zhao Family! They havemitted numerous wrongdoings simply because they have wealth. How dare they offend the family of the esteemed Provincial Champion? It¡¯s no wonder they are gued by misfortune! ¡± ¡°If only they had raised their son properly! They have brought this upon themselves and deserve no good fortune in their lives!¡± ¡°Absolutely! A family like theirs deserves to learn a lesson. We should be grateful that fate has revealed their true colors!¡± ¡°It¡¯s utterly shameless of them to show up at our door after everything they¡¯ve done! The two women from the Zhao Family overheard the disparagingments and felt a surge of fury and humiliation. Unable to bear the situation any longer, they hastily departed from the scene. Back at home, Zhao Guangyin anxiously awaited the return of his mother and wife. Seeing them arrive, he approached with concern and inquired about the situation. Madame Zhao, ovee by anger, snapped at him, ¡°Don¡¯t make me endure such humiliation! I have lived for so long only to be subjected to this. Instead of supporting me, you are driving me to face further disgrace. How dare you let this happen to me!¡± Zhao Guangyin¡¯s heart sank as he realized the severity of the situation. He turned to his wife. Young Madame Quan smiled bitterly, ¡°We were even denied entry at the door! The Shao Family refused to entertain any discussion or ept our gestures of apology.¡± Madame Zhao sneered, ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on it for now. They¡¯re just putting on a show. Shao Yunduan is merely a Rmended Man, not an official. There¡¯s no guarantee he¡¯ll secure a government position. We must be cautious and ensure Guang doesn¡¯t be entangled in their schemes!¡± Zhao Guangyin felt a profound sense of weariness and heartache. He was never as favored as his brother, and his mother¡¯s bias towards his brother was evident. However, he never anticipated that his mother would go to such lengths to protect his brother, even in this situation. Instead of encouraging self-reflection, she instructed him to remain indoors to avoid falling victim to any schemes orchestrated by the Shao Family. But did the Shao Family really need to set him up? After all, Shao Yunduan¡¯s father-inw was none other than County Magistrate Qiao! ¡°Mom, have you forgotten about County Magistrate Qiao? This¡­¡± ¡°Stop bringing up County Magistrate Qiao to me!¡± Madame Zhao felt a surge of annoyance upon hearing his name. ¡°That corrupt official has extorted so much money from us. If he dares to make any moves, we¡¯ll bring him down with us!¡± ¡°Mom, he can easily deny any involvement with the money. Let¡¯s not invite more trouble,¡± Madame Zhao was taken aback by her son¡¯s words and snapped, ¡°Just leave! Stop standing there obstructing my view! ¡± Zhao Guangyin sighed and bid his mother farewell, retreating from her presence.. Chapter 735 - 735: Worst Case Chapter 735: Worst Case Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Zhao Guangyin dismissed his servants and returned to his private quarters, where only his wife remained. ¡°Gather our most valuable belongings and secretly transfer them to your family¡¯s home. Keep them hidden and make sure no one knows about it,¡± he instructed. He also contemted withdrawing money from their shared savings for personal storage. Young Madame Quan was taken aback. ¡°Is it really that serious¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Zhao Guangyin replied with a sigh. ¡°If the Shao Family were simply causing trouble, it would be easier to handle. We could offer them money and use sweet words to make them go away. But right now, they are treating us poorly and refusing to negotiate, so¡­¡± Young Madame Quan felt a sense of unease. She suggested, ¡°What if we ask your mother and sister to visit the Qiao Family? Your sister and Elder Miss Qiao are good friends, and your mother has a good rtionship with Madame Qiao. If they intervene and offer to reconcile, perhaps the Shao Family would back down?¡± Zhao Guangyin found himself feeling a glimmer of hope. While uncertain of the oue, it was worth a try. So he agreed. But Madame Zhao was unable to have the invitation delivered to the Qiao Family at all. They couldn¡¯t even meet with Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei. Zhao Guangyin had to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Soon, a grand banquet was held at the main residence of the Shao Family, spanning two days. People from Zhang Vige attended the feast, but the Zhang Family was conspicuously absent. They knew it was best to stay away and not be present in such circumstances. Yang Liang and his wife didn¡¯t even dare to show up. However, some people from Yang Vige attended the banquet. The couple had be theughing stock of the vige, and they had no face to meet anyone. After the banquet, the Shao Family returned to a state of calm. Shao Yunduan began preparing for the uing spring examination next year. Meanwhile, Ms. Fang, Yang Xiaoni, Qiao Xuan, and Taotao had some time to go through the presents they received. Qiao Xuan prepared two booklets to list down all the items and essories, making it easier for them to organize and find what they needed Nis. Fang thought it was an excellent idea. Since Qiao Xuan was the only literate woman in the household, Ms. Fang appointed her as the person in charge of organizing the gifts. They had received a total of 2,300 liang in mary gifts, along with various other presents such as clothing, jewelry, tea leaves, tea sets, spices, calligraphy and paintings, inkstones, paperweights, stationery, toys, jade vases, fans, screens, and more. Ms. Fang was overjoyed, but she wanted Qiao Xuan to select some items to share among the family so that everyone could feel uplifted. The remaining items would be stored in the storage room. Qiao Xuan distributed six pieces of clothing to the girls, along with three or four pieces of jewelry and several decorative items for each of their rooms. Shao Sang, Shao Xiaoqi, and Shao Junyan received writing tools as their gifts. ¡°What do you think, mom? We can definitely store these items and save them for special asions. Whenever you want to give away presents, you can simply select some from the storage room and record it in the booklet.¡± Ever since thepletion of the new house, everyone had received a set of brand-new furniture, including tea tools. They had everything they needed andcked nothing. Ms. Fang expressed her joy and praised Qiao Xuan for doing an excellent job in sorting things out.. Chapter 736 - 736: Shao Liulang’s Absence Chapter 736: Shao Ling¡¯s Absence Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Speaking of the writing tools, Shao Yunduan shared his ns with the vigers about establishing a school. With the expanding properties at home, it would be more convenient if everyone could read and write. This way, Shao Sang and the others could learn essential writing and reading skills. As for Shao Junyan, it was high time for him to start his journey of learning. If he could excel and be a Cultivated Talent, that would be truly remarkable. However, Being able to read and write did depend mostly on innate gift. It was a reality that only a few people were epted into schools and seeded in passing examinations. Hard work alone did not always guarantee sess in obtaining a government position. Even without gift, one could aspire to reach the rank of Cultivated Talent at best. However, having a certain title could provide better opportunities to manage and inherit properties. It was considered more beneficial to pursue lifelong learning and strive to be a rmended candidate when reaching old age. If half of one¡¯s prime years had already passed, what purpose did life serve? In truth, if a person failed multiple times in their attempts to be a Cultivated Talent, it might be more sensible to let go and pursue other avenues instead of persisting. Not everyone excelled in every aspect. What truly mattered was to lead a fulfilling, joyful, and meaningful life, fostering harmony within the family and cultivating a better future for the next generation Upon hearing the suggestion to attend school, Shao Sang was overwhelmed with reluctance. Shao Xiaoqi, having already learned some reading from Shao Yunduan, didn¡¯t harbor as many reservations. Shao Sang didn¡¯t feelpelled to delve deep into studies. As long as he couldprehend contracts and agreements, he believed that would suffice. Eventually, Shao Sang came to terms with the idea, realizing he could navigate the process. He relinquished his initial objections. Ms. Xu was ted by the prospect. She envisioned a bright future for Shao Junyan, confident that with proper guidance and education, he could distinguish himself among his peers. Witnessing the sess and radiance of her brother-inw¡¯s family, Ms. Xu couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of awe. The entire household was filled with a remarkable aura. If Shao Junyan could achieve greatness and be a talented individual, it would bring further glory to her as his mother. Though she already enjoyed a certain level of prestige, with her own rtives ttering her, the sess of her own son would elevate her honor and prestige even more. Ms. Xu held high hopes for Shao Junyan and the young son she cradled in her arms. She yearned for at least one of them to attain sess in the future. As presents were distributed, including to the other branches of the family, Ms. Fang gifted them garments, two rolls of tea, and some food. And in secret, Ms. Yan was given a pair of gold bracelets as a token of affection. Ms. Fang kindly instructed Qiao Xuan to select whatever items she desired and take as many as she pleased. These items were intended for Shao Yunduan. Despite being part of the shared savings, Ms. Fang disyed great generosity in offering them. However, Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t particrly drawn to these possessions, as she didn¡¯t feel ack of anything in her life. Being treated like a daughter by First Madame, she had received numerous presents from her that were valuable and extravagant, epassing a wide range of categories, including everyday household necessities. Qiao Xuan had been graciously bestowed with an assortment of needlework supplies, including aplete set of bronze needles and threads made from silk, gold, silver, and other materials in a myriad of colors. However, Qiao Xuan only chose a handful of garments suitable for her to wear in the vige, along with a few ornaments. She also selected some writing tools such as ink and paper for Shao Yunduan. Content with her choices, she expressed gratitude and mentioned that she could acquire more when the need arose. Upon witnessing Qiao Xuan¡¯s modest selection, Ms. Fang presented Qiao Xuan with an additional bonus of 500 liang as a gesture of appreciation. Qiao Xuan graciously epted the bonus. While the first section of the family was immersed in the lively celebrations, Shao Ling had been conspicuously absent throughout the entire event. Rumors circted that he had a close friend at the college who encountered some trouble, and he had gone to offer assistance. The first section of the family neither confirmed nor rejected this excuse. In fact, they seemed indifferent to Shao Lings absence, showing little concern or interest in the matter.. Chapter 737 - 737: Not Bowing to Shao Yunduan Chapter 737: Not Bowing to Shao Yunduan Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Eldest Uncle, concerned about Shao Lings absence, paid a visit to the third section of the family to inquire about his whereabouts. He approached Third Uncle and Ms. Ma, expressing his desire for Shao Ling to return so that Yunduan could offer him assistance, Eldest Uncle believed that Yunduan¡¯s connections and guidance could potentially help Shao Ling find sess. He held a genuine hope that the two boys could achieve greatness together. Third Uncle and Ms. Ma, upon hearing Eldest Uncle¡¯s words, felt a surge of motivation. The stark reality they faced left no room for self-deception. They understood the importance of taking action and confronting the challenges ahead. Reluctantly, Third Uncle and Ms. Ma acknowledged that Shao Ling could benefit from Shao Yunduan¡¯s assistance in his journey forward. They had privately conveyed this notion to Shao Ling, but he adamantly refused to ept it. He was unwilling to confront the truth. Shao Ling held onto the belief that Shao Yunduan would never genuinely help him. He was convinced that any aid offered woulde with strings attached, reducing him to the role of a lowly servant, while Shao Yunduan secretly mocked his efforts. In his mind, he had resigned himself to the fact that he would never receive genuine support, not even in his wildest dreams. So he resolutely refused to bow down to Shao Yunduan. Third Uncle let out a heartfelt sigh, ¡°Ling is incredibly intelligent and well-read. However, he has encountered misfortune and failed the examination twice. It has left him feeling deeply distressed.¡± ¡°The sess of Yunduan only exacerbates Lings sense of guilt and sadness. Elder Brother, you can empathize with his situation. If Ling were to return now, he would face humiliation. Unless¡­ Yunduan personally goes to retrieve him and aids in building his reputation¡­¡± Eldest Uncle sighed in understanding. He had a conversation with Shao Yunduan about this matter. ¡°¡­Ling has faced numerous failures in the examinations, and as his cousin, you should understand him and amodate his temperament. Help him to the best of your ability so that when he achieves sess in the future, both of you can support each other¡­ wouldn¡¯t that be a marvelous thing?¡± ¡°He may appear annoyed, but deep down, he desires to be closer to you. Aid in building his reputation and personally bring him back home. What are your thoughts on this?¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Dad, if it were Cousin who had seeded in the examination today, do you think he and his parents would take care of me, understand me, ore to our door to unt their sess?¡± ¡°Do you still remember that when I was falsely used by the college, heughed so gleefully, and his parents even advised you to stop my studies because they believed I would never achieve sess academically. They even suggested I work in the fields instead!¡± ¡°But now that I have be the Provincial Champion, I have never humiliated or mocked him. So why does he feel so humiliated? Why should I go and coddle him, tter him? It all seems rather peculiar!¡± Eldest Uncle felt a sense of humiliation. ¡°How can you say that¡­ You are the Provincial Champion, and you can show inclusivity¡­¡± ¡°But I am not going to lower myself for him. He is not deserving of it.¡± ¡°Dad, just let go of everything and enjoy your happiness! Eldest Uncle stood there in silence, unable to utter a word as he watched his son walk away. He sighed deeply, feeling a profound sense of hurt. Why was there no one who understood him? He meant no harm. All he wanted was for everyone to do well. Yunduan was experiencing sess now, and he had a good chance of advancing further in the spring examination. He even had a supportive father-inw who could assist him on his journey. A bright future awaited him! He had everything he needed.. But why couldn¡¯t he show inclusivity and encourage Ling to strive harder? Why get caught up in trivial matters? Chapter 738 - 738: Shocked Chapter 738: Shocked Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions He wasn¡¯t losing anything by being inclusive and supportive. What was the significance of losing a little face? Why did he have to be so critical and create unnecessary trouble in life? Eldest Uncle felt overwhelmed by distress. Once the affairs at home were settled, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan paid another visit to the Qiao Family. County Magistrate Qiao received them warmly, particrly Shao Yunduan, whom he tried to cultivate a closer rtionship with. Madame Qiao and her daughter were clearly displeased, but they had no choice but to put on smiles and pretend to like Qiao Xuan¡¯s presence. Observing their forced smiles, along with the expressions of difort from Qiao Kou and her mother, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel an immense sense of satisfaction. How wonderful it was that her husband had seeded! Wasn¡¯t it about time for them to ept it? What if her husband continued to excel and eventually became an officer in the governmental office? How would these people react then? Qiao Xuan no longer felt the need to remain low-profile in front of them. She was determined to confidently challenge and confront them head-on. Although it was not yet the right time to reveal everything, Qiao Xuan decided to make a bold move and leave asting impression on Madame Qiao and her daughter. Qiao Xuan dressed elegantly on that day, wearing a rose-red embroidered chrysanthemum damask double-breasted skirt and an apricot-yellow pleated skirt with silver thread embroidery. She adorned her hair with golden and emerald jade hairpins iid with pink tourmalines, whichplemented her stunning beauty. With a light application of makeup powder and a gentle sweep of her crescent eyebrows, she radiated a natural and effortless charm. Her attire was not ostentatious, but rather tasteful and refined. Yet, as Madame Qiao and the othersid eyes on Qiao Xuan, a sense of shock and difort filled their hearts. They had never seen her radiate such brightness before, and it made them uneasy. Qiao Xuan¡¯s presencemanded attention, particrly her captivating eyes that shimmered with a mysterious allure. She seemed ethereal and otherworldly, drawing the gaze of many. Madame Qiao and the others were taken aback, utterly astonished. This was not the timid and reserved girl they were ustomed to. Qiao Xuan had transformed into someone they could no longer ignore or underestimate. Officer Qiao was both surprised and pleased by his daughter¡¯s transformation. He had worried that Qiao Xuan¡¯s presence might make Shao Yunduan feel disdainful. However, it appeared that his concerns were unfounded. In truth, Shao Yunduan had never harbored any disdain towards Qiao Xuan. When he saw how beautifully she was dressed, it took his breath away, and his heart raced with excitement. As Madame Qiao received Qiao Xuan, her demeanor was no longer that of a timid individual. She conversed with a genuine smile, exuding newfound confidence. Qiao Xuan remained confident andposed, her demeanor carrying a sense of quiet strength. As she lifted her wrist, the sight of a pair of exquisite white jade bracelets caught everyone¡¯s attention. The bracelets were new, radiant, and undoubtedly expensive. Qiao Wei, who had never seen such beautiful jade bracelets before, couldn¡¯t help but sneer involuntarily. ¡°Sister, now that you¡¯re flourishing and transformed, it seems you¡¯ve found support from a prominent figure,¡± Qiao Wei remarked sarcastically. Qiao Xuan maintained her smile. ¡°I am not seeking. It is just that my husband is sessful and I am attached.¡¯ The remark only served to further irritate the women. They believed that a woman¡¯s aspiration should be to marry a sessful man and enjoy a better and more affluent life together. Madame Qiaoposed herself and responded with a forced smile, ¡°1 understand your perspective, but it is important for married women to show proper respect and deference to their husbands. Your casual remarks may not convey the appropriate level of respect for your husband.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled back. ¡°My husband doesn¡¯t mind.. He likes me being like this!¡± Chapter 739 - 739: Not Way To Do Chapter 739: Not Way To Do Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Madame Qiao. ¡® So I got tricked! Viin! Seeing that her own daughter was on the verge of exploding again, Madame Qiao found an excuse to separate Qiao Wei and Concubine Du from the situation. Qiao Wei resisted leaving, but Auntie Ling intervened and guided her away. Now, only Madame Qiao, along with two trusted maids, Yuzan and Ruyi, remained in the room with Qiao Xuan and Liqiu. Madame Qiao¡¯s demeanor suddenly turned menacing, attempting to intimidate Qiao Xuan. The original host, who had grown ustomed to being bullied, would have been frightened in this situation. But Qiao Xuan stood her ground, unafraid of Madame Qiao¡¯s bluff. She was totally out of control now! ¡°No one else is here, so I won¡¯t waste time on useless chatter. Shao Yunduan was just get lucky to be Provincial Champion¡­¡± ¡°My husband¡¯s sess is not mere luck. He is talented, and earning the title of Provincial Champion is a testament to his abilities!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s pride in her husband was evident, and she was determined to set the record straight. She refused to let Madame Qiao humiliate her husband any further. Interrupted by Qiao Xuan¡¯s assertiveness, Madame Qiao¡¯s previously raised imposing attitude faltered. Madame Qiao gave Qiao Xuan a displeased look but chose not to engage in a direct argument. Instead, she dismissively responded, ¡°Provincial Champion is just a title, far from being a real officer. Many Rmended Men have failed to progress beyond this point. The interview examination is not easy, and even if he manages to pass, without influential connections, financial resources, or patronage, he will only be appointed to a modest position. He will remain a minor officer, leading a quiet and unremarkable life!¡± ¡°Old Master and your brothers hold positions in the governmental office, and we have influential connections in the capital. If Shao Yunduan wishes to navigate the bureaucratdscape smoothly, he will require Old Master¡¯s assistance.¡± ¡°Now youprehend the situation, don¡¯t you?¡± Qiao Xuan nodded. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯m d you¡¯ve grasped it,¡± Madame Qiao said, satisfaction evident in her voice. ¡°Now youprehend your role and what you must do. As a daughter of the Qiao Family, if you don¡¯t have our support, even a concubine could rece you once Shao Yunduan achieves his official position. He won¡¯t hold you in high regard.¡± Madame Qiao was speaking candidly, urging Qiao Xuan not to be overly reliant on Shao Yunduan while neglecting her own family. Instead, she emphasized the importance of relying on her own family for support more than ever before. Qiao Xuan maintained a smile but remained silent. Madame Qiao continued, ¡°Just go home and contemte it. We will visit the Yuezheng Family on Double Ninth Day. Remember, your father values our rtionship with the Yuezheng Family, and you mustn¡¯t jeopardize that.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and replied, ¡°I am clueless about what to do. You have to guide me, Mother!¡± Madame Qiao scoffed. Indeed, she was the one with ns, while Qiao Xuan was deemed useless and incapable of anything. She should not rely on her for assistance. Yuzan suddenly smiled and suggested, ¡°Madame Qiao, Elder Miss mentioned her desire for a white jade bracelet. I think Second Miss has a beautiful pair. What if we give one to Elder Miss as a symbol of their sisterly devotion?¡± Ruyi chimed in, smiling, ¡°l agree! Elder Miss has fair and elegant skin, perfect for jade ornaments. Second Miss¡¯ jade hairpin would alsoplement Elder Miss beautifully.¡± Madame Qiao smiled but remained silent, sipping her tea. Qiao Xuan understood their intentions immediately. Madame Qiao had given a grand speech, and the two maids were fanning the mes, hoping Qiao Xuan would express her gratitude.. Chapter 740 - 740: Madame Qiao’s Stiffened Smile Chapter 740: Madame Qiao¡¯s Stiffened Smile Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions If Qiao Xuan were to heed the words of the two maids and hand over the hairpin and bracelet to Qiao Wei, it would imply her willingness to abide by Madame Qiao¡¯s advice, regardless of her personal agreement with it. However, Qiao Xuan had never been in alignment with Madame Qiao¡¯s viewpoints. While she understood the intention behind those words, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to concur. Qiao Xuan retorted, ¡°Sister possesses an abundance of fine possessions and does not require mine. These were originally bestowed upon me by First Madame, and I cannot bestow them upon anyone else. Mother¡¯s excessive indulgence towards you emboldens you to utter such words!¡± Yuzan and Ruyi exchanged a bewildered nce, their confusion evident. Madame Qiao¡¯s once warm smile faltered, reced by a rigid expression. Her gaze locked onto Qiao Xuan, prating her eyes with intensity. ¡°Leave immediately! ¡± Yuzan and Ruyi, too, sensed the overwhelming tension in the room, prompting them to bow their heads and swiftly depart, sensing the need to withdraw from the daunting atmosphere. ¡°Qiao Xuan, there is no need for pretense when there are no prying eyes. Allow me to enlighten you: your animosity should not be directed towards me, but rather towards your mother. She repulsed me by engaging in an affair with the Old Master while I was carrying a child, and you deserve the treatment I bestow upon you!¡¯ ¡°What I¡¯ve just revealed holds true: men are never dependable. The more elevated their status, the less trustworthy they be! Do you believe your life will improve once Shao Yunduan achieves greater sess in the future? You are utterly mistaken!¡± ¡°If he remains stagnant at his current position, you can lead a peaceful existence. However, should he rise even higher, what will you have to offer him to maintain his respect? Without our assistance, you possess nothing thatmands his admiration!¡± ¡°Do you truly believe it is wiser to be an adversary rather than an ally of the Qiao Family? Don¡¯t be foolish!¡± Madame Qiao possessed the ability to adapt her thinking to the circumstances at hand. She acknowledged that Shao Yunduan had the potential to achieve sess, a development she could neither hinder nor control. However, she could engage in a conversation with Qiao Xuan, hoping to earn her respect and garner her support instead. In the future, when an opportunity arose, she could eliminate her. Nevertheless, by earning Qiao Xuan¡¯s respect, she might secure a stronger position within the Qiao Family. There was nothing for her to lose. ¡°l respectfully disagree with you. Why should the children bear the me? None of us chose to be born into this situation. How can you justify that what 1 receive from you is what I deserve?¡± Qiao Xuan was unaware of the conflict between her mother and the concubines. She had not witnessed the events and therefore could not offer any insight. Qiao Xuan had no recollection of her deceased mother and was at a loss for words regarding her. Moreover, the original host was not an enemy of Madame Qiao. If Madame Qiao disliked her, she could simply remove her from sight. There was no need for her to resort to more drastic measures such as causing her harm or even death. Qiao Xuan found herselfpelled to defend her own innocence. ¡°l am uncertain whether I can retain his affections. Equally unknown is whether your assistance would be of any use to me. Let us observe what unfolds.¡¯ ¡°You!¡± Madame Qiao sneered. ¡°You do have your own ns! Don¡¯t wager everything! ¡°l believe I won¡¯t!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°If my husband¡¯s achievements do not surpass this level, you will naturally disregard me. However, if my husband attains significant sess¡­ you will undoubtedly seek me out, won¡¯t you?¡± Although she had no need for their involvement whatsoever. Madame Qiao was consumed with anger, nearly on the verge of fainting. She red fiercely at Qiao Xuan and nodded, her voiceden with resentment. ¡°l have underestimated you all these years. You have been deceiving me!¡± Realizing that she had underestimated the daughter of this concubine, Madame Qiao felt a sense of being manipted and toyed with. She found it difficult to catch her breath, her chest heaving. Qiao Xuan, however, calmly responded, ¡°On the contrary, you have overestimated me. After all, you orchestrated this situation, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Chapter 741 - 741: Reminder Chapter 741: Reminder Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°l would be truly intrigued to witness how far Shao Yunduan could progress without the support of the Old Master!¡± Qiao Xuan was taken aback. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t my father support him? Aren¡¯t they engaged in a cheerful conversation at this very moment?¡± Madame Qiao, ¡® Qiao Xuan realized that she had merely been provoking her. She had no intention of cooperating or showing respect! ¡°Do you truly believe that the Old Master would ce his trust in him?¡± ¡°Perhaps you should try changing your own allegiances and see if father will indeed bestow his trust upon you?¡± Madame Qiao seethed with anger, feeling as though she was on the verge of exploding. She repeatedly reminded herself that she had grossly underestimated the girl standing before her! She had never anticipated that when Qiao Xuan achieved even a minor aplishment, she wouldn¡¯t share it with her. And at this point, Madame Qiao found herself without any means to counter her actions. While she held the title of Madame in the family, it was the Old Master who held the true authority. Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t go against his intentions. She could resort to lies and maniption in their rtionship, but her schemes would only seed if Shao Yunduan failed in the spring examination. Yet, observing the Old Master¡¯s unwavering motivation, she dared not utter a word. What vexed Madame Qiao was the fact that Qiao Xuan appeared harmless in the presence of others, making it unlikely for the Old Master to believe her if she were to reveal her true nature. Madame Qiao sneered in response. ¡°What use is there in being so joyful in this moment? Life is long! We shall see what unfolds in due time!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and replied, ¡°Then I kindly ask you to wait. That is precisely what I have been telling you all along!¡¯ Madame Qiao shook angrily. ¡® In front of everyone else, Madame Qiao once again adorned the facade of a virtuous wife, wearing a pleasant and amiable smile. Qiao Xuan appearedposed and offered a fleeting smile, refraining from uttering anything negative about Madame Qiao and instead feigning friendliness towards her. However, their true thoughts and intentions remained concealed within their hearts, unknown to those around them. Qiao Xuan, in her heart, harboredplete sincerity. She owed no one and had no need to rely on anyone for assistance, Following the conclusion of the banquet, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan bid their farewells, waving to them before departing. On their way home, Shao Yunduan revealed to Qiao Xuan that County Magistrate Qiao had gathered substantial evidence of the Zhao Family¡¯s misdeeds and had sessfully linked the victims together. It wouldn¡¯t be long before they took action against the Zhao Family. Their intention was topletely dismantle the Zhao Family, leaving no trace behind. Given the Zhao Family¡¯s extensive wealth and properties, Officer Qiao even instructed Shao Yunduan to acquire any necessary assets from them when the time came. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan saw no cruelty in their n to dismantle the Zhao Family. They believed that the Zhao Family deserved every consequence that awaited them. Due to their stroke of good fortune and the support of Young Master Yuezheng, as well as Shao Yunduan¡¯s title as Provincial Champion, the Zhao Family had reluctantly let them go unscathed. A few dayster, Yuezheng Xiao sent Qu Shan and others to their home to retrieve watermelons, lipsticks, mushrooms, and the limited edition lipsticks from the third season. Lixia, who had been away, returned home as well. They had a limited quantity of snow fungus at the moment, but they anticipated a bountiful harvest in two months¡¯ time, so there was no need for immediate delivery. They had amassed an abundance of mushrooms, totaling more than 150 kilograms, and 1,300 lipsticks. Following this delivery, Qiao Xuan found herself with more than 186,000 liang in her possession, bringing her closer to the impressive milestone of reaching 200,000 liang! In Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s letter, it was mentioned that two out of the seven dessert stores had been opened. The jelly desserts, featuring a delightfulbination of fruits, nuts, crumbs, milk, or brown sugar water, were incredibly popr among customers. The refreshing texture of the jelly delighted everyone. In addition to the jelly, other desserts like mango paste, mung bean paste, red bean paste, almond walnut paste, and bean brain, also experienced great sess. They sold out daily, with a constant stream of guests visiting the stores.. Chapter 742 - 742: Surprised and Happy Chapter 742 - 742: Surprised and Happy Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan was overjoyed by the prospects. In just over a month, the cassavas would be ready, allowing them to expand the variety of balls and bubble teas in the dessert stores, effectively doubling their offerings once again. The creeping figs would also be ripe by then. They had a plentiful supply from the wild and an additional 200 mu at Zhang Vige. Thanks to her extraordinary abilities, the nts were thriving and spreading in all directions. After the harvest, they would have more than enough to sustain all seven dessert stores for an entire year. However, Qiao Xuan acknowledged that the poprity of jelly would primarily be during the hot summer months. Qiao Xuan requested Shao Yunduan to write a letter back to Yuezheng Xiao, informing him about the sess of the dessert stores. Additionally, she asked for Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s assistance in obtaining seedlings for nts such as dragon fruit, papaya, banana, pineapple, sugar cane, and tangerine oranges. Her n was to cultivate them on the outskirts of the province. Under their attentive care, the locally grown fruits flourished. Qiao Xuan was pleasantly surprised and ted by the progress. Upon their return from the province, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan discovered that the dragon fruits, papayas, bananas, pineapples, sugarcanes, oranges, and tangerines were already bearing fruits. Their growth was impressive, and they appeared nearly perfect in size and appearance. Qiao Xuan used her superpower to enhance their growth, ensuring that the fruits maintained their size and ripened beautifully. These fruits would undoubtedly be utilized in the dessert stores, as both their juice and flesh would prove to be practical and delicious additions to the menu. Once the nting in the province waspleted, Qiao Xuan made the decision to sell the fresh fruits beyond just the dessert stores. However, she opted not to seek a business partner for this venture. While she could have chosen to wholesale the fruits to the Yuezheng Family, she felt the need to establish her own independent holdings and not rely solely on their connections. As autumn arrived, the fruits began to grow rapidly. With everything settled and having spent a considerable amount of time in the province, they decided to embark on a mountain visit. Qi and Taotao were particrly excited about the prospect, and even Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni, who had longed for the taste of fresh wild animals, eagerly anticipated the trip. Early in the morning, Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, and many others embarked on their trip into the mountains. The refreshing sight of the flourishing nts after a long time brought them joy. Along the way, they spotted fresh and delectable mushrooms, picking the juiciest ones to take along. While some wild-growing grapes, dates, and pears were too ripe to harvest, other wild fruits had reached the perfect level of ripeness for consumption. Their main focus during the trip was hunting. Qi, as he continued to grow, benefited from the family¡¯s improved lifestyle and had a hearty appetite. He had be taller and strongerpared to the previous year, disying the silhouette of an adult and demonstrating great strength in pulling the bowstring. Two yearster, Qi would have grown to the point where he could no longer be considered a young boy. The autumn days offered an abundance of sulent prey for hunting. Qi¡¯s interests had shifted, and he no longer found satisfaction in catching roosters and rabbits, despite Shao Sangs persistent requests. Understanding Qiao Xuan¡¯s fondness for roosters and pigeons, Qi made sure to catch some for her as well, knowing it would bring her joy.. Chapter 743 - 743: In the Mountain Chapter 743 - 743: In the Mountain Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The majority of their time was spent huntingrger prey. Qi found them particrly intriguing and believed that rge ones are interesting!¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but be amused by Qi¡¯s growing appetite for a challenge. Curious about Qi¡¯s capabilities, Qiao Xuan utilized her superpower to survey the surroundings. To her delight, she spotted well-built wild goats traversing the mountains. These goats were ustomed to navigating through forests and woonds, resulting in their flesh having a firm and resilient texture. If they managed to sessfully hunt one of these wild goats, they could even enjoy a delicious grilled mealter in the evening. Following Qiao Xuan¡¯s lead, the group ventured further into the depths of the mountains. Amidst the lush shrubs and towering grass,Qi¡¯s sharp eyesight caught sight of something before anyone else did. She whispered, urging everyone to remain quiet. ¡°There¡¯s a flock of wild goats on the south side of the valley! We need to be silent; they are incredibly cautious and will bolt at the slightest sign of danger!¡¯ Aware of the agility and swiftness of wild goats, the group understood that if the goats were startled, they would swiftly flee, making it nearly impossible to catch up with them. ¡°So we¡¯ll stay put and wait for Qi to make his move, is that the n?¡± ¡°Well, I suppose we¡¯re all in favor of the wind blowing in our direction when ites to securing some delicious meat.¡± ¡°Quiet!¡¯ It was evident that everyone¡¯s mouths were watering at the thought of the sulent meat, and they were all eager to work together to ensure a sessful hunt. Wild goats posed a formidable challenge to catch, but Qi remained undeterred. With a mischievous grin and his white teeth on disy, he dered, ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll go and check it out!¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll eagerly await your good news,¡± the others replied in unison, nodding in agreement. They concealed themselves, blending into the surroundings, while Qi disyed his agility, leaping alongside the rugged terrain and dense foliage. Observing Qi¡¯s movements, Qiao Xuan whispered to Shao Yunduan, ¡°It¡¯s been two months since west saw him, and he i s grown so much. He lookspletely different now! ¡± Shao Yunduan agreed with a smile. ¡°Indeed, teenagers grow at an astonishing pace.¡± Qi showcased his speed and agility as he closed in on the flock. With his bow drawn and a long arrow in ce, he took aim. The flock, sensing an imminent threat, became alert. The leading goat raised its head and let out a shrill cry, causing the entire group to panic and scramble uphill. However, in that critical moment, Qi released the arrow. It soared through the air like a bolt of lightning, swiftly closing the distance between itself and its target. Soon, a wild goat fell to the ground, struck by Qi¡¯s arrow. The group erupted in cheers and apuse. In swift session, another arrow was released, bringing down yet another goat. Shao Sang and Taotao, filled with excitement, rushed forward to join in the celebration. Qi swiftly prepared more arrows, taking aim at the remaining goats. Two more shots were fired, finding their mark and causing two additional goats to meet their end. ¡°Brilliant shot, Qi! Your aim was impable!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got two goats! Well done, Qi, well done!¡± ¡°Amazing! I couldn¡¯t even keep track of how many arrows you shot!¡± ¡®Qi, your archery skills are truly remarkable!¡± Shao Xiaoqi blushed slightly at thepliments, shifting the focus by asking Qiao Xuan a question. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, what should we do with these tworge goats?¡± This piqued everyone¡¯s interest. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, how about we have grilled mutton? I¡¯ve been craving it for so long!¡¯ ¡°Count me in! Although 1 wouldn¡¯t mind having braised goat¡¯s feet too!¡± With their mouths watering at the thought of the delicious meal, they began discussing different ways to prepare and enjoy the wild goats. Yuezheng Xiao had previously gifted Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan a generous supply of cumin powder brought from the northwest by Yuezheng Hong. This special spice would add a unique vor to the grilled mutton, making it an instant family favorite.. Chapter 744 - 744: No Trouble Chapter 744: No Trouble Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan nodded eagerly, fully in agreement. She too was salivating at the thought of the grilled mutton and had no objections to their n. With their decision made, they wasted no time and quickly packed up the goats before heading back home. Despite the size of the wild goats, weighing approximately 75KG, their team was strong and capable, making it easy for them to carry the animals. Qi confidently imed that therger wild goat weighed around 45KG and proceeded to effortlessly carry it on his own. This left the others in awe and shock at his strength and ability. Shao Sang quickly interjected, ¡°Put it down, you can¡¯t handle it alone. Let the Fifth Brother help you carry the weight!¡¯ Qi swiftly took a step back, evading Shao Sangs attempt to assist him. He smiled confidently, showing no signs of embarrassment. ¡°No need, Third Brother. 1 can manage on my own. I¡¯ll ask for help if I need it, but for now, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Shao Yunduan chimed in, concerned for his younger brother¡¯s well-being. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. You¡¯re still young, and you could risk injuring yourself.¡± Qi maintained his smile, undeterred. ¡°Third Brother, Fifth Brother, you underestimate me. Have your conversation, and I¡¯ll take care of this myself!¡± Determined to prove himself, the young Qi walked away with the goats, not waiting for his brothers to catch up. Shao Yunduan shook his head in a mixture of amusement and concern. Worried about any potential idents, he didn¡¯t want to risk further dys and quickly joined in, shouldering the other goat. By the time they arrived home, it was just past lunchtime. Closing the door behind them, they wasted no time in processing the two goats. Qiao Xuan took special care to prepare a pot of fresh goat intestines soup. In addition, she rolled out noodles for dinner and added them to the soup to cook. Fresh mountain mushrooms were included, and ayer of chili oil, chopped green onions, and coriander adorned the dish. The result was a warm and vorful soup that delighted the senses. As they busied themselves with preparations, the anticipation for the grilled meat at dinner began to grow. They carefully selected the most tender mutton and sliced it into pieces of medium thickness. These slices were then marinated with a variety of spices, while fish and shrimp were also prepared alongside a freshly killed chicken. A selection of vegetables was also gathered, ensuring a well-rounded meal. With everything else in order, Qiao Xuan pondered for a moment before heading to the garden. There, she plucked tworge dragon fruits and two ripe watermelons. She instructed Taotao to make some red bean paste, while Yang Xiaoni prepared a bowl of finely chopped nut crumbs. In addition, they boiled brown sugar water and set aside arge basin of jelly. To create a delectable dessert, they cut the fruit into bite- sized pieces and added a generous spoonful of soft, sweet red bean paste. Crispy chopped nuts were sprinkled over the top, and a drizzle of mint juice added a refreshing touch. Toplete the dish, each person added jelly ording to their own preferences. The result was a delightfulbination of vors and textures that perfectlyplemented the grilled feast. Their only regret was the absence of ice cubes, which would have enhanced the overall taste and experience. They had heard that saltpeter could be used to make ice, but Qiao Xuan was unsure of the process and had no means of obtaining saltpeter. She decided to discuss this matter with Yuezheng Xiao, hoping to find a solution. iven therge number of people in the family, the remaining meat, after removing other side dishes, was not a substantial amount. It could only be stored for a few days. They distributed approximately 5 kg of meat to each of the second and third sections of the family. Despite receiving a rtively small portion, neither sectionined and epted the meat graciously. Ms. Fang observed this scene with great joy, appreciating the spirit of harmony and sharing within the family. As their lives continued to improve, Shao Yunduan¡¯s prospects for sess grew brighter. Ms. Fang, being an open-minded person, didn¡¯t bother with petty disagreements as long as she remained content. However, this condition was contingent upon them not causing her any trouble. Qiao Xuan found a reason to invite Ms. Yan to her home, allowing her to join the first section of the family in enjoying the grilled food and jelly. With Ms. Zhang gone, Ms. Yan shouldered more responsibilities, but she felt a sense offort in her life. Therefore, she happily epted Qiao Xuan¡¯s invitation.. Chapter 745 - 745: Shao Liulang’s Misery Chapter 745: Shao Ling¡¯s Misery Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan¡¯s decision to invite Ms. Yan was influenced by her desire to exclude Shao Meiling from the gathering. She held unfavorable opinions about both Shao Xiaozhi and Shao Meiling, and she wanted to avoid any potential conflicts or difort among the family members. By extending the invitation to Ms. Yan, Qiao Xuan ensured that Shao Meiling would not be inclined to join the gathering. If Shao Meiling were present, it would likely lead to the inclusion of Shao Xiaozhi as well. However, by having a specific matter to discuss with Ms. Yan, which conveniently required her to spend more time with the first section of the family, everything would appear natural and without any forced interactions. The presence of Ms. Yan as a daughter-inw in the second section of the family was highly valued by the members of the first section. Her influence had a positive impact on Ms. Niu and Second Uncle, who were noticeably less rude in their behavior. This change in attitude wasrgely due to the sess of the Yan Family¡¯s tofu workshop, where both of Ms. Yan¡¯s sons were making money. This financial sess improved the perception of Ms. Yan and her family, and as a result, Second Uncle and Ms. Niu were more inclined to treat them with respect. While the first section of the family could offer them employment opportunities as well, the impact of the offering directly from the Yan Family was significantly different. If the Yan Family offered job opportunities, the second section of the family would be filled with gratitude and would never dare to be critical orzy. They understood the value of the Yan Family¡¯s support and recognized that it was a privilege to receive employment from them. On the other hand, if the job offer came from the first section of the family, the second section would be more inclined toin about low pay and harbor jealousy, potentially causing significant trouble within the family dynamics. With her unwavering rity and the backing of her powerful family, Ms. Yanmanded strong authority within the second section of the family. As a result, the members of the first section were more than willing to spend time and socialize with her. They would always make sure to include Ms. Yan in their own activities, valuing her presence and considering her an important member of their gatherings. During the gift-giving asion, Ms. Fang even presented an additional pair of gold bracelets to Ms. Yan, highlighting her significance within the family. Meanwhile, Shao Ling had recently returned from his friend¡¯s house, still harboring resentment towards Shao Yunduan and the first section of the family. However, the members of the first section showed little concern for him, except for Eldest Uncle. Third Uncle ¡°identally¡± informed Eldest Uncle about Shao Lings return, knowing his genuine worry for his nephew. Eldest Uncle, genuinely concerned for Shao Lings well-being, wasted no time and promptly visited the third section of the family to check on him. Shao Lings annoyance and misery intensified as he observed the behavior of the first section of the family. He believed that they were nothing more than bullies, and he had no intention of forgiving them easily for their actions. Eldest Uncle¡¯s genuine concern and attempts tomunicate with him only served to exacerbate Shao Lings misery. He firmly held onto his belief that he had every reason to harbor hatred towards the first section of the family. Consequently, Shao Ling maintained a cold and unfriendly attitude towards Eldest Uncle, refusing to engage in a constructive conversation. Adding to his emotions, Ms. Ma and Third Uncle fueled the fire by supporting Shao Lings perspective, further diminishing his anger towards the first section of the family. Pleased with the turn of events, Eldest Uncle expressed his satisfaction. ¡°Ling, your cousin is here at home, and you can spend time talking with him whenever you¡¯re free. We are family, and together we can ovee any challenges. Your future will be brighter as we support each other.¡± Initially, Eldest Uncle intended to say, ¡°You can learn a lot from your cousin since you¡¯re a smart individual. You have the potential to be a cultivated talent and a rmended individual too!¡± However, he recalled how angry Shao Ling had be in the past when he mentioned this, so he decided to alter his words. The fact that Shao Ling had a Provincial Champion as his cousin made everyone from the college envious. They couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous, knowing that he had the privilege of seeking advice from such an aplished individual whenever he pleased. However, Shao Ling remained unaffected by Eldest Uncle¡¯s words. He replied bitterly, ¡°l don¡¯t dare to disturb my cousin. He¡¯s different now. Unless he personally asks to meet me, I won¡¯t show up.¡± Eldest Uncle found Shao Lings response somewhat reasonable and attempted to appease the situation with a smile. ¡°Ling, we¡¯re family. Yunduan is a Provincial Champion and your cousin. It¡¯s only natural for him to meet you. You don¡¯t need to set so many conditions.¡± Shao Ling sneered in response. Not wanting to dwell on the matter with Shao Ling, Eldest Uncle genuinely cared about his nephew¡¯s feelings. He nodded and said, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll ask your cousin to invite you for tea..¡± Chapter 746 - 746: Confidence Chapter 746: Confidence Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Lings condition had finally improved. Upon the Elder Uncle¡¯s return, he shared the news with Shao Yunduan, urging his son to pay a visit to the third branch of the family whenever he had the opportunity. The intention was to bring Shao Ling back home for a pleasant conversation. ¡°¡­Ling is feeling down, and as his cousin, it¡¯s important not to exacerbate the situation. Your role should be one of support and constion. Yunduan, I¡¯m delighted that you¡¯ve achieved sess, but it would bring immense honor to our family if both of you could pursue education and excel in the examinations!¡± Shao Yunduan nonchntly nodded, not even inclined to argue with his father. Why should he be the one to reach out and engage Shao Ling in conversation? Being older and having achieved the title of Provincial Champion, there was a substantial disparity between them, both in terms of family hierarchy and official status. Shao Ling had never bothered to offer his congrattions after Yunduan¡¯s triumph as Provincial Champion. Neither had he shown any warmth or kindness. And now, his father expected Yunduan to go out of his way to bring Shao Ling for a discussion? Furthermore, his father expected him to provide constion and encouragement to Shao Ling? His father seemed remarkably assured of its effectiveness. But would mere words offort and encouragement truly make a difference? Shao Yunduan hadn¡¯t really contemted this matter since then. After savoring roasted mutton and wild goat, and relishing the rare delicacy of dragon fruit from the south, they ventured into the mountains for several days. Rather than hunting animals, which would yield more food than they could consume, they focused on gathering an abundant harvest to take back home. With mushrooms, yams, and lilies carefully stored, the family became upied with the task of sun-drying their precious findings. A wide variety of fresh mushrooms were utilized to create delectable dishes such as stewed chicken with mountain mushrooms, fried meat, stir-fries, soups, and hot-pots. Each preparation was bursting with vor. They managed to gather the final batch of honey from the flower fields. which wouldst for two more months and serve as a key ingredient in making lip balm. While Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were engrossed in their harvesting tasks, County Magistrate Qiao meticulously arranged everything to initiate an attack against the Zhao Family. County Magistrate Qiao had made thorough preparations, and when the victims filed their reports, the officers swiftly took control of the Zhao Family members. Madame Zhao remained oblivious to the situation, but upon learning of it, she instructed Zhao Guangyin to offer County Magistrate Qiao a bribe in order to resolve the matter and suppress the reports. ¡°It was absurd that old cases were being dredged up and reported, it seemed like a joke!¡± However, Zhao Guangyin found himself trapped within the confines of the Zhao Family estate. Guards stationed outside the gate prevented anyone, including the mistresses, masters, and servants, from leaving unless they were purchasing food. They awaited Officer Qiao¡¯s summons. Zhao Guangyin¡¯s attempts to bribe the guards with 50 liang proved futile, leaving him bitter and frustrated. Madame Zhao grew furious and contemted forcing her way out. Yet, the guards, aware of her social standing, responded by brandishing their des. The sight of the gleaming des shattered Madame Zhao¡¯s resolve, causing her to crumble in defeat. She no longer dared to make any further attempts. ¡°What on earth is happening? There must be someone orchestrating all of this!¡± Madame Zhao eximed, consumed by anger. Zhao Guangyin wore a bitter smile and let out a sigh. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t you see? It¡¯s the Shao Family behind all of this!¡± Madame Zhao was taken aback. ¡°How could that be? The Shao Family may have a Provincial Champion, but he shouldn¡¯t have the power to do this!¡± ¡°But Officer Qiao happens to be the father-inw of the Provincial Champion!¡± Zhao Guangyin nearly shouted, shocking Madame Zhao. Zhao Guangyin let out a weary sneer. ¡°Now do you understand, Mom? The Shao Family is far from ordinary!¡¯ Visiting the Shao Family was out of the question; they would likely respond with physical violence. Zhao Guangyin¡¯s presence would only exacerbate the situation further. It seemed that their only hope for survivaly with the women from their own family, who might have a chance at eliciting sympathy through desperate pleas.. Chapter 747 - 747: At Door Chapter 747: At Door Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Surely, as fellow human beings, the Shao Family would spare their lives even if they did not offer forgiveness, right? It was unimaginable that they would resort to such extreme measures. County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s actions were pushing the Zhao Family to the brink of destruction, akin to being backed against a precipice. Madame Zhao, ovee with panic, directed her curses at County Magistrate Qiao and the Shao Family. Desperately, she pleaded, ¡°Your father is not here. You must find a solution! Our family will be aughingstock if we are surrounded by government officials!¡± Zhao Guangyin cast a disappointed gaze upon his mother, shaking his head in resignation. He turned away and departed. His disappointment grew even deeper. His mother seemed oblivious to the gravity of the situation, fixated instead on the family¡¯s reputation. While Zhao Guangyin was still simmering with annoyance, the guards abruptly stormed in, attempting to apprehend Zhao Guanghua. Zhao Guanghua was the weakest link, prone to troublemaking and exhibiting careless behavior. His numerous ws made him an easy target. In the past, the Zhao Family¡¯s immense wealth and their association with County Magistrate Qiao shielded them from any consequences, preventing anyone from raising objections to Zhao Guanghua¡¯s misconduct. When Officer Qiao made the decision to have him arrested, there were numerous justifications at his disposal, and it was up to him to choose which one to employ against Zhao Guanghua. Madame Zhao cried out in desperation, attempting to intervene and halt the proceedings, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. The guards were under strict orders, and they paid no heed to Madame Zhao¡¯s words. Zhao Guanghua had been brazenly boasting and issuing threats, eximing, ¡°Just wait and see! I¡¯ll have you all killed!¡± However, these words only further incensed the guards, solidifying their determination to bring misery upon him. They swiftly bound his hands behind his back and escorted him away, showing no sympathy for his pleas. It was only then that fear engulfed Zhao Guanghua, and he cried out loudly, desperately calling for his mother and brother toe to his aid. Madame Zhao¡¯s cries were filled with anguish as tears streamed down her face. The mansion descended into chaos¡­ ¡°Guangyin, Guangyin, please save your brother! Hurry, save him!¡± Madame Zhao pleaded, gasping for breath as she desperately clung to her son¡¯s sleeves. ¡°He has been spoiled all his life and has never endured such suffering!¡¯ Zhao Guangyin felt a profound weariness. He instructed his wife and maidservants to assist his mother back to her room, recognizing that she needed to regain herposure. He was determined to find a solution to save the Zhao Family, as its fate seemed destined for ruin. Upon receiving the letter from home, the Old Master Zhao finally returned. Furious, Old Master Zhao hurriedly returned home, only to be intercepted and escorted away by the guards stationed at the door. Old Master Zhao seethed with anger. Those very people who had once treated him with kindness, hoping to gain favors and tips from him, were now treating him with such disdain? Moreover, Officer Qiao had benefited greatly from his association with Old Master Zhao, yet he was now intent on bringing him down? County Magistrate Qiao, driven by his desire for wealth and to do Shao Yunduan a favor, had made the decision to sever their tiespletely, showing no mercy. Before long, Old Master Zhao was forcibly taken away by the guards, finally reuniting with his younger son. Old Master Zhao had already been taken away, and by the time Zhao Guangyin reached the doorstep, it was toote. A deep sense of despair washed over Zhao Guangyin¡¯s heart, plunging it into the depths of despair. It appeared that Officer Qiao had no intention of forgiving or sparing the Zhao Family. Despite Zhao Guangyin¡¯s innocence andck of wrongdoing, it no longer mattered. His father and brother were now captured, and it was only a matter of time before he would be as well. Even though he hadmitted no wrongdoing, being the eldest son of the Zhao Family meant he could never escape the consequences that befell them.. Chapter 748 - 748: Begging for Forgiveness Chapter 748: Begging for Forgiveness Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The next day, the case was brought before the court, and he could no longer tolerate the situation. That very night, Zhao Guangyin disguised himself as a servant of the mansion, dressed in appropriate attire. He used adder to climb over the wall and embarked on a journey to Shaoding Vige. He was always certain about one thing¡­ He knew the root cause of all these troubles. If only the Shao Family, or specifically Shao Yunduan, could show some mercy, everything could be turned around. Late at night, Zhao Guangyin knocked on the door, causing a startle among the family members. Shao Yunduan allowed him inside to have a conversation in the courtyard. With clenched teeth, Zhao Guangyin knelt down before Shao Yunduan and pleaded, ¡°Provincial Champion Shao, I beg you, show us mercy!¡¯ Unmoved by the plea, Shao Yunduan spoke quietly, ¡°Zhao Guanghua didn¡¯t spare us when hemitted his actions against us!¡± Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t help but imagine the devastating consequences if the same incident had befallen Yang Xiaoni. How would his Third Brother be affected? What about their parents? This once harmonious family would have been shattered into fragments! Even if he were to achieve a high-ranking position in the government, he would never be able to experience a harmonious family again. It would forever remain an insurmountable barrier in his heart. Filled with remorse, Zhao Guangyin uttered with guilt, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I failed to teach him well¡­ Shao Yunduan remained silent. Zhao Guangyin¡¯s voice trembled as he said, ¡°I¡¯m willing to surrender half of the Zhao Family¡¯s properties¡­¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ Zhao Guangyin let out a bitterugh, realizing the absurdity of his own words. What good would it do to share only half of the properties? The entire Zhao Family¡¯s wealth would end up in the hands of County Magistrate Qiao and the Shao Family. Half of it would be meaningless¡­ He clenched his fists, determination in his eyes. ¡°Provincial Champion, I intend to leave this county with my family, far away from here. I swear that we will never set foot in this ce again!¡¯ Finally, Shao Yunduan showed a hint of interest. ¡°Where do you n to go?¡± Zhao Guangyin felt a surge of motivation. He knew he had struck the right chord. Knowing that he had to leave his hometown and settle elsewhere, Zhao Guangyin didn¡¯t allow himself to dwell on the thought. He quickly replied, ¡°We n to go to Linjia County.¡± Linjia County and Heshan County were located far apart, in opposite directions. Their paths would never cross again in their lives. Shao Yunduan remained silent for a moment before speaking, ¡°Keep your family within your sight. If you make another move, 1 won¡¯t show any mercy!¡¯ Zhao Guangyin had no choice but to agree, ¡°l understand¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for sparing me, Provincial Champion Shao!¡± Zhao Guangyin expressed his gratitude, stood up, and returned to where he came from. Shao Yunduan went back to his room and found Qiao Xuan sitting against the headboard, yawning. As he returned, Qiao Xuan was no longer drowsy and asked, ¡°l heard Elder Young Master Zhao was here. Was he begging for mercy? What did he say? It¡¯s a pity that he¡¯s the only sensible person in the Zhao Family!¡¯ Shao Yunduan sneered, ¡°If he truly were sensible, he wouldn¡¯t have allowed his brother tomit all these acts. A family should stand united and share both honor and misery. He doesn¡¯t even grasp this concept¡­¡± Qiao Xuan also smiled, ¡°Yes, dear, you will have to take care of our family more from now on.¡¯ ¡°Yes, thankfully our mother has a clear mind.¡± Qiao Xuan agreed. It was true, but unfortunately, their father¡¯s mind was not as clear. Shao Yunduan was bing more determined in opposing his father, working hard to correct his impractical ideas and prevent him from making any further mistakes. Shao Yunduan informed Qiao Xuan about Zhao Guangyin¡¯s decision, and Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but admire his resoluteness. The Zhao Family needed to stay as far away as possible, in case they continued to cause trouble for their family.. Chapter 749 - 749: Madame Zhao’s Bad Idea Chapter 749: Madame Zhao¡¯s Bad Idea Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They no longer needed to worry about revenge, as they believed that Old Master Zhao and Zhao Guanghua would eventually face the consequences when the opportunity arose. The next day, Shao Yunduan made another visit to the county city, while Qiao Xuan spent most of her time in the flower field. Though uncertain about the details of Shao Yunduan¡¯s conversation with County Magistrate Qiao, it wasn¡¯t long before the case involving the Zhao Family was resolved. The victims who had filedints against the Zhao Family were generouslypensated and received a formal apology from them. They expressed their gratitude for the resolution. As a result, Officer Qiao gained a reputable status, and many of the victims referred to him as ¡®the wise Magistrate.¡± The Zhao Family, havingmitted numerous crimes, had their properties confiscated. However, since they admitted their guilt, they were spared imprisonment or exile. Zhao Guanghua received 30shes, and the entire family wasmanded to leave the county, never to return and trouble the civilians again. The decision was met with apuse and cheers from the people. The Zhao Family was infamous for their cruel behavior, particrly the younger Young Master Zhao, who was known for bullying others. It was a relief for themunity to see them depart. County Magistrate Qiao closely monitored their departure, ensuring they had no opportunity to gather their belongings. Since their properties had been seized, they were not permitted to take anything with them. In the early morning, only Madame Zhao, with a small package of ornaments, left on two wagons before dawn broke. However, a poignant incident urred during this time. As the Zhao Family faced the loss of their properties and the order to leave their homnd forever, the women of the family wept uncontrobly. None of them wanted to depart from their beloved hometown. The prospect of moving made them feel deeply ufortable. They cherished their hometown where they had grown up, believing that nowhere else couldpare to it. Since they were not brought to the governmental office or confronted by County Magistrate Qiao, they were unaware of the severity of their situation. They desperately sought a way to reverse their circumstances. In their quest for a lifeline, Zhao Ming thought of Shao Ling. Madame Zhao, equally anxious and worried, clung to any glimmer of hope that could potentially turn the tide in their favor. Madame Zhao sent Zhao Ming to search for Shao Ling. However, Shao Ling was not at the college, prompting the anxious Zhao Ming to rush to Shaoding Vige instead. Feeling that he was beingpared to Shao Yunduan and mocked behind his back, Shao Ling made the decision to stop attending college. He believed he had acquired enough knowledge and could continue studying on his own at home. Perhaps, after the New Year, he would enroll in another college in a neighboring country to pursue his studies. He had been eagerly anticipating Shao Yunduan¡¯s visit, as promised by the Elder Uncle. He had practiced countless times how he would treat Shao Yunduan, intending to make him speak kindly to him. However, Shao Yunduan never showed up. Shao Ling was furious. Ms. Ma¡¯s heart was shattered. In defense of her son, she went to the first section of the family, seeking to use Shao Yunduan. But Ms. Fang drove her away, further fueling her anger. Filled with anger and resentment, Shao Ling hurled curses at Shao Yunduan, calling him ¡°evil and arrogant.¡± He vowed to be a Cultivated Talent, a Rmended man, and ultimately an Advanced Schr, just so he could humiliate Shao Yunduan and make him regret his actions for the rest of his life. Regarding his Eldest Uncle, Shao Ling felt deceived and manipted. Eldest Uncle had lied to him! He no longer believed in his authority or respected him as a senior. He refused to trust his words any longer.. Chapter 750 - 750: Shao Liulang’s Dream Chapter 750 - 750: Shao Ling¡¯s Dream Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Filled with anger and resentment, Shao Ling heard that Zhao Ming, the Elder Miss from the Zhao Family, was visiting. Surprisingly, his fury turned into excitement. He quickly put on a clean robe, tidied his hair, and confidently walked out to meet Zhao Ming, hoping to make a good impression. ¡°Greetings, Elder Miss Zhao!¡± he greeted her with feigned charm. Zhao Ming had been waiting in the hall of the second section of the Shao Family, feeling irritated and resentful. She had been scrutinizing him and enduring his endless questions. She was growing increasingly annoyed. If it weren¡¯t for her family¡¯s troubles, she wouldn¡¯t have bothered to deal with Ms. Ma! She despised her from the bottom of her heart. Cursing silently, she started to question whether her decision to approach Shao Ling was a mistake. His pretentious behavior only intensified her disgust. ¡°Young Master Shao, can we have a private conversation?¡± Zhao Ming asked, trying to suppress her disgust and maintain a soft demeanor. ¡°Of course!¡± Shao Ling was taken aback by her request but delighted at the same time. He nodded eagerly and smiled, saying, ¡°Please tell me anything! Mom, please give us some privacy.¡± Ms. Ma wasn¡¯t too pleased with the situation. She smiled and replied, ¡°But we¡¯re a family, aren¡¯t we? Why can¡¯t I be part of the conversation?¡± Since they were the only ones present, Ms. Ma assumed that this girl must have developed feelings for her son. ¡°Mom, please just give us some space. Elder Miss Zhao might feel ufortable with you here,¡± Shao Ling pleaded, giving his mother a meaningful look. What was she doing here anyway? Acting as a third wheel? With her presence, Zhao Ming wouldn¡¯t be able to freely express her thoughts, and their conversation would be constrained. Ms. Ma finally grasped the situation and understood Shao Lings intentions. ¡°Alright then,¡± she said, getting up from her seat. ¡°l guess I¡¯m just out of touch. I¡¯ll leave you two to chat. Take your time.¡± With a smile, Ms. Ma seemed to be aware of everything and left the room, giving her son a knowing look. Zhao Ming felt humiliated and furious. She blushed with anger at the thought of being mistaken for someone interested in a rural woman like Ms. Ma. She was the Elder Niiss of the prestigious Zhao Family, and being associated with the Shao Family in this manner was deeply frustrating. She had to restrain herself from cursing Ms. Ma and Shao Ling out of sheer anger. Unaware of Zhao Mings true emotions, both Ms. Ma and Shao Ling misinterpreted her blushing as shyness. They exchanged nces and smiled proudly. Indeed, Ms. Ma felt a sense of pride. Her son appeared to be so capable that a wealthy youngdy hade to his door personally! Lady Zhao certainly had a knack for choosing the right man. Shao Ling felt a surge of pride as he looked at Zhao Ming with affection. He was about to express his feelings with sweet and romantic words when Zhao Ming interrupted him abruptly. She urged Shao Ling to help her talk to Provincial Champion Shao, requesting his assistance in granting them mercy and allowing them to be left alone. However, Shao Ling waspletely unaware of the situation. He hadn¡¯t been to the county city in a while and had secluded himself at home, oblivious to what was happening around him. He was clueless about the troubles the Zhao Family was facing. Simrly, Ms. Ma was in the dark as well. She only knew that Yang Xiaoni had nearly fallen victim to a womanizer, but she had never connected this incident to Lady Zhao or her current plea.. Chapter 751 - 751: Justice Chapter 751 - 751: Justice Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Upon hearing Zhao Mings request for him to seek mercy from Shao Yunduan, Shao Ling was taken aback. He couldn¡¯tprehend why he should approach Shao Yunduan and what exactly was going on. Zhao Ming found herself at a loss for words. She couldn¡¯t simply reveal her brother¡¯s actions, which had caused so much harm and humiliation to others, and had no direct connection to the Shao Family¡¯s initial involvement. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had their reasons for handling the situation this way. If they personally confronted the Zhao Family, it would only bring Yang Xiaoni¡¯s incident to the forefront again, which would be inappropriate and unjustifiable. Zhao Ming stammered, trying to exin, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ my father and my Second Brother, they unintentionally did something that offended Provincial Champion Shao¡­¡± Shao Ling, who had never been fond of Shao Yunduan and was looking for an excuse to confront him, saw this as an opportunity. Moreover, it was Zhao Ming who had asked for his help, and he feltpelled to uplift her spirits. Before Zhao Ming could finish her sentence, Shao Ling became incensed and responded with righteous anger, ¡°How dare they! Cousin is a respected man, but he shouldn¡¯t act so recklessly! Don¡¯t worry, Elder Miss Zhao, I will seek justice on your behalf! ¡± ¡°Wait, let me go and talk to the head of our family right away!¡¯ ¡°Hold on!¡± Without waiting for Zhao Ming to say anything further, Shao Ling swiftly dashed off. At the main residence of the family, Shao Yunduan had resumed his studies after taking a few days¡¯ rest. Qiao Xuan was ying with her newborn nephew alongside Shao Qing. It was during this moment that Shao Ling burst in, surprising everyone in the room. They exchanged nces, sensing that something was amiss. ¡°What¡¯s happening now?¡± inquired Ms. Fang. Shao Ling sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡°Honestly, Elder Aunt, although our cousin is rmended for a position, he still has a long way to go before he reaches a high-ranking government office. What¡¯s the point of being so arrogant? I suggest you maintain a low profile and stay grounded!¡± Everyone present. ¡® ¡°Honestly, Ling, what on earth are you talking about? Be clear and straightforward! ¡± Shao Ling, convinced that they were pretending, began to disclose the involvement of the Zhao Family. At that moment, the atmosphere in the room changed. Yang Xiaoni lowered her head, her expression filled with embarrassment. Qiao Xuan quickly found an excuse to dismiss Yang Xiaoni from the scene, sensing the need to protect her from further difort. Shao Ling remained oblivious to the situation, but observing the unusual behavior of the first section of the family, he became even more self-assured. He spoke with a self-righteous tone, imparting moral lessons and admonishing them for their alleged bullying, simply because Shao Yunduan had achieved the Rmended Man¡­ Shao Sang could no longer contain his anger. He impulsively lunged forward and delivered a forceful punch to Shao Lings face, causing him to stumble backward and use him of being a traitor. Ms. Fang was taken aback by the sudden outburst. Concerned that Shao Sang might inflict serious harm, she and others swiftly intervened to restrain him. Shao Yunduan stepped in to assist, his expression grave. He firmly pulled Shao Ling away, demanding an exnation. What had driven him to defend the Zhao Family? Even if he held disdain for the first section of the family, he should still possess a sense of integrity! Shao Lings fury persisted as he continued to lecture Shao Yunduan, expressing his discontent. Only then did Shao Yunduan realize that perhaps Shao Ling had no knowledge of the actual situation. He probed further with additional questions, but the answers only deepened his confusion. Nothing seemed to align. Shao Yunduan was rendered speechless. How could he, someone living in the vige, be oblivious to the actions of the Zhao Family? It was as if he were a recluse. For a brief moment, Shao Yunduan was at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond. However, as he realized that Shao Ling was interrogating him without any knowledge of the situation, a sense of relief washed over him.. Chapter 752 - 752: Nothing Chapter 752: Nothing Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan began recounting the entire incident, but before he could finish, Shao Ling interrupted him abruptly. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°If you want, you can go and inquire about it,¡± Shao Yunduan responded calmly. Shao Ling fell silent. Deep down, he didn¡¯t want to ept the truth. However, he knew Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t lying, and there was no reason for him to lie. ¡°Could it be¡­ a misunderstanding?¡± Shao Ling questioned hesitantly. Shao Yunduan sneered. ¡°Cousin, have you forgotten why Zhao Guanghua was transferred back here from the provincial college?¡± Shao Ling struggled to find his words and finally burst out, ¡°He must have been framed! ¡± Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t help but feel that Shao Ling was adept at convincing himself with fabricated stories. ¡°Then go ahead and ask the Land Officer and the Elderly Men at Yang Vige if what happened is true. Do you think they all conspired to frame Zhao Guanghua?¡± Shao Yunduan challenged. Shao Ling was left speechless. It was evident that he had entertained this idea because he didn¡¯t fully trust his cousin. Shao Yunduan had no intention of continuing the conversation. He firmly reiterated that his stance wouldn¡¯t change. He even warned Shao Ling to stay out of this matter, or else he would face the consequences of Shao Sangs punches. The thought of Shao Sangs punches sent a shiver down Shao Lings spine, and he dared not argue further. However, he made onest attempt to persuade Shao Yunduan to forgive the Zhao Family for their actions, suggesting that they should reconcile with them as they were all part of the same family. Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t help but find this excuse ridiculous and strange, and he stared at Shao Ling in disbelief. Finally, after all of this, Shao Ling revealed the truth to Shao Yunduan. He confessed that he and Zhao Ming were in love and that she was going to be the daughter-inw of the Shao Family, so they were all family now. Shao Yunduan was taken aback by the revtion. He realized that Zhao Ming was currently at the second section of the family. That was the reason Shao Ling hade to interrogate them. The audacity of the Zhao Family was astonishing! ¡°The Zhao Family has no intention of marrying their daughter to you. You should forget about this. If they truly wanted their daughter to marry you, they wouldn¡¯t have sent Lady Zhao alone to your doorstep. That¡¯s not how marriages are arranged! ¡± Marriages were traditionally arranged by parents and matchmakers. Yet here was the girl, without any parental presence or matchmakers! However, Shao Ling remained fixated on his own perspective, refusing to listen to anything else. In a fit of anger, Shao Ling erupted. He stomped his feet and sneered, ¡°1 know you don¡¯t want me to live a happy life or have a good wife! I won¡¯tpromise on this, and no one will ruin my marriage!¡¯ Shao Ling stormed out in a fit of anger. Shao Yunduan proceeded to exin everything to his mother and third brother, not wanting them to be distressed by the actions of their family. As expected, Ms. Fang, Shao Sang, and Yang Xiaoni learned that Shao Ling had been influenced by Lady Zhao Ming¡¯s words and hade seeking justice among them. This provided some constion, albeit the situation was still hurtful. ¡°What a foolish man! Don¡¯t let his words affect you,¡± Ms. Fang remarked. Shao Sang scoffed, ¡°He¡¯spletely unreliable. What has he learned all these years?¡± Qiao Xuan chimed in with a smile, ¡°You gave him a good punch, Third Brother. He deserved it!¡± Laughter filled the room as everyone agreed. Meanwhile, as Shao Ling departed from the first section of the family, he suddenly came to a halt. How would he exin the situation to Zhao Ming after his impulsive actions? Chapter 753 - 753: Beautiful in Heart Chapter 753: Beautiful in Heart Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Ling deeply regretted his impulsive behavior. He realized that trying to reason with Shao Yunduan in a calm manner would be futile at this point. Thoughts of his eldest uncle resurfaced in his mind. Despite swearing never to trust his uncle again and cutting offmunication with him¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but see his eldest uncle as hisst resort. Thus, he made the decision to humble himself and seek his assistance once more. However, when he arrived at his uncle¡¯s home, he learned that his uncle was out tending to the cows and donkeys. Ever since they acquired the cows and donkeys, his uncle took great joy in caring for them and overseeing their well-being. Shao Ling felt a sense of joy as he observed the cows and donkeys in the distance. His uncle would often take them to the mountains to graze on grass. Sometimes he would even ride the donkey and spend considerable time away from home. He rarely returned early. Since he couldn¡¯t locate his uncle, Shao Ling decided topose himself and head back home. Confronted by Zhao Mings affectionate gaze and overwhelmed by his own desires, Shao Ling couldn¡¯t bring himself to tell her about his failure in the task. Instead, he vaguely assured her that he would ensure everything went smoothly. Zhao Ming, being somewhat naive herself, either willingly ignored the gaps in his exnation or simply wanted to hear what she desired. She refrained from probing further, as delving deeper would only lead to more questions. Relieved by her eptance, Zhao Ming expressed her gratitude with a smile. In that moment, Shao Ling found himself motivated and began to believe that his words held some truth. The girl thanked him, and the boy modestly expressed himself, as if their exchange represented a genuine urrence. Shao Ling was convinced that Zhao Ming was falling in love with him. Filled with motivation, he mustered the courage to express his affection for her and proimed his desire to marry her. To his surprise, Zhao Ming was dumbfounded and flushed with embarrassment. She wished she could p Shao Ling and make him disappear. If it weren¡¯t for the problem the Zhao Family faced that day, she would never have sought his help. How dare someone like Shao Ling entertain the idea of marrying her? He had merely been a source of mockery in the past! Who did he think he was? He was never deserving of her! Furious and humiliated, Zhao Ming refrained from directly ming Shao Ling. Instead, she hurriedly left without providing clear answers to his questions. Shao Ling, however, interpreted her hasty departure as a sign of her shyness, which only boosted his ego. Eager to unt his supposed victory, he shared the news with his mother, hoping she would arrange a matchmaker to propose to the Zhao Family. Shao Ling couldn¡¯t possibly expect Zhao Ming to make the proposal herself. It would put too much pressure on her. He should be the one taking the initiative. Feeling proud, Ms. Ma showered her son with praise. ¡°My son is so capable! Lady Zhao is beautiful, and she muste from a wealthy family. Only a girl like her is worthy of being my son¡¯s wife.¡± Shao Ling beamed with joy but his expression turned serious as he heard about the trouble the Zhao Family was facing. ¡°Mom and Dad,e with me to the first section of the family. We need to talk to our Eldest Uncle and ask him not to treat the Zhao Family so harshly.¡± He realized that unless he could resolve the Zhao Family¡¯s problem, he wouldn¡¯t be able to proceed with the proposal. After all, Zhao Ming had mentioned that her father and brother were in prison. Ms. Ma was taken aback. ¡°What?¡± Shao Ling proceeded to exin the entire situation to his mother. Ms. Ma¡¯s face changed dramatically. ¡°What? Lady Zhao is from the Zhao Family, that family?¡± Shao Ling furrowed his brow. ¡°Yes, is something wrong?¡± ¡°What?.. Chapter 754 - 754: Disappointment and A Broken Heart Chapter 754 - 754: Disappointment and A Broken Heart Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Even Ms. Ma couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that something was amiss. But Shao Ling presented his argument in a seemingly reasonable manner. He believed that the first section of the family was being excessively harsh and that their actions were unwarranted. Ms. Ma, swayed by her son¡¯s words, began to see his point of view as well. Thus, the three of them paid a visit to Elder Uncle in the evening, seeking his support. However, to their surprise, Elder Uncle was not supportive at all. On the contrary, he advised them against getting involved with the Zhao Family and Lady Zhao. ¡°Why should you marry someone from that family when you already know that something is wrong?¡± Elder Uncle questioned. He expressed his disappointment and reminded them of how Zhao Guanghua had nearly destroyed their family. Out of mercy, the family had spared them, allowing them to leave the county. His words hit Shao Ling and Ms. Ma like a cold gust of wind, causing them to hesitate and reconsider their ns. They are rich, so they have the option to relocate and live their lives away from the troubles caused by the Zhao Family. The Shao Family has already shown great tolerance in this matter. But now, the third section of the family is considering marrying someone from the Zhao Family and pressuring us to forgive them. Elder Uncle simply cannotprehend how we would be expected to interact with the Zhao Family if Shao Ling were to marry Elder Miss Zhao. What would his own daughter-inw think of Elder Miss Zhao and her brother¡¯s visits to our home in the future? And what would his own son think of this situation? For the first time, Elder Uncle feels deeply disappointed and heartbroken. He wonders why Shao Ling must marry Elder Miss Zhao, especially considering the current circumstances. The third section of the family did not anticipate that Elder Uncle would not support their decision, and they are all taken aback by his response. And they became very angry. ¡°Elder Uncle, please consider forgiveness. You seem to be losing sight of the bigger picture! ¡± ¡°Elder Brother, it wasn¡¯t easy for Ling to find a potential partner. Why do you insist on ruining it?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just see it as a misunderstanding? Why must we make it appear so terrible? People might start calling you narrow-minded, and that certainly doesn¡¯t reflect well on our family, does it?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Eldest Uncle felt his anger rise, but he remained silent, as he had never been one to confront his brother and sister-inw. Ms. Fang, on the other hand, was more direct. She simply drove them all away, unable to tolerate their stubbornness any longer. The members of the third section of the family were seething with anger. ¡°They¡¯re just jealous! They can¡¯t stand the thought of us having a wealthy daughter-inw! We will find a matchmaker and go to the Zhao Family for the proposal regardless! ¡± ¡°Let the first section of the family do whatever they want!¡± Shao Ling worriedly expressed, ¡°But Old Master Zhao and Brother Shao are still in prison. Is it the right time for the proposal?¡± Ms. Ma was taken aback. ¡°What? No, the first section of the family must do us this favor! We can ask Ms. Qiao to speak to her father about it!¡± Shao Ling sneered, casting a cold re at Ms. Ma. He was well aware of that. But if Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t want the proposal to go forward, would his wife dare to defy him? Third Uncle chimed in, ¡°The Zhao Family has alreadye and apologized. What more does the first section of the family want? It was just a misunderstanding, and nothing happened to Ms. Yang!¡¯ Shao Ling nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly! It¡¯s all a misunderstanding. Lady Zhao ims it was the fault of the servants. I never imagined Brother Shao would be involved in such things!¡¯ ¡°Absolutely!¡± Third Uncle eximed with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this with Eldest Uncle. They¡¯re too hot-headed right now to listen to reason. We¡¯lle back tomorrow! ¡± Ms. Ma pursed her lips and grumbled, ¡°Why not now? Ever since Yunduan became a rmended man, the first section of the family has be so arrogant! ¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true!¡± Third Uncle¡¯s tone turned sour. Secretly, he admitted that he would probably be arrogant too if his own son achieved the rmended status. Little did they know that after Zhao Ming left Shaoding Vige, Shao Yunduan had already set off for the county city.. Chapter 755 - 755: Departure Chapter 755 - 755: Departure Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan recounted Zhao Mings visit, urging Zhao Guangyin to reconsider his ns and discard the absurd idea. He emphasized the dire conditions of the prison, highlighting the risk to his father and brother¡¯s lives, given their age and ustomed luxurious lifestyle. Zhao Guangyin was shocked and scared, expressing his ignorance of the situation. He sought Madame Zhao¡¯s exnation, and upon hearing it, he was overwhelmed with anger. After the Zhao Family decided to repay their debt using their own assets and leave the county, County Magistrate Qiao showed leniency. He made it clear that on the day of their departure, Old Master Zhao and his son would be released from prison. Amidst his preparations to transfer their properties and depart in two days, his mother proposed such a foolish idea! Couldn¡¯t she have inquired about the rtionship between the third and first section of the family to determine if sacrificing their own son and daughter-inw was necessary for the sake of the third branch? Madame Zhao remained unconvinced. She rified that she was seeking her daughter¡¯s assistance, not making a marital proposal. She insisted that her daughter must marry into a prestigious family of equal wealth and influence, not a rustic man who hadn¡¯t even achieved the status of Cultivated Talent! However, Zhao Guangyin had no faith in her words. He had no reason to doubt Shao Yunduan¡¯s honesty. There was no motive for Shao Yunduan to deceive him. On the other hand, his mother was never dependable and could act impulsively. A heated argument ensued between mother and son, leading them to part ways. Determined toplete the tasks at hand, Zhao Guangyin worked through the night, nning to depart the next morning. He couldn¡¯t leave his mother and sister unattended. What if they made another mistake? The Zhao Family left discreetly the following day. To Zhao Guangyin¡¯s astonishment, as they left the city, County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s men seized the money and two boxes of treasure that he had instructed his wife to hide. In an instant, those possessions, along with the money, valued between 60,000 to 70,000 liang, vanished. What remained were a few jewelry pieces belonging to the daughter-inw and mother, the least valuable among their collection. The most precious pieces were not seized by the authorities, but their worth was only a few hundred liang. Madame Zhao and her daughter-inw wept inconsbly. Zhao Guangyin¡¯s heart sank. If they had over 10,000 liang, he would have been confident in starting a new venture, not a grand fortune, but a stable andfortable life. However, a few hundred liang couldn¡¯t provide much assistance. With their settlement, the remaining money was only sufficient for a small-scale business to sustain their livelihood. Zhao Guangyin had never expected that everything unfolded due to his mother and sister¡¯s actions. If it weren¡¯t for Zhao Mings visit to Shao Ling, Shao Yunduan wouldn¡¯t have alerted County Magistrate Qiao about the possibility of Zhao Guangyin hiding his properties. As a result, County Magistrate Qiao wouldn¡¯t have entertained the idea or stationed guards at the city gate for inspection. Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t intend for this chain of events to unfold, and he was willing to let Zhao Guangyin keep some of his properties hidden. County Magistrate Qiao, consumed by his desire for the confiscated properties from the Zhao Family, wouldn¡¯t have ordered a search of their wagon. However, the Zhao Familys behavior had been repugnant, and it was time for them to face the consequences. After leaving the county, the Zhao Family lived a bitter life. Old Master Zhao and Madame Zhao struggled with the unfamiliar food, clothing, amodations, and travel, which quickly took a toll on their health and elerated their aging.. Chapter 756 - 756: A Must Chapter 756: A Must Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Zhao Guanghua was feeling even worse. When he left the county, he was still suffering from the punishment. The wound had not healed, leaving a horrifying appearance on his back. Whenever it rained, he would experience a faint pain in his legs. Despite bing a member of an ordinary family, Zhao Guanghua had not managed to change his bad temper. He engaged in a street fight, resulting in a broken leg. Irritated by the incident, Old Master Zhao and Madame Zhao confronted the person responsible for breaking Zhao Guanghua¡¯s leg. However, their efforts only resulted in humiliation and curses, leaving Madame Zhao infuriated. Her anger led to an illness that persisted for nearly three months. In the first half year, Zhao Guanghua¡¯s temper remained unchanged. He caused numerous troubles, resulting in the loss of their remaining money. They even had to use their small yard and house as coteral. Zhao Guangyin felt a deep sense of despair. His father became an alcoholic, and his mother continuously defended his worthless brother. He couldn¡¯t bear to continue supporting this family any longer. Feeling utterly helpless, Zhao Guangyin secretly gave them 30 liang and left with only 10 liang in hand, along with his wife and son. They disappeared without a trace. Meanwhile, Zhao Guanghua unintentionally killed someone during one of his fights. Fearing the consequences, he fled and vanished as well. However, the man he had fought was not dead; he had merely lost consciousness. The victim approached Zhao Guanghua¡¯s parents, demandingpensation. Old Master Zhao and his wife were forced to exhaust their remaining money to repay him. To make matters worse, they had to sell their daughter as a concubine to someone. With the meager funds received from their daughter, they spent the rest of their lives in bitterness. Back in Shaoding Vige, the next morning after Zhao Mings visit, the third section of the family urgently rushed to the first section, imploring them to employ any means necessary to reach apromise with the Zhao Family. That was absolutely out of the question. Ms. Ma and Third Uncle disregarded the nature of the Zhao Family and their past conflicts with the first section. Particrly, Ms. Ma had always dreamt of Shao Ling marrying into a wealthy family. Her eyes lit up with excitement when sheid eyes on Elder Miss the previous day. She was the ideal match Ms. Ma had envisioned for her family. She was even superior to the Yan Family. Ms. Ma would not tolerate Ms. Niu showing off in front of her once her son married a rich bride! However, as soon as they arrived at the first section of the family, Shao Yunduan preempted any discussion they had in mind. The first section of the family would never forgive the Zhao Family, and there was no room for negotiation. If the third section of the family insisted on marrying ady from the Zhao Family, the first section of the family would not intervene, but they would make it clear to the n that the first section and the third section werepletely unrted from that moment onward. The Zhao Family had engaged in bullying andmitted numerous hical acts, resulting inwsuits filed against them by their victims. Officer Qiao, in ordance with thews and regtions, was assisting the people and seeking justice for their grievances. The Zhao Family deserved to be sentenced based on their actions. No one should interfere, as it would only create trouble for everyone involved. It was a burden that nobody could bear. If the third section of the family believed they could bear that burden, they could approach Officer Qiao. Begging for mercy on behalf of the Zhao Family? Absolutely not. Ms. Ma and Third Uncle were clueless about the situation. They couldn¡¯t utter a word upon hearing Shao Yunduan¡¯s ount. They knew they were powerless when it came to dealing with governmental offices. Shao Ling was not convinced.. He blurted out, ¡°You¡¯re Officer Qiao¡¯s son-inw! If we seek his help, Officer Qiao will surely assist us!¡± Chapter 757 - 757: Ding Qiuyue’s Trip Home Chapter 757: Ding Qiuyue¡¯s Trip Home Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan sneered back. ¡°That family is despicable, and I¡¯m not defending them. They deserve the consequences! Cousin, watch your words. What have you learned from those books? Bing an officer doesn¡¯t mean breaking thew. Are you trying to turn Officer Qiao into one?¡± Shao Ling erupted in anger. ¡°Don¡¯t act so righteous! Governmental offices are always like this! Even you might not behave well if you be an officer in the future.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I won¡¯t engage in anything against thew.¡± Shao Ling sneered in frustration and stormed off. Ms. Ma hurriedly followed. ¡°Ling, why are you leaving?¡± Shao Ling gritted his teeth. ¡°Shao Yunduan is heartless! No matter what we say, he won¡¯t help us. He¡¯s a hypocrite! I doubt he¡¯ll remain so innocent and fair when he bes an officer in the future. He¡¯s just looking for an excuse to push us away.¡± Ms. Ma suggested, ¡°Then what should we do? What if we propose the marriage ourselves? Once it¡¯s settled, we¡¯ll be considered family, and County Magistrate Qiao will have to assist us!¡± Ms. Ma¡¯s suggestion sparked an idea in Shao Lings mind. He eximed, ¡°Since the first section of the family won¡¯t help us, we can go and find County Magistrate Qiao ourselves! ¡± He could simply im that Shao Yunduan had sent him, and the problem would be resolved. Shao Ling felt a rush of happiness. ¡°l have a n. Let¡¯s go home first.¡± They decided to have breakfast and contemte their approach before heading to the county city. However, before they could even leave their house, Ding Qiuyue rushed in, looking disheveled. Concubine Ding appeared to be in a different state this time. She had no carriage, nor did she have any maids attending to her. Her clothes appeared worn-out as well. Arriving home during breakfast time, Concubine Ding caught the attention of many onlookers. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Qiuyue? Which Qiuyue? The concubine from the Ding Family!¡¯ ¡°Oh yeah, what is she doing here so early in the morning?¡± ¡°But haven¡¯t you noticed that? She is not wearing what she was wearingst time!¡± ¡°No wonder people say that the Zhao Family is falling. The story is true!¡± ¡°So what is she doing here this time? The Zhao Family sent her?¡± Ding Qiuyue sensed eyes scrutinizing her, filled with judgment and hostility, which made her feel deeply embarrassed. She hurriedly made her way home, avoiding any interaction or response to those around her. The Zhao Family members were all filled with anxiety. What would be of them once the Zhao Family copsed? Qiuyue was terrified as well. Being a concubine put her in a position simr to that of a servant. But then, the Young Master presented her with a release letter, allowing her to leave the Zhao Family. Many other servants received the same directive. She was taken aback. She hadn¡¯t expected to receive such a letter. Despite her initial reluctance, she had grown ustomed to her role as a concubine. She was at a loss as to how she should carry on with her life after leaving the Zhao Family. She knew she wasn¡¯t cherished in her own household, and returning home in such a hurried manner would not be well-received by her parents, brother, and sister-inw. They would likely expect her to contribute to the household chores and earn her own keep. But would they be willing to ept her back? Moreover, she had grown ustomed to a life without having to work. The idea of engaging in manualbor seemed daunting to her.. Would she even be capable of doing any physical work at all? Chapter 758 - 758: Gone Chapter 758: Gone Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions With no other options avable, Ding Qiuyue had to make her way back home first. News of Ding Qiuyue¡¯s return quickly spread throughout themunity, bing a subject of gossip among the majority of people who treated it as a mere joke. Ms. Ma overheard some of the gossip and shared it with the family. Curious, Shao Ling asked, ¡°Mom, find out everything you can about the current situation of the Zhao Family. Gather as many details as possible.¡± Realizing the gravity of the situation. Ms. Ma hurriedly left to gather information. Ding Qiuyue¡¯s family was in a state of chaos. Her parents, Ding Jiahuai and Ms. Guan, bombarded her with questions about why she had returned and what had happened to the Zhao Family, growing increasingly anxious. I n her distressed state, Ding Qiuyue mumbled incoherently, further frustrating her mother, who snapped at her impatiently. Ding Qiuyue noticed a strong sense of annoyance on her brother¡¯s and sister-inw¡¯s faces. Her heart shattered as she realized that her family was showing no sympathy towards her. They seemed to me her for the troubles she faced, despite all she had done for them. Normally, this time of day was not suitable for visitors, and curious individuals wouldn¡¯t usually drop by either. However, Ms. Ma was filled with anxiety. Her focus was solely on her future daughter-inw, and she disregarded everything else. Ms. Ma¡¯s arrival abruptly halted themotion within the Ding Family. Ignoring the tense atmosphere, Ms. Ma anxiously inquired, ¡°Qiuyue, how is the Zhao Family? Have Old Master Zhao and Young Master Zhao returned home? Please, tell me!¡± Ding Qiuyue was perplexed by Ms. Ma¡¯s sudden interest. She sneered in response, ¡°Yes, they did return. But they left the county early in the morning together. They won¡¯t being back! ¡± ¡°What? How can this happen?¡± Ms. Ma eximed in shock. Ding Qiuyue sneered, sharing the same sentiment. She couldn¡¯t fathom what led to this oue. Ms. Guan nced at Ms. Ma curiously. ¡°Why are you so concerned about the Zhao Family?¡± ¡°Of course, I am!¡± Ms. Ma¡¯s heart felt heavy. ¡°They are my future inws!¡± The Ding Family stared at Ms. Ma, their eyes widening in confusion. ¡°What¡­ did you just say? Future inws?¡± ¡°Are they really your future inws?¡± they asked, trying to make sense of the situation. Unable to keep it a secret any longer, Ms. Ma admitted, ¡®Yes! Lady Zhao and my son are in love, and they are nning to get married soon! How can the Zhao Family be in such a state? I need to inform Ling about this immediately.¡± Without wasting any more time, Ms. Ma hurriedly left the house. The Ding Family remained puzzled, their earlier argumentpletely forgotten. As Ms. Ma returned home, she immediately ryed the news to Shao Ling, who was equally shocked. His heart sank as he realized that Lady Zhao, his beloved, had left and the Zhao Family was no longer in the county. ¡°What do we do now? What do we do?¡± Shao Lings distress matched that of his mother. All his hopes and dreams seemed to crumble in an instant. Ms. Ma felt even more devastated than Shao Ling. She had lost the chance to unt her status with a wealthy daughter-inw, the opportunity to wear luxurious gold and silver ornaments slipping away. ¡°It¡¯s all the fault of the first section of the family!¡± Ms. Ma snapped angrily. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for their coldness, the Zhao Family wouldn¡¯t have been driven away, and I wouldn¡¯t have lost such a good daughter-inw! I won¡¯t let them off easily. I¡¯ll reason with them!¡± Shao Ling, however, intervened, stopping Ms. Ma from causing trouble at the first section of the family. His tone turned cold as he said, ¡°Leave it. There¡¯s no need to go to them anymore. They¡¯re hypocritical, and if you confront them, they¡¯ll only counter you. You won¡¯t be able to win against them.. Chapter 759 - 759: Shao Liulang’s Grudge Chapter 759: Shao Ling¡¯s Grudge Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Ma. She wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat them in any way. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Shao Ling dered, clenching his fist. ¡°I¡¯ll study hard and surpass Shao Yunduan. I¡¯ll make it, I¡¯m determined!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ms. Ma¡¯s spirit was reignited. ¡°My son has always been clever, better than Shao Yunduan. I¡¯m confident you¡¯ll seed, and when that timees, you can marry any girl you want. Bah!¡± Shao Lings expression darkened, and he fell into silence. Any girl? He wasn¡¯t so sure about that. But he knew one thing for certain¡ªhe genuinely liked Lady Zhao. She was the only one who treated him with respect and trust, the only one who would smile at him and ask him to spend time together, relying on him whenever she faced difficulties. But he had failed to help her. and now he had lost her too. Shao Yunduan had shattered his happiness, and he wasn¡¯t going to give up easily. While Ms. Ma continued to nag and defend her son, Shao Ling tuned out, lost in his own thoughts. The Zhao Family faded away from the county, soon bing a forgotten memory. As for Ding Qiuyue, her life as a concubine was filled with bitterness. Her hostile sister-inw constantly gave her trouble at work, sneering at her and hurling insults. Qiuyue understood the need to be tolerant while living under someone else¡¯s roof, but there were moments when she reached her breaking point. Unable to bear it any longer, she found herself engaged in arguments with her sister-inw, leading to heated exchanges. Even her own mother med her and chaos reigned within the family. Driven to annoyance and fury, Ding Qiuyue decided she had to escape. She fled her home and, before leaving the vige, she made a visit to the first section of the Shao Family once more. However, Ms. Fang refused to allow her into the yard. Unperturbed, Ding Qiuyue apologized to Ms. Fang, exining that she hade before because Old Master Zhao had instructed her to set up Shao Yunduan. After leaving the vige, Ding Qiuyue lived as a wanderer for a while until she eventually married a widower in his forties. They had a son together, and their life gradually improved. From that moment onward, she never returned to her mother¡¯s home. Ms. Guan made an attempt to visit her once, hoping to gain some benefits from the new situation. However, Ding Qiuyue promptly chased them away with broomsticks, and they never dared to approach her again. The entire vige found amusement in the misfortune of Ms. Guan and her family, drawingparisons to the troublesome Zhang Family from Zhang Vige. Ms. Fang was deeply disturbed by Ding Qiuyue¡¯ s revtions. She immediately confronted Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan about the matter. The three of them exchanged worried nces, realizing the gravity of the situation. Qiao Xuan spoke up, ¡°Mother, this serves as a reminder for us. As the husband is the Provincial Champion and soon to be an Advanced Schr, he will likely pursue a career as an officer in the future. There will be many attempts to undermine us. It¡¯s not just him; Elder Brother and Third Brother should also be cautious. Qi and Taotao should choose their martial partners wisely too. We can¡¯t allow random choices.¡¯ Ms. Fang nodded in agreement, ¡°You¡¯re right. We must keep this in mind.¡± Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni shared the same sentiment, expressing even greater concern. They were determined to ensure that their husbands remained loyal andmitted, without any other women entering the picture.. Chapter 760 - 760: What If Chapter 760: What If Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Also, as they had ovee difficult times together and now enjoyed afortable life in a spacious and well-furnished home, with abundant food and clothing, as well as substantial savings, they couldn¡¯t help but worry about the potential risks of someone trying to take advantage of their newfound prosperity. They were aware that there would be many women who might be enticed by the prospect of bing concubines to the boys, considering their economic independence and social standing. They understood that such temptations could arise, and they needed to be prepared. Moved by the concerns and emotions in the air, Shao Sang turned to Yang Xiaoni with earnestness in his eyes, saying, ¡°My love, I will never betray you. I want no one but you.¡± Yang Xiaoni blushed, her eyes filled with affection as she responded, ¡°I know you treat me the best¡­ Brother Sang¡­¡± Interrupting their moment, Qiao Xuan cleared herthroat and spoke up, ¡°Third Brother, I have to provide you with a little reminder here. What if someone deliberately gets you drunk at a banquet and ces a woman in your arms? What if you encounter a seemingly helpless young girl who faints on the street just as you pass by? What if a girl pursued by hooligans seeks refuge and throws herself into your arms, begging for protection? What if you are framed and unknowingly find yourself in apromising situation?¡± ¡°Please, Fifth Sister-inw, no more what-ifs. My head is already pounding!¡¯ Shao Sang eximed, feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities being discussed. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but smile at his reaction. ¡°I¡¯m just presenting potential scenarios, my dear brother. As we be wealthier and if my husband attains a position in the government, our influence and interactions with prominent households and affluent individuals will increase. These situations are not umon in such circles, and some tricks can be even more absurd than what I¡¯ve mentioned.¡¯ Qiao Xuan turned to Shao Sang and asked, ¡°Third Brother, how would you handle such challenges if you were to encounter them?¡± Shao Sang was taken aback, his mind racing to find a suitable response. ¡°Well¡­ l¡­ I would try my best to avoid such situations in the first ce. I would be cautious and maintain a respectful distance from unfamiliar women. And if, by any unfortunate circumstance, I found myself in apromising position, I would immediately remove myself from it and seek guidance from you, my brothers and sisters-inw, on how to handle it appropriately.¡± Ms. Fang, Ms. Xu, and Yang Xiaoni were all taken aback by the depth andplexity of the world being revealed to them. They had never imagined that life could be so intricate and filled with unexpected challenges. They began to understand that as they ventured further into this new world, they would need to navigate itsplexities with caution and wisdom. It was a new chapter in their lives, one they had not anticipated but would now have to face head-on. Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni exchanged a nce, seeing worries, distress and anger arising in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, you are the clever one, tell us what we should do if we run into these problems?¡± Ms. Xu asked for help. Yang Xiaoni also nodded when she realized what was going on. ¡°Yeah, Fifth Sister-inw, teach us!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°It is not very difficult. You should be cautious and hard-heartened.¡¯ ¡°You should exercise caution when ites to food and drinks during banquets, particrly if you are offered a toast by a woman. It is crucial to respectfully decline such invitations and refrain from taking advantage of anyone. Stay vignt and keep a clear mind, ensuring you remain sober and in control of your actions. Additionally, it is advisable to avoid venturing alone in unfamiliar environments, especially when visiting someone else¡¯s home. By doing so, you can prevent being lured into situations that maypromise your integrity or lead you astray.¡± ¡°You should remain firm and resolute when encountering women who try to seduce you, as their intentions are often malicious. Do not show kindness or entertain their ill-intended advances, as some of them are skilled professionals capable of deceiving even the most discerning individuals. In such situations, it is crucial to be unyielding and disregard whatever they may say to manipte you. Their well-being should not concern you.¡± ¡°I understand that implementing these precautions may not be an effortless task. Perhaps it would be beneficial for me to have a thorough discussion with our Elder Brother, Elder Sister-inw, Third Brother, Third Sister-inw, as well as Taotao and Qi.¡± Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni agreed.. Chapter 761 - 761: Preparation Chapter 761: Preparation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang agreed and added. ¡°Me and your father should listen to that as well! We have to be cautious and protect ourselves, in case they ruin our family and Duan¡¯s future!¡± Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni felt slightly better and smiled, nodding. Qiao Xuan added. ¡°One more thing. If someone sets up our husbands and ims that she is pregnant, then¡­¡± Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni¡¯s smiles stiffened. Ms. Fang was startled as well. Qiao Xuan did not mention this on purpose, but that is something that could not be ignored. She needed to mention this after all. That was a way for women in ancient times to cause trouble. Even in the modern time, there were many parents who cared about children. What if someone made it with a man in the Shao Family, and came to the door with tears in their eyes, what should they do about it? Who would be so hard-hearted as to drive her away? Even though men might turn her down, yet women of the family might not be able to do so, otherwise the women would be considered vicious, jealous and not at all understanding, so that their children would not be able to find any marital suitors. Also, inws would not tolerate grandchildren to be out on the street like orphans. Shao Sang turned to Yang Xiaoni with sincerity in his eyes. ¡°Darling, I assure you that I will be extremely cautious and vignt. I will do everything in my power to ensure that I am not set up. You have to trust me.¡± Yang Xiaoni said, ¡°Of course, I trust you. But what if you find yourself in a situation where someone tries to manipte or deceive you?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ I definitely won¡¯t!¡± ¡°What if¡­ Qiao Xuan found the dynamic between her family members interesting yet slightly irritating. She couldn¡¯t help but cast a nce at Shao Yunduan, who had been quietly listening to their discussion without feeling the need to be warned. Shao Yunduan confidently interjected, ¡°I won¡¯t be set up.¡± He exuded a strong sense of self-assurance in this regard. As Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang continued their argument, the atmosphere grew tense, leaving Ms. Xu feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to say. Ms. Fang, growing frustrated with the ongoing dispute, firmly interjected, ¡°Enough, both of you! Just stop arguing. If such a situation were to ur, we will ensure the safety and well-being of our children while providing the woman with a suitable settlement. Regardless, we must never allow individuals with ill intentions and a tarnished reputation to enter our home!¡± Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni felt slightly relieved. ¡°You are right, mom. We do as you say!¡¯ ¡°Yeah, mom is right!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and agreed with her mother, ¡°Mom, you havee up with a good solution. That indeed is the best way to handle such a situation. If it were to ur, the woman should not even be allowed to stay pregnant within our home. We will arrange for a separate small house and have guards to monitor her. Once the child is born, we will take custody of the child, while providing the woman with the agreed-upon financial support. By making it clear to others that we refuse to fall for such tricks, people will think twice before attempting to scheme against us again!¡± ¡°Yeah, that is totally right!¡¯ Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni were even more delighted hearing that. Nis. Fang nodded too. Qiao Xuan continued, ¡°In reality, we are discussing these matters as a precautionary measure. If we are vignt and cautious enough, it is unlikely that such situations will arise. So, Elder Sister-inw and Third Sister-inw, there is no need to be overly anxious.¡± Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni felt relieved by Qiao Xuan¡¯s reassurance, They expressed their gratitude to her with appreciative smiles and nods. Being proactive and discussing these potential scenarios before they actually urred was crucial. They were thankful that their Fifth Sister-inw had brought up these concerns and shared her insights. County Magistrate Qiao had gained substantial benefits after the downfall of the Zhao Family.. Although most of the Zhao Family¡¯s assets were deposited into the shared savings and the county¡¯s bank¡­ Chapter 762 - 762: Stingy Chapter 762 - 762: Stingy Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Officer Qiao held significant influence in the county, and if he conducted some discreet arrangements and distributed benefits to the strategists, administrators, guards, as well as lower-ranking government officials, nobody would dare oppose him. The officer had amassed a substantial fortune, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel delighted about it. He owed this sess inrge part to Shao Yunduan¡¯s suggestion to eliminate the Zhao Family, a decision he wouldn¡¯t have made without his input. As a gesture of gratitude, Officer Qiao instructed Madame Qiao to select fine jade, porcin vases, exquisite jewelry, and 300 liang of silver to present to Shao Yunduan. This was intended to foster a closer rtionship between them. Madame Qiao, however, wasn¡¯t particrly pleased about it. She believed that they had acquired their fortune through their own abilities, so why should they share it with the two ¡°bastards¡±? ¡°Yunduan and Quan are already quite well-off. They have established a close rtionship with the Yuezheng Family andck nothing. Xuan¡¯s jade bracelets alone are worth more than ten thousand liang!¡¯ Officer Qiao¡¯s expression turned sour. He had been coveting Qiao Xuan¡¯s bracelets for a while. He had even made up his mind to im them for himself once he returned to the capital, making them his own prized possession. However, after sessfully toppling the Zhao Family, he had secretly acquired more than 10,000 liang in addition to the confiscated properties, and he hadpletely forgotten about Qiao Xuan¡¯s bracelets. He didn¡¯t want to provoke any animosity with Shao Yunduan or give Qiao Xuan a reason to despise him. Officer Qiao had never been particrly kind to Qiao Xuan, and he knew that if they continued to shower her with favors, she would suspect ulterior motives or even suspect a setup. Women were often suspicious and had a tendency to harbor grudges. What if she whispered something to Shao Yunduan? That would certainlyplicate matters. Officer Qiao continued, unfazed by Madame Qiao¡¯s difort. ¡°She can indeed have her own properties, but it¡¯s important to show our generosity. We are fortunate to be wealthy now, so what harm is there in sharing some with them? Let¡¯s not be stingy. Yunduan is destined for a bright future, and it¡¯s crucial to establish a good rtionship with him from the beginning. Otherwise, our gratitude may lose its value if we¡¯re even slightlyte.¡± Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t help but feel even more uneasy upon hearing her husband¡¯s remarks about Shao Yunduan. After all, she had chosen Shao Yunduan as her son-inw. ¡°Very well, Old Master,¡± Madame Qiao reluctantly agreed. ¡°But please, Old Master, let¡¯s not exaggerate the virtues of our son-inw. The spring examination has yet to take ce, and we can¡¯t predict the oue. Our county is small, and people from humble origins often have narrow perspectives. In any case, he is not superior to our own son, is he?¡± ¡°Old Master, please don¡¯t hold such high expectations too soon. You may end up disappointed,¡± Madame Qiao cautioned, maintaining her stance. While her words held some truth, Officer Qiao couldn¡¯t shake off his difort. He furrowed his brows and retorted, ¡°Are you determined to contradict me? Let me make it clear: stop scheming. Shao Yunduan has no other support. Our task is to win him over and ensure his unwavering loyalty. Don¡¯t be so narrow-minded!¡± Madame Qiao felt a surge of irritation, but she forced a smile and reluctantly agreed. They proceeded with the preparations for the gifts, but to their surprise, Shao Yunduan outright refused to ept them. He stood firm in his decision. He made it clear that he wanted no association with the properties or assets seized from the Zhao Family. He even declined any involvement with the stores and fields that were acquired through their confiscated possessions. As a Rmended Mandidate, he had the privilege to purchasend without going through the standard procedures. Shao Yunduan was adamant that the Shao Family should have no ties whatsoever with the Zhao Family, even in the slightest sense. County Magistrate Qiao was left puzzled by Shao Yunduan¡¯s motives. Consequently, his respect for the man deepened, apanied by a tinge of guilt in his own heart.. This son-inw of his was certainly not ordinary! Chapter 763 - 763: School Chapter 763 - 763: School Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Someone caught wind of Shao Yunduan¡¯s intentions and saw an opportunity. They purchased numerous fields from the Zhao Family and approached Shao Yunduan, offering to sell some of them to him. These fields had no connection to the confiscated assets. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Shao Yunduan epted the offers and bought the fields, paying a price higher than the market value. In total, he acquired 400 mu ofnd. He then donated thesends to the n, entrusting the elderly men, n chief, Land Officer, and appointed individuals from the Shao Family to jointly manage thend ownership documents. All the ie generated from thesends would be allocated towards supporting school expenses and enhancing the ancestral hall. As for the remaining funds, they were to be recorded in a public ount, reserved for use during times of disasters or emergencies. With the resources secured, construction of the schoolmenced without dy. Apart from the school building, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan also discussed the need for a separate yard dedicated to a library and study room. This space would cater to diligent students who couldn¡¯t afford to purchase books of their own. Together, they established principles and rules for the school¡¯s operations. In addition to the daily administration, they implemented regtions specifically for the library and student-rted matters. Firstly, the books in the library were not to be borrowed; they could only be read within the study room. However, students were allowed to make copies of the books and take those copies with them. To incentivize academic progress, they devised a system where students who achieved the status of Child Student would receive a monthly supplementary of 50 wen. However, if a student failed to pass the Cultivated Talent examination after ten years, the supplementary would be canceled. On the other hand, if a student sessfully attained the rank of Cultivated Talent, they would be awarded an additional 100 wen, which would be valid for a period of ten years. Furthermore, a fare of ten liang would be provided to any student who needed to travel for the autumn examination. This fare would cover the expenses for each journey made to attend the examination. The established standards served as a foundation, but they were open to adjustments based on the actual circumstances, with approval from the n. Essentially, it meant that any talented children from the n could wholeheartedly pursue their studies, knowing that their needs would be taken care of. Even orphaned children could lead a frugal lifestyle and continue their education, supported by the bonuses provided and with two mu of in fields at their disposal. The news spread throughout Shaoding Vige, filling themunity with joy and excitement. Families, particrly those with children of the right age and sufficient intelligence to be students, rejoiced at the prospect of their children being the first to attend the school. Even families with younger children felt a sense of gratitude and anticipation, knowing that their children would have the opportunity to benefit from the school in the future. Furthermore, the provision of funds for disaster relief added an extrayer of security for the vige, ensuring their resilience in times of crisis. It was truly a remarkable development that brought immense relief and gratitude to the vigers. Shao Yunduan went even further by expressing his intention to acquire additional fields for the n, recognizing that the initial 400 mu was insufficient. This announcement heightened the vige¡¯s joy and reinforced the unshakable foundation established by the first section of the Shao Family. While Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t personally engage in the physical construction, he provided the necessary funds, allowing the vigers to mobilize their collective efforts toplete the projects. As the time for cassava harvesting approached, Qiao Xuan hired workers to carry out the task. They took great care in preserving the seedlings, ensuring their viability for future nting. Cassava cultivation was rtively low-maintenance. Once the stems were cut, they were stacked and stored in a cer. When needed, they could be easily chopped into pieces and prepared for nting. These resilient crops required minimal attention to thrive. The cassava nts, nurtured by Qiao Xuan¡¯s exceptional superpower, yielded abundant harvests. Unlike its leafy counterparts, cassava¡¯s main producey hidden beneath the soil, simr to potatoes and peanuts. Each nt bore multiple gray-brown fruits, roughly the size of eggs, measuring one to two feet in length. After carefully harvesting the mature cassava, they peeled away the thinyer of taupe skin, unveiling the firm, white flesh beneath. This pulp was sliced into thin pieces and left to dry under the sun. Once thoroughly dried, the slices were ground into a fine powder and passed through a sieve, resulting in the extraction of tapioca flour.. Chapter 764 - 764: Taro Balls Chapter 764 - 764: Taro Balls Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions To achieve a smoother texture, the tapioca powder underwent additional rounds of filtration, ensuring its refined quality. Qiao Xuan discovered various creative uses for the tapioca flour. Whenbined with steamed pumpkins and taros, they crafted delectable taro balls of different colors and vors. Additionally, by blending the powder with brown sugar, they could concoct vorful bubble tea, a delightful treat for all. In preparation for the uing Mid-Autumn Day, they nned to sun-dry the cassavas so they could transport them to the province. The dried cassavas would then be used to make winter desserts, incorporating taros, bubbles, and sugar water. However, a challenge remained: despite the increased production volume enabled by Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower, the total volume was still insufficient. They needed a steady daily supply to ensure that the stock wouldst until the following year. Nevertheless, they remained optimistic that the situation would improve in theing year, allowing for greater production and avability. With the arrival of autumn and the colder weather, Qiao Xuan decided to hire workers to cultivate more barrennd for cassava nting. The vigers were intrigued by the unfamiliar crop and began asking questions. Qiao Xuan openly shared her knowledge, exining the characteristics of the nt and how it should be handled. Whenever someone inquired about cassavas, she would provide detailed information and instructions. One crucial point Qiao Xuan emphasized was that fresh cassavas needed to be bleached before consumption to remove toxins. This revtion surprised many, but their interest grew significantly after tasting the delicious cassava-based dishes such as balls, dumplings, steamed pastries, and pancakes. Since wheat couldn¡¯t be grown in their region and flour was expensive, cassavas became a viable and economical alternative. The ease of cultivation made it essible for every household, and within three years, cassava nts spread to neighboring viges as well. The powdered form of cassava was nearly identical to flour, making it a versatile and widely used ingredient in various culinary creations. The cassava nts thrived in various types of soil, thanks to Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower that facilitated their growth. They adapted well to the local climate and producedrger, more abundant fruits. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, it was customary for the vigers to visit the Qiao Family and exchange gifts. They also nned to present gifts to the Yuezheng Family and Xie Jingrong, with thetter receiving gifts on behalf of Yuezheng Xiao. Dragon fruits, papayas, pineapples, sugarcanes, tangerines, and bananas were all reaching maturity. The first section of the family had already indulged in the delightful vors of these fruits and praised their quality. The bananas, pineapples, and dragon fruits were especially well-received. Qiao Xuan carefully selected the ripe fruits as presents for the Yuezheng Family and Xie Jingrong. Although the quantity wasn¡¯trge, the fruits were exceptionally fresh and vorful. Under First Madame¡¯s instructions, Qu Shan was tasked with delivering the gifts along with those from Xie Jingrong. Qiao Xuan entrusted Qu Shan to handle the transportation of the gifts back to their intended recipients. Qiao Xuan made a mental note to bring arger quantity of fruits on her next visit. The fruits were thriving and possessed a delicious vor that she was certain would be enjoyed by Yuezheng Xiao and the rest of the family. As for the gifts prepared for the Qiao Family, they were not particrly extravagant. They didn¡¯t include any of the fruits or special nts grown in their garden, such as watermelons or the precious snow fungus, honey, and lipsticks. Instead, they adhered to the traditional practice of purchasing items from stores. However, this time they bought a slightlyrger quantity of giftspared to previous visits, as the Qiao Family were aware that they were in a better financial situation.. Chapter 765 - 765: Mid-Autumn Festival Chapter 765 - 765: Mid-Autumn Festival Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Officer Qiao¡¯s warm reception and his enthusiastic greeting to Shao Yunduan as ¡°the best son-inw¡± was a noticeable change in attitude. Qiao Xuan observed that even Madame Qiao, despite her feigned aloofness, was secretly pleased to receive them, along with the servants. Even Concubine Du and Qiao Kou, who had never experienced such treatment before, were included in the warm wee. Qiao Wei couldn¡¯t help but size up Qiao Xuan once again. She was adorned in a vibrant water-red satin embroidered with delicate primroses and a butterfly pattern, paired with a light beige thread-stitched long skirt. The ensemble beautifully entuated her slim and graceful figure. Her ebony bun was immactely styled, and the elegant hairpin adorned with pearls, pomegranate, and magnolia flowers added a touch of luxury and sophistication. Qiao Xuan¡¯s elegance emanated not from excessive ornamentation but from her refined demeanor, exuding a sense of nobility and propriety. Qiao Wei couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of envy. She reluctantly acknowledged that a well-dressed appearance enhanced a person¡¯s overall beauty. Seeing Qiao Xuan, who used to appear introverted, now radiating with confidence, she couldn¡¯t deny the transformative power of clothing. Qiao Wei couldn¡¯t help but fixate on Qiao Xuan¡¯s bracelets once again. Another new pair? She thought to herself. This time, Qiao Xuan adorned her wrists with a pair of intricately carved gold bangles, adorned with several lustrous pearls. The oval-shaped gold bracelets featured borate floral motifs, intricately sculpted and polished to perfection. Several snow-white pearls, each the size of a thumb, were meticulously embedded throughout the design. The edges of the bracelets were ented with a delicate tortoiseshell iy, providing a subtle yet opulent contrast to the modest gold hue. While gold bracelets were not umon, a pair with suchrge and exquisite pearls was truly a rare find. ¡°First Madame certainly treats you well, sister. Did she gift you these magnificent bracelets too?¡± Qiao Wei asked with a tinge of bitterness, aware that her question wasced with envy. After all, every young girl had a fondness for beautiful, exquisite, and precious jewelry. Qiao Wei, who had recently splurged on some new ornaments from the province, had nned to unt them in front of Qiao Xuan. However, her confidence waned as she nced at her own bracelets, which had cost her 1,000 liang after days of pestering her parents. Qiao Xuan responded with a gentle smile. ¡°Yes, Elder Aunt Yuezheng has always been kind to me. She even wanted to make me her goddaughter, but I declined because I don¡¯t believe I deserve such an honor. Nevertheless, she sees me as a good person and treats me ordingly.¡± ¡°What?¡± Madame Qiao eximed, a pang of disappointment washing over her. Though upon reflection, she realized that Qiao Xuan¡¯s refusal was probably for the best. Otherwise, she might have be more unruly. However, deep down, Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight sense of injustice based on Qiao Xuan¡¯s words. Naturally, she assumed that if the First Madame wished to ept Qiao Xuan as her goddaughter, her own daughter should also be considered. After all, her own daughter was surely superior to Qiao Xuan, wasn¡¯t she? Madame Qiao entertained the idea of finding a godmother for her daughter. The Yuezheng Family, being a prosperous business family, held significant influence, and establishing a connection with them would undoubtedly bring numerous advantages. The jealousy of Qiao Kou and Qiao Wei towards Qiao Xuan was evident as they couldn¡¯t help but sneer. They believed that Qiao Xuan was fabricating her ims, insisting that the First Madame would never have liked her. ¡°She¡¯s just bragging,¡± Qiao Kou muttered under her breath, while Qiao Wei nodded in agreement. Qiao Xuan, sensing their disbelief, found amusement in their reactions. She smiled, feeling a sudden urge to find a peaceful spot for a nap. She wondered if there was a suitable ce avable for her. Deep down, Qiao Xuan acknowledged the strained rtionship she had with her lineal mother and stepsister. Aware that they were obligated to treat her cordially under her father¡¯s watchful eye, she saw no point in prolonging their interactions if they truly disliked one another. After all, she considered herself considerate in avoiding unnecessary confrontations with them. As for finding a ce to rest, Madame Qiao had arranged a small courtyard for her through Auntie Ling, ensuring that Qiao Xuan did get a designated space of her own.. Chapter 766 - 766: Forgiveness Chapter 766 - 766: Forgiveness Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions But upon hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s request, Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. She believed that Qiao Xuan was being far too unruly. Where did they think they could just take a nap? Did they forget how they used to behave in the past? In her previous days, she would have never dared to make such a request. Although Madame Qiao wanted to give a resounding negative answer, she restrained herself from bursting out in anger. It was fortunate that she was out of sight. Deciding to amodate their request, Madame Qiao instructed the servants to find a suitable ce for Qiao Xuan, Lixia, and Liqiu to rest. The courtyard was carefully prepared, and despite some wilted flowers on the table, an array of pastries, snacks, and drinks were served. However, Lixia and Liqiu couldn¡¯t help but voice their dissatisfaction upon seeing the pastries and snacks. ¡°The pastriesck the smoothness of ours! They are so roughly-made!¡± ¡°The tea has no scent and looks far inferior to what we have at home!¡± ¡°And these flowers, they are not as pretty or fragrant as ours!¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but be amused by theirints. After all, she was the one who had created those pastries at home, using the finest ingredients. The tea she served was made from the most precious tea leaves, cultivated and nurtured under her watchful eye with her unique powers. Naturally, nothing couldpare to the quality she had achieved. The Qiao Family was no longer a threat to her. Together with Shao Yunduan, they had been strategizing on how to sever ties with the Qiao Family. They had no intention of maintaining any closeness with such tasteless and shameless individuals. Soon, their ns woulde to fruition. As the mistress and maids were engaged in conversation, Concubine Du appeared with the reluctant Qiao Kou in tow. It seemed that Concubine Du hade to beg for forgiveness for their past wrongdoings. The harsh reality of their lives was evident in the worn-out appearances of both Concubine Du and Qiao Kou. Concubine Du, who used to exude arrogance and pride, now seemed devoid of any such expressions. Qiao Xuan had no interest in engaging in trivial arguments with them, but she also had no intention of forgiving them easily. What right did they have to beg for her forgiveness now, expecting her to grant it? The previous owner of her body must have endured a great deal of suffering, which was why Qiao Xuan herself found it difficult to establish a harmonious rtionship with them. Especially Qiao Kou, who had intentionally caused her numerous troubles. ¡°You are not in a position to demand forgiveness, and I am not inclined to grant it,¡± Qiao Xuan stated firmly. Concubine Du appeared relieved. ¡°Second Miss, are you saying you have decided to forgive us? Thank you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the misunderstanding, Concubine Du. The truth is, we have no connection whatsoever. We have never offended each other, nor do we need to seek forgiveness. The best solution is for us to live separately. What are your thoughts on that?¡± Regardless of whether Concubine Du was willing to ept the truth, she was nothing more than a ve to Madame Qiao, bound to carry out her orders regardless of her own desires or dislikes. Rebelling against Madame Qiao¡¯smands was out of the question for her. While Qiao Xuan despised Concubine Du for her actions and felt anger towards her, she had no intention of seeking revenge or causing her unnecessary hardship. However, if Concubine Du ever attempted to deceive her or set her up, Qiao Xuan would not forgive her, nor would she be amodating or allow her to have her way. Concubine Du¡¯s expression stiffened. After a moment of contemtion, she forced a smile. ¡°Second Miss, you are correct¡­¡± Concubine Du had initially nned to beg Qiao Xuan for forgiveness, hoping that if Qiao Xuan showed leniency, they could form an alliance. In doing so, she would use Qiao Xuan¡¯s influence to bring down Madame Qiao, while also gaining personal benefits from the situation. However, Qiao Xuan proved unexpectedly difficult to persuade. Not daring to linger any longer, Concubine Du muttered a few more uncertain words and hastily departed with Qiao Kou. Lixia and Liqiu nced disdainfully at them, remarking on the fickleness of both the mother and daughter. Qiao Xuan let out a mockingugh.. ¡°Concubines can only navigate their existence through such means, constantly searching for a solid footing but never truly finding it!¡¯ Chapter 767 - 767: News Chapter 767 - 767: News Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Disappointed, Concubine Du listened to Qiao Kou¡¯s angry outburst. ¡°Concubine Du, you expect me to beg her for forgiveness? What a joke!¡± How ironic! Qiao Kou had never dared to utter a word against her in their previous lives. Concubine Du sighed, feeling distressed. ¡°l can see the end of my life approaching. I am doing this for your own good!¡± Qiao Kou sneered in response. ¡°No thanks!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Concubine Du panicked. ¡°Your marriage remains unsettled, and Madame Qiao is taking her anger out on us. Do you honestly think she will find a suitable husband for you once we return to the capital?¡± ¡°What about marrying someone here? You are Qiao Xuan¡¯s sister, and Shao Yunduan is a Rmended man. Any family you marry into would treat you well because of their connections!¡± Suddenly, the idea seemed appealing to Concubine Du. ¡°Ah, yes! The Yuezheng Family would be a good option. What about Young Master Yuezheng? Or perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Stop it, Concubine Du!¡± Qiao Kou¡¯s face darkened. ¡°l am an unmarried woman, and if you continue meddling in my affairs, I will report to Father and Niother! Stay out of my business!¡± With that, Qiao Kou turned and hurried away. She had no intention of marrying anyone here. The Yuezheng Family might be decent, but they didn¡¯tpare to the elite families in the capital. Young Master Xie would have been a better choice, but unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t present. Moreover, the only way for her to live afortable life was by ingratiating herself with Qiao Xuan. If she followed this path, she could ensure her happiness. She was going back to the capital to snatch Qiao Wei¡¯s marriage alliance, causing both Qiao Wei and her mother to suffer and cry in despair! Concubine Du was taken aback, feeling a mix of anger and disappointment at her daughter¡¯s callous words. She was doing everything for Qiao Kou¡¯s sake, so why was her own child so heartless toward her? Despite her distress and sadness, Concubine Du gathered her resolve once again. She wouldn¡¯t abandon her daughter. After all, Qiao Kou was her own flesh and blood! With the funds replenished, Officer Qiao arranged avish lunch, aiming to please his daughter and son-inw. The table was filled with braised abalone, sea cucumber with green onion, and stewed bird¡¯s nest, ensuring an extravagant feast for each person. Officer Qiao spared no expense to win the favor of his daughter and son-inw. Qiao Xuan was taken aback. Did her father truly hold such high expectations for her husband? It seemed like a burden and a potential source of bad luck. The lunch appeared to be sessful, and soon after, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan stood up, ready to leave. However, Madame Qiao coughed and addressed Qiao Xuan, ¡°Your mother intends to take your sisters to the province to visit First Madame Yuezheng. Xuan, you must assist your mother in building a strong rtionship with First Madame Yuezheng, understand?¡± Madame Qiao wore a smile as she continued, ¡°First Madame treats Quan so well. With her support, everything will turn out fine. Old Master, you needn¡¯t worry.¡± Her words carried an implicit message that if anything were to go wrong, it would be Qiao Xuan¡¯s responsibility. Qiao Xuan inwardly sneered. No wonder she had been treated to such avish feast. They were trying to win her over for a favor! She realized she should have anticipated this. Her father had never been generous towards her unless he needed something in return. In response, Qiao Xuan forced a smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father. 1 will do my best.¡± However, she made a silent decision. She would only fulfill what she was capable of doing. Anything beyond that, she would not stoop to their level of shamelessness.. Chapter 768 - 768: Looking Down Chapter 768 - 768: Looking Down Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan was taken aback by the repulsive proposal put forth by his father-inw. It was so distasteful that he almost felt physically sick. He had hoped that if his father-inw treated Qiao Xuan kindly, their rtionship might not be too strained, or at least remain intact on the surface. It would have been ideal if Qiao Xuan had a reputable family supporting her, or at least the appearance of it. He didn¡¯t look down on her, and he had no intention of ying any tricks on her. However, he couldn¡¯t guarantee that others wouldn¡¯t try to undermine her. He didn¡¯t want anyone to belittle her or plot against her. When Qiao Xuan informed him and her family about the unsavory matters, she should have realized that she needed to be cautious. If he were to be an officer in the future, would there be those who would conspire against her, knowing shecked a strong family background? Perhaps he was being overly cautious, but it was better to be prepared for any potential challenges. Shao Yunduan had not anticipated the selfishness of the Qiao Family. They did not deserve the support of Qiao Xuan¡¯s family. ¡°Father-inw, it¡¯s gettingte. We should head home,¡± Shao Yunduan suggested, showing hisck of interest in prolonging their stay. Officer Qiao had intended to share more thoughts with Qiao Xuan, but upon noticing Shao Yunduan¡¯s slightly impatient expression, he decided against it and allowed them to leave. Qiao Wei pursed her lips and muttered, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t think Second Sister is willing to help us. She must hate us, which is why she won¡¯t lend a hand.¡± Madame Qiao smiled reassuringly. ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s not true. She is your father¡¯s daughter and will always stand by his side. Daughters would never harbor hatred towards their fathers, right?¡± Officer Qiao shot an irritated nce at Qiao Wei. ¡°Your mother is correct. Your sister isn¡¯t as narrow-minded as you think! Even if she were, she should never hate her parents! What are you even suggesting?¡± Madame Qiao smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t me Wei. She¡¯s just being concerned.¡± Officer Qiao snorted but didn¡¯t say anything further. Soon, Mid-Autumn Day arrived, and the harvest season was approaching. The first section of the Shao Family owned only a few fields, so they hired workers to help with the reaping, alleviating the burden on the family. However, the fields in Zhang Vige required more attention. There was also a pond that yielded fruits. Qiao Xuan harvested some lotus roots and water chestnuts to bring home. The water chestnuts were steamed directly in a steamer. Once cooked, the ck and hard shells were peeled off, revealing the snow-white flesh of the water chestnuts. They had a tender and chewy texture, with a fresh and sweet taste unique to aquatic nts. The lotus roots were cut into chunks and stewed with pigs trotters and peanuts. The resulting soup was rich and vorful, while the lotus roots themselves were fresh and sweet. Additionally, they made hot and sour lotus root sticks. The soy-colored sauce clung to the finger-sized lotus root sticks, which were stir-fried with garlic cloves, green peppers, and red sour peppers. The dish offered a delightfulbination of crispiness, spiciness, and tanginess. The whole family enjoyed a satisfying and delicious meal. The abundance of lotus roots allowed the family to enjoy various dishes for months toe. They could prepare cold lotus root slices, hot and sour diced lotus root, stir-fried lotus root slices, deep-fried lotus root chips, steamed lotus root meat pie, lotus root meatballs, lotus root ribs stewed soup, osmanthus glutinous rice with lotus roots, and more. The versatility of lotus roots provided endless culinary possibilities. In addition to the lotus roots, the betel nut taro that Qiao Xuan brought back from the province was also ready for harvest. Each betel nut taro weighed around 3-5 to 4 kilograms and exhibited numerous purple spots on its surface, creating a beautiful appearance once the peel was removed.. Chapter 769 - 769: Not Madame Qiao Chapter 769 - 769: Not Madame Qiao Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The alluring consistency and appearance of the betel nut taro made it a tempting addition to their meals. Inspired by its delicious taste, Qiao Xuan decided to cultivate more taro nts to create high-quality taro balls, a delicacy they could enjoy in the future. As September arrived, Qiao Xuan began sorting through the items they would bring to the province. They had nearly 100 kilograms of snow fungus and 800 lipsticks, which they intended to take along. Additionally, they nned to bring a variety of harvested goods for First Madame. Among these items were the lotus roots they had, but they also included a selection of taros. They would also bring Gastrodia ta, heterophy, and figs. Other fruits such as ripe dragon fruits, pineapples, bananas, papayas, tangerines, and sugarcanes would also be included. While the quantity of these fruits was not substantial, their freshness and vibrant vors added a sense of confidence to Qiao Xuan. The fruits from the southern region thrived remarkably, particrly the dragon fruits and papayas, enhancing the array of offerings they would present to First Madame. In addition to the fruits mentioned earlier, Qiao Xuan had ns to grow lychees, longans, and mangoes, as long as everything went well after the cold winter. The fruit trees had grown thick, their trunks as wide as her arms, demonstrating their robust and healthy condition. They promised a bountiful harvest in theing year. With all preparations in order, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, apanied by Nis. Fang, Elder Uncle, Yang Xiaoni, Shao Sang, Qi, Taotao, Shao Junyan, and Shao Qing, embarked on their journey to the province for a delightful time. Eldest Uncle initially hesitated to join, but Ms. Fang insisted on his presence. It was necessary to have someone remain in the vige for the sake of the familys security and stability. Shao Dng and Ms. Xu chose to stay behind, attending to the care of their youngest son. The little boy was still too young to embark on a long trip. However, Ms. Xu held hope in her heart, believing that there would be future opportunities for them to travel there. Qiao Xuan entrusted the care of Ms. Xu to Lixia and Liqiu, while Chunyu and Chunfeng apanied the group on their journey. Due to the construction of the school, the first section of the Shao family had gained recognition in the vige, which provided reassurance to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan to leave only Ms. Xu and Shao Dng at home. With the support of the Land Officer and Elderly Men, anyone causing trouble to the family would not be tolerated. They had hired three wagons for the trip. One wagon was designated for carrying goods and presents, while the other two served as transportation for the travelers. They set off from the county early on the 5th of September. Qiao Xuan deliberately did not inform Madame Qiao about their departure, nor did she allow her to join them on the journey. Qiao Xuan was determined to keep them out of their affairs and prevent them from exerting any influence or control over their ns. The Qiao Family remained unaware that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had already traveled to the province for their own shopping trip. Meanwhile, Madame Qiao was still in discussions with County Magistrate Qiao about their nned visit to the Yuezheng Family on the 8th of September, intending to leave on the 7th. Madame Qiao believed that if they could spend the festival together, it would strengthen their rtionship with the Yuezheng Family. Officer Qiao supported this idea wholeheartedly. On the 6th day, Madame Qiao sent Auntie Ling to fetch Qiao Xuan from Shaoding Vige to bring her back to the mansion, so they could travel together the following morning. However, to her surprise, Auntie Ling returned alone. Auntie Ling informed Madame Qiao that the Qiao Family had already departed for the province the previous day. Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. ¡°What are you saying? How dare she¡­¡± Qiao Wei sneered and suggested, ¡°l knew that girl was just pretending.. Mom, let¡¯s inform father about this so that he can reprimand her!¡± Chapter 770 - 770: How Dare! Chapter 770 - 770: How Dare! Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Madame Qiao¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Auntie Ling, speak clearly and tell me everything! ¡® She needed to inform Old Master about this situation and understand what was truly happening. Auntie Ling continued, ¡°When I arrived at the house, only Shao Dng and his wife were present. I asked them about Second Miss going to the province, but Ms. Xu imed she had no knowledge of it. She mentioned that she was upied with taking care of the children and had no idea about Second Miss¡¯s ns. In fact, she suggested that I ask Second Miss directly¡­¡± Madame Qiao realized that this was part of the n Qiao Xuan had discussed with Ms. Xu. No matter who from the Qiao Family came asking, Ms. Xu was instructed to respond with ¡°l don¡¯t know¡± and nothing more. Ms. Xu also had reservations about engaging with Auntie Ling, concerned that she might be drawn into something. Therefore, she followed Qiao Xuan¡¯s instructions and consistently maintained that she had no information. Ms. Xu used the excuse of being busy at home to deflect Auntie Lings probing and ultimately dismissed her. Auntie Ling, seething with anger, couldn¡¯t believe that she had been dismissed by a rural woman. However, she reminded herself that Ms. Xu was, in fact, her younger sister-inw, and as an elder, she shouldn¡¯t pry too much into her affairs. Reluctantly, Auntie Ling made her way back home. Madame Qiao was equally frustrated. ¡°Qiao Xuan must have deliberately done this!¡± Qiao Wei chimed in with a sneer, ¡°Of course. Mom, she puts on a facade of kindness in front of father, but deep down, she¡¯s not on our side. She still holds a grudge against us. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have kept those precious ornaments a secret from us!¡± Qiao Wei couldn¡¯t help but feel envious, especially when she thought about the luxurious bracelets adorning Qiao Xuan¡¯s wrists. She had never seen such extravagant jewelry before, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Qiao Xuan had obtained them. Madame Qiao sneered in agreement and promptly ordered Auntie Ling to bring County Magistrate Qiao to her room. She needed to discuss this matter with him and find out the truth. County Magistrate Qiao, initially assuming that Madame Qiao had brought up the matter to deliver some greetings from Qiao Xuan, was taken aback by her angry outburst. He asked in a cold tone, ¡°Is there a misunderstanding between Madame Qiao let out a sigh and replied, ¡°Old Master, Auntie Ling personally went to Shaoding Vige. There¡¯s no room for misunderstanding. It seems that Xuan still holds a grudge against us¡­¡± County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s expression darkened further. After a brief pause, he said, ¡°Perhaps¡­ but no¡­ the first section of the family went to the province together, right?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡°That exins it.¡± County Magistrate Qiao suddenly felt a sense of relief. ¡°The Shao Family went as arge group, so it might have been inconvenient for them to travel together. It¡¯s nothing to worry about. You can stick to the original n and travel as scheduled tomorrow. You can contact them once you arrive.¡± Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei were left stunned by County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s response. Qiao Wei screamed. ¡°Dad, Qiao Xuan doesn¡¯t think you and mom are important. She doesn¡¯t like us and you are still defending her!¡± ¡°Shut up! What do you know anything?¡± County Magistrate Qiao shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t suspect your sister. She is kind and she doesn¡¯t want to cause anyone trouble. She is apparently trying to save us trouble and you are not only ungrateful, but also lecturing at me? Wei, you have to improve your personality! ¡± Qiao Wei. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Old Master is right.. Wei, no more talks!¡± Chapter 771 - 771: County Magistrate’s Self-Respect Chapter 771 - 771: County Magistrate¡¯s Self-Respect Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Madame Qiao drove away Qiao Wei and she smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right, Old Master. It would be foolish for Qiao Xuan to stay with the Yuezheng Family. It would only bring disrespect and disdain upon us.¡± County Magistrate Qiao was startled, and he could no longer keep theposure. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan passed by the county but did not even greet them, though they did not want to cause them trouble. They did not even inform them where and how to reach each other in the province. If Qiao Xuan went into the Yuezheng Family with her whole family, she was just being so rude and she would be disliked. The Yuezheng Family would mock them and hate them. First Madame would not like her any more. How ridiculous! County Magistrate Qiao, however, still tried to self console. ¡°Xuan and her husband are still too young to understand what they should do¡­ they may have forgotten to tell us.¡± ¡°I think her husband should have the basic rules about how to socialize with each other. They should not just go to the Yuezheng family like this. Go and meet them when you are in province together.¡± If Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were in a good rtionship with them, Madame Qiao should have all the reason to visit the Yuezheng Family, since she was the lineal mother of the family. Madame Qiao sneered. She had lost interest in the County Magistrate¡¯s words. He just wanted to save his own face and made himself convinced. Just wait and see¡­ She wondered what made Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan so precious that her husband defended them all the time? Qiao Wei felt even worse as her frustration grew. She couldn¡¯t help but vent her frustrations to her mother. ¡°Mom, is Dad out of his mind? Qiao Xuan, that wretched woman, is ying games with us, and yet Dad still defends her? What on earth has she done to him?¡± Madame Qiao sneered in response and turned to Qiao Wei. ¡°Wei, I have found a suitable suitor for you. You need to work hard and secure a promising future for your husband so that you canpletely overshadow Qiao Xuan!¡± Qiao Wei remained puzzled by her father¡¯s actions, but Madame Qiao seemed to have a better understanding of the situation. It became clear to Madame Qiao that her husband¡¯s favorable treatment towards Qiao Xuan stemmed from his belief in Shao Yunduan!s potential for a prosperous future. However, such predictions were never certain. The next morning, Madame Qiao, apanied by Qiao Wei, Qiao Kou, and Concubine Du, embarked on their journey to the province. Madame Qiao always made sure to bring Qiao Kou whenever matters concerning Qiao Xuan were involved. When neither Qiao Wei nor Madame Qiao held a proper position, it was Qiao Kou who would be forced to step forward and take charge. As for Concubine Du, Madame Qiao had no intention of leaving her alone with County Magistrate Qiao. Concubine Du understood Madame Qiao¡¯s motives, and her resentment towards the situation only deepened. Qiao Kou was filled with excitement when she received the invitation to travel to the province. Upon their arrival in the evening, they settled into a nearby hostel. Madame Qiao purposely selected a hostel that was in close proximity to the Yuezheng Family. Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan and her family had already moved into the mansion located in the alley. The mansion had always been well-maintained by the Yuezheng Family, and upon learning of their arrival, thorough cleaning had been done to ensure a fresh and weing atmosphere. The entire family was in awe of the magnificent mansion. ¡°Wow, this is our house? Oh my god, this is the province we¡¯ve been talking about! ¡° Chapter 772 - 772: Treatment Chapter 772: Treatment Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-inw are so incapable. I would never have gotten such a huge house in the province!¡± Qiao Wei eximed. Qiao Xuan smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the support and opportunities given by the Yuezheng Family. We are truly fortunate.¡± ¡°This is such a great ce. We will stay here for a few days and learn about the world!¡± Madame Qiao added with excitement. The family chit-chatted and explored their surroundings, growing more fascinated by the minute. Shao Junyan and Shao Qing, initially reserved, gradually loosened up and began to have fun in the garden, watching the fish in the pond from the railing. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni were equally amazed and delighted by the mansion. In the evening, Shao Yunduan arranged for a table of dishes to be delivered from a nearby restaurant. The whole family enjoyed a delicious meal together, engaging in lively conversation about their ns for sightseeing and entertainment. The atmosphere was joyful and animated. Upon their arrival, Qiao Xuan wasted no time and immediately sent a letter to First Madame to inform her of their presence in the province. The following morning, Qiao Xuan took the girls of the family and visited First Madame. First Madame was overjoyed to see them all. She warmly weed them and made sure they feltfortable. During the visit, First Madame arranged for the girls to meet Madame Yuezheng. They exchanged pleasantries and had a pleasant conversation before returning to their respective residences. In the past, First Madame had refrained from introducing Qiao Xuan to Madame Yuezheng, considering the scandal involving Ms. Mi Junior and her daughter. Madame Yuezheng had declined Qiao Xuan¡¯s visit at that time, But circumstances had changed. With Shao Yunduan¡¯s status as a Provincial Champion, Madame Yuezheng had to receive his mother and wife with respect. Therefore, Madame Yuezheng not only treated them with politeness but also prepared valuable gifts for the children. Even Ms. Mi Junior dared not mock Ms. Fang in this new situation. Unaware of Ms. Mi Junior and Madame Yuezheng¡¯s previous attitudes towards Qiao Xuan, Ms.Fang believed that their friendly behavior was genuine. She praised the Yuezheng Family for their impable manners, in stark contrast to the Zhao Family. Deep in thought, Qiao Xuan pondered the ancient belief that education and social status were highly valued. Having knowledge and a respectable name allowed one to escape being treated as low-ss in society. Many people, driven by the benefits of achieving a higher rank, dedicated themselves to studying and obtaining such positions. Upon returning to First Madame¡¯s residence, First Madame greeted them with a warm smile. ¡°Ms. Fang, nieces, and nephews, please make yourselves at home. Don¡¯t feel restrained. I want you to know that I truly cherish Xuan. I have always regarded her as my own daughter. Let¡¯s strive to foster a harmonious rtionship and be at ease with one another.¡± Everyone felt at ease and smiled, relieved by the weing atmosphere. First Madame¡¯s straightforward personality resonated well with Ms. Fang, who was known for her open-mindedness. They engaged in pleasant and cheerful conversations, creating a more rxed atmospherepared to their time at Madame Yuezhengs residence. Qiao Xuan and her family stayed for lunch before bidding farewell to First Madame. However, First Madame extended an invitation for them to spend the uing Double Ninth Day together. She mentioned arranging wagons for them to enjoy a half-day trip in the mountains. Delighted, Ms. Fang smiled and epted the invitation. Upon returning to their own house, First Madame sent a few individuals to deliver food and essential items. She reassured them that they could always seek assistance from her, emphasizing that it was preferable to obtain supplies from them rather than purchasing them in the market. Grateful for the kind gesture, Ms. Fang expressed her appreciation and epted the offer. In the afternoon, Yuezheng Xiao eagerly joined in the task of unpacking and organizing, excitedly handling the snow fungus, lipsticks, and dried cassavas.. Chapter 773 - 773: Promising Future Chapter 773: Promising Future Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan had a substantial amount of cassava powder, weighing 5KG, along with sun-dried cassavas. Yuezheng Xiao was impressed by the quantity and nned to send his men to fetch the remaining cassavas. In addition to the cassavas, Qiao Xuan also presented taro balls and bubbles to the family. Although they had enjoyed these treats extensively at home, it was Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s first time trying them. Qiao Xuan even suggested sending some to First Madame and Madame Yuezheng. Thebination of taro balls, bubbles, sugar water, and a portion of milk created a delightful and chewy dessert, which would surely be a favorite among the general poption. Yuezheng Xiao was delighted with the discovery. Not only did it provide a source of ie, but it also offered him a delicious food option. Furthermore, the family was intrigued by the exotic fruits from the south. Dragon fruits and pineapples, sourced from Qiao Xuan¡¯s home, piqued their interest. Madame Yuezheng particrly enjoyed bananas and dragon fruits, while the rest of the family appreciated all the fruits on offer. Yuezheng Xiao was amazed by Qiao Xuan and her familys ability to sessfully grow fruits. Without any hesitation, he promptly assigned a few people to search for dragon fruit, papaya, sugarcane, banana, and pineapple seedlings, as per Qiao Xuan¡¯s request. Dragon fruits and papayas were particrly favorable as they could be nted and grown at any time. If these fruits flourished, it would expand the variety of desserts avable. They might even be able to reduce their dependence on selling southern fruits by half. The future looked promising. On the day Madame Qiao and her family arrived in the province, Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, Ms. Fang, and Yang Xiaoni spent the entire day shopping. While Ms. Fang was not one to splurge, Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni couldn¡¯t resist indulging themselves when they came across a wide array of delicious foods. Ms. Fang felt a pang of concern seeing the expenses, but she reasoned that since they wouldn¡¯t visit the province often and the couple was using their own money, she didn¡¯t intervene to stop them from splurging. Both Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle were in awe of the bustling city, and spending an extra day there left them thoroughly satisfied with the experience. The excitement continued once they returned to their amodation. For the next two days, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan nned to explore the province with their family and celebrate the Double Ninth Day with the Yuezheng Family. Afterward, Shao Yunduan had some literary gatherings lined up where he would visit esteemed masters alongside Xie Jingrong. Shao Yunduan hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to engage in practical discussions with his fellow peers since bing the Provincial Champion. Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan decided to inspect thend she had recently purchased. With the autumn harvestpleted, there was an abundance of avableborers. Qiao Xuan made the decision to hire them to begin sorting out the 1,000 mu ofnd. Although they would have to wait until spring to cultivate bananas, sugarcane, and pineapples, they could start nting papayas, dragon fruits, tangerines, and pomelos right away. In addition to these new crops, Qiao Xuan also transferred some lemon and fig trees from the vige garden. While the winter temperatures in the region wouldn¡¯t drop below 5 degrees Celsius, except for the mountain peaks, there was still a possibility of frost, although snowfall was typically minimal. Before there happened one huge frost storm, and the fruits and crops were all damaged when that happened. But this case wasn¡¯t frequent. So Qiao Xuan decided to see if those fruits could still grow well after winter here, with her superpower as the protecting means.. Chapter 774 - 774: Fighting Forward Chapter 774: Fighting Forward Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions As long as the nts managed to survive the winter this year, the following year wouldn¡¯t pose a problem either. Rather than relying solely on supernatural powers, she sought assistance from Yuezheng Xiao to gather a significant amount of straw. This way, when the temperature dropped, she could cover the tree roots with straw to keep them warm. Additionally, she nned to create smoke in the vicinity to protect the fruit trees from frost damage. Qiao Xuan had meticulously prepared for this situation. A day prior to the Double Ninth Day, when Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were exploring the city with their families, the First Madame received a letter from Madame Qiao. In the letter, Madame Qiao acknowledged herself as Qiao Xuan¡¯s mother and expressed gratitude to the First Madame for taking care of him. The First Madame couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Madame Qiao is quite an interesting character¡­¡± Auntie Hua found this revtion equally surprising. She smiled and remarked, ¡°l wonder if she¡¯s aware that Mrs. Shao and her entire family are already present in the province.¡± The First Madame entered a contemtive state. Qiao Xuan had never mentioned anything about Madame Qiao¡¯s visit, and the First Madame had disyed no interest in meeting her. The Yuezheng Family held considerable influence and had no need to associate with a County Magistrate. Madame Yuezheng, as the esteemed guest of a high-ranking official¡¯s wife, surpassed Madame Qiao in every aspect. The First Madame had the choice to either receive her visit or decline it. ¡°Auntie, would you mind visiting Xuan and inquiring about her thoughts on the matter?¡± Essentially, this meant that if Qiao Xuan desired any form of retribution, the First Madame would support her. Auntie Hua replied and personally went to speak with Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan smiled and said, ¡°l forgot to inform Auntie about this. My lineal mother did suggest that I visit Auntie together with her, but I chose not to and ignored her request. I never expected them to arrive so quickly¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, Auntie. It holds no significance for us. If Auntie wishes to meet them, she may do so. If she prefers not to, that¡¯s perfectly fine as well. I know what I need to do.¡¯ Qiao Xuan had already thought about what to say to Madame Qiao when she inquired why they weren¡¯t traveling together. Her intention was to demonstrate to Officer Qiao that they were not mere puppets controlled by his strings, obligated to obey his everymand. If Officer Qiao couldn¡¯t tolerate it, Qiao Xuan secretly wished for a confrontation. If Officer Qiao could endure it, then she would have to put in even more effort to strengthen their rtionship. Auntie Hua understood Qiao Xuan¡¯s point. She nodded and asked, ¡°What will you say if she asks whether you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Auntie, you can tell her whatever she wants to hear. Just make sure not to disclose our whereabouts or reveal our business dealings with Young Master Yuezheng,¡± Qiao Xuan instructed Auntie Hua. Auntie Huaprehended the situation and nodded before taking her leave. In the guesthouse, Madame Qiao had mixed feelings upon hearing the response. The First Madame provided a diplomatic answer, stating that they were upied with numerous engagements on the Double Ninth Day and proposed visiting Madame Qiao the following day. This effectively prevented them from spending the day with the Yuezheng Family. Furthermore, while Madame Qiao mentioned Qiao Xuan, the First Madame made no mention of her in the reply, which surprised Madame Qiao. Qiao Wei found this unsurprising and sneered, ¡°That girl must be lying! If she truly had a good rtionship with the First Madame, why wouldn¡¯t the First Madame mention her?¡± The First Madame would have answered this question by stating that they never inquired about Qiao Xuan in the first ce.. Chapter 775 - 775: Visiting Chapter 775: Visiting Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Madame Qiao, having received a response that only expressed gratitude for taking care of Qiao Xuan and nothing more, refrained from adding any additional information herself. Madame Qiao pondered aloud, ¡°But if she¡¯s lying, where did she acquire the funds for such expensive jewelry?¡± Qiao Wei was at a loss for words. They had never possessed anything valuable like those ornaments, yet they could discern that none of them were counterfeit. ¡°We¡¯ll find out when we meet the First Madame. Unfortunately, we won¡¯t be able to spend the festival with the Yuezheng Family!¡¯ However, Qiao Wei found sce in the thought that Qiao Xuan must be in a simr situation to theirs. Their objective had been to spend the day with the Yuezheng Family in order to forge a closer bond. Regrettably, that goal remained unfulfilled, leaving them feeling greatly disappointed. On the day of the Double Ninth Festival, the First Madame and Yuezheng Xiao extended an invitation to the first section of the Shao Family to join them on a wagon ride outside the city. Nis. Jin had made all the arrangements in the abbey early in the morning. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, the abbey had been adorned with an abundance of specially cultivated chrysanthemums. Outside the abbey, wild chrysanthemums in various shades of light purple, yellow, and white nketed the mountains and ins, creating a stunning and captivating sight in this autumn season. Yuezheng Xiao took Shao Yunduan and his father for a tour outside, while the First Madame apanied Ms. Fang, Qiao Xuan, and the other girls on a mountain excursion. While mountains were amon sight in the countryside, the view here at the abbey was distinct and carefully chosen by the Yuezheng Family. The mountain path had been well-maintained, with numerous flowers and trees nted for people to admire. Along the way, several pavilions provided resting spots. The highest pavilion on the mountain was spacious, where guests were served fruit snacks, cooked tea, and enjoyed their beverages. When viewed from a distance, the scene was truly magnificent. The entire day passed joyfully, leaving everyone in high spirits. The First Madame decided to escort them directly back home, and they all agreed to spend the night together. The Yuezheng Family also had their own reunion on this day. When the First Madame, Old Master, and Yuezheng Xiao insisted that they join, Ms. Fang and her family couldn¡¯t refuse. The Old Master and the First Madame were deeply grateful to Qiao Xuan for saving their lives, and with the two families engaged in business together, it was only fitting that they gathered for a festive dinner. As the head of the family, the First Madame intended to address any misbehavior from the second section of the family during this special asion. Nis. Mi Junior wasn¡¯t foolish enough to cause trouble. She may not have been thrilled about the gathering, but she knew when to act ordingly. Madame Yuezheng epted the proposal, considering it was suggested by the first section of the family. Furthermore, Shao Yunduan held the title of Provincial Champion and maintained a good rtionship with Young Master Xie. Thus, it was advantageous for them to establish friendly ties with the Shao Family. Ms. Mi Junior didn¡¯t dare to cause trouble, but she and her daughter were eager to witness an entertaining spectacle. They believed that Shao Yunduan¡¯s title wouldn¡¯t make any significant difference. After all, they considered themselves a simple rural family with limited knowledge and experience. Such grand feasts and extravagant gatherings werepletely foreign to them. They were certain to be the subject of ridicule and mockery. However, what Ms. Mi Junior and her daughter were unaware of was that Qiao Xuan possessed exceptional cooking skills and was well-versed in a wide variety of dishes. She had never been hesitant to share her culinary creations with her family, who had enjoyed a diverse range of delicacies. While the county may have had limited ingredients, the province offered a wide selection. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan always made sure to bring an abundance of ingredients back home during their visits.. Chapter 776 - 776: Practical Chapter 776 - 776: Practical Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions As the sumptuous and expensive dishes were served on the table, they were indeed delicious, but not to the extent that the entire Shao Family abandoned their manners and devoured the food without restraint. Contrarily, Ms. Fang had never been an arrogant individual, and she had instilled good values in her children. Prior to their visit to the province, Ms. Fang had anticipated their trip to the Yuezheng Family and had asked Qiao Xuan to educate the family on proper etiquette in an affluent household. They were determined to learn and avoid any embarrassing situations. Although Qiao Xuan¡¯s knowledge was limited, having attended numerous banquets with the First Madame, she had acquired some understanding along the way. Thus, she imparted this knowledge to her family ordingly. Now, everything was put into practice. No one exhibited any misbehavior. Even Madame Yuezheng was pleasantly surprised. She had mentally prepared herself for any potential faux pas from this rural family. But such concerns were unnecessary. Even Madame Yuezheng couldn¡¯t help but admire the Shao Family, recognizing that they were genuinely kind-hearted and pleasant people. The first section of the family had truly made wise choices in their friendships. The dinner proceeded exceptionally well, with both guests and hosts thoroughly enjoying themselves. The atmosphere was lively and joyous. In the evening, the First Madame insisted that Yuezheng Xiao apany the Shao Family back home. Ms. Fang initially intended to decline the offer, but the First Madame insisted, saying, ¡°You are our guests, and that¡¯s how we treat our guests. Please don¡¯t be formal, Sister Fang.¡± Ms. Fang expressed her gratitude and epted the kind gesture. The following day, the First Madame even dispatched some of her staff to deliver two jars of wine, a basket of live crabs, and two baskets filled with fresh grapes and pomegranates to the Shao Family for their enjoyment. Ms. Fang expressed her sincere gratitude, continuously praising Qiao Xuan for befriending such wonderful individuals. Through this connection, she sessfully established a friendship with the First Madame and the kind-hearted Yuezheng Family. During this time, Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao paid a visit to the Shao Family. With old friends gathered together, the gathering was filled with warmth and happiness. Qiao Xuan, Taotao, and Yang Xiaoni decided to purchase additional ingredients from the nearby market and invited Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao to stay for lunch. They skillfully steamed the crabs and prepared various other delectable dishes. Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and eagerly took Qiao Kou and Qiao Wei to visit the Yuezheng Family. Concubine Du, on the other hand, was asked to remain at the hostel. Although Concubine Duined silently within her heart, she dared not voice her grievances or challenge Madame Qiao¡¯s decision. She knew better than to oppose Madame Qiao. Meanwhile, the First Madame treated everyone with kindness and grace, not finding fault with anyone but disying her impable manners. But First Madame had no intention of introducing them to Madame Yuezheng. While the First Madame treated them as guests, her hospitality was not entirely sincere. However, in the eyes of Madame Qiao and her two daughters, they were overwhelmed with excitement, feeling that the First Madame was showing them great warmth and affection. Unaware of their empty ttery, the First Madame grew increasingly impatient. She was on the verge of instructing Auntie Hua to find an excuse to politely decline their request when Madame Qiao suddenly inquired about Qiao Xuan. ¡°Xuan mentioned that she arrived in the province before us. She expressed her desire to pay her respects to you. Has she been here?¡± First Madame smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, Xuan and Sister Fang have already been here. In fact, I invited them to join us for a tour outside the city, and we even shared a celebratory dinner together yesterday in honor of the Double Ninth Festival.. Chapter 777 - 777: Visiting Chapter 777 - 777: Visiting Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°What? You invited them to spend the day together?¡± The three women¡¯s expressions instantly changed. Qiao Wei reacted the most fiercely, her anger bursting forth without any hesitation. First Madame observed their reactions and sneered inwardly, perplexed by their distress. Why did they care so much about her treating Qiao Xuan kindly? Why were they reacting so miserably, especially Elder Miss Qiao? She appeared as though she had been struck. First Madame couldn¡¯tprehend it at all. It was true that the entire family disliked Qiao Xuan and had never treated her well. But she had openly invited Qiao Xuan and her family to visit, with no intention of hiding her actions. She smiled and exined, ¡°l have always held great admiration for Xuan, and I genuinely like her. Her husband and my son have established a good rtionship, so when they came for a visit, I invited them to join us for dinner to celebrate and enjoy each other¡¯spany.¡± Qiao Kou found satisfaction in Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei¡¯s displeasure. However, upon hearing First Madame speak so highly of Qiao Xuan, she also felt annoyed. She smiled and inquired, ¡°So, the Second Sister was here? Where are they staying? My sisters and I have missed her terribly.¡± Madame Qiao forced a smile and requested, ¡°Please, do tell us.¡± She felt extremely irritated. However, she couldn¡¯t me First Madame for inviting Qiao Xuan and her inws to dinner while excluding them. Madame Qiao wasn¡¯t in a position to voice her displeasure, nor did she dare to do so. Before First Madame could respond, Qiao Wei interjected, ¡°The Second Sister is always so selfish. She only cares about herself and not others. We discusseding to the province together, but she arrived first without informing us. We don¡¯t even know where to find her.¡¯ First Madame¡¯s expression faltered upon hearing Qiao Wei¡¯s words. She forced a fake smile and remarked, ¡°l admire her strong-willed personality. She¡¯s a remarkable young woman, and I appreciate her assertiveness. Elder Miss Qiao, perhaps you have misunderstood her?¡± Madame Qiao, quick to defend her daughters, interrupted Qiao Wei, saying, ¡°They are close sisters and have always been carefree with each other. That¡¯s what Qiao Wei meant!¡± First Madame smiled and nodded, saying, ¡°Of course¡­¡± Auntie Hua finally found an excuse and said, ¡°First Madame, the housekeepers from the southern abbey are here waiting to see you. They have an urgent matter and need your attention before they leave, so¡­¡± First Madame gave a regretful smile to Madame Qiao and said, ¡°l apologize, but I must attend to this matter. Perhaps we can continue our conversation next time, Madame Qiao?¡± Madame Qiao, ustomed to being treated with respect and courtesy due to her association with County Magistrate Qiao, felt a surge of irritation. It had been years since she had been dismissed as a guest. Maintaining the family¡¯s reputation was crucial in business circles. Feeling her frustration mounting, she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. She stood up, forced a smile, and bid farewell, ¡°Very well, then. Goodbye!¡¯ ¡°Goodbye!¡¯ First Madame also rose from her seat and saw them off with a smile. Maids quickly stepped forward and escorted them out of the premises.. Chapter 778 - 778: Feeling Sorry Chapter 778 - 778: Feeling Sorry Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Wei and Qiao Kou felt a mix of disappointment and annoyance. They had expected First Madame to be generous and offer them presents as well. After all, she had showered Qiao Xuan with precious gifts. Why were they being treated so differently? They couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the Yuezheng Family didn¡¯t even bother to offer any presents during their first meeting. It seemed unfair and left them feeling overlooked. Unbeknownst to them, First Madame had indeed prepared some gifts. However, upon hearing Qiao Wei speak ill of Qiao Xuan and Qiao Kou constantly indicating their annoyance towards her, First Madame¡¯s initial goodwill wavered. She was a perceptive person and understood that maintaining superficial connections was unnecessary. Ultimately, she decided not to present them with any gifts. It was a subtle way of expressing her dissatisfaction and protecting Qiao Xuan from unfair treatment. Madame Qiao, on the other hand, grew increasingly irritated by her encounter with First Madame. She couldn¡¯t fathom what was wrong with the Yuezheng Family. She was about to return to the capital with her husband, and she had no intention of cultivating any further rtionship with them. Perhaps their family¡¯s business in the north wasn¡¯t doing as well as she had presumed. Madame Qiao couldn¡¯tprehend the arrogance disyed by the Yuezheng Family in treating an officer¡¯s wife so poorly. In her eyes, they were nothing more than a group of uncivilized and narrow-minded individualscking basic manners. While she acknowledged that there was little she could do about the Yuezheng Family directly, she was determined to make Qiao Xuan suffer. Madame Qiao refused to let Qiao Xuan believe that her husband¡¯s newfound status made her invincible. As the girl¡¯s biological mother, Madame Qiao believed she had the authority to teach her a lesson, despite her marriage. As Madame Qiao and her daughters departed from First Madame¡¯s residence, a realization struck her. First Madame had failed to provide them with the information regarding Qiao Xuan and her inw¡¯s whereabouts. However, it was not feasible for her to turn back and inquire at that moment. Madame Qiao reluctantly let go of the thought, feeling even more disgruntled. Just as she was leaving the mansion with her biological daughter and the concubine¡¯s daughter, they unexpectedly encountered Ms. Mi Junior. Ms. Mi Junior initially didn¡¯t recognize Madame Qiao and her daughters, resulting in a frown on her face. However, the maid intervened and introduced both parties to each other. Upon learning that Ms. Mi Junior was the Second Madame Yuezheng, Madame Qiao felt a surge of motivation and greeted her, inadvertently revealing her status as Qiao Xuan¡¯s biological mother. She wanted to make it clear that Qiao Xuan would never escape the influence of the Qiao Family. Nis. Mi Junior¡¯s eyes lit up, and she greeted Madame Qiao with a smile, ¡°Oh, Mrs. Shao¡¯s lineal mother, greetings!¡¯ ¡°You are too kind, Second Mrs. Yuezheng.¡± Madame Qiao felt even more irritated seeing Ms.Mi Junior greet her for Qiao Xuan¡¯s sake. Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that wretched girl had managed to gather so many allies. She knew that First Madame didn¡¯t wish to keep her around, and Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s husband had sons of his own. It was a well-known fact that biological mothers and the children of concubines were rarely on good terms. Thus, Ms. Mi Junior saw an opportunity to cause trouble, leveraging her position as the Second Madame to spite Qiao Xuan¡¯s lineal mother. ¡°My Elder Sister-inw must be too busy to receive you well. I am free. If you want, what about having tea with me? We can have some nice chats with each other too.¡¯ Faced with Ms.Mi Junior¡¯s warm, open arms, Madame Qiao and the two daughters were so surprised and d. They were never going to miss this open opportunity. Madame Qiao epted the invitation directly. Therefore, the three women walked away with Ms.Mi Junior. But the maid who was supposed to lead them out could not do anything, but reported the situation to First Madame honestly. First Madame was very surprised. But she did not mind. Instead, she smiled briefly, ¡°My sister-inw is very hospitable.¡± She was never up to any good. But that did not bother her.. Chapter 779 Unfriendly Visit 779 Unfriendly Visit She was up to no good. But that did not bother her. Ms. Mi Junior''s actions and desires were beyond First Madame''s control, as she was an independent individual with her own motives. However, First Madame remained unconcerned about Ms. Mi Junior''s tricks. Madame Qiao and her two daughters were warmly received by Ms. Mi Junior and her family. They had pleasant conversations, and Yuezheng Ting, Qiao Kou, and Qiao Wei quickly formed a friendship. It was a surprising turn of events for Madame Qiao and her daughters, leaving them highly satisfied when they departed in the afternoon. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om During their conversation, they foundmon ground in their dislike for Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, and the Shao Family. Madame Qiao couldn''t help but sneer as they left the Yuezheng Family, instructing the coachman to take them to the alleyway. That damned girl had the audacity to buy a house in the province! Bah! On that particr day, Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao paid a visit to Shao Yunduan. They spent half a day together and extended an invitation for a small gathering the next day before their departure. Madame Qiao and her daughters arrived immediately after Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao had left. Qiao Xuan and her family had been exploring the city and enjoying various activities, such as attending flower shows and hiking. They decided to have a well-deserved rest at home in theing days. As a result, Qiao Xuan, Ms. Fang, and the rest of the family were all present at home when Madame Qiao and her daughters arrived. The gate housekeepers were previously employed by First Madame. She had even transferred their contracts to Qiao Xuan, so they now worked for her. They were responsible for taking care of the house in Qiao Xuan''s absence. Auntie Ling knocked forcefully on the door, and when the housekeeper opened it, he was greeted by Madame Qiao, her two daughters, two maids, and Auntie Ling. They all seemed to exude an air of intensity that made him feel slightly uneasy. The housekeeper was taken aback by the unexpected visitors. "Excuse me, who are you?" he asked, trying to regain hisposure. Auntie Ling put on a strained smile. "Yes, this is the residence of the Shao Family from Shaoding Vige. We havee to visit." The housekeeper nodded, still somewhat bewildered. "Very well. Madame Qiao is the lineal mother of your Mrs. Shao. Please inform her and ask her toe out and greet us," Auntie Ling instructed, her tone leaving no room for argument. The housekeeper hesitated for a moment. He was unaware of the rtionship between Madame Qiao and Mrs. Shao. However, without questioning further, he allowed them to enter and promptly informed his wife to ry the news to Mrs. Shao. Madame Qiao observed the expansive yard with a mix of envy and annoyance, her resentment growing. She was determined to take out her frustrations on Qiao Xuan. Upon hearing of their arrival, Qiao Xuan greeted the news with a smile. "I was just thinking about them. I didn''t expect them to arrive so quickly." Ms. Fang hesitated, concern evident on her face. "Qiao Xuan, they havee here so swiftly. What do you n to do? This house has plenty of rooms. If you don''t mind, we can amodate them for the night." Qiao Xuan understood her mother-inw''''s worries, aware that amodating Madame Qiao and her daughters could strain their already delicate rtionship. "Don''t worry, Mom," Qiao Xuan reassured her. "There''s no need for them to stay overnight. I promise they won''t want to." "That''s good to hear," Ms. Fang replied, relieved. She, too, had no desire for Madame Qiao and her daughters to spend the night in their home. Feeling reassured by Qiao Xuan''s words, Ms. Fang smiled warmly. "I will go and see what our guests want. Xiaoni, Taotao, Chunyu, Chunfen, let''s all go and see them." Chapter 780 The Qiao Familys Business 780 The Qiao Family''s Business n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om She was determined to support her daughter-inw, ready to confront any bullying from her lineal mother. With a sense of warmth in her heart, Qiao Xuan smiled confidently. "Alright, let''s go and see what they want." The group made their way to the front yard, where they were met with piercing gazes from Madame Qiao and her two daughters. "Qiao Xuan, how dare you buy a house behind our backs? Exin yourself!" Madame Qiao''s voice was filled with anger. Qiao Wei couldn''t contain her frustration any longer and erupted in a furious shout. "Exin yourself, Qiao Xuan!" Qiao Xuan raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Exin? What for?" "Hmph, you''re speechless, aren''t you? If it wasn''t for Second Mrs. Yuezheng, we wouldn''t have found out about this!" Qiao Wei''s voice was filled with contempt. Ms. Fang cleared her throat, disying confusion. "Madame Inw, your daughter is speaking quite rudely. Why should we have to inform you about our house purchases?" Qiao Wei. "¡­" Madame Qiao was stuck in words. Indeed, the Shao Family had every right to purchase the house without informing the Qiao Family, as they didn''t rely on them for financial support. The Qiao Family''s furious rush forward seemed unreasonable. Qiao Wei, determined to provoke a confrontation, sneered, "We''re all here together, so why pretend? Qiao Xuan, did you pay for that house? Where did you get the money from?" Qiao Xuan did buy the house and possessed the contract. However, Ms. Fang had never asked her about it or sought to im ownership for herself. Being an honest person, she appeared somewhat hesitant. Qiao Xuan spoke up, "Elder Sister, you''ve never been to the Shao Family, so how can you know their financial situation? The Shao Family purchased the house. Young Master Yuezheng and my husband have been friends for a long time, so it''s only natural for him to assist when my husband wanted to buy a house like this." Qiao Wei seethed with anger and eximed, "Second Mrs. Yuezheng imed that First Madame gave you this house!" Qiao Xuan responded calmly, "Oh, she lied." Qiao Wei sneered, "That''s impossible!" "Why do you think so? If you want, you can bring Second Mrs. Yuezheng and First Madame here, and we can all discuss this together." Qiao Wei red at her fiercely. She knew she would never be able to bring Second Mrs. Yuezheng or First Madame here. Qiao Xuan was deliberately making things difficult for her! It was all intentional! "Alright, Wei," Madame Qiao understood the situation clearly. They knew something fishy was going on, but theycked proof to support their ims. Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang exchanged arguments, but they couldn''t find any inconsistencies in each other''s statements. "Mrs. Inw, why don''t you invite us inside for some tea?" Ms. Fang stepped aside and said, "Pleasee in." Madame Qiao nced at Qiao Xuan with a mix of disappointment and concern. "Didn''t you say we were traveling together? Why did you leave on your own? Your father and I missed you!" Qiao Xuan responded calmly, "Mom and Dad, Third Brother, Third Sister-inw, Taotao, and Qi were all eager toe here. I was so caught up in the excitement that I forgot to inform you. I apologize, Mother. I will talk to Father about this. He is understanding, and I''m sure he won''t hold it against me." Chapter 781 Cheap Deal 781 Cheap Deal Madame Qiao. "¡­." Madame Qiao''s anger intensified. She had not expected Qiao Xuan to be so adept at handling the situation. It only fueled her regret further. She wondered why she had allowed Qiao Xuan to marry Shao Yunduan in the first ce. Perhaps she should have sent her to be a nun instead. Qiao Wei couldn''t bear Qiao Xuan''s deliberate arguments. "You did this on purpose! What a pathetic excuse! Qiao Xuan, you are truly wicked!" Qiao Xuan inwardly sighed, thinking, "How can you be so foolish?" Unsurprisingly, Ms. Fang didn''t take kindly to Qiao Wei''s usation. She retorted, "Elder Miss Qiao, my daughter-inw is telling the truth. We were all eager to explore the province, so we came together as a family." Yang Xiaoni chimed in, "Yes, we were all excited about this trip. My Fifth Sister-inw is incredibly kind and patient, exining everything to us because we are unfamiliar with the area. It''s only natural that she got caught up and forgot to inform you. Can''t you understand that?" Taotao chimed in, saying, "We''re not perfect, we can forget things!" "Yeah, stop nitpicking!" "You''re right, everyone can forget things!" Qiao Xuan smiled warmly and contentedly, her eyes sparkling with joy. It was indeed a delightful day. Qiao Wei''s face contorted in frustration. What was going on? How had Qiao Xuan managed to win everyone over? Had she bought them off? Qiao Kou couldn''t help but feel bitter and envious. It seemed like the women from the Shao Family were all standing up for Qiao Xuan and contradicting Qiao Wei. Qiao Xuan was incredibly fortunate to have such supportive inws. In the end, it turned out that Qiao Xuan was the one who had struck gold. Qiao Xuan''s poprity among the Shao Family took Madame Qiao by surprise. She hadn''t expected the women from the countryside to stand up for Qiao Xuan and contradict her own daughter. Yet, she couldn''t deny that Qiao Xuan had carelessly fallen into their trap, leaving her with no excuses to defend her. Madame Qiao sighed inwardly, realizing that her daughter''s impulsive behavior had put her in a difficult position. Trying to diffuse the tension, Madame Qiao forced a smile. "Wei has always wanted to travel with Xuan, and she was disappointed when it didn''t happen. That''s why she spoke rudely. Please, Mrs. Inw, don''t be angry with her." Qiao Xuan gracefully responded, "It''s alright, Mother. My mother-inw is understanding and forgiving. She won''t hold any grudges against my sister. She exined herself to avoid any misunderstandings." Yang Xiaoni chimed in, "Yes, my mother-inw is truly wonderful. She treats us with so much kindness!" The two sister-inws exchanged a warm smile, appreciating each other''s positive qualities. Yang Xiaoni, being down-to-earth and genuine, continued to speak highly of her mother-inw, unaware of the underlying tension. However, Qiao Xuan noticed Madame Qiao''s subtle mockery of her mother-inw and refused to let it slide. She wouldn''t allow Madame Qiao to belittle her mother-inw. Ms. Fang, feeling pleased and grateful, beamed and said, "That''s because you are so kind, so I treat you well in return. I''m not a mean person! Pleasee in and have a seat, Mrs. Inw!" Madame Qiao tightly held Qiao Wei''s hands, maintaining a smile as they took their seats. Chunyu then served the tea. As Madame Qiao sipped the tea, she suddenly realized that she had nothing more to say. How could she interrogate Qiao Xuan about the house or her decision to leave without them? She was at a loss for words and unsure how to proceed. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Chapter 782 - 782: Staying Away Chapter 782 - 782: Staying Away Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Madame Qiao was aware that First Madame held a dislike towards them, and she acknowledged First Madame¡¯s strong and independent nature, making it difficult to influence her. Qiao Xuan¡¯s behavior didn¡¯t offer much support either, as her attitude seemed to align with First Madame¡¯s. Despite this, Madame Qiao felt fortunate to have made a connection with Second Mrs. Yuezheng. However, what Madame Qiao didn¡¯t realize was that Second Mrs. Yuezheng had no involvement in the family¡¯s business affairs. Shecked the capability to contribute or meddle in any significant way. Her only purpose seemed to be sowing discord among the family members, making her a rather futile contact. Nheless, Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t leave abruptly. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she decided to take her leave, requesting Qiao Xuan to see them off. ¡°l would like to have a word with you,¡± Madame Qiao stated. ¡°Of course, Mother,¡± Qiao Xuan responded promptly, showing no hesitation. Ms. Fang and Yang Xiaoni exchanged worried nces as they observed the interaction between Madame Qiao and Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan reassured them with a smile and a slight shake of her head, indicating that she could handle the situation. Madame Qiao grew increasingly annoyed by this disy. She felt a sense of frustration towards how the entire family seemed to perceive her. How could an inw family behave in such a manner? Qiao Xuan apanied them outside. In the front yard, Madame Qiao cast a nce at the others, signaling her desire to speak with Qiao Xuan privately. Qiao Wei wasn¡¯t particrly pleased, but after a momentary exchange of nces with Qiao Xuan, she reluctantlyplied. ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡± Qiao Xuan asked with a smile. ¡°You are the wife of the Provincial Champion, and your poprity is soaring. I don¡¯t dare to give you any orders!¡± Madame Qiao remarked sarcastically. Qiao Xuan maintained a pretense of ignorance towards the mockery, responding with a bashful smile, ¡°I¡¯m not that popr, but I¡¯m happy. After all, my husband holds the title of Provincial Champion!¡¯ Madame Qiao¡¯s expression softened slightly. Why had she attempted to mock Qiao Xuan in the first ce? She gazed at Qiao Xuan intently and asked, ¡°Qiao Xuan, I can see through you now. Do you hate me and the Old Master?¡± Qiao Xuan denied it, a serene expression on her face. ¡°That¡¯s not true. We can simply keep our distance from each other, just as we have done in the past.¡± Madame Qiao sneered, ¡°Shao Yunduan is still far from bing an official. Are you already trying to push us away?¡± Qiao Xuan countered, ¡°Haven¡¯t we always been distant from each other? What do you mean by pushing you away now?¡± Madame Qiao felt a mix of shame and anger welling up within her. Indeed, their rtionship had been virtually nonexistent until Old Master sought to curry favor with Shao Yunduan, considering his promising future. ¡°You truly despise us. What do you think the Old Master will do when he learns of this?¡± Madame Qiao questioned. Qiao Xuan maintained her smile. ¡°As a married daughter, you have no power over me. Madame Qiao, focus on earning the trust of County Magistrate Qiao first.¡¯ ¡°You!¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s mind raced with one thought¡ªI won¡¯t let her live in peace. I won¡¯t let Shao Yunduan seed! Otherwise, this wretched girl will overshadow and trample over me! ¡°You were the one who made the lipsticks, weren¡¯t you?¡± Madame Qiao suddenly inquired, recalling the information she had heard from Ms. Mi Junior. The poprity of the lipsticks was undeniable, and Madame Qiao was well aware of how challenging it was to obtain one. Qiao Xuan, in her eyes,cked the skill to create such exquisite products. However, Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t dismiss the possibility that Ms. Mi Junior had spoken the truth. Qiao Xuan had been deceiving her all along, hiding her true abilities. She lied. She lied so she could create those lipsticks, Madame Qiao realized. Qiao Xuan met her gaze, a smile ying on her lips as she nodded. ¡°Yes, I did.. Chapter 783 - 783: Trouble Chapter 783: Trouble Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Madame Qiao felt a surge of anger and frustration upon learning the extent of Qiao Xuan¡¯s sess. It was a substantial amount of money that Qiao Xuan had made from the lipstick business. The poprity of the lipsticks had persisted for over a year in the province, and yet Madame Qiao and her Old Master had struggled immensely to gather enough funds for Old Master¡¯s position in the capital. If only she had known about Qiao Xuan¡¯s financial sess earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have endured so many sleepless nights or sold precious belongings. Qiao Xuan, seemingly aware of Madame Qiao¡¯s vexation, added fuel to the fire with a mischievous smile. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not entirely my doing. My sister-inws have been instrumental, and this wealth belongs to the Shao Family.¡± Madame Qiao forced a smile, understanding that Qiao Xuan was purposefully provoking her. However, she was at a loss as to what she could do about the situation. Even though she now knew that Qiao Xuan was the mastermind behind the profitable lipstick business, she was powerless to take action against her. Madame Qiao¡¯s mind was filled with determination. She refused to let go of the matter regarding the lipsticks. She nned to discuss it with the Old Master, seeking to acquire the instructions and secure a continuous source of wealth for their family. With the sess of the lipstick business, both she and the Old Master would no longer have to face financial hardships. Furthermore, Madame Qiao had heard that the lipsticks had made their way to the capital and were receiving positive acim. If she could obtain the source of these lipsticks, she could establish connections with influential and noble individuals, potentially improving their social standing. For now, she would have to endure and bide her time. ¡°The Shao Family is indeed remarkable. You¡¯re fortunate to have married into such a capable family,¡± Madame Qiao remarked sarcastically. Qiao Xuan maintained herposure and replied, ¡°Thank you for acknowledging their assistance, Mother. I will always remember your kindness.¡¯ Madame Qiao sneered in response. ¡°Make sure you do.¡± She then took Qiao Wei and Qiao Kou with her, and Qiao Wei was on the verge of asking a question when she abruptly stopped. ¡°Mother, the Shao Family is quite formidable. Shao Yunduan is just an ordinary Rmended Man. They think they have already reached great heights!¡¯ Qiao Wei was seething with anger. ¡®Qiao Xuan never mentioned this house to us. Is it so degrading to have a house like this? She didn¡¯t even invite us to stay. But I wouldn¡¯t want to stay with her either! And she doesn¡¯t say a word about it!¡± ¡°Mothere she¡¯s humiliating you!¡± Qiao Wei eximed. her frustration evident. Madame Qiao¡¯s expression turned cold. Indeed, Qiao Xuan was humiliating her. She was also humiliating the Old Master. They were both in trouble now. The Old Master was too foolish to realize that they were not hated. The couple was narrow-minded and sought revenge. ¡°Let it go. Don¡¯t waste your anger on such people. We now know everything about her, and I will have a serious conversation with your father,¡± Madame Qiao stated firmly. ¡°And don¡¯t mention the lipsticks in front of her.¡± Qiao Wei¡¯s eyes gleamed with curiosity. She asked indignantly, ¡°I almost forgot to ask her. Mother, did she really make those lipsticks?¡± Madame Qiao nodded. Qiao Wei gasped, her disbelief evident on her face. Qiao Kou looked up, his expression filled with shock. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Qiao Wei eximed, struggling to ept the reality. ¡°How could she possibly create something as amazing as lipsticks? It¡¯s impossible!¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s tone turned ominous as she responded, ¡°I thought the same. When did that wretched girl learn about this? But just look at her, always pretending, and we never knew what she was capable of!¡± Qiao Wei was at a loss for words.. Chapter 784 - 784: Invitation Chapter 784: Invitation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan had undergone a remarkable transformation from her previous timid demeanor as the daughter of a concubine. Second Mrs. Yuezhengs words held a persuasive power that resonated with Qiao Wei. It became apparent that the favorable treatment Qiao Xuan and the Shao Family received from the Yuezheng Family was not due to genuine friendship but driven by their pursuit of profits. The memory of the alluring lipsticks, particrly the limited editions she had glimpsed in a store a few days ago, filled Qiao Wei¡¯s mind, intensifying her desire to acquire them immediately. ¡°Mom, can¡¯t we get a few sets from her?¡± Qiao Wei blurted out, referring to the woman in question. Qiao Kou, equally captivated by the allure of the lipsticks, contemted for a moment and then smiled, saying, ¡°Mother, I also wish to have some. After all, our sister is the one who creates them. It seems only fair that she shares a few with us, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Madame Qiao responded, ¡°Let¡¯s not ask her right away. I have a n.¡± Qiao Wei¡¯s dissatisfaction was evident, but Qiao Kou, ever agreeable, smiled and expressed her agreement with their mother¡¯s decision. The Qiao Family¡¯s absence from the doorstep brought a sense of relief to the Shao Family. Qiao Xuan shifted her focus towards purchasing 1,000 mu ofnd instead. With the assistance of the Yuezheng Family, she smoothly carried out the development n for the barrennds by enlisting people to conduct explorations. Qiao Xuan once again approached Yuezheng Xiao, requesting additional seeds of tangerines, pomeloes, dragon fruits, and papayas from the southern region. The more seeds she could acquire, the better. She resolved to nt them as soon as possible, eager to see if her extraordinary abilities could help them survive the winter. If mangoes, lychees, and longans bore fruit next year, she intended to expand their cultivation further. Yuezheng Xiao, disying great generosity, responded by personally hiring reliable individuals from his own familypany to procure the seeds. Ensuring the survival of the transported seedlings became their primary concern, though Qiao Xuan and the others were confident it wouldn¡¯t pose significant difficulties. Qiao Xuan held no worries about the transportation process. These seedlings were not delicate or fragile; they could withstand the journey without issue. Particrly the dragon fruits and papayas, which were known for their resilience. In addition to acquiring fruits from the southern region, Qiao Xuan secured 30 mu ofnd for lemon trees and another 20 mu for figs. Once Qiao Xuan finalized the n, she no longer had to visit the fields daily since Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s team took care of the necessary arrangements. However, Qiao Xuan didn¡¯tpletely delegate the responsibility. She continued to make regr visits to the fields. Sometimes, she would bring along Taotao and Yang Xiaoni, allowing them to apany her and learn more about the process, which would prove beneficial for their own knowledge. On a particr day, an unexpected invitation arrived from Yuezheng Ting, inviting Qiao Xuan to a gathering. Qiao Xuan was taken aback by the surprise invitation but ultimately epted it wholeheartedly. Qiao Xuan found herself without thepany of Yang Xiaoni, Taotao, or Chunyu. However, she knew she had to protect herself even without their presence. Escorted by a female maid, Qiao Xuan climbed into a wagon that would take them beyond the city¡¯s limits. Curiosity did not drive her to inquire about their destination. Eventually, they arrived at a mansion situated in an outskirts area. Qiao Xuan spotted Yuezheng Ting engaged in conversation with Qiao Kou and Qiao Wei. While she hadn¡¯t anticipated this meeting, she wasn¡¯t surprised either. Madame Qiao had previously spoken with Ms. Mi Junior, and it was only natural for Qiao Kou and Qiao Wei to form a friendship. Qiao Xuan understood the underlying dynamics. ¡°Mrs. Shao, how unexpected to have you respond to my invitation. What a delightful surprise!¡± Yuezheng Ting sneered, her toneced with mockery. Yuezheng Ting knew that she could never marry Xie Jingrong. Yet, she refused to be forced into a union with anyone else, especially when her mother persisted in finding a suitable suitor. Yuezheng Ting was determined to find a way to escape such arrangements.. Chapter 785 - 785: Bold Talks Chapter 785 - 785: Bold Talks Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Xie Jingrong held a special ce in Yuezheng Tings heart. He served as her standard when it came to seeking a potential suitor. When Yuezheng Ting faced obstacles that prevented her from reaching her goals, she often needed to direct her frustration towards someone else, as a means to convince herself that her own abilities were not at fault. Regrettably, Qiao Xuan was the unfortunate target of this misced anger. ¡°Thank you, Lady Yuezheng. I could never refuse your gracious invitation. However, it would have been nice if you had informed me about my sisters. That would have brought me even more joy!¡¯ Qiao Wei snorted dismissively, casting a cold gaze in her direction. This woman truly excelled at boastful remarks. Not a hint of embarrassment crossed her face! No wonder Mother had admitted to misjudging her character. Qiao Xuan now understood why. Qiao Kou exchanged a nce with Qiao Xuan, chuckling softly. ¡°It¡¯s never toote to learn about it now, sister.¡¯ Qiao Xuan responded, her toneced with humor, ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ll simply consider it a grand surprise party in my honor.¡± The three girls. ¡® A grand surprise party? Qiao Xuan really knew how to make herself special, didn¡¯t she? ¡°We¡¯d like to visit Lingyuan Temple and see the flowers. M/hy don¡¯t we go together?¡± Yuezheng Ting suggested, her tone betraying annoyance. Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t refuse the proposal; instead, she smiled and agreed. They boarded the wagon and set off towards Lingyuan Temple. The temple wasn¡¯t too far from the mansion, and they reached it within half an hour. Nestled amidst the mountains, the temple was surrounded by towering ancient trees. As they ascended the steps, the tranquility of the surroundings dispelled the remnants of summer¡¯s heat. Normally, climbing the mountain with close friends and family would be a delightful experience, creating a sense of contentment. However, with Yuezheng Ting, Qiao Kou, and Qiao Wei by her side, Qiao Xuan had to remain cautious and curious. Qiao Xuan had no idea of their true intentions for bringing her here, but she was certain that they had ulterior motives. With her superpower by her side, Qiao Xuan felt no worry at all. Lady Yuezheng held considerable influence, and it seemed she had made prior arrangements, as the monks warmly received them and provided a serene courtyard for their rest. Qiao Kou and Qiao Wei rarely ventured out, as there were limited ces for amusement in the county. Thus, they disyed great interest in the temple, which was renowned as one of the province¡¯s three great temples. As Yuezheng Ting had visited numerous times, she took great pride in showing them around and sharing information about its history. Thendscape in the back mountain was breathtakingly beautiful. On this delightful autumn day, flowers adorned every corner. Yuezheng Ting guided them through the scenic areas, and they engaged in pleasant conversations as they strolled. The mountainous terrain was rugged, twisting, and uneven¡ªfar from t. Yuezheng Ting and Qiao Wei exchanged a knowing nce before shifting their gaze to their maids. Li¡¯ er and Fendie approached Qiao Xuan with deliberate slowness, before suddenly giving her a push and a shove. With a startled scream, Qiao Xuan tumbled down the hill, rolling all the way until shended amidst the shrubbery, her cries echoing in the air. Observing Qiao Xuan lying motionless in the grass, the group assumed she had lost consciousness. Yuezheng Ting chuckled and sneered, ¡°l thought she was quite nimble. Turns out, she¡¯s just a fragile little thing.¡± Qiao Kou joined in theughter, remarking, ¡°She brought this upon herself by being so confident anding alone.¡± ¡°That was a foolish decision on her part,¡± added another girl. The trio erupted inughter, relishing in the situation. Qiao Wei, wearing a satisfied expression, ttered Yuezheng Ting with a smile. ¡®You are truly clever, Sister Yuezheng. With her reputation ruined, she will never be able to recover.¡± They eagerly anticipated whether Qiao Xuan¡¯s Provincial Champion husband would still want her after such a downfall.. Chapter 786 - 786: Not That Easy Chapter 786 - 786: Not That Easy Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Ting joined in theughter. ¡°Indeed. I despise her, and it¡¯s satisfying to see her in this state.¡± Qiao Xuan the woman had been married, but she continued to seduce Brother Xie and nder Qiao Xuan in his presence, deliberately creating misunderstandings. Yuezheng Ting had no intention of allowing her to live a peaceful life. ncing at the others, Yuezheng Ting reminded them, ¡°Remember our n? We cannot afford any mistakes if questioned.¡± Qiao Wei and the others nodded in agreement. They had rehearsed their story beforehand. They would im that they had traveled together, and Qiao Xuan had insisted on reaching the flowers on the steep hill but had a mishap and fell. Initially, they hadn¡¯t paid much attention, but their panic grew when they couldn¡¯t tind her. They had searched everywhere but failed, which led to them seeking help from the temple staff. The three girls exchanged sinister smirks. By presenting this narrative, when they eventually went to search for Qiao Xuan, everything would have transpired as nned. Whatever happened to Qiao Xuan would no longer be their concern. Qiao Xuan had brought this upon herself by epting their invitation despite having offended them. Not everyone was as gullible and feeble as she seemed. The three girls chatted and walked, their confidence and wickedness evident in their smiles. They decided to spend an hour in a secluded area before heading to the temple to enlist someone¡¯s assistance in searching for Qiao Xuan. However, as they took a few steps, their feet became entangled in vines, causing them to trip and roll downhill into the shrub, huddled closely together. Qiao Xuan, using her superpower, had been closely monitoring their every move and conversation since their arrival at Lingyuan Temple. She witnessed Yuezheng Ting and Qiao Wei instructing the maids to push her. Being aware of their malicious intentions, she strategically positioned herself to roll down the hill at the exact moment of their push. Utilizing her powers, she had vines protect her during the descent. Thus, despite appearing disheveled and injured from the girls¡¯ perspective, she waspletely unharmed. However, rolling downhill did result in some minor injuries, but they were inconsequential. Lying motionless, Qiao Xuan employed her full superpower to capture theirughter and venomous words. She couldn¡¯tprehend why girls raised in prominent families would exhibit such wickedness at such a young age. They delighted in tormenting others due to their wealth and influence, and today, Qiao Xuan would repay them for their actions. They would not be allowed to leave unscathed. Therefore, harnessing her superpower, Qiao Xuan caused the vines to rapidly grow and strengthen, creating a tangle that tripped the girls, sending them tumbling downhill. The effect of her superpower on the nts was temporary, and they would soon return to their normal state. However, it would take approximately half a month for the nts to fully recover.. Chapter 787 - 787: Capable and Fearless Chapter 787: Capable and Fearless Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower served as her ultimate weapon, granting her immunity to toxins and instilling her with unwavering fearlessness. She could confidently go anywhere without concern, including epting Yuezheng Tings invitation. As anticipated, they all tumbled downhill and lost consciousness,pletely unaware of Qiao Xuan¡¯s intervention. However, she used her powers to deliver a light, precise p on the back of their heads, causing them to remain unconscious. Qiao Xuan believed that once they woke up, they would feel something amiss but attribute it to fear and confusion rather than suspecting her involvement. With no tangible evidence, they would be unable to find fault with her. Carefully concealing herself behind the shrubs, Qiao Xuan observed the evil-hearted women, eager to uncover their true intentions. She had nothing to fear; she was in control. A surge of anger coursed through Qiao Xuan¡¯s veins. These two men must be searching for her, assuming she would still be unconscious. Yuezheng Ting and Qiao Wei had stooped to unimaginable depths of darkness. The men continued their search, ncing around until their gaze finally fell upon Yuezheng Ting and the other girls. Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t disclose the exact number of girls they spotted, but the tone of surprise indicated that there were more than one. The confusion on the men¡¯s faces was evident, but since they didn¡¯t recognize Yuezheng Ting or Qiao Wei, they decided not to pass up the opportunity presented by the seemingly slumbering beauties before them. Engaging in a brief, hushed conversation, the two men then proceeded to approach different girls, each iming their own ¡°prize.¡± Just as the two men approached the women, Qiao Xuan unleashed her superpower, causing the vines to grow rapidly and deliver powerful ps to the back of their heads. The force sent them tumbling to the ground, with one falling onto Yuezheng Ting and the other onto Qiao Wei. It was as if fate had intervened, cing them in their deserved positions. Qiao Xuan, though harboring deep resentment towards them, didn¡¯t want to stoop to their level of malice. She couldn¡¯t bear to witness two young women being humiliated by independent men. Her revenge had its limits, for she sought to teach them a lesson rather than inflictsting harm. Remaining in her hidden spot, Qiao Xuan sat in the grass, her gaze fixed on the unfolding events. Soon enough, a representative from the temple arrived to escort them for lunch. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but smile, knowing that a captivating spectacle was about to ensue. The temple¡¯s representatives were two teenage monks who possessed extensive knowledge of the mountain terrain. When they failed to locate the women in the designated area, they grew increasingly worried. Aware of the steep slopes and potential hazards, their concern escted. Finally, their search led them to the sight of the women lying downhill. Filled with rm, they hurriedly returned to the temple to summon additional help.. Chapter 788 - 788: Crazy Chapter 788: Crazy Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Upon witnessing the women lying in such a manner, the two teenage monks refrained from approaching. They hesitated, fearful of potential usations andcking evidence to defend themselves. Instead, they swiftly returned to the temple and guided dozens of other monks to the scene. Qiao Xuan, aware of the imminent arrival of the monks, positioned herself among the motionless figures and closed her eyes, feigning unconsciousness. As the monks gathered around, the scene transformed into a grand spectacle. Qiao Xuan observed the unfolding drama in silence, just meters away. Taking advantage of themotion, she discreetly employed her superpower, extending the nt roots towards Yuezheng Ting and Qiao Wei, causing them to gradually awaken. Yuezheng Ting and Qiao Wei regained consciousness, their eyes falling upon the unsightly, disheveled man lying on top of them. A horrified scream escaped their lips. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Shortly after, Qiao Xuan was discovered as well. She ¡°slowly woke up,¡± deliberately portraying a pale, frightened expression on her face, as if she too had endured a terrifying ordeal. The three maids, equally distressed and injured, joined in the chorus of cries. Upon returning to the temple, Yuezheng Ting and Qiao Wei remained engulfed in a whirlwind of humiliation and fury. Tears streamed down their faces as they cursed vehemently, unable toprehend the unexpected turn of events. They had never imagined that a simple trip could lead to such a horrifying encounter. The mere sight of those two unknown men hovering above them had etched a nightmare into their souls, an ordeal they believed would haunt them forever. To make matters worse, their distressing ordeal had unfolded in front of numerous witnesses. Consumed by anger, the two girls yearned to seek vengeance. They directed their curses towards the men and, ultimately, Qiao Xuan, ming her for orchestrating the entire incident. However, Qiao Xuan calmly defended herself, asserting her innocence. ¡°1 had no part in this. I fell first and lost consciousness. How could I possibly have set you up?¡± The sincerity in Qiao Xuan¡¯s words resonated with the monks, who found her exnation convincing. Nevertheless, the rage within Yuezheng Ting and Qiao Wei remained unabated, rendering them impervious to any form of reasoning. The two women¡¯s curses grew fiercer, their determination to never forgive Qiao Xuan intensifying. ¡°Of course it was you, Qiao Xuan! You are truly wicked! I will never forgive you for this!¡± ¡°Nor will l!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s face sank. ¡°You may be angry, and 1 understand that. But 1 will not allow myself to be unjustly used! The world is just, and I fear no false usations. If you dare to me me, go ahead and try.¡± Her words carried a provocative tone, as if she knew that their n to frame her had crumbled. The two girls continued to curse loudly, their anger unrestrained. Qiao Xuan halted in her tracks and turned away, her expression filled with fury. The monks furrowed their brows, feeling both ufortable and disgusted by the scene unfolding before them. It was clear that Mrs. Shao had fallen first, a fact that the two women did not deny. ming Qiao Xuan seemed unreasonable and unfounded, no wonder the two girls ran into trouble. Growing weary of the situation, some monks interjected, suggesting that they return to the temple and discuss the matterter. The two women ceased their curses momentarily, redirecting their threats towards the monks, warning them never to utter a word about what had transpired that day, under the threat of eternal unforgiveness. However, the two women¡¯s threats held little weight, as they had nothing new to use as leverage. The monks unanimously expressed theirmitment to keeping the events a secret, not willing to risk further entanglement with the enraged duo.. Chapter 789 - 789: Stupid Yuezheng Ting Chapter 789 - 789: Stupid Yuezheng Ting Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Ting, driven by anger, resorted to threatening the monks to swear to the Buddhas. However, her audacity and arrogance incited fury among the monks. Who did she think she was to demand such a sacred oath from them? The monks saw no reason toply with her demands. Instead, they firmly stated that they would not swear to the Buddhas, but they would honor theirmitment to keep the events confidential. Whether Yuezheng Ting chose to believe them or not was up to her. Moreover, in amunity where people talked, it was highly likely that word of the incident would eventually spread. At this point, there was little more the monks could do to assist them. Qiao Wei, as a guest, refrained from further cursing, sobbing sorrowfully instead. In contrast, Yuezheng Tings anger intensified, leading her tosh out and attack the monks verbally. However, it was important to note that the monks had no obligation to assist the Yuezheng Family beyond the bounds ofmon decency. The monks would have already left if it weren¡¯t for the Yuezheng Family¡¯s title and the location where the incident urred. After the incident, the monks promptly sent messengers to inform both the Yuezheng Family and Qiao Xuan¡¯s family about what had transpired. Qiao Xuan had anticipated this and had requested the monks to inform her family and the First Madame as well. Feeling sympathetic towards Qiao Xuan, the monks agreed willingly and informed both parties without dy. Soon, First Madame, Ms. Mi Junior, and Nis. Fang were all informed of the situation. Ms. Mi Junior then ryed the news to Madame Qiao, and they all became greatly concerned and anxious. First Madame took the lead and made the decision for them all to travel to the temple together. Yuezheng Tings actions were quite impulsive andcked foresight. Before anyone else was aware of what had happened, Yuezheng Ting threw herself into Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s arms, ovee with tears of fear and distress. Amidst her tearful sobs, she recounted the terrifying experience of waking up to find a repulsive and unsightly man on top of her. This revtion startled Ms. Mi Junior and First Madame, as well as everyone else present. First Madame¡¯s voice rang out sharply as she snapped, ¡°This girl must have been terrified, and she¡¯s likely speaking nonsense. Take her to a room to rest!¡± Only then did Ms. Mi Junior grasp the situation. She interrupted Yuezheng Tings cries and guided her back to the room that had been arranged by the temple. First Madame led Qiao Xuan, the rest of their group, the monks who hade to their aid, and the temple chief to proceed with further discussions. The temple was now entangled in this matter, and it was necessary to rify everything. First Madame turned to Qiao Xuan and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Yuezheng Ting interjected, cursing, ¡°She set us up! It was all her doing!¡¯ First Madame¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Quiet down now. You¡¯ll have your chance to speak.¡± Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s anger red up. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, you¡¯re siding with an outsider! ¡± First Madame sneered. ¡°Have you forgotten about the fan?¡± Ms. Mi Junior found herself at a loss for words. Qiao Xuan responded ¡°Lady Yuezheng, how amusing. You had a whole entourage with you, while I had no maids by my side. You invited me to join you for a pleasant time in the temple and the surrounding mountains, and now you use me of setting you up?¡± Madame Qiao intervened sharply, ¡°Xuan, mind your manners. Lady Yuezheng would never plot against you!¡¯ Ms.. Fang, displeased by Madame Qiao¡¯s statement, retorted, ¡°Madame, you may not be Qiao¡¯s biological mother, but that doesn¡¯t mean you should show such obvious favoritism, does it?¡± Chapter 790 - 790: Glaring Chapter 790 - 790: ring Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°l believe Qiao Xuan is beingpletely reasonable. Let¡¯s maintain a respectful tone, shall we? There are numerous monks present who can serve as witnesses, if needed,¡± Ms. Fang interjected. Madame Qiao, unable to counter the arguments of First Madame and Ms. Mi Junior due to their higher social status, felt a surge of anger and shame. Her face turned sour as she replied, ¡°l am simply teaching my own daughter a lesson. What is the meaning behind all of this?¡± Ms. Fang snorted in response, ¡°Qiao Xuan is my daughter-inw, and I am defending her. Before you attempt to teach your daughter a lesson, perhaps you should learn theplete truth first. You initiated everything without knowing the full story!¡¯ ¡°Madame Qiao, please calm down. Let¡¯s hear the entire ount first. I warn everyone that any interruptions will result in removal from this discussion.¡± Madame Qiao struggled to contain her anger. Though furious, Ms. Mi Junior refrained from provoking any further. Both women red coldly at Qiao Xuan, awaiting her testimony. Qiao Xuan lowered her gaze and began recounting the events, starting with Yuezheng Tings invitation, their meeting in the temple and back mountains, her fall from the mountains, and waking up to witness the recent incident. Qiao Xuan provided a detailed ount of the events, leaving no stone unturned. First Madame couldn¡¯t help but cast a disapproving look at Qiao Xuan. This child was quite audacious. Despite being aware of Yuezheng Tings dislike for her and her sisters¡¯ mischievous nature, she still decided to attend their gathering alone. Such boldness! Ms. Fang also furrowed her brow at Qiao Xuan, clearly showing her disapproval of the decision. ¡°Are you injured?¡± bothdies asked simultaneously, turning their attention to Qiao Xuan. Feeling touched by their concern, Qiao Xuan smiled and shook her head slightly. ¡°My left arm is a bit sore, but other than that, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already sent someone to fetch a doctor. They should be here soon. Just wait for a little while,¡± First Madame assured her. ¡°Thank you, Aunt.¡± First Madame sneered and shifted her gaze towards Qiao Kou. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn. Do you have any objections to what Xuan has said?¡± Qiao Kou was taken aback. Qiao Kou felt the piercing gaze of her lineal mother on her. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of impending doom. She was certain that she was doomed. Although something had happened to Qiao Wei, she was unscathed. How could she ever defend herself against the usations that she hadn¡¯t taken good care of her younger sister? Her lineal mother would not believe it was a mere ident and would me her for negligence. Qiao Kou had no grounds to refute Qiao Xuan¡¯s ount. It was true that they had invited her to their home and proposed a visit to Lingyuan Temple. Yuezheng Ting had arranged for lunch and a clean yard for their rest. They had attempted to conceal their ulterior motives by pretending it was a pilgrimage to pay tribute to the Buddha. But those arrangements served as evidence that they had invited Qiao Xuan for this visit. They couldn¡¯t deny it. Moreover, Qiao Xuan had fallen off the mountain first. That was a fact. Apart from this, Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t provide any further details. She didn¡¯t even mention being pushed off the mountains. Qiao Kou trembled, her head hung low as she sobbed. ¡°l don¡¯t know, I truly don¡¯t know anything!¡¯ She couldn¡¯t tarnish Qiao Xuan¡¯s reputation or set her up. She didn¡¯t dare to do so, and she couldn¡¯t im ignorance either. Their current circumstances were different. She wouldn¡¯t be able to unjustly frame or falsely use Qiao Xuan because their biological mother wouldn¡¯t allow her to defend herself.. Chapter 791 - 791: Qiao Kou’s Jealousy Chapter 791 - 791: Qiao Kou¡¯s Jealousy Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The lineal mother only sought an outlet for her anger, regardless of how baseless and ridiculous that excuse might be. However, it was evident that the old tactic wouldn¡¯t work this time. First Madame and Ms. Fang were determined to prevent Qiao Xuan from being wrongly used. Even Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t exert control over these two women. Qiao Kou felt a mix of envy and bitterness. Qiao Xuan seemed to be protected by an imprable shield, stronger than her own. Inwardly sneering, First Madame decided not to press Qiao Kou further. She let out a sigh and said emotionally, ¡°The child must have been frightened. Let¡¯s leave her be. Elder Miss Qiao, it¡¯s your turn.¡± Qiao Wei had been eagerly awaiting her moment. She red at Qiao Xuan and asserted, ¡°It must have been Qiao Xuan who framed us! I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t know how she did it, but it must have been her! Why else would we all fall? It was her doing!¡¯ Yuezheng Ting chimed in with a gleam in her eyes, ¡°Sister Qiao Wei is absolutely right! Qiao Xuan must have set us up!¡¯ Qiao Xuan sneered in response, ¡°I¡¯m genuinely curious about that as well. But you¡¯ve given me a reminder! I didn¡¯t n on mentioning this, but your maids actually pushed me from behind! I¡¯m not sure how you fell, but maybe it was because you weren¡¯t ustomed to the mountains, and in your confusion, you tripped each other and fell as a group. Doesn¡¯t that seem usible?¡± ¡°Sister, your absurdity knows no bounds! Are you suggesting that I should be wrongly convicted regardless of whether I¡¯m guilty or innocent?¡± Qiao Xuan retorted. ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡¯ ¡®Qiao Xuan, how dare you defy me!¡± Qiao Wei snapped angrily. Qiao Wei had always been the dominant figure in the family, thanks to Madame Qiao¡¯s excessive doting. She believed that her words held absolute authority. Even if she imed that the sun was square, both Qiao Xuan and Qiao Kou would have no choice but to nod in agreement, rather than challenge her. For a long time, Qiao Wei had been adept at manipting Qiao Xuan and Qiao Kou to bend to her will. But now, Qiao Xuan had slipped from her grasp. Qiao Xuan staunchly contradicted her, exposing her humiliation for all to see. Furious and ashamed, Qiao Wei couldn¡¯t tolerate it any longer. Yet, Qiao Xuan remained unafraid. She openly countered, ¡°What do you mean? You use me of something I didn¡¯t do, and I¡¯m not allowed to defend myself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s voice quivered with anger. She was seething inside, but it was unclear whether she regretted raising Qiao Wei to be such an unreasonable girl. ¡°Wei, you¡¯re frightened and confused today. Stop this behavior now. Second Lady Yuezheng, please make the final decision for us.¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s face contorted in frustration. Qiao Wei¡¯s actions werepletely irrational and bothersome. She couldn¡¯t even trust her daughter¡¯s words, let alone expect others to do so. On the other hand, Qiao Xuan was remarkablyposed and logical. Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t help but regret allowing this troublesome girl to survive. Why hadn¡¯t she taken care of her from the very beginning? First Madame continued to provoke her. She furrowed her brow and spoke icily, ¡°Elder Miss Qiao, your words sound utterly ridiculous! Setting someone up requires a motive; otherwise, it¡¯s nothing more than a joke!¡± Ms. Fang wiped her tears and sighed deeply.. ¡°My daughter-inw is being bullied!¡± Chapter 792 - 792: Too Late Chapter 792 - 792: Too Late Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°You¡¯re the one trying to set us up now! Do you think my daughter-inw has no one to defend her? Poor girl, how much suffering must she have endured before getting married!¡± Ms. Fangs words dripped with disdain. Madame Qiao trembled with anger. ¡°What are you insinuating?!¡± Nis. Fang sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m saying? This sister of hers doesn¡¯t protect or support her own sister. Instead, she sets her up without even providing a decent excuse. Do you really need me to exin how she became like this?¡± Madame Qiao seethed with rage, her face alternating between red and pale, trembling uncontrobly. Bastard, you absolute bastard! Qiao Wei erupted in anger. ¡°Who does she think she is? She doesn¡¯t deserve to be called my sister!¡± Ms. Fang nced at her dismissively. ¡°That¡¯s not for you to decide, Elder Miss Qiao. You should ask your father about it.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Wei!¡± Madame Qiao snapped at Qiao Wei, signaling her to stop. She was also incensed by Ms. Fangs relentless targeting of someone much younger. How shameless. Qiao Wei ground her teeth together, ring fiercely at Ms. Fang. Ms. Fang remained unfazed, raising an eyebrow with an air of disdain. Qiao Wei was only intimidating within the confines of their home, First Madame turned to Ms. Mi Junior. ¡°Second Sister-inw, I intend to investigate this matter. Can I count on your assistance?¡± Ms. Mi Junior sneered. ¡°Very well, Elder Sister-inw. I appreciate your efforts.¡¯ Ms. Mi Junior understood that when her Elder Sister-inw made a proposal, she had no choice but to agree. She would assign her own men to assist in the investigation, as they feared her authority. She would simply follow the orders and ensure the task was carried out. First Madame then addressed Madame Qiao. ¡°Madame Qiao, do you have any objections?¡± Madame Qiao was filled with objections, but with Ms. Mi Junior already on board, she had no choice but to voice her agreement. She forced herself to nod. ¡°Please, First Madame, I will see if Auntie Ling can be of any assistance to you.¡± In an instant, First Madamemanded, ¡°Take the three maids down! Bind and gag them, then interrogate them one by one!¡± Auntie Hua and her maids swiftly moved into action, swiftly subduing the maids before they could call for help. ¡°Xi, assist Auntie Hua with the interrogations. Qu and Auntie Liang, go and inquire about the monks. Remember, maintain politeness!¡± With several individuals departing, the room fell into a hushed silence once again. At that moment, the doctors arrived. First Madame instructed them to examine Qiao Xuan. Yuezheng Ting pursed her lips, feeling disheartened. Despite being a part of the Yuezheng Family, her Elder Aunt was now aiding an outsider. She couldn¡¯tprehend what was so special about Qiao Xuan that garnered her Elder Aunt¡¯s attention. Ms. Mi Junior also harbored a dislike for the situation but dared not voice her opinion. She was already convinced of the culprit¡¯s identity. Furthermore, First Madame had ample justification for her actions. She was no match for her. She realized that shecked any authority or influence in this situation, so she chose not to subject herself to further humiliation. Madame Qiao, Qiao Kou, and Qiao Wei were equally taken aback. They hadn¡¯t anticipated that First Madame would show such concern for Qiao Xuan! Madame Qiao deeply regretted her past actions. If she had known about Qiao Xuan¡¯s rtionship with First Madame, she would have prevented Qiao Wei and Yuezheng Ting from plotting against her. Instead, she would havepelled Qiao Xuan to foster a better rapport between herself and First Madame.. Chapter 793 - 793: Not Dropping Chapter 793 - 793: Not Dropping Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Regrettably, it was toote for Madame Qiao to take any corrective action. She had paid two visits to Second Mrs. Yuezheng and engaged in friendly conversations, unaware that First Madame was well aware of these meetings. A burning sensation consumed Madame Qiao¡¯s heart. She red fiercely at Qiao Xuan, wishing she could incinerate her on the spot. She had misjudged herpletely. It now dawned on her just how wrong she had been about Qiao Xuan all this time! Surely, this cunning girl was reveling in their predicament, secretly mocking them. The doctor confirmed that Qiao Xuan had suffered a minor fracture in her arm, along with some superficial skin wounds and strained muscles. She needed ample rest. Additionally, due to her fall from the mountain, there was a possibility of a head injury, requiring further examination in theing days. First Madame gazed at her with genuine concern. ¡°You have endured so much! Good girl, rest well and don¡¯t dwell on these matters. If you need anything, send someone to me, and I will provide assistance without hesitation!¡± Ms. Fang sighed once more. ¡°You must be more cautious! Why did you venture alone without a maid? Take good care of yourself when you return home!¡± Qiao Xuan replied with sweetness, ¡°Mom, Aunt, I apologize for this incident. I promise to exercise caution and prioritize rest upon returning home! ¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear!¡± Madame Qiao and Ms. Mi Junior were left speechless, their hearts heavy with regret. First Madame finally instructed the doctor to examine Yuezheng Ting and Qiao Wei. Fortunately, neither of them had any serious injuries, only a few minor skin wounds. Qiao Wei had a longer cut on her arm, but it was expected to heal without leaving a scar. Madame Qiao and Ms. Mi Junior found themselves at a loss for words. Their daughters¡¯ injuries were not severe enough to justify their anger and resentment. Auntie Hua swiftly obtained the results and returned to deliver the message. As witnesses, they needed to know the truth behind the incident. Yuezheng Ting had orchestrated the entire affair. She had invited Qiao Xuan and arranged the outing at Lingyuan Temple. Sensibly. she had chosen a mountain behind the temple to carry out their n, rather than in her own abbey. The maids bravely confessed that they were instructed by Yuezheng Ting and Qiao Wei to push Qiao Xuan off the mountains. Auntie Hua chose to withhold the remaining details, in an attempt to preserve some dignity for Yuezheng Ting and Qiao Wei. However, everyone present was well aware that the maids wouldn¡¯t have taken such action without orders from their respective mistresses. Ms. Fang grew increasingly agitated, her gaze filled with disdain as she directed it towards Madame Qiao and Ms. Mi Junior. She sneered, ¡°Madame Qiao, you better keep a close eye on your daughter and leave my daughter-inw alone. She is wicked and malicious to the core. Perhaps she will spend the rest of her life in loneliness!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t ept the truth?¡± Ms. Fang retorted, delivering a verbal blow that left Qiao Wei and Madame Qiao feeling utterly exposed and scorched by shame. Ms. Fangs me was directed towards Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei, but Yuezheng Ting felt deeply humiliated by the usations. Unable to contain her anger, she snapped back, ¡°It was all Qiao Wei¡¯s idea! I only helped because I thought we were friends! I have nothing to do with this! You can put all the me on her. After all, we¡¯re talking about her own sister here! Mother, 1 want to go home now!¡± Qiao Wei was stunned, her eyes filled with disbelief as she stared at Yuezheng Ting. ¡°It was you¡­¡± Madame Qiao swiftly intervened, interrupting Qiao Wei and restraining her own overwhelming frustration. She spoke with a dark tone, ¡°Qiao Wei has always been shielded under my protection. She is too innocent to be aware of any of this..¡± Chapter 794 - 794: Blaming Chapter 794 - 794: ming Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°¡­But she is not out to do anything evil, like setting up sisters. It must have been the maid who persuaded her to do so! The maid grew up with her miss, and her miss adores her deeply. She even tried to turn me against her a few days ago, so I lectured Wei! I thought she had changed herself, but apparently, she came up with a new idea like this! I will definitely punish her now! How terrible! ¡°Xuan,¡± Madame Qiao tried to present herself as friendly, ¡°You are a very kind-hearted and understanding girl, and you barely need our care. Your sister is misguided, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive her.¡± Qiao Wei clenched her hand tightly, feeling the stinging pain. She bit her lip, consumed by distress. Since when did she have to beg Qiao Xuan for forgiveness? Qiao Wei¡¯s heart ached, overwhelmed by the sheer humiliation of the situation. She couldn¡¯tprehend what was happening¡ªwas it all just a terrible dream? This person, who didn¡¯t even dare meet her gaze and whom she could lecture and strike as she pleased, was now someone she had to plead for forgiveness from? Qiao Xuan was being defended and protected, and even her mother felt the need to bow to her¡­ Tears welled up in Qiao Wei¡¯s eyes, cascading down her cheeks uncontrobly. She felt a rush of humiliation and hastily wiped them away, trying to conceal her vulnerability. Concerned, Madame Qiao interjected, ¡°Xuan, your sister is crying because she feels remorse!¡± But she wasn¡¯t! Her tears were born out of anger! The des of humiliation struck Qiao Wei¡¯s heart, causing her face to flush with heat. The amalgamation of anger, humiliation, sadness, and embarrassment became unbearable. Overwhelmed, she sought sce in Madame Qiao¡¯s embrace, her sobs echoing with pain. Madame Qiaoforted her, secretly berating Qiao Xuan in her thoughts. What a despicable person! First Madame had watched everything impassively. Ms. Mi Junior shifted the me onto her maid. The two maids stood pale and trembling, afraid to utter a single word in their defense. Their lives were at the mercy of their mistresses, and any opposition could cost them dearly. But for young maids, they might even suffer a lot before they die. Qiao Xuan chimed in, ¡°Aunt, now that we have identified the culprits, please make a decision.¡¯ It was the maids who coerced them. As long as Yuezheng Ting and Qiao Wei insisted that the maids acted of their own volition, no one would have concrete evidence to prove otherwise, although everyone was well aware of the truth. First Madame could certainly pressure the maids to reveal the true mastermind, but Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t want that to happen. She and the Qiao Family could part ways. However, First Madame didn¡¯t have to sever ties with the extended family for the sake of an outsider like Qiao Xuan. If news of the incident spread, it would cast her in a negative light, implying she was petty. After all, she was unharmed, wasn¡¯t she? Qiao Wei and Yuezheng Ting had already suffered reputational damage, which was worse than Qiao Xuan¡¯s situation. People tend to sympathize with those who have endured greater suffering, sadly reflecting the nature of society. As the wife of the Provincial Champion, Shao Yunduan had a promising future. Qiao Xuan hadn¡¯t sustained any serious injuries or even been frightened, so she could gracefully withdraw and preserve her good reputation. That would be preferable, wouldn¡¯t it? Qiao Xuan¡¯s words implicitly confirmed her agreement to hold the maids responsible. First Madameprehended her intention and couldn¡¯t help but inwardly sigh¡ªthis child was truly perceptive. ¡°Sister-inw, Li¡¯ er is Tings maid.. Do you believe Ting should also bear some responsibility?¡± Chapter 795 - 795: Compensation Chapter 795 - 795: Compensation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Mi Junior gritted her teeth. ¡°¡­yes.¡± ¡°Then how do you n to make amends?¡± Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s eyes widened. Anotherpensation? She had already sacrificed 10,000 liang, and now she was being asked for more?
First Madame spoke up, ¡°Xuan was fortunate not to encounter any harm. However, the maids did attempt to harm her. If something had actually happened, do you think a mere maid would have sufficed to resolve the matter? Xuan is the wife of the Provincial Champion, and Provincial Champion Shao happens to be a close friend of Young Master Xie, who is a guest of the Xie Family!¡± She was implying that if something had truly befallen Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan might turn to the influential Xie Family, who could delve deeper into the situation and involve more individuals than just the maid. After Shao Yunduan became the Provincial Champion, Xie Jingrong had proudly publicized their friendship. Shao Yunduan even received an invitation to visit the esteemed Xie Family. The Xie Family highly valued their association with a Provincial Champion, and Xie Jingrong had always spoken highly of him. Under the weight of First Madame¡¯s influence, Ms. Mi Junior quickly retreated. ¡°l willpensate Mrs. Shao with 5,000 liang for the trouble she encountered.. ¡°Only 5,000?¡± ¡°What about 8,000?¡± ¡°Just 8,000?¡± ¡°10,000 then? Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°Is a mere 10,000 enough for attempted murder?¡± Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s fury intensified, causing her heart to ache. ¡°Then state the amount! ¡± ¡°50,000 liang!¡¯ ¡°What! First Madame stated the sum calmly, nearly choking Ms. Mi Junior with the weight of it. Madame Qiao and her daughters were all taken aback, stunned by the staggering figure. Qiao Wei felt tears welling up, unable toprehend the magnitude of 50,000 liang. Qiao Kou¡¯s eyes darted to Qiao Xuan, a mix of jealousy and envy coursing through her. 50,000 liang? That was an exorbitant sum. While they might not be able to afford such an amount, thepensation would certainly be substantial. How fortunate was this detestable woman to receive such staunch defense from First Madame¡­ Though the Yuezheng Family possessed wealth, Ms. Mi Junior herself had limited resources. She sneered, ¡°Why not just rob me outright, Elder Sister-inw?¡± First Madame inwardly responded, ¡°Yes, I am essentially robbing you. So what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, Xuan is the wife of the Provincial Champion!¡± She was not some obscure figure. She held the esteemed title of the Provincial Champion¡¯s wife! Her young husband had achieved the remarkable feat of bing a Provincial Champion in his very first attempt at the examination¡ªan incredibly rare aplishment. He possessed a bright and promising future! However, her husband would never tolerate his wife being framed and almost killed by someone from the Yuezheng Family. Unless they offered the most sincere apology and took into consideration the implications for First Madame and Yuezheng Xiao, they would not let this matter go. Ms. Mi Junior found herself at a loss for words, growing increasingly irritated. ¡°But I don¡¯t have that much cash¡­ ¡°That is not my concern.¡± In the end, Ms. Mi Junior had no choice but to reluctantly agree to provide the cash to Qiao Xuan within three days. First Madame added, ¡°You must also offer a formal apology.¡± ¡°What! Ms. Mi Junior eximed, ¡°Elder Sister-inw, this is going too far!¡± First Madame shot her a cold nce. ¡°You made a mistake, and yet you are unwilling to apologize? Either you or Ting will suffice.¡± Yuezheng Ting had already been silenced by fear. She dared not make a move or defend herself, keeping her head lowered as if oblivious to the proceedings. Elder Aunt was the person she feared the most. Elder Aunt had always disregarded petty matters. She paid no attention to their minor schemes and deceit. However, when she set her mind to something, no one could surpass her. Yuezheng Ting had been well aware of this for quite some time¡­ But she was unwilling to apologize to Qiao Xuan. It was utterly humiliating! She was a young girl who cherished her reputation and dignity.. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of losing face! Chapter 796 - 796: Ceasing Chapter 796 - 796: Ceasing Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Mi Junior had a multitude of angry retorts on the tip of her tongue, but when First Madame emphasized Qiao Xuan¡¯s status as the Provincial Champion¡¯s wife, she found herself unable to utter another word. Feeling conflicted and not wanting her daughter to bear any more pain, Ms. Nii Junior reluctantly offered her apology. Qiao Xuan was already quite content with the oue. Without First Madame¡¯s intervention, she wouldn¡¯t have achieved such a favorable resolution. First Madame had pushed Ms. Mi Junior to her limits, ensuring that she didn¡¯t harbor any ill feelings over the matter. Simultaneously, she did not want First Madame to be entangled in her own predicament. Qiao Xuan graciously epted the apology. And with that, the incident came to an end.
