621: Desperate Officer Qjao
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
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 Qiao complained.
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.
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 plan 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 delayed.
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.."
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…
Concubine Du felt her heart dripping blood.
When she knew that Madame Qiao had offered everything she had, she and Qiao Kou even laughed 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 place proudly. Concubine Du almost collapsed as she looked at her room later. 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 place. She saw a distressed, tearful Concubine Du as well as a messy room.
"Concubine Du, what is going on?"
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 collapsed.
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.
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. "l can't, I can't accept 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 plan 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..
Madame Qiao sneered at Concubine Du and Qiao Kou's misery after she got their properties. She completely 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.
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 a large 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 Sanlang 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 plan 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..
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 the land agent who could talk with the Land Officer about buying a piece of land at the entrance of the village for mushrooms, especially for snow fungus.
The place in the garden was not enough.
They decided to hire Shao Dali to find a few honest men from the village, who could help the couple to sort through the ingredients.
They would be paid 35 won a day.
Shao Dali was very glad to accept 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 as last 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.
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 village to become rich.
They would draw a lot of jealousy and calculation from peers.
Fifteen people were hired to dig the land, including Shao Sanlang and Shao
Dalang, 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 needed laborers 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 villagers spoke highly of the first section of the family, she felt very sour..
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 village, 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?"
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-in-law 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 accept you accusing 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 blamed in the end because he thought that she had caused him to lose the Land Officer position..
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 slap 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. Accusing 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 too late though. Ms. Qiu arrived there in anger.
She glared at Widow Sun. "You lazy, 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 explanation seemed really reasonable, everyone understood what was going on. It was just some gossip in the whole village 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 place, spoke a few words and went home too.
She did not feel sorry for Widow Sun.
Widow Sun did not deserve her compassion.
But for her superpower, Shao Dalangs 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..
At the Qiao Mansion.
Officer Qiao and Madame Qiao were very distressed and kept sighing for the lack 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 uncomfortable 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 worthwhile compared 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 related 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 being laughed at.
Soon… he would be away from this place.
"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 to complain.
"Yeah, I only have fields, not cash.."
"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 and complaints 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
relationship 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…"
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 planning 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 uncomfortable 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 uncomfortable.
They all believed that Officer Qiao treated them differently. They even bragged about hanging out together.
But this behavior was such a slap 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..
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 Village.
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. Our lady 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.
This lady 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 from coming 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..
Lixia walked forward and bowed to Ms. Fang. "Madame Shao, this lady 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, come 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 glazed windows surprised her.
Those were not cheap at all. Those large glazed 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 glazed 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 felt comfortable. 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, glancing 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?"
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 very large 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 glazed windows and large 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 be composed. 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!"
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 related 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 the compensation. Alos, Yuezheng Xiao had a manager who was now residing at the Zhang Village. 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 – 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 Liulang, so she snapped. "No wonder she seems like a bad person. She looks down at us! She should never bother to come to our door if she looks down at us. We are not begging her!"
Qiao Xuan laughed. "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-in-law!" 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..
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 Liulang 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 Liulang. 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 Village 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 Yunduan laughed.
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' relationship 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 accident did not happen but they did not think that it would never come.
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 the last 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..
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 village was completed within a few days' time.
Soon after, they built the shelf and started to transport the mushrooms.
There were dustpans, cleaves, baskets all bought in large batches. Many people in the village were able to weave such things, so Qiao Xuan turned to them and paid them to make enough.
The planting of mushrooms started within half a month.
The mushrooms only took up three mu, and it would soon grow in a few months. The plan 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 place 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 become 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 occur in two months' time.
When all was settled, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan left the village 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 Liulang 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 Liulang 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 Liulang laughed proudly and pretended to console Shao Yunduan, then he left happily..
He did not care if Shao Yunduan treated him nicely or not. Shao Liulang believed that he was in a bad mood and could be forgiven.
Shao Liulang 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 Liulang left in satisfaction, Shao Yunduan did not relax his vigilance. 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 were laughing, 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 consolation like 'it is fine, he can do that later, what a pity' etc..
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 could come 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 these landlords' children!
Qiao Wei was still dreaming without realizing that Qiao Kou was planning 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 place, 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 placed 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..
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 plants 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 and lamb 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 glad 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 already come to the province. They were either living in their own houses, or at their relatives. 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 occasionally, but not often.
He did not reveal his relationship with Xie Jingrong, but Xie Jingrong gave him the earliest and most comprehensive 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 more comfortable.
Qiao Xuan would visit First Madame occasionally, 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 not lack 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 you come 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.."
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 explanation.
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 would come 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 or later!"
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Just do as you wish, Lady Yuezheng."
"Bah!"
Qiao Xuan said goodbye to her and headed to First Madame's place.
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..
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 two large 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 place 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-in-law 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 accept 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-in-law loves you! Come with me."
Ms. Mi Junior soon took Qiao Xuan back to her own yard..