First Madame stated that if a simr incident were to ur in the future, they should report the entire matter to the appropriate governmental authorities. She felt too ashamed to continue serving as the mediator. These words weighed heavily on Nis. Mi Junior and Yuezheng Tings hearts. They were pained, yet startled as well. Once Ms. Mi Junior had settled, it was Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei¡¯s turn to address the situation. First Madame gazed up at Madame Qiao, causing her to tremble involuntarily. She forced a smile. ¡°We will discuss this further when we return home. I apologize for the inconvenience, First Madame!¡± She insinuated that the matter was their own affair and there was no need for First Madame to interfere. First Madame and Qiao Xuan shared a good rtionship, and she was not easily swayed by Madame Qiao¡¯s words. Furthermore, Ms. Fang was on their side as well. Ms. Fang strongly disagreed with the suggestion. ¡°l disagree, Madame Inw! Even brothers settle matters fairly. Elder Miss Qiao¡¯s maid nearly killed my daughter-inw, and I implore First Madame to arbitrate. She is known for her fairness, so please, First Madame, be the judge!¡± A smile yed on First Madame¡¯s lips. ¡°Thank you for your support, Sister Fang. I won¡¯t allow Xuan to suffer just to defend herself. Moreover, both maids were involved in the same scheme, so they should face equal punishment. It¡¯s a simple matter, and I can act as the witness.¡± Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei were taken aback. They were on the verge of exploding in anger. Madame Qiao would never admit that the maid was the mastermind. Even Ms. Mi Junior didn¡¯t me her own maid! So now, Madame Qiao was expected to apologize to Qiao Xuan and pay her 50,000 liang? It was simply outrageous! Madame Qiao tightly grasped Qiao Wei¡¯s hands, urging her to remain silent. She spoke in a low voice, filled with regret, ¡°Xuan, you were the victim in this incident, and I apologize for our actions. But we are sisters, let¡¯s put an end to this.¡± Qiao Xuan responded, her tone firm, ¡°l am the daughter-inw of the Shao Family and the wife of the Provincial Champion. I ept your apology. However, when will you provide me with the 50,000 liang? 1 believe in treating everyone equally, don¡¯t you?¡± Qiao Wei couldn¡¯t contain her disdain any longer and sneered, ¡°You have the audacity to ask for 50,000 liang!¡¯ In her eyes, this woman wasn¡¯t even worth 50,000 liang as a human being! Ms. Mi Junior sneered as well, but she had no intention of staying any longer. Moreover, with outsiders present, Madame Qiao would not be able to disy her influence effectively. So she decided to leave with Yuezheng Ting and requested First Madame to apany them. First Madame turned her attention to Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan exchanged a nce with her, nodding to indicate that it was fine. First Madame departed with Ms. Mi Junior and Yuezheng Ting, creating a sense of relief in the room. With their departure, Madame Qiao, Qiao Wei, and Qiao Kou let out a collective sigh, finally feeling a sense of rxation. Qiao Wei abandoned her pretense and locked her gaze onto Qiao Xuan, sneering disdainfully.. ¡°Who do you think you are? The daughter of a lowly concubine! You are not even worth the position of a maid in front of my mother and me! What gives you the audacity to demand apologies andpensation from us? 50,000 liang? Do you truly have the nerve to ask for such a sum?¡± Chapter 797 - 797: Apology Chapter 797 - 797: Apology Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Bang! A loud noise resonated through the room as Ms. Fang mmed her hand on the table, causing the tea cup to wobble and creating a startle for Madame Qiao and her daughter. ¡°Elder Miss Qiao, you are truly despicable!¡± ¡°How dare you¡­¡± ¡°Why not? Hmph! You should address me as your sister-inw¡¯s mother! How dare you insult someone by calling them a low-ss maid? I will inform my son and have him confront your father about this matter! You cannot bully people like this!¡± Qiao Xuan felt a warm surge of reassurance flowing through her heart. She gently held onto Ms. Fangs arm and whispered, ¡°Mother, please calm down.¡±
Ms. Fang was genuinely furious. She sneered, ¡°They believe they are superior to us. Well then, let¡¯s inform Yunduan and have him defend us!¡± ¡°Mrs. Inw, we are family, and we can resolve this through discussion!¡± Madame Qiao interjected, feeling a mix of anger and anxiety. She couldn¡¯t allow Ms. Fang to leave like this. If Shao Yunduan were to learn about the situation and inform the Old Master, Qiao Wei would undoubtedly face severe consequences. ¡°Wei, apologize!¡¯ ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Apologize, now! Madame Qiao¡¯s voice snapped with authority. Qiao Wei clenched her lips tightly, unwilling toply. Qiao Xuan let out a disdainful snort and spoke calmly, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t force your sister to do something against her will. 1 am ustomed to receiving apologies. But I am curious, when will you be returning the 50,000 liang to me?¡± Ms. Fang sneered in agreement. ¡°Not a single penny less. Otherwise, I will have my son inquire about this with Officer Qiao!¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s face contorted in frustration. ¡°Qiao Xuan, are you really going this far? Your father is returning to the capital soon, and Shao Yunduan will be taking the examination there. He is a stranger in that city, and aren¡¯t you considering the assistance your father could provide?¡± Qiao Xuan sneered back. ¡°These are separate matters. Are you attempting to threaten me, Mother? Besides, as far as I know, my husband¡¯s examination will take ce before Father can even secure a transfer back to the capital. How would this so-called help work?¡± ¡°You will be going back to the capital with your husband, won¡¯t you? And because of your interference, I wonder if you will bring trouble or aid to my husband!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ms. Fang interjected sharply. ¡°Stop with the sweet talk, and pay us what is owed!¡± Ms. Fang hesitated for a moment upon hearing Madame Qiao¡¯s words, but as she listened further, she realized that Qiao Xuan was correct in her assessment of Madame Qiao. Madame Qiao was not concerned about her son¡¯s well-being; she was instead causing him trouble. Madame Qiao grew increasingly annoyed and responded bluntly, ¡°We don¡¯t have 50,000 liang at home, If you want it, go ask your father yourself!¡± ¡°In that case, I will do just that,¡± Qiao Xuan sneered. ¡°And I will also ask Elder Aunt to document today¡¯s events so I can present it to my father. He shouldn¡¯t assume I am lying and let others distort the truth!¡± Madame Qiao trembled with fury, her eyes filled with icy anger. ¡°Ms. Qiao, don¡¯t worry. Duan will help you! My daughter-inw will never be bullied, not even by her own mother¡¯s family! Bah! Don¡¯t underestimate us!¡± Ms. Fang reassured Qiao Xuan while pulling her away. ¡°Let¡¯s stop wasting our time with them. They are nothing but irritants to me!¡± Madame Qiao. ¡® After Qiao Xuan departed with her mother-inw, Madame Qiao, in a fit of anger, grabbed the tea cups and hurled them at Qiao Kou, cursing, ¡°Useless thing! Your sister is honest and straightforward, and I entrusted her to your care! Why do you always fail at everything?!¡± Chapter 798 - 798: Jealousy Chapter 798 - 798: Jealousy Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Kou trembled on her knees. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s my fault, l¡­¡± ¡°Enough! No more tears!¡± Madame Qiao snapped, silencing her daughter. Qiao Kou bit her lips, desperately trying to hold back her tears, but they continued to stream down her face. She couldn¡¯t control Qiao Wei or stop her from doing as she pleased. If she had the power to do so, it would be a different story altogether. But she was bound by the control her lineal mother had over her life. No matter how much pain she felt, she had to suppress it deep within. She couldn¡¯t even defend herself in front of her own father.
As she thought about Qiao Xuan, her emotions welled up. Qiao Xuan had endured far worse circumstances than she had, yet she had managed to rise above it all. She was now surrounded by people who protected and supported her, and her husband was a Provincial Champion. Jealousy consumed Qiao Kou¡¯s heart. With a resolute determination, she made up her mind to steal Qiao Wei¡¯s marriage. ¡°Mom, do we really have to give that wretched woman 50,000 liang? No, never! She doesn¡¯t deserve a single thing!¡± Qiao Kou dered vehemently, her eyes filled with envy and resentment. ¡°Enough!¡± Madame Qiao restrained herself from pping Qiao Kou, but her voice was cold and cutting. ¡°Shame on you! You¡¯ve messed up everything!¡¯ Qiao Wei interjected, feeling uneasy. ¡°l didn¡¯t expect this! Yuezheng Ting came up with the idea. She promised it would work, but how could I have known she¡¯d be so useless¡­ Madame Qiao closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening her eyes, she spoke slowly, ¡°Join me to the Shao Family today.¡± Qiao Wei¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°To apologize, of course!¡± Madame Qiao replied firmly. ¡°Listen carefully now. You must seek Qiao Xuan¡¯s forgiveness, no matter what it takes. This way, she will never bring up the issue ofpensation again!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Qiao Wei was both surprised and furious. ¡°Are you asking me to bow down to Qiao Xuan?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Madame Qiao didn¡¯t care about her daughter¡¯s mood anymore. She sneered, ¡°It¡¯s time for you to develop your own character. Use Qiao Xuan as a means to strengthen yourself. I¡¯m doing this for your own good, so don¡¯t overlook the opportunity.¡± Qiao Wei. Getting herself humiliated by Qiao Xuan for her own good? Qiao Wei was disappointed and saddened. Even her mother was treating her like this? Madame Qiao felt tired and annoyed, lectured her a few more sentences before bringing them back to the hostel. Back at the hostel, Concubine Du saw Madame Qiao and Elder Miss¡¯ dark faces and the weird atmosphere around them, and she was very cautious as she served them. Back in Qiao Kou¡¯s room, Concubine Du asked what was going on. Qiao Kou was shedding tears, but she could not utter a word. She did not tell Concubine Du what was going on. Nor did she throw herself into her mother¡¯s arms. She was no longer this weak any more. She knew clearly that Concubine Du could not give her any constion. Nor could she obtain justice for her. She could not even keep her own private money! ¡°What happened? Kou, don¡¯t frighten me, tell me now!¡± Concubine Du¡¯s constant questions made Qiao Kou impatient. She wiped the tears and recounted the whole thing. Concubine Du got anxious.. ¡°Why did you offend Qiao Xuan anyway!¡¯ Chapter 799 - 799: Not My Idea Chapter 799 - 799: Not My Idea Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°l told you not to offend Qiao Xuan any more! She is not part of the Qiao Family, and she won¡¯t give you any barriers. She is Provincial Champion¡¯s wife and offending her doesn¡¯t help you!¡¯ ¡°You know, life is unpredictable. We never could have imagined that Qiao Xuan would rise to such prominence. It¡¯s important not to antagonize her. Who knows, if Shao Yunduan secures a position in the governmental office, you being her sister mighte in handy. You may find yourself in need of her support one day.¡± Concubie Du sighed. Qiao Kou snorted and threw a disdainful look at Concubine Du.
This woman knew nothing but kept talking about how to depend on others. What was the point? ¡°You think it had been my intention?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei told me to follow the order, and what else could I do to object to that?¡± Concubine Du was at a loss for words, feeling the weight of Qiao Kou¡¯s predicament. She knew that going against the orders of Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei was not an option for Qiao Kou. They were both stubborn and difficult to sway, making it challenging to please them. Frustration welled up within Concubine Du, and she clenched her teeth in anger. ¡°This life is truly unbearable. Once we return to the capital, I will find a way to secure a good match for you, so you can get married¡­¡± Qiao Kou nced at her, her expression filled with a mixture of skepticism and resignation. She no longer believed in Concubine Du¡¯s promises or held any high expectations. She had experienced disappointment before, and she was determined not to let herself be disappointed again. There was little trust left between them, and Qiao Kou knew she had to rely on herself to navigate the challenges thaty ahead. She was determined to find a suitable suitor on her own; she didn¡¯t need Concubine Du¡¯s assistance. The constant nagging from Concubine Du became background noise to Qiao Kou, as if mosquitoes were buzzing in her ears. iming exhaustion, she dered her need for sleep and managed to silence Concubine Du¡¯s prattling. The next day, Madame Qiao and Qiao M/ei left to make the apology, leaving Concubine Du and Qiao Kou behind. It was evident that Madame Qiao didn¡¯t want them present for Qiao Wei¡¯s humbling encounter with Qiao Xuan. Meanwhile, Shao Yunduan was at home. Madame Qiao took the opportunity to remind everyone of the Qiao Family¡¯s noble status in the capital and their past service to the Emperor. She emphasized their valuable connections, including Qiao Wei¡¯s engagement to a Duke¡¯s mansion. Madame Qiao expressed her intention to support Shao Yunduan once he was in the capital, leveraging their influence to help him progress. She proposed that they put the past behind them, forgive each other, and continue socializing as before. Shao Yunduan firmly rejected Madame Qiao¡¯s offer. ¡°l have my own ns, Madame Qiao. You don¡¯t need to worry about me. My wife cannot be bullied like this!¡± Madame Qiao sneered, ready to mock Shao Yunduan¡¯s naivety. Without influential connections in the capital, a poor schr like him would never seed. It would take him decades to achieve even a minor position, perhaps bing a low-ranking officer in the Imperial Academy if luck was on his side. However, she realized it was not the appropriate time to voice her doubts. Qiao Wei was unwilling and filled with remorse. She didn¡¯t want to be here apologizing. This infuriated Ms. Fang, who couldn¡¯t contain her frustration andshed out at Qiao Wei, pushing her to the brink of explosion. Madame Qiao, anxious and angry, intervened and insisted that Qiao Wei make the apology. The whole situation felt like a farce, a meaningless charade. In the end, Madame Qiao promised to provide immediatepensation of 10,000 liang, with the remaining four to be repaid in the future.. Chapter 800 - 800: No Choice Chapter 800 - 800: No Choice Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions However, the IOU note had to be written in Qiao Xuan¡¯s handwriting. The note detailed the events of the previous day and exined the debt owed. Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei also left their fingerprints on the note as a sign of acknowledgment. Madame Qiao reluctantly agreed, fully aware that the note served as a bargaining chip in Qiao Xuan¡¯s possession. Neither party expected the debt to be repaid, nor did they anticipate Qiao Xuan to inquire about it. Madame Qiao had no choice but to ept the terms. In exchange, Qiao Xuan promised not to tell the incident not be reported to the Old Master.
Madame Qiao reluctantly agreed, with the condition that the money would be provided to Qiao Xuan within three days after their return to the county. However, Madame Qiao only had 1,000 liang in cash. She had no alternative but toply, understanding that if the Old Master were to find out, Qiao Wei would face punishment, and the Old Master would be deeply disappointed in her. She had maintained her reputation as a virtuous wife throughout her entire life, and she couldn¡¯t afford to tarnish it now, especially in the eyes of the Old Master. Her only hope was that her son would attain a high-ranking position and her daughter would be capable and aplished. Only then would she have nothing to fear. However, she knew that such a day had not yet arrived. If the Old Master harbored any resentment towards her, her life would be miserable upon their return to the capital. The risk was too great to take. Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei were infuriated as they left Qiao Xuan¡¯s residence. Upon their return to the hostel, Qiao Kou received further punishment in the form of ps to her face. From that day forward, Madame Qiao never visited Qiao Xuan again. However, she did encounter Ms. Mi Junior once more, and after two days had passed, they all returned to the county. Qiao Wei would have normally confided in her father about the incident, but this time she remained silent. Madame Qiao warned her sternly, emphasizing the importance of keeping everything a secret, regardless of her doubts or dissatisfaction. Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t disclose the truth about whether or not Qiao Xuan had helped. She also mentioned that the First Madame had never been kind to Qiao Xuan anyway. Furthermore, she added that the family was difficult to befriend due to their arrogance. Officer Qiao believed his wife¡¯s words and felt regretful about the situation, but he chose not to inquire further. At the Yuezheng Family¡¯s residence, Ms. Mi Junior was unable and unwilling to pay the 50,000 liang in cash. Even if she had the means, she refused to do so. Consequently, she decided to discuss the matter with her husband. Ms. Mi Junior selectively withheld the truth, only sharing the part of the story that could benefit her. Upon hearing about the 50,000 liang demand, the Second Old Master became furious. He eximed that they were being utterly bullied. How could they rob their own family like this? They were all part of the same family, and such mistreatment was uneptable. The Second Old Master¡¯s anger reached a boiling point, and he even contemted confronting the First Madame along with Ms. Mi Junior. Typically, the Second Old Master refrained from involving himself in family matters. He knew that he couldn¡¯tpete with the influential first section of the family, so he preferred to maintain silence. However, seeing his sons doing well gave him some constion. Yet, it didn¡¯t mean that the first section of the family could exploit them as they pleased. Startled by her husband¡¯s reaction, Ms. Mi Junior quickly intervened. What she truly needed was for her husband to assist her in covering the debt, not to create further trouble by confronting the First Madame. Fearful of the consequences, Ms. Mi Junior was reluctant to allow the Second Old Master to confront the First Madame, knowing that it would put her at a disadvantage. To avoid worsening the situation, Ms. Mi Junior decided to adopt a more amicable approach. She attempted to convince the Second Old Master not to pursue the matter any further. Although the Second Old Master was taken aback by this unexpected change in attitude, he restrained himself from escting the conflict with the First Madame.. Chapter 801 - 801: Bad Luck Chapter 801 - 801: Bad Luck Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Fueled by anger and a sense of injustice, the Second Old Master couldn¡¯t simply let the matter go. The amount in question was 50,000 liang, not a trivial sum of 5,000. After contemting the situation, he decided to approach his own mother, Madame Yuezheng, seeking her support and assistance. Surely, Madame Yuezheng, being the matriarch of the family, would be able to help them. To gain Madame Yuezhengs sympathy, the Second Old Master embellished the story, presenting it in a way that painted their family as victims of undue oppression. His intention was to provoke a strong reaction from Madame Yuezheng, hoping that she would stand up for them. Madame Yuezheng, who held a deep admiration for her second son¡¯s family, was well aware of their intelligence and capabilities. However, she couldn¡¯t deny that her elder son¡¯s family waspetent. Furthermore, she couldn¡¯t muster much interest or concern when it came to her second son¡¯sck of a male heir. As a result, she wasn¡¯t always inclined to defend them in every situation.
However, Madame Yuezheng found her elder son¡¯s wife¡¯s demands excessive. Wanting to extract 50,000 liang from the second section of the family seemed unjustifiably high. With a sense of urgency, Madame Yuezheng summoned both the First Madame and Ms. Mi Junior to her presence. Ms. Mi Junior was filled with bitter frustration, never expecting that her husband would take such actions behind her back. The First Madame proceeded to share the entire story, recounting how Yuezheng Ting had made an attempt on the life of the Provincial Champion¡¯s wife. Given the close rtionship between the Xie Family and the Provincial Champion Shao, with the Xie Family considering him an honored guest and having a strong bond with their Young Master, it was highly unlikely that Provincial Champion Shao would forgive them without a substantialpensation of 50,000 liang. Understanding the Xie Family¡¯s influence and the importance of maintaining their connection, Madame Yuezheng contemted whether Yuezheng Ting deserved severe punishment for her actions. Ms. Mi Junior found herself in a difficult position, unable to defend her actions but weakly attempting to exin that it was the fault of a maid. Madame Yuezheng and the Second Old Master were both taken aback by the revtions. The Second Old Master¡¯s anger intensified as he red at Ms. Mi Junior. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform me of this earlier? This is not what you told me! Look at the mess you¡¯ve created!¡± Madame Yuezhengs brow furrowed. ¡°That is your own fault! You should be capable enough to ry a story urately, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± As a united family, there was no need for them to hide the truth. It wasmon knowledge that the maid acted under the instructions of Yuezheng Ting. Everyone was aware of this fact. Ms. Mi Junior had no ground to argue. However, she found the demandedpensation excessive. She bitterlyined, ¡°Ting made a mistake! It was all because of Elder Miss Qiao¡¯s influence. Elder Miss Qiao wanted to punish her sister out of jealousy for her better life! But Ting got dragged into it! I will tell Ting to cut ties with her. But Mother, I don¡¯t have 50,000 liang!¡¯ The Second Old Master sneered, ¡°You can gather the cash yourself. I won¡¯t be able to help you!¡¯ With those words, the Second Old Master stormed off in anger, leaving Ms. Mi Junior shocked and at a loss. He just left like that? What was she supposed to do now? ¡°Mother!¡± Ms. Mi Junior turned to Madame Yuezheng, tears welling up in her eyes. Madame Yuezheng frowned. She couldn¡¯t simply let it go. Nor could she expect her elder son¡¯s wife to provide the funds. That was out of the question. Moreover, she believed that Ms. Mi Junior deserved to be punished. While it was possible that Elder Miss Qiao held a grudge against her sister, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean that Yuezheng Ting had no involvement. Perhaps Ms. Mi Junior was also implicated in some way. Madame Yuezheng had no interest in delving into the matter with Ms. Mi Junior. She understood everything implicitly.. Chapter 802 - 802: Compensation Chapter 802 - 802: Compensation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°l will pay 30,000 liang for you, and you will take care of the rest!¡± Madame Yuezheng, having considerable wealth, instructed her servant to bring 30,000 liang in cash and handed it directly to First Madame. First Madame had no objections to this arrangement. Madame Yuezheng had her own personal funds, and she was free to allocate them as she pleased, as long as she wasn¡¯t forced to dip into the shared savings of the family. The first section of the family did not require Madame Yuezhengs assistance in this manner.
¡°Second sister-inw, should I have my people collect the remaining amount now or tomorrow?¡± asked First Madame, indicating that they would retrieve the money the following day. Ms. Mi Junior became infuriated and responded bitterly, ¡°l will send my people to deliver it to you, Elder Sister-inw!¡± ¡°Very well. I will be waiting.¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Ms. Mi Junior had 20,000 liang in cash, but it was a substantial portion of her personal savings. Reluctantly, she gathered the cash and requested Auntie Ling to arrange for its prompt delivery. She wanted to put this matter behind her as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, First Madame added some exquisite brocades that her son had gifted to her the previous year, along with a set of beautiful ornaments, to the presents she was taking to the Shao Family. She personally headed there to deliver the gifts. Qiao Xuan had no intention of epting First Madame¡¯s presents, but she insisted with a smile, saying, ¡°l am your Aunt, and this is a gesture to help you feel more at ease. I have plenty of these items stored away.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled appreciatively and epted all the gifts. First Madame engaged in small talk with Qiao Xuan for a while before advising, ¡°You should discuss the management of yournds with the estate manager so they can take care of them in your absence. It¡¯s time for you to return home as soon as possible. Xiao will handle everything else for you. When you visit next time, you can evaluate and select any preferred managers and pageboys to keep here.¡± Perceiving Qiao Xuan¡¯s confusion, First Madame responded with a sigh and a smile. ¡°Ting and your sister found themselves in apromising situation with two men in broad daylight. Just wait and see, the rumor mill will undoubtedly spread.¡± ¡°People will mock us, and they won¡¯t know how to handle it! I have always been the one to clean up their messes, but this time, I¡¯m staying out of it. It¡¯s a lesson they need to learn from.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s best for you to leave soon and distance yourself from this situation.¡± First Madame had no daughters who needed to secure marriage alliances, and her granddaughter was still too young to worry about such matters. Furthermore, the two branches of the family were distinct entities. People wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to hold the first section of the family ountable for the misdeeds of the second section! If anyone dared to think otherwise, the first section of the family would simply disregard them. Qiao Xuan suddenly grasped the underlying dynamics. Indeed, she was tangentially involved, and staying here for too long would only invite unnecessary trouble upon herself. Realizing that it was in her best interest to distance herself from the situation, Qiao Xuan expressed her gratitude to First Madame. ¡°Aunt, I sincerely thank you for reminding me. I almost overlooked that aspect. We will make the necessary preparations and leave in two days¡¯ time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, and Qu Shan will apany you on the journey back home.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Aunt!¡± First Madame smiled warmly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really.¡± Qiao Xuan shared the news with the rest of her family, and they all agreed with the decision. They had experienced and witnessed enough during their stay, and it was time to return home. They reassured themselves that they could alwayse back in the future. Eldest Uncle, in particr, had been longing for home for quite some time. Although he faced opposition from his wife, he couldn¡¯t hide his joy as they embarked on the journey back home.. Chapter 803 - 803: Valuable Chapter 803 - 803: Valuable Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions With their departure imminent, they swiftly made preparations. The excessive amount of purchases they made resulted in a substantial amount of luggage to carry. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni, in particr, had bought an abundance of food, resembling two squirrels with their stash. Qiao Xuan, too, had numerous food ingredients, a third of which she discreetly stored in her spatial storage. Among them were various dried seafood items, unknown to those around her. This strategy allowed them to save the trouble of carrying too many things back home. Regarding the fields, Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s manager had taken care of all the necessary arrangements on Qiao Xuan¡¯s behalf. All she needed to do was inform the housekeeper of the tasks to be carried out, ensuring everything proceeded ording to n.
As long as Yuezheng Xiao was present, the manager would not dare deceive anyone. With everything settled and their luggage packed, they prepared to depart the following day. Shao Yunduan bid farewell to Xie Jingrong at the Xie Family before returning. In his hands, he carried a pot of orchids as a parting gift. Qiao Xuan was taken aback by the Xie Family¡¯s generosity upon realizing that the orchids they had gifted were of the highest quality. Shao Yunduan exined the situation, saying, ¡°The Xie Family mentioned that this silver-ink orchid is dying, and their florist couldn¡¯t revive it. They asked if we could save it.¡¯ Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t consider themselves particrly skilled at nting. At least, he didn¡¯t think so. Weren¡¯t they just nting the same things as other families? Perhaps it was the quality of the soil that made everything flourish. However, since the orchid appeared to be on the verge of dying and he felt sorry for it, he hesitantly brought it home. Shao Yunduan decided to find a suitable pot to rent the orchid and ced it near the spring in Qiao Xuan¡¯s garden. The springs water could moisten the grass and trees, offering a chance for the flower to be saved. Curious, Qiao Xuan inquired, ¡°Is this silver-ink orchid very valuable?¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and replied, ¡°It¡¯s worth a fortune, equivalent to a significant amount of gold. It¡¯s the only one in the entire Xie Family.¡± Qiao Xuan gasped. ¡® The Xie Family gave it to them directly rather than try to save it? Typically, most people would try to save a nt as long as there was even the slightest chance of survival, especially when it was a rare specimen. Qiao Xuan gratefully epted the orchid and said with a smile, ¡°Darling, you may not know, but let me take care of it from now on!¡± She intended to use her special abilities to help the orchid thrive, little by little. Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t object and reassured her with a smile, ¡°Just take it easy and don¡¯t feel pressured.¡± ¡°But if it does manage to survive¡­¡± Shao Yunduan paused for a moment and suggested, ¡°Should we consider returning it to the Xie Family?¡± Qiao Xuan had no objections. She smiled and nodded, saying, ¡°Of course. Our soil is fertile, and it might truly thrive here!¡± With that in mind, she nned to cultivate a new shoot from the orchid and then transfer it to her personal space for further nurturing. The orchids in her personal space were flourishing, producing small shoots that could potentially be brought out and sold for a significant profit once they arrived in the capital. Since valuable items were typically expensive, it was best not to have arge quantity of them. However, Qiao Xuan could consider taking a few more orchids with her if she desired. Orchids thrived exceptionally well in her personal space. Carrying the precious orchid with her, Qiao Xuan and her family embarked on their journey back home the next morning.. Chapter 804 - 804: Accompany Chapter 804 - 804: Apany Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The family returned home one day before Madame Qiao and her entourage did. And the once cold house became lively once again. Although Shao Dng and Ms. Xu were not present, they were not forgotten. They received numerous gifts from Ms. Fang, including materials for clothes, needlework supplies, and food and clothing for the children. Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni also prepared presents for Ms. Xu. Yang Xiaoni gave her a variety of pastries, nuts, and snacks, while Qiao Xuan gifted her a set of cosmetics and a pair of beautiful gold hairpins. Taotao also contributed by giving her a set of threads and needles. Ms. Xu was overjoyed to receive these gifts. Upon their return, Shao Yunduan went to check on the progress of the school construction.
The Land Officer and elderly men from the n were overseeing the construction, and everything was going well. The entire vige was pleased to offer their assistance, making it a coborative effort. Each household actively participated in the work. The school was expected to bepleted within 10 to 20 days. Following that, there would be the instation of furniture, hiring of teachers, and all other necessary arrangements. Everything was proceeding smoothly. Lixia and Liqiu were fully upied with making lipsticks. They would create a set whenever a flower bloomed. As the rose flowers gradually diminished, there were fewer osmanthus and chrysanthemums avable for making lipsticks. In about two weeks, the lipstick production would be temporarily halted. Qiao Xuan mentioned that she could provide another set of around 1,000 lipsticks to Yuezheng Xiao in theing days. Additionally, she nned to deliver a batch of snow fungus and mushrooms before the New Year. Furthermore, Qiao Xuan contemted hiring people to cultivate the field adjacent to the flowernd she intended to purchase. This expansion would allow vigers to sell, rent, and exchange thend. She had no intentions of allocating more space for lipstick production as their current position was already advantageous. Considering their position in the vige, this n should be straightforward. It was evident that if the flower field expanded, her sisters-inw and maids would not have enough spare hands to manage it. Therefore, Qiao Xuan contemted selecting a few intelligent and dependable girls to assist them. There was no need for Qiao Xuan to keep the flower field a secret anymore. She could now hire people from the vige to nt flower seeds, remove grass, trim, and extract honey. Her family was strong enough to protect their own lipstick property. Qiao Xuan shared this idea with Shao Yunduan, who wholeheartedly agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s make all the arrangements before the New Year,¡± he suggested. ¡°After the New Year, I will be heading to the capital for the examination, and 1 hope you can apany me!¡± Shao Yunduan had grown ustomed to having Qiao Xuan by his side. It wasn¡¯t just about taking care of him, but also providing him with a sense of security. The couple spent their time talking, strolling, and exploring. They enjoyed going sightseeing and shopping together. Shao Yunduan was overjoyed to see Qiao Xuan searching for various ingredients and picking out small items, as well as visiting bookstores with him. The thought of going to the capital alone and being separated from her was unbearable for him. Qiao Xuan also had her own intentions. She wanted to prevent him from being swayed by others as a son-inw. She wanted to see if he would remain devoted to her after achieving sess. However, this was a natural expectation, a quiet waiting andpanionship, rather than intentional tests.. Chapter 805 - 805: Not Test Chapter 805 - 805: Not Test Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions It wasn¡¯t a test; it was giving him a hard time. But presenting her own n and hearing his proposal were two separate matters. Qiao Xuan felt her heart fill with sweetness as she listened to him. She smiled brightly and replied, ¡°Yes, dealing with this matter won¡¯t be difficult at all. Third Sister-inw, Taotao, Chunyu, and the other girls are skilled at making lipsticks. They can handle the entire task without any problem!¡± Dealing with cassavas was much easier. They only needed to nt them, remove weeds during the harvest, and dry them in the sun before informing Yuezheng Xiao to have them collected. In Zhang Vige, Manager Dong and his page boys decided to stay there. Qiao Xuan trusted Ding Erzhu and his family to take care of thends, tea leaves, and creeping figs. Business andnds in the province were easier to manage. The Yuezheng
Family was providing assistance, so she didn¡¯t need to worry about anything. Qiao Xuan continued discussing her arrangements, which uplifted Shao Yunduan¡¯s spirits. His wife had nned everything. She wanted to go to the capital with him. How wonderful! ¡°We can leave much earlier, well ahead of time. There¡¯s no need to rush, so we won¡¯t get tired.¡± ¡°Darling, do you get seasick? We can rent arge ship and travel by sea!¡± Shao Ling also paid a visit to Shao Yunduan upon hearing of his return. He requested to borrow the study materials that Shao Yunduan used when he was preparing to be a Cultivated Talent. Shao Yunduan had always kept the materials in good order and well-maintained. Initially, he had nned to keep them as souvenirs, but if Shao Ling wanted to borrow them, he was generous enough to share them. The only condition was that Shao Ling took good care of them and returned them when he was finished. Shao Ling nodded and agreed, even expressing his gratitude before leaving. Ms. Fang was taken aback by Shao Lings reaction. She had expected him to cause a fuss. ¡°Yunduan, what¡¯s going on with Ling? He¡¯s acting so strangely!¡± she eximed. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but suppress herughter. Eldest Uncle wasn¡¯t pleased with thement. ¡°What do you mean? Ling has made a decision to study hard. What¡¯s wrong with that? It¡¯s a good thing,¡± he said, surprised and pleased by his nephew¡¯s behavior. Ling was incredibly intelligent, and if he applied himself, he would surely seed in the imperial examination as well. The Shao Family would have two Advanced Schrs and Rmended Men! Ms. Fang rolled her eyes and had no interest in arguing with him. She couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that Shao Lings behavior was unusual. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged a nce, sensing the same sentiment as Ms. Fang. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mom. I believe my cousin must have thought it through. If he wants to work hard, it¡¯s a positive thing,¡± Shao Yunduan reassured her. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom! ¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s good to have you here!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just biased against him! How can you think that way?!¡± ¡°l have my reasons based on what he has said before! What¡¯s wrong with being cautious?!¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be like this!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. The fox may grow gray but never good. We¡¯ll see how long he can hold on.¡¯ The couple engaged in a heated argument. Well, they were free to argue if they wished. Shao Yunduan had no intention of intervening in his parents¡¯ dispute. He held Qiao Xuan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and they returned to their own courtyard. ¡°Do you think your cousin is acting strangely?¡± Chapter 806 - 806: Shao Liulang’ s Experience Chapter 806 - 806: Shao Ling¡¯ s Experience Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Things seem strange because there¡¯s something wrong. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s nning, but I feel that he still holds a strong hostility towards you, me, and our family.¡± Qiao Xuan agreed, nodding.¡±Yeah, that is true. I think you are right. I find him looking really strange, as if he had been stimted.¡± ¡°Stimted?¡± Shao Yunduan was perplexed, although he shared Qiao Xuan¡¯s sentiment. What could have possibly triggered such stimtion? If it was because of the Provincial Champion title he had earned¡­ but that was a long time ago.
What else could have gone wrong? The departure of the Zhao Family wasn¡¯t considered a factor by either of them. Moreover, Shao Ling and the Zhao Family weren¡¯t particrly close. Unaware of Shao Lings misunderstanding of Zhao Mings intentions, the couple assumed that Shao Ling resented them for their involvement in his rtionship with Zhao Ming. ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on it,¡± Shao Yunduan said. ¡°As long as he keeps his distance from our family, we¡¯ll leave him be. If he ever dares to harm us again¡­ I¡¯ll make sure he regrets it.¡± Qiao Xuan felt a sense of relief upon hearing those words and chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s true. I doubt he would dare to do anything to us with you around.¡± With that, the couple put an end to their discussion. A few dayster, Officer Qiao extended an invitation to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan to visit the mansion once again. The couple readily agreed. They had ns to purchasend from thend agent and also visit the Zhang Vige to dig up some lotus roots and catch some crabs. The pond in the vige contained a different kind of crabpared to the small ones found in the river. These crabs were specially bred and known for their tender flesh. The crabs could be prepared in various ways, such as steamed, fried, or used in dishes like tofu stew and steamed buns. All of them were expected to be incredibly delicious. This time, Qiao Wei, Concubine Du, and Qiao Kou were absent. However, Madame Qiao maintained her pleasant and friendly demeanor, wearing a pleasant smile. On the other hand, Officer Qiao seemed less pleased. Madame Qiao was worried that Qiao Xuan might reveal what happened at Lingyuan Temple out of anger, so she coughed and redirected the conversation. ¡°Xuan, we invited you here to discuss the matter of lipsticks. You are the one who makes them, right?¡± Madame Qiao was being straightforward about the lipsticks. It was not a secret anymore since Ms. Mi Junior had informed her about it. She had every right to bring it up for discussion. What Madame Qiao was unaware of was that Ms. Mi Junior had not obtained any evidence. Qiao Xuan was certain about this, although there wasn¡¯t much evidence to begin with. But none of that mattered to Qiao Xuan. Whether or not Madame Qiao knew about it was inconsequential. It was better to address it now rather thanter, after Shao Yunduan had left for the capital examination, when things could have gotten worse. Upon hearing this, Officer Qiao interjected, ¡°You¡¯ve been making lipsticks sincest year, right? Why didn¡¯t you inform us about it? Were you nning to keep it hidden from us forever if your mother hadn¡¯t found out? If you had told us, I would have arranged for someone to promote this business and increase the production volume!¡± Madame Qiao spoke gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Old Master. We are also at fault for not asking them about it. If we had inquired, we would have known about it earlier.¡¯ ¡°But it¡¯s never toote now, is it?¡± Madame Qiao sneered. She knew how to manipte her husband with his personality. He wouldn¡¯t let go of such a lucrative opportunity! She didn¡¯t need to do anything except sit back and watch the drama unfold. Qiao Xuan replied, ¡°Father, what you don¡¯t know is that Young Master Yuezheng entered into a deal with us because he trusted my husband. And it was my sister-inw who discovered the form, so Young Master Yuezheng has been working closely with us. He even hired people to improve the form.. Chapter 807 - 807: Not Lying Chapter 807 - 807: Not Lying Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°He is a sincere person and didn¡¯t deceive us or keep everything to himself,¡± Qiao Xuan exined. ¡°The limited production volume is due to the scarcity of raw materials. Young Master Yuezheng doesn¡¯t want the source to be revealed, so he has kept it concealed and asked us to do the same. We signed a contract with strict penalties for any breach. That¡¯s why we are cautious about spreading the information.¡± ¡°Now we have a significant volume of lipsticks, but we can¡¯t openly disclose it. Mother, I¡¯m curious, how did you find out about this?¡± County Magistrate Qiao was skeptical. ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± Shao Yunduan nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes.¡±
He would deal with the lies once they returned home. He was frustrated with his father-inw. He alwaysined about not sharing things that brought profits, but if they had done so, they would have risked losing everything. County Magistrate Qiao hesitated. Qiao Xuan seemed resolute, so he didn¡¯t think she was lying. Madame Qiao clenched her teeth in anger. She didn¡¯t believe a word that Qiao Xuan said. Ms. Mi Junior wouldn¡¯t have lied to her. She was certain that Ms. Mi Junior must have told the truth about the source of the lipsticks. She had also observed how the First Madame had defended Qiao Xuan, although she was perplexed about the reason behind it. However, she was confident that even if Qiao Xuan had lied to the Old Master, the Yuezheng Family would assist her in maintaining the deception. She couldn¡¯t reveal the truth, even though she was aware of what was truly happening. If Qiao Xuan had formed an alliance with the Yuezheng Family against the Old Master, it would mean that she had a stronger bond with someone outside the family than with her own father. The Old Master would not tolerate such a situation and would surely reprimand her for her absurdity. But all of this was because shecked evidence. ¡°Lipsticks are incredibly popr right now, and if you possess the instructions¡­¡± ¡°Mother,¡± Qiao Xuan interrupted with a smile. ¡°The Shao Family sold the instructions to Young Master Yuezheng in exchange for money. Otherwise, how do you think we could afford to build a new house with zed windows? You know very well the value of those windows.¡± The couple. Officer Qiao¡¯s anger grew. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform us about this earlier?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Madame Qiao sighed. ¡°But we discovered this and invited you here to share the story. If we hadn¡¯t asked, we wouldn¡¯t have known anything. Xuan, what else have you kept hidden from the Old Master? He is your father.¡± Officer Qiao snorted in frustration. Those who had lost the enticing prospect of bing wealthy would naturally be furious, especially in the case of the Qiao Family. They had missed the opportunity to obtain the instructions now that they belonged to the Yuezheng Family. Shao Yunduan interjected, ¡°Mother-inw, you are mistaken about my wife. She doesn¡¯t conceal secrets. Qiao Xuan has always been cautious and meticulous, never revealing anything that shouldn¡¯t be disclosed unless asked.¡¯ Officer Qiao nced at Madame Qiao knowingly. He understood all too well what had made Qiao Xuan be such a cautious and guarded person. Madame Qiao found herself at a loss for words, growing increasingly irritated. She sneered and retorted, ¡°So it¡¯s always your word against mine. I don¡¯t need the instructions, but we need the lipsticks as gifts for our acquaintances in the capital. Can you produce them?¡± She added with a tone of superiority, ¡°Of course, we are willing to pay for them.. Chapter 808 - 808: Grudge Chapter 808 - 808: Grudge Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan inwardly seethed, ¡°Of course, you expect them for free? How shameless!¡± Qiao Xuan was well aware that Madame Qiao had no intention of paying for the goods. She was attempting to take advantage of being Qiao Xuan¡¯s parents, expecting free items. But if she refused to provide anything in return, what options did they have? Steal from her? Officer Qiao chimed in, ¡°These are exquisite and sought-after items. The nobledies in the capital are knowledgeable and eager for something new. Giving us 300 or 500 units for New Year presents delivered to the capital is nothing, right?¡± ¡°Xuan, son-inw, it¡¯s just a gift. You can surely produce them, can¡¯t you?¡± Officer Qiao always found ways to justify Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, trying to help them escape from difficult situations. However, there was a limit to his patience.
He had also heard that the lipsticks were incredibly popr among thedies in the province, and even noble and wealthy women were craving them. So if they could use them as gifts for their trip to the capital, it would be a wonderful thing, wouldn¡¯t it? ¡°Oh, yes,¡± he suddenly recalled something and added, ¡°Young Master Yuezheng also has some limited editions, right? Get me two sets!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. ¡® ¡°Father-inw, I apologize if it seemed like I was intentionally provoking you. However, the limited versions of the lipsticks have already been reserved by nobledies. The remaining ones are ordinary ones, and we don¡¯t have the authority to sell them. Everything regarding the distribution and contracts is managed by Brother Yuezheng.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled, observing her father¡¯s pale face. ¡°My husband is correct. The Yuezheng Family is a prominent business family, and they ensure there are no loopholes for unauthorized ess. While we maintain a good rtionship with them, we maintain a clear distinction between personal matters and business affairs.¡¯ Officer Qiao couldn¡¯t contain his anger any longer. ¡°How dare you!¡± he snapped. ¡°You¡¯re purposely trying to provoke me! What if I insist on obtaining them no matter what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Father-inw, but I can¡¯t provide them for you. It¡¯s already quite cold, and the lipstick production is not suitable during this season. Besides, there won¡¯t be many avable in any case.¡± ¡°You!¡± Officer Qiao was fuming. Madame Qiao chimed in, fueling the conversation in a seemingly gentle manner. ¡°Old Master, please don¡¯t be angry. Xuan and our son-inw are honest individuals who uphold their promises.¡± Officer Qiao¡¯s anger intensified. ¡°But I am their father and father-inw! Am I inferior to an outsider?¡± ¡°Xuan, apologize to your father. You are father and daughter, and we can discuss everything together!¡± Madame Qiao urged, trying to mediate the situation. Madame Qiao turned to Qiao Xuan. Officer Qiao sneered. ¡°Discussing everything? Bah!¡± Since when would a father need to discuss anything? A daughter should always obey her father¡¯s words, or she was considered unruly! Qiao Xuan remainedposed, unaffected by her father¡¯s anger. Whether the couple was putting on a show or genuinely expressing their stance, it didn¡¯t matter to her. She simply didn¡¯t care. She wished her father would be so angry that he would disown her. She felt that she had nothing to lose and was not afraid of any consequences. Qiao Xuan responded firmly, ¡°We have already exined the situation to you. We cannot keep any lipsticks, and the few we have are reserved for our immediate family members. It would bepletely unfair for us to do otherwise, and we will never engage in such actions.¡± Officer Qiao¡¯s anger reached its peak.. ¡°Fine, fine, girl! You still hold a grudge against us, don¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 809 - 809: Qjao Xuan’s Accusation Chapter 809 - 809: Qjao Xuan¡¯s usation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Or, she could simply approach Yuezheng Xiao and ask for his agreement. She knew he would undoubtedly support her. In reality, she was merely making excuses to push her father away. She wasn¡¯t a dutiful daughter! How dare she behave this way? Officer Qiao was consumed by anger.
Qiao Xuan remained silent. So did Shao Yunduan. Indeed, she harbored resentment towards her father. So what? Wasn¡¯t she entitled to feel that way? Officer Qiao was both taken aback and infuriated. ¡°You¡­ You truly are an ungrateful daughter! ¡± ¡°l apologize, Father. Mother never taught me how to be a filial daughter, so I have no understanding of it. You shouldprehend that, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Qiao Xuan, what are you saying?¡± Madame Qiao was seething with rage and embarrassment. Qiao Xuan looked up, her expression cold, as she addressed her. ¡°You know perfectly well what I¡¯m referring to. Mother once said that my mother seduced you, Father, and how fortunate it was that she died young. Otherwise, Mother would have made sure she suffered until her dying breath. You suggested that I should bear the suffering that was intended for my own mother!¡± ¡°Enough! Silence!¡± Madame Qiao snapped back, her voice filled with anger. ¡°You¡¯re lying! If it weren¡¯t for my generosity, you wouldn¡¯t have enjoyed afortable upbringing. You are nothing but a concubine¡¯s daughter!¡± ¡°So you admit it! You did say that I should suffer and not be allowed an easy death. Why don¡¯t you own up to your words? My maids served you faithfully and never heeded my requests. I had to do everything myself. No one assisted me with bathing water. I was given tasteless and inferior food, worse than what was given to the maids and aunts! I was served cold and spoiled dishes in both winter and summer, and I was never provided with proper clothing. Whenever you were displeased with me, you and Qiao Wei took out your frustrations on me!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s voice grew hoarse. ¡°These are outrageous ims! Where is the evidence? Or are you simply fabricating lies? You will be punished for spreading falsehoods about your biological mother! ¡± Qiao Xuan sneered. ¡°Evidence? Mother, you are the mistress of the Qiao mansion. Which evidence and which auntie would dare to step forward and defend me? It¡¯s a rather astute question you¡¯re posing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Officer Qiao¡¯s realization hit him hard. He knew that Qiao Xuan had been living a miserable life under their roof, but she was just a timid and insignificant concubine¡¯s daughter. Her presence had no bearing on their lives, so he had chosen to ignore herpletely, thinking it wouldn¡¯t do them any harm. He couldn¡¯t possibly jeopardize his marriage for the sake of a concubine¡¯s daughter, could he? But he never expected that his legal wife had subjected his concubine¡¯s daughter to such torment, resulting in her deep-seated resentment towards them! Yet, despite the shock and fury he felt, he found himself ming his concubine¡¯s daughter more than anything else. How foolish she was! She could have confided in him about her grievances. Instead, she kept everything bottled up, only to n her revenge. And why bring up all of this now, right in front of his son-inw?! In this moment, he still feltpelled to defend his legal wife. Her reputation was intertwined with his own, after all. ¡°Girl, your mother couldn¡¯t have been such a malicious woman. There must have been some misunderstanding between you. The maids and the aunties must have acted on their ord. But your mother and I failed to consider that without your mother¡¯s presence, you would be a target for bullying. It was our fault.¡¯ ¡°But it¡¯s also your fault, too! You should have confided in us, and your mother and I would have stood up for you!¡¯ Chapter 810 - 810: Lying Chapter 810 - 810: Lying Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Furious, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t believe how shameless and unreasonable her parents were bing. They were twisting the truth and trying to appear reasonable even though they were clearly in the wrong. Shao Yunduan was both surprised and enraged. He never expected that Qiao Xuan had endured such a terrible life before they got married. The thought of his beloved wife being bullied and humiliated without the means to fight back broke his heart. ¡°Officer Father-inw,¡± Shao Yunduan said with a cold tone, ¡°My wife was subjected to bullying and humiliation, and yet you still me her for it? If you had truly cared for her, you would have known everything that she went through! Or perhaps you did know, but you allowed it to happen! ¡°Servants follow the orders of their masters and mistresses. If you had truly defended my wife, those maids and aunties would never have dared to mistreat her. Or are you suggesting that they had more authority than you in your own household?¡± ¡°My wife couldn¡¯t have dared to speak up when no one was on her side. She wouldn¡¯t have survived until now!¡±
¡°Officer Father-inw, why are you trying to deceive yourself?¡± Officer Qiao gasped, his eyes widening in realization. He had so much to say in response to Shao Yunduan, but Shao Yunduan¡¯sposed demeanor made him feel overwhelming guilt. He could have continued deceiving himself, but he couldn¡¯t convince those who saw through his actions with rity. What right did he have to argue back? Furious and filled with regret, Madame Qiao red at Qiao Xuan. What hadpelled her to arrange Qiao Xuan¡¯s marriage in the first ce? She should have eliminated Qiao Xuan, so no one would ever bother her again. ¡°Girl, you are utterly heartless! I am your lineal mother. Yes, I have made mistakes, but you have turned out fine, haven¡¯t you? You can¡¯t just cast me aside! As a daughter, it is your duty to respect and assist your parents¡ªit¡¯s only reasonable! You can¡¯t deny this! Even the Emperor emphasizes filial piety, as do schrs. Thosecking filial virtue will never achieve any significant position! ¡± Agreeing with his wife, Officer Qiao nodded fervently. ¡°Absolutely true! That¡¯s absolutely true! ¡± Madame Qiao sneered and continued, ¡°Furthermore, if it weren¡¯t for me, you would have never married Shao Yunduan. You were initially betrothed to County Magistrate Yang Jiandong in Lin County before the marriage arrangement with Shao Yunduan came about. If you had married him, you wouldn¡¯t be standing here today!¡¯ Madame Qiao attempted to use the truth as a weapon to provoke disgust in them. Qiao Xuan had never met her former fianc¨¦, but there was indeed a man to whom she had been promised. Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of distress upon hearing this revtion. After all, Qiao Xuan had been coerced into marrying him, while the other man held the esteemed position of County Magistrate and had achieved a high rank in the imperial examination, ranking third. The disparity in their social status was considerable. Naturally, people would assume that Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t particrly pleased about having her engagement forcefully broken and beingpelled to marry someone else. Any man in Shao Yunduan¡¯s position would feel somewhat displeased with this history. However, what Madame Qiao was unaware of was that Qiao Xuan not only harbored reluctance towards her current husband but had even attempted to take her own life in the bridal chamber. Although this tragic event stemmed from the experiences of the original host, the present Qiao Xuan had to bear the consequences nheless.. Chapter 811 - 811: Helping Qao Xuan Chapter 811 - 811: Helping Qao Xuan Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions And Qiao Xuan was concerned that this revtion would make Shao Yunduan ufortable. Therefore, when Qiao Xuan confronted Madame Qiao, she deliberately omitted mentioning the previous marriage alliance or Madame Qiao¡¯s attempt to have her killed, which Shao Yunduan had bravely foiled. However, to Qiao Xuan¡¯s astonishment, Madame Qiao brought up the topic in a distasteful manner. Qiao Xuan inwardly cursed her, considering her a despicable woman. She was about to respond when Shao Yunduan interjected, ¡°My wife chose to marry me because it was our destiny to be together. We were meant to be together, and I consider myself fortunate to have her. Our family is blessed to have her.¡¯
¡°l was nothing more than a low-ranking Cultivated Talent, while my wife¡¯s previous fianc¨¦ held the esteemed position of County Magistrate. There was a significant disparity between us. Madame Qiao, did you truly marry off my wife to me for her own benefit?¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s eyes were widened. She had a plethora of schemes running through her mind, but she was left dumbfounded by this question. Could Shao Yunduan be so foolish as to degrade himself just to defend Qiao Xuan? Qiao Xuan was deeply touched. She looked at Shao Yunduan with overwhelming emotions, and he responded with a gentle smile, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. Internally, Qiao Xuan was screaming with delight. She fought the urge to throw herself into his arms right then and there! Her husband was incredibly kind! He was standing up for her and making her feel immensely proud. She longed to unt this to the despicable couple before her! Qiao Xuan felt that if she could boast in that moment, she would look down on the couple with her chin held high in the sky. County Magistrate Qiao was also taken aback by Madame Qiao¡¯s mention of this embarrassing incident. Feeling displeased, he coughed and calmly interjected, ¡°We¡­ we need not discuss this matter right now¡­¡± He aimed to win Shao Yunduan over to his side, so he genuinely didn¡¯t want to delve into the topic of Qiao Xuan¡¯s previous engagement. Qiao Xuan chimed in, ¡°Why not? Madame Qiao started it. My husband is absolutely right. We are destined to be together, ording to the will of Heaven. Madame Qiao, you have no part in this. Or, why did my husband happen to rescue me when I was pushed into the water and on the verge of death?¡± She saw no reason to evade the truth when her husband was fine with it. ¡°What! Both Shao Yunduan and County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s faces changed simultaneously. Evidently, neither of them had prior knowledge of this incident. Madame Qiao was taken aback. She retorted, ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± ¡°Nonsense? I wasn¡¯t a mere child. Why would I suddenly fall into the water? I know very well whether I was pushed or not.¡± ¡°Moreover, I never explicitly used Madame Qiao of being involved. Why are you getting so defensive now?¡± Madame Qiao stuttered, ¡°¡­l just¡­ I just find it utterly ridiculous. But you¡¯re insinuating that it was me, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°But it seems like you¡¯re making a confession!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s anger and heartache grew stronger. He sneered, ¡°Officer Father-inw, do you really think my wife would falsely confess to something like this?¡± County Magistrate Qiao forced himself to respond, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it just an ident? Perhaps Xuan is mistaken¡­¡± Ignoring his weak answer, Shao Yunduan pressed on. ¡°Let me take a guess. During that time, my wife¡¯s previous fianc¨¦ and his family came to discuss the marriage. Someone didn¡¯t want her to marry into a respectable family, so they orchestrated an incident like this. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s impossible¡­,¡± County Magistrate Qiao stuttered, realizing that his own denial was feeble. Shao Yunduan was correct. The Yang Family had indeede to discuss the wedding at that time. Chapter 812 - 812: Not Part of the Qiao Family Chapter 812 - 812: Not Part of the Qiao Family Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions But Qiao Xuan¡¯s innocence had been tarnished due to her connection with the man who rescued her from the water. County Magistrate Qiao grew furious and med Qiao Xuan for bringing trouble to the family. As he reflected on the situation, even County Magistrate Qiao couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it all seemed too coincidental. He even began to suspect that his wife might have been involved in orchestrating these events. Furious, County Magistrate Qiao shot a cold re at Madame Qiao. Qiao Xuan spoke calmly, ¡°Madame Qiao uses me of being unfilial. But I would like to ask, what have I done to deserve such abel? Did 1 break any contracts? Did I steal from my inws¡¯ family to benefit my own family?¡± County Magistrate Qiao and Madame Qiao were both taken aback by her words. Indeed, their actions had been forcing Qiao Xuan to steal from her inws¡¯ family to help her own. Qiao Xuan had been unwilling toply, and she could not be considered unfilial.
The realization struck them both. It was Shao Yunduan who stood before them, witnessing everything. Forcing Qiao Xuan to engage in such behavior right in front of her husband suddenly seemed incredibly wrong. Qiao Xuan felt a strong sense of displeasure. She was a married daughter, spending time with her inws¡¯ family. As long as she didn¡¯t disrespect or mistreat County Magistrate Qiao and his wife, she should never bebeled as unfilial. After all, Qiao Xuan, as a married daughter, was not bound by the fate of her family¡¯s exile and imprisonment. She was no longer a member of the Qiao family, and the notion of manipting her with the concept of filial piety seemed absurd. Shao Yunduan sneered with disdain, firmly holding Qiao Xuan¡¯s hand. ¡°Darling, let¡¯s go! Officer Father-inw, unless you provide a clear exnation of the injustice my wife has endured, we will not attend any further summons from you!¡± Qiao Xuan chimed in, ¡°Father, be cautious of your wife. She is capable of deceit and treachery!¡± With those words, the couple departed, arm in arm. Madame Qiao and County Magistrate Qiao were left in a state of shock, unable to utter a word. Suddenly, a loud bang broke the silence, jolting Madame Qiao from her daze. County Magistrate Qiao red at her coldly, his voice filled with usation. ¡°Is what she said true? You¡­ But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to utter the words. His legal wife had attempted to harm his daughter, regardless of her status as a concubine¡¯s daughter. She was still his daughter! ¡°No, Old Master, please!¡± Madame Qiao pleaded, sounding as if she had been unjustly used. ¡°Qiao Xuan set me up! She was trying to sow discord between us! Old Master, don¡¯t fall for her ploy! She¡¯s trying to divert your attention from our demands!¡± County Magistrate Qiao was caught in a whirlwind of confusion. He couldn¡¯t help but find his legal wife¡¯s words somewhat reasonable. Qiao Xuan¡¯s usation seemed like a diversion to avoid discussing their demands. ¡°But you must be aware of how you have treated her!¡± Madame Qiao wiped away her tears. ¡°Old Master, she is merely the daughter of a concubine, a product of the woman who betrayed me by sleeping with you! Old Master, 1 too have emotions. How could I ever develop any fondness for her after what happened?¡± ¡°But I have never mistreated her! I provided her with food, clothing, and daily necessities. While she might not have felt particrly well-treated, the truth is, if I truly harbored such hatred towards her, I would have put an end to her existence long ago.¡± ¡°As for how she ended up in the water¡­¡± Chapter 813 - 813: Shao Yunduan’ s Attitude Chapter 813 - 813: Shao Yunduan¡¯ s Attitude Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°She¡¯s lying! 1 have never done anything of the sort!¡± Madame Qiao vehemently denied the usations. While she could acknowledge that a lineal mother might not hold affection for a concubine¡¯s daughter, she refused to ept responsibility for any attempt on Qiao Xuan¡¯s life. County Magistrate Qiao found himself growing increasingly perplexed by his wife¡¯s words. He sensed that she was not lying, but Qiao Xuan appeared resolute in her ims. He found himself torn between whom to believe. However, his growing aversion towards his wife was bing undeniable. ¡°Old Master, I understand that I cannot alleviate your suspicions, and 1 won¡¯t defend myself any further. But Qiao Xuan firmly believes that I have done this to her, and she will harbor resentment. She won¡¯t show us any respect, including you. She might even grow to hate you!¡¯
County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s expression stiffened. He had no interest in her demeanor. He needed Shao Yunduan¡¯s stance. And Shao Yunduan had already made his position clear. County Magistrate Qiao couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of anger. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! ¡± Madame Qiao lowered her head, concealing her inner sneer. She was well aware of the deep grudge Qiao Xuan held against her. She had always believed that Qiao Xuan was easily manipted, and she had been confident in her ability to control her. Madame Qiao¡¯s anger grew as she realized that Qiao Xuan had been deceiving her all along, putting up a facade. She felt a deep sense of betrayal and vowed to view Qiao Xuan as her enemy from now on. ¡°Old Master, it seems that Xuan has developed a deep-seated misunderstanding of me, and it will be difficult to dispel it. However, if Shao Yunduan continues to rise in his career¡­ County Magistrate Qiao let out an angry snort. His head throbbed with pain. Shao Yunduan had achieved the title of Provincial Champion, and it was not something that could be easily revoked. Attempting to remove his title could potentially ruin County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s own career. He dared not take such a risk. ¡°l am his Father-inw! He wouldn¡¯t dare defy me unless he wants to jeopardize his own career!¡± ¡°But he won¡¯t take your side, ever!¡± ¡°That¡¯s your fault!¡± ¡°l have an idea. Would you like to hear it?¡± ¡°Spill it out now! ¡± ¡°Old Master, what if we find a stunningly beautiful, talented, and charming young woman and present her to Shao Yunduan as a gift?¡± Qiao Xuan shouldn¡¯t be the only one standing by Shao Yunduan¡¯s side. If they could have a spy working for them, close to Shao Yunduan, it would be a great advantage. Though it was despicable to manipte someone to steal their own daughter¡¯s husband, the couple seemed to have no qualms about it. Officer Qiao was somewhat convinced. ¡°Where can we find such a person? I can tell that Shao Yunduan is not attracted to ordinary women!¡± If they could find a girl who possessed both gentleness and beauty, along with talent, schrs like Shao Yunduan would find it hard to resist such charms! People in power often sought to have beautiful women by their side to enhance their image and status. Madame Qiao smirked. ¡°If you trust me, I can take care of that.¡± Officer Qiao had no other choice but to rely on her. He gave a cautious nce to Madame Qiao and whispered, ¡°Keep this a secret. No one, including Wei and Concubine Du, should be aware of our ns..¡± Chapter 814 - 814: Trap Again Chapter 814 - 814: Trap Again Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Of course, Old Master. Please don¡¯t worry!¡¯ He didn¡¯t consider it to be his fault. This stubborn girl had left him with no choice but to devise this n. Fortunately, the girl wouldn¡¯t be adversely affected since her only task was to confront a concubine. Once she realized her mistake and turned to him, begging for forgiveness, he could then step forward and assume the role of her father. County Magistrate Qiao found sce in this thought, feeling slightly relieved.
He simply couldn¡¯t bear to give up on a promising son-inw like Shao Yunduan, even if it meant causing his daughter some trouble. County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s determination was unwavering, so he turned to Madame Qiao and inquired, ¡°Where do you propose we find a girl suitable for this task?¡± Madame Qiao smiled, responding, ¡°It won¡¯t be difficult. With sufficient funds, we can easily find someone suitable. There should be eligible candidates within the province, and I can arrange for a girl to be transferred from elsewhere if necessary.¡± That increased County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s confidence even further. He nodded firmly in agreement. Good. They had ample funds for this. Madame Qiao wasted no time in formting the n. She intended to seek assistance from Ms. Mi Junior, certain that she would be willing to help. Second Mrs. Yuezheng possessed the means to make it happen effortlessly. She would even attempt to persuade Ms. Mi Junior to avoid shouldering any expenses herself. However, Second Mrs. Yuezheng decided not to disclose this to her Old Master, as she could secure a portion of money from him as her personal savings. As they left the mansion, Shao Yunduan called out to his wife, his face filled with sadness. Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart warmed, and she gently ced her fingers on his lips, smiling. ¡°Darling, please don¡¯t make me out to be so pitiful. I don¡¯t want to hear any of that. It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Furthermore, she hadn¡¯t suffered any harm. It was the original host who had endured it all, and she didn¡¯t deserve their sympathy. Shao Yunduan smiled, appreciating his wife¡¯s open-mindedness. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not dwell on it,¡± he nodded, speaking softly. ¡°It¡¯s all behind us now, and it will never happen again.¡± ¡°Yes, unless you treat me the same way¡­¡± she teased yfully. ¡°Don¡¯t. I promise I won¡¯t treat you like that,¡± Shao Yunduan interjected, gently covering her lips with his fingers. ¡°l¡­ I will only treat you well.¡± Qiao Xuan gazed up at her husband, noticing the slight redness in his ears, a sign of his guilt. He avoided her gaze, pretending everything was normal. A bright smile graced Qiao Xuan¡¯s face. ¡°1 know you¡¯re the best!¡± Shao Yunduan responded softly, his cheeks flushing with a thinyer of redness. His handsome face revealed his touched emotions. As the sound of joyfulughter reached Shao Yunduan¡¯s ears, he felt a tinge of shyness. His wife¡¯sughter indicated that she genuinely didn¡¯t mind what had happened before. ¡°Are you heading to thend agent?¡± Qiao Xuan asked. ¡°Of course!¡± Shao Yunduan replied. Nothing would deter them, not even Officer Qiao and his wife. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then!¡± Together, the couple made their way to thend agent, clearlymunicating their requirements. Thend agent assured them confidently that he would ensure a smooth process. They instructed him to visit the vige in three days¡¯ time. Only foolish individuals would pass up the opportunity to work for a generous Provincial Champion. Afterward, the couple paid a visit to Manager Qin at Mingren Tang and engaged in a brief conversation. They requested that Manager Qin gather the ripe medicinal herbs the following afternoon, and Manager Qin agreed to their request.. Chapter 815 - 815: Going Home Chapter 815 - 815: Going Home Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Manager Qin inspected the ginseng and was impressed by their high quality. He also noticed some Panax notoginseng, which should be harvested next year. The potential earnings from these herbs amounted to approximately 10,000 liang. Manager Qin attempted to persuade them to expand their operation, and Qiao Xuan agreed in principle. However, they faced a challenge as theycked additional staff to facilitate such an expansion. Furthermore, their ns to visit the capital in spring caused them to hesitate in scaling up their business. Manager Qin found this situation quite regrettable. After bidding farewell to Manager Qin, they proceeded to purchase meat. Qiao Xuan intended to cook dinner in the evening.
They wanted to have a small celebration following their encounter with Officer Qiao. It called for a special asion. Fortunately, they managed to acquire beef. Beef was both expensive and rare in the market, making it a highly sought-after meat. Several restaurants had already purchased half of the stock, but Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were fortunate enough to arrive early at the stall; otherwise, they would have been left with nothing. Since beef could be stored for a few days without spoiling, Qiao Shisan bought over 15 kg of meat, including sirloin, brisket, tendon, and breast. ¡°We have various spices at home. The tendon meat can be used for stew, the beef brisket and breast can be braised in brown sauce or stewed with radishes and tomatoes, and the sirloin can be enjoyed in a hot pot or stir-fried. Let¡¯s have a beef hot pot tonight! And why not make some beef balls as well?¡± They decided to proceed to thinly slice the beef, preparing it for the hot pot by nching it in a spicy or clear soup for a few seconds. The result would be tender and vorful meat that would make anyone¡¯s mouth water. As for the beef balls, they had a delightful bouncy texture with a smooth consistency. These chewy delicacies were perfect for the hot pot, adding to the anticipation of the meal. The mere thought of the vorsome feast caused their mouths to water with anticipation. Shao Yunduan wholeheartedly agreed with Qiao Xuan¡¯s excited suggestion, as they hadn¡¯t enjoyed hot pot in a while and were truly craving it. They also purchased a few pork bones and a piece of plum blossom meat. The pork bones were boiled to create a vorful soup base for the hot pot. They chopped the plum blossom meat, mixed it with lotus root paste, shaped it into lotus root balls, fried them in a pan, and nned to serve them alongside the hot pot. Considering their dinner ns, they decided to postpone their visit to Zhang Vige. They could make the trip in a few days¡¯ time. Back at home, Yang Xiaoni, Shao Sang, Taotao, and Qi were all thrilled to hear about the hot pot dinner. They eagerly got busy with preparations, adding to the excitement and anticipation in the household. Preparing the beef balls required beating the beef into a meat paste, a task that demanded arm strength and endurance. Although they had done it before, this time it was Qi¡¯s responsibility. Interestingly, Shao Sang volunteered to take on the task, assuming he could handle the physical demands. However, he quickly grew exhausted, unable to lift his arms. Qi couldn¡¯t help butugh at his brother¡¯s predicament and effortlesslypleted the job, surprising everyone present. Poor Shao Sang, he even trembled as he tried to pick up food with his chopsticks during dinner. He didn¡¯t make any further offers to help, unable to tolerate his shivering arms while attempting to eat. The hot pot dinner featured a wide array of dishes. There were beef balls, lotus root balls, fish balls, beef slices, squid, shrimp paste, egg dumplings, vermicelli, yuba, fried bean curd, shiitake mushrooms, lettuce slices, winter melon slices, yam slices, lettuce, wolfberry sprouts, and more. Additionally, they had fresh fire dragon fruits, oranges, and grapes. The tender and delicious beef brought immense joy as they savored this rare and delightful dinner together.. Chapter 816 - 816: Compensation Chapter 816 - 816: Compensation Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The following day, with the assistance of Chunyu and the maids, the nt harvesting was swiftlypleted within half a day. In the afternoon, Manager Qin personally arrived to collect the medicinal materials. As he didn¡¯t have sufficient cash on hand, he had to arrange for the funds from the province. To acknowledge his debt, he wrote an IOU note for Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan happily epted the note, showing no concern over the matter. This marked Manager Qin¡¯s first visit to Qiao Xuan!s garden, and as he walked through, he couldn¡¯t help but be astonished and feel a tinge of envy. He couldn¡¯t help but praise what he witnessed, noting the abundance of snow fungus, sugarcane, pineapples, papayas, grapes, pears, lemons, pomegranates, and various other fruits. He even emphasized his desire for a few more bergamots and expressed his anticipation for the uing harvest season. Qiao Xuan responded cheerfully, feeling a hint of guilt. She realized she had forgotten to share fruits with Manager Qin during herst visit to town.
They had hired ten individuals to work on opening up the 20 mu of barrennd. Each worker received a daily wage of 35 won. Opening up the barrennd was no easy task. Firstly, they had to clear away all the weeds, shrubs, and misceneous trees that upied the area. Most importantly, the roots of these trees and shrubs needed to be eradicated, which proved to be a challenging endeavor. The area was thoroughly cleaned before they began the process of opening up thend. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a busy farming season, so Qiao Xuan and her family were content to follow the lead rather than feeling rushed. It became apparent that the initial 20 mu ofnd was not sufficient for their purposes. The lipstick business couldn¡¯t remain a secret, so they decided to increase production, along with the cultivation of cassavas. Qiao Xuan estimated that 500 mu would be an appropriate size, as exceeding that would exceed her management capabilities. The additional fields would be connected to the existing floral fields, allowing for better management on arger scale. With 200 mu already assigned to others, the remaining 500 mu would significantly enrich theirnd. Qiao Xuan sought thepany of her mother-inw and gathered sixteen families together to discuss the acquisition of thend, with assistance from the Land Officer. It was a small- scale meeting regardingnd acquisitionpensation. The field itself held little mary value, and the individual harvests would be limited. By working together, they could ensure a more substantial yield. Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t say much during the meeting, but she expressed her intentions to the vigers. She desired theirnd and nned to provide them with abundantpensation in return. At present, the market value for one mu of goodnd stood at four liang, while hills and steep terrain were priced at three liang. Well-openednd in mu was valued at five liang, and excellentndmanded a price of six liang. However, the majority of the avablends had already been opened, with only 20-30 mu remaining unopened. Therefore, Qiao Xuan decided to purchase thesends at the cost of well-openednd, offering 12 liang for one mu. The vigers were left astounded by this proposition. ¡°What?¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°12, liang for one mu? Did I hear that correctly?¡± ¡°No, no. 1 also heard it was 12 liang!¡¯ ¡°Is she joking?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable!¡± Even well-openednd was not valued this highly. As the confirmation from Qiao Xuan resounded through the crowd, the vigers erupted in excitement. Of course, they were more than willing to offer theirnd. Only foolish individuals would pass up such an opportunity! With 12 liang for one mu, they could use the money to purchase unopenednd themselves.. Chapter 817 - 817: Money Chapter 817 - 817: Money Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They could invest some effort in digging thend, which wouldn¡¯t affect future ntings. Even though the soil would regenerate after two or three years, resulting in an abundance of weeds and wild nts, it didn¡¯t matter much. Clearing out the weeds and unwanted growth would suffice. It was simply a matter of putting in some hard work. After three years, thend would be ready for sale. By selling thend, they could earn eight liang for one mu, or 80 liang for ten mue Those with 20 liang could potentially earn 100 or even 200 mu ofnd. This was an incredible opportunity to seize within just two or three years. Some families grew anxious, eager to sell theirnd. They didn¡¯t want to miss out on the opportunity in case Qiao Xuan changed her mind before they had a chance to voice their intentions.
A few astute families inquired, ¡°Ms. Fang and Ms. Niece-inw, what are your ns for buying all thisnd? Are you aiming to make a fortune?¡± The others were equally curious. ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the n?¡± ¡°Tell us more about it!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled warmly. ¡°We¡¯re buying thend for our livelihood, of course. We don¡¯t squander money. Our goal is to connect thends together for easier management. If any of you want to sell yournd, please go ahead. If not, we can also acquirend from elsewhere. Operating them separately won¡¯t be a major issue.¡± ¡°How we conduct the business is a secret. Even if we were to reveal our ns to you, it wouldn¡¯t guarantee your fortune.¡± ¡°l offer a high price because we are all fellow vigers. It¡¯s a form ofpensation.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. Take two days to think it over, and then give me your decision. But remember, the offer is only valid for two days,¡± Qiao Xuan emphasized. ¡°You can choose to sell now, but once the deal is done, there¡¯s no turning back. We don¡¯t want anyplications that could hinder our project¡¯s progress,¡± she cautioned. After Qiao Xuan¡¯s speech, people started engaging in lively discussions. Seven or eight families made the deal on the spot, while others mentioned they would discuss it within their own families and provide an answer the following day. Qiao Xuan agreed happily to their approach. The families who reached an agreement with Qiao Xuan proceeded to write up the contracts, received their payments, and returned home with smiles on their faces. One family, for example, sold 23 mu ofnd, with six of them being unopened. They earned a total of 276 liang! With the ability to purchase 20 mu of unopenednd for 80 liang, they could make a pure profit of 200 liang. This significant increase in ie would greatly improve their quality of life The sight of money exchanging hands excited the others, leading four more families to sell theirnd. However, there were still some vigers who remained hesitant. They expressed their intention to make a decision after a few days. Qiao Xuan reassured them that it was perfectly fine. After finalizing the deals, Qiao Xuan returned home with Ms. Fang, clutching the contracts in her hands. Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t help but express her frustration, saying, ¡°Why are they hesitating? It¡¯s so annoying and troublesome. We don¡¯t engage in deceit, especially when ites to money. We¡¯re buying these fields to make a fortune, something they can¡¯t even dream of achieving.. And there¡¯s nothing they can do about it either!¡± Chapter 818 - 818: Rights of Choice Chapter 818 - 818: Rights of Choice Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan smiled and replied, ¡°Let them take their time to think it over. It¡¯s only a couple of days. I¡¯m not one to wait around either. Besides, they wouldn¡¯t figure out a better means of making a living anyway.¡± Nis. Fang chuckled and agreed, saying, ¡°That¡¯s very true!¡± Deep down, she knew that her daughter-inw had bought thend to cultivate flowers and trees, keep bees, and continue producing lipsticks. She had no intention of letting others in on her secret. They couldn¡¯t possibly replicate the lipstick-making process. It was time for them to stop dreaming! With the earnings from thend sales, they could build a new house and acquire additional fields for storage purposes. Everything would turn out well. What was the use of prying into Qiao Xuan¡¯s ns for the money?
Everyone agreed that nothing in the world came for free. Qiao Xuan was offering such a high price not because the buyers were fellow vigers, but because there must be a more significant fortune behind her actions. They couldn¡¯t afford to miss out on such an opportunity. And they were right. Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t simply giving away money. She was genuinely trying to help the vigers, and her flower and lipstick business would easily recoup the investment. She didn¡¯t mind spending that much for their benefit. The choice was simple and clear-cut. It was up to each individual to determine whether they found it worthwhile. If they believed they had the means to sell thend at a higher price on their own and felt confident about their fortune, they were free to do so. They didn¡¯t need to concern themselves with what others were doing. Their main objective was to earn money, wasn¡¯t it? On the other hand, if they didn¡¯t think selling thend would fetch them a substantial sum, they could choose to forgo the opportunity. Ultimately, the decision was theirs to make. Those who had their own ideas refrained from prying into the matter with the first group of families. They understood that they wouldn¡¯t gain any information from them, so they approached other families instead. They believed that those families might have some knowledge about the situation. However, to their surprise, neither of the other families knew anything about the first group of families purchasingnd. They were equally perplexed as to why thend was bought from outsiders rather than within their own families. ¡°No, I must speak with them!¡± Ms. Niu was unable to tolerate the situation and was ready to confront the first group of families instead of entertaining questions from outsiders. However, Ms. Yan immediately intervened and stopped her. With a smile, she dismissed those who were prying, saying, ¡°Mom, 1 don¡¯t think we need to delve into this matter. They purchased fields that are adjacent to their own. Since our fields are not avable, they didn¡¯t approach us. That must be the reason why they excluded us.¡± But Ms. Niu was not convinced by this exnation. She added, ¡°l don¡¯t care. They bought fields, and that¡¯s all there is to it. I¡¯m starting to believe that they deliberately avoided buying our fields! ¡± Confused by her mother-inw¡¯s widened eyes, Ms. Yan let out a perplexed sound. ¡°What?¡± Ms.. Niu continued, ¡°Do you think they refused to buy our fields so that they could acquire the ones that are interconnected?¡± Chapter 819 - 819: Reasoning Chapter 819 - 819: Reasoning Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms.Yan. ¡°¡­.¡± Honestly¡­ Ms. Niu eximed, ¡°Why do they have to buy connected fields? Can¡¯t they just buy separate ones? I must reason with them!¡± Seeing that some families earned hundreds of liang by selling their fields, with some even earning 200 liang, Ms. Niu couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous and bitter. ¡°Mom!¡± Ms. Yan inwardlyined and intervened, stopping her. ¡°Mom, the first group of families has their own reasons for buying connected fields, and that¡¯s their business! Even if you try to talk to them, they won¡¯t change their minds, right? Elder Aunt and Fifth Sister-inw are both independent-minded individuals. They don¡¯t easily alter their decisions. Don¡¯t ruin the improved rtionship between us.¡±
¡°It¡¯s simply not worth it, is it?¡± Ms. Niu stiffened, contemting her daughter-inw¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t care much about the improved rtionship, which didn¡¯t concern her as much. However, one thing Ms. Yan said struck a chord in her mind. Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan were both strong-willed individuals who never swayed in their beliefs. Ms. Niu couldn¡¯t convince Ms. Fang or out-argue her. It would only lead to her own frustration. ¡°Never mind!¡± Ms. Niu suddenly felt annoyed. ¡°I¡¯ll let it go. They should be grateful that I¡¯m not causing them any trouble.¡± Ms. Niu still felt a lingering irritation as if she had lost something significant. Ms. Yan¡¯s lips twitched, silently relieved that she had managed to stop her. That was a close call. To appease Ms. Niu, Ms. Yan expressed her respect and admiration, even offering her some of her own savings. This gesture made Ms. Niu beam with delight, thanking Ms. Yan for her profound respect. Ms. Yan couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of satisfaction upon hearing those words. She had umted a substantial amount of private savings, earning dozens of liang each month. Giving a portion of it to her mother-inw was well within her means. Just as Ms. Niu was being pampered, Ms. Ma arrived. Ms. Ma shared the same idea as Ms. Niu, intending to rally her support and confront the first group of families together. Ms. Yan inwardly cursed¡ªher Third Aunt-inw was truly wicked. She could create amotion all by herself and then drag her mother-inw into it. She never did anything beneficial for Ms. Niu either. However, before Ms. Yan could say anything, Ms. Niu declined the offer, refusing to participate. Ms. Niu had just received money from Ms. Yan, and she couldn¡¯t directly humiliate her daughter-inw. Instead, she informed Ms. Ma that she would pass on the opportunity. Ms. Ma was utterly surprised¡ªthis amounted to hundreds of liang! She was about to persist in her persuasion when Ms. Yan deflected the conversation, diverting Miss Me¡¯s attention elsewhere. Annoyed, Ms. Ma cursed at Ms. Yan and branded Ms. Niu as a coward. Fine, she would go and reason with them herself! The oue was entirely predictable¡­ Returning home, Ms. Ma felt even more irritated. She firmly believed that the first group of families was buying others¡¯ fields to avoid sharing profits with them. Shao Ling furrowed his brow, expressing disdain. ¡°Mom, stop engaging with them. Why bother getting close to the first group of families? Don¡¯t worry, Mom, I¡¯ll surpass Shao Yunduan, I guarantee it!¡± ¡°Remember, never approach the first group of families again!¡¯ ¡°What?¡­¡± Ms. Ma was about to defend herself, but Shao Ling¡¯s cold and impatient expression startled her. ¡°Okay, okay, Ling, whatever you say..¡± Chapter 820 - 820: Money Making Chapter 820 - 820: Money Making Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Ling retreated to his room, his impatience dissipating. Ms. Ma let out a sigh of relief. She noticed that her son had be increasingly irritabletely, always wearing a cold expression. She dared not provoke him or defy his words. But she also observed that he seemed more motivated and dedicated than before. Perhaps it was because he had been working so hard that he was too exhausted to maintain a cheerful demeanor.
She had advised him not to overwork himself and to take some time to rx. However, he ignored her and told her to stop nagging. So she refrained from saying anything further. Her only wish was for him to achieve sess as a Cultivated Talent in the future. Visitors frequently approached the first group of families in the Shao Family, offering to sell their fields. Only foolish individuals would reject such a lucrative deal or hesitate to sell their fields. It was an expedient way to earn money. Who would refuse such an opportunity? Even the neighboring vigers grew curious. Some couldn¡¯t help but feel envious that they were unable to sell their own fields. Of course, there were exceptions. Two families, owning a total of 30 mu, deliberated and ultimately declined to sell their fields. They were convinced that the first group of families in the Shao Family possessed inside information that allowed them to purchase seemingly worthless fields at such a high price. But they viewed the first group as deceitful and self-centered, unwilling to share their knowledge with others. Determined to take a risk, they chose to retain their fields. They believed that they might soon sell them for thousands of liang, earning many times more than they could currently. Not only did they decide not to sell their fields, but they also attempted to convince others to follow suit. They sought to form a united front and pressure the Shao Family into revealing the true value of the fields. However, all the other families unequivocally rejected their proposition. They had no hesitation in doing so. Those families were not in dire need of such arge sum of money, unlike the less fortunate families. To them, earning 100 or 200 liang was already a substantial amount. As for any peculiar or supernatural aspects rted to the fields, well, if they could make money from it, it would be attributed to the good fortune and talent of Shao Yunduan, the Provincial Champion. If they were able to generate wealth from these circumstances, it would be considered their good luck and they would deserve it. By selling their fields, they aimed to avoid sumbing to greed. 100 or 200 liang would already bring significant improvements to their families¡¯ lives. The vigers who couldn¡¯t sell their fields couldn¡¯t help but feel envious of those who did. Why sell the fields? Only foolish people would sell. The two ¡°foolish¡± families felt irritated upon hearing those remarks. They whispered among themselves, ¡°Let them make their profits. But they will surely regret it!¡± ¡°Yes, something must be amiss. Let¡¯s hold onto the fields and make our own fortune!¡± The two families made up their minds to retain their fields and follow the Shao Family¡¯s example by pursuing the same business venture. Qiao Xuan did not pressure them to sell if they didn¡¯t want to. After two days, even if they changed their minds and wished to sell, she wouldn¡¯t purchase their fields. She wasn¡¯t desperate for more fields, but she couldn¡¯t go back on her word. Qiao Xuan made the decision to acquire an additional 520 mu ofnd to connect with the existing ones, bringing the total to 600 mu.. Chapter 821 - 821: Feeling of Disappointment Chapter 821 - 821: Feeling of Disappointment Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They could easily bypass the 30 mu ofnd. Without it, they could purchase several dozen more mu to open up new fields. Thend agent swiftly arrived and handled all the necessary arrangements. Qiao Xuan wasted no time in hiring 40 workers, and the projectmenced promptly. The vast expanse of over 300 mu was a neglected wastnd, overrun with weeds, shrubs, and various trees. The first task at hand was to clear the ground. However, Qiao Xuan specifically instructed the workers not to remove the well-preservedrge trees scattered throughout the area. These trees added a unique and picturesque touch to thendscape and provided much-needed shade for rest breaks when the workers grew tired. All thend was now connected into a single plot, requiring re-segmentation. Some areas needed filling, while others needed excavation and leveling. Awork of small roads needed to be crisscrossed, with apanying ditches along the way.
It was indeed a monumental undertaking. Fortunately, it waste autumn and early winter, and the crops from the surrounding fields had already been harvested. This spared them the task of clearing away any vegetation, allowing them to focus on working with the natural terrain. Those who had sold theirnd wasted no time in using their earnings to purchase new plots ofnd. The newly acquirednd was situated a bit farther from the home vige, but the satisfaction of having money in their pockets and newnd outweighed any inconvenience. The entire family eagerly ventured out to open up the fields, excited about the prospects it held for theing spring. No one felt left out, as they all had a role to y in this busy endeavor. The two families who had chosen not to sell their fields couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of emptiness in their hearts as they observed the Shao Family and other families enthusiastically exploring newnds. Subconsciously, they began to harbor suspicions that the first section of the Shao Family had some ulterior motive for their fields, perhaps hoping they woulde begging to sell. Yet, Qiao Xuan remained true to her word and did not approach them with any offers or inquiries. This surprised and somewhat irritated them. They resorted to spreading rumors, suggesting that the Shao Family intended to make a fortune from the fields they had purchased, causing those who had bought thend to regret their decision deeply. Whispered conversations and gossip circted, casting negative shadows on the Shao Family¡¯s intentions. Some even shared these tales with Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan. Ms. Fang responded with a scornful sneer, paying no mind to the rumors. Qiao Xuan, on the other hand, simply smiled. Those people truly failed to grasp her genuine concern for the well-being of the vigers. It seemed they were adept at creating false narratives and misunderstandings. The majority of the vigers had a clear understanding of the situation. They had received their money by selling their fields to the Shao Family. Meanwhile, the two families who had attempted to imitate the Shao Family¡¯s business model were taken aback when they witnessed Qiao Xuan cultivating roses, Chinese roses, pomegranates, osmanthus, lemons, and other flowers, along with a small portion dedicated to cassavas. It dawned on them that Qiao Xuan was producing ingredients for making lipsticks. This revtion left them in a state of shock because, despite their efforts, they couldn¡¯t manage to produce lipsticks themselves. Filled with deep regret, they implored the elderly members of their families to plead with the Shao Family to sell the fields back to them. However, Qiao Xuan politely declined their request. She no longer required such arge amount ofnd for her endeavors.. Chapter 822 - 822: Popular Qi Chapter 822 - 822: Popr Qi Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Since Qiao Xuan no longer needed the fields, it would be unfair to force the buyers to sell them back. This realization left the two families seething with anger, and the two arrogant men in charge became the subject of ridicule and jokes in the vige. As the fields underwent development, Shao Dng and Ms. Fang would frequently visit and inspect them. Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan, Qi, and Taotao ventured back into the mountains. Qiao Xuan still had ns for the valuable tea seeds that were needed to fill the vacant area in Zhang Vige. She intended to start cultivating the seeds after the New Year, allowing them to be transnted around March. Recalling the abundance of wild lemons in the mountains, Qiao Xuan decided to dig them up, stimte the roots by breaking the branches, and temporarily cultivate them in the garden. In early spring, they could be transnted to orchards on the outskirts of the province. The lemons and their juice were essential for enhancing the vors of the drinks served at the dessert stores. Qiao Xuan aimed to have at least 30 or 40 mu of lemon orchards.
Furthermore, this season marked the return of plump wild animals in the mountains, apanied by a variety of wild fruits. It was the perfect time to venture into the mountains and gather resources. Qi¡¯s hunting skills had improved, and he had grown stronger with a sharper sense, leading to a bountiful harvest for their family. Pheasants, hares, deer, muntjacs, grouse, and wild pigeons, which Qiao Xuan enjoyed, were harvested almost daily. Although it was more convenient to store the meat during this season, there was still an excess that needed to be addressed, prompting the family to resume making smoked meat. During their hunts, they even encountered wild deer, and Qi managed to bring back three fully-grown deer to the vige, causing jealousy among the vigers. Wild boars were also hunted, as their meat was perfect for smoking. In addition to the game from the mountains, Qiao Xuan and her family also acquired manyrge smoked fish. Their stockpile of smoked meat from the previous year hadsted for almost half a year, attesting to its delicious taste. Whether it was steamed, fried, stewed, made into ypot rice, or used as fillings for other dishes, the vors were exceptional. The anticipation for the next hunting season grew within the family, keeping them busy with preparations. Meanwhile, the vigers couldn¡¯t help but feel envious of Qi¡¯s hunting abilities, making him quite popr among them. People from their own vige, neighboring viges, and even distant areas approached Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle, expressing their interest in arranging marriages for Qi. Some individuals were also interested in Taotao. Ms. Fang felt a mix of pride and helplessness in response to the attention Qi and Taotao received. She cautioned Eldest Uncle not to make any promises regarding their marriages at this time. Eldest Uncle¡¯s expression turned serious as he responded, ¡°It¡¯s a matter of great importance, and I don¡¯t take such promises lightly. We must approach it with caution and thoroughness.¡± Ms. Fang rolled her eyes and scoffed, ¡°l have my doubts. You tend to change your mind too easily, and I wouldn¡¯t put it past you to make promises just to save face.¡¯ Eldest Uncle was displeased by her remark. ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯m not that foolish.¡± However, he nearly made a mistake soon after. Ms. Fang approached Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, seeking their assistance in arranging marriages for Qi and Taotao. The dynamics had shifted. Shao Yunduan¡¯s sess and Qiao Xuan being County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s daughter, along with their profitablend purchases, had attracted the attention of many vigers.. Chapter 823 - 823: Dragon Fruits and Papaya Seeds Chapter 823 - 823: Dragon Fruits and Papaya Seeds Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions So, those who sought to form a martial alliance might have ulterior motives. What if they targeted the wrong individuals and deceived them into making promises? This could potentially bring trouble to Qi and Taotao in the future, putting the entire family at risk. Ms. Fang was determined not to let this happen. The family was thriving, and her sons and daughters-inw were all doing well. The peace and harmony within the family were invaluable.
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan wholeheartedly agreed to assist in the matter. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. My wife and 1 will ensure that everything goes smoothly. When ites to Qi and Taotao¡¯s marriages, we won¡¯t focus solely on family background. What truly matters is the character of the individuals,¡± Shao Yunduan reassured. Ms. Fang smiled and sighed with relief. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right! Just look at your Third Sister-inw. Her family may not have been well-off, but she has thrived after marrying into our family. That¡¯s what truly counts. Qi and Taotao don¡¯t need partners who are highly sessful, but they must be reliable and not cause any trouble.¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan felt a hint of embarrassment. Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Niom, it¡¯s not that simple. We can¡¯t just settle for anyone for Qi and Taotao! We will handle this matter carefully and make sure to find the best matches for them.¡± ¡°If someone proposes a marriage now, we will decline. What do you think about waiting until after my husband¡¯s spring examination? That way, we¡¯ll have enough time to thoroughly evaluate and gather information,¡± suggested Qiao Xuan. Ms. Fang was pleased to hear this proposal and nodded in agreement. They shouldn¡¯t rush to find suitors now. What if Shao Yunduan bes the Advanced Schr and starts working in the governmental office? Qi and Taotao would have a much broader selection of potential partners then. Qu Shan arrived with a group of people from the province. Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s letter informed them that they had obtained many dragon fruits and papaya seeds. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were invited to visit them and coborate on this project.
Qiao Xuan was delighted by the news and made up her mind to visit them. She intended to use her superpower to ensure the safekeeping of the seeds throughout the winter. Concerned for her safety, Shao Yunduan decided to apany her on the journey. Qiao Xuan carefully selected some distinctive fruits from the garden. Although they no longer had pineapples or sugarcanes, she gathered a few bananas, dragon fruits, and papayas. The bergamot trees were thriving, producingrge and fragrant fruits. They collected a total of twelve bergamots. Six of them would go to the Xie Family, and the remaining six to the Yuezheng Family. They also obtained fresh ginseng. Coincidentally, Qi had returned from hunting with two roe deer and several pheasants. They decided to bring both roe deer and selected eight pheasants and eight hares each. They also packed four bottles of homemade mushroom sauce, tomato sauce, sesame oil, red oil pickles, and chili sauce. However, they decided to leave behind the unfinished smoked meat. The wagons were now filled with these provisions. Qiao Xuan also sessfully saved the silver ink orchids from the Yuezheng Family. She ced two seeds in her special space and nned to bring the original one to the Xie Family. Once everything was arranged, they set off with Qu Shan. As good friends, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t hide anything from Qu Shan. They openly discussed their concerns. Qiao Xuan inquired about the situation with Yuezheng Ting. It was an event that couldn¡¯t be concealed. Numerous people had witnessed or heard about it, and no one could erase that memory.. Chapter 824 - 824: Future Chapter 824 - 824: Future Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qu Shan was filled with excitement when he was asked about the situation. Instead of merely expressing his excitement, he began to mock and ridicule the second section of the family. The strained rtionship between the two sections had always been evident, with Ms. Mi Junior frequently bullying Qu Shan and the servants. Therefore, when the second section of the family encountered trouble, Qu Shan eagerly seized the opportunity to mock them. In light of these circumstances, Qu Shan and the others became more inclined to align themselves with Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. After Qiao Xuan and
Shao Yunduan left the province, Madame Qiao, her daughter, and Concubine Du also departed soon after. Subsequently, rumors about what had transpired involving Yuezheng Ting began to circte. Although Qiao Wei was involved, very few people discussed it, and numerous versions of the rumors regarding Yuezheng Tings situation emerged. Soon enough, her reputation plummeted to the lowest point, subjecting her to constant ridicule. Even some troublemakers resorted to creating vulgar jokes at her expense. Yuezheng Ting and Ms. Mi Junior withdrew from public life for several days, and the servants were well aware of the situation but dared not speak of it to them. The Second Old Master, who had been out, returned home in a fit of anger and confronted Ms. Mi Junior. Heshed out at Yuezheng Ting, ming Ms. Mi Junior for her inability to raise their daughter properly. In his rage, he even pped Yuezheng Ting across the face. The mother and daughter were taken aback and overwhelmed with distress upon learning about the situation. They couldn¡¯tprehend what had transpired and demanded an exnation. The recent events had left a deep scar in Yuezheng Tings life, resembling a haunting nightmare. The news she heard from her father only intensified her anguish. Overwhelmed by shame, she instantly blushed and sought sce in Ms. Mi Junior¡¯sforting embrace, avoiding any contact with others. She couldn¡¯t fathom her future anymore. She knew she would never be able to join her friends at their homes or on trips. Those who held grudges against her would surely revel in her misfortune and mock her mercilessly. The weight of her disgrace left her unable to face anyone ever again. Thoughts raced through her mind¡ªwhat would Brother Xie think of her? Would he believe she was an utterly frivolous girl? No. no. that couldn¡¯t be true! The idea of marrying Xie Jingrong seemed unbearable as the thought of being looked down upon by him filled her with misery. Ms. Mi Junior experienced a mix of embarrassment, surprise, and fury, overwhelmed by the situation and its implications. Ms. Mi Junior reached her breaking point, unable to tolerate the humiliation inflicted upon her by her own husband. ¡°Old Master, it must be the Elder Sister-inw who orchestrated this scheme! The people from Lingyuan Temple vowed to keep the secret, and our servants are too afraid to speak up. It must be the Elder Sister-inw¡¯s doing! She wants to humiliate us, to tarnish Tings reputation! She must have paid people to spread the rumors!¡±
¡°Old Master, we implore you to help us! Ting is being bullied and her prospects for marriage are now ruined! ¡± ¡°Marrying someone?¡± The Second Old Master scoffed. ¡°l consider us lucky that she isn¡¯t engaged. Otherwise, we would have faced even more embarrassment when the engagement fell apart.¡± Ms. Mi Junior sobbed even harder, expressing her grievances. ¡°It has to be the Elder Sister-inw¡¯s doing! Otherwise, why would the rumor single out Ting and not mention Elder Miss Qiao, even though both are involved? It¡¯s clear as day!¡± ¡°The Elder Sister-inw has a close rtionship with Qiao Xuan, so they shield Elder Miss Qiao from scrutiny!¡¯ Infuriated, the Second Old Master found himself believing Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s reasoning. It seemed logical to him given the circumstances.. Chapter 825 - 825: Revenge Chapter 825: Revenge Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The couple approached Madame Yuezheng, seeking a fair resolution to their predicament. Upon hearing their plea, Madame Yuezheng was taken aback and nearly fainted. She couldn¡¯t believe what she had just witnessed. Overwhelmed with disappointment, she directed her anger towards Ms. Mi, questioning her abilities as a mother. She expressed concerns about Yuezheng Tings future and expressed her disappointment in their actions. Ms. Mi Junior, feeling deeply wounded, covered her face and wept. ¡°Madame Yuezheng, I am to me. But please, I beg you to take care of Ting and ensure justice for her!¡± Madame Yuezhengs expression grew stern. She ordered, ¡°Bring First Madame here.¡¯ While Ms. Mi Junior and her daughter might have been mistaken in their usations, First Madame should not have taken actions to harm them. She was determined not to let that slide. As Madame Yuezheng spoke, she started to grasp the situation unfolding before her. She remained calm even as Ms. Mi Junior red at her and continued to use her. With a dark tone, Madame Yuezheng replied, ¡°Elder Son¡¯s wife, your usations have gone too far. We are all part of the same family. By attempting to set me up, you tarnish our family¡¯s reputation. You are mistaken!¡± First Madame responded quietly, ¡°Madame Yuezheng, do you have any evidence to support your im? using me without any grounds is highly improper, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ms. Mi Junior snapped, ¡°It¡¯s evident! You¡¯re seeking revenge on me! If you have a problem with me,e directly to me. Why involve Ting in your schemes?¡± ¡°You certainly have a high opinion of yourself!¡± First Madame sneered. She had always been irritated by Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s habit ofining about her in front of Madame Yuezheng. With a hushed tone, she continued, ¡°If I ever wished to take revenge on you, I have countless methods at my disposal. And rest assured, 1 would ensure that you never discover it was me!¡± As far as First Madame was concerned, her granddaughter was still too young to be concerned about her reputation. Moreover, the first and second sections of the family were distinct entities. ¡°Madame Yuezheng, as you have stated, we are all part of the Yuezheng Family. While I may not have a daughter, my sons may have daughters in the future. There is no benefit for me in engaging in such actions. Second Sister-inw, you assume I am responsible for all this, but do not make baseless assumptions. Show me the evidence. Otherwise, if you dare use me of something I have not done, I will p you in the face.¡± ¡°You¡­ you dare speak so boldly because you know I have no evidence!¡± Ms. Mi Junior trembled with anger. First Madame regarded her as if she were staring at a fool. ¡°So, in the end, you have no evidence, yet you dare spout nonsense and use me in front of Madame Yuezheng so audaciously?¡± Ms. Mi Junior. ¡® Madame Yuezheng felt a deep annoyance, secretly calling Ms. Mi Junior a foolish woman. It seemed that Ms. Mi Junior had easily managed to irritate her, and she imagined that her Elder Son¡¯s wife was likely mocking her inwardly. Feeling embarrassed, Madame Yuezheng furrowed her brow in anger. This was precisely why she had never held a fondness for First Madame. Her daughter-inw was excessively intimidating and imposing, showing no regard for the feelings of the elders or attempting to ingratiate herself with them. She could never warm up to a person like that. Before they could inquire further, First Madame calmly began to exin. Many people had witnessed the incident, and Yuezheng Ting had openly revealed everything. Therefore, concealing the incident was impossible. The fact that the news did not spread until several dayster was already a stroke of luck. The Yuezheng Family was renowned in the province, and any scandal involving a member of the family naturally attracted significant attention. Hence, people reveled in discussing the matter. As for Elder Miss Qiao? No one even knew who she was, so there was barely any gossip surrounding her.. Chapter 826 - 826: Reasonable Chapter 826: Reasonable Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The increasing wealth of the Yuezheng Family attracted both allies and rivals, creating opportunities for theirpetitors to ruin their reputation and spread vile jokes about the family. When such gossip was spread, it was clear that there was someone behind it. But what could they do? Rumors were always intangible and omnipresent. Even the immense wealth of the Yuezheng Family couldn¡¯t suppress thempletely. Furthermore, the more exnations were offered, the more amusing it became for outsiders. They would seize upon any opportunity to create even more absurd tales that portrayed the family in a negative light. If they didn¡¯t trust Madame Yuezhengs judgment, they could provide exnations, but it wouldn¡¯t change the situation. Madame Yuezheng and the others felt a sense of numbness upon hearing these words. It was painfully true. The Second Old Master felt immense shame and shot a resentful re at his wife. If it weren¡¯t for this woman, he wouldn¡¯t find himself in this situation. She had proven herself to be ipetent, limited to ying petty tricks at home. She couldn¡¯t even properly educate her own daughter. Ms. Mi Junior remained infuriated and had no trust in a single word uttered by First Madame. She firmly believed that First Madame was merely attempting to argue and defend herself. Even ifpetitors were involved in orchestrating this situation, First Madame had to be implicated as well. First Madame added, suggest you publicly portray it as an ident.¡± Bybeling it as an ident, they would acknowledge the incident while redirecting the public¡¯s focus away from other possibilities. Indeed, most people would believe it was an ident. After all, a woman from the prestigious Yuezheng Family could never be involved with unemployed individuals. It must have been Lady Yuezheng who had the misfortune. Nevertheless, her marriage prospects would undoubtedly be affected. True to form, Nis. Mi Junior hastened to arrange potential marriage alliances for her daughter, hoping to prove that Yuezheng Ting still had promising suitors. However, those whom she had previously favored or disliked turned her down. Ms. Mi Junior seethed with anger, cursing those individuals as simple-minded fools. First Madame was left speechless upon hearing this from Auntie Hua. The rumor continued to circte, and Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s attempts to find a suitor seemed futile. No one would agree to it. She should have waited at least a couple of years before making such efforts. Perhaps¡­ at least half a yearter, right? Ms. Mi Junior waspletely oblivious to the concept of ¡°Haste makes waste.¡± She remained increasingly driven and motivated to push further. This infuriated and worried Madame Yuezheng. She sternly warned Ms. Mi Junior not to subject herself to further humiliation. Feeling miserable, Ms. Mi Junior cried. Her daughter was already 18 years old, and if they waited for a few more years, she would have no suitable suitors left. Time was of the essence, and her daughter couldn¡¯t afford to wait any longer. Madame Yuezhengs anger intensified. She criticized Ms. Mi Junior for being irritating and for her failure to n ahead. As the tearful Nis. Mi Junior was dismissed, Madame Yuezheng massaged her temples and called for First Madame to discuss a n. Reluctantly, Madame Yuezheng had to admit that her elder son¡¯s wife was more dependable, despite her personal dislike for her. First Madame swiftly offered her suggestion¡ªthe best solution would be to bring Yuezheng Ting back to their hometown to find a suitable suitor. Ms. Mi Junior should not focus on the suitor¡¯s family background; rather, integrity should be the most important factor to consider. Madame Yuezheng was taken aback by the suggestion. After a prolonged silence, she responded tersely, acknowledging that she understood, and then asked First Madame to leave. First Madame showed no objection and left without hesitation. However, Madame Yuezheng soon came to the realization that it was indeed the only way forward.. Chapter 827 - 827: Back to Hometown Chapter 827 - 827: Back to Hometown
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Ting was reaching an age where waiting for a suitable suitor was bing increasingly difficult. The longer they waited, the fewer good prospects there would be avable. However, given the scandal that had tarnished Yuezheng Tings reputation in the province, it seemed impossible to find a suitable suitor for her there.
Madame Yuezheng considered the option of looking for a suitor in their hometown, which was located at a considerable distance from the province. The Yuezheng Family held a strong position in their hometown, and they could protect Yuezheng Ting when needed. Furthermore, the rumors would not reach that far. While the suitors from their hometown might not have as privileged backgrounds, there was still a chance for Yuezheng Ting to find a suitable partner there. Madame Yuezheng finally made the decision to pursue this path. However, Ms. Mi Junior fiercely opposed this suggestion when she heard it. No, absolutely not! She refused to let her daughter return to the humble surroundings of their hometown to marry someone there. She believed it would ruin her daughter¡¯s life. Madame Yuezheng was furious. She cared for her granddaughter just as much and was not out to ruin her life. She was not an evil grandmother. Furthermore, Madame Yuezheng med Ms. Mi Junior for failing to properly teach and guide her daughter, leading to the situation they were facing now. Ms. Mi Junior remained determined and steadfast in her stance, adamantly refusing Madame Yuezhengs suggestion. She had changed, no longer disying her previous sweetness and pretentiousness. She had a singr focus now ¨C her daughters must marry someone in the province or even in more affluent regions. They were destined for a prosperous life, not to return to the countryside like their hometown. Their wealth was too great to be given to someone poor. Ms. Mi Junior disregarded her previous behavior in front of her mother-inw. The only thing she cared about now was ensuring her daughter would not marry someone beneath her, who would take advantage of her and her wealth.
Madame Yuezheng was taken aback by Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s resolute rejection. She had never expected her beloved daughter-inw, whom she had adored for so long, to be like this. It was a great shock to her, and she began to feel deeply disappointed. Furious at Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s refusal and her usations of favoritism, Madame Yuezheng decided to drop the matter altogether. She was thoroughly disappointed in Ms. Mi Junior. She resolved not to impose any further requests on Yuezheng Ting or her. After all, Yuezheng Ting was not her own daughter but merely a granddaughter. It seemed that Yuezheng Ting had no interest in returning to their hometown either. From that moment on, Madame Yuezheng decided to change her treatment of Ms. Mi Junior. She no longer treated her with the same kindness and favor as before. Ms. Mi Junior breathed a sigh of relief and began seeking potential suitors, even considering those from neighboring towns. However, her efforts yielded no positive results. The families interested in marrying Yuezheng Ting did not meet Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s standards. Just when they believed the situation would continue dragging on for an extended period, an unexpected event urred, bringing about a turning point. Unfortunately, it was not a favorable turn of events. Yuezheng Tings sister, Yuezheng Yan, who had been married for a while, caused trouble once again. Yuezheng Yan¡¯s husband relied heavily on the Yuezheng Family for his business, and their family enjoyed wealth and numerous properties. However, this dependence and Yuezheng Yan¡¯s growing arrogance created a rift between her and her husband, driving them further apart. Yuezheng Yan strongly opposed her husband, Qi Yun, having a concubine. Just two months into their marriage, she forcefully dismissed the maid who had slept with her husband. Not stopping there, Yuezheng Yan reced the other attractive maids with in-looking and clumsy ones. She was not concerned about mistreating the maids she had purchased, and she would punish them severely if they dared to cross any boundaries. Qi Yun, Yuezheng Yan¡¯s husband, struggled with her controlling behavior. Initially, his mother exined that Yuezheng Yan¡¯s actions stemmed from her care and desire to keep him close. Although Qi Yun did not appreciate it, he reluctantly epted this exnation..
Chapter 828 - 828: Yuezheng Ting’s Sister Chapter 828 - 828: Yuezheng Ting¡¯s Sister
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Yan had be increasingly tyrannical, believing that her husband¡¯s family should conform to her every whim and mood. Within just six months, she had managed to offend not only her husband¡¯s entire family but also their rtives. Despite their resentment, they dared not confront her due to her status as a member of the influential Yuezheng Family. Although Yuezheng Yan was arrogant and overbearing, she had not engaged in any cruel or lethal acts, leading her husband¡¯s family to tolerate her behavior.
However, Qi Yun soon discovered something shocking. Yuezheng Yan had arranged marriages for his two serving maids with elderly, unattractive widowers from rural areas. She had gone to great lengths to find such matches. As a result, the two serving maids were subjected to a wretched existence. When Qi Yun learned of their plight, one of the maids had already sumbed to the relentless torment, while the other had aged prematurely, bearing scars on her forehead and losing all her former beauty. Filled with horror and anguish, Qi Yun immediately brought the surviving maid back home and ced her in a convent for her safety. Determined to uncover the truth, he confronted Yuezheng Yan about her actions. Yuezheng Yan insisted that she had found two excellent suitors for the serving maids and had generously provided them with a substantial sum of money to live afortable life, Qi Yun, trusting his legal wife, believed that she had acted in their best interest. Unbeknownst to Qi Yun, Yuezheng Yan¡¯s intentions were far from noble. She was leading the maids down a path of despair and destruction. However, Yuezheng Yan showed no remorse. Instead, she began to create a tumultuous scene, using Qi Yun of rekindling his rtionship with the maids and questioning his love for her as his legal wife. She cried, shouted, and hurled vulgar insults at Qi Yun, even seeking support from her parents and Madame Yuezheng. Ms.Mi Junior and Madame Yuezheng, being fond of Yuezheng Yan, became incensed upon hearing her side of the story. In the end, Qi Yun waspelled to apologize, bowing dovvn to Yuezheng Yan¡¯s demands. Yuezheng Yan may have obtained her perceived justice, but she had lost the support and respect she once had from Qi Yun¡¯s family. Qi Yun eventually made the difficult decision to distance himself from Yuezheng Yan. Although she appeared to hold a position of authority within Qi Yun¡¯s family, the truth was that no one genuinely liked her or regarded her as a true family member. It was during this time that Yuezheng Yan discovered Qi Yun had a mistress who had even given birth to a son and a daughter.
Overwhelmed by jealousy and rage, Yuezheng Yan assembled a group of her own men and stormed the mistress¡¯ residence with the intention of harming her and selling her children. Upon learning of the situation, Qi Yun rushed to the scene to intervene. Unfortunately, the children had already been sold to intermediaries, and his mistress had been subjected to a brutal beating, losing consciousness multiple times. Qi Yun¡¯s anger surged within him. He rescued his mistress and instructed his men to protect her while he set off to find and secure the safety of the children. Meanwhile, Yuezheng Yan¡¯s mental state deteriorated further. She wept uncontrobly and retreated to the sce of her own home. News of the shocking incident spread throughout the province, leaving no doubt that few would tolerate their husbands having mistresses. However, there was no support or sympathy to be found for Yuezheng Yan in the aftermath. The mistress¡¯s actions were undoubtedly immoral, but taking her life was not the solution. Teaching her a lesson and holding her ountable for her deeds would have been more appropriate. Yuezheng Yan¡¯s decision to sell her husband¡¯s children to an agent instead of bringing them home was truly horrifying and inhumane. Yuezheng Yan had never enjoyed a favorable reputation, and her behavior within her husband¡¯s family only added fuel to the rumors that circted about her. She consistently disregarded the authority of the elder family members and imposed her will upon others. Additionally, her failure to bear any children and her tant disregard for virtuous conduct only furthered her negative image. It was not surprising that her husband might consider leaving her, given the circumstances. Many sighed in resignation, epting the situation as a natural consequence. When Ms.Mi Junior heard about the rumors surrounding her daughter, she refused to believe them. Instead, she attributed the spread of such stories to jealousy from individuals who were envious of her daughter¡¯s prosperity and well-being.. Chapter 829 - 829: Ms.Mi Junior Getting Mental Chapter 829 - 829: Ms.Mi Junior Getting Mental
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Prior to Yuezheng Tings ident, the process of arranging her marriage was already facing obstacles, primarily due to her sister¡¯s behavior. Families who valued propriety and adherence to rules were hesitant to ept a daughter-inw with such ws. Only those who prioritized their own material gains were willing to overlook these concerns.
The return of Yuezheng Yan to the family further enraged Ms.Mi Junior, leading her to curse at the Qi Family. She felt that everything was going wrong and med the heavens for subjecting her daughters to such hardships. As First Madame and the Old Master held the authority, Ms.Mi Junior was not allowed to execute her own ns based on personal interests. Therefore, they took charge and addressed the matter. After years of enduring the situation, Qi Yun¡¯s parents and Qi Yun himself came to the Yuezheng Family to expose Yuezheng Yan¡¯s actions in front of Madame Yuezheng, First Madame, Ms.Mi Junior, and her husband. Ultimately, they dered that Qi Yun intended to marry his mistress and insisted on bringing the children back home. They also prohibited Yuezheng Yan from interfering in the matter. If Yuezheng Yan objected to these terms, they were willing to grant a divorce. The Qi Family would return the dowry and provide an additional 10,000 liang aspensation. Ms.Mi Junior was pushed to the brink of a mental breakdown by these developments. Ms. Mi Junior was furious at the audacity of the Qi Family. She believed that the faulty with her Elder Brother and Elder Sister-inw, as they should have exerted pressure on the Qi Family to prevent such behavior. While acknowledging that the Qi Family did consider this aspect, the primary decision-makers within the family were known for their fairness in handling family matters. Despite the questionable actions of the Qi Family, Yuezheng Yan found herself in an even worse predicament. Both Madame Yuezheng and the influential members of the family suggested pursuing a divorce. However, both Ms. Mi Junior and Yuezheng Yan vehemently rejected this proposition. They refused to entertain the idea.
Divorce was out of the question for them! Their underlying intention was to withhold any benefits from outsiders. Their determination only served to exacerbate the situation further. Yuezheng Yan returned to the Qi Family and swore an oath to punish the mistress and her two children. However, Mrs. Qi had already taken the grandchildren under her care, and Qi Yun personally selected the servants for the mistress. Consequently, Yuezheng Yan¡¯s orders had no effect. Yuezheng Yan¡¯s maids and aunties were on the verge of physically assaulting the concubine when the concubine¡¯s servants intervened and reported the incident to Qi Yun. In response, Qi Yun issued severe punishments to the maids and aunties who had assisted Yuezheng Yan. No one dared to defend Yuezheng Yan anymore. Yuezheng Yan created a scene, behaving erratically. As a result, Qi Yun ordered her to be confined to the yard, prohibiting her from leaving its confines. Unbeknownst to Yuezheng Yan, once Qi Yun discovered her true nature, he began administering a medicinal soup after their intimate encounters to prevent her from bing pregnant. Furthermore, Qi Yun developed strong negative feelings toward Yuezheng Yan and ceased any further physical intimacy with her. As a result, she remained childless throughout those years.
Qi Yun preferred to have no legitimate children rather than allowing Yuezheng Yan to bear a child who would carry his bloodline, News of Yuezheng Yan¡¯s actions spread widely after themotion at the Qi Family. Curiously enough, it was the Qi Family themselves who willingly propagated these stories whenever they were asked, demonstrating a surprising openness andck of concern for their reputation. The entire town was both shocked and captivated by the scandalous gossip surrounding the Qi Family. However, due to the tarnished reputation caused by Yuezheng Yan¡¯s actions, the prospects of finding a suitable suitor for Yuezheng Ting became extremely slim. Nevertheless, Ms.Mi Junior remained resolute and unwavering in her determination. She refused to give up and tirelessly continued her search for a suitable match for Yuezheng Ting. She faced countless rejections and endured the mockery of people whispering behind her back. Madame Yuezheng could no longer bear witnessing Ms.Mi Junior¡¯s relentless pursuit. With a heavy heart, she confronted Ms.Mi Junior, ¡°Either, Ms.Mi Junior keeps Yuezheng Tingpany back to the hometown so they could arrange a marriage deal. Or she can dispatch one old Auntie who keeps herpany back to the hometown to arrange a marriage deal..¡± Chapter 830 - 830: Shocked Chapter 830 - 830: Shocked
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Either of the two options would be given to them. If Nis. Mi Junior refused to make a choice, she would be presented with the second option.
Ms. Mi Junior appearedpletely possessed, disying a strong resistance to epting the proposal. Her rebellion provoked Madame Yuezheng to a great extent. In response, the Second Old Master delivered a swift p across Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s face, finally silencing her. Reluctant to let Yuezheng Ting return to her hometown alone, Ms. Mi Junior decided to apany her. Madame Yuezheng assigned her trusted auntie and a few female maids to approach the n leader and select a suitable suitor, disregarding Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s input due to her consistent disapproval. If a decision couldn¡¯t be reached, a letter would be sent to Madame Yuezheng, who nned to teach Ms. Mi Junior a valuable lesson. Upon discovering Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s true nature, Madame Yuezheng realized she had been deceived all these years. She lost any desire to defend and protect Ms. Mi Junior. The embarrassment and anger she felt when recalling the situation were overwhelming, as it meant she had foolishly ced her trust in a deceitful daughter-inw for so long. Regardless of Ms. Mi Junior and Yuezheng Tings thoughts, they werepelled to leave the province discreetly. They had no intention of returning for at least six months. The Yuezheng Family paid no heed to the rumors circting in town, and with time, they faded away along with Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s presence. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were left in shock upon hearing the story. It became evident that Ms. Mi Junior was indeed an entric individual, and her daughter Yuezheng Ting was no different.
The fact that both the mother and daughter were no longer in the province brought a sense of relief. There was no longer a need to be wary of their presence. Little did anyone know that Qiao Xuan was the true instigator behind the events that transpired. However, it should be acknowledged that Yuezheng Ting had sparked the conflict initially. Qiao Xuan¡¯s subsequent actions were merely a form of retaliation. It was a matter of tit for tat. Had Qiao Xuan not possessed superpowers, she would have been the one facing harm. Yuezheng Ting would have shown no mercy towards her. Qiao Xuan was merely returning the favor in kind. For Yuezheng Ting, it might have been disheartening to marry in her hometown. However, in the long run, it might not necessarily be a negative oue for her. Living in the province would have led to her own downfall, simr to what happened to her sister. First Madame couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of happiness when Nis. Mi Junior and her daughter disappeared from their sight. And her joy only increased upon receiving Qiao Xuan¡¯s gift. So, First Madame invited Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan to spend the night at the Yuezheng Family¡¯s residence. Since their stay was short, there were noplications in their journey back home. Yuezheng Xiao also extended the offer for them to stay. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan dly epted the invitation.
The next day, Shao Yunduan apanied Qiao Xuan as they nted papayas and dragon fruits. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong joined them, eager to witness the process. They were astonished by the appearance of the dragon fruit seeds. Qiao Xuan instructed the seeds to be sorted based on their size, as they exhibited various shapes and sizes. Carefully, they were nted in separate patches, ensuring proper spacing. Qiao Xuan believed that some preparation could be done with the dragon fruit seeds before they were nted, unlike the papaya seeds that could be directly nted without any additional steps.. Chapter 831 - 831: Fruit Seeds Chapter 831 - 831: Fruit Seeds
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan signaled the workers to follow the height markings she had drawn. The seeds were divided into sections, first two, then three, resulting in the growth of multiple trees. With the trees ready, they could be nted directly into the earth.
Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao were both astonished by this sight. nting fruit seeds turned out to be much simpler than they had imagined. After providing instructions to the manager on what to do and where to nt the seeds, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t need to visit thend again until everything waspleted. However, Qiao Xuan made sure to use her superpower to strengthen the nts, ensuring their survival during the winter. Once everything was settled, they returned the orchid to Xie Jingrong. ¡°We were fortunate enough to save the flower. We wouldn¡¯t take away something you cherished. Young Master Xie, you can have the flower back,¡± Qiao Xuan said casually, but Xie Jingrong was taken aback. ¡°Is¡­ is this the orchid 1 gave to Brother Shao?¡± Xie Jingrong asked, unable to contain his surprise. Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Yes, it is. You recognized it, didn¡¯t you?¡± Xie Jingrong did recognize it, but he was too shocked to believe it. Thus, he asked the obvious question. ¡°Brother Shao and Sister-inw, you are simply¡­ incredible!¡± Xie Jingrong eximed, filled with awe. He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes when he saw the living flower before him. Xie Jingrong had a deep love for orchids and possessed extensive knowledge about various precious varieties. He couldn¡¯t do anything to revive the dying flower, but he didn¡¯t want to discard it either. Thus, he entrusted it to Shao
Yunduan, who came from a family with thriving nts, hoping for a miracle. However, he never expected Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan to bring him such a tremendous surprise. ¡°l gave you the flower, so you should keep it,¡± Xie Jingrong expressed his gratitude before politely declining their proposal. However, recalling the fact that the flower had been saved by the couple, Xie Jingrong couldn¡¯t help but feel puzzled. He couldn¡¯t remember what he had given them, especially when the flower had been rescued by their efforts. Shao Yunduan turned to Qiao Xuan with a smile, indicating that she should make the decision. Qiao Xuan smiled back and said, ¡°Young Master Xie, don¡¯t worry about it. I saved one bud from the orchid, and it will bloom when the weather turns warmer next year. So, you should keep the original flower after all!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t do much, just offered our help in whatever way we could. It might seem impressive to you because you¡¯re not an expert in this field,¡± added Shao Yunduan with a smile. ¡°Brother Xie, please ept it, just as my wife suggested.¡± After contemting for a moment, Xie Jingrong epted the flower and said, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll ept it. Thank you so much, Brother Shao and Sister-inw. I will cherish this and take it back!¡± With gratitude in his heart, Xie Jingrong decided, ¡°Okay I will take it back! Thank you so much for taking care of them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!
Everyoneughed, and a sense of harmony filled the air as the matter was resolved. Xie Jingrong smiled, his admiration for the couple in front of him growing stronger. He couldn¡¯t help but appreciate their thoughtfulness and selflessness. The couple fully understood the value of the orchid, knowing how exceptionally precious it was. If Shao Yunduan had used this orchid to help Xie Jingrong secure a favorable oue in the uing spring examination, it would undoubtedly provide him with a strong foundation for his future. However, they didn¡¯t choose that path. Instead, they returned the flower to Xie Jingrong. There were few individuals in the world who possessed the level ofposure and emotional stability that this couple exhibited. It was a testament to their exceptional character.. Chapter 832 - 832: Fruit Planting Chapter 832 - 832: Fruit nting
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions And among those rare individuals, finding a woman like Qiao Xuan was even more extraordinary. Xie Jingrong felt a sense of admiration and gratitude towards the couple, so he presented them with a pot of Green First ss orchids and a pot of Song Mei orchids. These orchids were not only rare and valuable but also possessed breathtaking beauty.
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan graciously epted the gifts, appreciating Xie Jingrongs kind gesture. Two dayster, the papayas and dragon fruits were sessfully nted. They had managed to cultivate 30 mu of papayas and 50 mu of dragon fruits, which was half of what Qiao Xuan had initially anticipated. However, they viewed this as an experimental phase and were willing to take things slowly. Surviving the uing winter was crucial. If they could endure and thrive during this season, it would pave the way for their sess in the future. Qiao Xuan had a n to gradually expand their cultivation once they had proven their resilience. Failure to survive the winter would mean the end for their endeavors. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan diligently inspected the nts, and Qiao Xuan secretly utilized her superpower to enhance their growth. She carefully infused vitality and energy into the roots, akin to providing them with the best possible nourishment. However, Qiao Xuan had her limitations when using her superpower. It drained her energy, and maintaining secrecy proved to be challenging. The entire process consumed an entire afternoon. When they were finally finished, Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief, feeling physically and mentally exhausted. She was grateful that her energy would replenish overnight, allowing her to continue her work the following day. Realizing that their efforts thus far were insufficient, Qiao Xuan instructed the manager to refrain from stacking the prepared corn stalks and straw. She wanted to ensure that if a severe frost urred, the straw could be burned to create dense smoke, providing warmth to the surrounding air and protecting the fruit seedlings. As the day grew colder, the fields required the additional coverage of straw to safeguard the delicate roots. Two days before their departure, Qiao Xuan decided to infuse more of her superpower into the nts. She nned to provide them with an extra boost of energy during their visit to the province a month before the New Year when they would purchase supplies.
By employing all avable methods, Qiao Xuan believed that the effects would prove to be favorable. After bidding farewell to First Madame, Yuezheng Xiao, and Xie Jingrong, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t spend much time in the province. Following the fruit and seed nting, they embarked on their journey back to the county. On their way to the vige, they unexpectedly encountered Ms. Zhang, who had returned once again. Spotting Ms. Zhang from their cart, they momentarily doubted their eyes. However, Ms. Zhang sneered at them with a rigid expression and swiftly departed without saying a word. Upon their arrival home, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were warmly received by their family members who assisted them in sorting through the gifts and unloading the luggage. Qiao Xuan¡¯s curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn¡¯t resist asking about what had transpired in their absence. Ms. Fang sneered and responded with irony, ¡°Ah, that woman. The other night, during the rain, she came and fainted right at the doorstep of the second section of the family¡¯s home. And there she stayed. Eng still has some lingering feelings for her, after all.¡± Yang Xiaoni¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as she eagerly prepared to share the story. Qiao Xuan captured the moment in a picture, wanting to remember it. Since her divorce, Ms. Zhang had been leading a tumultuous life with her mother and the rest of the family. She was constantly sobbing, her eyes red with grief. She expressed longing for her children and husband, and she carried a heavy burden of guilt regarding her brother. Her days were filled with sorrow. Mrs. Zhang voiced her frustration,ining that Ms. Zhang was utterly useless and that she never saw her wear a happy expression..
Chapter 833 - 833: Ms.Zhang’s Return Chapter 833 - 833: Ms.Zhang¡¯s Return
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Mrs. Zhangs annoyance with Ms. Zhang grew stronger, as she believed her daughter not only brought no benefits to the family but also caused her precious son to be beaten. Consequently, Ms. Zhang was cast out by the Shao Family and forced to rely on her mother¡¯s support. Mrs. Zhangs frustration escted, leading to verbal and physical abuse towards Nis. Zhang. Shepelled her daughter to rise before daybreak and perform exhaustingbor in the fields, while intentionally depriving her of sufficient food.
Ms. Zhang received only half a bowl of rice and a bowl of rotten vegetables, devoid of salt and oil. She was constantly referred to as ¡°the useless woman¡± and ¡°trash¡± who only consumed without contributing anything positive to the family. This treatment left Ms. Zhang feeling deeply saddened and burdened by guilt. She believed herself to be useless to her mother¡¯s family and epted the curses and me as her way of atoning for her perceived sins. Silently enduring the hardships, Ms. Zhang worked even harder, convinced that it was the only way to repay her sins and earn her mother¡¯s forgiveness. Unfortunately, her physical strength waned, and she soon fell ill due to exhaustion and hunger. Ms. Zhang held onto the hope that her illness would garner care, forgiveness, or at least a decent meal, considering the tremendous effort she had put into her work. However, Mrs. Zhang responded with even more furious curses and harsh disappointment, shattering Ms. Zhangs expectations. Mrs. Zhang directed her anger towards Ms. Zhang, using her of intentionally falling ill to avoid work and bringing misfortune to the family as a heartless and wicked woman. She withheld any concern, care, or food from her daughter, offering only disdain and hatred. These words pierced Ms. Zhang¡¯s heart like a sharp de. Her hope crumbled, shattered by her mother¡¯sck ofpassion. Shocked and disheartened, Ms. Zhang¡¯s motivation to work hard diminished. She became less active inbor, frequently pausing and bing lost in her thoughts. Tears would stream down her face as she cried silently. Mrs. Zhang, however, grew even more relentless in her treatment of Ms. Zhang. She continued to berate her for being useless, emphasizing that even receiving any portion of food at home was futile, as she believed raising her had been a pointless endeavor. Nis. Zhang felt immense sadness, shedding tears in solitude every day. Unable to bear it any longer, a few days ago, she impulsively fled Zhang Vige and embarked on a journey to Shading Vige, crying heavily along the way.
So one morning, when Ms. Niu opened her home¡¯s door, she let out a piercing scream, nearly fainting in fright at the sight of a disheveled and distressed woman standing in the cold weather. As Ms. Niu realized that the woman at her gate was Ms. Zhang, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to allow her former daughter-inw to copse there, Despite her stingy and greedy nature, she couldn¡¯t leave her in such a dire state, especially considering the cold and rainy weather that could have led to her demise. Begrudgingly, Ms. Niu enlisted the help of Ms. Yan to carry Ms. Zhang into a room, where she was provided with a bowl of ginger soup. It was an act of begrudging kindness,pelled by the circumstances. In the evening, when Shao Eng returned home and discovered the situation, he was taken aback and immediately went to summon a doctor. Overwhelmed with emotions, the couple embraced each other and wept. Shao Eng hadn¡¯t anticipated the extent of the suffering Ms. Zhang had endured in her own home. Seeing her dressed in tattered clothing, significantly thinner, and with hands marred by wounds and scars, his heart softened. The sight of their mother in such a pitiful state brought tears streaming down the faces of their two children.. Chapter 834 - 834: Their Fault Chapter 834 - 834: Their Fault
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Eng¡¯s determination to protect Ms. Zhang and ensure her safety was unwavering. He refused to drive her away, understanding that it would only lead to her demise. Desperate, he knelt down before his parents, Ms. Niu and Second Uncle, pleading for their forgiveness and begging them to allow Ms. Zhang to stay. He promised to take responsibility for her, vowing to guide her and prevent her from making any further mistakes. However, he made it clear that hispassion was contingent on their eptance of Ms. Zhang. Initially, both Second Uncle and Ms. Niu were infuriated by Shao Engs pleas. They hurled curses at him, deeming him foolish for his persistence.
Reluctantly, they reluctantly agreed to let Ms. Zhang stay, primarily for the sake of the children. Shao Engs relentless persuasion had worn them down, though their resentment toward Ms. Zhang was apparent. Ms. Zhang overheard their conversation and a sense of bitterness welled up within her. She had been treated as a ve within her own family, and the moment she had ess to decent food and clothing, she forgot about her past misery. Now, she harbored a deep hatred towards Ms. Niu and Second Uncle, ming them for the circumstances she found herself in. In her mind, if they had shown her even a modicum of kindness, she would not have fallen into such a desperate situation. She held them responsible for her misfortune. Despite Ms. Zhangs troubled presence, her husband, Shao Eng, remained the only redeeming figure within the Shao Family. The rest of the family members were seen ascking in goodness and virtue. Nis. Zhang soon caused trouble once again, and this time it seemed that her fate was sealed. Tearful apologies and kowtows ensued, forcing Ms. Niu to reluctantly tolerate Ms. Zhangs presence once more. The situation infuriated Ms. Yan, who vented her frustrations to Shao Sng behind closed doors. In an attempt to cate his wife, Shao Sng resorted to ttery and constion. Only then did Ms. Yan find some sce. With Ms. Zhang back in the household, it became imperative to retrieve the divorce papers. Ms. Niu enlisted the help of Shao Eng and several vigers from the same vige to retrieve the documents from the Zhang Vige. It was necessary to rectify the situation, as having Ms. Zhang remain under their roof without the proper legal documentation would tarnish the family¡¯s reputation. However, to their surprise, the Zhang Family, including Mrs. Zhang, proved to be peculiar individuals. They insisted that since Ms. Zhang had divorced and remarried, the Shao Family mustpensate them with wedding gifts before they would release the divorce papers. Since Ms.Zhang was not divorced for too long, The Zhang Family called for just 30 liang as the wedding gifts. Otherwise there would be no divorce paper. Ms. Niu was utterly shocked by Mrs. Zhangs shameless behavior. She vehemently refused to offer any marypensation, condemning Mrs. Zhang as greedy and outrageous. In her view, thirty liang was far too exorbitant. With that amount, they could easily find a new, young girl to marry Shao Eng. ording to Ms. Niu, Ms. Zhang was not worth thirty liang at all. She decided not to pursue the divorce papers any further. Instead, she nned to bring Ms. Zhang back to their own family and seek out a matchmaker to find a pretty and beautiful young girl for Shao Eng¡¯s marriage. Mrs. Zhang seethed with anger, using the Shao Family of bullying. Ms. Niu sharply retorted, telling Shao Eng to apany her home. She dered that she did not need such despicable rtives. Shao Eng was equally taken aback by the situation. He had not anticipated this turn of events. The Zhang Family¡¯s demands were excessive, and their behavior bordered on harassment. Shao Eng chose to remain silent, recognizing that further involvement would likely invite even more trouble.
Eventually, someone informed the Land Officer about the situation. The Land Officer deemed the matter too humiliating for the vige and intervened to restore peace. Hepelled Mrs. Zhang to provide the divorce papers. The Land Officer regarded Ms. Zhang as fortunate that the Shao Family was willing to ept her. Mrs. Zhangs demand for thirty liang as a wedding gift was considered nonsensical. She appeared to be driven solely by a desire for maximum profit, charging exorbitant amounts without any sense of reason or fairness.. Chapter 835 - 835: Miserable Chapter 835 - 835: Miserable
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions However, Ms. Niu had no interest in bargaining with Mrs. Zhang. She simply stated that she no longer needed Ms. Zhang and insisted that she should return to her own home. Mrs. Zhang started to panic. She wished that Ms. Zhang could stay with the Shao Family, as they were living a more prosperous life. Mrs. Zhang believed that they could surely benefit from having Ms. Zhang in their household. The intervention of the Land Officer forced Mrs. Zhang to concede. She had no choice but to offer the divorce papers.
The chaotic situation finally came to an end. People inside and outside the vige ridiculed the Zhang Family for their irrational behavior. The family¡¯s reputation suffered a severe blow due to having a divorced daughter and an unmarried girl in their household. The Zhang Family¡¯s demand for thirty liang as a remarriage gift was seen as outrageous and embarrassing. Ms. Zhang returned to the Shao Family, but she knew she would face mockery and disdain. She had be a target of hatred due to her past actions. People showed no friendliness towards Ms. Zhang. Those who used to socialize with her now kept their distance. They hurried past her or took alternate routes to avoid her. Women with children regarded her with caution, eyeing her warily as if she might Dose a threat to their children. fearing that Ms. Zhang would trv to kidnap them for money. Ms. Zhang felt a deep sense of misery and bitterness, mixed with anger. She resented those people who judged her without understanding the difficulties she had faced. She believed she had been driven to her actions. Simultaneously, Ms. Zhang harbored resentment towards Ms. Niu, the matriarch of the Shao Family, and everyone else from the Shao Family. She viewed them as cruel and heartless, attributing her current circumstances to their actions. No one was aware of the depth of Ms. Zhangs grudge, but she was now back in her husband¡¯s home. Hearing Yang Xiaoni and Ms. Fangs gossip, Qiao Xuan found herself at a loss for words. However, she wasn¡¯t entirely surprised by the situation. Ms. Zhang, with her two young children, copsed at the gate of the house. Shao Eng, still having feelings for his wife, was determined to keep her by his side. However, given the previous incidents, people were bing increasingly wary of her, and it seemed like a vtile situation was about to erupt. Qiao Xuan doubted that Ms. Zhang would be able to stay in the second section of the family for long. She inquired, ¡°How does Second Aunt-inw treat Ms. Zhang? Is she kind to her?¡±
¡°Of course not!¡± Yang Xiaoni eagerly shared the details. She pursed her lips, expressing disdain, and replied, ¡°Second Aunt-inw never treats her well, given what she did in the past. ording to what the Fourth Sister-inw told me, Ms. Zhang is not allowed to participate in any family matters. She is prohibited from entering the kitchen or being near the children. Second Aunt-inw watches her closely, as if she were a thief. After breakfast, she is forced to work in the fields and is not allowed to return until lunchtime. The same continues in the afternoon, and she isn¡¯t allowed toe home until evening.. They won¡¯t let her stay at home anyway, fearing she mighte up with some strange ideas again¡­¡± Chapter 836 - 836: Unpredictable Chapter 836 - 836: Unpredictable
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart raced with concern. It was understandable that Ms. Niu might feel anxious after the previous
incident. However, her current behavior seemed excessive. Qiao Xuan worried that Ms. Zhang could suffer mentally from such treatment. Although Ms. Zhang had been described as narrow-minded, dumb, and extreme, her potential actions remained unpredictable. Considering that Ms. Niu had agreed to take Ms. Zhang in, it was inappropriate to treat her this way. However, Ms. Niu was not enthusiastic about epting Ms. Zhang in the first ce. It was Shao Eng who insisted, and Ms. Niu herself was not known for being open-minded. The situation was bing increasingly chaotic, and the future appeared uncertain to all involved. Qiao Xuan confided in Ms. Fang, seeking her opinion on the matter. Ms. Fang furrowed her brows and spoke abruptly, ¡°Your Second Aunt-inw is also causing trouble with her foolishness. If she chose to take her in, she should let go of the past and be more open-minded. What¡¯s the point otherwise?¡± Qiao Xuan expressed concern that another incident might ur, especially for the sake of the two young children involved. They were innocent and deserved better. In light of this, Qiao Xuan pondered whether it was necessary to warn Ms. Niu after all, and shared these thoughts with Ms. Fang. Ms. Qiao¡¯s face brightened with a smile upon hearing Ms. Fang¡¯s words. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re so understanding. You can have a conversation with Second
Aunt-inw, but ultimately, it¡¯s up to her whether she wants to ept it.¡± ¡°Exactly. I can only provide the warning, but I can¡¯t force her to listen. Their family affairs are not my concern!¡± Soon, Ms. Fang approached Ms. Niu to discuss the matter. However, Ms. Niu dismissed every word Ms. Fang said, even going so far as tobel her as nosy and relishing in her supposed misery. Treating Ms. Zhang better was out of the question for Ms. Niu. She believed that Ms. Fangs intentions were to ensure they didn¡¯t lead a good life. Ms. Fang grew increasingly frustrated by this response. She vented her frustrations at home, only ceasing when Qiao Xuan and Yang Xiaoni tried to console her. The warning had been given but not epted. Nevertheless, they no longer felt guilty about not passing on the message. They would be cautious to avoid bing entangled in their misfortune. The first section of the family had a good rtionship with Ms. Yan. So when Nis. Yan came to visit, Yang Xiaoni discreetly offered her some reminders to be prepared. However, there was no need to inform others about this. Ms. Yan was taken aback by the revtion. Ms. Yan also recognized that her mother-inw¡¯s behavior was excessive. She had not anticipated the potential mental distress that Ms. Zhang might experience or the possibility of her engaging in further unpredictable actions. Nevertheless, the warning served as a reminder and left her feeling uneasy. Ms. Yan nodded in agreement and assured Qiao Xuan that she was aware of the situation.
Admittedly, Ms. Zhang had a peculiar temperament, and under the treatment she received from Ms. Niu, she could potentially cause trouble once again. Ms. Yan, however, wanted to avoid getting entangled in the situation. She questioned why she had to be involved in the first ce. Subsequently, people¡¯s attention began to shift away from Ms. Zhang as a significant event unfolded in the vige. A military recruitment order had been issued for Shaoding Vige. The Ding Family and the Shao Family were each required to send one person to join the army. Panic spread throughout the vige as families with less than two sons became anxious. The realization that joining the army meant potential suffering and the risk of being killed in battle made everyone desperate to prevent their sons from being drafted. The only exceptions were families too impoverished to support their child or those who harbored dislike towards their own offspring.. Chapter 837 - 837: Qi’ s Wish Chapter 837 - 837: Qi¡¯ s Wish
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions However, the vigers in this area were leading rtivelyfortable lives. No families were without a home orcked food. Consequently, the idea of getting involved in the military recruitment was met with reluctance. Unexpectedly, Qi himself proposed to join the army, catching his family off guard. It happened right after they had enjoyed a delightful dinner prepared by Qiao Xuan.
Everyone was taken aback, thinking they must have misheard him. Qi reiterated his proposal, and Ms. Fang immediately snapped at him, ¡°You foolish child!¡± She raised her hand as if to p him, but the others intervened swiftly, preventing any harm. ¡°Qi, don¡¯t be reckless. You can¡¯t speak of such matters so casually!¡± ¡°Yes, we have more than enough food and clothing at home. Joining the army is extremely dangerous! Stay here with us!¡± ¡°Going into battle as a soldier is terrifying! It¡¯s much safer to remain at home!¡± ¡°You¡¯re still young and ignorant! Don¡¯t go, just stay with us!¡± ¡°Listen carefully! This discussion must not leave this room or reach anyone else! I will not hesitate to deal with anyone who spreads this news!¡± Only Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan remained silent, contemting the situation. Qi felt deeply saddened by his family¡¯s reactions. He turned to Shao Yunduan, his fifth brother, and asked with determination, ¡°Do you also find me ridiculous? Do you object to my proposal?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak to him. Of course, he objects! Let¡¯s end this discussion now, or I will beat you!¡¯ Ms. Fang became irritated once again, and she was about to physically harm Qi when the others intervened and stopped her.
Through sobs, Ms. Fang eximed, ¡°You foolish boy! You¡¯re deliberately trying to anger me! We had just started to experience happiness in our lives, and now this!¡± Shao Yunduan spoke in a gentle tone, ¡°Mom, please don¡¯t worry. Dad, let me have a private conversation with Qi. We¡¯ll have a meaningful talk.¡± Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle sighed with relief. Ms. Fang nodded, saying, ¡®Convince him to change his mind!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom!¡± Shao Yunduan led Qi away to the study in his own yard. Inside the study, Qi lowered his head, biting his lip, visibly distressed. Shao Yunduan looked at Qi intently and let out a heartfelt sigh. Qi had grown taller and stronger. He was no longer a child. In another two or three years, Qi might even surpass his older brother in height and strength. Would he be stronger than him as well? Qi had already disyed impressive capabilities. He could huntrge animals with ease, disying remarkable skill and agility. His sharp gaze and proficiency with the bow made him truly admirable. It was impossible for anyone to perceive him as just an ordinary teenager given his exceptional abilities. Shao Yunduan honestly didn¡¯t believe that he should confine Qi indoors.
Qi, not as eloquent as his Fifth Brother, scratched his head and turned to Shao Yunduan. ¡°Fifth Brother, I can take care of myself. Please let me join the army! ¡± Shao Yunduan asked, ¡°Are you certain about this?¡± Qi nodded vigorously, his determination evident. ¡°Yes, yes! I really want to join the army!¡¯ ¡°You understand that joining the army is not a trivial matter. Once you¡¯re enlisted, there¡¯s no turning back. Deserters are beheaded.¡± ¡°When you¡¯re in the camp, you¡¯ll start as a low-ranking soldier, enduring the harshest living and eating conditions, worse than what our family has experienced in the past.. If you have a harshmander, your life will be even more miserable!¡± Chapter 838 - 838: Deep Consideration Chapter 838 - 838: Deep Consideration
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Daily training will be grueling, and in times of war, soldiers like you will be on the front lines. There¡¯s a real risk of losing your life or being used as bait. Aren¡¯t you afraid of that?¡± Shao Yunduan questioned. ¡°Even if I be an officer as an Advanced Schr, from a Rmended man, I may not be able to help you. Besides, the army doesn¡¯t consider where you¡¯re from. Your fate will depend solely on your own actions once you¡¯re there. Are you still determined to join the army?¡±
Shao Xiaoqi was taken aback, but his hesitation onlysted for a moment before he nodded. ¡°Fifth Brother, I¡¯m not afraid. I want to join the army. I feel the need to do something meaningful with my life, or I¡¯ll regret it in the future. With you and Fifth Sister-inw at home, I won¡¯t fear anything or have anything to be afraid of. That¡¯s enough for me!¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re just a kid. What do you understand about the things adults talk about? Don¡¯t worry about our family.¡± Shao Xiaoqi smiled sheepishly. ¡°Don¡¯t answer me so hastily. Take some rest and think it over. The recruitment process won¡¯t bepleted so quickly. The deadline is still a few days away. Take a couple of days to ponder on it and let me know then.¡± Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s eyes brightened. He added, ¡°Fifth Brother, l . . . ¡± ¡°No more words for now. Pretend I haven¡¯t heard anything. Go and contemte. Don¡¯t make any impulsive decisions.¡± ¡®Qi, this is your life, and 1 won¡¯t interfere. But you must take responsibility for your choices and think through them thoroughly. Remember, you have loving parents and siblings who genuinely care about you.¡± Tears welled up in Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s eyes as he nodded. Shao Xiaoqi quietly retreated to his own room to avoid his mother¡¯s scolding. Shao Yunduan contemted something else in the study before gathering his thoughts and heading to his parents. Ms. Fang anxiously inquired, ¡°Did you stop him? Where is he?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom!¡± Shao Yunduan reassured her with a smile. ¡°l exined everything to him and gave him two more days to think it over. Mom and dad, let¡¯s not keep nagging about this. Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± Ms. Fang dered, ¡°1 will never agree to this. He¡¯s not going anywhere. I will keep him confined to a room until the recruitment period passes. I will definitely put a stop to it!¡± Qiao Xuan remained silent, observing the conversation. Shao Sang rubbed his hands together and enthusiastically agreed, stating it was a brilliant idea. They should indeed do that. Shao Yunduan sighed helplessly. ¡®Qi is a grown man, not an object to be controlled. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to confine him.¡± ¡°l don¡¯t care. I am his mother, and I¡¯m doing this for his own good!¡± Ms. Fang retorted. However, she cast a skeptical nce at Shao Yunduan. ¡®Duan, tell me, did you agree with his decision?¡± Shao Sang chimed in, ¡°Mom, of course not. Fifth Brother would never be so unreliable.¡¯ Shao Dng nodded in agreement. ¡°Absolutely, Fifth Brother is always level-headed.¡¯ Qiao Xuan pondered for a moment, then winked at Shao Yunduan with a smile. Shao Yunduan rubbed his nose and cleared his throat. ¡°Regardless, mom, don¡¯t worry. Qi will do just fine!¡±
Ms.. Fang sighed and muttered, ¡°l still can¡¯t shake off this uneasy feeling in my heart¡­¡± Chapter 839 - 839: Not For Her Chapter 839 - 839: Not For Her
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They couldn¡¯t reach a definite conclusion, leaving everyone in a state of unease. They sought sce in one another¡¯spany, particrly the parents, before retiring to their respective rooms. Once they were alone, Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan. ¡°Darling, is Qi really going? And you¡¯re supporting his decision?¡±
Shao Yunduan smiled bitterly. ¡°It appears that he has made up his mind. Besides, he¡¯s no longer a child. He has the right to make his own choices. It would be cruel to force him to stay¡­¡± Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t want Qi to go, but ultimately it was his own life, and Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t make decisions on his behalf. He turned to Qiao Xuan. ¡°What do you think?¡± Qiao Xuan pondered for a moment and chuckled. ¡°Qi is quite capable of taking care of himself. He¡¯s not impulsive either. If you can advise him to be low-profile, stay calm, and prioritize his well-being, and remind him of his family whenever he¡¯s about to engage in something dangerous¡­ I believe everything will be fine.¡± ¡°Qi is different from his peers. He has a brother like you. Maybe you won¡¯t be able to directly take care of him once you be an Advanced Schr, but in a few years, you might be able to transfer him out of the camp if it¡¯s possible. Alternatively, we can provide some financial assistance.¡± ¡°Just look at us now. We have connections with the Xie Family. If you can ask them to write a rmendation letter for Qi, it could serve as his safeguard in case he encounters any trouble¡­¡± ¡°So, I believe it¡¯s a viable idea.¡¯ ¡°Qi is so talented. It would be a waste for him to stay at home for the rest of his life.¡¯ Qiao Xuan suppressed her urge to reveal her irvoyant abilities; after all, they were sporadic, and she couldn¡¯t predict Qi¡¯s entire future. If only she could glimpse a small portion of it in secret. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Your analysis has eased my mind. Indeed, if Qi has made up his mind, he should go. I will approach the Xie Family for a rmendation letter as his safeguard. With his skills, he should be able to protect himself. If the hardships be unbearable, we can find a vvay to bring him home in a few years.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a conservative estimate. I almost believe he has the potential to be an official with his talents!¡±
Shao Yunduan chuckled and shook his head. ¡°That might not be necessary¡­ the most important thing is that he remains safe and well¡­¡± Qiao Xuan inquired, ¡°So¡­ how do you n to break this news to our parents?¡± Shao Yunduan. That was indeed a troublesome task! Qiao Xuan shook her head and raised her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me! I¡¯m not going to do it!¡± It was evident that anyone who brought up this topic would face scolding, including Shao Yunduan! Qiao Xuan had no intention of taking on such a task. Shao Yunduan was torn between amusement and exasperation. ¡°Of course not you, my dear. I will handle it.¡± He wouldn¡¯t allow her to be scolded. Being his mother¡¯s son, he would shield her from any scolding.
Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡± The couple continued their conversation, sharingughter, and eventually settled down. Qi was quite mischievous. He managed to avoid spending much time alone with Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle these days.. Chapter 840 - 840: Getting Scolded Chapter 840 - 840: Getting Scolded
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Despite agreeing to let Qi think for a couple more days, Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t stop worrying about the situation. She wanted to have a serious conversation with Qi, urging him to think carefully. However, Qi managed to avoid her at all costs, which only increased Ms. Fangs frustration. The mother¡¯s relentless pursuit was met with the son¡¯s constant evasion, creating a sort of guerri warfare between them. The rest of the family found the situation amusing but refrained fromughing, fearing it might escte the tension.
Finally, the two days had passed, and the atmosphere in the household was tense. Ms. Fang, Eldest Uncle, Qi, and Shao Yunduan were all on edge. As the middleman, Shao Yunduan had the weighty task of negotiating between them. But Qi remained resolute in his decision to join the army. Ms. Fang snapped at him and even attempted to hit him, but her anger couldn¡¯t sway his determination. After venting her frustration, Ms. Fang became overwhelmed with anxiety and broke down in tears. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get married now, I¡¯ll stop anyone froming to our door. We¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re willing to get married. But don¡¯t get so angry about our arrangements that you want to leave home!¡± Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni were taken aback and didn¡¯t know how to respond. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan werepletely baffled by the situation. Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Mom, what happened? Qi wouldn¡¯t leave home just because he¡¯s angry. He and Taotao won¡¯t get married unless they¡¯re willing to. We don¡¯t force them into anything.¡± Ms. Fang continued to sob and shake her head, unable to fully express her feelings. Sensing her distress, Yang Xiaoni decided to share her insights. Yang Xiaoni exined that Qi was no longer young, and as he grew older, many suitors came to the door seeking a marriage arrangement. This had motivated Ms. Fang to explore potential matches for him. After all, good suitors were not always easy to find. On the second day after Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had left home, a distant cousin of Ms. Fangs suddenly appeared at their door with her two daughters. Although they hadn¡¯t interacted frequently in the past, they were still family, and Ms. Fang was delighted to see them. This cousin seemed to be quite lively and quickly engaged in a cheerful conversation with Ms. Fang. This cousin was not here without purpose. She was here to build a martial alliance ¨C she was trying to make Ms. Fang to let Qi marry one of her two daughters.
Ms. Fang was not easily swayed by her cousin¡¯s proposition. Although they were rtives, they hadn¡¯t maintained a close rtionship over the years. Ms. Fang felt it was necessary to gather more information about this rtive and her two daughters before making any decisions regarding the marital alliance. Rather than rejecting the idea outright, Ms. Fang tactfully expressed that her son was still young and it would be prudent to wait for a couple more days before discussing the matter further. The cousin agreed and understood, remarking that parents were always deeply concerned about their children¡¯s well-being and should carefully consider all aspects before entering into a marital alliance. Ms. Fang was relieved that she could buy some time to properly evaluate the situation and make an informed decision for her son¡¯s future. She wanted to ensure that any potential match would be suitable andpatible, taking into ount both personal and family considerations.. Chapter 841 - 841: Deep Night Chapter 841 - 841: Deep Night
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions After hearing that, Ms. Fang felt a pang of guilt and realized that she had been too harsh with her cousin. It seemed that her cousin was actually quite reasonable and level-headed. The two nieces appeared to be quiet, gentle, and even attractive. Perhaps they could be a suitable choice after all.
Nis. Fang was almost ready to make a decision. She decided to observe Qi¡¯s reaction first and see if he was open to epting them, before finalizing any alliance. However, she soon discovered that her distant cousin was deceitful. She was scheming to manipte her eldest daughter into seducing Qi, hoping to force the Shao Family into marrying her daughter. As the girl entered the Shao Family¡¯s luxurious home, she couldn¡¯t help but envy their wealth. The house was grand and well-lit, and everyone in the Shao Family was adorned with jade bracelets and silver ornaments. They enjoyed plentiful meals with meat, unlike her own family who often had to make do with simple grains and rice. This made her even more jealous. Feeling desperate when Ms. Fang didn¡¯t readily approve of their proposal, the girl¡¯s mother came up with a terrible idea. Despite her nervousness, she gathered her courage and reluctantly agreed to the n. Initially, their n was to stage a fall, pretending to identally stumble into Qi¡¯s arms. However, they soon realized that this wouldn¡¯t be solid evidence to convince Ms. Fang. She could easily deny it and cause amotion. It was clear that Ms. Fang had reservations about them, which made her unwilling to proceed. If they only relied on a staged fall, she could easily dismiss it and create a fuss about the incident. Only when the girl¡¯s reputation waspletely ruined would their deceitful n have a chance of sess. That evening, after dinner, the girl made an excuse to retire early to her guest room. However, instead of sleeping, she sneaked into Qi¡¯s yard and eventually into his room. Qi had his own yard, and his room¡¯s door was left unlocked, even during the night. It was an easy task for the girl to enter unnoticed. Coincidentally, earlier in the day, Ms. Fang had left Qi¡¯s nkets out in the sun to air but had forgotten to bring them back to his room. As Qi carried the nkets back to his bedroom, Ms. Fang apanied him, holding amp to light their way.
Upon entering the room, they noticed a silhouette projected on the wall. At first, they were startled, but they quickly regained theirposure. Qi, known for his bravery and skill in handling crises, silently gestured to Ms. Fang, urging her to stay calm. With careful steps, Qi approached and grasped the object responsible for the silhouette. The girl, caught off guard by Qi¡¯s presence, let out a scream of fright. Both Ms. Fang and Qi were taken aback by the unexpected situation unfolding before them. Their shock intensified upon realizing the girl¡¯ste-night presence. What could she possibly be doing here at such a time? Soon, realization dawned upon Ms. Fang, and a wave of embarrassment flushed over her. Qi, on the other hand, was instantly ovee with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. It became clear to both of them that this girl had deliberately snuck into an unmarried man¡¯s room and concealed herself in the corner with a specific motive in mind. Meanwhile, the cousin who had orchestrated this n had been extremely anxious andpletely focused on the task at hand. Although the Shao Family had a sizable yard, it was not as expansive as those belonging to true noble and affluent families.
Considering the proximity of the rooms, if a scream were to erupt, it would undoubtedly reach the ears of the other family members.. Chapter 842 - 842: A Trick Chapter 842 - 842: A Trick
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The entire family was taken aback by the events unfolding before them. Upon hearing her daughter¡¯s genuine scream, the cousin felt a mix of surprise and inner satisfaction. The authenticity of the scream delighted her, as it seemed her daughter had yed her part convincingly. Shao Xiaoqi, despite his gentle and introverted demeanor, had surprised the cousin with his apparent eagerness. It served as a reminder not to judge people solely based on their outward appearance.
The cousin¡¯s pride swelled within her, fueling her next actions. Hastily, she rushed forward, not even taking a moment to clearly assess the situation behind the door. ¡°Oh, my poor girl! You must have been mistreated! I will seek justice for you and ensure you don¡¯t suffer any longer¡­ ahhh!¡± Before she could finish her words, a forceful pnded on her face. Ms. Fang, pointing usatorily at her, screamed in outrage, ¡°Why are you screaming? What justice are you talking about? I demand an exnation as to why your daughter is in my son¡¯s room! What devious ns have you concocted, you shameless woman!¡± Startled, the cousin finally noticed Ms. Fangs presence. Her face filled with astonishment as she covered her stinging cheek, momentarily ignoring the pain. ¡°Cousin, what are you doing here?¡± With a sneer, Ms. Fang retorted, ¡°I was here, holding themp for my son! Of course, I am here. Thankfully, I am here¡­ or else my son would have fallen into your trap!¡¯ The cousin was taken aback, turning instinctively to look at her daughter, seeking answers in her eyes. It was only in that moment that the cousin realized her daughter¡¯s panic had been genuine, causing a surge of regret to wash over her. Caught red-handed by Ms. Fang, the cousin found herself in a powerless position. As an outsider to the vige, she was at a significant disadvantagepared to Ms. Fang, who was the mother of the Provincial Champion. Moreover, the Shao Family had recently made substantial contributions to the vige, including building a school and donating vast tracts ofnd to the n. The vige would undoubtedly rally behind Ms. Fang, further isting the cousin. The next day, the cousin and her two daughters swiftly disappeared, seeking to escape the repercussions of their actions. Ms. Fang, in order to preserve their reputation, decided to keep the incident a secret, ensuring that no one in the family would ever speak of it. However, from that point forward, she vowed to sever all ties with the cousin¡¯s family. Qi, likely startled by the entire ordeal, advised Ms. Fang against arranging any future martial unions for him. Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t help butugh and cry at the same time. She refused to let Qi entertain such thoughts and resolved to find a suitable suitor, promising herself that such a situation would never ur again. Qi had no choice but toply and refrain from mentioning the incident any further.
However, on this particr day, Ms. Fang spoke of the incident, even entertaining the belief that Qi had chosen to leave home and join the army to evade any future marital arrangements. The rest of the family was left dumbfounded upon hearing this conjecture, unsure of how to respond. Eldest Uncle remained silent, his disapproval evident on his somber face. Feeling helpless, Qi turned to Shao Yunduan, his expression filled with longing and desperation. Shao Yunduan let out a heavy sigh, his head throbbing with the weight of the situation. He decided to lead Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle into the hall, seeking a private space for a conversation. Inside the hall, faint murmurs of argument could be heard, but they quickly gave way to Ms. Fangs heart-wrenching sobs. Qi felt a profound sense of sadness wash over him, and his head drooped gradually. He began to consider the possibility of relinquishing his desire to join the army if it meant alleviating his mother¡¯s distress and waiting for another opportunity in the future. However, Shao Yunduan, through his persuasive efforts, managed to sway Eldest Uncle and Ms. Fang. With a sudden burst of emotion, Ms. Fang rushed out of the hall, engulfing Qi in a tight embrace. Amidst her tears, she cried, ¡°Qi, remember that we are all eagerly awaiting your safe return.. Take care of yourself ande back home unharmed!¡± Chapter 843 - 843: Agreement Chapter 843 - 843: Agreement
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Xiaoqi¡¯s eyes lit up with joy upon hearing his parents¡¯ agreement. ¡°Mom, dad, you¡­ you agreed?¡± Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of bitterness as they witnessed their son¡¯s tion upon receiving their approval. They realized that Qi truly desired to join the army, and it wouldn¡¯t be fair to confine him at home. They had to let him pursue his aspirations.
¡°Yes, we did. Just remember to stay safe ande back unharmed,¡± Eldest Uncle affirmed. A tinge of sadness crept into Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s expression. He nodded earnestly. ¡°Mom, dad, don¡¯t worry. I will take care of myself and return home safe and sound.¡¯ ¡°Okay, okay! That¡¯s good to hear!¡± Ms. Fang replied, her voice filled with a mixture of relief and concern. She shared a few more words of advice and encouragement with Qi, who epted them all. Ms. Fang felt a sense of relief after receiving constion from Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. Shao Sang and Shao Dng were taken aback by their Fifth Brother¡¯s support for Qi. They hadn¡¯t expected him to side with Qi in this matter. As they contemted Qi leaving for the army in February, a sense of sadness washed over them. If their Fifth Brother believed that Qi would be fine, they took sce in the notion that he would ensure Qi¡¯s safety. However, a lingering worry remained: What if something were to happen? When would Qi return to visit them after this? Would it be several more years? The thought of a prolonged separation only deepened their sorrow. The entire vige was in a state of chaos due to the recruitment process. The Land Officer had announced that anyone interested in joining the army could freely apply. However, it was widely understood that only the foolish would willingly step forward. As a result, they resorted to drawing lots. Those selected through the drawing would be obligated to join the army on behalf of the vige. It was seen as a fair approach.
However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, the first section of the Shao Family decided to volunteer without waiting for the drawing. Qi was enlisting in the army! The news sent shockwaves throughout the vige! The vigers had assumed that the first section of the Shao Family would be exempt from the drawing process. After all, Shao Yunduan held a prestigious position as a Rmended man, bringing honor to the n and sparing them from any troubles within the vige. Moreover, the first section of the Shao Family had already made significant contributions, donating vast stretches ofnd and funds for the school. These acts of generosity had earned them a level of respect and exemption from the drawing. However, those who voiced their dissent were expected to make their own contributions in the form of donations towards the fields and school before they were allowed to express their opinions. They had made such significant contributions to the vige, and it was only fitting that they received certain privileges in return. That was what they rightfully deserved. However¡­ Qi had volunteered! ¡°What on earth is the Shao Family thinking? This is outrageous!¡± ¡°Yes, how could they allow Qi to do this? It¡¯s not aughing matter!¡± ¡°l wouldn¡¯t have let him do it if I were them.¡±
¡°Do you think that Rmended Man Shao has some insider information that could benefit them from the recruitment?¡± ¡°You think they¡¯re after personal gains?¡± ¡°No, certainly not!¡± Despite the confusion and spection, the matter had been settled. The Shao Family breathed a collective sigh of relief and celebrated. Ms. Yan also felt relieved. She couldn¡¯t help but express her gratitude to Qi. She believed he was capable enough to ensure his own safety. If her husband had been selected through the drawing of lots, it would have been a dreadful situation. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle shared the same sentiment. They finally felt a sense of relief when Qi volunteered, knowing that their own son was spared from being chosen. Ms. Zhang¡¯s hands clenched tightly, her head lowered, and a coldness emanated from her eyes. Her lips twitched with disdain. She despised seeing Ms. Yan showering their parents with ttery like this. The first section of the family had never treated her well or helped her attain any form of prosperity. The most they had done for her was share some food. Yet, she still visited them whenever she found the time, seemingly content.. Chapter 844 - 844: Settlement Chapter 844 - 844: Settlement
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shame on her! Shao Xiaoqi had decided to join the army? Something must be wrong with his head!
The entire first section of the family was nothing but a bunch of fools! Well then, let him join the army and never return! Ms. Zhang cursed silently within herself. If it weren¡¯t for the first section of the family¡¯s coldness and meddling, she would not have ended up in this miserable state. None of the Ding Family members were willing to step forward. Consequently, they had to resort to drawing lots. Only the familys sole child would be exempt from this process, while the rest would be included. In the end, it was Ding Jiazhu¡¯s youngest son, Ding Jinshan, who was selected. Ding Jinshan and the entire family were in tears. The others, who felt a mix of relief and sadness, approached them to offer their condolences. And so, the matter was settled. They would gather in the middle of February at the county and proceed to the province ording to the government¡¯s arrangements. From there, they would head north. It remained uncertain which general would oversee them once they reached the northern region.
Normally, this journey would take five years. The next day, Ding Jiazhu and Ms. Yang visited the first section of the Shao Family with their son. They believed that they were in the same situation and should foster a friendship together. As soon as Ms. Yang saw Ms. Fang, she burst into tears and clutched Ms. Fangs hands. ¡°Sister-inw, why are we so unlucky? Our poor child!¡± Ms. Fangs expression changed, and she became displeased. She withdrew her hands and forced a smile. ¡°Stop crying. Our sons will be fine! Perhaps they will return as officials, bringing us great honor, right?¡± Ms. Fang didn¡¯t actually expect Qi to be an official; she simply wanted her son to return home safely. But Ms. Yangs words seemed to carry a sense of bad luck, and she was trying to counteract that with her own optimistic remark. Ms. Yang realized that she had misspoken, feeling a bit embarrassed. However, her eyes suddenly brightened. She eximed, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right! Rmended man Shao is on his way to bing an official, isn¡¯t he? He will take care of Qi, won¡¯t he? Let¡¯s ask him to take care of our son too! Jinshan,e and plead with Rmended man Shao!¡± Ding Jiazhu quickly grasped the opportunity and pushed his son forward, saying, ¡°Yes, Sister-inw, we are all family! Please, Rmended man Shao, you have to take care of us!¡± ¡°You¡­¡¯
Ms. Fang felt a sense of disgust rising within her. ¡°Uncle Ding and Aunt Yang, you¡¯ve misunderstood me. I still have the spring examination next year, and it¡¯s uncertain if I will even achieve the status of an Advanced Schr. Even if I do, I won¡¯t be relocated to the north as an official. When they join the army, they must rely on themselves, practice diligently, and take good care of themselves. I won¡¯t be able to assist them.¡± Ding Jiazhu wasn¡¯t entirely convinced. ¡°Really? Then why did you allow Qi to join the army? You must believe it¡¯s a good opportunity..¡± Qi couldn¡¯t tolerate that. ¡°Uncle Ding, it was my own decision to seek a broader world!¡± Ding Jiazhu responded curtly, still skeptical. ¡°Seeking a broader world? What an excuse! This journey is fraught with danger!¡¯ Ms. Yang chimed in, ¡°Regardless, you two are the closest friends and family there. You must take care of each other. Qi, you have skills like archery.. My son, on the other hand, is helpless, so you must watch over him!¡± Chapter 845 - 845: Annoyed Chapter 845 - 845: Annoyed
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang and the others remained silent, processing Ms. Yangs words. Without the final sentence, Ms. Yangs remarks seemed eptable. However, thestment struck a nerve. Qi smiled reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll support each other.¡±
¡°Good, that¡¯s good!¡± Ding Jiazhu and Ms. Yang continued to nag for a while longer before departing with gloomy expressions. Ding Jinshan was still unmarried, which concerned Ms. Yang. She relentlessly searched for potential suitors for her son, hoping to secure a marriage and secure a bloodline in case Ding Jinshan faced an untimely demise. However, no respectable families were willing to ept them as inws in the current circumstances, unless they were previously engaged and had to expedite the wedding. Ultimately, they had to spend a considerable amount of money to arrange a wedding with a modest girl during the New Year festivities. As for the first branch of the Shao Family, fewer suitors approached them for marriage alliances, and the overall quality of prospects was significantly lower. Prominent families were reluctant to marry off their daughters at this time, regardless of the Shao Family¡¯s standing. However, impoverished families saw it as a golden opportunity to secure a marriage. Previously, they had never considered the Shao Family, deeming them too prestigious. But the situation had changed. Shao Xiaoqi would soon be joining the army, with uncertainty regarding his return from the battlefield. Consequently, respectable families were unwilling to form a marital union, leaving an opening for families of lesser standing. The Shao Family grew increasingly anxious to find a suitable bride for Shao Xiaoqi, ensuring the continuation of their bloodline. Nis. Fang was infuriated.
She became so angry that she forcefully expelled the matchmaker who had brought a gambler¡¯s daughter as a potential bride for Qi. Ms. Fang snapped, dering that Qi was not getting married and that they had not been consulted about the matter. Her outburst was seen as irrational by some Elderly Men from the n. They suggested that if something were to happen to Qi, at least he could have a child to carry on the family line. Ms. Fang felt a pang in her heart, but Eldest Uncle found the suggestion reasonable. He added his own input, which sparked a heated argument with Ms. Fang. The other family members intervened to stop the fight, and Qi himself expressed that he did not feel the need to get married at the moment. The whole issue was eventually dropped. However, rumors began circting about Ms. Fang. Some even imed that she was possessed and intentionally mistreated her youngest son. Qi paid no attention to the rumors. He remained happy and content, spending most of his time hunting in the mountains. This allowed him to hone his archery skills and physical prowess. asionally, family members like Qiao Xuan would apany him to gather resources from the mountains, but Qi often ventured alone. Qi even extended an invitation to Ding Jinshan to join him for practice. He offered to teach him archery and share some valuable tips, although he kept the teachings from his master to himself. However, Ding Jinshan showed no interest in going, and his parents forbade him from doing so. ¡°It¡¯s too cold in the mountains, and there are wild animals too! It¡¯s too dangerous,¡± his parents protested. ¡°What¡¯s the point of practicing now? You have plenty of time to train in the military camp. It¡¯s better to rest at home,¡± they insisted..
Chapter 846 - 846: Grownup Chapter 846 - 846: Grownup
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qi was at a loss for words, unable to express his thoughts further. He had exerted great effort to assist Ding Jinshan, but it appeared that his fellow viger was resistant to his help. This distressed Qi, as he realized that Ding Jinshan¡¯s negative attitude could cause problems once they arrived at the military camp. Qi felt a tinge of embarrassment, unsure of how to handle the situation. In his desperation, he turned to his Fifth Brother, Shao Yunduan, seeking guidance.
Shao Yunduan felt a sense of satisfaction, recognizing that Qi had matured and was no longer a child. However, instead of directly providing him with an answer, Shao Yunduan chose to steer Qi towards finding his own solution. He wanted Qi to think for himself and arrive at a decision independently. After some contemtion, Qi came to a conclusion. The following day, Shao Yunduan spoke, ¡°Once we are both at the military camp, 1 will take care of Ding Jinshan to the best of my abilities. 1 will talk to him and assist him as long as I can. However, I won¡¯t allow him to be a burden to me. My parents, as well as you, my brothers and sisters, hold greater importance in my life. Ding Jinshan is merely a neighboring viger, and I will inform him of his responsibilities. If he chooses not to listen, then our rtionship ends there.¡¯ Shao Yunduan nodded approvingly, wearing a smile. ¡®You¡¯re absolutely right. Do your best, but leave the rest to fate. There will be no reason for you to feel regretful. I have entrusted Manager Qin with the task of writing a letter to Young Master Xie, requesting him to lend us some military books. Read them and prepare yourself.¡± Shao Xiaoqi felt a slight pang of surprise. He wasn¡¯t particrly fond of reading, but since this idea came from his Fifth Brother, he knew he had to support it. Reluctantly, he nodded and said, ¡°Fine¡­ I will read the books and seek your guidance if Ie across anything 1 don¡¯t understand.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded, his smile growing wider. Although Qi had never been fond of reading, Shao Yunduan believed that he could teach him to read well enough to understand the military books. And that was sufficient for Qi¡¯s purpose. As the year drew to a close, Ding Jinshan got married. The Shao family refrained from hosting a grand wedding, but as they contemted Qi¡¯s departure, their initial happiness diminished, and they began to dote on Qi. Qi, however, failed to notice any difference. While he missed his home, the anticipation of his uing journey and the possibilities it held motivated him greatly. During their journey, Qi once again sessfully hunted a wild boar, this time weighing a whopping 150 kilograms. Dozens of people came together to collect the wild boar.
Qi and the other vigers had encountered wild boars before, but none as massive as this one. The wild boar was sorge that it formed a small mound in the yard. Word spread, attracting many visitors to the vige who came to witness the spectacle. They marveled at the long, sharp fangs and the thick, ck mane resembling steel needles, finding them intimidating to behold. Yet it was Qi alone who had managed to bring down this formidable beast. Naturally, the vigers praised his archery skills. ¡®Qi is truly remarkable with his arrows!¡± ¡®Qi¡¯s abilities are astounding. This beast leaves me in awe.¡± ¡°No wonder his family is thrilled to have him join the army. He¡¯s destined for greatness!¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right!¡¯ People began toprehend the underlying reasons behind Qi¡¯s family¡¯s support for his decision. Ms. Fang sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. She couldn¡¯t help but worry. Her child had grown up and formed his own ideas. As his mother, she couldn¡¯t simply take control of everything anymore..
Chapter 847 - 847: Mute Chapter 847 - 847: Mute
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The most amusing aspect was that Ding Jinshan¡¯s family, upon witnessing the wild boar and Qi¡¯s consistent sess in bringing home prey each year, found themselves reinvigorated with motivation. Ding Jinshan approached Qi, inviting him to apany him on a mountain trip and beseeching him to impart his archery skills.
Qi epted the request. However, after merely three days, Ding Jinshan relinquished his pursuit. Hecked experience and struggled to locate any targets. When Qi spotted an animal and instructed him to shoot, Ding Jinshancked the strength to draw the bowstring. The substantial wild boar was shared among those who assisted in carrying it, as well as the second and third sections of the family. A generous portion was utilized to prepare a variety of dishes to be shared with the neighbors. Nevertheless, there remained over 100 kg of meat. Given the surplus smoked meat and sausages this year, there was no need to produce additional supplies. Instead, they could offer them as gifts during the New Year festivities, either before or after. Ms. Fang suggested to Ms. Xu that they deliver the excess meat to her family as a gift. Fortunately, Ms. Xu readily agreed. Consequently, the next day, both Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu returned to their respective families. Each family received 15 kg of wild boar meat, along with a few other items. The quantity was quite substantial. Having developed a strong bond and cooperation, the first section of the family and Nis. Yan decided to present Ms. Yan¡¯s family with 10 kg of the meat as a gift, as they maintained a good rtionship and coborated on various business ventures. After a brief discussion, Qiao Xuan decided to share some of the wild boar meat with Manager Qin and Ding Erzhu from Zhang Vige. Later, she took a moment to scoop some shrimp from the pond after inspecting the fields at
Zhang Vige. Qiao Xuan had no inclination to offer any gifts to the Qiao Family. Likewise, Officer Qiao had no desire to receive any. Since Yang Xiaoni had severed ties with Yang Liang, she felt no obligation to bring any presents for the New Year. Her focus was on having Shao Sang apany her to visit her parents¡¯ tomb and pay respects. Someone happened to discover that the first section of the family had given Ms. Yan additional wild boar meat. This news left her feeling bitter and resentful. Attempting to embarrass Ms. Yan, she put on a fake smile and spoke about it openly. Ms. Yan was taken aback by the sudden revtion. Ms. Niu, equally surprised, inquired, ¡°Ms. Yan, is your Second Sister-inw telling the truth?¡± Ms. Yan, while inwardly sneering, openly admitted, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. Elder Aunt mentioned that my parents should also have a taste of it.¡± ¡°Fourth Sister-inw, you certainly have your admirers, don¡¯t you?¡± Ms. Zhang sneered. ¡°Even our mother doesn¡¯t receive such honors.¡±
Ms. Yan responded quietly but firmly, ¡°I¡¯m not certain about that, but I often present Elder Aunt and her family with tofu, yubas, and dried tofu. It seems that Elder Aunt feels the need to reciprocate.¡± Ms. Zhangs words trailed off as Ms. Niu, who was on the verge of anger, fell silent. Indeed, Shao Sng often brought home tofu and yuba from work, much to Ms. Niu!s delight. However, Shao Sng consistently emphasized that his inws insisted on sharing some with the first section of the family and some with the third section of the family. While Ms. Niu disliked the idea of sharing, she couldn¡¯t covertly im them for herself when the Yan Family emphasized the first section¡¯s entitlement. Ultimately, when she already received her share, Ms. Niu decided to let go of her argument. So when the Yan Family received wild boar meat from the first section of the family and requested her daughter-inw to bring it over, what else could she say? Could she prevent her daughter-inw from fulfilling her duties? After all, it belonged to her inws! Ms. Yan didn¡¯t deliberately hide anything from her! Moreover, both of her sons were employed at the Yan Family¡¯s workshop! While anger brewed within Ms. Niu, she red at Ms.. Zhang and retorted, ¡°Focus on your own meal! You keep causing trouble without knowing the full story! What are you trying to achieve?¡± Chapter 848 - 848: Ms.Zhang’s Plan Chapter 848 - 848: Ms.Zhang¡¯s n
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Zhang trembled with anger, her face flushed. Yet, she lowered her head and refrained from uttering a word. Still, her anger burned within her as she cursed Ms. Yan for being sneaky and her mother-inw for being foolish enough to trust Ms. Yan¡¯s ttering words so easily.
In her view, Ms. Yan constantly ttered the first section of the family, which resulted in them showering her with treats. However, they never extended such favors to her, making her feel utterly unfairly treated. Ms. Zhang seethed with anger. With the New Year approaching and the first section of the family already distributing gifts to the inws, she wondered what her mother-inw¡¯s n was. Reluctant to ask directly, she privately vented her frustrations to her husband. Shao Eng held disdain for the Zhang Family, feeling repulsed by them. Nevertheless, he acknowledged Ms. Zhangs valid point. They should present gifts to their own family during the New Year; otherwise, it would be seen as mistreatment of the daughter-inw, causing her great humiliation. Shao Eng mustered the courage to propose the idea to Ms. Niu. However, before he couldplete his suggestion, Ms. Niu snapped, ¡°She instructed you to ask me, didn¡¯t she? What is she thinking? Gifts for the New Year? Absolutely not! Tell her to leave.¡± ¡°It¡¯s out of the question!¡± ¡°Tell her she can either live honestly or leave this family!¡¯ Shao Eng panicked, attempting to defend Ms. Zhang, but even his own words sounded unreasonable to his ears. Ultimately, he was scolded by his mother, failing to protect his wife. Ms. Zhang cried, ovee by a mix of sadness and anger.
Weren¡¯t they supposed to forgive her for what had happened? It was all a lie! No one had forgotten that incident or truly forgiven her. She could sense that her husband still harbored resentment against her whenever the incident was brought up. But it wasn¡¯t her fault! Not at all! They were at fault too! Ms. Zhang no longer dared to mention the gifts to her mother, which filled her with guilt. However, Ms. Niu kept her away from anything valuable, and she couldn¡¯t even sneak anything out. Out of pity, Shao Eng managed to give her some extra money. But it was so little, merely three qian, barely enough for anything! While Shao Eng earned a decent ie each month, Ms. Niu never shared any money with her. The thought of that irritated Ms. Zhang even more. She believed that since her husband earned the money, she deserved to receive one-third of his earnings. Wasn¡¯t that how it worked with the first section of the family? They put half of what they earned into shared savings and kept the other half¡­ Frustrated and enraged, she conceived an idea when she overheard Ms. Niu discussing Shao Meilings uing marriage. It was said that Shao Meilings fianc¨¦ would visit in a few days. Ms. Zhang contemted causing some trouble.
She had done it before and was already disliked. If her n failed, she would be doomed. Ms. Niu would never forgive her again. And that wretched Ms. Yan would only add fuel to the fire, Yet, every time she saw Ms. Niu, Ms. Yan, and the first section of the family, Ms. Zhang couldn¡¯t control her anger. Her heart burned with fiery hatred. It was a wretched and miserable feeling. She couldn¡¯t sleep, tormented day and night. After contemting for a while and refining her n repeatedly, Ms. Zhang finally decided to set her scheme in motion. She found her excuses and exnations prepared, ready to ignite the trouble she had in mind.. Chapter 849 - 849: Not Deserving Chapter 849 - 849: Not Deserving
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions On that day, Ms. Zhang intercepted Shao Meiling when she was in a good mood and casually mentioned her fianc¨¦¡¯s uing visit before the New Year. Shao Meiling blushed upon hearing Yu Xiaomiao¡¯s name. Ms. Zhang sneered inwardly but sighed dramatically, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the Yu Family, such a pity!¡¯
Shao Meiling grew slightly furious, staring at Ms. Zhang. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ms. Zhang responded, ¡°It¡¯s quite obvious. Shao Yunduan has be a Provincial Champion, soon to be an Advanced Schr and an official. His father-inw already holds a government position. He¡¯s destined for a promising future. You¡¯re his cousin, but youe from a different background. Now your two brothers are making money, and your life is going to improve. However, you got engaged too early. If you had started seeking a suitor now, you might have had many suitors vying for your attention!¡± ¡°Look at your Elder Aunt. She¡¯s so clever that she hasn¡¯t even engaged Taotao yet. She wants to wait until Shao Yunduan bes an Advanced Schr and find her a suitor, perhaps someone from a wealthy family!¡¯ ¡°She¡¯s quite calcting, isn¡¯t she? But she¡¯s Taotao¡¯s mother, after all. It¡¯s understandable that she¡¯s looking out for Taotao¡¯s best interests. However, you¡¯re also a daughter of the Shao Family, and she does nothing to help you. She even allows your mother to get you engaged so early, because she has her own motives, maybe even something sinister, I believe.¡± Shao Meiling bit her lip, growing pale, suddenly overwhelmed by jealousy. She had never been fond of Taotao, yet she was going to marry someone of nobility because of her brother. Perhaps she would be the wife of a young master, leading a carefree life. But what about her? She was marrying into an ordinary farmer¡¯s family. She would have to work for the household andbor in the fields. Despite her hard work, she would only receive meager ie for the rest of her life. Why¡­ Her Second Sister-inw had a point. She deserved a better family.
Her cousin would be an official next year, while she would be the cousin of an officialing from such different circumstances. How could an ordinary farmer¡¯s family be sufficient for her? She had to admit that she wasn¡¯t as exceptional as Taotao, but couldn¡¯t she at least marry into a wealthyndlord¡¯s family? Shao Meiling sneered, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say this earlier, Second Sister-inw? What¡¯s the point of mentioning it now?¡± They were already engaged! Shao Meiling felt even more miserable. Nis. Zhang let out a slight sneer. She continued, ¡°Meiling, it¡¯s never toote. You¡¯re not married yet, right? You can even break off the engagement. The Yu Family doesn¡¯t deserve you. You have to think about it and avoid ruining yourself.¡± Shao Meiling hesitated. Breaking off an engagement could tarnish a girl¡¯s reputation, and she was well aware of that. Nis. Zhang seemed to have sensed her concerns and wore a knowing smile. ¡°Once Shao Yunduan bes an official, you¡¯ll be the cousin of an official with a respectable family background. You¡¯ll stand out from other girls whose engagements are broken. When that timees, no one will me you for this stain. They¡¯ll flock to your door, begging for the chance to court you!¡¯ Shao Meilings spirits were lifted upon hearing this. Yes, she would indeed be different from other girls whose engagements were broken. The Yu Family didn¡¯t deserve her, and she was determined to break off the engagement with them! Only foolish people would reject such a well-thought-out n¡­ She refused to lead a life filled with humiliation and poverty..
Chapter 850 - 850: Regretful Chapter 850 - 850: Regretful
Trantor: Henyee Trantions| Editor: Henyee Trantions More importantly, she refused to live in the shadow of Shao Taotao for the rest of her life! She might not have the advantage of having an official brother like Shao Taotao, which was beyond her control. However, she couldn¡¯t ept being significantly inferior to Shao Taotao.
Couldn¡¯t she at least enjoy the leftovers from Shao Taotao¡¯s rich meat soup? She simply couldn¡¯t settle for rough food when she had the chance for something better. Seeing Shao Meilings apparent interest, Ms. Zhang felt a sense of satisfaction. She continued to tter Shao Meiling, who slowly began to believe that she truly deserved someone better. However, Ms. Zhang soon urged Shao Meiling to keep their conversation a secret. ¡°¡­You know, I¡¯ve made some foolish mistakes in the past, and my mother-inw despises me. If she finds out that I shared this solution with you, she would reject it no matter what. It wouldn¡¯t be in your best interest, would it?¡± Shao Meiling instantly gave Ms. Zhang a disdainful look upon hearing her confession. She snorted. ¡°Of course not. I want nothing to do with you!¡¯ Being associated with Ms. Zhang would only bring her misfortune! Ms. Zhang felt a surge of annoyance, but she quickly forced an embarrassed smile. ¡°You¡¯re right, sister. That¡¯s how it should be¡­ I understand.¡± Ms. Zhang sneered inwardly. The Yu Family would certainly not break off the engagement. Only fools did that. She eagerly anticipated the unfolding drama. If they didn¡¯t allow her to live a peaceful life, she wouldn¡¯t let them have one either. As expected, Shao Meiling went to Ms. Niu and tearfully announced that she no longer wanted to marry into the Yu Family. She cried and vented her grievances. Then, Shao Meiling revealed to Ms. Niu what she had learned from Ms. Zhang, leaving Ms. Niu filled with regret and hesitation.
If only she had known that Shao Yunduan would be the Provincial Champion, she wouldn¡¯t have rushed to find a suitor for Shao Meiling so soon. Once Shao Yunduan achieved the title of Advanced Schr and obtained an official position, there would surely be numerous better families for them to consider¡­ Nis. Niu felt a deep sense of regret as these thoughts consumed her. She began to question whether the Yu Family was truly suitable for them. She also expressed her grievances toward the first section of the family. The first section of the family should have known about Shao Yunduan¡¯s talent and potential to be a rmended candidate. Yet, Ms. Fang remained silent. How terrible! And as for their Elder Brother, all he did was talk without taking any action. He failed to provide them with any updates or information, nearly jeopardizing Meilings future¡­ Nis. Niu pondered over the situation repeatedly, feeling confused and troubled. Eventually, she sought out her Second Uncle and asked for his advice. Second Uncle med her, stating that the engagement had already been arranged and the wedding was scheduled to take ce shortly after the New Year, or at thetest, by the end of the following year. Breaking off the engagement so easily would tarnish their daughter¡¯s reputation. However, Second Uncle fell silent after hearing Ms. Niu¡¯s analysis. After some contemtion, he responded, ¡°Breaking off the engagement doesn¡¯t seem like an easy task. The Yu Family is eager to be our inws, and they are unlikely to agree to it.¡± Ms. Niu grew increasingly frustrated. ¡°Yu Xiaomiao is no longer worthy of being our daughter¡¯s spouse. It shouldn¡¯t be up to them whether they want to continue or not. We can offer them some money to end the engagement.¡±
Although typically frugal with money, Ms. Niu believed that securing a better marital prospect for her daughter was worth the expense. Convinced, Second Uncle agreed, saying, ¡°Alright then, find a trustworthy person who can negotiate with the Yu Family regarding the cancetion of the engagement. Just state that the bride and groom¡¯s horoscopes do not align, and it is best to call it off.¡± ¡°That sounds reasonable! And what about the money¡­¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Second Uncle hesitated when it came to reimbursing the money they had received.. ¡°How about five liang? Or perhaps ten? No, eight liang should suffice! ¡° Chapter 851 - 851: The Yu Family’s Fury Chapter 851 - 851: The Yu Family¡¯s Fury
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Eight liang was already a significant amount for them. Many families struggled to save even eight liang within a year.
Ms. Niu nodded in agreement. It would be wise for them to act sooner rather thanter. The next day, Ms. Niu hurriedly set out to find a matchmaker. Ms. Zhang observed her actions and had a vague understanding of her intentions. She silently sneered. The matchmaker had already profited from Ms. Niu and decided to apany her on the visit, although she found the entire situation ridiculous. As expected, the Yu Family reacted with anger. ¡°What are they talking about? Are they joking with us? We¡¯ve exchanged birth dates and everything matches! They simply don¡¯t think we¡¯re good enough for them!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t tolerate being bullied like this. There¡¯s no way we¡¯re breaking off the engagement. Or I can share this story with others and gauge their opinions! ¡± ¡°Absolutely! It¡¯s non-negotiable!¡± The Yu Family was delighted to learn that Shao Yunduan had be a Provincial Champion. Although Shao Meiling was not Shao Yunduan¡¯s sister, she was his cousin, after all. If they encountered any difficulties and sought his help, he would never turn them down!
Moreover, the martial alliance would greatly benefit their family¡¯s reputation. The Yan Family also had a prosperous workshop. By establishing a martial connection between the two families, the Yu Family might even secure employment at the Yan Family¡¯s workshop. Earning one or two liang per month for easy work¡­ what a fantastic opportunity! Additionally, the Shao Family had established a school in Shaoding Vige, and their children could attend sses there without paying tuition fees. These were all advantages of the martial alliance. Only foolish individuals would forfeit such an opportunity! In a surprising turn of events, the Shao Family decided to call off the engagement, seemingly due to a suddenck of confidence. But the Yu Family was determined not to let that happen! It was an incredibly humiliating situation. The matchmaker, recognizing the unreasonableness of the Yu Family, quietly slipped away instead of engaging in an argument. med and scolded by the Yu Family, the matchmaker felt irritated. When passing on the message to Ms. Niu, she added some inmmatory remarks, further fueling the fire. Ms. Niu was also seething with anger. She mmed her hand on the table and cursed, ¡°What a foolish family! Unreasonable people! We will never marry Meiling into their household! She would only suffer. We refuse to proceed!¡±
Ms. Niu appeared to have found a justifiable excuse to continue with her decision. Taking matters into her own hands, she personally went to the Yu Family. Ms. Niu hurled vulgar words at them. Even when she offered to repay them with ten liang, they engaged in a heated argument that eventually led to aplete dissolution of the engagement. The Yu Family was the aggrieved party, but they feared that if Ms. Niu sought help from the esteemed Shao, they would be powerless to intervene. To gain sympathy and support, they shared their ordeal with others. The Shao Family¡¯s arrogance knew no bounds! Such bullying was unprecedented in their eyes. After they had already exchanged birth dates, they suddenly decided to call off the engagement? The news of this development quickly spread throughout Shaoding Vige, reaching every household. Ms. Fang expressed her disbelief, cursing, ¡°What has gotten into these two? How could they act so hically? They don¡¯t seem to care about the reputation of either the Yu Family or their own daughter.¡± Qiao Xuan let out a sigh, sharing the sentiment. No respectable family would be willing to establish a marital connection with them now, given their reputation for snobbishness! Even if there were wealthy families interested in marrying Shao Meiling, she might end up as a concubine or face bullying after the marriage, considering the circumstances.. Chapter 852 - 852: Saving People Chapter 852 - 852: Saving People
Trantor: Henyee Trantions | Editor: Henyee Trantions Indeed, the intricacies of a marriage are often invisible to those outside of it. Only the couple themselves truly understand what goes on within their rtionship. Each person must live their own life, making choices that are best for them.
In light of these events, Ms. Fangs concern for Taotao grew. Qiao Xuan reassured her with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. Wee from different sections of the family. If anyone assumes we are the same, we don¡¯t need to consider such a suitor. Trust me, Taotao will surely marry a good man!¡± Ms. Fang found some sce in these words. However, Ms. Niu did not anticipate that the Yu Family would spread the news, causing her immense anger. She vented her frustration through vehement curses at home. Shao Meiling was consumed by anger, constantly shedding tears within the confines of her home. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle sought help from Ms. Fang and Elder Uncle. ¡°Brother, Sister-inw, you must help us¡­¡± Ms. Niu¡¯s tearful plea only fueled Ms. Fangs fury. ¡°What right do you have to cry? This is all your own fault! If you didn¡¯t want to go through with the marriage, you shouldn¡¯t have arranged it in the first ce. No one forced you into this!¡± ¡°You exchanged birth dates and even set a wedding date. And now you break it off? It¡¯s highly hical! The Yu Family is a good family that has been humiliated. Of course, they are upset. Wouldn¡¯t you be upset in their position?¡± ¡°l didn¡¯t want to! But it¡¯s all your fault!¡± Ms. Niu snapped at Ms. Fang. ¡°If you had informed us that Yunduan would achieve such sess, we wouldn¡¯t have arranged a marriage for Meiling! But you purposely concealed the truth, and you don¡¯t even want Taotao to find a suitor. You must have done that intentionally! ¡±
¡°You!¡± Ms. Fang was infuriated by these usations. ¡°Whether Yunduan would be a Rmended man was uncertain for everyone. What nonsense are you spouting? It¡¯s utterly ridiculous!¡± ¡°And I haven¡¯t found a suitor for Taotao because I don¡¯t think she should get married right now! How is that even relevant? Any more nonsense like this, and I¡¯ll p it right across your face!¡± Ms. Niu¡¯s eyes widened, clearly unconvinced, but she chose not to engage in further argument. Times had changed. After Shao Yunduan became the Provincial Champion. The second branch of the family was no longer as confrontational as before. They might still be bothersome, but not as forceful. However, Second Uncle chimed in. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, let it go. It¡¯s already over. But you must help Meiling, or her life will be ruined!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what 1 mean! The Yu Family is nothing but bullies! They¡¯re spreading these stories just to tarnish Meilings reputation. They were never a suitable match anyway!¡¯ ¡°Absolutely true! ¡± Seeing the couple agree with each other in a reasonable manner, Ms. Fang was too exhausted to make any furtherints. The room fell into a heavy silence. Even Eldest Uncle, who had always held his brothers in high regard, was visibly flushed with anger.
Clearly, the me rested with the second branch of the family. Ms. Fang regarded them with disdain. ¡°So, your daughter is the only one with a reputation to protect? What about their son? You exchanged birth dates, and the wedding date was about to be finalized. And now, you want to break off the engagement? How can that be considered reasonable?¡± Furthermore, they seemed to be expecting Shao Yunduan toe to their defense, as if he held some influence. Ms. Fang retorted, ¡°You initiated the engagement, so it¡¯s your responsibility. You have to resolve the matter with the Yu Family yourselves. We can¡¯t be of any assistance.. And neither can Yunduan! What do you expect from him? To use his position to bully the weak? He would never engage in such hical behavior!¡¯ Chapter 853 - 853: Unethical Chapter 853 - 853: hical
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Eldest Uncle felt a sense of pity for Shao Meiling, unaware that Ms. Zhang had influenced her with the idea. He had intended to interject, but halted upon hearing Ms. Fangs words. It was clear that this couple hade to their doorstep not seeking the help of
ordinary people like him and Ms. Fang, but rather aiming for Yunduan¡¯s assistance. As he contemted this, Eldest Uncle grew increasingly uneasy, realizing that they were trying to manipte Yunduan into using his limited authority to retaliate against the other family. This deeply troubled him. Such behavior was unquestionably hical. ¡°That¡¯s not what we mean!¡± Second Uncle and Ms. Niu didn¡¯t dare to admit it. ¡°This marriage isn¡¯t a good match, and we have every right to call it off. We even offered to pay them back 10 liang, but they still refuse to let go! Now the whole situation has be public, and Meiling will suffer greatly if she marries into that family!¡± ¡°Elder Brother, Elder Sister-inw, you¡¯ve seen Meiling grow up. You can¡¯t just abandon her like this, can you?¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°But you are the ones who created this mess. It¡¯s utterly unreasonable to expect us to take over and clean it up!¡± Elder Uncle carefully pondered the situation before speaking up. ¡°Ms. Fang, let¡¯s calm ourselves down. There¡¯s no useining when things have already reached this point. We need toe up with a solution to prevent Meilings life from being ruined!¡± ¡°True, Elder Brother is right!¡± Nis. Niu and Second Uncle nodded in agreement. Ms. Fang sneered inwardly, convinced that Meilings life was already in ruins. If only Meiling had the capacity toprehend it, she would have despised her parents for their actions. Ms. Fang chimed in, ¡°What if Ms. Qiao and I apany you to the Yu Family and help you reconcile, so that the two families can reunite?¡± ¡°No, no, that wouldn¡¯t work!¡±
¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Meiling will be subjected to bullying in such a situation.¡± ¡°Then let the Yu Family make a promise. Yunduan should be able to help you. We can all live in peace, and if anyone bullies Meiling and the news reaches us, we won¡¯t forgive them for it.¡± Elder Uncle¡¯s eyes lit up, and he added, ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea. Whenever you have the opportunity, ask Meiling how she feels about it. We will seek justice for any girls who are bullied, within our family, of course!¡± ¡°If Meiling faces any mistreatment, Yunduan can step in. What do you think, brother and sister-inw? I believe it¡¯s a reasonable solution. The Yu Family isn¡¯t foolish enough to intentionally harm Meiling!¡¯ Ms. Niu and Second Uncle exchanged a bewildered nce with each other. This wasn¡¯t what they had intended! They had wanted to break off the engagement! However, Ms. Fang had already spoken resolutely, and Elder Uncle had agreed. Shao Yunduan would likely heed his parents¡¯ advice as well. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle gritted their teeth in anger, their words failing them. ¡°Elder Brother and Elder Sister-inw are so heartless. They must have deliberately orchestrated this. They don¡¯t want a bright future for Meiling!¡¯
¡°This is all your fault! Why did you rush into making a decision about Meilings engagement?¡± ¡°Damn you! Meiling is no longer a child. She¡¯s old enough to have suitors. I had no idea that Yunduan would be a Provincial Champion or hold an official position! If I had known, 1 would have called off the engagement. It¡¯s all because of Elder Sister-inw concealing everything from us!¡± Chapter 854 - 854: Braver Chapter 854 - 854: Braver
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Niu and Second Uncle sighed repeatedly, feeling distressed and helpless. Shao Meiling, on the other hand, was seething with anger and disappointment upon hearing the oue. She cried incessantly and threw tantrums, dering that she would rather die than marry into the Yu Family.
She couldn¡¯t bear to see Shao Taotao living a better life than her! Nis. Niu and Second Uncle were somewhat swayed by their daughter¡¯s intense reaction. Their already negative opinion of the marriage worsened as they witnessed her emotional turmoil. But if the first section of the family refused to offer any assistance, what options did they have? The couple frowned, constantly mulling over the dire situation. Meanwhile, Ms. Zhang couldn¡¯t help but sneer inwardly, reveling in the chaos that had befallen the family, thanks to her cunning maniption. Feeling a surge of arrogance, she concluded that her mother-inw¡¯s family was utterly foolish, oblivious to being deceived. Encouraged by her perceived superiority, Ms. Zhang grew bolder and conceived another idea. ¡°¡­The Yu Family doesn¡¯t want to break off the engagement because they see our family as promising, hoping to gain benefits from us. But you are Fifth Cousin¡¯s cousin, and Taotao is his real sister. If he could marry Taotao, I believe the Yu Family would dly ept.¡± ¡°What are you implying? Do you think I¡¯m inferior to Taotao?¡± Shao Meiling snapped. Ms.Zhang said, ¡°Absolutely not! You¡¯ve misunderstood me. 1 believe you are far superior to Taotao! What I meant was that the Yu Family would see marrying Taotao as a more advantageous arrangement for them, as they could benefit more from it.¡¯
Shao Meiling snorted, clearly displeased with the situation. However, she reluctantly admitted that Ms. Zhangs assessment had some truth to it. ¡°But don¡¯t mock us any further. Elder Aunt would never allow Taotao to marry into the Yu Family. They aren¡¯t that kind-hearted!¡± They would never allow Taotao to rece her as the bride. She had never even entertained the thought. A sinister smile crept across Ms. Zhangs face as she sneered, ¡°But what if that man from the Yu Family forces something upon Taotao¡­ and Taotao has no choice but to marry him?¡± Shao Meiling was taken aback, her eyes widening with curiosity. ¡°Tell me more! ¡± Ms. Zhang spoke in a mysterious tone, ¡°Yu Xiaomiao ising here to bring us gifts, right? Let¡¯s gather the first section of the family and the third section of the family for a dinner. And when they have some drinks¡­¡± Shao Meiling was surprised, a newfound understanding dawning upon her. ¡°l see! Enlighten me further!¡± That seemed like a viable solution. Since the first section of the family had refused to help them and had effectively ruined her life, Shao Meiling felt no remorse towards them. She warned Ms. Zhang, ¡°Never speak a word about this to anyone, ever!¡± Shao Meiling understood that it was not an honorable n to be proud of, and it should remain a secret.
Ms. Zhang agreed, knowing that discretion was crucial. Shao Meiling approached Ms. Niu with a sense of satisfaction, her confidence bolstered. Ms. Niu was taken aback upon hearing Shao Meilings idea. But as she contemted the situation, she realized something profound¡ª It was a brilliant idea! Wasn¡¯t it too harsh on Taotao? Well, Ms. Fang had been cruel to them first, and they were merely reciprocating. The first section of the family had started it, and now the second section of the family would return the favor. Since Ms. Fang had believed that the Yu Family was a suitable match, why not have Taotao marry into the Yu Family? It would be a perfect fit, wouldn¡¯t it? Ms. Niu pondered over the idea, considering the best course of action. They needed a well-thought-out n to ensure they wouldn¡¯t be caught by the first section of the family. Every detail had to be carefully executed, leaving no traces behind. Furthermore, they needed to establish a cooperative rtionship with the Yu Family, ensuring that Yu Xiaomiao would be on board with their n. Ms. Niu had no doubts about the oue.. The Yu Family would not be foolish enough to reject a marriage proposal for Shao Yunduan¡¯s younger sister! Chapter 855 - 855: The Invitation Chapter 855 - 855: The Invitation
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The first section of the family had expected the second section of the family to continue making a fuss about the situation, but to their surprise, it abruptly stopped. They let out a collective sigh of relief, grateful for the respite.
Ms. Fang voiced her opinion, ¡°l think that they must have realized that it is an unreasonable thing, and we won¡¯t help them!¡± Indeed, it seemed that the second section of the family hade to the same conclusion. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle approached the first section of the family once again, wearing guilty expressions and suggesting that they could proceed with marrying Shao Meiling off to the Yu Family instead. Recognizing that they were all part of the same family, the first section of the family agreed readily, promising to support them if the Yu Family were to mistreat Shao Meiling. Feeling reassured, the second section of the family then mentioned that Yu Xiaomiao would deliver the presents in three days and invited the entire family to join them for dinner. The purpose was to showcase the unity within the family and to instill some fear in the Yu Family, preventing them from seeking revenge. Both Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle agreed wholeheartedly. With that, Ms. Niu and Second Uncle left with happiness in their hearts. Yang Xiaoni couldn¡¯t help but wear a smile as she addressed Qiao Xuan. ¡°Did I misunderstand? Are Second Aunt-inw and Second Uncle inviting the entire family for dinner? I thought it would only be our parents, Fifth Sister-inw, and Fifth Brother!¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled, acknowledging that her Third Sister-inw had a point. The second section of the family wasn¡¯t known for their generosity, so it was unexpected for them to invite the entire family instead of just the key members. Considering the first section of the family had arge number of people, including children, it would certainly be a bustling affair. Qiao Xuan jokingly remarked, ¡°Maybe Second Aunt-inw and Second Uncle are feeling quite guilty and want as many of us as possible to support them when facing the Yu Family!¡¯ The idea sounded usible to both of them.
Yang Xiaoni sighed and nodded in agreement, saying, ¡°Indeed, Meiling is their daughter, and they want to ensure her future happiness.¡± For the sake of their daughter¡¯s happiness, attending one dinner was a small price to pay. If it weren¡¯t for the intervention of someone from the Yu Family approaching Ms. Fang and Shao Yunduan, the first section of the family would have held onto their belief all along. Meanwhile, at the Yu Family residence, Ms. Niu made a secret visit to her future inws and shared her n. Mrs. Yu was persuaded and agreed to the arrangement. As long as they executed the n effectively, it was crucial for Yu Xiaomiao to cooperate. He didn¡¯t need to know the details, and he wouldn¡¯t face any me. They were well aware of the advantages that came with marrying the sister of an official. Nobody in the vige would dare offend them, and the official would always prioritize the well-being of his sister. While the Yu Family wasn¡¯t inherently greedy, they wouldn¡¯t pass up on such an opportunity for financial gain. Upon receiving the Yu Family¡¯s assurance, Ms. Niu felt ted. It was an irresistible temptation that no one could refuse. Officials needed to maintain strong connections with other influential families. After Taotao¡¯s marriage, Shao Yunduan would no longer have a sister, and he would need to forge a marital alliance with another family. Meiling was the most suitable candidate for him to consider.. Chapter 856 - 856: Disorganization Chapter 856 - 856: Disorganization
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Maybe Meiling could marry into an official¡¯s family and be the wife of an official! This idea further fueled Ms. Niu¡¯s determination. She was determined to make it happen, no matter what. However, when Mrs. Yu shared the n with her husband and Yu Xiaomiao, they exchanged a nce and immediately dismissed the idea.
Nir. Yu even criticized Mrs. Yu for entertaining such a ridiculous notion. ¡°¡­Ms. Niu¡¯s idea is preposterous. Why are you even considering it? Provincial Champion Shao is a highly intelligent individual who can see through such schemes. Regardless of whether the n seeds or not, we would antagonize many people. The second section of the family is his own family, and he wouldn¡¯t target them. But we are outsiders. Have you thought about the consequences?¡± Mrs. Yu remained unconvinced. ¡°But Shao Taotao will be our daughter-inw, and we are family as well. The first section of the family wouldn¡¯t harm their own daughter! We¡¯re not greedy people; we just want to live a decent life, that¡¯s all!¡± Yu Xiaomiao sneered. ¡°Mom, he is the Provincial Champion and possesses various means to deal with us. If they seek revenge by ruining our siblings¡­ do you have any control over that?¡± The Yu Family could never bear such consequences. Mrs. Yu¡¯s expression changed. ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible. We will be rtives by that time, and they would never stoop so low.¡± ¡°Of course they would. Have you not heard what happened to the Zhao Family?¡± Mrs. Yu fell silent, her face turning pale. Indeed, she was well aware of the circumstances surrounding the Zhao Family. Not everyone was oblivious to the truth. Young Master Zhao had some inkling about the first section of the Shao family¡¯s daughter-inw, and soon after, they mysteriously vanished. People began to connect the dots and realized that there must have been some connection. The downfall of the Zhao Family was evident. They deserved punishment, but the extent of the retribution seemed excessive.
No one dared to question the Shao Family¡¯s actions. No one dared to voice their approval either. Mrs. Yu remained stubborn, speaking through gritted teeth. ¡°But Taotao will be our daughter-inw, and if they darey a finger on my son and daughter, I will make sure their daughter learns a lesson! It¡¯s only fair, as 1 would be her mother-inw!¡± Yu Xiaomiao sneered even more, his anger evident in his voice. ¡°You¡¯re really willing to entertain that thought, Mom? If you retaliate against their daughter, they could take it out on me! They might even divorce us! Provincial Champion Shao is on the path to bing an official, and even if he doesn¡¯t, the Shao Family has many influential members who would never allow their sister to be mistreated!¡± Mrs. Yu opened her mouth to respond but found herself at a loss for words. It was true¡­ In reality, she was merely ying with empty threats. Shecked the courage to actually confront anyone. Mr. Yu¡¯s re intensified. ¡°Now you realize how wrong you were, don¡¯t you? How could you agree to such a n? I never knew you could be like this!¡± Mrs. Yu felt her heart shatter but found herself unable to respond. She murmured, ¡°But I already made a promise to Ms. Niu¡­¡± Father and son continued to re at her, their disappointment evident. She gathered her courage and straightened her back. ¡°Why are you ring at me like that? I¡¯m doing this for Xiaomiao and for the sake of our family¡­¡±
Mr. Yu furrowed his brow, contemting that once Xiaomiao got married, they should live separately. The two sons should reside in different ces. They would live with their eldest son, whose wife would be in charge. Mrs. Yu would have no authority and would simply take care of her grandson and do some household chores. That would be her role. She couldn¡¯t be in a position of authority, or it would lead to trouble. Yu Xiaomiao interjected, ¡°That¡¯s your problem.. I¡¯m going to the Shaoding Vige to inform the first section of the family about this!¡± Chapter 857 - 857: Truth Chapter 857 - 857: Truth
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°What? No way!¡¯ ¡°But that¡¯s how it should be.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be so humiliated!¡± Nir. Yu shouted in anger, ¡°You talk about humiliation? Xiaomiao is right. We should inform Provincial Champion Shao about this. It¡¯s their family matter, and we shouldn¡¯t interfere. We can break off the engagement and demandpensation of no less than 10 liang. Not a penny less.¡± They didn¡¯t like the way things had turned out, but it was pointless to continue. They could gain a new daughter-inw with thepensation. However, Yu Xiaomiao had his own n. ¡°We¡¯ll see¡­ Mr. Yu understood his child. He had his own ideas, so he didn¡¯t press the matter further. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to discuss it any longer. His son could do as he pleased, as long as he didn¡¯t me his parents for it. It was good that he wasn¡¯t as confused as his mother, so he didn¡¯t go overboard. As evening fell, Yu Xiaomiao went to the first section of the Shao Family. Recognizing him, Ms. Fang put on a friendly expression and invited him inside. Ms. Fang felt a twinge of guilt about the humiliation caused by the second section of the family.
Yu Xiaomiao mentioned that he had a few private words to speak with Provincial Champion Shao, which should remain between them. Ms. Fang was puzzled, but she still went to ask Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan invited Yu Xiaomiao to join him in the study, where Qiao Xuan was already present. As Ms. Fang was about to leave, Yu Xiaomiao smiled at her and gestured for her to stay. It was an awkward and embarrassing situation, and Yu Xiaomiao stumbled over the story. Ms. Fangs anger red up as she snapped, ¡°How dare she! Ah!! How dare she! She intends to frame Taotao! She¡¯s insane! I¡¯ll make sure she pays for this!¡± Qiao Xuan intervened, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t get worked up. She won¡¯t seed. She should be the one feeling angry, not us.¡± ¡°I knew it! How could she suddenly be so generous and invite us all to dinner? She wants to carry out her n when there are many people present!¡± Qiao Xuan began to piece it all together. It had been confusing for them as well. No wonder they say that when rules are broken, something is amiss.
Yu Xiaomiao soon finished exining the story. ¡°I apologize for my mother¡¯s confusion. My father and I didn¡¯t think it was a good idea at all. That¡¯s why we decided to inform you about this. Perhaps it¡¯s better this way. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Ms. Fangs gratitude towards Yu Xiaomiao grew. She said, ¡°We a_re indebted to you! If not for your revtion, we would have been framed! I apologize and thank you!¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s what we should do! Alright then¡­ I should be on my way!¡¯ As it was gettingte, Ms. Fang and Shao Yunduan escorted Yu Xiaomiao out. Upon returning to the study, Ms. Fang was seething with anger, wishing she could confront Ms. Niu right away. ¡°Yunduan, Qiao Xuan, what do you think?¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged nces, and after a moment, Shao Yunduan spoke up, ¡°We have only heard Yu Xiaomiao¡¯s ount, and we cannot be certain of the truth.¡¯ Ms. Fang was taken aback, her brows furrowing. ¡°I don¡¯t believe he is lying. It¡¯s just like something your Second Aunt-inw would do!¡± Yu Xiaomiao!s story brought back so many memories for her. Qiao Xuan exined with a smile, ¡°Mom, my husband means that regardless of our intentions, we shouldn¡¯t blindly trust the words of one person. We should investigate and gather more information, or we might easily fall victim to framing..¡± Chapter 858 - 858: Waiting Chapter 858 - 858: Waiting
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fangprehended the message. ¡°l understand. You¡¯re advising me not to act impulsively!¡¯ She knew Ms. Niu¡¯s character, but what if someone else was involved? If she blindly believed that person and acted rashly, she could have made a grave mistake!
Things were different now! She may have made mistakes in the past, but what if her son was implicated this time? Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re so perceptive! It¡¯s just a gentle reminder.¡± Ms. Fang sighed, a smile forming on her face. ¡°Then remind me as much as you can. I¡¯ll keep them all in mind.¡± Shao Yunduan nced at Qiao Xuan with a tender expression. Having a wife who understood him and stood by his side brought him a happiness he couldn¡¯t find elsewhere. After a moment, Ms. Fang clenched her teeth. ¡°But I believe this is exactly what your Second Aunt-inw would do!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s catch her in the act,¡± suggested Shao Yunduan. ¡°Confronting her now wouldn¡¯t yield any admission. We have no evidence. She would likely use Yu Xiaomiao of harboring resentment over the broken engagement and attempting to frame her. It would onlyplicate matters further.¡± Ms. Fang felt a wave of enlightenment. ¡°That¡¯s absolutely true!¡± Ms. Niu¡¯s actions were indeed predictable. ¡°Alright¡­ then let¡¯s catch her in the act. Should we inform Taotao about this so she can be prepared?¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged a nce, and Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Yes, we should let her know. We¡¯ll discuss the n further tomorrow. But let¡¯s keep this information from Dad for now.¡± Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t rely on his father, who often seemed oblivious to such matters.
Ms. Fang chuckled. ¡°Of course not! He would never believe us. He¡¯d go console the second section of the family, fearing they might be wrongly used. Haha!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a bemused look as Ms. Fang left the room. Shao Yunduan¡¯s expression turned serious as he sighed, massaging his forehead. Things would have been much simpler if he hadn¡¯t decided to pursue a career as an official. He now had to consider numerous factors, and it was hard to determine if his family might be the target of some conspiracy. Thankfully, his mother possessed a clear mind. Qiao Xuan sighed. ¡°Yu Xiaomiao seems like a level-headed person. Shao Meiling is fortunate to marry him, and it¡¯s surprising that the Second Aunt-inw refuses to believe it!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what makes her so confident.¡¯ Qiao Xuan pondered for a moment and smiled as he asked, ¡°Yu Xiaomiao is quite intriguing. I believe he still wants to marry Meiling. What do you think?¡±
Shao Yunduan nodded, a grin forming on his face. ¡°It would be ideal if he marries Shao Meiling. He seems capable of keeping her in check.¡± As cousins from the second and first sections of the family, Shao Meiling was known for her strong-willed and outspoken nature. Once she was married, it would be challenging to rein her in. If someone were to try and manipte her, she might even be a force to be reckoned with. If her husband possessed the ability to manage her and handle situations wisely, it would make things much smoother. Otherwise, they could face considerable trouble in the future. When that time came, it might not be possible for the first section of the family to remain uninvolved. Shao Yunduan was delighted to assist Shao Meiling in marrying into the Yu Family, rather than allowing her to choose an uncertain partner. The Second Aunt-inw opposed this potential son-inw, hoping that Taotao would take over instead. However, Shao Yunduan had no intention of allowing that to happen. He wanted to show her the consequences of her actions, to make her understand the meaning of ¡°reaping what you sow.¡± They engaged in a lengthy discussion about the n before finally retiring for the night.. Chapter 859 - 859: Waiting Chapter 859 - 859: Waiting
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The anticipated day arrived when Yu Xiaomiao came to present the gift. To ensure the sess of their n, the second section of the family spared no expense. They had two plump chickens ughtered, braised two fish, and procured a variety of meat. They even had Shao Sng bring tofu, yubas, and dried tofu from the Yan Family the day before.
Ms. Yan, unaware of the scheme, interpreted her mother-inw¡¯s generous gesture of inviting the first and third sections of the family for dinner as a sign that they had reconsidered and epted the marriage. Thus, she actively offered her assistance. Only Ms. Zhangs eyes gleamed with excitement, as if her heart was leaping with anticipation. She couldn¡¯t wait to witness the spectacle unfold. Yu Xiaomiao arrived at 10 in the morning, and Ms. Niu, along with Second Uncle, who still believed he was on their side, greeted him joyfully. Second Uncle pulled him aside, speaking in a hushed and smiling voice. ¡°You need to pretend to be drunk, but not actually drunk. I¡¯ll have the brothers guide you to the wing-room. Once the girl is there, you know what to do. Just remember not to go overboard!¡± It was all part of the show, not a genuine move. Taotao would be defenseless if she ended up in the same room as Yu Xiaomiao. Second Uncle certainly didn¡¯t want Yu Xiaomiao to make any real advances towards Taotao under his roof. It wouldn¡¯t bode well for his reputation. Yu Xiaomiao chuckled inwardly, then turned to his future father-inw, nodding earnestly. But he couldn¡¯t help but wonder who would be apanying him in the room. Ms. Niu instructed her two daughters-inw to prepare two tables filled with delicious food and gathered the entire family together. Yang Xiaoni openly praised Ms. Niu for her generosity, which made Ms. Niu feel uneasy. Generous? She was coerced into this. She had no desire to do any of it.
Shao Ling was absent. Third Uncle imed he was too busy studying and couldn¡¯t join for lunch. Nis. Niu and Second Uncle had invited so many people with the intention of creating chaos, making it easier to execute their n. They also wanted witnesses to avoid any potential denials. Shao Lings absence didn¡¯t concern them. Eldest Uncle expressed great concern for Shao Ling, saying emotionally, ¡°Ling is working so hard now. Please take care of him and make sure he doesn¡¯t overexert himself.¡¯ Ms. Ma sighed, feeling worried. She refrained from boasting about her son as she had done before, Third Uncle beamed with pride. ¡°Ling must have thought it through. I¡¯m confident he¡¯ll make it next year. He¡¯s ambitious and he promises us a future filled with happiness as he pursues his path to bing an official.¡± The table was set with various dishes, and Shao Xiaozhi, Taotao, and Ms. Zhang enjoyed their meal in the kitchen with Shao Meiling, while the rest of the family gathered around the table in the hall. The table was filled with an abundance of dishes, and two jars of wine were prepared. Second Uncle opened the wine and invited everyone to join in the drinking. Ms. Fang discreetly nced at Ms. Niu, who was far from stingy when it came to pouring the wine. She encouraged everyone to drink as much as they could. Ms. Fang cursed inwardly. That woman only showed generosity when she had ulterior motives. If given the chance, she would give her a thorough scolding¡­
Yu Xiaomiao appeared to be heavily intoxicated as he reached the halfway mark. His face had turned red, and it was evident that he was truly drunk.. Chapter 860 - 860: Coldness Chapter 860 - 860: Coldness
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Third Uncle yfully teased Second Uncle. ¡°Looks like your son-inw has a low alcohol tolerance. He¡¯s already drunk after just a little wine.¡± ¡°People have different drinking capacities. He¡¯s drunk, so he needs some rest. We can continue celebrating,¡± Second Uncle replied with a smile.
He then turned to Shao Sang and said, ¡°Shao Sang, help Yu Xiaomiao to the wing-room with Qi for some rest!¡± Shao Sang and Qi were unaware of the situation but agreed to assist, helping Yu Xiaomiao up from his seat. Ms. Niu stood up as well. ¡°I¡¯ll guide you in. Help him!¡± Once Yu Xiaomiao was settled, Shao Sang and Qi returned to the hall, and Ms. Niu followed closely behind. She exchanged a few words in the kitchen, not to share any important information, but to provide Shao Meiling and Ms. Zhang with some subtle cues. Ms. Niu walked briskly, feeling a sense of anticipation. She was eager to witness the unfolding drama. Afterpleting her task, she nned to find an excellent match for her own daughter, making Taotao envious for the rest of her life. Shao Meiling and Ms. Zhang exchanged a knowing nce and couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased. Soon, they finished their meal. Shao Meiling mentioned that she had something to discuss privately with Taotao. Shao Xiaozhi felt slightly displeased being left alone. However, with Shao Meilings impending marriage, the cousins decided to set aside any grievances during this joyous asion. So Taotao followed Shao Meiling to another location. Taotao¡¯s heart sank, ovee by a chilling sense of unease.
If her mother hadn¡¯t given her a warning beforehand, she would have beenpletely unprepared for this situation. Shao Meiling nced at Ms. Zhang as she led Taotao to the wing-room, wearing a smile. ¡°l left my sewing needles and thread inside the room. Can you help me find them?¡± Taotao gave her aplex look, a mixture of emotions swirling within her. Deep down, she wished that Shao Meiling would feel remorse at this final moment. Shao Meiling sensed the intensity of Taotao¡¯s gaze, feeling a diforting sensation. However, she quickly dismissed the feeling. Taotao¡¯s palms grew mmy with sweat. Once inside the wing-room, Shao Meiling pretended to search for something and asked Taotao for assistance. Soon, Ms. Zhang called Shao Meiling out of the room, and Shao Meiling instructed Taotao to continue searching while she stepped away momentarily. The two women exchanged a conniving grin before parting ways. Shao Meiling made her way back to the room, pretending to be oblivious to everything that was about to unfold. Meanwhile, Ms. Zhang went to ry the message to Nis. Niu.
Once Ms. Niu received the message, she would know that everything had been set in motion. Inside the wing-room, Yu Xiaomiao¡¯s task was to embrace Taotao, unaware that she was not Shao Meiling. He wouldn¡¯t be held ountable for his actions. Ms. Niu¡¯s face lit up with a bright smile upon seeing Ms. Zhang. She turned to Shao Sang and said, ¡°Sang, could you please check on Xiaomiao? I¡¯m feeling a little concerned! Qi had already gone after the food was finished. The first section of the family needed to witness this firsthand. As soon as Shao Sang raised his voice, they would all rush in that direction. Shao Sang agreed, setting his chopsticks down and leaving the table. Soon, a scream echoed through the air. ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened to Sang? Let¡¯s all go and see!¡± Nis. Niu hurriedly dashed out of the hall. Ms. Qiao, Shao Yunduan, and Ms. Fang, who were privy to the n, could only shake their heads in disbelief. Nis. Niu was certainly driven by her own motivation. Ms. Fang sneered.. ¡°Let¡¯s all go and have a look!¡± Chapter 861 - 861: Not Taotao Chapter 861 - 861: Not Taotao
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Niu, filled with confidence, continued to shout before entering the room, ¡°Oh, Taotao! What are you doing here? Oh my God, what is happening? What should we do?¡± Second Uncle followed suit, ¡°What? Taotao? Why is Taotao in Xiaomiao¡¯s room?¡±
Ms. Niu eximed, ¡°Nobody knows what¡¯s going on! Oh my God¡­¡± Ms. Fang, aware of the truth, sneered at Ms. Niu, her eyes burning with anger, wishing she could p her across the face. Qiao Xuan struggled to contain herughter, barely holding it in. Shao Yunduan stood calmly by her side, enjoying the spectacle. Eldest Uncle was on the verge of fainting. ¡°What? Taotao?¡± He rushed forward and opened his eyes, only to be taken aback. Wait a minute! The girl sitting on the floor in the intoxicated Yu Xiaomiao¡¯s arms was not Taotao at all. It was Meiling! But hearing his brother and sister-inw¡¯s persistent calls, Eldest Uncle began to doubt himself. He rubbed his eyes and looked closely. He wasn¡¯t mistaken! He could unmistakably recognize his own daughter! ¡°What? Brother and sister-inw, are you sure? This is Meiling! i Ms. Fang burst intoughter and turned to Ms. Niu, saying, ¡°Honestly, Second Sister-inw, instead of just shouting, open your eyes and see who is in your son-inw¡¯s arms. It¡¯s Meiling! Why do you keep shouting Taotao? What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±
Ms. Fang raised her eyebrows and spoke furiously, ¡°Why did you involve Taotao in this? Are you trying to ruin Taotao¡¯s reputation?!¡± Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were taken aback, their faces filled with shock. They looked in the direction pointed out and stood there, dumbfounded. ¡°That¡¯s Meiling! Why Meiling?¡± ¡°What is happening?¡± Ms. Niu, pulling Yu Xiaomiao away, snapped at Ms. Zhang and Ms. Yan, ¡°Why are you just standing there? Help her up!¡¯ ¡°What is happening? It¡¯s your fault!¡± Ms. Fang sneered and spoke fiercely, ¡°Why did you think it was Taotao?¡± Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were bewildered. Ms. Niu stammered, ¡°l¡­ I was mistaken¡­ ¡°How coincidental,¡± Shao Yunduan calmly remarked, ¡°Both of you were mistaken¡­ Second Uncle forced a smile. ¡°l heard your Second Aunt-inw shouting Taotao, so I thought¡­¡± ¡°Oh, really? So you actually believed it was Taotao!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. Second Uncle was taken aback. ¡°That can¡¯t be true!¡±
Ms. Fang said proudly, ¡°It seems that Meiling truly loves her suitor. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t havee to see her fianc¨¦ in person. But why did she faint? It seems like a destined marriage!¡¯ Ms. Niu felt as if she were about to copse. She red at Ms. Fang but couldn¡¯t do anything about it. She had to endure all the humiliationing from Ms. Fang. Ms. Fang gave her a disdainful look, snorted with irony, and said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a lot to deal with right now, so we¡¯ll leave you to it. Goodbye! Let¡¯s go, old man!¡± Ms. Fang pulled Elder Uncle out of the room. As they left, Elder Uncle was about to say something. He also sensed that something was amiss here, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask what it was¡­ Chapter 862 - 862: Problem Chapter 862 - 862: Problem
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang and Elder Uncle departed, followed by Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, who exchanged a knowing nce before leaving as well. Once they were gone, Ms. Niu snapped at Ms. Yan, ¡°Go and join the first section of the family. Eng and Sng, both of you, leave us!¡±
Ms. Yan was taken aback by her mother-inw¡¯s anger but understood that it was best toply. She nodded and left the room. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Shao Eng and Shao Sng hesitated, reluctant to leave. They were displeased with Yu Xiaomiao¡¯s behavior and were curious about why Meiling was present and had fainted. It all seemed highly peculiar, and they wanted answers. However, Second Uncle grew impatient. ¡°Just get out of here! Stop murmuring! ¡± The two brothers were startled but decided it was best to leave. They remained silent and exited the room, knowing that their parents would uncover the truth eventually. Their presence would be of little use at the moment. Once the unrted individuals had departed, Ms. Niu and Second Uncle turned to Yu Xiaomiao, their faces filled with anger. ¡°What are you doing here? What happened?¡± ¡°What did you just do? Why is Meiling here? Where is Taotao? She was supposed to be here,¡± Ms. Niu eximed, frustration evident in her voice. Yu Xiaomiao had sobered up and spoke in a moreposed manner. ¡°How was I supposed to know? You instructed me to pretend to be drunk, and you would take care of the rest. You assured me that Taotao would be brought here so that 1 would be found in the same room with her, forcing her into marriage with me. But instead, it was Meiling who ended up here. I¡¯m just as confused as you are!¡± ¡°Stop arguing!¡± Second Uncle interjected, raising his voice. ¡°You were only pretending to be drunk. Meiling couldn¡¯t have arrived here on her own!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you were just pretending!¡± Ms. Niu added. Yu Xiaomiao shouted in frustration, ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t! I may not have been truly drunk, but my head was spinning. Someone opened the door, and I didn¡¯t open my eyes immediately. When I finally did, I saw Meiling on the floor. It startled me, so I got off the bed to check on her. Then Shao Sang arrived, followed by all of you! The room was filled with tension as they tried to make sense of the situation and understand how Meiling had ended up in that room instead of Taotao.
Second Uncle and Ms. Niu were filled with a mixture of anger and regret, unable to find the right words to express their emotions. Realizing that Meiling was awake, Yu Xiaomiao sneered inwardly but decided to suggest, ¡°Perhaps we can ask Meiling herself what happened.¡± Shao Meiling was lying in the bed where Yu Xiaomiao had been pretending to sleep. Given their engagement, it was not inappropriate for them to be in the same room. Ms. Niu red at Yu Xiaomiao and shook Shao Meiling to wake her up. Shao Meiling slowly opened her eyes, looking confused. ¡°What happened to me? Where am I? Mom, where is Taotao? What happened to her? I bet she¡¯s crying, isn¡¯t she? Haha!¡± Her eyes sparkled with a mix of anxiety and cunningness.. Chapter 863 - 863: Revenge Chapter 863 - 863: Revenge
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°¡­.¡± Ms. Niu struggled to find the right words to respond to Shao Meilings questions. Yu Xiaomiao cleared his throat, trying to regain some control of the situation. Shao Meiling shouted at him, ¡°Mom, why is he here? Where is Shao Taotao?¡±
Having recognized Yu Xiaomiao, Shao Meilings eyes widened in shock. She turned to Second Uncle and demanded, ¡°Did you bring Taotao here? Why was I in Yu Xiaomiao¡¯s arms when you entered?¡± Second Uncle clenched his teeth, his eyes filled with anger. ¡°Why are you shouting? Exin why you were with Yu Xiaomiao when we arrived!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Shao Meiling stared at Yu Xiaomiao. ¡°l did bring Taotao here, l¡­ Her voice gradually trailed off, and panic set in. She tightly gripped Ms. Niu¡¯s sleeves. ¡­l intended to return to the kitchen but someone struck me on the head. Yes¡­ I was knocked unconscious! And now I¡¯m here. Mom, what¡¯s happening? Can you exin?¡± ¡°What? You were knocked unconscious?¡± ¡°Who could have done it?¡± Second Uncle and Ms. Niu exchanged panicked nces, their shock evident. The three of them engaged in a lengthy discussion, attempting to piece together the sequence of events. However, the most perplexing question remained: Who had knocked out Shao Meiling and brought her to this room? ¡°It must have been someone from the first section of the family! No one else would do such a thing to us. How terrible, how dreadful!¡± ¡°Dad, Mom, I refuse to marry into the Yu family. I don¡¯t want to! It was supposed to be Taotao, not me!¡± ¡°Enough! Shut up!¡¯
¡°We can¡¯t let this go. We must confront the first section of the family and demand answers!¡± Suddenly, the door was forcefully kicked open, and Ms. Fang barged in, heading straight for Ms. Niu. Before Ms. Niu could react, Ms. Fang grabbed her hair and pulled it violently. Ms. Fang screamed as she struck Ms. Niu. ¡°You wicked woman! How dare you try to frame Taotao! How dare you! No wonder you suddenly changed your mind about breaking off the engagement. You wanted my Taotao to you¡¯re your daughter¡¯s ce! You wicked witch!¡± Ms. Fang continued to scream in anger, delivering blow after blow to Ms. Niu, who cried out in pain. Shao Meiling stood frozen, trembling in fear. She was too terrified to even cry. ¡°Stop it, Elder Sister-inw! Stop!¡± Second Uncle pleaded desperately, wanting to intervene but hesitating. He had lost much of his confidence after everything was exposed. ¡°Elder Brother, tell Elder Sister-inw to stop!¡± he urged, looking at Elder Uncle. Elder Uncle appeared to be lost, as if his spirit had been crushed. Second Uncle continued to implore him. Eldest Uncle observed the scene but remained silent, struggling to find his own words. Eldest Uncle realized that he couldn¡¯t order Ms. Fang to stop her actions. Ms. Fang didn¡¯t actually remove them from the vicinity but concealed them nearby.
He felt irritated by the idea of eavesdropping, but Ms. Fang insisted that he should witness the unfolding events, which left him perplexed. Then she instructed him to listen, questioning his integrity. Why would he eavesdrop on his brother and Yu Xiaomiao discussing what had transpired? But Ms. Fangpelled him to hear the truth. And that was exactly what he heard. After a while, Ms. Fang released her grip on Ms. Niu, having momentarily satisfied her anger.. Chapter 864 - 864: Eavesdropping Chapter 864 - 864: Eavesdropping
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang pointed directly at them, her eyes filled with anger as she unleashed her curse. ¡°From this moment on, we have nothing to do with you anymore! I¡¯m far from finished with this. I will rally the entire n to seek justice for what you¡¯ve done! You are truly despicable, and mark my words, your actions will only worsen! ¡± Both Ms. Niu and Second Uncle¡¯s faces underwent a sudden change, visibly taken aback.
Ms. Niu¡¯s face swelled up, disying numerous blood traces and broken lips. She grimaced in pain but managed to speak through gritted teeth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave? How dare you eavesdrop on our conversation?¡± Regret washed over Ms. Niu and Second Uncle at this critical juncture. However, despite the ident, they were desperate for an exnation. That was why they had wanted to interrogate Yu Xiaomiao. Little did they expect that Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle would still be present. Ms. Fang sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. ¡°So what? I now have proof that will expose your secrets!¡± Yet, there was no need for them to remain any longer. ¡°Let¡¯s go, old man!¡± Ms. Fang eximed, urging Eldest Uncle to leave. Second Uncle pleaded, his voice tinged with remorse. ¡°Elder Brother, Elder Sister-inw, we deeply regret our actions. We were misguided, but it was all for the sake of our child!¡± Ms. Fang retorted, her wordsced with venom. ¡°You framed our child to protect yours. How utterly repulsive! ¡± Caught off guard, Second Uncle stuttered, his voicecking confidence. ¡°We¡­ we are sorry! But Taotao is still alright, isn¡¯t she? Elder Brother, Elder Sister-inw, please let it go. We¡¯re family!¡¯ Ms. Fangs gaze intensified as she red at Second Uncle, her wish to strike him bing almost tangible. ¡°Where was this notion of family when you plotted against Taotao?¡± she spat back, her words filled with seething anger. ¡°That¡¯s only because we are capable of taking care of her! It doesn¡¯t make you good people!¡¯
Ms. Niu muttered, her words filled with resentment. ¡®You knocked out Meiling, didn¡¯t you? Which one of you did it? Qi?¡± she questioned, her voice usingly pointed at them. Qi, along with Ms. Xu, Yang Xiaoni, and Qiao Xuan, had already left after finishing their meal. It seemed likely that Qi was the one who had incapacitated Shao Meiling. Being a boy, he possessed the strength to do so. ¡°So what?¡± Ms. Fang cursed vehemently, her anger evident. ¡°You set us up, and we yed our part!¡¯ ¡°You!¡± Ms. Niu eximed. ¡°Shut up! From this moment on, we are cutting off all ties with you! Old man,e, let¡¯s go talk to the Land Officer and resolve this matter within the n!¡± Ms. Fang dered firmly, ready to depart. Ms. Niu trembled with anger, but her fear quickly overtook her. Hurriedly, she moved to stop Ms. Fang and Second Uncle joined her in their attempt. ¡°No, you can¡¯t go!¡± Ms. Niu pleaded desperately. ¡°Elder Sister-inw, why be so cruel? Elder Brother, say something!¡± Second Uncle implored. ¡°Save your breath,¡± Ms. Fang sneered, her voice filled with derision. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to stop me, so give it a try! And don¡¯t even think you can confine me here!¡± ¡°Elder Brother, we¡¯re truly sorry. After all, we are family, aren¡¯t we? It would be an enormous scandal, wouldn¡¯t it? It would tarnish Taotao¡¯s reputation as well!¡± Nis. Fangs response was swift and sharp. ¡°Taotao has had nothing to do with this from the very beginning! She has her brother to care for her!¡±
Ms. Niu and Second Uncle continued to implore, their pleas filled with desperation. Eldest Uncle sighed heavily, feeling overwhelmed by the situation. The conversation he overheard outside had shocked, saddened, and deeply disappointed him. His own brother and sister-inw had orchestrated a scheme against his own daughter. They had plotted to break off the engagement and rece Taotao with their own child. How could they treat Taotao this way? They didn¡¯t regard him as an elder brother at all! However, despite his inner turmoil, Taotao had remained unharmed. And now, seeing the couple beg before him like this, he found himself unable to utter any words of reproach.. Chapter 865 - 865: Second Sister-in-law’s Idea Chapter 865 - 865: Second Sister-inw¡¯s Idea
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions If news of this situation were to spread, their own family would be aughingstock, which was far from desirable. Eldest Uncle turned towards Ms. Fang, his voice barely audible as he suggested, ¡°What if we persuade the two couples to admit their mistakes and make a promise? Let¡¯s just¡­ let it go¡­ Our family¡¯s reputation will suffer as well.¡±
Ms. Niu and Second Uncle expressed their agreement with cheers and nods. However, Ms. Fang, who had managed to calm herself after venting her anger on Ms. Niu, was once again provoked by Eldest Uncle¡¯s words. She shouted angrily, ¡°No way! You foolish old man, your mind is so muddled! If it weren¡¯t for Taotao¡¯s luck, we would be the ones suffering here! Your brother and sister-inw are nothing but trash! They were trying to ruin Taotao¡¯s life! And you, you old fool, agree just because of a few tears and insincere words?!¡± ¡°What do you truly think of Taotao in your heart? Is she your daughter? Let me tell you, I will never agree to this solution. And ask our sons, do you think they would agree?¡± ¡°Taotao has done nothing wrong, and neither have we. What does a mere name matter? There¡¯s no way we will ever agree to it!¡± Ms. Fang had no intention of making peace, and she even berated Eldest Uncle, leaving him dumbfounded. Second Uncle and Ms. Niu were equally stunned. As Ms. Fang rushed out, the two of them stood frozen, not daring to stop her in any way¡­ Shao Meiling suddenly jolted awake. If this matter were to be brought before the n, the first section of the family would undoubtedly side with their own family, causing them to lose everything! She shouted, desperation evident in her voice. ¡°It was Second Sister-inw¡¯s idea, it was all her doing! It has nothing to do with my parents! Elder Aunt, if you want to me someone, me Second Sister-inw! It was her idea!¡± Everyone was taken aback, their expressions filled with shock.
Second Uncle and Ms. Niu shared in the same astonishment. Ms. Fang also came to a halt, turning to face Shao Meiling with a cold gaze. Shao Meiling recoiled, her voice trembling as she confessed, ¡°I never intended to break off the engagement, but one day, Second Sister-inw approached me¡­¡± In that moment, Shao Meiling forgot about the promise she had made to Ms. Zhang. She didn¡¯t even recall the agreement they had reached. Being a selfish woman who harbored dislike for Ms. Zhang, Shao Meiling felt no remorse for betraying her. Thus, she divulged every detail without hesitation. Everyone present. Ms. Niu nearly screamed in fury, ¡°That wretched woman! I knew it! She always wears a sinister expression and is full of wicked tricks. I want to beat her to death!¡± Ms. Fang sneered, her tone dripping with disdain. ¡°Ms. Zhang may have nted the seed, but you willingly epted her idea, didn¡¯t you? If you hadn¡¯t even entertained the thought, Ms. Zhang¡¯s suggestion would have had no effect on you!¡± Shao Meiling covered her face, sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°I just¡­ I just wanted to marry someone better!¡±
Ms. Fang¡¯s voice turned icy as she responded, ¡°Your mother had found you a suitable match. You aren¡¯t deserving of anyone better! Let me make it clear, if you ever try to benefit from Yunduan¡¯s troubles, I will tear you apart!¡± Shao Meiling trembled in fear, not daring to utter a single word. It wouldn¡¯t be long before Ms. Zhang arrived, escorted by others. Yu Xiaomiao felt a sense of speechlessness in the midst of it all. There was no need for him to y along anymore. With a polite wave, he bid them farewell and left.. Chapter 866 - 866: Ms.Zhang’s Embarrassment Chapter 866 - 866: Ms.Zhang¡¯s Embarrassment
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Niu and Second Uncle felt a deep sense of embarrassment. They had allowed their prospective son-inw to witness this chaotic situation, and it exposed theirck of self-esteem. They couldn¡¯t find any words to undo what had already transpired.
Second Uncleposed himself, mustered a few kind words, and escorted Yu Xiaomiao out. Soon, members from both the first and second sections of the family gathered in the hall. Ms. Niu directed her anger towards Ms. Zhang, using her as an outlet for her frustration. She raised her hand and delivered a harsh p across Ms. Zhang¡¯s face, causing her to stagger and fall. ¡°You wretched woman! I never should have kept you around! How despicable you are!¡± Tears streamed down Ms. Zhang¡¯s face as she covered her injured cheek. Shao Eng was taken aback by the scene and rushed forward to help Ms. Zhang, but he was abruptly stopped by Ms. Niu¡¯s sternmand. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t touch her!¡± ¡°Mom¡­ What did she do? What are you doing? And what about you?¡± Shao Eng questioned, bewildered by the situation. Ms. Niu felt pain coursing through her body, both physically and emotionally. It was only because of Ms. Zhang¡¯s actions that she found herself in this situation. ¡°Ask her yourself! You wicked woman. You¡¯re a troublemaker!¡± Shao Eng was still grappling with confusion. ¡°Mom, perhaps there¡¯s been a misunderstanding?¡± Ms. Fang let out a disdainful snort before slowly recounting the entire story. Only Shao Yunduan, Qiao Xuan, Qi, and Taotao were aware of it prior to this revtion. The rest of the family members were shocked by the revtion.
They all cast scornful nces at Ms. Zhang. If the story was true, Ms. Zhang¡¯s actions were incredibly malicious! Ms. Yan felt a chill run down her spine. If Ms. Zhang were to remain in the family, she would insist on living separately, no matter what! She refused to share a roof with such a woman¡­ For fear that she might be harmed in her sleep¡­ Shao Eng was taken aback, his eyes widening as if he had been struck by a heavy blow. Turning pale, he staggered backward a few steps. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°No, Eng, no! You have to believe me! I never said those things! I never instigated Meiling. She¡¯s lying!¡± Ms. Zhang cursed inwardly at Shao Meiling, Ms. Niu, and Second Uncle. They were all utterly useless. They had failed at such a simple task! If only they had been a little morepetent and sessful, it would have been the first section of the family who would be in tears right now, not her!
Ms. Zhang refused to admit that she was the mastermind behind the idea. Through tears, she pleaded, ¡°I¡¯ve returned, but none of you like me. You all despise me. I can¡¯t defend myself, but why do you continue to heap usations upon me? I don¡¯t have the courage to say such things. Furthermore, if you force me to shoulder the me, I would never be able to shake it off! Eng, you have to believe me!¡± ¡°What are you saying! You taught me everything!¡± Shao Meiling was consumed with rage, lunging towards Ms. Zhang, attempting to strike her. Shao Eng intervened, stopping Shao Meiling. ¡°Meiling, calm down! No violence!¡± ¡°Second Brother!¡± Shao Meiling angrily pushed his hand away, snapping back. ¡°She did it! She taught me everything! If it weren¡¯t for her, I would never have conceived of such an idea! But she refuses to confess! And now she¡¯s making me take the me! Step aside, I¡¯m going to kill her!¡± Ms. Zhang sobbed, her voice filled with sorrow. Shao Eng found himself caught in the middle, his expression filled with bitterness. Yet, he still positioned himself between Shao Meiling and his wife. ¡°Meiling, the Second Sister-inw did make a mistake in the past, but you can¡¯t solely hold her ountable.. You need¡­ you need evidence!¡± Chapter 867 - 867: A Potential Harm Chapter 867 - 867: A Potential Harm
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Ah! I am so furious!¡± Shao Meiling seethed with anger. ¡°She told me when there were only two of us! I can¡¯t find any evidence! This person must have done this on purpose! That¡¯s why she is denying it now!¡± ¡°What are you putting on that sad look for? You are the most vicious one!¡± Shao Meiling eximed, her anger apparent.
Shao Meiling looked infuriated and attempted to throw a punch at Ms. Zhang but was restrained by Shao Eng. She cursed and struggled against his grip. Yang Xiaoni whispered to Qiao Xuan, ¡°What are they doing here? I¡¯m confused. Fifth Sister-inw, who do you think is lying?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. There is no evidence.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s your opinion?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not specte.¡± Yang Xiaoni chuckled and agreed. ¡°True.¡± However, deep down, Qiao Xuan believed that Shao Meiling was telling the truth. Ms. Zhang had a shady character, and Shao Meiling hadn¡¯t considered this aspect of their marriage, but Ms. Zhang might have. Nis. Zhang held a grudge against both the second and first sections of the family. If her n had seeded, the first section of the family would have be the victims and would have started hating the second section of the family, which was exactly what she desired. This woman posed a potential threat to everyone. Ms. Niu shouted, ¡°Stop it, you two! Son, Meiling doesn¡¯t lie! This person is not a good woman! Are you seriously going to believe a lying, vicious person who nearly got your son killed over your own sister? Are you out of your mind?¡±
Ms. Niu had barely finished speaking when Ms. Zhang broke down in tears. ¡°l knew it! You¡¯ll never forgive me for what I did!¡± Ms. Niu spat, her annoyance evident as she eximed, ¡°No one will ever forgive you for this! I never begged you toe back. It was you who shamelessly showed up at our doorstep! You were divorced! How dare you return and put on such a pitiful act! I shouldn¡¯t have agreed. You wretched woman!¡± ¡°No wonder Meiling confronted you as soon as you came home. Admit it, you bitch!¡± ¡°l didn¡¯t do it! You¡¯re all mistaken!¡± ¡°It was you! You did it!¡± Experiencing a headache, Ms. Fang snapped, ¡°That¡¯s your own family matter, and you can discuss itter. I need one resolution on this. The n needs to be informed.¡¯ Shao Yunduan agreed, ¡°Anything mom says.¡± Shao Sang angrily chimed in, ¡°Exactly! We can¡¯t just let it go like this. Taotao is a kind girl who was almost harmed because of you!¡¯ Eldest Uncle fell silent as he tried to speak. He did have a few things to say, but he knew that none of his words would make a difference. He suddenly felt a pang of sadness. None of his sons understood him at all! Ms. Fang stood up and dered, ¡°Let¡¯s go and find the Land Officer!¡¯
¡°No, no, Elder Sister-inw, it¡¯s all Ms. Zhangs fault. She¡¯s a troublemaker! We¡¯ll kick her out of the family. Will that satisfy you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your decision, not mine! Most people in your family are irritating!¡± Ms. Fang responded. Instead of engaging in further conversation with her, and under the protection of Shao Yunduan, Qiao Xuan, and other family members, Ms. Fang hurriedly made her way to the Land Officer¡¯s house, paying no heed to Eldest Uncle¡¯s persistent attempts to stop her.. Chapter 868 - 868: Not Family Any More Chapter 868 - 868: Not Family Any More
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang was adamant about obtaining a satisfactory resolution. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were shocked and couldn¡¯t let the first section of the family handle the situation alone. They brought along Shao Meiling and had Nis. Zhang escorted while they ascended together with Shao Eng.
When the Land Officer and the elderly men from the n gathered and heard the story, they were all taken aback and began lecturing the second section of the family. Naturally, they defended the first section of the family more, as their actions had been quite vicious and self-centered, impossible to ignore. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle felt deeply embarrassed by the situation. They could have argued if it were something else, but Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle had overheard the conversation with Yu Xiaomiao as a witness¡ªit was solid evidence. Ms. Niu pushed Ms. Zhang to the ground,beling her as the culprit. She trusted her own daughter, and at this point, Ms. Zhang had to shoulder the me regardless of the circumstances. Considering Ms. Zhang had done something simr in the past, almost everyone present believed Shao Meiling and Ms. Niu. Ms. Niu continued to shout that they would divorce Ms. Zhang once again. She made a fierce vow, stating that they wouldn¡¯t have treated the first section of the family in such a manner if it hadn¡¯t been for Ms. Zhangs n. None of this would have happened without her as the culprit. Thus, they sincerely hoped that the first section of the family would forgive them. Nis. Zhang continued to cry incessantly.
As someone who had done something simr before, and with her mother-inw and sister-inw using her directly, she had no argument to counter. However, they were still a family, and Ms. Niu¡¯s decision had nothing to do with the Land Officer and the elderly men from the n. But the second section of the family had almost caused harm to the first section of the family. Thankfully, Taotao was unharmed. The others offered a few consoling words, and while the two sections of the family wouldn¡¯tpletely sever their rtionship, a lingering grudge remained between them. From that moment onward, the first section of the family would no longer consider the second section as part of their family, treating them instead as an ordinary family from the same n. Second Uncle and Ms. Niu pleaded for forgiveness. ¡°No, no! We are a family bound by blood! We¡¯re not just an ordinary family from the n!¡± ¡°Elder Brother, please say something! You won¡¯t approve of this, right? You promised our parents that you would take care of us!¡± ¡°Why are you begging him? He¡¯s the most vicious and cruel man!¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t refused to help us break off the engagement, we wouldn¡¯t have resorted to this! You¡¯re heartless!¡± Eldest Uncle let out a heavy sigh, and Ms. Fang, Shao Yunduan, Shao Sang, and even Shao Dng looked at him expressionlessly. Tears welling up in her eyes, Taotao spoke, ¡°What do you have to say, Dad? In your eyes, you prioritize Second Uncle and Third Uncle¡¯s families, and their children are treated so well. You protect and assist them all the time, but what about me? Why am I not your niece but just your daughter?¡± Eldest Uncle turned pale and stumbled back.
¡°What are you saying?¡± Ms. Fang grabbed hold of Taotao, as she coldly addressed Eldest Uncle, ¡°You are my beloved daughter, and I love you. Your brothers and sisters-inw all love and protect you! We will never forgive anyone who tries to bully you!¡¯ Qiao Xuan could no longer tolerate the situation. She calmly stated, ¡°The second section of the family attempted to harm Taotao today, and if we don¡¯t delve deeper into this, they may try to harm someone else tomorrow. If I can¡¯t obtain a satisfactory answer from the resolution, I will have to take matters into my own hands to vent my anger. I love Taotao, and I will never allow her to suffer.¡¯ Ms.. Niu screamed, ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Chapter 869 - 869: Paying Back Chapter 869 - 869: Paying Back
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan¡¯s smile was fleeting. ¡°We will repay you in the same way you hurt us.¡± Nis. Niu was taken aback. ¡°What do you mean?¡±
Qiao Xuan continued, ¡°We will employ the same methods you used against us.¡± Ms. Niu, Second Uncle, and Shao Eng all turned pale. ¡°That won¡¯t work! It¡¯s impossible! ¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°You can frame us, but we can¡¯t do the same to you? That doesn¡¯t sound fair.¡¯ Second Uncle and Ms. Niu were left dumbfounded. Indeed, they could frame the first section of the family because they believed Eldest Uncle would always defend them, giving them the freedom to do as they pleased. Their best course of action now was to offer an apology. However, what if the first section of the family didn¡¯t like them and wanted to frame them in return? They would be incapable of defending themselves. They had never considered this before. It had never urred to them that while they devised various schemes to torment the first section of the family, the same tactics could be used against them. Second Uncle and Ms. Niu couldn¡¯t help but tremble. Qiao Xuan stopped looking at them. Eldest Uncle felt a profound sense of despair but dared not utter a word.
He had no control over Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, Ms. Fang, or anyone else in his family. One wrong word, and his brother¡¯s family would face even harsher consequences. Inwardly, he sighed¡ªwhat had caused all of this? This incident would be urately recorded in the n¡¯s records. The Land Officer had tried to conceal the entire affair to prevent their reputations from being tarnished. But Shao Yunduan rejected the proposal. He urged the Land Officer to make the truth public. He wanted everyone to clearly understand the true rtionship between the first and second sections of the family, ensuring that thetter wouldn¡¯t carry out any unpleasant acts under the guise of the former. Second Uncle and Ms. Niu were furious butcked the courage to say anything after hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s threat. News of the incident quickly spread, shocking the entire vige. Many people criticized Ms. Niu for her foolishness¡ªwhat was she thinking? It was fortunate that Taotao was unharmed. If something had happened to her, there would be no evidence to prove that Ms. Niu was responsible. However, the first section of the family would never forgive them either. To make matters even more absurd, they even attempted to find a better suitor for Shao Meiling through Shao Yunduan! It was utterly ridiculous! Upon returning home, Ms. Niu was consumed by anger. She pped and kicked Nis. Zhang, shouting at Shao Eng and demanding that he divorce her once again.
Ms. Zhang crumpled to the ground, sobbing uncontrobly with her head lowered. Shao Eng found himself torn. He knelt down and pleaded with his mother to forgive Ms. Zhang. There was no proof implicating her, and her tears genuinely made him feel sorry for her. She was his wife, and he didn¡¯t want her to suffer from a false usation. He wouldn¡¯t agree to divorce his wife based solely on the words of others. Ms. Niu was filled with frustration, her heart aching. She cursed Shao Eng for being ungrateful and cruel. However, Ms. Zhang chose to stay despite everything that had transpired. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle became increasingly concerned about Shao Meilings marriage. Since Shao Meiling and Yu Xiaomiao had been alone in a room together, they werepelled to get married. Now, they were apprehensive that the Yu Family might cancel the engagement. After discussing the situation, the couple gathered their courage and sought support from the first section of the family. They approached Shao Yunduan, hoping he could assist and stand up for Shao Meiling.. Chapter 870 - 870: Auntie Niu and Uncle Shao Chapter 870 - 870: Auntie Niu and Uncle Shao
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Elder Brother, Elder Sister-inw, don¡¯t you care about Shao Meiling? She is your niece, and you can¡¯t simply allow her to be bullied after her marriage, can you? Please, Elder Brother and Elder Sister-inw,¡± pleaded the couple, finding a suitable moment to ask for the favor when Eldest Uncle was at home after dinner. Before Eldest Uncle could respond, Qiao Xuan cleared her throat and spoke with a smile, ¡°Auntie Niu, Uncle Shao, Taotao is also your niece! But 1 1 m not sure if you would ever allow her to be bullied, considering what you¡¯ve done.¡± Yang Xiaoni and Ms. Xu struggled to hold back theirughter.
Ms. Fang snapped and red at the couple, saying, ¡°Shao Meiling is not innocent! Don¡¯t lie to me! I heard herughing at Taotao when she thought her n had seeded. How dare you ask Yunduan to support her? Get lost!¡± However, Ms. Niu and Second Uncle seemed oblivious to Ms. Fang¡¯s words. They were stunned by Qiao Xuan¡¯s way of addressing them. ¡°What are you calling us?¡± they asked in disbelief. Qiao Xuan responded, ¡°Auntie Niu and Uncle Shao, is there something wrong with that?¡± Second Uncle became so furious that he nearly fainted. ¡°Elder Brother!¡± Ms. Fang chimed in, ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no Elder Brother here. You have no manners. Just leave.¡± Eldest Uncle could no longer tolerate the situation. ¡°Ms. Fang, that¡¯s enough!¡± Ms. Fang snorted. ¡°I want to emphasize that these two people have no rtion | to us. Why should I be the one in the wrong?¡± Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were both filled with anger and anxiety. It suddenly dawned on them that their connection with the first section of the family had been severed. And at this moment, the reality sank in for Ms. Niu and Second Uncle ¨C it wasn¡¯t a dream but a harsh reality they had to face. Qiao Xuan¡¯s way of addressing them had struck a nerve, making them realize the severance of their ties with the first section of the family.
Shao Yunduan intervened, reminding Eldest Uncle that the Land Officer and the n had already made the announcement, leaving no room for argument. Eldest Uncle pleaded, ¡°Can¡¯t you help your fellow n members?¡± Shao Yunduan replied firmly, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to.¡± Eldest Uncle. Ms. Fang sneered, ¡°Did you hear that? My son loves his sister, and you¡¯re trying to force him? If you want to back them up, go ahead. But I will expose the true rtionship between Ms. Niu and Shao Dalou with us. So, you¡¯ll be standing alone, not on our behalf!¡± Eldest Uncle muttered, ¡°You¡­ Ms. Fang interrupted, ¡°Feel free to try!¡± Nis. Niu and Second Uncle were still in a daze as they were driven out of the Shao Family¡¯s gate. As they looked at the towering house and the closed gate, they felt an emptiness in their hearts. Something was missing, something that could never be regained. They could sense each other¡¯s anxiety and worries. The realization hit them hard ¨C there was no one to clean up their mess for them. ¡°The first section of the family¡­ they¡¯ve truly severed ties.¡± Ms. Niu seethed with anger and ced the me on Ms. Zhang. ¡°It¡¯s all because of that troublemaker, Ms. Zhang!¡¯
With a heavy heart, the couple reached out to Yu Xiaomiao, unsure of how the Yu Family would react. To their surprise, the Yu Family acted as if nothing had urred and agreed to proceed with the marriage. They came to an agreement on the wedding date, which would be the sixth day of March the following year. The couple breathed a sigh of relief. Without the support of the first section of the family, they couldn¡¯t afford to say anything negative about the Yu Family. Furthermore, Mrs. Yu had expressed regret over the initially rejected engagement, but Mr. Yu and Yu Xiaomiao decided to uphold the marriage arrangement. they were still blood rted, which would always be beneficial for them.. Chapter 871 - 871: Buying Happiness Chapter 871: Buying Happiness Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Meiling seemed to be better offpared to the other girls, so why would they reject the marriage proposal? Despite her unpleasant personality, if she behaved well after getting married, everything would be fine. If she dared to act out, she would be dealt with ordingly. Ms. Yan wasn¡¯t pleased with Ms. Zhangs presence. She believed Shao Meilings im that if her sister-inw truly wanted to break off the engagement, she would have done so before Ms. Zhang returned. Clearly, something had transpired between them. To avoid Ms. Zhang, Ms. Yan decided to live separately from the rest of the family after the New Year and the Lantern Festival. Although the rtionship between the two families had undergone a significant change, Ms. Yan continued to visit the first section of the family daily, and they treated her with equal respect. Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang suspected that Ms. Zhang was responsible for the situation. It was not surprising that she harbored resentment and might try to manipte the first section of the family. Qiao Xuan even cautioned Ms. Yan to be vignt and avoid being framed by Ms. Zhang, as she appeared to be quite unstable. Ms. Yan was grateful for Qiao Xuan¡¯s warning and sighed with a bitter smile, contemting the possibility of living separately. Qiao Xuan nced at her with surprise and couldn¡¯t help but admire her resilience. Ms. Yan shook her head and chuckled. ¡°It could be very difficult. You know what your inws are like. They suspect Nis. Zhang, and they won¡¯t agree with your proposal.¡± Initially, Ms. Yan had been filled with anger and tried to convince herself that it was necessary. However, at this point, she was no longer so sure. She understood how challenging it was to deal with her inws. If they disapproved of the proposal, there would be little she could do about it. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, do you have any other suggestions? Please, help me!¡± she pleaded. Qiao Xuan pondered for a moment and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t handle it yourself. Ask your parents to intervene, using both firmness and persuasion. Perhaps offering them some benefits could increase the chances of sess.¡± Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were afraid of confrontational individuals but were inclined to take advantage of the more amodating ones. If the Yan Family exerted pressure and provided some incentives, Ms. Niu and Second Uncle might agree to the arrangement, especially considering that Shao Sng was their son and could support them despite the separation. However, the oue would depend on what Ms. Yan was willing to offer in return. Nis. Yan thought for a while and quickly made a firm decision without any hesitation. She expressed her gratitude to Qiao Xuan with a smile. Offering ten or twenty liang, along with generous ongoing support fees, would be worthwhile. It was a price she was willing to pay for some peace She had a substantial amount of money now, although she wasn¡¯t particrly eager to part with such arge sum. However, it wouldn¡¯t hurt her too much financially. With a weight lifted off her mind, Ms. Yan returned home feeling content. However, she was met with a dark stare from Ms. Zhang once again. A chill ran down Ms. Yan¡¯s spine. She quickly nced at Ms. Zhang and instinctively moved away, trying to avoid her. Nis. Zhang sneered, causing Ms. Yan to feel even more unsettled. Her heart raced, and she almost lost her bnce. This woman was truly deranged. She was terrifying! Driven by Ms. Niu, Ms. Zhang had reached the brink of mental instability. After Shao Meilings marriage was finally settled, Ms. Niu had no other matters to attend to. Thus, she turned her attention towards Ms. Zhang. Her gaze was filled with malice, making her intentions clear.. Chapter 872 - 872: Ms.Zhang’s Blame Chapter 872 - 872: Ms.Zhang¡¯s me
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Nis. Niu firmly believed that Ms. Zhang was responsible for all the troubles their family had endured, and she had no intention of giving her an easy time considering their past conflicts. Ms. Zhang was constantly tormented by Ms. Niu, and this constant torment had further deteriorated her original personality, making her even more sinister.
She harbored a deep hatred for them, especially Ms. Niu. However, she didn¡¯t dare retaliate against Ms. Niu, as she was her mother-inw and a senior figure in the family. She knew that if she did anything to Ms. Niu, her own suffering would only worsen, especially since she was already in a difficult situation without provoking Ms. Niu. A mother-inw needed no excuse to berate her daughter-inw. In this house, excuses were unnecessary. Frustrated and irritated, Ms. Zhang started to vent her anger on Ms. Yan. As they were walking together with their sons, Ms. Zhang suddenly pushed her own son, causing him to fall to the ground and burst into tears. Ms. Zhang screamed, ¡°Fourth Sister-inw, how could you harm and push Xianwen like that? You¡¯re so vicious! I know you hate me, but you can¡¯t me this on Xianwen! He¡¯s innocent!¡± Ms. Yan was taken aback by Ms. Zhangs sudden outburst and her deteriorating mental state. Anger coursed through her, causing her to tremble. ¡°Second Sister-inw, show me your evidence! I didn¡¯ty a hand on Xianwen!¡± ¡°Of course, you did! You¡¯re too afraid to admit it! If you hate me, me it on me, not on a child! Oh, my life is so bitter, my poor little boy!¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane! You¡¯re lying!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just too cowardly to admit it!¡± ¡°What¡¯s all this shouting about?¡± Ms. Niu emerged from the house, her impatience evident in her tone as she interrupted the argument. ¡°Ms. Zhang, what do you think you¡¯re doing? If you can¡¯t stay here quietly, then pack your bags and go back to your vige!¡¯ Ms. Zhang, with tears streaming down her face, held a deep grudge as she replied, ¡°It was the Fourth Sister-inw who hit and pushed Xianwen! You¡¯re not ming her, you¡¯re ming me!¡±
¡°l didn¡¯t do any of that!¡± Ms. Yan eximed, denying the usation. Shao Xianwen continued crying inconsbly. ¡°Oh, my poor little grandson!¡± Ms. Niu felt sorry for Shao Xianwen. She gently lifted him up,forting him, and then instructed Shao Meiling to take the child back inside. Nis. Zhang sneered and cast a proud nce at Ms. Yan. However, in the next moment, two loud ps echoed through the air as Ms. Niu struck Ms. Zhang across the face. Pointing at her, Ms. Niu cursed, ¡°You are forbidden from going near Xianwen! Are you trying to harm him again? You vicious woman! ¡± Clutching her stinging cheeks, Ms. Zhang burst into tears. ¡°l didn¡¯t do it! It was the Fourth Sister-inw¡­ ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t believe a word you say! Ms. Yan has no reason to do such things, and you kidnapped your own child! You¡¯re capable of anything!¡¯ ¡°l didn¡¯t, it was the Fourth Sister-inw¡­ Ah!¡± Ms. Zhang received another p across the face. ¡°Just keep your mouth shut, you vile woman! You disgust me! If it weren¡¯t for troublemakers like you, our family wouldn¡¯t be in this mess! It¡¯s all your fault! You¡¯ve already ruined Meiling¡¯s marriage, and now you¡¯re targeting Ms. Yan!
You never give up, do you?!¡± Ms. Zhang cried even harder. This only served to further infuriate Ms. Niu.. She snapped, ¡°You bringer of misfortune! Be silent now! Kneel down right here and reflect on your actions!¡± Chapter 873 - 873: Giving Up Pretending Chapter 873 - 873: Giving Up Pretending
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Zhang cried uncontrobly, copsing onto the ground, her body trembling with anguish. why? why
Her mother-inw had already made up her mind to support Ms. Yan without even considering her side of the story. She didn¡¯t believe a word Ms. Zhang said and continued to humiliate and torment her. Ms. Zhang felt herself spiraling into madness. Ms. Yan, who had been angry about the false usations, unexpectedly felt a tinge ofpassion towards Ms. Zhang. She could see that Ms. Zhang was truly suffering in this terrible situation. Nis. Zhang had never imagined that her mother-inw wouldpletely lose trust in her. It was fortunate in a way, as she no longer had to struggle to defend herself. After cursing Ms. Zhang, Ms. Niu sneered and turned to Ms. Yan, speaking in a gentle tone, ¡°It¡¯s getting cold outside. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Ms. Yan was taken aback but nodded in agreement. Ms. Zhang¡¯s heart ached as she witnessed this interaction. She struggled to rise to her feet and spoke angrily, ¡°l know all of you hate me! But what have I done? If it weren¡¯t for your coldness and hostility, I could have lived a peaceful life and cherished my own children!¡± Ms. Niu turned back, her eyes filled with fury, and ordered Ms. Zhang to kneel down. ¡°Your time is not up yet!¡± she spat. Any remainingpassion Ms. Yan had for Ms. Zhang vanished as she replied, ¡°Second Sister-inw, no one owes you anything. You asked for money, but did you ever n to repay it? You know very well that people are not obliged to fulfill your every request!¡± Ms. Niu sneered in response. ¡°Repaying money? Her worthless brother has nothing to repay!¡¯ Nis. Zhang shot a fierce re at Ms. Niu.
This only further infuriated Ms. Niu. ¡°What are you staring at? Am 1 not allowed toin about your worthless brother?¡± Ms. Zhang, filled with anger and frustration, retorted defiantly, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving! You can beat me to death if you want! I¡¯d like to see how capable you are! If you kill me, you¡¯ll have to pay with a life! I¡¯m not afraid of you! You can do whatever you want to me, but I¡¯m staying right here!¡± Both Ms. Yan and Ms. Niu were taken aback by Ms. Zhang¡¯s outburst. Realizing that she had reached her limit, Ms. Zhang decided to give up pretending and confronted Ms. Niu directly. Ms. Niu, furious at Ms. Zhangs defiance, responded angrily, ¡°What are you saying, Ms. Zhang? Say it again!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you! Drive me away if you want! You don¡¯t believe me, and Eng won¡¯t believe you either! ¡± ¡°You vile bitch! I¡¯ll kill you!¡¯ Ms. Niu, ovee with anger, rolled up her sleeves, ready to strike Ms. Zhang. Reacting instinctively, Ms. Zhang dodged the p and pushed Ms. Niu away. ¡°You dare to challenge me?!¡±
Ms. Niu, consumed by rage, lunged at Ms. Zhang, attempting to beat and scratch her. In the struggle, however, Ms. Niu slipped and fell hard to the ground. ¡°Ahh! You wretched bitch! How dare youy your hands on me!¡± Second Uncle, having just returned from outside, witnessed the altercation. He quickly approached and assisted Ms. Niu, eximing, ¡°What are you all staring at? Come and help!¡± Ms. Yan, still in a state of disbelief, snapped back to reality. She hurriedly joined Second Uncle in assisting Ms. Niu to her feet. Meanwhile, Ms. Zhang remained where she was, disying a seemingly emotionless expression. She had nothing to lose at that moment and was hesitant to intervene.. Chapter 874 - 874: Embarrassed Chapter 874 - 874: Embarrassed
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Divorce her immediately! How dare she touch me! She¡¯s plotting to kidnap and kill me!¡± Nis. Zhang, her lips bitten, responded weakly, ¡°I didn¡¯t push her¡­¡±
¡°Enough, I saw everything!¡± Second Uncle sneered. ¡°Ms. Zhang, you truly have a wicked heart!¡± Abandoning her pretenses, Ms. Zhang turned around and walked away. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle seethed with anger, feeling a deep sense of outrage. ¡°She just walks away like this? How dare she!¡± ¡°Our son is foolish to show any kindness to this vile woman!¡± When Shao Eng returned in the evening, Ms. Niu and Second Uncle pressured him to divorce his wife. Ms. Niu pounded on her chest, as if deeply wounded in her heart. Ms. Zhang, no longer pretending, cried uncontrobly, hoping to convince Shao Eng of her innocence, That was all she wanted. She had given up pretending. But Shao Eng, still enamored with her, hesitated to believe his parents¡¯ usations without proof. His affection for her remained. Ms. Niu had never felt this level of fury before, especially when it was caused by someone as vile as Ms. Zhang. Overwhelmed by anger, she copsed, leaving Second Uncle and Ms. Yan in shock. Furious, Second Uncle pushed Shao Eng away, his voice filled with anger. ¡°You trust this woman over your own parents? Do you want her to harm your mother so you¡¯ll believe us? You¡¯re a terrible son!¡± Shao Eng was taken aback by his mother¡¯s copse and felt overwhelmed with guilt. He cried uncontrobly, kneeling on the ground as he pleaded, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to! I didn¡¯t mean to! I just need¡­ I need proof!¡±
¡°What proof do you need? Do you think your mother and I orchestrated this? You know very well what your mother is like! She may be nagging and stingy, but she would never falsely use someone of such things!¡¯ Shao Eng turned pale, burdened by guilt. Second Uncle sneered, ¡°Even Ms. Yan witnessed everything!¡¯ Shao Eng suddenly looked up at Ms. Yan. And so did Shao Sng. Ms. Yan cursed inwardly at her father-inw¡¯s stupidity. How did she get caught up in this conflict? What could she say? She couldn¡¯t tell the truth, as her inws would never forgive her. But could she tell a lie? If she did, and they believed her, they would drive Ms. Zhang away. However, Shao Sng wouldn¡¯t me his parents; he would me her for ruining his marriage. Feeling trapped and conflicted, Ms. Yan sighed and looked down. ¡°Father, you¡¯re putting me in an incredibly difficult position¡­¡± She realized that no matter what she said, it wouldn¡¯t be well-received by her Second Brother. Ms. Zhang screamed, ¡°Fourth Sister-inw, why do you hate me and spread these rumors?¡±
Ms. Yan responded coldly, ¡°What did I say? I never touched Xianwen. You used me of pushing him when you and I crossed paths. What more can I say? I can¡¯t simply im that you¡¯re using your own son to frame me, can I?¡± ¡°But because of Dad¡¯s words, I had no choice but to speak up.. Yet, no matter what I say, you refuse to admit the truth!¡± Chapter 875 - 875: Divorce Again Chapter 875 - 875: Divorce Again
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Niu regained consciousness and red at Ms. Zhang, her anger intensifying. ¡°Divorce her¡­ now! ¡± Shao Eng couldn¡¯t hold back his tears.
His father was right. Although his mother was unreliable in many ways, she would never plot something like this. And his Fourth Sister-inw didn¡¯t appear to be a liar either. Shao Eng began to understand the truth unfolding before him. When his mother had fainted in anger, he had already sensed the reality of the situation. If his mother had orchestrated all of this, she wouldn¡¯t have copsed like that. He just didn¡¯t want to believe it¡­ But the truth could not be avoided. It would eventually reveal itself. Ms. Zhang, overwhelmed with despair, cried inconsbly. She realized that she was doomed. Her husband had lost faith in her and no longer wanted to defend her. What had gone wrong with her life? Suddenly, an angry resentment brewed within Ms. Zhang. She incessantly questioned why she was treated like a thief in her own home, never given a chance to atone for her mistakes. She vowed to never give them any peace in their lives¡­ Ms. Zhang confessed to everything¡ªthe events of today, her involvement with Shao Meiling. She even mocked them for their gullibility, iming that she almost seeded. What a shame! She taunted¡­
Shao Eng watched her in disbelief. Ms. Niu nearly fainted once again¡­ The following day, Ms. Zhang was divorced and forcibly sent back to her home once again. However, the next day, she regretted her impulsive confession. Tearfully, she pleaded with the Shao Family to allow her to stay until after the New Year. Shao Eng was on the verge of epting her plea, but he was overruled by Ms. Niu and Second Uncle. Ms. Niu snapped, ¡°Stay until the New Year? I don¡¯t want to be poisoned to death by you!¡¯ Upon hearing those words, Shao Eng had no further arguments. He steeled his heart and, with the assistance of some fellow vigers, returned Ms. Zhang and the divorce papers to the Zhang Vige. Regardless of what Mrs. Zhang or Ms. Zhang said, their minds remained unchanged. Ms. Zhang had admitted to all her wrongdoings, and the vigers of Shaoding were no longer willing to amodate her. Back in the Zhang Family¡¯s home, Ms. Zhang felt immense regret. Compared to the life she had with her mother, the torments she endured at her husband¡¯s home seemed insignificant. At least, in her husband¡¯s home, no one treated her like an animal or denied her food. She despised her mother-inw, but she had never taken a moment to reflect on her own actions.
If only she hadn¡¯t been so stubborn and blinded by her loyalty towards her brother, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this predicament. She had be a fool. What was wrong with her? Her own family showed nopassion, and she had even kidnapped her own son for their sake. But what had she gained in the end? She brought no benefits to her mother¡¯s family, and instead, she earned resentment and hatred from her husband¡¯s family. Now, she was being cursed and scorned by her own family. Everything she did was for the sake of her own family, but their treatment of her waspletely different. Once again, Ms. Zhang attempted to elicitpassion from her inws through loud cries and even fainting, but Ms. Niu sent her back to the Zhang Family that very night. Ms. Zhang finally gave up. She cried uncontrobly. She realized that her husband¡¯s family would never forgive her. And as for her own family, they didn¡¯t want her to waste any resources at home, so they sold her to a middle-aged man in a destitute, impoverished vige. Her parents and brother couldn¡¯t wait to seize the opportunity to make some money, so they hastily arranged the deal.. Chapter 876 - 876: Ms.Zhang’s End Chapter 876 - 876: Ms.Zhang¡¯s End
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The settlement was five liang. No matter how much she pleaded, she was still sold away. During her visit to Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan, Ms. Yan shared what had transpired with the second branch of the family and Ms. Zhang.
Ms. Fang reacted with frustration. ¡°1 knew it! But without evidence, there was little 1 could do to confront her. I simply thought it best to keep our distance. Nevertheless, it¡¯s a good thing that Ms. Niu divorced her.¡± Qiao Xuan sighed, acknowledging that Ms. Niu had, in a way, taken the right course of action. Sometimes, things were resolved in unexpected ways due to someone¡¯s brashness. All things considered, it was for the best. After all, it was extremely challenging to keep a safe distance from someone as extreme and malicious as Ms. Zhang, especially when neither Qiao Xuan nor Shao Yunduan were around. The concern for the well-being of the family weighed heavily on their minds. Qiao Xuan still had worries regarding the papayas and dragon fruits. With that in mind, she decided to travel to the province, visiting First Madame and purchasing some gifts along the way. She also made arrangements for Qi to stay with Xie Jingrong and the Xie Family. It wasn¡¯t a decision made lightly, as asking for such assistance was never an easy matter. The debt of gratitude would need to be repaid eventually. Moreover, Shao Yunduan wanted to avoid any rumors suggesting that he was heartless, potentially causing others to look down on him and making it harder for him to seek assistance in the future. Shao Yunduan valued his friendship with Xie Jingrong and the Xie Family, but he couldn¡¯t simply owe them a favor indefinitely. However, when it came to Qi¡¯s safety, he didn¡¯t hesitate to take this step. He informed the family of his decision, and together, they embarked on the journey to the province with Qi, Taotao, and Qiao Xuan.
As they arrived in the province, they noticed that the lights were already on, despite the early hour. Since it was quite cold inside the mansion, they opted to stay in a hostel instead. The following day, they paid a visit to First Madame, who was overjoyed to see them. She invited them to stay with the family and instructed her men to retrieve their luggage from the hostel. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan expressed their gratitude happily. Living there without Ms. Mi and Yuezheng Ting, Qiao Xuan felt a sense of relief. Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s brother, Yuezheng Hong, was also present, and he hosted a family banquet to wee the couple and their family. It was a delightful asion. Yuezheng Xiao apanied them outside of town to inspect the fruits. Although the fruits didn¡¯t grow during winter, they were still alive and not withered. They showed signs of vitality. Yuezheng Xiao smiled with emotion. ¡°Honestly, I was worried about these seeds. I came to check on them a few days ago when the weather changed, and they seemed to be doing well. I never expected that the fruits from the south could thrive so beautifully here!¡± Qiao Xuan had already used her superpower to test the fruits. They were all in good condition, with healthy roots underground. This brought her a sense of relief. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not yet the coldest day, so we¡¯ll have to wait and see if they can sprout next spring when the weather warms up..¡±
Chapter 877 - 877: Qiao Xuan’s Happiness Chapter 877 - 877: Qiao Xuan¡¯s Happiness
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°It should be!¡± Yuezheng Xiao expressed his confidence, adding, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure if I were talking to anyone else but you. You have a remarkable talent for nurturing nts. I believe there won¡¯t be any problem at all!¡± Qiao Xuanughed, epting thepliment graciously. If Yuezheng Xiao said so, then she didn¡¯t need to provide any further exnations. His confidence alleviated her concerns.
As they walked through the garden, Qiao Xuan took asional breaks, using her superpower to assist the nts in thriving during the winter. She ensured that they would soon bud and flourish when spring arrived. Satisfied with her work, Qiao Xuan spent an entire day in the garden, free from worries. Later, they had dinner with Xie Jingrong, during which they shared the news of Qi¡¯s voluntary decision to join the army and requested Xie Jingrongs support and protection. Xie Jingrong was taken aback by the news, but he spoke highly of Qi and readily agreed to Shao Yunduan¡¯s request. Providing a letter of rmendation was a simple task for the Xie Family. As someone familiar with military camps, Xie Jingrong shared some insights with Qi. Qi¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as he listened to the stories. He nodded eagerly and asked curious questions. Even Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan gained a better understanding, which alleviated their worries to some extent. Military camps might not be as dreadful as they had initially imagined. Xie Jingrong had an extensive collection of books on military and armies, and he offered to search for some suitable ones for Qi to read, which Shao Yunduan could take back home. Shao Yunduan was delighted with the offer and expressed his gratitude to Xie Jingrong, asking if he could make copies of the books. Xie Jingrong agreed, giving his permission for Shao Yunduan to make copies.
Shao Yunduan decided to copy the books and store them in the vige¡¯s library, which was currently under construction. He made copies of all the books he had ess to from the Xie Family¡¯s collection, being cautious not to ask for more than he was given, as it might seem greedy. After all, the Xie Family had multiple members and resources to manage. Everything proceeded smoothly, and their hearts felt lighter. First Madame apanied Qiao Xuan and Taotao, joining them in purchasing various goods for the uing New Year. Combined with the gifts from First Madame, their wagons were filled to the brim. To Qiao Xuan¡¯s surprise, she received an unexpected gift during this time. Yuezheng Hong had brought seeds of sweet melons, along with tworge bunches of blueberry tree buds and cherry buds. He exined that the melons were delicious, but due to the long distance, they couldn¡¯t be brought back without the risk of rotting. Instead, he brought the seeds for Qiao Xuan to nt at home. Blueberries thrived in mountainous regions and could be made into delicious jam, so he had brought some buds for her to grow. The same applied to the cherry buds. Yuezheng Hong generously offered Qiao Xuan the opportunity to start nting them at home. If they thrived and survived, he would provide her with more. Qiao Xuan expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the thoughtful gifts.
Sweet melons, essentially cantaloupes, didn¡¯t have their current name yet, as it would be coined in the future when they were introduced. The prospect of growing cherries and blueberries excited Qiao Xuan. She believed they would flourish in their care. With utmost care, Qiao Xuan took the precious gifts home, treasuring them like her most valuable possessions.. Chapter 878 - 878: Surprise Chapter 878 - 878: Surprise
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions This trip had been highly productive and fruitful for them. With the New Year approaching, First Madame insisted they didn¡¯t stay for too long. She even invited them to join them after the New Year, so they could travel with the business troops to the capital.
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the invitation. Traveling from the province to the capital couldn¡¯t be done by boat; it had to be done overnd. The journey was long and required careful nning. They couldn¡¯t simply hire a single wagon and set off. It wasn¡¯t convenient or safe. There were unknown dangers that could be encountered along such a lengthy journey. What if they encountered robbers on the outskirts? It would spell doom for them. Typically, a group of friends would gather together and travel to the capital collectively for the examination. It provided a sense of security and reliability. Another option was to find a business troop heading to the capital. By offering them gifts and presents, they could gain permission to join the troop and travel together. Usually, the business troops would approve of such requests, as the rmended individuals traveling to the capital had the potential to be sessful officials. This created a sense of indebtedness toward the troop. However, most business troops didn¡¯t travel such long distances. They needed to make stops along the way to sell their goods, sometimes spending days in bustling cities. Unfortunately, Rmended Men heading to the capital couldn¡¯t afford such dys. Not everyone was fortunate enough to find a suitable business troop for their journey. However, First Madame had made arrangements for them in the province. By the time Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan returned home, it was already the 20th of December. They arrived just in time for the preparations for the uing New Year. They had purchased a wide variety of exquisite and delicious snacks, including candies, candied fruits, and roasted seeds and nuts. The assortment included delicacies such as lotus cakes, mung bean cakes, cloud cakes, Poria cakes, shortbread, small twists, dragon beard cakes, sweet-scented osmanthus sugar, peanut sesame candies, pine nuts, small walnuts, melon seeds, almonds, and more. Shao Sang and his wife were overjoyed to see these treats.
Each person also received six new sets of clothes, including shoes and socks, as well as women¡¯s rouge, gouache, various silk flowers, children¡¯s spinning tops, y figurines, cloth tigers, tumblers, wooden knives, swords, pony puppies, and various toys. Additionally, there were dried seafood and other household items. Qiao Xuan even purchased ornaments worth 200-300 liang for each girl in the family, including Shao Qing. Shao Junyan and his younger brother received a pair of golden bracelets and a golden key with jade. The first section of the family was ecstatic upon receiving these gifts. They spent half a day admiring and appreciating them. The next day, Qiao Xuan was eager to begin nting the blueberries and cherry trees alongside Qi, Taotao, and Yang Xiaoni in the empty space designated for cassava cultivation. The other family members understood that these were fruit trees from other regions, and they eagerly anticipated the prospect of enjoying the fruits in theing year. Their motivation was high as they joined in the nting process. As they set to work, some passing vigers sneered,menting that it wasn¡¯t the appropriate time for tree nting. They imed that tree nting shouldmence after the Lantern Festival when the weather bes warmer, unless there was a sudden return of spring coldness. Qiao Xuan responded with a smile, countering their skepticism. ¡°l received these trees from a friend in the province. They were brought from outside the city. I can¡¯t just leave them sitting here.. Who knows, they might actually survive?¡± Chapter 879 - 879: Not Giving Chapter 879 - 879: Not Giving
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Yang Xiaoni and the others agreed, despite the unconventional timing for tree nting. Perhaps, just maybe, these trees could defy the odds and survive. With renewed enthusiasm, they quickly transported the straws and covered the seeds, exchanging smiles and saying, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve provided them with warmth.¡± ¡°Yes, our trees should make it through the winter!¡±
Satisfied with their efforts, they happily returned home. Upon their return, Ms. Fang asked Yang Xiaoni to prepare some items for the third section of the family. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had purchased a significant amount of goods in the province, and it was only fitting to share some gifts with the third section as a gesture of goodwill. Considering Shao Yunduan¡¯s promising future, it was unnecessary to quibble over such minor matters. It wouldn¡¯t be worth tarnishing their reputation over such trivialities. Ms. Fang selected pastries, dried fruits, simple garments, and elegant silk flowers for them. Ms. Ma, aware that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had returned from the province with two wagons full of items, expressed her gratitude and epted the gifts. Shortly after Ms. Fang and Yang Xiaoni left, Ms. Ma started going through the presents and approached Ms. Niu, asking, ¡°What did the first section of the family give you? Let me see them too!¡± Confused, Ms. Niu responded, ¡°What presents?¡± Ms. Ma pursed her lips. ¡°Shao Yunduan went all the way to the province to buy things and gave some to us. Didn¡¯t they give you anything? They¡¯ve be quite selective, haven¡¯t they? Traveling to the province just to buy things.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter as she thought about her hardworking son at home. Inwardly, she resolved that once her son became a rmended man, she would also hire a wagon and go to the province to buy things. Word spread quickly in the vige, and Ms. Niu was well aware that Shao Yunduan and his wife had returned from the province. Her face twisted as she replied, ¡°They didn¡¯t give us anything!¡¯ Disappointed, Ms. Ma told Ms. Niu, ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll talk about this tomorrow!¡± and left.
Ms. Niu eagerly anticipated the arrival of the first section of the family, but they never came. However, she soon spotted Shao Xiaozhi wearing a beautiful silk flower on her head, proudly showing it off to Shao Meiling, who became extremely angry. Ms. Niu shared this incident with her husband when he returned from visiting their neighbors. ¡°That¡¯s outrageous! They gave presents to the third section of the family, but not us! They¡¯re looking down on us!¡± he eximed. Second Uncle grew annoyed and frowned as well. Ms. Niu couldn¡¯t tolerate it any longer. She believed that they deliberately excluded them, not because they were busy. ¡°I can¡¯t tolerate this any longer. I¡¯m going to go and talk to them!¡± Ms. Niu eximed, her anger driving her to the first section of the family. Winter days grew darker earlier, and Qiao Xuan was already preparing dinner, even though it was only four o¡¯clock. They had decided to have Sauerkraut Fish Hot Pot and Pork Belly Chicken Hot Pot for dinner. Ms. Niu!s arrival caught everyone¡¯s attention, as they were busy with the food preparations. Yang Xiaoni smiled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Auntie Niu?¡±
Ms. Fang raised an eyebrow, her expression unkind. Ms. Niu became even more irritated upon hearing that strange title. ¡°Honestly, Sister-inw¡­ ¡°Hey!¡± Ms. Fang interjected. ¡°Who¡¯s the Sister-inw here? Just call me Ms.. Fang! We¡¯re no longer the way we used to be, and it¡¯s not appropriate to address each other like that, right?¡± Chapter 880 - 880: Not Your Elder Sister-in-law Chapter 880 - 880: Not Your Elder Sister-inw
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The others echoed her sentiments. Ms. Niu.
Ha, look at these daughter-inws! ¡°Are you really trying to start a fight here? Is it amusing?¡± ¡°No one here is interested in starting a fight with you,¡± Ms. Fang replied with a stern expression. ¡°The family has already made it clear, and you can¡¯t ignore that! But it¡¯s a shame that you refuse to ept it!¡¯ ¡°Furthermore, don¡¯t call me Elder Sister-inw, it disgusts me!¡± Ms. Fang would never consider her as a sister-inw, especially after Ms. Niu tried to set up Taotao and forced her to marry someone they didn¡¯t approve of. Soon, Ms. Niu realized the reason behind it all. ¡°So, you gave presents to the third section of the family and not us because of this?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ms. Fang replied bluntly. ¡°The third section of the family is part of our family, but you are just like any other vigers with the same surname. If I give presents to you, should I give presents to everyone else in the vige too? We can¡¯t afford that. It doesn¡¯t work that way!¡¯ Ms. Niu fell silent. Only now did she realize the distinction between being part of the family and being from the same n. Her heart felt bitter. She simply couldn¡¯t ept it. ¡°Elder Sister-inw¡­
¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re so cruel! We share the same inws, we¡¯re not ordinary n members! Doesn¡¯t Elder Brother know about this?¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°You¡¯re not ordinary n members, and even ordinary n members wouldn¡¯t have tried to arrange a marriage for my Taotao! You want my husband? Go and confront him yourself if you dare!¡± Ms. Fang dismissed her and drove her away after making her statement. Turning to the others, she said, ¡°Ignore her. Treat her like this from now on. She¡¯s nobody but someone from the n.¡± Ms. Niu felt as if she was going to faint and vented her frustration to Second Uncle. She grew increasingly infuriated by the situation. Second Uncle turned pale as well, bing lost in his thoughts. Others noticed that his anger seemed different now. Was the first section of the family truly serious about this? They had never believed it before, thinking that being brothers would prevent any change. However, the first section of the family had pped them in the face. Times had changed¡­
Meanwhile, Mrs. Yan and Shao Sng had been visiting the Yan Family, and Mrs. Yan had allowed them to stay for an extra half day. That¡¯s why they hadn¡¯t shown up until now. However, the couple was taken aback by the tense atmosphere at home. Ms. Yan inquired about what was happening. Ms. Niu had a lot toin about to Ms. Yan, cursing the first section of the family for their actions. Deep inside, Ms. Yan smiled bitterly. If she had been at home today¡­ She wouldn¡¯t have allowed her mother-inw to confront the first section of the family about this¡­ It was too humiliating! ¡°Mom, the n has confirmed this, and our rtionship has changed. Why bother? The decision of the n is not something to be taken lightly.¡± Ms. Niu shouted, ¡°So you think it¡¯s my fault?¡± Ms. Yan silently agreed with that sentiment, but she replied, ¡°I mean¡­ I¡¯m just reminding you that the n has made a decision, and the first section of the family agrees with it. There¡¯s no need to interrogate them any further!¡± Second Uncle angrily chimed in, ¡°That may be true, but it¡¯s going too far!¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I mean!¡±
Ms.. Yan added, ¡°They¡¯re angry, after all¡­¡± Chapter 881 - 881: Silence Chapter 881 - 881: Silence
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°What are you ming me for all the time?¡± Ms. Niu snapped. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault with Taotao! It was that bitch Ms. Zhang! We already divorced and drove her out. What more do they want?¡± Ms. Niu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk to Eldest Brother. Ms. Zhang has already been driven out, so we can ask Eldest Brother to inform the n about this and put an end to it. We are a family, aren¡¯t we? We¡¯re not just ordinary people from the n, are we?¡±
Ms. Fangs habit of giving presents to the third section of the family and ignoring the second section of the family would surely continue to happen in the future. And Ms. Niu wasn¡¯t going to tolerate it. Second Uncle¡¯s eyes also lit up. ¡°That¡¯s true, it makes a lot of sense!¡± Ms. Yan. Perhaps it was best for her to say nothing at all. Even Shao Sng didn¡¯t think it was the right course of action. He tried to dissuade his mother, but ended up being scolded. This only made Ms. Yan even more speechless. She would observe how they would handle the situation and potentially make it worse. Ms. Yan once again felt fortunate for having established a rtionship with the first section of the family. Second Uncle and Ms. Niu went to find Eldest Uncle without avoiding Ms. Fang and the rest of the family. They went to his ce that very same night.
Not in the mood to eat, they urged Ms. Yan to quickly prepare dinner, hastily ate some food, and hurried to Eldest Uncle¡¯s house. Upon arrival, they found that the first section of the family was already halfway through their hotpot feast. In the center of therge round table was a massive mandarin duck hotpot. A low stove with charcoal fire was ced in the recessed part of the middle, with the hotpot sitting flush with the tabletop. The Sauerkraut Fish Pot and Pork Belly Chicken Pot were brimming with rich, white soup that bubbled and tumbled, emitting a steamy and fragrant aroma. The table was adorned with an abundance of fish balls, meatballs, lotus root balls, shrimp slips, fish fillets, squid rolls, yuba, winter bamboo shoots, mushrooms, meat slices, egg dumplings, shredded vegetables, wax gourd slices, yam slices, taro slices, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, and more¡ªa trulyvish spread. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle, who had lost their appetites earlier, suddenly felt their hunger intensify upon catching the tantalizing scent. They couldn¡¯t help but salivate at the sight of the food. Eldest Uncle, unaware of what had transpired earlier, was pleased to see them. He beckoned them over, ¡°Ah, there you are. Take a seat. Have you had dinner?¡± Ms. Fang mustered a forced smile and said, ¡°Please, take a seat. If you¡¯ve already eaten, you can wait until we finish our meal. If not, I suggest you go home and eat beforeing back.¡±
She made it clear that they were not wee to join them. Both Second Uncle and Ms. Niu blushed in embarrassment. How could they, who were already hungry, resist the tantalizing aroma of the delectable sauerkraut fish and chicken soup? The array of mouthwatering dishes left them captivated. Eldest Uncle noticed their longing gazes and turned to Yang Xiaoni, instructing, ¡°Ms. Yang, please bring two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks¡­¡± ¡°Stop it,¡± interrupted Ms. Fang calmly. ¡°We won¡¯t share our food with such a malicious couple. I fear their presence will spoil everyone¡¯s appetite. I will always remember how they attempted to ruin my daughter¡¯s life. We cannot simply move past that.¡± Eldest Uncle froze and nced at Taotao. His heart sank when he saw the sorrowful expression in Taotao¡¯s eyes. Nis. Niu and Second Uncle¡¯s hunger intensified as they watched the delectable feast slip away from their grasp. ¡°Elder Sister-inw¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t call me Elder Sister-inw, it sounds dreadful. Just call me Ms.. Fang!¡¯
Chapter 882 - 882: Respect Chapter 882 - 882: Respect
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°¡­Taotao¡­ well, that was all Ms. Zhangs fault. She confessed to trying to manipte us. We have already expelled her from our family, and we assure you that nothing like this will happen again! We sincerely apologize and let¡¯s put this behind us. After all, we are still a family, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Exactly! Ms. Fang had an overwhelming urge to strike the couple.
¡°Enough already!¡± Ms. Fang retorted with disgust. ¡°Ms. Zhang attempted to manipte you, and you fell for it. You are far from innocent. We are not a family, not even in your wildest dreams.¡± Shao Yunduan interjected coldly, ¡°This is noughing matter, Auntie Niu and Uncle Shao. Please go home and refrain from bringing this up again.¡± Yang Xiaoni rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Ms. Zhang had no authority over the family, yet you let her words sway you? How gullible!¡± Qiao Xuan sneered, ¡°That¡¯s how some people always are¡ªthey never take responsibility and always shift the me onto others. They y the role of innocent victims, manipted by someone else.¡± Yang Xiaoni hesitated before adding, ¡°Indeed! No one forces such individuals to engage in wrongdoing. It¡¯s an absurd excuse!¡± Qiao Xuan chimed in, ¡°But certain individuals don¡¯t find it absurd. They genuinely believe they are misunderstood! ¡± ¡°That¡¯s shameless!¡± ¡°So shameless to make such statements.¡¯ ¡°Absolutely, we can¡¯t associate with people like this. They will only have a negative influence on us.¡± ¡°And on our children too!¡±
¡°Absolutely, you¡¯re absolutely right, Fifth Sister-inw. I didn¡¯t even realize that!¡± Everyone present. ¡® Ms. Niu and Second Uncle¡¯s emotions were on the verge of exploding. ¡°You are showing us no respect!¡± Eldest Uncle couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. ¡°Ms. Qiao and Ms. Yang, please stop.¡± Qiao Xuan maintained a calm smile. ¡°Dad, Third Sister-inw and I were simply having a conversation. Since when did we show disrespect to anyone? And as for using names¡­ did you assume we were referring to someone?¡± Eldest Uncle found himself at a loss for words. Ms. Fang burst intoughter. ¡°Ms. Qiao and Ms. Yang are absolutely right. Just leave right now, or I will personally escort you out!¡± Shao Xiaoqi waved his hands impatiently. ¡°If you keeping to my family to cause trouble, don¡¯t expect any kindness from me.¡± ¡°Elder Brother, take a look at this!¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Ms. Fang snapped, and Shao Sang and Shao Xiaoqi stood up, forcefully removing Second Uncle from the premises. Eldest Uncle put down his chopsticks, his face turning pale. ¡°I understand your anger, and 1 am also concerned about Taotao. But it¡¯s not a major loss to us, and they know they are wrong. Why do you keep¡­ pressing them like this?¡±
Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°What¡¯s the use of saying that now? Perhaps you can advise them tomorrow to stay away from us. As for the rest, I couldn¡¯t care less!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°Dad, we are just two ordinary families. If they continue to escte things, I will never forgive them. Mom is right, we will never forget what happened to Taotao.¡± Eldest Uncle felt a heavy blow, nced at them, and quietly left. Shao Yunduan felt a sense of unease, but he knew he had to stay firm. He didn¡¯t expect his father to suddenly change his character or viewpoint, but he couldn¡¯t let him involve other family members in this situation. He had made up his mind to not offer them any more chances.. Chapter 883 - 883: Not Even His Father Chapter 883 - 883: Not Even His Father
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions In reality, the disputes between the second section of the family and the third section of the family were trivial matters driven by greed and unreasonable desires. However, when it came to the safety and well-being of his family members, Shao Yunduan refused to back down. Even if it meant confronting his own father, he was prepared to do so. He had seen through his father¡¯s nature, or to put it more bluntly, his father would only recognize the danger when something irreversible happened.
In that case, Shao Yunduan hoped his father would remain blissfully ignorant. Ms. Fang reassured him, ¡°That old man has always been like this, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here, as are the Land Officer and the elderly men from the n!¡± Shao Yunduan nodded, determined. ¡°1 understand, Niom!¡± That¡¯s why he engaged in phnthropic activities such as donating fields and building schools and libraries. In doing so, he knew that the vige would undoubtedly side with him and the first section of the family, unless he proved to be a truly malicious person beyond redemption. Before he departed for the capital, he nned to inform the Land Officer and the Elderly Men from the n to take care of the family. With Mom as the pir of strength, he wouldn¡¯t need to worry so much. They continued their meal, focusing on the food and temporarily setting aside the family conflicts. They had grown ustomed to Elder Uncle¡¯s asional peculiar reactions, so it didn¡¯t affect their mood. They continued to enjoy their dinner, savoring the delicious food. Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni praised the delectable dishes, relishing the vors as they consumed two bowls of soup each. Satisfied and satiated, they set down their chopsticks. With the New Year approaching, Fifth Sister-inw was preparing to apany Fifth Brother on a trip to the capital. They wouldn¡¯t be able to return home for at least six months, and it was possible that Shao Yunduan would also be assigned to work elsewhere. The absence of their cooking and presence would be felt. The next day, it was time for Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan to present gifts to County Magistrate Qiao, as they did every year. Following their usual practice, they didn¡¯t offer anything from their own home but instead purchased various items in the county. Their financial situation was prosperous, although the exact extent of their wealth remained unknown. However, it was evident that they were notcking in funds. This year, they bought an abundance of gifts, including ten live chickens and ten ducks, several packs of snacks, as well as tea and wine. They proudly disyed their offerings, and it was widely acknowledged that Rmended Man Shao and Second Miss deeply cared for their family.
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of betrayal from their own family, especially considering the way Madame Qiao and Officer Qiao treated them during the visit. Officer Qiao appeared visibly ufortable, while Madame Qiao feigned illness. Qiao Wei dutifully attended to her mother, choosing to remain absent as well. Even Concubine Du and Qiao Kou seemed to conveniently disappear whenever Madame Qiao was not around. What made the situation even more absurd was that after Qiao Xuan expressed her dissatisfaction with Madame Qiao, Officer Qiao actually acknowledged some of her grievances. This led to a heated argument between the couple and exposed deeper issues within their marriage. As a result, Officer Qiao decided to improve his treatment of Concubine Du and Qiao Kou, rather than mistreating them. However, he inadvertently discovered that Madame Qiao had unjustly taken away Concubine Du¡¯s private savings. This revtion filled him with fury, leading to a confrontation with Madame Qiao. In an attempt to make amends, Officer Qiaopensated Concubine Du with six fine garments, five or six pieces of jadeware, and 400 liang as restitution for her loss. Madame Qiao, as the head of the family, was expected to bear the responsibility for her actions and the humiliation she caused Concubine Du. Returning the items was akin to admitting fault and acknowledging her wrongdoing.. Chapter 884 - 884: Madame Qiao Chapter 884 - 884: Madame Qiao
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Thepensation provided by Officer Qiao seemed to have a positive effect. Both Concubine Du and her daughter were overjoyed and grateful for the gesture. Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei, on the other hand, were seething with anger. They felt that they had been openly humiliated and disrespected.
While Officer Qiao believed that he had salvaged his wife¡¯s reputation, Madame Qiao saw it as a direct affront. She couldn¡¯t fathom how Concubine Du, who held a lower status in the household, could be treated with such favoritism. Before Madame Qiao could even contemte taking revenge on Concubine Du, her daughter Qiao Wei, driven by her own foolishness, stooped to picking on Qiao Kou. It was an opportunity too tempting for Qiao Kou to pass up. She skillfully yed the victim, shedding tears in front of County Magistrate Qiao, ultimately resulting in Qiao Wei¡¯s punishment. County Magistrate Qiao, now exasperated with Madame Qiao, voiced his dissatisfaction with herck of kindness and proper manners. He felt that she was undeserving of her position as the lineal mother, as she had failed to guide and nurture not only Qiao Xuan but also Qiao Kou. Furthermore, County Magistrate Qiao dered that Madame Qiao would no longer have any involvement in Concubine Du or Qiao Kou¡¯s affairs, including Qiao Kou¡¯s marriage. Once they moved to the capital, he nned to seek the assistance of his mother and sisters-inw in finding a suitable match for Qiao Kou. Madame Qiao erupted in fury and engaged in a heated argument with her husband. She saw herself as the lineal mother, and the fact that she couldn¡¯t even arrange a suitable suitor for the daughter of a concubine was a humiliating blow to her status and authority. She felt like apleteughingstock. Madame Qiao had envisioned making a grand entrance when returning to the capital, but with the current situation, it would be a humiliating affair. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of such embarrassment befalling her. Mother? Sister-inws? Ha, the so-called Madame Qiao Senior in the capital was not County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s biological mother, and they shared no close bond whatsoever. Besides, if they were to discover the truth, Madame Qiao would lose any position she held in their hearts. However, County Magistrate Qiao was genuinely angered this time. He treated Madame Qiao with cold indifference and refused to back down. But so what if she wasn¡¯t his real mother? She had raised him as her own, practically fulfilling a mother¡¯s role. At the very least, she had never mistreated him, unlike his wife, who showed such cruelty towards the daughter of a concubine. Madame Qiao¡¯s irritation grew, leading her to feign illness as the New Year approached. She avoided taking on any responsibilities in the mansion, curious to witness the chaos that would ensue in her absence.
Her pretense of illness served a dual purpose, not only to avoid encountering Qiao Xuan but also to test the waters of the mansion without her leadership. County Magistrate Qiao sensed the chilly reception from both Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. He felt a sense of guilt and discontent in his heart. While Qiao Xuan had endured mistreatment, County Magistrate Qiao was still her father. No child would easily me their own father for anything. He had indeed raised her, hadn¡¯t he? Yes, it was fortunate that they had eventually found a suitable suitor for her! Furthermore, she was not entirely meless in this situation. County Magistrate Qiao had been upied with numerous banquets and had little time to attend to domestic affairs. Had she spoken up and sought his assistance from the beginning, he would havee to her aid! But she chose to remain silent, how unreasonable of her to now me him for her own silence! He had taken action by punishing his wife and treating his daughter well, hoping to demonstrate his favor towards her. Yet, she continued toy me and even disyed an air of superiority before him. How heartless! County Magistrate Qiao felt a mixture of anger and disappointment as these thoughts raced through his mind. However, Qiao Xuan seemed unfazed by his emotions. She soon smiled and expressed her desire to visit Madame Qiao.
Madame Qiao was unwell and needed to be shown concern! Upon hearing the way she referred to Madame Qiao, County Magistrate Qiao seized the opportunity to remark, ¡°Regardless of what has transpired between you two, she is still your lineal mother! You will have plenty of chances to see each other in the capital! If you address her in such a manner, people will ridicule you for being disrespectful! ¡° Chapter 885 - 885: Unimportant Chapter 885 - 885: Unimportant
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan found amusement in the situation. ¡°1 don¡¯t mind being the subject ofughter. When people inquire why I address her that way, I can simply tell them the truth. It¡¯s a fact, isn¡¯t it? There¡¯s no need to hide it!¡± ¡°Father, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. I cannot bring myself to call her mother. She has been too malicious for me to do so at this moment.¡¯
¡°Enough!¡± County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s anger surged as he snapped. ¡°What are you talking about? Your mother has found you a good suitor, and you should express your gratitude to her! The past is in the past, and you are doing well now! What more do you want?¡± ¡°Are you ming me as well, Father?¡± Qiao Xuan was about to respond when Shao Yunduan interjected, ¡°Whether my wife forgives you or not is inconsequential.¡± County Magistrate Qiao was taken aback, suddenly realizing that he may have misspoke. If he were to ask for forgiveness, did that imply an admission of guilt? He was her father, and he believed he had done nothing wrong! Parents held the utmost authority in a family. He had given her life, raised her, and secured a good marriage for her. Everything seemed perfectly reasonable. He saw no fault in his actions. County Magistrate Qiao promptly aligned himself with the perception of reason, standing tall. Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t let the matter rest. ¡°Father-inw, if you genuinely seek my wife¡¯s forgiveness, you should ask for it, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± Ask for forgiveness? County Magistrate Qiao was far from pleased. Why must he ask Qiao Xuan for forgiveness?
¡°l am her father!¡± Qiao Xuan sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡°Indeed, and that¡¯s why we need to put on a good show, at the very least.¡± County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Shao Yunduan stood his ground. ¡°That is precisely what we mean.¡± ¡°You!¡± County Magistrate Qiao trembled, a mix of surprise and anger coursing through him. A good show? ¡°Yunduan, do you even understand what you¡¯re saying? You¡¯re not even an official yet, and you¡¯re trying to distance yourself from me? Do you realize how difficult it is to seed in government without any connections?¡± County Magistrate Qiao was both furious and scornful. He had expected this son-inw of his to be of assistance, but here he was, slipping away before even joining their ranks. This impractical man wouldn¡¯t go far in life. ¡°l don¡¯t care about being an official. I care about my wife.¡±
When Shao Yunduan uttered those words, County Magistrate Qiao instantly lost interest. His disappointment grew, and he began to look down on him. Howcking in ambition! How narrow-minded! Well, he was from the countryside, after all. His horizons were limited. He didn¡¯t understand how to strive for progress and mistakenly believed he had reached the pinnacle by bing a mere Rmended Man! County Magistrate Qiao sneered, feeling that he had misjudged Shao Yunduan. What a short-sighted and absurd man! In that instant, County Magistrate Qiao gave up on Shao Yunduan. He had contemted teaching him the ways of an official in the government office, even considering providing him with a rmendation letter to meet the Qiao Family in the capital or relying on their support. However, his interest wanedpletely. Let this man encounter difficulties in the capital. Only then would he understand the challenges a real official must face! At that time, he woulde to realize the childishness and absurdity of his current words and actions! Chapter 886 - 886: Building Bridge Chapter 886 - 886: Building Bridge
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The County Magistrate sneered inwardly, quietly remarking, ¡°Your mother is unwell, so we won¡¯t keep you for lunch. Qiao Xuan, go visit your mother and then you may leave.¡± ¡°Okay!¡±
Qiao Xuan smiled, stood up, and paid no attention to his sudden coldness, causing County Magistrate Qiao to feel a sense of futility in his actions. Shao Yunduan chimed in, ¡°Sweetheart, hurry up. I¡¯m waiting for you here. Let¡¯s go home as soon as possible; it¡¯s getting cold.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The two exchanged a nce and smiled,pletely disregarding County Magistrate Qiao. County Magistrate Qiao couldn¡¯t help but feel an urge to curse; very well, he would witness their failure! When Qiao Xuan arrived at the courtyard, the maid passed on the message to Madame Qiao. After waiting for a while without her appearing, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but grin. This lineal mother of hers was ying the same tricks she always did. Was she purposefully avoiding her to create a scene? Qiao Xuan entered directly. Madame Qiao wasn¡¯t actually ill. Even if she was feeling unwell, it was primarily due to County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s attitude towards her. She sat on the bed, looking pale and with hair loss, far from her former elegance. Qiao Wei was seated beside her,ining about something, likely involving Qiao Kou and Concubine Du.
As Qiao Xuan walked in, Qiao Wei shrieked, ¡°Why did you enter? You¡¯re not allowed!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°l came to greet Madame Qiao and see how she is doing. It appears that Madame Qiao is in good health, so I will take my leave now.¡± Qiao Wei stood there, unsure of what to do next. Madame Qiao wore a sinister expression. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Is there something you want to say, Madame Qiao?¡± ¡°Hehe, Qiao Xuan, do you think you¡¯re satisfied?¡± Madame Qiao sneered. ¡°Your words from before have made the Old Master care about Concubine Du and Qiao Kou. He gives them everything, while you have received nothing.¡± Qiao Wei also sneered with anger. ¡°She deserves nothing. Father has never shown any affection towards her, not in the past, not now. She¡¯s just trying to gain favor, a pitiful person serving us!! ¡°A pitiful person?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and intentionally raised her wrist, caressing the emerald bracelet adorning it. ¡°My husband is the Provincial Champion, and he, my mother-inw, and my sister-inws all treat me exceptionally well. Elder Aunt Yuezheng regards me as her own daughter. Are you absurd enough to think I envy Qiao Kou?¡± Qiao Wei became infuriated, panting heavily. Qiao Xuan was so vexing. No wonder she had never liked her. Madame Qiao felt a pang in her heart, sneering, ¡°You certainly know how to harm others and benefit yourself!¡± ¡°Harm others? Who have I harmed?¡±
Madame Qiao was taken aback by Qiao Xuan¡¯s words. Indeed, it was her that Qiao Xuan was referring to, but she couldn¡¯t admit it, or she would be admitting defeat in this battle. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Not harming you, right? Madame Qiao, Qiao Kou addresses your mother, and I¡¯m sure you have affection for her as well.¡± Madame Qiao remained silent. Qiao Wei could no longer tolerate it. ¡°Just leave!¡± Qiao Xuan stood up and smiled. ¡°My husband is waiting for me, and my mother-inw is eagerly awaiting my return for the meal. My brother-inw has just hunted a wild deer, so tonight we¡¯ll be enjoying braised venison, stir-fried venison, and deer bone stew¡ªvery fresh and delicious. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll be grilling the rest. Indeed, it¡¯s time for me to go home.. Chapter 887: Not Lying Chapter 887: Not Lying
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Madame Qiao, please take care of yourself. Remember, Qiao Kou is not yet married, and she could use your support and guidance.¡± ¡°You!¡±
Qiao Xuan¡¯s words pierced Madame Qiao¡¯s heart, leaving her furious and distressed. However, she refused to let it bother her. Her intention was to provoke Madame Qiao, and seeing her infuriated brought her immense satisfaction. It also whetted her appetite for dinner. ¡°She is so malicious!¡± Qiao Wei blurted out, stumbling over her words. ¡°No wonder I despise her, always have! Did you see that, Mom? She has never been this irritating before! I should have dealt with her even more harshly earlier!¡± ¡°Deer meat? She was just boasting!¡¯ Qiao Wei reminisced about the time when her father¡¯s servant hunted a deer and gifted them over 10 kilograms of meat. She was enchanted by its taste, and the memory lingered in her mind. She couldn¡¯t believe that Qiao Xuan¡¯s brother-inw could obtain deer meat. The idea seemed far-fetched to her. Madame Qiao¡¯s expression darkened. She couldn¡¯t fathom that Qiao Xuan would lie about such a matter. If Qiao Xuan truly had a skillful brother-inw who could hunt deer, it implied that he possessed exceptional hunting abilities and could provide them with a variety of wild game regrly. Deer were notoriously challenging to hunt due to their cautiousness and swiftness. If Qiao Xuan¡¯s brother-inw could catch a deer, he would surely be capable of capturing smaller animals as well. Yet, Qiao Xuan had never brought any wild animal for them. Even if she imed that her brother-inw had acquired the deer the previous day, there was no evidence of it in the gifts she presented to them today! Madame Qiao, filled with annoyance, turned to Auntie Ling andmanded, ¡°Inform the Old Master about what Qiao Xuan said to us!¡± ¡°Yes, Madame Qiao!¡±
Auntie Ling was skilled in stoking the mes, and she was determined to do just that. Word of this quickly reached County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s ears. He learned that Qiao Xuan¡¯s brother-inw possessed exceptional hunting skills, resulting in their consumption of wild game throughout the year. Furthermore, it was reported that he had recently captured a wild deer. However, neither his daughter nor his son-inw had considered offering any of it to him as a gift¡­ County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s fury swelled upon hearing this news. Initially, he contemted sending someone to investigate the matter, but he quickly dismissed the idea. What purpose would it serve to delve into such a matter? Discovering the truth would be utterly humiliating. Moreover, the story held an air of believability. He had underestimated them! Qiao Xuan had never been one to disy modesty or honesty. She harbored numerous ulterior motives, and his wife¡¯s judgment of her had never been wrong. He decided to wait and see what Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan would do next. He was confident that they would eventuallye begging at his door, seeking his assistance! So County Magistrate Qiao, who had been persuaded by Madame Qiao, wrote one letter to the Qiao Family in the capital, telling them to look into Shao Yunduan and give him a hard time¡­
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan left the mansion and Shao Yunduan took Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands, saying, ¡°What about eating at Restaurant Yanhe? Then we can go home after that.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure, I want the crispy duck from there. Let¡¯s take one portion home! ¡± The couple did not ask for a separate room after going into the restaurant, but chose a ce in the hall. Many people recognized Shao Yunduan, as did the manager of the restaurant, who greeted him happily. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan went to the inw¡¯s family to give presents, but they did not even get to eat lunch at home. Soon the story would go that the couple were forced to eat at a restaurant.. Chapter 888: Purpose Chapter 888: Purpose
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions That was the reason Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan chose to have lunch at this particr restaurant. It hadn¡¯t crossed Qiao Xuan¡¯s mind until they sat down and began ordering. She suddenly realized, ¡°Oh, 1 see!¡± She then smiled at Shao Yunduan.
Shao Yunduan lightly pinched her wrist and whispered, ¡°He initiated this first, and we have nothing to hide. We¡¯ll let him experience what it feels like to have no defense!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart warmed, and she smiled. ¡°Darling, your words make me even hungrier. We¡¯re definitely going to indulge in more delicious foodter.¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll have an extra bowl of rice with you. Let¡¯s order two additional dishes!¡± Qiao Xuanughed and nodded. ¡°Sounds good! A celebration indeed!¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡¯ They exchanged smiles. After finishing their lunch, they packed a portion of crispy duck to take home and leisurely made their way back. As expected, news of this incident spread throughout the town. People were fond of hearing and discussing gossip rted to officials¡¯ families, often sharing such information among themselves. Three dayster, County Magistrate Qiao learned about the incident from a reluctant informant. Anger surged within him, clogging his chest. Those two wretches! They must have done this deliberately!
They were intentionally tarnishing his reputation! County Magistrate Qiao had never anticipated that this couple possessed so many tricks, sessfully setting him up without revealing their hand. ¡°Pay a visit to Shaoding Vige! Never mind, I¡¯ll see what else they¡¯re capable of! Bah, I shouldn¡¯t dwell on this!¡± County Magistrate Qiao sneered, knowing that he would soon be transferred back to the capital. This country was far removed from the capital, so the story wouldn¡¯t reach there. Their tricks would have no practical impact on his reputation, except perhaps in his own mind for a brief moment. It was all utterly useless! How dare Shao Yunduan engage in such futile endeavors! He had overestimated him in the past! Little did he know that Shao Yunduan wasying the groundwork for arger scheme by starting with these small actions. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan aimed to sever all ties with County Magistrate Qiao and the Qiao Family, so that they could separatepletely. Even if a major incident were to ur eventually, no one would be able to morally condemn them, thanks to the foundation they had built through these minor actions. If the world came to know that County Magistrate Qiao and Madame Qiao had never truly cared about or treated them as part of the family, dealing with the situation would be much easier. Qiao Xuan was ted that County Magistrate Qiao had been ensnared. More importantly, she was grateful to have someone who protected and defended her¡ªa feeling she relished. As for her father¡­ she knew he would despise her for orchestrating all of this. But that was precisely what she intended.
The ancestors were honored with tribute during the minor New Year, and now the Eve of the New Year had arrived. The first section of the family celebrated New Year¡¯s Eve in solitude. Shao Yunduan was preparing to travel to the capital to take part in the spring examination, while Qi was set to join the army. It would be a considerable amount of time before the entire family could be reunited in one ce. As a result, they were eagerly anticipating this year¡¯s dinner together. Eldest Uncle had initially nned to gather all three branches of the family for a joyous and lively celebration. However, various circumstances arose, leading to the second branch being estranged from the family, and it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for the third branch to celebrate alone. Thus, Eldest Uncle chose not to bring up the idea. On New Year¡¯s Eve, the family members were engaged in putting up couplets, hanging paper-cuttings, disying auspicious words, and hangingnterns. The atmosphere was filled with anticipation and happiness.. Chapter 889: Extra Many People Chapter 889: Extra Many People
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Yan graciously assisted Taotao and Ms. Xu in creating paper-cuttings, including designs such as Five Blessings for Longevity, Good Grains, More than Every Year, Precious Flowers and Birds, Pomegranate Vase, Peonies Blooming, Birds and Flowers, Magpies and Plum Blossoms. Nis. Yan possessed great skill in this craft. With paper in one hand and scissors in the other, she swiftly brought forth intricate and beautiful patterns. The rest of the family admired her talent and craftsmanship.
The paper-cuttings adorning the zed windows appeared stunning, each lifelike and disying a variety of patterns and designs. A string of rednterns hung gracefully under the eaves of the corridor. Round in shape, neither too big nor too small, they were adorned with golden tassels. When lit at night, their gentle red glow cast an auspicious and festive ambiance throughout the courtyard. Shao Yunduan took on the task of writing the couplets, meticulously crafting them on red paper. Over the years, Shao Yunduan had shouldered this responsibility. In fact, he had even helped numerous vigers with their couplets as well. This year, many people sought his assistance. After all, Shao Yunduan was no longer just a Cultivated Talent; he had achieved the esteemed title of Provincial Champion! Though the act of writing remained the same, the significance held greater weight. Couplets penned by a Provincial Champion undoubtedly brought more auspiciousness than those written by a Cultivated Talent! Furthermore, if Shao Yunduan were to ascend to the ranks of an Advanced Schr or be an official, he would not readily distribute couplets. Perhaps only the Land Officer and certain Elderly Men within the n would receive them, while other families would refrain from making such requests out of respect for government officials. However, Shao Yunduan did not decline any requests this time. The atmosphere in the vige was filled with joy and excitement as people gathered around a table that was brimming with guests.
There was a constant flow of visitors entering and leaving the first branch of the family¡¯s house. In the past, some individuals would seek out Shao Ling to write couplets alongside Shao Yunduan. As a result, Shao Ling would receive more guests. This was because the first branch of the family never boasted about Shao Yunduan, while Ms. Ma and Third Uncle continuously praised Shao Ling. This led people to believe that he was superior to Shao Yunduan, resulting in more guests seeking his services. However, no one approached the third branch of the family to request couplets. Honestly, couplets written by someone who hadn¡¯t passed the examination were never on par with those crafted by a Provincial Champion! Only thosecking discernment would seek couplets from someone other than the Provincial Champion. Ms. Ma and Third Uncle had eagerly anticipated vigers seeking their couplets, as it was a day they took immense pride in. They simply relished the praise and the sight of others feeling envious. But this year, no one came knocking on their door. And as they saw two individuals walking by, it soon became apparent that they were merely passers-by.
The couple grew increasingly frustrated. ¡°Don¡¯t you need couplets?¡± they grumbled. What nonsense! It was clear to them that everyone was headed to the first branch of the family to acquire couplets. The vigers were all so eager and interested! The couple muttered curses under their breath, their worry for their son weighing heavily on their minds. Indeed, Shao Ling wore a frown as he surveyed the empty courtyard. Despite being up early that day, he couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. After all, he had secluded himself in his room for days.. Chapter 890: Interest-Seeker Chapter 890: Interest-Seeker
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Instantly, Ms. Ma grew concerned. ¡°Ling, it would be best if those people weren¡¯t here. They would only disrupt your focused study. How irritating!¡¯ Shao Ling sneered, fully aware of what was happening.
Ms. Ma¡¯s worry deepened at his reaction. ¡°They look down on us, those seekers of attention! None of them are deserving of our presence. When you achieve sess, they wille begging at our doorstep, and that¡¯s when I¡¯ll teach them a lesson they won¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°Ling, ignore them. Don¡¯t let it bother you,¡± Ms. Ma advised. Shao Ling suppressed his anger and irritation, his sneer growing darker. ¡°They are nobody. I don¡¯t care about them in the slightest.¡± With that, he turned around, entered his room, and mmed the door shut. Ms. Ma and Second Uncle exchanged concerned and worried nces. They sighed and continued to curse the vigers under their breath. Shao Xiaozhi observed the scene for a while, pursed her lips, and spoke up. ¡°But we don¡¯t have any couplets or happiness writings yet. Are we not going to hang any?¡± Ms. Ma and Third Uncle exchanged a telling look. That was true. They had neglected to prepare anything for themselves! Of course, they needed to hang some for the New Year to attract auspiciousness. Usually, Shao Ling took charge of this task, but this year, with the somber expression on their son¡¯s face and his obvious bad mood, neither of them dared to ask him toe and write couplets.
So, were they going to seek help from the first section of the family for this matter? In that way, they would further dampen their son¡¯s spirits! After contemting for a while, the couple decided to send Third Uncle to the town to bring back a couplet for their home. In the afternoon, when Shao Ling emerged from his room and noticed the couplets hanging on the door, he immediately flew into a rage. However, his anger subsided upon learning that they were provided by the county. They would never allow anything written by Shao Yunduan to be disyed on their door. Meanwhile, Shao Yunduan spent half a day diligently crafting couplets for the vigers. Ms. Fang grew increasingly concerned about her son¡¯s well-being. After lunch, the entire family busied themselves with the preparations for the New Year¡¯s Eve feast. They had an abundance of food stocked at home. And this year, the dishes on the table were set to be even more plentiful and exquisite. They hadmenced the preparations two days earlier, with Qiao Xuan suggesting various dishes. After deliberations among the family members, they finalized the menu.
The grand finale of the evenings feast was the Buddha Jumping Over the Wall, a dish brimming with delicacies from bothnd and sea, boasting vibrant colors and enticing aromas. Other dishes included salt-baked chicken, braised carp, chicken nuggets with soft-shelled turtle, and pan-friedmb chops. The table was adorned with a wide array of culinary delights. As night descended, everyone gathered around the steaming dining table in the restaurant. Tworge covered charcoal pots burned inside the room, emanating aforting warmth. The charcoal used was the special silver frost coal bestowed upon them by First Madame, which they rarely utilized. This type of coal produced no smoke or odor. To enhance the festive atmosphere, they uncorked a jar of fine wine. With the exception of the three children, everyone else was served a ss. ¡°Let us celebrate joyously, and may prosperity befall us all!¡± With cups raised, the heartfelt toast evoked tears in Ms. Fangs eyes. As the New Yearmenced, her two sons were embarking on their respective paths, and although she felt immense pride, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of longing. Though they were all aware of the impending separation, nobody mentioned it. They savored the delectable dishes and engaged in cheerful conversations, discussing their ns for financial sess.. Chapter 891: New Year Chapter 891: New Year
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions After dinner, they cleared the food table, and some visitors arrived, engaging in pleasant conversations. Ms. Fang instructed Yang Xiaoni and Taotao to serve snacks, warmly weing the guests. Shao Sang and Shao Dng had also stepped out to greet others.
As for Eldest Uncle¡­ he was absent. Nobody mentioned his whereabouts, neither in the second nor the third section of the family. Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t fond of idle chatter. After exchanging a few words with Qiao Xuan, he led Qi to his study, urging him to continue his studies and providing him with instructions. Qi had been diligently studying in recent days. Qiao Xuan remained in the hall, engaging in lively discussions with Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu. She listened to various gossip about other families from her aunts, brothers-inw, and other rtives. While she didn¡¯t consider them entirely reliable, it was entertaining to hear. As the evening grew darker, guests came and went, bringing liveliness to the household. It wasn¡¯t until it was time to light the firecrackers that the visiting neighbors bid their farewells and departed. Shao Sang and the rest of the family returned as well. Around midnight, the first crackle of firecrackers ignited, serving as a signal for others. Suddenly, the vige was filled with the explosive sounds of firecrackers. The sky was aze with vibrant bursts of light, their crisp sounds echoing and intensifying the festive spirit. ¡°New Year has arrived! Happy New Year!¡± ¡°Happy New Year! ¡°Wishing you a safe and joyous New Year, with even better days toe!¡± ¡°We will surely have an even better year!¡¯
They exchanged auspicious greetings, sowing seeds of happiness within their hearts. Returning home, the younger members of the family greeted the elders for the New Year, and in return, the elders gifted them red packets. They then proceeded to make and enjoy dumplings together. With the conclusion of the celebration and the dumpling feast, they bid each other goodnight, eagerly anticipating the dawn of the new day. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan walked home together, but as they did, snowkes began to fall gently from the sky. The delicate snowkes drifted down silently from the vast expanse above. They were sparse and light, disappearing upon touching the ground as if they had never existed. ¡°It¡¯s snowing!¡¯ ¡°Wow! Look at the snow!¡± People around them noticed and couldn¡¯t help but exim in surprise, some even whistling with delight. It was a rare sight for them, something worthy of celebration! ¡°It¡¯s snowing!¡± Qiao Xuan reached out to feel the cool touch on her hands, leaning towards Shao Yunduan with a smile. ¡°A heavy snowfall at the New Year is considered an auspicious sign!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shao Yunduan replied with a gentle smile, helping her adjust her clothing. ¡°May all our wishese true this year.¡±
Qiao Xuan¡¯s smile brightened even more. ¡°You will undoubtedly be an Advanced Schr!¡± Shao Yunduan returned the smile. ¡°Thank you, my beloved!¡± But his desires went beyond that. He yearned for a true wedding night with her, once he achieved his desired title. He wanted no one but her to be by his side for the rest of his days. His gaze burned with intensity, and his fingertips held an unspoken tenderness. Qiao Xuan sensed something in his eyes, and she felt a warmth spreading across her cheeks. Gradually, that warmth intensified, making her blush with bashfulness.. Chapter 892: Not Ready Chapter 892: Not Ready
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan cast her gaze downward, her heart pounding in her chest. Suddenly, she felt Shao Yunduan¡¯s warm hand enveloping hers.
A rush of heat surged through her hand, causing her cheeks to flush instantly. ¡°Darling¡­¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s softughter filled the air, causing Qiao Xuan to startle. Instinctively, she withdrew her hand, mumbling, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s just go to bed¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to hear what he had to say next. Whatever it was, she wasn¡¯t ready to face it yet. ¡°Okay.¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled. ¡°It is gettingte, Let¡¯s rest.¡± Qiao Xuan felt a tinge of strangeness in his words. She hadn¡¯t meant anything other than going to sleep, but his tone seemed to imply something more. Her blush deepened, and she shot him a yful re before turning away and leaving. Shao Yunduan chuckled softly. Qiao Xuan¡¯s face grew even hotter. She hurriedly increased her pace, mming the door shut behind her. Shao Yunduan looked up at the dark sky, a contented smile on his lips, and made his way to the bedroom.
After all, she was his wife, and there was no need to rush. On the first day of the New Year, joyous greetings filled the air as rtives paid their annual visits. Nis. Fang had anticipated arge number of rtives visiting them this year, so she quickly prepared herself and her daughters-inw for the asion. She also gave instructions to her sons and daughters-inw on how to handle themselves. The most important rule was not to make any promises or misuse their power in a way that would tarnish Shao Yunduan¡¯s reputation. On the second day of the New Year, Ms. Fang, as the mother-inw, allowed her daughters-inw to visit their respective homes, but she herself did not return to her own home. Qiao Xuan, not bound by tradition, chose to stay at home instead. Only Ms. Xu, Shao Dng, and their three children went back to Ms. Xu!s home for a visit. From the third day of the New Year onward, various rtives and friends began to visit their household. Nis. Fang warmly weed them together with her daughters-inw. Some visitors ttered her with gifts, and she would assist those genuinely in need of help due to poverty. However, she made sure to write an IOU note whenever money was lent out.
There were also those who inquired about their properties, a topic that disgusted Ms. Fang, who attempted to divert their attention elsewhere. Some individuals, driven by greed, attempted to engage in business deals with Ms. Fang, but she firmly declined their offers. Most people understood when their persuasion was ineffective and stopped pushing further. However, there were a few audacious ones who resorted to threats against Ms. Fang. Unfazed by their intimidation, she stood her ground and even retorted on asion. Their actions had offended certain individuals, who took the opportunity to spreadints about their family. They used Ms. Fang and her family of neglecting their rtives now that they had wealth. Ms. Fang chose to disregard these baseless usations. Nevertheless, they couldn¡¯t sacrifice their own familys well-being just to please distant rtives. On the fifth day of the New Year, Madame Qiao sent someone to fetch Qiao Xuan, informing her of an important guest at their home and requesting her presence to receive them for a few days.. Chapter 893: Qiao Mansion Chapter 893: Qiao Mansion
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She was the only one invited, not Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan was very worried. He held Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands tightly, expressing his disapproval of her going alone,
¡°l don¡¯t feel at ease with you going to the mansion. What if something happens to you?¡± Shao Yunduan had no trust in Madame Qiao whatsoever. He couldn¡¯t fathom the actions of a person like her. His wife was kind and gentle, and if she went to the Qiao Family alone, she would be like amb in a tiger¡¯s den. Spending the night there was out of the question, as she would be devoured! ¡°If you insist on going, I will apany you.¡± He didn¡¯t believe that the Qiao Family would dare to push him away, even if he were there. Seeing Qiao Xuan¡¯s concern for him, he smiled. ¡°Darling, don¡¯t worry. I will go alone. I want to see what they are up to. I will take good care of myself. Remember, I am the wife of the Provincial Champion, and they wouldn¡¯t darey a finger on me!¡± Shao Yunduan still didn¡¯t agree. He furrowed his brow. ¡°l don¡¯t trust Madame Qiao.¡± She was so wicked that she had even attempted murder. There was nothing she wouldn¡¯t do. ¡°Officer Qiao is a reasonable man. He won¡¯t let her do anything foolish.¡± Shao Yunduan was taken aback ¨C that was true.
Yet, he still couldn¡¯t put his mind at ease. Helpless, Qiao Xuan approached him and whispered, ¡°l have bribed two individuals who will assist me. Don¡¯t worry, 1 will find out what Madame Qiao is capable of.¡± Shao Yunduan remained silent but refused to let her go alone. He ordered Lixia and Liqiu to apany her. However, Qiao Xuan insisted on bringing only Lixia with her. She was not a feeble woman. If Madame Qiao did not want to provoke her, then she would teach her a lesson she would never forget. Qiao Xuan possessed magical powers and could wield them as a deadly weapon at any moment. She had no fear of someone like Madame Qiao, a mere clown! It seemed that Madame Qiao attached great importance to this esteemed guest, as she sent Auntie Ling to fetch her. Shao Yunduan was determined to separate Qiao Xuan from them, to have her alone. Lixia, in Auntie Lings eyes, was just an insignificant maid. Auntie Ling paid her no mind, as long as Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t apanying them. Shao Yunduan guided Qiao Xuan into the carriage and only released her hands after a long while. He emphasized, ¡°Take good care of yourself, and above all, ensure your safety. I wille to pick you up in two days.¡±
Qiao Xuan obediently nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my husband!¡± Auntie Ling maintained a neutral expression on her face, though inwardly she felt a sense of disdain. Madame Qiao was not foolish; she wouldn¡¯t engage in something so unreasonable at this moment. This Provincial Champion was far too inexperienced to face this situation. Inside the wagon, Auntie Ling sat beside Qiao Xuan, her eyes lowered, showing no intention of engaging in conversation. Qiao Xuan remainedposed and paid no attention to Auntie Ling. Lixia, aware of the animosity between her Young Madam and the Qiao Family, felt a twinge of nervousness. She cautiously nced at Auntie Ling but quickly averted her gaze. Upon arriving at the Qiao Mansion, Auntie Ling led Qiao Xuan and her maid to the courtyard, set down the luggage, and went to meet Madame Qiao. Madame Qiao was engaged in conversation with ady of simr age, while Qiao Wei and a few maids from both sides were also present.. Chapter 894: At a Loss Chapter 894: At a Loss
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions As Qiao Xuan entered, seven or eight pairs of eyes turned towards her, giving her a meaningful gaze. The Qiao Family was clearly conveying a message through their looks.
Qiao Wei wore a proud expression on her face, relishing in Qiao Xuan¡¯s difort. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯tprehend the situation¡ªshe just couldn¡¯t grasp it. With outsiders present, everyone maintained a facade of respect towards one another. Qiao Xuan stopped fixating on Madame Qiao and greeted her with a smile. Madame Qiao reciprocated the greeting and introduced thedy. ¡°This is Madame Tang, you can address her as Auntie. Madame, this is my second daughter, Qiao Xuan. I apologize for not raising her properly.¡± Madame Tang forced a smile. ¡°Madame Qiao, you jest¡­¡± Qiao Wei interjected, ¡°Yes, Mother, it¡¯s all a matter of destiny!¡¯ ¡°Qiao Wei, enough!¡± Madame Qiao snapped, giving her a stern re. Qiao Xuan was bewildered. She didn¡¯t care for the enigmatic conversation, but she greeted Madame Tang politely. Madame Tang returned the smile and Madame Qiao instructed her to take a seat. The twodies engaged in polite conversation while Qiao Wei and Qiao Xuan sat next to them.
Out of the blue, Madame Qiao smiled and asked, ¡°When is Shao Yunduan leaving for the capital? I¡¯ve prepared his luggage, but I can¡¯t recall if he¡¯s missing anything. He¡¯s been working diligently at hometely.¡± With a smile, Madame Tang joined the conversation, sharing stories and expressing concerns about their respective sons. Qiao Wei, wearing a smile, suggested, ¡°Since County Magistrate Yang is also in the capital for the examination, Auntie Tang must have valuable experience. Why not seek her advice and save myself some trouble in the province?¡± Qiao Xuan was slightly taken aback by Qiao Wei¡¯s suggestion. She couldn¡¯t help but nce at Madame Tang. To be honest, Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t sense any hostility from Madame Tang, but there was a certain probing quality to her demeanor that seemed somewhat unnatural. Qiao Xuan found herself puzzled by the situation. Although Qiao Wei¡¯s suggestion was tempting, Qiao Xuan believed that with the presence of the Xie Family and the Yuezheng Family, she had no need to seek Madame Tangs help. Also, she did not think that Qiao Wei would help her out of kindness. Qiao Xuan had no idea what the mother and daughter were up to. So she stayed silent, smiled, and lowered her eyes. Madame Qiao smiled. ¡°Our Xuan is a shy girl! If Madame Tang is willing to teach her, it would be an honor for her!¡± Madame Tang couldn¡¯t tolerate it any longer. She forced a smile. ¡°l recall that the Qiao Family is from the capital, and we need not go through so much trouble. When we are in the capital, the Qiao Family will take care of us, and we will be cautious. I didn¡¯te here to say anything.¡±
¡°Of course, if you need any advice, Second Miss, I will share everything I know.¡± Madame Qiaoughed. ¡°That¡¯s true, I apologize.¡± ¡°Alright, Xuan, go and take a break. I will have someone fetch you for dinner. Wei, keep your sisterpany.¡± ¡°Understood, Mom! ¡± Qiao Wei stood up with a smile and asked Qiao Xuan to leave. Qiao Xuan bid farewell to the twodies and followed Qiao Wei out. As they walked out of the yard, Qiao Wei scrutinized her from head to toe and snorted. ¡°You should consider yourself fortunate that Madame Tang is willing to teach you, yet you remain so aloof. What¡¯s with the airs you¡¯re putting on?¡± Qiao Xuan replied, ¡°Sister, your concern for me touches my heart.. I¡¯m deeply moved!¡± Chapter 895: Evil Intention Chapter 895: Evil Intention
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Stop being so strange! You just don¡¯t know how to appreciate kindness!¡± Rather than getting angry, Qiao Xuan smiled calmly. ¡°Elder Aunt Yuezheng has already done your investigation for me. Besides, the Xie Family is also present, and Young Niaster Xie will be providing guidance to my husband. I don¡¯t need to do anything further.¡±
Qiao Wei¡­ How irritating! Qiao Xuan had struck right at her heart! Qiao Wei simply couldn¡¯t understand or ept that Qiao Xuan was such a detestable woman. Why did First Madame favor her so much? Qiao Wei red at Qiao Xuan and coldly remarked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about who Madame Tang is?¡± Qiao Xuan had also spected that Madame Tang was no ordinary person, and there might be some connection between them. However, she couldn¡¯t quite grasp the situation. Wasn¡¯t she curious? NO! Should she ask Qiao Wei or Madame Qiao? That was unlikely! If they didn¡¯t want to reveal the truth, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it.
If that was the case, she didn¡¯t need to take any further action. Sooner orter, they would disclose the information to her, as she was here. But Qiao Xuan had not expected that Qiao Wei could not help but ask. Qiao Xuan was amused inwardly. She threw a look at her. ¡°It is just a guest, what am I curious about?¡± Qiao Wei burst intoughter, looking very proud. ¡°You are right!¡± Having said that, she left angrily. She was not going to speak with Qiao Xuan. She and Qiao Xuan did not get on well with each other, and she was worried that she would get annoyed by Qiao Xuan if she stayed any longer. Qiao Xuan did not care. She went back to her own yard to take a break. The servants always had some ways to find out information, so Qiao Xuan gave Lixia some money and asked her to go shopping and find out who Madame Tang was. Soon Lixia returned.
¡°Madame Tang is here with her son County Magistrate Yang from Changlin County. It seems that County Magistrate Yang has some business to discuss with Officer Qiao, so Madame Qiao invites her over as a guest.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. So that was the case! Wasn¡¯t County Magistrate Yang the original host¡¯s fianc¨¦? Madame Tang was her, no, the ex-mother-inw of the original host! It was no wonder that when she walked into the room and met Madame Tang, Madame Tang felt ufortable whilst Madame Qiao and the maids and aunts from the Qiao Family were all looking at her strangely. It was no wonder that Qiao Wei was taking pleasure in her misfortune. Ha, this mother and daughter were so evil and hoirrible! If Shao Yunduan did not trust Qiao Xuan, and if Shao Yunduan was narrow-minded and conceited, then he would definitely hate Qiao Xuan. The moment they started to hate each other, they would always have the chance to take out the anger on her and mock her. Then Qiao Xuan would never be able to get through this mental barrier in her life. It was not only Madame Tang who was here, but also her son, Qiao Xuan¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦, County Magistrate Yang was here too.
Qiao Xuan was going to stay here for two more days. She had not met County Magistrate Yang during the past two days, but that seemed like a bad thing for Shao Yunduan. It was hard to say what the rumor would be spread around. The biggest problem was that it was difficult to make it clear. That was something that could not be exined, and the more one tried to exin, the more suspicious it would seem. As long as Shao Yunduan got suspicious, Madame Qiao would have achieved her purpose. Qiao Xuan had no idea if it was Madame Qiao¡¯s idea or her father¡¯s. But even if her father was not involved, he must have approved of it, right? Chapter 896: Ex-Mother-in-law Chapter 896: Ex-Mother-inw
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan sneered ¨C neither of them was up to any good! Qiao Xuan had never mentioned anything about her ex-fianc¨¦, so Lixia had no idea either about what was going in her mind right now.
But now Qiao Xuan decided to tell her the truth. Because even if she did not say a thing, Lixia would soon know about it. ¡°Lixia, do you know who Madame Tang and her son are?¡± ¡°l don¡¯t know¡­ Lixia was confused ¨C what did her miss mean? Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°County Magistrate Yang is my ex-fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°That is to say, if County Magistrate Yang and I had not broken off the engagement, Madame Tang would have been my mother-inw.¡± ¡°What should we do? Miss, County Magistrate Yang is here too, what if Fifth Young Master misunderstands us?¡± Lixia got anxious instantly. Look, even if Lixia was just a maid, she still understood the pros and cons. ¡°We are here and can¡¯t leave so easily. Also, what is there to be afraid of? But I know what is going on, and 1 have to do something about it. Go to Mingren
Tang Clinic and tell Manager Qin about this, and ask him to get someone to Shaoding Vige to tell my husband about it, too.¡± ¡°Okay, I will do that now.¡± ¡°Very good! ¡± No one stopped Qiao Xuan when she asked Lixia to go out and buy stuff for her. Soon Lixia arrived at Mingren Tang and passed on Qiao Xuan¡¯s message. Manager Qin, who had been hoping for Qiao Xuan and the Shao Family to provide him with quality herbs, was taken aback when he heard the words. He couldn¡¯t help but curse Madame Qiao for her wickedness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Lixia, I will go up to Shaoding Vige now. I will go there personally.¡± The fewer people who knew about this, the better. There would be some confusion when the message was passed around, so he might as well go there personally. Lixia thanked him and replied to Qiao Xuan. What Qiao Xuan had not expected was that Liu Yan would have sneakily told her who Madame Tang was.
Shao Yunduan let out a sigh of relief when he heard the news in the intermediate of Shaoding Vige. Shao Yunduan thanked Manager Qin with a smile, which surprised Manager Qin. But seeing that Shao Yunduan trusted Qiao Xuan, Manager Qin let out a sigh of relief. He had a very good impression of Qiao Xuan, and he admired her deeply. So he hoped that she and Shao Yunduan could get on well. Shao Yunduan did not seem so bothered. The unknown should have been the scariest thing. When he knew what was going on, he would not have to worry a thing any more. He was not going to suspect Qiao Xuan because of this. Qiao Xuan had never met her ex-fianc¨¦ who had been engaged with her, and she was already married to Shao Yunduan himself. She treated him and his family so well, and he could see that clearly. So how foolish he would have been to suspect Qiao Xuan and hurt her just because Madame Qiao tried to sow discord? He could not bear to do that. He was solely concerned about Qiao Xuan¡¯s well-being and didn¡¯t want her to suffer any harm. If that was Madame Qiao¡¯s intention, he believed she couldn¡¯t harm him or Qiao Xuan. In his perspective, he wasn¡¯t even a significant presence. He was just an ex-fianc¨¦ whom Qiao Xuan had never met. How could she possibly have any feelings for him? It was a ridiculous notion!
Nevertheless, Shao Yunduan made up his mind to bring Qiao Xuan back home the next day. She was his wife after all! In the backyard of the government office. Qiao Xuan attended the banquet alongside Madame Tang and County Magistrate Yang. As nobody had introduced Madame Tang and her son to Qiao Xuan, she chose to feign ignorance about the matter.. Chapter 897: Mrs. Tang’s Displeasure Chapter 897: Mrs. Tang¡¯s Displeasure
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions County Magistrate Yang discreetly assessed Qiao Xuan. She noticed his gaze but chose not to respond. He was a stranger to her.
As the men and women took their seats, County Magistrate Qiao exchanged greetings with County Magistrate Yang through the screen, while Madame Qiao greeted Madame Tang alongside Ojao Xuan. Once the banquet began, Madame Qiao wore a bright smile and weed their guests warmly. Madame Tang reciprocated the greetings but avoided direct eye contact with Qiao Xuan. asionally, their eyes met briefly before Madame Tang looked away. Suddenly, Madame Qiao let out a sigh and nced at Qiao Xuan as she spoke to Madame Tang with a smile. ¡°Our Old Master will be transferred back to the capital in a few months. It may be challenging for our families to meet again, which is why he believes it¡¯s important to treat Madame Tang and Officer Yang well before we depart. After all, we could have be rtives!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, it is Xuan who has not been fortunate enough to have a promising young man like Officer Yang and a kind mother-inw like Madame Tang! Upon hearing Madame Qiao¡¯s words, Madame Tang felt a slight sense of relief. She smiled and replied, ¡°That is all in the past, Madame Qiao. There is no need to mention it anymore.¡± Madame Qiao continued with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re right, we should not dwell on the past. It was an unexpected turn of events, but I¡¯m d Old Master and I are reassured.¡¯ ¡°Even if we can¡¯t be inws, we can still get to know each other. Perhaps when Officer Yang is promoted to the capital in the future, we can develop a closer rtionship! ¡± Having an additional friend meant having another connection within the court. No one would willingly offend their peers unless it was absolutely necessary. Madame Tang was well aware of this, so she quickly engaged in a friendly conversation with Madame Obo. Initially, Madame Tang did not hold a high opinion of Qiao Xuan, her son¡¯s former fianc¨¦e, after he passed the imperial examination. However, her son had performed exceptionally well and received a promotion the following year. It was a promising future, a rare achievement. He was still very young. If it weren¡¯t for this troublesome marriage alliance, her son could have been chosen by nobledies in the capital and be the son-inw of a prestigious family, propelling him to even greater heights in the capital.
Although bing the head of a county at such a young age was already impressive, wouldn¡¯t it be better for him to have an even brighter future? Her son was a top student, young, and handsome! When Madame Qiao sent a letter stating that something had urred, leading to the annulment of the engagement between Obo Xuan and her family, Madame Tang was overjoyed. When she heard that Qiao Xuan had be involved with a poor girl from the countryside and had her reputation tarnished, Madame Tang found even greater satisfaction, considering it as her revenge. She believed that it was Qiao Xuan who had ruined her son¡¯s future, so she took pleasure in her misfortune. Madame Tang had anticipated that Qiao Xuan would live a wretched life. However, to her surprise, upon Madame Qiao¡¯s invitation, Qiao Xuan appeared remarkably beautiful and graceful. Furthermore, her impoverished husband, who was a Cultivated Talent, was preparing for the intermediate examination. Soon, they would be taking the examination in the capital. Well¡­ Upon their first meeting, Madame Tang experienced a mix ofplex and uneasy emotions. However, Madame Tang had forgotten a crucial detail¡ªwhen her son and Qiao Xuan were engaged, she had already lost her husband..
Chapter 898: Forgotten Chapter 898: Forgotten
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions She and her mother-inw relied on each other to raise their seven-year-old son. And Qiao Xuan¡¯s birth mother had provided the necessary capital of 60 liang, and they would have struggled to support their son¡¯s education. The local bullies would have taken advantage of their vulnerability and seized theirnd. Their lives would have taken apletely different path. She had even forgotten the promise she made to herte mother-inw, to treat Qiao Xuan well and regard her as a daughter once she married into the family. All of these important details slipped her mind.
However, Qiao Xuan waspletely unaware of these circumstances. From the original host¡¯s memories, she only knew that her own mother, who was a concubine, had also been cherished. Taking advantage of her father¡¯s favor, she had pleaded for justice. Perhaps due to Qiao Xuan being an orphaned girl, Madame Qiao had approved of her request. Since County Magistrate Qiao had left his position, there had been no news from her fianc¨¦¡¯s family. Madame Qiao and Madame Tang engaged in conversation for a while before requesting that Qiao Xuan raise a toast to Madame Tang. ¡°You used to have a good rtionship with them, so it¡¯s appropriate for you to toast her. You have no idea that Madame Tang is your future mother-inw! ¡± ¡°l was aware of that,¡± Qiao Xuan replied with a smile, lifting the small wine cup and standing up. She spoke politely, ¡°Auntie Tang, as my senior, it is my duty to show respect. I wish you a long and healthy life.¡± Qiao Xuan felt a sense of gratitude towards Madame Tang for sparing her from marrying into their family. If she had married into the Qiao family, she wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to be with Shao Yunduan. Comparatively, Madame Tang wasn¡¯t as terrible as Madame Qiao, but she was far from being an easy-going mother-inw. She couldn¡¯t evenpare to her own mother-inw! Dealing with a mother-inw like her was truly tormenting. Madame Qiao and the others were taken aback. They had hoped to catch Qiao Xuan off guard, making her stumble and embarrass herself. How did she know about this? Who had informed her? Qiao Wei red at Qiao Kou. Qiao Kou looked very innocent. She did not even see Qiao Xuan today, why was that rted to her? Madame Tang was not feeling veryfortable either.
She felt that it was Qiao Xuan¡¯s loss to have missed such a wonderful son like her. Qiao Xuan should feel sad, grevious and disappointed. But Qiao Xuan was so open to them, and she was even congratting her with a smile. She did not show any emotion that she ¡°should¡±. That displeased her. She could look down at Qiao Xuan, but Qiao Xuan had lost such a great suitor like her son. Wasn¡¯t she saddened and regretful? Could it be that she was looking down at her own family and her own son? How ridiculous! Madame Tang nodded slightly, raised the cup and took a sip, saying with a small smile. ¡°Second Miss, you are a very steady woman, and you must be having a good time after marriage, right?¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Auntie. My husband, mother-inw and my sisters-inw are all very nice to mel. The whole family is getting on well with each other.¡± ¡°That is good, then I am assured! 1 just can¡¯t believe what I heard. Second Miss, you have to be careful in the future.¡± ¡°Thank you, Auntie! I can¡¯t believe that either. The maid asked me to watch the fish by theke and then left to fetch the tea. I never saw who pushed me into theke, and I still have no idea!¡± Madame Tangs face changed.
¡°Alright, Qiao Xuan.¡± Madame Qiao threw a cold look at her. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense..¡± Chapter 899: Shao Yunduan’ s Care Chapter 899: Shao Yunduan¡¯ s Care
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Wei sneered. ¡°Indeed, it was you who fell into the water and made up an excuse. Who pushed you into the water? Don¡¯t talk nonsense, you must have misunderstood!¡± Qiao Xuan had confronted Officer Qiao about the incident and had even pointed at Madame Qiao, but without evidence, Madame Qiao would never admit her wrongdoing.
However, County Magistrate Qiao must have started to harbor suspicions as well. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not a fool. I know perfectly well whether I tripped and fell or was pushed from behind. I don¡¯t need any evidence! How absurd! Besides, that¡¯s all in the past, and there¡¯s no need to dwell on it.¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°You¡¯ve said your piece, and there¡¯s no point in saying anything further! ¡± Madame Tang grew anxious. Subconsciously, she began to suspect that there was something more to the situation, Subconsciously, she started to fear and be on guard against Madame Qiao. Qiao Wei chimed in. ¡°You must have misunderstood!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled but remained silent. The atmosphere at the banquet became increasingly tense, as the whole incident was stirred up. Madame Qiao dared not say anything more. She could sense that Qiao Xuan was a woman capable of causing trouble! Continuing the conversation would only escte matters. Having spent a few days living with County Magistrate Yang and his mother, that was all she needed. It was enough.
She didn¡¯t believe that Shao Yunduan would remain indifferent. The moment this thorn was embedded in Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart, it would fester and grow. One day, it would be the downfall of this woman! This woman was destined to marry a peasant and lead a wretched life. She didn¡¯t deserve to be the wife of an official! The banquet continued in an atmosphere of forced friendliness. Once the banquet concluded, everyone departed. Qiao Xuan took Lixia back to the courtyard and closed the door. Lixia let out a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s enough for today, Mrs. Shao. What¡¯s our n for tomorrow? I don¡¯t think Madame Qiao and Elder Miss Qiao are easy to handle.¡± Qiao Xuan found it amusing. Those mother and daughter were not to be underestimated. But it didn¡¯t matter. She wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with either. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll leave tomorrow.¡± Shao Yunduan would probablye to pick her up. Lixia¡¯s face lit up. ¡°That would be wonderful!¡±
The next day, after breakfast, Madame Qiao prepared to take them out. As Madame Tang was a devout Buddhist, Madame Qiao and Qiao Xuan apanied her to pay respects at the temple. County Magistrate Yang, always dutiful to his mother, rode alongside her in the wagon. As they boarded the wagon, Qiao Xuan caught sight of him and exchanged a fleeting nce. In that moment, Qiao Xuan quickly averted her gaze, inwardly cursing. She was far from pleased. Officer Yang was an intriguing man as well. Women were off-limits, and she was a disgraced girl who was once his fianc¨¦e. Shouldn¡¯t he keep his distance? Filial piety? Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t quite grasp its meaning. Madame Tang, true to her devotion, engaged in conversation with Madame Qiao at the temple before proceeding to pay respects to the Buddha. Madame Qiao apanied her, instructing the three sisters to wander around casually and nonchntly. Qiao Wei rolled her eyes at Qiao Xuan, snorted in disdain, and haughtily departed.
Qiao Kou pondered for a moment and obediently followed suit.. Chapter 900: Awkward and Angry Chapter 900: Awkward and Angry
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan admired Qiao Kou¡¯s adaptability. Despite being pped in the face by Qiao Wei, once she had recovered, she still willingly yed the role ofckey, henchman,pdog¡­ The temple was rather small, with no scenic view at the back of the mountain. Qiao Xuan simply passed the time under the eaves of the hall.
Coincidentally, County Magistrate Yang appeared at the other end of the long corridor. Spotting Qiao Xuan beneath the eaves, County Magistrate Yang hesitated for a moment before walking towards her. Qiao Xuan seemed to sense something and looked up, locking eyes with him. After contemting for a moment, Qiao Xuan descended the steps and stood in the empty space in front of the hall, beckoning a passing young monk. ¡°Officer Yang, are you seeking me out?¡± she asked. County Magistrate Yang was taken aback, forcing a smile. ¡°l have a few words to discuss with Second Miss.¡¯ ¡°Very well,¡± Qiao Xuan nodded. ¡°Please wait here and act as our witness. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for a man and a woman to make physical contact, and we wouldn¡¯t want any rumors to circte.¡± ¡°County Magistrate Yang, speak your mind!¡± County Magistrate Yang and the young master were both taken aback. The young master wore a smile that was more pained than joyous. He couldn¡¯t refuse the visitor¡¯s request, but he also didn¡¯t think it was proper for him to be present. County Magistrate Yang felt a mix of embarrassment and unease. What did Qiao Xuan mean by suggesting such involvement between them? Why did she think she could get close to him? It should have been the other way around, where he should maintain distance from her, right?
This wasn¡¯t how things were supposed to be. He had already declined County Magistrate Qiao and Madame Qiao¡¯s invitation. He had never intended to sever the engagement, but when it was broken off smoothly, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of relief. Because of this situation, he wanted to distance himself from the Qiao Family. However, Qiao Xuan¡¯s mother had mentioned that County Magistrate Qiao would soon be transferred back to the capital, and they could remain friends. What if their paths crossed again in the future? In the court, it was always beneficial to have more friends than enemies. Moreover, his former fianc¨¦e, the Second Miss of the Qiao Family, was now married to amon-born Cultivated Talent and would no longer pester him. There was nothing for him to fear. After considering the situation for a while, he found some logic in it. More importantly, County Magistrate Yang was privy to information that his mother was not aware of. While his mother only knew that the Second Miss of the Qiao Family had married a Cultivated Talent from a farmer¡¯s background, County Magistrate Yang had learned that the Cultivated Talent was actually the Provincial Champion of the recent Fall Quarter Examination. Barring any unexpected circumstances, he was likely to be an Advanced Schr next year. For some reason, County Magistrate Yang felt a mix of emotions stirring within him. Curiosity took hold, and he found himself wanting to see what his ex-fianc¨¦e and the aplished Cultivated Talent were truly like. Thus, he and his mother traveled to Heshan County. Although he hadn¡¯t seen the Second Miss the previous day, his mother had. His mother¡¯s impression of Qiao Xuan was not favorable. She described her as mean-spirited, arrogant, disrespectful towards elders, and foolishly proud. ording to his mother, she was not a person with a kind heart. In retrospect, County Magistrate Yang felt fortunate that he hadn¡¯t married her¡­
Hearing his mother¡¯s ount, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of relief as well. However, as they were leaving that day, County Magistrate Yang caught sight of the Second Miss of the Qiao Family, who appeared quite different from the description his mother had given.. Chapter 901: How Could That Be Chapter 901: How Could That Be
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions He couldn¡¯t find any traces of the meanness, pride, or stupidity his mother had described in Qiao Xuan. On the contrary, she captivated his attention.
She exuded a calm, natural, and elegant aura that made his eyes light up. Despite the obvious ostracization and istion from Madame Qiao, her mother, and the Qiao Family servants, Qiao Xuan walked among them without a trace of timidity, embarrassment, or anger. It was as if they were attempting to suppress and ridicule her, but she stood tall and strong, emanating confidence that seemed to disregard Madame Qiao¡¯s existence. To Qiao Xuan, those people were nothing more than insignificant clowns. County Magistrate Yangs heart skipped a beat. He couldn¡¯t ept this. What troubled him even more was that she had noticed him too, yet her gaze held no emotions. It was as if he, like everyone else, was merely a stranger in her eyes. But how could that be? He was her former fianc¨¦, and their engagement had been broken off due to her own mistake. As a concubine¡¯s daughter, it should have been an honor for her to marry him. Yet, she showed no reaction upon seeing him. She nced at him briefly and then averted her gaze. He felt so insignificant in Qiao Xuan!s eyes.
This realization left County Magistrate Yang, who had always been arrogant and believed that Qiao Xuan would deeply regret losing their engagement, feeling deeply displeased. He appeared visibly humiliated. The feeling of being disregarded only intensified his displeasure and difort. Eventually, he reached a breaking point. When he spotted her in the intermediate temple, he unconsciously made his way towards her. He felt the need to engage in a conversation with her, even though he had no clear idea of what he wanted to discuss. What he hadn¡¯t anticipated was Qiao Xuan¡¯s frank andposed demeanor, to the point where she even called upon a young master to act as a witness. County Magistrate Yang was both taken aback and further humiliated. Who did Second Miss think he was? Did she believe that he would pursue her relentlessly, harboring ulterior motives towards her? How absurd! County Magistrate Yang suppressed the bitterness in his heart, forcing a neutral smile as he observed Qiao Xuan. ¡°Second Miss seems to be faring welltely.¡± Qiao Xuan replied with a smile, ¡°Thank you, the bitterness has indeed subsided.¡¯ Qiao Xuan spoke the truth. Although she wasn¡¯t the original host, she was aware of the numerous hardships the original host had endured.
Qiao Xuan had no intention of taking advantage of Madame Qiao. She aimed to reveal the truth. However, County Magistrate Yang, who had been feeling displeased, couldn¡¯t help but show a slight change in his expression. He felt exposed. So Qiao Xuan was implying that her suffering had been a result of the marriage alliance, but now that she was going to marry Cultivated Talent Shao, all her grievances would vanish? How confident she was to utter such words in his presence! County Magistrate Yang responded with a harsh tone, ¡°Second Miss, aren¡¯t you afraid of being misunderstood? People might think you¡¯reining about your mother¡¯s family!¡¯ Qiao Xuan calmly replied, ¡°Officer Yang, as a daughter born from a concubine without a mother, do you believe I would have a better life without my birth mother around?¡± Chapter 902: Made Qiao Xuan Laugh Chapter 902: Made Qiao Xuan Laugh
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions County Magistrate Yang was taken aback ¨C he hadn¡¯t anticipated Qiao Xuan to be so impolite. Qiao Xuan nced at his startled expression, noting his old-fashioned and arrogant demeanor. She couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved that their marriage had note to pass; otherwise, it would have been an utter disaster.
¡°Officer Yang, is there anything else? If not, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± County Magistrate Yang couldn¡¯t tolerate it any longer. ¡°Second Miss, you seem to have a sharp tongue. You must be quite fortunate. Youck the understanding of proper parenting and should not be ignorant of the responsibilities of raising a child.¡± County Magistrate Yang was raised by his grandmother and his mother, and he was a very filial person. He did not like what Qiao Xuan said about filial piety. Qiao Xuan almost burst intoughter. What did he truly know? Did he think that merely uttering the words ¡°filial piety¡± gave him the right to point fingers and pass judgment? If this man had been born in the modern era and had ess to a keyboard, he would have been a force to be reckoned with! Qiao Xuan responded frankly, ¡°Officer Yang, what do you actually know? Why do you feel entitled to dictate my actions?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°In the harsh winter, I had to survive on leftovers. When I fell ill, I had to take care of myself. On the surface, I had maids attending to me, but in reality, 1 had to fetch my own bathwater, little by little. Even the elderly women in the household would humiliate me in front of everyone! My so-called sister would taunt me when she was in a good mood, and when she was displeased, she would scold me and take out her frustrations on me. My so-called father only lectured me a few times a year, and he never showed any affection towards me. He never valued me, Officer Yang, can you not see the absurdity in expecting me to respect such a father?¡± County Magistrate Yang was taken aback. He had no knowledge of these circumstances, nor could he fathom them. His grandmother and mother had always taken care of him.
He found it hard to believe that the amiable Officer Obo and the kind-hearted Madame Qiao could be the kind of people that Qiao Xuan described. Moreover, he was the county magistrate, and he couldn¡¯t afford to make a mistake in front of his ex-fianc¨¦e, Qiao Xuan. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? The world is filled with parents who fall short, as the sages have said. Regardless of what has happened, they have provided for you and raised you, and that is a significant favor,¡± Officer Yang insisted firmly. ¡°But Officer Yang, it seems you have forgotten that I am their daughter, not an unrted outsider. It is their duty to raise me well! They have not fulfilled their responsibilities adequately,¡± Qiao Xuan retorted. ¡°You¡¯re just making excuses!¡± County Magistrate Yang retorted, his anger ring up. ¡°That¡¯s not right!¡¯ Qiao Xuan took a deep breath, as if she were ready to roll up her sleeves and give this man a good scolding. She wanted to see if he had any sense in his head. But no, she couldn¡¯t waste her time arguing with someone like him. What was the point of their conversation anyway? Was he trying to make himself noticed? Qiao Xuan was about to leave when Madame Qiao and Madame Tang emerged with the maids and aunts. Everyone¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to them. Madame Tangs expression changed, and she took a few steps forward. ¡°Xuan, what are you discussing?¡±
Madame Tang nced at Qiao Xuan with a sharp and cautious look, as if Qiao Xuan were trying to seduce her son. Madame Qiao, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t hide her satisfaction, but she sighed with a tone of reproach. ¡°Xuan, how could you bother Officer Yang? It¡¯s highly inappropriate! Officer Yang, I apologize on behalf of Xuan.. I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t mean any harm!¡± Chapter 903: Black and White Chapter 903: ck and White
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Madame Tangs anger escted further, and she sneered, ¡°She knows perfectly well whether she did it on purpose or not!¡± Madame Qiao interjected, ¡°Xuan, quickly exin yourself to Madame Tang!¡¯
Qiao Kou and Qiao Wei, who were also present, whispered to Auntie Hua to inquire about the situation. Upon hearing the details, they burst intoughter. ¡°Second Sister, it¡¯s your own fault. You¡¯re already married, yet you still can¡¯t avoid raising suspicions?¡± ¡°Indeed, even if you were to pester Officer Yang, what good would it do? You¡¯re simply making a fool of yourself! ¡± ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯re still so careless. That won¡¯t lead to anything good. You really should work on changing your ways.¡± Upon hearing their remarks, Madame Tang realized that Qiao Xuan had not only bothered her son but also had a criminal record. This further infuriated her, and she sneered, ¡°How dare you! It appears that Madame Qiao ought to teach you a lesson, or else you¡¯ll continue embarrassing yourself with your antics!¡± Madame Qiao was displeased. ¡°Madame Tang, you¡¯re taking it too far. Wei is well-mannered and well-behaved. It seems we need to be cautious in our actions. ¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Madame Tang showed a look of disdain. Qiao Xuan threw a cold look at each of them and said coldly, ¡°Are you done? Are you listening to me? Officer Yang, are you talking with me or me talking with you? I have a witness¡± County Magistrate Yang was speechless. County Magistrate Yang had always been a proud person, but when Madame Qiao scolded Qiao Xuan for no reason, County Magistrate Yang felt very embarrassed.
It was as if they were ming him, because he turned to Qiao Xuan, not Qiao Xuan to him. He could not stand to be humiliated. He had intended to stay silent. But hearing what Qiao Xuan said, he could not stay silent any more. There was a young monk from the temple nearby, observing the situation intently. County Magistrate Yang couldn¡¯t simply ignore him and allow a negative and irresponsible reputation to linger in the temple and throughout Heshan County. As County Magistrate Yang considered how Qiao Xuan had asked the young monk to stay, his emotions became even moreplex. ¡°Mother, Madame Qiao, you¡¯ve all misunderstood Second Miss of the Qiao Family. It was I who approached Second Miss of the Qiao Family¡­¡± Everyone was taken aback. Madame Qiao raised an eyebrow and was about to speak when Qiao Xuan sneered, ¡°Officer Yang was merely extending a polite greeting to me. How dare you misconstrue it like this? Haha!¡± Qiao Xuan looked down upon County Magistrate Yang with disdain. She was lucky enough to stay cautious; otherwise, this man might have made her to exin something. He wasn¡¯t just greeting her, he was actually bothering her!
Yes, he was incessantly bothering her! What a devious man! He truly had the characteristics of a scoundrel! Madame Tang felt a twinge of embarrassment. She cast a suspicious nce at her son, but County Magistrate Yang chose to ignore her. Qiao Wei sneered, ¡°Officer Yang was merely greeting you, but you¡¯re persistently bothering him and refusing to let him be. Well, it¡¯s all the same. But it¡¯s pointless! I suggest you face the reality as soon as possible!¡± Madame Tangs gaze turned sharp once again as she directed a piercing stare at Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan stepped forward and pped Qiao Wei across the face.. ¡°Mind your tongue!¡¯ Chapter 904: Try It Chapter 904: Try It
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Wei was taken aback, her hands instinctively covering her face as she let out a piercing scream. In a fit of rage, she lunged at Qiao Xuan, attempting to scratch her. ¡°How dare you touch me, you despicable person! Who do you think you are? How dare youy a hand on me!¡± ¡°What are you all staring at? Grab her and teach her a lesson! Show her no mercy! ¡±
Qiao Wei¡¯s face contorted with anger as she screamed furiously, her eyes filled with pure hatred as if she were on the verge of losing control. Qiao Xuan, however, was unfazed and prepared for the onught. She pushed Qiao Wei away and retorted sharply, ¡°Is this how ady from a noble family is supposed to behave? Such ferocity and malevolence! Madame Qiao, your skills in raising a daughter are truly remarkable, and your own daughter is a shining example as well! ¡± Madame Qiao, feeling a mixture of annoyance and surprise, intervened hastily, calling off the maids and aunts who were about to intervene. ¡°That¡¯s enough, stop it now! Wei, enough!¡± Madame Qiao felt her face flush with embarrassment and anger. She had just been boasting about Qiao Wei¡¯s manners andposure in front of Madame Tang, only to be thrust into this situation by Qiao Xuan. Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t help but suspect that Qiao Xuan had orchestrated this deliberately, and the thought made her want to retaliate with force. Madame Qiao¡¯s gaze turned icy as she red at Qiao Xuan. ¡°Xuan, where are your manners? How dare youy a hand on your sister! You will be dealt with when we return home!¡± Qiao Xuan sneered dismissively. ¡°What¡¯s the point of waiting? Why not expose the truth right now? She¡¯s nothing but a foul-mouthed troublemaker who framed me and tarnished my reputation. She¡¯s practically pushing me towards my demise! I have every right to p some sense into her!¡± ¡°She used me of harassing Officer Yang, but did she witness it herself? Who determines what¡¯s mine and what¡¯s not? Who decides what¡¯s real and what¡¯s not? She¡¯s beyond bizarre! She¡¯s no sister of mine, that¡¯s for certain!¡± Qiao Xuan let out a mockingugh. ¡°Oh, what a nobledy she is! Just a gossip-mongering woman with a corrupt mind!¡± ¡°And you!¡± Qiao Xuan cast a scornful nce at the maids and aunts and spoke with sarcasm dripping from her words. ¡°Dare youy a hand on me? I am the wife of the Provincial Champion! Test me if you have the nerve!¡± Madame Qiao gasped, a mix of astonishment and irritation washing over her. ¡°Well, well, aren¡¯t you sharp-tongued! Spending so much time in the countryside has certainly changed you!¡¯
Qiao Xuan¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Well, of course, it¡¯s different. As the wife of the Provincial Champion, I can¡¯t simply be framed for no reason, can l? You should be grateful, Madame Qiao. After all, my dear sister here has such a gift for gab. I¡¯m merely being taught a lesson on what to say and what not to say.¡± Madame Qiao.¡± Qiao Wei, tears streaming down her face, retorted angrily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Madame Provincial Champion? She can¡¯t seem to stop talking about herself! She¡¯s not even worthy of being the official¡¯s wife! I highly doubt that impoverished vige Cultivated Talent will ever rise to the level of an intermediate Advanced Schr!¡± Qiao Xuan sneered, fixing her gaze on Qiao Wei. ¡°l am Madame Provincial Champion, and you are not. Why should I endure such humiliation? Say those words to my face if you dare! A lowly Cultivated Talent from the countryside? Sister, your memory seems to be failing you¡ªmy husband holds the title of Provincial Champion! ¡± ¡°l will remember your words today. When my husband attains the rank of Advanced Schr, I will p your face once again!¡¯ ¡°How dare you!¡± Qiao Wei screamed in outrage. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s anger surged, causing her chest to tighten and her temples to throb. ¡°Cease this bickering in this sacred ce of Buddhism! You two should know when to put an end to your quarrel. Madame Tang, it¡¯s gettingte. Let us return home.¡±
Qiao Wei remained defiant, refusing to let the matter rest.. ¡°Mom, l¡­¡± Chapter 905: County Magistrate Yang’s Suffocation Chapter 905: County Magistrate Yang¡¯s Suffocation
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk when we return.¡± Qiao Wei stated, casting a furious nce at Qiao Xuan. Her face flushed, and she refrained from saying anything further.
Qiao Xuan¡¯s voice turned cold as she spoke, ¡°Do you understand the situation? Firstly, County Magistrate Yang approached me on his own ord, not the other way around. There are witnesses from the monastery who can attest to this. Secondly, 1 reprimanded Elder Miss because of her malicious words. She deserved to be taught a lesson! Once we leave this ce, let¡¯s ensure that no one distorts the truth or spreads false rumors!¡± The room brimmed with anger as everyone present seethed with fury. Madame Qiao felt an overwhelming urge to tear Qiao Xuan apart, a sentiment shared by Madame Tang and County Magistrate Yang. Internally, Madame Tang couldn¡¯t help but think that the Second Miss of the Qiao Family had a deplorable character. Shecked gentleness, disregarded others¡¯ reputations, andcked proper manners. She was relieved that her son had married someone different; otherwise, he would have been pushed to his limits! While it was eptable if the Provincial Champion wasn¡¯t present, what if he were? She couldn¡¯t imagine her husband¡¯s reputation being tarnished by associating with such a woman. It was as if Qiao Xuan was intentionally causing trouble for him! Suppressing her anger, Madame Qiao sneered, ¡°You are indeed a straightforward individual, and no one can dispute that!¡± Qiao Xuan retorted, ¡°Yet there is always that one person in this world who twists the truth to suit their selfish desires or out of sheer jealousy. Madame Qiao, I find sce in your words.¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Everyone grew bored and returned to the mansion, their enthusiasm waning. During the wagon ride, Madame Tang politely suggested to Madame Qiao that she and her son should return home the following day.
A sudden pnded on Madame Qiao¡¯s face, leaving her feeling both embarrassed and taken aback. Hearing the suggestion, she inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, no longer needing to maintain pretenses. Upon reaching the backyard of the county office, they spotted Shao Yunduan conversing with County Magistrate Qiao. Spotting their arrival, he stepped forward to greet them. ¡°My darling!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes lit up as she approached him with a smile. Knowing that he woulde once he learned about the presence of the Yang Family¡¯s mother and son, she wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°Darling!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and held her hands briefly before releasing them. He then exchanged a knowing nce with County Magistrate Yang. Acknowledging County Magistrate Yang with a nod, Shao Yunduan politely greeted Madame Qiao. County Magistrate Yangs distress deepened, his expression turning sour. He felt thoroughly humiliated. As Qiao Xuan called out to her husband and approached Shao Yunduan, her radiance was almost blinding, and the genuine, heartfelt smile on her face pained his eyes. To his surprise, Shao Yunduan, whom he had considered a timid schr with unremarkable eyes, turned out to be incredibly handsome and captivating. Madame Tang, who believed her son to be the epitome of excellence, grew even more disapproving of Shao Yunduan. County Magistrate Yang wore an expression of immense displeasure, while Madame Tang¡¯s face darkened.
She scrutinized Shao Yunduan from head to toe and concluded that he was inferior to her son. He wasn¡¯t even worthy of carrying her son¡¯s shoes! Qiao Xuan, who had raised a daughtercking in manners as a concubine¡¯s child, seemed like a perfect match for this man. Both of them shamelessly flirted with each other in front of so many people¡­ Madame Qiao found herself obligated to introduce Madame Tang and County Magistrate Yang to Shao Yunduan. With a smile, she said, ¡°Please disregard the Provincial Champion¡¯s behavior!¡± Her intentions were dubious. Shao Yunduan paid no heed to her words and politely greeted Madame Tang and her son, leading them inside together.. Chapter 906: Shao Yunduan Chapter 906: Shao Yunduan
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan continued conversing with County Magistrate Qiao and County Magistrate Yang, but Madame Tang grew increasingly irritated, no longer wishing toy eyes on Qiao Xuan. Thus, she declined the invitation and returned to her guest room. She couldn¡¯t deny it; Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t all that different from her son.
What depressed her was the fact that after Qiao Xuan called off the engagement with her son, she should have been wallowing in regret and misery. Yet, here she was, leading a seemingly peaceful life. It didn¡¯t make sense. What annoyed Madame Tang the most was the emotionalment made by the elderly auntie next to her. ¡°The Second Miss is so fortunate to have married the esteemed Provincial Champion. They make such a perfect couple! Madame Tangs expression changed. She would have snapped back at her, but she held her tongue in consideration of her own presence. Meanwhile, Qiao MJei continued to cry andin to Madame Qiao, urging her to teach Qiao Xuan a lesson so she could vent her anger. Qiao Wei had initially nned to call out Shao Yunduan¡¯s name once they returned to the mansion, but now that he was present, she wouldn¡¯t dare to act so boldly. Madame Qiao shared the disappointment felt by everyone present. Qiao Xuan raised her hand and pped Qiao Wei across the face, a resounding smack that reverberated in the room. Qiao Wei, though tempted to retaliate, knew she was in the and refrained from doing so, In a shocking turn of events, it was even more like a p on herself, Madame Qiao in front of Madame Tang. Madame Qiao observed the scene, fully aware of her daughter temperament. She was certain that Qiao Xuan would face the consequences once they returned to the mansion. With no outsiders present, dealing with Qiao Xuan would be a simple task. All she had to do was feign ignorance initially and offer constionter. She could handle the situation before her husband, making it seem like she was addressing the matter appropriately.
However, the presence of Shao Yunduanplicated matters. Madame Qiao sneered inwardly. It was fortunate that he was here. The more Shao Yunduan cared for Qiao Xuan, the more difficult it would be for him to ept the ambiguous rtionship between Qiao Xuan and County Magistrate Yang. Oh, was there really an ambiguous rtionship? It didn¡¯t matter. If she said there was, then so be it. As long as Shao Yunduan believed in it, that would be sufficient. Moreover, this was just the first step. She had an enormous gift prepared for Qiao Xuan. ¡°Just go home and rest. You don¡¯t have to deal with Qiao Xuan right now. Don¡¯t worry, I will seek revenge on your behalf. Just wait a little longer, and I will ensure yourfort!¡± Madame Qiao attempted to dissuade Qiao Wei, putting on a show of concern. County Magistrate Qiao was receiving his son-inw and Officer Yang, and Madame Qiao was hosting a banquet to greet Madame Tang. But Qiao Wei did not show up. She said that she was not feeling well, so she did not show up. So during the banquet, Madame Qiao asked Qiao Xuan to keep Madame Tangpany whilst she went to visit Qiao Wei and took Qiao Kou with her. Qiao Xuan answered with a smile. Madame Tang got displeased, thinking that the Qiao Family were all so unreliable. Madame Qiao left as the madame of the family and asked Qiao Xuan to keep herpany. What was going on? Faced with Qiao Xuan, Madame Tang felt so disgusted that she lost her appetite. After a short while, Madame Tang got up and went back to her own room. When Madame Qiao was gone, Auntie Ling was still there. She smiled at Qiao Xuan. ¡°Second Miss, what about seeing Madame Tang off?¡±
That was how a host should be treated. Qiao Xuan threw a deep look at Auntie Ling, thought for a while and realized what was going on. She did not mind seeing Madame Tang off, but Auntie Lings request would definitely bring her trouble, even if she had no idea what Auntie Ling was up to.. Chapter 907: Mrs. Qiao’s Plan Chapter 907: Mrs. Qiao¡¯s n
Auntie Ling was not the kind of person who would remind her of her own ord just to keep her from being rude. Obviously not! So even if she had no idea what was going on, she should definitely object to Auntie Lings suggestion. ¡°Auntie Ling, you can see her off. You are Madame Qiao¡¯s auntie, and you speak for her. You are more suitable than me!¡±
Auntie Ling stiffened and said seriously, ¡°Second Miss, don¡¯t joke around. I am just a servant, not a madame! That is not how it should be done!¡± ¡°That is not true. Everyone knows that Madame Qiao can¡¯t live without Auntie Ling. She has to rely on Auntie Ling, you, for everything!¡¯ ¡°No, Second Miss, don¡¯t say that!¡± ¡°Oh, Auntie Ling, are you feeling shy about it!¡± Madame Tang felt thoroughly perplexed. What was happening between these two individuals? Were they looking down on her? Why were they suddenly showering her with ttery in her presence? What was the underlying meaning behind it all? Madame Tang sneered and decided to leave without uttering a single word. Regret surged within her, realizing that she should never have epted Madame Qiao¡¯s invitation to visit Heshan County in the first ce! Witnessing Madame Tang¡¯s departure, Auntie Ling deemed it inappropriate to give chase. With a cold tone, she addressed Qiao Xuan, ¡°Second Miss, you are disying an arrogant attitude. Since you are aware of my presence here to attend to Madame, you should acknowledge that my words reflect Madame¡¯s intentions. While you may not be physically present, it doesn¡¯t mean you can disregard my authority. Second Miss, you will have to exin this to Madame at ater time!¡± Qiao Xuan narrowed her eyes and focused her gaze on Auntie Ling. ¡°Is Madame Qiao nning something by requesting me to escort Madame Tang home?¡±
Auntie Ling grew startled. ¡°Second Miss, please refrain from speaking nonsense! ¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°It appears that I have guessed correctly! Since I¡¯m not there, your n has failed. Now, tell me!¡± ¡°Second Miss, you¡¯re being unreasonable! I¡¯m leaving now! ¡± Auntie Ling stormed off, seething with anger. Lixia let out a sigh of relief but couldn¡¯t help feeling puzzled and curious. ¡°Young Madame, I just don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s simply escorting Madame Tang to her guest room. right? It¡¯s such a short distance. how could it cause anv trouble? It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ So, what was Madame Qiao¡¯s n? Suddenly, a realization dawned upon Qiao Xuan. She smiled calmly. ¡°Madame Tang is quite troublesome. The act of sending her home seems to be a hassle!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Consider who she is and why my husband is present here.¡± Lixia blinked, still perplexed.
Qiao Xuan let out a sigh and proceeded to exin the situation in detail to Lixia. Finally understanding the full picture, Lixia¡¯s anger and anxiety surged. She snorted, ¡°Madame Qiao is truly wicked!¡± When Shao Yunduan heard about Qiao Xuan spending time with Madame Tang in the middle of the night, he believed that Qiao Xuan and Madame Tang were meant to be together. Qiao Xuan knew that Shao Yunduan would never want to hear or witness any of this. Madame Qiao had cunningly attempted to drive a wedge between them. It was no wonder Auntie Ling lingered and made such remarks. Qiao Xuan pondered for a moment, then turned and headed towards Officer Qiao¡¯s study. She sought out Shao Yunduan. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Father. I¡¯vee to fetch my husband. He has been working diligently these days and deserves a long rest at night. It¡¯s time for him to return home and take a break.. Chapter 908: Misfortune Chapter 908: Misfortune
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan promptly stood up and spoke with a smile, ¡°Father-inw, Officer Yang, my wife is here to fetch me. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± County Magistrate Qiao frowned, expressing his dissatisfaction.
¡°Xuan, you¡¯re so foolish! A woman should be gentle and virtuous, not casually and indifferently meddling in her husband¡¯s affairs.¡± Shao Yunduan responded, ¡°Father-inw, my wife cares about me, and 1 appreciate that. Please don¡¯t me her; she hasn¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± Officer Qiao remained silent. He had such good intentions! He was trying to guide his daughter-inw, but now he was undermining his own reputation! They were not a harmonious couple in his eyes. ¡°In that case, you may depart now.¡± ¡°l bid you farewell.¡± Shao Yunduan respectfully cupped his hands and left alongside Qiao Xuan. County Magistrate Yang couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of heartache as he witnessed the two departing hand in hand. He hade here to assert his superiority, yet he was the one feeling provoked instead. He even began to suspect that the Qiao Family¡¯s Second Miss had been having an affair with Provincial Champion for quite some time, allowing them to fly away together? The more he pondered on it, the more usible it seemed. He was on the verge of impulsively questioning County Magistrate Qiao about it. If it was their n, County Magistrate Qiao would either be unaware of it or keep it to himself. There was no need for him to humiliate himself.
But within County Magistrate Yangs mind, he had already made a firm decision¡ªhe was determined to have a brighter future than Shao Yunduan. He would attain a high position where Shao Yunduan could only look up to him. He was going to make Qiao Xuan regret her decision! Inside the room, Shao Yunduan gazed at Qiao Xuan, cing his hands on her shoulders. ¡°Did you feel wronged today?¡± Qiao Xuan shook her head and chuckled. ¡°Of course not. I always say that I am Mrs. Provincial Champion. It annoys them so much, hehe!¡± Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t help butugh, his gentle demeanor shining through. ¡°You are indeed Mrs. Provincial Champion, the one and only!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Qiao Xuan proudly smiled. ¡°There will never be another Mrs. Provincial Champion in the Qiao Family. They are just envious of me!¡± Shao Yunduanughed and couldn¡¯t resist pulling her into his embrace. Her face nestled against Shao Yunduan¡¯s chest, and the cool touch sent a slight shiver through her body. The spot where they made contact began to warm, and she could distinctly hear his strong and steady heartbeat, even through theiryers of clothing. Qiao Xuan felt her ears growing hotter and hotter, and her face flushed with warmth. Pushing him away? That was too much for her to bear¡­
She couldn¡¯t bear the embarrassment of reciprocating the hug. Subconsciously, she held her breath, frozen in ce, afraid to make any movement. Shao Yunduan was taken aback as well. He didn¡¯t overthink the situation. He was simply overwhelmed with excitement and couldn¡¯t resist embracing her. Only now did Qiao Xuan realize what she had done. Guilt washed over her. They had made a promise that until she fully epted him, he would respect her boundaries and never push her or make her ufortable. But was she really pushing him away? It was just too sudden! Shao Yunduan wanted to hold her tighter, but he felt a sudden hesitation. There was a voice inside him telling him to let her go, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. A delicate fragrance enveloped the woman¡¯s body, so pleasant to the senses. Her waist was slender and soft, igniting the imagination and prompting thoughts about the sensation of their skins touching..
Chapter 909: Regret Chapter 909: Regret
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He couldn¡¯t let go of her so easily. Shao Yunduan leaned down and rubbed his chin against Qiao Xuan¡¯s hair, relishing the softness against his skin. Their hearts raced in sync.
¡°My love¡­¡± Shao Yunduan whispered and couldn¡¯t resist nting a gentle kiss on her cheek. Qiao Xuan was taken aback by the cool, tender touch. She let out a small gasp and instinctively stepped back, breaking free from his embrace. Shao Yunduan was about to reach out to hold her when he stopped himself. A tinge of regret crossed his mind¡ªwhy didn¡¯t he steal a few more kisses? Inside, Qiao Xuan felt a jumble of emotions. She hadn¡¯t intended to reject him, but she wasn¡¯t ready. She worried that he might misunderstand her and feel hurt¡­ With a cautious nce, Qiao Xuan peeked at Shao Yunduan, relieved to see that he didn¡¯t seem angry. Yet, her guilt intensified. ¡°Oh, by the way, did youe here today because of the letter from Manager Qin yesterday?¡± Qiao Xuan tried to ease the awkwardness. ¡°Yes,¡± Shao Yunduan nodded in agreement. ¡°l was worried they might gang up and mistreat you.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled mischievously, gazing up at him with sparkling eyes. ¡°Is that all you were worried about?¡±
Shao Yunduan mirrored her smile. ¡°l was also concerned that the Yang Family might have second thoughts and try to fight me for my wife!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart fluttered with warmth. Her eyes shimmered, and she wore a tender smile. ¡°No one can take them away from us! The Yang Family and the Qiao Family have no connection to us! We are strangers to them.¡± In this moment, he decided to confess and make his stance clear. She had never met the Yang Family before, and she felt like an outsider. Nobody had asked for her opinion or cared about her feelings. If she were to be involved with the Yang Family, it would be grossly unfair to her. Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t oblivious to that fact. Yet, hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s words still filled him with joy. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right! Let¡¯s return home tomorrow, alright?¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± They exchanged smiles. Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t resist holding her close. ¡°Just take a rest.¡± The next day, County Magistrate Yang and his mother departed. Their expressions were sour as they left, purposely avoiding eye contact with Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, as if the sight of them was repulsive.
Madame Tang fumed, ¡°The Qiao Family is bullying us! I finally understand that their invitation was merely a faqade, concealing their malicious intentions. What are they trying to prove?¡± ¡°My son is a talented official, while Shao Yunduan is just a Provincial Champion. There¡¯s nothing for them to show off!¡± ¡°And to think they were the ones who called off the engagement, yet now they¡¯re behaving so despicably!¡¯ ¡°Xi, I will find you a far superior family, one that surpasses the Qiao Family by a thousandfold!¡± County Magistrate Yang smiled. ¡°Mother, please don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s not worth it. As for my marriage, you can make the decision. I¡¯m doing this for my own sake.¡¯ Madame Tang smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m doing it for your sake!¡± Unable to resist the opportunity, she took another dig at Qiao Xuan. ¡°The Second Miss is so impolite and sharp-tongued. She¡¯s clearly not a good person.. I don¡¯t like her at all!¡± Chapter 910: Nothing Chapter 910: Nothing
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions County Magistrate Yang couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about the vibrant and beautiful girl, brimming with youthful energy. He forced himself to say, ¡°Mother, please refrain from mentioning her any further.¡± Madame Tang failed to notice the change in her son¡¯s demeanor. She assumed he despised Qiao Xuan as much as she did. So she nodded with a smile.
¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t mention her anymore. She¡¯s not worth our attention!¡± As they departed, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan prepared to leave as well. Madame Qiao, wearing a smile, suggested, ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, why not stay a few more days? Yunduan will soon be heading to the capital, and being part of the Qiao Family, Old Master can offer you some valuable advice!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Gut I will make sure to visit you and bid farewell before we leave. We have many matters to attend to back home, and it¡¯s best for us to return as soon as possible.¡± When Shao Yunduan declined her invitation, Madame Qiao¡¯s expression stiffened. She exchanged a nce with Qiao Xuan and sighed. ¡®Yunduan, are you upset? Please don¡¯t misunderstand! Old Master and I invited County Niagistrate Yang and his mother as our guests, but it¡¯s purely a social gathering, nothing more.¡± ¡°Xuan has already called off the engagement with County Magistrate Yang, and they have no connection whatsoever. Old Master and I can vouch for that!¡± ¡°Madame Tang cares for Xuan and cares for Junior; that¡¯s the extent of it. It¡¯s all out of concern, nothing more. Please don¡¯t misunderstand her.¡± ¡°Otherwise, Xuan might feel unjustly treated.¡± Officer Qiao didn¡¯t dwell on the matter for too long. Upon hearing Madame Qiao¡¯s words, he suddenly realized that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to reprimand Qiao Xuan while County Magistrate Yang and his mother were visiting. However, no matter what he said, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference. So he nodded with a dignified expression. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. We should never lend credence to baseless rumors and usations.¡¯ Qiao Xuan beamed brightly and sweetly. The two of them yed their parts perfectly, adding fuel to the fire. Their performance was quite professional.
Shao Yunduan remainedposed but shot a nce at the pair. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. I¡¯m not someone who can¡¯t differentiate between what¡¯s important and what¡¯s not. My wife and I are united, and I trust herpletely. I have no interest in those who have no connection to me.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not foolish either! I am the wife of the Provincial Champion, and my husband¡¯s future is promising. I wouldn¡¯t jeopardize my own prospects by getting entangled with someone I¡¯ve never even met. Madame Qiao, you¡¯re overthinking. There¡¯s no need for you to exin yourself like this!¡± Madame Qiao cursed inwardly, her smile faltering slightly. ¡°Indeed! It¡¯s good that Yunduan doesn¡¯t entertain suspicions or indulge in baseless spection.¡± Shao Yunduan affirmed, ¡°No, I have full trust in my wife. It¡¯s not so easy for others to sow discord between us.¡¯ Madame Qiao¡¯s smile turned rigid, her frustration growing. Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Since you trust me this much, I won¡¯t let you down!¡± Madame Qiao now realized that these two were conspiring to mock her! She sneered inwardly. Fine then, what was the point of ttering them? Were they truly that devoted to each other? She would wait and see! She simply couldn¡¯t believe that any man could endure such a situation without harboring resentment! No man could remain unaffected by such a thing! The seed of doubt had been nted in their hearts, and it would inevitably sprout and grow, sooner orter.. Chapter 911: Plan for the Year Chapter 911: n for the Year
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions What was the rush? Madame Qiao could afford to wait! Shao Yunduan held Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands and bid farewell. ¡°Goodbye.¡±
As the two of them left, County Magistrate Qiao expressed his displeasure. ¡°See what trouble you¡¯ve caused? You shouldn¡¯t have brought Xuan here!¡± Madame Qiao scoffed, dismissing the guests. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Let Xuan learn the importance of having her mother¡¯s family. Soon enough, she¡¯ll realize that a husband cannot be relied upon. If you want to maintain your position as the head of the family, you need to see if your maternal family is strong enough.¡± County Magistrate Qiao was rendered speechless, snorting in frustration as he fell into silence. Madame Qiao felt a shiver in her heart. She didn¡¯t know if Qiao Xuan grasped the situation, but she certainly did. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan paid a visit to the Zhang Vige. Ding Erzhu, Ms. Zhou and her husband, as well as Housekeeper Mu, were pleasantly surprised. They warmly weed them into the house. Mrs. Zhou hadpleted her mandatory confinement during the first month of the lunar year. She had returned home and was expected to be back soon. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a few words with them and inspected the families they had acquired before going to inspect thend with Ding Erzhu and Housekeeper Mu. For the time being, the 200 mu of creeping figs was sufficient, and there was no immediate need to open up newnd.
At the tea house, more than 150 mu of golden buds and nearly 70 mu of purple heart tea were thriving, growing exceptionally well. Once the tea leaves were ready for picking this year, they could begin the process. Both the golden buds and purple fragrance teas were highly valued and could fetch a good price. If processed properly, the high-grade dry tea could sell for dozens of yuan or hundreds of taels of silver per catty. Although the yield of these two tea leaves was not high, Qiao Xuan¡¯s wood-elemental abilities had improved both the quality and quantity of the harvest. Just with these two teas alone, their ie for the year would see a significant increase. The tea house would continue to expand its operations this year. Thend had been purchased the previous year, and initial exploration had been conducted. Qiao Xuan instructed Ding Erzhu and Housekeeper Mu to organize the remaining 200 mu ofnd. By the beginning of March, they would transport the tea trees from Shaoding Vige. Both of them agreed to the n. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t spend much time inspecting the remaining 300 mu of fertilend. Housekeeper Mu and his staff were ustomed to managing thend, so they could continue doing so. Since there were plenty of fish but no shrimp at home, the two of them decided to take their time and catch three to four catties ofrge shrimps. They put the shrimp in a bamboo basket and kept it within the confinement before heading home.
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were discussing the nting n with a smile on their faces. With their departure scheduled for mid-February, they had limited time remaining and needed to make aprehensive n to ensure everything was in order. Following the n was rtively straightforward. However, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit down because she wouldn¡¯t be present to use her powers. Although she could individually attend to each nt before leaving, she would still miss the opportunity to use her abilities from time to time. She wondered how the roses, pomegranate flowers, monthly flowers, and cinnabar flowers would bloom this year. She hoped their production wouldn¡¯t decline too rapidly. As soon as Qiao Xuan returned home, the atmosphere became livelier. The scene was filled with joy and activity. The fresh prawns were used to make braised prawns and deep-fried prawn balls. They also steamed a te of preserved fish, caught ten small and medium-sized fish, and cooked a pot of pickled vegetable fish. Additionally, they stir-fried winter bamboo shoots and soybean sprouts, creating a bnce between the rich vors of the fish and meat consumed during the Spring Festival and the inclusion of vegetables.. Chapter 912: Secretly Watched Chapter 912: Secretly Watched
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The following day, the house buzzed with noise and excitement, but Qiao Xuan was busy with her tasks. Her main focus was preparing the tea seeds. Though it was still quite cold outside, the bone-chilling air was gradually fading, and the hint of spring was in the air.
Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t have much time to spare as she had to apany Shao Yunduan to the capital. However, she could manage the cultivation of the seedlings with the help of her superpower. By the end of February and the beginning of March, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan would already have departed from Shaoding Vige. During that time, Butler Mu and Ding Erzhu had dispatched their workers to transnt the tea trees. In addition to the tea trees, Qiao Xuan nned to nt roses, red and blue flowers, pomegranate flowers, and cinnabar flowers. She traveled to Xin Province and sought help from Yuezheng Xiao to purchase the seedlings. These flowers were ideal for making lipstick and were required inrge quantities. Qiao Xuan aimed to expand the field by an additional 200 mu this year. Before she and Shao Yunduan left home, the seedlings could be transported to the vige. Qiao Xuan would use her wood power to protect the seedlings, and Yang Xiaoni and Taotao could be hired to nt them at a steady pace. With a total of 52 beehives, the blooming of the 200 mu of flowers and trees would require a greater amount of beeswax for making lipstick. Therefore, 52 beehives might not be sufficient. As the grass grew and the Centaurea bloomed, the need to separate the beehives became apparent. Fortunately, Qiao Xuan had already taught Taotao and Shao Sang how to share the household provisions. Since Qi and Qiao Xuan were not present, Qiao Xuan repeatedly reminded them not to venture into the mountains in search of pre-existing wild beehives, as it would be unsafe. With 52 beehives at home, not all of them could be shared, but allocating ten should not pose a problem.
Qiao Xuan made it clear that if they ran short of beeswax, it could be omitted. She considered the flowers to be more valuable than the beeswax. Qiao Xuan did not underestimate people¡¯s intelligence. News of the lipstick-making venture would spread quickly, but she anticipated that it would soon be overshadowed by other matters. The first branch of the Shao Family held a prominent position in Shaoding Vige due to their school and the family¡¯snd donations. Moreover, Shao Yunduan¡¯s noble status and his connections with the Yuezheng and Xie families in the province made it unlikely for anyone to plot against them. However, there was someone observing them from the shadows. If people learned about the beeswax purchases, they might draw conclusions based on the shape of the lipstick. Qiao Xuan contemted the idea of monopolizing the market for a few more years, allowing her to amass a fortune. This year, they nned to cultivate up to 200 mu of cassava, which was a straightforward process. They could simply cut and nt it directly. Meanwhile, the others were responsible for tending to the herbs and fruit trees at 500 meters. Before leaving the province, they made sure to visit the papayas and dragon fruits that were nted before the New Year. Unfortunately,rge-scale cultivation of sugarcane, pineapples, and other crops was not feasible this year. Without Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower, even with Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s assistance in transporting a substantial number of seedlings from the south, there was no guarantee of their survival or proper growth.
Before they knew it, the 15th day of the first month had arrived. Following the Lantern Festival, the air was filled with the vibrant essence of spring. These days, the sun was already warm at 500 meters, and diligent families had begun transporting loads of manure into the fields. Qi, Ding Jinshan, and the others gathered in the county city on the first day of February. On the third day of February, they set off northward after assembling people from various counties in the province.. Chapter 913: Qi’s Departure Chapter 913: Qi¡¯s Departure
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The family had made all the necessary preparations for Qi¡¯s departure. Shao Yunduan took some time to read the letter from the Xie Family, while Qiao Xuan handed him 10,000 liang, instructing him to keep it safe and deposit it in the local bank as soon as possible.
Qi expressed her gratitude and eagerly anticipated what the future held. However, as the time for her departure approached, she couldn¡¯t help but feel reluctant to leave home. Ms. Fang, on the other hand, became even more distressed when Qi was away. She grew absent-minded and sighed frequently. Yet, she concealed her emotions well in front of Qi, showing no signs of her inner turmoil. It wasn¡¯t until the day of their departure that Ms. Fang finally couldn¡¯t hold back her tears, embracing Qi tightly. In turn, Qi burst into tears as well. Shao Yunduan, Shao Sang, and Qiao Xuan stepped forward, attempting to console Ms. Fang. Yang Xiaoni and Qiao Xuan provided support as well. Qi performed three kowtows to her mother and Eldest Uncle before getting on the donkey cart with Ding Jinshan. Shao Yunduan and Shao Sang apanied them to the county city. County Magistrate Qiao remained oblivious to the fact that Shao Yunduan¡¯s brother had been enlisted. The county magistrate showed little concern for the recruitment process, trusting that with enough people and the household registration verified by the Grandmaster, he could simply affix the seal and send them to the provincial town. That wouldplete his duty. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan chose not to disclose any information to him. She realized that keeping silent was the best course of action. Madame Qiao was known for using maniptive tactics, and engaging in any form of confrontation would only invite trouble. Therefore, Qi chose to refrain from speaking up. Qi seamlessly blended in with the others and was transported to the provincial capital before heading north. In Qi¡¯s absence, the atmosphere at home became notablyckluster. It felt as if a vital presence was missing, leaving a void in the household. They used to venture into the mountains regrly to hunt and gather resources, always filled with enthusiasm and joy. However, with Qi gone, the idea of going into the mountains no longer crossed their minds.
Even Qiao Xuan, with her extraordinary abilities, couldn¡¯t find the motivation without Qi¡¯s presence. To worsen matters, Ms. Niu, known for her arrogance, took the opportunity to mock them. She approached Ms. Fang with a strange tone, insinuating, ¡°Oh my, Qi will be gone for years once he¡¯s enlisted! Your family used to have an abundance of wild animals, but now they¡¯re all gone! If 1 were you, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed Qi to leave home¡­¡± Ms. Fang grew increasingly irritated by her remarks, eventually driving her out of the house. She firmly retorted, ¡°What does my family¡¯s affairs have to do with you? You¡¯ll never get a share of any wild animals!¡± They were just ordinary people from the n, why did they care? Ms. Niu stormed off in anger, feeling humiliated by the encounter. Meanwhile, Ms. Yan chose to keep her distance, knowing it was futile to reason with Ms. Niu. She was well aware of Ms. Niu¡¯s personality and understood that engaging with her would only lead to more trouble. It was best to avoid her altogether. The departure of Qi had left a somber mood among the members of the first section of the family. Their frustrations found an outlet in the form of venting their anger at others. A few dayster, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan prepared to leave home and make their way to the capital. If Shao Yunduan sessfully passed the intermediate examination, he intended to return home. While his family might be reluctant to part with him, they would undoubtedly shower him with congrattions. Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle did their best tofort Shao Yunduan, assuring him not to be overly nervous and emphasizing that regardless of the oue, everyone was eagerly awaiting his return home.. Chapter 914: Not Hearing Chapter 914: Not Hearing
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The Land Officer, Elder Men, and many vigers gathered to bid farewell to Shao Yunduan, offering their well-wishes and blessings. Their hopes were vested in Shao Yunduan¡¯s sess in the intermediate examination. Being from the same family and vige, his achievements would bring benefits not only to himself but also to the entiremunity. With an Advanced Schr Old Master and an officer within their ranks, neighboring viges would think twice before bullying their vigers.
However, Third Uncle, though present, remained distant and appeared visibly displeased. Hisck of involvement was noticeable. Ms. Ma, who typically enjoyed spectacles, was conspicuously absent, along with Shao Ling. Even Third Uncle¡¯s presence seemed solely due to his reputation. The third section of the family was seethed with anger. Shao Ling¡¯s failure to pass the intermediate examination had fostered resentment toward the first section of the family. He believed they had let him down. Shao Ling had undergone a transformation, striving harder than before. Yet, the presence of Shao Yunduan in the capital still affected him, leading to frequent bouts of irritability and temper tantrums. Third Uncle and Ms. Ma were deeply concerned about Shao Lings state. One day, Ms. Ma attempted to console Shao Ling, but before she could mention Shao Yunduan¡¯s name, she was abruptly interrupted by his outburst. Shao Lings frustrations reached a boiling point. His emotional turmoil escted as Shao Yunduan drew closer to the capital, rendering him unable to control his own emotions. Both Third Uncle and Ms. Ma were genuinely concerned and fearful for Shao Lings well-being. They tiptoed around any mention of Shao Yunduan or the first section of the family, as if walking on eggshells. As a result, Shao Lings resentment toward the first section of the family grew even stronger.
Additionally, a few days ago, Shao Meizhi and her husband had returned home, proposing a business partnership with the first section of the family. However, the family outright rejected their offer, suspecting them of trying to swindle their money. They were deemed miserly in their response. This incident further fueled Shao Lings animosity. When the entire and was ounted for, it became evident that Ms. Ma and Third Uncle held a growing aversion toward the first section of the family. Just wait and see! Ms. Ma believed that her hardworking son would eventually surpass Shao Yunduan in the future. At that point, the Shao Family and Shao Yunduan would have to fear them. Upon arriving in the county city, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan made a visit to the Qiao Family. County Magistrate Qiao enthusiastically insisted that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan should stay at the office for the night. Having eaten breakfast at home and bid farewell to their family and vigers, they arrived at a location not faraway from the county city, where they would spend the night before continuing their journey to the province. Although County Magistrate Qiao tried his best to persuade them to stay, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a nce and agreed. Since they were on the same side, there was no need to separate men and women during dinner. County Magistrate Qiao was in high spirits at the dinner table, wearing a bright smile as he urged Shao Yunduan to drink with him and provided him with advice for the journey ahead. He even mentioned that he would write a letter that night and hand it to Shao Yunduan the next morning. He assured him that upon reaching the capital, he could rely on the Qiao Family¡¯s support.
Shao Yunduan responded perfunctorily, but in reality, he had no intention of seeking assistance from the Qiao Family. He found his father-inw quite intriguing. If County Magistrate Qiao was genuinely willing to offer the letter, why hadn¡¯t he prepared it in advance? Why was he writing it for him that very night? After dinner, County Magistrate Qiao invited Shao Yunduan to his study, iming that he would provide more detailed information. However, Madame Qiao stopped Qiao Xuan before she could join them. ¡°Shao Yunduan will only have one pageboy to assist him while he is in the capital, and that won¡¯t be sufficient.. Should you assign Lixia or Liqiu to apany him?¡± Chapter 915: Unsage Chapter 915: Unsage
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who apanies him. It¡¯s just a maid who might not be the most refined. The capital is different from other ces, and he might be a subject of ridicule! I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to see him beingughed at, do you?¡± Madame Qiao remarked with concern. Qiao Xuan struggled to contain herughter, finding Madame Qiao¡¯s pretentious behavior amusing. ¡°I¡¯m sure you must havee up with a brilliant idea for us, right?¡±
Madame Qiao felt a twinge of unease as she sneered. ¡°Of course, as your elders, it¡¯s our duty to make ns for you.¡± She shot a meaningful nce at Qiao Xuan. Soon, Auntie Ling appeared with a beautiful 16-year-old girl who possessed a slender waist and delicate shoulders. ¡°Greetings, Madame!¡± the girl greeted with a soft and seductive voice. Her allure and charm were evident the moment she spoke. Dressed in apricot-colored attire, her slender waist added to her captivating appearance. Qiao Xuan understood what was happening. Before Madame Qiao could say anything, Qiao Xuan smiled and said, ¡°Are you the maid and concubine that Madame Qiao has prepared for my husband? How thoughtful of you!¡¯ Madame Qiao wore a proud expression, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. ¡°Since you already understand that so clearly, there¡¯s no need for me to say more. This girl is genuinely kind and considerate. You can rest assured that she will serve you well.¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had deliberately kept their ns of bringing her to the capital a secret from County Magistrate Qiao and Madame Qiao. However, Qiao Xuan had no intention of revealing anything yet, so she responded with a smile, ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Madame Qiao sneered, her voiceced with disdain. ¡°That would mean he is not a good man. Shao Yunduan treats you well, but you are dissatisfied, aren¡¯t you? Yet, he is the Provincial Champion with a promising future ahead of him. He will have many people vying for his attention. Yinxing is insignificant, and you can¡¯t bear it anymore, can you? There wille a time when you won¡¯t be able to endure it any longer!¡¯
¡°Compared to other family backgrounds, Yinxing is a gift from your mother¡¯s side. If we stand together, we should be superior to others! Do you understand what your mother¡¯s family can do for you?¡± ¡°When a woman gets married and her son grows up to be a sessful man, who else can she rely on but her maternal rtives? As long as your mother¡¯s family supports you, your husband won¡¯t be able to threaten your position, no matter how sessful he bes or how many concubines he takes. Only then can you elevate your status and be an esteemed couple! Otherwise, you¡¯ll be disregarded and subjected to torment.¡± ¡°Qiao Xuan, do you finally understand?¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s disdain towards her didn¡¯t bother Madame Qiao. She was determined to do so, though Qiao Xuan despised her. ¡°What you¡¯ve grasped now,¡± Qiao Xuan replied with a smile, ¡°doesn¡¯t change my decision to disregard your suggestions. Don¡¯t waste your efforts.¡± ¡®Qiao Xuan, you are truly foolish!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my prerogative,¡± ¡°You! Fine then, let¡¯s see what befalls you when you face ruin!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled in response. ¡°We¡¯ll see soon enough. Just because you failed doesn¡¯t mean others will. You used to suffer, but now you¡¯re trying to impose it on me. Madame Qiao, you¡¯ve crafted a splendid n!¡¯ ¡°If Yinxing is such a fine girl, why don¡¯t you take her as a concubine for your daughter¡¯s husband once she gets married?¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Madame Qiao snapped.
Madame Qiao erupted in anger, her gaze fixed on Qiao Xuan. How could QiaoXuan bepared to her own daughter? Her daughter shouldn¡¯t endure such humiliation! ¡°That is not for you to decide.. Auntie Ling, bring Yinxing to the study of the Old Master and ensure she serves Second Miss! husband diligently!¡± Chapter 916: Born Chapter 916: Born
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Madame Qiao made the order as she was standing in front of her. ¡°Okay, Madame Qiao,¡± Auntie Ling responded, her face devoid of emotion. She didn¡¯t even spare a nce at Qiao Xuan as she led away the captivating Yinxing, who exuded an irresistible charm.
Yinxing observed the heated exchange between Madame Qiao and Qiao Xuan, maintaining herposure. She even cast a seductive nce at Qiao Xuan, her smile filled with sweetness. Qiao Xuan returned her gaze and marveled at Madame Qiao¡¯s discerning eye. Where did she discover such a remarkable talent? Yinxing possessed an extraordinary mental fortitude. It seemed as though Yinxing was destined to be this way, born with these qualities. Madame Qiao must have invested significant effort to acquire such a woman. Madame Qiao also felt a deep sense of satisfaction. She pondered the diverse range of skills possessed by Second Mrs. Yuezheng, recognizing that ordinary individuals would struggle to secure someone like Yinxing. She firmly believed that a woman like Yinxing could easily bring dovvn Shao Yunduan, who had recently received a promotion. Madame Qiao, who had been closely observing Qiao Xuan, was taken aback when Auntie Ling whisked Yinxing away. She couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°l thought you would try to stop me.¡± Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows. ¡°Why should I stop you?¡± ¡°True, you can¡¯t stop them.¡± Qiao Xuan got up. ¡°Nothing else, I am going back to my room to take a break.¡±
She had the power to intervene if she wished, but she didn¡¯t need to. She might not be able to stop her, but her husband certainly could! If her husband couldn¡¯t resist such a minor temptation and couldn¡¯t resolve this trivial issue, then she had little hope for him. The path ahead was long, and this was just the beginning. Madame Qiao stared at her and spoke coldly, ¡°I will arrange for someone to escort you back to your room. Rest well and refrain from causing any trouble!¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m ttered that you¡¯re so afraid of me!¡± Madame Qiao red. If you don¡¯t know how to speak, then it¡¯s best to stay silent! It was no wonder Madame Qiao held such disdain for Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan retreated to her room and awaited Shao Yunduan¡¯s return. She had confidence in herself and in Shao Yunduan, but she still felt a twinge of worry and unease. What if¡­ Liqiu and Lixia exchanged worried nces.
¡°Young Madame, what if I go out and check on the study?¡± Lixia suggested. Qiao Xuan turned to Lixia and smiled. ¡°And what if you stumble upon something you shouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Lixia hesitated, feeling a sense of panic. Indeed, what would happen? She was just a maid, with no control over the actions of the household¡¯s master. ¡°Young Madame, I have faith in Fifth Master. He treats you so well. Yinxing is not a good person. Fifth Master will surely ignore her!¡± ¡°True!¡± Liqiu and Lixia chimed in, attempting to console Qiao Xuan. During moments of anxiety, words offort provided sce. Even if they knew it wasn¡¯t entirely practical, it still brought a sense of warmth and reassurance to their hearts. Qiao Xuan felt a slight sense of relief, her smile returning. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. My husband will never disappoint me. It¡¯s gettingte now, you can go and rest..¡± Chapter 917: Stunning World Chapter 917: Stunning World
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were never required to be on night duty. Normally, Lixia and Liqiu would have already retired to their rooms for a break at this hour. The two maids exchanged a nce, unsure of what to do.
Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Just go, I¡¯ll wait for my husband.¡± Her tone dripped with disdain. With nothing to discuss or attend to in Shao Yunduan¡¯s absence, what was the point of staying there? Lixia and Liqiu smiled and departed. As the night wore on, Qiao Xuan sat quietly under the soft glow of the light, eagerly awaiting Shao Yunduan¡¯s return and the future they envisioned together. That was the sight that greeted Shao Yunduan as he pushed open the door. In the dim, yellow light, there sat a woman radiating grace and tenderness. She turned at the sound of his entrance, an immediate smile gracing her face. Her paleplexion seemed to glow, and her eyes sparkled with brightness. She rose to her feet, her waist slender and her eyes shimmering. Like a peony blossoming under the moon, she exuded elegance. Shao Yunduan stood awestruck by the scene before him. ¡°Darling!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart melted, and he rushed forward, stumbling slightly.
Having consumed a fair amount of alcohol to ensure his father-inw got drunk, he was now feeling a bit intoxicated. Qiao Xuan¡¯s spirits lifted upon seeing him finally return. She had not been mistaken about him! But upon closer inspection, this man appeared far from normal¡ªtongue-tied and stumbling. He resembled a man under the influence. Qiao Xuan greeted him and assisted him in getting up, immediately detecting the strong scent of alcohol, which she didn¡¯t particrly appreciate. Nevertheless, a surge of happiness filled her heart. Guiding him to a seat, she asked, ¡°How much have you had to drink? Are you feeling ufortable?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine!¡± Shao Yunduan replied, seated on the couch and leaning against her. He smiled and said, ¡°Officer Qiao drank even more!¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help butugh and sigh simultaneously. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about him. I¡¯ll get you some water. Drink some water and let¡¯s go to bed. We can talk in the morning.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Shao Yunduan mumbled, still relying on Qiao Xuan for support. He seemed quite intoxicated. He had been struggling to stay awake, but upon seeing his wife, his vignce waned, and he gradually sumbed to the effects of the alcohol. Qiao Xuan guided him to the bed. ¡°Darling, wake up. Let me help you lie down.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded drowsily, briefly opened his eyes to nce at Qiao Xuan, then lowered his head, allowing her to guide him forward. Once he was lying down, he grasped onto Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands and muttered, ¡°Darling, I didn¡¯t pay any attention to that woman. I didn¡¯t do anything to betray you¡­¡±
Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart melted, and she couldn¡¯t help but break into a bright smile. ¡°Really? That woman is so beautiful. You don¡¯t find her appealing?¡± ¡°Darling¡­ beautiful¡­ I like¡­¡± he trailed off, closing his eyes, his breathing deep and steady. It was evident he had fallen asleep. Looking at him, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t contain herughter. She yfully pinched his cheek. It was incredibly easy to pinch. Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively nced around before leaning down and nting a quick kiss on his cheek.. Chapter 918: Sleep Chapter 918: Sleep
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushing with warmth. She couldn¡¯t help but cover her face with her hands, feeling a mix of embarrassment and delight. How could she have done such a thing?
Slowly removing her hands from her face, she found herself stealing another nce at the man beside her. A sweet shyness enveloped her, apanied by a sense of pride. How could her man be so amazing? Lost in her own thoughts, Qiao Xuan pondered for a moment before deciding to fetch some water. Once the intoxicated man had been given half a cup of warm Xuvater, Qiao Xuan settled down beside him. With concerns about Shao Yunduan¡¯s potential difort from the alcohol and their uing journey the following morning, Qiao Xuan held his hands and gradually transferred her own superpower into his body, bit by bit. Since her superpower had the ability to detoxify and unblock meridians, perhaps it could help eliminate the effects of the wine. It couldn¡¯t hurt to try, after all. Madame Qiao¡¯s men had been monitoring Qiao Xuan¡¯s whereabouts for half the night. Seeing that she hadn¡¯t left or caused any trouble, Madame Qiao felt reassured. Qiao Xuan held little significance in her own domain. She was merely a sharp-tongued woman¡ªwhat else could she possibly do? Satisfied with her decision, Madame Qiao drifted into a deep sleep. She instructed two elderly women to keep watch over Qiao Xuan¡¯s residence. However, despite it being mid-February with the sun shining brightly during the day, the nights remained chilly.
The wind blew, and Qiao Xuan shivered in the brisk air. Given Madame Qiao¡¯s confidence and the fact that they were only assigned to keep an eye on Qiao Xuan, the two elderly women decided not to endure the entire night in the cold winds outside her courtyard. The couple spent some time together before returning to bed. At such ate hour, everyone was fast asleep, and Second Miss had no intention of leaving the house again. Thus, they missed the sight of Shao Yunduan¡¯s return home. The backyard of the county office remained peaceful throughout the night. The next morning, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan woke up. Shao Yunduan was pleasantly surprised to see Qiao Xuan¡¯s gentle smile, which made him even happier. He rubbed his forehead, feeling a sense of well-being and vitality. Qiao Xuan had worried that she might wake up feeling unwell or dizzy after having too much to drink the previous night. However, she felt perfectly fine¡ªno difort at all. He felt both relieved and amazed, realizing that he had underestimated his tolerance for alcohol. It turned out that he could handle his drink quite well. ¡°Irrespective of everything, it is gettingte, and we must depart soon!¡± Qiao Xuan chose not to bring up Yinxing, as her husband had returned home alone, indicating that nothing had transpired. There was no need to mention it. However, Shao Yunduan feltpelled to exin. ¡°Oh, by the way,st
¡°¡­I had no other option but to get Officer Qiao drunk so that Miss Yinxing could stay and take care of him¡­¡± ¡°What? Ah!¡± Qiao Xuan was taken aback. She quickly covered her mouth, bursting intoughter and wearing a bright smile. ¡°Darling, you are so clever! Hahaha!¡± She had misunderstood the situation.. She had assumed her husband would refuse the gingko, but instead, he declined it and gave it to Officer Qiao! Chapter 919: Hated Chapter 919: Hated
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions When Madame Qiao found out about this, there would undoubtedly be a spectacle to witness. Qiao Xuan wondered if Madame Qiao would seek help from her own family to address the situation.
It seemed that karma had caught up with them swiftly. And Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Observing Qiao Xuan¡¯s cheerful smile, Shao Yunduan also smiled. ¡°Darling, should we leave the Qiao Family as soon as possible?¡± Qiao Xuan paused herughter and pondered for a moment before shaking her head with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s stay and enjoy the show! I¡¯m eager to see how my birth mother reacts!¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Alright!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but feel repulsed. ¡°We can¡¯t just let them off the hook!¡± Shao Yunduan was truly at a loss for words. He despised Yinxing, who was casting provocative looks at him. In his eyes, such a woman was nothing more than shameless,cking self-respect. The sight of them made him feel utterly disgusted. He hadn¡¯t liked it when his father-inw asked Yinxing to drink with him, but he didn¡¯t think he had the authority to intervene. However, when his father-inw instructed Yinxing to serve him, he firmly refused. Yet his father-inw merely smiled and imed it was a concubine he was offering him. He persistently insisted on bringing Yinxing to the capital, stating it would be a great honor to do so.
It was absolutely repulsive! Despite repeatedly rejecting the proposition, his father-inw believed he was pretending and continued to insist on bestowing Yinxing upon him. That shameless Yinxing attempted to sit beside him with a flirtatious smile, but he pushed her away, unable to bear it. But she continued to pester him with a shameless smile. Shao Yunduan sneered inwardly ¨C he pretended to spill wine on his clothes, and took the opportunity to scold Yinxing, ming her for not serving her well. He even forced her to leave the table and kneel down to reflect. Yinxing was a talent in this field. She apologized with tears in her eyes and did not defend herself. She knew that she was just a ything, and it did not matter if she was right or wrong. What mattered was that if her master said that she was wrong, then she was wrong. If she apologized and begged for forgiveness, her mistress would forgive her out of guilt. And if she defended herself, she would make her mistress even more furious. But was Shao Yunduan someone who would feel guilty and forgive her? Of course not! Shao Yunduan ordered her to kneel down, so she had no choice but to do so.
County Magistrate Qiao smiled and told Shao Yunduan not to me the beauty. She knew that she was wrong, but that did not make Shao Yunduan soften his heart. County Magistrate Qiao said nothing more. He believed that Shao Yunduan was just opening gambit to take someone notch down, establishing an imposing air or advantageous position for oneself. Shao Yunduan tried to get County Magistrate drunk. Shao Yunduan asked Yinxing to get up and helped County Magistrate Qiao to lie down. Then he said to Yinxing coldly, ¡°You can choose to be County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s concubine. With your abilities, it should not be difficult for you to survive in the Qiao Family¡¯s backyard. You can also choose to follow me, but I will turn you down. I can turn you down, and even if 1 can¡¯t turn you down, I will ruin your face and feed you a bowl of soup that determines your pregnancy whatsoever. Think about it! ¡± Yinxing felt as if she had fallen into an ice cer. She felt cold all over. Her charming face turned pale. She had thought that with her looks, figure and skills, Shao Yunduan could be taken down easily.. Chapter 920: Absurd Chapter 920: Absurd
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions But as Yinxing gazed into Shao Yunduan¡¯s cold and emotionless eyes, and felt the lingering ache in her legs from kneeling for over half an hour, she couldn¡¯t doubt the sincerity in his words. Every word he spoke was true. He truly had no interest in her.
Yinxing felt a mix of fear and disbelief swirling within her. Despite knowing it was inappropriate, she couldn¡¯t resist asking Shao Yunduan, ¡°Fifth Master, what is wrong with me? Why¡­¡± Yinxing boldly posed this question, her charm and pitiful demeanor on full disy. Shao Yunduan remained unmoved, his tone icy as he replied, ¡°There is nothing appealing about you.¡± Did she think that every man in the world would be captivated by her? How absurd! In his eyes, she was nothing more than an alluring yet hollow woman. Even if a man imed to like her, he would ultimately treat her as a mere ything. Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t even bother topare her to his wife, for she wasn¡¯t worthy of being mentioned in the same breath. Yinxing felt a surge of displeasure, but she refrained from asking any further. She knew there was nothing to gain from pressing him. This man wasn¡¯t lying about his dislike for her. For the first time, Yinxing felt a deep sense of shame when facing a man. She clenched her teeth and shifted her attention to County Magistrate Qiao, whoy unconscious on the couch.
That was her only option. If she couldn¡¯t be County Magistrate¡¯s woman tonight, Madame Qiao would ensure she had no chance at all. Madame Qiao would seek to destroy her. County Magistrate Qiao, although a minor official and advancing in age, at least offered some prospect of being a part of the family. Yinxing, young and beautiful, would always have a ce by his side. It was better than having no future and remaining in ignorance. Shao Yunduan observed Yinxings gaze as she turned to County Magistrate Qiao, and he remained indifferent. Unable to resist, Yinxing asked, ¡°Fifth Master, do you look down on me?¡± She maintained her pitiful demeanor, appearing even weaker and sadder than before, eliciting sympathy from men. Yinxing had a calcted n. If Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t help but soften his heart, she would notice and throw herself into his arms, weeping and pleading forfort. The oue would then be entirely different. However, Shao Yunduan merely cast a peculiar look at her and responded, ¡°Why should I look down on you?¡± Yinxing found herself at a loss for words.
She understood Shao Yunduan¡¯s implication: ¡°Who are you to me? What significance do you hold in my life? Your actions are your own concern. Why should I look down on you?¡± Bitterness filled Yinxings smile, stirring a whirlwind of emotions within her. It didn¡¯t feel pleasant. She had assumed that all men were alike, but that assumption was proven wrong.. Chapter 921: Get Out Chapter 921: Get Out
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions At that moment, a surge of jealousy washed over Yinxing. She couldn¡¯t help but feel envious of Qiao Xuan¡¯s fortunate circumstances. Soon after, Shao Yunduan departed.
He had no curiosity about what transpired in the room after he left. All he knew was that he needed to return to his wife promptly. The alcohol he consumed weighed heavily on him, causing a slight dizziness he could no longer tolerate. After Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan finished freshening up, they went to bid farewell to Madame Qiao. County Magistrate Qiao remained asleep in the study. Madame Qiao was pleased to learn they hade to say their goodbyes, but when they stood before her as if nothing had happened, she furrowed her brow. ¡°Where is Yinxing? Xuan, now that Yinxing has be Yunduan¡¯s woman, you should treat her well and fulfill your duties as a proper wife!¡± ¡°Madame Qiao, please refrain from making baseless assumptions.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡®Yinxing may have be my father¡¯s new concubine. Madame Qiao, you can send someone to the study to confirm. As a proper wife, I assure you 1 will treat Concubine Yinxing with kindness.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Madame Qiao¡¯s heart sank as she red at the couple. Shao Yunduan spoke up, ¡°l drank excessivelyst night, so I retired to my room. Yinxing is tending to my father-inw in the study.¡± Madame Qiao remained speechless. A chill ran down Madame Qiao¡¯s spine. ¡°Fine, fine! How dare you!¡¯ Qiao Xuan responded calmly, ¡°If my father fancies her, let him keep her. It¡¯s pleasant to have a beautiful concubine by his side, providingfort and delight. You needn¡¯t worry about my husband. I will keep himpany in the capital.¡±
Madame Qiao. ¡°Just leave!¡± Madame Qiao stormed out in anger, paying no attention to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan as she made her way straight to Officer Qiao¡¯s study. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged nces and chuckled. Qiao Xuan spoke, ¡°Seems like nobody has the time to entertain us. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± The two of them departed from the county office¡¯s backyard, leaving the scattered chicken feathers behind. ¡­County Magistrate Qiao basked in satisfaction after the night¡¯s events. He felt rejuvenated, as if he had shed a decade¡¯s worth of burden in a single night. The feeling was invigorating. County Magistrate Qiao woke up at dawn and immediately understood the reason for his elevated spirits. He had held his alcohol well and hadn¡¯t passed out the previous day. Madame Qiao stormed to the door, her anger palpable, nearly startling County Magistrate Qiao. It was about to be quite lively.
Madame Qiao¡¯s fury reached its peak, leading to a heated argument with County Magistrate Qiao and a desperate attempt to harm Yinxing. Initially, County Magistrate had harbored a hint of guilt, but Madame Qiao¡¯s words kindled an intense rage within him. While he respected Madame Qiao as the matriarch, it didn¡¯t grant her free rein to act as she pleased.. Chapter 922: Unwilling Chapter 922: Unwilling
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions County Magistrate Qiao, frustrated with the situation, snapped at Madame Qiao instead. Madame Qiao found herself powerless against Yinxing, who enjoyed the protection of her husband.
Yinxing knew that her sole supporter was County Magistrate Qiao. After what she had done to Madame Qiao, she suspected that Madame Qiao wanted her dead. Yinxing was no Concubine Du. She possessed youth, beauty, and a cunning nature. In a calcted move, she l,vept before County Magistrate Qiao, feigning weakness and eliciting his pity. County Magistrate Qiao, having finally found such a captivating woman, refused to relinquish the pleasure he had been denied for so long. Furthermore, Qiao Xuan¡¯s revtions had dispelled any illusions he held about his wife¡¯s virtuousness. Therefore, he took precautions and ensured the safety of Concubine Yinxing. Madame Qiao¡¯s annoyance grew to unprecedented levels. She was consumed by anger. Her fury was so intense that she contemted sabotaging her own position. She refused to give up until she dealt with Yinxing. However, time and again, she failed in her endeavors. Thus, County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s household became a hotbed of tension and conflict. His wife and concubine engaged in heated battles. Concubine Du took pleasure in Madame Qiao¡¯s misfortune. Although she couldn¡¯t openly act against Madame Qiao, she constantly fed information to Concubine Xing, further exacerbating Madame Qiao¡¯s distress. Madame Qiao directed her anger towards Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, attempting to take it out on the innocent members of the Shao Family.
However, County Magistrate Qiao remained vignt. Madame Qiao found it difficult to exert her authority in the governmental office, and not everyone in the household obeyed hermands. No sooner had she given an order than County Magistrate Qiao was informed of her actions. County Magistrate held on to hope for Shao Yunduan and was determined to prevent any offense against him. Madame Qiao had only Auntie Ling and a few trusted men by her side. However, their expedition to Shaoding Vige yielded no advantage. The Land Officer would handle matters concerning the first section of the Shao Family. Before their departure, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan shared a few additional details with Ms. Fang. Auntie Ling had no intention of deceiving anyone. Madame Qiao grew increasingly infuriated. Unable to find an outlet for her anger, she caught a cold and fell ill. In May, when County Magistrate Qiao traveled to the capital, he was still unwell.
The County Magistrate even suggested that she stay in the county to recover, with Qiao Wei taking care of her. They could join him in the capital once she regained her health. However, before he could finish speaking, Madame Qiao snapped at him. Madame Qiao persistently referred to Concubine Xing as a derogatory term, likely an idea nted by Concubine Xing herself. She continued to curse County Magistrate Qiao. She was adamant about not staying behind with her daughter for recuperation. Clenching her teeth, she resolved to apany them to the capital. Things began to improve as they journeyed onward Her condition improved slightly, but her body was weakening. Fatigue had taken its toll, leaving hercking energy and frayed nerves. Qiao Xuan was taken aback the next time he saw her. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan reached the province in the evening and settled in at the Yuezheng Family¡¯s residence. Aware that their arrival was imminent, First Madame had already made arrangements for their amodations. She held genuine affection for Qiao Xuan, and if Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan treated her as an outsider, it would deeply hurt her. They spent three days in the province, during which Qiao Xuan and Yuezheng
Xiao decided to purchase tea leaves, snow fungus, and lipsticks. Yuezheng Xiao could arrange for someone to directly buy these items from Shaoding Vige.. Chapter 923: Kindness Chapter 923: Kindness
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions As the days grew warmer, the dessert stores¡¯ business was bound to improve. With fresh cassava powder, creeping figs, dragon fruits, papayas, and other fruits, along with a sufficient supply of fresh milk from the Xie Family, the business was poised to flourish. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t oversee this matter, so Yuezheng Xiao had to take charge of it.
Qiao Xuan went to inspect the dragon fruits and papayas that were nted at the end of the previous year. Thanks to the mild winter, the papayas had begun sprouting leaves, while the dragon fruits looked healthy and green. Having endured the winter without any frost, they had thrived. Qiao Xuan utilized her superpower to help them gather energy and vitality, ensuring that they would sprout leaves and bear fruit as the weather turned warmer. By the time she and Shao Yunduan returned from the capital, the papayas and dragon fruits should be bearing fruit in abundance, shouldn¡¯t they? Regrettably, sugarcane and pineapples couldn¡¯t be nted this year. However, the blooming and fruit-bearing potential of lychees, longans, and mangoes depended on this year. If they flourished, they could be nted on arger scale next year, and by then, sugarcane and pineapples could also be cultivated. Especially sugarcane, which could be used to make sugar. Within her space cabin, the system could identify the most advanced sugar-making processes and the necessary tools and equipment, offering yet another way to generate quick ie! Three dayster, the caravan set off for the capital. Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, Lixia, Liqiu, and Songshi were apanied by Shao Yunduan¡¯s friends, Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou, who were also rmended men. They would travel together, providing mutual support andpanionship in the capital. Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou were already aware of Shao Yunduan¡¯s close rtionship with the wealthy Yuezheng Family, the young master of the Xie Family, and the prosperous Shao Family. They were astounded. They hadn¡¯t anticipated having such a powerful ally by their side.
Shao Yunduan appeared to maintain a low profile. Rather than feeling envious of Shao Yunduan, Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou admired him. They recognized that Shao Yunduan came from a respectable family and possessed admirable qualities of being advanced, modest, and gentle. They couldn¡¯t help but admire him. Their admiration for Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t based solely on his wealth; they continued to hang out with him as they had before. A genuine appreciation grew between them. Shao Yunduan had a keen eye for choosing his friends. However, if Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were to learn that Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou saw Shao Yunduan as a low-profile rich man¡¯s son, they would find it amusing and bewildering. Those words held no truth in their rtionship! On the day of their departure, First Madame bid them farewell alongside Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. First Madame couldn¡¯t help but grasp Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands, advising her not to be afraid of any troubles she might encounter. She asked Qiao Xuan to ry a message to the northwest, where the Yuezheng Family¡¯s store was located. It was not too far from the capital, and it might prove helpful. Qiao Xuan felt deeply moved. With a smile, she expressed her gratitude and asked First Madame to take care of herself as well. The caravan was led by a boss named Tang.
Observing the high regard shown to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan by the Yuezheng Family and the Xie Family, Boss Tang developed even greater respect for them.. They all treated the rmended men and the older masters with reverence, as if they were their own ancestors Chapter 924: To the Capital Chapter 924: To the Capital
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, Lu Niin, and Gu Zhiyou were not arrogant individuals. On the contrary, they were kind-hearted and did not want to burden others with their presence. They covered their own expenses for food and amodation, ensuring they didn¡¯t take advantage of the caravan. Instead, they would stop for a day and a half upon reachingrge towns, purchasing local specialties like candied fruits, fried goods, pastries, roasted chicken, and braised meat to treat everyone.
Qiao Xuan even instructed Lixia, Liqiu, and Songshi to distribute red packets to every member of the caravan based on the position of the rmended men and older masters. They gave the most to Boss Tang, with 30 liang, and at least 2 liang to theborers, considering it a symbol of good luck. The caravan members were delighted to see their generosity, which led to a significant improvement in friendliness and camaraderie. Initially, some individuals expressed concerns about the schrs joining the caravan, fearing they would be burdened with additional responsibilities. However, all such worries vanished. Boss Tang and the other leaders felt a deep sense of gratitude and even treated them to two meals at a restaurant to express their guilt. Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou privately expressed their gratitude to Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, praising them for their thoughtfulness. They even proposed gathering together. Without the support and consideration of Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to enjoy such freedom during the journey. The trip was remarkably rxing. Merchants differed from businessmen. Merchants could simply wait in their shops for customers to arrive, while businessmen had to travel long distances and sleep under the open sky. Each journey was challenging, so they made efforts to carry as many goods as possible. Consequently, they didn¡¯t travel at a fast pace. Fortunately, the caravan was well-established, and they had predetermined ces to eat and rest along their route. Shao Yunduan estimated that they would reach the State of Zheng by early March. At that point, their journey with the caravan woulde to an end.
From the northern part of the State of Zheng, the official road was wide and smooth, without any remote areas to traverse. They could hire a few individuals from the State Zheng wagonpany to apany them for the final stretch, reaching the capital in just three or four days. The spring examination was scheduled forte April, allowing them ample time for adjustments. Their sess in the spring examination did not hinge on their current pace. They were already well-prepared. During their leisurely journey, they could engage in reading, discuss various articles, and work on their drafts within the confines of the wagon. Everyone remained calm, engaging in conversations andughter without any sense of urgency. Qiao Xuan eagerly anticipated the trip. It was her first time embarking on such a long journey, and she didn¡¯t feel the need to rush. Instead, she embraced the scenic views along the way, relishing the experience that expanded her horizons. Being seasoned businesspeople, they had encountered many things in their line of work. They shared stories about customs and interesting incidents they had witnessed over the past few years. While they didn¡¯t take everything too seriously, it was still highly intriguing. Qiao Xuan disyed a genuine interest in their tales. After leaving the province, they traveled for four consecutive days. Besides staying at the finest hotel, they pushed forward until they reached a bustling and vibrant town. They intended to stay in this town for a day to replenish their supplies and exchange goods. The members of the caravan enthusiastically introduced them to the town¡¯s unique delicacies and captivating sights, inviting them to explore and indulge. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and eagerly anticipated savoring the local culinary delights. Sensing the couple¡¯s enthusiasm, Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou smiled understandingly and discreetly left them alone..
Chapter 925: Potato Discovered Chapter 925: Potato Discovered
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Despite having limited time, they managed to explore the town thoroughly within a day. Shao Yunduan apanied Qiao Xuan to visit the local markets, including the flower and bird markets, as well as the dry goods markets. In return, Qiao Xuan apanied him to browse through the bookstores.
During lunchtime, they dined at a restaurant where the roasted chicken and an unfamiliar fish dish stood out for their exceptional vors. Qiao Xuan also stumbled upon some unique glutinous rice and flour-based cakes, which were a noveltypared to what she had encountered in the province. She purchased some and shared them with Lixia and the others. One thing that left Qiao Xuan feeling a tinge of regret was theck of new items in the market, and the limited expansion possibilities for small vegetable fields and orchards at the moment. However, her confidence remained unwavering¡ªshe was certain they woulde across new opportunities along their journey. As expected, during the subsequent part of their journey, Qiao Xuan managed to acquire several varieties of vegetables and fruit trees. They obtained different types of peppers, beans, loofahs, and various vegetables. Additionally, there were peaches, grapes, persimmons, and roses of different varieties. While finding these items wasn¡¯t particrly difficult, Qiao Xuan had to figure out how to store them in the space behind Shao Yunduan¡¯s back. That day, they spent the night in a small town just two days away from the State of Zheng. Since there were no suitable amodations ahead, they decided not to continue their journey, even though they had arrived in the town earlier than expected. Coincidentally, two businessmen announced that they had two boxes of rare goods from overseas avable for purchase at an affordable price. They emphasized that this was the only store offering such goods before they passed the vige. This announcement piqued a lot of interest among the crowd Qiao Xuan initially had doubts about the authenticity of the goods, but an employee from the caravan informed them that the two businessmen must have acquired the rare items through illicit means and were discreetly selling them in this inconspicuous location.
Such urrences were not umon. Most of the items were genuine, and the prices were reasonable. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan became curious and decided to observe the spectacle. The two boxes contained a wide array of items, ranging from jewelry with damaged gemstones, fans, bead bracelets, knives, incense, perfumes, wooden carvings, tea leaves, handkerchiefs, to beautiful conch shells, and more. Many people were squatting on the ground, meticulously sifting through the merchandise and haggling over prices. Qiao Xuan found the scene intriguing but refrained from making any purchases. However, her attention was immediately captivated when one of the businessmen pulled out a roll wrapped in yellow paper from his pocket and began to eat it. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the sight. To her astonishment, the rolls were filled with meat and vegetables, including shredded potatoes! Qiao Xuan had been searching for potatoes and sweet potatoes for quite some time. Yuezheng Xiao had even sent his men to inquire in the south, but they had found no leads. Qiao Xuan had been patient, but she hadn¡¯t expected toe across them so easily. Unable to contain her excitement, Qiao Xuan whispered to Shao Yunduan, expressing her desire to obtain the rolls. In response, Shao Yunduan approached the businessman and inquired about the contents of the roll, mentioning that it looked appetizing.
Upon hearing Shao Yunduan¡¯s question, the man felt a sense of pride. He smiled and replied, ¡°You have great taste, and you¡¯ve noticed it! This is taro from the west, cultivated in the fields.. It¡¯s delicious!¡± Chapter 926: Taste Chapter 926: Taste
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan grew increasingly eager to taste the taro rolls ¨C she knew they would be delicious! Shao Yunduan smiled and inquired, ¡°It looks delicious. Do you have more taro? Would you be willing to sell some to me?¡±
The businessman was taken aback by the request. In his eyes, the taro was just an ordinary crop, like peanuts or potatoes. It was filling but not particrly vorful. How good could it really be? Shao Yunduan reassured him with a smile, ¡°l simply want to try it for myself.¡± Understanding the situation, the businessman realized that this man must have observed his own enjoyment of the food and now wanted to experience it for himself. It wouldn¡¯t fetch much money, but he could sell a few rolls at least. He was growing tired of it anyway. The businessman responded with a genuine smile, ¡°Alright, we have a few more rolls at the hostel. If you¡¯d like to try them, I can sell them to youter. But I¡¯ll sell them out soon.¡¯ Shao Yunduan nodded appreciatively and asked for the location of the businessman¡¯s residence, stating that he would visit himter. Together, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan left, with Qiao Xuan obediently refraining from disying her eagerness to obtain the taro rolls. Being too eager might drive up the price, and their objective was to maximize their profits. After all, this was a simple transaction, and there was no need to pursue long-term benefits. They intended to make the most of the opportunity. When evening arrived, Shao Yunduan and Songshi headed to the hostel as nned. The businessman was taken aback but quickly regained hisposure, smiling as he said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re serious! I thought you were joking!¡¯ Shao Yunduan chuckled, ¡°l keep my word. I¡¯m genuinely curious about the taste of taro, and I must try it. How much do you have? If you don¡¯t mind, you can sell them all to me.¡¯
He exined that his wife loved such delicacies and wanted to buy as many as possible. The businessman, ying along as a fellow food enthusiast,ughed and agreed to Shao Yunduan¡¯s proposition. He retrieved a bag from the guest room and said, ¡°I only have 10 left. If you¡¯d like them, you can give me 100 wen. It¡¯s quite a rare price, isn¡¯t it?¡± Songshi took the bag from the businessman and opened it, while Shao Yunduan leaned in for a closer look. The taro rolls were gray and about the size of goose eggs, with traces of mud on their surface. They appeared unremarkable and didn¡¯t evoke much appetite. The price of 100 wen was reasonable for Shao Yunduan, so after a moment of hesitation, he nodded and paid for the purchase. With the taro rolls in hand, he bid farewell to the businessman. The businessman happily pocketed the 100 wen and chuckled to himself. They could enjoy some drinks tonight. Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan anxiously awaited Shao Yunduan¡¯s return. As soon as he walked in, she eagerly grabbed his sleeves, asking, ¡°Darling, did you buy the taro rolls? Where are they?¡± Shao Yunduan had initially nned to tease her, but seeing her genuine anxiety, he couldn¡¯t bear to do so. He called for Songshi to bring the rolls and reassured her with a smile, ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all here. 1 bought them all!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s face lit up with joy. However, it seemed that there weren¡¯t many rolls left. She carefully ced the taro rolls on the table, counting them one by one. There were a total of 16, but perhaps due to the absence of cultivated potato varieties in this era, they were all rtively small in size..
Chapter 927: Beautiful Chapter 927: Beautiful
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The threergest taro rolls were only the size of a goose egg, while most of them were about the size of a duck egg. Two were even smaller, only the size of small eggs. But for Qiao Xuan, even if there was only one potato the size of an egg, she could multiply it to cover two mu ofnd within two years.
Potatoes could be divided into several pieces for nting, as long as each piece had a bud. With her superpower, she could ensure that even the smallest potato pieces would grow well. There were 16 potatoes of different sizes in front of her. After cutting them into pieces, she would have almost 100 pieces, which meant she had 100 potential potatoes. With her superpower, she could nurture each potato piece carefully, and the harvest would likely exceed just 10 or 20 healthy potatoes. Next year, they could start nting on arger scale. By then, they would have an abundance of potatoes, allowing them to create various delicious dishes. Potatoes were an excellent resource tobat famine. They could be used as both vegetables and a rice substitute. They were easy to cultivate and not demanding in terms of soil. Their yield was remarkable. Simr to cassavas, Qiao Xuan had no intention of keeping this resource to herself. She nned to expand beyond Shaoding Vige. Each family in the vige would receive 20 free potato seeds, and those from other viges could purchase 500 grams of seeds for one wen. The more Qiao Xuan contemted this, the more ted she became. Although she had obtained many new crop varieties in the past, this was the first time she felt such immense joy. ¡°Darling, are the taro rolls good?¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. Songshi had already left, and they were alone in the room. Qiao Xuan said inwardly ¨C of course it was very good, but she could not reveal that. If she did, it would show that she knew too much. Some things could be said toe from books, but she could not just read everything from books.
Qiao Xuan came back to herself ¨C she seemed to be too happy. It seemed that she should stay calm. She smiled. ¡°Of course it is a good thing! I found it myself, so I am very happy about it. It is called taro, and it should be simr to ours. But the way the little boss eats it today is different from ours. I wonder if the fruits can be ntedat our ce. I really want to have a taste of it now, but there are too few seeds, so we should keep them!¡± Only now did Shao Yunduan understand what was going on ¨C the new species they found with their own eyes were different from those they got from others. It was no wonder that his wife was so happy! Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°They are taros too, and they can be nted alive, just like everything else we did.¡± He added. ¡°l think there are many of these. If you want to have a taste, you can have two.¡¯ ¡°No, no!¡± Qiao Xuan waved her hands. ¡°l can¡¯t have a taste of it. I need to keep it and nt it. By autumn, the harvest will be much better!¡± These 16 potatoes were too rare to be eaten. No matter how much they missed sour and spicy shredded potatoes, fresh potatoes, dry-fried potatoes, stewed braised pork with potatoes, stewed chicken with potatoes, potato pancakes, deep-fried potato strips, etc. Shao Yunduan¡¯s words about eating the potatoes really made her heart ache..
Chapter 928: Not secret Chapter 928: Not secret
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan found her serious expression amusing. ¡°Alright, alright, we can give it a try next year!¡± ¡°Yes, next year will be fine!¡±
Qiao Xuan felt a surge of happiness. She ced the potatoes back in the middlepartment, but she still worried about the valuable seeds. She decided that storing them in the storage space would be the safest option. Before long, they arrived at the State of Zheng. The city was a vast metropolis situated in the central ins, far more expansive and prosperous than the province they came from. Even before entering the city, they could sense the bustle and magnificence of this ancient ce. The official road stretched wide and t, nked by towering trees on both sides. The road was teeming with people, and numerous caravans transportedrge quantities of goods into the city. Inside the wagon, they lifted a corner of the curtain and peered outside. The city wall, reaching high into the sky, appeared as imposing as a mountain, seemingly exerting pressure. As they approached the gate, the crowd of people and sedan chairs grew denser. It was a lively scene, but their progress slowed down. By noon, they caught sight of the city gate from a distance, yet they didn¡¯t enter until four in the afternoon. Boss Tangs business had a warehouse and a designated resting ce, so they hurriedly unloaded the goods, leaving no time for a proper farewell with Shao Yunduan and the others. Having spent so much time together, they had formed a good bond. Thus, parting ways brought about a tinge of sadness for all of them.
They had made ns to gather again after their return to the province, but whether that would evere to fruition remained uncertain. Shao Yunduan, Qiao Xuan, and the others located an inn and requested three high-ss rooms and two standard rooms. They intended to stay here for a few days before resuming their journey. Their first order of business was to rx and rest, as the remaining part of their journey would not be as leisurely. They had to cover a minimum of 300 li each day. While the official road to the north was wide and even, with few remote areas along the way, they couldn¡¯t afford to be careless or dy without arge apanying group. Thus, they pushed their pace as much as possible, hoping to reach the capital sooner for added security. Night fell, bringing about a serene atmosphere. The next day, Shao Yunduan, Lu Min, and Gu Zhiyou approached the inn manager to inquire about repairing their wagon. It was in need of repairs. They sought out a reputable Escort Agency in the area and decided to hire three or four escorts from the agency. With their original group of masters and servants, they now numbered over ten people. This arrangement made them feel more secure. Qiao Xuan offered reassurance, mentioning that it was a time of peace and prosperity, and they were traveling along the official road. There was no reason to worry; they would surely be fine. Upon hearing this, Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou feltforted. They repeatedly praised Qiao Xuan, iming she was superior to them. In truth, Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t trying to console them. She wasn¡¯t afraid at all. She would simply exercise caution along the way and rely on her superpower to survey everything within a ten-mile radius.
No powerful thieves could hide from her. Even before they approached, she could manipte the vines and branches in the mountains to incapacitate them. During the journey with the caravan, they passed through some remote areas withplex terrain. Qiao Xuan remained vignt, utilizing her superpower to observe her surroundings. However, the journey remained peaceful, devoid of any strange urrences.. Chapter 929: House in the Capital Chapter 929: House in the Capital
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan nned to discuss matters with Lu Min and the Escort Agency, so Qiao Xuan took Liqiu and Lixia for a stroll. Opportunities were scarce, and Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t hold much hope for new crops like potatoes. However, she came across numerous apple and pear trees.
Lixia and Liqiu were easily deceived. Qiao Xuan found a pretext to send them away temporarily. She casually purchased fruit tree saplings and discreetly found a quiet alley where no one was around. There, she stored the saplings in her secret space for safekeeping. After two days, all repairs werepleted, and supplies were replenished. They set off early in the morning, apanied by the four escorts. It was early March, and the weather grew warmer as they journeyed northward. The sun beat down intensely. Thankfully, the weather remained pleasant, making the travel much morefortable. Three dayster, they arrived at the capital. ¡°We¡¯ve finally arrived! ¡± Shao Yunduan, Lu Min, and Gu Zhiyou all gazed at the capital with different expressions. For schrs in the world, the capital represented not just a city but also the starting point of their aspirations. No matter how ambitious one might be, if they didn¡¯t pass the spring examination, everything would be mere empty talk.
Only by advancing to the next level would they acquire the qualifications to pursue their dreams. As for whaty ahead on their governmental path, it would depend on each individual¡¯s luck. Regardless, this ce was undeniably sacred and brimming with hope for all of them. They were well aware of how challenging it was to advance to the next level. Many people spent their entire lives studying and still remained at the level of Child Student! The candidates participating in the spring examination were all exceptional individuals, standing here at this moment. Suddenly, all three of them became overwhelmed with emotions. High-spirited, anxious, nervous, daring, confident¡­ Observing their reactions, Qiao Xuan understood what they were going through. She must have experienced simr sentiments during the college entrance examination. The three of them sighed deeply and entered the town together. Upon reaching the capital, they checked into a hostel. The mission of the four bodyguards hade to an end. They bid farewell to them after receiving their payment and departed from the hostel, making their way home.
Night fell, enveloping the city in tranquility. The following day, the four of them gathered at a restaurant for a small celebration. ¡°Let¡¯s toast to our smooth journey!¡¯ ¡°And may the spring examination go just as smoothly!¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Here¡¯s to a sessful spring examination! Cheers!¡± The sanctity and opulence of the City of Son of Heaven filled them with a sense of freshness and excitement. Having the opportunity to visit this ce in their lifetime was a worthwhile experience. They were all in high spirits and didn¡¯t dwell too much on the uing spring examination. They chatted about their daily lives and shared their future ns. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had discussed their ns the previous night, deciding to purchase a small house in the intermediate area. Staying at the hostel would pose inconveniences and potentially cause trouble for the Qiao Family. It could also negatively impact their performance in the spring examination. Upon hearing their n to buy a house in the capital, Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou gasped in awe and expressed their admiration.
¡°We should have known!¡± ¡°You¡¯re incredibly generous! ¡± Purchasing a house in the capital was a feat not achievable by ordinary individuals. A small house of the same size would cost at least ten times more in the capitalpared to the province.. Chapter 930: Prepared Chapter 930: Prepared
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions The thought of such a venture seemed unimaginable to them. Many low-ranking officers would spend their entire lives renting a house in the capital.
Shao Yunduan smiled and addressed Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou, ¡°Brother Lu, Brother Gu, are you nning to move to a different hostel? We will get in touch with you once we¡¯ve settled.¡± Although their current hostel was not cheap, it fell within an eptable range for the couple. Staying in the hostel would provide them with better ess to information and resources, which was crucial for them, considering their limited knowledge about the capital. Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou assured them that they would not be moving out. This way, they could maintain contact with one another. The following day, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan set out to find a suitable house. With nearly 280,000 liang in her possession, Qiao Xuan felt confident in their search. Finding a suitable house proved to be not too difficult. Moreover, they were not overly particr. As long as the house was of intermediate size and had a good environment, sturdy structure, and cleanliness, they could move in after a simple cleaning. They visited three properties on the same day and settled on purchasing a courtyard house in the intermediate section of an alley near the southern moat. The brick wall surrounding the property stood over two meters tall. Upon pushing open the door, they were greeted by a square courtyard. The patio was neither toorge nor too small, and there was a small open space at the back with a few nted trees. Sunlight flooded the courtyard, making every room bright and airy. Most importantly, the house was clean and well-maintained. With a little dusting and the addition of some furniture purchased from an old goods market a couple of streets away, they could move in.
Each household in the alley appeared tidy and well-kept, inhabited by respectable families. Not far to the north of the alleyy Longtan Lake, which boasted arge and irregr shape. Thekeside was adorned with flourishing grass and trees, with reeds and lotus flowers dotting the shallow water. On pleasant weather days, it was a popr spot for boat tours, boasting picturesque scenery. Qiao Xuan was particrly fond of this location. Despite being the most expensive option among the three, they decided to make the purchase. They spent a total of 5,000 liang on the property. In the province, that amount of money would be sufficient to buy an area of approximately seven or eight mu. Qiao Xuan hired and agent to assist with the cleaning, using some additional funds for the task. The following day, they furnished the main room, east and west wing rooms, and the kitchen, moving into their new home by the afternoon. The kitchen was equipped with pots, pans, oil, salt, sauces, vinegar, and a cart of firewood. Tables, chairs, beds, cabs, and other furniture items were added to the rooms, along with curtains, draperies, cushions, and bedrolls. The remaining furnishings could be added gradually over time. During this era, all furniture was original and environmentally friendly. There was no need to wait for the house to air out. They could settle in without worry. Now, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had a home of their own in the capital¡¯s intermediate section. Shao Yunduan invited Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou to visit, sharing a meal and awaiting the spring examination.
asionally, Shao Yunduan and Lu Min would venture out to the gathering ce of the examination candidates to catch up, chat, and gather news. Many aspiring schrs were filled with anxiety and worry. Some formed groups and pooled their money to purchase gifts, hoping to visit nobles or influential families and seek their guidance. They believed that receiving such guidance would be more beneficial than studying for ten years.. Chapter 931: Dealing with the Qiao Family Chapter 931: Dealing with the Qiao Family
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan, Lu Min, and Gu Zhiyou chose not to involve themselves in such matters. While Emperor Xuan had a fascination with Daoist Shangzhen and alchemy for longevity, the imperial examination held utmost importance in the country. With so many people watching, no one dared to stir up trouble. The consequences of any misstep would be exile and annihtion of the entire family.
Unless the dynasty was utterly corrupted, the schrs participating in the imperial examination would not dare to cause any disturbance in the presence of the Emperor. Furthermore, the Crown Prince, known for his steady and virtuous nature,manded great respect. No one would dare to act against his favor. Hence, there was no need to pay attention to the exaggerated tales and rumors. Qiao Xuan understood that she needed to maintain herposure and focus solely on answering the examination questions. This was not the time to get entangled in such matters. Xie Jingrong also warned Shao Yunduan about the numerous instances where wealthy and influential individuals in the capital¡¯s intermediate section attempted to swindle money from others. Shao Yunduan believed that such incidents might ur this year as well. Once they were settled, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan began dealing with the affairs of the Qiao Family. Deep down, Qiao Xuan did not consider herself a true member of the Qiao Family, nor did she desire any association with them. However, due to her wretched father and the ties of blood, it was not easy to sever the connectionpletely. Thus, she had to address these matters. If Shao Yunduan were to seed in bing an Advanced Schr, the Qiao Family might not release them so easily. It was crucial to resolve these issues as soon as possible to avoid potential problems in the future.
Realizing that their own reputation and career would be tarnished if they allowed the Qiao Family to persistently trouble them, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan decided to take action. They initiated inquiries about the Qiao Family and their current situation. Unfortunately, Qiao Xuan¡¯s father had initially nned to provide Shao Yunduan with a letter of introduction, but due to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his betrayal and indifference, the letter was lost. They were uncertain about the specific location of the Qiao Family¡¯s residence in the capital, but they sought assistance from Xie Jingrong, who was able to provide them with the necessary information. Thus, they kept a watchful eye on the Qiao Family, particrly focusing on Qiao Hongxi. Qiao Hongxi was Madame Qiao¡¯s legitimate son and Qiao Xuan!s brother. ording to the information obtained from Xie Jingrong, Qiao Hongxi was described as proud, conceited, with a false sense of superiority due to his limited knowledge, and possessed a narrow-minded, stingy, and jealous nature. He was merely an Advanced Schr who had not achieved remarkable academic achievements. Although Qiao Hongxi¡¯s father had been an earl, he lost his title when it came to his children and grandchildren. However, the imperial court still maintained a friendly rtionship with him, granting him the title of Advanced Schr. Unbeknownst to Qiao Hongxi, his inted self-perception led him to believe he was exceptionally talented. Despite not being a top-ranked schr, he was ostracized by influential officials, only managing to be an Advanced Schr through mere perseverance. These were precisely the kind of individuals they were looking to confront if trouble arose. Luck was on their side, as an opportunity presented itself after two days of observation..
Chapter 932: The Qiao Family’s Fall Chapter 932: The Qiao Family¡¯s Fall
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions On that particr day, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan spotted Qiao Hongxi leaving his residence. They discreetly followed him in a rented wagon, driven by a man named Songshi. Renting the wagon allowed them to maintain a low profile, returning it in the afternoon and renting it again the following day, ensuring they left no traces behind. Qiao Hongxi¡¯s daily routine typically involved working at Hanlin Academy without venturing elsewhere. However, today was different as he set off in the morning, indicating that it was his day off. This caught the couple¡¯s attention.
They trailed behind Qiao Hongxi until he reached a street known for selling antiques. Exiting the wagon, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan discreetly followed him into one of the stores. Qiao Hongxi was dressed in a bamboo-green Confucian robe, donning a square pacifier on his head, and holding a folding fan in his hand, adhering to the standard attire for schrs. However, they knew that they had no connections to noble families and that the Qiao Family was facing financial difficulties. Observing the store Qiao Hongxi entered, Qiao Xuan realized it was an ordinary establishment on the street. It seemed that Qiao Hongxi couldn¡¯t afford anything more upscale. With only 50 liang in his pocket, Qiao Hongxi aimed to purchase a good jade pendant. He had heard rumors that this store offered excellent quality items at affordable prices, fueling his desire to try his luck there. Unbeknownst to Qiao Hongxi, he had be the unwitting target of Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan¡¯s surveince. Despite being followed for a few days, he had failed to notice their presence. While Qiao Hongxi carefully selected his jade, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan observed his actions intently. Qiao Hongxi had set his sights on a jade pendant, but the store manager asked for 88 liang, an amount he simply couldn¡¯t afford. He began to negotiate, but before he could make any progress, Qiao Xuan abruptly interrupted the conversation. ¡°88 liang is a fair and reasonable price. If you don¡¯t want it, just put it down. I want to buy it!¡± Qiao Xuan dered confidently, drawing the attention of both Qiao Hongxi and the store manager, who had been haggling over a price of 40 liang. Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows proudly and shot a disdainful nce at Qiao Hongxi. Turning to Shao Yunduan, she remarked, ¡°Darling, this jade is absolutely beautiful. I adore it!¡± Shao Yunduan adopted a magnanimous expression and chuckled. ¡°Then let¡¯s purchase it! 80 liang is not expensive at all. It¡¯s even too cheap!¡¯ The store manager¡¯s face lit up with joy. Smiling at them, he eximed, ¡°You have excellent taste! Our goods are definitely worth the price!¡±
Qiao Hongxi seethed with anger, his face turning green. He retorted, ¡°l was here first!¡± Qiao Xuan rolled her eyes and replied, ¡°Can you afford it?¡± Qiao Hongxi. ¡°If you genuinely want to buy it, why do you keep bargaining?¡± Qiao Xuan continued, her voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡°You don¡¯t seem serious about purchasing it at all. If you have no intention of buying, why can¡¯t someone else purchase it?¡± Shao Yunduan chimed in, ¡°My wife is right. If you don¡¯t want it, please put it down. Perhaps you can find something worth 40 liang instead.¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled and added, ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m sure there are other pieces worth 40 liang in this store. You can ask the manager about them.¡± Qiao Hongxi¡¯s face flushed with anger and then turned pale. He trembled with rage. ¡°You¡­¡± It was too much! He was a proud man, but the financial struggles of the Qiao Family had been weighing heavily on him. Every day, he fretted over clothing and essories. He had managed to save up 50 liang, hoping to purchase a fine piece of jade, but now he faced such misfortune.. Chapter 933: Unable Chapter 933: Unable
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions How dare they mock him for being poor! He was so embarrassed and angry that he was about to explode.
But Qiao Xuan did not show any mercy. ¡°What is wrong with us? We are helping you with ideas out of kindness, don¡¯t think that we ruining this for you!¡± ¡°¡­¡±Qiao Hongxi felt dizzy, and he could not even breathe. Qiao Hongxi did not want to be humiliated like this. He was about to say something¡­ When Shao Yunduan said calmly, ¡°You really want to buy them?¡± Qiao Hongxi was startled. He swallowed the words that were about toe out of his mouth. He wished that he could make 100,000 or 80,000 liang and p the money right on these two people¡¯s faces. That would be so satisfying! But he just could not do that! Qiao Hongxi cursed inwardly. That was the biggest misfortune in his life, when he needed money to p his race. Shao Yunduan smiled and said calmly, ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t get in the manager¡¯s way. If you don¡¯t want to buy it, you should put it down.¡± Qiao Hongxi tightened his grip on the jade, veins popping out on the back of his hands. He was shivering, apparently very angry.
He could not afford it. If he bargained now, he would be humiliating himself. If he put it down, it meant that he had been humiliated. Something was wrong. He cursed inwardly ¨C where did these two lunaticse from? They could have bought anything, but why did they have to go against him? Qiao Xuan pursed her lips. ¡°What is wrong with you? Are you buying it or not? Tell me the truth! If you want to buy it, then buy it. If not, put it down. You are not a very kind person!¡± Qiao Hongxi felt that he was going to die of anger the next second. He could not lose! He could not lose! Otherwise he would be totally humiliated as the editor of the Hanlin Academy! ¡°Of course I will!¡± Qiao Hongxi sneered and said with clenched teeth. Having said the words, he suddenly felt much better. He threw a proud look at Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. ¡°We have nothing else to do, aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°That is such a pity! You can buy yours, and we can look at other things, okay? You can drive away the guests for the manager, right? I want to buy that, and you drive us away, don¡¯t you want to buy that too? Then you can have it, we won¡¯t argue with you.¡± She pointed at a small jade rabbit on the shelf. The three-inch-long jade rabbit was used to make medicine. The carving was smooth and the jade was smooth. It was very lovable and the price would not be very cheap.
The manager knew what to do. He took down the small and exquisite ornament and carefully put it on the counter, smiling. ¡°This jade rabbit is used to make potions and ornaments. Look at how fine the carving is! It costs only 100 liang, very cost-effective!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled at Qiao Hongxi. ¡°Young Master, do you want it?¡± Qiao Hongxi threw a re at Qiao Xuan. She kept cursing inwardly ¨C she had not checked the almanac today, so why did she run into this strange couple? He could not wait to drive them away because he did not want to be humiliated in front of them. But they were so difficult to deal with. Qiao Hongxi wanted to be generous, but that was not going to happen. He did not dare to pretend to be very rich any more. Instead, he snorted and ignored Qiao Xuan¡¯s words. He gritted his teeth ¨C so be it! He took out the 50 liang from his pocket. ¡°l don¡¯t have enough money today. Here is 50 liang, and you can go to the Qiao Family at West Sixth Street..¡±
Chapter 934: One Day Chapter 934: One Day
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions That was not an unusual urrence. Those esteemeddies and young gentlemen didn¡¯t typically carry a substantial amount of money with them when they went shopping. Instead, they would simply choose whatever they desired, sign the bill, and request the manager to collect the payment from their familys ountant.
However, there was a prerequisite for this arrangement: the family had to be a regr guest or a legitimate noble family residing in the capital¡¯s vicinity. Moreover, the expenses were considerable, amounting to at least several hundred liang, or even thousands or tens of thousands. Firstly, Qiao Hongxi was not a frequent patron, and secondly, the Qiao Familycked recognition. Furthermore, he had requested someone to retrieve 38 liang on his behalf. How audacious! West Sixth Street was quite a distance away. The manager furrowed his brow and spoke with a courteous smile, ¡°I apologize, Young Master, but this is a small business that does not extend credit. Additionally, I am the only staff member present and need to attend to the store, making it impossible for me to collect the payment at your doorstep. Perhaps you could return at ater time?¡± Manager Qiao was already affording Qiao Hongxi some face. He was providing him with an opportunity to save face. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan remained silent. However, standing beside each other, their satisfaction was evident, intensifying Qiao Hongxi¡¯s sense of humiliation. Yet, what other recourse did he have? He was rapidly depleting his funds. He clenched his teeth and resolved to spend an additional 38 taels of silver to acquire the jade, even if it resulted in reprimands. However, they refused to allow him to make the purchase on credit.
Their condescending attitude was directed at hisck of wealth! If only he possessed sufficient funds, if the Qiao Family still retained their status, and if they remained the affluent and influential family of yore, the manager would not have dared to treat him in such a manner. The couple would not have dared to ridicule him. One day, he would revive the Qiao Family and exact revenge on those who had belittled him! ¡°Alright¡­ then, next time¡­¡± Qiao Hongxi feignedposure, but deep inside, he was consumed by embarrassment. His words came out stiffly, and his face burned with humiliation. He ced the jade back and exited the shop with his head hung low. He was in no mood to continue shopping, so he made his way home, engulfed in a despondent mood. However, he was suddenly jostled and fell to the ground. Before he could express his anger, the person who bumped into him scowled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Can¡¯t you watch where you¡¯re going? How unlucky!¡± Then, with a contemptuous spit, she walked away. Qiao Hongxi angrily picked himself up from the ground. This world was filled with snobbish, haughty people! He was nothing but a servant from some family, dressed like a schr! How dare she treat him with such rudeness! He had neither wealth nor influence. How could he be subjected to such disdain? Misfortune, misfortune!
Qiao Hongxi cursed silently, regretting that he hadn¡¯t consulted the almanac that day. Annoyed by Qiao Hongxi, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan decided not to purchase the jade. Although Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t like the item Qiao Hongxi had chosen, he bought a jade rabbit for medicinal purposes. The manager bid them farewell with a favorable impression. He smiled and saw them off. As they left the store, they exchanged smiles with each other. Qiao Xuan, in particr, felt a deep inner joy. In the original host¡¯s recollection, this Elder Brother had always been as cold as her father. Every time he looked at her, it was as if she were a worthless pile of rubbish. Even when he witnessed the maids mistreating her, he turned a blind eye.. Chapter 935: Show Chapter 935: Show
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions That was not an ideal situation either! That happened to be Madame Qiao¡¯s son! ¡°That¡¯s quite satisfying!¡¯
¡°It¡¯s good to see you happy!¡± ¡°Shall we pay a visit to the Qiao Family now?¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go!¡¯ It was evident that they weren¡¯t afraid to create a stir. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had the advantage of a wagon, while Qiao Hongxi had to rely on his own two legs. Consequently, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan reached the Qiao Family faster than him. County Magistrate Qiao hadn¡¯t provided Shao Yunduan with an introductory letter, but Shao Yunduan had written a congrattory letter after attaining the intermediate level, serving as proof. Additionally, Qiao Xuan had been born in County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s office and hadn¡¯t returned to the Qiao Family in the capital since then. However, the Qiao Family was aware of her existence. Furthermore, Shao Yunduan was the rmended candidate for the spring examination. Once they revealed their identities, the Qiao Family wouldn¡¯t turn them away. They didn¡¯t take the wagon all the way to the entrance of the Qiao Family. Instead, they alighted outside the alley, gave some money to the tea house, securely tied the wagon to the side, and walked toward the door alongside Songshi. After a while, the gatekeeper returned and invited them inside.
As for the heads of the Qiao Family, none of them came out to greet them. In the hall, Madame Lady Qiao, First Madame Qiao, Second Mrs. Qiao, and First Madame Qiao¡¯s youngest son, Qiao Hongming, the fourth son of the Qiao Family, were present. Behind a folding screen were the two legitimate daughters of the second branch of the family, Qiao Fang and Qiao Li. The two sisters whispered to each other, snickering and ridiculing. They discussed Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s arrival outside the Qiao Family. Madame Lady Qiao and the others were more curious than hopeful. They maintained a guarded stance, knowing that if this couple sought any advantages from the Qiao Family, they would never ask for help. First Madame Qiao remarked that he was merely the husband of a concubine¡¯s daughter! So what if he had be a rmended man? Bing an Advanced Schr was no easy feat. The world was filled with countless exceptional young talents, each one unique and extraordinary. How could a son-inw of a concubine have a chance? If that man truly possessed exceptional abilities, he wouldn¡¯t have allowed himself to be taken advantage of by a concubine¡¯s daughter. First Madame Qiao¡¯s husband had attained the position of a sixth-ranked officer in the Ministry of Rites due to his connections with the imperial court. His days were numbered, and he was merely wasting his time. Their eldest son, Qiao Hongzhi, served as an ordinary soldier in the imperial army, earning a modest ie each month.
The youngest son, Qiao Hongming, held the fourth position, yet he had no significant achievements to speak of. Second Mrs. Qiao¡¯s husband was unemployed, managing two small fields and two stores. Their son, Qiao Hongkuang (the second son), devoted himself to studying and preparing for the imperial examination. However, he was three years older than Qiao Hongxi (the third son) and was only considered a Cultivated Talent. Reaching the intermediate level would prove to be quite challenging for him. When the members of the first and second branches of the family learned that County Magistrate Qiao and his son had both be intermediate Advanced Schrs, with County Magistrate Qiao even poised to be an Advanced Schr himself, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a bitter sense of envy. County Magistrate Qiao would soon return to the capital and likely hold a higher position than Old Master Qiao. This fact greatly annoyed First Madame Qiao. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan would not be warmly weed at the doorstep. As for Madame Lady Qiao, she held a bias towards her three sons, just like the short and long fingers she had Chapter 936: Not Good Chapter 936: Not Good
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Eldest Son was the lineal son and she relied on him, so she valued him the most. Second Son was obedient and had a bad health when he was young, so she spent a lot of efforts to take care of him, so the mother and the son had a very deep rtionship. Her Eldest Son was the lineal elder son, and she had to take care of her Second Son, so her Third Son was neglected. She had intended to let her Second Son be sessful in his studies, but her Second Son failed and her Third Son became an Advanced Schr, which made Madame Lady Qiao feel very annoyed.
It was as if she had proved that she had bad taste. Also, County Magistrate Qiao spent most of his time as an officer, so Madame Lady Qiao and her family became even more distant. When County Magistrate Qiao was seeking to return to the capital, his two brothers cheated him of money. Madame Lady Qiao knew about this, but pretended not to know. Later, her two daughter-inws gossiped behind her back and said, ¡°l didn¡¯t expect that Third Son is so rich outside. We don¡¯t care, but he doesn¡¯t even know how to send some home to show respect to mom! He only gives us three melons and two dates for the New Year and mom¡¯s birthday every year. He is so heartless¡­ Madame Lady Qiao agreed deeply. She got even more annoyed and disliked County Magistrate Qiao even more. Therefore, no one in the room was nice to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. It was not difficult for Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan to cause trouble at the door. Hearing the gatekeeper¡¯s report, the two of them did not have a wagon, but only a pageboy who was following them. He was dressed in ordinary clothes and did not have any precious things. The whole family immediately put them in the category of those who tried to steal something from them. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan walked into the Qiao Family with Songshi and greeted Madame Lady Qiao. Instantly, countless pairs of eyes turned to the couple. Those eyes were not polite at all. They were probing and sized up brazenly. If Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were not mentally strong enough, they would have shivered under their stares.
But they held a strong dislike for the Qiao Family, harboring no intention of bowing down to them. Their tolerance had reached its limit. Qiao Xuan, a member of the Qiao Family, remained silent, unable to utter a word. Observing the situation, Shao Yunduan arched his eyebrows and sneered. ¡°How impolite of you! Is this how the esteemed Qiao Family treats its guests? Ha!¡± A collective gasp resonated through the room. Everyone stood there, stunned and speechless. ¡°Heh!¡± Second Mrs. Qiao huffed in disdain. First Madame Qiao also smiled, mocking Shao Yunduan. ¡°Impolite? You have quite the audacity!¡¯ Shao Yunduan scoffed. ¡°If the Qiao Family looks down on us, they could have asked us to leave. Such despicable behavior!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s anger surged. ¡°How dare you disrespect your elders! You have no manners!¡± ¡°Elders?¡± Shao Yunduan retorted. ¡°l have been here for a considerable amount of time, yet no one bothered to introduce you. So who exactly are the elders? Where are they? I waited at the entrance for quite a while before entering. What is the Qiao Family up to?¡±
Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s mothers and daughter-inws were left speechless. Embarrassment flooded their faces. Some matters couldn¡¯t be disclosed, as they would only lead to humiliation. However, this audacious son-inw of the concubine¡¯s daughter seemed shameless beyond measure. How uncouth! It came as no surprise that he hailed from a small town. It came as no surprise that he was merely worthy of marrying the Qiao Family¡¯s concubine¡¯s daughter! Chapter 937: Humiliation Chapter 937: Humiliation
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Hongming grew increasingly irritated and forcefully mmed the table, bellowing, ¡°No one invited you here! You came to our doorstep, and yet you¡¯re still so particr? Take a good look at yourself in the mirror!¡± First Madame Qiao felt a slight alleviation of embarrassment and chimed in, ¡°Indeed!¡±
Just then, Qiao Hongxi returned. Upon hearing that Qiao Xuan was present with her husband, Qiao Hongxi became livid. ¡°Qiao Xuan?!¡± Qiao Hongxi rushed into the main hall with a stern expression. From a distance, he overheard his cousin¡¯s angry voice, fueling his fury even more. This shameless creature! His anger was not directed at Qiao Hongming but at Qiao Xuan. He firmly believed that it must have been Qiao Xuan and her husband who had offended the entire family. As he stepped into the main hall, his gaze fell upon Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, and his expression changed. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were taken aback. Qiao Xuan appeared startled, lowering her head and remaining silent. Shao Yunduan swiftly moved to shield Qiao Xuan behind him, countering Qiao Hongxi. ¡°It¡¯s you who can¡¯t afford the jade!¡± Qiao Hongxi seethed with anger and snapped at Shao Yunduan, ¡°You¡¯re Qiao Xuan¡¯s husband? How dare you speak to me in such a manner? Do you have any idea who I am? Qiao Xuan, why are you hiding? Come out this instant!¡± Qiao Hongxi felt a mix of fury and excitement. This was retribution in action. These two wretches had constantly belittled him, and now it was time for him to teach them a lesson! He found himself greatly surprised. Qiao Xuan seemed to have transformed after all these years.
She used to be timid and submissive, barely daring to breathe audibly in front of others. Had he not witnessed it himself, he wouldn¡¯t have believed that the person standing before him today was the lowly concubine¡¯s daughter. He felt utterly humiliated by her! Qiao Hongxi was consumed with a desire to thrash her to death! ¡°Qiao Xuan is my wife, show some respect!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s irritation persisted upon hearing Qiao Hongxi¡¯s disrespectful address towards Qiao Xuan. Qiao Hongxi sneered, ¡°l am her elder brother, and that is how I treat her. What¡¯s your opinion? Don¡¯t you know how to properly greet people?¡± Shao Yunduan retorted, ¡°Reciprocity is at the core of etiquette. Since you are my wife¡¯s elder brother, I treat you the same way you treat me. You don¡¯t appear to be a person of good manners either. Is everyone in the Qiao Family like this?¡± ¡°Silence!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡¯ ¡°What a disgrace! The Qiao Family grew exasperated. How audacious! How audacious!
How could a son-inw of a concubine¡¯s daughter dare toe to the Qiao Family and behave in such a manner! While the Qiao Family may have lost their noble title, in their eyes, they still stood as an illustrious family far beyond his reach. Did he truly believe that being a rmended man at the intermediate level made him so remarkable that he garnered praise from ignorant people in that small town of merely 500 meters? They were insignificant within the capital! To the Qiao Family, they were nothing! How arrogant! ¡°Just leave this ce!¡± Qiao Hongxi bellowed so loudly that his voice cracked. Shao Yunduan disdainfully remarked, ¡°Why are you shouting like that? You¡¯re no schr!¡± Chapter 938: So Cute Chapter 938: So Cute
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Hongxi¡¯s eyes widened, rendered speechless. He gasped heavily, his anger too overwhelming for words. He had never encountered such audacity!
How dare she im that he was not a schr? It was unbearable! ¡°Nonsense! I am an Advanced Schr! Yes, I hold a position at the Hanlin Academy! You, on the other hand, are no schr! Youck schrly qualifications!¡± Shao Yunduan maintained his disdainful expression. ¡°How humiliating.¡± Qiao Xuan lowered her head, suppressing herughter. Her husband was simply adorable! ¡°Do you think you have the right to make me leave? My father-inw stated that the Qiao Family would take care of me and invited me to join them when I am in the capital!¡± Madame Yuezheng and the others expressed caution and disgust. ¡°Don¡¯t even entertain such thoughts!! Qiao Hongxi sneered. ¡°Taking care of you? You are not worthy! I highly doubt you¡¯ll ever attain the rank of an intermediate Advanced Schr. Leave this ce and spare yourself the embarrassment!¡± Madame Yuezhengs face darkened. ¡°The Qiao Family does not wee individualscking manners. Do not tarnish the reputation of the Qiao Family!¡¯ Shao Yunduan asserted, ¡°That is the nature of the Qiao Family! I couldn¡¯t care less! Whether I achieve the status of an intermediate Advanced Schr is none of your concern! You are not the examiner, thus you hold no authority!¡¯ Qiao Hongxi trembled even more, angrily snapping at Qiao Xuan. ¡°You wretched girl, why are you just standing there? Are you going to allow your husband to humiliate the Qiao Family? Come here!¡± Qiao Xuan quivered, timidly approaching Qiao Hongxi.
Shao Yunduan panicked and tightly held onto Qiao Xuan, preventing her from breaking free. Qiao Xuan struggled in his grip but was unable to escape. She nced at Shao Yunduan, silently signaling him to let go. She didn¡¯t care if Qiao Hongxi scolded or even hit her. She secretly hoped that Qiao Hongxi would lose control and attack her. She had resolved to make Qiao Hongxi lose hisposure and unleash his anger upon her. However, Shao Yunduan saw through her intentions. He understood that her n was the quickest and most convenient way to resolve the situation in the province, but he didn¡¯t want that. He couldn¡¯t bear to see her sacrifice herself. Qiao Xuan sighed inwardly and lightly scratched his palm, surrendering. Shao Yunduan slowly released his grip. Qiao Xuan lifted her head, her once-beautiful eyes turning cold. She turned to Qiao Hongxi. ¡°Third Brother, just say what you want to say to my husband. My husband has never humiliated the Qiao Family, nor has he made such remarks. Third Brother, make it clear that you¡¯re not bullying us just because you have the advantage of numbers!¡±
The faces of the Qiao Family members darkened. Qiao Hongxi felt even more humiliated in front of the senior members of the family. ¡°Fine, fine, you¡¯re so rebellious! You were never like this before, but now look at you! You don¡¯t deserve to be part of the Qiao Family!¡¯ Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°l am the daughter-inw of the Shao Family, my husband¡¯s wife!¡± What purpose did she serve as a daughter of the Qiao Family? She had never taken advantage of her position when she was considered a member of the Qiao Family. On the contrary, she had led a miserable existence. Hence, she didn¡¯t care. Qiao Hongxi was provoked by her nonchnt demeanor. He felt a sense of difort in his failure. ¡°You may be arrogant now, but when you face mistreatment in the future, you will have to beg us for help! At that time, you¡¯ll have to rely on us to defend you!¡± Chapter 939: One Slap Chapter 939: One p
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°l never considered that!¡± Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows with disdain. ¡°Remember this ¨C I have never entertained such thoughts in the past, I am not entertaining them now, and I will never entertain them in the future. And what decision can you possibly make for me? Surely you don¡¯t believe that, do you?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Qiao Hongxi¡¯s eyes widened with annoyance.
The images of Qiao Xuan, who mocked him for not being able to afford the jade, and Qiao Xuan, who used to be timid at home, kept reying in Qiao Hongxi¡¯s mind, intertwining and exacerbating his anger. He was on the verge of exploding. This audacious girl! Who did she think she was? How dare she unt herself in front of him! He had never taken her seriously, never even regarded her as a human being. Yet, one day, she had the audacity to confront him face-to-face, and he seemed incapable of besting her. No one could calmly ept such a transformation. For a proud and conceited person, that was inconceivable. ¡°How dare you!¡± Qiao Hongxi pped Qiao Xuan across the face and snarled, ¡°Today, I will teach you a lesson!¡± Qiao Hongxi¡¯s hand tingled from the impact of the p. However, a twisted sense of satisfaction filled him as he raised his hand, preparing to strike her again. Shao Yunduan swiftly seized his raised wrist, his expression icy. Qiao Hongxi trembled at the sharpness in Shao Yunduan¡¯s eyes. Yet, when he considered his status as the elder brother, he straightened his posture and barked at Shao Yunduan, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Let go of me! I am disciplining that wretched girl, you¡­ ah!¡± Shao Yunduan delivered a forceful punch to Qiao Hongxi¡¯s stomach. ¡°Shame on you!¡¯ Agonizing pain shot through Qiao Hongxi¡¯s body, causing his face to pale as beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead. He staggered backward, clutching his stomach, taking a long while to recover. ring at Shao Yunduan with a mix of fear and shame, he uttered, ¡°How dare you strike me!¡±
¡°I struck you, and if you darey a finger on my wife, I will strike you every time our paths cross!¡± ¡°You¡¯re rebelling!¡± Madame Yuezheng shouted angrily, mming her hand on the table. ¡°How dare you! Where do you think youe from? How dare you raise a hand against us in our own home? Kneel down and confess your sins! Every girl in the Qiao Family knows the rules. You will never set foot in our door again!¡± Madame Yuezheng breathed heavily, her anger palpable. As a grandmother with many grandchildren, she had always treated Qiao Hongxi well. But witnessing her own lineal grandson being struck by the husband of a concubine¡¯s granddaughter ignited a fierce rage within her. It was a humiliation! First Madame Qiao and Second Mrs. Qiao exchanged nces, their expressions filled with delight. They eagerly anticipated the sh between the lineal and concubine¡¯s branches of the family. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Madame Yuezheng said? Kneel down and apologize! Show some manners! ¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Qiao Xuan, you are a daughter of the Qiao Family. Don¡¯t you care about your own kin?¡± ¡°How did Third Sister-inw raise this concubine¡¯s daughter to be so arrogant?¡±
¡°Exactly! Qiao Hongxi signaled for a maid to assist him in standing, and with one hand on his stomach, he retorted coldly, ¡®Don¡¯t misunderstand, Second Aunt-inw. Some people are born with a lowly nature, and no amount of teaching can improve them.. It has nothing to do with my mother!¡± Chapter 940: Tears Chapter 940: Tears
Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan removed her hands from her face, revealing a swollen left cheek. Despite the pain, she remainedposed and not excessively angered. Her original n was to provoke Qiao Hongxi into taking action, but Shao Yunduan had intervened, causing her to reconsider. However, Qiao Hongxi had still struck her with full force, leaving a stinging sensation.
Shao Yunduan gently touched her face, filled with remorse and guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and shook her head in response. She nced at Madame Yuezheng and the others, a sneer forming on her lips. ¡®Qiao Hongxi attacked me first. Are you all blind? Is the Qiao Family always so shameless? Am I arrogant? No matter how arrogant I may be, I cannotpare to the Qiao Family. You not only exhibit arrogance, but also distort the truth and bully others!¡± ¡°Madame Lady Qiao, is this how the Qiao Family behaves? It¡¯s truly pitiful! No wonder you find yourselves in such dire straits.¡± ¡°Silence!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡¯ ¡°You have no right to speak about the Qiao Family! You¡¯re just a concubine¡¯s daughter, nothing more!¡± Madame Lady Qiao was so infuriated that she nearly lost control. If Qiao Xuan had been married, she would have been pped and banished from the premises to repent. ¡°Qiao Xuan, if you refuse to kneel down and apologize, you will no longer be considered a part of the Qiao Family. From this moment onward, you will bepletely disowned! ¡± First Madame Qiao and Second Mrs. Qiao breathed a sigh of relief. That would be perfect! What purpose did it serve to keep such a bothersome concubine¡¯s daughter around? It would be better to sever ties and avoid further trouble
Upon the return of Third Brother and his wife, Qiao Xuan nned to reveal the incident to them, intending to humiliate the couple. They had been contemting how to assert their dominance over the couple, eager to establish a position of advantage or superiority. However, that opportunity had already presented itself. ¡°In that case, we have no ties!¡± Qiao Xuan appeared angry and wronged. But her youth and impulsiveness became apparent when she realized Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s words. ¡°I am the daughter-inw of the Shao Family, and I want nothing to do with you!¡¯ Shao Yunduan sneered. ¡°Words alone hold no weight. Will you dare to put it in writing?¡± ¡°Ah! Write a contract! Write it now! Inform the n to remove this wench from our family!¡± Madame Lady Qiao bellowed. Shao Yunduan grew even more arrogant, sneering. ¡°Then hurry up, don¡¯t waste our time.¡± ¡°What are you waiting for, Hongxi? Write it immediately! ¡± Qiao Hongxi sneered, filled with pride. ¡°Yes, Grandma!¡± With those words, he instructed someone to fetch the necessary materials for writing, fully intending to do so in front of Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. He felt inwardly ted, certain that a woman without her own family¡¯s support would never find happiness within her husband¡¯s family. He nned to make Qiao Xuan suffer so immensely that she would have no one to defend her. Wasn¡¯t she arrogant? One day, she would weep!
She would pay for her actions. Even if she knelt before her family and pleaded for forgiveness, they would not bat an eye! She was a domineering and foolish person who deserved no sympathy. As for Shao Yunduan, he was merely a conceited man. What true skills did he possess? How could he have the audacity to participate in the spring examination in the capital? Someone would surely teach him a lesson! He was going to wait and see that happens! Chapter 941: Severance Letter Chapter 941: Severance Letter
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Observing Qiao Hongxi¡¯s hostile re, Qiao Xuan remained calm andposed, her heart filled with a cold detachment. It was understandable that Madame Lady Qiao and the others despised her. After all, they shared blood ties, albeit with ayer of separation between them.
But Qiao Hongxi, as her biological brother, had not defended her when Madame Yuezheng dered their disassociation. Instead, he disyed a smug and proud expression. It appeared that he didn¡¯t consider her as family. Fine! Qiao Xuan realized that she had no true familial connection with the Qiao Family, which made things simpler. Soon, the letter of disassociation was written. Madame Yuezheng sneered. ¡°If you kneel and kowtow to me now, perhaps I might forgive you. Otherwise, you will never have the opportunity. You are no longer allowed to set foot in the Qiao Family, and you must never utter a word about the Qiao Family to anyone. If you cause any trouble, the Qiao Family will not intervene!¡± Qiao Hongxi seemed concerned that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan might have regrets. Before they could respond to Madame Yuezheng, he handed them the letter. ¡°Take it and leave! Remember, you are forbidden from returning to the Qiao Family, and you cannot im any affiliation with us!¡± Qiao Xuan nced at him and smiled. ¡°I cannot ept this letter of disassociation.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Qiao Hongxi sneered. ¡°Regretting your decision? It¡¯s toote!¡± ¡°Madame Yuezheng and the Old Master of the Qiao Family did not affix their fingerprints to the letter, so I¡¯m concerned that you may go back on your word.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s seemingly casual remark caused an uproar within the Qiao Family.
¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°How unreasonable!¡± ¡°You¡­ Fine! Bring me the letter of disassociation, and I will sign it!¡± Madame Yuezheng red at Qiao Xuan, her gaze filled with a desire to inflict harm. She scowled. ¡°You certainly hold yourself in high regard!¡± First Madame Qiao sneered as well. She turned to the rtive beside her and ordered, ¡°Go fetch the Old Master and inform him that something is amiss at home.¡± Second Mrs. Qiao didn¡¯t want to be left behind. ¡°Bring Second Old Master here too!¡± Soon, the two Qiao Family patriarchs returned to the mansion, their expressions far from pleasant upon seeing Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. Old Master Qiao exuded an air of dignity, even emitting a contemptuous snort through pursed lips. Evidently, Qiao Xuan had divulged everything to the servants during their journey. They held no fondness for Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan either. However, their overconfidence failed to intimidate Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan spoke, ¡°You must be the Old Master and Second Old Master of the Qiao Family. Please sign the contract and provide us with the letter. We shall take our leave.¡±
Shao Yunduan¡¯s tone and expression irked the two patriarchs, fueling their annoyance further. It was no wonder the entire family found these two individuals exasperating. They were insufferable! ¡°How impolite of you!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know how to address me as ¡®Uncle.¡¯ How ill-mannered!¡± ¡°Sign it!¡± The Second Old Master sneered. ¡°Are you serious? Don¡¯t you dare regret this!¡± Qiao Xuan retorted, ¡°Why would we regret it? Or is it you who regrets? Madame Lady Qiao made the promise, and youck the filial devotion to honor it!¡± Chapter 942: Shows Chapter 942: Shows
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Absurd!¡± The two Qiao Family patriarchs grew infuriated by their impudence. Reluctantly, the brothers signed the contract and sneered. ¡°How did the Qiao Family produce a daughter like you? When Third Brother and his wife return, I will certainly inquire about this as their elder brother!¡±
Shao Yunduan took the letter and began reading it. Qiao Xuan maintained a calm smile. ¡°Sure, go ahead and ask them. If it¡¯s convenient, you can even let me know their responses. I¡¯m curious to see how they¡¯ve been educating their children all these years.¡± The two Old Masters stood dumbfounded, caught off guard by Qiao Xuan¡¯s audacity. Madame Lady Qiao grew increasingly annoyed. ¡°Just leave already!¡± Shao Yunduan gently pulled Qiao Xuan. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded and followed him, without casting a backward nce. The Qiao Family seethed with anger, hurling curses at Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan for their unreasonable behavior. They continued to me County Magistrate Qiao and Madame Qiao for raising such a rebellious girl. It was utterly humiliating! Suddenly, Second Mrs. Qiao smiled at Qiao Hongxi. ¡°Oh, by the way, Hongxi, you seemed familiar with them. Have you met them before?¡± Madame Lady Qiao also recalled. ¡°Yes, Hongxi, how did youe across them?¡± Qiao Hongxi felt somewhat embarrassed. He had been humiliated by Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan right before his eyes. Therefore, he vaguely replied, ¡°I bumped into those two individuals on the street, and they ended up using and scolding me.¡± ¡°I knew they weren¡¯t good people. They¡¯re just troublemakers!¡±
Madame Lady Qiao disyed a look of disgust. ¡°Bitches will always be bitches! They¡¯re foolish and despicable! I was concerned they would continue to bother us, but it seems it¡¯s all too easy!¡± ¡°If anyone dares to approach our doorstep again, instruct the gatekeeper to drive them away immediately!¡± They all nodded in agreement. Old Master Qiao chimed in, ¡°Mom, Shao Yunduan appears to be dim-witted, and he¡¯s certainly not qualified to be an Advanced Schr. After the spring examination, they¡¯ll leave the capital and never return. Let¡¯s just pretend they don¡¯t exist. I don¡¯t think we need to inform the n about this. What do you think?¡± Removal from the n was a significant matter. They would have to report the reasons to the rtives within the n, and both parties would provide a clear exnation in person. Then, the n would decide whether to proceed with the removal. Although the Qiao Family had the final say within the circle, going through the motions to formally remove Qiao Xuan from the n would still bring humiliation to the Qiao Family if word got out. It wasn¡¯t pleasant to have raised such a mischievous daughter within the Qiao Family. Madame Yuezheng pondered for a moment and nodded. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s a fair deal for her!¡± As soon as Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan stepped out of the Qiao Family, they clung to each other, crying in each other¡¯s arms. They gazed up at the gate of the Qiao Family, tears streaming down their faces. Shao Yunduan wore an expression of fury as he patted her back, gentlyforting her. Willow Branch Alley was a bustling and populous street, filled with residents and numerous small vendors who frequented the area to sell their wares.
Everyone enjoyed watching a spectacle. Many household servants and maidservants couldn¡¯t help but gather around, whispering to each other with curiosity. Chapter 943: Bullying Chapter 943: Bullying
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Songshi wiped his tears and vented his frustration to the others. He used the Qiao Family of being snobbish and haughty. Their Young Madame Qiao, being the daughter of a concubine, and their rmended man, hailing from the countryside, were not regarded highly by the Qiao Family. Despite visiting the seniors in the capital for the examination, they were inexplicably humiliated. Young Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t bear the grievance and was even pped twice. She told them to leave and nevere back, and she even wrote a letter severing their rtionship.
Writing such a letter was no easy task, and upon hearing these words, the ten individuals listening to themotion gasped collectively. ¡°A letter of severance? Did I hear that correctly?¡± ¡°Goodness, that¡¯s going too far!¡± ¡°What happened? Something must have urred for the Qiao Family to do this, right?¡± ¡°Hehe, we all know what the Qiao Family is like. Looking down on a concubine¡¯s daughter and son-inw is not surprising!¡± ¡°Exactly, no matter the circumstances, the couple traveled all the way to the capital and didn¡¯t even want to be associated with their rtives. They must have been offended in some way. And the Qiao Family¡­ ha!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± The Qiao Family¡¯s gatekeeper witnessed the whole incident and rushed inside to ry the message. Just as Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were about to leave, Shao Yunduan held Qiao Xuan¡¯s hand and they departed. Back at the Qiao Family, the gatekeeper hesitated to disturb Madame Lady Qiao, so he reported to First Madame Qiao instead. She sneered, ¡°How audacious they are! They dare to bring ruin to our family! Gather some people and drive them away!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had barely left when the Qiao Family¡¯s gatekeeper and three or four fierce servants rushed out. The onlookers continued to observe the spectacle.
Witnessing the menacing expressions of the Qiao Family¡¯s servants, they exchanged knowing nces among themselves¡ªwhat else was there toprehend? Tsk tsk, what a bully! It seemed that Qiao Xuan¡¯s assessment was urate¡­ As they boarded the wagon, Shao Yunduan instructed Songshi, who was driving, ¡°Head to the nearest medical center.¡± Qiao Xuan nced up at him and mustered a smile. ¡°The pain in my face has subsided. I¡¯ll be fine with just a damp cloth.¡± Shao Yunduan gently caressed her cheek and spoke in a low, resonant voice, ¡°It must still hurt. I never expected Qiao Hongxi to be so heartless.¡± Qiao Xuan was his sister, and he couldn¡¯t simply treat her with indifference. It wasn¡¯t necessary. Furthermore, Qiao Xuan, as a married concubine¡¯s daughter, posed no threat to him. When he heard the sound of the p, Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He felt an intense urge to retaliate against Qiao Hongxi. He couldn¡¯t bear to see his beloved wife being subjected to such cruelty! His emotions oscited between heartbreak, anger, and guilt. He berated himself for not being strong enough to confront these arrogant individuals.
Yet, he took sce in the fact that they had made it this far and were poised to progress further. Qiao Xuan smiled, tugging at Shao Yunduan¡¯s sleeve as she spoke sweetly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry like this. I truly don¡¯t feel much pain. Look at Qiao Hongxi¡¯s feeble hands¡ªhow strong could he possibly be? Moreover, we aren¡¯t at a disadvantage. See, we obtained the letter of severance, and we even staged a scene at the Qiao Family¡¯s gate!¡± ¡°In reality,pared to the letter, this p means nothing! If it means severing ties with the Qiao Family, I can endure even ten ps!¡± Chapter 944: Grievance Chapter 944: Grievance
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes widened, and she froze in ce. Shao Yunduan leaned in and tenderly kissed her lips. It was as if he was concerned that the handprint on her face might cause her pain, so he kissed her with utmost care and gentleness. He pressed his cool lips against hers and then released her.
Qiao Xuan¡¯s cheeks turned crimson. She lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze. It was such a humiliating situation! A surprise attack! It felt improper! Observing her head lowered, her ears tinged with a blush, and her neck adorned with a faintyer of redness, Shao Yunduan felt a sense of satisfaction. So his wife could be shy so easily? What would she do in the future? As he pondered this, a burning sensation surged in his heart. Recalling the tenderness of their kiss, Shao Yunduan¡¯s eyes narrowed. He grasped Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands and spoke softly, ¡°You mustn¡¯t behave like this anymore. I won¡¯t allow it.¡± Shao Yunduan was consumed by anger, thinking about how Qiao Xuan could have evaded Qiao Hongxi¡¯s p. She wouldn¡¯t have been subjected to such a harsh blow from him. But she didn¡¯t even attempt to dodge it. It was as if she purposely let herself be pped. Qiao Xuan was taken aback. She turned to face him. Shao Yunduan grew exasperated, yet he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He pinched her cheeks gently. ¡°You have to stay away from doing that!¡± Qiao Xuan blinked and averted her gaze, offering a smile. ¡°Oh, you caught me! I was nning to dodge it, but I thought getting pped would make it more convincing!¡± Shao Yunduan remained silent as he gazed at her.
Qiao Xuan was quickly defeated. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll dodge it next time!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity. I don¡¯t need your pity anymore!¡± Qiao Xuan eximed, her voice filled with determination. Qiao Xuan¡¯s words warmed her heart. She nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Understood!¡± Despite her inner happiness, when she smiled, she inadvertently moved the corner of her mouth too much, causing a twinge of pain from her wound. Shao Yunduan, who had been smiling back at her, grew rmed once again. ¡°Does it hurt? Just endure it a little longer! Songshi, why are you driving so slowly? Hurry!¡± With urgency, Shao Yunduan guided Qiao Xuan into the clinic, calling out for a doctor. His anxious tone startled the doctor, who assumed a highly important patient had arrived, and greeted them with utmost seriousness. However, upon seeing Shao Yunduan¡¯s request for a diagnosis of Qiao Xuan¡¯s facial injury, the doctor became tongue-tied. He red at him and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s just a superficial wound, isn¡¯t it? Take a bottle of ointment home, apply it a few times, and there won¡¯t be any trace left. What¡¯s the point of making a fuss?¡± Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Is that really enough? Look at her swollen face, it¡¯s a serious injury. Shouldn¡¯t you prescribe additional medicine?¡± The doctor red back. ¡°¡­¡± Feeling humiliated, Qiao Xuan kicked Shao Yunduan and spoke to the doctor. ¡°Just ignore him. He¡¯s intoxicated and speaking nonsense. Please give us some ointment.¡± Shao Yunduan was about to say something when Qiao Xuan shot him a re, silencing him. Yet, she still felt nervous as she observed Qiao Xuan.
Chapter 945: Unexplainable Chapter 945: Unexinable
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan took the ointment from the doctor and requested a basin of water to clean their faces before leaving. The doctor stared at Shao Yunduan for a while, then waved his hand impatiently. ¡°Just go!¡±
Expressing gratitude, Shao Yunduan led Qiao Xuan to the back hall. Qiao Xuan remained silent, conflicted between feelings of humiliation and happiness. Upon returning home, Shao Yunduan instructed Songshi not to reveal his identity or show up in person. He even enlisted the help of some idlers to spread the news about what had transpired earlier that day. They didn¡¯t need to worry about the cost; the news would circte within Liuzhi Alley, bringing benefits to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. Considering the Qiao Family¡¯sck of poprity in the capital and their avoidance of causing trouble, it was unlikely to draw much attention from the wider city. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan weren¡¯t naive enough to spread the animosity between the Qiao Family and the concubine¡¯s daughter throughout the entire capital. However, they could ensure it circted within Liuzhi Alley. That would be sufficient. If a simr incident urred in the future, the Qiao Family would find themselves at a disadvantage. Soon enough, the news began to spread throughout Liuzhi Alley. ¡°The Qiao Family is so heartless!¡± ¡°Absolutely! Even if she¡¯s a concubine¡¯s daughter, she¡¯s still part of the family. And she¡¯s already married, yet they show no mercy! Poor girl, her face is swollen, and she¡¯s in tears!¡±
¡°It¡¯s just a few pennies, and the Qiao Family can¡¯t even afford that. How stingy! I heard the concubine¡¯s son-inw is a Rmended Schr, and if he bes an Advanced Schr, the Qiao Family will look so foolish, hehe!¡± ¡°Exactly, we can¡¯t let them off the hook just like that!¡± The Qiao Family became increasingly frustrated upon hearing the gossip. ¡°They¡¯re just spreading baseless rumors! What do they know? They¡¯re just indulging in idle chatter!¡± Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s appetite was greatly affected by her annoyance. The infuriating part was not that the Qiao Family was used of mistreating them; it was that the usations were entirely unfounded! She felt deeply humiliated by the false usations. The outsiders had no idea how insufferable Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan truly were¡ªfar more arrogant than anyone could imagine! The Qiao Family, unwilling to be deceived, attempted to fight back. However, to their surprise, no one believed their side of the story. The idea that the concubine¡¯s daughter and her husband would be audacious enough to provoke and disrespect the senior members of the Qiao Family, even demanding a letter of severance¡ªhow preposterous!
Were the Qiao Family out of their minds? How could they utter such absurd ims? Madame Lady Qiao realized that she had to concoct a convincing narrative. Otherwise, she would appear utterly ridiculous. After all, they were neers, and the son-inw of the Qiao Family was preparing for the spring examination. What purpose would they have in provoking the Qiao Family? Normally, people would seek their favor to garner support. And to suggest that she had willingly requested the letter of severance¡ªhow absurd! Moreover, what about the p on the concubine¡¯s daughter¡¯s face? Did she p herself? The Qiao Family found themselves speechless. Aside from vehemently insisting on the truth, they couldn¡¯t offer any usible exnations. ¡°We¡¯re telling the truth, I swear!¡± Chapter 946: Unreasonable Chapter 946: Unreasonable
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions That would make them have even less reputation. The Qiao Family got increasingly annoyed.
But no matter what she said, they could not defend themselves. Madame Lady Qiao got so annoyed that she could not eat. So with the two daughter-inws¡¯ instigation, County Magistrate Qiao and Madame Qiao were cursed at at at full st, they were considered as so unreliable that Qiao Xuan turned out to be such a rebellious person who set up the whole family. Even Qiao Hongxi, as their son, was implicated. Madame Lady Qiao did not even want to speak with him for a few days. The first section of the family and the second section of the family were even more displeased. Qiao Hongxi felt both angry and humiliated. But he did not me Madame Lady Qiao, the first section of the family or the second section of the family, but Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. It was all their fault! She had nothing to do with her family any more, but she still caused them so much trouble. How horrible! But he had no idea where the couple lived, and he could not do anything about it. He had to keep it himself! On the contrary, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had been paying attention to what was going on at Liuzhi Alley. Hearing that the Qiao Family made a mistake, Qiao Xuanughed.
That was interesting! Well, when her father and lineal mother returned to the capital, things would get even more interesting. As the spring examination approached, the imperial examination candidates from the intermediate examination were all here, and there were many gatherings taking ce everywhere. The impetuous and anxious atmosphere spread around all the time. Shao Yunduan, Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou did not like this. In order not to get involved, they did not attend many gatherings. But they were also going somehwere they picked. For example, the grand gathering at Pear Garden in the north of the city was going to be attended by the three of them. They had thought that it was a very high-profile gathering that involved the essence of knowledge, but the topic went to a different direction. Shao Yunduan got tired of hearing that. He got up and went away alone. The scenery here was very good. Arge patch of pear garden was in full bloom, and the wind blew past the white petals and snow. It was very beautiful under the sun. Shao Yunduan was thinking about taking his wife to have a look around the next day, because the flowers would have withered if they were a few dayste.
As they ventured beyond the pear garden, they arrived at a serenekeside adorned with flourishing reeds and encircled by graceful water birds. The tranquil reflection of the sky and clouds instilled a sense of rxation. While strolling along, Shao Yunduan¡¯s attention was abruptly captured by a silver-blue brocade handkerchief resting on a low bush. The exquisite embroidery and fine texture suggested that it was no ordinary essory for amon girl. Shao Yunduan found himself in a dilemma. The area was bustling with people today, many of whom were leisurely enjoying the pear garden¡¯s picturesque scenery. The conspicuousness of the handkerchief raised concerns: What if it fell into the hands of an ill-mannered individual, potentially causing trouble? He pondered the possibility of retrieving it and disposing of it discreetlyter, thus preventing any innocent girl from suffering harm. However, an inherent reluctance prevented Shao Yunduan from directly involving himself in such affairs. He hesitated, standing still as he contemted his next move. In the midst of his deliberations, two young and handsome men¡ªone appearing to be the master and the other his servant¡ªrushed towards him, seemingly in search of something. Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Swiftly, he bent down and concealed the handkerchief within his sleeves before approaching the couple. With curiosity and concern evident in his voice, he inquired, ¡°What is it that you¡¯re searching for?¡± Chapter 947: Handkerchief Chapter 947: Handkerchief
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Thedy and servant appeared startled by Shao Yunduan¡¯s presence. The servant instinctively shielded his mistress and cast a menacing re in his direction. Shao Yunduan, taken aback, quicklyprehended the situation. These individuals were not handsome men as he initially thought; rather, they were likely ady apanied by her maid. Having spent time with Qiao Xuan, who asionally disguised himself as a man, Shao Yunduan was well acquainted with women dressed in male attire. He even believed his own wife outperformed the figure before him in masquerading as a man, although she too could not endure close scrutiny.
The maid seemed to perceive Shao Yunduan as a troublemaker, emitting a disdainful snort and fixing him with an aggressive gaze. ¡°None of your business. Step aside!¡± Frowning, Shao Yunduan felt a sense of revulsion. However, considering the circumstances¡ªa woman and an unfamiliar man of unknown background and character¡ªit was reasonable for them to exercise caution. If the handkerchief truly belonged to thisdy, he could return it to her. Shao Yunduan straightforwardly voiced his intention, ¡°I came across a handkerchief earlier. Could you inform me¡­¡± ¡°Where is it? Show it to us immediately!¡± The two maids turned pale, and before Shao Yunduan could finish his sentence, the maid snapped at him, perceiving a threat in his words. Disgust mounting, Shao Yunduan retained hisposure and calmly replied, ¡°Apologies, but I am unaware of the handkerchief¡¯s owner. If it belongs to you, kindly describe its embroidery. If your description matches, I will dly return it.¡± The maid became furious. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Thedy interjected, herughter tinged with intrigue, as she cast an appraising nce in Shao Yunduan¡¯s direction. ¡°Young Master, you are quite bold. My handkerchief bears an embroidery of peony flowers, with the word ¡®Shan¡¯ adorning the side. Would you like to verify?¡± Her final statement clearly carried a yful tone. Without scrutinizing the handkerchief closely, Shao Yunduan returned it to thedy. ¡°No need, I believe it is yours.¡± He nodded at her and proceeded to depart.
¡°Young Master!¡± thedy called out, halting his departure, and chuckled. ¡°Might I inquire about your name, Young Master? Are you also participating in the spring examination?¡± Shao Yunduan paused momentarily, deliberately ignoring her, and walked away swiftly, soon disappearing from their view. Thedy, Tian Shanshan, found even greater amusement in the encounter. She chuckled gleefully, her beautiful phoenix eyes reflecting her genuine interest. She murmured to herself, ¡°This person is quite intriguing. It¡¯s rare to encounter such an interesting and well-mannered young Master¡­¡± The handkerchief was crafted from pce-grade incense figurine, a material discernible to anyone, even those unaware of its significance. Its embroidery exemplified exquisite artistry, requiring several days for even the most skilled embroiderers toplete. Being a Rmended Man, Shao Yunduan possessed astuteness. He could discern that the person owning such a handkerchief undoubtedly hailed from an exceptional family. If the handkerchief were to be found in someone else¡¯s possession, it would pose a significant inconvenience. With the approaching spring examination, everyone sought advantageous connections. A great opportunity might have presented itself right before him, yet he disregarded it entirely, not even entertaining a conversation. This man proved to be truly captivating! As Tian Shanshan pondered, his handsome countenance, tall and slender like bamboo, and his captivating ck gem-like eyes resurfaced in her mind. Heat tinged her cheeks, and her heart skipped a beat in response. Chapter 948: Not Fighting Chapter 948: Not Fighting Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions A shy smile graced Tian Shanshan¡¯s face. Fu, perplexed by the situation, breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing he understood, or else we would have given him a lesson!¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Tian Shanshan replied, ncing at Fu and chuckling. ¡°Let¡¯s not speak of that again. Isn¡¯t he handsome, well-mannered, kind-hearted, and knowledgeable?¡± Taken aback, Fu turned to Tian Shanshan, her eyes widened as she stuttered, ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t be¡­¡± Tian Shanshan blushed, but maintained herposure. ¡°Enough, it¡¯s too early to discuss such matters¡­¡± As the Minister of Personnel¡¯s direct daughter, the niece of the esteemed Concubine Mei in the pce, and the cousin protected by His Highness the Fourth Prince, Tian Shanshan had her standards set high. Only a talented and handsome top-ranked schr would be deemed worthy as a potential husband. Others simply did not measure up. Yet, due to her genuine interest in this man, she cared little even if he were not the top-ranked schr. Nevertheless, Fu was shocked beyond words, her hand instinctively covering her mouth to stifle a potential scream. What had gotten into herdy? How could she develop affections for a man awaiting the examination results? Thankfully, herdy still retained her rationality. Soon, Tian Shanshan confided in the other intermediate girls in the capital, revealing her infatuation with a candidate poised to seed in the imperial examination. She made it clear that once the results were announced, no one would be permitted to interfere. In essence, she implied that even if other families sought to secure a son-inw, they would have to wait until she had made her choice. Tian Shanshan held a prominent status among the nobledies in the capital¡¯s intermediate circle and enjoyed considerable poprity. There was no favored princess in the pce, and those born of concubines paled inparison to her. None dared to defy her wishes. The nobledies yfully teased Tian Shanshan, eagerly inquiring about the identity of the man in question. Tian Shanshan maintained her enigmatic smile and offered no answers. She had no intention of divulging any information until everything was rified. What if the man failed to secure the top-ranked schr position? In that case, she had no intention of letting anyone know about her connection with him. Word of this affair spread like wildfire, reaching even the imperial capital of Qixuan. People even approached Officer Tian from the Ministry of Personnel to inquire about the matter. Officer Tian could only smile helplessly, regarding it as his daughter¡¯s marriage. As long as she was happy, he and his wife trusted her judgment. If it worked out, it would undoubtedly be an extraordinary tale. Emperor Xuan found the situation intriguing and grew interested. He dered that he would orchestrate a grand wedding for the newlyweds, allowing Officer Tian to bestow his daughter in a magnificent manner. Officer Tian was overjoyed. Truthfully, he was not overly concerned. He understood his daughter¡¯s prideful nature, as she regarded all noble families, princes, kings, and young masters of the capital with disdain. He had no knowledge of the identity of the imperial examination candidate, but he was confident that his daughter¡¯s choice would be to his liking. Theycked neither power nor status; what they needed were individuals of exceptional talent. He couldn¡¯t wait to wee such a son-inw into the family! Given Tian Shanshan¡¯s status as the revered daughter of heaven, news of the affair quickly spread throughout the capital. After all, the Eight Trigrams of the top noble families held immense fascination for everyone. Qiao Xuan and the other rmended men were well aware of the situation. The candidates grew increasingly restless, all attempting to discern who the fortunate individual might be. Being the Minister of Personnel¡¯s lineal daughter and having connections with Noble Consort Mei and the Fourth Prince, marrying Tian Shanshan would undoubtedly lead to a prosperous future. Chapter 949: Madness Chapter 949: Madness Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions They engaged in spection regarding the potential candidates. The candidates humbly denied any involvement while secretly reveling in the possibility. Many individuals began ingratiating themselves with the candidates. Some self-centered candidates dismissed the notion of being the one, believing themselves to be superior to others. Although they might not possess the same wealth, they considered themselves more advanced. Lady Tian was not a superficial person, and perhaps she valued talent above all else. Or perhaps it was simply fate that had brought them together. They saw an opportunity before the final revtion. Qiao Xuan was delighted, even engaging in conversation with Shao Yunduan and asking for his opinion on the culprit. Shao Yunduan found himself torn between amusement and exasperation. He had no idea of Lady Tian¡¯s preferences. Besides himself, no one else could urately guess which rmended man she favored. These people had far too much free time on their hands! Furthermore, Lady Tian must have been teasing them all. Qiao Xuan also smiled and responded, ¡°Darling, you¡¯re absolutely right. It doesn¡¯t matter who he is, as long as it¡¯s not you!¡± Shao Yunduan grinned. ¡°Of course!¡± Being already married, he knew he wasn¡¯t in the running. Little did they know that Tian Shanshan possessed such unwavering confidence that she could speak her mind freely when she found someone interesting. She had never considered anything beyond that, nor did she care. The schrs, Advanced Schrs, and young schrs from the Hanlin Academy were all envious of Tian Shanshan¡¯s privileged position as the Minister of Personnel¡¯s daughter. They couldn¡¯t help but wonder why such a fortuitous event didn¡¯t happen during their own spring examinations. It would have been marvelous! The aplished Advanced Schrs, who had already passed the spring examination and were still young, felt that they should be considered as well. They believed they were not inferior in any way. Qiao Hongxi was among those consumed by envy and ambition. Qiao Hongxi was highly motivated but also envious of Tian Shanshan¡¯s prospects. They couldn¡¯t help but think that the heavens were unjust. If Lady Tian valued talent, it would be a great loss to exclude them! If Lady Tian had set her sights on the schrs from the Hanlin Academy, they might have caught her attention. If she married into their family, the Qiao Family would treat her well, and he would undoubtedly rise above his siblings. More importantly, marrying Lady Tian was akin to marrying the Fourth Prince. If the Fourth Prince or Concubine Mei spoke highly of him to the Emperor, the earl¡¯s title could be restored. At that point, he would bask in glory! The more Qiao Hongxi dwelled on these thoughts, the more he convinced himself that he could be the fortunate one. However, he wasn¡¯t willing to give up. He would always dress up and intentionally pass by the Tian Family¡¯s residence. Chapter 950: One in A Million Chapter 950: One in A Million
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions They would pretend to pass by or go shopping, hoping to coincidentally encounter thedy of the Tian Family. What if¡­
Lady Tian was still avable, and he still had a chance! However, Qiao Hongxi became increasingly annoyed as she noticed many people aimlessly loitering around the Tian Family¡¯s residence. She recognized some of them. It was exasperating. They acted as if they didn¡¯t know each other. Noble families, princes, kings, and even monarchsughed at them behind their backs, mocking their attempts to reach beyond their station and surpass their own worth! They went to great lengths to make it happen. How humiliating! Elder Miss, with her proud nature, would never fall for their schemes. Soon, the time for the spring examination arrived. The sky was clear, without a cloud for miles. The sun shone brightly, and a gentle breeze blew, refreshing without causing heat. It was the perfect time.
In the middle of the night, Qiao Xuan, Lixia, and Liqiu stood outside the courtyard, watching as Shao Yunduan boarded the wagon. As the wagon driven by Songshi departed, it soon disappeared around the corner of the alley. Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t particrly superstitious, but in this moment, she sped her hands together and began to pray. ¡°Amitabha!¡± Shao Yunduan had be a disciple of a master and had acquired valuable professional books and records from the Xie Family for reference. He was already exceptionally talented. However, at this moment, Qiao Xuan, who had always been confident in him, began to doubt herself. After all, this was the spring examination! It was much more challenging than the college entrance examination. One in a million! Even if he was one in a million, sess depended on luck. ¡°Young Madame, our Fifth Master is incredibly capable. He will definitely make it!¡± ¡°Yes, our Fifth Master is the Provincial Champion!¡± Lixia and Liqiu tried to console Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan smiled. Though they were just words, they wereforting. She felt a bit relieved. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go home and wait for the good news!¡±
Her husband was the Provincial Champion and exceptionally talented. He had been fortunate to be a disciple of the Xie Family and meet Xie Jingrong. His good fortune would continue. Nine days passed quickly as they awaited the intermediate results. When Shao Yunduan returned home, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t sit still during the journey. She was too nervous to ask him anything. On the other hand, Shao Yunduan appeared calm. Despite looking tired, he took Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands and smiled gently at her. ¡°Darling, I should have done well. Being an Advanced Schr should be within reach.¡± Suddenly, Qiao Xuan understood the situation. She nodded with a bright smile. ¡°Yes, Young Master Xie spoke highly of my husband¡¯s knowledge, and we¡¯re all anticipating good news!¡± ¡°There will be good news!¡± Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°You should write a letter to the Qiao Family and share the good news with them!¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± The two of them chatted andughed, and gradually, Qiao Xuan began to rx. Shao Yunduan was exhausted. He went home, took a shower, washed his hair, ate a bowl of porridge, and went to bed. He didn¡¯t wake up until the next afternoon.
As sunlight streamed onto the floor, Shao Yunduan felt a sense of drifting. The spring examination was over! Chapter 951: Self-awareness Chapter 951: Self-awareness
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions In the evening, Qiao Xuan prepared a nourishing feast for Shao Yunduan. She stewed ck chicken soup with red dates, white fruits, lotus seeds, and gastrodia ta, made a beef wild mushroom griddle, steamed river eels, and braised pork. They also opened a small jar of strong and fragrant Double Ninth Liquor to celebrate and replenish his body. Even the most aplished individuals would feel nervous and anxious in such a high-pressure test environment.
After enduring the ordeal, everyone felt exhausted and drained. They needed some replenishment. The delicious food brought a sense of contentment to Shao Yunduan as he looked at Qiao Xuan. There was nothing more satisfying than a home-cooked meal with its familiar taste after a challengingpetition! Gathered together as a family, with warm lighting, even the idle chatter became a source of great satisfaction in the world. The next day, Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou came to visit together. Although they had rested for a day, they still appeared weary. Their faces showed signs of fatigue, with dark circles under their eyes fromck of rest. The couple greeted Qiao Xuan with a smile, addressing her as ¡°Mrs. Qiao!¡± Qiao Xuan sensed their anxiety, as if theycked confidence in their performance on the examination. She didn¡¯t dwell on it and invited them to stay for lunch, hoping they could sit down and chat with Shao Yunduan. She went to make the necessary preparations. During their conversation, Lu Min and her husband seemed to be in a better mood after lunch. Their smiles grew wider. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but ask Shao Yunduan about the Eight Trigrams. Shao Yunduan chuckled. ¡°It should be fine, but it depends on the examiner!¡± Qiao Xuan sighed. ¡°Yes, it all depends on the examiner!¡± Unlike the college entrance examination, where there were standardized answers, points, and clear steps, here it was different. The oue relied on whether the essays appealed to the taste of the examiners, and that element was subject to luck.
However, if the essay was written with steadiness, it was unlikely to be faulted. There was a chance for Shao Yunduan to be an intermediate Advanced Schr, but his exact ranking was uncertain. After taking a few days of rest at home, Shao Yunduan decided to apany Qiao Xuan as they ventured out. There were numerous gatherings among the candidates, but Shao Yunduan, Lu Min, and Gu Zhiyou were not interested in participating, so they chose not to attend. The couple set out towards the outskirts of the capital together. Shao Yunduan wanted to keep his wifepany since he had no other pressing matters to attend to. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side, as they unexpectedly ran into Qiao Hongxi once again. Both parties fell into an awkward silence. They were about to ignore each other and continue enjoying the scenery on their boat when Qiao Hongxi refused to let them be. He sneered and said, ¡°Leaving as soon as you see me? Feeling guilty, are you?¡± Qiao Xuan replied, ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Qiao Hongxi grew even more irritated. He sneered at Shao Yunduan, saying, ¡°Why are you so arrogant? The rankings will be released soon. Are you confident that you¡¯ll make it to the intermediate level?¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°I have no idea.¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Qiao Hongxi became even more smug. ¡°At least you¡¯re self-aware about your abilities!¡±
Chapter 952: Bet with Qiao Hongxi Chapter 952: Bet with Qiao Hongxi
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Before the rankings are released, no one can say that they have be intermediate. Or did you dare to? So my husband is telling the truth. He knows nothing about himself!¡± Qiao Hongxi sneered. ¡°You know what you are capable of, right?¡±
Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Of course!¡± Qiao Hongxi. How annoying! Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Young Master Qiao, what about making a bet?¡± Qiao Hongxi sneered. ¡°A bet?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Qiao Xuan threw a look at Shao Yunduan and saw that Shao Yunduan had no intention of stopping her. She continued with a smile. ¡°If my husband fails the spring examination, we will pay you 1,000 liang, and if my husband makes it, you will pay us 1,000 liang, do you dare?¡± Would they dare to do so? Hearing this, Qiao Hongxi could not help but feel angry. This lowly concubine¡¯s daughter! She used to be a timid daughter of a concubine who did not even dare to breathe loudly in front of him, but now she was provoking him. ¡°Do you dare?¡± He could not stand that any more!
How could he not dare to? Qiao Hongxi sneered. ¡°Okay, since you are so eager to give me money, I will fulfill your wish. Why not? I want to raise the bet. If I win, you will kowtow to me three times, and if I lose, the same goes for me. Do you dare?¡± Qiao Hongxi felt slightly better when he returned the words to Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan. ¡°What do you think, darling?¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Anyway you want, darling.¡± Qiao Hongxi thought that they were just putting on a show. He sneered and sneered. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s y with him! We don¡¯t care about 1,000 liang, we can just use this for fun!¡± Shao Yunduanughed. ¡°True, darling!¡± Qiao Hongxi red. Thinking of the embarrassing situation back at the store, he felt even worse. These two people were so arrogant!
1,000 liang? Ha! They might not even have 100 liang with them! Qiao Hongxi was worried that they would change their mind. ¡°Write it in a ck and white paper, and we will make it a contract!¡± ¡°That is what I agree with totally!¡± So they found a nearby store and borrowed some ink, paper and inkstone, and wrote down two portions of the bet on the spot, signed and signed, and took one portion each. Qiao Hongxi sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to get the money ready. I won¡¯t go easy on you!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Same to you. 1,000 liang, I wonder if you can afford that!¡± Qiao Hongxi red at her and said, ¡°That is none of your business!¡± Then he left. He did not need 1,000 liang, because he was not going to lose! Qiao Hongxi soon got rid of the anxiety in his heart. He was not going to lose!
Qiao Xuan put away the bet and smiled at Shao Yunduan. ¡°Darling, we are so lucky today!¡± Someone offered 1,000 liang and three kowtows! Shao Yunduan added. ¡°Darling, are you so sure that I can make it to intermediate?¡± Qiao Xuan said, ¡°Of course, I trust my husband!¡± For some reason, she seemed to have regained her confidence after being stimted by Qiao Hongxi. Her husband had never disappointed her. Shao Yunduan felt his heart warmed. He smiled. Chapter 953: Lucky Chapter 953: Lucky
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions It was bustling in the capital. The tea houses, wine stores, and streets were abuzz with discussions about the spring examination of the year. The names of many popr candidates had already be well-known. One particr piece of news that gained significant attention was the announcement by the Minister of Personnel¡¯s daughter that she was seeking a husband. It quickly became a hot topic of conversation.
Meanwhile, the candidates themselves appeared increasingly confident as the exam progressed. Finally, the long-awaited moment arrived¡ªthe release of the results. Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou anxiously joined Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, waiting for the oue. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of nervousness. Early in the morning, Lu Min, Gu Zhiyou, and Songshi¡¯s pageboys headed to the location where the rankings were disyed, eager to see their positions. Time seemed to crawl by, and eventually, Songshi and the others returned home together. Their anxiety was palpable, and for a while, none of them uttered a word. However, beneath their apprehensive expressions, they all wore hopeful smiles. Lu Min couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and grabbed her pageboy. ¡°Did you make it to the intermediate level? Nod if you did!¡± The pageboy responded with an enthusiastic nod and a silly grin. Gu Zhiyou inquired, ¡°Are the three of us in the intermediate level?¡± The three pageboys nodded incessantly. ¡°Okay, okay, that¡¯s fantastic!¡± ¡°Hahaha, he did it! He finally advanced to the intermediate level!¡±
¡°Yes, we did it!¡± The servants knelt down and bowed, congratting them. Finally, they could articte their joy. Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief, beaming as he handed red packets to Songshi and the others. They were all filled with immense joy. ¡°Brother Gu, Brother Qiao, tonight¡¯s celebration is on me! Let¡¯s enjoy ourselves!¡± Lu Min eximed. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic, haha!¡± Gu Zhiyou responded, sharing in the excitement. Theyughed heartily, their spirits soaring, before entering the room and taking their seats. They invited Songshi and the other two to join them, eager to hear about the rankings and the atmosphere of the examination hall. Lu Min had obtained the lowest rank among them, but it didn¡¯t dampen his spirits. He remained ted. Bing intermediate was already a remarkable achievement in itself. Out of the 3,000 participants, only 180 would secure a ce in the intermediate level, and even ranking among the bottom 180 was considered a rare aplishment. Gu Zhiyou and Shao Yunduan had achieved positions in the middle range.
Gu Zhiyou felt fortunate to have attained a decent rank, bringing him great happiness. However, Shao Yunduan¡¯s ranking surprised them both. The more they discussed Shao Yunduan¡¯s performance, the more they realized the disparity between them. They had previously regarded Shao Yunduan as a good friend, but now their admiration for him grew. His knowledge far surpassed theirs. Both Gu Zhiyou and Lu Min pondered over what they should say to Shao Yunduan. They felt a mix of awe and concern. Shao Yunduan himself had confidence in his abilities, believing that he would reach a high rank within the intermediate level, despite being in the middle range. They exchanged nces, feeling slightly awkward. They were unsure whether they should praise Shao Yunduan or offer constion. In the end, Gu Zhiyou smiled warmly. ¡°Remember, the imperial examination is yet toe, Brother Shao. Give it your all. We¡¯re eagerly waiting to witness your exceptional talent!¡± ¡°Yes, indeed! Brother Shao, it seems you¡¯ve been concealing your true abilities. Don¡¯t be too modest during the imperial examination!¡± Lu Min added enthusiastically. Shao Yunduan chuckled in response. ¡°You¡¯re too kind with your words!¡±
Deep down, he knew that Master Yun had advised him against taking unnecessary risks during the imperial examination. Chapter 954: Various Meanings Chapter 954: Various Meanings
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Because the stakes were too high, and it truly depended on the examiner¡¯s mind whether they were talented or not. Only the standard ones, with one or two slightly outstanding highlights, and most importantly, the examiner could not find any mistakes, so they could be stable.
He was going to put on a good show during the imperial examination. Shao Yunduan agreed deeply and bore that in mind. More importantly, after Master Yun¡¯s teachings and his own hard work, as well as the precious materials he got from the Xie Family, he had made great progress. He was totally capable of making this examination work with an easy base, and he could make whatever articles he wanted. After the gathering, it was already afternoon when they saw off Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a look at each other and smiled. They were both smiling brightly under the bright sun. ¡°Darling, I have really be an Advanced Schr!¡± Shao Yunduan took hold of Qiao Xuan and put his hands on her shoulders, as his eyes sparkled. ¡°I will keep my promise, just wait and see.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s lips were raised, as she smiled brightly. She was in high spirits. She opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but did not know what to say. In the end, she nodded at him with a smile. Shao Yunduan chuckled and took her into his arms. He was still feeling emotional inwardly ¨C he had made it! He had lived up to her parents, family and ancestors¡¯ wishes, and his years of hard work had been justifed. He did not care what position he was going to get. He believed that his wife would know that he only had her in his heart after he became an officer, and that he would not change his mind. It was time for them to be a real couple. She should not turn him down again, right? Shao Yunduan felt so proud when he saw the beautiful woman in his arms and the name on the list.
He was the luckiest man in the whole world! It was a day filled with heightened emotions. Laughter, tears, and even madness could be witnessed throughout the capital as news of the intermediate rankings spread like wildfire. That night, families experienced contrasting emotions. Some reveled in joy and confidence, dreaming of achieving even greater sess in the uing imperial examination. Others, with tears staining their faces, sighed and found it difficult to sleep. The shame of their performance lingered, and they could no longer face their fellowpetitors. They awaited the day they could return to their hometowns, hoping to gather the strength to fight again in three years, or else abandon their pursuits. Such was the cruelty experienced when thousands of soldiers and horses crossed a narrow bridge. The imperial examination was scheduled to take ce three days after the release of the rankings. Despite its significance, the atmosphere leading up to the examination was notably different. After all, even if one rankedst in the imperial examination, they would still carry the title. Most people were well aware of their position within thepetitive intermediate field. Only those who were exceptionally ambitious or those who had already achieved advanced status remained motivated to establish their reputation in the intermediate examination. Prior to the imperial examination, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan decided to seek financial debt from Qiao Hongxi. The reason? Gambling debts. Shao Yunduan had a multitude of tasks to attend to after the imperial examination andcked the time to address the issue himself. Moreover, being an official, it would be inconvenient for him to handle such matters personally.
Chapter 955: The Qiao Family Chapter 955: The Qiao Family
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The following day, just as it was nearing time for work at Hanlin Academy, the couple intercepted Qiao Hongxi at the entrance. Qiao Hongxi appeared visibly annoyed, and the entire Qiao Family seemed to be in a state of boredom.
Due to Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan¡¯s previous actions within the Qiao Family, many rtives were eager to witness Shao Yunduan¡¯s embarrassment, hoping it would provide County Magistrate Qiao and his wife with an opportunity to return home and scold him. Consequently, numerous members of the Qiao Family awaited the examination results with skepticism. The entire family was convinced that Shao Yunduan had not seeded. However, Qiao Xuan herself refused to believe it. ¡°How could someone like him be an intermediate Advanced Schr? Were this year¡¯s questions exceptionally easy?¡± one rtive questioned. ¡°Even a broken clock is right twice a day!¡± another scoffed. ¡°What a ridiculous notion! How could someone like him possibly reach the intermediate level?¡± ¡°I doubt it. Hecks manners, ethics, and morality. He is not worthy of any recognition!¡± The elders of the Qiao Family felt a bitter sense of resentment and annoyance. Nevertheless, they could only vent their frustrations verbally. Regardless of their boldness, they would never dare to report the matter. To question the fairness of the imperial court was no trifling matter, and causing trouble could lead to their own ruin. In the end, they consoled themselves with a thought. ¡°He is fortunate not to have be an official. If he were to achieve that position, he would meet an untimely demise without ever realizing how it happened. Besides, we severed the engagement with him long ago!¡± In private, Second Mrs. Qiao and Third Mrs. Qiao were particrly vexed.
Why were both branches of the family facing such misfortune? The Qiao Family¡¯s meager wealth had beenpletely consumed by the third branch! To make matters worse, both the father and son of the third branch had achieved the title of Advanced Schr. Even the daughter of a concubine and her son-inw, who hailed from such a humble ce, had managed to reach Advanced Schr status! When did bing an Advanced Schr be so effortless, almost akin to reaching the intermediate level? Qiao Hongxi was seething with annoyance. He had always held a sense of pride, firmly believing that he was a true genius. From being a Child Student to a Cultivated Talent, a rmended man, and ultimately an Advanced Schr, he had surpassed even his father. He considered himself exceptional and took great pride in his aplishments. But Shao Yunduan¡¯s seemingly effortless achievement was aplete humiliation for him. Just as Qiao Hongxi stepped out of Hanlin Academy, he was intercepted by Songshi. ¡°Young Master Qiao, Fifth Master and Young Madame request a meeting with you.¡± Qiao Hongxi recognized Songshi and sneered. ¡°Shao Yunduan may be an Advanced Schr, but so am I! Let him know that it¡¯s far too early for him to show off in front of me. Advanced Schrs with influential backgrounds are in an entirely different league!¡± ¡°I have no interest in seeing them. Tell them to get lost!¡± Qiao Hongxi felt a surge of satisfaction. Shao Yunduan might have achieved the title of Advanced Schr, but he had no means of making his way through. Perhaps he was feeling anxious and expected Qiao Hongxi to help him secure a favorable position? Dream on! Undeterred, Songshi maintained aposed smile. ¡°Young Master Qiao, I¡¯m not sure I understand what you¡¯re referring to. I simply want to remind you that you made a bet with Fifth Master and Young Madame. They are curious as to when you n on fulfilling your obligations, including offering the appropriate apology and performing the kowtow.¡±
Qiao Hongxi¡¯s face abruptly changed, startled by the reminder. He hadpletely forgotten about it! Well, not entirely forgotten. He had sensed a nagging feeling that he had neglected something important, but the specifics eluded him. Songshi¡¯s words served as a sudden awakening. Chapter 956: Debt with Qiao Hongxi Chapter 956: Debt with Qiao Hongxi
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Infuriated, Qiao Hongxi sneered. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I haven¡¯t reneged on my promise. Get out of here!¡± Songshi maintained his calm smile. ¡°Young Master Qiao, it would be best if you apany me to meet our Old Master and Young Madame. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t look very good if I were to show up at Hanlin Academy with the bet tomorrow¡­¡±
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had informed him about the arrangement. Qiao Hongxi stiffened, his anger rising. ¡°How dare you!¡± Songshi¡¯s smile widened. Why not? Debts should always be repaid. Qiao Hongxi cursed inwardly and red at Songshi. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He had no choice but toply. If Songshi truly appeared at Hanlin Academy with the bet, he would be left humiliated before his colleagues. Qiao Hongxi prided himself on his knowledge and advancement, but many secretly harbored jealousy and ostracized him. If they were to learn of this situation, his situation would only worsen. Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had secured a private room at a nearby tea house, not far from Hanlin Academy. They were happily sipping tea and engaged in lively conversation. Witnessing this, Qiao Hongxi¡¯s fury intensified.
How could that lowly concubine¡¯s daughter deserve such treatment? ¡°Young Master Qiao, please have a seat. When do you n on fulfilling your end of the bet?¡± Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t the same person she used to be, nor was she the concubine¡¯s daughter who had been restrained by the Qiao Family. Therefore, she harbored no fear of Qiao Hongxi¡¯s dark re or twisted expression. Qiao Hongxi knew he couldn¡¯t show his face in the next life if it were up to her! Upon hearing her words, Qiao Hongxi sneered. ¡°Why are you so worried? Haven¡¯t you seen money before?¡± Qiao Xuan maintained her smile. ¡°Yes, I have seen money before, but the money won from the bet holds a different significance. It is clearly stated in ck and white, Young Master Qiao. Just say the word, or else we¡¯ll have to go to Hanlin Academy to collect it ourselves.¡± ¡°You!¡± Qiao Hongxi¡¯s expression darkened. Where was he going to find 1,000 liang? His monthly sry at Hanlin Academy was a mere 10 liang, and he had no means of earning extra ie. Five liang had to be paid to the intermediate every month, leaving him with only 5 liang. He had to save for a long time to afford good pens, ink, paper, inkstones, folding fans, jade pendants, sachets, hairpins, belts, and other misceneous items. It was only through his parents¡¯ asional financial support that he could indulge in these exquisite and beautiful things. Every time he received money, he would prioritize buying these beautiful items. Additionally, he often had to attend various social events, leaving him with no money to spare. Moreover, how dare a lowly concubine¡¯s daughter threaten him!
He had no intention of giving them any money! Why¡­ ¡°That was merely a joke, and you took it seriously? Don¡¯t forget that I am your elder brother by blood! Our parents will be returning soon, and you should think about how to exin this to them!¡± Qiao Hongxi snorted. There were no outsiders present, and he was merely being shameless! Qiao Xuan found it inconvenient that there were no cell phones in this era to record such situations. People like him should be recorded for all to see! She wanted to reveal his true nature to the world. Shao Yunduan spoke calmly, ¡°Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao can go to the capital, but that has nothing to do with us. You wrote the letter yourself, and the senior members of the Qiao Family have signed it. You cannot simply back out now.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s smile persisted. ¡°What about you? Do you want us to return the money to you at Hanlin Academy, or to the Qiao Family? Or perhaps you would like to report us to the governmental office?¡± Chapter 957: Shortsighted Chapter 957: Shortsighted
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Hongxi gritted his teeth and said with a dark look. ¡°Shao Yunduan, you are an Advanced Schr now, and Qiao Xuan is part of the Qiao Family. I don¡¯t believe that you dare toe to the Hanlin Academy to stop me or report me to the governmental office. You don¡¯t want your reputation any more?¡± Qiao Xuan said curiously, ¡°Interesting, isn¡¯t it right to pay back what you owe? We are siblings in blood, aren¡¯t we? You owe us money and you are not afraid of ruining your reputation, so I am definitely going to let you pay back!¡±
Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Just tell us, are you giving it to us or not? You don¡¯t have to worry about us!¡± Qiao Hongxi eximed angrily, ¡°Are you all so shortsighted?¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°As long as we witness your humiliation, we will be satisfied. Call it shortsightedness if you like.¡± Qiao Hongxi became increasingly infuriated, turning to Shao Yunduan and questioning whether Qiao Xuan¡¯s words were true. Shao Yunduan cast a tender and affectionate nce at Qiao Xuan. ¡°That¡¯s what my wife says!¡± Qiao Hongxi couldn¡¯t help but think that these two individuals were utterly insane! Shao Yunduan seemed to care little about his own reputation and future, so what was the point of bing an Advanced Schr? In Qiao Hongxi¡¯s opinion, someone as foolish as Shao Yunduan did not deserve to be an officer. He should be exposed for his ipetence! She, Jin Xiangyu, was akin to a precious gem, while they were nothing more than worthless tiles. It wasn¡¯t worth engaging in direct conflict with them. Qiao Hongxi finally admitted defeat. She didn¡¯t want anyone else to discover this humiliating incident¡ªnot at Hanlin Academy, nor within her own family.
If Madame Yuezheng, her uncles, aunts, and cousins were to learn of this, they would surely mock her. Besides, 1,000 liang was not an amount the intermediate would pay on her behalf. After pondering for a moment, Qiao Hongxi reluctantly said, ¡°I don¡¯t have that much money at the moment. It will take me approximately two months.¡± In less than two months, her parents would return to the capital. Her mother must have saved up a considerable amount, and by that time, she could borrow some money from her mother to repay the debt. Feeling cornered, Qiao Hongxi had no choice but to appease his mother. He didn¡¯t want to reveal the truth to her. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan understood his predicament. They exchanged a knowing nce, and Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That is eptable, but you must provide a written agreement to ensure you won¡¯t go back on your word.¡± Qiao Hongxi red at her resentfully. He didn¡¯t want to write the agreement, but he knew he had no other option. ¡°Fine!¡± ¡°As for the remaining three kowtows, can we proceed now? There¡¯s no need to dy, right?¡± Qiao Xuan suggested. Qiao Hongxi flushed with anger.
¡°You insolent girl, don¡¯t push it too far!¡± Shao Yunduan gave him a cold stare. ¡°My wife is the spouse of an Advanced Schr. Qiao Hongxi, show some respect, or I won¡¯t hold back!¡± To curse at his wife and hit him for no reason¡ªwhat else could Shao Yunduan do? Qiao Hongxi panted heavily, ring at the couple. He had never experienced such humiliation before. And the fact that he had brought it upon himself made Qiao Hongxi almost feel like he was going to cough up blood. What on earth was wrong with him? Why did he say something so foolish? Qiao Xuan was in high spirits¡ªshe finally had someone to stand up for her! ¡°Let¡¯s see if you dare to go back on your word. Qiao Hongxi, your dark secrets are still in our possession, so I suggest you show some respect.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to perform the kowtows, we can negotiate further!¡± Chapter 958: Family Price Chapter 958: Family Price
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Hongxi didn¡¯t easily trust Qiao Xuan. To him, Qiao Xuan was like a demon!
Instead of feeling relieved, he grew even more cautious and asked, ¡°What are your intentions?¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled, knowing she wasn¡¯t naive. ¡°My idea is simple. 1,000 liang for one head, and 3,000 liang for three heads, so you don¡¯t have to kowtow three times!¡± Qiao Hongxi was speechless. Shao Yunduan coughed and covered his mouth, a smile of indulgence on his face. When did his wife be so greedy? But he liked it! The Qiao Family was extremely poor, and his wife had struck the jackpot! Qiao Hongxi felt a mixture of anger and annoyance. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just rob us instead?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the price of family love, not robbery!¡± Qiao Xuan innocently replied. ¡°You are the editor of the Hanlin Academy, a respected man. Isn¡¯t kowtowing worth 1,000 taels of silver? I think you need at least 10,000 liang to match your position. How about¡­¡± ¡°1,000 liang it is!¡± Qiao Hongxi interrupted, startled and not daring to argue further. ¡°Deal!¡±
Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s put it in writing.¡± Qiao Hongxi grumbled as he started to write. He signed the paper and left angrily. As he walked out of the tea house, he staggered and nearly fell. He looked up at the sunlight, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed with a sense of loss. Regret¡­ 4,000 liang had slipped through his fingers. The loss of 4,000 liang hit him hard, causing him to shiver with heartache. He had never held such arge sum of money before. Even when his parents secretly provided him with financial support, it was always in smaller amounts, like 700, 800, 400, or 500. But now, they were offered 4,000 liang. He wondered if his mother had any more money. If not¡­ No, he was determined to have his share! Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan continued tough gleefully as she put away the paper. ¡°Darling, we are so fortunate! Luck is on our side!¡±
Shao Yunduan felt a surge of happiness seeing her smile. ¡°Thanks to your luck, my dear!¡± He was simply riding on her good fortune. Qiao Xuan beamed. ¡°Darling, now that you have be an Advanced Schr, what do you n to do? If you want to stay in the capital, we can consider looking at some suburbannd. Although the prices are higher in the capital, with 4,000 liang, we should be able to buy a sizable plot. We can even add some more money and buy even more!¡± Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t want to disappoint Qiao Xuan, who had her heart set on acquiringnd for farming. So he nodded, wearing a smile. Qiao Xuan felt twice as ted at the thought of the Qiao Family gifting her such a substantial sum, which she could use to purchasend. In Tian Shanshan¡¯s room at the Ministry of Personnel¡­ She sat at a round table covered with an exquisitely embroidered tablecloth, engrossed in reading the imperial list. Tian Shanshan smiled as she read the names one by one, finding it quite an interesting activity. Standing beside her, Fu looked puzzled. ¡°Young Lady, you¡¯re forbidden from finding out who the Young Master is. Can you discern his identity from the list?¡± They had been separated from Shao Yunduan since their encounter at the Pear Garden the other day. However, with the Tian Family¡¯s influence, it would have been easy for Tian Shanshan to track down Shao Yunduan.
But she chose not to. She dismissed the idea of searching for him within her own household. Chapter 959: Wait and See Chapter 959: Wait and See
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Tian Shanshan nced at Fu and chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but who cares? I¡¯m sure he must be on the list! Isn¡¯t that intriguing?¡± Fu scratched her head and smiled, still looking a bit puzzled.
She couldn¡¯t quite grasp what made it so fascinating. But if herdy said it was interesting, then it must be true! She couldn¡¯t admit her own ignorance. ¡°If you say so, then it must be true!¡± Tian Shanshan nced at her and smiled. The young girl was naive. She was adorable, but not the brightest. She had no clue about what was happening, and Tian Shanshan had no interest in exining it to her. She wasn¡¯t short-sighted. The person she liked couldn¡¯t have possibly failed to be an intermediate Advanced Schr. She hoped he might even achieve the top position. She believed that his name must be on the Imperial List at that very moment. As she looked at the names, she thought about the man she liked, who might be her future husband, and it filled her with even more happiness. The mysterious sense of ¡°destiny¡± was too marvelous. She simply needed to savor it quietly. Just imagine, in the future, when they were together, they could reminisce about this day. That would be a remarkable twist of fate! The imperial examination was about tomence, and she was eager to observe¡­ The atmosphere during the examination wasn¡¯t as tense as the imperial examination itself, but after all the hard work they had put in, everyone hoped for a favorable ranking.
As the day arrived for them to enter the Hall of Supreme Harmony, they all felt a sense of solemnity. Qiao Xuan, on the other hand, had no need to worry about the ranking examination, so she had a leisurely day. They were busy preparing delicious food at home, eagerly awaiting Shao Yunduan¡¯s return so they could enjoy it together. In the following days, when the rankings were announced, they embarked on various outings within and outside the city, marveling at beautiful sights and purchasing local specialties. They had a wonderful time. Little did they expect that Shao Yunduan would be the Primus. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were both stunned when they heard the news. It wasn¡¯t until they bid farewell to the officer, Lu Min, and Gu Zhiyou, who came to offer their congrattions, and exchanged pleasantries with the neighbors who had gathered to witness the celebration, that they closed the door. It was then that Lixia and others knelt down to offer their congrattions and rewards. Yet, even at that moment, they couldn¡¯t quite believe it. Shao Yunduan knew he had performed well and believed he would rank highly. But to be the Primus? That was beyond his expectations. Even now, he was still in a state of disbelief. Qiao Xuan was taken aback. ¡°Darling, I have be the wife of the Primus? Oh my god, I am the wife of the Primus!¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled and took her in his arms, twirling her around. ¡°Yes, you are the one and only Mrs. Primus, the first in three years!¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.
Shao Yunduan held her hands. ¡°From now on, there will be even greater achievements, all for you¡­¡± A bright smile spread across Qiao Xuan¡¯s face. The two of them exchanged a nce and felt an overwhelming sense of joy. However, within the Ministry of Personnel, chaos ensued. The day before the results were announced, Tian Shanshan sketched Shao Yunduan¡¯s face and asked her father to find out if the Primus was indeed the same man she had in mind. Tian Shanshan was skilled in various arts such as ying the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. With her remarkable memory, she could vividly depict Shao Yunduan¡¯s appearance on paper. Chapter 960: Elder Miss Tian Chapter 960: Elder Miss Tian
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions It was a simple matter for the Minister of Personnel to acquire the rankings of the newly appointed schrs before their official release. Upon hearing that the Primus was named Shao Yunduan, the Minister instructed someone topare the portrait with the distinguished gentleman.
As Elder Miss¡¯s words reached their ears, the servants immediately understood the situation. After confirming that it was indeed the same person, they hurriedly made their way to the Tian Family to deliver the momentous news. Word quickly spread. It turned out that the man who had captured Elder Miss¡¯s attention had be the Primus! ¡°Elder Miss Tian, you have excellent taste!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a match made in heaven! Destiny! Destiny!¡± ¡°What a remarkable tale!¡± ¡°Primus Shao is incredibly fortunate!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel envious!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s name swiftly circted throughout the capital, making him the fastest and most revered Primus in the history of the Qin Dynasty. Understandably, many people sought to uncover his background.
Before long, the issue surfaced¡­ Primus Shao was already married, and his wife had apanied him to the capital for the examination, standing by his side. This revtion left everyone stunned. They were speechless! Whenever the imperial examination candidates arrived in the capital, the focus was solely on the candidates themselves. No one cared about their marital status or the presence of their spouse. The situation gave rise to numerous divorces. The idea of a wife apanying her husband to the capital for the examination was unheard of and highly unusual. Women were not ustomed to such extensive travel, and few men were willing to undertake such a long journey with their wives. However, fate seemed to have yed a role¡­ ¡°Oh my, Primus Shao is already married!¡± ¡°This is¡­!¡±
¡°In my opinion, Primus Shao¡¯s family cannot bepared to Elder Miss from the Ministry of Personnel. They are worlds apart!¡± ¡°But they are still a married couple¡­¡± What will Elder Miss do? Such a dreadful predicament!¡± ¡°I wonder if Primus Shao regrets it!¡± ¡°No, could it be a misunderstanding? I have never heard of anyone bringing their wife to the capital for the examination. Is that even allowed?¡± ¡°I am not sure, and no one else seems to know either. Perhaps it is a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°But how can that be? A fellow townsman of Primus Shao even visited their residence and witnessed it firsthand. What they said must be true.¡± The Tian Family felt a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. The matter had been significant from the start, and at this point, it could no longer be concealed. Those individuals who had held a grudge against the Tian Family were likely reveling in their misfortune behind closed doors. Officer Tian¡¯s face darkened as he snapped at Tian Shanshan. ¡°You are nothing but trouble! Why didn¡¯t you find out if he was married? What are we supposed to do now?¡±
Madame Tian sympathized with her daughter and spoke with anger, ¡°Shanshan has been treated unjustly. Old Master, we must find a solution!¡± Officer Tian sneered, ¡°What other options do we have? It¡¯s toote to seek a divorce now!¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t abandon Shanshan like this, can we?¡± ¡°What else can I do when my heart is not in it?¡± Chapter 961: Looking Down at Her Chapter 961: Looking Down at Her
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Tian Shanshan listened to her parents¡¯ argument with a cold expression on her face. After a moment, she spoke in a cold tone, ¡°Father, there¡¯s a solution to every problem. Primus Shao is not married, and this is all a misunderstanding! If hees forward and rifies the situation, everything will be resolved.¡± Officer Tian and Madame Tian were taken aback by her words.
Madame Tian¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right! It¡¯s just a baseless rumor. Once Primus Shao sets the record straight, the rumor will be dispelled. I believe someone must be envious of Primus Shao and spreading false information.¡± Officer Tian furrowed his brow and spoke in a deep voice, ¡°Shanshan, do you truly wish to marry Primus Shao?¡± His question surprised Madame Tian as well. She couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Yes, Shanshan, you have so many eligible suitors among the noble young masters in the capital. You can have your pick! Primus Shao is from a small town andcks the qualifications to bepared to them. He simply isn¡¯t worthy of you!¡± Tian Shanshan couldn¡¯t help but recall the events of that day. The pear blossoms, pure and white, danced in the air, and the young man stood before her in his simple green attire. Yet, there was an unmatched elegance and an aura that captivated her. His eyes, like precious ck gems, were clear and radiant, seemingly capable of ensnaring one¡¯s soul. He was aware of her noble background, yet he remainedposed and graceful, neither servile nor arrogant. It ignited a desire within her to conquer him. She couldn¡¯t ept it. Why did he look down on her? The more she dwelled on this, the more her thoughts spiraled. She couldn¡¯t stop herself. If only he weren¡¯t the Primus, it would have been fine. But he was! When she received the news, she was overjoyed. This man was fated to belong to her!
¡°Dad, Mom, if I don¡¯t marry him, we¡¯ll be theughingstock of the capital! He has to marry me!¡± Tian Shanshan asserted firmly. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to be humiliated,¡± Officer Tian sighed, sharing a nce with Madame Tian. The Tian family couldn¡¯t bear the shame! Both parents regretted allowing their daughter to have her way without knowing whom she had set her sights on. They should have discreetly investigated her interests and resolved the matter privately. That way, everything would have proceeded smoothly, and everyone would have been content. But their daughter had always been intelligent and reliable, earning their trust. Yet, this time, something went terribly wrong. It was an enormous mistake. The couple felt utterly helpless. ¡°Dad, Mom, please trust me. I am going to marry Primus Shao. I promise he won¡¯t disappoint you,¡± Tian Shanshan pleaded, rising from her seat and respectfully addressing her parents. Her words infused Madame Tian and Officer Tian with renewed determination and confidence. Tian Shanshan bid her parents farewell and made her way back to her residence. During the journey, she remained silent, her head bowed.
Fu followed behind her, maintainingplete silence out of caution. She was resolute in her decision to marry him. She had not only fallen in love with him, but she also refused to endure such humiliation. As the direct daughter of the Minister of Personnel, she was one of the most remarkable nobledies in the capital. She couldn¡¯t bear such disgrace when it came to marriage. How would she face society in the future? She would be the wife of the Primus, ensuring her husband¡¯s bright future as a first-ss official. With the support of her father, brothers, cousins, and noble concubine, aplishing this would be a straightforward task. Chapter 962: Unexpected Trouble Chapter 962: Unexpected Trouble
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Her husband¡¯s aplishments would indeed be impressive. At that time, she would still be the proud ¡°Heaven¡¯s Daughter¡± and the most esteemed youngdy in the capital, admired by all. Everyone wouldmend her excellent taste.
In due time, this incident would be forgotten, buried in the depths of people¡¯s memories. No one would dare to bring it up to her. Tian Shanshan wasn¡¯t panicking; she was seething with anger. She couldn¡¯t believe there was such a foolish man in the world who would abandon her, the Minister of Personnel¡¯s daughter. She was frustrated that Primus Shao had already married, and even if she managed to steal him away, he would still have belonged to another woman. But then she realized, what difference would it make if she married someone who had never been married before? Before marriage, many princes, kings, and young noblemen from prestigious families boasted about their abstinence from concubines or courtesans. It was all a facade. That thought somewhatforted her. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were equally shocked by the news. The couple found themselves contemting the situation¡ªwhat was happening? Qiao Xuan chuckled to herself, acknowledging that she had wished for some challenges to test her in life, as everything had been going too smoothly. True gold feared no fire; only through trials and tribtions could true emotions be revealed and cherished, even if it meant sacrificing everything. And now, they found themselves facing an unexpected ordeal. Caughtpletely off guard. ¡°Absurd!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s frustration was evident as he furrowed his brow, voicing his thoughts. ¡°Darling, it¡¯s just a mishap. It will blow over in a few days. We shouldn¡¯t worry about it!¡±
Qiao Xuan regarded him, then spoke after a brief pause, ¡°But what if it doesn¡¯t blow over?¡± A sinking feeling gripped the couple¡¯s hearts. They were not naive; they understood that this matter wouldn¡¯t simply fade away. The Tian Familycked noble status, and they hadmitted a significant blunder. The entire capital was ridiculing them. How could they simply endure it? While Shao Yunduan was not at fault, the noble families wouldn¡¯t care about such details. Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t expect the Tian Family to be reasonable or seek a resolution. Instead, they would likely vent their anger. As Shao Yunduan¡¯s wife, she and Shao Yunduan would be targets of me. Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t fear death because she knew the Tian Family wouldn¡¯t have the audacity to go that far. However, they might resort to more ndestine actions. ¡°I will,¡± Shao Yunduan dered resolutely, gripping Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands firmly. He appeared determined and serious. ¡°Darling, Xuan, don¡¯t worry. I will honor my promise. I won¡¯t pursue an official career anymore!¡± Shao Yunduan felt a sense of relief as he spoke those words. He had already achieved his aspirations: rmended man, Advanced Schr, and Primus. He was on the path to bing a schr!
He had no regrets in this lifetime. If the realm of officialdom was shrouded in darkness, where those in power could act with impunity, then he would distance himself from it. He would rather retreat to the county and spend the rest of his life peacefully with his wife. Qiao Xuan was taken aback, her eyes widening in astonishment. ¡°Are you certain? But I don¡¯t want that to happen!¡± Chapter 963: When Did You See Her Chapter 963: When Did You See Her
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions He didn¡¯t want to abandon his ambitions and return to his hometown after achieving the title of Primus. Qiao Xuan shared the same sentiment; she didn¡¯t want him to have any regrets in the future. ¡°We aren¡¯t the ones at fault, so why should we bear the consequences? It¡¯s too early to make decisions. Let¡¯s observe the situation for now,¡± Qiao Xuan suggested.
Shao Yunduan smiled and agreed, ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯re not there yet. Let¡¯s wait and see. But I¡¯m being honest with you.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart felt a mix of sweetness and bitterness. She held his hands tightly and whispered, ¡°We can discuss thister. I don¡¯t want to be separated from you either¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to be apart from him. ¡°Good, then I have nothing to fear!¡± Shao Yunduan embraced her warmly. Qiao Xuanughed but suddenly let out a scream, standing upright and looking up at him. ¡°Lady Tian has fallen for you, hasn¡¯t she?¡± Shao Yunduan sensed something was amiss, but he hesitantly nodded. ¡°I believe so¡­¡± ¡°When did you meet her?¡± Qiao Xuan asked, her tone filled with curiosity. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Considering the rumors, Lady Tian must be proud and arrogant. It¡¯s unlikely that she fell for you just from a distance. Something must have happened that captivated her, something she deemed special. She could sense that you were destined for greatness, which is why she said those things!¡± ¡°But how do you know her?¡± Shao Yunduan inquired. Qiao Xuan paused, wearing a bitter expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know either!¡±
Shao Yunduan felt unsettled. Qiao Xuan¡¯s bitterness turned into suspicion. Shao Yunduan grew anxious and held Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands firmly. ¡°Darling, trust me, I will never¡­¡± He suddenly recalled the encounter in the pear garden during the intermediate examination. Qiao Xuan, who had been staring at him, couldn¡¯t help but give him a reproachful look, feeling a twinge of jealousy. ¡°Go on.¡± Shao Yunduan felt a headacheing on and was torn between amusement and frustration. He proceeded cautiously, ¡°Darling, please don¡¯t be angry. I just remembered ¨C I might have met her before, but I didn¡¯t do anything. We merely had a chance encounter!¡± Qiao Xuan maintained an unwavering gaze, indicating her disbelief. ¡°I stumbled upon a handkerchief¡­¡± ¡°Why did you pick it up? How could you do that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t! I felt that if those items were picked up by someone with ill intentions, it wouldn¡¯t be good for the girl. We were gathered in the pear garden, and many candidates were waiting for the examination. My heart softened, and I picked up the brocade handkerchief. Shortly after, a couple of maids and servants dressed as men appeared, seemingly searching for something. They caught sight of me¡­¡± Shao Yunduan spilled everything in one go, speaking earnestly.
His words flowed so smoothly that it was evident he wasn¡¯t fabricating the story. ¡°I only exchanged a few words with her, I swear!¡± ¡°If I had known it would cause such trouble, I wouldn¡¯t have been so meddlesome!¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have returned the handkerchief to them. I should¡¯ve burned it and disposed of it.¡± ¡°Darling, please don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s just my spection. The Tian Family may not be the master and servant.¡± He genuinely had no idea. Qiao Xuan felt a tinge of annoyance and yfully pinched him. ¡°It¡¯s your fault for being curious. Besides this incident, is there anything else?¡± ¡°No, no!¡± Shao Yunduan shook his head. Chapter 964: Known Chapter 964: Known
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Are you sure? Think about it carefully.¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡±
They had already gone through enough trouble this time and couldn¡¯t afford to go through it again. Qiao Xuan let out a sigh. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you must have encountered Lady Tian!¡± Lady Tian could easily deduce that he was one of the candidates from the gathering they attended earlier. And he had recognized her as a woman disguised as a man, but he had no interest in her whatsoever, which would be quite intriguing for proud nobledies. However, at that time, Lady Tian might not have genuinely wanted to marry him. After all, an ordinary candidate in the imperial examination wouldn¡¯t capture the attention of a top-tier nobledy. He had to stand out. He needed to be at the very top of the Primus rankings, at the very least. That was why Lady Tian had dered that no one shouldpete with her once the imperial examination results were announced. She wanted first pick. It was clear as day who she intended to choose. If Shao Yunduan topped the Primus rankings, she would have chosen him. Otherwise, she would have made a mockery out of it.
After all, she was one of the most prestigious nobledies in the capital and could have her pick among the Advanced Schrs. No one would dare to refuse her. How could she know if the man who became the Primus was the same man she had encountered that day? It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for the Tian Family to find out the truth. But what irritated Qiao Xuan was that they should have verified if he was already married. Why did they have to create so much trouble! But now, the news had spread to everyone. They both felt incredibly embarrassed. In the evening, Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou came to offer their condolences to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan expressed their gratitude, but they also informed Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou that they nned to stay home for the next few days and didn¡¯t need any further visits. They didn¡¯t want to trouble others or involve them in their predicament. Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou sighed. ¡°Brother Shao, Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry. This will blow over in a few days. We¡¯ll stay at the inn and avoid going out. If you need any help, just let Songshi know, and we¡¯ll be there for you.¡±
¡°We might not be able to do much, but we can run errands or assist in any way possible.¡± Shao Yunduan expressed his gratitude for their kind offer. Two dayster was the auspicious day ording to the zodiac, and the celebratory banquet was scheduled for two days after that. Once that day arrived, they would meet the emperor, attend the banquet, and then the official appointment would be announced. In other words, if they could make it through the next two days, everything would be fine. For the next two days, the couple decided to seclude themselves at home and avoid receiving any visitors. Shao Yunduan believed that his fellow students would understand the sensitivity of the situation and likely refrain from visiting him during such an awkward time. They would probably keep their distance. That night, they didn¡¯t sleep well, but their hearts felt strangely closer. They became each other¡¯s pir of support and sce, finding strength and motivation in their mutual devotion. The next morning, to their surprise, the Qiao Family paid them a visit. And they were all there, present and ounted for.
Madame Lady Qiao, Old Master Qiao, Second Old Master and his wife, and Qiao Hongxi, apanied by a few male and female servants, arrived in tworge carts with over ten people. As they entered the yard and house, the space became noticeably crowded. Madame Lady Qiao and the other members of the Qiao Family gazed at the couple with a mix ofplex emotions in their eyes. There was a sense of disbelief, as if they couldn¡¯t fully ept the situation, yet there was also a trace of gloating satisfaction. Chapter 965: Trouble Chapter 965: Trouble
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions But Shao Yunduan had indeed be the Primus! The news hit Qiao Hongxi especially hard, and his heart ached upon hearing it.
He, an Advanced Schr, couldn¡¯t help but feel humiliated by the fact that Shao Yunduan had achieved the prestigious position of Primus. It stung even more when he thought about how Shao Yunduan would soon be working at Hanlin Academy, and how their paths would cross in the future. However, within a mere half day, news of Shao Yunduan¡¯s aplishment spread throughout the capital. He was being touted as the rmended man of the Tian Family! In that moment, Qiao Hongxi couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of jealousy. The thought of Shao Yunduan¡¯s sess and the attention he had garnered from the Tian Family made him envious. But a mischievous smile crept onto Qiao Hongxi¡¯s face as he considered Qiao Xuan¡¯s situation. It seemed like a fitting retribution. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had brought this upon themselves by crossing paths with the influential Tian Family. And now, they were trapped. However, the Tian Family wasn¡¯t ready to let go of Shao Yunduan. And thus, this is where they found themselves¡­ Shao Yunduan was soon to be married to the eldest daughter of the Tian Family, and he would be a close cousin to the Fourth Prince. With the support of both the Tian Family and the Fourth Prince, his future career prospects appeared smooth and promising. While others struggled and trembled with uncertainty, he had already moved forward. Qiao Hongxi¡¯s sense of bitterness intensified. But he had no choice.
This was the reality of her life, and she had to ept it. How fortunate Shao Yunduan was to have captured the attention of the eldest daughter! The Qiao Family had their own hidden agenda, and each of them hade for a specific purpose. Whether they were willing participants or not. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Shao Yunduan inquired, noting theck of furniture and chairs avable, leaving Madame Lady Qiao and Qiao Hongxi to settle for small stools borrowed from the kitchen. Madame Lady Qiao dismissed the servants and attempted to put on a kind demeanor, smiling warmly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s definitely something good, something great! You¡¯re incredibly fortunate!¡± Shao Yunduan returned the smile. ¡°Madame Lady Qiao, you jest. I can¡¯t attribute my achievements to mere luck. What I have attained today is the result of decades of hard work and dedication, the fruit of my efforts and understanding.¡± Qiao Xuan chimed in, her smile gentle. ¡°Indeed, you have rightfully earned the title of Primus, and I have witnessed your unwavering diligence. It would be remiss to discount the element of fortune that has apanied your journey.¡± Madame Yuezheng disyed a hint of displeasure as she forced a smile. ¡°I was merely making a remark, but you take it so seriously. That¡¯s not the kind of fortune I was referring to. I believe the news has already reached your ears?¡± ¡®What news?¡¯ Qiao Xuan inwardly sneered. ¡°Madame Lady Qiao, pray tell, what news are we supposedly aware of?¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Old Master Qiao frowned. ¡°Xuan, how can you speak to your grandmother in such a manner?¡±
Before Qiao Xuan could retort, Shao Yunduan interjected, ¡°Old Master Qiao, if I may, kindly address my wife as Madame Shao. Shall I submit the termination letter to the appropriate governmental office?¡± Qiao Xuan aimed to provoke them further and struck with precision. ¡°Yes, the termination letter has been meticulously drafted, signed, and sealed. Are you suggesting a change of heart? How shameless! You think you can curry favor with my husband once he ascends to the rank of intermediate Primus? Dream on!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Silence!¡± The members of the Qiao Family grew incensed, their faces flushed with anger. Qiao Hongxi could no longer contain his frustration and sneered. ¡°So what? One Primus every three years! There are countless others who are destitute!¡± Qiao Xuan taunted, ¡°Oh? Are you looking down on the position of Primus? Well, you certainly won¡¯t be able to attain it!¡± ¡°You!¡± Chapter 966: Good Fortune Chapter 966: Good Fortune
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Then what brings you here?¡± Old Master Qiao¡¯s voice boomed with anger. ¡°You have already offended the Tian Family, and yet you dare to dream of bing the Primus? How ludicrous!¡± ¡°Do you have any idea what kind of family the Tian Family is? They are like the mighty clouds in the sky, while you are nothing more than mud on the ground! If you provoke the Tian Family, they can squash you as easily as they would crush an ant.¡±
¡°Do not assume I am deceiving you. The power of the Tian Family is beyond your wildest imagination. Understand this, even if you were to be killed, the Ministry of Justice wouldn¡¯t dare to investigate your case.¡± ¡°Now, can we engage in a civilized conversation?¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan realized that they were in thepany of those who served the Tian Family, mere minions andckeys. Correction, they aspired to be theckeys, minions, andpdogs of the Tian Family. Shao Yunduan had to ensure that the Tian Family had concluded their business so that he could fulfill his role as theirckey, minion, andpdog. It was no wonder the entire Qiao Family had gathered here. Everyone in the family seemed overly eager to serve as dogs to others, fearing they would miss the opportunity. ¡°What is it that you want?¡± The Qiao Family sneered, disying their arrogance. Old Master Qiao proimed with pride, ¡°Shao Yunduan, you are fortunate that the Tian Family favors you. Despite being married, the Tian Family bears no displeasure towards you. That, too, is your good fortune. However, be cautious not to turn your fortune into misfortune. Let me make it clear: the Tian Family is still willing to arrange a marriage between Elder Miss Tian and you. Tomorrow, you can publicly dere that the rumors were merely misunderstandings. Qiao Xuan is not your wife, but your concubine, and the Qiao Family can provide evidence to support this im!¡± ¡°We will also write a letter to our Third Brother and Third Sister-inw, informing them of the situation and ensuring that we all share the same ount of events.¡± ¡°Since the marriage arrangement with Elder Miss Tian has been settled, Qiao Xuan should no longer remain here. We will bring her back home today, and once Elder Miss Tian is married, we will bring her back as well.¡±
¡°That is also the intention of the Tian Family! Elder Miss Tian is not an unreasonable person! As long as Qiao Xuan behaves herself, she will certainly lead afortable life!¡± First Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°If you continue to be so sharp-tongued, you will only invite trouble upon yourself.¡± Second Old Master spoke, ¡°Shao Yunduan, you must understand that being with the Tian Family ensures a secure future like no other. It¡¯s something others can only dream of. You should know what is in your best interest. Offending the Tian Family would mean kissing your aspirations of bing an official goodbye. No one will hire you or promote you!¡± Second Mrs. Yuezheng added, ¡°Qiao Xuan, if you genuinely care about Shao Yunduan, you should assist him. As a concubine¡¯s daughter, upying the position of his wife brings him no benefits. Compared to Elder Miss Tian, you are insignificant!¡± Madame Lady Qiao chimed in, ¡°The Tian Family is generous, and we can let bygones be bygones. Let¡¯s proceed ordingly.¡± It had been a long time since Qiao Xuan had felt angered by anyone. But upon hearing the words from the Qiao Family, her frustration boiled within her. She knew they would never say anything positive, and she understood their shamelessness. But she had underestimated them! They were truly a united family, capable of presenting shameless words as dignified and reasonable. What did they mean by ¡°let bygones be bygones¡±? Shao Yunduan¡¯s expression darkened, and he spoke icily, ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°What?¡±
¡°I might as well abandon this career. I refuse.¡± Old Master Qiao mmed his hand on the armrest of his chair and snapped, ¡°Shao Yunduan, have some shame!¡± Chapter 967: Can’t Stop Chapter 967: Can¡¯t Stop
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions First Madame Qiao chuckled and sneered. ¡°You really don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening, do you? You don¡¯t want toply? You have no right to speak! It¡¯s your good fortune that the Tian Family favors you, or rather, it¡¯s your fortune. Why don¡¯t you grasp that?¡± Shao Yunduan replied coldly, ¡°What will the Tian Family do if I refuse?¡±
Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s gaze turned sharp as she spoke in a deep voice, ¡°You genuinely refuse?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°That decision is not yours to make!¡± Madame Lady Qiao found it absurd. The Tian Family must be out of their minds to be drawn to someone like Shao Yunduan. ¡°Xuan is a member of the Qiao Family, and we are your elders. We have every right to intervene!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention the severance letter. So what? Xuan may have no connection to our family, but we are still her rtives, and it¡¯s our responsibility to be involved in her affairs!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged nces. They had underestimated the situation! They had never expected these individuals to be so shameless in their attempt to curry favor with the Tian Family. Qiao Xuan realized she had been too naive to think that possessing the severance letter would tarnish the Qiao Family¡¯s reputation and secure a n where the Qiao Family would no longer pose any trouble in the future. They would, at the very least, avoid any losses. However, they had gone to great lengths to exploit this loophole. Qiao Xuan had no choice but to admit defeat¡ªshe had lost either way!
¡°What do you want?¡± Madame Lady Qiao smiled coldly. ¡°It seems you prefer the hard way, refusing to listen. That¡¯s why we won¡¯t hold back. Xuan,e and stay with us for a while!¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°Just try and see if you can prevent it!¡± Madame Lady Qiao showed no fear of Shao Yunduan¡¯s changing expression. She spoke with disdain, ¡°In any case, we are taking her away today. If you truly wish to be close to her, you know what to do.¡± ¡°Once we are satisfied, we will treat her well and return her to you in the future. Otherwise, if any harm befalls her, it will be solely due to her impulsive actions and will have nothing to do with anyone else!¡± ¡°You!¡± Shao Yunduan trembled with anger. Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart sank. When the family made a decision, they truly became a ferocious beast. As long as she was a daughter of the Qiao Family, even if the Qiao Family killed her, no one would report them to the authorities.
Shao Yunduan spoke coldly, ¡°You want to resort to force just because you have numbers? Fine, let¡¯s give it a try. We will repay you tenfold!¡± ¡°If you dare to do so, I will report you to the authorities, and everyone will know about this! I can relinquish my position, and you will be stuck with me forever, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so determined, I will apany you!¡± The Qiao Family fell silent. They were both shocked and fearful. Shao Yunduan proved to be even more ruthless than them. Shao Yunduan had no fear of a life-and-death struggle, whereas they did! It wasn¡¯t worth sacrificing the entire family for the sake of these two individuals. Madame Lady Qiao and her two sons began to regret their agreement with the Tian Family¡¯s housekeeper and their entanglement within this affair. But both parties seemed to be equally unhinged! They were bing increasingly difficult to handle.
Chapter 968: Helpless Chapter 968: Helpless
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Second Mrs. Qiao suddenly turned towards Qiao Xuan. ¡°Qiao Xuan, do you truly wish for Shao Yunduan to sacrifice his future for you? You know how hard he has worked to achieve his current position, and now everything is at risk because of you. Is that truly what you want? If so, I truly question whether you treat him well and regard him as your husband!¡± First Madame Qiao chimed in, ¡°Indeed, we all desire for our husbands to lead good lives. But you, you are not a good wife!¡±
Qiao Xuan pondered silently to herself¡ªif I were to listen to you, I wouldn¡¯t even be your wife, so what does being a good wife matter? Shao Yunduan spoke up, ¡°You don¡¯t need to force my wife into anything. You don¡¯t understand the dynamics between me and my wife. Just leave!¡± Qiao Xuan had no intention of giving in to these two women, but upon hearing Shao Yunduan¡¯s words, she felt a surge of joy, as if she were inhaling sweetness. ¡°Darling is right. Your words hold no weight with us. Don¡¯t waste your efforts. You can curry favor with the Tian Family and the Zhang Family, but you are mistaken to use us as stepping stones!¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave!¡± The expressions on the faces of the Qiao Family turned grim. Madame Yuezheng grew increasingly frustrated. ¡°What do you know? You think too highly of yourself! You don¡¯t have to concern yourself with our family. What if I make you leave today?¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°This is my home, and I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Shao Yunduan dered, ¡°If you dare to take my wife away, go ahead and try!¡± The Qiao Family exchanged furtive nces among themselves. They had no idea what to do, and thus, they didn¡¯t dare to make an attempt. Qiao Hongxi couldn¡¯t help but speak up, ¡°You talk big, but I don¡¯t believe you truly don¡¯t care about your future!¡±
Even if he were to be an Advanced Schr, he would only be able to attain an intermediate position, let alone be a Primus. He would have a promising future in the governmental office. No one would willingly abandon that. No schr in the world would willingly do so. Shao Yunduan¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°If the Qiao Family wants to make a wager, I¡¯ll apany you.¡± Qiao Hongxi grew so frustrated that he was left speechless. The mention of ¡°gambling¡± irked Shao Yunduan. He despised such risky bets. ¡°You¡¯re on your own. If you regret it, you can send Qiao Xuan home. Shao Yunduan, you¡¯re still young, and you¡¯lle to regret this!¡± Old Master Qiao retorted with a harsh tone. Madame Yuezheng red at Qiao Xuan, snorted, and then assisted her daughter-inw before leaving with the others. As the door closed behind them, they exchanged nces and burst intoughter. ¡°Darling, are weughing because we¡¯re being reckless?¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. Qiao Xuan chuckled and sighed. ¡°If you don¡¯t regret it, then I won¡¯t consider myself clever either. Let¡¯s take it step by step. If¡­ if it trulyes to that¡­¡± ¡°If it does, we can simply leave the capital,¡± Shao Yunduan interjected, covering her mouth with his hand.
Qiao Xuan blinked and nodded in agreement. The Tian Family was merely seeking revenge. If they were to depart, the Tian Family wouldn¡¯t go as far as to kill them all. It wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for them to do so. After all, they weren¡¯t mortal enemies. Chapter 969: Humiliation Chapter 969: Humiliation
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions However, if that were the case, Shao Yunduan¡¯s dreams of bing an official would be shattered forever. He had been a promising Primus just the day before, and in a single moment, he had lost it all, leaving Qiao Xuan feeling deeply displeased. The Qiao Family scolded Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, their brows furrowed in worry. What were they going to do now? How would they exin this to the Tian Family?
They had made a promise to the Tian Family through their housekeeper, but now¡­ It was a humiliating situation to be in. But that was the least of their worries. Offending the Tian Family meant they would never have a chance to excel in the intermediate level. If the Tian Family was displeased, they would undoubtedly seek revenge. ¡°Those two wretches are so stubborn and unyielding!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand how Third Brother and Third Sister-inw raised her. How can Xuan be so disrespectful? It¡¯s humiliating!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying this now?¡± The entire familycked the courage to confront Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan directly, so they had no choice but to face the scolding from the Tian Family. As the housekeeper of the Tian Family listened to Old Master Qiao¡¯s feeble response, he fell silent for a moment. He couldn¡¯t believe it. After all, in such a situation, anyone would know what to do. Did they truly not care about their promising future and insist on keeping a concubine¡¯s daughter as the wife?
Furthermore, the Tian Family was not an unreasonable family. They simply wanted the concubine¡¯s daughter to relinquish the position of the main wife, allowing her to benefit in the future. He wasn¡¯t even willing to do that? ¡°Did you really tell them everything? Everything?¡± Butler Tian repeated, seeking confirmation. The two Old Masters of the Qiao Family felt even more humiliated. They had no choice but to nod, admitting their ipetence. Butler Tian didn¡¯t seem pleased with their response. He snorted dismissively. ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t have to concern yourselves with this any longer.¡± The two Old Masters of the Qiao Family nodded and left, not daring to ask for any further favors. As long as the Tian Family didn¡¯t hold a grudge against them or me them for their actions, they would be grateful. ¡°Those two wretches deserve to be taught a lesson!¡± ¡°It seems they want to do things the hard way. When the Tian Family deals with them, they¡¯ll realize what they¡¯re truly capable of!¡± ¡°They don¡¯t even know how lucky they are to be in the intermediate level. They were born with bad luck!¡± ¡°Absolutely true!¡± The two Old Masters of the Qiao Family were both frustrated and annoyed. They wondered why such a great opportunity hadn¡¯t fallen on their own sons but instead on the foolish head of Shao Yunduan. It was such a waste!
Butler Tian reported the situation to Officer Tian and his wife, who were greatly displeased. Officer Tian had been hesitant and reluctant to take action, but Shao Yunduan¡¯s rejection had infuriated him. Did they truly believe they could be arrogant just because they had be Primus? How dare they turn down the Tian Family! Madame Tian grew even more furious. ¡°This is too much! Old Master, we must teach them a lesson!¡± Her daughter was precious, and yet she had been humiliated time and time again. It was an act of bullying that couldn¡¯t be tolerated! Officer Tian sneered, turning to the housekeeper. ¡°You can go to Shao Yunduan personally¡­ No, go to the Qiao Family. You know what to tell him, don¡¯t you?¡± Butler Tian nodded firmly. ¡°I know exactly what to say.¡± ¡°Good, then go ahead!¡± ¡°Very well, Old Master.¡± Butler Tian discreetly arrived at Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan¡¯s home in an inconspicuous wagon. Hearing the abrupt and forceful knock on the door, the couple immediately sensed that something was amiss.
Chapter 970: No Regret Chapter 970: No Regret
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions And he could tell that the visitor was from the Tian Family based on his attire and haughty demeanor. Butler Tian paid no attention to their presence. In his view, the Qiao Family failed to secure the deal because they failed to present a thorough analysis of its advantages and disadvantages. He doubted their inability to exert control over the situation.
Butler Tian had no time for idle talk. With cold and unwavering pride, he conveyed all the necessary information. In conclusion, he spoke icily, ¡°Surely, you understand this, don¡¯t you? If not, you can forget about bing the Primus. I can provide you with a more explicit exnation!¡± ¡°Mr. Primus, the path to sess lies before you. With a single nod, you can ascend to the top and indulge in a life of luxury. Your family and n will rise alongside you, evoking jealousy in all. It¡¯s a privilege that others can only dream of. Mr. Primus, are you still hesitant?¡± ¡°You must carefully contemte this. It marks a significant divergence!¡± Butler Tian refrained from issuing any direct threats, yet each word carried an ominous undertone. Shao Yunduan felt an unexpected tranquility within his heart. He possessed his own ambitions and objectives, and he refused to ept such an offer. But he would never have regrets! He could not engage in such immoral, shameless, and dishonorable acts, nor had he ever contemted leveraging nepotism for personal gain within the government. Even as a first-ss official, he wouldn¡¯t be able to live a peaceful life in that manner. In this world, there were those who solely pursued profit, and there were those who upheld righteousness and integrity.
¡°I will ponder upon it,¡± Shao Yunduan replied slowly after a moment of silence. Qiao Xuan cast a nce at him but remained silent. Butler Tian wore an expression of smug satisfaction. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to contemte, is there? Mr. Primus, I expect a prompt response. Our Old Master and Madame await my answer.¡± Shao Yunduan replied, ¡°I need time to think.¡± Steward Tian stumbled over his words, his irritation evident. He shot a displeased look at Shao Yunduan and said, ¡°Very well, I shall return tomorrow, and I hope Mr. Primus will have a satisfactory answer by then.¡± But Butler Tian remained indifferent to Qiao Xuan¡¯s demeanor and her willingness toply. In his view, Qiao Xuan had no authority to voice her opinion. Shecked the qualifications to ept such an offer. Shao Yunduan remained silent. Butler Tian sneered and departed. Qiao Xuan turned towards Shao Yunduan, her expression filled with inquiry. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Listen to me first.¡± Shao Yunduan ced his hands on Qiao Xuan¡¯s shoulders and forced a gentle smile. ¡°Let¡¯s leave the capital!¡±
Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I want us to attend the Qionglin Banquet the day after tomorrow. If that doesn¡¯t work out, we can leave the capital! I refuse to yield, even if I may have regrets.¡± Qiao Xuan experienced a surge ofplex emotions. It felt as if her internal organs were entangled in a jumble. It was the worst-case scenario they had discussed. However, as the moment drew near, Qiao Xuan discovered her heart racing in disarray, and her legs growing weak. Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°You fool,¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled, gently wiping away the tears at the corner of her eyes. He lowered his head and nted a tender kiss on her forehead. With a resolute tone, he said, ¡°Tomorrow, I will have Songshi discreetly search for a hostel. The day after tomorrow, you will stay at the Hostel. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t remain here any longer.¡± No one could predict the actions the Tian Family might take when they exerted such pressure on them. Chapter 971: Out Chapter 971: Out
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan shook her head and firmly declined. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. I will wait for you here. The Tian Family won¡¯t act recklessly at this moment, with the entire situation blown up and everyone watching!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not an ordinary person. You hold the position of Primus, and the Tian Family won¡¯t confront you openly. We shouldn¡¯t worry too much. I will wait here for you, and then we¡¯ll leave the capital together.¡±
¡°You¡¯re just being overly concerned. I can handle it!¡± Moreover, Shao Yunduan would be attending the banquet, and she had no fear of anyone causing trouble. If the Tian Family dared to make a move, she wouldn¡¯t mind teaching them a lesson. Unable to persuade Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan tried to convince himself that her reasoning was sound; he was simply overly worried. The next morning, Butler Tian returned. He sought Shao Yunduan for an answer. However, he was unsessful as Shao Yunduan had taken Qiao Xuan out for a walk. Only Liqiu and Lixia remained at home. Butler Tian sneered. ¡°The Primus is in such a carefree mood, going for a stroll. It seems he has already made his choice and ispletely unconcerned.¡± He must be consoling Ms. Qiao for her position as the official wife. That must be the case. Butler Tian wasn¡¯t particrly pleased. He felt that Shao Yunduan was excessively indulgent towards Qiao Xuan, and if he happened to encounter someone who knew him, they might speak ill of Miss Qiao.
Hecked discernment. Butler Tian needed to report this to the Old Master and Madame so they could provide guidance and keep himpany, or else it would bring disgrace upon the Tian Family. As for Ms. Qiao, it seemed that Mr. Primus held affection for her, so they couldn¡¯t keep her any longer. When she was sent back to the Qiao Family, they could handle her as they pleased. When the Primus and Elder Miss were married, they would surely grow fond of each other, and they would no longer remember Ms. Qiao. Butler Tian began to contemte the future. Meanwhile, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan embarked on a boat trip, enjoyed akeside lunch, and went fishing. Luckily, they managed to catch a few fish. For dinner, they found a small restaurant and requested the owner to cook the fish. Alongside two home-cooked dishes, they shared a meal together. Only when the sky darkened did they return home, contented. The capital was vast, and regardless of the Tian Family¡¯s influence, it was impossible to locate two individuals amidst the sea of people. Upon their arrival home, Butler Tian, who had been waiting for quite some time, grew increasingly irritated, his face darkening. ¡°Mr. Primus, you seem to be in quite a good mood! Where have you been? What took you so long?¡± he eximed.
Shao Yunduan cast aposed nce at him and smiled. ¡°Butler Tian, you certainly carry an air of authority!¡± However, his tone held a hint of reproach. Butler Tian stiffened, realizing that Mr. Primus would soon be his son-inw. He inwardly sighed, acknowledging his impatience. ¡°I was too hasty. Mr. Primus, I seek an answer from you.¡± He nced disdainfully at Qiao Xuan. Shao Yunduan grasped Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands and spoke slowly, ¡°I am merely a humble boy from the countryside. I am unworthy of Elder Miss Tian!¡± Chapter 972: Not Worthy Chapter 972: Not Worthy
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°I apologize.¡± Butler Tian appeared to have troubleprehending the words, as he failed to react promptly. ¡°What did you say? Say it again!¡±
Shao Yunduan remained silent, gazing calmly at Butler Tian while tightly holding Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands. Butler Tian¡¯s eyes fixated on their intertwined hands, his sneer growing fiercer as his anger intensified. He felt that the Tian Family had been humiliated. ¡°So, that¡¯s your decision? Mr. Primus, have you truly considered it thoroughly?¡± ¡°I am unworthy.¡± ¡°Heh¡­¡± Butler Tian found the situation to be utterlyughable. Yes, he had never believed Shao Yunduan was suitable, but it was not his ce to make such a decision. ¡°Mr. Primus, you may not be foolish, but you have acted foolishly. Unfortunate couples often have regrets. Mr. Primus, do you not think that if you face a miserable life in the future, you will regret your choice today?¡± ¡°By then, it will be toote for you to repent!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Butler Tian, but I am not fortunate enough to lead a life like that.¡± He was unaware of what he had traded in for his conscience and social status. At the very least, he couldn¡¯t find sce in it. Moreover, he had no intention of abandoning his wife.
¡°Good, very good! In that case, Mr. Primus, just wait and see. I hope you can sleep well tonight!¡± Butler Tian sneered and departed without looking back. Shao Yunduan narrowed his eyes and firmly held Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, after tomorrow, we willy everything bare and depart from the capital.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and nodded in agreement. When Butler Tian returned to the mansion, Tian Shanshan was present at her parents¡¯ residence, adamantly refusing to leave. ¡°Dad, Mom, this is my marriage. I want to be part of the discussion too,¡± she insisted. Officer Tian and Madame Tian acknowledged her intelligence and independent thinking, so they relented and included her in the conversation. Madame Tian¡¯s mood was jubnt as she asked, ¡°So, did Shao Yunduan agree?¡± Tian Shanshan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Shecked the same confidence as her mother. If Shao Yunduan had agreed, he wouldn¡¯t have gone out earlier in the day. She doubted the oue would be favorable. Her suspicions were soon confirmed.
Upon hearing Butler Tian¡¯s ount, Officer Tian and his wife turned pale. ¡°How dare he humiliate the Tian Family like this? Unworthy? He knows he is unworthy! What are we waiting for?¡± Officer Tian fumed. ¡°He has brought shame upon the Tian Family. Old Master, do not allow him to remain in the capital. Send him to the most remote and destitute county infested with bandits. Let him serve as a poverty-stricken County Magistrate for the remainder of his life. Only then will heprehend that the Tian Family is not to be trifled with,¡± Madame Tian suggested vehemently. Officer Tian remained silent, a glint of murderous intent flickering in his eyes. But now was not the opportune moment. Aware of the consequences, Shao Yunduan knew that as the Primus, if anything were to happen to him on the first day of the banquet, it would infuriate the Emperor. However, he also realized that he would be aughingstock at the uing event. Tian Shanshan, consumed by a profound sense of humiliation, rose from her seat and bowed to her parents. Then, without a word, she turned and left. She clenched her fists, her sharp nails digging into her palms. The pain, however, failed to distract her from her seething anger. She had lost. As the direct descendant of the Tian Family, the niece of Concubine Mei, and the most esteemed lineal daughter in the capital, she had been defeated by a lowly concubine¡¯s daughter.
Chapter 973: Reasonable Chapter 973: Reasonable
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Tian Shanshan regretted that she did not make the n earlier. If she had started to work on it when they ran into each other in the pear garden, she could have guaranteed that it would not have turned out like this.
Time was running out, and there was little she could do right now to make it happen. She should have known that this handsome man would be the Primus, and she should not have hesitated. ¡­Tian Shanshan did not me Shao Yunduan. Instead, she liked her even more. She even believed that Shao Yunduan was the man she was seeking to get. On the contrary, she hated Qiao Xuan, whom she had never met before. She was just unreasonable. Tian Shanshan returned to her room and soon changed into a new set of clothes. She was going out. Fu¡¯s face changed. ¡°Miss¡­¡± ¡°Come with me.¡± Tian Shanshan had always had her own ideas. She threw a look at Fu, who was so frightened that he did not dare to say anything to stop her. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had not expected that Tian Shanshan woulde to their door personally sote at night. The two of them were talking about leaving the capital when they heard that someone came to visit them. They did not expect that it was Tian Shanshan and her maid.
Qiao Xuan already knew who Tian Shanshan was, when she was standing right in front of her. And she could tell that she hated him. Qiao Xuan found it strange ¨C she was the one who was thinking about her husband, and before she even started to do anything to her, she started to hate her. Shao Yunduan was startled. He could tell who this man was. He could not help but feel disgusted. ¡°I am sorry for being presumptuous, but I don¡¯t think I will feel at ease if I don¡¯t show up like this.¡± Tian Shanshan looked directly at Shao Yunduan. ¡°I need to speak with you alone.¡± ¡°Please.¡± Shao Yunduan did not go into the room. He nodded at Qiao Xuan and walked a few steps away, intending to have a private talk with Tian Shanshan in the yard. Tian Shanshan felt suffocated. She knew that they did not wee her, and that was the first time she had been unweed since she was born. Fu snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to be polite! Don¡¯t you know how to invite my Miss into the room for a chat? Is that how you treat guests?¡± Qiao Xuan was thinking ¨C you two girls are here at someone else¡¯s home in the middle of the night and you are talking with the host alone? You are definitely not the polite one?
Shao Yunduan ignored what Fu said, as did Qiao Xuan. She was not going to avoid that. She was just standing right there. Fu felt a bit embarrassed. She threw a re at Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan, ¡°¡­.¡± She was throwing the look back at Shao Yunduan! Tian Shanshan was proud and arrogant. She had used up almost all of her courage toe to the door. She was not going to ask Shao Yunduan to let her in. ¡°You remember me?¡± Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Yes, I recognize you.¡± For some reason, Tian Shanshan¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She turned to Shao Yunduan with a wronged look. ¡°What is wrong with me? Why, why¡­¡± Under the moonlight, the girl was standing right in front of him, looking so beautiful and pitiful. But Shao Yunduan did not feel any pity towards her. What right did she have to ask this question?
She knew what the Tian Family had done. No matter how pitiful they looked, they could not change the nature of bullying people. ¡°Lady Tian, I am already married.¡± Tian Shanshan sneered and said aggressively, ¡°What if you are not married? Are you willing to marry me?¡± Chapter 974: Unexpected Chapter 974: Unexpected
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Tian Shanshan couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment as Shao Yunduan gave his clear and resolute answer. She had hoped for a different response, but his words struck her like a thorn, piercing her heart deeply. Qiao Xuan observed Tian Shanshan¡¯s intense focus and nervousness, sensing that she was anxiously awaiting Shao Yunduan¡¯s decision. The situation felt tense, with Tian Shanshan¡¯s ring gaze fixed on Shao Yunduan.
Shao Yunduan, known for his cunning nature, understood the weight behind Tian Shanshan¡¯s question. The answer he gave would leave asting impact, impossible to shake off easily. However, Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t hesitate to respond. His voice held conviction as he firmly stated, ¡°No.¡± Tian Shanshan couldn¡¯t contain her frustration any longer and raised her voice. ¡°Why?¡± Shao Yunduan remainedposed, his determination unwavering. ¡°That is not possible, Elder Miss Tian. Your question holds no meaning. I, Shao Yunduan, will only marry Qiao Xuan.¡± Curiosity drove Tian Shanshan to probe further. ¡°What about in the next life?¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s response reflected his belief. ¡°I won¡¯t have control over the next life. But if I could, I hope our destined connection would continue in this lifetime.¡± Tian Shanshan found herself at a loss for words, overwhelmed with sadness and a sense of loss. It was the first time she experienced the disappointment of not getting what she desired. Tian Shanshan couldn¡¯t shake off the bitter taste that lingered in her heart. She never imagined that she would experience such emotions one day. It was clear to her now that this man, Shao Yunduan, had left an indelible mark on her life. Pursing her lips with a mix of bitterness and resignation, Tian Shanshan cast a deep, meaningful look at Shao Yunduan before turning away and leaving without looking back. She halted briefly as she passed by Qiao Xuan, uttering words that hinted at a veiled threat, and then continued on her way. Qiao Xuan maintained a calm demeanor as she watched Tian Shanshan¡¯s departure. The encounter left her contemting the implications of that final statement. It carried an air of intimidation that sent a shiver down her spine. Sighing softly, Qiao Xuan smiled at Shao Yunduan. ¡°We won¡¯t have any unwanted guests tonight, will we?¡±
Shao Yunduan smiled in return and approached Qiao Xuan, gently taking her hands into his. ¡°Whether there are others present or not, nothing will change.¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled, reassured by his words. ¡°As long as you say that, I won¡¯t be bothered, regardless of the circumstances.¡± Shao Yunduan let out a heartyugh. ¡°I can¡¯t agree more. It¡¯s gettingte, we should rest.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± That night passed without any further disturbances. Both Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan found sce in each other¡¯s presence, their minds finally at ease as they drifted into a peaceful sleep. The next morning, dressed in the attire of a Primus from the Ministry of Rites, Shao Yunduan prepared to attend the imperial pce for the banquet. The grandeur of the banquet in the midst of the imperial garden was enhanced by the vibrant blooming of Centaurea flowers. The enchanting spring scenery added to the overall splendor of the event, creating a dazzling and pleasant atmosphere. As Shao Yunduan made his entrance, the maids and eunuchs, under the guidance of the Ministry of Rites officials and administrators, were bustling about with their tasks. Many Advanced Schrs had already gathered, and the air was filled with a sense of camaraderie, whether they were familiar faces or strangers. They greeted each other warmly, striving to forge connections and establish friendships. In the future, they would be colleagues, and fostering positive rtionships was crucial. No one knew who among them would rise to prominence or require assistance down the line. It was wiser to maintain goodwill and amicability rather than fostering enmity. However, as Shao Yunduan stepped into the imperial garden, a hush fell over the Advanced Schrs who had been engaged in lively conversations. All eyes were fixed on him, filled with various emotions¡ªcuriosity, avoidance, mockery, disdain, or even a somber demeanor.
Chapter 975: No Regrets Chapter 975: No Regrets
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The Advanced Schrs observed him intently, but none approached him. They merely smiled and nodded from a distance. By declining the Tian Family¡¯s offer, he effectively severed his career prospects. His reputation would suffer greatly.
Furthermore, befriending him meant going against the powerful Tian Family, a risk no one was willing to take with their own future. It was fortunate that they refrained from kicking him when he was down. Most people regarded him as foolish. Some secretly admired his courage, yet they questioned the value of his actions. He should have been surrounded by admirers, greeted withughter upon his arrival. Instead, he was shunned, receiving no acknowledgment or greetings. She pondered on his emotions and whether he regretted his decision. Shao Yunduan, however, harbored no regrets. Regardless of others¡¯ treatment, he remained the Primus, unmatched by anyone else. Shao Yunduan chose not to engage in themotion. He found a seat and patiently awaited his tea. With no desires in her heart, she remained free from worries and concerns. Soon, Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou arrived together, exchanging greetings with everyone before joining Shao Yunduan at his side.
¡°Brother Shao, why didn¡¯t you wait for us?¡± one of them eximed. ¡°Yeah, we went to Brother Shao¡¯s home and discovered he had already left!¡± another added. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°I apologize, it¡¯s my fault. I will make it up to you, I promise.¡± The three of them exchanged nces and burst intoughter. ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t stand on ceremony with you, Brother Shao!¡± They then shifted their conversation to another topic. Shao Yunduan hadn¡¯t invited them to apany him because he didn¡¯t want to trouble them. They understood that their previousments had made their position clear. Shao Yunduan felt grateful; their loyalty hadn¡¯t been in vain. Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou didn¡¯t consider it a big deal. They hailed from the same ce as Shao Yunduan and had always shared a good rtionship. Even if the Tian Family held a grudge and severed ties with Shao Yunduan, they wouldn¡¯t let it affect their friendship. If the Tian Family wasn¡¯t narrow-minded, they wouldn¡¯t mind continuing to spend time with Shao Yunduan.
After all, they were friends! So they decided to be open and candid as always, to avoid unnecessaryplications. Gradually, all the Advanced Schrs arrived, including the second and third ce winners, whose treatment stood in stark contrast to Shao Yunduan¡¯s as the Primus. As the runner-up and third-ce winner entered, they received an abundance of ttery and warm greetings. However, both individuals were over 40 years old, with half of their hair already gray. They didn¡¯t possess the same level of attractiveness as Shao Yunduan. Even though they received ttery from the crowd, a sense of regret lingered within them. Officer Tian and the other esteemed adults arrived shortly after. The Advanced Schrs held their breath and respectfully greeted them. Many eyes shifted towards Shao Yunduan. Remainingposed, Shao Yunduan greeted everyone without distinction. Chapter 976: Eager Chapter 976: Eager
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Officer Tian cast a disdainful nce at Shao Yunduan, a sneer ying on his lips. As long as the Tian Family held power, Shao Yunduan would never rise above. How audacious of him to attend the banquet after offending the Tian Family!
Officer Tian begrudgingly acknowledged that Shao Yunduan stood out among the Advanced Schrs. It was no wonder his prideful daughter had developed feelings for him. But Shao Yunduan was too foolish toprehend the gravity of his actions, ensuring an unfavorable fate awaited him. One day, he would regret his choices! As the time neared, a group of well-dressed eunuchs guided the Advanced Schrs to line up ording to their rankings¡ªfirst, second, and third. They followed the courtiers and knelt before the Emperor as a gesture of respect. The Advanced Schrs couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of excitement as they beheld the Emperor¡¯s presence. It was a profound honor to witness the sky in such a manner! Apanied by the crown prince, several princes, and distinguished schrs from the pavilion, Emperor Xuan of Qi entered the imperial garden. His gaze fell upon the newly minted Advanced Schrs, kneeling before him. He beamed with joy. When the government admitted schrs, it injected fresh vitality into the court, ensuring a smooth transition of power. Each new examination held immense significance. Once the Emperor settled in his seat, the ceremonial officer¡¯s voice rang out, and the Advanced Schrs and courtiers prostrated themselves. ¡°Long live the Emperor!¡± The cheers surged like a tsunami, resonating through the skies. Emperor Xuan¡¯s face lit up with delight. Heughed heartily, instructing everyone to rise. Hemended them and encouraged the schrs to devote themselves to the nation, shoulder the burdens of the imperial court, and work diligently for the well-being of the people under the Qin Dynasty¡¯s rule. The newly inducted Advanced Schrs knelt once again and replied with resounding voices, their unified cheers filling the air. Their faces flushed with excitement, and their eyes sparkled with anticipation. The energy within them surged, their hearts yearning to be diligent officials who would work tirelessly for the country and its people, a gesture of gratitude towards the benevolent Emperor.
Emperor Xuan¡¯s satisfaction grew, and he instructed the servants to serve wine and delicacies to the schrs. At such gatherings, poetrypositions were expected, serving as a means for courtiers to engage with the Advanced Schrs and familiarize themselves with one another. It was also an opportunity for the new schrs to showcase their talents. The Advanced Schrs brimmed with enthusiasm, eager to participate in this customary exhibition. This was the highly anticipated spectacle of every banquet¡ªa lively, captivating disy of talent. Following the announcement of the rankings, preparationsmenced, and confidence ran high among the schrs. Some even harbored ambitions to surpass thepetition with their prowess and secure the top spot. For her, it marked her first appearance before the Emperor¡ªa promising beginning. If she could please the Emperor and elicit his approval with a simple ¡°Good!¡± the courtiers and officials would regard her in a new light, paving the way for a prosperous future. After three rounds of wine, the conversation shifted towards poetry. Under the guidance of the Crown Prince, other princes, and ministers, Emperor Xuan of Qi proposed a topic, requesting the schrs to exhibit their talents. Laughter subsided, and their minds began to contemte, aiming to deliver an impressive speech that would etch their names in history. Emperor Xuan was known for his affability, provided his own interests were not at stake. For instance, he sympathized with the Advanced Schrs, apprehensive that some might exploit the opportunity to criticize and provoke controversies. Hence, he decided to forego a specific format and instead invited the schrs topose poems.
Chapter 977: Good Chapter 977: Good
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The Advanced Schrs reveled in their joy, having sessfully advanced to the next level. Their spirits soared, and they sought an outlet to express their emotions. Poetry became the perfect medium through which they could convey their sentiments and determination, presenting a prime opportunity to showcase their loyalty to the Emperor and the imperial court.
A hush fell over the lively scene. Shao Yunduan recited quietly, swiftly crafting aposition. As customary, the eunuchs collected the poems penned by the schrs and presented them to the aplished senior schrs of the Hanlin Academy for preliminary evaluation. The most exceptional works were then selected¡ªaround seven or eight¡ªand transcribed. These copies were subsequently presented to the Emperor, important ministers, and shared with all those present for appraisal. The masterpieces of the Primus, runner-up, and third-ce winner, however, were immediately presented to the Emperor, with the three schrs themselves stepping forward to kneel and present their works. Jealousy and envy simmered among the other Advanced Schrs as they gazed upon the trio. All eyes were fixed on Shao Yunduan¡ªhe was not only the Primus but also the youngest, and the scandal surrounding him and the Tian Family¡¯s Elder Miss had attracted the most attention. The situation grew increasinglyplex. Amidst the jealousy and envy, there were also individuals who relished the opportunity to mock and witness the unfolding drama. Yet, Shao Yunduan paid no heed to themotion. Setting down his pen uponpletion, he patiently awaited the summons. When the appointed time arrived, the Ceremony Supervisor ryed the message. Shao Yunduan, along with the other two winners, rose to their feet, holding their works with reverent hands. They bowed respectfully, lifting their poems high above their heads, requesting the Emperor¡¯s guidance and instruction. Emperor Xuan graciously epted the three works presented by the eunuch, his gaze lingering a little longer on the Primus and the other two winners. Compared to the second and third-ce winners, the Primus exuded an exceptional air of handsomeness and refinement. Contemting the beautifulpositions he had penned and considering his youthful age, which promised many years of service to the country and the imperial court, the Emperor¡¯s satisfaction grew.
Recalling the Primus¡¯s humble origins in a farmer¡¯s family and the arduous journey he had undertaken to rise from a small vige, Emperor Xuan discerned the schr¡¯s remarkable intelligence and diligence. With a gentle smile, Emperor Xuan directed his attention towards Shao Yunduan, further affirming his contentment. Observing this exchange, the other courtiers and Advanced Schrs who had been fixated on Shao Yunduan felt a surge ofplex emotions. Some became even more envious, secretly hoping that Officer Tian would be given a humbling lesson. Officer Tian sat with an upright posture, casting a cold gaze in Shao Yunduan¡¯s direction, simmering with annoyance. Though he maintained aposed facade, internally, he was writhing in difort, beset by embarrassment. The more amiable and satisfied Emperor Xuan appeared towards Shao Yunduan, the more ludicrous it made the Tian Family and their daughter. Through this filter, Emperor Xuan promptly expressed his opinion upon inspecting Shao Yunduan¡¯s work. ¡°Excellent!¡± He nodded with satisfaction, breaking into a joyfulughter. ¡°You, as my chosen Primus, possess exceptional talent! Come, let me share my thoughts on it.¡± In truth, Emperor Xuan himself was not particrly adept at poetry. He remained ayman in the art, able to discern between ordinary and goodpositions, yet unable to distinguish the nuances of excellence. Nheless, he held a genuine fondness for his chosen Primus.
Chapter 978: Sweat Chapter 978: Sweat
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan was taken aback by the Emperor¡¯s praise. He even questioned whether he was looking at his own work. He knew the true caliber of hisposition.
It was an ordinary piece, perhapsmendable in the eyes of average schrs, but among the esteemed gathering of schrs present, including many renowned and aplished individuals, it should not have stood out. As the Primus, he understood that not all advanced schrs excelled in poetry. Thus, it was normal for the Primus to produce a more ordinary piece among such esteemed experts. No one would suspect hisck of talent. Therefore, he had felt little pressure while crafting this particr poem. Yet, he couldn¡¯tprehend why the Emperor had spoken so highly of it. Emperor Xuan, in his praise, ordered his attendants to give the poem a closer look. What more could they do? Shao Yunduan smiled and added a few more words of gratitude, all the while wondering if he was truly deserving of such des. After all, when the Emperormended them, the courtiers would undoubtedly follow suit. They were not as discerning as the Emperor himself. The eunuch responsible for delivering the poetry also recited it to the other Advanced Schrs. Copies of the poem were distributed to the schrs as well. The expressions of the Advanced Schrs stiffened momentarily, exchanging nces with one another. They mustered forced smiles and joined the ministers in praising and admiring the work. ¡°That is an exceptional poem!¡± ¡°No wonder he is the Primus; he is capable of producing such magnificent work!¡±
¡°I am so lucky to have been able to read the masterpiece by the Primus!¡± ¡°Look at the beginning of the story, it is totally out of the ordinary! Ordinary people would never have thought of this!¡± ¡°I think that is the best idea! How did you get it? The Primus is so quick-witted!¡± ¡°It is so good to use the words ¡®unclean¡¯ and ¡®scarred moon¡¯ in these two areas!¡± Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan got so nervous. He, who had been calm and honest since he walked into the imperial garden, finally felt embarrassed and ufortable. He had no idea where to put her hands and how to ce his feet. He sat there stiffly, not knowing whether tough or cry. That was such a terrible feeling! Hearing thepliments about Shao Yunduan, Emperor Xuan believed that his Primus was very good at making poems ¨C why were they speaking so sincerely?
Heughed and said happily, ¡°My Primus is so talented and handsome!¡± The ministers and Advanced Schr were speechless inwardly, but they all agreed with Shao Yunduan. They spoke highly of Shao Yunduan, saying that he was the best schr in history, and that ordinary poem of his was one of the best poems in history. Shao Yunduan could not stand that any more. He got up, bowed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I am so ashamed, I don¡¯t deserve your praise¡­¡± Emperor Xuanughed. ¡°You are too modest, Primus! Not only are you advanced, but you are also morally upright. I am very d!¡± Shao Yunduan said, ¡°¡­I eh¡­ thanks.¡± Why did he feel that the story was getting worse and worse! Chapter 979: Primus’ Popularity Chapter 979: Primus¡¯ Poprity
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, we are like a family. No need to be modest!¡± Emperor Xuan grew increasingly satisfied as he looked at Shao Yunduan. Heughed and continued praising him, thoroughly pleased with his performance. ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Suddenly, an idea crossed Emperor Xuan¡¯s mind. He nced at Officer Tian and smiled mischievously. ¡°Old Tian, didn¡¯t your daughter mention that she fancies one of my Advanced Schrs? Who has caught her interest? Bring her forth, and let me see how shepares to the Primus!¡±
Upon hearing this, the crown prince furrowed his brow. His father had a habit of doing as he pleased, but this was a banquet at the Qionglin Forest, and such remarks were undignified. He seemed to be deliberately setting up enemies for the Primus! If the crown prince hadn¡¯t known his father¡¯s nature, he might have suspected that his father had orchestrated this situation intentionally. First, he praised the Primus for his ordinary poem, and now he was provoking a public confrontation with Officer Tian¡¯s daughter. But the crown prince understood his father well. Hevished praise on the Primus and then turned to Officer Tian precisely because he had this n in mind. However, it was inappropriate for him to bring it up. His father was too preupied with cultivating alongside Daoist Shangzhen and the other Daoist masters to pay much attention to external matters. He had no knowledge of the situation between the Primus and the Tian Family. The crown prince had intended to address the issue between Officer Tian and the Primus after the banquet, to calm their tempers. But now his father had raised the matter once again. The crown prince felt as if he were about to faint. As expected, after Emperor Xuan finished speaking, a strange silence descended upon the surroundings.
Some people lowered their heads, fearing that the Emperor would be angry and create a scene. Others couldn¡¯t help but suppress a secret smile, eagerly anticipating the unfolding drama. Some felt profound embarrassment on behalf of Shao Yunduan. Emperor Xuan sensed the tension in the air. ¡°What?¡± He raised an eyebrow and chuckled. ¡°Old Tian, does your daughter really have a crush on my Primus? Hahaha, she certainly has good taste!¡± ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Shao Yunduan interjected, bowing respectfully. ¡°I already have a wife, and I highly doubt that Elder Miss Tian would be interested in me. If such a rumor exists, it must have been spread mistakenly. Please, Your Majesty, allow me to rify.¡± Officer Tian snorted and cast a disdainful nce at Shao Yunduan. The Crown Prince joined in, trying to defuse the awkward situation. ¡°The Primus is correct. He is already married, and this rumor seems to be a result of misinformation. Father, you may not be aware of the details¡­¡± The Crown Prince proceeded to provide a brief exnation to Emperor Xuan, carefully choosing his words to steer the narrative away from the rumor. ¡°It¡¯s all baseless gossip! This is utterly absurd, and I don¡¯t even know where to begin.¡± Finally, he added, ¡°Father, I implore you to help the Primus and Elder Miss Tian clear their names!¡± ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Officer Tian stood up and bowed respectfully. ¡°I apologize for saying this, but my daughtercks good judgment. She didn¡¯t make it as an Advanced Schr, which greatly disappointed me. I forbade her from discussing such matters further, yet somehow these ludicrous rumors have surfaced. It¡¯s truly ridiculous.¡± ¡°I am confident that the rumor will fade away soon. Primus, please disregard it!¡±
Upon hearing this, Emperor Xuan¡¯s eyes gleamed with understanding. He exchanged a knowing nce with the Crown Prince and Officer Tian,prehending the situation clearly. Chapter 980: Peace Chapter 980: Peace
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Having been Emperor for over 40 years and now at the age of 64, Emperor Xuan had weathered countless storms throughout his reign. He had witnessed all sorts of rumors and scandals. If the rumor had gained traction, it meant that there was some truth behind it. While spreading rumors about the Primus might not be too scandalous, spreading rumors about the Tian Family¡¯s Elder Miss would be a great humiliation for them.
However, the fact that even the Crown Prince was aware of the rumor indicated that it had likely spread throughout the city. The Tian Family¡¯s reputation would be greatly tarnished if the rumor persisted. Emperor Xuan found the whole situation intriguing. After all, he had appointed the Primus of the new cohort, and he knew that the Primus remained loyal to his wife. His decision had been correct. Emperor Xuan understood that not everyone could resist the influence of the Tian Family. It was not surprising that they had severed ties with the Primus and arranged a new marriage for him. The Tian Family might have been unfortunate, but they couldn¡¯t me the Primus for their own misfortune. While he believed that the Tian Family had brought this upon themselves, Emperor Xuan acknowledged their status and prestige. The Elder Miss of the Tian Family was the niece of the Imperial Concubine and often paid visits to the pce. He had interacted with her before and recognized her intelligence. She disyed a touch of arrogance, but such demeanor was expected from a nobledy in the capital. He quite liked that young woman. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of sadness for her. Emperor Xuan decided against pressing for the truth, as doing so would only bring humiliation upon the Tian Family. Instead, he spoke out against the rumor. ¡°This is preposterous! How dare they spread such false information? It is unfair to both the Primus and the Tian Family!¡± ¡°Qin Sheng, present a jade ornament to Mr. Primus and a golden hairpin to the Tian Family¡¯s youngdy,¡± hemanded, wanting to show his support and respect for them. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Qin Sheng promptly acknowledged the order and instructed his men to bring the requested rewards. Shao Yunduan and Officer Tian stepped forward and kowtowed, expressing their deep gratitude. Emperor Xuan smiled warmly and directed the couple to drink a cup of wine in front of him.
¡°This is all my fault, and your families have been affected as well. Drink this cup of wine in my presence, and let us forget about this incident. We are all officials serving the court, and it is crucial that we foster harmony and work together for the greater good!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty! I will always keep your words in mind, and I will never disappoint you!¡± Shao Yunduan vowed sincerely. ¡°Your teachings shall be engraved in my heart, Your Majesty,¡± Officer Tian added respectfully. With their wine sses in hand, the two exchanged a meaningful nce, clinked their sses together, and downed the wine in one swift gulp. Shao Yunduan understood that he would not be leaving the capital. Instead, he would be joining Hanlin Academy. Officer Tian also grasped the situation; for the time being, he would refrain from causing trouble for Shao Yunduan and treat him amicably on the surface. Both of them, grateful for the Emperor¡¯s leniency, were left with no room to voice any objections. The constion bestowed upon Shanshan by Emperor Xuan further ensured that no one would dare challenge the situation. However, Shanshan¡¯s prospects for finding a good suitor in the next couple of years were dim. All because of Shao Yunduan! Officer Tian was in no rush; he would make Shao Yunduan pay for his actions. Keeping him within the capital would allow for easier monitoring and maniption. Shao Yunduan had be an eyesore, but Officer Tian was determined to make him regret his deeds. No one would escape unscathed after humiliating the Tian Family!
Chapter 981: Staying in the capital Chapter 981: Staying in the capital
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The Advanced Schrs who had eagerly anticipated witnessing Shao Yunduan¡¯s downfall were left disappointed. How fortunate this man was! He had never expected that both the Crown Prince and the Emperor would shield him from disaster so effortlessly!
With the Emperor and Crown Prince intervening, no one would dare to bring up the matter again. To do so would be challenging the authority of the Emperor and the Crown Prince themselves. Observing Officer Tian and Shao Yunduan drinking together, Emperor Xuan chuckled and nodded approvingly, effectively reinvigorating the atmosphere. The scene became lively once more. They continued to revel in the enjoyment of poetry, the rewards bestowed by Emperor Xuan, and the camaraderie among the Advanced Schrs. It was a delightful experience thatsted for half a day before everyone departed from the imperial garden. As they bid their farewells, several of Shao Yunduan¡¯s ssmates, apart from Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou, approached him and exchanged pleasantries. Shao Yunduan maintained aposed demeanor, responding politely to their greetings. Such was the way of the world. Most individuals possessed an innate instinct to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. He did not hold their swift change in attitude against them. However, he recognized that true feelings were revealed during times of trouble. While they exchanged greetings and pleasantries, he did not consider them genuine friends. Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou were genuinely overjoyed for Shao Yunduan. They held great admiration for his talent, and with Shao Yunduan by their side, they unconsciously felt a sense of security, as if they had found a pir of support. With the crisis now averted, the Tian Family would likely let the matter go. Thus, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief. Apanying Shao Yunduan on his way home, Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou¡¯s presence startled Qiao Xuan upon seeing them together.
Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou were bursting with excitement, their eyes shining as they eagerly recounted Shao Yunduan¡¯s triumph at the banquet and how the Tian Family had been saved. Qiao Xuan turned to Shao Yunduan, his curiosity piqued. With a smile, Shao Yunduan nodded and handed her the jade. ¡°The Emperor presented this to me. Keep it safe.¡± This jade Ruyi held significance beyond being a gift from the Emperor. It could serve as a reminder to those who dared to bother them that they had the means to defend themselves. Qiao Xuan carefully opened the brocade box, revealing a long, white jade Ruyi nestled on the bright yellow satin. The jade was elegant and beautiful, intricately carved with auspicious clouds, grass, and ganoderma lucidums, exuding exquisite craftsmanship. It was truly a priceless treasure. Qiao Xuan smiled, feeling fortunate. ¡°I am truly blessed today. This jade Ruyi is a magnificent gift from the Emperor!¡± Lu Min chimed in, grinning. ¡°Brother Shao, with your talent and the Emperor¡¯s high regard for you, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll receive even more rewards in the future!¡± Gu Zhiyou chuckled, adding, ¡°Indeed, hahaha!¡± They allughed merrily. With the crisis resolved, the tension dissipated, and Lu Min and Shao Yunduan had much more to discuss. The three of them headed to the study together. Qiao Xuan instructed Liqiu and Lixia to purchase ingredients for dinner, ensuring they would have a meal before returning home.
As Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou bid farewell and left the Shao Family¡¯s premises, darkness descended, and the vibrant hues of the sunset faded away. Qiao Xuan was trimming a cluster of rhododendrons in the courtyard, while Shao Yunduan observed from the sidelines. ¡°Darling, you can¡¯t simply abandon your position, can you?¡± Qiao Xuan voiced his concerns. Understanding the implications, Shao Yunduan nodded. ¡°Indeed, I will likely have to remain in the capital.¡± Chapter 982: Qiao Xuan’s Bet Chapter 982: Qiao Xuan¡¯s Bet
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The Emperor held such a high opinion of him that he remained oblivious to the unfolding events. However, by doing so, the Ministry of Personnel would never force him to leave the capital. ¡°My dear, I will seize an opportunity to suggest paying respects to our ancestors, and then¡­¡± Shao Yunduan smiled bitterly, his determination apparent. ¡°You can stay in the vige once we return!¡±
Their household was well-stocked, and the bustling province was within close reach, allowing her to acquire anything she desired. Her family treated her kindly, ensuring she was not mistreated in his absence. County Magistrate Qiao would soon depart for the capital, and the iing County Magistrate would likely avoid causing them trouble, as long as they acted sensibly. The odds of convenience were even higher. She envisioned a life of freedom and happiness back home. Qiao Xuan was taken aback. Living in the vige, shecked nothing. The family was harmonious, and she had the freedom to explore the mountains and the town whenever she pleased. It was an idyllic pastoral life she had always dreamed of. It couldn¡¯t be more perfect! However, that was no longer what she desired. ¡°You want to separate from me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±
¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s expression turned sorrowful and distressed. ¡°You achieved the highest position and received recognition from the Emperor, yet you still wish to remain a government official in the capital. You want to cast me aside and pursue a contented life in the city! Perhaps you will take on concubines one after another. In a few years, I will bear children for other concubines as well!¡± Qiao Xuan had been teasing him, but as she spoke, a tinge of sadness crept into her voice. Tears welled up in her eyes. It was true! As the saying goes, husbands who are separated by a thousand miles might as well be strangers! They were thousands of miles apart, and the capital city was so enchanting. No matter how pure-hearted and devoted he was, he would inevitably be influenced by the passage of time and the vast, ever-changing environment. Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t want to take that risk, and she couldn¡¯t bear the consequences. She wasn¡¯t being overly suspicious. She believed in trusting him, but she knew it wouldn¡¯t be that simple. Humans were social creatures, susceptible to their surroundings. Many people clung to their initial intentions, but over time, they changed. That change wasn¡¯t solely because of him, but also due to the environment. Being by his side or not made a world of difference.
He understood his own intentions when he suggested she return to her hometown. He was worried she would face hardships or mistreatment in the bustling city, but she had no intention of staying in the vige. She possessed extraordinary abilities that could protect her, and no one could easily harm her. Even without those abilities, she wouldn¡¯t leave. Shao Yunduan was rmed by Qiao Xuan¡¯s words. Anxiously, he tried to exin, ¡°No, no, my love, you¡¯ve misunderstood me. That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re implying!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just concerned about your well-being!¡± ¡°So, I shouldn¡¯t feel hurt when you take on a concubine?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any concubines!¡± ¡°What about in the future?¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be any!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be thousands of miles away, and I won¡¯t be able to see you either, right? What if someone tries to woo you? What if the Emperor insists on assigning someone to attend to you?¡± Shao Yunduan found himself torn betweenughter and tears. ¡°Absolutely not! The Emperor is far too upied to meddle in such matters!¡±
Chapter 983: Staying in the Capital Chapter 983: Staying in the Capital
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°What if it does?¡± Shao Yunduan.
¡°My love, you enjoy arguing, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re pushing me away and not allowing me to voice my concerns?¡± ¡°No¡­ no, I¡¯m not pushing you away!¡± Shao Yunduan waspletely thrown off track by Qiao Xuan¡¯s persistent questioning. He sighed, caught betweenughter and tears. ¡°But I am genuinely worried about your well-being in the capital¡­¡± Qiao Xuan spoke softly, ¡°But you¡¯re not concerned about me when I¡¯m not in the capital?¡± Shao Yunduan was taken aback. ¡°You don¡¯t want to see me after so many years?¡± Annoyance shed across Shao Yunduan¡¯s face. ¡°I want to stay in the capital.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled as he looked at Qiao Xuan. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stay together here!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled, tears still lingering. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Tian Family has little connection with us, and we might cross paths again soon. The Tian Family doesn¡¯t care about someone like me, a concubine¡¯s daughter who knows little. But you, as an officer in the court with ties to the Tian Family and many acquaintances in the court, you need to be cautious!¡± ¡°I may not be able to assist you in other matters, but I can provide you with a peaceful home to rest in. Isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡±
Shao Yunduan felt warmth spreading through his heart. He smiled. ¡°Who says you know nothing? You¡¯re absolutely right! I¡¯m not afraid to resign, and I don¡¯t care about political intrigues. I can simply give up my position. Let¡¯s stay in the capital for as long as we can.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled in return. Qiao Xuan appreciated his words, even though they seemed pointless andcking motivation. Upon reaching an agreement, they felt a sense of relief and rxation, with reduced conflict. This was why it was said that those whocked desires should remain strong. As long as he didn¡¯t exploit the Tian Family, they had nothing to threaten him with. After the banquet, the prestige of the Advanced Schr came to an end. As schrs, they had sessfully and gloriouslypleted their journey. What awaited them next was another path to bing an official. How well they fared on this journey was uncertain. Though each person had different qualifications to be an Advanced Schr, they all started from the same point.
In 10 or 20 years, who knew what would transpire? Perhaps the Primus would take no action, or the Advanced Schr would rise to be a top-ranking officer. Such possibilities existed. They were both anxious and eager for the future, yet they silently swore not to be the most conspicuous individuals. Shao Yunduan had already resolved not to dwell too much on this. He remainedposed. Observing the scene, he suddenly noticed a distinction. When the Ministry of Personnel made the appointments, the positions were allocated one by one. In the capital, there remained a total of 46 individuals, dispersed across the six departments, Hanlin Academy, and various other locations. Naturally, the neers who had recently been recruited held positions at the ninth or eighth grade, with the highest being seventh grade. Their starting point could not be any higher. As for the rest of the group, they were dispatched as local officials throughout the country. The distinctiony in the fact that some were stationed in Jiangnan, the Central in, or the remote southern regions, while others were assigned to the bitterly cold and harsh territories in the northwest. This contrast was even more pronounced than those who remained in the intermediate locations.
Chapter 984: Careful Chapter 984: Careful
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The differences extended beyond just the environment. The level of attention from the imperial court, the potential for greater achievements, and the speed of promotion varied greatly among the different locations. Shao Yunduan caught the attention of Emperor Xuan, which made the Ministry of Personnel hesitant to transfer him. He held a seventh-rank position at Hanlin Academy. Officer Tian secretly hoped that he could be assigned a more fortunate position, but he felt too embarrassed to act upon such desires.
As a result, he could only grant Shao Yunduan a seventh-rank editing position. However, Officer Tian did not approve of Shao Yunduan¡¯s friends. Lu Min was dispatched to Fujian, while Gu Zhiyou was sent to a cold and remote ce in the northwest. These locations were underdeveloped and challenging environments, ones that most people avoided and tried to steer clear of. Shao Yunduan felt a deep sense of guilt and even treated them to a meal, burdened by his conscience. Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou were not particrly content either. Especially after the appointments were announced, some individuals made sarcastic remarks about Shao Yunduan, further fueling their annoyance. Yet, they did not hold Shao Yunduan responsible for their circumstances. ¡°Brother Shao, that¡¯s an order from the imperial court. It has nothing to do with you,¡± Lu Min remarked. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re at the bottom of the rankings andck connections, so we never expected to receive favorable positions. It¡¯s all within our expectations,¡± Gu Zhiyou added. ¡°Haha, no matter what, Shao Yunduan has be a government official. He excelled in his studies and lives up to his ancestors. That¡¯s something to be proud of,¡± another friend chimed in. ¡°Indeed, who knows what the future holds? Being away from the capital might actually be a good thing. I¡¯m curious about the scenery in the south,¡± Lu Min pondered. ¡°Haha, I think the north has its own interesting aspects too. But Shao Yunduan, you¡¯re headed to advanced mountains and rivers, and we¡¯re uncertain when we¡¯ll meet again. People in the intermediate positions can be quite treacherous, and you, well, you¡¯re a bit different. Be cautious in the future!¡± Gu Zhiyou advised.
¡°Absolutely. Brother Shao, please take care!¡± They expressed their concern sincerely. Shao Yunduan felt immense gratitude and nodded, engaging in a brief exchange of words with them. After their gathering, they were set to depart the following day. A long journey awaited them! Upon finishing the meal, Shao Yunduan retrieved two envelopes and ced them in front of Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou, speaking earnestly, ¡°There¡¯s 500 liang in each envelope, totaling 20,000 liang. Please don¡¯t refuse it. You¡¯ll definitely need it in your new locations. We¡¯re friends, so don¡¯t worry about it. If you feel guilty, you can always return it to meter.¡± Both Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou were taken aback. ¡°Brother Shao, isn¡¯t this too much?¡± they eximed. Though they were able to sustain their studies and had a decent family background, they were only well-off within their local province. By living frugally, they could earn around 20 or 30 taels annually. For them, 20,000 liang was an enormous sum! Shao Yunduan smiled warmly. ¡°We won¡¯t know the extent of our needs until we¡¯re in our respective positions. It¡¯s always good to have some for self-protection. Consider it a gift from me and your Sister-inw, and please don¡¯t turn it down.¡± Moved by his kindness, they gratefully epted the two envelopes. ¡°Brother Shao, thank you so much!¡±
¡°We¡¯ll all live well, and we¡¯ll meet again in the future. Take care, Brother Shao.¡± ¡°You too!¡± Qiao Xuan also handed each of them a cloth bag, each containing five potatoes. Chapter 985: Future Chapter 985: Future
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°This is a yam from the west. It seems quite rare. When you bring it to your new locations, cut the seeds into pieces and nt them like regr yams. They might grow well,¡± Qiao Xuan exined. ¡°Since it¡¯s called yam, it should be simr to what we have. You can steam, stir-fry, or cook it. I¡¯m not sure about the taste, but the ingredients should be good. Take it with you as a keepsake!¡± Qiao Xuan suggested.
Qiao Xuan had pondered for a while before deciding to share the seeds with each of them. Given the stinginess of the Tian Family and the remote and impoverished location they were assigned, the local residents struggled with year-round starvation and a difficult existence. Potatoes were a high-yielding crop that thrived in various types of soil. If they discovered this when nting them in the current year, it would naturally lead to promotion. With Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower-enhanced seeds, they would likely be more resistant to pests and environmental challenges, resulting in a bountiful harvest. Even if they had just a few seeds, they could ignite a significant change. Moreover, being in the south might provide an opportunity to find more potatoes. Lu Min would be in Fujian and might be able to obtain additional potatoes for nting. Regardless, Qiao Xuan had already provided assistance when it was needed. What unfolded in the future would depend on their luck. By spreading potatoes locally, the residents wouldn¡¯t need to worry aboutcking promotion and would have a more promising future. However, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t explicitly exin the benefits of potatoes. It was something she couldn¡¯t articte. Shao Yunduan grinned. ¡°Take all of it. It¡¯s your Sister-inw¡¯s precious treasure, and she keeps it personally. No one else is allowed to touch it!¡± Laughter filled the air. Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou expressed their gratitude to Qiao Xuan.
Qiao Xuan continued to remind them, and they nodded in acknowledgment. As they departed, Shao Yunduan expressed his gratitude to Qiao Xuan. ¡°Thank you for your generosity!¡± Without Qiao Xuan, he wouldn¡¯t have received such a significant sum of money. Qiao Xuan smiled and replied, ¡°My husband and I are one. You don¡¯t have to treat me as an outsider.¡± ¡°No, I truly appreciate your help,¡± Shao Yunduan insisted. ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡± They exchanged smiles. In truth, without Shao Yunduan and the Tian Family¡¯s assistance, Qiao Xuan would have struggled to survive in this world, despite her superpower. She couldn¡¯t reveal her abilities to others as it would only invite trouble. In the eyes of the world, she was merely a vulnerable woman. Making money wasn¡¯t easy, and even if she umted wealth, it would attract endless trouble and unwanted attention. It was quite bothersome. The only alternative would be to hide away in remote mountains and forests, but that would be dreadfully dull.
Only when they were together could they truly enjoy themselves and experience life to the fullest. Money held little significance for Qiao Xuan. With her skills, she could easily earn money whenever needed. After bidding farewell to Lu Min and the others, the remaining ssmates departed from the capital andmenced their respective work assignments. Those assigned to positions in the capital reported to their respective governmental offices. Shao Yunduan, too, was assigned to Hanlin Academy. Although no one dared to gossip openly about him and the Elder Miss anymore, he still faced exclusion from his peers. After all, it was widely known that the Tian Family and the Elder Miss had suffered humiliation. The Tian Family would never let Shao Yunduan off the hook. Their actions were merely an attempt to save face. They eagerly anticipated Shao Yunduan¡¯s downfall, convinced that his luck as an officer was about to run out. Chapter 986: Hanlin Academy Chapter 986: Hanlin Academy
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions No one dared to approach him at this moment. The incidents involving Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou had left asting impression on everyone. However, the Tian Family refrained frommenting or making things difficult for Shao Yunduan. They simply maintained a distance from him, as if he were invisible.
Each individual prioritized their own future and avoided any involvement. Qiao Hongxi felt increasingly irritated. He had never anticipated bing so closely associated with Shao Yunduan. Initially, he had nned to manipte others into harassing and humiliating Shao Yunduan, eager to witness his downfall. After all, he was determined not to let Shao Yunduan enjoy a good life. But now¡­ he didn¡¯t dare to. Yes, hecked the courage! However, the memory of the 4,000 liang he owed Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, along with the words inscribed on that piece of paper, silenced anyints he might have had. The couple were unpredictable. What if they werepelled to expose the secret publicly? The humiliation would be unbearable! Consequently, Qiao Hongxi had no choice but to avoid Shao Yunduan. Even if he identally encountered him, he would lower his head and pretend not to notice. Unfortunately, news of their connection reached the ears of others soon enough.
Concerned individuals began questioning why Qiao Hongxi wasn¡¯t seen with Shao Yunduan. ¡°Your sister is married to Editor Shao, making you his brother-inw, right? Congrattions, Brother Qiao, you now have a prestigious son-inw!¡± ¡°Indeed, Brother Qiao, why don¡¯t you spend time with him? It¡¯s strange to see such distance between you two!¡± Qiao Hongxi grew increasingly frustrated as he witnessed others either teasing him out of curiosity or plotting something malicious. Internally, he cursed at the absurdity of being judged for being a brother-inw. After all, Qiao Xuan was just the daughter of a concubine. Did anyone have close rtionships with their concubine¡¯s siblings? However, he couldn¡¯t express these thoughts aloud. Qiao Hongxi had no choice but to avoid discussing the matter. When he couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, he resorted to making vaguements to discredit Shao Yunduan and shift me onto him. He insinuated that Shao Yunduan looked down on the Qiao Family because of his position as Primus andcked respect for them. Upon hearing these rumors, Shao Yunduan simply smiled and ignored them. If someone was curious enough to approach him, he could only sigh and im his innocence. Regardless of the inquiries, he would shake his head and remain tight-lipped. He had the support of the senior members of the Qiao Family, including Qiao Xuan and Qiao Hongxi. What did he have to fear?
No matter how hard Qiao Hongxi tried to discredit him, as long as he possessed that leverage, Qiao Hongxi would never dare to cause any trouble. Shao Yunduan secretly wished that Qiao Hongxi would intensify his discrediting attempts, making the situation appear even worse. It would only amplify the humiliation. Clearly, Qiao Hongxi wasn¡¯t particrly clever. After all, he and the Qiao Family were holding something over Shao Yunduan, forcing him to remain subdued. Unfortunately, Shao Yunduan¡¯s words proved ineffective, and the rumors spread even further. Furthermore, certain individuals sought to ingratiate themselves with the Tian Family, fueling the situation. Surprisingly, the person who relentlessly attacked Shao Yunduan was unexpectedly promoted to a vacancy at the Hanlin Academy. Chapter 987: Impeachment Chapter 987: Impeachment
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions To the man¡¯s astonishment, he was not only surprised but also delighted. The news caused amotion among the members of the Hanlin Academy. Everyone there knew all too well that he was not supposed to be promoted this time.
In a world filled with intelligent individuals, it became clear to them what had transpired. It was the doing of the Tian Family. Officer Tian must have intervened and influenced the decision! Indeed, the Tian Family showed no signs of relenting in their pursuit to keep Shao Yunduan under their control. Others deeply regretted their actions ¨C they had missed a golden opportunity. Theycked the courage to take advantage of such a foolish situation! But now it was toote. If the Tian Family wished to see Shao Yunduan suffer, they would oblige and curry favor with the Tian Family. Thus, Shao Yunduan was burdened with a highly challenging task. He chose not to retaliate and epted all the responsibilities ced upon him. Someone knowledgeable from the Censorate even suggested that Shao Yunduan should face impeachment. They used him of being immoral, disrespectful to his elders, rebellious, and treacherous. They argued that he brought disgrace upon all schrs and failed to live up to the Emperor¡¯s expectations. They imed he was unfit to hold any official position!
Since revealing the involvement of the Tian Family was not an option, they seized upon the Qiao Family, turning it into an issue. The individual leading the impeachment believed they had found the perfect avenue and took great pride in their discovery. For schrs, possessing both morality and talent was of utmost importance. Once they were used of immorality, their lives would be utterly ruined! Even the most revered schr could fall from the heights of acim to the depths of despair overnight, let alone the Primus. Secretly, countless individuals were observing the unfolding drama. Normally, the appointment of a junior editor at the Hanlin Academy would not garner the attention of courtiers. Frankly, no one would be so idle as to impeach a minor editor. However, the situation changed when the Tian Family became involved. Certain ministers felt that the Tian Family was exerting undue influence. After all, it was the Tian Family¡¯s own mistake for hiring Shao Yunduan as their son-inw. What did that have to do with Editor Shao? On the contrary, Shao Yunduan¡¯s refusal to abandon his wife, even if it meantpromising his own future, was quite admirable. The Emperor personally intervened, and Officer Tian even shared a drink with Editor Shao in the presence of the Emperor, dering that they should let it go. However, less than 20 days had passed!
Now it was time to settle the score! Officer Tian was too arrogant, thinking he would not face any consequences when the Tian Family had no involvement in this matter. They would see what the Emperor thought of all this. But Shao Yunduan had been waiting for this moment! What was the point of engaging in a minor dispute within the Hanlin Academy? At most, they would receive a scolding from the officials. It was not as thrilling as appearing in court. Thus, by severing ties with the Qiao Family, the Tian Family could maintain a clearer perspective. After this incident, the Tian Family would think twice before attempting any cheap shots or tricks in the near future. Shao Yunduan had to give them credit for that. Shao Yunduan¡¯s impeachment left Emperor Xuan feeling deeply displeased. The Emperor held a favorable opinion of his newly appointed Primus. This young man possessed talent, and his rise from a humble background to the position of Primus was no easy feat. He exhibited diligence and, even after achieving sess, did not sumb to greed for wealth and power. Furthermore, he remained steadfastly loyal to his wife.
Chapter 988: Scarily Astute Chapter 988: Scarily Astute
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan was a man who adhered to principles and morality. He would not engage in any actions that went against his principles. Emperor Xuan had a temperament that could swing between broad-mindedness and narrow-mindedness, depending on his mood and circumstances.
When in a good mood, he could easily dismiss offenses and let them slide. However, if he happened to be in an unfavorable state, he could unleash consequences that were detrimental to the offender. In essence, Emperor Xuan possessed the power to act as he pleased, and his moodiness was well-known. Nevertheless, he was also highly intelligent. One would be wise not to attempt any deceit or maniption in his presence, as the repercussions would be unbearable for anyone involved. Emperor Xuan held a favorable impression of Shao Yunduan. In fact, he sent someone to gather information about the situation between Shao Yunduan and the Tian Family. As a result, he sympathized with Shao Yunduan, considering him a pitiable man. However, the fact that Shao Yunduan was impeached by the censor within less than 20 days of joining the Hanlin Academy led Emperor Xuan to doubt that the Tian Family had no involvement. What was the motive behind the Tian Family¡¯s actions? What did Old Tian mean? He had assured the Emperor that the matter was resolved, even sharing a drink with Editor Shao in his presence as a means to reconcile and seek revenge with a smile? Emperor Xuan did not appreciate being disregarded as the Emperor. Furthermore, he was intensely curious about the conflict between Shao Yunduan and the Tian Family, prompting him to delve into the details of Shao Yunduan¡¯s connection with the Qiao Family. He even made a copy of the letter of severance. The contents of the memorial that Shao Yunduan had been informed of were strikingly simr to what was written in the severance letter.
However, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had been coerced into signing the contract, despite its unfavorable terms. No one would willingly ept something that was detrimental to their own interests. The Qiao Family¡¯s behavior was utterly domineering! They were simply bullying Shao Yunduan, a rmended individual with no notable prospects, and Qiao Xuan, a daughter of a concubine, as if they believed the two were powerless. On the asion of their only visit to the Qiao Family, as Qiao Xuan departed, she received a p across the face. Many onlookers witnessed her tearfully seeking sce in Shao Yunduan¡¯s arms at the entrance of the Qiao Family. Yet, the Qiao Family shamelessly imed that it was the couple who had instigated the confrontation. Such an assertion was preposterous! That was the Qiao Family¡¯s ount. Surely, no one else would believe such a fabrication, right? Little did they anticipate that Shao Yunduan would eventually be the Primus and join the prestigious Hanlin Academy. Qiao Hongxi proved to be the most vexatious of all. He was well aware of the truth, yet he persisted in discrediting Shao Yunduan! Conversely, Shao Yunduan remained an honest and well-mannered man. He could only defend himself with a bitter smile and a sigh, insisting on his innocence and refraining from speaking ill of the Qiao Family. That was an act of great benevolence!
If that gesture didn¡¯t suffice, what more could be expected of them? How dare they question Shao Yunduan¡¯s morality? It was utterly absurd! Emperor Xuan formted some conjectures based on the information he had gathered. Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t need to exin anything further. The Emperor had already grasped the situation clearly. Feeling that he, as the Primus, had been unjustly treated, Emperor Xuan resolved to defend him. Old Tian, that wretched scoundrel, had caused quite amotion this time. Consequently, the next morning, Emperor Xuan of Qi, who had been absent from court for at least half a month and was under the supervision of the Crown Prince, with the assistance of the Second, Third, and Fourth Princes, attended court. Chapter 989: Emperor Xuan’s Anger Chapter 989: Emperor Xuan¡¯s Anger
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Additionally, Emperor Xuan pointed to the memorial and ordered someone to summon Strategist Shao from the Hanlin Academy. He intended to personally interrogate him. Officer Tian and his associates felt a pang of unease, their hearts skipping a beat.
The fact that the Emperor said ¡°please¡± indicated that the Primus held significant importance to him. They were all perplexed. Emperor Xuan had been in power for over 40 years, and a new Primus was appointed every three years¡ªit was nothing out of the ordinary. True, this young man was handsome, and people naturally paid attention to him, but what was the purpose behind all of this? They had assumed that the Emperor would harbor disdain for Shao Yunduan and strip him of his position. However, now he was nning to personally interrogate him. Ministers who had a cordial rtionship with Officer Tian couldn¡¯t help but reproach him for his pettiness. They had already let the matter go, so why did he continue to bear a grudge? As a first-ss officer of the imperial court, he had made a mistake due to his family¡¯s actions. Yet, the Emperor had attempted to reconcile the situation, but Officer Tian persisted, incessantly harassing Editor Shao. How narrow-minded he was! Others became even more cautious. The Tian Family¡¯s pettiness served as a warning to tread carefully when forming alliances with them in the future. Who knew when they might unintentionally offend them and incur theirsting enmity? Shao Yunduan arrived at the court and gracefully performed a kowtow. Emperor Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of satisfaction upon witnessing this. Just as Shao Yunduan stood up, Censor Liu red at him and snapped, ¡°Shao Yunduan, your immorality, disrespect towards your elders, andck of decorum are an affront to all schrs. Confess now and seek the Emperor¡¯s forgiveness, or else you shall persist in your obstinacy!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Emperor Xuan erupted in fury. He seized one of the memorials and hurled it towards Censor Liu¡¯s head, shouting, ¡°I haven¡¯t uttered a word, yet you have the audacity to unt your authority! I specifically stated that I would personally conduct the interrogation, and now you seek to pronounce judgment! Who do you think you are? How dare you override me!¡± The courtiers were left in a state of shock, their heads bowed low and their breath held in anticipation.
Censor Liu was taken aback, his mind reeling and his face drained of color. Cold sweat drenched his back. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Censor Liu copsed to the ground, his voice trembling. ¡°I-I don¡¯t dare¡­ I am innocent! I simply couldn¡¯t bear what he and Editor Shao were doing, I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. That¡¯s why I spoke up, Your Majesty, please!¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± Emperor Xuan remained unmoved by his exnation. He delivered a fierce kick to Censor Liu and sneered. ¡°You¡¯re merely bullying him because he is young and inexperienced. You¡¯re trying to intimidate him into admitting fault without offering a defense. Do you think I¡¯m a fool? You must have a death wish to y such a petty trick in front of me!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I beg you, I would never dare¡­¡± Censor Liu nearly crumpled to the ground. Fear had rendered his voice hoarse and trembling. He continued to kowtow, the resounding thuds echoing through the silent throne room. The courtiers were seasoned political yers, adept at reading between the lines. Censor Liu¡¯s intention had been to catch Shao Yunduan off guard by attacking him before he could gather his bearings. However, the Emperor saw through his scheme,ying it bare for all to witness. Chapter 990: Thunder Chapter 990: Thunder
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions He had publicly humiliated him! The courtiers were all reminded of a crucial fact ¨C Emperor Xuan¡¯s temperament was mercurial, and when he turned malicious, he spared no one¡¯s dignity.
Emperor Xuan remained unmoved, a cold sneer on his lips. ¡°Silence! I have no desire to hear any more of your nonsense! My court will not tolerate heretics, evildoers, and despicable individuals like you! Men, remove his ck hat, strip him of his official attire, and escort him out of the Golden Throne Hall!¡± Censor Liu felt as if he had been struck by lightning. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± He had intended to plead for mercy, but upon seeing the icy re in Emperor Xuan¡¯s eyes, he dared not utter a word. If he said anything more, the Emperor would surely reprimand him for hisck of insight. His entire body went limp as he was dragged out of the chamber. Officer Tian felt as though he had been pped across the face, the sting of humiliation searing through him. But what tormented him even more was the necessity to feign indifference, to act as though nothing had urred. For he knew that to react would only deepen the humiliation. ¡°Officer Shao, fear not. I am no tyrant, but I cannot abide those with wicked intentions attempting to deceive me,¡± Emperor Xuan turned to Shao Yunduan, adopting a friendly tone. He gestured for the eunuch to present the memorial to Shao Yunduan. ¡°If there is anything else you wish to convey, speak freely, and I shall make a fair judgment.¡±
¡°Thank you for your benevolence, Emperor!¡± Shao Yunduan bowed respectfully, then rose to ept the document. The situation was progressing better than he had anticipated. Shao Yunduan sighed ruefully as he recounted the events of his visit to the Qiao Family with his wife, which resulted in their expulsion and his wife being subjected to physical abuse. He continued, ¡°I possess evidence in the form of a severance letter written by the Qiao Family, formally disowning their rtionship with both me and Ms. Qiao. However, as they are her family, I could not bring myself to reveal the truth. I had hoped to clear my name, but instead, matters have escted, and the Emperor has been alerted. This is entirely my fault¡­¡± The ministers were taken aback, while Officer Tian seethed with anger. ¡°Why did you not produce the severance letter earlier? It could have spared us much trouble.¡± Shao Yunduan requested that Officer Tian retrieve the severance letter from his residence. Emperor Xuan sneered. ¡°There is no need. I am already aware of what transpired within the Qiao Family. Fearing that you would approach them for financial support, they wrote the severance letter to belittle you. Now that you have risen to the position of Primus, they are envious and seek to tarnish your reputation. How despicable! I recognize the injustice you have suffered in this affair!¡± Shao Yunduan remained silent, processing the Emperor¡¯s words. ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty,¡± he finally responded.
Emperor Xuan let out a sigh. ¡°As the new Primus, if anyone dares to unjustly humiliate you, you have the right to seek support from the Crown Prince or the other princes. Let¡¯s see who would dare to act against you!¡± It was absurd to think that his newly appointed Primus would be subjected to bullying without any support. Emperor Xuan found the notion preposterous. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty,¡± Shao Yunduan expressed his gratitude once more. ¡°Rise,¡± Emperor Xuanmanded with a wave of his hand, his gaze coldly sweeping over the courtiers. ¡°Is there anything else you wish to address?¡± The courtiers shook their heads, acknowledging that the Emperor¡¯s perspective was just. No one dared to voice any dissent. They all understood the clear message conveyed by the Emperor. Chapter 991: Officer Tian Chapter 991: Officer Tian
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The courtiers watched as the Emperor defended Editor Shao, realizing that he had received a stroke of good fortune. With the Emperor¡¯s support, Editor Shao would have the freedom to act as he pleased at the Hanlin Academy and even have influence over the Crown Prince and other princes. Emperor Xuan expressed his disgust and asked, ¡°What about Qiao¡­ Qiao at Hanlin Academy?¡±
The Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel responded, ¡°It is Qiao Hongxi, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°He is no good either!¡± Emperor Xuan eximed, knowing the internal affairs that outsiders were unaware of. ¡°He takes advantage of Strategist Shao¡¯s soft-heartedness and bullies him. He is unworthy of his position! Demote him to an ordinary civilian without any rank. If he fails to show improvement, I doubt he can remain at Hanlin Academy any longer!¡± ¡°Youck morality; do not tarnish the reputation of the Hanlin Academy!¡± The Left Assistant Minister bowed, his forehead covered in cold sweat. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty¡­¡± Emperor Xuan released his pent-up anger, feeling somewhat relieved. He snorted and dismissed the court. Before leaving, he nced at Officer Tian andmanded him to attend an audience. Officer Tian respectfully acknowledged, feeling even more ashamed. Shao Yunduan bid farewell to the courtiers and departed from the Qianqing Pce. He waved to the departing courtiers and made his way back to the Hanlin Academy. The courtiers exchanged nces, shaking their heads, sighing, or even chuckling, each with their own thoughts on the events that had transpired. Editor Shao was indeed fortunate, and it was clear that she should steer clear of any involvement with him in the future. The behavior of the Qiao Family waspletely uncalled for. They not only looked down upon Editor Shao and his wife but even went so far as to present them with a severance letter. What gave them the right to fabricate stories about them? The unkindness exhibited by the Qiao Family, particrly Qiao Hongxi, was truly disappointing. It was foolish of them to think they could concoct false evidence. How would they feel when the truth inevitably came to light?
In Dong Nuan Pavilion, Officer Tian stood beneath, respectfully facing Emperor Xuan, whose expression was quite grim. ¡°Do you know why I have summoned you?¡± Emperor Xuan inquired. Officer Tian dared not im ignorance. He kneeled down and said, ¡°I apologize! I did not explicitly order it, but I was not broad-minded enough. I allowed certain tactics to be employed, and I purposefully remained silent. If it weren¡¯t for me, those individuals would not have troubled a newly-appointed editor. I am deeply sorry, Your Majesty. Please, punish me!¡± Officer Tian kowtowed repeatedly on the ground, expressing his remorse. Emperor Xuan, recognizing Officer Tian¡¯s astuteness, felt the anger within him dissipate. He acknowledged that Officer Tian possessed a sense of wisdom. ¡°I will not punish you, but you have certainly made a fool of yourself! It¡¯s all in the past now, and I have already addressed the issue publicly, haven¡¯t I? If anyone dares to bring it up again, teach them a lesson. If anyone dares to resist, why make things difficult for my new Primus? He is talented and virtuous, and I have ns for his future. There is no need for you to create further obstacles for him!¡± ¡°It is alwaysmendable to rectify one¡¯s mistakes. Just ensure that such a situation does not arise again!¡± ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I will remember your teachings. I apologize, but concerning my daughter¡­¡± Officer Tian sighed, his voice filled with regret. Emperor Xuan understood the predicament. The Tian family¡¯s daughter had always been exceptional and proud, one of the finest among the nobledies. It was a great disappointment that she had fallen into such a trap in her marriage. No wonder Old Tian was so upset; his actions were driven by love for his daughter.
Chapter 992: Revenge Chapter 992: Revenge
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions No one was to me; it was simply a regrettable mistake. Emperor Xuan¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Very well, let¡¯s put this behind us. Never speak of it again.¡±
¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°You may go now.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Officer Tian let out a sigh of relief as he exited the pavilion. That was a close call! He had felt utterly humiliated. For the time being, he would refrain from taking any actions against Shao Yunduan. He would ensure that nothing would happen to him and that everything would go smoothly within a year. Otherwise, the me would fall on his daughter, and that was simply exasperating! Officer Tian¡¯s annoyance grew, prompting him to change his ns. Instead of heading to the governmental office, he decided to go straight home to Madame Qiao. Inside the residence, Tian Shanshan was engaged in conversation with her mother. Observing Officer Tian¡¯s troubled expression, she offered aforting smile. ¡°Who upset you? You must also take care of yourself. Don¡¯t let these matters get to you. If you show your anger, it will only invite sympathy from others and make us feel sorry for you.¡± Madame Tian joined in, her smile gentle. ¡°Shanshan is right, my dear husband. Look at how filial our daughter is!¡± ¡°Shanshan has always been a paragon of filial piety, and I am well aware of that! I am blessed to have such a wonderful daughter!¡± Officer Tian chuckled, finding sce in Tian Shanshan¡¯s words. He felt a sense of relief wash over him.
However, the weight of his daughter¡¯s recent misstep lingered in his mind, causing him further distress. She was such a kind-hearted girl, so why did she have to encounter such unfairness? He could no longer tolerate it. There was no time like the present to seek vengeance! After a brief exchange, Officer Tian escorted Tian Shanshan away and recounted the morning court incident to Madame Tian. Madame Tian felt a sense of suffocation. ¡°What does this have to do with you, dear husband? It¡¯s not your fault! If that Shao person has offended someone, it¡¯s only natural for others to seek revenge. If hecks the ability to handle it, he¡¯ll have to face the consequences. Why should you bear the me?¡± ¡°The Emperor¡¯s actions arepletely unfair this time!¡± ¡°Are we expected to shoulder the responsibility for anything that befalls the Shao family?¡± Madame Tian¡¯s words were fueled by her frustration, but Officer Tian could only offer a bitter smile and sigh. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°From this point forward, I will make it known that no one should cause any trouble for Shao. I¡¯ll ensure that people pay attention to him and offer assistance if anything happens.¡± ¡°Dear husband, you¡¯re being unreasonable!¡±
Madame Tian¡¯s annoyance grew. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s never toote for revenge. We can discuss this after a year and a half. Once this matter subsides, we won¡¯t be held ountable for any misfortunes that befall him. The Emperor believes that someone is trying to gain favor with me. If I don¡¯t take action, the me will fall on me.¡± Madame Tian¡¯s frustration grew. ¡°It¡¯s just too much!¡± ¡°But that¡¯s what the Emperor has decided. What can we do?¡± Madame Tian¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. She used a handkerchief to wipe them away. ¡°Poor Shanshan, she doesn¡¯t deserve this¡­¡± Officer Tian¡¯s heart ached. It wasn¡¯t just his daughter who had been wronged; he felt deeply humiliated as well. The Emperor¡¯s scolding of Censor Liu in front of everyone had been unbearable. He had never felt such shame in the court before! ¡°Things will get better in the future. Our Shanshan is wonderful, and she will surely find a great partner.¡± Chapter 993: Venting Anger on His Daughter-in-law Chapter 993: Venting Anger on His Daughter-inw
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Yeah, that man doesn¡¯t deserve someone like Shanshan.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡±
Mrs. Tian¡¯s frustration lingered, and she pondered for a moment before speaking up. ¡°We may not be able to touch Mr. Shao, but what about Ms. Qiao?¡± Madame Tian didn¡¯t want to wait for one and a half years to seek revenge. The thought of it was infuriating. Officer Tian considered the suggestion and replied, ¡°The Emperor won¡¯t interfere in matters concerning women. But be cautious and don¡¯t let things escte.¡± ¡°You can trust me, Old Master!¡± Mrs. Tian grinned. ¡°Rest assured, I know what needs to be done.¡± Madame Tian sneered inwardly. If the Emperor still remembered the man named Shao, she could temporarily spare him. After all, the Emperor wouldn¡¯t always remember him. She would let him live in misery for a while. Her daughter-inw was merely a concubine¡¯s daughter, cut off from her own family. She must have been spoiled by her maternal rtives, which exined her cowardice andck of intelligence. Humiliating such a woman would be a piece of cake. There were plenty of people willing to do the dirty work for the Tian Family; she didn¡¯t need to personally intervene. It was for Ms. Qiao¡¯s own good, of course. Ms. Qiao had been publicly humiliated by the government officials, and everyone wasughing at her. They were about to witness whether Ms. Qiao could salvage her pride. Then he would realize how mistaken he was. He would learn the weight of his loss if he didn¡¯t marry Shanshan. Ms. Qiao¡¯s humiliation was imminent, and she would no longer find a ce for herself in the capital. The more Madame Tian dwelled on this thought, the more content she became.
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan held a small celebration in the courtyard of the Shao Family. Both of them felt a sense of relief. With this knowledge, the Tian Family wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move for at least one and a half years. And one and a half years provided ample time to bring about significant changes and aplishments. ¡°In a few days, I¡¯ll find an opportunity to inform the Secretary of Hanlin College that we¡¯ll be returning to our hometown to pay respects to our ancestors. We¡¯ll take care of everything back home.¡±. Qiao Xuan nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, we should handle our family affairs diligently.¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t simply disregard the fields and other properties they owned. Although Ms. Fang and her family would assist in looking after them, the Yuezheng Family in the province would also lend a helping hand. However, Qiao Xuan¡¯s unique abilities were required to tend to the fruit trees and crops. They decided to explore the capital and purchase gifts to bring back home, allowing everyone in the family to experience a taste of the city. Shao Yunduan had no objections to the n. While Shao Yunduan attended to his duties at the Imperial Academy, Qiao Xuan ventured out with Liqiu and Lixia to shop for various presents for their family. Considering the long journey ahead, Qiao Xuan refrained from purchasing too many items, opting for lighter and more manageable choices. However, due to the nature of snacks and pastries, it was challenging to transport them over a long distance. As a result, they reluctantly decided to forgo the delectable treats and instead purchased dried fruits that could be used to make candied delicacies.
Qiao Xuan made another visit to various pharmacies, hoping toe across some live ginseng roots. The intention was to acquire them and store them in the space, anticipating the possibility of pleasant surprises. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that the space was on the verge of undergoing an upgrade. Chapter 994: Buying Living Ginseng Chapter 994: Buying Living Ginseng
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions At this moment, if she could acquire ten or twenty live ginseng nts and cultivate them, it would likely yield positive results. Expensive flowers like orchids and peonies could also prove to be highly effective. However, in the capital, such luxurious flowers and trees were always in high demand. They would be swiftly purchased by princes, kings, monarchs, and affluent families before even reaching the market.
Money wasn¡¯t an issue for her, but shecked the necessary skills. Hence, contemting the matter was essentially futile. The demand for ginseng in the capital was exceedingly high. Perhaps, if luck favored him, he might be able to make a purchase? Qiao Xuan had an exceptionally fortunate day. She sessfully procured some live ginsengs from two different stores. In total, there were approximately 30 ginseng nts, varying in size. Qiao Xuan felt as if she had discovered a treasure and managed to acquire everything at a bargain price. The amount she spent ran into tens of thousands. Even the wealthiest families in the capital did not purchase ginseng in this manner. Qiao Xuan gained quite a reputation in the ginseng business, with numerous ginseng vendors eagerly offering their products to her. Even the two stores she had bought from were enthusiastically rmending some aged ginsengs. However, Qiao Xuan declined all their offers. Although these aged ginsengs were of high quality, she could sense theirck of vitality. Over time, they had dried up and transformed into mere medicinal herbs. No matter how excellent they might be, they were of no use to her. Qiao Xuan nted the 30 or so ginseng nts in her garden space. The following day, she witnessed all of them taking root in the soil and gradually rejuvenating. The spiritual energy was so abundant that Qiao Xuan could see the expansion of the spring water area from the Proficiency Sutra. Standing near the spring, she gazed into the distance, unable to discern its end. It extended at least three to four thousand meters away.
Curiously, Qiao Xuan casually broke a pomegranate and inserted it into the soil. To her surprise, the pomegranate firmly took root in the ground! The interspace no longer rejected ordinary nts like it used to! Even simple items were now epted by the space! Qiao Xuan was astonished! She had no idea how many things she could cultivate in this vast and fertilend! Regardless of the crop, it was evident that it would thrive and grow faster within this space. Moreover, the hut provided a storage space where items would never spoil. In the future, even during times of hardship like the Great Deste Year, there would be no need to worry. Qiao Xuan pondered over how to maximize the utilization of thisnd. Qiao Xuan¡¯s first step was to divide the remaining six potatoes and nt four and a half of them. She allocated one and a half potatoes to the backyard of her small house in the capital. When the time for harvest arrived, it would be difficult for anyone to distinguish them if they were mixed together. The yield in the interspace was even more impressive. In less than two years, she would umte countless potatoes as seeds!
Initially, she had some concerns. The potatoes needed to be nted within the current year, as nting them toote would be past the suitable season. Even though she had the assistance of the interspace, it wasn¡¯t ideal to dy the nting for too long. Since Qiao Xuan was returning to her hometown with Shao Yunduan, she couldn¡¯t nt the potatoes there. They had to be nted in the capital. However, the journey was long and time-consuming. It would take more than three months to reach their destination. Who knew what would be of the potatoes by the time they returned to the capital? Nevertheless, she had no other option! She was still in a dilemma, but unexpectedly, the interspace upgraded and became more amodating! Now, she no longer had to worry. Chapter 995: Updated Space Chapter 995: Updated Space
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions They could simply nt some in the backyard. Even if something went wrong, they could utilize the space topensate for any setbacks. That was an incredibly positive development!
Qiao Xuan sensed that there was more than 300 mu of avablend for cultivation in the intermediate space, although the exact number was not fixed. She could sense that the amount of arablend was increasing every day, but she wondered how long it would continue. Based on current estimates, another 300 mu would be avable in approximately 10 days. If this situation could persist for one or two months, it would be fantastic! Qiao Xuan had already made a firm decision ¨C she was going to nt rice on the additional 300 mu. Farming in this space was different from outside. There was no need to flood the fields with water; the seeds could be sprinkled directly. When she purchased the rice seeds, she felt a bit overwhelmed by therge patch ofnd. Even if she were to nt just rice seeds alone, it would be an arduous task for one person! So Qiao Xuan attempted to nt the seeds using her divine sense, which turned out to be sessful. She was overjoyed. Within less than an hour, all 300 mu of rice had been nted. She concentrated andposed herself. She could even feel the rice seeds silently burrowing into the ground, reaching a depth, preparing for germination and gathering strength to emerge from the soil¡­ At night, she couldn¡¯t resisting to check again. The 300 mu of rice fields were already disying a faint, tender green color! The rice seeds had already sprouted, and small needle-like sprouts were growing. From a distance, the sight was a soothing, pale green, soft, and adorable, evoking a sense of rxation and joy.
Qiao Xuan was filled with immense delight. It was as if they had already glimpsed the bountiful harvest that awaited them¡­ This ce was abundant in fertility and vibrant energy, alleviating any concerns about diseases, pests, and unpredictable weather. They were undoubtedly poised for a bountiful harvest! Qiao Xuan contemted that upon her return to the vige, she would nt additional fruit trees and create an orchard. This way, fresh fruits could be enjoyed throughout the year. And the beauty of it was that it didn¡¯t matter whether one resided in the north or south. Qiao Xuan happily entertained these thoughts when Shao Yunduan brought up the idea of paying respects to their ancestors to the Chancellor of Hanlin College. But now, he needed to carefully consider the matter. It was every schr¡¯s ultimate dream to return to their hometown with honor after achieving the position of Primus. Paying homage to their ancestors was a glorious act, one that brought great honor to their family! The Chancellor dared not refuse them outright, yet he also hesitated to agree too hastily, fearing the wrath of the Tian Family. So, with a smile, he vaguely stated that he needed some time to ponder the request and promised to provide Shao Yunduan with an answer within a couple of days. Meanwhile, he assigned some tasks to keep Shao Yunduan upied, allowing him the opportunity to pay tribute to his ancestors. Shao Yunduan nodded in understanding.
The Courtyard Schr let out a sigh of relief. He couldn¡¯t reject Primus Shao¡¯s request, yet he had intentionally made things challenging, making it difficult for the Tian Family to find fault with him any longer. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan paid little heed to these circumstances. On that day, Qiao Xuan received an invitation from Madame Lin of Hanlin Academy, inviting her to a gathering the next day. Qiao Xuan promptly replied, assuring her attendance. Of course, she would attend. Shao Yunduan worked at Hanlin Academy and had numerous colleagues there. If she were to skip the gathering, it would seem rather unsociable. Chapter 996: Guest Chapter 996: Guest
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan harbored doubts about her ability to navigate the gathering. Hanlin Academy held significant governmental authority, and many officials within were financially struggling. Some frequented pawnshops numerous times in a year.
However, such positions held great value. To achieve fame and be an exemry figure among schrs worldwide was to etch one¡¯s name into the annals of history. Moreover, the imperial court relied on Hanlin Academy schrs topile official records, a prestigious duty that filled schrs with pride. Additionally, Hanlin Academy offered an alternative path. The six ministries, particrly the Ministry of Personnel and Ministry of Revenue, were staffed by individuals transferred from Hanlin Academy. To ascend to higher positions within the government and be heads of departments, one needed to undergo training at Hanlin Academy. Throughout the history of the Qin Dynasty, every minister without exception hailed from the six ministries of Hanlin Academy, proceeding through the Ministry of Personnel before entering higher echelons of power. Though the odds of bing a court leader were slim, admission to Hanlin Academy undoubtedly presented an opportunity, right? And due to this slim chance, officials within the six ministries were cautious about offending those from Hanlin Academy. After all, one could never predict the future. What if the person they offended today became the prime minister tomorrow? Or what if someone with whom they maintained good rtions rose to the position of First Secretary? Unless it was a matter of life and death, there was no need to stir up trouble unnecessarily.
Hence, Hanlin Academy held a unique and significant position within the entire bureaucratic structure of the capital. Lin Hanlin, currently a sixth-ranked Servant, held a rank higher than Shao Yunduan and exhibitedmendable performance. He had promising prospects, potentially advancing to be a fifth-ranked Servant or even joining the esteemed six tribes for further training. Madame Lin took great pride in her husband¡¯s aplishments and held a prominent position among the wives of the officials at Hanlin Academy. Officer Lin, originally not from the capital, had dedicated ten years of service at Hanlin Academy. Due to limited ie, he had been unable to afford a house for a long time. In the earlier years, he faced significant hardships. However, two years ago, he received a substantial reward, allowing him to rent a decent living space. The banquet was hosted in this modest courtyard. Qiao Xuan arrived at an opportune moment. As the wife of the Primus, she no longer carried the same audacity she had possessed when she assumed the role of Primus. She now identified herself simply as Mrs. Editor. Qiao Xuan understood her ce very well. Upon her arrival at the Lin household, she presented the gifts and greeted everyone with politeness. By this point, Qiao Xuan had already discerned that the banquet might not unfold favorably. The gifts she brought included two pieces of fine Hangzhou silk, two pieces of inkstone of equal quality, and two boxes of renowned Yanxiang¡¯s pastries from the capital. The pastries epassed a total of eight varieties, apanied by two boxes of high-quality preserves, each consisting of eight different kinds. This present was very generous among the women from the Hanlin Academy. The silk alone cost 5 liang.
The Lin Family was not a rich family, and Qiao Xuan should have been very happy to receive such a generous gift from them, as if she were visiting a Senior. Madame Lin should have treated her well too. But Qiao Xuan observed carefully ¨C Madame Lin was very happy, and she smiled brightly when she saw the presents. Chapter 997: Good Helper Chapter 997: Good Helper
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions However, the entire process didn¡¯tst long. Soon enough, her smile faded, and she rose from her seat. Qiao Xuanprehended the situation clearly.
Madame Lin deliberately neglected to introduce the other madams to Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t someone to be easily manipted. If Madame Lin refused to introduce them, Qiao Xuan would make the request with a polite smile. Reluctantly, Madame Lin finally introduced them to her. Regardless of whether the other madams avoided her or treated her with fake smiles, Qiao Xuan remained indifferent. All she needed was to know who they were. Madame Lin had invited numerous guests for the asion, including twelve women from Hanlin Academy and the six ministries. The living room of the Lin household was filled with bustling noise,prising both maids and elderly women. Shao Yunduan, as one of the six Advanced Schrs who had recently joined Hanlin Academy, had three wives apanying him. Madame Zhou and Madame Han, the new wives of the officials, harbored strong hostility towards Qiao Xuan. Although they were not well-acquainted with each other, this shared sentiment brought them closer, engrossed in their own conversations andughter. Their disdain for Qiao Xuan only deepened. Qiao Xuan, who had been treated as a mere tool, could only sigh inwardly. The women chatted andughed among themselves, purposefully ignoring Qiao Xuan. It seemed they had no interest in engaging with her, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Qiao Xuan had never intended to involve herself with them. Neither she nor Shao Yunduan needed their approval. With the Emperor¡¯s support, they wouldn¡¯t dare to make trouble, regardless of their dissatisfaction. After all, Censor Liu had been dismissed, and no one would risk making jests about their husbands¡¯ future. They rarely associated with each other, and their presence had minimal impact on Qiao Xuan¡¯s life. She had no intention of ingratiating herself with individuals she knew had ill intentions. That was simply the nature of their social circle. Unless they willingly epted someone, forcefully entering their ranks was an arduous task.
Furthermore, it was evident that the circle held a dislike towards her. ¡°Oh, Mrs. ShaoShao, why are you so quiet? Come and join our conversation!¡± one of the madams suddenly remarked, apanied by a smile. All eyes turned towards Qiao Xuan. ¡°She is the wife of the Primus, and she¡¯s quite exceptional. It¡¯s no wonder she doesn¡¯t find us appealing!¡± someone sneered. Thement wasn¡¯t particrly loud, yet it resonated with everyone present. Another person chimed in,ughing brightly, ¡°Well, that¡¯s not entirely urate! Times change, and the concept of honor and humiliation can fluctuate. We ought to see what the future holds. Ten or twenty years down the line, we¡¯ll have a clearer understanding!¡± Everyone nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, being adept at studying doesn¡¯t guarantee proficiency in the role of an officer!¡± ¡°Throughout history, there have been numerous Advanced Schrs who ascended to positions of power!¡± ¡°Yes, sess hinges not only on examination results, but also on genuine talent and character.¡± ¡°Absolutely! If onecks integrity, everything else bes a facade.¡± ¡°In my view, having a virtuous spouse is crucial!¡±
Laughter erupted among the gathering. ¡°That¡¯s right! We need a virtuous spouse to support us! A harmonious marriage is the key to avoiding trouble!¡± Chapter 998: Pretending Chapter 998: Pretending
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan smiled in response. ¡°Indeed, a good wife should refrain from speaking nonsensically and avoid causing unnecessary trouble. It is often the tongue that creates problems. Engaging in idle chatter is not worth the trouble. That¡¯s the wisdom I¡¯ve acquired, isn¡¯t it?¡± Her words caught everyone off guard, and the expressions on three or four individuals¡¯ faces changed abruptly. They exchanged bewildered nces.
They had marginalized Qiao Xuan and spoken ill of her, believing she was meek and foolish. In their eyes, she had merely put on a facade ofposure. Little did they know that within her, she was already crumbling. As they looked down upon her, their envy grew. How could Primus Shao, who had spurned the prestigious Tian Family and rejected Elder Miss, choose such a timid and foolish concubine¡¯s daughter? Unexpectedly¡­ she had been pretending to be weak all along! Each word she uttered cut like a sharp de. Madame Qin, known for her temper and seniority, seemed to assert her dominance. She sneered and aggressively addressed Qiao Xuan, ¡°That¡¯s not a trivial matter, Mrs. Shao! Your modesty has surprised us all. But couldn¡¯t you speak with a bit more decorum? You should show respect to the host, shouldn¡¯t you? Madame Lin has been so gracious to us, and you wouldn¡¯t want to spoil the atmosphere and dampen everyone¡¯s spirits. What could be the reason behind your behavior?¡± ¡°I know your husband is highly capable, and the Emperor supports him! However, that doesn¡¯t give you the audacity to disregard others¡¯ feelings, does it? I speak my mind freely, and I¡¯m not even afraid if you get angry and report me!¡± They exchanged nces, surprised by Madame Qin¡¯s obstinacy. Most of the other madames were aware of Madame Qin¡¯s hot temper and her penchant for putting on airs. She always sought praise wherever she went and enjoyed lecturing others with a sense of righteousness. Due to her husband¡¯s position as a fifth-ranked Schr, the second-inmand at the Hanlin Academy, everyone orded her respect. Over time, her arrogance only grew. Unexpectedly, Madame Qin was causing a scene once again.
The other madames felt a mix of nervousness and excitement¡ªhow would Mrs. Shao respond? Qiao Xuan was taken aback. Yes, she had been mocking Madame Qin¡ªwhat was wrong with that? After all, they had all been mocking her! She could sense that Madame Lin must have been influenced by the Tian Family. Some of the attendees had ties to the Tian Family or harbored jealousy towards her. Qiao Xuan smiled calmly. ¡°I thought Madame Qin was praising me, but apparently that¡¯s not the case. However, I am uncertain as to what I have done wrong. Please enlighten me, Madame Qin.¡± Madame Qin¡¯s face contorted in anger. It had been years since anyone had contradicted her so boldly in public. She cast a disdainful look at Qiao Xuan and sneered, ¡°You don¡¯t even understand your own actions. It¡¯s because you¡¯re slow-witted, despite having read so many books. I am not obligated to teach you anything. You don¡¯t need to teach me anything either. Xiang¡­¡± Chapter 999: Apology Chapter 999: Apology
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions She stood up and dered, ¡°Inform Madame Lin that I am taking my leave!¡± Giving Qiao Xuan a disdainful nce, Madame Qin made it clear that she had no desire to associate with her.
Madame Lin happened to be in the kitchen, and Xiaoxiang nodded before leaving to deliver the message. The other madames became anxious, attempting to dissuade Madame Qin. ¡°Madame Qin, please reconsider. It¡¯ll be so dull without you!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s such a rare gathering. Isn¡¯t it enjoyable to chat andugh together?¡± ¡°Mrs. Shao is still young and inexperienced. Madame Qin, you possess magnanimity. Please calm down.¡± Mrs. Zhou turned towards Qiao Xuan. ¡°Mrs. Shao, apologize to Madame Qin!¡± Smugly, Mrs. Han chimed in, ¡°Indeed, just apologize, and Madame Qin will forgive you. Don¡¯t you want to preserve the harmony of this gathering?¡± Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Han, both envious of Shao Yunduan¡¯s equal ranking with their husbands, were eager to seize this opportunity. The rest of the madames nodded in agreement, expecting Qiao Xuan to offer an apology. It appeared as though Qiao Xuan was the one in the wrong! In that moment, Madame Lin arrived, wearing a smile. ¡°Mrs. Shao, Madame Qin is a senior figure whom we should respect, isn¡¯t that right? Apologizing to Madame Qin would be the appropriate course of action. It would be regrettable if she were to leave.¡±
Qiao Xuan felt a surge of disgust, as though she had swallowed a fly. Were these the wives of the Hanlin Academy? What were they thinking? She found herself being pressured to apologize, with even the host, Madame Lin, speaking up. Respecting the host was necessary, wasn¡¯t it? Qiao Xuan began to make an assumption. If she were to apologize, it would imply that she was immature, unruly, andcked understanding of what was appropriate. It would be seen as her first guest appearance resulting in offense, raising concerns about her morality. If they chose not to apologize, they would be perceived as ignorant and obstinate, unaware of what was good for them. Their husbands being Primus gave them a sense of arrogance and entitlement, making them unreasonable and disrespectful towards their seniors and even the host. In essence, whether she apologized or not, she would bebeled as a person of questionable character. Even Shao Yunduan wouldn¡¯t be spared from that judgment. Qiao Xuan struggled to contemte her next move, but tears wouldn¡¯te. She covered her face and sobbed. ¡°What have I done wrong? I simply expressed that as wives, we shouldn¡¯t engage in idle gossip like market women. What harm would it cause our husbands? What¡¯s so wrong about that? Madame Zhou and Madame Han keep insisting I¡¯m in the wrong, but I fail to understand why!¡± She turned to Madame Lin, grasping her sleeves, andmented, ¡°Madame Lin, you are the judge! Tell me, am I wrong? If you dare to say I¡¯m wrong and consult my husband about this, let it be known that I wille to your doorstep and beg for forgiveness!¡± Everyone present.
Some astute individuals began to feel a sense of caution ¨C Mrs. Shao was not someone to be taken lightly. It was no wonder even the Tian Family had faced her wrath. They concluded that it would be best to steer clear of her in the future. Madame Qin pursed her lips, growing even more infuriated. Chapter 1000: Exposure Chapter 1000: Exposure
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Madame Lin was at a loss for words. ¡°Well¡­¡± Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t give her a chance to think. She tugged at her sleeves. ¡°Mrs. Lin, am I wrong?¡±
Madame Lin had no choice but to shake her head. ¡°You are right¡­¡± ¡°I knew Mrs. Lin is a very understanding person!¡± Qiao Xuan looked up at Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Han. ¡°Mrs. Zhou, Mrs. Han, tell me, what did I do wrong? Should I apologize to you? What would be the point?¡± Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Han flushed with embarrassment. Madame Lin had just informed them of what Qiao Xuan said, and now Qiao Xuan was interrogating them. They couldn¡¯t counter Madame Lin¡¯s statement, and they had no choice but to remain silent. Annoyance began to well up within them towards Qiao Xuan. As a couple, they felt even more humiliated in front of the gathered guests. They weren¡¯t as quick-witted or as audacious as Qiao Xuan. Panic set in, leaving them dumbfounded and unable to utter a word, as beads of sweat formed on their foreheads. Madame Han snapped, her voice filled with anger. ¡°So many people have said that Mrs. Shao is trying to drag us into her grudge!¡± Qiao Xuan almost burst intoughter, inwardly cursing at Madame Han¡¯s foolishness. She wasn¡¯t about to let go of this opportunity. She responded instantly, ¡°Mrs. Han, what are you talking about? I only heard the two of you speak. No one else said a word. Mrs. Han, please point it out.¡±
All eyes turned to Madame Han with disapproval. Madame Han was taken aback, realizing she had misspoken. Her face flushed with embarrassment, feeling deeply humiliated. ¡°You¡¯re up to no good!¡± Madame Han eximed. Qiao Xuan responded with curiosity, ¡°Of course, I am up to no good. Mrs. Han, you spoke those words of your own ord, without any coercion from me. I am merely following your lead. If you don¡¯t wish to answer me, I will pretend I never heard anything. You are using me without any valid reason, and it¡¯s quite perplexing.¡± Mrs. Han¡¯s eyes widened, her lips quivered, and her face flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment. How delightful! The others couldn¡¯t bear the situation any longer. It had be incredibly embarrassing for Mrs. Han. If given the chance, she would have loved nothing more than to tear Mrs. Shao apart. They all sighed inwardly, realizing that Mrs. Shao was not someone to be trifled with. Editor Shao was a Primus, and he couldn¡¯t be foolish enough to offend the Tian Family just to protect his wife. Mrs. Shao couldn¡¯t possibly be an idiot! Even Madame Qin grew weary of the situation. She had a sense that she couldn¡¯t afford to provoke this woman, so she abandoned the idea. It would be immensely embarrassing if her attempts to confront Qiao Xuan backfired.
Concerns about her husband¡¯s position and Qiao Xuan¡¯s temper had made everyone yield to her demands in the past, and she was well aware of that fact. Now, they realized they had kicked a ho¡¯s nest¡­ well, never mind¡­ Madame Min forced augh and tried to appear rxed. ¡°I believe it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. We are all friends here, and we will be spending a lot of time together in the future. We can discuss things calmly, there¡¯s no need to be so serious, right?¡± A collective sigh of relief swept through the room, and everyone nodded with forced smiles. Madame Lin expressed her gratitude to Madame Min and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s entirely my fault as the host! I haven¡¯t served you properly, please forgive me! Let¡¯s have some more tea and continue our conversation. We¡¯ll have dinner soon, and we can enjoy a pleasant chat afterward!¡± Chapter 1001: Famous Chapter 1001: Famous
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Everyone smiled and shifted the conversation to a different topic. Madame Lin instructed the maids to bring more tea and snacks, greeted everyone, and headed to the kitchen to check on the progress of the dishes. Madame Qin, who had intended to leave, was convinced to stay and returned to her seat.
Madame Han¡¯s face was still flushed with embarrassment, but she didn¡¯t want to leave on a sour note. It was her first invitation from her husband¡¯s wife, after all. Casting a sharp nce at Qiao Xuan, she reluctantly sat back down. Even Mrs. Zhou felt a sense of unease. She made a silent promise to herself to never interfere in others¡¯ affairs again. Qiao Xuan had gained a newfound reputation after this confrontation, and even Madame Qin couldn¡¯t help but view her in a different light. Qiao Xuan carried herself with even more confidence than before. Eventually, a couple of madames exchanged pleasantries with her. Qiao Xuan reciprocated the greetings. Many of those who had initially nned to ridicule Qiao Xuan decided to drop the idea after witnessing her resilience. No one wanted to be embarrassed in return. Three women bargaining in a market turned into a gathering of over ten women engaged in lively conversation. Although their husbands held modest positions, and Madame Qin¡¯s husband was only ranked fifth, he possessed extensive knowledge about the noble families, princes, kings, and monarchs. Madame Qin was thrilled to engage in discussions on such topics. They shared stories about conflicts between concubines in the household, which young masters kept mistresses and shed with their first wives. They delved into discussions about fashion, jewelry, cosmetics, and various hobbies. They also shared information about stores offering affordable items, expensive snacks, and the trickiest department stores to navigate. Qiao Xuan was captivated by the gossip, despite not fully understanding the context. The sudden mention of the Empress Dowager¡¯s peony piqued her curiosity. One of the women continued, ¡°I heard that the peony withered just a few days ago. The news spread like wildfire within the pce walls. The Emperor¡¯s anger was so intense that he punished the eunuchs responsible for the imperial garden. He even issued a decree that anyone in charge of the garden would be buried with the peony if it died. The tension in the pce is palpable, and everyone is walking on eggshells, afraid of incurring the Emperor¡¯s wrath!¡± Gossip rted to the royal family always held a special allure, and Madame Qin, too, was captivated by the story.
¡°Is this really true?¡± ¡°Are you certain?¡± ¡°It must be true. My cousin has close ties with the Seventh Young Mistress of Lord Jian¡¯s third household, and she¡¯s the one who shared this information with me. She wouldn¡¯t spread false rumors.¡± ¡°It does sound usible. During the Empress Dowager¡¯s lifetime, she had a deep affection for peonies. The Emperor himself personally nted a peony for her, symbolizing their mother-son rtionship. The Empress Dowager personally cared for it while she was alive. Even after her passing, the Emperor would visit the peony and reminisce about her. If the peony were to wither, the Emperor would undoubtedly be infuriated.¡± The women exchanged intrigued nces, engrossed in the tale of pce intrigue. They all sighed. ¡°Those gardeners in the imperial garden are so useless. They can¡¯t even take care of one flower!¡± ¡°True!¡± ¡°If they can¡¯t be saved, then the pce¡­¡± ¡°Just drop it!¡± ¡°Right!¡±
So the gossips soon turned to the topic on which princess in the pce was favored and whether she would be selected next year. Chapter 1002: Protection Chapter 1002: Protection
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan was not in the mood to listen any more. She was thinking about peony flowers. That was just gossip for others, but for Qiao Xuan, it was a temptation that she could not give up.
If the peony flowers were really so precious, and if she could save them, the Emperor would definitely be very happy! Also, no one knew what would happen to the peony flowers in the future, so no one would dare offend her at all. What if she was harmed, and the peonies went wrong in the future, and the Emperor could not find anyone to save them, then the culprit would definitely be investigated thoroughly. In that case, the culprit would definitely be doomed, when found out. That was totally a protecting amulet for herself! She and Shao Yunduan had no one to rely on in the capital, and the Tian Family hated them for no reason. If they had such a strong supporter, they would have nothing to worry about. The more Qiao Xuan thought about this, the more excited she got. Of course, it was not easy to make a big deal out of this. If the treatment failed, it would be a disaster. But Qiao Xuan still wanted to have a try. They had to take a huge risk to get the benefits. Qiao Xuan did not care about the banquet any more. Qiao Xuan¡¯s relentless pursuit of information about the peony flowers paid off as the Madame willingly shared more details. She couldn¡¯t help but be intrigued by Qiao Xuan¡¯s genuine interest and straightforwardness. Meanwhile, Madame Lin and her two friends had initially nned to embarrass Qiao Xuan during the banquet, but her unexpected confrontation had foiled their scheme. They were now apprehensive about getting involved further, fearing retaliation from Qiao Xuan.
In an attempt to undermine her, one of them had discreetly arranged for a te of quail eggs, hoping to trick her. However, Qiao Xuan¡¯s sharp senses enabled her to detect the potential trap, and she skillfully avoided it, leaving the others hesitant to make any further attempts. Despite the tense atmosphere earlier, the meal proceeded smoothly, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Once the guests departed, Madame Lin took stock of the presents received. To her surprise, none of thempared to the valuable gift presented by Qiao Xuan. This mixture of happiness and annoyance stirred within Madame Lin as she pondered the implications of Qiao Xuan¡¯s extravagant offering. It was customary for a first-time visitor to bring more gifts, but this particr gift was exceptionally valuable, leaving Madame Lin with conflicting emotions. They were relieved to have benefited from the gathering, but they also felt concerned about Qiao Xuan¡¯s potential inability to exin her extravagant gift. However, a maid came up with a clever solution, suggesting that they assist Qiao Xuan in promoting her status. Madame Lin found the idea quite brilliant and smiled approvingly. ¡°You¡¯re quite clever! That¡¯s a wonderful suggestion.¡± Many of the officials at the Hanlin Courtyard were financially strained, with some even living in cramped shared housing. Each winter, they had to resort to pawning or borrowing money just to make ends meet. If word spread that Mrs. Shao was wealthy and generous, it would pique the interest of these officials, who would undoubtedly seek financial assistance from her. Considering that Editor Shao was new to the area and had incurred the displeasure of the Tian Family, maintaining a low-profile was crucial. However, if he ever found himself in need of being asked to loan out money to those officials, he would definitely have to do so. Chapter 1003: Offence Chapter 1003: Offence
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions She couldn¡¯t help but lend out the second and third, considering she had already lent out one. Even if they had borrowed the money, their reluctance to return it was evident. They continuously postponed repayment. Could they audaciously demand someone else to return it?
Such actions would undoubtedly offend numerous individuals. The Tian family had deliberately targeted them, seeking opportunities to find fault. It was an effective strategy. Mrs. Lin¡¯s worries had dissipated. She engaged in a conversation with the maid on how to spread Qiao Xuan¡¯s reputation¡­ Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the peony ever since she returned home. After dinner, she inquired with Shao Yunduan if he had any information about it. After pondering for a moment, Shao Yunduan nodded with a smile. ¡°A few days ago, I heard some news about it.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s face lit up, and she asked eagerly, ¡°What is happening? Please enlighten me, husband.¡± Shao Yunduan felt somewhat helpless. He attempted to recall the details and conveyed them in simple terms. Just as Qiao Xuan had mentioned, the peony held great spiritual significance for thete Empress Dowager, which made it incredibly valuable to the Emperor. No one within the pce dared to make even the slightest noise about this matter. Everyone understood that failure to safeguard the peony would result in someone within the pce facing dire consequences. It was uncertain whether it would implicate the consorts, princes, and princesses. After all, the Emperor¡¯s wrath was not an exaggerated im but a harsh reality.
Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he instantly became alert when the thought of Qiao Xuan saving the orchid given by Xie Jingrong crossed his mind. He looked at her with concern and asked, ¡°Why are you inquiring about this? Do you believe you can handle it? It¡¯s too risky!¡± Qiao Xuan knew he wouldn¡¯t agree, so she had nned to proceed secretly without informing him. To her surprise, he had already contemted the matter after gathering some information. Deciding not to conceal her intentions, she took hold of his sleeve and gently shook it. ¡°Darling, sometimes you have to take risks to achieve something great¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to take such a risk! Don¡¯t talk like that!¡± Shao Yunduan was torn between amusement and frustration. Did he really have to rely on her to venture into the lion¡¯s den? ¡°Nevertheless, while this task might be extremely challenging for others, I am 80% confident in my abilities. It¡¯s worth giving it a try!¡± ¡°Xuan¡¯er, no. If it were any other family, you could go ahead if you wanted. Even if it failed, it wouldn¡¯t have grave consequences. But this involves the royal family. The Emperor is infuriated by this matter. All the court officials, princes, and consorts are on edge, fearing that the Emperor will unleash his anger upon them for no apparent reason. Right now, others can¡¯t wait to keep their distance, and yet you dare to approach him?¡± ¡°Not even 99%! Have you considered the consequences if he fails? Have you thought about what the Emperor might do?¡± Failure could cost him his life!
His words resonated with Qiao Xuan, leaving her feeling both hesitant and moved. However, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to give up. ¡°My love, this opportunity is like a rare gift bestowed upon us. If we let it slip away, we will surely regret it. Can¡¯t you trust me just this once? If I didn¡¯t have confidence, why would I be willing to take such a risk?¡± ¡°I must go. Help me find a way to achieve apromise, but please don¡¯t outright reject me! Don¡¯t you realize that Madam Lin is hosting an event in my honor today? Those wives of Hanlin schrs and low-ranking officials are intentionally ridiculing and isting me. I simply cannot tolerate this humiliation!¡± Shao Yunduan furrowed his brow. ¡°What did they do?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than petty and somewhat amusing¡­¡± Chapter 1004 - 1004 A Way Chapter 1004 - 1004 A Way
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°There will be numerous future gatherings, bothrge and small. I can¡¯t simply avoid attending them. I have to take action. Can you truly bear to let me miss out on such a wonderful opportunity?¡± ¡°My love, please help me!¡±
Shao Yunduan remained silent, contemting his options. What was he going to do? He regarded Qiao Xuan with suspicion, questioning whether her ims of being bullied were true. Why hadn¡¯t he realized it earlier? Nevertheless, when he heard her plea, he couldn¡¯t find the strength to refute her or bear to do so. Shao Yunduan let out a sigh. Qiao Xuan understood that he had agreed. She immediately brightened up. ¡°My love, you¡¯re the best! I knew you would assist me!¡± Shao Yunduan. ¡°Tell me honestly, how confident are you?¡± he asked. Qiao Xuan¡¯s smile faded, and she responded earnestly, ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain, but I¡¯m at least 80% confident.¡± An 80% chance was almost as good as a guarantee. Shao Yunduan found himself torn between amusement and frustration.
After a brief pause, he suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s visit the Crown Prince at the East Pce tomorrow. The Crown Prince is known for his benevolence. Let¡¯s hear his thoughts first.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go and seek the Crown Prince¡¯s support!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s remaining worries vanished. Qiao Xuan harbored no concerns about her ability to save the peony. As long as the flower remained alive, she believed she had the power to revive it and enhance its vibrancy. It was Shao Yunduan who felt breathless with anxiety. After all, the events had unfolded within the pce walls. How could they possibly know what was happening? However, if the crown prince was willing to provide insight, then there was hope. The crown prince would surely be aware if the peony bush was still alive. Qiao Xuan had heard of the prince¡¯s benevolent nature and hoped that he would grant Shao Yunduan, a mere Primus, some face¡­ With the crown prince¡¯s assistance, Qiao Xuan would be secure. But if the crown prince declined, Qiao Xuan would relinquish her pursuit. The following day, Shao Yunduan sought leave from the Hanlin Academy, and together they made their way to the East Pce to meet the prince. Although referred to as the East Pce of the Great Qin Empire, it was, in fact, a separate mansion adjacent to the pce, not within its confines.
Not just anyone could enter the Crown Prince¡¯s Eastern Pce. However, Shao Yunduan¡¯s reputation was too prominent! Despite being only a seventh-grade editor at the Hanlin Academy, he was the top scorer. He had even confronted the Tian family head-on, and the Emperor had intervened on his behalf! It wasn¡¯t just the Eastern Pce; the more influential a residence, the more meticulous they were in selecting their gatekeepers. The position of a gatekeeper was not one that could be entrusted to a mere servant. A single offense, mistake, or unauthorized entry could potentially lead to a disastrous oue. Upon Shao Yunduan¡¯s introduction, a polite greeting came from the gatehouse. Coincidentally, the Crown Prince happened to be present within the mansion, and someone hurriedly went to inform him. The current Crown Prince was not the offspring of the current Empress Qi. The biological son of Empress Qi was the Third Prince, who had recently turned thirty. The Crown Prince¡¯s biological mother was thete Emperor Xuan of Qi¡¯s Empress Li. Having held power for a considerable duration, Emperor Xuan of Qi¡¯s reign saw the Crown Prince reach the age of 43 this year. He was known for his integrity, refinement, and gentleness, earning him a reputation as a virtuous individual among the people. The court officials were indeed respectful and deferential toward him. Chapter 1005 - 1005 At the East Palace Chapter 1005 - 1005 At the East Pce
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Upon learning that the renowned Editor Shao from the Hanlin Academy had arrived with his wife, the Crown Prince was taken aback. After a moment of contemtion, he instructed them to be brought in.
During an imperial court session, his father had mentioned that if Editor Shao encountered any difficulties, he could seek assistance from him or the princes. Since they were here, it would be inappropriate not to meet them. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan followed a young eunuch through a long corridor and several courtyards, finally arriving at a small, exquisitely adorned parlor. Seated on the main chair in the hall was a middle-aged man donning a ginger-colored round dragon cor robe. His eyes exuded gentleness, elegance, and nobility. It was evident that he was the crown prince. Shao Yunduan promptly approached and performed a kowtow. The Crown Prince smiled and raised his hand in a gentle gesture. ¡°Rise. Have a seat.¡± ¡°Thank you, Crown Prince!¡± Shao Yunduan stood up and attempted to assist Qiao Xuan in getting up. However, when he turned to her, he was taken aback. Qiao Xuan seemed lost in her thoughts. Shao Yunduan grasped her arms and whispered, ¡°Wife, wife!¡± He called her multiple times, gradually raising his voice. Eventually, Qiao Xuan snapped out of her reverie. Startled, she apologized, ¡°Please forgive me.¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright, rise!¡± The Crown Prince remained affable and harbored no ill feelings. The Crown Prince held a simple understanding of the situation. He considered that Ms. Qiao was a sheltered woman who had not experienced much of the world. It was natural for her to feel nervous and lose herposure upon seeing him. Being a magnanimous and benevolent individual, the Crown Prince harbored no me for such a minor incident. Qiao Xuan expressed her gratitude, yet her legs remained weak. Shao Yunduan, filled with suspicion, believed that her unease was due to nervousness, much like what the Crown Prince had assumed. He cast a concerned gaze her way and helped her find a seat. The Crown Prince observed the entire scene and inwardly sighed. His fondness for Shao Yunduan grew stronger. Shao Yunduan disyed loyalty and did not forsake his wife. It appeared that he was not merely seeking fame; he genuinely cherished his wife. Sincerity or not, certain details could not be feigned. Unbeknownst to both of them, as Qiao Xuan knelt to greet the Crown Prince, her mind buzzed with fleeting images of him. Perhaps due to the Prince¡¯s esteemed status, those images were not as distinct as the other two, but Qiao Xuan was certain they depicted the Crown Prince. Furthermore¡­ if all of this was indeed true, the Crown Prince did not ascend to the throne in the end. It appeared that his fate had taken a turn for the worse¡­ Qiao Xuan felt a pang of regret. Her heart skipped a beat upon witnessing that scene, and then the images swiftly vanished.
If only she had known earlier, she would have exercised control over her thoughts and observed more¡­ However, what she had glimpsed was sufficient to shock Qiao Xuan and weaken her legs. Shepelled herself to push those thoughts aside and regain her focus. Fortunately, the Crown Prince did not hold them ountable for the momentarypse. Yet, the weight of the Crown Prince¡¯s grim fate weighed heavily on Qiao Xuan, causing her to feel a sense of suffocation. The Crown Prince gazed at the couple and inquired with a gentle smile, ¡°Editor Shao, why have youe to see me?¡± Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged nces and were about to rise and respond when the Crown Prince interrupted, ¡°Please remain seated. There is no need for formalities in my presence.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you, Your Highness! Your Highness, I heard that there has been an issue with the peony flowers in the pce. It is quite coincidental. My wife possesses expertise in cultivating and preserving flowers and trees. Perhaps¡­ perhaps she could find a way to save them¡­¡± Chapter 1006: I’m Willing to Try Chapter 1006: I¡¯m Willing to Try
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan bowed respectfully and stated, ¡°Your Highness, I am willing to make an attempt.¡± Upon hearing Shao Yunduan mention the peony flowers in the pce, a shadow crossed the Crown Prince¡¯s eyes.
Although Shao Yunduan referred to them as peony flowers, it was evident to everyone what specific peony flowers he was alluding to. The Crown Prince harbored no desire for the royal family¡¯s affairs to be public knowledge. A tinge of disgust toward Shao Yunduan flickered within him. However, the Crown Prince¡¯s demeanor changed upon hearing Shao Yunduan¡¯s words. ¡°What¡­ did you just say?¡± His brows furrowed, a mix of anger and amusement dancing in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s all right if you say such things in front of me, but let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t hear it. Remember not to utter a word about this outside. Matters concerning the royal family should not be taken lightly, understood?¡± Qiao Xuan spoke up, ¡°Your Highness, I am willing to attempt it.¡± The Crown Prince fell silent, studying Qiao Xuan intently before speaking with seriousness, ¡°Do youprehend the gravity of what you are suggesting? Even the most skilled and experienced gardener in the pce has been unable to tend to the flowers. Mrs. Shao, where do you find the confidence to believe that you surpass them?¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan felt a sense of relief. The Crown Prince possessed a benevolent heart, as evidenced by his persuasive words. ¡°If I may be so bold, may I inquire, Your Highness, whether the peony flower ispletely lifeless?¡± Qiao Xuan asked.
The Crown Prince furrowed his brow, giving her a brief nce before responding, ¡°Not yet, but the situation is far from favorable.¡± ¡°That is good,¡± Qiao Xuan responded. ¡°As long as it has notpletely withered, I am willing to give it a try. During my time in the province, I managed to revive an orchid for the Xie Family, so I do have some experience in this field.¡± Shao Yunduan provided further exnation to the Crown Prince. Understanding dawned upon the Crown Prince, and he nodded. He was aware of the Xie Family as well. The eldest son of the Xie Family was a remarkable individual, and the Crown Prince held great admiration for him. With this knowledge, the Crown Prince¡¯s confidence in Qiao Xuan grew. After contemting for a moment, he spoke, ¡°How about this? Tomorrow¡ªor perhaps even today. Do you require any preparations?¡± Qiao Xuan hurriedly replied, ¡°I am prepared and ready. We should not dy any further.¡± The Crown Prince nodded, cing even greater trust in her. ¡°In that case, I will have the Crown Princess Consort apany you to the pce today. You may first inspect the flowers. If you seed in curing them, the Crown Princess Consort will report it to Father, and you can openly attend to them. However, if it proves futile, do not utter a word and simply leave the pce with the Crown Princess Consort.¡± Touched by the Crown Prince¡¯s consideration, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan stood up and expressed their heartfelt gratitude. Deeply troubled by what she had witnessed, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of unease about the future. She pondered whether paying more attention to those visions could have the power to alter the course of events.
Following the Crown Prince¡¯s instructions, Princess Consort Fu did not object. She instructed Qiao Xuan to disguise herself as a maid and apany her. Together, they made their way to the imperial court. The news of the peony flower predicament had caused quite a stir in the court. It was only natural for the Crown Prince and Princess Consort to show concern for the flowers, thus justifying Princess Consort¡¯s visit to the court. Upon entering the court, Princess Consort sent her maid to greet the Queen and informed her of their intention to visit the flowers in the imperial garden. Leading Qiao Xuan, they proceeded towards the imperial garden. Within the imperial garden, a vast expanse of peonies flourished, featuring a variety of exquisite and rare blooms. The cluster of flowers held immense value and was even enclosed by white jade railings. Carefully tended to by dedicated gardeners, every precaution was taken to prevent any mishaps. The winter frames provided warmth, while the summer shade offered a cool respite. Chapter 1007: She Trusts Princess Consort Chapter 1007: She Trusts Princess Consort
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Unexpectedly, an unforeseen incident urred, adding to the already tense situation. At this moment, not only was the entire peony garden off-limits, but the entire imperial garden was deemed a forbidden area!
The Emperor was seething with anger. Who would dare to venture into the imperial garden at such a time? Did they have a death wish? Only the Queen, Noble Consort Mei, Princess Consort, and a select few noble family members dared to disy their concern for the peonies in the Imperial Garden. No one else possessed the qualifications to show such concern. Apanied by her attendants, Princess Consort arrived, and the two eunuchs who appeared visibly distressed immediately prostrated themselves, bowing deeply. Acknowledging their presence, Princess Consort turned to Dao Seeking and inquired, ¡°Where is Qing¡¯an?¡± Respectfully, the young eunuch replied, ¡°Princess Consort, Master was here just moments ago. He went back to retrieve something¡­¡± The hearts of the two young eunuchs were heavy, yet they dared not reveal their sorrowful expressions in front of their master. They kept their heads slightly lowered. The gardeners responsible for tending to the flowers and trees in the imperial garden had exhausted every possible method, but the flowers continued to wither day by day. They were unsure how much longer they could persevere. Within the Qianqing Pce, a group of individuals arrived each day to apply pressure and conduct interrogations. However, it was a flower¡ªa living entity incapable of speech. How could it convey difort? What could a flower do? If it couldn¡¯t be healed, then it couldn¡¯t. However, the stakes were high. If they couldn¡¯t find a solution, none of them would be able to escape the consequences! Princess Consort nodded and casually found a pretext to dismiss the others, then turned to Qiao Xuan and asked, ¡°Take a look and see if there¡¯s a remedy.¡±
Qiao Xuan could sense that the peony flowers still clung to life. Although their condition was dire, there was still hope. Qiao Xuan carefully inspected the roots, adopting a professional demeanor. In truth, she couldn¡¯t be certain if it was due to pests, soil issues, or some other factor. But as long as the nt itself was resilient and provided with sufficient soil, water, and sunlight, there should be no insurmountable problem! After pretending to examine for about 15 minutes, Qiao Xuan rose to her feet and addressed Princess Consort with a confident smile. ¡°Princess Consort, I can indeed nurse these peony flowers back to health. However, time is of the essence. If we dy for another four days, even divine intervention may prove futile!¡± Princess Consort¡¯s eyes lit up, and she cautioned, ¡°Are you absolutely sure, Ms. Qiao? Think carefully before answering. If you seed in saving the flowers, even without my intervention, you will be greatly rewarded by the Emperor. However, if anything goes awry, not only will you be in trouble, but Editor Shao and I will also face dire consequences.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s confidence shone through her smile. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Princess Consort. Rest assured, I am fully confident in my abilities!¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Princess Consort sighed with relief and nodded. ¡°Thene with me to meet the Queen.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess Consort.¡± Empress Qi felt a surge of joy upon hearing the news! Although she didn¡¯t fully trust Qiao Xuan, she had faith in Princess Consort¡¯s judgment.
If Princess Consort had brought Qiao Xuan to her, it meant she had confidence in her abilities. Apanied by Princess Consort, Qiao Xuan was personally taken to Emperor Xuan, where she was instructed to begin her treatment. News of this event quickly spread throughout the pce, capturing the attention of numerous eyes fixated on the peony garden within the imperial grounds. The Crown Prince had always been dependable, and this brought a sense of relief to the concubines, princesses, as well as the pce maids and eunuchs, who secretly awaited a favorable oue before expressing their tion. The Emperor¡¯s foul mood had cast a pall over everyone, inducing trepidation. Finally, the clouds were starting to disperse! Chapter 1008: Treatment Chapter 1008: Treatment
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qin An and the others formed a circle around Qiao Xuan, anxiously awaiting her intervention to save the flower. Aware that they might be attempting to steal her knowledge, Qiao Xuan made it clear that she would only share the maintenance method without guaranteeing its long-term effectiveness.
Flower nurturing, like any other craft, required personal exploration and cultivation. It couldn¡¯t be easily taught. Each individual had to rely on their own efforts toprehend it. Qiao Xuan possessed limited knowledge herself, so she refrained from providing extensive instruction. They wouldn¡¯t be able to replicate it on their own. It wasn¡¯t that she wanted to withhold information, but rather, she had to do so. Sooner orter, the Queen and Princess Consort would issue the order. After all, who could assure that the flowers would remain in good health in the future? What if something unfortunate happened again? Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t be expected to attend to them within the court indefinitely. Apparently, Qin An and the others understood this as well. Upon hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s words, they wore expressions of ¡°naturally!¡± without a hint of gratitude. Contrarily, they felt a tinge of unease. They weren¡¯t certain whether they hoped for Qiao Xuan¡¯s sess or failure in saving the flowers. A conflicted sentiment arose, leaning towards preserving the flowers. Although doing so would highlight their ipetence, at least their positions and livelihoods would be preserved¡­ If Mrs. Shao failed to save the flowers, they would all face dire consequences. Qiao Xuan directed someone to dig out the flowers, recing the soil and trimming the roots. After two hours of exposure to sunlight, she removed all the withered parts and rented them. Then she watered them and arranged for a shade to be built. Following a series of procedures, evening approached.
¡°Is that¡­ all?¡± Qin An and the others exchanged bewildered nces. Qiao Xuan nodded confidently. ¡°Tomorrow, you¡¯ll see an improvement. Don¡¯t worry!¡± The group remained speechless. Concerned, the Empress dispatched her trusted attendants from the pce to guard the imperial garden. Observing Qiao Xuan¡¯s dramatic actions, Princess Consort couldn¡¯t help but inquire anxiously as they left the court. Qiao Xuan offered a reassuring smile. ¡°Princess Consort, please don¡¯t worry. I have great confidence in this.¡± With a smile, Princess Consort sighed, ¡°Well, we have no choice but to trust you!¡± News of Qiao Xuan¡¯s presence in court to treat the flowers quickly spread among the princes, nobles, and upper ss of the capital. Even before she had left the pce, word had already reached various ears. Doubt pervaded the minds of many. Some even secretly mocked Editor Shao for involving his wife in such matters!
Could it be that his wife¡¯s skills in tending to flowers and nts surpassed those of the specialized pce gardeners? It would beical if she overstepped her abilities! Madame Tian felt even more disgusted. Madame Lin¡¯s attempt to teach Qiao Xuan a lesson backfired. Instead, it was Qiao Xuan who reprimanded the entire room, leaving Madame Tian fuming with anger. Seething with resentment, Mrs. Tian contemted how she could humiliate Qiao Xuan, when suddenly she heard the news! Madame Tian sneered, unable to contain her derision. She ridiculed Officer Tian, saying, ¡°This woman truly has no sense of her own status! She can¡¯t even rise above her station. Yet, she dares to engage in such menial tasks, going to the pce to snatch work from the eunuchs! How utterlyughable.¡± Officer Tian nced at her, remaining silent. Chapter 1009: Easy Chapter 1009: Easy
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Aware of his wife¡¯s anger andints, Officer Tian couldn¡¯t help but caution her, ¡°Don¡¯t speak such nonsense in public!¡± Madame Tian¡¯s expression darkened at his words. After a brief pause, she snorted and sneered, ¡°There are so many inept individuals out there. I refuse to believe she can handle it well! If she messes up, it will be quite the spectacle.¡±
Once Qiao Xuan finally emerged from the court, Shao Yunduan, who had been waiting outside, heaved a sigh of relief. They exchanged nces, and Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile, instantly relieving Shao Yunduan¡¯s anxiety. ¡°Is it¡­ a sess?¡± he asked incredulously. Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t help but question the sheer magical turn of events. Many had been at a loss when faced with the same problem, and even the crown prince had treated it as a major issue. Yet, his wife had resolved it effortlessly, without uttering a word! Too easy! He couldn¡¯t unt it so arrogantly, knowing how much others would struggle. Qiao Xuan smiled, ¡°Different professions exist in different worlds. While others might not understand, you know me.¡± Their eyes met, and Shao Yunduan burst intoughter. Indeed, how could he not know? His wife had a green thumb. Back at home, crops, fruit trees, and even the vegetables in their garden thrived under her care. She had made significant contributions. The peony flowers in the pce were merely another type of nt. What couldn¡¯t she achieve? He had to believe in her! ¡°You must be exhausted from your time in the pce today. Let¡¯s go back and rest early!¡±
¡°Alright!¡± Two dayster, the rewards from the pce arrived. The Empress¡¯s attendants immediately noticed the rejuvenation of the flowers. The once yellowing leaves were no longer deteriorating; instead, fresh new foliage sprouted forth, and the stems exhibited a healthy fading of color. Furthermore, the flowers emitted a different aura than before. Standing before them, one could sense the dense vitality pulsating within. Though it hadn¡¯t fully regained its former splendor, a unanimous thought echoed in everyone¡¯s hearts: This peony bush is on the road to recovery! Emperor Xuan of Qi was overjoyed! Hemended the aplishment several times over. This peony bush held the deepest connection and yearning between him and histe mother. Even after all these years, he never ceased to think of her. It was his mother¡¯s most beloved peony flower, which she had personally nurtured. Each year, he would apany her in admiring its blossoms. If it were to perish just like that, the void in his heart would never be filled. ¡°Officer Shao is truly the exceptional individual I believed him to be. I did not misjudge him! I never anticipated his wife to possess such remarkable talent! I must bestow upon them generous rewards!¡± Empress Qi¡¯s smile widened. ¡°When Princess Consort brought Ms. Qiao to see me that day, I noticed her elegance and grace. She disyed no trace of fear and possessed a temperament that rivals that of a true noblewoman! Who could have imagined her remarkable capabilities?¡±
¡°Women often indulge in cosmetics, pets, and flowers, but finding someone like Ms. Qiao is rare indeed!¡± The Emperor recollected his encounter with Qiao Xuan the other day. While he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to her at the time, he was not one to shy away from recognizing merit. With a nod and a smile, he remarked, ¡°Editor Shao, you have good taste!¡± Empress Qi¡¯s smile grew even brighter. ¡°Ms. Qiao healed the flowers, bringing joy to the Emperor¡¯s heart and mine. I wish to reward her as well!¡± Emperor Xuan of Qi burst intoughter. ¡°You should give the rewards as well! It is a reflection of your filial piety!¡± Chapter 1010: Reward Chapter 1010: Reward
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The flower held immense sentimental value for the former Empress Dowager, and Emperor Xuan of Qi¡¯s recognition was well-ced. Empress Qi yfully teased him, bringing an even greater smile to the Emperor¡¯s face.
Soon, the rewards arrived at the Shao Family¡¯s residence. They received 20 bolts of exquisite brocade, 300 liang of gold, and a pair of Ruyi scepters adorned with gold and jade. The Emperor¡¯s rewards were typically modest, making it quite exceptional for him to bestow suchvish gifts upon foreign ministers. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan expressed their gratitude with kowtows and epted the gifts humbly. Shortly after, rewards from the Empress, Noble Consort Mei, Consort De, and Concubine Wan also arrived. The Empress presented them with aplete set of magnolia-patterned clothing embellished with pearls, along with two handcrafted pce fans. Noble Consort Mei gifted them a pair of jade bracelets and pearl earrings. The other concubines contributed with various pieces of jewelry or yful trinkets. As the Empress and the Imperial Consort had given their rewards, the other concubines naturally followed suit. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan received a multitude of valuable rewards. With these precious pearls and vibrant embroideries, they were set for a lifetime. In any future banquets or gatherings, Qiao Xuan would surely be the envy of all. Even the residences of many marquises and earls, who were already in decline, paled inparison to the splendor and dignity they now possessed.
Initially, the knowledge about the flowers was limited, but now the news had truly spread far and wide. Upon seeing Shao Yunduan, the Hanlin Academy workers approached him, offering their congrattions with folded hands and beaming smiles. Regardless of their personal thoughts, they all wore expressions of joy and camaraderie. Shao Yunduan¡¯s emotions were notplex¡­ Comparing his wife to theirs, the difference was stark! Was it because he held the esteemed position of Primus that his wife possessed such remarkable abilities? Tsk, now they understood why Editor Shao would rather face the Tian family¡¯s wrath than divorce his wife! His wife had made such a monumental contribution. Who would dare to provoke her? With the Emperor¡¯s generous rewards, as well as those from the Empress, other princesses, and the crown prince, the three hundred taels of gold alone would allow Editor Shao and his wife to live a luxurious life in the capital for several years! The schrs from the Hanlin Academy were known for their modest means. But look at Editor Shao now! Madame Lin and the others who had gathered that day were feeling dejected, envious, and resentful! Qiao Xuan was an audacious woman who seemed to disregard the rules. How could she be so fortunate? It was exasperating!
Particrly thedy who had shared the information about the Eight Trigrams of Peony Flowers in the court. Qiao Xuan must have heard the news from her when she went to the court the next day. And there she was, reaping all the credit without saying a word. The more she dwelled on it, the more she seethed with indignation. She believed she deserved a portion of the credit no matter what. Unable to contain herself, she confided in her husband. He, too, felt envious and furious. He couldn¡¯t help but admonish her, ¡°Don¡¯t speak of this matter outside anymore! The ancients were right when they said the more you talk, the more mistakes you make.¡± If that weren¡¯t the case, he wouldn¡¯t allow others to benefit unjustly! That Editor Shao had grown so well-respected that even the Chancellor regarded him in a different light! Who among the officers would dare to provoke him? Especially Qiao Hongxi, who would actively avoid him whenever they crossed paths. Thedy was also filled with frustration, so she couldn¡¯t resist the temptation to visit the Shao Family¡¯s mansion and direct some biting remarks at Qiao Xuan. Chapter 1011: Luck Chapter 1011: Luck
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions She was insinuating that without her, Qiao Xuan would have been unaware of this information and wouldn¡¯t have made any contribution. Qiao Xuan found himself both irritated and entertained.
He hadn¡¯t intentionally sought this information from her, nor had she purposely shared it with him. She was merely unting her knowledge and treating it as gossip. The reason he paid attention was that the person who uttered those words didn¡¯t mean them, but the person who overheard them did. Furthermore, she would have to rely on her own abilities to make significant contributions! Moreover, she would be taking a substantial risk. If he seeded, she would receive recognition for her valuable assistance. However, if she failed, Shao Yunduan¡¯s future would be destroyed, and she might even lose her life. She couldn¡¯t simply assume it was a stroke of luck. Ultimately, in this person¡¯s eyes, it was all because of her help that he seeded! Of course, Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t deny that he received the information from her. Since she had approached him, he could offer her some benefits. However, she shouldn¡¯t feel indebted to him. Qiao Xuan smiled and remarked, ¡°I was merely fortunate. In truth, I wasn¡¯t certain before entering the court. I simply want to inquire, if I had heard the news from my sister and informed her that I could cure the peony in the court, would you have been willing to apany me to the East Pce?¡± The madam was rendered speechless in an instant. Although she wanted to say yes, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so under Qiao Xuan¡¯s intense gaze. She was absolutely certain that if Qiao Xuan had approached her with the same proposition, she would have rejected it without hesitation.
What a ridiculous idea! Who would dare to take such a risk? It would be all well and good if she seeded, but what if she failed? How could she be certain of Qiao Xuan¡¯s abilities? What if there was no solution? Wouldn¡¯t he be implicated because of her? This was definitely insufficient! Qiao Xuan smiled knowingly. Thedy¡¯s face turned crimson, and she felt a tinge of embarrassment creeping in. Qiao Xuan¡¯s words made her feel slightly ashamed. Qiao Xuan paused her actions and spoke with a smile, ¡°The other day, I consulted my husband about this matter, and he informed me. That¡¯s why I dared toe to the East Pce to meet the Crown Prince. However, I must acknowledge that I initially received the news from you. Otherwise, I might not havee across it from other sources. I should express my gratitude to you, sister.¡± The madam was left speechless, unable to refute her words. Not many individuals were privy to this information, but it wasn¡¯t entirely undisclosed. Qiao Xuan could have learned about it from another source. Consequently, all the resentment and the sense of being owed by Qiao Xuan, along with the obligation to express gratitude and make amends, vanished.
Upon hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s words, she felt a sense of relief. Besides being delighted, she was also grateful. With a smile, she said, ¡°Sister, you are truly kind¡­¡± Qiao Xuan modestly smiled and insisted that she stay for lunch, presenting her with a generous gift. Thedy bid farewell happily and headed home. Once they arrived, they eagerly opened the gift box. Inside, they discovered two exquisite garments and a banknote worth 100 liang. This unexpected windfall brought immense joy to her heart. She couldn¡¯t help but inwardly sigh. Ms. Qiao was no ordinary woman! With just a few words, she had rendered her speechless and granted her enough respect to prevent any animosity. Well, let bygones be bygones. In the future, she should strive to grow closer to her. Chapter 1012: It’s All For Me Chapter 1012: It¡¯s All For Me
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions She had a strong intuition that getting closer to Qiao Xuan would be beneficial, not a loss¡­ As for the Qiao Family and the Tian Family? Definitely not! Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t need to ponder over it to realize that.
They weren¡¯t the only ones. Even Noble Consort Mei, residing in the pce, felt a sense of ennui. Tian Shanshan was her own niece, and witnessing her endure such grievances pained her deeply. Initially, she believed that Qiao Xuan had taken the initiative to marry Shao Yunduan, resulting in Tian Shanshan losing her opportunity. In her eyes, Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t worthy enough to evence her shoes. However, she never anticipated that Qiao Xuan would be praised and rewarded by the Emperor and the Queen! Listening to the Empress¡¯s words, iming that Qiao Xuan possessed dignity and magnanimity, and was in no way inferior to a legitimate daughter¡­ What did she mean by that? Wasn¡¯t she openly and covertly targeting Shanshan? To put it bluntly, they were indirectly talking about her! Nevertheless, since the Empress had rewarded Qiao Xuan, Noble Consort Mei had no choice but to begrudgingly follow suit. The mere thought of it left her feeling incredibly stifled! Noble Consort Mei couldn¡¯t let it slide. She urged her son, the Fourth Prince, to teach Ms. Qiao a lesson, no matter what. Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t have to lift a finger, but Ms. Qiao couldn¡¯t escape so easily! Otherwise, Shanshan would be left in utter misery. Moreover, by dealing with Qiao Xuan, it would be a way to p the Queen¡¯s face. Contemting the Queen¡¯s remarks about Qiao Xuan, Noble Consort Mei couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of anger. The Fourth Prince was also growing restless.
Editor Shao had escorted Ms. Qiao to meet the Crown Prince. Over the past couple of days, his father had been heaping praises upon the Crown Prince, emphasizing his kindness and filial piety, which had left an impression on the Fourth Prince. He had clearly sent someone to establish a connection with Editor Shao and extend goodwill, but Editor Shao feigned ignorance and rejected his father¡¯s kind intentions. Instead, he turned around and sought favor with the Crown Prince. It was truly despicable. Given the circumstances, the Fourth Prince didn¡¯t mind teaching Editor Shao a lesson. Weren¡¯t they on the verge of leaving the capital to return to their hometown for ancestral rites? Once they departed, there would be ample opportunities¡­ Soon enough, Hanlin Academy withdrew Shao Yunduan from his position and instructed him to return to his hometown for the ancestral rites. That was precisely what Shao Yunduan desired, so he departed from the capital alongside Qiao Xuan. As the Primus, he was returning to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors. Following the established protocol, the Ministry of Rites arranged for an escort of honor, horses, and guards. A grand procession of over 30 individuals embarked on their journey. The Ministry of Rites had provided for the expenses of the trip, relieving Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan of any concerns. However, the allocation provided by the Ministry of Rites was just sufficient, leaving no room for surplus. On the day of their departure from the capital, Qiao Xuan handed 500 liang to the manager responsible for the logistics, instructing him to enhance the quality of everyone¡¯s meals and amodations throughout the journey. Additionally, each individual received a red packet containing 10 liang. Initially, the members of the escort team had reservations about undertaking such a demanding task. However, now they expressed their gratitude wholeheartedly.
They took great pride in escorting the Primus back to his hometown for ancestral rites! Although the Imperial Court had dispatched personnel to apany them, it was unlikely that any bandits or troublemakers would dare to rob or cause trouble along the way, unless they had a death wish. Everyone had absolute confidence in their safety! Any individual foolish enough toy a hand on the Primus or the officials from the Imperial Court was effectively signing their own death warrant. However, Qiao Xuan remained vignt and cautious. Whenever they traversed through remote regions, she would employ her heightened senses to scan the surroundings within a radius of five or six hundred meters. She also conducted periodic checks of their surroundings. For Qiao Xuan, it was merely a reflex that urred whenever the thought crossed her mind. It was not a futile effort. Developing such a subconscious habit proved beneficial and provided a sense of security. Chapter 1013: Actually, It’s All Like This Chapter 1013: Actually, It¡¯s All Like This
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions All the precautions and vignce proved to be worthwhile. To Qiao Xuan¡¯s surprise, one day while passing through a narrow canyon after entering the Zheng State, she encountered individuals with malicious intent.
Behind a mountain rock, dozens of individualsy in wait, their faces concealed by masks. They donned worn-outbat attire, with some wearing tattered head coverings and others having disheveled hair and dirt-streaked foreheads. Their appearances were reminiscent of a group of mountain bandits. However, that was far from the truth. Qiao Xuan overheard their conversations, and with each passing moment, her heart sank deeper and her anger intensified. They weren¡¯t genuine bandits; instead, they were trusted guards dispatched by the Fourth Prince. Their purpose was to exact revenge for Tian Shanshan. At that moment, Qiao Xuan recollected that the Fourth Prince was Elder Miss Tian¡¯s cousin. It was only natural for a cousin to stand up for their kin. Yet, it was the Tian family who had initiated the conflict. And now, they sought to engage in further violence, bloodshed, and injustice. While not everything in this world could be reasoned with, this was an outrageous act! Listening to their jests and boasts, it became apparent that their intention was to rob and harm Shao Yunduan, both in terms of his wealth and his well-being. They decided to lead Qiao Xuan away, leaving tracks for them to follow. They would allow them to chase after her, buying enough time for Shao Yunduan and the others toe to her rescue. But she couldn¡¯t make it too easy for them. They would pretend to put up a struggle for Qiao Xuan, as if she were no match for her assants. This would give herrades the opportunity to save her.
However, she couldn¡¯t emerge unscathed. Her clothes had to be torn, her hair disheveled, and one shoe missing for added authenticity. As the group continued their crude banter, their obscene remarks growing more repulsive, Qiao Xuan¡¯s anger intensified. Despicable, vile, treacherous, and wicked! These people were truly despicable, and the Fourth Prince was no exception! Qiao Xuan activated her powers, manipting the vines to dislodge rocks and soil from the cliff above. As the dozens of individuals reveled in their conversation, saliva flying, a sudden cascade of rocks startled them. They screamed in terror, scattering in all directions, their initial enthusiasm reced by panic! ¡°Ahhhh! Let¡¯s move away!¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, hurry up!¡± Qiao Xuan sneered silently. Leaving? Never! There was a price to pay for one¡¯s foul mouth. Qiao Xuan activated her superpower again, and the vines around them moved nimbly, tripping all of them and making them scream. Some ran too fast and fell heavily, some sprained their legs, some were hit by rocks that rolled down the cliff, or some fell on the thorny bushes¡­
In short, there were screams and wails everywhere. It was not easy for this group of people to return to the nearby vige and town safely, let alone stop somewhere and rob them. Only then did Qiao Xuan withdraw her superpower. Her group passed through the canyon unscathed. But that was not the end of it. When she went to the capital again, she would definitely find an opportunity to get back at him. That Fourth Prince seemed so free, right? She was going to get him busy! They would spend the night in Lingzhou and travel before dawn the next day. If they hurried along the way, they would be able to return to the province before sunset tomorrow afternoon. When they returned to the province, they would be able to return home the day after tomorrow. The two of them could not conceal their excitement. Shao Yunduan looked at Qiao Xuan with a very bright and deep look.
He had even offended the Tian family for her sake. She should be able to see clearly how he treated her and never feel any worries. Chapter 1014: Embarrassed Chapter 1014: Embarrassed
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Since that was the situation, they decided to consummate their marriage. While they were still in the capital, Shao Yunduan asked Qiao Xuan when they would consummate their marriage. Qiao Xuan was taken aback and nearly fled in fear. She didn¡¯t want to escape, but Shao Yunduan caught up to her swiftly.
Despite his seemingly gentle demeanor, he gradually pressured her without giving her any room for ambiguity. Her face turned red, and she felt anxious. Eventually, she reluctantly nodded in agreement¡­ But a consummation of their marriage was not appropriate within the capital¡¯s confines. The bustling city demanded their attention with numerous responsibilities. Shao Yunduan had to remain vignt every day, unable to find peace. It was better to postpone such a matter! Moreover, she wasn¡¯t truly prepared for it. Shao Yunduan was well aware of this, but if he didn¡¯t push her, he might have remained single for the rest of his life. After returning to Shaoding Vige, he would wait. He had waited patiently for so long; waiting for a little over a month wouldn¡¯t make a difference. He had done everything he could, and she had no choice but to agree. Setting aside everything else, how could she be so shameless? Therefore, since their departure from the capital and passing through the State of Zheng, as they drew closer to their hometown, Shao Yunduan would gaze at Qiao Xuan with tenderness and a smile, causing her to feel guilty and uneasy. She wished she could pretend not to understand the meaning behind his gaze! Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t. She understood it in an instant. Most importantly, he knew that she understood his intentions at a nce¡­
As they drew closer, Qiao Xuan grew increasingly flustered. Shao Yunduan found amusement inwardly but maintained aposed demeanor, as if nothing had happened. Observing this, Qiao Xuan became even more nervous¡­ Since it was still early, Shao Yunduan suggested they take a stroll together and have dinner outside before returning to the inn. Coincidentally, they nearly ran into County Magistrate Qiao and Madame Qiao, who were on their way to the capital. As County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s entourage passed by, they began searching for an inn to stay at. Sensing their presence, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan quickly hid, wanting to avoid meeting County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s family at this time. When Qiao Xuan noticed their family entering a medium-sized inn not far away, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of excitement. ¡°I really want to follow them!¡± Most importantly, Concubine Xing was not faring well. Dealing with that woman was no easy task, and witnessing her confrontations with Madame Qiao would certainly be interesting. Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not very convenient. Just endure it for a while. We¡¯ll see them in the capital.¡± ¡°True!¡± Imagining the reactions of County Magistrate Qiao and Madame Qiao upon learning that the Qiao Family had severed ties with them, they couldn¡¯t help but exchange smiles.
Especially after learning how the Emperor protected Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, praising them for their contributions to the Empire. Chapter 1015: So Angry Chapter 1015: So Angry
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Her father, who was solely focused on climbing the ranks and driven by greed, must have been seething with anger! Wait, the news of Shao Yunduan¡¯s promotion to Intermediate Primus must have spread like wildfire, right? Her despicable father and Madame Qiao must have been filled with anxiety upon hearing the news¡­
Indeed, that was exactly the case. County Magistrate Qiao had no knowledge of the misdeedsmitted by his mother and two brothers. However, when news of Shao Yunduan¡¯s promotion reached the county, he couldn¡¯t contain his excitement, sporting a constant smile. With Concubine Xing¡¯s praises about Shao Yunduan, County Magistrate Qiao¡¯s joy knew no bounds. This was his son-inw. If his son-inw became an Intermediate Primus, he would feel immense pride. Moreover, the timing was perfect for his return to the capital. As the father of an esteemed Primus, he could seize this opportunity to gain more attention, forge valuable connections, and perhaps even stumble upon unexpected benefits. Fueled by Concubine Xing¡¯s persuasion, County Magistrate Qiao made up his mind to return to the capital, paying little heed to Madame Qiao¡¯s condition. Madame Qiao was infuriated! The news of Shao Yunduan¡¯s promotion stirred a storm of anger within Madame Qiao. So, what had she aplished? Qiao Xuan¡¯s former fianc¨¦ had passed the examination, while her true husband had ascended to the position of Intermediate Primus! What had Madame Qiao achieved by attempting to ruin Qiao Xuan¡¯s marriage? That despicable Concubine Xing even had the audacity to praise Qiao Xuan as a fortunate woman, and the Old Master seemed to agree. Madame Qiao loathed her even more, and her health, which had been improving, took a turn for the worse.
Qiao Wei¡¯s anger only fueled Madame Qiao¡¯s growing irritation, leaving her with a profound ache in her heart. Auntie Ling offeredforting words to Madame Qiao. ¡°So what if Shao Yunduan is the Primus and Second Miss is the wife of the Primus? They will still have to show you respect. I hold filial piety in high regard, so let¡¯s see if they dare to be unfilial. If Madam deres them as such, Second Son-inw will lose his position! I doubt they would dare to defy that!¡± ¡°Madam, you must take good care of yourself. As long as you¡¯re present, they won¡¯t be able to cause any trouble!¡± Madame Qiao felt slightly reassured. That¡¯s right. Shao Yunduan had obtained an official position, and he couldn¡¯t afford to disregard filial piety, or else he would risk losing his position! Qiao Xuan would be taught a lesson if she dared to challenge Madame Qiao. Surprisingly, Madame Qiao let out a sigh of relief and resolved to regain her health. She wanted to live a long life and make trouble for Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. However, before she could act, Concubine Xing and Officer Qiao caused her further trouble! Officer Qiao suggested leaving Madame Qiao and Qiao Wei behind to recuperate while they returned to the capital first. Madame Qiao grew annoyed once again. Of course, she refused and insisted on apanying them. On that day, she coincidentally encountered Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, who were returning to pay respects to their ancestors.
However, they were unaware of Madame Qiao¡¯s presence. The following day, before dawn, Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, and the others set off. Their journey went smoothly, and they arrived at the province before sunset. The establishment of the new Primus¡¯s ceremonial entourage naturally drew attention in the province. The magistrate¡¯s office promptly responded and warmly weed the group, inviting them to rest at the courier station. While Shao Yunduan entrusted Songshi with delivering greetings to the Xie Family, he himself went to meet the magistrate. He disyed politeness and good manners, greatly pleasing the magistrate. Chapter 1016: Province Chapter 1016: Province
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The prefectural magistrate went out of his way to show hospitality, ordering avish spread of food and inviting several junior officials and prominent figures from the local government office to warmly wee them. Although Shao Yunduan held the rank of a seventh-grade official, his potential for a promising future was evident. Being a capital official, he naturallymanded more respect than local officials.
Furthermore, as the province¡¯s Primus, he brought pride to the magistrate, who was more than willing to extend him courtesies. The magistrate had initially intended for his wife to entertain Qiao Xuan, but Shao Yunduan graciously declined, informing him that Qiao Xuan would be visiting First Madame instead. Therefore, the n was abandoned. Word had spread throughout the province about Shao Yunduan¡¯s ascent to the position of Primus. First Madame, Yuezheng Xiao, and Xie Jingrong were all filled with joy for his achievements. First Madame couldn¡¯t help but feel envious. She scolded Yuezheng Xiao, ¡°I no longer aspire to be the Primus, but being Rmended man would make me proud. At least she would be proud of me.¡± Upon hearing this, Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s scalp tingled, and he quickly made an excuse to leave. Upon learning that the Primus had returned to pay respects to his ancestors, First Madame was contemting the veracity of the news. She was about to send someone to gather more information when Qiao Xuan arrived at her doorstep with Lixia and Liqiu. First Madame was ted and personally greeted her. Qiao Xuan felt a warm connection with First Madame, as if they were mother and daughter. Qiao Xuan also paid a visit to Madame Yuezheng, presenting her with a gift. Madame Yuezheng was equally delighted and engaged her in a friendly conversation. Madame Yuezheng had to admit that the Qiao family had a knack for making friends¡­
Upon arriving at First Madame¡¯s residence, Ms. Jin weed them warmly and engaged in pleasant conversation. When Qiao Xuan distributed rewards, the entire household of First Madame and Ms. Jin shared in the happiness. Since Qiao Xuan was staying at First Madame¡¯s residence, she joined them for dinner. During the meal, Qiao Xuan shared stories about the capital and the sights she had seen. Afterward, she confided in First Madame about the incident involving the Tian Family. Ms. Fang had no knowledge of this matter, and shecked female elders to seek advice from, except for First Madame. Upon hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s ount, First Madame was taken aback and became worried for her. Her palms instinctively came together, and she chanted, ¡°Truly, it¡¯s a blessing from the heavens! A blessing indeed! You are incredibly fortunate!¡± Qiao Xuan blushed and modestly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t consider myself that lucky, especially since I am only an intermediate¡­¡± First Madame sternly interrupted, ¡°How dangerous could it have been? Thankfully, Primus Shao has a conscience. Otherwise, if he had allied with the Qiao and Tian families in the capital, you would have been left vulnerable and defenseless. That would have been exceedingly perilous!¡± Qiao Xuan was startled, realizing the gravity of the situation. Initially, she hadn¡¯t given it much thought, but now, she couldn¡¯t help but break into a cold sweat.
Forced to smile, she said, ¡°It appears I am indeed fortunate. I didn¡¯t misjudge my husband.¡± First Madame smiled and affirmed, ¡°Absolutely! I daresay there are very few men like Primus Shao in the entire country! That¡¯s why I say you¡¯re lucky!¡± ¡°However¡­ the two of you don¡¯t have a solid foundation. Your father and mother have already entered the capital. When you return, trouble is bound to arise. Additionally, the Tian family may not be willing to let the matter rest. You must make ns in advance and remain vignt!¡± Chapter 1017: Shame Chapter 1017: Shame
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Our family may not have a business in the capital, but we do have good friends there. I will send you a letterter with their information. If you encounter any difficulties, you can seek their help. Do you need more money? When you return, I will give you tens of thousands of taels extra. It wille in handy when you reach the capital, and if you face any financial constraints, you can turn to my friend for assistance.¡± Qiao Xuan was deeply moved and replied with a smile, ¡°Auntie, we have sufficient funds, but if we ever fall short, we will not hesitate to ask for your support.¡±
First Madame smiled warmly and said, ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. There¡¯s no need to be formal with me. Juste to me whenever you need help.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe the Tian family will dare to cause trouble for you in the near future. However, we cannot guarantee that they won¡¯t secretly instigate your parents to cause trouble. Primus Shao¡¯s reputation is crucial. If by any chance things take a turn for the worse, remember to n carefully and avoid impulsive actions. If the Tian family discovers any leverage against you, they will undoubtedly exploit it to cause trouble. Primus Shao¡¯s career might be affected¡­¡± ¡°Since the Emperor holds Primus Shao in high regard and you have made significant contributions, you should not have to rely on anyone. It¡¯s important to maintain your integrity. If you find yourself backed into a corner, you must be reasonable. And if there¡¯s no other choice, you can seek assistance from the crown prince.¡± ¡°In short, we must be cautious and tactful. We need to have clever strategies and adaptability. Money should not be a major concern.¡± First Madame was deeply concerned for Qiao Xuan and kept reiterating her advice. Qiao Xuan nodded earnestly, taking it all to heart. In hindsight, she felt a sense of shame. After smoothly winning two rounds, she had be somewhat arrogant, thinking that it was all manageable. Little did they know how wrong they were! So what if the Tian family lost? They would find a way out, or someone would create one for them. But for Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, it was a different story altogether.
They knew they wouldn¡¯t have another opportunity. If they failed, their reputation would be ruined, and their lives could even be at stake. Therefore, they had to remain on high alert and couldn¡¯t afford to be careless! It was alreadyte at night when Qiao Xuan finally left First Madame¡¯s residence and returned to the station. She promised toe back and stay for a few more days once they returned to the capital. The following day, Shao Yunduan set off for home, so he didn¡¯t drink much during the evening gathering. He arrived back after Qiao Xuan had returned home. They chatted for a while, and as they were about to go to bed, Shao Yunduan suddenly smiled at Qiao Xuan. ¡°Wife, in four days, it will be an auspicious day.¡± Yawning, Qiao Xuan opened her eyes in confusion. ¡°What? Are you nning to host a feast for the vigers on that day? Sure, we can do that.¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled and shook his head. ¡°No, my dear. It¡¯s an auspicious day for a wedding, my wife!¡± Qiao Xuan was taken aback, and her face instantly flushed. She instinctively touched her face and turned inward without saying a word. Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He couldn¡¯t help but hold her shoulders and give her a gentle squeeze. ¡°Darling, did you hear me?¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but smile, her lips curling up involuntarily. She replied softly, ¡°Yes¡­¡±
¡°Good.¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled and released her, taking a step back with a silent smile. He couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Since they were leaving the next day, they needed to meet Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong and return home first. During this time, the days felt long, and the nights were short. The group didn¡¯t stay in the county city and instead headed back to Shaoding Vige. They had already sent people back to the vige to tell the news. When they arrived, they saw that the entrance of the vige was filled with vigers weing them. Chapter 1018: Greeting Mr. Primus Chapter 1018: Greeting Mr. Primus
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were taken aback by the overwhelming enthusiasm of the vigers. They had expected a warm wee from their family, but they were surprised to see the entire vige mobilized in such a grand manner. While they were not individuals driven by fame or fortune, the sight before them ignited a spark of excitement in their hearts. They exchanged nces, their smiles reflecting the joy they felt.
Qiao Xuan yfully teased Shao Yunduan, ¡°Look at you, Mr. Primus,manding such admiration! No wonder schrs aspire for glory. Such acim is truly something to behold.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled in response, his eyes filled with pride. ¡°It is your deserved honor as well.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart fluttered at his words, their love and support for each other shining through their smiles. The vigers, brimming with excitement, eagerly called out as they spotted Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan approaching. ¡°Here theye! Mr. Primus has returned!¡± ¡°Our esteemed Mr. Primus has graced us with his presence!¡± ¡°Let us wee our esteemed Mr. Primus!¡± ¡°We must ensure that Mr. Primus receives a grand reception!¡± The vigers couldn¡¯t contain their joy, their faces lighting up with anticipation. They gathered around Ms. Fang, Eldest Uncle, the Land Officer, and a few revered elders of the vige. Approaching the group, they bowed respectfully, their voices filled with reverence. ¡°Greetings, Mr. Primus! We bow and pay our respects!¡±
¡°We humbly greet Mr. Primus!¡± The sudden turn of events caught Ms. Fang, Eldest Uncle, and the others off guard. Their expressions showed a mix of surprise and anxiety, unsure of how to respond to such an exuberant disy. Yang Xiaoni was stunned and subconsciously knelt down. Shao Sang. Witnessing this, Ms. Xu hesitated for a moment before deciding to join them in kneeling. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were dumbfounded by the sight before them. ¡°No!¡± they eximed simultaneously, quickly stepping out of the carriage and rushing forward. Shao Yunduan assisted the Land Officer to rise, while Qiao Xuan helped the female elders to their feet. Calling out, ¡°Dad, Mom!¡± she addressed Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni, caught betweenughter and tears. ¡°Sister-inw, Third Sister-inw, please stand up! This is unnecessary!¡± Upon seeing her two daughters-inw kneeling, Ms. Fang grew infuriated. ¡°What are you doing? Eldest Son, Third Son, have you lost your minds as well?¡± Shao Dng and Shao Sang swiftly helped their wives to their feet. Yang Xiaoni chuckled in embarrassment. ¡°Oh, my legs simply gave out. I saw everyone else kneeling, so I followed suit¡­¡±
Laughter filled the air as the tension dissipated. The family elders shared in the mirth, wiping away their tears. They then proceeded back to the vige with Shao Yunduan, while Qiao Xuan apanied the esteemed female family elder and Ms. Fang. The vigers gathered around, joining the celebratory procession as they returned to the vige. The gates of the ancestral hall swung open, and Shao Yunduan, apanied by the Land Officer, entered to pay their respects, offering kowtows and incense as a means of conveying the auspicious news to their ancestors. Afterward, they made their way back home. Due to the suddenness of the news, preparations had been made hastily. Fortunately, the spacious first section of the Shao Family could amodate the influx of guests, and every room was filled with joy and celebration. Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang instructed the servants to prepare tea for the elders and arranged for the ceremonial team to temporarily settle in Shao Xiaoqi¡¯s yard, ensuring they had provisions and seating arrangements. Meanwhile, Shao Yunduan swiftly took charge of the cooking duties. With an array of meats avable, he quickly set up two tables. However, the kitchen alone was insufficient, so he sought assistance from their generous neighbors. Just as Qiao Xuan was about to join in the cooking process, Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu intervened. ¡°No, no, you don¡¯t need to do this!¡± ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, please return to your room and rest. Third Sister-inw and I will handle it.¡± Qiao Xuan was taken aback, onlyprehending the situation after a moment.
Chapter 1019: Still a Family Chapter 1019: Still a Family
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang said with a smile, ¡°You are the wife of the Primus and the official¡¯s wife now, so you are not allowed to do such menial work. You are making them lose their lifespan! Go and rest!¡± Qiao Xuan.
However, she couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing. Bursting intoughter, she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom, I will cook two dishes for my husband and two dishes for my parents. Besides, I need to eat too!¡± ¡°What?¡­¡± Ms. Fang was delighted to hear Qiao Xuan¡¯s response. She thought her daughter-inw was sensible and filial, and with her by her son¡¯s side, she had nothing to worry about. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to be so filial, but you don¡¯t have to go through the trouble today. Rest for a bit! You can be filial to your parents any other day. They won¡¯t miss a meal with Yun Duan around!¡± Feeling touched, Qiao Xuan smiled and said, ¡°Mom, since you care about me, I will listen to you!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Now, go and rest! Your sister-inw and Third Sister-inw¡¯s culinary skills may not be as good as yours, but they¡¯ve improved. I¡¯ll have them send you some foodter.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask Lixia and Liqiu to help. They can send it overter.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled at Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni and said, ¡°Sister-inw, Third Sister-inw, we¡¯re family, so please don¡¯t treat me like an outsider! Let¡¯s maintain our close bond, just like before!¡± Observing Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni¡¯s respectful but somewhat helpless expressions, and hearing Ms. Xu¡¯s hesitant ¡°you,¡± Qiao Xuan felt a bit uneasy. She didn¡¯t want there to be any distance between them. Since arriving in this world, she had acquired superpowers, wealth, a husband, and her rtionship with her inws was also good. All she wanted was for everyone to remain close and continue living happily. That, to her, would be the ultimate perfection and happiness!
She was not that petty. They were not arrogant just because they had obtained the power. Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni were startled. Yang Xiaoni smiled embarrassedly. ¡°This¡­. can this work?¡­ Fifth Sister-inw, you¡¯re now the wife of the Primus and the wife of an official.¡± Qiao Xuan burst intoughter. ¡°Am I still the Fifth Sister-inw?¡± Yang Xiaoni nodded dumbly. Qiao Xuan tried not tough. ¡°Well, as long as I am still your Fifth Sister-inw, we will be the same as before.¡± ¡°This¡­ really works?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s listen to Fifth Sister-inw!¡± Yang Xiaoni chuckled and looked much more rxed. Ms. Xu nodded with a smile, looking rxed.
Qiao Xuan was still resting in her own yard when Ms. Xu, Yang Xiaoni, Taotao, Lixia, Liqiu, Ms. Yan and a few other women helped her to make a meal. Shao Yunduan and Eldest Uncle were eating with the Land Officer and the elders, and three tables were set up at the ceremonial team. Shao Dng and Shao Sang greeted them. Qiao Xuan did not eat in the yard, but stayed with Ms. Fang and the others somewhere else. After dinner, the Land Officer and the elders chatted with Shao Yunduan and his son for half the night before they left happily. From the next day onwards, the house became a hub of liveliness. Rtives and friends arrived in a continuous stream, creating a bustling atmosphere akin to revolving doors and musical chairs. Qiao Xuan found herself upied for five to six days before finally getting a moment to catch her breath. When the auspicious day arrived, the family head led Shao Yunduan to pay respects to their ancestors. To celebrate, the first branch of the Shao Family hosted a grand banquet, extending their warm hospitality to the vigers. Chapter 1020: Home Party Chapter 1020: Home Party Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions After the long-awaited banquet finally came to an end, the Shao Family let out a collective sigh of relief. Everyone was overjoyed, yetpletely exhausted. It had been a challenging journey, but they could finally bask in peace and tranquility, allowing themselves to rest properly. The banquet had attracted not only the vigers but also numerous rtives, friends, local dignitaries, former ssmates, and others who came to extend their congrattions. Even the newly appointed County Magistrate Yu made a special appearance, apanied by his Grandmaster, to personally convey his good wishes. Impressed by the asion, Shao Yunduan requested the County Magistrate to escort them to the county, generously offering him a gift of 300 liang. The Shao Family¡¯s humble abode was not spacious enough to amodate such arge gathering, and Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan preferred to spend the next few days in thepany of their family, rather than amidst the crowd. Furthermore, there was little to do in the vige, leaving them with a sense of boredom. The sum of 300 liang would sustain themfortably in the county office for well over a month. Grateful for the newfound serenity, Ms. Fang urged Qiao Xuan to organize and arrange all the presents that had been bestowed upon them during the event. Although these gifts were meant for Shao Yunduan, Ms. Fang refrained from interfering, allowing Qiao Xuan to make the decisions herself. Ms. Fang¡¯s selflessness was evident, as she had no intention of iming anything for herself. These were rewards earned by her son, and as his mother, she wholeheartedly supported his rightful ownership. Qiao Xuan acknowledged her mother-inw¡¯s sincerity and felt a deep conviction in her trustworthiness. In any other scenario, someone might have seized the opportunity for personal gain. However, Ms. Fang¡¯s integrity and maternal love made it impossible to resist her intentions. Qiao Xuan smiled in response and, with the assistance of Taotao, Liqiu, and Lixia, dedicated an entire day to sorting through the gifts and meticulously recording each one. Then, Qiao Xuan invited Ms. Fang to take a look at the gifts. The total sum amounted to an impressive 8,688 liang, consisting of eight screens, each with its unique characteristics. One was made of exquisite rosewood, another intricately carved with crystal, and the third adorned with embroidered six jade halls. Among the presents were also 80 pieces of silk and satin, each distinct in its design and texture. Additionally, there were porcin items, jade artifacts, purple copper, wood carvings, and an array of various decorations. Not to forget, there were calligraphy and paintings as well. Perplexed, Ms. Fang smiled and remarked, ¡°As farmers, we have no need for these items. Even if we were to select the most suitable ones, we couldn¡¯t possibly make full use of them. Choose some valuable ones from the province and bring them along to the capital. They maye in handy there! Give a portion of the remaining silver as taxes to the government, and keep the eight thousand taels. You¡¯ll find plenty of use for the silver when we reach the capital!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded in agreement and proceeded to enlighten Ms. Fang about the value of the various items, ensuring she wouldn¡¯t make any mistakes when presenting gifts in the future. Afterwards, Qiao Xuan requested 6,000 liang from Shao Yunduan. Shao Dng, San Lang, Taotao, and the others also received their share. Although Qi wasn¡¯t present, his portion was set aside, while the rest was added to their shared savings. Following a discussion with Ms. Fang, Qiao Xuan carefully selected some clothes, packed them up, and distributed them to Shao Dng, Shao Sang, Qi, Taotao, and others. Taotao¡¯s gift was particrly valuable and exquisitely crafted, making it suitable to be preserved as a future dowry. The servants had worked hard these few days, so they were rewarded heavily as well. This time, everyone was happy. It was a family dinner tonight, and Qiao Xuan was going to cook a good meal for everyone. That made everyone so happy that they took the initiative to help Qiao Xuan as if it were the new year. While they were happy, everyone could not help but think of Qi and sigh sadly. Chapter 1021: Cooking Chapter 1021: Cooking Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions If only Qi were at home too! Qi would undoubtedly bring back the best game from the mountains and take everyone to the river to catch the plumpest, freshest fish. That would be wonderful! Regrettably, they had no knowledge of which military camp Qi was stationed in the northwest. How was he faring? Did he endure hardships? Did he long for home and his loved ones? The uncertainty of his return weighed on their minds. Despite missing him dearly, they were all mature individuals who understood that while Qi served in the army, Shao Yunduan was flourishing with the assistance of the Xie Family. Qi himself was capable and resourceful, so they refrained from dampening the festive atmosphere with worries. They continued to chat andugh, cherishing the joyous asion. The fish and prawns in the Zhang Vige pond were plump and abundant, prompting Qiao Xuan to have someone catch numerous prawns, a turtle, and two fish. In the evening, she would prepare crispy shrimp balls, braised chicken nuggets, clear soup fish balls, betel taro pork, sweet-skinned duck, crispy chicken, mutton soup, tofu, sour soup, stir-fried bamboo shoots, garlic lettuce, and silky yams. As the dishes took shape, the three stoves simultaneously burst into action. The kitchen emitted waves of tantalizing aromas that awakened everyone¡¯s appetite. During dinner, delectable dishes adorned the table. Everyone gathered happily, engaging in conversation while savoring the vorsome feast. Their taste buds were captivated. ¡°Finally, Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s culinary skills!¡± ¡°Fifth Sister-inw is an exceptional cook. No matter how hard we try, we can¡¯t match her!¡± ¡°It¡¯s incredibly delicious! Truly mouthwatering!¡± Qiao Xuan was also delighted, sporting a smile. ¡°Now that I¡¯m back, I¡¯ll cook more often, and our ingredients will always be readily avable! I¡¯ll visit regrly!¡± She had so much to attend to¡ªhow could she possibly leave? Without the assistance of her extraordinary abilities, it would be inconceivable! Upon hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s deration, Yang Xiaoni and the others were filled with joy and eagerly inquired if it was true. Qiao Xuan responded with an affirmative nod and a warm smile, bringing a sense of relief to everyone present. Shao Yunduan exchanged a nce with Qiao Xuan and chuckled helplessly. He had already discussed this matter with his wife. It was simply impossible for him to return home every year, let alone multiple times throughout the year. However, Qiao Xuan was concerned about her family and their assets. If she were toe back, she would make appropriate arrangements along the way. Anticipation filled the air, enhancing the lively atmosphere at the dining table as everyone enjoyed their meal. With a loving expression, Ms. Fang beamed with joy. They were truly a united family now. It was the greatest gift of all. After dinner, the group engaged in pleasant conversation for a while before retiring to their respective rooms for a well-deserved rest. Qiao Xuan, who had been weary from the recent events, was grateful for the chance to finally get some proper sleep. In the courtyard, Shao Yunduan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the radiant moon in the night sky. The moon was more than halfway full, casting its gentle glow upon the tranquil surroundings. Moonlight cascaded like flowing water, casting ethereal shadows in the small courtyard. Amidst the lush green foliage, white gardenias bloomed, emitting a delicate fragrance that permeated the air. As a gentle breeze caressed the area, the scent of the flowers filled Qiao Xuan¡¯s nostrils. ¡°Admiring the moon here, my love?¡± Having finished her bath, Qiao Xuan noticed Shao Yunduan¡¯s absence in their room and found him near the gardenia bush. She approached him with a smile, joining him in his moonlit reverie. Chapter 1022: Moonlit Night Chapter 1022: Moonlit Night
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan affectionately embraced Qiao Xuan as she got startled, attempting to break free. However, he seemed unusually resolute today, tightening his hold and preventing her from escaping. Though not physically strong, his determination was evident. As his hands touched her, Qiao Xuan¡¯s skin grew warm, causing her cheeks to flush. With a smile, she protested, ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me!¡±
¡°Wife, let us consummate our marriage tonight,¡± he whispered. ¡°What?¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyelids twitched in surprise. ¡°Are you unwilling?¡± His tone and expression softened, melting Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart. Without thinking, she replied, ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Good, as long as you agree.¡± Qiao Xuan was left speechless. Shao Yunduan¡¯s eyes, filled with affection, sparkled under the moonlight. A charming smile graced his handsome face, making her blush. Confused, Qiao Xuan stammered, ¡°But, but the auspicious day has already passed¡­¡± Earlier, he had mentioned that they would consummate their marriage on an auspicious day, but his ns had been disrupted by the whirlwind of his return and busy days that followed. How could he find the time? That day had passed without anything happening, leaving Qiao Xuan slightly disappointed. Naturally, she would never admit it to Shao Yunduan, or his ego would soar! However, Shao Yunduan was already quite proud of himself. He chuckled and said, ¡°So, you¡¯ve been thinking about the auspicious day. My apologies! But don¡¯t fret. Today is also an auspicious day!¡±
Qiao Xuan grew startled and blushed. yfully, shended a punch on his arm. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? You¡­¡± ¡°I-I am not thinking about it! You, you ¡± Shao Yunduan burst intoughter. ¡°Yes, yes, you are not thinking about me, but I am as well!¡± Qiao Xuan said proudly, ¡°That is more like it!¡± As Qiao Xuan felt weightless, she realized that Shao Yunduan had already scooped her up into his arms. Startled, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Their proximity brought their gazes together. In each other¡¯s eyes, their reflections appeared both clear and hazy. Their entwined gaze blurred their vision, stirred their hearts, and left their minds in a whirl. Feeling overwhelmed, Qiao Xuan feignedposure and averted her eyes, her face and ears turning crimson. Shao Yunduan smiled, lowered his head, and nted kisses on her cheeks, forehead, eyebrows, and finally, her lips. Qiao Xuan¡¯s mind went nk, her body growing limp. Her heart raced in a flurry, causing her to panic. However, Shao Yunduan only bestowed gentle kisses upon her. Chuckling softly, he carried her towards the bedroom¡­
Thick curtains concealed their intimate moments, keeping them hidden from prying eyes. Qiao Xuan drifted into a deep, restful sleep, surrendering herself to thefort of the bed. When she finally woke up, it was already afternoon. Sunlight filtered through the window veils, casting diagonal beams on the light green tiles. The rustling of leaves could be faintly heard as the wind brushed past. Blushing, Qiao Xuan averted her gaze upon seeing Shao Yunduan¡¯s smiling eyes. Savoring the moment, Shao Yunduan tightened his embrace and brushed his lips against her face. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Today, it didn¡¯t matter if she slept in. Qiao Xuan had no fear of gossip. Instead, she felt a heightened sense of embarrassment in Shao Yunduan¡¯s presence. Chapter 1023: Finally Perfect Chapter 1023: Finally Perfect
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Why aren¡¯t you up yet?!¡± Shao Yunduan yfully eximed. Qiao Xuan wished he would vanish instantly.
With a tender smile, Shao Yunduan continued to nuzzle against her. ¡°I can¡¯t bear to be away from my wife!¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Qiao Xuan blushed, feeling utterly powerless. Her embarrassment intensified, and she weakly punched Shao Yunduan. ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t bear to be away from me? I don¡¯t believe it! You¡¯re just trying to make me happy¡­¡± If he truly couldn¡¯t bear to be apart from her, why didn¡¯t he stop when she pleaded and cried? Therefore, no matter how gentle and refined a man appeared, he was still the same. Especially in certain circumstances, he couldn¡¯t be trusted. Anyone who believed him would be a fool. Shao Yunduan chuckled and pinched her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to coax you.¡± Qiao Xuan snorted, closed her eyes, and buried herself under the nket. She didn¡¯t feel like talking to him at the moment. ¡°Wife!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s voice sounded as he was carried away. ¡°Sleep a little longer. I¡¯ll get up first. I¡¯ll ask Lixia to stay in the outer room. When you¡¯re ready, just let her know, and I¡¯ll bring you hot water for a bath.¡± ¡°That sounds reasonable!¡± Qiao Xuan felt a hint of satisfaction and nodded from beneath the quilt.
Shao Yunduan smiled and got up. His wife was finally his. His heart finally found peace. He had always been afraid she would leave, fearful that she would disappear if he wasn¡¯t careful. He couldn¡¯t bear such an oue, no matter what. As footsteps faded, Qiao Xuan lifted her head from the nket and let out a sigh of relief. She rxed on the bed, limbs sprawled. Absently, she stared at the canopy above, allowing her mind to wander freely¡­ Suddenly, the memory ofst night flooded Qiao Xuan¡¯s mind, causing her face to flush. She felt even more tender and vulnerable. Biting her lip, she rolled over with the nket, letting out a soft sigh. However, a gentle smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and her eyes brimmed with affection. They were truly husband and wife now. From this point forward, they would stay by each other¡¯s side, supporting and cherishing one another for the rest of their lives. There was no turning back. And she didn¡¯t want to turn back. This man would eventually be hers. It had been worth the wait until now. No matter what, in this moment, she could see and feel how good he was to her. If she let him slip away, she would deeply regret it!
In the first section of the family, everyone sensed that something had changed. Yet, no one could put a finger on it. Even Yang Xiaoni, not known for her keen perception, couldn¡¯t help but lean in to Shao Sang and whisper, ¡°Brother Sang, don¡¯t you think Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-inw have grown so much closer? Look at them, they¡¯re inseparable and so affectionate. Oh my, it¡¯s embarrassing to witness!¡± Shao Sang, being even more clueless, scratched his head and replied, ¡°Really? I hadn¡¯t noticed. But now that you mention it, they do seem quite close. Well, it¡¯s not surprising. They must be thrilled to finally be home. Think about it, even though Old Master is highly respected, there¡¯s always so much to handle. They must feel more at ease here!¡± Yang Xiaoni pondered for a moment and nodded in admiration. She came to a realization. ¡°You¡¯re right, Brother Sang. That makes sense. That¡¯s it!¡± Chapter 1024: Inspecting the Industry Chapter 1024: Inspecting the Industry
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were oblivious to this amusing situation; otherwise, they would have burst intoughter. However, ever since the couple tied the knot, an unspoken closeness developed between them. Their shared understanding and the sweet aura of exchanging smiles couldn¡¯t be concealed.
In the past few days, they had be incredibly affectionate, almost like newlyweds. Shao Yunduan preferred to have no one else around except his beloved wife. They were truly inseparable! Witnessing their intimacy, Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t contain her happiness. Her fifth son had finally realized the importance of cherishing his wife. Previously, there had always been a slight distance between them, but now he had learned how to dote on his wife. Ms. Fang attributed this change to her son¡¯s newfound official position, as if his long-cherished wish had finally been fulfilled. After taking a few days of rest, Qiao Xuan began organizing their belongings. Of course, lipstick held the highest priority. As nned, the flower field was expanding this year. As expected, the newly nted flowers weren¡¯t thriving as well without the assistance of superpowers. However, it didn¡¯t matter. After all, she was back now. With a few more applications of superpowers, she would be able to catch up in no time. Thankfully, the dozens of acres were still flourishing. The flowers wererge, vibrant, and in pristine condition, producing the same excellent quality lipstick. This year, they had distributed a total of 80 beehives. Though they would require feeding sugar during the winter to ensure the bees had enough food, it was a worthwhile investment. After all, their bees were primarily raised for beeswax, with honey being just a by-product. No matter how much sugar was fed during winter, they wouldn¡¯t be at a loss financially.
They needed to increase the production of lipstick. The bees would have to continue multiplying next year! When Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were absent, the silver fungus, covering an area of over eight mu, had been harvested twice. The quantity was modest, but the quality remained excellent, so Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang took charge of it. Qiao Xuan pondered the possibility of expanding the scale even further. This year, cassava had also been nted on arge scale. The nt was incredibly resilient and vigorous, growing vigorously from any cut made. The abundance of leaves made it an excellent source of feed for cows, chickens, ducks, and pig pens. In the vige, almost every family had nted cassava and developed a fondness for it. Many people expressed their intention to increase its cultivation next year! What amazed Qiao Xuan the most was the garden spanning 12 acres behind the yard. The day after her return, she took some time to explore the area and discreetly used her superpower to aid its growth. The variety of gastrodia ta, ginseng, and other medicinal herbs were thriving. However, it was the fruit trees from the southern region that truly astounded her! The trunks of the lychee, mango, and longan trees had grown to the size of eggs. They appeared lush and exceptionally healthy. What excited her even more was the fact that several trees had bloomed this year!
Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t contain her eagerness to see the fruits, which brought immense joy to her heart. With tangible results, she had the ability to ensure the safe maturation of these fruits! Did this mean that they would be able to enjoy longan, lychee, mango, and caramb this year? It was a delightful surprise! Since these fruits could be sessfully cultivated, she nned to seek assistance from Yuezheng Xiao in acquiring more southern seedlings. Chapter 1025: Fruits Chapter 1025: Fruits
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The 1,200 mu ofnd on the outskirts of the provincial city remained unnted. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but imagine the wonderful possibilities of opening a fruit garden and raising chickens in the meantime, while waiting for the fruit trees to grow!
With the ability to cultivate nts in the space, Qiao Xuan had no intentions of holding back. She had already meticulously nned out thend in the space, allocating areas for orchards, herbs, vegetables, and flowers¡­ Of course, the primary focus was growing food! There had to be ample amounts of wheat, rice, oats, corn, and soybeans. She also had ns for cassava. And in the future, potatoes would be included as well. Qiao Xuan gathered dozens of false starworts, gastrodia ta, and other herbs, nting them alongside the ginseng and Lingzhi in the space. The spiritual energy within the space was abundant. Even if the seedlings were initially frail and weak, it wouldn¡¯t take long for them to thrive and be robust. There were also numerous fruit trees. This aspect was exceptionally convenient as they could grow and mature rapidly. Lychee, longan, mango, papaya, dragon fruit, pomegranate, fig, loquat, cherry, watermelon¡­ Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t overlook a single fruit. Once the fruits ripened, she would pick and store them in the intermediatepartment of the hut. They would remain fresh and could be enjoyed at any time. When Qiao Xuan apanied Shao Yunduan to the capital, the honeydew seeds weren¡¯t suitable for breeding. Hence, she entrusted Taotao and Ms. Xu to cultivate and transnt them.
During that time, she had attempted to infuse some superpowers into the seeds, but she wasn¡¯t certain if it would yield results. Judging by the current progress, it seemed to be quite effective, didn¡¯t it? The cantaloupe seedlings also appeared promising, with small melons already growing. They were incredibly adorable and charming. Taotao and the others observed her attentively. Qiao Xuan also transnted several trees into the space. With the application of her superpower, the fruit trees in the garden seemed to flourish even more, radiating vibrant greenery and boundless energy. As it was the busiest time for making lipsticks, Qiao Xuan, Taotao, Yang Xiaoni, Chunyu, Chunfeng, and Lixia headed to the flower field to lend a hand. Apanied by five girls from the vige, Taotao took charge and the girls followed her instructions diligently. They were assigned to pick and wash the petals, while Chunyu and the others transported them to the house where the lipsticks were made. The process proceeded with remarkable efficiency and orderliness. Qiao Xuan was highly satisfied with the oue. She gave Taotao a thumbs up andplimented her, saying, ¡°Taotao, you¡¯re bing more and more capable!¡± Taotao¡¯s eyes sparkled, her face beaming with pride and a hint of shyness. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw taught me everything. I simply followed her instructions!¡±
Upon returning home, Taotao clung to Qiao Xuan, tagging along wherever she went. Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t help but feel a little down when he saw their closeness as a married couple¡­ Qiao Xuan smiled and remarked, ¡°Taotao is smart; that¡¯s why she¡¯s able to learn so quickly!¡± Yang Xiaoni agreed, nodding emphatically. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m not as capable as her! I¡¯m only good with manual tasks. Using my brain andmunication skills is quite challenging!¡± Hearing this, everyone burst intoughter! The following day, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan visited Zhang Vige, exploring the surroundings. The lush creeping fig, the inviting teahouse, and the fertile fields all brought Qiao Xuan immense joy and a profound sense of aplishment. This year, tea saplings were sessfully nted in all the teahouses, and the survival rate of the newly transnted seedlings exceeded 95%. It was an excellent oue even without Qiao Xuan¡¯s intervention. Chapter 1026: The Pool in the Space Chapter 1026: The Pool in the Space Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions After the tea trees sprouted, Qiao Xuan nned to gradually replenish the scattered seeds. The previously nted tea trees had been harvested this year, thanks to Manager Mu¡¯s efficient arrangements. With the assistance of Yuezheng Xiao and Ding Erzhu and his wife, the tea leaves were sessfully produced and sold, causing quite a stir in the provincial city. Yuezheng Xiao, as usual, kept the source of the exquisite tea a secret, leaving the tea merchants perplexed and eventually giving up their inquiries. As long as they could obtain the goods and verify their authenticity, they were satisfied. As for how long they could maintain this secrecy, time would tell. Delighted by the sess, Qiao Xuan discussed with Shao Yunduan and decided to purchase an additional one thousand mu ofnd in Zhang Vige, intending to gradually establish arger teahouse. With the vast expanse of Great Qin, the demand for tea leaves was insatiable every year. The higher the quality of the tea leaves, the more sought after they became. Even if the supply increased in the future and the prices of golden sprouts andvender decreased, the teahouse would still yield substantial profits. It was a venture that wouldn¡¯t go wrong. Such exceptional tea leaves deserved recognition and appreciation from around the world! Qiao Xuan carefully stored away the tea tree as well. As they were preparing to leave, Ding Erzhu presented Qiao Xuan and the others with more fish and prawns from the pond, urging them to take them back home. Qiao Xuan attempted to transfer the prawns into the intermediate pool within the space, but to her surprise, they ended up in there too! Overjoyed, she couldn¡¯t contain her excitement! This was even better. It meant that in the future, fish and prawns could be self-sufficient. Upon returning home, Qiao Xuan went to the backyard to assess the situation. She scooped up mandarin fish, eel, Chinese perch, carp, and other fish from the pool and ced them in the designated fish pond within her space. To her surprise, the pool in the space automatically split into two sections¡ªa pristine spring pool and a fish pond. The fish and prawns she transferred entered the designated area seamlessly. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed at the incredible functionality of the space. She pondered whether this meant that during her travels to different locations, aside from collecting various crops, fruit trees, flowers, and herbs, she could also gather local fish, prawns, and other aquatic products. If the seafood space could amodate them, she would be overjoyed! Later that night, Qiao Xuan prepared a delicious feast. The menu included tea-vored prawns, stir-fried eel shreds, fish and goat pot, steamed meat with lotus leaves, stir-fried shredded bamboo shoots, garlic eggnt, century egg mixed with tofu, stir-fried wolfberry sprouts, and asparagus slices. Today, Ms. Yan delivered tofu along with smoked bean jerky, oil skin, and deep-fried tofu, which they nned to enjoy the next day. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to invite Ms. Yan for dinner alone, so they decided to invite her to join them for a barbecue in a few days. Ever since Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan returned home, the house had been bustling with activity, and Ms. Yan often came to lend a helping hand. Although she appeared ordinary, she possessed remarkable intelligence, poise, and organizational skills, earning praise from everyone. Behind closed doors, Ms. Fang secretly felt sorry for Ms. Niu and Second Uncle! Fortunately, the Yan family was also prosperous. With their thriving bean product business, they were making substantial profits. It was rumored that they nned to build arge house and courtyard by the end of the year and acquire some fields. With such backing, Ms. Niu dared not unt her status as the mother-inw. Chapter 1027: Two Faces Chapter 1027: Two Faces Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions It was amusing that when Qiao Xuan apanied Shao Yunduan to the capital for the examination, Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were constantly making sarcastic remarks from outside. They would mock the first branch of the family for their recklessness, questioning how they could allow Qiao Xuan, a woman, to venture out with a man. Or perhaps they wanted to take the examination themselves? They believed it would bring bad luck if a woman joined them. It was already surprising enough that she wanted to participate in the examination at all. While others might not have been familiar with Shao Yunduan¡¯s character and abilities, they were from the same vige. Being an intermediate rmended candidate was already an impressive achievement; it was like being an advanced incense burner! The intermediate Provincial Champion had been a stroke of luck and happenstance. Bing an Advanced Schr was no easy feat. In the vast realm of Great Qin, numerous schrs and young talents hailed from schrly and prestigious families. They had been groomed for greatness from a young age, so naturally, they were more aplished than Shao Yunduan. As for Shao Yunduan, it would be best for him to abandon such thoughts to avoid disappointment. When these words reached the first branch of the Shao Family, Ms. Fang sneered and pretended not to hear them. She maintained control over the family, forbidding any internal disputes regarding this matter. If someone dared to bring it up in front of them, they would retaliate, saying, ¡°If you hold such contempt for my brother, why don¡¯t your children stop attending the school that he sponsors?¡± The person in question was taking advantage of others and resorting to snide remarks. It was evident that they had ulterior motives. However, since Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were not present at home, Ms. Fang decided not to involve herself and dismissed the matter. Furthermore, arguing with others would be futile. They had to rely on Shao Yunduan¡¯s performance. Once Shao Yunduan achieved sess in the examination, his family would be proud and prove those detractors wrong. If he failed to qualify for the intermediate examination, what would be the point of engaging in arguments at this stage? Naturally, Ms. Fang didn¡¯t pay much attention even if her son didn¡¯t pass the intermediate examination. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were correct about one thing. There were numerous schrs throughout the entire Daqin Kingdom, so it was not umon for their son to have failed the intermediate exam twice. However, their choice of words was distasteful and unpleasant. On the other hand, Ms. Fang had immense faith in her son. She firmly believed in his capabilities and was convinced that he would undoubtedly seed in the intermediate examination. To their astonishment, Shao Yunduan emerged as the top scorer! The top scorer! He ranked first among all the schrs! How many individuals could im such a distinction? Only one! When the news arrived from County Magistrate Qiao, Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t contain her joy. She was left speechless, and the entire first branch of the Shao Family was overwhelmed with excitement. The Land Officer and the elders in the family were moved to tears. They showered him with endless praise and promptly opened the ancestral hall to announce this momentous news. Consequently, the first branch of the Shao Family became the most esteemed family in the vige. Nobody dared to harbor jealousy toward them anymore. Those who were envious were simply unworthy of such feelings. Conversely, many people began to admire their family. He was the illustrious Primus! Now that he held an official position, he might even rise to be a high-ranking official in the future! Thus, when Ms. Fang encountered Ms. Niu on one asion, she taunted her with an air of arrogance, leaving Ms. Niu so infuriated that she departed without uttering a word. Unexpectedly, both Ms. Niu and Second Uncle disyed shamelessness by pleading with Eldest Uncle. They admitted their wrongdoing, expressed their reluctance to cause any further trouble, and vowed to respect their elder brother. They humbly implored him to restore familial harmony as it had been before. Ms.Niu pped her own face and scolded herself for what she had done wrong and for turning over a new leaf. Second Unle burst into tears and said that it was all his fault in the past, and now he knew that he was wrong. Chapter 1028: Reject Chapter 1028: Reject
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Eldest Uncle couldn¡¯t bear to witness his parents crying and begging before him. In a moment of impulse, he agreed to their request.
But as he began to express this to Ms. Fang, she interrupted him with a cold smile. ¡°So, you¡¯re using Yun Duan¡¯s reputation as the Primus to do favors for such a heartless person. You truly embody the role of Yun Duan¡¯s biological father! Just take a look at their faces if Yun Duan hadn¡¯t made it into the intermediate exam. Don¡¯t pretend you didn¡¯t hear anything!¡± Eldest Uncle furrowed his brow, torn and conflicted. He wasn¡¯t angered by Ms. Fang¡¯s reprimand; instead, he let out a sigh and spoke, ¡°I understand, I understand. But Yunduan has already reached the intermediate level, right? Second Brother and the others won¡¯t dare to repeat their actions. They merely wish to salvage their reputation¡­¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re not merely seeking to salvage their reputation!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°They also want to continue their bullying!¡± Eldest Uncle choked on his words. ¡°Well, you can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not up to you!¡± Ms. Fang retorted coldly. ¡°When the timees, what will you do? Let me make it clear, I won¡¯t allow you to use Yunduan¡¯s name for this purpose. You¡¯ll have to wait for Yunduan¡¯sreturn. You can ask him yourself. If he agrees, I won¡¯t object. But if he disagrees, don¡¯t even think about it!¡± ¡°In my opinion, Ms. Niu and her husband are two-faced and deceitful. They are excessively greedy. With the support of the Yan Family, their two sons are working there and earning a considerable amount of money. Shouldn¡¯t they be satisfied? What more do they want?¡± Ms. Fang had worked hard to distance herself from the second branch of the family, and she had no intention of allowing them to enter her home and spew nonsense. She reveled in her freedom and refused to acknowledge their existence. To do so would only invite disaster. Eldest Uncle grew slightly irritated. ¡°Yunduan listens to you at all. If you want to ask him, go ahead and ask him yourself.¡± But Ms. Fang had no intention of allowing that. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you reflect on why Yunduan listens to me? Look at what you¡¯ve done! You¡¯re truly praiseworthy! Just ask Dng, Sang, Qi, Taotao¡ªnone of them have any fondness for Ms. Niu and her husband!
Not only did the second branch of the family wish to break away, but they even contemted severing ties with the third branch! ¡°You!¡± Eldest Uncle grew even angrier. Ms. Fang sneered in response. ¡°Yuanduan is the Primus, and he has the final say in our family. Don¡¯t bother running to the Land Officer and the rest of the family. Hehe, it¡¯s futile! If Yuanduan doesn¡¯t agree, they¡¯ll disregard you! If you truly have no regard for our family and are so heartless, then let¡¯s divorce and divide the family! You can go with Ms. Niu and her husband!¡± With those biting words, Ms. Fang stormed off angrily, paying no heed to Eldest Uncle¡¯s thoughts. She was genuinely infuriated. Didn¡¯t he understand the true nature of the second branch of the family? He did! Yet, he remained soft-hearted. His heart softened, clouding his judgment. He dared to engage in all sorts of shameless acts! She saw right through him. Ms. Fang grew so exasperated that she visited Ms. Niu and Second Uncle¡¯s home the next day, apanied by her two daughters-inw. She openly taunted the couple, leaving them greatly vexed. Ms. Niu wished to scold her, but she didn¡¯t dare, resulting in her blushing with anger. It was quite amusing to Ms. Fang as well. She had been seething with anger, searching for an outlet to vent, and now she found herself venting it on Ms. Yan. But was Ms. Yan someone who would tolerate such mistreatment?
She hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, so she couldn¡¯t fathom listening to Ms. Niu¡¯s insults and weeping to the point where she sought sce at her mother¡¯s house. Ms. Niu was so anxious that she couldn¡¯t prevent her departure at all. Chapter 1029: Not Easily Offended Chapter 1029: Not Easily Offended
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The following day, the entire Yan family, including Ms. Yan¡¯s parents, brothers, and sisters-inw, arrived at the doorstep, causing Ms. Niu to tremble in fear, hiding away in her room and refusing toe out. However, she couldn¡¯t avoid the Yan family¡¯s presence. Unlike Ms. Zhang¡¯s family in the past, the Yan family didn¡¯t create a scene and approached the situation with reasonableness.
Mr. Yan asked Ms. Niu what she had done wrong. What were her mistakes? She also acknowledged that her family held some responsibility, and it would be best if they could point out their errors so that they could guide Ms. Yan in the right direction. After all, Ms. Yan was their daughter, and they would never abandon her. Nevertheless, this matter couldn¡¯t be postponed any further. As it stood, only the Yan family hade today. Shao Eng and Shao Sng were still diligently working at the tofu store¡¯s workshop, unaffected by the situation. It had to be acknowledged that the Yan family possessed remarkable tact. They took this opportunity to mention Shao Eng and Shao Sng. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were dumbfounded. Truly, the Yan family was extraordinarily magnanimous. Their business thrived, and the sries they provided to Shao Eng and Shao Sng continued to increase. Each of them now earned 5 liang per month, totaling 8 liangbined. In the past, their family couldn¡¯t save such a substantial amount of money in an entire year, but now they could achieve it in just one month. Without this ie, Ms. Niu would go insane, let alone Second Uncle. Second Uncle grew increasingly anxious, even praising Ms. Yan while reprimanding Ms. Niu. Ms. Niu felt a mix of anger and fear, but she had no choice but to admit her mistakes. She forced a smile and imed that she had been so infuriated that she uttered a few thoughtless words to Ms. Yan, but they shouldn¡¯t be taken seriously. Mrs. Yan couldn¡¯t be easily deceived. Under her persistent questioning, Ms. Niu had no choice but to change her words and admit that she didn¡¯t just make casual remarks but had actually scolded Ms. Yan. She also made a promise that it would never happen again.
The elderly couple from the Yan family scolded Ms. Yan once more and instructed her not to throw tantrums in the future. Ms. Yan agreed, and thus the matter was resolved. After having lunch at Second Uncle¡¯s house, Second Uncle asked Ms. Niu and Ms. Yan to prepare chicken and steam-cured meat for the guests, and the Yan family returned home. As soon as the Yan family arrived back, Ms. Niu red at Ms. Yan, but Second Uncle immediately pulled her away. He gave her a warning, and Ms. Niu realized what was going on. Annoyed and frightened, she dared not throw another tantrum at Ms. Yan. She truly couldn¡¯t afford to offend her daughter-inw! Speaking of which, Ms. Niu and Second Uncle failed to reconcile with the first section of the family and became the subject of mockery by many vigers. Aware of Ms. Yan¡¯s close rtionship with the first section of the family, they hoped that Ms. Yan would intervene on their behalf. However, Ms. Yan politely declined their request. ¡°Aunt and sister-inw, the respect they have for me is based on my own merit. I can¡¯t dare to meddle in such matters. If I can¡¯t even control Uncle¡¯s words, how can I wield such influence? It wouldn¡¯t be good if Aunt and the others became angry with me as well¡­¡± Ms. Niu and Second Uncle were left feeling helpless. Ms. Niu¡¯s fury only intensified. ¡°What kind of family is this? Which daughter-inw wields so much power that I, as the mother-inw, can¡¯t even say anything to her?¡±
Chapter 1030: She’s So Precious Chapter 1030: She¡¯s So Precious Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°What do you mean by right or wrong? Do you think your daughter-inw can argue with her mother-inw? Look at other families, the mother-inw is always right! Find a daughter-inw for Second Brother and get him married, or I will make Ms. Yan furious!¡± Second Uncle shot her a stern look and snapped, ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re the one who talks too much! Ms. Yan did nothing wrong, so why are you scolding her? I¡¯ve told you that the Yan Family is not to be messed with!¡± Ms. Niu remained unconvinced. ¡°So what if she did something wrong? I am her mother-inw! So what if I scolded her for no reason? Which daughter-inw doesn¡¯t feel unjustly treated? Which family doesn¡¯t have conflicts? She¡¯s too spoiled!¡± ¡°She¡¯s too delicate!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Enough! If you ruin Second and Fourth¡¯s rtionship, do you think they won¡¯t me you? Let¡¯s not discuss this further. It costs us money every month. Are you willing to bear that?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Ms. Niu didn¡¯t want to leave, so she didn¡¯t dare to offend Ms. Yan. ¡°Tell Second Brother that you¡¯re his daughter-inw! Hurry up and let him know that you¡¯re his daughter-inw! Otherwise, we can¡¯t go on like this!¡± Since then, Ms. Niu held a grudge against Ms. Yan, and Ms. Yan no longer made an effort to please Ms. Niu as before. Ms. Yan finally understood and couldn¡¯t help but feel disheartened. Some people were simply like that. No matter how well you treated them, they wouldn¡¯t change. If that was the case, why should she continue trying to please her? As long as her own family was there, this mother-inw couldn¡¯t do anything to her. Inparison, people like Elder Aunt were the best. Without a doubt, even if her third sister-inw did note from a wealthy family, Aunt still treated her well. If her third sister-inw were to be her mother-inw¡¯s daughter-inw, she might not fare much better than her own brother and sister-inw! When Shao Yunduan returned to the vige to pay respects to his ancestors, Ms. Niu and Second Unle, who had given up hope, felt a glimmer of excitement. Second Unle pretended to be drunk and pleaded with Shao Yunduan in front of everyone, hoping to mend their rtionship. Eldest Uncle blushed and looked at Shao Yunduan with pleading eyes. Shao Yunduan casually responded, ¡°Second Unle is just talking nonsense after having too much to drink. Third Brother, please help him rest. How can we involve the Land Officer, the chief, and the elders in making a decision? What does Second Unle think of our family?¡± Eldest Uncle¡¯s face turned even redder. Shao Sang grew irritated. He nodded and instructed two men from their tribe to escort Second Unle away before anything else could be said. Shao Yunduan smiled at the Land Officer and the others, as if nothing had happened. He continued enjoying the food and drinks, and everyone followed suit with smiles. Soon, the incident was forgotten and put behind them. Deep down, everyone understood. Mr. Primus was indeed an exceptional schr. He was steadfast in his principles and had a clear understanding of the situation. It was impossible to threaten him. It was clear that the faulty with Mr. Primus. The Shao couple had crossed a line. Even before Mr. Primus¡¯s return, they had spread gossip about him. Their actions were unforgivable. Now, it was toote for them to seek favor. Did they really believe that everyone should give in to their demands and let them do as they pleased? At this point, the second section of the family had lost all hope of reconciling with the first section of the family. During the banquet, Shao Meiling and her husband, who were already married, also attended to offer their congrattions. The first section of the Shao Family treated them like any other rtives, without any special treatment. Chapter 1031: Fighting Chapter 1031: Fighting Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions It was ridiculous that Shao Meiling still hadn¡¯t realized her position. She felt neglected by the first section of the family, and her face darkened throughout the event. She had expected someone from the first section to acknowledge her after making such a scene. However, not even a servant like Chunyu bothered to pay her any attention. Chunyu simply pretended not to see her and warmly greeted other guests with a smile. Shao Meiling felt even more aggrieved. She wanted to create a scene but didn¡¯t dare to do so on such a significant asion. If she dared to cause trouble, the first section of the family would undoubtedly kick her out. That would be even more embarrassing. Furthermore, with Shao Yunduan as the Primus, she felt a sense of fear. In frustration, Shao Meiling stomped her feet and returned home in a fit of anger, thinking that ignorance is bliss. Upon seeing her, Ms. Niu eximed, ¡°What are you doing here? Did someone bully you?¡± Her expression hinted at causing trouble. Shao Meiling burst into tears and cried, ¡°The first section of the family looks down on me! They all look down on me and ignore me!¡± Ms. Niu cursed and sighed, ¡°That family is so snobbish. They treat poor rtives with disdain once they achieve sess. Don¡¯t feel wronged; it¡¯s not worth it! Let¡¯s go over there. Humph, if they don¡¯t care about us, let¡¯s eat more! It¡¯s better to feast until they¡¯re left with nothing¡­¡± Meanwhile, Shao Meiling was extremely frustrated. When she returned to her inws¡¯ house, nosy women would inquire about the first section of the family. What could she possibly say? The tension between the two families was widely known in the vige. She even suspected that the first section had deliberately spread the matter. This resulted in people offering sympathy, making snide remarks, and even her mother-inw treating her in a simr manner. It was infuriating. Shao Meiling couldn¡¯t help but me her parents. If it weren¡¯t for them, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this situation¡­ Qiao Xuan had her mind set on the expansive piece ofnd in the suburban province. With flourishing crops like longan, lychee, and mango, she eagerly wanted to visit the provincial city and take action. She requested Yuezheng Xiao to arrange for someone to purchase seedlings from the south and start nting them. Time was of the essence. If she nted the seedlings and utilized her superpower, they would likely grow exceptionally well. Her n was to return in mid-September or early October to check on these industries again. She would use her superpower to strengthen their growth and stay during the winter. If they managed to thrive sessfully, it would bring peace of mind for the following year. After several years of employing her superpower consistently, once it reached a stable level and fully adapted to the local environment and climate, it would create a new breed. Even without relying on her superpower, the crops would likely grow, blossom, and bear fruit splendidly. This was the most desirable oue. Qiao Xuan had a strong belief that it could be a reality. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan decided that the entire family should apany them to the province, making the trip lively. Shao Yunduan also agreed, recognizing the convenience of having a house in the province where they could stay. The whole family cheered up upon hearing their decision. The province was a distant ce filled with prosperity, vibrancy, and an abundance of delicious food and exciting activities. Although they had been there once before, they longed to experience it again. The prospect of shopping brought great joy! ¡°This time, all of us will go. Eldest Brother and sister-inw wille along as well. Lixia and Liqiu will stay behind to take care of the house.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s words delighted Chunyu and the others. Packing up was a simple task. They only needed a few sets of clothes; there was no need to bring anything else. They had everything they needed at their residence in the provincial city. Chapter 1032: Not Worthy Chapter 1032: Not Worthy
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Ms. Xu had not been there thest time, but now she had the opportunity to go as well. She was filled with excitement, even yfully teasing her youngest son who was not even one year old. ¡°You¡¯re so fortunate! Since your birth, you¡¯ve never experienced any hardships. Now, you can apany us to the provincial city and broaden your horizons!¡± Coincidentally, Ms. Yan happened to visit them. As she observed Yang Xiaoni, Taotao, and Chunyu engaged in an enthusiastic discussion, envy couldn¡¯t help but creep into her heart.
Having never been to the provincial city before, Ms. Yan desired to join them. She had heard from Taotao and the others about the liveliness and enjoyment one experienced upon returning to the provincial city, and her longing grew stronger. ¡°When will I have the chance to go?¡± she wondered. Yang Xiaoni giggled and inquired, ¡°Sister-inw, is there anything you would like to purchase? Should I bring it back for you?¡± Ms. Yan smiled and replied, ¡°Absolutely!¡± After some deliberation, Ms. Yan began counting on her fingers. ¡°I need some face cream. Please get me two¡ªno, five portions. One for my mother and two for my sisters-inw. Fifth Sister-inw, please help me select ones that are both effective and reasonably priced. Also, add two packets of silk thread. The silk threads avable in the provincial city are finer ande in a wider range of colors. Additionally, buy me three or four pairs of exquisite silk flowers, and the current fashion favors ordinary gingham cloth for clothing. Bring me five of those as well¡ªtwo for the elderly couple and four for the younger one. If youe across any delectable snacks or stir-fried preserves, please bring some back for me¡­¡± Yang Xiaoni tallied the items on her fingers and smiled in agreement. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t disappoint you. With Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s good taste, I¡¯m confident she¡¯ll choose the most suitable ones for you!¡± Ms. Yan nodded, her smile widening. ¡°Absolutely!¡± Curiosity got the better of Yang Xiaoni, and she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you buying so many clothes for your father-inw and mother-inw?¡± Ms. Yan pursed her lips and whispered under her breath, ¡°Give it to them? I don¡¯t mind spending so much money, but certain individuals are simply unworthy. I bought those for my own parents. Initially, I was considering not bringing them home if Third Sister-inw told anyone about it, but I¡¯ll take them to my parents¡¯ house instead¡­¡± Yang Xiaoni was aware of the recent events concerning the second branch of the family. Additionally, she had experienced mistreatment from her own family in the past, so she could empathize with the situation. Letting out a sigh, she remarked, ¡°You¡¯re right! There are all kinds of people. Some individuals simply don¡¯t deserve to be cherished! Fortunately, your family is capable and can handle any situation without fear.¡±
Ms. Yan smiled and exchanged a knowing nce with Qiao Xuan. If it weren¡¯t for Fifth Sister-inw, their family wouldn¡¯t be in such a favorable position now. She would always remember this kindness. Having purchased the food, Ms. Yan intended to keep what she needed for herself. Ms. Niu wouldn¡¯t dare to snatch the food from her own family; at most, they would share it. Besides the dividends, her husband¡¯s monthly sry had reached seven liang. The couple deducted two liang and saved the remaining five. With money in their hands, they didn¡¯t have to rely on anyone to fulfill their needs. Naturally, they had no fear of unreasonable demands from their mother-inw. Not only her husband and second brother, but Shao Meiling¡¯s husband and father-inw also worked at the Yan family¡¯s bean production workshop, earning two liang each month. There was no justification for her to be unjustly treated. After discussing their shopping ns, Ms. Yan exchanged a meaningful look with Qiao Xuan, conveying her intentions. Qiao Xuan called her over with a smile, and they began conversing under the shade of the loquat tree in the yard. Chapter 1033: Ms.Yan Knows Chapter 1033: Ms.Yan Knows
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, have you heard that my father-inw and mother-inw are looking for a daughter-inw for my second brother?¡± Ms. Yan asked. Qiao Xuan nodded, saying, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s quitemon.¡±
Ms. Yan let out a sigh and continued, ¡°Yes. Second Brother is still young, but he already has two children. Despite that, his family is doing well, and many people are willing to marry him. ording to my mother-inw, even a 15 or 16-year-old girl is willing to be his wife, which makes her feel very proud.¡± ¡°But can a 15 or 16-year-old girl truly be a stepmother to her own grandchildren?¡± Qiao Xuan replied with a knowing smile. Understanding her point, Ms. Yan said, ¡°I can¡¯t hide anything from you, Fifth Sister-inw.¡± She blushed slightly and continued, ¡°On my mother¡¯s side, I have a cousin who is a widow. She is about the same age as Second Brother and has a kind-hearted and down-to-earth nature. However, she hasn¡¯t been lucky. After her husband, the only son in the family, passed away, her husband¡¯s n pressured her to adopt a child around seven or eight years old to carry on the family lineage.¡± ¡°Think about it, Fifth Sister-inw. How can we adopt a child who is already aware of his biological parents? How can he not feel attached to them? Even if we adopt him, it would just be raising someone else¡¯s son. My cousin refused, so she returned to her maternal family.¡± ¡°While her parents, brothers, and sister-inw are supportive, relying on them in the future after her parents pass away may not be ideal. Since Second Brother is looking for a daughter-inw, my mother wants to propose this idea for her. What do you think, Fifth Sister-inw?¡± Ms. Yan knew that Qiao Xuan understood the situation. Although the first section of the family had severed ties with the second section, they wouldn¡¯t turn a blind eye if something truly happened to the second section. As for the second section of the family, they would undoubtedly be satisfied with their daughter-inw chosen by the first section. Ms. Yan sought Qiao Xuan¡¯s opinion because she knew that Fifth Sister-inw was clever and had a n in mind. If she could help, it would be easier for her family to navigate this matter. However, Ms. Yan had no intention of informing her father-inw and mother-inw about the proposal. While her father-inw might be epting, her mother-inw would certainly react with anger. If she were to suggest it, it would be met with immediate rejection. On the other hand, Second Brother was currently upied with his work in the workshop, and his father and brothers treated him well. If they were to approach him and suggest meeting his potential daughter-inw, he would likely agree without much hesitation. Once he gave his approval, there would be no issues with their father-inw and mother-inw.
Qiao Xuan hoped that the second section of the family would marry a reliable woman to avoid any potential troubles. After the incident with Ms. Zhang, they couldn¡¯t afford to let their guard down. ¡°Is your cousin truly a good person?¡± Qiao Xuan inquired. Ms. Yan nodded, a smile gracing her face. ¡°Of course, I can vouch for her!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled, finding reassurance in Ms. Yan¡¯s response. It made sense that Ms. Yan wouldn¡¯t ept her cousin if she wasn¡¯t genuinely good-hearted, considering she would be her sister-inw upon marriage. ¡°I will discuss it with my mother-inw first, and then I¡¯ll let you know,¡± Qiao Xuan assured. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you, Fifth Sister-inw,¡± Ms. Yan replied with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯lle again this evening!¡± When Qiao Xuan ryed the proposal to Ms. Fang, she also believed it was for the best. Ms. Yan desired a good match for Shao Eng more than anyone else, so she was likely to support the idea. After delivering the message to Ms. Yan, the first section of the family set off for the province the following day. The vigers couldn¡¯t help but feel envious. The first section of the Shao Family had achieved great sess, and everyone in their family had gained recognition. Many vigers had never dared to dream of going to the province in their lifetime, yet the Shao Family went there so effortlessly. Concerned that Ms. Niu might divulge the engagement ns to Shao Eng, Ms. Yan decided to tell her mother straight away.
Chapter 1034: Wife Chapter 1034: Wife
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Mr. Yan and Mrs. Yan graciously invited Shao Eng and his brother to their home for lunch. After informing them about the invitation, they requested Mei Qing toe over and meet Shao Eng. If he found her interesting, they hoped he would consider settling down. Shao Eng found himself tempted by the proposition. He had already given up on pursuing Ms. Zhang, determined not to cause her any further trouble. His family couldn¡¯t tolerate the torment she had inflicted upon them, and he was concerned that she might lead his children astray.
Realizing that he was still young and that his children shouldn¡¯t grow up without a mother figure, he understood the importance of eventually getting married. However, he didn¡¯t trust his mother¡¯s taste in choosing a partner for him. Additionally, he wasn¡¯t keen on marrying a girl as young as 15 or 16; he doubted she would be capable of caring for his child. It seemed more reasonable to consider marrying a young widow. After all, hadn¡¯t his father remarried? Furthermore, given that the elderly couple from the Yan Family had requested to y matchmakers, it felt inconvenient for him to refuse their proposition. Reluctantly, Shao Eng agreed to meet Mei Qing the following day. On the designated day, Mei Qing arrived at the Yan Family residence. To Shao Eng¡¯s surprise, he found himself quite taken with her and immediately agreed to proceed. Upon returning home, he informed his father, who initially expressed discontent, wondering why his son, with such a privileged background, would choose to marry a widow. He pointed out that there were many suitable young girls avable. Hearing Shao Eng¡¯s exnation¡ªhisck of trust in his mother¡¯s judgment and concerns about his own youth and ability to care for a child¡ªhis father, Second Uncle, hesitated. Second Uncle also had doubts about Ms. Niu¡¯s judgment, fearing that another woman like Ms. Zhang would cause chaos in the household. After a brief moment of hesitation, seeing that his son was willing, Second Uncle decided not to voice his concerns any further. However, when Shao Eng ryed the news to Ms. Niu, she exploded in anger. ¡°What did you say? You¡¯re going to marry a widow! You disappointing child, you¡¯ll be the death of me with your thoughtless decisions!¡± She had recently been upset with the rest of the family, so she saw the opportunity of finding Shao Eng a daughter-inw as a chance to show off. In fact, because of her, many daughters-inw and women in the vige had been currying favor with her and introducing her to their rtives in the past few days. She felt incredibly smug and proud. Therefore, she had been eager to be selective until now. But then¡­ her son actually came and told her that he wanted to marry a widow! A widow!!
Ms. Niu felt as if she had been pped in the face. However, the more she resisted, the more determined Shao Eng became. He patiently exined to his mother that he already had two children, and marrying a widow would make him more capable of caring for them. It was better than marrying a young girl who was 15 or 16 years old¡ªhow could she possibly know how to be a mother? Moreover, at 25 years old, he didn¡¯t want to marry someone much younger than him. Furthermore, he had seen Mei Qing before and believed she was a genuinely good person. She was the perfect match for him. But no matter what, Ms. Niu refused to ept it. Shao Eng became irritated and decided not to exin any further. In short, he wanted to marry Mei Qing. If his mother didn¡¯t help him, he would find a matchmaker and make it known that he definitely wouldn¡¯t marry the girl his mother chose. Second Uncle also scolded Ms. Niu, reminding her that since Shao Eng had set his sights on Mei Qing, she couldn¡¯t me his parents in the future and should refrain from interfering. Ms. Niu grew increasingly frustrated as she couldn¡¯t persuade the father and son, so she reluctantly agreed. After all, it was a second marriage, so there was no need to be overly particr. Moreover, Shao Eng urgently needed a daughter-inw toe back and take care of the children, handle household chores, and so on. Mei Qing was eager to leave her mother¡¯s house as soon as possible, so it truly would be inconvenient for her to stay there any longer. The two sides hit it off immediately. There was a good day at the beginning of next month, so the wedding was set at that time.
Chapter 1035: Comparison Chapter 1035: Comparison
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Ms. Niu became so despondent that she secluded herself at home for a few days. Ms. Yan secretly reveled in this, but she didn¡¯t dare to show her joy openly. They purposely kept Mei Qing¡¯s rtion as Ms. Yan¡¯s cousin a secret from Ms. Niu, fearing that she would reject the proposal if she knew.
However, it wouldn¡¯t matter if Ms. Niu found out after Mei Qing moved in. They anticipated that her anger would subside within a maximum of two days. Three days after Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan left the vige, news arrived that Shao Ling had passed the examination and be a Cultivated Talent. The third section of the Shao Family and Shao Ling were ted by this news. However, Shao Yunduan, the Primus, had just returned to their hometown to pay respects to their ancestors and receive congrattions from everyone. Since the vigers had already seen the Primus before, they were well aware of their aplishments. While Cultivated Talents were impressive, they paled inparison to the Primus. Hence, Shao Ling¡¯s achievement as a Cultivated Talent didn¡¯t create much of a stir in the vige. As the saying goes, one should always fearparison! Even Ms. Ma, Third Uncle, and Shao Ling himself weren¡¯t overly thrilled, let alone the vigers. Had Shao Ling achieved this feat earlier, the entire family would have been ecstatic, causing even Ms. Ma to tremble with joy. But now, when she praised the vigers, their reactions were so tepid that some even remarked, ¡°The fifth son of your first section is still the Primus! It will be challenging for your Ling to make a name for himself!¡± Ms. Ma was infuriated to the point of near-copse! Her anger was so intense that she lost all interest in boasting. She stormed back home and vented her frustration, ¡°They are so conceited that they don¡¯t even care about Cultivated Talent Masters. They look down on us!¡± She couldn¡¯t help butin further, ¡°The first section of the family is utterly despicable! They are everywhere! How did their achievements be a bad thing? It¡¯s infuriating! Did Shao Yunduan do this on purpose? Why did they return to the vige to pay respects to their ancestors? I suspect they deliberately did it to cause trouble for us and steal Ling¡¯s limelight!¡± Ms. Ma and Third Uncle were even more eager than Ms. Niu and her husband to witness Shao Yunduan¡¯s failure in the intermediate exam. They harbored such envy towards him for bing the Primus.
When Shao Yunduan returned to the vige to pay respects to their ancestors, the two of them wished he hadn¡¯t shown up at all. However, they couldn¡¯t dare to be so disrespectful. Doing so would only make them the subject of even more mockery. The Shao Family¡¯s house was adorned with gifts, and the first section of the family, along with Shao Yunduan, seemed exceptionally grand. Shao Ling felt increasingly frustrated the more he observed it. Yet, he couldn¡¯t avoid the situation and had to endure it. After a long wait, Shao Ling had finally be a Cultivated Talent. However, there was no joy within him whenpared to Shao Yunduan¡¯s achievements. Hearing his mother¡¯sints, Shao Ling grew even more irritated, his face darkening. ¡°Enough talking about them. If Shao Yunduan can be an intermediate Cultivated Talent, then so can I. If he can be an intermediate Advanced Schr, then so can I!¡± He vowed that one day, he would surpass Shao Yunduan and trample him underfoot, making him kneel down and beg for mercy. Ms. Ma, caught up in the excitement, eximed, ¡°Absolutely right! Let¡¯s not waste our words on them! Ling is truly talented, far superior to Shao Yunduan, who relies solely on luck! Ling, you must earn me the title of Primus too! Let¡¯s see who would dare to make sarcastic remarks in this vige then!¡± Shao Ling¡¯s face grew even darker. He shot a cold nce at Ms. Ma and silently retreated to his room, refusing to say another word. Chapter 1036: To Province Chapter 1036: To Province
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions She was so stubbornly ignorant that he found it impossible to reason with her! Dealing with Shao Yunduan was already frustrating enough, and now he had to deal with her as well!
What did she think being the Primus meant? The Great Qin Empire had countless schrs. It wasn¡¯t something that could be easily achieved. Was she trying to console him or mock him? If she weren¡¯t his biological mother, he would almost suspect that she was intentionally making things difficult for him. Why was he always so unlucky? Shao Yunduan seemed to always have the upper hand¡­ The matter of Shao Ling bing a Cultivated Talent passed by without much fanfare. Ms. Ma and Third Uncle had been suppressing their anger and swearing that being an intermediate Cultivated Talent wasn¡¯t anything impressive. When their own son became a Cultivated Talent, they would hold a grand celebration feast! They couldn¡¯t let the first section of the family steal all the limelight! Unexpectedly, Shao Yunduan progressed so quickly that the other families, including the Cultivated Talent, Provincial Champion, and Primus, were still reeling from the shock when Shao Yunduan had already reached the pinnacle of schrs. Shao Ling waspletely overshadowed! If Shao Ling had be an intermediate Cultivated Talent three years ago, it would have been remarkable. But now¡­ they couldn¡¯t even bring it up anymore. Such bad luck! Upon arriving at the province, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan began to settle in happily, tidying up their surroundings. Since it was nighttime, Qiao Xuan asked Songshi to order two tables of food from a nearby restaurant. The dishes at the restaurant were exquisite, with a wide variety of ingredients. They even ordered some special dishes. The three-cup chicken, soy-hoof flowers, meatballs, blood duck, steamed fish head, and more were all delicious. After a long day of travel, there were all feeling a bit tired. After having dinner and chatting for a while, they retired to the room to rest.
But for Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, who had experienced so much, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Once they left the hall, Shao Yunduan took hold of Qiao Xuan¡¯s hand. Qiao Xuan turned to look at him, and they exchanged smiles. ¡°Darling, are you feeling tired?¡± ¡°Oh, not at all. Shall we take a leisurely walk back? Maybe even take a detour and explore the garden?¡± ¡°Sounds lovely!¡± The moonlight cascaded like water, casting a gentle silver glow on the flowers and trees. In the stillness of the night, everything seemed serene and tranquil. With her newlywed partner by her side, this serenity and quietness only amplified. Her heart inexplicably soared, as if she were immersed in a sea of honey. Unbeknownst to her, Shao Yunduan shifted from holding Qiao Xuan¡¯s hand to cing his hands on her shoulders, bringing them closer together. Their footsteps gradually slowed until they stopped before a gardenia nt. The flowers and nts in the garden had flourished under the nurturing power of Qiao Xuan¡¯s wood element. Now, with another touch of her power, they appeared even more vibrant. The hydrangeas, hibiscus, crepe myrtles, gardenias, moonflowers, and beautiful bananas had never bloomed so magnificently. A cluster of jade green leaves adorned with snow-white flowers, each the size of an egg. Theyers of petals unfolded gracefully and elegantly, enhancing their beauty under the moonlight.
A gentle evening breeze carried a fragrant aroma, filling their lungs. The couple, deeply immersed in their affectionate embrace, felt slightly intoxicated. Qiao Xuan reached out to caress the blossoms, a smile adorning her face. ¡°These flowers are truly exquisite!¡± She felt a sense of aplishment. Having superpowers was truly a blessing! Shao Yunduan¡¯s excitement grew. He leaned down, nting a tender kiss on Qiao Xuan¡¯s cheek, then gently captured her lips, chuckling. ¡°No flower could everpare to my beloved wife¡­¡± Chapter 1037: Slightly Guilty Chapter 1037: Slightly Guilty
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan blushed, her cheeks turning a rosy hue. ¡°No, no flirting!¡± The words made her heart flutter, leaving her in a state of disarray. Embarrassment washed over her, causing her legs to feel weak.
Shao Yunduan chuckled softly and sighed. ¡°We¡¯re already married, why are you so shy? There¡¯s no one else here!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point¡­¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s face grew hotter as she grumbled inwardly. She had expected him to be more gentle and refined when they were in the presence of others, but it seemed that he remained the same when they were alone. Shao Yunduan smiled again. ¡°I understand. You¡¯re not used to it yet. With time, you¡¯ll grow ustomed to it.¡± Confusion filled Qiao Xuan¡¯s gaze as she looked at him. His gentle face drew closer and closer, and before Qiao Xuan could react, he kissed her. This kiss differed from their previous gentle ones. It was a fervent invasion, leaving Qiao Xuan feeling dizzy and weak. After the kiss, he held her in an intimate embrace. Her lips were slightly parted, and she breathed lightly. Her eyes were watery and filled with confusion, her face flushed. When she looked up and met his smiling eyes, Qiao Xuan felt even more embarrassed. There was nowhere to hide, so she sought sce in Shao Yunduan¡¯s arms, burying herself like an ostrich. Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Why are you suddenly so enthusiastic?¡± Qiao Xuan huffed. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the room¡­¡± Staying any longer would only deepen her embarrassment. She didn¡¯t want to hear what else he might say. She wanted to escape!
Shao Yunduan¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head back to the room. Don¡¯t worry, my dear wife!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush. Stop saying silly things!¡± Qiao Xuan squirmed in embarrassment, trying to free herself. Shao Yunduan held her tightly, a mischievous smile on his face. ¡°Okay, okay, you¡¯re not in a hurry, but I am!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m just eager!¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re not allowed to be eager either!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. No more teasing. Let¡¯s go back to our room.¡± Shao Yunduan scooped her up in his arms and made his way towards the bedroom. Their desire to be intimate with each other was evident. The tenderness gradually turned into passion as they spent the night together. The next day, everyone woke up, feeling even more exhausted after a full night¡¯s sleep, except for Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, who seemed remarkably energized.
The others were impressed. ¡°Are you guys used to traveling? We can¡¯t match your enthusiasm!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled, while Qiao Xuan blushed shyly, feeling a twinge of guilt. Shao Yunduan handed the invitations to Magistrate Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong. Since they were here, it was customary to visit various ces. Given his current status, it was a matter of etiquette. To their surprise, the Xie Family extended a warm wee, sending an elderly woman to greet them. She announced that they would be hosting a banquet in two days and invited Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan as honored guests. Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao arrived together. Upon seeing Ms. Fang and Shao Yunduan, they approached for a conversation. Qiao Xuan sent word for them to meetter, and both of them agreed with a smile, clearly intrigued. What Qiao Xuan wanted to talk about was definitely about how to make money together. The two of them had witnessed her ability to earn money and were filled with admiration. Needless to say, Yuezheng Xiao had already made a lot of money by cooperating with Qiao Xuan, and the Yuezheng Family had risen to a higher level. Chapter 1038: Nervous Chapter 1038: Nervous
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The second-inmand in the provincial business world had always been ambitious and filled with apetitive spirit. He had hoped to one day surpass the Yuezheng Family and take over their position. But now¡­ it was clear that the Yuezheng Family had far surpassed him.
If the second-inmand wanted to catch up with the Yuezheng Family, he would need the same stroke of luck as them, meeting people like Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. Speaking of which, even Madam Yuezheng had to acknowledge that the first section of the family was exceptionally fortunate. One was Qiao Xuan, the other was Shao Yunduan, and the third was brimming with countless business ideas. With one bing the Primus, their future was promising, so it was wise to maintain good rtions with them! Ms. Fang felt anxious as she discussed with her daughters-inw. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to the Xie Family before. They seem very dignified. Is it appropriate for me to attend? I don¡¯t know much, and I don¡¯t want to embarrass myself!¡± ¡°How about¡­ I don¡¯t go! Ms. Qiao, you can go. Take Taotao with you and let her have the experience.¡± Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni nodded in agreement. The sisters-inw were initially nervous, afraid that their mother-inw would insist theye along! To be honest, although they were curious about the wealth of the Xie Family and wanted to see it for themselves, they were also apprehensive. It would be terribly embarrassing if they were ridiculed. They believed it would be better if they didn¡¯t attend. Qiao Xuan smiled and spoke up, ¡°Mom, Taotao and I will apany you. Sister-inw and Third Sister-inw can choose not to go, but you must attend! First Madame Xie specifically invited you, so it¡¯s important that you go!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t underestimate yourself! You¡¯re the mother of the Primus now. Who would dare to look down on you? Even in the capital, almost everyone would have to show you respect!¡± ¡°So don¡¯t worry about the Xie Family. We should just go.¡± ¡°Since the Xie Family extended the invitation, they won¡¯t criticize or give you a hard time.¡± Qiao Xuan was well aware of the Xie Family¡¯s close ties with the capital and their extensiveworks. They must have known about the imperial censor¡¯s impeachment of Shao Yunduan and how Emperor Qi Xuan reprimanded the censor for his actions, showing support for Shao Yunduan. They would also be aware of Qiao Xuan¡¯s role in saving the peony flowers, which symbolized Shao Yunduan¡¯s connection to thete Empress Dowager. That¡¯s why the Xie Family held the Shao Family in high regard, leading to First Madame Xie¡¯s invitation to Ms. Fang. Otherwise, such an invitation might not havee to fruition. Considering the Xie Family¡¯s current status, even though Shao Yunduan was the Primus, he wouldn¡¯t hold much importance to them. Hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s words, Ms. Fang felt less nervous, but she still hesitated. ¡°Can I really go?¡± ¡°Of course! There will be many more asions like this in the future!¡± Qiao Xuan replied with a smile. ¡°My husband and I might have to invite you, Taotao, and Sister-inw to apany us to the capital someday, so we can have fun and entertain others.¡± Yang Xiaoni and Ms. Xu became excited. ¡°To the capital? The capital!¡±
¡°Fifth Sister-inw, is that true?¡± Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t contain her joy upon hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s words. She smiled and said, ¡°The capital? That¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s domain. I can¡¯t even dare to dream about it! You¡¯re still young, if you want to go and see, I¡¯ll support you!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. It might be possible in the future.¡± Chapter 1039: Please Help Chapter 1039: Please Help
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang wore a contented smile, feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness. After engaging in a pleasant conversation for a while, Ms. Fang let out a sigh and made the decision to depart.
Considering the host¡¯s proactive invitation and the formal announcement they had made, it would be impolite for her to decline. Not attending would convey a sense of disrespect. Although she felt a bit anxious, she reassured herself that she would simply advise her daughter-inw to speak and behave modestly. It would only require half a day of her time as a guest. On the other hand, Taotao felt quite delighted. She had visited the Yuezheng Family on several asions, spending time with Qiao Xuan and the others, and had gained extensive knowledge about lipstick. Her confidence and cheerful demeanor were evident. Furthermore, her brother held a high position, and her sister-inw was financially sessful. Her family was affluent and self-assured. No matter where she went, Taotao carried herself with a resolute confidence. After finalizing the agreement, Qiao Xuan proceeded to the study to locate Shao Yunduan and the others. Shao Yunduan greeted Qiao Xuan with a smile. ¡°I was about to send someone to find you!¡± Qiao Xuan responded with a smile. ¡°I had a feeling you would.¡± After exchanging pleasantries, they shifted their focus to the matter at hand. Qiao Xuan had been pondering over the dragon fruits and papayas located outside the city, so she inquired about them. Upon hearing her question, Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong exchanged nces and broke into smiles.
Xie Jingrong chuckled and replied, ¡°The fruit trees in the southern region are quite remarkable. Brother Yuezheng invited me to take a look, and I must say, the dragon fruits and papayas are thriving and distinct!¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Theirughter filled the room. Qiao Xuanprehended the stark contrast between the papayas and dragon fruits and the fruit trees in the northern region. One grew tall with abundant fruits at its top, while the other thrived with an extensivework of roots. Those who had never witnessed it before might not find it particrly rare or novel. Yuezheng Xiao spoke with a smile, ¡°The papayas and dragon fruits have grown remarkablyrge, and they should ripen soon. I¡¯ve deployed patrols in the area, and many business owners have requested reservations!¡± Qiao Xuan felt a twinge of embarrassment. ¡°I apologize for the trouble I¡¯ve caused. Third Brother, please find a trustworthy manager and hire some workers for us.¡± The orchard was unrted to the Yuezheng Family¡ªit belonged solely to Qiao Xuan. Yuezheng Xiao nodded and replied with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. I¡¯ll make the arrangements promptly. If you ever need anything in the future, juste to me.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded and smiled, saying, ¡°Of course, I will definitely seek your assistance!¡± As straightforward individuals, they swiftly settled the matter. Qiao Xuan expressed her desire to nt not only papayas and dragon fruits but also lychees, longan, mangoes, citrus fruits, grapefruits, bananas, and other saplings in the south before they entered the capital. She personally covered all the expenses.
The cost of hiringbor could be treated as an additional investment. What Qiao Xuan needed was time, but shecked personnel to utilize. While the Zhang Vige and her own family had some people to spare, they were unable to oversee an entire province. Yuezheng Xiao readily agreed and mentioned that he would stay for a maximum of 20 days, asking Qiao Xuan if it was feasible. If it wasn¡¯t, he could extend his stay by two or three days. His subordinates were willing to pay double thebor fee for an extended period of over ten days. Qiao Xuan, eager to arrive as soon as possible, nodded with a smile. Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao trusted that Qiao Xuan had her own methods of cultivation, so they didn¡¯t inquire further. Chapter 1040: Plan Chapter 1040: n
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions This fell under the category of exclusive and confidential manuals, not to be easily shared. Both of them held a great interest in the local fruits that could be grown, particrly lychees, longan fruits, and the like. As long as they could be nted and casually savored, they were content.
Xie Jingrong mentioned to Qiao Xuan, ¡°By the way, my servant obtained some seedlings recently. They say the fruits are both sour and sweet, and they¡¯re not avable anywhere else. I wonder what they are. Would you like some tomorrow?¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s curiosity piqued, and she happily nodded. ¡°Of course, I want to taste all the fresh fruits I¡¯ve never encountered before!¡± Xie Jingrong nodded in agreement. Once the suburban fields were secured, Qiao Xuan wouldn¡¯t need to worry about anything else. There was an ample supply of cassava powder and creeping figs. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong always managed to acquire various fresh fruits and milk. Nearly ten dessert shops were flourishing and running smoothly. Yuezheng Xiao initially believed it was just a small venture with limited earning potential, but he was in for a surprise at the end of the month. During the peak season, the monthly profits of the shops exceeded 50,000 liang. That meant they would earn at least 400,000 liang in a year. He and Qiao Xuan each received 40% of the total ie, amounting to over 150,000 liang, while Xie Jingrong received 20%, roughly 70,000 to 80,000 liang. The primary reason was that the raw materials didn¡¯t ount for a significant portion of the costs, and not everyone possessed the skill to create these delicacies. Since they were the sole proprietors without any other branches, they reaped the profits. It was a shame that obtaining milk wasn¡¯t easy. To acquire milk, they would need to establish a dairy farm. However, various sugary desserts relied on milk, as it enhanced the vor. Otherwise, Yuezheng Xiao would have considered opening a branch in another city.
Even so, the Xie Family had expanded their ranch and were actively discussing the possibility of opening two or three shops in a bustling city that could be reached within a day! Yuezheng Xiao contemted the idea of running to the south in the future to establish a ranch or open a shop elsewhere. This business was remarkably lucrative and required low investment. It would be foolish not to pursue it! Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong stayed for lunch and bid their farewells in the afternoon. As evening approached, Yuezheng Xiao arrived to deliver money to Qiao Xuan. Payments for tea leaves, lipsticks, silver fungus, and sugar water shops were still pending. However, every time she acquired goods from the first section of the Shaoding Vige family, she would leave a written note and take as many items as possible, duly signed and acknowledged by the Shao Family. The actual value of these goods remained unknown to the first section of the Shao Family. The amount of money involved was substantial, prompting Yuezheng Xiao to keep it a secret from the rest of the family. Coming from a merchant family, he had been involved with money from a young age. He had witnessed how wealth could influence people¡¯s intentions and desires. He understood the allure of riches better than most. A sum of 100 or even 1,000 liang might not be significant, but 10,000 liang would likely test one¡¯s limits. And what about 70,000 to 80,000 liang or even more than 100,000 liang? How many individuals could resist the temptation? Yuezheng Xiao was surprised that no one, not even Ms. Fang, had ever inquired about it.
Everyone seemed to ept it as a matter of course. Yuezheng Xiao had pondered over how to respond to their questions, but none of his ideas proved useful. Chapter 1041: Wealth Chapter 1041: Wealth
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Yuezheng Xiao held great admiration for the Shao Family. They truly deserved it! They were a good family, and their character wasmendable. If it had been anyone else, how could they resist asking?
Who in the world wouldn¡¯t be interested in silver?! As Yuezheng Xiao, Qiao Xuan, and Shao Yunduan went through the ounts, they discovered that Qiao Xuan had amassed a total of 78,000 liang, not including the 10% of the tea bricks that the Yuezheng Family would provide at the year¡¯s end, to be paidter. So Qiao Xuan now possessed 340,000 liang. It was an immense fortune! There was a high probability that many impoverished Duke Mansions in the capital would not be as wealthy, let alone the ancestral mansion that had been passed down through generations. Qiao Xuan¡¯s joy overflowed, and she beamed at Shao Yunduan. ¡°Darling, we¡¯re wealthy once again! Let¡¯s purchase morend when we arrive in the capital!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and replied, ¡°Certainly!¡± Qiao Xuan had essentially been the one earning the money. His family¡¯s assistance was limited, so he naturally wouldn¡¯t interfere. Yuezheng Xiao chimed in with a smile, ¡°Buyingnd in the capital isn¡¯t easy. There are numerous noble families and prominent business ns. Since you¡¯re new here, it¡¯s best to keep a low profile and not draw attention to yourselves!¡± He chuckled helplessly. ¡°From my perspective, Sister-inw¡¯s ability to earn money is truly remarkable. She¡¯s truly outstanding!¡± It hadn¡¯t been easy for the Yuezheng Family to enter the business scene in the capital. They had attempted it but failed. Instead, they settled for the next best option and invested a substantial sum of money in constructing a road. It took them at least five years to establish a solid foundation.
Of course, the significant investment in the road and the hard work in the initial stages had been worthwhile. The returns were remarkably generous. Upon hearing Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s words, Qiao Xuan regained herposure and responded, ¡°Yes, this is the capital!¡± Yuezheng Xiao nced at Shao Yunduan and yfully remarked, ¡°It seems like we¡¯ll have to hold onto the money for now. When you be a high-ranking official, we can buy a shop and some farnd!¡± Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement, and he nodded in agreement. ¡°Count me in!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and replied, ¡°Well, it seems I still have a long way to go. But don¡¯t worry, that day wille!¡± The three of them shared aughter. Qiao Xuan spoke up, saying, ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter if we can¡¯t achieve much in the capital. Let¡¯s not put unnecessary pressure on ourselves.¡± Shao Yunduan smiled warmly. ¡°My understanding wife!¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to be burdened with excessive pressure. It can be quite exhausting!¡± Qiao Xuan expressed her concern. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t!¡± Shao Yunduan reassured her. Yuezheng Xiao was speechless, feeling that it was time for him to take his leave.
Taotao and the others had beenpensated for their work, but Qiao Xuan, being generous as always, rewarded them with bonuses whenever she received a substantial sum of money. This time was no exception. Everyone received 100 to 300 liang and received red envelopes, allowing them to have extra spending money in the province. Taotao and Ms. Fang received thergest shares. Eldest Uncle was not given any money; everything was entrusted to Ms. Fang. Qiao Xuan¡¯s intention was to give the money to Ms. Fang under the guise of ¡°filial piety.¡± If Eldest Uncle received the money, it would likely be taken advantage of by either the second or third section of the family. As long as it was a benefit, Qiao Xuan had fulfilled her duty towards her elders. How they chose to handle it was no longer her concern. Chapter 1042: Getting Strawberries Chapter 1042: Getting Strawberries
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions However, there was a concern that Eldest Uncle might reveal the source of the money to the second and third sections of the family, which could lead to trouble. Although Qiao Xuan was not afraid of trouble, she preferred to minimize it.
Currently, the second and third sections of the family, as well as other families in the vige, knew that their family had earned a significant amount of money, but the exact amount remained a mystery. In the eyes of the vigers, it might be a few hundred liang, and the bolder ones would guess it to be over a thousand taels. They did not dare to imagine the true extent of their wealth. If they knew that Qiao Xuan had tens of thousands of liang in ie and already possessed hundreds of thousands of liang, it would surely astonish them. Ms. Fang was taken aback by the generous red packet from Qiao Xuan and insisted, ¡°This is too much! Both you and Yunduan need the money, and we have already started paying them for their work, so the sry is not low either. Just give them ten liang!¡± Upon hearing this, Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni hesitated to ept it. Qiao Xuan smiled and reassured them, ¡°Mom, I know what I¡¯m doing. The Yuezheng Family has paid me a substantial amount of money, more than enough for our expenses in the capital. Don¡¯t worry about it! You can keep these and use them to buy more food and new clothes. We have enough money, so we should enjoy a better life!¡± Laughter filled the room. Ms. Fang smiled and said, ¡°What are you saying? We¡¯re so wealthy! Are you really not short on money?¡± Qiao Xuan nodded, her smile unwavering. ¡°Of course!¡± Ms. Fang sighed with a smile. ¡°Both of you are capable individuals, and I rely on you! Well, since you¡¯re so kind, go ahead and let them ept it! But don¡¯t make it a precedent that you won¡¯t give it to anyone else in the future, and don¡¯t me anyone either.¡± Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni happily expressed their gratitude and epted the red packets. Chunyu and the others were also thrilled to receive their own red packets.
Yang Xiaoni agreed with Qiao Xuan¡¯s suggestion, so she and Shao Sang brought 50 liang with them, intending to indulge in delicious food. However, they were pleasantly surprised when Qiao Xuan gave each of them 200 liang, totaling 400 liang. Yang Xiaoni immediately nned to spend 200 liang solely on satisfying her appetite! Since they hade this far, they wanted to enjoy a hearty meal. The following day, to Qiao Xuan¡¯s delight, she received a surprise from Xie Jingrong¡ªdozens of strawberry seedlings! Although the strawberries were still small and inexperienced, with careful nurturing, they might not grow asrge as the varieties found in the modern world. Nevertheless, Qiao Xuan believed that her space power would expedite their growth and enhance their vor. Eager to begin, she decided to nt half of the seedlings in her space. As for the remaining ones, she would find a couple of flower pots to temporarily house them, bringing them back home to transnt into the garden. Having spent a long time at home with Shao Yunduan, Qiao Xuan anticipated that with a few more superpowers, these seedlings would grow robustly. By the end of the year, some of them might be ready to cover half an acre ofnd. Though Taotao didn¡¯t know what they were, if Fifth Sister-inw called them strawberries and saw their value, they must be something exceptional. Qiao Xuan entrusted Taotao with the care of the seedlings. Chapter 1043: Guest Chapter 1043: Guest
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Taotao happily agreed and asked with interest. Qiao Xuan, naturally, didn¡¯t hold back any information. After consulting the space¡¯s system, she understood the characteristics of strawberries and exined them to Taotao in detail.
Taotao had grown more mature and seriouspared to before, as she was now 16 years old. At the age of 16, it was time for her to think about finding a partner. However, the better the family¡¯s circumstances became, the more challenging it was to discuss family matters. It was a difficult topic. It was hard to predict which family would prove advantageous in the future. After Qiao Xuan¡¯s exnation, Taotao requested assistance and left with the flower pot. These seeds were precious, and she had to take good care of them for Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s sake. As per Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s description, the strawberries were red, plump, soft, juicy, and sweet. They had a delightful hint of sourness amidst the sweetness. They were truly delicious! In the blink of an eye, it was time for the Xie Family¡¯s visit. Ms. Fang felt extremely nervous and believed that none of the clothes she liked were suitable. In the end, Qiao Xuan selected an indigo grape-patterned dress for her, along with a neat bun and a silver hairpin. The finishing touch was an elegant longevity hairpin, exuding a sense of tidiness, dignity, and elegance. Ms. Fang breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, saying, ¡°Ms. Qiao, you are so much more refined than us country bumpkins!¡± Everyone burst intoughter. In the morning, Taotao had been asked by Qiao Xuan to help with her attire. She tied her hair into a bun, which suited a girl like her, making her appear lovely and intelligent. Her bun was adorned with a freshly bloomed pink rose. A jade hairpin embedded with pearls and rubies held it in ce. Her eyebrows were delicately groomed, and she had a lightyer of makeup that entuated her youthfulplexion, making her even more radiant and beautiful.
Taotao wore a light pink cherry blossom embroidered dress,plemented by an ivory-white pleated dress. She stood tall, resembling a delicate flower in full bloom. When Taotao arrived at Ms. Fang¡¯s house with Qiao Xuan, Ms. Fang and Yang Xiaoni were taken aback and couldn¡¯t stop praising her. Taotao blushed and shyly lowered her head. However, a faint smile appeared at the corners of her lips, indicating her obvious happiness. After all, who wouldn¡¯t enjoy dressing up beautifully at her age? Once everything was prepared, Chunyu, Chunyu, and Xiaoman departed for the Xie Family¡¯s residence in a carriage. With them gone, Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni found themselves with some free time. They persuaded Eldest Uncle to apany them for a shopping trip. Shao Yunduan had been invited as a guest at the local college, so he had already left. Today, First Madame Xie was hosting Ms. Fang the mother-inw and her daughter-inw. As she was unfamiliar with the customs of Ms. Fang¡¯s hometown, she didn¡¯t invite many guests, except for five close rtives and friends, along with their daughters. The Xie Family was truly an aristocratic household, and their mansion was grand and well-maintained. The spacious halls and well-behaved servants made one feel a sense of apprehension, almost afraid to make any noise. If it weren¡¯t for Qiao Xuan¡¯s presence and Ms. Fang¡¯s previous experience at the Yuezheng Family, she would have been so nervous that she wouldn¡¯t know what to do.
Chapter 1044: That’s Not All Chapter 1044: That¡¯s Not All
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Taotao was also feeling a bit nervous, so she closely followed Qiao Xuan. Recalling Qiao Xuan¡¯s words, she refrained from looking around, despite her curiosity. The maids leading the way could sense the nervousness in everyone, including themselves and the three maids. However, this reaction was not surprising. They had never witnessed such an extravagant setting nor visited a family of such high status, so their behavior was understandable.
As instructed by First Madame, they refrained from mocking or making fun of anyone. Upon arriving home, Ms. Fang let out a sigh and voiced her concerns to Qiao Xuan. ¡°That mansion is truly impressive, and the servants are extremely well-mannered and courteous. Yet, I can¡¯t shake the feeling that something is off. Maybe I¡¯m overthinking it?¡± Qiao Xuan responded with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, my dear. This is simply the norm in wealthy households. You¡¯ll grow ustomed to it as you encounter more of them.¡± Ms. Fang chose to believe her words, finding sce in them. She smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s reassuring. Perhaps I¡¯ve been overanalyzing things. I¡¯ll adjust to it in due course. After all, families like the Xie Family are few and far between¡­¡± Qiao Xuan felt relieved upon calming her down. However, that wasn¡¯t entirely the truth. The servants of the Xie Family indeed held a sense of superiority. It was evident in their subconscious demeanor, conveying a message that said, ¡°You¡¯re unfamiliar with the customs and etiquette of the affluent, and we understand yourck of exposure.¡± Though their politeness remained intact, it did create a slight unease. It was no wonder Ms. Fang sought Qiao Xuan¡¯s opinion on this matter. Consequently, Ms. Fang found the overwhelming politeness of the Xie Family¡¯s servants somewhat diforting. She even regretted not finding an excuse for Qiao Xuan to apany Taotao instead, as she herself felt slightly unnerved. Upon meeting the First Madame of the Xie Family, she warmly greeted her daughter-inw and niece-inw and politely introduced the otherdies to Ms. Fang.
Ms. Fang gradually found herself bing morefortable in her surroundings. First Madame Xie was aware that Ms. Fang was unfamiliar with the conversations and topics typically discussed among the elite families in the province. It was safest for Ms. Fang to observe the interactions and drama unfold. Before long, First Madame Xie extended an invitation for everyone to enjoy a show at the opera house. Upon hearing this, Ms. Fang, who had been contemting how to spend the entire day, felt a surge of happiness. It was a wonderful idea. She could simply sit back and watch the performance, saving herself the trouble of engaging in conversation. Even if there were discussions, they would likely revolve around specific scenes, making it an easy task. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but admire the Xie Family. They were undoubtedly a prominent family, skilled in managing social interactions. The only distinctiony in whether they were willing to employ their intelligence. As long as they were willing, there was nothing they couldn¡¯t handle. The young girls showed little interest in the show, so the youngdies from the Xie Family kindly invited them to explore the garden. With a smile, First Madame Xie turned to Taotao and Qiao Xuan, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the garden and have some fun. Don¡¯t get bored sitting here!¡± She then entrusted the care of Taotao and Qiao Xuan to the Miss of the Xie Family.
Qiao Xuan expressed gratitude with a smile and apanied Taotao and the others. Chunfen and Xiaoman followed suit. Thedies were well aware of how to entertain and engage with Ms. Fang, a carefully chosen guest of First Madame Xie. The approach with the youngdies, however, was different. Chapter 1045: Exclusion Chapter 1045: Exclusion
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The youngdies, ranging from around 14 to 16 years old, were indulged and spoiled by their families,cking a certain moralpass. Furthermore, they possessed limited worldly knowledge and were ustomed to their own group of close friends and ymates. Consequently, they sought out their familiarpanions and engaged in conversation, disregarding Taotao and Qiao Xuan.
Some of them even held the belief that the Xie Family was excessively arrogant, considering the Shao Family to be insignificant neers. What if the man from the Shao Family became the Primus? Rumor had it that he could only attain a low-ranking position even if he obtained the title. Without a prestigious background, he would forever remain a low-ranking official! In their lifetimes, they could never hope topare themselves to the Xie Family or prate their exclusive social circle. The actions of the Xie Family perplexed them greatly. Additionally, since Qiao Xuan and Taotao did not actively seek favor from them, the young girls grew even more disdainful of their presence. Fortunately, being guests of First Madame Xie, they disyed proper etiquette. They were unlike the Zhao Family or Ms. Mi Junior and her mother from the county, understanding that as guests, they should not overstep their boundaries. They neither liked nor found it troublesome¡­ Nevertheless, Taotao felt deeply embarrassed. The young girl possessed a shy nature and had arrived at the Xie Family as a guest with apprehension, fearing the potential ridicule if she made any mistakes. How could she endure such treatment? Qiao Xuan firmly grasped her hand, attempting to console her. ¡°Pay no mind to them. They are guests of the Xie Family, just like us. They hold no significance in our lives. We do not belong to the same social circle, so we merely need to show them some respect. They can y amongst themselves, and we need not engage with them. We have no obligations to tter them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t dare to cause trouble for us. If they do, the Xie Family won¡¯t let them off easily. They will be forever barred from marrying into the Xie Family! They are not foolish!¡±
Taotao beamed with a smile, feeling much better. She looked at Qiao Xuan with admiration and eximed, ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, you¡¯re the best! You always make perfect sense! I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± Qiao Xuan found her words amusing and gently tapped her forehead with her index finger. She replied with a smile, ¡°You have such a way with words!¡± Taotao blushed and covered her forehead, saying, ¡°No, I truly mean it from the bottom of my heart!¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled happily. What did Qiao Xuan mean by ¡°most fatal¡±? That was it! Why was Taotao so adorable?! While the aunt and sister-inw continued their conversation andughter, Xie Ruifang, the fourth daughter of the Xie Family, and her cousin He Zhiqing approached and invited them to the pavilion for tea. Recognizing their graciousness, Qiao Xuan epted with a smile and left with Taotao. Observing the prosperity of the Xie Family, Taotao let out a sigh of relief. She then recollected Qiao Xuan¡¯s words. Yes, she wasn¡¯t here to seek assistance, so why should she feel ashamed? Her confidence grew stronger. In the pavilion, most of the girls engaged in lively conversations andughter. As Qiao Xuan had anticipated, the Xie Family held the Shao Family in high regard. Although the girls didn¡¯t fully understand the situation or think much of it, they dared not cause any trouble. Chapter 1046: Looking for Someone Chapter 1046: Looking for Someone Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Some of the girls even smiled and greeted Qiao Xuan and Taotao. Qiao Xuan noticed that Taotao was doing well and engaging in conversation with the Miss of the Xie Family and her two sisters. Taotao seemed a bit shy, but she was managing fine, which relieved Qiao Xuan. However, when she nced backter, Qiao Xuan realized that Taotao was no longer in the pavilion. Xiaoman, who had been following Taotao, was also nowhere to be seen. Surprised, Qiao Xuan inquired with a smile when she spotted the fourth daughter of the Xie Family ying chess with someone else. Miss Xie was engrossed in herpetitive chess match and paid little attention to Qiao Xuan. She threw a nce in Qiao Xuan¡¯s direction while still focused on the chessboard and replied with a smile, ¡°Did they go to the garden? Sister Lin and the others mentioned wanting to y games on thewn, so they might have gone together. Don¡¯t worry, our garden is safe, and there are servants everywhere. If they get lost, they can ask for help.¡± The man ying chess with Miss Xie sneered and cast a disdainful look at Qiao Xuan. ¡°Indeed, it would be impossible to lose someone in the Xie Family!¡± Internally frustrated, Qiao Xuan remainedposed and calmly responded, ¡°She¡¯s not familiar with this ce, so I hope she¡¯s okay.¡± Then she left. The woman ying chess with Fourth Miss Xie was taken aback. She sneered softly andmented, ¡°What¡¯s so impressive about the Shao family? They seem incapable andck proper manners. Quite arrogant, I must say!¡± Fourth Miss Xie smiled but didn¡¯t say anything. This guest had been invited by the senior members of the family, while she belonged to the junior branch. It wasn¡¯t her ce to intervene, although she shared simr thoughts. Qiao Xuan realized that every family was alike in some ways. Some connections were destined, while others were not. Taotao had never experienced such a family before, and it seemed that the Miss of the Xie Family was unaware of it as well. Well, Taotao would find her own way. Just how vast was the Xie Family¡¯s estate? Could it span over such arge radius? If Taotao truly wanted to find someone within the premises, she would be able to locate them. Qiao Xuan activated her heightened senses and quickly located Taotao. She found her behind a vine-covered rockery, not far from theke, which she hadn¡¯t noticed before due to the obstruction of a flowering tree and the rockery itself. As Qiao Xuan approached, she realized that Xiaoman was nowhere to be seen, and even He Zhiqing¡¯s maidservant was absent. With a sense of urgency, Qiao Xuan hastened her steps. Observing the cousin of the Xie Family, He Zhiqing, she appeared gentle and mild on the surface, but her eyes betrayed a certain mischievousness. Qiao Xuan had a hunch that this woman was not easy to get along with and had ulterior motives. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe that He Zhiqing genuinely wanted to befriend Taotao. It seemed more likely that she intended to exploit Taotao in some way. When Qiao Xuan was about ten meters away from Taotao, she witnessed He Zhiqing extend her leg, preparing to trip Taotao. Startled, Qiao Xuan eximed, ¡°Miss He!¡± He Zhiqing was taken aback by the sudden interruption. Hastily retracting her attempt at a cheap shot, she stumbled and almost lost her bnce. Taotao,pletely oblivious to the danger, was overjoyed upon spotting Qiao Xuan. She waved excitedly, her eyes sparkling. ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, there are so many beautiful koi fish here!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and approached calmly. ¡°Really? Then let me have a look too.¡± Chapter 1047: You’re mistaken Chapter 1047: You¡¯re mistaken Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions A flicker of anger passed through He Zhiqing¡¯s lowered gaze. She looked up with a smile and said, ¡°Fifth Mrs. Shao, are you here to admire the fish as well? Please enjoy. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, Miss He.¡± Qiao Xuan smiled at Taotao. ¡°Taotao, go back to the pavilion and find Chunyu. I¡¯ll send Xiaoman over as well. It will be time for lunch soon.¡± Taotao was puzzled, but she always followed Qiao Xuan¡¯s instructions, so she nodded with a smile and obediently left. Qiao Xuan directed a sharp gaze at He Zhiqing. Initiallyposed and gentle, He Zhiqing slowly grew increasingly irritated and embarrassed. She asked in a gentle tone, ¡°Fifth Mrs. Shao, what¡¯s with that look in your eyes? I am unaware of how I have offended you.¡± Qiao Xuan stated, ¡°Taotao did nothing to offend you, Miss He, so why did you try to trip her just now?¡± ¡°Fifth Mrs. Shao, be cautious with your words!¡± He Zhiqing retorted indignantly. ¡°I didn¡¯t do such a thing. You must have seen it incorrectly!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°There is no one else present, so there is no need for pretenses, Miss He. I saw it clearly, so I am not mistaken.¡± ¡°Fifth Mrs. Shao, you need evidence to support your ims! If you continue to nder me like this¡ª¡± ¡°You can deny it, but I have a habit of getting to the bottom of things. Since you refuse to speak the truth, I can only bring this matter to Eldest Young Master Xie¡¯s attention. I believe someone as astute as him can address my concerns.¡± Qiao Xuan discerned that He Zhiqing was quite calcting, and so was Xie Jingrong. In other words, He Zhiqing was skilled in manipting the emotions of Madame Yuezheng, the other madams, and thedies, but she would find it difficult to manipte someone like Xie Jingrong. Qiao Xuan was merely attempting to intimidate her. She mentioned Xie Jingrong because he was the person she was most familiar with in the mansion and was known for his intelligence. She had no intention of blowing this minor incident out of proportion. However, for some reason, He Zhiqing¡¯s expression changed upon hearing those words. Despite returning to herposed demeanor, Qiao Xuan still observed He Zhiqing closely. ¡°You¡¯re using me falsely. Cousin isn¡¯t present, so why are you using him as a basis to criticize me?¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Oh, I understand him quite well, and he is remarkably intelligent. As I mentioned before, I can¡¯t afford to overlook any details. It doesn¡¯t sit well with me if I don¡¯t have a clear understanding of everything. I genuinely want to know what my sister-inw has done to offend you. It would be easier to make amends if I know the reason, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything of the sort!¡± ¡°Miss He, I¡¯m not blind.¡± He Zhiqing unconsciously tightened her grip on the embroidered handkerchief in her hand, seething with anger. This was why she disliked engaging with individuals from smaller families whocked proper etiquette. They were shameless and ignorant of their boundaries. Any other young miss or young madam would be left speechless in such a situation without any evidence. No matter how indignant they felt, they could only endure it. However, this impudent person didn¡¯t care about such norms. A person like her was capable of anything, solely concerned with her own happiness while disregarding everything else. Since Qiao Xuan had made that statement, He Zhiqing believed that she would indeed follow through. She had been keeping a close eye on this cousin, which allowed her to learn that he was on friendly terms with the third son of the Yue Zheng Family and the Primus of the Shao Family. Moreover, he had visited the Shao Family multiple times, making him quite familiar with Qiao Xuan. Chapter 1048: Threat Chapter 1048: Threat
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions It was no surprise that this individual dared to be so arrogant¡­ He Zhiqing clenched her teeth and decided to reveal half of the truth. Since Qiao Xuan wouldn¡¯t listen to her, she had no choice but to say something. She couldn¡¯t risk whether or not Qiao Xuan would seek out her cousin.
¡°I didn¡¯t intend to harm her. I wanted to trip her up, but I had no intention of causing her harm. I would have jumped in to save her.¡± Qiao Xuan widened her eyes and regarded her as if she were a fool, as if to say, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll believe such nonsense?¡± He Zhiqing felt a twinge of embarrassment. Even if she were a bystander, she would find herself perplexed, let alone Qiao Xuan. He Zhiqing took a deep breath and had no choice but to continue exining. ¡°As you know, I am a cousin of the Xie Family, and my family is truly¡­ Well, I have no desire to return there whatsoever. However, something happened recently, and my grandaunt intended to send me back. I was genuinely worried and scared¡­ Since you are guests today, I thought that if a guest were to fall into the water and I were to fall ill as a result, my grandaunt and the others would surely abandon the idea of sending me back¡­¡± ¡°I-I really thought of it at thest moment. I admit that I intended to use Miss Shao, but I certainly didn¡¯t mean to deliberately harm her. Moreover, there are numerous servants present in the garden today. If I were to fall into the water and call for help, someone would arrive promptly. Nothing would happen.¡± ¡°This is my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have attempted to exploit Miss Shao for my personal concerns. I¡­ apologize to you. I¡¯m sorry! Please, Fifth Madam Shao, be forgiving. Considering that Miss Shao is unharmed, let this matter be and refrain from mentioning it to anyone else¡­ Can you promise me that, Fifth Madam Shao?¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s gaze turned serious. She didn¡¯t believe everything He Zhiqing said. Perhaps some of it was true, but it certainly wasn¡¯t the whole truth. If her rtionship with Xie Jingrong were ordinary, Qiao Xuan might have chosen to turn a blind eye to the situation. But that was not the case.
There was something amiss with He Zhiqing. Why did Madame Lady Xie of the Xie Family want to send her back home? Why was it necessary for her to stay within the Xie Family? The moment Qiao Xuan mentioned Xie Jingrong¡¯s name, He Zhiqing couldn¡¯t contain herself, revealing her deep concern for him. Could it be¡­ Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyelids twitched. Could it be that Madame Lady Xie of the Xie Family wanted to send He Zhiqing away because she held an interest in Xie Jingrong? It wasn¡¯t an imusible notion. Xie Jingrong was an elegant young master, and it was natural for his cousins to be fond of him. Therefore, it seemed unlikely that He Zhiqing¡¯s intention was to make Taotao fall into the water, save her, and feign sickness. She was likely targeting Xie Jingrong. By saving a guest of the Xie Family from drowning, she prevented a potential disaster within the Xie Family. As the sister of the Primus, her act had safeguarded the reputation of the Xie Family and averted trouble. From this perspective, she appeared deserving of marrying Xie Jingrong. If He Zhiqing pursued marriage with Xie Jingrong for this reason, how could the Xie Family refuse? To refuse would be seen as ungrateful and callous. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t be certain if her spection was urate, but even if it wasn¡¯t entirely urate, it wasn¡¯t far from the truth. Perhaps this was only one aspect. Miss He likely had other means of support!
With these thoughts in mind, Qiao Xuan felt apelling need to inform Xie Jingrong. If Xie Jingrong were to be deceived by such a woman and coerced into marrying her, it would be an immense tragedy. Chapter 1049: Leaving the Xie Family Chapter 1049: Leaving the Xie Family
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan pondered for a moment before speaking to He Zhiqing, ¡°Leave the Xie Family within three days, and I¡¯ll pretend that today¡¯s incident never happened. I won¡¯t disclose anything to anyone.¡± He Zhiqing stared at Qiao Xuan in disbelief, unable to contain her frustration any longer. ¡°Fifth Mrs. Shao, you¡¯re being excessively nosy!¡± Her grand-aunt was Madame Lady Xie, and as a proper cousin of the Xie Family, she had no say when the family decided to send her away. But Qiao Xuan was someone who had no personal stake in the matter.
Qiao Xuan replied, ¡°Exactly. Miss He, consider it my intentional meddling.¡± He Zhiqing couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°What does this have to do with you?!¡± ¡°Miss He, let¡¯s just say I have a habit of being nosy.¡± He Zhiqing fell silent, her gaze fixed on Qiao Xuan. As a clever individual, she soon realized that Qiao Xuan might have picked up on something. Gradually, the way He Zhiqing looked at Qiao Xuan began to change. Startled by this unexpected development, Qiao Xuan regained herposure and met her gaze calmly. In that moment, their eyes locked, and a silent understanding seemed to pass between them. She knew! He Zhiqing knew that Qiao Xuan had figured it out! A magical unspoken connection formed between them¡­ He Zhiqing¡¯s face turned red, feeling a mix of embarrassment and relief. But now that Qiao Xuan was aware, and she didn¡¯t want to lose this person, she might as well confide in her. ¡°Fifth Madam Shao, help me.¡±
¡°Yeah?¡± Qiao Xuan was genuinely taken aback. She hadn¡¯t anticipated that He Zhiqing would attempt to involve her in her schemes so abruptly! She couldn¡¯t help but find it somewhat admirable. When the time came to go all out, this girl showed no hesitation! ¡°As friends of Eldest Cousin, I can speak candidly to you. I genuinely care for Eldest Cousin. I may not possess the same background, talent, or looks as him, but I believe we arepatible. If Fifth Madam Shao assists me, I will certainly reciprocate in the future and repay your kindness. Fifth Master Shao has made remarkable progress in his career this year and has entered officialdom. He still has a bright future ahead. You have been to the capital before, so you must have witnessed it. The capital is filled with influential individuals, and there are countless low-ranking officials striving to climb the ranks. However, how many of them actually seed?¡± ¡°Without a strong background or connections, it bes even more challenging to ascend to greater heights! If Fifth Madam Shao lends me a helping hand today, you won¡¯t lose out¡­¡± Qiao Xuan found herself both amused and annoyed. Madame Qiao had acted this way in the past, as had the Qiao Family, the Tian Family, and even the cousin standing before her. They all made simr ims in front of her and Shao Yunduan. They exuded confidence, their words growing more grandiose with each passing moment. It was as if Shao Yunduan would never be able to achieve greatness on his own. Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t so narrow-minded as to believe that one had to rely solely on oneself without any allies or connections, but there was a saying that people on different paths could not work together. Since their paths diverged, there was nothing more to discuss. For instance, this cousin exemplified such a case.
¡°Miss He, you needn¡¯t concern yourself with us. I will pretend that I never heard what you said today. Miss He, remember to leave the Xie Family within three days.¡± ¡°This is none of your business! Even if you don¡¯t help, you can¡¯t obstruct me like this.¡± Qiao Xuan responded calmly, ¡°Because you are not worthy of Mr. Xie.¡± Chapter 1050: Why? Chapter 1050: Why?
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions He Zhiqing felt a wave of dizziness and almost let out a curse! ¡°I¡¯m not worthy of my cousin? Ha, who do you think you are? What right do you have to say such things?!¡± Qiao Xuan replied, ¡°It¡¯s not about who I am or who you are. What matters is Mr. Xie¡¯s own judgment. What do you think he would say about your actions today?¡±
He Zhiqing seethed with anger and embarrassment. ¡°Which esteemed family is without blemish and can pass judgment on others? Hmph, if Fifth Madam Shao believes that, she¡¯s na?ve! What¡¯s wrong with me employing a little trick? I had no other choice. I admit I intended to use Miss Shao, but I never intended to harm her!¡± Qiao Xuan was so infuriated that she burst intoughter. ¡°Miss He, you have exploited Taotao. Ady, who is a guest, ended up falling into the water, a highly embarrassing situation. What did you do to her? Moreover, Taotao is not adept at swimming, and you cannot guarantee that you could save her in time. What if? What if she got injured as a result? Have you ever considered that? No, you haven¡¯t! You have used and sacrificed others for your own selfish interests, and you have the audacity to justify it! How shameless can you be?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if esteemed families can maintain their purity, and you don¡¯t need to inform me about it. However, this is the first time I have encountered someone so self-centered and heartless, willing to use another person¡¯s life for personal gain!¡± ¡°How dare you im that you are worthy of Eldest Young Master Xie?¡± ¡°I think you should give up as soon as possible! Eldest Young Master Xie is not someone bound by conventions. He doesn¡¯t have any affection for you. Even if you resort to tricks, unless you¡¯re confident that you can deceive him, he will never marry you. So, do you have the confidence to deceive him?¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s blunt words shocked He Zhiqing. A dull ache throbbed in her chest, leaving her too disheartened to utter a word in response. Qiao Xuan¡¯s words had struck a chord. ¡°This is my affair. It has nothing to do with you! You are obstructing my path to be with Eldest Cousin. Could it be that you have feelings for him? I advise you to give up immediately! At least I still have some hope, but you aren¡¯t even worthy of that!¡± He Zhiqing was so infuriated by Qiao Xuan¡¯s words that she couldn¡¯t control herself any longer. Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t respond with the same intensity as she had anticipated. Instead, she regarded He Zhiqing with sympathy and said, ¡°Why must you say such outrageous things? It doesn¡¯t change anything! Why force something that doesn¡¯t belong to you? This isn¡¯t a courtship; it¡¯s ack of self-respect.¡±
He Zhiqing quivered with anger. ¡°What do you know?! You know nothing!¡± Giving Qiao Xuan a fierce re, she stormed off. Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes flickered. She couldn¡¯t be sure if He Zhiqing had truly heard her or not. But she had given her a deadline of three days. He Zhiqing pretending to be deaf and mute wouldn¡¯t make a difference. If He Zhiqing didn¡¯t leave the Xie Family within three days, Qiao Xuan would indeed inform Xie Jingrong. How could she not seek justice for Taotao, whom He Zhiqing had tried to harm? Moreover, now that she was aware of He Zhiqing¡¯s intentions, she couldn¡¯t simply stand by and watch her deceive Xie Jingrong. Qiao Xuan turned around and headed back to find Taotao. Little did she know that after she and He Zhiqing had departed, Xie Jingrong slowly emerged from behind the vine-covered rockery. His eyes flickered, his expression a mix ofplexity¡­ Chapter 1051: Speech Chapter 1051: Speech
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Xie Jingrong didn¡¯t intend to eavesdrop, but he happened to witness He Zhiqing and Qiao Xuan¡¯s conversation by theke. He Zhiqing appeared cunning and gloomy. Xie Jingrong had never held any affection for her, but his grandmother, mother, and sisters seemed to favor her, so he chose not to voice his dislike openly. Instead, he tried to avoid being alone with her whenever possible. However, he hadn¡¯t anticipated her audacity. Some time ago, during a half-drunken state after a banquet, he had briefly entertained the idea of ying a prank on her. Yet, he quickly realized it was a disrespectful notion and rejected it.
Since it involved her reputation, and he hadn¡¯t truly suffered any harm, he didn¡¯t disclose the incident to anyone. However, he subtly hinted at it to his grandmother. Being perceptive, his grandmother promptly decided to send He Zhiqing back to her own home. It wasn¡¯t that the Xie Family couldn¡¯t provide for her, but they couldn¡¯t afford to support a wicked cousin. He Zhiqing kept stalling, taking advantage of her grandmother¡¯s fondness for her, attempting to dy her departure. Yet, her grandmother remained resolute. Regardless of the dys, He Zhiqing would eventually have to leave. When Xie Jingrong saw He Zhiqing with Qiao Xuan, he grew concerned that she might harbor ill intentions towards Qiao Xuan. Thus, he quietly approached her. However, he never expected to overhear such words¡­ A smile crept across Xie Jingrong¡¯s face. Even without his intervention, Qiao Xuan had managed to unnerve He Zhiqing. If it weren¡¯t for Qiao Xuan, he might never have discovered He Zhiqing¡¯s true nature¡ªher despicableness and shamelessness. Disgust welled up within Xie Jingrong. The following day, Xie Jingrong sought his grandmother once more. Madame Yuezheng arranged for a car to be prepared, ready to send He Zhiqing away the following day. Caught off guard, He Zhiqing felt a sense of guilt, but she didn¡¯t dare to insist. With anger in her heart, she left the Xie Family. She believed that Qiao Xuan must have divulged something to Xie Jingrong, which fueled her resentment. When Qiao Xuan found Taotao and Xiaoman returned, she felt relieved.
After a while, servants from First Madame Xie¡¯s household invited them to dinner, and they all went together. They spent the entire morning watching the show and discussing the Eight Trigrams, which gradually warmed up the atmosphere. Ms. Fang became less reserved and could respond with a smile now and then. After lunch, they listened to two more scenes. As it neared four in the afternoon, everyone bid farewell one by one. As they left the Xie Mansion and settled into the wagon, Ms. Fang and Taotao couldn¡¯t help but rx, feeling quite tired once they let down the curtain. Ms. Fang immediately turned to Qiao Xuan and asked, ¡°Ms. Qiao, what did you think of my performance today? Did I make any mistakes? Will people gossip about me?¡± Taotao, too, was anxious. ¡°And what about me, Fifth Sister-inw? Don¡¯t hesitate to tell me!¡± Qiao Xuan found their concern amusing and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me or Taotao. I have always conducted myself appropriately, so who would dare tough at me? Taotao, you did wonderfully as well. There¡¯s nothing to worry about. We can continue doing the same in the future!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Ms. Fang said with a smile. ¡°As long as we avoid mistakes, I can rx. But dealing with such matters is truly challenging, even more exhausting than working in the fields! Oh dear, the fewer such incidents, the better! I can¡¯t handle them, honestly!¡± Chapter 1052: Preparing to Go Back Chapter 1052: Preparing to Go Back Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Shao Taotao grasped the point Qiao Xuan made. ¡°It¡¯s even more exhausting than working in the fields!¡± Working in the fields had never made her feel tired! Qiao Xuan suppressed herughter. ¡°I¡¯m not seeking friendship from anyone, so let¡¯s be open about getting to know each other. If someone has high standards and wants to make things difficult for us, we don¡¯t have to amodate them. So, don¡¯t be nervous.¡± Ms. Fang felt relieved and replied with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± As they discussed the wealth of the Xie Family, Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t help but sigh once again. She had never imagined that such a family could exist in this world¡­ Taotao couldn¡¯t help but envy them. No other family couldpare to the Xie Family. Despite their limited experience, they could sense that this was what a true aristocratic family was like. The following day, apanied by Shao Yunduan, they visited the Yuezheng Family as guests and spent half a day in the city. Ms. Fang expressed her desire to go to Lingyuan Temple to burn incense and pray, so they all decided to go together. Ms. Fang was concerned about her family and felt it was best to return home as soon as possible. After all, there were only two girls at home, and while staying for three or five days was fine, it wouldn¡¯t be ideal to prolong their absence. Everyone agreed. After a few days in the provincial city, they had eaten their fill, bought what they needed, and indulged in some shopping. They were content and it was time to return. After Qiao Xuan and Ms. Fang paid their respects at the temple, Shao Yunduan took Qiao Xuan to explore the back of the mountain. The lush green pines and bamboo covered the mountains, while the spring water cascaded over rocks. Birds chirped, and flowers swayed in the breeze. The two of them strolled, talking andughing. asionally, Shao Yunduan would wrap his arms around Qiao Xuan, showering her with affectionate kisses, causing her cheeks to blush. As they descended the mountain, Qiao Xuan happily held arge bouquet of flowers he had picked for her. It was a sight filled with vibrant colors and beauty. When Yang Xiaoni saw this, she envyingly asked for some to share, but Qiao Xuan came up with an excuse to brush it off. Yuezheng Xiao could send word to Shaoding Vige to inform them when the people who had gone south returned. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t afford to wait here indefinitely. First Madame understood their limited time and expressed her wish for them to stay a few more days. After all, it was a rare opportunity for the family to be together in the future. She had already arranged many gifts for Qiao Xuan to take back and urged her to rest at home once she returned to the capital. Qiao Xuan nodded, smiling in agreement. Upon their return to the vige, Ms. Yang came to visit them. Yang Xiaoni offered her one of the items she had purchased as a gift. Although Yang Xiaoni still owed Ms. Yang three liang, Ms. Yang refused to ept the money. She kindly remarked that it was a small favor and didn¡¯t warrant repayment. Yang Xiaoni politely declined, expressing her gratitude with a smile. It wasn¡¯t that they were greedy for the money, but everyone in the first section of the family was well-off and didn¡¯t need to be concerned about such small amounts. However, Ms. Yang¡¯s reasoning was sound, so Yang Xiaoni graciously epted it. Yang Xiaoni gave Ms. Yang two packets of candied fruits, along with melon seeds and peanuts, which Ms. Yang epted with a smile. Qiao Xuan also presented Ms. Yang with a pair of silk flowers, two powder boxes, and a pair of silver bracelets. Since Ms. Yan had always maintained a good rtionship with the first section of the family, Ms. Niu, although resentful, recognized the benefits of maintaining a positive rapport. Therefore, she refrained from scolding Ms. Yan over this matter. Chapter 1053: Marriage Chapter 1053: Marriage Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Regarding the first section of the family, they were grateful to Ms. Yan for providing them with advanced knowledge about various matters. Ms. Yan informed Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan about Shao Eng¡¯s uing marriage. This was the first time Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni had heard about it, so they were eager to learn more. Yang Xiaoni couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°Finally, Second Uncle¡¯s marriage has been settled. Auntie Niu keeps talking about finding good and outstanding girls from other families. Why do the girls always get chosen?¡± Ms. Xu silently agreed with a smile. In the past, she had been somewhat tempted to introduce girls from her own family to Shao Eng. After all, the second section of the family was now living afortable life. However, her timid nature held her back, and she never voiced her thoughts. Ms. Yan smiled helplessly and sighed. She was well aware of the kind of person Mother-inw was, but she couldn¡¯t openly voice herints. Upon hearing that Shao Eng¡¯s prospective wife was a widow, Yang Xiaoni was so surprised that her jaw almost dropped. Learning that she was Ms. Yanan¡¯s cousin, Yang Xiaoni smiled again. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good! Since she¡¯s an acquaintance, she¡¯ll be able to get along well with you in the future!¡± Ms. Fang chimed in with a smile, ¡°Exactly! I believe this marriage is the best choice!¡± If Shao Eng had married a young girl, she would have been at the mercy of Ms. Niu¡¯s bullying. But widows were different. They had experienced the ups and downs of life. With Ms. Yan¡¯s support, it would be difficult for Ms. Niu to show off. The second section of the family kept Ms. Niu under control to ensure peace within the household. Observing their conversation, Ms. Xu couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Well¡­ Auntie Niu wasn¡¯t satisfied with many people, and she insisted on finding a good daughter-inw for Second Brother Shao. Why¡­ why did she agree in the end¡­¡± Ms. Yan smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s fate! My cousin and my second brother met once and fell in love. Even my father-inw liked her when my second brother expressed his desire to marry her. Mother-inw initially refused, but she eventually gave in.¡± That was indeed true. Ms. Xu decided to let go of her concerns and allowed Ms. Yan to handle everything as she pleased. In Ms. Xu¡¯s perspective, what did it matter if the prospective bride was a widow? Was she truly worth her worries andbor? Not fully understanding the meaning behind Ms. Yan¡¯s words, Ms. Xu simply nodded with a smile. ¡°I understand!¡± As she counted the days, she realized that the wedding date was drawing near, with less than half a month remaining. Ms. Niu had already distanced herself from the preparations. Since Ms. Yan had no prior experience with such matters, she felt a bit anxious and turned to Ms. Fang for assistance. She asked Ms. Fang to guide her and help her understand anything she found confusing. After a moment of contemtion, Ms. Fang agreed and advised, ¡°Just keep it hidden from your Mother-inw and ensure she remains unaware.¡± She had no desire to provoke her further. Ms. Yan readily agreed. It was only muchter that Ms. Niu discovered the extent of her daughter-inw¡¯s assistance during Ms. Fang¡¯s wedding, which infuriated her to the point of falling ill. Ms. Fang was even more concerned about Taotao¡¯s family. That night, as she talked with Qiao Xuan about Shao Yunduan, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Ms. Fang was at a loss about what to do regarding Taotao¡¯s family! Now that her daughter had grown so capable, she appeared more intelligent and resourceful. Seeing her like this, Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t bear the thought of pairing her with a simple-minded country bumpkin who knew nothing. She felt that she would have treated Taotao unfairly. Chapter 1054: Troubled Chapter 1054: Troubled Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions It wasn¡¯t that no one from the affluent family hade forward to reveal their intention of marriage. Therefore, Ms. Fang hesitated to respond, fearing that she might be wrongly used. Who in such a family didn¡¯t have a suitor or a potential match? Although she could find a promising partner from an ordinary farming family, Ms. Fang still had reservations. While the family was respectable, there was a possibility that her daughter might not be pleased with her background when she attended high school in the future. Furthermore, if the man in question didn¡¯t have a stable job or didn¡¯t achieve sess, her daughter would suffer as a result. What would be the point of marrying such a man? Given that most businessmen were often unscrupulous and driven by impure motives, Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t ascertain their true intentions and was apprehensive¡­ As a result, Taotao¡¯s marriage became a quandary. When Ms. Fang voiced her concerns, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged nces. It was indeed a significant issue. Being Taotao¡¯s only sister, her family showered her with love and naturally desired for her to have a prosperous and trouble-free life through a good marriage. However, her maiden family worried about her living under someone else¡¯s roof. What Ms. Fang hadn¡¯t disclosed to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan was that during the period when they had left home ande to the capital, her eldest uncle had nearly revealed information about Taotao¡¯s prospective marriage. The couple from the third section had ulterior motives. They had invited her eldest uncle to a dinner and attempted to get him intoxicated. That¡¯s when they broached the topic of Taotao¡¯s family. Eldest Uncle was so ted that he readily agreed. They were discussing a well-to-do family in the neighboring vige of Ms. Ma¡¯s family. Ms. Ma had requested eldest uncle to alter the invitation before informing Ms. Fang, but eldest uncle wasn¡¯t foolish enough to disclose it to her the next day. He believed that there was nothing wrong with revealing it. The other party belonged to an affluent family and was an ideal match for Taotao. What could possibly go wrong? Besides, how could his third sister-inw and brother deceive their family? They had made the introduction, so there surely wouldn¡¯t be any issues! When Eldest Uncle informed Ms. Fang about the matter, he boasted about it, emphasizing how well Third Brother and Third Sister-inw treated Taotao and how much they cared for her. Ms. Fang, who had always been skeptical of them, was startled by these words. She hurriedly went to the third branch to confront Ms. Ma and they engaged in a heated argument, eventually causing Ms. Ma to back down. She had no right to interfere in her own daughter¡¯s affairs. Regarding what Ms. Ma was referring to, Eldest Uncle refused to acknowledge it. If Ms. Ma liked it so much, she should just arrange for her own daughter to marry into that family! Ms. Fang wasn¡¯t concerned about whether the family was rich or not. What she knew was that Ms. Ma had ulterior motives, and whatever she had promised couldn¡¯t be anything good! As long as she understood this, it was enough for her to make the right judgment. Eldest Uncle was merely engaging in casual conversation, and there was no involvement of a matchmaker or an exchange of formal invitations. Ms. Fang made her stance clear, and that should have been the end of the matter. However, that wasn¡¯t the case. Ms. Ma held a grudge and secretly wished for something unfavorable to happen. Yet, she still went to discuss the marriage with the Sun Family. The Sun Family was ecstatic and proceeded to invite a matchmaker to the first section of the Shao Family for the exchange of invitations and marriage discussions. They were eager to marry off Taotao as soon as possible! This greatly infuriated Ms. Fang, and she promptly asked the matchmaker to leave, stating that it was all a misunderstanding. What marriage? Absolutely not! Chapter 1055: A Mistake Chapter 1055: A Mistake Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions Suppressing her anger, Ms. Fang maintained a pleasant demeanor in front of the matchmaker. Taotao had to rely on the matchmaker to find a suitable match, so she couldn¡¯t afford to offend her. Who knew what the matchmaker might say otherwise? Initially, the matchmaker was perplexed about how the Sun family could arrange a marriage with the highly rmended Shao family¡ªthey might even be rtives of an Advanced Schr in the future. She had approached the situation with skepticism. Upon hearing Ms. Fang¡¯s words, the matchmaker breathed a sigh of relief and left without saying anything further. She wasn¡¯t foolish and could discern that Ms. Fang was suppressing her anger. The Sun family, truly¡­ This was the first encounter between the matchmaker and the Sun family, so they were taken aback and somewhat enraged. They insisted that they had reached an agreement regarding the marriage, so how could the first section of the family renege on their word? The matchmaker remained unconvinced and couldn¡¯t help but inquire, ¡°Did Rmended man Shao¡¯s parents genuinely consent to this marriage?¡± The wife of the Sun family retorted, ¡°It was Rmended man Shao¡¯s Third Aunt-inw who personally informed us that her Elder Brother agreed. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have invited you! We can¡¯t back down now! Although our Sun family may not be as prestigious as theirs, we¡¯re not ones to be casually bullied or trifled with!¡± The matchmaker understood everything. Being well-acquainted with all the viges and familiar with the local customs, she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°No wonder! You might not be aware, but the first section, second section, and third section of the Shao Family have always had a strained rtionship, particrly the second section, who have engaged in many inappropriate actions and severed ties with the first section. I suspect the third section of the family isn¡¯t heeding your wishes. They might be attempting to deceive you¡­¡± The daughter-inw of the Sun family grew displeased upon hearing this. ¡°But they¡¯re biological brothers. How can you say such things? Isn¡¯t what this brother-inw¡¯s daughter-inw said the truth? It doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± Observing the tension, the matchmaker pursed her lips and refrained from furtherments. As expected, Mrs. Sun was determined to go to Shaoding Vige and confront Eldest Uncle and Ms. Fang. She even rallied some members of the Sun Family to apany her. Ms. Fang chose to ignore their actions. Instead, she sought the assistance of the Land Officer and the vige elders to mediate the situation with Ms. Ma and uncover the whole truth. Ms. Fang insisted on waiting for Shao Yunduan to return and make the final decision, as per Shao Yunduan¡¯s wishes before his departure. He had made it clear that he wouldn¡¯t consider marrying Taotao until his return. As Taotao¡¯s mother, Ms. Fang was in the dark about the entire situation. However, Ms. Ma, being Taotao¡¯s aunt, had already made the promise. It simply didn¡¯t make sense! If Ms. Fang wasn¡¯t present, Eldest Uncle might have given in to Ms. Ma and Third Uncle¡¯s demands. But with Ms. Fang¡¯s presence, he couldn¡¯t side with his wife. Therefore, he decided that they would discuss the matter when Shao Yunduan returned. If Shao Yunduan had no objections, then the marriage would proceed. However, soon enough, Ms. Fang discovered that epilepsy ran in the Sun Family. Members of the Sun Family, including Madam Sun¡¯s father-inw, Madam Sun¡¯s husband, and the intended groom for Taotao, all suffered from this illness. When it red up, they would convulse on the ground, foaming at the mouth and rolling their eyes. It was a frightening sight. If Taotao were to marry into the Sun Family, there was a high probability that her son would also inherit this illness. Even if her son escaped it, her grandson would likely be affected. There was no known cure for this condition. Enraged by this revtion, Ms. Fang scolded Eldest Uncle and dragged him to the third branch, where she pped Ms. Ma twice. The following day, she arranged for the vige representatives to confront Ms. Ma at the Sun Family and bring the truth to light. The wedding arrangements were no longer going to proceed. Chapter 1056: Stone on the Feet Chapter 1056: Stone on the Feet
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions It was out of the question for Taotao to marry someone afflicted with an illness. Were the Sun Family taking advantage of the fact that there were no influential figures in Shaoding Vige? The vige chief and elders of Shaoding Vige were also incensed. They reprimanded Third Uncle Shao and Madam Ma for their disrespect. Taotao was the sister of High Schr Shao, and she might even be the sister of an Advanced Schr Shao. How could she be married off to such a person?
This was a direct insult to her Fifth Brother! As Taotao¡¯s biological sister, what kind of esteemed family could she be married into? The Sun Family was undoubtedly in the wrong. Moreover, the marriage had never been finalized; it was merely mentioned informally. If the Shao Family was unwilling, then it wouldn¡¯t happen. No one could argue otherwise. The Sun family disyed great arrogance. Madam Sun even shouted, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with our family. If you break your promise like this, it will tarnish your daughter¡¯s reputation! In the future, if you can¡¯t find a suitable family,e back and seek us out. It won¡¯t be so easy then!¡± Ms. Fang was infuriated but couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my daughter isn¡¯t concerned about getting married. And who are you to question my integrity? Go confront whoever fed you this information! Throughout history, when ites to marriage, it has been the parents who act as matchmakers. I have never heard of parents being bypassed, only for the neighbor¡¯s aunt to have the final say. What a ridiculous notion!¡± Ms. Ma interjected, ¡°Sister-inw, you can¡¯t say that. Elder Brother has already agreed to it.¡± Ms. Fang retorted sharply, ¡°Our families are worlds apart, or do you think I¡¯m unaware of that? Did you forget about me when I¡¯m away from home? You may inform your Elder Brother, but why did you hide it from me? I explicitly told you not to mention it again, yet you still came to my house to sow discord. What are you trying to achieve?¡± Ms. Fang sneered as she pointed at Ms. Ma and addressed Mrs. Sun, ¡°My sister-inw hails from a respected family, and her son is a promising Schr. He has a bright future ahead of him. If you¡¯re curious about their opinion, why not ask her? If she¡¯s so content with your family, she¡¯d likely be willing to marry off her own daughter!¡± Ms. Ma was taken aback. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to? Heh.¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s anger red even higher. ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling, how dare you im that you¡¯re acting in Taotao¡¯s best interest? Our Taotao has a brother who¡¯s on his way to bing an Advanced Schr. Isn¡¯t he more suitable than your daughter?¡± ¡°You!¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s words ignited a furious response from Ms. Ma!
Mrs. Sun¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement as she looked at Ms. Ma, feeling a surge of confidence. She dared not entertain thoughts about the first section of the Shao Family. If Ms. Fang didn¡¯t agree, then Rmended man and the Advanced Schr wouldn¡¯t agree either. Moreover, the entire Shaoding Vige would rally behind them. Most importantly, there had been no formal exchange of invitations between their families, and Ms. Fang had never given her consent to this marriage. Taotao wasn¡¯t the least bit concerned about her reputation being affected. Mrs. Sun couldn¡¯t intimidate her. So what if she refused to give up? Though she was quite adept at causing trouble, little did she expect that the Fang family would stir up even more trouble! She couldn¡¯t emerge victorious¡­ However, since Ms. Ma had brought up the topic of marriage, it was only natural for her to seek rification, right? Ms. Fang sneered, no longer invested in this matter, and firmly instructed Eldest Uncle to refrain from interfering. He wasn¡¯t allowed to mention anything about Taotao¡¯s marriage ever again. Eldest Uncle didn¡¯t utter a word, but he couldn¡¯t shake off his lingering annoyance. He wasn¡¯t foolish, yet he didn¡¯t want to view his second and third brothers in an overly negative light. Somehow, he still held onto the belief that they weren¡¯t entirely to me. Chapter 1057: Sad and Disappointed Chapter 1057: Sad and Disappointed
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Every time something urred, Eldest Uncle convinced himself that his brothers didn¡¯t intend it, that they must have had their reasons. Perhaps they were unaware of how things would escte and didn¡¯t mean any harm¡­ After all, despite women being known for their pettiness and scheming, the three of them were blood rtives! In their youth, Second Brother and Third Brother had respected and listened to him so much. Though they often quarreled, they never dared toy a hand on him. He would always step in to mediate. Those were good times. How did it all change?
He refused to believe it, or rather, he didn¡¯t want to believe it. Yet, with each passing event, his confidence teetered on the brink of copse. He relied on his own convictions and support, but his two brothers repeatedly undermined him. He could no longer contain his emotions. As much as he wished to trust them, he had no choice but to surrender to the truth. The harsh reality hit him the hardest. He wanted to avoid it, but it was impossible. This matter involved his children¡ªhow could he evade it? Eldest Uncle was ovee with disappointment and anguish, rendering him unusually quiet. Misinterpreting his silence as guilt, Ms. Fang, infuriated, paid no attention to him. She desired nothing more than his silence! Only when he promised not to interfere in the family affairs concerning the children did Ms. Fang find some sce. Ms. Sun proved to be clingy indeed. While Ms. Fang observed the unfolding drama from the sidelines, she gathered herposure and made sure Ms. Ma faced the consequences. Ms. Ma was filled with anger, regret, and fear. How could she not be frightened? Taotao had Shao Yunduan to protect her, so her reputation was of little concern. However, it was different for her daughter, Shao Xiaozhi. She had attempted to use Shao Ling to intimidate the Sun family¡¯s wife, but how could a mere student like Shao Ling possibly intimidate the wife of the Sun family? In a state of desperation, Ms. Ma contemted following Ms. Fang¡¯s lead and seeking assistance, only to be scolded by the Land Officer and the vige elders. The Land Officer, elders, and others were not present to resolve trivial matters for everyone. Interfering in such affairs would only burden them with endless trivialities in the future. They would be utterly exhausted!
Troubles should be resolved individually! Ms. Ma grew infuriated and decided to approach the first section of the family for a discussion. This action provoked a hot-tempered female elder, who sneered and retorted, ¡°What can you say? Who in this vige canpare to the rmended man¡¯s family? If you want to be considered on par with them, start by donating 400 acres of familynd to the n and contributing a few hundred taels of silver to the vige school! Only then, when youe seeking help again, we might consider assisting you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be deluded. The rmended man¡¯s family has made tremendous contributions to our vige. Even if he is not present, how can the vige turn a blind eye when his mother requests assistance?¡± Her words struck a chord in Ms. Ma¡¯s heart. However, how could she produce 400 acres of family farnd and a few hundred taels of silver? She didn¡¯t possess such resources, and even if she did, parting with them would be unbearable! When Shao Yunduan undertook such actions, she secretly ridiculed him, but now she felt the sting of her own hypocrisy. Left with no choice, Ms. Ma reluctantlypensated Mrs. Sun with 30 liang and left the matter unresolved. She felt immense remorse for the money spent and, along with Third Uncle, approached Eldest Uncle in private to express their grievances, hoping he would make amends. Chapter 1058: Waiting Chapter 1058: Waiting
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions But Eldest Uncle informed them that he had no money and that all the money in the household belonged to Ms. Fang. As a result, they hesitated to ask Ms. Fang for it, fearing they might face physical retribution. Ms. Ma and Third Uncle grew even more frustrated. They didn¡¯t dare to approach Ms. Fang for the money. They would likely end up enduring a few ps instead.
Ms. Fang, aware of their loss of 30 liang, coldly smiled and felt a sense of relief. Since she had recently severed ties with the second section of the family, it wasn¡¯t the right time to cut off her rtionship with the third section. Thus, Ms. Fang chose not to mention it. In short, the third section had brought trouble upon themselves, and they were the ones suffering the consequences. Ms. Fang didn¡¯t want Shao Yunduan to be bothered by this issue, so she refrained from informing him or Qiao Xuan about it, nor did she allow her family to mention it. Nevertheless, she took Taotao¡¯s family matter seriously. Shao Yunduan had be an official with a promising future. With Qi being absent, many people had their eyes on Taotao! It was needless to say that the second section of the family was no longer suitable. The third section had learned their lesson and no longer entertained the idea. However, Ms. Fang worried about the possibility of someone intentionally luring Taotao. Taotao was an innocent girl who had never experienced the world, so there was concern about her being seduced. That was Ms. Fang¡¯s primary worry. After expressing her thoughts, Ms. Fang let out a sigh. ¡°Think it over and decide for me. What should we do about Taotao? It would be wonderful if we could settle this before youe to the capital!¡± Hearing these words, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan exchanged nces and smiled helplessly. Marriage wasn¡¯t something that could be resolved so easily, especially when it involved Taotao. Being the only girl in the family, Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t afford to be careless.
Even if Taotao married a man of questionable character and had her family¡¯s support, it would ultimately bring her pain and suffering. After Ms. Fang departed, Qiao Xuan gazed at Shao Yunduan with a smile. ¡°This is quite a challenging situation, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shao Yunduan nodded and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°You always have brilliant ideas. Why don¡¯t you share your thoughts with me?¡± Qiao Xuan pondered for a moment. ¡°I believe there is no one in the surrounding viges, including the county city, who is truly deserving of Taotao!¡± Shao Yunduan ¡°¡­.¡± He didn¡¯t know whether tough or sigh, but upon careful consideration, Qiao Xuan¡¯s observation seemed to hold some truth. ¡°Darling, don¡¯t forget!¡± Qiao Xuan swatted away his yful hands. ¡°Taotao has a substantial amount of personal wealth, at least a thousand taels, right? When she gets married, her family will provide a generous dowry, and we will contribute significantly as well! So, who else in the countryside can measure up to her?¡± Qiao Xuan continued, ¡°Furthermore, look at how skilled Taotao has be. She knows everything, especially when ites to making lipstick. She has mastered the entire process. I only shared with her the ratio of beeswax and flower juice. Even after she marries, she should remain in control of this matter. However, she needs to be cautious about the family she marries into.¡± ¡°What concerns me the most is whether her husband¡¯s family might attempt to secretly learn the process when they see the money involved, or even exploit it to harm Taotao.¡± ¡°But if we forbid her from intervening in this matter because she¡¯s married, won¡¯t she feel miserable?¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s decision to pass down the entire process to Taotao stemmed from herck of trust in Ms. Xu. Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni were sisters-inw, and if Yang Xiaoni were the one to inherit the knowledge, Ms. Xu would be the sister-inw. How could she ept that? Conflicts within the family were bound to arise.
Chapter 1059: Into Mountains Chapter 1059: Into Mountains
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions However, Ms. Xu was different from Yang Xiaoni. Yang Xiaoni was stubborn and would listen to Qiao Xuan, but not Ms. Xu. After all, they were aware of the profitability of the lipstick business, even if they didn¡¯t haveplete knowledge. If Ms. Xu were to discover it, she might secretly inform her own family. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t take such a risk.
The two sisters-inw decided not to disclose the information to anyone but Taotao. Moreover, Taotao was more intelligent than both of them, so she quickly grasped the concepts and performed exceptionally well. Most importantly, Taotao had a genuine passion for learning it herself. When Qiao Xuan mentioned her ns to teach Taotao, the girl was thrilled to the point of almost jumping up. She couldn¡¯t sleep the entire night due to her excitement. Once she began learning, she disyed immense energy and meticulousness. Taotao possessed inherent intelligence that should not have gone to waste. Qiao Xuan had no regrets about imparting this skill to her. After all, would it be beneficial for Taotao to spend her whole life solely engaged in farming, household chores, child-rearing, and catering to men¡¯s needs? The couple contemted for a while and finally informed Ms. Fang that Taotao was only 16 years old, so she was still quite young. They suggested waiting for another two years or so. Should they continue searching within the next two years? Perhaps they would find a suitable candidate? If, within the next two years, they couldn¡¯t find an ideal match, they would settle for someone who met about 60% to 70% of their expectations. Ms. Fang understood that this matter couldn¡¯t be resolved immediately, so she sighed and had no other choice. However, when Taotao learned about it, she blushed and secretly confided in Qiao Xuan that she didn¡¯t want to get married so early¡­
Hearing this, Qiao Xuan took the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart conversation with her. She encouraged Taotao to express her thoughts about marriage to her mother. Regardless of the family in question, it was crucial for Taotao to genuinely like the potential match. She could also explore more frequently. With business in the province, she could visit and see if there was anything she could gain from it. However, she had to be cautious and not easily fall prey to deception. When venturing out in the provincial city, she shouldn¡¯t go alone. He proceeded to enlighten her about the tricks employed by swindlers and scoundrels¡­ Taotao felt a bit dizzy and even more embarrassed. Nevertheless, she nodded earnestly. Fifth Sister-inw was correct. This was her personal matter. How could she not take it seriously? It would determine the course of her life! Even though Qi was not present, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t resist the urge to venture into the mountains. However, she felt too bashful to bring it up. Observing this, Shao Yunduan inwardly chuckled. He intended to take her on a mountain hike, stating that it would be a way for her to rx. Qiao Xuan was thrilled. This was the season for an abundance of bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and ripe wild fruits, making it an opportune time to gather them. The mountains were teeming with countless wild fruits and berries, many of whichcked proper names. They were simply referred to in the local dialect, casually and nonchntly. However, these wild fruits had delightful vors. They were tangy and sweet, juicy and sulent, soft and sweet, or possessed a unique refreshing taste. Every ripening season, they enticed numerous children from the vige to venture into the mountains for picking. Of course, the vige children usually didn¡¯t stray too far into the mountains.
Given Qiao Xuan¡¯s ability to cultivate anything within her space, she nned to grow some fruit trees and shrubs as well. Chapter 1060: Things Chapter 1060: Things
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions It would be incredibly convenient to have ess to these fruits whenever she desired. Additionally, there were an array of fresh and sweet raspberries, raspberries, and Marchberries. There were also ground twists, milk fruits, goat milk fruits, ground loquats, sour dates, glutinous rice noodles, cold rice lumps, and more. Despite their unassuming appearance, being wild and hailing from the mountainous areas, they were often overlooked, yet their taste was truly delightful! Since she had the ability to cultivate within her space, why not take advantage of it? In the future, she could enjoy these fruits at any time and even bring them along. Just the thought of it filled her with joy. Qiao Xuan pondered which excuse she should employ to venture into the mountains when Shao Yunduan brought it up.
Although it was merely a hike, she would have the final say on the route once they entered the mountains. However, Shao Yunduan was no longer the same person he once was, so Ms. Fang disagreed with his proposal. Nevertheless, witnessing Shao Yunduan¡¯s excitement, she realized how precious his return was. She didn¡¯t know when he would have the opportunity to return again, so she couldn¡¯t bear to turn him down. Thus, she instructed Shao Dng, Shao Sang, Yang Xiaoni, Taotao, and others to apany him and not venture too deep into the mountains or stay there for too long. Afterward, she hurriedly made her way back. She even contemted enlisting a few young men from the vige to apany them¡­ Qiao Xuan sighed inwardly. Shao Yunduan found himself caught betweenughter and tears. ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t have to do this. I¡¯m not that clueless. I grew up in the vige and have been to the mountains countless times. You¡¯re exaggerating!¡± However, Ms. Fang insisted, ¡°You¡¯re not the same as before! You¡¯re not the same as before. You used to stumble, but now you can¡¯t afford to stumble. What if something unfortunate happens? No, no, no, I¡¯m just being silly. It doesn¡¯t count!¡± Shao Dng and Shao Sang concurred with Ms. Fang¡¯s sentiments. She gazed at Shao Yunduan as if he were a delicate treasure. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t contain her amusement any longer and yfully winked at Shao Yunduan. The young official, the hope of the entire vige, truly lived up to his noble status. How could she possiblypare? In the end, despite Shao Yunduan¡¯s insistence, they decided against summoning the vigers. However, Shao Dng, Shao Sang, Yang Xiaoni, and the others were required to apany them and were prohibited from staying in the mountains for too long.
Shao Yunduan had no choice but to agree. As they ventured into the mountains, Qiao Xuan¡¯s spirits soared. She found delight in every corner and wore an unwavering smile. Taotao, Yang Xiaoni, and the others were equally joyous. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since Ist came here. I¡¯ve missed it dearly!¡± ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right! It¡¯s a shame Qi isn¡¯t here!¡± ¡°When Qi returns, Fifth Brother and Fifth Sister-inw, you muste again with us!¡± Laughter and conversation filled the air. They gathered wild bamboo shoots and collected an abundance of mushrooms. They also plucked ripe wild fruits and berries, savoring their vors. Although they refrained from hunting wild animals, they found their experience to be immensely fulfilling. Qiao Xuan snapped off branches of wild fruits and berries, cing them into her space. She had acquired everything she desired. Upon returning home, she nned to allocate time to neatly nt each item. The prospect left her feeling immensely satisfied. During this season, wild mushrooms were not particrly abundant, but there was an abundance of bamboo shoots in various sizes. Once nched, the bamboo shoots would be shredded or cut into finger-length segments. Stir-fried with preserved vegetables and cured meat, they made for a truly exquisite delicacy. Chapter 1061: That’s My Feeling Chapter 1061: That¡¯s My Feeling
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The chestnut bamboo shoots were delicately sliced and used to make a refreshing soup, boasting a delightful sweetness. As for the other dishes, they were sliced and soaked in clear water overnight, ready to be stir-fried with chili peppers and meat slices. These dishes were truly unparalleled. Shao Dng, being an upright man, remembered his mother¡¯s instructions. Sensing that it was almost time, he urged everyone to head home. However, Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, and the others were not ready to leave. Since Yang Xiaoni and the rest rarely ventured into the mountains, they had be engrossed in gathering nts and were determined to fill their sacks and baskets. asionally, they startled pheasants and wild rabbits that were foraging in the grass and woods. Helplessly, they watched as the pheasants took flight, pping their wings, and the wild rabbits swiftly vanished from sight. Sighs of regret filled the air. They finally understood why others envied them when they returned with a bountiful catch of wild animals.
Such was the current sentiment. Helpless yearning welled up within them, but they couldn¡¯t attain what they desired. It was simply an insatiable craving¡­ Of course, Qiao Xuan felt this most profoundly. After all, others were limited in the number of pheasants and wild rabbits they encountered. Unlike her, she had witnessed countless. There were not only pheasants and wild rabbits, but also hares, wild sheep, wild boars, and more. In the past, with Qi by her side, she could easily secure a sessful hunt if she led the way¡­ Once they had enjoyed themselves and amassed a fruitful harvest, they made their way back to the vige. Ms. Fang stood at the vige entrance, eagerly awaiting their return. Upon seeing their joyous expressions, she held back her reproachful words. Never mind. She wouldn¡¯t dampen the mood this time, but she wouldn¡¯t allow it to happen again in the future. Shao Yunduan, not wanting his mother to worry, took Qiao Xuan to explore the nearby hills for three or four days. The two of them strolled hand in hand, undisturbed by anyone, enjoying their time amidst the lush green mountains. Each day, Qiao Xuan would request her family to gather the ingredients, and if needed, Songshi would travel to the city to purchase them. Qiao Xuan would then cook two of her finest dishes, and they would savor the vors together. Sesame chicken, ginger-infused duck, pickled vegetables, conch broth, lion¡¯s head meatballs, braised pork, seafood soup, braised fish head, braised pig¡¯s trotters, and many more dishes made dinner a delightful anticipation for the family each day¡­
In the blink of an eye, it was time for Shao Eng¡¯s wedding. Ms. Niu, being a yful character, had conveniently fallen ¡°ill¡± two days prior, iming she couldn¡¯t do anything and needed to stay in bed. Shao Eng knew that his mother had reservations about his marriage to Mei Qing, so he attempted to ask her to handle the matter for him. However, Ms. Niu scolded him, saying, ¡°You have a wife now and you¡¯ve forgotten about your mother. I showered you with love for nothing! Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m unwell and unable to move? Do you expect me to take care of it for you? Do you want me to exhaust myself to death?¡± ¡°If you really want me to handle it, fine. Why don¡¯t we change the date?! We can reschedule it. Once I¡¯m better, we can manage it together!¡± Shao Eng¡¯s expression darkened, and he fell silent. ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Ms. Yan paid no mind to the situation. She had been in charge of most things from the beginning to the end. If there was something she didn¡¯t understand, she sought assistance from Ms. Fang. Seeing Ms. Fang¡¯s willingness to help, the vigers enthusiastically lent their support, ensuring everything went smoothly. Since Ms. Niu insisted on feigning illness, they let her be. As the bride and groom were soon to be married again, there was no need to be overly fussy about the arrangements. In fact, they didn¡¯t bother with any borate preparations at all. Chapter 1062: Shao Erlang’s Marriage Chapter 1062: Shao Eng¡¯s Marriage
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions There were only about ten tables set up for the wedding banquet, where their neighbors, close rtives, and friends were treated to a meal. Thus, on the day of the bridal escort, everything proceeded as usual. Ms. Niu was so furious that she didn¡¯t even make an appearance. Initially, Mei Qing felt a bit disgusted, but when Ms. Yan brought her dinner, she reassured her with a smile. ¡°Cousin, no, Second Sister-inw, let her be. Our mother-inw has always been like this. The more she goes overboard, the guiltier Second Brother feels towards you, and that¡¯s a good thing! I don¡¯t believe we can¡¯t handle her!¡± Ms. Yan winked at her, and Mei Qing smiled back, feeling much better.
Even if Shao Eng couldn¡¯t handle the situation, he would undoubtedly feel remorseful after being mistreated today, making it easier to deal with Ms. Niu. Mei Qing firmly held Ms. Yan¡¯s hands and sighed, saying, ¡°Jiaojiao, you and I are family now. I will never forget your kindness. Let¡¯s live a good life from now on!¡± Ms. Yan understood that Mei Qing was referring to her own family, so she replied with a smile, ¡°Sister-inw, don¡¯t say that. There is no need to mention kindness. Honestly, if Second Brother were to marry someone else, why shouldn¡¯t it be you, Sister-inw? We¡¯re already familiar with each other, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± The two of them exchanged smiles and nced at each other. Even though Ms. Niu was ¡°ill¡± and absent, it didn¡¯t impact the overall situation. Second marriages were not highly valued to begin with, so Mei Qing didn¡¯t feel too aggrieved. Even if others gossiped, their words held limited weight. Mei Qing was no longer the naive and ignorant youngdy from her teenage years. She regarded her dignity with great seriousness and paid no heed to gossip. Initially, she thought she would spend the rest of her life as a widow, living cautiously under the care of her brothers, sisters-inw, and nephews. Although they didn¡¯t despise her, their fondness for her was limited. She had to tread carefully each day, enduring inevitable hardships. Even if Mei Qing were to find another family to marry, it was unlikely that she would have a good match. At best, it would be apromise. Unexpectedly, she had managed to secure such a favorable marriage. Even if her mother-inw feigned illness and skipped the wedding banquet, Mei Qing had no objections. At this point, Mei Qing could officially be considered a member of the second branch of the family.
Ms. Niu was indeed a troublemaker. Mei Qing could endure it, but the more she endured, the more arrogant Ms. Niu became. Then one day, Shao Eng saw Ms. Niu kneeling in the yard as a form of punishment. Shao Eng was furious. He looked at the wounds on Mei Qing¡¯s hands and demanded to know how Ms. Niu had treated her so poorly! Ms. Yan refused to disclose the details, but she hinted at Shao Eng to ask his own children. Ms. Niu had influenced them not to like Mei Qing either, so when they heard their father¡¯s question, theyined bitterly. However, they were just children andcked shrewdness. Shao Eng managed to coax them with a few words. Shao Juan even shared with Shao Eng how her grandmother had punished her stepmother, further fueling Shao Eng¡¯s fury. He insisted on splitting up the family that very day. Ms. Yan was delighted. It would be wonderful if they could indeed separate. Ms. Niu resisted, but she dared not mistreat Mei Qing any longer. Shao Eng warned that if he discovered any mistreatment again, they would definitely go their separate ways. As the eldest son, Shao Eng had lived with Ms. Niu and his younger brother after the separation. However, if they were to separate now, Mei Qing would be the mistress of the family, which would bring about a significant change. Chapter 1063: Dodging Chapter 1063: Dodging
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions They also requested that Shao Eng teach them a lesson. Ms. Niu was forbidden from interfering any further, so they asked Mei Qing to discipline them. If they dared to be rude again, they would report it to him, and he would take appropriate action. Shao Juan and Shao Xianwen were still young and, after being frightened by their biological father, they didn¡¯t even dare to cry, let alone cause trouble. Mei Qing may not have been particrly fond of them, but she knew she had to treat them well. After all, they were Shao Eng¡¯s eldest son and daughter. If Shao Eng found out that she mistreated them, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stay in the family. If she were to get divorced and return to her maternal family, it was doubtful if she would even be weed there anymore. Mei Qing and Ms. Yan, being cousins and sisters-inw, had a good rtionship and could stand up to Ms. Niu, their mother-inw. It became difficult for Ms. Niu to cause trouble and create conflicts all day long. She couldn¡¯t even manage her own affairs, let alone find fault with others.
That wouldeter, once Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had already moved to the capital. On Mei Qing¡¯s wedding day, Ms. Fang and her daughter-inw also attended the wedding banquet. Thanks to Shao Yunduan, Ms. Fang was in the spotlight. Whether they knew each other or not, people approached her to greet and exchange pleasantries. Even Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni were surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd. Where was Qiao Xuan? Ms. Fang had asked her to leave after making an appearance. If she were here, even more people would be vying for her attention. Qiao Xuan was happy to step aside. As for Taotao, she didn¡¯t appear at all. As for the male guests, Shao Yunduan only approached them once they were seated. Although they were not close rtives, they were still from the samemunity, so it would have been inappropriate for them not to attend. Ms. Niu was too sick to attend, otherwise, she would have been disgusted. But even if she felt disgusted, she couldn¡¯t drive away the first section of the family. It would be giving the second section of the family face bying. If they didn¡¯te, it would be even more embarrassing for the second section of the family in the future! Ms. Niu was right.
One should never hit a smiling person. Ms. Fang agreed with a smile, as long as she came forward to greet them, she could chat with anyone, whether she knew them or not. As time went on, Ms. Fang started to feel annoyed, but she had to tolerate it. In her daily life, she had argued with the head of the family quite a bit. No one was allowed to be arrogant or look down on others, including her. Unexpectedly, as she spoke those words, some people felt that something was amiss, seeing that Ms. Fang was so amicable. Ms. Niu¡¯s cousin, Ms. Niu Senior, had been sitting next to Ms. Fang with a smile since she arrived. Somehow, upon hearing that Shao Yunduan had been appointed as an official in the capital, she said with a smile, ¡°Old Master Primus is so far away from the capital, and it¡¯s not good to have no one from our ce. Mr. Primus, don¡¯t forget the customs of your hometown.¡± Ms. Fang was taken aback and responded with a smile, ¡°My fifth son is not that kind of person. He will never forget his roots!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not forgetting my roots. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to have a fellow viger with me, someone I can feel close to within a region?¡± Seeing Ms. Fang looking at her, Ms. Niu Senior grew excited and said with a smile, ¡°My daughter is only 16 years old this year, and she¡¯s beautiful, well-mannered, and hardworking. Sister-inw, all you have to do is give your approval and let here to your house tomorrow.¡± Chapter 1064: Targeted Chapter 1064: Targeted
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°It is indeed a blessing for her to have the opportunity to follow Mr. Primus and take care of him. It doesn¡¯t matter whether she bes the second or third section of the family. Sister-inw, you¡¯re a practical person, and Mr. Primus is also kind-hearted. He would never mistreat her.¡± ¡°When my youngest daughter was little, a traveling Daoist priest even bestowed his fortune upon her. He said that she would encounter a benefactor in her life and would surely have a noble son in the future. She will be blessed abundantly! Haha, Sister-inw, look, this is not what she should be doing!¡± Speaking of nobles, who could be more distinguished than the Primus? Ms. Niu Senior didn¡¯t believe that Ms. Fang wouldn¡¯t be concerned about the Primus¡¯ child since his wife hadn¡¯t given birth yet. Her daughter was blessed and leading a good life. Ms. Niu Senior wasn¡¯t worried that she wouldn¡¯t be enticed.
Ms. Niu Senior felt quite proud. Surprisingly, Ms. Niu Senior wasn¡¯t the only visitor to Ms. Fang today. Everyone witnessed how the Shao Family transformed from an ordinary farming family into an illustrious one. Shao Yunduan, who believed he was fortunate to be chosen as the first Primus, couldn¡¯t attribute it solely to luck. Yang Xiaoni¡¯s former siblings and sister-inw were so ashamed that they wanted to bang their heads against the wall! Initially, everyone was resentful and envious, but now their envy wasplete. Since the officials had already gone to the capital, what was there to doubt? While they were envious, they couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. If they could establish some connections, would they have to worry in the future? Many people had their eyes on Shao Yunduan the moment he returned. The Primus held an official position in the capital, so it was only natural for him to take a concubine. Furthermore, since Ms. Qiao hadn¡¯t given birth, how could she tolerate someone else? If their own daughter gives birth to a son before him, they would be the eldest son. Why should they fear not receiving affection?
While others might have had simr intentions, they didn¡¯t dare to voice them aloud. However, Ms. Niu Senior couldn¡¯t contain herself and said it with a smile. As Ms. Niu Senior spoke, she even mentioned all the traveling Daoists, though no one knew if they were genuine or not. Nevertheless, everyone worried that Ms. Fang might believe them, so they began rmending their own daughters. ¡°My daughter is also highly capable and knows how to take care of others!¡± ¡°My daughter is renowned for her beauty in our vige!¡± ¡°All the girls who marry from our family are well-mannered. My youngest daughter will undoubtedly be the same!¡± ¡°And as for my household¡­¡± Observing this, Ms. Niu Senior became both angry and anxious. She eximed, ¡°You¡¯re all so wicked! I was the first to suggest it. Why are you fighting over it? It¡¯s utterly unreasonable!¡± Why would others fear her words? ¡°Oh, Auntie Niu, it¡¯s you who¡¯s being unreasonable! So what if you mentioned it first? iming it¡¯s your house? What a joke!¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. We should decide whose daughter it is. If you¡¯re afraid ofparisons, then don¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°My daughter is the finest!¡± ¡°Our family is excellent!¡±
Ms. Niu Senior was so furious that she nearly got into a physical altercation. Ms. Fang became so angered that she burst intoughter and snapped, ¡°Stop arguing! It¡¯s Eng¡¯s day today, and we¡¯re all here for the wedding banquet and celebration. Why are you making such a ruckus?¡± Immediately, someone ttered her. ¡°After all, she¡¯s Sister-inw Fang. What she said makes sense! Absolutely!¡± The others didn¡¯t want to be left behind. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. If you have something to say, say it. It¡¯s unsightly to be so noisy!¡± ¡°Absolutely correct!¡± Chapter 1065: Humiliation Chapter 1065: Humiliation
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang sneered, ¡°My fifth son and Ms. Qiao are content with their rtionship and have no intentions of taking concubines. Don¡¯t assume that my fifth soncks such intentions, I have no such intentions either. Your daughter is lovely, tell her to be the daughter-inw of another family! Don¡¯t utter such words in my presence! If anyone says otherwise, don¡¯t me me for scolding you. I have a temper, and you¡¯re well aware of it!¡± ¡°If anyone desires to be scolded, go ahead and speak up.¡± Ms. Fang had always been sharp-tongued. Everyone exchanged nces and fell silent. Many people were merely trying to join in the conversation without genuine intentions. Upon hearing Ms. Fang¡¯s words, they realized they couldn¡¯t attain what they desired, so they felt relieved and refrained from saying more. However, Ms. Niu Senior was different.
She harbored deep envy towards the Shao Family¡¯s first section. They possessed an official position, acquirednd, and even donated fertilend and substantial amounts of silver to the vige. How much personal wealth did they possess to give away 400 acres ofnd and hundreds of taels of silver without hesitation? For instance, at the previous banquet, there was an abundance of poultry and fish. The gentry and elderly masters showered them with countless gifts, worth a significant sum alone! In the future, even if their family didn¡¯t engage in farming, they could enjoy meals with white rice and meat. They wouldn¡¯t have to skimp on cooking vegetables, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar! What an enviable life! Furthermore, at the banquet, her daughter had developed feelings for Shao Yunduan. Come to think of it, when the second section of the family celebrated their daughter-inw¡¯s marriage, her family attended the wedding banquet as well. Her daughter and Shao Yunduan must have met on that asion, which was even better. They were acquainted with each other. Ms. Niu Senior believed that the Shao Family had no rtion to others, but her own family was different. She was a rtive of the Shao Family, so no matter what she said, Ms. Fang wouldn¡¯t refuse her. While everyone else remained silent, Ms. Niu Senior couldn¡¯t help but giggle and jokingly say, ¡°Sister-inw Fang, don¡¯t get angry. This is a serious matter. If the Primus doesn¡¯t have any wives or concubines, won¡¯t it be embarrassing for him? We know each other well in the vige, so doesn¡¯t that mean¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Ms. Fang¡¯s expression turned stern before Ms. Niu Senior could finish her sentence. She sneered, ¡°If you want your daughter to be someone¡¯s concubine, there might be someone willing to have her! Don¡¯t say such things to me! I don¡¯t want her!¡± Embarrassment washed over Ms. Niu Senior, her face alternating between red and white. Angered, she retorted, ¡°Sister-inw, you¡¯re being too dismissive! Don¡¯t think so highly of yourself. Will the Primus never take a concubine in his entire life?¡± Ms. Fang replied firmly, ¡°That¡¯s right, he will never take a concubine in his entire life! My fifth son is not the kind of person who forgets his roots or his identity after bing the Primus! Why should he take a concubine?¡±
Gritting her teeth, Ms. Niu Senior warned, ¡°Sister-inw, remember what you¡¯ve said. Don¡¯t contradict yourself in the future.¡± Ms. Fang reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t!¡± Ms. Niu Senior sneered, ¡°What if¡­ what if¡± Ms. Niu Senior didn¡¯t dare to voice her thoughts about Qiao Xuan not giving birth, so she abruptly stood up and left. Despite her anger, she remained rational. If she dared to utter those words, Ms. Fang would definitely p her. And she certainly didn¡¯t dare to retaliate. Ms. Fang cast a disdainful nce at her departing figure. ¡°What nonsense!¡± Chapter 1066: Rejection Chapter 1066: Rejection
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Ms. Yan happened toe over and greeted her with a smile. Everyone let out a sigh of relief and forgot about the matter. Ms. Niu Senior was humiliated in front of everyone, so who would dare to talk about it? They didn¡¯t even dare to do so anymore. But some people did not give up and went to Ms. Fang in private to boast about their daughter, saying that they could bring their daughter to show Ms. Fang, so it was fine if Ms. Fang was not satisfied. Ms. Fang turned them all down.
She did not have such thoughts at all. Why was she looking at his daughter? How wicked! Shao Yunduan had told her in detail that although he was an official in the capital, he was just a minor official. A minor official like him had at least a thousand people in the capital, so it was nothing. She was even less arrogant. It was still too early for her son to go further in the future! Qiao Xuan knew about it too, so she took Shao Yunduan¡¯s hand and sobbed. ¡°¡­Do you think I didn¡¯t give birth to a son or a daughter for you? Look, so many people feel that you¡¯ve suffered and are rushing to give you a new wife!¡± Shao Yunduan was caught betweenughter and tears as heforted her with his arms around her. ¡°We don¡¯t care about anyone else, but you can care about me! I don¡¯t know how to do that! Besides, we have only been married for a short time, so we don¡¯t have any children yet. Don¡¯t let one¡¯s imagination run wild!¡± Qiao Xuan got teary-eyed and grabbed the chink in one¡¯s armor. ¡°What if we have been married for two or three years and have no children? Then you are going to take concubines and make me angry?¡± ¡°No no no! Of course not!¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s what you meant earlier¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Shao Yunduan kissed her face, lips, eyebrows, and refused to let go. ¡°You are my wife, so of course I only want you.¡± ¡°What if, what if we don¡¯t have any children in the future¡­¡±
¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Shao Yunduan covered her mouth. ¡°There will not be any!¡± Qiao Xuan was not convinced. ¡°What if?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no what if.¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Qiao Xuan was not convinced. What if? What if? That was not something that could be controlled by human power. What if? The more Qiao Xuan thought about it, the more confused she became. She was pretending to cry, but she actually ended up squeezing out a few tears. Shao Yunduan was caught betweenughter and tears. ¡°What if!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts.¡± ¡°If¡± ¡°There¡¯s no if. Could it be that you think I¡¯m not working hard enough? Why don¡¯t I work harder from today onwards?¡±
¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean that!¡± ¡°I think you are.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart softened as he gazed at her. He tenderly kissed her soft hair and spoke with a gentle smile, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just assume that I¡¯ve been unreasonable, and you¡¯re no longer angry, okay?¡± Qiao Xuan pursed her lips, realizing that it wouldn¡¯t be productive to dwell on negative thoughts. She wasn¡¯t ill or in any immediate danger, so why worry about the unlikely possibility of not having a child? It was important not to get stuck in a dead-end mentality. Determined, she grabbed the front of his shirt, looking at him with a mix of affection and determination. ¡°You promised not to take a concubine. I won¡¯t be swayed by any reasoning. If you can¡¯t keep that promise, I won¡¯t stay.¡± She meant it. She was prepared to end their rtionship if necessary. Shao Yunduan felt a sense of relief and nodded without hesitation. ¡°I understand.¡± He truly did understand. He didn¡¯t dare to provoke her further. Qiao Xuan¡¯s face lit up with a smile. However, Shao Yunduan sensed that he needed to address Qiao Xuan¡¯s concerns about the future. He wanted to help her let go of her worries about the ¡°what ifs.¡± And so, he decided to put extra effort into their physical intimacy, hoping to prove to Qiao Xuan that her fears were unfounded. He wanted to show her that there was no reason for her to worry about the ¡°what if¡± scenarios she imagined.
Chapter 1067: Leaving Home Chapter 1067: Leaving Home
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan fought back tears, struggling with conflicting emotions and contemting self-sabotage. The joyful days they had spent together seemed to have vanished in an instant, and now it was time for Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan to return to the capital. Despite Ms. Fang¡¯s reluctance, she had to bid them farewell with a forced smile. Qiao Xuan assured Shao Yunduan that she would return before the new year, bringing some relief to her family. However, he wouldn¡¯t be able toe back for the time being. This reassured them. Under the cover of dawn, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan left Shaoding Vige. They avoided the Land Officer and the elders, as neither of them desired such a heartbreaking scene.
After exchanging pleasantries with County Magistrate Yu in the county city, they continued their journey to the provincial capital apanied by the original honor guard. As the sun set, they entered the city. The honor guards settled in the local posthouse, while Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan made their way to the Yuezheng Family residence. First Madame greeted them with joy. She had already arranged for the yard to be cleaned, allowing them to move in immediately. Yuezheng Xiao smiled and said, ¡°The fruit saplings were just brought back two days ago, so I anticipated that you would arrive in the next couple of days! The seedlings are stored in the cer, and someone waters their roots every morning. I¡¯m skeptical, though. Can they really be sessfully nted?¡± Yuezheng Xiao had his doubts. Qiao Xuan half-truthfully smiled at him and replied, ¡°Of course! To be honest, after numerous experiments, I¡¯ve developed something that aids in crop growth. However, the process is quiteplex. I read about the delectable southern fruits in books, so I prepared in advance. Now, I can finally put them to use! I¡¯m confident they¡¯ll work well with dragon fruits and papayas, but I¡¯m uncertain about the longan fruits, lychees, mangoes, and so on.¡± ¡°If they prove to be effective, we¡¯ll have a bountiful harvest of fruits next year. I guarantee they¡¯ll be highly sought after in this region!¡± Qiao Xuan anticipated that people would take notice if she sessfully grew nts that were seemingly impossible to cultivate. She had been pondering how to exin her methods. Nevertheless, that was all she would reveal. If someone of high status pressured her into divulging the prescription, she wouldply. However, she couldn¡¯t guarantee their sess. There were no certainties in such matters. Besides, there was a saying: ¡°The master paves the way, but each cultivates their own.¡± This principle applied to all industries. One couldn¡¯t expect to master something simply by learning about it. If it were that easy, schrs would effortlessly pass the intermediate exams, which was far from reality.
Yuezheng Xiao didn¡¯t doubt Qiao Xuan¡¯s words, sharing the same mindset. He smiled and said, ¡°Sister-inw has never failed before, and she won¡¯t fail this time! I can¡¯t wait to taste the lychees and longan next year!¡± They bothughed as they spoke. The following day, Shao Yunduan sent letters to the Xie Family, the magistrate, and a few local schrs. He then apanied Qiao Xuan to the mountainside to observe the tree nting process. Yuezheng Xiao and Xie Jingrong joined them to witness the spectacle. The shipment included five types of fruit trees: longan, lychee, mango, grapefruit, and citrus, each with several different varieties. They followed Qiao Xuan¡¯s meticulous n and nted everything ordingly. Additionally, there were other fruits like egg fruits, pineapple honey, passion fruits, and mountain bamboo. Chapter 1068: Fruit Planting Chapter 1068: Fruit nting
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions There were even wampees and Japanese raisin trees among the assortment. Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s men demonstrated great professionalism. Not only were the trees nted on the mountainside, but Qiao Xuan¡¯s space was also utilized. Due to the limited time, they hired numerous workers to assist with nting the fruit saplings this time. Their goal was toplete the nting within three days. Observing that the dragon fruits and papayas were ripe, Qiao Xuan harvested some and shared them with the Xie Family, the magistrate, and First Madame.
They tasted the fruits in a nonchnt manner, appreciating their vors with casual indifference. The flesh of the fire dragon fruit was thick, sweet, and juicy. The papaya flesh was vibrant, plump, soft, and sweet. These were rare and precious fruits, ensuring that they could be sold at a good price without any concerns. Moreover, these two fruits were excellent ingredients for fruit tea and dessert beverages. Theirbinations allowed for innovative creations. Qiao Xuan visited a few stores to experiment with different recipes, which invigorated and enlightened her. She came up with a few new variations. Yuezheng Xiao helped Qiao Xuan find several managers and assistants. This time, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan took the opportunity to meet and interview the candidates, ensuring they made the right choices. After a thorough selection process, they settled on Steward Zhou and Steward Bai as the stewards, along with a total of 23 servants among the three waiters. Following that, they nned to construct a farmhouse on the t ground at the foot of the orchard, providing amodation for the staff. This would establish a proper industry. With Yuezheng Xiao and First Madame¡¯s support, Qiao Xuan felt reassured. Time was limited, so they stayed in the provincial city for four days before preparing to depart. If all went smoothly, they would reach the capital in early August. When they arrived in the capital, they would officially embark on Shao Yunduan¡¯s career as an official. They approached the future with a calm mindset, taking it one step at a time. Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t overly fixated on bing an official. While it would be ideal if he seeded, he was also prepared to ept a different path if necessary.
Throughout the journey, they mostly admired the scenery along the way, asionally discussing their ns. During their overnight stays, they found time to explore and savor the local delicacies. Their journey back to the capital was remarkably smooth. They arrived in the bustling city on the second day of August. The streets were filled with people, and a festive atmosphere permeated the air. The shops showcased revolving doors, hanging musical chairs, and colorful decorations, creating a vibrant and beautiful scene. Mooncakes were in abundance, and shop assistants loudly called out to attract customers. Before entering the city, Qiao Xuan distributed red packets to the honor guards, who expressed heartfelt gratitude and bid them farewell courteously. Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, Songshi, Lixia, and Liqiu returned to their mansion. As they opened the door and stepped inside, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged smiles. They were back, and they couldn¡¯t help but wonder how they would feel when they had to leave the capital again. Regardless, they still looked forward to the future. Since everything had been organized before they left, the furniture was covered with dust covers. Although they were a bitte, they opened the windows to let fresh air in, removed the dust covers, and retrieved the bedrolls from the cab,ying them out¡­ The few of them swiftly tidied up the house. Tomorrow, they would take their time to thoroughly clean and organize their home.
Chapter 1069: Returning to the Capital Chapter 1069: Returning to the Capital
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan took some time to inspect the potatoes in the backyard. They had grown remarkably well, appearing vibrant, strong, and lush. It was evident that many small potatoes had developed beneath the soil. Qiao Xuan utilized her abilities to enhance their growth, ensuring they thrived better and remained healthier. She had also brought tomato seeds from home, which could be nted next year, although it was a bitte for this season. In addition to potatoes and tomatoes, there were cantaloupes, passion fruits, melons, figs, and more that could be nted in the backyard. The night was calm and peaceful.
The following morning, Shao Yunduan went to report at Hanlin Academy. Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan, Lixia, and Liqiu cleaned up the yard and the house before venturing out to buy essential household items such as oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, firewood, grains, fruits, and vegetables. They even purchased mooncakes and sweet osmanthus wine, preparing for the uing holidays. In her spare moments, Qiao Xuan found herself pondering about the Qiao Family. Her despicable father and Madame Qiao must have returned to the capital, and her father was likely aware of the conflicts between her, Shao Yunduan, and the Qiao Family. However, he wouldn¡¯t let them off so easily. Now, she would wait and see what he would do. When Shao Yunduan arrived at Hanlin Academy, Qiao Hongxi was already aware of it. Having learned his lesson, Qiao Hongxi had be more cautious. He didn¡¯t even dare to meet Shao Yunduan privately, fearing that he would demand an even higher price of 4,000 liang. He refrained from spreading rumors about Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan within Hanlin Academy. He had learned the consequences of shooting oneself in the foot. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he was like a startled bird, frightened by the sound of a bowstring. When Shao Yunduan returned home in the afternoon, Qiao Xuan greeted him with a smile. They engaged in conversation for a while, and as Qiao Xuan began cooking, Shao Yunduan followed her into the kitchen.
The meal they prepared for themselves was simple yet satisfying. They had an abundance of lentils, hairy beans, eggnts, winter melons, loofah, cabbage, and white rice. The vegetables were fresh, and even in the capital, the prices for new produce were quite affordable. The capital differed from other ces in terms of its livestock supply. Cows and sheep were regrly transported from the northwest, ensuring a constant avability of beef and mutton, although at a higher price. Nevertheless, they could still indulge in these meats. Qiao Xuan sliced the beef and stir-fried it with shredded vegetables, creating a delicious and savory dish. She also prepared a dish where minced meat was stuffed between two winter melon slices and steamed, resulting in a light and vorful treat. Other dishes included stir-fried cabbage with garlic, stir-fried minced meat with beans, and a refreshing loofah soup. The homemade dishes created a calm and cozy atmosphere. After having dinner together, they ventured out to shop once again. The location of their new home was ideal. It was surrounded by lively department stores and night markets, with a nearbyke that made it perfect for an after-dinner stroll. As they walked leisurely, their demeanor naturally shifted. Being husband and wife, their actions subconsciously became more intimate, although they made sure not to draw excessive attention to themselves during the night. A vendor caught their attention with a basket of carnations and sweet osmanthus branches, emitting a captivating fragrance. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t resist and bought a few to bring home. Shao Yunduan held the bouquet for her, examining it closely. He plucked the best pink carnation and delicately ced it on her sideburns. The beautiful flowersplemented her, making her appear even more adorable. Qiao Xuan raised her hands and smiled, feeling a lightness in her steps. She looked at Shao Yunduan and sensed a newfound buoyancy within herself. The following morning, when Qiao Xuan woke up, it was alreadyte in the morning.
Shao Yunduan had already left for his duties at Hanlin Academy. Feeling a sense of tranquility andcking any disturbances, Qiao Xuan smiled, rolled up the nket, and decided to return to sleep, acknowledging the need to rest her weakened body. Chapter 1070: Daily Life Chapter 1070: Daily Life
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan slowly awakened, realizing it was already close to noon. Liqiu and Lixia efficiently managed the household chores and even took care of purchasing vegetables. Songshizily sat beneath the eaves of the east wing, casually munching on melon seeds to pass the time. As a seventh-grade editor, Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t bring a follower to work. Thus, Songshi had nothing to upy him after apanying Shao Yunduan to Hanlin Academy every day. Observing his idle state, Qiao Xuan thought about starting a shop or acquiring somend for a business venture. This would provide Songshi with tasks and responsibilities. Otherwise, he would have little to do for extended periods.
However, Qiao Xuan worried that if he had too much free time, he might be influenced by others and led astray. Being a ten-year-old boy, the dazzling allure of the capital could easily overwhelm him. Given that he was one of Shao Yunduan¡¯s men, they couldn¡¯t afford to take any risks. Having made up her mind, Qiao Xuan nned to discuss with Shao Yunduan the idea of purchasing a small shop to test the waters and determine what kind of business to undertake. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t rely on this venture to generate ie. Since Qiao Xuan woke upte, shebined breakfast and lunch. However, her appetite wascking at the moment. Therefore, she asked Lixia to prepare a bowl of prawns, meat slices, mushrooms, and vegetables. The wheat in the northern region yielded robust grains, resulting in sturdy handmade noodles. Despite her reduced appetite, Qiao Xuan devoured arge bowl of them. It seemed she had expended quite a bit of energy the previous day, warranting some nourishment. Unexpectedly, as she finished her hearty meal and admired the flowers and nts in the courtyard to aid digestion, a knock echoed at the courtyard door. Songshi finally had a task to attend to. He eagerly rushed to open the door with great enthusiasm. An elderly woman apanied by a maidservant stood at the door. She exuded a sense of dignity, but her expression held a hint of arrogance. With disdain in her eyes, she looked at Songshi. Though inwardly irritated, Songshi refrained from throwing a tantrum. He couldn¡¯t afford to dy matters concerning the masters. Suppressing his displeasure, he put on an obsequious smile and asked, ¡°May I ask where you are from, madam?¡± The old woman snorted. ¡°I am from the Qiao Family. Your madame knows who I am. Tell her toe out.¡± Songshi was taken aback but managed to maintain azy expression. Not wanting to make any mistaken moves, he replied, ¡°Which Qiao Family? The one on West Sixth Street in Liuzhi Alley?¡±
The old woman sneered. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one.¡± Songshi¡¯s smile immediately vanished as he nonchntly said, ¡°Very well, please wait. I will report this.¡± He abruptly closed the courtyard door, paying no mind to the old woman¡¯s reaction or feelings. Rushing over, he informed Qiao Xuan, ¡°Madam, the Qiao Family is shameless. They havee again. What should we do?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and replied, ¡°Since they are here, let them in.¡± With a p of her hands, she turned and walked into the house. It was impossible to ignore them. Ignoring them would only fuel their persistence. Qiao Hongxi must have informed Shao Yunduan about the situation when they encountered each other at Hanlin Academy. The Qiao Family had arrived swiftly. Although Songshi had agreed to let them in, he had no intention of disregarding the old woman. He proceeded to open the door. The sudden closure of the door startled the old woman. When she saw Songshi, she red at him and coldly demanded, ¡°Where is our Second Miss? The old master and madam specially sent me to convey their message. Yet, Second Miss disys such an attitude? Does she no longer value filial piety or Fifth Master Shao?¡± Chapter 1071: What Second Miss? Chapter 1071: What Second Miss?
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Songshi felt a surge of anger upon hearing the old woman¡¯s words. He sneered and retorted, ¡°Second Miss? Who is your Second Miss? Are you sure you haven¡¯t mistaken the address?¡± The old woman stared at him unwaveringly for a moment before a smile crept onto her face, erasing her arrogant demeanor. ¡°Our Second Miss bears the surname Qiao and goes by the name Xuan. She is your madam. You¡¯re such a bother. Hurry up and let me in.¡± This old woman was none other than Auntie Ling, known for her shrewdness. Moreover, she had been testing Qiao Xuan just now. Finally, she understood that the Qiao Family hadn¡¯t been lying. Qiao Xuan truly intended to sever ties with the Qiao Family. Not even the Old Master or Madam had the authority to do so. Auntie Ling couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of sorrow and anger for her mistress. In truth, her mistress was deeply hurt. Upon hearing that Shao Yunduan had achieved a high position as the Primus and was esteemed by the Emperor, and that Qiao Xuan had saved the peony flower entrusted by the Empress Dowager to the Emperor, her condition worsened, and she lost her appetite for several days.
How could she not harbor resentment? Of course, she resented her! When Qiao Xuan¡¯s fianc¨¦ was poisoned, Madam Qiao couldn¡¯t bear to stand idly by and wanted to intervene. But now, Qiao Xuan had achieved such remarkable sess! What had Madam Qiao stirred up before? It would have been better if she hadn¡¯t stirred anything up at all! That would have meant granting Qiao Xuan a bright future, and Madam Qiao was fortunate not to have choked on her own blood. Now, hearing that the main household had severed all ties with them, Madam Qiao couldn¡¯t even put on airs in front of Qiao Xuan anymore. Auntie Ling had personally witnessed how Qiao Xuan and the others managed to afford a decent house in the capital shortly after their arrival. Although it was small, it was well-maintained and situated in a good location, intensifying her distress even further. This Second Miss was truly flourishing. Not everyone could afford a house in the capital, even if one became an official. Auntie Ling had to admit that, with his meager official sry, Shao Yunduan wouldn¡¯t be able to afford a house in the capital for another 20 years! As Auntie Ling contemted the rewards bestowed upon Qiao Xuan and her husband by the pce, she couldn¡¯t fathom how a mere residencepared. The more she dwelled on it, the angrier she became. Her heart ached for Madam Qiao. Refusing to acknowledge that his mistress was the Qiao Family¡¯s Second Miss, Songshi retorted bluntly, ¡°If you¡¯re truly from the Qiao Family, then you should know that they hold nothing but disdain for our Madam and have already severed all ties with her. If you¡¯re here to find someone, go ahead. But don¡¯t speak of finding the Qiao Family¡¯s Second Miss here! If you¡¯re looking for the Second Miss, I¡¯m sorry to inform you that you¡¯vee to the wrong ce. I cannot allow you to enter.¡±
Auntie Ling couldn¡¯t contain her frustration and sneered, ¡°You won¡¯t let me in? Hmph, such audacity from a mere servant! Let the neighbors be the judge of your logic.¡± If Songshi thought he could intimidate Auntie Ling, he clearly didn¡¯t know how long she had been by Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s side. With a smile, she added, ¡°Very well, go ahead and raise your voice as loud as you can. I¡¯ll make sure my wife presents everyone with the evidence she has in ck and white! Oh, and let me remind you that my wife doesn¡¯t tolerate injustice, and she just might report this to the Heavenly Mansion Office to ensure they¡¯re aware of it. What do you think?¡± Chapter 1072: Keep It Short Chapter 1072: Keep It Short
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Aint against my Fifth Master¡¯s filial piety was brought before the Emperor by an imperial censor, but it was swiftly dismissed by the Emperor. Were you aware of that? Hehe!¡± Songshi remarked. Auntie Ling¡­ was left speechless. She inwardly cursed the cunning girl and the sly servant. She didn¡¯t know where they found such crafty individuals. Auntie Ling dared not cause a scene. Shamelessness seemed to run in both her and the Qiao Family. The Qiao Family was undoubtedly at fault.
Well, it couldn¡¯t be said that the entire Qiao Family was at fault, but the members of the main household were simply unaware of the wickedness of Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. They had fallen into their trap! Auntie Ling, being resourceful, suppressed her anger and maintained a serious expression. ¡°I am here to visit your madame.¡± Songshi continued smiling. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Auntie Ling¡­ With Yuzan by her side, Auntie Ling entered, catching sight of Qiao Xuan, who greeted them with a smile. They were all friends of Madam Qiao. This time, Auntie Ling didn¡¯t dare to take it too seriously. She bowed to Qiao Xuan and Yuzan. ¡°Greetings, Second Miss!¡± Qiao Xuan nced at her and sneered, ¡°Second Miss? Who are you calling? If you¡¯re searching for the Second Miss, you¡¯vee to the wrong door. Songshi, please escort our guest out.¡± Auntie Ling felt suffocated. It seemed that everyone in the Shao Family shared the same temperament. ¡°Greetings to Mrs. Shao!¡± Qiao Xuan responded curtly, ¡°Very well. Why are you here? Get to the point.¡± Since arriving at her own residence, Auntie Ling¡¯s mood had been disrupted. She no longer had the inclination for small talk. So, Auntie Ling spoke straightforwardly, ¡°Mrs. Shao, you¡¯re aware of it, right? Third Master and Third Madam have returned to the capital, and what they did to you doesn¡¯t count. They are unaware of the truth and acting out of anger. Mrs. Shao, don¡¯t feel aggrieved. Third Master and Third Madam will provide you with an exnation!¡±
¡°Mrs. Shao, pleasee back home with me. We are family, and there shouldn¡¯t be such distance between us. You are the biological daughter of Third Master, and it doesn¡¯t reflect well for him to disown his own daughter and parents. Mrs. Shao, are you not afraid of being looked down upon and tarnishing your son-inw¡¯s reputation?¡± Qiao Xuan listened quietly and responded with a smile, ¡°This document bears the signatures of your Third Master¡¯s mother and two brothers. What¡¯s this? Your Third Master refuses to acknowledge it? That is unfilial!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so shameless in front of me. I¡¯m not falling for it. Don¡¯t you understand? If my husband hadn¡¯t achieved the position of Intermediate Primus and gained the Emperor¡¯s favor, if I hadn¡¯t made contributions and received rewards from the Emperor and the pce, would your Third Master and Third Madam have approached me for acknowledgment? Or would they have preferred to keep their distance, fearing that we would take advantage of them?¡± When Qiao Xuan pointed out the truth, Auntie Ling couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of embarrassment. ¡°What Mrs. Shao said is¡­¡± ¡°Is what? Isn¡¯t it the truth?¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s expression turned stern as she sneered. ¡°I¡¯m extending you some courtesy, so why are you putting on airs in front of me? Go back and tell them that the p I endured was not without consequences! Do they really want me toe back? Fine, I¡¯ll return and demand that Qiao Hongxi publicly apologize and have your Old Master¡¯s two brothers apologize to me as well! And resolve the matter with the Tian Family for me too! Qiao Hongxi still owes us four thousand liang, so tell him to pay up!¡± Chapter 1073: Guilty! Chapter 1073: Guilty!
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Auntie Ling grew increasingly annoyed by Qiao Xuan¡¯s words. ¡°Why are you doing this?!¡± Qiao Xuan sneered, ¡°You¡¯ve already done it, so why are you suddenly afraid of me? When did you be so timid? That¡¯s not like Madame Qiao!¡± Auntie Ling was left even more speechless. Qiao Xuan sarcastically remarked, ¡°What did Madame Qiao do back then, and why did I end up in the water? Auntie Ling, do you think I know or not?¡±
Auntie Ling¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Second Miss, don¡¯t spout nonsense. Madam has never harmed you!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled even brighter. ¡°When did I say she harmed me? By the way, I¡¯m starting to suspect that you¡¯re feeling guilty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just angry that you let your imagination run wild and falsely used Madam. Second Miss, you¡¯re just shifting me! Forget it, forget it. I can¡¯t force you to acknowledge it. I¡¯ll have Old Master and Madam personally invite youter! See if you can bear that.¡± ¡°They¡¯re the ones who disowned their own bloodline, so why can¡¯t I ept it?¡± Qiao Xuan said curiously. ¡°Also, don¡¯t just focus on the benefits my husband and I have received. The Tian Family is a formidable force. Have you forgotten about them?¡± ¡°The Emperor hasmended and made decisions for me. I saved the Emperor¡¯s peony flower, and both the Emperor and the pce have praised and rewarded me. Even if the Tian Family despises us to the core, they won¡¯t dare toy a finger on us for at least a year or so. But if they find out about the Qiao Family¡ªhehehe, guess who the Tian Family will direct their anger towards? Can you handle that?¡± Auntie Ling¡¯s expression slightly changed. Her eyes flickered, and she lowered her head in silence. Of course, the Qiao Family had considered this possibility, but they didn¡¯t dwell on it too much. Hearing Qiao Xuan¡¯s words, Auntie Ling couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of fear¡­ Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes were filled with disdain. She knew that they were all cut from the same cloth¡ªpeople who only cared about their own benefits and refused to share any risks. It wouldn¡¯t be so easy to deal with them. She smiled. ¡°Go back. Don¡¯t forget that Qiao Hongxi owes us 4,000 liang! My husband and I have spent a lot of moneytely, so we¡¯re in a tight spot financially. We¡¯re truly destitute, so we can¡¯t afford to be indifferent about our reputation. It just so happens that my husband is at Hanlin Academy too. When we see Qiao Hongxi, it¡¯ll be convenient to ask him about it!¡± Apparently, Auntie Ling was aware of the 4,000 liang debt as well. She clenched her teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re cunning, aren¡¯t you!¡± ¡°It takes one to know one,¡± Qiao Xuan replied with a smile. ¡°I learned from the best, didn¡¯t I? How did you treat me in the past? And now you want me to be grateful? What a joke!¡±
Auntie Ling was left speechless, and she departed in a sorry state. When she arrived home, she didn¡¯t want to tell Madame Qiao the truth, fearing that it would aggravate her illness. However, Madame Qiao was astute and didn¡¯t take the matter lightly. Auntie Ling couldn¡¯t conceal anything during the interrogation. Eventually, she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and revealed the whole story. Madame Qiao leaned against the couch, gasping for breath. ¡°That wretched girl! I deeply regret it! Why did I let her get married? Why didn¡¯t I eliminate her?¡± ¡°Madam, please lower your voice. You can¡¯t say such things¡­¡± Auntie Ling¡¯s eyelids twitched as she hastily cautioned her. Chapter 1074: The Money Chapter 1074: The Money
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions They had made a pact to keep this information to themselves, never to be mentioned again. As long as their secret remained hidden, Qiao Xuan wouldck any evidence. So what if they stayed silent? Having been away from the main house for countless years, with numerous inhabitants residing there, any whispers would undoubtedly create a stir. Madame Qiao¡¯splexion grew pale, contorted with a mix ofprehension and unwillingness. Exhausted from reiterating the same point, she was repeatedly met with harsh realities.
Auntie Ling strained to whisper, ¡°The 4,000 liang¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Madame Qiao forcefully swept away the teacups beside her, producing a loud crash. Auntie Ling flinched in surprise. ¡°Give it to her!¡± Madame Qiao struggled to suppress the urge to vomit blood, panting with her pale face. ¡°4,000 liang is insignificant! Do you think I cannot afford such an amount? You are truly despicable!¡± ¡°Very well, Madame Qiao!¡± Auntie Ling replied, her heart filled with bitter irony. Indeed, 4,000 liang was no trifling sum. When the Third Old Master and Third Madame returned to the capital, they discovered that the patriarch and his eldest son residing in the main mansion held disdain for them, while Madame Lady Qiao remained indifferent. Whenever the Third Old Master and Third Madame were absent from the capital, the First Old Master and Second Old Master would grow closer to Madame Yuezheng. Yet, Madame Qiao could not bear the fact that Madame Lady Qiao continued to turn a blind eye, even when she sensed that the patriarch and his family had swindled them out of a substantial amount of money. Madame meticulously sorted through their belongings, leaving very little behind. Having obtained 4,000 liang to settle her Young Master¡¯s debts only served to deepen her sense of despair. After Third Madame¡¯s recovery from illness, she eagerly prepared to immerse herself in social engagements.
They needed to tailor clothes, adorn them with ornaments, purchase rouge and cosmetics from the capital, exchange favors, bestow rewards and dowries upon Elder Miss, and acquire garments and essories¡­ Every aspect required money. Second Miss disyed such heartlessness¡­ How could Young Master have fallen for their deception? Why did they even draft that contract? Madame Qiao made a firm decision ¨C she would reim Qiao Xuan, not because she couldn¡¯t bear to part with her, but because she needed to teach her a lesson. However, Third Old Master, Madame Lady Qiao, the patriarch, and the eldest son hesitated. Indeed, what if the Tian Family grew infuriated over Qiao Xuan? The Qiao Family wouldn¡¯t be able to endure the consequences. What if they found themselves embroiled in nothing but trouble? It would be incredibly unjust. Moreover, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had received rewards from the Emperor and the court. They couldn¡¯tpel them to relinquish those rewards. Those two individuals possessed the audacity to do as they pleased. They were shameless, but they couldn¡¯t refuse them. In summary, bringing her back might not yield any benefits, but it could result in negative repercussions. Under these circumstances, they could wait for half a year or a few months.
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were aware that her father and stepmother had returned to the capital, yet they didn¡¯te to visit. This was their fault, and they intended to exploit it as a pretext to hold them ountable. Madame Qiao would feign deafness and muteness. Third Old Master felt that something was wrong. He wanted to get her back. He believed that Shao Yunduan would have a promising future, and if he did not admit that now, it would be toote in the future. Chapter 1075: Treat Chapter 1075: Treat
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions However, he couldn¡¯t guarantee that the Tian Family wouldn¡¯t hold the Qiao Family responsible, despite his brothers¡¯ assurance. In the end, he had to align with his two brothers and feign ignorance about Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s return. Madame Qiao grew increasingly frustrated upon hearing this. However, she held no authority over the main mansion and couldn¡¯t act as she pleased. Even though she was the mistress at the Qiao Family¡¯s mansion in the capital, she was the most unfamiliar and powerless mistress. No one cared about her opinions.
The following day, Auntie Ling returned the 4,000 liang to Qiao Xuan. That night, when Shao Yunduan returned home, Qiao Xuan greeted him with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s skip dinner tonight and celebrate at a fine restaurant!¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled. ¡°Darling, you have excellent taste. We¡¯ve stumbled upon a windfall, and we should celebrate!¡± Thus, the two of them, apanied by Lixia, Liqiu, and Songshi, headed to a pavilion renowned for its roasted wholemb and bull head meat. They had a splendid time, spending 200 liang without feeling like they had splurged. After all, the money was acquired effortlessly. Qiao Xuan astutely understood that the Qiao Family had chosen not to respond to Auntie Ling¡¯s visit. With a hint of disdain, she remarked to Shao Yunduan, ¡°Darling, the Tian Family remains silent whenever we mention them. They have unknowingly done us a tremendous favor!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled, intentionally avoiding any mention of the Tian Family. He had no intention of bringing up the Tian Family. After pondering for a moment, he spoke slowly, ¡°However, they can¡¯t have everything their way. I should treat Qiao Hongxi and his colleagues from the Hanlin Academy to a meal.¡± Qiao Xuan blinked, perplexed by Shao Yunduan¡¯s words. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shao Yunduan smiled, turning to Qiao Xuan, whose eyes glistened with excitement. She beamed, ¡°Darling, you know how to treat your colleagues to avish feast. Let¡¯s go to an even better restaurant, without worrying about saving money. We can¡¯t possibly spend all 4,000 liang!¡±
Shao Yunduanughed. ¡°Darling, you¡¯re absolutely right!¡± Indeed, 4,000 liang was far more than Qiao Hongxi could handle. It would surely make him feel overwhelmed. The next day, Shao Yunduan courteously informed his colleagues and selected members of the Hanlin Academy about his n to treat them to a meal. He invited over 20 individuals and reserved arge private room, spacious enough to amodate two tables. Shao Yunduan chose Chunxi Restaurant, an upscale establishment in the intermediate range. A sumptuous banquet at a single table cost around 100 liang, excluding drinks. Most of the Hanlin students were financially strapped, unable to afford meat on a daily basis. Some could only afford porridge, pickles, and steamed buns by the end of the month. The idea of dining at a restaurant like Chunxi was beyond their wildest dreams. Even when invited by colleagues, they would typically settle for small budget-friendly hotels where a meal cost 2 or 3 liang. The majority had never experienced dining at a ce like Chunxi Restaurant. When Shao Yunduan announced his intention to treat everyone at the restaurant, excitement surged through the crowd, instantly endearing him to them. No oneined about Shao Yunduan¡¯s proposal. Having recently received a reward from the court before returning to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors, Shao Yunduan had amassed a considerable sum of money. It was only fitting that he used it for this purpose. If they all partook in this meal, they might have the fortune to experience such a delightful asion again in the future. Chapter 1076: Sigh Chapter 1076: Sigh
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Indeed, it was avish feast costing 100 liang. The 18 dishes served were all exquisite, including sulent roastedmb chops, tender hibiscus chicken slices, vorful shredded pork with Beijing sauce, delightful four-joy balls, savory braised mutton, stir-fried fish slices, richly braised pork knuckles, and indulgent fried belly with oil¡­ Furthermore, Shao Yunduan disyed great generosity, offering a fine selection of wines. The dishes were presented one by one, and Shao Yunduan smiled, exchanging a few polite words with his guests. They all raised their sses in gratitude and eagerly began savoring the delicacies. As schrs, they maintained an elegant dining etiquette, yet they wasted no time in savoring each delectable bite. Regardless of their refinement, after spending years in the intermediate office of the Hanlin Academy, one could maintain an air of elegance and detachment as long as their family had the means to support them.
Most of them had endured arduous lives, and when given the opportunity to enjoy a high-ss banquet, they wouldn¡¯t decline in the name of preserving their reputation. Midway through the feast, when everyone had nearly finished their meal, Shao Yunduan stood up and offered a toast to each individual. As the host and a neer, it was customary for him to express his respects through toasting. The guests regarded him as a congenial person¡ªhumble and respectful towards his seniors. It was amendable quality. Shao Yunduan also extended an invitation to Qiao Hongxi to join the banquet. Qiao Hongxi initially harbored anger, but the thought of the 4,000 liang left a bitter taste whenever he encountered Shao Yunduan. He had no desire to dine with him at all. However, if he chose to abstain, he would appear petty. Additionally, considering the sum of 4,000 liang had been taken from him, it would be a waste not to attend. Hence, Qiao Hongxi begrudgingly attended. In response, Shao Yunduan showed him due respect. ¡°Brother Qiao, please join us!¡± Shao Yunduan clinked sses with him and sighed with emotion. ¡°Before Madame Lady Qiao, old master, and the eldest son severed ties with us, we were still inws. Brother Qiao, you are my brother-inw. Though we may not be rted by blood, that is the extent of our connection!¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯ve heard that Brother Qiao¡¯s parents have returned to the capital. How are they doing? The Qiao Family no longer wishes to ept my wife, and Brother Qiao¡¯s parents are no longer my father-inw and mother-inw. My wife and I will no longer trouble you. We simply wish you good health!¡± The words hung in the air, catching everyone off guard as they realized the implications.
Qiao Hongxi was equally taken aback. ¡°What¡­?¡± He knew his family desired Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan¡¯s return, but they had made it clear they didn¡¯t want toply. However, a sense of unease began to creep over him. He couldn¡¯t simply offer a weing response. His family had warned him against getting close to them, fearing it might anger the Tian Family. Yet, he couldn¡¯t agree with Shao Yunduan either, or he would be unable to reverse the situation. Before he could formte a reply, Shao Yunduan let out another sigh, gently patting Qiao Hongxi¡¯s shoulder with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s drop this topic. It¡¯s for the best. We are all safe and sound!¡± They all forced smiles, raising their sses in an attempt to shift the focus away from the ufortable conversation. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no need to dwell on that. Let¡¯s drink!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± ¡°Editor Shao knows how to lighten the mood. Come, let¡¯s have another toast!¡± Due to censorship concerns, news of the incident spread discreetly. The Qiao Family looked down upon Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, and before Shao Yunduan achieved the rank of Intermediate Advanced Schr, they had visited Qiao Xuan at the doorstep, only to be met with a violent rebuff, resulting in the dissolution of the engagement. However, since the Emperor did not hold Shao Yunduan ountable for being unfilial, no one dared to spread rumors that might incite his wrath.
Chapter 1077: No Countering Chapter 1077: No Countering
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions And when Shao Yunduan broached the subject, a collective desire for reconciliation emerged. A sessful resolution would make for a remarkable story as well. However, in the midst of Shao Yunduan¡¯s words, Qiao Hongxi remained silent, a stark indication of the Qiao Family¡¯s attitude toward them. This made everyone hesitant to speak up. They couldn¡¯t fathom the Qiao Family¡¯s irrational behavior. Shao Yunduan and Ms. Qiao had once been in the presence of the Emperor, yet they were being treated in such a manner! Furthermore, Third Old Master Qiao, being Ms. Qiao¡¯s own father, disyed a cold-hearted demeanor as well¡­ Ah, yes, the Qiao Family must be afraid of the Tian Family.
That should be enough to settle the matter! It was all just a misunderstanding. The Tian Family might suppress Shao Yunduan and prevent him from making further advancements, but that would be the extent of it. They wouldn¡¯t target the Qiao Family over this. The Qiao Family was overestimating themselves¡­ They didn¡¯t even want their daughter and son-inw merely due to their uncertainty. They weren¡¯t a particrly admirable family. Consequently, everyone¡¯s perception of Qiao Hongxi underwent a significant change. Finallyprehending the situation, Qiao Hongxi grew both angry and anxious. ¡°You, I¡­¡± Once again, he found himself dumbfounded, feeling utterly helpless. Even if he realized that Shao Yunduan had ulterior motives behind treating him to a meal, he could also surmise that Shao Yunduan had hidden intentions in treating all the members of the Hanlin Academy. Shao Yunduan was setting him up! Yet, what could be done in such a predicament? He had to confer with his own family and make a decision. But even if he acted independently, it was already toote to say anything further. Qiao Hongxi felt an overwhelming sense of annoyance.
They silently cursed the couple, convinced that they were being set up! Qiao Hongxi didn¡¯t need to ponder much to realize that Shao Yunduan¡¯s words had been overheard by everyone present. It was witnessed by all. Even if the Tian Family didn¡¯t cause trouble for Shao Yunduan in the future, they would never be able to bring him back. Qiao Hongxi grew increasingly annoyed. The more he looked at Shao Yunduan, the more his annoyance intensified. He couldn¡¯t help but feel that they were all scheming against him, inwardly mocking him. But it wasn¡¯t their fault. If they were in the Qiao Family¡¯s position, they might not have acted any differently. Feeling trapped in an ufortable situation, Qiao Hongxi concluded that he couldn¡¯t stay any longer. After a brief while, he excused himself, stating that he needed to leave. Shao Yunduan exchanged a few parting words and bid him farewell. Inside, Shao Yunduan chuckled. It was for the best that Qiao Hongxi departed. His departure indicated a sense of guilt. With him gone, they could freely discuss anything. Indeed, as soon as Qiao Hongxi left, the remaining individuals exchanged knowing nces, their expressions filled with understanding. Someone stepped forward to console Shao Yunduan. Once one person spoke, the others followed suit, offering words offort to Shao Yunduan. Shao Yunduan sighed, graciously epting their kind gestures. He even shared the mistreatment his wife had endured at the hands of Third Old Master and his wife in their hometown. A collective sigh echoed through the group.
The Qiao Family was truly despicable! No wonder they had severed ties with Ms. Qiao. But Ms. Qiao was fortunate to have Shao Yunduan by her side. Chapter 1078: Trapped Chapter 1078: Trapped
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan considered himself fortunate to have a concubine¡¯s daughter who possessed the skill to cure the Emperor¡¯s beloved peony, and as a result, he received numerous rewards from the court. However, no one could guarantee that the Emperor¡¯s peony would remain problem-free in the future. Consequently, no one dared toy a hand on Ms. Qiao, knowing the potential consequences. In any case, Shao Yunduan¡¯s return home with his colleagues strengthened their bond of friendship. Upon hearing about the banquet, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help butugh, finding it quite satisfying. ¡°That¡¯s truly gratifying! If the Qiao Family ever approaches us again, we won¡¯t have to entertain them. Even if they have the audacity to shamelessly seek our help, we can openly refuse!¡± Qiao Hongxi, however, had apletely different perspective.
When he returned home, he hesitated for a moment before approaching his father to share the incident. Third Old Master was utterly bbergasted upon hearing the news. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Initially, he had wanted to scold his son, but he soon realized that he couldn¡¯t. Even if he had been present, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to defend himself against Shao Yunduan¡¯s unexpected actions. Angrily, Qiao Hongxi eximed, ¡°Dad, Shao Yunduan is so disrespectful! He¡¯s your son-inw, yet he doesn¡¯t show any regard for you!¡± Third Old Master furrowed his brows. He didn¡¯t appreciate his son¡¯s words. While he hadn¡¯t believed it at first, he now couldn¡¯t find any excuse to continue deceiving himself. ¡°Very well, you may go and rest,¡± Third Old Master Qiao said, feeling disheartened. He sighed. ¡°Hongxi, when you have free time, strive to work hard and read more books. You need to seed in the future! I am relying on you for the remainder of my life!¡± Third Old Master Qiao had anticipated that upon his return to the capital, he would secure a fifth-ranked officer position. However, to his dismay, his Elder Brother only managed to secure him a seventh-ranked position in the Ministry of Architecture, which held little prestige within the capital. Adding to his frustration, the Ministry of Architecture was one of the least esteemed governmental offices among the six ministries, offering minimal opportunities for advancement. Realizing this, Third Old Master felt a surge of anger, almost causing him to vomit blood at the thought of the exorbitant amount of money they had spent. But what was the use? When his wife coerced him into asking his Elder Brother for money, not only did he fail to retrieve a single tael of silver, but he was also scolded by his Elder Brother. His Elder Brother imed to have invested so much effort and begged him for help, yet Third Old Master¡¯s request for money left him dissatisfied. It was a disheartening experience.
To make matters worse, his mother somehow discovered the incident and reprimanded him for hisck ofpassion. She focused solely on money and failed to acknowledge the efforts his Elder Brother had made on his behalf. Left with no choice, Third Old Master reluctantly consoled his mother, feeling annoyed by the situation. At his age, he realized that making progress in his own life was unlikely. He could only hope that his son would achieve sess. Despite having a daughter and a son-inw, the situation remained stagnant. Qiao Hongxi unconsciously clenched his fists and dered, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I will undoubtedly rise to the top! Shao Yunduan is nothing! Just wait and see, he doesn¡¯t even deserve to shine my shoes!¡± Third Old Master offered sce and nodded with a smile. ¡°I know you have ambitious goals!¡± The following day, Third Old Master discreetly hired a carriage and made his way to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s home. Chapter 1079: Third Old Master Chapter 1079: Third Old Master
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The events of the previous night had left Third Old Master restless, unable to sleep well. He couldn¡¯t fathom being manipted in such a manner, especially considering how highly he regarded Shao Yunduan as a son-inw. He had invested significant efforts in supporting Shao Yunduan and was genuinely concerned about his future. Thus, he couldn¡¯t understand why Shao Yunduan had disyed such cold-heartedness. Determined to get to the bottom of the situation, Third Old Master felt a surge of annoyance as he made his way to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s residence. However, he hesitated to approach them openly, fearing the repercussions from the Tian Family. Instead, he discreetly hired a carriage and arrived at the Shao Family¡¯s home, hoping that Shao Yunduan had returned from the Hanlin Academy. Upon seeing him at the door, Songshi, who recognized Third Old Master, was taken aback but didn¡¯t give him a hard time. In fact, he greeted him politely, saying, ¡°Old Master Qiao!¡± He then invited Third Old Master inside and informed Fifth Young Master and Madame of his presence. As Third Old Master, who had previously held the position of County Magistrate Qiao, nced around the yard, he noticed the standard four-part architecture with well-maintained east and west wing rooms. In the middle stood the main room, facing north and south, along with three wing rooms, creating a spacious and broadyout. The courtyard boasted arge patio with greenish-gray floor tiles, neatly arranged and adorned with sweet osmanthus, magnolia, crabapple, and other flowers and trees. A path led to the backyard, indicating its existence.
The courtyard wasn¡¯t overlyrge, but it wasn¡¯t small either. Third Old Master couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of envy. He inwardly sighed at their good fortune¡ªQiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, neers to the capital, managed to afford such a house, an impressive feat. Deep down, Third Old Master also believed that Qiao Xuan had provided them with the money to purchase the house. He had initially anticipated that they would face humiliation and encounter obstacles at every turn, giving him the opportunity to lecture them. However, reality proved otherwise. This left him speechless. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t find it unusual that Third Old Master Qiao hade to visit. They treated him as an ordinary guest,cking the familial warmth he had hoped for. Qiao Xuan no longer addressed him as ¡°father¡± but rather politely greeted him as ¡°Third Old Master Qiao.¡± The same was true for Shao Yunduan. Third Old Master¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Xuan¡­¡± ¡°Third Old Master Qiao, it doesn¡¯t seem appropriate for you to address my wife in that manner. After all, our families are no longer connected, and it¡¯s important that we maintain some dignity between us,¡± Shao Yunduan interjected calmly. Third Old Master couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. He used Shao Yunduan of ingratitude and heartlessness.
With a smile, Qiao Xuan inquired, ¡°My husband achieved the rank of Cultivated Talent through his own abilities and received education from a highly esteemed teacher. Young Master Xie, a Provincial Champion and Primus, has imparted his vast knowledge to him. What does that have to do with you, Third Old Master Qiao? Did you teach him? How can he be expected to feel grateful?¡± Shao Yunduan added, ¡°Third Old Master Qiao, if you wish to discuss this matter further, please leave. I don¡¯t owe you anything, and neither does my wife. Madame Qiao tried to harm my wife, yet she¡¯s still alive and well, isn¡¯t she? Since you never treated my wife as your daughter, why don¡¯t you uphold your reputation? Are you attempting to be a benevolent father, or is there something else you¡¯re aiming for?¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to exin myself to you. You know what you should do.¡± Third Old Master Qiao hade to express his concern and demonstrate his affection, hoping that they would feel guilty and regard him highly. Instead, he was met with mockery. Guilt and kindness were absent. He had misjudged thempletely! Chapter 1080: Contract Chapter 1080: Contract
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°If you insist on being so obstinate, let¡¯s see if you can continue to reside in the capital. Don¡¯t overestimate yourself. The Emperor is a noble man who doesn¡¯t even remember you. He doesn¡¯t believe he needs to protect you. I¡¯ll see if the Tian Family will forgive you!¡± Third Old Master retorted, his frustration evident. Qiao Xuan let out an emotional sigh, wishing she had a cell phone at that moment. Suddenly, she spoke up, ¡°If we were to return to the Qiao Family now, would you risk offending the Tian Family for our sake?¡± Third Old Master stumbled over his words, unable to provide a satisfactory answer. Qiao Xuan sneered, ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t, right? Then what are you doing here? How about writing a letter to sever our tiespletely? That way, no matter what happens to the Tian Family in the future, we won¡¯t hinder you in any way!¡±
In a hurry, Third Old Master left without saying another word. Qiao Xuan felt a sense of triumph, thinking that she hade up with a brilliant idea. She considered including Third Old Master Qiao¡¯s name on the letter to make it perfect. She shared this idea with Shao Yunduan, who chuckled, finding his wife¡¯s imagination amusing. However, Qiao Xuan remained dissatisfied. ¡°It would be perfect! This way, the Qiao Family will have no connection to us, and we won¡¯t have any hold over them either!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh. Deep down, she knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy to get her father to put something in writing. The behavior of the Qiao Family disgusted her. They were using her father as a means to ensure that the Tian Family wouldn¡¯t hold a grudge against Shao Yunduan and that Shao Yunduan would be epted into the Qiao Family. However, they would never admit to it. Third Old Master had the audacity to assert confidently, ¡°We are your family, and we¡¯re supporting you for your own good!¡± It sickened her. Shao Yunduan nodded, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll figure out a way to persuade Third Old Master Qiao to put it in writing.¡± Qiao Xuan was taken aback, finding it hard to believe. ¡°Really?¡± Shao Yunduan smiled, reassuring her. ¡°You won¡¯t know until you give it a try.¡±
Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. She nodded eagerly. ¡°Darling, your ideas never disappoint. I¡¯ll be eagerly waiting!¡± With a smile and seeking some encouragement and rewards, Shao Yunduan leaned closer and whispered something into Qiao Xuan¡¯s ear, causing her to push him away yfully and run off. Shao Yunduan pondered over his n and soon passed on the information to Qiao Hongxi. Although Qiao Hongxi wasn¡¯t sure if it was true, he hoped it was. However, when he attempted to mock Shao Yunduan, he was met with a sharp retort. Shocked and infuriated, he contemted the situation for a while before deciding to seek his grandmother¡¯s counsel. Upon learning that the Tian Family intended to cause trouble for Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, and that Shao Yunduan was shamelessly dragging the Qiao Family down with him¡ªconsidering that Third Old Master Qiao wasn¡¯t his true father-inw¡ªMadame Lady Qiao grew increasingly annoyed. She repeatedly expressed her disapproval,beling the couple as deceitful, shameless, and despicable. She believed that those hypocrites were oblivious to their own true nature. They had tricked everyone, leaving the Qiao Family defenseless. ¡°Do they think they can use the Qiao Family as a stepping stone? They¡¯re dreaming! The Qiao Family isn¡¯t someone they can involve themselves with whenever they please. In that case, we should sever all tiespletely!¡± Madame Lady Qiao eximed, determined to sever any remaining connections. Chapter 1081: Bad Parents Chapter 1081: Bad Parents
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Madame Lady Qiao reached a firm decision and approached Third Old Master Qiao, asking him to write a letter for Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan to sign. This letter would officially sever any remaining ties between the Qiao Family and the couple. Taken aback, Third Old Master tried to persuade his mother to reconsider. ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no need to rush. Perhaps we can wait for a year or so.¡± However, his arguments didn¡¯t sway Madame Lady Qiao. She believed that they couldn¡¯t afford to wait any longer, as the situation was pressing. Third Old Master, though not entirely convinced, had a feeling that Shao Yunduan¡¯s future held greater potential. Moreover, he realized that his daughter was moreplex than he had previously thought. These realizations only intensified his displeasure towards Madame Qiao, leading him to distance himself from her. Madame Lady Qiao, unhappy with Third Old Master¡¯s response, argued that when the chips were down, waiting for over a year and a half was not a viable option. She recounted what Shao Yunduan had said to Qiao Hongxi, leaving Third Old Master dumbfounded.
Panicking, he began to believe that Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were capable of such actions. In light of this, breaking off ties seemed like the only choice they had. Thus, Third Old Master wrote down everything and visited the Shao Family once again. Qiao Xuan hadn¡¯t anticipated that he would present her with the letter. She felt both surprised and relieved, though she was cautious not to reveal too much. She signed the contract and carefully stored the evidence, then beamed with a bright smile. ¡°Third Old Master Qiao, goodbye. Hopefully, we will have nothing to do with each other!¡± Third Old Master was still feeling quite annoyed. He could not help but ask. ¡°Xuan¡­¡± ¡°Just call me Mrs. Shao!¡± ¡°¡­You don¡¯t miss the Qiao Family at all?¡± Qiao Xuan was sneering inwardly ¨C your daughter is gone, killed by your cold-heartedness. Even if she was alive, she might not have a good life today, and you would not have asked such a thing. So hypocritical. ¡°No, not at all!¡± ¡°Why should I? After Concubine passed away, I lived a life worse than that of a maid. My birth mother was filled with malice, and my father was cold and heartless. What makes you think I should stay?¡± Qiao Xuan challenged, her voice filled with bitterness. Third Old Master felt deeply embarrassed as he tried to defend himself. ¡°There are many bad parents in the world¡­¡±
¡°Bad parents don¡¯t deserve to be called parents,¡± Qiao Xuan countered firmly. With nothing more to say, Third Old Master sighed dejectedly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pretend that I never had a daughter like you. Take care of yourself!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled gratefully. ¡°Thank you for letting me go. I hope that you and the Qiao Family will honor your promise.¡± Third Old Master felt a wave of dizziness, his anger simmering. He left in a fit of anger. Qiao Xuan reread the paper and couldn¡¯t contain her joy. Her husband was so clever! She agreed to whatever he wanted to do. As the situation resolved and Shao Yunduan¡¯s time at the Hanlin Academy progressed smoothly, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan began discussing the idea of purchasing a shop. Surprisingly, Shao Yunduan did not object. During her free time, Qiao Xuan would apany Shao Yunduan in their search. However, finding a suitable store in the capital proved to be challenging. The right size and location seemed elusive. Yet, after some time, they stumbled upon a plot ofnd measuring approximately 20 mu that was avable for intermediate sale near ake in the northern part of the city. Qiao Xuan preferred the idea of purchasingnd instead of a store, and she felt incredibly fortunate at their discovery.
Chapter 1082: Land Buying Chapter 1082: Land Buying
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions The plot ofnd measuring 20 mu was beyond the affordability of mostrge families. Even for ordinary families, it might be challenging to acquire. Naturally, there were others interested in purchasing thend, so Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan knew they had to act swiftly. Without hesitation, Qiao Xuan made the decision to buy thend. Land in the capital came at a high price. One mu ofnd for crop cultivation cost 20 liang, significantly more expensive than the fertile water fields found in the county. However, the soil in the northern region was fertile and t, making it easy to cultivate. Qiao Xuan was pleased with her choice.
Obtaining 20 mu ofnd brought Qiao Xuan great satisfaction. She yfully joked with Shao Yunduan that they now possessed both a house andnd in the capital, envisioning themselves as the foundations of the imperial city in a few years¡¯ time. Qiao Xuan nned to use thend to cultivate strawberries and potatoes, dedicating the remaining area to seasonal vegetables, watermelons, cantaloupes, melons, passion fruits, and other fruits, each nted annually. The aim was self-sufficiency¡ªa goal that excited her. Before the onset of cold weather, Qiao Xuan decided to prepare thend so it would be ready for nting in the spring. First and foremost, the entire area needed proper fencing. The crops she intended to grow were valuable, and she couldn¡¯t allow anyone to spoil them. With its ample space, they could allocate half a mu for constructing additional houses. There would be a resting area, a tool shed, and a storage warehouse. They also dug arge underground cer for storing harvested potatoes. Thend would be divided into sections, ensuring there was space for pathways, deep plowing, sorting, and fine plowing in early spring, just after the Chunyu festival, when nting couldmence. Once the n was finalized, Songshi would be responsible for procuring materials and overseeing the construction process. Songshi felt a newfound sense of motivation, grateful that he finally had something to do and was no longer bored every day. He recognized that if they behaved well, their future would be promising. Knowing that both masters valued loyalty, he understood that as long as he remained loyal to them, a bright future awaited.
Being a clever individual, Songshi didn¡¯t make decisions on his own when encountering people he didn¡¯t understand. Instead, he would ry the details to Qiao Xuan and seek her opinion. With this approach, everything proceeded smoothly. Around 11 or 12 dayster, when Shao Yunduan returned home, he discussed the Qiao Family with Qiao Xuan. He mentioned that the Qiao Family was in turmoil due to Qiao Wei¡¯s failed marriage. Her fianc¨¦ seemed to have gotten involved with Qiao Kou, causing distress for Third Old Master and his wife. Qiao Xuan was taken aback by the news. She had a strong desire to gossip and kept prodding Shao Yunduan for more details. She was curious to hear more about what was happening within the Qiao Family. There was no gossip more intriguing than that from the Qiao Family. She found sce in knowing that they were not leading afortable life. However, Shao Yunduan had only heard this one piece of information, and he wasn¡¯t fully aware of the exact details. After all, he was upied with his work at the Hanlin Academy and had limited time to delve into the Qiao Family¡¯s gossip. Qiao Xuan felt slightly disappointed. Yet, she understood that her husband wasn¡¯t inclined to indulge in such matters. She decided to gather information herself! Qiao Xuan requested Songshi to take a stroll around the Qiao Family¡¯s vicinity, treating the servants there to tea, melon seeds, and engaging in casual conversations to gather some information.
Chapter 1083: Show at the Qiao Family Chapter 1083: Show at the Qiao Family
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Songshi, driven by his understanding of the situation, became deeply invested in gathering information. Having witnessed the animosity between his own masters and Madame Qiao, along with the Qiao Family, he silently defended Qiao Xuan. He believed it was worthwhile to purchase snacks and melon seeds to share with everyone, allowing them to enjoy the spectacle unfolding at the Qiao Family¡¯s expense. The news didn¡¯t create much of a stir in the upper-ss society of the capital. It circted, but people treated it as a joke, sharing augh after dinner. Such incidents were rare but not unheard of in the capital, where gossip thrived, including many other bizarre tales. Moreover, the Qiao Family no longer held a prominent position among the influential and affluent families of the capital, so they didn¡¯t garner much attention.
Additionally, Qiao Wei¡¯s fianc¨¦¡¯s family was also not of notable status, further diminishing the significance of the event. Nevertheless, news of the incident had already spread throughout the Qiao Family, allowing Songshi to carry out his ns without difficulty. The situation was rather straightforward. During Madame Qiao¡¯s birthday banquet held at the Marquis of An¡¯s Mansion, First Madame of the Qiao Family, apanied by Qiao Wei, Qiao Kou, Qiao Fang, and other female members of the family, went to celebrate. However, Qiao Kou was led to the area where the male guests were congregating. There, she encountered Qiao Wei¡¯s intoxicated fianc¨¦ and Ning Liufang, the youngest son of Marquis Qiao¡¯s cousin. Allegedly, Qiao Kou experienced great humiliation, prompting her to jump into the nearbyke. With many witnesses present, and theke being shallow, she couldn¡¯t meet her demise. However, the incident left her frightened and she lost consciousness after being rescued. Her fierce reaction evoked sympathy and pity from those who witnessed it, leading them to believe she had encountered significant trouble. In contrast, Qiao Wei¡¯s response to the situation was far from satisfactory. Pale and on the verge of fainting, she struggled to cope with the unfolding events. When Qiao Kou was pulled out of the water, her eyes closed, Qiao Wei kicked her and shouted, ¡°Bitch!¡± ¡°Bitch!¡± ¡°Shame on you!¡± This sudden outburst startled everyone. As people regained theirposure and tried to restrain Qiao Wei, she grew even more furious and continued to curse. The onlookers frowned in disgust. Especially those from Marquis An¡¯s Mansion. They were utterly dumbfounded and wore expressions of deep concern. What would happen if such a hot-tempered woman were to marry into their family? First Madame Qiao also felt a deep sense of embarrassment. She inwardly cursed both Qiao Kou and Qiao Wei with all her might.
The third branch of the Qiao Family was utterly disgraceful. The concubine¡¯s daughter behaved this way, and now the lineal daughter was following suit. A true nobledy would never throw such a tantrum. Was she a nobledy or a shrew? Was such behavior necessary? Couldn¡¯t she have simply cried? All she needed to do was cover her face and run away, weeping loudly. She was the one who had been humiliated! Not to mention the humiliation brought upon the Qiao Family! How infuriating¡­ Upon hearing about the incident, Third Madame Qiao was ovee with shock. She fainted on the spot. When she eventually regained consciousness, tears streamed down her face. She was a person of great pride. In the past, she wouldn¡¯t have shed tears in front of Auntie Ling and others. However, now that things were going poorly, she no longer cared about her reputation. Her tears continued to flow, and she made no effort to wipe them away. Clenching her teeth, she turned to Auntie Ling and said, ¡°Go and teach Qiao Kou and Concubine Du a lesson! Teach them a lesson! I want them dead!¡±
Chapter 1084: Payment Chapter 1084: Payment
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Third Madame did not believe that the incident was a mere ident or a coincidence. She was convinced that it was all part of Qiao Kou¡¯s n. That despicable Qiao Kou had orchestrated Qiao Wei¡¯s ruined marriage, and Third Madame refused to ept such an oue. In truth, Third Madame wasn¡¯t entirely wrong, but her focus was misced. Qiao Kou wasn¡¯t the sole mastermind behind this ¡°ident.¡± Qiao Kou and Qiao Wei¡¯s fianc¨¦, Ning Liufang, had conspired together. Third Madame would never have imagined that upon Qiao Kou¡¯s return to the capital, she would sessfully captivate Ning Liufang during the few banquets they attended together. The two of them coborated to devise this n. Why did they choose this particr moment? Qiao Wei and her husband¡¯s wedding was scheduled after the New Year.
Qiao Wei was expected to apany First Madame Qiao to celebrate Marquis Yi¡¯an¡¯s birthday, thereby fostering a good rtionship with the Marquis¡¯s family. It was during this asion that Qiao Wei¡¯s true nature would be exposed to the people of Marquis¡¯s Mansion. Qiao Kou understood Qiao Wei well¡ªshe was certain that Qiao Wei would throw a tantrum. Upon witnessing this, the Marquis¡¯s family would feel relieved and readily request a recement bride without hesitation. Qiao Wei¡¯s behavior effectively ensured that she would be unable to marry into a reputable family in the capital. Qiao Kou¡¯s predictions had proven urate. In a sudden realization, Third Madame of the Qiao Family felt a surge of destion, caring little about her own image. Auntie Ling could only offer a bitter smile. Third Miss had just seen a doctor, with Concubine Du taking care of her, while Old Master was present as well. What else could Auntie Ling do? Two dayster, Ning Liufang¡¯s mother and sister-inw arrived at their doorstep, expressing their regret. It was necessary for them to handle the matter properly. As Qiao Kou and Ning Liufang had engaged in a physical rtionship, it was decided that the wedding date would remain the same, and the Ning Family would proceed with marrying Qiao Kou. Everyone in the Qiao Family agreed to this arrangement. The Ning Family was unaware that Qiao Kou was the daughter of a concubine, so they saw no reason to object. They were willing to marry anyone from the Qiao Family.
In light of Qiao Wei¡¯s disgraceful behavior, she was pped by Third Old Master and ced under house arrest. Third Old Master even expressed his wish for Qiao Kou to be the one getting married instead. Soon enough, the birth dates were exchanged to amodate the new arrangement. By the time Third Madame Qiao learned of these developments, the matter had already been settled. Third Old Master harbored intense resentment towards her. He spoke coldly, ¡°Second Sister-inw and Sister-inw will discuss Kou¡¯s marriage. You should focus on recovering and, once you¡¯re well, discipline Wei properly. It¡¯s absolutely ridiculous! How have you raised your daughter all these years?¡± The more Third Old Master dwelled on the situation, the more infuriated he became. He sneered, ¡°Xuan and Kou were not raised by you, and I believe they are both good individuals. Wei, on the other hand, is a reflection of your parenting! She is no better than a street mongrel. How humiliating!¡± Having finished his scathing remarks, Third Old Master departed without waiting for her response. Third Madame seethed with anger, clutching her chest as she watched Third Old Master leave. She emitted a stifled sound and coughed up a mouthful of blood, falling backward. Auntie Ling and Yuzan panicked, rushing to her side. Eventually, Third Madame regained consciousness. She tightly grasped Auntie Ling¡¯s sleeves, trembling as she panted. Sheined, ¡°Auntie, just listen to what they¡¯re saying!¡± Chapter 1085: Decision Chapter 1085: Decision
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions ¡°It¡¯s all their fault! It¡¯s his fault! He used those women to provoke me and turn them against me! Why should I treat them kindly? Why!¡± Third Madame cried out, her hands covering her face. Auntie Ling had dismissed Yuzan and the others, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling saddened. She wiped her eyes and said, ¡°Madame, we are women, and men can be quite unpredictable. You must gather yourself and think about what Elder Miss should do!¡± Third Madame¡¯s face contorted with anger as she fiercely dered, ¡°I will never forgive that woman! She¡¯s delusional if she thinks she can marry Young Master Ning! Old Master mes me for not raising my daughter well, but what about Concubine Du? Is she doing a great job? How dare she steal her own sister¡¯s fianc¨¦! Shameless!¡± Auntie Ling hesitated before speaking, ¡°But Madame Qiao, the marriage has already been settled, so¡­¡± ¡°And so what?¡± Third Madame sneered. ¡°I am the birth mother, and I have a say in this marriage! I deeply regret it! How could I have allowed them to continue? I should have strangled them when they were young. No, I should have prevented their existence altogether! I deeply regret it, I deeply regret it¡­¡±
Third Madame was overwhelmed, her anger burning within her. She had regretted so many times before, yet with each passing instance, her regret only grew stronger. Fate had been cruel to her. Auntie Ling couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly. Regret was the word Madame Qiao used most frequently. But what else could be expected? If she were in Madame Qiao¡¯s position, she too would be filled with regret. Of the two concubine¡¯s daughters, one had always been meek since childhood, while the other constantly sought the favor of Madame Qiao and Elder Miss, behaving worse than a servant. But these two daughters, whom Madame Qiao and Elder Miss regarded as no better than animals, hadpletely overturned their lives. A farmer who married into a farmer¡¯s family had risen to be a prominent schr, an officer, and even caught the Emperor¡¯s attention. She made significant contributions and received praise and rewards from the court. She was in the spotlight! The other daughter was even worse¡ªshe had stolen Elder Miss¡¯ marriage and caused Elder Miss to lose herposure in front of everyone, tarnishing her image and reputation. What would happen in the future? Those two incidents were not the end of it. Young Master, who had a promising future, had also been demoted, and it was the Emperor himself who personally issued the demotion. Madame Qiao couldn¡¯t bear the thought of it. No one would dare to promote Young Master without the Emperor¡¯s approval. Absolutely no one. If Qiao Wei could marry into the Marquis of An¡¯s Mansion, perhaps there would be a chance to rectify the situation. But if it were Qiao Kou who got married, Madame Qiao would be powerless to help Young Master. It would be a humiliation! Madame¡¯s life was filled with misery!
Auntie Ling felt a deep sorrow and sighed. However, there was nothing she could do but offer some futile words of constion to Third Madame Qiao. Third Madame¡¯s expression kept shifting as she stared into the empty space before her, seemingly alternating between listening to Auntie Ling¡¯s words and drifting into a trance-like state. Chapter 1086: Lesson Chapter 1086: Lesson Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Auntie, bring Concubine Du here!¡± Third Madame suddenly issued themand. Taken aback, Auntie Ling nodded and left. However, to her dismay, Concubine Du was not by her side. Third Madame was incredibly sensitive. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she snapped, ¡°How dare that woman not show up!¡± Auntie Ling forced a smile, trying to pacify the situation. ¡°Madame, please don¡¯t be angry. Third Miss¡­¡± ¡°Bah! That woman is not the Third Miss!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Auntie Ling acquiesced, going along with Third Madame Qiao¡¯s words. ¡°Concubine Du¡¯s daughter is still weak, and Concubine Du says she needs to take care of her. She wille to visit Madame Qiaoter¡­¡± ¡°That woman!¡± Third Madame seethed. ¡°How dare she! Who does she think she is? How dare she disobey my orders? Go and fetch her, and bring Qiao Kou as well! Make it clear to them that I have Concubine Du¡¯s contract! Let her think twice before defying me!¡± ¡°Just go!¡± Auntie Ling found herself in a predicament. If she conveyed this message to Old Master, what would he think of Madame Qiao? Yes, Madame Qiao did have a contract with Concubine Du, but Third Miss was on the verge of getting married, and Madame Qiao had no intention of betraying Concubine Du. That would only turn the Qiao Family into aughingstock! Old Master would never forgive Madame Qiao. They would be strangers from this moment onward. However, Auntie Ling was also furious. She was angered by Concubine Du¡¯s arrogance and pettiness. Third Miss had stolen Elder Miss¡¯ wedding, and now she had be so conceited that she defied Madame Qiao¡¯s orders and requests. She deserved to learn a lesson! Auntie Ling nodded and approached Concubine Du. This time, Auntie Ling requested a private conversation on the porch. Reluctantly, Concubine Du followed, knowing that Auntie Ling¡¯s tone was far from pleasant. On the corridor outside the room, Auntie Ling fixed her gaze on Concubine Du and spoke with a cold tone, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Madame Qiao still holds the contract with you. You know what Madame Qiao is capable of when she¡¯s angered. If Third Miss enters her husband¡¯s household with a sold concubine, her days won¡¯t be easy, will they?¡± Concubine Du¡¯s face drained of color, her voice trembling as she replied, ¡°Third Miss, Third Miss was also set up. How can Madame Qiao treat her this way? I haven¡¯t done anything wrong. Old Master would never allow this!¡± Auntie Ling snorted in response. ¡°Do you think Old Master can control Madame Qiao? Madame Qiao possesses the contract! You are merely a concubine. Who are you to defy her?¡± ¡°Are you feeling guilty because you know you¡¯ve done something wrong?¡± Concubine Du¡¯s eyelids twitched, ovee with despair and sorrow. She knew it! She knew it! Regardless of the circumstances, it was an undeniable fact that Third Miss had disrupted Elder Miss¡¯ engagement. Madame Qiao wouldn¡¯t let her off the hook. She was determined not to spare her. But if not for Old Master¡¯s grounding, even Elder Miss wouldn¡¯t have let her off the hook. What was she going to do in the future? ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ve been too concerned¡­¡± Chapter 1087: Innocence Chapter 1087: Innocence Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°I was concerned that something might happen to Third Miss, so I didn¡¯t dare to leave or show any disrespect to Madame Qiao. I will go with Auntie to see Madame Qiao now¡­¡± Concubine Du¡¯s voice quivered as she spoke. Auntie Ling cast a disdainful nce at her and snorted. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± It seemed that some people were naturally inclined towards making things difficult! Concubine Du¡¯s lips quivered, but she didn¡¯t dare utter another word. She nodded and followed Auntie Ling. Inside the room, Qiao Kou closed her eyes and remained silent. She didn¡¯t want to stir up any trouble. She could confide in her father about the situation, but she chose not to. She knew her birth mother too well¡ªher relentless nature would drive her to do anything to provoke her. Concubine Qiao had always loved her the most, and she wouldn¡¯t me Qiao Kou even if she were mistreated by her birth mother. Furthermore, she knew her birth mother would only torment her and not take any serious action. Filled with fury at the sight of Concubine Du¡¯s gaze, Third Madame grabbed the teacup next to her and hurled it at Concubine Du¡¯s forehead. Concubine Du dared not dodge, feeling a sharp pain on her forehead as it turned red and swollen. The teacup crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces. ¡°You shameless bitch! How dare you do such a thing! Kneel down, you bitch!¡± Third Madame Qiao unleashed her wrath, relentlessly cursing Concubine Du and Qiao Kou, piercing through Concubine Du¡¯s heart and causing her to bleed. Concubine Du¡¯s eyes turned red, and she trembled, unable to move or shed a tear. Throughout all these years, she had been ingratiating herself with Third Madame Qiao, and though she was a concubine, she hadn¡¯t experienced such harsh curses before. She could no longer endure it. Filled with rage, anger, and humiliation, Concubine Du was on the verge of fainting after enduring Third Madame Qiao¡¯s curses. Auntie Ling was taken aback, but Third Madame Qiao sneered. ¡°That pretentious bitch is always putting on a show. Just ignore her and wait until she wakes up. Once she¡¯s awake, tell her to continue kneeling!¡± Concubine Du regained consciousness in the cold of the night, only to find herself still in the same position. Yuzan approached her and ordered her to kneel properly, nearly causing her to faint once again. Throughout the entire night, Concubine Du remained on her knees in front of Third Madame Qiao¡¯s bed. The next morning, Third Madame finally released her and instructed her to attend to her after lunch. Concubine Du felt a bitter sense of foreboding in her heart. She knew her nightmare had just begun, yet she was powerless to do anything about it. What good would it do if she told Old Master about this? Regardless of the circumstances, it was an undeniable fact that Elder Miss¡¯s marriage had been usurped by Qiao Kou. Old Master would never defy Third Madame Qiao for her sake. Moreover, what if Third Madame took her anger out on Kou? There were countless ways for birth mothers to control their concubine-born daughters. In reality, Concubine Du was naively hopeful. Third Madame Qiao had no intention of letting Qiao Kou off the hook. The moment Concubine Du left, Third Madame called upon Auntie Ling to help her dress and prepare for going out. She dered that she was fine, sneering at Auntie Ling¡¯s concern for her health. She had yet to deal with that wretched woman, and she wouldn¡¯t meet her demise now. Chapter 1088: Engagement Breaking Off Chapter 1088: Engagement Breaking Off
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions That unfortunate event left Auntie Ling feeling powerless to dissuade Third Madame Qiao any further, so she reluctantly obeyed the order. Third Madame Qiao, elegantly dressed, consumed a bowl of red date, snow fungus, and lotus seed soup before venturing out with Auntie Ling and Yuzan. Their destination was the Ning Family residence. Her purpose there was to call off the engagement with the Ning Family. Since the Ning Family would no longer be her future inws, there was no need for formalities. After some casual conversation, Third Madame Qiao exined her intention to retrieve the birthdate note. Unbeknownst to her, Third Old Master had entrusted the task of arranging Qiao Kou¡¯s marriage to the two Sister-inws due to her illness. Had she been aware of this, she would never have agreed to the engagement. She had already made a promise to someone else regarding Qiao Kou¡¯s marriage, and they were about to exchange birthdate notes. It would be improper for one daughter to make promises to two families simultaneously. She expressed deep regret for the situation.
Furthermore, Qiao Kou, being the daughter of a concubine, received limited education from her mother at a young age. Shecked knowledge of zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and household management. Her social skills werecking, and she felt unworthy of Young Master Ning. Third Madame Ning¡¯s expression turned grim. After exchanging a few polite words, she promptly returned Qiao Kou¡¯s birthdate note to Third Madame Qiao without hesitation. Upon learning of this development, Ning Liufang grew irritated. He professed his sincere affection for Qiao Kou and pleaded with his mother to allow the marriage. Third Madame Ning snapped, ¡°It¡¯s impossible! If it weren¡¯t for the unfortunate incident, we would still need to exin ourselves to the Qiao Family. Do you think I would willingly ept a concubine¡¯s daughter as my daughter-inw? Her biological mother herself requested the return of the birthdate note, and I can¡¯t wait toply. Her biological mother stated that she is useless, and if we were to proceed with the marriage, we would be aughingstock!¡± The idea of the Ning Family marrying a concubine¡¯s daughter, openly criticized by her biological mother, was utterly humiliating. Ning Liufang was left speechless. He had developed genuine feelings for Qiao Kou, but he was unwilling to sever ties with his family over her. Alternatively, he could simply let the matter go. Ultimately, he prioritized maintaining his reputation. Third Madame Qiao informed her two Sister-inws about the situation with the birthdate notes, instructing them to cease their efforts. She then tasked Auntie Ling with conveying the news to Third Old Master, Qiao Kou, and Concubine Du. Qiao Kou and Concubine Du were taken aback by Third Madame Qiao¡¯s actions. Their hearts sank with despair. Enraged, Third Old Master stormed up to Third Madame Qiao and pped her across the face. Pointing a trembling finger at her, he uttered not a single word. His anger was so overwhelming that he couldn¡¯t even muster a curse.
Remainingposed, Third Madame Qiao sneered. ¡°Wei has suffered greatly, yet Old Master does nothing to console or defend her. Instead, he confines her and mes me. That wretched Qiao Kou stole Wei¡¯s fianc¨¦. Old Master, do you really think I will fulfill her desires? Dream on!¡± ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable! Kou is also a victim! She is innocent! How can you me her?¡± ¡°Such ims are nothing but foolish lies! I won¡¯t believe a word of it!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then show me the evidence, and I will believe you!¡± ¡°And even if they provide evidence, will the marriage still be for Wei?¡± Unable to find words, Third Old Master red at Third Madame Qiao. His love for her was shattered. That woman was his wife! She was his beloved wife! He had once been overwhelmed with emotions and considered himself fortunate to be married to such a virtuous woman. She had helped him resolve numerous troubles and spared him countless headaches in the province. Chapter 1089: Shock Chapter 1089: Shock
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Unexpectedly, his wife had revealed such a side of her character. She had caused chaos within the entire family. He felt utterly humiliated. Even her own mother, elder brother, and second brother were greatly displeased because the Qiao Family had be implicated in the situation. Third Old Master was consumed by annoyance. However, what was the use of beating Third Madame to death?
Their priority now was to handle the problem smoothly. He stormed off angrily, stomping his feet as he departed. Consequently, they also imposed a punishment on Third Madame Qiao by confining her. This was the information that Songshi had heard. ¡°I heard that the Qiao Family is inplete disarray right now. Third Old Master is still considering handing over the birthdate note to the Ning Family. Do you think they will ept it?¡± Songshi asked. Qiao Xuan shook her head, smiling. ¡°Normal people wouldn¡¯t. The Ning Family is in a difficult situation, and Qiao Wei¡¯s fianc¨¦ happens to be a cousin of Marquis Yi¡¯an, a family with some reputation. It has be aughingstock, and they are trying to avoid further embarrassment. They will never ept the invitation again!¡± Songshi chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right!¡± Qiao Xuan instructed Songshi to continue with her work, but she herself intended to keep an eye on the developments within the Qiao Family. It was bound to be quite a spectacle! It was a marvelous spectacle, a form of revenge for everything that had happened. It left people eagerly anticipating more. It was the kind of drama that made them crave an extra few bowls of rice. As Qiao Xuan had predicted, First Madame Qiao and Second Madame Qiao visited the Ning Family, but the Ning Family declined to ept any further birthdate notes. Marriage was a serious matter. The lineal mother had taken back the birthdate notes and made promises to someone else. Yet, two dayster, someone arrived iming that it had all been a misunderstanding. Were they ying with them?
The Qiao Family found themselves at a loss when the Ning Family rejected their advances. Madame Lady Qiao relentlessly scolded her daughter-inw, using her of not caring about her actions and turning the Qiao Family into aughingstock. Third Old Master was consumed by anxiety as well. However, Qiao Kou suddenly delivered shocking news to Third Old Master and Madame Yuezheng through Concubine Du¡ªshe was pregnant, and the child belonged to the Young Master of the Ning Family! It was aplete bombshell! This meant that Qiao Kou and Ning Liufang had been engaged in a ndestine affair behind Qiao Wei¡¯s back! The ¡°ident¡± between Qiao Kou and Ning Liufang that had urred recently, as well as Qiao Kou¡¯s subsequent ¡°set up,¡± were all staged. They had conspired together to be with each other. First Madame Qiao and Second Madame Qiao were left dumbfounded, while Madame Lady Qiao erupted in anger. ¡°You are nothing but a concubine¡¯s daughter! How dare you engage in such shameless behavior!¡± Third Old Master flushed with embarrassment, feeling the urge to bury himself in the ground. He could no longer me Third Madame Qiao. ¡°Mother, please, we need to find a solution to this problem¡­¡± Madame Lady Qiao pointed at him. ¡°And where have you been all these years? Your family is now in such a scandalous state, and everyone is worried!¡± Third Old Master hung his head low, listening to the scolding.
Reluctantly, Madame Lady Qiao had no choice but to visit the Ning Family and personally meet Third Madame Ning. She approached the situation with a ruthless demeanor, employing both persuasion and coercion. She argued that it took two to tango, and both children were at fault. However, Qiao Kou was already Young Master Ning¡¯s woman and she was carrying his child. If the Ning Family refused to ept her into their family, it would bring unbearable humiliation upon the Qiao Family. Qiao Kou, too, could not bear the shame and had even considered taking her own life at the gates of the Ning Family. Chapter 1090: Concubine Chapter 1090: Concubine
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Upon hearing Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s words, Third Madame Ning felt as though she might faint. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe what she was hearing. She turned to her son and berated him, eximing, ¡°You good-for-nothing!¡± The Ning Family had to take responsibility for their actions. If they didn¡¯t, news of her son impregnating his fianc¨¦e¡¯s sister would spread, and he would never be able to find a suitable marriage partner in the future. The family¡¯s reputation would be utterly ruined. However, everyone had their own loyalties to their respective families. Third Madame Ning cursed her son for his uselessness and held great disdain for Qiao Kou, considering her shameless. She was well aware that her son was meant to be Qiao Kou¡¯s brother-inw, yet she had still seduced him. It was clear that she had ulterior motives. How could a woman like this involve her own family in such a mess and still have the audacity to desire bing her daughter-inw? It was utterly unreasonable!
Third Madame Ning only agreed to ept Qiao Kou as a concubine. Most noble families wouldn¡¯t allow their sons to take concubines before marriage, but there was a reason behind that. After all, physical rtionships needed to be ounted for. They discreetly passed through the door and first moved Qiao Kou to the ancestral temple. They would wait for the wife¡¯s approval before bringing her back home. This was a way to show respect to the wife. Third Madame Ning firmly rejected the idea of Qiao Kou bing the wife, stating bluntly, ¡°He is meant to be her brother-inw, and she is not a good person either. Why should the Ning Family ept her? Either wepromise and let her be a concubine, or we¡¯ll fight to the bitter end!¡± No one would benefit from this situation. Madame Lady Qiao had no interest in a concubine¡¯s daughter like Qiao Kou, whom she had no fondness for. She simply hoped to cover up the whole affair so that Qiao Fang and Qiao Li¡¯s marriage wouldn¡¯t be affected. Why did it matter if she was a concubine? She was just a shameless concubine¡¯s daughter, and being a concubine was already a great honor for her! Thus, the matter was settled. Concubine Du let out a scream and fainted. Why did her daughter have to endure such a miserable life? She had experienced enough misery as a concubine herself. Her only hope in life was for her daughter to be the legal wife, so why did she have to be someone else¡¯s concubine?
With this stain on her reputation even before the wedding, her future prospects would be bleak. The entire Ning Family would not hold her in high regard. Qiao Kou was also shocked. She simply couldn¡¯t believe that Ning Liufang, who had seemed so infatuated with her, would now make her a concubine! He wouldn¡¯t agree to her demand. She had thought she hadplete control over him, that he loved her with all his heart. But what was happening now? Didn¡¯t he realize how wronged she would feel? Qiao Kou attempted to meet them privately. The Qiao Family didn¡¯t care, but the Ning Family did. Third Madame Ning confined her youngest son to their home, forbidding him from leaving. As a result, Qiao Kou couldn¡¯t meet with anyone. In desperation, Qiao Kou resorted to desperate measures¡ªlike a drowning man clutching at a straw. She threatened the Qiao Family, demanding that they negotiate with the Ning Family. She refused to be a concubine and insisted on being the first wife. Otherwise, she imed she would starve herself. Madame Lady Qiao sneered and ignored her. She believed that the Ning Family didn¡¯t care about the life growing inside Qiao Kou¡¯s womb. They would consider it nothing more than a bastard child. Not eating? Madame Lady Qiao asked someone to hold her down and feed her soup.
As long as she could be kept alive. She did not believe that Qiao Kou really wanted to die. A few dayster, a sedan chair carried Qiao Kou to the Ning Family. Chapter 1091: Underestimation Chapter 1091: Underestimation
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Kou was denied any opportunity to meet with Ning Liufang while under house arrest at the Ning Family¡¯s residence. The following day, they were forcefully escorted onto a wagon and sent to an abbey located outside of town. Upon arriving at the abbey, she was immediately presented with a bowl of abortion soup. Third Madame Ning had already shown some leniency by allowing her to be a concubine in the family. She had no intention of letting Qiao Kou bear the family¡¯s first child! As Third Madame Ning already had three sons, with the eldest and second sons having children of their own, she had no interest in the child growing inside Qiao Kou¡¯s belly.
Qiao Kou screamed and struggled, but she was powerless to change her own fate. Her child was lost, and she had nothing left to hold onto. Lying on a dpidated bed, she resembled a lifeless puppet, unable to even move her gaze. Despite being at the age of blossoming youth, her heart was now dead. If the Ning Family¡¯s servants were to tell her that she would never return to the mansion, she wouldn¡¯t doubt it for a moment. Regret washed over her. She had underestimated the methods of her biological mother! She had also underestimated Qiao Xuan¡¯s lineal mother, witnessing how Qiao Xuan defied her authority and yet remained unscathed. But she had never anticipated that she would end up in this predicament. She was meant to be Qiao Wei¡¯s biological mother, destined to be under her control. Even though she had tried her best to steal Qiao Wei¡¯s marriage, she failed to hold onto it and now found herself in this pitiable state. She simply couldn¡¯t ept it. After Qiao Kou left the pavilion, Concubine Du pleaded with Third Old Master Qiao, expressing her desire to be a nun. She was going to be a nun at the nunnery.
Annoyed, Third Old Master snapped at her. Was she here causing the trouble only? Madame Lady Qiao sneered. She asked someone to pass on the message to Concubine Du ¨C if she wanted to be a monk, she could just stay indoors, eat vegetarian food every day and pray to Buddha. But she was not going to a nunnery! Everyone knew that she could move about freely in the nunnery. Then what was she going to do? Concubine Du was shocked and scared when Madame Lady Qiao revealed her secret. But she did not dare to think about anything else ¨C she was thinking that she was never going to see Qiao Kou ever again. Disheartened, she decided to stay away from the world. Third Madame felt so d. That was how bitches should end up! How dare she set up her daughter? Did she think that she was dead? But Qiao Wei¡¯s marriage was ruined, and her image was ruined. What should she do? Third Madame still had a headache. Qiao Wei felt the same ¨C she was furious and confused about the future, though she felt happy about it.
She had always believed that she was going to be able to marry the Duke¡¯s Mansion, because Qiao Kou and Qiao Xuan would never be able to match up to her. But suddenly, everything was gone. She was not young any more. What should she do? Third Madame had no idea what was going on either. So she consoled Qiao Wei. She was going to find a way, and after the New Year, everything would get better. The gossip from the Qiao Family were so shocking. Qiao Xuan listened coldly, showing no intention of getting involved. She did not think that Qiao Kou was worth pitying. She had no choice but to bear the consequences, when she did more than what she was capable of! For example, Qiao Kou would not sympathize with her if she ended up like this. She would not help her either. Qiao Kou was a person who liked to take pleasure in others¡¯ misfortune. The more unlucky she was, the more proud she felt. Chapter 1092: Not Borrowing Chapter 1092: Not Borrowing
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan was very curious about how she got those feelings. But she knew. That was what Qiao Kou was going to be like. She was already being very kind without adding fuel to the fire. When the gossip came to the end, the 20 mu ofnd in the north of the city was sorted out.
The bricks were all surrounded by a wall more than two meters high. They opened two doors in front and behind. When they went in through the front door, they saw a tnd paved with green bricks. There were three small houses resting on the tnd. On the other side was the storeroom and tool room. There was a huge cer under the storeroom and tool room. Several roads crisscrossed through the vast expanse ofnd, dividing it into multiple sections. A canal had been specially constructed to facilitate irrigation by drawing water from outside sources. Qiao Xuan¡¯s space differed from the outside world. Every crop had been nted and grown in halves, allowing the potatoes that were nted earlier to be ready for harvest. Once harvested, new potatoes could be nted, resulting in another batch to be harvested the following spring. As Qiao Xuan contemted, she realized that by following this approach, they could nt over ten mu of potatoes here next year. Thend would expand significantly in theing year, providing an opportunity to share some with Lu Min and Gu Zhiyou. Additionally, there were strawberries. Qiao Xuan had nted them both in the backyard and the space, with the ones in the space growing luxuriantly. The vines held onto the elderly nts and produced numerous separate offshoots. While the nts in the backyard didn¡¯t fare as well as those in the space, they disyed remarkable strength and vitality with the aid of Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower, sprouting several branches.
Qiao Xuan diligently strengthened and nted each individual branch. A few of them had already begun blooming, bearing small white flowers and budding fruits. Qiao Xuan pondered whether the strawberries could survive the winter in the open air of the capital city under the protection of her superpower. If sessful, it would simplify matters significantly. In theing year, they could transnt some from the backyard and obtain seedlings from the space. nting them in the northern part of the city would allow the branches to thrive. Within a span of two months, cultivating two or three mu of strawberries shouldn¡¯t pose a major challenge. They decided to keep the strawberries for themselves. Potatoes held great value, and if her husband offered them to the imperial court, the Tian Family would lose any chance of controlling them again. That would surely irritate them. Qiao Xuan even contemted starting a beekeeping endeavor in this ce. It seemed quite straightforward. Next year, they could venture into the suburban mountains and use their superpower to locate and collect a wild bee colony. Piece of cake! As the day grewte, the weather turned colder. Qiao Xuan, Liqiu, and Lixia strolled down the street and purchased some trendy garments to have them tailored at a local store.
Since shecked expertise in handicrafts and her own creations couldn¡¯tpare to professional work, she didn¡¯t mind spending a little extra money to have skilled artisans handle the customization. Qiao Xuan found it peculiar that some wives of Shao Yunduan¡¯s colleagues from the Hanlin Academy approached her for loans. However, she didn¡¯t find it entirely surprising. The Hanlin Academy had financial difficulties, and the government office wouldn¡¯t provide them with ice or charcoal by year-end. To ensure afortable winter, they had to work hard. Having their own residence in the capital and receiving numerous gifts from the Emperor, Queen, and concubines in the harem, it was only natural for people to seek financial assistance. Nevertheless, Qiao Xuan had no intention of lending them money. Colleagues shouldn¡¯t involve money or profits between them, as it wouldplicate many matters. Chapter 1093: Not Opened Chapter 1093: Not Opened
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Also, it was not a loan. It was a gift. It would be a long time before those schrs returned the money! Ten years would not be enough. She could not rush them either, because that would cause grudge. Only a fool would do something like this!
Furthermore, if they lent money to one person, would the second person be willing to lend it back to them? Or the third or fourth person? Qiao Xuan remained silent. They exined that they had already spent a considerable sum on paying tribute to their ancestors and wouldn¡¯t be home for long. Worried about the hardships their family might face, they had kept some money at home. However, they had recently purchased a plot ofnd measuring over ten mu in the northern part of town and had run out of funds. If they had any, they would dly lend it to them. While the Emperor and the court had bestowed them with many valuable items, those items could be used for decoration and wear, but they couldn¡¯t be pawned. No one would dare make such a request. The visitor had no choice but to abandon the idea. Although a hint of dissatisfaction lingered, what did it matter? They weren¡¯t rtives or friends, and they didn¡¯t owe them any favors. They had no obligation to lend them money. A sense of dejection washed over them, but the displeasure was merely temporary and would soon dissipate. Some individuals couldn¡¯t resist asking Qiao Xuan where she had acquired thend. With a smile, she shared all the details, expressing her intention to cultivate various vegetables there next year, including greens, cabbages, radishes, winter melons, loofahs, chili peppers, and eggnts, ensuring a supply of fresh produce. The prices of ingredients in the capital were exorbitant, and she felt a pang of distress every time she had to buy them. They decided it would be wise to purchase a piece ofnd and cultivate vegetables to save money. Additionally, they could raise chickens and ducks, benefiting from fresh eggs and asionally ughtering one to satisfy their cravings.
Those who heard this proposition were left speechless. They pondered that if they hadn¡¯t purchased thend, they would have had money to lend. It would have amounted to 200 or 300 liang, right? With 200 or 300 liang, they could have bought vegetables for many years. It seemed excessive to spend so much just to grow vegetables and raise poultry! However, the money belonged to Qiao Xuan and her husband, and they had the right to spend it as they pleased. No one would dare question their choices. That was how Qiao Xuan dealt with people who frequently approached her for loans. She found it puzzling¡ªdespite being new to the area and somewhat hesitant to turn them down, it shouldn¡¯t have attracted so many borrowers, right? Eventually, Qiao Xuan realized that it was Madame Lin who had informed them about her wealth. The next day, Qiao Xuan approached Madame Lin to borrow money for the uing New Year, but her request was unsessful. Consequently, when someone arrived at their doorstep seeking a loan, Qiao Xuan imed she had no money and mentioned going to Madame Lin to borrow some. Word spread, and soon no one dared to request money from her. Qiao Xuan sneered and informed Shao Yunduan about the situation, warning him to be cautious of Madame Lin¡¯s husband and her associates, who were likely affiliated with the Tian Family. Madame Lin couldn¡¯t contain her frustration. She had intended to manipte Qiao Xuan to gain favor with the Tian Family but failed. Qiao Xuan seemed to have realized that something was amiss. Ms. Qiao was indeed quite clever!
Madame Lin¡¯s attempt to manipte Qiao Xuan left her feeling a tinge of jealousy¡ªsuch was the nature of the world. The more cunning and maniptive one was, the more likely they were to seed. It seemed that justice had little ce in this world¡­ In early October, Qiao Xuan received an invitation from Ms. Shi, the Secondary Concubine of the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion. The invitation requested her presence at the yard located in the northern part of town to admire the vibrant red leaves and blooming chrysanthemums. Chapter 1094: Invitation Chapter 1094: Invitation
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan understood that she should avoid getting involved with the princes¡¯ mansions. However, Shao Yunduan had caught the Emperor¡¯s attention, and she had yed a part in it as well. It seemed logical for Ms. Shi, the Secondary Concubine of the Fourth Prince, to extend an invitation to her. Shao Yunduan was somewhat concerned and disapproved of Qiao Xuan¡¯s decision. Despite his worries, Qiao Xuan insisted on attending.
Inwardly, she sneered. She had actually nned to cause trouble for the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion, but Secondary Concubine Shi hade to her on her own ord, so she saw no reason to hold back. While she possessed the ability to use her superpower to gather information about the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion in the capital, the bustling city made it challenging to filter through the multitude of voices in her head. It was difficult to discern useful information. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t spend all her time spying on the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion, nor could she predict when she would receive the information she sought. Thus, she temporarily abandoned this impractical idea. However, when it came to visiting the side yard and admiring the red leaves and flowers in the mountains, it was an entirely different matter. Qiao Xuan delighted in such activities in the outskirts. Qiao Xuan maintained that she possessed the skill of preserving peony flowers, specting that the invitation from the Fourth Prince¡¯s Secondary Concubine was either an attempt to win her over or a subtle warning. As long as she wasn¡¯t foolish, she believed there wouldn¡¯t be any trouble. Hence, she attended the event without any mishap. Furthermore, it would be considered improper if they declined the invitation from the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion, as they were invited guests. They had also visited the Crown Prince at the East Pce, and Qiao Xuan had saved the Emperor¡¯s peony through her actions in the East Pce. However, declining the invitation indicated their support for the Crown Prince, which was something Qiao Xuan wished to avoid. Though she didn¡¯t dare voice it, Qiao Xuan could discern that it wouldn¡¯t be the Crown Prince who would ascend to the throne. Since Shao Yunduan had always been unable to counter her, he requested that she wear the golden hairpin gifted by the Queen and the jade given to them by Xie Jingrong. The Xie Family held significant influence in the intermediate levels of the capital, particrly Young Master Xie, who possessed remarkable talent. The Emperor himself expressed regret at not participating in the spring examination. It was widely known that Young Master Xie came from a prestigious family and possessed exceptional abilities. Given his aspirations, he could effortlessly attain a high-ranking position. No one would dare disrespect such an individual. Qiao Xuan understood that she had no real use for these items, but she took them with her to reassure Shao Yunduan. In the suburbs and the mountains, she would create her own world!
It was a disy of arrogance! Anyone who attempted to set her up or make things difficult for her would ultimately bring misfortune upon themselves. Early in the morning, after breakfast, Qiao Xuan bid farewell to Shao Yunduan. Songshi drove the rented wagon while Qiao Xuan and Lixia boarded it together. She had no intention of bringing Songshi and Lixia into the Fourth Prince¡¯s residence. Having too many people around wouldn¡¯t be ideal. Instead, they would keep the wagonpany from the outside. Qiao Xuan surmised that among the guests invited by Secondary Concubine Shi, she likely held the lowest status. It would have been ideal for her to arrive earlier. However, without a wagon of her own, it was understandable that she was a bit dyed. She arrived at the side yard at the appropriate time. It was not that they could not afford the wagon, but that was not necessary. The wagon needed to be maintained, and the horse needed to be taken care of and fed every day, and there was a ce to lock it up, which was too troublesome.
Chapter 1095: Old Friend Chapter 1095: Old Friend
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan tapped gently on the door, clutching the invitation in her hand. A eunuch greeted her with utmost politeness and ushered her inside. The prince¡¯s mansion boasted a side yard that befitted the grandeur of the royal family. The meticulous sutras and the work of skilled craftsmen exuded elegance, setting it apart from any other ce. Despite the arrival of autumn, the garden remained vibrant, devoid of any signs of mncholy. Sweet osmanthus, autumn hibiscus, rhododendron, camellia, jasmine, and a variety of chrysanthemums adorned the autumnalndscape. Sshes of bright colors from the big red oranges and golden and yellow leaves delighted the eyes of onlookers. As they strolled towards the autumn house, the eunuch led Qiao Xuan through the exquisite surroundings. Qiao Xuan followed along with a smile, harboring no concerns about the eunuch¡¯s intentions. They served as her trusted eyes and ears, instilling a sense of fearlessness within her. However, Qiao Xuan found herself unexpectedly encountering a familiar face in this ce.
Her heart skipped a beat as sheid eyes on a stunning woman, adorned with intricate makeup, a stylish hairstyle, and embellished with gold hairpins and pearls. Thedy donned a finely embroidered yellow pce dress, radiating an air of familiarity that Qiao Xuan struggled to ce. The beauty smiled warmly at her and addressed her as ¡°Mrs. Shao.¡± Recognition flooded Qiao Xuan¡¯s mind, and she struggled to maintain herposure. It was He Zhiqing. The cousin from the Xie Family, who had once attempted to seduce Xie Jingrong with Taotao, now held the title of Madame in the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion. The eunuch respectfully greeted He Zhiqing, prompting Qiao Xuan to bow in deference, saying, ¡°Good day, Madame He!¡± The Fourth Prince had a Prince Consort named Ms. Dou, as well as a Secondary Concubine, Ms. Shi. He Zhiqing had be one of the concubines. The eunuch disyed an evident reverence towards her, solidifying Qiao Xuan¡¯s belief that the Fourth Prince held her in high regard. He Zhiqing¡¯s smile widened as she sped Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands and spoke, ¡°Mrs. Shao, your kindness knows no bounds. We are old friends; there¡¯s no need for such formality.¡± Qiao Xuan pondered silently to herself ¨C the Xie Family had proven to be remarkably resourceful. Without their influence, He Zhiqing wouldn¡¯t have gained entry into the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion so swiftly. However, during her time in the capital with Shao Yunduan, Xie Jingrong had kept her unaware of these developments. It became evident that something unpleasant had transpired between He Zhiqing and the Xie Family. Qiao Xuan was cautious about getting too close to He Zhiqing. She couldn¡¯t quite gauge the depths of He Zhiqing¡¯s character, but she sensed a shrewdness about her. It was wiser to keep her distance from a cunning individual without a kind heart. Withdrawing her hands, Qiao Xuan took a few steps back and maintained aposed expression. ¡°Madame He, you must be jesting. I am not fortunate enough to be considered your old friend. You overestimate my importance. I am here at the Xie Family¡¯s behest, and our paths have merely crossed by chance.¡± Unsure of He Zhiqing¡¯s sudden attempt at closeness, Qiao Xuan decided to steer the conversation away from that topic.
He Zhiqing was taken aback. She hadn¡¯t anticipated Mrs. Shao¡¯s rejection of her goodwill. Concealing her irritation, the warmth faded from her expression, and she chuckled softly behind her handkerchief, adopting a coquettish tone. ¡°Mrs. Shao is truly straightforward. We coincidentally bumped into each other in the capital, which is a rare urrence. We should enjoy this opportunity as old friends and explore together!¡± ¡°Yes, Madame He,¡± Qiao Xuan replied, offering a polite smile and refraining from declining the invitation. Walking side by side, He Zhiqing maintained her smile,menting on the blossoming flowers and the splendid scenery. However, herposure seemed slightly rattledpared to before. Chapter 1096: Unwilling Chapter 1096: Unwilling
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Not long ago, at the Xie Family, He Zhiqing had attempted to manipte Taotao, only to be exposed by Qiao Xuan. The very next day, Lady Qiao had promptly sent her back to the He Family. He Zhiqing harbored a sense of resentment towards Qiao Xuan. Deep down, she believed that Qiao Xuan must have divulged something to Xie Jingrong. How else could it be so coincidental that Qiao Xuan encountered them on the first day, only to drive them away on the next? Since being sent away, she had realized that she and the Xie Family cousins would never be together. However, upon witnessing the splendor of the Xie Family, He Zhiqing lost interest in pursuing connections with any other family. Instead, she resolved to venture into the capital and establish a close rtionship with the Fourth Prince, leveraging the reputation of the Xie Family and the items granted by Lady Qiao.
She was even willing to be one of the Fourth Prince¡¯s concubines. Why not? The Fourth Prince, born to the Emperor¡¯s favored Honored Princess Mei, held a unique position. Although there was a Crown Prince in the Qin Dynasty, his mother had already passed away. Despite being renowned for his talents, the Emperor had never treated him favorably. ording to He Zhiqing, the more praise the Crown Prince received from the subjects, the more difort it caused the Emperor. The future was unpredictable, and it was impossible to determine who would ultimately hold the greatest fortune. Who could say that it wouldn¡¯t be the Fourth Prince? He Zhiqing envisioned herself as a revered figure, unwilling to settle for a peaceful life with a spouse from a respectable background. That simply wasn¡¯t eptable to her. The Fourth Prince desired to suppress Shao Yunduan, and Qiao Xuan possessed expertise in peonies. He Zhiqing saw an opportunity to be of assistance in that regard. If Qiao Xuan were to be aware of the current circumstances, perhaps she could let go of the grudges from the past. After all, present benefits held greater importance. However, if Qiao Xuan remained unaware of the situation, it couldn¡¯t be med on He Zhiqing. He Zhiqing couldn¡¯t help but sneer inwardly. Without her skills, no one would have shown any interest in Qiao Xuan. She was merely putting on airs!
Soon, they reached the autumn house. The wide tnd halfway up the mountain provided a breathtaking view. Positioned next to the mountainside, it offered a sweeping vista of more than half of the side yard. Maple trees were scattered throughout, their red leaves more vibrant than fire, creating a truly enchanting sight in the advanced stages of autumn. He Zhiqing and Qiao Xuan approached Secondary Concubine Shi, who greeted them with a warm smile and offered them seats. Curiosity gleamed in her eyes as she assessed Qiao Xuan, eliciting a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Mother and Princess Consort about Madame Shao. They all praise your ability to know when to advance and when to retreat. Now, seeing you in person, it appears to be true.¡± Over ten madames anddies were present as guests, hailing from noble families or holding prominent positions. Qiao Xuan was a new face to them, inciting their curiosity. Their gazes unabashedly examined her. Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t appreciate their direct and unscrupulous stares. However, this wasn¡¯t the first time she had faced such scrutiny, nor would it be thest. Having previously encountered the Princess Consort and the Empress, she harbored no fear. She offered a polite smile. ¡°Your ttery honors me, Consort Qiao.¡± Secondary Concubine Shi beamed. ¡°Madame Shao, please don¡¯t be so modest. You truly deserve the des.¡± Madame Zhan, the wife of the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Architecture, chimed in. ¡°Indeed! We were just discussing Madame Shao and her profound knowledge of flowers. We can¡¯t hold a candle to Madame Shao!¡± They allughed. Another Madame pointed at the pot of orchids on the advanced table and asked with a smile, ¡°Madame Shao, take a look at it, do you know what kind it is? What is the problem?¡± Chapter 1097: Orchid Chapter 1097: Orchid
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan was thinking inwardly ¨C here they are! That was what they were curious about. But that was understandable. She would have been very curious too! That was a rare thing! Qiao Xuan threw a look at the orchids.
The long, slender green leaves exhibited a lush and moist appearance. They were gathered, with the tips gently drooping outward. nted in an octagonal purple sand flower pot intricately carved with depictions of mountains, rivers, pine bamboos, it exuded an aura of antiquity and elegance. The flowers bloomed in a delicate shade of light green, evoking a fairy-like elegance. The emerald green sepals resembled peach petals, while the slender flowers mirrored the shape of peach petals. Hence, it earned the name ¡°Emerald Peach.¡± Orchids held immense poprity during this era, and Qiao Xuan had acquiredprehensive knowledge about them through the system within her spatial realm. Consequently, she recognized the orchid species immediately upon setting her eyes upon them. In the modern era, Emerald Peaches had long gone extinct, and Qiao Xuan had no desire to encounter them at this moment. However, their presence indicated their remarkable value. Qiao Xuan observed them attentively but refrained from divulging their exact ssification. Emerald Peaches were rare, and she was merely a Madame Hanlin hailing from a humble background. It was unlikely that she had encountered them before. She smiled warmly. ¡°While I may not be able to identify the exact species, the orchids are thriving and exhibit no signs of distress. You can rest assured.¡± However, the madame appeared unwilling to let the matter go. ¡°Nevertheless, I still find these orchids ratherckluster. Our Old Master has a penchant for cultivating exquisite varieties such as Green Clouds, in Lotus, Heavy Snow, Peach Cheeks, Eighteen Beauties, and so forth. I can¡¯t help but feel that there is something amiss with this pot of Emerald Peaches. Madame Shao, perhaps you could examine them more closely?¡± Upon hearing Madame Qiao¡¯s remarks, the others began whispering amongst themselves, hinting at the possibility of something being awry with the orchids. Qiao Xuan maintained herposed smile, fully aware of what was truly happening. ¡°If there is any issue with the orchids, it is simply because they have recently been relocated from the greenhouse and are still limating to their new environment. There are no other problems to be concerned about.¡± The collective shock was palpable ¨C Qiao Xuan¡¯s exnation seemed absurd. It appeared as though Madame Shao was spouting nonsense! The expression on Madame Qiao¡¯s face changed abruptly. In a state of surprise, she blurted out, ¡°How did you know?¡±
Even Secondary Concubine Shi was taken aback. It seemed that Qiao Xuan¡¯s statement held truth. Emerald Peaches held great significance to the Fourth Prince, and there were only three pots of them in the entire capital. Due to the presence of a hot spring in the vicinity of the side yard, a dedicated greenhouse had been constructed. As winter approached, these precious orchids had been relocated from the greenhouse to the intermediate side yard. In case of sudden weather fluctuations, the greenhouse could be used to maintain a suitable temperature, far superior to relying solely on charcoal fires. Those renowned orchids would lose their perfection if they were damaged, and orchid enthusiasts found such imperfections uneptable. Secondary Concubine Shi had ced the peach blossoms on disy not only due to her personal fondness for their elegance but also as a means to showcase her favored position. A few days prior, there had been a sudden drop in temperature, prompting the relocation of the Emerald Peaches when the weather improved. How could Qiao Xuan discern such details so easily? Unable to contain her curiosity, Secondary Concubine Shi inquired, ¡°Madame Shao, how did youe to this realization?¡± The others were left dumbfounded, acknowledging the uracy of Qiao Xuan¡¯s observation. It became evident that Madame Shao possessed knowledge about the matter ¨C after all, she was the second sister-inw of Secondary Concubine Shi¡¯s family. Chapter 1098: Mocking Chapter 1098: Mocking
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan smiled serenely as she addressed the gathering. ¡°The temperature and humidity disparities between the greenhouse and its surroundings can easily affect orchids. These delicate flowers are highly sensitive to such changes, a fact that is quite evident.¡± Everyone present. Indeed, it had not been an effortless journey for her. ¡°I understand,¡± concurred Secondary Concubine Shi, nodding graciously. She turned to Madame Shao with a smile and added, ¡°Madame Shao possesses an unparalleled understanding of this subject. Only she can discern such subtleties. We can¡¯t im to possess such discerning tastes.¡± Laughter echoed through the room as thedies and madames joined in.
Some couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of envy. They dubbed it sheer luck. In the past, no one paid attention to her. No oneughed at her, looked down on her, or belittled her for her humble beginnings, akin to a mere floral artisan tending to nts and flowers. But when she rescued the Emperor¡¯s beloved peony, even the court florists were left speechless. Her clever maneuver earned her favor and countless des from the Emperor and the Empress. No one dared to look down on her anymore. No one dared to mock her. It would be tantamount to defying the entire court. Suddenly, a youngdy blinked mischievously and inquired, her voiceced with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s quite peculiar. The Qiao Family doesn¡¯t seem to possess a natural aptitude for this profession. How did Madame Shao acquire such skills?¡± The youngdy was a cousin of Tian Shanshan from the Tian Family, apanied by her mother. Officer Tian and his family had remained silent, and as rtives, they had no intention of making things difficult for Qiao Xuan on this asion, for the sake of appearances. However, the girl¡¯s inquisitiveness couldn¡¯t be faulted. Everyone present was well aware of the animosity between the Tian Family, Shao Yunduan, and Qiao Xuan. The whispers of Qiao Xuan¡¯s association with the Qiao Family spread throughout the room, igniting a spark of anticipation among the attendees. It was a universally known fact that people reveled in gossip and conflicts!
If the Tian Family engaged in a dispute with Madame Shao, it would undoubtedly be a captivating spectacle. Qiao Xuan smiled in response. ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that others are unaware of this. I had a lot of leisure time at home, so I immersed myself in books and took up some personal gardening projects. Over time, I developed certain insights.¡± It was the safest and most indisputable exnation. Even if others doubted her, what did it matter? Thedy from the Tian Family disyed a look of enlightenment. ¡°Ah, I see! Madame Shao, you possess an exceptional talent for self-learning, despite your young age. I assume you devoted a significant amount of time to this pursuit during your upbringing? It¡¯s quite a remarkable approach!¡± She added yfully, ¡°Seems like being overlooked at home can be a blessing in disguise. Who knows what skills one might acquire and how useful they may be in the future?¡± With a jesting tone, she turned to Qiao Xuan and continued, ¡°Speaking of which, Madame Shao, you ought to express gratitude to your maternal figure. If it weren¡¯t for her, you might never have had the opportunity to flourish!¡± Some couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, while others discreetly covered their mouths to stifle their amusement. Everyone grasped the underlying meaning behind Ms. Tian¡¯s words. She was mocking Qiao Xuan for being neglected and unloved by her mother, insinuating herck of filial piety. ording to her, Third Madame Qiao¡¯s indifference had inadvertently contributed to Qiao Xuan¡¯s sess. Chapter 1099: Concealed Chapter 1099: Concealed
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions However, eventually, she severed ties with the Qiao Family, an act considered deeply unfilial. Qiao Xuan responded, her voice calm yet resolute. ¡°Lady Tian, I believe there is a misunderstanding. Learning requires time, but talent is equally crucial. Take my husband, for instance. His rise to the position of Primus at such a young age is a testament to his dedication and natural aptitude. Simrly, my proficiency in tending to flowers and trees is not something that can be acquired solely through time.¡± She emphasized the significance of talent over mere passage of time. She continued, recounting her past experiences. ¡°In the past, I used to sneak out and use the money my mother gave me to purchase books of this nature. Although the content was sparse, I would destroy them after reading, fearful that they might cause trouble. Nevertheless, I gleaned some knowledge. At that time, it was merely for amusement; I never anticipated its practical value.¡± Qiao Xuan addressed the topic of gratitude. ¡°Regarding Ms. Tian¡¯s suggestion to express gratitude to Third Madame Qiao, that must surely be a jest. Parents should fulfill their roles as parents, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°However, I am genuinely grateful to Third Madame Qiao for breaking off my previous engagement and arranging my marriage to my husband. It is true that misfortunes and fortunes often shape our destinies.¡±
A bewildered silence fell upon the room as they exchanged uncertain nces. It was a foolproof n. Thanks to the Tian Family, many secrets regarding Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had been unearthed, including her previous betrothal, which was no longer a secret. When Qiao Xuan married Shao Yunduan, he was merely a destitute talent from the countryside, while her former fianc¨¦ was an educated schr groomed for the position of County Magistrate. So, was Third Madame Qiao truly acting in her best interests? It seemed she had been scheming to ruin Qiao Xuan¡¯s life! To steal someone¡¯s marriage and shatter their entire existence, one could describe her lineal mother as treacherous as a snake. No one could fault a concubine¡¯s daughter forcking respect toward such a lineal mother. Furthermore, Qiao Xuan had married Shao Yunduan after identally falling into the water. But how could a girl fall into the water so easily? However, these individuals were not easily swayed. They were the esteemed madames of the distinguished noble families, well-versed in the ways of deceit and cunning. They believed that Third Madame Qiao had orchestrated the incident, intending for the concubine¡¯s daughter to meet her demise in the water. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, Shao Yunduan had rescued her.
No one dared to speak ill of Third Madame Qiao. Tian Jingjing, a member of the Tian Family, felt deeply humiliated by Qiao Xuan¡¯s rebuttal, particrly the final sentence. What did it imply? It hinted that although the Tian Family appeared prosperous and esteemed, there might be an underlying source of trouble. How dare they! Tian Jingjing sneered, unable to contain her frustration. ¡°So, Madame Shao, it seems you hold great dissatisfaction toward Third Madame Qiao. What has she done to warrant such a decisive severance? Perhaps you¡¯d care to enlighten everyone?¡± Tian Jingjing¡¯s mother, Ms. Yuan, was taken aback. She shot her daughter a reproachful nce. ¡°Jingjing!¡± Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan had already begun staging her own performance. She sighed, shaking her head and replied, ¡°The past is in the past. What good does it serve to delve into old matters? Although we are estranged, I have no desire to dwell on the past any longer. Ms. Tian is correct. As juniors, we should strive to be reasonable, adhere to decorum, and exhibit kindness. Let us leave certain things behind us.¡± Chapter 1100: Good Luck Chapter 1100: Good Luck
Trantor:Henyee TrantionsEditor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan¡¯s heavy sighs seemed to cast Tian Jingjing as the unreasonable one. Tian Jingjing struggled to find her words. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Enough, Jingjing,¡± Ms. Yuan interjected, unable to tolerate the situation any longer. She grasped her daughter¡¯s sleeves and shot her a warning nce. Tian Jingjing fell silent, turning away in anger. Ms. Yuan couldn¡¯t help but inwardlyin about her foolish daughter. Why was Tian Shanshan¡¯s business her concern? Tian Shanshan and her father couldn¡¯t exploit Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, so why was she so eager? She had a penchant for hanging around Tian Shanshan and putting blind trust in her. Her mother¡¯s advice held no swaypared to Tian Shanshan¡¯s influence. How exasperating!
Though the spectacle had fallen short of their expectations, no one dared to stir up further trouble. They saw the situation clearly¡ªthe Tian Family had already backed down, and no one else dared to provoke Madame Shao. Was there anyone with a grudge against her? Certainly not! Moreover, after alienating the Tian Family to such an extent and causing concerns among the noble and prestigious families in the capital, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had managed to turn the situation around and establish themselves firmly. It was undoubtedly a stroke of luck! Even if it was attributed to luck, it made them impressive and awe-inspiring! Those in the government offices, especially those in higher positions, feared opposing someone who appeared to be born with the fortune of the government. They possessed an inherent advantage that others couldn¡¯t envy. Going against them meant inviting misfortune upon oneself. It was still premature to make conclusive judgments, but what was the point? Consequently, the conversation shifted swiftly to other topics. Many madames even expressed their willingness to seek Qiao Xuan¡¯s assistance should they encounter any issues with their prized flowers and trees at home. Qiao Xuan responded with a smile and a nod. She harbored no concerns that the madames would treat her as a mere gardener, entrusting her with the care of ordinary flowers and trees. After all, she had tended to the Emperor¡¯s most prized peony, and no one would dare to belittle her as amon florist. Such treatment would be utterly humiliating! No one would be so foolish!
Even Qiao Wei wouldn¡¯t stoop to that level. Soon, the conversation shifted to thetest trends in clothing, essories, and makeup within the capital¡¯s elite circles. These nobledies had been ustomed to a life of luxury since a young age, paying meticulous attention to their appearance and indulging in fine attire, fine dining, luxurious amodations, and extravagant means of transportation. They were well-versed in the art of dressing up. With ample leisure time on their hands, it was only natural for them to discuss these matters. Qiao Xuan found herself genuinely intrigued. These were areas of expertise she had never delved into before. While she may not necessarily need such knowledge, there was no harm in listening and expanding her understanding. Thankfully, she possessed a good sense of style, ensuring she dressed well. Yet, upon reflection, if she were truly a concubine¡¯s daughter from a small town who had always been disregarded by her lineal mother, she would encounter numerous difficulties in such circles. The barriers within this social sphere were strict indeed. Those who didn¡¯t belong would always struggle to fit in. Qiao Xuan recognized that she was not a part of their inner circle, despite the kind treatment she received from the madames. There was no way to gain true eptance from them. Ultimately, it was Shao Yunduan who held the key to her integration.
Chapter 1101: Shao Yunduan Chapter 1101: Shao Yunduan
Editor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan remained unfazed by the oue, recognizing that it hinged on Shao Yunduan¡¯s position and influence. However, she harbored no concern about it. To her surprise, the topic shifted to lipsticks. The lipsticks she had created had already gained considerable fame within the capital. For the time being, Yuezheng Xiao had decided against selling the lipsticks in the capital. Instead, he had discussed with Qiao Xuan the prospect of selling them in the province.
The capital¡¯s market was vast, upscale, and intricate in terms of connections. It was best to avoid involvement in it for now. Although they could coborate with the Xie Family to alleviate some of the challenges, the Xie Family was a massive n, and Xie Jingrong¡¯s influence was limited. There was no guarantee that the Xie Family wouldn¡¯t causeplications. Furthermore, the quantity of goods avable was limited. Given the restricted production capacity, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t obtain a substantial supply of lipsticks. Thus, she decided to keep this lucrative and secure venture to herself. She had no intention of sharing the lipstick forms and craftsmanship with anyone else, aligning with Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s opinion. Yuezheng Xiao respected her boundaries and never probed into the lipstick forms and craftsmanship, fostering Qiao Xuan¡¯s eagerness to spend time with the Yuezheng Family. Once she possessed the means to keep the secret hidden from everyone, she could establish a workshop in a suitable location. Yet again, it depended on Shao Yunduan. But she didn¡¯t feel rushed. Although Yuezheng Xiao was only selling lipsticks within the province, they had gained considerable renown. His elder brother would bring some as gifts for his business partners during his travels, and some people within the province purchased them for their rtives and friends in other regions. Gradually, news of these lipsticks reached the intermediate circles within the capital. Yuezheng Xiao possessed ten limited editions, and out of those, five were acquired by nobledies residing in the capital.
Numerousdies and madams were fervently inquiring about the purchasing process, and some even sought assistance from others to obtain them. Merchants based in the capital, particrly those specializing in rouge and cosmetics, attempted to study the strategies for selling these limited editions. However, their efforts were all in vain. Due to Yuzhang¡¯s remote location and the fact that the lipsticks posed no threat to the sales of lip gloss within a 500-meter radius of the capital, people either approached Yuezheng Xiao for cooperation or resorted to empty threats of coboration. Being situated in a secluded corner, the Yuezheng Family enjoyed rtive tranquility. The merchants who visited their doorstep were nowhere near the same league as the Yuezheng Family, let alone capable of suppressing them. Yuezheng Xiao had publicly dered that the production process was intricate, involvingplex raw materials, and the products were strictly limited in quantity. This created the perception that the product was exceedingly rare and difficult to produce, causing many to step back. However, Qiao Xuan was taken aback by her own mention in this context. The topic of lipsticks ignited great excitement among the madams, who indulged inparing the variety of styles and colors they possessed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that lipstick production is quite troublesome, resulting in limited avability. Such a pity!¡± ¡°Yes, if only we could establish a store in the intermediate area, we wouldn¡¯t have to go through so much trouble to acquire them.¡± ¡°At times, we can¡¯t even manage to purchase them!¡±
¡°There¡¯s an overwhelming demand here!¡± ¡°In my opinion, it seems that the ownercks business acumen. Why not consider opening a store in the capital? What¡¯s the point of worrying about the business?¡± ¡°The owner is not unintelligent. They are capable of making profits, but opening multiple stores might not be feasible. I¡¯ve heard that there is only one store in Yuzhang City, just one!¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± ¡°Exactly! Otherwise, there would have been additional stores by now.¡± Chapter 1102: Not Lying Chapter 1102: Not Lying
Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Oh yes,¡± Second Madame said, turning towards Qiao Xuan with a smile. ¡°Madame Shao hails from Yuzhang, doesn¡¯t she? You must be well-informed about this, right?¡± All eyes turned to Qiao Xuan. Tian Jingjing sneered and cast a contemptuous nce at Qiao Xuan, assuming that lipsticks were too expensive for her and she couldn¡¯t afford them. How could she possibly know? Lipsticks were being sold for 10 liang, and Yuezheng Xiao had offered Qiao Xuan 5 liang for each one. Qiao Xuan was taken aback by the sudden question.
She immediately faced a dilemma. She couldn¡¯t reveal the truth, but Third Madame Qiao, Qiao Wei, and Qiao Kou knew that the lipsticks belonged to the Yuezheng Family. If she spoke up now, it would create an ufortable situation between Third Madame Qiao and the Yuezheng Family, leading to embarrassment. Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t want such an awkwardness to arise. She didn¡¯t want people to perceive her as a liar. Even if Third Madame Qiao and the others didn¡¯t mention it or didn¡¯t have the opportunity to do so, secrets known by two individuals will inevitably be known to everyone sooner orter. But telling the truth wouldn¡¯t work either! What if they werepelled to cooperate? Even without resorting to forceful tactics, it would still bring trouble upon them. Qiao Xuan felt a headacheing on; she couldn¡¯t lie, and she couldn¡¯t tell the truth. She lowered her gaze, nodded, and shyly replied, ¡°Of course, I know about lipsticks. I am aware of some aspects of the business with the Yuezheng Family. Lipsticks require various ingredients like roses, Chinese roses, pomegranate flowers, cinnamon, red and blue flowers for dyeing¡­¡± That was all she could disclose. Even Third Madame Qiao had limited knowledge about lipsticks. She relied on the Yuezheng Family, leading her to subconsciously believe that they were in charge of the business, not her.
Even if they were about to speak, they wouldn¡¯t have much to say. As expected, everyone was taken aback and quickly grasped the situation. They had never anticipated that Qiao Xuan had a connection to lipsticks! Knowing how to cultivate flowers and considering that lipsticks required flower dyes, it seemed logical for the Yuezheng Family to coborate with her. ¡°I never expected Madame Shao to possess such expertise!¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± ¡°Madame Shao is truly talented in many aspects!¡± ¡°Wait a moment!¡± They all grew increasingly curious. Qiao Xuan began sharing some anecdotes and stories. They listened with emotional sighs, their perceptions of her shifting. How fortunate they were!
She must have earned a substantial amount of money simply by supplying flowers. It exined why she could apany Editor Shao to the capital. It also shed light on why Editor Shao would rather offend the Tian Family than divorce her. So someone asked Qiao Xuan if she could buy lipsticks from Yuzhang. The capital was very faraway from Yuzhang, and no one would send their family to Yuzhang for no reason. Therefore, whenever there was a new grade, it could not be bought at all. They needed to spend a lot of efforts to buy some. Qiao Xuan found herself in a predicament. She had mentioned that if anyone desired the lipsticks, they could seek her assistance. However, she wasn¡¯t certain if she could fulfill those requests. While in the capital, both she and Shao Yunduan had no means of maintaining direct contact with Yuzhang. Their only option was to send letters through a caravan. Everyone concurred, understanding that Qiao Xuancked the assistance of servants capable of running errands over such a long distance. They were even less reliable than her own family. Thus, the idea was quickly dismissed. Chapter 1103: Forget It Chapter 1103: Forget It
Editor:Henyee Trantions They all engaged in lively conversation over tea and reveled in the picturesque surroundings, soon gathering for a delightful lunch. Someone mentioned their n to visit Fayun Temple in the north to offer incense and invited Qiao Xuan to join them. Qiao Xuan agreed with a nod. One by one, they departed for their destination. However, He Zhiqing requested that Qiao Xuan stay back and have a chat with her. She also extended an invitation for Qiao Xuan to visit the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion whenever she had the time. Qiao Xuan politely nodded, inwardly determined not to ept the invitation. She had no idea what He Zhiqing had in mind, but she knew it couldn¡¯t be anything good.
However, she didn¡¯t want to revisit the time when she and Shao Yunduan had left the capital, facing the Fourth Prince¡¯s attempts to set them up. If the opportunity arose in the future, she could consider paying them a visit then. For now, she decided to let it go. Secondary Concubine Shi hadn¡¯t caused any trouble, and Qiao Xuan had done nothing to provoke her either. Shao Yunduan felt relieved seeing her safe and sound. Approaching her, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief before saying, ¡°Look, you¡¯ve returned safely and unharmed! The Fourth Prince¡¯s estate must be magnificent, and the red leaves on the mountains must be stunning!¡± Shao Yunduan sighed with relief and gently held her hands. ¡°I will have a few days off soon. Let¡¯s go to the mountains and enjoy the beauty of the red leaves, alright?¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and nodded. ¡°That sounds like a n!¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± It was autumn in the capital, and vibrant red leaves adorned the scenery. Shao Yunduan had intended to take her mountain climbing and admire the picturesquendscapes. After all, he didn¡¯t want his wife to feel lonely. With his busy schedule at Hanlin Academy, she had little to do to pass the time. Qiao Xuan had been busy managing their properties at home. She had a lot on her te, and she could even whip up delicious meals. However, without many people to share them with and help with the tasting, she and Shao Yunduan felt that something was missing. Qiao Xuan recounted her encounter with He Zhiqing to Shao Yunduan.
Seeing Shao Yunduan¡¯s puzzled expression, she couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. It dawned on her that Shao Yunduan had never met He Zhiqing before and had no idea who she was. After some thought, Qiao Xuan decided to share He Zhiqing¡¯s identity and how she had been involved in the scheme against Taotao and herself. He Zhiqing was, after all, the concubine of the Fourth Prince, and the Fourth Prince had a close rtionship with the Tian Family. Qiao Xuan believed that Shao Yunduan should be aware of this, rather than being kept in the dark. Shao Yunduan furrowed his brow. ¡°That really happened?¡± Qiao Xuan sneered and nced at him. ¡°This cousin of mine is nothing more than a cunning woman, and I have exposed her true nature. It¡¯s a matter of reputation, and I don¡¯t want to dwell on it. I thought we would never cross paths again, so I decided to spill the beans. But now she¡¯s associated with the Fourth Prince¡­¡± After such a long detour, they had encountered the situation once again! Shao Yunduan spoke, his tone serious. ¡°This woman is up to no good. Stay away from her as much as possible. She¡¯s just a concubine without an official title, and she won¡¯t hold it against you for not associating with her.¡± Although the imperial family held great power, a prince¡¯s concubine did not possess enough influence tomand the women of the court, especially when it came to someone as unique as Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I will keep my distance from her, and we will only meet at formal gatherings. However, she must have approached me for a reason. I fear the Fourth Prince is behind this, and he is after you, my husband¡­¡± Chapter 1104: Understanding Chapter 1104: Understanding
Editor:Henyee Trantions In the eyes of outsiders, Qiao Xuan was perceived as someone who only knew how to care for flowers and trees. Moreover, she was already quite capable in the presence of the Emperor, and the Fourth Prince wouldn¡¯t gain much from her. Peony flowers didn¡¯t fall ill all the time, and Qiao Xuan¡¯s usefulnessy more in handling emergencies. The Fourth Prince didn¡¯t need to go through so much trouble. However, Shao Yunduan was different. He had achieved the title of champion among numerous intermediate masters due to his genuine talent. He was an honest man with high moral values and fearlessness in the face of power. Most importantly, he enjoyed the Emperor¡¯s protection, which wasn¡¯t an easy feat.
Furthermore, anyone from the Qiao Family could easily discover the kind of family they were. It would be evident that Shao Yunduan must have employed some clever tactics to sever ties with the Qiao Family. In the eyes of outsiders, Qiao Xuan seemed disconnected from all of this. The Fourth Prince might have realized that it was the Qiao Family who severed ties, but it was Shao Yunduan who sessfully escaped the troubles associated with them. Given these factors, it was possible that the Fourth Prince had ulterior motives. Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He hadn¡¯t expected his wife to be so astute. ¡°My love, you¡¯re overthinking,¡± Shao Yunduan reassured her, taking her hand and speaking calmly. ¡°I am merely a minor editor at Hanlin Academy, and I¡¯m not worth the efforts of the Fourth Prince. Even if he harbors intentions, now is not the opportune time.¡± Qiao Xuan contemted his words and agreed, deciding to put those thoughts aside. Instead, she focused on the idea of mountain climbing with him! The persimmons in the capital were especially sweet, the dates delightfully crunchy, and the grapes incredibly delicious. There was an abundance of these fruits during this time of year. They nned to climb mountains, purchase fresh fruits from local farmers, search for wild mushrooms and fungi, and enjoy picking wild fruits. It would be a splendid adventure. Shao Yunduan was well aware that the Fourth Prince had his eyes on him due to the Tian Family incident. However, everything thus far had been a subtle test, nothing overt. He had maintained a low profile, carefully concealing key information to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. He had sessfully evaded a few traps along the way.
For now, things were progressing smoothly. Shao Yunduan exercised patience, knowing that he needed to wait for the right moment to approach the Emperor and request to be released from his current position. He had already devised a solid excuse ¨C he desired to be a local official and make tangible contributions to the well-being of the local popce. That was precisely what he yearned for, as it would allow him to escape the troubles of the capital. If they remained in the intermediate region of the capital, the Tian Family would eventually catch up to them. Of course, he could seek the support of a patron and serve the Crown Prince or another prince, but he had no such intentions. Even though he hadn¡¯t been in the capital for long, he possessed enough rity to perceive the situation for what it truly was, unswayed by the allure of fame and fortune. The Emperor dedicated much of his time to cultivation and pill-making, resulting in only five or six imperial court meetings per month. Governmental affairs were seemingly managed by the Crown Prince, the princes, and the Cab Elders. However, things weren¡¯t as straightforward as they appeared. The Crown Prince¡¯s kind-heartedness often led to the involvement of various factions and forces before reaching a resolution in most governmental matters.
Chapter 1105: Trouble Chapter 1105: Trouble
Editor:Henyee Trantions The events of today seemed to benefit the Fourth Prince, while the Third Prince would strive to gain advantages in the next day¡¯s events. If there were any vacancies the day after tomorrow, another struggle would ensue. What about the Crown Prince? He was constantly burdened with the task of bncing conflicts among his brothers. His selflessness was admirable, but his efforts seemed futile when faced with his difficult siblings. It went without saying that the Emperor¡¯s most trusted Daoist, Shangzhen, had been discovered by Honored Princess Mei and the Fourth Prince. Honored Princess Mei had always been favored, and the Fourth Prince possessed intelligence that endeared him to the Emperor the most. The only one who could challenge the Crown Prince¡¯s authority was the Fourth Prince. The Second Prince was not to be underestimated either. His mother, Princess Concubine Virtue, was the niece of thete Empress Dowager and belonged to the powerful Sun Family. The Sun Family held military might, and the Emperor and the Empress Dowager shared a close rtionship, having grown up with Consort De. Consequently, they held the Second Prince in high regard.
As for the Third Prince, although his maternal familycked grandeur and excitement, he was the son of the current Empress Qi. Besides the Crown Prince, he held the most honorable status. This advantage, coupled with his Connate Realm cultivation, naturally garnered him many followers. Empress Qi may not possess the same virtue as the former Empress, but over the years, she had amassed significant influence. It was evident to all that the Emperor appointed Empress Qi as empress because her familycked power or talent, ensuring that no one posed a threat to the Crown Prince. During that time, the Emperor still held the Crown Prince in high regard. However, as time went on, things would inevitably be moreplicated. The Emperor had no intention of abolishing the Crown Prince, but at times, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was amiss. No one knew what was truly on the Emperor¡¯s mind. With so much unknown, imagination ran wild. Furthermore, the Crown Prince¡¯s kind-heartedness often led him to make concessions to gloss over issues, inadvertently empowering his younger brothers and fueling their arrogance. They looked down on him even more. Even Shao Yunduan, who had just arrived in the capital, couldn¡¯t help but worry for the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince¡¯s benevolence was admirable, but would he truly be able to withstand the challenges until the end? It wasn¡¯t that hecked kindness, but rather, the other princes failed to appreciate his kind gestures and instead took advantage of them. Shao Yunduan held a favorable impression of the Crown Prince. He was a friendly and benevolent man, but as the Crown Prince, he had no means to exert control over the others.
Although the surface of the capital appeared calm, the tension beneath the facade was palpable. No one knew when the taut string would snap. Not wanting to offend anyone, Shao Yunduan decided it was best to leave the capital. In fact, had it not been for the Emperor¡¯s words at the banquet, he might have been forced out of the capital. Shao Yunduan chose not to disclose this to Qiao Xuan. It would only add to her troubles, and it wasn¡¯t necessary. They still had time to devise a n. Two dayster, the weather remained pleasant. During their break, Shao Yunduan took Qiao Xuan out for a walk. The red leaves in the Fourth Prince¡¯s courtyard were exquisite, but the mountains were adorned with a mesmerizing disy of fiery red and golden colors, captivating their hearts even more. They picked an abundance of mushrooms in the mountains, as well as persimmons and dates from the farmer¡¯s house at the foot of the mountain. They purchased eggs and pickles produced by the farmer¡¯s family, enjoying the afternoon until the sun began to set in the west, returning home with contentment. Chapter 1106: At Fayun Temple Chapter 1106: At Fayun Temple
Editor:Henyee Trantions The capital was a truly captivating ce! Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t stop Qiao Xuan when she expressed her desire to visit the Fourth Prince¡¯s side yard and join the nobledies in offering incense. He understood that his wife couldn¡¯t stay confined indoors, and they were currently unable to leave the capital. He shouldn¡¯t be overly anxious. He should trust her words. Qiao Xuan had a sense of propriety and knew how to conduct herself. Fayun Temple, located in the northern part of the capital¡¯s suburbs, was one of the eight renowned monasteries. Nestled in the Jade Mountain, it possessed an air of solemnity and grandeur. Waterfalls and natural springs adorned its surroundings, with peculiar peaks and unique stones dotting thendscape. The scenery was especially captivating, particrly during the spring and autumn seasons.
Every year, a continuous stream of pilgrims flocked to the monastery to offer incense and to admire the beauty of the back mountains. Qiao Xuan, along with the wife of the censor, Madame Su, and several other young women, hade here for leisure rather than solely for offering incense. The back mountain of Fayun Temple boasted picturesque scenery, but the vegetarian fare served within the monastery itself was rather ordinary. On the other hand, there was a restaurant called Xi Feng located at the foot of the mountain that served exceptional dishes, featuring various wild game from the countryside. The food was fresh and unexpectedly popr among the affluent visitors in the capital, leading to bustling business each day. Apanied by Madame Su, Qiao Xuan, and a few maids and elderly women, they embarked on their excursion. Qiao Xuan had chosen not to bring Lixia or Liqiu with her this time. They had reserved a private room at Xi Feng before making their way towards Fayun Temple. As the temple was situated halfway up the mountain, it would be arduous for the nobledies to climb all the way there. Since the wagons couldn¡¯t reach the temple directly, they opted to use litters instead and arrived at the temple after a half-hour journey. It wasn¡¯t a day of high religious significance, so there weren¡¯t many visitors present to offer incense. They entered the hall to pay their respects before listening to the sutras recited by the revered elderly Master in the small courtyard. This marked Qiao Xuan¡¯s first visit to Fayun Temple. After listening to the sutras recited by the Master, they engaged in a discussion about karma over tea. However, Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t particrly enjoy the topic and politely excused herself with a smile, venturing outside to explore the surroundings. When Qiao Xuan and Lixia returned to the yard, Madame Su and the others were nowhere to be found. The young monks who remained behind respectfully joined their hands together and bowed, addressing Qiao Xuan and the other female benefactors. ¡°Benefactor Qiao and esteemed guests, Madame Su and the others have already proceeded to the back mountains. I will wait here to apany Benefactor Qiao and guide you there. Please, Benefactor Qiao.¡± Qiao Xuan nodded in acknowledgment and returned the greeting, responding politely, ¡°Very well, thank you, Master.¡± ¡°No, Benefactor Qiao, please.¡± ¡°Please!¡± The young monk appeared unfazed by Qiao Xuan¡¯s presence and led her serenely into the mountains.
Qiao Xuan harbored no concerns. She was immersed in the picturesque scenery and had no fear of being deceived by the nobledies in the mountains. Curiosity flickered within her, wondering if they would engage in any distinctive activitiespared to the locals. After all, they were in the capital! The scenery at the back of Fayun Temple¡¯s mountain lived up to its renowned reputation. Breathtaking peculiar peaks and unique stones greeted the eye, igniting a sense of wonder. The autumn mountains disyed a vibrant tapestry of colors, exuding beauty and charm. Streams meandered through the mountains, cascading in various sizes and forming picturesque waterfalls at several locations. The tranquil sounds of flowing water blended harmoniously with the stunningndscape. Chapter 1107: Cooperation Chapter 1107: Cooperation
Editor:Henyee Trantions Entering the depths of the mountain, the scenery became vibrant, tranquil, and enchanting. The air felt noticeably fresher, infused with a gentle fragrance of wood that mingled with the crisp moisture in the atmosphere, rejuvenating the senses. Colorful and picturesque mountains stretched endlessly before Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°The renowned beauty of Fayun Temple¡¯s back mountains is truly well-deserved! Masters, cultivating in such a setting and being able to witness this scenery every day must contribute to your extraordinary aura!¡± Qiao Xuan eximed with a smile, withdrawing her gaze only to discover that the Master who had guided her had vanished. The forest remained peaceful, filled with the melodic chirping of birds. The autumn season was in full swing, showcasing the stunning leaves that fluttered like butterflies in the wind. Qiao Xuan found herself alone amidst the mountains.
Numerous paths crisscrossed through the woods, and unexpectedly, a bend in the road revealed an empty stretch devoid of any presence. Yet Qiao Xuan anticipated this turn of events. She even ¡°saw¡± clearly that the nobledies weren¡¯t truly immersed in the scenic beauty of the back mountains. Qiao Xuan chuckled inwardly ¨C these people were truly despicable. Since she had arrived, she had no intention of leaving. She intended to fully appreciate the breathtaking scenery. If she happened upon any delectable wild fruits, she could transnt the trees into her space. Perhaps she could even gather some mushrooms. See how cooperative she was! Qiao Xuan harbored no suspicion that the young monk had deceived her all this while. She reveled in the scenery and maintained a cautious demeanor, utilizing her superpower to sense every de of grass and tree within a range of 2,000 meters, remaining vignt to her surroundings. To her surprise, amidst the stillness, Qiao Xuan noticed the presence of a young boy, around the age of 13 or 14, lying in the bushes less than 300 meters away from her. The material of his attire was difficult to discern, but it bore a distinct texture that indicated it was no ordinary fabric. A white jade pendant with ginger tassels adorned his waist. His hair was neatly tied with a Yuzan, and his pale face showcased well-defined features, including thick eyebrows, a prominent nose, and exquisite facial contours. It was evident that he hailed from a noble family.
Startled, Qiao Xuan detected that he was merely unconscious but still breathing. Without hesitation, Qiao Xuan hurried over to investigate. She wouldn¡¯t have approached if he hadn¡¯t been breathing, as she didn¡¯t wish to involve herself in any trouble. But since he was still alive, she couldn¡¯t simply leave him alone. If it were a dire situation, she could always escape. After pondering for a moment, she took out a handkerchief, folded the corners, and covered half of her face. The young man appeared to have lost consciousness due to an attack on his back, evident from the bump on the back of his head. Though he wasn¡¯t bleeding, his condition looked rather rming. He furrowed his brow, disying signs of difort. With his slender frame, he seemed delicate, prompting an instinctual sense of caution. Qiao Xuan grasped his hands and channeled her superpower into his body, attempting to alleviate the bump on the back of his head. Before long, the young man blinked and his eyes fluttered open. Startled, he gazed at Qiao Xuan, seemingly disoriented about his surroundings and what had transpired. Qiao Xuan greeted him with a warm smile, observing his innocent expression.
¡°You¡¯re awake now. Stand up!¡± Qiao Xuan, who had been crouched next to him, rose to her feet and took a couple of steps back. Internally, she let out a sigh. There was a noticeable disparity between the countenance of an ordinary individual and that of someone with a developmental dy. Chapter 1108 Young Man Chapter 1108 Young Man This young man possessed a clear vision, yet he appeared perplexed. Qiao Xuan sensed an abnormality within his mind. It was a shame that he was so handsome. Despite not recognizing Qiao Xuan, the young man disyed utmostpliance. Rubbing his eyes, he rose to his feet, his hands firmly nted on the ground. Qiao Xuan pondered why he was alone in this ce. Before she could inquire, the young man beamed at her and eximed, "Sister!" Qiao Xuan was taken aback. Perplexed, the young man nced around and queried, "Sister, who are you? Why am I here? What brings you to this ce?" Qiao Xuan chuckled. How could she possibly respond to that? The boy continued, "Sister, what happened to your face?" Qiao Xuan lowered her handkerchief, revealing a smile. "I have a fear of insects, but I am alright now. I came here to admire the scenery. And you? What are you doing here all alone? Where is your family?" "Family?" The young man smiled. "My parents are at home, and Dazhong and Tuan are ying with me." He looked around, puzzled. "Where are Dazhong and Tuan? Dazhong, Tuan!" He shouted loudly. Caught betweenughter and tears, Qiao Xuan realized he possessed enough intelligence to clear up the confusion. After she had healed him, he experienced no pain or difort, and he had even forgotten how he sustained his injury. Qiao Xuan gently reminded him, "When I discovered you, you were unconscious on the ground. I revived you. Do you recall how you lost consciousness?" The young man''s eyes widened in surprise as he spoke, "I think¡­ I think I fell. My head was hurting, but now it doesn''t hurt at all! You saved me? Thank you, Sister!" With a grateful smile, the young man expressed his appreciation to Qiao Xuan. His joyous demeanor brought some relief to Qiao Xuan, and she smiled back. "You''re wee. What''s your name? Where do you live? I can apany you home!" The young man replied cheerfully, "Okay! My name is Qin Yi, and I live in the capital!" Qiao Xuan sighed inwardly. "I see¡­" This was going to be quite challenging. The capital was vast, and she had no clue about his exact destination. It seemed she would have to stay with him a bit longer. If he disappeared, his family would surelye looking for him. "Let''s rest under that tree," she suggested. "Okay!" The young man nodded, wearing a bright smile. He was well-behaved and amiable. He followed Qiao Xuan to the tree and took a seat. However, Qiao Xuan couldn''t sit still like a child for more than a couple of minutes. She started plucking flowers and grass, lying on the ground to observe grasshoppers and ants. The young man didn''t mind. As long as he remained within her sight, she was content. She inwardly chided herself, acknowledging that if all children caused as little trouble as this one, taking care of them would be a breeze! But this "child" wasn''t so easily managed. He returned after a while, his face, clothes, and hands covered in mud and grass. He turned to Qiao Xuan and said, "Sister, I''m thirsty. I want to drink water." Qiao Xuan, "¡­." Chapter 1109: Warily sized up Qiao Xuan Chapter 1109: Warily sized up Qiao Xuan
Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to wash your hands,¡± Qiao Xuan suggested. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s all,¡± the young man replied. Not far from their location, there was a stream with crystal-clear water, allowing one to see the bottom. It was exceptionally clean. Qiao Xuan guided him to wash his hands in the stream. She took out a handkerchief, wrung it out, and handed it to him to wipe his face. Then, when the young man wasn¡¯t paying attention, she discreetly retrieved a water bag from her belongings and passed it to him. ¡°Drink this.¡±
¡°Thank you, sister!¡± The young man disyed good manners as he graciously epted the water bag, a silly smile adorning his face. He opened it slowly and began to gulp down the water. Although he drank without hesitation, his demeanor remained elegant andposed. A person¡¯s upbringing was deeply ingrained in their character, and it couldn¡¯t be easily concealed. Qiao Xuan formed a favorable impression of him. She retrieved a bunch of jujubes from her belongings and handed them to him. ¡°Here, taste these jujubes. They are incredibly sweet!¡± After returning home, they had nted jujube trees in her space, cutting off a branch full of fruits. The originally egg-sized fruit tree had now grown to the size of a fist. She hadn¡¯t plucked the dates from the tree yet, but they tasted much better than those found outside. Since arriving in the capital, she had also nted apple trees, pear trees, persimmons, and grapes in her space. However, they hadn¡¯t borne fruit yet. Hopefully, they would be ready by next year. ¡°Thank you, sister!¡± The young man didn¡¯t inquire about the source of the dates but expressed his gratitude politely before happily indulging in them. His eyes gleamed with delight. ¡°These dates you gave me are incredibly sweet and delicious!¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Eat as many as you want!¡± This young man was quite skilled in conversation. The two of them returned to the tree and settled down. As they ate, the young man and Qiao Xuan grew more acquainted with each other. He continuously requested her to y with him. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Qiao Xuan had no interest in watching insects or picking flowers and grass. She suggested, ¡°How about plucking some grass? I can weave a grasshopper for you, alright?¡±
In the countryside, there wasn¡¯t much entertainment for children, but many people knew how to weave grasshoppers, dragonflies, and other creations. Qi was particrly skilled at it, even teaching Qiao Xuan how to weave straw hats and frogs in the past. The young man showed great enthusiasm, nodding eagerly as he went to gather the weeds. ¡°Lord Heir-Son, we¡¯ve been searching for you!¡± Before the young man returned with the weeds, a group of people emerged from one of the nearby forest paths. One of the pageboys spotted them and shouted, rushing towards them. Several guards followed closely behind. ¡°Lord Heir-Son¡­¡± Qiao Xuan was taken aback and decided to stay where she was. This Lord Heir-Son seemed to have a simple mind, so he should be fine. Lord Heir-Son appeared delighted to see them and waved in their direction. ¡°Tuan, Uncle Jiang, you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Oh my goodness, I haven¡¯t seen you in so long, you had me worried!¡± Tuan approached Lord Heir-Son, anxiously examining him. ¡°Are you alright? Did you injure yourself? Do you feel any difort?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine now, but this sister saved me!¡± Lord Heir-Son beamed, ncing at Qiao Xuan. Tuan and Uncle Jiang warily observed Qiao Xuan. Uncle Jiang took a step forward and expressed his gratitude, saying, ¡°How did you save Lord Heir-Son? And why are you here alone?¡±
Chapter 1110: Understood Chapter 1110: Understood
Editor:Henyee Trantions This Lord Heir-Son was a simple-minded individual who could easily be deceived and manipted. Uncle Jiang¡¯s questioning was not particrly polite, but Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t offended by it. She chose not to mention how Lord Heir-Son had lost consciousness when he was injured. With a smile, she exined, ¡°¡­A fewdies and I came to Fayun Temple to offer incense, but we got separated as we were exploring the temple. Later, a young gentleman informed me that thedies were enjoying the scenery in the back mountain, so he led me here. However, halfway through, I suddenly realized that he had disappeared. It was at that moment that I discovered Lord Heir-Son lying unconscious in the grass. I had just awakened him when you arrived¡­¡± Uncle Jiang nodded. ¡°I see.¡± He examined Qiao Xuan and smiled. ¡°Madame Qiao, you seem toe from a prominent family. Why did you venture out without a servant?¡± Qiao Xuan replied, ¡°Officer, you have a keen eye. My husband is Primus Shao, serving as Editor Shao at Hanlin Academy. We have two maids at home, but we had various matters to attend to today, so we didn¡¯t bring them along.¡±
¡°Oh, so you¡¯re Madame Shao!¡± Uncle Jiang eximed, surprised. He studied her and smiled. ¡°My apologies for the misunderstanding.¡± He understood that Madame Shao wouldn¡¯t be easily deceived. After all, the core issuey with the Tian Family. Even if the Tian Family didn¡¯t care, there would be no shortage of people who would take advantage of their vulnerability. They might be attempting to gain favor with the Tian Family or simply trying to exploit their weakness. Since their arrival in the capital, Shao Xiu and Madame Shao had been in the spotlight. ¡°I am honored,¡± Qiao Xuan replied with a smile. ¡°Since you¡¯re alright, Lord Heir-Son, I shall take my leave.¡± She understood the situation. Whoever this young man was, he muste from a noble family to be addressed as Lord Heir-Son. Seeing Uncle Jiang and the others so concerned about him, she deduced that they must hail from a powerful family. If Qiao Xuan hadn¡¯t awakened the young man, she would have struggled to prove her innocence when discovered in this situation. However, given the young man¡¯s mental instability, he could easily be deceived. If someone were orchestrating this, it could ignite a dangerous situation. Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t believe that Madame Su would dare to manipte a Lord Heir-Son. The Tian Family, the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion, or He Zhiqing might be involved, but it always seemed toe back to them. Uncle Jiang expressed his gratitude, saying, ¡°This is our Lord Heir-Son from Lord Anping Manor. Thank you for saving us, Madame Shao. We will surely express our gratitude in the future!¡±
Lord Anping Manor? Qiao Xuan hadn¡¯t heard of it before, but being a Lord Manor meant it was a highly influential family. She smiled and replied, ¡°It was merely a coincidence, Officer. You are being too kind with your words, and we are unworthy of your gratitude.¡± Uncle Jiang smiled and didn¡¯t say anything further. He returned to the mansion to report to the Lord and the Princess Consort of Lord Anping Manor. Lord Anping Manor would never owe anyone a favor. However, as Qin Yi, the Lord Heir-Son of Lord Anping Manor, saw Qiao Xuan preparing to leave, he tugged at her sleeves and eximed excitedly, ¡°Sister, where are you going? I want to go too!¡± Tuan, concerned that Qiao Xuan mightugh at his master, quickly pulled on his arm and reassured him, ¡°Lord Heir-Son, what would you like to y? I¡¯ll y with you!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going home. You should also return home. Don¡¯t wander alone. There are many unscrupulous people out there!¡± Chapter 1111: Invitation Chapter 1111: Invitation
Editor:Henyee Trantions Unable to resist, Qiao Xuan feltpelled to intervene. This young Lord Heir-Son was pure and harmless, especially with his innocent and adorable clear eyes. He appeared delicate, beautiful, and fragile, evoking sympathy from those around him. The young heir nodded obediently and refused to let her leave. ¡°I want grasshoppers.¡± He looked so pitiful. Qiao Xuan sighed inwardly.
Motivated by the situation, Tuan smiled and chimed in, ¡°Lord Heir-Son, it¡¯s easy to find grasshoppers. I¡¯ll get them for you!¡± But the heir didn¡¯t want that. ¡°I want my sister¡¯s!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s head throbbed. She turned to Uncle Jiang with a wry smile. ¡°I was just speaking with the young heir earlier, mentioning that we would weave grasshoppers for him¡­¡± But before I could finish, you arrived. Tuan scratched his head, feeling uncertain. He didn¡¯t know how to weave grasshoppers. Uncle Jiang started to hesitate. Qiao Xuan, as the wife of a court official, had her own County King and the Princess Consort of the prefecture who, for some reason, had been keeping a low profile. Strategist Shao was the Emperor¡¯s favorite, and if they kept his wife solely for the purpose of making a grasshopper for the young heir, it would be impolite and would expose their intentions. However, the young master was innocent, and the Prefecture Lord and the Princess Consort deeply loved their only son. They didn¡¯t want him to experience any grievances. Moreover, the young master had always been indulged and spoiled, so the entire mansion couldn¡¯t deny his requests. They couldn¡¯t just turn him down. Uncle Jiang pondered for a moment and suggested, ¡°The Prefecture Lord¡¯s mansion is not far from here, and the Princess Consort of the prefecture is currently taking the young master to the abbey for a stroll. Madame Shao, if it¡¯s convenient for you, pleasee to the abbey. That way, when the Princess Consort learns that you saved the young master, she can personally express her gratitude. Madame Shao, please weave a grasshopper for our young master.¡±
Upon hearing this, the young heir became ted, unwilling to let go of Qiao Xuan. He eximed joyfully, ¡°Yes, Sister, pleasee to my home! I have lots of snacks and fruits for you to enjoy!¡± Confusion crossed Uncle Jiang¡¯s face as he turned to Qiao Xuan for rification. Qiao Xuan helplessly exined, ¡°¡­I have some dates with me for the young heir to eat.¡± The young master was reciprocating her kindness by offering snacks and fruits. What a well-mannered child! Suddenly, Uncle Jiang understood the situation and smiled. His young master had a remarkable character, although he had never shown such attachment to anyone other than the Prefecture Lord and the Princess Consort of the prefecture. Indeed, the young master might be innocent, but he was not foolish. He might not discern those who were ttering him from those who treated him genuinely, but he could sense it. As servants, they were always infuriated. Those young masters might wear smiles on the surface, but inside, they sneered at the young master. They were not worthy of doing so! Madame Shao proved to be a genuinely kind-hearted woman. The young heir added, ¡°The dates are so sweet!¡± He seemed to be lost in reminiscence. Uncle Jiangughed, assuming the young master was hungry and enjoyed everything he ate. He invited Qiao Xuan to apany them. Qiao Xuan felt annoyed by Madame Su and the others. They might not have taken any direct action, but they were undoubtedly aplices.
In that case, there was no need for her to stand on ceremony. ¡°Thank you very much. Officer Jiang, please have someone inform the monks at the monastery to let Madame Su know that she doesn¡¯t have to wait for me.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Chapter 1112: Confusion Chapter 1112: Confusion
Editor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan followed the young heir and Uncle Jiang to the mansion of the Prefecture Lord of Anping. The young heir was brimming with happiness, engaging Qiao Xuan in discussions about feeding the fish, pastries, and fruits. As someone experienced in interacting with children, Qiao Xuan effortlessly entertained and conversed with the young heir. Uncle Jiang, initially concerned about her patience, breathed a sigh of relief and found himself growing fond of her. Meanwhile, at Fayun Temple, Madame Su and the others enjoyed a tea session before strolling through the garden to admire the chrysanthemums. They yed for a while until someone realized that a ring seemed to have been misced in the garden. They assisted in searching for it, eventually discovering it in front of a cluster of golden chrysanthemums.
Originally nning to venture into the back mountains for sightseeing, they decided against it due to fatigue. Instead, they returned to the courtyard and opted to rest before descending from the mountain. As they arrived at Xifeng Restaurant for lunch, someone inquired about Qiao Xuan¡¯s whereabouts. A personined, ¡°Madame Shao is so young, yet she seems to do as she pleases. Why hasn¡¯t she returned yet? We¡¯re all waiting here.¡± Another person jokingly chimed in, ¡°Maybe Madame Shao went for a sightseeing adventure in the back mountains!¡± A Daoist added, ¡°That can¡¯t be true, right? What is she doing all alone?¡± The first person smiled, saying half-jokingly, ¡°You never know with Madame Shao. She¡¯s quite audacious!¡± Laughter filled the air. Indeed, she was bold. Madame Su¡¯s eyes gleamed with curiosity. She was about to send someone to fetch Qiao Xuan when a young monk approached them, delivering a surprising message. ¡°Madame Shao, you don¡¯t have to wait for Madame Shao. She has gone to Lord Anping Manor to convey a message, please.¡± ¡°What!¡± Lord Anping Manor? ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±
Madame Su¡¯s grip tightened on the handkerchief as she eximed, ¡°Wasn¡¯t Madame Shao in the monastery¡¯s intermediate area? Why was she taken to Lord Anping Manor? What transpired?¡± ¡°Madame Qiao, please remain calm,¡± the monk gently urged, providing an exnation. ¡°Madame Shao was initially in the monastery¡¯s intermediate area, but Madame Qiao instructed her to wait at the back of the mountain. As she went there, she encountered the young heir of Lord Anping Manor, who had gotten lost. The young heir and she have a good rtionship. When the people from the Prefecture Lord¡¯s Mansion came looking for her, they asked her to visit the Princess Consort of the prefecture at the mansion. Worried that Madame Qiao would be concerned, she requested Lord Anping Manor to send someone to deliver the message¡­¡± So that was the situation! However¡­ ¡°What do you mean? We didn¡¯t go to the back mountain!¡± ¡°Yeah, who informed Madame Shao about this?¡± ¡°This is so strange!¡± Everyone regained their senses and exchanged perplexed nces. A mixture of sourness andplexity filled the air. How fortunate for her to encounter the heir of Lord Anping Manor and visit the Princess Consort of the prefecture! A few astute individuals began to sense that something was amiss. They refrained from speaking out, but their nces at one another conveyed annoyance and spection. Someone was attempting to set up Madame Shao! It was an outrageous scheme! Chapter 1113: Princess Consort of the Perfecture Lord Chapter 1113: Princess Consort of the Perfecture Lord
Editor:Henyee Trantions Madame Su¡¯s grip tightened on the handkerchief as she contemted various possibilities and made her own conjectures. The calm demeanor of the monk, as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything, further fueled her suspicions. With a bow and a polite gesture, he left the scene. The temple in the outskirts of the capital often received visits from high-ranking officials and nobility. Open and covert struggles were not umon, although the temple usually remained uninvolved. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s descend from the mountain,¡± one of thedies sneered. ¡°We worried for nothing! Instead, she stumbled upon great fortune and fled without facing us, as if she feared we would follow her. She even concocted such a ridiculous story¡ªiming that we went to the back mountain when we didn¡¯t, and she had someone fetch her.¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s simply making excuses for herself!¡±
Anotherdy chimed in, and the rest remained silent. Madame Su also smiled. ¡°Very well, let¡¯s go.¡± All thedies descended the mountain together. Some among them, driven by their desires for fame and fortune, started venting their frustrations towards Qiao Xuan. Their anger grew more intense. Had it been someone from the Prefecture Lord¡¯s mansion delivering the message, they could have used the excuse of concern for Qiao Xuan and the need to pay their respects to the Princess Consort of the prefecture, apanying her to the mansion. However, it was the monks from the intermediate area of the monastery who conveyed the message. No matter how shameless they were, they couldn¡¯t simply barge into their residence like that! The Prefecture Lord¡¯s mansion wasn¡¯t a ce they could casually visit. They would be aughingstock if they were stopped at the doorstep. How could they not be angry at missing such a golden opportunity? But Qiao Xuan remained unfazed. She wasn¡¯t worth cultivating a friendship with, in their eyes. At the mansion, Qiao Xuan extended her greetings to the Princess Consort of the prefecture, who belonged to the Anping Lord¡¯s lineage. The Princess Consort of the Prefecture disyed grace and warmth, delighted to witness her precious son forming such a close bond with Qiao Xuan. Despite being 14 years old, the young heir had the innocence and demeanor of a four or five-year-old child. Gender was not a concern in their rtionship. The Princess Consort harbored reservations about allowing her son to interact with others, fearing he might be mistreated. It seemed that both the young heir and Uncle Jiang, who had known him since childhood, had never seen him develop such a close connection with anyone outside their family. Consequently, they treated Qiao Xuan with even greater enthusiasm. The only regret was that Qiao Xuan was a woman; it would have been more convenient if she were a man.
Nevertheless, the young heir grew extremely attached to Qiao Xuan, and he might even seek a close rtionship with Primus Shao in the future. Qiao Xuan crafted two grasshoppers for the young heir¡ªarge one and a small one. Delighted, the young heir proudly presented them to the Princess Consort of the prefecture. He pointed at the big one and said with a smile, ¡°This is Mother,¡± then pointed at the small one and said, ¡°This is Yi.¡± The Princess Consort of the prefecture burst intoughter, filled with joy. Even the Princess Consort of the prefecture began to show a gentler disposition toward Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan remained in the courtyard of Lord Anping Manor until four in the afternoon, when the Princess Consort of the prefecture finally managed to calm down the young heir. Only then did Qiao Xuan take her leave. With a smile and a nod, Qiao Xuan acknowledged the young heir¡¯s invitation to have fun together the following day. She had no reason to decline, as she found sce in the pure-hearted young heir. He was far more agreeable than the troublesomedies. As the Princess Consort of the prefecture owned orchards and vegetable gardens, she instructed her servants to gather tworge baskets filled with fresh fruits such as apples, pears, evening peaches, persimmons, dates, walnuts, grapes, and more. Additionally, she arranged for two boxes of homemade snacks from the small kitchen to be packed for Qiao Xuan to take home. Chapter 1114: Laughter and Tears Chapter 1114: Laughter and Tears
Editor:Henyee Trantions That was what Qiao Xuan loved ¨C she epted it happily. The fruits she received were not as tasty as the ones she had grown in her own space, but they were still quite delicious and fresh! The Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord had sent a low-profile wagon to take her back home, and the coachman was very friendly, even helping to carry down two baskets of fruits. Liqiu and Lixia were surprised by the amount of fruits Qiao Xuan received. ¡°Madame Shao, you have bought so many fruits! They look so fresh!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and told them, ¡°They are gifts.¡± The two girls teased that their Madame must be very popr to receive so many fruits.
Caught betweenughter and tears, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t believe they were serious. Was she really destined to have a good rtionship with people? It seemed unlikely, especially now that the Tian Family was gaining more power; she and Shao Yunduan would not be popr in reality. Soon, Shao Yunduan returned, and Qiao Xuan shared her story with him. She didn¡¯t mention being set up as no one could deceive her in the mountains. Instead, she told him that she got separated from the madams and ended up saving the young heir of the Prefecture Lord of Anping¡¯s mansion. She also mentioned her visit to the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord. Curious, she asked Shao Yunduan, ¡°Darling, do you know anything about Lord Anping Manor? What kind of family is it?¡± The capital was filled with numerous nobles, high-ranking officials, and noble families, making it challenging to keep track of everyone¡¯s background. Shao Yunduan, being part of the Hanlin Academy, had ess to more information than she did. He was well-informed and often heard about various gossips and stories. Shao Yunduan had heard rumors about the young heir of the Prefecture Lord¡¯s Mansion being mentally damaged, so he decided to inquire further. Qiao Xuan was taken aback by the revtion. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s their family! I heard that the Prefecture Lord of Anping and the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord are both gentle people, and their youngest son is their only offspring. When he was young, he was exceptionally bright, capable of reciting sutras and hundreds of poems at the tender age of three. The Emperor adored him greatly. On one asion, while apanying the Prefecture Lord of Anping to the pce, the young heir yfully ate a te of snacks intended for the Emperor. Tragically, a eunuch beside the Emperor sought to harm him and had secretly poisoned the pastry.¡± ¡°Upon the revtion of this secret, the eunuchmitted suicide, and numerous pce officials were implicated. Though the young heir¡¯s life was saved, his intelligence suffered irreversible damage, and he could no longer retain his previous brilliance. From that point onward, his mental capacity remained limited for the rest of his life.¡± Qiao Xuan sighed, feeling sympathy for the young man. He appeared so handsome and did not seem to be naturallycking in intelligence. It was indeed an unfortunate turn of events. The Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord and the Prefecture Lord of Anping must have been devastated when their clever son became mentally damaged overnight.
However, the incident served as a shield for the Emperor, and the couple did not dare to voice any grievances concerning the matter in court. Chapter 1115: Inside Story Chapter 1115: Inside Story
Editor:Henyee Trantions They had nowhere to vent their anger, and they were not even qualified to investigate the matter personally. The pce remained a mystery to them, leaving them in the dark. What no one outside the family, including Shao Yunduan, knew was that the Young Master was not poisoned by the eunuch¡¯s pastry, but by an elixir made by the Emperor and the Daoist masters. As a consequence, all the Daoist masters and eunuchs involved in alchemy were beheaded by the furious Emperor, and blood flowed like a river. And because of this, the Emperor¡¯s reputation was ruined. He felt guilty towards his son and Lord Anping Manor, offering them abundantpensation, but he did not want to see them again. Every time he saw them, he would think of this, and he would feel very ufortable.
The Prefecture Lord of Anping knew the truth of the ident and sensed the Emperor¡¯s ufortable thoughts. Over the years, he had gradually faded out of the royal family¡¯s sight. Apart from necessary asions, he and his wife never went into the pce. They did not want to offend the Emperor. They did not want to get involved with governmental affairs at all. And the young heir had never been to the pce after that. It was reasonable that he did not want to go to the pce. No one would dare to mention that. The Emperor let out a sigh of relief and was very satisfied. Therefore, they kept giving out great rewards. Apart from the crown prince, no other princes could match up to them. That waspensation for them. The Prefecture Lord and his wife were well aware of this. The funny thing was that even though he made some poisonous pills and the Emperor dealt with the most trusted Daoist master, he was still engrossed in Dao Seeking and elixir making. He believed that the new Daoist master would be able to make the pills. Only a few core members of the royal family knew about this, and outsiders knew nothing about it. Hearing Shao Yunduan¡¯s words, Qiao Xuan thought of this man who had lost his mind. He could never remember how smart he used to be. Even though he was smiling brightly and obediently, his eyes would never shine with wisdom anymore. He would always have the innocence of a child, which made him feel even more sympathetic towards the young heir. The Prefecture Lord and the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord felt tormented seeing their son like this every day.
¡°He is such a cute child. He even said that he wanted to have fun with me!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Darling, you are kind-hearted. The young master is not stupid, and it is not strange that he likes you. He is just a child, and he can do whatever he wants. But you are my wife, and it would be best not to get too close to him.¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. She teased him. ¡°What are you talking about? You know that the Young Master is a child, so what are you talking about?¡± Shao Yunduanughed. Qiao Xuan had thought that the Young Master would not be here until a few dayster, or maybe he had been distracted by something else and forgot about her. After all, children did not have a long memory. It was normal for them to be forgetful. Chapter 1116: Uncomfortable Chapter 1116: Ufortable
Editor:Henyee Trantions Unexpectedly, the Young Master came the following morning. Apart from Uncle Jiang, Tuan, and a few guards, there was also a nanny and a maidservant. They got off the wagon and introduced themselves as Auntie Zhu and Xiaoshui. The young heir was delighted to see Qiao Xuan. He greeted her with a smile and ran towards her, calling her sister. Auntie Zhu and the others greeted them and went into the yard. There were so many people that the patio was filled with more than ten people.
Auntie Zhu drove out the guards, except for Uncle Jiang and the small group, who offered the presents from the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord. She smiled. ¡°Our Young Master has been trying to find Madame Shao, and the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord can¡¯t stop him, so I drove him here, hoping that Madame Shao would not be disturbed.¡± Qiao Xuan thanked her and gave the gift to Lixia, saying with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Auntie Zhu, but Lord Heir-Son is so innocent and better than many people in the world. I am so d that he remembers me. Why would I be bothered?¡± Auntie Zhu smiled brightly and nodded with a smile. ¡°That is great, Madame Shao. Just treat the young heir as you do to others, don¡¯t worry.¡± Auntie Zhu could tell if they were sincere or fake. But her son was too pitiful to be yed by others. Even if they looked down on him andughed at him, as long as he was happy, they would pretend not to notice anything. They could not just put him in a group of four or five-year-old children. That would be humiliating for him. But still, they felt ufortable. Auntie Zhu could tell that Qiao Xuan was not looking down on that boy. In her eyes, the little boy was normal, and that was more precious than anything else. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s home was not very big, and the young master seemed to have never been to such a small yard before, so he was very curious. Qiao Xuan was stuck in a dilemma ¨C she did not know what to y with him. So after a while in the yard, she decided to make some delicious food for him so he could help. Children always liked to help. The young heir seemed to have received some very important mission. He was so excited and kept nodding to show that he was going to help. He was so careful that people could not help butugh. Qiao Xuan got some cassava powder, steamed pumpkins and taros, cooked some red beans, prepared raisins, crushed walnuts, and almonds, and asked Lixia and Liqiu to help too. Soon, they started to get busy. Their kitchen was not very big, so Auntie Zhu asked Liqiu to take care of the young master when she saw Qiao Xuan. After making sure that the young master would not get injured, she went into the hall with the others to take a break. The Young Master was a very yful child.
The only requirement for the Prince and the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord was that the Young Master should be happy. As long as he did not do anything against thew and morality, everything else should be treated nonchntly and casually. They turned a blind eye. After a while, the food was cooked and served while still warm. The round taro balls were very cute. They were filled with sweet glutinous rice and soft red beans, along with sweet raisins, crispy and delicious crushed walnuts, crushed almonds, and drizzled with honey, sprinkled with dried sweet osmanthus. The dish looked bright in color, had rich ingredients, and the sweet taste was very tempting. It was especially appetizing at a nce. Auntie Zhu had never seen it before, but it seemed to be a dessert. She thought that it might be some local snack from Qiao Xuan¡¯s hometown, so she epted it with a smile. Chapter 1117: More Than Anything Chapter 1117: More Than Anything
Editor:Henyee Trantions But the moment they tasted it, their eyes sparkled. ¡°Very delicious!¡± ¡°It is sweet, glutinous, not greasy, and chewy. What is it made of? It is so delicious!¡± Tuan and Xiaoshui were both young men and women in their teens. They loved sweet food, and the taro balls instantly fascinated them. Auntie Zhu and Uncle Jiang were not as straightforward as they were, but they seemed to agree.
The cassavas were good things, and Qiao Xuan had the intention of promoting them. She was not afraid that they would be robbed of their business. The Qin Family was so big, and as long as they had a good reputation, no one would be able to steal them away. So she repeated the story with a smile. They even said that they had a lot of cassava powder from their hometown. If they did not mind, they could bring some home to have a try. There were three chefs at Lord Anping Manor who specialized in making snacks for their masters. They were very good at making snacks, and they only thought about one thing every day, which was to create different kinds of exquisite snacks for their masters with various ingredients. Auntie Zhu and Xiaoshui were servants who served their masters closely, and they were even more noble and knowledgeable than the masters at home. They had eaten all kinds of delicious food and seen all kinds of luxurious things. But they had never seen or tasted the taste of taro balls! Qiao Xuan had never heard of ¡°cassava powder¡± before. She was going to give it to the three pastry chefs so they could think about how to incorporate it into more vors for the mansion. Also, the Young Master seemed to like it very much! That was better than anything else! Auntie Zhu did not turn them down, but epted them with a smile. The young heir was eating the taro ball desserts he helped to make. He even put two bowls in the box, saying that he made them personally and wanted to bring them home for his father and mother to taste.
That moved Auntie Zhu and Uncle Jiang. After eating the taro balls, the young heir was thinking about giving desserts to his father and mother, so they went home soon. He could not wait to serve the desserts to his mother. ¡°Mother, I made this myself. Have a taste of it!¡± ¡°What?¡± The Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord was startled. Auntie Zhu said with a smile, ¡°The young master made desserts for the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord, and he brought them home for the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord to try. Our young master is the most filial!¡± ¡°For real!¡± The Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord burst with joy and smiled. ¡°Yi made it; it will definitely taste good!¡± The young heir put a spoonful into the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord¡¯s mouth and asked eagerly, ¡°Mother, is it tasty?¡± The Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord felt sweetness in her heart. She nodded and smiled as she caressed the young master¡¯s head. ¡°Yi, you are so good, so delicious!¡± The young heir was so happy. ¡°Please, mother, I will make more for you!¡± ¡°Okay, okay, my son is so filial!¡± The young heir smiled happily. After dessert, the mother and the son exchanged a few words. Xiaoshui and Tuan took the young master back to rest, while the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord asked Auntie Zhu how she was doing at the Shao Family.
Auntie Zhu smiled and told the whole story. Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord of Anping smiled. ¡°I knew that Madame Shao is a good person. Yi likes going there, so let him be. You should treat them nicely and respect them. As long as Yi is happy, that is better than anything!¡± Chapter 1118: No Matter Chapter 1118: No Matter
Editor:Henyee Trantions Auntie Zhu smiled and added, ¡°But Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord, will the Tian Family and the Fourth Prince¡­¡± The Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord sneered. ¡°Prefecture Lord and I are just like this. Haven¡¯t we made enough concessions? What else can he do? I just hope that Yi can live a happy life, so he won¡¯t suffer any more while we are still alive. I don¡¯t care about anything else!¡± The Emperor said that they could have other children, but he also insisted that the title of Prefecture Lord must be given to Yi. Wasn¡¯t that enough? The Emperor almost lost his life after being set up by the shameless Daoist. But when his own family learned about this humiliating thing, the Emperor became even more afraid of his own family, despite feeling guilty towards Yi. He worried that his family would leak the secret and humiliate him. He wished that they could disappear as soon as possible!
Only dead people could keep the secret. What if they had another child and told the child? He would not tolerate that. Also, she did not want to have any more children. Her Yi was so good, and she was not going to give him any less love. Yi had nothing left, and he could not live without the love of his parents. At that time, she told herself that as long as Yi was happy, she would not care about anything else. Yi liked to hang out with Madame Shao, and he could go to Madame Shao whenever he wanted to. The Tian Family couldn¡¯t stand that, could they? Then they coulde to her! They were afraid of the Tian Family and the Fourth Prince, but the Prefecture Lord¡¯s mansion had never been afraid of them. ¡°That reminds me.¡± Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord added. ¡°Get someone to keep an eye on the Tian Family. They might not dare toe to our mansion, but they might try to bully Editor Shao and Madame Shao. We can¡¯t let them suffer because of this.¡± Auntie Zhu sighed inwardly and nodded with a smile. The Young Master was still a child. The Shao Family had a small yard, but he loved to hang out with Qiao Xuan. Sometimes Shao Yunduan was present too, so the children were watched by two people. There was nothing fun to do in the yard, so the couple took the young master out for a walk. The Young Master was a nobleman, and the Prefecture Lord of Anping, the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord, as well as Auntie Zhu, Uncle Jiang, and Tuan would not go to the market with him, even if they went out with him. At most, they would show him around thentern market on the Lantern Festival, and most of the time, they went to the abbey.
After all, there were all kinds of delicacies in the mansion, and there were pleasure boats in the mansion. Clothes, treasures, and toys? The embroidery maids and tailors who specialized in sewing and embroidery, as well as antiques for the young heir, were not interesting at all. The other rich young masters would only take him out for fun at banquets and gatherings. No one would ask him out for shopping. After all, it was not very suitable for the young heir to go shopping, watch rooster fights, or visit brothels. Therefore, the Young Master did not go out much. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan brought him out, which made him very happy. He loved the little y figurines and a tumbler at the stall. He would always buy some small things and bring them home to show the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord, who was very happy too. Qiao Xuan asked Shao Yunduan to draw some lively and interesting animal drawings, which were drawn on thin wooden boards, painted, carefully cut by a craftsman, broken into uneven pieces of jigsaw puzzles, and then put together with the Young Master ¨C they could not go out all the time, so jigsaw puzzles were the best way to kill time. Chapter 1119: Rich Chapter 1119: Rich
Editor:Henyee Trantions The effect was unexpectedly good. The young heir fell in love with it as soon as he started to work on it. Soon, he became engrossed and focused on the jigsaw. Every time aplete picture was put together, he would be so happy for half a day. Auntie Zhu and the others were very happy to see this. They felt that their Young Master was very smart. He could even find so many pieces and put them together. When the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord of Anping heard about this, she felt d seeing the puzzles ¨C who said that her son was stupid? If he was, he would not have been able toe up with such a difficult puzzle. Delighted, the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord asked some more people to make more exquisite jigsaws. She even made two sets of white jade with thinly-polished gemstones to give to Qiao Xuan.
That was indeed very valuable. The puzzle gradually spread among the prefectures and was liked by countless children, bing popr in the whole upper-ss society. Later, the news spread among themoners, and many businessmen saw the business opportunity and started making them. The ingredients were easy to get, and the civilians did not care if the workmanship was rough, as long as it was fun. The Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord of Anping was even happier ¨C Madame Shao was the first one to take her son to have fun, and everyone else was imitating her son. Qiao Xuan had intended to make some money with this, but when she realized that it was already being copied, she dropped the idea. They had no ce to talk about copyrights at that period of time. And the news that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan got involved with Lord Anping Manor soon spread. Everyone sighed emotionally ¨C they were so lucky! Madame Su, who had asked Qiao Xuan to visit the Fayun Temple the other day, felt annoyed. Those madams who had no idea what was going on were just there to keep the guestspany. They felt jealous and emotional, but that was all after a few words. Madame Su and the others were there with a purpose. They took Qiao Xuan to the back mountain of the temple, thinking that the mission would bepleted smoothly, so Qiao Xuan would have no way to defend herself. But it turned out that she was totally fine and even gained favor with the Lord Anping Manor by a freakbination of factors. Everyone knew that the Young Master of the Prefecture Lord had saved the Emperor¡¯s life.
The Emperor believed that only the Crown Prince could hold a higher position in his heart. If the couple from the Prefecture Lord of Anping said a thing or two, the Emperor would definitely agree. Forget about the Emperor, when the new Emperor took over the throne, he would have to support Lord Anping Manor and the young heir for the rest of his life; otherwise, he would be considered unfilial. This life-saving favor was even more valuable than a death-exemption card. They could easily defend Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. The Qiao Family felt bitter too. Madame Lady Qiao and the others did not utter a sound. They felt that they had been pped in the face. Even Madame Qiao, who had always thought that she was better than Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan, felt regretful. She already regretted when Qiao Xuan cured the peony that the Emperor had entrusted to his mother, and she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she would have been able to use this favor if they had not broken off the rtionship. If she begged the Prefecture Lord of Anping to put in a good word for the Emperor, the Qiao Family might have regained their title! Chapter 1120: Luck Taken Chapter 1120: Luck Taken
Editor:Henyee Trantions After all, it was the Emperor¡¯s call! Second Old Master and Old Master Qiao, who had been so happy and gloating when they broke off the rtionship, now felt bored again. The couple could not help butin about their fate. If they had not asked them to sign the contract, this would not have happened. First Madame Qiao and Second Mrs. Qiao were both jealous of Qiao Xuan¡¯s luck, so they med Qiao Hongxi. ¡°He is Qiao Xuan¡¯s lineal brother, and he doesn¡¯t even try to talk him out of it. What else can I say? Qiao Xuan is part of the third section of the family, and the third section of the family has the right to speak with her!¡± The other one couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°¡­That is so strange. How can Qiao Xuan be so lucky? I think that is very suspicious. Qiao Xuan must have used some underhanded, evil, sinister methods to steal the Qiao Family¡¯s fortune, right? Why is she always getting all the good things, but we are always so unlucky¡­¡±
Second Old Master¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He started to believe that. Hearing that Elder Brother was not doing well this time, he felt annoyed. He was in charge of the abbey, and the harvest this year was not very good. The third section of the family was even more unlucky. Hongxi was demoted, and the third section of the family was ostracized. The lineal daughter¡¯s marriage was ruined, and the concubine¡¯s daughter did something so shameless. What a coincidence! The two brothers had a tacit understanding of how to report the third section of the family. So they kept adding fuel to the fire in front of Madame Lady Qiao. Madame Lady Qiao, who had been feeling very ufortable, got even more furious hearing what she said. Madame Lady Qiao felt that her brothers were right. She ordered someone to fetch Third Old Master and his wife. They had not expected that if they insisted on driving Qiao Xuan out of the family, Qiao Hongxi would not be able to change their mind, no matter how much he objected. But at this moment, someone needed to bear the anger and grievances, so they could prove that they did not personally push out the favor, so they did not care. Third Old Master and Third Madame Qiao were so confused and bewildered by the scolding. They did not understand what was going on until a long whileter.
Third Madame Qiao shivered in anger, gritting her teeth. This wretched old woman! They helped the first section of the family and the second section of the family get so much money from the third section of the family, and now they were ming them for Qiao Xuan? Did they regret driving that woman away? Third Madame Qiao felt secretly pleased ¨C they were so unlucky! As for her own family¡­ she was caught in a vicious cycle and had no idea what to do. Third Old Master felt aggrieved too. His son never disobeyed his elders, and he could not be med. But Third Old Master started to suspect if Qiao Xuan had stolen the Qiao Family¡¯s fortune. That sounded very reasonable! Madame Lady Qiao said angrily, ¡°Just think about it ¨C is there anything wrong with Qiao Xuan? You are her parents, and you should know something, right? We need to find a way to get the Qiao Family¡¯s luck back, otherwise, she would be too lucky!¡± Third Madame sneered and said nothing. Her son was an officer, and her husband was an officer too. They were not that bad either, were they?
Chapter 1121: Arrogant People Chapter 1121: Arrogant People
Editor:Henyee Trantions Wei¡¯s marriage was going to take ce after one and a half years. She could just marry someone who was not as good as her own family, and she would not have to worry about not finding a suitor. They were all unscrupulous people, so why should she help them? Third Old Master thought for a while and said, ¡°That girl has always been timid, but¡­¡± Third Old Master was startled too. Yes, the girl was timid before she got married, but after she got married, she gradually changed. When her husband Shao Yunduan became an intermediate Provincial Champion, she became even more assertive and even talked back to him. Then¡­ Not to mentionter on!
How dare they follow Shao Yunduan into the capital and cut off all ties with the Qiao Family without his permission? How dare they! Third Old Master narrated the story angrily, while Third Madame Qiao sneered. ¡°She is just pretending! She is just pretending to be weak and submissive!¡± That was true, judging from the current situation. But Madame Lady Qiao and the others did not want to hear this. Madame Lady Qiao snapped at Third Madame Qiao. ¡°Shut up if you don¡¯t know what to say! I think she must have taken away the Qiao Family¡¯s fortune, otherwise Shao Yunduan would not have be the intermediate Provincial Champion, which should have been ours!¡± ¡°Look at the daughters you are raising!¡± Third Madame said coldly, ¡°What do you think, mother?¡± ¡°We are going to get our fortune back!¡± Madame Lady Qiao got so annoyed that she said without hesitation. Then they all looked at each other and fell into silence. Second Mrs. Qiao lowered her head guiltily. She was just saying that out of anger. Actually, she did not believe that a concubine¡¯s daughter was capable enough to steal the Qiao Family¡¯s things. ording to the third section of the family, they were just pretending to be weak. Once they had the power, they would show their fangs.
Madame Lady Qiao did believe her, and she insisted on taking back the Qiao Family¡¯s fortune. She even asked Old Master Qiao to seek Daoist masters, so Qiao Xuan could not take advantage of them. Old Master Qiao and the others had no choice but to agree. They would deal with itter. What a joke! Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were in the limelight right now, and the Emperor and Lord Anping Manor were defending them. No one would be able to bear the consequences of calling her a thief without any evidence. Everyone at the Qiao Family was very disheartened by what happened. So was the Tian Family. ¡°Is the Princess Consort of the Perfecture Lord out of her mind? What does her stupid son know? Ms. Qiao must have tricked him! How dare she treat Ms. Qiao as someone close to her? What a joke!¡± Tian Shanshan threw an exasperated look at her angry mother and smiled. ¡°They are able to gain favor with the Princess Consort of the Perfecture Lord because they are capable.¡± Mrs. Tian was startled. She turned to her daughter and sighed. ¡°I just can¡¯t stand Ms. Qiao. She is so cunning!¡± Tian Shanshan said, ¡°How can the benefits obtained through unorthodox methodsst long? Mom, don¡¯t get angry over these small things. It is not worth it. Let¡¯s just wait and see! The Tian Family can afford to wait.¡± Chapter 1122: Closer Chapter 1122: Closer
Editor:Henyee Trantions Madame Tian felt slightly relieved. She felt both gratified, heartbroken, and guilty. ¡°Good Shan, sorry for the trouble!¡± Tian Shanshan smiled. ¡°You will fall when you reach the advanced level. That is true!¡± Madame Tian smiled too. ¡°True!¡± Tian Shanshan was calm and generous in front of her mother, but when she returned to the boudoir, her face sank. With one hand holding the scissors and the other holding the cloth, she cut them with a cold face. The silk that cost more than 100 liang turned into rags in her hands.
She would not smash things, no matter how bad her temper was. It would cause too much of amotion, and she would not look good. She was not reserved enough. Fu stood by the side with her head lowered, not daring to utter a sound. Tian Shanshan suddenly put down the scissors and nced at Fu. ¡°Get the wagon ready. I am going to the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion to greet my cousin.¡± ¡°Okay, Miss!¡± Tian Shanshan¡¯s visit to the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion was just an excuse. What she really wanted to see was He Zhiqing. Tian Shanshan could tell that He Zhiqing was the same kind of person as she was. But He Zhiqing was just a low-level concubine, and she was nothingpared to her. Tian Shanshan asked He Zhiqing to speak with her privately. ¡°I heard that you and Ms. Qiao and Qiao Xuan are all from Yuzhang? You used to be friends?¡± He Zhiqing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She did not dare to offend this cousin who was in a good position in front of Honored Princess Mei and the Fourth Prince. So she nodded with a smile. ¡°Ms. Qiao was at the Xie Family¡¯s banquet with Madame Yuezheng, so we met each other¡­¡± Tian Shanshan chuckled. ¡°Since you are old friends, it is fate that you meet again in the intermediate. You should cherish this fate and get closer to her.¡± He Zhiqing turned pale. Tian Shanshan looked into her eyes and said, ¡°Not only her, but also the Qiao Family. We should get close to each other, don¡¯t you think?¡±
¡°Yes, yes¡­ you are right¡­¡± Tian Shanshan smiled. ¡°You should bear that in mind!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tian Shanshan walked away gracefully, and He Zhiqing almost copsed to the ground. She was not stupid. She understood what Tian Shanshan meant. Everyone knew about the grudge between the Tian Family and the Shao Family. Tian Shanshan would not allow her to get close to Qiao Xuan for no reason. She was asking her to deal with Qiao Xuan! She even told her to drag the Qiao Family down with her! She could pretend that she did not understand what she meant, but Elder Miss would not forgive her if she did. She was just one concubine of the Fourth Prince. Elder Miss had many ways to deal with her. Even if she dealt with Qiao Xuan, she could not get anything from Elder Miss. After all, it was not Elder Miss who asked her to do so.
He Zhiqing gritted her teeth. This cousin of the Tian Family was so difficult to deal with. But she could not even throw away the hot potato in her hands. Qiao Xuan was discussing with Shao Yunduan about going back to Shaoding Vige. Shao Yunduan had no choice but to make a n for her. He hired six escorts from the most reputable Escort Agency for Qiao Xuan in Tianjin, together with Lixia and Liqiu. After Qiao Xuan left, they could not tell anyone that she was going home. If anyone asked, they could just say that she was staying at the nunnery and would not be back until a few dayster. In a few days, a few more days, they would be back. Chapter 1123: Back Home Chapter 1123: Back Home
Editor:Henyee Trantions That was just a precaution, and no one would ask about it. At most, he would tell Auntie Zhu when the young master came to have fun. They decided to leave in mid-October, with a few days left. When everything was ready, the two of them felt a bit reluctant to leave. They would be separated for at least 40 days! Actually, Shao Yunduan wanted Qiao Xuan to spend the New Year at home, ande back when the spring came. But Qiao Xuan did not want to do that.
She was going to spend the New Year with her husband! She had already decided to hurry on the road, which would take at most 20 days. She was going to stay at home for seven or eight days, and she was going back to the capital by the end of November. The wagon was light and simple. As long as they had enough money, they could hire all kinds of good wagons and horses. They did not need to worry at all! Shao Yunduan did not want to be apart from her for too long. He kept telling her to be careful on the way home, so he agreed to wait for her toe home for the New Year. But he did not want to leave before she left. The two of them cherished the remaining time they spent with each other. They talked,ughed, and enjoyed each other¡¯spany, wishing that they could not waste a single moment. When the night came, they embraced each other, expressing their love and passion, knowing they would soon be separated. They held on to each other tightly, savoring every touch, kiss, and caress. When morning arrived, Qiao Xuan slept for half a day. Lixia and Liqiu blushed and did not dare to say a thing, pretending as if they knew nothing. Qiao Xuan, too, was pretending. She did not want to make up for theck of temperance. It was too conspicuous! But she felt sore all over when she woke up in the morning, especially at her waist. She could not even hook it with her fingers. She just needed to lie down and take a good hot bath to feelfortable. Every time the two girls pretended to know nothing, Qiao Xuan swore inwardly that she was not going to do that tonight. But when it was night time and they were going to be separated soon, they forgot about everything else. Then she gave up the idea.
Her husband was the most important, and she should focus on the other aspects. Shao Yunduan did not see her off on the day of departure. He put on the cloak for her, kissed her face and lips, took her hands and said gently, ¡°Pay attention to the clothes on the way, don¡¯t catch a cold. Don¡¯t be in a hurry, just watch out for the situation. If you really can¡¯t make it home, don¡¯t force yourself.¡± Qiao Xuan felt her heart warmed. She turned to Shao Yunduan and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, darling, we are so lucky to be able to see the light of day. We will have a smooth journey.¡± At least they did not have to worry about safety! She would love to see someone picking on her. Shao Yunduan was amused, but he let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay, my wife is so lucky, everything will go well!¡± The two of them exchanged a look and exchanged a few more words before parting ways. Qiao Xuan drove out of the town and headed directly to Tianjin. Songshi went to Tianjin the day before and arranged everything in advance. When Qiao Xuan and her two maids arrived, they changed the wagon and started to travel. It was still October, and the weather was slightly cooler, but it was not yet cold. If the weather was good and the sun was strong, it would still be hot at noon. But overall, the weather was very suitable for traveling.
Qiao Xuan did not want to waste any more time, so the trip went smoothly. But one day, Qiao Xuan sensed that it was going to rain, so she spent half a day on the road and decided to stay at an inn in the town after lunch, citing fatigue as the reason. Chapter 1124: Way of the World Chapter 1124: Way of the World
Editor:Henyee Trantions But it started to rain heavily around three in the afternoon. The escorts, as well as Lixia and Liqiu, were all very d that they had stayed for the night. Otherwise, they would have been caught in the rain without any shelter. Qiao Xuan smiled ¨C she had sensed the change in weather! With her foresight, they returned to the province smoothly on October 18th. It was four in the afternoon when they arrived in the town. Qiao Xuan decided to visit the Yuezheng Family directly. First Madame was both surprised and happy to see her. She greeted them warmly and invited them inside.
Qiao Xuan also felt a sense of closeness, as if she were back at home. First Madame looked concerned when she noticed Qiao Xuaning home alone. She asked nervously, thinking that something might have happened between her and Shao Yunduan. Hearing that she was just worried about her family and properties, First Madame let out a sigh of relief and started to chant prayers for their well-being. Qiao Xuan sighed emotionally ¨C she and Shao Yunduan were in a good rtionship, and they had been through so many dangers together. Yet, Aunt Yuezheng was still concerned about what would happen between them. It showed how cautious and protective women had to be in this era ¨C they had little control over their fate. It all depended on whether the man would change his mind. Qiao Xuan had to go home first, so they gathered their belongings and left the following morning. They were nning to stay a couple more days before returning to the capital. First Madame was quick to act. The very next day after Qiao Xuan¡¯s departure, the Yuezheng Family¡¯s servants arrived with two wagons filled with all kinds of food, clothes, and entertainment. Seeing the wagons, Qiao Xuan suddenly realized what was going on. Yes, she was returning from the capital, and from her perspective, it was more convenient to travel light, so she didn¡¯t bring many belongings. But in the eyes of the vigers, it might seem like she and Shao Yunduan had nothing in the capital. To the vigers, the quantity of belongings she brought back was a direct reflection of how well they were doing in the city. If they didn¡¯t bring much, people might start specting that they were struggling to survive. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan themselves didn¡¯t care about these rumors, but her Aunt Yuezheng understood the importance of appearances in the vige. If such rumors spread, it could be detrimental to their family¡¯s reputation and even attract unwanted attention from greedy individuals.
Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful to her aunt for her quick thinking. She realized how na?ve she had been about such matters. ¡°Thank you, Aunt!¡± Qiao Xuan bowed to First Madame. ¡°Without your help, I might have faced serious trouble!¡± First Madame smiled and pulled her up. ¡°No need to be so formal with me. You are still young, and it¡¯s perfectly normal not to think about these things yet. The fact that you made up your mind so quickly shows maturity beyond your age!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled shyly, feeling humbled by the experience. Dealing with such matters was indeed a cumbersome task, regardless of one¡¯s age. She admired her aunt¡¯s foresight and understanding of the world. Chapter 1125: Back to Shaoding Village Chapter 1125: Back to Shaoding Vige
Editor:Henyee Trantions With two additional wagons, four servants, two maids, and six escorts, they formed arge and imposing group of people as they arrived at Shaoding Vige. Qiao Xuan¡¯s generous and kind nature was apparent, contrasting with her mother-inw¡¯s mother. The six escorts, who had been prepared for any troubles on the way, found themselves dealing with a very friendly and polite client. Although they had never dealt with the Yuezheng Family before, they could sense that it was not a family to be underestimated. Madame Shao¡¯s numerous contacts further emphasized the importance of showing politeness. By the time they arrived at Shaoding Vige, it was already dark. Even in the darkness, Qiao Xuan felt a sense of familiarity as she gazed at her surroundings. Though she had no emotional attachment to the Qiao Family, she couldn¡¯t help but consider Shaoding Vige as her true hometown, especially since she had developed strong bonds with the Shao Family and Shao Yunduan. After dinner, Lixia and Liqiu knocked on the door of the Shao Family¡¯s first section. Yang Xiaoni¡¯s voice called out from inside, asking who it was.
Lixia and Liqiu responded, ¡°Third Madame, it¡¯s us, Lixia and Liqiu! Third Madame, please open the door, our Madame has returned!¡± Something fell onto the floor, causing a loud ng sound! The door creaked open, and Qiao Xuan stood there, looking up at Yang Xiaoni with bright eyes. She eximed, ¡°Third Sister-inw, I¡¯m home!¡± Yang Xiaoni was taken aback and immediately burst into tears. She threw herself into Qiao Xuan¡¯s arms, crying out, ¡°Fifth Sister-inw, it¡¯s really you! Mom, Dad, Sang, Elder Brother, sister-inw, Taotao, Fifth Sister-inw is back! Fifth Sister-inw is back!¡± ¡°Third Sister-inw¡­¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and patted Yang Xiaoni¡¯s back. Third Sister-inw was as open-minded as ever! It seemed that everything was going well at home! Ms. Fang and Taotao all screamed when they heard what Yang Xiaoni said. ¡°What did you say? Ms. Qiao, it is you!¡± Ms. Fang had not yet finished theint about the excitement as she went forward happily. Ms. Xu, Taotao and the others all came forward happily. Themotion at the gate of the first section of the Shao Family attracted the attention of all the neighbors, and they gathered to watch and greet Qiao Xuan. The sight of numerous bagsing out of the wagon made them feel both envious and respectful, as they realized how wealthy the first section of the Shao Family truly was. As Qiao Xuan entered the house, the neighbors followed suit, eager to chat and see what was happening. News of her return quickly spread throughout the vige, and even the Land Officer and others arrived to greet her. Qiao Xuan¡¯s status as the wife of an officer and Shao Yunduan¡¯s position as the vige manager made them highly respected figures, and their return was a cause for celebration.
Unaware that so many guests woulde to greet her, Qiao Xuan and her family had to receive them well. They asked the servants to unpack some snacks and refreshments for the guests to enjoy. Ms. Fang instructed her sons to take care of the escorts and servants from the Yuezheng Family and provide them with a ce to rest. Meanwhile, Ms. Xu and Yang Xiaoni sought the help of their two Sister-inws and busied themselves in the kitchen, preparing food for the guests. Chapter 1126: Friendly Chapter 1126: Friendly
Editor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan must have returned from the province early in the morning, and everyone knew that she must not have eaten anything yet. As dozens of people had not eaten either, despite thete hour, they all enthusiastically joined in to help prepare food. They worked together to kill chickens, crack eggs, wash rice, and pick and wash vegetables, keeping busy in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan was surrounded by Ms. Fang and a group of senior vigers, all eager to ask her various questions. They were particrly concerned about how Shao Yunduan was doing in the capital, and Qiao Xuan happily answered all their inquiries. She described the capital as not being as picturesque as they might have expected, but she found the diverse scenery intriguing and enjoyable. She emphasized that life was about experiencing different things, which could make it interesting and exciting. However, Qiao Xuan admitted that she had an advantage with her cheat and being remembered by the Emperor, which had secured her a position as a supporter of Lord Anping Manor. She acknowledged that she and Shao Yunduan would have been quite powerless in the capital without their establishment there. Once the dishes were ready and ced on the table, Ms. Fang joined them to eat and asked some female elders to eat together as well. She then advised them to head home for the night, acknowledging that Qiao Xuan must be tired after her journey. She also mentioned that they coulde back the next day to continue their discussions. The guests understood and started to leave one by one. A few female seniors stayed behind to share a meal with them, but they also left after the meal. Ms. Fang had many questions to ask, but her main concern was about Qiao Xuan and her husband¡¯s well-being in the capital. When she heard that they were doing well, she felt reassured and told Qiao Xuan to rest for the night, promising to continue their conversation the next day.
She even said, ¡°You must have had a long journey. You don¡¯t have to get up so early tomorrow. You can sleep until noon!¡± When they reached home, Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief. She felt so tired that she could not stand it any more. She nodded with a smile and went to bed. She was still sleeping in her and Shao Yunduan¡¯s room. Though neither of them was at home, Ms. Fang still cared about her children, so her and Shao Yunduan¡¯s yard and Qi¡¯s rooms were cleaned every few days, and the windows were opened for venttion. When they came back, they would only need to put the bedroll up so they could sleep. All clean! Qiao Xuan could not help but feel moved ¨C Mother-inw and the others were so nice. The following day, Qiao Xuan did not get up at noon. She got up around nine o¡¯clock, already. The main cause was that she felt rxed and happy when she was back, and she was thinking about her flowers, nts and various fruit trees. When she woke up, the family had already done what they needed to do, and they had already eaten breakfast, so they saved one portion for her. They ate porridge and steamed buns this morning. The steamed buns had three fillings, namely smoked meat diced with fried plums, fresh mushrooms and shrimps, chives, egg and tofu diced. The smoked meat and plums were also added with chili, which tasted delicious and spicy, especially energetic. Qiao Xuan was very satisfied by the taste. She drank half bowl of porridge and ate two smoked meat buns as well. Ms. Fang smiled. ¡°Your Third Brother has gone into the town to buy meat, and I asked him to buy some pork and mutton for stewing at night. It would taste so good!¡±
Qiao Xuan nodded and thanked her with a smile. ¡°Thanks, mom, I know you treat me the best! I can stew them with fresh mushrooms and bamboo shoots, just thinking about it makes me drool!¡± Chapter 1127: No Pain
Editor:Henyee Trantions Ms. Fang chuckled cheerfully. ¡°We may not be as well-off as the capital, but we¡¯re certainly notcking in resources. You don¡¯t have to worry about money. In the 500 meters, you should enjoy your meals and not deprive yourself.¡± Qiao Xuan agreed, ¡°Yes, my husband and I are doing well. Life isfortable here. Although prices are slightly higher in the capital, we manage just fine with our modest lifestyle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great to hear!¡± Qiao Xuan felt no shame in admitting that she and Shao Yunduan didn¡¯t hold back when it came to food. She had a passion for cooking, often experimenting with various delicious dishes, desserts, and pastries. She also loved trying out the special high-quality dishes at restaurants, which allowed her to indulge in her love for food. Living in the capital provided plenty of opportunities, and people from all over the country came here to seize them. It meant an array of diverse dishes!
Money was not an issue for them. They were leading a contented life. Ms. Fang continued their conversation with a smile, ¡°I understand that you¡¯re interested in the project. Why not take Taotao and others along to visit the ce? We can discuss it furtherter. And yes, you can stay at home for the New Year, of course.¡± Qiao Xuan felt delighted and confident; her mother-inw¡¯s thoughtfulness impressed her. It was clear that Ms. Fang understood her desires and ns. Qiao Xuan shook her head, wearing a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll spend seven days at home, and after another two or three days in the province, I should be back in the capital by mid-November. I really want to celebrate the New Year with my husband!¡± Ms. Fang was taken aback. ¡°But November is quite cold, and the journey might not be easy¡­¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve thought it through. The Escort Agency knows what they¡¯re doing, and I trust their experience. I don¡¯t need to worry about them. Besides, they can afford the expense, and they won¡¯t suffer.¡± Ms. Fang smiled, although with a hint of concern in her sigh. ¡°Alright, you and Fifth Brother have your own ns. Since you¡¯ve already made arrangements, I won¡¯t say anything further.¡± Seeing her mother-inw sigh, Qiao Xuan¡¯s expression darkened; she knew Ms. Fang must be missing Shao Yunduan and Qi. Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart softened as she missed both Shao Yunduan and Qi. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll be back next year, but I don¡¯t think my husband will be able to visit. However, in a couple of years, you cane to the capital, and I¡¯ll take you around. After a few months, I¡¯ll bring you back!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure my husband would be delighted to see you!¡± Ms. Fang chuckled, listening to her words. ¡°Oh, my child, I know you both are very thoughtful, but the capital is too far for us to travel. You cane back whenever you want, or there¡¯s no need to keep going back and forth. It¡¯s quite troublesome!¡±
Qiao Xuan reassured her, ¡°I¡¯m fine, and I¡¯m not worried when I know you are doing well. I¡¯ll go back and tell him that everyone at home is doing well, so he can rest assured!¡± ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Ms. Fang replied warmly. They exchanged a few more words, and gradually Ms. Fang¡¯s sadness seemed to ease. Qiao Xuan then went out with Taotao, Yang Xiaoni, and Chunyu. Their first stop was the floral field. At this time of year, the flowers were no longer in bloom, and the field was devoid of vibrant colors. The floral field had expanded to 400 mu this year, right next to the original one. However, instead of removing the wall on both sides, they had created a medium-sized door in the middle. The wall could not be taken down due to the presence of bee boxes and houses for lipsticks, so they had to be cautious not to disturb them. Chapter 1128: Many People Chapter 1128: Many People
Editor:Henyee Trantions Due to the significant expansion of the flower field this year and the hiring of many vigers to assist, the secret of the flower field could no longer be kept hidden for much longer. After the discussion, Taotao and the others didn¡¯t find it too troublesome. They carefully stored away the lipstick making tools, took them home that day, and brought them back the following day. This way, they ensured the tools wouldn¡¯t be easily stolen. The vigers were quite curious about the floral field, considering the number of people being hired to help. While they couldn¡¯t fathom how the first section of the Shao Family had earned so much money, they knew that nting these flowers was undoubtedly a lucrative venture. People inquired about it, some even asking outrightly. However, no one dared to act against the Shao Family¡¯s standing in the vige. The Land Officer made it clear that any attempt to harm the first section of the Shao Family would be thoroughly investigated, and the perpetrator would be expelled from Shaoding Vige. Moreover, apart from the floral fields, the first section of the Shao Family was involved in cultivating cassavas and managing the tea fields of The Zhang Family. They hired vigers to assist them and paid them well. Additionally, there were various odd jobs avable, offering a great way for the vigers to supplement their ie.
The vigers understood that ruining this arrangement was out of the question, and they respected and cherished the opportunities provided by the Shao Family. Moreover, Ms. Fang was not one to be underestimated. With the strength and unity of Shao Sang, Shao Dng, and the sisters-inw, anyone contemting doing something harmful wouldn¡¯t dare to make a move. Taotao took great care of the floral field and proudly showed it to Qiao Xuan with a smile. Qiao Xuan observed the flowers and infused them with a touch of her superpower, ensuring they grew stronger and more vibrant, storing energy to thrive even more vigorously. While she was home for a few days, she knew she could attend to the flowers again in a few days¡¯ time. The floral fields held significant importance to her, and she realized that relying solely on Chunyu and the other servants might not be sufficient. She decided to hire additional trustworthy servants as a precautionary measure. Having a backup n was essential in case of any unforeseen events. She intended to discuss this with Ms. Fang and seek First Madame and Yuezheng Xiao¡¯s assistance in selecting reliable families when they went to the province. Qiao Xuan remained rtively unconcerned. With her Mother-inw¡¯s presence and the contract in hand, she didn¡¯t worry too much about tricky buyers. However, the situation at home was bing less convenient due to theck of extra living space. Observing the floral field, she decided to build a few houses nearby, enough to amodate 10 or 20 people. This would make it much easier for Taotao and Shao Sang in the future. As the scale of beekeeping would continue to expand the following year, they would need numerous beeswax for the production of lipsticks. It was crucial to handle beekeeping within their family rather than entrusting it to others. If Zhang Vige couldn¡¯t amodate them anymore, they would consider doing the same thing elsewhere. Furthermore, they could involve the vigers in flower nting as well, allowing them to sell the flowers themselves to avoid any potential losses. Qiao Xuan also nned to teach the vigers how to cultivate shiitake mushrooms, wooden ears, tea tree mushrooms, and snow fungus. These products could be made into dry goods, and she could seek help from the Yuezheng Family. If the Yuezheng Family wasn¡¯t interested in purchasing these goods, they could connect with other businessmen willing to buy them.
The ultimate goal was to ensure that when they enjoyed the profits, the vigers could also benefit by having a share of the rewards. This way, the entire vige, as well as their family, would prosper together, creating a mutually beneficial situation. Chapter 1129: Delicious
Editor: Henyee Trantions The cassava field, adjacent to the floral field, spanned hundreds of mu and had been sessfully nted and harvested that year. Once dried, Yuezheng Xiao arranged for someone to collect the cassava. Moreover, many other vigers had also nted cassava, and Yuezheng Xiao bought from them too, bringing immense joy to the vigers. Qiao Xuan contemted asking Yuezheng Xiao to gather some vigers and sign a contract for the supply and sale of cassava. The demand for cassava powder was high, not just in dessert stores but also in the general market. It was a cost-effective alternative to flour and had gained poprity among chefs in restaurants too. As a result, no matter how much cassava was nted in the vige, it would all be sold out. Many families were eager to grow cassava for their own consumption as well. Upon returning home, Qiao Xuan checked on the fruit trees in the yard. With her superpower, she could sense their steady growth. Currently, only papayas and dragon fruits were bearing fruits, while the other trees were adorned with lush leaves. Taotao¡¯s eyes gleamed with excitement as she pointed at Qiao Xuan, enthusiastically expressing her delight, ¡°The lychees and longans from our trees are incredibly tasty and sweet. Everyone in the family loves them! The mangoes have a wonderful fragrance, but they are quite sour before ripening. Once ripe, they are delicious, though the core inside is a bitrge and can stain clothes easily. Mom doesn¡¯t allow Qing and Junyan to eat it, and Sister-inw doesn¡¯t fancy it either. So, Third Sister-inw and I are lucky to enjoy them!¡± ¡°And let¡¯s not forget the dragon fruits, papayas, grapefruits, and oranges¡ªthey are all incredibly delicious too! In the cer, we have a surplus of grapefruits, oranges, and cantaloupes from Hami. Mom thinks the cantaloupe skin looks thicker than watermelons, and the flesh is firm. We¡¯ve stored many of them, and since Fifth Sister-inw is back, she should try some more.¡±
¡°Oh, Fifth Sister-inw, pleasee and take a look at the strawberries I¡¯ve been nting. They¡¯re thriving, just as you said. There¡¯s one more fruit ready to grow, and I¡¯ve taken great care of them. The fruits are exceptionally sweet, soft, fragrant, and incredibly red and beautiful! Our children adore them!¡± Qiao Xuan felt ted to hear Taotao¡¯s narration and smiled brightly. ¡°Exactly! With the right method, we can nt even more next year!¡± Taotao expressed her gratitude, saying, ¡°These strawberries are undoubtedly delicious and special varieties! Without Fifth Sister-inw¡¯s guidance, we wouldn¡¯t have known how to take care of them. We are truly fortunate to have you!¡± Qiao Xuan humbly replied, ¡°Thank you for your kind words. I¡¯m d to be of help.¡± They exchanged warm smiles. The strawberries were thriving well, disying their resilience even at this time. The leaves remained green and showed no signs of decay, with some even on the verge of blooming. However, they wouldn¡¯t bear fruit during this time of the year. Qiao Xuan advised Taotao, ¡°As it gets colder, trim the strawberries with scissors, but remember to keep the roots intact. We can cover them with straw to keep them warm during winter. When spring arrives and the weather warms up, we can loosen the soil and provide fertilizers to ensure their continued growth.¡± Taotao nodded eagerly in agreement. In addition to strawberries, Qiao Xuan had also nted kiwis, which were a new variety she had collected on her way here. Taotao¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. Even without Qiao Xuan¡¯s exnation, she was already looking forward to enjoying the fruits next year. She hadplete faith that they would be incredibly delicious. After all, her Fifth Sister-inw always brought home the most delicious foods! Chapter 1130: Potato Chapter 1130: Potato
Editor:Henyee Trantions Observing Taotao¡¯s expression, Qiao Xuan could easily tell what she was thinking, and it brought a warm smile to her face. Being trusted and anticipated felt wonderful. Aside from the fruits, Qiao Xuan also brought back many potatoes. Thanks to her attentive care, both the potatoes nted in the backyard of the capital and those growing in the space were flourishing. The potatoes in the capital had already been dug before their return. The harvest was bountiful, with more than ten nts yielding over 30 to 40 potatoes each, all bigger than a fist. Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t the only one delighted; Liqiu and the others who helped with the digging were equally joyous. Shao Yunduan found it hard to believe. He stood there in awe, staring at the pile of potatoes before him. Among the various crops they grew at home¡ªpeanuts, soybeans, corn, and taros¡ªnonepared to the impressive productivity of the potatoes. Initially, Qiao Xuan referred to them as yams, but the name got out and she subsequently exined that their shape was more like erged beans that grew deep in the soil at 5,000 meters, making the name ¡°potatoes¡± more suitable.
No crop could rival the productivity of potatoes! They had nted dozens of potato nts in the backyard and managed to harvest two baskets full of them. The potatoes were plump and filling, resembling yams in shape, but their yield surpassed yams by a considerable margin, making them quite rare. In the evening, Qiao Xuan prepared a variety of potato dishes. She made stewed beef with potatoes, fried potato slices, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and even a few small potato pancakes. Shao Yunduan found them all incredibly delicious! Potato slices and shredded potatoes could be used in cooking, while potato cakes could serve as a food source. Even though they might not fully rece other food items, they could easily supplement meals during times of scarcity. Though not as versatile as corn, the potato yield far exceeded that of corn. It had been a long time since Qiao Xuanst tasted potatoes, especially her favorite hot and sour shredded potatoes. She proudly boasted to Shao Yunduan about the culinary delights she prepared using potatoes. Shao Yunduan smiled and praised Qiao Xuan for her ingenuity. He emphasized the need to keep the discovery of potatoes a secret, cautioning her not to let anyone, especially the young master of the Prefecture Lord¡¯s Mansion, taste them. Shao Yunduan exined to Qiao Xuan in detail that potatoes were a valuable new crop with the potential forrge-scale cultivation, which could greatly benefit the people if it were promoted. However, he also stressed the importance of being cautious about it. Specifically, he warned her not to mention it to Lord Anping Manor. The manor had distanced itself from worldly affairs, and getting involved with the court could lead toplications. If the Prefecture Lord got wind of the potatoes, he might report it to the Emperor, dragging Lord Anping Manor into unnecessary trouble. Qiao Xuan understood the gravity of the situation and nodded in agreement. She assured Shao Yunduan that she would be discreet about the potatoes. She reminded him that the bountiful harvest was a result of her careful attention to the potatoes in their own backyard. If they were widely promoted, the yield might not be as plentiful. Shao Yunduan replied with a smile, saying that even if a dozen fruits were produced, it would be more than enough.
Chapter 1131: Seeds Chapter 1131: Seeds
Editor:Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan understood his wife¡¯s intention. They should keep the potato discovery low-key and avoid raising people¡¯s expectations too much to avoid potential misunderstandings. They decided to save the harvested potatoes for seeds and only asionally stir-fried one to satisfy their craving. In reality, Qiao Xuan had much more in her space, twice the quantity outside. She began nting them again and nned to bring some back for her family. While visiting the floral fields and orchards, Qiao Xuan generously gifted Ms. Fang and others 15KG of potatoes. She exined that they were excellent for nting next year and emphasized their versatility, as they could be used as both a dish and a rice substitute. The simplest cooking methods were roasting in the stove or steaming in a pot. In times of famine, they could be life-saving. Moreover, potatoes were highly durable and could be stored for a long time. However, she cautioned that the storage area should be dry to prevent them from germinating, as green sprouts on potatoes could be poisonous and should not be consumed. Qiao Xuan¡¯s ability to provide such a substantial quantity of potatoes made her unassuming to Lixia and Liqiu, so she wasn¡¯t worried about raising suspicions. After spending a day in the dormitory, she casually sent the two girls away, and upon their return, they ¡°identally¡± discovered the two bags of potatoes their mistress had brought.
The two girls did not suspect that theirdy was lying. They were just impressed by theirdy¡¯s luck. After all, there was no need to deceive them, so Qiao Xuan confidently brought out the potatoes in front of Ms. Fang and the others, and they found it to be entirely reasonable. Ms. Fang trusted Qiao Xuan¡¯s words, just as she did with the cassavas. She carefully stored the potatoes and decided to nt half of them in the yard and the other half in the cassava field. The undeniable evidence of the potatoes¡¯ potential came during dinner when Qiao Xuan prepared several dishes using potatoes, in addition to her other signature dishes. She served sour and spicy shredded potatoes, braised pork ribs with potatoes, and shredded potato pancakes. Qiao Xuan urged Ms. Fang and the others to taste them, eager to showcase the delicious possibilities of this newfound crop. The first section of the family of the Shao Family had always believed in her cooking skills, and they had been waiting for that to happen. When the potato dishes were eaten, they all ignited the taste buds. They were either sour, spicy, crispy, soft, powdery, glutinous, or crispy and delicious. Everyone praised them. ¡°The potatoes are so tasty!¡± ¡°Fifth Sister-inw is right. We are going to nt them well next year!¡± ¡°Potatoes can be used to make food and fill the stomach. They are so good!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, it is a good thing!¡±
Qiao Xuan was delighted to see their positive response. She beamed and said, ¡°Indeed, they are easy to nt. We can simply nt them and remove the weeds. We don¡¯t need borate setups, but we should set aside some for the vigers next year.¡± Ms. Fang agreed, saying, ¡°Absolutely! In times of hardship, having potatoes can be a lifesaver.¡± The potatoes needed to be preserved for seeds, so after the meal, Ms. Fang refrained from using any more and decided to save them for the spring nting season. On the following day, Qiao Xuan, apanied by Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang, visited the Zhang Vige. She thoroughly inspected the tea field and the creeping fig field, utilizing her superpower to ensure everything was in good condition. Her satisfaction with the well-behaved tenants and the families they bought put her at ease. Chapter 1132: Good Things
Editor:Henyee Trantions Shao Sang and the others made periodic visits to the Zhang Vige, and Ms. Fang was no fool. Moreover, Shao Yunduan¡¯s position as an officer deterred the tenants and farmers from causing any trouble. Upon seeing Qiao Xuan, Ding Erzhu and his family were pleasantly surprised. They kept ncing at Qiao Xuan¡¯s back, expecting Shao Yunduan to be with her as well, which amused Qiao Xuan. Ding Erzhu¡¯s family had settled down in the Zhang Vige, and they were immensely grateful to Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. They diligently carried out the tasks assigned to them. With the money provided by Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, the whole family managed to save some money. Although they couldn¡¯t afford water fields yet, they invested in 30 mu of drynd where they nted peanuts, beans, corn, and other crops. They also cultivated fruit trees along the way and raised hundreds of chickens to sell eggs. This newfound stability and opportunity for ie improved their lives significantlypared to their past struggles in the vige. Even Mrs. Zhou was content and reminded Ding Erzhu¡¯s family not to engage in any dishonest behavior that might cost them their jobs. They always nodded in agreement with smiles on their faces. They were truly grateful to Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan for the help they had received, and they were not the type to be ungrateful.
However, they would never dare to do anything to exploit or take advantage of Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan¡¯s generosity. Moreover, even though Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were not physically present in the Zhang Vige, their influence and reputation still carried weight, especially considering their standing in the Shao Family. The truth has a way of surfacing, and news travels fast in the close-knitmunity of Shaoding Vige. It didn¡¯t take long for Fifth Grandpa Ding and his family to learn about Ding Erzhu, Ms. Zhou, and their children living in the Zhang Vige. Upon hearing that they were working for Primus Shao¡¯s abbey and leading afortable life, Fifth Grandma Ding¡¯s earlier disdain turned into surprise. She acknowledged that they must have worked hard to achieve such prosperity without her support. Indeed, Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou were flourishing in the Zhang Vige. They had built a sizable brick house with a yard, and they earned a substantial monthly ie of 5 liang. Additionally, they invested innd and raised more than 100 chickens, which provided them with a lucrative ie from egg sales. Their improved circumstances were a testament to their diligence and the opportunities provided by Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan. The whole family of Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou were now dressed in fine garments, and they could afford to have meat with every meal. They even generously provided financial support to Ms. Zhou¡¯s mother and her two grandchildren, who lived with them for free. Fifth Grandpa Ding and Fifth Grandma Ding initially found it hard to believe that their son and Ms. Zhou, who used to struggle, could have such good fortune. However, after hearing the same ounts from multiple sources, they couldn¡¯t help but visit the Zhang Vige to witness the truth for themselves. Upon seeing the reality of their son¡¯s prosperous life, Fifth Grandma Ding was infuriated and scolded Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou for not being filial. She even used Ms. Zhou of using the Ding Family¡¯s belongings to help her own family, which she saw as a motive for getting divorced. However, Aunt Zhou was not one to be trifled with. She firmly asserted her authority, asking the tenants and farmers to keep an eye on Ding Erzhu¡¯s parents and preventing Fifth Grandma Ding from taking away even a single belonging. Aunt Zhou defended her family, not allowing anyone to disrespect or harm them. As the drama unfolded, the vigers gossiped among themselves, witnessing the differences between the Zhou Family and the Ding Family. The Zhou Family might not have loved their daughter as much as the Yan Family, but they were certainly not cold-hearted either. They stood by their daughter and her family, ensuring their wellbeing and prosperity in the Zhang Vige. Chapter 1133: The Ding Family Chapter 1133: The Ding Family
Editor:Henyee Trantions When Ms. Zhou faced bullying at her mother-inw¡¯s home, Aunt Zhou never entertained the idea of divorcing her. Instead, she advised Ms. Zhou to endure the situation for at least a dozen years, speaking kindly to Fifth Grandma Ding. However, everything changed when Ms. Zhou and Ding Erzhu severed ties with the Ding Family, leading to the tragic death of their granddaughter. This incident was the breaking point for the Zhou Family, and they decided to support their daughter and son-inw,unching a strong retaliation against the Ding Family. The once cordial rtionship between the two families turned into deep-seated enmity. As time passed, Ms. Zhou¡¯s daughter and son-inw improved their living conditions, but the Ding Family still sought to take advantage of them. This further fueled Ms. Zhou¡¯s animosity towards the Dings, as she believed they were responsible for her daughter¡¯s death. They were no longer considered rtives but bitter enemies, each wanting to harm the other.
Fortunately, the vigers from Zhang Vige stepped in to support Ding Erzhu and his wife, standing up against the unreasonable actions of the Ding Family. They helped them in various ways, including working in the tea fields and creeping fig fields to earn money. Even with the assistance from Shaoding Vige during busy times, moreborers were still needed due to the expansion of the tea fields and the growing demand forbor in the workshop, which tranted to more ie. What could the Ding Family offer them? ¡°Heavens, they left their own son with nothing! The depth of their hatred is unimaginable!¡± ¡°How dare you show up at our doorstep with nothing to your name? Your family¡¯s actions are despicable!¡± ¡°It¡¯s no surprise that their actions bring nothing but harm. After all, no one can fathom forcing their own granddaughter to death.¡± ¡°You drove your own granddaughter to her death and left your son with nothing. How audacious of you to use me of being unfilial? Your cruelty knows no bounds!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Shame on you!¡± ¡°Good things happen to good people. Just look at Second Brother Ding and Sister-inw; they now lead a happy life, and anyone would be inspired by them!¡± ¡°True!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding and the others were seething with anger, embarrassment, and annoyance. She red at Ding Erzhu, ready to scratch him, and used him of being unfilial for allowing outsiders to bully his parents.
However, before she could get close, someone intervened and stopped her. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°You think you can assault people in our vige? Try it!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding shouted in frustration, ¡°That¡¯s my son! I have every right to teach him a lesson, and it¡¯s none of your business!¡± An auntie retorted with a smile, ¡°Oh, now he¡¯s your son? Weren¡¯t you just iming he was nothing to you when you had nothing to offer him?¡± The vigers burst intoughter. The Ding Family got nothing and were driven away, but they couldn¡¯t let it go. They returned to Shaoding Vige, where Fifth Grandma Ding and Fifth Grandpa Ding confronted Ms. Fang and Eldest Uncle, along with their two sons and daughters-inw. Shao Yunduan, being a respected figure and an officer, kept them from venting their anger. Otherwise, Fifth Grandma Ding would have engaged in an argument with Ms. Fang long ago. She struggled to remain reasonable amidst her fury. However, Ms. Fang brushed off her words, pointing out that Ding Erzhu was driven out of the family with nothing, and the rtionship was already broken off. In her opinion, there was nothing to discuss, and the matter could be addressed when Ding Erzhu and his wife returned. Chapter 1134: Block Editor: Henyee Trantions Fifth Grandma Ding and her family were incredibly frustrated, but they refrained from causing a scene in the Shao Family¡¯s first section. Instead, they resorted to intermittent harassment, trying to exert force, but their attempts failed. They cried and pleaded, insisting that they were still family, and their past actions were merely outbursts of anger and should be disregarded. They even suggested that Ding Erzhu should join forces with his two brothers to manage things together, hoping for reconciliation. Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou became increasingly exasperated with these antics. The most absurd part was when Fifth Grandma Ding used Ding Erzhu of being naive and easily manipted, iming that he had been set up and taken advantage of. Fed up with the situation, Ding Erzhu had no choice but to seek help from the Land Officer and senior n members in Shaoding Vige. Land Officer sought Ms. Fang¡¯s opinion, but she distanced herself, stating that she had no involvement with them. Land Officer then warned Fifth Grandpa Ding and Fifth Grandma Ding that any further humiliation would not be tolerated. In an era when the power of the n surpassed that of thew, everyone feared such consequences. Both angry and fearful, Fifth Grandpa Ding and his family ceased their actions. Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan, who had just returned, was unaware of the situation. During her visit to Zhang Vige to inspect the properties, Ding Erzhu carefully chose what to share with her, avoiding any private matters. Satisfied with her visit, Qiao Xuan gathered fresh lotus roots, fish, and shrimps and returned to the vige. The tea field had expanded to an impressive 600 mu and was flourishing. She anticipated opening another 200 or 300 mu next year, envisioning the scale reaching 1,500 mu, with potential for further expansion in the future. Collecting tea tree seedlings required a trip into the mountains to gather tea seeds. They nned to spend a couple of days in the mountains, and upon their return, Shao Dng and others would take care of the seeds. Once the weather became slightly warmer after the New Year, they could begin the breeding process.
Qiao Xuan intended to apply her superpower to the seeds over a range of 500 meters, hoping it would yield positive results. She nned to visit again in the spring. Additionally, they could transnt some tea tree seedlings from the mountains and cultivate tea seeds in the space, which would offer greater convenience in the future. During their journey, Qiao Xuan shared the n to pick tea seeds in the mountains with Yang Xiaoni and the others. However, Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang expressed hesitation, considering the absence of Qi and the potential dangers of venturing into the deep mountains. They felt it was unnecessary for Qiao Xuan, as an officer¡¯s wife, to take such risks. Qiao Xuan was aware that she needed three escorts to apany her for assurance during the trip. The six escorts were still residing at the Shao Family¡¯s ce, and only the Yuezheng Family¡¯s servants had returned home. Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t stay home for long, so she didn¡¯t make arrangements for them to go to the county city. As a result, they had plenty of free time, mostly tending to their own mounts. Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sang were not afraid of Qiao Xuan¡¯s expedition and even promised to keep herpany. Later that evening, as they returned to the vige, they excitedly discussed what to have for dinner, mentioning dishes like lotus roots stewed with bones, sweet and sour pig trotters, and mountain mushrooms stewed with chicken soup. Suddenly, their enthusiasm dimmed when they noticed Fifth Grandma Ding intercepting the wagon with her daughters-inw. Yang Xiaoni and Taotao¡¯s expressions changed, and Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled, as if she had anticipated something. With Ding Erzhu being the only link she could think of, she couldn¡¯t imagine any other reason why Fifth Grandma Ding and her family would seek her out. As they were almost home, Qiao Xuan alighted from the wagon, wearing a smile, and asked, ¡°Are you here to talk about Uncle Erzhu and Aunt Zhou?¡± Chapter 1135: No Responce Editor: Henyee Trantions Fifth Grandma Ding was startled. She nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, yes, Mrs. Shao, my unfilial son¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you drive them out of the family with nothing given to them?¡± Fifth Grandma Ding was startled. Yang Xiaoni responded with disdain, ¡°Exactly! She¡¯s living a good life now, and you think you can just take her back? It¡¯s not that simple, Aunt. Spare us your words. Your family has caused so much trouble, and you¡¯re still bothering Grandpa Land Officer? Our Fifth Sister-inw knows the whole story, and your words won¡¯t make any difference!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding became furious, wanting to scold Yang Xiaoni, but she held back and forced a smile. ¡°Fifth Mrs. Shao, it didn¡¯t start this way. They were just angry words that were taken seriously. I thought they¡¯de back after venting their anger and staying away for a few days, but it turned out like this.¡± ¡°I love my granddaughter too! She got so angry that she killed someone! It¡¯s not like I feel good about it. How can you me me? I¡¯m heartbroken!¡± ¡°Fifth Mrs. Shao, you¡¯re a reasonable person. You should be the judge! Erzhu and his wife have gone too far!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled in response. ¡°Whether I said those words out of anger or not doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that Ding Xiang is still alive. But without you, things wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. You¡¯ve had a good life these past two years, yet you never reached out to them. Why now?¡± Yang Xiaoni sneered. ¡°Now that Erzhu and the others are being paid, things have changed!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding and her daughter-inws grew infuriated, their faces turning red, but they dared not confront her.
The eldest daughter-inw of the Ding Family attempted to tter Qiao Xuan with a smile, ¡°Fifth Mrs. Shao, my husband is capable and intelligent. Why not let him take charge of Zhang Vige? He¡¯d do a much better job than Erzhu Pipe! No one would dare to ck off, and he can handle everything for you!¡± The Third Daughter-inw chimed in, ¡°And my husband is very understanding, even more so than Erzhu! He can handle any situation!¡± Fifth Grandma Ding turned to Qiao Xuan expectantly. ¡°Yes, yes, our sons may not be as clever as our brothers, and our brothers may not be as clever as our sons. But if we let our sons take over, it would be a vast improvement over their current leadership. We wouldn¡¯t even ask for much payment, just 1 tael of silver per month!¡± The two daughter-inws nodded eagerly, saying, ¡°Yes, yes, we aren¡¯t as greedy as those other people!¡± The whole family seemed to agree that even one liang would suffice. They believed that being in charge of such arge tea field and numerous fertilends, along with the ample money they possess, should be more than enough for them. With hundreds of mu of fertile fields and abundant harvests, they had enough rations to sustain themselves for a year. Moreover, there were plentiful fruit treesden with fruits and a vast pond brimming with fish, shrimp, and lotus roots, providing them with a variety of food options. On top of that, they could discreetly sell some tea leaves for additional ie. The potential for making money was undeniable. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan were far from the capital, and Shaoding Vige was not located nearby either. However, with intelligence and resourcefulness, there was a great opportunity to umte wealth. Qiao Xuan smiled with a hint of amusement and asked, ¡°So, you wish to take on this responsibility, regardless of whether you ept Brother Erzhu or not?¡± The two daughter-inws nced at their Mother-inw but remained silent. Chapter 1136: No Trouble Chapter 1136: No Trouble Editor: Henyee Trantions Hearing the suggestion, Fifth Grandma Ding found it appealing. She clenched her teeth and said, ¡°My Second Son is heartless. Since he doesn¡¯t want us anymore, there¡¯s no point in trying to bring him back. It doesn¡¯t matter if we find him or not!¡± Yang Xiaoni sneered, feeling a mix of bitterness and anger in her heart. She understood this situation all too well. Her brother and sister-inw were just like Fifth Grandma Ding. Shao Sangfortingly squeezed her hand. Startled, Taotao couldn¡¯tprehend how a mother could be so heartless. Qiao Xuan spoke calmly, ¡°You seem to be misunderstanding something. Why would I need to hire someone from your family specifically instead of others?¡± Fifth Grandma Ding and her daughter-inw were taken aback. ¡°It¡¯s my business whom I hire. It has nothing to do with your family! You can go home now and drop this topic.¡± Fifth Grandma Ding was about to say something when Yang Xiaoni stepped forward to defend Qiao Xuan, pushing her family away. Fifth Grandma Ding red at their retreating figures and returned home, feeling defeated. Qiao Xuan felt a sense of satisfaction; they deserved it! During the time she helped Ding Erzhu¡¯s family, she had suppressed her anger, hoping for an opportunity to put Fifth Grandma Ding¡¯s family in their ce. However, she couldn¡¯t reveal her ns earlier, as it mightplicate matters. But the situation had changed now. They couldn¡¯t afford to cause any trouble. Qiao Xuan refused to believe that Ding Xiang was dead. In her heart, she held onto the belief that Ding Xiang might be toiling away somewhere, working hard. As long as she was alive, there woulde a day when she returned. What was the point of noting back for revenge once she became sessful? When that day arrived, Fifth Grandpa Ding and his family would be in deep trouble. They couldn¡¯t bear it anymore? Well, they had a long way to go! Back at home, Ms. Fang overheard Taotao¡¯s ount of the situation ¨C how Fifth Grandma Ding and her two daughter-inws tried to stop Qiao Xuan. She grew agitated and expressed her disgust, saying, ¡°Just ignore them. They are a horrible family and have been causing trouble for far too long. Ding Erzhu had no choice but to seek help from the Land Officer and the senior members of the vige. And now they¡¯re back at it again!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and replied, ¡°They don¡¯t need me, and I couldn¡¯t care less about them either!¡± Ms. Fang chuckled and agreed, ¡°Very true!¡± Eldest Uncle couldn¡¯t resist adding, ¡°They im to leave Ding Erzhu with nothing, but he is still the Ding Family¡¯s son. It¡¯s not good for their reputation to be so heartless. You and Fifth Brother could try to mend things, say a few good words, and let bygones be bygones. After all, they are biological children¡­¡± Qiao Xuan rolled her eyes and chose not to respond. She had alreadyposed herself, knowing that her Father-inw had a habit of being meddlesome, and it was best to ignore hisments. There was no point in arguing because it wouldn¡¯t change anything, and she couldn¡¯t agree with him. Thankfully, her Mother-inw would handle him. True to form, Ms. Fang sneered, ¡°Heartless? You caused your own granddaughter¡¯s death, and you drove your own son out of the family with nothing. That¡¯s what I call heartless! How could you expect to be forgiven? Stop being so repulsive!¡± Eldest Uncle found himself at a loss for words. He was about to defend himself, but Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan walked away. ¡°Pay no attention to the old man! He¡¯s been acting out of line for a long time!¡± Ms. Fang continued, ¡°You may not know this, but when news spread about the valuable fields and tea ntations in Zhang Vige, the third section of the family made a big fuss. What a joke! They even wanted a share of it, and the second section of the family joined in as well! But when they realized there was no share for them, they decided to be managers. No one dares to appoint them, of course!¡± Chapter 1137: Primus Chapter 1137: Primus Editor: Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan found herself just as puzzled as Ms. Fang about the situation. After asking a few questions, she finally learned what was happening. Ms. Fang then smiled and shared her mixed feelings, ¡°I am angry, but I am also d to see that they are so jealous and envious of us!¡± Her daughter-inw, Qiao Xuan, chuckled and replied with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s quite satisfying to think about, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Right?¡± The mother and daughter-inwughed. Ms. Fang sighed with a smile. ¡°Fortunately, the second section of the family has no connection with us, and Eng and Sng have their own daughter-inw. Before we can do anything, they stopped Ms. Niu and her husband. Without helpers, the third section of the family can¡¯t do anything. But let me tell you¡­¡± Ms. Fang lowered her voice and said seriously, ¡°Why do I feel that Ling is behaving strangely? He has a dark look in his eyes, and he looks so scary when he looks at people, as if we have a deep grudge against him.¡± ¡°¡­He wasn¡¯t like this before! I don¡¯t think we have done anything bad to his family, how did he end up like this?¡± Qiao Xuan was confused too. She thought for a while and smiled. ¡°Mom, just leave him alone. He can¡¯t do anything to us. We don¡¯t need to beg him. He can hate us if he wants to!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that my husband is displeased because he became the Primus?¡± ¡°That is possible!¡± Ms. Fang suddenly understood what was going on. She waved her hands and said disdainfully, ¡°He is just jealous! He can¡¯t tolerate anyone else being better than him; otherwise, he would get so annoyed. You are right, let¡¯s just ignore him!¡± Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. She was not as assured as Mother-inw. Shao Ling might be up to something. But he was just a Cultivated Talent and he could not do anything. She just needed to watch out for him. Mother-inw and Sang had always been afraid of him, and it would not be easy for him to set them up. By the time he became a rmended man and Advanced Schr, her husband would have reached a very high level. Qiao Xuan did not believe that Shao Ling was better than her husband. Early the following morning, Qiao Xuan, Shao Sang, Shao Dng, Yang Xiaoni, and Taotao went into the mountains with three escorts. That was enough. They all remembered the way to pick the tea seeds. They went straight to the destination after entering the mountains. It was the season when there were the most wild fruits and wild mountain mushrooms in the mountains. Wild fruits were no longer attractive to families. After all, there were many fruit trees in the garden at the back of the yard, and the fruits wererge and sweet, and they could not be finished. But wild mountain mushrooms were still very attractive. All kinds of mushrooms in autumn were fresh and fat. When picked, they could be fried, made into soup, stir-fried with pork and chicken, stewed, or made into dumplings and steamed buns. They were all very fresh. But the tea seeds were more important, so they had to turn a blind eye to it. With the help of three escorts, the two-day work was done in one day. Everyone had a lot of harvest and carried a fewrge bags of tea seeds home. Qiao Xuan took the chance and put some advanced seedlings into the space, as well as some tea seeds. The space was growing fast, and she did not need to pick the tea leaves. She was going to keep them to bloom and bear fruits, and then take out the tea seeds to breed and expand. Tea was popr in the state, and good tea leaves could be sold out very easily. Thousands of mu would not be too much. Chapter 1138: Trouble Editor: Henyee Trantions In the future, the tea fields would berger in scale. Whether it was the management of the tea fields, the harvesting of tea, the production of tea in the workshop, or the packaging, they all needed people. They could also let the vigers earn a portion of the sry, which was a good thing. On their way home, they picked some tea seeds and some wild mushrooms. There were not many, just enough for tonight and tomorrow. The following morning, Qiao Xuan, Taotao, and Yang Xiaoni ventured into the mountains not too far from the vige to pick some more mushrooms. They decided not to go deep into the mountains this time. Ms. Fang asked Shao Sang to buy some meat dishes early in the morning, as they were nning to prepare two tables of good dishes for the Land Officer, some respected elders, and close family members. In a couple of days, Qiao Xuan was going back to the capital. Ms. Ma and Third Uncle were here too, as they were counted as part of the family. Ms. Niu and Second Uncle wanted to join them, but Shao Eng and his brother stopped them. Qiao Xuan asked Yang Xiaoni and Taotao to go to the second section of the family and invited Ms. Yan and Mei Qing to join them for dinner. Shao Eng and his brother noticed that Qiao Xuan treated their daughter-inw differently and was still very close to her. When their daughter-inw spoke with them, Qiao Xuan treated them well, and now she was giving them face by inviting Ms. Yan and Mei Qing. This made them even happier, and they were determined not to let their parents cause any trouble. ¡°We have a different rtionship with the first section of the family now, so let¡¯s not cause any more trouble!¡±
¡°True!¡± Ms. Niu and Second Uncle couldn¡¯t persuade their sons, so they dropped the idea. Shao Eng and Shao Sng were not stupid. They knew their parents had offended the first section of the family, and if they needed help in the future, they would have to rely on their daughter-inw. If they continued to cause trouble, things would get worse. As parents were getting old, they needed to think about themselves and their children¡¯s future, so they could not allow them to get involved anymore. Without Ms. Niu and Second Uncle, Ms. Ma and Third Uncle would not be able to do much. They were quite interesting; they expressed that they were going to help Qiao Xuan manage The Zhang Family¡¯s tea field in front of the Land Officer and others. Theyined, ¡°We can help each other, why rely on outsiders? We are so humiliated!¡± Qiao Xuan pointed at Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni. ¡°Third Brother and Third Sister-inw are taking care of the tea field, and we have many people at home, so we don¡¯t need Third Uncle and Third Aunt-inw¡¯s help!¡± Ms. Ma pursed her lips. ¡°If they don¡¯t care about us, we can go there at least once a day! No one is watching them every day, and you don¡¯t even know that outsiders are taking advantage of them!¡± Of course, they would need to use the donkey cart from the first section of the family, and they would need to be paid as well. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°No need, no need, thanks.¡± Ms. Ma was about to say something when Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°Third Sister-inw, if you don¡¯t want to eat, you can go home first. Ms. Qiao, can¡¯t you decide if you need to hire anyone?¡± If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Ms. Fang didn¡¯t want to ruin the dinner, she would have driven Ms. Ma away directly. Qiao Xuan had the same idea. Ms. Ma shut her mouth when she saw the two displeased female elders. Qiao Xuan did not think that she could turn down the proposal in front of so many people. After all, she was the wife of an officer, and she had to take care of the whole family. But it was still annoying! If they failed to mention it today, they would not be able to do so in the future. Ms. Ma felt so annoyed.
Hearing the ttering words of Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan, she felt even more annoyed. Chapter 1139: Unwillingness Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Ma was so motivated that she could not help butin to her son, Shao Ling. ¡°¡­Ling, you have to work hard. If you be the rmended man¡¯s Primus, you can marry a better daughter-inw than Qiao Xuan and earn more money than Shao Yunduan. We can buy many fields and open a tea field too. I believe they are no better than us. What are you showing off for? Who cares¡­¡± Shao Ling¡¯s face sank. He was invited to the first section of the family¡¯s dinner too, but he turned that down, stating that he was going to study. Shao Ling threw a cold look at his mother. ¡°It is still too early to tell what will happen in the future. Don¡¯t make a fuss at the first section of the family, what¡¯s the point? You know clearly what they are like.¡± Then he left without waiting for her to say anything more. Ms. Ma was startled. She mumbled, ¡°How can this child have such a bad temper? The first section of the family is so cruel, and he doesn¡¯t even let me say something!¡± Two dayster, Qiao Xuan checked through all the properties, and she was heading back to the capital the following day. The whole family was very reluctant to see her leave. Taotao was especially saddened. She wished that she could go into the capital with Fifth Sister-inw, but she knew that was unrealistic. The girl wished Fifth Sister-inw a safe trip and asked her when she wasing home.
Hearing that she wasing back in the spring, she became very happy again. Ms. Fang asked Qiao Xuan if she and Shao Yunduan were doing well. ¡°We don¡¯t have any concubines or sleep-over maids. In my opinion, no matter how rich we are or how high-ranking we are, we should have a proper daughter-inw and give birth to a few children. As a mother, I am always thinking about my own children. Children having the same father and different mothers always end up fighting each other. Yunduan is a good child, but he is now an officer and in a ce like the capital. I can¡¯t guarantee anything in the future, even if I am his mother.¡± ¡°But let me tell him one thing, I don¡¯t want him to get concubines or mistresses. You are his wife, but you can¡¯t do anything about it. Don¡¯t let him do anything stupid, or I will never forgive him!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled brightly when she heard what her mother-inw said. ¡°Thanks to mom, I have a good reason to be in charge of this. But don¡¯t worry, mom, my husband just wants to be a good officer, and he doesn¡¯t care about that. He doesn¡¯t want this to happen, just like you.¡± Ms. Fang smiled and nodded. ¡°That is good, that is good. Anyway, you need to worry about him outside. He doesn¡¯t have the intention to do so, and that doesn¡¯t mean that no one else does either. Don¡¯t be careless!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°You won¡¯t believe it. The concubine of the Ding Family ¨C Widow Sun has a daughter called Ding Qingqing, do you remember that? Do you know who they are after? Your Elder Brother! They are trying to set him up! Luckily, I saw through it; otherwise, your Elder Brother would have one more concubine by the time you came home!¡± ¡°What?¡­¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes widened ¨C she just could not believe it! Ms. Fang couldn¡¯t help butugh seeing her reaction. ¡°That is not strange. They are trying to set up Sang, but everyone in the vige knows that Sang and Ms. Yang are in a good rtionship, and Sang is smart too. He is not that easy to fool!¡± Chapter 1140: Ms.Qiu’s Intention Chapter 1140: Ms.Qiu¡¯s Intention Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Yunduan and the others would not dare to do that either. Qi is not at home, so he has his eyes on your Elder Brother. Your Elder Brother is so honest!¡± Qiao Xuan, So she was picking on the weak ones? Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°Widow Sun is so shameless to do such a thing. She became the concubine of the Ding Family, and the Ding Family is so humiliated because of her. The Ding Family has lost their position as Land Officer, and they all hate her for that. She must be thinking about something else¡­¡± Especially when Shao Yunduan was donating fields and schools to the vige, and the money was so proficient that the Land Officer was in charge of it. Although there were records in the ount book, and the n elders were supervising them, Manager Land Officer worked very hard and could get some benefits out of it. If the Ding Family had been Land Officer, they would not have been able to get so much money from the intermediate. Life at home could be improved, and new clothes could be tailored. She was not like this, where she had nothing and could only watch others take advantage of her.
Ms. Qiu felt like killing Widow Sun. The Ding Family used to think that it was fun to have an affair with Widow Sun. But when she was at home and Ms. Qiu tormented her, he lost his appetite. Also, the Ding Family was very concerned about losing the Land Officer position, which reached its peak after Shao Yunduan donated the fields and school to the vige. He was defending Widow Sun, and sometimes he even hit and scolded her personally. Widow Sun did not even dare to cry. A concubine was nothing without a man¡¯s protection! Widow Sun regretted so much, but it was useless. She was destined to live like this. When she overheard Ms. Qiu¡¯s conversation with the Ding Family about selling Ding Qingqing out, Widow Sun could not stand it anymore. She did not dare utter a sound. Nor did they have the ability to object. So they had their eyes on the first section of the Shao Family. She told Ding Qingqing about this, and Ding Qingqing, who was just like her, was very willing to do so. She was willing to do anything as long as she could leave the Ding Family. Also, the first section of the Shao Family was a good family that no one could get close to. But Ding Qingqing did not like Shao Dng, who was older than her and not as handsome as Shao Sang. She preferred Shao Sang. If Qi or Shao Yunduan were here, things would be better. Widow Sun told her that Shao Dng was gullible, but Shao Sang was not. It was not the right time for them to be picky. Shao Dng was more suitable. Ding Qingqing agreed, thinking that it made sense.
Shao Sang and Yang Xiaoni were in charge of keeping an eye on the Zhang Vige. Shao Dng was in charge of the snow fungus, mushrooms, orchards, and cassavas. He was not very free, but he rarely went out alone. He often led the vigers who were hired to do thebor work. Widow Sun finally got the chance to see Shao Dng checking the shed at the entrance of the vige, so she went there with her daughter. Luckily, the snow fungus shed was surrounded by a high wall, because Qiao Xuan had told him that it was a rare thing and should not be destroyed. So Shao Dng always locked the door from the inside and shut it tightly.
Chapter 1141: Coincidence Chapter 1141: Coincidence Editor: Henyee Trantions It was because of this habit that they were lucky enough to avoid this disaster. Or if Ding Qingqing had really sneaked in, no matter what happened, it would be very difficult to exin. Ms. Qiu and Ms. Hao from the Ding Family would definitely put pressure on them, and even the Ding Family elders would show up. They could not afford to have a closer rtionship with the first section of the Shao Family. Why not just give them a push? But when Shao Dng closed the door, Ding Qingqing couldn¡¯t even climb over the wall while Widow Sun was holding her daughter. The mother and daughter were both angry and anxious, but there was nothing they could do. Widow Sun knew that opportunities like this were rare, and she wasn¡¯t sure when the next one woulde. She gritted her teeth and decided to let Ding Qingqing wait there while she went back to the vige to fetch adder. But the moment she asked Ding Qingqing to hide well, she looked up and met Ms. Fang¡¯s eyes, who was holding her grandson. Widow Sun, with a guilty conscience, got so frightened that her face changed. She patted her chest.
Ms. Fang was here at the right time. She suddenly remembered that two pumpkins were ripe in the field 500 meters away from the vige. Shao Qing had seen someone eating pumpkin rice, and she had to eat it even though she was wheedling. Ms. Fang always cared about her grandchildren, and pumpkin rice was not a rare thing; if her granddaughter wanted to eat it, she had to satisfy her. So she thought of the pumpkins and came here with her grandson, intending to tell Shao Dng to fetch the pumpkin from the field. Unexpectedly, Widow Sun popped out from the other side of the wall. Ms. Fang looked at her suspiciously. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± There was no one in the wildnd around them, except for the snow fungus shed around their yard wall. No one woulde here. Ms. Fang knew that Widow Sun was not a good person, but she did not think that she was trying to steal her snow fungus. That was so bold! There were no secrets in the vige. Did she think that she could hide it from others? Widow Sun felt guilty. She straightened her back subconsciously and said in an intermediate tone, ¡°What? Is this your territory too? Why can¡¯t I be here?¡± Ms. Fang snorted and said nothing more. Widow Sun forced herself to walk away calmly, but she wasining inwardly. Ms. Fang might not have noticed her daughter, Ding Qingqing, at first. She knocked on the door and told Shao Dng about getting the pumpkin. Shao Dng checked the snow fungus and nodded. Then he locked the door and went to pick the pumpkins. Ms. Fang had just finished peeing her one-year-old grandson and was about to carry him home when Ding Qingqing, who had been so nervous, couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She stuck her head out from behind the wall to see what was going on. Ms. Fang saw what she was doing. She soon realized what was going on, but Ms. Fang had already figured it out. It was not going to work if someone was sneaking around the shed! Ms. Fang shouted, ¡°Who is there!¡± She ran towards them with her grandson in her arms.
Chapter 1142: Argument Chapter 1142: Argument Editor: Henyee Trantions Ding Qingqing got so frightened that she ran away. She was so shocked. If she ran into the wild, Ms. Fang might not be able to catch up with her with her grandson in arms. Also, Ms. Fang would not be able to see her if she hid behind any thick shrubs. But she ran into the vige! Ms. Fang had to rush up and catch her! Ms. Fang could not tell who she was, but she was definitely going after her! She shouted as she ran, ¡°Stop! Stop right there!¡± Ding Qingqing was very young, and Ms. Fang was very fierce. So when Ms. Fang shouted at her, she got so frightened that she could not run anymore. Ms. Fang caught up with her as soon as she reached the entrance of the vige. Ms. Fang grabbed her clothes with one hand and put her grandson on the ground with the other, tugging at Ding Qingqing.
¡°It is you! What are you doing outside our shed? What are you and your mother doing there?¡± Ding Qingqing turned around guiltily, avoiding her eyes. She sobbed, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°How dare you defend yourself!¡± Ms. Fang sneered. ¡°I caught you red-handed, and you are lying? If you are not guilty, why are you running away? I am not going to eat you up!¡± The two of them tugged at each other, and soon the vigers gathered around to watch the show. Widow Sun soon arrived as well. She would have dared to counter Ms. Fang in the past, but not now. Everyone in the vige trusted Ms. Fang. She and Widow Sun could not deny that, so Widow Sun had to admit that she just wanted to steal some snow fungus. She was a thief! The onlookers all looked down at them and pointed at them. Ding Qingqing flushed in embarrassment as tears welled up in her eyes. She lowered her head and wished that she could dig a hole. Widow Sun also lowered her head and did not dare to lie. She knew that she would be despised by the vigers, and Ms. Qiu and the Ding Family would beat and scold her when she returned home. She might not even get to eat dinner tonight. But what else could she do? The mother and daughter could not have appeared at that ce for some nonchnt, casual, or indifferent visit. They had to have a convincing reason, right? That was the only thing she could say. That was the only way to get Ms. Fang away. Stimted by this, Widow Sun made up her mind to get what she wanted. As long as her daughter was with Shao Dng, Shao Dng would be an honest man, and Ms. Xu would not be as annoying as Yang Xiaoni. Also, Ms. Xu had two sons and one daughter, and she was not afraid of being threatened by her own daughter.
Her daughter should not be bullied anymore. She needed to suck up to Ms. Xu, so she could make it. That was better than Ms. Qiu and Ms. Hao from the Ding Family selling themselves out. Ms. Fang snapped at Widow Sun when she admitted that. But she did not cause any damage, so Ms. Fang gave her a warning. That was exactly what Widow Sun had expected. She let out a sigh of relief.
But when Ms. Yan heard about this, she came to Ms. Fang the following day and told her about some suspicious things. Stealing snow fungus was not a very honorable thing, especially when the first section of the family was flourishing, and no one in the vige would steal from them. Widow Sun was already living such a miserable life, so why did she take such a risk? If she was caught, her life would be even worse! Ms. Qiu and the Ding Family might not have explicitly asked her to steal it. If their involvement was exposed, they would be med by the first section of the family. So, what were they after? Chapter 1143: No Coincidence Chapter 1143: No Coincidence Editor: Henyee Trantions The Ding Family¡¯s Hao and Ms. Qiu had rushed to apologize on behalf of Widow Sun the day before. Also, the wall surrounding the snow fungus shed was quite high. If Widow Sun nned to steal the snow fungus, she should have brought adder with her, right? What was most suspicious was that Widow Sun could have gone there alone, but instead, she brought her own daughter with her. Ding Qingqing had not even gotten married yet, so why involve her in such a risky act? If they were found out, Ding Qingqing¡¯s reputation and future prospects could be ruined. Ms. Fang suddenly realized what might be going on. Yes, something was definitely not right. Widow Sun treated her daughter very well, and there seemed to be no reason for her to involve Ding Qingqing in stealing from the first section of the family, especially when Widow Sun did not hold high position in the vige. Ms. Fang thanked Ms. Yan for her vignce but still couldn¡¯t fully grasp the motive behind Widow Sun¡¯s actions. Then, Ms. Fang overheard Yang Xiaoni talking with her son about not having a change of heart and not taking concubines when they were rich. Suddenly, a thought struck her.
Wasn¡¯t her eldest son in the snow fungus shed earlier? What a coincidence! Could it be that they were targeting her eldest son? Ms. Fang¡¯s suspicion grew, and she couldn¡¯t afford to ignore it. She decided to remain vignt and not let her guard down until she knew the truth. To investigate further, she asked Shao Dng to collect soybeans in the field alone and secretly followed Yang Xiaoni and Ding Qingqing. Sure enough, she caught the mother and daughter red-handed again. Ms. Fang didn¡¯t hold back and confronted them directly at the Ding Family¡¯s home. She demanded an exnation for their suspicious behavior and questioned why they seemed to appear wherever her son was. She was determined to get to the bottom of this matter and find out their true intentions. The Ding Family¡¯s Ms. Qiu and Ms. Hao understood Ms. Fang¡¯s implied threat very well. They kicked Widow Sun to the ground and berated her as shameless! Widow Sun, feeling a mix of anger, embarrassment, and shame, covered her face and cried loudly. She used Ms. Qiu and the Ding Family of selling her daughter, iming that she was forced into this situation. In a desperate attempt to shift the me, she even tried to use Ms. Fang of setting her up, saying that Shao Dng mistreated her daughter. However, this tactic fell t. If Shao Dng needed a concubine and what he only needed to do was to spread the news that the first section of the family was very popr, and many people woulde to him for concubines. Or they could just spend money to buy them, and any Heaven Immortal beauties could be bought. They did not want Ding Qingqing to do such a thing in private. Even if she did, Widow Sun and the Ding Family would not say that they did not like it. No one would believe Widow Sun¡¯s words. They would beughed at. Ms. Qiu remained unyielding in the face of the onlookers¡¯ gaze. She firmly pped Widow Sun¡¯sints and continued to sneer, ¡°You are just a concubine, and no respectable family would want you. What are you talking about? Finding a concubine for your daughter is ttering. Don¡¯t like it? If you don¡¯t like that, you can find your own mother-inw¡¯s family!¡± Widow Sun felt helpless and could not find any words to defend herself. She covered her face, overwhelmed with shame and sorrow, and tears streamed down her cheeks. As a widow and concubine, she realized she had used a humiliating method to achieve her goal, and it only made her situation worse. She knew deep down that she had little to offer in terms of status or dowries, making it incredibly challenging to find a good family willing to ept her daughter as a concubine. Widow Sun¡¯s heart sank with the realization that she had nothing to offer, and her desperate actions had only brought her further disgrace. The vigers who witnessed the scene couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of sympathy and disapproval towards Ms. Qiu¡¯s harsh words. While they understood the struggles Widow Sun faced, they also recognized the truth in Ms. Qiu¡¯s assertions. Chapter 1144: Out of Sight Chapter 1144: Out of Sight Editor:Henyee Trantions The daughter of a concubine faced a daunting challenge due to her mother¡¯s unfavorable reputation. Finding a good family for her seemed like an improbable task. Although not Ms. Qiu¡¯s biological child, Ding Qingqing was brought into the Ding Family by Widow Sun, who had previously offended her. Ms. Qiu was the stepdaughter of the Ding Family, and she yed a crucial role in determining Ding Qingqing¡¯s marriage. No one dared to question or oppose this arrangement. Ms. Qiu harbored strong resentment towards Ding Qingqing and her mother-inw for their unruly behavior, which caused significant trouble for the entire family. Frustrated and unwilling to keep Ding Qingqing any longer, Ms. Qiu sought a solution through her inw¡¯s family and soon got married herself. Ms. Fang was well aware of the limited prospects for women born into concubinage and, despite her disdain for Ding Qingqing and her mother, she felt a karmic connection to her own family. Selling Ding Qingqing off would reflect poorly on her reputation, so she couldn¡¯t simply stand by and watch. To avoid any association with such actions, Ms. Qiu chose not to treat Ding Qingqing as a concubine but rather married her off to a distant, less fortunate man. She remained hidden from their sight, and whatever their future held would have no direct connection with her. After Ding Qingqing¡¯s departure, Widow Sun lost all hope and refrained from causing any further trouble. The senior members of the n cautioned Ms. Qiu not to go too far, as any unfortunate event leading to a tarnished reputation could jeopardize the entire vige¡¯s standing, especially with the progress made through Mr. Primus¡¯s efforts and the establishment of the school. The vige had a Mr. Primus, and the school was built, and sses were starting. Everything was developing in a good direction, so reputation was very important. Ms. Qiu¡¯s treatment of Widow Sun was widely known, as she would boast about it openly, and some considered it excessive. It was evident that even a person as seemingly insensible as a y figure might harbor resentment and retaliate if pushed to the extreme. Before bing a concubine, Widow Sun was not an easy person to handle, and it was expected that she wouldn¡¯t remain in such a state indefinitely.
Ms. Qiu was not convinced, but she did not dare to do that any more and tried to restrain herself. But Widow Sun was still not having a good life. As long as Ms.Qiu did not cause too much trouble, the n would turn a blind eye. Their family¡¯s bad debts could be settled behind closed doors. Ms. Fang informed Qiao Xuan about the situation, reminding her to be cautious and not let Shao Yunduan fall into a trap. Qiao Xuan acknowledged Ms. Fang¡¯s advice and realized the gravity of the situation. She had already been concerned, but now she understood that she needed to be even more vignt in the future. The capital was not a peaceful ce, and the risks were high. The next morning, Qiao Xuan and herpanions departed. Ms. Fang and the others reached the vige¡¯s entrance without arousing anyone¡¯s suspicion. Qiao Xuan waved at them from a distance, and as the wagon turned the corner, she sighed inwardly, knowing the risks thaty ahead. Upon reaching the county city, Qiao Xuan sent a gift to the County Magistrate¡¯s wife, exining that she couldn¡¯t visit due to time constraints and had to head directly to the province. She understood that the County Magistrate had family responsibilities to attend to, and that was their priority. As a woman herself, she empathized with the County Magistrate and his wife,prehending why they couldn¡¯t pay her a visit given their obligations and circumstances. Chapter 1145: Friendly Chapter 1145: Friendly Editor:Henyee Trantions If Shao Yunduan were also present, they would need to extend an invitation to him for the banquet as well. The County Magistrate would likely be displeased if he were excluded, even if he didn¡¯t voice it. They might fear that not inviting him could lead to unfavorable consequences in the future, perhaps with the Shao Family using this omission against them when they required assistance. As the evening approached early in the season, Qiao Xuan and the others arrived in the province, and it was already dark. They made their way directly to the Yuezheng Family. The entrance of the Yuezheng Family was adorned with two rows ofrgenterns, brightly illuminating the gate. Auntie Hua, apanied by two maids, was standing next to First Madame, gazing into the distance. As she spotted the approaching wagon, she greeted them with a warm smile. ¡°Fifth Mrs. Shao, how much our madame has missed you! The evenings are growing colder, how was your journey?¡± Auntie Hua asked as she helped Qiao Xuan down from the wagon. Qiao Xuan replied with a smile, sensing Auntie Hua¡¯s concern. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Elder Aunt. The journey was smooth, and I wouldn¡¯t dare to keep you waiting. Your thoughtfulness is truly appreciated!¡± Auntie Hua smiled and humbly responded, ¡°First Madame was eager for your arrival, so she sent me to greet you. I am not worthy of such a task. Please,e inside. First Madame has already prepared dinner and eagerly awaits yourpany.¡± Qiao Xuanughed cheerfully, ¡°As the sun sets, the cold bes biting. The thought of the warm food prepared by Elder Aunt is truly heartening and invigorating!¡± Auntie Hua chuckled in response, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what First Madame said. On such days, we should relish a good meal and warm soup. Everything is ready for you!¡± As they strolled together, Auntie Hua found herself growing fonder of Qiao Xuan with every passing moment. Coming from humble beginnings, both Auntie Hua and Shao Yunduan had not been born into prosperous families, whichpelled her to be respectful and courteous towards Qiao Xuan. However, she couldn¡¯t help but notice that Qiao Xuan¡¯s demeanor hadn¡¯t changed despite her husband¡¯s impressive position as a young and learned officer with a promising future. Such humility was a rare sight, as Auntie Hua had observed many people bing arrogant after achieving sess.
Upon Qiao Xuan¡¯s arrival, First Madame eagerly awaited her with a warm smile. They exchanged friendly conversation, with First Madame showing genuine concern for Qiao Xuan¡¯s well-being. She offered her a hot towel to freshen up and served her some hot tea to ward off the evening chill. Their interactions resembled that of a mother and daughter, disying a deep bond and understanding between them. After a brief rest, First Madame signaled for the dishes to be served, and they sat down together to enjoy the meal. At First Madame¡¯s spot, a bowl of rice was ced, while a delightful spread of six dishes and one soup adorned the small mahogany Ruyi-style round table. The dishes included crab powder, lukewarm kidney flower meatballs, sweet and sour spine meat, braised mutton, casserole tofu fish head, and bamboo fungus ck chicken soup. Thoughmon dishes for the Yuezheng Family, they were prepared with great care, served in white bowls and tes, steaming hot, enticingly colorful, and perfectly suited to satisfy both stomach and soul. After dinner, they retreated to the small hall to sip tea and aid their digestion while engaging in light conversation. Qiao Xuan took the opportunity to update First Madame on the happenings back at her own home. Despite not possessing the same level of refinement as First Madame, Qiao Xuan foundfort in confiding in her, knowing that she could seek counsel and wisdom if any problems arose. As she shared the news, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of emotions upon recounting how her honest and straightforward Elder Brother had been deceived and set up. Chapter 1146: Unity Chapter 1146: Unity Editor: Henyee Trantions Elder Brother had truly risen to great poprity, which brought both joy and concern. Fortunately, Widow Sun and her daughter¡¯s malicious schemes didn¡¯t seed; otherwise, Ms. Xu, the sister-inw, would have been heartbroken and likely faced public humiliation. In this era, she knew that she couldn¡¯t afford to be associated with any rumors or scandals, as it could tarnish her reputation as a virtuous and dignified woman, especially since she had three children to care for. Upon hearing this, First Madame calmly smirked and reassured Qiao Xuan, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. You are fortunate to have Yunduan, who is capable and poised to make a name for himself. Besides, let¡¯s not ignore your wealth and prosperity. Your sessful business endeavors naturally attract envy. Furthermore, your family is known for its kindness, making you the target of those who wish to exploit your good nature. As for your Third Sister-inw, she must also face her share of rumors and jealousy, especially since she hasn¡¯t had children yet. There will always be individuals vying to take advantage and rece her!¡± ¡°But it has nothing to do with you. They just don¡¯t want to ruin your mood.¡± Qiao Xuan, Indeed, in the present day and age, the issue of having children remains of utmost importance, regardless of one¡¯s financial situation. The desire to have many offspring and grandchildren is deeply rooted in their culture and family traditions. The Shao Family, being well-off and with an officer in their ranks, naturally raised the expectations for having arge and prosperous family. It was considered a great fortune to witness the family thrive and grow through multiple generations. However, the current situation was not without its concerns. Among the four sons of the first section of the family, only one had a child, leaving the others without heirs. Such a circumstance would undoubtedly be a cause for worry in any household. Ms. Xu, having two sons and one daughter, should have been considered fortunate enough to continue the family¡¯s legacy. Nheless, both she and the Third Sister-inw were yet to have children, which might have raised eyebrows in other families. To avoid causing unnecessary worry, Mother-inw chose not to disclose Elder Aunt¡¯s spection to Qiao Xuan, as she wanted to spare her from overthinking the matter. Qiao Xuanughed at herself ¨C she was no better than Third Sister-inw. Third Sister-inw came from a poor family and she did not need to be afraid of being ndered. Fortunately, Third Brother and Mother-inw treated Qiao Xuan well; otherwise, she would have been subject to disdain and mistreatment from her inws. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much,¡± First Madame reassured with a warm smile. ¡°In the grand scheme of things, it¡¯s not that crucial. What matters most is that your family lives in harmony. Even if they manage to trap you, we can always ensure they don¡¯t suffer. It¡¯s just a bowl of rice at the end of the day.¡± ¡°What truly counts is our unity and cooperation,¡± she continued. ¡°That woman may have sessfully schemed against you once, but if you repeatedly fall for her tricks, she can¡¯t be entirely med, can she?¡± Qiao Xuan felt a weight lift off her shoulders with First Madame¡¯s understanding and encouragement. She nodded gratefully, ¡°Elder Aunt, thank you for sharing the whole story with me. I feel much more at ease now.¡± She made up her mind to write a letter to Mother-inw the next day, urging her not to fret excessively and to lead a contented life. If that woman caused any more trouble, they would simply lock her up, if necessary, and set an example for others. Of course, resorting to such measures would be ast resort, and they hoped it wouldn¡¯te to that. First Madame added thoughtfully, ¡°I¡¯m relieved to know you¡¯ll be returning in spring. It¡¯s for the best. You can visit home twice a year to check on the family, the tea fields, and the lipstick business. It¡¯s essential to keep a tight rein on the lucrative ventures. Don¡¯t hand over control or decision-making power to the family; otherwise, they might misuse it.¡± Chapter 1147: Seeking Fruit Forest Outside the City Chapter 1147: Seeking Fruit Forest Outside the City Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Honestly speaking, those who run businesses are often more experienced and savvypared to those from the countryside. Your Mother-inw is an exceptionally capable person, but I worry that she could be manipted if someone with ulterior motives sets her up. It might be best if she doesn¡¯t involve herself in business decisions at all. Even if someone tries to plot against her, they won¡¯t seed¡­¡± Qiao Xuan nodded in agreement, acknowledging that not all business families were as forthright as Yuezheng Xiao. The truth had been exposed, and the secrets couldn¡¯t remain hidden for long. Both she and Shao Yunduan were absent, which could lead people to specte and harbor sinister thoughts. After all, money had the power to corrupt people¡¯s intentions. Whenrge sums of money were at stake, nobody would dare to take risks lightly. It could be tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of liang. Amused, Qiao Xuan recalled Ms. Fang¡¯s character. ¡°Actually, my Mother-inw is quite different. She pays no heed to what others say and insists on waiting for me and my husband toe home and make decisions!¡± First Madame smiled approvingly. ¡°Your Mother-inw is very wise.¡± It was always better to avoid meddling in matters one didn¡¯t fullyprehend. They chatted for a while, and Qiao Xuan asked First Madame to bring a dozen servants to their home, to which First Madame agreed.
Then, with a smile, Qiao Xuan mentioned her intention to visit the Shao Family and invite Ms. Fang and Taotao to the province for a visit. She wanted to get to know the Shao Family better. Qiao Xuan felt even more grateful, but the thought of Taotao¡¯s marriage made her hesitate, preventing her from seeking further help from First Madame. That was not very appropriate. First Madame¡¯s social circle primarily consisted of business people, and it might not be the most suitable environment for Taotao. Perhaps it would be best to wait and observe. If Taotao started going out more often and gaining more exposure, the right opportunity mighte naturally. As the day drew to a close, Qiao Xuan and First Madame bid farewell to each other and retired to their respective guest rooms for some rest. The next morning, Qiao Xuan wrote a letter and requested First Madame to deliver it to her home. Yuezheng Xiao arrived after breakfast. She had intended to meet Qiao Xuan the previous day, but the timing didn¡¯t work out. Yuezheng Xiao had several business deals to discuss with Qiao Xuan, and their discussionssted for half a day. Afterward, she handed over the payment for the tea leaves, lipsticks, and snow fungus, amounting to more than 90,000 liang. The tea leaf production had increased significantly, and the lipsticks had seen a substantial rise in demand. Additionally, the snow fungus and dessert shops continued to perform well, resulting in substantial earnings. In total, Qiao Xuan now had almost 450,000 liang! Indeed, the Yuezheng Family had a strongwork and efficient channels, all of which were top-notch. With control over the sources and lowbor costs, the money came in effortlessly, leaving Qiao Xuan worry-free. If she had been managing the business herself, she would have undoubtedly faced numerous challenges and headaches. Luckily, she had the good fortune of partnering with the Yuezheng Family, which made all the difference. In the afternoon, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and decided to visit the orchard. Apanied by Yuezheng Xiao, she set out, but Xie Jingrong was currently away on a trip. Manager Zhou, Manager Bai, and a few waiters seemed to have been informed in advance and were waiting for her arrival, wearing weing smiles. The citrus and grapefruit were now ripe for picking. Qiao Xuan had already tasted them both at her home in Shaoding Vige and at the Yuezheng Family¡¯s estate the previous day. The fruits were incredibly juicy and sweet.
Yuezheng Xiao mentioned that these two fruits were used to make fruit tea, which had be immensely popr. The dessert stores also sold fresh citrus and grapefruit, attracting arge number of customers. Chapter 1148: Looking Forward Chapter 1148: Looking Forward Editor:Henyee Trantions They only had 300 grapefruits avable per day, and unsurprisingly, they sold out within half a day due to their immense poprity. The grapefruit was an exquisite treat, with its delightful sweetness and delectable taste,plemented by a golden outer skin that carried a wonderfullyforting fragrance. Its perfection, both inside and out, made it a perfect fruit for the season, leaving everyone wanting more. Despite its high demand, the production volume remained small, adding to its allure as a rare and preciousmodity. The scarcity only served to make people desire it even more. Qiao Xuan expressed her ns for the future, hoping to increase production next year to meet the growing demand. Withrger yields, they might not need to enforce limitations and could even supply smaller vendors. Qiao Xuan also looked forward to the prospects of other fruits, like lychees, longans, mangos, and mangosteens, hoping they would bear fruit the following year. Looking at the flourishing fruit trees, Qiao Xuan expressed her satisfaction with their growth. She credited the sess to the excellentnd and her effective nutrient solution. Yuezheng Xiao shared in her excitement and admiration for the remarkable results. Yuezheng Xiao often visited the orchard out of genuine interest and curiosity. He found Qiao Xuan¡¯s nutrient solution to be magical, producing such impressive results. However, he was aware that it was a scarce resource, and Qiao Xuan had limited quantities left. She had obtained a key ingredient to make the solution before, but it was no longer avable, leaving her chances of replicating it uncertain. Therefore, she had to be careful with the remaining supply, making Yuezheng Xiao hesitant to ask her for any of it. However, he couldn¡¯t help but remain curious about Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower, but he respected her boundaries and didn¡¯t press her for the secret. Being a businessman and not a farmer, he didn¡¯t possess any nutrient solutions, nor did he covet the knowledge of Qiao Xuan¡¯s abilities. The lychees, longans, mangosteens, and other fruit trees that had been transnted from the south were now three years old. Thanks to Qiao Xuan¡¯s superpower, they all survived, even though she only used her ability from time to time, and they were growing quite well.
Most importantly, they were healthy and thriving. Qiao Xuan decided to use her superpower on them again, expressing her uncertainty about whether these fruit trees could withstand the uing winter. However, she remained hopeful that her superpower could aid their survival and enable them to bear fruit the following year. She believed that if they could make it through the winter, the future would be promising. Since she could use her superpower twice a year, they would gradually adapt to the new environment. Without any hesitation, Yuezheng Xiao replied, ¡°Of course!¡± Qiao Xuan, Yuezheng Xiao spoke with confidence, ¡°I am prepared for the uing winter. Look at the straws! We¡¯ll ce them on the thick bed by the end of November and stack them everywhere. When the frosty weather arrives, we¡¯ll burn the straws to release smoke, which will keep us warm. It worked wellst year!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled in response, ¡°I hope so!¡± Besides the various fruit trees mentioned earlier, the orchard also featured cherry trees, blueberries, passion fruits, and grapes, among others. Except for the blueberries, everything else was currently out of season. The grapes and passion fruits had already been picked, and they had to wait until next year for the cherries to bear fruit. The cantaloupes were also harvested and sold out, leaving only blueberries in abundance. Qiao Xuan picked a lot of blueberries and tasted them. They were sweet and delectable, with one of them having a slightly sour taste, adding to the overall deliciousness. Yuezheng Xiao informed her that the blueberries would be picked and delivered to the dessert store. Despite not being very visually appealing, they were sweet and popr among many people. Agreeing with Yuezheng Xiao, Qiao Xuan decided to pick two baskets of blueberries to enjoy on her way home. Chapter 1149: Trouble Chapter 1149: Trouble Editor:Henyee Trantions She was excited about the prospect of having her own potato field next year! Considering her precious potatoes, Qiao Xuan generously gifted 10 KG of high-quality potato seeds to the Yuezheng Family, assuring Yuezheng Xiao that they would yield delicious vegetables and rice. She emphasized that the seeds were advanced in production and easy to cultivate, ensuring a sessful harvest regardless of thend they were nted on. Yuezheng Xiao truly understood her intentions ¨C she always sought out the best things! Confident in her rmendation, Yuezheng Xiao felt as though he had stumbled upon a precious treasure. He consulted the experienced old gardener, seeking advice on the proper care and cultivation of potatoes. Determined to make the most of this opportunity, he nned to choose a suitable plot ofnd next year, nt the seeds diligently, and ensure proper care to maximize the harvest. After spending a couple of days in the province and visiting the Xie Family, Qiao Xuan returned to the capital without mentioning anything about He Zhiqing. She chose to keep it private, knowing that she and the Xie Family were not particrly close. If Xie Jingrong were present, she would have shared the information without hesitation, as she wouldn¡¯t tolerate any disrespect from He Zhiqing. Determined to discuss this matter with Xie Jingrong in person, Qiao Xuan still looked forward to their reunion. She and her husband had been away for quite some time, and she couldn¡¯t wait to return to Tianjin andplete the mission sessfully. Qiao Xuan expressed her appreciation for the productive and pleasant business trip, but she knew it was time for them to head home. With the year drawing to a close, everyone was eager to reunite with their families. The six escorts were remarkably vignt and proactive throughout the journey. Thanks to Qiao Xuan¡¯s guidance, they skillfully avoided encountering two rainy spells, ensuring an exceptionally smooth trip.
As the days progressed, the weather grew colder, with early mornings being particrly chilly, but the daytime remained pleasant. Finally, on the 20th of November, they arrived in Tianjin. Qiao Xuan paid the guards for their services and bid them farewell. Liqiu and Lixia, however, still felt a bit concerned. They requested Qiao Xuan to arrange for the escorts to apany them on their journey to the capital, as it was a considerable distance from Tianjin and would take a whole day. Their primary concern was the safety of their Madame. Qiao Xuan, with a reassuring smile, declined their request firmly. She pointed out that the journey to the capital was only a day¡¯s travel, and Tianjin was, in fact, considered a faraway suburb of the capital. The official road was well-traveled, broad, and t, with a constant flow of peopleing and going. Therefore, she believed there was no cause for worry regarding safety. Qiao Xuan had her own matters to attend to and couldn¡¯t have the Escort Agency apany her. Qiao Xuan, well-ustomed to traveling and possessing extensive knowledge, understood the crucial traits of reliable escorts. Besides their martial prowess, they needed to be cautious and alert. With the escorts apanying her, Qiao Xuan refrained from taking any action that might draw attention or suspicion. She felt like a ticking time bomb, always on the verge of being discovered. Noticing their wife¡¯s confidence andposure, Liqiu and Lixia felt somewhat reassured and decided to abandon the idea of having additional escorts apany them. After spending one night in Tianjin, the group hired a wagon and continued their journey northward. When they were approximately 20 or 30 kilometers away from the capital, Qiao Xuan suggested taking a break at a nearby tea house. Seizing the opportunity, Qiao Xuan used the pretext of loosening her muscles and bones to venture into the woods. There, she expanded her divine sense, precisely locating one of the Fourth Prince¡¯s estates, which wasn¡¯t too far away. Her superpower had been growing stronger every day, allowing her to sense her surroundings without direct physical contact with nts. However, the range of her abilities had its limits. Thus, if she intended to cause trouble for the Fourth Prince, she knew it would be more effective to leave the wagon and approach the target directly. Chapter 1150: Collapse Chapter 1150: Copse Editor: Henyee Trantions The Fourth Prince¡¯s abbey, known as the elegant abbey, held a special ce in his heart. Nestled in a serene location adorned with mountains and rivers, the abbey¡¯s vast expanse made it renowned among the noble families in the capital. The Fourth Prince would regrly host grand banquets at this picturesque venue. Qiao Xuan found herself in a predicament, unable to stir up trouble at the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion in the capital without attracting unwanted attention from the numerous Daoist masters present at court. However, she realized she could quietly manipte the side yard of the abbey without detection. With a focused intent, she activated the roots under the trees, causing them to rapidly expand. The ground quaked, and in an instant, the main yard copsed into a deep pit about seven or eight meters deep. Even the majestic gate of the courtyard, a symbol of the prince¡¯s mansion, sumbed to the rumbling and copsedpletely. Fortunately, there were few people around to witness the incident. It was a cold afternoon, and the servants were upied indoors, blissfully unaware of the astonishing event that had just transpired outside. The onlookers were astonished by the sudden and massive movement that unfolded before their eyes. Bewildered and frightened, the entire yard erupted into chaos. ¡°Oh no, the house is copsing!¡± ¡°The whole yard copsed! Oh my god, is anyone hurt?¡± ¡°The gate is copsing too! What is going on?¡± ¡°That was so scary!¡± ¡°Someone should hurry to the capital and report to His Highness!¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but smile as she felt the panic reverberating through the yard. In high spirits, she stepped into the wagon and resumed her journey. Little did she anticipate that the people of that era regarded such supernatural urrences not as supernatural events but as miracles, respecting ghosts and gods with awe and reverence. The incident at the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion was, in their eyes, a truly extraordinary and enigmatic phenomenon. Was God just ying around because he was too free? Of course not! It was a kind of hint to warn the world! Or worse, it was a warning from the heavens. It just so happened that during this period of time, the Fourth Prince was very active and forced to set up the Crown Prince. He spread many rumors that the Crown Prince was not worthy of the position, and that the idents happened because the deity was angry. However, just when the rumor proficiency was at its peak, the main house of the mansion, which was the fourth prince¡¯s favorite and was very famous in the suburbs of the capital, suddenly copsed. That sounded more like a sign from the Heaven! Also, the Ministry of Architecture had sent someone to check it out, but they could not find out the cause. In other words, everything happened too suddenly and unreasonably! No one would believe that it was not because the heavens were angry. That was not caused by manpower or geology! Even the Fourth Prince and Honored Princess Mei were startled. They did not dare to do anything more. Due to the wide and smooth road, Qiao Xuan and her servant returned to the capital before the sun set. When they passed through the tall gate and returned to the capital, Lixia and Liqiu let out a sigh of relief and smiled. Chapter 1151: Where Did Old Master Go Chapter 1151: Where Did Old Master Go Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Amitabha, it was a safe trip!¡± ¡°Yeah, we are back safe and sound!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s excitement soared as thoughts of her husband, whom she hadn¡¯t seen in so long, flooded her mind. The anticipation of their reunion and the old saying, ¡°Absence makes the heart grow fonder,¡± made her heart skip a beat, causing her cheeks to flush with joy. However, upon their return, Shao Yunduan was not there to greet them. Instead, Songshi answered the door. Surprised and ted to see Songshi, Qiao Xuan bowed deeply and smiled. ¡°Songshi, you¡¯re here! That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled and nodded, asking, ¡°Where is my husband? Has he not returned yet?¡± Hanlin Academy should have been off duty, so she wondered why he wasn¡¯t home. Annoyed thoughts crossed her mind ¨C could he have gone somewhere else without her knowledge? How dreadful! ¡°Where is Old Master?¡± she asked, sounding rather stern as she turned to Songshi. Songshi had never seen her like this, and it caught him off guard. He replied, ¡°Madame, Old Master is working for the Crown Prince, and I have been assisting him. Old Master mentioned that you would be back soon, so he asked me toe home the day before. He should be back in a couple of days¡­¡± ¡°Working for the crown prince?¡± Qiao Xuan was startled ¨C she had been gone for less than two months, and she felt out of touch with her husband, finding it difficult toprehend what Songshi was talking about. What could the Hanlin Academy possibly do for the Crown Prince, especially when he was out of the capital? Songshi said, ¡°Yes, Madame¡­¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± Qiao Xuan waved her hands and said gently, ¡°Let¡¯s eat dinner first, and after dinner, you can tell me about this. We won¡¯t cook tonight, but you can buy four or five dishes from Ji Restaurant outside the alley. One soup, and you can take care of the rest.¡± Finding reassurance in the fact that Shao Yunduan hadn¡¯t gone out to have fun, Qiao Xuan¡¯s worries dissipated instantly. She sounded calm and gentle, like the gracious mistress of the family. Songshi had no idea what was going on with his mother-inw, but he let out a sigh of relief and nodded. He took the money from Lixia and went out to order food. Qiao Xuan and her servant didn¡¯t have much luggage on the trip, only a few bags with some clothes. Lixia and Liqiu would carry them back to the room and put everything away. There was hot water in the kitchen, and a brick bed in the room made it very warm and cozy inside. Finally, they were home! Qiao Xuan let out a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of rxation wash over her. She smiled, feeling the warmth in her heart ¨C this was her and her husband¡¯s home. Indeed, there was no ce like home. Qiao Xuan felt at ease, carefree, and nonchnt. Even the best hostels on the road couldn¡¯tpare to thefort of being home. But her husband still wasn¡¯t there. Soon, Songshi returned with food boxes. Lixia and Liqiu quickly set up the table and carefully ced the dishes one by one. On the table were shredded pork with capital sauce, roast beef with winter bamboo shoots, sliced fish, stir-fried vegetables, and arge bowl of steaming mutton soup garnished with coriander and green onions. Additionally, there were four dishes from the restaurant ¨C eight-treasure pickles, pickled radishes, mustard cabbage with sauce, and shredded bamboo shoots with red oil. Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s start serving the dishes from the boxes before they get cold. Afterward, you can wash up and take a break!¡± Chapter 1152: Promotion Chapter 1152: Promotion Editor:Henyee Trantions Lixia and the others nodded with smiles as they shared the dishes and settled around the small kitchen table for their meal. The room they used as a dining area was empty except for Qiao Xuan, who couldn¡¯t find her appetite due to thoughts of Shao Yunduan. She managed to eat a few mouthfuls of rice and drank half a bowl of mutton soup before sitting down on the kang, waiting for Songshi toe in so she could talk to him. Songshi had been with them for a long time and was well aware of the close rtionship between everyone in the house. Old Master¡¯s mind was preupied with thoughts of Madame ever since she had left the capital. He didn¡¯t mention it explicitly, but it was evident. Even though he was busy with Crown Prince¡¯s affairs, he made sure to return home first to greet Madame. Madame, in turn, cared deeply for Old Master. As soon as she arrived home, she asked about him. When she couldn¡¯t find him immediately, she became anxious. Songshi knew he shouldn¡¯t keep Madame waiting for too long, so he quickly finished his food and informed her about Old Master. This earned him some yful teasing from Lixia and Liqiu, who said he hadn¡¯t eaten so fast in a long time. Songshi grinned and didn¡¯t argue, finishing his bowl in a few bites before leaving. It didn¡¯t take long before Songshi returned to meet with Qiao Xuan. She was pleased with his promptness ¨C the boy was bing more intelligent and reliable! ¡°Alright, let¡¯s drop the formalities. Bring a stool and sit down. Tell me everything from the beginning!¡± Qiao Xuan instructed. ¡°Okay, Madame!¡± Songshi¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. ¡°Madame Qiao, you know that our Old Master is no longer the editor of the Hanlin Academy. He is now the Minister Counsellor of the Ministry of Revenue, holding the fifth rank. Our Old Master has been promoted, hehe!¡± Qiao Xuan was astonished. ¡°What did you say?¡± Moving from the seventh grade to the fifth grade in the Ministry of Revenue was an impressive and rapid promotion!
Songshi began, ¡°Yes, Old Master was indeed working at the Hanlin Academy. One day, the Emperor ordered someone to discuss the ¡®Secretary of State¡¯ matter in the pce and invited Old Master to participate. Butter¡­¡± In the pce, there were regr banquets held to discuss sutras, and those who yed a role in these discussions were selected from the Hanlins of the Hanlin Academy. It was a tremendous opportunity to showcase one¡¯s talents in front of the Emperor. Only two people at a time, three times a year, had this chance, and every time, the entire Hanlin Academy would fiercelypete for it. However, young schrs like Old Master didn¡¯t have the opportunity to participate, as it was reserved for the senior schrs who had not yet been given their share. As per the rules set by the Hanlin Academy, unless they had influential connections, they had to wait at the academy for five or six years before they could have the chance to discuss sutras in front of the Emperor. For instance, Qiao Hongxi had been eagerly anticipating this opportunity. He counted the years, believing that when he became qualified enough to participate in the sutra discussions, he would make a name for himself and catch the Emperor¡¯s attention. At that time, they would all envy his knowledge, and no one would hinder him from rising to fame. Of course, dwelling on such thoughts was futile. A man without any official rank would not be deemed qualified. Normally, Shao Yunduan would have nothing to do with the sutra lectures, as it was never his turn to participate. But unexpectedly, due to a series of events and Emperor Xuan¡¯s high regard for him, Shao Yunduan was summoned to speak on sutras in the court. And just like that, one of the two coveted spots was decided! Nobody would dare challenge the Emperor¡¯s decision. The envy among others was palpable. Could it be that the Primus was truly a celestial being, sent from the heavens? Was he some kind of divine being? Otherwise, how else could he exin such extraordinary luck? Chapter 1153: Minister Old Yun Chapter 1153: Minister Old Yun Editor:Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan¡¯s surprise was evident, yet he was determined not to let go of this golden opportunity. As he eloquently discussed a section of the book, the ministers couldn¡¯t help butmend him calmly. He couldn¡¯t help but feel inwardly pleased as he realized why the Emperor had been so intrigued by his talents. Emperor Xuan of Qi was even more delighted with Shao Yunduan¡¯s performance. Although not a poetry enthusiast, the Emperor was well-versed in the four books and five sutras and recognized Shao Yunduan¡¯s exceptional abilities in poetry as well. The Emperor¡¯s joy knew no bounds as he honored Shao Yunduan with a set of study treasures and a copy of the imperial book. However, this was not the end of the story. The Young Master overheard something intriguing about Shao Yunduan¡¯s intermediate sutras and passed on the message to the East Pce. It was revealed that Shao Yunduan¡¯s Master Yun happened to be the retired Teacher of the Crown Prince. Master Yun¡¯s credentials were impressive as a contemporary Confucian with a distinguished career as an academician of the Hanlin Academy, Left Assistant Minister of Rites, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Grand Secretary of Yuan Pavilion. Prior to bing the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, he had numerous disciples due to his fame and extensivework. Yet, the Crown Prince, along with the Second Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Prince, managed the country¡¯s governance. To prevent anyplications or interference, Master Yun chose to withdraw from his governmental position. His decision was to ensure that the Crown Prince could focus on his responsibilities without any unnecessary concerns or fears arising from Master Yun¡¯s presence in the court. The Crown Prince understood the reasons behind Master Yun¡¯s departure and reluctantly watched his honored tutor leave the capital. As the most devoted student of Minister Old Yun, the Young Master deeply respected his teacher and was well acquainted with the teachings he had passed on to Shao Yunduan. When the Young Master noticed the simrities, he became suspicious and confronted Shao Yunduan, ultimately confirming his suspicions byparing the portrait of the Old Master. Both surprised and delighted, the Crown Prince and Shao Yunduan were left in awe of the unexpected connection. It became clear why Master Yun had initially been hesitant to ept Shao Yunduan as his disciple or allow him to address him as Master. After the Crown Prince, Master Yun had refrained from taking on any more disciples, making Shao Yunduan a unique exception. The revtion brought immense joy to the Crown Prince, as he realized that Shao Yunduan was not merely his Junior Brother but a student taught directly by his beloved Master. The familiarity he sensed in Shao Yunduan¡¯s essay now made perfect sense, as Shao Yunduan had absorbed some of the essence of Master Yun¡¯s style during their interactions. The discovery of this connection between the two left Shao Yunduan dumbfounded and filled the Crown Prince with pride, knowing that his esteemed Master¡¯s teachings continued to influence and shape talented individuals like Shao Yunduan.
However, during that time, the Crown Prince hadn¡¯t considered the possibility of reuniting with Shao Yunduan, and now he deeply regretted it. He wished he had reconnected with him much earlier, avoiding the lost time. Despite the strangeness of their unexpected reunion, the Crown Prince couldn¡¯t hide his excitement as he looked at Shao Yunduan with sparkling eyes. He was eager to inquire about the well-being of the grand tutor and was pleased to find Shao Yunduan very amicable. Ever since Minister Old Yun left the capital, there had been no contact with him. The Crown Prince felt a sense of sadness whenever he thought about the elder man. He understood that the reason for Minister Old Yun¡¯s departure was likely to give up everything and leave behind theplexities of the court. Though the Crown Prince longed for the elder man¡¯s return to the capital, he was aware of the purpose behind his mentor¡¯s actions. He knew it was best for the Elderly Men to stay away from the court¡¯s intrigue and politics. The Crown Prince¡¯s father had ced great trust in Minister Old Yun, and it was due to that trust that the Crown Prince found himself in his current position. Chapter 1154 Delighted Chapter 1154 Delighted Because the Old Minister was not in the capital and did not involve himself in court affairs, he refrained from using his contacts to gain favors, which meant that the Emperor had no reason to fear him either. In fact, the Emperor not only held no fear of the Old Minister but also respected and admired him greatly. This sentiment was particrly strong because the Crown Prince had been personally taught by the Old Minister, which further enhanced his reputation. Despite the existence of other brothers, none of them could find any way to discredit or cause trouble for the Old Minister. His reputation remained untarnished, maintaining a noble and pure image that only served to benefit the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince found sce in the fact that the Old Minister''s uninvolved nature was advantageous for him. He believed it was better for the Old Minister to maintain his distance from court affairs rather than seeking personal gain. However, as the years passed, the Crown Prince began to miss the Old Minister. The thought of the elderly man wandering alone outside weighed heavily on his conscience, filling him with guilt and concern. Amidst various reasons, the Crown Prince''s fondness for Shao Yunduan grew stronger. He decided not to hide their rtionship any longer and, on the following day after court, he approached his father, Emperor Xuan, and candidly shared everything about the bond between Shao Yunduan and the Old Minister. Emperor Xuan received the news with great joy and chuckled, saying, "I knew it! I''ve always felt a strong connection with Primus, sensing that he is not an ordinary individual. Now I understand; it''s because the Old Minister personally mentored him! The Old Minister''s knowledge and wisdom are remarkable, and Primus has truly inherited those qualities. He is undoubtedly worthy of the title of Primus!" The Crown Prince smiled and nodded. "You are right, father!" Emperor Xuan smiled. "Since Primus Shao is taught by the Old Minister, he doesn''t have to be trained at the Hanlin Academy. That is a waste of talent. You can find a ce for him at the six departments." "Yes, you are right, father!" The Crown Prince agreed with his father''s sentiment but was hesitant to bring up his own n at this moment. He had intended to wait for about half a year or a few months before discussing it. However, he was pleasantly surprised that his father had already made a promise. Having already considered where Shao Yunduan should be ced, the Crown Prince proposed, "Father, I would like him to be an intermediate doctor of the fifth rank in the Ministry of Revenue. What do you think?" Emperor Xuan pondered for a moment and then nodded approvingly, saying, "Yes, judging from what the Old Minister taught me, I am confident that he will outperform many others." "Thank you, father." Emperor Xuan nced at the Young Master, his son, and sighed with a smile. "He is your Junior Brother, and you should look after him. It has been so many years, and no one has shown him the favor he deserves from the Old Minister. Let''s not let him suffer any longer and avoid breaking the Old Minister''s heart!" The Crown Prince respectfully bowed and replied, "Yes, Father!" Shao Yunduan, being a "Junior Brother" without any prominent background or influential connections, was the sole individual whom the Old Minister had personally mentored for years. Because of this, Emperor Xuan held no apprehension towards him. On the contrary, over the years, the Emperor had developed a sense of guilt towards the Old Minister. Subconsciously, he sought topensate for this guilt by extending his support to Shao Yunduan, leading him to share his intentions with the Young Master. Before long, news about Shao Yunduan being the in-name disciple of Minister Old Yun spread like wildfire. This revtion stirred strong reactions within the Hanlin Academy, causing great astonishment. The Tian Family and other princes were equally taken aback. Shao Yunduan had the extraordinary fortune of being recognized as the Old Minister''s disciple! With such an esteemed identity, he could now expect a secure and prosperous future without any worries for the rest of his life. Chapter 1155: Returning Our Luck Chapter 1155: Returning Our Luck Editor:Henyee Trantions That was the Junior Brother of the Crown Prince! Everyone knew how much the Young Master respected Minister Old Yun. He had been in the intermediate for a long time, and Minister Old Yun had never epted any disciples or taught anyone. The disciples he had epted in the early years were all much older than the Young Master, and they had their own careers, or they had taught countless disciples, so the Young Master did not need to ask for his guidance. One of Minister Old Yun¡¯s disciples was born after the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince would definitely treat him well. Tian Shanshan felt a mix of sadness and bitterness. She had good taste, but what was the point of having good taste? It was not the right time! In the end, she got nothing! Officer Tian and Madame Tian were both annoyed ¨C what was going on? Needless to say, Madame Lady Qiao felt furious as she covered her chest. She red at Third Old Master and his wife, demanding them to bring Qiao Xuan back home. ¡°That damned girl must have stolen our luck! She¡¯s so evil! Why did you even raise her?¡± ¡°I want her to return our fortune to us!¡±
The couple from the first section of the family and the second section of the family did not say a thing. They looked at each other coldly, as if they believed what Third Old Master Qiao said. Or they would rather believe what they said. They started to view Third Old Master Qiao and his wife differently. That man was involved with Minister Old Yun! Minister Old Yun was the most respected schr in the whole world, holding positions as the tutor of the crown prince and as a schr of the Academy. All schrs in the world admired him, including Third Old Master Qiao, Qiao Hongxi, and the son of the second section of the family. How fortunate it was for someone to be taught by Minister Old Yun, especially after having taught the Young Master! It was like receiving a lifetime of blessings. Qiao Hongxi and Qiao Hongkuang were also highly motivated. They believed Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s words ¨C Qiao Xuan must have stolen the Qiao Family¡¯s fortune! There couldn¡¯t be any other exnation! Otherwise, how could Shao Yunduan have risen from a poor boy in the countryside, born to dobor work, to his current status? Third Old Master¡¯s face darkened with regret, feeling the pain in his chest. Third Madame Qiao¡¯s eyes turned red, as she cursed fate for being so unfair and blind! And when he thought about how Minister Old Yun had taught Shao Yunduan in the county for so long, Third Old Master felt even more remorseful, wishing he could smash his head against the wall in frustration. It was exasperating! Qiao Xuan might not know much, being a woman, but Shao Yunduan was a man and should have had some knowledge. Even if he had no idea who Minister Old Yun was, he should not have lied about it. If he had known that there was such a knowledgeable man in the country, he should have informed him! After all, he was still their son-inw at that time. Third Old Master couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, and he stopped Shao Yunduan and med him. Shao Yunduan was feeling increasingly frustrated ¨C he had been worn out by all kinds of social gatherings in recent days, leaving him with no energy to engage with Third Old Master Qiao. Confronted by Third Old Master¡¯s angry usations, he maintained a calm demeanor and responded, ¡°Minister Old Yun values tranquility and dislikes disturbances. He advised us not to mention him in front of others.¡± This reply only further aggravated Third Old Master¡¯s annoyance. Four days after the news was exposed, Shao Yunduan received a transfer order from his officer¡¯s superior. He was officially appointed as the Minister Counsellor of the Ministry of Revenue, receiving a promotion from a seventh-ranked officer to a fifth-ranked officer ¨C a remarkable advancement of two ranks. For him, this promotion was nothing short of a miracle! Graciously epting the order, Shao Yunduan bid farewell to the Hanlin Academy and embraced his new position.
Chapter 1156: His Plan Ruined Chapter 1156: His n Ruined Editor:Henyee Trantions At this moment, everything seemed settled, and change appeared impossible. Yet, it wasn¡¯t a mere shift in position that touched Shao Yunduan, but a profound change in his heart. Upon learning that his mentor, Master Yun, was none other than Minister Old Yun, Shao Yunduan was utterly dumbfounded. A rush of gratitude and respect washed over him. Among the schrs, Minister Old Yun was highly revered, and being taught by him for a few months was an unparalleled honor¡ªone they could boast about for a lifetime! As he pondered this revtion, Shao Yunduan understood why the old master was so remarkably knowledgeable. The guidance he received during those few months had propelled him to tremendous growth, akin to a rebirth. In the past, he had felt a sense of injustice for the talented old master, who could have easily risen to a first-ss official¡¯s rank in the court, yet chose to remain unseen. However, he realized that it wasn¡¯t that Minister Old Yun was unknown; rather, he simply didn¡¯t care about his reputation. Upon parting ways, Shao Yunduan felt a deep sadness. He wondered if fate would bring them together again and provide him with the chance to repay the debt of gratitude he owed to the extraordinary mentor. He found himself unable even to repay the favor bestowed upon him!
To his surprise, he discovered that he had be the tutor of the crown prince. Shao Yunduan realized that his carefullyid ns had beenpletely upended. His original intention had been to find an opportunity to leave the capital next year and distance himself from the political entanglements. But that option was now off the table. Beingbeled as the crown prince¡¯s tutor was a role he couldn¡¯t easily shake off. He harbored no ill will towards Minister Old Yun, but he had been caught off guard by this unexpected development. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t entirely willing to take on this responsibility. It wasn¡¯t that he minded being associated with the crown prince, but he foresaw that the prince might face significant challenges, and he couldn¡¯t be certain of a favorable oue. This uncertainty made him feel somewhat resistant to the new role he was thrust into. However, Shao Yunduan recognized this turn of events as the will of the heavens, pushing him into the position of the crown prince¡¯s tutor. Once the initial conflict within himself subsided, he epted his new role with a calm demeanor. The Emperor might not have been entirely satisfied with the Crown Prince, but he had never hinted at his removal. It became clear that as long as the Crown Prince and his family remained united, they might weather the challenges ahead. For Shao Yunduan, it became crucial to navigate this situation sessfully. When he assumed the role of Minister Counsellor of the Ministry of Revenue, his new colleagues warmly weed him. Minister Xing and the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry were aligned with the Crown Prince, and knowing of Shao Yunduan¡¯s special rtionship with him, they held him in high regard as well. This favorable opinion from Minister Xing ensured that nobody dared to make things difficult for Shao Yunduan. The Young Master, aware of Shao Yunduan¡¯s allegiance, treated him as one of his own. He introduced Shao Yunduan to some of his advisors and shared invaluable insights about the workings of the intermediate court. He even invited Shao Yunduan to the East Pce, encouraging him to seek guidance whenever faced with a predicament. Shao Yunduan thanked the crown prince deeply. He was speaking truly from his heart. Undoubtedly, the Crown Prince was a genuinely virtuous man, not merely pretending to be one. Shao Yunduan could discern his sincerity when observing him interact with others. As a neer to the school, Shao Yunduan felt somewhat powerless. While he couldn¡¯t help but think about his wife, his primary concern was how to support and counsel the Crown Prince effectively, encouraging him to disy firmness and resilience¡ªespecially in the face of challenges. The crown prince treated his brothers with utmost kindness and consideration. If Shao Yunduan offered any advice that could be misconstrued, he risked being used of sowing discord within the royal family.
Chapter 1157: Slap on the Face Chapter 1157: p on the Face Editor:Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan found himself in a dilemma and needed to carefully consider his next steps. Although he was leading a peaceful life, someone was causing trouble for him. The Fourth Prince and Honored Princess Mei were greatly annoyed by the situation. On the other hand, the Second Prince and Third Prince didn¡¯t pay much attention to Shao Yunduan¡¯s actions. They believed that his association with the Crown Prince and his father¡¯s admiration didn¡¯t hold much significance as Shao Yunduancked a powerful background and appeared too weak to be of any help to the Crown Prince. However, things took a different turn because of the Tian Family¡¯s involvement. The Fourth Prince felt humiliated and pped in the face due to their actions. Princess Virtue Sun¡¯s jokes in front of the Empress, which indirectly targeted Honored Princess Mei, only fueled her annoyance further. Feeling humiliated and unable to tolerate the disrespect, Honored Princess Mei decided to take a stand against the concubine. Moreover, the Fourth Prince¡¯s growing support and the Emperor¡¯s favor towards him gave them a sense of superiority over the Crown Prince, whocked the same level of backing from his mother¡¯s family. They were confident that the Crown Prince would eventually step down, but Shao Yunduan¡¯s actions brought them face-to-face with a challenge from the Crown Prince¡¯s side. This situation worried them because they considered their reputation and the perceptions of their followers and those who remained neutral. They were aware that no one couldpete with the Crown Prince, and his association with Minister Old Yunmanded even more respect and admiration. After much discussion, the mother and son decided to address the situation by confronting Shao Yunduan. Wasn¡¯t he the Primus personally taught by Minister Old Yun? Wasn¡¯t he an advanced talent? But if he had a bad character and wasn¡¯t that good, did that mean that Minister Old Yun was getting old, not intermediate, and had bad taste? With this, she could get Minister Old Yun off the pedestal!
If she could control it well, she might even be able to take down the Crown Prince! The Fourth Prince went back to the mansion and passed on the message to He Zhiqing. ¡°You are the cousin of the Xie Family, and I heard that Young Master Xie is in a good rtionship with Shao Yunduan, right? I will leave this to you, and I don¡¯t care what method you use. If you seed, I will treat you well.¡± In the end, the Fourth Prince decided to listen to his mother and not look down at women. He Zhiqing was the best person to deal with this. She was Shao Yunduan¡¯s old friend, and even if that did not work out, she could be pushed out as the scapegoat. It was reasonable to say that they had a grudge against each other, and she was taking revenge on them. He Zhiqing felt both bitter and motivated. That was not a very easy thing to do. She would definitely be moved. She was a concubine, and he would not treat her badly. He would either give her the position of a concubine or give her a son. Either way, she wanted them all. She even wanted both of them. But there was no free lunch in the world, and there was no free lunch. Elder Miss had given her a warning before, and she could still stall for time. But since His Highness said so, she could not dy any longer. He Zhiqing asked Qiao Wei to meet her privately. Qiao Wei was very young, but she looked fierce. She was not having a good time either. She was suffering physically and mentally. That was such a huge blow to her! When Qiao Xuan fell into the water and was forced to break off the engagement with the Yang Family, she felt happy and gloating. Chapter 1158: Snatch Chapter 1158: Snatch Editor:Henyee Trantions But she just could not ept what was happening to her. She felt utterly miserable. After returning to the capital, her expectations of a glorious life were shattered. Instead, she felt unhappy and ufortable. It was a stark contrast to her previous life, which only added to her misery. What made her even more furious and miserable was witnessing Qiao Xuan¡¯s rising fortunes. The lowly concubine¡¯s daughter, whom she had looked down upon and treated poorly, was now basking in the limelight, living a luxurious life! On the other hand, she was struggling. She couldn¡¯t even afford new dresses, and she had to keep asking the kitchen to prepare her meals. If she felt cornered, she could merely throw money at her problems to solve them. Qiao Wei had always been domineering and willful, but this situation was getting to her. Though she had made a fuss before, Madame Lady Qiao would lecture her every time. Her two aunts would also criticize her and belittle her worth. Eventually, her parents would apologize to her with money to appease her. Qiao Wei was incredibly annoyed with this cycle. So when He Zhiqing asked her to join them, she sensed that something was wrong and left without hesitation. Seeing her expression, He Zhiqing smiled and felt reassured.
The two of them sat down, had tea, and exchanged a few words, quickly findingmon ground. Qiao Wei gritted her teeth and viciously cursed Qiao Xuan. He Zhiqing smiled and nodded, outwardly supporting the story, but inwardly feeling disdainful. She thought to herself that thisdy from the Qiao Family, despite being the lineal daughter, had a mouth worse than that of a vulgar woman in the market. No wonder she was no match for Qiao Xuan. Nevertheless, the more Qiao Wei behaved like this, the happier He Zhiqing became. ¡°Ms. Qiao is just a concubine¡¯s daughter, how dare she! She ruined everything for you. Why not take everything away from her?¡± Qiao Wei sneered and said hatefully, ¡°Of course I am! I won¡¯t let her live a good life!¡± He Zhiqing suggested, ¡°You can steal Shao Yunduan!¡± Qiao Wei was startled. ¡°Shao Yunduan?¡± She subconsciously showed disgust and resistance. She hated both Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. That in-clothed countryside man had be arrogant the moment he gained power. She did not like this kind of man at all! Seeing her reaction, He Zhiqing almost sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t like him? Well, you and your daughter have no taste at all! You can¡¯t even differentiate between pearls and fish,¡± she thought to herself. He Zhiqing turned to Qiao Wei with dark eyes, smiling. ¡°Without Shao Yunduan, Ms. Qiao is nothing. She has no parents or family to support her, and she doesn¡¯t even have a husband¡¯s family. She is at your mercy, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°By that time, you will never be able to take revenge. You are the lineal daughter, and Qiao Xuan is just a concubine¡¯s daughter. If you keep her as a concubine, you will trample on her for the rest of your life!¡± Qiao Wei¡¯s eyes sparkled with intrigue. She was moved by the idea. If she stole Shao Yunduan away, Qiao Xuan would have nothing left. Qiao Xuan, with nothing, would be at her mercy. The thought of having such power over her was exhrating. It seemed like the perfect way to exact revenge on Qiao Xuan. But¡­
¡°Elder Miss Tian,¡± she hesitated. He Zhiqing¡¯s face turned serious as she calmly said, ¡°Shao Yunduan and Ms. Qiao have nothing to do with the Tian Family. What happened before was just a misunderstanding.¡± Chapter 1159: Exposure Chapter 1159: Exposure Editor:Henyee Trantions That was what the Emperor said, and no one would dare to doubt that. Also, this was the best and most effective method. He Zhiqing had the backing of the Fourth Prince, and she didn¡¯t care if Tian Shanshan was satisfied or not. In her opinion, Shao Yunduan was a sure bet working with the Crown Prince, and Tian Shanshan had no chance with him anymore. So she didn¡¯t need to worry about a thing. He Zhiqing looked down at Qiao Wei ¨C she was so timid andcked courage. What could she do? But that was good too. Qiao Wei was the easiest person to manipte. A few dayster, a group from the Hanlin Academy gathered at Xiangshan to recite poetry, and they invited Shao Yunduan along with some other young officials from the six departments. Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t turn down such a gathering, especially when he was in the limelight; otherwise, he would be med for not fitting in. Shao Yunduan was well aware that he had be the Junior Brother of Minister Old Yun and the Crown Prince¡¯s Junior Brother. Everyone congratted him on the surface, but they were all secretly jealous of his newfound status.
At this moment, they couldn¡¯t leave any evidence behind. Also, things were different now. Since he had decided to make ns for the Crown Prince, he couldn¡¯t simply keep a low profile like before. It was more important for him to have a wide circle of friends and identify potential allies. The Xiang Mountains offered beautiful scenery, and they enjoyed swimming in the mountains and rivers. But why hadn¡¯t the thrifty people who gathered here made tea to add to the fun? Despite that, they had a great time throughout the day. In the afternoon, they returned to town and went straight to a restaurant for dinner. The cost of the dinner was pooled together. The Fourth Prince and the Third Prince had always been interested in these matters, so they dly contributed as well. Shao Yunduan, being a wealthy man, offered 100 liang when gathering the money. He might not match the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince, but his contribution was still quite impressive. With ample funds, the table was filled with good wine and delicacies. Everyone was talking andughing, creating a lively atmosphere. One person took the lead in offering Shao Yunduan a toast and congrattions, praising his promising future. Others followed suit, whether they were sincere or not. Shao Yunduan had no reason to turn them down. If he did, it would seem too proud and rude. But with so many people around, he smiled bitterly and repeatedly expressed that he couldn¡¯t hold his liquor well. He apologized again and again, eventually convincing them to switch to smaller wine sses. Reluctantly, Shao Yunduan began drinking them one by one. After consuming so many sses, Shao Yunduan got quite drunk. Not wanting to drink any further, he pretended to be heavily intoxicated. Some guests remarked, ¡°Just let him be,¡± and others agreed, letting him off the hook. When the banquet was over, he arranged for someone to drive him home with the help of Songshi. At his doorstep, Songshi did his best to assist his master, thanking the officer who had seen them off. Once inside the yard, Songshi closed the door behind them. Shao Yunduan leaned against the wall and vomited, feeling slightly better. To his surprise, he wasn¡¯t actually as drunk as he had led them to believe. He was impressed by how well he had managed to hold his liquor.
After resting for a while in his room, he felt even more awake. Songshi hurriedly boiled hot water and fetched water for Shao Yunduan to wash up. He prepared a bowl of hot tea to help alleviate the hangover. Additionally, he filled a thick cotton-coated jar with hot water, cing it at the head of his bed, so Shao Yunduan could have water to drink in the middle of the night when he felt thirsty. With Songshi¡¯s assistance, Shao Yunduany down, and as he closed the door, Songshi left the room.
Chapter 1160: Hatred Chapter 1160: Hatred Editor:Henyee Trantions In the chillyte autumn night, the warmth within the room felt exceptionally precious, providingfort and sce to its inhabitants. Anticipating the possibility of Shao Yunduan waking up in the middle of the night or needing a drink, Songshi had thoughtfully left an oilmp emitting a dim yellow light concealed behind a screen, covered with a gauze veil. This thoughtful gesture not only allowed her to sleep undisturbed but also facilitated visibility in the room. Shortly after Songshi¡¯s departure, a faint stirring disrupted the tranquility of the room. Qiao Wei, who had been hiding in the corner, emerged with cautious steps. Her eyes fell upon Shao Yunduan lying on the bed, and a contemptuous sneer appeared on her face. She was convinced that Shao Yunduan was thoroughly inebriated and out of his senses. With this belief, she approached the bed, standing there with an air of arrogance, and gazed down at him with disdain and bitterness in her eyes. Qiao Wei could not muster any positive feelings for this man, especially considering how he had sided with Qiao Xuan. Her heart was filled with nothing but animosity and resentment. The mere thought of marrying him intensified her annoyance and repulsion. Nevertheless, despite her inner turmoil, she remained resolute and unwavering in her decision not to change her mind.
As Qiao Wei recollected Qiao Xuan¡¯s shocked, angry, and helpless reaction to the incident, she found a slight sense of satisfaction wash over her. With an icy determination etched on her face, she began to unfasten her clothes. However, just as she was in the midst of this act, Shao Yunduan unexpectedly let out a snort and swung his leg, kicking towards her. Coincidentally, she was about to remove her belt, and the unexpected kick caught her off guard, causing her to lose bnce and fall to the ground with a sharp scream. Quickly, she covered her mouth to stifle any further noise. Aware that Songshi was still present in the yard, she knew she couldn¡¯t afford any disturbances. ¡°Damn it!¡± she whispered through gritted teeth, clutching her aching stomach. She cursed under her breath before pulling herself back up from the ground, trying to regain herposure. Her instincts alerted Qiao Wei that something was amiss, and as sheprehended the situation, her eyes widened in terror, and a chilling sensation engulfed her. Unbeknownst to her, Shao Yunduan had already slipped off the bed and was now standing silently behind her, his gaze cold and intense. Startled, she was on the verge of screaming when he quickly stifled her cries by pressing a pillow against her mouth and nose, forcefully pushing her against the wall. Qiao Wei struggled desperately, her fear and loathing for Shao Yunduan reaching their peak. She despised this lowlymoner for his audacity. Shao Yunduan¡¯s strong hands showed no mercy as he held her firmly, refusing to release his grip. His icy stare bore into Qiao Wei, devoid of any spoken words or questions about her presence. Theck of air was taking its toll on Qiao Wei, leaving her dizzy and gasping for breath. The intensity of the situation overwhelmed her, and she eventually lost consciousness, copsing to the ground. Upon witnessing her copse, Shao Yunduan paused, his expression contorted with concern and confusion as he observed the woman before him. Gradually, the pieces of the puzzle fell into ce, and he realized the truth of the matter. Due to excessive drinking at the gathering earlier, when they returned home, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan found Qiao Wei pleading with them to reconcile with the Qiao Family. She imed that her parents regretted their decision and missed Qiao Xuan, urging them to return home. Qiao Wei seemed to seize any opportunity to show up at this critical moment. During this period Qiao Xuan, heavily intoxicated, had been considered to go to the nunnery to pray for blessings. Hisck of control over his actions made it usible that something might have transpired between him and Qiao Wei. Chapter 1161: Good Tolerance Chapter 1161: Good Tolerance Editor:Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan¡¯s eyes were filled with a chilling sneer as he looked upon the scene. That was a good n! Deep down, he knew that the unexpected encounter with Qiao Wei at his doorstep while he was inebriated, and with Qiao Xuan absent, was no mere ident. It had to be orchestrated, likely involving the Tian Family or the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion. Only they could have ensured he got drunk tonight. While the Qiao Family might have seen this as a golden opportunity to bring Qiao Wei closer to the Crown Prince, they couldn¡¯t have controlled whether he would end up inebriated or not. Recognizing the scheme at y, Shao Yunduan jotted down a few notes and dispatched Songshi to the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion. He instructed Songshi to find the patrolling soldiers and inform them that he had forgotten about an urgent matter that needed his attention. This way, he could excuse his hasty departure from the current scene to avoid potential trouble. With still some time before midnight, Songshi discreetly left the ce, his presence hardly drawing any attention. However, when he stumbled upon Qiao Wei lying on the ground, he was taken aback and wisely refrained from probing further. Their master would never approve of Elder Miss Qiao, so Songshi was convinced that he had been deceived. Despite this, he had no intention of casting Qiao Wei aside. He and Songshi knew that transporting her elsewhere was challenging as theycked a wagon and risked being noticed if they tried to move her discreetly. Moreover, leaving Qiao Wei outside would mean subjecting her to the freezing weather, potentially resulting in her death. If she were to pass away near her own home, suspicion would undoubtedly fall on them. Another concern was the possibility of guards sent by the Tian Family or the Fourth Prince being stationed nearby. Any attempt to carry Qiao Wei away could lead to their capture, and exining their actions would be an arduous task.
Aware of the potential enemies he would encounter once he became the Crown Prince¡¯s confidant, Shao Yunduan had always been vignt. However, he had never expected such a vile scheme to be set in motion against him. Fortunately, his alcohol tolerance saved them from disaster. Otherwise, they would have been in grave danger. Yet, who could have predicted that their peaceful day of enjoying mountain scenery and poetry would turn into a night of revelry and drunkenness at home? It was not umon for them to doze off under such circumstances. But they were waiting for them here! Shao Yunduan felt that he would have been utterly humiliated if he had been set up in his own home. Nothing could be more frustrating than this. Taking a moment topose himself, Shao Yunduan decided to take action. He retrieved some ropes and securely tied up Qiao Wei, making sure she couldn¡¯t cause any trouble. The sight of her, the lineal daughter of the Qiao Family and a nobledy, bound and helpless filled him with disgust. Meanwhile, Songshi ventured outside and quickly located a small team from the Military Department responsible for night patrols. He revealed his identity and exined the situation, requesting their assistance. Upon learning that it concerned the Crown Prince, the team didn¡¯t dare to waste any time and immediately sent two men to apany Songshi to the crown prince¡¯s mansion. Arriving at the crown prince¡¯s mansionte at night, Songshi¡¯s presence startled the gatekeeper, who promptly allowed him in while notifying the Crown Prince of his arrival. Upon reading the note Shao Yunduan had entrusted to Songshi, the Crown Prince¡¯s expression turned grave, his inner fury mounting. Had it not been for Shao Yunduan¡¯s ability to handle alcohol, his reputation would have suffered irreparable damage the following day. Chapter 1162: No Problem Chapter 1162: No Problem Editor:Henyee Trantions Even the grand tutor would be criticized, and he might even be pped in the face, too. The Crown Prince, known for his mild temperament, was visibly furious this time. He could understand why his brothers didn¡¯t want him to be the crown prince. After all, they were all the father¡¯s sons, and their titles were entirely different. It was difficult to convince anyone that he was the rightful heir. Moreover, his father was observing the situation, and he couldn¡¯t allow his brothers to tarnish their reputations. While they caused him trouble openly and in secret, it wasn¡¯t anything too serious. He had no choice but to feign indifference. ¡°Heaven must have a greater purpose in store for us, and we must endure this suffering first¡­¡± He decided not to engage in arguments with them. However, he couldn¡¯t bear it when they attempted to discredit the highly respected tutor. The Crown Prince let out a sigh filled with emotion ¨C he had been nothing but kind to them in the past! He chose to remain silent and epted the letter before asking Songshi to leave.
Songshi didn¡¯t dare to inquire further. He bowed and left the room. However, upon Songshi¡¯s return to the Shao Family, he found his master sitting calmly at the table, as if he had been waiting for him. Elder Miss Qiao, who had been lying unconscious on the ground, was nowhere to be found. ¡°¡­.¡± Songshi¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He felt a bit foolish for his previous actions. Shao Yunduan noticed the expression on his face and couldn¡¯t help but smile, relieved that things had calmed down. He gestured to Songshi, saying, ¡°Alright, you can go home and take a break.¡± Songshi scratched his head, about to ask a question, but he stumbled over his words. Eventually, he nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, Fifth Old Master, what if I stay up tonight and keep watch outside your room?¡± ¡°No need for that, you can go. Everything is under control now!¡± Secret guards from the crown prince¡¯s mansion arrived and escorted Qiao Wei away. Shao Yunduan¡¯s worst-case scenario had been avoided, as two people had been secretly monitoring them from outside the mansion. It was evident that both the Tian Family and the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion held him in high regard. Shao Yunduan secured the door,y down calmly, and tried to sleep. But despite feeling a little tipsy, sleep eluded him. He longed for his wife. If his wife were here, something like this might not have happened. He wondered if she had a smooth trip and if she had faced any hardships. By now, she should have arrived home, right? Even if she hadn¡¯t arrived yet, she would be here in one or two days. So she wouldn¡¯t be away for too long. The following morning, Shao Yunduan woke up early. Songshi had a restless night, and he was in the middle of cleaning the yard when Shao Yunduan got up. He put the broom aside and smiled, ¡°Fifth Old Master, you¡¯re up so early today, and I haven¡¯t even boiled water to wash my face. Let¡¯s get the fire started now!¡± After washing Shao Yunduan¡¯s face, Songshi was about to prepare some hot tea when he heard loud banging on the door, startling him.
¡°Who is making such a ruckus!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Let¡¯s go and see what¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Songshi was about to open the door and give a piece of his mind to the intruder, but before he could speak, the door was pushed open, nearly knocking him over.
¡°You¡­ Young Master Qiao, what brings you here?¡± Songshi was surprised to see Qiao Hongxi at the front. He was equally puzzled by the group of five or six people apanying him. Qiao Hongxi snorted and pushed his way in, beckoning the idlers to follow. ¡°Where is Shao Yunduan? Tell him toe out now!¡± Chapter 1163: Instigated Chapter 1163: Instigated Editor:Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan briskly left the room, striding toward Qiao Hongxi and positioning himself in front of the door. ¡°Qiao Hongxi, what brings you here?¡± he asked calmly. Qiao Hongxi¡¯s face was flushed with anger. ¡°How dare you ask me that! You¡¯ve bullied my sister and ruined her reputation! How could you have the audacity to question me?¡± He had harbored the thought of hitting Shao Yunduan for a while, and he saw this as the perfect opportunity. Rolling up his sleeves, he prepared to strike. Reacting quickly, Songshi stepped forward and grabbed Qiao Hongxi¡¯s hands, shouting, ¡°Young Master Qiao, don¡¯t do anything rash. Our Fifth Master holds a prominent position as a fifth-grade Minister of Revenue, while you are merely a fortunate man from Hanlin Academy. Hitting our Fifth Master would be a grave offense to your superior!¡± At the mention of Shao Yunduan¡¯s status, Qiao Hongxi¡¯s anger subsided somewhat. The bystanders who had followed Qiao Hongxi were eager to intervene, but they held back, realizing the situation¡¯s seriousness. It was a tense and charged moment. ncing at the onlookers, Shao Yunduan discerned that they were no ordinary troublemakers. Their willingness toe to Qiao Hongxi¡¯s aid hinted that they were manipted into this confrontation. A faint smile crossed Shao Yunduan¡¯s face, finding their arrogance amusing.
¡°Young Master Qiao, please exin yourself clearly. Why have youe to my home so early in the morning and made such baseless usations? You can¡¯t simply defame me like this. If you fail to provide a reasonable exnation, we can settle this matter at the Heavenly Mansion Office,¡± Shao Yunduan calmly retorted. ¡°How dare you say that!¡± Qiao Hongxi¡¯s rage intensified. ¡°My sister visited you yesterday to mend ties between our families, but she didn¡¯t return home the entire night. How dare you im that you had no part in it? How dare you deny any involvement?¡± ¡°You have the audacity to suggest searching me? If you do so and find nothing, then let¡¯s see what you have to say!¡± Qiao Hongxi threatened, attempting to challenge Shao Yunduan¡¯s innocence. Outside the door, a group of curious neighbors had gathered, drawn in by themotion. They were taken aback by Qiao Hongxi¡¯s usations and exchanged puzzled nces. ¡°What is happening? This doesn¡¯t seem right!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe Officer Shao would do something like that. He has a good rtionship with Madame Shao!¡± ¡°Indeed, Officer Shao is known for his talent and was personally taught by Minister Old Yun. It¡¯s hard to believe he could be involved in such a matter. I¡¯m skeptical about this.¡± ¡°Agreed, let¡¯s not jump to conclusions without proper evidence!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s expression turned disdainful. ¡°This is utterly ridiculous! You think you can just barge in and search my room without any evidence?¡± Qiao Hongxi¡¯s aggression only intensified. ¡°Your guilt is evident from your defensive stance!¡± ¡°That tactic won¡¯t work on me. I¡¯ve even imed that the Qiao Family stole 1,000 liang from me. If you doubt my word, feel free to search my room. I have nothing to hide!¡± ¡°You¡¯re beingpletely unreasonable!¡± ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Shao Yunduan shook his head, realizing his words fell on deaf ears. ¡°Qiao Hongxi, I¡¯m not joking around here. I won¡¯t let you invade my privacy and disturb my home just based on baseless usations. This is not going to happen.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! Shao Yunduan, I¡¯m dead serious about this matter. I will search your room today, whether you like it or not. I won¡¯t let my sister suffer for nothing. Politeness won¡¯t work with him, just go ahead and search!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see who dares!¡± Shao Yunduan retorted sharply. ¡°You may be Young Master Qiao, but that doesn¡¯t give you the right to trespass and act like a robber! You¡¯re tantly disregarding thew and challenging the court! Be careful of the consequences you¡¯ll face, like beheading!¡± Chapter 1164: Follow Me Chapter 1164: Follow Me Editor:Henyee Trantions The hesitant men who had nned to storm into the room in search of Shao Yunduan found themselves suddenly unsure about their actions. Although they were just employees, they understood that they were obligated to follow their employer¡¯s orders. Getting reprimanded or even imprisoned in the Heavenly Mansion Office for a short period or enduring a fewshings was a part of their job. However, the usation of disobeying thew and defying the court was far more serious than they could handle. They realized that one misstep could cost them their lives. Shao Yunduan attempted to defend himself, but his defense only seemed to reinforce Qiao Hongxi¡¯s belief that he was guilty. This excitement in finding Shao Yunduan¡¯s supposed weakness made Qiao Hongxi eager to take him down. ¡°Don¡¯t think that a few words can scare me off. I won¡¯t leave until I search this ce! My sister can¡¯t be mistreated for nothing! Shao Yunduan, if you¡¯re innocent, why are you so afraid?¡± Qiao Hongxi eximed, his emotions running high. Shao Yunduan fixed a cold stare on him. ¡°Are you absolutely certain that your sister is with me?¡± Qiao Hongxi sneered back. ¡°She imed she was here to see you, yet she never returned homest night. Where else could she be? I won¡¯t be at peace until I see her with my own eyes!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s sneer intensified as he spoke deliberately, ¡°Very well, I can show the room to you. But you must understand that if we do this without any evidence, it will tarnish my dignity as an officer of the court, won¡¯t it?¡± Qiao Hongxi felt a pang in his heart as he recognized the vast difference in their positions. ¡°What do you suggest, then?¡±
Shao Yunduan smirked confidently. ¡°If you manage to find what you seek, then feel free to act as you wish. But if you don¡¯t, then I will handle things my way.¡± Qiao Hongxi rolled his eyes in response. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s a deal!¡± Turning to the watching neighbors, Shao Yunduan bowed politely. ¡°Dear neighbors, I¡¯m notfortable with strangers searching my ce. Could you please lend me a hand?¡± Qiao Xuan knew how tight-knit the neighborhood was, especially in these alleys where everyone knew each other¡¯s business. As neers, she and Shao Yunduan had been treated differently at first. To integrate into themunity, they had taken the initiative to visit their neighbors, offering gifts and showing respect. They took the time to learn about the various families, who had valuable possessions, who had unpleasant reputations, and who needed assistance. They always had treats like candied fruits, peanuts, and melon seeds with them, generously sharing them with children and neighbors alike. They also sought help and advice from the locals when needed. This approach had allowed them to build good rtionships with their neighbors, proving that they weren¡¯t merely naive or foolishly giving away things. Now, with Shao Yunduan being an officer and having received tutge from Minister Old Yun, the neighbors respected him even more. So when Shao Yunduan asked for their help, they all nodded approvingly, saying, ¡°Of course, that¡¯s only fair!¡± Chapter 1165: Disbelief Chapter 1165: Disbelief Editor:Henyee Trantions So, Shao Yunduan selected a few respected elders from themunity to help him search the room. As they began the search, Qiao Hongxi couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of envy at how well-liked Shao Yunduan was among the neighbors. Inwardly, he started to entertain the idea that his grandmother might have been right ¨C perhaps Qiao Xuan had stolen their family fortune and given it to Shao Yunduan. How else could he have such strong support and freedom to act as he pleased? Qiao Hongxi¡¯s annoyance grew, and he red at Shao Yunduan, determined to teach him a lesson. Believing that finding his sister would prove Shao Yunduan¡¯s deceit, Qiao Hongxi stormed into the room, apanied by the others. To their surprise, they couldn¡¯t find Qiao Wei anywhere, leaving them dumbfounded. Qiao Hongxi didn¡¯t realize the significance of this, but Shao Yunduan did. The idle men exchanged anxious nces, sensing that something was amiss. Shao Yunduan knew exactly where they hade from, and his mind raced to understand the situation. ¡°How is this possible? How can she be gone?¡± Qiao Hongxi eximed in disbelief. Recalling the letter he received, detailing Shao Yunduan¡¯s actions the previous night and his supposed interactions with Qiao Wei, he had believed every word. Furthermore, he had even checked Qiao Wei¡¯s room and found it empty. It was clear that she wasn¡¯t there. Qiao Hongxi had sought out the assistance of some passersby, asking them to join in the search. In his mind, Shao Yunduan must be hiding something, as he had repeatedly rejected their offers to help. But now, faced with the inability to find his sister, Qiao Hongxi¡¯s frustration peaked. ¡°You must have hidden her!¡± he used Shao Yunduan, his emotions getting the best of him.
Shao Yunduan¡¯s voice turned cold as he retorted, ¡°Qiao Hongxi, it seems like you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s vocal here, right? You believe what you say is the absolute truth? Fine, then take me to the governmental office if that¡¯s what you think. Your sister¡¯s disappearance is a serious matter, after all!¡± Qiao Hongxi was already panicking. ¡°Last night, she clearly¡­¡± ¡°You saw that?¡± ¡°No, but¡­¡± ¡°Heard that? Who did you hear this from?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Qiao Hongxi had no idea who it was, and even if he did, he would not reveal the secret. Neighbors could not stand that any more. Theyined. ¡°That is so over the top! They are ruining Officer Shao¡¯s reputation!¡± ¡°I knew it! Officer Shao is not like this!¡± ¡°I almost believed what that man said, but¡­¡± ¡°That man looks so mean and wretched. He is definitely not a good person!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Qiao Hongxi¡¯s face flushed with anger as he snapped, ¡°I am not mistaken! My sister must have been here! You must have set her up!¡± Shao Yunduan sneered in response to Qiao Hongxi¡¯s usation. As they continued to argue, a team of guards entered the room, causing Qiao Hongxi to startle. The onlookers¡¯ hearts sank, sensing trouble was brewing. Seizing the opportunity, Shao Yunduan pointed at Qiao Hongxi and said to the guards, ¡°Thank you for your timely arrival. This man has falsely used me, and I have no idea what he¡¯s talking about. Please escort him to the governmental office and request the governor to interrogate him!¡± The guards greeted Shao Yunduan respectfully and nodded in agreement.
Songshi, one of the onlookers, took this moment to recount the entire incident to the guards. The leader of the guards seemed eager to please Shao Yunduan and showed no concern for Qiao Hongxi. He promptly ordered his men to fetch Shao Yunduan. Furious at Shao Yunduan¡¯s actions, Qiao Hongxi struggled and yelled, ¡°Shao Yunduan, you set up my sister and attempted to frame me! You are a disgraceful son-inw of the Qiao Family! My father must have been blind to ept you into our family!¡±
Chapter 1166: False Accusation Chapter 1166: False usation Editor:Henyee Trantions All the neighborsughed and looked at him disdainfully, pointing at him. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan lived there and were determined not to let those untrue rumors survive. Once the rumor started to spread, it would be challenging to eradicate itpletely. They had to act proactively and squash it before it even took root. Qiao Xuan had already exined the situation to them, recounting the history between the Qiao Family and her own, earning sympathy and constion from some of the neighbors. Qiao Hongxi was unaware that the neighbors were informed. He had misunderstood Shao Yunduan¡¯s behavior, thinking he was being disrespectful to the elders, which was a wrong assumption. His confusion persisted when Shao Yunduan added, ¡°Young Master Qiao, you haven¡¯t forgotten our previous conversation, have you? If you can¡¯t find anyone, you can join me. I suggest you visit the governmental office of the Heavenly Mansion Office and request an inquiry to get to the bottom of this!¡± ¡°How dare you¡­¡± ¡°Because I am more advanced than you, and you have falsely used me. Shouldn¡¯t you pay the price?¡± Did he really believe he could act recklessly just because he felt indebted to the Qiao Family?
Qiao Hongxi was about to say something, but the guards from the Heavenly Mansion Office suddenly turned their attention to a prominent man from the Hanlin Academy. Furthermore, the Crown Prince was present, and they needed to ingratiate themselves with powerful figures. The leader snapped, and two guards rushed up, dragging Qiao Hongxi away with his hands behind his back. Qiao Hongxi almost exploded with indignation. He was a schr, not a criminal. How could these people humiliate him like this? He struggled and shouted, ¡°Let me go!¡± But no one paid any attention. In a sorry state, he was driven away. Those idlers had to be brought back to the governmental office for interrogation. However, there were many people at the scene, and they were very cautious and quick-witted. Before the guards could catch them, they had already disappeared into the crowd. They were merely some idlers who had offered their help. So, it didn¡¯t matter much if they ran away, as long as the main suspect didn¡¯t escape. The magistrate of the Heavenly Mansion Office was familiar with Shao Yunduan¡¯s reputation. He couldn¡¯t believe that Qiao Hongxi would use the Crown Prince of being involved with someone of such importance. They were all brought to the hall for interrogation. As an officer, Qiao Hongxi felt he didn¡¯t need to kneel down in front of the governor of Heavenly Mansion. However, he flushed with anger and cursed Shao Yunduan and the guards from the Heavenly Mansion. He couldn¡¯t understand what was going on, and his behavior annoyed the governor to the point where he wanted to drag him down and discipline him. The governor believed that a good beating might make him morepliant. In order to resolve the case, the governor insisted on having concrete evidence before letting Qiao Hongxi leave. Qiao Hongxi became anxious and said, ¡°I have proof. Someone delivered the letter to me early this morning, and the letter is very clear!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the letter about?¡± The governor¡¯s eyes sparkled, realizing they had hit the key point. ¡°You can see for yourself if I am lying or not!¡± Qiao Hongxi¡¯s face sank, and he stiffened. He panicked and frantically searched for the letter in his arms. But he found nothing.
The Heavenly Mansion governor¡¯s eyes turned cold as he snapped, ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Qiao Hongxi also panicked and protested, ¡°That is impossible! I put the letter away, how could I not have it?¡± The Heavenly Mansion governor sneered and waited for him to find the letter.
Chapter 1167: Nonsense Chapter 1167: Nonsense Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Impossible! That is impossible!¡± Qiao Hongxi was not stupid either. The letter clearly exined how Shao Yunduan behaved the day before, how his sister went to the Shao Family to beg Shao Yunduan, and how Shao Yunduan took her into the yard. In short, there were so many details, and it couldn¡¯t have been a rumor made out of nothing. Those who were not at Shao Yunduan¡¯s gathering the day before would not have known so many details. Those details could be verified by asking a few people who were present that day. As long as the details could be proved to be true, then the other contents of the letter could be believed, right? Or maybe Shao Yunduan was the suspect? That was why Qiao Hongxi dared to cause trouble for Shao Yunduan. Also, he was worried that Shao Yunduan would move his sister away. So he rushed to the Shao Residence as soon as he heard the news and confirmed that his sister was not in the room. But he had not expected that Shao Yunduan would report this to the governmental office!
He reported this to the governmental office! What he had not expected was that the letter, which he had been holding in his arms, disappeared without a trace. ¡°Qiao Hongxi, how dare you!¡± The governor got impatient and snapped. Qiao Hongxi shivered and almost tripped. ¡°Officer, that is not true! I swear that the letter did exist; otherwise, I would not have known that Shao Yunduan would do something like this. Yes, Shao Yunduan must have stolen the letter! He must have!¡± The governor was so annoyed that he sneered. ¡°You are a schr? You are so unreasonable! You mean Officer Shao stole the letter from you in public?¡± What else could Qiao Hongxi say? He gritted his teeth and nodded. ¡°Yes, Officer.¡± ¡°Nonsense! Without evidence, it is a false usation. You are a schr, don¡¯t you know anything?¡± Qiao Hongxi hated it when people looked down at him for not being a schr. He was so angry that he wanted to argue, but he had no idea what to say. At this moment, the messenger from the Qiao Family returned. ¡°Officer, the Lady of the Qiao Family is at the mansion, and she is fine.¡± Qiao Hongxi was startled. The governor sneered. ¡°What else do you have to say?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be possible¡­ She is not here, how could she¡­¡± The constable threw a speechless look at him. ¡°Ms. Qiao said that she had lost something, and she was looking for it in the garden early in the morning.¡± Qiao Hongxi staggered and suddenly looked up with a scream. ¡°It is a trap! Officer, Shao Yunduan must have set me up! He set me up!¡± ¡°He must have sent someone to give me the letter! Then he tried to steal it away! He set me up!¡± The governor did not even want to look at him any more. He was thinking that the Young Master of the Qiao Family must have lost his mind. It was no wonder that he was getting worse and worse at the Hanlin Academy.
What was the point of being an officer? She could just go home and save herself the embarrassment! ¡°Where is the evidence?¡± ¡°The letter is the proof, but¡­¡± ¡°Where is the letter? You can¡¯t offer it? What more do you have to say? Are you going to judge the case, or am I? You are just a schr, and you don¡¯t know what it means to have no evidence?¡±
¡°Officer, I¡­¡± Chapter 1168: Unclear Chapter 1168: Unclear Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Guards, take him away and put Qiao Hongxi in the prison. We will decide on his fateter!¡± Qiao Hongxi was startled, and he tried to protest, ¡°Officer, you can¡¯t¡­ Officer!¡± Qiao Hongxi¡¯s voice faded away as the guards escorted him away. The governor rubbed his forehead, trying topose himself and deal with the aftermath of the situation. The matter at hand involved officials from the court, Crown Prince¡¯s followers, and questions of ethics between men and women. Shao Yunduan had hoped that by capturing Qiao Hongxi, he could uncover the identity of the mastermind. However, the mastermind had manipted Qiao Hongxi with a letter that was now missing. The governor of Heavenly Mansion found himself unable to do much in this situation. Qiao Hongxi seemed to be clueless about the whole affair. He couldn¡¯t recall who gave him the letter, and the letter itself had disappeared. Shao Yunduan was convinced that the letter must have existed, as it was the reason Qiao Hongxi caused trouble. But now, with no evidence to produce, it seemed the letter was nothing more than a fabrication. As for Qiao Wei, she was the daughter of an officer and had no connection to the matter ¨C it was all based on Qiao Hongxi¡¯s false ims. Because of this, she was not summoned to the court. However, the Heavenly Mansion sent someone to interrogate her. Throughout the interrogation, she maintained her innocence, iming she was not missing and had been at home the entire night. She had no idea why her brother said such things, and the situation bewildered her. Qiao Wei was overwhelmed with sadness and anger, tears streaming down her face. Her emotions were genuine, but the situation she found herself in was also painfully real. Her luck had taken a cruel turn. She hade so close to achieving her goal, only to fail miserably. Shao Yunduan had discovered her and knocked her unconscious. When she finally regained consciousness, she was blindfolded and disoriented, not knowing her whereabouts. Momentster, she cked out again. When she woke up once more, she was in the middle of her own garden. What could she possibly say? Revealing to the Heavenly Mansion¡¯s authorities that she had sneaked into Shao Yunduan¡¯s home in the dead of night, with someone¡¯s help, to set him up and tarnish his reputation was out of the question. She couldn¡¯t confess to such a n! Instead, she decided to deny everything and maintain her innocence. All the evidence seemed to point towards Qiao Hongxi lying. In the end, with Shao Yunduan¡¯s consent, Qiao Hongxi had no choice but to change his statement after facing threats from the governor of Heavenly Mansion. He imed that there was never any letter, and he had made up the entire story out of jealousy towards Shao Yunduan, intending to cause him trouble. He admitted to fabricating the entire incident. Qiao Hongxi was left with no choice but topensate Shao Yunduan with 1,000 liang as a settlement for falsely using him and causing trouble without any reason. In truth, this kind of case did not usually warrantpensation, but due toints from the Crown Prince, the Heavenly Mansion decided to offer the sum as a form of constion for Shao Yunduan. Thepensation served as a gesture offort for Shao Yunduan, though it didn¡¯t entirely make up for the damage caused. For Qiao Hongxi, this oue was disheartening. It marked the end of any possibility for him to be an officer in the court. Overwhelmed with embarrassment and shame, Qiao Hongxi decided to seek sce in distractions and indulgence. His remaining days were spent in poverty and misery, unable to afford any furtherpensation. He had no money topensate them. That was okay. He only needed to spend one year in prison at the Heavenly Mansion to make it up for the failedpensation. But no, that would be so miserable for him! Chapter 1169: Happy Now Chapter 1169: Happy Now Editor: Henyee Trantions Third Old Master and Third Madame of the Qiao Family were deeply distressed by the unfortunate turn of events. Despite their son no longer being an officer and his future prospects being ruined, he was still their only child. Madame Lady Qiao was thoroughly disgusted with the mocking and sarcastic remarks made by the first and second sections of the Qiao Family. Thesements only served to further aggravate Third Old Master and his wife. Unfortunately, their financial situation made it impossible for them to use money to save their son¡¯s position. They had no choice but to raise the required funds themselves, which nearly depleted their private savings of 1,000 liang. Third Madame felt heartbroken, wondering why they had ever looked forward to returning to the capital when nothing but misfortune awaited them. Their son¡¯s failure to get promoted and earn a decent ie not only affected him but also led to their daughter losing her marriage prospects. It felt like a great tragedy and an unforgivable sin. Third Old Master was infuriated, but he found himself unable to disobey the governmental order. So, begrudgingly, he took the 1,000 liang and personally handed it over to Shao Yunduan, expecting him to have some sense of shame and not demand such a hefty sum. However, to his dismay, Shao Yunduan epted the money without uttering a word of thanks. Third Old Master¡¯s annoyance was evident as he sneered, ¡°Are you satisfied now, Shao Yunduan? I misjudged you, and I deeply regret it!¡± Despite Third Old Master Qiao¡¯s denial of any regret, Shao Yunduan could discern his true feelings. He must be regretting marrying Qiao Xuan to me. Responding to Third Old Master¡¯s usations, Shao Yunduan maintained hisposure and said, ¡°I am satisfied with thepensation; nobody should ignore being falsely used. However, I assure you that I have not wronged you, and I don¡¯t agree with your usations.¡± Frustrated, Third Old Master red at him, attempting to counter his ims, but he found himself unable to articte apelling argument. In retrospect, neither Third Old Master nor the Qiao Family had supported Shao Yunduan¡¯s endeavors to be an intermediate Cultivated Talent, Provincial Champion, or Primus. After Qiao Xuan got married, her own family never gave her no any benefits. But Shao Yunduan could not change that just because he did not want to admit it. But he was his father-inw, his senior! Why was he so unfilial? Third Old Master¡¯s annoyance lingered, and he couldn¡¯t help but me his mother and two brothers for breaking off the rtionship with Qiao Xuan. If they hadn¡¯t done that, things might not have turned out this way. However, he knew it was toote to change anything now. Attempting to regain hisposure, Third Old Master couldn¡¯t resist taunting Shao Yunduan, ¡°You may feel proud now, but you still have a long way to go! Just wait and see, your ending won¡¯t be a pleasant one!¡± Shao Yunduan raised an eyebrow but chose to ignore the provocation. Having received the 1,000 liang, Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t help but think of his wife. He knew she would be delighted to be back, as she always enjoyed receiving money from the Qiao Family. He regretted letting her go home in the first ce. While everyone believed the matter was settled, including the Fourth Prince, Honored Princess Mei, and her son, who decided not to take any immediate action, Shao Yunduan had other ns. He made the decision to resign. iming that he had not anticipated such jealousy arising from Minister Old Yun¡¯s guidance, he suspected that an evil scheme was concocted to tarnish his reputation. While his reputation might recover, he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of Minister Old Yun being implicated in the process. Chapter 1170: Resignation Chapter 1170: Resignation Editor:Henyee Trantions He was lucky this time, but what about next time? What if the people who tried to set him up were even more powerful? What should he do by that time? He did not dare to take the risk. So the safest way was to resign! When he quit the governmental office, no one would be jealous of him or set him up any more, because it was meaningless to set him up any more. That was a huge shock! That caused a great sensation in the court. Crown Prince was very annoyed. Emperor Xuan was very annoyed too.
The Crown Prince had always been known for his restrained nature and his generosity towards others, making it difficult for him to change his personality. On the other hand, Emperor Xuan was visibly annoyed by the situation and could not tolerate it. As a result, he firmly opposed Shao Yunduan¡¯s resignation. Moreover, not only was Shao Yunduan not allowed to resign, but he was also bestowed with the prestigious title of Advisor of the Imperial Court. This honor qualified him to convey important messages to the pce and request an audience with the Emperor. As the worker of the Ministry of Revenue, Shao Yunduan was technically not permitted to visit the court. Therefore, he had to pass on the booklet and message through someone who was qualified to do so. Receiving the title of Advisor of the Imperial Court was indeed a great honor for Shao Yunduan. He became the sole recipient of such recognition from the Emperor, which held significant importance. Additionally, to further express appreciation and constion, Shao Yunduan was gifted a pair of precious vases and a jade Ruyi, further enhancing the significance of the Emperor¡¯s reward. Shao Yunduan had achieved his goal, so he expressed his gratitude and decided to drop the topic of resigning. His intention behind resigning was to serve as a warning to Emperor Xuan. In the future, if any unfortunate events urred, the Emperor would immediately suspect foul y and thus protect Minister Old Yun from any implication. Although not a particrly clever move, it proved to be highly effective in this situation. The Fourth Prince, frustrated, vented his anger by smashing a tea bowl in the intermediate. Defeated in this secret struggle, the Fourth Prince decided not to set up Shao Yunduan anymore. He feared arousing suspicion from his father, Minister Old Yun, should he attempt such schemes again, leading to their inevitable failure. Shao Yunduan was known for his honor, and nobody would resort to such shameless methods as he did. Despite Honored Princess Mei¡¯s outward appearance of nobility and reserve, she was inwardly annoyed. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Empress Qi, Princess Concubine Virtue, and even the Crown Prince were mocking her and her son behind their backs. Adding to the Fourth Prince¡¯s fury was the fact that the individuals ¡°invited¡± by Qiao Hongxi to build up Shao Yunduan¡¯s reputation had managed to escape the Heavenly Mansion¡¯s guards but were secretly taken away by the Crown Prince¡¯s men. The Crown Prince had no intention of appointing them to the governmental office of Heavenly Mansion. The potential consequences of such an action were clear ¨C it would lead to the humiliation of the Fourth Prince and tarnish the reputation of the imperial family, something his father wanted to avoid at all costs. In this scenario, Qiao Hongxi was destined to be the sacrificialmb, the scapegoat, to bear the burden of any potential me or repercussions. However, the Crown Prince saw this as an opportunity to address his increasingly unruly brother. He decided to send a letter, delivered by someone else, to the Fourth Prince, serving as a warning. The letter conveyed that the Crown Prince was aware of his brother¡¯s intentions, but this time, he would let it pass. Nevertheless, he made it clear that he would not forgive such actions if they were to be repeated in the future. Understanding his father¡¯s and the Crown Prince¡¯s temperament well, the Fourth Prince decided not to pursue the matter any further since the letter had been delivered. Despite this leniency, the Fourth Prince showed no signs of fear or gratitude. Instead, he became even more furious, developing a strong sense of hatred towards the Crown Prince. Chapter 1171: Revenge Chapter 1171: Revenge Editor:Henyee Trantions The Fourth Prince, seething with anger, crumpled the letter into pieces, cursing the Crown Prince for his hypocrisy and false kindness. The situation had be unbearable for him. Throughout his life, the Crown Prince had been ustomed to making concessions, leading everyone to take hispromises for granted. However, this time, the Crown Prince¡¯s behavior had crossed a line, and the Fourth Prince couldn¡¯t tolerate it any longer. In response to the Crown Prince¡¯s actions, he decided to counterattack with a stern warning, making it clear that he wouldn¡¯t stand such behavior. After all, if the Crown Prince¡¯s actions went unchecked, it would set a dangerous precedent for the future. Amused by the situation, the Fourth Prince smirked confidently as he held the torn letter in his hands. He knew the Crown Prince had no evidence left to defend himself. Furthermore, he believed that those who supported the Crown Prince were easily swayed and could be manipted by anyone. He was certain that no one would dare speak against him and im that they were telling the truth. The Fourth Prince considered the Crown Prince foolish and knew he wouldn¡¯t dare to break ties with him. This realization fueled his desire for revenge, and he decided to take matters into his own hands. As a first step, a mysterious fire broke out at the Crown Prince¡¯s residence on a stormy night. Rumors quickly spread that the heavens were angry at the Crown Prince, signaling that he was undeserving of his position, and the fire was a divine warning. Following this, several officials who supported the Crown Prince encountered difficulties, further intensifying the rumors that the Crown Prince was ipetent and unfit for his role. Seizing the opportunity, the Second and Third Princes also capitalized on the situation and yed their parts in causing further turmoil and chaos in the kingdom. That caused a hugemotion in the court. The Crown Prince was overwrought.
He found himself trapped in a challenging situation where he couldn¡¯t exin why he deserved the position he held, and he felt powerless to change the perception others had of him. Being passive and doing nothing would lead to usations of immorality, while taking any active measures would be interpreted as an attempt to buy the favor of the people. The Crown Prince was caught in a difficult position, and his actions were constantly under scrutiny. Despite these challenges, the Crown Prince diligently carried out his duties, striving to protect his people and ensuring that no one could find any evidence against him. Additionally, he made efforts to disy filial piety towards Emperor Xuan, seeking to garner support and trust from the ruler. The Fourth Prince and others had numerous options at their disposal, but the Crown Prince had to tread carefully as he was the one facing the most significant obstacles. It felt like he was constantly being held back, with limited options avable to him. Meanwhile, a man named Shao Yunduan left the town on a task assigned by the Crown Prince, and nobody else knew the details of this mission, including Songshi, who remained unaware of its nature. As part of his mission, Songshi was to wait in a distant vige until he received a letter from his master, instructing him to return to the capital and deliver a message to Madame. Upon hearing this, Qiao Xuan was both frightened and enraged by the revtion. Shame on the Qiao Family! The Fourth Prince was also so shameless! On her journey back to the capital, her thoughts were suddenly consumed by the memory of the Fourth Prince¡¯s past malicious and wicked behavior. Fueled by her anger, she decided to take revenge, and this act brought her a sense of satisfaction, easing her emotional turmoil. Had she not retaliated, the continuous torment from the Fourth Prince¡¯s actions would have made her feel even worse, making it difficult for her to bear hearing all the recent events. Besides their despicable behavior, she wondered what else the Fourth Prince and his allies were capable of doing to harm others. Incredibly, Shao Yunduan managed to survive the ordeal he had encountered. It seemed like he was fortunate not to have been truly drunk on that fateful night. Otherwise, Qiao Xuan pondered whether she could have found it within herself to forgive him, even though she knew it wasn¡¯t entirely his fault. Furthermore, Qiao Wei¡¯s audacity to show interest in her man was an affront to her. That woman had no genuine care or affection for Shao Yunduan in the first ce. ¡°Fifth Madame, it is good that you are back. He will be so happy to know about this. He has been thinking about you all the time!¡± Songshi felt a bit nervous seeing Qiao Xuan¡¯s expression. He smiled and said. Qiao Xuan threw a look at him and smiled. ¡°Did he let you meet him somewhere again?¡± Chapter 1172: Unhappy Chapter 1172: Unhappy Editor: Henyee Trantions Songshi shook his head and said, ¡°Fifth Master is in need of manpower. Don¡¯t worry, he will be fine. I will stay in the mansion and wait for your orders.¡± ¡°By the way, Fifth Master asked me to pass on the message to Fifth Madame. It is getting cold, and Fifth Madame, you have been traveling for a long time, and you are back safe and sound. Rest well and don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel warmth in her eyes. She nodded with a gentle smile and replied, ¡°I have had a smooth trip, and the weather is good too. It is getting colder in the capital. I wonder when he will be back¡­¡± Songshi reassured her, ¡°Fifth Master misses you, Fifth Madame, and he will be back as soon as he is done with his work!¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled and said, ¡°You are getting better at talking!¡± Songshi smiled and said, ¡°I am just speaking for you,Fifth Master!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled in return. After a few more chitchats, Songshi was dismissed. Lixia and Liqiu had already finished dinner and came in to serve them. Qiao Xuan asked the servants to take a bath and wash up, and soon they all went back to their own rooms to sleep. Lixia and Liqiu were worried that someone might sneak in to deal with Qiao Xuan like they did with Shao Yunduan, so they insisted on keeping watch at night. However, Qiao Xuan dismissed their concerns with a smile. She believed that the Fourth Prince, the Tian Family, and the Qiao Family would never attempt such a thing again. And if they did, Shao Yunduan wouldn¡¯t let them go easily, unless they had an iron wall. Such an action would be a p on the Crown Prince¡¯s face, and he wouldn¡¯t let them go easily either. Also, she was not afraid of being alone. If anyone dared toe, she would deal with them herself! Personally, she wished that someone woulde to her door to confront her. Qiao Xuan got so annoyed that she could not fall asleep the whole night. Firstly, she couldn¡¯t help but think about Shao Yunduan, whom she had been eagerly looking forward to seeing on her way home. She had hoped for a joyous reunion as husband and wife, but his absence left her feeling deeply disappointed. Secondly, Qiao Xuan felt a strong sense of disgust towards Qiao Wei¡¯s actions. The way Qiao Wei tried to involve Shao Yunduan with her was appalling to her. The Qiao Family¡¯s behavior was truly over the top. The following day, after breakfast, Qiao Xuan instructed Songshi to rent a wagon, and apanied by Lixia and Liqiu, the four of them headed straight to the Qiao Family¡¯s residence. Upon hearing her decision, Songshi was taken aback, thinking he had misheard her. Qiao Xuan chuckled and exined, ¡°The Qiao Family¡¯s shamelessness requires a direct confrontation. I need to express my anger!¡± Songshi¡¯s eyes sparkled with determination as he nodded in agreement. ¡°You are right, Fifth Madame! The Qiao Family needs to be taught a lesson! Rest assured, with our position and influence, they won¡¯t dare to take any action against you!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled proudly, fully aware that this was her moment to shine. Madame Lady Qiao and First Madame Qiao were taken aback by Qiao Xuan¡¯s unexpected visit, initially suspecting that the gatekeeper had delivered the wrong message. Once it was confirmed that she was indeed there, Madame Lady Qiao gritted her teeth and snapped, ¡°How dare shee here! She has caused us enough trouble already! Let¡¯s see what she wants!¡± First Madame Qiao chimed in, suggesting, ¡°Mom, should we also summon Third Sister-inw? After all¡­¡± Madame Lady Qiao sneered, pondering for a moment before deciding, ¡°Send someone to fetch her.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When Qiao Xuan was ushered into Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s presence, the room was filled with women. Chapter 1173: Different People Chapter 1173: Different People Editor: Henyee Trantions The three madames, Qiao Fang and Qiao Li as well as the two young daughter-inws, as well as the well-respected aunts and maids were all present. That was very scary. Those who did not know what was going on would think that the Qiao Family was just some rich and powerful family. But Qiao Xuan had revealed their secret a few times, and they knew what was going on here. The moment she walked in, countless hostile eyes fell on her, without showing any fear. Qiao Xuan raised her eyebrows, smiled and sat down directly. Gasps arose in the room, and some people could not help but look shocked. Some people were even adrift, feeling very ufortable and angry. After all, this was not the first time for Qiao Xuan to visit the Qiao Family. She and Shao Yunduan had been here before for the spring examination. During that time, she behaved like a timid quail, not daring to utter a word behind Shao Yunduan. However, the Qiao Xuan standing before them now was a stark contrast. Dressed in beautiful clothes with a shining pearl hairpin adorning her smooth and neat bun, her exquisite makeup and confident posture elevated her temperament significantly. She appeared to be apletely different person! First Madame Qiao gritted her teeth and felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. It was true what they said about arrogance. How could they ept being bullied by such a despicable person? But what bothered them the most was their powerlessness to do anything about it. Both her husband and she were sessful, making it difficult to confront them. Second Mrs. Qiao sneered. ¡°Qiao Xuan, you don¡¯t even greet the senior members of the family; you have no respect for our rules!¡± Qiao Xuan nced at her and replied coldly, ¡°Rules? How ironic for the Qiao Family to talk about rules with me. Rules are meant for those who actually follow them, not you!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s face twitched as she pointed at Qiao Xuan. ¡°You bitch, how dare you!¡± Qiao Xuan turned to Second Mrs. Qiao. ¡°Second Mrs. Qiao, did you see that? Madame Qiao of the Qiao Family keeps spouting vulgar words, what rules are those talking about?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Madame Lady Qiao shivered and panted. First Madame Qiao snapped, ¡°Qiao Xuan, what on earth are you doing here? You are not wee at the Qiao Family!¡± She felt incredibly embarrassed when she heard Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s hurtful words in front of the servants. Qiao Xuan retorted, ¡°Believe me, I don¡¯t want to be here either. We have nothing to do with each other, so let¡¯s mind our own business, shall we? But the Qiao Family keeps causing trouble. Do you think my husband and I are easily bullied just because we have family connections in the capital?¡± ¡°First, it was Third Old Master Qiao who pestered you, and now your Young Master Qiao Hongxi is meddling and trying to set up my husband. What exactly is the Qiao Family¡¯s motive?¡± ¡°Besides resorting to despicable and shameless methods, do you even know anything else?¡± The women from the Qiao Family were so annoyed that they seemed ready to tear Qiao Xuan apart. Chapter 1174: Not the Same Chapter 1174: Not the Same Editor:Henyee Trantions Second Mrs. Qiao retorted, ¡°Mind your own business! Don¡¯t falsely use us!¡± Third Mrs. Qiao felt a sweet sensation in her throat but managed to suppress the fishy taste lingering in her mouth. With a hoarse voice, she red at Qiao Xuan and said, ¡°Qiao Xuan, don¡¯t push it too far! You know perfectly well what¡¯s going on. My son, Xi, is innocent, and he wasn¡¯t joking about Wei¡¯s reputation!¡± ¡°It was Shao Yunduan who orchestrated this whole scheme! He set up Xi and Wei!¡± ¡°How dare you! How dare you bully us like this!¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but look at Third Madame Qiao. Her sallow face, hollow eyes, high cheekbones, and dull hair indicated that she had been unwell for a long time. Besides dealing with her children¡¯s failures and troubles, she seemed physically and mentally exhausted. As she panted heavily and red like a ghost, her appearance became even more disheveled in her half-new, gray clothes. Gone were the arrogance and dignity she once carried. In that moment, Qiao Xuan thought of the word ¡°retribution¡±¡ªthis day was long overdue. Seeing her in this state, the trip had not been in vain. ¡°Where is the evidence?¡± Qiao Xuan asked coldly, ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that Young Master Qiao of the Qiao Family would resort to such actions. A crooked stick will always cast a crooked shadow, and it¡¯s quite evident who he takes after. He¡¯s just like Third Madame Qiao, making empty promises while trying to sound convincing!¡±
¡°Nothing is so straightforward in this world. You can¡¯t just go about making baseless usations without evidence. What¡¯s the point of having a governmental office if you can do as you please?¡± ¡°I will report this matter to the governmental office. Do you dare to go there too?¡± Third Mrs. Qiao panted heavily and retorted, ¡°You¡¯re just trying to cover your tracks!¡± Qiao Xuan sneered and fixed her gaze on Madame Lady Qiao. ¡°Do you share the same belief, Madame Lady Qiao?¡± Madame Lady Qiao was taken aback. While she hoped that Third Madame Qiao was speaking the truth, deep down, she knew that wasn¡¯t the case. But she wasn¡¯t about to let Qiao Xuan have her way. She shot a warning re at Third Madame Qiao, silently urging her not to say anything further. Second Mrs. Qiao interjected sharply, ¡°Qiao Xuan, Third Sister-inw is still unwell. What¡¯s the point of pressuring someone who¡¯s sick? Even if the two families have severed ties, don¡¯t forget that you carry the Qiao Family¡¯s blood! You¡¯re fortunate that the Qiao Family hasn¡¯t caused you any trouble!¡± Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s eyes turned piercing. ¡°The second son¡¯s daughter-inw is right! Qiao Xuan, don¡¯t go too far! You¡¯vee at the perfect time. You witch! What demonic, otherworldly spirits have you employed to steal the Qiao Family¡¯s fortune? Tell me now, return the luck to the Qiao Family, or I¡¯ll bring a highly skilled Daoist monk to take care of you!¡± Qiao Xuan was taken aback. She never imagined that the Qiao Family would believe in such superstitious nonsense. Stolen luck? Did they really think she had done that? ¡°The Qiao Family¡¯s luck? I stole your luck?¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but scoff. ¡°Madame Lady Qiao, you¡¯re quite amusing! Feel free to ask your daughter-inw about the life I had at the Qiao Family!¡± Chapter 1175: Bad Luck Chapter 1175: Bad Luck Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°I am where I am today because of my husband¡¯s abilities. I have my own abilities too. What does that have to do with the Qiao Family?¡± Qiao Xuan retorted confidently. ¡°Oh, so now you im to have cut ties with the Qiao Family! Well, thank you, Madame Lady Qiao, for severing that connection! Since breaking away from the Qiao Family and distancing myself from its influence, my husband and I have been blessed with good fortune. Perhaps it¡¯s because we freed ourselves from the shackles of the Qiao Family¡¯s destiny!¡± In other words, the Qiao Family¡¯s misfortune was dragging everyone down! You may be burdened with bad luck because of the Qiao Family, but it¡¯s a different story for me. By freeing myself from your bad luck, I have changed my own fortune! Madame Lady Qiao grasped Qiao Xuan¡¯s implications and felt like she was on the verge of copsing. ¡°Absurd! Nonsense! You¡¯re just talking rubbish!¡± Madame Lady Qiao vehemently rejected the notion that Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan could have possibly brought prosperity and sess to their own lives. She refused to acknowledge their excellence. However, Qiao Xuan¡¯s clever counter-argument seemed to hit a nerve, and her words began to hold more weight in Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s mind. After all, stealing luck wasn¡¯t an easy feat. Additionally, Qiao Xuan, being a lowly concubine¡¯s daughter in the Qiao Family, never had the opportunity to seek the guidance of a Daoist master. As for the Qiao Family¡¯s mansion in the capital, she had no intention of doing anything about it.
On the contrary, since leaving the Qiao Family and cutting all ties, she and her husband had achieved prosperity. This, to Qiao Xuan, indicated that the problemy with the Qiao Family itself! Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s mentalposure crumbled under Qiao Xuan¡¯s relentless arguments, and she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. Qiao Xuan sneered, ¡°That¡¯s not important. What matters is that I havepletely disassociated myself from the Qiao Family, and whatever I have now has nothing to do with you or them. I have no interest in the Qiao Family¡¯s luck whatsoever!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to warn you, and let this be thest time. If you ever try to set me up again, don¡¯t me me for being merciless! I¡¯m sure no one from the Qiao Family wants to suffer the same fate as Qiao Hongxi, right?¡± How arrogant! Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s expression darkened, and so did the others present. Third Madame became even more furious. ¡°Qiao Xuan, you despicable woman, you¡¯re threatening us!¡± ¡°And if you perceive it as a threat, what will you do?¡± ¡°If you think I¡¯m merely joking and that I can¡¯t do anything to you, go ahead and test me! But remember, I¡¯ve already warned you. If you provoke me, it¡¯ll be toote for regrets. Don¡¯t me me for showing no mercy!¡± Second Mrs. Qiao¡±s eldest son was unconvinced. ¡°You seem awfully certain that you can do us harm? The Qiao Family is a powerful n in the intermediate capital, with prestigious titles. Your husband¡¯s family is nothing inparison!¡± Qiao Xuan gazed at her deeply. ¡°You¡¯re wee to try me!¡± Second Mrs. Qiao struggled to find a response and held her breath in frustration. Internally, she felt vexed¡ªher son was about to take the imperial examination, and once he achieved the rank of Advanced Schr and became an official, Shao Yunduan would pale inparison! First Madame Qiao shared a simr sentiment. However, her husband held a lower position as a sixth-ranked officer in the Ministry of Rites, and he couldn¡¯t match Shao Yunduan, the new Primus. Thus, she had no effective rebuttal against Qiao Xuan¡¯s ims. Chapter 1176: Good Luck Chapter 1176: Good Luck Editor:Henyee Trantions Thinking about this, she couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. She even held resentment towards the third branch of the family. What were they thinking? If they didn¡¯t want the concubine¡¯s daughter to stand out, they should have put more effort into suppressing her and hindering her progress! As the matriarch, she had control over the entire household, including the backyard. Why did Qiao Xuan have to strive for the top position? But the Qiao Family had been disgraced because of their grudge! It was frustrating that they, innocent bystanders, were forced to show respect to Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan nced at them and stood up. ¡°Best of luck to all of you.¡± The women from the Qiao Family felt their faces burn with humiliation.
They needed to preserve their reputation; otherwise, the household staff would no longer respect them. First Madame Qiao replied coldly, ¡°Same to you. Don¡¯t get too arrogant, and remember that there¡¯s a long road ahead. The Qiao Family will neverck promising descendants!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That¡¯s not my concern. But if any of you ever try to scheme against my husband and me again, be prepared for the consequences!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Qiao Xuan walked away with Lixia and Liqiu, leaving the Qiao Family in a state of helplessness. They could only watch her departure without daring to take any action. Shao Yunduan held the favor of the Crown Prince, and Qiao Xuan¡¯s position in the court was uncertain. If she were to get hurt while handling the peonies, the consequences for the Qiao Family would be dire. It was a humiliating situation for them! ¡°She¡¯s so arrogant and wicked!¡± ¡°How can someone with such rude manners go far? She manages to offend people the moment she opens her mouth. Just wait and see, someone will surely punish her!¡± ¡°Yes, she will learn her lesson! The Qiao Family may not be a powerful family, but neither is she. There¡¯s no need to engage in an argument with her!¡± First Madame and Second Mrs. Qiao attempted to defend themselves, feeling indignant as they desperately tried to convince themselves of their righteousness. In their minds, what they said appeared to make perfect sense. Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s expression softened as she dismissed the maids and aunts and scolded Third Madame Qiao. Third Madame Qiao became so enraged that she almostshed out at Madame Lady Qiao. After venting her anger, Madame Lady Qiao grew tired and waved her hands to dismiss everyone, leaving only her daughter-inw behind. Third Mrs. Qiao trembled and struggled to stand, relying on Auntie Ling¡¯s help. With reddened eyes, she left Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s presence. Once back in her room, she copsed and lost consciousness. Auntie Ling called for help and assisted her to lie down, but she dared not make any noise, fearing that Madame Lady Qiao might use her of feigning fainting to portray herself as the victim of her mean daughter-inw. Auntie Ling couldn¡¯t help but cry, feeling distressed for Madame Qiao. Qiao Xuan had gone too far!
How could she hate her family.. Madame Qiao was her lineal mother, and without her and Old Master, she wouldn¡¯t be where she was today. Yet, she held on to grudges and overlooked the good, causing Madame Qiao¡¯s current state. Upon hearing of Qiao Xuan¡¯s presence, Qiao Wei was startled and dared not approach her. Chapter 1177: Annoyed Chapter 1177: Annoyed Editor:Henyee Trantions She had not anticipated that she would develop a fear of Qiao Xuan; otherwise, she would have be even more annoyed. Rushing to her mother¡¯s room upon hearing she had returned, she found her lying there unconscious and pale. Filled with panic, she anxiously inquired about what had happened. Auntie Ling understood Qiao Wei¡¯s temperament well and knew she couldn¡¯t reveal the truth. If Qiao Wei became so infuriated that she confronted Second Miss again, it would put Qiao Wei at a disadvantage and might implicate Old Master and Madame Qiao as well, considering their already precarious situation. With a smile, Auntie Ling cleverly changed the subject, mentioning that Madame Qiao¡¯s recovery was still ongoing, and she found it difficult to sit in Madame Lady Qiao¡¯s ce any longer. Initially silent, Qiao Wei finally spoke in a small voice, her lips trembling, ¡°Qiao Xuan is involved too, isn¡¯t she?¡± Auntie Ling couldn¡¯t deny it, as that would sound far too disingenuous. She sighed, her voice tinged with concern. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s bing increasingly difficult for us to remain in the mansion. Madame is unwell, and as for Young Master¡­ you should simply focus on living a good life. There¡¯s no need for you to take any action. Madame will surely protect you.¡± Qiao Wei let out a derisive snort, fully understanding Auntie Ling¡¯s implications. Auntie Ling was advising her to behave and not stir up trouble. But how could she just ept that? Shao Yunduan was nothing more than a rustic man from the countryside, while she belonged to a noble family in the capital. How dare he treat her so indifferently? It infuriated her. ¡°Auntie, I deeply regret not punishing Qiao Xuan severely enough for her to give up on her devious ns!¡± Qiao Wei eximed with frustration.
Auntie Ling¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she remained silent. She knew that Madame had expressed this sentiment numerous times before. At that moment, Third Madame Qiao woke up from her slumber. Upon seeing her own daughter, her eyes welled up with tears as she gazed at Qiao Wei, attributing all of this to Shao Yunduan¡¯s connection with Qiao Xuan, the one responsible for their current predicament. ¡°Mom!¡± Qiao Wei rushed into her arms, weeping uncontrobly. ¡°Mom, please just find me a suitable family. Nothing else matters. What¡¯s important is that I can confront Qiao Xuan, that wretched woman! I¡¯ll marry anyone I want!¡± Third Madame¡¯s expression shifted. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°I loathe her!¡± Qiao Wei clenched her teeth while still embracing her mother. In this lifetime, she knew she would never find a decent suitor. So, as long as she could make Qiao Xuan suffer, she would find some sce in her heart. She realized that if she didn¡¯tply with He Zhiqing¡¯s demands, He Zhiqing would refuse to assist her, leaving her with no external support. Third Mrs. Qiao closed her eyes, and tears streamed down from the corners as both mother and daughter cried with their hands over their heads, seeking sce in each other¡¯s embrace. As Qiao Xuan departed from the Qiao Family, she let out a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of ease now that she was away from the turmoil. If the Qiao Family refused to cooperate with her ns, she wouldn¡¯t back down so easily. With her extraordinary abilities, she knew she could effortlessly wreak havoc at the Qiao Mansion under the cover of night. Deciding not to stay in the capital any longer, Qiao Xuan instructed Lixia and Liqiu to organize the gifts they had brought home. She then asked Songshi to deliver them to the Young Master of Lord Anping Manor. The Young Master was still a child, and she believed he would appreciate the various gifts. What Qiao Xuan was unaware of, though, was that news of her actions, specifically her intrusion into the main house and the gate of the Fourth Prince¡¯s house, had already spread throughout the capital among the noble and high-ss circles. Despite it being a side house and not the actual residence of the Fourth Prince, it held sentimental value for him, representing an extension of his mansion. Chapter 1178: Furious Chapter 1178: Furious Editor:Henyee Trantions It was a catastrophic event when the gate copsed, and the entire house sank into the ground. This incident had serious implications as the Crown Prince believed he had been set up by the Fourth Prince. In order to regain his position, the Crown Prince knew he had to retaliate, but he also understood that his followers might not agree with his approach. Although he was known for being magnanimous, the Crown Prince had his limits, and he couldn¡¯t let this betrayal slide. After being humiliated by the Fourth Prince, he intended to strike back when the opportunity arose. Being the Crown Prince meant he had to uphold certain principles and a sense of responsibility. Without maintaining his integrity and principles, he wouldn¡¯t be worthy of the title. After the Fourth Prince took over, rumors about him spread like wildfire, signifying the concept of ¡°heaven¡¯s fury.¡± The mysterious copse of the front door and main room of the courtyard without any warning raised questions about the divine intervention, indicating that the heavens themselves disapproved of the situation. At the East Pce, attempts were made to downy the incident, attributing it to a simple ident caused by the servants. However, the Crown Prince¡¯s supporters demanded a proper investigation before epting such exnations. The Fourth Prince, his mother, and their supporters were startled and apprehensive after the investigation results were revealed, possibly realizing the gravity of their actions. They couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of fear and respect for the Crown Prince¡¯s determination to seek justice and reim his position. Upon hearing about the incident, Emperor Xuan grew annoyed and puzzled. He questioned why the heavens seemed to meddle in other people¡¯s affairs, first warning the Crown Prince and now turning their attention to Fourth Sister. In response, Emperor Xuan ordered his men to conduct an investigation at both the Crown Prince and Fourth Prince¡¯s mansions. However, this swift action didn¡¯t leave enough time for the Fourth Prince to offer a proper exnation to the public. The Crown Prince, on the other hand, was transparent about the situation. He rified that the fire was an idental result of a servant¡¯s actions, which coincided with a thunderstorm followed by rain. He suggested that the Fourth Prince¡¯s men might have used this opportune moment to stir up trouble.
The copse at the Fourth Prince¡¯s ce remained a mystery, as even the Ministry of Architecture couldn¡¯t identify its cause, making the situation seem inexplicable. This unusual circumstance was difficult toprehend, as it involved forces beyond human control, like the heavens. The Fourth Prince, feeling a mix of anger and fear, became morepliant in light of these events. Even Emperor Xuan was taken aback by the situation, wondering if it truly reflected the will of the heavens. The possibility that Fourth Sister and her allies had overstepped their bounds to the extent that it drew the heavens¡¯ displeasure crossed Emperor Xuan¡¯s mind. He understood the Crown Prince¡¯s nature¡ªkind, gentle, generous, and virtuous¡ªbut didn¡¯t take strict action regarding his children¡¯s asional conflicts, turning a blind eye to such disputes. Deep inside his heart, he couldn¡¯t shake off the lingering fear of the Crown Prince. Despite the Crown Prince¡¯s filial and virtuous nature, he couldn¡¯t entrust the entire governance of the country solely to him. After all, securing his position as the next Emperor of the Qin Dynasty was of utmost importance. For this reason, he foundfort in the presence of his second, third, and fourth sons. Having them around provided a sense of assurance and stability. At times, he couldn¡¯t help but think that the Crown Princecked the strength to handle such responsibilities, leading him to asionally overlook his actions and decisions. Chapter 1179: House and Land Chapter 1179: House and Land Editor:Henyee Trantions As long as the brothers refrained from causing any trouble, he would leave them be. Being still young, there was no urgent need for him to decide whom to entrust the empire to. To his surprise, Heaven¡¯s will seemed to favor the Crown Prince. This was a relief, as he didn¡¯t have to worry about the Crown Prince¡¯s filial piety. Qiao Xuan waspletely clueless about what was happening. Having asked someone to deliver gifts to Lord Anping Manor, she visited the 20 mu ofnd in the north of the town the next day. The project had already beenpleted, and it had cost a considerable amount of money to encircle the entirend with a high brick wall. However, her n was to cultivaterge quantities of potatoes and strawberries, which required proper wrapping and care. Additionally, they would grow various other vegetables, ensuring a steady harvest of fresh produce. Inside the vast walled area, there was a t patch of green bricks, which served as a ce for drying and sorting after the harvest.
On both sides of the tnd, a row of houses had been built. On one side stood a cozy house, providing a ce for them to take short breaks, while on the other side, a spacious storeroom was conveniently situated. Beneath the storeroomy a cer almost asrge as the main structure. In front of the house, a pit had been carefully dug, and an assortment of pomegranates, magnolias, sweet osmanthus, and ginkgo trees had been nted. Though their trunks were currently bare,e spring, they would sprout and create a beautiful patch of greenery. The fields had been meticulously divided into neat and organized sections, yet at this time of the year, they appeared bare, devoid of any crops. Despite the empty appearance, a sense of achievement washed over Qiao Xuan as she pondered thend she had acquired in the capital. She had a house andnd in the capital! Qiao Xuan felt an immense sense of satisfaction. She praised Songshi and asked him to visit her asionally. Her next step was to establish a partnership with a reliable fruit store so she could sell her strawberries to others. Finding the right coborator was not an easy task. The person had to possess good character, be trustworthy, and fair, while also avoiding any trace of greed. This required a cautious approach. Confidently, Songshi agreed that he would make it happen without any issues. The next day, a representative from Lord Anping Manor arrived to deliver presents to Qiao Xuan. It was Auntie Zhu, the trusted aide of the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord. Qiao Xuan and Auntie Zhu shared a close familiarity. Before Auntie Zhu even had a chance to greet her, Qiao Xuan warmly weed her inside and expressed concern about Songshi¡¯s well-being, asking how he liked the gifts. Auntie Zhu happily confirmed that the gifts were well-received by Songshi and the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord. She also conveyed Madame Shao¡¯s deep longing for Songshi. Smiling, Qiao Xuan remarked, ¡°He is an innocent soul, and those who know him will treat him with kindness.¡± Auntie Zhuughed, agreeing wholeheartedly, ¡°Indeed, our Young Master is truly pure-hearted.¡± After a few moments of casual conversation, Auntie Zhu shared some important news. ¡°The Prefecture Lord and the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord are nning to spend the New Year at the Princess Consort¡¯s home with their son and stay there for a considerable period. They might not return for a year or two, or even three to five years. It¡¯s truly a pity! Madame Shao, you and Officer Shao must take good care of yourselves. The climate in the capital can be quite unpredictable, so it¡¯s crucial to be attentive to your well-being and avoid any harm to your health!¡± Chapter 1180: No More Relations Chapter 1180: No More Rtions Editor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan was taken aback by Auntie Zhu¡¯s implications. Sensing the underlying concern in her words, she responded, ¡°You¡¯re right, Auntie. We are in unfamiliar territory, and it¡¯s essential to take care of ourselves, especially during the harsh winter ahead. We can¡¯t afford to let our guard down, or we¡¯ll face great difficulties. No one will sympathize with us then, and we¡¯ll suffer.¡± With a subtle smile, Qiao Xuan used the opportunity to discreetly dismiss Lixia and Liqiu, asking them to attend to the maids who had apanied Auntie Zhu and offer them tea and snacks. Once they were gone, Qiao Xuan turned to Auntie Zhu with genuine concern, bowing slightly and speaking sincerely, ¡°Auntie, please guide me and offer your wisdom.¡± ¡°No need to bow to me!¡± Auntie Zhu gently helped Qiao Xuan back up, feeling both gratified and saddened. She appreciated how easily she could converse with such an intelligent person like Qiao Xuan, who seemed to grasp everything without the need for explicit exnations. However, her sadness stemmed from the realization that from that moment onward, the Young Master would no longer visit the Shao Residence to spend time with her and Officer Shao. The close bond between the two families would also be affected, and they would no longer have the same opportunities to hang out together. Auntie Zhu reminisced about how the Young Master cherished Madame Shao and Officer Shao. Whenever Madame Shao was absent, the Young Master would spend hours with Officer Shao, enjoying their time together. They would sometimes engage in yful activities, and the Young Master relished those moments. In the eyes of the servants, the Young Master¡¯s happiness was of utmost importance, outweighing all other considerations. But¡­ Auntie Zhu carefully chose her words, not wanting to be too explicit. She sighed, wearing a gentle smile. ¡°Officer Shao and Minister Old Yun are old friends. It¡¯s no surprise that he possesses such great talent, earning recognition from the Emperor and Crown Prince. Despite his young age, he has already joined the Ministry of Revenue from the Hanlin Academy, promising a bright future ahead. However, as time goes on, he will be engrossed in official duties, and Madame Shao will have to attend numerous social gatherings, leaving them with very little free time. Our son enjoys his leisure, and we wouldn¡¯t want to impose upon him any further.¡±
¡°Besides, the Prefecture Lord and the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord would feel remorseful too.¡± ¡°Madame Shao, once I take this step, let¡¯s forget about mentioning it again. Serving alongside a ruler is akin to keepingpany with a tiger. Officer Shao¡¯s rise to prominence has attracted suspicion and envy from many quarters. Numerous eyes are watching him closely from afar. Both you and Officer Shao need to be cautious. If someone plots against him, even the Crown Prince might find it challenging toe to his defense.¡± ¡°But the Crown Prince is kind-hearted, and if you ever encounter any trouble, don¡¯t hesitate to ask him for help. He will surely assist you!¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. A tinge of sadness and reluctance crept into her heart as she contemted leaving. While she appreciated the genuine concern expressed, she understood the underlying meaning behind ¡°not to disturb.¡± It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t want to stay connected, but rather that they couldn¡¯t. Prefecture Lord Anping and his wife had only one child, and they were determined to avoid any entanglements in the imperial court. The entire Lord Anping Manor, led by Prefecture Lord Anping, distanced themselves from such matters. If Shao Yunduan had merely been an editor at the Imperial College, the two families could continue their close association. However, things had changed now. Shao Yunduan was branded as part of the Crown Prince¡¯s circle, leading to Lord Anping Manor¡¯s reluctance to maintain the same level of interaction. Their decision was driven by a desire to stay away from any potential conflicts. Whether actively or passively involved, they didn¡¯t want to risk getting entangled in political affairs. Their ultimate goal was to protect the young heir. By distancing themselves from such matters, they believed the new emperor would take good care of him even after their passing. In the end, everything they did was for the young master¡¯s well-being. ¡°Thank you for Princess Consort¡¯s concern.¡± Chapter 1181: Escort Chapter 1181: Escort Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°It¡¯s bing colder in the capital, and the Prefecture Lord and the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord are concerned about the young master¡¯s well-being. It¡¯s a wise decision to take him out of the capital for the winter, providing him with a morefortable life. If fate permits, we may cross paths again.¡± ¡°Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord, you need not worry. Your kind-hearted nature ensures that you will always lead a blessed life!¡± Auntie Zhu was delighted with the words she heard and couldn¡¯t help but smile warmly. She responded with a gentle expression, ¡°Madame Shao, you are absolutely right! Thank you for your kind words; I believe our young master will be safe and sound. Oh, I should mention that the Prefecture Lord¡¯s mansion is still guarded by some elderly servants, although the Prefecture Lord and the Princess Consort have left with the young master. Although we have a limited number of people at the mansion, they are all long-serving loyal servants, some even from the family lineage.¡± ¡°From this moment on, if Officer Shao and Madame Shao encounter any difficulties, you can send someone to contact our housekeeper. He is well-informed about the happenings in the capital and has a widework. Perhaps he can offer some assistance¡­¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s heart was warmed by the support she received. ¡°Thank you for informing me, Auntie. I sincerely appreciate the concern and assistance from the Prefecture Lord and the Princess Consort. Rest assured, if I ever face any trouble, I will not hesitate to seek help from the housekeeper.¡± Auntie Zhu smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Madame Shao, since the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord has already said so!¡± Deep inside, Auntie Zhu felt a sigh escape her. Madame Shao¡¯s destiny seemed intertwined with that of the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord and the Young Master, yet she had to part ways with them. After a brief exchange of words, Auntie Zhu bid her farewell and departed. Qiao Xuan apanied her to the door, expressing her well-wishes for their safety and well-being.
She knew she could no longer visit Lord Anping Manor. A sense of sadness and disappointment washed over her. She had looked forward to spending time with the young master once they returned to the capital. The young master was like a child, and he was truly endearing. Qiao Xuan returned to her room absent-mindedly and unwrapped the presents Auntie Zhu had given her. It was only now that she realized the abundance of gifts bestowed upon her by the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord. The box contained over 30 exquisite treasures, each one more splendid than thest. Among them were thumb-sized pearls, peepholes, tourmaline, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and white jade. The most eye-catching item was a foot-high statue of a white jade goddess, exquisitely crafted. In addition, there was a pair of beautifully designed green bottles and two famous paintings from the previous dynasty. Unlike typical pce gifts, these treasures were meant for disy and enjoyment. Each item carried an air of elegance and refinement that would surely be the envy of any visitor to her home. Such precious gifts were usually kept securely, not disyed openly, as they could easily be mishandled or misunderstood, leading to unintended disrespect. Jewelry could be worn, especially on important asions, but it needed to be preserved well, and it could not be sold. The Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord of Anping was known for her thoughtfulness and kindness. Qiao Xuan felt a pang of sadness when she thought about the couple being forced to leave the capital with their son, all because of the troubles they had unwittingly be entangled in. Her heart sank even further when she considered how her husband had ended up involved with the Crown Prince¡¯s gang. Little did she know that the Crown Prince had not ascended to the throne and, as a result, his future looked grim. In other words, he would not have a favorable oue. As the heir to the throne, he would either meet an untimely demise or be imprisoned. History showed that most of them met their end. After all, no new emperor wanted to keep such hidden dangers around. Chapter 1182: One Step at a Time Chapter 1182: One Step at a Time Editor:Henyee Trantions By that time, his followers would not be able to do anything good. However, things had already developed to this point, and there was no turning back. Qiao Xuan hesitated. Would she pester Shao Yunduan to betray the Crown Prince? The thought troubled her deeply. On the other hand, Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t willing to ept her, and the consequences of betrayal were uncertain. Who should they turn to after the betrayal? This question weighed heavily on their minds as they knew that betraying the Crown Prince would offend many, leading to potentially dire consequences. Moreover, bad luck seemed to loom on the horizon, casting a dark shadow over their decisions. Qiao Xuan let out a heavy sigh. Emotionally torn, she decided to take it one step at a time. She acknowledged that the pictures she had seen might not reveal the whole truth, leaving room for doubt. In any case, she hoped that things might turn around. Even if something had truly happened, they could n ahead and stay vignt. The option of slipping away if they sensed danger provided a glimmer of hope amidst the uncertainty. She was able to protect herself and Shao Yunduan with her superpower, which brought somefort amidst the uncertainty. Additionally, Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t a highly significant figure, and he could simply leave after resigning. The new emperor might not resort to killing them all, but it was crucial for him to assess the situation and determine his options.
Qiao Xuan managed to calm herself down as she considered this perspective. Two dayster, the family of three from Lord Anping Manor departed from the capital quietly, avoiding unnecessary attention. Qiao Xuan refrained from visiting or bidding them farewell, but she entrusted Songshi to keep a watchful eye on their departure. The news of their departure saddened her deeply. The uncertainty of when they would meet again weighed heavily on her heart. With nothing else to do, she waited for Shao Yunduan to return home. As the days grew colder, she found herself longing for hispany. Unexpectedly, Shao Yunduan¡¯s governmental officers and women began visiting her almost daily, disrupting the solitude she had expected. Madame Lin and the others from the Hanlin Academy were all present, disying polite and friendly attitudes towards Qiao Xuan. Some of them seemed cheerful and lively, exuding a passionate aura. Qiao Xuan feltpelled to reciprocate their friendliness and treated them in a simr amiable manner. However, she understood that their visits were primarily for Shao Yunduan¡¯s sake and, more urately, for the influence of the Crown Prince behind him. Sucking up to the Crown Prince was a privilege not granted to everyone, especially for middle-ss officials who favored connections with the lower ss. For some low-ranking officers, their entire lives in the governmental office might not lead to a meeting with the Crown Prince. Given the opportunity to associate with Shao Yunduan, they wouldn¡¯t let it slip away. Though they might not immediately gain substantial benefits, they saw potential advantages in the future. As Qiao Xuan observed them, she noticed their enthusiasm, yet she struggled to find someone she genuinely connected with. Her amicable behavior was merely a facade, as she felt theck of truepanionship among them. Madame Su and Madame Lin stood out as the most intriguing cases. They had never treated Qiao Xuan kindly in the past and had been openly hostile towards her. Their reappearance at her door made them appear somewhat embarrassed by their past behavior. Qiao Xuan could sense their jealousy towards her and Shao Yunduan. True, not many people in this world couldpare to First Madame and the Princess Consort of the Prefecture Lord. Finally, Shao Yunduan returned home. In the afternoon, while Qiao Xuan was chitchatting with Liqiu and Lixia on the heated kang, Songshi¡¯s surprised voice rang out. ¡°Fifth Master is back! Fifth Madame, Fifth Master is back!¡± Chapter 1183: Back Chapter 1183: Back Editor:Henyee Trantions The three girls in the room were both surprised and happy. ¡°Fifth Master is finally back!¡± ¡°That is great!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled as she rushed out of the stove. She ran into Shao Yunduan the moment she walked out of the room, almost bumping into his chest. Qiao Xuan got startled. Before she could utter a sound of surprise, Shao Yunduan took her into his arms. ¡°Darling!¡± Qiao Xuan flushed and threw herself into his arms, saying coquettishly, ¡°You are finally back!¡± The familiar scent and hug made her face even hotter, but she felt sweetness in her heart.
Shao Yunduan chuckled and kissed her hair. ¡°It is my fault for making you wait. You can ask for anypensation you want.¡± Qiao Xuanughed. Shao Yunduan smiled too. The two of them exchanged a look, looking so gentle. Shao Yunduan took her into the room. Lixia, Liqiu, and Songshi did not follow them in. They were all hiding somewhere. It was very quiet in the room and yard. It was quiet and warm, very suitable for something to happen. The two of them couldn¡¯t help but hug and kiss each other. There was no need to ask what happened after they left. They were here safe and sound, which was better than anything else. They could talk about other thingster. Qiao Xuan could not help but feel the closeness between her body and heart. She was lifted up by Shao Yunduan, and she let out a cry of surprise as she wrapped her arms around his neck subconsciously. She looked up subconsciously and saw his dark, smiling, affectionate, and gentle eyes. She looked away shyly, making Shao Yunduan chuckle. He carried her into the bedroom. After a fun and passionate time, the two of them fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms, and when they woke up, it was already the time for thentern. Qiao Xuan¡¯s body was aching, but she did not want to move. But she felt so satisfied inside her heart, as if her heart had finally settled down. Then she realized that Liqiu and Lixia did not disturb them, which meant that they knew what their mistresses were doing in the room. So she felt a bit embarrassed. She snorted and covered her face with the nket. Shao Yunduan took her in arms and sighed with satisfaction. ¡°Darling, so d that you are back!¡± Qiao Xuan could not help butugh. She snapped at him. ¡°Oh yeah, I thought that you men would think that it is better when your wife is not around!¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be great if he could do whatever he wanted? Shao Yunduan¡¯s hands tightened around her waist. ¡°Of course not! I miss you every day!¡± Qiao Xuan snorted and could not help butin. ¡°I was lucky this time, but luck is always uncertain. Who knows what will happen next time? Let me tell you, I will not forgive you even if it is not your fault!¡± She was going to keep the yoke on the shoulders and not going to listen to anything that might cause her trouble. She kept telling him about her bottom line, so he would be more cautious and cautious.
If she had never mentioned this, he would not have paid so much attention to this, and he would have missed the secret. If something like this was amiss once, it might happen twice or three times. More importantly, Qiao Xuan would not ept any amiss at all. She was going to throw up if she lost the man she had taken a fancy to.
Chapter 1184: Guilt Chapter 1184: Guilt Editor:Henyee Trantions Sure enough, when Qiao Xuan mentioned this, Shao Yunduan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I care about this more than you do. I will not let anyone take advantage of this.¡± Qiao Xuan felt her heart warmed. She leaned forward and kissed him, smiling. ¡°Okay, I trust you¡­¡± Shao Yunduan narrowed his eyes and kissed her deeply. By the time they got up, one hour had passed. They really couldn¡¯t sleep any more. They were so hungry and tired. Lixia and Liqiu had already prepared dinner, and they went up to serve their madame and master. The two of them acted as if nothing had happened, as if everything was normal. Qiao Xuan¡¯s embarrassment gradually disappeared. She was even more calm! After taking a bath and having dinner, Qiao Xuan had nothing else to do, so she ate and returned to their room.
The room was very warm. They put on their slippers and leaned against the head of the bed. The dim yellow light made the room cozy, making people feelzy. It was the most suitable situation for them to have a chat. Qiao Xuan knew that Shao Yunduan must be concerned about the family as well, so she told him what had happened. Everything was going well at home. He was an officer outside the vige, and his mother was not a person who could be easily bullied. Besides, he had the support of the whole vige and the Yuezheng Family in the province, so the local businessmen and big families would not dare to have any ideas about him. Shao Yunduan understood that. But when Shao Yunduan heard what Qiao Xuan said and learned about the daily life back home, he still felt very happy. ¡°It sounds like such a lively life,¡± he remarked. Qiao Xuan went on to tell him about how Widow Sun and her daughter almost set up Shao Dng. Shao Yunduan¡¯s brow furrowed in irritation as he coldly said, ¡°They really had no idea what they were doing!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°That makes sense. Elder Brother, you are such an honest man, and you must have endured a lot at the Ding Family. You have to take responsibility if something happens.¡± Shao Yunduan snorted. ¡°Even if something really happens, we can deal with her when she marries into our family. Luckily¡­¡± He turned to Qiao Xuan, smiling as he took hold of her hands. He swore again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, darling, I will never allow this to happen to me!¡± Seeing that he was about to confess something, Qiao Xuan felt a bit guilty and concerned. She said with a smile, ¡°Okay, okay, I believe you! Everything is going well at home, and Songshi told me about what happened in the capital. What a surprise!¡± Shao Yunduan smiled and sighed. ¡°True!¡± Unexpectedly, Master Yun turned out to be Minister Old Yun! What he said was different from what Songshi had mentioned. It was more detailed. Shao Yunduan felt a bit guilty ¨C he was part of the crown prince¡¯s circle, and so was his wife, at least in the eyes of outsiders.
There was no need to even think about leaving the capital for a position! Although the Crown Prince was able to protect them, and he was in good standing with the Crown Prince, who was very willing to defend him. But the risk of sharing honor and loss was still present. Before the Crown Prince took the throne, there would be a lot of changes.
Chapter 1185: A Plan Chapter 1185: A n Editor:Henyee Trantions The Fourth Prince was very aggressive, and Empress Qi, the Third Prince, the niece of thete Empress Dowager, Princess Concubine Virtue, and her Second Prince were all up to something. But the two of them did not make any big moves, but kept making a cheap shot, a cheap trick. They were all hoping that the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince would kill each other first. The Emperor was still in good health, and the Crown Prince might have to live in fear for many more years. He was not sure if he could make it. Shao Yunduan had not thought much about this ¨C he could just leave with his daughter-inw, but that was not going to happen now. He had let down his daughter-inw. He was going to make it up to her. On the surface, Shao Yunduan was helping the Crown Prince inspect the granaries in Hebei, but, in fact, he was heading towards the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion in Miyun County to deal with the reservoir. Thend in Miyun County had been veryrge these years, and the irrigation could not keep up. The Crown Prince had a field there that covered 500 hectares. A while ago, the manager of the field reported to the East Pce, saying that he wanted to repair the canal before the New Year, in case it affected next year¡¯s plowing. That was a very natural thing, and the East Pce would not turn that down.
Coincidentally, when Shao Yunduan was out in the capital, the Crown Prince asked him to check on the progress of the canal repair. 500 hectares of fields were not a small amount, and the Crown Prince was not going to overlook that. But Shao Yunduan noticed something wrong. The Imperial ntation was fine, and the canals could be repaired as well. The problem was a dam upstream. Shao Yunduan had been here with Qiao Xuan before, and Qiao Xuan wanted to climb mountains and find wild fruits and mushrooms, so he agreed. Shao Yunduan clearly remembered that two months ago, when he and his wife came to climb mountains and see if there were any wild things, the dam did not exist. How long had it been? The dam had already blocked the water so high and wide. At this moment, when the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion was repairing the canal, Shao Yunduan subconsciously connected the dam. For some reason, he felt that something was wrong. He asked his men to get a map of the local area and read it with the housekeeper at the abbey. They were both startled. It would be fine if the dam was fine, but if it copsed, not only would the canal they were repairing be affected, but the vige in the low-lying area would be affected as well! If they did not escape in time, half of the vige would be fed to the fish, and many people would die. The housekeeper frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice that. When did someone block such a dam in the mountains? That doesn¡¯t seem right. What are they trying to do?¡± Shao Yunduan said, ¡°The Crown Prince is at the center of attention right now, and we need to be careful. We can¡¯t keep the dam.¡± What if? What if the whole thing was made clear? The canal was built at the Crown Prince¡¯s Imperial ntation, and if the dam copsed at this moment and caused the flood to hit the vige, causing death and injury, the two incidents would be easily connected. It might have been caused by the Crown Prince¡¯s canal repair. They were all water, and they could talk together.
Most importantly, the dam was so strange that the housekeeper had no idea what was going on. Normally, they should have informed the Imperial ntation when the dam was only a few meters away from the Crown Prince¡¯s Imperial ntation. But that was not the case! Chapter 1186: Furious Chapter 1186: Furious Editor:Henyee Trantions Then the origin of the dam was very suspicious. The housekeeper suddenly remembered that it was the manager who suggested that the canal should be repaired. So he went up and asked for instructions. Could it be¡­ The housekeeper asked the managers what was going on, but they had no idea what was going on. They only said that it was mentioned when they were chatting. They felt that it made sense, so they reported it to the housekeeper. But they could not remember who said that. Shao Yunduan spected with a cold face ¨C someone avoided the eyes and ears of the Crown Prince¡¯s Imperial ntation, stopped the construction of the dam in the mountains that were not usually noticed, and then set up the managers to mention the repair of the canal. This was for the next year¡¯s plowing, and the East Pce had no reason to turn that down. When the canal was repaired, the dam suddenly copsed and caused a flood, destroying the viges and passing by the canal built by the Crown Prince¡¯s Imperial ntation. By that time, it might even be rumored that the Crown Prince¡¯s Imperial ntation caused a flood in order to draw the water to repair the canal¡­ It would be the Crown Prince¡¯s fault that dozens of farmers were killed. Dozens of households would cost hundreds of lives! It was not a small thing to cause trouble because of the canal repair. Also, when the abbey was on fire and the heavens warned the Crown Prince about his immoral behavior, the Fourth Prince and the other two princes all added fuel to the fire.
How was the Crown Prince going to defend himself? Why did something happen to the canal at the Imperial ntation? It was not right to say that the two things had nothing to do with each other. The Crown Prince was so immoral! More importantly, the dam could be built without being noticed by the Crown Prince¡¯s Imperial ntation, which meant that the abbot was not a simple person. Shao Yunduan did not mention who it might be. That was the n for the Crown Prince from Fourth Prince. But for Shao Yunduan¡¯s idental observation, the housekeeper would not have thought about this. Shao Yunduan decided not to inspect the warehouse. Instead, he returned to the capital and reported everything to the Crown Prince. Crown Prince¡¯s face sank. He knew better than anyone else that groundless and trumped-up usations would only make things worse. The dam copsed because of the canal repair, which sounded very logical and reasonable. If someone added fuel to the fire, everyone would believe that. No one would go to the site to investigate, and no one would believe that the repair of the canal and the copse of the dam had nothing to do with each other. And Crown Prince had no way to prove that the two things were not rted. So many lives had been lost, and someone needed toe forward and confess. Since someone like him was pushed out, no one would hold back. Even if she did not want to add fuel to the fire, she was going to stay neutral. He was in a mess right now, and that would make things worse. His brother was so cruel! ¡°We can¡¯t reveal this to the public. I am afraid that there are already people watching the dam and my imperial abbey. Officer Shao, I will leave this to you. You have to deal with it secretly, so the dam doesn¡¯t copse.¡± That was not an easy thing to do, and the most important thing was to keep it a secret. After all, there must be someone guarding the dam at this time. If Shao Yunduan wanted to solve the problem, he needed to be very motivated. One mistake and the dam would be destroyed, and everything would be ruined. Chapter 1187: Solution Chapter 1187: Solution Editor:Henyee Trantions The housekeeper cast a worried look at the Crown Prince, but he quickly suppressed his emotions. He felt concerned about Shao Yunduan¡¯s young age, fearing he might jeopardize the n. The stakes were high; if something went wrong, hundreds of lives would be lost. The Fourth Prince¡¯s reputation for ruthlessness didn¡¯t help matters. The housekeeper was convinced that the Fourth Prince was behind the potential disaster. However, the Crown Prince couldn¡¯t entrust this task to someone else for fear of the news leaking out. Shao Yunduan had proven to be the most reliable among them. If Shao Yunduan seeded, he would earn the admiration and respect of his colleagues and friends, leading to a significant promotion. The housekeeper doubted the grand tutor¡¯s judgment and believed that Shao Yunduan needed to be thoroughly understood. Shao Yunduan nodded solemnly, fully understanding the gravity of the situation. From the moment the Crown Prince entrusted the men to Shao Yunduan, the n had been set in motion discreetly. The dam project, which could cause a disastrous flood in the vige, was an extensive endeavor. Removing this hidden threat without arousing suspicion from the other party was no easy feat. Releasing the flood slowly was not an option, as it would undoubtedly lead to leaks.
The Fourth Prince¡¯s influence was formidable, and if he got wind of the Crown Prince¡¯s knowledge about the n, he would stop at nothing to ensure its sess, possibly even resorting to aggressive actions. The Crown Prince knew that his reputation was merely the tip of the iceberg, and he couldn¡¯t afford any more trouble. It was crucial to handle the situation meticulously. In light of the circumstances, they needed to find a way to protect the civilians from the flood¡¯s impact, ensuring no harm woulde to them. Shao Yunduan took charge of the preparations, working tirelessly to avoid any disruptions. They even detained a few individuals to prevent any potential leaks, disying utmost vignce. After two days and nights of hard work, the water level finally receded, bringing relief to everyone involved. At this critical juncture, Shao Yunduan made the decision to release some water in front of the dam. With the County Magistrate of Miyun County leaning towards the Fourth Prince, they suspected he might have noticed something. Therefore, they chose not to keep the secret hidden any longer, understanding that the more water they released, the safer they would be. Time was of the essence. The guards were stationed strategically, leaving no room for interference. With the situation under control, the Crown Prince¡¯s men apprehended the County Magistrate of Miyun County. The magnitude of such a significant project demanded diligence, and his ignorance of the situation was deemed a dereliction of duty. But he was not sure if that was true. Maybe he was the one who covered up for the Fourth Prince. County Magistrate of Miyun County was prepared to lose his position. He left the capital without defending himself and soon disappeared. Shao Yunduan made the arrangements and ordered his men to divert the river before heading back to the capital. The Fourth Prince was so annoyed. The dam could not be kept secret for too long. He had nned to give the Crown Prince a huge present before the New Year, and coincidentally, there was a fire at the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion on the night of lightning, which could be used to seize on and make an issue of something. If these two things happened one after another, it would be a huge blow to the Crown Prince¡¯s reputation. He had never liked this man who pretended to be virtuous. He had always wanted to ruin his reputation. This was definitely a great opportunity! But before he could do anything, the dam that he had worked so hard to build was broken. All of their previous ns were ruined! Chapter 1188: Peace Chapter 1188: Peace Editor:Henyee Trantions They had lost one County Magistrate of Miyun County for seemingly no reason. The County Magistrate might have been considered just a small official, but he held a significant position, working in the suburbs of the capital and being a key figure for the crown prince, which proved to be beneficial. Unfortunately, that support was now gone. The newly-appointed County Magistrate refused to cooperate with him any longer, leaving the crown prince to ponder if he could trust anyone. Two dayster, without any apparent cause, the main door and the main house of his elegant courtyard mysteriously copsed. Additionally, an investigation involving his father also copsed inexplicably. The Fourth Prince was not only shocked but also filled with fear, contemting if this was a warning from the heavens. He wondered if these events meant that the Crown Prince still enjoyed divine favor, while he felt overlooked. These thoughts stirred up a mix of fear and jealousy. Why did the heavens seem to favor the weak and hypocritical crown prince? Did they also prefer those who acted insincerely? But the Fourth Prince was genuinely taken aback this time. The same applied to Empress Qi, the Third Prince, Princess Concubine Virtue, and the Second Prince. Empress Qi felt even more devastated.
As the Queen and mother of the country, she believed her son should rightfully inherit the throne. What did that have to do with the First Prince? It seemed as if the heavens were showing unfair favoritism. After this shocking revtion, all the princes halted their actions, fearing divine repercussions. Moreover, with the New Year approaching, nobody dared to cause any trouble for their father at such a critical time. They had to consider whether they could endure their father¡¯s wrath. Consequently, the court entered a period of harmony, and the atmosphere became quite peaceful. Shao Yunduan had secured his position as the Crown Prince¡¯s intermediary due to his involvement with the reservoir project. Even those who previously held reservations about him had changed their opinions. They couldn¡¯t help but admire him ¨C he truly lived up to being Old Minister¡¯s student. In fact, since the Crown Prince, Old Minister Yun had never taken on any other students, but he made an exception for Shao Yunduan, undoubtedly recognizing something extraordinary in him. Minister Old Yun had excellent judgment, which was truly admirable! Master Yun¡¯s stature as the Paragon of Confucianism garnered him respect and admiration from schrs all over the world, solidifying the Crown Prince¡¯s position even further. The Fourth Prince harbored a deep resentment towards Shao Yunduan, even ming the Tian Family for their perceived inadequacy. He believed that had the Tian Family epted Shao Yunduan as their disciple and orchestrated things differently, the Crown Prince would not be in his current position. The fact that Shao Yunduan had been taught by Minister Old Yun wouldn¡¯t have mattered. However, that opportunity had passed, and Shao Yunduan knew that he had earned the Fourth Prince¡¯s enmity this time. Yet, as someone serving the Crown Prince¡¯s interests and opposing the Fourth Prince, he had to bear the grudge. In essence, everyone relied on their own abilities and circumstances. As the twelfth lunar month approached, the weather grew colder and colder. Lixia and Liqiu found it challenging to adapt, falling ill for a few days. Thankfully, with the help of medicine and staying indoors, they soon recovered. Qiao Xuan felt relieved, knowing that falling sick in those times could be a serious matter since medical conditions were rather primitive. Chapter 1189: Snow Chapter 1189: Snow Editor:Henyee Trantions In the winter, staying warm was of paramount importance. Therefore, she purchased a plethora of thick clothes, shoes, socks, quilts, firewood, charcoal, and other necessities, ensuring her stockpile was well-supplied. As the twelfth lunar month approached, the capital brimmed with increasing festivity for the uing New Year celebrations. Being neers from the countryside, both Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were enthralled by the city¡¯s unique charm and financial prosperity. Money was not an issue, and they indulged in buying various New Year goods, unintentionally amassing a considerable collection. Meanwhile, Lixia and Liqiu busied themselves by making numerous meatballs and marinating some smoked meat for the festivities. As evening approached, dark clouds gathered ominously, hinting at an impending heavy snowfall. Seasoned elders, well-versed in such signs, predicted the snowstorm. Qiao Xuan, with her extraordinary senses, could already detect the imminent snow in the air. The kes were ready to descend. True to their predictions, as the evening mist descended and the sky turned misty, the snowkes silently began their descent, gently swirling in the air. Soon, they started to umte on the ground. By nightfall, a thickyer of snow covered thendscape. The courtyard¡¯s flowers and trees were cloaked in a white nket, disying soft undting contours. The following morning, the window revealed a bright and clear view. Stepping outside, the crisp air greeted them, invigorating their senses.
Though it was chilly, the sky seemed to exude a unique radiance, illuminated by the fresh snow. The air, now sanctified by the snowfall, brought an indescribable sense of novelty and wonder, even to the otherwise ordinary surroundings. The scenery was breathtaking, with the snow having ceased and the bright sun casting a crystal-clear, snow-white glow over everything. Outside the yard, theughter of children from different families in the alley echoed joyously, reveling in the snowy fun. On their day off, Shao Yunduan was at home, and Qiao Xuan entered the room with a smile. ¡°What a beautiful day! Let¡¯s venture outside of town and enjoy the snow. If we¡¯re lucky, we might even catch some wild roosters and rabbits!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just after a heavy snowfall, and the wild roosters and rabbits will be less agile, getting stuck in the snow. They¡¯ll move slower due to the cold, making them easier to catch. Let¡¯s go and try our luck!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation. Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t resist her enthusiasm and agreed, despite wanting to stay home with his wife in this weather to enjoy a nice meal together. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s prepare and head out. The earlier we leave, the sooner we can return. Winter days grow dark early, and it gets much colder after noon!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Songshi went to rent a wagon, and Lixia and Liqiu had already prepared breakfast and readied the essentials, including fur cloaks, masins, a hand-burning stove, charcoal basin, and everything needed to stay warm. They quickly finished breakfast and set off. Lixia and Liqiu stayed back to take care of the house, while Songshi drove the wagon with the couple on board. Before leaving, Qiao Xuan asked Liqiu and Lixia to prepare the pot and various dishes for a hot pot dinner. During the twelfth lunar month, various types of meat were avable, with fat mutton and beef cut into thin slices, ideal for the hot pot. The couple happily nodded in agreement. Apart from beef and mutton, they also had ribs, fish balls, meatballs, vegetarian balls, pig¡¯s blood, vermicelli, winter melon slices, lotus root slices, taro slices, cabbage, tofu, and yuba. They had also made some egg dumplings and bought haggis. Additionally, they had fresh pea sprouts and soybean sprouts at home. Chapter 1190: Her Superpower Chapter 1190: Her Superpower Editor:Henyee Trantions The pot¡¯s bottom was divided into a two-taste duck pot, with one side spicy and the other mild. The non-spicy side contained wild mushrooms, half a chicken, half a tube of bones, and a dash of wolfberry and two dates. The resulting thick and milky-white soup served as the delectable base for the hot pot. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan set off together, with Songshi having rented the finest wagon for them. The wagon was well-insted and covered with a thick carpet. In one corner, a stove with a cover was cleverly fixed, emanating a warm glow from the burning red coals. Their destination was Pinggu, an area with advanced mountains and dense forests, offering picturesque scenery and abundant prey. The official road was bustling with activity during this time of the year. Moreover, the suburban road, being under supervision, remained easily passable despite the snowfall. The wagon was nimble and the horse swift, swiftly carrying them away from the capital. Gradually, the number of pedestrians decreased, and they found themselves surrounded by snow-white mountains and verdant trees, creating a beautiful and serenendscape. Qiao Xuan frequently lifted the curtain to admire the scenery outside,vishing praise on the breathtaking sights. Shao Yunduan had never witnessed such a breathtaking scene before, leaving him utterly fascinated by it. After approximately half an hour, the couple asked Songshi to stop the wagon, and they disembarked to venture into the nearby mountains, leaving him behind to tend to the coals and keep warm inside.
Songshi didn¡¯t dare to follow and simply nodded with a smile as he watched them go before retreating into the cozy wagon. Indeed, the wagon provided ample warmth. Even with a hand stove in his arms and donning fur clothing and a hat, he still felt a slight chill after the prolonged journey in the snow. Resting in the wagon was a wee respite. With no other pedestrians in the mountains during such weather, the couple aided each other as they trekked onward. Qiao Xuan¡¯s excitement and delight rendered her impervious to the cold, thoroughly enjoying the enchanting scenery up close. Amid the heavy snowfall, the world transformed into a dreamlike and exquisite spectacle. So enamored with the picturesque views, they nearly reached the middle of the mountain. Qiao Xuan¡¯s deerskin boots and cloak proved indispensable in tolerating the cold. Using her superpower, Qiao Xuan searched for any wild roosters or rabbits shivering in the cold. Catching them amidst the snow was a straightforward task. Guided by her abilities, they sessfully captured three wild rabbits and five wild roosters¡ªa bountiful harvest! ¡°Fantastic! Tonight, we¡¯ll have an abundant feast!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s face lit up with a bright smile as she held the wild rooster in her hands. Shao Yunduan was genuinely surprised, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile too. ¡°Those roosters and rabbits are truly clueless. How did they end up like this?¡± Qiao Xuan yfully blinked and replied with a grin, ¡°Indeed, we got lucky!¡± However, she knew that it wasn¡¯t merely luck at y. Her superpower was more than just a disy. If the roosters and rabbits had tried to escape, she could have easily used her abilities to ensnare them with long vines or grass leaves, making escape impossible. Of course, they had no choice but to wait obediently. The heavy snowfall provided her with the perfect opportunity to use her powers. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn¡¯t dare to employ such tactics on regr roosters and rabbits, as they wouldn¡¯t be caught in the vines and grass for no reason. So, it was her powers that led her to discover them in the first ce. They were thrilled about the bountiful catch. Back when Qi was with them, wild animals were abundant, and they were ustomed to eating such delicacies. But now, such opportunities were rare and treasured. Chapter 1191: Farmers’ Cooking Chapter 1191: Farmers¡¯ Cooking Editor:Henyee Trantions Motivated by a sense of longing, Qiao Xuan let out a sigh and whispered to Shao Yunduan, ¡°I can¡¯t help but miss Qi a little. I wonder how he¡¯s doing in the intermediate camp. It must be colder there than it is here. I wonder how much snow they¡¯ve had this year and if he¡¯s keeping warm.¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s heart skipped a beat; he cared deeply about his brother, too. Brushing away the snow on Qiao Xuan¡¯s shoulders, Shao Yunduan replied with a reassuring smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Qi has always been skilled in archery since he was young, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯s doing well. After the New Year, I¡¯ll inquire about his well-being.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s face lit up with joy. ¡°That would be fantastic! Please don¡¯t forget to ask.¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled affectionately. ¡°Qi is my brother; how could I ever forget about him?¡± It almost seemed as if Qiao Xuan considered him as a sister-inw rather than a brother. Qiao Xuan smiled in response. ¡°I¡¯m nning to go back next spring. Please make sure to send me any updates before that. I want to bring back the news and share it with mom and the rest of the family. You have no idea how much mom misses Qi, but she¡¯s hesitant to ask me directly. I can sense her concern. She¡¯s worried you might be troubled if she brings it up.¡± Shao Yunduan nodded with a smile. ¡°No worries!¡±
As the mountain breeze blew, snow gently fell from the branches, creating a mist of snow in the air. Shao Yunduan held Qiao Xuan¡¯s hands and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte; let¡¯s head back down the mountain.¡± Qiao Xuan surveyed their surroundings ¨C they had explored enough and sessfully hunted some wild animals. It was time to return home. Carrying their prey, the two of them made their way down the mountain. From a distance, Songshi spotted them and hurried over to take the wild roosters and rabbits from their hands. He eximed happily, ¡°Fifth Master and Fifth Madame, you¡¯re incredible! I never thought you could catch wild rabbits and roosters. Haha!¡± Qiao Xuanughed. ¡°It was just a sudden snowfall that startled them. Let¡¯s not tell anyone about it; it would seem too unbelievable. We¡¯ll just say we bought them from the farmers.¡± ¡°Yes, Fifth Madame!¡± Hungry and eager to cook, Songshi drove the wagon to a nearby vige. He knocked on a farmer¡¯s door and borrowed their space to prepare lunch. With roosters and rabbits on hand, the farmer¡¯s wife quickly killed and stewed them, turning them into a delicious meal. The generous portions meant they couldn¡¯t finish everything, so they shared a bowl with the farmer¡¯s wife¡¯s children. Living in the outskirts of the capital, the vigers enjoyed a rtively better life than those in the poorer counties, but meat was still a luxury. The farmer¡¯s three children were overjoyed, and their mother felt a bit embarrassed by their gratitude. Although she was paid 2 liang for the meal, the guests¡¯ generosity left her profusely thanking them. Cooked overrge stoves and firewood, the dishes were simply delicious. With fresh ingredients, a touch of ginger and garlic, and some stewed roosters with radish, the roasted rabbits emanated an irresistible aroma. Tworge bowls of steaming hot and fragrant food were served, making Qiao Xuan¡¯s mouth water with anticipation. ¡°It smells so good!¡± Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but exim. Just as they were about to dig in, an unexpected guest arrived, catching them by surprise. It was a master apanied by two servants who sought refuge and a warm meal during the intermediate snowstorm. The yard was rtively small, so Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan spotted them immediately as they entered. One of the servants smiled and asked the farmer¡¯s wife, ¡°Sister-inw, we¡¯re exhausted from our journey, and we¡¯d love to warm ourselves up with some food and drink at your ce. Don¡¯t worry; we won¡¯t be freeloading. We¡¯re more than happy to pay for our meal. The aroma of the meat you¡¯re cooking is enticing. Could you please share some with us?¡±
Chapter 1192: Unexpected Guest Chapter 1192: Unexpected Guest Editor:Henyee Trantions The farmer¡¯s wife couldn¡¯t believe her luck. She had two groups of people visiting simultaneously, and she saw a golden opportunity to profit from it. However, she felt a bit uneasy about the situation. She awkwardly addressed the guests, ¡°You mean the roosters and rabbits? Both groups brought them here themselves, so I prepared them for cooking. They aren¡¯t from my farm. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll have one rooster ready for you soon.¡± The two well-dressed servants arrived with a wagon and seemed very generous, showing no concern about the fate of the chickens. The Young Master, dressed in a mink coat, smiled and nced at the room. ¡°Why go through so much trouble? Let¡¯s just ask our guests if they mind sharing some of their food with us.¡± The suggestion took the farmer¡¯s wife by surprise. Before she could respond, one of the pageboys slipped a small sum of money into her hands. The farmer¡¯s wife¡¯s eyes lit up with delight as she epted the silver, saying, ¡°Alright, just wait a moment.¡± She went inside and approached Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, the two guests. Understanding the situation, she didn¡¯t demand that they give away their food for free. Recognizing the hardships of traveling, she empathized with the Young Master and his servant who appeared tired, hungry, and cold. It seemed like a good idea to lend them a helping hand. Moreover, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan seemed like refined people who wouldn¡¯t consume too much food anyway. It was a kind gesture to assist them on their journey, and she believed that such good deeds would be repaid in the future. And the more there was to eat, the livelier the atmosphere would be, right?
But the farmer¡¯s wife had no intentions of letting them share her belongings for free. As a gesture of gratitude, she decided to give them one of her hens when they left. ¡°These hens justid eggs, and their meat is so tender! It¡¯s sure to be delicious!¡± she eximed, feeling a tinge of remorse for the hen but alsoforted by the money she received from the pageboy. Though she had no idea of the exact amount, she knew it was substantial ¨C enough to be worth the value of 20 or 30 chickens. The unexpected eloquence of the farmer¡¯s wife surprised both Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, and they burst intoughter. After a quick exchange of nces, Shao Yunduan nodded and proposed, ¡°In that case, we can share half with them.¡± The farmer¡¯s wife was overjoyed. ¡°That¡¯s great! Thank you, Old Master and Madame Qiao. You are good people, and you will be blessed!¡± Qiao Xuan chuckled and praised, ¡°Sister-inw, you truly have a way with words! You¡¯re so lucky!¡± In high spirits, the farmer¡¯s wife went to fetch the dishes. Meanwhile, the Young Master approached Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan and courteously thanked them, saying, ¡°Thank you for your generosity!¡± Qiao Xuan observed the Young Master, who appeared to be not yet 20 years old. His long and narrow eyes, thin lips, and fairplexion gave him a delicate appearance, but he seemed pale and thin, as if recovering from a prolonged illness. The purple mink coat entuated his weak and pale appearance even further. Qiao Xuan smiled at the Young Master. ¡°Young Master, there¡¯s no need to thank us. It¡¯s not an act of charity; the farmer¡¯s wife mentioned she would give us a hen.¡± The Young Master was taken aback and chuckled, covering his mouth with his fist. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right.¡± Shao Yunduan gestured for him to proceed, saying, ¡°Please, go ahead.¡± Grateful, the Young Master smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Shao Yunduan returned the smile but remained silent. As the Young Master ate at the side, it was evident that the two servants couldn¡¯tpare to his refined demeanor. Songshi was eating in the kitchen, so the two of them followed the woman¡¯s arrangement and went into the kitchen with bowls.
Chapter 1193: Invitation Chapter 1193: Invitation Editor:Henyee Trantions The Young Master appeared not to be eating seriously. As Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were preparing to leave, he put down his chopsticks and smiled at them. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan walked towards their wagon, but to their surprise, the Young Master caught up with them. ¡°Please hold on, I am Zhao Shu from Yangzhou, Jiangnan, and I would like to befriend Fifth Master. Can we be friends?¡± he asked, revealing that he had heard about them from Songshi. Shao Yunduan¡¯s expression turned serious as he calmly questioned, ¡°You know who we are, don¡¯t you? Are you here on purpose?¡± Zhao Shu was unabashed and responded with an open smile. ¡°Yes, Officer Shao, Madame Shao, it¡¯s delightful to have a chance encounter in the snow and witness such a beautiful couple.¡± Shao Yunduan continued, ¡°What is it, Young Master Zhao?¡± Zhao Shu maintained his smile. ¡°This is not the right ce for a conversation. How about we head into town and chat at a tea house? Please don¡¯t misunderstand me; I have no ulterior motives. I simply admire the couple and wish to befriend you. As for anything beyond that, I genuinely cannot say!¡± He understood that if he couldn¡¯t befriend them, he had no right to ask for anything else. Qiao Xuan disyed a half-smile. ¡°Fifth Master¡¯s reputation precedes him in the capital, so I¡¯m not surprised that you admire him. But what makes you admire me? I¡¯m quite curious.¡±
Zhao Shu appeared taken aback for a moment, then smiled, saying, ¡°Please don¡¯t hold it against me for what I said. I have inquired about you both, and I know that Fifth Madame Shao is no ordinarydy. She possesses remarkable capabilities, and your properties in Yuzhang province are widely renowned!¡± Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged a meaningful look. ¡°¡­..¡± They had suspected that Zhao Shu and his servant came to the farmer¡¯s home with them in mind. However, they were taken aback by the extent of Zhao Shu¡¯s investigation. He seemed to know more about them than even the Tian Family, who usually paid little attention to the Yuezheng Family and their affairs. The Tian Family had always underestimated them, believing Shao Yunduan came from a small vige and had no significant connections. That level of knowledge was sufficient for them. They couldn¡¯t fathom how Zhao Shu could have gathered such detailed information. It seemed too meticulous and thorough for anyone to believe. Even a three-year-old child would not believe that the man in front of him was so thorough in his investigation. ¡°You are so considerate!¡± Shao Yunduan¡¯s demeanor turned cold, Zhao Shu appeared remorseful and tried to exin, ¡°Fifth Master Shao, I truly meant no harm. Fifth Madame inquired about these matters, and I merely answered her truthfully. I don¡¯t have any sinister intentions!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s smile remained, and she said, ¡°I believe that to be true. Even if you had ill intentions, my Old Master wouldn¡¯t be intimidated by you.¡± Shao Yunduan nced at Qiao Xuan with a helpless expression, as if knowing she was intentionally trying to tease Zhao Shu. Zhao Shu chuckled awkwardly in response, ¡°Of course, I never meant any harm¡­¡± ¡°Fifth Master Shao, Fifth Madame, why don¡¯t we head into town first,¡± suggested Zhao Shu, trying to steer the conversation away from any difort. Shao Yunduan agreed with Qiao Xuan¡¯s earlier sentiment, deciding that Zhao Shu didn¡¯t seem like a harmful person and thus lost interest in him. He saw no reason to waste any more time or energy on him. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go into town,¡± Qiao Xuan happily agreed. Zhao Shu was delighted by their response. ¡°Please, follow me!¡± Shao Yunduan assisted Qiao Xuan onto their wagon, and Songshi began to drive. Meanwhile, Zhao Shu climbed onto his own wagon and motioned for them to keep up as they made their way into town. Chapter 1194: Interest Chapter 1194: Interest Editor:Henyee Trantions Zhao Shu¡¯s face lit up with joy ¨C he had finally achieved his goal of speaking with Officer Shao and Madame Shao. This moment had been long in the making, and he had meticulously nned for it. For a considerable time, Zhao Shu had yearned to establish contact with them, but circumstances never permitted it. Fearful of the government office, he had to devise an alternative approach. Now, an opportunity presented itself, and they had to seize it. Upon concluding their conversation, to Zhao Shu¡¯s delight, Officer Shao and Madame Shao even agreed to chat with him. Although this gesture might not have meant much to others, for him, it signified a significant stride forward. Overwhelmed with joy, Zhao Shu could barely contain his excitement. As they strolled into town and settled at the intermediate tea house, Zhao Shu exchanged some polite words with Shao Yunduan before inquiring, ¡°I have one question ¨C why is Young Master Zhao investigating us?¡± To Zhao Shu¡¯s dismay, even Shao Yunduan¡¯s wife had discovered this matter. Shao Yunduan approached the situation with great caution, which led him to agree to this meeting with Zhao Shu. Zhao Shu rose from his seat and offered another respectful bow, his smile tinged with bitterness. ¡°Officer, I assure you, I have no malicious intent. My father is the wealthiest man in Yangzhou, ranking among the top three in the entire south. I happened to catch sight of some lipsticks and became quite curious. So, I sent someone to inquire about them. Later, I discovered you were in the capital, and as I needed to head there myself¡­¡±
Amused by the situation, he chuckled and decided to establish a friendly connection with them. Qiao Xuan¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°That¡¯s quite intriguing. How did youe to know that I am involved in making lipsticks?¡± Yuezheng Xiao was careful not to divulge Ms. Mi Junior¡¯s suspicions, given herck of evidence and her vulnerable position under First Madame¡¯s control. There was no way Zhao Shu should have known about this, especially when nobody else was aware of it. Bashfully, Zhao Shu replied, ¡°It¡¯s merely a guess on my part.¡± ¡°Young Master Yuezheng must not have produced the lipstick himself; otherwise, the Yuezheng Family would have found a way to expand its production. He kept it a secret to protect the mastermind behind it. Furthermore, he associates closely with them, and considering the abundance of roses, Chinese roses, red and blue flowers in the first section of the Yuezheng Family, I am certain that the lipstick must be somehow rted to them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s highly probable that Madame Shao is involved, given the simr situation with the first section of the Shao Family.¡± ¡°Of course, please understand that this is just my spection, and I have never shared this with anyone¡­¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Shao Yunduan responded. ¡°You aren¡¯t interested in venturing into this business, are you? Keep in mind that we only coborate with the Yuezheng Family. If they have any remaining opportunities, you can approach them directly.¡± Zhao Shu shook his head and waved his hands, saying, ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not what I meant. I simply hold deep admiration for Fifth Madame Shao¡¯s remarkable capabilities. If you can work with the Yuezheng Family, would you consider involving me as well? I have substantial financial resources!¡± Qiao Xuan inwardly mused about Zhao Shu¡¯s wealth, considering his father¡¯s status as the richest man in Yangzhou. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t quite decipher Zhao Shu¡¯s intentions, but the fact that he was from the south and not from the capital was a favorable aspect for Qiao Xuan. The capital¡¯s intermediate families were known for their vast wealth and intricate connections with various influential figures. Perhaps Zhao Shu had connections to the Fourth Prince or the Tian Family, among other prominent figures. Chapter 1195: Plan Chapter 1195: n Editor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan firmly decided to keep her distance from them, as she would never involve herself with such people. However, considering Shao Yunduan¡¯s affiliation with the Crown Prince¡¯s gang and the need to adhere to Emperor Xuan¡¯s stance, she realized that she couldn¡¯t remain idle. Perhaps, despite the odds, the Crown Prince could persevere until the end. Determined not to be passive observers, they had to be proactive in their endeavors. Qiao Xuan saw this as an opportunity to make a substantial amount of money, which might prove useful in the future. With the support of the East Pce, they had some protection, regardless of the size of their properties. Although Qiao Xuan initially nned to consider her options after the New Year, she knew that if she failed to find suitable coborators, she might have to venture into the business herself. The only setback was theck of manpower and connections, making it more convenient to coborate with others. As the wife of an officer, there were certain limitations to what Qiao Xuan could personally undertake. Thus, finding reliable partners was crucial. However, she held little hope of discovering coborators simr to the Yuezheng Family, as such opportunities were scarce and challenging toe by. In fact, that was almost impossible. Especially in a ce like the capital, where people from all walks of life mingled, materialism prevailed, and the nobility held influence, most businessmen were driven by greed, sycophantic,cking integrity, cunning, and solely focused on profits. Coborating with such individuals meant being constantly vignt for potential counter-attacks. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan fully understood the risks involved, and they were prepared to face any challenges that might arise. However, their ns took an unexpected turn when Zhao Shu unexpectedly approached them.
These two aspects particrly pleased Qiao Xuan ¨C money was not a concern for the intermediate school. Of course, they needed to ascertain the details of Zhao Shu¡¯s proposal and figure out the underlying motivations. Without giving an immediate response, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan decided to hold off on making amitment until after the New Year. They needed time to carefully consider the implications and weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. Zhao Shu felt reassured and content with their response, as he saw a glimmer of hope in their consideration. After a while, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan returned home, bringing along a few roosters and rabbits, much to the delight of Lixia and Liqiu. It turned out they weren¡¯t the only ones craving wild animals; the servants were equally eager for the treat. Considering the weather, the roosters and rabbits could be kept fresh for several days without spoiling. However, the sudden cooing of a hen startled them. ¡°Did Fifth Master and Fifth Madame also get this from the mountains?¡± Lixia inquired. Amused, Qiao Xuan chuckled. ¡°Are you two going crazy? You can¡¯t catch chickens in the mountains. And even if you manage to catch some, it¡¯s not stealing!¡± The couple joined in theughter too. That was right! Fifth Madame must have purchased them, and that was why she brought them to the backyard and secured them. Feeling more at ease after changing her clothes and settling down on the warm kang bed with a cup of hot tea, Qiao Xuan relished the sense of rxation andziness. After contemting for a moment, she turned to Shao Yunduan with a smile and inquired, ¡°What do you think of Zhao Shu?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Shao Yunduan replied, disying increased caution and prudence. He was not one to hastily form conclusions unless he had solid evidence, and he did not wish to let his initial impression cloud his judgment. As for Zhao Shu¡¯s words, Shao Yunduan found them perplexing, leaving him in a state of confusion. ¡°I¡¯ll look into his background, and once we have a clearer understanding of him, we can discuss this further, alright?¡± he suggested. Qiao Xuan agreed without any objections, nodding with a smile. ¡°Of course. Though he doesn¡¯t seem to be lying, appearances can be deceiving in the capital. Not many can be trusted solely based on their outward demeanor.¡± If he thought he could y games here like he would in a small town, he was in for a rude awakening.
Chapter 1196: Good Chapter 1196: Good Editor:Henyee Trantions Shao Yunduan smiled. ¡°Darling, do you want to coborate with him?¡± Qiao Xuan pondered for a moment and replied with a smile. ¡°We need money! The Crown Prince doesn¡¯t have much money, right? But he requires resources like the other princes!¡± Qiao Xuan had nothing to worry about as long as they were on the same side. Shao Yunduan nodded in agreement. ¡°True.¡± Everyone¡¯s attention was fixed on the Crown Prince, aware that he wouldn¡¯t easily gain any financial support. If they did provide him with financial aid, it might lead topetition among the people for profits, and ultimately lead to impeachment. More importantly, they couldn¡¯t decipher their true intentions. What was the purpose of amassing such wealth? To win over people¡¯s loyalty? But what was the true value of buying people¡¯s loyalty? There was no way to offer a clear exnation.
Even if an exnation were given, the Emperor would likely be uneasy about it. If this happened too frequently, it might alter the dynamics significantly. They had to remain untouched and avoid any entanglements. However, most of the ministers surrounding the Crown Prince were schrs, unsuited for business ventures or any other practical matters. Shao Yunduan was unique in his approach. Despite being a schr, he was still young, and people didn¡¯t have a strong impression of him yet. Therefore, he was not easily disheartened. Unlike other elderly schrs, if they were involved, it would disappoint themon folks and low-ranking officials. However, with Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan¡¯s wife, in the mix, things would be different. Her involvement changed the dynamics. Shao Yunduan never intended to be a pure Confucianist, and fortunately, his wife shared the same view. ¡°The Crown Prince cannot be directly associated with these matters, but if we take action, he will undoubtedly defend us. But I must apologize, my love¡­¡± Qiao Xuan smiled reassuringly. ¡°We are in this together, and it¡¯s good that you acknowledge your contributions. If he ever seeds, I would like to experience what it¡¯s like to be the wife of a high-ranking official!¡± Shao Yunduan felt a sense of relief and responded with a smile. ¡°If he truly uses our resources, I will certainly grant you the title of a first-ss wife!¡± ¡°That is good!¡± They exchanged smiles, fully aware that obtaining a first-ss title was no easy feat. It held the highest honor a courtier could achieve, and Qiao Xuan believed it would be worth spending more money to attain such an exceptional status. This honor couldn¡¯t be simply bought with money; it held a significance beyond material wealth. In any case, Qiao Xuan had nothing to lose. She possessed ingenuity and skills, while her coborators could handle the practical aspects. Although they were not yet official coborators, they were confident they could find the right person for the job. As they discussed the investigation of Zhao Shu, the excitement in Zhao Shu¡¯s heart was palpable. Upon returning home, he instructed his trusted housekeeper, Uncle Qing, to prepare a substantial New Year present. Previously, he hesitated to offer gifts, unsure of their rtionship. However, now that they were friends, he felt at ease, even if the coboration didn¡¯t pan out. He still wanted to show his kindness with presents. ¡°Make sure the gifts are ready within a couple of days and deliver them to Officer Shao¡¯s residence. Include as many valuable items as possible. Money is of utmost importance to me right now!¡± Uncle Qing was delighted to hear about Zhao Shu¡¯s connection with Officer Shao. He nodded with a beaming smile, happy for his master¡¯s newfound friendship.
Feeling a sense of urgency, Zhao Shu wasted no time and personally made all the necessary preparations. However, Uncle Qing felt it necessary to offer a gentle reminder. ¡°Young Master, Madame Shao has notmitted to anything yet, and there¡¯s a chance they may not ept such extravagant gifts. How about considering a simple token of appreciation instead? You can always make up for it in the future.¡± Chapter 1197: Fitting Chapter 1197: Fitting Editor:Henyee Trantions Zhao Shu¡¯s realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. A grin spread across his face as he said, ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, Uncle Qing. Let¡¯s go ahead with the n.¡± Aunt Qing, though unaware of the exact details, watched them with amusement as she busied herself with the household chores. Little did she know that her husband and Young Master had a hidden agenda¡ªto seek revenge on the Old Master and his associate. Despite the abundance of nobles and high-ranking officials in the capital, they chose to ally with a seemingly low-ranking officer, Officer Shao. Aunt Qing couldn¡¯t fathom what they saw in him, given hisck of background or power. Confused and skeptical, she found it hard to grasp the situation. Nevertheless, she trusted her husband and Young Master implicitly, believing they wouldn¡¯t make any mistakes. Their excitement over this coboration was infectious, and Aunt Qing couldn¡¯t help but share in their happiness. Unbeknownst to her, Uncle Qing and Zhao Shu had dispatched individuals to investigate Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan in Yuzhang and Heshan County, respectively. Their faith in the capabilities and character of these two individuals was unwavering, leading them to choose them as allies over anyone else. While Aunt Qing remained in the dark about the specifics, she had no doubt that her husband and Young Master were making a well-informed decision that would ultimately serve their purpose. And that alone was enough for her to be content and supportive of their actions. In the bustling capital, influential figures abounded, but their disdain for businessmen was evident as they viewed them as mere sources of wealth. Should anyone seek their assistance, exorbitant payments, at least tenfold, if not more, would be expected.
Working alongside these influential figures spelled doom sooner orter. Yet, Officer Shao and Madame Shao stood apart from the rest. Officer Shao¡¯s connections with the East Pce elevated his status significantly, making him far superior to his peers. Recognizing this advantage, Shao Yunduan approached the Crown Prince, urging him to investigate the Young Master of the Zhao Family in Yangzhou¡ªan exceedingly wealthy n. Though the Crown Prince seemed disinterested in the matter, he willingly obliged Shao Yunduan, happy to be of help and appreciative of Shao Yunduan¡¯s trust in seeking his aid. That was what a real family was like! As they delved into their investigation, a delivery of presents from Zhao Shu arrived. Uncle Qing and Aunt Qing took it upon themselves to personally bring the gifts to the Zhao Family. Although the items might not have been particrly valuable to the Zhao Family, they were immensely grateful for the gesture. The presents included an assortment of provisions:mbs, two pairs of live chickens, two pairs of live ducks, a pair of well-processed geese, a pair of hams, and a delightful selection of snacks, candies, and candied fruits. However, the most remarkable and rare offering was a small basket filled with fresh vegetables like garlic sprouts, celery, coriander, small vegetables, lettuce, and more. In addition to cabbages and radishes, they also received green onions, winter melons, old pumpkins, lotus roots, yams, taros, and other fresh vegetables from distant regions. To the recipients, such fresh produce was an incredible luxury. The Zhao Family couldn¡¯t afford these delicacies, and even if they wanted to purchase them, they were likely unavable in the local markets. Only the wealthiest families could afford greenhouses to cultivate such fresh vegetables, leaving everyone else unable to indulge in such treats. Qiao Xuan¡¯s eyes lit up with delight at the sight of the fresh green vegetables. She couldn¡¯t contain her happiness as she knew how valuable and precious these items were. Even though she had ess to fresh vegetables in her own space, it was unfortunate that she couldn¡¯t take them out to enjoy, leaving her cravings unsatisfied. Qiao Xuan had the remarkable ability to retrieve items from her own space, seamlessly blending them with the presents from Zhao Shu. Fortunately, Shao Yunduan seemed indifferent to this fact, and her maids, Lixia and Liqiu, remained oblivious to her unique talent. However, had Zhao Shu¡¯s presents consisted of treasure or jewelry, Qiao Xuan would have politely declined them. Chapter 1198: Presents Chapter 1198: Presents Editor: Henyee Trantions Their rtionship was strained, preventing them from appreciating valuable gifts. Valuable presents held intricate meanings beyond mere social gestures. Nevertheless, during the New Year, he presented them with food, pouring considerable effort into the gesture, though its value wasn¡¯t substantial. Qiao Xuan graciously epted the money, bestowing thick red envelopes upon Uncle Qing and Aunt Qing. As an officer, Shao Yunduan had the privilege of reciprocating the gifts. These two red envelopes epassed nearly two-thirds of their offerings, signifying a certain distance between them, with no one taking undue advantage. Still, I acknowledged your kindness for the time being. Zhao Shu inquired and deciphered her intention. Though somewhat disheartened, Madame Shao¡¯s eptance indicated a glimmer of hope. He resolved not to persist any further, lest he be bothersome. At most, they might request Aunt Qing to perform a ceremonial kowtow on the New Year¡¯s first day. With the New Year approaching, the Crown Prince nned to reward them. Given Shao Yunduan¡¯s substantial contribution and Minister Old Yun¡¯s kinship, the Crown Prince held them in high regard, leading to a notably generous reward. Beyond an array of confections, tea leaves, and pce-crafted meat dishes, the bounty included several calligraphy pieces, paintings, and antiques. Qiao Xuan was also honored by Princess Consort with two lengths of brocade, two pieces of fine leather, a pair of purses adorned with jade pendants, golden bracelets, golden hairpins, and cloud brocade handkerchiefs. The gestures werevish. However, it was evident that the East Pce¡¯s financial liquidity was limited. Non-mary items predominated. Following the East Pce¡¯s New Year offerings, colleagues started visiting one after another. Furthermore, Qiao Xuan had ns to prepare presents for her family. Returning these gifts wasn¡¯t a straightforward task. Offering presents carried great significance and served as tokens of appreciation. Simultaneously, they had to be tailored appropriately to avoid offense and respect taboos. Particrly in this instance, Qiao Xuan had invested considerable effort, despite herck of prior experience. While Shao Yunduan intended to consult the manager of the Crown Prince¡¯s mansion on this matter, Qiao Xuan firmly rejected the idea. Allowing such a consultation might project an image of ipetence and inadequacy. This demonstrated herpetence and perhaps even caught Princess Consort¡¯s attention. If she appeared ineffectual, solely resorting to ttery and jealousy, the Crown Prince might deem her unsuitable for Shao Yunduan, potentially leading to unfavorable consequences. Suffering those oues wouldn¡¯t be worthwhile. Her aspiration was to be a distinguished Madame. At that juncture, she would wield influence and affluence. She might even persuade Shao Yunduan to retire from the court, leaving behind a timeless legacy. That way, her life would attain perfection. How rare were such perfected lives in the world? Qiao Xuan hadn¡¯t foreseen that Madame Lin from Hanlin Academy was also bestowing gifts. Madame Lin had schemed against her in the past, causing a sense of guilt within him. Thus, he attempted to curry favor with her, seemingly fearing potential retaliation. For Qiao Xuan, such trivial matters held no ce in her current priorities. The events at Hanlin Academy seemed distant, and the actions of those madames no longer impacted her life. Even if someone harbored ill intentions, they wouldn¡¯t find an opportunity to execute them. Maintaining her reputation was of no concern. Chapter 1199: New Year’s Eve Chapter 1199: New Year¡¯s Eve Editor: Henyee Trantions However, that wasn¡¯t true forgiveness. They weren¡¯t on the path to bing friends again, but more like choosing to ¡°let it go.¡± Qiao Xuan understood the implication behind Madame Lin¡¯s words. She listened with a polite smile, though her growing unease became apparent as she fidgeted in her seat. Only then did she offer a fewforting words. Madame Lin visibly rxed. She seized the moment to extend her hand in friendship once more, but Qiao Xuan didn¡¯t engage further in the conversation. Eventually, Qiao Xuan apologized, leading to Madame Lin feeling so embarrassed that she excused herself and left. Qiao Xuan had no tolerance for such pretentious behavior. Except for those who were either clueless or overly self-absorbed, no one would dare to associate with such an individual. Before they knew it, New Year¡¯s Eve arrived. Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan weed the new year in each other¡¯spany. Having been married for quite some time, the festive spirit in their household only drew them closer. While others were surrounded by extended families, in that moment, they had only each other. Despite their modest number, the atmosphere was anything but dull. Couplets adorned the door, protective deities stood guard, decorative blossoms graced the windows, and two strands of vibrant rednterns, personally chosen by Qiao Xuan, hung beneath the eaves. The 29th day brought a nket of snow, and a jovial snowman emerged in the yard, its grin radiating cheer. The scene was brimming with life. New Year¡¯s dishes had been procured a few days prior, and fresh greens were a rarity during this season. Winter melons, radishes, and cabbages filled the pantry. At the crack of dawn, vendors rolled in with their carts, wooden buckets brimming with fish for sale. Liqiu joined the neighborhood crowd and managed to acquire a lively carp. Every dish was now prepared for the approaching New Year! The chilly weather prompted them to opt for a steaming hot pot dinner. Avish spread epassing nearly 20 varieties of meats and vegetables wasid out before them¡ªepassing beef,mb, pork, chicken, fresh river catch, rehydrated dried seafood, and an assortment of bean products. As for the sizable carp Liqiu had acquired, it was coated with flour and sizzled in the pan until it turned golden, then presented on a tter as a centerpiece. While such a dish was customary for the New Year, chopsticks saw little use. Carp, with its intricate bones, was overshadowed by the opulent offerings adorning the dinner table, making its consumption unnecessary. As night descended, the alley reverberated with the crackling of firecrackers. The fragrance of sulfur mingled with smoke wafted through the air, apanied by faintughter carried by the breeze. Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, and theirpanions joined in setting off firecrackers in the yard before retreating to the cozy interior tomence their meal. A perpetually warm bed dominated the room, with a charcoal brazier gently burning on the floor, infusing the space withforting heat. Today, a few extramps illuminated the room, suffusing it with brightness. In concert with the recently adorned drapes, floral decals on the windows, and the ebb and flow of acquaintances, the scene exuded a lively air¡ªakin to a revolving door of personalities, reminiscent of musical chairs. The arrangement of ornamental nts atop the elevated table, including elegant orchids, vibrant rhododendrons, delicate bamboo, and more, fostered a truly uplifting ambiance. The couple arranged a table on the bed, while Lixia, Liqiu, and Songshi organized another adjacent to it. Both tables boasted identical spreads of dishes, ensuring unity in the feast. The dawn of the New Year had arrived! The paramount agenda was relishing a feast and indulging in drinks. Adding an extra touch to the festivities, Qiao Xuan had even procured a jar of sweet osmanthus wine. Laughter and animated conversations filled the air, infusing the atmosphere with vibrant energy. A shared nce between Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan encapsted their joy, expressed through smiles that mirrored their contentment. With the arrival of the new year came a surge of hope, propelling individuals to strive diligently in its pursuit. Chapter 1200: New Year Chapter 1200: New Year Editor:Henyee Trantions After the New Year, the entire capital transformed into a bustling hub of activity. Countless banquets, gatherings, and social events colored the city¡¯s atmosphere, creating a whirlwind of busyness. After a few days of returning to her routine work, she began to regain a sense of normalcy, which brought about a slight improvement in her mood. Qiao Xuan found herself attending various gatherings and banquets within a 500-meter radius for the first time during the New Year, and everything went smoothly. She encountered no issues whatsoever. One notable factor contributing to this was Shao Yunduan¡¯s elevated status. Under the guidance of Minister Old Yun, Shao Yunduan had risen from an ordinary schr to an outstanding one. This transformation rendered him immune to any belittlement or discussions about his background, as doing so would be an affront to Minister Old Yun¡¯s discerning taste. Disparaging the esteemed Minister Old Yun would mean dering oneself an adversary of schrs across the realm. Furthermore, Shao Yunduan¡¯s reputation was bolstered by the high regard of the Crown Prince, leading many to seek his acquaintance rather than shun him. Qiao Xuan, as his spouse, felt fortunate beyond measure. Additionally, Qiao Xuan presented gifts to Shao Yunduan¡¯s seniors and colleagues from the Crown Prince¡¯s family. These offerings were met with great appreciation due to their opulence and practicality.
A young and promising officer held in high esteem by the Crown Prince, Shao Yunduan disyed thoughtfulness and respect toward senior family members. Who wouldn¡¯t admire such a junior? Who wouldn¡¯t want to assist her? Hence, wherever Qiao Xuan ventured, someone would introduce her to others and share tidbits of gossip. After a brief respite, Qiao Xuan spent two days resting at home. Upon hearing the madames discuss the uing Lantern Festival, she couldn¡¯t help but feel excitement bubble within her. Mentioning the event to Shao Yunduan, he responded with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that thentern market is a bustling spectacle. I¡¯ll apany you.¡± With a smile, Qiao Xuan nodded. ¡°Indeed, we must acquire somenterns as well.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go ahead and buy thenterns!¡± On the day of the Lantern Festival, they enjoyed a simple dinner at home before setting out. In the capital, grand festivals like this were a rarity, so Lixia, Liqiu, and Songshi all joined in the festivities. Shao Yunduan instructed Songshi to stay close to Lixia and Liqiu to prevent them from getting separated. As for himself and Qiao Xuan, they didn¡¯t need to be apanied by these bothersome individuals. Immersed in the crowd, the two of them navigated through thentern-lit streets. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but draw parallels to the modern train stations where people bustled about, evoking a sense of nostalgia she hadn¡¯t felt since arriving in this new world. ¡°Look at the crowd!¡± Shao Yunduan arched an eyebrow. Did he hear correctly? It almost sounded like his wife was delightfully captivated by the thronging masses. He tightened his grip on Qiao Xuan¡¯s hand, guiding her closer to his side. ¡°Stay close to me.¡± Thenterns illuminated the surroundings with intricate brilliance. Various shapes and designs adorned thenterns, asionally capturing the attention of onlookers and eliciting admiration and praise. After traversing a long, wide street, they arrived at an expansive square adorned with massive flower-shapednterns, each standing two or three meters tall. Among these were colossal flower baskets, an eight-sided revolving door, musical chairs, the Moon Pce¡¯s Chang¡¯e, the auspicious Qilin beast, blooming lotus flowers, carps leaping over dragon gates, the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, and more. The luminous disy dazzled, reflecting an array of vivid colors that enticed countless individuals to pause, gaze, and offermentary in awe. All they needed was a camera to take a picture!
Chapter 1201: Unexpected Chapter 1201: Unexpected Editor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t suppress a chuckle as the scene yed out in her mind. The level of craftsmanship disyed had taken her by surprise. Truly a remarkable disy of skill! Regrettable that shecked a camera to capture its beauty. They stood near Chang¡¯e¡¯s area, captivated by thenterns, when a soft, melodious voice reached their ears. ¡°Officer Shao, Madame Shao!¡± Both of them instinctively turned around. The woman before them resembled a living painting¡ªgraceful and serene, her smile a gentle curve. It was none other than He Zhiqing! Qiao Xuan felt a surge of repulsion. How audacious of her to cast such an innocent gaze! The shamelessness knew no bounds! Was her confidence in Qiao Wei so unshakable? Qiao Wei was hardly adept at keeping secrets. Though Qiao Xuan had inquired with just a few people, Qiao Wei had unhesitatingly implicated He Zhiqing to save herself from the consequences.
Recalling Qiao Wei¡¯s distorted exnation for He Zhiqing¡¯s actions, both Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan felt a sense of revulsion. But with no concrete evidence and He Zhiqing¡¯s association with the Fourth Prince¡¯s mansion, silence was their only recourse. Could it be that He Zhiqing remained oblivious to their knowledge? The couple maintained a stony silence, their expressions far from weing. Yet, He Zhiqing carried herself as if all was well. Her smile grew even warmer as she spoke, ¡°What a coincidence! Are you here to admire thenterns as well? Officer Shao is truly attentive to Madame Shao. I can¡¯t help but envy you.¡± Qiao Xuan offered a wry half-smile. ¡°Is that so, Madame He? Envious, are you?¡± He Zhiqing faltered for a moment, her smile bing strained. Jealousy was not a sentiment she was entitled to. After all, she was just a concubine! Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were officially married. If she dared to voice her envy, it would imply a desire to supnt the current wife and ascend as the Fourth Prince¡¯s true spouse. However, the incumbent wife would never pardon such audacity. Qiao Xuan¡¯s smile took on a mischievous edge as she fanned the mes. ¡°It appears Madame He acknowledges it. After all, every woman wishes for her husband¡¯s affection.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Darling, shall we move on?¡± Before He Zhiqing could utter another word, Shao Yunduan departed alongside Qiao Xuan. With a smiling nod, Qiao Xuan and herpanion melted into the bustling crowd, leaving He Zhiqing behind. He Zhiqing held the title of the Fourth Prince¡¯s concubine, while they were under the patronage of the Crown Prince. If they were spotted exchanging pleasantries with He Zhiqing, it could invite unwee spection. Clenching her teeth, He Zhiqing¡¯s re followed the path the couple took. The low light cast sharp shadows across her visage, intensifying her fierce expression. ¡°You¡¯re oblivious to your own best interests!¡± Reserving a private chamber at the nearby Yiping Teahouse, He Zhiqing had intended to extend an invitation for them to join her. However, they slipped away without a word.
¡°Their manners are utterlycking!¡± In frustration, He Zhiqing vented her ire and proceeded towards the Yiping Teahouse, apanied by her maid. A sense of perplexity settled in. Despite hailing from the same hometown, forging a connection seemed elusive. What would the Fourth Prince make of this? How could she prove her intelligence and utility to him? He Zhiqing teetered on the edge of despair.
The reality of the capital had caught her off guard. Hailing from a prestigious lineage, she held her talents and beauty in high regard. Girls of her own age, including her cousins from the Xie Family, held no sway in her estimation. In her eyes, they were all mere simpletons. Chapter 1202: Fear Chapter 1202: Fear Editor:Henyee Trantions She believed that only her cousin, who possessed intermediate talent, met her standards. However, the Xie Family held a different opinion about her. Undeterred, she resolved to venture into the capital without hesitation. Only individuals of noble birth were deemed suitable in her eyes. Her confidence in her allure and intelligence led her to envision herself in the Fourth Prince¡¯s residence, not merely as a concubine, but as the instigator of greater aplishments. Buoyed by the conviction that her beauty and wisdom would inevitably captivate the Fourth Prince, she anticipated achieving all her desires. A bright futurey ahead! Yet, reality proved harsher than her expectations. Initial attempts to justify her efforts were met with skepticism. Perhaps her approach was overly audacious? With time, the Fourth Prince¡¯s patience could wane, leaving her with diminished prospects. The Fourth Princess Consort and Secondary Concubine Shi were no allies either; they orchestrated numerous schemes against her. This served as a humbling blow to her once-overconfident intellect. He Zhiqing found herself in a series of setbacks. Deep-seated animosity grew toward Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan. Why did they thwart her sesses? Why amplify her challenges?
From their first encounter in Yuzhang, a dislike had been sown, now matured into fervent loathing. ¡°How disappointing! To think our paths would cross like this,¡± remarked Shao Yunduan, a light chuckle apanying his words. ¡°She¡¯s but a concubine, hardly worth your attention.¡± Qiao Xuan chimed in, a smile on his lips. ¡°Indeed!¡± Even if she were to be the Fourth Prince¡¯s concubine, she remained precisely that¡ªa concubine. As the wife of a fifth-rank official, there was no need to fear her presence. He Zhiqing was also undergoing her own struggles, although she had chosen this path willingly. It wasn¡¯t until they were halfway through the bustling market that Qiao Xuan started to feel fatigue, which coincided with He Zhiqing¡¯s sudden interruption. Having traversed quite a distance on foot, it was only natural for her legs to protest with ache. Atst, He Zhiqing seemed to return to her senses. Despite iming her intent to buynterns, not a single one had been purchased. They then proceeded to select morenterns. Upon encountering enticing disys of fiery-red candied haws and stir-fried chestnuts, Qiao Xuan enlisted Shao Yunduan to acquire some additional items. With their acquisitions in tow, theymenced their journey home together. Lixia, Liqiu, and Songshi were already assembled there, awaiting their return. Qiao Xuan silently acknowledged the reliability of the trio¡ªher confidence in them was well-founded, and there was no need for undue concern. Their diligent efforts had merited her continuous appreciation. The threepanions conversed joyfully, clearly having enjoyed themselves this evening. Qiao Xuan readily shared the candied haws and stir-fried chestnuts, and together, they all embarked on the journey back home in high spirits. With the Lantern Festival concluded, the Spring Festival also drew to a close. The new year had nowmenced in earnest. The subsequent day saw the return of Aunt Qing, Zhao Shu¡¯s caretaker. She arrived with a plethora of tea leaves, described as premium offerings from Jiangnan, meant for their tasting pleasure. Qiao Xuan perceived the true intention behind the tea invitation¡ªmerely a pretext. The urgency in Zhao Shu¡¯s disposition was palpable, signaling that the impending matter demanded resolution. With this understanding in mind, Qiao Xuan extended her courtesy to Aunt Qing, epting her arrival with grace. She entrusted Aunt Qing to convey a message to Zhao Shu, outlining that Shao Yunduan would be avable for a meeting in three days¡¯ time.
Aunt Qing¡¯s countenance rxed, a smile forming as she exhaled in relief, nodding in acknowledgment. The Young Master¡¯s persistent anticipation had heightened her apprehension. Herck of insight rendered her helpless, reluctant to intervene for fear ofplicating matters. Thus, she remained on the periphery, consumed by her own unease. Eventually, Fifth Madame Shao confirmed that they were ready. Zhao Shu, born as the legitimate son of Zhao Mu, the wealthiest individual in Yangzhou, was ironically living a woeful existence.
Chapter 1203: Past of the Zhao Family Chapter 1203: Past of the Zhao Family Editor:Henyee Trantions Zhao Mu and his wife, Ms. Zheng, forged a robust marriage alliance that bore the marks of strength and prosperity. The Zhao Family embarked on their entrepreneurial journey in the realm of silk production and printing. Ms. Zheng, Zhao Mu¡¯s first wife, possessed an impressive expanse of mulberry fields spanning over 100,000 mu. Ms. Zheng held a special ce in the hearts of her parents as their only beloved daughter. The Zheng Family harbored aspirations of securing a worthy husband for their cherished daughter. With assets including the vast 100,000 mu of mulberry fields, a sprawling farm extending across more than 10,000 mu of fertilend, and a grand residence upying nearly 10 mu, they possessed substantial wealth that undoubtedly qualified them to attract a fine prospective son-inw. Such endeavors were pursued to ensure their daughter¡¯s prosperous future. As fate would have it, Ms. Zheng unexpectedly crossed paths with Zhao Mu on two separate asions. Their chance encounters fostered a favorable impression between the two individuals. Seizing the opportunity, Zhao Mu dispatched a representative to formally request Ms. Zheng¡¯s hand in marriage. Her consent was readily given, leading to the formalization of their marital bond. Ms. Zheng, being the sole heiress of her lineage, and Zhao Mu, now joined in matrimony, initiated the process of merging their families¡¯ assets, creating an intrinsic connection. Moreover, an advantageous synergy emerged due to Ms. Zheng¡¯s family¡¯s significant holdings in mulberry fields and silkworms,plementing Zhao Mu¡¯s involvement in the silk trade. The products of the Zheng Family¡¯s silk endeavors naturally found their way into Zhao Mu¡¯smercial dealings. Several yearster, Ms. Zheng weed a son named Zhao Shu, who eventually showed no inclination towards overseeing the family business. Consequently, Zhao Mu assumed primary responsibility for managing the enterprise.
Over time, the unfortunate passing of Ms. Zheng¡¯s parents resulted in the gradual integration of the Zheng Family¡¯s possessions under the stewardship of the Zhao Family. Undeterred by external chatter, Ms. Zheng remained unfazed in the face of some superficial remarks from other women during social gatherings. She took such remarks in stride, choosing not to be affected. After all, what need was there to be concerned? Her efforts were directed towards safeguarding her legacy for her son¡¯s benefit. The amalgamation of the two families¡¯ resources was, essentially, a preservation of wealth for her son¡¯s future. When her son reached the age of seven, a pivotal moment arrived. Zhao Mu returned with an unexpected entourage: a woman named Qin Shi and two young boys, both his offspring. Zhao Mu¡¯s revtion left Ms. Zheng utterly stunned. He exined that Qin Shi was his former me, and the two boys were indeed his biological children. The time hade for them to reintegrate into the Zhao Family fold. This shocking revtion left Ms. Zheng speechless, her mind reeling. The two boys, aged 10 and 7, were older than her own son¡ªan unexpected turn of events that transformed her son from the singr heir of the Zhao Family into the Young Master, now sharing his position with his newfound half-brothers. Qin Shi¡¯s demeanor appeared fragile and timid, yet intriguinglyplex. Almost immediately after Zhao Mu¡¯s words settled, Qin Shi knelt before Ms. Zheng, apanied by her two sons, engaging in a sincere kowtow, pleading for forgiveness and imploring Ms. Zheng to take them under her care. ¡°¡­This is entirely my responsibility; please do not hold Old Master ountable. He¡¯s grappling with his own set of challenges. Old Master has always held you in the highest regard, and should you ce me upon him, his heart would be burdened with sorrow. If my presence disrupts your harmony with Old Master, I would rather live apart in tranquility. I beseech you, Madame, to extend yourpassion¡­¡± Ms. Zheng clenched her handkerchief tightly, overwhelmed by disgust that nearly caused her to regurgitatest night¡¯s dinner. The situation before her was utterly repulsive. Never could she have anticipated being confronted by such an appalling predicament. The sheer horror of it all seized her. In this moment, a recollection shed before her¡ªher mother¡¯s gaze in her final moments, marked bypassion and concern. Back then, she failed toprehend the meaning behind those eyes, assuming her mother merely struggled to part with her. Yet her mother had mustered a faint smile, disguising her worries and reassuring her that everything would be alright, urging her to remain untroubled. She finally understood what her mother¡¯s worries were¡­. During Qin Shi¡¯s tearful and kneeling plea, Ms. Zheng maintained her silence. The sight of Qin Shi, along with her two distressed children, stirred no words from her. Meanwhile, her husband¡¯s countenance disyed clear signs of displeasure. Chapter 1204: Thunder Chapter 1204: Thunder Editor: Henyee Trantions Honestly, what had she done? He shot her a displeased look, his hand subconsciously reaching out towards Qin Shi but then retracting. Did she think he hadn¡¯t noticed that? Well, that was certainly true. If Qin Shicked capability, she wouldn¡¯t have borne a son for a concubine before he married his own son, who was just six months older than her child. Qin Shi remained remarkablyposed. She didn¡¯t rush home when her two sons were in her care. Instead, she raised both boys until they reached the ages of 12 and 7. By now, the boys had matured significantly, and the chances of maniption were markedly diminished. The worry of this primary wife forcibly influencing her son wasn¡¯t something she needed to entertain. Especially the eldest son of the concubine, who at 12, was poised to marry within a few years. ¡°Hehe!¡± Rare were the women in the world more patient and calcting than she was. Mrs. Zheng believed that even if her parents were still alive, Mrs. Qin and her son would have returned to the Zhao Family, right? Yet, her parents were gone, a fact that brought her more joy and less resistance. Mrs. Zheng acknowledged that she stood right before her, understanding that whatever she said would likely fall on deaf ears. With two sons skilled in putting on a fa?ade and a husband who was visibly biased towards her, what was the point of refuting it? Suppressing the anger bubbling within her, Mrs. Zheng instructed someone to assist Qin in rising and then guided her to a wing-room. She couldn¡¯t quite suppress her frustration about why Zhao Mu had only chosen to reveal this after so many years. Did shee off as a bad person or something? Certainly, she wasn¡¯t content. No woman would react favorably to such news. By not causing a scene right then and there, she was already demonstrating a degree of respect towards Zhao Mu. Indeed, Zhao Mu¡¯s countenance disyed a mix of embarrassment and guilt. He mumbled, at a loss for how to articte the situation. He settled on exining that fate hadn¡¯t aligned for the two children to return to the estate earlier, resulting in their residence at the Daoist temple for several years. Unspoken were the circumstances concerning Ms. Zheng¡¯s character. He couldn¡¯t utter that truth, not when she had borne him two concubine-born children! Ms. Zheng remained skeptical of his exnation, yet strangely, this was wee news. Beingbeled a malicious person would undoubtedly cast a shadow over her son. Ms. Qin proved to be an intricate individual, necessitating careful strategizing. This woman had an uncanny ability to shed tears. Should she harness this skill to its fullest extent, she would invariably be perceived as a spiteful and malevolent presence. Zhao Mu¡¯s ount served to confirm Ms. Zheng¡¯s suspicions. Amidst a cohesive and rational narrative, Ms. Qin¡¯s offspring had been born under delicate circumstances, prompting their temporary upbringing within the temple¡¯s sanctuary prior to their reintegration into the estate. To forgo this approach would have imperiled not only the children but also the estate itself. With the master now certain of their well-being, their return was sanctioned. In truth, the aging servant and Ms. Zheng herself were privy to this information, but divulgence was proscribed. Ms. Qin might not have held a concubine¡¯s title, but she held the genuine status of one! Inmemoration of the mother and son¡¯s reunion, Ms. Zheng even proposed a grand festivity. Haunted by guilt and swayed by her dignified and joyous demeanor, Zhao Mu eded. Swift and resolute, Ms. Zheng granted him no chance to waver. The very next day, news of the forting celebration rippled through the estate. Yangzhou buzzed with vitality. Among those who were privy to the situation, praise for Ms. Zheng¡¯s virtue was abundant. Deep within, Ms. Qin seethed with irritation, yet her hands were tied. Ms. Zheng¡¯s maneuver had effectively eradicated any room for her to cast aspersions on Ms. Zheng¡¯s moral standing. Chapter 1205: Strong Mother Chapter 1205: Strong Mother Editor: Henyee Trantions Not Virtuous? Would she have permitted Ms. Qin to bear two sons from a concubine¡¯s position? Would she have gone so far as to arrange a celebratory banquet upon the return of these two sons to the Zhao Family if her charactercked virtuousness? At the time when Ms. Qin conceived the elder son from the concubine, Ms. Zheng had been wed to the patriarch of the Zhao Family for a mere year. Could it be denied that her moralpass was askew? The culpabilityy with Ms. Qin. And the me extended to Old Master Zhao! How could he impregnate a concubine right on the heels of formalizing his union with thewful wife? Ms. Zheng¡¯s tactics had thwarted Ms. Qin¡¯s scheme. Yet, unsatisfied, Ms. Zheng confronted Zhao Mu, suggesting that the tittle-tattle might besmirch the children¡¯s reputation if they were denied re-entry to the estate due to their less prestigious birth dates. Upon hearing this, Zhao Mu set out to scrutinize Ms. Zheng. Internally, Ms. Zheng wore a sneer, while outwardly, she remarked, ¡°Dear Master, your concerns are needless. The past is the past, after all, isn¡¯t it? Have you not often proimed that the past is behind us, and our present is auspicious? It is akin to a providential boon after surviving a catastrophe, a truly fortunate fate! How simpleminded one would have to be not to grasp this?¡± Zhao Mu fell into pensive silence. Evidently, Ms. Zheng perceived that Zhao Mu harbored no partiality toward her. Ms. Qin excelled in the art of tears. Fragile and delicate in demeanor, her visage held an innate softness. She attended meticulously to her appearance andcked neither gold nor silver fineries. Despite birthing two offspring, she retained an appearance redolent of her twenties¡ªan age of allure and enchantment that endeared her to men. Certain individuals are naturally favored by fortune. Ms. Zheng could never aspire to such favor. As the legitimate wife, she had no intention of striving for it either. Amidst her husband¡¯s partiality and the absence of her parents, Ms. Zheng resolved to forge a path for herself and her son. Unconcerned with Ms. Qin¡¯s greetings, Ms. Zheng instead arranged for someone to assist Ms. Qin in acquiring a residence only slightly smaller than her own. From the storeroom, Ms. Qin was wee to select whatever provisions she desired. Ms. Qin received a monthly stipend of 80 liang, while Ms. Zheng herself enjoyed 100 liang. It was within Ms. Qin¡¯s purview to choose maids and servants from her own yard. In essence, Ms. Zheng deliberately refrained from interfering in Ms. Qin¡¯s affairs. Such an approach precluded any grounds forint from Ms. Qin. Financially unburdened, Ms. Zheng harbored no qualms about Ms. Qin exploiting her generosity. Her foremost concerny with her son¡¯s welfare. Aprehensive, long-term strategy was imperative for her son¡¯s future. Fortunately, thend deeds epassing the expansive 100,000 mu of mulberry fields remained within her possession, meticulously concealed. This substantial asset was earmarked for her son, and any involvement of Zhao Mu was categorically dismissed. Over the preceding two years, Ms. Zheng systematically relocated the majority of her dowry from the Zhao Mansion. Leveraging her role as the matriarch, she capitalized on the opportunity to extract significant funds from the intermediary ount, augmenting her gains by selling items retrieved from the storeroom. This duo of endeavors alone amassed a valuation surpassing 200,000 liang. Enlisting a trusted confidant, she orchestrated the purchase of an imposing residence valued at 80,000 liang, along with a sprawling 3,000 mu of prime fields in the Hu state. Subsequently, she assigned two loyal stewards to oversee operations there. Subsequently, she acquired an expansive residence exceeding the value of 80,000 liang. Furthermore, she procured two sizeable restaurants and a pair of substantial satin emporiums nestled in Hangzhou. Entrusting her reliable kin, she delegated the management of these establishments. Chapter 1206: Trouble Chapter 1206: Trouble Editor: Henyee Trantions Regarding the valuable dowries, they had been concealed within these two houses, respectively. With all matters settled, a deep sigh of relief escaped her lips. Her immediate focus was now directed towards raising her son in a tranquil environment. Being thewful wife, and her son the rightful heir, it was acknowledged that Zhao Mu held a certain bias. Nheless, he was poised to allocate a significant portion of the family enterprise to her son. Furthermore, a steady ie from the intermediaries would continue to flow her way annually, with no detriment to her son¡¯s interests. Given this scenario, the rationale for engaging in rivalry with Ms. Qin seemed moot. However, what she hadn¡¯t anticipated was that her disregard for Ms. Qin emboldened her to act as she pleased, as long as the boundary of non-offense was not crossed. Unfortunately, Ms. Qin¡¯s intentions didn¡¯t end there¡ªshe seemed insistent on causing distress. It¡¯s usible that certain individuals are inherently inclined this way. If their origins are marred, the pursuit of tranquility and equilibrium remains elusive. Instead, they be predisposed to instigate disorder and chaos. During the preceding year, Zhao Mu, who had hitherto paid no attention to the Zheng Family¡¯s sprawling 100,000 mu mulberry fields, unexpectedly demanded the contract from her. The pretext was that it would simplify the management process. Without needing to be explicitly informed, Ms. Zheng was acutely aware that Ms. Qin had undoubtedly yed a role in this development. The timing appeared remarkably coincidental. There was ack of prior incidents before Ms. Qin¡¯s arrival, and yet within less than six months of her presence in the mansion, Zhao Mu was requesting the contract for the expansive mulberry fields. Ms. Zheng had no intention of acquiescing. Regardless of Zhao Mu¡¯s attempts, she remained steadfast in withholding it. Her stance was that the contract remained equally effective in her hands, and managing it posed no inconvenience. If an exigent circumstance were to arise, she was prepared to tackle it herself. Being the rightful wife carried with it certain prerogatives; if Ms. Zheng chose not toply with Zhao Mu¡¯s request, there was little he could do to contest it. However, following that incident, Zhao Mu¡¯s affection towards her waned. He became increasingly cautious and guarded around her. Sensing his shift in attitude, Ms. Zheng experienced a mix of annoyance and disdain. Guarding against her? How amusing! They were bound by the ties of matrimony, a connection forged through the ages. They had shared moments of honor and hardship. Wasn¡¯t her son their mutual flesh and blood? Hadn¡¯t she entrusted her belongings to benefit her son? Wasn¡¯t that the very essence of the Zhao Family lineage? The fact that he had grown wary of Ms. Qin was simplyughable! Perhaps Zhao Mu was attempting topel her into a reconciliation and surrendering the contract. However, Ms. Zheng clenched her jaw and held her ground. As the rightful wife, she deserved proper treatment. Anything less, and even the backing n would not absolve Zhao Mu of his transgressions. Moreover, if the Zhao Family disregarded tradition, Zhao Mu would be a subject of mockery beyond their household. She wasn¡¯t the type to endure bullying in silence. She had already restrained herself once for the sake of her son. Soon, Zhao Mu intended to rece the managers overseeing the mulberry fields. Timely advice from Uncle Qing enabled her to intervene and spare the managers from recement. She dered her intention to oversee all affairs pertaining to the mulberry fields personally. As a consequence, Zhao Mu grappled with the sensation that his role as the family¡¯s patriarch had been undermined. This perception stirred such irritation that he found himself engaged in heated disputes with her. Ms. Qin, who had previously remained aloof, suddenly appeared at their doorstep, tears streaming down her face, attempting to broker peace between herself, Old Master, and Ms. Zheng. The disy left her feeling utterly repulsed. However, Ms. Zheng was far from naive. Some women exhibited a limited perspective, being consumed by their own concerns and self-pity. Yet, there were others, fortified by maternal strength, who wielded their cunning for the sake of their sons¡¯ wellbeing. Ms. Zheng undoubtedly fell into thetter category. Chapter 1207: An Eye for an Eye Chapter 1207: An Eye for an Eye Editor: Henyee Trantions She remained resolute about her stance on the mulberry fields, yet she conceded defeat to Zhao Mu. As a gesture towards him, she even procured two younger and more alluring concubines. Out of concern for her husband¡¯s well-being and the family¡¯s reputation, the two concubines she presented to him hailed from respectable families. They possessed not only beauty but also impable manners and gentleness, making them the epitome of idealpanions. Further contemtion on this matter seemed unnecessary. Her new focus shifted towards enhancing the allure of these young women to captivate her husband¡¯s attention. Zhao Mu, feeling his dignity restored, exuded happiness. He diligently visited the quarters of the two recent concubines without any objection, symbolizing hispliance. Ms. Qin grew anxious and resorted to confrontation with the newly introduced concubines. Observing with a derisive grin, Ms. Zheng orchestrated assistance for the concubines, enabling them to engage in a more formidable struggle against Ms. Qin. This behavior highlighted the disposition of those inclined towards turmoil, seemingly content with turmoil rather than embracing a harmonious existence. Had Ms. Qin refrained from such actions and refrained from whispering malicious words behind Ms. Zheng¡¯s back, thetter might not have resorted to these tactics. As a result of this stratagem, Ms. Zheng¡¯s life unfolded tranquilly over the following two years. During this interim period, she ndestinely acquired properties in Huzhou and Hangzhou for her son, liquidating her own substantial dowries. As anticipated, Ms. Qin exhibited restlessness. Eager to secure a daughter-inw for her eldest son, who had recently turned 14, she urgently sought a resolution. The means by which she persuaded Zhao Mu remained a mystery, but he eventually approached Ms. Zheng for discussion. Her conscience somewhat unsettled, she entered the conversation. Zhao Mu¡¯s past actions had led to her disappointment, yet her displeasure had now waned. Ultimately, she assented. Why not? Wouldn¡¯t that infuse the entire situation with more vibrancy? She harbored no concern over the possibility of Ms. Qin aiming topete by seeking a daughter-inw. The behavior and characteristics of Zhao Di and Zhao Ye had been abundantly clear to her over the past couple of years. Hence, her sense of worry remained nonexistent. What a pair of imbeciles they were! Admittedly, it was Ms. Qin who once guided her before her enlightenment. However, Ms. Qincked the capacity for magnanimity and open-mindedness, alongside any notable virtues. While she harbored no inclination to meddle in Zhao Zhai¡¯s marital affairs, she chose to keep her intentions concealed. Given Ms. Qin¡¯s narrow-minded disposition, it was all too predictable that she would attempt to obstruct the process of arranging her son¡¯s marriage to prevent a potentially unfavorable union. As anticipated, it took only a matter of days for Zhao Mu to broach this topic with Ms. Zheng. Traditionally, the maternal figure held authority over the matrimonial matters concerning concubines¡¯ sons and daughters. Although Zhao Mu himself questioned the propriety of his involvement, Ms. Qin¡¯s assertion was valid¡ªZhao Di, as his eldest son, held a distinct status among his progeny. Consequently, the selection of his prospective spouse warranted careful consideration. In Ms. Zheng¡¯s heart, only her third son upied prominence, rendering her indifferent to Zhao Zhai¡¯s marital situation. Considering Ms. Qin¡¯s role as the mother, it was her responsibility to undertake this endeavor. Internally harboring a sense of disdain, Ms. Zheng expertly simted deep contemtion, abstaining from immediate response. After an extended pause, she exerted effort to articte, ¡°Were it not for your decision, it is conceivable that outsiders might have propagated certain spections.¡± Zhao Mu interjected, affirming, ¡°Indeed, no one shall cast aspersions upon the integrity of the Zhao Family¡¯s marital affairs.¡± Internally, Ms. Zheng responded with a derisive smirk before releasing a resigned sigh. ¡°That approach is feasible as well. Alternatively, I could feign illness, prompting Ms. Qin to step in for some usible reason.¡± Zhao Mu¡¯s tion was palpable. ¡°Very well, that¡¯s an excellent idea!¡± Chapter 1208: Smart Chapter 1208: Smart Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Zheng¡¯s im of being sick was not without reason. Her need to purchase various supplements such as ginseng, cubilose, floral glue, and Donkey-hide gtin justified her actions. She could list as many items as she pleased. Having rued over 35,000 liang from the joint ount for Zhao Zhai¡¯s wedding, Ms. Zheng, while counting the money, disyed immense satisfaction. She was willing to allocate even more funds without hesitation. Feigning illness, Ms. Zheng skillfully guided her son. This aplishment filled Ms. Qin with overwhelming pride, nearly lifting her spirits to flight. Despite her status as a concubine, Ms. Qin enjoyed a personal meeting with her daughter-inw and vigorously defended her son¡¯s union. This feat was truly an honorable achievement. However, this path presented a challenge: high-ranking families with their esteemed matriarchs would hesitate to discuss matrimonial matters with a concubine. The mere idea provoked ridicule. Even the offspring of a concubine held little standing. Lineal daughters were entirely out of the question, let alone the concubine¡¯s eldest son. Only circumstances such as having no lineal son or being born from a concubine allowed exceptions. Ms. Qin¡¯s aspiration to unite her lineage with the Zhao Family¡¯s lineal daughter encountered a session of obstacles, fueling a mix of anger, resentment, and envy. She couldn¡¯t help but envision a scenario where she held the position of a lineal wife, immune to any belittlement. The reality forced Ms. Qin to confront her humility. As equals in status, the Zhao Family¡¯s lineal daughter was limited in her choices, necessitating a marriage to a woman of lower rank. Inevitably, the union would take ce with the lineal daughter. Eventually, a suitable family was discovered, boasting hundreds of mu of fertile fields and a few well-sized stores. This discovery prompted heartyughter from Ms. Zheng. Wouldn¡¯t it be fitting for a daughter from such a family to be bestowed upon the sons of the Zhao Family¡¯s stewards? Ms. Qin, it appeared, harbored no particr preferences. Zhao Mu remained unaware of these developments until the engagement had been solidified. The revtion of the inws¡¯ status nearly rendered him speechless, leading to a stern rebuke directed at Ms. Qin. This instance of Ms. Qin¡¯s actions managed to greatly irk Zhao Mu. He had yet to encounter a woman so utterlycking in awareness and intelligence. Despite his past indulgences in unreasonable behavior, this particr situation required a more subtle approach. In light of the circumstances, Zhao Mu covertly distanced himself from Ms. Qin¡¯s quarters for nearly two weeks, effectively ignoring her. This abrupt withdrawal provoked a flurry of anxiety within Ms. Qin. With an acute understanding that her sole support rested upon Zhao Mu¡¯s shoulders, Ms. Qin recognized her precarious position. Unlike Ms. Zheng, who possessed significant assets, Ms. Qin¡¯s fate was tightly bound to Zhao Mu¡¯s inclination. A disinterest on his part would inevitably seal her doom. In a desperate bid to amend the situation, Ms. Qin employed various strategies to reconcile and apologize. She exhaustively explored every avenue to rectify her standing. Observing this spectacle, Ms. Zheng couldn¡¯t help but be scornful. It appeared that Zhao Mu¡¯s treatment of Ms. Qin was far from exemry. To fall for such a man, Ms. Zheng surmised, was a grave misjudgment on Ms. Qin¡¯s part. It wasn¡¯t until Ms. Qin had endured a solitary fortnight, fully absorbing her lesson, that Zhao Mu granted his forgiveness. He reached a clear conclusion: Ms. Zheng alone held the mantle of apetent wife, the sole bearer of initiative andpetence in the household. Ms. Qin was ill-suited for such responsibilities. As a concubine, her primary role was to provide attentive service. Her duty extended to offeringplimentary words to please her, but the burden of substantial tasks should not be ced upon her shoulders. Chapter 1209: Intermediate Chapter 1209: Intermediate Editor: Henyee Trantions Zhao Mu had entrusted the task of managing Zhao Zhai¡¯s wedding to Ms. Zheng. Although Ms. Qin was initially reluctant, she desired to orchestrate her son¡¯s marriage herself. The mere thought of directing the servants filled her with delight. She also aimed to oversee the financial aspects and ensure the wedding¡¯s sess. However, she had just managed to pacify Zhao Mu and didn¡¯t dare to oppose his decision directly. Ms. Zheng pondered for a moment and voiced a firm stance: Ms. Qin was to stay uninvolved. If Ms. Qin preferred not to be engaged, Ms. Zheng would take the reins. Alternatively, Ms. Qin could simply relinquish control. Zhao Mu promptly assented, even expressing a touch of contempt, ¡°Ms. Qincks understanding. It¡¯s best to disregard her!¡± Upon hearing this, Ms. Zheng¡¯s disdain for him deepened. Ms. Zheng eagerly embraced the responsibility of hosting the wedding. Even if she abstained, the situation would remain unchanged. Her intentions were threefold: to provoke Ms. Qin¡¯s ire, showcase her own virtue, and exploit opportunities for financial gain and advancement. Such a prospect thrilled her as it held numerous advantageous openings. Post-wedding, Ms. Zheng pocketed 50,000 liang from her intermediary role, eliciting immense joy. Concerned about Ms. Zheng¡¯s wellbeing, Ms. Qin endeavored to visit the main yard, only to be repelled by Ms. Zheng. Dissatisfied? Seek a resolution with Zhao Mu! Yet, Ms. Qin hesitated, her frustration mounting. Not long after, Ms. Qin¡¯s new daughter-inw, Ms. Ruan, arrived at the residence. Ms. Zheng struggled to fathom Ms. Qin¡¯s motives, perplexed by her choice of daughter-inw. Later, word circted that Ms. Qin had acquired this match from an undisclosed source, the consensus being that the girl possessed both beauty and blessings. Ms. Zheng found herself at a loss for words. Zhao Di held a mixed sentiment toward his wife, not necessarily harboring aversion, yet not embracing affection either. His actions were likely driven by diligent effort, perhaps at the urging of his concubine. Within merely three months of Ms. Ruan¡¯s marriage, the joyful news spread: pregnancy seemed imminent within a month of the wedding. This revtion left Ms. Zheng stunned. Ms. Qin¡¯s judgment had proven astute; the prospect of childbirth seemed promising. This development bolstered Ms. Qin¡¯s pride, as if she had significantly contributed to the Zhao Family¡¯s legacy. She yearned to perpetuate tales of how she had coaxed Zhao Mu into safeguarding and nurturing both Ms. Ruan and her unborn child ¨C the eagerly awaited eldest grandson. During this period, Ms. Qin radiated with pride and arrogance. And, truthfully, she had a basis for it. Having borne the Old Master¡¯s first and second sons, and with her own son and daughter-inw delivering the Old Master¡¯s grandchild, the Zhao Family¡¯s future seemed inevitably intertwined with theirs. The heir was in his infancy! Ms. Qin harbored a belief that Ms. Zheng might sumb to jealousy and resort to underhanded means to induce a miscarriage in Ms. Ruan. Ms. Qin acquired two additional maids, instructing them to remain by Ms. Ruan¡¯s side, ensuring her safety. All of Ms. Yuan¡¯s meals were prepared in the smaller kitchen, exclusively using ingredients sourced from within the estate. There was no necessity to acquire anything from external sources. Ms. Qin¡¯s actions served as an affront to the household managers and purchasers, leaving them inwardly disgruntled. In response, Ms. Zheng offered a scornful sneer and chose to take no action. Chapter 1210: Trouble Chapter 1210: Trouble Editor:Henyee Trantions She had no interest in engaging in disputes with a group of individuals she considered unintelligent. After enduring a challenging 10 months of pregnancy, Ms. Yuan faced difficulties, yet she managed to sessfully give birth to her child. Ms. Qin and Zhao Zhai were thoroughly entertained by the new addition, a boy. Zhao Mu was equally ted. After all, he had be a grandfather! However, tragedy struck before the child could even reach one month of age; he passed away within the first seven days. The event unfolded in the midst of the night, with Ms. Qin¡¯s shrieks rousing Ms. Zheng from her distant position in the yard. Upon hearing this, Ms. Zheng exchanged a knowing nce with Auntie Yin. Neither of them exhibited surprise. In a hushed tone, Auntie Yin muttered, ¡°What a tragic fate¡­¡± Indeed, it was a tragedy. Ms. Ruan had only recently turned 15 at the time of her pregnancy, while Zhao Di was merely 14. Their youth and immaturity made it an exceptional urrence that Ms. Ruan even managed to carry the pregnancy to term and deliver a child. Expecting the child to be healthy seemed unrealistic.
The child had never even left the confines of the room he was born in. Fearing Ms. Zheng¡¯s potential jealousy and harm towards the child, Ms. Qin justified her decision to keep the child secluded, asserting that he was too fragile for the outside world. In an attempt to bridge the gap, Ms. Zheng sent Auntie Yin to visit, though she was denied entry. No members of the immediate family ventured into the room. Ms. Qin struggled toy me on Ms. Zheng for the child¡¯s demise, with no usible excuse at hand. Adding to the intrigue, the doctor imed the child¡¯s weakness was the primary reason for his premature death, refuting any notion of foul y. Despite this exnation, Ms. Qin maintained her stance that foul y was involved and pushed for a thorough investigation. Zhao Mu¡¯s outburst silenced her protests. Unforeseen by Ms. Qin, Ms. Ruan found herself pregnant again within a mere four months. This time, Ms. Qin exercised even greater caution, keeping Ms. Ruan within the yard¡¯s boundaries and under close supervision. She grieved deeply for herte grandson, who had been the eldest among the Zhao Family¡¯s grandchildren, symbolizing a significant portion of their wealth. Yet, in an instant, it was all gone. Unexpectedly, Ms. Yuan¡¯s second child was also stillborn¡ªa son, once again. Witnessing this, Ms. Qin broke into tears anew, and Ms. Ruan¡¯s crying showed no signs of abating either. The rtionship between the mother-inw and the daughter-inw was undeniably strained, marked by hardship. Ms. Zheng, for sure, took a certain satisfaction in this situation. However, a pang of sympathy for Ms. Ruan also welled up within her. Ms. Qin had squandered the opportunity to nurture such a promising young woman. It seemed just yesterday that Ms. Ruan was merely a ten-year-old, nestled in her mother¡¯s arms, full of innocent pleas. But due to the sessive loss of two children, her countenance had transformed¡ªpale, haggard, and perpetually furrowed. As though all vitality had been sapped from her, leaving behind a mere semnce of her former self. Startled, Ms. Zheng crossed paths with her. Anticipating her own unpleasant fate, Ms. Zheng was aware that living under the sway of someone like Ms. Qin, her prospects were grim. Two consecutive child losses had already plunged her into a state of sorrow and trepidation. Ms. Qin was bound to heap me and reprimand upon her. Zhao Zhai, who obediently followed Ms. Qin¡¯s every word, provided no sce. He wasn¡¯t someone she could rely on. Still, Ms. Zheng hadn¡¯t foreseen the extent to which Ms. Yuan¡¯s condition had deteriorated. However, that was the affair of Ms. Qin and her son. It was a matter Ms. Zheng chose not to involve herself in.
What relevance did it have to her? Ms. Qin¡¯s relentless antagonism persisted, perpetually shing about her ¡°grandchildren.¡± Ms. Qin seemed to have been exceptionally fortunate, and she harbored a desire for her daughter-inw to endure and persevere. In a span of just five months, Ms. Yuan found herself pregnant once more! Ms. Zheng and the first section members of the family could only respond with astonished admiration.
Chapter 1211: Ms. Qin’s Madness Chapter 1211: Ms. Qin¡¯s Madness Editor:Henyee Trantions This time, Ms. Qin didn¡¯t solely pin her hopes on Ms. Ruan. Instead, she assigned two concubines, both from impoverished rural backgrounds, to Zhao Zhai. One of the girls hailed from a destitute countryside family and possessed a strikingly beautiful countenance and figure. Her demeanor was devoid of elegance, intrigue, coquettishness, or worldliness. Rather, she exuded an air of honesty, almost bordering on dullness. However, her attributes were deserving ofmendation. In this instance, Ms. Zheng grasped Ms. Qin¡¯s strategy ¨C they aimed to excel in childbearing. Ms. Qin held a favorable disposition toward these two girls, convinced that they had the potential to conceive and bear children. A derisive snort escaped Ms. Zheng¡¯s lips. Ms. Qin¡¯s decisions were her own prerogative, a fact she remained unfazed by. She observed the unfolding spectacle with considerable amusement. Yet, Ms. Qin had miscalcted this time; the apparent ¡°childbearing prowess¡± of these two concubines yielded no pregnancies even after six months. Growing anxious, Ms. Qin employed various supplements to no avail. Her intent to acquire additional concubines for Zhao Zhai persisted.
Driven to a state of recklessness, Ms. Qin was ready to intervene further. However, Zhao Mu rebuked her, instructing her to desist from securing more concubines for Zhao Zhai. At slightly over a decade in age, Zhao Zhai was already wed to one wife and held two concubines. If another concubine were to be added to the mix, would it not jeopardize his well-being or tarnish his reputation? Fearing a direct confrontation with Zhao Mu after the lesson, Ms. Qin offered her apologies and arranged for a maid to attend to Zhao Zhai. Ms. Qin had devised a shrewd strategy: if the maid became pregnant and delivered a child, she would be elevated to the status of concubine, thus striking a harmonious bnce. Curiously, no other pregnancies materialized. This time around, Ms. Ruan grappled with heightened stress, impairing her child-rearing efforts. Regrettably, the child was born but did not survive past a month, in line with expectations. Ms. Yuan¡¯s heart plummeted, driving her to attempt self-inflicted harm using a length of white silk. Though she was ultimately rescued by her attending maid, her health had deteriorated, rendering her unable to conceive for a span of two to three years. Subsequent to a series of harsh setbacks, Ms. Qin¡¯s vigor waned. A vehement loathing for Ms. Zheng had firmly taken root within Ms. Qin¡¯s heart. She steadfastly clung to the belief that Ms. Zheng must have schemed covertly against her. The depths of Ms. Zheng¡¯s cunning were far too elusive to unravel. Yet, Ms. Qin was convinced¡ªthere had to be some ndestine machination at y! Otherwise, the string of misfortunes would not have unfolded with such eerie synchronicity. How else could the predicaments besiege the offspring in session? Historically, Ms. Zheng had never entangled herself with Ms. Qin and her progeny. She hadn¡¯t even glimpsed Ms. Yuan¡¯s child upon birth. Yet, the repetition of a lie could potentially sow seeds of doubt and warrant unwarranted belief. Excessive discussion invariably begets a multitude ofplications. Ms. Qin¡¯s assertions resounded with unwavering confidence, instigating Zhao Mu¡¯s skepticism. Driven by suspicion, he sought a direct confrontation with Ms. Zheng.
While harboring minimal optimism for this interaction, Ms. Zheng couldn¡¯t help but shudder at Zhao Mu¡¯s utterances. Zhao Mu had sumbed to Ms. Qin¡¯s falsehoods and began to cast doubt upon Ms. Zheng! In response, Ms. Zheng emitted a derisive chuckle. ¡°Throughout my tenure in this family, I¡¯ve consistently refrained from entangling myself with the mother and son, precisely to avoid such baseless suspicions. Can you truly fault me for this? Do Ms. Qin¡¯s words wield the authority of imperial decrees? Is she at liberty to utter whatever pleases her, devoid of substantiation?¡± Irritated by her retort, Zhao Mu¡¯s patience snapped. ¡°Fine, fine, fine, no, I never said anything negative about you. Can¡¯t youmunicate without the sarcasm? Must you always resort to being so snide?¡±
Their exchange ignited yet another heated disagreement. Chapter 1212: Zheng’s Death Chapter 1212: Zheng¡¯s Death Editor: Henyee Trantions Due to the estrangement between Ms. Zheng and Mr. Qin, their rtionship was strained, exacerbating the situation. Ms. Zheng held the belief that Ms. Qin had more or less aplished her objectives. The repugnant usations made by Zhao Mu were unbearable for her to endure. Subsequently, when Zhao Shu reached the age of 15, an unfortunate incident urred involving Ms. Zheng. On Qingming Day, while paying homage to Zhao Shu¡¯s departed parents, an incident transpired with their carriage. During this critical juncture, Ms. Zheng sustained severe injuries while shielding Zhao Shu. Despite being transported home for medical attention, she passed away within three days. Zhao Shu remained suspicious of Ms. Qin¡¯s potential involvement in the so-called ident. Although his callous father might have disregarded it, hecked concrete evidence. His suspicions were grounded in several perplexing details. Firstly, his mother¡¯s carriage was under meticulous care, undergoingprehensive inspections prior to her travels. Ordinarily, nothing untoward should have urred. In short order, the coachman and his family were dismissed under the pretext of negligence andck ofmitment. Zhao Shu was consumed by grief following his mother¡¯s demise, and he overlooked these details. By the time he attempted to investigate, the coachman had vanished. Despite dispatching individuals to the coachman¡¯s hometown, his efforts to locate her proved fruitless. Secondly, the rtionship between his parents deteriorated progressively. Anytime they were together, they engaged in heated disputes. While his father refrained from seeking the 100,000 mu of mulberry fields¡¯ contract from the Zheng Family, he declined to furnish an IOU note to his mother for the annual silk yield. A staggering 100,000 mu of silk emanated from the mulberry fields, and upon her marriage to his father, she had naturally taken control of it. Payment had never been demanded before. However, with her grandparents still alive, her grandfather requested a symbolic IOU note, which his father provided. This practice was a longstanding tradition for her. Nevertheless, two years ago, his father declined to honor this tradition by refusing to issue the IOU note. As a result, his mother and father engaged in heated arguments, with his mother even threatening to sell the silk to another buyer, igniting his father¡¯s anger. The rtionship between the two of them progressively deteriorated. His father¡¯s dissatisfaction with his mother was evident. Furthermore, Concubine Qin and her son continuously maligned her in front of his father, intensifying the conflict by spreading a variety of malicious rumors. His father seemed to believe at least two or three out of every ten sentences, if not more! As time psed, their mutual animosity deepened. Zhao Shu harbored doubts about the authenticity of his mother¡¯s supposed ident. Yet, his profound sorrow immobilized him, rendering him incapable of taking any action. When he eventually attempted to uncover the truth, it was already toote. Even so, his mother defended him for thest time. Prior to her passing, she beseeched him, in the presence of his father and the senior members of the n, to transport her remains to the ancestral home of the Zhao Family for interment. She implored him to tend to her grave for three years without forsaking it. He departed in thepany of his steadfast attendants. Heprehended his mother¡¯s concern that he might face harm within the household. At 15, he was neither exceedingly mature nor exceptionally young. Pitted against the entire family, he found himself standing alone, and the prospect of encountering harm was considerably elevated. Three yearster, his mother¡¯s instructions granted him an additional period to amass strength and formte a strategy. As he left the Zhao Family in Yangzhou, his father and Ms. Qin expressed overt delight, opting not to impede his departure. Chapter 1213: Planning for Him Chapter 1213: nning for Him Editor: Henyee Trantions Presumably, they also held him in contempt due to his being considered an eyesore? Even after his departure, he continued to dispatch individuals to monitor the Zhao Family closely. He possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of significant events within the Zhao Family that transpired over the past three years. Following the conclusion of his mourning period, he seized the opportunity of his father¡¯s extended absence to return. Subsequently, he casually announced his intention to embark on a journey. His initial stop was Huzhou, followed by Hangzhou, where his primary objective was to assume responsibility for and assess the properties acquired by his mother on his behalf. His mother was undeniably capable. She had entrusted her family with utmost loyalty and expertly managed these properties. In addition to her early purchases, she hadter acquired 10,000 mu ofnd on the outskirts of Hangzhou City, along with numerous valuable antiques and jewelry. This substantial estate secured by his mother would enable them to live a prosperous and content life without needing any assistance from the Zhao Family! Zhao Shu¡¯s heart was overwhelmed with sorrow, and tears welled up uncontrobly. How he longed for his mother¡¯s presence! He would willingly relinquish all ties to the Zhao Family in exchange for his mother¡¯s well-being. Regrettably, this remained a far-fetched and unattainable dream. His mother was no longer among the living, having passed into the realm of the departed. The past and future were forever separated from the present, and their mother-son bond had been irrevocably severed. He harbored an intense loathing for Zhao Mu and Ms. Qin. Even if his mother had indeed met with an unfortunate ident, he could not forgive the anguish inflicted upon her by Zhao Mu and Ms. Qin. In his eyes, they were nothing short of murderers! Upon what grounds did his mother meet such a suspicious and abrupt demise, enduring untold suffering while still alive, while these two culprits led a life of untroubled opulence? It would have been eptable if his mother were still alive, but with her gone, he felt an unshakable determination to seek justice on her behalf! For the sole purpose of avenging his mother! Those two individuals deserved to face the consequences of their actions. Once Zhao Shu shared this information with his trusted rtives, Uncle Qing and Aunt Qing, who had been part of Madam n¨¦e Zheng¡¯s dowry, readily concurred. Yet, Zhao Shu was physically frail, and Zhao Mu held the position of his birth father. His chances of prevailing against Zhao Mu were exceedingly slim. If he were branded as unfilial due to this endeavor, even if he could clear his mother¡¯s name of this wrongdoing, it would still feel inadequate. His mother¡¯s spirit in Heaven would not truly find sce. That¡¯s why he needed to find a formidable ally, a powerful supporter who could intimidate his father, without putting him in a perilous situation of ¡°recing one danger with another.¡± After deliberation, he brought Uncle Qing, Aunt Qing, and the others to the capital to explore their options. Initially, they considered ingratiating themselves with a prominent aristocrat. Indeed, for families like the Zhao¡¯s, influential officials were entities capable of overwhelming them. If willing, they could certainly exert authority over Zhao Mu and Ms. Qin. However, despite residing in the capital for over half a year, they struggled to identify a suitable aristocratic patron. It¡¯s important to note that the Zhao Family was a merchant n based in Jiangnan, with limited ties to the capital. They were worlds apart from the influential families in the capital. Without someone to pull strings, establishing connections with a prominent capital-based aristocratic family proved to be no easy task. Certainly, if Zhao Shu merely desired to be a spendthrift, reveling in extravagant dinners and indulging in thepany ofpanions of questionable reputation, it would indeed be a straightforward pursuit. As long as he frequented upscale eateries and establishments of ill repute, he would inevitably cross paths with wastrels. And so long as he was willing to open his purse, these wastrels would readily wee him as a friend. Chapter 1214: Inquiring Chapter 1214: Inquiring Editor: Henyee Trantions However, this was not aligned with his desires. If he were to take that path, it would significantly diminish his standing right from the outset. No one would regard him with respect, and he would not be taken seriously. So, how much would he have to invest, both in terms of resources and time, to establish his credibility? Once people formed a first impression of a novice, it was notoriously challenging to alter. He had a history of associating with individuals of exceptional talent, but who would believe him if he suddenly proimed his intention to engage in official affairs and seek justice for his mother? This course of action was clearly not viable. Yet, how could a young merchant like him easily forge a meaningful connection with a person of substantial influence? Firstly, he would need to demonstrate unwavering integrity. Secondly, he would need to attain a high-ranking position and wield significant influence. Lastly, he would have to offer assistance without harboring ulterior motives¡­ an exceedingly arduous task! As he and Uncle Qing deliberated with a sense of hopelessness, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan made a surprise appearance in the capital. Uncle Qing promptly set his sights on them. Even though Shao Yunduan wasn¡¯t a prominent official, he had captured the Emperor¡¯s attention. Qiao Xuan, in particr, had sessfully treated the Emperor¡¯s cherished peony, a feat tantamount to receiving a prestigious de. Who would dare to slight him? Furthermore, these two individuals were unyielding in the face of authority. They disyed no deference to the Tian Family and even severed all ties with the Qiao Family without hesitation! They were unquestionably in the same predicament as their Young Master! From Uncle Qing¡¯s perspective, it was evident that the narratives propagated by the Qiao Family might not be entirely baseless. Nheless, nobody believed them, and they found themselves deceived by Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan without any recourse. Uncle Qing didn¡¯t understand the precise methods employed by Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, but this didn¡¯t hinder him from holding them in high esteem and harboring a tinge of envy. How remarkable it would be if their Young Master could also outmaneuver the Zhao Family and sever ties with them! It might be highly beneficial to locate Madame Shao. After conducting inquiries about their hometown, Uncle Qing personally journeyed to Yuzhang to gather information. The revtions he unearthed were astounding! Uncle Qing was left dumbfounded and filled with admiration. Officer Shao and Madame Shao had truly faced formidable challenges to carve out this path! The second and third sections of the Shao Family exhibited no particr scruples and behaved like opportunists. The head of the first section of the family seemed rather ineffectual. As for the Qiao Family, Madam Qiao harbored covetous intentions towards them, necessitating utmost caution. She wouldn¡¯t let them off the hook if she discovered anything amiss. At that time, theycked the means to contend with Madam Qiao. However, despite these odds, they persevered and gradually grew stronger, eventually surpassing Madam Qiao in influence. The Yuezheng Family, led by Yuezheng Zhang, was the most prominent merchant n in Yuezheng, yet Third Young Master Yuezheng had maintained a close and amicable partnership with Officer Shao and Madame Shao for many years. First Madame was as dear to Madame Shao as a mother and daughter. On one hand, the Le Zheng family was known for their integrity and upright character. However, it was not solely their virtue that attracted Sir Shao and Madame Shao. If theycked capability, why would the Yuezheng Family choose to coborate with them? Furthermore, leaving other considerations aside, the mere fact that they had singled out the Yuezheng Family from numerous alternatives showcased their extraordinary discernment. Uncle Qing, hailing from a merchant lineage, possessed a profound understanding of the perils associated with selecting the wrong business partner. Compensation, while significant, paled inparison to the potential consequences. History had witnessed individuals who not only lost their entire fortunes but also forfeited their very lives due to such misjudgments. Upon his swift return to the capital, he promptly presented his rmendation to Zhao Shu. At the outset, Zhao Shu harbored some reservations, for the matter at hand bore immense significance to him. Chapter 1215: Choice Chapter 1215: Choice Editor: Henyee Trantions He mustn¡¯t make the wrong choice! Little did anyone anticipate that Shao Yunduan would receive guidance from Minister Yun and Old Yun, who had publicly dered they were no longer epting disciples. This unexpected turn of events earned him the favor of the Crown Prince. It finally put Zhao Shu¡¯s mind at ease, and he made his decision. As Uncle Qing had wisely pointed out, Officer Shao and Madame Shao didn¡¯t ascend from the countryside of Yuzhang solely by chance; their sess was a blend of luck and skill. Their exemry treatment of the Yuezheng Family and the vigers of Shaoding Vige attested to their integrity and moral character. If this opportunity slipped through their fingers, who else could they turn to? However, the crucial question remained: Were Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan willing to coborate? Contacting them wasn¡¯t a straightforward task either. Why would they meet with him without a valid reason? Zhao Shu understood the need for caution and timing in his approach. He had to wait for the perfect moment. It was only when Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan ventured out to admire the snow that he dared to approach them. Then, an agonizing wait ensued. Zhao Shu was well aware of their intentions. Even if they were willing to coborate, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan would undoubtedly investigate him thoroughly. Yet, he remained confident that they would wee him. Their cooperation with the Yuezheng Family suggested they were open to partnering with capable allies. So, was he the right person for them? He didn¡¯t fear scrutiny but felt a lingering sense of anxiety until matters were settled. Finally, after the Lantern Festival, Qiao Xuan provided an affirmative response, filling Zhao Shuqing¡¯s heart with boundless joy. When Shao Yunduan returned that evening, Qiao Xuan shared the news with a smile. Shao Yunduan nodded in agreement and shed a smile of his own. ¡°I was actually thinking along the same lines, and I was just about to discuss it with him. Let¡¯s n to meet in three days.¡± They exchanged knowing smiles. Both Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan had a strong belief in Zhao Shu as a potential valuable partner. They were eager to initiate coboration as soon as possible, hoping to secure some financial benefits. Wouldn¡¯t it be wonderful to start the New Year with a fresh opportunity? Three days psed, and Qiao Xuan, Shao Yunduan, Zhao Shu, and Uncle Qing convened at a tranquil tea house. Zhao Shu disyed great humility. He and Uncle Qing had arrived earlier. As they saw Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan enter the tea house and ascend to the second floor, Zhao Shu personally greeted them with a courteous bow. ¡°Officer, Madame Qiao, it¡¯s a privilege to have you here. Please,e in!¡± Uncle Qing, too, offered a weing smile. He nced at his Young Master, feeling a hint of sorrow. When Madame Qiao was still alive, Young Master had her to pamper and protect him. He didn¡¯t have to lower himself and put on such a facade. However, after Madame Qiao¡¯s passing, Young Master had undergone a significant transformation. But Uncle Qing would rather have Young Master remain the same as before, unchanged. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were not known for their arrogance. Shao Yunduan nodded, extended his hand in greeting, and replied courteously before leading Qiao Xuan into the room. Zhao Shu simply smiled, his hands unconsciously fidgeting from nervousness. He couldn¡¯t find the same audacity he had when they first crossed paths. His decision to go all-in a few days ago was a stark contrast to his current demeanor. Qiao Xuan secretly chuckled, patiently awaiting Shao Yunduan¡¯s lead. In this era, Shao Yunduan was the one with the authority to make decisions. His words carried more weight and credibility. Qiao Xuan wasn¡¯t in a rush to speak; after all, she was the one ultimately in charge. Chapter 1216: Working with Officer and Madame Chapter 1216: Working with Officer and Madame Editor:Henyee Trantions After a few moments of casual conversation, Shao Yunduan broached the topic, ¡°My wife is eager to start a small business, and Young Master Zhao seems equally interested. Perhaps we can coborate, and I¡¯m eager to hear your thoughts, Young Master Zhao.¡± Zhao Shu and his servant foundfort in Shao Yunduan¡¯s words. Zhao Shu exhaled a sigh of relief and responded with a gracious smile, ¡°Officer Shao and Madame Shao are truly admirable, and I believe your ideas are likely superior and more fitting than mine. I¡¯m open to hearing your suggestions.¡± ¡°However, I must make one point clear. I am here to work with you, not the Zhao Family in Yangzhou. They hold no relevance to our coboration,¡± Shao Yunduan added firmly. As the mention of the Zhao Family in Yangzhou resurfaced, Zhao Shu couldn¡¯t help but simmer with anger. Privately, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Late Mrs. Zheng had been a wise, gentle, and virtuous woman, but her fate was marred by her unfortunate marriage to a man like Zhao Shu. Despite their wealth, theycked support, legal guidance, and were constrained by the need to consider their son¡¯s future. Divorce was an unthinkable option for her, as it would be deemed absurd merely for a man to take a concubine, let alone for a wife to object. In the end, she tragically passed away while still in her prime, leaving behind a deeply embittered Zhao Shu, who couldn¡¯t help but suspect foul y within the Zhao Family. ¡°Agreed,¡± Shao Yunduan replied with a hint of disdain, ¡°The Zhao Family in Yangzhou is hardly deserving of our attention.¡± Shao Yunduan harbored a particr distaste for individuals like Zhao Mu, who fathered two sons out of wedlock before having a legitimate heir. He himself did not condone taking concubines, but he respected personal choices. However, he considered such ndestine behavior beneath the principles of a true gentleman. Moreover, the mysterious circumstances of Ms. Zheng¡¯s death cast suspicions on Zhao Mu, further fueling Shao Yunduan¡¯s disapproval.
Zhao Shu found sce in Shao Yunduan¡¯s words and concurred, ¡°Officer Shao is absolutely right; they are not worthy of our association.¡± He had long yearned to sever ties with the Zhao Family, nursing a simmering envy towards Qiao Xuan. However, the stark reality was that such a separation seemed nearly impossible. Qiao Xuan, being a married daughter, upied a different position in the family hierarchypared to him, the legitimate heir. Nheless, even if he couldn¡¯t fully extricate himself from the Zhao Family, he was still, undeniably, a part of it. Their conversation took a subtle turn, and both discerned that the other party had likely conducted some background investigation. Yet, there was no need to voice this observation aloud; a silent mutual understanding sufficed, making their exchange more effortless. With an amicable smile, Qiao Xuan broached a new topic, ¡°I¡¯ve heard you possessnd in Hangzhou. Are you interested in cultivating flowers for perfume production?¡± Zhao Shu¡¯s eyes sparkled with interest. ¡°Certainly! Perfume production is a lucrative industry, and demand is high!¡± Without probing further, Zhao Shu assumed that Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan enjoyed support from the East Pce, deducing that the East Pce must be behind this venture. Otherwise, Qiao Xuan wouldn¡¯t have had ess to such an opportunity. To his knowledge, perfume production of this caliber was non-existent within the country, making it a coveted luxury item whenever Western cargo ships arrived on their shores. He recalled his mother¡¯s few treasured bottles of perfume from his childhood days. Their enchanting fragrances had always intrigued him, exuding elegance and charm. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s make preparations. My guild will inform Hangzhou discreetly, but we must maintain a low profile. Acquire morend and two mountains, and cultivate tea leaves on those hillsides. Publicly, we¡¯ll state that the flowers are intended for making flower tea.¡± Zhao Shu grasped the implication¡ªquietly amassing wealth, hidden from prying eyes. Chapter 1217: Tenure Chapter 1217: Tenure Editor:Henyee Trantions He nodded, took a moment to reflect, and then spoke, ¡°I currently possess 70,000 mu ofnd in Hangzhou, and I can acquire an additional 30,000 mu. This would allow us to secure 5,000 mu ofnd dedicated to cultivating tea mountains. However, are we trulymitted to producing floral tea?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Qiao Xuan replied with a smile. ¡°Weck the technology for making perfumes at the moment, and we needn¡¯t concern ourselves with future developments. We¡¯re in a unique position to generate ie. In due time, we¡¯ll construct workshops near the floral fields, and our workers will utilize contracts to hire servants. The production of floral tea will also be streamlined. Rest assured, the cost of producing floral tea won¡¯t be prohibitive.¡± ¡°Very well!¡± Zhao Shu felt reassured as he realized that they had thoroughly considered every aspect of their n. After the New Year, the bone-chilling cold gradually receded, and the biting cold wind became more gentle. This was the ideal time to make early arrangements, ensuring a harvest within a year. Their n revolved around spring throughout the year! For three consecutive days, Zhao Shu, Uncle Qing, and Aunt Qing visited Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan¡¯s home to finalize their agreement. Qiao Xuan wouldn¡¯t be taking ownership of thend. Instead, she would have a stake in the perfume workshop, with profits split evenly at 50-50. Qiao Xuan contributed her expertise and tools, while the workers shared the remaining half. Zhao Shu would handle day-to-day management. The costs associated with building the workshop would be divided equally, but Qiao Xuan was contributing the technology, which reduced her financial share.
Zhao Shu initially suggested that she could forego her share of the silver taels, but Qiao Xuan declined the offer. The 100,000 mu flower field was meticulously nned, featuring roses, jasmine, sweet osmanthus, lilies, cloves, and a variety of other flowers. Additionally, lemon, pine cypress, sandalwood, camphor, cmus, patchouli, bergamot, orange, mint, and orchids were nted for their fragrant qualities. The Jiangnan region was affluent, boasting numerous gardeners specializing in cultivating flowers and trees for wealthy families. In the past three or four years, floral tea had gained poprity, leading to a surge in flower cultivation among households. Particrly, jasmines, roses, Chinese roses, and gardenias were in high demand. Hangzhou¡¯s sweet osmanthus was renowned worldwide, and the abundance of sweet osmanthus trees was beyond count. Hence, acquiring high-quality and abundant flower seedlings posed no challenge whatsoever. As for lilies, they were readily avable. Many families cultivated lilies, making it easy to purchase stems and nt them when the weather was suitable. The only challengey with cloves, as obtaining a substantial quantity might prove more difficult. Nevertheless, Qiao Xuan was willing to invest both time and money to resolve this issue. Zhao Shu and Uncle Qing would personally oversee the management of the floral field. Adjacent to the field, a picturesque abbey had been constructed to house the workshop, allowing it to remain discreet and hidden from view. Ideally, the tea field would be situated in close proximity to the flower field, facilitating future management. Qiao Xuan made an unexpected request for Zhao Shu to sell her the 100,000 mu mulberry fields in Yangzhou. Zhao Shu was taken aback. With a reassuring smile, Qiao Xuan exined, ¡°The mulberry fields yield silk, but the annual ie of one tael of silver may not suffice for your needs. Will you continue with this arrangement? You can repurchase the fields from me after a few years. If you have any doubts, we can put it all in writing.¡± Suddenly, Zhao Shu grasped Qiao Xuan¡¯s intentions and was overwhelmed with gratitude. He felt an urge to kneel and kowtow to her. ¡°No, no, Fifth Madame, I trust youpletely. There¡¯s no need for you to buy the mulberry fields. I¡¯ll hand over thend contract, and we can split the proceeds evenly. I¡¯ll even provide you with IOUs for the first few years!¡± To him, those IOUs were mere worthless pieces of paper, and he had no intention of pursuing debts from his father. His reputation was at stake. However, when it came to Qiao Xuan, it was an entirely different matter. It was about settling their debts, in and simple! Chapter 1218: Zhao Mu Chapter 1218 Zhao Mu That was incredibly frustrating. His repulsive father had withheld the IOUs for years. However, there were at least ten of them. The Zhao Family''s fate took a dark turn when those ten IOUs were finally presented. If the Zhao Family''s weaving workshop couldn''t secure silk from the Zheng Family''s mulberry fields without spending a hefty sum of a thousand wen, it would be a significant financial burden, one they couldn''t easily shake off. Zhao Shu couldn''t contain his excitement. "Fifth Madame, these IOUs are yours, and the money belongs to you!" Qiao Xuan burst intoughter. "Well, it seems my husband and I have be partners! I''ll give you 30% of the money, and the rest will be returned to its rightful owners. But remember, don''t present all ten IOUs at once. We need to y it strategically and be patient." Zhao Shu was taken aback, but he quicklyposed himself and wholeheartedly agreed. Silk was a preciousmodity. One acre of mulberry fields could sustain two silkworm seasons per year, yielding approximately 100 kilograms of silkworm cocoons. A kilogram of silkworm cocoons could produce around 2 liang of silk. The market price for 500 grams of silk had remained steady at 3 to 5 qian for years. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Thus, one acre of mulberry fields could yield a maximum of 20 kilograms of silk. With their family''s extensive 100,000 acres of mulberry fields, they had ess to 2,000,000 kilograms of silk, which exceeded a million liang. Even in a less than ideal year, it would still amount to 700,000 to 800,000 liang. Zhao Mu was on edge, fearing that he might do something drastic when confronted with those ten IOUs. Like a cornered rabbit, he mightsh out. A slow and calcted approach was necessary. A blunt knife was the best tool for cutting through tough situations. Zhao Shu was overjoyed at the chaos he had caused for the Zhao Family. He quickly arranged for the IOUs and contracts to be delivered. Qiao Xuan even shared a knowing smile with Shao Yunduan, remarking on Young Master Zhao''s remarkable generosity in revealing such substantial assets. He realized that Zhao''s position would be vulnerable if these properties were seized. Young Master Zhao''s father had previously argued with his mother over the contract, but she had adamantly refused to surrender it, and he had willingly handed it over to her. Shao Yunduan responded with a smile. "He''s quite astute. He despises Zhao Mu, and those possessions would be worthless in his hands. Zhao Mu gave them to us as a gesture of gratitude, and he won''t be at a loss." Qiao Xuan concurred with a smile. "That''s true, but not everyone possesses the fortitude to make such a decision. Well, we aren''t the kind of people who take advantage of others, darling. Write him a note, please." "Of course!" Qiao Xuan was eager to head south. They discussed ns with Shao Yunduan, including a visit to Yangzhou to acquire assets from Zhao Mu and a trip to Hangzhou to check on Zhao Shu''s situation. Afterwards, they decided to return home. Concern for their family weighed on their minds, and the flora at home relied on Qiao Xuan''s extraordinary abilities to flourish. The nts, flowers, and trees that had been enhanced by her powers were thriving far better than their regr counterparts. This exceptional gic trait was inheritable, so why not further augment it? However, Qiao Xuan didn''t want to be away from Shao Yunduan for an extended period. Simrly, Shao Yunduan had no intention of leaving either. As the Crown Prince responsible for managing official records, he needed to dispatch personnel to the most distinguished families in the south to retrieve the remaining missing documents. He asked for this task, eager to undertake it. Chapter 1219: Mission South Chapter 1219: Mission South Editor:Henyee Trantions The Crown Prince had been reluctant to release Shao Yunduan, but he believed it was essential for Shao Yunduan to remain in the capital. However, Shao Yunduan was insistent, hinting to the Crown Prince that it was a matter of finances. After some hesitation, the Crown Prince agreed. He required the money more than Shao Yunduan had anticipated, a fact that left her speechless in embarrassment. Shao Yunduan knew what needed to be done, unburdened by his position. Perhaps he could help resolve the financial issue without constraint. He dared to hope that he wouldn¡¯t need to be overly frugal. Though the Crown Prince didn¡¯t vocalize his thoughts, he was deeply touched. Dedicated and loyal officials¡ªhow admirable they were! His thoughts had always revolved around himself, causing him anxiety. Shao Yunduan, on the other hand, knew how to maintain a low profile. Inwardly, the Crown Prince vowed never to forget Shao Yunduan¡¯s contributions once he advanced to the next level. He envisioned Shao Yunduan by his side as one of the esteemed ministers in the pavilion. Yet, he questioned whether he was qualified for such a role.
Qiao Xuan was overjoyed when she heard that Shao Yunduan would be heading south. Their rtionship had been strained, and the prospect of further separation was unwee. Heading south in the spring to such a delightful ce felt like pure bliss. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but think of her good fortune, having experienced so much and seen so many things. She humbled herself, wary of bing overly arrogant. The departure date was set for the first day of February, which left Qiao Xuan with the responsibility of arranging affairs in the capital beforehand. Ever since the Fourth Prince¡¯s side yard had faced punishment, he had been exceptionally well-behaved. The same held true for the other two princes. This was because it seemed as if the heavens were condemning the Fourth Prince, indirectly upholding the rightful position of the crown prince. During these times, no one dared to draw attention to themselves, opting for a period of rtive peace. In the intermediate, everything had remained tranquil. Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan, along with Liqiu and Lixia, made the decision to depart, entrusting Songshi with the task of tending to the yard and cultivating the 20 mu ofnd. As long as Songshi maintained a low profile, the Qiao Family and the Tian Family wouldn¡¯t challenge their servants. The servants held no immediate value to them, and their pride was at stake. However, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan were determined to eventually exact revenge on them. Qiao Xuan instructed Songshi to nt potatoes and transnt strawberries when the weather permitted. She also nned to cultivate some seasonal vegetables and oversee the household, striving to avoid causing any issues or developing bad habits. Songshi nodded enthusiastically, motivated by his desire to work diligently. He aspired to be the household manager once Old Master and Madame Qiao achieved sess, envisioning a bright future for himself without causing any trouble. With the arrangements made, Qiao Xuan wrote a letter to Yuezheng Xiao, asking the Crown Prince to arrange for its delivery. The letter contained various design drawings and a request for Yuezheng Xiao to produce perfume-making tools. Half of these tools were to be entrusted to Yuezheng Xiao, while the other half would be crafted by skilled artisans, ensuring that the secret remained secure. No matter how clever these artisans were, they would never have ess to the half-finished products. Once all the preparations were in order, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan departed together on the first day of February. The Crown Prince had two capable guards, Sun Qian and Sun Bai, who excelled not only in their duties but also in martial arts apanied the couple. Chapter 1220: Arriving at Yangzhou Chapter 1220: Arriving at Yangzhou Editor:Henyee Trantions Additionally, an undisclosed team of ten covert guards discreetly trailed them, unbeknownst to anyone except Shao Yunduan. His role was to assist the Crown Prince in resolving financial issues, and it was imperative to ensure his safety, granting him the freedom to act as needed. The ten secret guards had been assigned precisely for this purpose. Shao Yunduan had arranged for a double-decker ship to embark on their journey through the canal. Joining them on this voyage were Qiao Xuan, Lixia, Liqiu, Sun Bai, and Sun Qian, along with two advisors from the East Pce, and a handful of assistants and servants. The chill of spring had limited Qiao Xuan¡¯s outdoor activities, forcing them to only venture out in the mornings for a breath of fresh air. The demanding nature of their previous duties had left them with very little leisure time. Often, they wouldn¡¯t return home until dusk during their busiest days. Now, the two of them could spend every day together, which filled them with happiness. The limited number of passengers aboard the boat provided an opportunity for Liqiu and Lixia to sit on the same side without arousing suspicions, allowing them to discreetly nurture their feelings for each other. Shao Yunduan¡¯s passion for Qiao Xuan knew no bounds, often blurring the lines between day and night. Fortunately, the absence of prying eyes enabled Qiao Xuan to reciprocate these feelings openly. Both of them shared a desire to reach Yangzhou as swiftly as possible, opting not to make any stops along the way. However, Shao Yunduan was considerate of Qiao Xuan¡¯s potential boredom on the extended boat journey. Thus, every two or three days, he would arrange for brief stopovers at piers, taking her on strolls through the streets and indulging in delectable cuisine while scouting for unique and rare specialties and trinkets. Their most notable stopover urred at Jining, where Qiao Xuan decided to craft the remaining tools required for their mission. asionally, the two would venture out for shopping excursions together, an activity that went unnoticed by those around them. Furthermore, Shao Yunduan had apelling reason to stay attuned to the sentiments of the people they encountered on their journey. They promptly shared the vital information they had collected with the Crown Prince, underscoring its significance to him. While they had no intention of being shadowed by their servants, there was a collective yearning among the staff to apany them. The journey, after all, proved quite monotonous, and the prospect of leisurely strolls, taken nonchntly and inconspicuously, held undeniable appeal.
Seeking out skilled craftsmen in the town, the two of them embarked on this quest together. Disassembling the items they had created proved rtively straightforward, and the craftsmen readily agreed to the terms, paying the required price. No further inquiries were made; instead, they epted a deposit and formalized the arrangement through a signed contract, all without raising any suspicions. Jining City boasted a rich history, replete with renowned historicalndmarks, picturesque mountains, and scenic rivers. The natural beauty of the region was truly captivating. In terms of culinary delights, the city offered an array of mouthwatering options, including double crisps in soup, grilled Yuan Fish, hibiscus chicken slices, jar meat, ginger-infused lotus root, and pan-fried tofu, all expertly prepared and satisfying to the pte. Taking a three-day respite in Jining, they meticulously inspected the boats and restocked their supplies. Beyond these restful interludes, their journey would be ceaseless, with the only breaks urring in the evenings when they docked, spending the night before resuming their course towards Yangzhou. On the third day following their departure from Jining, Shao Yunduan dispatched Sun Qian to travel ahead to Yangzhou and gather additional information about the Zhao Family. Sun Qian and Sun Bai, loyal to Officer Shao and Madame Shao¡¯s orders, followed instructions without hesitation. Upon their arrival in Yangzhou, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan realized that it was already February 20th, marking 20 days of travel and intermittent rest¡ªa pace they considered quite expeditious. Chapter 1221: Plan Chapter 1221: n Editor:Henyee Trantions It was nearly March, and the climate in Jiangnan was steadily warming. The flora began to bud, and the melodious songs of orioles filled the air. The atmosphere was imbued with the fresh and invigorating scent of spring, evoking a sense of burgeoning life and vitality. Qiao Xuan possessed a unique affinity with the power of wood, and this time of year heightened her connection to it even more. As spring approached, her superpower seemed to flourish at an elerated rate. Within her personal realm, she already controlled an impressive expanse of 600 mu ofnd for cultivation, and this domain was rapidly expanding. She estimated that by the end of this spring, her territory would exceed 1,000 mu. With 1,000 mu at her disposal, she could cultivate crops twice a year, yielding bountiful harvests with minimal effort. It was the coveted goldennd every farmer aspired to possess. The mere thought of it filled her with happiness. She made the decision to dedicate hernd to cultivating various grains, particrly rice and wheat, which would be stored in her space¡¯s storage room for emergencies. Although they couldn¡¯t consume all of it themselves, the East Pce might have a use for the surplus. With the support of the Yuezheng Family and Zhao Shu, both skilled businessmen, these grains could be presented asmodities whenever the need arose. As emissaries of the Crown Prince from the East Pce, they approached the Yangzhou County Magistrate directly, requesting amodations at the ry station. This arrangement would facilitate the organization and sorting of their collection of rare books and manuscripts, far more convenient than staying at an ordinary hostel.
Shao Yunduan cherished his wife deeply, and his position wasn¡¯t an official appointment from the court. Therefore, he intended to take his wife on a journey to the south to enjoy the scenery. As long as the Crown Prince didn¡¯t object, nobody would question their decision. Unless, of course, Qiao Xuan did something untoward on their journey, which seemed highly unlikely. With only a modest number of servants at home, having his wife apany him would ensure his daily needs were well looked after. It was a perfectly reasonable arrangement. However, Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan had no intention of inconveniencing the Yangzhou magistrate. Following their discussion, Qiao Xuan apanied Lixia, Liqiu, and Sun Bai to a reputable hostel where they reserved a private courtyard. Meanwhile, Shao Yunduan led his two colleagues to the Yangzhou governmental office. His colleagues chose to stay at the same hostel with the rest of the entourage. Shao Yunduanmuted to work each day, regrly coordinating with Qiao Xuan regarding their stay at the hostel. Qiao Xuan selected the finest establishment in Yangzhou, known for its impable service, which alleviated any concerns about their amodations. Once everything was arranged, Sun Bai set out to locate Sun Qian. They had their own discreet means ofmunication, sparing Qiao Xuan the need to inquire further. Shao Yunduan anticipated that the prefect of Yangzhou would host a banquet in their honor, an invitation he did not decline. He didn¡¯t n on returning home until the evening, leaving the arrangements to be made by the group. ¡°We¡¯re on the waterfront, and Yangzhou is such a picturesque ce. It¡¯s marvelous! Let¡¯s take a leisurely stroll and return after dinner,¡± Qiao Xuan proposed with a smile. Lixia and Liqiu eagerly nodded in agreement. Their boat journey had been smooth, but after more than 20 days aboard, they couldn¡¯t help but feel some physical difort. Upon arriving at their destination, they weren¡¯t fatigued; rather, they experienced stiffness and difort in their bodies. A walk outdoors would be just the remedy they needed. Qiao Xuan changed into attire befitting a young woman from a prosperous southern family and led herpanions out into the afternoon. Although they didn¡¯t venture too far, they were eager to explore Yangzhou at their own pace. Chapter 1222: Coincidence Chapter 1222: Coincidence Editor:Henyee Trantions The southern mountains embraced a gentle, aqueous demeanor, adorned by blush-hued walls and the presence of daiwa. Each family¡¯s abode faced the meandering river, and willow trees, blossoms, and verdant foliage dotted the surroundings. Although the time for birds to engage in their elegant dances and Centaurea to burst into bloom had not yet arrived, the essence of spring pervaded the air. Weeping willows cascaded like cascades of silk, draping the branches in vibrant green hues. Early-blooming flowers scattered across thendscape, their colors entuated by the pink walls and tiled roofs. A bluestone bridge provided a vivid contrast amid this enchanting scene. The atmosphere held a slight moisture, yet it was crisp and pure. Strolling through the streets and alleys, one might capture a picturesque glimpse of the Southern style with a simple handheld device. However, without their modern gadgets, the trio struggled to fully appreciate the spectacle. Their words of admiration flowed ceaselessly throughout their journey. Liqiu and Lixia, in particr, were overtaken by amazement, as if they had never beheld such exquisite southern scenery before. In contrast, Qiao Xuan, who had visited Jiangnan prior to her transmigration, found herself marveling at the disparity between the modernized, overdeveloped region she knew and the original water vige she now explored. Internally, Qiao Xuanmended their unabashed enthusiasm. As the host, she possessed a wealth of knowledge and had no room to exhibit such emotional fervor. In her role as the master, she needed to maintain an air ofposure, projecting a dignified image thatmanded respect. Their footsteps led them unconsciously to thekeside, where the scenery transcended even their previous experiences. An array of shops lined the shore, and the ancient pavilions exuded an exceptional level of sophistication, instantly discernible to those with discerning tastes. With dinner time approaching, fatigue set in for the three travelers. Qiao Xuan carefully selected a refined, upscale establishment named the ¡°Qing Lotus Garden¡± and ushered Liqiu and Lixia inside.
Silkworms and mulberry silk embroidery had thrived in the southern region, elevating women¡¯s societal standing¡ªa testament to the timeless adage that the economic foundation shaped the superstructure. Whoever possessed wealth wielded authority. As a result, when Qiao Xuan and her servant entered the restaurant, neither the manager, nor the waitstaff, nor the other patrons found it unusual. The waiters extended warm wees and guided them to their seats with gracious smiles. Qiao Xuan had initially desired a private room, but the restaurant, owing to its renowned reputation and breathtaking scenery in Yangzhou, had limited private amodations, which had to be reserved well in advance. However, the second floor of the establishment resembled a partitioned booth, adorned with strategically ced potted nts that stood at approximately half the height of a person. These nts served to create a discreet barrier, and the design disyed meticulous attention to detail. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but internallymend this southern venue. It seemed that even the restaurants in this region were far from frugal. With her maid in tow, Qiao Xuan requested a booth near the window, affording them a broad and beautiful view that evoked a sense of rxation and contentment. This restaurant specialized in fresh and exquisite Southern cuisine, with a particr focus on local dishes from Yangzhou. Upon hearing the waiter¡¯s proud and enthusiastic rmendations, Qiao Xuan ordered three servings of duck, rouge geese, steamed knifefish, three portions of shrimp tofu,rge-cooked dried shredded rice, along with a selection of special dishes. She also decided to try the waiter¡¯s suggestion of the small three-fresh wonton. As Qiao Xuan and herpanions settled into their seats, they noticed several scattered groups of diners across the dining floor. Maintaining a lower volume, they engaged in light conversation. However, their tranquility was disrupted when a loud banging noise emanated from the vicinity of the potted nts. A young man expressed his anger vociferously, eximing, ¡°I simply cannot ept this! We are all gentlemen; how can we endure such favoritism?¡± Startled, Qiao Xuan and herpanions, along with other patrons at nearby tables, turned their attention towards themotion. The two other individuals at the young man¡¯s table quickly attempted to hush him, advising, ¡°Brother Zhao, please lower your voice.¡± Chapter 1223: Brothers Chapter 1223: Brothers Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Yes, we¡¯re well aware of your past experiences with bullying. Please, take your time,¡± Qiao Xuan reassured the individual. Qiao Xuan had been present on behalf of the Zhao Family, and upon hearing the name ¡°Zhao,¡± her attention piqued, though she knew it wasn¡¯t the Zhao Family she was meant to focus on. Young Master Zhao lowered his voice, but his anger remained palpable as he spoke, ¡°Brother Li, Brother Zhang, it¡¯s quite unusual that you don¡¯t resent me and instead choose to stand by my side, unlike those who constantly seek favor from others! Just wait and watch; the family business will ultimately be mine, sooner orter! Hmph!¡± Brother Li and Brother Zhang humbly offered their constion, with one of them sighing, ¡°I sympathize with Brother Zhao¡¯s situation. As the eldest son, you should rightfully be in charge of the family business. Why do your parents hold your brother in such high regard? He¡¯s already a mid-level manager in such arge workshop, while after several years of training, you¡¯re left managing just two small restaurants that require little involvement. I genuinely can¡¯t fathom what your father is thinking!¡± In an outburst of frustration, Brother Zhao mmed his hand on the table again and eximed, ¡°That conniving scoundrel! He¡¯s the craftiest of them all. He constantly tters me in front of our parents, tattling on me! Am I not allowed to make a single mistake? Isn¡¯t it normal to need guidance?¡± ¡°Absolutely! You¡¯re right! Nobody¡¯s perfect; we all require guidance.¡± ¡°Exactly! That¡¯s how we grow.¡± While Brother Li and Brother Zhang attempted to console Qiao Xuan, their words seemed to be stoking Brother Zhao¡¯s fiery emotions. He continued with a string of curses and sneers, ¡°That wicked bastard thinks he can take everything for himself and inherit the family business? He¡¯s delusional! Let¡¯s not forget, there¡¯s a legitimate son out there roaming around. He may not be promising, but he¡¯s the rightful heir! Just wait and see; when he returns, it will be quite a spectacle!¡± Taken aback, Qiao Xuan exchanged nces with Lixia and Liqiu, refraining from furtherments.
Could it be that they were fortunate enough to encounter Zhao Shu¡¯s brother? Was this referring to the concubine¡¯s eldest son? ording to the information they had gathered, Zhao Ye and Zhao Zhai were both considered of intermediate intelligence, with Zhao Ye being perceived as the more intelligent and capable of the two. Additionally, he had the favor of Zhao Mu and Ms. Qin. However, they hadn¡¯t anticipated that the rtionship between the two brothers was so strained. If this was indeed the case, it might simplify matters significantly. Before long, the dishes arrived, each one as visually appealing as it was delectable. Yet, Qiao Xuan¡¯s thoughts had shifted away from the meal. She was now eating absentmindedly, her attention focused on the conversation at the adjacent table. The more she overheard, the more certain she became that this fiery-tempered brother was indeed Ms. Qin¡¯s son. Fortune seemed to be on her side. Zhao Zhai had been nursing a long-standing depression and had consumed enough alcohol to impair his judgment. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had exchanged heated words with his brother in thepany of friends, so he spoke without restraint, disying remarkable skill in venting his frustrations. When they departed, having had their fill of alcohol, Qiao Xuan left in thepany of Lixia and Liqiu. Upon their return to the lodging, Shao Yunduan had yet to arrive. Qiao Xuan took a soothing bath and freshened up, then advised Lixia and Liqiu to take a well-deserved rest while she awaited Shao Yunduan¡¯s return. In the meantime, her thoughts continued to dwell on the Zhao Family. The amenities at their disposal included readily avable hot water and a variety of services, making things incredibly convenient, eliminating any need to burden the two girls with unnecessary chores. Chapter 1224: The Zhao Family Chapter 1224: The Zhao Family Editor:Henyee Trantions When Shao Yunduan returned home, it was alreadyte into the night. Despite appearing to have indulged in alcohol, he hadn¡¯t crossed the threshold into inebriation. With a warm smile, he greeted her, tenderly embracing and kissing her. Qiao Xuan had initially nned to share the encounter with Zhao Zhai, but she ultimately decided against it. Summoning the hostel¡¯s waiter, they requested some hot water for a quick wash before retiring to bed. The next morning, Qiao Xuan was pleasantly surprised to find Shao Yunduan beside her. She beamed and remarked, ¡°I thought you had business to attend to!¡± Shao Yunduan chuckled and held her close. ¡°No urgent matters, my love. We¡¯ve just arrived, so we can afford a few days of respite.¡± The prefect of Yangzhou would easily arrange assistance for their task, making it hassle-free. Moreover, the Crown Prince was well aware that this journey wasn¡¯t solely about collecting books, so there was no cause for concern. Qiao Xuan agreed wholeheartedly; the geographical distance between them allowed them the luxury of time. She felt resolute about severing ties with the Zhao Family as swiftly as possible.
Qiao Xuan recounted the previous day¡¯s encounter with Zhao Zhai to Shao Yunduan. He smiled reassuringly. ¡°My dear, consider it a stroke of luck. I¡¯m confident our mission will proceed smoothly. Those parents couldn¡¯t have raised any decent sons, and once Zhao Shu is out of the picture, those two brothers won¡¯t have a leg to stand on!¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s smile mirrored his confidence. ¡°That¡¯s great news for us!¡± During lunchtime, Sun Qian and Sun Bai returned home, apanied by Uncle Qing. Aware of their presence in Yangzhou, Uncle Qing had journeyed from Hangzhou to wee them and offer his assistance. Uncle Qing possessed a wealth of knowledge about the Zhao Family and had established his ownwork in Yangzhou, making him a valuable asset in their endeavor. Qiao Xuan inquired about the state of affairs in Hangzhou and received a positive report. Pleased with the news, she extended an invitation to Uncle Qing to stay. ording to Sun Qian¡¯s information, Zhao Mu had experienced substantial business sess in recent years, umting considerable wealth and on course to be the wealthiest individual in Yangzhou. Zhao Shu had been absent from Yangzhou for an extended period, during which Ms. Qin, who now managed the Zhao Family, had reced most of the household staff. Ms. Qin had firmly instructed that no one in the mansion was permitted to discuss Young Master, and they were to be promptly sold off if discovered. Consequently, many within the Zhao Family were oblivious to the existence of a Young Master. Their perception of the Third Young Master was that of an entric, ignorant, unattractive, and frail individual who had been idle for years. They were uncertain of his return, specting that perhaps he had encountered misfortune preventing his return. Zhao Mu disyed no concern for Zhao Shu¡¯s situation, remaining indifferent to his whereabouts. Meanwhile, Zhao Zhai and Zhao Ye harbored aspirations to im a significant share of the family¡¯s business. Zhao Zhai¡¯s fortune took a downturn, as he failed to produce a legitimate heir. Although he had one son and one daughter, they were both born of concubines and faced health challenges. His son had physical disabilities with uneven legs, while his daughter exhibited slower cognitive abilities and developmental dys. In short, Zhao Zhai found himself in an unfavorable position,pounded by Ms. Qin¡¯s clear disapproval of him. Two years prior, Zhao Ye married Ms. Zhou, who had given birth to a robust son justst year. The infant was fair, plump, and utterly endearing, earning the affections of both Ms. Qin and Zhao Mu. Ms. Qin, in particr, cherished her grandson deeply and held a strong fondness for Zhao Ye. Furthermore, Zhao Ye surpassed Zhao Zhai in intelligence, and thetter had endured severe mistreatment from his brother, especially in the past two years. Chapter 1225: Show Chapter 1225: Show Editor:Henyee Trantions Zhao Shu was absent from home as he was paying his respects to his deceased mother, with the possibility of returning at any moment. The two brothers were well aware that they needed to secure control over the family¡¯s core assets before Zhao Shu¡¯s return, in ordance with Ms. Qin¡¯s intentions. However, thepetition for heirship was intense, as everyone harbored aspirations for the position. It appeared that Zhao Ye had the upper hand in this power struggle. In order to counter Zhao Shu, Ms. Qin was bound to support Zhao Ye, indicating her abandonment of Zhao Zhai¡¯s im. It was hardly surprising that this situation had left Zhao Zhai brimming with anger and grievances. Upon hearing about these developments, Uncle Qing experienced a mix of delight and frustration. Yet, Zhao Zhai and his brother were at each other¡¯s throats, which, in a way, seemed justifiable. What vexed them was the absurdity of two concubine-born sons fighting over the Zhao Family¡¯s assets while the rightful heir, their Young Master, was sidelined. Uncle Qing, however, felt fortunate for encountering Officer Shao and Madame Shao, who had inquired about the contract for the 100,000 mu mulberry fields.
It went without saying that the Old Master would exercise caution when it came to allowing his Young Master to leave home during a period of filial piety. Meanwhile, Ms. Qin and her son would undoubtedly be eager to secure control over the 100,000 mu mulberry fields. This situation had the potential to be quite troublesome. Their Young Master might bepelled to withdraw, given his disadvantaged position in the face of his father¡¯s authority. Few would believe him except for Zhao Mu. The fact that Madame Shao had obtained the contract was indeed a cause for celebration. Uncle Qing couldn¡¯t wait to witness the unfolding drama. ¡°Officer, Madame Qiao, when do you n to inform the Zhao Family about the mulberry fields? Rest assured, Madame Qiao, I¡¯ve already spoken with the managers responsible for the mulberry fields, and we will continue to carry out our duties diligently.¡± Qiao Xuan beamed at Shao Yunduan. ¡°Sweetheart, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. You can focus on your work, and I¡¯ll head to the mulberry field tomorrow, alright?¡± Her anticipation was reaching its peak. Shao Yunduan grinned and agreed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid tomorrow might be a bit too soon. Perhaps the day after tomorrow would be better. You can have Sun Bai and Sun Qian apany you, along with Uncle Qing, Liqiu, and Lixia. Sun Bai and Sun Qian, you and Uncle Qing can even hire a few more hands to join you.¡± A man wealthy enough to acquire 100,000 mu of mulberry fields all at once was bound to put on quite a spectacle! She was determined not to be outdone. She aimed to make the Zhao Family realize that crossing her would be a grave mistake. That, she believed, was the most effective way to deal with people of their ilk. Qiao Xuan nodded appreciatively and quipped, ¡°Sweetheart, you¡¯re so considerate. Should I also pick up some new outfits for Lixia and Liqiu, something extravagant, perhaps? Oh, and a set of eye-catching jewelry too!¡± Shao Yunduan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, agreeing, ¡°Absolutely!¡± Sun Qian and Uncle Qing proved highly efficient. They recruited over ten young individuals d in matching bamboo-green attire, exuding an imposing and fierce presence. Lixia and Liqiu procured two sets of exquisite silk dresses for Qiao Xuan. One was a rose-red ensemble adorned with intricate butterfly motifs, while the other featured violet hues embellished with broken branches and chrysanthemums. Both sets of clothing were intricately embroidered with gold and silver threads, featuring skillfully ced pearls that glistened brilliantly in the sunlight. Paired with a pleated skirt made from silver silk and snow satin, valued at hundreds of taels of silver, the overall effect was exceptionally opulent. Chapter 1226: Prepared Chapter 1226: Prepared Editor:Henyee Trantions They hesitated to make the decision, but ultimately, Shao Yunduan apanied Qiao Xuan to purchase the ornaments. The entire set of ruby and sapphire jewelry came at a hefty price of 80,000 liang. In addition to that, she acquired several other ornate pieces worth over 5,000 liang. The selection ranged from an array of brocades, satins, silk garments, to various exquisite ornaments. Money seemed to have no limit when it came to satisfying one¡¯s desires. Even Qiao Xuan, who had limited interest in such things, couldn¡¯t resist making some purchases. With everything in ce, there was only one thing left to do. The next day, Lixia and Liqiu assisted Qiao Xuan in getting ready. The transformation left them both stunned, as she radiated an aura of elegance and nobility. ¡°Fifth Madame, you look absolutely stunning! Why the solemn expression? You¡¯re positively regal!¡± ¡°Yeah, you look incredibly chic!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the epitome of elegance!¡±
The absence of mirrors in the hotel limited Qiao Xuan¡¯s view, allowing her only to catch glimpses of her makeup and upper body. The dimly lit mirror didn¡¯t do justice to her appearance. Nevertheless, Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit uneasy, adorned in vibrant brocade and an abundance of pearls. She was truly a sight to behold. Lixia chimed in, ¡°Fifth Mrs. Yuezheng, you look splendid like this. We should dress you like this all the time!¡± Qiao Xuan almost stumbled, torn betweenughter and tears. ¡°Let¡¯s not overdo it; it¡¯s not very practical to dress like this!¡± This attire was more suitable for formal asions. All three maids shared a heartyugh. With everything prepared, Uncle Qing and Sun Bai led her, apanied by more than ten servants. Shao Yunduan, being a court official, couldn¡¯t openly participate in business matters today, so he wouldn¡¯t be joining them. He had initially nned to see her off, but a request from the prefectural office required his immediate presence. Before he departed, he offered Qiao Xuan a word of caution, which added to her nervousness. However, upon observing the presence of Uncle Qing and Sun Bai, Qiao Xuan felt assured of her safety. Four opulent carriages set out toward the expansive 100,000 mu mulberry fields situated outside the city. This vast expanse of mulberry fields was no small domain. There were apanying farms where both farmers and tenants resided, along with several overseers. Uncle Qing had arrived with his trusted team of managers, although this visit was primarily ceremonial. Qiao Xuan and her entourage made their entrance into the farm with an air of pride, attracting the curiosity of onlookers. ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± ¡°Who are these people?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rather unusual, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Could Young Master be back?¡± ¡°That might be the case!¡± ¡°¡­¡±
Whispers filled the air as people conversed among themselves, with some bold individuals even following to witness the spectacle. A few individuals concealed their true intentions as they joined the procession. When Uncle Qing descended from the fourth carriage, gasps of recognition resounded through the crowd. ¡°Uncle Qing!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Uncle Qing!¡±
¡°So, it¡¯s the return of the Young Master, then?¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Everyone was well aware of Uncle Qing¡¯s close association with Madame Zheng. Following Madame Zheng¡¯s passing, Uncle Qing and his wife remained devoted servants to the Third Young Master. Years had passed since theyst saw the Third Young Master, and considering the deep friendship between Madame Zheng and the Third Young Master, his arrival typically warranted joyful celebrations. However, this time, there were only exchanged ncesden withplexity, and nobody dared to disy their happiness openly. Chapter 1227: Who Is That Chapter 1227: Who Is That Editor:Henyee Trantions The sprawling 100,000 mu mulberry fields appeared to be slipping from the grasp of Third Young Master. Old Master and Second Young Master had frequented the area over the years, with Second Young Master taking charge of the fields for the past two years. Rumors had circted that Second Young Master intended to sever ties with the tenants and farmers¡­ Panic simmered beneath the surface, but there was little they could do. It was clear to all that Second Young Master shared the same intentions as Old Master. Old Master held a disdain for those who toiled for the Zheng Family and desired to select their own workforce. All eyes were fixated on the first approaching wagon, presuming it carried Young Master Zhao Shu. However, the wagon unveiled an unexpected sight¡ªtwo exquisite maids emerged, followed by a handsomely dressed and charming youngdy. And then¡­ there was no one else! A collective shock rippled through the onlookers. ¡°Who could she be?¡±
¡°I have no clue!¡± ¡°Young Master¡¯s wife?¡± ¡°Impossible! I¡¯ve never heard of him being married!¡± Uncle Qing was so startled that he stumbled, shooting a stern look at the assembly before proiming, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce Madame Shao. Please refrain from idle chatter. Assemble your families, neighbors, and managers at the abbey immediately; I have crucial news to share. This concerns everyone, so don¡¯t dy any further!¡± The announcement sent a wave of excitement through the crowd, prompting conversations to erupt. If it weren¡¯t for Sun Qian, Sun Bai, and several others known for their imposing stature and serious demeanor, they might have encircled Uncle Qing in their eagerness. After uttering those words, Uncle Qing paid no heed to anyone else and proceeded to follow Qiao Xuan and her maid into the abbey. In a calcted move, the abbey¡¯s overseers, who had been discreetly contacted by Uncle Qing, feigned surprise and hurried to join the gathering. One by one, a multitude of individuals assembled in the courtyard, with more streaming in from outside. Among the tenants, a shrewd few had already surmised the situation upon witnessing Uncle Qing¡¯s discontented escort of the youngdy. Though it seemed imusible, there was no other exnation. If that was indeed the case, then this development had direct relevance to them,pelling their swift attendance. In due course, the entire assembly had convened. Only then did Uncle Qing emerge from the room, taking his ce beneath the eaves of the lofty steps. ¡°Quiet, all of you!¡± The murmurs subsided, and anxious gazes fixated on Uncle Qing. Over a dozen supervisors and managers stood behind him, their expressions inscrutable. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen!¡± Uncle Qing dered loudly, ¡°The mulberry orchard has been acquired by Madame Shao, and it now belongs to her. It is no longer associated with the Zheng Family. Please remainposed!¡± Uncle Qing gestured with his hands,pelling everyone to settle down. ¡°Listen to me. We have negotiated with Madame Shao. The farmers and tenants will remain unaffected, and the management team will continue as is. Dedicate your efforts to Madame Shao, and rest assured, as long as there are no ulterior motives, you need not worry!¡± ¡°I can personally vouch for it! Can you ce your trust in me?¡± At this moment, a faint sense of reassurance washed over the crowd.
Chapter 1228: New Owner Chapter 1228: New Owner Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°We have faith in you, Uncle Qing! Your trust means the world to us!¡± ¡°Yes, I share that belief! We¡¯remitted to putting in our best efforts!¡± ¡°Please, I implore you not to cast me aside; without this ce, I¡¯ll have nowhere to go!¡± ¡°I hope Madame Shao possesses the samepassion as Madame Zheng¡­¡± ¡°But will Uncle Qing still have control over the mulberry garden? Can his assurances be trusted?¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± ¡°Yes, I share those concerns!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Their conversations continued, with growing unease among them. cing their trust in a young madam they had never met before was a daunting prospect.
Some discreetly slipped away from the gathering, quickly departing. Uncle Qing raised his voice after saying what he needed to. ¡°Everyone, please be quiet! Madame Shao has something important to convey, please be quiet!¡± She was their new proprietor! Almost instantly, a hush fell over the entire courtyard. Qiao Xuan emerged from the room with assistance from Lixia and Liqiu. Sun Qian and Sun Bai followed closely behind. The remaining ten or so attendants stood in formation on both sides of the corridor. The managers respectfully bowed and withdrew, their nerves palpable as they turned their attention to Qiao Xuan. Qiao Xuan stood her ground and cast a nce at the assembled crowd. She dered, ¡°Uncle Qing has already made it clear: from today onward, I am your new mistress. Just as he assured you, nothing will change in the mulberry garden, and operations will proceed as usual. Carry on with your work, and there will be no disruptions.¡± ¡°To demonstrate my sincerity, I will maintain the name of Zheng¡¯s Mulberry Garden unchanged! The treatment for everyone will remain consistent. Furthermore, every year during Dragon Boat Festival, mid-autumn, and New Year, each of you will receive two sets of cotton cloth, five kilograms of premium flour, 20 eggs, and one liang of silver! Manager Zheng, Manager Lin, please record this. This will be our annual tradition moving forward. When you receive these items, you will need to sign with your fingerprint in the ledger we¡¯ll maintain for this purpose. These provisions are for everyone, and anyone attempting to amass wealth at the expense of others will be promptly dismissed!¡± Manager Zheng and Manager Lin, being the top two leaders of the mulberry garden, smiled and nodded in agreement. They had already conferred with Uncle Qing in secret, so their sentiments differed from the rest. However, they had not anticipated Madame Shao¡¯s generous offer. But the impact was remarkably positive! The farmers and tenants, who had been harboring anxiety, erupted in joyful cheers as though they were celebrating a festival. Madame Shao harbored no concerns. ¡°Madame Shao, is this for real?¡± ¡°Goodness gracious, we¡¯re not just farmers; we¡¯re shareholders too? Madame Shao, we¡¯re shareholders too!¡± ¡°And what about the children and elderly? Do they receive the same?¡± ¡°Yes, can the children also benefit?¡±
Qiao Xuan beamed. ¡°Please calm down, everyone is included. The elderly, children, and tenants¡ªall will receive the same. Rest assured, this willmence this very year and continue annually!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s absolutely wonderful!¡± ¡°Madame Shao is such a nice person!¡±
Everyone cheered. Chapter 1229: Benevolence Chapter 1229: Benevolence Editor:Henyee Trantions Qiao Xuan smiled, her demeanor calm andposed, as she addressed the gathering. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all for now. Go back to your homes and attend to your duties. Just remember that, from this moment onward, I am your master. The mulberry garden is no longer associated with the Zheng Family or the Zhao Family.¡± She continued, ¡°If there¡¯s anyone among you who wishes to remain loyal to the previous owner, you are free to leave. I won¡¯t stand in your way. The terms of your tenancy are clear; if the old owner wishes to reim you, they can do so at the original price. I won¡¯t create any obstacles.¡± ¡°But if you choose to stay, you must acknowledge me as your master. If I discover any treachery or hidden agendas, I won¡¯t be lenient. Betraying one¡¯s master is an irreversible path, and I hope all of you will conduct yourselves ordingly.¡± ¡°Now, you may depart.¡± Her words left everyone in the audience taken aback. They retreated quietly, no longer causing themotion they had earlier. It was evident that their new master had a stern disposition and was not to be underestimated. Honesty seemed to be the best policy. After all, for those willing to work diligently, there were annual bonuses to look forward to¡ªa pleasant surprise indeed. Nobody was foolish enough to walk away from such treatment. Once the tenants were reassured, Qiao Xuan turned her attention to the estate¡¯s managers. She instructed the household staff to have them wait in the wing-room, intending to meet with each of them individually. The first on her list was Manager Zheng, and Uncle Qing apanied them. Qiao Xuan held the contract in her hands, aware that she needed to deal with the local power broker tactfully. Zhao Mu had firmly convinced himself that the 100,000 mu mulberry garden was within his grasp. He was determined not to relinquish it easily, even if it meant resorting to unscrupulous tactics.
In his mind, he couldn¡¯t afford to be seen as inferior to Madame Shao, a neer to Yangzhou. Admitting such a status would subject him to ridicule from the local popce, a humiliation he couldn¡¯t tolerate any longer. Furthermore, the financial prospects were too enticing to ignore. With an annual ie of more than 1,000,000 liang, after ounting for expenses, there would still be a substantial profit, around 700,000 liang annually. No one in their right mind would reject such a substantial fortune. However, touching Qiao Xuan would only invite her to retaliate in kind. As the saying goes, ¡°civilians should not engage with officials.¡± While Zhao Mu mightmand respect and awe, he was still a civilian in Yangzhou. On the other hand, Shao Yunduan held an influential position in the capital and was the Crown Prince¡¯s favorite. Ignorantly crossing paths with him would surely lead to Zhao Mu¡¯s demise. Qiao Xuan, well aware of the potential dangers, remained vignt, concerned that Zhao Mu might react angrily and attempt to sabotage the mulberry garden. Butler Zheng was in high spirits as he conversed with them, his mood lifted considerably. He was no longer as anxious as before, as he believed that kindness and the Zheng Family¡¯s virtuous history would bring them blessings. Their ancestors seemed to be watching over Young Master Yuezheng, allowing him to turn adversity into prosperity. As Qiao Xuan continued to meet with about half of the managers, Zhao Mu, Zhao Zhai, and Zhao Ye finally made their entrance, apanied by 30 pageboys and servants. Chapter 1230: Driven Away Chapter 1230: Driven Away Editor: Henyee Trantions A group of individuals hurriedly entered the scene. They proceeded directly to the main room. Zhao Zhai fixed a stern gaze on Sun Qian and Sun Bai, who stood in the corridor, and eximed loudly, ¡°Who are you? What brings you to our mulberry garden? Leave immediately!¡± Qiao Xuan, startled by the loud and aggressive voice, nced at the manager who was giving her a report. His anxiety was palpable. They were all aware that the Old Master, Eldest Young Master, and Second Young Master had likely engaged in some dubious activities within the mulberry garden, and news of their presence would surely reach others. A confrontation was inevitable. Qiao Xuan pondered whether Madame Shao would be able to handle the situation. Qiao Xuan sneered and shook her head dismissively. She paid no heed to themotion outside. Indifference was mirrored by Lixia and Liqiu. Zhao Ye, with a sardonic smile, raised his voice. ¡°This is the Zhao Family¡¯s mulberry garden. Kindly depart now, or we¡¯ll have to involve the authorities!¡± It was clear to anyone withmon sense that the Zhao Family held considerable wealth in Yangzhou and maintained close ties with local officials, possibly even enjoying special privileges with the magistrate. While Zhao Ye¡¯s words appeared polite on the surface, they carried a far more potent and intimidating message than Zhao Zhai¡¯s loud outburst. Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but think that perhaps this was why her irritable brother struggled to secure a prominent position within the family, resorting instead to dubiouspanions for sce andints. Qiao Xuan delicately lifted the teacup and savored a sip of her tea, her smile betraying her keen interest in the unfolding events. ¡°How dare you! It seems you prefer the hard way!¡± Zhao Zhai¡¯s voice seethed with anger as he made a move to storm into the room with his entourage. But he was abruptly halted in his tracks. Sun Qian and Sun Bai assigned two men to guard the doorway while leading the others forward, effectively blocking their path. Sun Qian spoke assertively, ¡°Who let this unruly guest in? Show yourself out!¡± Zhao Zhai¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, stunned by the rudeness of the words. His fury reached a boiling point, and he impulsively pped Sun Bai across the face. ¡°You wretched scoundrel!¡± Sun Bai skillfully grabbed his hand, twisted it, and shoved him, causing Zhao Zhai to stagger backward and collide with two servants, sending all three tumbling to the ground. The sound of knuckles cracking filled the air as Sun Bai eyed them coldly and spoke with unwaveringposure, ¡°This is my master¡¯s domain. Even if you intended to pay a visit, didn¡¯t anyone teach you the courtesy of knocking and conveying your message? Have you no manners? I will give you until the count of three to leave, or I will personally escort you out, one by one!¡± Zhao Mu¡¯s anger trembled in his voice as he retorted, ¡°Absurd! This mulberry garden belongs to our family. When did it be your master¡¯s? Who is your master, and why is he hiding from us?¡± Sun Bai ignored his questions and continued sternly, ¡°One!¡± ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± ¡°Two!¡± ¡°Three!¡± ¡°Take action!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Sun Qian and Sun Bai took the initiative. A dozen men surged forward,pelling the Zhao Family members to retreat. The Zhao Family¡¯s servants, in contrast, couldn¡¯t match the agility disyed by Sun Bai and Sun Qian. Chapter 1231: Sold Chapter 1231: Sold Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°Sun Qian and Sun Bai alone proved formidable adversaries for the 30 servants of the Zhao Family. As though swept away by an autumn breeze, the Zhao Family, along with their masters and servants, were unceremoniously expelled from the premises, left writhing in difort outside the yard. Zhao Mu and his sons weren¡¯t spared from this humiliating ordeal; they too found themselves tumbling to the ground. ¡°How dare they! This must be reported to the authorities! I¡¯ll ensure they face the consequences!¡± eximed Zhao Mu, his flushed face reflecting his fury. Such humiliation had never before befallen him, and the presence of numerous tenants and farmers only exacerbated his disgrace. Zhao Zhai and Zhao Ye, equally incensed, extended their assistance to their father, all the while casting angry res towards the yard. At this critical juncture, Uncle Qing hastily emerged from the yard, followed closely by Sun Bai. Uncle Qing respectfully addressed Zhao Mu and his sons, ¡°Old Master, what brings you here? I hurried over as soon as I heard the news, but I arrived toote.¡± Zhao Mu and his sons fixed their steely gazes on Uncle Qing. ¡°Zheng Qing, what is happening here? How did the mulberry garden change ownership? Where is Zhao Shu? Where is that disobedient son of mine?¡± Uncle Qing¡¯s tone remainedposed as he replied, ¡°Our Young Master has sold the mulberry garden to Old Master Shao and Madame Shao. It now belongs to the Shao Family, with no ties to the Zheng Family. I¡¯m here with Madame Shao for the official handover.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This cannot stand!¡± Zhao Mu and his son were both left bbergasted. ¡°That ungrateful child! Ungrateful child!¡± Zhao Mu bellowed in anger. ¡°He sold off this substantial mulberry garden without consulting me? He has no authority in this matter! Where is he? Fetch him immediately!¡± Observing the mixture of anger and heartache etched across Zhao Mu¡¯s face, Uncle Qing couldn¡¯t hide his satisfaction at the brothers¡¯ bewildered expressions. ¡°Old Master, Young Master is currently on a journey, and it will be some time before he returns. He assures you not to worry; he will return when the time is right,¡± Uncle Qing exined, attempting to cate Zhao Mu¡¯s rising ire. Zhao Mu was so infuriated that he felt his consciousness waver. He cared little for his wayward son; his primary concern was the mulberry garden! A sprawling expanse of 100,000 mu was worth millions of liang! ¡°How dare he make such a monumental decision without consultation! How dare he! Perhaps he¡¯s too ashamed to face his family! Inform him that if he doesn¡¯t return immediately, he¡¯s not wee back! I disown a son like him! Tell him toe home this instant!¡± Uncle Qing fell into an uneasy silence. Zhao Ye suppressed his anger and spoke icily, ¡°Uncle Qing, you wouldn¡¯t want our younger brother to earn a reputation for squandering our father¡¯s wealth, would you? Something is amiss with the mulberry garden situation. It¡¯s only right for him to return home and provide a clear exnation. After all, he¡¯s sold the mulberry garden for a significant sum, and it¡¯s not safe for him to remain outside. Who¡¯s to say he won¡¯t sumb to greed?¡± Uncle Qing sneered. ¡°Young Master has his own intentions; there¡¯s no need for your concerns.¡± Zhao Ye responded with a contemptuous nce at Uncle Qing but refrained from furtherment. Zhao Mu¡¯s voice dripped with menace as he dered, ¡°Zheng Qing, if you fail to bring Zhao Shu back, be prepared for the consequences. I doubt you can protect him from the repercussions.¡± Yet, the presence of Sun Bai weighed on Zhao Mu¡¯s mind, preventing him from coercing Uncle Qing to apany him back to the Zhao Family. He knew that in a confrontation, he was the weaker party, which would only magnify his humiliation. Chapter 1232: Furious Chapter 1232: Furious Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°They had not anticipated this turn of events, catching them off guard and resulting in significant losses. Knowing when to hold ¡¯em and when to fold ¡¯em was crucial, and there was still a long journey ahead. Zhao Mu sneered and departed with the Zhao Family, leaving in their wake a cloud of uncertainty. Uncle Qing spat in their direction, a sinister grin on his face. He muttered, ¡°Just wait and see¡­¡± Inside the room, the household staff had gathered. Butler Zheng voiced his concerns, ¡°Madame Shao, Old Master Zhao isn¡¯t likely to let this slide¡­¡± The other managers nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, the Zhao Family has deep roots in Yangzhou, and Old Master Zhao wields significant influence.¡± ¡°Old Master Zhao and the Magistrate have always been close.¡± ¡°We must be vignt against any underhanded moves or schemes from the Zhao Family.¡± ¡°Especially Second Young Master Zhao¡­¡±
¡°¡­.¡± Qiao Xuan¡¯s admiration for Madame Zheng grew even stronger. The unwavering loyalty of these individuals to the Zheng Family, even after her passing, was truly remarkable. ¡°Don¡¯t fret; Zhao Mu won¡¯t be able to stage aeback, regardless of his ties with the magistrate.¡± Despite her knowledge of the man¡¯s background and connections, Qiao Xuan confidently stated this. Her assurance put everyone at ease. ¡°That¡¯s reassuring!¡± ¡°If Madame Shao says so, we have faith in her judgment!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qiao Xuan smiled. ¡°However, I don¡¯t trust Zhao Mu and his son¡¯s ethics. I fear they may resort to underhanded tactics. Everyone, please be diligent and arrange for tenants to work in shifts. Keep a watchful eye everywhere, day and night. Be cautious of unfamiliar faces, and forbid strangers from entering the mulberry garden and the farm.¡± ¡°Regardless, you must remain vignt at all times and never let your guard down! In the event of such a situation, I will generously reward you!¡± Her words stirred motivation among the group, and they all nodded in agreement. Even without the promise of a reward, they understood the importance of their vignce. Any harm to the mulberry garden would jeopardize their livelihoods. Qiao Xuan delegated the detailed responsibilities to Uncle Qing and Manager Zheng, entrusting them with the task. Without dy, she began spreading the news about the change in ownership of Ms. Zheng¡¯s mulberry garden. She emphasized that the silk might not be sold to Zhao Mu this year. Qiao Xuan believed that once this information circted in Yangzhou, Zhao Mu and his son would take action. Time was of the essence, and Qiao Xuan couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more of it dealing with them. To maintain appearances, she rented a house and took the group to the mulberry garden. However, she secretly slipped out the back door with her men, leaving only two servants to stand guard. Within the mulberry garden, Sun Qian and his seven followers remained, cautious of any potential schemes by the Zhao Family. All was set, awaiting the Zhao Family¡¯s inevitable move. As Qiao Xuan¡¯s news rippled through the businessmunity of Yangzhou, chaos ensued. Everyone¡¯s initial reaction was one of disbelief, ¡°Is this for real?¡± However, upon further consideration, the absurdity of the situation made it clear that it couldn¡¯t possibly be a joke¡ªthis had to be the truth! Conversations of various kinds were buzzing throughout the city.
Some eagerly anticipated watching Zhao Mu¡¯s impending humiliation, while others were keen on contacting Madame Shao to secure silk purchases. Meanwhile, a few took the opportunity to ridicule Zhao Shu for his profligate ways. But, regardless of the specific motive, the majority were eagerly anticipating the uing spectacle. Chapter 1233: Pain Chapter 1233: Pain Editor:Henyee Trantions That event marked the pinnacle of the Yangzhou business world, possibly iming the top spot in the annual rankings. A vast expanse of 100,000 mu of mulberry fields tranted into a fortune worth millions of liang¡ªa staggering disy of generosity. Wealth beyond measure! The sheer opulence of it all! Zhao Mu seethed with anger, as did Zhao Zhai, Zhao Ye, and even Ms. Qin herself. Their fury stemmed from the fact that these extensive mulberry fields were the property of the Zhao Family, and the idea of selling them to anyone else felt wholly unjust. It was an affront they could no longer endure. In this moment, Ms. Qin¡¯s thoughts finally turned to silk. Ever since Madame Zheng¡¯s marriage to Zhao Mu, not a single tael of silver had been spent on purchasing silk. But starting this year, the era of free silk wasing to an end. It would now be bought with hard-earned money¡ªa colossal expense. Whatpetitive edge did Zhao Mu possess, then? In a mere two years, his title as the wealthiest individual in Yangzhou seemed destined to slip away.
Unthinkable! Upon hearing her youngest son¡¯s words, Ms. Qin¡¯s reaction was nothing short of a shriek, as if she had been cut to the core. ¡°Impossible! How could he dare!¡± A sprawling 100,000 mu of mulberry gardens! Worth over a million liang! Ms. Qin could hardly catch her breath, so much wealth slipping away. Zhao Shu had no right¡ªselling them all and absconding with the money! ¡°The mulberry gardens belong to the Zhao Family, not him. Why would he even think of selling them? You two brothers have nurtured them all these years while he did nothing! What did the Old Master say? We can¡¯t let this go easily! He has no authority over the mulberry gardens!¡± Zhao Ye¡¯s voice carried a dark undertone as he muttered, ¡°Uncle Qing is here as well. He¡¯s got the contract, and Dad is powerless to intervene. We¡¯re just waiting for Third Brother to return home and hear his perspective on this.¡± Ms. Qin inquired, ¡°Uncle Qing is here too? Why didn¡¯t you bring him back home? Your father is utterly bewildered.¡± Zhao Ye hesitated, then faltered in his response. He felt a deep sense of shame, making it difficult to voice his reasons. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to retrieve Uncle Qing or confront him. He simply couldn¡¯t resort to force, and the situation had caught them off guard. Theirck of preparedness was deeply frustrating. Ms. Qin¡¯s countenance darkened, and she suddenly sneered, ¡°In my view, it might be better if that person never returns. His absence would make dealing with this matter much simpler.¡± Zhao Ye was taken aback by this statement. A trace of ruthlessness shed in Ms. Qin¡¯s eyes as she continued, ¡°I suspect we¡¯ve all been deceived by Uncle Qing!¡± ¡°What?¡± Zhao Ye was utterly bewildered, struggling toprehend his mother¡¯s thoughts. Ms. Qin exuded confidence as she sneered again. ¡°The 100,000 mu of mulberry fields are our rightful property. No matter how disobedient that person may be, he couldn¡¯t have sold the properties so abruptly. I believe Uncle Qing must have conspired with outsiders to steal the mulberry garden deed from Old Master Shao and Madame Shao. Otherwise, when Uncle Qing appeared, that person would have vanished! Uncle Qing has always been close to that person!¡± ¡°He must havemitted some grave misdeeds and returned here secretly, fearing retribution from that bastard. He likely handed over the contract to someone outside the family and profited handsomely!¡± ¡°When he absconds with the money, where will we find him? He¡¯ll be Ruyi¡¯s favorite!¡± Zhao Ye pondered this for a moment. ¡°What do we do then?¡± Ms. Qin replied with determination, ¡°It¡¯s simple. We report this to the authorities, have Uncle Qing and the Shao couple arrested, and interrogate them!¡±
Zhao Ye¡¯s eyes were sparkling. He could not help but feel happy. Chapter 1234: Trick Chapter 1234: Trick Editor:Henyee Trantions Fantastic! That was the way it had to be. The magistrate had a strong alliance with them. As long as this man was brought within 500 meters of the government office and interrogated individually, he could extract any confession he desired. Since Uncle Qing had stolen the contract, it was time to restore it to its rightful owner. Even better, the contract now rested securely in their hands, officially designating the mulberry garden as Ms. Zheng¡¯s. This would resolve her father¡¯s predicament! Zhao Ye could vividly picture the day when Zhao Shu returned and discovered that Ms. Zheng¡¯s mulberry garden had transformed into Ms. Zhao¡¯s. He would undoubtedly be infuriated! Zhao Ye bowed deeply to Ms. Qin. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re brilliant! That¡¯s a fantastic n! I¡¯ll inform Dad immediately.¡± Ms. Qin smiled with pride. ¡°Then go swiftly. We must act promptly to prevent them from growing toocent.¡±
¡°Understood, Mom!¡± Zhao Ye rushed off to locate Zhao Mu. Zhao Mu was ted to hear the news. The more he contemted it, the more convinced he became that it was the truth! ¡°No wonder that disobedient son was hesitant to sell off the family¡¯s negative karma. It¡¯s all because of those servants!¡± ¡°Those lowly servants are all driven by greed. It¡¯s not surprising that they would resort to such actions. Dad, may I visit the government office personally?¡± Zhao Mu pondered for a moment. This situation involved robbery and intimidation. They all knew that the Shao Family must have acquired 100,000 mulberry fields. As the head of the family, Zhao Mu couldn¡¯t directly handle such matters, so he had entrusted his junior to take care of it. He feigned ignorance about the unfolding situation. In case an actual crisis arose, she possessed the ability to turn the situation to her advantage. He nodded and instructed, ¡°Take 3,000 liang with you. Rest assured, it will be well worth it.¡± A few thousand liang could secure 100,000 mu of mulberry fields, resulting in profits exceeding 10,000. Excited, Zhao Ye eagerly set off. His first stop was to find a strategist named Yang. Strategist Yang had always maintained a favorable rtionship with the Zhao Family, often leveraging the family¡¯s resources to his advantage. However, when Zhao Ye disclosed the current predicament, Strategist Yang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Magistrates in Jiangnan were not known for their naivety, and their strategists were no exception. They possessed their own discerning judgments regarding what was feasible and what wasn¡¯t. Strategist Yang couldn¡¯t help but mutter curses at the Zhao Family for their audacity and greed. Most critically, their ncked foresight! Who concocted such an ill-conceived scheme? 100,000 mulberry fields! It was an exorbitant acquisition that no ordinary family could manage.
The Zhao Family was undoubtedly behind this endeavor. While the Zhao Family may have taken advantage of thendlord, they couldn¡¯t simply turn a blind eye to the situation. Arbitrary arrests could lead to disastrous consequences. What if they apprehended the wrong individuals? It would jeopardize Old Master¡¯s career! But 1,000 liang was a huge amount, and Zhao Ye even hinted that he would give Strategist Yang a huge amount of money, which made Strategist Yang feel quite motivated. He did not agree directly. Instead, he replied vaguely, ¡°It depends on you, Officer. You can make the decision¡­¡±
Zhao Ye was asked to leave temporarily. Chapter 1235: Stupid Chapter 1235: Stupid Editor:Henyee Trantions Zhao Ye was gripped by anxiety, yet he grasped the gravity of the situation at hand. Patience was his only recourse. The weight of parting with 1,000 liang without any return gnawed at him incessantly. Strategist Yang returned to the official, who responded with a sly, enigmatic grin, leaving Yang feeling bewildered and strangely unsettled. The official calmly remarked, ¡°If the Zhao Family truly harbors suspicions, we can forward the document to the government office. They, in turn, can dispatch someone to retrieve Zheng Qing from the mulberry garden, and I shall personally oversee this investigation.¡± Strategist Yang¡­ faltered. Why did he have the nagging feeling that he was missing something in the official¡¯s words? ¡°Officer, please pardon my ignorance, but this case¡­¡± He simply couldn¡¯t fathom the intricacies of this situation. The officer had already gleaned from Shao Yunduan that Madame Shao was the purchaser. However, Officer Shao had urged him to maintain secrecy, a directive he intended to honor. The officer took satisfaction in his strategist¡¯s inquiries. He retorted with a sneer, ¡°The Zhao Family¡¯s internal affairs are their own concern. The buyer holds a valid contract, and the mulberry fields are now rightfully theirs. Is that not logical? The Zhao Family should confront Young Master Zhao to ascertain the truth, yet they persist in using Zheng Qing of theft. Is it not absurd?¡±
¡°A hundred thousand mulberry fields, the mary stakes are astronomical! The Zhao Family is audacious to engage in such machinations!¡± Strategist Yang¡¯s expression underwent a transformation. He had entertained such thoughts previously, but after hearing the officer¡¯s words, he found them increasingly dubious. It appeared that the officer¡¯s intent was to let them proceed unchecked, allowing them to pursue their hidden agenda. After some contemtion, Strategist Yang surmised that Madame Shao and her spouse possessed formidable connections. The officer, he concluded, must be aware of this but was unwilling to divulge the truth to him. As the strategist, he possessed a keen awareness of what he needed to know and what was better left undisclosed. He held no suspicions that the Officer was concealing information from him. Respectfully, he acknowledged, ¡°Certainly, Officer, I understand.¡± Strategist Yang promptly conveyed this to Zhao Ye. Without hesitation, Zhao Ye drafted the necessary document and entrusted it to Strategist Yang for delivery to the officer, scheduling the retrieval of Zheng Qing from the mulberry garden the following morning to avoid any potential flight. With a mischievous grin, Strategist Yang artfully negotiated an additional 300 liang from Zhao Ye before acquiescing to the task. The Zhao Family had no inkling of the caliber of opponents they were entangling with, nor did theyprehend the gravity of their forting actions. Their opportunities for such profiteering would be exceedingly limited henceforth. Moreover, Second Young Master Zhao¡¯s miserly demeanor was evident in the mere 1,000 liang he had offered, despite orchestrating a scheme that could yield millions in return. His stinginess justified the unscrupulous tactics employed in pursuit of maximum gains. Strategist Yang delivered the document to the officer, who received it with a smile and issued instructions for Zheng Qing¡¯s retrieval from the mulberry garden the next day. Zhao Ye remained keenly attentive to these developments, embracing the news as if he had stumbled upon a treasure trove. He boasted of his aplishments to both Ms. Qin and Zhao Mu, emphasizing his remarkable prowess. Zhao Mu, in turn, felt a deep sense of pride and extolled Zhao Ye¡¯s abilities. Chapter 1236: Infight Chapter 1236: Infight Editor:Henyee Trantions Ms. Qin¡¯s face lit up with joy. ¡°Once we secure the mulberry garden, we can finally bring that rascal home. He¡¯s holding onto a substantial amount of money, and we can¡¯t allow him to keep it withoutpensation. It rightfully belongs to us!¡± Zhao Ye fully supported his mother¡¯s sentiments, seeing nothing amiss in her words. He nodded in agreement. The thought of the fortune in Zhao Shu¡¯s possession troubled Ms. Qin deeply. ¡°Mother is absolutely right; we must bring him back!¡± Zhao Ye was determined not to let him exploit their situation. The entire family shared in this sweet dream. The next day, they couldn¡¯t openly visit the mulberry garden to observe the situation, so they dispatched trusted servants to discreetly keep an eye on things. When Uncle Qing was taken into custody by the authorities, he appeared remarkablyposed and cooperative. Instead of being forcibly apprehended, he willingly entered the carriage. Zhao Ye and Ms. Qin couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed upon hearing this news. In their imagination, Uncle Qing should have been escorted out of the mansion by guards. ¡°Why are they treating him so courteously? It¡¯s astonishing! Money certainly changes everything. He must have spent a considerable sum on his treatment,¡± Ms. Qin remarked, drawing her conclusions.
After a brief discussion, Zhao Mu and his son found themselves in agreement. Zhao Zhai sneered and directed his words at Zhao Ye. ¡°You¡¯re trying to save face too, aren¡¯t you? You told Strategist Yang yesterday that no amount of money is enough for Zheng Qing.¡± Zhao Ye smiled confidently. ¡°Our victory hinges on delivering them to the authorities; the rest doesn¡¯t matter. We can demonstrate our generosity once they¡¯re in government custody.¡± Zhao Zhai couldn¡¯t hide his frustration, feeling his irritation surge. This rascal was always soposed and self-assured, and he had a justification for everything he did. It was infuriating! Each time he attempted to undermine him, it seemed like he was the one getting torn apart. When he was feeling so annoyed, his parents nodded in agreement. ¡°Ye is right! That is true!¡± Zhao Ye said, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know anything. It is my parents who tell me about this. They taught me well!¡± He was so modest! Zhao Zhai took a deep breath and sneered. ¡°But only Zheng Qing was taken away from the governmental office, not the Shao Family. Madame Shao and even the servants from the Shao Family were not taken away. Are you sure that you and Strategist Yang have exined everything clearly?¡± Ms. Qin could not stand that any more. She frowned. ¡°What do you mean, Zhai? Your brother has been working so hard to get the deal done, and you think he is not satisfied? You are picking on him on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± Zhao Ye added. ¡°Mom, that is not what I meant. Don¡¯t misunderstand me!¡± Zhao Zhai could not stand that any more. He got up and red at Ms. Qin. ¡°Yes, yes, he is good at everything, and I am not good at anything! What is he trying to do? I can do these things too, did you let me do them? He gets to do all the good things, pushes all the trouble to me, and lectures me for being stupid and unreliable!¡± ¡°You can just drive me out of the family if you don¡¯t like me! Now you are satisfied, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ms. Qin shivered in anger. Zhao Ye added. ¡°Brother, stop it, mom will be so sad if you do that. Apologize to mom!¡± ¡°Shut up you two-faced, double-dealing!¡± Zhao Zhai could not stand that any more. He pointed at Zhao Ye and cursed. Chapter 1237: Learning Chapter 1237: Learning Editor:Henyee Trantions Zhao Ye looked so aggrieved. He wanted to say something but stopped. He became even more aggrieved, which made people feel even more distressed. Zhao Zhai got even more annoyed seeing him like this. He sneered. ¡°What are you looking like this for? People might think that I have done something to you! You have learned a lot from mom. It is no wonder mom loves you so much!¡± ¡°You!¡± Zhao Ye felt so embarrassed. He could not stand that any more. Ms. Qin got stabbed and snapped. ¡°Just shut up! You are just talking nonsense!¡± Zhao Zhai flushed too. He knew that he had said something wrong, and he felt guilty. But he was not going to apologize. He was not going to do that! But he did not dare to stay any longer. And he cursed as he left. Ms. Qin got so angry that her eyes turned red. ¡°What is wrong with him? How did he be like this?¡±
Zhao Ye forced a smile. ¡°Mom, he did not do that on purpose. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Ms. Qin snorted and felt even more disgusted by her eldest son. Zhao Mu frowned and could not help but look at Ms. Qin, thinking. Ms. Qin panicked and subconsciously tried to suck up to him. But on second thought, she realized that she was the only one with a son, and her son even had grandchildren. So what if she was not the official wife? She was not in charge, and she had not the say in everything! She was not like before. She should stand up straight and be on equal footing with Old Master. She did not need to suck up to him. ¡°Old Master, do you think we will be promoted to the next level today? We should be able to make a decision soon, right?¡± Ms. Qin changed the topic directly. Zhao Mu was absent-minded as if he had not heard that. Ms. Qin called him ¡°Old Master¡± a few times before he realized what was going on. Hearing Ms. Qin¡¯s words, Zhao Mu waved his hands in irritation. ¡°The governmental office has their own conclusion, and the Officer knows what to do. We will just wait and see.¡± For some reason, Zhao Mu felt a bit uncertain. He had a hunch that he had made the wrong move. Would this n really work? They seemed to have a sure bet, a shoo-in. But one thing was missing ¨C the other party¡¯s background. Their rival could afford to buy 100,000 mu of mulberry fields, and they did not care about his identity as the richest man in Yangzhou. They must have something up their sleeves if they dared to attack the Zhao Family like this. But he was so furious the day before. He had never been humiliated like this before, and he could not stand that any more. His son Zhao Ye was too fast, and before he could calm himself down, he had already gone to Strategist Yang at the governmental office and confirmed the whole thing. So he had no choice but stopped saying anything more. Otherwise, he would be so humiliated when he made theint at the governmental office. Also, Madame Shao was so annoying. She came to the Zhao Family as soon as she arrived at Yangzhou and she did not even care about the Zhao Family¡¯s reputation. He needed to have a long-term reputation here in Yangzhou, alright? She was going to cause him so much trouble! But he was going to let her know that the Zhao Family was not to be trifled with, and he was not going to be humiliated by anyone.
He felt that his son was right. What they had thought of so far was the best solution. It was a warning, a first-step thing.
Chapter 1238: Intuition Chapter 1238: Intuition Editor:Henyee Trantions As long as he watched closely, he believed that things would go out of control. Maybe he could really take over the 100,000 mulberry gardens! 100,000 mu! That was a mulberry garden worth millions of liang a year! Zhao Mu could not help but feel motivated. Zhao Mu thought for a while and decided to take the initiative. They might as well take a risk on it! He soon picked a few precious antiques worth more than 100,000 liang from the shared ounts and went to the governmental office to visit the officer. Unexpectedly, Zhao Mu failed to meet the officer this time. He waited in the back hall for a long while, but one manager from the mansion of the prefectural magistrate came. The manager was very friendly and showed a smile, saying that the officer had been busy with work and was not free these days. He asked him to return after a few days. Zhao Mu had a very bad feeling in his heart, and he felt very uneasy.
He was able to expand his business to this extent, because he was not an idiot. He must be a capable and smart person after all. A smart person¡¯s intuition was always very sharp. Like now. Zhao Mu smiled and said that Officer¡¯s work was more important, and he would be here in a couple of days. Then he pretended to ask about the case of the Zhao Family¡¯s traitorous ve, Zheng Qing, when would the trial start? He wondered if he could get someone to pass on the message to him. It would be so annoying if he was not punished badly. The manager did not say anything more. He just smiled, indicating that he had no idea what was going on. Zhao Mu¡¯s heart sank. He had a bad feeling about this. But he could not ask any more. They had no choice but to leave. He needed to have a good discussion with his two sons. If the n failed, someone needed to take the me. And they needed to be prepared for this. Zhao Mu did not hesitate. He decided to push his eldest son, Zhao Zhai, to take the responsibilities. He was going to talk about this with his second son, and then he was going to tell his eldest son about this. Zhao Mu had never thought about whether his eldest son would be willing to do so. He was a father and he had the right to do so. How could he turn him down? He was not going to be a bad son either! Unexpectedly, when Zhao Mu hurried back to the mansion and returned to the study, he ordered someone to fetch Zhao Ye. The pageboy returned and reported, ¡°Old Master, Second Young Master is not at the mansion.¡± Zhao Mu frowned and looked displeased. ¡°He is not at the mansion? He has no priorities. Where else can he go? Get someone to find him!¡± ¡°Yes, Old Master!¡± The pageboy got startled. He had no idea why Old Master would be so angry about such a small thing. Soon the pageboy returned. ¡°Old Master, the gatekeeper said that someone from the magistrate¡¯s office came and asked Second Young Master to join them.¡±
¡°What?¡± Zhao Mu got startled and snapped. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? What are you standing there for? Get the housekeeper here! And Young Master, go now!¡± The pageboy panicked and almost got weak in the knees. He staggered and went to find someone. Zhao Mu said to the housekeeper seriously, ¡°Go to the governmental office and find out why they asked Second Young Master to join them. If there is any news, report it to me, now!¡± The housekeeper was at a loss. But he could tell that his master was really anxious. So he nodded and hurried away.
Chapter 1239: Trial Chapter 1239: Trial Editor:Henyee Trantions Zhao Mu had been waiting for Zhao Zhai to arrive home. He interrogated Zhao Zhai and found out that Zhao Zhaii had gone somewhere else. He had already sent some men to look for him, but they would not be able to find him anytime soon. Zhao Mu got furious. ¡°This unfilial son! He is getting more and more unruly! Hurry up and find him! Send more people to find him and bring him back!¡± Zhao Mu, who had been feeling a bit guilty about pushing his elder son to take the me, suddenly felt less guilty. He felt that it was totally reasonable. That son of his was not motivated at all. What had he done to the family? Apart from this, what else could he do? At the governmental office, not long after Uncle Qing was taken back, the officer put up the notice, ready to be promoted to the court for public interrogation. When the trial started at the governmental office, many people came to watch the show.
In this case, the intiffs and the defendants had to be present. So they sent someone to deliver the paper to Zhao Ye at the Zhao Mansion. Zhao Ye was very confident that his family would win thewsuit, but he did not want to go to the governmental office to confront Uncle Qing personally. It was not a good ce for innocent people to visit the governmental hall. Zhao Ye asked his manager to make a trip there. But the constable was very polite, and and he was also very unyielding. He did not make an exception at all. They insisted that it was the officer¡¯s order. The officer asked Second Young Master Zhao to go there, so should Second Young Master Zhao leave on his own or be asked to leave by him instead? Zhao Ye was a little angry. He was cursing the constable inwardly ¨C so stupid people! How dare he talk to him like this? He was going to find out who this constable was from Strategist Yang. If he did not kneel down and kowtow, he would not be the beloved son of the richest man in Yangzhou! He was just a constable, and he had no idea what he was up to. But he was a public servant, and Zhao Ye had no choice but to cooperate. Otherwise, if he turned him down, he might be taken away by force. That would be so embarrassing! Zhao Ye came to the hall and red at Uncle Qing, sneering proudly. Uncle Qing lowered his eyes, sneering as well. This Young Master simply had no idea that he was going to be in trouble. True, Ms. Qin was a low-ss person, and the children she gave birth to and raised could not be that smart at all. They only knew how to y tricks. Soon it was time for the case trial. Zhao Ye did not want to kneel down, but the prefect had no intention of letting him do so. He did not dare to ask for anything in public, so he had to kneel down ordingly. He just consoled herself inwardly ¨C Officer was just putting on a show. He was just putting on a show so that he would not be med for being biased. Officer, you are so considerate¡­ But gradually, Zhao Ye felt that something was wrong.
When the officer interrogated Uncle Qing about how he stole the contract from his master, Uncle Qing denied everything. Themoners who were watching the show were all shocked. After all, not everyone was so well-informed. They only learned about this now. ¡°Oh my god, 100,000 mu mulberry fields? Did I hear that right?¡± ¡°Stealing the contract? How dare they do so!¡±
Chapter 1240: Evidence Chapter 1240: Evidence Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that Manager Zheng? I have seen him before! 100,000 mu mulberry fields is the Zheng Family¡¯s mulberry garden, isn¡¯t it? Manager Zheng and his wife are old servants of the Zheng Family, and they stole the contract? That can¡¯t be possible!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that is possible either. How could they steal 100,000 mu? Even if they could, they would not have the guts to do so!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Uncle Qing denied everything that was asked. He insisted that his Young Master sold 100,000 mulberry fields to Old Master Shao and Madame Shao, and the whole thing was not a theft. Zhao Ye was very intimidating. He insisted that Uncle Qing did it. Uncle Qing sneered. Since he imed that he stole the contract, what evidence did he have? Without evidence, what was the point of making empty vows? He also said that he was not in charge of the Zheng Family. What did the mulberry garden have to do with him? Did he want to take it? How dare he nder him for no reason? How ridiculous! Also, even if he did something wrong, it should be Young Master who came to him. He had nothing to do with the Zheng Family after all.
Everyone in Yangzhou knew about the Zhao Family, the richest family in Yangzhou, and their gossips had been a hot topic for a while. Hearing what Uncle Qing said, everyone started to look at Zhao Ye in a very unfriendly way. There was a lot of gossip going on, and some of them were very unpleasant. Zhao Ye did not want to hear those sarcastic words of sourness, but he still heard a lot of them, which made him very angry. Zhao Ye shouted. ¡°Officer, Zheng Qing is just defending himself! My Third Brother is from the Zhao Family, and his things belong to the Zhao Family too. Zheng Qing betrayed his master, and please interrogate him! If he did not steal anything, why did he sneak back to Yangzhou alone without seeing my Third Brother? 100,000 mu of mulberry garden is not a small thing, and even if it is sold, my Third Brother would not entrust such a big thing to a servant like him!¡± ¡°And he refuses to reveal where my Third Brother is, and he refuses to get him back. Isn¡¯t he trying to get rid of us? We even suspect that my poor Third Brother might have been¡­¡± ¡°Officer, please look into this!¡± Zhao Yeined bitterly and kept suggesting that the magistrate should punish him. Many people were shocked by what he said. ¡°¡­You are right, Second Young Master Zhao! We have 100,000 mu of mulberry fields, and we should sell them personally, right? We have father and brother, and we can¡¯t just let a servant make the decision!¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so!¡± ¡°Brothers? Young Master Zhao is the lineal son, and the so-called Elder Young Master and Second Young Master of the Zhao Family are all concubine¡¯s children. Young Master Zhao¡¯s mother has passed away, and Old Master Zhao is biased and doesn¡¯t treat his lineal son well, forcing him to stay at home. It is reasonable that Young Master Zhao would rather keep Manager Zhengpany than father and concubine¡¯s brother.¡± ¡°Yeah, you have no idea what the Zhao Family is like¡­¡± Uncle Qing was the one who hired those audience. He was going to reveal what happened to the Zhao Family. Madame Zheng had been pretending to be a virtuous woman for Young Master for so many years, but she still died in an ¡°ident¡±. The Zhao Family could not tolerate Young Master any more, and it was time to settle the unfairness. Gossips of the wealthy families, the fights between wives and concubines, and the fights between lineal and concubines had always been the gossips that themoners were most interested in. Chapter 1241: Zheng Family Chapter 1241: Zheng Family Editor:Henyee Trantions Uncle Qing was well-prepared. He was telling the truth. He urately hit the core point of gossips, and everyone was listening with interest. They subconsciously believed at least 80% of what was said. Madame Zheng, the first wife of the family, passed away when she was very young, and the Young Master had to stay at home for three years to pay the respect. That sounded so reasonable and pitiful. And Ms. Qin, who only knew how to cry, made the man lose his mind and abandoned his wife and son. She was so low-ss! Zhao Ye had his back straight, showing that he was honest. He looked calm on the surface, but in fact, he was about to explode! He had no idea what the officer was waiting for at this moment. He had already hinted so clearly that the officer could get Zheng Qing to be taken away for torture and punishment. Why had he not done anything yet? And he was even praising himself inwardly for being smart! If this dragged on, they would not be able to get any result.
Uncle Qing nced at him. ¡°Officer, I am still saying the same thing. Young Master gave the contract to me and asked me to sell it. Young Master said that if the mulberry garden is in his hands, he won¡¯t have any ie of one liang, so he might as well sell it and see the money! He doesn¡¯t want to go back to Yangzhou, so he asked me to do it for him. Young Master trusts me, so I did what he asked me to!¡± ¡°Otherwise, I would not have been able to get 100,000 mu of mulberry garden if it was not given to me by the Young Master!¡± ¡°I am telling the truth! I swear that I will never lie to you in public!¡± The officer frowned and snapped. ¡°Ridiculous! You think I don¡¯t know the economy? 100,000 mu of mulberry field, pick mulberry to raise silkworms, and silkworms to spin cocoons and spit silk. Silk is not cheap. Even after all costs are excluded, 100,000 mulberry garden should have a profit of 700,000 or 800,000 liang, but you said you obtained none?¡± Uncle Qing sneered. ¡°You are right, Officer, but there is one reason¡­¡± Zhao Ye suddenly shouted, ¡°Officer, this servant is trying to say that he is up to no good. Please, don¡¯t listen to his nonsense!¡± Uncle Qing sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t dare to let me tell? Young Master Zhao, are you feeling guilty?¡± Zhao Ye gritted his teeth. ¡°You are so cunning. You are just making up stories. Why should I listen to your nonsense?¡± Uncle Qing said, ¡°Whether it is nonsense or not, I am going to speak out loud. If you are not feeling guilty, you don¡¯t have to interrupt me. Officer, please allow me to exin.¡± ¡°Officer!¡± The officer nced at Zhao Ye and said to Uncle Qing, ¡°Please proceed.¡± Zhao Ye opened his mouth and closed it unwillingly. He did not know if it was an illusion, but when the officer nced at him just now, he felt a chill down his spine. ¡°Thank you, Officer!¡± Uncle Qing said angrily, ¡°The silk produced in 100,000 mu of mulberry fields is worth more than 1,000,000 liang, but Young Master doesn¡¯t get a single liang every year, because all the silk has been taken away by the Zhao Family for free!¡± Everyone was in an uproar. Zhao Ye could not help but say, ¡°Third Brother is from the Zhao Family, and you are part of the Zhao Family¡¯s weaving workshop. What is wrong with your own silk supplying your own workshop?¡± ¡°That is the Zheng Family¡¯s mulberry garden! The Zhao Family¡¯s properties belong to the Zhao Family, but the Zheng Family¡¯s mulberry garden is left to Young Master by our Old Master and Madame Zheng! Young Master has a share in the Zhao Family¡¯s properties, but the Zheng Family¡¯s mulberry garden belongs to Young Master alone! Young Master Zhao, you can¡¯t just have no idea about such a simple principle?¡± Chapter 1242: Old Story Chapter 1242: Old Story Editor:Henyee Trantions Uncle Qing¡¯s men would never miss this opportunity. ¡°How can that be possible? I know the couple from the Zheng Family, and the properties they leave to their lineal grandchildren should belong to the lineal grandchildren! How shameless of the Zhao Family to take them all!¡± ¡°True! That is not a small amount, more than a million liang a year! They are father and son, but that is not right! The Zhao Family are too greedy!¡± ¡°Look at Young Master Zhao, he even tried to stop Manager Zheng from speaking. It is obvious that he has taken advantage of the situation. Poor Young Master Zhao, he has lost his mother, and even the properties left to him by his maternal ancestor have been taken away. Sigh!¡± ¡°But it is his own family who are taking advantage of him, and he can¡¯t say a thing. It was no wonder that he would rather sell it. If he sells it, they can at least get some money!¡± ¡°It was no wonder that the Zhao Family got so anxious when he sold them out. We can¡¯t take advantage of them any more, can we? Haha!¡± ¡°That is why the concubine¡¯s son is so annoying! He is riding on the lineal son¡¯s head!¡± ¡°I heard that Ms. Qin hooked up with Old Master Zhao a long time ago. She used to be kept as a mistress outside the family. Madame Zheng is a virtuous woman, and she said that to the public for the sake of the Zhao Family¡¯s reputation¡­¡± ¡°Oh my god, what is going on? Tell me the details¡­¡±
Uncle Qing¡¯s words had already surprised the onlookers. In addition, he had bribed those who were scattered in the crowd to keep up the rhythm. The situation was getting out of control. Zhao Ye shouted anxiously, ¡°Zheng Qing, don¡¯t be a demon! You are lying The mulberry garden belongs to the Zhao Family! Mother is the daughter-inw of the Zhao Family, and the mulberry garden belongs to the Zhao Family!¡± Uncle Qing sneered. ¡°Second Young Master Zhao is just a concubine¡¯s son, and the Zhao Family doesn¡¯t have a concubine¡¯s son in charge. What are you so excited about, Second Young Master Zhao? The contract for Ms.Zheng¡¯s mulberry garden has always been in our Madame¡¯s hands, and after she passed away, it fell into Young Master¡¯s hands. It clearly says that it belongs to the Zheng Family. How can it be the Zhao Family¡¯s?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Madame Zheng¡¯s private properties were shared among her husband¡¯s family! If you don¡¯t know anything, please don¡¯t say anything more, in case you be aughing stock!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°Silence!¡± The officer frowned. ¡°The properties belong to the owner, and the contract is the best proof. But Young Master Zhao is from the Zhao Family and he has senior members in the family. He should not have sold the properties privately. He should have talked with the senior members. Old Master Zhao should have taught him a thing or two!¡± Uncle Qing bowed. ¡°You are right, Officer.¡± Zhao Ye. ¡°¡­.¡± That was it? What did Officer mean? He sounded as if he were admitting that Zhao Shu had sold the contract to Madame Shao. That was not going to work. Also, as a member of the Zhao Family, he sold something so important to the Zhao Family behind his father¡¯s back. His father should teach him a lesson and ask him to get the mulberry garden back, so he could teach him how to do that. That was too easy for him! ¡°Officer, my Third Brother would never have done something like this behind father¡¯s back. This evil servant must have stolen thend contract and colluded with outsiders to take it for himself. He is lying, please tell me the truth!¡± Torture him! They were going to beat him on the board, clip his fingers and put on shackles. He was going to change the way he talked right now. There was no need to be polite when dealing with such a tricky ve. Chapter 1243: Certain Chapter 1243: Certain Editor:Henyee Trantions Zhao Ye harbored a secret wish: that he couldmand the guards to forcibly remove Uncle Qing from the scene. Uncle Qing responded with a disdainful sneer. ¡°Second Young Master Zhao, I solemnly swear that I never betrayed my master. It was our Young Master who issued those orders. What¡¯s your intention in falsely using me?¡± Zhao Ye retorted, ¡°With Third Brother absent, you have the opportunity to defend yourself. If you manage to extricate yourself from this predicament, you can take the money and disappear. Where else would I find you?¡± ¡°I dare to swear, and what about you, Second Young Master Zhao? Perhaps we should use the same words with our Young Master! You make these usations when he¡¯s conveniently absent!¡± ¡°Utter nonsense!¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing but nder!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± The officer intervened sternly, rapping the wooden surface in irritation. ¡°This is a serious matter involving millions of liang. Mere words won¡¯t suffice. Second Young Master Zhao, do you possess any evidence?¡± Zhao Ye hadn¡¯t anticipated the prefect¡¯s inquiry. He clenched his teeth, suppressing his anger, and replied, ¡°Officer, my Third Brother is not capable of such treachery. It must be this servant!¡± Uncle Qing vehemently protested, ¡°Officer, no, it wasn¡¯t me!¡±
¡°Young Master Zhao, are you absolutely certain?¡± ¡°Without a doubt!¡± Uncle Qing sneered once more. ¡°And what if that¡¯s untrue? Second Young Master Zhao might be unjustly using us!¡± Fuming and humiliated, Zhao Ye reluctantly agreed with himself that he had to make a difficult decision. ¡°Officer, please apprehend Madame Shao and interrogate her!¡± Zhao Ye muttered to himself about the officer¡¯s apparentck of astuteness, questioning why they were focusing solely on one individual. Hadn¡¯t the Shao Family yed a part as well? Furthermore, they should be subjected to rigorous interrogation! After some contemtion, the officer concurred with Zhao Ye¡¯s suggestion and instructed someone to summon the Shao Family. Sun Qian was among those brought forward. Zhao Ye couldn¡¯t conceal his relief. The officer had sessfully brought the Shao Family to the scene, and although Madame Shao was absent, her presence was effectively represented! It appeared that the officer still harbored some bias in favor of her, presumably due to the Zhao Family¡¯s influence in Yangzhou. Sun Qian vehemently refuted Zhao Ye¡¯s ims, much like Uncle Qing, insisting that it was Zhao Shu who had brokered the contract sale. Zhao Ye somehow had the confidence to deny what they said. He did not believe a word they said. Even though he had no evidence, he still believed that it was Uncle Qing who had colluded with the Shao Family to get rid of the contract. He was so shameless that Ms.Zheng¡¯s mulberry garden became the Zhao Family¡¯s. Uncle Qing almostughed out of anger. Sun Qian did not have the patience to talk nonsense with Zhao Ye. He asked Uncle Qing to get Young Master Zhao here, so that Young Master Zhao would be present. But Uncle Qing was in a dilemma. He expressed that his Young Master really wanted him to make the decision. He was out of town and he might not be back anytime soon. Zhao Ye cheered inwardly. That was even more true! He even suspected that he had hit the right spot of what he did! Maybe it was Uncle Qing who did it¡­ Zhao Ye, who had gained a lot of confidence, started to speak more straightforwardly. He was driven away by Uncle Qing and Sun Qian, who said that if he made a mistake, he was willing to kowtow to them and apologize to them in public! Sun Qian said immediately, ¡°I won¡¯t kowtow. If you are mistaken, give me 100,000 liang, do you dare?¡±
Under such a circumstance, Zhao Ye really wanted to say so. He agreed without hesitation. Then he cupped his hands and said, ¡°Please, Officer!¡± Use the punishment! Torture this old servant!
Chapter 1244: Insatiable Chapter 1244: Insatiable Editor: Henyee Trantions They would divulge the information under duress! As long as they could extract a confession through torture, they would have no further reason to withhold information. However, both he and the officer failed toprehend his intentions. The officer remained baffled by his statement. Recognizing that time was running short, they took the intiff and defendant into custody for interrogation the following day. Uncle Qing and Sun Qian remained indifferent to the situation. Shao Yunduan had already instructed them to spend the night at the government office. Zhao Ye was taken aback. He couldn¡¯t help but inquire, ¡°Officer, does this mean¡­?¡± Was the officer nning to imprison him as well? The officer paid no attention to his question and rose from his seat,manding, ¡°Leave the hall!¡± Zhao Ye stood there, lost for words. Zhao Mu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing of Zhao Ye¡¯s detention, as the magistrate had not made a public announcement. This suggested that there might still be an opportunity to reverse the situation. Perhaps the magistrate was hinting at something. Zhao Mu couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of dissatisfaction when he thought about thevish gifts he had distributed earlier. He decided to pay another visit to the prefect. This time, the officer received him, yet remainedposed and enigmatic. They engaged in a session of tai chi, appearing gentle and smiling, but offering no concrete assurances. Zhao Mu grew increasingly frustrated! He cursed the officer for his insatiable greed. He couldn¡¯t shake the belief that the officer had no real interest in the gifts. With gritted teeth, Zhao Mu took a decisive step back. He subtly conveyed to the Officer that once he secured the 100,000 mu of mulberry fields, he would readily allocate 30,000 mu of it to the Officer. No favors would be required; annually, he would directly transfer the 30,000 mu of mulberry fields to the Officer. Zhao Mu was sparing no effort to appropriate his son¡¯s assets. He was essentially cutting into his own flesh and bleeding! Though the Officer maintained a poker face, he, too, felt the sting in his heart. Being an official in Jiangnan, he needed to secure some profits. However, he was acutely aware that he couldn¡¯t ept any mary gains or engage in illicit activities. Greed had its limits. He had principles! Zhao Mu¡¯s offer was like a Trojan Horse ¨C swift, precise, and ruthless. It was powerful and alluring. If not for Shao Yunduan, he might have sumbed to the temptation. They wouldn¡¯t have to manage the 30,000 mu of mulberry fields personally. All they needed to do was collect the dividends every year, which amounted to more than 200,000 liang. It was an immense sum of money¡­ Butpared to her future and her life, money was the least of her concerns. The Officer feigned ignorance of Zhao Mu¡¯s proposal. Fearing he might yield to the temptation, he dismissed him with a few curt words. Zhao Mu was left bewildered. Did the Officer not grasp the offer, or was he dissatisfied? If he was dissatisfied, that would be unreasonable. What more could he want with such a generous portion? Returning to the mansion, they suddenly realized they had forgotten about their son! She had initially nned to remove her son from the mansion, but she refrained from mentioning it after the officer¡¯s Taiji Fist struck her. It didn¡¯t seem quite appropriate to pay them another visit, so Zhao Mu furrowed his brows and abandoned the idea. However, Ms. Qin¡¯s maternal concern for her son weighed heavily on her heart. She wept openly before him, fearing that her son would endure hardship while in government custody. Her son had never faced adversity in his upbringing and was ill-equipped to handle it. This officer¡¯s behavior was quite disheartening. He regrly benefited from their family, yet he appeared remarkably callous now. Chapter 1245: Biased Chapter 1245: Biased Editor:Henyee Trantions All the benefits they had promised ended up going to waste! Zhao Mu had held high hopes for his second son, but upon hearing Ms. Qin¡¯s distressing cry, he couldn¡¯t help but be concerned. Both Zhao Mu and Ms. Qin had the same notion: if one of them had to stay overnight at the government office, it would be the eldest son who took on that duty, while the second son could attend court the following day. Zhao Mu couldn¡¯t help but direct some me towards Ms. Qin. He hadn¡¯t been present at the mansion the day before, so he wasn¡¯t aware of the situation. Why had Ms. Qin allowed her son to undertake the task? She could have easily assigned it to her eldest son. Ms. Qin, too, felt irritated by the turn of events. They had both forgotten that they had initially believed the problem wouldn¡¯t be easily resolved. They hadn¡¯t anticipated that it would escte to this point. Furthermore, as soon as Zhao Ye received the news, he rushed to the government office, determined to make some contributions. Zhao Zhai couldn¡¯t contain his anger when he heard the story. Why was he the only one to foresee such trouble? He never expected to be mistreated in this manner. Despite all being sons of concubines, they were no nobler than one another.
However, no matter how vehemently Zhao Zhai protested, it had no effect on his parents. Zhao Mu was in charge, and his word was final. Beyond receiving a scolding, Zhao Zhai¡¯s resistance couldn¡¯t alter the situation. It was clear to him that his father had little regard for his unfortunate status as a lineal son. Loyalty seemed to be a one-way street. Being the lineal son, he had his mother to strategize for him, and his grandparents had left him with a substantial inheritance of properties and faithful servants. In contrast, he had nothing! They couldn¡¯t even manage a small fraction of the family¡¯s assets. With no other options, Zhao Zhai found himself at the governmental office, apanied by the housekeeper, recing Zhao Ye. For the governmental office, as long as both the intiff and the defendant were present, it didn¡¯t matter which of them was in custody. If the Zhao Family intended to change the intiff, they would have to save face for the Zhao Family. Zhao Zhai couldn¡¯t hide his relief upon seeing Zhao Ye at the office. He exchanged a few polite words and promptly left with the housekeeper. His frustration towards his brother was so intense that he felt like tearing him apart. What kind of brother was this? In front of their parents, he had pretended to support Zhao Zhai, encouraging him to seize the benefits, only to burden him in the end! Deceptive! Cowardly! How irresponsible! Zhao Zhai wondered if his parents were blind to have been deceived by his brother and continued to defend him, despite his cruelty towards him. One day, he vowed to strip away his brother¡¯s pretentious facade and trample him underfoot. Word soon reached Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan about the Zhao Family changing the intiff. Qiao Xuan smiled and remarked, ¡°It appears that the departure of Young Master Zhao has fractured the family¡¯s unity. It seems they won¡¯t be true brothers anymore.¡± Shao Yunduan agreed, saying, ¡°That¡¯s excellent. Let¡¯s fan the mes a bit and enjoy the spectacle.¡± The two of them exchanged knowing smiles. The following day, the case resumed.
This time, Zhao Ye was nowhere to be seen. He had asked Zhao Zhai to take his ce as the intiff. Their father had informed Zhao Zhai about this change the previous day. Zhao Zhai grew even more annoyed and silently cursed Zhao Ye. ¡°Brother Grumpy¡± indeed lived up to his nickname. He was different from Zhao Ye, who wasposed and knew when to speak and when to remain silent. Brother Grumpycked the same level of patience. Hearing Uncle Qing and Sun Qian¡¯s denials and the interrogation, he could not stand that any more.
Chapter 1246: Insolent Chapter 1246: Insolent Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Brother Grumpy¡± red at the couple with disdain. ¡°Officer, you can deal with these unruly individuals, administer appropriate punishments, and interrogate them. There¡¯s no need for us to engage in conversation with them.¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Uncle Qing¡¯s men erupted in protest. ¡°What? Young Master Zhao suggesting confessions through torture?¡± ¡°How dare the Zhao Family make such an outrageous statement in public!¡± ¡°No wonder Young Master Zhao had to leave his home. Who would want to return to such a hostile environment? His life is in danger in that mansion!¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more!¡± Zhao Zhai felt his anxiety rising andshed out at the others. ¡°Silence!¡± The officer snapped back, ¡°How dare you raise your voice in court! Zhao Zhai, your arrogance knows no bounds!¡± The officer inwardly cursed his luck; this man was nowhere near as respectable as Second Young Master Zhao, and he constantlyined that his parents favored his sibling. Any family would favor a son like Second Young Master Zhao!
If it weren¡¯t for the Zhao Family¡¯s influence, the officer would have wasted no time in dragging Zhao Zhai down and disciplining him. Yet, Zhao Zhai found himself growing increasingly infuriated as he considered that Zhao Ye, not he, should have been the true culprit. Irritated Brother had earned his nickname for a reason. Under Uncle Qing¡¯s intimidation and Zhao Zhai¡¯s ill-chosen words, they tarnished not only their own reputations but also that of Ms. Qin. Zhao Zhai wasn¡¯t foolish. He soon realized he had been manipted by Uncle Qing and couldn¡¯t help but hurl insults at him, using him of being deceitful and underhanded. This outburst, filled with rage and obscenities, only worsened matters for him and the Zhao Family. All eyes turned downward, their gaze fixed on him. Was this the demeanor of Old Master Zhao¡¯s eldest son? Young Master Zhao seemed to be in a pitiable state. Just then, Zhao Shu made his entrance. Zhao Zhai was left dumbfounded and sharply asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡± Despite the recent family dispute involving his parents and brother, when facing Zhao Shu, Zhao Zhai felt like the outsider. Initially, the entire family had assumed that Zhao Shu would not return home, so when they saw him, it was a genuine shock. In response to Zhao Shu¡¯s words, the onlookers¡¯ expressions underwent a noticeable change. ¡°Do you wee her return or not?¡± ¡°Of course not. Young Master Zhao, you can¡¯t let them spread unfounded rumors upon your return!¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± Laughter erupted among those present. Zhao Zhai¡¯s expression darkened. He resented Zhao Shu for appearing unexpectedly and causing him to utter the wrong words. Internally, Zhao Shu couldn¡¯t help but sneer. He shot a nce at Zhao Zhai, then knelt down in front of the officer, exining that he had rushed back because he was concerned about Uncle Qing. Upon hearing about the situation, he had promptly headed to the governmental office. With the culprit now present, the case was poised to be resolved much more easily. The officer quickly grasped the full picture of the situation.
When it came to the impact of Zhao Shu¡¯s presence, Uncle Qing and the Zhao Family couldn¡¯t hope to measure up. Zhao Zhai, utterly shocked and disoriented by his brother¡¯s sudden appearance, eximed, ¡°Have you lost your mind? No one authorized you to sell it!¡± Amusement danced in Zhao Shu¡¯s eyes as he calmly replied, ¡°The mulberry garden belongs to my grandparents, and they passed it on to my mother, who, in turn, handed it down to me. All thend contracts are in my possession, and I have every right to sell it whenever I wish. Is there a problem with that?¡±
Chapter 1247: Arrogant Son Chapter 1247: Arrogant Son Editor:Henyee Trantions Zhao Zhai seethed with anger, his voice dripping with frustration as he confronted his cousin. ¡°But you¡¯re also part of the Zhao Family, the Young Master no less! Selling the mulberry garden, how can we produce silk for ourselves?¡± Zhao Shu retorted with a hint of indifference, ¡°You can always buy it.¡± His suggestion was met with a derisive scoff from Zhao Zhai. ¡°You, of all people!¡± Zhao Zhai¡¯s annoyance remained unabated as he used, ¡°You did this deliberately!¡± Zhao Shu calmly exined, ¡°Thosends were passed down from our grandparents, and I have every right to manage them as I see fit. I need the money, so selling them is my prerogative. If you wish to purchase them, I can intercede with Madame Shao on your behalf. Perhaps she might consider selling you half. Are you interested?¡± Zhao Zhai was left in contemtive silence. Where would he acquire the funds? Finally, he sneered, ¡°Just you wait; Father will never forgive you!¡± Uncle Qing had managed to gather a group of onlookers, and they began to disperse. ¡°I can¡¯t tolerate this any longer! The audacity of that concubine¡¯s son! Look at how he treats the legitimate heir, Young Master Zhao!¡±
¡°They say Old Master Zhao is ying favorites!¡± ¡°That¡¯s preposterous. He has every right to sell what he pleases, doesn¡¯t he? Why should he use it to support this unrted concubine¡¯s son? If the concubine¡¯s son treated him as a brother, it would be different, but the way he behaves¡­ it seems that neither the brother nor the concubine are decent people!¡± ¡°Exactly! If I were Young Master Zhao, I wouldn¡¯t stand for such humiliation! We¡¯re meant to be a family, but Old Master Zhao and the concubine¡¯s son hardly deserve to be called that! This is an affront to our dignity!¡± Zhao Zhai seethed with anger and hatred, wanting to retaliate vocally, but he feared the stern reprimands of the officials in the courtroom. So, all he could do was shoot Zhao Shu a fierce re, silently conveying, ¡°Your actions won¡¯t go unanswered.¡± He had overlooked the fact that he would be the center of attention. Witnessing this, discontent among the onlookers grew. The officer concealed his inner disdain and taunted her for her perceived foolishness and ineptitude. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to add to this case?¡± It was time to bring the matter to a close. Zhao Zhai snorted and directed a pointed re at Zhao Shu, silently vowing to bide his time and seek justice. He yearned for the day he could present his case and expose Zhao Shu¡¯s actions to the family. Although deeply discontented, Zhao Shu, being Zhao Mu¡¯s son, couldn¡¯t utter a disparaging word about his father or the Zhao Family. As a servant, Uncle Qing remained silent. Sun Qian raised her voice, addressing the officer. ¡°Officer, my master has been unjustly used. I implore you to uphold justice. Must the wealthy and powerful manipte intermediates like pawns, framing innocent individuals without evidence? Is this what the governmental office stands for? Disregarding thews of the Qin Dynasty and making baseless usations will erode morality over time, leading to a decay in society¡¯s values. Such actions fail to deter wrongdoers or educate the popce! Please, render a fair verdict, Officer!¡± Zhao Zhai¡¯s eyes widened, struggling toprehend her eloquence. He longed to refute her butcked the education to do so, sensing that her words were far fromplimentary. After careful consideration, the officer turned to Zhao Zhai and dered, ¡°Sun Qian is correct. Those who abuse their influence must face consequences. You shall pay Madame Shao 10,000 liang aspensation and make a public apology in court. This case is now closed!¡± Chapter 1248: Heartbroken Chapter 1248: Heartbroken Editor: Henyee Trantions Zhao Zhaiprehended his meaning and panic gripped him. ¡°Officer!¡± ¡°What else do you wish to convey?¡± Zhao Zhai¡¯s heart raced, his fear intensifying. He opened his mouth but choked down his objection. He knew what needed to be done, but he hesitated in the officer¡¯s disfavor. Zhao Mu and Zhao Ye were unaware of the situation, resulting in the absence of both father and son. Zhao Zhai was left to bear the burden alone. He reluctantly agreed to pay 10,000 liang aspensation and offer a public apology in court. The 10,000 liang would undoubtedly be covered by the intermediaries; it wasn¡¯t his concern. However, when he had to bow before Sun Qian and apologize in the courtroom, Zhao Zhai forced himself to do it, his face turning crimson with embarrassment. He secretly cursed Zhao Ye. Thus, the misunderstanding was resolved, and the Zhao Family gained notoriety in Yangzhou. Sun Qian returned to the hostel. Zhao Zhai vented his anger and humiliation on Zhao Shu and Zhao Ye. Zhao Shu was right there, and he wasn¡¯t going to let him off. As they exited the government office, Zhao Zhai couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and stopped Zhao Shu, sneering, ¡°Now that you¡¯re back, why don¡¯t you return to the mansion? Come with me!¡± They weren¡¯t in court, so there was no need to consider Zhao Mu and the Zhao Family¡¯s face. As for Zhao Zhai, Zhao Shu couldn¡¯t care less about him. He sneered as if he had heard something unbelievable. ¡°I told you I¡¯m not returning to the mansion. That¡¯s my home, where I was born and raised. If I¡¯m not going back, where else would I go?¡± Zhao Zhai felt a pang of heartache. He hadn¡¯t returned to the Zhao Family until he was 12 years old, born to a concubine. He simply couldn¡¯t find the words. Before he realized what was happening, Zhao Shu and Uncle Qing had already departed in the wagon. Zhao Zhai seethed with anger as he spat in the direction they had departed. He stormed over to the Zhao Family¡¯s wagon and curtly ordered the coachman to hasten their journey. He needed to return home as quickly as possible. Once they were back at the Zhao Family estate, Zhao Shu wouldn¡¯t have any leverage over them; they would all be on the same side. In truth, Zhao Mu, Zhao Ye, and Ms. Qin were already aware of Zhao Shu¡¯s court appearance. But now that Zhao Shu had openly dered his intentions, Zhao Mu¡¯s presence at the court would be futile. The entire Zhao Family would suffer public humiliation. There was no point in pursuing it further. The entire household awaited Zhao Shu¡¯s return. Ms. Qin seethed with anger, inwardly cursing why this troublemaker had chosen this moment toe back and disrupt her ns! She still held strong confidence in her scheme, believing that as long as Zhao Shu didn¡¯t return, she would secure 100,000 mu of mulberry fields. However, Zhao Mu was deeply irritated by recent events. They had given away precious possessions to y with antiques and money, subjected themselves to humiliation in court, and made a mockery of their reputation, all for nothing! Zhao Shu returned to the Zhao Family apanied by Uncle Qing and eight formidable servants. The moment he stepped into the mansion, the housekeeper ushered him into the main hall, saying, ¡°Old Master and Madame Qin are waiting for you.¡± Zhao Shu shot the housekeeper a cold, disdainful look. ¡°Madame Qin? Is my father married to a second wife?¡± The housekeeper stammered, ¡°No, no¡­¡± ¡°Then where is this Madame Qin about?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Zhao Shu sneered and brushed past him. Inside the main hall, Zhao Mu and Ms. Qin upied seats on the left and right nks of the main chair, with Zhao Ye seated on the left side of the main chair. The maids and elderly women stood nearby, holding their breath, their expressions taut with tension Chapter 1249: Not Your Seat Chapter 1249: Not Your Seat Editor: Henyee Trantions At a single nce, the servants¡¯ faces appeared entirely unfamiliar. ¡°Ungrateful son, how dare you return!¡± The instant Zhao Muid eyes on Zhao Shu, his pent-up anger of days surged forth, causing him to m the table and shout. Ms. Qin sighed deeply and spoke with emotion, ¡°Third Young Master, apologize to the Old Master! How can you wound the Old Master¡¯s heart and undermine the Zhao Family¡¯s foundation? He is your father!¡± ¡°He couldn¡¯t care less about me! He wishes me dead!¡± ¡°Old Master, please refrain from saying such things. Young Master is still in his youth and prone to mistakes. If you guide him properly, he can surely change. Perhaps the people around him have influenced him negatively, but it¡¯s not entirely Young Master¡¯s fault!¡± ¡°He¡¯s beyond redemption! Utterly useless!¡± ¡°Old Master, please calm down. Don¡¯t let your anger jeopardize your health. Third Young Master, say something kind to cate the Old Master!¡± ¡°Ungrateful son!¡± Zhao Shu remained silent. Standing there, Zhao Shu watched the scene with an odd smile on his face. Strangely, he felt no anger, disappointment, or resentment. Instead, he found it all rather absurd. He chuckled. Ms. Qin stiffened, and Zhao Ye furrowed his brow as he quietly observed Zhao Shu. He said nothing, but Zhao Mu erupted. ¡°Ungrateful son! How dare youugh? Are you trying to infuriate me?¡± ¡°You must be jesting. People don¡¯t just drop dead so easily.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Our householdcks rules and ethics. Outsiders would mock us, but you seem unfazed. You must be in good health, so there¡¯s no need to worry about losing your temper!¡± Zhao Mu. ¡°¡­.¡± Zhao Mu panted, his gaze fixed on Zhao Shu, utterly perplexed by what he was hearing. Ms. Qin shared his exasperation. Had all her efforts been in vain? ¡°Third Young Master, stop this nonsense. Old Master is discussing something important with you!¡± Zhao Mu snapped back to reality, realizing he was nearly led astray by this troublemaker. ¡°Ungrateful son, you¡­¡± ¡°We can address thister. Dad, why the rush? Let¡¯s adhere to our traditions!¡± With a sneer, Zhao Shu pushed Ms. Qin aside. ¡°That is not your seat!¡± Caught off guard, Ms. Qin let out a cry and staggered backward. Were it not for the help of a maid, she might have stumbled. Furious, Zhao Ye hurried to Ms. Qin¡¯s side to lend his support, his gaze filled with anger as he red at Zhao Shu. ¡°What are you implying, Third Brother?¡± Zhao Shu sneered. ¡°How can a concubine assume the position of the family¡¯s mistress? What is the meaning of this? Do we have no rules in this family?¡± Zhao Ye found himself at a loss for words. Ms. Qin stiffened as well, her face paling as she cast a pitiful look at Zhao Mu. Zhao Mu felt deeply embarrassed. Ever since Ms. Zheng¡¯s passing, he had observed that Ms. Qin¡¯s stewardship was efficient. He had been living afortable life, and Ms. Qin had been ingratiating herself with him. As a result, he had never considered taking a concubine. He had no clue when Ms. Qin had assumed the role of the family¡¯s mistress and taken on responsibilities only meant for her. To him, it had seemed like a minor detail, unworthy of concern. Chapter 1250: Not On the Surface Chapter 1250: Not On the Surface Editor: Henyee Trantions Ms. Qin sobbed, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Third Young Master¡­¡± Zhao Shu¡¯s voice dripped with condescension as he dismissed her, ¡°You are but a concubine, with no right to interrupt when I converse with my father. How fascinating!¡± Ms. Qin¡¯splexion grew even paler, and dizziness washed over her. Zhao Ye could no longer tolerate the situation and spoke up firmly, ¡°Zhao Shu, do not push us beyond our limits!¡± Zhao Shu¡¯s expression twisted with disdain as he retorted, ¡°I am not bullying a concubine; I am merely imparting a lesson in decorum. And as for you, have you never been taught proper manners? Who granted you the privilege to address me by my name and raise your voice?¡± ¡°You!¡± Ms. Qin had grown arrogant over the years, considering herself the mistress of the household. Now, the humiliation she suffered from Zhao Shu, with the servants referring to her as a concubine, was too much to bear. She felt her face burn with embarrassment, almost biting her lip in frustration. Uncontroble sobs escaped her. This had been her go-to response whenever she faced bullying throughout the years, crying weakly before the Old Master, who would invariably sympathize with her. It had be an unconscious habit. However, she had overlooked one crucial detail¡ªit wasn¡¯t just between her and the Old Master anymore. Zhao Shu no longer regarded her with disdain; instead, he looked down on her. ¡°Indeed, a concubine remains a concubine, unable even to maintainposure without breaking into tears on such a trifling stage.¡± Ms. Qin¡¯s voice caught in her throat, unable to respond. ¡°¡­You despicable¡­¡± Zhao Ye¡¯s face turned pallid, and he trembled. He clenched his teeth, choosing silence, as if he hadn¡¯t heard a word. He harbored the belief that his father would never let this go unpunished. Zhao Mu, too, felt humiliated but had to begrudgingly admit that Zhao Shu¡¯s words held some truth. A concubine remained a concubine, skilled in servitude, ttery, and bringing joy, yet certain distinctions remained unattainable on her part. ¡°Enough!¡± Zhao Mu interrupted sharply. ¡°Cease discussing trivial matters. What is the status of the 100,000 mulberry fields?¡± Zhao Shu appeared taken aback. ¡°Is that all you see in it, Father? Consider this: have you noticed any reputable young women from respectable families associating with us in recent years?¡± Zhao Mu was caught off guard. Ms. Qin¡¯s expression shifted, her annoyance bubbling over as she couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. ¡°Young Master, must you subject us to such humiliation?¡± Zhao Shu responded sternly, ¡°You aren¡¯t deserving of it. Father, inquire around, and you¡¯ll find that, aside from those who ingratiate themselves with you, all of whom hail from inferior backgrounds, no proper youngdy of a respectable family would entertain the notion of courting a concubine. Their audacity knows no bounds!¡± Ms. Qin felt like her heart had been pierced, a searing wound of humiliation. Zhao Ye¡¯s hands trembled with anxiety. Zhao Mu furrowed his brow,prehending the situation. He had been neglectful. He needed to consider taking a proper wife. Without a rightful matriarch, the familycked propriety. A sense of embarrassment crept over him. He, the wealthiest man in Yangzhou, didn¡¯t even possess a legitimate wife. It was an absurdity! These thoughts led him to inwardly me Ms. Qin. If it weren¡¯t for her small gains, he might have given this more thought. It was his oversight. Observing his expression, Ms. Qin¡¯s heart chilled with apprehension and anger. She knew full well that the Old Master wouldn¡¯t promote her to the position of legitimate wife. The Zhao family in Yangzhou held a distinguished reputation, and making a concubine the mistress was unthinkable. Chapter 1251: Himself Chapter 1251: Himself Editor: Henyee Trantions But awareness was one thing, and whether they could emotionally ept it was another matter. She felt so unconvinced and wronged, especially after enjoying the power and authority as the mistress of the family for years; she couldn¡¯t simply relinquish it like this. Ms. Qin¡¯s heart was in turmoil. A sharp glint shed across her downcast eyes, and she shivered with a cold feeling deep within her. She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to remember the 100,000 mulberry fields at this moment. If another woman from the family were to enter the mansion and give birth to a legitimate son, what would be of her and her son? How much would they receive? Not even the 100,000 mulberry fields would remain in their possession! Having firmly made up his mind, Zhao Mu addressed Zhao Shu coldly, ¡°Let¡¯s not digress. I¡¯m asking about the mulberry fields. Provide a clear exnation!¡± Ms. Qin and Zhao Ye exchanged a fearful nce, their hearts sinking further as they felt an increasing sense of threat. Zhao Shu¡¯s impoliteness towards Ms. Qin didn¡¯t elicit any reprimand from Zhao Mu; he simply passed along the message. It became evident that Ms. Qin held no significance to him. If this was how Zhao Mu treated Ms. Qin, what chance did Zhao Ye and Zhao Zhai stand? It was apparent that Zhao Mu¡¯s primary concern was his own interests. With a smile on his face, Zhao Shu was about to respond when the housekeeper hurriedly entered and bowed, ¡°Old Master, Madame Shao is here looking for you.¡± Zhao Muhuo sneered. ¡°They dare toe? Let them in!¡± It was Sun Qian. Coincidentally, Zhao Zhai returned and entered the room alongside Sun Qian. As he started to berate her, Sun Qian shot him a cold re, rendering him silent out of fear. When Zhao Zhai realized that Sun Qian was still maintaining his arrogance within his home, his annoyance grew even more pronounced, and he began to utter curses once again. Sun Qian, however, showed no regard for formalities. With a nonchnt flick of his foot, a small stone struck Zhao Zhai¡¯s ankle. In response, Zhao Zhai let out a piercing scream, copsing to the ground in agony, clutching his leg. Sun Qian smirked silently and sauntered past him. Upon encountering Zhao Mu, Sun Qian swiftly conveyed his intention: he was here for money. The official had grantedpensation of 10,000 liang and issued an official apology in court. Zhao Zhai had already offered apologies on behalf of the Zhao Family, and he hade now to collect the money. Upon hearing Zhao Zhai apologizing on behalf of the Zhao Family, Zhao Mu¡¯s anger surged even further. He shot a disdainful re at Ms. Qin, seemingly ming her for her son¡¯s actions. Ms. Qin bit her lip, silently pleading not to be held solely responsible. After all, she wasn¡¯t the only one who had raised him. Before Sun Qian could finish his demand, Zhao Ye interjected with a reminder that in court the previous day, he had pledged topensate with 100,000 liang if he were caught lying. Therefore, the Zhao Family should now provide 110,000 liang. This deration further fueled Zhao Mu¡¯s fury, and he cast a cold, questioning look at Zhao Ye, who found himself unable to exin. He hadn¡¯t anticipated this turn of events. However, the real question was: what was the official¡¯s motive? If he intended to penalize Zhao Shu, he could have quickly retrieved the contract, even with Zhao Shu¡¯s return. But there was an inexplicable twist to the situation that left Zhao Ye baffled. Reluctantly, Zhao Ye couldn¡¯t deny the truth presented in court, especially with Sun Qian¡¯s behavior as evidence. Thus, he averted his father¡¯s gaze. Suppressing his anger, Zhao Mu pressed on, ¡°Mr. Sun, about the matter of the mulberry fields¡­¡± ¡°Give me the money first; I¡¯m here for the money!¡± ¡°As for the 100,000 mulberry fields¡­¡± ¡°Old Master Zhao, you¡¯re the wealthiest man in Yangzhou; surely you can provide 110,000 liang, can¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 1252: Unthinkable Chapter 1252: Unthinkable Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°¡­.¡± Zhao Mu sneered, dismissing the sum of 110,000 liang as inconsequential. ¡°A mere 110,000 liang? The Zhao Family possesses far more than that. Butler, withdraw 110,000 liang from the ount.¡± ¡°Yes, Old Master!¡± ¡°Mr. Sun, what are Madame Shao¡¯s intentions regarding the 100,000 mulberry fields?¡± Zhao Shu inquired, feigning innocence. ¡°Since the mulberry garden belongs to Old Master and his wife, what are your thoughts on it, Young Master Zhao?¡± Zhao Shu nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯ve already sold off the mulberry garden!¡± This revtion sparked another surge of anger within Zhao Mu. He couldn¡¯t help but seethe with frustration at his disobedient son. It was an immutable fact, one that gnawed at him relentlessly. Taking a deep breath, Zhao Mu continued, ¡°Madame Shao, are you nning to sell the silk, or¡­¡± His heart ached once more at the thought.
The silk produced from the 100,000 mu mulberry field should have rightfully belonged to him, sparing him the need for any liang! Yet now, it had all slipped through his grasp. Unfilial son! Unfilial son! Sun Qian rified, ¡°We are indeed selling the silk. My Madame has made it clear that only those who excel will have the privilege to purchase it. If you wish to acquire some, Old Master Zhao, you may discuss it directly with the manager. My Madame isn¡¯t personally involved in these matters.¡± The manager in question was not under Qiao Xuan¡¯s authority but was instead managed by Zhao Shu and Uncle Qing. Sun Qian was merely a pawn, ying her role ording to Zhao Shu¡¯s scheme. Upon hearing Sun Qian¡¯s words, the Zhao Family¡¯s hearts skipped a beat. Madame Shao was not personally overseeing such a substantial enterprise? This revtion hinted at the Shao Family¡¯s considerable influence¡­ He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to contemte it. This only deepened the apprehension Zhao Mu and the Zhao Family felt towards Qiao Xuan. They couldn¡¯t afford to underestimate Zhao Shu either. Zhao Mu found Sun Qian¡¯s tepid response to be deeply dissatisfying. The silk issue gnawed at him, stoking his irritation. However, Sun Qian remained indifferent to Zhao Mu¡¯s feelings. Once the money was in his possession, he took his leave. Before departing, Sun Qian patted Zhao Shu on the shoulder and mustered a forced smile. ¡°Old Master suggests that Young Master Zhao pays him a visit when you have the time. We could have a chat.¡± The expressions on Zhao Mu and Zhao Ye¡¯s faces shifted slightly. Meanwhile, Ms. Qin ground her teeth in silent frustration, cursing inwardly. This woman had clearly aligned herself with an influential family, exining her audacity. Zhao Shu graciously nodded, maintaining his smile. ¡°Your kindness is greatly appreciated, Old Master Shao. I¡¯ll be sure to pay you a visit in the near future!¡± Sun Qian acknowledged the response with a nod before making his exit. With Sun Qian¡¯s departure, the pretentious atmosphere surrounding Zhao Mu dissipated. He turned to re at Zhao Shu, still finding him irksome, though he couldn¡¯t vent his anger. Moreover, what would be the point of eliminating him? The 100,000 mu of mulberry fields would never be returned. Zhao Mu had initially harbored thoughts of wresting back control of the mulberry fields from Madame Shao before Sun Qian¡¯s arrival. However, following the encounter, he dared not even entertain such notions. He couldn¡¯t afford to provoke the homeowner, given the formidable obstinacy of their servant.
Zhao Mu understood all too well that he could ill afford to offend Madame Shao and her husband. The knowledge that he was Yangzhou¡¯s wealthiest individual and the loss of respect from the local authorities was evidence enough of this shift. In the end, the Zhao Family found themselves at a loss regarding the mulberry fields, aughingstock without any recourse. Chapter 1253: Identity Chapter 1253: Identity Editor:Henyee Trantions What he needed to contemte was the significance of silk¡­ The absence of the silk mill would unquestionably leave them in distress, but they couldn¡¯t proceed without it! Madame Shao had recently acquired her own mulberry fields, and Old Master Shao appeared to have a cordial rtionship with his estranged son. If this estranged son could negotiate amiably with Ms. Shao and her spouse, they might secure silk at a more favorable rate. Ms. Qin remained oblivious to Zhao Mu¡¯s thoughts, yet she couldn¡¯t fathom why Zhao Mu refrained from reprimanding Zhao Shu. ¡°Old Master, even if we were to sell the 100,000 mu of mulberry fields, where would the proceeds go?¡± Zhao Mu¡¯s eyes gleamed as he directed his gaze toward Zhao Shu. Indeed, money! A conservative estimate indicated that 100,000 mu of mulberry fields could yield at least 700,000 liang, ounting for all expenditures. If the mulberry fields were sold in their entirety, the sum would likely exceed 2 million liang, wouldn¡¯t it? With such funds at their disposal, they wouldn¡¯t need to worry about purchasing silk for the next three or four years.
In reality, despite the vast scale of the Zhao Family¡¯s workshop, it didn¡¯t necessitate 100,000 mu of mulberry fields to sustain its silk production. Zhao Mu had been consistently selling silk sourced from Ms. Zheng¡¯s mulberry garden every year. Ms. Zheng was well aware of this, as was Zhao Shu. What course of action should they take? Ms. Zheng was the spouse, and her son was still in his formative years. Her parents were no longer alive. Historically, her parents had no male heirs, and the Zheng Family had made repeated attempts to adopt them. Fortunately, the Zheng Family¡¯s standing in Yangzhou was not robust, and Ms. Zheng¡¯s parents possessed ample wealth to dissuade such efforts. Nevertheless, Ms. Zheng and her kin had a strained rtionship with the n. It was imusible for Ms. Zheng to oppose her husband. So she chose to turn a blind eye and allow her husband to im all the profits from the mulberry garden, solely to safeguard her son and herself. As long as the deed remained in his possession, there was still a long road ahead. However, now that Zhao Shu had sold the mulberry garden, Zhao Mu stood to lose all the benefits. ¡°Third Brother, where is the money from the sale of the mulberry garden?¡± Upon hearing the term ¡°unfilial son¡± used to address him, Zhao Shu found it absurd. But the change in his father¡¯s demeanor indicated one thing ¨C he was now somewhat afraid of him. He was no longer as nonchnt, casual, and indifferent as before. When his father wasn¡¯t afraid of him, it didn¡¯t concern Zhao Shu. However, now that he was, he wouldn¡¯t hold back. Zhao Shu didn¡¯t immediately respond. Instead, he turned to Ms. Qin. ¡°It appears that Concubine Qin hasn¡¯t learned when to remain silent or recognized her ce. She dares to inquire about matters that don¡¯t concern her. Does Ms. Zheng¡¯s mulberry garden have any relevance to you? Is the money yours? You are not entitled to the proceeds from Ms. Zheng¡¯s mulberry garden. How audacious!¡± Zhao Ye became visibly agitated, his face turning red. ¡°Don¡¯t go too far!¡± ¡°It has consistently been Concubine Qin and you who have gone too far!¡± Zhao Shu retorted coldly. ¡°Are you attempting to threaten or caution me? Youck the qualifications to do so. It appears both of you have forgotten your true positions!¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°How about we share this tale with others so they can pass judgment?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ms. Qin and Zhao Ye were infuriated.
Zhao Shu experienced a mix of satisfaction and bitterness. The bitter part was that Ms. Qin and her son had inflicted immense pain on his mother. His mother was deeply hurt. Faced with a woman like Ms. Qin, who frequently feigned weakness and tears, his mother couldn¡¯t take action against her for his sake, allowing her to do as she pleased. She must have been seething with anger, grief, and restraint deep within her heart. Chapter 1254: Ms. Qin’s Guilt Chapter 1254: Ms. Qin¡¯s Guilt Editor:Henyee Trantions But in this moment, he felt no obligation to concern himself with anything. He had reached his breaking point with the trio, and their dealings with the demon were of no concern to him. He could taunt them without restraint. So what if they were infuriated? So what if Zhao Mu seethed with anger? Did he care? Yet, the absence of his mother weighed heavily on him¡­ Ms. Qin was so humiliated that tears flowed freely from her eyes. She turned towards Zhao Mu, her voice trembling with emotion. ¡°Master, I¡¯ve dedicated countless years to your service and given birth to two of your sons. I¡¯ve toiled tirelessly for you and the Zhao Family. Haven¡¯t I earned some respect? I¡¯m already a grandmother, and the shame is too much to bear!¡± Zhao Mu furrowed his brows, agreeing with Ms. Qin. He had always been captivated by her beauty and grace, and he harbored no fondness for Zhao Shu. He shot an irked nce at Zhao Shu. ¡°Enough, Third Brother, enough!¡± Zhao Shu grinned. ¡°So you see my point too? You may not consider this pressing, but I believe it¡¯s a matter of utmost importance that demands thorough discussion!¡± ¡°After all, our familycks clear hierarchy and rules. We risk being ridiculed and scorned by outsiders, and chaos may befall our family!¡± ¡°Grandmother, you say? You¡¯re merely a concubine. Who do you think you are? No one addresses you as ¡®grandma.¡¯ When did you be my father¡¯s stepmother?¡± Ms. Qin¡¯s body quivered, her lips quaking, and her face turned ashen.
She clenched her teeth to stifle her urge to scream. Inwardly, she seethed with curses, wishing she could tear Zhao Shu apart. ¡°Dad,¡± Zhao Shu smirked as he addressed Zhao Mu, ¡°I¡¯ve noticed you have several concubines, and you¡¯re in the prime of your life. Yet, none of them have borne any children in recent years. It¡¯s rather peculiar, don¡¯t you think? Could it be that someone doesn¡¯t want you to have more offspring? I suggest you investigate this matter!¡± ¡°What are you implying, Third Young Master?¡± Ms. Qin let out a piercing scream. She needlessly sumbed to panic. Little did she realize that Zhao Shu¡¯s intention was merely to rile her up, to stir trouble for his own amusement. He thrived on such provocations. This was not her first encounter with his selfish and malicious nature. Shecked foresight, driven solely by immediate gains, with no regard for the future. Consequently, there was nothing she wouldn¡¯t dare. She acted impulsively, pursuing her desires without restraint. With two sons of her own, she refused to let any other woman bear more children. As for the consequences of her actions, and what would happen if she were ever discovered, she had never contemted these long-term implications. But when Zhao Shu suddenly broached the topic, an unsettling feeling gripped her. She couldn¡¯t quite grasp Zhao Shu¡¯s intentions. After all, he had inherited a fair share of Ms. Zheng¡¯s loyal attendants, making it not entirely imusible for him to unearth some hidden truths. Her anxiety caused a flicker of surprise to cross her face. Zhao Mu, who hadn¡¯t previously pondered these matters, found himself growing suspicious. Zhao Ye shot a venomous re at Zhao Shu and silentlymented that his mother must have been deeply shaken. Something must have transpired. He reassured them, ¡°Mom¡­ no, Ms.Concubine, please don¡¯t be distressed. I know the kind of people you are, and I trust in your character. There¡¯s no need for sorrow.¡± Chapter 1255: Get Out Chapter 1255: Get Out Editor:Henyee Trantions Ms. Qin¡¯s reaction was swift. She instinctively shielded her face and began sobbing, her emotions appearing more like anger and sorrow than panic. Zhao Shu, on the other hand, responded with a contemptuous sneer, oozing sarcasm. He had no intention of engaging in an argument with them. If his father became suspicious, mere excuses wouldn¡¯t suffice to divert his attention. It was nothing short of a fantasy. Zhao Ye, with a cynical tone, interjected, ¡°Third Brother, don¡¯t attempt to change the subject. Surely, you haven¡¯t squandered all the money?¡± Zhao Mu turned his gaze towards Zhao Shu, fully expecting a response. Zhao Shu remainedposed, determined to address this issue head-on. Zhao Ye¡¯s unexpected visit held deeper implications, and he wasn¡¯t about to let it slide. ¡°It¡¯s inconsequential how much money I possess, and it certainly doesn¡¯t concern you! Even if I did spend it all, that¡¯s my prerogative. What does it matter to you? If you¡¯re envious, why not scrounge up a couple of million yuan for yourself? Oh, wait, you can¡¯t, can you? Because you¡¯re penniless!¡± Zhao Ye bit his lip, struggling to contain his anger. He reminded himself that his father would surely reprimand his Third Brother. Growing impatient, Zhao Mu prioritized his silk and weaving enterprises, brushing aside other matters. It was evident that his Third Son had lost hisposure today. As long as Ms. Qin and her son were present, he intended to deliver a message to them.
With a stern tone, Zhao Mu addressed Ms. Qin and Zhao Ye, ¡°You may leave now.¡± Ms. Qin trembled, and Zhao Ye was taken aback by his father¡¯s abrupt decision. The mother and son experienced a blend of humiliation and anger while also harboring an underlying sense of fear. The notion of not allowing them to eavesdrop left them perplexed. Could it be that the Old Master intended to bestow a significant role upon Zhao Shu? However, Zhao Shu didn¡¯t dwell on such thoughts; he remained indifferent to Zhao Mu¡¯s ns. What mattered most to him was the satisfaction of seeing Zhao Mu dismiss the mother and son. ¡°Concubine Qin, are you hard of hearing? I explicitly instructed you to leave!¡± Zhao Mu remained silent, torn between his son¡¯s abruptmand and the presence of Ms. Qin and Zhao Ye, who stood bewildered. Zhao Ye snorted dismissively in an attempt to defend himself. ¡°Dad wants to have a private conversation with you, showing you respect, Mom. Let¡¯s go!¡± Zhao Shu retorted bluntly, ¡°Just leave already!¡± With clenched teeth, Zhao Ye held back furtherments and departed with Ms. Qin, his face dark with frustration. However, both mother and son appeared disoriented by the sudden turn of events. Zhao Mu had initially requested everyone¡¯s departure, but Zhao Shu insisted on retaining Uncle Qing¡¯s presence. Zhao Mu had no intention of engaging in a protracted argument; he simply needed funds, and that¡¯s what he asked of Zhao Shu. Smiling faintly, Zhao Shu exined, ¡°A total of 1.8 million liang. I coborated with someone to trade horses, sheep, and hides in the northern regions. I contributed the initial capital, while another party invested 1 million liang. The remaining 800,000 liang was used for expenses.¡± Zhao Mu, growing increasingly irritated by his son¡¯s demeanor, narrowed his eyes and maintained a stoic expression, unsure whether to believe his ount. Undeterred by the bleak circumstances, Zhao Shu chuckled. ¡°Dad, you trust me, right? Well, if you don¡¯t, there¡¯s not much I can do. The fact remains that we¡¯re left with no money.¡± Zhao Mu¡¯s breath quickened, and he sneered in response, ¡°Regardless, I¡¯m certain you¡¯re telling the truth. Zhao Shu, don¡¯t think I can¡¯t deal with you!¡± ¡°Never forget that you¡¯re still a part of the Zhao Family! If you continue to act so selfishly and callously, I won¡¯t spare a single penny of our assets for you!¡± Chapter 1256: Not Good Enough Chapter 1256: Not Good Enough Editor:Henyee Trantions ¡°Think twice before you speak,¡± Zhao Mu warned. Zhao Mu harbored a few tricks up his sleeve, and he wasted no time getting to the point. If Zhao Shu refused to relinquish the family properties, Zhao Mu would employ tactics to make him step back, ultimately ensuring all the money ended up in Zhao Muwei¡¯s hands. However, Ms. Zheng had lost faith in Zhang Mu and continuously urged Zhao Shu to abandon the Zhao Family and their assets. She envisioned a prosperous future for herself and her son once they broke free from the tainted legacy of the Zhao Family. Zhao Shu heeded his mother¡¯s advice and distanced himself from Zhao Mu and the Zhao Family. He no longer considered himself a part of their lineage and couldn¡¯t care less about their wealth. He wouldn¡¯t be ensnared in Zhao Mu¡¯s trap. With a smile, Zhao Shu replied, ¡°Very well, I have no interest in the Zhao Family¡¯s money. I don¡¯t need it. By the way, should I leave your mansion? If not, I can find a ce at a hostel.¡± Zhao Mu questioned him with urgency, ¡°Are you absolutely sure about this? The Zhao Family¡¯s assets are worth over 10,000,000 yuan. You¡¯re truly willing to relinquish them?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less if it¡¯s not mine.¡± Zhao Mu offered onest chance, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more opportunity.¡±
¡°No need. I¡¯ve made myself perfectly clear. I don¡¯t want what¡¯s yours, and you don¡¯t need to worry about what¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°¡­Ungrateful child, leave this instant!¡± Zhao Shu chuckled and departed, but he had no intention of going to a hostel. Not now. Instead, he returned to his own residence, apanied by Uncle Qing and several servants. Returning to the ancestral home to fulfill his filial duties towards his mother, Zhao Shu found his yard locked and neglected for years. Ms. Qin was determined to erase all traces of the mother and son¡¯s presence, ensuring no one tended to their needs. Zhao Shu requested someone to unlock the yard, and Uncle Qing, along with a few servants, set to work cleaning the main bedroom. Standing in the yard, hands sped behind his back, Zhao Shu gazed up at the magnolia tree he had nted with his mother. When it was first nted, the seedling had been norger than a copper coin¡ªfragile and slender. After several years of absence, it had thrived. Lush leaves adorned its branches, and delicate buds densely clung to them, promising imminent blossoms. In just a few days, it would be a breathtaking sight, nketed in snowy-white flowers and wispy clouds. Regrettably, his mother would never witness it again. Each time the recent tragic incident crossed his mind, it abruptly halted his thoughts. His mother¡¯s life had ended so suddenly; how could he not feel resentment? Zhao Mu seethed with anger, his chest tightening. He continued to berate his disobedient son, but it brought him no sce. Beyond his irritation at Zhao Shu¡¯s defiance, a subtle unease and mncholy gnawed at him. It seemed he was on the verge of losing his son. However, his mood shifted as he learned that Zhao Shu was residing in his former yard. Confidence returned to him, and he sneered. He believed he would emerge victorious. After all, the Zhao Family¡¯s wealth was vast, and even Zhao Shu couldn¡¯t afford to part with it. Zhao Mu saw Zhao Shu¡¯s actions as mere provocations. If his son genuinely didn¡¯t care, why linger here? There was no need to rush; they could afford to wait and observe. Zhao Mu consoled himself, convinced he was still too young and inexperienced to contend with him. The money would ultimatelye to him. It was no small sum, and he was determined to secure it. Zhao Ye saw Ms. Qin back to the yard and asked all the servants to leave. Chapter 1257: One End Chapter 1257: One End Editor:Henyee Trantions Ms. Qin clutched her chest, her tears flowing freely. ¡°Ye, Ye, that wretched man is pure evil! What is he doing here? Why hasn¡¯t he met his end outside? We must devise a n to rid ourselves of him!¡± Zhao Ye seethed with irritation, humiliation, and rage. When he had first entered the mansion, he was but a mere child, fully aware of his status as a lowly concubine¡¯s offspring, miles apart from the rightful heir of the Zhao Family. The moment he set foot inside the Zhao Mansion, it left him awestruck. He had never beheld such opulence, such an exquisite abode, or tasted such sumptuous fare. From that day forward, avarice began to creep into his heart. Ms. Zheng had shown mercy, refraining from tormenting the trio, which only stoked his arrogance. As he grew older, his ambition and greed swelled beneath the surface. He concealed his true nature, yet in reality, he had long ceased to care about Ms. Zheng and Zhao Shu. In his eyes, mother and son were merely insignificant entities. He believed that eventually, the entire family would fall into his hands. Then, tragedy struck when Ms. Zheng met her untimely demise in an ident. Zhao Shu spent an additional three years at their ancestral home, cementing the trio¡¯s dominion over the mansion. No one dared to challenge him; he reveled in his untroubled existence and, in the process, forgot his humble origins as the son of a concubine.
However, the arrival of the legitimate heir shattered his illusions. He couldn¡¯t bear the thought of humiliation before Ms. Qin. Yet he concealed his turmoil, for he knew that, apart from being aughingstock, he had little else to offer. ¡°Mother, fret not. Even if the mulberry garden is lost, Father will surely recover the money owed to him. The legitimate heir can¡¯t outmatch Father, can he? If Father requests the funds, he¡¯ll have no choice but to yield!¡± ¡°I truly hope he doesn¡¯t! If he doesn¡¯t, Father will never forgive him, and he¡¯ll be forced to leave the mansion¡­¡± A sinister gleam crossed Zhao Ye¡¯s countenance. That would be ideal. If the legitimate heir departed the Zhao Family and Yangzhou altogether, he would stop at nothing to ensure their separation, reuniting him with his mother. Ms. Qin clenched her teeth. ¡°He¡¯s not a fool. He wouldn¡¯t genuinely incur your father¡¯s wrath. The Zhao Family is far too prominent, and he knows how to avoid crossing your father.¡± ¡°Mom, there¡¯s a long road ahead. If he doesn¡¯t offend Father today, we¡¯ll find ways for him to do so in the future. In truth, it doesn¡¯t matter if he actually offends Father. As long as Father deems him unfilial, then he is.¡± ¡°What right does he have to im the Zhao Family¡¯s assets?¡± Ms. Qin¡¯s eyes gleamed, her sneerden with malice. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. In that case, he should remain in the mansion, shouldn¡¯t he?¡± Zhao Ye smiled in agreement. Whether he stayed or left, his fate was sealed, with no alternative oue in sight. ¡°While I¡¯m at it, I¡¯m concerned that your father may take a second wife. Ye, help me find a way to prevent him from doing so.¡± Zhao Ye found himself at a loss for words. He didn¡¯t desire a legitimate mother in the household either. Chapter 1258 Great Space Chapter 1258 Great Space If his mother assumed control over the family, it would be preferable to entrust the household to any other woman. Only in her capable hands did he truly feel like the rightful heir. Regrettably, he couldn''t alter that reality. "Mom, don''t fret. Dad is preupied with thoughts of the weaving workshop and silk; he scarcely considers this matter. Even if he genuinely intends to marry her, it will be months before it crosses his mind. The wedding might not ur until year-end or even next year. We still have ample time." "Mom, what if we forge connections with the matchmakers in Yangzhou? If we can''t prevent them, we can at least ascertain which girls might be suitable for Father¡­" A glimmer of hope appeared in Ms. Qin''s eyes as she beamed at him. "Ye, you genuinely care for your mother and think on her behalf!" She might even persuade Zhao Mu to wed the girl she favored as his second wife, without Zhao Mu''s awareness. What he needed was a capable household manager, and the intervention of a skilled matchmaker. There was considerable room for maneuvering! They simply needed to expend a bit more money. She was no longer the penniless woman of the past; she possessed substantial wealth, and matchmakers would undoubtedly be drawn to her. "You are my son, and it''s my son''s duty to look out for his mother," Zhao Ye replied with a smile, casually adding, "Speaking of which, shouldn''t Elder Brother have returned from the governmental office by now? Why hasn''t he joined us yet?" Only then did Ms. Qin remember her eldest son. Annoyance washed over her. "I wouldn''t have overlooked this if you hadn''t reminded me! But where is he? Going for a stroll while there''s a family matter to attend to? How can he be so carefree?" Ms. Qin was distinctly displeased. With Zhao Zhai''s presence, the three of them would carry more authority than just the two of them. Moreover, Zhao Zhai was a forthright man who wouldn''t tolerate any nonsense from Zhao Shu. He might even resort to physical violence. Zhao Shu undoubtedly warranted such treatment. Zhao Ye was consumed by jealousy. Witnessing his mother chastise his elder brother, he found himself defending him and trying to dissuade his mother. As for Zhao Zhai? He had not gone out for a leisurely walk. As Ms. Qin had anticipated, he couldn''t wait to return to Zhao Shu''s residence and confront him. However, an unfortunate ident had urred¡ªMs. Qin had taken a nasty fall, leaving her ankle swollen like a steamed bun. She had to be carried back to the yard, where shey in bed, groaning and urgently calling for a doctor. Upon hearing the news, Ms. Qin went to visit Zhao Zhai, her heart aching for him as she saw his distress. Ms. Qin found some sce in hearing Zhao Zhai berate Zhao Shu. Later in the afternoon, Zhao Ye paid a visit to Zhao Zhai. Instead of quarreling, the two brothers foundmon ground in their opposition to outsiders. Zhao Zhai was acutely aware of this fact. However, he soon found himself misled by Zhao Ye once more¡­ After Zhao Ye''s departure, Zhao Zhai couldn''t help but contemte seeking revenge against Zhao Shu. A legitimate son? He had no mother, no father, and even his maternal rtives had vanished. So what if he was the legitimate son? He was merely the son of a concubine, and he was determined to make life miserable for the legitimate son, dragging him through the mud. What was wrong with that? By the time he was done, the legitimate son would learn not to trifle with him. But the Zhao Family hadn''t anticipated that circumstances would change so rapidly. The next day, a representative from the Zhao Family arrived, requesting Zhao Shu to pass on the inheritance. They intended to adopt the deceased brother of the n''s leader as the rightful heir. Naturally, Zhao Shu bestowed numerous advantages upon the n Leader, delighting him immensely. Zhao Shu was more than eager to do so. This strategy ensured that he wouldn''t be under the direct authority of the senior members and, moreover, allowed him to distance himself entirely from Zhao Mu. Stunned and incensed, Zhao Mu refused to let this scenario unfold. Despite his personal animosity towards Zhao Shu, he couldn''t overlook the fact that Zhao Shu was his sole legitimate son. Chapter 1259 Not Truth Chapter 1259 Not Truth His sole heir was about to be adopted. How could he be so shameless? The chief and the n elders produced Ms. Zheng''s letter along with the signed evidence. Zhao Mu''s face alternated between shades of crimson and pallor, leaving him so embarrassed that he wished for nothing more than to disappear into the ground. He had never anticipated that even Zhao Shu, his own kin, had underestimated the extent of Ms. Zheng''s preparation. It was Auntie Qing who had safeguarded the letter, eventually passing it on to Zhao Shu when he made the decision to return to Yangzhou. Without hesitation, Zhao Shu had gone to the n elders before making his journey back to Yangzhou. At home, he was hailed as a paragon of filial piety to his mother for three whole years. Furthermore, Uncle Qing and Aunt Qing stood by him throughout those 500 meters for three years, treating the senior n members with the utmost respect and reverence. Their actions garnered praise from the entire family. Zhao Shu had hinted at offering substantial incentives, so why had the chief and group within the n note to his aid? The chief was acutely aware that if he did not assist Zhao Shu, he would expose the contents of the letter to the public, leading to Ms. Zhao''s humiliation and potentially tarnishing Zhao Mu''s reputation as well. The letter clearly revealed the rtionship between Zhao Mu and Ms. Qin. Zhao Mu had harbored affection for Ms. Qin, and she had, at one point, broken off her engagement with her former fianc¨¦, who had tragically passed away within two years. While it was an unfortunate ident, Zhao Mu certainly hadn''t taken any sinister actions against Ms. Qin. However, there was a ring loophole that could be exploited to create a scandal. Rumors spread without cost, and there was no easy way to counter them. Adding to theplexity, Zhao Mu had fathered two sons with his concubines after his marriage. He had even coerced his wife into covering up for him. It was imusible that Ms. Zheng had acted willingly in this matter. With Ms. Zheng now deceased, a great many people would undoubtedly sympathize with her plight. Zhao Mu feared that his reputation would be irreparably tarnished. The entire Zhao Family would undoubtedly suffer the consequences as well. It was a situation Zhao Mu was desperate to avoid. With a sneer, Zhao Shu remarked, "Just sign it, Old Master Zhao. You already have two capable sons and grandchildren. What''s the point in holding onto me? You never truly cared for me, did you?" Zhao Mu retorted with a sneer of his own, "If you''re no longer my son, don''t even think about receiving a fraction of the Zhao Family''s wealth!" This tired argument once again reared its head. Without hesitation, Zhao Shu simply said, "Alright." At this juncture, no amount of anger could change anything for Zhao Mu. In the presence of the chief and the elders, Zhao Shu''s name was formally stricken from the Zhao lineage, reced with the designation of "brother of the chief." Remarkably, Zhao Shu made no ims on the Zhao Family''s assets. He made it clear that he would be leaving today. Ms. Qin and Zhao Ye were overjoyed, particrly Ms. Qin, who couldn''t conceal her tion. She was poised to take charge of her own family''s destiny, a prospect that brought her immense happiness. Zhao Shu did express his intent to im his mother''s dowry, which was explicitly mentioned in her letter as bequeathed to her lineal son. Unimpressed, Zhao Mu sneered, "Since you''ve been adopted, you can no longer be considered Ms. Zheng''s son. Her dowry is no concern of yours." Zhao Shu asserted, "It''s entirely reasonable for a woman''s dowry to be designated for her children. I''m simply adhering to my mother''s wishes in order to safeguard my rights. Don''t you believe in your own authority over your dowry? If she''s stated her intention to give it to me, then it''s rightfully mine. Should Old Master Zhao refuse, I won''t hesitate to report this matter to the authorities." Zhao Mu harbored doubts about his chances of sess should he pursue legal action. After all, Zhao Shu possessed Ms. Zheng''s written directive, and, as he correctly pointed out, Ms. Zheng had the legal right to allocate her dowry as she saw fit, as it constituted her private property, separate from the Zhao Family''s assets. Chapter 1260 - 1530: Visit Chapter 1530: Visit Editor:Henyee Trantions The maidservant expressed concern, saying, ¡°I understand. Madam Shao¡¯s sudden illness must be distressing. Our Madam specifically instructed us to convey our regards and assess Madam Shao¡¯s condition. We¡¯ll inform her upon our return! Could you allow us to enter and perform a kowtow? We assure you that we¡¯ll stand at a distance and not disturb Madam Shao.¡± Another servant added, ¡°Absolutely. Our Madam also emphasized the same. Miss, please consider allowing just the two of us to enter. By offering our respects and a quick nce, we can provide a reassuring report to Madam!¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Lixia and Liqiu concealed their annoyance. Initially skeptical of the Old Master¡¯s warning about potential troublemakers, they now found themselves facing the reality of unwanted guests. As Lixia and Liqiu spoke, their expressions betrayed some irritation. It seemed that these visitors had intentions beyond mere well-wishing. ¡°Everyone, please return. Our Madam is currently not receiving guests. Once she recovers and regains her strength, she will naturally meet with you!¡± Recognizing the dubious intentions of the visitors, Lixia and Liqiu wore unpleased expressions. Their tone was cold, and their displeasure was evident. In truth, the maids and servants sent by the Deputy Prefect¡¯s wife were also perplexed. They didn¡¯t understand why they were instructed to perform kowtows and pay respects to Madam Shao. While the Deputy Prefect¡¯s wife cited it as a matter of etiquette, the genuine concern for Madam Shao prompted some uncertainty. Even though they felt it might be excessive, they adhered to the instructions, trusting that the Madam had her reasons. The aides from the prefectural magistrate¡¯s wife sided with the Deputy Prefect¡¯s wife¡¯s maid, aligning with her expressed concern for Madam Shao. Failing to show adequate concern might imply ack of consideration on their Madam¡¯s part, a scenario they wished to avoid.
Lixia and Liqiu¡¯s frosty expressions and cold tone made the servants from the magistrate¡±s wife uneasy, considering a retreat. However, those from the Deputy Prefect¡¯s wife¡¯s side remained entangled, hesitant to concede the matter. She disyed such fervor that it made her uneasy about Madam Shao¡¯s absence. Lixia and Liqiu were both irritated and vexed, but the other party seemed oblivious to their sentiments. To their surprise, the two maids carrying the food box attempted to bypass them and enter the house. Liqiu, rmed, eximed, ¡°Stop, what are you doing!¡± A maidservant pulled Liqiu aside, smiling forcefully. ¡°Miss Liqiu, Miss Lixia, our Madam is genuinely concerned! She frets over Madam Shao and wishes to¡­¡± Before she could finish, another maidservant hastily interrupted, smiling at the other, ¡°Let¡¯s enter and pay our respects to Madam Shao. We can exin to Madam when we return!¡± The other maidservant remained perplexed, not grasping the situation. ¡°Huh?¡± She instinctively resisted being pulled away. ¡°All of you! Halt!¡± Despite Lixia and Liqiu being restrained and pulled by others, the ongoing arguments drowned out their attempts tomunicate effectively with the two maidservants heading inside. Mianmian, who was in the room with Qiao Wei, rushed out, ignoring Qiao Wei. She intercepted the two maidservants. ¡°What are you doing here? You¡¯re disturbing Madam!¡± Mianmian eximed. Unexpectedly, a servant forcefully pushed Lixia aside and barged into the house. ¡°Since Madam Shao is awake, we should perform a kowtow and pay our respects!¡± Chapter 1261 - 1531: Chased Away Chapter 1531: Chased Away Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°You¡­¡± The maidservant roughly shoved her once more, causing her to stagger. Just as she attempted to force her way in, a sudden sharp pain in the back of her knees sent her crashing to the ground with a cry. The others were left in shock. Ah-Ye, who had just finished lunch, swiftly rushed over. Lixia and the rest breathed a sigh of relief andined indignantly, ¡°Ah-Ye, these insolent servants are intolerable. They insist on intruding to disturb Madam; please drive them away!¡± Ah-Ye agreed and cast a cold gaze in their direction. The maidservants, visibly frightened, instinctively stepped back. Without any ceremony, Ah-Ye lifted the fallen woman and casually tossed her aside. She screamed and rolled on the ground, her pride thoroughly bruised. While she suffered no physical injuries, her dignity was certainly in tatters. Liqiu sneered, ¡°Take your soup with you. Our Madam won¡¯t have any appetite for it!¡± These words only soured their expressions further. The maid representing the magistrate¡¯s wife hurriedly interjected, ¡°Well¡­ Miss Liqiu, what do you mean? This is a token of my wife¡¯s goodwill! Miss Liqiu, it¡¯s not suitable for you to decline on behalf of Madam Shao, is it?¡± ¡°Why not? It¡¯s none of your business whether it¡¯s suitable or not!¡± Lixia retorted coldly. ¡°We suspect you have ill intentions. Why are you really here? To offer greetings? It¡¯s clear you¡¯re here to cause trouble! Why don¡¯t you leave? Do you need us to escort you out?¡± Terrified, everyone nced at Ah-Ye. Unwilling to face his forceful removal, they hurriedly made their exit. Upon hearing the report, the Deputy Prefect¡¯s wife¡¯s face darkened. She reprimanded her subordinate for mishandling the situation and sent him away in frustration. Such an incident must not be repeated. Now, she needed to devise an alternative n. With Ms. Qiao missing and not at the ry station, Lord Shao remained remarkablyposed. Little did he expect that the news would be so well-concealed. His Highness had mandated the revtion of Ms. Qiao¡¯s disappearance, necessitating the formtion of a n. Yet, what approach should they take? The Deputy Prefect¡¯s wife promptly ordered someone to summon her husband. Despite their discussions, a viable solution eluded them. The previous disruptive method had already been employed, and its effectiveness was unlikely to be repeated. In a moment of desperation, the Deputy Prefect gritted his teeth and sneered. ¡°We cannot fail in such a trivial matter. How can His Highness entrust me with future tasks if we falter? I propose bribing a few individuals to set fire tonight and infiltrate during the ensuing chaos¡­¡± His wife¡¯s eyes lit up, and she eagerly agreed. ¡°Old Master, that¡¯s a brilliant idea. The chaos will create a convenient distraction for us!¡± A sinister smile crossed the Deputy Prefect¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll make the arrangements immediately!¡± Time was of the essence. With His Highness having stationed someone in Yanzhou, they needed to establish contact. Lord Shao had brought along imperial guards proficient in martial arts. Achieving this task solo would be challenging without His Highness¡¯s assistance. The Deputy Prefect¡¯s wife couldn¡¯t help but suggest, ¡°I don¡¯t understand His Highness¡¯s intentions. So what if Ms. Qiao is missing? Why not use her as leverage against Shao Yunduan? If he refuses toply, he¡¯ll be aughingstock, given his grand derations of loyalty!¡± ¡°Once his reputation is tarnished, I doubt he can maintain a foothold in the capital.¡± The Deputy Prefect cautioned, ¡°We can¡¯t presume to know His Highness¡¯s ns. It¡¯s better for you to speak less!¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!